Let's have some fun with the writing exercise this time. All that talk about cards on the table has me thinking about the serious drama in every hand of poker.
So that's your job this week. Sit down at the poker table with four of your characters -- whether you make up new ones for this assignment or mix and match from your works in progress. In 300-600 words, tell us about one hand, maybe just one round of bidding, but make it intense.
Maybe it's relationship drama among the players, or financial drama for our gambling addict protagonist. Maybe it's international espionage coming to a head at the high-stakes table, or a deeply introspective consideration of morality, expressed as an extended metaphor.
Whatever your story, show it on the camera. Practice revealing your characters through their actions, not explanations, and give your readers just the hints they need to figure out everybody's hands (literally or figuratively, depending on your plot).