Two-Tone Cake,
originally uploaded by kmariwalsh.
This is the pretty cake I made with Aimi. The icing and the vanilla cake were AWESOME. The chocolate layer was a little dry. An, when we’re in Vancouver, I need you to re-teach me your talent of adding chocolate to things with oh-so-much success.
I’ve had a rough writing week–as in, very little writing has happened. After a good, long phone call with Pam tonight, I felt better, but still slackerish. One of the things we talked about was ghosts, and I immediately got scared and woke Lila up to check if there were any ghosts lurking around my house (dogs can sense them, I hear.) She did not find any and requested a pee and a cookie for her trouble.
Anyways, the call reminded me of how many great YA ghosts stories there are (Mary Downing Hahn, anyone?) Later, procrastinating from writing, I came across one of my first attempts at fiction — circa 1995? It’s a ghost story titled “In a Time Before.” I’m sure to really get the title right, you’d have to read it to yourself in the kind of shaky, deep voice of a monster-movie voice over.
Anyways, it’s action packed. It’s just over three pages, and I use the word “suddenly” nine times, three of which occur in the first paragraph.
Here’s an (horribly embarrassing) excerpt:
Suddenly a groan came from the car and it came to a dead halt. 16-year-old Anne kicked it with her foot. She would have to walk. It was late and dark outside Suddenly a light rain began to fall and lightning cracked like a mischievous child, never deciding where to stay. Anne hesitated and slowly continued down the road. The rain poured harder then suddenly she heard a faint crying in the distance. Was there someone in the road besides her?
Let’s just say that things only get worse from there for poor Anne. Suddenly worse.
