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July 16th, 2008
July 12th, 2008
 | 07:02 am - It's out!
My first published story!
The Brightest Heaven
(Book II of The Song of the Muses Anthology)
Read an Exerpt
Watch the Trailer
Urania, muse of Astronomy, is disconsolate: technology flourishes, but true creativity seems lost. Then she meets Daniel Kettering, an astrophysicist who shines with inspiration. But he's about to make a discovery which will threaten time, space, and every existing world. The Olympians order Urania to carry an ultimatum for Daniel: forget your research and get eternal life. Or else. But first, Urania and Daniel have to figure out who stole Daniel's research, save the universe, and defeat Chaos. And maybe find happiness.
Current Location: Home
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/giddy.gif) giddy
Current Music: the sound of coffee brewing
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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: ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/contemplative.gif) contemplative
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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: ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/tired.gif) tired
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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: ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/amused.gif) amused
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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: ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/curious.gif) perplexed
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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: ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/bouncey.gif) bouncy
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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
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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
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March 7th, 2008
| 06:38 am - While you wait
...for my stories to make their true debut at The Wild Rose Press, 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 a cute little sci-fi romp. Be sure to check it out in 13 days!
Current Location: home
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/excited.gif) excited
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