By C. L. Beck
© 2008
CeeLynn tightened the harness to her parachute. A feeling akin to tiny kangaroos bouncing back and forth churned in her stomach, and excitement caused her fingertips to tingle. She wasn't afraid—not a whit. Jumping from an airplane and floating over the top of the rain forest was exhilarating ... adrenaline spiking ... and technically speaking (in case the IRS was reading), research for her upcoming novel.
She stood in the open doorway of the plane and gazed at the blue horizon, where the curvature of the earth arched with the grace of an angel's halo. The sight was so achingly beautiful that for a second, she wondered if she would become an angel when she stepped out the door.
One.
Two.
Three!
"I love being a writer!" she yelled, as she stepped out into nothingness. . . .
Or maybe she yelled "Geronimo." In my writer's fantasy, the wind was whipping past my ears so fast that I couldn't quite tell what she said as we both plummeted toward the earth.
Speaking of fantasies, a writer's life is not all it's cracked up to be in the movies. Case in point—the other day I posted a blog for YourLDSNeighborhood.com. It was one that I'd carefully crafted and painstakingly proofed. The link for it went live on Thursday.
The blog disappeared on Friday.
No, I'm not making this up. When that happened, I neither yelled, "I love being a writer," nor "Geronimo." I think what I yelled was more like "Oh, crap!"
Ah yes, another myth debunked. When something goes wrong, writers don't generally use poetic prose like, "Alas and alack, methinks my blog is missing." Sometimes I'm so perturbed over computer glitches that I actually say, "Oh, dang!" Which on the almost-swear-words-ometer is into the danger zone.
I want you to know, however, that I did outsmart the computer in the end. In a flash of brilliance (you'll notice I use sarcasm in my writing), I re-posted the entire blog. Ta-da! Humans 2, computer 1!
And now, although I'd like to stay and discuss the story of CeeLynn and her headlong dive into the rain forest canopy, I can't. The computer is being persnickety ... and alas and alack, methinks I'd better post this blog!
Yow, I never knew you could write the beginnings of novels in your blogs! But what the hey, you can write anything you want to. You're writer woman!
Shirley,
Yes, we can write whatever we want in a blog. We are writers ... hear us meow. Umm, I mean ROAR!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Cindy, did you know that Mary Roach has taken a break from writing for Reader's Digest to work on a new book. I seriously think you need to fill in for her. I'm not kidding. Go to their site and write the editor. A little blip like your one on the guy in his underwear is the kind of stuff she got paid for all the time. You could be making serious money for your silly stuff. You've got the knack woman.
Cathy
Cathy,
No, I didn't know Mary Roach was taking a break ... and I'd gladly fill in for her. I think you've got a great idea to make serious money for selling silly stuff. Now if only the editors at Reader's Digest would agree!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.