> Recent Entries
> Archive
> Friends
> User Info
> Masha Holl's Writing Page
> previous 10 entries

April 24th, 2008

06:18 am - The Brightest Heaven ...edits are done. That's one step closer to actual publication. I need to remind myself of what's going on, sometimes. Working on a book is exciting, but it's also exhausting, tedious, and all the other aspects of an actual job. This is where discipline, or willpower, or obstinacy (pick your choice of attitude) is needed. In my case, it's sheer stubbornness. I am not going to give in just because writing went from fun to work. The excitement is there, the pride of having your story selected to be published. But reality sets in and scribbling on a notepad is not enough anymore. Suddenly, all the little writing mistakes you thought insignificant acquire a whole new dimension. Suddenly, you're working on the definitive version (well, at least for this edition). This is it. What you're writing is going to hit the world. Anyone can look at it. Anyone can read it. Everyone can criticize it. And you can't hide behind false modesty or shyness anymore. Writers rarely have to stand on a stage and perform. We can hide behind imaginary world. We can create a persona to fit a pen name and hide behind it, like an actor hiding behind a character -- it's not me saying these things, and those emotions are not mine; they belong to the character. But in the end, your writing is what speaks, and you can't hide what's in your written word. Because you must pour everything you can into your story, and there's no taking it back. I can understand why great writers and poets would never try to get published. Not everyone is an exhibitionist. But I can't help wanting to share my stories. I can't help wanting to show off the people that crowd my dreams. I can't help thinking mine are better, bigger, stronger, more vivid than yours. Whoever you may be. Yeah. Writer's ego. Not a small thing. Current Location: home Current Mood: contemplative Tags: creativity, publishing, writing

(4 comments | Leave a comment)

April 15th, 2008

03:58 pm - Blogging over there... ...just because I can: Alien Places: On a not-so-nice day Check it out. Current Mood: tired Tags: life, writing

(Leave a comment)

April 10th, 2008

11:38 am - Amazon is making waves Almost everyone has heard about it. There's a good summary of the whole brouhaha here: Amazon BookSurge Information Clearinghouse. There's even a call for a boycott: http://www.youwriteon.com/info/Publishers/amazon-boycott.aspx I'll let you make up your own mind about the whole thing, but usually the simplest action is to vote with your money: if you don't like a certain place, don't patronize it. Talk is cheap. I'm mostly curious to see how it develops. It's all very interesting in the Internet age as it all happens almost in real-time. And since it involves writers, the reports are good reading. Live soap opera, or something. No, I'm not minimizing the importance or impact of Amazon's actions, or anyone's reactions. But don't forget I'm a writer. I see everything in terms of story: plot, dramatics, actors, the quality of the telling. Now if we add some music and visuals, there's potential for a good thriller movie, don't you think?

(Leave a comment)

April 8th, 2008

06:31 am - Proofreading and the writer What's in a typo? Literary agent Kristin Nelson gives a humorous answer in her blog today: http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2008/04/whats-in-typo.html I read her post post after a friend sent me a series of hilarious photos of unfortunate logo creations. Don't people look at their own work with a critical eye? (Or maybe, just maybe, at least one of those logos was an act of revenge; the notion appeals to my twisted imagination.) Which leads me to ask: How much do you proofread? Do you proofread your letters? Do you proofread your email messages? Do you proofread your blog posts? Surely you don't proofread your chat responses. The latter is the one and only exception I accept to my proofreading rule. Sometimes chats just happen too fast to allow for the checking of typos. But everything else? Yes. Absolutely. Every time. Does it make everything I write perfect? Definitely not. I still miss things here and there. And sometimes I even make spelling mistakes (nooo... I'm not full of myself; of course not; I'm just a writer). It took me quite a few years to convince my daughters that in writing, spelling was as important as grammar, and that they should pay attention to spelling even in their drafts. I don't think they really understood the importance of spelling until they started paying attention to my submissions... and rejections, and started wondering what made a good query letter... and a bad one. At least I have them convinced now. Next battle: good writing (and spelling) on MySpace. Current Location: home Current Mood: amused Tags: life, writing

(Leave a comment)

April 3rd, 2008

04:44 pm - Transition Blogging over there today: Alien Places

(Leave a comment)

March 31st, 2008

01:21 pm - Sick and sleepy ... and doing nothing for three days. To tell the truth, I didn't exactly know what what wrong with me for the last three days, just that I couldn't concentrate on anything. My story is right there at the back of my mind, I really want to get it down on the page, but nothing has been coming. And then yesterday, I spent a lot of my time sleeping, and then I completely lost my appetite. If you know me, you know that's very unusual. I have to watch every bite I eat, so I look forward to every meal. Skipping one is a sure sign that something is wrong. Guess what. I'm not at work today. I've spent the morning... sleeping. How weird that LJ's writer's prompt of the day has to do with being sick. There's only one thing I like about it: no one asks me to do anything. No one wakes me up. No one reminds me of chores or deadlines. But it's not like I can catch up on anything I really want to do. Ack. I'm going to veg out in front of the TV for a while. Current Location: home Current Mood: crappy Tags: life

(Leave a comment)

March 28th, 2008

09:18 am - I had (another, weird) dream. Someone should decode my dreams. There was a car I couldn't quite control and I couldn't get where I was going until I got off and started walking. Said car kept trying to move on even when I got out and took the keys out of the ignition, like a restless horse pulling on its reins (I was trying to hold on to its open window). There were other people's children who kept taking my things, and I managed to get them back without upsetting anyone and even while entertaining said children, and pleasing their parents... But at the back of my mind, I knew they were making me waste my time when I was supposed to be getting to my own children who were waiting (patiently) for me. There were giant dogs (bear-hounds) that looked like super-oversized huskie puppies, threatening but not dangerous, held in check by their owners, but ready to wreak havoc on a dense crowd. And all that was happening at night, in a European-ish city (maybe Paris, but not quite -- dream-Paris, I suppose). The streets were rain-wet and shiny, but it wasn't raining. Then the encounter with the children was in some kind of building, either a school or a clinic, or maybe the atrium of a large apartment building. Some of the parents looked like people from real life, others were real-looking, but not anyone I knew. Do you think I'm feeling out of control? Nah, can't be that simple. Anyway, weird, complex dreams in color usually mean good writing ahead. Because if I can see dreams this vivid, I can watch the movie of my story. And if I can watch the movie of my story, I can write it down. Current Mood: perplexed Tags: creativity, dreams, writing

(Leave a comment)

March 20th, 2008

06:31 am - While you wait... for the stories I've been talking about... It's not an excerpt! Not a tidbit! It's a Whole Story!! http://www.longandshortreviews.com/story.htm The Long and Short Reviews is publishing my short-short story (1,000 words) "Unexpected Bounty" this week. After that, it will go into the Archives, so you'll still be able to find it if you miss it. It's short. It's fun. It's science-fiction. It's still a romance. And I still have no idea how I pulled it off. The shortest story I ever wrote! Current Location: home Current Mood: bouncy Tags: publishing, writing

(3 comments | Leave a comment)

March 13th, 2008

10:13 am - In one week! Remember, I have a free read coming out at The Long and Short Reviews on March 20. It's my first short-short story (under 1,000 words!!), and of course it's pure sci-fi. Be sure to check it out in 7 days! Current Mood: bouncy Tags: publishing, writing

(1 comment | Leave a comment)

March 11th, 2008

09:18 am - "Quote-Unquote" As a language teacher, I firmly believe in two simple instructional methods: Repetition Laughter. As a writer, I am seriously annoyed by the modern lack of understanding of basic grammatical rules. Both are illustrated with great flair in the following blog: The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks Enjoy! Current Mood: amused Tags: grammar, writing

(Leave a comment)