Old People Writing for Teens, IV

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Stuck In Kansas

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Smiley! I posted! Sigh. Again, while your writing helpful blog entries for writers, I just posted on my blog about who would win a grudge match: chicken or turkey. Some day I'll grow up.
 

Kewii

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Smiley! I posted! Sigh. Again, while your writing helpful blog entries for writers, I just posted on my blog about who would win a grudge match: chicken or turkey. Some day I'll grow up.

But then you'd be boring ;)

Thanks, Parump. That helps. I'm hoping to print it this week. I just have to get a ream of paper first :)
 

nightowling

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I am going to pick up my new desk chair today, I'm excited. I'll finally have something decent to write in, my old chair is uncomfortable and sad.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend and that things are looking up for JSSchley's dear kitty
 

Smiley0501

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Kansas- I say a chicken. They cross the road a lot ;)

Thanks guys for the comments. I was so worried no one would comment on it :-/
 

parumpdragon

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Thanks, Parump. That helps. I'm hoping to print it this week. I just have to get a ream of paper first :)

;)

lots of luck. I use red pen for the spelling/grammar mistakes, and green pen for the things that need to be clarified or added into the MS :)
 

wampuscat

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Hope the kitty is doing better, JS!


Question for peeps who print off their MS for editing/revising.

What sort of formatting do you use? I'm looking to change things up, so it looks different to me, but I'd also like to save as much space as possible. I could puzzle around with it, but life is so much easier when others tell you the answers :)

If I'm doing massive revision and rewrites, like one a first or second draft, I generally print in regular MS format, double spaced, etc. It's a lot of paper, but I need the space. Also I sometimes like to cut things up and piece them back together.

If I'm doing a polish or a grammar-only kind of check, I print single-spaced, two MS pages to a side of paper. In Word you can set it to print 2 or even more pages per sheet of paper. The font size is small, but I thankfully still have pretty decent vision.
 

JSSchley

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Thank you all for your kind thoughts! Kitty is home, lying on the couch and looking daggers at me for putting him through all that. Still not out of the woods--it could be lymphoma; still waiting on one more test. But at least he's eating and comfortable at the moment, and if I'm going to lose him, it won't be today. And I'll have time to come to grips with that.

Today my only irk is that because I was calling both vets as I was running out the door this morning, I accidentally set the crock pot on "high" and came home to burned chicken tikka masala. But that is a minor irritant, and I can deal :D

JS, sorry about your kitty :(

Question for peeps who print off their MS for editing/revising.

What sort of formatting do you use? I'm looking to change things up, so it looks different to me, but I'd also like to save as much space as possible. I could puzzle around with it, but life is so much easier when others tell you the answers :)

I hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday.

I am weird. I actually triple-space in Times New Roman 12 point to give myself lots of room to write. My friends' father is a professional writer, and so growing up, I'd always see his manuscripts printed out in his office, and he triple-spaced, so I sort of got into the habit. I find I revise best when I have lots of room...the more red ink I see on a page the more inspired I am to see what else I can make better.

That's not at all helpful for space or paper-saving, I realize, but there you are. :) Nowadays I do a lot of my revision drafts on my iPad or my nook. There's something about seeing it in book form that makes it easier to see stuff that is really out of place, and you can highlight and annotate things that don't work.
 

wampuscat

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Crap, guys. A whole friggin' query letter for a new book just came to me in one big brain dump. I soooo don't have time to start another new WIP. I'm only 12K into the current first draft I'm working on. But oh, look, so shiny...
 

parumpdragon

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I'm writing on 2 different books at once because of something like this ;)
 

JSSchley

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Crap, guys. A whole friggin' query letter for a new book just came to me in one big brain dump. I soooo don't have time to start another new WIP. I'm only 12K into the current first draft I'm working on. But oh, look, so shiny...

Ah, SNI disease. :) I hate that.

I combat it by letting myself plan out the 2nd novel to my heart's content, but then finishing the first one. But you know your writing style best...
 

Stuck In Kansas

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No way I can work on two books at the same time. How in the world can you guys do it?

The next book I want to write (starting next week) has flashbacks to the '20's. Anyone know of any website that can help give accurate dialect of the time? I've never really done research for a book before but this one demands it. Dang. Writing's hard! It's like being in school all over again. Shudder. Nightmare central.
 

Periwinkle

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Good morning, everyone! It feels good to be back, though I never really left. Just had to lurk for a while. December was extremely busy and flew by, but we had a great Christmas.

As for the writing, after NaNoWriMo, I had to put the writing on hold. Between the holidays, my youngest daughter's birthday, and the unexpected need to buy a new hard drive, it's taken a while to find the time (and the energy) to get back to it. The new computer is finally up and running, thanks to my patient sister-in-law who held my hand as I worried about transferring stuff. My husband and I love computers until there's a problem. Then we both stare at the screen and ask each other, "Should we click this or should we call someone first?" We're so non-techy it isn't funny. But I think we're okay. The only thing left is figuring out how to transfer our iTunes library. I managed to get my songs over, but the kids' apps and stuff, I've been afraid to touch.

This week I finally started back to work on my WiP. I managed a blog post and hope to get a bit more regular - with the blog, I mean *grin*. Smiley and Kansas, I'll try to stop by and comment on your blogs today.
 

mellymel

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Morning guys!

Kansas, I don't know any websites, but maybe you can find some good movies that take place in the 20's and watch those? You could ask over in the TV and Movie forum. Just a thought.

I have only 60 pages left of revisions! Very excited. I should be able to finish them in the next couple of days and then off this baby goes to my second round beta readers! Then...QUERY TIME! Woot! NOTTTTTTTTTTT. LOL. At least I already have my query done. That is a huge relief.
 

Stuck In Kansas

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Mel! Thanks for the input. I now have a good excuse to watch movies all day! And good luck on finishing your revisions!
 

Kitty27

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Hello,all!

JS,sorry about your baby! I hope everything turns out all right.

I have been busily contacting people to review my YA novel when it comes out. So far,I have eight sites and two magazines ready to do so. Plus,I have talked personally to 2 Twitter reviewers with big followings. They are considering my novel,so I have my fingers crossed.

I work on three or more projects at a time. I'm quite yappy with words.

Good luck to everyone querying and happy word count to all WIP's!
 

itsaplane

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Congrats Kitty!

On another note, I went over my planned word count for my novel but it's still not done. Makes me happy but I don't want it to get too long. I have also been a little iffy about it because it's sooo similar to other books that I hadn't heard a thing about until someone pointed it out. Sucky feeling, but, still gonna keep on treking.
 

wampuscat

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No way I can work on two books at the same time. How in the world can you guys do it?

The next book I want to write (starting next week) has flashbacks to the '20's. Anyone know of any website that can help give accurate dialect of the time? I've never really done research for a book before but this one demands it. Dang. Writing's hard! It's like being in school all over again. Shudder. Nightmare central.

I usually have multiple ideas or MSs cooking (though I don't always finish them all - a bad habit I'm trying to break), but I can't do two things at the same stage. So maybe I'm doing the first draft of one thing and editing another or something.

I don't know much about the 1920s, Kansas, but there's a list of books on GoodReads that take place then. Maybe skimming a few of those would help you get into it. http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/1920s
 

Stuck In Kansas

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Wampus! Thanks. But don't you dare ruin my movie marathon Mel suggested. My wife wonders why I'm couch-potatoing. "Research," I told her. Most fun I've ever had writing.
 

lisalulu09

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Hi, guys! I've been writing in sprints, so I'm sort of sporadically coming on here while I'm doing them every day from now on. BUT... I went past 53K today, and I'm not finished for the day! :D

Kansas, I shall be continuing with Stupid Cupid on Valentine's Day. :)
 

Smiley0501

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Kansas- I am a HUGE 1920s nerd. So let me tell you - what area are you looking to set this in? New York? Midwest? The dialect and terms weren't always used the same etc depending on the place. Good luck!! Let me know if you need any more help
 

wampuscat

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Wampus! Thanks. But don't you dare ruin my movie marathon Mel suggested. My wife wonders why I'm couch-potatoing. "Research," I told her. Most fun I've ever had writing.

Well, it is important to hear the dialogue, not just read it. ;)
 

JSSchley

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Wampus! Thanks. But don't you dare ruin my movie marathon Mel suggested. My wife wonders why I'm couch-potatoing. "Research," I told her. Most fun I've ever had writing.

Oooh a movie marathon is an awesome idea.

The other suggestion I'd do is to pick up some books from that era. I read a lot of E.M. Forster and Hemingway when I'm trying to write 1920s. And I'll see if I can dig anything up for you. Most "history of English" stuff I know kind of ignores the 20th century, but I'm sure there's plenty of which I'm totally unaware.
 

Stuck In Kansas

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Smiley! Midwest of course! I guess I'm carving out a whole genre of fiction taking place in Kansas. Seven books in (alas, only one published thus far). And why in the world would a young cuss like yourself be infatuated with the '20's? Ain't much going on there 'cept for dust-bowl turmoil, depression, and Bonnie and Clyde. But, yeah, any help would be appreciated.

LisaLu! Yay! Glad to hear you're back on Stupid Cupid. Too good a concept to thrust away!
 

mellymel

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Smiley must be holding on to some pieces of one of her past lives ;)

and hahahaha on the movie marathon move. when in doubt...GO TO THE MOVIES! :D what can i say, movies will always be my biggest passion.
 
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