'Don't Ask Me What My Favourite Colour Is'

Don’t ask me what me favourite colour is, because I can’t tell you.

It changes every day, every minute.

One moment, it could be the endless blue of the summer sky, then next it could be the soothing .turquoise of the water at the beach. 

One day, it’ll be the colour of the sky during a storm, the brilliant purples and whites of lightning, the dark greys of the storm clouds, and the way the rain makes everything calmer, even in the middle of the storm.

It could be the vibrant reds and purples of flowers found on the sides of roads and walking tracks in summer, followed by the golden green that leaves turn when the sun shines through them.

I’ve fallen in love with the array of golden browns, dark browns, greys, reds, and blacks of the earth, and the colours of the grass and the trunks of trees and the vines that grow from that earth.

Sometimes it’s the soft oranges, pinks, and purples of the sunset, especially after it’s been raining, and the clouds are fluffy and shining in the evening sun.

It’s the glittering whites, and faint oranges and reds of the stars and the planets in the night sky, the cloud of stars in the galaxy above us shining down.

It’s the small things, like the flecks of gold and green and brown and blue in peoples eyes. The vibrant ribbons on someones suitcase in the airport, the colourful flash of hand-woven bracelets from countries far away, and the fantastic and strange colours that change the way a persons hair looks.

Don’t ask me what my favourite colour is, because it’ll be the ever changing reflection on a beetles shell, from purple to green to blue and back again. It’ll be the colour of someones drink as they talk happily with a friend in a bar after a long day. It’ll be the colour of the flowers I see on the side of the road, as someone buys a bouquet from the old man who owns the violet flower truck. 

Take me to a lavender farm, and that’ll be my favourite colour until I see a lorikeet. Show me the inside of any shell, and I’ll be fascinated by the colours that it can be.

Daisies and dandelions, while weeds to some, have the softest whites and yellows, and can mean the world to one. The little Billy Buttons on the tops of the mountains and the soft colour changes of orchids are things that come to mind when asked why I can’t pick a favourite colour. On a road trip, you’ll see me staring out the window, eyes following the rolling hills, the roadside trees, and trying to capture the colours to memory.

Don’t ask me what my favourite colour is.

I can’t tell you.

Don’t ask me what my favourite colour is, because I’ll tell you it’s all of them. Because I’ll tell you it’s none of them.

Don’t ask me what my favourite colour is, because it changes every time.

7th January 2017 - 510 words

I went to a lookout at Martins Bay in New Zealand called Arai te Uru, and I saw some of the most brilliant colours there and the only thing I could think of while walking along the track was how my favourite colour was always changing, which I tried to explain here, but I'm sure I could have easily doubled the word count if I wanted to.

Keep writing! Meg

'Impulse Buys can have Disastrous Results'

“365 Gens, and that’s the highest I’ll pay for this old piece of junk.” Said the young woman with the burnt orange hood pulled so far over her head the merchant could hardly see her mouth.
“Done. Now take it, I want this thing off my hands, I’ve had it for too long.” The young woman flipped the card to the merchant, and gripped the cube that was as long as her forearm and impressively heavy.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you.” The young woman said, and walked away. She heard a mumbled response behind her but was already being pushed along by the crowd so didn’t stop to find out what had been said. She made it halfway down the street when her and the surrounding crowd were knocked to the ground by a deafening explosion, and the ground shook as stalls burst into flames. She swore, and joined the crowd sprinting away. She ducked down an alleyway and shoved the object in her pack, slung it over her shoulder, and started scaling one of the buildings. When she reached the top, she shaded her eyes and looked towards where the explosion had been. She almost stumbled back from the edge when she caught sight of the people clad in all black, with a half moon and broken star emblem across their chests and helmets, Aborlassans, all pointing their weapons at the weeping, injured, and kneeling stall holders. She looked for the merchant that had sold her the cube, and found them just as an Aborlassan discharged their weapon into the merchants chest. The young woman stumbled back from the edge, just as an Aborlassan looked up to her position, and didn’t wait to find out if they had seen her. 

She ran.

She jumped from roof to roof, scrambling up the shingles on the slanted roofs, and leaping across alleyways and crowded streets. She only stumbled once, she knew these roofs like the back of her hand, when an Aborlassan fire-weapon screamed past her head. She had heard it coming, and had thrown herself to the left, but slipped and almost fell over the edge of a roof. She caught herself in time, but dived over the edge and had to roll when she landed. 

“You there, stop!” She flinched as the voice sounded in her head. The Aborlassan’s didn’t speak, they communicated telepathically. They couldn’t hear other peoples thoughts, which was good for the young woman, because she had a whole manner of things going on in her head that would get her in more trouble than she was already in. She needed to get off the roof, she was exposed up here, but if she could just get into the crowd… there! She made a hard right and leapt off the building onto a metal stairwell, and jumped over the side of the railings. She rolled, but still felt one of her ankles pop. That would be a problem for later, she thought as she looked up. The Aborlassan was looking straight at her, and she knew if they jumped from the height they would not only not be injured, but would tackle her straight away. She bolted, down the alleyway, and into the crowd. She untied the string of her hood and stumbled, pulling it off and wrapping it in one smooth movement, and pushed her way to the other side of the street, and turned around. She slowed to a walk, her ankle starting to throb as she slowed her breathing and walked back the way she came. She could see the Aborlassan at the opening of the alley. There were two of them now. She was about to pass them. Their eyes locked onto her…

And moved away. She could see out of the corner of her eye that they were scanning the crowd over near where she’d come from, but with her cloak hidden in her pack, the one defining feature they were searching for was gone. She walked quickly, slipping in and out through gaps in the crowd, and soon she had left the market district far behind.

4/1/2017 - Word Count: 698

This might have to be a two or three part thing, this was really fun to write, and I'm already thinking of a part 2. 

This was inspired by a 30 Day Flash Fiction prompt challenge.

Meg

'Leap of Faith'

Sky leapt through the air, toes pointed, body curved, arms straining and fingers splayed. For a moment it looked as if she could fly; her lavender hair streaming out behind her as she leapt away from the security of the cliff and out over the polished surface of the water and past the crumbling rocks below. She let out a shriek of exhilaration as her fingers grasped the rope, the branch it was tied to swinging and bending as her momentum from the jump pushed her forward. Flinging her head back, she let out a yell that echoed against the surrounding cliffs and was swallowed up by the trees that stretched for miles around the lake. She grinned at Leo, head still thrown back as she swung towards him again. As the rope started it's pendulum swing forward again, she waited until it had almost reached the peak, again using the momentum to propel herself forward. She flipped, knees pulled to her chest and feet coming forward so she spun backwards through the air. Just before she reached the surface of the water she twisted so her head was upright before dive bombing, crashing into the water below. Leo leaned out over the edge of the cliff, watching the splash from the force of her dive reach its height and fall back down into the lake, rippling spreading from the point of impact. He felt a twinge of worry in his gut when she didn’t rise from the depths immediately, but his face broke out into a grin as she rose to the surface, pushing her hair out of her face and wiping the water from her eyes.

“Come on! It’s your turn” She yelled up at Leo, and he shook his head. “Hey, you made a promise to your best friend that you would jump off a cliff and do a rope swing! Don’t back out of it now!” She had a point. In their letters, Jake and Leo had planned to do so many things, and now that Leo had the chance to do them he wasn’t so sure he could.

“It never seemed as dangerous or as risk taking as it was in the letters, and Jake isn't here. This is, was, the thing he was most excited to do" He stated, frowning at how far the rope seemed to be. 

“Just take the jump Leo, it’s like a leap of faith” Another good point, except Jake had put his faith in Leo as an artist and now Jake was gone.

“What faith? Jake is gone, he was the one who put faith in me to do what I could, he was the one that got my mother to put faith in my art, and made my uncle see that I could paint and play the piano. What faith is left?” He yelled, suddenly frustrated. He had kept these thoughts to himself, hidden just how much he was affected by his best friend’s death, and now he was yelling about how much Jake believed in him to do the things that he loved and was good at.

“What about your faith? Yes Jake is gone, yes he had faith in you, but what about your faith? What about mine? I have faith in you, you’re hopeless, but I have faith that you can do great things Leo. Stop holding back and start something new” Sky yelled forcefully, and if she was still on the cliff she might have punched Leo in the arm to make her point. He turned away from the edge and walked until so he was out of her sight, then crouched, ignoring Sky's shouts to come back. He rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, his stomach seemingly filled with butterflies trying to get out. He thought about leaving the past behind, starting a new future, having faith in himself and all the times that Jake had given him hope that he was worth something, that he could do great things. Leo pressed his fingertips against his skull, raking his fingers through his hair as his world spun in his head. Walking away meant doing the same old thing, going back home and living with his uncle, but taking the jump meant something different. Taking the jump meant something big, taking the jump meant changing his life, taking the jump meant he would take his future into his own hands, and make something of himself. He took a deep breath, pushing himself up from the dirt and the rock. He could hear Sky yelling at him to come back where she could see him, so they could talk and work things out, but he had already made his choice. 
He took a few steps back towards their bags, pulling one of the letters out of his pocket. Dropping the letter on the ground by his bag, he ran as fast as he could towards the ledge. He pushed the doubt that was in his mind down, it was too late to turn back now, he was going too fast and the edge was too close. At the last moment possible his foot hit the ground and pushed him forward, out over the water where Sky had her hands raised in argument, but she had stopped yelling when she saw Leo jump. Time slowed for him, and he could feel the wind on his face. He stomach dropped as he looked down, but he wasn’t scared. He reached his arms forward towards the rope, stretching his body as far as he could, and when his fingers found the thick rope, he grasped it tightly in both hands. His stomach lurched as the rope took his weight, time starting back at a normal pace as the branch dipped and he swung forwards. He wrapped his legs around the rope and threw his fist into the air, yelling at the top of his lungs as he swung back and forth over the lake. He could hear Sky cheering for him, but he couldn’t hear what she was saying over the blood rushing in his ears. When the rope reached its peak away from the ledge, he let go, body suspended in mid-air for a second, before he pulled his knees to his chest and plummeted into the water. It was cold, but not too cold, and he kept his eyes open. He watched as the freshwater plants swayed gently in the water, and took in how the sun’s rays shone through, rippling over the rocks and the plants in the clear water. He let go of his legs, and started kicking towards the surface, the blue of the sky unobscured by anything and the sun a great golden disk floating just out of his reach. His lungs welcomed the air as he broke the surface, shaking his head to get the water out of his eyes and ears. 

“You could have told me when you were going to jump! I barely had time to get out the way” Sky almost shouted at him, but she was smiling as she swam up to him and punched him in the arm. Leo started to explain himself, but she put a finger to his lips to silence him. “I’m proud of you.” She said, removing his hand and smiling at him. He smiled back, kicking his legs and treading the water to stay afloat. He only had one thing to say to her after that.

“Thank You”

2/1/2017  -  Word Count - 1,254 

Okay, so technically I didn't write this today but I have written almost 1,000 words today but neither of those pieces are finished and one of them is being posted elsewhere anyway.

I'm in New Zealand! I'll be travelling around the North Island for almost two weeks doing all the fun things, maybe some things I write will be inspired by the views here, we'll see.

Keep writing! 

Meg

'The Dragon Prince, and the Princess who saved Him'

This isn’t the story of how the Princess was saved by the Prince.

This is the story of how the Princess saved the Prince.

Once upon a time there was a Prince who was cursed. By day, he was a strong, handsome young man who was loved by his people, but by night he became a fire breathing, winged creature that despite all his efforts, struck fear into the hearts of those who loved him. He came to dread the nights, where he locked himself away and feared for the day when his people decided they would not live in fear of the dragon getting loose. The things that used to bring him joy, only saddened him, his moods changing, and the thoughts in his head became dark.

 So he became lonely, isolated, even in his human body when people found out that he was the dragon, so much so that he felt that it would be better if he were to leave. So one night, he left, taking only a few things with him. He flew as fast as he could, as far away from his kingdom that he could go before the light of day rose above the horizon. 

By day, he was a tired, humble traveller, a curious young man who asked about the dragon 

everywhere he went. “The Dragon that flies by Night” and “The Night Dragon” were the names that he heard the most. The further away he flew from his home, the less afraid the people were of his dragon. One day, he heard a tale that he had not heard before. It was one of a Princess, trapped in a tower by the sea, and the Dragon, he long lost lover finally returning to her.

He stayed in that place for a few days, longer than he had ever dared stay in one place before, asking about the Princess, and learning about her. After four days, he left just before dark, transforming into the Dragon and racing towards the coast, the whisperings of the magic the Princess was said to possess fresh in his mind.He flew all night, and he could just see the tower in the distance, looking out over the ocean, when first light came. He pushed on, beating his wings hard as he felt himself starting to change. Gliding low over the ground, he felt his wings start to shrink, his legs and arms shifting back into their normal positions, and his eyesight dulling. One thing he had begun to truly enjoyed about transforming was the ability to fly and how well he was able to see. Even when there was no light from the moon, he could still see each leaf on each tree, even from high above the ground. The feeling of flying through the clouds at night, was calming to him, and while he was alone he did not quite feel lonely when he was flying. 

He stumbled slightly, and lost his footing as he touched the ground, and rolled to a stop. He lay dazed, gazing at the lightening sky as he waited for the world to stop spinning. As soon as it did, he was up, sprinting for the castle, which was a lot farther away now that he was running. He only stopped running twice, to catch his breath, and he reached the castle just as the sun was beginning to sink down in the sky. 

He paused, just before the doors of the castle, wondering if he really was in the right place, but pushed all his doubts aside and went in. He thought of the girl who had been locked away, wondering what she could have done to be hidden like this, and if she was like him, cursed to change as night changed to day, and day changed to night. He climbed the winding stairs, searching for her, when he heard footsteps from the hall above him. He had made it halfway up the next staircase when he heard her.
“Who are you?” Her voice echoing through the empty halls from her position at the top of the staircase.

“That depends on who you ask.” He replied, climbing the stairs, never taking his eyes off her. “To some, I am your long lost lover, finally returning. To you, I am probably a stranger. To me, I am a lonely person, who changes just as the day changes into the night.” 

“You are no stranger to me.” She said, as he reached the top and stood only an arms length from her. “I have seen you in my dreams, just as I saw us meeting here. I have waited for you, my lonely prince, for a long time.” She touched his face, gently, softly, as though she feared he would disappear at any moment. He brought his hand up to hers, and squeezed it gently, a question in his eyes as their fingers locked.

“We are the same, you and I. We change at night, into creatures that others are afraid of. I was lucky, my people did not fear what I became, but they did not trust me in that form, so I came here. I can fly without worry here, without having to be afraid of hurting another in this form. Stay, stay here with me, I can help you learn to love who you truly are, for this is not a curse, but a blessing.” Her words struck him, confused him, and somewhere, he felt a glimmer of hope that maybe he could truly learn to enjoy what he became in the night. 

They watched as the sun dipped down beneath the waves, and felt the familiar shift and change in their bodies. He watched, as red scales formed and brilliant, strong wings stretched out from her body. She marvelled at the deep blue of his scales, and the hidden purples and blacks that shifted in the twilight when he moved. They watched each other in their dragon forms, taking in the sight of another like them, and instead of fearing his transformation, for the first time, he marvelled in the beauty that came with it. 

1/1/2017 - Word Count - 1,028

In part I was inspired by this post: http://fioren-nights.tumblr.com/post/128616392320 but I wanted to write something where the Prince doesn't save the Princess, but goes to her in the hope that maybe she can help him. It was an fun piece to write, a magical fairytale where the Princess saves herself and the Prince.

Enjoy! Meg

'Stars in her Eyes'

She lived brightly, loved fiercely, and felt deeply about the things that brought her joy. Every night she looked to the stars and smiled because she knew that she could always depend on them to be there. She whispered her secrets to them, she laughed and danced and wept between them. 

She was a star in her own right, and everyone around her swore that she spent so much time looking at the stars that they had found themselves a home in her eyes. But then she stopped. Stopped laughing, stopped dancing, slowly at first, but it became more obvious when one day she just … stopped.

She faded so much that even the light in her eyes stopped shining. Her friends were there for her, and while they tried to help and understand they couldn’t help but see the person that she used to be. They couldn’t bring back the girl who once had stars in her eyes.

For a long while she was quiet, and perhaps a little lonely even when she was around those who she loved, there was a distance between them that wasn’t there before.

One night she drove, far enough away that she could see even more stars than what she could at home, and sat there all night, pouring her heart out to the galaxy. She admitted to herself and the stars she loved that she wasn’t the girl she used to be, that things in her mind had changed, and she thought more about things that to many people didn’t matter. 

When she returned she was still quiet, but she understood herself. She still could not bring herself to pretend to be someone she wasn’t anymore, but slowly, she started to cherish the days when she could be the person who danced and laughed and loved as brightly as she once had. There were times when she couldn’t, so she was patient with herself and those days were her days. If her days meant that she was alone for a while, with nothing but her thoughts and her fears, then she would take those days one at a time. She took every day as it came, and cherished the good days, most of all when she was having a bad day. There were days in the middle, The Grey Days, she called them. These were the days where she was quietly grateful for the ability to just go through the motions, and stick to a routine.
She is given advice and asked questions and wishes that it could be that simple, so she listens to what others think will help her and keeps working on what really works for her.

In time, she learns about herself and what works for her. It was hard, and tiring, and she made a lot of mistakes, but she found the balance between the person she wanted to be and the person she is.

So slowly, the girl with the stars in her eyes became a woman with a twinkle in her eye and the universe in her heart

(31/12/2016)

I was going to wait to write this but I felt the need and a burning desire to get it out and onto paper. It's not detailed, and it's open to interpretation, but why I wrote it is quite a personal reason and it was quite cathartic to write out.

It's almost midnight now, and fireworks have been going off for hours near me, which is only making me more excited for the New Year.

Happy New Year everyone! Onwards and Upwards to better things, and keep writing!

Meg

Aim of The Daily Write

Hello! Let me introduce myself before I get into anything serious.
I'm Meg, I'm 19 and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I read a lot, and (hopefully with this) write a lot. I like hiking, mountains, being outdoors, and binge-watching more shows on Netflix than I care to admit. I have more mugs than I can count, and I'm fascinated with the way things work, space, and travelling the world.

I'm a writer, but I don't write as much as I'd like to outside of November, so I decided that I would use a blog to hold myself to one of my goals for the New Year.
Over the next year, all the way up until the 31st of December, 2017, I will post a something at least 500 words in length (unless there is a very good reason to have a smaller amount) that can either be a short story, an excerpt from a novel I'm working on, a small fic, or even a journal entry.
If I don't post anything for a day,  I have to write double the amount for the next day, and so on until I write the same amount as I would have for the days I missed.

But why am I doing this? It's not just because I want to get myself into better writing habits, but so I can practise and improve my writing and become more confident and critical in editing my own writing.

Onwards and upwards and keep writing!
Meg