The muse stole me!

A shiny brand new idea captured my attention over the break and I've been writing my little fingers off!
I'm through chapter three of my new novel 'The Jade Coterie' (was up till 2am working on ch. 3). Then I spent another hour and a half with all sorts of ideas flying into my head and writing them down on paper before I forgot them and drifted off into dream land.
Here is the initial premise of the novel-


 Ebony Graves has one desire, to be a Jade in the elite courtesan group the Jade Coterie.She must complete three tests that challenge her abilities as well as awaken others. Losing even one of these competitions means dismissal back into the hands of her abusive father. Her ex-best friend , Aurora, is out to make sure she not only loses the competition but also Kaige Donovan.


Well what do you all think?

Until later...

A funny

Recipe for writers block

½ cup of ink 
1 pen 
2 ½ sheets of paper 
( a computer can be substituted for ink, pen, and paper) 
1 hour of internet surfing ( a book can substitute for internet) 
1 hour of rereading ideas 
3 ½ cups of coffee 
1 long night

Directions: First, you surf the net, then read your ideas. Next, drink 1 cup of coffee while contemplating ideas. Drink the second cup of coffee while contemplating the internet. Drink the third cup of coffee as you stare at the blank page. 

Now you are ready to write. Start with with a question. Mix in a character. Add two pinches of descriptions. Shake the conflict rapidly and finally stir in some dialogue. When you’re done, the final product should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. If it does not, then start over.

One thing every day

"Do one thing everyday towards your goal." ~ William Downs 

In my Wyoming writers class at the college, I met Mr. Downs. He is a brilliant playwright who also teaches at the University of Wyoming. When asked what he might tell others, he gave the entire class the quote above and I listened. 

I have done three things in the last two weeks in the step towards my writing. 

1) I made myself an author page on facebook. (click and like if you want)
2) I added a holiday story section and revised my author website. (let me know if you notice any mistakes)
3) write more 
I currently have a character in my head that I fully intend to explore more this coming weekend and some great ideas on what her main goals will be. I'm actually excited to start writing her!


What did you do this week toward your own goals? (I really do want to know.)


Happy writing- See you Monday!

I fell in Love

        I wanted to cry as I peeled my hands away from the steering wheel. I opened the trash bag and plunged a black bandana into the depths of its cool white plastic. I grabbed the fairy, my guardian angel, from the dashboard and let it fall with a thud to the bottom of the bag. I disrobed the brown leather seats of Tinker Bell covers and let them slide down the plastic. Saying goodbye to my Oldsmobile Bravada, I handed the small black and silver key to my sister. 

        I searched adamantly for days, consorting with men who knew “exactly” what I wanted until last Friday when I found a silver gem in the onslaught of used cars. Only six years old, the shiny paint spoke to me. The engine purred as I lead it out of the drive. The seats warmed up to me as the stop lights went by and I fell in love with its smooth embrace. The 2005 Jeep Liberty had found a place in my heart. 

 Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!

From the Depths...

I come back to you from the depths of a college stampede. For that is all we are, students running forward, all of us searching for the correct direction, yet none of us watching which way we are headed.


I’d like to think I’m different. That somehow I have it all planned and that makes it better. In truth, plans never work out quite how you intended. Instead, I settle for surviving another semester that I believe will lead me into a better way of life. But English my dears…is just another play on words.


In store for tomorrow, as my Christmas break from classes begins, I will write to you from the lands inspiration. My goal is to complete new adventures to submit to anthologies and magazines for 2012.


Currently I have fulfilled my 2011 New Years resolution with 20 rejections (not on the same piece) and will be creating my collage and taking pictures to show you all.


This last November I had another flash fiction piece " The Game" accepted for publication and is now in print. If you do buy the anthology I hope you will consider giving a review. Until tomorrow...

Buy it Here

Update

"Expression" Magazine, with my college, has me a very busy woman with volunteer work. I'm still chest deep in homework and it looks like it might not let up until December. I have finals the week of December 12th then a break until January 17th so I will see you all after finals!

 I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

Overwhelmed

I need to be gone for a while.I have so much going on that something has to give and right now I think the blog must take a back seat to all of my other responsibilities.

 When I have a break from school I'll try to give an update. But for now I need to back off of something.
Thank you for your patience with me. I will be back I just need some time.

Short review of Wyoming Author

Buy it Here

Laura Bell gracefully crafted "Claiming Ground" with vivid western images of open ranges, mountains, and towards the end, people.
The first half of the book relies heavily on the abundance of descriptions to set the readers up for a life away from the city. While the second half of the book concentrates on personal relationships and learning. 

It's a beautiful memoir about hearing an inner calling and acting upon it. Bell includes themes of escapism mixed with experience to try and find her own footing throughout the book. There is a consistent idea of moving, sometimes back and sometimes forward, but always there.

Friday Riddle

Its Friday already! I'm really excited because I'm going out on Saturday to have a little fun with my Manly man and some friends. It's been so very long since I've had a real night out.

Homework is a monster as always- but I'm getting through it. Next week I hope to have some reviews of more Wyoming writers for everyone. 

I submitted another short story- I now have two out and waiting.
I managed to write one new short story this week also. YAY

 Alright now that you are up to speed- here is today's Friday riddle.
Take a guess in the comments then come back and highlight next to "ANSWER" to see if you were right.

A cloud was my mother, the wind is my father, my son is the cool stream, and my daughter is the fruit of the land. A rainbow is my bed, the earth my final resting place, and I'm the torment of man. 

ANSWER: Rain


Happy Writing!

Writer Conference continued

As promised here is more from the Writers conference I attended. 

Pam Houston said "Don't waste the reader's time." Compress your piece as tight as possible. 

Her advice on dialogue (and note this is her own experience and advice) 
* Use dialogue to show character.
* Use Dialogue to create tension.

She said that your agenda should be to engage the reader by keeping dialogue on the verge of understanding. Every relationship has its own dialogue rules. Couples speak differently to each other than they do to family or close friends. 

This distinction should be made in your writing. For example people who have been married for five years will have baggage in their dialogue- hence fighting over toilet paper, when really they are fighting over some underlying meaning- something different than what they say. This is the kind of tension dialogue should strive for. 

Another writing exercise she gave was to create a story that is compromised of a list in some way.

I will be reading one of her books and writing a review on this blog for it in a couple of weeks- be on the watch for it.

Happy writing!

Writing Conference Notes

Here is the great thing I wanted to share with everyone from the writers Conference I took a few weekends ago. 

I took a fiction class with Wyoming Writer Pam Houston. She had some very interesting advice to give and now I will impart this advice and fun upon my readers today and Wednesday.


 Houston gave a couple writing exercises to do. The first is her very own personal way of managing her writing and how she puts things together. Her way is called Glimmers.

Glimmers are short little moments in time taken from real life. You write a few sentences to a paragraph down from something that happened to you giving as much sensory as possible so you capture what has happened.

 The point is to make it condensed as possible (which comes into play later) and to capture something from real life that you can apply to either fiction or nonfiction.

 Here is one of mine for an example.

~ I bent down on 1 knee in the middle of Burger King to ask my boy friend to marry me. My left leg went to sleep and the tingling sensation of hyperventilation followed up my left side straight into the hand with the gold band as I popped the question~

 See very simple and according to Houston, you take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to write them all down. You are not supposed to edit as you go. The point is to catch the moment on paper or word pad- you can edit later when you want to use it in something.


Your assignment- with Houston's permission to use it- is to take 15 minutes and write three of your own glimmers. One from the last 72 hrs, one from 10 years ago, and one from anytime you would like.

 Tell me how it went in the comments as I'm very curious to see all of your reactions to this kind of exercise.


I'll be back on Wednesday to give you more from this conference enjoy!

Friday Riddle

Welcome to today's Friday Riddle!

The rules are easy, read the riddle then go to the comments and make your guess. After you guess, highlight next to "ANSWER" to see if you were right. 

Please note if you see this in google reader it will give you the answer before you have the opportunity to guess.


Friday riddle:

What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?

ANSWER: River

Writers Support group post

If you are looking for the awards you can find them here

Today is the Second Writers Support Group Post hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh 

I don't have much to really worry about at the moment other than homework so I'm making a supportive post instead.


"Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."  ~Les Brown


I believe in you and truly know you can do anything you put your mind to.

You are strong enough to handle whatever a rejection letter holds.


You have worked so hard to revise your piece, to create it out of a blank page, you worried over it, you laughed about it, you were excited by the lovely bits you included, and felt like crying when a scene didn't come together right. But you Created- you put the pen to paper or the fingers to keyboard and wrote. I am proud of you for just doing that. For just being the writer that you are. Be proud of yourself for how far you have come. You deserve to believe in what you can do and who you are.

Awards

I have received a few awards that I'd like to take the time to pass on.

This one came from the lovely Carol Kilgore. Go visit her- I adore her Friday top ten! She is a fantastic blogger.
In addition to picking people to pass this on to, I'm supposed to recommend a book. 

My Book recommendation:
Stone Butch Blues By Leslie Feinberg

The blurb:
"This novel tells the story of Jess Goldberg, a transgendered "butch" growing up in Buffalo, New York. Jess first learns to admit and negotiate her attraction to women and her butch identity. Immediately, she is faced with violence. The police raid the lesbian bars, arrest any woman wearing fewer than three articles of women’s clothing and routinely beat, strip, or rape them. Jess and her friends also face the violence of bashers who attack without cause on dark or well-lighted streets.
Nevertheless, Jess refuses to compromise. From a doctor, she gets a prescription for testosterone, goes to a gym and transforms herself into a bearded, muscular man. Having saved two thousand dollars, she has a mastectomy done. The doctor falsifies a biopsy, performs the surgery and makes her leave. By the end of the novel, Jess is secure in her identity and determines to fight to make the world safe for others like her." ~ Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database.

I'm passing the award on to-

Eagle @ The Eagle's Aerial Perspective 

Christine @ Christina Rains- writer

 Jessica @ Jessica Silva




The second award I have received twice.

This one came from Krista @ I take the pen  She has a lovely weekly writing prompt go check her out.And I received it from another fellow blogger a while back but couldn't find it.


"Here is how it works - the winner has to share 1 of their own blog posts in the seven categories below. And then of course pass the award along to other great bloggers!"




Most Beautiful: Eye Candy
Most Helpful: Word to the writer
Most popular: Top Ten
Most Controversial: (This one is hard to read because I was new to blogging but it talks about the earthquakes and how some believed it was women's faults because of how they dressed) Earthquake guilt trip


Most Underrated: Links
Most Pride Worthy: Why I write

I will pass this award on to:

Shelly @ Writing with Shelly
 Laura @ Wavy Lines

The third award comes from Amy @ The Ramblings of Amy 

The rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.

2. Share 7 random facts about yourself.

3. Pass the award on to 5 more blogger friends.

4. Contact and congratulate the blogs you're passing the award on to.

Okay- Random facts:
one: I really like onions.
two: I wear feathers in my hair.
three: I have 3 pairs of the exact same Tinkerbell shoes I found in the kids area- yes they fit.
four: I hate folding laundry
five: I drink mocha's with extra extra chocolate. (yummy)
six: I don't want to write for a living
seven: I enjoy editing other peoples work.


The five bloggers I choose are:
Krista @ I take the pen
Angela @ Angela Felsted
Carolyn @ Checker board squares
Elaine @ Wordsmithing
Alleged @ Alleged author


Check everyone out and have a terrific day!

Places to submit

Hey every one, 
I hope last week went well for you. I have a great deal to catch up on but I'm back, at least until things get crazy at school again.
Today I'm sharing places to submit to and next week comes the great writing thing I want to share from the writers conference, so be on the look out for it. This week I have a riddle and awards to share.

When you submit your work somewhere please read their guidelines carefully- they wouldn't have them if they didn't want you to adhere to them. As always make sure you have gone through several revisions before submitting your piece.


 Links:

Finishing line press


Flashquake


Bardsandsages


Happy writing!

Break time

Hey everyone, Just short and sweet I need to take some time away from blogging, probably just this week hopefully to get caught up with homework and kid stuff. When I come back there will be awards.
There will be a story to share.
Of course a riddle hopefully in there somewhere and...
I went to a writers workshop over this last weekend and have an amazing writing thing to share with you. 

See you soon!

Summer Vacation Blogfest

On my summer vacation…
Wait! What vacation? I was a busy little fairy all summer. But I signed up for Michael @ In Time's Summer Vacation blogfest. I have a writers conference today and a doctors appointment, so I wont be around much. However I promise to get to you as soon as I can. On with the blogfest (He said pictures are a must)

I scrambled through laborious papers and old literature.

In the midst of the sketchy writing, I did manage to help my manly man with a yard sale,

Then at one point we packed a cooler, grabbed some chairs and headed for the man made lake here in Casper called Edness Kimble Wilkins, which also doubles as a bird park and walking area.

I spent hours and hours nonstop of reading and writing to have an entire weekend free to take my family up to Denver.

Where we went to water world

Found the Aquarium with all sorts of neat fish,

and managed to get lost on our way to the Zoo

Then after we came home I had my daughter's tenth birthday to plan for!

Finally, right before school started back up again. My manly man and I were at his trailer. We walked outside about ten that evening and started stepping all over Salamanders in the yard- migrating. Manly man was so excited he got a big clear bucket and we caught about 30 of them in ten minutes.(sorry the picture is blurry because I took it on my phone.)

What did you do this summer?

A Flash Story

The Change 

by Summer Ross

     The soft melody of the song drifted up through the window. The gentle notes floated on the same breeze that stirred the curtains as Lacy swayed to the music. Her thoughts drifted in and out with the tune. 

Today was the day! Her excitement bubbled over with the realization that in less than an hour her life would change forever. The small white flower dress lay on the bed. He would come for her like the breeze floating from the window. 

Lacy picked up a small green vial and drank it. Butterflies played tag in her stomach as she waited. Seconds ticked on lethargically until finally her entire body tingled. Lacy closed her eyes and relished the thought that the dress would fit in moments. The skin on her back tightened, her muscles tore causing her to cry out, and then nothing. Lacy opened her eyes. 

The bed looked like Mount Everest and she knew she had to find a way to the top. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a huge wing similar to a butterflies moving back and forth behind her. She had wings! Lacy thought about fluttering to the bed and in moments, her small form lifted from the ground. She wobbled through the air and finally made it to the bed. The white dress sparkled with fairy flowers. She picked it up and inched her way into it just as the Fairy King flew through her opened window.

Say What?

I don't have much time today, so I will leave you with a thought: 
-Meaning makes existence, existence doesn't have meaning-

My thoughts on the above- Make the most out of you life instead of trying to figure out its meaning. what do you think?

Friday Riddle

 Every Friday I give you a riddle. Guess the answer in the comment section then, come back and highlight next to 'ANSWER' to find out if you were right. Please note if you see this in google reader it will reveal the answer to you.




I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I? 

ANSWER: The letter 'E'

Watching Willow Blogfest- If I could be anyone...

Talli Roland is hosting the 'If I could be anyone Blogfest' for her debut novel Watching Willow.

The rules:
"Well, on September 14th, I'm organizing an online 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...' party! Come dressed as that one person you've always admired, longed to impersonate, or just plain envied. Now is your chance to make your superhero, film-star, or Rock God fantasies come true (okay, maybe not all your fantasies...).

If you have a blog and you'd like to take part, all you need to do is post a photo of your chosen one (dead or alive) along with an explanation why you've picked that person. If you're on Twitter or Facebook, just post 'If I could be anyone, I'd be X' as your status, along with the hast-tag #watchingwillow on Twitter (or tag me on FB so I know you've taken part)."

Ok- Now for the person I wish I could have been-

Jane Austen

 Why? Because I adore what she represents in fiction.

Best of luck miss Talli with your novel!

Review- Wyoming Writer Alyson Hagy plus links

Buy Here

First a short review of Ghosts of Wyoming by Alyson Hagy (Wyoming Writer).

Hagy did a terrific job dragging the reader into stories they had to think about. Throughout most of the book, she switches from serious to comedy short pieces. The cover gives an idea of actual ghost stories of Wyoming- but this is not the case. Ghosts are both a metaphoric and real part of her short stories, but this is not a book of haunted houses.

My favorites in her collection are "Superstitions of the Indians" and "Lost Boys." The first is a comical short piece about an Indian woman and a book with a mind of its own. The main character, a grad student, is a bit dense to start, but eventually comes around to help the Book and Indian woman. The second piece haunts me with the "lost." I had to sit and really think about the ending of this short story and the events that lead up to it.

I think Hagy did a terrific job of creating ghost stories out of old Wyoming stories and part of me believes that she intended for the reader to wonder and think about each story as an individual yet as a whole in the end of the book. Her description of Wyoming weather and land is spot on. This book would be great for a sampling of what this author is capable of and the stories are short enough to read one each night before bed.


And now for links:

 I have been toying with a new site called Scribophile. I have to admit I'm really impressed with the community. The site is basically a critique and review group with very talented writers and critiquers. If you get the option go check it out. I tend to get lost in the forums (stay away from the Scrib koolaid and brownies!)


Narrative Magazine is accepting fiction and none fiction submissions to their story of the week category (pays $150 for accepted work).

 I found a new site for creating blog banners called BannerFans. I used it to create my current blog banner at the top of the page and I must say- I love the different fonts they have- plus its free.


Happy writing!

Friday Riddle

Every Friday I'll post a riddle. First try to guess the answer in the comments, then come back and highlight NEXT to "answer" to see if you were right. (Google reader will give you the answer before you have the option to guess FYI)
 


What wears a jacket, but no pants?


Answer: A Book

Insecure Writers Post

Rejection: This makes #  18 in total. Two more to go before I have all 20 for my end of 2011 collage.

Word of encouragement to others: 
"Sometimes it's helpful to remember that every writer sits down to a blank page and struggles with their writing. And even the best writers have suffered their share of rejection." ~ Jade Tyler

From the Narrative magazine (nonfiction submission)


Dear Summer Ross,

Thank you for entering “Rooms” in the Spring Contest. We were grateful for the opportunity to read and consider your work, and we regret that your entry was not one of our winners or finalists this time.

An announcement of the winning stories will soon go out to the magazine’s readership, and in early November, we will publish the winning stories, which include the works of notable new and emerging writers.

We continue to look for engaging new works to publish, and we hope you will keep Narrative in mind for your work in the future.

Again, thank you for your entry, and please accept our kind wishes.

Sincerely,

The Editors

Review of Wyoming Writer Robert Roripaugh

Buy Here

I have lived my entire life in Wyoming. I found Robert Roripaugh's description well lined with wonderful imagery and characters I could connect with on a personal level.

I have chosen three short stories to review from this book. The first one is "The legend of Billy Jenks."
This short story is chalked full of historical reference. the author both romanticizes a small country town in Wyoming and made realistic observations of the past, memory, and how people choose to see life during hard times.

The story itself follows an outside "town" point of view of Billy Jenks. Billy was a young man born and raised in poverty with a father who tried to kill a rich man who slept with Billy's mother. Billy's mother took off when he was young and as far as the entire town new, never saw Billy again.

Billy holds a grudge against the town who made excuses for him and Pink, the rich man his father tried to kill.

This short story is about stories, the west as a culture, and how small town people embellish reality. Yet it holds the idea of truth always questioning why something is made into myth and set up for the reader to decide for themselves.

The second short story is "Winter Days Are Long." This short story touched me as a reader on an emotional level I wont soon forget. The piece is about an Indian girl, Virginia Sheild, who goes to college. Her professor asks her to write about specific things in her life like her best friend and her home. As she writes, the reader discovers Virginia as a person. She has lived through poverty, death, and truly wants her family to be proud of her as she goes through college to become a teacher.

Virginia's best friend, Michelle, is portrayed as a teen who is very pretty. Through out the story, Virginia writes of her more like a sister and blames herself for Michelle's disasters. Its a touching element for the reader which helps them discover more about Virginia as if she were a real person and not a character in a book.

The author did a wonderful job describing the places the narrator wrote about for class. The idea of a writer writing about a narrator who is writing for college about her life is powerful in imagery.

The third story, "Leave's End" had a tear jerking impact by the end. This piece is about a half Indian, John Runner, who serves his country in Vietnam. While on leave, John has to face himself and the place he grew up and make some difficult decisions about how his own life will go and how he feels about it.

The author did an amazing job at helping the reader connect to the main character. By the end of the story hope had peeked its head into the story. The piece struggles with Runners past, a brother who killed two people while drinking and driving. It focuses on Runner's present life before going to Nam by allowing Runner to face the life he might live. Then it focuses on the ideas people face about themselves and feelings of being trapped.

The story starts out slow then a darker tone takes over towards the end only to find hope rearing in the background and the story ending with a bang the reader wasn't expecting.

To sum it up, this collection of short stories would make a terrific addition to anyone seeking more than land in Wyoming.

Fridy Riddle

Every Friday I'll post a riddle. First try to guess the answer in the comments, then come back and highlight NEXT to "answer" to see if you were right. (Google reader will give you the answer before you have the option to guess FYI)

Today's Riddle:


"It cannot be seen,cannot be felt
cannot be heard, cannot be smelt
it lies behind stars and under hills
and empty holes it fills"

Answer: Darkness