From the American Dialect Society: What is the word or phrase which best characterizes the year 2008? What expression most reflects the ideas, events, and themes which have occupied the United States and its residents? Nominations should be sent to woty@americandialect.org. The best “word of the year” candidates will be: —new or newly popular inContinue reading “Word (or Phrase) of the Year”
Category Archives: Writing
Easy as ABC
I continue to learn from reading and listening to Eric Witchey. I know I’ve posted his You Tube video before but I glean something new every time I watch it. This time, he helped me grok a scene with my antagonist. That something comes from what he terms the “ABCs” of a scene. Agenda, Backstory,Continue reading “Easy as ABC”
Happy NaNoWriMo
Happy NaNoWriMo everyone. National Novel Writing Month starts November 1. It’s a great idea. Write a 50,000 word novella novel in thirty days. I’m not going to do it even though it’s a great way to switch off the inner critic (because it’s all about the numbers) and just write. As the NaNoWriMo folks say,Continue reading “Happy NaNoWriMo”
A Not So Lame Contest
Jeffrey Goldberg over at the Atlantic magazine is having a writing contest. Winner gets a subscription to the Atlantic. You may recall a posting of mine the other day, I noted an article titled, The Things He Carried, written by Jeffrey Goldberg. Goldberg contends that the Transportation Security Administration is concerned with catching the lowestContinue reading “A Not So Lame Contest”
Vancouver Writers
NOVEMBER VANCOUVER WRITERS’ MIXER LOOKS AT THE VALUE OF CRITIQUE GROUPS How to form or become a member of an exceptional critique group will be the topic of the November 1st Vancouver Writers Mixer at Cover to Cover Books, 1817 Main Street in Vancouver, WA (www.covertocoverbooks.net). The free event runs from 5:00–6:30 p.m. Vancouver areaContinue reading “Vancouver Writers”
Darn, I forgot to send out NPD cards again this year …
Yes, this Wednesday is National Punctuation Day (By the powers invested in this blog, I invite all my non-US visitors to participate). National Punctuation Day is “A celebration of the lowly comma, correctly used quotes, and other proper uses of periods, semicolons, and the ever-mysterious ellipsis.” The NPD site provides links to resources (books &Continue reading “Darn, I forgot to send out NPD cards again this year …”
The Very Model of a British Gentleman
Michael Dirda writes in an essay for the Chronicle Review titled James Bond as Archetype (and Incredibly Cool Dude) that he wants to be “Bond. James Bond.” What guy doesn’t? He’s suave and sophisticated; and he gets to blow stuff up. Dirda writes, “007 calls to mind a more sophisticated version of that favorite adventure-movieContinue reading “The Very Model of a British Gentleman”
Vancouver Writers
Carolyn Rose has announced the scheduled speakers for Vancouver Writers’ Mixer at Cover to Cover Bookstore. Here’s what’s coming up at Cover to Cover Books, 1817 Main Street, Vancouver, Washington (not Vancouver, BC a/k/a Vansterdam or Brollywood) : Saturday, October 4, 5:00 – 6:30 PM Blending the actual and the fictional. Vancouver mystery author SheilaContinue reading “Vancouver Writers”
Ten Words You Don’t Want Used to Describe Your Story
Starting with “pretentious,” the Mysterious Matters blog lists “[T]he 10 worst words we can use to describe a manuscript.” I scanned the list and think my ts fits, eight out of ten. Ouch. I’ll keep at it. My story is simply waiting for a writer to appear to let it out.
Ten Words You Don't Want Used to Describe Your Story
Starting with “pretentious,” the Mysterious Matters blog lists “[T]he 10 worst words we can use to describe a manuscript.” I scanned the list and think my ts fits, eight out of ten. Ouch. I’ll keep at it. My story is simply waiting for a writer to appear to let it out.
Nullius in Verba 