Archive for July, 2011

July 29th, 2011

Friday Fives (16) – Line Up!

by Holly Dodson

I didn’t think to do these at home last night (woops) so I’m going from my Nook library and what I can find online. Hope I don’t screw any of them up.  Anyway, all of them have something in common — they make you immediately curious about the situation and are full of voice.

1) From THE GODDESS TEST – “I spent my eighteenth birthday driving from New York City to Eden, Michigan, so my mother could die in the town where she was born.” 

2) From DELIRIUM – “It has been sixty-four years since the president and the Consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scientists perfected a cure.”

3) From IF I STAY – “Everyone thinks it was because of the snow.”

4) From THE HUNGER GAMES – “When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.”

5) From HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (of course) – “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

What about you, what are your favorites?

Categorybooks, friday five, Paper Hangover | CommentNo Comments »

July 28th, 2011

Again With the Mommy Thing, Plus a Blog Award

by Holly Dodson

Sorry, but I’m bursting with Mommy pride this week.  Just look at this cuteness!!

We don’t start lessons for at least another week, and I don’t know how I’ll contain him until then.  lol  He’s so enthusiastic about the violin — and he’s so, so careful and thoughtful with it.  It’s quite the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.  (Although, my folder and notebook of revision stuff beside him isn’t so cute.  Heh.)

This was the first time I let him hold the violin and the bow together.  :)   If you’re wondering…that’s a 1/10 violin.  They actually come even smaller!  It’s crazyness.

Okay, I’m done being THAT mom now.  I promise not to bombard you with pictures again any time soon.  Or, well, until he starts lessons or something.  Hehe.

On the writing side of things — I was given an award by Brit over at Pages and Stardust!  Thank you, Brit!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eU5OomBiE0A/Tizus5BGB8I/AAAAAAAAADU/-wBQmrKMtcA/s1600/Liebster+Image.jpg 
I’m supposed to pass it on to five other bloggers with less than 200 followers, so here we go:  (It’s always so hard to pick just a few.  I feel like I’m cheating you guys out.)
Erinn
Alicia
Sarah
Meredith
and last, but most definitely not least Yahog Chi!

Categoryblog award, bloggers, life, Super Spawn | CommentNo Comments »

July 26th, 2011

My Brain Hurts

by Holly Dodson

My head is full to the point of bursting this morning.  You ever have those days?  So many thoughts swirl around up there at the same time, you’re surprised they don’t leak out your ears.

Yeah.  That’s me today.

Just a warning — this is nothing about writing this morning.  It’s purely mommy pride.

Along with the revisions I’ve been working on, I’ve also been trying to figure out what kind of music lessons Super Spawn should start for a while now.

My gut reaction was piano, but kiddo has other ideas.

We’ve been watching lots of videos (thank you YouTube) of kids playing instruments and getting lessons to give him an idea of what it’s like.  Well, something clicked.  We were watching a little girl play piano when Super Spawn points to the side of the screen and says, “WHAT is that?”

I click the video and explain to him that it’s a little boy playing a violin.  It was a five-year-old playing in a huge concert hall.  So Super Spawn announces, “I’m going to play that.  I want a violin.  That’s going to be me.”  Then he shoved a t-shirt under his chin and held his little hands out and pretended to play.

And he has asked me every other minute since if I’ve bought him a violin yet.  lol

I played piano when I was a kid, so I’m not too sure what to expect from a violin, but I’m going to let him try.  :)   I’m excited that he’s so enthusiastic.  Any words of wisdom for me out there?

Categorylife, random, Super Spawn | CommentNo Comments »

July 25th, 2011

Fun With Betas

by Holly Dodson

I have awesome writer friends — a bunch of them, in fact.  One conversation I had with Erinn this past weekend really highlighted all the attributes of my splendiferous group.  Read on, and prepare to giggle with us… (Or at us, you know, whatever.)

We were talking about an awesome MS we’ve both beta’d and this happened…

Me: I told her to get to work on book 2 lol
Erinn:  ME TOO!
Me: hahaha I wanna know what happens!
Are the {Characters} good or bad?!  I can’t decide!
Erinn:  I KNOW!!!
It’s awesome.
Me: It is.
Very awesome.
I kinda want to email her and make her tell me…because I’m impatient like that.
Erinn:  Do it, she’ll love it.
Me:  Actually, I kinda want to blog about this exchange… lol
Erinn:  Do that too.
Me:  A “This is how you know you’ve got awesome writer friends” post
Me:  1 – You get texts throughout the day ranging from freaked out to excited because of Agent’s tweets.
2 – You have awesome debates over IM about the awesome MS you both beta’d.
3 – Then you talk about what an awesome blog post it’ll make. lmao
Erinn:  NICE
Me:  4 – You realize how many times you just used the word awesome.
Erinn:  5- You’re sort of ashamed your vocab sucks so bad, because you know you’re supposed to be a writer.
6- You say fuck it because anyone who uses big words sucks anyway and the word awesome is awesome.
Me:  HAHAHAHAHA
Yep, totally blogging this.
Erinn:  Nice
Me:  Do you wish to be named in the post or no?
Erinn:  YES NAME ME
 
Why yes, yes we do.
 
There you have it.  A typical conversation with one of my AWESOME writer friends.  I <3 my writer buddies.  They’re all super awesome.

Having someone to share all of these moments with, all the ups and downs and nerves and triumphs and upsets is, well…  Awesome.

Categoryfriends, funny, life, Writing | CommentNo Comments »

July 22nd, 2011

Friday Fives — Winner, winner!

by Holly Dodson

Time to join the gang over at Paper Hangover for another Friday Fives!  This week’s topic:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Qdt8BtQxiQ/TilfkkN3DFI/AAAAAAAAAYo/z6MUb5S5fDk/s1600/ff15.png 

1) WriteOnCon is having a spectacular contest right now — you could win $1000 and consideration for representation by Catherine Drayton of Inkwell Management!

2) Writer’s Digest is having both a short story and poetry competition right now.

And that’s all I know about, so I look forward to seeing what everyone else has to offer!

Have you heard of any other contests?

Categorycontest, friday five, Paper Hangover, Writing | CommentNo Comments »

July 21st, 2011

Patience: It ain’t easy

by Holly Dodson

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very good at waiting patiently for things.  I’m the kind of person that when an idea lightening bolt strikes, the words must be written rightthissecond.

And revisions?  I pump through the work with more zest than a lemon.  (Ha, I crack myself up.)

If I start reading a book I expect to finish it within two days no matter what.  (Why do I do this to myself?  I don’t know.  I’m insane I guess.)  I’m the same way at my day job too — if I’m handed a project, it is completed with lightening speed.

I just don’t wait around for anything.  I mean, I do my share of procrastination, but I’m also not going to let it get in the way of my (either perceived or pre-set) goals.  I’m a doer.  If I’m not doing something, working on something, I’m pacing the floor or pulling out my hair.

I’m not good at patience.

Except when I’m forced to be.  And I have been forced to lately for a whole host of different reasons.  To be honest, it has been really good for me.

Just an example — those revisions I lost when my jump drive died, I had set them aside for about a week when I lost it all because something hadn’t felt right with them.  I had decided to force a little more patience into my life and let them sit and stew to decide what the problem was.  Then the work was lost, and I was almost…glad.  I let it simmer a little longer and BANG!  Answer.

If I had pushed through that feeling of doubt, which I normally would cast it off as just another writerly emotion, I’d still be trudging through a revision I hated deep down.  And why the heck would I do that?

So, all this to say:  Yay for patience.  I’m getting there — reminding myself every day (or every hour when necessary) that patience is the key.  It’s not easy, but it’s something we’ve all got to come to terms with in every aspect of our lives I do suppose.  I’m working on it.

What about you all?  Are you naturally patient, or do you struggle with it like I do?

Categorylife, Writing | CommentNo Comments »

July 20th, 2011

Road Trip Wednesday – It’s a love/hate thing

by Holly Dodson

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

This Week’s Topic:
 
Who are your favorite literary villains?

To me, the best literary villains are those who choose to be bad people (I’m using the term people lightly, not all villains are necessarily people, I know.).  Not the ones who are just bad for bad’s sake — the ones who are bad with intent.  They know the difference, and it would have been just as easy for them to stay on the straight and narrow, but they opted not to.  I think it makes them much more realistic, and much scarier.

For this reason, Voldemort tops my list of favorites.  He’s a prime example of a villain who didn’t have to be bad.  He was given a chance by Dumbledore when he went to Hogwarts — he had the option of being a great student and going on to be a great, and good, wizard but he chose not to.

Another example would be Cruella DeVille. (Does she count as a literary villain?  I know I read a book, but I can’t remember if it was a book first…)  I mean, killing puppies to make a coat out of their skin… That’s pretty awful, and is purely a selfish choice.  She used to freak me out as a kid.  lol 

What about you?  Who are some of your favorite villains?

CategoryRTW, villains, YAHighway | CommentNo Comments »

July 19th, 2011

About Killing Your Darlings

by Holly Dodson

I don’t guess the advice ever really sank in for me.  I mean, I never had a problem cutting text — even huge chunks if I knew it’d improve the story.

Now it’s different though.  I’m working on another revision and I’m having to cut some of my very favorite lines.  It hurts.  No, it more than hurts, it’s eating away at my soul.  (Or maybe I just enjoy being dramatic.  You know.  It’s more fun that way.)

I guess I’ve finally discovered the real meaning of the advice to kill your darlings.  My book *will* wind up stronger because of these cuts, and I have no delusions about that, but I still find myself trying to find places to slide the clever little turns of phrase in elsewhere when they just need to DIE.

DIE, DARLINGS, DIE!!!  *jabs them with red pen leaving blood stains on the page*

Ehm.  Getting carried away now.

My point is, I’ve learned that not everything I write can be considered my darling — because some of those words?  Well, I don’t like them a bit, and they’re fun to rip through.  Then there are the ones that sting as you drag a line through their perfect letters.  Those are the darlings.  I have to keep reminding myself it’s okay to kill them.  My story will be better for it.

How do you handle killing darlings?

Categoryediting, revisions, Writing | CommentNo Comments »

July 18th, 2011

So it Ends

by Holly Dodson

Well, the world has officially experienced its very last Harry Potter movie premier.  It’s exciting and heartbreaking all at the same time.  But we’ve already talked about what HP has meant to us, so we’ll skip that today.

I actually saw the movie twice this weekend.  Friday I went with my sister and family, then Saturday I took Super Spawn and he was SO stinking cute, I thought I’d share a couple of pics with you.

He’s my little Ron Weasley.  :)   And totally a Gryffindor personality.  He was so good in the movie, and he LOVED it.  I was worried all the fighting might scare him, but he was so into it!  In fact, he even cheered at the end. 

If you can’t tell, I love that he loves HP.  It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy.  <3

Tell me, did you see the movie this weekend?  What’d you think?  I was very pleased, I thought they did a phenomenal job.  It was good enough I cried through the 2nd half of the movie BOTH times I saw it.  lol

CategoryHarry Potter, Super Spawn | CommentNo Comments »

July 15th, 2011

Friday Fives — Hangouts

by Holly Dodson

It’s that time again over on Paper Hangover…

1) Blogs – Does that count as a writing community?  I think so.  I’ve met most of my writing friends and beta readers through my blog.  *waves*  <3 you guys!

2) YALitChat – I’ve been a part of YALitChat for a long time now, and I’ve always found great support over on those boards.  I also met my fab critique partner over there.  :D

3) Absolute Write – An invaluable depth of information on every aspect of writing can be found in these forums.

4) Query Tracker – Between the comments on the individual agent’s pages and the forum where everything from critiques to success stories are shared, you can learn a lot about agents, writing, and the publishing process.  I probably spend way to much time there actually.  lol

5) I don’t actually have a fifth.  Hmm…drawing a blank.  I know I’m forgetting something.

What are your favorite writing communities?

Categorybloggers, friday five, Paper Hangover, Writing | CommentNo Comments »

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