A Life of Crime and Chocolate

Zelenka

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HJ - so glad to here the kitty is happy, and here's hoping it continues. And big hugs for Stella as well.

I've had a day off today, so went shopping for some swimwear, since I've lost about 30lbs since Christmas and for the first time in my life I don't feel too fat to wear swimwear. I'm going to Toulouse in France on Friday for a weekend and the hotel has a pool, so I'm hoping for decent weather.

Other than that, working on the WIP and my Czech grammar. I'm determined to make a go at both. With the Czech I'm telling myself that to get to the level I'm at with French, near fluency, took six to eight years, whereas I've only been at Czech seriously for four months, so I shouldn't get discouraged that I'm not very good just yet. That's what I'm telling myself. But today I treated myself to a set of new notebooks for chapter-by-chapter working for the WIP and a new grammar workbook for the Czech. Typical writer, eh? Sent out to the shops to get a bikini and I come back with notebooks...
 

Shakesbear

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HJ I am pleased your furry ones are doing well.

Zelenka lovely notebooks really are a must for writers.

I had a good weekend. Saturday I did a car boot sale and made some money. It was a bit strange as my friend and I had an indoor pitch in a room all to ourselves. It was warm and cosy once we turned the heaters on. Yesterday afternoon was spent at the rehearsal for Little Shop of Horrors. I am am the Prompt and I am also in total awe at the actors. Some of them have the most amazing singing voices and the one who is doing the voice of Audrey 2 is awesome. The weather yesterday was awful - thunder, hail and torrential rain. blech.
 

heyjude

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Zelenka, :hooray: on the weight loss and the notebooks! Swimsuit shopping is horrifying for me. I'm such a funny shape. Just bought a new suit online, which is probably the worst way to go about it and yet less terrifying than in a store.

Shakes, that sounds like a good weekend!

We're continuing to heal here... Not much sleep last night though. :e2zzz:
 

Namatu

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Swimsuit shopping is horrifying for me.
Wearing the swimsuit is horrifying for me. I'm so pale the sun reflects off my skin like it's a mirror.

I'm such a funny shape.
Nah. You know whose got funny shapes? Models. The rest of us are normal.

Good buys, Zelenka!

I also bought a notebook this weekend. It's a regular little notebook to put actual notes in, and I've just thought of need for another notebook, for notes on something else. Not dialogue, not characterization. Just notes. I've got stacks of paper with little notes here and there that really should be consolidated before they drive me crazy.
 

DocBrown

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I am a notebook and pen freak!

I buy them, yet do much of my outlining and stuff on my computer. When I use paper, I use scrap paper because I hate the thought of ruining the pristine notebooks.

It's sad. I finally outlawed myself from buying paper and pens. :(
 

Namatu

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I'm the same way. I have to force myself not to buy the pretty notebooks since I still won't use the ones I have. Now I buy the cheap ones, which I can make messy, tear out pages, and feel no remorse about turning ugly. Pens, I have one nice one. No more allowed.
 

knightrunnermat

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Has anyone read any Dick Francis novels? My current WIP involves horse racing at certain points and I want to make sure that I am not just writing something that's already been written. Any suggestions on where to start with this?
 

Zelenka

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I'm the same way. I have to force myself not to buy the pretty notebooks since I still won't use the ones I have. Now I buy the cheap ones, which I can make messy, tear out pages, and feel no remorse about turning ugly. Pens, I have one nice one. No more allowed.

I tend to go obsessive with mine, wanting the same kind. Best ones were out of Woolworths and then they went out of business. I keep buying nice ones though that then end up piled on the shelves, but sooner or later they end up being used. Sometimes it's like they're waiting for the right scribbles!
 

knightrunnermat

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Does anyone know of a resource that lists in a single spot all of the MTS literary conventions that are coming up? I would like to shoot for one later in the year, but I have no idea where to start looking.
 

Shakesbear

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I am a notebook and pen freak!

I buy them, yet do much of my outlining and stuff on my computer. When I use paper, I use scrap paper because I hate the thought of ruining the pristine notebooks.

It's sad. I finally outlawed myself from buying paper and pens. :(

I think we must be related! I think the same about notebooks! Cannot bear to write in them in case I spoil them. And pens. Fountain pens with lovely nibs.
 

heyjude

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Does anyone know of a resource that lists in a single spot all of the MTS literary conventions that are coming up? I would like to shoot for one later in the year, but I have no idea where to start looking.

I Googled it (you probably did too :)) and didn't see anything. You're looking in the States, right? Anywhere in particular, or anything in particular?
 

knightrunnermat

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I Googled it (you probably did too :)) and didn't see anything. You're looking in the States, right? Anywhere in particular, or anything in particular?

Heyjude:

Yes, I did Google it. I found a few conventions that looked promising. The ThrillerFest is obviously a big one, but I also saw one in Nashville that looked pretty cool. It was called Killer Nashville, I think. I am flying through the rough draft of my current WIP and would ultimately like to have it edited and ready to go by the end of July, so ThrillerFest is out (unless I speed up even more!), but Killer Nashville might be a good fit at the end of August.

I know that there's another sub-forum for this, but what do you all find is the best way to have agents/editors remember you? Business cards seem like the most obvious way, but I've also seen bookmarks and even fliers with contact info and story synopses.
 

heyjude

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Everything I've ever seen agents say is have a great premise, great pages (if you're presenting them), a calm, cogent pitch, and FFS be polite (no pitching in the bathroom ;)). They'll remember that.
 

knightrunnermat

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Everything I've ever seen agents say is have a great premise, great pages (if you're presenting them), a calm, cogent pitch, and FFS be polite (no pitching in the bathroom ;)). They'll remember that.

Cool, thank you. So it's product over presentation? I can do that. I'm not the best speaker, but I can put together something that represents my work pretty well.
 

heyjude

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You don't have to be the best speaker. Be you--I imagine you're as affable and likable in person as online--and have a great ms. You'll do fine. :)
 

knightrunnermat

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You don't have to be the best speaker. Be you--I imagine you're as affable and likable in person as online--and have a great ms. You'll do fine. :)

This is the thing I am most nervous about. I am such a horrible public speaker and I get flustered really easily while talking to people I don't know. I am nervous that once I actually have a finished product on my hands that I will mess up whatever chances I have by speaking in cliches or one word sentences. I am a much better writer than speaker because I have a lot more time to plot out what I'm writing than I have when I'm talking to someone. That, and I can go back and change things that I've written. I can't go back in time and not say something stupid!

Although, I am getting better at this. I interviewed a baseball player last night after the game and I didn't mess it up. So perhaps there is hope for me.
 

heyjude

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So many of us are like that! Is there someone you can practice on? Write it out first, several scenarios, and practice until you feel comfortable.

And remember, they're (agents are) human, too. :)
 

DocBrown

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Pretend you're mute, pantomime a bit, and have it all written on a paper you hand them.

They'll remember you. ;)

They may not like finding they've been duped later, but one bridge at a time. :D
 

heyjude

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In case you know CACTUSWENDY and didn't see this... She wasn't an MTSer but many of us know and love her very much.

Today is a sad, sad day.
 

muse

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Thanks for pointing me to the link, HJ. So very very sad.:cry: