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	<title>Marcy Kennedy - Freelance Writer and Editor</title>
	
	<link>http://www.marcykennedy.com</link>
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		<title>Four Reasons Battlestar Galactica Isn’t Just for Sci-Fi Fans</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarcyKennedy/~3/SU408rciNEY/</link>
		<comments>http://www.marcykennedy.com/battlestar-galactica/four-reasons-battlestar-galactica-isn%e2%80%99t-just-for-sci-fi-fans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:30:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battlestar Galactica]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[science fiction]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Please welcome back my husband Chris for a guest post on why he thinks one of our favorite science fiction shows, Battlestar Galactica, isn&#8217;t just for science fiction fans. If given a chance, Chris is convinced it would appeal to almost everyone. ******************************************************************************************************************** Picture Source: google.com via Marcy on Pinterest I’ve written about Battlestar Galactica [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;">Please welcome back my husband Chris for a guest post on why he thinks one of our favorite science fiction shows, <em>Battlestar Galactica</em>, isn&#8217;t just for science fiction fans. If given a chance, Chris is convinced it would appeal to almost everyone.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">********************************************************************************************************************</span></p>
<p style="font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/191191946650604068/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/191191946650604068_dmUpOIPV_c.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="391" border="0" /></a>Picture Source: <a style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=51x&amp;sa=X&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;biw=1366&amp;bih=596&amp;tbm=isch&amp;prmd=imvns&amp;tbnid=jVlwgv1jcrRzDM:&amp;imgrefurl=http://davidsmckim.blogspot.com/2011/10/cylons-are-coming.html&amp;docid=qhTr0YRC6G8s6M&amp;imgurl=http://scifitvgeek.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/bsg-cylons-were-created-by-man.jpg&amp;w=600&amp;h=783&amp;ei=EA8zT_SxFKu10AGO8YXkBw&amp;zoom=1&amp;iact=hc&amp;vpx=704&amp;vpy=4&amp;dur=5430&amp;hovh=257&amp;hovw=196&amp;tx=90&amp;ty=136&amp;sig=105419003108023704805&amp;page=4&amp;tbnh=134&amp;tbnw=107&amp;start=88&amp;ndsp=28&amp;ved=1t:429,r:3,s:88">google.com</a> via <a style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;" href="http://pinterest.com/kennedymarcy/" target="_blank">Marcy</a> on <a style="text-decoration: underline; color: #76838b;" href="http://pinterest.com" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I’ve written about <em>Battlestar Galactica</em> before, but only in passing, and only comparing a single <em>BSG</em> character to <em>Star Wars</em>’ Wedge Antilles. But <em>BSG</em> is one of the few science fiction shows with appeal for all kinds of viewers (such as Marcy, a Trekkie, and me, the <em>Star Wars</em> equivalent to a Trekkie), so I decided to put together this post to tell you all why I absolutely love <em>Battlestar Galactica</em>—and why you probably would, too.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Great Storytelling</strong> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The plot of almost every <em>BSG</em> episode was believable, interesting, and extremely engaging. We started off buying just the first season, but very quickly added the remaining three seasons because the story was just that good. And many were the nights where we stayed up until 2am or later, until we could barely keep our eyes open any longer, because we always wanted to watch “just one more,” to see where the story went. The writers had a talent for ending on a cliffhanger.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>A Realistic Depiction of the Future</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Star Trek</em> has phasers and transporters and replicator technology. <em>Star Wars</em> has lightsabers and turbolaser cannons and the HoloNet. The <em>Stargate</em> series has interstellar gates. But none of these technologies are all that realistic when you look at today’s technology level and its likely rate of evolution even 300 years into the future.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">In contrast, all the ships in <em>Battlestar Galactica</em> use kinetic weapons (weapons that don’t contain an explosive or electric charge). These range from a sort of machine gun in the nose of the human’s Viper starfighters to the nuclear-tipped missiles hurled by the Cylon basestars. Even the depictions of the Vipers’ maneuverability were more accurate than you’d expect, and included the use of attitude thrusters to move the ship around. Astronauts already use less sophisticated attitude thrusters today.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Galactica</em> used an internal phone and intercom system, and lacked the comm badges, comlinks, and viewscreens of <em>Star Wars</em> and <em>Star Trek</em>. <em>Galactica</em>’s computer systems, even when networked, required several minutes to run complex calculations, and the comm systems in <em>BSG</em> all seemed to feature the type of distorted transmissions I would expect to hear over such long ranges.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Basically, I think the technology in <em>Battlestar Galactica</em> is closer to the technological reality we’ll have in the next couple hundred years.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>A Unique Villain</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The biggest sticking point for most science fiction is having a flat villain. If you don’t have a unique, believable, engaging villain, the show just doesn&#8217;t work well. Fortunately for us, <em>BSG</em> doesn’t have that problem. The Cylons (cybernetic organisms originally created to serve humanity) gained sentience and revolted against their former masters, disappearing after the first human-Cylon war and appearing again after 40 years to destroy the Twelve Colonies.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">But the Cylons aren’t your typical cybernetic organisms. While the original Cylons looked like many depictions of futuristic robots, the Cylons have evolved and gained the ability to look just like a human, indistinguishable from a real person. The look, sound, and feel just like a real human, and the sleeper agents don’t even know they’re a Cylon until their sleeper circuit gets tripped. About the only difference between a “skin job” and a real human is that the female Cylons’ spines glow red during sexual activity.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">And worse for the human survivors of the Cylons’ nuclear bombardment of the Colonies, the Cylons possess a Resurrection Ship, which automatically downloads a fallen Cylon’s memories and experiences into a new body and activates it, creating a never-ending stream of cybernetic warriors bent on grinding their former masters into so much interstellar dust.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">How do you even fight against an enemy like that?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Engaging Special Effects and Cinematography</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I found the special effects and cinematography of <em>BSG</em> to be top-notch. One of my favorite things about the show was how a lot of the exterior, long-distance shots were shown. Rather than the standard, steady, zoomed-in fare you get in most film, <em>BSG</em> has a lot of exterior shots that look like they were recorded on a hand-held camera, with the field of view zooming in too fast before resolving itself, and the recording itself being shaky, as would befit a distant observer.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em><strong>For those of you who already love BSG, what do you think made it such a great show? If you haven’t seen Battlestar Galactica before, has this convinced you to watch an episode on Netflix?</strong></em></span></p>
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		<title>Geek Fashion Show</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarcyKennedy/~3/teQ39gp-mpM/</link>
		<comments>http://www.marcykennedy.com/marcys-blog/geek-fashion-show/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:30:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marcy's Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy author]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[If at least one of these t-shirt designs makes you smile, your nerd is showing For when you&#8217;ve had a fight with your significant other. (From www.snorgtees.com) &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; For when you can&#8217;t remember what you did with your keys&#8211;again. (From www.snorgtees.com) &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; For when the weather ruins [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;">If at least one of these t-shirt designs makes you smile, your nerd is showing <img src='http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Get-Real-Be-Rational1.gif"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-820" title="Get Real Be Rational T-Shirt" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Get-Real-Be-Rational1.gif" alt="Get Real Be Rational T-Shirt" width="188" height="178" /></a>For when you&#8217;ve had a fight with your significant other. (From www.snorgtees.com)</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Positive-Electrons.png"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-821" title="Positive Electrons T-Shirt" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Positive-Electrons.png" alt="Positive Electrons T-Shirt" width="188" height="178" /></a>For when you can&#8217;t remember what you did with your keys&#8211;again. (From www.snorgtees.com)</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Alderaan-Weather-Forecast.gif"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-822" title="Alderaan Weather Forecast T-Shirt" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Alderaan-Weather-Forecast.gif" alt="Alderaan Weather Forecast T-Shirt" width="188" height="178" /></a>For when the weather ruins your plans, and you need a reminder that things could be worse. A deathstar could show up. It could happen. (From www.snorgtees.com)</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Unladen-swallow.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-824" title="Airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Unladen-swallow.jpg" alt="Airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow" width="170" height="170" /></a>In case you ever find the need to cross the Bridge of Death in search of the Holy Grail (From www.zazzle.com)</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Princess-Bride-Classic-Blunders.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-825" title="Princess Bride Classic Blunders" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Princess-Bride-Classic-Blunders-300x218.jpg" alt="Princess Bride Classic Blunders" width="238" height="173" /></a><span style="color: #000000;">&#8220;You&#8217;ve beaten my giant, which means you&#8217;re exceptionally strong, so you could&#8217;ve put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you&#8217;ve also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me&#8221; (Vizzini in William Goldman&#8217;s 1973 <em>The Princess Bride</em>). (T-shirt from www.snorgtees.com)</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/True-Statement-False-Statement.gif"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-827" title="True Statement False Statement" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/True-Statement-False-Statement.gif" alt="True Statement False Statement" width="188" height="178" /></a><span style="color: #000000;">Because sometimes you just need some quiet time. (From www.snorgtees.com)</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000000;">Any favorites you&#8217;d like to share? Tell me about them or link to them in the comments.</span></p>
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		<title>3 Lessons on Reaching Your Goals from The Vow</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarcyKennedy/~3/DFWh6AhJ66o/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:30:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life at Warp 10]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[reaching your goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Vow]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.marcykennedy.com/?p=810</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Because I couldn’t stand to see Jar-Jar Binks in 3D, when my husband and I went to the movies over the weekend for an early Valentine’s Day date, we ended up seeing The Vow, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. Basically, a woman is in a car accident and loses her memories of the last [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/The-Vow-Channing-Tatum.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-812" title="The Vow Channing Tatum" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/The-Vow-Channing-Tatum-217x300.jpg" alt="The Vow Channing Tatum" width="217" height="300" /></a>Because I couldn’t stand to see Jar-Jar Binks in 3D, when my husband and I went to the movies over the weekend for an early Valentine’s Day date, we ended up seeing</span> <a title="The Vow Rachel McAdams Channing Tatum" href="http://www.thevow-movie.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Vow</em>, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum</a><span style="color: #000000;">. Basically, a woman is in a car accident and loses her memories of the last five to six years of her life. Her husband tries to convince her to fall in love with him again. <em>The Vow</em> was inspired by the</span> <a title="The Vow true story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bELs8Uh86QM" target="_blank">true story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter</a><span style="color: #000000;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">While I’d rate the movie itself as mediocre, I left the theater thinking about what it would be like if that happened to me. Where was I six years ago, back in 2006? </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Don’t underestimate how far you’ve come.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Sometimes all I can see is how far I still have to go to get to where I want to be. I had plans for what I wanted my life to be like when I reached 30, and I’m not there. Nowhere close. Last week that gap hit me especially hard. I started to feel like a failure and began to question every decision I’ve made.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">But when I look back to 2006, it’s how far I’ve come that jumps out at me.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">In 2006, I was single. I hadn’t even met my husband yet. Worse,</span> <a title="Marcy Kennedy fantasy author chimera post" href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/mythical-creatures/my-life-as-a-three-headed-chimera/" target="_blank">I was still trying to fit into what people expected me to be</a> <span style="color: #000000;">or wanted me to be rather than giving myself the freedom to just be me. Now I’m happily married to a man who’s my best friend, who knows and loves the real me.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">In February 2006, I still hadn’t had so much as an article published, and I was mired in trying to fix the same novel I’d been working on for five years. It would never be publishable, but I couldn’t see it then. Now I make my living from writing articles and editing.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">In 2006, I didn’t have a blog or a website. I wasn’t on any social media sites. Now all those things are part of my life, a part that makes it much richer and more enjoyable.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">When you start to feel like you’ve lost your way, screwed up your life, or are a failure, take a look back. Where were you five years ago?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>If you miss something you used to have, get it back.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Rachel McAdams’ character, Paige, goes back to a time before she became estranged from her family. Even though she finds that some of the changes she made in her missing years were the right ones for her, losing her family wasn’t. She has to find a way to keep the good changes and rid herself of the bad.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Not everything is better in my life either. Just as Paige was aghast to discover she had a tattoo on her back, if I woke up with the last six years missing, I’d be horrified at the weight I’ve gained. It’s not simply vanity weight. I need to lose at least 20 pounds to be healthy. And I miss being lighter. I slept better, felt better, and had fewer back problems when I weighed less. It’s something I’ll be working on.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Just because the time isn’t right now doesn’t mean it won’t ever be right.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Considering <em>The Vow</em> was a romance and based on a true story, I don’t think I’m giving anything away with this point. Channing Tatum’s character Leo works for months to win his wife back. He tries introducing her to their friends to jog her memory, and he takes her out on a date. Nothing he tries works.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Finally he backs off and gives her the divorce she wants. And then he waits. Eventually, even though she never regains her memory, she comes back to him, and the movie ends on a note of hope for their future.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">It’s too easy to give up on our dreams and goals if we don’t reach them in our timing. Human beings are notoriously impatient. Sometimes, though, a failure just means the timing isn’t right. We should wait, bide our time, and see what happens.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><em>Where were you five years ago? Have you made progress toward your long-term goals, or are there things you miss that you want to get back?</em></strong></span></p>
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		<title>How We Met: Guest Post by Jess Witkins</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarcyKennedy/~3/9TnncwAd-t4/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:30:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marcy's Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness Project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how we me stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jess Witkins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life at Warp 10]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcy Kennedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valentine's Day]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.marcykennedy.com/?p=790</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello readers! You’re probably wondering who I am. My name is Jess Witkins, and I convinced Marcy to hand over her blog for the price of an I-Tunes gift card. Yep, she’s that easy. And now you’re stuck with me. What’s that frightened look in your eyes?! I haven’t done anything yet! Ok, I promise [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;">Hello readers! You’re probably wondering who I am. My name is Jess Witkins, and I convinced Marcy to hand over her blog for the price of an I-Tunes gift card. Yep, she’s that easy. And now you’re stuck with me. What’s that frightened look in your eyes?! I haven’t done anything yet!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> Ok, I promise no harm came to the owner of this blog, or any other blog for that matter, at my hands. But if you know Marcy, she’s had her share of broken bones. In fact, she’s talking about bones today at my blog, bones and backbones! Cheer her on and visit in the comments section</span> <a title="Jess Witkins Happiness Project" href="http://jesswitkins.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Since she’s given me limitless word count approval, I thought I’d chat a little with you guys. Valentine’s Day is approaching so I can’t help it that love is on my brain. Many of you are planning romantic ways to say “I love you” to your partners, reserving intimate date night dinners, and buying chocolate and flowers to say “<em>You are so sweet, and you smell good too!</em>” </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> My honey is very deserving of all these things. But it’s not enough to just tell him how I feel, I should tell everyone! And everyone who reads Marcy’s blog. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> <strong>My Honeypot:  A Romantic Retelling of How We Met</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> It was my Freshman year of college and I was busy taking all my general education classes at once. Eighteen credits and honor society status, I was a good student. He didn’t show up for class sometimes, but boy did he smell good when he did!  </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> On good days, we <em>happened</em> to sit by each other. And on great days, we <em>talked</em>. He thought I was crazy, and I thought he was cute. He was close to graduating, and I was still enrolled in the theater program (a path that wasn’t meant to see fruition). At 19 years old, I wanted to try everything. I was active in several student organizations, I held leadership positions, I had classes in almost every building on campus!  </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Maze-to-Jess-Witkins-Classes.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-792 aligncenter" title="Maze to Jess Witkins' Classes" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Maze-to-Jess-Witkins-Classes-150x150.jpg" alt="Jess Witkins How We Met" width="150" height="150" /></a></strong></span><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Jess’ route between classes!</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Both of us were in other relationships at the time, and at very different points in our lives. He was a soon to be graduate with a music education major, the lead guitarist in a major local band, and had a great reputation with area schools. I was still living in the dorms and would change my mind about what program I wanted to study a couple more times.  </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> Flash forward two years, and you’d find me coaxed out of my apartment by friends and dragged downtown to the local pub for some live music. Imagine my surprise when <em>there he was! He too was out with friends to check out the very same band! </em>Now ladies, it’s a well known fact that men have something we women are powerless against. It’s scientific name is <em>mojo. Mojo Machofinus </em>in latin.  </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Village-People-Macho-Man.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-793" title="Village People Macho Man" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Village-People-Macho-Man-150x150.jpg" alt="Village People Macho Man" width="150" height="150" /></a></strong><em>The full research study is available on this album.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> Well, as you can guess it, we started talking. Little did I know he’d <em>completely </em>forgotten my name! He recognized me, and came over to talk, but he had no idea what my name was!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> <strong>Gentlemen, listen up! This is why it’s so important you have a &#8220;wingman.&#8221; Urban dictionary defines ‘wingman’ as this:</strong></span></p>
<p align="center"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Wingman</strong></span></p>
<p align="center"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>A Wingman is a guy you bring along with you on singles</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"><strong>outings (like to bars) that helps you out with the women. </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> It was through his friend <em>(my favorite friend of his)</em> that he learned my name again, and did so flawlessly. I wouldn’t find out he was sweating the whole time until years later! This friend also casually mentioned another show we should both check out, but the show was at a venue way up in the bluffs.  </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Grandad-Bluff-Jess-Witkins.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-794" title="Grandad Bluff Jess Witkins" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Grandad-Bluff-Jess-Witkins-150x150.jpg" alt="Grandad Bluff Jess Witkins" width="150" height="150" /></a></strong><em>Yep, we had to go up there!  No kidding!  Welcome to La Crosse, WI!</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> He soon offered me a ride to the show and asked to get coffee with him ahead. I said yes!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> So, that’s the tale of how we met. It’s been five years since then and you know what, he still surprises me with the things he doesn’t know! But he is also my biggest fan, my best friend, and he knows how to make me laugh.  </span></p>
<p align="center"><span style="color: #000000;">Happy Valentine’s, Honeypot!  I’m so glad we met!</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Jess-Witkins-and-Her-Honeypot.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-795" title="Jess Witkins and Her Honeypot" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Jess-Witkins-and-Her-Honeypot-150x150.jpg" alt="Jess Witkins and Her Honeypot" width="150" height="150" /></a><span style="color: #000000;"><strong></strong><em>Me and My Valentine</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>What are your favorite stories of love to share? Is it the love for your partner, your children, a parent, a pet, or a friend? Who will you be wishing Happy Valentine’s to?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Bio: </strong>Jess Witkins claims the title Perseverance Expert. She grew up in a small Wisconsin town as the much younger</span><a href="http://jesswitkins.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/little-sister-of-nine-lives/"> youngest sibling of four</a><span style="color: #000000;">, she’s witnessed the paranormal, jumped out of a plane, worked in retail, traveled to exotic locations like Italy, Ireland, and Shipshewana, Indiana, and she’s</span><a href="http://jesswitkins.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/girl-gets-butt-kicked-remedies-with-sandwich/"> eaten bologna</a> <span style="color: #000000;">and lived to tell about it! She deals with it all and writes about it! Come along on her midwest adventures; Witkins promises to keep it honest and entertaining. Go ahead,</span><a href="http://jesswitkins.wordpress.com/feed/"> SUBSCRIBE</a>,<span style="color: #000000;"> you know you want to.</span><span style="color: #000000;"> Follow on Twitter:  @jesswitkins</span></p>
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		<title>Fighting Dirty, Forgiveness, and CPR for the Undead</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarcyKennedy/~3/iQsUJ4LaL8U/</link>
		<comments>http://www.marcykennedy.com/grab-bag/fighting-dirty-forgiveness-or-cpr-for-the-undead/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:30:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grab Bag]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance editor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lady of the Lake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life at Warp 10]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lisa Hall-Wilson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcy Kennedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robin Hood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vampires]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.marcykennedy.com/?p=775</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Happy Saturday! I haven&#8217;t done a grab bag for a few weeks, so this one is bursting at the seams because I couldn&#8217;t throw away any of these treats. At least they&#8217;re all calorie free. For Fantasy and Science Fiction Lovers CPR for the Undead by Emmie Mears &#8211; Can vampires be saved or has [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;">Happy Saturday! I haven&#8217;t done a grab bag for a few weeks, so this one is bursting at the seams because I couldn&#8217;t throw away any of these treats. At least they&#8217;re all calorie free.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>For Fantasy and Science Fiction Lovers</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Vampires Emmie Mears" href="http://emmiemears.com/2012/01/28/cpr-for-the-undead-can-we-save-the-vampires/" target="_blank">CPR for the Undead by Emmie Mears</a> &#8211; Can vampires be saved or has all the sparkling made them a thing of the past?<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Robin Hood Jessica O'Neal" href="http://thesexylittlenerd.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/robin-hood-a-story-transcribed/" target="_blank">Robin Hood: A Story Transcribed by Jessica O&#8217;Neal</a> &#8211; This is the next installment in her great series on Robin Hood. This time she looks at the different ways Robin Hood (and other characters in his legends) have shown up in literature over the years.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Lady of the Lake Lisa Hall-Wilson" href="http://www.lisahallwilson.com/2012/01/31/the-lady-of-the-lake/" target="_blank">Lady of the Lake by Lisa Hall-Wilson</a> &#8211; The Lady of the Lake plays a central role in the novel Lisa and I are writing. In this post, Lisa looks at who the Lady of the Lake might have been.</span></p>
<p><a title="Epirus Bow Mount Tartarus Debra Kristi" href="http://debrakristi.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/immortal-monday-on-the-epirus-bow-and-mount-tartarus/" target="_blank">Immortal Monday on the Epirus Bow and Mount Tartarus by Debra Kristi</a> <span style="color: #000000;">- What the movie got right . . . and what it didn&#8217;t.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">For Writers</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Fighting Dirty Jenny Hansen" href="http://jennyhansenauthor.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/23-techniques-for-fighting-dirty-a-guide-for-your-fictional-throw-down/" target="_blank">23 Techniques for Fighting Dirty by Jenny Hansen</a> &#8211; Jenny&#8217;s posts on fighting dirty and fighting clean will help you put conflict into your novel and take it out of your marriage. Make sure you check out the <a title="Fighting Dirty Jenny Hansen" href="https://jennyhansenauthor.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/dirty-fighting-contest-round-2/" target="_blank">Fighting Dirty Contest</a> that starts after Valentine&#8217;s Day as well.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Novel Query Letters" href="http://agencygatekeeper.blogspot.com/2008/04/life-of-pie.html" target="_blank">Why An Agent Rejects Your Query Letter</a> &#8211; The answer might surprise you.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">The Meaning of Life</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Kristen Lamb" href="http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/3-steps-to-freedom-grab-hold-of-your-brilliant-future/" target="_blank">3 Steps to Freedom – Grab Hold of Your Brilliant Future by Kristen Lamb</a> &#8211; This post is one of my all-time favorites. It&#8217;s encouraging and practical and has me thinking carefully every time I say &#8220;I&#8217;m just tired.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Forgiveness Natalie Hartford" href="http://nataliehartford.com/2012/01/30/forgiveness-its-all-about-you/" target="_blank">Forgiveness: It&#8217;s All About You by Natalie Hartford</a> &#8211; Reasons to forgive someone who&#8217;s hurt you regardless of whether they apologize.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Slaying Dragons Ingrid Schaffenburg" href="https://ingridschaffenburg.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/the-year-to-slay-your-dragon/" target="_blank">The Year to Slay Your Dragons by Ingrid Schaffenburg</a> &#8211; Dreams come with dragons, but before we can slay them, we have to recognize them.</span></p>
<p><em><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Have you read any of these posts? What did you love about them?</span></strong></em></p>
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		<title>The Lie of Helen of Troy</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarcyKennedy/~3/Urirr5KhHM0/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:30:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life at Warp 10]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcy's Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mythical Creatures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[August McLaughlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beauty of a Woman Blogfest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helen of Troy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcy Kennedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mythical creatures]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.marcykennedy.com/?p=783</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The dental hygienist peered into my mouth at the gap where my front tooth used to be. “How did it happen?” she asked. “Did you fall?” “I bit a piece of soft caraway-rye bread.” “Oh.” It started when a previous dentist botched a simple filling. I returned to him four times to have it fixed, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beauty-of-a-Woman-Blogfest.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-784" title="Beauty of a Woman Blogfest" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beauty-of-a-Woman-Blogfest.jpg" alt="Helen of Troy for BOAW Blogfest by Marcy Kennedy" width="280" height="280" /></a>The dental hygienist peered into my mouth at the gap where my front tooth used to be. “How did it happen?” she asked. “Did you fall?”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“I bit a piece of soft caraway-rye bread.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“Oh.” </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">It started when a previous dentist botched a simple filling. I returned to him four times to have it fixed, and on the final visit, he hit my root, so I needed a root canal. During the root canal, he compromised the integrity of my tooth enough that I had to have my tooth ground down to a peg and a cap placed on. No surprise that, instead of lasting ten years, the peg snapped after three, breaking off at the gum line.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">And so there I sat in the office of my new dentist, a hole in my mouth, with two important flute performances (one of which was my brother’s wedding) scheduled, and my own wedding day less than six months away, and asked, “What are my options?”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">My dentist adjusted my x-rays on the 8”-by-11” illuminated screen. “You could have a bridge put in, but that would mean destroying the healthy teeth on the sides.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Ruining two more teeth? No thanks. “What else?”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“We could try to drive a peg into what remains of the tooth pulp, but there’s not much left and we can’t guarantee how long it’ll last.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“So I’d lose my tooth again at some undefined time in the future?” I asked.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“Unfortunately, yes.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“Are there any other options?”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“An implant.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“How long does that take?”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“Usually eight months to a year.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">And my wedding was in . . .</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">That night, when I got onto webcams with my fiancé (now my husband), I didn’t even want to look at my image on the screen. Not only did I have no front tooth, but my eyes were puffy from crying and ringed in black from a lack of sleep.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">And maybe that shouldn’t have mattered. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so devastated. It was just a tooth.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">But <strong>I’d bought into the Helen of Troy lie</strong>. In Greek mythology, Helen was a demigod, the daughter of Zeus and the queen of Sparta. When Helen reached marriageable age, anywhere from 11 to 36 suitors (depending on the source you read) competed for her hand because <strong>she was the most beautiful woman in the world</strong>.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Reports differ on how Helen later ended up with the Trojan prince Paris, but the Greek poet Sappo says she simply deserted her husband and nine-year-old daughter to go with him to Troy. Her husband wanted her back, and put together an army to attack Troy. Unfortunately, the ships they were to travel on couldn’t sail because there wasn’t any wind.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia, to get wind. For Helen.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Iphigenia’s mother (who was also Helen’s sister) argued with Agamemnon, telling him he was “buying what we most detest with what we hold most dear” (Euripides, <em>Iphigenia in Aulis</em>, 1170). She called her sister a “wicked woman,” but to no avail. Iphigenia died. Troy fell. Helen abandoned Paris and later betrayed to death the man she took as a lover after him. When her husband went to kill her for her infidelity, she dropped her robe and her beauty stayed his hand.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>They didn’t compete for her, fight for her, kill and die for her because she was loyal or intelligent or brave.</strong> They did it because she was beautiful. Her beauty made her the most desirable and valued woman in the Greek world.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The lie of Helen of Troy is that beauty is purely physical and that it matters more than character, more than honor, more than intelligence.</strong> The lie of Helen of Troy drove me to starve myself and work out for four hours or more a day to try to become beautiful.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The lie of Helen of Troy made me actually worry that my fiancé might stop loving me if I wasn’t pretty on the outside.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">But he knew that without me ever having to tell him because he knew me. When our webcams turned on, he called me <em>beautiful</em>, but then told me what made me beautiful to him.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">It wasn’t my eyes. It was the things we had in common. It wasn’t whether or not I had wrinkles (or a tooth). It was my brain. It wasn’t anything physical at all. What I looked like was just a bonus, he said. What made me beautiful was who I was inside and the things I did.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I’ve never felt more beautiful than when I saw myself through his eyes. And thanks to him, I’m starting to see the lie of Helen of Troy for what it is—just a lie.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><em>When have you bought into the lie of Helen of Troy? What helped you see it for a lie?</em></strong></span></p>
<p><em><span style="color: #000000;">This post was written as part of the Beauty of a Woman blogfest being hosted by the truly beautiful </span><a title="August Mclaughlin Beauty of a Woman" href="http://augustmclaughlin.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">August McLaughlin</a><span style="color: #000000;">. Visit her blog tomorrow (Friday, February 10<sup>th</sup>) to read a bunch of inspiring stories and for chances to win awesome </span><a title="August McLaughlin BOAW prizes" href="http://augustmclaughlin.wordpress.com/beauty-of-a-woman-blogfest/prizes/" target="_blank">prizes</a><span style="color: #000000;">, including a Kindle Touch or a $99 Amazon gift card, body image coaching, BOAW mugs, and more.</span></em></p>
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		<title>6 Grammar Mistakes That Will Cost You Readers</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:30:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance editor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Girls With Pens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grammar mistakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcy Kennedy]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Make these mistakes in a query letter, and your work might never see publication. Make these mistakes in a blog often enough, and your readers will find another similar blog that doesn’t make them cringe. Mistake #1: Your/You’re This mistake is why I can only take Facebook in small doses some days. Add to the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Top-Grammar-Mistakes.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-770" title="Top Grammar Mistakes" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Top-Grammar-Mistakes.jpg" alt="6 Grammar Mistakes that Will Cost You Readers - Marcy Kennedy" width="300" height="225" /></a>Make these mistakes in a query letter, and your work might never see publication. Make these mistakes in a blog often enough, and your readers will find another similar blog that doesn’t make them cringe.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Mistake #1: Your/You’re</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">This mistake is why I can only take Facebook in small doses some days.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Add to the list <em>it’s/its</em>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> Please also add <em>their/there/they’re</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">This is a ridiculously simple mistake to avoid. Just stop and ask whether your sentence requires a possessive or a contraction.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Your</em> is possessive, implying ownership: “I love your blog.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> <em>You’re</em> is a contraction of <em>you are</em>. The apostrophe indicates that <em>you</em> and <em>are</em> smashed together to make them shorter and smoother to say: “You’re giving me a headache with all this grammar talk.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Their = possessive</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> There = a place (“I’ve been there”) or a pronoun (“There is no way I’m jumping off that cliff.”)</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> They’re = they are</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">It’s = it is (or it has)</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> Its = possessive</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Mistake #2: Leaving Out a Serial Comma</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">A serial comma involves placing a comma after every item in a series: “I love eating jelly beans, chocolate, and cranberries.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">You could write this without the serial comma: “I love eating jelly beans, chocolate and cranberries.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Serial commas aren’t mandatory, but they are recommended by most major style guides for a very simple reason—they eliminate the risk of being unintentionally funny.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“A housewife’s job involves more than cleaning, cooking and birthing babies.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> Is it just me, or does that sound like she’s serving up roast baby for dinner?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">But add a serial comma and we have “A housewife’s job involves more than cleaning, cooking, and birthing babies.” Now we have a clear tribute to mothers rather than cannibalism.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The only thing worse than being boring is being unintentionally funny. Once people laugh <em>at</em> you, that’s all they’re going to remember about your post. At least if you’re boring, they forget about you.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I live by the <em>better safe than sorry</em> rule. If I always use a serial comma, I never run the risk of leaving it out when I should have put it in.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Mistake #3: Could of, Should of, Would of</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“I could of finished that 10 oz. steak if I wanted to, but I’m watching my waistline.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">This mistake crops up when people write the same way they speak. When we speak, we often slur <em>could’ve</em> (the contraction of <em>could have</em>) so that it sounds like <em>could of</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Of</em> can be used correctly in many different ways. This isn’t one of them. You might be able to get away with it in speech, but not in your writing.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Mistake #4: To/Too/Two</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I know. This one just seems like the first English speakers were being mean. Not only do these all sound the same, but they’re only one letter different from each other.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Two</em> is a number: “If you already have one chocolate bar and I give you mine, then you have <em>two</em> chocolate bars and I’m going to be asking you to share.” Hold up two fingers. They form half a W. <em>To</em> and <em>too</em> don’t have that shape in them. They are not numbers. If that doesn’t work for you, remember that <em>two</em> (as a number) starts the same way as<em> twins</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Too</em> is an <a title="adverb" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/adverb" target="_blank"><span style="color: #000000;">adverb</span></a> expressing the idea of “excessively,” “also,” or “as well”: “This word has one too many <em>o</em>‘s in it.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>To</em> is a <a title="preposition" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/preposition" target="_blank"><span style="color: #000000;">preposition</span></a>. It’s used to begin a prepositional phrase or an<a title="infinitive" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/infinitive" target="_blank"><span style="color: #000000;"> infinitive</span></a>. The best way to remember<em> to</em> is to place it where neither <em>two</em> nor <em>too</em> will work.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“I went to church on Sunday.” (preposition)</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“I want to eat your chocolate.” (infinitive)</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Mistake #5: Lack of Parallelism in Lists</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Parallelism in a list makes your sentences easier for your reader to understand.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“To contribute to Easter dinner, I peeled two potatoes, three yams, and baked a pie.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Your reader will understand this sentence, but it will feel awkward. And grammar Nazis will snicker at you behind their hands.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Take the sentence apart, and you’ll see the problem.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">To contribute to Easter dinner, I . . .</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>peeled</strong> two potatoes</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">three yams</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>baked</strong> a pie.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">You wouldn’t say, “To contribute to Easter dinner, I two yams.” At least I hope you wouldn’t. You need to add a verb in front of “three yams” to make this sentence parallel. “Peeled,” “washed,” “chopped,” or “mashed” would all be correct.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Mistake #6: Dangling Participles</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">A dangling participle is a word or phrase that’s placed so it modifies the wrong thing. This is another one where your readers will find you extremely funny for all the wrong reasons.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“Walking down the road, the house came into view.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> A house taking a walk? I’d buy tickets to see that.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“Featuring an ensuite hot tub and extra fluffy pillows, we highly recommend this hotel for honeymooning couples.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> The mental image of people with hot tubs where their bellies should be and pillows for arms . . . I probably won’t stop laughing long enough to read the rest of what you’ve written.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">“After rotting in the back of the fridge for three months, my husband cleaned out his forgotten leftovers.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"> Based on this sentence, I need to take my husband to a doctor to find out why he’s rotting.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><em>What are some grammar gaffes that drive you nuts?</em></strong></span></p>
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<p>(This was a replay of a post I wrote originally for Girls With Pens and which first appeared on May 9, 2011. Because it&#8217;s still one of my favorites, I decided to share it with you here today.)</p>
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		<title>Liebster Award</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarcyKennedy/~3/h9rh2fLmECY/</link>
		<comments>http://www.marcykennedy.com/awards/liebster-award/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:30:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Awards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance editor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ginger Calem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kara Flathouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liebster Award]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Marcy Kennedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tameri Etherton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tiffany White]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I feel very honored to receive another award so soon after the talented Jessica O’Neal gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. This time I’ve been given the Liebster Award from prolific historical fiction author Colin Falconer. Colin has written over 20 historical novels, many of which are on my to-be-read list. His blog posts are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;">I feel very honored to receive another award so soon after the talented</span> <a title="Jessica O'Neal fantasy author" href="http://thesexylittlenerd.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Jessica O’Neal</a> <span style="color: #000000;">gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">This time I’ve been given the <strong>Liebster Award</strong> from prolific</span> <a title="historical fiction author Colin Falconer" href="http://colin-falconer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">historical fiction author Colin Falconer</a><span style="color: #000000;">. Colin has written over 20 historical novels, many of which are on my to-be-read list. His blog posts are thoughtful, challenging, and explore some fascinating aspects of history. Thank you so much, Colin!</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Liebster-Award.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-761 aligncenter" title="Liebster Award" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Liebster-Award.jpg" alt="Blogging Awards" width="200" height="69" /></a></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The Liebster Award is given to up-and-coming bloggers who currently have fewer than 200 followers. You’re supposed to pass it along to five other bloggers in return.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Because it can be difficult to know how many followers someone has (not everyone lists it), I’m bending the rules a bit to give this award to people who deserve the title “dearest” (what <em>liebster</em> means). The five bloggers I’ve chosen not only have blogs I enjoy, but they’re also genuine and kind to others.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Kara Flathouse" href="http://eskimokissesandairhugs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kara Flathouse at <em>Eskimo Kisses and Air Hugs</em></a> &#8211; My go-to source for healthy, delicious recipes to try. She also shares heartfelt stories about family life.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Tiffany White" href="http://tiffanyawhite.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Tiffany White at <em>Things That Make You Say &#8220;Ooo&#8221;</em></a> &#8211; TV show reviews and interviews with great authors are only a taste of what Tiff offers. She was also one of the first people to reach out to me when I joined Twitter.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Ginger Calem" href="http://gingercalem.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ginger Calem at <em>I Am Blogger . . . Hear Me Tweet</em></a> &#8211; If you&#8217;re a writer, her WritersButt series will help keep you healthy and productive.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Tameri Etherton" href="http://tamerietherton.com/" target="_blank">Tameri Etherton at <em>A Cup of Tea and Sorcery</em></a> &#8211; Her blog is full of fun, and honesty, and eye candy in her Crush of the Month posts.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a title="Louise Behiel child abuse" href="http://louisebehiel.com/" target="_blank">Louise Behiel at <em>Journey of a Thousand Miles</em></a> &#8211; Louise&#8217;s sad but necessary series on child abuse will make sure that you know the signs and what to do about it.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I was also given the Versatile Blogger Award again, so I&#8217;d like to say a big thank-you to <a title="Sarah Quick" href="http://lifeinanotebook.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Sarah Quick of Life In A Notebook</a>. For my seven things, pop over to my <a title="Versatile Blogger Marcy Kennedy" href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/marcys-blog/versatile-blogger-award/" target="_blank">Versatile Blogger post</a> <img src='http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
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		<title>What Star Trek Race Are You?</title>
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		<comments>http://www.marcykennedy.com/star-trek/what-star-trek-race-are-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:30:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Star Trek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bajoran]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Life at Warp 10]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[personality quiz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Talaxian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Next Generation]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[When two nerds fight, especially two married nerds, it can take a very strange turn. She tells him that the problem is she&#8217;s a Vulcan and he&#8217;s a Klingon, and he counters that she&#8217;s not a Vulcan, she&#8217;s a Borg. And he&#8217;s not like a Klingon, he&#8217;s more like a Hirogen. And pretty soon they [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;">When two nerds fight, especially two married nerds, it can take a very <em>strange</em> turn. She tells him that the problem is she&#8217;s a Vulcan and he&#8217;s a Klingon, and he counters that she&#8217;s not a Vulcan, she&#8217;s a Borg. And he&#8217;s not like a Klingon, he&#8217;s more like a Hirogen.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">And pretty soon they forget what they were fighting about in the first place because she says, “Hey, wouldn&#8217;t that be a fun blog post?” And off they go discussing the traits that are unique to each race in Star Trek.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">So now it&#8217;s your turn &#8211; <strong>what Star Trek race are you?</strong> Read the descriptions below and write down the letter of the one that&#8217;s most like you. (Don&#8217;t look for it to be exact, since you might be half-human, half-alien.) At the end, I&#8217;ll tell you what race you picked <img src='http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>(A)</strong> You hide your emotions and often devalue them, refusing to let them control you. You prefer things you can quantify and measure, so you’re drawn to math and the hard sciences. You’re rational and like your home to be neat and tidy.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>(B)</strong> You like traditions and value honor above all else. You tend to see the world in black and white and don’t like indecision. Sometimes you can be hot-headed and easily offended, but you’re also strong and willing to fight for what you think is right.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>(C)</strong> You’re a good judge of character. You’re also the kind of person complete strangers tend to open up to (whether you like it or not). You have a big heart and hurt when others hurt. You believe that honesty is always the best policy, sometimes to the point of embarrassing your loved ones.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>(D)</strong> You strive for perfection, and love order and efficiency. You don’t know how to accept defeat and are creative in solving problems. You can be stubborn. Others&#8217; opinions matter to you more than you’d like.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>(E)</strong> You’re quirky and have a strong sense of humor. You enjoy the company of people and the simple pleasures in life like food, a hot bath, or working with your hands. Unfortunately, sometimes you’re also gullible because you think the best of everyone.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>(F)</strong> You’re a very spiritual person and love culture and the arts. You defend your beliefs against attack and tend to prefer to associate with people who think the same way you do because you’ve been hurt in the past.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>ANSWER KEY:</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Spock-from-Memory-Alpha.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-737" title="Spock from Memory Alpha" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Spock-from-Memory-Alpha-150x150.jpg" alt="Star Trek Vulcan Spock" width="105" height="105" /></a><span style="color: #000000;">(A) You’re a Vulcan like Spock in the original </span></strong><span style="color: #000000;"><em><strong>Star Trek</strong></em><strong>, Tuvok in </strong><em><strong>Voyager</strong></em><strong>, and T’Pol in </strong><em><strong>Enterprise</strong></em><strong>.</strong> Due to nearly allowing their strong emotions to destroy them, Vulcans learned how to control and repress their emotions through meditation so that they no longer feel them. Vulcans prize logic and are a generally peaceful, honest people unless logic dictates they must fight or lie.</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Worf-Klingon-from-Wikipedia.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-738" title="Worf Klingon from Wikipedia" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Worf-Klingon-from-Wikipedia-e1328118267557.jpg" alt="Star Trek Klingon Warf" width="99" height="104" /></a></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>(B)</strong> <strong>You’re a Klingon like Worf in </strong><em><strong>The Next Generation</strong></em><strong> or B’Elanna Torres (half-human) in </strong><em><strong>Voyager</strong></em><strong>.</strong> Klingons are a warrior species, passionate in all they do (including love). They’d prefer an honorable death in battle to going home in defeat. Ritual, tradition, and family honor are core values in their society.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Deanna-Troi-Betazoid-from-Wikipedia.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-740" title="Deanna Troi Betazoid from Wikipedia" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Deanna-Troi-Betazoid-from-Wikipedia-150x150.jpg" alt="Star Trek Deanna Troi" width="95" height="95" /></a><strong>(C) You’re a Betazoid like Deanna Troi in </strong><em><strong>The Next Generation</strong></em><strong>.</strong> Even though Betazoids look human, they have empathic and telepathic abilities, meaning they’re able to sense other people’s emotions and thoughts. While this means they can help others (for example, by counseling them), they need to be careful not to use their abilities to manipulate others for their own benefit.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Borg-Seven-of-Nine-from-Wikipedia.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-741" title="Borg Seven of Nine from Wikipedia" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Borg-Seven-of-Nine-from-Wikipedia-150x150.jpg" alt="Voyager Borg Seven of Nine" width="109" height="109" /></a>(D)</strong> <strong>You’re Borg like Seven of Nine in </strong><em><strong>Voyager</strong></em><strong>.</strong> The Borg don’t reproduce like other species, but rather assimilate people from other species (usually against their will) into the Borg Collective. Their goal is to attain perfection by adding each species’ “biological and technological distinctiveness” to their own. Borg don’t consider themselves individuals because they’re all connected through a hive mind and function as a unit. They’re able to quickly adapt to almost any situation.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Talaxian-Neelix-from-Wikipedia.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-743" title="Talaxian Neelix from Wikipedia" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Talaxian-Neelix-from-Wikipedia-150x150.jpg" alt="Voyager Neelix Talaxian" width="105" height="105" /></a>(E) You’re a Talaxian like Neelix in </strong><em><strong>Voyager</strong></em><strong>.</strong> Talaxians are a friendly, gregarious, well-meaning race who is always willing to lend a hand when needed, leaving them open to being taken advantage of. They enjoy food and entertainment, which made Neelix a perfect choice for cook and morale officer on Voyager (even though his cooking was often too creative for some).</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><a href="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Ro-Loren-Bajoran-Star-Trek-from-Wikipedia.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-744" title="Ro Loren Bajoran Star Trek from Wikipedia" src="http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Ro-Loren-Bajoran-Star-Trek-from-Wikipedia-150x150.jpg" alt="Ensign Ro TNG Star Trek" width="99" height="99" /></a>(F) You’re a Bajoran like Kira Nerys in </strong><em><strong>Deep Space Nine</strong></em><strong> and Ro Loren in <em>The Next Generation</em>.</strong> Bajorans have a long history and rich culture, but their fertile planet was oppressed and pillaged by the Cardassians for years, making them fiercely independent (understandably) now that they have their freedom back. The major unifying force for Bajorans is their religion.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I still think that my husband is more like a Klingon than a Hirogen, but in the end, I had to admit he was right about me. I&#8217;m basically a Borg. Resistance is futile <img src='http://www.marcykennedy.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><em>What race (or combination of races) are you?</em></strong></span></p>
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		<title>Crafting Your 90-Second Pitch</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarcyKennedy/~3/kaL7bcmpFqM/</link>
		<comments>http://www.marcykennedy.com/writing/crafting-your-90-second-pitch/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:30:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcy Kennedy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crafting a 90-second pitch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance editor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life at Warp 10]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcy Kennedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[novel pitch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[query letters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[querying an agent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.marcykennedy.com/?p=724</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whether you’re pitching an agent at a conference or through a query letter, you need to create the perfect pitch, one that would take 60 to 90 seconds to say and would take up about half a written page to type (leaving you room for your credentials and some personalization for each agent). (Self-published authors [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #000000;">Whether you’re pitching an agent at a conference or through a query letter, you need to create the perfect pitch, one that would take 60 to 90 seconds to say and would take up about half a written page to type (leaving you room for your credentials and some personalization for each agent).</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">(<strong>Self-published authors</strong> – you need this too. This is your cover copy and Amazon blurb!)</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Join me today at Girls With Pens for <a title="Crafting Your 90-Second Pitch" href="http://girlswithpens.com/2012/01/30/crafting-your-90-second-pitch/" target="_blank">Crafting Your 90-Second Pitch</a>.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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