Today’s Quick Write is from Martha Brockenbrough. She gave good advice to help avoid the clichéd full moon in your stories. Look up a date such as your MC’s birthday or any other important date on a moon phase calendar. She gave this resource from Stardate to check the phase and here’s another I found at MoonPage.com.

July 15, 2017

Bailey’s Dad had been in the hospital for five days now. Each day Bailey and his mom sat in the hospital room and watched their hope of him coming home slip away. At night as they walked to the car, Bailey watched the moon do the same. He was interested in the moon phases since his teacher read Horrible Harry Goes to the Moon to his fourth grade class. He always seemed to know when the moon would rise and set and he tried to estimate how much of the moon was left (or how much it had grown each day in a waxing moon.)

Tonight’s moon was partially hidden behind the sparse leaves of the ailing red maple. “I’m guessing the moon is about 60% now,” Bailey said to his mom.

“What?” asked Mom.

“It’s waning, Mom. The moon was full when Dad came to the hospital. Now, it’s getting smaller.”

“Oh, yeah, OK,” Mom said distractedly.

“Mom, do you think Dad will ever come home?”