T is for Time and Thanks

I know I won’t quite finish the A to Z Challenge on time, but I had family to be with and mourning to get done. I will finish, and I hope to continue to blog more often. I’ve enjoyed this challenge.

To all you A to Z challengers, thank you for visiting my blog. I have read some spectacular blogs and met some incredible bloggers.

Thank you to everyone for your kinds words and support this week.

S is for Seven Weird Facts About Me

I thought it would fun to give you some interesting facts about me. It’s the stuff that doesn’t usually come up in conversation.

1.    I value honesty. I try, even when I really don’t want to - to tell the truth.

Sometimes, this can’t be accomplished tactfully. Often not. So if you don’t want to know if I think you drink to much, have bad judgment in men, or drive badly, don’t ask. I will tell you the truth.

2.    I’m not afraid to die.

I’m afraid I’ll die before I get a chance to do everything I want to do.

3.    I love living in New Hampshire.

Truly, I do. I have lived in many different places and my current residence is by far, my favorite.

4.    When I was kid, I hated my name.

I wanted to change it to Aimee (spelling it this way, mattered). For six months I wouldn’t answer to anyone if they called me Joyce. This was problem at school. I was always being reprimanded by a teacher.

5.    I was adopted.

On October 12, 1991, my birthmother found me.

On June 22, 1992, she married my birthfather. I’m the oldest of 8.

•   3 1/2 brothers

•   2 1/2 sisters

•   1 Sister

•   1 Brother

6.    The Geraldo Rivera show called to ask me if I would be on their very first reunion show. A friend of my birthmother had called them and told them about our reunion.

I said no. They didn't like it.

7.    I have been the human in the life of 10 dogs.

Their names were:

•   Duke

•   Honcho

•   Wolfgang (my son's middle name is after this dog)

•   Paisley

•   Brownie (he came to live with us after my Grandfather died)

•   Cardea

•   Katie (my duaghter's middle name is after this dog, but spelled Cait)

•   Daisy

•   Lucy

•   Thor, my current dog. He is a 3 year-old black pug. I love this dog!

Revision Tools For Revising Your Manuscript

Just the thought of revision can make you quake in your chair. Where to begin? What to think about? Revision can be overwhelming. Here are 10 points about revision to help get you in the mood for revising.

1.  What is the story that I am telling?

2.  How will my character change?

• Does my character get to where s/he needs to be?
  No – How do I make her change?
  ~  Introduce a crisis situation that makes my character  change.
  Yes – Do the things that happen along the way help get my character where s/he needs to be?

3.  What does it mean to move forward?

• Reveal something about the character.
• Propel the plot.
• Build a relationship that is important later in the book.

4.  Summarize the things that don’t move the story forward.

• An example of this is Charlie Brown, Linus, and Lucy speaking, but the adults always sound like,
  “Blah, blah, blah.”
• One sentence summary of the scene.

5.  Is my main plot a character development arc?

• Subplots
  ~  Do they fit in?
  ~  When do they resolve?
  ~  How do they resolve?

6.  Characters

• What are my character's quirks and personality traits?
• Do my secondary/minor characters grow with each appearance they make in the book?

• Do my characters have unique voices?
• Do they reveal everything about their characters?
  
  An example of this is sub vs grinder (sandwich)
  Their socio-economic placement

• Does the dialogue let their relationships evolve?
• How authentic do they sound?

8.  Setting and Description

• Picture it then brushstroke the description. Let the reader envision it, unless it must be specific.
• For it to be specific, it must be important later in the book. If not, take it out.

9.  Wordsmith

• Search for commonly used, but unnecessary words.
  ~  Examples are just, so, next, that, but.

10. Show, don’t tell.

What works for you?


formerly my 11/17/10 post ~  Revision Toolbox