C is for Competitions and I've found a few new ones!
Juiciliciousss Reviews is offering a surprise book giveaway - a whole parcel of YA books! It's open internationally, so Aussies can enter too :-)
I Heart Monsters is also hosting a huge book giveaway - also open to international entrants!
Princess Bookie is hosting several contests including one just for international readers (not for the US) to win Before I Fall by Lauren Olivier.
I've been working steadily on Dog Show Detective edits using How to Revise Your Novel, an online course by Holly Lisle. Recently I posted about Holly's use of the Sentence for Review (My Take on Premise): each scene should have an index card with the sentence. The sentence should be: protagonist with need versus antagonist with need in interesting setting with a twist, or record a moment when everything changes: protagonist is doing this UNTIL....
Since then, I have gone through and followed with one thing I want to keep in that scene and one thing I want to change. By breaking the novel down to scenes, the editing is much more manageable for me (this is my first time editing a novel).
I had a wow moment with the course. I was asked to sit down and re-write the sentence for review in a notebook, the catch was I had to write the sentences for the story in order, without peaking at my cards. I had to do it from memory. Pfft, I couldn't see the point of this. Then I did it. Wow. I found I came up with a tighter more functional order for my story scenes, a few new scenes to tied everything together and forgot a scene that was a flashback, confirming it really isn't needed at all in the story.
C is also for Children and Compromise and Class.
I mentioned in my last blog that my girls wanted to start their own blog. At first they were adamant they needed separate blogs, even though they would both be doing book reviews. The compromise was that Miss 12 picked the title: 'Paper Dolls' and Miss 8 could choose the background (she actually managed to find one with paper dolls).
And for no particular reason, C is for Cat:
Hilarious picture of the ct. We used to have vats, and cats do the darndest things. Even ambush our little feet from underneath the furniture as kids when we'd walk into the living room.
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp
I like the part of having to write your sentences from memory. It does seem like you see what's important and what's not.
ReplyDeletePoor kitty.
'...and forgot a scene that was a flashback, confirming it really isn't needed at all in the story'
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing when you have these moments of realisation. I had a lot of these not long ago when I was editing my novel. It's quite amazing how much we write that has absolutely no logical need to be included, hey?
But I guess we do have to write these parts in the first place to get to the other parts that are SO important - even if it means they eventually get deleted.
Wonderful that you are encouraging your girls to start their own blogs! LOL--I just took a picture of my cat squeezing out from the cushions like that, too! ;)
ReplyDeleteEditing is quite fun, isn't it?
Love the C for cat. And the poor squished little fella. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links, especially to Paper Dolls! It's absolutely darling - and of course I'm following. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, it is nearly midnight, and I am behind on reading blogs, but wanted to just note that I am enjoying yours. Thanks for reading mine and I love your pic of Kathryn Hepburn. She is (was) one of my favorite actors throughout my lifetime. I admire your ability to write. Thanks for visiting and following my blog.
ReplyDeleteBest regards to you, and good night.
Ruby
awww love the Paper Dolls. The blog is stunning. I have become a follower :o)
ReplyDeleteStephen, Elizabeth, Lisa - the cat pic of 'poor Sheldon' still cracks me up, no matter how many times I see it.
ReplyDeleteJaydee, Alliterative Allomorph - Sometimes the course has me do things that seem so obvious (I have to admit I sometimes skip steps I THINK I don't need), but those are the ones that turn out to be the most meaningful.
Ruby - (I love your name 'Grammy'!) - I was thrilled to do that quiz and end up with Katherine Hepburn, she was my favourite actress and I always had a crush on Spencer Tracy (I think my hubby looks like him!).
Shannon, Niki - you guys are beautiful! Thank you for following the girl's blogs, they were THRILLED to see they had followers! And Matilda (Tilly) was so excited to see she had a comment :-)
Great C-post. And such a cute little blog the girls have.
ReplyDeleteInteresting tip about the index cards and writing a scene from memory. I'm going to give it a try. I'll also check out the course. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love that random cat picture. LOLcats make me smile!
ReplyDeleteThis weekend two teenage bloggers have joined the challenge and after reading their posts I'm thinking blogging might not be a bad idea for kids--supervised of course. The young people whose posts of read demonstated some wonderful insight and blogging is certainly a superior activity to video games, chatting, or facebooking.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago I started a correspondence writing course with Longridge Writer's Group, but then I stopped. Recently they started offering to reinstate me for a small fee. I've considered it because I did like writing and having my work critiqued on a regular basis. I probably good use something like that.
Lee