Outages

Blogger took a little break last week, I noticed. I was unable to post comments on other blogs, but that was the extent of the effect on me.

Other outages affect me lots more! (Though I missed commenting, of course.) But when the AC goes out in July or August, or the heat goes out in January, those are bad times. I feel like a whiny sniveler when I complain about that stuff, though, knowing that many people deal with being too hot or too cold a lot more than I do. Homeless, for example. People who can't manage to pay their bills every month, for example. People who've lost their homes to floods, tornadoes, or other natural disasters, for example.

We haven't lost our electricity yet this year, but it happens with regularity in the summer in this part of Texas. Last year there were unannounced rolling blackouts. I think they called them brownouts, but they looked pretty black to me. The electricity was dead, cut off, kaput.

Maybe I should prepare for that this year. Save up some projects for the times when I can't be on the computer.

Let's see, I can write on my AlphaSmart. I could clean off my desk. I could clean house. I could weed the garden (unless it's too hot, then I can't do that). Maybe I could get on the elliptical. Haven't done that in awhile. Cook, shop, even sew. Play my violin if I'm not sweating too much (sweat is bad for the wood, you understand) or write some music.

The only problem with the above list is that it will be on the inaccessible electronic device when the power goes out--unless I print it out. But then it'll get lost with the other papers on my desk and I won't be able to find it!

What modern advantage would most disconvenience you if you lost it?

PS. Please be aware that May is Zombie Awareness Month. Maybe I should have blogged about this?

Chiaroscuro painting by Georges de la Tour is in the public domain

Magic Numbers

They say three is a magic number. I guess that worked for me.

I tried to write who I know. I'm a classically-trained violinist and I like to arrange and compose, so my sleuth was a musician. I made her a composer and conductor with thoughts of injecting my own compositions into the mix somewhere--mixed media and all that. The brilliance amazed me. She could travel the world guest conducting and thus avoid Cabot Cove Syndrome. I envisioned this as a cozyish series and wrote two novels which got rejected, over and over.

Next, I followed a passion of mine, archeology and human origins. New discoveries are still being made almost weekly about Neanderthals, so I created a tribe and a sleuth and labored long and hard on one and a half mysteries for them. The first was well received by almost everyone except the agents, some of whom liked the manuscript, but said they didn't know how to sell it. Since I consider that their job, I couldn't scream: Send it to Scholastic!!! (Rowling's publisher)

Third, comedy. I've always considered writing comedy a cop-out because it's so easy. I found out that it's not easy for everyone, which was really a surprise. So I ran with it--past the boundaries of where I thought I should go, over the top with characters and situations, and--behold!--got it published!

If only they sold lotto tickets where all the numbers were three!

Do you have a magic number? If so, what's it done for you?

7 Unusual Reasons Why You Should Blog

As writers, we all know the importance of blogging. There must be a zillion books and websites dedicated to this type of social media. I won't rehash the things we already know. Instead, my goal this week was to think of some often over looked reasons to be blogging.

1. It gets you out of your shy shell. Are you worried about putting your words out there? Afraid that your bare thoughts may show what a freak of nature you are? Blogging helps you get past that. That's actually a perk of blogging! People like to embrace other's freak flag and then fly their own. Just write down some thoughts and stick em' out there. Don't worry what others think. The first few times you blog, heck maybe even longer, people probably won't comment anyway. That's your chance to build up your courage.

2. You can meet the other freaks. Let's just piggyback off of reason #1. Once people do start commenting, you will notice the wide variety of people online. And I mean wide!

3. Blogging is good for goal setting. If your goal is to write something every day, then there you go. A short blog once a day can help you achieve that.

4. Blogging can jog your creative juices. Once you start writing, all sorts of ideas pop into your head. Write them down so that if you get stuck on what to blog about, you'll have a list for inspiration.

5. You could be a Twitter Trend. Who knows? Anything is possible.

6. Discover the joy of Stat Counter. Want to know how many people are watching your freak flag fly? Install Stat Counter on your blog and check out your numbers. Some days it's enough to make you crazy.

7. Learn the art of accepting criticism. Yep, sometimes the comments are critical. Deal with it. Writing is subjective, and if you are going to do it for a living, you might as well get some tough writer's skin now. Besides, on a blog you can always delete your critics!

Have some other unusual reasons to be blogging? Drop a comment! I'd love to hear from you! Need more blogging tips? Check out this fun site called Morgen Bailey's Blog.  http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/

5 Best Pieces of Editing Advice

As a writer, I find the editing process a royal pain in the you-know-what. My wish is to one day write perfect prose in the first draft. No need for spell check or the grammar tool in my Word doc. Just sheer perfection. Every word a gem.

Like that's ever gonna happen.

Actually, I've come to terms with this. After you've been rejected by superagents, editors, magazines, and ezines as many times as I have, you start to take away a few things from the experience. I've discovered a common thread in some rejections and have tried to use them to my advantage. Hopefully, this strengthens my writing. I have to admit I do find myself correcting things that in the past I might not have caught. Editing has become a bigger part of the writing process for me whether I like it or not.

Today, I received a request from an agent to look at a partial for my young adult novel, Bayou Myths. Two years ago, I would have been thrilled, excited, bouncing off the walls. I still feel that way, but I'm a little more contained about it. I know the pitfalls of being too wound up about this. Writing is incredibly subjective. We all know how easy it is for an agent to read a few pages and then pass on it altogether. Pessimistic or realistic--call me what you will. However, as I started to prep the partial request, I tried to remember the best writing advice I'd ever been given in the hopes I've applied it to my manuscript.

1. Economy of Words--less is more. Just say what you need to say. Hmm...sounds like a song or something.

2. Cut your ly words. You probably don't need them.

3. By page 100, the stakes should be clear. This advice came from a super agent, and I really try to abide by it.

4.  Its and It's--yeah, I finally figured this one out. I know, I know.

5. Leave out the back story or find a way to weave it in later. This gets your reader to ask questions, and hopefully stay with the book.

These are the things that really stick out for me.

What's the best piece of editing advice anyone's every given you?

CHOKE has arrived!

My free author copies arrived, so I looked online and there it was!

It is awesome to hold a book that is full of my words. I can't get over it. I'll come down eventually, but meanwhile this is a powerful, wonderful high.

If one were to want a copy, one could visit either BN or Amazon. Last time I looked, BN had a better price, but I know they fluctuate often. It should be available at Mainly Murder Press on May 1st also.

PS. This is a collector's copy until the typo on the back cover is corrected. Someone spelled Saltlick wrong. This is copy I did not proof, in my defense.