Another short story competition got me moving on as I wait for NaNoWriMo to begin. This one was for the "Horror" section of Scribophile. The photo prompt was this. Here's what I did with it: LeeAnn found the trailhead easily, despite the vague directions from the nervous hotel clerk. He had been very upset to … Continue reading Avoidance
The contest prompt was "One Room" - I decided on a stillroom in Regency England. *** As Anna Norris saw it, Sir Richard had not taken leave of his senses. His senses had been taken from him. Anna had been the housekeeper at Pollton Estate for the better part of twenty years, and her … Continue reading Good Medicine
I've heard it before - "enter a writing contest" they say. "It will help you hone your skills" they say. I even believe it. And I have paid entry fees before, and set intentions to submit the greatest short story ever told. No pressure though, right? Yeah, except for the part where I would write a … Continue reading Contesting and Workshopping
My family has never really formed any ironclad holiday traditions. I mean, my grandma had a particular way that the tree was always decorated, and very definite ideas about when decorations go up (the day after Thanksgiving) and when they come down (January 6th), but since she passed away we have sort of played every holiday … Continue reading On the First Night of NaNo – Doggerel Poetry and Holiday Tradition
I have been struggling with my WIP. I felt like I just couldn't get a handle on the main character - like no matter how many scenes I wrote her into, or how much of her backstory/traits/idiosyncrasies I wrote, I never really "knew" her. Then my lightbulb clicked. I didn't respect her. I put so … Continue reading My Favorite Heroines
I like to be at the polls when they open. My precinct has a good system of early voting, but my preference is always to go on The Day. Perhaps I'm old-fashioned, but it reminds me of that very first election I was finally able to participate in after I turned 18. Hubs and I … Continue reading Party at the Polling Place
First two days of NaNo are in the past. I went to my first ever write-in last night, it was actually pretty cool. I was not sure how distracting it would be to write in the presence of half a dozen other people, but it was surprisingly motivating. There was some distracting conversation and some … Continue reading NaNoWriMo Notes
