La Bene Vita (Book) - InkSpot.Com

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About This Author

Contact Me

Battywyn🎶Prep!

, also known as Michelle Tuesday, is a musician, educator and writer hailing from Columbus, Ohio.

La Bene Vita

I am a professional musician

, worship leader

, small business owner

, songwriter

, aspiring author

and freelance nonfiction writer

with a chemical engineering degree

.

But that's just my resume.

My profile of qualifications is only one of the ways in which I am unique. Here I chronicle my personal and professional goals and my efforts to achieve them. Occasionally I fail. Mostly, I take daily baby steps toward all my long-term goals. Much like the stories I pen, the songs I compose, and the businesses I run, I am always a work in progress.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Token-Jester

about 6 hours ago
In response to "On my growth as a writer on WDC"

I regret not joining the October Nano Prep in its earlier years! You’re brilliant for creating it, maybe you could make a list of the people who contributed to it to make it the way it is today. I am grateful to you and to them!

JACE

about 15 hours ago
In response to "On my growth as a writer on WDC"

Knowing that my wife will never read this (she dislikes me correcting someone, uh ... her), I feel safe in posting my counter-argument: Even the half stars are countable. Thus, fewer still applies. Less than is used for UNcountable items, such as less water, etc.

Apart from that, I completely agree with your opening paragraphs--I, too, have learned so much about my meager efforts to write from the members and the site over my past 17 years here. It is so hard for me to be on vacation and miss my daily interaction with WDC.

Great post!!

1 Like

Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

Oct 9, 2025 at 11:54am
In response to "Antagonists!"

Jack o' Lantern

Check this out, pal

Thanks for sharing, Brandi

1 Like

Kåre เลียม Enga

Oct 8, 2025 at 10:50am
In response to "Let's Talk About Theme"

It's been years since I've read "Cry, the Beloved Country" but the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation are important. It was written circa 1948.

When apartheid ended and Mandela was released, reconciliation was the theme IRL.

Tragedy can bring people together.

Forgiveness and reconciliation can help one cope.

2 Like

spirit dog prowling 4premium+

Oct 6, 2025 at 7:01pm
In response to "Kill your darlings: How to begin a story"

NaNo taught me to write no mTTER WHAT APPEARED BECAUSE LATER THE EDITOR WULL FIX THE STORY SO IT IS READABLE AND ENJOYABLE. WRITING IS AN ADVENTURE AND A JOURNEY TO BE ENJOYED, GO FOR IT!

Storm Machine

Oct 6, 2025 at 6:56am
In response to "Kill your darlings: How to begin a story"

"You can't edit a blank page." That's what keeps me writing until I find the words that are awesome.

2 Like

Storm Machine

Oct 5, 2025 at 1:04pm
In response to "Groundbreaking Novel Plots and Themes"

World War Z- didn't so much have a plot as telling like how a disease unfolds. Should probably ready again post pandemic.

House of Leaves - how do you leave it a book that knows it's a book about a house that knows it's a house?

Battywyn🎶Prep!

Oct 4, 2025 at 5:28pm
In response to "Groundbreaking Novel Plots and Themes"

Feel free to add your own examples!

Storm Machine

Oct 4, 2025 at 5:11pm
In response to "Groundbreaking Novel Plots and Themes"

Interesting. I would have wondered if a couple others should have made the list.

Seconded, @cathartes02.

1 Like

Waltz in the Lonesome October

Oct 4, 2025 at 8:03am
In response to "Groundbreaking Novel Plots and Themes"

Makes me wonder how many attempts at creating new genres, or revitalizing old ones, or spinning new narrative structures, will never make the list because they were too different. Or for other reasons.

Often, experiments fail.

1 Like

October 5, 2025 at 3:41am

#1098681

How Novel Prep works

It's Day 5 of "October Novel Prep Challenge"

, and I'm already scope creeping.

My initial idea was to develop the Druid Archives series further and actually complete one of books 2 through 10, all of which are in progress. (Book 1, "Poor Witch"

[E], is still technically in progress, but at least I have a complete draft.)

But the Prep did what it's supposed to do: it gave me a new idea, and a trio of crime-fighting teen witches was born on Day 2.

By Day 3, the protagonist of that story, Maya, revealed to me that she was a descendant of the witch from Poor Witch and a Druid Healer named Kaleb (or Emergence, depending on whom you ask.)

Meanwhile, back on Day 1, I started a short story for "Invalid Item"

. The prompt was to write a story about a rabbit sneaking into a garden. By Day 2, "Snickers"

was adopted by the titular protagonist from Poor Witch (who is also, apparently, Maya's ?×great grandma.)

In the 18 years I've been an active member of WDC, I could count on one hand the number of times I've entered the Cramp. Something inspired me to take Prep '25 seriously and write for real, not just my typical brainstorming word vomit. I read that prompt, and Snickers introduced himself immediately.

In the wee hours of Day 5, I had yet to be inspired with a background story about Maya. She's not speaking to me much, other than to share her lineage.

But my Muse was obsessing over an idea that's not yet fully formed, involving this rabbit who, like Maya the teen witch, wormed his way into my Druid Archives world.

Also, my Muse has been screaming for two decades to stop trying to write mature stories. My audience is young people; when I speak to kids and young adults, the words come effortlessly. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows my profession (teacher and employer of other teachers), and I guess it's not a surprise to me either, but I've been resisting because I want to express my own self and experiences, which span five decades now. I've (technically) spent more than half my life as an adult.

Sadly, my stupid Muse doesn't care what I think or want to express.

I'm still not sure where she's taking me this year, but at least she's made it clear we're staying in the Druid Archives.

Folks, this is how Prep works. This is why we say you can show up on Day 1 without a hint of an idea. We do this for 31 whole days. The ideas come. The story evolves.

Day 6, bring it on.

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