TheWriteGame

Monday Moods--Thoughtful

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:05:00 +0000

Memorial Day Thoughts

The first Memorial Day (Decoration Day) was observed in 1868, and for 144 years Americans have honored those who've died in the service of our country.

My family has been lucky. While several of them served in two world wars, we've lost only one family member in combat. When I think of him, when I pause to remember all those I never knew who gave their lives, I also give thanks to those who fought and survived. While they didn't pay the ultimate price, they often sacrificed other things: youth, health, time with those they loved, and often their potential for becoming who they were once destined to be.

Each Memorial Day I hope that peaceful negotiation will replace the destruction of war and that we won't add more men and women to the list that we honor on this day.

Some quotes that plead the case for PEACE.

We must be prepared to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of peace that we make ungrudgingly for the cause of war. Albert Einstein

The days, the weeks, the years out here shall come back again, and our dead comrades shall then stand up again and march with us, our heads shall be clear, we shall have a purpose, and so we shall march, our dead comrades beside us, the years at the Front behind us: – against whom, against whom? All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque

The fight was lost. The dragons were coming with invincible strides. The army, helpless in the matted thickets and blinded by the overhanging night, was going to be swallowed. War, the red animal, war, the blood swollen god, would have bloated fill. The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane

Monday Moods--Experimental Shorts

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Last year I wrote a short story to be included in an anthology called The First Time. I hadn't written one of these for the young adult category before, so I had to give it ~~a little~~ . . . ~~some~~ . . . one heck of a lot of thought. And my biggest hurdle was getting started.

I only had a maximum of 5, 000 words to tell a whole story. Yikes! How was I going to do that? I much prefer a comfortable 60 to 80K to develop my characters and let them work through their challenges. But I'd signed on to write the story, so I decided I'd better stop worrying about the limited number of words and get on with it.

I went through some of my favorite short story writers and reread James Thurber, Kingsley Amis and William Faulkner. All very different writers, aren't they? Yet their stories grabbed me when I read them the first time years ago and kept me reading when I returned to them this time.

So why were these old stories still interesting to read?

The answer popped up the minute I asked that question. The Characters. In Thurber's "The Catbird Seat" it was Mr. Martin, the mild-mannered, cunning man with murder on his mind. I never could shake the character of Jim Dixon in "Lucky Jim" or fail to shudder every time I thought of Emily Grierson, shuttered inside that dark house in "A Rose for Emily."

Each of the characters in these stories are memorable. First they have a unique voice. Their word choice is theirs. The way they put these words together in dialog or thought is their way of expressing themselves, and the cadence of their language belongs to each of them and can't be confused with any other characters in the story.

Then they're plunged into a situation--AKA a tight spot--and the reader must find out what they will do to get out of it. Will Mr. Martin kill Ulgine Barrows? Will Jim Dixon overcome his first and very bad impression he made at his school? Will Emily keep Homer . . . forever? As we read how each of these characters act and react, we have a plot to keep us engaged in the action, action that's all about the character.

With all of this information whirring in my writer's brain I set out to write Premeditated Cat. So far it has been reviewed well, so while I can't hold myself up to Thurber, Amis or Faulkner, I can thank them for their wonderfully written stories and their inspiration. And since I had such a great time writing the first short story I submitted a second one. It will be published this year in Two and Twenty Dark Tales, and I'm really excited.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The Three Billy Goats Gruff was one of my favorite stories when I was young. There was something very appealing about those three. I guess I admired their determination to cross that bridge and escape being eaten by the Troll. Sort of like me and the writers I know these days. If we can just get across that bridge, we'll reach the side where that lovely grassy hillside lies. In this rather creaky metaphor that would be the world of successful publication.

I still enjoy the story and so to make it a little longer and extend my enjoyment, I adopted a baby goat--actually my neighbor's baby goat. I couldn't resist. Now I can say there are four Billy Goats Gruff: a baby, a small one, a large one and a very LARGE one. I'm rather partial to this littlest addition. He's only a week old, but he sure gets around.

Do you have a favorite very young book that you remember from childhood? Did it have a message that stuck with you?

Random Acts Of Kindness BLITZ! 3 More Days

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I'm amazed at how RAOK keeps escalating. Check out The

Book Shelf Muse today for

some very special prizes. If you

write, you'll want to enter to

win one of these.

I can't top that generosity, but

I can pass on an offer to read

the first three chapters of a

WIP. Just leave me a comment

and I'll pick one at random,

starting from this date.

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.
Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!

I had a darned hard time deciding who to BLITZ, I'll tell you. But I finally settled on Nan Marino, author of Armstrong is My Uncle. We have a very special connection and she's one of the best story tellers I know. I can't offer to read a chapter for her because I do that already. I can't offer to send her one of my books; she's bought them already. I can't offer to do much except continue to be there if and when she needs a writer who "gets" what she's experiencing. Oh, and I can offer to give her lots of space on my blog when her new book comes out in 2013! I hope all of you who pop into my blog will give her a shout out and pass on more RAOK.

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge? Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness? Let me know in the comments!

M Pax and the Backworlds

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The Backworlds is here!

The first story in the Backworlds series by M. Pax. A vision of how humanity might colonize the galaxy some day in the distant future.

The Backworlds

After the war with Earth, bioengineered humans scatter across the Backworlds. Competition is fierce and pickings are scant. Scant enough that Craze’s father decides to hoard his fortune by destroying his son. Cut off from family and friends, with little money, and even less knowledge of the worlds beyond his own, Craze heads into an uncertain future. Boarding the transport to Elstwhere, he vows to make his father regret this day.

Available from: Amazon / AmazonUK / Smashwords / Feedbooks

Other links to more outlets can be found at either Wistful Nebulae or MPax

The Backworlds is an ebook and a free read. All formats can be found at Smashwords and Feedbooks.

It’ll take a few weeks to work its way down to free on Amazon Kindle. It will also be available on B&N and iTunes. Sign up for M. Pax’s mailing list to be notified the day it does go free on Amazon, and when the book becomes available at other outlets. You’ll also receive coupons for discounts on future publications. NEWSLETTER

M. Pax’s inspiration comes from the wilds of Oregon, especially the high desert where she shares her home with two cats and a husband unit. Creative sparks also come from Pine Mountain Observatory where she spend her summers working as a star guide.

The author using the big telescope at the observatory

She writes mostly science fiction and fantasy, but confesses to an obsession with Jane Austen. She blogs at her WEBSITE, and at Wistful Nebuae. You’ll find links there to connect on Twitter, Goodread, FB and other sites.

The sequel, Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge, will be released in July 2012. It will be available in all ebook formats and paperback.

A to Z Reflections Post 2012

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This was my first A to Z Challenge, so I made some mistakes. But that's how you learn, right? Jump in, take a few bad strokes, sink, and then go the side of the pool and get those water wings.

Here's what I would have done differently.

1) I would have had a theme. I think the blogs I visited with themes were the most interesting AND they stuck in my mind.

2) I would have written more in-depth posts. Some of mine were of the "Okay. Fine, but where's the beef?" variety. When I visited blogs that covered topics of interest and gave value I returned to those blogs the next day.

3) I would have set up a better schedule. I randomly visited blogs, but I think if I'd created a list and kept better track, I would have been able to leave comments at more sites.

Will I do this next year? I hope to. I'd like to. I met so many wonderful bloggers this year.

Monday Moods

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I guess today I'm waxing a bit NOSTALGIC. *She looks into the near distance, hand propped under chin and sighs.

I was reading a blog post several months ago about spinning yarn, not telling stories, either, but really spinning yarn. I know, "Why were you reading about knitting?" you ask. Well, this blogger said something that stuck with me. Here's what Ashling wrote in The Confessions of a Would-Be Mountain Woman:

"[The people in the shop] told me that their local spinning group (Elmendorph Spinning Guild) had 40 people show up for their monthly meeting. What does it say that so many are returning to this ancient art?"

My comment was: "As to why people are returning to ancient art . . . I think it's because we're so isolated in this techi world of internet "love" that we crave a connection of some kind to our past. Just guessing, here."

After reading Ashling's post I dug out my grandmother's quilts and studied the beautiful stitches she'd made my hand and marveled at her art and her skill. Now I do think my comment was right.

I want a connection with things that are tangible and things that give me a feeling of being connected with the people in my life. Even after they've gone from this world, they've left behind the traces of who they were and where I came from. How about you? Have a need for connections to your past?

Insecure Writer's Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This is my first blog post for May, so

I went back through my posts from the first year I blogged. That was interesting because I'd forgotten all about them. It was kind of like finding little presents scattered over the years. Here's one that I did back in May of 2010.

Okay, someone go find April and bring it back. I didn't get anything done I had on my list, the list which I can't find, but know has important stuff waiting to be done.

Some poetry for May:

Clouds over

Tree-dotted hillsides

I lick dust from dry lips

And run on to escape

The whir of defeat

That must have been a day I'd bumped into some rejection and I suffered an INSECURITY attack. I still like the idea of escaping the whir of defeat. I should expand on that.

As I went through those old posts, I discovered that somehow things haven't changed. I'm still trying to keep up with my list. I'm still losing that list. I'm still forgetting what was important enough to take the time to write it down. Hmm. Seems I'm getting OLDER, but I'm not getting any better! Do I have any others out there in the same situation?

Danika Dinsmore

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi readers, I hope you'll welcome Danika Dinsmore who's here to tell us about herself and give us an idea about her new book, The Ruins of Noe.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, Danika. Readers often wonder what writers do besides pull together stories.

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, but now live in Vancouver, BC with my husband and our 18-pound (it’s true) feline. We call him J. Fredrick Hoover (cuz he’s a vacuum when it comes to kitty kibble). I didn’t even consider becoming a children’s novelist until my mid-30’s. Before that discovery I was building my career as a screenwriter/filmmaker and before that I was a performance poet and director of two literary non-profits. Through all of that I’ve always been a teacher. I’ve taught in public and alternative schools, as an artist-in-the-schools, for festivals and conferences, and as a contract instructor at the college-level.

Other than writing and teaching I love to travel. I’ve been to twenty different countries besides the U.S. and Canada and it feels like the tip on the iceberg. My goal is to merge these three loves.

Check out the trailer for Brigitta of White Forest, the first in the book Faerie Tales series.

Can you give us quick summary and maybe a brief excerpt of your book, The Ruins of Noe?

The Ruins of Noe picks up several months after the first book ends. Brigitta has just started her apprenticeship with the Elders when a child is born with no destiny: one of many signs that the White Forest faeries have lost touch with the Ethereals, the Ancient Ones. Without their protection, the forest will lose its balance and fall prey to the outside world.

High Priestess Ondelle is convinced by an old proverb that Brigitta is fated to travel to the former home of the Ancients to help her find the answer. But when they get there, they discover that hundreds of years ago, when the faeries were moved north to the protected realm, some faeries were left behind.

Brigitta and Ondelle are caught in a dangerous feud between two factions of feral faeries whose leaders will stop at nothing to access what little sorcery Noe has left.

What triggered the idea for this book?

I originally wrote the first book in the series as a one off, but once I had written my world book (i.e. where I keep track of the history of my imaginary world) I realized there were more stories to tell. And thank goodness, because creating a world is a lot of work. It’d be nice to keep it around for a while.

While writing all the backstory for the faeries, I discovered that there were deeper mysteries to solve, and a chaotic world to unite. That inspired me to see this as an epic quest coming-of-age story. The outline for the series came fairly easily after that.

In this story, I really wanted Ondelle as a major character. She was introduced in the first book, but we don’t know much about her. The third book will reveal how Briggy and she are connected. Her life is more entwined with Brigitta’s than I let on in the first book. But I needed readers to care more about her, so they became traveling companions in book two.

Can you share some of your experience from writing to publication with the readers? What's been the most rewarding part of this? What's been most difficult? Can you share some of your exasperated moments? I'm sure all of us will be able to relate.

Nowadays, if you want to get published, there are so many options. If you persevere, it will happen. If you do what it takes: pay attention, edit, submit, pay attention, edit, submit. It’s everything after publication that zaps your time, energy, and emotional stamina.

I think the most enlightening thing one learns as a writer is “if you build it, they won’t necessarily come.” No matter how passionate you are about your story, it doesn’t mean anyone else will be. One of my first bookstore readings had 6 people in the audience and one was my publisher and one was the dude who set it up. Ego check.

But the people who did come were attentive and asked great questions and I gave it my all. That’s when I came up with the mantra “one fan at a time” and became grateful for each new reader. (that and I like to repeat Dory’s phrase from Finding Nemo: Just keep swimming.)

The other day I was making a to-do list (I am the list queen). After I was done, I looked it over and realized every item had to do with my children’s writing career in some way, shape, or form. As impatient as I get, I realized I was living the writing life! That THIS - the writing plus everything on that check list, no matter how menial the task - is the writing life. That was an important revelation.

Any other books in the offing? Can you give us a sneak preview?

Right now I’m supposed to be finishing book three for a Fall 2013 release, but I’m actually working on a rewrite of a YA pop space opera called Intergalactic. It’s very different from my White Forest series, which is a nice break for me. It’s a humourous satire about a fading Intergalactic pop star. Sort of Douglas Adams meets Lady Gaga.

Here’s the summary from my website, faerie tales from the white forest.

When 17-year-old fading intergalactic pop star idoLL starts her 12-planet tour, her biggest worries are that rising star 16-year-old Jettison Prix has overtaken her on the T.R.E.N.D. charts and that her manager has booked her some really lame gigs.

But when Princess Tarantella of the planet Rethula stows away on her tour ship, inadvertently igniting an interplanetary war, idoLL finds herself stranded without her bandmates: Monkey, the cultural liaison and synth robot, and Debop, the enigmatic alien sextapus percussion wiz.

Lost without her crew, the high-maintenance diva must take things into her own incapable hands and partner up with her nemesis Jettison Prix in order to save the princess, stop the war, and track down her scumbag manager who has disappeared with all her tour money.

6. Here are some rapid fire questions for you. It's okay to hedge if you have to.

Chocolate or Vanilla - chocolate
Dogs or Cats - cats
Summer or Winter - summer
eBooks or Traditional Books - traditional
Coffee or Tea – coffee (unless one of my choices is spicy style chai tea)

7. Is there any advice you'd like to leave for the readers?

My four P’s: passion, presence, persistence, patience

And just keep swimming!

Thanks, Danika. I hope your blog tour is wildly successful. Appreciated your being here to brighten the Write Game.

Readers, here's where you can find Danika's book on Amazon and on Barnes & Noble. It would be great if you'd give her blog The Accidental Novelist and her fb page a visit.

A to Z Blogging Challenge-Z

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Z is for . . .

Zippity Do Dah!

WE DID IT! NOW I'M OFF TO SING IN THE SUNSHINE.

A to Z Blogging Challenge-Y

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Y is for . . .

Young Adult what else? But I'm wondering if they can continue to call this category of fiction by that name much longer. It seems that a lot of Mature Adults are finding the writing and the stories captivating. In a recent AARP Magazine article their lead story began with Trends: Teen Lit You'll Love, Why the best new fiction for adults is written for kids.

Maybe I'll start telling people I write MA. What do you think?

A to Z Blogging Challenge-X

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

X is one letter that can stand on its head (X) or its feet (X) and look exactly the same. The only others I can think of are H and O. Am I desperate to cross the A to Z Blogging Challenge finish line, or what?

Still, if you think about it, standing on your head gives you a very different perspective as a writer. (I've already said that in an earlier post, but it bears repeating.) We just don't look right upside down the way H, O and X do. Okay, I'm certifiable. Come take me away.

Here are some special XXX for the other A to Z Challenge organizers (I already said thanks to Alex and Lee). Thanks for all the work, bloggers. Thanks for all the fun.

Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas)

Life is Good (Tina Downey)

Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons)

Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)

The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)

The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)

Author Elizabeth Mueller (Elizabeth Mueller)

Pearson Report (Jenny Pearson)

No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow)

Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp) Coming Down The Mountain (Karen Jones Gowen)

A to Z Blogging Challenge-W

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The Wow Factor

According to my urban dictionary the Wow Factor is a distinctive appeal that an object, behavior or person has on others. So I started thinking about what or who has WOWED me lately?

WMagazine kind of WOWED me this month, and I guess it's because in one issue there was an article about the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And in a current issue you can watch Nicole Kidman's screen tests. Very WOW.

If you've read my blog, you know that Andy wows me a lot, so I have to mention him in this WOW post. He doesn't have to do a screen test for me. He can be in my cast any day.

I kind of like cars with the WOW Factor, but I have a wide range when it comes to what WOWs me in this category.

This one is for the nostalgic WOW in me and . . .

this one's for the more modern WOW.

That's my husband inspecting the interior of this beauty. He kind of WOWs me, too!

Okay, share your idea of what or who has the WOW Factor.

A- Z Blogging Challenge-V

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:09:00 +0000

The letter V rules today!

Today's letter is V which is kind of exciting because that means I'm near the end of this alphabet marathon. Only 4 more days, and then I slump to the desktop-OR-will I not know what to do with myself when I come to Z and there's no more A-Z Blogging Challenge?

I've be re-Vitalized by this Challenge. I've Visited a lot of new blogs and found so many Various, Vital people with strong Voices out the there who I'll Visit again after this challenge ends.

Have to thank all the organizers who put in so much time and Vitality in this Challenge to make it the success it was. Here are the first two on my thank you list:

Arlee Bird, with his Vivacious, Vivid Marketing posts.
Alex Cavanaugh with his Varied, Vigorous salutes to others.

How about you? Are you glad to see V arrive or will the end of April leave you wanting more?

A to Z Blogging Challenge-U

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Sometimes writers need a different perspective. Here's my perspective for today. U is for UpsideDown. Ever need a new way of looking at things? What's your perspective?

Now that all the blood has rushed to my head, I can think much more clearly. Go see what the other A-Z blogger have to say about U.

A-Z Blogging Challenge-T

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Today's letter T is all about TIME--the most precious and fleeting commodity we humans have. We spend it, we waste it, we lose it, we find it, we set it aside for things we want or love to do. Sometimes we have a good TIME; sometimes we have a bad TIME. I hate it when things TIME out, but I love it when my losing team takes TIME out to plan new strategies.

TIME is also one of the silent communication forces at work between people. If you're ten minutes late to an event, is that okay? Do you have to apologize? Probably not.

If it's going to be twenty minutes to half an hour don't you feel you have to say something? "The traffic was terrible." "I'm so sorry, but . . ."

Then let's go for more than thirty minutes or more. Do you call ahead to say something's held you up? Do you arrive with flowers? Is your apology more elaborate?

Of course, the formality of a situation and some personal variation are always factors, but in general this is the North American time etiquette.

I love to talk about time etiquette in our culture. What's really interesting is to discuss how this silent communication works in social situations involving different cultures. But that's for another TIME when I'm not in the A to Z Challenge mode.

For now, Tempus Fugit, so go say hi to the A-Z bloggers who have something to say about the letter T.

A- Z Blogging Challenge-S

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Today's post is all about S. First here are some SWEETS for all the A-Zers. Gotta keep up your strength. Take as much as you need. Or do you prefer other nibbles? What?

Now that you have the energy, can you SAY something about these cover choices for me? It's a Middle Grade adventure fantasy story, and I'm doing my mini SURVEY to try and decide which one of these renderings I'd go for. Not sure if I want either one. What's your opinion? Appreciate your help.

Here's to all the A to Z peeps who are staying the course!

A- Z Blogging Challenge-R

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:10:00 +0000

R is for Rin Tin Tin on today's A-Z Blog Challenge. Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend is out and retelling the story about puppy that a WWI Doughboy rescued from a French battlefield and brought stateside.

*Rin Tin Tin at one time made more money than many human Hollywood stars.
*He had the lead in 26 films and was on more kibble boxes than major league baseball players were on cereal boxes.
*While Lassie is well known, Rin Tin Tin was a real dog.

I found his story amazing, so he had to be the topic of my R day here. Have you read his story?

Better go see what some of the other A-Zers are saying about R.

A to Z Blogging Challenge--Q

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:53:00 +0000

as in

QUITTING

Anybody thinking about QUITTING?

WRITING STORIES

BLOGGING FROM A TO Z

TWEETING

FACEBOOKING

GOODREADING

ETC.

Here's my answer: ~~QUITTING~~
What's yours?

A-Z Blogging Challenge-P

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

P is for POPPIES. YES!

I can't think of the letter P without thinking about POPPIES. A California native flower and it's state flower as well. Here's what California used to look like before shopping malls.

Anyone from a state with a state flower that starts with P? Better yet, what is your state flower? Is it still treasured? Beautiful?

Be sure to HOP around and say hi to others who are in on this wildly wonderful A-Z Blogging Challenge.

A to Z Blogging Challenge-O

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:01:00 +0000

O is for OPENING. The other day I OPENED my computer and guess what? No data. Nope. Not one single file, just lots of empty folders. After reviving I did what any semi-literate computer user would do. I pounded my fists on the desk and stomped around the room. Then I called the HelpDesk. While I'm still at the "What in the #@!!$% happened" stage of my computer meltdown, I'm now semi-calm and taking weak tea.

I'm not alone in being a bit at a loss when technology plays tricks, so that's comforting. It's also comforting to know that I still have a sense of humor. Join me in a good laugh, please. It takes a few minutes, but you'll leave refreshed. I keep viewing this to take my mind off my own situation. Do you have any computer horror stories to share? Send 'em over.

A-Z Blogging Challenge--N

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

N is for New Books to Check Out on today's A-Z Blog Challenge

Here are some books recently out or due to come out in the near future that look darned interesting.

Life on Hold Beverly Stowe McClure March release.
A paper found; a secret revealed; a girl's life changed forever.

Younger Days Mike Hays March release.

Destined (YA Fantasy) Jessie Harrel January release. When Psyche destroys the one relationship she can't live without, she must journey alone through ancient Greece and face the wrath of the gods if she wants to reclaim an immortal love.

Now off to say hi to the other A-Zers!

A to Z Blogging Challenge-M

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Yesterday's answer: 19.8 billion possible sentences! We're you close?

On to M, which is for Moods today on
A-Z Blogging Challenge.

Pick whatever fits today. I've already staked out #3.

Check out the Moods on the other A-Z Blogger's sites.

A to Z Blogging Challenge-L

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

L is for Language in today's A-Z Blog Challenge

People take language for granted. It's surrounded most of us since we took our first breath. But as writers we're constantly working with our language to hone our phrases, bring life to the dialogue, create a setting to draw in our readers. Writing is rewriting, rewriting, rewriting--at least for me.

And one thing I've learned over the years is that there are many ways to say something. MANY. So how many do you think? Here's an interesting study I found a long time ago in The Miracle of Language by R. Lederer.

A professor at Wesleyan University gave 25 people a simple cartoon and asked each to use one sentence to describe what it portrayed. He got 25 different sentences. So that's not surprising, right? But then he used a computer, entering the "raw data" of those 25 sentences to see how many other sentences were possible. Here's your multiple choice quiz.

A. 5, 000

B. 50, 000

C. 5, 000, 000

D. 5, 000, 000, 000

E. More

What's your guess? I'll put the answer at the top of tomorrow's (M's Day).

A to Z Blogging Challenge-K

noreply@blogger.com (cleemckenzie) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

K is for Kindness on today's A-Z Blog Challenge

I seldom run into writers who are unkind. Maybe it's because most of the writers I know or interact with online write for kids or young adult. But even those who write thrillers never say/write rude things to me or about me. Maybe I've been lucky.

I've had two rather blah reviews, but I can't call that unkind. That's just a difference of preference, and in both cases, the reviewer gave an opinion, not an unkind indictment of me or my work.

What I love about kindness is the contagion that is inherent in it. When someone says something kind or shows some kindness, that small exchange works a special magic. I'm much more likely to smile at the next person or give a compliment or let a driver ease ahead of me in slow traffic.

What about you? Have you had any "rough" encounters with other writers or reviewers? How do you react to those "kind" exchanges? Any pay it forward moments?

Now I have to go visit a few of the hard-working A-Z Bloggers. Please stop in and be KIND enough to leave a comment.