Moira Keith's Blog, page 326

The Re-work

I have this habit of printing out a manuscript and going through it by hand with a red pen, or even a black on. The color makes little difference to me. However, it is the act of sitting down and looking over the manuscript, away from the computer. For some reason, seeing it on paper seems to allow me the chance to see it in a new light. Well that and time away from the book.

We all do it. Authors I mean. Immerse ourselves so deeply in the work that we are unable to see it's flaws. This manuscript is very dear to my heart. It took about two years on and off to finish. But it is truly my baby. No way could I look at it objectively at first. It took it being rejected and some time away for me to see the best thing I could do for my dear beloved characters and their story, was to allow it time to breathe. Time to vacation away from me.

It's been eight months. I think I'm ready now. I've already begun to mark it up. There will be a new twist worked in. (I have a soft spot for characters with some sort of history no matter how small). Backstory is being cut. Words will have to walk the plank…face the firing squad… go the way of many words before them and vanish from the page. *Beginning to panic. Hyperventilating. Tightness in chest.*

I'm good now. This is all for the best after all. The good of the story must come first. Otherwise the story will not shine as it is meant to be. The brilliance of it will be masked by the wordiness that has consumed my manuscript. Yes I'm humble. Can you tell? Just you wait, you will see the method to my mad ramblings when the time comes. Until then, you like the characters, will just have to wait and see what shall become of them.

Raised from the Dead~

I have been gone for the summer. Not because I was truly being raised from the dead, but life got in the way. Yeah you've heard that before. However, this is where my life interceded…my kids needed mom time, I started college again, work has been all outta whack, and my schedule has been increasingly full. How I went from weekends with nothing going on but me sitting in front of netflix to barely a moment to breathe. It's all good though and starting to wind down. Well all but school. That will be going on for at least another two years, but writing is the focus of all of this.

Before my hiatus, I had subbed my book to Carina and unfortunately, it didn't fit their needs. That was a little disheartening until I looked through the book again. Amazing how our closeness to a piece muck up the perception of the piece. With a few months behind me, I picked up the book browsed through it, and started discussing my options with some close writing pals of mine. Kiara and Devlin are getting a slight makeover and hopefully, the end result will be oh so fantastic. That is what I am aiming for. Well, that and a return to a more normal work/writing/life schedule.

Vicious Circles~

I have been very hit or miss around here lately. My little zombies and illness have been running me ragged. The days pass by in a blur. Its amazing how quickly time passes. Here it is nearing the end of April. Four months have come and gone. Don't blink because you just might miss something. So here's to getting back to a somewhat normal existence and hoping that we can stop running in circles. I love this song and hope y'all enjoy!

Comma-Friend or Foe?

I would like to think the comma is my friend. However, when I read through my critiques I find that I either am not using them enough or incorrectly. The question really becomes this- which is right? In all honesty I believe it is a fair mix. I always love finding new resources as a writer and if you have never perused the Online English Degree Resources I say stick a pin in it. There is a wealth of information there. Some merely reminders of what you were taught in school. Here is what they had to say about the comma:

The comma is perpetually misused.  Although it's one of the most important punctuation marks, its seeming insignificance on the page makes it a regularly subject to neglect and abuse.

The most common use of the comma is in coordination with a conjunction to connect two independent clauses (I went to the beach, but David stayed at home).  With short sentences like that, the comma isn't always necessary.  Sometimes the conjunction alone will do just fine.  But in academic prose, the comma is still advisable.

The comma is also used to separate three or more elements in a series (She went skiing with Noam, Henry, Nathan, and Catherine).  That last comma between the second-to-last element and the "and" is something of a point of contention.  It's called an Oxford comma, and it's often left out of periodical publications.  Frankly, it's up to you whether or not to use it.  We just think it looks classy.

A comma can also be used to separate an introductory element from the rest of a sentence (Writing my book, I discovered how little I missed my old job).  Again, it might be acceptable under some circumstances to eliminate the comma if the sentence seems to flow better without it.  But if in doubt, keep the comma.

Parenthetical elements can be set off by a pair of commas.  These can be appositives (Chances were slim that Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria, would face serious challenges) or they can contain linking words to the rest of the sentence (Songkhlanakarin University, which is also known as Prince of Songkhla University or Mor Or, is the largest university in Southern Thailand).  Absolute phrases are also treated as parenthetical (My old life behind me, I tried to assimilate in New York as quickly as possible) as are interjections (Keep in mind, of course, that casino gambling is designed for the house to come out on top).  On a related note, commas can express contrast (Contrary to popular belief, the North Korean juche state is best thought of as a unique construct, not Stalinist, not Confucian).

When one is using multiple coordinate adjectives, commas can be used to separate them (He's an ugly, mean-spirited kind of guy).  However, they aren't always used (I have an old French bicycle).

A comma is also a great way to introduce quotes.  One comma is needed to introduce a quote (As Polonius said, "Neither a borrower nor a lender be").  If the quote is being split in two, then two commas are necessary ("I don't know," said Lauren, "if the problem is you or me).  For longer quotes, however, it's better to use a colon.

Perhaps the most common comma error is the comma splice.  This occurs when a comma is used in lieu of a semicolon, period, or conjunction to separate two independent clauses as in "I went to the beach yesterday, it was OK."  While this is often cited as a common punctuation error, it's better thought of as indicative of a larger error.  Commas in general are overused, and one is better-advised to be sparing with them.

 

Like I said, a wealth of information. Now you can go on to be a master of comma usage! Have a great day peeps!

Life or Something Like it…

I think that is what it is called when zombie twins run a muck and your daily routine is turned upside down. But hey, all for a good cause right? Because what would the world be like if we weren't living life, just merely spectators? I think we'd get bored. So that being said… what has yours truly been up to? Well we've acquired our first pet here. A nice Red-ear Slider aka Kailani the surf turtle, or as I sometimes refer to her as Princess Kailani. Yes I went there. I spent as much time choosing a name for the turtle as I do my characters.

Kailani

Hey where's the waves?

On top of that I got to go see Bon Jovi with some good friends and that was awesome! Got to play hostess to a jewelry show. Road in a super cool hot rod. Brainstormed a few story ideas, did laundry, scrubbed a kitchen floor, and washed some dishes. See who says a writers life isn't exciting? Spring Break is coming up and I know the boys will be dying to be outside and not cooped up in a classroom all day. (Oh and let's not forget the homework break as well.)

Before I stop my rambling for the day, I did want to remind you all to go play at the Passionate Critters Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt. Still lots of time left for you to participate!

 

 

 

 

 

FF~ Easter things

In honor of April and Easter, the girls over at Passionate Critters are lending a helping hand to the long-eared fellow who delivers eggs and random goodies! How are we helping? Well through the fun of an Easter Egg hunt and a small quest no doubt. First though, lets do the Friday Five! (Other Fivers are listed in the sidebar!)

Five things I love about Easter~

 

1. Easter Baskets

2. The Mall Easter Bunny

3. Colorful Easter Eggs

4. Chocolate Bunnies

5. The Easter Hat

Five things I remember from Easters past. Now go hop on over to the Passionate Critters blog to discover what the girls at PC have in store for you and be prepared for fun. Yours truly is the first up so be prepared for all that is  in store for you this month! The hunt could garner you a new book, some chocolate, a gift certificate, and other goodies. Most of all… loads of fun!

Follow all month long and make sure you enter all the way through to the end for your chance to win a gift certificate! Go check it out! Passionate Critters Easter Egg Hunt goes live today!

All Around Me~

Life has been kind of crazy lately. New turtle for the zombie twins, new shoe rack that was supposed to actually be a shelving unit. (I didn't read dimensions apparently), but in the midst of all the madness I still find time to listen to music. Lately this song has been my favorite go to song. Have a listen to Flyleaf's All Around Me.

Have a great week everyone!

FF~ Take Me Away

I have been day dreaming a lot about a vacation, in some exotic destination. Some place that might remind me a little about the beaches I spent some time on as a child. Or just a place that would allow me to have some much needed R&R. You know… the kind of place where your biggest decision was whether to have the cabana boy bring you a drink with or without the umbrella. Here are some places that are on my getaway list.

 

1. Bora Bora

2. Bali

3. Fiji

4. Maldives

5. Boracay Island

There you have it, five beach destinations that yours truly is looking forward to vacationing too at some point in her life. Do you have any must visit beaches on your list?

Go see what my fellow Friday Five partners in crime have on their lists.

Bethanne Strasser / Gina Ardito / Debora Dennis / Harper Bennett

Silke Juppenlatz / Dawn Brown

Chosen by Nina Croft is Out!

I absolutely adore this woman. Her writing is hot. (Well at least the things I've read) And I might be a little biased because I also get the privileged of calling her my friend. Seriously though, Nina just has a way with her heroes that makes my heart melt. Chosen is available now from Breathless Press. Read the blurb then click the cover to go buy. I know you'll want to. But first, what does Nina listen to when she is penning those hot and heavy scenes? Take a listen.

Now on to the hot reading goodness that Nina has provided the readers of the world with….

Chosen by Nina Croft

Available from Breathless Press

On the world of Arroway, Witches have been persecuted for a thousand years. Now, Tallon, Enforcer for The Order of Warlocks has been sent to hunt and destroy Shayla, a powerful, young Witch.

But when he sees her, she awakens something inside him—some connection forgotten in the years of persecution. And when he starts his spell, she counters with magic so strong it rips them from their own world and into a new one—Earth.

Drawn together as unlikely allies in this strange new world, Tallon and Shayla must work as partners to find a way home. They relearn the bond that once tied Witches and Warlocks as one, and in doing so discover not only their futures at stake, but the future of their whole world.

 

 

FF~Pick Up Lines

This is one of those topics I can never get enough of. Probably because the pool is never full. So here are five random pick up lines most of which left me rolling my eyes and wondering if they ever work for anyone. Anyone brave enough to share?

You say "I bet you $20 I can kiss you without using my lips." She says, "Bet's on." You kiss her then say, "I lost."
I hope you know CPR, because you take my breath away.
I was blinded by your beauty so I'm going to need your name and number for insurance reasons.
Can I take a picture of you, so I can show Santa just what I want for Christmas.
What has 142 teeth and holds back the incredible hulk? My zipper.

 

I have to say, the only pickup lines I ever heard are pretty played out. The "Are your legs tired cause you've been running through my mind all day", You – "Did it hurt". The other person will naturally say "Did what hurt?", You – "When you fell from heaven.", and then "Excuse me, can you empty your pockets? I believe you have stolen my heart." None of which worked.

 

Now run along and see what my fellow Passionate Critters have on their Friday Five lists.

Bethanne Strasser / Gina Ardito / Debora Dennis / Harper Bennett

Silke Juppenlatz / Dawn Brown