A Traditional Thanksgiving

By Keith N Fisher

When I served a mission in the Maritimes of Canada, I celebrated four Thanksgiving Days. Two, on the third Thursday of November and the other two, were celebrated in October. Canadian Thanksgiving was a great day to get together with members and investigators and have a great traditional dinner. The US traditional holidays lost something in the translation.

On one of those US holidays, I invited my district for a picnic in Victoria Park. I’m sure the natives wondered what the crazy Americans were doing in the park in November, but we enjoyed the privacy.

On one occasion, I asked my friend what Canadians celebrate on Thanksgiving. He stated, “The same thing you celebrate in the States, I guess.”

“Oh? You had a group of pilgrims eat dinner with a bunch of Indians, Too?” Of course I was being facetious, but the truth is it’s always a good idea to take a moment and remember your blessings. Especially in light of who gave them to you.

This year, I sat in the restaurant buffet surrounded by three hundred of my closest family and friends and pondered the eating part of the holiday. My mother had decided to have Thanksgiving at Chuck-A-Rama. My brothers, in turn, complained about it for different reasons. With the exception of the long lines, I didn’t care one way or the other.

I had roast beef and mashed potatoes, (one of my favorite meals), and considered our traditions. Then I noticed the characters who paraded in front of me, on the way to the food tables. I’ve mentioned my inclination toward watching people and writing a story to match their actions. That is what I did, then it was time to go. My wife took me and my daughter to a movie and that was Thanksgiving.

What do you do with your non-writing time? Take a look around you. Is there something happening in front of you? Can you use it in your current work in progress?

Good luck with your writing—see you next week.

Last Push

by G.Parker

So, as we round the last weekend of November, let us take stock of the past couple of weeks.  There has been week one, where the word count was in it's infancy and we were getting the plot going.  Week two was the mid ground -- setting the stages, getting the characters moving, hoping the plot was working.  Week three was getting the word count up and catching up to the many who are word hounds and seem to have fingers of steel.  Now we end the final week and head into the last couple of days, it's time for those who have been struggling to really put the fingers to the pedals and get the words out.

Myself, I'm on target and doing better than I'd hoped.  I try not to be intimidated by those who have (apparently) no jobs or families who depend on them for everything from meals to clothing...grin...and have amazing word counts half way through.  At least I feel confident in reaching my goal and beyond...hopefully 60,000 words this year.  I say that because my story isn't even close to being finished, and I've only got 2000 more words to go.

It's been crazy with blizzard warnings, cold wind blowing and power outages threatened...(that's when a laptop on battery really comes in handy!)  But we've survived the month of living dangerously, and it's looking good for the finish.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, being able to give thanks for the many things we enjoy in our modern lives.  Like the internet, cars, chocolate, fireplaces and smores.  I'm even more grateful for my family and their support now, and always.  I'm thankful for my wonderful fellow bloggers who help keep me motivated and going when I'd rather sit at home and not think about words in general.

Onward into the last days of count...and hopefully forward into NaNoWriMo immortality.  Of course there's always the other question...how much shopping did you do on this Black Friday?

Giving Thanks

By Cheri Chesley

Happy Thanksgiving! Hopefully, if you’re here, then you’ve already stuffed yourself with all the delights of the day. I know I love to read blog posts on a full stomach. :)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to spend a little time on the things I value most in my life. And share an experience with you.

My little family is the most wonderful, amazing little family ever. We have our ups and downs, but when we pull together nothing can stop us. Right now, everyone is pulling together to help make my writing career a success. What defines success is different for everyone. We’ve clearly defined it within our family, and we’re working for it.

As the mom, this is hard for me. My mind set is that I have to do everything I can for my family, not have them do all they can for me. I know it turns out that we all have to make sacrifices, but at the same time I just want them to know how very much I appreciate what they do for me.

I’m sure we all have at least one friend or writing acquaintance in our circles who doesn’t have the support of their family. I know I’m blessed; I can’t imagine having that struggle.

Last Thursday, my books arrived in the Cedar Fort warehouse in Springville. I found out Friday morning. Since the kids got out of school early on Friday, we drove from Tooele to Springville to pick up 25 copies of my book. The feeling I had when I first saw my book, when I held it in my hand—indescribable.

I’m thankful for that, too. :)

Talents and Gifts

Today at church we had a lesson about talents and gifts. The teacher had us look up scriptures about talents. We learned that everyone has been given talents and gifts, that we are given gifts that are different from one another, that we are responsible for our talents and are under condemnation if we do not exercise and increase them, and that talents are given to bless the lives of others.

I naturally thought about this lesson in respect to the talent of writing. It seems to me that there are many different types of writing talents. Some people write beautiful poetry. Some write great novels. Some people are talented in writing short stories. Some are gifted in grammar and punctuation. While many of us strive to develop skills in many different aspects of writing, we probably will be better at some than we are at others. We don't have to be good at every aspect of writing because we can help each other. That's what a community of writers is all about and we can grow and improve together.

If you are like me, there are days when you question whether you have any talent at all. Here's a quote by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf that should encourage you:

You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before--colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

 You are a creative, talented writer. You have a gift from God. It is your duty and destiny to write the words only you can write. It is your mission to improve the world by using your talent and sharing it with others. Your words do make a difference.

Now, go conquer the world!

How Was Your Week?

By Keith N Fisher

I’ve been feeling selfish and self-centered this week. Those are feelings, not conducive to my writing. If I were participating in NanoWriMo, I would be failing my goals. As it is, I’ve fallen behind on my blogging projects and my novels.

Normally, locking myself away would be good for writing, but I’ve started a new work schedule. I’m back working the graveyard shift, and I’m having trouble keeping my days straight. I missed a dental appointment because I assumed it was Wednesday when it was really Thursday and I went to bed thinking my appointment wasn’t until the next day.

Okay, enough about me and the onset of old age. Seriously, though, When you work nights, it’s hard to feel a part of the rest of the world. Schedules get out of kilter, and you spend a lot of time with your self. Time to consider what you want to be when I grow up.

So, It’s Saturday, and I thought I had more time to write this blog. I’m trying to penetrate the fog of writer’s block and think of a topic that will delight and inspire you . . .

I attended the Utah County, League of Utah Writers meeting the other day. Tristi Pinkston taught about self-editing and explained some of the reasons why humans write like we do. I’ve been blessed to be in a critique group with her. She can see the humor in ever split infinitive or dangling modifier.

Also, this week, I’m grateful for our new bloggers, Cheri and Karen, they are breathing new life into this venue and helping writers overcome the struggle. Take a moment to thank them for their efforts.

Well it’s almost the time to rejoin the realm of the night creatures. I have to get ready for work. When you hear that bump in the night, don’t worry. It’s only me trying to navigate the unfamiliar surroundings of a new job.

Good luck with your writing—see you next week.

Head Above Water

by G.Parker

Okay, so last week I was all positive and enthusiastic and headed on into the NaNo sunset.  Groan. Then this week hit.  It's been crazy from Monday on, and I also got sick last week just after I posted...so no writing Friday or Saturday because my brain just wouldn't work.  It was so strange to sit in front of my computer, stare at the screen and wonder what in the heck my characters were supposed to be doing.

Ugh. 

But, yesterday I was able to catch up.  It's been great, but I think the thing has taken on a life of it's own.  I realized yesterday that one of the characters isn't doing what she's supposed to be doing at all, and I'm worried that I've twisted things enough that the ending won't be possible.  And then I've discovered other aspects that will feed on each other and make a whole different story than I envisioned in the first place.

Isn't NaNoWriMo fun?

If you are keeping track, there are several people who have already reached their goals.  One of my writing sites has a list of the participants, and there is someone who has already written 100,000 words.  That totally blows my mind, because the idea of writing that fast in so little time makes me wonder if his computer keyboard is fried or not.  I know mine would be!  

There was a pep talk this week from Chris Batty, and he mentioned that he had a couple of friends doing the challenge that had finished.  It was his contention that if you've written 50,000 words before the middle of the month, then you aren't taking the challenge seriously.  This isn't meant for you.  The whole point of Nano is to revel in the writing experience, enjoy the feel of the words flowing from your fingers, and the stress of trying to reach word count goals.  I liked that thought, and I'm glad that I'm part of the average lot.  I guess we can't all be over achievers, right?

Well...thanks for taking a break and reading.  Now get back to work!

Do You have a Critique Group?

By Cheri Chesley

Last week, I was finally able to attend a session with my LUW chapter’s critique group. It. Was. Amazing. I can’t even tell you how wonderful it was to have them tell me what was wrong with my first chapter.

I know that sounds strange. But, really, I mean it. My chapter was missing some key points that only someone with fresh eyes (and no history of the characters) would notice. Essentially, if this book gets published and is sitting on a shelf and some person picks it up—would they find it interesting, or would they just be confused?

Right now, one of the books I’m reading is book 3 in THE SISTERS GRIMM series. Within the first chapter in both books 2 and 3, the author spends almost three pages revisiting the history of the characters. I realize this series is for a younger audience, but it seems ridiculous to me to spend so much time on reminding the reader about what’s happened before.

I’m really happy to have my critique group, because they pointed out to me that, in my book—the second of a trilogy—there is no history at all. This left most of them confused about what the action was all about. The other thing was that they had no sense of setting, which is an issue for me. They knew the action was happening inside a castle, but what are the characters wearing, what does the room look like, etc—all a mystery.

Fortunately, I left room in that first chapter to make additions like these.

So, do you have a critique group? How often do you meet? Or do you critique each other via email? I’m curious to know how other authors make it work.

Inspiring Thoughts From Job and Spencer

Today at church our bishop read from the book of Job, a passage which I had never recalled hearing before. I had a hard time finding it once I got home, but with the help of my husband, I found it and I'd like to share it with you.

"Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!"

I was amazed to discover that Job was one of us. He wanted his words to be written in a book. More than that, he wanted his words written with an iron pen and lead into something permanent, like rock.

Here's another quote I found today, this one is from President Spencer W. Kimball. He wrote these words in 1977.

"We are proud of the artistic heritage that the Church has brought to us from its earliest beginnings, but the full story of Mormonism has never yet been written nor painted nor sculpted nor spoken. It remains for inspired hearts and talented fingers yet to reveal themselves. They must be faithful, inspired, active Church members to give life and feeling and true perspective to a subject so worthy. Such masterpieces should run for months in every movie center, cover every part of the globe in the tongues of the people, written by the best artists, purified by the best critics."

I believe President Kimball would be pleased with some of what has been written and portrayed on the big screen about Mormonism since 1977, but I also believe that there are still many, many misconceptions about the Church in the world, and it is up to people like us to make a difference. I know not all LDS writers are going to write about the history Church, but hopefully our works are filled with truth and light. There are many ways we can share truth with the world.

Back to Job for a moment. The verses I quoted above are Job 19:23-24. In the next two verses Job gives us a clue as to what he would write about if he could write in a book, or if his words could be graven in stone. Here's what he says, and it's probably familiar to you:

"For I know that my redeember liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."

Maybe we can find time in our lives to follow Job's example and, through our written words, share our testimony of Jesus Christ with the world.

Have a good Sabbath.

The Wayfarer

By Keith N Fisher

I grew up during a time when nobody locked doors. Well, we sometimes locked the house, before leaving on a trip or extended visit elsewhere. We didn’t worry about picking up hitchhikers, and beggars were truly needy.

Whatever the cause, the world has changed. We lock everything, even if we’re only going to be gone for a second. We lock the door in traffic to prevent carjacking. We’ve learned that I’ll work for food isn’t always true, and hitchhikers can be a threat. There is one, however, who beckons.

When I think back, trying to analyze how we got to this point, I come up with many factors. Not the least of which, is our media addiction.

I know many people will take exception, but when we were kids, we looked to the media for direction. Hairstyles, dress, and even our taste in music was influenced by those we watched, read about, and listened to.

The funny thing is the fact that it’s always been that way. In the late nineteenth century, Brigham Young addressed the problem of young women following the trends from back east. In answer to it, he and his peers created the Young Women’s Retrenchment Association. It was the forerunner of the Mutual Improvement Association in the LDS Church, and is now simply Young Women’s and Young Men’s.

The point here is that even in the isolation of Utah in the eighteen hundreds, media influence was prominent in shaping our society.

Now, before you start thinking I’m condemning the media, you should know I’m a writer. I want to be one of those influences.

Today, we take our cues from myriad sources. Each one adds another piece to how we think, feel, and act. No, I’m not suggesting we’re sheep following every would be trendsetter, I’m suggesting it has an effect. Even if it only influences our reaction to a man holding a sign asking for a ride. But, there is One, Who beckons.

We live in a scary world because we made it that way. We watch a scenario played out on a TV crime show, and lock our doors against that ever happening to us. We see plenty in real life, too. How many of you have seen a person holding a sign saying, I’ll work for food and noticed the food donations, hidden away so the person can pursue the real purpose of panhandling money from sympathetic souls. After all, there is one, who beckons.

Then there is the person in need, whose car breaks down but we don’t dare stop and help because we’ve heard stories of people being carjacked, or worse. One day, I figured I could use all the good karma I could get, so I helped a couple of guys and was struck by their gratitude. The inference in that is clear. Very few of us will stop and help. Now, if the truth were known, I had second thoughts. What if they pulled a gun and stole my truck?

As writers, we must be careful. The proverbial Pandora’s Box was opened long ago and can’t be closed. What we choose to write, however, can be a haven from the storm. In a world with highly dramatic TV programs and books that offer more of the same, we can’t ignore all of it in our writing. Much of what we write will echo the media or we won’t be read, but we can control where the emphasis is placed, and to what extent we pursue the negative.

You see there is a Man, a Wayfarer, who beckons us to take him in. He struggles to strengthen our hearts. He will provide shelter from the storm, peace in a trouble world. He can use our help. Every writer, actor, and newspaperman has been given a talent. We can use that talent to follow the crowd, or we can do our part to enrich our brothers and sisters.

Good luck with your writing—see you next week.

Second Week Down

by G.Parker

I guess I've declared myself the NaNoWriMo correspondent for our blog.  It wasn't intentional, but that's what I'm living right now, so that's what I write.  So, we enter the third week, with people going strong.

I've been able to stay on top of things so far.  I gave you all the numbers last week on what needed to happen to keep going with my goal.  I've been watching some of the others in our group (of Authors Incognito) that I'm writing buddies with, and let me tell you, some of their numbers are inspiring.  I'll think I'm doing good and can relax, I'll look up their numbers and realize that I'm way behind them.  Literally.  Ugh.  It's down right frustrating.

But it's a good thing, because it helps motivate me.  I don't need a lot of motivation during this time, because just knowing I can accomplish the 50,000 words keeps me going.  Fortunately my family has been really patient and last Saturday I even got things done around the house!  It was amazing.

I think week three is the hardest though - it's where you realize your story might be struggling, or you might hit a wall with a scene, etc.  It gets into more of the nitty gritty than just writing.  So, if you are one that needs someone cheering you on and motivation, well, here goes.  

"YOU CAN DO It, YES YOU CAN!  Beat my numbers, who's the man?  ....or something like that.  Grin.  Have a good week!

Does This Happen to You?

By Cheri Chesley

I posted on Writing Fortress this week about my well of ideas never running dry. In fact, there’s never a time when I don’t know something I could be writing about. It’s daunting, since I have no idea how I will ever make the time to get them all out of my head.

That’s not to say everything I write is for publication. I had to write some things to purge my soul—others are so atrocious they’ll never see the light of day. But, once I write them down, they release my mind. And I can be free to work on the next thing.

Here’s the best example of what I mean: In 2007 I was certain I had the perfect book. I submitted said book to a publisher. But while waiting for a response, something odd happened. One particular character would not leave me alone. He was with me in my dreams, in my waking hours, always demanding that his story be told. He’s the villain. And he was upset that I had chosen to end the story with him losing out on what he’d wanted.

Silly me, I tried to reason with him. In my mind. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy. Finally I sat down to tweak the ending of the book. I barely got it finished before hearing back from the publisher. They accepted it! Hooray! (BTW, they never got around to working on my book and offered me a contract release in 2008, which I accepted. And I’m so glad I did.)

Still, this character was not satisfied. Finally, utterly at a loss, I sat down and wrote an alternate ending to my story. Seriously. In it the bad guy wins, he gets the one thing he prizes above all else, and I wrote him into old age. At last, the voice in my head quieted. I’d done it.

I don’t ever plan on putting that alternate ending anywhere but on my flash drive. I guess you can say it’s something I did entirely for myself. Because I wanted peace.

So, what do you guys to when your characters don’t leave you alone? Or is this just something that happens to me? :)

Never Too Busy

Have you ever been so busy that you didn't have time for anything more? That's the way I felt last night. After all, I am getting ready to take a plane to Colorado Thursday morning. Who has time for anything else?

Still, I wasn't too busy to notice the dog pacing the floor, smelling under the coat closet door. Her ears perked up and she continued sniffing. I stopped what I was doing and took the time to watch. Sydney had never acted this way before. She must be on to something.

No writers, no matter how busy, can ever resist a mystery. Carefully I opened the closet door. I was sure something was going to jump out at me. This isn't an ordinary coat closet. It doesn't just hold dozens of coats, but it has five tables, and 20 folding chairs, some step stools, lawn chairs, rock salt, a shovel, and the family garbage (where else do you put it when you have a dog who loves dragging stuff all over the house?)

The dog started sniffing the floor, so I pulled out the garbage can and put it into the kitchen. That gave her a little more room to move. She crawled under the row of folding chairs and backed back out. I pulled out a couple of card tables, and continued to watch the dog running all over, sniffing everywhere.

By this time, it was getting interesting so I called to my granddaughter to come watch. The dog was hilarious as she ran from one table to another and back to the closet. This is one distraction that I needed. It was fun watching, and I was in no hurry to get this show over.

After a short time, my granddaughter and I started taking the chairs out of the closet and stacking them against the wall in the kitchen. We then pulled out the larger tables. When I cleared that area of the closet, I walked to the back of the closet and lifted up a pair of long coveralls that were hanging to the floor. Sure enough, there was the culprit. It was a tiny, darling gray mouse.

Alexia and I closed the door on the dog and mouse and expected Sydney to do her job. There was no noise, nothing, except silence. We waited and still nothing. My daughter came to pick up her daughter and almost freaked out when we told her there was a mouse inside the closet.

Unwillingly she took the broom and agreed to keep watch. I opened the door and the dog escaped. My daughter told me she thought I should take everything else on the floor out of the closet so I started pushing and handing things to her. Every time I picked up something, I expected to find the little creature hiding beneath it. Everything was out of the closet, and it had disappeared.

Just at that moment, my daughter screamed and she went running after it with the broom. I was right behind her, but we never did catch that critter. Evidently, it had hitched a ride on one of the lawn chairs. Now it's somewhere in my house. Annette's sure she smacked it good with the broom, but there was no body.

Annette and Alexia’s adventure was finished and they hurried on home. For me, it was another couple of hours before I, armed with a caulking gun, and mousetraps had the little closet back in order. Now it’s time to get busy and get back to real life.

Are you a Mull-It-Over Writer?

I find that I like to mull things over. I’m the kind of person who, before saying something important to anyone, will rehearse over and over exactly what I am going to say. I even rehearse what I will say on the phone or what I will write in an email. I work over the words in my head until I get them exactly how I want them.

I do the same previewing with my bigger writing projects. Sometimes I will think for days or months about a particular chapter or even an idea for an entire novel. Then, when I finally sit down to write, it flows easily and quickly from my brain through my fingers and onto the blank page. It looks easy, but I’ve already spent hours and hours deciding in my head what I will write and how I will write it. 

The downside of this kind of writing is that I am really not so good at writing on the fly. I was in a workshop once where the presenter gave us a writing prompt and then gave us about 15 minutes to write a short story. I was completely frozen. I had to write something, but I had no time to mull the words over before I wrote them down. After staring into space for several minutes, I finally wrote something down, and it was probably okay, but I know it was not my best work.

I think it’s probably a lot like playing the piano. Some people are really good at sight-reading and can sit down and play a piece of music they’ve never heard or seen before. Others have to practice and practice before their playing sounds decent. But, I found in my limited piano-playing career that the ability to sight read well can be learned. You just have to do it often. I’m sure the same is true of writing.

 It would help me to do more off-the-cuff writing. It would really come in handy in situations like the one I described above.

So, which are you: a mull-it-over author or an off-the-cuff author? Whichever you are, stretch your writing muscles by practicing the other way of writing for a change.

Switching to Common References

By Keith N Fisher

Did you see The Wizard of Oz? When I was a kid, I watched two or three times and didn’t know it was in color. It was big entertainment on television for Thanksgiving, but we didn’t have color TV.

When that movie came out, color was expensive and it was an untried medium. The producers made the decision to show the Land of Oz scenes in color, I assume, because it was a fantasy world. The effect was marvelous but there was a downside, too.

One problem was in the translation. In my case, I didn’t get to see it in a theater, so I didn’t see the color effect. Another downside was the transition back to the real world. It went from a brilliantly beautiful land of color back to a drab, colorless world. It makes you think that Oz is a much better place than real life.

The latter downside isn’t really a problem. It’s normal in fiction. As readers, we want to visit fantastic worlds and meet heroic characters. The first downside, however, is a big problem.

How many times have you watched a movie or read a book and been lost? I admit, there have been many times for me. I’ve found if I don’t watch or read carefully, I miss the premise and the plot gets lost in the translation. There are other books that never explain the premise, though. In those cases, I shake my head and feel cheated out of the time it took to read.

Writers can be strange. We live in a world of our creation. Real life is often interrupted by a thought that leads to a plot twist or character quirk. Then we make mental notes to use it in our next writing session. With all the consideration that goes into drafting, writing, and editing a book, we have the premise down pat. Nobody knows more about our creation than we do, but the reader hasn’t been there before.

When The Wizard of Oz switched from black & white to color and back again, it was an innovative and magical effect. But it was lost on a generation of the television watching audience. When a kid living on a farm in Nebraska reads your book about the mean streets of New York, he’s going to need some reference that helps him relate. Especially if he’s never seen a television.

I know the odds of that are slim, but the point is valid. Your audience can’t enjoy your book if they can’t relate.

I’ve enjoyed a few obscure books lately. I say obscure, because I loved them, but others didn’t. When I analyzed the reasons, I discovered a common reference I shared with the author. I could relate in a personal way, but others couldn’t.

Don’t let your book go on the obscure list. Get help from proofreaders and try to imagine all the potential readers. Ask yourself, will they understand?

Good luck with your writing—see you next week.

It's a Numbers Game

by G.Parker

If your whole focus in life is a number, then you're priorities are probably out of whack, right?  Well, perhaps, unless you're doing Nano.  Since the whole point of NaNoWriMo is the end number, it's the one time during your writing career that you are focusing solely on the numbers at the end of the day.  

Since I don't write on Sundays, that cuts out about 4 days of writing right there.  As I take Thanksgiving day off, that's another one.  If you divide 50,000 by 30, you get 1667 words a day.  If you don't write some of those days, that number goes up.  Like subtract 5 from 30, you get 25.  Divide 50,000 by 25 and you get 2000.  That's a pretty solid figure. 

Simply put, I  need to write 2000 words a day to make the goal of 50,000 words by November 30th.  It's actually pretty doable, I find it pretty easy to write that many words in a day.  For some reason, when I figured it out on Monday, it came up to a higher number, but that's okay, I'm still way within range.  My number as of this morning was 7317 words.  I'm a bit behind, but I haven't written for today and since tomorrow is Saturday I can catch up.  

How are you doing?  Run out of chocolate yet?

Perspective

By Cheri Chesley

Sometimes we have to get hit in the head with a brick to remember what's truly important. We focus on a goal, work toward it, and--sometimes--forget why we set these goals of improvement in the first place.

In a word? Family.

Because that's what is really important. Not how many books we publish, how many stories we right, how big our contract is.

This week has been one of reflection. A few other words to describe it are: terrifying, tragic, painful, nightmare-like, horrifying, too awful to be real, etc. It's the kind of week I snuggle my kids closer and thank God for the wonderful family I have. And pray. And fast. And plead.

On the up side, I'm getting tons of real-life experience for my novels. And you thought I just wrote fantasy. ;)

VOTE TODAY!

By Darvell Hunt

Today I'm going to post a simple reminder for those who live in the good ol' U.S. of A.:

GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY!

That is all.