Purple Prose [Search results for MOON] 

Have you ever looked up at the sky, saw the moon, and thought, “Wow, that would be a wicked shoot”? But when you looked at the photo, the moon is nowhere as big as the one you saw (obviously, though, it’s the same moon).

That’s because our eyes work differently than a camera lens. If you have an SLR camera, then you can switch to a zoom lens. If not, you can still take pictures of the moon, but you you’ll need to zoom in as close in as your camera will allow and use the scenery to draw the eye to it (which you should do anyway). This can be done using leading lines, framing, rule of thirds, etc.

All of these photos were taken with my point & shoot camera.

I started singing this song out of the blue in the kitchen tonight... and had to laugh.

Do you know the song?

Our piano player, Faye, used to play it at church when I was younger. I sing it sometimes when it pops in my head.. wonder if that's random???? (Nah, I don't think so either.)

So, if you have never heard the song it goes...
He's still working on me.
To make me what I ought to be.
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars
The sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be...
He's still working on me.

The 'He' of course is referring to God.

So, I have sung that song for years and years... never really thought much of it. But tonight I started singing it out of the blue and started just laughing. Not crazy laughter (because that would be weird lol), but more like "How did I not see this before???" laughing. I'm a bit slow...

Ok, follow me here... It only took God a week to make the Moon... the Stars... the Sun... the Earth... Jupiter... and Mars...

BUT He' s STILL working on me...

Think about it.. It only taken Him a week to make the other things.. but he's been working on me for the past 30 years (and hopefully 80 more to knock some sense into me... ).

So, the sun, the moon, huge planets, solar systems... GALAXIES... THEY were the easy part for God. They only took a week!

But the people... OH the people... they take constant work, correction, love, kindness, and sometimes a kick in the pants. Just like our own kids. Making a home is the easy part. Four walls, a bed, toys, and food and you have the basics (of course us, like God, want our kids to have the best so we have those 'Glow in the Dark' stars in their rooms and 'Ocean Wonder' night lights so they can go to sleep watching fishies swimming on their ceiling... ). But if you are a parent.. or if you've been around kids... you know that *THAT* is the easy part.

God has more kids than Jim Bob Duggar (and I so love the Duggars), and He cares for, provides, and loves all of us. No favorites... none barely scraping by. And He loves us so much that as HARD as he worked to give us everything (and lets face it.. sometimes we aren't very appreciative), He STILL makes time for each of us.

I have a hard enough time making time for THREE kids... how about billions???? (That's why I'm glad it's God's job and not mine.. have no desire to be Evan Almighty... I liked that one better than Bruce Almighty, but I digress)

Anyway, just some thoughts that made me laugh with "Well, duh Kelly, it only took you 15 years to figure that song out." tonight. I wanted to share them with you... so it wouldn't take you as long lol.

Now, go sing that song... WATCH THIS VIDEO! You can't deny a song sung by a sweet little 6 year old (I don't know this kid, but thought it was cute.) Watch it a few times and get it stuck in your head...

Much Love,

Kelly

by David Farland @DavidFarland

I would like to welcome David Farland to my blog today. He often teaches writing workshops, and has trained a number of people who went on to become international bestselling authors—people like Brandon Sanderson in fantasy, Brandon Mull in middle-grade fiction, and Stephenie Meyer in young adult fiction. In addition to being an author of adult fantasy, he has just released his YA fantasy novel, Nightingale (blurb at the end of post).

###

Here’s an exercise that I use to help teach authors how to handle an opening scene.

1) Especially at the beginning of a tale, use “resonators” to better tie into your audience's subconscious. "Resonators" are often words that identify your piece as belonging to a particular genre, such as fantasy, romance, or horror. They are part of the secret language that is used within a particular genre to give the writing more power by referring to previous works written in that genre.
2) Avoid the use of “to be” verbs in the opening of your tale. In particular, if you describe an inanimate object, try to do it using only active verbs. It is all right to use metaphors and similes to create motion. For example, “hoary pines guarded the hillside, while an ancient rock brooded at its top.”
3) Appeal to all of the senses--sight (don’t just describe the colors of things or their shapes, but also their textures), sound, smell, taste, touch (hot/cold/wet/dry/ firmness/softness). A great rule of thumb is that if you want to bring a thing to life, really get the reader to focus on it, you need to describe it at least three times, preferably using different senses so that you don’t become repetitious.
4) Create a sense of physical motion in your description. There are several ways to do this. For example, you can have physical motion as mentioned in point two. But you can also have motion nearby. For example, if I were to continue describing the hill, I might place crows flying up from the pines, or a stiff wind that makes the boughs sway.
5) Add a sense of temporal motion in your description. For example, in describing a car you might describe how it has changed over time—from the moment that it was bought new in the showroom, to what it looks like now, to what it might look in another twenty years.
6) Add emotive motion to your description. Describe precisely what your protagonist feels about the place or thing that he is seeing, but pay particular attention to how that emotion changes. It is all right to use internal dialog.
7) Use precise language. That means that if you are describing a person, consider using his name. If you want your reader to envision a pine forest, let them know that it is a pine forest, not just a forest, lest they imagine oaks or palms.

Here is a sample of the opening description from my novel Nightingale (available as an enhanced novel on the iPad, complete with its own illustrations, soundtrack, animations, and author interviews). I didn’t try to use all of the tips listed above, just enough to bring the scene to life. Never make yourself a slave to all good advice:

She raced through a thick forest, gasping in the humid air. Sweat drenched her, crawling down her forehead, stinging her eyes. Dogs barked a quarter mile behind, the deep-voices of mastiffs. Her vision reeled from fatigue, and she struggled to make out a path in the shadows.

Fireflies rose from the grass ahead, lugging their burden of light, lanterns in shades of emerald and citrine that pushed back against the gathering night. Eighty thousand stars wheeled through otherwise empty heavens. Without even a sliver of moon or the glow of a remote village, the stars did not shine so much as throb.

She could run no faster. With every stride, Sommer stretched her legs to the full. A mastiff keened, not far back now. It was almost upon her.

Her pursuers were faster than any human, and stronger than she. At nineteen, Sommer was in the prime of her life, but that made no difference. A desperate plan was taking form in her mind.

The dogs were trained to kill. But she knew that even a trained dog can’t attack someone who surrenders. Nature won’t allow it. And when a dog surrenders completely, it does so by offering its throat.

That would be her last resort—to lie on her back and give her throat to these killers, so that she could draw them in close.

She raced for her life. To her right, a buck snorted in the darkness and bounded away, invisible in the night. She hoped that its pounding would attract the dogs, and they did fall silent in confusion, but soon snarled and doubled their speed.

The brush grew thick ahead—blackberries and morning glory crisscrossing the deer trail. She heard dogs lunging behind her; one barked. They were nearly on her.

Sommer’s foot caught on something hard—a tough tree root—and she went sprawling. A dog growled and leapt. Sommer rolled to her back and arched her neck, offering her throat.

Three dogs quickly surrounded her, ominous black shadows that growled and barked, baring their fangs, sharp splinters of white. They were huge, these mastiffs, with spiked collars at their throats, and leather masks over their faces. Their hooded eyes seemed to be empty sockets in their skulls.

They bounded back and forth in their excitement, shadowy dancers, searching for an excuse to kill.

I can still get away, Sommer thought, raising a hand to the air, as if to block her throat. By instinct she extended her sizraels—oblong suction cups that now began to surface near the tip of each thumb and finger. Each finger held one, an oval callus that kept stretching, growing.

Though she wasn’t touching any of the dogs, at ten feet they were close enough for her to attack.

She reached out with her mind, tried to calm herself as she focused, and electricity crackled at the tips of her fingers. Tiny blue lights blossomed and floated in the air near her fingers like dandelion down. The lights were soft and pulsing, no brighter than the static raised when she stroked a silk sheet in the hours before a summer storm.

She entered the mastiffs’ minds and began to search. They were supposed to hold her until the hunters came, maul her if she tried to escape. Their masters had trained the dogs well.

But a dog’s memories were not like human memories, thick and substantial.

Sommer drew all of the memories to the surface—hundreds of hours of training, all bundled into a tangle—and snapped them, as if passing her hand through a spider’s web.

Immediately all three mastiffs began to look around nervously. One lay down at her feet and whimpered, as if afraid she might be angry.

“Good dogs,” Sommer whispered, tears of relief rising to her eyes. “Good!” She rolled to her knees, felt her stomach muscles bunch and quaver. She prepared to run.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a deep voice asked.

There are more dangerous things than mastiffs, Sommer knew. Of all the creatures in the world, the man who spoke now was at the top of the list.

Grand Prize Winner of the Hollywood Book Festival, placed first in all genres, all categories.

Winner of the 2012 International Book Award for Best Young Adult Novel of the Year!

Finalist in the Global Ebook Awards.

Some people sing at night to drive back the darkness. Others sing to summon it. . . .

Bron Jones was abandoned at birth. Thrown into foster care, he was rejected by one family after another, until he met Olivia, a gifted and devoted high-school teacher who recognized him for what he really was--what her people call a "nightingale."

But Bron isn't ready to learn the truth. There are secrets that have been hidden from mankind for hundreds of thousands of years, secrets that should remain hidden. Some things are too dangerous to know. Bron's secret may be the most dangerous of all.

In his remarkable young adult fantasy debut, David Farland shows why critics have called his work "compelling," "engrossing," "powerful," "profound," and "ultimately life-changing."

"Superb worldbuilding, strong characters, and Dave's characteristic excellent prose. --Brandon Sanderson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
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Nightingale Website

David's Website

Today, we are talking about movies made out of books. I'd love for Crossing the Deep to be a movie someday. IMO, it would make a good one :)

A few days ago, I bought Beastly because it was on sale (I know) and started reading it. I'd seen the movie, never read the book. The book starts out a bit... differently from the movie. So far, though, I'm liking it a lot. (It's kinda ironic to me, though that the 'fat witch' in the book is played by a rail thin Olsen sister in the movie).

But this isn't a review of Beastly or Twilight or Harry Potter or The Green Mile or Shutter Island or anything like that. It's strictly book vs. movie. Which do you generally like better?

Here are my thoughts: (The bold titles link to where you can buy the books on Amazon :) )

Twilight: Book better
New Moon: Book better
Eclipse: Book better (I sense a theme)
Breaking Dawn pt 1-2: Movie better (but saying that, I was team Jacob, it's hard to really get into Breaking Dawn if you're Team Jacob lol. Not a bad book, though.)

Shutter Island: Probably liked the book better. To me, it was easier reading about it than actually seeing it on screen. Leonardo Dicaprio and Michelle Williams did a great job, though.

The Green Mile: Never watched the movie nor read the book.

It and The Stand: (Can I just say the Kindle cover of IT makes my hair stand on end... Pennywise... EEK!) I like the movies better. I tried to read the books, but couldn't get into them I think I just have a block with Stephen King, though. Nothing against him or his writing. My sister loves his books. I love the ideas behind them.

So there you have my very limited assessment of Movie vs. Book. I've never read Harry Potter and have only seen 1 of the movies, so I'm not the best to determine which I like better.

You're turn. Book vs. Movie. Of the ones you've seen/read, which did you enjoy more?

I didn't put together a writing post for today. Instead, I decided to list those authors who I love and who might have influenced my writing. I figured this was easier than listing the books I love since that would be one very long list.

YA Contemporary

• Sarah Dessen (Favorites include: Lock and Key, Along for the Ride, The Truth about Forever, Just Listen)


• Sarah Ockler (Her debut novel is Twenty Boy Summer. I cried. A lot.)


• Lurlene McDaniel (Hit and Run, Breathless, Prey, Letting Go of Lisa. I went through a gazillion boxes of Kleenexes with Lurlene’s books).


• Jay Asher (Yep, another Kleenex box worthy author.)


• Simone Elkeres (Perfect Chemistry. Definitely steamy. The book inspired me to add some Spanish to Lost in a Heartbeat to make the characterization stronger.)


• Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak and Wintergirls)


• Bethany Griffin (Handcuffs)

• Lisa McMann (I can't get enough of her Wake series.)


• Alyson Noël (Actually, Saving Zoë had an influence on my current novel, Lost in a Heartbeat).


• Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instrument Series. If only I could write imagery like she does.)


• Richelle Mead (Dimitri. Need I say more?)


• Daniel Waters (Generation Dead and Kiss of Life. Brilliant themes. They’re the only zombie books I like.)


• Stephenie Meyers (I’ll admit I’ve switched to Team Jacob after seeing New Moon in the theatre.)


• Libra Bray (I loved the Gemma Doyle series—The Great and Terrible Beauty, etc.)

Hope you all have a safe and happy New Year's Eve. And best wishes for the New Year.

Stina

Today's sweet Saturday Sample--
“Rachel, are you going to hate me forever?” Sid asked as he draped his arm around her shoulder. His dark red coat matched his hat so perfectly that Rachel wondered how long he had searched for a coat the exact same shade as his favorite headpiece.
“I don’t hate you,” she said, shrugging him off.
“Sure you do. You both do. Carly told me you did.”
“She did what?”
“Yeah, in the van. She said both of you royally disliked me, and I wanted to hear it from you.”
The soft sound of the running water echoed through the trees. It sounded peaceful, tranquil. If only Sid would be quiet long enough for her to enjoy it.

Rachel held on to the flimsy, wooden handrail as she started across the swinging, single person bridge across Deep Creek, which ran perpendicular to the trail. Deep Creek wasn’t very big; maybe fourteen feet across, and appeared more of a trickle than a creek. She didn’t even see a waterfall. It kinda bummed her out.
“Deep Creek,” Sid read the sign at the beginning of the bridge and followed behind her. “Original. Misleading, but original.”
Rachel couldn’t argue with that. A few boulders were scattered across the creek basin. To Rachel, it looked like if something bad did happen and the water actually covered those rocks, then the creek would live up to its name.
“I don’t know what Carly told you, but I don’t hate you.
Carly is her own person and can think or feel what she wants,” Rachel said once she reached the other side of the bridge. ”But I don’t hate you. I don’t like what you did, but I don’t hate you.”
“Look, I know I messed up. I more than messed up. I screwed up and hurt someone I care about. I know that. If I could take it back, I would. Can you just please talk to Carly when we get to the picnic area? Make her see that I’m not a bad guy.”
Rachel didn’t know what to say to that. She had always heard once a cheater always a cheater, but she also knew it was her Christian duty to forgive. “Come on. Help a guy out,” he added in a pitiful voice. “I told her I was sorry. What more does she want?”
“You’ll just have to figure that out yourself,” Rachel said, unsure of how to help him.
“Just talk to her. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease…”
“Okay!” she said just to shut him up.
“Thank you!” His face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he kissed her on the cheek before running up the trail toward Asher, who was leaning on a tree. “You’re the best!” he yelled back at her.
Rachel stopped walking. What had she agreed to, and what was Sid thinking kissing her like that? It wasn’t like he was letting his intentions be known, as her grandma liked to say. But still, being kissed — even in a chaste way — wasn’t something that happened to her every day.
She watched as Sid slapped Asher on the shoulder before running by him, and without thinking, her fingers went to the little spot on her cheek where his kiss had landed.
“If you get that riled up from a little peck on the cheek, I’d hate to see what would happen if you got a kiss on your lips,” Asher yelled, folding his arms with that same smirk he’d had at the snack machine. Rachel’s cheeks burned like fire, knowing what she must look like, staring all swoony-- ‐‑ eyed at Sid. When did she start swooning?
“On second thought,” Asher said, narrowing his eyes, “maybe it would be a fun thing to see.”
“That would imply that I’d let you.” Rachel made her legs move again.
“Very true.” Asher laughed, falling in step beside her.
“What are you doing on this trip anyway?” Rachel asked, harsher than she meant. Her mouth was in defensive mode.
He shrugged, not seeming to take any offense. “Didn’t have any other place to be.”
Awkward silence filled the space between them as they walked. Rachel just wanted him to run ahead with Sid and leave her alone.
“You should cut him some slack, you know?”
“Who? Sid?”
“Who else? Yeah, Sid. He messed up, sure. He cheated. We all mess up. Even perfect little Christians like you.” He had a lot to learn about her. “I’m by no means perfect,” she said, her voice hard.
“And neither is Sid.”
“I’ve never cheated on a boyfriend.”
“Have you ever had a boyfriend?”
Ouch, that stung. “That’s none of your business.” Sure, she had never had a boyfriend, but she knew without a doubt she wouldn’t cheat on one.
“I’m sorry,” he said, almost like he meant it.
“Whatev—”
“And Sid’s sorry too,” he said without skipping a beat. “Making out with Easy Emily wasn’t the smartest move. One, because her lips should be retired for excessive use, and two because it hurt someone he cares about a lot.”
Rachel knew he was right. She’d even used the same argument with Carly. For some reason, she just wanted to stay mad at Sid, more so after he thought it wise to buy her help with a little peck on the cheek. The kiss had irked her. And her reaction to it irked her even more.
Asher spoke when she didn’t. “You Bible types are all about forgiveness,” he shook his head, “until it'ʹs you who has to do the forgiving.”
“What do you know of the Bible, Asher?” she spat. “Do you even own one?”
Without warning, Asher stepped in front of her. She could either stop or run over him; she chose to stop. Her eyes came up to his chest, and she tilted her head up to see his face. That close, she could see how blue his eyes were and the little moon-- ‐‑ shaped scar on his chin. He didn’t look amused anymore, and the twinkle was gone from his eyes. “You think you know it all, don’t you? It’s all black and white with you. No gray areas. All or nothing. Well, guess what?”
He moved his hands to her shoulders and pushed her windblown curls back. “The world doesn’t work like that.” Asher lingered a moment, staring into her eyes. He stared so long, Rachel wondered if he was going to kiss her too, but that was stupid, because he obviously didn’t like her. Without a word, he turned and walked away.
Watching him go, her mind raced and felt completely empty at the same time.
She had no idea what in the world was happening on this trip.
~*~*~ Want to read more?
BUY LINKS: AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-The-Deep-ebook/dp/B009NWGMMQ/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1
BARNES AND NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crossing-the-deep-kelly-martin/1113215706?ean=2940015565096

I have lots of favorite words: "Mommy", "I love you", "I'll help", "It's naptime"...

But this morning, I found two more to add to the list: "Daddy, look."

Now, there are a few reasons this caught my attention this morning.

1. It was Daddy look, and not Mommy. Mommy gets asked, ne told, to look all. the. time. Now, you are going to think I'm complaining, and I'm not. I love it-- but-- it gets old the 40th time you see the same cartwheel (I'll admit it). It was nice for Daddy to be singled out if only once in a blue moon.

2. Daddy was here to look. I've mentioned before that my husband hasn't been on first shift long (since October or November). For as long as my girls remember, Daddy wasn't here in the morning because he was either coming home from work (3rd shift) or sleeping (2nd). They didn't get to see him a whole lot.

We were grateful he had a job of course, but it was hard on us. I still salute the single parent families, the military families, and all others who have to do it on their own. It can't be easy.

Anyway, back to the point, my middle daughter (who turned 5 today :)) ran down the hall with her new backpack as I was coming out of the baby's room. I heared her say, "Daddy, look!" He said brightly, "Yeah, I like it." And she giggled and ran off.

My heart melted.

It might seem like a little thing, but it was big to me. After all of these years of being the primary caregiver, the booboo kisser, the cook, the cleaner, the 'look' person-- and now I get to share it with my husband who seems to get a kick out of it as well.

Kids need their daddies (if they are able to be around). Sometimes, a Daddy lives in the same home, but isn't around (and it may not be their fault). I've been there, and it's so So hard!

I mentioned last post that I watched the movie Courageous. I know it really affected my husband (and me as well). I don't want to miss my kids growing up. I don't want to miss an opportunity to look at a cartwheel or a silly little song. My husband told me tonight... (when I looked at him angrily because he was aggrivating the girls as we walked into the store... yes, Walmart. They were being loud, and I wanted them to be not so wound up.)... "Kelly, have some fun."

Hmmmm... What a novel idea!

Proverbs 17:6 "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers."

Linked with: Winsome Wednesday and Women Living Well Wednesday  

It's been awhile since I've posted. I haven't forgotten ya'll, just got busy.

Have you ever heard of pitchmadness? Well, if not, it's a contest where you enter a 35 word pitch and the first 250 words of your novel. 'Slush readers' read the pitches and choose their favorites. Then the team captains pick 15 each (60 total). Those pitches are loaded on the websites and the participating agents get to 'bid' on the pitches (the rules will be up tomorrow).

WELL, I'm SO Excited because my 4th novel (wow... I can't believe I've written FOUR!) was chosen to be on #thedreamteam by captain Brenda Drake! I'm OVER THE MOON! Honestly, I never thought it would go that far. I love it, but I didn't know if others would. Even if I don't get an agent, I had confidence now that this is a good book and has potential :) Fingers crossed!

In other news, Thursday is the day I lose my mind ;) (just warning you ahead of time). I've decided to do a blog tour--- but not just ANY blog tour. A ONE DAY BLOG BLITZ.

TWELVE people (you read that right) have graciously turned their blogs over to me to help get the word out about SAINT SLOAN (sequel is being plotted now... leave a comment if you are on Team Aaron or Team Ray-- *I* know who she ends up with, but you never know... I *could* be persuaded ;) )

On Thursday, I'll post the blog links as well as how I did in Pitchmadness!! It's going to be an interesting week!! (Plus, I'm getting my content edits back for B.I.G. is Beautiful! Squee!)

Here are the WONDERFUL people who have agreed to host me on their blogs:

Wendy Knight-- author of Feudlings
J.F. Jenkins-- author of The Corruption of Mila
Christi Corbett-- author of an upcoming June AP release :) (her blog: http://christicorbett.wordpress.com )
J. Andersen-- author of At What Cost
Felicia Rogers-- author of Labor of Love
Patricia Kiyono -- author of The Calico Heart
E.A. West-- author of Imperfect Beauty
J.L. Salter-- author of Rescued by that New Guy in Town
Sherry Gloag-- author of Vidal's Honor
Zanna Mackenzie-- author of The Love Programme
Lynn Spangler-- author of an upcoming AP release (March 28th!!) www.lynnspangler.blogspot.com.
Stephanie Robertson-- (here's her blog: www.thewritesteph.com )

*Some authors have more than one novel out... I'm just giving you a sampling. Click on their Amazon author page and learn more about their books :)*

HUGE thank you to all the authors who are helping with this! :)

One thing I would like to ask... I have a small medical test on Wednesday I'm a little nervous about. I'm sure it'll be okay, but I wouldn't mind some prayers :) I'll give you more information on it in a different post.

SAINT SLOAN and Grace Award Nominee CROSSING THE DEEP available now published by Astraea Press~ Pure. Fiction.

These days many point & shoot cameras give you the same flexibility seen with SLR cameras. This is great news for those of you who want to stretch your creative limits. And for those of you who don’t want to bother with such complexities as speed and aperture—and they aren’t really that bad—these cameras makes things easier for you too.

The secret resides in the symbols found on your camera as shown above—or some variation of them. No, they aren’t hieroglyphics or ancient runes—though they might seem that way—but they’re the foolproof way of getting great photos (most of the time).

Here’s the rundown of what they all mean. The symbols on your camera might be slightly different, but the definitions are the same. Also, your camera might not have all of these options, especially since this is a picture of my film camera and not my digital one.

Person and moon: This setting allows you take pictures of people against the night sky or during dusk. You’ll need a tripod or else your pictures will be blurred.

The running person: Perfect for action shots. Unless you want your subject to be blurred, this setting will freeze him or her in mid shot.

The flower: Allows for close up photography, but is limited in scope. Don’t expect to take shots your BFF’s ultra-cool belly button ring and have it fill up the frame.

The mountain: This gives you a greater depth of field. Objects both front of and behind your subjects are in focus, such as in a scenic shot.

The head and shoulders (yes, that’s what it’s supposed to be): This is the best choice for portraits. The focus is on your subject and the background is blurred so that it is less noticeable. It makes for a less busy photo and is more pleasing. It’s also a great way of dealing with a less than exciting background.

The happy face: This is the normal mode—whatever that means.

Auto Pict: The camera pretends to read your mind and determines what your goal is (portrait, landscape, macro, moving object). Naturally, like anything that pretends to read your mind—for example your parents—it’s not always correct.

TV: Speed (see tip #8). You pick the shutter speed and the camera chooses the best aperture base on available light.

AV: Aperture (see tip #7). You select the depth of field and the camera chooses the correct speed for the best exposure.

M: Manual. You choose both the aperture and camera speed. It is the most flexible and enables for the ultimate in creativity.

ISO: Film speed. See tip #6. This might be found elsewhere on your camera.

B: (not shown here). This one might not be on your camera. You can take those cool nighttime shots where the stars streak across the sky. You’ll need both a tripod and a shutter release cable to use this function.

Whew! A lot of information, but essential if you want to make the most of your camera and your creative powers. Just make sure you read your manual—which might be as long as Stephenie Meyer’s novel, Twilight—to fully understand how to use your equipment.

Every Saturday, a group of writers get together to offer you some low calorie sweets :) My snippet today is from CROSSING THE DEEP.

“Rachel, are you going to hate me forever?” Sid asked as he draped his arm around her shoulder. His dark red coat matched his hat so perfectly that Rachel wondered how long he had searched for a coat the exact same shade as his favorite headpiece.
“I don’t hate you,” she said, shrugging him off.
“Sure you do. You both do. Carly told me you did.”
“She did what?”
“Yeah, in the van. She said both of you royally disliked me, and I wanted to hear it from you.”
The soft sound of the running water echoed through the trees. It sounded peaceful, tranquil. If only Sid would be quiet long enough for her to enjoy it.
Rachel held on to the flimsy, wooden handrail as she started across the swinging, single person bridge across Deep Creek, which ran perpendicular to the trail. Deep Creek wasn’t very big; maybe fourteen feet across, and appeared more of a trickle than a creek. She didn’t even see a waterfall. It kinda bummed her out.
“Deep Creek,” Sid read the sign at the beginning of the bridge and followed behind her. “Original. Misleading, but original.”
Rachel couldn’t argue with that. A few boulders were scattered across the creek basin. To Rachel, it looked like if something bad did happen and the water actually covered those rocks, then the creek would live up to its name.
“I don’t know what Carly told you, but I don’t hate you.
Carly is her own person and can think or feel what she wants,” Rachel said once she reached the other side of the bridge. ”But I don’t hate you. I don’t like what you did, but I don’t hate you.”
“Look, I know I messed up. I more than messed up. I screwed up and hurt someone I care about. I know that. If I could take it back, I would. Can you just please talk to Carly when we get to the picnic area? Make her see that I’m not a bad guy.”
Rachel didn’t know what to say to that. She had always heard once a cheater always a cheater, but she also knew it was her Christian duty to forgive. “Come on. Help a guy out,” he added in a pitiful voice. “I told her I was sorry. What more does she want?”
“You’ll just have to figure that out yourself,” Rachel said, unsure of how to help him.
“Just talk to her. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease…”
“Okay!” she said just to shut him up.
“Thank you!” His face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he kissed her on the cheek before running up the trail toward Asher, who was leaning on a tree. “You’re the best!” he yelled back at her.
Rachel stopped walking. What had she agreed to, and what was Sid thinking kissing her like that? It wasn’t like he was letting his intentions be known, as her grandma liked to say. But still, being kissed — even in a chaste way — wasn’t something that happened to her every day.
She watched as Sid slapped Asher on the shoulder before running by him, and without thinking, her fingers went to the little spot on her cheek where his kiss had landed.
“If you get that riled up from a little peck on the cheek, I’d hate to see what would happen if you got a kiss on your lips,” Asher yelled, folding his arms with that same smirk he’d had at the snack machine. Rachel’s cheeks burned like fire, knowing what she must look like, staring all swoony-- ‐‑ eyed at Sid. When did she start swooning?
“On second thought,” Asher said, narrowing his eyes, “maybe it would be a fun thing to see.”
“That would imply that I’d let you.” Rachel made her legs move again.
“Very true.” Asher laughed, falling in step beside her.
“What are you doing on this trip anyway?” Rachel asked, harsher than she meant. Her mouth was in defensive mode.
He shrugged, not seeming to take any offense. “Didn’t have any other place to be.”
Awkward silence filled the space between them as they walked. Rachel just wanted him to run ahead with Sid and leave her alone.
“You should cut him some slack, you know?”
“Who? Sid?”
“Who else? Yeah, Sid. He messed up, sure. He cheated. We all mess up. Even perfect little Christians like you.” He had a lot to learn about her. “I’m by no means perfect,” she said, her voice hard.
“And neither is Sid.”
“I’ve never cheated on a boyfriend.”
“Have you ever had a boyfriend?”
Ouch, that stung. “That’s none of your business.” Sure, she had never had a boyfriend, but she knew without a doubt she wouldn’t cheat on one.
“I’m sorry,” he said, almost like he meant it.
“Whatev—”
“And Sid’s sorry too,” he said without skipping a beat. “Making out with Easy Emily wasn’t the smartest move. One, because her lips should be retired for excessive use, and two because it hurt someone he cares about a lot.”
Rachel knew he was right. She’d even used the same argument with Carly. For some reason, she just wanted to stay mad at Sid, more so after he thought it wise to buy her help with a little peck on the cheek. The kiss had irked her. And her reaction to it irked her even more.
Asher spoke when she didn’t. “You Bible types are all about forgiveness,” he shook his head, “until it'ʹs you who has to do the forgiving.”
“What do you know of the Bible, Asher?” she spat. “Do you even own one?”
Without warning, Asher stepped in front of her. She could either stop or run over him; she chose to stop. Her eyes came up to his chest, and she tilted her head up to see his face. That close, she could see how blue his eyes were and the little moon-- ‐‑ shaped scar on his chin. He didn’t look amused anymore, and the twinkle was gone from his eyes. “You think you know it all, don’t you? It’s all black and white with you. No gray areas. All or nothing. Well, guess what?”
He moved his hands to her shoulders and pushed her windblown curls back. “The world doesn’t work like that.” Asher lingered a moment, staring into her eyes. He stared so long, Rachel wondered if he was going to kiss her too, but that was stupid, because he obviously didn’t like her. Without a word, he turned and walked away. Watching him go, her mind raced and felt completely empty at the same time.
She had no idea what in the world was happening on this trip.

Three weeks ago, I attended the first SCBWI conference in my city. One of my favorite talks dealt with something I struggle with: setting.

Crystal Stranaghan, publisher for Gumboot Books, did a great job of showing us how setting can be used in dishing out conflict. And it goes beyond the typical man against environment scenario we’re familiar with. You know, throw in a hurricane or blizzard when everything is going otherwise hunky- dory.

In her explanation, she used New Moon and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer as an example. In the books, we have the protagonist, Bella. But unlike most of us, she has two guys mooning over her (excuse the pun!): Edward, the vampire, and Jacob, the werewolf. And let’s just say there’s major conflict between those two without adding anything else to the mix.

Because of a treaty, the Cullens (Edward’s vampire family) aren’t allowed to enter La Push, the native reserve where Jacob lives. Naturally, Edward’s fangs get bent out of shape because he can’t keep an eye on Bella whenever she visits her friend, Jacob, on his turf. Conflict.

The story takes place in Forks, the rainiest place in the States. On those rare sunny days that hit the town, Edward can’t be seen in public because he goes all glittery. Not exactly a human trait. That, too, makes it difficult to keep an eye on Bella. Conflict.

You get where I’m going with this? Stephenie did an awesome job in using the setting to heighten the conflict within the story.

So next time you’re looking for conflict, see if you can do the same within your story dynamics. Maybe all you need to do is change the location of the scene. Pretty cool, huh?