Inspiration

Let's see... inspiration. Anyone have some? Ha!

Well I know it's been quite some time since I last posted anything. Let's just say things have been hectic and I haven't even been able to write much. Not good at all, no sir indeed.

Well I do have some good news, I'm expecting baby #3 due to arrive this fall!! We are so excited here on the home-front, although this lil' one will add to our chaos. But I'm ok with that. :)

So until summer when my schedule (and life) opens up, it'll probably still be a little quiet on here.

So until then my friends!

An Otherworldly Blog Chain

This post is part of the October 2012 AW Blog Chain at Absolute Write. This month's challenge is "Otherworldly."

The rules are to write about ghouls, ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Old Hallow's Eve, Dia de los Muertos and Halloween. They can be scary, funny, or anything in between.

Each post should be less than 1000 words if possible.

Here are the participants for this month. Please be sure to check out their Otherworldly stories as well!

(Source)

Ralph Pines
randi.lee
Aranenvo
pyrosama
hilaryjacques
meowzbark
slcboston
areteus
dolores haze
SuzanneSeese
Orion mk3
Linda Adams
Alynza
BBBurke
SRHowen
Damina Rucci
CJMichaels
wonderactivist
Lady Cat
xcomplex
debranneelliot
bearilou
bmadsen

******

Otherworldly

They fear my amber eyes that glow beneath the moon,
They fear my sharp claws that scrape and squeal of an ear shattering tune.

Perhaps it's the ancient folk tales from my past,
Or it could be the blood dripping from my teeth of the vermin that wasn't so fast.

I've seen them all startle and shriek as I pass on by,
Darting the other way and telling themselves one big lie.

They refuse to come near me and cringe when I pass through,
I hiss through my fangs and wish I could change my repulsive hue.

You see my dears, my coat of dark fur is sleek as midnight,
Glistening like black pearls beneath the waning moonlight.

On nights like Halloween I prowl and haunt the streets,
Especially when the children are begging for their tooth-rotting treats.

They are quite the easy prey those tiny little ones,
Clutching their treat bags with their sweaty little palms.

But what is this? Does one dare actually approach me?
A child dressed with my hideous fur, how could this be?

I hiss at her with a deep growl and prepare for a fight,
Why would she even step near me on this dreadful night?

But then her voice whispers as cautiously as can be,
And I hear her softly call to me, "Here kitty kitty."

******

Haha!  I totally feel like I cheated on this one. :)  We've been passing around the flu in my house which in itself has been "Otherworldly!"

Thanks for reading!


©Alynza Smith 2012

DearEditor.com free EDIT Giveaway!!

So who in their right mind doesn't like a really good giveaway now and then?  I know I definitely love them. Especially when the prize is a good one.

DearEditor.com is giving away a "free *substantive edit of one fiction or non-fiction manuscript." It's totally free to enter the giveaway! Seriously, you don't have to do anything except make a few clicks here and there.

According to DearEditor.com, here are the rules that you must follow:

1. Your manuscript can be of ANY GENRE or CATEGORY (for adults or children, fiction or non-fiction), including picture books.
2. Your manuscript must be COMPLETE.
3. Your manuscript SHALL NOT EXCEED 80,000 WORDS.
4. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements will be disqualified.
5. Deadline: MIDNIGHT, August 28, 2012, PST.
6. Winner will be randomly selected using Randomizer.org and announced on August 29, 2012, on DearEditor.com and on the DearEditor.com Facebook page, and the winner will be notified directly via email.

There are a couple of additional ways to enter more than once if you qualify. To get the details and enter into this awesomeness, please click HERE and follow the directions.  Good luck to all! (Although secretly I hope you all lose! But only because I want to win...hehe, otherwise my vote would totally go for you.)  :-)

Let the mad dash of manuscript editing begin!

Salt of the Earth / 2nd Campaigner Challenge

All I can say is WOW. This new challenge of Rachael's has definitely been the most difficult. I gave a bash at it but didn't do all of them. I chose #2, the 200 word short story/flash fiction based on all the prompts and #4, a poem using five sentences based on the prompts.  To view the rules and prompts, they are at the bottom of this post. 

My entries are:

# 2. (200 word flash fiction piece using all the prompts)

*****

Salt of the Earth

They have our son.

Those words echoed over and over as my soul shattered piece by piece. I held my breath as Jacob and I searched up and down the beach, flipping over trash and debris. Maybe he was just hiding. I noticed children scavenging through garbage. Was he with them?

Jacob motioned before lunging into the water and splashed around like a madman. He caught Isaac’s red coat. It was drenched with sand and poisonous salt, but still, no Isaac. I couldn’t go anywhere near it, if the salt were to contaminate the deep gash on my leg, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

My throat tightened. The ball Isaac found should have been my first clue. If only I had said no to the rare toy. They must have used it to lure him away. The Salt Spinners always took the healthy children.

Sobs erupted from my throat as I sat beneath the rusted bridge. Jacob returned, his wet hair full of salt and his eyes bursting with rage.

“I still have the Salt Spinner’s Pear, I can get to Isaac.” With a single toxic bite, Jacob burst into golden molecules.

Before I could stop him, he was gone.

*****

#4. (Poem in five sentences, each based on the prompts)

They sit beneath the bridge in complete despair,
     pondering the game of life and how it’s so unfair.

They watch their only child run with such glee,
     for even he can’t understand such deep misery.

Even the pears were once fresh with life,
     but are now so toxic and kill quicker than a knife.

Even the other children live on the lethal shore
     with nothing to eat and no one to love them at all anymore.

But if one were to actually eat a Salt Spinner’s Pear,
     would it really kill him or send him from here to there?

If you liked it enough to vote, please "like" me by clicking HERE. (this is a direct link, only click once because this page will stay the same)

To go to the Linky List page and view all of the votes and entries, please go HERE. (I'm #36)

The rules are:

1.  Write a pitch / logline for a book based on the prompts (less than 100 words)
      I am sooo not good at these. I attempted, but scratched it. I'll have to do without. :)

2.  Write a short story / flash fiction piece of less than 200 words based on the prompts
     Check!

3.  Write a poem with a twist using the prompts as inspiration (in less than 200 words)
     Haha! I'm only good for about one poem per challenge.

4.  Write a story / poem in five sentences, each sentences based on one of the prompts
     Check! (or at least my puny attempt at a poem)

5.  Write a poem / flash fiction piece (in less than 200 words) about the water pear *without* using the words "pear", "spoon", or "droplet"
     Umm, nope, couldn't get this one right either.

For added difficulty / challenge:

1.  Complete at least three of the above activities and tie them all together with a common theme
     I tried but no luck :( Although my two have a common theme. Bonus points?

2.  Write in a genre that is not your own
     Dystopian feel is definitely not my cup of tea. I like reading it, just not good at writing it.

3.  Ask Challenge Entrants to critique your writing.
     Okey dokey. Have at it my fellow campaigners! Just remember, it's choppy due to the word count limit. 
     Otherwise, have at it!

The prompts are:

Prompt 1: Two people are sitting together under the remains of a concrete bridge. Their backs are against a rusted bridge support. One person's leg is cut. The other person has wet hair.

Prompt 2
(Source)

Prompt 3
(Source)

Prompt 4
(Source)

Prompt 5
(Source)

©Alynza Smith 2012