Limericks about Characters

Why don't we try a limerick contest about characters? Let's get a list of characters going this week. They can be cinematic, literary, or political. Add as many as you like. I'm a little blank at the moment.

1. Captain Jack Sparrow
2. Hillary Clinton

Contest Ideas

My mind is running a little shallow this week, so instead of ploughing up brain cells in hope of turning over something fertile, I thought I'd initiate a little fun. It's less painful.


How about a contest?

"What kind?" you say.

I have no idea!


So, that's what I want to do this week. I want to have a contest to come up with an idea for a fun monthly contest. The only condition is that it has to focus on writing. I'll post all of the ideas and we'll vote. The winner not only gets the satisfaction of knowing they're brilliant, but also a $5 Amazon gift card. (Hey, five bucks is better than nothing.)

What do ya think?

The Value of Trust

One of the scariest things about writing is that if I want to be successful, I must place myself in a position of vulnerability over and over again. Allowing others to read my work is scarier than that mouse I saw last time I posted on my blog. Crud! It's scarier than the sounds our pig made when we had him castrated so we could turn him into sausage!(Am I taking the farm thing too far?) Let me clarify, the pig became sausage, not the...ahem. (Now I've gone too far, haven't I?)

Please pardon my comparisons. This is me.(shrug)

There is a reason for this post. In the last few months I've discovered what a marvelous and encouraging thing trust is. I've become friends with another writer, and she and I have been able to exchange and evaluate each other's work. At first it was terrifying. What if she thought I had no ability? What if she was right? I attached my chapter to an email, then ignored it for a couple of hours, during which I received several emails from my friend, Kat, saying stuff like, "Come on, I sent you mine," and, "Still waiting." In the end,I closed my eyes, held my breath and hit send. One of the best things I ever did.

Our first exchange was a leap of faith. We were throwing our babies out there, hoping that the other person would take the time to care for them in the same way that we did. And that is scary! But what developed is a relationship of trust. Kat doesn't always like everything I write, and that's okay. Her criticism is welcome because I understand two things. First of all, she loves my story and characters,(and I love hers) and she wants the best for them. Second, she believes in my ability to deliver that. If she didn't then there'd be no point in giving me criticism. The story would still suck.

Now, when I finish a chapter I can't wait to fire it off in Kat's direction and see what she has to say. Sometimes it's, "I love it, don't change anything," and sometimes it's, "Well...you know I love you, but...." The first is obviously preferred, but both are great because I know that what I've received is an honest opinion with my story's best interest at heart. I LOVE THAT!

So, my point is to encourage others to search for this type of relationship. Critique groups are good, but the difference is that Kat and I are invested in each others work. Her success is mine, and mine is hers. I just don't think that critique groups reach a level quite so personal. Personal relationships are where we find the encouragment to push on, and as writers we all know how much that's needed.

Book Review: The Great Eight by Scott Hamilton

Now that I've grown bored with Facebook, I finally managed to write that review I promised a week ago. Good book! Here it is:

What I remember best about Scott Hamilton was every time he finished a performance he left the ice with such a huge smile covering his face, I couldn’t help but grin back at the television screen. It’s fitting that he’s written a book about achieving happiness.

The Great Eight covers eight principles to overcoming adversity. Scott Hamilton parallels this strategy with his own experiences on and off the ice. These experiences include his journey into professional skating, his struggle with disease, dealing with loss, relationships, and finding faith. The book is inspiring, insightful, and best of all, humorous. (The chapter on humor was my favorite).

The style of the book is a bit of a contradiction in that it covers Scott’s strategy using the bullet point method, yet rambles on a bit as Scott applies his personal experiences to each topic. It’s an enjoyable read though, and since I’m a yakker who enjoys exploring word tangents, I found this to be a fun approach to a serious subject.

I have to say, reading this really made me wish I could meet Scott Hamilton. I appreciate his candidness in sharing some very personal experiences, and I’m also touched by his expression of Faith. I guess there’s something to this book because I finished it with a smile on my face. That man is contagious!

I highly recommend, The Great Eight.

OH MY GOSH! I JUST SAW A MOUSE!