Monday, February 28, 2011

That

I was reading recently about the use of the word "that." I'm quite fond of it and decided to do a search of my ms and see how many times I used it.

914 times.

I then did a search and replace, inspecting each use and evaluating it. I eliminated over 300 uses of that word. I noticed other instances where I could better phrase the sentences and get rid of some more. I didn't want to make a lot of sentence structure changes then, so as I'm going through and looking for times to 'show and not tell' I'm also looking at that word.

Is that a filler word? Like the word 'like'. You, like, you know, want to go, like, to the store, and you know, like you see this like hunky guy, you know, and you so drool on yourself.

English classes teach us really bad habits. I found that out the hard way--in business writing. Instructors would give us assignments to write a 500-word paper. What did we do? We wrote the longest, most complicated sentences we could imagine in order to hit that magical 500-word mark. All those extra words didn't make our point better, didn't make it easier to understand, and probably didn't make it any more fun to read.

Then we get into the real business world where we're told correspondence better not be longer than one page. Business people are busy and a lengthy letter is likely to be set aside. Theres an interesting article here with some suggestions for when the eliminate 'that'.

Does that happen in your writing? Have you developed bad habits and suffer from what we fondly call 'diarrhea of the mouth--you just run on and on and on'? Do you find yourself automatically padding your manuscript and then having to go back and do surgery on your baby?

Saturday, February 26, 2011

LDS StoryMakers Conference

What a season this is to have so many writerly conferences and symposiums happening. It's exciting because there's so much to learn out there, and as I discovered at Life, the Universe and Everything there's a wonderful world of writerly folks all around me.

When I attended the UVU Book Academy last September I saw just a bit of it and was surprised that it wasn't just writers who attended the conference but book reviewers, publishers, animators, agents, and editors. So much networking going on and new friends to make.

If you're one of these folks and you love the world of books, in whatever capacity, you might want to consider checking out their schedule. You can click here or on the LDS StoryMakers Conference logo at the top of the blog.

I signed up to attend a couple of months ago, when I first heard about it from Robin Weeks. I added the Bootcamp session at her suggestion.

Anybody planning to attend?

Friday, February 25, 2011

End of An Era

A Facebook link motivated today's post (see below for the video). Can you imagine being an author whose creative endeavor captures the imagination of millions?

What is the Harry Potter phenomenon? Obviously, it began with the books. But Jo Rowling and Harry Potter have done more than make Rowling one of the richest women in the world and Harry Potter a major moneymaker for Warner Bros. The inspiration of the Boy Who Lived and Dumbledore's Army have inspired millions, adults and children alike, to expand their creativity and to strive to make the world a better place.

When I finished Half Blood Prince, I wanted more. I knew the movies had garnered millions of fans, but I had no idea there a was whole other world online. Sites like The Leaky Cauldron and its forum The Leaky Lounge drew people to discuss and dissect the books and share in the wizarding experience. There was the battle to keep the books from being banned. Melissa Anelli, webmistress of and adminstrator for TLC's forum, does a wonderful job capturing the entire fan experience in her book "Harry, A History."

So many muscial groups were started and began touring that a new music genre was created called Wizard Rock, nicknamed Wrock by their adoring fans. You can download their songs on iTunes. The groups include Harry and the Potters, The Moaning Myrtles, The Ministry of Magic, and Draco and the Malfoys to name a few. The list is huge. (Some of my favorite songs are Snape vs Snape and The Bravest Man I Ever Knew {spoiler alert on this one} [serious songs], and Cedric [hilarious]).

There have been (and are still planned) educational symposiums and conferences to discuss all aspects of the HP books (LeakyCon11). There are organizations such as The Harry Potter Alliance that pattern themselves after Dumbledore's Army. HPA describes itself thus:
We are an army of fans, activists, nerdfighters, teenagers, wizards and muggles dedicated to fighting for social justice with the greatest weapon we have-- love.
Last July they were awarded $250,000 by Chase to help continue their efforts around the world.

A theme park as part of Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure in Florida has been created, so people can experience the wizarding world first hand. There are colleges hosting Quidditch teams, and colleges which offer courses on the books.

So what happens when the final movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 is released on July 15th? Will this delightful story that has captivated the imagination of children and adults for over a decade fade away?

I had the opportunity new readers won't have. I was one of those rabid fans who participated in a midnight release party waiting anxiously for the final book that would tell us how the story ended, if Harry lived. The story is out there. There are no more secrets.

'End of An Era - Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls.


But is it the end?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Awkward

I had an opportunity to spend the summer I was sixteen with some family friends, who were stationed on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. They had a daughter Dotty who was twenty, and we were an interesting pair because she was barely 5' and I was over 5'9".

We went around everywhere together when she wasn't working--and I mean everywhere. In Hawaii you can drink at twenty. Being short, she was always carded. Being tall, I was never carded. Made life simple, especially since I'm not a drinker and wasn't doing anything to get me in trouble (except being in a place where drinking was happening).

One day we were on a double date, and Dotty's guy wanted to go to Tripler Army Medical Center to visit a friend. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, so we were all game. I regularly dated a sailor who happened to be 6'5". He didn't have a car. Dotty did--a Toyota Corolla, two door. Since it was her car, she drove. Obviously my date and I sat in the back seat. So picture my date as he sat in the back seat of this tiny, foreign car with his knees around his ears.

First mistake:

I was in a dress. A short dress. It hadn't been a problem in the past because I'd sit up front with Dotty. But I knew I was in trouble as soon I had to get into the back seat of that itty bitty car. I made it in without flashing but knew there was no way I could get out the same way. With my mind furiously working, I came up with what I was sure would be the perfect solution. My date got out first and came around to hold the door open for me, while Dotty stood behind and to the side watching through the front door car window.

Second mistake:

Gracefully, I turned around and sat on the folded down front driver's seat. See, the plan was to lift my feet from the back seat floor and set them demurely on the asphalt, maintaining my modestly.

Yeah, well life happens while we're making other plans.

What I hadn't counted on was the angry teenaged god of humiliation directing his evil eye right at me. (That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it.) As I sat so gracefully sat on the folded seat, it began to tilt and my bum began to slide ... right out the door and onto the hot asphalt. In desperation I tried to swing my feet out to catch myself but, alas, my sandles got caught and my feet went nowhere.

Sitting on the ground, clinging to my skirt, I screamed at Dotty to help me. She and my date, who had been momentarily stunned, immediately burst out laughing. Of course Dotty's date had to see what had happened, and he charged around the car to join the chorus of my mockers.

Fat lot of help they were.

A dismal day.

How about you? Ever been completely embarrassed?

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Life, the Universe and Everything (LTUE)

What a fun three days! I can definitely say that I enjoyed this conference (symposium) better than any I've attended for my work. Hmmm. How can learning about writing and getting to hear some of your favorite authors talking about their craft be more fun than, say, taking minutes ... or annexations ... or (heaven forbid) records management?

But seriously, I enjoy my work related conferences because they help me do my day job. And LTUE did that, too, though for a different job, my part-time job.

Robin Weeks drove down and stayed with me, and we worked as "Gophers" for the conference--the staging room for the Gophers was called ... yes, the Gopher Hole. The head Gopher was named Toad.

Really.

He's a great guy. Gophering wasn't an onerous job. We signed up for different sessions (so many more options than we provide for my work conferences--my education committee would literally die if they had to get speakers for that many breakout sessions). We were responsible for making sure there was water and cups for the presenters/panelists, taking roll, and giving the 5-minute warning. It gave us an opportunity to chat with the panelists, though Robin's a lot more confident than I am about approaching them. I'm certainly not shy, but I haven't got the chutzpah she has.

At the end of the three days, they have a Gopher Bash and awarded a prize to the most helpful Gopher. The young man who won the prize (a size 5X T-shirt donated by Howard Tayler [comedic webcomic known for Schlock Mercenery] or Dan Wells [best known for writing I Am Not a Serial Killer] and who both cohost Writing Excuses with Brandon Sanderson [not able to attend]--can't remember if Howard or Dan donated the shirt). Anyway, the winner was a very slender young man, and the young Gophers decided to see how many of them could fit in the shirt:

The Symposium
There were so many attendees! I heard they had 1,300 people. It's held on the BYU campus, and students can attend for free, so it's a wonderful opportunity. The cost is minimal at $20 if paid in advance or $25 at the door. (that's for all 3 days).

James Dashner of the Maze Runner trilogy fame was one of the two keynote speakers. Hilarous man. He was on many panels and brought a lot to the discussions as he talked about his journey to being published. What really struck me was how dreadful his first book signing went. It made me think of Natalie Palmer's experience, though she's already learned how to make those go better. It was funny, when James gave Brodi Ashton a shout out but then teased her about needing help deciding which agent to go with (yes, she had several wanting to represent her).

What would that be like?

There were so many great sessions. Following are some of the words of advice I wrote down:
  • Critique groups can be wonderful, but they can also be crippling. Put your work in the hands of people you trust. -- James Dashner
  • Let yourself be jealous because it makes you ambitious. -- James Dashner
  • Don't write just what's hot in the market. -- Tyler Whiteside
  • Attend writers conferences -- Tyler Whiteside and James Dashner (and others)
  • Critique groups should include people who like and read your genre. -- Mette Ivie Harrison
  • Write more than one book before trying to publish because once you start marketing you have so little time to write. -- Anna Del C Dye
  • The average number of books sold by self-publishing authors is 16.
  • For a killer opening you need a first sentence that makes the reader want to read the first paragraph which makes the reader want to read the first chapter.
  • When writing strong women, they don't have to 'kick butt' in a physical sense but can be strong as problem solvers, be proactive, stand up for what they believe, act with strength in spite of their weaknesses.
  • Pay it Forward -- be supportive of other fledgling writers. Don't say negatives things about other writers' works. If you don't like them, don't say anything.
  • If you write a childrens' book and schedule school visits, it's good to to plan a book signing in a location in the area of the school within a week of the visit.
  • Romance works when the reader buys into the characters and believes in them as a couple. In a sense, the reader needs to fall in love, too.
  • Don't sacrifice your story for reality.
  • Don't quit.
  • Don't think you've got it made when you start selling.
  • Don't let rejections get you down. Go out to dinner with every 10th rejection.
  • Finish that first manuscript.
  • The best way to get out of the Slush Pile is to get into it in the first place.
  • Network - be nice to everybody
  • There's no one right way to write a story.
  • The writer's job is to write the best story ever; let the editor fix the punctuation.
  • Favorite new word: "suckify" by Elana Johnson
  • A pitch to an agent is short, emotionally driven, interesting, full of conflict, about someone, your book in bullet points. It is NOT rambling, every plot point, bland, without conflict, about the 40,000 people who live in the world you've created.
And the best word of advice from James Dashner: The first thing you have to do to be published is be born.

ETA:
A quote by author Dave Farland that I posted on Facebook got a response from a college professor friend of mine:

"You can learn a lot of bad habits in college writing classes." --Dave Farland

Bert commented (bolding is mine):
as a college writing instructor, I agree...

Academic writing is suitable for the academic world, just as legal or business or military writing is suitable for a particular audience. The beginning lesson for any writing class OUGHT to be understanding audience and purpose.
There's a time to express oneself and a time to realize "This isn't about me," but there is never a time to forget the audience.
I thought that was brilliant.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Anatomy of a Tale 2


Well, here it is. This is WIP #1 -- all mapped out. Once I'm finished with LTUE tomorrow, I'll be ready to start moving these nifty little scenes around and see how this flashback thing works.

Revision Technique

As I was brousing around the blogosphere this morning before heading out to the Life, The Universe and Everything (LTUE) conference again this morning, I read Rachel Morgan's post from yesterday that links to IndieHorrors' post from Wednesday that talks about how to revise your ms by character.

Just to start it out, here's what he says about the first item on his list, Character arc:

 1. Character arcA novel is a coalescence of the stories of various characters. The character-by-character revision method helps me attend to these characters and their stories individually, giving me a clearer picture of their lives—how they manage their demons, weaknesses, values etc.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Publishing ... Do It Yourself?

Lately there's been a lot of talk about how well some authors like Amanda Hocking have done self publishing electronically. Check out this article.

It sounds incredible! Her numbers are jaw dropping. Why wouldn't writers who are confident in their craft, but haven't had the luck of good timing in their genre/theme or been able to convince the right agent to champion their books, desire this?

I've had my own reservations because last September I attended a seminar at UVU that that provided some great information about self publishing, which I talked about here. One thing I took away from the training was how much work is involved in self publishing. Not just in being your own publisher but also being your own marketer.

Well, Amanda Hocking addresses that issue in her blog here. I especially like this comment
So much of what people are saying about me is, "Look what Amanda Hocking accomplished in a year," when they really should be saying is, "Look what Amanda Hocking accomplished in twenty years." Because that's how long I've been writing, that's how long I've been working towards this goal.
Sounds a little familiar to me. Like the old Hollywood stories of the actor or actress who was discovered and becomes an overnight success ... but fails to mention the years and years of hard work in training and taking small roles that led up to the discovery.

Committed writers shouldn't give up their dreams of self publishing, but it doesn't hurt to go into the effort with your eyes wide open.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Blogfest - Just Kiss Already

How did it happen that their lips came together? 
How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts,
that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees
on the quivering summit of the hill? 
A kiss, and all was said.
~Victor Hugo



I have succumbed to the magic that's filling the air (and the blogosphere). I hadn't given it much thought because hubby and I will be flying back home on the evening of February 14th after nearly 3 weeks in Hawaii for the arrival of a new granddaughter.

I've signed up for the Just Kiss Already Blogfest being hosted by Stina Lindenblatt and Christina Lee. Following is a 250 word excerpt from A Change of Plans, my WIP #1.


Shocked at his unexpected nearness, I started and then staggered, when the ship rolled. As I lost my balance, he seized me around the waist and pulled me close to steady me. I believe it was all the stress I’d been under combined with the surprise of suddenly being in his arms. I lost my head and said the first thing that came to my mind, something I hadn’t even admitted to myself.
 “You are so hot,” I murmured.
His eyes opened wide, and my jaw dropped as I realized I’d said it aloud.
“I didn’t say that!” I exclaimed frantically, pulling away from him.
“Oh, no you don’t!” He said as he grabbed me back again. “You can’t say something like that and then just walk away.” He kissed me. It wasn’t forceful or pushy, but rather gentle and tentative.
There was now a war raging inside me. Ms Practical shrieked at me to run, to get away. Miss Romantic shouted that I should put my arms around him and kiss him and touch those incredible shoulders and arms. I was frozen with indecision.
When I didn’t pull away, he kissed me again with more confidence.
My heart was now beating so wildly that I wondered if I was in the throes of a panic attack. I felt like someone had linked me to an outlet that was sending electricity through the marrow of my bones. My fingers and toes tingled. I needed air...


You can check out some of the other participants' post:

  1. Christina Lee
  2. In High Spirits @ Dianne Salerni
  3. Stina Lindenblatt
  4. Rachel Morgan
  5. Writers' Ally aka SA Larsen
  6. A Novel, Hypothetically Speaking
  7. Frankie Diane Mallis
  8. Tracy Buscemi
  9. Mara Nash
  10. Dawn Embers
  11. Amparo Ortiz
  12. Aspiring Novelists
  13. Justine Dell!!!
  14. Adventures in Writing
  15. Samantha Verant @ Some Guys Are Toads
  16. Loralie Hall
  17. Rockin' Chair Reflections
  18. Emy Shin
  19. Patti Nielson
  20. Talei Loto
  21. Meredith @ Fairy Tales and Cappuccino
  22. AJ & Charli Bite Back
  23. Devin Bond
  24. Creepy Query Girl
  25. Colene Murphy
  26. Tessa
  27. Ladybug's Like To Kiss
  28. The Guardian Writer
  29. Freckle Head
  30. Chocolate Reality
  31. The Life of a Writer
  32. Melissa @ Throughthelookingglass
  33. Donea Lee
  34. Meika @ Waiting on the Muse
  35. Aleeza's Wild Hopes and Dreams
  36. K. M. Walton
  37. Madeleine
  38. PK HREZO
  1. Jennifer Hoffine
  2. Myne Whitman Writes
  3. Michael @ In Time . . .
  4. J. C. Martin, Fighter Writer
  5. writers write, right?
  6. Beth's Blog
  7. Raquel Byrnes, Edge Of Your Seat Romance
  8. mainewords
  9. Lindz
  10. Gabriela Lessa: An Aspiring Writer's World
  11. Tanya Reimer
  12. Imaginary Friends
  13. Weaving a Tale or Two
  14. Julie Cros
  15. The Quirky Designer
  16. a day into the writer
  17. Dominic de Mattos
  18. ?HOLLY?
  19. natalie palmer books
  20. Unsettled
  21. Christine Fonseca, Author
  22. WRITING IN THE CROSSHAIRS
  23. RaShelle Workman
  24. KM @ One Page At A Time
  25. Alexa @ Not Enough Bookshelves
  26. Sash
  27. Sash (correct link)
  28. Christines Journey
  29. Writers Blog
  30. Jenna Wallace
  31. Cupids Arrow Finds My Booty
  32. Whats a Frango?
  33. ELAINE
  34. Kimberleys Kissing Scene!
  35. Jenn

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Anatomy of a Tale

I've been trying to work on WIP #3, but my recalcitrant WIP #1 keeps calling to me. One of my critique group members suggested I take a break from it for a month and work on something else, saying I might be able to view it differently when I go back to it.

But it won't let me alone!

As I've been stewing over how best to approach a reshaping of my tale, I need to accommodate the various plotlines and the three distinct parts of the story. I'm told I need to move the beginning closer to the triggering event, which is all well and good, but I need to include the stuff at the beginning because that includes a triggering event as well. *sigh* That implies a lot of jumping around.

Now, bear in mind, I tend to be a rather lineral person. My real world has order. I function best with order. Life happens in a linear way, and I cling to the stability of that straight forwardness. In my day job, one of my responsibilties is election official. I'm not talking about being a poll worker, who helps you on election day. I'm talking about the one responsible for the entire party.

The one who can get sued if I screw up.

So it should be easy to see why my mind thinks in terms of order. For example, I dang sure better have published the legal notice--in the specific time required by state law--identifying the time and place for the test of the electronic counting equipment, or one of losing candidates could challenge the entire election. You can't re-create an election. You can hold another one, but it's really a different election. Not everyone who voted in the thrown out effort will necessarily vote again, or be available to vote again (might have moved, died, be in a coma), or others may vote who didn't the first time, or some voters may have forgotten who they voted for (believe me, it happens) or changed their minds.

So I think it's understandable why I have this orderly mindset. Maybe that's why I so thoroughly enjoy works (like Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings) where the author cleverly blends flashbacks into the current, ongoing tale.

I think I may have found an approach to work around my disability in regards to WIP #1 thanks to Robin Weeks comments in yesterdays post, Brodi Ashton's revision post here, and Ian Bontems' planning post here. I think I know how to approach this now.

Thanks, guys!

ETA: I've been able to have a nice 'chat' with my good friend Donna Hosie about this issue, and she provided great input on it, helping finalize my decision and my approach. You rock, Donna!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The Hook

I've got one completed (relatively) WIP, and I keep finding the completion to be rather illusive, as I've mentioned in the past. What I'm struggling with right now is where to begin the story, as my critique group is counseling me that I've not started the story in the right place.

As a result, I've been paying particular attention to the beginnings of some of the books I've read recently and thinking about books I've read in the past. I remember when I first read Stephen King's Salem's Lot. My husband and I were both active duty Army stationed in Germany. He had CQ duty and had to stay awake all night on assignment, so a friend loaned him this book. The way he described it to me was something like 'it started out kinda slow but then grabbed me by the throat and dragged me the rest of the way through.' (That book scared the crap out of me, by the way. I tried to read it and had to give it back. I'd just had a baby and decided I couldn't be a responsible adult if I was afraid to walk down the hallway when I was home alone at night with the baby. And then I decided I wanted to read it after all and couldn't get hold of it until we returned to the States--months later.).

But it begs the question. Is our need to provide the 'throat grabbing' right in the very first paragraphs of a book a reflection of changing tastes in our society? Have the high action films (and books) that thrill viewers (and readers) addicted us to the adreline rush, so we're no longer satisfied with a story that takes time to develop the characters and the plotline?

It makes me wonder how some of the classics would do in the modern publishing world? Can't you just see Jane Austen or Herman Melville or even Milton querying for an agent?

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Blogfest - Top 10 Sci/Fi Movie Quotes

Copying Kimberly over at Meetings with My Muse, I'm participating in Ellie Garratt's Top Ten Horror/Science Fiction Movie Quotes Blogfest! Here are my top ten quotes in no particular order (I so could have done 100!):

#1  "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." --Han Solo, Star Wars

#2  "I've got a bad feeling about this." --Luke, Leia, Han, C3PO, and Obi Wan (Star Wars, Episodes I, IV, V, VI)

#3  “Are you telling me you built a time machine… out of a Delorean?” --Marty McFly, Back to the Future

#4  ”I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can't do that.” --HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey

#5  ”Do or do not. There is no try.” --Yoda, Empire Strikes Back

#6  "Look! I have one job on this lousy ship, it's stupid, but I'm gonna do it! Okay?" --Gwen DeMarco, Galaxy Quest

#7   "...by Grabthar's hammer... by the Sons of Warvan... you shall be... avenged." --Sir Alexander Dane, Galaxy Quest

#8  "You've managed to kill just about everyone else, but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target." --Captain James T. Kirk, The Wrath of Kahn

#9  "Death is a primitive concept. I prefer to think of them as battling evil, in another dimension." --Grig, Last Starfighter

#10  "They're here!" --Carol Anne, Poltergeist



So what are your favorite SciFi/horror movie quotes?

Friday, February 4, 2011

"Buzz of Love" & Literary Couples

My friend Natalie Palmer is having a Valentines Day contest here about her book "Second Kiss", which is a YA romance. You ought to check it out--both her contest and the book.

****
And speaking about Valentines Day and romance and young adults, it made me think about some of my favorite and not-so-favorite literary couples.

I'll start with the less happy couples
  1. Andrew "Ender" Wiggins and Novinha (I absolutely loath this toxic relationship. Ender deserved so much better) from Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind.
  2. Catherine and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights
  3. Jacob and Renesme from Breaking Dawn (sorry, but that's just creepy even if it's innocent)
Couples I like:
  1. Jane and Rochester in Jane Eyre
  2. Anne and Gilbert in Anne of Green Gables
  3. Lucy and Nicholas in Moonrakers Bride
These are a few of mine. What are your's?

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Philosophy

Grandchildren are your reward
for not having
killed
your children.

This little lady (the small one) is named Lucy Aurelia and is grandchild #7. If I remember correctly, that's a magical number (as long as there are no horcruxes involved). Makes me wonder what the numbers 1 and 2 will mean to her--but 2 especially.
In 11 years her birthday will fall on 2/2/22.

And what about other Lucys?

There's Lucille Ball, course.

Or Lucy Maud Montgomery.

There's Lucy in Moonraker's Bride

And of course Lucy from the film While You Were Sleeping.

So what other famous Lucys do you know
that my newest little granddaughter will be keeping company with?

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Versatile Blogger Award

Wow, kind Kimberly over at Meeting With My Muse has been kind enough to share the Versatile Blogger Award with me. Thanks!

Since I kinda reviewed seven things about me here, I think I'll forego repeating that exercise. However, I'm happy to pass on the Versatile Blogger to the following:

Becky Taylor Books
My Not So Secret Writing Life (Suzie F)
Natalie Palmer Books
Robin Weeks
Sharp Pen/Dull Sword (Lola Sharp)
The Eye of the Little God (Ian Bontemps)
The Journey (Colene Murphy)
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