Five on Monday

Yes. I know it's Tuesday, which gives you some idea of how my Monday went.

1. I've been working on my presentation

for my library event Tomorrow. This is the first time I've worked with power point. Luckily my kids know how to

make it do cool stuff.

2. Allergies have been insane around here. The kids have trouble breathing, everyone's eye are itchy and teary, but we're muddling through.

3. Little League game on Saturday. We lost 12 to 1 at which point the mercy rule was put into effect and the game ended (I think it was in the middle of the fourth inning). One good thing, my son got the one run for our team. Plus he pitched for the first time in over a year and did a pretty good job.

4. I pulled out a bunch of old stories and notebooks in preparation for my presentation. My kids got a hold of them and started reading. Nothing like your ten and 13-year-old telling you that you made a mistake here or this part was repetitive there. Have to keep reminding them that those are essentially unedited first drafts from when I was in high school.

5. I don't have a free night this week until Friday. I'm really looking forward to Friday!

Top picture: The stack of notebooks I pulled out - and I think there are more someplace else - this is all essentially variations on one story.

Middle picture: A page from one of those notebooks, with commentary from myself and friends in the margins. (For a laugh, click on it and you can see it large enough to read some of it.)

Bottom picture: Me, in high school - writing. Of course.

Five on a Friday

I'm going to try to be a little consistent with blogging, so I'm going to try something new, like Five on Friday. Hope you like it.

So what has been driving my week?

1. Getting ready for my first author event. Do you like the sign? How cool to drive down my local highway and see this!

2. Last week was a great writing week, with thousands of words put down on paper. This week, not so much. I don't know what it is that makes some days so much more productive than others. Partly it's simply that real life interferes.

3. Things like crocheting. I made a blanket this week. So, not a lot of words, but a whole blanket - so it's not like I wasn't being productive.

4. I read a book this week I didn't like. It was by a well-known author and I had read a previous book by this author, that I loved. Someone obviously liked this book though, because it was published. And that just helps to serve as a reminder of just how subjective this industry is. I didn't like this book. But yet a publisher (And I'm presuming many other people did). An agent wasn't interested in my latest work. But somewhere, there's one (or many) who will be. It's just a matter of finding that match.

And finally

5. Facebook quote from my daughter: "I write to find out what happens next."

Looking for a Cute Romance?

A couple of reviewers think that you'll find it in

When Mike Kissed Emma. I couldn't be happier with the reviews I found online this weekend.

My favorite lines from them?

Becky at Becky's Book Reviews had this to say:

I know I would have really really loved this one if I'd read it as a young teen.

And Lauren at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf said this:

The plot was fun and fast paced leaving me to be constantly turning the pages, curious to see what would happen next.

Please go to both of these sites and read the full reviews!

Dialect in Dialog - How Much is too Much.

Here's a writing question I'm going to throw out there and see what kind of answers come back. I'm working on a story now that has some characters who, when speaking, would have a distinctive flavor to their words. There would probably be less than perfect grammar, a certain dropping of g's at the end of words ending in 'ing' and a lot of replacing the 'th' sound with 'd'.

But yet, I feel that if I use those constraints with every bit of dialog that I am over-doing it and it will get very annoying to read and seem too "in-your-face" if that makes sense.

On the other hand, if I only do that occasionally does it appear that I am inconsistent in the way the characters speak?

Right now I am using the occasional approach in the theory that a lot goes a long way, but that could easily change in revisions. I feel that it gives a flavor for the character's speech without becoming too much of a distraction.

So, opinions anyone? What's the best way to handle strong dialect in dialog?

Great Contest for Writers and Readers

To share her joy at her big news with as many people as possible, Beth Revis is having a contest with two prizes. One for writers and one for readers. Go check out her blog and enter to win some awesome prizes.

Celebrating with a Writer Friend

I love good news, and my friend Beth Revis just got fantastic news.

From Publisher's Weekly:

Deep Freeze

In another major YA acquisition before the Bologna Book Fair, Ben Schrank at Razorbill pre-empted North American rights to the debut novel by high school teacher Beth Revis, Across the Universe.Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House brokered the deal, which is for three books, and Universe is scheduled for spring 2011. In the novel, set in the near future, a teenager is cryogenically frozen only to thaw too soon, before arriving at the new planet that's her destination. Set to wake 300 years in the future, She rouses 50 years too early, still on a spaceship in transit. Schrank said he thinks the book will do for popular sci-fi what The Hunger Games did for postapocalyptic fiction. Rights have been pre-empted in the U.K. (by Razorbill UK, which will do a joint publication with Penguin USA) and Germany, and sales have also closed in France and Greece.

I've read an earlier version of the book and it is blow-your-mind fantastic! I can't wait until next Spring when I can see the final version!

Congratulations, Beth! I love when great things happen to great people!

Go on over and offer your congratulations to Beth.

A Bright Spot in a Gray Day

There's nothing like a nice review to brighten up a gray February day. And I found that today over at Bookworm Nation where Kathy gave a sweet review to When Mike Kissed Emma.

My favorite line:

This was a fun romantic read to help get you in the mood for Valentine’s.

That puts a happy end to the week! Bring on the snow!