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[aspire2write]

Anti anxiety.

[aspire2write]

Plans For You

Word Challenge #12 by @love-me-a-good-prompt

The second step squeaked as the giggly toddler hurried up the front porch and to the door. He tried the doorknob, but was unsuccessful. His huff of annoyance caused Lindley to laugh as she dug for the key in her purse.

“It’s locked, silly boy,” she said with affection as she ruffled her son’s still damp hair. She wondered if her husband was asleep since he didn’t meet them at the door. His shift at the hospital had lasted longer than expected when an emergency appendectomy had been brought in. “Give me a second.”

The sound of a slamming car door drew her attention to the street. A confused smile spread across her face when she saw her father-in-law walking up the sidewalk. She hadn’t been expecting him.

“Grumpy!!”

“Caden!” The older man greeted him with equal enthusiasm. The little boy hurried down the stairs and rushed to his grandfather’s open arms. He swung the little boy around eliciting even more giggles as he smothered his cheeks in kisses. “Are you ready for our sleep over?” Caden yipped in agreement and wiggled until his grandpa let him down.

“I hold my breath for fifteen seconds underwater today!”

“Oh wow! That’s so long!”

“I show you and Grammy later.”

“What’s going on, Lincoln? I didn’t know Caden was staying with you tonight,” Lindley said, her tone was suspicious causing Lincoln to raise his hands quickly.

“Honey, all I know is that I’m to take my grandson for a sleepover.” He handed an envelope to his daughter-in-law with an impish grin gracing his lips. “I don’t have any details, but it seems my son may have something special planned for you. Maybe dinner at a nice restaurant? It’s been a while since you two had some time to yourself, which is unfortunate. We’ll fix that though.” He nodded towards Caden and winked.

Suddenly conscious of her appearance, Lindley rubbed a hand over her face then looked down at her attire. Her shorts and t-shirt did nothing to flatter her figure. She’d thrown them on simply for ease and comfort before dashing out of the house this morning for Caden’s swim lesson. From there, they’d gone to the store to pick up a few items for dinner, and then ran by the bank before dashing home. She’d hoped to have Caden down for a nap soon so she could make herself halfway presentable before her husband made it home. Clearly that wasn’t in the cards.

“Don’t you dare,” Lincoln admonished. “You look just fine. I know you’ve already had a busy day.” Lindley grimaced.

“I just wanted to look better for him.”

“Hey.” He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Finn loves you just the way you are. You don’t need any fancy trimmings.” She smiled in acquiescence. “Now unlock the door so I can grab Caden’s bag. It’s supposed to storm soon, so I want to get home before all that mess and he can pass the time baking cookies with Martha.”

Lindley turned the lock and pushed open the door as Caden jumped around cheering at the sound of sweets. Right inside, his packed bag was resting on the floor. She retrieved it and handed it to Lincoln who reached out and took the toddler’s hand. He kissed Lindley’s cheek, lifted Caden to do the same, and turned toward the waiting car.

“Have fun with Grammy and Grumpy,” she called out as Caden crawled into the car.

“Okay! Bye Mommy!” Lindley waited until they pulled away before stepping inside.

“Finn?” She dropped her keys in the bowl on the entry table and looked back at the envelope with her name scrawled in her husband’s neat print. “Babe?” There was no answer so she lifted the lip of the envelope and pulled the note from inside to read what he’d wrote.

My dearest Lindley,

If someone would have asked me ten years ago where I thought I’d be today, I would have said working all hours of the day only to come home to an empty house with frozen dinners waiting to be heated. You never would have crossed my mind. I never could have imagined I’d be blessed enough to have met you, to have fallen in love with you, to have built this beautiful life with you. Six years ago today, I asked you a question. I asked if you’d be my partner in life, if you’d go on this adventure called life with me. I told you I’d love you, have fun with you, comfort you, and cherish you. Baby, I don’t know how, but I love you more and more with every day that passes.

To celebrate the luckiest day of my life, I have something special planned for you. I have something for you to change into in the downstairs bathroom. When you’re ready, meet me upstairs in our bedroom.

All my love,

Finn

Lindley wiped the tear from her cheek as she read the sweet words pinned by her husband, her best friend, her life partner. She couldn’t contain her smile as she held the note to her chest and made her way to the bathroom. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t what lay before her on the counter. Part of her wanted to snort since her husband obviously had one thing on his mind. However, the heat that built low in her abdomen at the sight of the lingerie had her suppressing a small whimper instead.

Eagerly, she shed her current attire and slipped her feet into the black lace teddy. The silk caressed her skin softly as she pulled it up her legs. Threading her arms through the thin straps, she pulled the material into place over her amble breasts. Even though they didn’t rest as high as they did before Caden, they’d not shrunk. She knew her husband loved her just as she was; he made sure to tell her often. She pulled the hair tie from her head and fluffed her long locks to try to give them some body. All of her products were upstairs in the en-suite so she had to make due. Finally, she gathered her clothes and threw them in the hamper on her way upstairs.

It was odd, how quiet the house was with Caden away, but as she ascended the stairs, she could hear the faint strains of the jazz music Finn enjoyed. The rhythmic beat and sultry wail of the saxophone grew slightly louder with each step. She stopped outside the door to their room and knocked lightly. Within seconds, the door opened to reveal Finn on the other side in just a pair of black briefs that made her throat go dry. The gust of air he let out made her hair flutter and gave her goosebumps.

“Lin,” he said lowly. “You look stunning.”

Her cheeks tinged pink at the compliment. She looked him over wanting to return the sentiment, but her breath was caught in her throat. She sucked her lip between her teeth and just admired the view. She reached forward to rest her hand against his chest. He slipped his hand over her’s then reached up and pulled her lip free with his thumb before caressing the apple of her cheek lightly.

“I’ve told you what it does to me when you bite your lip.” She gasped at the reminder as his eyes grew dark. “And you know what I said I’d do to you next time I saw it.” She pressed her thighs together as the heat in her belly grew and slid south.

Finn tugged his wife inside. He fought the urge to take her right then and there; she looked so delectable. But she slid easily into his arms, and he kissed her lips gently. He relished the feel of her pressed against him, right where she belonged. Lindley tried to deepen the kiss, desperate for more, but he pulled away with some effort.

“Now, now Mrs. Holt. What did I say?” He couldn’t suppress the smirk.

“I’m not sure I remember Mr. Holt,” she tried to say innocently, but she was too keyed up to pull it off.

He spun her around so she was facing the bed then stepped behind her trailing his fingers around her waist as he did so. When he stopped in place, she leaned back so her body was pressed against the length of his. Finn already had a tie knotted to the wooden slat of the headboard and couldn’t wait to bind her hands with the other end. When Lindley’s eyes took in the scene before her, she shivered and pressed her ass back to rub against his apparent arousal.

His hands traveled from her waist up, and he rubbed the spot just below her left breast where he knew the tattoo of their wedding date and Caden’s birth permanently marked her otherwise flawless skin. He didn’t linger long though, and slipped his hands higher to cup her breasts. Pinching her pert nipples, her tugged not too gently. Lindley gasped, her head falling backwards to rest against him. He leaned down and nipped the juncture of her throat before soothing it with his tongue.

“The plans I have for you.” He trailed off before gently pushing on her back until she lay half on the bed. “I said I’d cherish you. I intend to do that tonight.” He leaned forward and held his body to hover just above hers as he breathed the next words right at her ear. “Over. And over. And over.” She only uttered one little word.

“Please.”

[aspire2write]

This could be the most important post I’ve ever shared. Please Share it with anyone who is or might be going through this terrible disease.

https://twitter.com/ItsMa____/status/1345432772538724355?s=19

[aspire2write]

When I moved into the new house, two dogs came and spent the day with me as I cleaned up the back yard. We played, I fed them, and they even took a swim in the pond. (I’m way in the country, miles and miles from town.) At the end of the day, I wrote a note to the owner introducing myself and wrapped it around the collar. The next day the woman came to introduce herself, give me her phone number, and plead that I call her if they ever did it again, because they’re not supposed to be out. 9 years later and she’s still in my phone as “Bella and Holly’s Mom”.

[aspire2write]

“He’s looking forward to your loss too.”

Yeesh!

[aspire2write]

Whoa! I feel understood for the first time in a long time.

[aspire2write]

I like to say that I’m not short, I’m fun-sized.

[aspire2write]

Pretty sure I just threw up in my mouth.

Hmmm... Add some crunchy peanut butter and I'm on board......

Packing a lunch.....

[aspire2write]

Saving for later.

WORDS TO USE INSTEAD OF: RUN / RAN

Do you ever find yourself over-using the word “run” (or “ran”) in your writing? Try using these words instead:

sprint / sprinted

dash / dashed

dart / darted

bolt / bolted

race / raced

speed / sped

hurry / hurried

jog / jogged

bound / bounded

hustle / hustled

scurry / scurried

tear / tore

rush / rushed

charge / charged

barrel / barreled

zoom / zoomed

scuttle / scuttled

scamper / scampered

book it / booked it

leg it / legged it

[aspire2write]

Need this for the story I’m working on. ❤️

SLEEPING IDEAS

Person A falling asleep on Person B’s shoulder/chest/lap and Person B really needs to get up to go do something but doesn’t want to wake Person A

Person A falling asleep during the car ride home and Person B carrying them into the house

Person A and Person B sleeping in the same bed and Person A keeps waking up cold because Person B has pulled all the blankets off of them

Person A can’t sleep so Person B sings them a lullaby

Person A can tell that Person B is having a nightmare because they’re making weird noises/motions in their sleep so Person A wakes them up and asks if they’re okay

Person A and Person B sleep in the same bed/room and Person A is afraid of the dark so they insist on keeping a night light on all night which annoys Person B who prefers complete darkness to sleep

Person A is asleep on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed and Person B is on the top bunk. Person B needs to pee in the middle of the night but when they try to climb out of bed they accidentally fall and land on Person A

Person A accidentally falling asleep on the sofa while watching a movie at Person B’s house and waking up in the morning to see that Person B has covered them with blankets and made them breakfast

Person A is so tired that they fall asleep still in their clothes so Person B tries to gently get them into their pajamas without waking them up

Person A has a few friends over at their house to hang out. One friend (Person B) says that they’re not feeling very well so Person A lets them take a nap in their bed

[aspire2write]

The dream we refuse to let ourselves dream.

How to love a broken girl

How to love a broken girl. How many would benefit from an instruction book for that? Its easy to love the carefree girls, the “normal” girls, the confident girls next door, but what about the broken girls? The girls with fortresses around their heart and shields in their eyes? The girls whose souls have aged beyond their earthly years? The girls with bodies and minds that have survived wars which would break the strongest of men? Sometimes these girls should come with a warning label. The warning pendulum swings both ways. This warning is not only for how you must treat her but for all the ways she will ruin you.

1. You cannot love her gently. She does not realize she deserves to be loved. You must love her with a force that can crush mountains. You must burn her soul so hot with your love that doubt melts away. Your love must be unconditional and you must show her on her very worst days.

2. She doesnt know shes beautiful. She can get compliments all day and she wont believe it. There is a demon on her shoulder whispering that its not true. It takes a dozen compliments to erase one hurtful torment from her past. Shower her with compliments, be her cheerleader, until your words are her heartbeat instead of her doubts.

3. Chase her. I know we often have the attitude of not chasing anyone. I know it is said to be weak if we chase someone who walks away, but we need to see you are weak for us. Sometimes a broken girl needs to see how much you need her. She needs to.see that vulnerability in your eyes to feel ok. We need you to need us.

4. She needs routine. Broken girls over analyze everything. They notice everything, too. Did you stop asking her for pictures after some time passes? Did you stop using a pet name? Every broken pattern to us means the end of the only thing we have ever wanted and it terrifies us.

5. Smother us with affection. Touch us. Kiss us. Touch us some more. Broken girls have not experienced enough positive affection in their life. We will absorb every ounce as a person dying of thirst demands water. You cannot shower us with enough of a good touch.

6. Be honest and keep promises. Broken girls have not dared to dream much. Every vow made to us has been broken. Every promise has been a lie. We would rather you never let a promise escape your lips than have you utter false ones.

7. Prepare to drown. If we let you inside our chaotic soul, you will be immersed in a madness you will not understand. We sometimes walk the balance beam of insanity and sometimes we fall. The biggest warning we should have is this.. if we love you, it is forever. We will love you with a loyalty that will amaze you. We will be committed and our heart will beat your name. While we are still broken we will try to devour all of your pain. We will be perceptive to your wounds and eager to heal your soul. If we love you, please be prepared that we will forever stay.

***This was not written by me, but by Lady-Savant on fet, she gave me permission to post, and asked no links be added.

[aspire2write]

This brings tears to my eyes. We need reminders that humanity hasn’t failed completely.

[aspire2write]

@instructor144, this made me think of you - Happy punny Monday!!

[aspire2write]

this might be weird to ask, but how do I critically look at another person's writing and implement what I like in their writing in my own writing? I've been having trouble improving in my writing, and frankly Im not sure how to go about doing that, even. It's easy to see what I like about another person's writing, but hard to pinpoint exactly why...

THIS IS NOT WEIRD TO ASK. It is, in fact, the most important question EVER.

How to Read Like a Writer

Re-read. If you get halfway into a chapter and think, Wow this chapter is super creepy–I wonder how they did that. Or get to the end of a book and think, I feel the poignancy of the fragility of human life in an inherently volatile economic system–I wonder how the writer made me feel that way… Go back and re-read that shit.

Read slowly. When you read like a reader, you read pretty fast. When you go in for your second, or third, or fourth re-read of a passage, chapter, or book that you want to know more about, read it slowly. Really. Slowly.

Read for technique, not content. Readers read for content (”In this paragraph, Damien gave Harold a classified envelope.”). Writers read for technique. (”In this paragraph, the writer made me feel curious about the contents of the envelope by giving sensory details about its appearance and weight.”)

Ask the right questions. They usually start with HOW: How did the writer make me feel? How did they accomplish that?

Read small. Did a chapter make you feel sad? Find out WHERE EXACTLY. What paragraph, sentence, or WORD did it for you? Was it a physical detail? A line of dialogue? A well-placed piece of punctuation? Stories are made of words and sentences. Narrow it down.

Practice. Reading like a writer is a skill that takes time to develop. Over time, you’ll get better at it!

How about y’all? Anything to add to this list? I made it off the top of my head so I’m sure I’m forgetting something. What have been your experiences with learning to read like a writer?

Hope this helps!

//////////////

The Literary Architect is a writing advice blog run by me, Bucket Siler. For more writing help, check out my Free Resource Library or get The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. xoxo

[aspire2write]

CUDDLING IDEAS

I’ve made similar posts about hugging and kissing, but there’s also a lot to think about when your characters cuddle:

What surface are they cuddling on? A sofa? A bed? The floor? etc.

How does the height/size difference between your characters affect their cuddling position?

Are they facing towards each other or away from each other?

Are they next to each other or on top of each other?

Which parts of their bodies are touching?

Where are their hands?

What emotions are they feeling?

Why are they cuddling? Is it for warmth? Is one of the characters being comforted by the cuddle? Is one of them sick? Is one of them sad? Are they just watching a movie?

Do they kiss while they cuddle?

Are they awake or asleep?

Can they feel each other’s heartbeat, breathing, or sweating?

What are your characters wearing? Or are they not wearing anything?

How long does the cuddle last? Who breaks away first?

[aspire2write]

‘What kind of man are you looking for?’ Such a simple question but with no easy response. Let me preface this with some background. Grown woman - in my thirties. Never married. No kids. Demanding career (which I love). Haven’t had many relationships (by choice). I’m...particular. I want...something specific.

It boils down to this. What can he do for me that I can't do for myself? I pay my own bills. I own my own home, my own car, without the help of any man... or woman for that matter. So, what can he bring to the table?

Predictably, most think I’m referring to money. I’m not. Money isn’t a desire of mine. I need something more. I need a man who strives for excellence in every aspect of life.

Mentally - I need conversation and stimulation. Spiritually - I don't need to be unequally yoked...believers mixed with unbelievers can be a recipe for disaster. Financially - I don't want your money; however, I don’t need a financial burden. I need someone who has integrity in dealing with relationships. I need a man who is family-oriented. One who can be the leader and provider due to an innate need.

I need someone whom I can respect. In order to be submissive, I must respect him. I cannot be submissive to a man who isn't taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive...to him who is worthy.

He will find me. He will recognize himself in me and I in him. He will see that part of myself that no one else gets to see. While he recognizes, and values, my resilience and self-sufficiency, he will also recognize the part of me that’s yearning to let go.

When I find him, when he finds me, I will serve him happily. I will gladly kneel at his feet and follow his commands. Because He will see my soul. He will know me better than I know myself. Because I will trust him. He will prove himself dependable and honest and true. Because he will see my potential. He will recognize my capability when I doubt myself.

And one day, as I’ve longed, I’ll hear those words. ‘Good girl’.

[aspire2write]

Such good advice even for a partnership outside of D/s. Communication is key. One thing I want to agree with and reinforce is how critical the delivery is. Honesty without tact is cruelty. Do you really want to be cruel to your partner? Watch how you deliver your concerns.

One thing I want to add is that you don’t get to choose if you hurt someone’s feelings. If they say you hurt their feelings, you did - regardless of how you intended something. Own that. Explaining yourself is fine, and important in my opinion. However, it won’t change that your partner was hurt. Their feelings are theirs, they’re real, and they’re valid.

I imagine some folks schedule their ‘meta’ talks. Are there any best practices, guidelines, or hard won knowledge you or your followers want to share?

Yes I’ve heard of people having them on a set day or the week or a set date of the month. 

Like with most things I think what works best is likely to vary by relationship but also where you’re at within your relationship. For example, we talked about our relationship a ton in the beginning. We’ve always mostly done them in person out loud but some people struggle with that and find texting, emailing or writing letters to feel safer or to give them more time/space to pick their words carefully and accurately. 

In my mind the point of these talks is to negotiate, share new ideas, discuss problems and successes so they are intended to be a safe place for honesty. I don’t really believe in “brutal honesty” being a necessary thing though. So we try to be honest without making the other feel attacked if at all possible. Of course, when you’re having really honest and serious discussions feelings might get hurt sometimes but there is a difference between carefully sharing a difficult truth that still makes them feel bad, vs insulting them or attacking them. If you have a problem then try to problem solve together instead of fight. 

For example, if you are upset because your partner isn’t giving you enough of their time, your first instinct might be to say “You never give me enough attention!” but I think it is a better choice to breathe, filter yourself and instead say something like “I’m really struggling with how much time we spend together. I need more quality time with you.” I don’t think the later is being dishonest at all, but I think it is far more likely to come across in a way that invites discussion and problem solving instead of ‘fighting’. CD has a post on this titled Intent

https://amysubmits.tumblr.com/post/173560966767/intent

Anyway, we try to be honest and really considerate of the other person feelings at the same time during meta talks. You want to keep these discussions feeling like safe place for both people. 

On the submissive side I think it’s really important to remember that you are not of lesser authority in this situation. If you say that you cannot/will not do X in a meta-talk then that should be considered a limit and needs to be respected. Limits and boundaries are not something you should have to ‘talk to your Dom into’ going along with.  

I think considering the timing of when to start one can be helpful too. Don’t spring a meta-talk on your partner if they are having a terrible day already, or are not in a good place mental health wise if you can help it. Of course, if something urgently needs discussed that is different. But when possible, if you can have your chats when you are both feeling good it will be easier to stay patient and respectful of each other and be able to discuss your own mistakes or areas to improve on without feeling as insecure as you might on a bad day. 

Those are the things that come to mind that seem to work for us. As you said, maybe others will share their tips or advice for what make meta-talk work well for them too. :)