Blogging from A to Z

Yes I am aware of the Second Campaigner Challenge now up on Rachel's blog, but I haven't finished it yet. Scratch that, I haven't even started it yet. Relax, I'll get to it before Friday. I am very practiced at procrastination.

However, I wanted to pop on here and dust off an announcement I've

been meaning to, well, announce. I'll be participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge in April. You can go here to sign up or find out more information. For those who don't know, the challenge is to post one post a day and each post is related to a letter in the alphabet. You start on A and end on Z. I'm still in the process of figuring out what to post each day, but it'll probably be a combination of freewriting and the usual posts. Post a link in the comments below if you're participating too! And I promise, cross my heart and hope to die, that I'll visit and comment on your blogs during the challenge and perhaps before. :)

Until next time!

Flash Fiction time!

And, 8 minutes before the deadline, here is my flash fiction piece for the first Campaign challenge! For a refresher, the challenge is:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count. If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do one or more of these:

• end the story with the words: "everything faded." (also included in the word count)
• include the word "orange" in the story
• write in the same genre you normally write
• make your story 200 words exactly!

I started the story with "Shadows crept across the wall", included the word orange, my story's 200 words exactly and I sorta wrote in my usual genre. The only thing I didn't manage to fit in was ending the story with "everything faded". But I like my ending better.

I'm not sure that my entry went through on the linky list but I did list it in the comments. So, if it shows up (around entry #200 or so) please vote for me by liking it!
Edit: It's shown up as entry #209! Go here to vote!

Father’s Time

Shadows crept across the wall and then back again.

“Not again. Dad!” Tyler threw the bedcovers off and pounded down the paneled hall. “Dad! The shadows are going backwards again.” He slid to a halt on his sock-covered feet in front of a large, closed door. A chink of blue-white light outlined his toes as he pounded on the wood.

“Dad, open up!”

Silence.

“Bet he’s asleep. Again.”

Tyler turned the door knob and pushed the heavy door open. For a moment the lit screen of a machine was all he could see. Then the shape slumped over the controls came into focus. Tyler approached the old man and swept back his long, white hair to reveal closed eyelids. He sighed. He pulled the man up and carried him to a bed hidden from the machine’s light. Gently, Tyler pulled a blanket over the man. He returned to the machine and studied the blue-white screen, then adjusted some of the settings. Finished, he stepped quietly out of the room and closed the door.

“I wonder if Dad’ll ever retire.”

Tyler slid back under the covers and glanced at the wall. Shadows crept across the wall, black and orange slivers intermingled.

Birth of a Novel Final Post (What number is it?)

I've got news! What kind? The best! I've.....finished the first draft of Novella #2 (working title Alzoe) in my Across Time series! Actually, I finished it way back on Sunday but I didn't quite get around to posting it because I had a busy week.

First, I finally wrote another entry for The Story Within contest (which I just found out didn't win. Oh well.).

Second, I applied for a job, and then did 3 interviews for it (two yesterday and one this morning). I hope I get it because I really need a steady paying job right now.

Third, I wrote and am finishing up the flash fiction piece for Campaign challenge #1. Look forward to that later todayand go read some of the almost 200 entries if you haven't yet.

Back to writing for me!

Until next time.

20, I mean, 11 Questions Campaign Style

(Photo Credit)

So, as I said last post, I got tagged to answer 11 questions about myself. Thanks to Daniel for tagging me! But, aiya!, he picked some hard questions.

1. If you had one week left to live, what would you do?

Travel the world. Seriously, I'm cash strapped at the moment so it's only a dream, but if I only had a week to live, then who cares how much it costs! I'm going to places I've always dreamed of going.

2. What quote inspires you?

Well I don't think I really have a single quote that is the source of all my inspiration. But Arthur C. Clark's "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" is the inspiration for one of my current projects.

3. What movie scene inspires you? Why?

I don't really know about a scene in particular. What I mostly focus on in movies is the mood or music or (like in Hero) the metaphorical use of color (which was amazing). Action is all fine and good, but I do like movies with an artistic touch.

4. What comedy do you end up watching again and again as the years go by?

My most watched comedy is the anime "Itazura na Kiss", but "Ouran High School Host Club" and the Korean drama "Coffee Prince" are catching up.

5. Do you think love can last forever?

Yup, it can, if it's the right kind.

6. What fictional character would you trade lives with if you could?

This is too broad. It really depends on which Author's world I'm day dreaming in at present. Anne McCaffrey's Pern would be an interesting place to live (as a dragon rider of course!). But I don't think there's any character in particular.

7. What historical character would you marry if you had to choose someone?

A historical character I'd want to marry, eh? Does it bear any relevance that I've never considered marrying any of them?

8. Which do you prefer, coffee, hot cocoa, soda, vegetable juice, water?

For cold drinks, water (with ice!) first, then soda (also with ice).

For a hot drink, hot cocoa with extra cocoa powder, milk and marshmallows.

9. How long would it take you to drive to the beach from where you live?

Hmm....around four or five hours I think. The coast is rather jagged so the length time would depend on which beach is the destination.

10. What are you currently reading?

10 weekly and 43 monthly mangas (yes, I have an excel sheet to keep track of them all or else I'd forget) and then "Fuzzy Nation" by John Scalzi is currently languishing in my to-read pile from the library.

11. If you choose an answer to this question at random, what is the chance you will be correct?

a. 25%

b. 50%

c. 60%

d. 25%

Choice b for certain. Because there are always two obvious wrong answers.

And now for my questions! Pardon me while I attempt to wipe the evil grin off my face.

1. What country is the home of the majority of authors you read?

2. An otaku is someone who's obsessed with something (not necessarily anime/manga). What kind of otaku are you?

3. Ebooks vs. Paper: which do you like better?

4. Do you have a sweet tooth or are you a salty dog?

5. Would you ever dress up as a favorite character? If so, which one?

6. What upcoming movie are you most looking forward to?

7. "Cats rule, dogs drool." Do you agree or disagree?

8. What fictional world do you spend the most time in?

9. You are given a $1000 gift card to the store of your choice. Which store would you pick and what would you buy?

10. Who or what encouraged you to pursue your current career?

11. If you could build your own house, what room has to be included and have the most money/care spent on it?

And the people I'm tagging are:

Alberta

LadyJai

Michelle Pickett

Sylvia van Bruggen

Andrew

Kerri Cuevas

Fairview

Allison Miller

Alynza Smith

Sue Ann Bowling

Claire L. Fishback

I look forward to your answers!

Until next time.

Help! My Browser's Flooding!

(photo credit)

With links! And more links! And it's to the point where Firefox just doesn't want to load.I guess it just doesn't like having 40 or 50+ tabs open at one time.

Looks like a very interesting post will be appearing soon. I just got tagged in a game of 11 questions as part of the Platform Building Campaign. So, the main question is, will I post my answers today or Saturday? Hmm....I'm not sure yet.

And onto the links. (The fun links are at the bottom!)

Writing

How do we, as writers, make our writing realistic? This writer succeeded through research.

Perfect characters are boring. But small flaws are almost just as bad. Rosslyn Elliott explains why major flaws are necessary.

What is the difference between Literary and Commercial Fiction?

8 Reasons an agent will hate your novel.

Editing

What happens after you snag an editor?

Agents

Ask an Agent Part 3.

Ebooks

With so many 99 cent ebooks out there, the perennial question for a self-published ebook author is what to price the book at. David Coe started a discussion on this matter with some surprising results.

Does KDP Select work? I've posted a link before, but here's a new perspective from an author who opted to put up 3 of his books in the program.

Publishing

Digital Rights Managment is kicking up a stir as publishers tighten their control over ebook content. Is DRM really the solution to illegal content sharing?

B&N vs. Amazon. Who will win the chess match?

Self-Publishing

3 Disadvantages of Self-Publishing and ways to overcome them.

What are the costs of Self-Publishing?

Creating a Print layout for Lightning Source in Indesign (a 3 part tutorial).

Marketing

Do blog tours sell books?

Is too much publicity a bad thing?

Blogging

Links drive traffic, so how do you do use them to the best advantage?

And the fun parts!

What city do you think is the most romantic? Answer at Meradeth's blog giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon giftcard.

Go here to download Ninc's "A Comprehensive Guide to the New World of Publishing".

NaNoWriMo's 2nd annual Pitchapalooza is running until the end of February. Submit your pitch here for a chance at winning!

Until next time!

Platform-Building Campaigner

I thought this deserved its own special post. I just signed up for the Platform-Building Campaign (it's a blog chain type deal) that Rachel Harrie hosts. If you want to join in, just click on the picture below to sign up! You've got until the 15th to do so. (I'm in Group 3: YA (All genres), Group 6: Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic, and Group 8: Science Fiction, btw).



Until next time!