Tools and a Contest

A butter knife can turn screws and I’ve use a screwdriver as a pry bar.

One time, I whacked a molehill into submission with a pry bar. Call it my Caddyshack moment, me beating the moving dirt where the mole was hiding (laughing), hair flying around my head like a wild woman. And I missed. The. Mole. But I digress.

My point? To get the job done, use the tools that are on hand.

Writers see a crowded mall as inspiration. They note human reactions such as facial expressions or hand gestures and put them to creative use in their WIP. Scrutinizing total strangers works pretty darn good too; at least until your suspicious behavior attracts attention. Then people point at you and call the cops.

Physical inspiration, the observation of the world around us, is invaluable. But one tool gave me another kind of inspiration that should be on the desk of any serious writer.

The Breakout Novelist by Donald Maass.

Easy and fun to read, this book details the craft of writing, how to form a cohesive story, what the literary agent/publisher wants in a book. The newest edition has worksheets that guide the writer through the needle’s eye of composing a brilliant novel.

My copy has dog-eared pages with tabbed, marked up, and highlighted sections throughout. Or in other words, much used.

Contest anyone?

For a copy all your own:

1. Comment here.
2. Link to Unicorn Bell from your blog and/or Twitter account.
3. Be a Follower if you aren’t already

The contest will run until 5pm CST June 30. I will announce the winner chosen by Random.org on July 1.
Happy Weekend to all.