Michelle McLean's Blog, page 28

What I Got During My Last Trip to Borders

Okay, I've had a few people ask me this so I thought I'd post a list :D Yes, they are mostly fantasy paperbacks and several sequels (and I haven't read the first books). I had limited funds and time so I grabbed anything that looked interesting :D

Grace - by Elizabeth Scott
The Faeman Quest - by Herbie Brennan
The Hidden Goddess - by M.K. Hobson
Candle in the Storm - by Morgan Howell
Law of the Broken Earth - by Rachel Neumeier
Bloodhound - by Beka Cooper
Palace Council - by Stephen L. Carter
Last Sacrifice - by Richelle Mead (for giveaways since I already have a copy)
I Remember Nothing - by Nora Ephron
and a 2 CD + 1 DVD blooper reel Ultimate Sports Mix

Grand total (including tax) = $5.30  :D

Friday Funnies - Karma....and My Last Trip to Borders

So I was out shopping today with the hubs. We were debating on whether or not we should run by Borders one last time. I knew they were closing, but couldn't remember what day. We almost didn't go. But then I decided that since I was a good little writer and wrote shiny new words yesterday that I could have a bookalicious treat :D

We walked in around 1pm...and heard them announce that they had just entered their very last hour before closing. The store would close forever at 2 pm. This made me very sad. As did the fact that the store was almost completely empty. Just a few boxes of books here and there and a few shelves scattered around holding their remaining stock.

Then came a really awesome announcement. Something I decided was just good karma coming back around to me for being a good little-shiny-new-word-writer writer person.....everything in the store was now $0.50. 50 cents people!!!

Every seen a cat on catnip? Yeah....that's pretty much how it looks when a writer is in a bookstore and has just been told everything they lay their inkstained hands on is two for a dollar.

I had fun....just sayin'  ;-)


















see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Update: You know that brand new 7th bookcase I got not too long ago? :D Looks likes it's time for bookcase #8 #gottaloveabooksale

Mystery Agent Contest at Operation Awesome!

Time for another Mystery Agent Contest!! Head over to OA with your one line pitches. First 50 entries will be accepted. This time around our agent is looking for:

YA

Urban Fantasy Paranormal Romance Contemporary Women's Fiction
Commercial Fiction
Multicultural Fiction

Good luck everyone!!!

What I Learned from R2D2

I realized this morning that it's about time I take my own advice :D No matter what the situation, I find that taking things little by little, one piece at a time, baby stepping it, makes this so much more manageable. I tell people that all the time. Whenever my friends are feeling overwhelmed I tell them to just take things one step, or more often, one word at a time.
Yet I've been sitting here staring at my computer for 2 weeks now.....my files are open, but I haven't managed to get anything done. Well, okay, I wrote 162 words the other day. Progress? I guess...technically. Good progress? Not really.
I always have the hardest time starting new projects (well, I started this one a while ago. I'm 20k into it, so this should be easier, but it hasn't been). I think it's because I tend to be a "big picture" person and the thought of all the work ahead, all the obstacles, is daunting. 
I actually realized I wasn't following my own advice as I was looking at birthday cakes for my son. He's a Star Wars nuts. Wants a Star Wars cake. I found this one online:
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How COOL is that cake? And I thought "yeah, it's awesome, but there is no WAY I can make that thing!" And then I looked at the steps. Broken down one simple step at a time, it doesn't look that hard. I mean if you look at each piece individually, it really doesn't seem so bad. I think I could probably do it. Granted, it probably won't look that good LOL But still, I think I could pull off a decent looking cake.
So...I think I need to apply that logic (that I am so fond of telling other people) to my writing and quit be overwhelmed. I just need to take things one little piece at a time. One word, one sentence, one paragraph at a time. And maybe I can get writing again :)
How do you tackle overwhelming tasks?

Read for Relief

Read for Relief is a writing community auction site set up to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Irene. Check it out if you haven't already. There are so many awesome things up for bid, including signed books and writer/agent/editor critiques.

And up today - a 30 page critique by the ladies of Operation Awesome! :D If you'd like me and my fellow OA ladies to crit your first 30 pages, stop on by and bid!

You can also donate directly if you don't want to bid, but seriously, there are some awesome items so go check it out!

A Dark and Stormy Blog Chain

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It's Blog Chain time again! This time the lovely Christine decided to get our creative gears rolling. Here is her topic:

Since we are all writer's, I thought it was about time for us to stretch our creative muscles and do a little writing. So, take the following topic and go crazy! Show us what you've got. Your story can be as long or as short as you choice. 
The topic: A dark and stormy night.
Okay...since I have incredibly lax on doing anything poetry related lately, I decided to do a sestina. (For those who don't know what that is, a sestina is a poem that has six 6 line stanzas and an envoi. The ending words in each line of each stanza follow a specific repeating pattern and the three line envoi uses all six words (usually two words per line). ) :)
Anyhow...I've been really sick this week and with the flooding out in my neck of the woods the kids have been home from school all week. So...I'm definitely not bringing my A game LOL But...here you go:

****
We are hidden in the dark, moonless night.
I welcome the rain as it strikes my face,
cool drops washing away my tears, my blood.
"Breathe," he pleads, his lips brushing mine. "Please breathe."
I shudder, my breath escaping at his
command. "For you," I sigh, "only for you."

He holds me. "I won't let them reclaim you."
Shouts roll with the thunder through the night.
Only one life matters to me now. His.
"You must leave me." The horror on his face
breaks my heart, but he must run. "Go," I breathe.
They can't find him with me, covered in blood -

Mine, his…theirs. His pained howl rips through my blood,
burns his image on my soul. "I love you,"
I whisper, shattered, unwilling to breathe,
unable to stop. They're coming, the night
rife with vengeance. Once more I touch his face.
"Go!" I cry. One last look and he runs, his

tortured fury echoing through me, his
pain my own. They come, find me bathed in blood.
"Where is he?" they ask. But I turn my face.
They lift me. "Your father's waiting for you."
Others fan out, searching into the night.
They won't find him. He's gone…and I can't breathe.

They carry me through dark forests. I breathe
grudgingly, praying the storm hides him, his
trail. My father's fortress looms in the night
and too soon I am before him. My blood
freezes. "Thought you could run from me, did you?"
His drawn sword scrapes across my face.

They drag in my love; blood drains from my face.
Our eyes lock and I forget how to breathe.
Father's rage unleashes. "Traitors! Both of you!"
The sword strikes, but my eyes never leave his.
Father screams, his vengeance soaked in our blood.
He fades. I see only my love, my knight.

"I love you," we whisper. He strokes my face.
Our blood mingles, our lives entwine, mine and his.
The night is ours. And one last time…we breathe.

****

There are some really great entries on this chain, so I'd highly recommend starting from the beginning with Christine's post. Our fabulous new member PK posted before me, and another awesome new member, Tere, will post tomorrow.

Friday Funnies

AMAZING ANAGRAMS

Dormitory = Dirty Room
Desperation = A Rope Ends It
The Morse Code = Here Come Dots
Slot Machines = Cash Lost in 'em
Animosity = Is No Amity
Snooze Alarms = Alas! No More Z's
Alec Guinness = Genuine Class
Semolina = Is No Meal
The Public Art Galleries = Large Picture Halls, I Bet
A Decimal Point = I'm a Dot in Place
Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one
Contradiction = Accord not in it






















THREE GUYS ARE SITTING AT A BAR
#1: "...Yeah, I make $75,000 a year after taxes."
#2: "What do you do for a living?"
#1: "I'm a stockbroker. How much do you make?
#2: "I should clear $60,000 this year."
#1: "What do you do?"
#2: "I'm an architect."

The third guy has been sitting there quietly, staring into his beer, when the others turn to him.

#2: "Hey, how much do you make per year?"
#3: "Gee... hmmm... I guess about $13,000."
#1: "Oh yeah? What kind of stories do you write?"

Creative Goal Tackling

Sometimes unexpected (and unwanted) things occur and you just have to find a way to deal with them. For example, when we moved to PA, our moving truck (through a series of irritating and sometimes tragic circumstances) ended up being a month and a half late.

So, instead of getting our house set up, and putting our previously outside dog outside in her kennel where she belonged (the kennel was on the truck), she got to stay in the (empty) house with us (much to my dismay...and the cat's).

Now, I love our dog. But I don't like her in the house. She sheds like crazy. It's a pain. But after a month and a half of indoor living, our dog decided the outdoors was no longer good enough for her and pretty much has a stroke every time we try to put her in her kennel.

So...she now lives inside. A circumstance I really didn't want. But, I found a way to live with it. Instead of sweeping my kitchen (where she stays), I now vacuum it. It keeps the hair away and allows us to live in peace with each other. (Before I figured out the vacuum thing, I was sweeping up enough hair to build myself another dog every day. I was not having fun).

What does this have to do with writing? Well, sometimes we come across things we aren't expecting, we don't like, and we don't want to have to live with. And we don't always have a choice.

If you want a better story, sometimes you have to add in that new plotline thread that is going to take FOREVER to weave in. If you want an agent, you are going to have to query. If you want your book to sell, you are going to have to help market it. Sometimes, in order to accomplish your goal, you have to do things you might not want to do.

So do what I did. Find a way to make it not so bad. Find a way to do what you need to do in the most painless way possible. Take those revisions a small chunk at a time and set up a fun reward system for yourself. Gather a group of also-querying writer pals and help keep each other sane. Find aspects of marketing that you enjoy (or at least don't hate) and focus on those. If you don't like public speaking, maybe set up online workshops instead of school visits or pre-tape presentations instead of doing live chats. Facebook instead of blog or Tweet instead of Skype.

Bottom line: there are things that you are going to have to do to succeed in this business that might not be things you want to do. So find a way to accomplish your goals that you can live with. Do I enjoy vacuuming my kitchen every day (and sometimes twice a day)? Nooooo. But...it sure beats sweeping it 4 times a day and I get it done a lot faster.

Sometimes you just need to get a little creative :)

Have you found any creative ways to get a not-so-fun goal accomplished?

Happy Labor Day!

Friday Funnies

(a couple of these are a little outdated, but funny) :D

You know it's time to turn off the computer when ... 

 1) You forgot how to work the TV remote control. 


2) You see something funny and scream, "LOL, LOL!"

 3) You meet the mailman at the curb and swear he said YOU'VE GOT MAIL.

 4) You sign off and your screen says you were on for 6 days and 45 minutes.

 5) You fall asleep, but instead of dreams you get IMs.

6) You buy a laptop and a cell phone so you can have AOL in your car.

 7) Tech support calls YOU for help.

 8) You beg your friends to get an account so you can "hang out".

 9) You get a second phone line just to call out for pizza.

 10) You purchase a vanity car license plate with your screen name on it.

11) You say "he he he he" or "heh heh heh" instead of laughing.

 12) You say "SCROLL UP" when someone asks what it was you said.

 13) You sneak away to your computer when everyone goes to sleep.

 14) You talk on the phone with the same person you are sending an instant message to.

 15) You look at an annoying person off-line and wish that you had your ignore button handy.

16) You sit on AOL for 6 hours for that certain special person to sign on.

 17) You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.

 18) You end your sentences with..... three or more periods

19) You've gone to an unstaffed AOL room to give tech support. 


20) You're on the phone and say BRB.

(from makemesmile.com from IBLaffing and http://www.a-writers-block.com/jokes....)