FIRST CAMPAIGN CHALLENGE (click to find links to all other entries and to vote under each entrants linky pic. i'm number 210.)
The challenge:
Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.
If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)
For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!
It's a challenge for me any time I actually write anything under the alotted number. So, I'm pretty snapping proud to tell you I did this in 199 words.
(This is my second or third attempt at flash fiction-ever. I kinda wish someone would crit it for me before I post it. Shouldn't I revise/edit and rewrite something several dozen times before publishing it? Okay, I'm kidding. This is what happens when one is in the editing stage, apparently.)
The door swung open. I crouched below the desk, pushed my back against its wood, and held my breath. Dim light angled through the blinds, barely enough for any human to spot me with. Only a rolling chair stood between me and the feet that had stepped into the room. Men’s shoes, black and squeaky, covered the feet. A beam of light swung through the air. I inched back further, setting the thick envelope on the floor so as not to crinkle the paper.
Annoyance swept over me. Seriously? Paper files? How was this business so successful without being technologically advanced? Had I been able to use my zip drive, I’d have finished this job hours ago. Instead, I was late for my date with Luc.
The chair rolled away and the flashlight’s beam blinded me.
“What’s this?” The suited man knelt beside me and grabbed the envelope with a gloved hand.
Damn! Meshing my skin and clothing saved my tailfin, but now I’d lost the files. He stood and swung the flashlight around the room before plodding away. I relaxed and let the wood tones fade from my scales before camouflaging them with skin. The door swung shut.
I created the character in this story for a crusader/campaigner challenge this past spring (read it here). Someday she may be the character in a sci fi novel I'd like to write. So, for as many challenges as I can, I'll use her and the ideas I have in my head for her novel.)
9.05.2011
we've been tagged and i'm actually following through with it
erica's been toting the majority of our weight here @ our blog these past few months. I seem to only have a few seconds here and there to hop onto my blog and take the time necessary to visit other blogs and follow through with everything (awards, being tagged, leave comments, etc).
Another factor in my blog absence is my hubby. He can be supportive, but oh so often I get, "Sometimes I regret buying you that laptop." or "You should get paid for the number of hours you spend blogging, critiquing, editing and writing." or "I'd rather you sit and watch tv all day rather than sit on that laptop."
Ugity ugh.
Recently, I read (@ a fabulous blog somewhere (?)) (and if you said it, please take credit and I'll be sure to add it in HERE) that it takes five to eight (plus) years to become a lawyer or a doctor or an abundance of other professions, so why shouldn't /can't it take us five to eight to become novelists? SO TRUE! And I'm doing it for free, no school loans! Just my own time learning, practicing, improving. Eventually payment may find its way to my bank account. Right, Hubby?
PATIENCE!
Anyways, to prove that I'm accomplishing something while on my laptop I took time away from the blogosphere to write and edit. I thought having a second ms to query might make him see that I'm actually doing SOMETHING (not that I don't view getting to know all of you as majorly important, I do, it's just HE doesn't. Sorry!) So, I vow to take time once again to keeping up with you all and to making new friendships via the Campaign. Because without online friendships with other writers, well, how could I keep going?
Exactly.
Without further adieu and to show you I'm taking my follow- through seriously:
We've been tagged by a fellow Campaigner, Jennifer Groepl, and so here are ten random things about us, or maybe just me, christy. I'm finally doing my "job" and writing a post. I know. I know. It's about time!
What can I share that most of you don't already know?
Huh.
Well....
1. I'm six months pregnant, but look eight.
2. I love drafting and writing (vomitting, as erica would say), but apparently loathe editing. (Yeah, I did great on the first 16 chapters. Now. I'm. At. A. Standstill.
3. I thought I was over the whole "My first draft is done, so now I can query." phase. Nope. But don't worry. I've been holding myself back.
4. I hate to grocery shop. And do laundry. And to vaccuum. Although since I bought a cheap, light vacuum, I've been doing better at that. Need to do it now in fact.
5. Between us, erica and I have three dogs (i think), four sons (with another on the way), two husbands, 70 students, and 3.5 completed manuscripts.
6. Someday erica and I will co-author a book. YA. Mystery. With series potential. The protag may or may not end up being named Claire. Or Clara. And it may take place in WI Dells.
7. I love hummingbirds, but hate most other birds. #scarycreatures
8. Fall is my favorite season, regardless of the fact it includes the start of school.
9. I DIDN'T CRY ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, but my husband did. However, I may have shed a few tears on the morning of the second day. (our oldest started full-day kindergarten)
10. It's been six months since I've had a glass of wine and I'm starting to miss it.
DONE!
And now I'm off to follow my fellow Campaigners. If I haven't followed you yet, it's because I just haven't gotten there. BUT I WILL. PINKY SWEAR. I'M IN THIS THING WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND WILL FOLLOW THROUGH!
and now:
Another factor in my blog absence is my hubby. He can be supportive, but oh so often I get, "Sometimes I regret buying you that laptop." or "You should get paid for the number of hours you spend blogging, critiquing, editing and writing." or "I'd rather you sit and watch tv all day rather than sit on that laptop."
Ugity ugh.
Recently, I read (@ a fabulous blog somewhere (?)) (and if you said it, please take credit and I'll be sure to add it in HERE) that it takes five to eight (plus) years to become a lawyer or a doctor or an abundance of other professions, so why shouldn't /can't it take us five to eight to become novelists? SO TRUE! And I'm doing it for free, no school loans! Just my own time learning, practicing, improving. Eventually payment may find its way to my bank account. Right, Hubby?
PATIENCE!
Anyways, to prove that I'm accomplishing something while on my laptop I took time away from the blogosphere to write and edit. I thought having a second ms to query might make him see that I'm actually doing SOMETHING (not that I don't view getting to know all of you as majorly important, I do, it's just HE doesn't. Sorry!) So, I vow to take time once again to keeping up with you all and to making new friendships via the Campaign. Because without online friendships with other writers, well, how could I keep going?
Exactly.
Without further adieu and to show you I'm taking my follow- through seriously:
We've been tagged by a fellow Campaigner, Jennifer Groepl, and so here are ten random things about us, or maybe just me, christy. I'm finally doing my "job" and writing a post. I know. I know. It's about time!
What can I share that most of you don't already know?
Huh.
Well....
1. I'm six months pregnant, but look eight.
2. I love drafting and writing (vomitting, as erica would say), but apparently loathe editing. (Yeah, I did great on the first 16 chapters. Now. I'm. At. A. Standstill.
3. I thought I was over the whole "My first draft is done, so now I can query." phase. Nope. But don't worry. I've been holding myself back.
4. I hate to grocery shop. And do laundry. And to vaccuum. Although since I bought a cheap, light vacuum, I've been doing better at that. Need to do it now in fact.
5. Between us, erica and I have three dogs (i think), four sons (with another on the way), two husbands, 70 students, and 3.5 completed manuscripts.
6. Someday erica and I will co-author a book. YA. Mystery. With series potential. The protag may or may not end up being named Claire. Or Clara. And it may take place in WI Dells.
7. I love hummingbirds, but hate most other birds. #scarycreatures
8. Fall is my favorite season, regardless of the fact it includes the start of school.
9. I DIDN'T CRY ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, but my husband did. However, I may have shed a few tears on the morning of the second day. (our oldest started full-day kindergarten)
10. It's been six months since I've had a glass of wine and I'm starting to miss it.
DONE!
And now I'm off to follow my fellow Campaigners. If I haven't followed you yet, it's because I just haven't gotten there. BUT I WILL. PINKY SWEAR. I'M IN THIS THING WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND WILL FOLLOW THROUGH!
and now:
- you're it alynza @ http://alynzasmith.blogspot.com/
- you're it cheryl @ http://cherylreifsnyder.blogspot.com/
- you're it amber @ http://wosushi.wordpress.com/
- you're it maria @ http://firstdraftcafe.blogspot.com/
sorry. we are now a blog under construction.
christy decided to mess with the design of our blog at midnight, and nearly lost all of our content. the blog is somewhat organized, but not the way it was prior to her impromtu decision to redecorate (and consequently mess the whole thing up).
she thought she saved the template (as it was), but that seems to have vanished, or never to have made it into her documents.
so, um, try to enjoy this view and whatever headings/pages/sidebar stuff is also here. since, um, in the midst of trying to find the saved template, she accidentally reverted to a template from oh, a year ago.
and to think, she was looking for a minimalist design....
she no longer knew what was actually on the blog and what wasn't, but needed to go to sleep.
and now while she's not sure whether to be speaking in past or present tense, she's logging off.
good night.
she thought she saved the template (as it was), but that seems to have vanished, or never to have made it into her documents.
so, um, try to enjoy this view and whatever headings/pages/sidebar stuff is also here. since, um, in the midst of trying to find the saved template, she accidentally reverted to a template from oh, a year ago.
and to think, she was looking for a minimalist design....
she no longer knew what was actually on the blog and what wasn't, but needed to go to sleep.
and now while she's not sure whether to be speaking in past or present tense, she's logging off.
good night.
9.03.2011
Brain Vomit (aka First Drafts)
Vomit doesn't usually conjure up pictures of happy people. Trust me, I've got two kids.
Brain Vomit, however, can work. (if you don't know, bv=first draft)
This is something I need to remember (erica speaking). I spit out my first vomit draft without a care in the world - because I didn't know any better. Four months for a book - sure, no problem. But then, it took a long time to edit. And no, it's not published. But the words flowed. The voice was there. I learned a lot from the process. My first draft turned into something I loved - even if it didn't work for the commercial world (yet).
Recently, I vomited up half a book. Then I rewrote it because even though it had a ton of voice, it went in the wrong direction, plot-wise. Suddenly, I stalled. The thought was there. The plot was there. The voice was there. I was - oddly - not there.
Was there a lesson to learn? Why yes, there was (is).
Vomit drafts are good. They prove you have an idea. Revisions can take care of the mistakes. Go You!!
Brain Vomit, however, can work. (if you don't know, bv=first draft)
This is something I need to remember (erica speaking). I spit out my first vomit draft without a care in the world - because I didn't know any better. Four months for a book - sure, no problem. But then, it took a long time to edit. And no, it's not published. But the words flowed. The voice was there. I learned a lot from the process. My first draft turned into something I loved - even if it didn't work for the commercial world (yet).
Recently, I vomited up half a book. Then I rewrote it because even though it had a ton of voice, it went in the wrong direction, plot-wise. Suddenly, I stalled. The thought was there. The plot was there. The voice was there. I was - oddly - not there.
Was there a lesson to learn? Why yes, there was (is).
Vomit drafts are good. They prove you have an idea. Revisions can take care of the mistakes. Go You!!
9.01.2011
Things that are nonfiction
1. The state of Wisconsin has a public-school start-date of September 1st.
2. People tell me it is now September 1st.
3. I have 53 children coming to my preschool program today. I know/recognize approximately 20 of them.
4. At 8:00 this morning, there will be 33 small children waiting for me to serve them breakfast.
5. None of the children will know my name. They'll just look at me with wide eyes. I will not look into them in case I become hypnotised and forget to serve breakfast.
6. The teacher I work with started yesterday. She knows no one and gets lost trying to get from the front door to our room (schools are confusing - why is that?). Tomorrow will probably not be her finest teaching day ever. We'll get there!
7. I will have no time to check my computer for the remainder of the day. You should still comment and see if I live through the day at all.
8. When we take said 53 (primarly unknown) children to the bus, many prayers for safe voyage and returns will be said.
9. christy and I both send our sons to kindergarten tomorrow. christy is sad. Send her good wishes!!*
*it isn't that I'm not amazed by how fast time flies. But it's my youngest and christy's oldest, so that makes a difference. Plus, I can look out my classroom window directly into my son's classroom any time I want. My 5th grader, though - it makes me a little sad that he's so old, er that I'm so old!!
2. People tell me it is now September 1st.
3. I have 53 children coming to my preschool program today. I know/recognize approximately 20 of them.
4. At 8:00 this morning, there will be 33 small children waiting for me to serve them breakfast.
5. None of the children will know my name. They'll just look at me with wide eyes. I will not look into them in case I become hypnotised and forget to serve breakfast.
6. The teacher I work with started yesterday. She knows no one and gets lost trying to get from the front door to our room (schools are confusing - why is that?). Tomorrow will probably not be her finest teaching day ever. We'll get there!
7. I will have no time to check my computer for the remainder of the day. You should still comment and see if I live through the day at all.
8. When we take said 53 (primarly unknown) children to the bus, many prayers for safe voyage and returns will be said.
9. christy and I both send our sons to kindergarten tomorrow. christy is sad. Send her good wishes!!*
*it isn't that I'm not amazed by how fast time flies. But it's my youngest and christy's oldest, so that makes a difference. Plus, I can look out my classroom window directly into my son's classroom any time I want. My 5th grader, though - it makes me a little sad that he's so old, er that I'm so old!!
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