Can I Get A Re-do?

List of Things I Would NOT Do If I Could Restart Yesterday:

1. I would NOT have driven the 9-4 out to Daredevil's school to pick him up for his doctor's appointment.

2. Because then I would NOT have gently driven over the speed bump in the school parking lot (which may or may NOT be the culprit but nothing else comes to mind) which, unbeknownst to me, knocked either a hose loose or a hole in the gas tank, even though I never scraped bottom.

3. Also, I would NOT have blithely assumed the stench of gasoline in the air around the 9-4 belonged to another car.

4. When the 9-4 refused to start on my first attempt to leave the school parking lot, I would NOT have given it another go.

5. When pulling out of the parking space, I would NOT have neglected to peruse the pavement for the GIGANTIC puddle of gasoline lying there, plain as day.

6. Which means I would NOT have attempted to drive thirty-two miles to Nashville to drop Daredevil off with my hubby.

7. Also, I would NOT have simply opened the windows to air out the overwhelming scent of gasoline while we were driving when pulling over would have been a much better option.

8. Which brings me to the fact that I would NOT have suddenly clued in to the fact that something of a flammable nature was wrong with the 9-4 while I was surrounded by semi trucks and idiot drivers who couldn't care less that the van in front of them was leaking like sieve.

9. Which means I would NOT have spent the last few minutes of the drive frantically calling my hubby to ask what was wrong with the van while remaining hyper-alert to any sign of smoke from either my hood or my exhaust pipe.

10. All of which means I would NOT have run out of gas while on a dangerous curve of a busy freeway with no real shoulder and absolutely no place to stand safely.

11. Which means, of course, that I would NOT have been inspired to communicate LOUDLY and with GREAT FERVOR with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to PLEASE DON'T LET ME DRIFT TO A STOP WHERE THERE'S NOWHERE TO GET DAREDEVIL TO SAFETY!

12. Which means I would NOT have had my prayer answered and coasted to a stop where the road again gained a shoulder and a patch of grass to send my son to safety while I wrestled with his backpack, my purse, and my ipod. (Some things are worth risking life and limb.)

13. I would definitely NOT have engaged my author's imagination as I peered under the car and saw the last of the 15 gallons of gas I'd had at the start of the trip pour out.

14. Which means I would NOT have wondered if the van would explode the second I turned my back, giving me a dramatic exit from this life but possibly taking Daredevil with me, an option I found unacceptable.

15. I would NOT have had to call my hubby to come get us and then watch cop cars and motorists alike whiz by a woman and her small son without stopping to see if I'd punched a hole in my gas tank or worse, broken the heels on my stilettos while running up the embankment from the potentially explosive 9-4.

16. I would NOT have had to thank the very nice man who did stop and offer to stay with us until my hubby arrived.

17. I would NOT have had the pleasure of seeing Daredevil recover from his fear that the van would explode (No, I didn't share that idea. He thinks like me.) and realize, to his intense enjoyment, that pulling his fist up and down would cause EVERY SINGLE TRUCKER ON THE INTERSTATE to honk their horn while passing us by.

18. I would NOT have missed a meeting at work due to lack of transportation.

19. I would NOT have had to drive Daredevil back to school, hubby to the house, and then return to the scene of the crime with Paul so I could take advantage of the free towing on his AAA card.

20. Which means I would NOT have had to use up a chunk of my friend's time sitting there waiting for the tow truck.

21. Which, of course, means we would NOT have made plans to create the kind of scene worthy of 6 pm news coverage (I can't divulge our plans but we were going to use his police baton, gun, and my considerable acting skills to great advantage).

22. I would NOT have had to walk into our mechanic's office, inform them of the 9-4's impending arrival, and watch them laugh hysterically because simply entering my name in their computer brings up a list of the 9-4's crimes designed to make every other vehicle look like a saint.

23. I would NOT have foolishly told the mechanic to just take the 9-4 out back and shoot it if it turns out the hole is in the gas tank instead of the hose without first making plans to steal the Ferrari I so richly deserve.

24. Also, I would NOT have been stuck in rush hour traffic on the way home (mind you, this whole thing started at 10:45 a.m.).

25. And, I would NOT have been forced to stop for groceries at the silly hour of 5:00 p.m. because I would already have restocked the essentials: Milk, fruit, lunch materials, and a t-shirt that says "Arsonist Wanted: Experience With Vehicular Fires A Plus".

26. Which means that I would NOT have walked in the door just in time to have the Scientist inform me that if I left RIGHT AWAY, I could make it to his open house in time.

27. So, of course, that means that I would NOT have had to drive back out to the school, over that accursed speed bump, spend an hour and a half hearing how wonderful my son is, only to return to the parking lot and find that the GINORMOUS gasoline puddle I left earlier in the day is STILL THERE.

Definitely a day I'd like to start over.

What He Said

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen” - Frank Lloyd Wright

Who's With Me?

The entry deadline for The Golden Pen contest is Sept 1st.

This is a fantastic contest for writers who want some solid feedback on their entry. Three judges score your entry. At least one is a published author while the others are Golden Heart finalists. Final round judging includes acquiring editors within your genre. Judges are encouraged to mark your manuscript and give you feedback.

You can enter electronically here and use Paypal. All submissions for the first round are electronic so it's fast and easy.

You must be an RWA member in good standing. If you want to join, go here.

I'm entering SHADOWING FATE (its contest debut!) in the paranormal category. =)

Opposites Attract

The Jump Start Your Creativity topic today at Swords & Stilettos is how to use opposites (words, visuals, colors etc.) to create something powerful and unique.

Head over and let your creativity loose!

At Least Your Day Is Better Than Hers

"Read this," she said firmly.

As a writer, you have many tools in your arsenal, not the least of which are the parts of speech. (Hey! Don't knock 'em til you try 'em!) An evocative adjective sets the scene. Deft use of conjunctions weave parts into a whole. Verbs (as long as they aren't passive voice, but that's another post) used well create movement, drama, characterization, tension, and imagery.

Adverbs, though...adverbs are not your friend.

Oh, they pretend to be. They slip into your mind, sneak across your keyboard, and land on your page and you think, "There! That tells the reader what she needs to know!" And you dust off your hands and move on.

The problem is this: adverbs tell. They do not show.

Excellent writing shows, rather than tells.

Ergo, adverbs are not your friend.

Does this mean you can't ever use adverbs in your manuscript? Of course not. But adverbs, like cayenne pepper, must be used sparingly (Look! An adverb!) or they take over the entire thing.

There are better, stronger ways to approach your writing than relying on adverbs. Because an adverb modifies an action, you can use more action to show the reader what is going on.

For example:

"Did you hear about the dead body Sammy Watts found in his tool shed?"

"No," Tess said calmly, though she wanted to scream.

OR

"Did you hear about the dead body Sammy Watts found in his tool shed?"

"No." Tess forced herself to breathe, to untwist her hands and shove them in her pockets, as she bit the inside of her lip to keep from screaming.

See the difference? In both cases, you're giving the reader the information that Tess's words don't match her emotions and something strange is going on under the surface, but when you substitute action for an adverb, you thrust the reader inside Tess's head, force the reader to feel her tension, and leave the reader's emotions just a bit ragged.

An excellent way to strengthen your own manuscript is to go through it, page by page, seeking out the adverbs. Once you find an adverb, see if you can show the reader the same thing using action instead. Sometimes, you can't use action and the adverb usage stands. That's fine. A little cayenne pepper makes the dish interesting. Most of the time, though, you can push yourself beyond what's easy and develop the skill to show rather than tell.

Monday's List

1. So, I wasn't going to post a Monday update today because I posted the witty and amusing run-down of new blog search terms and then followed that up with a link to my post on S & S.

2. My hubby logged on today and demanded to know where my Monday Update went.

3. When I explained all of #1 to him, he did not care.

4. I started the habit of Monday Updates and so, in his book, I should continue said updates until the day I turn in my stilettos and start fertilizing Venus Fly Traps instead.

5. So I'm posting. For him. And yes, I chose the pic with care.

6. I have nothing lined up to write in this post so you're going to get an assortment of random thoughts that won't have any cohesive element to them other than the fact that they came from me.

7. I really don't like to mop.

8. I am oblivious to flowers, plants, or anything that requires watering but doesn't show the gumption to speak up and tell me it's thirsty.

9. As a child, I had to swallow green beans like pills or I would activate my gag reflex and the result was anything but pretty.

10. As an adult, I simply choose not to eat, smell, or even look at the disgusting things.

11. I like getting unexpected cards in the mail from friends.

12. All I want for Christmas is a Books A Million gift card (new shop that opened in my town...finally!!), and a copy of Get Smart and The Dark Knight.

13. And maybe a trip to a spa.

14. People tell me I should watch Heroes and Supernatural.

15. I don't know when I could find the time to add television watching, the kind that inspires rabid loyalty and the inability to miss an episode, into my life but I acknowledge the worthiness of those two shows.

16. It's supposed to absolutely pour here tomorrow and we need it.

17. I love staying inside and writing on rainy days.

18. I would never actually travel to outer space, even if the whole thing was colonized and they offered me a closet full of shoes for free just to spend a week on the moon.

19. Then again, there is the whole "weighing next to nothing on the moon" to consider.

20. Reader Question: Want me to do another creative writing exercise where you provide the first sentence and I take it from there? If enough of you ask for it, I'll do it. :)