Megan Bostic's Blog, page 53

F³A: non sequitirs

[image error] I see mustangs.  Ford mustangs to be exact.  It's weird, because I never noticed them before and now it seems like they're everywhere.  I'm sure  they've always been there, but even so, I'm taking it as a good omen for my novel, Never Eighteen to do well.  I'm sure you've seen the '69 mustang on the cover.  So, I'm going to start counting them, the ones I notice at least.  And posting here and on my Facebook fan page.

I have mentioned that my novel is available for pre-order at various online bookstores, right? like Amazon, B&N, Indie Bound, Book-a-Million, and Powell's. (nothing like a little blatant self promotion to start the day, right?)



This is not my body
okay, switching gears.  I'm going on a journey.  A weight loss journey.  I'm serious this time.  I'm sick of this stupid divorce weight.   I've already started exercising.  I've joined weight watchers online (which I'm not convinced is for me, but we'll see).  On Wednesdays, right here, I'm going to post my progress. My starting weight is . . . yeah, right.  Like I'm going to tell you.  Anyhoo, I figure if I have to post it online, it might keep me on track.  How embarrassing would it be to come here and tell you I've gained 2 pounds?

Did I mention my book release is scaring me to death?  I have my first writer event at the end of the month, which terrifies me.  Anyone who's read my book want to tell me which section I should read aloud?  I have a million postcards sitting here to go out to librarians, LA teachers, and bookstores.  They mock me, sitting there on my counter waiting for me to do something about it.  I haven't even finished my excel workbook of names and addresses.  I need to write a teacher's guide (or hire someone to do it, hint hint, any takers?), get my guest list going for my release parties, yes I said parties, create a letter for the marketing campaign my publicist and I came up with, finish my trailer, and, and, and . . .

I think I'm going to start a new vlog series.  It's too late for my idea of chronicles of a debut author.  You kind of get the idea of what I've gone through anyhoo.  This one will be called, Middle Aged Angst. It will be about writing, but it will also be about life as an over forty woman.  So there's that.  I'm going to try and begin this weekend, but don't hold me to that.

Have I mentioned the stress at my day job?  Websites, SEO, Blogging, Newsletter, and Goats.  That's all I'll say about that.

And did I also mention my boyfriend and I broke up?

Okay, I think I'm done ranting, raving, and rambling.

Here are the Friday Nibbles:

Random iPod shuffle song: Creep by Radiohead

Movie of the Week: I'm going to go with an Indie movie called Winning Season.  It stars Sam Rockwell and Emma Roberts about an alcoholic has been basketball player and coach hired to coach a pathetic girls team.  Loved it.

Book of the Week:  I've pathetically not started a book in weeks, so I'm going to keep giving Amy Fellner Dominy this position until I get her book read.  OyMG has been on my "reading" list on goodreads for about forever, yet I've not started it yet.  Nothing to do with Amy or her book, just my business. I've heard great things about it.  I think I will force myself to take the time to read.

Quote of the Week: I've got two this week.
"Been busy as a one legged man in an ass kicking contest." ~ Stephen King
"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." ~ Henry David Thoreau (pathetically I almost spelled his last name Thorough)

Third Degree Thursday: SWF seeks . . .

zac efron has nothing to do with this post
Divorced after seventeen years, dated a few times since separation, a year long on and off relationship just ended for what will be the last time.  Not that I want to date again soon, because I don't, and this is definitely not a personal ad, but last night as I lay in bed, I contemplated, what do I really want in a man.  These are some things I came up with:




Must be between the ages of 35-45.
Non smoker.
Kids okay, over the age of twelve.
No pets.
Drug free.
Drinker okay, but no hard liqs, preferably red wine drinker.
Education not too important, but would prefer some college.
Must have own transportation.
Must have own place to live.
Must have decent paying job.
Must me close to me in intellect.
Must read books.
Must be funny and have a sense of humor.
Must be somewhat cute.
Must be profound but not so deep that you bore me and talk over my head and are just plain condescending.
Must encourage health and fitness but not be a Nazi about it.
Must like to drive.
Must be patient.
Must treat me like an equal.
Must pitch in with the housework, especially laundry.
Must not be looking for a maid, babysitter, or live in.
Must not mind if there are 3 or more teens present at any given time.
Must not mind giving the occasional back rub.
Must enjoy quiet interspersed with moments of music (no country and very little jazz), movies, and laughter.
Must love to travel.
Must like to host social events.
Must like nights out.
Must love football and soccer.
Must encourage sports, but be patient and laugh when I bitch and moan and complain.  It is always worth it at the end for me.
Must be okay with female middle aged angst with a side of bi polar and a pinch of neurotic.


Is that too much to ask?  What do you look for in a significant other.

Tuesday Tips: Elmore Leonard

A friend, Jeff Fielder, sent me these tips from Elmore Leonard (author of crime fiction and suspense thrillers) a couple years ago.  I think they may be the best tips I've received in my quest for publication.  I love them and live by them.


Using adverbs is a mortal sin (I guess this must be really important because it's in bold and unnumbered)    

1 Never open a book with weather. If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a charac­ter's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead look­ing for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways than an Eskimo to describe ice and snow in his book Arctic Dreams, you can do all the weather reporting you want.    

2 Avoid prologues: they can be ­annoying, especially a prologue ­following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are ordinarily found in non-fiction. A prologue in a novel is backstory, and you can drop it in anywhere you want. There is a prologue in John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, but it's OK because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about. He says: "I like a lot of talk in a book and I don't like to have nobody tell me what the guy that's talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks."    

3 Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But "said" is far less intrusive than "grumbled", "gasped", "cautioned", "lied". I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with "she asseverated" and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.  

4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" ... he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances "full of rape and adverbs".    

5 Keep your exclamation points ­under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.    

6 Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose". This rule doesn't require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use "suddenly" tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.    

7 Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly. Once you start spelling words in dialogue phonetically and loading the page with apos­trophes, you won't be able to stop. Notice the way Annie Proulx captures the flavour of Wyoming voices in her book of short stories Close Range .    

8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters, which Steinbeck covered. In Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants", what do the "Ameri­can and the girl with him" look like? "She had taken off her hat and put it on the table." That's the only reference to a physical description in the story.    

9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're ­Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. You don't want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.  

10 Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. Think of what you skip reading a novel: thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them.  

My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: if it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

Monkey Madness Monday Sans the Monkey

Instead of a monkey, I have to show you these pics of this cute little Australian girl.  She's been wanting to read and review Never Eighteen, but HMH doesn't ship to Australia.  I took it upon my self to send her one of my precious arcs and some swag.

I mean seriously.  How cute is she?  And she started the book yesterday and so far is liking it. *whew*.

I want to thank Romi for being so excited about the book.  She made my day.

F³A: Illness, Injuires, and simply ranting

Tiring, tiring, frustrating, annoying, ugly week.

Sunday Thing Two was as a baseball game with her Dad.  They'd ridden their bikes there.  Tacoma has  minor league baseball team, the Tacoma Rainiers.  So, anyhoo, the seats belong to my dad's law firm, and they're awesome, third baseline, close to home plate, row, like, 5 or something.  One of the players pops up a foul ball and it hits Thing Two in the arm. Yep, you guessed it, broken.

So I'm out of town, right?  My parents called and told me because they were at the game as well. I'm frustrated, worried, can't do anything about it.  I call her, she was okay, but at urgent care getting it looked at (this was before we knew it was broken).

My dad tried to get a hold of her, but not answering her phone, so then I have to field a million calls (mostly Monday morning when I was trying to write my last chapter) as the go between with my parents and my kid and her dad.  It was a bit frustrating and annoying.  My asks me, how come she never answers her phone.  I in turn call her and ask her why she doesn't answer her phone when papa calls or texts.  She's like, I didn't get a phone call.

After about a million back and forths, we find out that my dad has her old cell number. sigh.  So doc says it's a greenline fracture (or something like that) and she needs to see an ortho.  I have to get a prescription filled and it takes me two days to find out who said ortho is and make an appointment.

It's actually her dad's week, but she and Thing One stay with me a couple nights.because I was gone over the weekend.

SO (new story, but in my mind related) Thing One has a friend from out of town, so she wants to have a few friends over at MY house (even though it's dad's week)  It's fine, she only invites three people (This was yesterday btw).  Thing Two comes in and says her eye has been red and sore for two days.  She wears contacts so I said, maybe you just scratched your cornea or something.

I make a doc appt (hoping to make it for Friday because her dad has the day off, but they had an opening yesterday so it seemed best to take her in ASAP).  3:30 we're at the regular doctor.  He thinks it's a scratch, but wants to send us to an ophthalmologist.

First of all, I stand waiting and the reception desk for about five minutes before I'm helped.  I'm already stressed, annoyed, this doesn't help.  Finally I sit down to fill out paperwork (this is a new doc for us).  Have I mentioned yet I've had to go to the bathroom for about a half hour at this point?

So I'm filling out paperwork, and they have this toy in the waiting room, which is the most annoying toy on the face of the earth, being used by the most annoying kid on the face of the earth.  The thing makes loud grinding noised, which the kid continues to do over and over and over and over and over again. Plus there's a TV in the waiting room which is turned up to about 5 million decibels.

When we finally get in to see the doctor, it takes so long cobwebs are starting to form from my chin to my lap.  And to top off the annoyingness, they're playing MUZAK.  LOUD.  At this point I want to kill someone and I'm starting to think the staff in that office hates people.

I finally decide I'm going to pee my pants, and go to the bathroom.  Guess what.  No toilet paper.  Just glad I hadn't sat down yet.  Go get some, pee.

We finally see the doc, she has an eye ulcer.  We get a prescription.  He says, you need to start this right away, and no generics.  This is the best.  Head to pharmacy.  They don't have it.  They call four stores.  I sit in my car at the drive up window and play bubble buster on my phone.  No one has it, in fact, the manufacturer doesn't make it anymore.

At this point I'm starting to starve to death.

First I wonder why the hell a doctor would prescribe an rx not being make anymore, then I call them.  Office closed.  By that time I'd invested about three hours of my life I couldn't get back. I decide fuck that it's not even my week. (excuse my french). Remember, Dad has today off. I pick up Thing One who has not completely cleaned up after her party even though I told her that to have a party she was responsible for cleaning up.  I wait for her to clean.  I take them home, write Dad a novel about what needs to happen (because he's not there) and I leave.

I don't starve to death.  I eat two hotdogs and have a glass of pomegranate wine.  Then I lock myself in my room with Aaron Eckhart for the rest of the night.

I've decided that my blog will go back to just ranting, because I think that's what my readers like.

TGIF

I leave you with the Friday Nibbles:

Random Pandora Song: They Move On-Tracks of Never Ending Light by This Will Destroy You

Book of the Week: I've not read a damn thing in ages.  So I'm going with my own book, Sad, which I finished the first draft of on Monday.  Tagline: A Story of Loss, Loathing, and Lacerations.

Movie of the Week: Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. Watched it again this week.  It never gets old for me. and I love Michael Cera.

Quote of the Week: "Some days, there isn't enough Xanax." ~ Megan Bostic

Third Degree Thursday: Last Days

I've been thinking a lot about the message behind Never Eighteen, and what I would bring to schools were I to give a presentation.  I think part of it would be to pose the question, "What would you do if you knew your time on earth was coming to an end?"

I mean, what if you only had, let's say, a year left?  What would you do with that time?

I think I'd travel a lot.  I've always wanted to do a cross country road trip.  It think I would do that and see all the sites I've never seen while visiting family and friends.  There are many writer's I've connected to along my journey, but never met in person.  I think I would try to meet as many of them as I could.

I'd throw one hell of a going away party.  At the very end, I'd donate everything I own to charity, money to the children's hospital, possessions (the ones I don't leave to my kids) to people who need it.  Insurance money is for the kids.

And I may or may not buy a monkey.

So tell me, what would you do if you only had a year left to live?

Tuesday Writing Tips: Homonyms

[image error]  On the Tsunami Scribble Society retreat, I learned that one of the most common mistakes and editor finds is writer's using the wrong homonym.  I've found a list of the most commonly misused.

Accept vs except:
Accept is to receive.
Except is to leave out.
(guilty) 

Advice vs advise (to me confusing, so I'll use examples):
Advice is a recommendation for action (noun): My advice is to buy Pepsi over Coke
Advise is to recommendation a course of action (verb): The school counselor advises students on what classes to take.

Affect vs effect:
Affect is to change.
Effect is a result.

All together vs altogether:
All together is everyone in the same place.
Altogether means entirely.

Already  vs all ready:
Already means previously.
All ready means all prepared.

Capital vs capitol:
Capital is a city, the location of a government; main; important.
Capitol is the center of government

Clothes vs cloths:
Clothes is wearing apparel.
Cloths are pieces of cloth.

Course vs coarse:
Course is a path; a plan of action; series of studies.
Coarse is rough, crude, large.

Complement vs compliment:
Complement is something that completes.
Compliment is to praise someone; praise from someone.

Council vs counsel:
Council is a group of people who meet to discuss issues.
Counsel to advise or to give advice.

Desert vs Dessert:
Desert a dry barren sandy area; desert to abandon; to leave without permission.
Dessert is the final course in a meal (usually sweet)

Formally vs formerly:
Formally is with dignity; following rules or procedures.
Formerly is previously; at an earlier time.


Loose vs Lose:
Loose is to unfasten.
Lose is to suffer loss.

Passed vs past:
Passed is to go by.
Past is the tense of pass; that which has gone by.

Plain vs plane
Plain is simple, common; a flat area of land.
Plane is a flat surface; a tool; an airplane.


Principal vs principle (guilty):
Principal is the head of a school; also means chief, main.
Principle is a rule of conduct.

Stationary vs stationery:
Stationary is in a fixed position.
Stationery is writing paper, envelopes etc.




Than vs then:
Than a conjunction used in comparisons.
Then at that time.


To vs too vs two:
To is a preposition.
Too is also.
Two a number.


Weather vs whether:
Weather is the condition of the air; the atmosphere.
Whether is a conjunction expressing doubt.

Contractions:

Who's vs whose:
Who's  a contraction of who is or who has.
Whose is possessive form of who.



It's vs its:
It's: a contraction of it is or it has.
Its is a personal pronoun showing possession.

You're vs your (guilty, but always just a typo):
You're is a contraction you are.
Your is showing posession

They're vs there vs their:
They're is a contraction of they are.
There is in or at that place.
Their is a form of possession.

Capice?

Monkey Madness Monday

First off, here's my cute Monday Monkey.  Secondly, I have to correct something here on my blog. 

Remember back when I talked about Goodread reviews?  Well, apparently the reviewer I spoke about in general commented on that blog, and for some reason it did not post.  She thought I deleted it, which, those of you who know me know I wouldn't do.  I've been known to delete an entire blog of mine, a million facebook posts of mine, but never a blog comment.  I respect other people's opinions even if I don't like them or agree with them.

She  blogged about it, thinking I'm a disgrunted writer, which I don't blame her for, thinking I deleted her comment.  I'm linking to that blog here. In my original blog was more making a point about Goodreads reviews and respecting others opinions.

I'm linking to her blog because she was very eloquent and made some good points.  And now that is all I'll say on the subject.


I want to talk about my writing retreat.  It was great.  Only four of us.  Kristin Kendle talked about grammar and punctuation, Janet Oakley spoke on historical research.  I gave an totally unorganized (my style) presentation about the publishing process. 

I want to make it an annual event.  We have given it a name, as shown in the following logo (TSS for short).  I would to get more people involved, even though we want to keep it small.  We decided on eight people, though I would probably take it up to ten.  I already have people interested. 

If you're interested, it's at Ocean Shores, Washington, the third weekend of July.  If you want to come, respond to this blog, or send me a direct email.  Also, expect to give a presentation on a writing subject, expect to do some cooking, cleaning, and expect to learn and have fun.  Participants will be chosen by presentation proposal.  I want people who will be a good fit, not just first come first serve.

If I get a lot of interest, I may expand to those who just would like to learn rather than present.  But right now, we're tiny.  So, if you're interested in the learning process alone, let me know that too.  I'll see how many people are interested and go from there.

I wouldn't mind presentation from bloggers and famous writers either *cough Jay Asher cough Brent Hartinger cough Elizabeth Scott*  Excuse me.  Must have had something caught in my throat.

That is all for today.

Catch you on the flip side.

F³A: I know, I know

I haven't blogged for two days.  It's been, once again, a crazy week.  Two full days of html class, hosting a birthday bbq, trying to work on marketing stuff, the flu, and then, death.  Not the metaphorical kind either.  An acquaintance to me, but a friend to people I care about.  I met him a few times, he was a funny, sweet, very likeable guy.  Though I didn't know him well, he did touch my life and he will be missed.

Sigh.

Excited for my writers retreat this weekend.  I want to come up with a pithy name for it and do it annually.  Any ideas?

Also been freaking out about my book launch.  I feel like I'm so behind on the marketing stuff.  I know I still have six months, (okay, not quite) but it goes fast.  Next step, contact LA teachers, librarians, and bookstores locally.  I also will be doing a grass roots campaign.  Some of you prepare to be contacted.  Also prepare for me to move to blogging three days a week instead of five.  It's all about the freak out.

Also, watch for the Class of 2k12's vlog on WriteOnCon.  We talk about getting published, the editorial process, and give aspiring writer's advice.  Not sure when it will be posted, will update later.

That's all I can muster today. 

Friday Nibbles:

Random iPod shuffle song: Decode by Paramore.

Book of the Week:  I'm going with Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.  I've not read it yet, but it's now been suggested to me twice.

Netflix of the Week: Manic.  Watched this for research.  It was fantastic.  It's dark, but well worth the watch.  Stars Don Cheadle (who I think is amazing), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Zooey Deschanel.

Quote of the Week: "Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." ~  Carl Jung

Tuesday Writing Tips: The Ellipsis

[image error]  Once again, with help from Punctuation Made Simple (who threw me for a loop because they changed their website up, and who I'm calling PMS for short from this point on.  HAHAHAHAHA), we're learning about some commonly misused punctuation marks.  This week: the ellipsis.  Especially overused by newbies (definitely me in my first attempt at a novel).
Here are the rules:

[1] An ellipsis takes the place of omitted words in a quotation
             "...and didn't even say goodbye."
             "She was talking about writing, editing...until she turned blue in the face."
[2] Indicates a long thoughtful pause
             I want to write...no, I need to write.
[3] Indicates trailing off (as opposed to an abrupt interruption)

             I was so tired. I just couldn't write anymore. Just couldn't...
[4] Indicates a continuation of time
             The bomb counted down: ten, nine, eight...
[5] Indicates pauses in conversation as if a "realization" is occurring
             "But how could he...could she...could they?"
Syntax

No spaces before or after the ellipsis.(okay, this is what PMS says.  When I got my copy edits they not only put spaces before the ellipsis, the put them between the dots.  Like so: . . . Just sayin')
             "Don't let me fall..."

No period after an ellipsis. Do remember to close your quotation.

Usage Key
Stylistically, it is helpful to think of ellipsis points as a thoughtful sigh.
Misuse
The biggest misuse of ellipsis is to overuse them (Yup). As with all highly stylistic constructions, a little goes a long way.

Remember: for an interrupted quote, us an em dash (we'll talk about the em dash next week.  I loves me the em dash, so did my copy editor) . Reserve ellipsis for long pauses, not abrupt interruptions.
I hope this clears things up a bit. 

Like I said next week, we'll be talking about the em dash.  Happy editing!!!