It was a dark and stormy night. Or...

She blinked reflexively against the sting spreading across her cheek, each raindrop hurled by the wind as another burst of cool air assaulted her. Carol ducked behind a tree, glancing toward the house again. The warm glow of a lantern outlined his silhouette, moving with a quiet grace as he worked at the tiny table beside the window. It would have been almost peaceful, watching him, if not for the slashing light and thunder ripping through the night air. Almost soothing, if she could put it out of her mind. If she could forget the reason she was here.

The air shifted, suddenly calm, and the low-blooming flutter she'd been steadfastly ignoring worked its way from darker parts of her. Her breath halted, and that flutter crept upward, snaking around her heart, constricting as though it were taking down its next meal. Pure instinct kicked in and she scrambled for the door, shoving against it as the bolt of electricity sent shards and splinters flying in every direction. A few small pieces stuck at odd angles from her arm. They probably hurt, but the sharp, angry blue eyes made the only cut she could feel.

Okay, I was having a little fun with this one (and trying to stretch my writing legs a smidge because it’s been way too long). Join us for our May writers chats when we will discuss the concept you always hear about in theory, and get tips for putting it into practice when we cover Show Us, Don’t Tell Us: Writing Descriptively.

We’ll discuss techniques for recognizing when you’re “telling” and helpful ways to move toward “showing”. And shhhhh, we may even mention times when it’s better to Tell Us, Don’t Show Us. Wha???

Come one and all on Thursday, May 5th at 10pm EDT, and again on Saturday, May 14th at 1pm EDT. Writers, readers, reviewers, lurkers, and pets welcome!