Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 172
January 15, 2012
The Secret Life of books
I can't help but wonder if this is the secret to how my To Be Read pile keeps multiplying.
January 12, 2012
Doppleganger?
A couple of weeks ago there was an interesting discussion on one of my writer loops about doing a Google search before finalizing a pen name. The topic came up because a self-published author is using the name of a multi-published with New York author and another small press author was using a name that was nearly identical to another author's romance pseudonym.
The subject than turned to Googling character names. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don't.
I pretty much have zero leeway on the first names, especially of my hero and heroine. It doesn't matter to them if I don't like the name or not, they tell me who they are and that's that. I've learned to deal with this, and in all honesty, I like it. The one time I was left to choose a name was torturous. Sometimes I still complain about not being the driver's seat, but as soon as I remember how miserable I was when I did have control, I shut up and say never mind.
Surnames, though, I do have some say in. Not always and sometimes not much, but the characters are rarely intractable on this score. And when the last names come too easily, I tend to Google. Sometimes it turns out there is a real person with that name. There was one time my hero's name was identical to someone who was arrested for a high profile crime. I can't help but think that I'd heard that man's name on the news at some point, and when my hero gave me his first name, my subconscious dredged out the felon's name. Needless to say, the hero had his surname changed.
Sometimes the name is completely set and I can't change it no matter what Google turns up. Like Mika Noguchi from Through a Crimson Veil. In the book, Mika makes a joke when Conor searches her name and discovers that Mika Noguchi is an Asian woman's wrestling champ. Why does she do this? Because there really is a Mika Noguchi who's a woman wrestler. This actually led to a running joke through the story.
Checking out a character's name isn't a bad thing, but I doubt there's any name out there that no one in the world has unless it's something totally made-up and bizarre, and even then, who knows? Where does the line get drawn? No, I wouldn't let a character named Brad Pitt loose in a book, but Mika Noguchi? I thought that was okay since there can't be that many of my readers who follow Asian woman's wrestling. In the end, I think it has to come down to a writer's best judgment.
The subject than turned to Googling character names. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don't.
I pretty much have zero leeway on the first names, especially of my hero and heroine. It doesn't matter to them if I don't like the name or not, they tell me who they are and that's that. I've learned to deal with this, and in all honesty, I like it. The one time I was left to choose a name was torturous. Sometimes I still complain about not being the driver's seat, but as soon as I remember how miserable I was when I did have control, I shut up and say never mind.
Surnames, though, I do have some say in. Not always and sometimes not much, but the characters are rarely intractable on this score. And when the last names come too easily, I tend to Google. Sometimes it turns out there is a real person with that name. There was one time my hero's name was identical to someone who was arrested for a high profile crime. I can't help but think that I'd heard that man's name on the news at some point, and when my hero gave me his first name, my subconscious dredged out the felon's name. Needless to say, the hero had his surname changed.
Sometimes the name is completely set and I can't change it no matter what Google turns up. Like Mika Noguchi from Through a Crimson Veil. In the book, Mika makes a joke when Conor searches her name and discovers that Mika Noguchi is an Asian woman's wrestling champ. Why does she do this? Because there really is a Mika Noguchi who's a woman wrestler. This actually led to a running joke through the story.
Checking out a character's name isn't a bad thing, but I doubt there's any name out there that no one in the world has unless it's something totally made-up and bizarre, and even then, who knows? Where does the line get drawn? No, I wouldn't let a character named Brad Pitt loose in a book, but Mika Noguchi? I thought that was okay since there can't be that many of my readers who follow Asian woman's wrestling. In the end, I think it has to come down to a writer's best judgment.
January 10, 2012
Missed It
Because of my move from Minneapolis to Atlanta, I haven't been able to write for the last couple of months. There's just been too much to do and I didn't get it all done before I had to leave. At first, it was nice to have the time off from writing since I rarely take a break, but now I'm straining at the tether. I want to write. I want to take time to think about my stories and work out details. Want, but can't.
The week before I left Minnesota, I opened a file and made an attempt to work, but my thoughts were too scattered and I couldn't focus enough to get words down. This isn't unexpected because I dealt with it the same thing the other few times I've tried to write while I have been deep in relocation mode. It was disappointing, though.
Now the question is how long will it take to get settled enough in Atlanta to have time again? Not just time to write, but time to deal with all the email and other details that I've let slide because I had other, more critical issues on the To Do List. Those decks need to be cleared, too.
What's really making me crazy is that my characters aren't talking to me. None of them. I'm used to running scenes to fall asleep. I'm used to running scenes when I get bored. This quiet is weird.
I know it's stress. My mind is whirling with details and even if I try to concentrate, it doesn't take long before my thoughts return to what I need to do or what I should be doing. I'm looking forward to calmness, to being able to hear the voices again. I want to spend time with my characters, no matter how frustrating they can be. I wonder how long it will take for my mind to settle in? Today will be my second day reporting to my job in my new home city. It can't be too much longer now. I hope.
The week before I left Minnesota, I opened a file and made an attempt to work, but my thoughts were too scattered and I couldn't focus enough to get words down. This isn't unexpected because I dealt with it the same thing the other few times I've tried to write while I have been deep in relocation mode. It was disappointing, though.
Now the question is how long will it take to get settled enough in Atlanta to have time again? Not just time to write, but time to deal with all the email and other details that I've let slide because I had other, more critical issues on the To Do List. Those decks need to be cleared, too.
What's really making me crazy is that my characters aren't talking to me. None of them. I'm used to running scenes to fall asleep. I'm used to running scenes when I get bored. This quiet is weird.
I know it's stress. My mind is whirling with details and even if I try to concentrate, it doesn't take long before my thoughts return to what I need to do or what I should be doing. I'm looking forward to calmness, to being able to hear the voices again. I want to spend time with my characters, no matter how frustrating they can be. I wonder how long it will take for my mind to settle in? Today will be my second day reporting to my job in my new home city. It can't be too much longer now. I hope.
January 8, 2012
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids stars Kristen Wiig as Annie Walker. The story is about a woman who is maid of honor for her best friend's wedding and ends up in a competition with another bridesmaid.
Annie is one messed up woman. She's working as a clerk in a jewelry store, a job she's bad at and has no interest in. She's sharing an apartment with a British brother and sister. She lets some guy regularly use her for sex and feels crummy about it afterward. (He calls her his number 3 f**k buddy.) She drives a crummy car and her taillights are out.
But things really start to go downhill for her when her best friend gets engaged and asks her to be her maid of honor. The friend also asks a group of other women to be bridesmaids, including a rich woman whose relationship with the bride makes Annie feel threatened. What follows next is a series of events where the two women try to outdo each other.
The movie was supposed to be a comedy and I'd heard good things about it, but I didn't think most of it was funny at all. I found Annie to be Too Stupid To Live for most of the movie and feel she brought most of her problems on herself. She acts like a complete idiot throughout the entire movie, and when she flips out at the shower--screaming at others, breaking a giant cookie and having it fall on top of her, taking her to the ground, getting messy in the chocolate fountain--the bride kicks her out of the wedding. I don't blame her.
Annie also meets this really great guy during the course of the movie and after sleeping with him, acts like a complete idiot, hurts him, and alienates him as well.
Annie wasn't the only idiot, though; all the bridesmaids acted bizarrely. More than one time while I watched the movie, I'd mutter who acts like this?
There were a few moments that kept me watching, but in all honesty they were few and far between. At the end, when Annie finally smartened up, things improved greatly, but the movie was already pretty much a loss for me by then.
Not recommended.
Annie is one messed up woman. She's working as a clerk in a jewelry store, a job she's bad at and has no interest in. She's sharing an apartment with a British brother and sister. She lets some guy regularly use her for sex and feels crummy about it afterward. (He calls her his number 3 f**k buddy.) She drives a crummy car and her taillights are out.
But things really start to go downhill for her when her best friend gets engaged and asks her to be her maid of honor. The friend also asks a group of other women to be bridesmaids, including a rich woman whose relationship with the bride makes Annie feel threatened. What follows next is a series of events where the two women try to outdo each other.
The movie was supposed to be a comedy and I'd heard good things about it, but I didn't think most of it was funny at all. I found Annie to be Too Stupid To Live for most of the movie and feel she brought most of her problems on herself. She acts like a complete idiot throughout the entire movie, and when she flips out at the shower--screaming at others, breaking a giant cookie and having it fall on top of her, taking her to the ground, getting messy in the chocolate fountain--the bride kicks her out of the wedding. I don't blame her.
Annie also meets this really great guy during the course of the movie and after sleeping with him, acts like a complete idiot, hurts him, and alienates him as well.
Annie wasn't the only idiot, though; all the bridesmaids acted bizarrely. More than one time while I watched the movie, I'd mutter who acts like this?
There were a few moments that kept me watching, but in all honesty they were few and far between. At the end, when Annie finally smartened up, things improved greatly, but the movie was already pretty much a loss for me by then.
Not recommended.
January 5, 2012
Dangerous Books
A video about those dangerous romance novels.
January 3, 2012
Atlanta Or Bust
If everything went as planned, I should be in Atlanta, Georgia as you're reading this. I'm writing this post 6 days ahead of my move and I'm torn between panic and excitement. Mostly panic.
I'm trying to look on the bright side about moving. The weather should be much, much better in Atlanta than it is in Minneapolis. I'm tired of the cold and snow. I'm tired of wearing hats and scarves and mittens and heavy winter jackets and boots. Although, wow, I saw the cutest pair of winter boots online last night and nearly ordered them--until I remembered that I won't need them in my new home.
The other plus is that Atlanta is headquarters for my airline, so the odds of having to move again are incredibly low. Also, being our major hub, it will be more convenient for traveling. More non-stop destinations there.
Right now, though, I'm frantic about how much I have left to do and how little time I have to do it in. I'm worried about finding my way around a new city when I still get lost in the city in which I grew up. And I'm especially worried about leaving my parents alone in Minnesota. If they need me, it will take hours to fly home.
Future blog posts will no doubt talk about my adventures in Atlanta. I'm sure I'll be doing lots of things y'all can laugh about.
I'm trying to look on the bright side about moving. The weather should be much, much better in Atlanta than it is in Minneapolis. I'm tired of the cold and snow. I'm tired of wearing hats and scarves and mittens and heavy winter jackets and boots. Although, wow, I saw the cutest pair of winter boots online last night and nearly ordered them--until I remembered that I won't need them in my new home.
The other plus is that Atlanta is headquarters for my airline, so the odds of having to move again are incredibly low. Also, being our major hub, it will be more convenient for traveling. More non-stop destinations there.
Right now, though, I'm frantic about how much I have left to do and how little time I have to do it in. I'm worried about finding my way around a new city when I still get lost in the city in which I grew up. And I'm especially worried about leaving my parents alone in Minnesota. If they need me, it will take hours to fly home.
Future blog posts will no doubt talk about my adventures in Atlanta. I'm sure I'll be doing lots of things y'all can laugh about.
January 1, 2012
Happy New Year
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Wishing everyone an awesome 2012!
December 29, 2011
Large Hadron Collider Rap
Y'all know I'm a major geek--I make no secret of that. For a while now, I've been riveted by physics, particularly M Theory. To test some of their hypotheses, tests have been done at the Large Hadron Collider in Europe. Want to learn a little more about it? There's a rap song for that.
December 27, 2011
Did You Get an E-Reader For Christmas?
If you received an e-reader for Christmas and are looking for titles to fill it up, why don't you check out my stories?
Kindle:
Through a Crimson Veil (Crimson City 3)
Dark Awakening (A novella originally published in Shards of Crimson)
The Troll Bridge (A short story set on Jarved Nine)
Blood Feud (A short story)
Nook:
Through a Crimson Veil (Crimson City 3)
Dark Awakening (A novella originally published in Shards of Crimson)
The Troll Bridge (A short story set on Jarved Nine)
Blood Feud (A short story)
Other E-Readers:
Through a Crimson Veil (Crimson City 3)
Dark Awakening (A novella originally published in Shards of Crimson)
The Troll Bridge (A short story set on Jarved Nine)
Blood Feud (A short story)
To check out my other books in electronic format, please visit my website.
Kindle:
Through a Crimson Veil (Crimson City 3)
Dark Awakening (A novella originally published in Shards of Crimson)
The Troll Bridge (A short story set on Jarved Nine)
Blood Feud (A short story)
Nook:
Through a Crimson Veil (Crimson City 3)
Dark Awakening (A novella originally published in Shards of Crimson)
The Troll Bridge (A short story set on Jarved Nine)
Blood Feud (A short story)
Other E-Readers:
Through a Crimson Veil (Crimson City 3)
Dark Awakening (A novella originally published in Shards of Crimson)
The Troll Bridge (A short story set on Jarved Nine)
Blood Feud (A short story)
To check out my other books in electronic format, please visit my website.
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