Friday, May 4, 2012

Graduating Seniors: Jacob

I have two graduating high school seniors! YIKES. This month is so crazy already, and it's only the first week.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the announcements I made for my boys (it printed front & back 5x7 postcard style). Today, I'll share Jacob's (my seventeen-year-old), and Monday, I'll share Mitchell's (my eighteen-year-old). Yes, they're nearly twins at just 11 months apart! Jacob skipped a grade in school, and so that's why they are graduating together.


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

May Day - Teenager Style

I thought April 1st was the day for practical jokes ... but my seventeen-year-old son thought May 1st would be a great day, too.

He's been enjoying his Spanish class this year, and likes the word MAYO. He thought it would be a funny way to honor the first day of MAYO with a jar of Mayo.

He emptied and washed out a jar of Mayonnaise, filled it with vanilla pudding, and took it to school. He ate from it all day telling people he was celebrating the first day of MAYO with a jar of Mayo.

Did I mention this smart kid of mine has been named as one of the Valedictorians? haha.

Monday, April 30, 2012

ZOO


Well, it has been an absolute ZOO this month: writing posts and visiting blogs. BUT oh what fun we've had! Thanks for playing along and stopping by my zoo. I look forward to our continued relationships in the blogging community. YAY to the AtoZ Challengers!

Source: http://www.zoo-directory.com/



Saturday, April 28, 2012

Yeezy


According to Urban Dictionary:
1.yeezy
Slang referring to the rapper Kanye West
 
 

However, now Yeezy also refers to Kanye's shoes.

According to http://buyingairyeezys.blogspot.com/:

"Air Yeezy is a brand of sneakers/trainers produced by Nike which were designed for and endorsed by the rapper Kanye West.

"The Air Yeezy sneakers were developed from a strong relationship between West and Nike. Partnering with Nike Creative Director, Mark Smith, Kanye was taken through the product creation process, the same way athletes have with Nike Design for the past 37 years. This creative partnership of Smith and West’s talents as designers yielded a unique Nike Sportswear sneaker worth the wait or was it?"





According to NIKE:
"The shoe, which takes West’s nickname Yeezy, draws upon the innovations from Nike’s rich sporting history and fuses them with original lines, materials, and design elements that reflect West’s unique style."


So what about you?

Do you own or want a pair of these shoes?

Friday, April 27, 2012

Xanax


As we near the end of another LONG A to Z Challenge, I figured we could all use a little calming influence.

Xanax: Also known as Alprazolam is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. It belongs to a class of medications called benzodiazepines which act on the brain and nerves (central nervous system) to produce a calming effect. It works by enhancing the effects of a certain natural chemical in the body (GABA). (source: www.webmd.com)


Book Drive Update: The goal is 500 books (or monetary equivalent) for teenagers during the month of April. So far, we've received 14 books and $105.

... uh ... this number hasn't budged in the last two weeks! YIKES!

PLEASE HELP US OUT and donate a book or a buck for this worthwhile cause. The donate button is on the blog's right side bar, and you can find complete details by CLICKING HERE!



Thursday, April 26, 2012

Word Count


You can find a lot of information out on the internet regarding appropriate word counts for your genre.

Why does it matter?

1. It shows an agent that you have done your research.
2. If you are over the word count, an agent *might* be less likely to invest the necessary time to read your manuscript.
3. If you are over the word count, an agent may think you didn't revise and edit your work efficiently.

However, if you have an interesting plot concept, many agents and editors will overlook the *appropriate* word count range and invest the time necessary to read your manuscript.

But as Chuck Sambuchino says, "I believe that we cannot count on being the exception; we must count on being the rule. That’s the best way to give yourself your best shot at succeeding."

CLICK HERE to read his fantastic post on word counts.

What about you?

Do you pay attention to the appropriate word count range for your genre while you're writing?


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Verbs


Do you use strong action verbs in your writing? Do you mix it up and use less common verbs? A couple of ideas I've tried recently during revisions:

1. (If you're writing YA) Print out a list of vocabulary words that your target readers would be using in school. These vocabulary lists are a great resource for interesting verbs.

2. Create a word bank. Think about the theme of your manuscript and come up with as many words related to your theme as possible. Use a thesaurus and dictionary to expand your word bank.

Switching boring everyday verbs to stronger action verbs adds dimension and description to your story.

For example:

Using TRUDGED is more descriptive than using WALKED.

Happy writing!

:)


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Unconscious Repetitions


A few posts ago, we discussed the find/replace feature of MS Word which is great for repetitive words that you are AWARE of ... but what about words and phrases that repeat an idea that you are unaware of? These are unconscious repetitions.

What does that mean?

SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by Browne and King has a great section on eliminating repetitions.



"Most writers already know to edit out places where they have literally repeated a word or phrase. But the repetition of an effect can be just as problematic. Whether it's two sentences that convey the same information, two paragraphs that establish the same personality trait, or two characters who fill the same role in the plot, repetition can rob your writing of its power" (pgs 175-176).

Have you checked your WIP for unconscious repetitions?

Monday, April 23, 2012

Time Management


I once had a friend who only scheduled one "item" per day. When she first told me that, I thought she was joking. At the time, I was ridiculously busy, packing as many things back to back in a day that I could manage. I got a lot done, too.

But now that I'm at a different point in my life, I really wish I could schedule one thing per day.

I've bought wonderful books on the topic of time management. I've read great magazine and blog articles on the topic. And I've tried many different concepts throughout my *time*.

But really ... regardless of what system you use to manage your time ... just don't be late.

I'm a believer that if you are chronically late - you are telling people that you don't value THEIR time as much as you value your own. Show up early. If you are super busy, take "work" with you, that you can complete when you show up early and have a few minutes to wait. Or always carry a book with you, and use that "early" time to treat yourself to your favorite author.

Just ... don't be late for people and appointments and events ... it's rude and selfish.


Stampin' Up!


I joined as a demonstrator for Stampin' Up! in 1998, and it has been a great blessing to our family over the years. It was a wonderful way for me to stay home with my young children and earn money. In the early years of my business, I worked it very diligently and ranked high with the company (as high as #2 in recruiting out of 40,000 demonstrators). When my husband was laid off, my Stampin' Up! business supported our family and helped us buy a new home. Through my business, we've also been able to travel extensively, going on nine all expense paid cruises.

In more recent years, I've done much less with my Stampin' Up! business. I still have three stamper's clubs that meet once a month, but other than that, I am focusing on my family, my health, and my writing.

If you are interested in learning more about my Stampin' Up! business and/or purchasing products visit my SU! website at: http://margo.stampinup.net

Do you stamp, scrapbook, or have other hobbies you love?

Recipes & The Flat Belly Diet


As many of you know, I am a big fan of the Flat Belly Diet program. I've had great success following it. However, I got sidetracked by a medical situation in September and reverted back to old habits of eating comforting junk foods. Not good. And sadly, I regained all that I had lost. Double NOT GOOD! So, I have set a new goal to get back on track!


I purchased both of these cookbooks:



And I was SO EXCITED when I read on page 39 of the Family Cookbook, that you can go online to: www.flatbellydiet.com to plug in the recipes you want to try out for the week, and it will generate a shopping list for you!


However, when I went to the website ... it's not quite that simple. First, you have to sign up for a membership ... a $19.95 per MONTH membership! YIKES. What a bummer. But there is a free 30 day trial period. So, I thought I'd give it a try and report on it to you.


Bummer again.


It took me forever (maybe I'm just slow?) to figure out how to customize the menu and select recipes from the the actual cookbook. Once I figured it out, I typed in the first recipe title, and it couldn't find it. I typed in another, and it couldn't find it.  Seriously?


So ... I emailed the customer support people.

Their response: "I apologize for the difficulty you are having with searching for the recipes from the Flat Belly Diet! Family Cookbook.  Although many of the recipes from various related book editions have been entered into the online website, there still are those that have not yet been entered."

Big Bummer. My opinion? They shouldn't print in a book what isn't actually available. My advice? Do not pay for the online Flat Belly Diet!

However, the recipe books do look very promising on their own. :)

I was going to type out the recipe for the Lemon-Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins recipe from page 74 in the Family Cookbook, however, the book very clearly states that would be a copyright infringement. ... Of course, the book also said I could utilize their website for shopping lists, and that wasn't right ... bwhahahaha. ...

None-the-less, I'm a *rule follower* (usually).

But let me tell you, I made the muffins for my family and they were absolutely YUMMY! This diet is succesful for me because the foods are so delicious.


Now ... if I could just figure out a way to STAY on the program and NOT revert back to old habits.

HOW DO I DO THAT?

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Quotes


"It is not enough for the hero to triumph, he must change the world." -- Blake Snyder, SAVE THE CAT

"Cracking the door open for teenage drama doesn't mean throwing that door wide for sterotypical characters or hokey dialogue that over-emotes to make up for a flat plot." -- Deborah Halverson, WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES

Do you have a writing quote to share?

BTW: my posts have not been automatically posting on schedule ... yikes. So, I'm going out of town for the weekend. I have posts scheduled through 4/25/12. Cross your fingers they go live on time, and please still leave comments and follow. I will return the favor when I come back!