October 22, 2012

Monday Short & Sweet

I feel like a flibbertygibbet.

I don't know exactly what that is (or how to spell it :)) - something the nuns called Maria in The Sound Of Music :) - but that's what I feel like!

So today's Short & Sweet is going to be very short and sweet because I have a school visit and 47 million things to get done before I go (no, I am not exaggerating! :))
badge created by Loni Edwards

Pick one (or all if you're feeling ambitious :)) of the following actual openings of actual books (well, I changed some names) and write  3-5 sentences of your own story starting with that opening, AND/OR a brief synopsis of what your story would be about.  (I'm not telling you what books they're from because if you knew that might bias the direction of your story or, worse, limit you!)

1. "Ouch!" said Princes Amelia as she stabbed herself with the needle.

2. One day four big chickens peeked out the coop window and saw a wolf sneak into the farmyard.

3. Violet was a little white cat with bright green eyes.

4. "There she is!" Mandy whispered excitedly.  "She's coming back!"

5. Rocky and Blossom lived in a meadow on the mountain.

6. In the moon of the raspberries in a long time ago a baby sleeps, dreaming.

7. Cyrus Squirrel stood at the edge of the forest and cried.



Example: first 3-5 sentences starting with #7:


Cyrus Squirrel stood at the edge of the forest and cried.
His fur was wet.
His paws were cold.
He was hungry.
He was lost.
But worst of all, his brother Stewie and tricked him again!


Example: synopsis starting with #1:

"Ouch!" said Princess Amelia as she stabbed herself with the needle.
Synopsis: Princess Emmeline from the neighboring kingdom is coming to visit and Princess Amelia wants to impress her.  But Princess Amelia is not good at sewing.  She is not good at dancing.  Her table manners make the dogs look like royalty.  And no matter how hard she tries, her hair always seems to be messy and her gown always seems to have dirt on it.  How will she get Princess Emmeline to like her?

I hope you'll have fun with this!  Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Happy writing :)


34 comments:

  1. Almost did a lurk-and-run, but I had to say howdy lol!! Now I'm off to go do my 30 million things I need...so much less than you. I don't know how you do it :-)


    Enjoy your school visit!

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  2. Honestly, I feel like if I pull today off it's going to be a miracle! :) Good luck with your to-do list! Have a lovely day :)

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  3. Good luck with your school visit Susanna! I am opting out of the short and sweet. I am in the middle of a carb coma.:) It's been a week of doctor ordered gluten eating--although I doubt he meant donuts and cookies.. Oh well.

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  4. Have fun with the kiddos. I'm taking mine on a field trip :)

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  5. We are all definitely TOO busy. :) I'm off to the dentist after having taken my husband to get his blood drawn this morning. :( Will be back this afternoon to contribute to Short and Sweet. :) Hope your school visit went well.

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  6. Hi Susanna,

    I hope your school visit went well :) In between election inspector orientation and school volunteering, I managed to come up with something for today's Short & Sweet. Thank you for prompting me. This is the only writing I will have accomplished today!



    Violet was a little white cat

    With bright green eyes and an orange hat
    “Cats don’t wear hats,” the others said
    "Cats are much too sophisticated"

    Violet knew her hat looked refined

    Perhaps the other cats wouldn’t mind

    If Violet started something new

    A hat campaign for her feline crew

    She knew the others would love hats too

    But they had to try on one or two

    She passed out hats in red, blue and green

    Colored hats suitable for a queen

    “How regal!” said the Calico

    The Tabby posed for a photo

    Compliments spread like wildfire

    Hats became their only desire

    Now all the classy cats wanted hats
    And Violet was pleased with that

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  7. delores @ thefeatherednestOctober 22, 2012 at 4:07 PM

    #6...In the moon of the raspberries, in a long ago time, a baby lay dreaming.
    synopsis
    The Bluebell fairy has hidden her baby from the evil enchantress Gladioli. Gladioli is jealous and wishes to put a curse on the innocent child. Little Feather Down is hidden amongst the prickly raspberry canes and entrusted to the care of Willow elves. They must be ever vigilant against the evil Gladioli. What magic is this when the babe softens the heart of the evil one.

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  8. Oh my goodness, Delores! I came to post my entry...and had to tell you that yours is so beautiful...I need to read your whole story now. :)

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  9. Hope your day at school went well, Susanna. :)
    Here goes:
    #1 "Ouch" said Princess Amelia as she stabbed herself with the needle.
    Synopsis
    Princess Amelia must win the prize on the popular Royal-Walk-Down-The-Blue-Carpet fashion show if she is to pay the taxes and save her ancestral castle. Everyone says she has a flair for clothing design and the ladies of the court are always asking their seamstresses to copy Amelia's styles. But without money for fabric, Amelia must use her ingenuity as well as her skill in order to succeed.

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  10. Here goes:
    In the moon of the raspberries in a long time ago a baby sleeps, dreaming. She was given three gifts from heaven. Two were rarely seen among our kind, one was just a rare thing to see - beauty. She stirred as each special gift was given to her, making little changes to her tiny body. The parents, knowing that the gifts came from angels, named the child Angela.

    Summary:
    Angela was special. Not only was she pretty, but she had a heavily guarded secret that only three people knew. She lived a nice life with her overprotective parents, Bryce and Eden. When The Nameless Beast comes for her, she flees with her stubbornly loyal best friend, Jamie. She has to escape, but the only way is to use her special abilities. (Sci-Fi or YA book)

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  11. The entries so far are wonderful!
    Unfortunately, I don't have time to participate.
    Can I use your word - flibbertygibbet! :)

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  12. Of course you can! Maybe you can figure out how to spell it :)

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  13. Wow, Erik! This sounds great! What a wonderful idea :) I hope you're going to write it.... :)

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  14. Ooh! I love it, Vivian! It's so fun how we can start with the same sentence and come up with such different stories... and very different from the original from which this sentence was taken! Thanks for playing along. And yes, thanks, the school visit was great :)

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  15. Oh, wow! Lovely, Delores! I agree with Vivian - I hope you're goingt o write the rest so we can read it! :)

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  16. Good for Violet! And good for you! Writing a whole story - very fun! I can just imagine all the cats in their hats :) Glad you got some writing done - I did not, but the school visit was fun :)

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  17. Ugh. The dentist is not my favorite place to go. Unless it's for a cleaning - I love that. I hope your husband is okay?!

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  18. Ooh! You have fun too! Where are you going?

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  19. Thanks, Coleen, it was fun! I hope you're okay! That sounds bad (even though I am generally a carb lover.) I hope whatever is wrong rights itself immediately!

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  20. Hi
    Susanna. How fun is this??? Sorry I'm a day late. I substituted
    in Kindergarten yesterday. I took books...of course. They loved CAN'T
    SLEEP WITHOUT SHEEP.
    Anyway, I'm just now getting over to Short and Sweet. I
    loved reading the comments. Great ideas!!!




    Here's
    mine:


    One day four big chickens peeked out the coop window and saw
    a wolf sneak into the farmyard.


    “Man your stations. It’s time for Operation ‘We Rule the
    Roost’.”


    Whispered clucking and hen-hawing ensued.


    “Yep, the yolks on him.”


    “Yeah! A dumb cluck that doesn’t realize he’s walking on egg
    shells.”


    “He’ll feel hen-pecked when we’re through with him.”


    “Most eggcellent idea ever!”

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  21. So funny! I read Can't Sleep Without Sheep to 3 kindergartens yesterday too :) Boy do they love that page with the chickens :) Love your very punny story, and glad someone opted for the chickens :)

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  22. I hope your school visit went well. It's Halloween season, so...

    Violet was a little white cat with bright green
    eyes. If her breakfast wasn't
    warmed, she stared at you until you rectified the situation. She would hiss if any noise interrupted her
    morning nap at the windowsill. If you
    pet her under her chin instead of her left ear, her claws would extend. She was a wicked cat.

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  23. Susanna, I think you spelled flibberty-gibbet correctly. Still, how much fun is that word. I wish I had the talent. Anyhoo, here's my entry after lurking about without posting (I've got more than five sentences though. Too lazy to play the game with the added excitement of fun editing. I just couldn't do, Susanna!

    Cyrus
    Squirrel stood at the edge of the forest and cried. He turned his back,
    not wanting his emotions to spill in front of everyone. Yet, Cyrus
    couldn’t help feeling proud of saving the damn. He pulled a faded red
    kerchief from the frayed pocket of his green overalls and dabbed a salty
    tear that had settled on his lips. Cyrus held the kerchief in his hands
    and remembered his grandfather’s word, “Do all, all to save the
    canyon’s gifts.” Suddenly, Cyrus heard an unusual and frightening
    roar and instantly recognized it. No, it wasn’t the roar of the Goldies
    of Salmon Hills. It was the roar of the machines of man.

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  24. Ooh, I love a wicked cat that's white not black! Keep going... :)

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  25. Wonderful, Pam! Oh, gosh! I do hope Cyrus will be able to save the canyon from the machines! I think you're going to have to keep writing! :)

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  26. I have a VERY short Short and Sweet this week! #6 (what a beautiful line that is!):
    In the moon of the raspberries
    in a long time ago
    a baby sleeps, dreaming
    of golden leaves
    and falling snow,
    of little green shoots
    and rippling glass lakes,
    and there,
    and there,
    in a sugarberry sun,
    in a sugarberry sun,

    a baby yawns
    and wakes.

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  27. OMGoodness! Gorgeous, Renee! Just beautiful! I hope people come back and see this! Thanks for finding time to join in :)

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  28. Thank you, Susanna! I am behind a bit on the posts. :)


    Also, you almost have the word right - just change the Y to an I: flibbertigibbet. :)

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  29. AH! You are exactly right! (I should have known that :))






























    Renee LaTulippe wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:


    Thank you, Susanna! I am behind a bit on the posts. :)


    Also, you almost have the word right - just change the Y to an I: flibbertigibbet. :)

    User's website
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  30. Renee...that is some of the most beautiful poetry I have ever read! Please make this a picture book. :)

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  31. No, unfortunately, he has pneumonia again...he's been sick since June...on and off with various infectious types of things...immune system seems unable to fight stuff...and so when he goes to the doc for an appointment, he comes back with something worse than what he went there to check out. :( He's been running a temp (102, 103, 101) for 9 days...the first anti-biotic didn't do anything...generic which was all the insurance would pay for until he had tried that first...now he is on Avalox...cash price $250 for 10 pills (we ONLY have to pay $50)...YIKES! what do people who don't have insurance do...get sick and die, I guess. :(
    The dentist was great...it was a cleaning...yes, I, too, love those. :)

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  32. Oh my gosh, how awful! I do hope he feels better soon!






























    Vivian Kirkfield wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:


    No, unfortunately, he has pneumonia again...he's been sick since June...on and off with various infectious types of things...immune system seems unable to fight stuff...and so when he goes to the doc for an appointment, he comes back with something worse than what he went there to check out. :( He's been running a temp (102, 103, 101) for 9 days...the first anti-biotic didn't do anything...generic which was all the insurance would pay for until he had tried that first...now he is on Avalox...cash price $250 for 10 pills (we ONLY have to pay $50)...YIKES! what do people who don't have insurance do...get sick and die, I guess. :( The dentist was great...it was a cleaning...yes, I, too, love those. :)

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    IP address: 71.219.223.31

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