Money Where My Mouth Is...

Yesterday, I talked about the importance of sharing one's writing, getting a "second opinion."

In class, I give the students the option to read their work aloud (I never put them on the spot - I don't want them to associate "fear" with writing). And at the end of the semester, I tell them, "You all have shared your writing with me for weeks and weeks. Out of fairness, I'll shove down my own nerves at sharing my work publicly, and read you a couple of paragraphs I've written."

So, in the spirit of sharing, putting my money where my mouth is, I'll offer a couple of paragraphs of my novel here to you, the lovely readers of my blog. *deep breath* Here goes:

*a quick background synopsis - the main character, Brooke, has inherited a cottage from her great aunt. This scene takes place a couple of weeks after the aunt's death.

Back at the cottage, putting away the groceries, Brooke opened a cabinet and paused - stared at her aunt’s dishes and saucers sitting there, unaware that anything had changed. She tried to imagine the last time Aunt Joy had eaten from them. Was she happy? Was she lonely? Did she know it would be her last time?

Next, she opened the pantry door and saw that it had been cleared out by someone, but there still remained an empty container with BISCUITS written in gold print. Things had been so hectic yesterday, then this morning, that it hadn’t quite hit her yet, the weight of everything. The nuances and details of someone leaving this earth, leaving behind things like a cottage and dishes and a biscuit tin for someone else to find.

Fighting the desire to sit indoors all day and let melancholy sit over her like a cloud, she decided to prepare a cup of tea while she waited for Mr. Lester. She needed to stay sharp for this meeting, full of financial figures and confusing legalese. There would be time later, she told herself, to contemplate the sadness between the lines.