Thanks to all of you for jumping into this new game with enthusiasm and smiles. I need to come up with a name for the game. Any suggestions?
All I can think of is Rewrite the Proverb Game. That could be because rewriting is always part of my writing game. When I’m working on a new book the way I am now, I am always trying to find the better word, the better description, the better scene. But at the beginning when you are first trying to get the words to tell the story out of your head and onto paper or in my case the computer screen, sometimes it’s better to just let those words spill out. Get the story down. You can always do that rewriting to make it better, but if you don’t have anything down, then there’s nothing to rewrite.
We can do some rewriting on these proverbs though and you all did a great job on the ones I posted Sunday night. Some of you just picked out one or two to rewrite the ending. A couple of you got into the writing spirit and found new endings for them all.
Plenty of your suggestions opened up new wisdom thoughts. One of the most popular to rewrite was about the many hands. A few people went with messy. Connie S. said we’d need lots of hand sanitizer and Lisa thought many hands would need lots of gloves – especially with the weather many of us are seeing this week. Kayla’s many hands was very sweet as she said, “Many hands …leave many precious fingerprints on grandparents’ windows.”
Another popular one to rewrite was about the grass is greener. Over the septic tank. Where it is watered. Where the dog does his business. Where it is fertilized. When you are busy and don’t have time to mow. I liked Megan’s “The grass is always greener than the sky.” Sometimes something is just so true. I’m not sure what lesson we might learn from that except that maybe we can always trust the basics of nature to stay the same. Blue sky. Green grass. Yellow sun. Silvery moon.
Thanks for the ones about “Don’t judge a book by…” Those answers were fun and true. You can’t always judge a book by the cover or the title or the reviews or who else might be reading it or until you finish it. But if a friend tells you it’s a great story, then that’s a great way to judge a book.
Last of all, one I really liked was Marti’s “Curiosity killed … Lot’s wife.” I wouldn’t have ever thought of that, but that is a Bible truth. Sometimes you just can’t look back.
Since the contest rolls on through a couple more posts, here are some more proverbs that might find some new endings. Leaving a new comment with one of these proverbs or all of them will get you another entry into the giveaway to win your choice of one of my books, excluding the new one, The Pursuit of Elena Bradford, since it will be a while before I get copies of it. Deadline to enter is January 31, 2025 and you need to be 18 or older to enter. The winner (chosen by random and notified by email) will win his or her choice of one of my autographed books.
So here you go. More proverbs in need of some rewriting.
- Better safe than …
- The early bird catches …
- Don’t make a mountain …
- Where there’s a will …
- Always put your best foot …
- The squeaky wheel gets …
- A rolling stone gathers…
The picture is of some early birds trying to catch a few seeds out of the bird feeder. Maybe my rewrite of a proverb this time is “Better safe than slip sliding away on the ice.”
Comments 32
Always put your best foot in front of the other.
Author
Especially if you are dancing, right, Diana? Not that I know much about dancing although I did have to do some dancing research for my upcoming book, The Pursuit of Elena Bradford. That was interesting for a non-dancer like me.
Better safe than dead.
The early bird catches the day.
The squeaky wheel gets replaced.
Author
Always good to take the safe way instead of the wrong way and as you say end up dead, Megan. Stay off those icy roads. Let the other fellow have the right of way if he looks like he wants it enough to bounce you out of the way. So we are all going to follow your proverbial advice, Megan.
And you have figured out this squeaky wheel for us. Just replace the annoying thing.
The early bird eats a keto breakfast.
Always put your best foot a good distance from your mouth.
A rolling stone made famous by The Resurrection ♥️
Don’t make a mountain when you can set a mole trap.
Better safe than falling at my age.
The squeaky wheel isn’t so loud if you’re hard of hearing.
Author
Great thinking about that most famed rolling stone, Linda.
You came up with some good ones. None us want to put a foot in our mouth. Not sure where that put a foot in your mouth came from but we’ll listen to your wisdom and try to keep our feet far from our mouths.
And sounds as though you came up with a solution for those annoyed by a squeaky wheel, but they might miss out on some sounds they like.
Better safe than… to fall off of the roof.
The early bird catches… the early worm.
Don’t make a mountain… out of the baking powder, when you only need a teaspoon.
Where there’s a will… there’s a dramatic scene in a murder mystery.
The squeaky wheel gets… ignored.
A rolling stone gathers… other stones, and causes a landslide.
Author
Great rewrites here, Marti. I’m guessing you might like to bake since you are thinking about baking powder.
Better safe than falling off a roof for sure.
Love the Where there’s a will and the murder mystery scene. Seems that is a scene writers like.
I’m in the ignoring the squeaky wheel crowd, but others here are very annoyed by that squeaky wheel. I guess we don’t want it to stop turning. So, we better find that WD40 Sharon suggested.
The early bird catches a glimpse of the sun rising while taking her dogs for a walk in the snow.
Don’t make a mountain if you don’t want to walk over it.
A Rolling stone gathers a crowd when he sings.
Author
Love these, Connie, but why do I feel as though you might be talking about this one person in particular about that early bird and dogs and walks in the snow? 🙂
The Rolling Stone gathering a crowd is great thinking as they say, out of the box.
Better safe than regretting it later.
The early bird gets the first cup of coffee.
Where there’s a will there are inheritors.
Author
That first one might have been something we all needed to remember during the snow and ice last week. Being safe at home instead of ending up in a ditch and doing that regretting later.
That early bird might have the make the coffee too. 🙂
And we don’t want to be left out of the will.
Where there is a will there is some duct taped solutions.
Don’t make a mountain out of the food on your plate….you will get too full or need a gym membership.
Author
If we pile that food on our plate, Hope, you’re right. We’ll have to hit the gym or go shopping for new clothes.
You sound like you might be a MacGyver (?) fan. Wasn’t he the guy who could fix everything or make anything with duct tape?
My husband liked that show so I have watched a few, but I think he used other items that he “just happened” to be wherever he was trapped or needed to save quickly. Duct tape has been used by many people I have known over the years (including my husband) to hold things together sometimes permanently or just as fix until it can be fixed the right way or replaced. lol
The early bird motivates the not-so-early birds.
Better safe than stressed.
The squeaky wheel brings things to a stop.
Author
That squeaky wheel needed the WD40 Sharon suggested before it ground to a halt, Amy. LOL
Better safe than stressed sounds like a good way to live.
The early bird catches an afternoon nap.
Author
Seems like that sounds more fun than catching a worm, Dana. 🙂
A squeaky wheel needs WD40
Author
Great, Sharon. You have come up with a solution for Judi and Lee. My husband keeps WD40 handy. 🙂
I love this game! The “Lot’s wife” was my favorite! I laughed out loud. Here are mine…
Where there’s a will…..the family gathers.
The squeaky wheel…..is annoying.
Thank’s, Ann!
Author
Judi, you are with Lee in being annoyed by that squeaky wheel.
Glad you are enjoying the game. I’ve got to see what I can come up with tonight.
Better safe than under the mattress. The early bird catches the best seat on the bus. Don’t make a mountain come to you. Where there’s a will, you might get lucky. Always put your best foot in a new sock. The squeaky wheel gets on my nerves. A rolling stone gathers speed going downhill. Some of mine are pretty lame, but I tried to finish them all.
Author
Love them, Lee. I especially like the squeaky wheel getting on your nerves. My husband is like that with anything that squeaks or rattles in a car. He starts pounding on the dash to try to stop the rattles. I like putting your best foot in a new sock. That sort of matches Lisa’s of putting your best foot in a pretty shoe.
Thanks for coming up with something for all of them. Oh, and it took me a minute on the Better safe than under the mattress, but then I’m thinking you are thinking about money. Right?
Yes, I was thinking of money. My husband is like yours when it comes to rattles in the car. Used to anyway before his hearing declined. Back in the day, he couldn’t be satisfied until he found the source. I always wanted to hang some forks and spoons and other rattly junk under the van just for kicks. Never did it, though.
Where there’s a will…there’s a dispute over who really gets the money.
Author
That can happen for sure, Paula. Something that dispute ends up in court or so I’ve heard. Never actually experienced.
Better safe than under the bus.
The early bird catches the Sonshine.
Author
I definitely don’t want to end up under the bus, Alison. Wisdom for sure there. And don’t we all want to catch the Sonshine.
Where there’s a will…there’s a lawyer ,
Always put your best foot… in some pretty shoes.
Author
Love that one about putting on those pretty shoes, Lisa. Fun.