The Summer of Inspiration

Mangled Manuscript Monday

It is hot. And worse, it is dry. Bugs, dust, and lots of sweating.

It is also reunions, cookouts, camping. Long evenings, early mornings.

In the sweet days of watermelon and the sound of locust buzzing, writing can’t stop. The season draws my attention as well as our house renovations. Regarding the remodeling, we are in a down period; ie the contractor wandered off to do another house while waiting for shipment of my cabinets.

 *he could be tiling my kitchen floor but nooooo, he’s gotta go side another house, grrrrrrrrr*

Okay, I’m back.

Inspiration strikes at the oddest times. During casual conversation with a friend, watching a documentary about wild horses, reading Publishers Marketplace.

Sometimes my fellow writers at Unicorn Bell give me that moment: 

“Light bulb,” - Gru, Despicable Me

Thanks Marcy. Last February, your blog jiggled something loose in my brain.

Does your writing routine change in the summer? What inspired your wip?

The Shatner Phenomenon

William Shatner

Tomorrow is his birthday and his wife wants to give him a million Twitter followers. *clickFollow*

To paraphrase Yoda, “When eighty-one years old you reach, look as good you will not, hmmm?”

 And Tagged Again, by golly. This time by my super friend, Marcy at Mainewords.

The rules are simple:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors.

This is from an earlier manuscript Of Oak & Dragons. The MC is talking to herself after learning her sword is sentient.

Hey Dad, I found this totally cool sword and it is talking to me, saying these, like, totally wicked things about dragons and death and how they are, after me and stuff. And if they find me, they will kill me and until then, I have to learn to be a quasi-super hero and rescue people in distress…

Crap.

“About the Dragon,” I asked the rapier. “How is he dangerous? And why?”

Actually, the Dragon is not a single entity. This particular one has never harmed any of those swordsmen. I haven’t touched this one before, the rapier said thoughtfully.

Thanks Marcy. I’ll highlight the seven writers at a later date.

Blog Hops in March

Today's Subjects:

• Two blog hops
• April’s Mosh Pit
• Confetti soon-to-be thrown.

Unicorn Bell, a critique group moderated by four writers, is offering prizes.

The crit site features advice for writers at every stage of their career.

Marcy of Mainewords runs a fantabulous site where she crits first pages with Dianne Salemi and posts jaw-dropping photos of her life. This is where I go first every Sunday morning after I snag a cuppa.

Jeffrey begins a kick off tomorrow for his debut novel, Spell of Entrapment. If fantasy is your meat and potatoes as it is mine, check this out.

Charity of Charity’s Writing Journey is in a class all her own. The lady is a modern day Wonder Woman running her clan of younglings, serving her church, and writing. And OMGoodness, that writing is about to explode into the publishing world, I just know it.

And yes, I am the fourth member of this elite group and humbled more than I can say by the association.

Unicorn Bell’s blog hop begins March 26 – 28. Did I say there are prizes?

MarkKoopmans’ Blog O’Hop starts tomorrow. Quick, quick, sign up NOW!

The Be-All and End-All Mosh Pit of a blog hop begins April 1^st the A to Z Blog Challenge. Get in on the fun and meet some of the best humans on the planet.

Lastly, the confetti. Or fireworks in this case.

I am nearing my two hundredth follower. When that day arrives, an Amazon gift card is in someone’s future.

What blog hops are you looking forward to in March and have you signed up for A to Z?