Today's Word is Ocean

From One Word (you really should go there)

The deepest, most primal fear I ever had was the autumn night, standing on the receded beach at low tide. Pitch black. The water is invisible in the dark, and all I could think is, it's out there and if I was here 12 hours from now, I would be a bloated, drowned corpse.

In other writing news, I'm working on rewriting my submission for a writing contest. Deadline is late February. I'm sure I'll make the deadline. Just not sure how my precious little prose will be loved and adored by the judges. I also have to finish the synopsis for the writing program I'm in now. It's mostly done, but I need to make revisions, since I'm using an old synopsis and some things have changed in Act Three between then and now.

And for you people who watch the news, does it seem a bit surreal to you all the coverage given to ex-pat Iraqis voting for a new government in Iraq, voting for change while being halfway around the world? Meanwhile, E-day in Iraq is going to look like the lost reel to "Road Warrior" between people dodging car bombings, roving gangs trying to intimidate voters, and people trying to get out of the country. The election could very well be decided by votes cast overseas. And yet, there are some in Washington D.C. that'll consider this a victory because, you know, there were ballot boxes (at polling sites revealed at the last minute) and candidates (albeit unable to admit their names under fear of death) and stuff. It's a democracy by sheer force of child-like faith, as if clapping for Tinkerbell.

Anyway. Enough grumbling. Go check out this running street-level blog about the Iraqi election courtesy the BBC.