I was over visiting a friend and fellow blogger Fiction is Food when I came across #Blog Battle. It looked interesting and since I am all about exploring I thought why not! If you want to enter you have until the end of the month. So check out the site.
Here I go……
It was so small. Smaller than she remembered it as a child. But wasn’t everything? Her grandmother’s moon brooch with the missing stones. Rita couldn’t remember a time when the brooch had all five stones racing up the moon.
What she did remember was her mother passing it to her with great care. It was something special as it had been her grandmother’s brooch. Rita had carefully held the brooch in the palm of her hand until her mother pinned it on her. She wasn’t allowed to leave the house with the brooch on, but for those afternoons when she wore it she felt special and privileged.
Then you grow up and those things are no longer special. As a teenager Rita’s thoughts were why hold onto a brooch with missing stones? Why hadn’t her mother had them replaced? Rita couldn’t be bothered with a piece of old jewelry. Especially something she considered broken.
Rita wasn’t sure if the stones were diamonds or glass. It didn’t matter. It never mattered. Those childhood memories were what mattered. Sticking her chest out to better see the brooch. Feeling very important and no longer a baby because she was now allowed to wear it. Rita didn’t remember ever questioning the missing stones as a child. It just wasn’t important then. It was her grandmother’s brooch.
Rita slowly put the brooch on her t-shirt and smiled. Not the best look. She closed her eyes and pictured her childhood self gently touching the brooch and her mother’s smile as she pinned it on.
At that moment she knew she wouldn’t be replacing the stones. It didn’t matter if the three smallest ones were diamonds or glass. It was the memories of the brooch and her memories didn’t include five stones racing up the moon. It was perfect just the way it was.
You can always start now!
You can always start now 
Beautiful!
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thank you it was fun to write. The prompt was key for me – just fell into place.
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A lyrically written beautifil story. *tears up her own* Now to start mine over. X 😆😃🤣
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Once I had the idea it wrote itself.
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Lots of nostalgic punch Amelia. Small things often stir up grand memories. At least, that’s what’s coming through to me in this. Holding a treasured item and wondering about its place in the past. I have my grandfathers war medals and often sit holding them or looking at them wondering what he went through. Prompts often lead to interesting thoughts and writing. Great job here. Did you post the link on the actual B.B. site?
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Thank you. Once I thought of the pin it wrote itself. I did post on the BB site and read a few. Will be back to read more. It is neat and so glad I found it via you! The war medals I imagine could stir lots of memories of your grandfathers and what they went through to get them. It is a privilege to be the keepers of items such as those.
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That’s always the best way to write in my experience. Let it flow and see what happens. Mines a bit scatty I think, but will put it up because it’s actually forming part of a WIP. You’re absolutely spot on with the war medals too. Each time I take them out I feel total awe for what those people went through. A privilege it certainly is.
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I enjoyed your Blog Battle and realized part of a larger piece as soon as Yish was mentioned (hope I spelt name correct). I like the idea of legends and folklore. Possibilities. It is an experience when you get into flow when writing and it just comes. Almost like already formed and you are just putting it on paper – if that doesn’t seem that weird!
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Not weird at all. SoCS is pretty much how I write ordinarily. It’s highly immersive. Legends and folklore are brilliant resources too. Yish is indeed right lol. I will take that as a good sign that you saw her and thought bigger picture straight away!
Good way of putting it too. Already formed and just putting it down on paper. I often refer to it as being a biographer for my characters rather than me creating situations for them!
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YES. I feel the same way about biographer for characters. You know if you write something that doesn’t gel for a character. He/she will tell you as in writing seems stiff (lack of better word for now!). I was like Yish okay let’s see where this is going (or Gary is taking us). Saturday morning and coffee before starting the day. Favorite time.
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I often have internal conversations with characters when I’m going down a route they think is way off beam! Yish is a good example of zoning into a character and being her in the scene. It’s entirely absorbing and blocks everything outside out. I have to be there, see what she does, hear what she does and so on. I know people write in different ways, but this way I’m like the first reader of a story where I don’t know what’s coming. Not good when one of them is heading towards the end of their part though!!
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Some characters write themselves and end up becoming more important than you original had planned. Zoning into a character works and I say go with it if they head off somewhere different. Explore it. See where it takes you/me/us!!
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Good words Amelia and exactly what I’ve done in this months promot already with a character I’ve let sleep way too long. Not everyone’s cup of tea I know, but I quite enjoyed reading as I wrote it. I’m sure you’ll get that 😂
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that is exciting exploring this “sleeping” character. Hmm….wonder where they will take you?
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Well, it took me into The Blacks world and back again. Posted it last week in an effort to not be last minute this time!
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I have to get on the ball. I can’t believe how fast the month (again) is going.
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With you there! This whole year seems on turbo here. It’s so not funny #SoapBoxSunday
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I agree. I love fall but seriously we are now over 1/2 through the year! WHAT!!. I am going to TRY and write fantasy at NaNo this year. Any rules I should be following?
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I’m not ready for fall yet! Only just getting to like greenery after a long winter lol. NaNo I’m going to write a post on soon. I’ll fill that with tips I’ve learned. Not sure I’m up for it this year yet though!!
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I debated whether to tell you this or not……..I saw red leaves today. Yes, I know I’m not ready for it yet either but I saw them and I can’t take that picture back.
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Alas I have a season horse chestnut tree. Behind it is a church spire. Spring is ahead when it’s leaves thicken enough to blot that out and autumn beckons when leaves turn and the spire creeps back into view… sadly it’s shape is now visible 😥
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I have trees out back also. They take forever to get their leaves but on the positive side they stay on longer. I’m thinking our leaves are changing early as we had a dry, hot summer. The horse chestnut tree and church spire sounds lovely.
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Really liked this! You brought it all to life.
Rachael https://rachaelstray.com/
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thank you. The t-shirts looks great – such a neat idea and good for her to also put back. Will check out her site next.
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They really do 😊
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This is lovely xx
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thank you.
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This made me think of my great grandmother’s brooches. When I miss her, more than usual, I take the brooches out to smell them because her perfume of violets lingers on them. Perhaps it is just my memory but I swear I can smell her scent on them, still, after over 30 years. I love your story!
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It is surprising what invokes memories. That is lovely to have your grandmother’s brooches and her scent lingering. Thank you for commenting and sharing your story. This is one of the special things about blogging – connecting.
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What a lovely story, Amelia. I have pieces of my mother’s and grandmother’s and have had similar feelings as I wore them as a child and now as an adult. Memories often provide the most value to our material things.
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It was a bit fiction and fact so easy to write. When I saw moon as the prompt it didn’t take me long to think of the brooch. Yes memories often to provide the most value to material things. Thank you for visiting.
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This blogbattle thing looks interesting. Thanks for sharing!
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Found over at Fiction is Food and thought why not. Thanks for visiting.
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I really enjoyed this Amelia (and gave me a nudge as I have said that I will do it too!) – I think that most people will be able to relate to this and draw upon a memory from childhood that feels precious.
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Thank you. The prompt was it for me. It pretty well wrote itself. Yes do it – it was fun and it would be neat to see all our work together.
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So heartwarming, Amelia! It was a lovely read, and I look forward to more blog battle stories! 🙂
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It was fun to do so will be checking them out again. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
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Good! I’m glad you’ll be back for more. And my pleasure. 🙂
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Fun to find something new – especially something that gets creative juices flowing.
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Yes! Totally worth it, and only needing to write for it once a month frees us up for other creative pursuits as well as reading to stimulate our minds as well. 😀
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Will be checking out September’s prompt. TOMORROW what happened here! Hot and humid summer so not as much energy as I would have liked to get things done. Have a great weekend.
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🙂 You as well!
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So beautiful. 🙂 Memories are worth more than diamonds ever could be.
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agree. It practically wrote itself!
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