Sunday, March 6, 2011

Blog Encouragement and Sunday Snapshot

Michelle Gregory at Beautiful Chaos (what a fantastic name for a blog!) has generously given me the "Friends for the Journey" award.

She says, "Every one of us in on a journey called life. If we’re fortunate, we find friends along the way who can help us with their words of encouragement, something to laugh over, or a shoulder to cry on. Some friends stay with us for our whole lives, but often, they are with us for only part of the journey. I have friends like these in my life – some I see in person, and some I know via the internet."

Thank you so much Michelle. The feeling is absolutely mutual. I don't know if I would have kept going in the beginning if it hadn't been for your kind, sweet, generous friendship.  And I hope that one day we can get to know each other in person, too.

I am supposed to pass this on to seven other bloggers.  The first person is Kristal Shaff, whom I met through Michelle and who has been a fantastic encourager and critique partner, someone who is tough on me when I need her to be and from whom I've learned a lot.  She also has one of the most unique careers I've ever heard of: Professional Face Painter!

The next person is Donna Hole, who always comments, always supports, and has that dry, cutting humor that so often makes me laugh.

Another person I'd like to pass this on to is Laura Martone, the perky blogging diva at Laura's Simple Pleasures and Come in Character, and author of Ruby Hollow.  Thank you so much for your steady support and encouragement, Laura, and all the fun we've had along the way with our characters.

 I must include Jessica Bell, the Alliterative Allomorph, who always is so encouraging on both Blogger and Facebook;

Krista at Literary Debauchery - I can't tell you how much I appreciate all you do for our writer's group and the personal encouragement you've given me;

Elaine Smith at Wordsmithing (whom I met at Come In Character, through our characters) - I hope we can meet in person some day, too. You are so good for my writing soul!

Last, but not least, is Betsy Dornbusch, aka Sex Scenes at Starbucks. You write some funky stuff there, girl, but without Aidan's crush on Marenya, and all the back and forth our characters have had, I don't think Marenya and Faldur's relationship would have grown to be quite what it is now.  Your interaction with my characters has truly been invaluable, and I've learned a lot from you, writing-wise, along the way.


                     Time for the Sunday Snapshot

Post the very last paragraph (or 5 lines of dialogue) that you wrote.  It doesn't have to perfect; it doesn't even have to be good. It just has to be yours!

Faldur crouched opposite them, catching his breath.  He found himself suddenly afraid to draw Marenya's attention. But when she saw him, she jumped up with a small cry and ran to him.  He took her in his arms and felt the frailness of her, as her hands fastened around his waist and her head pressed into the hollow of his neck.  She was surprisingly thinner for having only been gone a fortnight, dirty, scarred and strangely dressed, and yet he thought her the most beautiful creature he had ever longed to hold.  She began to cry deep, gasping, tearless sobs, her whole body shuddering against him, and he found that he was doing the same.

10 comments:

  1. Aww. Thanks. :)

    Aidan does have a horribly embarrassing crush on Marenya. He's the type that wants what he never can have. And I'd only learned that about him (8 years in) after he started flirting with Marenya. So there!

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  2. That is so sweet! Now I don't feel quite so bad about working on my book for 4 years.

    Marenya really does want to have a fling with him, by the way. She is insatiably curious and his persistence is wearing her down. She might sound prissy on the site, but she's acting the way she's expected to. If it weren't for Faldur looking over her shoulder, well...!

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  3. Christine you say the sweetest things I'm delighted to be given a badge of encouragement. I'd love to get the opportunity to meet you too.

    I don't think I've ever read a piece when Faldur and Marenya were so happy - for a couple who are crying.

    Hope you are surviving the full-time day job and finding, at least a little, time to write :)

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  4. Hi Elaine,
    Yes, Faldur and Marenya do have a difficult relationship; it gets kind of depressing at times. But they are truly in the midst of a horrible crisis. That's about what it takes to get him to unbend, poor, repressed fellow that he is.
    Thanks for the good wishes, and I hope your current WIP is coming along well too!

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  5. Thanks for the recognition, Christine! I appreciate your support, too! And for the record, I love the interaction between Aidan and Marenya. Keeps things interesting at CIC.

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  6. Thanks SO much, Christine!!! :o) xoxo

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  7. Thank you very much! You rock and I can't wait to read your novel :)

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  8. Awesome scene *blows nose* :)

    Thanks for the award Christine. I think I have a crush on Faldur myself :) It has been so much fun reading your excerpts, and the characters at CIC.

    Drat, now you've reminded me I haven't been there in a week or so. Arghh.

    I'll be posting my list of recipients and a book review for Eldala on Wednesday. In case you have a few minutes to spare . .

    .......dhole

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I apologize for the word verification. I hate it, but the spammers made me do it.