I think it's were. Can I tell you why? of course not.

Thanks, Betsy!

Yup - it's "were". I just looked it up; Betsy's absolutely right.

Smart people are so damned hot.

Christmas, one year out of college, Christmas sing-along at BYU. Good old carols, the stuff a singer can get her teeth into. People around me smile at me, compliment my voice, ask "Are you in the choir?" "I was in school, I'm not now."

The last song is announced, Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus." The people shuffle their feet and look good-naturedly intimidated. I fight a grin. And it starts.

Yep, choir. College oratorio, 1st soprano, two years. We did the whole "Messiah." People are staring, and it's not because I suck.

Thanks for the compliments on the Pied Piper. It was the first thing that came to mind when I read the topic, but the POV took a while to fall into place.

Drabble

"Why are you listening to that?" She looks up from her cleaning. "Are you in love? Did someone break your heart?"

Love? Heart? I'd never thought of those before. I play the song over and over, searching for their meaning, trying to feel their drama.

I'm nine. I can't.

But as time passes, I learn to pull the weft of their lyrics through the warp of my imagination. Where that isn't enough, I embroider with the emotions of the lyrics, and stitch with the stories of my friends.

I wrap this robe around me and pretend that I am warm.

OK. Per the advice of people in my RWA chapter, I'm including a line in my cover letter about how I'm doing a major revision on Lucy's story, to prevent me from getting in trouble if by some strange chance the agent and/or editor happens to get it on Friday, toss it in her briefcase to read over the weekend, and call me Monday to request the full. Because if that's ever going to happen, it WOULD have to be when the full is around a quarter rewritten, wouldn't it? Anyway, here's my draft for the relevant sentence:

I am in the midst of a major revision to strengthen character development and conflict, which I expect to complete by the end of December.

Should I take out the bit about "to strengthen character development and conflict"?

I'd just leave it at "major revision", I think, Susan. If anyone wants to know why, they can ask you.

That was my instinct, too. OK, time to kill a toner cartridge. (And yes, I have a spare on hand.)

Yep. Extra detail not necessary.

ita, another lovely, that one. And Connie, HA! It's like being able to smile and say, why yes, I CAN play about 40% of the bits in the St. Matthew Passion....