Procrastination Station-- NPR Three Minute Fiction

So...NPR has a Three Minute Fiction Contest--a 600 word short story--aka "flash fiction."

The rules are, it has to begin with the phrase "Everyone swore that the house was haunted" and end with the phrase, "And nothing was the same after that."

I've written something I'm not sure is any good or not--but I'm sending it out in the interest of "writing dangerously."

Of course, I'm procrastinating. [sigh]

My issue is that, with only 600 words, I'm taking way too much time for the set up. I find I'm getting into the "meat" of the story about 300 words in, and it needs to start much, much earlier than that.

We'll see. If you're interested in entering, or in reading some of the previous winners, go to www.npr.org

Photo Highlights from Highlands Celebration of the Book

...plus a shot from a side trip to Looking Glass Falls.

Celebration of Books Event---and HOW I MET BLYTHE

I had a blast although there wasn't much of a crowd at the book event I'm attending this weekend. I had forgotten how much fun it was to interact with other authors and just hang out and hawk books and do some chillaxing.

But the biggest surprise was when B and I went to a local restaurant, and THE WAITRESS WAS BLYTHE!!!! For those of you who aren't familiar, Blythe is the eccentric waitress in my novel, Leaving the Comfort Cafe. In interest out of this waitress, I will NOT share the location or name of the restaurant [though I really have no complaints about her, she was an awesome waitress].

Y'all seriously--the waitress we had said things that were sooooooo Blythe. Things such as:

[pointing to a scar on her arm] "I got this in a knife fight. Well, not really, I just say that to freak out the blue hairs."
"If you don't like the entree, don't worry. I'll just eat it."
"Sorry, I got a situation brewing outside." (we were never quite sure what that situation was)
"Oh, I hope you get the creme brule. I like that. I get to set it on fire when it comes to the table."

Cool London Photos

While I definitely do NOT believe in past lives, the strangest thing about my trip to London that I can not shake was that I had the feeling I had been there before. Everything seemed so familiar, every street seemed someplace that I had wandered before---and even "chillaxing" on the lawn in front of Westminster, I had a feeling I had done this hundreds of times.










I'm having a hard time letting go of that wonderful, wonderful, city... aka, the City of Dangerous Writers...anyone wanna sponsor my work permit?



.
.

One of my friends said maybe I was drawn to London so strongly because that there is a book there that I have to go there to write. I'm not sure. I just know that I've never felt such a part of a place when visiting it
.

OK, maybe I won't be a character

....mainly because I'm having doubts that the wig would arrive via mail in time. The wig is vital to making Blythe work.

Then I realized, wait, I'm giving a writing workshop while I'm at this book fair. I'm going to have a bit much going on to worry with being Blythe....

And I always do this...I always build up these crazy, unrealistic goals and then hit myself over the head when I don't reach them. What's up with that?

But no more. Writing dangerously doesn't mean hitting oneself over the head.

Becoming my Character

I've decided I'm going to become Blythe.

I'm appearing at the Celebration of Books Festival in Highlands, NC. I'm very excited about it, including a specialized writing workshop for teens.

Maybe I'm desperate for publicity, maybe I've just not had much of a social life, maybe I took the wrong medication, but at any rate, I've decided to spend at least part of the time at the festival in character, dressed as my character, Blythe Shelley, from Leaving the Comfort Cafe.

Will this be successful or a disaster?

There's a pretty good chance of both.

The big ??? about whether or not I can pull it off depends upon whether or not I can find a red, curly-headed wig [though Blythe does change it to black later in the book....] This may be an opening for "The Blythe Monologues" --hmm...I'll file that idea away for later.

To get an idea of Blythe, you can hear me reading a section from the novel or even read a part of it [for free] on my website at www.dawnwilson.net.

Writing dangerously?
Well, it's doing something dangerously, anyway.

Free Writing Workshop for Teens

I'm returning from a hiatus. I had to move to a new apartment, then I had the wonderful chance of a lifetime vacation in LONDON. Absolutely awesome.

I hope some of the random Brits I met while over there check out this blog and drop a comment.

The main issue right now is I have to get ready for a book fair in Cashiers, where I will be presenting a FREE workshop on creative writing for teens. This is a part of the Celebration of Books festival in the Highlands Civic Center, Highlands, NC. The festival [where I will be selling and signing books] is on Sept. 11 from 9 am. to 3 p.m.....my workshop is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Workshop room. I'm not sure where that is but I am sure I will find out.

I'm debating spending part of time in character as my character, Blythe, from Leaving the Comfort Cafe....What do you think? Should I splurge on the $10 ginger wig on Amazon?