Jacqui Murray's Blog, page 199
December 14, 2011
What's Trending on WordDreams
I calculate what's trending on my blog by which of my posts are popular a particular thirty-day period. Here's this period's run-down:
How to Describe Dogs
How to Describe a Person's Clothing
178 Ways to Describe Women's Clothing
103 Most Beautiful Words? You Decide
How to Show (Not Tell) Emotion–E to O
How to Describe Nature
One-Word Characteristics to Spice Up Your Writing
Book Review: Killing Lincoln
How To Describe Your Character's Appearance
How to Show (Not Tell) an Emotion–A to D
That's interesting, isn't it? 9 out of 10 were descriptions–words. One was a controversial book review (don't believe a history book can be controversial? Check out the 2500 Amazon comments). that tells me writers are hard at work wordsmithing their prose, getting ready for the new year.
It'll be interesting to see how this compares with What's Trending for the year, due in a few weeks.
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 tech columnist for Examiner.com, Editorial Review Board member for ISTE's Journal for Computing Teachers, IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything. Currently, she's seeking representation for a techno-thriller Any suggestions? Contact Jacqui at her writing office, WordDreams, or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: descriptors, writers resources Tagged: descriptions, writing resources
December 13, 2011
Tech Tip for Writers #32: My Taskbar Got Moved to the Side
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: The taskbar at the bottom of my screen got moved. I liked it at the bottom. How do I move it back?
A: It's easy to move, intended to move. Click on the bar and drag it back to the bottom. If you don't want it to move (maybe you have precocious children), right click on the taskbar and click on 'lock taskbar'.
Questions you want answered? Leave a comment here and I'll answer it within the next thirty days.
To sign up for Tech Tips delivered to your email, click here.
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, an Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, an IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything. Currently, she's seeking representation for a techno-thriller she just finished. Any ideas? Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab.
Filed under: tech tips for writers, writers tips Tagged: tech tips, writers tips
December 12, 2011
Writers Tip #89: 10 Tips from Glimmer Train
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.
This list is from Janis Hubschman, recently brought to my attention by an efriend, Judith Marshall. I read this long ago and completely forgot its wisdom. Now, I'm ready for her tips, eager to fix my problems. I hope they help you, too.
A little on Janis Hubschman: Her stories have appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Exquisite Corpse, The Saint Ann's Review and more. She's a finalist in the New Letters Alexander Patterson Cappon Prize for Fiction and received an Honorable mention from Glimmer Train. Currently, she teaches t Montclair State University. You can reach her here.
Here's the list:
When the story stalls, ask: what is the character thinking now? Is she thinking anything? If not, why not? Characters need to learn something about themselves, about their values and assumptions.
Characters reveal themselves under stress. Raise the stakes. Drive the character into a tight spot. What are the psychological crutches the character relies on under pressure?
Readers like to learn about something when they read. The details of an unusual job or hobby, the day-to-day activities of a particular place at a particular time in history, for example, draw the reader in.
Trust the reader. Remember Hemingway's iceberg theory: "you could omit anything if you knew you omitted it and the omitted part would strengthen the story and make people feel something more than they understood."
Take apart successful published stories (or the stories of writers you admire) to see how they work.
Give the character something to do in the scene. It brings the character and the scene to life. A character soaking in the bathtub, thinking about her rotten marriage is boring. A character performing brain surgery, thinking about her rotten marriage is a different proposition.
To gain insight into a character, consider her history: Think about what happened before the story, what tortuous path led the character to this particular moment?
Allow the character to misinterpret another character's words or actions. In life, we often misread a situation, jump to conclusions. Interesting things can happen when characters make presumptions or project their own hang-ups onto others.
Let the characters connect with others. Alienated characters, the whiney and self-absorbed protagonists that blame everyone else for their predicament have lots of precedent in literature, but can hold readers at a remove.
Build tension by slowing down a scene. Let the scene unfold moment by moment. Linger on the details. Build silences into the dialogue.
Although saving time is the point of the list, an argument can be made for the value of all those hours we spend working through problems in our fiction. Remember Malcolm Gladwell's ten years or 10,000-Hours Rule for realizing success. While there's no guarantee that ten years will produce achievement, sustained effort and sometimes tedious application is necessary. For example, I revised the story that won Glimmer Train's Open Fiction contest numerous times over a four-year period. However, the story and the protagonist really started to reveal themselves to me in the final drafts when I focused on techniques #1, #3, and #6. So, in the interest of saving a few years, you might consider stealing this list.
Steal This List
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. Currently, she's seeking representation for a techno-thriller that she just finished. Any ideas? Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: writers tips Tagged: glimmer train, writers tips
December 9, 2011
Book Review: The Innocent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It seems everyone is a NY Times Bestselling Author these days, so that's not why I picked Taylor Stevens' new novel The Innocent (Crown Publishers 2011) from my Amazon Vine offering last month. It is the story of Hannah, kidnapped at the age of five and forced to grow up as part of a sexually-oriented, backward cult (which sounds to be based on a group to which Stevens herself belonged in her early years). Even after eight years, her mother won't stop searching for her and begs Vanessa Michael Munroe, the heroine from Stevens' debut thriller The Informationist, to use her prodigious physical and mental skills to track down and save her child. Within the first chapters, it becomes clear that Munroe (who calls herself Michael) is as effective in combat as the world-saving Scott Harvath, albeit darker than even the inimitable Jason Bourne. When Munroe saves a child about to be gang-raped by destroying the miscreants, we learn that Munroe is fraught with demons so powerful she dreads going to sleep, so fearful is she of what she will do when she can no longer control her actions. By rescuing this kidnapped girl, Munroe hopes to exorcise her own evil and reclaim the life she used to enjoy.
The prologue powerfully introduces the story with three pages of non-stop action and musty intrigue, but the story stalled soon after. Yes, I was achingly curious, but Taylor left holes in the story, unexplained actions and unfounded emotions, so I began to feel distanced from her main characters, Logan and Munroe. There were hints of a dark, intimidating past, one that was likely fleshed out in the prequel, The Informationist and shaped the thoughts and actions of the two friends, but I wasn't in on the secrets. I really wished I'd read that novel first. And learning about Logan–the man responsible for involving Munroe in rescuing the child–through the eyes of the narrator and Munroe seemed to be contradicted by his actions. On the one hand, he is characterized as calm, unflappable, competent, but on the other, he seeks Munroe's approval and worries too much. Again, I wrote it off to believing that this book was too dependent upon the prior novel. Maybe it should have been called Part II.
One other drawback: In the development of Munroe, I felt a bit off-balance throughout the story. In that usual thriller way, Munroe is bigger than life, but damaged by her past. The further into the story I got, the more I cared for her and worried that her demons would derail her goals, but I always felt a little behind the curve as far as understanding her motivations. I'm assuming that the prequel provided the foundation for what drives Munroe. It didn't help that some of the scene transitions made me pause, re-read to be sure I didn't miss something.
In the end though, those concerns paled in light of Stevens plotting, pacing and ability to ratchet up the drama. Munroe's character–a strong, sexy physical woman–is needed more often in thrillers. Sure, there are competent female fighters, but Munroe didn't learn her skills so much as they are her. Though the story lacks any supporting actors/actresses of merit, Munroe is the bigger than life protagonist that is central to any successful thriller. This is only the second book in the series. Every series grows over time. The writing skills are there so I will definitely buy more.
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 looking for an agent for a thriller she's finally finished. Any ideas? Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: book reviews, thrillers Tagged: book review, female protagonists, thrillers
December 8, 2011
Edublogs Nomination: Best EdTech/Resource Sharing Blog
Woah! The list of Edublog 2011 nominees is out and my tech blog is on it. I am surprised and thrilled. I'd love for anyone so inclined to click this link and vote for me. The voting is in the website's left sidebar. Select:
Best edtech/resource sharing blog 2011
Then select
Ask a Tech Teacher.
If you haven't seen my tech blog, and want to know what you might vote for, hop over to Ask a Tech Teacher and check it out. You might even find some freebies you need.
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, an Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, an IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything. Currently, she's seeking representation for a techno-thriller she just finished. Any ideas? Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab.
Filed under: blogs, teaching Tagged: 2011 edublogs, awards, tech ed awards
December 7, 2011
Prologue or Chapter One? What Have You Heard
This continues to be one of the most controversial topics in writing a novel. I have heard as many experts claim prologues are out as not. Some say make it Chapter One. As many others say if it's separated in time, make it a Prologue.
This was brought to mind when an efriend, Judith Marshall over at LinkedIn posted that her recent conference declared it solved: No more prologues. I shared that at MY latest conference (granted, it's from the distant past of September 2011), qualified presenters claimed it was up to the writer.
I'd like to hear what you've heard: Prologue or Chapter One? Take a quick vote. Let's see what the consensus is from around the world. Then We'll all know the truth:
View This Poll
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 seeking representation for a techno-thriller that she just finished. Any ideas? Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: Polls, writing Tagged: chapter one, polls, prologues, writing
December 6, 2011
Tech Tip for Writers #31: What's Today's Date
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 can never remember today's date. And, I can't remember where to find it on my computer. Help!
A: There are lots of ways:
Hover over the clock and it tells you the date
Shift+Alt+D in Word
Ctrl+; in Excel
Start typing the date in a Word doc and Word finishes it for you
That's probably more than you wanted to know about today's date.
Questions you want answered? Leave a comment here and I'll answer it within the next thirty days.
To sign up for Tech Tips delivered to your email, click here.
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. Currently, she's seeking representation for a techno-thriller that she just finished. Any ideas? Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: tech tips for writers, writers tips Tagged: tech tips, writers tips
December 5, 2011
Writers Tip 86: 11 Tips from Blockbuster Plots
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.
Today, I have ten great ideas from Martha Alderson's Blockbuster Plots: Pure and Simple (Illusion Press 2004). Some are epiphanies; some simple reminders of what a plot is supposed to do. All of them will help to refocus your writing on the essentials of a plot:
A scene shows. Summary tells
All conflict, confrontations, and turning points–all the high points of your story–must be played out in scene…
Story is conflict shown in scene
Develop the character's inner world as carefully as the outer one
help the reader remember who goes with which name (an opportunity for that distinguishing characteristic)
Only use flashbacks that themselves are above the line on your plotline or are important turning points in the character's development
If you're absolutely sure you absolutely have to include the flashback, try using one when you're bogged down in the middle of the middle.
Adversity does not build character. Adversity reveals it.
Character consistency is paramount.
When deciding on your story problem, use the tension of the action that is unfolding on center stage to be a reflection of the protagonist's internal tension.
Show, in scene, your protagonist taking center stage alongside his or her greatest fear.
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. Currently, she's seeking representation for a techno-thriller that she just finished. Any ideas? Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: plot, writers tips Tagged: plot, writers tips, writing
December 2, 2011
Nominate WordDreams For The 6th Annual Top Ten Blogs for Writers Contest
Well, readers, it's that time of the year again!
Write To Done is gathering nominations for their Top Ten Blogs for Writers Contest, and if you believe that WordDreams should be on the list this year, please visit this page and leave your nomination in the comments section.
Be sure to do the following when you go to the page:
How to Nominate WordDreams For The 6th Annual Top Ten Blogs For Writers Contest:
Go to this page.
Nominate WordDreams in the comment section. Remember: You have only one vote
Please include the web address of WordDreams (http://worddreams.wordpress.com) in your nomination.
Explain why you think WordDreams is worthy of this year's award.
Nominations must be received by 10 December 2011.
Thank you so much for your support!
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 tech 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 working on a techno-thriller that should be ready next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: Book contests, writers Tagged: Top ten blogs, writers awards, writers contest
November 30, 2011
An Open Letter to Agents–Open Your Minds or I'm Leaving
An efriend of mine had a very public self-described 'meltdown' over her lack of progress in finding a publisher. Her words were heart-rending because they reflected the fears of every low- and mid-list writer I know. We all worry that we won't
Photo credit: Salon
find an agent or our agent won't find a publisher, that the words we struggled over into the wee hours of the night will not resonate with the gatekeepers. You never forget your first kiss or your last rejection letter.
But I have a different conclusion than my friend and I want to share it with you. If I as a writer can dial down my frustration for the next five years, my day will arrive. Your world, dear agent, is changing. Where you historically held a vice grip on my future, now you are just an option. For some of my fellow writers, trading print and digital control of their work for the right to claim your representation is worth it. To have you bestow your imprimatur for them is akin to being the front runner in a marathon. Yes, they know we as authors can self-publish, but the legacy of books like Gone With the Wind and For Whom the Bell Tolls makes that voice inside them ask, "If it's good enough, why doesn't an agent take it?"
Here's why and it has nothing to do with the quality of my work:
These days, you and your publisher friends are stretched economically as is every other American business. As a result, you want the rainmaker. Wouldn't I love to write a million dollar book the first time? Statistically, it'll take 3-5 books under my writer's pen before that Big One hits. It used to be, you signed me to be there when the big money day came. Now, you want that day to be today.
My goals as a writer are different from yours. You want the Big Story. I write to make a living doing what I love. I don't need to get rich at it; I just need to get by.
The inevitable end to these different goals is if I buy into your historic power, I get discouraged and give up when I'm not an overnight success. You hope I don't notice that there is a huge appetite among readers for niche volumes. Lots of books you turn down find digital audiences. You seem to consider that a trend that will go away (which is what the business leaders said about computers as I recall). Let me see if I can explain why that's happening in terms you will understand. The engine of American business is fueled by mid-level employees with a spouse, a modest house, 2.5 kids, lots of mortgage and twice as much hope that they'll do their job well enough to earn a big promotion. The writers are the fuel for your publishing engine. We write because we love it, want to see our name in print, are happy to give you much more of the money than it seems you deserve, because… Well, I'm not sure why, but it seems OK to many of my fellow writers because we enjoy writing. It's our passion, our ace in the hole, our lottery ticket. We'd love to make thousands a month, but are happy with hundreds.
Therein blow the winds of change: You don't want that midlist book.
I leave you with a thought. I won't stop trying. Well, I might for a few weeks, maybe even a few months, but soon, the keys will be back under my fingers and I'll peck out some thoughts, a couple of chapters, wordsmith those scenes so they work. I CAN'T quit. You miss the point of why I want to be published. I don't need to get rich. I just need to get by doing what I love.
So, when you turn me down, I'm going to thank my god that I live in a country and a time when self-publishing is an option.
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. Currently, she's seeking representation for a techno-thriller that she just finished. Any ideas? Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: business, writing
