January 2011
120 posts
artfoodmusic asked: Thanks for posting about 1Q84. It's like I'm fifteen again waiting for the Harry Potter books to come out. Thanks so much for letting me know about this. Haruki Murakami has been so important to the way I write, I can't even begin to explain.
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Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 Coming 10/25 in Single... →
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“My mailbox is looking more and more like the coin tray on a slot machine.”
– Stieg Larsson, in an email dated 20 October 2004 to his brother Joakim about the fruits of his publishing deals and sales. He died 9 November 2004 before the Millennium Trilogy was published.
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“It’s cliché to say, “Theirs is a forbidden love.” Instead you...”
– Jane Lebak, from “Querying The Cliché.”
paracosmal asked: Thank you ever so much for following me!!
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MASTER Recap of 2011 Writer's Digest Conference →
This is worth the read to keep up with the publishing current. A few bits:
A hero must show glimmer of humanity or a flaw in 1st 5 pages. (Donald Maass)
Characters in a novel have agendas, they don’t just take up space. What do they want in each scene? Look for coincidences that help a character, and cut them out. There has to be a purpose for the characters to act. (James Scott Bell)
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bloodlikeink asked: Thanks so much for the follow! :)
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“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me,...”
– Chuck Close (via sandyhong & @emilycarroll)
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Whatever, Screw That Jerk, You *TOTALLY* Want To... →
In response to his other post, “No, Seriously, I’m Not F#cking Around, You Really Don’t Want To Be A Writer.”
Book WP - a WordPress theme for authors →
iainbroome:
I’m not sure why someone hasn’t done this before. It’s a free WordPress theme that allows you to upload chapters (as individual posts), and then it more or less does the rest.
Here’s a picture:
It’s really nicely done. Simple, effective and perfect for anyone who wants to publish their work in a format that anyone with an internet connection can access.
terrydassow asked: What is your first novel about and what genre?
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“Every author has a different experience that first time, but the excitement is...”
– Jason F. Wright
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Can too much caffeine kill you? →
In case you live and write at Starbucks…
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slushpilehell:
Not that I would compare myself to Hemingway, but if you read my novel, you’ll see that it’s as brilliantly simple as The Old Man and the Sea, as poetic as The Sun Also Rises, and as epic as For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Well, at least you didn’t compare yourself to Hemingway.
Who’s Hemingway?
2cajuman2 asked: haha, that is fair enough =)
I still need to finish my first novel. I got a bit lost because i don't do simple plots... *rolls eyes* That was my NaNoWriMo, didn't complete it in time, naturally! =) I'm dreading editing it, but i am also banned till I have finished. =D
My very first novel I started, now 4 or 5 years ago, I started rewriting it 3 times =(...
I still need to finish my first novel. I got a bit lost because i don't do simple plots... *rolls eyes* That was my NaNoWriMo, didn't complete it in time, naturally! =) I'm dreading editing it, but i am also banned till I have finished. =D
My very first novel I started, now 4 or 5 years ago, I started rewriting it 3 times =(...
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The Dilemma of the Prolific Writer →
I’m not so sure this is a dilemma.
Had I written this piece, I would change the title to, “Prolific Writers: Piss Off Help Me.”
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The National Book Critics Circle Finalists for... →
Fiction:
Jennifer Egan, A Visit From The Goon Squad. Knopf.
Jonathan Franzen, Freedom. Farrar, Straus And Giroux.
David Grossman, To The End Of The Land. Knopf.
Hans Keilson, Comedy In A Minor Key. Farrar, Straus And Giroux.
Paul Murray, Skippy Dies. Faber & Faber.
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“I don’t think that any political persuasion has its hold over the poetry...”
– Simon Armitage, poet and contender for the TS Eliot Prize.
2cajuman2 asked: "Remind me never to ask you for directions."
I can give directions! Erm, mostly, I have a good visuospatial skills and maps are easy! =P But I know what you mean ;)
But what is your novel? =D Do you do NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy?
I can give directions! Erm, mostly, I have a good visuospatial skills and maps are easy! =P But I know what you mean ;)
But what is your novel? =D Do you do NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy?
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2cajuman2 asked: "You? Mystery? How’s the weather over there? And can you send me some proper bacon, please?"
Oh, I enjoy mystery most, but I've written a couple of plays aimed for comedy, some Sci-fi, fantasy, strayed beyond my knowledge but made to write more in the realms of fanfic, normal fanfic, emotional upheavals. Oh and I have a small horror web series I'm trying to...
Oh, I enjoy mystery most, but I've written a couple of plays aimed for comedy, some Sci-fi, fantasy, strayed beyond my knowledge but made to write more in the realms of fanfic, normal fanfic, emotional upheavals. Oh and I have a small horror web series I'm trying to...
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2cajuman2 asked: Hey! Thanks for the follow!
What do you like writing? What style? =)
What do you like writing? What style? =)
hergracelessheart-deactivated20 asked: Hello!
Thank you ever so much for following; your blog looks really interesting, I'm looking forward to reading more posts. Good luck with your novels :)
- Chloe
Thank you ever so much for following; your blog looks really interesting, I'm looking forward to reading more posts. Good luck with your novels :)
- Chloe
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Why You Learn More Effectively by Writing Than... →
Remember how I mentioned a couple of days ago that I had purchased a fountain pen because I felt my handwriting skills were deteriorating? Well it looks like handwriting has more benefits than making sure one draws a heart over the i…
A couple of studies, though, substantiate why the physical act of writing really does boost learning and goal achievement.
“Writing triggers the RAS,...
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“When I began writing, I thought that everything should be defined by the writer....”
– Jorge Luis Borges
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2011 Tournament of Books Roster Revealed →
Literary battle-royal.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, by Aimee Bender
Nox, by Anne Carson
Bad Marie, by Marcy Dermansky
Room, by Emma Donoghue
A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan
Freedom, by Jonathan Franzen
Lord of Misrule, by Jaimy Gordon
Bloodroot, by Amy Greene
Next, by James Hynes
The Finkler Question, by Howard Jacobson
Skippy Dies, by Paul Murray
Model Home, by...
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Chicago Gets a Literary Hall of Fame →
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Bernie Sanders to Publish Filibuster as Book →
It’s been a long time, Bernie, since my days at UVM. You haven’t lost your touch. For effect, take out all the periods and make it one long sentence.
You’re welcome.
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No, Seriously, I'm Not F#cking Around, You Really... →
Take a few moments to ingest this funny rant. I think Chuck is being a hog and is quivery I might eat up some of that air he’s breathing.
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Typing A, B, C into Amazon's Search in Books...
The top immediate suggestions for each letter:
Audio Books
Bible
Charlaine Harris (ok, some vampire books are still popular)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (the very popular children’s series by Jeff Kinney)
Ebooks (a sign of the times)
Free Kindle Books (Ibid)
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter (as if there was any doubt)
ISBN number search (funny because ISBNs work in the search box)
James...
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Are These Filter Words Weakening Your Fiction? →
Let’s imagine a character in your novel is walking down a street during peak hour.
You might, for example, write:
“Sarah felt a sinking feeling as she realized she’d forgotten her purse back at the cafe across the street. She saw cars filing past, their bumpers end-to-end. She heard the impatient honk of horns and wondered how she could quickly cross the busy road before someone took off with...
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Hideous fonts may boost reading comprehension →
Ah, so that’s what’s wrong with my novel.
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optimisticmelancholy asked: Hey, thank you for the stimulus - it's difficult (!) but I'm working on it when I have the time. I'll let you know when it's finished. :)
All the best
~Vic~
All the best
~Vic~