Day 6--Thank God For Alphasmart

For some glorious reason for that little green keyboard triggers a flood of words. Maybe it's the 4-line screen, maybe it's the lack of wires, but whatever it is, using it lets me just type instead of spending all my time and energy casting about for the "perfect" words. Perfect, schmerfect, I just need words, and the Alphie lets me find them. I heart you, Alphie. *smooch*

Jennifer, I'm glad we didn't destroy you last night with our critiques. And I hope we can figure out a day, or a weekend, to have a little writing retreat. I could sure use it, although I think NaNo is helping my slump, which is what I was hoping for.

Line of the day: Sam had been making Maxi laugh on the drive up from the bungalow by telling her that he was certain that there could not possibly be one thousand steps down to the dive site, so he was counting the steps. Maxi had her head down and was slightly hunched forward to balance the heavy awkward tank on her back. When she reached the landing she turned to look back at Sam and that was when she saw what she thought was a snorkeler in the water below them. “Look, Sam, there is a guy down there snorkeling in a shirt, shorts, and sandals.” Sam came down the last couple of steps to stand beside his wife and he looked down anxious to get down there himself and cool off. “Look at all the fish around him, honey,” Maxi said. “Do you think he is feeding them?” Sam lifted his mask with its corrective lenses to his eyes and peered down at the floating man. “Uh, Max, I do not think that guy is snorkeling.” He put out his hand and turned his wife away from the ocean. “I think we need to call the police or the rescue squad.” She started to turn back to look again but Sam held her tightly. “Do you mean…?” Her eyes widened in horror. He nodded. Before he could answer she had pushed past him and climbed up so fast she was almost to the top by the time he moved his feet. “Come on, Sam, haul ass up here and let us go get help.”

I plan to try some cafe writing in the three cafes closest to home this weekend. Keep your fingers crossed (when you're not trying to write, that is)!
--Barbara