"And Still I Rise"... Along With Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday # 24

        Maya Angelou's poem, with the refrain "And still I rise" keeps nudging me.

        One blogging friend, who's battling cancer, recently posted photos of herself--posing with two different wigs and then one picture sans wig. Big, bold earring to match her smile.

       Bold + brave = beautiful

       Another blogging friend has been living a couple of hours away for a while. Now, she's living minutes away from me, which means that perhaps we can get together occasionally to write.

       My knee's still shot, but every morning I get up and hobble through the day, knowing that my health problems are inconsequential compared to others and yet hoping that soon, my past way of living can be restored.

       A manuscript I finished this summer is in an editor's hands right now. And now, I'm thinking about my next project. After all, November (and NaNoWriMo) is right around the corner... 

 And now onto writing a book blurb.
      

• Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your book.
• You choose the genre. A YA? A bit of chick lit? A historical romance? You decide.
• Write an enticing blurb--150 words or less. (The title doesn't count in the word count.) Lisa Ricard Claro is the original brains behind this writing exercise. Her third romance book just came out in July (Love to Win) so currently she's working on a lofty project:  a sequel to Tolkien's books, with the ultimate goal of penning a screenplay... which means if she succeeds, we'll get another chance to see long-haired Viggo on the big screen.
• Include your blurb in a blog post. Include a link to this post. 
• Link your post to Mr. Linky. Mr. Linky is easy. You don't have to buy him a drink or anything. If you've never done it, you'll be impressed with how simple he is.
• Check out the other blurb(s). It's interesting to see the different directions writers take, given the same photo.
• And most importantly, have fun. This is supposed to be enjoyable, not stressful.

          Here is the photo for this week, and my finished blurb:

photo by Lynn Obermoeller

The Fierce Phase

When she was young and stupid, Maggie thought she had forever. She ran toward her goals headlong and headstrong.

Living meant taking in big gulps of every bit of joy possible.

In the second phase of her life, she didn't care how much she had left. Maggie hunched over her laptop for hours and hours. She formed a cocoon to insulate herself from others. It was clear this was no life, but Maggie couldn't see any other path to take.

But then she entered into a third phase... and realized her determination would have to be rock-hard if she was going to survive. Better choices. True grit. And eyes trained on the horizon ahead instead of the path behind her.

Will Maggie emerge victorious from this phase? Read to find what life has in store for Maggie, once she carefully sets the fourth stone in place. (146 words)

     Here's the picture for next week... and have a great weekend.

Put a Sock in It!

      A better post title would have been "Put a Sock ON It" but I was trying to snag a few readers with a familiar phrase.

      In case you're not of my two regular readers, I just found out I'm getting old. Falling apart. Getting decrepit. A diagnosis of osteoarthritis last week was like the cherry on top of an already overflowing ice cream sundae.

     Heat helps the knee. However, those things you microwave are expensive... at least more expensive than a sock, a needle and thread and some white rice.

     Directions:  Sew most of opening shut. Use a funnel to get the uncooked rice in. Fill most of the sock up with rice. When you've gripped the bag of rice so firmly that you've dug a hole into the bag and the bag starts leaking into your lap and floor and the dog gets excited because there's now things to lick off the floor, put the bag of rice into a plastic baggy. Finish sewing the sock shut. Microwave the sock for 1 1/2-2 minutes.

     I just heard from my daughter's mother-in-law (via my daughter) that moist heat helps the most, so I will put a damp towel between my knee and the sock when I do it tonight.

     However, the "put a sock in it" applies to what we sometimes say about our writing. Sometimes we speak of a writing project and mumble things like, "Well, it probably won't go anywhere," meaning we doubt it will ever get published, or "It's really not very good."

          Put a sock in it.


      Just state the facts, such as:

• I'm working on ______ project and hope to get it published by _____.
• I'm in the beginning stages of  _______  project.
• I've sent it off to _______ and am waiting to hear from the editor. (You should not add, "which will be when not-heaven freezes over.")

       When was the last time you denigrated your writing, and what did you say about it?