This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge! My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random characters I make up. I hope you enjoy!
She stretches, extending limbs to toy with sunbeams. Tail flicks at the edge of shadow, daring it to move closer, to remove her warmth. A favorite plaything, Shadow reminds her that things can disappear. Sometimes the chase is worth leaving her favorite spot. Bella kneads at the carpet, catching fibers with her nails. Languid eyes close and she rests, waiting for Shadow’s next move.
4.02.2013
4.01.2013
A is for the woman with Almond-shaped eyes
The woman's almond eyes gazed across the table toward a playground opposite. Her eyes melted into wistful puddles as her would-be daughter skipped across the grass of her imagination.. Refocusing again upon the appearance of a towheaded boy chasing a ball. "Some day." she thought, "Some day it will be my turn." A drop slid down the side of her glass as she stood, forcing a smile, at the sound of her sister's voice. "Just not today. Just not yet, not yet."
Welcome! This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge (sorry to start it off on a kind-of sad note..). My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random people I make up. I hope you enjoy!
Welcome! This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge (sorry to start it off on a kind-of sad note..). My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random people I make up. I hope you enjoy!
3.30.2013
6WS
Recovering from a crazy busy week.
Y'all.. Wow it's been a nutso week! Last weekend was the ARCh Reunion, and our book signing event, and hanging out with people and eating lots of yummy WI food (potato pancakes! and frozen custard!) and NOT sleeping. My work week was packed full every minute, including working late most days. This morning I managed to sleep in until 7:15, and later we'll go hiking and lunching with friends, and tomorrow an Easter luncheon. A nice restorative weekend to catch up after last weekend's craziness awesome'ness.
I'm off to keep writing posts for Monday's start of April A-Z! Meanwhile, here are a couple pictures from the book event, for your enjoyment.
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| Me and co-author Dan - aren't we cute? |
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| We left a copy in the Little Free Library just outside the coffee shop. |
This post is brought to you by Six Word Saturday! It's harder than it looks (but also really fun :) ).
3.20.2013
Featured :)
Am going home for a reunion and a book event this weekend, so am feeling pretty nostalgic. That means this week we're going to get a little retro. Enjoy :)
I mentioned we were doing retro this week, and here's the deal - you have to head over to Tina's blog to see it. It's worth it, I promise! I'll wait while you go look. It will only take a second.
..ok.
Didja see it?
How about dem kitties? And those adorable glasses? Yeahhhh... Told you it was worth it! Happy Wednesday! :)
3.18.2013
Youth Team anniversary
Am going home for a reunion and a book event this weekend, so am feeling pretty nostalgic. That means this week we're going to get a little retro. Enjoy :)
Occasionally on this blog I'll talk about my love for women's issues, identity, LGBT folk, and other topics relating to social justice. Something I haven't talked much about is how all of that started for me.
I was a nerdy kid. We'd moved around a lot, and changed schools a lot (8 schools in K-12!) so I never really had a chance to find my people. My posse, the ones who'd stick up for one another and anti-bully for one another. It was rough. I'd always fought it in my own ways, by doing things like sticking up for those who were getting teased more, etc but that would only work for a short time until I ended up switching schools again.
In the 7th grade I saw a "Differences: Gotta Have 'Em!" presentation by the ARCh Youth Team and suddenly that changed a bit. Here were people who recognized that it was ok to be geeky, or chubby, or have a disability. The presentation made a huge impact on me and I immediately joined the Youth Team. I spent many, many, many hours volunteering for the organization through the rest of middle and high school.
The Youth Team not only does presentations, but also monthly get-togethers with teens who have disabilities, and workshops on Shaken Baby Syndrome. We once did a prayer service at my HS for victims of child abuse, and I hear they are using the text I wrote for that in presentations even today. It is very much a theory-to-practice group, where middle and high school students learn what standing up for what you believe in is really all about.
Differences presentations were about acknowledging and celebrating the differences and similarities among us all. They were about bullying, about respect, and about learning about people before you judge them. They were the start of my social justice education (though we didn't call it that) and I must have done over 100 of them during my 5 years.
This weekend is the 25th Anniversary of the Youth Team's beginnings. I've somewhat lost touch with them since I graduated from high school and am looking forward to going back, seeing old friends, finding out what the YT is up to these days, and perhaps sharing with its current members the impact that it still has on me today.
Occasionally on this blog I'll talk about my love for women's issues, identity, LGBT folk, and other topics relating to social justice. Something I haven't talked much about is how all of that started for me.
I was a nerdy kid. We'd moved around a lot, and changed schools a lot (8 schools in K-12!) so I never really had a chance to find my people. My posse, the ones who'd stick up for one another and anti-bully for one another. It was rough. I'd always fought it in my own ways, by doing things like sticking up for those who were getting teased more, etc but that would only work for a short time until I ended up switching schools again.
In the 7th grade I saw a "Differences: Gotta Have 'Em!" presentation by the ARCh Youth Team and suddenly that changed a bit. Here were people who recognized that it was ok to be geeky, or chubby, or have a disability. The presentation made a huge impact on me and I immediately joined the Youth Team. I spent many, many, many hours volunteering for the organization through the rest of middle and high school.
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| A group of us after a Differences: Gotta Have 'Em! presentation |
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| Me, performing the Balloons skit |
This weekend is the 25th Anniversary of the Youth Team's beginnings. I've somewhat lost touch with them since I graduated from high school and am looking forward to going back, seeing old friends, finding out what the YT is up to these days, and perhaps sharing with its current members the impact that it still has on me today.
3.17.2013
SWS
Ack! I missed Six Word Saturday!
Hey that was six words :)
It's been a super-busy, very productive weekend at Chez Sweet. It was a gorgeous 70 degrees out on Friday, so I took the day off to start digging a garden plot in the backyard. Friday and Saturday were all about tearing up sod (with a brief foray into 'maybe we should replace some sod in the front yard! ..umm no that's way too much work') and today we get to actually build the frames for the raised bed. My forearms are very glad we're done with the sod.
We also found a local guy who makes pretty rockin' composters, so we'll be starting that soon.
I've also, also been hemming some drapes, and getting in some reading and writing in my spare time. Yup, spring is springing and I'm restless. Productive, but restless..
Hey that was six words :)
It's been a super-busy, very productive weekend at Chez Sweet. It was a gorgeous 70 degrees out on Friday, so I took the day off to start digging a garden plot in the backyard. Friday and Saturday were all about tearing up sod (with a brief foray into 'maybe we should replace some sod in the front yard! ..umm no that's way too much work') and today we get to actually build the frames for the raised bed. My forearms are very glad we're done with the sod.
We also found a local guy who makes pretty rockin' composters, so we'll be starting that soon.
I've also, also been hemming some drapes, and getting in some reading and writing in my spare time. Yup, spring is springing and I'm restless. Productive, but restless..
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