Quote by OpheliaTusk

YAY !! Another comp! I was wondering when there would be another one.

Wonder no more!! Spend that wondering time writing!!

😊

And while I am committed to this comp, I am finding this a real uphill battle. I thought writing for a comp would help me focus things and get my writing back on track but, dang it, I'm still having trouble getting past the first few hundred words. Basically I start a story but can't get past the opening. Latest attempt is past 1000 words, though, so maybe I have this licked now.

Where or When - standard written by Rodgers & Hart

Yellowbellied Sapsucker

(I remember being very amused by this bird's name as a kid but I forget why. Might have been a joke about it in a cartoon or something.)

Quote by Cora
I enjoy drinking loose leaf teas best.

Ditto. I have a local shop that has fantastic selection and good prices. Then there's David's Tea, which is a national company that sells through shops of their own (though a financial crisis a few years ago forced them to scale back the chain severely) and in Canadian grocery stores. And online, of course. David's sells the Buddha's Blend that I mentioned.

Quote by Cora
I told her my favorite was white tea.

I don't drink much white and I am not really sure why. I do have a favourite called Buddha's Blend that combines white and jasmine green with some hibiscus. Don't shop at the place that sells it much anymore, though, so haven't had it in a while.

Trying out a new (number four!!) comp idea. This one might have some legs. We shall see.

Good morning!! Sunny day here. Spring is definitely sprung and, in fact, our temps are too high (we hit a record for the end of April the other day). Canada as a whole was 5 degrees above normal this winter, worse in the West and North but the average highs were higher across the country. Thanks, El Nino. And that's only partly sarcastic. Not having to shovel beyond one time when I had contractors coming to do work was nice.

Coffee is Deathwish Dark. Teas are Russian Caravan and Blackberry. Cold drinks are looking good. There's hot water for them what needs it.

Later, alligators!!

Heartbeeps

Wobbegong (it's a species of shark, which isn't easy to tell from looking at it)

Cheating a bit here since I never saw the movie, but I absolutely love "Let It Go" from Frozen. Probably because my son wasn't into it so I didn't get tormented with it as apparently happened to some parents. Singer Floor Jansen took the high road. Instead of complaining, she covered it with a bit of a metal touch and nailed it.

Uakari (yes, that's his real face, not a sunburn)

Reject the badly written stories.

Dark City

Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker/Jennifer Warren (though the version by Buffy Ste.-Marie, who co-wrote it, is good, too)

A well-done example of either is in my wheelhouse, but these days I seem to lean to drama more than suspense.

Romantic comedy or romantic drama/melodrama?

Role - Vole

Quote by AnnaMayZing

There are two songs from the Bond movies that I can't choose one over the other. This is one, can you guess the other?

I probably should know this from some past discussion, but given you like this one, perhaps "Moonraker" which is a somewhat similar John Barry ballad (and also the last of Shirley Bassey's three Bond themes)?

Quote by verbal
Talia is stuck on the runway right now, worried she'll miss her connecting flight. Send punctual thoughts!

Ugh. Hate it when that happens. Vibes and wishes for a prompt takeoff sent.

Storytime - Nightwish

(usually I would post a version featuring Floor Jansen on vocals, but this is the original by her predecessor Anette Olzon)

May is one of my favourite months for many reasons. It's really Spring here, even if some other parts of Canada can still get the odd bit of snow. Flowering trees are generally out (my crabapple is budding and might open soon, which is early for it). And, well, rumour has it that a certain ape might possibly have been born in May. 😉

Good morning!!

Sort of nice here. I mean the sun is out now and then and there's only a slight chance of showers in the forecast. Still, not as nice as it could be.

Coffee du jour is Muskoka Lumberjack, a medium roast from cottage country.

For tea, I've got Sunday Tea (black tea with Bourbon vanilla) and Canadian Breakfast.

Hot water is on for other teas or, for those still partaking, hot chocolate.

Fresh iced tea and lemonade are in the fridge.

Have a nice one, folks!!

Sea Otter

Quote by JustAnotherSapphic
every time I'm stuck on one, I just start another

Oh good, it's not just me. I have like three stories started for the comp and a couple more that I was toying with before it started.

Quote by AnnaMayZing

Eivør also has a new album due out on June 14th, simply called Enn. Here is another track from it, issued today.

Hugsi Bert Um Teg/Still Just You.

It is looking like a good year for music, really. I've already hit a few "favourite album of the year" albums even knowing that new albums from Eivor, Nightwish, etc. were in the pipeline.

In fact, I was looking over a list of albums with scheduled release dates this year and I see Charlotte Wessels (formerly of the band Delain) next solo album is due out the same day as the new Nightwish so I have my listening schedule for that day pretty filled out now. And there's a non-zero chance Charlotte's album will give Floor and the boys a run for their money with me. Her first two solo albums are fantastic.

First single from Charlotte's album drops on May 16, but here's a sampler from her last solo album.

Not listening to anything just now but I know what I will be listening to soon ...

NIGHTWISH Announces New Album Yesterwynde For September (metalinjection.net)

And since "Perfume Of The Timeless", the first single, is going to be one of songwriter-keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen's epics (I'm hearing 8+ minutes), here's an intro to his past work in that vein.

And Tuomas' "one-liner" for the album is, "Yesterwynde is a fantastical voyage through time, memory, and the better angels of human nature." I'm in.

Mace - Made

6570 (after dinner, let's have tea)

Word of mouth spreads news.

Good afternoon, folks!

Nice day here after some showers to start. Hope others are having good weather and generally a good day.

Getting late for coffee but I'll put on some Tobermory Grotto that's still kicking around just in case.

For teas, I'll put on a Chinese green and Lemon Fizz herbal.

Quote by verbal
The cats will be relieved.

Direct submission means you don't need to have an agent, you can just deal direct with the publisher. Which has its ups and downs like everything, or so I hear since I haven't done it yet.

Speculative fiction, if you don't already know, is catch-all for fiction that has some kind of imaginary non-real element to it vs. purely realistic fiction. So science fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal romance, magic realism, and so on.

So this list is for you if you have a hot new sf, fantasy, etc. novel burning a hole in your hard drive or cloud and want to get it out there without messing about with agents.

» 34 Publishers that Accept Direct Submissions of Speculative Fiction (authorspublish.com)

E-book these days, though not necessarily Kindle. Borrow a lot using my library's e-book apps.

WYR get published by a publisher or self-publish (Kindle, Smashwords, etc.)?