Stage 2

Stage two in operation 'write a novel'.  Expand the one sentence story summary into one paragraph.  One hour tops.  ~snort.  Alright, so this part sounds like it should be easy right?  I suppose it would be had I finished my plot first.  The good news, writing the paragraph allowed the plot to finished writing itself.  My beginning and my end can now stand a little straighter and I'm amazed at how it all just sort of unfolded as I typed, deleted, and typed again.  Like the puzzle on my kitchen table.  It's not my project, but every time I walk by it the little picture islands are larger.  Plus, the paragraph formed by expanding the one sentence ends up being the jacket description on the back of the book.  How handy.  

I feel silly using this 'how to' guide to writing because I like to do things my own way, but frankly, I have never gotten this involved or this far in a fiction story.  I've only ever had snippets, beginnings,  or endings.  Those would then get pushed to the bottom of a file in my closet.  The best part, I didn't pay a penny.  Just a few short ideas from an author that I decided to test.  So...on with the experiment.

To my first follower

I really wasn't expecting to have any 'followers' when I started my blog.
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I don't like that word.  Follower.  I was tempted to joke and make 'followers' say something like 'my humble servants' but I didn't think anyone would appreciate that.  For lack of something better I settled on 'people who like me'.
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I have a friend with a blog she introduced me to and I thought, Why not?  Just one more place to practice my writing skills.  It feels more like a journal at the moment and so far I just talk to my inner self, but if more people press the little follow button I may end up blushing with a giddy grin.  Either that or it will all go to my head and you'll have an ego monster on your hands.  It's a toss up.
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Thank you, first follower for pressing the link.  I can only hope I continue to be readable.

All In My Head

I was in a book store today.  Barnes and Noble.  I found myself in the sci-fi / fantasy section without really intending to go there.  I had a gift card, wanted to spend it, but didn't know what I wanted.  I stood browsing in an isle where a man stood at the other end.  I could feel his presence like he was noticing what books I looked at.  Probably all in my head.  I'm sure he barely noticed me, but for some reason I felt the need to only pick up books that didn't make me look to girly.  At the grocery story I like to stop at the magazine stand down from the wine and tortillas.  If others are there, especially a man, I go strait for the Scientific American, the Popular Mechanics, or some other sciency type magazine.  I truly love those ones and read them as often as I can, but I only go to the crochet and knit category when I'm alone or at least after I've sought out the others.  Why do I do it.  Who knows.  A constant need to feel like I'm more than just a woman?  Maybe.  I do that same thing when I drive.  Any car beside me and I have to be the first out of the red-light gate.  Alright, not every time, but I enjoy showing off the turbo engine, the fact that I'm a woman who likes to go fast.  Kind of ridiculous.  I always wonder if the person behind me is some handsome man who is wondering about who I am and where I'm going.  Then I realize that if they were really wondering that and ending up following me, it would be beyond creepy.  

Pepper

Pepper.  My grandpa Joe used to put pepper on his watermelon   I couldn't quite fathom why anyone would want to do such a thing.  Watermelon was never my favorite in the first place, but pepper?  When my brothers and I would spend the day at Gram and Gramps house the sandwiches would be generously globbed with miro or mayo, The apples had huge craters from cutting out the bruises, and the chips would disappear off your plate if you "saved the best of last."  Cousins.  A necessary evil.  From barbies with missing heads, to getting tickled until your pants were wet.  However, there was ice cream and soda in glass bottles.  All soda was called pop or coke and Grandpa said frogs hid under his chair, but we all new what that meant.  Run.

My taste for pepper has evolved since then.  I still haven't tried it on watermelon, but I love it in ketchup.  Seriously, the only way to eat a good fri is with peppery ketchup.   I learned that trick from a friend and never went back.