The Pen of a Ready Writer

It's rather fitting that some things come to a close on this day -- the last day of the year. I submitted my last entry into the Rooglewood contest this morning.  I can hardly believe it took me until the day of the deadline to send it in because I'm usually earlier than that.  And, even with the extra time I took, I still felt a little bit like maybe I could have done better if I had more time. But there was no feeling of regret when I hit "send."  Mostly it was just a prayer that Rooglewood would hear the heart of the message when they read it and that maybe, if I win, they could help me bring the full potential out of my little story.  And there was also a feeling, after working on these stories for more than six months, that it felt good to close that chapter and move on to the next one. I did it.  I wrote them.  And I'm really proud of them. Last year, the act of hitting "send" on my contest entry catapulted me into an anticipatory state....

http://commandedwriter.blogspot.com/2014/05/bb-villain-little-boy.html

http://commandedwriter.blogspot.com/2014/05/bb-villain-gossip-after-his-birth.html

     Hello, dear readers and friends!  I am very much enjoying my holiday break from blogging, but I wanted to pop in and tell you how much I appreciate you.  And I also wanted to give you something to read, in case you were bored.  It's from my archives, but many of you are newer to the blog so you know nothing about the Duke of Northumber.      The Duke of Northumber is a horrible villain in one of my stories, and I became so fascinated with his backstory that I had to write little scenes from his life.  And I posted these scenes on my blog a little over a year ago.      So, if you want to know who the Duke of Northumber was and how he turned from a sweet little boy into a cruel man, start here: http://commandedwriter.blogspot.com/2014/05/bb-villain-world-he-was-born-into.html

Hi!  We're so close to the end of the story that I hate to do this to you, but I am taking a break for the rest of December.  We will finish in January!  Peace and love to you all!

No, I'm not talking about Christmas presents. I'm talking about the stories for the Rooglewood contest.  In two days is the deadline for turning in your submission forms -- so if they haven't already been sent in, you have 2 days to get them postmarked and on their way. I finished my drafts and some edits on all of my stories earlier in the fall.  Then I got terribly overwhelmed and decided to hide and pretend that there were no stories waiting for me on my computer.  I was like the little frilled lizard on The Rescuers Down Under, with my hands over my ears, dancing around singing, "Dadabaduba, dadabaduba, I can't hear you!" Which, as cowardly as it sounds, was probably a good thing.  Because, essentially, I was taking the recommended break so that I could come back with fresh eyes.  I just didn't know that's what I was doing.  I thought I was procrastinating. But then, last Tuesday, I sat down and read through AAM.  With a big gulp, I decided...

      Emery and Beth burst out of the door and into a narrow alleyway.  Emery grabbed Beth's hand and started running, winding her way through the streets.  Dingy buildings toward over them, and they dodged fences and trash cans as they ran.       They made it several blocks before Emery slowed down.  Beth was gasping for breath, and they were both tired.      Emery looked worriedly at Beth.  "We still have a long way to go.  Do you think you can make it?"      Beth closed her eyes.  Her face was pale and sweaty.  But she nodded.      A truck rattled down the road by them. Then it stopped and backed up.  Emery shifted her weight uneasily.        The driver leaned out the window.  "You kids need a ride?"  His eyes focused on Beth and he frowned.  "What are you wearing?  A nightgown?"       "Yes," Beth sai...