Editing Takes F O R E V E R

Seriously. I've been working on the new edit for this book I'm on for so long. I keep thinking it's going to get easier, but it never does. I make goals that I feel are generous, but don't actually finish by then because I've discovered a previously unknown huge issue that needs a complete rewrite. It might just be this story though because I don't think I had this issue on this scale with my previous book. 

The one I'm working on, Shadow Warrior, is the first book I wrote. I think that necessitates a lot more editing since I was learning all the things when I was first writing it, and have since learned so many more things. And you can tell. Will this story ever be finished? Sometimes I wonder. This is the fourth major edit of this book, and I thought for sure that this edit pass would be the last major revision of this piece and it would be finished by the end of April. I'm probably not going to make the end of May (unless tomorrow is extraordinarily productive), but I'm so very close now. I should have this pass done and ready for beta readers in the next couple of weeks. However, I'm not optimistic that this is the last major pass anymore. I think there's going to be one more big one before I get down to line level stuff. 

We'll see. Maybe my beta readers will tell me I'm crazy and too hard on myself--which is definitely a thing. My ultimate goal for this story is to be ready to submit to agents by the end of the year, so that still seems possible. Hopefully.

Once that one is out with readers, I'm going to do one last editing pass to Child of Blessing and send it back out as well. The beginning wasn't doing what it needed to do, and a couple other scenes were problematic for another reason, so I'm going to fix those too. Anyway, that seems totally doable, and I'm looking forward to finally being finished with that one again.

After that (or somewhere concurrently in there), I'm going to finish the first draft of my latest story. I'm having a lot of fun writing it, and it feels so much more solid right out of my brain than the others. I can't wait to get feedback on this one from my beta readers this year!

If I get all that finished, I plan to make some decisions for Cruising the Cosmos, my middle grade series, and get the first book edited. Then brainstorm several of the next book ideas and perhaps draft one of those. Or perhaps I'll draft my YA alien one. Those are my top contenders at the moment, but I have a lot to finish before I'm allowed to start on those.

Anyway, wish me luck. Hopefully you'll get to read one or all of these someday. They certainly keep me busy!

Murderbot is my favorite!

Seriously, if you haven't read the Murderbot series by Martha Wells, you're missing out. The first novella is called All Systems Red, and it's a gem. There are four novellas and a novel out that are all excellent, and she has another novella coming out at the end of the month! Yay! (I pre-ordered mine in October) I may have read this entire series at least six times in the last year...

Murderbot is a Security Unit (SecUnit) for a company that leases it as cargo/supply to endeavors that might need security, like mining operations or exploration. It is made of both robotic parts and cloned human tissue. The story begins on a survey mission on an uninhabited world. Murderbot is the sole SecUnit for a team of scientists from an unaffiliated world (meaning non-corporation owned) called Preservation Alliance. 

But Murderbot is no longer SecUnit standard--it has hacked its governor module. Meaning, that there is very little actual control anyone has over it because the governor module can no longer inflict pain or death if it disobeys. That said, all Murderbot wants to do is watch its shows, so it continues to fake being controlled so that it can download and watch media all day long.

Also, Murderbot doesn't really like interacting with humans and doesn't at all understand its own emotions--especially the ones that mean it might actually like the humans it's working with almost as much as the characters on The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. So when things start conspiring to harm its clients, Murderbot needs to do something about it.

Okay, that's as non-spoilery as I can get. Especially since all I want to do is gush about how much I love all the things about it. Of course all I want to do is give Murderbot a hug, but it would absolutely hate that... I have friends like that. If you do go read it, I think Ratthi is my favorite human in the series, but ART is my favorite person...well, other than Murderbot.

Anyway, the stories are amazing, and you should read them. Enjoy!

I'm back!

Well, I obviously disappeared into the void somehow. Sorry. Without Finish That Thought to keep me engaged here, I guess I've found it difficult to remember to post. I've never been much of a diary keeper, and blogging feels similar.

However, I'm going to try again.

First, an update on how things have been going: 

I finished that MG story, and researched agents and whatnot, then sent it out into the void. And didn't get a nibble (Well, I got one request for a full, but that's it--still all rejections.). That story is currently waiting for another rewrite, but I think this time I may know how to fix it (Thanks, Cedan!). 

I am currently deep into another large edit of my YA fantasy novel, and I think it's getting close, so that's super exciting. 

I still haven't edited the MG Spaceship book, but I've brainstormed it, and I think I have a clear plan ahead for that one also.

In the meantime, I've started and almost finished a new YA fantasy romance. I'm probably about 80% through the first draft, and it's going well. I haven't made much progress on any of the other stories.

Second, a look ahead:

I think I can finish the edit of the YA fantasy novel by summertime. I'm hoping it's before then, but time is moving too quickly. Once that edit is finished, I'm going to send it out for another round of beta readers, then do the agent thing once I've made any tweaks needed.

I also expect to finish the first draft of the YA fantasy romance by the end of the summer. It'll go through my alpha readers and beta readers by the end of the year. I'm not anticipating this one will need the extensive edits that the other one needed. *crosses fingers*

In the fall, I hope to edit the MG Spaceship book finally. I'm excited to get this one out into the world, and I'm appalled that it's taken me so long to make decisions about it.

Finally, I'm going to attempt to tie writing a blog post to a weekly activity so that maybe I can be better about posting. Hopefully that works better than the last few times I've tried to jump back in here. :) If you have any great resources for writing prompts, post them in the comments for me. They're always fun to play with.

Poem

I've been taking a Children's Literature class, and as an assignment I wrote this poem about the importance of sharing books and reading. Enjoy!

Me to You

I have some books for you to see,

chosen very carefully.

Pick your favorite, pick a few.

Read them all, not one or two.

Sad or hopeful, filled with glee,

or hurting, struggling desperately.

Every time there's something new;

Let me share my love with you.

Step into a story; Be.

Experience infinity.

Continuing to Hope

I'm obviously not that great at remembering to post anything, but I have great news! I spoke with a dear friend who took that accountability thing to a new level. She is AMAZING! I started getting up with her (though she lives very far from me) at 5:30 in the morning. We spend time reading the Bible and working on writing stuff. I was convinced it would be a terrible idea. I've never worked well in the morning, but I've gotten a ton of editing done so far! When I posted at the new year, I was probably a third of the way through the edits and stuck. I am now just several chapters away from having this edit finished!!!! (I'm stuck a bit again, but I feel confident now rather than defeated.)

I'm hoping that I will have this book out to Beta Readers sometime this month! Which means I need to start the daunting task of looking for Agents to submit it to. I have a few ideas, but I have to do research or something. It's a bit daunting.

Once I have this book to Beta Readers, I'm going to start the first edit of the scifi chapter book and get that ready for my Crit Group. I'm still planning to work on the edits to my YA novel after that, but I might take a break from editing for a little while first. I've started writing the YA scifi, but haven't made a ton of progress (about a chapter). I'm still feeling around for her voice, I think.

So, overall a pretty good two months since last time. I'm excited about being able to post that I've finally finished (for the fourth time) this MG story! Until next time, Alissa :)

New Year, New...Something

It's honestly been so long since I've posted here that I almost don't remember how. I last posted a little over a year ago, but in reality it's been almost two whole years since I've posted regularly. I have an innate desire to apologize, but I'm not sorry. Taking that time off was important. Unfortunately, my time off didn't give me an over-abundance of time to work on my writing. Or, more accurately, I didn't use my time off as well as I'd hoped in that area.

That's not entirely accurate. I'm being too hard on myself. I don't remember where I was when I signed off, but I have finished my upper Middle Grade novel and I'm on my third edit of it. (Edits are HARD!) Once I'm finished with this edit, I'll send it to a plethora of beta readers then research agents! So, yay! That's a thing I've done.

I've also written the first draft of a younger Middle Grade novel--more chapter book size--and have plans to edit that as soon as the other one is finished. That will go through a first round of my critique group, and we'll see what it needs from there. So, yay! I did that too!

I have started three other novels, all Young Adult, and have them in various stages of partial first draft. Very partial. One is a SciFi, one a Fantasy, and one...something else (fiction? contemporary? It defies classification--which is not good for marketing...). I have written on each of the projects since I last posted, so yay! Another thing I've done!

So, here's the thing. I'm not a planner. At all. Goals kind of stress me out. But, I need some accountability. So I'm going to state the things I'd like to get done, and post updates here about what I accomplish. That's kind of a boring blog, so I won't go spreading it around anywhere, but just writing here will hopefully give me the accountability I need.

I want to finish the edits to three of my novels this year--the three that are complete.

I want to finish writing the first draft to three novels this year--the previously mentioned partials.

I want to find an agent. (I acknowledge that this step is not entirely in my control, but I will pursue this course steadfastly once I have a novel ready.)

I want to read a bunch of books off of my TBR list. My Goodreads goal is 52 books, but my actual goal is to clear at least the top shelf of my TBR bookshelf. I'll always pick up the exciting new book and I'll always read the well loved old books again, but I need to make progress on these books that have been sitting here for way too long. They include writing advice books, non-fiction books, inspirational books, and fiction books for all ages. I want to read a variety.

I think that's it. Well, I want to clean off my desk. That should be a thing that happens. Really, there are a whole ton of things I want to do that are non-writing-related like exercise more and clean/organize the house and such. I'll leave those goals for now, but they might show up on here with me chatting about them--amorphous as they are.

That's enough for now. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for keeping me accountable to working toward these things. :)

Reflections: NaNoWriMo 2016

As I reflect on another NaNo gone by, it’s hard to reconcile my joy of writing over twenty-two thousand words, and my regret at losing yet another NaNo—six now. I’ve lost six NaNos.

I’ve never even come close.

Most of the time, I don’t mind. I know I’m not a fast writer. I know that I’m more of a tortoise than a hare. I know that my careful attention to word choice and phrasing make for an easier time during the editing process. I know that I’ve completed two novels of way more than fifty thousand words (and one of those is almost finished being edited!), and that my writing life is more than November. But I feel like a loser tonight.

I don’t know why this year is different. I’ve always been super excited at whatever word count I could manage each of the five previous attempts. My first NaNo, I reached eighteen or nineteen thousand words and I felt like a whole new world had been opened to me. Each year I’ve managed to write a little more than the last. Except this one. I beat my average, but only just.

Perhaps this is the first year I actually thought that maybe I could do it, maybe I could actually write that fifty thousand. I’ve never believed that before. And I was on-pace (over-pace) that first week. It was an amazing feeling! Then the election happened, and I had difficulty summoning any extra energy to write. My creative brain was exhausted and listless. I wrote a few thousand words over the next week or two. Then when I finally felt a little better, we had company come in for Thanksgiving (wonderful people who I don’t see nearly enough!) and life was focused elsewhere. By the time they left, I had two days to make up the thirty two thousand word deficit.

Not happening.

I know there are people who can write that in a couple days; I am not one of them. I sat down and cried at what could have been. Then I went to a write-in and pounded out a couple thousand words. The next day I managed a couple thousand more. The end. NaNo is over. I want so badly to post that stupid winners badge. I want so badly to cheer, but all I can think is, “I should’ve done better. I could’ve done better.” But I couldn’t’ve. I did the best I could.

And that is good enough.

I’m super proud of the scenes I wrote and really excited about the stories and where they’re going. (I was a rebel this year and wrote scenes in three different stories this year…well, four, but I don’t know where that one came from—well, I guess I do, but I don’t know if it’s going to go anywhere.) Today I came home from work, took care of the kids, made dinner, then got out my ipad and wrote more words. It’s not November anymore, but the writing doesn’t stop.

The stories don’t stop.

At some point my feeling will catch up to my knowing. Until then, I’ll keep writing.

And afterward also.

(And I’m sure I’ll sign up for NaNo again next year…)

FINISH THAT THOUGHT

I regret to inform you that Finish That Thought will be on hiatus. I haven't decided if it will be permanent or not, but there just hasn't been enough participation to make it worthwhile. I know many of you come to check the page and the prompt, but we haven't had an entry in a couple weeks and it's been slim for several months before that. 

I started this contest to encourage writers and provide a place to hone skills and challenge each other. It seems as though the time of FTT has passed. It may be a difficult day of the week for some. It may be a hard couple of months for others. Whatever the reason I have missed you all, but I know we each have our families and responsibilities. 

Know that you have enriched my life. Thanks for sharing your stories for the last few years. Now run with wild abandon toward the next great thing. I wish you all the best, Alissa :)

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-30

Welcome back! It's been a tough month here. Perhaps February will be better. Thanks for joining us this week! I hope you're inspired by the prompt and write something amazing. Have at it.



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST
8. Only one entry judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...



Our Judge today is Patrick Stahl. Read his winning tale from last week here! Patrick Stahl is a freshman Creative Writing major (French minor) at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.  He dabbles in speculative fiction and Protestant ministry.  Patrick aspires to become an editor or publisher of SF/F/H.  He spends his free time playing the mandolin, reading, writing, and watching television (to bolster his writing skills, of course).  His blog can be found at intotheravenousmaw.blogspot.com, and his Twitter handle is @patrickjstahl.

 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-30 is:

There were only three rules in the camp, and I broke all three in one night.

 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:

Make clear what the rules were without actually stating them in the story (then write what they were after the story).

 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-29

Welcome back! So sorry again about last week, but we're here this week and raring to go! We hope you are too! Go read the prompt and write something amazing! :)



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST
8. Only one entry judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...



Our Judge today is Patrick Stahl. Read his winning tale from last week here! Patrick Stahl is a freshman Creative Writing major (French minor) at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.  He dabbles in speculative fiction and Protestant ministry.  Patrick aspires to become an editor or publisher of SF/F/H.  He spends his free time playing the mandolin, reading, writing, and watching television (to bolster his writing skills, of course).  His blog can be found at intotheravenousmaw.blogspot.com, and his Twitter handle is @patrickjstahl.

 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-29 is:

If [he] knew how much [he] meant to [me], [he] would probably think [I] was really weird.

 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:

Show both points of view, either by making the story consist of multiple scenes or by hopping heads in-scene.

 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

Apologies...

I'm so sorry I didn't get Finish That Thought posted this week. I've been so busy I only just realized it now. I've messaged the judge and I decided to postpone to next week. I considered just posting it tonight and having it run through tomorrow, but that would probably be confusing. Again, I apologize. We will be back next week.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-28 - RESULTS!

Thanks for joining the fun this week! If you missed any of the amazing stories, go read them here. Finished? Great! Here's what the judge had to say:

These stories were great! The rotten watermelon smell really stayed with me, as did the annoyed ghost materializing from the writer's computer. I also loved the concept of the piano with a mystery ghost sold at auction and the mood set in the story with the rose quartz girl. Be careful with spelling errors, as they can be very distracting to the reader.

LETTER TO AMELIE by Mordea - The author creates a clear mood in this story; however, the plot is not totally clear. Is Amelie an actual ghost, or does the author just think of her whenever she sees the piano? Who is playing the piano? The first sentence is not as well integrated into the first paragraph as it could be.

STORY TIME by Audrey Gran Weinberg - Fabulous use of the story prompt. Enjoyed the bit about her naming her characters after her parents. Rachel's jump to the worry that she might be insane with the ghost's comment was a bit quick for me, especially after the nonchalant way she reacts to the chicken soup smell. This story is very clever, but would benefit with a bit more consistency. Maybe a hint to the reader that the chicken soup might be supernatural?

THE PIANO OWNER by Nada Adel - Loved the concept, although I would have like more detail about witches in your world. The story would also work without your writing that the house belonged to a witch. There is one moment where the story seems to go from third person limited to third person omniscient, when you write about the way that the others at the auction feel. Sheila and the ghost are both very well-realized and interesting characters, but I would have liked a bit more majesty in the last line, as "tunes" seems out of character for the Count, as well as for the music of Beethoven.

UNTITLED by Riham Adly - This story lacks a title. It sustains its melancholy mood very well, but has several spelling errors. I found the description of the piano keys as "checkered" to be a bit jarring, and I was confused by the rotating of the rose quartz pendulum, thinking "pendulums swing back and forth; they don't rotate." The use of quartz jewelry for communicating with spirits needs to be shown. I enjoyed the use of first person for the ghost. I could see this being lengthened into a short story for young adults.

Special Challenge Champion

HOW TECHNOLOGY AND DO-IT-YOURSELF FISH TANKS CURSED THE GHOST OF THE PIANO

by Holly Geely

This story made me laugh out loud! I loved the mix of ghost story tropes (i.e. temperature dropping several degrees) and contemporary irreverence. I would have picked a title that left a little more of the concept to the imagination, as the ending to this story is quite delicious. Loved the rotten watermelon smell and Janet's voice. There were a couple of grammatical and spelling errors that were distracting for me. The last sentence was excellent. The way she described the ghost with all five senses sticks with the reader: the rotten watermelon, the draping pose on top of the piano, and the howls at her attitude. Great work!

Grand Champion

AS DISTINCT AS MULBERRIES

by Patrick Stahl

This story is very well conceived and executed. The dialogue is clever and we get a feel for both the narrator and the ghost. The sensory detail fits seamlessly into the narrative, especially the smell of mulberries. I also loved the narrator's smelling the wet paint at the beginning of the story. The spooky but unexpected ending featuring the ghost's father and a mulberry worked perfectly. Congratulations!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-28

Welcome! We're glad to have you here today! Hopefully your year has started off on a positive note and you're getting into the swing of 2016. I look forward to reading your stories this week. Go read the prompt and write something great!



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST
8. Only one entry judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...



Our Judge today is Tara O'Dowd. Read her winning tale from last week here! Find her on twitter @TaraODowd1. Tara worked for ten years as a union organizer in the United States. She now lives in Amsterdam where she is writing picture books and her first novel and goggling at bicycles. Unfortunately, she can't quite seem to get rid of her subversive tendencies.

 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-28 is:

It was an inviting piano, but it came with a ghost.

 

 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:

Use all five senses to describe the ghost.

 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #25&26 - RESULTS!

I had so much fun reading the stories from the five intrepid authors who braved the winter craziness and brought us a story. I hope you all have had a chance to read their offerings, but if you happened to miss any of them, they can be found here. 

I'm sure you all know how very exhausting a vacation can be, so I won't bore you with any rambling explanations of my excuses for not having this written up and posted earlier. Thank you for your understanding and patience. 

So without further ado...

Eggnog by Richard Edenfield
You embraced my special challenges with verve and dynamism (two words I'm not sure I've ever written before...). There were some absolutely beautiful descriptions that I wanted to wallow in, but there were also some that drove me mad with confusion (especially the eyeballs splattering - I can't get that image out of my head!). I love hopeful endings, so when they both laughed at the antics of Eggnog, I smiled too. :)


Generous to a Fault by Charles W Short
HAHAHAHA! This was so funny. Seriously, the wife discussing the cost of hiring a hit-man for her husband with her husband is priceless. You played it so well. Such potential! ;) I loved it!


Brotherly Love by Steph Ellis
Yikes, that is one dysfunctional family! It is certainly disturbing, but at times confusing. I had a hard time holding witch brother was witch, and as you gave me nothing redeemable to attach myself to, I had a hard time rooting for any of them. I almost wished he'd heard a gunshot at the end. But that was just the type of family you chose to write about.


Yellow Is An Attitude by Dave Park
So if Purple tastes like cheese, Green tastes like...? I love the whimsy of this piece. But I can't decide whether to be taken in with her joyful excess of eating all the colors, or saddened by the life of gray she lives in continually. What is the music that calls her? Is it the artist? The room? The 'midnight clear' painting? I hope the artist can come to some kind of understanding with her, so he can actually get some work done... Very enjoyable, even if it left me with way more questions than answers.



Grand Champion
Happy New Year by CR Smith
Wow! This was so beautiful. It's amazing how quickly one goes from needing a pen to contemplating suicide. But it's not as jarring as I would've expected. The progression is seamless and appropriate to his mood at the time. The 'irony' line was perfection. Then, of course, the hopefulness of the ending that tied back to the beginning line... I loved this story.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-27 - RESULTS!

Woohoo!!! Congratulations to our winner! Thanks for coming out and taking our challenge. If you missed reading her story, go check it out here. This is what the judge had to say:

Grand Champion – Nadja – by Tara O’Dowd

Well done for rising to the occasion and daring to write a story about the Middle East conflict, a very tricky subject indeed!

This story – a great beginning for a thriller – is packed with details so realistic that I was convinced that the author must be personally involved in this Middle East conflict herself! Well done for weaving such a story!

Tara, either you’ve done a lot of research, you work in the field or else you’re a double spy – oh wait – option number four is that you have a great imagination and have come up with a plausible story!

I am left wondering what Nadja’s exact story was – what were her romantic ideas about Russia? I thought she’d been anti-Putin, but then – romantic seems so positive?

What was also interesting for me was the dilemma regarding how objective the help organization workers actually are, and how difficult it is if some people have multiple jobs – for example, both journalist and aid worker.

Part fiction, part creative non-fiction, this story gives me pause for thought. Would love to hear what happens next!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-27

Welcome back and Happy New Year!!! I hope you've taken the time to evaluate where you've been and where you want to go. New Years resolutions don't have to be here today and given up by February; they can be goals you're reaching for continually. Perhaps one of those goals is to write more. Then join us. Go check out the prompt and write something great!



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST
8. Only one entry judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...



Our Judge today is Audrey Weinberg. Read her winning tale from last week here! Find her on twitter here. Audrey (Gran) Weinberg was born in Los Angeles just a few months before JFK was shot, but she swears she didn't do it. After years of living in different countries, and having experienced both much love and great loss, Audrey is now gratefully leading a "pretty mundane existence" with her sweet husband and 2 pretty amazing teenage children just outside of Amsterdam. 

Audrey has published 2 short stories and is currently figuring out how to edit her first novel. She co-authors the Studyleaks blog (studyleaks.blogspot.nl) together with a group of her students under the pen name 'Study Leaks Amsterdam.'

 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-27 is:

The minute the [peace] talks began, [she] knew [she] should have told them [her] secret.

 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:

I dare you to come up with a successful story for the Middle East! Which means: 

a. Dare to dream up a positive solution to these talks. 

AND/OR 

b. Set them in the Middle East.

 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-25 & 26

WELCOME! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! We're going to do things differently this week. With the holiday season being a bit crazy and our time being not entirely our own, I've decided to keep this installment of FTT open for the duration of the holiday season. So, we will be live until after the new year! I hope that you will find time to fit in a story around the myriad of obligations during the next couple of weeks. You can even fit in two. We will go back to the normal schedule in January.

I have TWO first sentence prompts for you to choose from (or you can do a story for each). I also have FOUR different special challenges you can fit into one or both of your stories. You may choose to do only one of them or all four, whatever (or none, as is always an option).

I will be judging this round, BUT the winner will not be asked to judge the next round (though I reserve the right to ask for another day down the road depending on the popularity of keeping the contest open for a week). The winners of our Holiday Bash will be announced as soon as possible in January, depending on the number of entries.



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST (Dec 21 - Jan 2)
8. Only one (two) entry(ies) judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...


Our Judge today is Alissa Leonard. (That's ME!) Alissa is a mom of three elementary aged children. She is also a substitute teacher. In her spare time (Wait! I have spare time???) she writes. She is working on her third edit of a YA fantasy novel, and is just about finished with a first draft of a MG fantasy novel. The number of really-cool-books-she-would-like-to-write-but-hasn't-yet is painfully long, but she is determined to WRITE ALL THE WORDS!!! She reads mostly fantasy and science fiction, but enjoys books from across the spectrum of literature. She loves TONS of geeky things, but Doctor Who is her favorite, followed closely by superheroes, Star Wars, and Star Trek. She's also a huge board game fan. You are already on her blog ( ;) ) and you can follow her on twitter @lissajean7.

 Your first sentence(s) for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-25 is (are) (Pick one):

It came upon a midnight clear.


"It'll be different this [year]."

 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE(S) from the judge is (are):

Include onomatopoeia.

Include a kiss.

Include any of the following objects: star, bib, glue, thumbprint, journal, staple, platter, egg nog

Include any of the following verbs: thrust, gargle, shimmy, hurl, tiptoe, bellow, warble, lament, flounce, wallow, snicker

 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-24 - RESULTS!

Thanks for coming out and sharing your stories with us. If you missed either entry, go read it here. Finished? Great! Here's what the judge had to say:

Special Challenge Champion:

Festive Spirit

by Geoff Holme

A very bad pun to end with, but I will allow ‘Walking in the Ayr’.  I think this story should also get a special award for introducing our friends across the pond to Leyton Orient.  As a child of the Midlands originally, even mentioning this name takes me back to Saturday afternoons when the Football Results were read out.  This writer really took the special challenge seriously and cleverly paved the way for incorporating them by using coincidences to generate “And to top it all, We Three Kings Of Orient Are all Driving Home For Christmas!”  There were a few other spooky coincidences for me – my Dad’s name is Alan, and his parents lived in Coventry for many, many years so again I took a slight nostalgia hit.  All I needed was for the story to be written in Black Country dialect! (Yes, I know Coventry is down a bit from Birmingham but it’s all pretty much a variation on the accent, I lived on the edge of the West Midlands in Shropshire and that could be just as bad!).

So for bad jokes – “You looked out and the pavement was covered in Black Forest gateaux and the road in sherry trifle… The street was desserted!”, corny lines incorporating Christmas songs, nostalgia and for seriously getting into the Festive Spirit, this story truly deserves the Special Challenge award.

Grand Champion:

Hearing Things

by Audrey Weinberg

A story of two halves.  Starting off with a woman, apparently being ignored by her partner and thinking she is hearing things but needs to find out if she is crazy or not.  Taking the advice of neurologist Oliver Sacks she goes for a run, testing her voice, testing her hearing.  All is normal.  Until she gets home and then we realise, as she enters the cold, dark and empty house that the Joe she mentioned at the start of the story does not exist, is not there.  But is she mad? Pulling out a missed envelope she reads the lines that tell us why her house is in its mournful state, why Joe isn’t there - a ‘tragedy’ befell her on Christmas Day; it goes some way to explaining her mental state.  Using the sound of breaking glass to symbolise her shattered life was a nice touch and the beautiful finishing lines effectively underlined the tragedy she had experienced.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-24

Welcome back! I hope you're feeling festive this week as we're getting into the Christmas spirit early (or late, depending who you ask). For those not in a festive mood (Not to worry, I've jingle bells and candy canes to spare!), she left tons of wiggle room for you to make of it what you will. So have at it, friends! I'm excited to see the stories your mind dreams up!



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST
8. Only one entry judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...


Our Judge today is Steph Ellis. Read her winning tale from last week here! Steph writes flash, short stories (usually horror), poetry and has a novel lurking in the background.  She has had some stories published in various anthologies and magazines and a few more a scheduled for release this year.  She loves being part of the flash community and is proud to have been included in the upcoming Flash Dogs charity anthology, due out in the summer.  She can be found at her website My Playground and on twitter @el_Stevie.  The Flash Dogs can be found at http://theflashdogs.com/.  Check them out.

 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-24 is:

There was a clatter of [hooves] on the roof and a loud [Ho, Ho, Ho].

 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:

Include the TITLES of at least THREE well-known Christmas carols or songs.

 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-23 - RESULTS!

Thanks to both competitors for joining us this week and disrupting our sleep. If you missed either of the stories, go read them here. They are both excellent - and disturbing. Here's what the judge had to say:


Special Challenge Champion

Bill @bsbowens, “Tabbi's First”

This is such a sad, horrific little tale, with a whole lot of unanswered questions. It’s the best kind of horror tale, when the reader’s imagination works overtime to create and test a backstory. Tabbi’s going to need therapy for a long, long time, I suspect. Thank you for adopting the challenge, not one particularly well suited to horror.

Grand Champion

Steph Ellis @el_Stevie, “A World Away”

Steph was wise (I think) to pass on that challenge; adopting it would have probably hurt this story. Lillian got the therapy, but it didn’t “take,” on the face of things. What follows is a wild blend of Goldilocks (“and this one is just right!”) and Jame Gumb’s Woman Suit (“She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, slipping the scalped tresses over the bareness of her own skull.”) Creepy and disturbing, Steph, bravo—now please take her away to a nice, comfortably padded room.

I loved both tales, actually. (In my humble) both were excellent examples of horror.