First off, I want to thank everyone who gave me such great comments on yesterday's post, 'What do you look for in a writing group?'. I really appreciate all the input. It'll definitely help me start things off in the right direction.
In other news, I came across this excellent video a while back:
I'd forgotten all about it until I saw it again on Ripley Patton's blog (
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.7){kind=small}
rippatton) the other day.If you have a couple of minutes to spare, I think you'll find you get the same warm fuzzy feeling I got when I first watched it.
- Mood:
content
If you've some experience of writing groups, good or bad, I'd appreciate your input.
Poll #1841662 Writing groups
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 34
Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of a writing group
If 'Yes', why did you hope to gain from joining?
View Answers
| I wanted to get critique/feedback on my own writing |
   27 (35.1%) |
| workshops/presentations on writing-related subjects |
| 9 (11.7%) |
| Critique groups with other writers in my genre |
| 18 (23.4%) |
| Networking |
| 19 (24.7%) |
| Something else, which I'll explain in the comments |
| 4 (5.2%) |
If 'No', is there a particular reason why not?
View Answers
| Yes |
| 1 (25.0%) |
| No |
| 2 (50.0%) |
| Something else, which I'll explain in the comments |
| 1 (25.0%) |
When you attended your first few meetings with the group, was there something which made a big impression (good or bad)?
What would make you leave a writing group?
View Answers
| Not a good fit for me/my writing |
| 25 (19.2%) |
| Membership fees too expensive |
| 15 (11.5%) |
| Too far away |
| 16 (12.3%) |
| Uncomfortable atmosphere |
| 25 (19.2%) |
| Unfriendly atmosphere |
| 26 (20.0%) |
| Too few members |
| 7 (5.4%) |
| Too many members |
| 7 (5.4%) |
| Something else, which I'll explain in the comments |
| 9 (6.9%) |
If there's something not covered in the poll, please feel free to leave a comment anyway. I'm particularly interested in things which made a big impression on you, either in a good or bad way.
- Mood:
curious
I had a lovely time yesterday at the Orange Scholars Academy, in Orange County, NJ. I met several great writers, including Artie Bennett, author of the excellent children's book, Poopendous!
The 4th-6th graders in my first workshop, Brilliant Beginnings, chose their favorite from a selection of opening lines I gave them. Once again, the outright winner was, 'Isaac woke up in a garbage can, again.' taking the total to 22 victories out of 22. One of these days I really must write a story to go with that one.
I had a nice surprise when one lady came up to tell me she was planning on coming to my workshops at the Georgian Court University in July.
This afternoon, I'm off to Hunterdon Public Library (314 State Highway 12, Bldg. #3, Flemington, NJ 08822) for the NJAN panel/Q&A: From Thoughts to Print: Getting Published in the 21st Century, featuring: Helen Henderson (moderator); Donna Galanti; Jon Gibbs; Rachel Haimowitz; Saverio Monachino and Chris Redding. If you're anywhere near Flemington this afternoon, and you'd like to drop by, we'd love to see you.
How about you?
How's your weekend going?
- Mood:
cheerful
There are nine heats in all. The winners (or joint winners) from heats one - eight go straight through. The second place finishers battle it out in heat nine to see which title joins the others in the final round.
What's at stake?
Bragging rights for the winner? An interview and/or guest post here on An Englishman in New Jersey, as well as signed copy of my book, Fur-Face, and a couple of I are a writer! pens, as shown in the pic below.
Poll #1841241 2012 MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARD FOR BEST SHORT STORY TITLE: HEAT 6 OF 9
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 26
From the following list, please select any short story titles which you think should progress to the final round
View Answers
| REAL DRAGONS DON'T WEAR SWEATERS |
| 12 (21.1%) |
| RED STILETTOS, LIPSTICK, AND DRAGON BANE |
| 3 (5.3%) |
| REMINDERS IN SHADES OF RED AND BLUE |
| 3 (5.3%) |
| RESURRECTION OF THE UNSPOKEN WORD |
| 8 (14.0%) |
| RUINING THE RAPTURE |
| 9 (15.8%) |
| SHADOWS IN THE SILICON REALM |
| 6 (10.5%) |
| SMELLY SITUATION |
| 1 (1.8%) |
| SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ETERNITY |
| 9 (15.8%) |
| SPOTLIGHT ON MURDER |
| 2 (3.5%) |
| STALWART SILVER |
| 4 (7.0%) |
Links to the other Heats and the final:
Heat one
Heat two
Heat three
Heat four
Heat five
Heat six
Heat seven
Heat eight
Heat nine
Final Round
Voting in Heats 1 through 8 will close on Sunday, June 3rd 2012 at 6:00pm (US/Eastern). Heat nine will take place soon after.
Good luck to all who take part! Vene, vidi, puddli!
- Mood:
excited
Here’s my selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing from the last week:
Description:It's more than a visual (Kathryn Craft)
What the heck are queries good for, anyway? (Juliette Wade)
Shutting Down, In a Good Way (Cassie Alexander)
The “Brutal” 2000-Word Day (Kristine Kathryn Rusch)
Editing Clauses in Publishing Contracts (Victoria Strauss)
Expressing Thought-Reactions in Fiction (Jodie Renner)
Virtual Safeguards (Lynn Viehl)
7 Bad Habits of Successful Authors (Rachelle Gardner)
Revise/Resubmit Requests (Jane Lebak)
The Esspresso Book Machine [Not a blog post, but an interesting glimpse of the future]
by way of Bart Palamaro
Amazon's knock-off problem (Stephen Gandel)
by way of Gary Frank
If you have a particular favorite among these, please let the author know (and me too, if you have time). Also, if you've a link to a great post that isn't here, feel free to share.
If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2011, and last week’s list.
- Mood: cheerful
I did something today which I haven't done in a loooooooong time, and I'm not talking about buying a hairbrush.
Today, I bought myself a new pair of shorts for the summer.
"Really?" I hear you say. "That's your big announcement? Time to refill your 'Things to blog about' folder, Jon."
Not so fast. It isn't the buying of the shorts so much as the size. This is uncharted territory for me (or as good as). I can't remember the last time I squeezed myself into a pair of 34" trousers without the aid of a shoe horn and some serious overlap on the tummy front. Today though, I did just that, with room to spare. Boy was I pleased.
Of course, I probably should have waited till I got home to try them on (I certainly got some funny looks from the folks behind me in the checkout line at Walmart).
Yay me!
I are a slim(mer) writer!
- Mood: content
The search for the winner of this year's Meager Puddle of Limelight Award for Best Short Story Title continues with heat five.
There are nine heats in all. The winners (or joint winners) from heats one - eight go straight through. The second place finishers battle it out in heat nine to see which title joins the others in the final round.
What's at stake?
Bragging rights for the winner? An interview and/or guest post here on An Englishman in New Jersey, as well as signed copy of my book, Fur-Face, and a couple of I are a writer! pens, as shown in the pic below.
Poll #1840669 2012 MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARD FOR BEST SHORT STORY TITLE: HEAT 5 OF 9
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 27
From the following list, please select any short story titles which you think should progress to the final round
View Answers
| LETTING EACH TOMORROW SLAP US IN THE FACE |
| 9 (13.0%) |
| THE JANE AUSTIN DEATH MATCH |
| 8 (11.6%) |
| LITTLE PITCHERS, BIG EARS, AND GOOD NOSES |
| 4 (5.8%) |
| LUBARBRI |
| 2 (2.9%) |
| MIAMI SNOW |
| 3 (4.3%) |
| THE MISADVENTURES OF ABIGAIL ADDY |
| 4 (5.8%) |
| THE NECROMOUSER |
| 14 (20.3%) |
| ON ARID SEAS |
| 9 (13.0%) |
| ONE IS ONE |
| 6 (8.7%) |
| THE PROPHET OF SEVENTH AVENUE |
| 10 (14.5%) |
Links to the other Heats and the final:
Heat one
Heat two
Heat three
Heat four
Heat five
Heat six
Heat seven
Heat eight
Heat nine
Final Round
Voting in Heats 1 through 8 will close on Sunday, June 3rd 2012 at 6:00pm (US/Eastern). Heat nine will take place soon after.
Good luck to all who take part! Vene, vidi, puddli!
- Mood: excited
- Mood: content
Three chapters into the first draft of Abraham Lincoln Stole My Homework, I find myself wondering if I ought to be writing this one in first person, as opposed to third.
Provided it's done well, a good first person narrative can make for a much more intimate read, as if you're sitting down with the author, listening to him/her spin a good yarn. In this case, it would also fit better with the title, though I already have a way around that for a third person narrative.
On the negative side, first person makes it hard to show another character's pov. Slightly more offputting is the narrative voice required. Personally, I think first person works best when it's written in the same 'voice' as that of the main character, in this case, a 12-yr-old boy. Aside from the obvious vocabulary limitations I'd have to place on myself (and Lord knows my vocabulary's limited enough already), there's some science stuff involved, which might prove hard to explain without slipping into the old 'As you know, Bob' trap.
I'll have to give it some thought.
How about you?
Poll #1840233
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 46
Do you prefer your stories in first person narrative or third?
View Answers
| First is my first choice. |
| 7 (15.2%) |
| I like third person best. |
| 15 (32.6%) |
| I'm not proud, I'll take either. |
| 21 (45.7%) |
| Something else, which I'll mention in the comments |
| 3 (6.5%) |
- Mood: cheerful
To all the mums out there:
- Mood: cheerful
