Spring Cleaning Writer's Tag

     The lovely Skye tagged me in this challenge (originally created by Deborah O'Carroll). Feeling honored, I have decided to partake, although I freely admit that Spring Cleaning is not my forte.


Rules: 
1. Link back to the person who tagged you (which, for me, was Skye at Ink Castles)
2. Share the picture
3. Answer the questions
4. Tag 3 other writers and inform them you have (You're allowed to use carrier pigeon if preferred)

1. Dust-bunnies and Plot-bunnies: Reorganize Your Writing Goals (Or Make New Ones)
     In playing around with this blog, I looked at my WIP page, thinking I could delete some of the stories on there. And I found that I still love those stories, even the unfinished ones. See? I told you Spring Cleaning was not my thing. I'm one of those people who gets emotionally attached to the memories captured within useless objects ("oh, look, guys!!!! It's that smashed penny I picked up in the parking lot that day that we all went to Kings Dominion for the first time! Remember?"). Throwing away my dust bunnies would be a tragedy!!!
     I'm putting everything on hold until after March 31st. As small as the chance may be for winning the Rooglewood contest, I don't want to start a new project today if it's going to be back-burnered next month as I plunge into editing and publishing.
     If I don't win, then I will either (1) expand Blood of Beauty for publishing elsewhere, (2) write a Rapunzel story with the Arista's Band, or (3) pull out an old story waiting to be written. I'm thinking about my Alexander story. Or my Princess with 2 Crazy Brother's story.

2. Which Stage Are You At? Expound!
     a. Remodeling layouts (planning the story)
     b. Painting the walls in colorful hues (writing)
     c. Polishing the windows and scrubbing the floors and putting flowers in vases (editing)
     d. Blueprints (not to the cleaning or remodeling yet… just drawing up plans for the very beginning inklings of a story)
     e. Some combination of those things (cleaning out a closet)
     I am definitely cleaning out a closet, lol. For my Alexander story, I have a basic plot in my head but I am well aware that it will need to simmer a little bit when I pull it out again. I want to write it with the skills I have now instead of staying with my previous newbie styles. For my Princess with 2 Crazy Brothers story -- I have a general premise and the characteristics of the top 3-4 characters. But it will need some additional simmering as well.

3. Treasure From the Back of the Closet (Share one to three snippets you love!)
     The prince laughed. “The one person in the entire kingdom with the nerve to talk back to me! But I shall tame you yet. Do you remember when we first met?”
     Rayen yawned. “I think I have forgotten.”
     “I leaned from the window of my carriage and asked you for a kiss.” He leaned forward, crossing his arms on the pool table. “Do you know what you said to me?”
     “I told you I didn’t kiss toads.”

~Sarcasm and Ink
~~~

     “Don’t be. It just gives me more practice in seeing the beauty where I am.” For a moment, the image of the little mermaid from her dream flashed through Elana’s memory. Long, flowing red hair that billowed mournfully about her. A shimmering blue-green tail. Eyes as gray as a stormy sea. Elana couldn’t help but feel sorry for the mermaid of her dreams. It was so easy want the beauty that was out of your reach – no matter how beautiful the things within your reach might be.

~His True Love: A Little Mermaid Tale
~~~

     “I can take blood pressure and other vitals. I can do some charting. I help with cleaning and other things. I set equipment up for the doctor. That sort of thing.” Jemma took a breath and exhaled. The awkward feeling was gone. The stranger smiled at her, and Jemma’s heart flip-flopped.
     He held out his hand. “Benjamin Cooling.”
     Jemma shook his hand. “Is that your name or an air conditioning company?”

~Jemma's War


3.5. Bonus: Do Some Actual Spring Cleaning of Your Writer Self! (and share a picture!)
I don't want to throw away any story snippets so I'm going to throw away some things that are harder to see.
     1. I'm throwing away the idea that I'm not good at finishing things.
     2. I'm throwing away the feeling that I'm not skilled enough to write publishing-worthy stories.
     3. I'm throwing away the conviction that being an author is too fickle a career and you could never succeed at it.
     4. I'm throwing away the need to keep everything, the unwillingness to edit my story for fear that I will lose something important.
     5. I'm throwing away the need to please everyone with my stories. I'm even throwing away the need to please certain people with my stories.

How's that? A good Spring Cleaning?

     And for the picture, I'm sharing a sketch I made of my husband yesterday (because I like him a lot and I was so pleased that the picture turned out to be a fairly good likeness).

I hereby tag the following bloggers:

Katherine Sophia @ Seek Him First

Joy @ Fullness of Joy

Emily Ann Putzke @ Taking Dictation