Terry Odell's Blog, page 76
November 27, 2019
It Can’t Be Thanksgiving Without —
Thanksgiving Traditions
Technically, I’m still “Off” for Thanksgiving week, as this is a repeated post from a couple years ago. But I couldn’t let a Thanksgiving go by without sharing our family tradition.
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
Take time today to give thanks for all you have.
And here’s a family tradition shared by many others
And here’s an interesting article – Arlo Guthrie’s thoughts on the 50 year anniversary tour of Alice’s Restaurant.
What’s you “must have” or “must...
November 24, 2019
Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving
Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving!
Many countries and cultures set aside a time for gratitude. It’s Thanksgiving week here in the US, a time to step back and think about everything we should be thankful for. Family, friends, health, and more.
I’ll be cooking the turkey this year—it’s our tradition that the host provides the bird, and everyone brings something to share.
My turkey “trick” comes from my brother, the chef, who began cooking at an early age. When he opened his restaurant, he used...
November 21, 2019
Travel Photos – Gardens
Flower gardens were a big thing where we toured. Living the mountains of Colorado, we don’t see many gardens. Where we live, water use is restricted, it’s very dry, and we have something we never had in Florida–winter! Actually, despite Florida’s name, flower gardens weren’t a big thing where we lived, either. Too many species can’t take the heat and humidity. So, it was a pleasure seeing all the beautiful landscaping. And, while I’d like to think the groundskeepers at Kilkenny Castle...
November 19, 2019
Commas Are Not Condiments
Commas are not Condiments
A book I downloaded as part of a promotion triggered today’s post. It was written by an indie author, but anyone submitting to agents or editors ought to have a grasp of proper punctuation. This author was sprinkling commas through the book as though they were salt and pepper.
Editors are looking for “easy” jobs. If your manuscript is riddled with basic errors, they’re not going to want to have to teach you grammar. They’ll send you a form rejection and move on.
Readers might be more fo...
November 17, 2019
Keep Your Horses and Carts Where They Belong
Keep Your Horses and Carts Where They Belong
Newton said it long ago. For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Taking away the “equal and opposite” part, the “law” holds for writing, too. It can be broad, such as “scene and sequel.” Something happens in a scene, and then there are reactions or consequences in the following scene.
But when writing actions and reactions on a much smaller scale—the paragraph or sentence level—we need to beware of not putting the cart before the horse. Chara...
November 14, 2019
Our Wonderful Welcomes
For our 50th anniversary trip, our travel agent put us up at excellent hotels, and went the extra mile to see to it that we were warmly welcomed (how’s that for alliteration?) at each hotel.
We were spoiled!
Eventually, however, it was time to say farewell.
November 12, 2019
Tools of the Trade
Tools of the Trade
Not long ago, a high school friend asked for help getting a book he’d been working on for about thirty-five years (I went to high school a LONG time ago) published. He was oblivious to self-publishing, but after several discussions, he decided that might be the best route for him. His questions were myriad, and although he’d written his book using Word, he was totally unaware of many of its functions beyond “typing.”
If you’re a writer with any aspirations of publishing—traditional, indi...
November 10, 2019
Thank Those Who Served
Today, those of us in the US celebrate Veterans Day. Instead of a writing post, which I’ll share on Wednesday, I want to thank everyone who’s served in any branch of the military.
Some facts about Veterans Day
It’s not the same as Memorial Day, which honors those who have lost their lives in service. Veterans Day honors everyone who’s served, living or dead, but with focus on those still alive.
It was originally called Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I. (And I remember when this name change...
November 7, 2019
More Sights of Ireland
More Sights of Ireland
Our driver in Ireland had a LOT of places he wanted us to see, so here are some more sights of Ireland.
The post More Sights of Ireland appeared first on Terry Odell.
November 5, 2019
NaNoWriMo – Not for Everybody
NaNoWriMo – Not for Everybody
Every October, writers gear up for the annual November NaNoWriMo writing challenge. Write a “novel” in a month. Actually, the goal is to write 50,000 words in that month, which for me would be about half a novel. The guidelines suggest that to meet this word count, you write straight through and save all editing for December.
I did try it—once—back in 2014. It didn’t work for me, and I discussed it Here. Most years, I’m not in a position t...it
