The Bouncy Castle in Space

MJWare

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Just dropped by to say, 'Happy Easter' to everyone who celebrates it and Happy Sunday to everyone else!

If, I can get the sugar-loaded kids to take a nap, I think I just might finish the first draft of a chapter book I've been working on. Cross your fingers for me!
 

DavidBrett

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I'm wondering if anyone can help me look for this book? Someone on this site recommended a nonfiction book to help me with my wrong. Only I can't remember it's name all too well. I seem to recall it begins with "On" and might have the author's name in the title, or something...

Failing that, anyone have any recommendations for books to help strengthen my writing?

Thanks,

Dave
 

Smish

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They were most likely recommending On Writing, by Stephen King. I never finished this particular book because I was bored to tears within the first couple chapters.

My current favorites are Second Sight, by Cheryl Klein and Plot Versus Character, by Jeff Gerke.
 

MsJudy

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Yep, I thought King's book was interesting if you're into his writing process and life, but as a how-to-write book, it pretty much sucks.

Have you checked out all the books referenced in the Online Toolkit? Every time I find a good book or hear about a good website, I try to remember to add it to the list. There's a lot of good stuff there.
 

Kitty Pryde

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Ditto. I particularly like Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. And that Writer's Digest series of books on writing, especially Beginnings, Middles, and Ends, and Characters, Emotions, and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress.
 

SheilaJG

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Yep, I thought King's book was interesting if you're into his writing process and life, but as a how-to-write book, it pretty much sucks.

Thank you. I thought I was the only one who thought this - it always comes up as a favorite, and I can not figure out why.

Lots of news to catch up on. Congrats to Kitty and Joy and Judy. My fingers and toes are crossed for everyone. Smish - I hope you are feeling better, and that your cat rethinks his standoffishness.
 

Smish

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I'm feeling a lot better. I still can't talk for long without having a coughing fit, but I'm functioning now. It'd be nice if my lungs were taking in more oxygen, though. The chest tremors still freak me out a bit.

Of course, today was my first day out of the house since last Thursday (and Thursday, it was only to go the doctor, where I was tortured with needles), and what happened? A nice little fender-bender. Oh the joys of the real world. :rolleyes:

ETA: And Chloe's coming near me again, but only as far as my feet. She won't come near my head. :D
 

MJWare

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Mware, I'm a huge sports fan (Name the sport and I'm a Boston fan). Which baseball team you follow?
Giants, so we're separated enough we can still be friends ;-)

I'm feeling a lot better. I still can't talk for long without having a coughing fit, but I'm functioning now. It'd be nice if my lungs were taking in more oxygen, though. The chest tremors still freak me out a bit.
I was going to say, glad your feeling better, but chest tremors? I think you still need much more rest! Oh, and sorry to hear about the fender-bender, just one more thing to deal with!

Congrats Judy & Kitty!
Since good news is going around, I started querying a new manuscript this week and I have gotten two full requests from dream agents. I'm pretty over the moon myself (and batting around ideas for my next project).
Sorry I missed this. It wasn't jealously, I sear!
I'm crossing my fingers for you. I know someone who just got a two book MG deal, so maybe things are loosing up?

I think 2, 3, or 4, but I also kind of want to be a resource specialist (a special ed teacher who doesn't teach a special ed classroom). I was extremely unofficially offered a position as a resource specialist in a couple years when my school expands to K-8.
That's great! I was (maybe am) a special ed kid, so I know how much differences it can make!
 

sissybaby

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Hope everyone is having a brighter day.

Joy - congrats on the requests! That's always good news.

MsJudy - I admire and envy you for your productivity.

MWare - I'm a huge baseball fan, but I won't give up on my Royals someday figuring out the game. I'm a diehard fan even with all the ridicule I receive.

Smish - wow, you're having a rough stretch. Glad to hear you're better, but chest tremors sounds horrible! And I could not be so calm about a fender-bender. Unless it was my fault, then it wouldn't bother me so badly. Hope your cat gets over herself soon.

Things have been fairly quiet here. Was gone for the weekend with my son to a conference. I'm still pooped. Then yesterday morning we discovered the horse was missing. We're surrounded by winter wheat so figured she hadn't gone far, but we're also on a major highway, so that was terrifying!

But the fields were due for cropdusting, and the first pass of the plane had her running for the barn! Fortunately, she was on our side of the highway, so all I had to do was grab the grandbaby and race for the barn.

Of course, I had to stand her, in her socks, on the wet grass and tell her not to move while I tried to get the gate open. She was terrified from the plane passing over right overhead, and the horse wanted to smell her, so that made her scream louder, and we've had lots of rain so the wheel on the gate was stuck in the mud and I'm a very weak person so I couldn't get it open.

So I put out some grain so the horse would stay away from the child, and finally got the gate open enough to squeeze through. Then I grunted and groaned and managed to get it open enough for horse to squeeze through, and all was well.

The worst part of the ordeal was that I had told hubby a week ago that he needed to work on the fence because I feared the horse would get out at a low spot. He blew me off, as usual, and then got mad because I was right. Last night he spent several hours out in the dark repairing the fence.

But my horse is safe, the child minded and stayed where I put her and survived the ordeal, and she and the horse are now better friends. And the fence is in better shape.

I am hoping for a very boring day today.
 

SheilaJG

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Smish - chest tremors? I've never heard of those, but they sound terrible. I'm so sorry about the car accident. Wow, it doesn't rain, it pours, huh? Arg.

I'm glad all is well with the horsey, sissy, and that everyone's friends now (I'm assuming hubby forgave you for being right).

mware - go Giants!

Good news! My daughter got into Stanford. Bad news - she doesn't want to go there :gaah (too close to home). It's her decision, of course, but I want her to choose what I want.
 
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Kitty Pryde

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Sissy: horse dramas! Glad everyone is ok. Sounds like a character-building escapade.

Stanford! I graduated in'06. I can highly recommend it. Amazing opportunities and amazing financial aid. Even if it's close to home, she'll never want to leave the Farm :)
 

Smish

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Oh, gosh, sissy. I think I would have just sat on the ground and cried. :D

I'm still coughing lots but feeling so much better. Nearly human. :rolleyes:

(And I can't really explain the chest tremors thing. Basically, instead of coughing, my chest will sort of spasm. But that's improving, too.)
 

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The thing with King's book is it seems to be a love it or hate it book. I loved it, because I found it interesting learning about a little bit of one of the most famous writers of all time journey. What I like most though is he doesn't say this is a book to teach writing, and simply just a book on what worked for him.

What thing I found interesting was his door open and door closed theory.
 

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Maybe with King's book, it matters how much you like him? I'm not really into King. I respect that he can write and has made himself a great career out of it, but I haven't read him since I was a kid. If one of my (as an adult) favorite authors put out a book, I'd be all over that.

Smish: Hope the chest tremors get under control. Weird body responses are alarming.

Joy: *crosses fingers* hope you have continued good luck with the requestors.

Sissy: I'm terrified of horses. I don't know how I'd manage to get a frightened horse back into a pen with a frightened baby on my hip... I'd just hide in a hole. Glad it all worked out.

ShielaJG: Yay for your daughter. Man, college seems soooo long ago. I was thinking the other day that there's no way I was ever eighteen.

mware: did you get the draft done?

MsJudy: Congratulations on all your WIP progress.

Kitty: Congratulations on the teaching program. (Man, it's been too long since I've popped into the thread if I'm just now reading that!)


I don't have much bouncy news. I did (in my own head) make a tiny breakthrough with my WIP and was able to sneak in 1K words this week. I know that seems like almost nothing, but I was at a total standstill with it for months (if you remember me freaking out about an MG book featuring necromancy and pre-Civil War slavery issues, that's the one). The story actually feels more like a story now than just the vague concept it's been.

Don't know how much I'll get done this weekend, though.... I have not done my taxes (no lectures!), and Dad is coming into town for MRIs and oncology visits. It's my turn to take off work and drive him around to everything. So I'm on vacation for the next two days--but I have to spend it all in waiting rooms. (Maybe writing will be had there!) Cross your fingers for me that I can get some peace and quiet while he's being scanned.
 

Morrell

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Congrats to Sheila's daughter on the Stanford acceptance! My daughter has decided on Loyola in Chicago. It's a relief to have it settled!
 

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Yes, congrats on Stanford! My parents were thrilled when I decided against Stanford - so expensive! (Not that Northwestern was a bargain. ;)) And Ruth - Loyola will be a wonderful excuse for you to visit Chicago regularly. I miss Chicago.

College (for my kids) feels so far away, but I know it will be upon me before I know it.

My six year old has a "job" at our favorite coffee shop wherein she wipes tables when she feels like it, and they give her a few coins from the tip jar. Today she asked for a job at a new coffee shop, and when they said maybe when she's older, she said, "Um, I've been working at Cafe Aroma since I was five." :D

I'm happily brainstorming my next project and trying not to obsessively email check for more query responses.
 

Kitty Pryde

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One of the little perfectly behaved fourth grade kiddos did something strange today. When they take attendance, the students are allowed to say something funny instead of just saying "here". So they might make a Pikachu noise, or say "Going to the zoo!" or "Bob doesn't like it!" And they know they aren't allowed to say inappropriate stuff. Today during a rare moment that the principal was in the room, this very well-mannered child blurted out "My name is Mrs. Liquorbottom!" (say it aloud if you don't see how naughty that is). The teacher's eyes popped out of her head but she quickly replaced them :D Thank goodness she did not make eye contact with me because it would have been ALL OVER. Most of the kids didn't get it, so that was a good thing I suppose.

The other highlight of my day was thirty minutes spent digging through the school compost bin for ants to put in my student's ant farm. If I had any dignity left, I lost it in that compost bin. At least he was happy. But I am paranoid they are all gonna die or escape. I will keep you posted!!!
 

SheilaJG

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Don't know how much I'll get done this weekend, though.... I have not done my taxes (no lectures!), and Dad is coming into town for MRIs and oncology visits. It's my turn to take off work and drive him around to everything. So I'm on vacation for the next two days--but I have to spend it all in waiting rooms. (Maybe writing will be had there!) Cross your fingers for me that I can get some peace and quiet while he's being scanned.

Wow, heza, I hope your dad is okay. I mean, obviously he's not, but I hope everything goes well.

Kitty - oh, my, that is naughty! Where do they pick up that stuff? Never mind, one of my sons is an older brother. Constantly corrupting my baby, too. Good luck with the ants!

I took my boys to ice cream today, and as I opened the door I felt something on my foot. I looked down at the cutest little baby squirrel clinging to my pants and looking up at me like I was his mommy. This squirrel was not afraid of anything. And thank God he didn't try to climb my leg, or I would have shrieked and embarrassed myself. I managed to shake him off onto some soft dirt, and then someone came with a cat carrier. I was thinking - it really helps to be cute. That's a good survival mechanism.
 

heza

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Wow, heza, I hope your dad is okay. I mean, obviously he's not, but I hope everything goes well.

Thanks so much! I don't mean to worry anyone, though. We're actually on the back end of all this. He had all his cancer treatment last year and this is one of the quarterly scans he has to get every three months for the following two years. It's just routine checkup. He's actually doing really well compared to when he was in treatment.

Kitty: Thanks for the laugh. Reminds me to really think carefully about the funny names I use in my WIP.

I was thinking - it really helps to be cute. That's a good survival mechanism.

That's why all small things are adorable! I would have squeeed if I had a baby squirrel. The closest I've gotten is a baby opossum.
 

MJWare

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Heza, crossing fingers for your dad.


I woke up this morning to find my beloved Lab, Casey had passed away in her sleep. She was way too young, but was getting on in years, so perhaps the timing is for the best.

I already had a free promotion for the graphic Novel version of Super Zombie Juice scheduled, so at least I can distract myself while I work on promotion. Oh, if you'd like to grab a copy for your kindle here's the link.

:cry:
 

JoyMC

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So, so sorry, Mike. Hugs to you.

Sheila! Baby squirrel! Love it!

Not feeling so bouncy here - actually kind of crushed. I already heard back from one of the agents who requested my full a week ago. And while I don't mean to complain about great feedback, she said she loved the characters and the premise and said I "absolutely nailed the voice." But, le sigh, she wasn't "as engaged in the mystery" as she'd hoped to be. Everyone always says voice is the hardest thing, but nailing it doesn't seem to get me anywhere. (I got similar feedback on my last manuscript.)

But I sent out another query and got a same day full request, so that helps assuage the wound a smidge.

Kitty, did you know you can buy ant farm ants via the mail for like $5? Check out www.antsalive.com. You won't have such entertaining stories to tell, but you know, you might have your dignity.;) (But, as has been stated here many times before, you are an awesome teacher. Talk about going above and beyond.)
 

Britwriter

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Not feeling so bouncy here - actually kind of crushed. I already heard back from one of the agents who requested my full a week ago. And while I don't mean to complain about great feedback, she said she loved the characters and the premise and said I "absolutely nailed the voice." But, le sigh, she wasn't "as engaged in the mystery" as she'd hoped to be. Everyone always says voice is the hardest thing, but nailing it doesn't seem to get me anywhere. (I got similar feedback on my last manuscript.)

Bummer, I'm sorry.

I felt similarly on feedback on my full last month, where there was nothing but praise for my voice. But on reflection, I'd rather hear that voice is excellent, but fix something else, than the other way around. I always feel that voice is much harder to nail, or even to get help with.

Maybe it's just that agent. That's awesome that you're getting so many requests.

I'm going through a frustrating no-response spell on my MG query, although I did get a rejection today with some feedback that helped enormously. I'm going to tone down some of the humor, much as I personally think it works. I figure I can always add it back in later. But when I send just a partial, it seems too much for some agents.

I love getting that bit of feedback, even with a rejection, rather than wondering why, why, why?

It also makes me want to query that agent again in the future, when they take that bit of time to share their thoughts. :)