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Lost: A Writer’s Tale

So eep. I spent a bunch of time this week writing my planned blog post: Twitterpated, Part 3. For once I actually sat down before Sunday night and organized my thoughts and had the thing all ready to post for you. And my post was actually going to be useful (or so I told myself in my massively narcissistic mind).

I just wanted to add a picture.

Just a picture!

And then, oh yeah, I needed to add this other link to Twitterpated, Part 4, because yes, I was just that organized this week.

Happy, no?

*Sigh*

No, it was not happy at all.

Because when I closed Part 3 (after SAVING it!), Blogger ate the post and then spit out a second, identical copy of “Twitterpated, Part 4.”

The thing is, I don’t really need 2 copies of the same post. And I betting you don’t either.

So I flailed in woe for a minute. Made my husband put his book down to come make sure I wasn’t going crazy. Then stubbornly refused to try to rewrite the thing.

And in the end, I thanked my lucky stars I only lost a blog post instead of a chapter (or worse, a whole book!).

Still. Blogger and I? Not on good terms right now.

Have you ever lost a piece of your writing? Tell me about it to console my frustrated little heart.

And maybe by next week I’ll be over my Blogger tantrum and try to reconstruct my Twitterpated post. *sigh*

Speak up:

11 comments

| TAGS:

blogger, lost, tantrum, twitterpated

“Luck ‘O the Irish” Pitch-Fest!

So if any of ya’ll haven’t heard, WriteOnCon is coming out of hibernation this winter to host the “Luck ‘O the Irish” pitch fest.

I happen to be a HUGE fan of these things (can’t imagine why . . .), so I jumped in with two feet and beggedapplied to be an official book blogger for the thing. Hurray! They accepted me, and now I have a shiny new badge over there on the sidebar.

So. Here are the deets:

We
here at WriteOnCon are organizing a mid-winter “Luck ‘O the Irish” pitch-fest,
where agents, book bloggers, and authors will team up to read and vote
for the best pitches of 2013.

You read that right! A pitch-fest! At WriteOnCon!

The details:
–Pitch-fest
runs from March 18-22. Authors, book bloggers, readers, and our
fabulous literary agents will be voting on the pitches. The favorites in
each category will win prizes, including some great agent feedback or
membership in the official WriteOnCon mentorship program!

–There
will only be a limited number of pitches accepted. That number is
unknown at this time, because it depends on how many agents attend.
We’re still recruiting agents and will let you know the final numbers as
soon as we do! Pitches will be selected randomly, so it doesn’t matter
what time zone you live in.

–The
agents have selected their top three genres, and pitches will ONLY be
accepted in those genres. Again, all genres are unknown at this time as
we’re still finalizing agents, but don’t worry. We will make
announcements about genres and numbers as things solidify (sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss a thing!).
At this time, we are only focusing on the children’s market, so you can
know now that this pitch-fest will focus only on middle grade and young
adult genres.

–We’re
announcing this now, before all details are finalized, because we’re
running a “perfect your pitch” workshop in February. This will take
place in the WriteOnCon forums, and will work much the same as the query
critique boards do during the annual WOC. You will post your pitch, and
your peers will critique it. We will have posts from industry
professionals on writing pitches and genre classification.

We’re
doing this for a good reason. We want your pitch to be as perfect as
possible once the submission window hits in March. We will only be
accepting your entry for the pitch-fest one time. We will not change
your genre or edit your pitch after it has been submitted. This workshop
during February is the time for you to fine-tune your pitch and get
feedback about which genre your novel really belongs in.

–Only one pitch per person. Put forth your best work.

–Pitches
should be for polished and query-ready novels only. That means if you
haven’t finished your novel yet, you shouldn’t pitch. Still revising?
Don’t pitch. The agents attending are looking for material, and when
they request, you want to be ready to send out your novel. We’re
announcing early to give you time to finish!

Dates to know:
February 18-March 10 – Forum peer pitch critiques (Carolin has the forum boards built! Check them out HERE)
March 11-13 – Submission of final pitches (this will be done through a Google form, NOT in the forum–details to come!)
March 14-17 – We build the boards in the forum (they will be hidden until March 18)
March 18-22 – Voting and commenting by literary agents, mentor authors, and book bloggers

We can’t wait to see you at the Luck o’ the Irish Pitch-Fest! Watch the WOC newsletter and site for more updates as we get closer to liftoff. Yeah, that was totally a mixed metaphor.

Hope to see you all there!

Speak up:

5 comments

| TAGS:

Agent, Luck 'o the Irish, pitch contest, WriteOnCon

Twitterpated, Part 2

Phyllis the Groundhog in Twitterland

A little over a year ago, I took the plunge into Twitter, and talked about it in THIS post. I always meant to do a follow-up when I got a hang of the thing.

Yep, so here we are, 1 year later and I finally feel like I have something to say on the subject.

The thing about Twitter is that it’s kind of like going to a ginormous party during a blackout where you can only hear snippets of conversation, and all the conversations mingle together into a vat of confusion.

 I spent many months tweeting a random comment here or there, and feeling like I was shouting into the emptiness of the Grand Canyon. And then, whoah . . . someone replied to one of my tweets, and it was like, “That was cool.”

And then I connected with an actual friend and we had silly conversations in 140-character-spurts or less. And I started with the head bobbing. “Maybe Twitter isn’t so bad.”

And THEN, I finally got up the courage to respond to something with a tweeter I didn’t know. . . .

And HOLY COW! They replied! And suddenly I started actually enjoying Twitter. Looking at it more than once a month. 🙂

The point of all this is that I finally have concrete thoughts on how to make twitter a useful (and FUN) tool. And I plan to share those thoughts, but just not this week, because I revel in brevity and this post is getting too long.

So while you wait for the exciting 3rd installment of “Twitterpated,” feel free to share your thoughts about Twitter. And if you’re on Twitter and I’m not following you, please leave your handle so I can! Because seeing what friends are posting is my favorite part. 🙂

And P.S. My handle is @MsVerbose.

Speak up:

16 comments

| TAGS:

MsVerbose, Phyllis the Groundhog, twitter, twitterpated

This vs. That: Cats vs. Dogs

Wow it has been forever-and-a-day since I did one of these. Have I really been that distracted? (And uh, no need to answer that.)

So I went back to tally the votes on cats vs. dogs, and what I am really learning is that I need to stop with the pre-conceived notions thing. I TOTALLY thought this vote would go a certain direction and it did not. So lets see those results and then have a chat.

Total votes: 27

Cats: 13 votes; 48%
Dogs: 8 votes; 29%
Raccoons: 1 vote; 4%
Both: 4 votes; 15%
Neither: 1 vote; 4%

I was certain, certain!, dogs would take this thing. Hands down. And yet here we are. So I want to break this down. WHY did I have that mistaken notion? Was it because I simply don’t know my readers well enough? Am I unfairly biased against cats? Was I brainwashed by an evil dog-lover?

Surely not! And I have a theory. When was the last time you saw an unfavorable portrayal of a dog in a movie? Or even in a book. I mean, they must exist, right? But I can’t think of one. Perhaps part of it is that Cats and Dogs has been in my car DVD player of late and therefore watched a bajillion times or so (well, heard, as the case may be). But that movie is simply evidence of the stereotype that has been perpetuated over the years that dogs are loving and loyal and inherently good, whereas cats are selfish devils surely working on some sinister plot.

Lady and the Tramp. 101 Dalmations. Old Yeller. Lassie. Air Bud. Beethoven. The list goes on.

My husband brought up Aristocats, but not one of Disney’s more successful films. Am I missing something? What are your thoughts? Is it a conspiracy? Have dogs taken over the media?

Okay, so I’ll step off my soap box now and move on (and no, I’m not telling you what I voted for because I fear backlash).

Anyhoo, next debate (in honor of the upcoming Superbowl):

Speak up:

13 comments

| TAGS:

cats, Cheese Puffs, dogs, Lady and the Tramp, Potato Chips, Superbowl, This vs. That

Belated Year-end Review

So, confession. I did not make any resolutions this year. Nary a one.

I had good intentions, but we were on vacation, then life was coming fast, and next thing I know, here I am, 3 weeks into the new year with nothing done.

But if you recall last year’s discussions about resolutions vs. goals, well, let’s just say that I always have goals I’m working on. And I actually did accomplish quite a bit this past year.

So today I’m giving you my top 5 goals accomplished in 2012:

1. I ran a half marathon. To be honest, it still boggles my mind that I ran for 2 hours and 15 minutes straight. That’s a long time. And I don’t know if I can ever make myself do such a thing again. But I did it ONCE! And man was I proud of myself. (You won’t mind a little bit of pride to seep through here, will you?)

2. I started the Hacky Sack Club with the fabulous Amy Sonnichsen. This was not a goal I set, but rather something that grew from connecting with a kindred spirit. I am particularly proud of this one because I tend to be extremely reserved. Did you just die of shock? Yes, despite all the crazy videos I’ve posted in the past year, I am a VERY reserved person. Not shy, per se, but I do tend to keep my talents and deepest passions inside. Breaking out of that just a little, and sharing myself a little more with others has been surprisingly satisfying. So THANK YOU for indulging me with it all. And P.S. It’s still open to members! 😉

3. I moved half-way across country without dying or killing anyone. Overexposure to the question “Are we there yet?” almost did me in, but fortunately we discovered the cure in time: “Here, play with my iPod.”

 4. I finished writing a book. A book I’ve been in love with since the idea first struck me. We shall see what happens with it from here, but let’s just say that IT’S AWESOME! I know, humility and all that. Sorry. But if I don’t love it, how can I hope others will?

5. I signed with an agent. *Heehee* I still giggle when I say that. And I still sometimes go back and read the e-mails to make sure it’s real. In truth, I don’t feel like this is something I really accomplished, but rather something I’ve been working toward for a long time that finally came to pass. But since this IS a writing blog, I thought it should count.

So how about you? What did you accomplish in 2012?

Speak up:

12 comments

| TAGS:

Amy Sonnichsen, Goals, Hacky Sack Club, half marathon, New Year's Resolutions

Hacky Sack Club: Congratulations Edition

Happy New Year! I hope you all had wonderful holidays and that your new year is already swinging in with all sorts of good things.

I know at least one person who finished the year with a super bang: Amy Sonnichsen! She was offered rep by the fabulous . . . well go read her blog and find out!

Wait!!! Don’t click over yet!

Because you don’t want to miss this. Some of you may recall that the
fabulous Amy did a little video for me when I signed with Agent
Fabulous. I’m ashamed it has taken me so long, but I couldn’t let this
go without returning the favor with a Hacky Sack Club video of my own.

Hope you enjoyed, and Congratulations, Amy! So excited for you. 🙂

Speak up:

18 comments

| TAGS:

Agent, Amy Sonnichsen, Guitar, Hacky Sack Club, The Green Bathtub

Back-up Plans

*So we had guests over for dinner last night. 5:00 sharp.

And unfortunately they had to run at 5:45, so it was critical we be ready on time. And yes, you can probably see where this is going.

At 4:55 we pulled the (whole) chicken out of the crockpot. I whipped up the gravy while Darling Husband cut the thing.

The door-bell rang. Our guests came in. We smiled and ushered them to the table when my husband uttered those dreaded words.

“Uh-oh.”

Yep. Bad news.

Chicken NOT cooked.

My face turned red, but I smiled graciously at our guests and apologized (which they waved away very graciously as well).

“But no worries!” I said. “We’ll just move on to our back-up plan. Which is . . . ummm . . . . which is . . .”

Uh yeah, I had nothing.

And then I remembered the frozen homemade soup. Not enough for everyone, but enough for them since they couldn’t wait.

“Soup! Our backup is soup!”

Of course everything was fine. We still had the rolls which went perfectly with the soup, and they didn’t utter a single protest as we sat there and watched them eat (in truth, we had pleasant conversation about Christmas traditions — and I didn’t have to worry about talking with my mouth full!).

So the point of all this? This is the second time a meal has gone wrong on me, and both times soup came to the rescue. So the point?

Always keep a container of frozen soup in your freezer, and everything will end well. 🙂

And maybe keep a notebook handy to record the fodder for a scene in a future book. Who knows, It just might save you one day!

P.S. I will be taking a blogging break over the Christmas holiday and will see you all back here in January. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

*Yeah, the picture has nothing to do with this post, but I liked it and wanted to use it. Isn’t it pretty? 🙂

Speak up:

14 comments

| TAGS:

Back-up plans, chicken, Cookies, crockpot, soup, uh-oh

Quinn’s Cookie Exchange

Today I’m participating in Quinn’s Cookie Exchange. Quinn is the MC of Angela Felsted’s recently released YA novel, CHASTE.

I am sharing my famous Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. And yeah, you may have a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but this one is better. (IMHO) 😉

Yield: approximately 3 dozen cookies.  

~~~
Okay, I’m sure you just skimmed the recipe, but I am making a note here that is VERY important. The trick to making these the best cookies ever is DROPPING THEM. Yep. Drop the whole pan on the ground (from about a foot up). If you fail to do this, the cookies will be Meh. So don’t skip it!

And in case you haven’t read the blurb for CHASTE yet, here you go:

Speak up:

9 comments

| TAGS:

Angela Felsted, Chocolate chip cookies, Cookie Exchange

A Day in the Life: Weekend Vacation

This past weekend, I took my family on a mini-vacation. Okay. I thought it would be a vacation, but that’s not exactly how it turned out. Here’s a summary of what took place:

8:00 AM

Pack, pack, pack.

Remember email I forgot to send.

Write email . . . Oh, look at the pretty Twitter . . .

11:00 AM

Drag myself away from the computer.

ME: “Shoes on everyone! Go to the bathroom! Move! Move! Move!”

CHILD: “But I don’t have to go to the bathroom! I WON’T GO TO THE BATHROOM!”

ME: “Just do it! . . .” Blah, blah, blah, channeling my parents, etc.

Buckle all kids in the car.

ME: “Wait! I forgot the camera, let me just run in and grab it.” Oh, dishes in the sink . . . can’t leave dirty dishes . . .

12:00 PM

Drive off.

12:10 PM

CHILD: How long have we been driving now?

12:11 PM

CHILD: How long have we been driving now?

12:11:30 PM

CHILD: How long have we been driving now?

ME: ASK THAT QUESTION ONE MORE TIME AND I’LL TURN OFF THE MOVIE!!!

1:00 PM

CHILD: “I have to go to the bathroom, and I can’t wait!”

Grumble, grumble, lecture.

1:05 PM

Stop at gas station. Make sure EVERYONE goes to the bathroom.

1:30 PM

3rd CHILD: “I have to go poopy!”

Sigh.

4:30 PM

Pull in to Hotel parking lot.

HUSBAND: “This is where we’re staying?

4:45 PM

CHILDREN: “I’m bored! Can we turn on the TV?”

“No!”

Game of tag begins over bed, through bathroom, under my feet.

 Uncontrolled laughter.

High-pitched screeching.

4:50 PM

Turn on the television.

9:30 PM

Climb into bed.

10:00 PM

THUMP!

Climb out of bed, put 2nd child back in bed.

Get back in bed.

10:15 PM

THUMP! THUMP!

Climb out of bed, put 2 children back in bed.

10:30 PM

THUMP!

2nd child gets back in bed on his own. On the wrong side.

Lays back . . . THUMP . . .

2nd CHILD: “Owww!”

Climb out of bed, put child back in bed.

11:00 PM

3rd child climbs into our bed.

11:30 PM

Wake up to an elbow in the head.

12:00 AM

 Wake up to find child sleeping on husband’s head.

3:31 AM

Stare at clock and wonder why I can’t sleep!

3:32 AM

Feel springs poking me and remember why.

3:33 AM

Decide there is no way we are staying the second night.

6:30 AM

CHILD: “WAKE UP! IT’S MORNING TIME!”

Breakfast.

Park

Lunch.

2:00 PM

Decide to try local amusement park before getting an early start home.

Purchase tickets online. Non-refundable.

Pull onto road for the 2 minute drive and discover that everyone else in the whole town made the same decision.

“I’m bored!”

“I’m bored!”

“This is no fun!” 

4:30 PM

Arrive at amusement park.

Fight through crowds.

Ride rides.

7:00 PM

Christmas parade

8:00 PM 

Get in line for bus back to parking lot

9:00 PM

Arrive in parking lot.

Drive home

10:30 PM

Stop for gas. Potty break.

11:00 PM

Pull over to side of road for potty break.

11:30 PM

“Help! Dad, help! My stomach hurts!”

Pass back a plastic bag.

12:30 AM

Arrive home, send kids up to bed.

12:31 AM

Go inside.

ME: “What is that awful smell?”

12:32 AM

Head upstairs. Discover trail of puke up stairs toward my room.

1:00 AM

Finish cleaning puke. Vow to buy a carpet cleaner.

Vow to reconsider next vacation.

Tuck children into bed.

2nd CHILD: “Mom, this was the best day ever.”

Vow to reconsider reconsidering next vacation.

So how was your weekend?

Speak up:

13 comments

| TAGS:

email, family, puke, twitter, vacation

Infiltrated by Gremlins*

gbbbnmmgjkkkkkkkkkkkkkllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

UPDATE:

A certain gremlin* kept me up last night, and I made the mistake of falling asleep on the couch today while my computer was still running. I know I should erase the message the gremlin* left on my blog (surely scolding me for sleeping when I should be paying attention to said gremlin*), but the post and the comments I woke up to made me laugh so hard, I couldn’t do it.

Instead, take this as a warning. Gremlins are about!

 *3-year old

Speak up:

12 comments

| TAGS:

couch, gremlins, sleep, warning