You can find links to my flash fiction, to my serialized story, Fireborn, and to my poetry and songs over at my new (under construction) website, www.wyld-dandelyon.com.

You can also find some of my fiction, poetry, worldbuilding, and artwork over at www.tornworld.net, along with the fiction, poetry, world-building, and art of my talented co-creators there.

If you miss my old, long-winded landing page, you can find it and the landing pages for various projects by searching on the "landing" tag.

A couple of days ago, I was going to post one of my monster sketches from last weekend, but Live Journal wouldn't let me post. Hopefully that won't be a problem tonight, be cause Elizabeth wrote a poem about the creature in one of my sketches!

So, here is the current sketch of the Unicorn Jelly:


And here is the link to the poem:  http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/2836864.html

Finally, we would welcome some new prompts, whether related to Sea Monsters or not.  Of course, you're welcome to come peek in on us as we create or even join us.  http://torn-world.livejournal.com/151363.html

I even got Mother's Day flowers!



You can see my sister's paints around the edges of the picture. I found myself in Chicago before I realized Sketchfest was happening.

I'm left with the question: Why are sea monsters easier to paint than people???

Now I'd better pay some bills and then maybe I'll have time to scan some paintings.

Life is still overbooked and frustrating, but there are words.

Just not very many on Live Journal right now. But I have a new poem up over at Torn World: http://www.tornworld.net/storypageview.php?id=512

It goes with this painting:



So far, May is starting better than April did, creatively speaking.  Here's keeping my fingers...well, crossed isn't the right metaphor, is it?

It's Muse Fusion time, despite overtime and the TV breaking for no reason and other things that trouble my ability to tune out the real world and concentrate on creating an imaginary one. But still, I got something done and will now retire to dream up the next story! You're welcome to stop by and leave a silly prompt or three http://torn-world.livejournal.com/149893.html (or, I suppose, some serious prompts, if you want).  In the meantime, here's the first draft of my Muse Fusion freebie this month:


Ties
A Torn World poem by Deirdre Murphy


The night had been clear, stars sparkled overhead.
Akaalekirth and Lereterli hung hammocks outside
To watch the moons and the stars wheel overhead
And to tell each other outrageous stories
Without waking the baby.

They fell asleep, breathing sweet air
Scented by rainforest flowers and fruits.
Suddenly, the earth shook the huge hometrees
Fuchsia Tribe’s houses creaked, waking parents
to comfort wailing children.

Akaalekirth felt her hammock quiver around her
She could hear human and animal sounds of alarm
“What’s happening?” Her voice shook.
“Earthquake” Lerleterli answered.
“Tie your hammock closed.”

Akaalekirth reached for the ties, paused
“Shouldn’t we head to the ground?”
Rreisali poked her head out the window
“Orlano is going to look at the ocean—
You girls stay put!”

It took a long time to knot the thick fibers
But Akaalekirth obediently tied rope after rope
Suddenly, she laughed—when had she stopped rebelling?
Of course, she mused, this family offered her
Respect and welcome.

“What’s so funny?” Lereterli sounded annoyed.
“I didn’t even ask why, I just tied myself in.”
Akaalekirth laughed again. “I wasn’t like that before.”
Lereterli hissed, “Hush—do you hear that?”
It was just surf—but too loud!

“When it comes, hold your breath!”
Akaalekirth breathed in to ask for an explanation
Then the water was there, filling the air
Their home tree shook and bent,
She had no time to scream.

The water pulled Akaalekirth against the knots
And then back again, trying to drag her to sea
In the surge, one of the strong new ropes broke
The water rushed back out of the rainforest.
It left her hanging upside down.

She was soaked, with rope burns all over.
The house was ruined, half of it gone to sea.
“Lereterli?” Akaalekirth twisted to find the other hammock—
Had her new sister survived the flood?
And Rreisali and the baby?

Then she heard the baby coughing
She started to swing and turn in the hammock
The motion made her stomach feel sick
But it let her see her sister, her family, safe
Except Lereterli’s father.

Lereterli was curled like a lizard in her hammock.
Rreisali was tied to the trunk of the hometree
Her beautiful hair tangled like a mask over her face.
She stroked the baby’s face through the netting
That held him to her.

Akaalekirth realized the sun was rising.
The light glinted off of fish stranded in the treetops
And several trees over, a tentacled monster thrashed,
Breaking tree limbs and shattering a bridge
As it bled to death.

While Akaalekirth hung upside down
Lereterli untied her hammock and then her mother
Orlano returned with more of the tribe.
He had many cuts and his left arm was splinted,
But at least he was alive.

“Good thing you all stayed in the tree,” Orlano smiled,
“If you were down there, you could have been drowned
Or swept to sea.” She asked, “Does this happen often?”
“No. Maybe once in a generation,” he said, then frowned.
“But it happened last year.”

Akaalekirth was very glad when they got her free,
The fresh fish and drowned goose feast cheered her too.
But not even the prospect of monster for dinner
Could please her as much as being sure
Her chosen family was safe.



If you want to read more stories about these two girls, look here: http://www.tornworld.net/fiction.php?id=26

Tod djinni is having a live stream art party!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/icon-day

Lots of work to do
But things to do at home too!
And there's just one me.

N is for right now
Which is really all we have
To live our lives in

(Past is just memory and
We may not reach the future)

Magic is fun. Not necessarily for the characters, though that might be true part of the time. Magic is fun for the writer.

Tired of gravity? Taxes? Alarm clocks? You can have characters that fly, turn straw into gold, or exist in a world of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

Of course, the act of writing is magic of a sort. I sit here with a blank computer screen and a wealth of words in my head, and after a while there's an insubstantial twist of electricity that can lets people all over the world, people I've never met, maybe people who aren't even born yet, experience something that started as a figment of my imagination.

Magic is making
The world conform to my will
Whimsical Wizard

So, Who wants to play? If you could, what law of nature would you thumb your nose at?

And because it's a 4-letter word

And because love, in one or another of its guises (romantic, gustatory, etc.) is a primary character motivator. This works for villains too--love of power, love of revenge, love of money, there's plenty of examples.

Ask: what do they love
And do they love it wisely?
That's a certain way
To recognize a villain
Or a doomed, tragic hero


Love this cheese , especially with grapes!