Category: #CleanWIP

#CleanWIP Articles

Jukebox

Earl Chinnici November 25, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Jukebox. [More info]

Photo by Nuno Lopes

Authors – Poets – Bloggers
We recently left Facebook and moved our social group for authors, poets, and other creative people to MeWe. We do not miss Facebook, but we do miss those who have not yet joined us on MeWe. We hope to reunite soon.

Private group for authors: https://mewe.com/join/cleanwip
Public page for readers and authors both: https://mewe.com/p/cleanwipmagazine
Friends with the owner: https://mewe.com/i/chinnici

#CleanWIP Articles

Delight

Earl Chinnici November 24, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP collaboration is Delight. [More info]

Photo by Gerd Altmann

#CleanWIP Articles

Berry

Earl Chinnici November 23, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Berry. [More info]

Photo by Neeme Katt (slightly altered for this article)

#CleanWIP Articles

Bread

Earl Chinnici November 22, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Bread. [More info]

Photo by Hans Braxmeier

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 59

Earl Chinnici November 20, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Tim Hill

In Case You Missed Us
(We missed you too. Welcome back.)
The CleanWIP Magazine group for authors, poets, and other creative people has a new home on MeWe as well as a public page where we can share news and all sorts of fun things with the readers. We apologize to anyone who didn’t catch the advance notice of the move. Incidentally, Facebook’s concept of prioritizing content Facebook deems important played a large part in our difficult decision to make the move. Though the move has been a great deal of work and we dearly miss those who have yet to find us on the new-to-us platform, we’re quite excited about the considerable uptick in visitors and interactions now that fans of CleanWIP Magazine are allowed to directly decide for themselves regarding the importance of our message.

#CleanWIP Articles

Overcome

Earl Chinnici November 19, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Overcome. [More info]

Photo by Rita

#CleanWIP Articles

Discuss

Earl Chinnici November 18, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Discuss. [More info]

Photo by Andrew Martin

~ Jessica Marie Holt ~
The two women glared at each other across the table. After a moment, Ellie wrapped her hands around her coffee. There was nothing pensive about her look anymore. She stared at June with laser focus. “Well. I have something to discuss with you.”

June was intrigued.

~ Earl Chinnici ~
I began writing as I stopped smoking tobacco cigarettes gradually. When I published a memoir about two and a half years after I quit, I included most of the hand-written notes from my composition book in a raw, nearly unedited form to help convey the experience to readers who might be looking to break free as well. Tomorrow is the Great American Smokeout for 2020 and I’ve been offering Maybe You Should Move Those Away From You as a Kindle Free Book Deal several days this week to help encourage those who might be joining in. Readers can add it to their libraries free until midnight Pacific Time tomorrow.

Here’s one entry from the journal portion of the book…

9:47 AM – I smoked this cigarette after discussing smoking on the phone for about twenty minutes with a close friend. A few minutes prior to lighting this one, I noticed the pain in my ankle seemed to go downhill gradually and yet rather quickly. I suspect that this is most likely due to an increased heart rate from the anticipation of getting my next “fix.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Hike

Earl Chinnici November 17, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Hike. [More info]

Photo by LUM3N

#CleanWIP Articles

Habit

Earl Chinnici November 16, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Habit. [More info]

Photo by Shirley Hirst

#CleanWIP Articles

Reflect

Earl Chinnici November 15, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Reflect. [More info]

Photo by Quang Nguyen vinh

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 58

Earl Chinnici November 13, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by J.W.Vein

#CleanWIP Articles

While

Earl Chinnici November 12, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP collaboration is While. [More info]

Photo by Silvian Coconeanu (cropped for this article)

#CleanWIP Articles

Liberty

Earl Chinnici November 11, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Liberty. [More info]

Photo by Tom Kranz

~ Earl Chinnici ~
(a few lines from the opening chapter of one of one of my current works-in-progess)
Now, we’re inseparable. When one of us has a rough day, the rest do everything possible to lift our comrade’s spirits. We lost the illusion of security we had always known, but we refuse to succumb to the anguish and the nightmares. There’s no time for it. We have lives to live—and a story to tell.
We didn’t set out to be heroes, but heroes we became. I’m sure you’ve seen our faces on billboards and subway walls. We’re uncanny symbols of America’s determination and resilience. Some people claim we’re not human; some claim we’re not real. We want you to know we are. We do have feelings.
The entire world has heard the sanitized version of that fateful day and how our actions saved millions, but due to matters of national security, the president urged us to wait a year before opening up to the media. On the White House lawn, he commended us for our bravery; in the Oval Office, he thanked us for our silence.
So much remains untold, but through this symphonic memoir, we hope to answer many of the remaining questions. We hope to silence a couple vicious rumors too.

#CleanWIP Articles

Do

Earl Chinnici November 10, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Do. [More info]

Photo by Marijana

#CleanWIP Articles

Dark

Earl Chinnici November 9, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Dark. [More info]

Photo by Okan Caliskan

#CleanWIP Articles

Bright

Earl Chinnici November 8, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Bright. [More info]

Photo by Tim Hill

Nobody lights a candle for it to be tucked away and hidden. No. A candle is placed where it provides light to everyone near it. Be like a bright candle to everyone near you. Be a person who encourages, loves, helps…

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 57

Earl Chinnici November 6, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by James Wheeler

#CleanWIP Articles

Dinner

Earl Chinnici November 5, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Dinner. [More info]

Photo by Maura Fay

#CleanWIP Articles

Candy

Earl Chinnici November 4, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Candy. [More info]

Photo by Aline Henda

~ Earl Chinnici ~
From my first published book, Maybe You Should Move Those Away From You, which will be featured as a Kindle Free Book Deal on the days leading up to this year’s Great American Smokeout (November 19, 2020).
~~~
It took me a few months to grasp what was going on here. I was unwittingly using hard candies as a substitute for the sugar I had been ingesting through cigarettes in a manner very similar to how I used nicotine patches to wean off nicotine. If I would have understood this at first, it is possible I might have been able to regulate my usage of candy and used it as more of a tool than a new addiction. Instead, I eventually realized that these small hard candies had become a very large problem for me.
I then attempted to wean myself off the hard candies, but when it seemed it was going to be nearly impossible to do it this way, I decided to stop buying those candies altogether. I am sure I used more sugar in my coffee over the next few days than I normally would have, but I seem to have eventually reached a manageable level.

#CleanWIP Articles

Anyone

Earl Chinnici November 3, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Anyone. [More info]

Photo by Melk Hagelslag

~ Earl Chinnici ~
From my first published book, Maybe You Should Move Those Away From You, which will be featured as a Kindle Free Book Deal on the days leading up to this year’s Great American Smokeout (November 19, 2020).
As the nicotine levels in my body decreased, I would sometimes feel very strongly that I could quit smoking. Obviously, this was one of those moments. Other times, I imagined that it would be nice to smoke only three or four cigarettes per day and to smoke a cigarette only whenever I made a conscious choice to do so. Remember, I had inhaled poison for more than a quarter of a century. It should not surprise anyone that I was at times nervous and uncertain.

#CleanWIP Articles

Direct

Earl Chinnici November 2, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Direct. [More info]

Photo by Günther Schneider

#CleanWIP Articles

Brush

Earl Chinnici November 1, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Brush. [More info]

Photo by Aida KHubaeva

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 56

Earl Chinnici October 30, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Jill Wellington

#CleanWIP Articles

Stroke

Earl Chinnici October 29, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Stroke. [More info]

Photo by Earl Chinnici

#CleanWIP Articles

Respond

Earl Chinnici October 28, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Respond. [More info]

Photo by Earl Chinnici

#CleanWIP Articles

Escape

Earl Chinnici October 27, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Escape. [More info]

Photo by Alain Audet

#CleanWIP Articles

Crime

Earl Chinnici October 26, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Crime. [More info]

Photo provided by Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Vision

Earl Chinnici October 25, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Vision. [More info]

Watercolor by Evren Ozdemir

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 55

Earl Chinnici October 23, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Rene Rauschenberger

We’re a day late seeing this, so don’t wait until tomorrow. Get it now.

#CleanWIP Articles

Scratch

Earl Chinnici October 22, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP collaboration is Scratch. [More info]

Photo by Daga Roszkowska

#CleanWIP Articles

Thrill

Earl Chinnici October 21, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Thrill. [More info]

Photo by Frank Winkler

#CleanWIP Articles

Life

Earl Chinnici October 20, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Life. [More info]

Photo by Bruno

~ Laurean Brooks ~
Once upon a Trick-or-Treat. Click this link to enjoy a hilarious Halloween adventure via Smart Girls Read Romance. A gorilla mask and a scary old man made this night memorable.

#CleanWIP Articles

Background

Earl Chinnici October 19, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Background. [More info]

Photo by Quang Nguyen vinh

#CleanWIP Articles

Face

Earl Chinnici October 18, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP collaboration is Face. [More info]

Photo by Ian Lindsay

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 54

Earl Chinnici October 16, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Larisa Koshkina

In case you missed it…

#CleanWIP Articles

Cane

Earl Chinnici October 15, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Cane. [More info]

Photo by Mabel Amber

On our THEMES page, we post new themes each Thursday for the week ahead Sometimes this occurs before sundown. We post these chronologically descending to prevent the need to scroll through the many past themes to find the current and approaching themes.
~~~
Thursday, October 22: SCRATCH
Wednesday, October 21: THRILL
Tuesday, October 20: LIFE
Monday, October 19: BACKGROUND
Sunday, October 18, 2020: FACE

#CleanWIP Articles

Bring

Earl Chinnici October 14, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Bring. [More info]

Photo by Michael Gottwald

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades…
Hugh grunted. Henri glanced up at the brown-haired former prince of Galilee. His was not a face that hid his annoyance well. His hawk nose lent him a fierce look that marched his piercing blue eyes. “My lord, I was born in those hills. I know the land. If the Germans meet no resistance, they will for certes find themselves riding down into lands patrolled by Muslim riders. We must ride out after them before they succeed in their raid. Perhaps, we can bring them back before they endanger the peace.”

~ Earl Chinnici ~
My words were not as well-received as I’d hoped. “You must be out of your mind, Jenny. You think I should apologize after the way that country-clubbing jerk treated me? Whose side are you on anyway? I should have known you’d bring up my temper again. You never let things be. Most people put in their two cents, but you always manage to donate a dollar.”
I nearly lost it then and there, but managed to recall the second chapter of my first book where I wrote about my “Live Happy This Second” theory and I replied with every bit of stoicism I could muster. “That’s not very nice, Charlie. If you didn’t want my opinion, you shouldn’t have asked.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Train

Earl Chinnici October 13, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Train. [More info]

Photo by Liselotte Brunner

#CleanWIP Articles

Kick

Earl Chinnici October 12, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Kick. [More info]

Photo by Sepp

~ Earl Chinnici ~
Many people kick the habit and addiction of “Tobacco Cigarettes” each year and a lot of those people choose the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout as their quit date.
Planning ahead has been proven to greatly increase the rate of success—which is one reason I’m mentioning this today. There’s plenty of information online on this topic and I will offer the book I wrote as I quit gradually as a Kindle Free Book Deal during the days leading up to the smokeout which this year will be held November 19.

#CleanWIP Articles

Full

Earl Chinnici October 11, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Full. [More info]

Photo by Myriam Zilles

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades…
Isabella wore only a thin chemise, but the heat of the candles brought beads of sweat to her brow. She swooned a little, but tightened her grasp on the beads. A pain lanced through her back. Nothing uncommon with this child. “Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum…” she said, wincing, mouthing the words of the prayer in a murmur. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee…

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 53

Earl Chinnici October 9, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Brin Weins

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades…
Isabella woke with a gasp and a cry. Sweat matted her hair to her brow; it dampened her chemise as well as the sheets and pillow. Her hands trembled. She had dreamed of Henri, a terrible dream that shook her with fear even as it began to fade from her memory. She remembered only the glint of knife.

#CleanWIP Articles

Touch

Earl Chinnici October 8, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Touch. [More info]

Photo by Valeriia Miller

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades…
Ernoul stumbled to his knees, weak with exhaustion. His element of surprise had failed him. Ismail stormed closer and batted Ernoul’s sword from his hand. It flew spinning to fall on the stone flagging and slid to rattling stop some distance away. The light of the blade faded without his touch.

#CleanWIP Articles

Mark

Earl Chinnici October 7, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Mark. [More info]

Photo by Paul Brennan

~ Earl Chinnici ~
I began writing as I quit smoking “Tobacco Cigarettes” gradually. Here are a couple paragraphs from a chapter of the book I eventually published (MAYBE…) called Tips, Tricks, and Dramatic Visualizations.
~~~
Make lists. For example, you might list things you could buy with the amount of money you usually spend on a couple of cartons. You could make a list of reasons you would like to weaken your addiction or entirely break the habit. Maybe you could list your triggers and then plan ways to respond without cigarettes the next time you encounter each trigger.

Perhaps one of the most beneficial lists you could make would be a long list of substitutes and diversions that you believe might work for you. Do not be afraid to add something to the list that you are not sure would work. You can always mark a substitute or diversion off later if you find it does not work well for you.

#CleanWIP Articles

Hat

Earl Chinnici October 6, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Hat. [More info]

Photo by Eduardo Aquino

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades… (helmet for hat)
She looked out from a helmet eyes that others saw as fierce and green and set within a wide face weathered from years of long exposure to the sun of Outremer and whiskered from a long day at its post. She grunted as the other soldiers did and laughed at the serjeant’s jest as he dismissed them. Warm ale awaited most of them once they were off duty. She begged off this time; she had other duties to attend that did not require her guise as a soldier of the king’s guard.

#CleanWIP Articles

Coin

Earl Chinnici October 5, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Coin. [More info]

Photo by Gerd Altmann

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy…
“Peace is gift enough, my lord Levon,” Henri said. His eyes lifted to the bright blue skies and the hawks overhead. One of the hawks plummeted through the air like a falling arrow toward its prey. “I would rather look forward to good relations between our peoples in the near future.”
“Still, I would have you blessed with a gift for your efforts,” Prince Levon said. “I thought perhaps ten thousand gold pieces would be appropriate.”
Henry’s gaze swung down toward the prince. “Ten thousand?” He shook his head. “I cannot accept such an extravagant gift, my lord. It might be perceived as payment to work the truce to your favor.”

From the Book of Luke
Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find {it}? And when she hath found {it}, she calleth {her} friends and {her} neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (KJV, Luke 15:8-10)

#CleanWIP Articles

Smile

Earl Chinnici October 4, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP collaboration is Smile. [More info]

Photo by Silviu Georgescu

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of an historical fantasy…
He stared sidelong at her. A smile played across the handsome dark features of his face. He backed away through the columns toward the outer door of the Dome and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
His voice came back to her, echoing in the octagonal hall of the Qubbat al-Sakhra. I am the chosen one, my dear Mariamne. The beginning and end of all things in heaven, and earth, and under the earth. I am the Great Power…

~ Earl Chinnici ~
(from a WIP with a female author/mechanic/hero protagonist—book’s title not yet public)
One day while I was working and the bosses were off having lunch, a handsome young man pulled up to one of the open bay doors. I recognized the parking decal in the windshield immediately; we attended the same college. I also recognized a sound coming from his truck indicating the engine wasn’t firing on all eight cylinders. In the engine repair business, we commonly refer to this telltale noise as a “miss” or we’ll say it is “missing on one of the cylinders,” so I didn’t give it a second thought as I welcomed him with a smile and said “Something seems to be missing.”
“Not any more,” he replied with a slow side-to-side shaking of his head as though he had discovered one of the universe’s best-kept secrets. “Not any more.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 52

Earl Chinnici October 2, 2020

It’s our fifty-second Relaxed Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Christophe Schindler

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, and historical fantasy… Wrote this today…
The massive stone walls of Masyaf loomed against the dark spring night; two towers crowded a long, narrow stairway that ascended into darkness. Ernoul called up a ball of bluish-white handfire and drew his sword. The slender ancient blade of silver glowed with a similar light…

~ Earl Chinnici ~
Many people join in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout each November. If this is something you’re considering, planning ahead can greatly increase your probability of quitting forever.
I’m sure some of you wonder why I’m mentioning this here in CleanWIP Magazine. Well, I began writing as I quit smoking that product commonly referred to as “Tobacco Cigarettes” gradually and published a book on the subject two and a half years later. This new career—if we can just call it that for my own amusement—caused me to connect with authors around the world to learn marketing techniques and better writing skills. This eventually led to the creation of this e-zine. But, I’m off on a tangent here and I don’t want to lose the point of this…. If you’re considering joining the Great American Smokeout this year, I urge you to start joining the smokeout today by learning more about it and about the addiction and by making some type of change to your cigarette habit.
You can find my first book on Amazon. (Maybe You Should Move Those Away From You) I will host a Kindle Free Book Deal just prior to the smokeout if you’d rather await a free copy. Either way, I wish you great success on your quit.

#CleanWIP Articles

Hair

Earl Chinnici October 1, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Hair. [More info]

Photo by Ruan Schoeman

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, an historical fantasy… (I even slipped in the word coffee—kaffé—from the other day!)

The master assassin inclined his head. He sipped a cup of kaffé. “No more of my men will die this day, Sayyid. I give my word. I cannot say the same for this man.”

Snapping his fingers, two assassins strode across the garden toward the tent dragging a bound and hooded man. A man who wore a bloodied and torn surcoat of a Templar. Forcing him to kneel before the master and Henri, they tore off the hood, and pulled his head by back by his hair. A twisted strip of cloth gagged his mouth. His eyes widened at seeing Henri lounging with the master of the Assassins.

#CleanWIP Articles

Fit

Earl Chinnici September 30, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Fit. [More info]

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Coffee

Earl Chinnici September 29, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Coffee. [More info]

Photo by Jill Wellington

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP The Gambit Queen, an historical fantasy…
(Kaffé is Arabic for coffee.)
“Doubtful, my lord,” Al-Adil said, sitting back on his heels.
Yusuf made an offer of káffe and watched as his brother imbibed of the bitter drink. “The Ifranj seem content to sit outside the walls of Akka until the Last Day. A month ago, perhaps, we might have had some hope, but now… now they grow only bolder in their attacks.”

Let’s peek inside Love’s Full Circle by Cherry Christensen:
~~~
“I’ll get a fresh pot of coffee brewing. Do you still take yours with cream and two sugar cubes?”
The white stoneware plates rattled in his hands. “I can’t believe you remembered. I would have thought you had forgotten everything about me, about us.”
Kayden shrugged and poured batter into a waffle iron as the coffee percolated. “Some things you can’t forget.”