I’m back from my Floridian adventures. Yes, we saw Cinderella’s castle and had breakfast with Goofy and all that jazz. It was surprisingly chilly, but we still had a blast, then headed to the beach for a few days to enjoy shell hunting and the faint whisper of warm sunshine on our skin. We didn’t have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings; instead, we had lemon chicken and green beans with garlic butter and key lime pie [Kathleen injects Homer Simpson drool noise here], and we ate it in lawn chairs on the patio of our little beach house. It’s the first Thanksgiving I can remember not feeling like I was going to pop after eating the meal, and it was kind of refreshing! So, in honor of my unconventional holiday, I’m posting a Keeping it Light Click Here – a collection of links I hope you’ll enjoy.
Need humor for your current wip? Check out the Wacky Laws Homepage. By perusing these chuckle-worthy decrees, you’ll learn, for example, that it’s illegal to carry an ice-cream cone in your pocket in Lexington, Kentucky (that’s just got to make it into my next story).
You can always find something interesting and idea-sparking at the Guinness Book of World Records site.
Word affectionados will appreciate “words that are fun to say.” The list is HERE.
Creating a character outside of your age group? You can get a clue about his/her generation by visiting this great website, which, when fed a birth date, provides a list of historical events and the corresponding age of the person when said events happened. Click HERE to check it out.
For an interesting old wives tale click HERE.
Just for fun, visit the Shakespearean Curse generator HERE. After all, it’s not everyday you’re called a “dankish pinch-spotted coxcomb!”
Need your characters to play it smart in a tough situation? Check out Worst Case Scenarios for some intriguing possibilities!
It takes only a second of your anonymous time (and none of your money) to donate food to the needy at The Hunger Site. 
While you’re there, visit their sister sites (for breast cancer research, children’s health care, rainforest conservation and helping abandoned animals). These clicks can really make a difference!
Write on, all!
About Therese Walsh
Therese Walsh co-founded WU in 2006 and is the site's editorial director. She was the architect and 1st editor of WU's only book, Author in Progress, and orchestrates the WU UnConference. Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot; and her debut, The Last Will of Moira Leahy was a Target Breakout Book. Sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to learn about her new projects (or follow her on BookBub). Learn more on her website.
Ha! I loved the Wacky Laws homepage. Wonder if the govts. will ever get around to getting rid of these laws.
Glad you had fun in Florida!!!
Thanks for the fun links. Re the words, why did “Beelzebub” and “debauchery” resonate with me? Maybe it’s a sign I must incorporate them in the current mess-in-progress. :)
Oh yes, and Thanksgiving Light sounds wonderful to me. I had to spend most of the day cooking in a house already heated to 78 deg (my inlaws are elderly couch potatoes and insist they catch cold if it dips below 75). I am glad that next year we plan to stay home.
One of the things I love to do in children’s fiction is create nonsense words that invoke moods, sounds, smells, et al.
Here’s my Shakespearian insult:
“[Thou] mad mustachio purple-hued maltworms!”
Maltworms, hmmm. I’m going to have to remember that!
I’m glad everyone enjoyed the linkies today. I especially loved the insult generator, too. :)