Victoria Janssen's Blog, page 68

GoodReads, LibraryThing, or Shelfari?

I currently have accounts at GoodReads, LibraryThing, and Shelfari. I can't seem to commit to a single one.



Of the three, Shelfari seems the least complex, which in some ways is an advantage. Also, I like their "bookshelf" widgets, such as the one I use over on the left column of this blog. But I find the interface is somewhat awkward, and I find I use it mainly for the widget and as backup.

GoodReads seems to be the most social. There are all kinds of ways to follow people's reviews...

Siegfried Sassoon, "Died of Wounds"

Died of Wounds

His wet white face and miserable eyes

Brought nurses to him more than groans and sighs:

But hoarse and low and rapid rose and fell

His troubled voice: he did the business well.

The ward grew dark; but he was still complaining

And calling out for 'Dickie'. 'Curse the Wood!

'It's time to go. O Christ, and what's the good?

'We'll never take it, and it's always raining.'

I wondered where he'd been; then heard him shout,
'They snipe like hell! O Dickie, don't go out…
I fell asleep ...

Siegfried Sassoon, "The Hero"

The Hero

'Jack fell as he'd have wished,' the Mother said,

And folded up the letter that she'd read.

'The Colonel writes so nicely.' Something broke

In the tired voice that quavered to a choke.

She half looked up. 'We mothers are so proud

Of our dead soldiers.' Then her face was bowed.

Quietly the Brother Officer went out.
He'd told the poor old dear some gallant lies
That she would nourish all her days, no doubt.
For while he coughed and mumbled, her weak eyes
Had shone with gentle triumph...

Guest at NINC Blog

I'm a guest at the Novelists, Inc. blog today, on Moderating Panels at Conventions.

When It Rains, It Pours

There's something I've noticed about writing. Excuse me while I philosophize for a while. Often, writing itself, or sometimes doing things to do with writing, seems to create its own momentum.

For instance, if I feel I haven't sold anything for a while, I'll "cast bread upon the waters," which to me means looking at calls for submissions, emailing to check on submissions that are already out, looking to see if I have any finished or partially-finished stories that I can send out in response ...

Linkgasm: Cool Writing Stuff

It's been a while since I've posted links, and they're starting to pile up! I have interesting friends. Some of these links came to me through them.

WriteWords Phrase Frequency Counter. Enter a number of words in the phrase (2 – 10) and then enter text, the more the better. I pasted in an entire novel. Hit submit, and the software will give you a list, from most frequent to least frequent, of all the phrases you repeated in your document. If you use only two-word phrases, note you'll...

What Characters Look Like

This is another post based on a question from Tumperkin, who is really good at making me think.

The gentleman whose picture is illustrating this post is actor Vincent Perez. Many writers have said they use pictures of people to help them visualize characters; often pictures of actors or models, which makes sense, because those people have their pictures taken a lot, and it's easy to clip them from a magazine and tuck them into your notebook or hang them on a bulletin board. I don't do that, ...

Jane Kenyon, "Year Day"

I have a Valentine's playlist up today at the new Heroes and Heartbreakers here.

#

Year Day

We are living together on the earth.

The clock's heart

beats in its wooden chest.

The cats follow the sun through the house.

We lie down together at night.

Today, you work in your office,

and I in my study. Sometimes

we are busy and casual.

Sitting here, I can see

the path we have made on the rug.

The hermit gives up
after thirty years of hiding in the jungle.
The last door to the last room
comes unlatched...

Siegfried Sassoon, "Stretcher Case"

Stretcher Case

He woke; the clank and racket of the train

Kept time with angry throbbings in his brain.

Then for a while he lapsed and drowsed again.

At last he lifted his bewildered eyes

And blinked, and rolled them sidelong; hills and skies,

Heavily wooded, hot with August haze,

And, slipping backward, golden for his gaze,

Acres of harvest.

Feebly now he drags
Exhausted ego back from glooms and quags
And blasting tumult, terror, hurtling glare,
To calm and brightness...

Siegfried Sassoon, "The Road"

The Road

The road is thronged with women; soldiers pass

And halt, but never see them; yet they're here–

A patient crowd along the sodden grass,

Silent, worn out with waiting, sick with fear.

The road goes crawling up a long hillside,

All ruts and stones and sludge, and the emptied dregs

Of battle thrown in heaps. Here where they died

Are stretched big-bellied horses with stiff legs,

And dead men, bloody-fingered from the fight,

Stare up at caverned darkness winking white.

You in the...