10.07.2011

Guest Writercize #1 - Elizabeth Grace

I am very excited to host Beth today at writercize.  Beth is the leader of the Group Blogging Experience, better known by it's acronym and twitter hash #GBE2.  She is also a fabulous writer, energetic reader and the winner of a slogan contest I hosted here several months ago!

Please welcome Beth and try out her very challenging, intriguing writercize.  I have to say I am very excited to see what you come up with. 

Without further ado, I give you - Beth!


First of all, thank you, Alana, for allowing me to take over your blog for a day. I always enjoy your posts and love that you consistently find creative ways for writers to keep limber as we try out your Writercizes!

My blog, Word Nerd Speaks is about a little bit of everything. I’ve been a professional writer for decades, but in all that time, my absolute favorite gig was as a daily columnist for a good-sized family of community newspapers. When the paper closed its doors, I mourned. I loved being able to jabber about whatever was on my mind on a given day and really loved that my work seemed to elicit lots of feedback from readers. These days, I do my jabbering on the blog, and I still welcome and appreciate comments from those who are kind enough to pop by to read what I have to say.

Now for my Writercize offering! When it comes to good storytelling, less is often more, so I’d like to propose an exercise that will require writers to choose their words judiciously, careful to see that each one is there for a reason. The Writercize is called “Ten to One” and the idea is as follows:

Participants are asked to write a complete story in exactly fifty-five words. The first line should have ten words, the second nine, the third eight, and so on until the last sentence, consisting of a single word, completes the story. 
Here’s mine (mine as in Beth's):
Truck Stop
She knew what he’d order: peach pie and coffee, black.
He set his fork down and smiled at her.
You spend too much time alone, he said.
She rolled her eyes and nodded. Yep.
I’m hauling a load to Tulsa.
You could come with me.
She folded her apron.
I’d like that.
Sign flipped.
Closed.

(There are still some guest spots available.  Click here to read the guidelines and sign up.)

22 comments:

  1. Thank you Beth for your post! I will be posting my attempt at the writercize this evening! :)

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  2. WOW Beth. That challenge is harder than the 100 word blog. Even so, I will give it a try...

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  3. Great exercise - will try it over the weekend!

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  4. Wow, not sure I could do that! Have to give it some thought. What a great idea!

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  5. http://familyfunfaith.hubpages.com/hub/Writing-Challenge-Entry-Ten-Line-Story

    here is my offering.

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  6. Nice job, Ralph! Thanks for playing along. :O)

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  7. Wow Beth, you absolutely rock!!!

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com/

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  8. Nice one Ralph! For all you sports fans out there, Ralph's will make you reach for the remote. :)

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  9. You Miss Beth are amazing. I am going to do this one. Well, I am going to try. If I succeed, I will post! On GBE2, of course. :)

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  10. I lovity-love-love that you guys are going to try this one! :O)

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  11. Great idea from the Nerdy guest host! Here's mine: http://millerwrites.blogspot.com/2011/10/writercize-55-word-challenge-story-in.html Can you find the extra/illegal word?

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  12. Wow, Beth, your example is awesome!
    Hello Alana. It is nice to meet you.

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  13. I did it!!! And combined with GBE2 - Week #20!

    http://dmcorl.blogspot.com/2011/10/balance.html

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  14. "So Rob, how long will my daughter be a concubine?"
    He smiles. "Sound's like fun, I'll be one too."
    Dad snorts a laugh into his coffee cup.
    Mom flips a finger in the air.
    For an instant, we all giggle.
    She narrows fierce blue eyes.
    He waggles his brows.
    Her lips twitch.
    He grins.
    Sigh.

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  15. @Jean: Thanks! I'm bugged that I have a typo in mine. 'Eyed,' rather than 'eyes.' And I reread it, too, before I sent it to Alana!

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  16. @GPD: LOL! I missed you post when I checked in earlier--we must have been posting at the same time. Great job with this ...and SO 'you.' :O)

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  17. @Jean: You did a great job! Sounds like a terrific week, too. :O)

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  18. Hi all! Beth - you are such a fabulous guest and all of you Beth-friends are amazing followers and writers! Also, Beth - fixed that typo for you. I'm sorry I didn't catch it either. :S

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  19. It wasn't meant to hold two men and a baby.
    The bicycle chain squeaked and screeched along the path.
    Too many people, but what could they do?
    The baby threw up in the car.
    The men couldn't stand the stench.
    One bike in the trunk.
    One wasted car seat.
    A wobbly ride.
    Two blocks.
    Home.

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  20. Alana: Excellent job! Oh, and thanks for fixing my oops. :O)

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