Corey J. Popp

The Hunger Games - 150 second trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:48:00 +0000

I'm ready. You ready?

The Secret Research Tool of the Novelist

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:15:00 +0000

I have a terrible time staying organized with my research. I have bookmarks in my Web browser, Excel spreadsheets on my hard drive, notes in Word documents, folders full of clip art, as well as some audio and video files.

Recently, I discovered a free web-based notebook called Zoho Notebook. It's exactly what I was looking for. It lets me take any type of media and file it in a virtual notebook. I can name the notebooks according to the novel I'm working on, and my notebooks can have any number of pages with any type of media on any page.

Below is a 5 minute video overview from YouTube (You'll be hooked within the first 30 seconds). Let me know what you think!

Build a Google+ Badge for your Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:41:00 +0000

Now that you can autopost from Blogger to Google+, use the link below to custom build a badge for your blog so your readers can put you in their circles. The "badge" options didn't work for me, but the "icon" options did.

See the G+ link in my right margin for an example, and, of course, put me in your Circles!

https://developers.google.com/+/plugins/badge/config

Autopost from Blogger to Google+

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:05:00 +0000

Step-by-step instructions!

Replace your Blogger profile with your Google+ profile. You can do that here.
As you step through the authentication process, you'll be asked which of your Blogs you want to link to your Google+ profile. Most of us have only one, and it should be checked by default. If not, click it.
Now, from http://www.blogger.com/home, go into your blog Settings. Then go into Posts and comments.
Look for Share to Google+. Make sure it says Yes.

If you don't see Share to Google+, you may have to click on the Gear in the upper right, and choose Connect to Google+.

Click Save Settings in the upper right.
Now, whenever you click Publish on your new Blog posts, you'll be prompted to share it via Google+.

Click here for the full article via CNet.

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Social Network Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:37:00 +0000

Janet Evanovich Goes Hollywood

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:55:00 +0000

Stephanie Plum will be played by Katherine Heigl in the motion picture adaptation of One for the Money due on January 27, 2012.

Seems like this could be a lucrative series for Evanovich. Hasn't she written like twenty of these?

The Official Hunger Games Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Louis Sachar on writing Holes

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:41:00 +0000

I transcribed the interview below from the bonus features of the Disney DVD Holes. Louis Sachar wrote both the novel it was based on as well as the screenplay for the movie.

As an amateur, unpublished author, I found Sachar's description of the novel writing process fascinating. When I hear about the misery of writing best selling novels, it gives me hope that everything I'm going through as a writer is normal.

The fact is no writers have any idea whether or not their writing is good until someone buys the rights.

"I moved from San Francisco to Texas in 1991. The hardest part was the long hot summers ... When I first started writing Holes, I just was writing about the heat. It was almost like therapy. I imagined this boot camp for kids where they'd have to dig under the hot sun every day. The story just grew from that. I had the place before I had any of the characters.

It was never my intention to make it a grim story. It was always going to be a fun, adventure story. I knew from the beginning that even though they were digging to build character that really there'd be buried treasure or that there'd be an escape and all that. The story grew as I wrote.

When I write a novel, I write maybe only, for the first draft, maybe an hour or an hour and a half a day. On any day if somebody asked me, 'How'd it go today.' I probably would have said, 'Oh, nothing. It was a wasted day. I didn't do anything.'

"It took me a year and a half to write Holes. A few pages a day. Somehow all those wasted days, when you put them together, it turns into something. During that whole time I never talked to anyone what I'm working on. Never told my wife or my daughter anything about the book.

"After six months I might say, 'I finished the first draft today.' And then after a year and a half I probably did five drafts and let someone else see it."

Guest Post: Brinda Berry, Author

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Today's post features an interview with author Brinda Berry. Brinda recently signed with publisher Etopia Press to publish her young adult novel The Waiting Booth.

Contest! The first five commenters on this post will win a romance trading card from Brinda. At the end of the week, all commenters from Brinda's blog tour are eligible for the grand prize drawing of a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. "Like" my Facebook page for an extra entry into the drawing! Be sure to note you "liked" my page in your comment so Brinda can add your extra entry. Official rules are here at Brinda's blog.


Brinda Berry

When did you make the decision to take a very serious, very focused attempt at becoming a published author?

I wrote a book over ten years ago and submitted queries to several agents and publishing houses. At the time, I thought I was serious about becoming a writer. After finally being offered a contract with a publisher who asked me to pay them for publishing it, I declined. Yes, you read that correctly. PAY. And here we stop for a public safety announcement to unpublished writers: Never, ever, ever pay someone to publish your book.

I became very disillusioned and abandoned my goals. Now, I realize that I wasn't ready. I had not taken the time to learn enough about the publishing business and the art of creative writing. I joined some organizations and took my first online writing class in December of 2009. That was the real beginning for me.

How did you learn the craft of writing?

I majored in English and French in my undergraduate college degree. Some people assume that you must know how to write if you majored in English. Wrong! I could write a great expository essay or technical manual, but I needed to learn more about creative writing. I've taken quite a few online classes/workshops. It fits my busy schedule to do things online. Additionally, you must also be writing and practicing while you take classes. You learn by doing and having others critique your work.

How long did it take to write The Waiting Booth?

I started plotting The Waiting Booth during January 2010 when I took a class called Plotting Bootcamp sponsored by Roses Colored Glasses. It was a great online class taught by two prolific authors from my local RWA chapter. My story changed very little from what I plotted at that time. I worked on the book throughout 2010.

Tell us about the critique process you used.

There are several stages. First, I use checklists to evaluate the work myself. There are even some nifty online tools you can use to check for things like word repetition and overuse. Then, I submitted to a critique group and worked on what others told me were flaws. There is great value to having others point out the bad habits you have. Of course, you can never see these things on your own. Sometimes, you may even disagree with the suggestions that a fellow author may have. It's always a valuable experience.

You've signed with Etopia Press. Tell us about the process you used to find and choose a publisher.

In early 2011, I participated in an online conference called DigiCon sponsored by SavvyAuthors.com. Prior to that point, I had targeted agents in hopes of contracting with a traditional publisher. I wanted to learn more about digital publishing because I could see the huge changes taking place in the world of booksellers. I read books on my iPad, and my husband has a Kindle. We are digital consumers. I was lucky enough to pitch to a couple of publishers during the DigiCon conference. I ended up with two contract offers. I was impressed with the quality of the writing published by Etopia Press. Also, the person who later became my content editor, Thalia Child, gave me frank and insightful advice about my story. I can't thank her enough.

Who's your favorite author and what do you admire most about him or her?

It's a tie between the late Michael Crichton and Stephen King. I admire Michael Crichton's ability to weave a story plot that keeps me on the edge of my seat. I love Stephen King's character development that is very organic. I fall in love with his flawed characters- warts and all.

Lastly, how can we get our hands on The Waiting Booth?

The Waiting Booth can be purchased at the links below:

Barnes and Noble

Etopia Press

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal...

Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High—find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia’s drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it’s no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia’s secrets, she begins to wonder if there’s more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him...

www.brindaberry.com

www.facebook.com/BrindaBerryAuthor

Excerpt of The Waiting Booth

“Hi, Mr. Taylor. Mia here?” Austin entered without waiting to be invited in.

My dad stepped aside and looked up at me expectantly as I was taking the last few steps. I hoped that Austin wouldn’t breathe a word about what was on the pictures. I sure didn’t want my dad to be paranoid about leaving me alone during the week while he worked out of town.

“Dad, Austin’s helping me with my science project. Come on up.”

My dad had always liked Austin. If he ever found out that Austin had hit on me, that would change in a heartbeat. For crying out loud, I even thought about Austin like he was a brother. That he’d tried to kiss me sent the ick factor into the stratosphere.

We bounded up the stairs as quickly as possible without alerting my dad to some urgency in the air. I closed the door behind Austin and proceeded to move my computer mouse to bring the screen back in view.

Austin looked at the picture as he sat at my desk chair. “And this was the one at the end of your driveway?”

“Yeah,” I answered, hoping he would tell me he knew the guy, and he wasn’t some ax murderer roaming my woods.

“Pretty good pic,” Austin muttered. He clicked to zoom in on the face. “Still…it’s hard to make him out.”

“Do you recognize him or not?”

“Nope. Can’t say I know him. It’s not like I know everybody. It’s a big school. And he might not even be a college student. I can barely tell anything about the second person.” Austin clicked the forward and back buttons in the photo software program. “Why are they only in one frame?”

“I guess they’re really fast. I have the timer set to take a picture every six seconds after motion activation.”

He nodded. “Let’s go down and take a gander. Maybe they dropped something. Or maybe we can figure out why they were down there.”

Austin led the way out of my room while I covertly studied him. If I tried to forget that he was like a brother to me, I could see that he was good-looking. He was a little on the lanky side, and that made him look younger to most people. His dark hair always hung into his eyes, which made him seem a little derelict. His new sword tattoo covered about two inches of his right forearm. I had tried to talk him out of it, but he had grinned and said that I’d want one exactly like it.

He looked back at me as I stood there and smiled a I just caught you checking me out grin. I wasn’t really looking at him like that, but I felt myself blush and quickly found something else to focus on as I followed him out the door.

We left the house and took Austin’s car to the waiting booth. He drove an old black Jeep that was still minus the shell since the weather was warm enough. We jumped out to examine the area. On the same side of the drive as the wooden structure, saplings tangled with briars and brush as far as the eye could see. In the years before I was able to drive myself to school, my dad had kept the area fairly clean and bare with the aid of a tractor. Now, this area had become overgrown and weedy.

In the middle of the stalks of high grass, a circle of flattened brush marked where the people in the photo had been standing. “Holy cow, you’d really have to be dragging something heavy to make this dent in the ground.” I gasped, suspecting that the marks were new and the people in the photo had created them.

Austin walked around the flattened circle. “This is too weird. See how the grass swirls in a pattern? Maybe that dude had set something down here.”

“He wasn’t dragging anything in the picture. Maybe I need to look at it again.” I estimated the diameter of the circle to be about five feet across. I caught my breath as I felt a reverberating tickle pluck my spine like a tightly wound cello string. Avoiding the circle, I walked into the brush past it to see if I could find more evidence of the intruders. Nothing.

The weather had been fairly dry with no rain this month, but I bent to look for footprints. I started feeling silly, because even if I found footprints, I wouldn’t be able to tell anything from them. I shivered, trying to rid myself of the willies.

116 literary agents to follow on Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:45:00 +0000

Feel free to follow my public list of literary agents. Do you know of an agent not on my list? Leave a comment and I'll add him or her!

http://twitter.com/#!/coreyjpopp/agents/members

© Corey J. Popp (Photo)

Creating an ebook - step by step

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Oh, how I wish I could take credit for this post! But I can't.

Instead, you'll need to head over to agent Rachelle Gardner's blog for a great post by guest blogger and author Mary DeMuth. Mary gives detailed step by step instructions for self-publishing your ebook!

Image: Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blogger to get new name

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:54:00 +0000

Fellow Bloggers, take note! In about 6 weeks, Blogger will be renamed to Google Blogs. Along with the change, Picasa will be renamed Google Photos. This is all part of Google's attempt to align its products prior to the launch of its Facebook alternative, Google+.

What is deep third POV?

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:07:00 +0000

The other day I attended an online chat by author Linnea Sinclair over at Savvy Authors. Ms. Sinclair talked about Deep Third point-of-view, otherwise known as Tight Third. According to Ms. Sinclair, Deep Third is the most in-demand POV in fiction right now, especially in young adult.

What is deep third?
Deep Third is a point-of-view that has the intimacy of first person, but refers to the protagonist in third person. I am writing my current novel in Deep Third. Here is an excerpt from my novel, Claire Young, to give you an idea of how Deep Third looks and sounds.

Wait a minute. The Quiet Room. Gary’s conniptions. Of course. It had probably been Gary’s screams she’d heard last night. What a surreal night it had been with the storm, the priest, and the note.

See the intimacy of the paragraph? It follows the protagonist's thoughts as precisely as first person, but she is still referred to with the pronoun "she."

When to use deep third
Deep Third is not used throughout an entire novel. The author carefully moves in and out of Deep Third as the situation warrants. If you are using Dwight Swain's motivation-reaction method, you would only use Deep Third in the reaction paragraphs, which are typically the protagonist's internal reaction paragraphs.

Here's another excerpt from Claire Young. This is an example of an external motivation paragraph. Notice the absence of deep third.

A furious wind picked up outside and blew sheets of rain against the window. Claire looked over her shoulder. It sounded like the storm was trying to pound its way inside. She turned back toward Father Delevan. A noise like the sky tearing open followed a blast of lightening.

Stay in voice
Whether you're in Deep Third or traditional third, remember to stay within the voice of your novel and your protagonist. Deep Third and traditional third only use words and emotions your protagonist would use. That is especially important in young adult. That means dropping a lot of flowery words and just telling it like it is.

Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest author Vivi Dumas on handling critiques

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:06:00 +0000

I want to thank Corey for inviting me here. I would also like to offer a free ecopy of my novel, Soul Catcher, to a lucky commenter today.

I’m Vivi Dumas. I know…I know. You’re asking, “Who the hell is she?” I’ve been writing for the last couple of years. Last year, I had the pleasure of becoming a published author. My debut novel, Soul Catcher, and my short novella, Salvation, was published by Decadent Publishing. I have another short novella as a part of an anthology published by Ravenous Romance. I primarily write paranormal romance. I’m currently working on the second book in my Dueling with the Devil series and a young adult novel.

I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to many authors and had many great writers give me valuable advice as I move forward in my writing career. This industry is difficult for someone like me. I’m more of a science, not art, kind of girl. I’m very analytical in my day job. Two and Two usually always add up to four in the real world, right? Well…the world of writing isn’t like that. I think the most important piece of advice I take with me is stay true to yourself.

There’s no exact formula for success. I’ve sent the same manuscript to many different people and received a lot of different feedback. Some hated my characters while others loved them. Some needed more backstory. Others commented the backstory bored them to death. Too much action or not enough action. The more people I asked the more confused I got.

What the rational side of me decided to do with the feedback was weight it. If I received the same feedback from the majority of the readers, I added it to the “Must Consider” list. If the feedback went against something I felt was pivotal to my story or changed the integrity of my characters, I didn’t use it. I weeded out those in my circle who love everything. Those people will usually not give you an honest opinion. It’s hard for some to provide negative feedback, especially when they know you’ve worked hard on your MS. It’s important to choose your beta readers and critique partners carefully. You want someone to give you honest and constructive feedback without tearing you down.

As someone who’s early in her publishing career, my advice is to surround yourself with people stronger than you and stay true to yourself, but remember you don’t know everything. Writing is a craft. There are rules. You shouldn’t try to break the rules until know all of them and are big enough to let your work to stand on its own. Lastly, keep writing. The only way to get better is to keep putting pen to paper or fingers to keys.

Thanks for having me!

Vivi Dumas

Where to find me:

Blog – www.vividumas.wordpress.com

Website – www.vividumas.com/worpress

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001071377027

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/vivi_dumas

Soul Catcher Excerpt
The growls and snarls inched closer. Angel’s feet pounded the dirt, kicking up red dust all around her. The barren trees provided little sanctuary. Her heart and mind raced as she tried to think of her next move. The skies darkened above and thunder rumbled through the thick air. The air smelled of dampness.

How long had she been running? It seemed hours. Other than Noel, the other cadets were long gone ahead of her. Being human sucked when it came to supernatural warfare, but she refused to give up. Every day the class waited, watched, wondering when she was going to quit. Two of the others had already dropped out, and they were demons.

Noel passed Angel on the left, ducking through the low branches of the charred trees, cackling as he passed. Angel picked up her speed, her calves cramping and an ache developing in her side. She wanted to stop. Stopping meant quitting. Quitting was not an option. The hellish howls closed in on her.

Angel glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of one of the ugly beasts. It’s long, rounded snout protruded from an enlarged head. Red eyes peered through the charred trees, scanning the landscape. A ridge of ivory spikes ran down the monster’s back extending from each vertebra. The dog-like fiend pounded through the forest on powerful, muscular legs, which carried its compact body. Out running them wasn’t going to work. She had to come up with another plan. Scanning the terrain in front of her, the only place to go was up. The trees disappeared into the grey clouds. If she could climb high enough, maybe she could wait them out. Or maybe they would go find another victim.

She lunged for the closest branch, leveraged her foot on the tree trunk, and boosted herself off the ground. It took all her strength to hoist her weight into the tree. As she reached for the second branch, three hounds pounced on the trunk, clawing at her dangling foot. The dark-haired one’s razor sharp teeth nipped Angel’s ankle. Stretching for the next limb, she stared down just in time to see the dagger like claws of the reddish colored beast rip into her calf.

Scurrying up the tree, she climbed higher until she was out of reach of the animals. Angel perched on one of the higher limbs, praying it could hold her weight. She clung to the trunk and observed the creatures clawing the burnt bark off the tree. Slowly, deliberately, a hound dug its sharp claws into the tree, using them like spikes, and began to maneuver its way to her.

Tremors quivered through Angel’s body, almost causing her to lose her grip and fall. Thunder clapped and lightning flashed. Ominous clouds gathered overhead, growing darker as the hound drew nearer. The animal swiped at Angel’s bleeding leg, barely missing as she jerked it onto the branch she sat on. Electricity hummed in the air. Angel felt the energy gathering about her, a strange, eerie sensation floating on top of her skin.

The hound’s red eyes glowed as it stretched towards Angel, drooling from its mouth and snarling. Angel stood on the limb, grabbing for the one above her. As she pulled on the branch, it snapped in her hand. She wrapped her arms around the trunk to keep from falling. The beast snagged her ankle, jerking its head, trying to yank her from her perch. Lightning flashed through the sky, hitting its target—Angel.

Angel closed her eyes as the bolt of electricity hit. The pain she expected never came. Her body absorbed the energy and channeled it to the beast attached to her ankle. The smell of burning fur wafted to Angel’s nostrils. The hound fell to the ground with a thud. The two other monsters sniffed its cohort and growled up at her. Angel redirected the remaining energy to the creatures below with deadly accuracy.

You can purchase Soul Catcher at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Decadent Publishing
All Romance Ebooks

Rewriting is like Lego Pirates of the Caribbean

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 13:43:00 +0000

The best thing I've ever done for my writing was to take a writing course. It's six months long and I'm just about a month into it. I love it. It's been the most inspiring thing I've ever done for my writing. The unfortunate consequence is that you've rarely seen me post in the last 30 days. I have a good reason, though. I'm writing.

After I wrote Chapter 3 last weekend, something just didn't feel right. So I turned the story over and over again, and then I realized what I was missing. But in order to get it in, I'd need to do some rewrites on the first chapter.

Over the weekend, my kids rented Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. Part of the game is to find structures made of Legos, shatter them into tiny pieces, and then rebuild them into a completely different structure that will help you solve that particular level or chapter. Perhaps I just watched them play too much of the game, but as I tore apart Chapter One and rewrote it, the process felt comically similar.

Regardless, the ideas are almost flowing too fast. Have you ever had it where the ideas flood in faster than you can write? And you get frustrated because you don't know whether to drop that red herring in Chapter One or Chapter Two? And where should that very first clue go, Chapter Two or Chapter Three?

It's been a lot of hard work, but for the first time ever, I'm enjoying writing as much as my kids enjoy Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.

Building tension for character meetings

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Mon, 30 May 2011 12:28:00 +0000

I just had an online chat with my writing class. We discussed the topic of initial meetings for the characters in our novels. To add tension to your novel, try the following:

Build up to the meeting by setting positive or negative expectations by either (or both) characters.

Are they worried about the meeting?
Are they looking forward to the meeting?
Not expecting the meeting?
Are they expecting a fight or argument?

Start mentioning the meeting, or character names, several scenes prior to the meeting or character introduction. Just like real life, when you hear about someone prior to meeting them, you'll find yourself having expectations, either positive or negative. We want our readers to feel the same thing.
Don't let your audience down. Once you've set the stage for a meeting, you'll need to follow through and keep it interesting.
No meeting should be "blah." Character meetings are an opportunity for creativity, experimentation, and entertainment. Don't let the opportunity pass you by!

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Writing about taste

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:22:00 +0000

Last week I chaperoned my daughter's school field trip to Discovery World in Milwaukee. While we were there, the class attended a lab on taste. I had no idea it would be a writing workshop.

It turns out there are many different flavors, but only four different tastes. The tastes listed below combine for thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of flavors. When you write about taste, keep in mind the biological fact that the tongue can only sense four different tastes based on the chemical makeup of the substance in your mouth.

Sweet. The tongue detects sweetness when any type of sugar compound touches it. These include chemicals that end in -ose. Like glucose, fructose, etc.
Salty. You guessed it, salty tastes come from the mineral salt.
Sour. Sour tastes come from acids that have a PH level of 1 - 7. These include consumable foods like lemons and vinegar.
Bitter. Bitter tastes come from the opposite end of the PH scale, 8 - 14. These are called bases. Bases include things like baking soda and cocoa (I bet you thought cocoa was sweet. Not until they add the sugar). Bases are also sometimes called antacids because when added to acids, they raise the PH level to a value closer to 7 (through a process called neutralizing). Tums and Milk of Magnesia are good examples of antacids.

Subjectivity in setting

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sat, 21 May 2011 19:41:00 +0000

I've always written objective descriptions of settings. The grass is green. The sky is blue. The room was ten foot by twelve foot. The walls were brown.

Recently, I learned that descriptions of settings should be subjective. As such, they're a great opportunity to show off your voice. A classmate in my writing class also told me that characters will notice certain aspects of a setting, and feel certain ways about them, depending on their emotions at the time.

Characters may also feel differently about the same setting at different times during a story. This allows authors to use different descriptions of the same setting at different times. Sometimes this is referred to as "character as setting."

If your writing is lackluster, try a different approach to setting. The room is no longer six foot by eight foot. Now it's dark and claustrophobic. Or warm and safe like an animal den. Or any other description that both conveys the setting and your character's emotions.

It's Tubesday: Who is iJustine?

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Wed, 18 May 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Justine Ezarik is one of the most successful personalities on YouTube. She's 27 years-old and is known to her fans simply as iJustine. In fact, she was iJustine before Nickelodeon launched iCarly. She sometimes jests that Nickelodeon stole the idea from her, which is quite possibly true.

The fascinating thing about iJustine is that she does not have a "real job." She earns her living strictly as a YouTube celebrity through speaking engagements, product placements, and promotions in her vlogs. She also landed several guest appearances on successful television programs.

Before you write her off as a young girl who stumbled into dumb luck, consider first that she's an honor student, a college graduate, and has served on corporate advisory boards for NASDAQ-listed companies like Intel. She also has over 1.1 million subscribers on her YouTube channel and has close to 200,000,000 total video views.

Here's a sample video of iJustine's work. At the end of the video there's an opportunity to win a free Caboodle if you're into that type of thing.

Need white noise?

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:04:00 +0000

I haven't posted in a long time.

First, after posting every day in April, I found myself a little blogged out. Second, In early May I began my first online writing course, and I've been focusing my attention on the course and my novel.

I really enjoy the course. It's a six month course at Savvyauthors.com. The lectures and assignments have been very helpful.

On another note, have you ever just needed some white, pink, or brown noise to filter out outside noises while writing? I found a pretty neat website that will send some soothing sounds through your headphones while you write.

Check it out at http://www.simplynoise.com.

Image: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's Tubesday: More than you can chew

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:41:00 +0000

In the summer of 2010, writer, director, actor Tony Valenzuela created a series called BlackBoxTV for YouTube. While most YouTube content focuses on music and comedy, BlackBoxTV produces indie horror shorts.

Last year, I submitted a 7-page script to BlackboxTV called Pendulum. I received a nice reply from Tony thanking me for the submission, but I haven't seen it produced to date. Such is a writer's life.

Below is my favorite short from BlackBoxTV. Urban fantasy fans will find this episode especially entertaining. This episode was written by Dan Trachtenberg and Mark D. Walker.

Sunday Scripture: Exodus 33:19

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sun, 08 May 2011 14:29:00 +0000

“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19)

These words were spoken by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. These are important words because God is telling us about Himself. Many people believe God is mysterious, but God has told us a lot about Himself through scripture.

From this verse I know the following is true:

God reports to no one. Not even me.
God is subjective.

Jesus once told the religious leaders of his day, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you" (Matthew 21:31).

These two verses speak volumes about Who has final judgment on all humankind. They are a reminder of the foolishness of self-righteousness. They are good reason to be humble and to pray for God's mercy and grace. At the end of the day, no matter how good we think we are, or how bad we think we are, only His grace and mercy can save us.

Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Literary iPhone cases

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:41:00 +0000

Want to boast of your intellectual appreciation of classic literature?

Outofprintclothing.com is now selling literary iPhone cases. You can choose from seven different classic titles. This blog post kind of sounds like an ad, doesn't it? It's not. I just thought it was relevant. Enjoy!

Classic literature meets the iPhone

It's Tubesday: I Hope This Gets To You

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Tue, 03 May 2011 12:00:00 +0000

It's Tubesday is a new recurring post for this blog. Every Tuesday I'll share a popular YouTube video along with a commentary.

Why? Because YouTube is a leading indicator for emerging pop culture. It's an indie artist's best friend. Sometimes I'll post something relevant to writing, like a book trailer or writing advice. Other times, it will just be a fun video. I'll keep it interesting.

My first post is a video titled "I Hope This Gets To You."

On November 28, 2010, Walter May posted a YouTube music video he created with his friends and roommates from the indie band The Daylights. His goal was to get the message to his girlfriend, Lex, "organically." That meant all mutual friends were banned from sending her the link directly. She would have to discover it on her own.

On December 2, 2010, May tweeted "WE DID IT!!! SHE LOVES IT!!! Thank all of you for the support. Amazing what we can do together! YOU made the world a little smaller tonight."

And the bar was raised for boyfriends everywhere. So glad I'm married.

(And, of course, the song is now available on iTunes, and The Daylights are touring)

Sunday Scripture: Proverbs 19:21 and Survivor

noreply@blogger.com (Corey Popp) — Sun, 01 May 2011 18:41:00 +0000

Beginning in May, I'm going to start a couple recurring blog updates. One of them is going to be Sunday Scripture. These posts will consist of a Bible verse and a commentary.

You may think this has very little to do with writing. Yet, the Bible is one of the most printed books of all time, if not the most printed. Furthermore, it provides me the opportunity to write. There is no other task that is more important to a writer. Lastly, Jesus is important to me. This allows me to express it.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. - Proverbs 19:21

This is my favorite Bible verse. It brings me peace. It reminds me that even my failures and disappointments are God's will. When I pray, I try to acknowledge His will in my prayers while also expressing my own desires and hopes.

Before his arrest, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” - Matthew 26:39

God's will and Survivor: Redemption Island
This season on Survivor, there is a Christian contestant named Matt Elrod. He has twice been banished by the other contestants to "Redemption Island" where he must win physical challenges to stay in the game.

Surely Matt never planned to spend his entire time on Survivor in exile. He is unhappy and defeated. Yet, he has routinely acknowledged that God must have a bigger plan. He trusts Him.

Does God want Matt to win Survivor? I doubt it. It seems a pretty trivial desire for the Creator.

However, something much bigger has already happened. Recently eliminated contestant, Julie Wolfe, admitted that she entered the game to try to save her home from foreclosure. Upon being ejected from the game, she announced that after meeting Matt she found unexpected peace. She said she will return home to find a church. Although the game of Survivor did not save Julie's home, it may have saved her soul. That is not trivial.

I am reminded of what the betrayed Joseph said to his brothers: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..." (Gen 50:20)

Proverbs 19:21 keeps me humble. It tells me who's really in charge.