The Shellshank Redemption

Motivational Monday

2012-01-30T09:00:00.004-05:00

SOMETIMES I'VE BELIEVED AS MANY AS

SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST.

(Lewis Carroll, from Through the Looking Glass)

To me, this is one of the greatest pleasures of being a writer, of having an imagination. What if...?

What if...I looked out the window and saw my Florida neighborhood was buried in snow drifts? And the snow was purple?

What if...the noises my husband dismissed as the house creaking was really an old lady sitting in a rocking chair in the attic?

What if...instead of scrambling over to their food dish, the tortoises stood up on their hind legs and walked over to it, with Larry letting Mrs. Larry have first dibs? (We'd actually have a better chance of the walking part happening than of L being so polite.)

Now, you try. What if...?

The Off The Shelf Challenge: January

2012-01-25T10:47:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are, closing in on the end of January...and I have already stalled on the Off The Shelf Challenge.

For the challenge, I've read three books so far - two I own and one from my To Be Read list.

However.

I started reading six other books that did not make me want to keep reading. So, I began nine books total but only three hooked me and held me until the end.

Two of the three that I read - The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen and A Killer's Essence by Dave Zeltserman - were gripping, peppered with humor and sarcasm, and peopled with great characters. (But this is no surprise to me as I'm already fans of both authors.) I won't name the third book because even though I finished it, I didn't really enjoy it. Why keep reading? Because I liked the writing style and the story just enough, I cared just enough, to see how it all turned out.

As for the other six? I just wasn't all that interested in the characters and/or invested in the story and I think the biggest reason for that was the writing itself didn't pull me in. Sometimes it was too literary and descriptive, other times it was too abrupt and clunky. I read about 100 slow going pages in one book, then stopped when I realized the book was over 400 pages long! No way was I going to drag myself through another 300 plus pages.

If I have to dig deep to find the story buried beneath the writing, it better be worth it. If I have to overlook "head hopping" and stiff dialogue, the story better be strong enough to pull me over that hump. If the story is long and meandering, that's fine but it better show me - sooner rather than later - some great scenery and introduce me to compelling characters along the way.

Now, of course, this is just my opinion. Someone else might read those same books and love them. That's what's so wonderful about books and reading and stories - there truly is something for everyone.

(I actually read four books this month. One wasn't on my shelf/list but I don't care because there was no way I was going to wait to read the new Joshilyn Jackson novel. But that's a post for another day.)

Motivational Monday

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IN LIFE

IS TO MAKE YOUR VOCATION

YOUR VACATION.

(Mark Twain)

When was the last time you took a vacation from writing? Yeah, that's what I thought. Me, too.

Even when I'm taking a "break," I'm not. I might leave my office - with all the poster boards and index cards and drafts of my latest novel spread around the place so walking is like picking your way through a minefield - but I don't really leave the work. And even if I do manage to put the novel story to bed and tuck the characters under the covers, I'm still not "done." There are flash stories to write and characters to meet and lines of description begging to be written down, even if it's only on the back of my hand.

My "job" is my joy.

Call Out for Contest Entries: Writer Advice's 7th Flash Prose Contest

2012-01-18T11:45:00.001-05:00

In 2011, my story, Hungry, won First Place in this contest. Now, I'm hoping you all will give it a try!

And don't let the fact that I'm one of the judges for the 2012 contest sway you either way. I'm objective. And I'm tough. (Really. I am. Stop laughing.) Besides, the judges don't get to see any author bios anyway.

You can read the winning stories and find all the information here. You have until April 2012 but don't wait too long. The deadline will be here before you know it.

Good luck!

Motivational Monday

2012-01-16T08:32:00.000-05:00

DREAMS ARE RENEWABLE.

NO MATTER WHAT OUR AGE OR CONDITION,

THERE ARE STILL UNTAPPED POSSIBILITIES

WITHIN US AND NEW BEAUTY WAITING

TO BE BORN.

(Dr. Dale Turner)

I sometimes feel like the older I get, the more dreams I lose. And I suppose that's true to an extent - I'm not ever going to make any of those "30 Writers Under 30 to Watch" lists - but it also, well, doesn't matter so much anymore. Okay, to be honest, it did matter but I've already grieved over that particular dream and have since moved on.

That's the key. We need to move on from dreams that are no longer possible or no longer work for us. We need to create new dreams or dig deep and "renew" some of the old ones, modify them a bit. I can't make that "Writers Under 30" list but I can make the "50 Writers Under 50 to Watch" list. And if that list doesn't exist, then I can go ahead and create one.

So, this week, let's grieve for some of those old, ill-fitting dreams, and then release them. Let's give ourselves room to grow new ones or rediscover some we'd forgotten about. Otherwise, we're going to be like those people who get stuck, mired in old dreams, who never raise their head and see how much more is still out there. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to become one of those people.

Books Gone Wild

2012-01-13T08:52:00.000-05:00

Hmm, I wonder if something similar happens in my living room when I'm not there...?

Happy Friday, everyone! Have a good weekend!

Call Out for Contest Entries: Flash Fiction Chronicle's Fourth String-of-10 Flash Fiction Contest

2012-01-11T09:01:00.000-05:00

This is a fun one. Challenging, sure, but fun. Write a 250 word story (that's maximum word count!) where you use at least 4 of the 10 words given as a prompt. Whew! Last year, my story, Evie, won an Honorable Mention and was later accepted for publication over at Every Day Fiction.

Check out the previous winners and all the rules here. The deadline for this is coming up soon - it starts February 12th and ends February 18th!

Hmm, I might try my hand at this one again. Good luck to us all!

Motivational Monday

2012-01-09T09:00:00.006-05:00

...BUT AS A READER AND A WRITER,
I'M MUCH MORE INTERESTED BY ORDINARY PEOPLE IN EXTRAORDINARY SITUATIONS. I WANT TO PROVOKE AN EMOTIONAL, EVEN VISCERAL,

REACTION IN MY READERS.

(Stephen King)

If you look at King's characters, most of them are regular people living regular lives until wham! Suddenly, it's not about making dinner or picking up the dry cleaning or having a terrible day at work. It's now about taking a stand, making life-or-death choices, and learning something - sometimes good, sometimes not - about themselves and the people they care about.

And because these characters resemble us, our neighbors, our friends, etc., it becomes so much easier to ask, "What would we do?"

What would we do if the Super Flu struck and we survived? (The Stand)

What would we do if a rabid dog attacked? (Cujo)

What would we do if our buddies wanted to go see a dead kid in the woods? (The Body/"Stand By Me")

So much easier to ask yet so much more uncomfortable to answer.

Let's take our stories, our poetry, our art and make it as real as possible for our readers. Make it impossible for them to turn away, impossible for them to not ask themselves what they would do. Let's make our readers "uncomfortable" this week.

TV Time...or Is It?

2012-01-04T08:19:00.000-05:00

I used to watch a lot of TV. I used to watch repeats of repeats. And although I still think there's nothing wrong with curling up with some good old episodes of some classics/favorites - I want to, I need to, limit my TV time. (I hear my husband cheering in the background.)

Now, I wish I was one of those people who never, or rarely, watches TV. Or even owns a TV. They always just seem so much more creative and peaceful and tuned in to real life. But I'm pretty sure that's not going to be me any time soon. I admit it: I like TV.

However.

There's a lot of junk on and I get sucked in very easily. (My husband is nodding vigorously at this.) I don't know why, but I do. So, for me, it's more about limiting what I watch. If a show sounds intriguing or the preview looks good, I'll give it one episode. Maybe two. If I'm not hooked, then it shouldn't make my line-up. (It's similar to my system for keeping books - I have to really like it/love it for it to find a home on my shelves.)

I record most things then watch them at my convenience. I also pick up DVDs of shows I might've missed the first time around. (A great example of this for me is "The Walking Dead" - I heard so many great things about this show around the Internet, I finally got the first season on DVD and whew! Loved. It. I cannot wait for the rest of Season 2...)

This is where you all come in. Please share your TV habits. Do you watch TV or no? Do you even own a TV? Tell us why. Tell us how this affects your lifestyle. What are some of your favorite shows? Or tell us about ones you heard were good but maybe haven't gotten around to watching yourself yet.

(If it was up to my husband, we probably wouldn't even own a TV but I managed to get the tortoises to vote with me - a few leaves of basil was all it took - so the vote went my way, three-to-one.)

Motivational Monday

2012-01-02T07:46:00.000-05:00

OTHER PEOPLE AND THINGS CAN STOP YOU

TEMPORARILY.

YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DO IT

PERMANENTLY.

(Zig Ziglar)

I think this is a great quote to start off a new year, don't you? My husband sent it to me as a reminder that it doesn't matter what other people say or don't say, it doesn't matter what happens or doesn't happen, it's up to me to keep going, to keep believing.

It's always up to us to see our dreams and goals through. It's not always easy. Sometimes we might need to adjust the dream a bit or tweak the goal, but keeping the spirit of it alive, the essence of it strong, is all in our hands.

Let's make this week - this year! - the one where we don't let anyone or anything stop us, where we keep hope alive, where even if we struggle and fall we get back up because we believe. If belief is our backbone, we may sway, we may bow, but we will not break.

"Silent Night" in APOLLO'S LYRE

2011-12-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

What a great way to end 2011! Not only is my story, "Silent Night," in the December issue of Apollo's Lyre but the Spotlight On section highlights Write 1 Sub 1 and some of the amazing writers who are a part of the group.

So, go ahead and pour yourself a cup of coffee or eggnog or even some champagne, and settle in. Let our stories help you slide the old year to a close and sweep you into the possibilities of the new.

Motivational Monday

2011-12-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

IF WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS NOT MOVING YOU

TOWARD YOUR GOALS,

THEN IT'S MOVING YOU AWAY FROM YOUR GOALS.

(Brian Tracy)

It's so easy to get scattered, isn't it? It is for me. There are so many things I want to learn and see and do - the world is full of interesting and amazing things. But I'm finding that if I have too many things going on at once, my efforts get diluted. I can't learn and see and do it all, no matter how much I might want to. I have to pick and choose, at least to some degree.

Our time - whether it's the hours in a day or our time here on earth - is limited. Let's all keep that - and this quote - in mind as we work on any resolutions or plans for next year.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T08:52:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to wish you all a very happy holiday - no matter what one you celebrate - from the gang here at The Shellshank Redemption.

We're looking forward to a warm and quiet Christmas that will include a bike ride or a walk on the beach, calls to and from family and friends, presents to open, and baked ziti and meatballs to devour. And the tortoises have been very good this year so there will be a little something special in their food dish...and maybe in their mini stockings, if I can figure out a way to get some grape tomatoes in Larry's and radicchio in Mrs. L's.

Enjoy!

Motivational Monday

2011-12-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

IF I CAN BREAK MY OWN HEART,

IF I CAN MAKE MYSELF CRY,

THEN I HAVE A SHOT AT BREAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S HEART...

WHICH IS ULTIMATELY WHAT I'M AFTER.

(Hannah Pittard)

I don't know if this is just me but...I cry when I have to hurt my characters. Or when I have to kill them.

It happened again with this most recent NaNo novel. There I am, sitting at my desk - tears streaming, nose running, fingers flying over the keyboard - as bad things happen to good characters. Maybe I just care too much. Maybe I'm just too sensitive. Maybe I'm just weird.

But, if I don't care, if I don't laugh and cry and cheer and worry over my people then how can I expect readers to? So, if one of my characters or one of my stories makes you smile or tear up, there's a very good chance I did the same.

And isn't it amazing how emotions can be passed on from me to you, from you to someone else, all through words on a page, paint on a canvas, the curve of a body in dance? The power, the outreach, of art is never-ending.

My Favorite Reads of 2011

2011-12-14T10:45:00.003-05:00

I could talk about books all day long (Just ask my husband. Or the tortoises.) And I love a good list. So, you can imagine how much I love this time of year, with its numerous and varied "Best of" lists regarding books and reading. Some of my favorite lists are ones by friends and fellow bloggers - personal recommendations go a long way with me. To that end, I thought I'd share some of my favorites - new ones, not re-reads - of 2011. (Keep in mind, there are still a few weeks left in the year so I may need to add a few titles later on.)

[Just a reminder from last year's post: This is purely my own opinion. It's a random ordering. I started a lot of books but stopped after the first few pages. I read a lot of books I thought were okay or that I liked/really liked but didn't love. This list is for the books I couldn't stop thinking about for various reasons days after I was done reading.]

MY FAVORITE READS OF 2011

BETWEEN GEORGIA by Joshilyn Jackson

THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING by Joshilyn Jackson

THREE WEEKS TO SAY GOODBYE by C.J. Box

ALLISON HEWITT IS TRAPPED by Madeleine Roux

LOVE YOU MORE by Lisa Gardner

I AM THE MESSENGER (YA) by Markus Zusak

ICE COLD by Tess Gerritsen

THE BOTTOMS by Joe R. Lansdale

THE HOMECOMING OF SAMUEL LAKE by Jenny Wingfield

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP by S. J. Watson

BLOOD WOUNDS (YA) by Susan Beth Pfeiffer

11/22/63 by Stephen King

EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS (YA) by A.S. King

PRAYERS AND LIES by Sherri Wood Emmons *

(* I'm still reading this one but I already know it's going to make the list!)

Go ahead and leave your thoughts on these books, or any others that made your favorite reads list, in the comments section. I'm always on the lookout for a great book. ( I know, I know, I'm doing the Off The Shelf Challenge but still...)

Motivational Monday

2011-12-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE MOTIVATES YOU;

STRIVING FOR PERFECTION IS DEMORALIZING.

(Harriet Braiker)

I like learning. I like the idea of taking a class in this or a class on that. I like picking up a book or checking out a website on a certain topic. But somewhere along the line, I stopped doing that. And I know why...

If I couldn't know everything about it, if I wasn't going to become an expert in it, then why bother? If I'm not going to "finish" what I start, then that means I didn't complete it, that I didn't succeed. Right?

Wrong. It's taken me a looooong time to understand this, and even though I get it logically, there's still a part of me that balks at not being "perfect" at whatever it is. But by limiting myself to my usual all-or-nothing approach, I limited myself entirely. I stopped growing and learning and trying. I can make a cake and not have to become a pastry chef. I can learn belly dancing and not have to perform on a stage in front of an audience. I can know a little about a lot of things and that doesn't make me lazy: it make me interesting.

So, this week - and always! - let's throw perfection to the curb and embrace excellence, however you choose to define it.

The Off The Shelf Challenge 2012

2011-12-09T10:03:00.000-05:00

Regular readers of this blog know that I love to read but that I don't do nearly enough of it. Every year, one of my goals/resolutions is to read more books. Even though I already have stacks of books waiting to be read. Even though I asked for more books for Christmas (that was pretty much all I asked for, to be honest.) Even though my To-Be-Read (TBR) list is - literally! - pages long. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to find out about this challenge on my pal Jillian's blog. (Jillian, by the way, is rocking the 2011 challenge.)

You can find all the official details here or by clicking on the badge on the sidebar, but here's a quick summary: Challenge yourself to read a designated number of books that you already own or that are already on your TBR list. I am going for the On A Roll Challenge Level, which means I need to read 50 books that I already own and/or whose titles are already on my list. Jillian had a predetermined list on her blog that she crossed off as she went along but that's optional. My plan is to write up a list for myself, include books I already own and titles on my TBR list, and then write occasional blog posts with updates on my progress. I might even get one of those snazzy counter things for the sidebar.

So, what do you say? Want to read some great books, achieve a sense of accomplishment, and have some fun along the way? It sounds like a win-win-win (as Michael Scott once said on "The Office") to me.

(Oh, and if the On The Roll Level=50 Books makes you nervous, the levels actual start at Tempted=5 Books and go up to Buried=136-200 Books, with lots of flexibility, so there's definitely a level that's right for you.)

Do You Have a System?

2011-12-07T09:22:00.001-05:00

Pretty much every person I exchange gifts with during the holidays is getting at least one book. At least. (The only exception is my friend's little boy who is getting an awesome dress-up train engineer costume. I figure there are plenty of books in their house already since I've been giving his sisters books since they were young.)

When I come across reviews of picture books my little niece and nephew might enjoy, I make a note and then check out those books closer to birthdays and holidays. For the older kids I know, I look back at the MG and YA books I read. This is a little harder because I mostly read "dark" YA and that's not really their thing. I usually get them each a gift card to a bookstore and put it with one book I read that I think they might like, usually a classic, like the first Little House Book, or an award winner, something they might not have picked on their own.

During the year, whenever I read a book I think someone might like, I jot down the title. It's usually no problem to find a book for my sister and my aunt since we tend to lean toward similar stories. My mother is a little harder because she tends to like "lighter" books but I usually have a few go-to authors for those. My husband guides the choices for my Dad since they like a lot of the same things. I would have to say my brother-in-law is the toughest to buy for, only because he likes more literary novels and I don't read as much of them as I probably should.

Some recent/previous hits included:

* Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell. My sister is a big fan of historical fiction and she really enjoyed it.
* The Help by Kathryn Stockett. My mother is loving this. I actually gave it to her ages ago but she's just getting to it now.
* City of Thieves by David Benioff. My brother-in-law liked this one so much, he went and read Benioff's other novel.

Do you all have a system for giving books as gifts? Anyone have recommendations for any of the people on my list? Or for me to read? You know I'm always open to suggestions...even if my to-read list is almost as long as Stephen King's newest novel.

Motivational Monday

2011-12-05T07:36:00.000-05:00

A GOOD BOOK HAS NO ENDING.

(R. D. Cumming)

Isn't that the truth? Think about all the books you love. Do you ever play out the rest of the story as you go about your day? Do you ever wonder what happened to all the characters, wonder what they're doing right that minute as you're washing dishes or folding laundry?

Hmm, or maybe that's just me...

Let's keep this in mind not only as we write but also as we buy books to give as gifts. Who couldn't use a little magic in their lives...and that to me is what a truly good book/story is - a little bit of magic we can hold in our hands, in our hearts, and then take with us as we go about our lives.

A Rebel Learns a Lesson (Lesson #3)

2011-11-30T08:54:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is, the end of NaNoWriMo 2011 and I am once again a winner! Whew! Doing and winning NaNo as Rebel was a different experience for me. It had its pros and cons, and I learned a lot through the process - here are the links to Lesson #1 and Lesson #2 - but I think this one is probably the most important for me -

Lesson #3 - Confidence is fleeting. Or, at least mine is.

How many times this month did I waffle back and forth on whether this was a good story or not? I've lost count.

How many times did I think, "Hey, this story is amazing but I'm mucking it up something awful!"? I've lost count.

How many times did I think, "This is going really well and I'm a pretty good writer after all." I'd say...three. Three times.

BUT even with all that wailing and sniffling and worrying, I am still able to look at my story, my big giant mess of a women's fiction/horror hybrid of a novel and think, "Hey, look at that! Look at what I did. Look at what I accomplished."

And you know what? I'll take it.

Congratulations to all those who won NaNo 2011 AND to all those who participated! Believe me, that counts for something. It really does.

Motivational Monday

2011-11-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

THOSE WHO SAY IT CANNOT BE DONE

SHOULD NOT INTERRUPT THE PERSON DOING IT.

(Chinese Proverb)

Show this quote to all the people in your life who say you can't do something - write a book, complete NaNo, lose weight, run a marathon, start a business, move to another country.

Show it to all those people who don't actually come out and say you can't do it but who obviously don't support you or encourage you or show any interest in this thing that is so important to you.

But most importantly, let's show this quote to ourselves, say it to ourselves, whenever we start to think we can't do it either. It has to start with us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T11:03:00.000-05:00

All of us here at The Shellshank Redemption would like to wish our readers (those who celebrate the holiday) a very Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you have a great celebration and a wonderful weekend.

Around our place - romaine will be eaten (by the tortoises), turkey will be eaten and bikes will be ridden and a beach will be walked (by me and my husband), and words will be written (by me. Unless I can convince the tortoises to help. If they walked around on the keyboard, I'd definitely get a few more words in there...)

Motivational Monday

2011-11-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

YOU GET IDEAS FROM DAYDREAMING.

YOU GET IDEAS FROM BEING BORED.

YOU GET IDEAS ALL THE TIME.

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WRITERS

AND OTHER PEOPLE IS WE NOTICE

WHEN WE'RE DOING IT.

(Neil Gaiman)

I would have to add the same is true for any artist, inventor or entrepreneur. It's in the taking of the idea and the running with it where we often let ourselves down. How many times have we said to ourselves "Oh, now, that's a good idea" but instead of writing it down - on a post-it note or on the white board hanging on the refrigerator or on the backs of our hands - our minds drift to grocery lists and errands? Or, how many times have we had the idea, but then dismissed it with a "Nah, that's been done before" or a "No, that's silly" and a shake of the head?

Of course, it doesn't mean that all of our ideas are good ones. I cringe when I think about the pages and pages of weirdness all over my office. But you know what? I actually want to weep when I think about all the ideas, dreams, scenarios, bits of dialogue, and quirky people I didn't jot down or I dismissed with an "I couldn't pull that idea/story/character off." And I think I'd rather cringe than weep.

Let's make a special point to notice our ideas and thoughts this week. And let's make an extra special point to make a note of them, some how, some way.

A Rebel Learns a Lesson (Lesson #2)

2011-11-18T11:41:00.000-05:00

If you're interested, here's the link to the first lesson I learned this National Novel Writing Month.

Now, on to Lesson #2 -

Regular readers of my stories are aware that a lot of what I write is dark, maybe edgy, often sad. (Don't ask me why. I don't know and I'm not sure I really want to know...) This NaNo novel is no exception. There are some funny parts and lighter moments (if not, I'd be under my desk, weeping) but there's one particular scene - a violent crime - that gave me pause. It makes sense within the framework of the story and by the end, a lot of questions regarding the crime have been answered. But that wasn't good enough for me. This horrible scene has to make sense to the reader the first time it's read. Not later in the story. Not after some things are clarified. Right then.

You've probably heard phrases along the line of "a senseless act of violence" and "a crime with no motive," right? To us, the outsiders, the spectators, that's how it looks. To most of the victims in my novel, to the other characters, that's how this scene looks - senseless, unmotivated. That's fine. But the reader needs to see more than that, even if just a little.

The reader knows the bad guy is a creep but is he that much of a creep? Yes. But I have to show the reader that beforehand, show how one thing leads to another then leads to another and so on, until this guy thinks he has every right to do what he's about to do. This horrible thing that's about to happen makes sense to him. And so, even if the reader would never see and do things this way, it still makes sense to the reader that this guy would behave like this.

I read somewhere once that the antagonist is really the hero of his own story, that he has a reason for everything he does and says and wants, etc. So, in his mind, my bad guy is justified in what he is about to do. It makes sense to him. And, hopefully, it makes sense to the reader.

(Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to crawl under my desk and try to figure out a way to stop this creep....or at least figure out a scene where he gets severely punished...)

A Rebel Learns a Lesson (Lesson #1)

2011-11-16T11:32:00.000-05:00

I always learn something during National Novel Writing Month. It could be anything - the idea I thought was so great actually stinks up the place, I drink way more coffee than I should, or the tortoises miss me hanging out with them since I'm in my office more than usual. (Okay, that last one is just an assumption on my part.)

This year - my first year as a NaNo Rebel - is no exception. But unlike the lessons above, I thought some of you might find what I learned this time around helpful or interesting or both. And please go ahead and comment if you have anything to add. I can use all the help I can get.

Lesson #1 - Flashbacks that are too long can be incredibly boring. (I swear I dozed off as I read back one I wrote for this novel.) It doesn't matter if the content is interesting (as I had believed this was.) It just wasn't working. I think the problem was that not only was the flashback itself too long and but it also took the reader out of the story for too long. The sense of immediacy was gone and a distance took its place.

Now, there are a number of solutions to this problem but one I stumbled upon was to have the character who was experiencing the flashback to tell it to another character instead. This keeps the reader in the story. It makes the reader more a part of the story because he or she is now listening to it just like the other character(s). I can add mannerisms to everyone in the scene, making them all more full and complex. I can mention aspects about the setting, etc. cementing the reader in the here and now while still learning previously experienced critical aspects of the plot and/or character development.

Another solution I found was to make the flashback more active. In my case, I took one of the snooze-fest flashbacks that happen later in my novel and rewrote a big chunk of it. Then, I moved the new part to earlier in the novel where it is actually happening and not just a memory.

I won't know what will or won't work for this novel until I'm done with writing and revising...and revising...and revising but I am definitely going to keep this lesson in mind for future stories.

Motivational Monday

2011-11-14T09:00:00.003-05:00

EVEN IF YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK,

YOU'LL GET RUN OVER IF YOU JUST SIT THERE.

(Will Rogers)

I'm a person who likes a good list. They make me feel organized and productive. However, making the list is not enough. It's good, it's a start, but it's not enough. I actually have to do the things on the list. It doesn't mean all that much to write "do laundry" and then not take the clothes from the hamper and put them in the washing machine, etc. It doesn't do a whole lot of good to list all the great story and novel ideas I have if I then close the notebook and walk away to watch TV.

Let's take some action this week. Let's walk a few steps or jog a bit down our tracks. Take in a new view. Breathe some new air. I think we'll be glad we did.

The "King" of All Days (Part II)

2011-11-11T11:39:00.000-05:00

[Continued from The "King" of All Days (Part I)]

I have to do something...

...even though my hands are sweating and I'm sure my eyes are all bloodshot or whatever from the eye doctor. I stop SK near the doors and say, "Excuse me, Mr. King, I don't want to keep you, I just want to say I'm a huge fan." (Shades of Kathy Bates in Misery, anyone?!)

But the man smiles, stoops down a bit since he's pretty tall and I'm kinda short, then shakes my hand and says, "Thank you," before moving on.

I want to collapse on the floor and weep with relief and joy but my friend, P, is still waving me over. She tells me he'll sign something for me. I'm just so happy I spoke to him without sounding like a complete fool that I tell her I don't want to bother him anymore. She says no, no it's fine, he's over in the cafe. So, with jangling nerves, I go grab paperbacks of The Stand and On Writing and off we go.

In the cafe, P slides onto the seat next to him and asks if he'd mind signing a few books. He laughs and says, yes, but it's okay. (Here's the part - okay, another part - that makes me want to crawl under a rock and die of absolute embarrassment.) P says, "This young lady was too shy to ask you to sign a book." He turns around and shakes my hand again. He asks my name, I spell it for him, tell him how much I enjoy his books, especially On Writing, etc. and then P tells him I'm a writer. (Hold that picture in your head for a moment. Got it? I know, right?) Then, he says, "Good luck."

I know I've told this story kind of half-joking - partly because I did act like a dork but also because that moment meant so much to me. He is one of the reasons I write. I devoured his books. I learned from them. I wanted - still do - to make people feel the way I do/did when I read his work.

It also came at a time when I felt really low about my writing - I no longer had an agent, I was stalled on a manuscript, I felt like I was flailing and failing. And I know SK probably writes the same thing in every copy of On Writing, but it absolutely meant something to me, even if I'm the only one who knows it.

The "King" of All Days (Part I)

2011-11-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

Regular readers of this blog know I am a HUGE fan of Stephen King. When I learned he lives part-time in my area, I was thrilled. When I learned people I knew, knew him - or at least had chatted with him - I moved beyond thrilled into ecstatic. One day, I would meet him. I was sure of it.

My husband and I used to joke - "Sure, SK will just show up at the chain bookstore on a busy weekend morning at the exact same time we're there. Of course. Why not?" (But we always kept our eyes open, just in case.)

And then...

...I happened to be at the bookstore on a weekday morning. I'd gone to the eye doctor and I was just giving my eyes time to adjust before driving home. (Any excuse to go to a bookstore, right?) I was wandering around a table of books near the registers when I thought, Wouldn't it be funny if SK was here today? Ha ha. (I know this next part is going to sound hokey but I'm telling you, it's true.) I looked up and there he was. Just like a regular person, he was getting on line, a few books in hand.

I froze. Then, I panicked. Should I run back and get a book for him to sign? But what if I don't have time and I miss him? Ack! And I don't want to make a scene, cause a crowd to surround the man. What if he's in a hurry? What if he's sick of fans accosting him? I don't want to be rude or annoying but I can't let this opportunity pass me by.

I decided to wait by the end of the line, near the doors, so I can say a quick something before he leaves. He's chatting with my friend, P, at the register. She sees me hovering and waves me over but SK is already leaving and I have to do something...

(I'm not sure if this qualifies as a "cliffhanger" but you'll still have to come back on Friday to read Part II and find out what happens. One really obvious hint - I acted like a giant dork.)

Join the Readalong!

2011-11-08T11:28:00.000-05:00

Erin Blakemore of The Heroine's Bookshelf is hosting another readalong! The previous one, where we read and discussed Gone With The Wind, was really interesting - Erin provided discussion prompts and historical tidbits - and it was also a lot of fun - whoo hoo, giveaways!

This time around, we're reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Unlike GWTW, I haven't read this one before and I'm really looking forward to it. It's one of those books that's been on my to-read list for awhile but that I just haven't gotten around to reading.

Want to join in? Visit here for all the information. Hope to see you there!

Motivational Monday

2011-11-07T07:42:00.000-05:00

DON'T WORRY ABOUT FAILURE;
WORRY ABOUT STALLING.

YOUR ART GETS BETTER AS YOU GO.

JUST DON'T EVER USE THAT AS AN EXCUSE TO SETTLE.

(Jeff Goins)

I can stall with the best of them. Wait, wait, wait - while the stars align, while I clean the house, while I make up the grocery list, while I put the laundry on. Let me just straighten my office, organize my files, make sure I have the right notebooks and colored index cards and pens. I just have to make sure the idea and the characters and the plot are all clear and sharp and perfect before I write it all down.

It's often the stalling that stifles the art.

This week, let's not wait. Write down that great line of dialogue - even if it's on a dirty napkin. Take that photo - even if the light isn't perfect. Sketch out the image in your head - even if you can't really draw. Keep going, keep pushing, keep creating. Don't. Wait.

Cheerleader . . . or Troublemaker?

2011-11-03T12:05:00.000-04:00

I still haven't decided yet if this is Larry's way of cheering me on from his "rooftop" this NaNoWriMo or if he's just causing trouble and trying to get attention.

Ah, it doesn't matter. He's a cutie either way. (And so is Mrs. L, although her support is much more subtle and ladylike.)

Motivational Monday

2011-10-31T08:14:00.000-04:00

THE THING UNDER MY BED WAITING TO GRAB MY ANKLE ISN'T REAL. I KNOW THAT, AND I ALSO KNOW THAT IF I'M CAREFUL TO KEEP MY FOOT UNDER THE COVERS, IT WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO GRAB MY ANKLE.

(Stephen King)

Amen, brother. Amen.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

A Rebel Yell . . . The NaNoWriMo Way

2011-10-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

It's almost November and most writers (and spouses and families of writers) know what that means - NaNoWriMo time!

I've participated in, and won, National Novel Writing Month for seven years. I've written manuscripts that ended up in the drawer. I've written novels that were revised, sent out to agents and editors, and received positive feedback. I've even written one that was revised, sent out into the world, and landed me an agent. (That was many years ago and we've since parted company.)

So, this year, my eighth doing NaNoWriMo, I decided to shake things up a bit. I am going to be a NaNo Rebel. What does this mean? Well, it depends. For me, it means I won't be starting from scratch. I'm going to finish my Camp NaNo novel and probably write some novel and/or character related stories. I will absolutely write my 50,000 (plus!) words though.

I love NaNo but I've struggled a bit in the last few years - time, ideas, writer's block, etc. This year, I'm excited again. I can't wait for November!

Any other NaNoWriMos out there? Anyone else setting themselves a challenge of some sort? What is everyone working on? Share, and then let's support each other.

Whoo hoo! (That's about as close as this transplanted New Yorker gets to an actual rebel yell.)

Alone? . . . Are You Sure?

2011-10-26T10:56:00.002-04:00

For a bite-sized Halloween treat - or trick?? - check out my Twitter story, "Alone?" over at One Forty Fiction.

(Warning: goosebumps and cricks in the neck from looking over your shoulder may result from the reading of this story.)

Motivational Monday

2011-10-24T09:00:00.004-04:00

BE YOURSELF.

ABOVE ALL, LET WHO YOU ARE,

WHAT YOU ARE, WHAT YOU BELIEVE,

SHINE THROUGH EVERY SENTENCE YOU WRITE,
EVERY PIECE YOU FINISH.

(John Jakes.)

I sometimes wonder if people who don't write understand how much of ourselves we put into our writing. I know there are some who look at flash, hint, Twitter fiction and think something along the lines of "It took her how long to write that?" or "That's not a real story." or "I could knock out one of those easy." (That's similar to the "I could write a novel if I wanted to. How hard could it be?" bit.)

I used to defend myself, my writing, explaining how it takes time to find the true nugget of the story, to find the strongest, most powerful words to tell it in those tight parameters, etc. Now, I tend to just shrug and let my words speak for themselves.

Don't let anyone downplay what you do. This week - and always! - let your words speak for you and about you.

A "10 Random Things" Post

2011-10-20T14:07:00.000-04:00

Julie over at What Else is Possible? tagged me to do a "10 Things" post. So, here are 10 random (hopefully halfway interesting) things about me:

* I met my husband during college orientation when we were both trying to get out of taking the science requirement.

* When I was little, my family had a cat whose back legs grew but whose front legs didn't, so he kind of walked/ran like a rabbit. (He was an inside cat so no worries.)

* I broke my collarbone when I was three years old just by falling out of bed.

* I acted like a big dork when I met Stephen King. (More on that in November so please come back and cringe with me.)

* I can't whistle.

* I wear my hair short and wear very little makeup because I am hopeless at doing anything decent/stylish with any of it. (Okay, I'm also just kind of lazy.)

* I would like to swing on a trapeze some day. (Not professionally, just for fun. And with a net, of course.)

* I'm slightly peeved that my name seems to be coming back in style. (I've known about three "Madeline"s in my whole life and now every little girl running loose in the grocery store is named "Madeline.")

* I like to play Scrabble but I'm not very good at it. (Gasp! I know, right?)

* I can't say the word "coffee" without a Brooklyn accent.

Thanks to Julie for tagging me! Now, I'm to pay it forward to five more bloggers. Hmm, okay, here are five ladies I met through The Writers' Platform Building Campaign. I follow/subscribe to all of their blogs and I look forward to reading 10 random things about each of them. So...tag! You're it!

Jillian - Writing on a Limb

Jessica - Imagination to Publication

Christy Farmer

Elena Aitken - Don't Forget to Breathe

Tina DC Hayes

Third Campaigner CHALLENGE

2011-10-19T08:23:00.001-04:00

The Third Challenge in The Writers' Platform-Building Campaign was all about "show not tell." Here's what we had to do:

Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:
that it’s morning,
that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach
that the MC (main character) is bored
that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting
that something surprising happens.
Just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: "synbatec," "wastopaneer," and "tacise." (NB. these words are completely made up and are not intended to have any meaning other than the one you give them).

I think I managed to pull off the main part of the challenge, and even though I didn't use the funky words, I'm pretty sure I used all five senses. I hope you all enjoy it.

*****

BEACH BUM

They will be the ones to find my body.

They walk barefoot, the warm Gulf water teasing their toes, lapping their ankles. Their first coffees of the day breathe steam over their creased faces.

I met them on the bench where I slept. She always said I looked cold, even when my braid stuck to my sweat-slicked neck. He always said I looked hungry, even when I’d just devoured an old sandwich from the trash. But they were right; I was always both. They brought me sweaters and sandwiches. They slipped me cotton-soft folded bills. They never preached at me - go to a shelter, go back home. Maybe they knew somehow that I belonged here, on the beach. Now I would belong here, to the beach, forever.

They will find my body. It sprawls behind me, right where those boys left me to die. The stench of my unwashed flesh and terror-loosed bowels mixes with their semen and sweat and urine. The wind wafts it over me but the sea takes it away.

The man gives her his cup, then plunges his gnarled hands into the water. He pulls up a sand dollar, holds it, triumphant.

I wept. I raged. I begged the universe for another chance to make my life right until I bored myself with my ragged pleas. Now, I am weary.

The woman gestures at the water. Dolphins.

I stand. The dolphins swim close, closer. I walk into the water. The dolphins dart and dive, rise and arc. They wait. For me.

I lift my arms above my head, rise onto my toes, bend forward. Just as I disappear into the waves, I hear the woman gasp.

They have found my body.

*****

[Fellow Campaigners, I'm #57 if you'd like to "Like" my entry. :)]

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-10-17T09:00:00.002-04:00

. . . WALK AWAY FROM THE 97%.

DON'T USE THEIR VOCABULARY,

DON'T USE THEIR EXCUSES.

DON'T USE THEIR METHOD OF DRIFT AND NEGLECT.

WALK AWAY, JOIN THE 3%.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR OWN LIFE.

(Darren Hardy)

This is sort of the answer to last week's quote. If you want "uncommon outcomes" and "extraordinary achievements," you have to do and think differently than the majority, than the 97%.

What if instead of watching as much as TV as the people we know, we use that time to exercise (if we want to lose weight)? What if instead of spending hours social networking, we jot notes for that novel idea (if we want to write a book)? What if instead of gossiping on the phone, we take a class (if we want to learn a new language, a new skill, meet new people)?

It still boggles my mind that this is easier said than done. Wouldn't you think that "taking charge of your own life" would be a given? Maybe for some people it is. (If you're out there, please stop by and share your secret.)

As for the rest of us, let's put ourselves in that 3% - some how, some way - this week. We can do it!

It's Tricky

2011-10-13T08:52:00.001-04:00

The other day, I was helping my two and a half year old niece, T, put her sandals on. These things had more straps and flaps than a straitjacket (which I was pretty sure I was going to need by the time I was done "helping" her.) I turned her little foot this way, then that. I tore at the Velcro parts only to have them mush together again when I glanced away. I finally said to T -

"I'm sorry, T. Aunt Maddie's having some trouble with this."

She looked up at me, brown eyes big and solemn in her little face, and said, "That's okay. It's tricky."

Words of wisdom from a little girl with the patience of a saint. So, on the days I feel like I am the foot trying to force my way into the sandal of life, of writing, I remember her words and smile.

So, if you're having a rough day/week/month/year, remember - It is okay. It is tricky. Sometimes the Velcro works, and sometimes you just have to give up - go barefoot and make your own way.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-10-10T09:00:00.002-04:00

LISTEN TO YOUR OWN TASTES.

BE PREPARED TO BE UNPOPULAR.

WHAT'S POPULAR IS WHAT'S COMMON.
DO WHAT'S COMMON, YOU GET COMMON RESULTS (AKA MEDIOCRITY.)

YOU ARE LOOKING FOR UNCOMMON OUTCOMES,

EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENTS.

(Darren Hardy)

Permission to be unpopular? To be uncommon, unusual? To want, to do, to be, something and someone different?

Not that we actually need permission, of course, but boy, it's sure nice to have that recognition, that encouragement, isn't it?

(This Motivational Monday Quote is actually part of a longer one, so please come back next week for the rest of it.)

Weekend Winners!

2011-10-09T09:37:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to announce the winners of the Tortoises' Favorite Things giveaway -

CATHY

SALLY

JULIE

Congratulations to the winners! If you three will email me - MadelineMora-Summonte (at) hotmail (dot) com - with your mailing addresses, I'll get your prizes out soon. Also, let me know if you have a prize preference - I'll do my best to accommodate.

* But, wait! That's not all! *

Larry and Mrs. Larry really appreciated all your comments and they don't want anyone to feel left out, so they would like to send a little something along to DONNA and JILLIAN as well. So go ahead and email your mailing addresses, too.

Thanks for entering the giveaway and for hanging out with us here at The Shellshank Redemption!

Giveaway Closed

2011-10-07T12:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, everyone, the giveaway for a few of the tortoises' favorite things is now closed. I really enjoyed reading all of your comments and I will be sure to share them with the tortoises, although that will in no way change the choosing of the winner. (The only way that would happen is if I rubbed basil on one of the slips of paper and I am NOT going to do that... Ahem, you know who you are!)

The winner will be announced this weekend. Good luck!

Giveaway! - A Few of the Tortoises' Favorite Things - Giveaway!

2011-10-04T11:13:00.005-04:00

Every once in awhile, Larry and Mrs. Larry like to make their presence known here on the blog (they're the silent partners of this writing team.) and their favorite way to do that is by having a giveaway.

Now, don't get excited. They will not be giving away any romaine, radicchio or basil. However, they do want to share some of their other favorite things:

Their favorite book: Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer edited by Robert Swartwood (W.W. Norton). The tortoises have also guaranteed that I will sign my story's page if the winner would like.

Their favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption. A DVD of one of the best movies based on a Stephen King novella. This is according to the tortoises, who may be a bit biased...

Their favorite story: "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption". This is one of four amazing novellas in the Stephen King collection, Different Seasons, a paperback of which will go to one of the winners.

How to enter: Leave a comment in this post telling us about...um...something related to tortoises, hint fiction, or Stephen King. (Did you ever save a tortoise crossing the road? Don't know what hint fiction is? Too scared to read a SK novel? It's pretty wide open.) You have until Friday, October 7th at 12 noon EST to enter. Larry and Mrs. Larry will choose three names out of a bowl and I'll announce the winner some time over the weekend.

Good luck!

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-10-03T09:00:00.002-04:00

A PAINTING IS NEVER FINISHED - IT

SIMPLY STOPS IN INTERESTING PLACES.

(Paul Gardner)

I enjoy art that goes off the canvas/page, that's not necessarily contained by borders. I like to imagine the paint, or whatever the medium, reaching and stretching off into the distance, continuing its journey in whatever direction it needs to go. The artist may have to work within physical borders - and so has to stop, to "finish" - but the art itself can go on.

Now substitute poetry/stories/novels for paintings. As writers, our words are concrete and set within pages or a screen, but our stories travel farther and wider than we can ever imagine. Our job is to take the story as far as we can, to take it to "an interesting place," and then step back, step away and let it fly.

Let's take the stories we write, the stories we read, this week and "continue" them. Imagine the characters are living and working in an alternate universe, see the seasons change around them, answer the story questions that maybe weren't answered to your satisfaction and maybe ask some new ones. The story ended in one "interesting place" - let's take it to another.

To Re-Read or Not To Re-Read

2011-09-30T08:51:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I re-read books all the time. I'd get to the last book in The Little House on the Prairie series or in the Anne of Green Gables series or the last story in a Stephen King short story/novella collection then go right back to the start. But, as I got older, I did that less often. I'm not sure why, exactly. Maybe because I had more access to libraries and bookstores, more money to purchase new books, more knowledge of upcoming titles that sounded intriguing?

Lately, though, I find myself turning back to old favorites (for a variety of reasons)...and loving every minute of it. Here are some of my recent re-reads (including the links to past posts if you want more of a review):

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell for The Heroine's Bookshelf's GWTW Read-Along. Still love it, probably love it even more now. It reminded me of how it feels to be caught up in a true saga.

Life as We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. These are the first two in her YA Moon Book series and I re-read them because the third one had just come out and I wanted to experience them all in a row. (I'm geeky that way.)

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. This was just as creepy the second time around, maybe even more so because I knew what was going to happen on the next page or in the next chapter and I was helpless to stop it. The reason I re-read this one was because I didn't enjoy her second novel as much as I had hoped. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but it didn't freak me out the way this one did, and I had wanted to go back and see if I had built the first one up in my head. Nope.

Do you re-read books? Why or why not? Are there any books out there you keep meaning to go back to but haven't yet? (I want to go back to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and The Betsy-Tacy Books by Maud Hart Lovelace.) Any favorite re-reads you'd recommend?

What's Left

2011-09-27T09:16:00.000-04:00

My flash fiction piece, "What's Left," is now up over at Apollo's Lyre (September 2011.) Click here if you'd like to read it.

This is one of those stories that started out as an image that just wouldn't go away - a scar, alive and ropey and raw, snaking down a woman's back. This story is where that scar, that image, took me. Not at all where I thought I would end up, but I'm glad I took the journey.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-09-26T09:00:00.005-04:00

IF YOUR SUCCESS IS NOT ON YOUR OWN TERMS,

IF IT LOOKS GOOD TO THE WORLD BUT DOES NOT FEEL GOOD IN YOUR HEART, IT IS NOT SUCCESS AT ALL.

(Anna Quindlen)

I was pretty sure my life would look different than most of the people I knew. Not that there was anything wrong with what anyone had or did; it just didn't feel right to me, for me. It felt like I was wearing a heavy coat that was too big, that pulled me down, that made my shoulders slump and sag.

I struggled and shrugged and wormed my way out of that coat. And once I was out...I was cold and scared and kinda lonely. I had no pre-formed ladder of success to climb, no one to follow, and little encouragement. But I knew I was doing the right thing.

So I set to work building my own ladder of success - okay, it's rickety and sometimes it goes horizontal instead of vertical but it's all mine. I look for and find people who live and believe and strive the way I do, the way I want to. And encouragement? Support? Have you met my husband? :)

When I worry that I'll never "make it," that my novels will never be on bookstore shelves, my husband reminds me that even if those things never happen, I'm already a success because I live my life on my own terms, I live my life pursuing my passion.

What does success mean to you? Define it for yourself today, this week and start living it, or keep living it, and know we're all with you.

Second Campaigner CHALLENGE

2011-09-24T17:01:00.008-04:00

The Second Challenge in the Third Writers Platform-Building Campaign was a tough one! (And I was happy to know I wasn't the only one who had to use the dictionary!) Here's what we had to do:

- Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title, in any format (flash fiction, nonfiction, blog musings, poem, etc.) (done!)
- Include the word "imago" in the title (done!)
- Include the following 4 words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate," "synchonicity" (done!)

Here's my entry:

*****

The Imagoes of Insanity

In the hours of the night, in the space where one minute surrenders to the next, the lacuna between logic and madness leers.

You stare it down.

But the blank, black space oscitates, its dark throat slurping down the few strands of reason that still hold you in place.

Your mind is now unbound.

But the synchronicity of relief and terror is sweet and short-lived.

Insanity swarms you, its horde of six-legged, multi-eyed imagoes skittering over you, in you, searching for a place to lay their eggs, to secure their future, to seal your fate.

The miasma of madness surrounds you.

You wear its stench like a perfume, your very own signature scent.

*****

(Hey, fellow Campaigners, I'm #85 in case you want to head over here and "Like" my entry!)

A Haiku for Your Weekend

2011-09-23T15:11:00.000-04:00

My haiku is up over at Haiku Journal!

If you'd like, you can check out Issue 4 - my poem is about the thirtieth one down. (Don't worry, it won't take long to find. Besides, you can enjoy all the other haiku on the way!)

The Power of Words (Part II)

2011-09-21T11:36:00.000-04:00

I don't do a lot of "cursing" in the normal course of conversation. I might let certain words slip out but that tends to happen at home where my husband and the tortoises don't mind. I am very aware of the company I'm in and I do my best to not let even what my sister tells my niece and nephew are "potty words" out if I can help it.

I was doing so good, really I was...until my sister took out a toy she'd been saving for the kids. She thought it would be fun for Aunt Maddie to put it together and for all of us to play with it. To make a long story short, my sister was lucky I didn't throw the thing through her bay window. I could not get it to work. The car was supposed to go on the track and then go upside down and then...I'm getting frustrated just thinking about it.

So, what I wanted to say was "This thing is s***!" but I caught myself in time. Then, I started to say, "This thing is c**p!" but all I could think of was my nephew, B, asking what "c**p" meant. What I ended up with was "This thing is...poopy." (I know, I know.)

Now, keep in mind, I didn't know about the whole "potty words" thing then. Well, B and T looked at me, eyes wide WITH DELIGHT, mouths turned up in HAPPY GRINS. "Aunt Maddie said poopy! Aunt Maddie said poopy!"

And so, as you can imagine, I was a hit - with the kids, anyway - for the rest of the visit.

In my defense, I truly did have the best of intentions. But I think that fact was lost on everyone when, later in the day, my niece, T, said in her teeny, tiny voice, "Poopy," and then smiled at us all.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-09-19T08:42:00.000-04:00

BEING A WRITER IS LIKE HAVING HOMEWORK

EVERY NIGHT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

(Lawrence Kasdan)

And the nerdy girl-geek inside of me screams deliriously, "Whoo hoo! Yeh, homework!"

(Are any of you really that surprised?)

The Power of Words

2011-09-15T14:06:00.000-04:00

I forget that I know a lot of words. I was reminded of this recently when I spent time with my nephew, B, and my niece, T. I lost track of how many times I used a word and B would ask me what it meant. (I would tell him and he would say "oh" and then it was as if I could actually see him storing it away in that little head of his, waiting for a day when he would use it himself.)

The thing is, I had to figure out the best way to explain whatever the word was to a four year old.

We were all playing with these magnetic/wooden/paper doll type things - there were super hero outfits and pirate costumes and all kinds of stuff. (It was so much fun that Aunt Maddie might need to get some for herself. The dolls, not the costumes.) B couldn't find the shoes that went with the super hero. All he could find were cowboy boots. This was very troubling to him, so I said something about how the doll could be a "rebel" and, of course, B asked, "What's a rebel?"

I had to think a minute before I said, "A rebel is someone who doesn't do what everyone else does."

"Oh." He stopped for a minute, the cowboy boots in one hand, the doll in the other. He nodded as if deciding something. He put the cowboy boots on his super hero guy and said, "I'm going to make him a rebel."

Hmm, I wonder if more than one rebel was born that day.

A W1S1 Wednesday Welcome

2011-09-14T09:30:00.001-04:00

I usually don't like being the new girl but the guys over at Write 1 Sub 1 made me feel welcome right away. Milo Fowler did an interview with me and new co-administrator, Stephanie, and it's here if you want to take a look. If you do stop over, check out the rest of the site and consider joining us at W1S1, either now or next year. You - and your writing! - will be glad you did.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-09-12T09:00:00.003-04:00

I LEARNED, WHEN HIT BY LOSS,

TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION: "WHAT NEXT?"

INSTEAD OF "WHY ME?"

(Julia Cameron)

So simple and yet...so not easy to do.

Please Be With Us All

2011-09-09T14:11:00.002-04:00

I was going to write a new post for this September 11th but when I went back and re-read last year's, it still felt so true to me that I decided to re-post it instead.

If you don't already, try to fly our flag this weekend, this Sunday. It doesn't matter how large or small the flag is - the sentiment is the same.

God/Spirit/Universe, please be with us all.

*****

A Series of Small, Quiet Moments

I am forever grateful that the members of my family who were there on September 11, 2001 made it out okay. Every year, I send them a short email letting them know I'm thinking of them. And I am. But I'm also thinking of the moment I realized my family was there. The moment my insides hollowed out. The moment where my sense of safety and control, where my assumption that everyone and everything would always be okay, was destroyed in a series of small, quiet moments - as I sat at my desk and read the email I initially thought was a joke, as I picked up the phone to call my parents and only got a busy signal, as I finally got through and learned members of my family were among the smoke and the flames and the ruin and we were all waiting, waiting, waiting to hear something...

And for us, it was good news. For so many, many others, it wasn't. This weekend, my thoughts and prayers are with all those who were there and with all those who were touched by September 11, 2001.

And, really, isn't that all of us?

*****

First Campaigner CHALLENGE

2011-09-07T10:54:00.005-04:00

Yeh! The First Challenge in the Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign is here!

- Write a short story in 200 words or less that begins with the words "The door swung open" (done!)
- Additional optional challenge: end with the words "the door swung shut" (done!)
- Additional optional challenge: make your story 200 words EXACTLY (so close but not quite there...)

Here's my entry -

*****

FILTHY, RICH

The door swung open. Mr. H sat back, waiting, but I still couldn’t move from the car. He turned off the music seeping from the high-end speakers. The silence was hard and sharp. I wished for a shard of it, to dig deep inside of me, to slice away my shame.

He cleared his throat. From the corner of my eye, I watched him. He shifted in his seat. He opened his wallet. He fingered the bills with the same fingers that had scrabbled over my clothes, scratched at my skin, covered my mouth.

He held out two folded bills. “Josilyn didn’t pay you. For watching the kids.”

I needed his money. My family needed his money.

He slipped a fifty between the others. “And a…bonus.”

He needed my silence. His family needed my silence.

I plucked the bills from between his fingers, careful not to touch him. He sagged against the butter-leather seat - in relief, not in remorse.

Then I held my hand up, out, open. Waiting.

Money - worn, dirty, alive - fluttered into my palm.

I stepped out of the car and adjusted the skirt of my school uniform. Behind me, the door swung shut.

*****

(Hey, fellow Campaigners - I'm #253 in case you want to head over to the First Campaigner Challenge post and "like" my story.)

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-09-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FICTION AND REALITY?

FICTION HAS TO MAKE SENSE.

(Tom Clancy)

This is something I struggle with in my own writing. I've had my work - novel manuscripts - critiqued by professionals and one of the things the majority of them say, independently of each other, is why. "Why would she do that?" "I don't understand why he did that." "Why would someone react that way?"

To me, it usually makes perfect sense why my characters do what they do but when I step back, out of my world and into the real one, and I look at the story, the characters, the motivation, the stakes with a more objective eye, I see what they're saying.

It doesn't mean things can't happen randomly - they do in real life, all the time - but the actions we take, the decisions our characters make have to be true to the circumstances and to the person. I've read books where the characters do some weird things and make some odd choices - things I probably wouldn't do - but I keep reading because it all makes sense in the story.

Let's get real with our writing today.

The Pigs Are Flying

2011-09-02T09:17:00.001-04:00

You know that saying about how "something" will only happen when pigs fly? Well, I don't recall ever actually saying "I'll only read an ebook/read an ebook on my phone when pigs fly..." BUT I'm pretty sure I said something close, if not quite that emphatic.

So, if you saw a swine swoop by outside your window yesterday, it was my fault. I read an ebook. On my phone. (Cue soap opera-like catastrophe music...)

But it gets worse.

I liked it. I liked playing with the brightness and the font size. I liked swiping my finger across the screen to turn the page. It didn't hurt that it was Stephen King's new ebook, "Mile 81" which I probably would've read if it had been written on a roll of paper towels.

Of course, I kept my back to my bookshelves but I could feel all the books' spines straightening in disgust and despair. Their rustling pages whispering, "Traitor!"

Yes, I'm overreacting, I know. It's not the end of the world or my bookshelves or my love of the printed page. It might be the start of a new friendship with the digital word and the ease and immediacy of having a new story/book at my finger tips. It's definitely the beginning of me being careful to "never say never."

Who knew a flying pig could be so pretty?

The Check-Up

2011-08-31T12:49:00.002-04:00

Summer is almost over - not that you'd know it here in Florida - and all over the country, school is already in session or about to be. Ahhh, I can smell those new notebooks with all those blank pages just waiting to be filled with notes and facts and doodles and ideas. Of course, as an adult (ahem!) I can get a new notebook pretty much whenever I want so the feeling isn't quite the same but I do tend to cling to nostalgia the way lint clings to the dryer screen.

But this time of year also makes me think back to what I've done so far this year. Okay, this time of year and the fact that we took the tortoises to the vet and it made me think about "check-ups" in general.

[Side note: the tortoises are healthy and active and the vet got a big kick out of how personable they are. I guess I should say how personable Mrs. Larry is since Larry pretty much stayed in his shell the whole time. Mrs. L looked around the office, stuck her head out to be petted and, when she was getting her nails clipped, acted as if she was getting a manicure/pedicure. Larry? I didn't see his head again until we were back in the car. (Although, to be fair, that's pretty much how I act when I have to go to the doctor.)]

So, I thought I'd do a quick check-up on my writing for the past six months or so....

Stories/short pieces
- I've written a number of new things - some finished, some in various stages of being finished.
- I've had about 8 of those new works - plus a handful of older ones - accepted/published.
- I won one contest and placed in another.

Novels/longer ms
- I finished a women's fiction ms, revised it a bit, then set it aside because something about it wasn't working. I haven't given up on it, though, because I do love the characters and the story.
- I wrote a women's fiction/horror-type first draft for the first ever Camp NaNo (July.) Right now, it's sitting and drumming its fingers waiting for me to figure out exactly what to do with it.

Other achievements
- I'm on track for the monthly Light Ray version of Write 1 Sub 1.
- I was invited to join Write 1 Sub 1 as a co-administrator.
- I've kept up with my blog and tried to keep up with others'.
- I joined the Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign over at Rach Writes.
- I read lots of writing mags and some books about writing.

Okay, that list feels rather piddly to me. I know I can do more, do better. I'm not exactly sure what that means or how to do it, but I'll figure it out. There are some fresh notebooks out there with my name on it, just waiting for me...

How about you? How has your summer - or the first part of the year - gone for you? Did you accomplish what you set out to do? Why or why not? Did you do more than you thought you would and if so, how? Any tips or suggestions for how to do more, do better?

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-08-29T09:00:00.003-04:00

WHEN IT COMES TO BEING MASTER OF YOUR LIFE,

YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO FEEL LIKE DOING

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.

(Mel Robbins)

I know, this sounds sort of depressing but it actually makes me feel better. Why? Because it means I'm not crazy (not in that way, at least) and I'm not alone. How many times have you said to yourself, "I know I should...[fill in the blank] - eat better, exercise, get up when the alarm clock goes off, control my temper, be nicer, clean the house, watch less TV, spend more time on actual writing and not the trappings that go along with writing, etc."

At least we're trying. At least we're striving. To do better, to be better - in our craft, in our lives, for ourselves and for those we love. And even though it's difficult, even though failure hurts and that fall is a hard one, I'd still rather continue to try, to strive, to learn, to grow, to challenge myself than to just drift along and watch my dreams and potential drift right along with me.

This week, let's do something we need to do, even if we don't feel like it. We'll be better off for it.

Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

2011-08-26T11:07:00.000-04:00

Whoo hoo! I've just joined The Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign over at Rach Writes. I've never done this - or anything like it! - before and I am really excited.

And a quick shout-out to Simon over at Spellmaking which is where I first learned about The Campaign.

Go on over and check it out...

Please Pass the . . . Poetry?

2011-08-25T14:01:00.002-04:00

As most of you know by now, I read. A lot. But I tend to read mostly fiction with a handful of nonfiction thrown in. And this September, I thought I'd expand my horizons - but please not my bookshelves! - and try some poetry.

The last time I seriously read poetry was back in college...a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away. Bits and pieces still cling to the recesses of my mind but they're more facts - who wrote what - than the feelings, the responses I had to the works. I've read poetry since then - one of my favorites is Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" - and I have a book called Ten Poems to Last a Lifetime edited by Roger Housden that I haven't read yet, but that's about it.

So, this is where you all come in. Any suggestions on where I should start? I'm up for anything - humor, nature, modern, sonnets, etc. Do you have any favorite poets or poems? Any thoughts regarding the best way to read a poem, to experience it?

Thank you in advance! I look forward to learning from you all.

Write 1 Sub 1: Come for the Challenge . . . Stay for the Community

2011-08-24T13:06:00.002-04:00

In January of this year, I started doing the Write 1 Sub 1 Challenge and I quickly became an advocate. Maybe too much so, because I was recently invited to join the administrative team! As you can imagine, I was thrilled - first, because it's a huge honor to be part of something I believe in and second, because, as the girl who was picked last for a lot of things, it's nice to be chosen for something.

In keeping with the Motivational Monday theme of this blog, the W1S1 blog will host Bradbury Bytes where quotes about writing from Ray Bradbury will continue to inspire and motivate us all.

Go on over and check it all out. And if the weekly or monthly challenge sounds good to you, you don't have to wait until January to start. Start now! Look at it this way - if you decide to do the monthly version in September, you'd have four new stories written and subbed by the end of the year - four stories that you might not have had otherwise.

So, what are you waiting for?

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-08-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

IT'S EASY TO STIR THE MIND,

BUT IT DOESN'T WORK IF YOU DON'T

STIR THE HEART.

(Harlan Coben)

This explains the reason why I put down a book: I don't care. I don't care about the characters. The plot can be twisty and intriguing and complex but if I don't care - somehow, someway - about the people who are on that wild ride, then none if it matters to me.

I started a book the other day by a pretty popular author. It was a mystery/thriller with an interesting plot. I read about 25 pages or so, then put the book down. I couldn't get behind the characters. I was supposed to like them. I wanted to like them. But I didn't. They felt stereotypical and flat and...forced. I'm not saying I have to like all the characters - or even the protagonist. I've read a handful of books where I didn't care for the main character but there was still something about that person that made me want to see what happened to them, made me want to see how it all turned out.

I want characters who are so real, it's as if every time I look up from the page, they've just left the room. Today, this week, in general - let's write those stories, let's write those books.

It's a Classic for a Reason

2011-08-17T10:10:00.001-04:00

I'm not going to argue what makes a book a "classic." That's for more scholarly brains than mine to deal with. In my mind, Gone With the Wind is truly a classic and what proves this to me is the great discussion taking place over at The Heroine's Bookshelf.

We're talking history, the roles of women and men in that time and place, love, marriage, conformity and courage. Our hostess, Erin, briefly summarizes each chapter and provides a bit of historical background and/or trivia and then she lets us loose to discuss favorite scenes and characters and to ask questions and to share our opinions and thoughts. There's no pressure, no right or wrong answers. We're just a group of people gathered around this novel, much like the boys gathered around Scarlett at the Twelve Oaks barbecue, all of us fascinated by this young woman who has no idea how much her life is about to change.

One of the things that strikes me about this re-read, is how I feel so differently about the some of the characters this time around. I used to love Ashley and his romantic, poetic ways and this time? He comes across more wishy-washy than anything. I used to think Melanie was a boring, goody-two-shoes but this time? I see the steel of her backbone.

Go on over and check out our discussion of Part I and Part II. Meet Scarlett and her sisters, meet Gerald and Ellen, Mammy and Prissy and Pork. Meet the Tarleton boys. Meet Ashley Wilkes, Melanie and Charles Hamilton. And you will never forget Rhett Butler. See the land of Tara stretch before your eyes, smell the barbecue, watch the young, bustling city of Atlanta age and evolve, hear the moans of the wounded, of the dying men, who crowd homes and hospitals as they return from a war they won't win.

To me, this book is a classic in every sense of the word.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-08-15T09:03:00.000-04:00

WE DO NOT STOP PLAYING BECAUSE

WE GROW OLD;

WE GROW OLD BECAUSE WE STOP PLAYING.

(Ben Franklin)

I just got back from spending some time with my nephew, B, and my niece, T, and boy, did we play! We played and played and played. I'm not sure who had more fun, them or my husband or me. Okay, it was me (although my husband might disagree.)

When I play with the kids, I really play. I run around. I blow bubbles. I play board games and I play with cars and dolls. I go to story time at the library where we make crafts and pick out books and we read, read, read. The couch becomes a pool and whales swim beneath the playground bridge. Sometimes, we are robots or monsters or horses or babies and yet, I am more myself when I play than I am at pretty much any other time. Except for when I'm writing.

Now go play!

(But watch out for that sea monster throw pillow. Hurry! Jump to the armchair... Whew! You made it.)

Favorite Writing Books

2011-08-09T11:45:00.002-04:00

In my office, I have two shelves of books about writing. One holds books I've read and consider keepers. The other contains books I haven't read yet. (Guess which one is crammed full?) The subject matters range from inspiration to technique to writing exercises.

I've already talked here and here about Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way but some of my other favorites are On Writing by Stephen King (big surprise, I know) and Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass (which, obviously, I haven't done yet.) I've also got books by Natalie Goldberg and Heather Sellers and Maeve Binchy, to name a few more.

I know, I know - I should spend more time writing than reading about writing but I think having a handful of go-to books is kind of like having your own little private cheering/inspiring/consoling section. So, how about you? What are your favorite books about writing? (Maybe I have some of them on my to-be-read shelf.) What about those books keeps them on your shelf? And what about other writing resources or writing magazines - any favorites there?

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-08-08T08:25:00.000-04:00

I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT BOOKS.

(Thomas Jefferson)

Neither can I. How else would I learn things and meet people and entertain myself and... Oh, yeah. I guess I could go outside and do all those things.

Nah. I'd rather read.

Go ahead. Stay home and live.

The Belle of the Ball

2011-08-05T11:47:00.002-04:00

I know I usually do quotes on Monday but this one wouldn't wait...

I'M NOT FUNNY. WHAT I AM IS BRAVE.
(Lucille Ball)

Tomorrow, August 6, 2011 marks what would've been the 100th birthday of Lucille Ball, a woman who has made millions of us laugh until we cried. Being funny not only takes skill and talent but it's also hard. (Just ask all of us who aren't.) It takes guts to let go and let loose and put yourself out there knowing you might get the laugh but also knowing there's a chance you're going to get laughed at.

Hmm, sounds a bit like writing, doesn't it?

So, in honor of this funny and brave woman, and in honor of one of my favorite episodes of I Love Lucy, I'm going to help myself to some chocolate. Hopefully, not as much as went by on that conveyor belt...

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-08-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

MANY OF LIFE'S FAILURES ARE PEOPLE WHO

DID NOT REALIZE HOW CLOSE THEY WERE TO

SUCCESS WHEN THEY GAVE UP.

(Thomas Edison)

I know I need to think of this as:

I finish my novel.

I revise it. And revise it again. And again.

I craft a pitch.

I write a query.

I develop a synopsis.

I send them all out into the world. And send them out again. And again.

I write my next novel. I revise it. And revise it...

Hmm, maybe it would be easier to just stencil this quote on the walls of my office...

Let's not be one of "life's failures" this week. Let's keep going!

Get Yourself GONE . . . WITH THE WIND, That Is!

2011-07-29T11:26:00.003-04:00

Come join me - and about 100+ other people - for THE GREAT GONE WITH THE WIND READALONG over at The Heroine's Bookshelf.

Whether you've read it before or are reading it for the first time (oh, I envy you!), there's a place for you in the discussion. Erin has a schedule for what chapters will be discussed when (it sounds more formal than it is, don't worry!) and she'll provide some historical background and fun ways to approach the reading. Plus, there will be prizes!

The first discussion starts August 1st and covers Chapters 1-7. Believe me, for such a huge book, it reads incredibly fast. I'm already up to the part where Scarlett meets Rhett for the first time . . .Sigh. Where was I again? Oh, forget it. I'm already Gone...

A Writer's Passing

2011-07-27T10:38:00.000-04:00

Long time followers of this blog may remember me mentioning that I attended a writing workshop led by mystery author, Blaize Clement. A group of us met regularly around her dining room table, nibbling almonds and drinking green tea and we exchanged words, books, ideas, opinions and laughs...and the occasional cookie or two.

I am so sorry to say that our workshops will be no more. Our fearless leader has passed away after a battle with cancer. If you'd like to learn more about Blaize, her life and her books, here's a nice article that appeared in our local paper.

Speaking of learning, I don't have enough space here to list all the things I learned from her and from the others in the group. About writing, yes, but also about living a full and fulfilling life. One of the things that Blaize had said (and that I hope I never forget) was that so many people want to be normal, but normal means average. Who wants to be average?

Not me. Not anymore.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-07-25T08:59:00.000-04:00

DON'T ASK WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS.

ASK WHAT MAKES YOU COME ALIVE, AND GO DO IT.

BECAUSE WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS IS PEOPLE

WHO HAVE COME ALIVE.

(Howard Thurman)

For me, that's writing. Don't get me wrong, lots of other things make me happy and excited about life. But writing (and stories, books, reading) feel as much a part of me as my blood and bones and breath.

What makes you come alive? Are you doing it? Why...or why not?

What's on "The Other Side of the Door"???

2011-07-21T10:40:00.004-04:00

My flash piece, "The Other Side of the Door," is up at Fiction At Work!

I went in a bit of a different direction with this one - a little creepier than most of my usual stories. But you know what? I kind of like it.

I hope you do, too.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-07-18T09:00:00.004-04:00

BEING A REAL WRITER MEANS BEING ABLE TO

DO THE WORK ON A BAD DAY.

(Norman Mailer)

What he said.

If you're having a bad day - or week, or month, etc. - hang in there. You're doing what you're meant to be doing. If writing (or whatever your craft is) was easy, everyone would do it.

And the Winner is...

2011-07-17T09:57:00.001-04:00

The winner of the giveaway is . . .

SALLY!!!!!

Sally, I hope you enjoy this novel as much as I did. And thank you to all of you who commented. I hope THE HOMECOMING OF SAMUEL LAKE by Jenny Wingfield gets added to many, many Books-To-Read lists.

Sally, send me an email (MadelineMora-Summonte (at) hotmail (dot) com with your address and I'll get your book out to you as soon as possible. :)

Reminder - Giveaway Deadline This Friday!

2011-07-14T09:31:00.001-04:00

Just a reminder that the giveaway for the brand new copy of Jenny Wingfield's The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is this Friday at midnight! For the details and to enter, check out the post below or click here.

Good luck, everyone!

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-07-11T09:00:00.002-04:00

THE ELEVATOR TO SUCCESS IS OUT OF ORDER.

YOU'LL HAVE TO USE THE STAIRS...

ONE STEP AT A TIME.

(Joe Girard)

And let me tell you, that is one steep staircase.

I'm about halfway through Camp NaNoWriMo and I feel like I'm on one of those stair climber machines at the gym. I am going nowhere fast. Not even fast. It's more like I am going nowhere slow.

But you know what? It's not really "nowhere." I'm going somewhere - I am going farther and further into my novel. Each step is a word, a sentence, a character revelation, a plot twist. All of these steps might be part of a gigantic, winding, movable staircase with lots of landings but I know if I just keep going, one step at a time, I'll reach the top. Eventually. And I know, without a doubt, that the view from up there will be breathtaking.

Join me, won't you? We can yank each other up a flight or maybe give a strong shove from behind. Let's all just keep moving!

"Kenny Jackson" at Fiction365

2011-07-09T13:38:00.001-04:00

"Kenny Jackson" is today's story over at Fiction365.

If you'd like, you can check it out here. Hope you enjoy it!

(And thanks to pal Cathy C. Hall for introducing me to Fiction365. You can check out her story here.)

Pacing Yourself . . . the Tortoise Way

2011-07-06T13:35:00.001-04:00

We put a parsley plant in the tortoises' tank. It was full and leafy and dressed up their home quite a bit. They both seemed to enjoy it, although Larry munched for longer and enjoyed poking around under it.

See how pretty the plant is? Okay. Now, the next day, I walked in the door and this is what I saw...

The chewed up plant was tipped over on its side. Mrs. L was waaaaaay over on the other side of the tank. Larry, however, was still nibbling the evidence.

Now, did this happen because they were bored or because the plant was a novelty? Did they just enjoy having it so much, they couldn't resist reveling in it? I don't know, because all they did was look at me all innocent-eyed, even Larry who had parsley stuck to his face.

As I pulled the ravaged plant from the tank, I also pulled a lesson: Sometimes it's good to hold back, pace yourself, show a little restraint, but there's also something to be said for letting go, letting yourself go, and throwing yourself into something you love and relishing it.

So, go ahead - find your parsley plant...and do with it what you will.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-07-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

NO TRUMPETS SOUND WHEN THE IMPORTANT

DECISIONS OF OUR LIVES ARE MADE.

DESTINY IS MADE KNOWN SILENTLY.

(Agnes De Mille)

On this Fourth of July, as we watch fireworks boom and blossom in the sky, let's remember that this holiday, our freedom, our independence did not begin with a bang. It started with a concept, an idea, a thought. It started deep down where most important decisions are made - the gut, the heart, the soul.

This week, let's all listen to, and for, our decisions, our destinies.

"Hungry" for a First Place Win!

2011-07-01T14:38:00.001-04:00

I am beyond thrilled to share the news that my story, "Hungry," won First Place in Writer Advice's Sixth Annual Flash Prose Contest!

I was just blown away when I got the news. This is one of those stories I am particularly proud of. Don't get me wrong - I like all of my published stories, but there are just some that make me feel even better about being a writer. If that makes any sense.

You can read "Hungry" at the link above or here. If you do check it out, I hope you enjoy it and I also hope you are moved reading it the same way I was as I was writing it.

A Blogging Award? For Me?

2011-06-28T17:34:00.005-04:00

Well, I guess I'm doing something right out here in the blogging world because pal Cathy C. Hall has awarded me The Stylish Blogger Award. (Apparently, Cathy has never actually seen me because stylish I am not.) But thank you, Cathy! Really!

Now I have to link to the person who gave me the award. (See Ms. Cathy C above.) Next, I have to pass the award along to another deserving blogger or two (this is easy - Stacy and Arlene!) and congratulate them - I'll do that when I'm done here. And, lastly, I have to share seven things about myself. Here goes...

1) My two favorite books are A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The Stand.

2) When I actually met Stephen King, I acted like a complete dork.

3) One of my favorite TV shows is Law & Order: SVU and when I found out the two main characters/actors were changing roles and leaving, I just about cried. (See above: Dork. Big dork.)

4) I don't lend out books. (If I loved a book, I will give it to you as a gift or tell you about it so you can go get your own copy.)

5) One of my guilty pleasures is Hamburger Helper. (Yeah, I know.)

6) My husband proposed to me while we were riding in a horse drawn carriage.

7) As a kid, I used to put on magic shows for my parents and grandparents, and I would make my sister hide under the table so she could lift it and make it look like it was levitating. (Of course, it barely left the ground and when it did, it was crooked but she tried. She tried.)

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-06-27T09:00:00.003-04:00

BE CURIOUS: WHO IS THAT WOMAN BUYING FIVE LEMONS AND TWO PEACHES? WHAT'S IN HER PURSE? WHAT DOES SHE DREAM AT NIGHT? ONLY YOU, THE WRITER, CARE. DON'T LET HER DISAPPEAR OUT INTO THE PARKING LOT AND INTO OBLIVION.
(Natalie Goldberg)

The woman's name is Emma and she bought the fruit because her grandchildren are coming over to spend the night. Her grandson likes to suck on the lemon halves as he watches baseball on TV - it keeps him from sucking his thumb, which he is too old to do now. The little girl likes to rub her small hands over the peaches' fuzz and pretend they are her magical pets since she's not allowed to have any real ones of her own, and if her pets have to be imaginary, why not make them magical ones?

Your turn...

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-06-20T09:00:00.002-04:00

IT'S A FUNNY THING ABOUT LIFE; IF YOU

REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANYTHING BUT THE BEST,

YOU VERY OFTEN GET IT.

(Somerset Maugham)

These lines made me ask myself if I'm giving my best to my writing. When a story meanders off the page or the characters are flat and boring, is it because I didn't expect more - from it, from them, from myself? Struggling to get the pacing right or being anxious about digging deep into a character's motivation isn't the same as a writer being lazy with time and talent.

When I read published books and stories, I believe I'm reading the author's best (whatever that is, at whatever the time.) I hope that they didn't play it safe, that good enough wasn't good enough. Maybe it's silly on my part but I don't care. And if I ask that of the authors and books I buy and I read, how can I ask any less of myself and my work?

"The Hoarder's Wife" - Boston Literary

2011-06-15T08:58:00.003-04:00

I am so excited to let you all know that my story, "The Hoarder's Wife," is up at Boston Literary Magazine. It's in the Summer 2011 issue (available online and in print) under Quick Fiction. It is literally a "quick" read. :)

If you have a moment to go check it out, I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks!

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-06-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

I MERELY TOOK THE ENERGY IT TAKES

TO POUT AND WROTE SOME BLUES.

(Duke Ellington)

I used to get a lot more upset about rejections than I do now. Don't get me wrong - they still sting, and some hurt worse than others - but I'm better able to put them in perspective, to look at my work with a more practiced and objective eye. It could also be that I'm a lot older than I was when I started writing...or I've just numbed myself to the heartache...or I've developed a shell so tough the tortoises would be jealous...

Um, where was I? Oh, yes. Today, let's take that negative energy and turn it into something positive and productive. (And, if that doesn't work, go get some ice cream.)

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-06-06T08:46:00.000-04:00

WHENEVER YOU FIND YOURSELF ON THE SIDE

OF THE MAJORITY, IT IS TIME TO

PAUSE AND REFLECT.

(Mark Twain)

I used to think it was "wrong" to think and to feel differently than a lot of the people I knew, to want different things, to want a different way of being in this world. I used to think there was something wrong with me. Why didn't I feel the way she did? Why didn't I think the same thing he did?

I spent a lot of time feeling like the kid on the outside of the circle. You know the one I mean. The other kids are all gathered together talking and laughing and playing but there's always that one kid on the outs. Maybe it's because she loves to read. Maybe it's because he enjoys something the others think is geeky. Who knows? It can be anything and it can be nothing.

Even now, I sometimes feel like I'm on the outside of the circle. I don't always understand what a lot of other people are talking about or why they find certain things interesting. My life is not "normal" compared to other women my age.

It often hurt when I was a kid and, honestly, it sometimes hurts now, too. But I've learned that I'd still rather be on the outside of the circle and be able to breathe and to see all around me than to be stuck in the center where the air can be stagnant and the view is often monotonous.

Anyone want to join me outside the circle today?

There Are No Mosquitoes at Camp NaNoWriMo...or Are There?

2011-06-02T11:22:00.001-04:00

I never made it to Girl Scouts. I was, however, a Brownie and as a Brownie, I went camping. Once. Now, remember, I grew up in the city - concrete and brick and honking cars and indoor plumbing. At this camp, there was an outhouse-type building so yes, it technically had indoor plumbing but the bathroom was still outside! I had to walk outside to get to it.

Only I wasn't allowed to walk to it by myself. And neither was anyone else. We had to go with a buddy. Especially at night. Now, I had no intention of walking to the outside bathroom in the dark, knowing for absolutely certain that escaped convicts wielding machetes were hiding in the trees, with only another little girl for protection. Not. A. Chance. So, I made sure I wouldn't have to use the facilities and then I went to bed.

And do you know what happened? Every little girl in our cabin woke ME up to go with them to the bathroom. Me. Why? I still have no idea. But I went. Why? Because I couldn't let my friends get eaten by the zombies I knew were lurking behind every tree along the path. I might not have made it to Girl Scouts, but even I knew they didn't give out patches or badges or whatever for being a chicken. (Although, if they did...never mind.)

What does all of this have to do with Camp NaNoWriMo? Nothing really, except that was my one and only experience of camp life and I wanted to share. But Camp NaNo (the new summer version of November's NaNo!) will not have any mosquitoes or outside bathrooms or escaped convicts or zombies...unless you want them and then it's up to you to put them in your novel.

For more information and to maybe donate if you can, click on the link above and join me in this summer pursuit. Make sure you get your marshmallows and your chocolate and your crackers...it figures that my only other memory of camping is the food. S'more later.

"Uncle Bo" At One Forty Fiction

2011-05-31T10:06:00.002-04:00

My Twitter fiction, "Uncle Bo Blames the Girl," is up at OneFortyFiction.com! You can read it here.

It's my second story up at the site. The first was "Absolution" and I so appreciated the comments and feedback from you all and the readers over at One Forty Fiction. If you get a chance, let me know what you think about "Uncle Bo."

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-05-30T08:40:00.000-04:00

IF YOU DON'T DESIGN YOUR OWN LIFE PLAN,

CHANCES ARE YOU'LL FALL INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S PLAN.

AND GUESS WHAT THEY MAY HAVE PLANNED FOR YOU?

NOT MUCH.

(Jim Rohn)

Think about this quote the next time you go along with something without giving it much thought.

I am capable of and worth way more than "not much." And I know you all are, too.

Nonsense! Or is it?

2011-05-26T12:06:00.000-04:00

My four year old nephew is learning how much fun words can be. He likes to walk around rhyming and talking like Dr. Seuss and saying things like "chicken noodle head." And, while most of the adults (the real, true grownups) in his life are trying to get him to talk "sense," Aunt Maddie responds to his "nonsense" with things like "oogledy boogledy."

[Side note: this is a perfect example of why I'm a better aunt than a mother. Although, in my defense, I do take into consideration the noise level and the easy removal of batteries of the toys I buy for him and my niece. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't buy the siren screaming, whistling, yodeling, headache-inducing toy after all but at least I take it into consideration.]

Words are fun. I think adults who are not writers or avid readers forget that sometimes. I think we all forget that sometimes. We forget the joy of feeling a word flip flop around on our tongues or knock against our teeth or slither up our throats. Of course there's a time and a place for "nonsense" and "silliness." I just hope we can all find our way back there once in a while.

Aunt Chicken Noodle Head signing off.

Motivational Monday Quote

2011-05-23T09:00:00.004-04:00

YOU CAN ONLY BECOME TRULY ACCOMPLISHED AT SOMETHING YOU LOVE. DON'T MAKE MONEY YOUR GOAL. INSTEAD PURSUE THE THINGS YOU LOVE DOING, AND DO THEM SO WELL THAT PEOPLE CAN'T TAKE THEIR EYES OFF YOU.

(Maya Angelou)

Plenty of people hate their jobs. Lots of people like their jobs well enough. How many people do you know who love what they do? Who don't look forward to retirement or vacation or the weekend? How many people do you know who have an okay job but who have a passion for something else, for anything else? Whose eyes light up, whose gestures grow animated when they talk about it?

I used to feel like a freak when I would talk to people about writing (and reading and books.) I would get so excited and happy and want to share my thoughts and hear theirs and ask/answer questions. But then I started noticing the startled looks, the eyes glazing over and the attention drifting, and the stock answer of "that's nice." I felt like a balloon someone stuck a very sharp pencil into.

What was wrong with me? Why wasn't I like the people complaining about their work or getting caught up in mundane matters? That's what you're supposed to do, isn't it? That's what adults do, isn't it? So I toned down my enthusiasm (unless I knew I was in the company of a kindred spirit.) I still spoke about writing and books but I focused more on office politics and on complaining in general. And you know what? Most people seemed much more interested in those things. So, while it was nice to have people actually interested in what I was talking about, I felt like that deflated balloon turned inside out.

But then I realized that maybe it wasn't me after all. Maybe it was them. Maybe they all felt like that balloon, too, but in a different way. What's it like to go through life without something you feel passionate about, without something that gets your juices flowing, without something that brings you joy and challenge and purpose? I can't imagine.

So today's quote is my wish for all those people who are still searching for their passion. I hope you find it soon. When you do, we'll talk - we'll use big animated gestures and wear big smiles and people won't be able to take their eyes off us.

Happy Birthday to. . .

2011-05-20T11:07:00.002-04:00

. . . Larry and Mrs. Larry! (Okay, since we don't know exactly when they were born, it's really their "observed" birthday, sort of like Columbus Day and Presidents' Day.)

The tortoises are now two years old and they're as personable and alert and rambunctious as ever. You think I'm kidding, I know. Tortoises? Yep. Sure, they often sit around for hours, looking like little green rocks (okay, bigger green rocks now) but then there are the times when they do not stop moving. When they push and shove the other one out of the corner. (Never mind that there are three other corners to settle in.) When they climb all over their food dish, their water dish, each other. When they look you right in the eye as if they're listening...and then yawn in your face. (Apparently, they were listening after all.)

But how you can not just love them? Look at these wrinkly faces -

So, once again, happy birthday to the little hard-shelled muses, Larry and Mrs. Larry! They're a constant reminder to me that slow and steady is a perfectly acceptable way to get where I'm going. (But that yawning in someone's face is still rude, no matter how cute you are.)

The Shellshank Redemption

Motivational Monday

Recommended Reading: A GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY by Joshilyn Jackson

The Off The Shelf Challenge: January

Motivational Monday

Call Out for Contest Entries: Writer Advice's 7th Flash Prose Contest

Motivational Monday

Books Gone Wild

Call Out for Contest Entries: Flash Fiction Chronicle's Fourth String-of-10 Flash Fiction Contest

Motivational Monday

Recommended Reading: THREE WEEKS IN DECEMBER by Audrey Schulman

TV Time...or Is It?

Motivational Monday

"Silent Night" in APOLLO'S LYRE

Motivational Monday

Happy Holidays!

Motivational Monday

My Favorite Reads of 2011

Motivational Monday

The Off The Shelf Challenge 2012

Do You Have a System?

Motivational Monday

A Rebel Learns a Lesson (Lesson #3)

Motivational Monday

Happy Thanksgiving!

Motivational Monday

A Rebel Learns a Lesson (Lesson #2)

A Rebel Learns a Lesson (Lesson #1)

Motivational Monday

The "King" of All Days (Part II)

The "King" of All Days (Part I)

Join the Readalong!

Motivational Monday

Cheerleader . . . or Troublemaker?

Motivational Monday

A Rebel Yell . . . The NaNoWriMo Way

Alone? . . . Are You Sure?

Motivational Monday

A "10 Random Things" Post

Third Campaigner CHALLENGE

Motivational Monday Quote

It's Tricky

Motivational Monday Quote

Weekend Winners!

Giveaway Closed

Giveaway! - A Few of the Tortoises' Favorite Things - Giveaway!

Motivational Monday Quote

To Re-Read or Not To Re-Read

What's Left

Motivational Monday Quote

Second Campaigner CHALLENGE

A Haiku for Your Weekend

The Power of Words (Part II)

Motivational Monday Quote

The Power of Words

A W1S1 Wednesday Welcome

Motivational Monday Quote

Please Be With Us All

A Series of Small, Quiet Moments

First Campaigner CHALLENGE

Motivational Monday Quote

The Pigs Are Flying

The Check-Up

Motivational Monday Quote

Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

Please Pass the . . . Poetry?

Write 1 Sub 1: Come for the Challenge . . . Stay for the Community

Motivational Monday Quote

It's a Classic for a Reason

Motivational Monday Quote

Favorite Writing Books

Motivational Monday Quote

The Belle of the Ball

Recommended Reading - THE BOTTOMS

Motivational Monday Quote

Get Yourself GONE . . . WITH THE WIND, That Is!

A Writer's Passing

Motivational Monday Quote

What's on "The Other Side of the Door"???

Motivational Monday Quote