If only I had a time machine. Oh, wait — I DO! It’s call the internet, and it can take me back to this date in 2008, when I was on dial-up internet access on my wordpress.com WEBLAHG. I was posting writing prompts even then. Go, me.

Here’s what I posted on that day. The title was Pocketa Pocketa THWEEP:

That’s the sound of me, trying to post to my blog with dial-up access–not to say YARRGGHH! AIIIIII!! Bang! Bang! CRASH!!! Patience is not my long suit. Still, I can’t bring myself to shell out for high-speed access at home when the library is only 15 minutes away. I’m determined to grit my teeth and outwait the bastards who are bait-and-switching us simple rural folk because they think we’re too dumb to understand that they give one price in the ads and another price when you ask all the questions and figure it up yourself. Just because we have straw in our hair doesn’t mean we have it in our brains. America is so far behind other countries in high-speed access (and the speed of our so-called high-speed access) it isn’t even funny.

So go ahead–slow my dial-up until I could drive to Columbus before I could access Context’s web site. If I’m hard-headed enough to train a Dalmatian, I’m hard-headed enough to put up with your shenanigans.

Rant, rant.

I went to Louisville today and stopped by Carmichael’s on Bardstown Road and by Destinations on Spring in New Albany, two most excellent independent book stores. I was pushing a project which I’ll give its own post tomorrow, something I’m very proud to be part of. [I was referring to DYING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND, an anthology put out by Wolfmont Press to benefit Toys for Tots.]

At Destinations, I bought another Jasper Fforde book and the fabulous poet Sheri L. Wright‘s NUNS SHOOTING GUNS. Looking forward to some good reading as the days close in. I can keep them by the computer to while away the time while I wait for web pages to load.

MA

Writing exercise: Select or create three characters. What different ways do they react to frustration? How do they react differently when they’re alone, with long-time friends, with people they want to impress, with the preacher?