Oh, wow! As much as I go on about the real coyotes in my life, I haven't read anything with the shifter kind before. I'm happy to be introduced to them through Ms. Briggs. So cool! Thank you! I'm sending my info now.

You said up to approximately 200 words, right? 203... When we were six, Sam and I played Star Wars. Sam was always Han -- he had the grin. Even then I fell a little in love with him. When we were ten, we sat on the couch, knee to knee, playing shoot 'em-ups on the TV. When we were thirteen, we went to camp and swam naked in the lake at dawn. I stole my first kiss from him under the crescent moon. Three years later I stole more. When we rented a bungalow near college, my sister came. There on the couch, knee-to-knee, I watched my Han grin at someone who wasn’t me. When I moved out last month, I left Sam in one of those Lifetime-movie good-byes: choked tears and a long embrace that said I love you, forgive you and wish you joy though all that I am is breaking inside. When I let him go, he said, "I loved you, Josh." My sister leaned her forehead into mine and whispered, “Thank you." I nodded and left without a fuss, as civilized people do. And just yesterday, in the park and on the street, I marveled at the many faces, the many ways, in which a Han can grin.

Thanks for the nod, WW! Lots of good stories have come in (I'm holding 23 that have made the first cut), but still looking for more to add to the pool! I hope you'll submit something...

I second LW as far as wanting to see new pup pics! How exciting -- something else for your cats to train. Have a relaxing sabbatical meanwhile. Honestly, I don't think I could keep to a regular blogging schedule if other people weren't supplying the fodder for my posts. What to talk about??? I'm in awe of people still at it after 4 years!

Steampunk's cool! I'm a former SCAer and I've handstitched several dresses, tunics, undertunics, cloaks, etc. I made a gates-of-hell dress and two musketeer outfits: one for court and one for actual swashbuckling, which required stiffer cloth that was doubled for protection in case a practice sword snapped and you got stabbed with live, broken steel. I even made the hat and modified a pair of modern boots -- an extra challenge in that I won't wear leather. I did fight heavy weapons some, but I bulked up my "armor" mainly with fake lambs wool and threw a tunic over it. Since I dropped out of the SCA 16-17 years ago, I've worn the costumes to sf cons and at Halloween. I have made one skirt ever to wear in my "real" life and that was when I was 12. I barely pull out needle and thread to make seam and button repairs. For a good bit of the time I was making costumes, I worked a night job where I had a lot of downtime and where they didn't mind that I hand sewed stuff. Looking back today, I have to wonder: why? :o)

I find dialog being used as exposition. Not in the "As you know, Bob" way necessarily, but as in conveying information to another character that is really meant for the reader, even if it's not something the other character already knows. Conveying backstory or some bit of action that happens offstage are two examples. While it CAN be done well, when it's just plopped in in one massive monolog, it can be quite distracting for the reader.

It's always fun to be able to determine the exact genesis of an idea. So many times our brains do the mashup thing, like in dreams, and we can't remember what exactly sparked our creativity (and we have to trust to hope that it's our own original thought and not someone else's outmoded trash). Thanks for the peek into your processes, Carolyn! WW: Did I miss a link to her website or books? No matter, off to google now...

I'd personally be quite happy if I could get this far. I'm a little handy with a pencil, but when it comes to color ... nah. I know someone will be thrilled when it's completed.

Well said, WW.

BIG congrats not just to the winners but to everyone who participated. Talent runs amok here! And WW, are you outting yourself just so you can claim another point in McK's Challenge this month, hmm? ;o)

Happy Bloggaversary!!! *throws confetti* *clinks glass all around*

#1 : 3. With Eyes Like Flame - Gramlich #2 : 8. The Hell of Dying - DeBow #3 : 5. Android - Whirl Yet another contest I'm glad I didn't enter as I don't think my entry would have been up to all 12 of these guys' snuff!