HOOK, LINE AND STINKER

Oh, boy, two great ideas!!!!

They came to me in the middle of the night -- thank goodness my pad and pencil were alert and ready-- at attention--waiting on my night stand for my brilliant words.  Okay, okay, my ...I hope can make them out in the morning--scribbles.

UP AND AT EM'...5:00

Walk and feed dogs...

      Sunday paper and coffee...

               Decipher not-so-brilliant words on night stand...                

                           Make a diagram, list of words, WHATEVER to jump start the brain.

TIME TO WRITE...7:00

Sit at desk...

        Turn on computer...

                 Log in...

                          Stare at screen (a good procrastination tool)...

                                      NO!!!!  DON'T GO THERE...

                                                   Open e-mail (a great procrastination tool)

FINALLY...7:30

Open Word...

       Stare at blank computer page.

Ready...set...go...

For me, titles are difficult to discover, but today ... not a problem. I had a great title. But, the hook. God, I hate the hook. I choked.

In a running marathon, it's leg cramps. In my Picture Book MARATHON, it's a brain cramp.

I couldn't think of a great hook.

That's okay because I knew what the middle of the book would say. So I threw my line in the water of Word hoping I could catch something without the hook. I would write this story...

             S*D*R*A*W*K*C*A*B

I started. Not bad, not brilliant...but it's a start.

I still haven't got a hook.  So I hope this one isn't a stinker.

Tonight my pad and pencil will be beside me...on the nightstand...waiting in hopes of that hook that will make an editor drool.