I prefer to buy books new from a bookstore. I budget my book money so I can afford to, and it's direct support of other authors and booksellers, plus the books are usually in the best condition. Thus we all win. However, when a book goes out of print, I have to resort to buying from rare/used book dealers. I will also buy used books at charity auctions, church rummage sales and friends of the library sales to support those institutions.
Used books sometimes come with surprises inside them left behind by the previous owner. Usually makeshift bookmarks, but often things you don't expect to find in a book. Like the $20.00 bill and shopping list I found in one of my grandmother's books on Watergate. On the list were three things that I loved as a kid: Oreos, Hires Root Beer and Jiffy Pop.
The strangest thing I've found in a book sparked the plot for one of my early unpubbed novels, Safekeeping. I bought a box of books at a Baptist church silent auction without looking too carefully through the box. When I got home, I discovered that one of them, a Bible, had been used as a stash. The original owner had glued the pages of the middle section together and I could see the center had been cut out. Because it was completely sealed, I had to use a razor blade to open the homemade cache. Inside I found three Polaroids of a woman's naked torso.
I doubt anyone wants to do a study on what people leave behind in books, but just in case you're curious, here are:
Ten Things I've Found in Used Books
(most frequent to rarest)
1. Hand-written inscriptions -- most often on the inside front cover, usually birthday or Christmas messages. Almost always on hardcover books; rarely in paperbacks. Longest: one newly-wed bride wrote a long and affectionate letter to her husband on the inside cover of a how-to home repair book. Oldest: a little girl named Sarah Jane Carman in Hempstead (England?) practiced writing her name on the inside leaf of an 1860 edition of Byron's complete works. She also dated her inscription August 14, 1860.
2. Bookmarks -- Used and new bookstore bookmarks are the ones I find most frequently, but I also find the laminated "gifty" bookmarks with braided tassels. Rarest one I've found was a hand-drawn bookmark with a pencil sketch of a tree that looks pretty professional but has to be fifty, sixty years old. My personal favorite: a Beauty and the Beast TV show bookmark with a photo of Vincent and a quote from my favorite of Shakespeare's sonnets, the 29th.
3. Margin notes -- usually in pencil, sometimes next to passages highlighted in yellow or pink. I find these most often in nonfiction books. They're annoying as hell, too.
4. Objects used as bookmarks -- things like hair ribbons, photographs, pieces of plastic or cardboard, a flattened beaded bracelet, cereal box tops, and business cards. The most unusual object I've found was an ancient curved piece of hand-tatted blue lace that was probably part of a collar for a lady's blouse or dress. Most recently found was a red satin A-B honor roll ribbon from a local elementary school.
5. Student notes on notebook paper -- inevitably in nonfiction books I pick up at library book sales. Written in pencil are okay, but the notes in blue, black or red ink sometimes transfer to the book's pages if left in there long enough. The neatest thing about student notes are the doodles they draw on their papers.
6. Newspaper and magazine clippings -- recipes, ads, comics and articles that have been clipped or torn out, as well as whole pages from magazines folded in half.
7. Index cards -- you may find some of mine in a book one day; I use index cards while I'm reading reference books to make notes and then use the card I'm writing on to mark my place.
8. Mold and water marks -- I once borrowed a novel from the library that was so moldy I literally could not read it; the odor was too much for me. Books that get soaked from a roof leak or flood swell and mildew. These are the hardest books to detox and clean so I've stopped buying any used books with this sort of damage.
9. Cigarette ash -- not so much in these days of non-smokers, but it was a real problem in the seventies and eighties. Today's reader seems to eat more than smoke while reading; lately I'm seeing more food and drink dribble stains.
10. Letters never finished or mailed -- To date I've only found three letters left in books. One is a fan letter to the author of the book in which I found it (gushy one); one was a newsy couple of pages from a daughter in Florida writing to her mom up North; and the last was a single paragraph of Hi, how are you, I am fine, the weather's nice writing.
And finally, one thing I've never found but that I leave behind in books on purpose: my poetry, always hand-written, always unsigned.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Yes
This is likely old news for you guys who follow publishing awards, but I just came across it the other day while looking for a book ref.
After winning the $88,000.00 Booker Prize, novelist John Banville's The Sea was slammed by critics and evidently even some of the judges as unworthy of the blue ribbon. In follow-up interviews, Banville has been delighted by the controversy and indicated that it was high time that a work of art (his book) won. According to Banville, "some books are art, and some are not" and his criterion is, "Did it have to be written?"
Writers generally don't make a lot of money, so I'm glad John won and all. Writers also come with supersized egos, so him viewing his own stuff as a work of art doesn't bother me. What I have a serious problem with is a guy who has such good fortune turning around and snotting on the rest of us.
Art is not one-Booker-Prize-fits-all.
I don't think I'm eligible for the Booker, and I seriously doubt my books will ever be described as works of art. I'd preforate an ulcer if I was or they were. But if Banville walked up to me, pointed to my backlist and asked, Did they have to be written? then I'd need a few questions of my own to be answered first:
Should my imagination thrive?
Does my love of story-telling have to be expressed?
Do I have to channel my energy into something productive?
Must I try to achieve personal success?
Should my desire to improve as a storyteller be permitted?
Am I to have a chance, the same chance as anyone who loves to write, to pursue avenues that allow me to make a living from it and share my stories with others?
John can't answer those questions. As artistic and rich as he may be, he's not entitled to tell me what I can or cannot do, what I may or may not write, and whether or not what I write has deserves to be written. You can't, either. Only I can decide that.
As for art, no one can decide what that is. It's too personal. It changes. Everyone has their own idea of what it is. John Banville's concept of a work of art may be the equivalent of word-valium to me. I think the art of the novel is something a writer never achieves or finishes; we're forever trying to perfect it.
You probably wrote something today. You may feel it's gold or trash, but you wrote it. Did it have to be written? I don't know, only you do. Do I hope you'll write something tomorrow? See post title.
After winning the $88,000.00 Booker Prize, novelist John Banville's The Sea was slammed by critics and evidently even some of the judges as unworthy of the blue ribbon. In follow-up interviews, Banville has been delighted by the controversy and indicated that it was high time that a work of art (his book) won. According to Banville, "some books are art, and some are not" and his criterion is, "Did it have to be written?"
Writers generally don't make a lot of money, so I'm glad John won and all. Writers also come with supersized egos, so him viewing his own stuff as a work of art doesn't bother me. What I have a serious problem with is a guy who has such good fortune turning around and snotting on the rest of us.
Art is not one-Booker-Prize-fits-all.
I don't think I'm eligible for the Booker, and I seriously doubt my books will ever be described as works of art. I'd preforate an ulcer if I was or they were. But if Banville walked up to me, pointed to my backlist and asked, Did they have to be written? then I'd need a few questions of my own to be answered first:
Should my imagination thrive?
Does my love of story-telling have to be expressed?
Do I have to channel my energy into something productive?
Must I try to achieve personal success?
Should my desire to improve as a storyteller be permitted?
Am I to have a chance, the same chance as anyone who loves to write, to pursue avenues that allow me to make a living from it and share my stories with others?
John can't answer those questions. As artistic and rich as he may be, he's not entitled to tell me what I can or cannot do, what I may or may not write, and whether or not what I write has deserves to be written. You can't, either. Only I can decide that.
As for art, no one can decide what that is. It's too personal. It changes. Everyone has their own idea of what it is. John Banville's concept of a work of art may be the equivalent of word-valium to me. I think the art of the novel is something a writer never achieves or finishes; we're forever trying to perfect it.
You probably wrote something today. You may feel it's gold or trash, but you wrote it. Did it have to be written? I don't know, only you do. Do I hope you'll write something tomorrow? See post title.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
What's in Your Book Bag?
One of the self-renewing tips I picked up from Tom Peters's The Brand You 50 is this (paraphrased): You meet someone interesting. Ask him or her what's the best thing they've read in the last 90 days, then go and order it and read it.
Tom Peters, you see, is a sneaky book tyrant.
Let's assume we're all interesting. I won't pick favorites in fiction, but the best nonfic I've read in the last three months was T.R. Glover's The Ancient World. I'm going shopping in another week or two, so tell me, what's the best book you've read lately?
Tom Peters, you see, is a sneaky book tyrant.
Let's assume we're all interesting. I won't pick favorites in fiction, but the best nonfic I've read in the last three months was T.R. Glover's The Ancient World. I'm going shopping in another week or two, so tell me, what's the best book you've read lately?
Friday, November 11, 2005
Catchup
It's unofficial freebie links week at PBW; here are three more that I found while cleaning up my notes today:
1. IFinger.com offers a free download of Merriam Webster's Concise Dictionary 2.07
2. A free .pdf issue of Celebrating Christmas 2005 magazine can be found here
3. Better U Inc. offers two free e-books on fitness and personal health: 79 Fat Loss and Exercise Questions Answered and Do It With Your Dog (no, not that with your dog, the other kind of exercise.)
M.J. Rose has a post on writer etiquette that tempts me to dig up a few unpleasant anecdotes from my first pro year. Alas, this is an industry chock full of wobbly egos; as the T-shirt says, Manure Occureth. My philosophy is to maintain your silence and your dignity, forgive, and forget. It doesn't hurt to work toward becoming more successful than those who slight you, aka the best revenge.
Marjorie M. Liu got herself some pretty cover art and a favorable mention in Newsweek. Next week she will probably take over a small country as a benevolent dictator and create a luxury writers colony for the rest of us (not that I'm hinting or anything here, Marj.)
Douglas Clegg announced that he is leaving the blogosphere to write and enjoy his life. Which makes me happy for him, and sad for us. We'll see you on the shelf, Doug.
1. IFinger.com offers a free download of Merriam Webster's Concise Dictionary 2.07
2. A free .pdf issue of Celebrating Christmas 2005 magazine can be found here
3. Better U Inc. offers two free e-books on fitness and personal health: 79 Fat Loss and Exercise Questions Answered and Do It With Your Dog (no, not that with your dog, the other kind of exercise.)
M.J. Rose has a post on writer etiquette that tempts me to dig up a few unpleasant anecdotes from my first pro year. Alas, this is an industry chock full of wobbly egos; as the T-shirt says, Manure Occureth. My philosophy is to maintain your silence and your dignity, forgive, and forget. It doesn't hurt to work toward becoming more successful than those who slight you, aka the best revenge.
Marjorie M. Liu got herself some pretty cover art and a favorable mention in Newsweek. Next week she will probably take over a small country as a benevolent dictator and create a luxury writers colony for the rest of us (not that I'm hinting or anything here, Marj.)
Douglas Clegg announced that he is leaving the blogosphere to write and enjoy his life. Which makes me happy for him, and sad for us. We'll see you on the shelf, Doug.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
How Not To
Every writer has things they won't do when they write. Some of this is taught by that rule-wielding monster commonly known as the high school English teacher.
I've struggled for years with using the word said as a dialogue tag. One of my English teachers insisted that it was a flat word, and demanded we use more exciting "audible" words (like retorted, snapped, shouted, whispered, etc.) I was 13, she was 45; I figured she was right. When I turned pro, I found out very quickly that nearly everyone uses "said" and nothing else (evidently because Stephen King convinced them only said is an acceptable dialogue tag.)
Who's right, my English teacher or Stephen King? Let's put it this way: who's made a gazillion dollars writing books?
One article that I think positively influenced me on what not to write was written by an astronomer named Paul W. Merrill, and originally published in the January 1947 issue of The Scientific Monthly. Merrill was actually spoofing how-to articles by presenting one on the principals of poor writing (as in, how-not-to.) He was pretty funny, too, although he drifted off on a Shakespearean tantrum in the middle of it.
There were three points Merrill made on how not to write that just sounded right to me, as follows:
1. Ignore the reader. "The world is divided into two great camps: yourself and others. A little obscurity or indirection in writing will keep the others at a safe distance; if they get close, they may see too much."
2. Be verbose, vague, and pompous. "Avoid being specific; it ties you down. Use plenty of deadwood: include many superfluous words and phrases."
3. Do not revise. "Have no plan; write down items as they occur to you. Hand in your manuscript as soon as it is finished. Later resist firmly any editorial suggestions. Be strong and infallible; don't let anyone break down your personality."
Holly Lisle tickled me when she wrote a slamming article here that expands on the same theme.
I'm still wrestling with said, but here are a couple of things I've added to my personal how-not-to list:
4. Use a proper opener. Never begin your book with an interesting hook; it's vulgar. Always start with the weather, preferably a variation of It was a dark and stormy night.
5. Be decent. Never stray beyond the boundaries of what is politically correct. Keep things bland, safe, and innocuous so as not to possibly offend anyone.
6. Stay in the herd. Be sure to imitate bestsellers rather than discover your own voice. Clone everything they do so that you sound exactly like them.
What's on your list?
I've struggled for years with using the word said as a dialogue tag. One of my English teachers insisted that it was a flat word, and demanded we use more exciting "audible" words (like retorted, snapped, shouted, whispered, etc.) I was 13, she was 45; I figured she was right. When I turned pro, I found out very quickly that nearly everyone uses "said" and nothing else (evidently because Stephen King convinced them only said is an acceptable dialogue tag.)
Who's right, my English teacher or Stephen King? Let's put it this way: who's made a gazillion dollars writing books?
One article that I think positively influenced me on what not to write was written by an astronomer named Paul W. Merrill, and originally published in the January 1947 issue of The Scientific Monthly. Merrill was actually spoofing how-to articles by presenting one on the principals of poor writing (as in, how-not-to.) He was pretty funny, too, although he drifted off on a Shakespearean tantrum in the middle of it.
There were three points Merrill made on how not to write that just sounded right to me, as follows:
1. Ignore the reader. "The world is divided into two great camps: yourself and others. A little obscurity or indirection in writing will keep the others at a safe distance; if they get close, they may see too much."
2. Be verbose, vague, and pompous. "Avoid being specific; it ties you down. Use plenty of deadwood: include many superfluous words and phrases."
3. Do not revise. "Have no plan; write down items as they occur to you. Hand in your manuscript as soon as it is finished. Later resist firmly any editorial suggestions. Be strong and infallible; don't let anyone break down your personality."
Holly Lisle tickled me when she wrote a slamming article here that expands on the same theme.
I'm still wrestling with said, but here are a couple of things I've added to my personal how-not-to list:
4. Use a proper opener. Never begin your book with an interesting hook; it's vulgar. Always start with the weather, preferably a variation of It was a dark and stormy night.
5. Be decent. Never stray beyond the boundaries of what is politically correct. Keep things bland, safe, and innocuous so as not to possibly offend anyone.
6. Stay in the herd. Be sure to imitate bestsellers rather than discover your own voice. Clone everything they do so that you sound exactly like them.
What's on your list?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Rides
I saw a bumper sticker on a Chevy truck today that rocked me:
Get in, sit down, shut up and hold on.
I love it. I'd put that on my business cards, if I had any. Every word encapsulates my ambitions as a writer:
Get In: I want to catch your attention, pull you in, hook you on my ride.
Sit Down: I want you to like my ride, enough to get comfortable, go with me and see what's down the road.
Shut Up: I want to shake you up, surprise you, shock you if I can, take your breath away, leave you speechless.
And Hold On: After I've done all that? I want to crank it up even more. I don't want you to let go until we cross the very last line.
This isn't a new idea for me. Back when I taught online workshops, I described a novel as a vehicle for the reader. My idea of a great book is always one that invites the reader to come along for a joy ride, in the middle of the night, to places you're really not supposed to go. Those are the kind of novels I love to read, so no surprise that I'd want to write them.
What would the bumper sticker on your current ride say?
Get in, sit down, shut up and hold on.
I love it. I'd put that on my business cards, if I had any. Every word encapsulates my ambitions as a writer:
Get In: I want to catch your attention, pull you in, hook you on my ride.
Sit Down: I want you to like my ride, enough to get comfortable, go with me and see what's down the road.
Shut Up: I want to shake you up, surprise you, shock you if I can, take your breath away, leave you speechless.
And Hold On: After I've done all that? I want to crank it up even more. I don't want you to let go until we cross the very last line.
This isn't a new idea for me. Back when I taught online workshops, I described a novel as a vehicle for the reader. My idea of a great book is always one that invites the reader to come along for a joy ride, in the middle of the night, to places you're really not supposed to go. Those are the kind of novels I love to read, so no surprise that I'd want to write them.
What would the bumper sticker on your current ride say?
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Extra
A couple of folks have e-mailed to ask where the other free stuff for writers lists I've done are -- you can find them here, here, and here.
Also, some extra freebies I had bookmarked:
Our pal Simon Haynes offers a bunch of freeware over at his Space Jock Software site.
For disabled folks who can't type but who can still use a mouse, reclaim your qwerty via the Click-N-Type Virtual Keyboard.
TreePad has a freeware Lite version, along with an e-book creator for TreePad files (I'm not sure if this will help anyone or not, being the total compu-idiot that I am, but it certainly looks interesting.)
Other freeware out there that may be of interest to writers: The Literary Machine, Title Scroller, and Writer's Block.
Regarding the comments I made over on Jordan's blog about using voice recognition software, I plan to do a long detailed post on what it's like to work with the Dragon and other alternatives out there as soon as I nail this last deadline.
Also, some extra freebies I had bookmarked:
Our pal Simon Haynes offers a bunch of freeware over at his Space Jock Software site.
For disabled folks who can't type but who can still use a mouse, reclaim your qwerty via the Click-N-Type Virtual Keyboard.
TreePad has a freeware Lite version, along with an e-book creator for TreePad files (I'm not sure if this will help anyone or not, being the total compu-idiot that I am, but it certainly looks interesting.)
Other freeware out there that may be of interest to writers: The Literary Machine, Title Scroller, and Writer's Block.
Regarding the comments I made over on Jordan's blog about using voice recognition software, I plan to do a long detailed post on what it's like to work with the Dragon and other alternatives out there as soon as I nail this last deadline.
Monday, November 07, 2005
No Charge Ten
Ten Things for Writers That Cost Nothing
1. Artella offers a whole page of free stuff for writers and artists.
2. The FBI makes available scanned copies of some of its historical records via its Electronic Reading Room.
3. RWA's From the Heart Romance Authors Chapter #77 has a page of articles on writing -- a little outdated, but there's one by our pal Robin Bayne at the top.
4. Maxpatch.com's Editor's Choice Free Software Page has some old favorites and a bunch of new stuff.
5. Sick of using index cards, sticky notes or the back of a bank envelope to write down, organize and track your ideas? Test drive a trial version of Idea Tracker here.
6. Manuscript tracking freeware for Mac, Windows and DOS (who still uses DOS? The Amish?)
7. Register for free to use special features of the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
8. Because you can never know too many words no one else understands, The Phrontistery.
9. Poets & Writers Magazine's Grants and Awards Page
10. Web Chrono Desktop offers a calendar, a reminder, a to do list, a program launcher, a file grabber, an extended clipboard, a unit converter, a web update checker and more at no charge.
1. Artella offers a whole page of free stuff for writers and artists.
2. The FBI makes available scanned copies of some of its historical records via its Electronic Reading Room.
3. RWA's From the Heart Romance Authors Chapter #77 has a page of articles on writing -- a little outdated, but there's one by our pal Robin Bayne at the top.
4. Maxpatch.com's Editor's Choice Free Software Page has some old favorites and a bunch of new stuff.
5. Sick of using index cards, sticky notes or the back of a bank envelope to write down, organize and track your ideas? Test drive a trial version of Idea Tracker here.
6. Manuscript tracking freeware for Mac, Windows and DOS (who still uses DOS? The Amish?)
7. Register for free to use special features of the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
8. Because you can never know too many words no one else understands, The Phrontistery.
9. Poets & Writers Magazine's Grants and Awards Page
10. Web Chrono Desktop offers a calendar, a reminder, a to do list, a program launcher, a file grabber, an extended clipboard, a unit converter, a web update checker and more at no charge.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
BSLers
Someone, please stop Tess Gerritsen from reading those idiot reviews of her latest book. Or at least introduce her to the reviewers in real life, that should do it.
It appears that Jayne Ann Krentz has edited out some of the Okays beginning the posts at her new blog. Huge relief; I was starting to get Pamela Anderson flashbacks.
I think J.K. Rowling and John Grisham should have blogs. They have everything else.
Who else? Well, I've vowed to be nice to every author on the BSL list named Jennifer who has had a baby or is going through menopause until January 1st. That eliminates half the list.
In honor of his upcoming ball-and-chain ceremony, I've named a fictional daiquiri after Douglas Clegg. Still deciding on the ingredients -- yes, I was a bartender in my youth -- but it will be featured prominently on the drink menu at Infusion, Lucan's nightclub in Dark Need. Should go well with the Peter Strauberry Margaritas. Congratulations, Douglas and Raul.*
*Who will hopefully forgive me, please, for renaming him in the earlier version of this post.
It appears that Jayne Ann Krentz has edited out some of the Okays beginning the posts at her new blog. Huge relief; I was starting to get Pamela Anderson flashbacks.
I think J.K. Rowling and John Grisham should have blogs. They have everything else.
Who else? Well, I've vowed to be nice to every author on the BSL list named Jennifer who has had a baby or is going through menopause until January 1st. That eliminates half the list.
In honor of his upcoming ball-and-chain ceremony, I've named a fictional daiquiri after Douglas Clegg. Still deciding on the ingredients -- yes, I was a bartender in my youth -- but it will be featured prominently on the drink menu at Infusion, Lucan's nightclub in Dark Need. Should go well with the Peter Strauberry Margaritas. Congratulations, Douglas and Raul.*
*Who will hopefully forgive me, please, for renaming him in the earlier version of this post.
12 Step Editing
1. We admit we are powerless over our work-in-progress -- that our manuscript has become unmanageable.
2. Come to believe that an Internal Editor greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Make a decision to turn our ego and our manuscript over to the editing of a novel as we understand it.
4. Make a searching and fearless inventory of our protagonist and characters and determine how much they suck.
5. Admit to the Internal Editor, to ourselves, or to another writer the exact nature of the holes in the plot that desperately need reworking.
6. Are entirely ready to have the Internal Editor remove all these defects of manuscript, including those we're not willing to admit we have in public.
7. Humbly ask the Internal Editor to search and destroy all of our lousy writing.
8. Make a list of all other areas needing rewrites on the corrected manuscript, and become willing to fix them and not kick ourselves for missing them the first time.
9. Make direct amends to ignored spouses, partners, family members and other such people whenever possible, except when to do so would mess up our editing time.
10. Continue to edit on the final read-through of the manuscript and when we are wrong promptly edit it again.
11. Stop editing, seek through queries and submissions to improve our conscious contact with Publishing as we understand it, praying only for a shot at full manuscript request for us and the power to carry the edited manuscript to the post office for mailing without running back to the car shrieking Jesus I can't I've gotta read through it one more time.
12. Having had a professional awakening as the result of these steps, we will get over the finished manuscript, get off our asses and write the next book, try to carry this message to other writers, and practice these principles in all our editing affairs.
2. Come to believe that an Internal Editor greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Make a decision to turn our ego and our manuscript over to the editing of a novel as we understand it.
4. Make a searching and fearless inventory of our protagonist and characters and determine how much they suck.
5. Admit to the Internal Editor, to ourselves, or to another writer the exact nature of the holes in the plot that desperately need reworking.
6. Are entirely ready to have the Internal Editor remove all these defects of manuscript, including those we're not willing to admit we have in public.
7. Humbly ask the Internal Editor to search and destroy all of our lousy writing.
8. Make a list of all other areas needing rewrites on the corrected manuscript, and become willing to fix them and not kick ourselves for missing them the first time.
9. Make direct amends to ignored spouses, partners, family members and other such people whenever possible, except when to do so would mess up our editing time.
10. Continue to edit on the final read-through of the manuscript and when we are wrong promptly edit it again.
11. Stop editing, seek through queries and submissions to improve our conscious contact with Publishing as we understand it, praying only for a shot at full manuscript request for us and the power to carry the edited manuscript to the post office for mailing without running back to the car shrieking Jesus I can't I've gotta read through it one more time.
12. Having had a professional awakening as the result of these steps, we will get over the finished manuscript, get off our asses and write the next book, try to carry this message to other writers, and practice these principles in all our editing affairs.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Go Cheetahs
Some brief thoughts on why I think NaNoWriMo is terrific. The pretty lady in the article photo is not me, btw; she's Lani Diane Rich. I am not that pretty (and thanks, Kathleen.)
I also like that everyone who jumps in has to (sort of) live my writing life for a month. I get a lot more sympathy from people at the end of November every year.
Honestly, I just appreciate that people are writing novels, and talking about novels, and having fun trying to write novels all under the same banner: just because we can. That's the only thing that got me here, folks. Well, that and a skull like concrete.
My wordcount for the month of November to date is at this moment: 34,052. How are you NaNo'ers doing?
I also like that everyone who jumps in has to (sort of) live my writing life for a month. I get a lot more sympathy from people at the end of November every year.
Honestly, I just appreciate that people are writing novels, and talking about novels, and having fun trying to write novels all under the same banner: just because we can. That's the only thing that got me here, folks. Well, that and a skull like concrete.
My wordcount for the month of November to date is at this moment: 34,052. How are you NaNo'ers doing?
Friday, November 04, 2005
NaNoTen
Ten Things for NaNoWriMo'ers
1. My first stop when hunting a title: Bartleby.com. I use the verse search engine to look for interesting phrases or lines from poems.
1a. My second stop: The Bonsai Story Generator.
2. Our friends to the north, the Canadian Authors Association, have a Writing Resources by Genre page.
3. When all else fails, talk to ELIZA.
4. Sami Pyörre offers the Everchanging Book of Names, a random name generator shareware program.
5. The Giallo Kit Generator offers a crash course in concise if bizarre giallo plot premises that sound like stuff a couple of writers I know would be interested in (not that I'm naming names, John, Stuart, Kate, Jon, James, Tam, Douglas . . .)
6. Dictionary.com's Grammar, Usage & Style page
7. Instant Muse Poetry Generator is supposed to help when you need a poetic line or phrase but your muse is out to lunch. All the lines start with "In the...", and I got: In the city of misery the weeds march.
8. Muse Creations offers a free trial download of Muse Names naming software that looks pretty neat, and if you scroll down you can get also some of author Vanessa Grants's writing templates for free.
9. Need a life? Download Educational Simulations' Real Lives for free.
10. For the wordless, WordGizmo (also good for those times when you have to name that vital stardrive component something but you have absolutely no idea what, i.e. "Captain, if you don't shut down the engines in thirty seconds the idübert will fail and the ship will blow up.")
1. My first stop when hunting a title: Bartleby.com. I use the verse search engine to look for interesting phrases or lines from poems.
1a. My second stop: The Bonsai Story Generator.
2. Our friends to the north, the Canadian Authors Association, have a Writing Resources by Genre page.
3. When all else fails, talk to ELIZA.
4. Sami Pyörre offers the Everchanging Book of Names, a random name generator shareware program.
5. The Giallo Kit Generator offers a crash course in concise if bizarre giallo plot premises that sound like stuff a couple of writers I know would be interested in (not that I'm naming names, John, Stuart, Kate, Jon, James, Tam, Douglas . . .)
6. Dictionary.com's Grammar, Usage & Style page
7. Instant Muse Poetry Generator is supposed to help when you need a poetic line or phrase but your muse is out to lunch. All the lines start with "In the...", and I got: In the city of misery the weeds march.
8. Muse Creations offers a free trial download of Muse Names naming software that looks pretty neat, and if you scroll down you can get also some of author Vanessa Grants's writing templates for free.
9. Need a life? Download Educational Simulations' Real Lives for free.
10. For the wordless, WordGizmo (also good for those times when you have to name that vital stardrive component something but you have absolutely no idea what, i.e. "Captain, if you don't shut down the engines in thirty seconds the idübert will fail and the ship will blow up.")
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Done
Finished, the novel that was driving me bonkers, after much dithering, off to NY, bye-bye.
One more to finish and I'm done for the year. Probably another week. Trust me, you'll hear the clunk.
One more to finish and I'm done for the year. Probably another week. Trust me, you'll hear the clunk.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Strength
Gabriele tried to sneak this by me in comments, but I think it deserves a post of its own.
AbsoluteWrite.com's for-charity anthology, Stories of Strength, can now be ordered here. You can also support the book with banners and other goodies available here.
Many of our writer pals out there contributed articles and stories, and all the proceeds from the book sales will be donated to Hurricane Relief, so go, order, and spread the word.
AbsoluteWrite.com's for-charity anthology, Stories of Strength, can now be ordered here. You can also support the book with banners and other goodies available here.
Many of our writer pals out there contributed articles and stories, and all the proceeds from the book sales will be donated to Hurricane Relief, so go, order, and spread the word.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Rounds
Quick rounds this morning:
Imagine being Alison Kent and having your kids part of a wedding with weather like this. The woman has nerves of steel.
I have no idea who this woman is, but I'm not messing with her.
Got cover art? Scott Oden does. I'm trying not to turn green. And failing. Miserably.
Thanks to Jordan's Halloween post, now I have to take back some of the bad things I've said about contests.
NaNoWriMo has begun. I could tell because of the shrieks of outrage.
Monica, repeat after me: I will stop reading reviews. Especially RT reviews. And, if I am tempted, I will call PBW at once so she can tell me all her RT reviewer jokes, of which she has ten thousand.
Imagine being Alison Kent and having your kids part of a wedding with weather like this. The woman has nerves of steel.
I have no idea who this woman is, but I'm not messing with her.
Got cover art? Scott Oden does. I'm trying not to turn green. And failing. Miserably.
Thanks to Jordan's Halloween post, now I have to take back some of the bad things I've said about contests.
NaNoWriMo has begun. I could tell because of the shrieks of outrage.
Monica, repeat after me: I will stop reading reviews. Especially RT reviews. And, if I am tempted, I will call PBW at once so she can tell me all her RT reviewer jokes, of which she has ten thousand.
Treats Winners
Here are the names of the winners for the Halloween treats books giveaway:
Molly
Milady Insanity
Peregrina Australis
AngieW
Jenny
PJ
Garnigal
TECH
Bret
Lai Zhao
Winners, please e-mail me at LynnViehl@aol.com with your full name and where I should send your treats (as always, I keep this totally confidential and only use the info to ship the books, nothing else.)
Thanks to everyone who participated, too. I think I gained four hundred pounds just from reading your entries. :)
Molly
Milady Insanity
Peregrina Australis
AngieW
Jenny
PJ
Garnigal
TECH
Bret
Lai Zhao
Winners, please e-mail me at LynnViehl@aol.com with your full name and where I should send your treats (as always, I keep this totally confidential and only use the info to ship the books, nothing else.)
Thanks to everyone who participated, too. I think I gained four hundred pounds just from reading your entries. :)
Monday, October 31, 2005
Boo 2
We've got friends due here in an hour, one of the cats is making the incoming-hairball sound (or is that outgoing?) and my german chocolate donuts still need glazing; otherwise Halloween at Casa PBW is in full swing.
Some last minute hints:
-- Dill pickles offset the sweets like nothing else.
-- No pickles? Try nachos, salty chips, pretzels or, for you health food junkies, roasted soy nuts.
-- Pepto Bismol goes down easier chilled.
Happy Halloween. :)
Some last minute hints:
-- Dill pickles offset the sweets like nothing else.
-- No pickles? Try nachos, salty chips, pretzels or, for you health food junkies, roasted soy nuts.
-- Pepto Bismol goes down easier chilled.
Happy Halloween. :)
LoooooooongPen
Remember that pretentious garbage Margaret Atwood was spouting a while back about making a device that would allow her to sign books long distance without personally showing up for the signing?
Scary news: Apparently she actually went and invented the damn thing:
"...the "LongPen" which will be launched at the London Book Fair next March. This week, Pen Canada is auctioning off the right to receive the first official trans-Atlantic autograph at its “Lives of Girls and Women” fundraising event in Toronto. Bidding will start at $1,000. The package includes the signature and an original poster hand-drawn by Atwood. The hope is that it will sell for $2,500 to $5,000. The signing in March will be of Atwood’s next book, the short-story collection The Tent. Atwood will sign in London, and that signature will appear on the auction winner’s copy at a Toronto bookstore, yet to be named. Massive media coverage is expected for the signing. Atwood’s company will be leasing LongPen devices rather than selling them; leasing fees will depend on location and number of uses."
What amuses me is that for all the anticipated oohs and aahs over LongPen, this device still produces a mechanical reproduction of an original signature. Sure, there's lots of nuts and bolts and fun futuristic SF stuff, and the promise of a boatload of leasing fee royalties for Atwood, but it's still the same basic thing as stamping a sig with an ink pad and a rubber stamp.
**Add-on**: In comments Simon brought up the fact that another auto-sig device like this, Scriptwriter, has been out for years.
Scary news: Apparently she actually went and invented the damn thing:
"...the "LongPen" which will be launched at the London Book Fair next March. This week, Pen Canada is auctioning off the right to receive the first official trans-Atlantic autograph at its “Lives of Girls and Women” fundraising event in Toronto. Bidding will start at $1,000. The package includes the signature and an original poster hand-drawn by Atwood. The hope is that it will sell for $2,500 to $5,000. The signing in March will be of Atwood’s next book, the short-story collection The Tent. Atwood will sign in London, and that signature will appear on the auction winner’s copy at a Toronto bookstore, yet to be named. Massive media coverage is expected for the signing. Atwood’s company will be leasing LongPen devices rather than selling them; leasing fees will depend on location and number of uses."
What amuses me is that for all the anticipated oohs and aahs over LongPen, this device still produces a mechanical reproduction of an original signature. Sure, there's lots of nuts and bolts and fun futuristic SF stuff, and the promise of a boatload of leasing fee royalties for Atwood, but it's still the same basic thing as stamping a sig with an ink pad and a rubber stamp.
**Add-on**: In comments Simon brought up the fact that another auto-sig device like this, Scriptwriter, has been out for years.
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