Monday, April 29, 2013

Photo Prompts, Story Snippets, & Monday Fortune Cookie 4/29/13

YOU WILL SPEND OLD AGE IN COMFORT AND MATERIAL WEALTH.

SNARKY RESPONSE:  If this fortune cookie had the winning lottery numbers, I might, but without those I'll probably spend it with Southern Comfort.


Today, I decided to do something different. I'm going to share a little of my writing explorations with you.

I'm very active on fb - Denise Golinowski/Author - and folks are always posting these lovely evocative images. Anything and everything from lush landscapes to fantastical creatures to kick-ass warriors. 

I used to just share them and comment on how they were "plot bunnies," but I never followed up. 

Well for some time, I've been wanting to write something in the Steampunk genre, or at least on the Gaslight stage, and recently I've been seeing photos that grabbed my imagination with both hands, screamed "steampunk story" at me, and introduced me to a couple of intriguing characters - Lady Aimes and Professor Algenon. And it all started with this photo:

Frankfurt Metro Entrance
(Where, in an unexpected turn of events, Professor Algenon takes control of a runaway underground train and manages to drive it up through the pavement to avoid a head-on collision.)

Lady Aimes adjusted her hat and brushed dust 
off her shirtwaist before fixing Professor Algenon with a stern gaze. "A unique way to avoid a straight-on disaster, but you could have just changed tracks back at the switch."

Professor Alegnon wiped a trickle of blood from his forehead and grinned. "But this was so much more fun!"



And a few hours later, I saw a photo of the Bridge of Sighs in Venice - not this exact photo, one taken at night with the canal was empty of gondolas, which set up this snippet: 

(Where Lady Aimes and the Professor try to escape some unsavory Venetians who have been up to no good. Unfortunately, Lady Aimes, who is a very frugal woman, did not anticipate the mercenary nature of their gondolier)


Lady Aimes peered over the side of the bridge at the empty water. "Where is that gondolier?"

Professor Algenon glanced over his shoulder toward the distant sound of footsteps and shouts. "Perhaps you should have tipped him more."



(Suffice it to say that they manage to escape not only their nefarious pursuers, but reached the safety and sanity of London with their adventure a success - a disaster averted and a dastardly inventor jailed)


Before the end of that day, a final photo of a beautiful glassed in solarium provided a final scene for the Intrepid Lady Aimes and Professor Algenon (I apologize, but I could not find a comparable photo - imagine if you will a glass roofed solarium with lush greenery and a tea service set on a table between two cushioned wrought iron chairs):  

Lady Aimes sank onto the seat cushion with a sigh of relief. "Home at last. Professor, you seem to relish outings like today's, but I, for one, am determined to stay in tomorrow."

Professor Algenon looked up from the stack of correspondence on his lap. She couldn't tell if the sparkle in his blue eyes was from excitement or sunlight on his glasses. "I'm sorry to hear that. I just received an intriguing missive."


She leaned forward, sensing a rise of regretable excitement. "Do tell."



Now I'm captured by these two intriguing characters and have plans to flesh out this first adventure and then follow them out into others as well. In fact, I worked on an opening scene for a second story while at RavenCon this year.

So, have you seen any good pictures or met any intriguing characters? I invite you to visit my fb page to see what other snippets I create and give me your thoughts/additions/etc.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Digging Myself Out of a Rut with FastDraft & Monday Fortune Cookie 4/22/13

BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOURSELF, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO FAKE IT.

SNARKY RESPONSE: Yeah, no one'll see through that! It's all about aspirations with an emphasis on the first syllable, eh? 


Bring out the best in yourself, even if you have to fake it.

Actually, it's not bad advice. And aspiring to be more than you fear you truly are is the first step toward becoming exactly what you desire.

I'm going to be pushing myself to bring out my best effort over the next two weeks. A friend of mine, Alexa Day (you met her a few weeks ago, remember? Taking The Scientific Approach? ILLICIT IMPULSE - Blog Post dated 4/5/13) is doing another Fast Draft, and I'm going to tag along. I believe the target is 5,000 words per day for 2 weeks. I'm not off to a good start, having had to spend the day in the yard with hubby. However, I will pound out some words tonight and do serious make-up writing tomorrow.

I hear Alexa's off to a fantastic start and I look forward to tracking her progress via her facebook Author Page - Alexa Day Author Page

I've been in a bit of a rut lately, and I'm hopeful that Fast Draft will help to pull me out. Putting a goal out there is the first step to holding myself accountable for my writing. It's a steep daily word count, but a challenge isn't a challenge if it's not tough, right? I'll be reporting on my progress via facebook as well - Denise Golinowski/Author

Booyah!


Monday, April 15, 2013

Surprises, Taxes, and Monday Fortune Cookie, 4/15/13

THERE WILL BE MANY SURPRISES; UNEXPECTED GAINS ARE LIKELY


SNARKY RESPONSE:  On Tax Day, just surviving may be the biggest surprise. After meeting with my tax accountant the only unexpected gain is going to be on the scales. Comfort food is so high-cal.

THERE WILL BE MANY SURPRISES; UNEXPECTED GAINS ARE LIKELY

Actually, Tax Day was several weeks ago for me and, thankfully, not a disaster.

Preparing my taxes gave me a chance to take a walk down memory lane and so I'm going to inflict a few highlights on you. Brace yourself.

The Virginia Romance Writers 2012 Conference - I actually submitted the winning name for the conference - For The Love Of Writing. It was a wonderful conference and resulted in my finding a home for COLLECTOR'S ITEM at the Wild Rose Press!


A SALE! - I mentioned before that I found a home for COLLECTOR'S ITEM at The Wild Rose Press. My first enovella, THE FESTIVAL OF THE FLOWERS: THE COURTESAN & THE SCHOLAR, is currently in their catalogue.

Tea & Strumpets Panel - My second ever speaking engagement at a lovely little venue in Hampton. Just loved the name! What fun with the authors who helped to form the Words, Women, Wisdom (W3) blog group.

Discovering The Porches Writing Retreat - I was invited to join a lovely group of women (I call 'em The Porches Divas) on a writing retreat. I got the spicy scenes in COLLECTOR'S ITEM written there!

W3 was formed - I joined a creative bunch of ladies to form a group blog. We're an amazingly diverse group of writers covering a wide range of genres. The blog is still evolving, and I feel the best is yet to come! My monthly contribution is Myth Perceptions where I explore myths and fantasy on the third Wednesday of the month. Hey! That's this week! Dew Drop In!

I'd worked harder to develop more of an online presence with facebook and blogs. Twitter, sadly, is just not my venue of choice, though I do tweet occasionally!

Mainly, I'd say that my dedication to my career as a writer continued to expand in 2012 and I've been continuing the trend in 2013 with COLLECTOR'S ITEM's release.

However, the best part has been the folks I've met here on Golinowski's Gambol, facebook, W3, and all points in between. I hope that we all have positive returns and happy surprises on this Tax Day!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Welcome Anne Lange to Golinowski's Gambol!


A VISIT WITH ANNE LANGE & MOLLY SIMPSON OF WORTH THE RISK

Today, I'd like to welcome, Anne Lange and Molly Simpson to Golinowski's Gambol. Congratulations, Anne, on your debut novella - WORTH THE RISK.

(Anne) Thank you, Denise, for having us.  This is actually the very first interview for Molly. 

(Molly) Hello, Denise. Thank you for inviting me to tag along.

I'm honored to be the first to interview you, Molly!

(Anne) To set up the story a bit, I’ve provided the blurb.  And I’d like to add, that although this story is classed as an erotic romance (simply because those scenes are more explicit), it’s very much a contemporary romantic love story – a reunion story.

Even the hottest sex might not be enough to ease the pain of the past…
Molly Simpson arrives at a beautiful provincial park, ready to spend the May Two-Four holiday camping with friends. This weekend is the highlight of her year—or it was, until Tanner Daivies showed up. Her high school crush is all grown up, sexy as sin, and he’s demanding answers—answers Molly isn’t sure she can give him. She had her reasons for leaving him all those years ago, but now, sex with Tanner is scorching, and when they’re together, it’s clear they were never meant to be apart. But the past doesn’t want to stay buried, and Molly isn’t sure reliving it is worth the risk…
Sounds great! So, let's get right to it, shall we?

First, how did you two meet and did it take much to decide how you were going to tell your story?

(Anne) Well, we actually met through a mutual friend. Colleen is Molly’s best friend, and I know Colleen’s mother. When I brainstorming about this idea, Colleen overheard me and her mother speaking and suggested I consider telling Molly's story. When I spoke with Molly, although she was hesitant at first, it didn’t take too long to convince her. I can be very persuasive.

(Molly) Actually, it was a good experience for me. Therapeutic you might say.  For Tanner too.

Were there any artistic differences as the story developed, Anne? Places in the story where you had to exercise your authorial authority?

(Anne) Well… (Anne glances over to Molly)

(Molly nods her head) It’s okay, Anne. Go ahead.

(Anne) Molly took a lot of grief from people who couldn’t understand why she kept this particular secret from Tanner.  But she was hardest on herself.  It wasn’t easy for her.  And reliving it wasn’t a piece of cake for either of them. But, it’s definitely helped, I think.  At points Molly would distance herself, and become very clinical about the whole thing. It’s a coping mechanism, I know. But I encouraged her to keep that side of it to a minimum and focus on the emotional impact instead.

(Molly) I wouldn’t have thought it at the time, but yes, Anne is correct, Tanner and I couldn’t have moved forward without all of this coming out. People just need to understand that we were young.  And young people often make decisions that may not be the smartest, but at the time they made perfect sense—to me anyway.  Hindsight and the wisdom that comes with age is always more clear.

Are there any parallels, Anne, between your life and Molly and Tanner's?

(Anne swallows and nods.) Yes. There is.  I went through the exact same thing that Molly did. That’s what connected us. (Molly reaches over and takes Anne’s hand in hers)  I wasn’t as young as Molly was at the time. I’d already been married, but the pain is no less, the feeling of guilt is no less. And the inherent need to bottle it up inside yourself is there no matter how old you are. In fact, when my own husband read Molly’s story, and asked me about it, he was stunned to find out I had experienced similar emotions.  And then he felt bad that he didn’t realize I was going through that. So, in some ways, telling Molly’s story was therapeutic for me, and him, as well.  

Are there any dramatic differences, Molly, and how did you get that across to Anne?

(Molly)  Hmm. Dramatic differences? Probably the biggest difference was our ages. Like Anne just said, she was older when she had the same thing happen. Not that she necessarily understood what was happening, but she had the advantage of being older and wiser.

(Anne snickers) You make it sound like I was decrepit.

(Molly laughs and squeezes Anne’s hand) Sorry.  Anne was slightly older than me, but she was far wiser than me. Anne did research and figured it out.  I didn’t.  Frankly, I don’t think I even considered it.  Guilt set in and took up residence. I felt broken. That’s why I never said anything to Tanner. I needed Anne to understand that and get that point across in the story. 

How about a sample of WORTH THE RISK?

(Anne) Sure thing. But I will forewarn, the sample below is NOT X-rated.  LOL J

Taking her hand, Tanner led her to a secluded spot at the north end of the beach, a private nook nestled in amongst the trees. The rest of their friends were back at the campsite, arguing over who won that last game of cards.
When they reached the perfect spot, he released his hold on her hand to lay out the blanket. With a flick of his wrists, he let it fly out before it settled in the grass. He unzipped the sleeping bag and laid it opened over the blanket. Kicking off his shoes, he crawled between the blankets of the makeshift bed and reached out to her. She laid her hand in his. With a playful tug, he hauled her down beside him and wrapped the sleeping bag snug around her.
Lying side by side, hands clasped under their heads, they gazed up at the star-studded sky. Water lapped at the shoreline, soothing her, lulling her into a sensuous, romantic state. The chirps of a few crickets and the occasional splash of a frog or fish jumping into the water were the only disruptions in their cozy little universe. The scent of Tanner tickled her nose. He never used cologne, just Irish Spring and him. She rolled her head to peer at him. He lay there, staring at her.
“This is perfect.” Her voice was a whisper.
Without a word, he rolled to his side and canted over her, brushing his lips across hers. His were soft, his touch tender. She couldn’t resist opening her mouth, allowing his tongue to slide inside and dance with hers.
He raised a hand to cup her face as he deepened the kiss. She reached up and twined her arms around his neck, pulling until his chest fell onto hers. His heart thudded against her. Wrapped together, she surrendered to him.
After a passionate embrace, he ended the kiss and cradled her in one arm while the other rested against her lower belly. His gaze held hers as he inched his hand under her sweater, his fingers tiptoeing in a feather-light touch to cover her breast.
She arched her body, pushing her breast into his grasp.

Oh my! Now that we've wet your whistle, here's where you can pick up your copy:

You can buy it here:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks
Kobo

Let's play Casting Call, Molly – what actors would you cast for the main roles in WORTH THE RISK and why?

(Anne snickers. Molly laughs)  Well, Anne and I have actually discussed this.  We had to think about her, but we both had no problem coming up with him.

Johnny Depp and Yvonne Strahovski.  I would say they definitely have the right look!  And we’re both huge Johnny Depp fans. 
  
 


Okay, how about a few completely useless but fun questions:

(Molly) I’ll let Anne take these questions.

1.           Your dream car?  Tough one. It’s between the newer models of an Audi TT or a Camaro.
2.           Your favorite drink? Diet Coke
3.           Your favorite meal? Anything pasta
4.           Your dream vacation?  Jamaica
5.           Your "Go To" romantic movie? The American President with Michael Douglas and Annette Bening
6.           Your favorite season? Summer
7.           Your favorite 3-Day Weekend Getaway? Vegas

(Anne, I'm with you on the pasta and The American President is wonderful. Despite Annette's issues with Dupont Circle, I've always wanted to go up to DC and give it a spin) 

Well I think that just about wraps it up. Thank you so very much, Anne and Molly, for dropping by Golinowski's Gambol. I've enjoyed learning more about you and I look forward to reading WORTH THE RISK.

(Anne) Thank you for having us, Denise. It’s been an absolute pleasure and I’m glad Molly finally had a chance to introduce herself to the world.

(Molly) Thank you, Denise. I enjoyed meeting you. And you weren’t too tough on me. J

More about Anne Lange


Anne Lange grew up with a love of reading. In fact, if you take a close look, she’s got a book with her where ever she goes, and will usually sneak in at least a chapter or ten whenever she can spare a few minutes. She reads many genres of fiction, but prefers to write sexy romance with attractive men, strong females, and always a happily ever after.

While embarking on a career as a romance author, Anne juggles a full time job and a family. She grew up in Southern Ontario (Canada), but now makes her home in Eastern Ontario where she lives with her husband and three children, and Rocky the bearded dragon. 


Monday, April 8, 2013

Steampunk, Ravencon, and Your Monday Fortune Cookie, 4/8/13

IN LIFE, IT'S GOOD NOT TO GET TOO COMFORTABLE.

SNARKY RESPONSE: But in shoes, it's crucial


In life, it's good not to get too comfortable.

This past week-end was an exercise in being comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time and loving every minute of it.


RavenCon took place this weekend. Three days packed full of writing workshops, insightful panels, and expanding friendships.

This year the theme was Steampunk and I jumped into the spirit of things by exploring a premise for a steampunk story with the help of writing workshops conducted by Allen Wold and friends. Allen's workshops are legendary and absolute Must Attends for writers. His panels always include folks with serious skills for critiquing the work of participating writers.

I began working on a steampunk short story to include two characters who leaped onto my fb page a few weeks ago--Lady Aimes and Professor Algenon. I am excited about the project and am determined to get their fb-initiated adventure on paper.

I've shied away from steampunk for a long time because (1) I am new to the genre and (2) because I am not mechanically inclined. I'm definitely not what you'd call "mechanically inclined." Yet, this weekend's conference gave me hope that with a judicious application of careful research, creative interpretation, and logical extrapolation, I can write steampunk. Stay tuned.

The writing panels and workshops were excellent, ranging from fight scenes to plotting to finances. The speakers provided information, entertainment, and challenges to one and all. I didn't leave the hotel until after 11pm each night. And believe me, the Con was still in full swing when I left!

And I can't begin to adequately describe the costumes! Klingons, anime, steampunk, stormtroopers, Dr. Who--you name it, they wore it. I should have taken pictures but my brain was whirling with all the writing info.

Leona Wisoker's Launch Party for her newest Children of the Desert book - Fires of the Desert was wonderful. If you haven't checked out her series, you absolutely must!

As usual, I spent time with a bevy of wonderful friends, renewed acquaintance with RavenCon buds, and made new friends. I enjoyed catching up with fellow writers including Leona, Leila Gaskins, Jonny Lupsha, Bud Webster, and Pam Kinney.

If you enjoy science fiction and fantasy, you should definitely put the next RavenCon on your calendar.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Taking The Scientific Approach? ILLICIT IMPULSE


Welcome and congratulations to my friend and author, Alexa Day, on the release of Illicit Impulse. Your first book! Well done. It was wonderful to observe your process from a contest entry to finished book to CONTRACT! So happy for you!

Thank you! It’s definitely been a long trip to publication. I don’t mind all the crazy excitement, of course, but I hope the next time won’t take quite so long.

I'm a bit of a title-freak (they are brutal to create) so I have to ask. How did you select Illicit Impulse?

I actually didn’t choose the title; I was going to go with Project NSA (you know, for No Strings Attached). My editor vetoed that pretty quickly. Illicit Impulse is her idea. When I told friends what the new title was, everyone said, “Oooo! Il-LIC-it IM-pulse!” She’s obviously got a better ear for titles than I do!

Can you and Grace tell us how you met?

I actually met both John and Grace through Tal Crusoe. I heard Tal’s name in my head for weeks before he appeared for me as a character. But for Tal, I probably wouldn’t have heard this story at all. The idea of an oxytocin suppressant had been teasing me, but it didn’t take shape until Tal appeared. He’s a little more outgoing than John and Grace are, and Tal also doesn’t mind oversharing about literally everything the three of them did together. Good to work with folks like that.

Was the collaboration between the two of you a smooth process or did you have to work through some ground rules?

Generally, things worked out pretty well with the four of us, especially after Tal spilled the beans about how the three of them really interact with each other. I let the three of them steer the conversation for the most part. There was one story no one wanted to talk about – something that happened on a particular evening. I had to convince everyone that we could not move forward unless I heard The Truth About What Happened That Night. Once we had an understanding about that, I think I was able to convince them that I would handle it … I don’t know, appropriately?

Readers always think a writer's books are autobiographical and we writers know that assumption to be, at best, only partially correct. Would either of you like to elaborate, pro or con?

As soon as I learned about oxytocin, I wanted to see an oxytocin suppressant! I’d always felt it wasn’t fair that women couldn’t “run around” the way that men could, but I always thought the difference was societal. I never dreamed it was biological hardwiring! I figured the only place I’d ever see an oxytocin suppressant was in fiction, so I knew I wanted to write it into reality for some fortunate character. That’s about the extent of my personal intersection with the story, though. I’m not the lucky, lucky woman that Grace is, but good fortune has a price, right?

How about a little taste of what we can expect in Illicit Impulse?

Grace met John's gaze. “Tell me what you need me to do.”

His skin heated again. What was wrong with him?

“I need you…to take the pills…”

She lifted a fine eyebrow. “And?”

“And then have sex…”

She grinned then, her teeth very white against the burgundy of her lipstick. “With Tal. Right?”

He shrugged. That was, of course, who he’d had in mind. But what he needed already defied the fundamental tenets of scientific research. He definitely wasn’t going to go further out of bounds by telling her who to have sex with.

Grace chuckled, a throaty sound that might have been genuine amusement or something a bit less pleasant. “John, I hope you’re not thinking I’ll take these and then my eyes will be opened and I’ll see Tal doesn’t want to be in a relationship.” She put the pills back on the table next to her glass. “I mean, I know you have some kind of issue with him.”

“Issue” didn’t begin to cover it. Tal only saw her at his place, and only at night. After two years, she’d never mentioned meeting his family or going away for the weekend or celebrating an anniversary. Never mentioned flowers or Christmas gifts. So far as John knew, Tal never even took her to dinner. As happy as Grace said she was, John knew she deserved more than what she had.

“Grace, I’m not trying to pull anything. I need someone who’s not in a relationship. I need someone who’s willing to tell me everything. I even need Tal.” He hated the way that felt in his mouth. “Look, I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s no secret. And if these pills make you see things a little differently, then so much the better. But I really just need your help.”

“Good. Because I know Tal doesn’t want a girlfriend. So we’re all on the same page.”

John nodded, lifting both hands in surrender. “Right. I get it.”

“Okay.” Grace pursed her full lips. “If I do this, what would happen after the sex?”

John swallowed, hoping she didn’t sense the sudden rush of discomfort that seemed so painfully obvious to him. “Then you report back.” He cleared his throat. “To me.”

A mischievous giggle bubbled out of her. “You want me to have sex with Tal and then come back and tell you about it.” Coming from her mouth, the idea sounded ridiculous. “I presume you would need this to happen more than once.”

“Well…there are eight pills in a pack.”

Grace picked up the blister pack again and stared at it in silence. As John scrambled to scrape up the last of his persuasive powers, she said, “Deal.”

The tension that had been crushing him released its grip. She’d do it. “Oh, Grace. I owe you big time.”

She tucked the pills into her purse and laughed. “I have a feeling the pleasure’s going to be all mine. Just don’t be too disappointed if nothing changes between me and Tal,” she said. “And don’t be too shocked when you hear about what we do together.”

Whew! I'm thinking Grace has got John's number, don't you?

To find out more, you can purchase ILLICIT IMPULSE at:

Casting Call – what actors would you cast for the three main roles in Illicit Impulse?

I always have a hard time with this question! To me, the three of them just look like John, Grace, and Tal. But if Hollywood came calling, I imagine this is what I’d come up with. Tal looks a lot like Jensen Ackles from Supernatural; Tal is a little bigger. If Tom Welling’s eyes were brown, he’d look a good bit like John March, but John’s not quite as big. Grace looks a lot like Viola Davis as she appears in the United States of Tara; Grace’s hair is a little shorter.

Jensen Ackles, IMDb
Tom Welling, IMDb
Viola Davis, IMDb

Alexa, can you share anything about your next project?

The next book is a follow-up to this one. To say an awful lot more, I think, would give something away about Illicit Impulse, so I hate to say too much about it. For now, let’s just say that someone is not getting married, and someone is going to Jamaica. Might be the same person, might not. I hardly know myself.

Now, as seems to be a tradition for guest blogs, some fun questions:

Your dream car? I’ve always wanted a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible! I saw one for sale once years ago on the side of a country road, and I’m still kicking myself for not buying it.

Ideal City of Permanent Residence? I’d love to go to Shanghai, if I could find a way to move my three cats there (you can only bring one to China). If the Chinese government doesn’t allow me to move all my cats, I’d move to New York City. They’re both such beautiful places, full of life, and the food is fantastic. The people-watching is awesome, too.

Favorite author(s)? I love Scott Turow’s work. He does such a great job of drawing the reader into the story, alongside some characters who are in pretty tough situations. So often, in his books, the characters make one tiny mistake that snowballs into something huge, something that sucks down everything they hold dear. And like that old TV show used to say, “You are *there*!”

Last movie you went to see in a theater? I saw Jack Reacher this past Christmas, and I really enjoyed it. I just hate that movies are so expensive now. I’m saving up now to see Star Trek Into Darkness this summer.

Last live concert you attended? Wow. I don’t remember – it’s been that long! I do remember that my date that evening was a fantastic kisser.

Favorite season? Autumn. Just warm enough to have fun outdoors, just cool enough to have a bonfire. Plus school supply season, the beginning of field hockey season, and all those changing leaves. It’s a feast for the senses! 


About the Author: Alexa Day has tried the practical approach. She's always written, to pass the time or to stay awake in class or for the annual creative writing assignment, but all the while she was looking toward a sensible future in the so-called real world. Then she discovered that it's just as easy and much more fun to be fanciful and unrealistic.

Since then, Alexa's life has been about figuring out what's next and asking why not? So far she's drawn a paycheck as a bartender, a newspaper reporter and a belly dance instructor—and she's taken up plenty of other experiences for free. Alexa tries to find a little excitement in every day, from that first bite of something tasty to those first steps off the plane in a foreign country.

Alexa's interracial romance fiction features bold, adventurous, driven heroines who are also taking on the world on their terms, when they encounter the ultimate fantasy: hot romances with the strong, sexy men who are made for them. Check out Alexa Day's stories for romance served hot, with a swirl! 


Monday, April 1, 2013

Temptation & Plot Bunnies, Monday Fortune Cookie, 4/1/13

The problem with resisting temptation is that it may never come again.

SNARKY RESPONSE: One should never let a good temptation go to waste. You already feel guilty for being tempted. Why not just give in and have something to show for all that guilt?


The problem with resisting temptation is that it may never come again.

Something about this made me think of all those plot bunnies accumulating in my brain. Oh, that and Easter, I guess. (after all, I'm writing this on Sunday)


pixabay.com 
No, honestly, plot bunnies are those mental sparklies that pop into existence without rhyme or reason to plague our precious writing time.

  • The bizarre character who sneaks onto the stage of our imagination to shout an intriguing bit of monologue or purloin a bit of the current scene for herself
  • The random "what if" that stops us cold at our keyboard with a quizzical huh?
  • That bit of backstory that just won't stay in the back

A well-trained writer knows she must remain focused on the work at hand if she hopes to finish the damned book. So she yanks the character off stage with one of those old vaudeville hooks, snatched back the piece of the scene, and promises herself to check that "what if" later when she's dealt with the current WIP.

However, "later" is a nebulous word and a promise given under duress is seldom fulfilled, leaving our hopeful plot bunnies piling up in the corners or squished between the pages of notebooks. Or worse, you finally wrestle some free time for auditioning those plot bunnies only to discover that they've thrown up their hands in disgust and hopped back down the rabbit hole from whence they came, leaving nothing behind except a vague sense of unfulfilled potential.

So, I hereby grant myself and all my fellow writers permission to tell their current WIP to "take five," sit back and let that character say their piece. I suggest you open a new document and spend a little time pursuing that tantalizing "what if." And you pull out a few mental carrots to lure that plot bunny out of the shadows and into center stage.

I've been trying this out with the random Plot Bunny Story Snippets on my fb author page. I often discover a delectable photo or piece of artwork and share it on my author page and in the past I'd just say something like "plot bunny" but now, I'm trying to take the time to dash out a story snippet to try and nail down those wrascally wabbits.


Trust me, the WIP will be there, you've already created enough of it to be able to pick it back up again, but the sparklies may not be able to wait. Without that form that only you can provide, they will fade away leaving only the memory and a touch of guilt over a possibility missed.

Who's with me?