My RITA books arrived. Eight of them! I think the contest needs more judges or something because that's a lot of reading when I have writing to do. I think I have about 6 weeks to read, which should be enough time, but I'll have to double check my instruction sheet to be certain.
It's supposed to be hugely cold here this weekend, which would actually be a perfect time to curl up in bed with a book, but it's also a prime writing time for me. So guess what I'll be doing? Yep, writing. I signed up for my chapter's Book In A Week--we do it every month--and I'm behind on my goal. I'm going to need Saturday desperately.
The newspaper here had an article on hard-to-kill houseplants and it's got me thinking I should get a few more plants. And then I remind myself that I didn't want a jungle inside my house. I have two poinsettias, two amaryllis and 1 lucky bamboo plant. It's already starting to get jungle-like, although the red poinsettia has been dying almost since the day I brought it home.
If y'all have been hearing the merger talks between NWA and Delta, you know things are not calm and peaceful at the Evil Day Job (EDJ). The last thing I want is to relocate to Atlanta. For one, I just moved into my house about 18 months ago and for another, Atlanta is having a horrible water shortage. Why would you want to move more people into that city? Anyway, I keep reminding myself that there's no point worrying about it until I have to, but there are days that's tough.
And some person who's name was "unknown" on caller ID woke me up at 1:30 this morning when he tried to logon to the Internet using my phone number. Argh!
Showing posts with label rita. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rita. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Books and Links
I heard some people already have their books to judge for the RITA Awards. I'm not one of them, but then I always seem to get my books later than most others. It's frustrating, though, because the more time I have to read, the easier it'll be to get them all in before the deadline. Sometimes judges really get slammed with a huge amount of entries. IIRC, I had eight last year. That's a lot of reading in a short time.
I was talking to a guy at work Friday about Linux and Ubuntu because I heard about this really small, light laptop that's incredibly cheap. The EEE from ASUS (you can read more about it here if you're interested), but it runs Linux and I've never used that before. So this guy at work is geekier with computers than I am and not only is he running it, he says his laptop boots up incredibly fast. Unlike with Windows where I can basically make coffee and still sit and wait. That speed makes it incredibly tempting. And this wouldn't be a substitute for the current laptop, but a traveling version. But since I still haven't made a decision on a new desktop computer after 2 years of consideration, I don't guess I'll be moving too fast on this.
Today is my local chapter meeting and I'm hoping to attend, but before I go, I found a fun web page. If you've owned a dog, you might find this amusing.
I was talking to a guy at work Friday about Linux and Ubuntu because I heard about this really small, light laptop that's incredibly cheap. The EEE from ASUS (you can read more about it here if you're interested), but it runs Linux and I've never used that before. So this guy at work is geekier with computers than I am and not only is he running it, he says his laptop boots up incredibly fast. Unlike with Windows where I can basically make coffee and still sit and wait. That speed makes it incredibly tempting. And this wouldn't be a substitute for the current laptop, but a traveling version. But since I still haven't made a decision on a new desktop computer after 2 years of consideration, I don't guess I'll be moving too fast on this.
Today is my local chapter meeting and I'm hoping to attend, but before I go, I found a fun web page. If you've owned a dog, you might find this amusing.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Books, Books, Books
Yesterday, the titles of the books I have to read for the Rita were listed on my contest page on the RWA website. There are six. I'm only getting one novella, the rest are all full stories. Gah! I was hoping for mostly novellas. Only one is an author I've read before. It's an interesting mix. Now if the books would only arrive so I could figure out how I'm going to manage to read them all before the deadline.
I've been listening to a book on tape while I've been at the day job (EDJ). It actually made me remember how much I liked to do that and that I should probably do it more since it makes the day go faster. Of course, I can only do it on projects where it doesn't matter if my attention is split like that. Right now, I have two things I'm working on. I can listen to the tape while I work on one, but not on the other.
The book is called The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It's abridged and read by the author, but I'm finding the information he's presenting fascinating. It's non-fiction, BTW, and deals with marketing. While the stories presented are holding my attention, (I might go into more depth this weekend when I don't have to get ready for the EDJ), so far there's been no way to really put it into use in the real world. The examples of products/things that reached a tipping point have all seemed to happen either accidentally or with massive advertising budgets. (Massive at least compared to my advertising budget.) I don't think this will help me much marketing my own work, but at least it's keeping me entertained while I'm stuck in my cube.
Now I'm thinking it might be time to see what else the library has on tape/CD. Usually, I chose unabridged novels when I used to do this all the time, but I returned too many of them unfinished--which is why I stopped checking them out. But if I can find non-fiction subjects that are shorter, that might work. I'm actually going to finish The Tipping Point today--nearly a full week before its due back.
Of course, I also have all these RWA workshops on my MP3 player that I could listen to. Two years worth from Reno and Atlanta. :-) But that doesn't seem appealing right now. I'd rather find something more removed from writing. I feel like exposing myself to more diverse subjects--at least for right now.
I've been listening to a book on tape while I've been at the day job (EDJ). It actually made me remember how much I liked to do that and that I should probably do it more since it makes the day go faster. Of course, I can only do it on projects where it doesn't matter if my attention is split like that. Right now, I have two things I'm working on. I can listen to the tape while I work on one, but not on the other.
The book is called The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It's abridged and read by the author, but I'm finding the information he's presenting fascinating. It's non-fiction, BTW, and deals with marketing. While the stories presented are holding my attention, (I might go into more depth this weekend when I don't have to get ready for the EDJ), so far there's been no way to really put it into use in the real world. The examples of products/things that reached a tipping point have all seemed to happen either accidentally or with massive advertising budgets. (Massive at least compared to my advertising budget.) I don't think this will help me much marketing my own work, but at least it's keeping me entertained while I'm stuck in my cube.
Now I'm thinking it might be time to see what else the library has on tape/CD. Usually, I chose unabridged novels when I used to do this all the time, but I returned too many of them unfinished--which is why I stopped checking them out. But if I can find non-fiction subjects that are shorter, that might work. I'm actually going to finish The Tipping Point today--nearly a full week before its due back.
Of course, I also have all these RWA workshops on my MP3 player that I could listen to. Two years worth from Reno and Atlanta. :-) But that doesn't seem appealing right now. I'd rather find something more removed from writing. I feel like exposing myself to more diverse subjects--at least for right now.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
First Person: It's All About Me
I saw pictures of Oklahoma, I believe, and this town that was just coated in ice. It was incredible and these people aren't going to have power for a while, not with all the trees down on the power lines. I'll definitely take the fluffy white stuff we got over freezing rain. Nothing is worse than freezing rain.
On one of my published author loops, they've been talking about receiving their RITA books. Since Friday. Of course, I still don't have mine yet and I could use all the time possible to squeeze in reading them. It sounds like everyone is getting 7 books. Gah! Seven. That is a hell of a lot of reading to do. I'm hoping I've got a lot of short entries. :-)
And one of the readers' boards I visit is discussing a book written in first person point of view (I really should add a glossary to the blog so I can just abbreviate to my heart's content) and the question came up about what kind of POVs they like. Now there's an idea about discussing why so many people don't like First Person.
You can add me to that camp. I've been known to turn the car around and go back to the bookstore to return books I accidentally bought that were written in first person. I don't mind it in mysteries, but just loathe it in romance. Of course, there are exceptions. I have enjoyed a few romances written in first, but generally I don't like it. I've tried to analyze why and I think part of the reason is that I want to be in both the hero's and the heroine's heads. Except I don't like first person even when it's done with alternating third person or alternating with the other's first person POV. Again, there are exceptions that I've read and enjoyed.
The other reason is first person seems so egocentric. Me. I. Mine. I've read first person where I was so sick of seeing the word I that I started to roll my eyes whenever I read it. Instead of bringing me deeper into the story, it's actually distancing me because of the world revolves around me thing.
Like I said, there are exceptions to this that sit on my keeper shelf. Most notably, my favorite werewolf book, Wolf In Waiting by Rebecca Flanders. WIW was told in alternating first person POV between the hero and heroine and it works beautifully and it was my favorite of the three book series.
And I have to run. Yikes!
On one of my published author loops, they've been talking about receiving their RITA books. Since Friday. Of course, I still don't have mine yet and I could use all the time possible to squeeze in reading them. It sounds like everyone is getting 7 books. Gah! Seven. That is a hell of a lot of reading to do. I'm hoping I've got a lot of short entries. :-)
And one of the readers' boards I visit is discussing a book written in first person point of view (I really should add a glossary to the blog so I can just abbreviate to my heart's content) and the question came up about what kind of POVs they like. Now there's an idea about discussing why so many people don't like First Person.
You can add me to that camp. I've been known to turn the car around and go back to the bookstore to return books I accidentally bought that were written in first person. I don't mind it in mysteries, but just loathe it in romance. Of course, there are exceptions. I have enjoyed a few romances written in first, but generally I don't like it. I've tried to analyze why and I think part of the reason is that I want to be in both the hero's and the heroine's heads. Except I don't like first person even when it's done with alternating third person or alternating with the other's first person POV. Again, there are exceptions that I've read and enjoyed.
The other reason is first person seems so egocentric. Me. I. Mine. I've read first person where I was so sick of seeing the word I that I started to roll my eyes whenever I read it. Instead of bringing me deeper into the story, it's actually distancing me because of the world revolves around me thing.
Like I said, there are exceptions to this that sit on my keeper shelf. Most notably, my favorite werewolf book, Wolf In Waiting by Rebecca Flanders. WIW was told in alternating first person POV between the hero and heroine and it works beautifully and it was my favorite of the three book series.
And I have to run. Yikes!
Friday, January 05, 2007
POV Difficulties
I finished all my GH entries now and sent the scores in. Actually, the RWA (Romance Writers of America) website lets you do the scores online now which was way cool. The new design makes it difficult to find anything, but it does have it's pluses like inputting scores online and paying for Bookscan right on the site.
Of course, with that off my plate, RWA sent me an email yesterday telling me my Rita books were on the way. Gah! I was really hoping they wouldn't need to use me as a judge. No such luck, I guess. Now I just have to hope that I have a small number of entries. The last time I was used, I had to read 9 thick books. Once upon a time, back before I committed myself to writing, I used to read a book a day. Those days are long gone and I'll be pushing to get everything in on time.
Speaking of on time, I was hoping to do one of my edits yesterday and just leave the two scenes I want to change for the weekend. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I have a semi-difficult edit (To make the hero more disoriented) and POV issues that were going to make it a problem to do this. I read through the three scenes I thought would be possible to include some of this, and sure enough, nothing jumped out at me as being an obvious spot to add any of this. That meant I needed to read through a second time, and this go-round, I looked for less noticeable places to slide stuff in. I have a list of potentials now, and I'll work on that today. I also woke up this morning with another scene that has potential to add some stuff. In fact, it might be the better option in Deke's POV.
Anyway, Deke is used to thinking on his feet to situations where he might not necessarily know what's going on--at least not totally. After all, he was a cop and he ran into stuff like that all the time. He's also really good at concealing any kind of weakness, and feeling confused and disoriented would definitely fall into that category for him. He'd never make himself vulnerable like that to a stranger and he just met the heroine. Since two of the three scenes where I could add this stuff are in her POV, it makes it damn hard. By the time I'm in his head, he's out to rile Ryne up and he's not really thinking about his circumstances. See where my problem is?
Anyway, I think the scene that came to me this morning as a possibility will work better than the one where he's pushing Ryne since Deke's mood/tone is all wrong for disorientation/fear or whatever.
Of course, with that off my plate, RWA sent me an email yesterday telling me my Rita books were on the way. Gah! I was really hoping they wouldn't need to use me as a judge. No such luck, I guess. Now I just have to hope that I have a small number of entries. The last time I was used, I had to read 9 thick books. Once upon a time, back before I committed myself to writing, I used to read a book a day. Those days are long gone and I'll be pushing to get everything in on time.
Speaking of on time, I was hoping to do one of my edits yesterday and just leave the two scenes I want to change for the weekend. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I have a semi-difficult edit (To make the hero more disoriented) and POV issues that were going to make it a problem to do this. I read through the three scenes I thought would be possible to include some of this, and sure enough, nothing jumped out at me as being an obvious spot to add any of this. That meant I needed to read through a second time, and this go-round, I looked for less noticeable places to slide stuff in. I have a list of potentials now, and I'll work on that today. I also woke up this morning with another scene that has potential to add some stuff. In fact, it might be the better option in Deke's POV.
Anyway, Deke is used to thinking on his feet to situations where he might not necessarily know what's going on--at least not totally. After all, he was a cop and he ran into stuff like that all the time. He's also really good at concealing any kind of weakness, and feeling confused and disoriented would definitely fall into that category for him. He'd never make himself vulnerable like that to a stranger and he just met the heroine. Since two of the three scenes where I could add this stuff are in her POV, it makes it damn hard. By the time I'm in his head, he's out to rile Ryne up and he's not really thinking about his circumstances. See where my problem is?
Anyway, I think the scene that came to me this morning as a possibility will work better than the one where he's pushing Ryne since Deke's mood/tone is all wrong for disorientation/fear or whatever.
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