March 8th, 2010
One of my most recent bloggy discoveries – With Extra Pulp – is celebrating her one year blogversary!
Unlike boring real life birthday parties, blogversary parties are awesome because you can get some presents. And, awesome of awesomeness, this is an international contest. (Woot! You don’t find people *cough*likeme*cough* very often who hold international contests.)
The good stuff (what can you win):
Awesomundo Prize Pack No. 1: Superheroes and Their Tight Tight Pants.
1 x Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
1 x Deadpool comic
1 x First Issue of Kill Your Darlings
As you all know, superheroes and supervillains are so cool it’s hard to find the words to describe just how cool. Soon I will be invincible looks like it was meant to be a comic book, but it’s not. It’s an entertaining novel. About superheroes. Me likey.
Deadpool goes in here because, um, I heart Deadpool. He’s such a smartarse. And compares himself to Ryan Reynolds (which is hilarious, if anyone saw a little movie called Wolverine: X-Men Origins). And then later, he teams up with Cable and they get some great banter going. So yep, you get a copy of an issue of Deadpool. Which one? You’ll have to wait and see.
Awesomundo Prize Pack No. 2: Dirty Stinkin’ Beats
1 x Howl by Allen Ginsberg
a few x Zines from Sticky
1 x Kill Your Darlings
I get made fun of for my *cough*small*cough* obsession with the Beat Generation. You can all shut your faces now, because I’m giving away a free copy of Ginsberg’s Howl and other poems. Put it on your bookshelf or next to your bed. It should impress potential lovers and friends (well, potential lovers and friends with street cred). Or you could, I dunno, read it.
This prize also includes a selection of zines from the Sticky Institute Zine Fair. Don’t think of it as second-hand. Think of it as “personally handpicked for this special prize by the ever so tasteful Elena”. Now, doesn’t that sound much better?
Awesomundo Prize Pack No. 3: Aussie. Sort of.
1 x Romeo of the Underworld by Veny Armanno
1 x handmade zine
1 x Kill Your Darlings
This one’s a little different from the others. I’ve picked one of my favourite reads of 2009, by one of my absolute favourite writers, who happens to be Sicilian-Australian. Romeo of the Underworld by Venero Armanno. This book holds fond memories for me. I bought it on a family trip to Maleny last year from a gorgeous bookshop that could’ve been straight out of a European film, with its wooden floorboards, and its lingering smell of toast. Except it was in Queensland wine country. So it is second hand, but in excellent condition (no doggy ears or post-it rips. Yippee).
How to Win
Well, you can find that out by reading her post about it!
Posted in Announcements, Contests & Giveaways |
March 7th, 2010
What are you fluent in? What interests you? Can you be fluent in anything other than a language? What is your take on fluency?
I don’t claim fluency in anything.
Haha. That would have been quite the short post, wouldn’t it? Anyway, I really don’t claim fluency in anything. At one point I might have said I was fluent in blogging, but then I was overtaken by the wonderfully talented people who actually create blog templates. At another point, I might have said that I was fluent in fiction writing…but all my published writing is either non-fiction or poetry.
In the end, I think it all comes down to a matter of confidence. Oh, I can do plenty of things and most of them well, but I don’t hold nearly enough confidence in myself to claim that I’m fluent in anything. I don’t know when I would be satisfied that I had enough knowledge in any subject to claim fluency.
And I have had many interests over the years…
Paranormal activity, astrology, palmistry, fiction writing, psychology, body language, blogging, HTML, website building, poetry, Egyptian mythology, ancient history, biology (specifically plant life), powerpoint presentations, computer gaming, console gaming (everything from atari to PS2), scrapbooking, card making, stained glass windows and mirrors (using ‘paints’ rather than actual glass), a number of different religions and philosophies…
I think I’ll leave it off at that.
Fluency is a wonderful thing to have, if you have it in a subject/language/etc you are passionate about. However, I’ll take my bits and bobs from all places. I think it makes my background just a smidge more interesting.
Posted in Sunday Scribblings |
March 5th, 2010
I know, I know.
I headed off on a week long writer’s retreat three weeks ago and I haven’t written about it yet.
Well, to be honest, I’ve had some ‘fun’ mental health stuff going on and I pretty much have been slacking since I got caught up with work after arriving back home.
(Wow, that sentence ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would.)
To condense the writing retreat into one word: success.
I came back home with the knowledge that I still have a writer brain (which equates to me simply being a slacker rather than having lost ability), a finished post-apocalyptic short story, a fantasy short story about one third done, a romance novella about three quarters done and a romance novel idea I am very excited about.
Hm. Perhaps another problem is my lack of focus on a single project.
No matter what any of my other problems are, it’s more than obvious that things will rock and roll quite well if I just make time to focus on them. However, even with the super-affordable place I stayed at, running away for weeks at a time is not a financially viable way to get writing done.
I guess I’ll have to be like everyone else and actually, oh, work hard on it.
I’ve already taken steps to help myself, including installing LeechBlock. Now I just have to make some goals to work toward.
Posted in General |
March 4th, 2010
I usually keep my Booking Through Thursday posts at Down Under Views, but I thought this rant fit on this blog as well…
In honor of National Grammar Day … it IS “March Fourth” after all … do you have any grammar books? Punctuation? Writing guidelines? Style books?
More importantly, have you read them?
How do you feel about grammar in general? Important? Vital? Unnecessary? Fussy?
If you know me (know I’m a writer), then you won’t be surprised to hear that I have the Strunk and White Elements of Style. I have heaps of other books on writing, etc, but Elements of Style is my only one that focuses specifically on the technical side of writing.
I haven’t read Elements of Style through like a regular book, no. I have used it more like a reference book, picking and choosing when I need.
And this is where I get into a rant…
Especially in this day and age, I feel that grammar (spelling, etc) is very important! I am absolutely disgusted by some of the articles and books that are out today and touted as actual good writing.
Bull! That’s what I say.
I’m not perfect by any means, but it’s not like there is some shortage of editors out there. Heck, these days they can customize down to whether they edit your grammar and punctuation, overall story critique, so on and so forth. I’m a freelance editor with few credits; hire me if you are on a budget!
I have seen words misspelled on restaurant menus, heard radio announcers say things so wrong that they have sent me into fits of giggles, articles that have no point I can decipher in their confusing run-on sentences and self-published books that had so many errors (not to mention plot holes) that my husband had to stop me from sending it back to the author full of red marks.
I don’t know if it is because we just take so little pride in our work these days or if the ‘instant gratification’ society we live in that is causing all this, but I find it amusing – more often annoying.
Posted in General |
March 2nd, 2010
…Results Stories…
Have you read a particular Chicken Soup story and, after reading it, found that it changed your life? We are looking for stories on how a story made important changes in your life and what specifically happened to you after you read it. Please be sure to let us know the title of the story that touched your life. ***Please note: If you do not see a book title that fits your story, do not submit it to us at this time. Keep the story in your files and keep checking back with us. We are adding new titles all of the time. Hopefully we will add one soon that will be perfect for your story. Please remember that our editors can only consider stories for the titles listed on our Possible Book Topics list. In the case of “Results Stories,” they will only consider stories having to do specifically with this topic and description above.
Grandmothers
Everyone has a great story about the unconditional love between grandmothers and their grandchildren. We are looking for wonderful stories celebrating grandmothers and grandchildren, written by grandmothers about being a grandmother, and by grandchildren about their grandmothers. Stories about stepgrandmothers and honorary grandmothers are welcomed also. We are not looking for stories from children so please save those for a future book. The deadline date for story submissions is March 31, 2010.
Grieving and Recovery
Grieving is a difficult process that those who have lost a loved one must go through in order to get to the recovery phase. This important collection of stories will be like a support group that will offer comfort and understanding and show you that, no matter how devastating your loss is, you are not alone. You can get through the process and, with time, you will regain your strength and move forward with your life. The deadline date for story submissions is March 31, 2010.
My Cat’s Life
As many of you know this title was going to focus on the grieving and recovery process we humans go through after the loss of a beloved cat. However, despite the many heartwarming and inspirational stories you have submitted, we decided that the topic is too narrow. In its new form the book will focus on all the memorable ages and stages our cat’s lives. Starting with kittens, it will cover the prime years, aging cats, and finally the twilight and the end, when our dear friends leave us. We want to capture the experience of living through the natural life cycle with our cats. Because of the title’s initial form we expect to have a nice large section on grieving and recovery (which isn’t filled despite our collecting submissions!). The deadline date for story submissions is March 30, 2010.
My Dog’s Life
As many of you know this title was going to focus on the grieving and recovery process we humans go through after the loss of a family dog. However, despite the many heartwarming and inspirational stories you have submitted, we decided that the topic is too narrow. In its new form the book will focus on all the memorable ages and stages of our dog’s lives. Starting in puppyhood it will cover a range of middle years, senior dogs, and finally the twilight and the end, when our dear friends leave us. We want to capture the experience of living through the natural life cycle with our dogs. Because of the title’s initial form we expect to have a nice large section on grieving and recovery (which isn’t filled despite our collecting submissions!). The deadline for story submissions is March 30, 2010.
Preteens
The preteen years – those years from nine to twelve can be rough from both a physical and emotional perspective. You are not a kid anymore but you are not yet a teen. There are so many issues to deal with and sometimes it feels like you are all alone. You are not! The stories in this book – almost all of them written by preteens just like you – will prove that to you. We are looking for stories that will inspire you, make you laugh, make you think and let you know that life is not as bad as it might seem. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2010.
Teens
A completely new book on one of our most requested topics – TEENS. The stories in this book, written almost entirely by teens, will be stories that you will want to read again and again. They will serve as your guide on topics such as the daily pressures of life, love, school, friendships, parents and much more. We are looking for stories that will encourage you, inspire you, make you laugh, make you cry and show you that, as tough as things can get, you are not alone. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2010.
Thank you!
Posted in Publication Opportunities |
March 1st, 2010
Welcome to the March 1, 2010 edition of Inkyblots.
Anne Valens presents Top 50 Freelance Writing Blogs posted at Journalism Degree.
Anne Simone presents The Future of the Book: Top 12 Trends posted at Online Degree Programs.org: Top Online Degrees.
Madeleine Begun Kane presents Endearing Limerick (Poetry Prompt) posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog, saying, “limerick and poetry prompt.”
Characters
Livia Blackburne presents Using the Fundamental Attribution Error to Control Character Sympathy posted at Livia Blackburne.
Livia Blackburne presents The Art of Internal Observation posted at Livia Blackburne.
Arian Adams presents My Dog, My Hero posted at The Dumbass Chronicles, saying, “A humorous tale of my mischievous childhood as told through the eyes of my dog.”
Fiction
MaxwellDB presents Lennivolchuck Falls posted at MaxwellDB, saying, “Weird short fiction set in, of course, a weird place.”
Yvaine presents 16. Picking Autumn posted at My Vanilla Nook.
Genre-centic
Robert Terrell presents did not hear posted at the existential poet, saying, “The Existential Poet blog contains original haiku of poet Robert Terrell. I write about many subjects – seasonal, inner states and moon haiku, with an existential attitude.”
C. Bosco presents Critique of Pure Poetry posted at Hammers of Flight, saying, “Metrical units used to play on Descartes’ tautology “cogito ergo sum”, ipso facto referencing rationalism and – to a certain degree – the response of transcendental idealism. Hope this is applicable to inkyblots carnival criteria. cheers”
Robert Terrell presents galactic dreamers ? haiku posted at the existential poet, saying, “The Existential Poet Blog contains my original haiku poetry. I maintain a strict form, the 5-7-5 syllable structure, which suits my poetic creativity very well. I write about all sorts of subjects, with an existential (human feelings) attitude. Many of my haiku have seasonal references, and many focus on inner states of being. And, I love moon haiku!”
How-To
Missy Frye presents Harvesting “Evergreens” a guest post by Ami Hendrickson posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “A day working on your evergreens can result in a stack of new queries, contest entries and submissions.”
Eldon Sarte presents EGAD #3 – Interview Authorities: Single Question | Wordpreneur.com posted at Wordpreneur.com, saying, “Here’s just one idea in a growing and on-going series of posts on Wordpreneur featuring “easier and faster ways to pump out useful, sellable ebooks.”"
Livia Blackburne presents Slow Motion Descriptions For Important Moments posted at Livia Blackburne.
Missy Frye presents Add Funny to Your Fiction: a guest post by Jan McInnis posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “3 quick tips for adding funny to your fiction.”
Sandy Ackers presents Perfectionism: A Great Muse-Strangler, Part 4 posted at Strangling My Muse: Struggling to Live a Creative Life in a Stressful World, saying, “How to deal with your inner perfectionist and believe in your writing.”
Joel Friedlander presents What Every Self-Publisher Ought to Know about Editing posted at TheBookDesigner.com, saying, “A rundown of the editing process from acquisition to proofreading. Enjoy!”
KPC presents Is Elance a Scam? posted at Kpcwriting’s Freelancing Blog.
KPC presents What is Elance? posted at Kpcwriting’s Freelancing Blog.
Tiffany Colter presents A Writer’s Business Team: Part 3 posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article talks about how editors and marketors build your writing business.”
Nick Daws presents Three Great – and Free – Email Newsletters for Writers posted at Nick Daws’ Writing Blog.
Publishing and Agents
Madeleine Begun Kane presents Fight Firewalls With Kindle posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog, saying, “Info and limerick about publishing your blogs on Kindle.”
john c erianne presents iDon’tPad, YouPad? posted at Diary of a Mad Editor.
Tiffany Colter presents Interview with author Jennifer AlLee posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article is an interview with author Jennifer AlLee.”
Tiffany Colter presents MacMillan, Amazon.com, Authors and Readers posted at The Writing Examiner, saying, “This article talks about the changing face of publishing.”
Tiffany Colter presents Interview with Sarah Hamaker posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article is an interview with freelance editor Sarah Hamaker.”
Worldbuilding
Livia Blackburne presents Princess Academy: World building around a central setting posted at Livia Blackburne.
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of inkyblots using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our title="Blog Carnival index for “inkyblots”" href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_8077.html">blog carnival index page.
Technorati tags:
inkyblots, blog carnival.
Posted in Blog Carnival |
February 28th, 2010
In honour of the Olympics and the amazing things that people are capable of, the prompt this week is: big dreams.
I don’t try poetry much because I think I’m not good at it, but this one inspired some choppy prose poetry. Hehe.
Big Dreams
My dreams,
small in the eyes of others,
holding
infinite beauty.
Echoes
from within my soul,
laughing at the non-existent,
so-called ‘impossibilities.
Held
in a baby’s smile,
in a clear full moon,
lighting my path through darkness.
My dreams
of infinite beauty
forever existing
within my reach.
Posted in Sunday Scribblings |
February 25th, 2010
I’m finding that a lot of people ask how I juggle being a mum, a farmer and a writer.
Well, after a quick trip to the laundry, that I thought was empty (I thought wrong!), I think the most honest answer is, I don’t do it very well… but I’m getting better at it!
When I first started writing, I would get so obsessed with the story I was working on, that everything else faded into the background. I would ache to sit in front of the computer – I had to! There were characters that needed to come out. Never mind that the kids told me for the forth morning in a row, they didn’t have any socks and Anthony had mentioned that his work-shirts were all dirty and hadn’t I noticed the garden had suddenly turned into a jungle and what was I going to do about it?!
I’ve since understood that I need to manage my time better. I can’t send the kids to school, in the same shirt, three days in a row – the teachers will notice! (Although they are all very nice and wouldn’t say anything!)
I now try to limit my writing to early mornings (between 4:30am and 6:30am, when the kids wake up) and later in the afternoons.
Even if my characters are threatening a revolt, the mundane part of life still happens, kids need feeding and the farm and our animals still need looking after. After all, the farm is our main job.
So, if Anthony leaves early, which he often does, especially in the summer, I get up with him, make his lunch and once he leaves, I hit the computer. Often in these early hours, I answer emails and write ones up, that I need to send. I might write a blog or two and then re-read over the section of writing I’ve written the day before. I then make some notes of what I want to achieve over the day and write down my ideas, so I don’t forget – you wouldn’t believe how many brain waves, I’ve had that I’ve lost, because I didn’t write them down.
No matter what stage I’m up to, at 6:30am on the dot, I have to stop. The kids need to get up and be supervised. Lunches need to be made and the day, discussed!
Once they’re on they’re on the bus, the main aim is to tidy the house and garden (if I’m not working on the farm), hang out a load of washing and do all the boring things! If I even go near my office, I get distracted by Facebook, more emails and other authors websites!
All that done, I hit the keyboard. (Once again, without going near the internet.) If I’ve had a good run, I might get two or so hours worth, of good, solid writing in. I need to set the alarm on my phone, half an hour before I’m due to stop, so I can, once again, write down any ideas that I haven’t got to put down. That way, I don’t feel like I’ve left anything unfinished. There is nothing worse, than glancing at the clock and realising you’ve got two minutes to make it to the school bus and it takes you five to get there! I just feel that I need to go straight back to the computer… that doesn’t benefit my kids then and they feel like I love my computer more than them.
And there are, of course, the days, that all my good intensions fly out the window and I get stuck at the computer from the minute I put the kids on the bus or I’m in the sheep yards all day. Those days, I carry a pen and notebook with me, where ever I am!
So for any of you, who thinks writing might be glamorous and I just swan in, sit down and start typing… I wish! But I do try to get those three words together – mum, farmer and writer! They are all my passion.
Posted in Guest Posts |