My Show Not Tell Crusader Challenge Entry

 Chicago, Crusade, Dreams, Fun, Writing  12 Responses »
Apr 182011
 

The last Crusader challenge has fallen upon us and here it is:

Show Not Tell Crusader Challenge: In 300 words or less, write a passage (it can be an excerpt from your WIP, flash fiction, a poem, or any other writing) that shows (rather than tells) the following:

  • you’re scared and hungry
  • it’s dusk
  • you think someone is following you
  • and just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: shimmer, saccadic, substance, and salt.

Here is my entry:

Her eyes grew wide, her face hot, her heart pounding. A growl roared from her stomach. Shut up, shut up. She darted forward and stepped ever so carefully on the cracked floor. Reaching an icy brick wall, she placed her cheek next to it letting the cold sink in before licking. She cringed at the saltiness and wiped the disgusting taste from her tongue.

A boom shook the place; the vibrations ran through her body like a subwoofer. Did somebody push over a dumpster? She spun around, her foot caught. She pulled on her ankle. Rubber soles slapped the floor. She yanked it out and ran.

“Who’s there?” she screeched.

The hairs on her forearms stood up as the edge of the doorway made its way under her fingertips. She reached down. A cold, metal knob saluted her. She twisted. The door flew open. Darkness dripped from the hallway. She sprinted down the corridor; her hands shaking, her eyes saccadic. She grabbed her chest and felt around the pockets of her pants. Her inhaler was gone. There was a wheeze, a misstep, a fall. Get up dammit!

A light shimmered in the shadows. She used her last bit of energy to pounce like a panther and push.

It was dusk, but the streetlamps illuminated the downtown sky. A congested sidewalk filled with laughing tourists passed. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she rushed across the street, bumping into people along the way.

“Watch where you’re going moron.”

A smile crawled on her face. She was alive and still in Chicago. She took a deep breath. It smelled like rain on top of hot concrete.

It was the substance crazy dreams were made of.

***

The end for now.  To learn more about the Crusade, please visit: Rach Writes.

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You are what you do, you are what you think

 Connecting, Crusade, Fun, Writers Quiz  8 Responses »
Feb 232011
 

Hello all,

In light of going through every crusader’s blog and following them through Google and Twitter, I thought I needed a break. Something tells me you need one too. This is why I took a few minutes to create a Writer’s Quiz called You Are What You Think. It’s a celebration of how much alike we all are as writers. It’s all for fun though, so don’t take it too seriously. You can check out the quiz here: The You Are What You Think Writer’s Quiz.

This year is going much differently than last year. It’s as if the universe opened up and is showering me with gifts or maybe my outlook on life has changed. Whatever it is, I’m grateful. I asked for support and I got support. Lots of it came through the crusade, which has been a blessing for me. So, kudos to you R. Harrie for recognizing that we all needed that writer connection.

I’m sorry crusaders, but I haven’t had a chance to buckle down and read more than one or two of the posts on any given blog. Adding everybody has been intense and taken quite some time. It has been my life for the past four days. I will eventually make the rounds again to read and comment on some of your posts.

Thank you to everybody that is following my blog or following me on twitter. I wish you all well with your writing endeavors.

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First Crusader Challenge

 Crusade  24 Responses »
Feb 212011
 

The first challenge was posted on Rachael Harrie’s Blog. Here’s what it entailed:

The Challenge
In 300 words or less, tell us:

· one secret
· one lie
· one interesting quirk
· one annoying habit
· one of your best character traits, and
· one of your favourite things in the whole world.

The post can be in any format, including poetry (for those poets among us), but must include the random words, “bloviate,” “fuliguline,” “rabbit,” and “blade” (tee hee).

Finish your post with something along the lines of, “I may have revealed something about me that isn’t strictly true, can you guess what it is?” (this last bit isn’t included in the word count). And don’t forget to tell us the answer in your next post!

So here is mine:

Some days I feel like a fuliguline, swimming around the sea of life, darting from one edge to the next, unable to stop and enjoy the sunset. There are so many things to read and write and so many projects to take on, but not enough time to do it. I wish there were more like forty hours in a day. Those extra hours could make a huge difference. Though I wonder, where does the time go?

A few minutes here and there adds up quickly. Fortunately, I have great organizational skills and a knack for multi-tasking. I’m not trying to bloviate, but I am quite good. You will never find multiple piles of paper or magazine stacks in my abode. I can’t work if my house is a mess, so I am crazy about organization. It’s that whole clear house, clear mind thing.

Some days, I take a seat at my desk and ponder about life. If I’m lucky, my muse will come out to play. Speaking of muses, I think mine is a stylish rabbit that wears a tuxedo because he doesn’t believe in saving his good clothes for special occasions. He drinks out of a flute and collects peculiar accessories like vintage letter blade openers and old typewriters. He also has a collection of monocles for editing purposes. I’m not sure where I’d be without him.

Now some facts about me, I love candy. It is one of my most favorite things in the world. I also love talking, but often times I ramble. As you might expect, this can be rather annoying. But I’m working on just simmering down and listening. As with most things, it’s a work in progress.

And by the way, I may have revealed something about myself that isn’t true; can you guess what it is?

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