Word Play

My friend Nikki, over at MMW, read my post on Tuesday (see below) and had an idea for a contest.
So - go here and check it out and even if the last thing you like to do is write - give our contest a try. One sentence. How hard can it be? Play with the words in your brain, or in your last email. Make up an opener about some dream you had that you can't forget. We want to read it. 

And in case you missed it, here is my Tuesday post -

Easy as 1, 2, 3 . . .
I was thinking the other day (hold your comments :), about my own little writing formula. I was trying to break down the mammoth task of crafting a novel into digestible, doable steps. And just for stopping by the blog today - you get my new novel-writing recipe for free:


Step 1. Come up with one awesome, attention-getting, thought-provoking sentence.
Step 2. Repeat 10,000* times.

*Amount may vary depending on genre, publisher's preference or an author's ability to remain seated at the keyboard. Substitutions are allowed, except for the awesome part - that is pretty much mandatory if you want anyone to read and buy your book.

There you have it. I know not all sentences can be as gripping as the ones we use for our hooks or our endings, but you get the idea. Of course I 'm having a little fun here, but sometimes when I get just a smidge overwhelmed by my outline and my plot points and all the loose ends I have running around without any characters to come along and tie them, I take deep breaths and repeat the aforementioned formula to remind myself that I can take the writing one step at a time.

Give An Author A Piece Of Your Mind

Have you ever read a book and said,
"Oh, I wish the author had done this, or not done that?"
Maybe you wanted to give the author a piece of your mind?
Yeah, I know you have.
Well, here is your chance. Sort of.
You know I've been working on my first draft - see sidebar status report - and I am at a place where I am deciding about POV. And despite the knot in my stomach, I'm asking for input. That's right. This is your chance to tell an author what you want to read. Do you like one POV throughout the entire book or do you like switching between the POV of the two main characters? Of course, I've already written the rough draft alternating every chapter, from her, then his perspective. And I'd like to keep it that way so I don't have to scrap half the book. But I am taking the time to rewrite a few things and I don't want to overlook something this important.
I'd love your comments, input, opinions, complaints (literary ones, that is).
Of course, I retain the right to choose the POV I think works best for the story - but right now I'd love a little help from my friends.

Just For Fun

Because not all blog posts have to have deep,
life-changing messages, right?
Some can be just for fun.
Like the game I played recently at a girl's game night.

Quelf.
Play it.
Just for fun and
Laugh
Really hard
At your friends, but more at yourself.
Go home and wonder for days
Where you learned to talk like a parrot.


If you've played the game, you know what I'm talking about.
If you haven't - what are you waiting for?

Okay - that's all for today.
Next week I'll get back to my regularly scheduled programming.
Enjoy.
(And thanks to great friends for giving me a nice push
out of my well-worn comfort zone!)

    

Scrapbook Page, Sort Of

I shared this poem over at MMW and also at ANWA and blogged about how I might not be great at scrapbooking, but I do capture the little moments in life with words. I'm posting it here, too, because I just now noticed that I haven't had a post on this blog in almost a month. Sheesh. What have I been doing? Who knows. Reading books, driving kids to school & the orthodontist and reading more books. I think my writing schedule (and I use that word in the loosest sense) - might resume after Labor Day. Thanks for stopping by

Storm Watchers

We sat on the lattice-back patio chair
You and I
To watch a storm
Because in the desert, rain is a spectator sport
Water spattered on the rocks
Tapping rhythms
You sang the alphabet song
Somewhere around H-I-J-K
The thunder clapped directly above our heads
Like you had the fast-moving gray clouds for an audience
Your eyebrows snapped up like rubber bands
“What was that?” Your shock sent up a hand to cover your mouth.
“Thunder.” I explain.
You still scanned the yard and the soggy grass
Looking for a culprit
A gust of wind pushed the rain horizontal
And I knew our moment on the edge of the storm was over.
You clung to me with your four-year-old arms and legs as we scrambled inside.
We stood behind the glass door,
Watched our dusty patio chair get drenched
And laughed.