Shannon Dittemore is the author of the Angel Eyes trilogy. She has an
overactive imagination and a passion for truth. Her lifelong journey to
combine the two is responsible for a stint at Portland Bible College,
performances with local theater companies, and a love of all things
literary. When she isn’t writing, she spends her days with her husband,
Matt, imagining things unseen and chasing their two children around
their home in Northern California. To connect with Shan, check out her website, FB, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.My family and I are getting all packed up for Disneyland. We leave soon and I'm over the moon excited. We've had a sort of bizarre year--fires and bears and new jobs and pneumonia and broken cars and new cars--and we're really looking forward to getting away and just spending time together.
I know, I know. It's National Novel Writing Month. How can a novelist vacation during National Novel Writing Month? I think playwright Eugene Ionesco said it best.
This quote will be particularly true for me this time around because I'm so deeply entrenched in my current story (and right on schedule, thank you very much). These days I have trouble not thinking about my writing when I'm doing the simplest things and it's all sorts of exhausting. I'm hoping the magic of Disney will be like pixie dust to my tired wings.
So, while I'm off thinking about writing, I thought I'd give you all an assignment in the form of a prompt. Consider it a warm up for today's NaNo writing session.
You know the drill. I'll start you off and then you give me four or five sentences to follow. Keep your responses appropriate and leave them in the comments section. Be sure to come back throughout the weekend to encourage your friends.
When the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti slid from its position, revealing a secret tunnel.
ReplyDelete"Dude! Check it out!" Casey scrambled to the opening and peered down the dark corrugated walls. "It's just like a movie!"
I shook my head. "Get away from there." There were a million reasons to avoid secret tunnels, this one in particular.
"Are you kidding?!" Casey threw one last grin at me and plunged into the tunnel.
"Casey!" I yelled, irritated. But, after the promise I made to Elizabeth, I had no choice but to follow him.
This vacation was going to be way, way off track.
OH MY! I so hope to find a secret tunnel on the Matterhorn!
DeleteYou'll have to let us know if you do!
DeleteWait--FIRES AND BEARS? My, I wished my life was as exciting as yours. Anyway, this sounds fun :)
ReplyDeleteWhen the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti smashed its foot into the sled, nasty grin and everything.
I thought I'd left my mind in the hills that day. I thought wrong. Fifty tons of metal stared me in the face, the red eyes zeroing in on its target--*Timothy*. The Doctor had kept his promise. I grabbed the wailing baby and jumped off the crushed sled, my breathing coming hard. The Yeti was smoking hot from the reactor that powered him, and whatever snow was around here was melted into a puddle. Shots rang out. The guards had distracted the bot, bought me time. I nestled the baby in my hands, gave the thing a last look. The insignia of the Lab was etched on its furry metal head.
Timothy was staring at the thing, tears in her purple eyes. The Lab may have used a baby as an experiment, but the experiment had backfired. Closing my eyes, I turned and ran.
PS – If you don’t recognize me, I’m Jonathan Fay, using a different account. Jason is my new pen name. What do you think? I think it’s cool. :)
All sorts of crazy fun in that one, Jason (aka Jonathan!). Great job!
DeleteWhen the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti started to fall. "Bobby." I reached around to grab his hand and found him passed out in the sled behind me. The Yeti's shadow fell across his face, a visual countdown to when we'd both be crushed.
ReplyDeleteI dig that last line. I had to reread it but the image is great.
DeleteI agree. Love that last line.
DeleteWhen the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti started to fall.
ReplyDelete"Hey! You, kid!" Someone tossed me a rope. Struggling to breathe as I watched the red-eyed robot slowly tilting closer and closer, I grabbed it, getting butterfingers in my haste, and almost dropped it three times. Finally, my digits cooperated and i managed to tie a decent knot, wrapping the rope around me and an unconscious Sebastian.
"Ready, kid?"
"Get us off this thing!" I yelled.
The rope went taught around us. We were yanked backwards, and I grabbed my brother. His sweatshirt was covered in fake snow, and he had a large red bruise on his forehead.
The Yeti fell.
I screamed.
We were pulled backwards even more, and the monster landed with a bone-shattering thud at our feet. It exploded, its metal arms falling off, its back shattering into dozens of metal slivers, its red eyes popping out and flying around loose on tightly wound wires.
I gripped Sebastian slightly. What the heck had just happened?
"Hey, kid, you alright?" The ride worker grabbed me, and shook me roughly. He noticed Sebastian, and his face turned pale. He fumbled for his radio, his hands shaking. "Hey! I need some help over here!"
Great imagery! Very vivid.
DeleteWhen the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti blinked angry red eyes at us. I froze in fear, letting the sled go tumbling and taking us with it. He wasn't supposed to be able to find me, not here, not now!
ReplyDelete"Nya?" My little sister was clinging to my arm as we scrambled from the sled. "Is that ... has that Yeti been turned on?"
I pulled myself to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest as I stared in horror at the Yeti as he slowly shook his head as if clearing some fog in his mind. It was like a nightmare coming to life. "No, Myra. No, I don't think he is."
Myra's jaw dropped as she looked from the Yeti up to my deathly pale face. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The Yeti opened its mouth and let out a ground-shaking bellow. I turned and scooped Myra up in my arms, running as if the world depended on us making it out alive.
The problem with that was that it very well could.
~Savannah Perran
Ooo! Great ending spot!
DeleteWhen the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti came to life.
ReplyDeleteIt looked down at us and roared. I scrambled out of the sled, pulling Jackson behind me. The Yeti slammed a metallic fist into the ground, snapping the sled in two. In my fear I didn't see the track right in front of my feet and slipped on the ice. My hand was still clamped on Jackson's hood, and we fell together. We slid away from the Yeti--but not far enough. It stomped towards us. My legs shook as I struggled to regain my footing. What was happening?
Jackson shoved me from behind off of the track and into a fake snowdrift. He dove in after me just as the Yeti reached us. Before it could plunge a hand into the snowdrift we were already running out the other side, our legs moving like pinwheels. "What's going on?" Jackson shouted.
"I think the Magician doesn't want us on vacation!"
Who is this Magician?!
DeleteThis is probably my favorite so far! I absolutely loved the last line!
DeleteWhen the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti started bellowing "ALERT ALERT WARNING WARNING."
ReplyDeleteThe fake snowbank was vibrating, and as my bare elbow sank through the snow to hit the hot metal beneath, a shock jolted through my body. I fell away from the bank onto the floor, my bones light and my breathing unsteady. We hadn't just gone off the track. We'd gone out of bounds.
I tried to sit up and failed. Tense but immobile, I stared at nothing, my thoughts skittering around like startled geckos. At least I can describe electrocution now. Maybe in my next book?
--Savannah McPhail
Clever!
DeleteWhen the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti decided that he wanted his lunch like, yesterday -me being lunch, of course- and jumped off of the top of the tunnel did I completely lose it.
ReplyDeleteThis panic attack included only the usual. You know, screaming at the top of your lungs, eyes bigger than dinner plates, not to mention the whole frozen-in-fear thing thrown in too.
Yep, I had it bad, folks.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
"Jana, instead of bursting our eardrums with your screaming, why don't you DO something to save us from utter pulverization!" Yelled Sadie in the seat directly behind me.
Wait. Is she really blaming ME for the situation that we have found ourselves in? I don't think so.
"It wasn't MY idea to go on this cheap excuse of a vacation! Sean is the one who decided that this was a good idea!"
"Hey! Do you think that I planned for the ride to go haywire? They didn't exactly advertise this in the brochures!" Defended Sean.
"Uh, guys?" Everyone rounded on Mena, the one voice of reason in the group, only for her to point towards the front. "Big, hungry Yeti approaching!"
When the bobsled careened off the track, I knew our vacation had taken an unfortunate turn. We slammed hard into the plaster, fake snow flying, but I didn't panic. Not until the massive electronic Yeti started falling did I even flinch. In retrospect, I realize that at that moment I was probably going into shock.
ReplyDeleteOur unfortunate ride didn't end there, though. The Yeti fell, breaking the safety railing and dragging us along for the little detour. We suddenly found ourselves going down a very steep slope at breakneck speed.
Then, I blinked. Is that a tree?