Campaigners have been asked to write a short story of 200 words, beginning with “Shadows crept across the wall” and ending with “everything faded”. We should also include the word “orange”.

Here’s my entry.

Condemned

Shadows crept across the wall, tracing the path of the setting sun. At this time of year the cell sucked in half an hour of daylight and, if he stood on the edge of the bed, he could sniff autumnal decay in the leaf-laden air.

He glanced down at the orange regulation jumpsuit and wondered who chose that colour and why? Perhaps they’d been trying to cheer the place up a bit, or maybe they wanted to highlight the sallow skin that set in after a few months on the block?

As the last rays faded and the merciless fluorescents kicked in, a door clanked open and steel toe-capped footsteps shredded the silence. Sallow skinned or not he had been passed fit. The paperwork had been filed, the hearings had been held and the clock kept right on ticking.

He felt the cold metal hoops close around his wrists and ankles and shuffled his way down the hall towards the chamber. They strapped him down so only his head could move and, turning to the right he spoke his final words – a plea, a prayer, the story of life lost in a moment. One sharp stab then everything faded.

The first questions come from Jane over at A Writer’s Muses.

1. If you could live the life of any historical character or person from 1900 or earlier, who would that be?
I think I’d have to say Queen Elizabeth the first.

2. Why did you choose that person?
I’d relish defying all of the assumptions of the nobles by staying single and running things my way, whilst flirting outrageously of course. Plus, I do like a nice palace.

3. What is the one thing in life you want to accomplish?
A long and happy marriage to my lovely fiance

4. What tv show do you wish would be remade or produced?
Bring back the Muppets!

5. What was the last book you read?
It was ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett. I realise that a lot of people read it a while ago but I only just got round to it. Having lived in the Southern States I found it very interesting, and the book was more nuanced than the film.

6. What is your favorite old (black and white) movie?
It’s hard to choose as I like nothing more than a classic black and white movie on a rainy Sunday afternoon. If pushed I’d probably have to say ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ as I am a bit of a Tennessee Williams fanatic.

7. If you could invent one thing to benefit humanity, what would that be?
Ooh, getting deep now. I’d like to invent an empathy switch that compels one person to truly see the experiences and understand the point of view of another. It would help with all sorts of conflicts and should sort out the more judgemental and selfish parts of our society.

8. If you could grant someone you know a wish right now, what would that be?
I would give my brother the ability to make sure that both of my nephews can go to any college they like, without worrying about how he’s going to pay for it.

9.What classroom memory do you have from elementary school?
I remember all of our craft lessons – which included knitting, basket-weaving and making felt puppets.

10. Describe your favorite fruit without naming it.
Skin like suede, it blushes as you bite, revealing soft, juicy flesh the colour of the setting sun.

11. Name a song that makes you feel happy whenever you hear it.
Footloose

And the second set of questions is from Marcy Howes.

1. What was your favorite book or book series as a child?
Beatrix Potter’s beautifully illustrated animal stories. I still have some battered and treasured copies.

2. Chocolate or vanilla or caramel?
Vanilla.

3. You are going out with friends. Would you rather dress up, or go casual?
Relaxed and casual every time.

4. You must evacuate your home and only have time to fill one backpack. What are the first three items you will put inside?
My two teddy bears and my laptop full of family pictures.

5. It’s a rainy 3-day weekend. What are your plans?
A quick trip to the shops to buy some lovely food and home via the library where I’d check out a couple of good books and some classic movies to enjoy from the comfort of my sofa.

6. What was your most beloved toy as a young child?
I have always been a lover of bears and books.

7. What is your favorite board game or card game now?
Games can be quite contentious in our family (there is a competitive gene) but I enjoy Pictionary and have fallen off many chairs laughing at my brother’s comments – the all time classic being a picture of Ben Hur in a chariot which Jon described as ‘a dude doing a dog’.

8. You have been given the gift of a week-long trip anywhere in the world for you and your closest friends or family members. Cost is no object. Where will you choose to go?
We’d all go to a villa in Hawaii.

9. What is the most interesting word you have read or learned in the past week? (yes, you may look one up now if you like.)
Macerator, a great word for a not so lovely object!

10. What is the most creative thing you have done in the past month?
A one day introductory course to making jewellery with precious metal clay. I adored it and have two gorgeous pieces as a memento.

11. What is your most unusual characteristic?
I’m a bit obsessed with switching appliances off at the plug. It drives my family bonkers but safety first I say.

OK, now it’s my turn to pose eleven random questions for eleven other bloggers. Here’s my list:

1. Describe your favourite item of clothing?
2. What was the last thing you saw at the theatre?
3. Write the inscription you want on your headstone (cheery I know)
4. If you created a new brand of cheese, what would you call it and why?
5. Morning, noon or night?
6. Name one thing you are far too scared to do.
7. If you could inhabit any fictional world which one would you choose?
8. If you could give your younger self one piece of advice what would that be?
9. In your dream house, what would your favourite room look like?
10. Who or what makes you howl with laughter?
11. Make me a cocktail and tell me what’s in it.

I’d like to pose these dastardly dilemmas to:

C L Bledsoe
Neil Vogler
Christy Farmer
Ute Carbone
K. Zeth Ozbirn
Jaye Viner
Some harlots, harpies and harridans!
Scott Bury
Misha Gericke
Jennifer McMurrain
Marieke

PS: Having delved deeper into the comments threads on some of these blogs it seems a few have already answered questions. Nevermind, as fellow campaigners they are still well worth checking out.

The campaign is a great way to discover new blogs, network with fellow writers and stretch your creative muscles, so if you fancy joining in then pop by her blog now!

Of course there were days when writing my small stone was just anther thing on the ‘to do’ list, another task or obligation to be fulfilled. Nobody has a month that is entirely spiritual after all.

But looking back I can see that my little stream has helped me to capture the tone of this wintry month. It has helped me to remember some beautiful days and some poignant ones. It has helped me to mark the passing of time and to look for the moments that stand-out, even on days when hurrying was the name of the game.

And now my stream will merge with the river. My experiences will join with those of several hundred others and we will all take the time to be thankful, at the end of thirty one days, for the gift that was January.

Not many of the items on that ‘to do’ list have a result as positive as that!

To read all of my stones, click here.

I’ve carried on with the January small stones project, organised by Fiona and Kaspa, and you can see the results of the past week’s writing on my river page.

This really is something everyone should try, even if it’s just for a few days. Taking time out to really look at the world will help you to slow down and appreciate every single day – even the freezing cold ones!

In January it is all too easy to get caught up in the bustle of packing away the old year, going back to work, setting goals and making resolutions. Instead I have been taking part in the River of Stones project – setting aside a little time each day to really notice something in the world that surrounds me, and then choosing just the right words to describe what I see.

There have already been one or two days on which this exercise has been something of a sanity-saver. On those days I’ve caught myself, mid-afternoon, running around breathlessly ‘doing’ things but not necessarily achieving anything of note. So I’ve stopped, I’ve looked out of the window, gone for a walk or just gazed at the room I am sitting in. I’ve taken the time to notice something I find beautiful and I’ve reminded myself to be grateful for it.

To see the results, visit my 2012 river page. It’s not too late for you to join in too!

Whether cooking on it, huddling beside it or just watching it flicker, there is something inherently soothing about gathering beside the fire, especially on darker days.

I hope that you all have a warm place at the heart of your home and that you will have some free time to sit beside it over the next few days. May 2012 bring you peace, health, happiness, laughter and love.

See you in the New Year, and thank you for reading.

Claire.

Today I am delighted to be offering a comfy seat and a refreshing cuppa to the wonderful Nicola Morgan, who is whizzing around the interweb discussing her latest ebook, Mondays are Red. As those of you who know her can testify, I will also need to dust off a footstool for her customary, and impressive, red boots…

Although she now has around 90 books to her name, Nicola vividly remembers how she felt when she first achieved the status of debut author, and she has agreed to describe the experience for us today – over to you Nicola!

Debut Exposure

“The launch of a debut is a strange and mixed experience, full of excitement but not always in a good way. When Mondays are Red was about to come out, I said to my husband, in one of my more worried moments, “You know, I’m starting to think the best thing I could do to publicise this book is either say something really controversial or die tragically.” I hasten to add that I still have no plan to do either! The thing is this: when we’re actually writing our debut, we have no real sense of what’s coming. When the book is accepted, we’re given a publication date so far ahead that it feels entirely unreal. We go round telling everyone our book is coming out, with no understanding of what that means.

The date approaches and suddenly it’s all too real. We want to jump up and down and say, “Hello! Look – I have a BOOK out! Please notice me. I will do anything. I will – erm – take  my clothes off or say something controversial or take my clothes off AND say something controversial. I’ll even DIE!” Yes, you will do anything for your book and anything less than extreme doesn’t feel enough. This is panic. Stage One thereof.

Then, about a week before publication, Stage Two occurs. This is characterised by exposure dreams. These involve dreaming about things like going to the bathroom with the door made of glass, or without a door; or walking along the street without requisite clothes, or being about to go on stage in only underwear. Because publication is exposure. People will judge us. It’s scary and somewhat horrible.

Anyway, the book comes out and almost everything is surprisingly rosy. Until someone, usually related to us, points out that he went into […insert name of tiny bookshop in tiny town…] and didn’t find our book. And suddenly we feel as small as an adolescent wasp and about as irritable.  From this moment on, it’s a steep learning curve.

I sometimes think authors’ relatives and publishers should be forced to go on a course to show them what it’s like inside our heads, how many bright smiles we conjure up when inside we’re feeling belittled or stressed senseless, what it feels like when no one comes to an event or books don’t arrive or no one brings a cup of tea when we’ve talked ourselves hoarse or someone makes a snarky comment or we Google our name and find a less than glowing review, why sometimes we might behave a little stressedly, even a little badly.

But hey, for goodness’ sake, what am I complaining about? Despite all those things and more, a writer’s life is one I wouldn’t swap for anything. And the best thing I learnt was that (most) people don’t want you to be outrageous or die – just to write a book they will love. The worst thing I learnt is that exposure dreams are not just for the debut…

Good luck to all you writers writing what may be your debut novel. Savour the fact that you don’t have a deadline; write it from the heart and throw your best words into it. Oh, and don’t worry about doing any outrageous publicity: that sort of stuff is fleeting anyway. A good book speaks for itself. Just write.

Thanks for having me, Claire! I hope you enjoyed Mondays are Red.”

Of course I did enjoy this fabulous read, which deals with the fascinating topic of Synaesthesia and was actually Nicola’s debut YA novel, first published in 2002. As part of her ongoing publishing adventures she is now delighted to be producing the ebook herself, with a new cover and extra material, including creative writing from school pupils inspired by the book. For details about how to buy a copy (price £1.99 until the end of January), see Nicola’s website

You can also enjoy this rather spiffing trailer and find out more about what it takes for a debut writer to succed at an earlier stop on Nicola’s blog tour, hosted by Catherine Ryan Howard.

Gloriously Us aims to bring the dementia community together through poetry, allowing people to express their feelings and explore cherished memories.

The project is being run by volunteers who hold poetry workshops for people living with dementia and their carers. This first volume contains more than 40 poems and, excitingly, has an introduction from award-winning writer, Joanne Harris.

The book is available in both hard copy and electronic formats and all profits will go to Alzheimer’s Society. To buy a copy, please visit the Gloriously Us website.

Harry died in October of this year, aged just 11. Before he died he managed to raise a staggering £85,000 for brain cancer research and all profits from the anthology will go towards increasing that amazing total still further.

The eBook brings together 176 pieces of flash fiction or poetry from 81 writers who met as a result of Rachael Harrie’s ‘Platform-Building Campaign’. It has been edited by Rachael and by Katharina Gerlach and is on sale for a very reasonable $2.99 (or 1.7 cents per story, bargain).

If you followed Harry on Twitter, are a lover of flash fiction or just want to support a great cause then please consider buying a copy. It is available to download from Amazon or Smashwords and you’ll find the links below.

Thank you

Buy a copy from Amazon or from Smashwords