Tag: writing

A Pic Spam Sort of Post

Day 21 of my Post-A-Day challenge! I treated myself before I headed into work yesterday. I got a lot of writing in (the day started with a trip to one of the nearby coffee shops. I got myself a coffee and let my muse go crazy. I made a lot of progress on the story I’m working on).

Here is a pic-spam of the rest of my adventure:

Yep. You are seeing exactly what you think you see.

The mall was having a car show!

I got myself a shirt (I folded half of it so that you can get an idea of the back). The pony is a very early Christmas present for my niece. I will keep it with the doll I finished yesterday until it’s time to pack and mail!

Accessories to go with my Halloween costume. I hope it turns out as awesome as the image I have in my head!

Inspiration Station

Happy Labor Day, everyone! I had to work, but that’s okay. They paid us extra. I can’t believe that it’s September already. I know this is cliche to say, but this year has flown by. I decided to challenge myself into writing one post per day (we shall see if I bit off more than I can chew…only September will tell).

I found a Post-A-Day prompt for September on Pinterest (there is much more to that site than food and Mrs. Cleaver’s favorite picks). Here is a link to the pin: Pin me!

Day 1: Post something that inspires you.

I thought a lot about this one and finally decided that works of fiction, whether they be books, television shows, or movies, are what inspire me the most. For those of you who follow my blog on a regular basis, you see how much fan art I draw! From Star Trek to Babylon 5 to Lord of the Rings, if I am fond of it in any way, shape, or form, I start drawing.

Writing is a little different, but I would by lying if I said I never wrote any fan fiction whatsoever. I used to live for that stuff. Creating tales that involved my favorite characters was how I discovered that I loved to write. Those early stories that teenager me wrote were…eh, well I said “teenager me,” so that should shed some light on quality! It’s the fond memories that count and the fact that those stories exercised my creativity.

It’s been ages since I’ve written any fan fiction, but that was my own decision. If you like writing it, let your inner muse fly and go for it!

~Here’s to hoping I stick to my September plan.
Cheers!

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee


Just call me the cliché writer who likes to go to [ insert your favorite hipster coffee café here ] and write. There is a reason this phenomenon is so popular: it works. Whether you do the muse thing or not, there is something nestled within the creative mind that thrives on coffee, especially when coupled with a relaxed café setting. 
Coffee aside, I think part of it has to do with the fact that you’re outside of your regular environment, and your mind is challenged because it is coping with new sights and sounds. I’ve done some of my best writing in little cafes! I suppose we could get scientific and talk about the properties of caffeine (I imagine that 90% of the increased flow of writing is due to the stimulant). You can read all about caffeine on Wikipedia if you need to get your science fix in! 
As shocking as this may come to some of you, I don’t drink coffee every day. *Sits back and waits for the gasps* I normally drink tea in the mornings. Its caffeine content doesn’t hold a candle to coffee, but it tastes good, and as a result, I don’t have a high tolerance for caffeine. What does this mean? When I do need that emergency cup of coffee or that extra boost to feed my muse, it is all the more effective. 
With all that being said, I do have a routine as far as getting my weekly fix of coffee in goes. I work in a repair shop that is open on the weekends. For the purposes of this list, let’s pretend that the week starts on Saturday (Saturdays are usually my Monday anyway).
Saturday: Stop off at the little shoppette around the corner and get myself my favorite little coffee before I go into work. They have an awesome French Vanilla blend with a French Vanilla creamer.
Sunday: Same as Saturday.
Monday: No coffee for me!
Tuesday: Only if I’m in dire need of it (If I get coffee, I’ll typically do a coffee run for work).
Wednesday: Same as Tuesday. On a regular week, I do a dire run once.
Thursday: None.
Friday: None.
There will always be the hipster-coffee-shop-give-my-muse-a-boost exceptions.
I’m on vacation this week, so ignore the giant coffee I got this morning! When you are on vacation, all bets are off! Another reason I like to do this is it gives me a reason to look forward to my “Monday.” You’d be surprised at how motivated I can be when it comes to a delicious cup of hot coffee.

There you have it: more than you ever wanted to know about my personal coffee habits

The Year is Now

The Year is Now is finally a reality! Click the image or the link beneath it to be taken to my Lulu storefront.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/ml-crabb/the-year-is-now/paperback/product-21711767.html
 Available at Lulu: The Year is Now
It will be available on Amazon within the next few weeks!

The Year is Now started out in 2010 as a bunch of cranky journal entries by Major Pierson (who was simply named “The General” back then).  I remember when the idea hit me; I was sitting on the steps at my former job, ignoring the Georgia heat as I stared at my empty notebook. Major Pierson came into being with a sudden snap. His first lines were “Those damned Venetians!” The bulk of the entries never made it to the final draft, but I remember having a lot of fun writing them.

After all this time, I am thrilled to be able to present The Year is Now as a full fledged paperback novel! I want to thank everyone who has supported me, offered me encouragement, or just listened.

Proof Copy Giveaway!
I just want to say that I had too much fun reading the captions. I liked them so much, that I’m going to have to do something like this again in the future.
Winner  #1:
E.R.’s  “We have bypassed the Intergalactic Realm and are fast approaching a rare pocket of curved space/time dimensions. Ouch!”

Winner #2:
D.F.’s  “I do not pity the poor humans stuck toiling in their 9 to 5 ruts after a weekend of binge drinking”…

+ You two will receive an email shortly!
+ Winners of the Cover Launch Contest: your prizes will be mailed out tomorrow, and I’ll email you once the packages are shipped!

Proof Copy Giveaway

Yes, I have been busier than all the busy bee cliches out there lately, but I have some awesome news about The Year is Now!

The official release date is 24 July, 2014!

What is a release date without some sort of giveaway? I have two worn proof copies laying around. They aren’t perfect, and they are a little used, but they still hold The Year is Now. The story itself wasn’t changed (I was well beyond that process when I ordered my first proof copy), so if you are a lucky winner, you can get your hands on a free copy–proof copy!

How to enter

Caption this:

You can post your caption on Facebook, through email (thecommanddeck [at] outlook [dot] com), or by posting a comment below. You have until the 23rd to enter. Winners will be announced on the release date and also emailed/private messaged separately.

Rules
Keep it clean, please.
You must be 18 to enter.
If you’re a winner, you have 3 days to respond to my message in order to collect your prize.

I will send the winners a “Shipped” notification (I have to schedule shipping around my days off).
WINNERS OF THE COVER LAUNCH PARTY, your prizes will be mailed out on the 25th!

What is a space guinea pig king without a super epic t-shirt? Rescue him, guys and gals! He needs our help!