Thursday, December 30, 2010

took some time off, sort of

haven't written a darn thing in a month or so.
but was excited to beta read saw it coming  by becky wallace, a ya mystery romance that was a fun read. so totally love sam and his sexy 'intuition.'
also was excited to have becky beta my beast, which she brought up the beloved things i figured she would but have been too miserable to change.
can't wait to beta some more of g's things, if he gets the fingers flowing again.
pretty much everyone's been busy with holidays and work to chuck out anything.

Friday, November 12, 2010

oh poop

no bites on the lucky agent contest. oh well, back to the grindstone.




better luck next time...

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

blog devoted to ya

i decided to start a new blog just devoted to ya.
that way my teens don't get lost in a sea of out of touch adults.
check it out at holdin on to 16

Sunday, October 31, 2010

so totally worth breaking my 'break' rules

yeah, so i was taking a break from blogging to rest the hand, but...

...rules were meant to be broken. right? well at least bent, guys.

so i'm blogging about a really cool ya contest.



check it out at writer's digest guide to literary agents.

oh, and cross your fingers and send the good luck vibes my way!




Friday, October 22, 2010

: (

due to myofascial something and carpal tunnel flare up, not blogging until it's better.

Friday, October 8, 2010

the beast of it

the beast of it, the best of it. well my beast got better, thanks to a good writing buddy.
i like the plot element suggestions. so huge thanks  to my favorite idiot out there!

Monday, October 4, 2010

christmas in october

goodie!
just like santa, g put a present under the tree a.k.a. inbox.
ye seek and ye shall find (more work, but i'm looking forward to it).
thanks, g!

write now is a beast

yes, i meant write now, because my WIP is a beast. i'm back to hashing out my ya paranormal beast of burden. i shelved it for a while. i needed to get a clear mind and then revisit it. and let's just say i've been revisiting it day and night for some weeks.

a nice chap is beta reading it currently and offering some great suggestions. can't wait until he's gotten to the end. this is like waiting for christmas morning to come.

Friday, October 1, 2010

when it's good as gold

when is a writer's job ever done?

likely never. i'm told to view the world through my writer eyes. i should carry a journal, write tidbits of juicy good stuff i see while i drive, when i wait in line for lunch or coffee, or when i watch the news.

i've been bad (no surprise, have you seen my track record?). i don't carry a journal per se. but sometimes i find a bit of paper and scratch something out. sometimes i sit down at the computer screen and my hands freeze. sometimes i tell myself i'll just remember this and make it a damn fine story some other time and rarely do.

and when i finally do find something to write about-- i mean something i really want to write about, i wonder when is that work done? it has a beginning, middle and end, right? so it must be done.

but then again there is no end... to the incessant editing and reediting.  and when i finally think it's done, it's not.

a friend of mine said before you submit, your work needs to be good as gold, and i think he was right.
i'm waiting for gold paint to go on sale at the hardware store.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

paranoid over paranormal

my paranormal is being judged in the secret agent contest over at miss snark's first victim.

people are bringing up what i struggled over--the first line. maybe too much of a punch without follow-through.

also about the amount of beer a teenage boy-man can consume and not be passed out drunk. it's too bad they don't know mal's 6'5" and 300 lbs--a boy that size can down a lot of beers!

undertow

one of ee's gtp

5. Newlyweds Spencer and Emily Harris embark on their honeymoon-- a trek across the US in their RV. When they get a flat in the New Mexico desert, a mysterious tow truck driver comes to their rescue, pulling them into a seemingly inescapable horror. Maybe they should have taken that left at Albuquerque.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

chance to win a "jewel" of a book

ooh, goody! a chance to win carolyn jewel...uh, her books, i mean, not the actual carolyn... right?

seriously, a chance to get your grubby little shaking hands on my wicked enemy and my forbidden desire.

check it out here at tina folsom's blog.

Monday, September 20, 2010

grrrr, had to vent...

i'm irritated. my blogs links never seem to update, making me believe nothing new is happening in the world. dumb blog links keep making me go in the old way and check each one individually. what's the point in having the blog link?

Friday, September 17, 2010

6(66) signs from slushpile hell

check out the hilarious slushpile hell 6 Signs That the “Professional Editor” You Hired for Your Manuscript May Not Be So Professional.

save the cat? hell, maybe save your hero...

miss snark's first victim has shared a tidbit from save the cat written by the late and great blake snyder.

does your hero suffer from inactivitis? here are four tips from mr. snyder's book she shared:

1. Is your hero's goal clearly stated in the set-up?
2. Do clues of what to do next just come to your hero or does he seek them out?
3. Is your hero active or passive?
4. Do other characters tell your hero what to do or does he tell them?

think i'll get a copy of this book, i've heard great things about it from various authors.
must go back and read my work...

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

bransford on chapters...

nathan bransford tweeted this:

"Every chapter is a microcosm of a novel: it should have a beginning, middle and end. Characters end in a different place. #writing "

what a great way to think of it, and so true.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

I write like...

try this site out for shiggles. http://iwl.me/s/f0797b6c

the proof is in the pudding, so here's mine for the same of skin games: the con way. i gave it up unti pickin', and they said i write like the bard: http://iwl.me/s/f0797b6c.
i went back and pasted a different part of con and it still came back shakespeare. 

i gave them some of settin' the woods on fire  and it came back as jack london. http://iwl.me/s/f92755a9

i gave it sea serpent and it spit out cory doctorow http://iwl.me/s/31398c21.

i've got an identity crisis.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

5 minute fiction contest

juice magazine is hosting a contest for all you writers who have the bug. sounds like a lot of fun!

http://dmjuice.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100820/JUICE03/100820012

oh, you're so funny

slush pile hell, you crack me up!

he's so heavy...

the story may be from 1999, but i just read it yesterday. tc boyle's the love of my life.

love went on a path i should have seen coming. actually, i think i did, but was in denial--until it hit me over the head! it really knocked my socks off. it was a very emotionally arresting piece filled with happiness, joy, bliss(the ignorant kind), and then it swoops in for the kill--your heart, its victim.

this is a must read for teenagers who think fooling around is just fun and games. there are real consequences, and for some, very life changing and terrifying consequences to their actions.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

congrats to phoenix

phoenix (an ee fellow lurker and minion) won the last summer contest at janet reid.
way to go girl.

creepy...

so i gave some of my short stories and poems to my mother for her to read. she read settin' the woods on fire, which is, by far, my most favorite of my own stories. she called me up the next day to tell me after reading it she went to bed and woke up with an uneasy feeling.

i can either take that as (1) she's creeped out and thinks i'm going to be the next aileen wournus, or (2) i was very effective with my portrayal of those backwoods old farts who love to go night fishing.

i think i'll go with (2), which is much more of a compliment.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

once upon a time

there was an author who was asked to beta read. and now the beta is over. waaaaaaah!

no, really, that was a lot of fun.
i love reading other people's prose and poetry and offering a comment or two.
(hint, hint, nudge nudge--go on over to the turn the page link and read mine!)

Thursday, September 2, 2010

having fun with the idiot

if you ever have a chance to beta read, take it. it gives you a chance to read another prospective author's work, and hone in on your own craft.

i'm so glad my prospective author is so open to feedback, however it may come.

this is a blast!

Monday, August 30, 2010

idiots are really very funny people

beta reading someone's story/novel and this thing is just a marvelous hoot. the query just sang of oddness, humor, and something outside the box, and the rest of the MS is doing the very same. some really good things are happening on pages, sir peladon.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

bring out your idiots...

Yes, Idiot, I would love to beta read the wip. You can send it to me at robbina2 at gmail dot com.
I'm so excited that I finally got a comment on my new blog, too, so thanks a million!

shark attack!

ohmigoodness, the shark picked my contest entry. i'm so excited, and i just can't hide it...
can i get a whoop, whoop?

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/

Saturday, August 28, 2010

flash fiction for tit

chance to win a copy of tune in tokyo--hence the tit--at Janet Reid's site.

you can read my entry and others at:
http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/

Friday, August 27, 2010

would you rather wear levi's or put a hotel on boardwalk?

are you a pantster or a plotter?

authoress has put out her thoughts out there on her preferred style of writing.
http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/

authoress is a pantser--someone who writes by the seat of their pants, as the ideas come to her and flow from her brain out to her typing fingertips. never is she a plotter who sits down to create massive plot outlines or build detailed worlds.

i am a pantser.
i cannot sit down and write an outline to a story that doesn't even exist. now once i start with a story, i may outline certain details about a character or setting, but not enough to ever call myself a plotter.

so what are you?

Thursday, August 26, 2010

come fly with me...

i must say i'm riding a high since meeting with gavin to discuss my creative writing profile.
he had so many nice comments to say and those he wrote on my work. can't forget great
constructive criticism for me as well.

he asked to use my poems for his fall class as examples and crit sessions, which of course, i sent them.

i'm having the best day ever!

coraghessan it

may i say i'm just enjoying the heck out of t.c.'s short stories!



coraghessan: noun... the art of using masterful language.  verb... to use masterful language.
verb... to wonder how t.c. chose that unusual middle name.  verb... to read works by t.c. boyle.
used in a sentence: Man I wish I could coraghessan up my novel, it would really make it sing.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

carolyn jewel is the bomb

i would just like to say that carolyn jewel is one of the nicest and most helpful authors out there.
and she writes a pretty darn good steamy regency, too!

meeting with gavin

excited.

meeting with gavin tomorrow to retrieve my writing portfolio and "discuss my writing in detail," which is a good thing. my mom was able to tell me i earned an A, but i have yet to receive an official grade to submit for tuition reimbursement.

wish i could take more writing classes. it gives me motivation to write, and an excuse to give my significant other for my writing.

maybe spring term...

Monday, August 23, 2010

more shark bait

needing a reason to write, since i've had no ideas lately, i entered another janet reid contest.
no lofty expectations on this one, but it was still effective at being fun.
you can read all the entries at the link below.

here is mine:

Andy never saw The Shark so behind the eight ball. "What can I do you for, doll?"

"Heinous," she whimpered, dotting her cheek with a tissue. "All of them... blown to smithereens. What will my minions and I eat?"

Andy shoved back a glass of corn, wishing the dame would close her head, so he could grease his own gears. He knew of one goon sinister enough to pull off blowin' up all the bakeries, forever ridding the planet of sweet delicious cupcakes. Last Andy heard Vordak, his nemesis, was holed up in his parents' basement in Trenton, New Jersey.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

the shark

it's hard swimming with the shark and all her bait. didn't even get an honorable mention. but reading some of these entries, i can see why i barely kept my head above water. kudos to the winner.

check out the winner and the contenders at janet reid's blog ling below

check out the q & a at evil editor

that mrs. v sure has some fancy schmancy hair.

love the story about blowing chunks.
i'm sure that wasn't the worst ee has experienced.
after all he was reading the slushpile.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

big book of fiction

i like tobias wolff's short story in esquire's big book of fiction.  i will have to check out more work by him.

i've got a fever...

and the only prescription is more payphone!!!!

this whole payphone craze over at http://evileditor.blogspot.com/ evil editor is cracking me up.
bring us more payphone!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

thank you, sharky!

i want to thank janet reid for giving me a little writing exercise. you had to use the following five words in a brief short: stake, honeywagon, Fairbank, flaws, pivotal.
it was so much fun. it was a--brief--continuation to my short skin games: the con way, but from red's pov.

here is mine:

His biggest mistake: trusting her. The fact a guy named Con was swindled... irony at its best.

Naomi barreled down i-40 in the Cheyenne. She'd stolen three-grand and hotwired his "honeywagon" while Con was fast asleep.

So she'd goldbricked him. It was fair bank. But he sure was cute--dimples, fallow curls. Naomi couldn't get her mind off those hazel eyes.

Somewhere near Tulsa, Naomi realized their one night stand was a pivotal fork in the road to her heart. Turning around, she'd fallen victim to her hugest of flaws: an addiction to cowboys in painted-on Wranglers. Resistance was futile.


go to janet reid's blog at the bottom of the page, and you can read all about it, as well as the others'.

well, i wrote one thing lately...

nuthin like writing a declination of coverage letter to alleviate your writer's block. ha! ha! not!

i'm totally psyched!

i found some of my creative writing friends on facebook. hope all of them confirm my friends requests!

got the writer's blues...

i'm totally bummed. i can't think of one thing to write about. guess i won't be doing much chipping away today!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

parker's back: short story by flannery o'connor

this story is a hoot. the characters are just that--characters. they are memorable in their backwoods, stubborn way, o.e. parker with his myriad of tattoos his "vanity of vanities," and his tough wife who refuses to appreciate them, let alone give them a look. you should check it out. i found this story in esquire's big book of fiction at the dsm public library.

another interesting connection i had to this story was that the mc's full name is obadiah elihue parker, but he prefers to be called parker. at worst call him o.e., but he never wants to tell anyone his real name. this tidbit brought a smile to my face reminding me of my late grandpa arnold. oral eldon arnold. call him arnold or arnie, at worst o.e., but don't you dare call him by his real name...

Saturday, August 14, 2010

skin games: the con way

Conway Chanchullo, better known as Con, has been grifting most of his natural born life. While out on the prowl, running a scam, Con encounters a shy but gorgeous little redhead who may just give him a run for his money.

This story has been posted at turn the page.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

a post of poetry

posted 2 of my poems from class. if anyone is interested: go to turn the page.

skin games: the con way

i think i have this short the way i want it. still deciding before i post it on turn the page.

the laugh

a haunting short story in the 2009 Fiction edition of the Atlantic. learning that hyenas have a 1000+ pounds of bite pressure makes this story even more frightening...
check it out: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/08/the-laugh/7531/1/

on old friend... slang for drill instructor other than di

I'm not going to post the an old friend short until I clarify some of the slang used in it, specifically for the DI (drill instructor), which peggy (in gavin's class) felt was not accurate--and she was in the military, but not the army. If anyone has any suggestions, I have scoured the web and can no longer find the term I used.

wip: the con way

Conway Chanchullo, better known as Con, has been grifting most of his natural born life. While out on the prowl, running a scam, Con encounters a shy but gorgeous little redhead who may just give him a run for his money.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Which came first: the chicken or the egg?

When I read Settin' the Woods on Fire in class, Brianna said it reminded her of Flannery O'Connor, and Gavin heartily agreed. So I checked out some Flannery, and I can understand some of the comparison: Southern Gothic feel, with religious undertones. All right, I'll buy it enough to go as far as to say, I hope no one thought I read O'Connor and then wrote my story!

the sea serpent

After a spicy makeover from her promiscuous mother, teenager Kit Jones rushes to Pacific Ocean Park to ride the Sea Serpent--a snaking, exhilarating thrill--but while she's waiting in line, she stumbles upon another attraction, John Howard, a handsome, much more mature man. So begins a dangerous ride of flirtation.

an old friend

A slice of Steven Howard's life since returning from Viet Nam. It ain't pretty.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

settin' the woods on fire

A bunch of good ol' boys--Harlan, Cyrus, and Lysle--take Harlan's nephew, Skeet, for a little night fishin': a lurid experience that will test Skeet's morals, challenge his faith, and make him doubt his who he truly is.