A shout out to Tim Haag over @ Word Inventions. His short writers horoscope posts have provided this blogger with (long & loud) moments of hilarity, plus he regularly shares helpful writer tips & links. This one’s for you, Tim!

The following comes from the computer files of an avid mystery reader (who started with Agatha Christie in the 5th grade & never looked back.)

It was a dark and stormy night.

No, really, it was dark. The wind blew all the street lampposts down as storm clouds vented horrendous rain, slashing sleet & hail. Lighting and thunder added boisterous hue.

A perfect night to perpetuate a crime. (A perfect night to hide under covers.)

A perfect night for all that is dark to seep into corners usually emanated by light.

Hold on, what goes seep in the night?

Blithering drivel seeps onto a computer screen from the muddled mind of a mystery writer doubt dazed by indecision.

This word. No, that one. No, not creepy enough.

Selection to perfection parries pressure to master the first page, the grand start: En garde! Where to begin? Again. And, again. Until it’s right (what a fright!)

Digressions aside, back to our setting. Dark, stormy, blithering with overcast aspirations our writer sits before a blank screen with a blank mind, not one tiny snivel of drivel.

No perspiration of inspiration.

Wait. If all the lampposts are down and everything is pitch dark, how can a computer be working?  Off the electrical hook, a happy ending (almost) – back-ups?

No matter, tonight it’s party time with tinned food by flashlight.

‘Til tomorrow, when a new day dawns @ THE COMPUTER.

grace, peace & blithering drivel

Virginia : )