The Bouncy Castle in Space
- Thread starter Stew21
- Start date
Thought I'd pop in and say, Hi.
I've been down for a few days myself (food poisoning). Even without that I still haven't made much progress my current WIP; only 5k more to go, but it's taking forever!
I hope everyone gets to writing and feeling better (as well as their loved ones) soon!
I've been down for a few days myself (food poisoning). Even without that I still haven't made much progress my current WIP; only 5k more to go, but it's taking forever!
I hope everyone gets to writing and feeling better (as well as their loved ones) soon!
Just finished the edits and sent them off. *phew!*
Still wretched! Been dragging myself to work this week and really not enjoying it. Last night I went to bed at 7:30. I have a bunch of work to do and I can not drag myself to do it.
Ooh, I'm not that wretched! Hope you are better now!
Convo with my son this morning, just after I woke him up for the second time.
Him: - "My mattress is like a magnet, once you lie down, it's impossible to get off."
Me: "Whoa, dude, that was a great metaphor. Well done, sir!"
Him, after thinking for a second. "It was a simile. Ha! I out languaged arts you!" D'oh! (I loved the way he used "language arts" as a verb. (That was a verb, right? I'm going to be second-guessing my grammar all day now)).
Him: - "My mattress is like a magnet, once you lie down, it's impossible to get off."
Me: "Whoa, dude, that was a great metaphor. Well done, sir!"
Him, after thinking for a second. "It was a simile. Ha! I out languaged arts you!" D'oh! (I loved the way he used "language arts" as a verb. (That was a verb, right? I'm going to be second-guessing my grammar all day now)).
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I really like that, Sheila. I don't think my son would ever use the term 'language arts you'.
That is awesome.
My mom grew up in Arkansas as one of 9 kids. When her oldest sister was in college, she used to pay the little ones a nickel if they caught her in a grammar error. They watched her like a hawk, and got very competitive about grammar and proper word usage. My mom, aunts, and uncles would have totally understood the concept of out-language artsing someone.
Spent the morning coaxing a mortified wet-pants kindergartner out of a bathroom stall. I told her it happens to everybody. Raced over to our other campus just in time for a lockdown (police calls school and all staff and students must lock themselves in their rooms, cover the windows, and not let anyone in). The kids are used to it but we ended up with like 50 people crammed into one classroom, and the parents who got stuck there were acting badly
Then I had an incredibly morbid and depressing afternoon with my little student reenacting The Dramatic Sudden Death Of The Beloved Family Dog many times, and me trying to explain that a kid cannot go visit the corpse of her late pet at the vet hospital. The trailers for that movie Frankenweenie are Extremely Ill-Timed, and I fervently hope that her parents have the sense not to take her to see it.
Then I had an incredibly morbid and depressing afternoon with my little student reenacting The Dramatic Sudden Death Of The Beloved Family Dog many times, and me trying to explain that a kid cannot go visit the corpse of her late pet at the vet hospital. The trailers for that movie Frankenweenie are Extremely Ill-Timed, and I fervently hope that her parents have the sense not to take her to see it.
That does not sound like a fun day, kitty.
I got a phone call at 11-ish saying that they were pulling one of my TAs and sending her to another school because they didn't have enough staff, and who could I spare?
Uh... no one?
I got a phone call at 11-ish saying that they were pulling one of my TAs and sending her to another school because they didn't have enough staff, and who could I spare?
Uh... no one?
emotional rollercoaster...!
So, sent out MS to the 2 agents who asked to see my next masterpiece. Agent 1 asked for the full....and hasn't gotten back to me in forever. Agent 2 passed...not very gently.
Discouragement and woe.
Decided to start querying other agents. Yay, hope!
Overnight rejection. Depths of despair.
Today...in my inbox: "your query was rejected in error."
Huh? what's this...?
Turns out to be...a full request!
Meaning of the responses I've gotten so far, 2/3 have been requests for fulls.
I'm back on top, babies!!!!
So, sent out MS to the 2 agents who asked to see my next masterpiece. Agent 1 asked for the full....and hasn't gotten back to me in forever. Agent 2 passed...not very gently.
Discouragement and woe.
Decided to start querying other agents. Yay, hope!
Overnight rejection. Depths of despair.
Today...in my inbox: "your query was rejected in error."
Huh? what's this...?
Turns out to be...a full request!
Meaning of the responses I've gotten so far, 2/3 have been requests for fulls.
I'm back on top, babies!!!!
Spent the morning coaxing a mortified wet-pants kindergartner out of a bathroom stall. I told her it happens to everybody. Raced over to our other campus just in time for a lockdown (police calls school and all staff and students must lock themselves in their rooms, cover the windows, and not let anyone in). The kids are used to it but we ended up with like 50 people crammed into one classroom, and the parents who got stuck there were acting badly
Then I had an incredibly morbid and depressing afternoon with my little student reenacting The Dramatic Sudden Death Of The Beloved Family Dog many times, and me trying to explain that a kid cannot go visit the corpse of her late pet at the vet hospital. The trailers for that movie Frankenweenie are Extremely Ill-Timed, and I fervently hope that her parents have the sense not to take her to see it.
Man, your days are exciting! Pets at the "Vet hospital" - ha ha ha! That's hilarious (well, not for the vets). Poor kid is going to want to reanimate that dog, for sure!
That's terrible, Ruth. I hope you don't lose anyone else!
Judy, way to go! I can totally relate to the emotional rollercoaster, it's run over me many times. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!
Congrats and good luck, MsJudy! I've never heard of a rejection retraction. If you sign with this one, it will make a heck of a good "how I got my agent" story!
Everyone has such interesting stories.
Judy - that's really odd - especially after the one Mike posted a while back where he got the "we can pass" by mistake. I hope this isn't a new trend, because I don't think I could handle it.
But I hope it turns out to be a very good thing for you.
Judy - that's really odd - especially after the one Mike posted a while back where he got the "we can pass" by mistake. I hope this isn't a new trend, because I don't think I could handle it.
But I hope it turns out to be a very good thing for you.
That is great news (in the end) and big congrats.
You should read Pet Cemetry to them.
Hey, I hope everyone is doing great. Life has finally settled down so now I can really edit my novel and finish it up. Quick question though, as for whatever reason I can never remember a certain dialogue rule. Okay, so say I do a sentence like this:
“By order of the king,” he read.
Is that correct or is it supposed to end with a period and be like this?
“By order of the king.” He read.
I assume it is supposed to be the second one because it is an action right? Here's another example:
“William Herbert Spengler the Third.” The old man called.
Is that the correct way?
Thanks for any and all help.
“By order of the king,” he read.
Is that correct or is it supposed to end with a period and be like this?
“By order of the king.” He read.
I assume it is supposed to be the second one because it is an action right? Here's another example:
“William Herbert Spengler the Third.” The old man called.
Is that the correct way?
Thanks for any and all help.
In both of those, the action is the dialogue tag (the equivalent of "said"). If "He read" was a separate action from speaking, then you put the period. If "By order of the king" is what he's reading, then it's a dialogue tag. Dialogue tags are punctuated like this:
“William Herbert Spengler the Third,” the old man called.
"Is it William Herbert Spengler the Third?" the old man asked.
"It is William Herbert Spengler the Third!" the old man exclaimed.
“William Herbert Spengler the Third,” the old man called.
"Is it William Herbert Spengler the Third?" the old man asked.
"It is William Herbert Spengler the Third!" the old man exclaimed.
On the other hand, if what follows is a separate action, then you do use a period.
"William Herbert Spengler the Third." The old man made a check mark on the attendance sheet.
"That's me," Billy replied.
OR
"That's me." Billy waved his hand above his head.
My son is at his first middle school dance. I thought I could write while he's gone, but can't concentrate. His dad is going to sit out in the parking lot and wait for him - we just can't allow ourselves to give him the freedom quite yet (he's eleven, but still).
So I'm sitting here chewing off all my fingernails instead of writing.
So I'm sitting here chewing off all my fingernails instead of writing.
Aww! First dance. Is he a dancer or a wallflower? At my school, all the kids like to dance "Gangnam Style", which I think is a funny dance on the internets, but I refuse to search it.
I would like to report that our class survived its field trip walking a mile across Hollywood to visit a community garden. Barely.
He loves to dance with me at home, but I don't think he'll do it in front of other kids. He hates the attention for fear of being laughed at, even though at home he craves it.
Of course, the girls fight over him, so they may not give him a choice. He's always been hugely popular with several of the girls, but can't identify with the boys at all.
I remember my younger daughter's first dance. I was a chaperone for that one, and the Macarana (?) was popular. That was so fun to watch. I know nothing about the gangman dance. But I don't know if I should look it up or not now?
Of course, the girls fight over him, so they may not give him a choice. He's always been hugely popular with several of the girls, but can't identify with the boys at all.
I remember my younger daughter's first dance. I was a chaperone for that one, and the Macarana (?) was popular. That was so fun to watch. I know nothing about the gangman dance. But I don't know if I should look it up or not now?
Oh, yes, you need to look up Gangnam style.
Oh, here, let me do it for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
It's...delightful?
It's also the most-liked video in youtube history. 3.5 million people can't be wrong, can they? And you don't want to be left out.
Oh, here, let me do it for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
It's...delightful?
It's also the most-liked video in youtube history. 3.5 million people can't be wrong, can they? And you don't want to be left out.