Andi Marquette's Blog: Andi Land, page 21

Memorial Day

Hi, kids. I blogged some resources and organizations over at Women and Words to donate to on this Memorial Day. Find that here.

Commemorate those veterans who are lost, remember their families, and let’s also help our veterans still with us, and their families, as well.

The Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia ends today. Thanks to all who participated, and thanks to all the readers who came by. I’ll be picking a winner tonight and notifying said winner within 30 minutes of the 9 PM EST drawi...

Ah, vampires

Hey, all–

Fellow author R.G. Emanuelle is giving away a copy of her debut vampire novel, Twice Bitten, at Women and Words today.

Go get you some! R.G. will be holding the drawing tonight, 9 PM EST.

And don’t forget the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia, still ongoing, in honor of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

I blogged, and you can get in on the prizes I’m offering by clicking RIGHT FREAKING HERE. We’ll be doing this ’til the 27th. If you go to the Hop website, yo...

Hoppin’ Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Hi, peeps. And hello, newcomers. Thanks for joining me today, which is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

I agreed to join in the (Blog) Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia, which is going on from May 17-27 on various blogs. I hope you’ll go and check out the others, too, to get an array of perspectives on this very important topic (and also to join in on some prize-winnin’!).

This day (commonly acronymed as IDAHO) was launched in 2004. It’s always on May 17th, which i...

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Hi, peeps!

So this Friday is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. To mark that event, I’m participating in a blog hop that’ll be going on from May 17-27 on a whole bunch of different sites. For realz, yo. It’s a veritable cornucopia o’ blogging about this important issue. Seriously. Almost 200 authors/writers signed up.

My blog goes up on the 17th, and along with my thoughts about homophobia and transphobia (beyond the “totally sucks” kind of comments), I’m also doing a lit...

Recycled writing tip: “As you know, Bob”

Hi, all–

On occasion, I re-post writing tips that I’ve gone over in the past. This one is from Women and Words (where I blog and co-admin). It’s the “As you know, Bob” syndrome or, in other parlance, a version of telling and not showing. Remember, you want to SHOW and not TELL. And you want to avoid info-dumps.

Here’s the link.

Happy reading, happy writing!

“Readers don’t owe authors sh*t”

Came across this post on BookRiot (via HuffPo and Sisters in Crime).

I admit I got a little cranky for about 2.7 seconds and then I decided to chill out and read it, because I think the author of this post, Brenna Clarke, has some valid points.

Here:

I hope that writers make careers of writing. I hope that indie bookshop owners make careers of owning and working in indie bookshops. I hope that these things are lucrative and happiness-making. But being a reader does not obligate me to do anything...

Friday grooviness

Skip on over to Women and Words and catch author Baxter Clare Trautman‘s interview with thriller writer Amanda Kyle Williams. FOR REALZ!

And if you haven’t read Williams’ stuff, WHY NOT? Find out more about her at her website.

Oh, and don’t forget. Ironman 3 opens today!

Other stuff:

Have a dance party.

Jimmy Kimmel doing Lie Witness News. Made-up bands that people insist they know in the line-up at Coachella 2013.

Heh. The Suburban Jungle blog.

Fun tip:

Think up some random search terms to plug into...

Comic book angst

Hi, peeperas y peeperos!

As some of you may know, I got back into reading and collecting comics. I’ll have to thank quirky/awesome horror writer Gina Ranalli for that. She and I got to talking one day and she was waxing enthusiastic over some of the comics she regularly follows, and I decided to get back into it, especially since DC introduced the new out n’ proud Batwoman (drawn until now mostly by J.H. Williams, III, who is awesome):



Source: Huffpo via Bleeding Cool; re-sized here

And the awes...

September, join me and some other cool authors in New Mexico!

Hey, there peeperinos!

This September, I’m going to be involved with an event outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. An author extravaganza/BBQ/reading/hanging out with readers kinda thing.

When: Saturday, September 14, 2013, 2-4 PM

Where: Pine Flats Picnic Area, Highway 14 south of Tijeras, NM (don’t worry, we’ll be helping you out on how to get there and all that good stuff–it’s about 20 miles from Albuquerque)

Who: Andi Marquette (that’s me), , Karen Badger, Barrett, Bett Reece Johnson, Nat...

Writing tips, redux

Hey, peeps–

Thought I’d re-post some of the writing tips I’ve done in the past (since I am, ostensibly, a writer of sorts). And I’ve needed to re-focus on that after the crazy and tragic week. So here you go:

Tips for writing (hopefully good) dialogue.

Tips on point-of-view, and how it can affect your narrative.

Tips on why headhopping might not be a good idea (not to suggest it never is, just why you might want to focus on not doing it, at least at first).

Why you should try to avoid participial...