T is for Tales #AtoZChallenge

You probably noticed that we have expanded and reorganized our list of Categories this year. It is an exciting change, and people have been taking advantage of it! I am especially pleased that there are several blogs rocking Mythology and Folklore themes this year. Check out some of them:

Story Crossroads: Tales of Kindness Across Cultures

Kelsey Ketch: Egyptian Mythology

The Mad Grad Student: Characters from folklore and mythology in video games

Writing Dragons: Dragon art from various artists

Our Literary Journey: Fantasy creatures

I also have a folktale theme running on my own blog this year, and I wanted to note how fascinating it is to receive comments on posts about folklore and mythology. I am used to mostly discussing tales with professional storytellers and folklorists, people who are steeped in this kind of stuff. It is interesting to see how non-folklore people, especially fiction writers, react to the same stories. Listening to folktales is an acquired skill; people who don't regularly interact with them have vastly different reactions than those who do. Folktales make sense in a different way than fiction does. That's the fun part: You can pick them apart and say "but none of that makes any sense!" or "there is no character development!", but in the end, they still carry deep truths, and they are still entertaining. On the other hand, getting opinions on the tales from many people of different backgrounds often makes me re-think the stories in a whole different light. I love that experience.
I recommend adding folktales to everyone's regular literary diet!


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S is for Saturday #AtoZChallenge

Saturdays 

My favorite thing to do on a Saturday is to sleep in. In a perfect world, I would sleep until my body naturally woke me up, and then I would write. I can just pictures myself type type typing away in my cool quiet bedroom with no distractions. Unfortunately, that is hardly ever possible. So instead, I fit writing in wherever I can. Ten minutes before work. Five minutes before the kids come home. Late at night after everyone else is asleep. 

That's how I know that writing is my passion. It's the first thing I think of when I wake up, and the last thing I think of before I sleep. Most of the time, anyway. 

What is your passion? How do you know?

~Jayden R. Vincente 

jrvincente.wordpress.com (adult content)

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Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. - Harriet Tubman

R is for Ripples #AtoZChallenge

Today's guest post is by Jamie Dorner of the blog uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com. She's a four time participant in the challenge, cousin-in-law to A to Z captain J Lenni Dorner, and one of the biggest fans of my adult choose-your-adventure book, "Runaway." Welcome, Jamie!

Thanks, Jayden!

I'm writing this guest post because of two posts I saw on the Facebook wall of my nephew.

I'm not the person my parents raised me to be.

You have your whole life to be the best person you can be. Each day is a present, an opportunity to do one nice thing for someone else. It adds up. Or a chance to do the wrong thing. That adds up, too. Setting goals and planning for "someday" is great, but don't forget to make this day count. The tiniest thing can make a huge difference.

You can be who your parents raised you to be. You can be whatever sort of person you want to be. It isn't usually about the big choices in life, but the small ones—they're what makes ripples in a pond.

Even the most famous, richest, smartest, and prettiest people can still feel there is someone better than them, that they are replaceable. Self-confidence is a lifelong journey, not a destination. It's not about being better than someone ELSE; it's about always working toward being the best version of yourself. That's hard. That's the challenge that everyone faces every day with nearly every choice. The path to becoming whoever you want to be one day starts with those choices.

My blog is easily replaceable. Look at how many people are in the A to Z Challenge! We all have ideas and opinions to share. Maybe I've never thought a thought that's never been thought before. And if that's so, then maybe my blog and I aren't special.

On the other hand, maybe I'll offer something of value to my readers. Maybe I'll give someone a new idea, spark some inspiration, or start a conversation that will have a ripple effect beyond what I can see. Perhaps I'll inadvertently improve the world. It's possible someone will stumble on my blog and discover that we've thought the same thought, and that will give the person comfort because they'll feel a little less alone in the world.

And you know what one nice thing I could do today is? One small choice that could make a difference? I can hop over to another blog in this challenge and leave a compliment in the comments. I can choose to try to make a stranger smile. Acts of random kindness like that do make a difference, and that's a pretty special choice to make.

Have a happy A to Z challenge!

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Our life ripples out, and it has influence. That's why it's important that we're at our best and that we're influencing others for the good. - Victoria Osteen