Prompt of the Week

Include the following 3 words in your writing for this week: plum, storm, bossy

Blocks

Ali recently posted about writer's block and whether it really exists.

I don't know. I do know that I tend to write in spurts, one has just started--thank goodness. I'm not sure what really triggers them, but it's something to look at. See if I can maybe set them off on my own.

Are the off times blocks? Feels like it. And it's not a good feeling.

Here's to a long, long spurt.

Dogs!

A friend dropped off her dogs last night. She and her husband are out of town through the weekend. Both dogs are mixed breed, about medium size (maybe 50ish pounds) and sweet as they can be.

My cat is not pleased. Spooky has been an only cat for a very long time. The dogs' arrival means she is relegated to the blue room. This will mean many tufts of black cat hair will have to be removed before any kind of painting can start. So no redecorating this weekend.

I also have to be careful about the fence between my back yard and that of the neighbors to the west. They have 3 dogs who like to charge the fence when Kita and Missy are visiting. Another one of those projects that may move up the list soon.

An update on the hornet nest: When I sprayed it, most of the hornets flew out under their own steam. Only about 3 died. None of the survivors moved back so I knocked it down. Mission accomplished.

I have a feeling Spooky will be harder to deal with when the dogs go home.

Figuring It Out

I recently finished reading a very good cozy mystery. Well crafted, some nice tension, realistic characters and humor--always a plus for me. But I knew who did it the minute the character was introduced. I kept hoping I was wrong, but nope.

Fleur says that's one of the problems with being a writer. We read books or watch movies and think, "What would I do here?" Movies with big twists are especially disappointing. About ten minutes into "The Others" I knew what was going on. That doesn't mean I'm particularly smart, just that I thought, "What would make this movie different from all the other ghost stories out there?"

So how do we avoid giving away what we're trying to hide and still play fair? Introducing a character on page 250 of a 255 page book and then declaring him the culprit is a cheat.

I guess, as with most things in this business, it comes down to the writing. Craft a story with all the elements I listed above, and the reader won't care that she figured it out. She may even feel good about it.

Prompt of the Week

You're waiting for your baggage at the carousel in the airport terminal in Des Moines. A woman in a pirate costume stands a short distance away. It's not even close to Halloween. What's going on?

Top of the List

I'm a list maker. I guess that may be where the outlining comes from, come to think of it. Not that I always remember to take the list with me or always follow the outline, but there you are. It's what I do.

There should be no surprise then that household projects go on a list. The list is rearranged as needed. Some things go to the top of the list because not fixing them immediately would lead to other things needing repair or because I'm excited about them. Some things move to the bottom because they aren't critical or they're too expensive or I just don't want to do them.

A new item is at the top of the list.

As I left the house for my walk this morning, I was dive-bombed by hornets. The little buggers are nesting between the screen door and the front door. This is an example of an item that should have moved to the top of the list because it would cause other problems. My screen door is as old as the house--about 35 years. It's one that can be switched from a storm door (with glass) to a screen door (with screen). But two of the clamps that hold the glass or screen in place have gone missing over the years so it's an air door. Which allowed the hornets to get between it and the front door. Which means I need to find a way to get the nest out of there without getting stung. I'd like to do it without killing the hornets, but if it comes down to a choice between them or me...

Well, it is my house.

Oh, and I wrote 5 pages yesterday. Yay!

Forward Motion

Three pages!

Doesn't sound like a lot, but when you haven't written for a while, three pages are a huge breakthrough. One scene finished and another started. A key scene started. Questioning a suspect.

Even better, I know what has to come next so I'll be ready when I start on it. Which should be in just a few minutes.

And the best part is that I read through the first 109 pages and liked it. That doesn't mean I don't have some tinkering to do when the first draft is done, but not a lot.

All in all, a good way to start the writing day.