July 25th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! WOW, lots to cover today, luckily I know where to start. Happy Birthday Dad! Love you!

Next, LOCAL AUTHORS (Belle Mead, Branchburg, Bridgewater, Flagtown, Flemington, Hillsborough, Manville, Montgomery, Neshanic, North Branch, Raritan, Rocky Hill, Somerville, Three Bridges), you only have SIX (6) DAYS LEFT to register for the First Annual HillsboroughLibrary Author’s Day. Initially there were only 20 – 25 authors who were going to be selected, but after some creative rearranging, there is room for more, but the slots are filling up fast.

THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS EVENT. It’s a day for you to come out, sell some books, and network with other authors in the area.

The book signing will be from 1 – 4, but there is going to be a workshop, or possibly two, prior to the event (details are still getting hammered out). Also, during the signing, there are going to be readings done by the authors. (I think it will be a “pull names out of a hat” process.) Again, I will have more details for you as they become available.

Look, it’s going to be a great day. Click on the link above, and sign up. I can’t wait to see you there!

Now all NON-AUTHORS - if you happen to be in Hillsborough, New Jersey on Saturday, November 15^th, please stop by the event. We already have authors from numerous genres, both fiction and non-fiction (coffee table books, biographies, memoirs, poetry, children and YA, romance, mystery, and horror), so there’s a little something for everyone. Events like these are much more laid back than the ones held at the big name bookstores. You’ll get to meet and actually chat with the authors, not just get pushed through a line.

Hey, you can get a jump on your holiday shopping for the readers on your list. How great a gift is a signed copy of a book?

So, last night’s critique group went well. I was the only one who brought anything to share, so we spent most of the time talking about the Author’s Day event. I brought with me a chapter of Faerie Tale Queen that I was having an issue with; there was just something not quite right, and I couldn’t figure out what.

Now, I really don’t like just pulling a random chapter out of thin air. When I bring stuff to a critique group, I start with chapter one and then go chronologically, otherwise it takes forever to get folks up to speed so they have a clue what’s going on, but I was desperate. I couldn’t get the chapter to gel, and even though I pushed forward, it was still a big distraction, and I kept revisiting it.

Since I was the only one who brought something to share, the eight of us hashed it out for a good twenty minutes after I finished reading, and I think I can make it work now. I have one sentence to delete, one small dialogue exchange to add, and one cat reference to reflect change of mood and one food reference to mark passage of time to plop in, and I can move on. The fix was so easy, I just couldn’t see it, and it bogged me down.

I know I’ve said it before, but the benefit I get from these various writing groups I have joined is immeasurable. I have learned so much, and I have grown so much as a writer because of them. Their value to me is priceless. I encourage all writers to get involved with writing groups in their area. You won’t be disappointed.

Today I only have a few hours to write. Yeah, I know it’s Friday, a day I usually spend all day writing because I don’t have to go to work, but Dani laid a guilt trip on me last night. Summer is half over and she has only left the house three times. The poor child is bored out of her skull. So today we are going to catch a matinée.

At noon, we are going to see Lucy. If you haven’t seen the previews for the movie yet, you should check it out. It looks interesting. It’s the story about a woman, because of some incident, becomes able to use 100% of her brain’s capabilities.

Although the number 10% is thrown around a lot when they talk about how much brain function the average person uses at one time, more current research has shown it is closer to 16%. Regardless, the percentage of our brain we utilize at any given time is still a paltry amount. (In actuality, your entire brain is in use, just not all at the same time.) It’s reported that even geniuses, like Einstein, use less than 20% of their brains. Could you imagine what it would be like to tap into more of your potential? If you’ll excuse the pun, it’s mindboggling. Anyway, it’s a fascinating concept, and even though the movie is pure fiction, I am looking forward to seeing it.

Okay, I’m off to tweak chapter 42 of Fairy Tale Queen, and then hopefully be able to pound out chapter 43 as well. I hope you have a fantastic day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

This ought to be good…

“This ought to be good.”

“Mmm Hmm.”

“Got the camera?”

“Yup.”

“So what do you think, America’s Funniest or Caught on Camera?”

“I’m thinking Ridiculousness.”

“Ouch, really?”

“Have you known any of Buddy’s ‘brilliant ideas’ not to be complete disasters?”

“Good point. Oh, there he goes.”

“I can’t believe he’s actually doing this. He’s such an ass.”

“No. No. NO!”

“Oh CRAP!”

“Put down the camera, and call an 911.”

Your Next Challenge is:

Fire lit the night sky…

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

July 16th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! I’m not overly thrilled with our recent weather pattern. It seems Tuesday is monsoon day around here. For the second Tuesday in a row, I’ve had to drive through blinding rain in order to participate in my writing group. At least this time I was only dealing with flooded streets as opposed to last Tuesday when I was dodging falling branches. It figures, doesn’t it? I really don’t venture far from home, if at all, the other six days a week, but on the one day I do…

It was a very small group yesterday. At first we thought it was only going to be four of us, but by 7:30 we were up to eleven. Of the eleven, only five of us read. The timing was perfect for a small group. We have roughly an 1,100 word max on what we read, so there will be enough time for everyone who wants to read. Since my stories are comprised of short chapters, staying under the 1,100 words has never been an issue.

However, last night’s chapter went over the max, but because the group was small, it wasn’t a problem. Still, in the back of my mind, I knew the piece was longer than allowed, so I picked up the pace while I was reading, and I got yelled at to slow down, twice. Chapter seven of Faerie Tale Queen was well received, (I’ve been reading a chapter every time we meet). I got chuckles in the appropriate places, and they seemed to enjoy the main character’s quirky relationship with her GPS. I got some good feedback which I will be able to use when I sit down to work on my initial edits (the ones I do BEFORE I send the manuscript off to be edited).

Two gentlemen, ironically both named Alex, read last night. One Alex is a regular to the group, and a majority of the time he writes plays or performance monologues. Last night he read an excerpt from a performance piece which was hysterical. I’m talking, I couldn’t catch my breath, had tears in my eyes, and snorted because I was laughing so hard. I’m still chuckling right now, just trying to tell you about it.

The flip side of the coin was the other Alex. He is brand new to the group, last night was his first night, and he brought us into a dark place. He also accomplished an extremely difficult task, keeping us engaged in a fiction piece told in first person. The story was, I don’t want to say creepy, and I don’t want to repeat myself by saying dark again, but I don’t know a better way to describe it. What I can say is I am looking forward to hearing more of the story in the weeks to come.

With a little luck, I will hit the 25K mark today. I’m close, but it will still take a fairly good push to get me there. Considering today is the halfway point of the month, I’m only a few hours behind.

On that note, I should get writing because I only have two hours and 2,300 words to go. I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

The morning light looked strange

Out of desperation to come up with a challenge to give you yesterday, I looked up, in hope to think of something, and that’s when I noticed the strange light coming through my living room window. It reminded me of another time, many years ago, when I saw a similar light.

I’m not sure exactly how old I was, but I do remember I was a teenager, and I was home on summer break. My mom had left for work already, but it was still early when I padded downstairs to forage for something to eat. I looked through the kitchen window and was greeted by a weird orangey yellow haze. Figuring my sleep filled eyes and summertime hazed brain were playing tricks on my, I ceased my breakfast preparations and went out on our front porch to investigate.

From my new vantage point I was able to see a sight I hope to never experience again. The sky to the south was blanketed in varying shades of amber and brown, and there was an acrid stench in the air. I quickly reentered my house, then ran from room to room and closed all the windows and doors. I than began to furiously flip through the radio dial to find a news station, or any station which would be able to enlighten me as to what was going on.

***

I ran out of time, but I figured if I had left the story there, I’d get hate mail. I found WCTC, which is a central New Jersey new station. Since sunrise, their radio station had been inundated with calls. It turned out the haze and the smell were due to a wildfire, raging out of control, in the Pinelands, over seventy-five miles away from my home. It was days before the sun could penetrate and the smell dissipated, and until it did, most of the state was shroud in an unnatural light.

Your Next Challenge is:

I am…

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

July 2nd Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a great day yesterday. Mine was pretty good even though it was ungodly hot. It hit 96 here late in the afternoon, but with the humidity, even when it was only 82 in the morning, it felt like it was in the 90s. I AM NOT COMPLAINING! I’d still take the heat over the cold.

By now you know my brain does not function like a normal human being, and I find things comical that most probably wouldn’t even notice, but I choose to share them with you in hopes they make you chuckle as well. At last night’s critique group, among the ladies, the “A”s had it. In attendance were: Anna, Christina, Frieda, Gloria, Loretta & Nina. I thought this was hysterical…no one else seemed to get it. I’m a kook, what can I say?

Gloria was new to the group, and I don’t think we scared her away, which is a good thing. She’s just begun to write and asked us for tips. She wanted to know all these things about what she should do after the books was finished. For once, our group actually agreed on something, and we ALL gave her the same advice. Don’t worry about the “after” stuff, the only thing you have to worry about is putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys), because if you don’t do that, the rest will be irrelevant anyway.

I think she was a little surprised by this, because the advice came after she sat in on our meeting and heard conflicting opinions on just about every piece we read. It’s true though, the most important thing to do as a writer is to write – EVERY SINGLE DAY. Some days it’s not easy, but you’ve got to muscle through it.

I wish I had taken down Gloria’s contact information, because I would have sent her the link to Keith’s “Magic Spreadsheet”. There’s no magic really, it’s just a daily sheet which tracks how many words you’ve written each day, and how many “chunks of time” you’ve spent on other writing related items. Example, it usually takes me twenty minutes every day to get this blog posted in its three locations, to find and download all the accompanying photos, and to hook up any links. Twenty minutes is one “chunk” of time.

Since February of this year, I have recorded over 184K words, and since June I’ve recorded 239 chunks of time (it was a new feature on the spreadsheet). Yes, you did the math right, that’s 80 hours of time spent on writing related things other than writing itself. But the most important number is the 149 consecutive days I have written.

Remember the other day I said I got out of bed at 11:30 at night, because I needed to do something before midnight? Well, that’s what I needed to do – get 400 words down on paper so my chain wouldn’t be broken. Even though you are only accountable to yourself, the spreadsheet is a great motivator.

As is our usual practice, after our meeting broke up at 9:00, we all got ice cream (or coffee), and then sat at the tables in the square and chatted. It was a beautiful night, and it gave us time to get to know the new people better and to catch up with the regulars. Todd, our Grand Pooba, spent a portion of the time speaking with a gentleman we did not know. After half an hour or so, he brought the man over to meet us.

It turns out, he’s a rather important person at the Huffington Post, and is quite a character. I believe he will be joining our critique group when he returns from his trip to France. He seems like an interesting and funny guy, and I look forward to getting to know him. He was so sweet; he offered to read and review all of my books for HP. I’m not holding my breath, because I can’t see him having the time to be able to do it, but it would be nice if it happened.

Okay, I only have a little over and hour to write today before I have to go to work, so I’d better leave. I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

_____ is the most important thing, because without _____ you can’t…

Garlic is the most important thing, because without it, you can’t make truly authentic tasting Italian dishes. The pungent yet sweet flavor that is garlic adds a certain something to many dishes, not just Italian. Without it, the meal comes off as bland.

In my home, garlic is practically a food group. I add it to virtually every sauce I make; rule of thumb, if olive oil goes in, so does garlic. The seafood dish I made last week, with the cream and brandy reduction sauce was loaded with garlic. The cold green bean and mushroom salad we all love, in part, because of the great big chunks of garlic.

You would think with all the garlic we eat, it would be dripping out of our pores, but it’s not. Purely by accident I discovered if I pair garlic with the consumption of either lemonade or pineapple, the garlic scent is virtually eliminated. However, back when I could still drink wine, if I had paired my garlic infused meal with either red or white wine, I could smell the garlic on my skin the next day. I’m a writer, not a scientist, so I have no idea why this happens, but I thought it was interesting.

Your Next Challenge is:

If I had a nickel for every time I…

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

March 20th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

I took two days off from the blog because I had so much to do, and now I have so much to tell you.

Monday, the Kindle edition of Corporate Blues went live, and like I said, I had some marketing / maintenance stuff to attend to with the release. The Amazon page was updated, a KPD select promo was set up. Corporate Blues will be free for 48 hours – March 31^st (my anniversary), and April 1^st (my birthday). After that, I think I will only do free offers very sparingly, but try and hold sales once a quarter.

On Tuesday I got the email saying the print copy of Corporate Blues was available for final review, and a sample copy was on its way, so I can give it its final blessing. I’m hoping it will be here by the weekend, so I can place my order for fifty books. I find this one of the most exciting things about writing – when the package comes in the mail, and you get to hold your newest “baby”, in your hands, for the first time. (If you read Corporate Blues, please don’t roll your eyes when Dawn says pretty much the exact same thing.)

Also on Tuesday, I returned to my writing group for the first time in many, many weeks. Now that Mother Nature isn’t being a royal pain in the butt, and it’s not pitch black out at five in the evening, I can make the trek to Princeton without any issues… I’m not counting the one detour and one emergency road closure I had to navigate around last night to get there. This Tuesday happened to be a Critique Group week, so I needed to bring something with me to have critiqued, and I chose the Prologue for Faerie Tale Queen. I figured since this was the next story I was finishing, I’d gage how the “gang” liked my straying from my normal writing. They’ve only experienced my historical romance writing – they’ve been reviewing Simply by Chance chapter by chapter.

Faerie Tale Queen opens with a whole lot of Gaelic words, so I was in a bit of a panic because I wasn’t 100% sure I would be able to pronounce them correctly. So, after I couldn’t find one of those talking translator programs that worked properly, I posted a plea on Facebook for assistance. Not five minutes after I posted, my phone rang. My friend JoAnne’s boyfriend spoke Gaelic, at least one of its several dialects, and he was able to help me. Other than Comhcheol, I’m happy to say, I was pronouncing the words correctly. Not that I had the chance to read, because we had so many show up for critique group that night. It’s okay though, I really don’t mind. I don’t have to share every time. The best part was seeing my friends again. I only met these folks less than a year ago, and already, I really miss them when I haven’t seen them in a while. So, even though I didn’t get to read, I still had a great night.

One thing I’ve learned is it’s amazing how difficult Gaelic actually is to learn. You would think, because they have fewer letters, it wouldn’t be so hard; but trying to remember all the rules is a bit daunting. Vowels sound different depending on which consonants follow them, and if you pronounce the “ai” as an “aye” sound instead of an “uh” sound, you’ve got a completely different word. I guess that’s true with any language, and probably because the chances of me actually using Gaelic on a daily basis are slim, I’m having so much difficulty.

You’ll find, in almost all of my books, I use some foreign language. Luckily, because I have wonderful friends all around the world, who are more than happy to help me, I do not need to be fluent in all the languages. So far my novels have contained French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Gaelic.  Part of Simply by Chance takes place in Turkey, and I’m sure I will toss in some native words and phrases from that part of the world as well (as soon as I find someone who speaks Turkish, Kurdish or Zaza).

In other news, on my birthday, I will be starting a part time “job”. A friend of mine from church had a stroke a few years back. She’s doing really well. So much so, she doesn’t need a home health aide any more, but she still can’t drive; so a few days a week, I’ll be bringing her to therapy, the grocery store or wherever else she needs to go. It’s only a few hours a week, I’ll be helping a friend, and it made no sense to keep on an expensive aide when she really doesn’t need one any more. This will be good for me too, a chance to get out from behind my keyboard and out in public for a few hours a week.

Yes the start date and NaNoWriMo coincide, and it will be a challenge. But when is it not? To de-stress myself, I’m making sure I clear my plate before April 1^st, so all I’ll need to concentrate on is Faerie Tale Queen. I have three remaining editing project, which have been opened for a while, that need to be completed and emailed back to the authors, and one request for a review. I will complete the edits in the order they came in, and then I can start my new project with a clear conscience. I always have three or four editing projects open at the same time because it helps me when I can break away from a project for a little while, but still keep working.

However, now that I have a job again, I think I will have to back away from editing. I will continue to help my friends with their work, but I don’t think I will be able to pick an Indie author at random and edit their book for free any more. It would take far too long for me to complete the work, and I don’t think that’s fair to the author. The last author I offered this to has been waiting weeks – I have been sending him stuff all along, but I still feel bad. Between traveling, being sick, and some craziness in my life, this edit has taken longer than I had hoped. (Then again, the book is about 200 pages longer than most I’ve edited, but that’s not an excuse.) So, Linda, Joe, Julien & Jan – in that order – if you’re reading this, I hope to have your stuff back to you by the end of the month.

See, I said I had a lot to tell you. Now, if I ever plan on actually accomplishing my goal, I best get a move on. I hope y’all have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

“Oh my God! Steve, Steve, please stop.”

With a shake of his head and a resigned sigh and chuckle, Steve pull the car over so Lindsey could get out and have a look. Their entire honeymoon had been spent doing much of the same. Lindsey was a like dog with a squirrel. Every morning, over breakfast, they would plot their course for the day, highlighting the places they wished to see. Then while driving to said destination, infallibly, Lindsey would spot something along the road, a garden, a ruin, a cemetery, a man herding sheep, and their original plans were dust in the wind; but Steve didn’t mind. Lindsey’s childlike sense of wonder was one of the things he loved most about her.

“Isn’t it magnificent? Do you think we go down there?”

Steve pulled her close and kissed her temple, “It looks like the house over there is on the same property. Why don’t we stop there and inquire about the ruins.”

Lindsey squealed, threw her arms around her husband’s neck, and planted a loud smack on his lips. “You’re the best. You know that?”

“Yup, I know, but it’s nice to hear.” Steve teased. “Come on, let’s go have a look.”

Your Next Challenge is:

Cloud watching…

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

October 16th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Can someone please tell me why companies INSIST of fixing things which were never broken in the first place only to things muck up? It is so infuriating! If any of you have Yahoo as their email provider, you know what I am talking about. Did they even test their new upgrades before rolling them out? If they did, they need to replace their entire testing department because they failed miserably! The “move” feature doesn’t work at all. If you want to put items from your inbox into a folder, you need to drag and drop; but if the item is in your sent folder, you can’t even do that. When composing an email, the contacts feature is not working properly. The search feature is on the fritz. And these are only a few things I have encountered thus far; undoubtedly there will be more issues. UGH! Okay, I’m done complaining. Thank you for listening.

I had my critique group last night and, as usual, it was an enjoyable evening. We had an O’Henry-esque piece, where the ending surprised most, a horror short story which made me rethink the dinner I had planned for tonight, and a rather graphic account of the preparation of a sacrificial ram for a feast which turned everyone’s stomach. Other readings brought us to picturesque Penobscot Bay, a bank heist, a hysterical dating website debacle, and I offered up chapter ten of Simply by Chance for review. The library kicked us out at nine, so we adjourned to a local ice cream shop and read the story we did not have time to read while at the library. It never ceases to amaze me how dramatically diverse our group is, both in personalities and in writing styles, yet (most of the time) we all manage to get along, support and encourage each other.

One of the things pointed out to me in the piece I read was the question if “preaching to the choir” and “boggle the mind” were actually a phrases used in the early 1800s. I really did not know the answer. Turns out “preaching to the choir” was first used in the 1970s. I assigned Fred, the man who pointed out “preaching to the choir” didn’t hold water, to the task of finding me an alternate phrase I could use. A perfect substitution to the word “boggle” was offered by the group and I have already replaced it in my text. One of the group member, Steve, came up with the perfect name for the group of villains in my story. Todd had me scrap one sentence, and that one small change made all the difference in maintaining the flow of an entire chapter. These are just a few examples of how this group has helped me with my writing. These folks are worth their weight in gold. I have learned so much from them and I truly feel I am a better writer because of them.

Today I am going to be doing some house cleaning, both figuratively and actually. I have laundry to do, but I also need to handle some business things like going to the bank and mailing off my submission for the 2014 Indie Book Awards. So, even though it’s early, I had better get started. I hope you have a fabulous day and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

You wake from a dream that was so real…

 

It was the night after Christmas and I woke with a start, sat bolt upright, coughed and gasped for air. I clutched at my clothes truly expecting them to be wet for I could still taste the briny sea water in my throat and nose. My heart continued to pound and my legs shook as I made my way to the kitchen for a glass of water to flush the nauseating taste from my mouth.

It had been quite some time since I had had such a vivid dream, a dream where I was actually transported, a dream I was able to recall with complete clarity. I did not want to think about the last time, and I knew I would not be getting anymore sleep that night, so I flopped down on the couch and flipped on the television.

As I channel surfed from one inane infomercial to another, images of my dream assailed me; the glorious day, the hot sand, the crystalline water which slowly and unexplainably began to recede. Then, on the horizon, a strange anomaly appeared. Indistinguishable at first, then realization struck and the screaming and running started. I had almost made it back to my hotel before the wave stuck. It caught me and slammed me into a grove of trees less than fifty feet from the hotel’s front door. Somehow I manage to pull myself out of the rushing water and up into the tree. I watched in horror as a mother, clutching her young child, was swept past. What was once a breathtakingly beautiful tropical paradise, was now a mass of raging water, and all I could do was frantically cling to the tree and fervently pray it would not give way.

As I tried to shake the disturbing images from my mind, a breaking news story flashed across my television screen. Tsunami devastates Thailand.

 

As much as I hate to admit it, this is a true story, one which still leaves me shaken.

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

August 19th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

It’s Monday, so back to the real world. Vacation is over and the “To Do” list is a bit overwhelming. I might actually make a physical “To Do” list so I can keep on track or I very well may lose my mind over the next five days.

 

Tuesday is supposed to be my critique group, but I’m not sure if I will be able to fit it in to the schedule. I’m going to try though, just for a sanity break if nothing else. The critique group is an eclectic bunch and I really enjoy their company as well as their comments. I have been spoon feeding them chapters of Simply by Chance every session and have actually been implementing their suggestions. It has been very beneficial and I hope the suggestions I am making on their respective works is helpful to them as well. I’m not sure if I will be able to continue with the group for much longer if I get a similar program running at my local library. Hopefully, if I can’t, I will figure out some way to keep in touch with the group, and maybe some of the folks who live close will come to my library’s writers’ workshop and critique group. I really need to sit down with the director and hammer out all the details or I will never get the project off the ground!

OK, you have had several days to come up with things to do while stuck in the house on a rainy day. Did you come up with something fun?

Hope you have a wonderful day and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

You’re stuck in the house on a rainy day.

 

I didn’t even have to open my eyes and look outside to know I wasn’t going anywhere today. The low rumble of thunder and the repetitive patter of rain hitting my window was what woke me. Perhaps I should just stay in bed and sleep away the day. No, that won’t do. The kids will be up and complaining they’re bored. What can we do to keep them entertained? If I let them, they’ll sit in front of the idiot box all day. It would make things easier on me, but that’s a cop-out. There’s cards, but that will last exactly one game, so forty-five minutes to an hour. Woohoo. They’re not ones for Yatzee or board games, so they’re out. Ooo, I know! A few months ago I bought dye and I have those t-shirts I still haven’t returned. We’ll tie-dye. It will probably make a holy mess, but who cares? It will keep us occupied for a few hours and the kids will have something to show for the day. Now I’m excited to get this rainy day started.

Your Next Challenge is:

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

July 3rd Writing Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –
 

A Happy Wacky Wednesday to y’all! I went to my critique group last night, and as usual, I had a great time. We had an interesting mix of things read: a play about a woman serial killer from California (true story, fictional adaptation), the beginning of chapter one of a mystery novel centered around two Irish pubs at the Jersey shore, the first page of a mystery novel set in NYC, a performance piece about a father coming to terms with his trans-gender child, and chapters four and five of my Simply by Chance (they were very short chapters). We ran out of time before we got to a rewritten excerpt from a fantasy novel and the memoir of a civil war seen through the eyes of a child, so they will go first two weeks from now.

Camp is going well. My ending word count yesterday was 5,588. At this rate, I might actually hit the 85K words by July 31^st, but that means I have to average almost 2,750 a day, EVERY day. OK, I can’t think that way or I will psych myself out. I’m just going to let it flow and whatever happens, happens.

So, did you have fun with yesterday’s challenge? Which book did you get sucked into? Did you become one of the existing characters, a completely new one or were you like a ghost and no one could actually see you?

Your Last Challenge was:

You literally get sucked into the book you were reading.

 

The last thing I remember is sitting on my bed, reading The Sorcerer’s Stone to my children for the fourth or was it the fifth time, I cannot remember, and the next thing I knew I was standing in front of an entire classroom of children dressed in black robes. Quickly I glanced at the stone walls, the stone floor, and then up at the impossibly high ceiling. Hogwarts, somehow I was at Hogwarts. But how?

I raised my hand to massage my now throbbing temple and I hear, “Professor, are you alright?”

 

Then another voice, “Professor Culbreath, would you like us to call Professor McGonnagall or Professor Dumbledore?

Oh heavens. Professor. They meant me. They were talking to me. I looked out at the room and two dozen sets of worried eyes looked back at me. I cleared my throat and gave the class a weak smile, “No, no. Don’t bother. I’ll be fine. No worries.” I will have to figure out how I got here and how to get back later, but for now I have to go on as if everything is normal. Professor Culbreath. I don’t recall a Professor Culbreath. What did she teach? How am I ever going to pull this off? I smiled again, this time hopefully more convincingly and asked, “Would one of you be so kind as to remind me where we left off?”

“You were about to show us how to conjure an illusion you said we could use as a distraction.” A helpful voice replied.

Conjuring. I can handle that. “Alright then children. This is just one example, but the basis is the same no matter what you wish to conjure. Your only limit is your own imagination…”

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.