Welcome to the first community #LinkYourLife Roundup Challenge. The roundup is a cooperative collection of links from the “LinkYourLife community online. The challenge is open for any member of this community to host. If you would like to know more about the #LinkYourLife movement to connect and share through several online connections, see Shawna Ayoub Ainslie’s post on how “We Are Better Together.”
Connecting with other writers online in meaningful ways offers personal satisfaction and broadens your writing platform’s community reach.
The idea is that as writers we can encourage one another in our journey and form more lasting social media connections. This aligns with our purpose at Carrot Ranch. Here we are a dynamic literary community online for those practicing craft, reading stories and discussing process. We host our own flash fiction challenge each week based on a prompt and constrained by 99 words, no more, no less.
My hope is that our local writing community at Carrot Ranch will discover the #LinkYourLife movement, and that the LYL community will join us in adding to the diverse lens of literary fiction. Both places are safe environments to share one’s writing, voice and stories. Furthermore, Carrot Ranch believes in the power of literature to reach beyond what we know and experience, thus broadening our impact and influence on readers who can gain empathy and perspective through engaging fiction.
The following are blog posts, essays and articles shared by writers from the #LinkYourLife community.
Austin Hodges (@Austin_Hodgens) reflects on his favorite film to reminds us that no man is a failure who has friends. Such a man can also get help with getting the right new jacket (be sure to say how fine it looks). Austin writes:
“How can that finale not tug on your heartstrings? For a Hopeless Romantic like me, Modern Philosophers, It’s A Wonderful Life is a perfect movie.” Read more at Friends Can Make It a Wonderful Life.
Thomas Ives (@BestowingFire) shares an earlier post on the influences of harsh issues in the news that can trigger depression and anxiety. He offers positive counterpoints and writes:
“I will not let the chaos of the world stop me from bringing light into someone else’s darkness. So here are four things that can be done to create positive change.” Read more at 4Ways to Create Positive Change.
Olisha Charles (@divine_things) offers a glimpse into a romantic encounter, delicious with details. She writes:
“A raindrop splattered across my face and interrupted my thoughts as I realized in my hurry I forgot to grab my Leopard print umbrella as I ran out the door. Nevertheless that night was going to be a good night.” Read more at His Diamond in the Rough.
Shareen Mansfield (@ShareenM) publisher and creator of Open Thought Vortex (OTV) magazine, has been exploring identity in October, hosting many guest writers. She shares an essay by one of her writers, Stacia Fleegal (@ShapeShifter43):
“Hi, I’m Stacia, and I tell self-deprecating jokes when I’m profoundly uncomfortable because someone has matter-of-factly pointed out that what I thought I knew about myself, I might not really know at all, and I’m possibly in the throes of a full-fledged, trauma-induced identity crisis.” Read more at Know Thyself. Ok, But How?
Habibi Habibi (@Amina_Berg) explores the silence and solitude to connect with the self. She shares the wisdom gained with experience in getting to know herself better. She writes:
“Sadly, when you hit rock bottom at some point in life, you are faced with one enemy, yourself, in which you are forced to ‘bond’ with in order to heal, grow and persevere. “ Read more at A Misunderstood Introvert.
Meghan Sara (@MeghanSaraK) also writes at OTV. As Halloween approaches, she reflects that in the US, the presidential elections are the scariest thing happening. She doesn’t hold back on Trump and writes:
“For today’s recap, I just want to walk you through Trump’s seven big mistakes at the final Presidential debate, in escalating order of holy-shit-you-just-messed-up-ness:…” Read more at Final Debate POTUS 2016 Rocky Horror or American Horror Story :Trump.
The Rough Writers & Friends (@Charli_Mills) publish a weekly compilation based on the Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge. What stands out each week is the diversity of perspectives on a single topic. Here the writers tackle a shifting medium:
“Just as there are different beaches, you will find different stories. The following are based upon the October 12, 2016 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a walk across the sand.” Read more at a Walk Across the Sand.
Interesting challenge…how can I be a part of it?
Hi Ruchira!
#LinkYourLife on Twitter happens every Friday, where writers and bloggers are invited to share blog posts. It’s a share like #MondayBlogs or #SundayShare in that it happens on a specific day of the week.
If you go to this post: http://honeyquill.com/2015/04/20/linkyourlife/ you can see all the details for sharing within the #LinkYourLife community. If you read through that post you’ll see a link for “Join the Facebook group #LinkYourLife Connection” and follow that to Facebook, you’ll see the group (since we are friends on FB I added you, you can remove your name if you don’t want to be in it).
This roundup challenge is new and in fact my post is the very first one for the FB group where I volunteer as a moderator. Shawna has done other roundups from the Friday shares, but this challenge is a new process where LinkYourLife members on FB are sharing one post with the roundup host each week (look for details under Notes in the FB group and scroll in the group newsfeed to find the latest call for the Roundup).
It’s a safe place for writers to share personal stories and those of social justice issue. The writers are asked to use trigger warning because sometimes the sharing is about hard subjects. It’s also a place to make deeper connections, just like we do here at Carrot Ranch. I’m glad you are interested in #LinkYourLife and I hope you check out all the sharing opportunities as well as the weekly challenge.
Thanks for this Charli!
Thanks for sharing these here, Charli. It will be interesting to check out these posts, some of which are by writers with whom I am unfamiliar. It’s always good to meet new friends.
Thanks, Norah! Yes, it is! 🙂
Hi Charli, I probably have a few previous posts that might, in some small way, measure up. I do tend to bloviate (is that a Bill O’Reilly original expression?) on either writing observations of child welfare issues. Anyways, always willing to do my part.
Hi Bill! I think you certainly do! I answered Ruchira above with all the details of the #LinkYourLife connections and shares. Bill O’Reilly might be involved with issues of bloviation, but not you. 🙂 But I agree, your topics (and of course linking back to your books) would be of interest within this group. There’s much about mental health and social justice issues. Even if you read some of the posts through the Twitter share on Fridays, you might find some topics to tackle, sharing your knowledge and experience (and be certain to include links to your books). Are you active on Facebook?
Thanks for this Charli. I am very keen to become involved, will be back to read up on this later…
Hi Sherri! Since we are friends on FB, I added you to the #LinkYourLife Connection group on FB. There’s a weekly post for past blog articles, and I’ll alert you. It would be a great place to share previous posts (without the pressure of generating new ones), especially on social justice or mental health topics. Of course, it might inspire some new writing, too! 😉 Look at my response to Ruchira, and that’s all the information you need to see what’s happening through this movement.
Hi Charli! Thanks so much for all this great info, and also for adding me on FB, I saw that this morning! It would be great to get your alerts, I have long been thinking about sharing previous posts – and writing more on these very subjects as time goes on and I’m further along with my memoir – and this sounds like the perfect place in which to share them. Excited! <3
Hi Sherri! Did you see I tagged you on the call to share previous posts in the FB group?
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