Z is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, YEARNING. Here's to the last day of the challenge. Woohoo!!! *raises coffee cup over aching head*

So today, I'm just going to be my good old (or odd) self:

OMG! It's ovah! My cells are splitting as we speak due to the over-excitement, forming an entirely different person beside me who is plaiting my hair.

Wow. Nice feeling. I haven't had someone play with my hair since I was in primary school. Can you remember, in school, when you'd ask the person sitting behind you on the floor to play with your hair, or 'draw on your back'??? hehe. But then you'd have to switch places and reciprocate, but that was okay too, because you'd write letters on their back and tell them to guess.

I wanna be a kid again. I'd do things a little differently, I think. I wouldn't be so shy and inadvertently snobby. I wouldn't dress like a crazy fruit loop with colours that don't match and draw unwanted attention to myself. I would succumb to my fantasies and punch the little shithead redhead freckled git boy who always teased me. I would SHARE with other kids and try not to be such an outsider.

I was a little shit as a kid. Not as in 'misbehaving,' but I was selfish. I wanted everything to myself. But I still think the other kids were pretty much the same. I will never forget the day that I had a friend come over to my house after school, and when she asked if she could KEEP one of my toys, and I refused, she spent the entire time sitting on the porch step waiting for her mother to come and pick her up. My mother remembers differently. She still insists that I wouldn't let her touch the toy and the girl got pissed off. Gah!

Anyhoo, A-Z is ovah! Like dip di-dip di-dip, Doo-bop a doo-bee doz, Congratulations! Boog-e-dy boog-e-dy boog-e-dy boog-e-dy Shoo-by doo-wop she-bop Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop!


So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘Z’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our Z-prompt word. Here’s the link!

YAYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Y is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, XENOPHOBIA. Haha. If you don't get the sex change bit of the riddle, it's because usually in Greek, words that end in 'a', are feminine (we're talking grammar here), and words that end in 'o' are masculine. So instead of 'xena', it's 'xeno' :o) hehe. Okay, yeah, I'm losing it ... *dum da dum dum ...

Another riddle:

A noun that sounds like a verb about gaining knowledge with a speach impediment.

PS: Nicole, sorry for abandoning the fiction excerpts!!! :-/ I'll try and do a great piece for tomorrow's sign off! :o)

So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘Y’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our Y-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

X is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, WANTON. Yes, easy peasy, but did you spell it right??? LOL.
Another riddle for today because I'm lazy and for some reason these are coming to me faster than prose---weird huh?

A feeling of distress over one of Robert Tapert's fictional characters after a sex change.


So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘X’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our X-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

W is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, VANITY.

Another riddle today:

A licentious Chinese soup.

So, can you guess the noun depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘W’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our W-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

V is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, UPTIGHTNESS. No one got it! My first victory on a very timely day! :o)

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

Got another riddle for you today:

A large vehicle pretending to be an adjective in order to touch a popular suffix.


So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) that begins with the letter ‘V’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our V-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

U is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by on Saturday! The answer to yesterday's post was, TERROR.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

With a stiff upper lip, Liz snatched the book from my hands.

"You're not going to read today. Today is a holiday," she said and tucked it under her arm.

"But that's what I do on holiday, I read."

"Well, not today. Today is family day."

"But they're not here yet!"

"They will be soon."

"Well, I'll read till they come. Gimme my book back." I held out my hand. Liz shook her head and narrowed her eyes. "Will you just chill out?" I whined. "I promise I will stop reading the instant someone walks in the door."

Liz sighed, looked at the ground, shoved the book into my chest, then flung the teatowel over her shoulder, and stomped back into the kitchen.


So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘U’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our U-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

T is for ... ??? (and I'm terribly sorry)

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, SELFISHNESS.

I'm so tired ... I'm dying to start writing normal posts again. I've got ideas swishing round in my head and no time to draft them! How about you? Are you feeling the challenge a little like a sore muscle?

Don't get me wrong. This is a wonderful challenge, and Arlee Bird a wonderful bloke. I'm not putting the challenge down at all. I'm putting myself down for feeling overwhelmed and out of control. I'm so close to taking the last week of the challenge off and not completing it. But I will push through. Even if my posts are a little shorter than usual or I copy and past already existing work into here. *wipes brow*

I also want to apologize for not being much of a commenter. This month has been crazy busy for me and I'm putting my spare time into WRITING these things as it is. I hope you understand and don't think I'm being a lazy fart. I also usually reply to comments individually by email, but again I, Just. Can't. So please accept my humble apologies and have a wonderful Easter!!!

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

So here's today's entry. PS: this poem is one of the poems in my forthcoming poetry collection TWISTED VELVET CHAINS (this is a Goodreads link, would love if you added it to your TBR list! :o)

Gothic Neanderthal


I listen
Will it ever end?
Her gentle, velvety voice
mimicking childish sobs
amidst animal grunts

Head under pillow
Camping in Africa
on a space ship in Galactica;
an unseen witness to murder
in an abandoned
graffiti-coloured crime district

I cradle my teddy bear,
close to my chest,
covered head to toe
in my feathery nest.

I stroke it
whisper
You’re not alone
I’m here. Shh, don’t cry
Fingers in ears
so hard
it hurts
to avert
my ache—her cries—his
screeching—the insufferable thunderous thump
through thin floor

I climb out of bed,
creep down the hall,
peer through the crack
of the kitchen door.

Grey netting hangs
from naked papery breasts,
dark purple tulle
fastened round her waist
black smudges
smeared ’cross her face.
patterned like lace
wet stringy hair
sticks
to her brow
her neck
wet cotton
sweat
toxic breath
menstruation blood
the onion soup we ate for lunch—
I dry-wretch

It stops—silence
Her arms hover in the air.
Twisted grace, fit for a coffin

Did it die?

No.

Daddy strokes her like the cat
she nods—
whispers and purrs

Behind her come chants
Push, push! Push, push!
It begins again;
She screams—
note shrill against the beat
droning voices of back-up men

Gothic Neanderthal giving birth
Giving life
To song

So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘T’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our T-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

S is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, RAGE.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

(Short and sweet and in the form of a riddle/creative definition today as I'm busy busy busy!)

The act of making seafood available for purchase.

So, can you guess the state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘S’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our S-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

R is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, QUIRKINESS.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

In this poem you have to think about what the little girl is trying to escape, not how she is feeling herself:

Stickers—scratch ‘n’ smell.
Strawberry shortcake,
orange meringue,
moments of heaven
when I’m alone.
I block out your voice—sniff!
Hoarse—tired,
he lied again.
Please stay away
from the kitchen.

Stickers—scratch ‘n’ smell.
Peppermint chocolate,
cherry lane,
moments of heaven
when I’m alone.
I block out his moan—sniff!
Daddy—groan.
You stabbed him again.
Please stay away
from the bathroom.

Stickers—scratch ‘n’ smell.
Hubba Bubba,
lemon squash,
moments of heaven
when I’m alone.
I block out your scream—sniff!
Self-inflicted—fraught.
You cut yourself again.
Please stay away
from my bedroom.

Please stay away.
Please stay away
from my stickers.


So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘R’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our R-prompt word. Here’s the link!

PS: Take a look at my sidebar. There's a little somethin' I've been hiding. But is now revealed below the cover of String Bridge ...

 

Q is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, PATRONIZATION. Today we are dealing with a personal attribute rather than feeling or state of mind.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

At breakfast, Jon butters his raisin toast, licks the knife and leaves it balancing in the edge of the microwave.

"Why can't you just put it in the sink?" Jill asks before biting a quarter of a banana muffin off in one go.

"Because I'll probably use it again," Jon says with a shrug. This new living together thing better not break my balls. Jon walks out onto the balcony, then turns around to face Jill, who is still inside, holding a napkin under her chin so as not to drop any crumbs.

Jill looks him up and down, wondering if she has made a mistake. He'll use it again, my arse. "Okay, well if you plan to use it again, can you actually use it again?"

"Whaddaya mean?" Jon asks furrowing his brow. Here we go ... the domestics have begun ...

"Well, yesterday I found a used butter knife on the edge of the coffee table, on top of the coffee maker, on your bedside table, on your desk, balanced on top of the stapler, and on the side of the bathroom sink so close to the edge I have no idea how you got it to stay there." Jill laughs, hoping to sound like she's making fun rather than nagging. "Were you planning to reuse all of them?"

Jon hangs his head and scoffs, removes the knife from the edge of the microwave and puts it in the sink. He kisses Jill on the cheek and says, "I guess ya got me."


So, can you guess the personal attribute (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘Q’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our Q-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

P is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, OPPRESSION. And well done to Lenny (who is only ELEVEN, btw!!!) for being the first to guess it correctly!!!

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

"I don't know what to write," I say, rubbing my brow.
"Yes, you do, darling, you're wonderful," says the weird lady who seems to exist in this room right now, but I can't quite see.
"I'm stuck," I say, looking around the room. "I've got blog block."
"Yes, darling, you have blog block," says the lady. I can see her her now. She has her hands on her hips and her head tilted to the side like a kindergarten teacher. "But you know how to overcome that, don't you dear?" The lady shakes her finger at me and then rests her hand on her hips. Oh. Look. She's gone now. Yay.

So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘P’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our P-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

O is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by on Saturday! The answer to the post was, NAIVETY. Today's key word is actually an act or state of being, rather than mind. I'm going to be a little abstract today with a poem. I think it's time we make this a little more challenging!

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

The strength of her grip
sears fingerprints
into my palm.
I’m silenced
as her claws embed
into my lifeline,
piercing what’s been
patented as my stream
of consciousness
since I tore through
her womb
like alien spores.
Have I been growing
like fungus;
spreading myself
as far as I can stretch—
for this day? For the day
I realize she,
who put me on this
earth, has the power
to extinguish me too,
by severing the link—
deforming my instrument.



So, can you guess the word (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘O’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our O-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

N is for ... ???

The answer to yesterday's post was, MADNESS. Well done Matthew for being the first to guess correctly! Nicole and I both had different takes on it. Hers being 'chaos', mine being 'insanity.'

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!


"Where's Nina?" Gordon asks Helen, scraping his leftover bacon into the dog's bowl.

"She's gone to pay our bills, can you believe it? My jaw dropped this morning when she rushed out to do it for us. I guess she must have realised how busy we were today and decided to help out."

"Since when does she do something that benefits us?"

"Don't be so cynical, Gordon. She's probably realizing that she needs to pull her weight around here more." Helen puts the last of the dry dishes away in the cupboard and leans her hip against the counter. She winks, as if implying that grounding Nina did the trick. Gordon puts his plate in the sink. Helen looks at it, at him, then at the plate again. Gordon picks up the plate, washes it and leaves it in the dish rack to dry.

"You're kidding, right?" Gordon says drying his hands on a tea towel.

"No. Why would I be kidding?"

"Helen, wasn't it just yesterday that we told her she wasn't allowed to meet Con at the mall today? Wasn't it just yesterday that we said she's not allowed to see him until he breaks up with his current girlfriend?"

"So?"

"So-o? Helen, think. Where does she have to go to pay our bills?"

Helen shrugs, "The ma--," then rubs her forehead, "... oh ..."


So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘N’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our N-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

M is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was indeed, LUST.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

Clue for today: The state of mind is not the narrator of this poem, it's the person the narrator is referring to.

Nailed

In Woodwork when
I nailed my thumb
to a handmade spoon
I thought of you.

I thought you’d enjoy
watching me scream—
watching the blood
gush—stain my brown
leather school shoes—
the ones I punctured
with bass clefs in Textiles.

I imagine you trying
to push my blood
in the holes.

So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this poem that begins with the letter ‘M’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our M-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

L is for ... ??? (CAUTION: ADULT CONTENT)

The answer to yesterday's post was, KINDNESS. Thanks to all who stopped by. I've been a bit absent from A-Z this week as I've had a lot of surprises which have been taking up my spare time. So I just want to apologize.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

Brian approaches Ivy from behind and wraps his arms around her, trapping her arms against her breasts. Ivy loosens in Brian’s embrace. Just. Do. It. He slips his right hand beneath her sweater and rests his hand on her flat smooth stomach. The tips of his fingers tease the opening of her pants. Erect and aroused, he bites her ear. Hesitation in Ivy’s slight gasp indicates that it might have hurt, but doesn’t want it to seem so.

“Don’t you want any music?” Ivy asks, bordering breathlessness.

“You are my music,” Brian replies, twisting Ivy around to face him and thrusting his tongue into her mouth with a groan. Her tongue is hot and thick and soft like a rose petal. He imagines his penis inside it and groans again.

So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘L’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our L-prompt word. Here’s the link!

PS: One of my poems is being showcased on Angela Felsted's blog today! :o) Would love if you would check it out! And while you're there, take a decent gander at her blog. It's marvelous!

 

K is for ... ???

The answer to yesterday's post was, JEALOUSY. Yeah, I admit, there was more to it than jealousy, and I'm sure it shined through :o) Today's is pretty easy, too.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

Richie was on his way to university listening to Ozzie Osbourn on his iPod when he saw an old lady with a walking stick, hesitating to cross the busy main street. Although there were many opportunities to cross, she seemed reluctant to make the first step. Richie stopped walking and leaned against a sign post to make sure she crossed okay. At least two minutes went by, and she was still standing there. So, Richie, in the next decent break between zooming traffic, stepped into the middle of the road and held out his hands like a traffic warden. The traffic stopped. Some guy yelled for him to "get off the fickin road,'" but he just ignored him and waved the old lady accross. The old lady, blushed and hobbled accross the road. As she passed Richie, she slipped him a $50 note and gave him a wink.

So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘K’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our K-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

J is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, INDIFFERENCE.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

PS: this snippet is from String Bridge :o)

The first thing you see as you walk through my parents’ front door is my mother’s grand piano. It shines like a freshly glazed sour cherry tart. And whispers haunting melodies to me as if it were once a living soul; the mother of musically-triggered melancholy.

Last weekend, the resonance of my entering sandaled feet had hardly bounced off the walls when Mum said, “Why don’t you sit down and see if you can remember to play it?” Her eyes blazed with a need to swank her own musical skills and show me up. I tamed an irrational urge to scratch its glossy dark chocolate body with my wedding ring by shaking my dusty cardigan too close to the keys instead. Mum whipped out a duster from inside the piano stool and brushed it away — seething clenched teeth hidden by a civil smile.

 So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘J’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our J-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

I is for ... ???

I hope you all had a great weekend! The answer to Saturday's post was, HOPE.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

The emotion / state of mind in this next piece is Jack's:

"Can you believe that the guy over the road, rids his driveway of leaves with the hose? Everyday?" From the window, Kathy turns to face Jack, throws her arms in the air and shakes her head with a huff.

Jack shrugs, stares at the TV and stuffs his face with Oreos.

"Jack, I think we should do something about it. Look at all the water he's wasting?" Kathy says. She walks closer to Jack and puts her hands on her hips.

Jack shrugs, stares at the TV and stuffs his face with more Oreos.

"Jack, this man has to be stopped!" Kathy points her arm toward the window so hard her elbow cracks. "Did you know that in Australia they fine you something like 500 dollars if you are caught wasting water?"

Jack shrugs, stares at the TV and stuffs his face with ... oh, wait, I should reply ... "Um, yeah, and?"

So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘I’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our I-prompt word. Here’s the link!

PS: For a giggle, have a look at this cartoon: How To Give Contructive Criticism. Thanks, Alesca for emailing it to me!


 

H is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, GIDDINESS. Toughy, huh? But still, a few got it, so well done! Now, let's get onto H!

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

Hank sits up in bed--Today's the day--rubs his eyes, stretches his arms to the ceiling and yawns so loud and wide his jaw cracks. As he stands, he farts. That better not happen. He makes himself some toast and brews coffee, opens his newspaper and stares into the center of it until all the words blend together in a foggy haze. No. No negative thoughts. You'll get it. Hank brushes his teeth, staring into the bathroom mirror. He smiles and nods at himself. Toothpaste dribbles from the corner of his mouth and onto his pale orange tailored shirt. "Shit!" He spits out his toothpaste--flecks adorn the mirror--and rinses his mouth before grabbing the towel off the rod behind him and wiping away the airy spearmint mess. The metal rod spins and echos from the hosptial white tiles. Hank coughs into a closed fist, smooths out his shirt against his chest, grins and winks at himself with a flick of his head and a click of his tongue. "Hank, you stud. You're the man. Go get'em."


So, can you guess the emotion/feeling/state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘H’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our H-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

G is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, FRUSTRATION. LOL. So glad you could all relate! ;o) This next one is going to be a tough, tough, toughy! If you actually look the word up in the dictionary, it has two quite different meanings. So, in order to play hard, I'm going to go with the not so common meaning ;o)
Clue: the state of mind is Francine's.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!


"Francine, can you pass me the salt?" Tamara asks.
"Hmm?" Francine hums looking over the road at two kids playing Frisbee.
"Love. The salt." Tamara scrunches up her nose and contorts her mouth.
"Oh. Yes." Francine passes the ketchup.
Tamara drops her knife and fork with a clang and reaches across the table for the salt. She sprinkles salt over her fried potatoes and leans back in her chair with a sigh.
"So, what ya gonna do next week now that you got no bloody job?" Tamara asks.
"Job?"
"Yeah. Job. You know, the thing people do to earn a livin'."
"Oh!" Francine looks Tamara in the eye as if about to answer seriously. "Tammy ... have you ever wondered why only the yellow butterflies come in to our garden?"


So, can you guess the emotion / feeling / state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘G’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our G-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

F is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday. I didn't comment on many blogs yesterday. Sorry, I just didn't have the time. Anyhoo, the answer to yesterday's post was, EMBARRASSMENT. Yes, it was an easy one! Today's is going to be quite easy too.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

New follower. No comment. No link to blog through profile. No email attached to profile to let them know. Argh! New commenter. Didn't leave blog link. Haven't enabled access to their profile. Argh! New follower. Left comment. Ahh ... . Locate blog. Wordpress. Discus. Argh! Spend time entering details. Comment doesn't get accepted. Argh! Try again. Lose Internet connection. Argh! Third time lucky. Leave comment. Again. Another new follower. Blogger. Ahh ... . Leave long comment because blog post really touching. Press post. Word verification. Argh! Type in word verification. Error message. Long comment eaten by blogger. ARGHHHHH!!!!!

So, can you guess the emotion / feeling / state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘F’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our F-prompt word. Here’s the link!



 

E is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday, and thanks for all the congratulations on my future endeavor! I'm so thrilled! :o) The answer to yesterday's post was, DISGUST. Today I'm going to be a little different and post a little poem instead!

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

Pants down behind bus
Kneeling beside you
Warm yellow trickle
Damn!
Soiled shoe, smelly hand
face flushed — adieu!
I bolt, giggle
leave you standing
drizzle, drizzle, drizzle …

So, can you guess the emotion / feeling / state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘E’? It's an easy-peasy one! Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our E-prompt word. Here’s the link!

PS: Laurel's Leaves interviewed me yesterday about how I put together my book trailer for String Bridge. If you have a moment, pop over and check it out! Laurel has an amazing blog. She's not participating in the challenge, but she has a VERY informative blog and it's definitely worth reading and following if you are a writer!!!

 

D is for ... ??? (and some CRAZY exciting NEWS!!!)

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, CONFIDENCE. It seems this one was a little more tricky! A lot of people said 'cocky,' and yeah, I guess it could have been that too.

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

"Luv, come 'ere so I can give ya tush a squeeze," slurred the man on Darrel's doorstep who looked like he'd come straight out of a chimney in Mary Poppins. Darrel turned the key to open his front door, groceries hooked over his wrist, without making eye contact. He hoped to slip passed him again without any fuss, but as soon as he put one foot in the door, the man clutched at his ankle, tumbled onto his back and looked up between his legs as if he were wearing a skirt. Without even contemplating his next move, Darrel jumped backward and nudged the old man away from him with one foot. What's that smell? But he was too late. He'd already thrown up on Darrel's brand new snake skin shoes. Fuck! Darrel kicked off his shoes, held his breath, jumped inside and slammed the door behind him. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, 1 hippopotamus, 2 hippopotamus, just like the therapist had taught him. Keep it down. Keep it down. But he couldn't. Now he'd have to throw away his socks too.

So, can you guess the emotion / feeling / state of mind (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘D’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our D-prompt word. Here’s the link!

NOW FOR MY EXCITING NEWS!!!
I just scored the best job in the world! I'm going to Canada this July to teach a week of poetry at a children's writing camp run by Young Alberta Book Society! Am I allowed to squeal with joy or is that bad for my literary reputation? ;o) ... nah ... SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




 

C is for ... ???

Wow! So many comments! Thank you all so much for stopping by. I'll be spending a decent chunk of my day today making the rounds. I should technically be getting on with my second novel, but hey, who can dodge the temptation to give a little blog love?

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

So, the answer to Saturday's post was, BOREDOM. Yes, practically everyone guessed right. I'm hoping that's due my awesome 'showing' skills, rather than it being easy, right? *wink wink* ;o)

So here is today's installment ...

Carl caught the basketball with one hand, maintaining his stare toward the shithead know-it-all bully who had aimed it at his head. Shame he was a little off target. If he had, in fact, aimed it correctly, Carl would now be staring at the back of his right hand, which was, actually, more pleasing to the eye than "Chuck's" pocked and pierced idea of a face. Carl, with a quick flick of his wrist, engaged the basketball into a swift spin. He held his forefinger taut, and winked at Chuck, "You game take this outside, dude?"

So, can you guess the emotion / feeling / state of mind depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘C’? (Thank you, MM the Queen of English, for pointing out the fact that boredom is a state of consciousness out on Saturday! You were certainly right.)

Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our C-prompt word. Here’s the link!

B is for ... ???

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday! The answer to yesterday's post was, AWE. Mind you, Lenny suggested that she felt 'abducted' which I thought was pretty cool. Nice one, Lenny!

If you are new to this blog please read the note in the header above this post so you know what to do! Thanks!

Nili squints at the clock, wondering if it's possible for the hands to slow down when she does. She holds her hands out in front of her--dirty fingernails--then scrapes the dirt out from below her thumb nail with her right incisor, spits it onto her fingers, and rubs it on her jeans. No one's home anyway. She grabs the nearest magazine, hubbie's Motor Monster, and flicks through with a sigh. She looks at the clock again. She swears it's got a face, like the man on the moon. She gets up and goes to the fridge, opens it, and scans its contents for something sweet. Nothing bloody sweet. She clicks her tongue and searches her loft for the remote control. She spots it in the cat's bed, grabs it, blows off some cat hair and swtiches the TV on, changes channels without comprehending anything she sees, then swtiches it off again. I guess I'll just make myself another coffee.

So, can you guess the emotion/feeling (a noun) depicted in this piece that begins with the letter ‘B’? Please nip over to Nicole's blog to read her interpretation of our B-prompt word. Here’s the link!