tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33787094595933138712024-03-13T17:47:56.633-04:00A Word's WorthA survey of news related to writing and publishingElle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-5399234304039202092010-04-22T08:15:00.000-04:002010-04-22T08:15:02.105-04:00Moving!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a lot of thought, I've decided to change my whole blogging focus and location. My new blog, <a href="http://www.holy-terrors.blogspot.com/">Holy Terrors</a>, will address topics about genre fiction and religion.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVbAQVUXx23AxvcsHYg3A-p-eWgdm-XkCRL2KisfMuhlDrGjLMfhbTsFLhYwB0tsbWPSn9pc-IJNtx0tP8P-ImApJZ4f9pupyCmbNiAY1UiO1bxp2TVpe-MhJSPTT06PhkAULu0p54qg/s1600/header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVbAQVUXx23AxvcsHYg3A-p-eWgdm-XkCRL2KisfMuhlDrGjLMfhbTsFLhYwB0tsbWPSn9pc-IJNtx0tP8P-ImApJZ4f9pupyCmbNiAY1UiO1bxp2TVpe-MhJSPTT06PhkAULu0p54qg/s320/header.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hope you all will consider paying me a visit!</span></span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-10376128708476337472010-04-09T19:47:00.000-04:002010-04-09T19:47:49.800-04:00Book Review B-I-N-G-O!<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Have you had your fill of cliched book reviews? Then give this a try...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The brain child of Book Examiner, Michelle Kerns, Book Review Bingo is an game every bibliophile ought to try. Here's how to play:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Begin with the top <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-562-Book-Examiner%7Ey2009m3d11-The-top-20-most-annoying-book-reviewer-phrases-and-how-to-use-them-all-in-one-meaningless-review">20 most annoying book review cliches </a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Print off the Bingo cards (below)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Mark off a square every time you run across one in book review</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So why is Kerns promoting this new game? She sees it as kind of a wake-up call. "...unless book reviewers quit with the knee-jerk reviewerspeak, we will lose the hearts and minds of everyone who is even remotely partial to the Great Literary Discussion"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enjoy! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfnVJGlrD0IXRnWgC3_fnQjXSDNMkE1InLWjy5ALlzih_EzjgQv8Q8nX94fcNZxb0GIUoI8WckR8dBdeX-WAIlghFsj5iPceBGRFzQyNgPY3W3aYZU_HKd3LfwGUilyrC8T4BAGqpM7A/s1600/2V06HUKS27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfnVJGlrD0IXRnWgC3_fnQjXSDNMkE1InLWjy5ALlzih_EzjgQv8Q8nX94fcNZxb0GIUoI8WckR8dBdeX-WAIlghFsj5iPceBGRFzQyNgPY3W3aYZU_HKd3LfwGUilyrC8T4BAGqpM7A/s320/2V06HUKS27.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZw_wMfr92Uljmh_MIsZcmr_TV_zlnTIx7Lacg67BuIxNbKr3nNSxC7eOsHoUDmxt-fCeI8wjSymJHql1EUF6FjgVjOhtFjkECdxZyIW8PO70G-kjoj0232VVtIQIrHsNUM99MC1nBS4/s1600/3CJOY6XE1A(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZw_wMfr92Uljmh_MIsZcmr_TV_zlnTIx7Lacg67BuIxNbKr3nNSxC7eOsHoUDmxt-fCeI8wjSymJHql1EUF6FjgVjOhtFjkECdxZyIW8PO70G-kjoj0232VVtIQIrHsNUM99MC1nBS4/s320/3CJOY6XE1A(1).jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVkhKUZH3ZmtqHBAFNte5NeremJdkKRpLJfG5r-6eir6_Dyj5PA2muoGBlJg7iqNGv0KLvImGfXJ3RiFsCmOdCLo0gtrLAIK0ABfHhl4MxV4nLVRTNQXt2VTd1XvL_S_-NSCjVJ4LEXg/s1600/AQP0ORGY0N(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVkhKUZH3ZmtqHBAFNte5NeremJdkKRpLJfG5r-6eir6_Dyj5PA2muoGBlJg7iqNGv0KLvImGfXJ3RiFsCmOdCLo0gtrLAIK0ABfHhl4MxV4nLVRTNQXt2VTd1XvL_S_-NSCjVJ4LEXg/s320/AQP0ORGY0N(1).jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-18918463480187201932010-04-07T09:47:00.001-04:002010-04-10T11:09:26.133-04:00WonderCon, The National Enquirer and Jonestown<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>It's a Wonder</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Comic book enthusiasts who flock to <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/">Comic-Con </a>International in San Diego might want to consider going north to <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/wc/">WonderCon </a>in San Francisco. Last year's attendance at Wondercon topped out at 34,000, and this year is expected to met or exceed that number. Many attendees appreciate the smaller convention and think that the San Fran convention hasn't been overrun by Hollywood. (<a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/455588-WonderCon_Takes_Center_Stage.php?rssid=20796">Publisher's Weekly</a>).<b> </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Truth is Stranger than the National Enquirer</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a story so outlandish that even the <a href="http://www.nationalenquirer.com/">National Enquirer</a> might not have printed it, the grocery store tabloid was nominated for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize earlier this year for uncovering the John Edwards sex scandal. But, according to <a href="http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004080771">an article by Shelley Ross</a>, a one-time editor for the paper, this isn't the first time the tabloid has had a shot at the coveted prize. Back in 1978, a reporter came to the paper eager to write a story on, "</span><span class="text" style="font-size: small;">a cult of Americans in Central America, many brainwashed, being put through mass suicide drills." Yes, it was <a href="http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/%7Ereli291/Jonestown/Jonestown.html">Jonestown</a>. And, no, the Enquirer didn't carry the story.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-66263439100458047632010-04-06T08:25:00.000-04:002010-04-06T08:25:43.601-04:00Welch, Salinger in the Limelight<span style="font-size: small;"></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Raquel Welch Tells It Like It Was</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1721101422"></span>Rebecca Dana, blogging for the Daily Beast,<span id="goog_1721101423"></span></a> reports that at age 69, former sex symbol <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raquel_Welch">Raquel Welch</a> is telling her story in her new autobiography <i>Beyond the Clevage. </i>Among other things, the actress's book uncovers is Ms. Welch's feelings against feminism. Says Welch, "We are not like men. We don't want to be like men, not really."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>J.D. Salinger Okay by FBI</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although many famous writers of the 20th century including Hemingway and Alan Gingsberg attracted the attention of the FBI, <i>Catcher and the Rye</i> author, <a href="http://salinger/">J. D. Salinger</a> did not. Though that may not be the final word on the matter since the request to cross-reference is still pending. (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/05/jd-salinger-didnt-have-an_n_525544.html">The Huffington Post</a>)</span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /></div><div id="refHTML" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-70413391038491566562010-04-05T11:15:00.001-04:002010-04-05T11:16:31.805-04:00Vook, The Girl, and Preppies Run Amok<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a new look and format for my blog. I hope that all of you find the publishing news interesting and informative!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">* * * *</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHRCJo_Bkia-zUPK_NcwZZRjUWzn2NrcbqjvRiRWY8K5Hza0ycx1b-CyB0LEhIAEH-is9p6e_9oUcTHle8fgN8blGzLL4w2jQK-dUE-jfJpU4L1uAdADPXLbSQXWDwdtuR4h6zExVJrc/s1600/04preppy_CA2-articleInline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHRCJo_Bkia-zUPK_NcwZZRjUWzn2NrcbqjvRiRWY8K5Hza0ycx1b-CyB0LEhIAEH-is9p6e_9oUcTHle8fgN8blGzLL4w2jQK-dUE-jfJpU4L1uAdADPXLbSQXWDwdtuR4h6zExVJrc/s320/04preppy_CA2-articleInline.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Watch Out for New-style e-readers</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">First there was Kindle, then Nook, now meet <a href="http://vook.com/vook.php">Vook</a>. According to <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/455157-Vook_Releases_19_Titles_for_iPad.php?rssid=20796">Publisher's Weekly</a>, book publisher Vook is releasing a unique line of media (Think Video + Book = Vook). According to the publisher, their new blend of words and video is a perfect match for Apple's new toy - the iPad.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">* * * *</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Waiting for The Girl? Well, keep waiting</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125499739&ft=1&f=1008">National Public Radio</a> reports that fans the final book in <a href="http://www.stieglarsson.com/The-Girl-Who-Played-with-Fire">Stieg Larsson's Millennium popular trilogy </a>(The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Girl who Played with Fire) may have to wait a little longer to read The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Even buying the book online may be problematic because any US sales violates the publishing agreement, says The Girl series publisher, Knopf.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">* * * *</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gag Me with a Spoon...Again</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Remember that old classic from the 1980's - The Official Preppy Handbook? Well, it's about to get a face lift. <b> </b> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/books/04preppy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss">The New York Times reports</a> that True Prep is hoping to gain a whole new audience of preppy aficionados. While some things remain the same, True Prep is going multi-cultural by adding a section on African-American preppies and adding information on what technology defines a prep.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-74362969959665931242010-03-30T20:15:00.003-04:002010-03-30T20:16:56.909-04:00Review - "How to Train Your Dragon"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9WNhmM3EP5PHwuFTx-cLMQE-0c2bwVXPUQ-NBH5xsG0GOzORUupq4RpaHEyBkSbJzyjsTHuup4PxvvxeBFWrTRYBhzHfxEYMkEH8I5SuER8_QVLX-1ZRfzRcfIFjv9MFlJWVh3nPMwY/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-03-30+at+3.39.16+PM.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9WNhmM3EP5PHwuFTx-cLMQE-0c2bwVXPUQ-NBH5xsG0GOzORUupq4RpaHEyBkSbJzyjsTHuup4PxvvxeBFWrTRYBhzHfxEYMkEH8I5SuER8_QVLX-1ZRfzRcfIFjv9MFlJWVh3nPMwY/s320/Screen+shot+2010-03-30+at+3.39.16+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454585180815734562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Once again, my good friend the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://filmnut.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-train-your-dragon.html">FilmNut </a><span style="font-family:arial;">let me blog on his site. Today's review is How to Train Your Dragon.</span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-17798885470555658472010-03-25T21:18:00.001-04:002010-03-25T21:18:46.456-04:00Under the Dome<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6320534-under-the-dome" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Under the Dome" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1268982908m/6320534.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6320534-under-the-dome">Under the Dome</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3389.Stephen_King">Stephen King</a><br/><br/><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/90242042">4 of 5 stars</a><br />One fine day in early October, the little New England town of Chester's Mill is suddenly encapsulated in a mysterious dome. For the next fives days, the residents struggle to survive an ever-deteriorating environment as the outside world looks helplessly on.<br /><br />For the past several years, Stephen King has been offering his readers tepid versions of his earlier, far more frightening stories. The plots have been full of holes, the scares have been weak, and the books have been, well, boring.<br /><br />But no more.<br /><br />At 1,1000 pages, 'The Dome' can be an arduous read (the cast of characters tops out at about thirty), but it is well worth the trouble. Classic King, this novel is full of those wonderfully, horrible moments that will give nearly any reader nightmares. Or at least the heebie-jeebies.<br /><br />Additionally, the book is a marvelous allegory of our time. It reflects the reality of our blame-happy society, letting us know that we all play a part in our demise.<br /><br />Read this book!<br /><br />If you dare.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3178331-michelle">View all my reviews >></a>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-11466230364183515732010-03-20T18:09:00.002-04:002010-03-20T18:10:55.161-04:00Jealousy<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23386031@N00/2132940361/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2348/2132940361_001f28746e_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23386031@N00/2132940361/">Envy</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/23386031@N00/">Moochin Photoman</a></span></div>A number of years ago, before I'd published any of my work, I formed an Internet 'friendship' with another speculative fiction writer. Not only was she a wonderful author, she was a terrific editor who gave me many insights and useful suggestions. A few months after we'd begun exchanging e-mails, my friend sold her first short story to <a href="http://www.mzbworks.com/">Marion Zimmer Bradley's</a> Fantasy Magazine.<br /><br />I was devastated.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. I was very happy for my friend. Her story was , and she deserved to have it sell. But, like I said, at that time, I had not yet published anything. And it wasn't for a lack of trying. So seeing her story printed in one of the best fantasy magazines of its time was a terrible blow to my ego.<br /><br />Because publishing is such a competitive field, professional jealousy is an occupational hazard. Sometimes it's due to frustration; having other people succeed where we've failed is irritating! At other times, the cause might be what we perceive as limited resources. That is, we tell ourselves that because our friend has published a story (gotten an agent, won an award), there is now one less slice of the pie for us. Or it just may be that when we look at another's success, we see ourselves as failures.<br /><br />Jealousy terrible thing. It can not only break apart our friendships, it can also destroy us as well. If you are faced with a situation in which you are envying another person's success, take a few minutes and ask yourself:<br /><br />- Is my friendship more important that my feelings of jealousy?<br />- Is my jealousy blinding me to my own successes?<br />- How would I want my friend to treat me if I were successful?<br />- How much success is enough? Will I ever be satisfied with my accomplishments?<br /><br />Best selling author, Jennifer Cruise, has a self-test about professional jealousy along with a few great suggestions on how to beat it.<br /><br />In the case of my friend and me, things didn't turn out the way I expected. Not long after my friend sold her story, I sold one as well. And then I sold another. And another. But my friend, who had been dealing a lot of stress in her family and personal life, stopped writing. After a while, she dropped out of the writing scene altogether.<br /><br />And that's a shame because she really was a terrific writer.Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-60945228095255016212010-02-25T15:45:00.002-05:002010-02-25T15:48:30.995-05:00Instructions<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/industreal/119260336/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/44/119260336_804397d98f_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/industreal/119260336/">Instruction for Use by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Industreal</span></a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/industreal/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">industreal</span></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">How good are you at following instructions?</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Before beginning this quiz, find a piece of paper, a pencil, and a yellow marker. Then read all of the instructions.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />- Write your name in the upper, right-hand corner of the paper</span><span style="font-family: arial;">.<br />- In the middle of the page, draw a horizontal line</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- Draw a shorter, vertical line that intersects the horizontal line (you should have a cross or 'T' shape now)</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- In the upper, left-hand quadrant, draw a square</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- Draw a circle inside of the square</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- Color the circle yellow</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- In the upper, right-hand quadrant, write the name of your best friend</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- Circle the name of your best friend</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- In the lower, left-hand quadrant, draw a smiley face</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- In the lower right-hand quadrant make a check mark</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />- Do not write anything on your paper, and next time read and follow all of the instructions before beginning!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />It's a silly quiz, I know! But the point is that reading and following directions is an important skill.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />When it comes to sending out queries, reading the instructions is crucial. It's no fun for us writers! But, as literary agent <a href="http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/02/reasons-for-submission-guidelines.html">Rachel Gardner</a> points out in her blog, there are reasons for these guidelines. Queries that don't follow the guidelines often end up in the trash.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Writers who can read and follow directions will put themselves way ahead of those who don't! </span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-4693134554988242922010-02-21T19:26:00.008-05:002010-02-21T20:54:24.064-05:00Creative Byline<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSctprdusIzwmfIcim-Envr05K778LaCztfP2jmLg312hJq7b7nfQFC0xzbok_ikFsAjMY_5LtM8Lg67WfFOrTSkUNj1FRAhWw1Zy3o6YI5UR4v6XNvxVwWBBiR-cja4T3THWgwZFtiVk/s1600-h/cb_logo.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 95px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSctprdusIzwmfIcim-Envr05K778LaCztfP2jmLg312hJq7b7nfQFC0xzbok_ikFsAjMY_5LtM8Lg67WfFOrTSkUNj1FRAhWw1Zy3o6YI5UR4v6XNvxVwWBBiR-cja4T3THWgwZFtiVk/s320/cb_logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440879788654586130" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Like any author eager to get her work published, I'm always open to exploring new avenues that might give me more exposure.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The other day, I was introduced to a new one of those new avenues. It's a website called </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.creativebyline.com/">Creative Byline</a><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">According to the website, Creative Byline purports to, "[provide] online submission management services for publisher and writing contests." That is, they work like a writing version of Match.com - hooking up writers like me with editors who will love my manuscripts.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">H-m-m...color me skeptical.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">But, what the hay, Like I said, I'm always up for a new way to knock on those publishers' doors. So I thought I'd give Creative Byline a try.<br /><br />The nice thing about Creative Byline is that it does offer some of its services for free. You can, for example, create a profile of yourself (one that highlights your published work, if you have any) and then submit up to ten projects for editors to look at.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">So far, I've uploaded two. It is a lot of work (not because the website is difficult, but because writing a query and an outline and a synopsis is always a real pain in the fanny), but since I'd be doing this very same work anyway if I were querying the old-fashioned way, it really is no extra effort.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Now that I've uploaded my professional information and my two projects, all I need to do is sit back and wait for a flood e-mails from editors eager to see my work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yeah, right. Again, color me skeptical.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-family:arial;">In addition to Creative Byline's few free services, it also offers some paid ones as well. If you are willing to shell out roughly $100 a year, you can contact editors instead of waiting for them to find you. Also, C.B. offers some kind of service in which they provide feedback to authors about their writing.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I'm not paying the extra money for those services, but because I will be attending the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.calvin.edu/">Calvin College</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> 2010 </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.calvin.edu/academic/engl/festival/conference/">Festival of Faith and Writing</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> this spring, I was given a special promotional deal with Creative Byline which allows me to link directly to editors and publishers who will be at this same conference. I'm curious to see if I'll get any interest.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When it comes to publishing, I don't believe in shortcuts. Nor do I think there's a quick or easy way method to get a contract with a six-figure advance (if there was, I would have found it by now!) So I admit that I am very skeptical that paying Create Byline a hundred dollars will do anything but make me 100$ poorer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">But on the other hand, I'm practical. Not to mention a little desperate. And since some of the services offered by Creative Byline are free, then I'm willing to at least give it a try.<br /><br />I don't expect to have an in-box overflowing with offers. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Just in case.</span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-82648477754384787332010-02-13T18:44:00.003-05:002010-02-13T18:54:24.386-05:00Michigan Author<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Usually, I feel like a poser. That is, I feel like a person who is </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">pretending</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> to be a writer. Yes, I have an office and a laptop. On my shelves is a copy of my novel and magazines that have printed my stories.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">But, in my heart, I don't feel like a writer. Probably this is because there are so many things I </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">don't</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> have: an agent, a New York city publisher, a monthly royalty check that covers my bills.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Yet sometimes, I brush up against the feeling that, yes, I guess I am a writer. Today is one of those days. I'm now listed on the <a href="http://www.hal.state.mi.us/authors/PublicSearch.aspx">State of Michigan's official 'Authors and Illustrators' web page</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I may not have enormous royalty checks, but - by golly - I am government approved.</span><br /></span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-82918253408735666202010-02-08T20:28:00.002-05:002010-02-08T20:29:14.309-05:00The Versatile Semicolon<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrasteia9/69830603/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/18/69830603_3eddffb100_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrasteia9/69830603/">edamame</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/adrasteia9/">Adrasteia9</a></span></div>Recently, I took one of those silly FaceBook quizzes entitled, "What Punctuation Mark Are You?" I, apparently, am a semicolon.<br /><br />I actually took that as a compliment because semicolons are wonderful, versatile little things. Kind of like shelled edamame (which are my current favorite veggies). But, like shelled edamame, if you aren't accustomed to using them, they can seem strange. Sure, we writers are used to periods and exclamation points. But semicolons? How do you use these strange, little things?<br /><br />A semicolon works much like a period does. That is, it separates two independent clauses. So, for example, below are two independent clauses (clauses that contain a subject and a verb and can stand on their own):<br /><br />- yesterday, my dog stole my lunch<br />- today, the cat did the same thing<br /><br />If you wanted to put these two independent clauses into a single sentence, you could simply add a conjunction:<br /><br />- Yesterday, my dog stole my lunch, and today the cat did the same thing.<br /><br />However, you could also use a semicolon.<br /><br />- Yesterday, my dog stole my lunch; today, the cat did the same thing.<br /><br />I like semicolons because I think of them as kind of a setup for a punchline. It's as if they are saying, "Here's a sentence...but wait! There's something more." Semicolons just seem to add that extra bit of (very) dry humor to the sentence:<br /><br />- My kids ate birthday cake for dinner; I nibbled lettuce.<br />- He couldn't figure out why he'd gotten a speeding ticket; he'd only been going 100 mph.<br />- Susan didn't mean to hit the neighbor with the rotten tomato; she was aiming for her ex-husband.<br /><br />One thing to remember: a semicolon links two clauses that somehow relate to each other or build on the same message. Therefore, this is okay:<br /><br />- The student didn't want to do his homework; he was too tired.<br /><br />But this sentence is not:<br /><br />- The student didn't want to do his homework; the woman went to the grocery store and bought soap.<br /><br />Semicolons are cool! If you don't believe me, check out The Oatmeal.Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-68307951283868302372010-01-29T09:27:00.005-05:002010-02-02T16:13:35.181-05:00An Open Letter to J. K. Rowling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu65J0eAzvjuFFQBGXmrq1cnJU0spXLpAHUCx_VjCqJxAP8vH8ilkejEtozGnSEPd5vbrnWqsFMujpW9Zb_AmoyWBPaTJfjyUdbe5aXgMXKXFVMahw85NJ0GOFUQnSfKUHtD6McTVk0I/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu65J0eAzvjuFFQBGXmrq1cnJU0spXLpAHUCx_VjCqJxAP8vH8ilkejEtozGnSEPd5vbrnWqsFMujpW9Zb_AmoyWBPaTJfjyUdbe5aXgMXKXFVMahw85NJ0GOFUQnSfKUHtD6McTVk0I/s320/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433757289939786386" border="0" /></a><br />Dear Ms. Rowling,<br /><br />As a child, I devoured books eagerly. Every plot line seemed fresh and exciting. I bonded with every character. By the time I reached my forties, however, I'd become jaded. It seemed that I would never recapture that sense of wonder. But then you came along and opened a door to a whole new world. And while I appreciate everything about Harry Potter and Hogwarts, there is one character in particular whom I love.<br /><br />Ms. Rowling, thank-you for Molly Weasley.<br /><br />I'm the kind of person who still, even in my mid-forties, needs a good role model. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of middle-aged female characters to look up to. I'm definitely not Desperate Housewife material. Nor - God help me - a housewife like the ones in Orange County. No, I'm a suburban mom who wears her sweats to the grocery store and who drive a minivan. I knit. I garden. I do many uncool things. I hate to shop and don't particularly like to get my hair done. I don't wear make-up.<br /><br />That's why I love Molly. She's a mom. A real mom. Someone you could invite over for coffee without having to clean the house first. Someone who you would trust to give you advice on how to cure a cough. Someone who understands that kids will be kids. Someone who doesn't care about hair and makeup and moving into a better neighborhood.<br /><br />Molly loves her brood, but she's no pushover. If ever there was a mom who doled out tough love, it's she. Yet, she's forgiving as well. Who but a loving mother would be willing to welcome back a son like Percy who had so terribly betrayed her?<br /><br />When my own daughter brought home a friend who looked like she could use a hot meal and a hug, I thought of Molly and how she willingly accepted Harry as one of her own. It gave me the push I needed to let my daughter's friend 'live' at our house for the next eight years and make her part of our family.<br /><br />Molly is brave. She fights for a cause she believes in, even though it's risky. And she defends her children with the savage ferocity of a mother Kodiak bear. I and all my friends cheered aloud when she put herself between Ginny and Bella LeStrange.<br /><br />Yes, Molly is my role model, my hero and my favorite literary character of all time.<br /><br />So, thanks.<br /><br />An Avid FanElle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-74223207959525183442010-01-27T08:04:00.002-05:002010-01-27T08:06:48.853-05:00The Lovely Bones<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uENFTudKrYC64hNblm175FcvlISS2BE9aO0yyU8Ios_25b8oOnxiLf8WsuVX6Nglfav_pqVcH0GgJXsUDFMCCW212Ze6oUAL3s1Doc2acFtUeV0jt3Vfgnm9G3xCNtvUe3K2wLFHdAs/s1600-h/Screen+shot+2010-01-26+at+10.37.23+AM.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uENFTudKrYC64hNblm175FcvlISS2BE9aO0yyU8Ios_25b8oOnxiLf8WsuVX6Nglfav_pqVcH0GgJXsUDFMCCW212Ze6oUAL3s1Doc2acFtUeV0jt3Vfgnm9G3xCNtvUe3K2wLFHdAs/s320/Screen+shot+2010-01-26+at+10.37.23+AM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431405267085726306" border="0" /></a><br />Once again, my friend the Film Nut has let me post on his blog. This time, I've reviewed <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://filmnut.blogspot.com/2010/01/lovely-bones-reviewed-by-michelle.html">The Lovely Bones</a>.</span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-83750584615701870832010-01-25T08:39:00.002-05:002010-01-25T08:43:03.159-05:00My New Spot on the WebI <span style="font-weight: bold;">finally </span>got <a href="http://www.mscottfiction.com/">my website</a> up and running. I feel so <span style="font-style: italic;">writerly</span>. Sometimes, even if the writing is going poorly and the mailbox is stuff with rejections, little victories like getting the website up and running make me feel oh-so-much better!<br /><br />My next hurdle is to create a simple-yet-elegant stationary template. I don't send snail mail queries very often any more, but the next time I do, I'd like to have some nice looking stationary.Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-89544224141876454412010-01-20T09:08:00.003-05:002010-01-20T09:15:58.578-05:00Some Favorite Movies about Writers<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreiz/361172490/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/361172490_86290fb726_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreiz/361172490/">Movie night</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/andreiz/">Andrei Z</a></span></div>Lest people get the wrong idea from my post, <a href="http://writingfornewbies.blogspot.com/2010/01/mythical-writer.html">The Mythical Writer</a>, I do like some movies about writers. In fact, I thought I'd list a few of my favorites.<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/">Sideways</a>. One thing I love to do is laugh at myself, and the character Miles Raymond is the perfect foil. A frustrated, middle-aged writer, Miles takes a road trip with his quasi-famous TV star friend, Jack, and along the way, tries to come to terms with his own lack of success. I'm convinced this is the ultimate writer movie because there is so much humor that only writers will get. For example, when Miles tries to explain his novel to the girl he's falling in love with, he says, "[The plot] shifts around a lot. Like you also start to see everything from the point of view of the father. And some other stuff happens, some parallel narrative, and then it evolves - or devolves - into a kind of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Robbe</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Grillet</span> mystery - with no real resolution." Gotta love that.<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101410/">Barton Fink</a>. You take one neurotic writer, stick him in a ghastly hotel with an insane serial killer, add an insincere Hollywood movie producer and you get... well, a majorly creepy, sometimes funny, ultimately bizarre movie by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Coen</span> brothers (writers and directors of such films as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/">No Country for Old Men</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/">Fargo</a>.)<br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/">The Shining</a>. Okay, I had to go there. 'Scary' and 'creepy' don't even begin to describe what this movie is like. Watching Jack Torrance (played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000197/">Jack Nicholson</a>) is like staring deep into a nightmare and not being sure if you'll ever get out of it alive. Stephen King claims that he never liked the movie, but it remains one of my very favorites.<br /><br />4. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420223/fullcredits#cast">Stranger than Fiction</a>. True, the main character Karen Eiffel represents every myth I hate about writers (she's a depressed alcoholic who is pampered by her publisher), but I love this movie all the same. The genius of this movie, in my opinion, is that it looks at fiction from the character's point of view. It's a wonderful film, full of fun and whimsy and has a lot to say about writing and the writer's relationship to her characters.<br /><br />5. <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0138097/">Shakespeare in Love</a>. What would have happened if William Shakespeare had written 'Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter' instead of his more famous love story? I'm not a huge fan of romantic movies, but I fell in love with this one. Not only is the story fun, but the Elizabethan costumes and dialogue are wonderful as well.<br /><br />Here are some more movies that offer a unique perspective on the writer's life:<br />- <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102511/">Naked Lunch</a><br />- <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383028/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Synecdoche</span></span></a><br />- <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268126/">Adaptation</a><br />- <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0120669/">Fear and Loathing in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Las</span></span> Vegas</a><br /><br />Have any favorites to add? I'd love to know!Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-89065432657895062462010-01-14T07:47:00.005-05:002010-01-14T08:37:15.137-05:00A Writer's Earnings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJGih9_WW1sMHjcC2fCTIZpJgDsZlvsS1d0R_hogmW-6OIx5x_23f1qjcQkrXpLAsB7FEJ4FpSsEFBwFb63tB91MMUVt4cBipJ4xfI6IRrJOEAjZn-68gNqpSEY7x4YaWlnEQ5eTV7gA/s1600-h/snoopy-typewriter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJGih9_WW1sMHjcC2fCTIZpJgDsZlvsS1d0R_hogmW-6OIx5x_23f1qjcQkrXpLAsB7FEJ4FpSsEFBwFb63tB91MMUVt4cBipJ4xfI6IRrJOEAjZn-68gNqpSEY7x4YaWlnEQ5eTV7gA/s320/snoopy-typewriter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426588745804228162" border="0" /></a><br />Posted on the bulletin board above my desk is my favorite Peanuts cartoon. I keep it there to make me smile whenever I get a letter of rejection. In the cartoon, Snoopy is on top of his doghouse typing a letter to the publishing house that has just rejected his novel. Snoopy writes: "Dear Sirs: Regarding your recent rejection. What I really wanted is for you to publish my story and send me fifty-thousand dollars. Didn't you realize that?"<br /><br />Ah, yes.<br /><br />Besides the obvious topic of rejection, this cartoon illustrates another myth regarding writing: money. I'm always amazed by the amount of misinformation on how much writers earn. For some reason, people seem to think that writers who don't make at least a six-figure income are doing something wrong.<br /><br />Recently, I've come across a few authors who have graciously made the information about their earnings public. <a href="http://jimhines.livejournal.com/484130.html">Jim Hines</a>, a fantasy author with DAW, earned about $28,000 last year. YA author <a href="http://kimberlypauley.com/2009/04/20/so-how-much-money-do-writers-make-anyway/">Kimberly Pauley</a> reports about the same. Although this is not a bad chunk of change, it certainly is not enough to live on. Self-publishing authors, of course, make much less. SmashWords author <a href="http://vjchambers.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html">V. J. Chambers</a> reported that her yearly sales were a dismal $180.00.<br /><br />Even a NYT best selling author has spoken out. <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight Falls </span>author, <a href="http://www.genreality.net/the-reality-of-a-times-bestseller">Lynn Viehl</a>, blogged last April about how much she made on her book. Even I was shocked to hear that she netted only $26,000 from her first royalty statement.<br /><br />So what about yours truly? I've not published with a major house (yet), nor do I self publish. My publisher, Mundania LLC, offers the same percentages as a large house, but - of course - the volume of sales is much less. Right now, I have only one book with them (thought I've signed contracts for two more.) While I'm not entirely comfortable giving the exact dollar figure for my earnings, I can safely say that it falls between the self-publishing Chambers and the DAW author, Jim Hines.<br /><br />But, as I so often remind myself, I am in this business for love, not money. And I'll happily celebrate every victory - no matter how small.Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-14533159917773215302010-01-07T08:55:00.006-05:002010-01-07T21:00:33.479-05:00The Mythical WriterRecently, I watched a few episodes of the Showtime television series, <a href="http://www.sho.com/site/californication/home.do">Californication</a>. If you've never heard of it, the show revolves around the life of Hank Moody, a writer, philanderer and all-around basket case.<br /><br />I'll say flat out that I wasn't impressed (and I apologize to anyone who may enjoy the series - taste is so subjective, isn't it?) But it wasn't the strong language that turned me off. Or the depiction of drug use. Or even the nudie scenes. No, my beef with the show was that Hank Moody was such a stereotypical writer.<br /><br />For some reason, there seems to be a kind of mystique surrounding the persona of <span style="font-style: italic;">writer</span>..the brooding, lonely, morbidly-self obsessed lout who keeps himself locked away from humanity and longs so desperately for just the right soul mate to understand his angst....<br /><br />P'shaw!<br /><br />Writers aren't a special breed. Certainly no more special than anyone else. We're just regular people. And just like any other group (clergy, pre-teen girls, lawyers, people who live in Ohio), writers are made up of people many different backgrounds, lifestyles, and personality types.<br /><br />Just so that everyone knows what I'm talking about, I've listed a few of the typical writer stereotypes here:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) All writers are hostile, arrogant, ego-centric people.</span><br /> Sure, there are some writers who think they are God's gift to humanity, but the vast majority are very nice people. Writers love their families and friends and enjoy getting out. Some are religious; many do charity work. Writers drive their kids to soccer practice and go to coffee with their friends where they listen patiently to stories about financial worries or love interests or whatever. Generally, writers don't throw tantrums in public or go around alienating every one who crosses their paths.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) All writers are drug (alcohol, sex, whatever) addicts.</span><br /> The lives of writers like <a href="http://www.poemuseum.org/">Egdar Allen Poe</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Taylor_Coleridge#Later_life.2C_and_increasing_drug_use">Samuel Taylor Coleridge</a> and <a href="http://www.gonzo.org/">Hunter S. Thompson</a> stand out because, let's face it, bad behavior is always more interesting than good behavior. But not every writer is a drug addict. One prime example would be <a href="http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/">Stephanie Meyer</a> (author of the Twilight Series) who is a Mormon. As far as I understand Mormonism, this means Ms. Meyer would not so much as drink a cup of caffeinated coffee. Yes, many writers have struggled with addiction, but it is certainly not a prerequisite.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) All writers are best friends with their agents/editors/publishers.</span><br /> No.<br /> In case that wasn't clear, let me say that again: <span style="font-weight: bold;">NO</span>!<br /> When it comes to agents/editors/publishers, writers are not friends; they're clients. And as such, the writer and her agent/editor/publisher have a business relationship.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) All writers have terrible family lives.</span><br /> Personally, if it weren't for my terrific family, I'd never have the courage and determination to keep writing. My family is my own little cheering squad, and I can't thank them enough for their support. Sure, writers have painful childhoods or horrible ex-husbands or friends who betray them. But so does everyone else. The only difference is that writers use that material to fuel their writing.<br /><br />I understand that a hard-drinking, womanizing, misanthrope like Hank Moody might make for a much more interesting character to watch on television than say, someone like me (boring suburban soccer mom). However, I just want to set the record straight...<br /><br />...not all writers are alike.Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-82763116262744807032010-01-05T20:26:00.002-05:002010-01-05T20:28:27.306-05:00New Year; New Resolutions<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hlk/152729685/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/61/152729685_ea3dd907b3_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hlk/152729685/">Champagne</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/hlk/">fuzuoko</a></span></div>Now that the new year has arrived, I find that I must do something about the resolutions I made on December 31 (after a few too many glasses of champagne, I might add.) One of those resolutions - maybe the hardest one - was do something with this blog.<br /><br />Something...<span style="font-style: italic;">anything</span>!!<br /><br />Looking back, I see that I made a huge mistake when tackling the blog thing. That is, the name. The very sight of it makes me cringe: <span style="font-style: italic;">Writing Advice for the Absolute Newbie</span>... What was I thinking? After all, I'm the newbie!<br /><br />Because of the obnoxious title, I beat my head against the wall every time I want to create a post. I feel a great deal of pressure to give all of this wonderful advice when, the truth is, I don't have a clue about what it takes to be a highly successful writer. After all, if I did, I'd be on the NYT best seller list.<br /><br />But beyond all of that, I do enjoy blogging. Mostly because I like writing in any form. But there's also the added bonus of seeing that I have 'followers' (which is a strange word to use since it makes me feel like a cult leader or something.) I also love the comments people leave (the nice ones anyhow). And I <span style="font-weight: bold;">love </span>reading your blogs as well!<br /><br />So the blog - despite it's wickedly pretentious name - continues on. More than likely without much advice.<br /><br />Unless I drink too much champagne, that is.Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-30189754072660365922009-10-02T11:14:00.003-04:002009-10-02T11:15:57.186-04:00Even More Shameless Self Promotion<span style="font-family: arial;">Here's yet another review for my novel, <a href="http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=The+Dragons+of+Hazlett">The Dragons of Hazlett</a>. This one comes in from <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/dragons-of-hazlett-by-michelle-scott.html">Long and Short Romance Reviews</a>. Four and a half books out of five. Not bad!</span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-21830390387054756082009-09-28T19:54:00.003-04:002009-09-28T19:57:12.548-04:00A Writer's Primer<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/so_martinha/3103878387/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3110/3103878387_fc50218e36_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/so_martinha/3103878387/">Sinking in words ...</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/so_martinha/">so_martinha</a></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;">It occurred to me the other day that some of the slang that writers use isn't always easily understandable to the uninitiated. Therefore, here are a few simple terms and phrases to help you navigate writers' websites, chat rooms, and other sites:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beta reader</span> (or <span style="font-weight: bold;">betas</span>) - (n) readers who give critiques and advice on a writer's work in progress. This step usually takes place when the book has been completely finished, but before it is sent off to a publisher or agent.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dialogue tags</span> (or <span style="font-weight: bold;">speech tags</span>) - (n) those bits of description that are conjoined to a characters dialogue. For example: "But, Henry," Kristen said with tears in her eyes, "I thought you liked yogurt."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fan Fic</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">fan fiction</span> (n) a type of fiction written by fans of pre-existing stories, especially those in a television series. For example, many people who enjoy Star Trek and The X-Files write <span style="font-weight: bold;">fan fic</span> about the series.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Genre </span>- (n) a subcategory or type of fiction such as fantasy, historical romance, horror, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ISBN </span>- <span style="font-weight: bold;">International Standard Book Number</span> (n) a unique identification code for books that are published internationally.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MC</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">main character</span> (n) the protagonist or main character in a work of fiction. For example, Ishmael is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">mc </span>in Herman Melville's Moby Dick.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">POV</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">point of view</span> (n) the perspective from which a book is written. First person and third person points of view are most common; however, second person pov is also possible.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scifi</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Science fiction</span> (n) a genre of literature usually involving, although not limited to, space and/or time travel, advanced technology, interplanetary exploration, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Voice </span>- (n) the tone and style of a story, oftentimes the thumbprint of the author. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Voice </span>includes such things as word choice, sentence length, pacing, etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">WC</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">word count</span> (n) the number of words in a particular story or book.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">WIP </span>- <span style="font-weight: bold;">work in progress</span> (n) the manuscript(s) that the author is currently working on. </span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-10346578022582987982009-09-21T07:27:00.004-04:002009-09-21T08:03:17.272-04:00First Rights<span style="font-family: arial;">If you're lucky enough to have published a piece of fiction, you've certainly signed a contract with the publisher. Whether your piece was a short story or a novel, a poem or an editorial, you gave the publisher permission to be the first one to print your work in his or her publication.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Whenever this happens in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, the author has signed away her </span><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-family: arial;"></span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.asja.org/pubtips/wmfh01.php">first North American serial rights</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> (fnasr) to the publisher. (My apologies to the rest of the world, but I'm only going into North American rights in this post!) That is, the author gives permission to the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://blog.writersdigest.com/qq/What+Are+First+Serial+Rights+Or+FNASR.aspx">publisher to be the first to publish her work</a><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Until these rights expire, an author may not sell her work to other markets. The contract she signs with her publisher will set forth how long the rights extend. Generally, for a short story being printed in a magazine, the rights will be set at a year. For novels, this may be different.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />As simple as this sounds, confusion still abounds. If an author self-publishes her work (either by posting it on a blog or going through a self-publishing agency such as Lulu or Publish America), she has already used up her </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://mundaniapress.blogspot.com/2009/09/first-print-rights-and-publishing.html">first printing rights</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. If she's posted her work on a message board or an online group critique forum (unless that forum has adhered to certain standards such as a 'members only' or 'password protected' policy and is unintended to be viewed by the general public), she may have already used up her first rights.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> And if the first rights have already been used up, many publishers will not reprint it.<br />So be careful!</span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-37065012610219567842009-09-10T20:36:00.002-04:002009-09-10T20:38:07.473-04:00Stay Fresh<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8562434@N07/3380190394/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3567/3380190394_0092c6fc1c_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8562434@N07/3380190394/">Shhhhhhhhhh!</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/8562434@N07/">amp'ed</a></span></div>Living in the moment is important; writing for the moment is not. Good writers give their writing staying power. That is, they work to make sure that what they write sounds as current to a reader today as it will to a reader in twenty years.<br /><br />There is a tendency among some writers (and I lay claim to this fault as well!) to insert such things as brand names or current iconic figures in their writing. I think this is an attempt to connect with the readers, and to make the fiction seem very 'now' and 'current'. But what seems hip and new and oh-so-cool right now will be passe and dated and completely out of vogue in a very short time.<br /><br />For example, let's say that a writer five years ago, wanting to be current, writes the following:<br /><br />Tom turned off the television, sick of the Hurricane Katrina coverage. There was so much tragedy in the world, so many people suffering! Not that his family cared. His middle daughter was pouting because he wouldn't let her go to the movie with her friend so that they would worship their idol, Hillary Duff. And his son was already begging him for a Nintendo DS, and the toy hadn't even been released in the U.S. yet! His kids had no idea how good they had it.<br /><br />Now, let's try that with all of the trendy parts removed:<br /><br />Tom turned off the television, sick of watching the news. There was so much tragedy in the world, so many people suffering! Not that his family cared. His middle daughter was pouting because he wouldn't let her go to the movies with her friend. And his son was already begging him for a video game that wouldn't be released in the U.S. for another month. His kids had no idea how good they had it.<br /><br />Which of these scenarios sounds more current? The first one, with all of the references to pop stars and news headlines, definitely reads like it was written in 2004. The other one would have been current in 2004, 2009, and - unless things change drastically - 2020.<br /><br />Whenever possible, leave out references to current cultural trends, news stories, and even brand names because when you do, you are placing a big 'sell by this date' sticker on your work. In this world, things change in a heartbeat. What sounds current now will only sound dated by the time your work is published.<br /><br />Unless you are writing a period piece, you you don't want to date your writing. period.Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-22800995684875843372009-09-04T19:55:00.003-04:002009-09-04T20:01:49.197-04:00Share the Love (of reading)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PQY5BHEHL._SL160_AA115_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PQY5BHEHL._SL160_AA115_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Rebecca over at </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://rebeccanazar.blogspot.com/2009/09/care-to-share-sentence_04.html?showComment=1252108531407#c2457758866166208936">Scratch That</a><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://rebeccanazar.blogspot.com/2009/09/care-to-share-sentence_04.html?showComment=1252108531407#c2457758866166208936"> </a><span style="font-family:arial;">pointed out this bit of fun.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Grab the book nearest to you.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Turn to page 56.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">* Find the fifth sentence.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Post the sentence with instructions on your blog.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Post link to </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/">Storytime with Tonya and Friends.</a><br /> <span style="font-family:arial;">* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the closest.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Or, if you prefer, just place the sentence in comments here.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here's my contribution (from my son's copy of </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Weird Michigan</i><span style="font-family:arial;">) : "Besides inventing and perfecting illusions and escape techniques, Houdini was very interested in spiritualism."</span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378709459593313871.post-16533844036742868312009-09-01T18:48:00.002-04:002009-09-01T18:51:43.983-04:00Another Review of "The Dragons of Hazlett"<span style="font-family: arial;">I'm pleased to announce that another</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://xicanti.livejournal.com/143991.html">review of my novel</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">The Dragons of Hazlett</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, has been posted at Stella Matutina's blog.</span>Elle Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860508736854124153noreply@blogger.com0