If you ever wondered how writers keep themselves inspired after the intensive work of NaNoWriMo, here's one way. Carol Krenz, a wonderful writer and all around great person, came up with a humdinger of an exercise for us at the Books and Writers Forum. After we wrote a lot of words for NaNo in November, she took inspiration from this quote form Ernest Hemingway:
"All you have to do is write one true sentence. The truest sentence you know."
And so the December inspiration--A Sentence A Day--was born. Many of the writers who frequent the Forum are posting a sentence a day for the last twenty-nine days of December.
Here are a few of the ones I've posted so far.
Dec. 3--Sharp pain flashed up my neck and wound around my jaw,
curling behind my ear.
Dec. 4--I stared at Mack; even his boots were camouflaged and not
just with mud.
Dec. 5--Blowing out my arteries would be the best option because snapping at Mack
and Samantha—or heaven forbid—Alex would only add to my stress load.
Dec. 6--“Well, she’s pretty enough and has the Chandler coloring,”
her silver hair didn’t shift as she turned back to me, “but you know she’s not a
real Chandler, Laura Grace.”
Dec. 7--The sandwich shop’s AC chilled my sun-warmed skin; that was
only fair for now it matched my heart.
Dec. 8--The embossed ivory invitation was from the one address I'd
hoped never to see again, and the intitials on the flap--HCC--made my stomach
clench.
Dec. 9--Over the years her eyes had faded to ice blue and now they
looked on my child with chilling disapproval.
Dec. 10- Her perfume was the same--a mix of rose and
gardenia--but with a subtle addition I could only identify as old lady
skin.
Dec. 11- I had never faced her without Tom at my side, but
now that my knight was gone, I was on my own, and I was Samantha's only
shield.
And one to grow on while my mother has pacemaker surgery on Wednesday. Keep us in your prayers.
Dec. 12- Momma had faded; her skin a thin, old ivory
marked by fine dark lines of veins detailed as a roadmap, and if only I'd known
what care to insist on, Samantha could meet her Grandmother Grace to counteract
meeting her Grandmother Hazel.
How are you keeping your writing going during this hectic holiday season?
Still trying to figure this one out--with so much company and so little time.
ReplyDeleteI loved #10.
Thanks, Susan. #10 has really gotten some good comments.
DeleteI write about once a week...somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-4K words.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! If I could guarantee that many words every week, I'd be a long way closer to done with my rough draft of FRIENDLY FIRE.
DeleteUm.....I haven't been doing well. I doubt I'll improve by the end of this month. Still, I'll keep plugging along.
ReplyDeleteSara,
DeleteYou're allowed bad month--especially in December with two little ones.
I love the emotions in your sentences, Zan Marie.
ReplyDeleteHmm, if I'd thought about it, I could have written a sentence a day in order, as part of a coherent story. Instead of cribbed from all sorts of my draft MSs...
I know what you mean, Deniz. My sentences are largely from a new idea, but I've not had the time to really explore it yet. Maybe, January will be an easier month...I hope. ; )
Delete