Category: A Novel Adventure

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Week 4: Ardent – Balance

I’ve loved this week’s words, even using a few in my Little Gems short story entries (due next – yikes!)

What this week has taught me however, is I’m ardent about putting a little balance in my life – starting tomorrow!!

But first…my favourites.

argus-eyed: adj. keen-eyed, vigilant

armature: n. protective covering of an animal or plant, or any part serving for defence or offence.

arresting: adj. catching the attention, striking

arriviste: n. social climber, ambitious person

askance: adv. with suspicion, mistrust, disapproval

avarice: n. insatiable greed for riches

aventurine: n. an opaque, brown glass containing fine, gold-coloured particles

avowel: n. frank acknowledgement or admission. 2. Open declaration

babushka: n. 1. A woman’s headscarf; often triangular with ends tied under chin or at back of neck (or a Russian grandmother!)

balance: various. what every good novel needs!

Now for my weekly challenge; using as many words as possible (not recommended if you are planning to write a good novel. Remember – balance and moderation!)

“She yanked the knot on her babushka and looked askance at his avowal to have his way with her. He was nothing more than an argus-eyed arriviste with an arresting smile. She’d need her armature to avoid his avarice.”  🙂

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Research! – Tough challenge but…

What is it about writers? We all seem to love a challenge.

I’ve just joined a group of fellow authors in the RWA 50ks in 30 days write-fest. The idea is to glue your bum to the seat and pound out as many words as possible. (50,000 ideally!)

It can totally work for some people. Both my small towns, big hearts novels (House For All Seasons and The Simmering Season) started out in similar challenges.

Okay – yes it’s June so…yes, technically I should be working on those 50 thousand words for my next novel, but I do tend to procrastinate a bit at the start. (Another trait we writers seem to share.)

Since I’m writing about challenges, I thought I’d share a recent writing challenge of another kind.

Looking for inspiration for my novel (in which the town of Calingarry Crossing holds a fair day) I went to my local country show and challenged myself to eat everything I could find on a stick!

Things have changed since I did the whole Easter Show thing as a kid and…well…luckily for me the junk food on a stick options were limited. Sadly, not even fairy floss comes on a stick anymore. Am I that old?

Okay…with my fair day research consumed…ahh…I mean done, it’s back to those 50 thousand words I’m supposed to have done by end June. (After I make myself something to eat. I just made myself drool LOL – yum!)

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Success tastes like pomegranate!

Pomegranates taste sweet and so does success.

After…well…I don’t know how many competitions I finally placed in the TOP 3 (okay…so I equalled 3rd place, sharing the honour with fellow RWA writer Lilian Begelhole).

We are two of sixteen short stories chosen for publication as part of the Romance Writers of Australia’s annual short story contest – Little Gems, in which you must produce a story (less than 3,000 words) that includes the gem of the year. The gem for 2011 was GARNET.

First and second place was taken out by Lynne Kokshoorn and Cara Gabriel (respectively) and our stories (along with 12 more) will be printed between the most striking cover. There will be 16 stories.

This will be my second consecutive year in Little Gems.  My other two entries this year both tipped the 90% mark in the rankings, and with a massive 82 entires this year I couldnt be happier. I’ve never received full marks before. I got two full marks (two different stories) and some wonderful comments. I hope you don’t mind if I share a few now…

SWEPT AWAY (dedicated to flood victims everywhere)

I loved this story J The characters were fascinating and I loved the unique way the garnet was incorporated in the story.

 

This story is sweet and suspenseful and utterly charming.

SEW SPECIAL

This entry covers the full gambit of emotions – it is romantic, funny and sad. The format of the story adds interest in the way that the sequence of the 40 years is covered and the reader gleans a whole lot of history of the heroine and her life over her 80 years.

LOST IN LINGERIE

This story is fantastic! I love it.

The characters, story, pace are all beautifully rounded, making this a complete, excellent story.

I’m getting to love my shorts!  Excerpts can be found here on my blog.

Phew! Now I need to break into the ‘big gems’ in the publishing industry with my aussie women’s fiction.