Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Web Page Design - LESSON 1 - email and SPY BOTS

I am definitely not an expert web designer. But, I am learning and seriously working on my new web page for the writer in me.

Just this week, I was told by my web holders, something I already knew and something new. First, my email link, on my web page was the victim of a SPY BOT that trolls the internet and steals your email address, then uses it for SPAM.

I knew this was happening, because I was getting SPAM from my own website and I wrote my friendly and knowledgeable Web “host” Gold Rush Hosting Solutions. These guys are literally on duty 24/7. They are friendly, to boot. I am not so cheerful after 10:00 pm, but these guys are all smiles.

Anyway, AOL has actually requested that they shut off my email forwarding to my AOL account because I am sending out SPAM. It’s a bit inconvenient but not that much. The main thing is, I am not sending out SPAM.

So, if anyone has gotten SPAM from http://www.vanvleckstudio.com/ , trust me; I did not send it out. My web page may be rather messed up now because the new design is not ready and yet I had to take off all the email links to stop the SPY BOT idiots. I also deleted some of the pages that were not valid and so it is all a mess. I don’t know if it will stop those who have already stolen my email but I hope so.

SO, the lesson for today in web design is the second thing I learned from my Host: Do not be nice to your viewers and link to your email or the SPY BOTS will get you and one day you will be, along with a million other people, receiving spam from your own web page.

My Web Host suggests I either just write the email address, without a link, for contact, or use a form for contact. It may be a little more work for you to be checking the form, but it keeps your web page fresh anyway with constant use. This is a good thing for the search engines as one thing they look at is use on the web page.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Best Laid Plans

I am spending a week at my free personal editor's house: Master Daughter. She has high speed. No, that is not why I came. We usually spend a week at her house during the holidays. It was a wonderful week too and you will have to read my personal blog, Savanvleck’s Weblog, to see just how wonderful it was. But, back to the high speed.

I've been working like crazy, since I finally have a finished design for my web page, to get it done so that I could do the uploading and checking on high speed. Well, you know how well my "plans" work out. I thought it was looking pretty good but the best laid plans are now trashed.

Fortunately, it is for an even better, more dynamic site. This is really what I wanted all along. I wanted a site to entertain and keep people coming back for more.

Master's Daughter took one look and started adding and adding and adding. And, the ideas were too great, and in keeping with my book, to pass up.

I know your web site should be about the author, but I plan (there's that word again) on breaking with that a bit to start getting people interested in the book. I've learned a lot more programming in the last few weeks that I think I can pull this off and I already know what my opening page will look like, so that's a benefit.

Now, to go home and redo that page and work on the secondary pages. I can always go to the library to do my uploading. Our dial-up is just not reliable enough to do it.

Hope you all had a great holiday. I will start posting more regularly in the New Year.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Young Adult novel, revising critique & never ending revision

Okay, couldn’t fool you on that last post. Tonight my Middle Grade novel became a Young Adult Novel. I have read the definitive reason on deciding how, The Difference Between Middle Grade & Young Adult, when it is meant for an 11/12 year old age group.

My book does have the subject of child abuse as a part of the story and this will probably put it into a more advanced Middle Grade category. With everything else I am fretting over, including yet another opening, I am not too concerned about this. It's for my agent/editor to decide.

A third draft of my query letter states: "When Alex and his two brothers decide they have had enough, they run away from home with the help of a half man/half black dragon and a deteriorating house fairy. But, that is only the start of Alex’ battle as he must learn to accept help from others and learn what being a friend means." This battle, for Alex, is due to his past neglect and abuse.

Now, if I could just find that perfect opening for my story. I just recently began revising my opening again after entering it in Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent's first paragraph contest. His comments about what an agent use to judge that all important paragraph, opened my eyes to the deficiencies in mine. I'm sure my personal editor will be just soooooo happy.

Friday, December 12, 2008

New Blog Look & More about my Young Adult Novel

This is my new look for marketing my perpetually "in edit" Young Adult Novel.

I am simplifying the process of updating my web page with 'room to grow' written in. This happens to coincide with the attempt to declutter and simplify my life. Both processes are a bit slow at this point.

A bit about my new banner and my book:

Alex lived a feral life in his home until he and his brothers had enough of it, and with the help of a half black dragon, half fairy man, and a tiny deteriorating fairy, they have gone to live in Yellowwood Forest.

Deep in a neglected area of the forest resides a Moon Tree and five offspring trees, where Alex and his brothers take up residence. Alex must grow to trust others and learn the good from the bad, and learn that being a friend means accepting help from others.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Publisher's Questionnaire

I do not have a publisher yet, but am thinking seriously about marketing. A wise teacher I had stated to me that things come to you when you are ready for them. And, two days in a row now, blogs that I follow have been about marketing. Yesterday, I filled out my wish list for marketing my book, on Shrinking Violet Promotions. And, today BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency: An Author Questionnaire has a post regarding a publisher’s questionnaire.

I do not have an agent or publisher yet, as I am still in final edit and that is slowed by working on revamping my website, etc, etc. But, I thought the publisher’s questionnaire would be a good exercise. The brain kind--not the hip kind.

· What are the main points about you and/or the book that should be emphasized to the media?

My Middle Grade Fantasy (Yes, folks, it has decided it is DEFINITELY a Middle Grade fantasy) is about a boy has had enough of his life and with the help of two of his brothers, a half black dragon fairy, and a tiny deteriorating fairy he leaves for a new home, where he must grow to trust others and learn that being a friend means accepting help from others.

· Who so you think will buy your book (i.e. your market)?

I hope through word of mouth, and my promoting it to every library and school I can, that the children, approximately sixth grade, themselves will be the biggest instigation in purchasing my book.

· Are there any anniversaries, occasions or events upcoming to which we might tie publicity for your book?

The setting for my book is in a magical part of Yellowwood Forest. There is a real State Forest in Indiana called Yellowwood, but in my part of the forest, there is a grouping of trees that contain folks whose ancestors have walked the land, alongside humans, since the beginning of time. They live a primitive/self-sufficient life and hold with ancient festivals such as having a Beltane Bonfire celebration for the coming growing season and lammas for the harvest. The book actually begins with Imbolc, which is another name for Groundhogs day. Which just happens to be my birthday, and a very cold time of year that was needed to start my novel.

· What was your inspiration for the book?

The three grandsons I have taken into my home, and their struggles are the inspiration for my book. This, and the fact that I have been told that it is often the other students who know what is going on with a child, who is having problems at home, before any adults realize it. This caused me to wonder what I could do to inform children on the issue of abuse, while creating an entertaining story that they would want to read for it's own sake. The abuse is but a small portion of the book, really relegated to a few paragraphs of dialogue.

It is the ensuing struggle of a boy who has been neglected, by his family, and abused and his ensuing struggle to deal with a world he has been kept separate from, that is the heart of this first book in the series.

· What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading your book?

As I was writing this book, I was having a wonderful time learning all sorts of things that lead to more new things to make the book enjoyable and create a solid world, with a history, for my characters to inhabit. It really wasn't until my "Master's teacher daughter" began helping me with the final edit, that I learned how much information I had snuck into the book. It was all just fun for me, but made the teacher in her jump for joy. She is currently working on a Teacher's guide to go with the book.

There are tie-ins with cave painting, Roma camps, ancient festivals, clothing from the 1700s, winter survival, Native American traditions such as gifting, and it is 9:30 and my brain is shutting down, so I will continue this later, along with the four questions I skipped.

So, good night to all. Dream of your own world to inhabit in your head.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

A sample from my Blogger reading list

My blogger reading list provides me with all sorts of wonderful, informative reading. Today, it gave me even more: confusion, laughs, wonder.

Starting from the top, and mind you I was only reading from the list and not opening the site.

Monty Python: Science Fiction Sketch posted from The Swivet - said it all: “Still funny after all these years!” However, since I can't get movies on my dial-up, I'll never know. Love the banner though.

Slush and Punishment: Fairy Toilets at Editorial Anonymous– had three lines about boy fairies failing to put the toilet seat down. And also a post that started like this:

Robert was a sweet little mutt.
His favorite food was cashew nut.
Eating it had given him a bit of a gut.

Slush and Punishment: Love Potion No. 12 at Editorial Anonymous: Something about children falling in love earlier from television watching and a love-struck bunny.

Okay, I’m just reading the blurbs for these, so decided to go to the site and it is hilarious query letters. A good lesson for all.

Then, Editorial Ass posts “Forget doom and gloom!”
Ahh, an answer to Editorial Anonymous and a return to normalcy.
I forgot to link to this great post: Editorial Ass: just what I wanted to see today. So, here is a Hee-larious story from Moonrat.

Buy a book for a Christmas gift

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Writer's Journal Wednesday, or not

I thought it might be a unique idea to use December 4th’s actual assignment from Amazon.com: The Aspiring Writer's Journal: Susie Morgenstern, Theresa Bronn: Books
You are bored to death.
Why?
Where are you?
Who are you with?

First, we are going to presume you are not bored to death, since you are reading this highly informative, albiet wrongly labeled blog. Did I mention that I thought today was Wednesday the 4th? It is not, it is Wednesday the 3rd. Oh well!

Being bored is a concept that I have never understood. I think it is less of an issue when you have grown up with less: less entertainment, less things, less neighbors, less tv, less—actually no computer and no video games and no DVD movies to watch whenever you want.

I had a homemade wooden square box to put my toys in, as a child. I think it was about 3’x3’. Things that did not go in it were few. We received the bulk of our toys, for the year, on Christmas. Birthdays were basically a one-gift deal and Easter was candy and trinkets. I never felt deprived, but then I didn’t watch tv with the thought of “I should own all of that.”

Maybe, because I had the most wonderful toy ever. I had a half acre of safe land to play on. There were clouds, trees, flowers, clover, a ditch, a bit of a hill from the house, sandbox, and swings. And, if the weather was bad, I could go inside and read or draw or write. How could anyone be bored in such a paradise?

I just cannot imagine ever being bored, even yet.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Textural quality in web design

My apologies, if you follow both this blog and Savanvleck’s Weblog on WordPress. This is the third post I have published on both sites. I did it for WordPress first and decided it was a fit for my marketing blogs here. I need to create my brand first, on my web page, I feel, in order to fit the rest of the net-world to it for my book. I am talking the blogs, MySpace and whatever else is out there waiting to challenge me.

I have designed my own web page for years and, believe it or not, I HAVE redesigned it several times. When I was creating eight inch fairies, and selling them on eBay, I realized it was time to again redesign my page. However, that web page, the one that was up there then and is still up now, has not been redesigned yet. I created it mainly for my painting, pottery and sculpture. pottery, painting, drawings, fairy, doll sculptures, by Sheryl Adair VanVleck

I use Coffee Cup Web Design and I could show you at least two dozen starts at a new web page for my site. And, now, like the paperwork in the Rubbermaids, it is time to again redesign my redesign I never did. My new focus is on my YA Fantasy Novel, and I am here to tell you exactly why this has become such a problem for me.

In fact, I will do better than that. If you click on this link, you will see just exactly why nothing I do lives up to this designer, in California: Welcome to Avalon Arts Studio!. If the textural quality of these web pages don't blow you away, nothing is going to impress you.

Just click on the Web Design tab about avalon arts web design and then click on their Porfolio. portfolio Some of my favorites are Enchants - faery sculptures by Christine Ruggle and The Faery Crossing-All Faeries, Sidhes, and Elfins Welcome! These sites present the true art of the miniature fairy artist and designing a web page, at its best. And, if I was still designing my web page for miniature fairys, I would be working on a design even half as rich as that forever, I am afraid.

So, it's a good thing I'm going for a site for my YA Fantasy Novel. I have finally confirmed the design in my head and am gathering my own graphics to do it. I'll keep you informed.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Waiting for Snow to fall

Okay, I have tackled, and not quite conquered ‘MySpace.’ www.myspace.com/savanvleck

Coffeee Cup for my web page is a breeze, WordPress was easy. Blogger was not bad. Then, there is MySpace.

I go to the Help button, after about six hours of searching, and find a message that says, “We do not help you with that, or that, or that.” In other words, ‘The heck with all of you.” Or “that’s what our subscribers are for” as they tell me that there are sites/people out there that you can get help from.

My sister has a niece who does it all for her. She just tells her what she wants and the niece does it. Perhaps it is just that our ‘older’ brains do not think in the same circle as younger brains. I am sure I will get used to it, eventually. I would be working on redoing my website, as I finally have the design I want pretty much figured out, but I need photos. I’m waiting for snow to fall in Indiana. Never thought I would say that!

So, when Gaffer gets here and it snows, we will make a trek out to Yellowwood State Forest and work on the trailer, for my YA Fantasy, as well as photos for my web page. I have the trailer written out but not drawn, scene by scene.

Then, I’m on my own again. Out of three boys, none of them is really involved in anything computer or internet related. I tried. I really did. Every semester it’s, “Aren’t you going to take web design or programming?” "Nope, not interested." They tell me.

However, I have not seen EMT’s full face, looking at me, since he bought a pay per use phone that has free unlimited text messaging.

Anyway, the status of my YA Fantasy Fiction is:

1. Chapter six edit off to Master’s Daughter, after Thanksgiving.
We decided to work on one chapter at a time, that way, if we find something that will affect the plot line, etc, we are not going over what we have already edited. I send her a chapter, she sends me back comments (I love WORD), I edit her comments and send her back the corrections, she emails me back notes. During that time, I am line editing the next chapter and beyond.
2. I need to work on the last two chapters more. They are very sketchy, but I think it will wait until we are at least in the middle of the book.
3. I want to brand my WebPage, my writing blog and MySpace when it snows and I have the photos I need.
4. I now need to learn, well actually, I still need to learn MySpace but it’s a start, but I need to check out Face Book or UTube, Twitter and everything else out there, I guess.
5. And, as far as Thanksgiving: We are putting the tree up today, for Mom to enjoy and Gaffer, when he gets home. I actually, also have my butter filling ready for Aunt Sally’s butter knot bread and my eggs boiled for deviled eggs. This year is a request Thanksgiving. Mom gets her ham and gravy. Boys get mashed potatoes and corn (don’t even ask), We all get Guacamole and chips and deviled eggs, and us adults get less work and less food to throw out. No one was eating dressing and sweet potatoes, but me and I don’t need them.

So, I wish you all a Great Thanksgiving. Travel safe and enjoy the company of relatives and friends. Mom emailed me this morning: “Life is too short, so why do people argue with their relatives?” I pointed out that we do not get to choose our relatives, but even if we did, we would probably still occasionally argue with them, just about different things.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

WebPage, Blog, MySpace,UTube, Twitter, LibraryThing, Trailer

I have unchained myself from my computer. My final book edit is in Chapter 6 and while I do remind myself, daily, that the last two chapters are but a shadow of their selves-to-be, I am taking time to get my muscles moving again to de-clutter and clean this house.

It may be a hopeless task but I need to get it done. I mean, why do we need three scanners and VHS movies? Then, there is the ten Rubbermaids full of paperwork. Hard to believe isn’t it? It is also hard to get done as I am drawn back to the computer.

I have figured out the look I want for my WebSite. It will be a total overhaul from the Visual Art site it was before to the Fantasy YA book site I want it to be. It is also one more step up in my programming education. Which may be a career to fall back on someday?

So, I have a vision of a “look.” Then, I have to make that look work, and be a “brand” for my website, Blog, MySpace, Utube, Twitter and something called “library” something. And, when Gaffer gets home for Christmas, I will have him help me get a trailer done.

Since I have done nothing more than look at a few relatives MySpace and not even that on Utube, and I have no idea what Twitter is and just read about the library thing last night. I better get this declutter, in my home done, and quick.

Will I ever catch up?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Orphan Boy- a Richly Textured Children's book

I love Picture Books

I have been known to take a canvas bag to the library and load it up with Caldecott winners. One of the things I miss most about having little grandkids around, is I have no one to read to. JRock is sixteen now and he just is not interested in King Bidgood anymore. I can have a blast making a total fool of myself reading King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. I will read to any child – at the Doctor’s office, at the library, on the bus. It makes no mind to me, as long as it is a good book.

Not all books are equal. Daughter-of-eleven loves books but has no distinction between them. She thinks that Barbie’s Picnic deserves shelf space with Matthew’s Dragon and anything by Audrey and Don Woods. I, however, refuse to read Barbie’s Picnic a second time.

One of my all time favorite children’s books is The Orphan Boy, A Maasai Story by Tololwa M. Mollel and illustrated by Paul Morin. Amazon.com: The Orphan Boy: Tololwa M. Mollel, Paul Morin: Books I am approaching this as a visual artist and this book has some of the most outstanding illustrations I have seen. It was published by Clarion Books, New York.

The back blurb reads: “At dawn the planet Venus appears in the east as the morning star. At night-fall it is the evening star in the west. The Maasaid call this star Kileken, the orphan boy. This traditional story from Africa explains the reason Kileken appears in the sky both morning and night.”

Beside the story, which is well worth reading, the illustrations are painted and the artist's canvas is visible to add texture to the pictures. This book is so richly textured that you can feel the heat of the African sun and the cool of the moonlit night. The canvas itself adds life to the morning sunrise. The artist has then added, perhaps using gesso with sticks or string or other additions, another dimension. I have scaned a few of the illustrations in, as Amazon does not do them justice.


This is but one half of the picture. I wish my scanner was larger to show it all. Note the texture in the foreground. The cattle go off into the sunset in the upper right corner.


I know the books binding here is in the way but the fabric and then the yellow highlighting to the right adds so much dimension, I wanted to show it.



This is also only part of a picture but I wanted you to see the way the artist has used texture in these illustrations.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Three things to get ready during your final edit

Master’s daughter and I are up to Chapter five in the final edit. In between the twenty other jobs she has at any one time, I am working ahead as the end of the book was less edited, by me, than the first half. And, when I take a break from that I read editor’s and agent’s blogs.

I am focusing on blogs that detail things like:

Writing the perfect Query letter- my favorite is Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent: Query Letter Mad Lib. He has several posts on writing a query.


The real chore for me is how to do write a synopsis. Author! Author! » Synopses is a good place to look. It is a blog that meandures a bit, but has a wealth of information for writers.


Putting together two writer's biographies. Author! Author! » Author bio has several blogs on writing your bio. They lay it out in a very simple manner.

A writer’s biography is something I had not thought a lot about. I have always had resumes and artist’s resumes. I had just not thought about needing to have your writer’s bio polished up and ready for submitting immediately. I guess I was thinking, you get an agent, you get a publisher, and somewhere along the way they say, “We need a bio for your flap copy, oh, in a few months.” Not so!!!

You need to have two ready. One for the agent to help sell you and one, shorter one, for your book flap. We are using positive reinforcement here.


I have noticed a change in author’s biographies. I am seeing more and more that represent the author’s writing, rather than just dryly saying, “He graduated from no-name college and lives in Nevada with his wife and three children.”

It is a great trend. It makes the author a real person and gives you insight into what his writing is like. My problem though, is I really think I am much funnier with my biography, than I am in my book. It is good I can see the humor in my life but is it going to give someone a false sense of the humor, which may not be there, in my book? I do not want to disappoint.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Wednesday's with Writer's Journal - Ideas

Okay, if you really want to get technical about this, it is Thursday. So shoot me! It has become more important to work on my edit than on my blog. This is a good thing and I am sure you will all understand.

With both the Journal, for January 2nd (still not going in order) and my edit in mind, the question for today is: Where do your ideas come from?

I think we all know that anything in our life can turn up in our writing. My current project was inspired by my grandson’s lives and the issue they deal with from their past home life. Prior to coming to live with us, these three boys were living in a radical home, were barely, or in the case of one, not home educated, they worked a man’s job from a young age and the abuse ranged from just plain weird to horrific.

In attempting to interest the thirteen year old into learning to read, I let him watch the first two Harry Potter movies. He loved them and he related to Harry. All those Dursley’s had their equivalent in his previous home. When he asked me to buy the third movie, I told him I would do so after we read the books. So, we set off on a journey to catch up. I would read a chapter at night and he would haltingly read a paragraph. He would often ask for a second chapter. He was enthralled with Harry's world. Three books letter and we purchased movie three. By the end of the series he was reading chapters.

I cannot take all the credit for this. He is a bright kid and the public school system worked hard to catch him up. But, watching these boys deal with all the educational and psychological issues they have, from their past life, is what is inspiring my book. Plus, okay, I admit it, I miss reading to him each evening.

The tv was turned off and everyone at home would listen. So, it was a nice family entertainment. I tried getting him involved in Terry Pratchett’s books but, he is on to sixteen year old entertainment now and cell phones and girls seem to take more of his time. His twenty-one year old brother loves them and got me reading them, it is just not the same.

I am way off topic here, as I tend to do when I talk about these boys. But, they are an inspiration for me.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The picnic we attended in 2001, for Veteran's day



I took my mother to a Senior Citizen’s picnic, in Wyoming, shortly after 9/11. And, in honor of all Veteran’s, I would like to post what I wrote after that picnic. Thanks, guys and gals, everywhere.

I went to a picnic today. There was Cowboy Poetry, Fiddlers, Cake walks, Games, square dancing and a Hay Ride. It could have been in any town, U.S.A. All it lacked was a gazebo with red, white and blue bunting; we even had two trombones. What made this picnic notable were the people and that there is a war on.

I look around at men who fought in World War II and women who rolled bandages and worked in mills in the forties but, I do not see people with grey hair. I do not see people stooped, carrying oxygen or walking assisted with canes. I do not see gentlemen of 80 or women of 79. What I see, as the two trombones began to slide out the "A- train" and a sprightly fellow begins to dance by himself, is a dance floor full of men in uniform and women, hair spit curled around their foreheads and rolled pompadour style, slim waistlines accented by tailored dresses with ever such a slight fullness to the skirt. Quantities of cloth are rationed, you know. A war is on.

I imagine that people step out of the tent for simple pleasures: a walk in the park, skating, listening to Judy Garland sing, in Meet Me in St. Louis and a rare treat of a hamburger. Nuevo Cuisine is unheard of. There is no time for pretense. There is a war on.

As the music slows and dashing young men put a gentle arm around slim waistlines, Glenn Miller plays Serenade in Blue. Lovers cling to one another, fearing to speak of the future, avoiding mention of upcoming absences. They will soon join the war that is on.

I am sucked back to 2001, as we stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing God Bless America. We are silenced, haunted by the loss of more than 2,000 souls. We fear to speak of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier battle group, speeding from our shores, and of upcoming absences. We cling to one another, treasuring each moment we have. A war is on.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Chapter four editing.

First, how do you like my new color? I am not a “pink” person. My whole closet is black, white and grey with just touches of bright colors. I would love to paint some golden yellow walls and maybe a red wall in an office, but I am not a pink person at all. However, I thought this looked restive. It must be the bubble gum affect.

Do you remember the bubble gum study? Years ago, they painted the jail holding cells bubble gum pink. There was a study that found out it was a calming color. Years later they found out it was not a valid study; or said that. We had done the parlor games where you have someone hold an arm out and try their best not to let you pull it down. Then, you hold up a bubble gum color paper (construction paper works), and they stare at it for a minute and then you tell them not to let you pull down their arm. You reach up and with little effort at all, you just pull their arm down.

So, stay mellow, and now for information on my ongoing edit.

I have been in a funk lately. Why? Who knows? Maybe I need to stare at Bubble Gum pink. But, I have tried to find something to say to all of you, and nothing sounded worth it. All it takes to get me going again is to receive a new Chapter back from Master’s Daughter with editing remarks.

I am just starting to go over the edit; but I will share some of what I have learned, so far.

I am finishing up on the first book in a proposed five book series. We are only up to Chapter four on our final edit, and I felt that I was perhaps telling too much in this chapter. It is a transition, from the world they lived in to the fantasy world they are traveling to. I was covering government and money, plus foreshadowing a future battle scene.

So, my editor’s general comments are that:

1. Do not remove the government section. My imagery is interesting and she feels it is helpful to understand about the “similarities and differences in the organization" of the magical world and our world.

2. The foreshadowing, of a future battle scene, definitely works.

3. Discussion of money: She feels kids would enjoy it and, being the first book in the series, it is a needed explanation of the basics.

4. What would be an exclamation word, that kids would use that would not date the book but be timely? The word “Awesome”was suggest by JRock and is agreed on by Master's Daughter; unless, she states, "I am going to use text messaging lingo." Trust me, I am NOT going there.

5. And, she does not like the straw man and, frankly, neither do I. It was one of those things that sounded funny when I wrote it and just stayed there. He has no purpose; he is not coming back into the story, so he is out.

Those are just primary impressions and now I shall go through comments and suggestions line by line and bid you adieu, until tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Wednesday with the Writer's Journal: fortunate or not?

I have been a bit distracted lately; elections and slander adds and the flu. Yes, we have the flue here.

I was ill Monday and we do not want to discuss how I was ill either; trust me on that. I then stayed up late Tuesday, trying to scry from CNN just who was going to win, right up until President elect Obama's acceptance speech. I made the big mistake Tuesday and took mom shopping. I was just not recovered, from my flu, and I had arms and legs of lead. I had to drag myself around.

While I was standing in Krogers (I had lost my mother and was too tired to find her), I heard a conversation between two men. They were discussing the one man’s wife; who had just come from her daily radiation treatment. When that ends, she will have chemotherapy again. That’s when it hit me.

I am so lucky!

And, that is what today is about. We pretend it is June 13th and answer the question: Do you think you are fortunate or unfortunate?

Well, first, I can rest up for a day or two and then work on exercising again. I do not have to go through chemotherapy or radiation or worry about survival. I remember what my brother went through, for two years, before he died. I am so fortunate not to be going through cancer.

I have a decent car; that I even love. I still remember driving the ones without air conditioning, working windows or mufflers.

There is food on our shelves and we do have a roof over our head; even if one little part leaks occasionally.

When I let the dog out at night, I can see the stars and hear the crickets and see the shadows of the trees in front of a darkening sky. In the daytime, I see the fall colors and, now green tomatoes, and the sad baby watermelons that will never grow big. I even finally have a pumpkin bloom. Later is better than never. Next year, I plant earlier.

My edit with Master’s daughter is working really well. She added three words to one page that are close to being my favorite three words in the whole book, and she has helped me cut the deadwood. Gotta give that girl a lot of credit!

I am looking forward to meeting Army grandson’s wife. I am looking forward to giving a big hug to Gaffer. I am so looking forward to Christmas at my daughters, where I feel like I am in a luxury hotel with fine wine and fine food and great company. We laugh a lot. A LOT! And, I get to spend time with the rest of the grandsons, up north.

The boys are doing well. EMT is graduating in June and starting to work in his practical training as an RN. He may join the military also for a savings on tuition. JRock’s grades are going up and we have found a guitar teacher we can afford. It is amazing how the promise of guitar lessons translated into better grades. Motivation folks! It’s the key.

And, this is really long, and I imagine everyone is very tired from partying all night, so that is another thing I am so grateful for. Not for being tired, but for living in a country that constantly evolves and improves itself. Where hard work counts more than the color of a man or woman’s skin. A country where we can vote and care.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Joe the Plumber

I am not Joe the plumber. I am too poor to be Joe the plumber. I too do NOT have a plumber’s license, which is unfortunate as I do have about three pipes leaking in this house, so if he gets a license and wants to get some practice, send him over.

I have never made $250,000 in one year. Actually, I, personally, have probably not made that amount in a ten year period. I made a “woman’s” wage in my working life. And, my fast growing art career went down the tubes in direct proportion to the price of gas, other people losing their job and the cost of everything else, going up; except my health, which went down due to lack of health care.

So, frankly I think it is NOT time for a “person just like me” to be elected. I do not want a Vice President (possible President) who "gosh and golly's me." I want one who is so intelligent, he was President of Harvard law review. I want someone, not like me, but who is better than me and can gather the most intelligent people around him to fix the mess we are in AND who believes it is best to talk to other countries rather than just bomb the #%#@ out of them.

Think about it.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Summer flowers


Master's daughter and I are on a roll right now. She is catching my omniscient first person, that should not be there, and keeping me on track. So, I thought I would just share a summer flower today.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Wednesday with the Writer's Journal - Lunch with an Author

Today’s Wednesday with the Writer’s Journal is from January 27th. I told you I was not going in order.

Which writer would you like to meet? And, since it is my dream, let us try "which to have lunch with?" I live near a small town with very few restaurants and even way fewer good ones. I went to Martinsville today, to take my mom to vote and we found the best Chinese restaurant I have ever eaten at. It was great. So, I'll take them there, or not.

Six months ago, i would have asked Stephen King. I think he is the greatest living author for characterization. Sorry, Mr. King, I am not a fan of your subject matter. I usually only read the first third of his book and lose myself in those fantastic characterizations. I would love to sit at lunch with him and have him describe the people around us. What a great class that would be.

I also have a few questions to ask J.K. Rowling. Namely, how did she keep it all straight?

Now, however, I would just have to say Terry Pratchett because I have this feeling that spending lunch with him would be much like reading one of his books. Since I have only started on the second one, with the great Turtle A'Tuin, this is what I am basing him on.

My reasoning goes like this: When I demonstrate portrait painting, the comment I hear most often is, “I don’t see those colors.” I bite my tongue before I can say, "Nah, Nah, Nah Nah Nah. Well, I do." Whether it is a function of my eyesight or my brain is unknown. I was finally diagnosed as having two eyes (gosh, that is a really good thing), however, they do not work together. When I was a wee little one, the doctor told me that I probably had double vision. I compensated for this by learning to use just one eye to see out of. Thus explaining the fact that my left eye will wander off, on its own, when I am tired. Thus, causing me to look a bit like Mad Eyed Moody.

It could also be an abnormal brain pattern, which I actually have. I have been hooked up to an EEG several times; enough so that I went to a planetarium with my head all wired up once. Those who went with me were less than impressed. Hey, I do not let anything stop me from enjoying the world.

Or, maybe I just see things others do not see. I do think that sometimes, when I will point out a pattern that looks exactly like a face to me and those around me give me that “There she goes again” look, that I do actually see the world a bit differently.

So, I think Terry Pratchett would be fascinating to spend an afternoon with. I imagine he jumps from subject to subject and that he must have such a wonderful view of the world. It would have to be a very long lunch, beause I am sure it would be full of laughs, and Chinese food.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

What my personal editor taught me

Here is a flower from my garden, this past summer. 'Tis the season to cover the garden at night, pick the seeds and run in to warm up. I ran in last night to a great email from my personal editor.

YIPPEE!! Last night I received a partial first chapter edit from Master’s Daughter. Gosh, what an eye opener.

FIRST: All my charts and trying to keep track: I am new to Word and never had a Word Processor before that had comments on it. As a legal secretary, I had long used WordPerfect, at work and home. The last few updates though have taken it down the tubes. It jams constantly. The charts I have been making are being, figuratively, burned and I am using comments to put in foreshadowing etc. It also helps my editor, daughter, know that yes, this is an important point to leave in. Honest girl, it will make sense some day.

This will really help me too as some things are mentioned because it is laying a bit of groundwork for book two or three, and even five, in this five book series.

SECOND: Oh, how long ago Jr High school was. I did teach art to Jr High students for three weeks a summer, for five years. JRockGuitarMan, one of my step-son/grandson/ward came to live with me and entered seventh grade, so I had a refresher. But, there are things I just need to keep in mind and I was not. While, I may not always act my age, I have forgotten some of how a Jr High student’s mind works and Master’s daughter teaches them every day, so she is catching those things.

Her comments include:

“Reader is now thinking …”
“Needs transition”
“Reader’s thought: Is ‘glint’ an object or a reflection?”
“This doesn’t seem to fit here; awkward.”
And more

I worked on her comments and am now ahead of her edit and hoping to send the rest of Chapter 1 and then chapter 2 in a few days. Somehow, I must have sent her a partial first chapter. We are going to work on this chapter by chapter. It will be so much easier to track things now with Words comments.

I feel like I am back on track, thanks to my own personal editor.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Master's Daughter plays head games


I do believe that my non-paid technical editor is playing some head game on me. It's not like she does not have enough to do, that she would spend time to actually make her mother think her mother (me) is going crazy.


On the 22nd she wrote, "I haven't had a chance to download the chapters." (I had sent her the next six) "I hope the edit I sent last week wasn't too discouraging." Whow! Great way to get my attention. She sent me back my first four chapters, edited and discouraging???? Where are they?


Okay, I got this late at night, and of course, I spent two hours searching for the missing email. Not in Spam, nor in deleated, nor in read, nor in new. I had messages about Christmas presents and about her Soldier son. There was a joke or two about ear plugs and Palin, not in the same vein mind you, althought that might have been a good idea. But, nowhere is there a "discouraging" or otherwise edit from Master's Daughter.


I wrote and told her I had not received the edit and that I would not consider a critique discouraging. I am an artist. I have been critiqued for twenty years. I can handle it. I would rather find out what is wrong from her before I submit and get a form rejection letter. I can hardly trust my own judgement on this as I ALWAYS think something, mostly everything, is wrong with my work. I will never submit my book if I go totally on my own instincts. I will edit the life out of it and out of me.


So, here I sit, watching to see my mail jump from 80, in my in box. I save mail, okay, so shoot me. It is still not jumping to 81.


Oh, I just looked. She sent me that note on the 23rd. Honestly, I thought it was like four days ago. Okay, so I cannot be too irritated. She does have a life. It is just, WHAT IS WRONG, GIRL??? I have serious revision work to do and I want to get started.


Are you out Trick or Treating again??

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Back in Business

By the way, the book looks better to me again. Guess, I just need to keep my hands off editing when I am exhausted. Nothing ever works right at those times. I am back editing and lucky Master's Daughter was sent the first twelve chapters last night, for her final technical edit. I am sure she will wake up and be just delighted. After all, it's mid term time in Indiana and she has a room full of sixth grader's to grade.

Wednesday's Writer's Journal

It is again time for Wednesday’s Writer’s Journal

Based on Susie Morgenstern’s book, I pick a random page (sometimes the fourth random page) and Blog on it. So, here goes:

Okay, now this is why I do not always use the first random page. My first pick is February 29th: “A day to relax – but only if it’s leap year!” I don’t know. Is it leap year??

I think someone is trying to tell me something. Pick two was February 24th, “A day to let yourself go and do whatever you like!” Perhaps all of February is a day of rest??

January 30th: “Do you want to be president? Write a campaign speech.”

Instead, and since I make the rules, I can do this, I will not write a speech, I will just list my campaign promises. I can get myself into enough trouble this way. And, honest, I did not intentionally pick this. With the election days away and the fact that I have voted already, I have reached the point where I could do a day without elections, promises, slander and campaigns.

But, here is what is important to me:

I promise, being the average Jane, that I will surround myself with the brightest people in the field, as advisors.

I promise that I will do my best to see that everyone in this country has good health care.

I will have advisers looking at the programs Franklin Delano Roosevelt implemented and to get people working, including artists and writers, and I will implement programs to give everyone a living wage.

One of my programs will be to build some of the housing that college architects have designed for the homeless, so that everyone has safe shelter.

I will see to it that no elderly person, nor anyone, has to eat corn flakes and cat food. I’m not sure anyone does that anymore, as who can afford it? But, everyone deserves decent fresh food. Everyone does.

I promise a free college education for all; and all student loans forgiven. There has to be a way. Our future rests on the education of our children. College is a necessity now and should not be that costly.

So, we have covered health, jobs, shelter, food and education. What is the important issue to you?

Monday, October 20, 2008

Why is it so suddenly awful?

I took a couple of weeks off, to go to (and photograph) a wedding and to spend days fixing the photos and duping. I thought it would be a good break from my line edit and bring me a fresh eye.

But, everything I read last night was just bad. Really bad. At this rate, I will be 110 before I give up and just submit it. I have four different beginnings and have edited the first chapters some twenty-seven times.

I am going to bed now. It is a busy week and perhaps I am reading someone else's book.

GRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Will typhoid Sheryl strike again?

I was working a job I hated, for the possibly worse lawyer boss on the face of the earth, and decided to try a career of typing up transcripts for the Court Reporters. I knew one reporter, from my secretarial job, and she needed someone to do her typing. Things were going well and I was thinking about marketing and expanding, when they came out with a computer program that did it for the Reporters. Thus, ending my job.

Then, being an artist who loves painting people, I looked at my market and decided to do Native Americans. I was really tired of painting deceased children. This is what my "paint people" marketing was bringing in. It is a depressing thing to do on a daily basis and most of the parents, I was meeting, just did not seem to be ready for it.

I had a love of the Native American culture and was raised to believe I had Native heritage. I started exhibiting at Pow Wows and marketing my work in the Western artist market and before long, I was exhibiting in National shows, being asked to do things like deceased actor Will Sampson's (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) portrait. I was also getting written up in SouthWest Art Magazine. Then, as I start selling a large original every month, the bottom drops out of the native market. Shows started closing and frankly, I was out of marketing money, having made a bad decisions, based on SouthWest Art's Magazine add salesman. Sometime I will tell you about my opinion of advertising salesmen. Another career bites the dust.

We moved to Wyoming and I begin putting together my pottery studio and man that stuff sold so fast I could not keep up. I could barely keep up with the sales of my animal drawings and had a list of commissions to keep me busy. The time came when, Casper, Wyoming being a city, at the time of around 60,000 people, I realized that I had pretty well reached my clients. I could branch out into other states but my husband's health was deteriorating. So, when I was downsized at the College, we decided to move back to Indiana.

We decided that the artist town of Nashville, Indiana was our target. It had an active community of artists and was only three hours drive from daughter and husband's relatives. We moved, we remodeled a horse barn for my studio, I joined the local art guilds and the Brown County Studio and Garden Tours 2008. Actually, I joined the tour of 2004. That year I made more in sales than I had in two years in Wyoming, and my income doubled the next year and again the next year. Had I, at last, found my niche?

Some unknown illness was beating me down and I was gradually unable to do pottery. I quit the tour to build up my health and I, are you ready, began making eight inch tall polymer clay fairies and selling them on eBay. My last one sold for $700. That was about six months before emergency heart surgery. Recovering now, I could go back to doing that but since prices on eBay have dropped well over twenty-five percent, and still going down. I do feel I have again hit an occupation just as it was falling into the great abyss.

I refuse to believe I caused these things to happen. I just seem to have a knack for getting into things at the wrong time. I stay away from the stock market because, well- I can't afford it, but also it is in enough trouble already.

Now, my final edit is over half done and I am working on some marketing, and a lot of research to do the best query I can. So, it was with some delight, that I recently read The 26th Story: George Jones Q & A . This was actually a link on Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent blog. George Jones is the President and CEO of Borders Group, Inc. And, news is not so bad.

So, I hope you excuse if I am not posting as often as I would like, but I gotta hurry before the bottom drops out. Hopefully, with the confidence of Mr. Jones, it will stay strong for us and break my streak.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Wednesday with the Writer's Journal

It is again the Aspiring Writer's Journal Amazon.com: The Aspiring Writer's Journal: Susie Morgenstern, Theresa Bronn: Books for Wednesday.

I am not following it like a journal, doing each assignment on the correct date. I tend to jump around for inspiration. Today, I landed (after only three tries) on October sixth, "Become an editor!" and critiquing a friends novel. I do not have a friend writing a novel, at least none that admit it. Master's daughter is working on Children's Picture books, but says it is slow going with all the rest that life is handing her.

As an art teacher, I know from critiquing student's work that it is always best to begin on a positive. So find something, anything that you can say that is positive. There are many sites telling you how to critique a novel, including: Writing a Critique of a Novel.

We have a little joke in our family. My mother often provides these types of jokes and once she was asked, by a fellow art student, for an opinion on the student's newest painting. Mother had a dilemma: to lie and say something wonderful about it or to tell the truth and hurt the ladies feelings. She paused for a moment, ostensibly studying this great work of art, but really thinking about what to say, and she came up with, "It sure is green."

Amazingly, this pleased the student, who went away smiling and it resolved mom's moral dilemma. It also became family code for 'ugly.' It sure does sparkle, glow, have big flowers, is bright, etc now replaced "awful ugly." There is always something positive you can say, if you look hard enough.

There are many ways to save a writer's feelings and give them information that will help them improve their work. We all started somewhere and usually that was at the beginning. I've always thought that anyone can learn to paint well enough for their own enjoyment, if they spend the time working at it. Like playing piano, it is the hours spent in practice that make the difference.

Writing Dreams

I have worked on my current book for almost three years now. Since I have vibrantly realistic dreams, I find it odd that I have not dreamed anything for my book.

I have spent hours searching for the perfect name for some of my characters. (Be patient. I will link these two paragraphs in a minute) I was reading Pollyanna and the Random Weirdness of Baby Names « Pollyanna Rainbow Sunshine and the Needles of Doom's blog on the Random Weirdness of Baby Names and came across several potentially interesting sites for name generators.

I had to try the Harry Potter name generator Rum and Monkey: The Name Generator Generator, just because I love Harry Potter. But, alas, I turned out to be Hermione. Just between you and me, I think all women turn out to be Hermione. (Personally, I think all women must turn out to be Hermione in this exercise.) I may have been like Hermione in many ways when I was ten, but I am far from her now.

(The connection with those paragraphs will happen now. Just in case you do not get it.) That night, I dreamed I was Hermione and in a huge house and it did tend to go on and on pointlessly. Much as this blog is beginning to do.

Here's the thing. I have had dreams about Nicholas Cage about six times. I have dreamt about the Harry Potter world numerous times. I have actually had several dreams that were in the range of foretelling. But, I cannot get myself to have a dream about my book. Even though it is often the last thing I do, read, and think about.

I am just thankful I did not dream about my Indie Band Name:Rum and Monkey: The Name Generator Generator Silver Alligator Strange Castle.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Seeds for Seniors

Okay, second time I post identical posts. Sorry, but this one is important, to me.

I want to suggest an idea to everyone, and since I like to dream big, to everyone in the world. Okay, if it spread in the US, it would make me happy.

I like to garden but have always just planted enough to keep us, in tomatoes, hot peppers and green onions. This year I added my watermelons to the mix and I do have about five but I do not know if they will ever get big enough to eat before the weather gets too cold. When mom moved in with us, I threw in an extra tomato plant or two for her.

Now that she lives in an income based senior’s apartment building, I have been taking a box of tomatoes to her and she picks what she wants out of it. I planned on putting the remainder on the table in the entertainment room. Some stores will bring over breads and such and leave them there, so I figure whoever wanted tomatoes could have some fresh garden ones.

But, I only get as far as the elevator, from mom’s apartment. The ladies on the second floor are all over me for my tomatoes. I never saw them move so fast. It’s almost like Christmas to them. A lot of these seniors are totally alone in the world and they do not eat that balanced of a diet.

So, next year, besides starting seeds indoors, I am going to plant as much as I can take care of and take the extra to their building. Without having a lot of money to give, it’s a way I can feel like I am contributing to society and enriching their lives. Not only does it help them to eat a better diet (and believe me, they need help with that) but it lets them know someone cares.

So, how about it? Do you have income based senior housing in your town? Do you have a garden plot? You will bring joy and nutrition to an elderly person by just planting a couple extra tomato plants and donating the leftovers. And, when you see the delight in their faces and how fast those tomatoes disappear, I bet the next year you add more to your garden too.

So, what can we call this? We need a catchy name, like Seeds for Seniors or Tomatoes – no, never mind, that’s not a good one. Hey, and maybe someone is doing this already. It is along the lines of planting a garden in your front yard for the neighborhood to enjoy, like CrazyAuntPurl: The edible lawn...? talked about.

I'll be back later today

I am trying to post every three days here on Blogger. I am also trying to be more entertaining here. I think my first few posts were dry as sap. No, make that wheat toast without Brummels & Brown or Jam. Sap probably is not dry. It's smooth.

I post daily, almost, on Savanvleck’s Weblog. I usually post first thing in the morning, on both blogs.

Okay, so not exactly first thing. There is a little matter of feeding the rabbit, or she throws her ceramic dish around and makes a fierce racket. And, Irritating little Chihuahua, or she sits and looks at me and pouts. But, blogs are next. Well, unless I get distracted by other people's blogs and then lunch will be next before I get back to mine. (And, I wonder why I'm not finishing my YA edit. Oh, yes, this week it is back to YA and not Middle Grade.)

So, the whole point to this is that tomorrow morning, I am off to take my mother for her protime blood work (that's to find out if the Warfarin is making her blood too thin). This means that I will show up at her apartment, and she will get ready to go and then want to stop for breakfast and then go to the hospital for her test. Then, we will go to WalMart and/or the grocery store. And, then I will fix things that are wrong on her computer and take her garbage out and do all those little things and maybe get home around three.

Okay, so you could have just read the Title of the blog to learn that I'll be back later. But, be honest, that would not have been near as much fun now, would it?

Friday, October 10, 2008

Brains - all of them

Gaffer brought home two of Terry Pratchett's books this past summer and left them for me to read. I thought the first page of The Color of Magic was brilliant, but then I got bogged down by the made-up names.

Somehow my brain seems unable, at times, to wrap itself around foreign words. I did not study a foreign language until college, where they tried me in four different Spanish classes. The last Spanish teacherI had told me that I was speaking it perfectly. My reply was, "But, I don't know what I am saying."

I have finished The Color of Magic and am starting on The Light Fantastic, and I am now a huge Terry Pratchett fan. However, (head bent with shame/frustration/embarrassment) I have to admit that I have only, today, caught "Ankh Morpork," as in MORE-PORK. Geez, am I slow. I laughed out loud today when I finally got it. What a genius he is.

It makes me feel a century behind when I find a whole new world of books, conventions and genius. How did I go so long without discovering this? But, that does make it fun. There is always something new to discover around the corner.

Which brings me to the news I read today. At the end of 2007, Terry Pratchett announced that he has a rare form of early-onset Alzheiemer's, called posterior cortical atrophy. Posterior cortical atrophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

He feels there is still time to "kill the Demon" Terry Pratchett: I'm slipping away a bit at a time... and all I can do is watch it happen Mail Online and, as us baby boomers age we should all be fighting the same battle. It is not a shame to have. A person has not done anything to have it.

My uncle went in for surgery and came out with severe dementia; who stole knives from restaurants and was scared to death of men with beards. My aunt developed Alzheimer's slowly. This normally sour looking old lady, became quite a happy person, who told us we could go swim in the fish tank and that she had a pet spider, who had babies, on the track her privacy curtain slid on. I missed both of them, while they were here and still do. Was I ashamed of them? Never, not once.

So, that is my soap box for today. Should you have an extra $5.00 in this crashing stock market world, remember that this possibility can strike any of us or our loved ones and Donate to the Alzheimer's Association.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Wednesdays with "The Aspiring Writer's Journal"

Wednesday may become “The Aspiring Writer’s Journal” day.

Today’s assignment is, because all writing is good practice:

“What would you like to never end?”

And, no, you are not allowed to say life. That’s what the book says, anyway. Frankly, I think it's a fair answer.

I would like to look up and see a never ending aurora borealis, or even better all the nebula, etc in outer space. (We don't see aurora borealis in southern Indiana.)

I would like my nighttime hallucinations to go on forever. These were black and white movies I saw when I woke up during the night, while taking certain prescription drugs after surgery, and actually once since I was off of them. They were much nicer than my bloody Melatonin dreams; which I have only had two of, thank goodness.

I wish there was always a baby to cuddle and revel in the smell of it’s hair.

I wish a cool gentle breeze always blew across my body at night

I wish good books would never end: Harry Potter, The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George, all Janet Evanovich’s mysteries,

I wish fall leaves fell from the trees forever. Actually, this year they kind of did all summer.

I wish snowmen never melted and you could always have snowball fights.

And that spring flowers grew up through all of it, always.

I wish there was a never ending supply of watermelon in the fridge.

I wish the feeling of that Halloween, when I fell in love with Zorro (who was also trick or treating) would have lasted forever. That’s the first time I felt that “in love” feeling.

But, if these things never ended, would they be as special? I think so.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

"He struck Bob in the face." Holly advised

That little bug-a-boo of mine, (when was the last time you heard that phrase?) is the fight that begins my ending.

Action scenes can be so easily overdone, but I have found the advice of The Literary Assassin: Fiction by Holly Messinger "RULES OF ACTION SCENES", to keep me on track.

1. Fights are short. I know that a whole movie can seem to be one big action scene, but as Holly points out, a fight between experienced fighters, who are seriously trying to do each other in, will last minutes. If it is an experienced fighter and a novice, it can be seconds before your inept hero is lying in the ditch, groaning.

The important thing is writing the tension build-up, which leads up to the fight, extremely well.

2. Her next bullet point is extremely helpful to me.

“Use subject-verb-object construction as often as possible:”He struck Bob in the face.”

She goes on to point out that the pacing of your writing adds to a “punchy quality that shakes up the reader.”

SO, if you are in the midst of writing or editing, or just pondering your action scenes, please check her site out, because this is some seriously good advice.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

How I spent my time off of writing.

I have been gone from writing for two whole weeks. That is probably the longest time I have gone without writing in two and a half years. I feel refreshed and ready to tackle line editing. I believe I left off on chapter twelve, but I will start from chapter eight, because I am now looking at it with a fresh eye.

My daughter, the teacher, has the first seven chapters to edit for grammar/punctuation/etc, so I don’t want to mess with that. I actually spent an evening/night, some Bailey’s Irish Crème and a lot of giggles with her the night of the wedding. We do not get to spend enough time together and she rented a motel room for us and mom. Mom was deep in sleep within minutes. I forced myself not to ask my daughter, the question, “How much do you hate it?” (meaning my book, and not her grandmother or her husband). I did not want to ruin the giggles.

I spent twelve hours behind the camera that day and, while I wanted to die by about 10:00 pm, I think I have discovered that, if I can spend twelve hours photographing a wedding, I can push exercise harder. My doctor will be so happy. Of course, it has taken me a few days to catch up.

I have also learned that twelve hours behind a camera equates to days and days and days of editing pictures; crop, color adjust, remove red eye, delete the pictures of the naughty Jr. bridesmaid who insisted on throwing her bouquet and making faces, etc. And, do a major adjust of the pictures in the Haunted Chapel. See here for explanation.
The Case of the Haunted Church « Savanvleck’s Weblog

I am sending off one full disc to the bride today because we took some pictures especially for her thank you cards and she is moving on the eleventh, and now I will take it a little easier with the other 2,143 mb of photos left. Let’s see, I sent 700 mb off—at two days of altering—that means I have like six days left. (That sound you hear is me groaning). But, they are not six full days.

My apologies

I cannot believe it has been so long since I posted. I have been off to a wedding most of the time. And, on top of all that, I am only writing that I am sorry, as someone else is waiting for our totally inefficient dial-up network, so I will post a bit later in the day.

Monday, September 29, 2008

A "Just for Fun" Post, and now I shall hide.

This is the first time I am posting an identical post on this blog and on my personal blog: Savanvleck’s Weblog

Master’s daughter always gives the greatest gifts. I have received a Japanese tea set, a miniature Stonehenge (we’re still waiting for a Scottish fellow to time travel through), a circular knitting sock kit, complete with a neat bag, and “The Aspiring Writer’s Journal.”

Too bad she can’t give me a better memory, because I know there are more neat gifts, but I cannot remember them at this moment. They are always a delight and a complete surprise, and will be again when I find what I have done with them.

So, my inspiration for today, (“Ahem! Ahem!” She cleared her throat, commanding attention.) is a page in the Writer’s Journal, she gave me.

The assignment is:— Make up a story beginning with the following quotation-
“When Sleeping Beauty wakes up, she is almost fifty years old.”

I have changed the opening line, but the premise is there.

(Okay, I cannot believe I am going to embarrass myself this way, but what the heck? Here it is, complete with errors in punctuation and dangling participles.)
~~~~~~~~~~~

Sleeping Beauty woke from her near eternal sleep and gasped for air. My, how tight my corset doth feel. Hands above her head, she stretched—and screamed.

“Spots! What are these spots! There are brown spots on my hands and arms?”

Blankets flew as she surged to the mirror, her body half bent over.

“Kricky!” she said, being a fan of British blogs. “Oh my aching back! Heads will roll for not removing the peas under my mattress and, speaking of pees, I do believeth I am damp. What, in blazes, goeth on?”

Lines stared back from the mirror. These were the final insult as Sleeping Beauty, who was all of eighteen when she fell into her near eternal sleep, ‘twas now fifty. She lay sobbing into her pillow, for no handsome Prince would search for a wrinkled Sleeping Beauty, she feared.

In a far distant land by the sea, gallant Lord Viggo, some years younger but no longer a youth, lived. He could feel her sorrow and confusion.

“Hark!” He called. “I shall scry for the sound of sorrow I hear.”

And, scry, he did.

“She ‘tis a vision of loveliness to me.” He said as he peered into the water. “A woman of wisdom and experience. No petulant youth need I put up with. And, her smile sets my heart free.”

‘Twas but a journey half way cross the land, to the woods where the beauty lay sleeping and where he dried her tears and they lay on the swing of her porch and watched the stars for a near eternal life.
THE END

I shall go and hideth my head under the pillow now.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Of Dark and Stormy Night

I believe it was the winter of 1995, that I attended Of Dark and Stormy Nights, mystery writers conference in Chicago. It was a great experience, but I was lost. These are the situations that bring out the introvert side of me.

I planned ahead of time, what events I would sit in on and I was given a critique with Eleanor Taylor Bland, a published Mystery writer. I was in heaven when she said, “Submit it.” And “Would you like the name of my agent.” As I’ve written before, I did submit it, but I did everything wrong.

Since then, I have learned how the process works and I have learned to edit more thoroughly, and, the most important thing I have learned is to follow your instincts.

The process includes submitting a properly formatted query letter, to the right agent/editor and with a really dynamic part about your protagonist’s character featured. Don’t “tell” them about the world or the mechanics or how long it took you to write it. Write it as if you are a published author, assume they know writing a book takes time, and feature your protagonist. I am not covering more here, because there are a ton of agents/editors out there who cover it in detail.

For querying see two of my favorites: Brooklyn Arden: Manifesto and Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent

As far as for editing, just as with writing, you will have to do through trial and error to find what works best for you. There are no hard and fast rules and you can go crazy trying to follow everyone’s advice. For plotting: I tried small index cards, large index cards, two different rolls of paper, and charts up the wazoo (just what is a wazoo anyway?). I tried a ton of methods before I found out what would work for me and, with the internet, it is so easy (but still time consuming) to read all that advice and decide for yourself.

Following your instincts is my final point on this sunny (in Indiana) day. Because, I knew my book was not ready to submit and I did it anyway, thus proving to one agent out there that I was an amateur. My novel was not completed yet and it needed some work on editing, as well as making my protagonist a stronger person.

I may not have found an agent at that conference, but it gave me the self-confidence to know that someday I would. And, the corner to turn is in sight.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A new mantra "I can do better."

It’s is important to have a goal in writing, as well as in life.

They say everyone should have a five year plan written down. It keeps you on a straight path and helps rid all the flotsam and jetsam that stumbles around the folds of our brains.

Your goal for writing should not be just “publish” oriented. The main goal should be “constant improvement,” which, in the end, just might lead you to the check that comes with being published. This means that you get up in the morning and say, “I can do better.”

With that in mind, sit back and look at the problems you have with your writing and start researching how to improve . Everyone learns in a different way. I learn best by reading so the internet is a great source of knowledge for me. If you are an auditory learner, take a course at your local community college, attend a conference and learn from an author you admire, or join a writer’s group and pick someone’s brain who you feel has expertise in the area you need to improve.

And, write, and write, and write again. And, if you lose it all one day, say hard drive failure, know that you wrote it once, you can write it again, and better.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Text to Speech reads my book

When no one is home, I will often read my story out loud to myself. It is really one of the best ways to test your writing. However, there are still those times when I will read what I am expecting to read and not catch the little mistakes that are there. Text to Speech, on your computer helps catch it all.

When others are here and the tv is blaring, I use Text to Speech in my Windows XP, to read my story to me. And, I know those of you with VISTA have this feature also as it is about the only thing in VISTA that actually works. JRockGuitarMan, youngest boy, has a writing disability and uses it to dictate his papers. You can go into Control Panel and set the speed at which he reads, and sometimes it is spooky.

I swear I have caught Text to Speech putting emotion in that was not accounted for by the punctuation. It has also, I swear, added a Scottish accent to one of my characters. Now, I did use “ye be going” type of speech but I only alter a few of the words because I do not like it when a lot of foreign speech is inserted in a book, but this little machine voice started speaking this characters work with an accent. Okay, so maybe it was late at night, but I swear it's true.

In any event, hearing your writing read aloud should be part of your final line edit. You need to listen to each sentence and analyze whether you have written the most visual sentence you can or is there a better way to say it; to keep your reader in your world. Remember, each and every sentence counts.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Eggs or Live Birth?

I belong to several on-line groups of artists. I was once involved in a “fairy wing” discussion on a sculptor’s site. The discussion was about where fairies wings were located anatomically. It seemed to me the correct answer would be, “Anywhere you want them. It’s your fantasy.” But, then they got into how a fairy has babies: eggs or live birth and was it like a sea horse?

They could totally suspend belief to accept little flying people, in our world, but they drew the line at where the wings went and live birth or eggs. Everyone had their own idea of what was “correct” and good, logical reasons why. I began to take the whole issue a bit more seriously.
I, for one, feel that a fairie's wings need to be between the shoulder blade to balance the body weight. Maybe I’m just a klutz, but if I was hanging by a harness and it wasn’t at shoulder blade level, I would probably be upside down most of the time.

I’m not too far into Terry Pratchett’s, Color of Magic, but I want to totally believe in a world that resides on the back of a turtle. By page one hundred and twelve, I'm not sure what the laws are, but I'm pretty sure he has them. This may be the worse example I could give, but hey it's a really fun book.

Readers will suspend their belief for your world, as long as you make your rules and stick to them; or make the world so wild they just don't care anymore. These rules do not have to be complicated, just logical.

Think of all the things we need in our world and how would your magical world handle it?

EXAMPLE:

Food: In Harry Potter’s world, J. K. Rowling does now allow food made out of thin air. Her characters are, however, allowed to take food and enlarge/multiply it. That is but one of her rules.

So, start with your world, from brushing teeth in the morning to getting into bed at night, and decide the rules you need to create to make your magical world believable and stick to them.

A discussion of Eggs or Live Birth anyone?

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Two sides to every writer; this one at least.

I am a loner and an introvert, like a lot of writer’s. This side of me is mute in social gatherings. I am working on my camouflage skills to I can fade into the wallpaper. This “social” me, has no idea what to say.

But the other side of me, almost like a split personality, is adept at speaking to large groups of people. This is the side that has taught art classes, both to college classes and in private situations of one sort or another, for twenty years.

I am not afraid to stand in a hall of one thousand people or before a group of four, or even at a reception with a glass of wine in my hand, as long as it is my subject; meaning, my art or my writing, or just the teaching of any of these.

So, the professional me is comfortable and knowledgeable and can even be funny and entertaining.

Now, if I could just get that professional me to teach the personal, introvert me how to talk in a personal setting, I can quit blending into the wall.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

What makes a 'book' person

I am not usually a person to do what is “in” but anyone remember Rod McKuen? He was a popular poet some time ago, in my youth, I was in love with his poetry and had several of his books. I read and reread that book that was my favorite until the binding was broken and in sections. It was even one of the books that I 'defaced' by writing in it.

Many, many years ago, a new 'sort of'' boyfriend borrowed it. He wanted to share. Then, sometime later, he wanted to do something nice for me and he returned it.

Only, it was not my book he returned. It was a sterile, brand new book; in one piece without any dog ears, or spiffy little notes in my handwriting. He was most proud of giving me this pristine new book; thus improving my ife. He really thought he had done me a favor. Needless to say…

I never went out with him again.

He had no understanding of what a favorite book can mean to a person.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Are there real people in your book?

I am sorry, that I have been gone so long from blogging. I have had a touch of the flu here, as well as working with my camera (it is fairly new). I need to really have it down as I am taking wedding pictures, for my niece, in two weeks. I did her mother's wedding photos, oh so long ago.

But, back to the book, I wonder how you 'see' your characters.

Are your characters based on real people?

My book is set in a fantasy world but I definitely use real people for inspiration. Sometimes it’s just a face in a magazine, sometimes an actor and occasionally, I am inspired by someone I know.

As a portrait artist and some-time doll maker, I have always collected photos of interesting faces. I search through this file for faces that say they belong to my character. Usually, already have a good solid description of their character first and use the picture to make them come alive for me. I am a visual person.

One character in my Middle Grade novel, was giving me trouble. I had a description, but for some reason I just could not “see” him. He was a wooden character; without a personality. I decided it was time to find his face.

Nothing in my file fit, nothing spoke to me. It was a voice that finally did it. And, readers of my personal blog Savanvleck’s Weblog have my permission to start laughing, but this is how it happened.

I was watching that extra disc of information that they put in the Lord of the Rings I and III, and other, movies. I was making some notes and not watching it really, just listening and I heard my character speak. I looked up to see they were interviewing Viggo Mortensen. His every day, non-acting voice, was the voice was my character. It was the first time I had heard his calming tone and my charcter came alive and said, "This is who I am." I finally found “the” face.

The really odd thing was that when I went into my character charts to see if I needed to update his description, the only thing I had to change was his eye color.

I almost always have a picture for my character, even if it is a sketch, and a lot of the personality quirks of my three protagonists fit the three boys in my house; obviously real people. Which, is not surprising as they were the inspiration for the story and, in some ways, it is their story.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Is it good enough to make me cry?

Actually, the answer to my title is, "It doesn't take much." But, good paintings move people’s emotions. I have always been fascinated with Picasso’s Guernica and it’s agony of war. Good books have the same effect. They move me to experience their world.

I wish I did not cry so easily. It can get darn embarrassing actually. I cry over books and movies, parades and flags, babies and old people. I can see a little old stooped guy with saggy pants and my eyes fill with tears. Of course, it usually reminds me of my dad. I had to turn the Cancer telethon off last night because I was bawling too hard to watch it. Which was perhaps not the effect they hoped for? But then again, I have lost seven relatives and several friends to cancer, so there is that too.

And, that is the thing with a good book or a good movie or a good painting; they are all something to touch memories we have. They should open up our hearts, even if it is to some past pain. We need to identify with the protagonist and live the experience, feeling their emotions and let our own emotions out.

I have heard people who comment that they cannot feel what other people experience and I am sorry for them. The one person I know who has stated this a few times is an avid reader. I think he must miss an awful lot of the essence of a book when he cannot feel the emotion. I know he is a bear to watch a movie with as he likes to point out all the “things” that are not possible. I so want to say, “For crying out loud, this is fantasy. It’s a movie. It’s not life, just shut up and get lost in it, or just pretend.”

I may not be enjoying the made up words so much in Terry Pratchett’s “The Color of Magic”, but I sure do enjoy his world. It has its laws too but they do not intrude on the wonderful story. He takes you off on an adventure, where chests have legs and run away, cameras have little painters in them and giant turtles “with geological slowness” and "hydrogen frost on his ponderous limbs” and “sea-sized eyes…crusted with reum and asteroid dust” live. Yes, I am wearing those lines out but I love them.

These are the items that move my emotions and memories. They help me visualize his world with things I can see, and even though I cannot see sea-sized eyes, I can see what they would look like.

Looking at Guernica, I can see the agony of a people being bombed out. Just as I can see the Star studded night sky dancing in VanGogh’s Starry Night. And, cry my eyes out when Dumbledore dies or when Harry is so bravely walking to his death. And, cry over the Ghost and Mrs. Muir, even though I have seen this movie more times than I can count.

I think of this each day as I do my final edit and go over each sentence. Is it good enough to make someone visualize this world? Is it good enough to make someone laugh, or cry? If not, is it necessary? If yes, reword it. If no, cut it.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Submitting my novel to Master's Daughter

I am one third of the way through my line edit. Since the first chapter has been edited a gazillion times, and the last two chapters are not complete, it will get slower as I go. I thought though that you might like to see my instructions to Master’s Daughter, who is doing an edit of my book. She is a teacher, mother of three (four, counting her bear of a husband), and a knitter with a busy life. I decided to send her installments so she can edit them at her leisure and not open her email and go, “OH NO!!” She did know it was coming eventually.

Dear loving and patient daughter, who is doing me an enormous favor:

I am attaching my completed chapters 1 through 7.

I am basically doing my final edit (till the very last two chapters) and have completed the attached, so rather than flooding you will all of it at once, I thought submitting it in installments might be better.

Believe me, I know you are busy and this is low on your list. So, don't panic. "Oh, no. I have to grade papers, feed children, knit, enjoy life and here's this thing." Don't worry. Just grab it when you are in the mood.

Mainly, I need checks on punctuation, grammar, tense, etc.
Second, IF YOU WANT, mark up anything else that needs help.

I want honesty. Total honesty. Because if you think it's crap, and you have read a lot of sixth grade novels, then there is a good chance editors/agents will agree. I would rather turn around and start something new and "hopefully not crap", or fix this (if there are just minor problems) than waste time on something that is going nowhere. I will not be heartbroken, perhaps bent a bit, but not broken.

One thing they say is , it is good to have editors put their first gut feeling in places that are either like "Wow, awesome scene." "Really tense" "Boring and slow" "What the hell is this about?" "Don't understand" "You are the second coming of ***" or "Go take a course in advertising copy. Maybe you can write that."

If you catch anything wrong, please mark it. Like not wrapping up plot points or "What the heck is the Plot supposed to be."

Love you.
Mom

Monday, September 1, 2008

Don't make it harder than it has to be

I am a person who tends to make things harder than they should be. I am rather easy going but hard on myself, I guess. Not hard enough in some areas. I am still not back to my Body for Life program, which I know works for me, and yet my weights sit there staring at me and making me feel guilty. But, what I am talking about today is my book and the ways I deal with things I need to do.

A while ago, I posted about a method I was using to keep track of facts. Since I am envisioning this novel as a five part series, I need to make sure I have laid a foundation in book one for things that happen in other books. That is in addition, to the plot and subplot of book one and wrapping those items up in that book.

It was not working as it was just too complicated. So, I started over and am working with three files open in Word. First, is my book. I have it all formatted now to send, as a Word document, to my Master’s daughter for her edit. She is in charge of catching those things you can read over and over, and since you know what it is supposed to say, you don’t catch the mistake it happens to have in it. That is in addition to: punctuation, tense, and just anything wrong. A big job, I’m sure, for someone who has a full time teaching job. And, she’s not even getting paid for editing either.

Second, I have a document open called outline. In this I place just one liners of the chapter I am editing/reviewing. I will need this when I send in Query letters and am asked for an outline. When Master’s daughter is doing her edit, I will be polishing this outline so it is ready to go out to agent/editor.

The third and final document I have open is titled “Follow up and List-Magic words.” In this I have items I need to remember to reuse/wrap up/etc. This is for this book and the whole series. It includes a list of Magic words used, which are very nominal actually for a fantasy. The reason for that is probably because I am not a “word” person. I do not delight in words for words sake. I love them only when they are put together and form a great story.
Knowing my propensity for charts, I will most likely go back and chart this file also so that I know what I need to put into book two, three, four and five from this book. It's all rather in my head but I really do not trust my memory.

So, while you need to do what works for you. You also need to find out what isn’t working for you and let go of it. Happy Labor Day!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

The Writer's Guide to Character Traits




One of the most valuable books on my writer’s bookshelf is The Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D. Lately, I use it so much that it’s just sitting by my writing couch. I don’t think it has been reshelved in a month now.

Yes, currently I have a writing couch. It is necessary for me to spend time with my feet up. I never thought I would write in this position and it did take time for me to get used to it but that’s life and you get used to these things.

I originally purchased this book when I was working on Mysteries. Sections such as its analysis of Psychological Disorders can keep you on track with that murderer.
Currently I am using it for the chapter titled Child and Adolescent Types. Child Development, by age, is particularly helpful for Book #1 and two books down in my series I will be using Crises of Adolescence. Not that I don’t remember enough of that time in my life to get me through. It never hurts to brush up though.

Edelstein covers Love and Marriage, Physical Disorders, Occult Practices, Career Traits, Group Influences, Communication (verbal and nonverbal) and other Character traits.

And, beside all of this, you can finally find out just what is wrong with that weird nephew of yours in the chapter on Psychological Disorders.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Help from a Stuffed Bear

I am drawing up a loose outline for each of the other books in my proposed five book series and I keep going back to the thought that something is missing from Book one. This is stalling progress, as I just cannot get my head around what is missing.

In the beginning, my family was a big part of my original idea and we did a lot of brainstorming. Okay, it was not exactly “a lot” of brainstorming. There was a week or so of that and then they lost interest, but they were always willing to answer my questions and give input, as they passed by. Teenage boys, who are now learning what it is like to have a normal life, are busy. We took these guys from their mother three years ago, due to extreme abuse and they have a lot of catching up to do.

So, lately, I have kept my book pretty close to me, but yesterday I just had to talk it out. My husband is disabled; he has been on disability for over eighteen years now and spends a lot of time sitting. He is quiet when I am writing on my book as this is an important occupation for me, but he is there, if I need him.

I had come in from watering the garden and doing some yelling (I don’t do it a lot but as things get tighter and tighter and break and can’t be fixed, it is happening more.). I was angry because we have water leaks everywhere, inside and out, and they are not getting fixed. Then, I apologize and tell him “I’m sorry; I’m just frustrated by the state of the economy.” And, he says he understands because he feels bad he is not contributing enough.

I go back to my writing and outlining, until I turn to him and began telling him my problem:

Me: “I feel like I’m missing a main point in Book one. I have this search for an Aetite.”

Husband opens mouth

I interrupt: “And then there is Phineus, (my Antagonist for book one) who gives him a tracker.”

Husband says, “Ah…..”

I interrupt again: “Oh, and I have to tell you that he has this little creature who is his guide, and becomes his friend and he gives him a gift of the tracker and ….”

Husband just stares.

I continue: “And, at the end … (no spoiler)”

There is a long pause in the conversation as I figure out that I do have what I was afraid I do not have and that is a thread throughout the story.

“See, you are contributing.” I tell him.

His reply: “You could have figured that out by talking to a stuffed bear.”