By: Walt Wojtanik,
on 9/28/2011
ABSENCE OF HEART
It can be said absence of heart
can breed a fondness most sublime.
All longing festered from the start,
is magnified in space and time.
Can love endure the test of will?
Does absent love bless lovers still?
Fate says time and distance will pass.
But hearts growing fonder? My ass!
By: pmettert,
on 9/27/2011
By: Icabu,
on 9/27/2011
The sane part of Michelle’s brain stopped her short of entering Nate’s Bar. Even though the sounds of laughter, boisterous conversation and music from one of her favorite bands on the jukebox pulled at her, she took several small, cautious steps back from the doorway. She leaned against the rough brick exterior to get a grip on her runaway emotions.
Prior to about a minute ago, she was excited about an evening at Nate’s. Then it hit her like a freight train that she was going on what was essentially a blind date. She despised blind dates. Yet she had jumped rather blindly into this online – thing. How could she call it ‘dating’ when she really didn’t know what the guy looked like? Sure, they played Scrabble online until 2 AM a couple of nights a week and chatted back and forth. Does that count as dating?
A couple bumped Michelle on their way into Nate’s. The man excused them as they entered, but his words were drowned by the volume coming out the open door. Michelle watched them. He had his arm draped over her shoulders; her arm encircled his waist. That was how Michelle had envisioned herself, as ShellJack04362, and MadScrabb44918 this evening. Although all she really knew about him was that he had brown hair that he needed to get cut more often. She thought he’d said his eyes were blue, too.
But, in her heart, she felt a strong connection to him. Their sidebar chats during the Scrabble games were far more interesting and intense than the games. Sometimes they didn’t even finish the game. They’d agreed on a lot of subjects and agreeably disagreed on others. He could make her laugh after a hard day just by typing words on the screen. All that had to count for something.
Finding out he lived in Bloomington, too, scared her at first. Then it thrilled her. Uncertainty held her outside now. Was she ready to meet him?
The noise level rose again as the door opened – from the inside this time. Michelle stared at the man that peered around the door, looking up the sidewalk, then down. He looked right at her. His ice blue eyes froze her.
“ShellJack?” His voice was deep, strong.
“MadScrabb?” She squeaked.
The smile he flashed was bright enough to melt most of her ice. When he stepped from the doorway and leaned against the wall in front of her, a complete meltdown nearly occurred.
“Matt,” he said, holding out his hand.
She’d forgotten they had agreed to introduce themselves more formally upon meeting. Michelle put her hand in Matt’s.
“Shelly.” She managed not to squeak. All she could think was that she hoped he didn’t cut his hair any time soon and that yes, indeed, he had very blue eyes.
They talked briefly, with the same comfort as when they’d typed anonymously. Then he eased his arm over her shoulders and escorted her into Nate’s. Michelle’s arm instinctively encircled his waist.
Add a Comment
By: mlgriffin,
on 9/27/2011
My mother always told me not to play with fire. I tried to take her warnings to heart. Sitting, drunk, on a curb in the middle of downtown St. Louis in an intense state of grief, protruding tears that only my soul could birth that drench my swollen eyes as I yell out in agony “WHHHHHYYYYYYY!!!!!????” The rage and desperation for answers was wild inside. My heart, shattered. My love was gone and so was my concern for the world around me. I embraced the remainder of the familiar Blue Label which dulled the edges and calmed the wild, until the city was as dark as the country nights I loved.
I woke to a fading voice exclaiming: “They’ll lead you to your answer if you don’t break the rule!” “What rule?” I grumbled while regaining consciousness. I giggled because I’m obviously loosing my mind. I reached to my side for my faithful Blue Label. It was gone. In its place was an old tattered book of matches.
My mother’s warnings came to mind. I shrugged it off, said “Fuck it” and struck one of the last 4 matches. The voice rushed back “Keep forward and you’ll know.” I started walking. I heard quick steps on the pavement behind me whispering my name in his familiar voice. I turned back and looked. The streets did not notice, but the voice did. “Don’t break the rule” it whispered as the city lights faded. It was now black in the city.
Quickly I lit the next match. “I’d like the answer now.” No response, but heard him call my name once again. I turned around and tried to follow his voice. “Where are you Jeff? I need you.” “Don’t break the rule” the voice demanded. “Where are you leading me?” “To the answer” the voice proclaimed while stealing the sounds of the city. It’s dark and quiet and I only have 2 matches left.
“Hey girl” I lit another match quickly to see. “I need all your clothes to burn so you can see. If you give me that match before it goes out.” I complied. His voice burned my ear drums and scorched my nudity as she lit the fire. I looked all around hoping the fire would reveal him only to see a sign lit by the fire “Don’t break the rule!” The fire was gone.
I called out “I have but a single match to reach the answer and nothing left to offer.” “What do I do?” The response: “Keep forward and you will know.” I walked until I was stopped. “Hey girl, light it and you will see.” Jeff’s voice began crying my name, but I couldn’t worry with him right now. I struck the final match and her face appeared with eyes as sharp like black diamonds. “Don’t you know its bad luck to look back girl?” The light faded the answer did not.
Officer, that’s how I ended up in the middle of nowhere-naked.
Add a Comment
By: Interview with C.J. Darlington, Part 2 – the art,
on 9/27/2011
[...] B. Jenkins talked in the Writer’s Digest interview with Stephen King about being surprised, delighted, scared, disappointed, saddened, etc., by his [...]
Add a Comment
By: Sara McNulty,
on 9/27/2011
You Are Never Far – Rispetto 2
When I could not listen to another word
from him, that thin-lipped, patrician-faced liar
I worked for, whose cutting remarks could be heard
down the hall, I sought solace in my dire
need from you, who could always calm me down,
and make me smile. In my dreams, your body’s found.
By: Azalea0248,
on 9/27/2011
Disregard my previous comment. If I knew how to delete it, I would. Here is my story:
I walked down into my freezing basement. The air was chilled with cold and ice crystals hung from the corners of the walls. This was where the man lived. I approached him slowly. He was exceptionally pale, with dark hair and flat, blue eyes. He stared coldly at me.
“Hi,” I gulped as I cautiously approached him.
“My name is Nick. Nicholas. You always forget to use my name.” He sounded almost angry. He continued with his harsh, stoic stare.
I sheepishly bowed my head. “I’m sorry, Nick.” I glanced up at him. “You know what today is, don’t you?” I was hopeful.
“I do,” Nick said. “Do you have a plan?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. It’s a year exactly today. That needs some sort of recognition, doesn’t it?” I thought I saw him nod. “What do you think we should do?”
“I was hoping that you’d spend the night with me tonight.”
“I do that every night. Tonight should be special, don’t you think?” I rubbed my arms and sat down, huddled, to keep warm. Nick didn’t seem to care about the cold. He never did.
He might have sighed, but I wasn’t looking at him, so I couldn’t tell. “What did you have planned?”
“It’s your birthday. I think that I should make you a friend.”
“No, Mikey, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. You know that you shouldn’t be doing things like that. It’s no good.”
“But, Nick, don’t you ever get lonely? You must want a friend. Don’t you?”
“No, Mikey, I don’t like this idea at all. I’m fine. Please just stay with me tonight. I don’t want you to bring me a friend. I don’t need one. I have you.”
“No,” I shook my head over exuberantly, facing the frozen ground. I looked back up at Nick’s eyes. They seemed to have morphed from their original appearance into a more frightened one. “I really think that we should celebrate this anniversary. A first anniversary only happens once.”
“Every anniversary only happens once. Just, please, don’t do it.”
“No, you need a friend.” I stood up. I was firm on this point. Sometimes you have to do something for somebody that they don’t want you to do, because it’s for their own good. I was determined to bring him a friend. I left my basement and closed the door on his frustrated protests. I took a taxi to the city and walked around for a bit. I looked at my watch. I would have to find somebody soon. It was almost midnight. Tomorrow, Nicholas would again transform back into a dead, inanimate body, and whomever I found tonight would join him.
By: Winks,
on 9/27/2011
After reading this article, I stopped by the local library and “borrowed” a copy of this book. It’s a very charming and funny novel.. .with just enough edge to keep it from waxing saccharin. Don’t need a copy, so please award to some other commenter…
Add a Comment
By: Azalea0248,
on 9/27/2011
I walked down into my freezing basement. The air was chilled with cold and ice crystals hung from the corners of the walls. This was where the man lived. I approached him slowly. He was exceptionally pale, with dark hair and flat, blue eyes. He stared coldly at me.
“Hi,” I gulped as I cautiously approached him.
“My name is Nick. Nicholas. You always forget to use my name.” He sounded almost angry. He continued with his harsh, stoic stare.
I sheepishly bowed my head. “I’m sorry, Nick.” I glanced up at him. “You know what today is, don’t you?” I was hopeful.
“I do,” Nick said. “Do you have a plan?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. It’s a year exactly today. That needs some sort of recognition, doesn’t it?” I thought I saw him nod. “What do you think we should do?”
“I was hoping that you’d spend the night with me tonight.”
“I do that every night. Tonight should be special, don’t you think?” I rubbed my arms and sat down, huddled, to keep warm. Nick didn’t seem to care about the cold. He never did.
He might have sighed, but I wasn’t looking at him, so I couldn’t tell. “What did you have planned?”
“It’s your birthday. I think that I should make you a friend.”
“No, Mikey, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. You know that you shouldn’t’ be doing things like that. It’s no good.”
“But, Nick, don’t you ever get lonely? You must want a friend. Don’t you?”
“No, Mikey, I don’t like this idea at all. I’m fine. Please just stay with me tonight. I don’t want you to bring me a friend. I don’t need one. I have you.”
“No,” I shook my head over exuberantly, facing the frozen ground. I looked back up at Nick’s eyes. They seemed to have morphed from their original appearance into a more frightened one. “I really think that we should celebrate this anniversary. A first anniversary only happens once.”
“Every anniversary only happens once. Just, please, don’t do it.”
“No, you need a friend.” I stood up. I was firm on this point. Sometimes you have to do something for somebody that they don’t want you to do, because it’s for their own good. I was determined to bring him a friend. I left my basement and closed the door on his protests. I took a taxi to the city and walked around for a bit. I looked at my watch. I would have to find somebody soon. It was almost midnight. Tomorrow, Nicholas and whomever I found tonight would again become just two more dead bodies in my freezer.
By: Sue,
on 9/27/2011
What an absolutely wonderful way to make your characters come to life as well! Thanks! [email protected]
Add a Comment
By: Phil Sexton,
on 9/27/2011
We’ve just announced initial details for the Writer’s Digest Conference 2012 and couldn’t be more excited about how the speaker line up is taking shape. One of our presenters is none other … Read more
Add a Comment
By: Janet Reid,
on 9/27/2011
Mail arrives. Minions scurry to deliver.
The Shark rips open a large package with delight.
A Shark Shriek is heard throughout the office. Minion whiskers wriggle. Something delightful? Or just another chum, discarded?
Minions carefully eye the wrapping. Aha! A clue! "From: MouseBootsEditor"
"Back to work!" comes the Shark Bark, and minions scatter.
Minion #1 however, is careful to hide under the desk, hidden by piles of manuscripts, whisky bottles, distraught queriers and three sobbing editors from the HouseWhichShallNotBeNamed.
A clever beast, Minion #1 has learned that Shark shrieks and packages from MouseBoots Editor are sure signs of SomethingGoodToRead. Learning that life cannot be sustained by cupcakes whisky love alone. Minion #1 is bent on snagging the package for herself. (Greedy little minion!)
Minion #1:
By: Brian A. Klems,
on 9/27/2011
When submitting your work to an agent for consideration, how many sample chapters should you include in your proposal? Writer's Digest online editor Brian A. Klems explains. Read more
Add a Comment
By: Brian A. Klems,
on 9/27/2011
Often when we feel something is missing from a piece of writing, the key lies in examining the tone. Here’s how to revise your work so that it resonates. Read more
Add a Comment
By: Robert Lee Brewer,
on 9/27/2011
Whether writing poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, all writers deal with the same problem beyond the page: finding an audience that appreciates their work. Most living writers with an audience didn’t just magically find … Read more
Add a Comment
By: Kristen Skunza,
on 9/27/2011
We live in an age when the tools to reach your audience are free, and easy to use. This webinar will help you learn to leverage these tools and others in an effort to build and maintain your audience. Read more
Add a Comment
By: Brian A. Klems,
on 9/27/2011
A special anniversary is coming up and you've decided to go all-out to celebrate. The only thing is, this is an anniversary of something unusual and there's only one other person who knows what it's about—and he's uncomfortable celebrating. Write this scene. Read more
Add a Comment.jpg?picon=418)
By: BookEnds, LLC,
on 9/27/2011
Sharing with you those things that can really make us laugh.
In a query the author started by going into great detail to tell the story of Famous Bestselling Author and how she struggled to find an agent and publisher. It was only "one visionary agent" who took it on. The Author then continued, after telling me the title of her book, to say, "I expect most agents and editors will dismiss it out of hand."
So before even telling me anything about your book, you've told me I'm not a visionary and that your book won't sell. . . .
Your query tells me nothing about your book. It talks about you, your children, your life (sort of like a Christmas letter) and finishes by asking me to take a look at your writing. The clincher? You know I'm going to pass so in your P.S. you tell me that you've researched lots of sample queries, they seem odd, so you're just going to write from the heart. That's all well and good. Writing from the heart is great. I still need to know something about your book.
"I have many different ideas for books. There are 3 major reasons why I have no manuscript for you 2 look at. A. Honestly, my grammar skills suck and writing a full manuscript would be futile. B. I just don't have the time to finish one and if I was living comfortably and had a person to help me with my writing dos and donts than I could finish one pretty quickly. C. I'm too ignorant about the process and would be embarrassed to hand people my work that didn't completely encompass my vision. Anyways, what I lack as writer, I make up for it with my story telling.
"I have four kids; I am single; and I am available. . . ." Now, the author did add: "for all aspects of editing, writing, and polishing my book," but those first words were rather jarring.
Jessica
By: Janet Reid,
on 9/27/2011
I should just post an arrow on this blog and point toward BookEndsLLC and say "yea, what she said."
It's true today for sure.
Seeking An Agent is Not Seeking A Job
I plan to steal that analogy and use it so often people will think I invented it.
Not for nothing am I well read in crime fiction!
By: Chuck Sambuchino,
on 9/26/2011
“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at [email protected] and we’ll talk specifics. Carson Morton is the author of Stealing Mona Lisa, a debut that the New York Journal of Books called a "well-crafted, beautifully written, and engaging mystery." Read more
Add a Comment
By: Chuck Sambuchino,
on 9/26/2011
Audience development is what people in business call it, but it boils down to one thing: building meaningful relationships with people who are interested in what you do. It's a skill that's more valuable than ever for you to understand and practice, as authors are increasingly called upon to market and promote themselves. This session will discuss both online and offline strategies for identifying and engaging readership, as well as tools such as websites and blogs, social media, e-mail newsletters, and content marketing. Read more
Add a Comment
By: Chuck Sambuchino,
on 9/26/2011
This past weekend, I was on the faculty of the Hampton Roads Writers Conference in Virginia Beach, VA. Sadly, it rained the whole time and I did not get to see the beach. Happily, the conference was fun and I met some really nice people. The hotel also had unlimited delicious cookies and I indulged in quite a few to say the least. (I may or may not weight 10 pounds more than when I arrived.) Read more
Add a Comment
By: Janet Reid,
on 9/26/2011
Regular readers of this blog may recall the name Kristan Higgins.
I've blogged about the first book of hers I read (it was a ploy by the slithery Barbara Poelle to keep me from my reading).
Other times, Kristan Higgins' books have been a respite from a dreadful day.
In other words, I'm a fan.
And I say so.
Pretty loudly.
So, when I saw the chance to get a galley of the newest Kristan Higgins novel, I leaped! LEAPED.
You recently requested to view a title from NetGalley's Public Catalog. Unfortunately, the publisher has declined to allow access to the title based on the information provided in your profile.
You may want to update your profile to provide more information to the publisher, and try requesting the title again. If you are confident that you should be approved for galleys, please reply to this e-mail and the Publisher will get back to you as soon as possible.
Example of what to include in your profile: a direct link to your book review blog (general life bloggers, infrequent bloggers, and new bloggers will be declined. 100 or more followers is preferred).a direct link to your Good Reads, Amazon, and/or LibraryThing profile page (must have over 100 reviews on any one of these services).
(there's more about what to do if you're a librarian or a bookseller)
By: Brian A. Klems,
on 9/26/2011
Fall has so much to offer writers. The leaves change to beautiful and inspiring colors. The sun sets earlier, making for a nice dinner backdrop. And our New Year's writing resolutions, that we've ignored since mid-January, have one more chance to blossom before the end of the year. It's time to get motivated and I'm going to help. Read more
Add a Comment
By: Robert Lee Brewer,
on 9/26/2011
Okay, here’s a new form. Actually, scratch that. This is a very old form (from Italy, no less). Still, new to me anyway. I found more than a few definitions, but here … Read more
Add a Comment
Hehe, very nice.
*dies laughing*
I think I'm dying of cute. But there are far worse ways to die.
A photo of a sobbing bunny should NOT make me laugh...but, well, it did!
Haha, love it. I got my copy of "Fire and Thorns" (As it is mysteriously abbreviated here in the UK) and have been reading it all afternoon. Loving it so far!
What a strange little picture book this is. My kids are going to love it.
Hehe, that was hilarious. Love the pictures.
Also, that book looks wonderful. The description at amazon was intriguing. It's now on my wish list!
Love the cat paw! It says it all!
A happy ending to all, surely.
You're too funny. I love your blog.
Those bunnies are adorable. I want one. Thanks for posting.
Cute, but trying to understand what sharks and minions have to do with bunnies.
Best laugh I've had this morning. Thank you.
Dang it.
I'm not normally a YA person. I went to Amazon and began reading the blurb. At the beginning I scoffed, saying "ho hum" to myself. My interest was piqued.
Darn it. I'm not even a bunny.
I showed this post to my 11-year-old daughter who a) LOVED the post/pictures and b) went to amazon and promptly gasped "quotes from Tamora Pierce and Veronica Roth! Other kids might want a new DS game, Mom, but I want this book!"
I make the same shriek when I get a book in the mail! How funny!
I've been shrieking a lot lately. Three YA books this week--so yummy!
Bwahahahaha! Love the accompanying pics! Minion mosh pit is too cute.
Love this! Too clever for words!