Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

Nano Continues

Nano Word Count for today: 1721
Total Word Count: around 5300 (I'm actually cheating and adding to a novel I already started at about 6700 words.

I remember this being easier last time. Course my brain was younger and time dulls the memory of profound pain. That's it. I'm out of words for today.

Sleep well Nanoers. We'll do it all again tomorrow.

NanoWriMo Continues and Harlequin Looks for New Writers

Word Count today: 1409. I'm working my way up. Let's hope I can catch up some this weekend.

Sioux? Sanders? Mary? How's it going?

Has anyone managed to check out Harlequins "So You Think You Can Write?" They are looking for new voices and this week-long workshop is free to anyone who wants to learn about the genre. It ends tomorrow, but it's still an awsome opportunity for aspiring romance novelists. Many of this week's discussions are archived if you're interested.

NanoWriMo Oh No!

This has been the worst week ever to start NanoWrimo. But I'm doing it. Alas, tonight I will only have 200 words done for today, but it is more than I had yesterday. I did plan out some future scenes while my students were doing research in the library.

Fie and a curse upon two classes in one week, a car with a naughty check engine light, a backed up bathroom floor drain and sundry madness.

Nano Total so Far: 3300

Send some good vibrations my way people; I'm going to need it.

Writing Real Characters: Pretend Your Character Has Been Taken Hostage

Some of the stories I like best have vivid, memorable characters:

Sookie Stackhouse - a small town southern barmaid who happens to read people's minds and date vampires

Elizabeth Bennet - a woman in a man's world who refuses to marry for money, likes long rambles in the woods and sarcastic skewering of self-important people, and has embarrassing parents and immature siblings

Harry Potter - an orphaned wizard boy who defeated The Dark Lord Voldemort before he could even walk

Mary Shannon - a federal marshal who's gambling-addicted father abandoned the family when she was a child

Sheldon Cooper - a theoretical physicist with OCD tendencies that border on the psychotic, a rabid love of comic books and a mother who believes Jesus saves

And I want to write characters people will care about. So I'm going to pretend they've been taken hostage. They have two minutes to make themselves human to the kidnapper so he won't blow their brains out.

So what would you tell someone to save your life, to make you a person to him or her? Not your job or level of education.

Maybe that you grew up in a small town and every summer went to the Tasty Freeze for frozen chocolate-covered bananas. You bite your nails when you're nervous. You have divorced parents who scarred you for life and you weigh 30 pounds too much. You are addicted to roller derby or European rugby. You are still afraid of the monsters in your closet and mainline sweet tea for breakfast.

Your dreams, hopes, fears and quirks are what make you an individual - a character. So once I figure those out, I might have a shot at writing a character worth reading about.

Missouri Writers' Guild Flash Fiction Contest

MISSOURI WRITERS’ GUILD – FLASH FICTION CONTEST

1. Flash Fiction – Get to the point in 500 words or less. Subject is open, but no gore or pornography.
2. Deadline for entry—submissions must be postmarked no later than September 30, 2010.

3. Entry fee: $10 for non-members, $8 for members (make sure your dues are current.) Maximum of three entries per person.

4. Checks payable to: Missouri Writers’ Guild.

5. Prizes: 1^st place - $100, 2^nd place - $50, 3^rd place - $25. Three honorable mentions will receive certificates.

6. Short stories must be in English, unpublished at the time of submission, and original work of the contestant.

7. Contestants retain all rights to their stories. Standard manuscript format: 8 1/2 x 11 paper, typed and double-spaced on one side of the paper, pages numbered, title of entry on every page, 12 point Times New Roman. Paper clip pages together. Contestants name or other identifying information should not appear anywhere on manuscript.

8. Attach a separate cover sheet and include: story title, contestant’s name, address, e-mail, phone number, and MWG chapter name (if applicable). Do NOT send by certified mail!

9. Mail entry fee and two copies of each entry, flat, not folded, by September 30 (postmark) to:

Tricia L. Sanders
Missouri Writers’ Guild – Flash Fiction Contest
90 Westwood Trails
Foristell, MO 63348

10. Stories exceeding word limit, not having adequate postage, or not adhering to contest guidelines will be disqualified and entry fee will not be returned. Decision of judge is final. Not responsible for lost or misdirected entries. Stories will not be returned. For a list of winners, visit our website in late October 2010: www.missouriwritersguild.org Certificates and prizes will be mailed by the end of October.