Flash Friday: The Honeymoon Is Over

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

brewtnall_edward_where_next

“If he’d just stopped to ask for directions, we wouldn’t be in this predicament,” she exclaimed, stiffening her shoulders.

“Directions? How does one ask for directions while on a ship, my dear?” he said. “I hardly think the captain intended to wreck upon this island.”

Setting the map down, he looked out the window. “Not that here is a bad place to be, darling, don’t you think? I can smell oranges in the air.”

“What about those bizarre things on the beach?” she interjected irritably. “They look like giant Easter eggs.”

“True,” he conceded. “But what luck to stumble on this hotel! Have you ever had such fresh cream?”

Agatha let out a loud “Harrumpfh!” This was not how she’d imagined her honeymoon. They were supposed to be exploring the churches of Florence and walking the streets of Rome, not stuck on some God-forsaken island peppered with bizarre statues.

Waving her hand in front of her face, she muttered, “There aren’t so many mosquitoes in England.”

Chester stroked his wife’s fiery red hair and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

“You’re right, my dear.” He started to chuckle.

She gave him a questioning glance.

“…But England does have your mother.”

She felt a smile tickle the corners of her mouth.

“And she’s a far more vicious bloodsucker,” he added.

She burst out laughing. “Indeed. Perhaps we should never return at all.”

“That’s my wife!” he laughed, pulling her in close and raising the map. “So, after this, where to next?”

“Anywhere with you,” she said softly. “Anywhere at all.”

____________________________________________________________________

I wrote this today for the weekly Flash! Friday micro fiction contest. Let me know what you think!

 

UPDATE: Hooray! I won an Honorable Mention for the second week in a row. Woo hoo!

Flash Friday: One Cute Baby, One Pissed-Off Goat

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Baby Glenn and Goat“He’d been through a lot in his short life. Kicked off the McGillicutty farm for eating one too many pairs of knickers. Poked and prodded by the circus clowns to leap over one too many yapping dogs. But this…this was the final straw. Strapped to a cart, held prisoner by that mewling little thing. Didn’t they know who he was? The indignity. He squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth. He’d show them. He’d show them all. For Billy knew something those stupid humans didn’t. He knew where the troll lived. And that troll was always hungry.“

The Shenandoah Valley Writers Group, of which I am a proud newbie member, sponsors a weekly Flash Friday competition, in which writers are given a prompt and a day to come up with a story of approximately 100 words springing from said prompt.

I’ve never participated in a flash fiction contest before – I’ve been a) focused on my own novel writing and b) too intimidated to try. But today’s contest post on Facebook caught my eye because – get this – it was Flash Friday #37. Anybody who knows me knows that 37 is my absolute favorite number. It felt like destiny telling me to go check the contest page out, and once I saw the pic of the baby and the goat, well, I just had to dash off the little story above. I’m not saying it’s great, but it amused me, and hey, it’s a chance to share some writing – and alert others to this great group and the weekly writing opportunity.

UPDATE: I won an Honorable Mention for my entry! So exciting! I’m looking forward to participating in future contests.

Vacation

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

tgroupI was on vacation last week. A true vacation, meaning no kids, no husband, no responsibilities.

I was blessed enough to get to go back to the midwest – the place where I grew up – and spend a few days with my sister, and visit my cousins, my aunt, and several awesome college friends. And I got to do all that sans any responsibilities.

Mind you, I dutifully took along my WIP and a friend’s WIP and worked on editing them while in the airport and on the plane. But once I was in Kansas and Iowa? I didn’t write/edit/revise a thing.

What I did do was relax. Really, truly relax. The first few days I was with my sister. People looking in through the windows might have found it odd to find two siblings who don’t see each other often sitting on opposite sides of the room, immersed in their technology. We were cool with it. We didn’t do it all the time – we had plenty of good conversation. But sometimes, sometimes – we zoned out. And it was AWESOME.

Each morning I woke up and got to do whatever I wanted to, because no kids were clamoring for breakfast, no housework was demanding my attention, and, well, my sister was still sleeping. What I did do was… not much. Stared at the walls. Checked email. Attempted to befriend the cat. Ate some Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. It was heavenly.

Driving from Kansas to Iowa also gave me plenty of time to reflect on where I am and where I want to be going – something it’s hard to really concentrate on when other daily demands command my attention. I realized I really do want to work on my health and achieve at least a slightly better height/weight ratio, because whatever else I want to do, I won’t be able to do it if I’m dead.

I also realized I really do want to keep writing. It doesn’t matter if I’m never “successful” in terms of landing a contract and publishing a book. I’m leaning toward self-publishing anyway. It doesn’t matter if I earn scathing reviews (although remind me of this post if and when that happens). It doesn’t matter how long it takes me to finish a novel – I just want to keep inching forward. I just want to practice, practice, practice.

The last thing vacation brought me? A sense of gratitude. Gratitude for all the gifts I have – both inner gifts, such as, well, the ability to string several words together in occasionally interesting sentences, the ability to carry a tune, the ability to draw recognizable objects, the ability to laugh and make others laugh, and outer gifts, such as the luxury of traveling to visit friends and family. Of having friends and family. Of having creature comforts enough and a supportive husband enough to write because I want to.

I am one lucky woman.  Thank you, Universe, God, and all who support me.

Take a vacation if you can, even if you don’t leave home. Take a vacation from the usual clutter and noise in your head. Let it all out, and see what you find. Then let me know.

Meanwhile, in 2 weeks – once the kids head back to school – I’ll be back down in my writing cave, editing Cat’s story and working on Eliza’s, and reminding myself with a smile and a hug for the husband of what a blessed life I truly have – no matter what happens with my writing.

All’s Quiet On The Writing Front…

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

The Calm LakeYes, I’ve been quiet here. Too quiet. I know it, and I feel guilty.

On the other hand, it’s summer time. The kids are out of school, and that means they’re home. Or they’re at camps. When they’re home, I’m tuned in to them. When they’re at camp, I’m playing Taxi Van and running around like a crazy chicken. I expected that.

What I didn’t expect was the amount of work involved in having contractors finish off a room in our basement. Yes, they’re doing the finishing – but I’ve been doing the moving and rearranging and sorting and painting (cheaper for me to paint than to pay them). And chasing down craigslist leads and visiting numerous furniture stores. Blah blah blah. My mind is on the Man Cave, not on my manuscript.

All that to say, well, I haven’t written. Anything. I also haven’t finished editing my story. And I can tell it’s impacting me and my drive to write – the flame that scorched me last winter is on low now. My job is to make sure the pilot light doesn’t go out.

I’m looking forward to fall and the kids going back to school. It’s unlikely I’ll get much done before that. I admit it. I don’t work well when on Mom Duty because I feel my brain is constantly pulled in a zillion different directions – and even if the kids don’t need me right at that moment, knowing that they COULD makes it hard for me to sit down and write, for I work best without interruption. I can’t stand starting a project and being interrupted over and over and over again. So I haven’t tried. And by evening my Morning Person brain is so tired the best it can do is consume art in the form of reading or a good TV show, not produce it.

But I’ll be back. I’m visiting family next week, but am taking my manuscript on the plane to proof and edit. My writing group is scheduled to meet in early August. My kids return to the classroom in less than a month. September, I hear your siren song. My characters can’t wait.

August is my least favorite year of the month, anyway. Too darn hot.