tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18412559758183385662024-02-06T20:14:17.328-08:00Suzi McGowenWhere monsters, myths, and fairy tales meet for tea.Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.comBlogger219125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-50768869790578080362014-06-23T13:39:00.001-07:002014-06-23T13:39:29.089-07:00In Which I Bite the Bullet And Decide To Go To A Writer's ConventionYou know how some people are introverts? They (we) aren't necessarily shy, or dislike people, it's just that being around a lot of people is very draining. I imagine most writers are introverts, but that assumption is not based on knowing a lot of writers :)<br />
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You know how conventions have a lot of people? And lines with lots of people? And conversations with lots of people that you don't know? And interactions with lots of people with a shared interest? And did I mention people?<br />
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Yeah, conventions are one of those things that nerd introverts have a love/hate relationship with. Lots of people=bad, shared interests=good.<br />
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There are lots of reasons that I've never gone to a convention, much less a writers convention. Some of the reasons are even valid :) But the real, deep down, never want to say out loud reason is that I'm a major introvert. 99% on the Myers-Briggs sorter. I'm not scared about what people will think of my writing (yet). I'm just socially awkward, have social anxiety and I'm an introvert, so I'm scared(ish) of the people. (Wow, doesn't that description just make you want to hang out with me? :) )<br />
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But I have finally bit the bullet and just paid for a convention. It's the <a href="http://writersconference.com/la/">Southern California Writers Conference</a>, and I picked the "novel cram" track. I'm going to the one in Los Angeles (Newport Beach) on Sept 19 through 21. Lets face it, everyone there will have a deep love of one of my favorite things. And hanging out with people that love the same thing I do will be awesome!<br />
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So, if you're going to that convention, and you're feeling socially awkward, nervous, or too introvert for words, let's meet up! We'll be socially awkward, nervous and introverted together. Which, yeah, is an oxymoron, but could be fun :)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-12152463631173305322014-05-05T21:03:00.001-07:002014-05-05T21:54:05.358-07:00The Lizzie Bennet Diaries episode 78Gigi Darcy is fully on board with Team "Dizzie". While Lizzie is shadowing Darcy's company "Pemberley Digital", Gigi orchestrates a meeting between Lizzie and Darcy. And by "orchestrates" I mean, she drags them into a room together and closes the door.
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Darcy has come up to SF from LA for a board meeting. He knows that Lizzie is shadowing his company, and must either hope or dread the fact that they will undoubtedly run into each other. It's clear that Darcy has made an effort to be less selfish. He asks how she is and waits for her answer. He offers to drive her to a dinner meeting she has, but respects her refusal.<br />
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His hair is more casual than we've seen before, almost curly. Lizzie and Darcy are both wearing a dark blue. He's showing his emotions a bit more, and yes, there's the red tie. They also indicate their connection by saying the same thing at the same time, a couple of times.(Note to self, use that technique.) <br />
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While Lizzie is becoming more flexible in her thinking of Darcy, she's also uncomfortable with the things she's said about him in her past videos. This is going to be an issue for her for a while longer.<br />
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<br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jV8EZWJNvRI?list=PLVMzHfc2iUMREDdrkIY_QQ7l49dU7dtwm" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-72377689466330486872014-05-02T13:38:00.000-07:002014-05-02T13:38:20.316-07:00The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episode 61I'm analyzing the Lizzie Bennet Diaries for a couple of reasons. First, I've become obsessed with them :) Second, because my current WIP has a secondary story arc of a love story. While it doesn't have the "I hate you, I love you" emotion of Pride and Prejudice, I know that love stories are not my strongest skill, so I'm studying what I can.<br />
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In Episode 61, Darcy returns to Lizzie after watching her online Diaries. His hair is a little softer, and he tips his head more often, instead of holding it completely upright as he did in the last episode. Instead of being angry about the "dozens of videos where she says not so nice things about him" he seems very slightly amused. But mostly, he wants to explain his actions, without apology. He wants to be understood, and so he writes her a letter which he asks Lizzie to read.<br />
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I think this letter is where Lizzie starts to see the real Darcy. She doesn't instantly change her mind about him, she's still angry at the pain he caused Jane, but she has a slightly better understanding of Darcy. Like Lizzie, Darcy also loves and protects his family. It's never overtly stated, but we assume that his parents are dead and he has been Gigi's older brother and father for a number of years. If he's overbearing or overprotective, at least we can understand how becoming a "father" after a terrible loss shaped the person he became.<br />
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Last episode, they were sharing the color red in their clothes. This episode, it's blue. And Darcy, for the first time, apologizes for some of his actions.
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<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rlZ86QA9Qro?list=PLVMzHfc2iUMREDdrkIY_QQ7l49dU7dtwm" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-22216861609666639612014-05-01T17:13:00.002-07:002014-05-01T17:15:54.573-07:00Lizzie Bennet Diaries episode 60A few weeks ago, I discovered "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries". For some reason, I thought they were a tv series. I love Pride and Prejudice, so I decided to see if the DVDs were available, which is when I discovered they were a YouTube series :)<br />
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There are some nuances that I see in this series, and I wanted to talk about them, so I turned back to my (long unused) blog :)<br />
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We don't even see/meet Darcy until episode 60. Until then, we only get Lizzie's opinions about him, with a dash of opinions from Jane, Charlotte, and Lydia. Lizzie believes him to be stuck up, arrogant, selfish, robotic, and, well, you get the idea.<br />
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In episode 60, Darcy declares his love for Lizzie. But the kind of love that Darcy has at this time, is a very selfish love. He doesn't think of Lizzie except how she's entirely inappropriate for him. Why do I think this? Because he's incredibly web savvy, (the CEO of his own digital company) and he has never once googled "Lizzie Darcy". When he walks in on her, she tries to make him leave, telling him this isn't a good time. He asks her if she's ok and she (obviously upset) says, "No". But he doesn't follow up on that. He doesn't express any interest in her feelings. He just wants to share his feelings.<br />
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There are many different kinds of love, and there are even different phases of love. Darcy has "selfish" love. His love of Lizzie only impacts him. He really doesn't care about her feelings. She tells him off and sends him packing.<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cZqL4ux1Yq0?list=PL6690D980D8A65D08" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Four things I see in this video.<br />
Darcy is fairly robotic. He's an INTJ, he's nervous, and doing something new to him, and not doing it well. (I think Lizzie is INFJ.)<br />
His hair is very precise, in keeping with the robot that Lizzie sees him as. (Did he comb it, just before he walked in to see her?)<br />
He's wearing red. Unusual for a conservative business man (which is how he presents himself). Is this an unconscious reflection of Lizzie's red hair?<br />
Lastly, the clothes that Lizzie and Darcy are wearing go together. They don't match, but they don't clash. I like to think that this is a symbolic hint that they "go together" more than Lizzie thinks they do.<br />
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The hair, the color red, and the clothes are symbols that I see repeated through the series.Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-78489648685034343552013-11-17T21:28:00.001-08:002013-11-17T21:28:38.364-08:00In Which I Beat Myself UpIn Stephen King's book "On Writing" he mentions a story about his son playing a musical instrument. The son was supposed to practice for 30 minutes a day, which he did. But he only practiced 30 minutes a day. Stephen King said he knew his son didn't have passion for that instrument, because he only did the bare minimum requirement.<br />
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I'm finding NaNoWriMo to be like that. I'm making my word count every day, but I'm only doing that. When I get caught up in a scene, I stop when I hit my word count for the day. I beat myself up over that. Maybe I don't have the dedication or passion to be a "real writer". Heck, do I even spend enough interest, passion, time on this to describe it as a hobby? When I have free time, do I think, "Oh yay, now I can go write something?" Or do I use that time for reading or watching tv.<br />
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Then, after I'm done beating myself up, I use a technique I learned a long time ago, to deal with that abusive critic that lives in most of our heads.<br />
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1. I'm using NaNoWriMo as a way to build a daily writing habit. Like rebuilding muscles after being ill for a long time. (Because depression does that to you.)<br />
2. I've learned that stopping in the middle of the scene makes it that much easier to pick it up the next day. Thank you, NaNoWriMo!<br />
3. Passion is hard for someone with depression to access. I count the fact that I'm writing at all, to be a success. Those feelings (like passion) will come back, as I continue to heal and improve.<br />
4. I enjoy writing. I don't have to write for eight hours a day to prove that. The fact that I keep coming back to writing, that I think about it, even when I can't do it, or that I'm always writing scenes in my head, even if I don't always get them down on paper shows me that I do enjoy it.<br />
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So. Still working on NaNoWriMo. Still making my daily word count. Still enjoying the story I'm working on :)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-70111679583039276342013-11-10T22:15:00.001-08:002013-11-10T22:15:29.961-08:00In Which I Am Still In NaNoWriMoI'm still making my word count in NaNoWriMo. It helps that people are interested enough to ask if I made my word count for the day :)<br />
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Typo(s) of the day:<br />
"He jumped up with an energy that denied his ears" (Of course, I meant "years" not "ears") and I keep typing "dead" when I mean to type "dad". It's a good thing Freud doesn't live here :)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-17648933103320777302013-11-06T19:12:00.001-08:002013-11-06T19:17:08.888-08:00In Which I Am Doing NaNoWriMoYes, I'm writing again! I've switched my depression meds from whatever it was to Wellbutrin. There wasn't a dramatic difference, but I did start having feelings again. Things that I didn't have the energy to care about, I started caring about again. So, word from the other side of darkness. If you are on meds, and you still don't care, talk about switching meds. I'm not recommending Wellbutrin, mind you. Everyone's depression is different and it may even be that different episodes are different. It's kind of a hit or miss thing to find the meds that will work for you.<br />
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But, I was still feeling fragile. I was afraid I didn't have my writing chops back yet. I was having a wonderful time on Pinterest, but that doesn't involve any writing. I knew <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> was coming up, of course, who didn't. I've participated three times, but only won once. But that was for a novel that introduced me my troll character and got her her own book, ("Scratched").<br />
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And then NaNoWriMo sent an email from "my novel". "Please write me". I didn't even read the email, just the title was enough. On Oct 31, I decided to join NaNoWriMo again this year.<br />
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Today I hit my 10,000 word count, so I'm right on target. The story is flowing well (so far), though I'm having a terrible time not editing as I'm going. I keep telling myself, "Just get the words out. Fix them later." I really miss my writer's group and their feedback and insights.<br />
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I worry about Penny (my character in "Penny's Luck"). Is she too knowledgeable? Too naive? Is what she doing making internal sense for the character? Am I leaving Cal's deafness unrevealed for too long? Does it work? But then, I'm just enjoying the story. I like Penny. She's a teenager. She strong, she's smart, and she tries to take care of her dad too much.<br />
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But, it's day 6. I'm writing. I'm on track, and my son checks on my word count every day :)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-45694329775454520582013-05-10T14:15:00.001-07:002013-05-10T14:15:28.310-07:00Signs That Dylan Wants To Bite YouThree signs that Dylan wants to bite you:<br />
1. Dylan is sitting on his chair.<br />
2. Dylan is sticking out his tongue, looking cute.<br />
3. Dylan is breathing.Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-79652939787541128942013-05-10T14:09:00.002-07:002013-05-10T14:09:51.416-07:00Cure for face blindness?I have face blindness. In many ways, it doesn't affect my day to day life, but I didn't become a teacher because of it. It has greatly affected my career choices. Now I've read that a team in Germany is working on a cure for prosopagnosia. So, is this something I need to "cure", or is it the way I am? If it involves brain surgery (couldn't tell from the article) is it something I'm willing to risk?<br />
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I'm using my feelings in my current WiP, with regards to a question about cochlear implants.<br />
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Writers are funny :)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-57401103397837836962012-02-27T21:01:00.000-08:002012-02-27T21:01:12.763-08:00In Which I Am Not A ZombieI'm not a zombie, recently returned from the dead, even if I might feel like that some days :)<br />
<br />
So, time for a brief catch up. Well, I can't think of anything, except I have a second son now. My son's best friend has moved in with us, and he fits in with this family as though he were born here. This works out especially well in the cat to human ratio. Before, the cats outnumbered us, now we're equal again.<br />
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The real reason I was gone? I'd love to say that it was for a good reason. Or even a bad-but-interesting reason. Unfortunately, the fact is that I was dealing with a bout of major depression. In the words of The Blogess, "Depression is a lying bastard. Things will get better. I promise."<br />
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I'm on medication, which helps, and writing again, which helps even more. And I'm missing my writer community, which shows that I'm feeling a ton better. Depression (for me) feels like a weight that just flattens everything. I'm taking baby steps, rejoining the world again. So, in true tech fashion:<br />
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"Hello, world"<br />
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(Also, it just started hailing outside, which delights us all. Well, except for the cats.)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-71067524955907811132011-08-22T11:02:00.000-07:002011-08-23T09:46:37.337-07:00In Which Love YA Has A ContestQuick! Quick! Quick! Get over to <a href="http://monibw.blogspot.com/">Love YA</a> to submit to the Vickie Motter judged contest. Closes when the entries hit 50! Go now!Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-77763211843548770952011-08-20T21:39:00.000-07:002011-08-20T22:06:14.249-07:00In Which I Get Another Story Idea<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Zbo3XdZCFZRQKYcJ_mFijL__xeYcP9Ka9NNqhI_CTUGfiiRqO5QcFoGpQ7pQeP046xUFeATfAzo3tYvz5YLbz3rPp38JDr2fry-jK5_dzNYzGaKLvxTds0HWioz71XEZ4RFXJ-ohyphenhyphen-E/s1600/ravenT.gif" />his one has been haunting me for years*, but it's been getting literal** over the past few days. So, it's officially going on the to "to be written" list. It's a story about a cop with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus">tinnitus</a>. Yeah, it doesn't sound like much when I put it that way, but there's a story in there. Trust me, I'm a writer :)<br />
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*Technically, it was the first book I ever tried to write. I think I was in junior high. It never got past the opening paragraph, but man what a paragraph!<br />
<i>"How did you know where that guy was?" </i><br />
<i>She shrugged, "I just heard him." She wondered how her partner had failed to hear the music in the warehouse.</i><br />
Stellar writing there. Deathly prose, even.<br />
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**Yes, I have symptoms of tinnitus. However, I find that elements of stories tend to "manifest" for me, until I acknowledge them. Then they go away. When I was writing <i>Scratched</i>, every night for weeks I would hear a loud banging as I was going to sleep. No one was knocking on the door, and nothing was falling over. Finally, in desperation of getting some sleep, I promised to include Tommyknockers in the story. The banging stopped. It's like that thing where med students think they have whatever disease it is they're studying at the moment. Or like writer's hypochondria.<br />
<br />Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-24794203739746345132011-08-20T08:33:00.000-07:002011-08-20T08:33:45.213-07:00In Which My Son Offers Writing Advice<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ2igOPGImnxuUHOKl8pfZ0g7pmQgOUO8ZoqDo-A-U_Gpb9vCO_u4TmQ3jBfcC1RmkXqQsNjin5OUleWSia2T4mDphT_ikw2qqRmHAzXWgElDEuin_OyBvFeVlQN4MDPAUosNk6FtrDk/s1600/ravensamplea.gif" />s my son and I were talking yesterday, he said something funny, and I said, "Oh, I'm totally going to use that line in <i>Penny's Luck</i>". He said, "How will you use it?" and then we proceeded to talk about the book for the next few minutes.<br />
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After I talked about some of the scenes, he interrupted me. "I'm sorry, but I'm just not feeling it. Where's the ticking clock? There's no sense of urgency here."<br />
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That's my boy! (And he's totally correct. I need a ticking clock in this story.)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-18725611967921800812011-08-18T06:09:00.001-07:002011-08-23T09:47:00.181-07:00In Which Mandy Hubbard Judges A Contest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6bdSgtQ-RhBigfVGiwTJvM9PuhCEhveN4Phh2bT6wLejL6t5DmAZ6r4YmkIW-z3Y43WW6N8jXPaaJStqTV3953tsLnyfqlLUwNz7dZagAGwVTN6FJGXg2XUGTeffJWcXc1D7QqzTDk/s1600/ravenI2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6bdSgtQ-RhBigfVGiwTJvM9PuhCEhveN4Phh2bT6wLejL6t5DmAZ6r4YmkIW-z3Y43WW6N8jXPaaJStqTV3953tsLnyfqlLUwNz7dZagAGwVTN6FJGXg2XUGTeffJWcXc1D7QqzTDk/s1600/ravenI2.gif" /></a></div>
know you love contests as much as I do! Quick! Get over to <a href="http://we-do-write.blogspot.com/2011/08/official-entry-post-for-perfect-pitch.html">We Do Write</a> for a Twitter pitch contest judged by Mandy Hubbard!.Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-54186858090030791602011-08-16T11:57:00.001-07:002011-08-16T14:35:32.250-07:00In Which I Am At WriteOnCon<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6bdSgtQ-RhBigfVGiwTJvM9PuhCEhveN4Phh2bT6wLejL6t5DmAZ6r4YmkIW-z3Y43WW6N8jXPaaJStqTV3953tsLnyfqlLUwNz7dZagAGwVTN6FJGXg2XUGTeffJWcXc1D7QqzTDk/s1600/ravenI2.gif" />'m at <a href="http://writeoncon.com/">WriteOnCon</a>, hanging out in the forums. How about you? Let me know, and we can be friends :)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-85856474131567035622011-08-14T08:49:00.000-07:002011-08-14T08:49:44.306-07:00In Which Scrivener Has A New Beta<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Zbo3XdZCFZRQKYcJ_mFijL__xeYcP9Ka9NNqhI_CTUGfiiRqO5QcFoGpQ7pQeP046xUFeATfAzo3tYvz5YLbz3rPp38JDr2fry-jK5_dzNYzGaKLvxTds0HWioz71XEZ4RFXJ-ohyphenhyphen-E/s1600/ravenT.gif" />he <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivenerforwindows/">Scrivener Windows Beta</a> version has a new release today. (The Linux one will be out in a few days.) If you haven't tried out Scrivener because you don't have a Mac, or if you have been using a previous beta version of the one for Windows, you can get this new release at <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivenerforwindows/">http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivenerforwindows/</a>Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-58523912536205514672011-08-14T08:38:00.000-07:002011-08-14T08:38:59.513-07:00In Which Snape Advises "It Will Get Better"<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6bdSgtQ-RhBigfVGiwTJvM9PuhCEhveN4Phh2bT6wLejL6t5DmAZ6r4YmkIW-z3Y43WW6N8jXPaaJStqTV3953tsLnyfqlLUwNz7dZagAGwVTN6FJGXg2XUGTeffJWcXc1D7QqzTDk/s1600/ravenI2.gif" />love this video. It's very funny (especially the end). Several things you should know, before you click. First, it's not really Snape. Second, it contains spoilers, so be warned! (I feel like I should put in a third mention, because while it's done in the spirit of the "It Gets Better" videos, this one is about being a villain, not about sexuality.)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zBsg1urLN7I" width="425"></iframe>Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-87321032200867674402011-08-13T23:47:00.000-07:002011-08-23T09:47:23.721-07:00In Which I Start My Outline<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpDbTG_5b0PQk6HqHikh2bDAtJEyHEiM_ydyf7POQlAkzPIerZGLjg0-Q0AvxWDZsK40tauNMnj55YTSZf_BmLbqehLS66-5btP5STFWoxKhhK2md9mNRSCObBAI-zdmB3dBHoKHt0Cw/s1600/ravenP2.gif" /><i>enny's Luck</i> is now officially past the major research stage and is now in the outlining portion of the writing. I've got 22 plot points. I generally write about 1,000 words per plot point, so that means... not nearly enough words for this book.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, I don't have all the plot points down yet (I still have to do all the villain plot points), and I haven't plotted any of the subplots yet. So, there's a good chance this will be a good length yet. Fortunately, it's Middle Grade, which is reflected in the word count.Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-69361265298570676392011-08-11T16:44:00.000-07:002011-08-13T23:53:28.195-07:00In Which I Fail The Bechdel Test<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6bdSgtQ-RhBigfVGiwTJvM9PuhCEhveN4Phh2bT6wLejL6t5DmAZ6r4YmkIW-z3Y43WW6N8jXPaaJStqTV3953tsLnyfqlLUwNz7dZagAGwVTN6FJGXg2XUGTeffJWcXc1D7QqzTDk/s1600/ravenI2.gif" />realized today that "Penny's Luck" fails the <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheBechdelTest">Bechdel Test</a>. In case you haven't heard of the Bechdel Test, or don't remember the details, here it is.<br />
The work (book, film, play) has:<br />
1. Two or more female characters<br />
2. That speak to each other<br />
3. About something other than a man<br />
<br />
In "Penny's Luck" I don't have any other female characters! Argh! And I can't think of a good way to fit one in. Even if I turn the butterfly smuggling neighbor into a woman, she and Penny will still be talking to each other about Penny's dad. Double Argh!<br />
<br />
I don't know how I'm going to fix this. Well, obviously, I'm going to have to add another female character. Cal's coach? Cal's mom? A BFF?Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-7244863485277864012011-08-10T16:51:00.000-07:002011-08-10T16:55:13.114-07:00In Which I Blog About Research<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26HWJysZFNtRKhWq_fXP7DtQzvRYPD79h0OLfzD2XaEkqecFomhk-KV7fO8P_ee-YLB1-IiXUrp74lZXyid00lcr1t1jPiLYGipBzxInQ8Snp8Iqjemy0_MYtNrYCMHFEH0ytBCbHZcA/s1600/ravenD.gif" />oing research is one of my favorite parts of writing. It's when and where I get ideas for plot points, find ways to make the unbelievable a little more believable, and I like learning about new things.<br />
<br />
Here are some of the things I've been researching for "Penny's Luck".<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Names of magic tricks. (Many years ago I was a magician, but other than "French Drop" I couldn't remember the names of many of the magic tricks. It's part of the jargon that Penny will use, so I'm brushing up and learning new names.)</li>
<li>Butterfly smuggling.</li>
<li>Human Growth Hormone and how it's given. (Squik.)</li>
<li>Meningitis, and how it's spread.</li>
<li>ASL. (I'm not sure this counts, as I took lessons in sign years ago, and my son is taking ASL in high school as his foreign language, so it's stuff I may use, but didn't start learning about just for this book.)</li>
<li>Cochlear Implants and the controversy around them. (Again, was learning about this stuff for a while before this book, so I'm not sure it counts as research <i>for</i> the book.)</li>
<li>Deaf and Hearing Impaired subculture. (Same as the two above.)</li>
<li>Storefront floor plans.</li>
<li>Organized crime.</li>
<li>Pole vaulting.</li>
<li>Escape artists.</li>
<li>Las Vegas. (Jobs and housing and local schools, as well as the viewpoint of the city.)</li>
<li>Average growth rate of teenage boys.</li>
<li>PTSD in humans.</li>
<li>ATF agents.</li>
<li>ATF canines. (Did you know that ATF canines are failed Guide Dogs?)</li>
<li>PTSD in canines.</li>
<li>Paranoia.</li>
<li>VW Bug.</li>
<li>Italian names for "grandfather".</li>
<li>Agoraphobia.</li>
<li>Monty Python. (Oh, who am I kidding? That's for fun. The fact that I can work something into the book is just icing.)</li>
<li>Comic books.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Ok, that's all I remember for now, but I haven't finished outlining, so I'm sure some more things will be coming up.</div>
Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-12599092350031964712011-08-10T08:09:00.000-07:002011-08-11T20:48:19.729-07:00In Which I Wonder What Is Too Much<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6bdSgtQ-RhBigfVGiwTJvM9PuhCEhveN4Phh2bT6wLejL6t5DmAZ6r4YmkIW-z3Y43WW6N8jXPaaJStqTV3953tsLnyfqlLUwNz7dZagAGwVTN6FJGXg2XUGTeffJWcXc1D7QqzTDk/s1600/ravenI2.gif" />'m toying with a new idea for a character in "Penny's Luck". Cal, her boyfriend (Penny would say, "he's not my boyfriend", but he will be, she just doesn't know it yet). Anyway, Cal is 16, can drive a car (so he's frequently Penny's ride to and from work), and used to be a pretty good gymnast. He shot up over a foot in the last year, so he can't do gymnastics any more, but the high school coach is pushing him to do pole vaulting or high diving (or both!)<br />
<br />
Because his center of gravity has changed so quickly, and his arms and legs are longer than his brain is used to (yet), he's also a little clumsy. He bangs into things or knocks things over. A lot.<br />
<br />
I like Cal, and he ends up getting kidnapped with Penny at one point. I want him to be more than just comic relief. I want people to see why Penny would end up with him. I also want him to have a skill that Penny doesn't have. (Her skills are sleight of hand and misdirection.) I think I want Cal to be deaf. He had meningitis a few years ago, and became deaf as a result of it. His skill would be lip reading.<br />
<br />
I don't want his deafness to be a big issue in the book. He's a just a teenage boy, who has a crush on a girl, and he happens to be deaf.<br />
<br />
I'm playing with the idea for now, but my worries are:<br />
<ol>
<li>Deaf culture. I know enough about the deaf culture to know that deaf people aren't as simple as "create hearing character, remove hearing". I'm also big on people not writing about minority subcultures without an understanding of that subculture. (I know I hate it when my religion is misrepresented in fiction.) Can I learn enough about the deaf subculture to do a credible job of creating Cal? </li>
<li>Is it too much? Is making Cal be deaf a "kitchen sink" problem, where I'm just putting too many elements in the story? </li>
</ol>
<div>
I think it makes the story stronger, but I may not have the chops to write it well. I guess I'll have to try and see if I can pull it off. If anyone has any thoughts or advice on the subject, I'd love to hear it!</div>
Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-63405593411100514152011-08-09T19:02:00.000-07:002011-08-09T19:02:56.052-07:00In Which I Play With Google Scribe<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Zbo3XdZCFZRQKYcJ_mFijL__xeYcP9Ka9NNqhI_CTUGfiiRqO5QcFoGpQ7pQeP046xUFeATfAzo3tYvz5YLbz3rPp38JDr2fry-jK5_dzNYzGaKLvxTds0HWioz71XEZ4RFXJ-ohyphenhyphen-E/s1600/ravenT.gif" />oday I have been notified that Google Scribe is now available for bloggers. Google Scribe is like Mad Libs, only not. You remember Mad Libs, right? As story was created, with certain nouns, verbs, or adjectives left blank, to be filled in by a group of children.<br />
<br />
Google Scribe does the same thing, except it guesses what you are going to be saying, based on what you just said. Let me retype that same sentence using Google Scribe.<br />
<br />
Get Started doing this since the, er in general with your application gets the best service, best of what you just said.<br />
<br />
I see a whole new website for the people that do Damn You, Autocorrect! Something like Google Scribbles. I find the feature annoying, but it may fun for days when you just don't know what to write. And you could always check to see if your writing is cliche. If Google Scribe would type the same thing you just did, maybe you need to uses fresher words :)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-90252674784571671272011-08-09T18:31:00.000-07:002011-08-09T18:38:55.104-07:00In Which I Witness Men Loading The Dishwasher<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Zbo3XdZCFZRQKYcJ_mFijL__xeYcP9Ka9NNqhI_CTUGfiiRqO5QcFoGpQ7pQeP046xUFeATfAzo3tYvz5YLbz3rPp38JDr2fry-jK5_dzNYzGaKLvxTds0HWioz71XEZ4RFXJ-ohyphenhyphen-E/s1600/ravenT.gif" />he next time someone tells me that men are better at spatial things, I will challenge them to witness a dishwasher loading event. Loading a dishwasher is a spatial thing. By that reasoning, men should be able to do it, and do it well. I have not actually seen any evidence of this <i>in my life</i>.<br />
<br />
(Randy [my husband] and Michael [my son] both know that I made this post. Randy said the post was fine, as long as I didn't mention his testicles, which I promised not to do.)Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-75396305309707953142011-08-08T21:39:00.000-07:002011-08-10T18:05:53.613-07:00In Which I Discover Writing Is Work<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6bdSgtQ-RhBigfVGiwTJvM9PuhCEhveN4Phh2bT6wLejL6t5DmAZ6r4YmkIW-z3Y43WW6N8jXPaaJStqTV3953tsLnyfqlLUwNz7dZagAGwVTN6FJGXg2XUGTeffJWcXc1D7QqzTDk/s1600/ravenI2.gif" />'ve been sick since last Wednesday. I have to admit that whenever I call in sick, I think, "Well, at least I'll get some writing done." And I never do.<br />
<br />
For a long time, I beat myself up over this. I told myself that I wasn't dedicated enough as a writer, etc. This month, I've been doing the August challenge of doing at least 15 minutes of writing a day. 15 minutes isn't very much, and I've been able to do more than that every day, except when I was sick.<br />
<br />
It wasn't because I wasn't dedicated, it was because I was sick. Writing is actual work. Just because I'm sitting down (or laying down, since I do most of my writing laying on my side in bed) doesn't mean that it's not work. It's fun. I love doing it. It feels good. But even when it's at its best, it's still work.<br />
<br />
So, I can stop beating myself up for not writing when I'm sick.Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841255975818338566.post-74344007214942135462011-08-08T10:09:00.000-07:002011-08-08T10:10:00.261-07:00In Which We Play Movie Games<img align="left" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ2igOPGImnxuUHOKl8pfZ0g7pmQgOUO8ZoqDo-A-U_Gpb9vCO_u4TmQ3jBfcC1RmkXqQsNjin5OUleWSia2T4mDphT_ikw2qqRmHAzXWgElDEuin_OyBvFeVlQN4MDPAUosNk6FtrDk/s1600/ravensamplea.gif" />t our house, we play a movie game called "Mom, guess what?!" Whenever we see a person has a tiny role in a movie or TV show (Dead Prostitute Number 1), we imagine the conversation the actor has with his/her mother.<br />
<br />
"Mom! Guess what? After four years of studying and waiting on tables, I finally got a role on your favorite TV show!"<br />
"Oh, congratulations honey! I'm so proud! Are you a new regular?"<br />
"Nooo..."<br />
"Well, are you a guest star?"<br />
"Not exactly."<br />
"Well, what are you playing?"<br />"Dead Prostitute Number 1!"<br />
(pause) "Oh honey, I'm so happy for you!"<br />
<br />
Today we were watching "Curiosity", and did a new one.<br />
"I got a role on Curiosity!"<br />
"Oh wonderful! Are you playing Dead Prostitute Number 1?"<br />
"No, I'm playing Pope squished by ceiling!"<br />
(pause) "Oh honey, I'm so happy for you!"Touch of Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551995840395409781noreply@blogger.com0