Jacqui Murray's Blog, page 193
March 23, 2012
Should You Dump Twitter?
Do you have too many social media obligations–FB, G , Goodreads, Twitter? Are you wondering if it's worth the time?
Flowtown has a nice, neat decision matrix to assist you. Answer the questions; follow the arrows. See where you end up at the end:
Flowtown – Social Media Marketing Application
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-sixth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything. Currently, she's editing a thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: social networks Tagged: social networks, twitter
March 22, 2012
Check out my Article Over at Write Anything
I have an interesting rundown of my foibles and follies over on Write Anything. It's one of the harder articles I've written (introspection is as much fun for me as having my Admin watch me teach), so please come make it worth it! I've included a very cute picture of a Labrador puppy just to entice you.
If you can't make it–no worries. I'll post it here soon.
Filed under: Uncategorized
March 20, 2012
Tech Tip for Writers #45: Is Your Screen Upside Down?
As a working technology teacher, I get hundreds of questions from parents about their home computers, how to do stuff, how to solve problems. Each Tuesday, I'll share one of those with you. They're always brief and always focused. Enjoy!
Q: My screen is sideways 90 degrees. How do I fix that?
A: If you ever needed this, you're going to be blessing me. If you've never faced that off-kilter screen, you're going to wonder why I'd post this tip.
Of course, I've faced it–I run a tech lab and there are always those pesky prodigies who want to outsmart me. They know if they push Ctrl Alt (down arrow), it'll turn the screen upside down. The first time it happened, I was at a loss. That's when a different pesky prodigy told me how to fix it:
Ctrl Alt (up arrow)
I use it at least once a month now.
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Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education. Currently, she's editing a thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
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Filed under: tech tips for writers Tagged: screen upside down, tech tips, writers tips
March 19, 2012
Writers Tips #101: 17 Tips from Writing the Blockbuster Novel
Great tips for soon-to-be great writers
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can't quite put your finger on it, but you know you've done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer's tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.
When Albert Zuckerman wrote his acclaimed book, Writing the Blockbuster Novel (Writers House Press 1994), he made no apologies for directing this how-to-write book at those who want to pen the big story, the one that vaults a writer to the fore of his art, the script that makes movie makers drool. All novelists aspire to that (in the way all children aspire to be President), but few will achieve it. Nevertheless, the tips he shares serve every story well, even the niche novel that only appeals (though rabidly) to a cult of readers.
Here are the ones that caught my attention:
create a character readers will readily identify with
create a setting in a milieu people would like to visit rather than a poor working-class district of England
offer a big dramatic question that will engage the reader's attention from beginning to end
give the people in the story a past
have a distinctive voice. It can grow "out of your own special affinity for the English language, out of the rhythms, tones and nuances you hear and weave into your own mind of people's speech, out of your own highly personal and somewhat skewed vision of the world"
have an eye for detail. This "is more instinctive than acquired. But not for all details, only the most telling ones."
"The great storyteller has an acuity of perception as sharp as that of a visual artist and can make music in words. Not only in dialogue, but in characters' thoughts and emotions, in visual perceptions, sounds, smells, palpable sensations, visceral reactions."
"Create fictional characters deeply involved with each other… It's only about such characters that readers care. And for a novel to become popular, and to live on, we the readers must care."
"Energy, willpower and grit are also qualities … that cannot be taught
"The author who cannot set aside a completed five- or eight-hundred page draft and start all over from page one, throwing out scenes and entire chapters, altering and enriching relationships, characters and locales, intensifying conflicts and climaxes, is also unlikely to attain the high level of sustained drama contained in most best-selling novels."
"A crucial and unteachable … element in a leading novelist's toolbox is culture, widespread general knowledge, rich and varied life experience"
"In its essence… a novel is emotion."
"The first thing to note about a big novel is that what's at stake is high–for a character, a family, sometimes a whole nation."
"The life of at least one major character is usually in peril."
"In many major women's novels… the principal stake is not life or death but personal fulfillment."
"A second key characteristic of the mega-best seller is larger-than-life characters
"…the book's opine–the ongoing central conflict around which its major characters interact, the main issue that drives and unites its myriad scenes–couldn't be more basic and clear-cut."
Even if you aren't writing that 'high concept' novel, these are good guidelines.
Time for me to create my checklist (I love checklists) and review my draft with an eye for this list of details. See you in a few days.
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Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education. Currently, she's editing a thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: writers resources, writers tips Tagged: blockbuster novel, high concept, writers tips
March 16, 2012
Book Review: The Inquisitor
The Inquisitor
by Mark Allen Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Note to readers: This review was written as part of my Amazon Vine Voice program
Mark Allen Smith's debut thriller, The Truth Hurts... (aka, The Inquisitor, from Henry Holt and Company 2012) introduces Geiger, one of the most unique characters in fiction since the arrival of Robert Crais' Joe Pike and T. Jefferson Parker's Joe Trona. Geiger, like Pike and Trona, is a non-verbal protagonist whose to-the-point actions speak loudly about what's going on inside his head. He has no last name and no childhood, and arrives in New York with no memories, no emotions and almost no ability to feel pain. He falls into a job working for a mob boss and finds he has a knack for convincing people to tell their secrets, using his own method of carefully administered psychological and physical torture. His life bumps along nicely until he is asked to work on a twelve-year-old boy–and everything falls apart, including the subconscious walls that have protected Geiger from the truth of his past. As he his fleeing for his life, insistent upon protecting this child he barely knows, pieces of his past filter forward until the whole truth crashes down on him like a dump truck full of wet cement.
It quickly becomes apparent to the reader that the plot has less to do with Geiger's torture techniques (what he calls 'information retrieval') and more to do with the man's search for his own truth–his past. As a result, I found myself liking this muscle-bound, amoral guy as I might like a over-sized bumbling puppy who doesn't know the rules of the household yet, but wants to learn. Smith provides just enough childhood details at all the right moments that I feel sorry for the youthful Geiger and as a result don't hate the adult nearly as much as I should considering his profession.
It doesn't hurt that Smith is a true artist with words. Check out some of these great lines:
Now Harry [Geiger's sidekick] was forty-four, and his body, once a brother-in arms against the world, could no longer be trusted. He knew from all the lives he'd sifted through that within every man is his own Caesar and Brutus
Harry envied Geiger. [but] He wouldn't change places for any price–clearly, the man had more demons than a Hieronymus Bosch painting
Geiger stopped his nighttime run just long enough to lay out the punks in a blur of lethal hands and feet, and then go on his way before Harry could summon breath to speak
[Geiger explains to Harry why he jumped in to defend him against the 'punks']: It had nothing to do with you. If they'd been kicking a dog I would've done the same thing.
You know that sensation…when you feel like you've hit bottom and you realize you're right where you belong?
What thriller aficionado could not love this man's wordsmithing skills? In fact, the more I read of Mark Allen Smith's story, the more I realized this was a man with that rare ability to spin a fully fleshed emotion with just a few words, that the reader can fully relate to. Try this one–They were joined at the hip [referring to Harry and Geiger], light-years between them. Smith writes some of the best descriptive passages I've ever read
The story is like an out-of-control freight train barreling toward a crowded terminal. The action never stops, with just a few inconsistencies at the end, but they are forgiven, lost in the richness of the climax and final surprises. If you like mysteries, thrillers, crime drama, you don't want to miss this one.
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education. Currently, she's editing a thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: Amazon, book reviews Tagged: book review, geiger
March 14, 2012
How Are Your Sales With Google Ebooks?
A year ago, I was very excited about the launch of the Google Ebookstore. It was long-awaited and hopefully a viable outlet for ebooks of all kinds including Androids, iPhone, iPad, Nook, Sony and the Web. All in one place. Doesn't that sound scintillating? I found one of my books there…
Google Books Version of my Book
Here's what I wrote:
Google ebooks has millions of books in every imaginable category including nearly 3 million free ebooks available in the US (Google is expected to expand service to Europe in March 2011 and, later next year, to Japan). Books are stored in the cloud with unlimited storage for each customer. They're compatible with Android phones, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, web browsers (as pdfs even) and an estimated 85 ebook devices. You can view a portion, buy it right away, or save it for later viewing. Interesting, but Google ebooks are not compatible with Amazon Kindle yet. I wonder why.
Authors can sell their books through Google Ebookstore by joining Google Partners (used to be Google Editions). I'm thrilled to say I've sold one book.
On the other hand, I'm surprised. Google should do to ebooks what Amazon did to online book sales. I'm well-expecting them to double or triple (or more) my Scribd ebook sales. Scribd's reputation is for free viewing of online books and manuscripts. Their store is an add-on. Google ebookstore is the Real Deal.
The next step is when they sell the hard copy and the ebook bundled. Then, you get the ebook for 20% of the hard copy price. I wonder when that's coming on line?
Much of it is still true, but not the shiver of anticipation for a market that could offset my almost total reliance on Amazon for sales. In fact, Google ebooks (now called Google Play) sales are less than:
Scribd
Teachers Pay Teachers
BarnesandNoble.com
I don't get it. True, they aren't as professional as Amazon. It's more difficult to get a run-down on my sales, categories, spreadsheets than on Amazon, but the Amazon folks are stunning in their efficiency. I wouldn't use them as the barometer because every other sales outlet would fail.
But my monthly sales are 5% of Amazon. That's not even in the same virtual universe as Amazon.
What's Google eBooks doing wrong?
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and author of two technology training books for middle school. She wrote Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for ISTE's Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Write Anything. Currently, she's editing a techno-thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office, WordDreams, or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: business, digital books Tagged: ebooks, google ebooks
March 13, 2012
Tech Tip for Writers #44: Clean Your Computer Weekly
As a working technology teacher, I get hundreds of questions from parents about their home computers, how to do stuff, how to solve problems. Each Tuesday, I'll share one of those with you. They're always brief and always focused. Enjoy!
Q: I'm afraid of getting slammed with viruses, malware, all that bad stuff that comes with visiting the internet. What do I do?
A: If you take reasonable precautions, the chances of being hit are minimized. Here's what I do:
Don't download from music or video sites. They have the greatest amount of malware statistically because the Bad Guys know we-all like getting free music and videos.
Make sure your firewall is working. Windows comes with a built-in one. Maybe Mac does too. Leave it active. It's under Control Panel-Administrative Tools
Do this every week:
defrag your computer. To quote Windows, Fragmentation makes your hard disk do extra work that can slow down your computer. Removable storage devices such as USB flash drives can also become fragmented. Disk Defragmenter rearranges fragmented data so your disks and drives can work more efficiently. Run Disc Defrag by going to Control Panel-Administrative Tools–Advanced Tools.
Run Spybot or a similar antispyware program. Spybot is free, which is why I like it. I've had good luck with it. Download.com says this about Spybot: The program checks your system against a comprehensive database of adware and other system invaders. The Immunize feature blocks a plethora of uninvited Web-borne flotsam before it reaches your computer.
Keep your antivirus software active. If you're paranoid like me, run an antivirus scan weekly to be sure nothing is missed.
Run Ad-aware once a week to keep malware and spyware off your computer. It has a stellar reputation and is still free to all (although there's an upgrade that you can pay for).
This is a good start. Let me know if there's anything else you include in your weekly routine.
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Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education. Currently, she's editing a thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: tech tips for writers Tagged: tech tips, writers tips
March 12, 2012
Writers Tip #100: 12 Tips From Writing From A to Z
Great tips for soon-to-be great writers
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can't quite put your finger on it, but you know you've done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer's tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.
Sometimes what you need in your writing is a dictionary approach–the ability to look up your problem and find the answer. That's what Writing From A to Z: The Easy-to-use Reference (McGraw Hill 2005) offers. This book is designed as a textbook for a writing class with physical as well as online content. It includes topics such as basic grammar, logic and argumentation, methods of development, and sample student papers. Here are twelve ideas I found especially useful:
Flowchart of the writing process from prewriting to the finished document
Peer response guidelines, organized by kinds of writing (useful for critique groups as well as a writing class)
Overview of the research process from writers responsibilities to plagiarism
Alphabetic list of abbreviations
An explanation of Boolean searches
When/how to use commas (this caught my attention because a reader just asked a question about the use of commas in a list)
Comparison and contrast as a method of development
First drafts
Literary analysis
Past perfect tense, past participles and the like
When to use question marks (revisit Writers Tip #99–the misuse of question marks is one of Noah Lukeman's hot buttons)
How to avoid vague words
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education. Currently, she's editing a thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: book reviews, writers tips Tagged: reference, writers resources, writers tips
March 8, 2012
Book Review: Capitol Murder
Capitol Murder: A Novel of Suspense
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Capitol Murder (Harper Collins 2012) is another winner for Phillip Margolin, a self-described self-taught writer and author of fifteen New York Times best selling novels and 4 books of short stories. This book reprises the appearance of serial killer Clarence Little, the violent murderer attorney Brad Miller successfully defended thus earning the long-term affection of this nefarious character. When Little escapes from prison, he is linked to a streak of murders, themselves linked to a group of terrorists intent on destroying America from within. Margolin does a masterful job of weaving these disparate pieces together in nonstop action, spine-tingling suspense and a surprise ending that no one could expect.
As usual, Margolin's plot is well-constructed with lots of insider tidbits about Washington politics, with strong plotting and believable characters that pull the reader from one page to the next. There were many times in the story I asked, 'Why would he/she do that?' only to have Margolin tie up all those breadcrumbs into a a neat package at the end. My only complaint was Milly, Little's attorney. It took a leap of faith to believe that the guards wouldn't have noticed her growing affection for her client and/or her secretive slipping of notes from him in his court documents. If Little weren't such a celebrity criminal, maybe, but he was a particularly evil murderer on a path to being released due to technicalities. But, with all good plots, I willingly suspended my disbelief and rolled with the plot.
Overall, an interesting read worthy of Margolin's pen.
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-sixth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything. Currently, she's editing a thriller for her agent that should be be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: book reviews Tagged: capitol murder, margolin, thrillers
March 6, 2012
7 Great Websites for Crime Writers
More than blogs--websites too that you'll find useful
If you're a crime writer who's not a PI, member of law enforcement, or one of those type of occupations, it's likely you have little experience with your topic.Thankfully, there are several websites that can provide background for just about anything you need. Take a look at these:
The Crime Library –a big collection on true crime stories, information about serial killers, the criminal mind, gory photos and more
Crime Space Ning
Crime Spot --the latest updates from the crime and mystery world. It even has a widget to add the feed to your crime/mystery blog
Crime Writers Research –This blog by Nancy Cohen, award winning mystery writer, provides tons of information to help all crime writers deliver a believable and squeamish tale
Criminal Minds — A Virtual Panel –each week, this blog responds to provocative questions about crime fiction, writing, publishing and life. The week I checked, the question was Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
Mystery Scene Magazine –everything you want to know about mystery writing–authors, books, blogs, how-tos, even some quotes. Here's one I love from Kinsey Milhone: Too much virtue has a corrupting effect.
Working Stiffs--where crime writers talk about their trade
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education. Currently, she's editing a thriller for her agent that should be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: research, writers resources Tagged: crime writers, mysteries, writers resources
