Talking about the Five Stages of First Publication with Lynda R. Young

Hello writercizers!

Story Sprouts is visiting Lynda R. Young with .W.I.P. It: An Author's Journey today. We're talking about The Five Stages of First Publication, and how it feels the first time you put your name in print. 

(Yes, we made up the five stages, but sure you all can relate!) 

Head on over there to visit Lynda, my co-editor Nutschell Anne Windsor,  and me, and share your own stages of publication!

Thanks Lynda for hosting!

xoxo

Art and Literature! #StorySprouts visits Emilyann Girdner Today!

Hello writercizers!

Story Sprouts is visiting Emilyann Girdner with Anything Imagined today. We're talking about Canvas to Page: Art and Literature. 

Head on over there to visit Emilyann, my co-editor Nutschell Anne Windsor,  and me, and share the visual cues that inspire you!

Thanks Emilyann for hosting!

xoxo

PS - We had a bonus stop over the weekend with Mrs. Mommy Booknerd, who interviewed Nutschell and me with a nice book announcement! Thank you Emily for hosting us! Check it out.

#StorySprouts Tour Continues! Writers and Editors with Annalisa Crawford!

Hello writercizers!

Story Sprouts is visiting Annalisa Crawford with Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep today. We're talking about one of the most important relationship in a writer's life - that with their editor. The title of the post is MATCHED! I Now Declare You Writer and Editor.

Head on over there to visit Annalisa, my co-editor Nutschell Anne Windsor,  and me, and share your thoughts on working with an editor.

Thanks Annalisa for hosting!

xoxo

#StorySprouts on Tour - Why Writing in Community Rocks our Socks with Christine Rains!

Hello writercizers!

Story Sprouts is visiting Christine Rains today. We're talking about how writers can benefit from Writing in Community.

Head on over there to visit Christine, my co-editor Nutschell Anne Windsor,  and me, and share your thoughts on what it means to you to write alongside fellow authors!

Thanks Christine for hosting!

xoxo

PS - This weekend, as part of the Story Sprouts tour, Nutschell visited the ever supportive, blog fest guru Arlee Bird to talk about the Benefits of Joining a Professional Writing Organization and Jamaican award-winning author J.L. Campbell to talk about Using Archetypes to Create Your Characters. Check it out!

Today's Story Sprouts Tour Stop: How to Hawk Your Self-Published Book with Shelly Arkon!

Hello writercizers!

Story Sprouts is visiting Shelly Arkon today. The topic is all about getting right down to business … Book for Sale! Book for Sale! Hawking Your Self Published Story and I share a baker's dozen tips about how to get your book into the hands of readers.

Head on over there to visit Shelly, her furry companions Sir Poops and Hair Ball, my co-editor Nutschell Anne Windsor,  and me, and share your thoughts on the best way to SELL a book!

Thanks Shelly for hosting!

xoxo

PS - Yesterday, as part of the Story Sprouts tour, Nutschell visited master blogger Alex Cavanaugh to talk about the five movies based on YA book to watch out for this year. Check it out!

Story Sprouts Tour continues with Nas Dean and The Thrill of the First Time!

Hello writercizers!

Story Sprouts is visiting Nas Dean of Romance Book Paradise today. The topic is a steamy one to fit the romance vibe she's got going on … The Thrill of the First Time and I'll leave it up to you to visit and find out what the post is all about.

Head on over there to visit Nas, my co-editor Nutschell Anne Windsor,  and me, and share your thoughts on the whimsical world of literature!

Thanks Nas for hosting!

xoxo

Story Sprouts is Visiting Just Jemi Today!

Hello writercizers!

Story Sprouts is visiting Just Jemi today. The topic is .... The Beauty of a Moment and you'll find a bonus writercize hiding in the post to help you get to the essence of story-telling.

Head on over there to visit Jemi and me, and give the exercise a try!

Thanks Jemi for hosting!

xoxo

Story Sprouts is Visiting Theresa Milstein Today!

Hello writercizers!

Story Sprouts is visiting Theresa Milstein today. The topic is .... The Writers' Workshop - From Blank Page to Published in Six Hours!

Head on over there to visit me and learn more about the process of creating an anthology in a day!

Thanks Theresa for hosting!

xoxo

PS - Last night, Mooderino hosted a guest post from Story Sprouts Co-Editor Nutschell on "Choosing a Title for Your Fiction or Nonfiction Book." Really great tips!

On Tour with Story Sprouts! and a New Year Writercize

Hey there writercizers!

Hope you all had fabulous holidays. I'm returning to the real world today after six blissful weeks of shirking responsibility - gallivanting halfway around the world in Benin, West Africa with the President and Founder of Build a Better Benin followed by a lovely holiday break with my family. 

It's been an amazing month and a half, but sooner or later, it's always time to return to life. (Oh, and for what it's worth - that trip to Benin was a research trip for a book, so technically I can chalk it up to a work-related life experience. More on that later ...)

So - what better way to return to the real world than a good bit of writing fun? Remember that Story Sprouts book I announced a couple of months ago? The one with 19 authors, 38 stories, 10 writing exercises and loads of writing tips?

My co-editor Nutschell Anne Windsor from The Writing Nut and I are on a (virtual) whirlwind tour around the globe promoting the book and sharing what we learned from the process with bloggers and writers. Very exciting stuff!

As a BONUS - we are donating 50% of the proceeds from November through January to Philippine Relief Efforts. It's a great cause that is very close to our Children's Book Writers of Los Angeles board's hearts.

Check out Nutschell's intro post, then visit our first two stops - Michael di Gesu In Time where Nutschell shares her thoughts on the many, many hats of self-publishing, and Karen Strong's Musings of a Novelista where Nutschell ruminates on using quotes in her writing.

I'll be back tomorrow with a link to my first stop on the tour, as well as highlight Nutschell's evening visit to Mooderino tonight.

And, for a brief writercize, why not share your New Year resolution as a comment here ... or give one to each character in your WIP? A great way to delve into the mind of your character!

A Visit with Dawn

On Monday, I had the pleasure of interviewing over at Dawn Malone's blog, host of Here's the Story, about the release of Story Sprouts. Dawn learned about the book after a writercize post, and was kind enough to interview my co-editor and founder of Children's Book Writers of Los Angeles, Nutschell Anne Windsor, and me.

Please take a look at the interview, which reveals the steps we took to publish as a writing group, and some insight on how other groups can do the same!

If anyone else is interested in an interview or guest post, we'll be rolling out a January blog tour, so stay tuned for details. If you already know you'd like to play host for a Story Sprouts related post, leave a comment here and we'll be sure to get you on the calendar!

Guest Writercize: "Write By Song" by Paul Taylor

Please join me in welcoming Paul Taylor to writercize! I love this guest post, which brings music and writing together for a cohesive writing prompt.

We all get inspired by music. It is fun, lively, mellow, thoughtful or powerful. It can make us want to weep or laugh, run or sleep. Have you ever heard a song that inspired a story in your mind or made you picture a scene that you wish you could have written down? Well, here is your opportunity.

writercize: Create or find a playlist of at least three songs or log on to an online radio station like Spotify or Pandora. As you listen to the songs write a story or series of stories to go along with them. 

You can choose to include the song title or lyrics if you wish or you can just be inspired by the music. Every time the song changes create a new story or paragraph. Bonus points if you can make your story flow or get out full thoughts in the paragraphs you create. 

Author Bio:

Paul Taylor started www.babysittingjobs.com which offers an aggregated look at those sites to help families find sitters and to help sitters find families easier than ever. He loves writing, with the help of his wife. He has contributed quality articles for different blogs & websites.

Click "read more" to see Paul's sample response!!

The Two Word Sentence - Guest Sara Dawkins

Welcome guest writercizer Sara Dawkins! Sara is a nanny and freelance writer who e-mailed me out of the blue asking for a guest post, and really did a fabulous job putting it together and sticking within the spirit of this blog. Thank you Sara! I will give it a whirl in the comments section. Please read through this great post, try out the writercize and check out the website Sara works on!

Author Bio

Sara is an active nanny as well as an active freelance writer. She also helps in providing information on nanny jobs through her writing.  Contact her at saradawkins61ATgmail.com.

It’s always hard to get inspired. Not only is having a new, fresh idea important, but it is also difficult to actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and get to work. To get myself writing, I sometimes just start in the middle of the action or with a phrase that’s been spinning in my mind. In that mindset, two word sentences can be great, simple starters to your work.

writercize: Create a short story or scene starting with one of the following sentences:

·      She fell.

·      He sighed.

·      It broke.

·      They left.

·      We waited.

Please share your result as a comment or link to your response on your website!

Click "read more" for writercizer Sara Dawkins' sample response. (Ed. note: Do it! You'll be rewarded with a little romance.)

I'm Baaaack Home! Guest One and Guest Two

Hello writercizers! 

I am officially home from nearly three weeks in a far away land, and excited to dust off the fingers and get typing. In the meantime, I have two guest posts that you are welcome and encouraged to visit, and I'll see you back here again within 36 hours!  :D

Today's Guest Post - Freelancing and Setting Writing Goals with children's book author Clar Bowman-John: http://clarbojahn.wordpress.com/

February 21 Guest Post - Tackling the Taunting Letters at the A to Z Challenge home page

Please visit these fabulous websites and comment away!

As a note on writercize guest posts, I welcome submissions Fridays. If you are interested in posting a writercize, please read the guest post guidelines first and then send me a message with your preferred date and proposed writercize to alanagwrites(at)gmail(dot)com. I'll write back and we'll get you on the calendar!

Guest Post at A to Z

Good morning writercizers!  

An early post today.  I'm guest posting over at the A to Z Challenge home page with some tips and tricks for the annual blogging challenge coming up in April.  Sign-ups begin January 30, and host Arlee Bird has been posting insight from previous years' participants since the beginning of December.  

If you are familiar with the challenge, I look forward to blogging with you again this year!  If you are not familiar with the challenge, try it out.

I'm posting the writercize from the guest post below; for the full entry and background visit the Challenge site today!

writercize:  Write down the letters A through Z in a notebook.  Fill in an idea for a word or image for each letter.

Guest Writercize - Mike Miller - Let the words simmer

I am very excited to introduce you all to Mike Miller, a fellow Group Blogging Experience (#GBE2) participant and a person whose words never fail to make me laugh.  Almost always out loud.  Read this writercize, try it out, enjoy, and visit Mike's blog.  You'll be glad you did.

Now, passing the virtual mic right on over to ... Mike!

Hi Folks,

What say we skip all the writer cizer jazz and just do some good old calisthenics?  No?  Good idea!  Let's sit here and use the old noodle to try and come up with some good literary pasta.  Well I do have something of an idea for this exercise, so here goes:

I'm thinking of a word prompt kind of challenge.  

writercize:  Please pick up the nearest book and turn to page four.  Pick out the noun closest to the upper left corner and use that for the subject of an up and coming sentence.  Page two has the verb, the one you find closest to the upper right corner, and the object is on page three near the lower right corner of the page.  You may be wondering how I know that, but just trust me, I do.

Oh boy.  NOW I look around and find that the closest book to me is the 1996 Physician's Desk Reference!  Here is my sentence, gleaned, as it were, from the corners of the three pages:  Acetaminophen contains doses.  

I am willing to bet that your base sentence will be a lot easier than mine, to turn into a short story.   That's right.  The challenge here is to take your obscure sentence and expand it three times; first from your randomly formed sentence into three coherent full blown sentences based on the idea of the original, and then into a decent tease of a story of one or two paragraphs.  That's only expanded two times?  Right again.  The third time I want you to turn your few paragraphs into a full fledged best selling novel or, as in my case, a medical school textbook.    In each step, it is only an idea derived and descended from your first sentence that must survive.

Now for the kicker, just in case you're still standing:  I want you to think about your primordial sentence for at least one hour before committing your three sentence rewrite to paper or screen. And then please let the ruminating juices flow for another hour or more so the next version of your idea has had time to sprout wings or leaves or fur, or something equally useful.

By the way, there is a point to all this.  I have so often observed that my first idea, while practically genius, can ALWAYS be improved upon.  Sometimes even by me!  Seriously, while I may be quick with the quip, or an inane observation, there have been a million times when I realized later that I could have said  “________”!  Or more to the point here; even after steadily laboring over some article or essay for a long time, I have been struck later by the realization that a major element is fatally flawed,  that I should have taken another approach altogether, or that I killed the hero off in the first paragraph.  Let time pass.  Give the mind a rest.  And then see what comes.

(Mike's sample writercize response below:)

Here's my effort.  And yes, I will heed my own prescription and let an hour pass before expanding on my own medicinal therapeutics.

2:44 PM     

Acetaminophen contains doses.

7:33 PM

The stands are full of excited fans this afternoon.
The trucks and jeeps are lined up, each one full of gas and ready to go the distance.
Enough delight will fly from those big tires today to cover each onlooker with inches of                      mud.
                   

12:20 PM (the next day)

Byron stepped hard on the gas but his bald tires were even worse than he knew.  While a dozen other trucks flew ahead and buried his windshield in their wakes, way overburdening his poor wipers, Byron just slowly slid back and forth, even in the thin mud at the starting line.  A glance out the side window showed him that the hundreds of people in the stands were missing the excitement at the first turn; they were all watching his four tires spin up a thin spray of misty mud, and they were laughing.

But one more glance made everything all right.  It had been a long hard year, and Byron had sadly discovered how disasters pile on.  The furnace died last Winter, the basement flooded in the Spring, and the long hot Summer was full of miscellaneous breakdowns and work lay-offs. He couldn't even afford to replace the AC so his wife had been stuck sweltering in the house, until today.  Byron looked across again, astonished at Minnie's great big smile where she sat in her brand new, mud-covered wheel chair. The sight made even his frustration at having to make the 'right' decision melt away.  Minnie never realized that By had traded in the new tires he bought last year, anticipating this very race, to buy her chair.  And as she watched him continue to glide back and forth, now somehow behind the starting line, and then heard him start to laugh out loud, she knew that while pills of pain may come in regular doses, a good man's love covers all like a flood.

Guest Writercize - Nicole, Madlab Post (Movie Review)

Today I welcome Nicole to the writercize guest spot. I met Nicole through the A to Z Challenge this past April, and instantly felt a connection to her through her thoughtful comments and supportive attitude. She runs a blog called The Madlab Post which reviews, evaluates, compares, questions, and more ... anything to do with cinema, from the perspective of an aspiring film maker and writer. Her irreverent style mixed with intelligent commentary is always a pleasure to read, and the questions she poses to her readers are always interesting.


Without further ado, I present to you: Nicole!  (Oh, and PS - you might want to leave a couple of candles and a slice of cake with your comment.  Just saying, today might be a special day for a certain someone.)  


The end of this post does reference sexual content in a movie, so be aware.

Greetings to all Writercize readers on this most glorious day. What makes it so glorious, you ask? Well, because we’re going to have some fun writing movie reviews. Here is a short primer for those of you who are unfamiliar with me and/or my writing: My name is Nicole; I blog about independent films, hot actors, prolific movie directors and Hollywood releases as well as party ideas that help mix cinema into the equation in almost any social gathering, at my blog, The Madlab Post. I am also a filmmaker who has made several short films and plans to bring one of my feature length screenplays to the big (or small) screen.

After reading movie reviews in newspapers, magazines and online, I leave the text feeling like I should have just watched the entire film instead of spending 15-30 minutes reading someone’s critique of the piece. Now, I don’t mind a good review that just happens to be lengthy, but have found many movie reviews to be obnoxiously lengthy for no reason. It usually occurs when the reviewer carefully dissects almost every aspect of a particular film, when some of the readers probably aren’t interested in knowing about all of this information in the first place. This is why I started writing an “In a Nutshell” series on my blog featuring short movie reviews that are often 140 words or less; well, THAT and I wanted to try writing shorter posts more often since mine tend to be on the long-winded side.

Movie reviews are the focus of today’s writercize. It is inspired by my “In a Nutshell” series, which was inspired by the word count limit that Twitter has setup for its users. 

writercize:  In 140 words or less, write a movie review on any one film that you have already seen.

Within the last two weeks or so, I’ve watched several movies including “Shortbus,” “Hostel,” “1408,” “Finding Forrester” and “Funny Games” and since either already used or plan on using most of these films for other online writing duties of mine, here is my review of the movie “Shortbus,” a title that ironically fits in line with the theme of this writercize:

(Nicole's sample writercize response below:)

I thought that this movie was about orgies, shot cinéma vérité style. While watching it, I learned that this was not a movie about orgies. It is a movie about a sexually frustrated “couples counselor” who cannot orgasm, her gay clients who add a third person into their depressing relationship in hopes of fixing problems that they have difficulties addressing, a dominatrix whose job stifles the confidence for pursuing her passions in art photography that she does on the side -- and a singing mistress of ceremonies who spends half of his time “blowing the NYPD” to provide a place for them all to congregate in a brooklyn salon that offers entertainment in a variety of fashions including discussion groups, live art, music, drinks and all of the free heterosexual and LGBT sex that you desire -- with real, full-frontal penetration.

Word count total for my “Shortbus” movie review: 139 words

Boo-ya!

Now, it’s your turn!

Guest Writercize - Clara Bowman-Jahn

Please join me in welcoming Clara Bowman-Jahn to the writercize guest spot!  Clara is a published children's book author and she posts about life, family and writing, from using digital media to support your writing to finding inspiration through writing groups and a schedule.  Today Clara's writercize focuses on your inner writer, and giving yourself the time and space to create.  

I invite you to try out the writercize, comment and visit her blog!

Without further ado, I pass the mic to Clar!!

Hi Readers!  Glad to meet you. My name is Clar, short for Clara, you can read all about it on my about page on my blog. I write about my experiences in marketing and writing picture books. I also write about how I’m constructing my life now that I have this second career of writing. My picture book, “Annie’s Special Day” will be published in early winter 2012 and I write about my experiences in publishing and getting it illustrated. I have really been all over the place in my blog and have had a hard time finding a niche, unless you want to *narrow* life down into a blog.

Thank you, Alana for the honor of being your guest today. As a picture book author and in the spirit of Picture Book Idea Month, the children’s literature equivalent of National Novel Writing Month, I am going to post an exercise on how to get an idea.

There are many venues for ideas in writing. People get creative in all kinds of places and doing all kinds of things from meditating in nature to taking a shower. Bloggers have been known to doodle, put up photo prompts and take walks to get ideas.

writercize: Think about when are you most creative.  How can you adjust your schedule to nurture your creative side? What are you doing when the creative juices hit? What else could you do? Think of something else that makes you creative. Share in the comments.

Clara's sample response:

My favorite time for getting an idea is letting my mind float over the previous day’s activities while slowly waking up from a good night’s sleep. That is when I’m most creative. I have to go to bed early enough so I don’t need an alarm to wake me. An alarm would totally destroy all the creativity.

Guest Writercize - Gene Pool Diva

Today's guest post brought to you by none other than Kelly, the Gene Pool Diva, regular GBE2 participant and recorder of all sorts of funny family conversations.  Her posts are known to inspire true fits of laughing out loud, as you'll soon find out by reading below!  If you want a daily dose of humor and dialogue, I highly recommend that you check her out!

And now, without further ado, Gene Pool Diva.  Take it away Kelly!

After three weeks on the road, I stepped over my threshold and into the escalating odor of fish. I still haven't identified the source. Well, of course Rob's the culprit, but where do I pinpoint the problem? Tiny, suspicious dots form a trail from the kitchen, through the dining room and out to the lanai. Stains bloom on the counter. My sneakers stick to tiled floors. Did he drag the trash can liner from room to room, again? Did … oh crap, Alana's waiting.

I promised Alana a writing exercise. I don't know anything about writing exercises. According to Beamer, my internal dialogue is proof of mental illness. Great, but how do I turn that into an assignment? Dunno. I just know the clock is inching toward noon. Then I stumble on Haiku.

I remember Haiku. Weren't they nature inspired?

Then it occurs to me that Rob and culture are on a collision course.

Rob and nature are on a collision course.

Rob and I are about to collide

writercize:  So, I suggest a round of partner-inspired haiku. Haiku that even hubby, brained by a cast iron skillet, can understand.

Here's my attempt.

Whole house smells of fish

I contemplate Rob's demise

Who will walk the dog

No, don't talk to me

I still remember shark guts

frozen bits of beer

I raise the rafters

Boy escapes to mow the lawn

Sweet dog cuddles close

Alana's eyes roll

Uh oh, wheres the back up plan

Beth, about Friday

Ahem, you're next.

((Side notes:  There are still two guest spots available this year to interested parties.  Scroll along the left hand side of my blog for more information.

For a quick reminder on the rules of haiku, see this post.))

Guest Writercize - Brianna Renshaw - Book Blurb to Opener

Welcome this week to Brianna Renshaw, the deliciously honest and raw writer over at Pocketful of Playdough.  Brianna and I met through the A to Z Challenge, and I always enjoy her voice and the sentiment behind her posts.  I highly recommend her blog and that you sign up to become a follower - she always has something worthwhile to read, sharing her personal truths about being a writer,parenting,running and religion.

(Btw, my apologies for a week long pause here at writercize - out of town guests and the Halloween holiday have blown this week by at warp speed.  I don't quite know how that happens!  Expect me back and exercising those brain muscles all week next week!)

Without further ado, today's guest post ...

Good morning, Writercizers! Are you ready to work out those writing muscles?

Wait, I can’t hear you…

Alright! That’s the spirit! Let’s get moving!

First let’s stretch a bit – crack your knuckles, wiggle those fingers and take a few deep breaths! Now we’re ready to begin.

As writers we all know how important the first sentence of our story is. It’s the hook that’s either going to capture the attention of editors and readers or bore them to tears. No pressure, right?

Not if we are regularly working out our writing muscles! Here’s an exercise focusing on writing strong first sentences:

Read the back-cover blurb of a book and then write an opening sentence.

The beauty of this exercise is that not only does it allow you to practice writing an attention-grabbing opening sentence; it could also be a stepping stone to an original book of your own!

 You are free to use whatever back-cover book blurb you like or use the three samples from the genres of science fiction, mystery and romance below. Write a first sentence for all three, or just one, and share it in the comments section.

Science Fiction

On the North Pole of Pluto there stands an enigma: a huge circle of standing blocks of ice, built on the pattern of Earth’s Stonehenge –but ten times the size, standing alone at the farthest reach of the Solar System. What is it? Who came there to build it?

The secret lies, perhaps, in the chaotic decades of the Martian Revolution, in the lost memories of those who have lived for centuries.

~Icehenge by Kim Stanley Robinson, 1984, ISBN 0-312-86609-7~

Mystery

Not much happens in Contrary, West Virginia –a sleepy town with failing coal mines, a few old moonshine stills, and an urgent need for revenue. A federal grant for a nonexistent bus system seemed just the ticket…if only the government auditor, sent to look things over, hadn’t drunk to much white lightening. And ended up dead.

Now his successor, Owen Allison, has come down from D.C. to check out the situation. Disgruntled with his life inside the Beltway, Owen is willing to give Contrary’s officials the benefit of the doubt –and himself some time to romance Mary Beth, the alluring town controller. He soon feels like seventeen different kinds of fool. Because something has long been fermenting in Contrary besides corn mash. Another body has been found. And Owen may be next…unless he uncovers the big secrets hidden in the hearts of a small Appalachian town.

~The Contrary Blues by John Billheimer, 1998, ISBN 0-440-23504-9~

Romance

Innocence was the only word to describe Mary Frances Murphy. Expelled from a convent, her only sin was desire: For intimacy. For experience. For true carnal knowledge. Once forbidden, these things were now within her reach –as she searched for her sister’s killer in a world of staged seduction, virtual passion, and fantasy made flesh. But Mary Frances had never even been touched by a man…let alone a man like Webb Calderon. A man whose erotic finesse was as vast –and dangerous—as his empire. A man who could devour her innocence…and kill her with pleasure.

~ Innocence by Suzanne Forster, 1997 ISBN 0-425-15663-X~

Read this writercizer’s response below (as in Brianna! Alana's will be posted as comment):

My attempt at a first sentence for Icehenge:

The discovery changed the universe, but no one remembered.

My attempt at a first sentence for The Contrary Blues:

Every small town has secrets and Contrary was no exception.

My attempt at a first sentence for Innocence:

It was during Mass when the prospect of what was under Monsignor Alexander’s robe got her so hot and bothered her habit was in danger of going up in flames  that Mary Frances first thought being a nun wasn’t her true calling.

Guest Writercize - Dawn M. Hamsher - Dress-Up Time!

I am very excited to introduce all of you to the very talented Dawn M. Hamsher, author of The Write Soil blog and purveyor of book reviews, writing exercises, tips, photo prompts, shout-outs and more!  

Be sure to visit her blog and while you're there, check out her series on dialogue - it's short, sweet, visual and very relevant and helpful to all sorts of writers.

Without further ado, I pass the "mike" over to Dawn! Be sure to participate, leave a comment, and visit Dawn's blog. Can't wait to see all your creative answers.

Guest Post: What are you dressing up as?
Dawn M. Hamsher @ The Write Soil (http://thewritesoil.blogspot.com)

Hi, I’m Dawn. My blog has writing exercises, tips, comics, and whatever else writing-wise that I get into.

Wow, Alana! I am so excited to do this post! I love writing exercises and I love dressing up (acting and costumes), so I decided to combine the two since it is Halloween time.

Recently I attended the Susquehanna Writers Conference and one of the best tips was write well-thought out, believable characters, setting, and plot. It should be so well done that readers can feel like they are there. The exercise today will give us some practice with this.

writercize: Writing Prompt – What are you dressing up as for Halloween? Write fiction or non-fiction, but make sure you give some good description so readers can “see” it in their minds.

(Read on to see Dawn's response to her writercize challenge:)

Mine… (as in Dawn's)

Dressing Up as a Writer

This Halloween, I will secretly change into my writing costume and become Dawn M. Hamsher, author. Gone is the daily, mild-mannered IT Specialist and in her place emerges Can-Do, Try-Anything Book Writer who is ready to take on any challenge.

To play the part, I will wear my dark gray-patterned newspaper reporter hat. My blogging business card will stick out in anticipation of networking with other Trick-or-Treating writers.

I’ve prepared for years for this moment, purchasing used English textbooks and clearing Border’s book shelves of books on writing. Each book cover holds sweet writing tips, like candy hidden in wrappers, for me to discover. I will learn them. I will use them.

My laptop stands ready. The cursor blinks expectantly. My fingers hover over the keys. My trusty red notebook is opened beside me, filled with story ideas. The characters swirl in my mind, ready to come to life on the page.

This Halloween, I will take risks. I might even dangle from a particle or take a mad dash. What am I waiting for? I have my hat on. I am dressed the part. I can begin.