Young Women Writers

Hello!

I’m sorry for not posting, but I didn’t have the time to do so in the past few days. I would like to thank everyone for their kind words; I really appreciate it.

As for other business. I will post the February Books Read List sometime on Monday. I am also up to 15,500 words in my story. So, I am very close to finishing and may, in fact, make the dead line. Wish me luck!

<3

Me

Hello friends,

I’m sorry for not updating sooner. My grandmother passed away this morning, technically yesterday at this point. So, I haven’t really had the chance to sit down and blog.

I didn’t want to leave you hanging as to how far I’ve gotten in my little self challenge. I was able to churn out and additional 2 1/2 chapters and a few thousand words. Though, it took me all day to actually want to write anything. I am now over 8,000 words.

Hopefully, I will have some down time tomorrow to get a few more chapters under my belt. I will, however, be leaving for Thur-Fri and it may get extended a few days. So, if you do not see posts, don’t fret. I will return as soon as I can. Hopefully with positive things to say and good news about the length of my story.

Much love.

ME

I am at about 17 pages–which is roughly 6,000 words. I’ve already gone through what I have and made some minor adjustments. This means I am close to the halfway mark of 10,000 words which I can hopefully reach tomorrow!

I may actually be able to pull a 20,000 word story out of my butt by March 1st. I’m not sure that it will be great or even up to the standard, but finishing it will be a great accomplishment for me!

I hope some of you have decided to take the challenge as well! Good luck and keep me posted on your efforts. I will be trying to post as many short little entries as possible to let you all know how I am doing on my writing project.

<3

Me

Friends!

I was browsing for publishing opportunities a few days ago and I came across one that looked very interesting to me. People always say to write what you love or what you know or what you enjoy reading… and since I have pretty much only been reading paranormal romance novels, I decided to give it a go.

I came across this call for submissions and read it with interest! The only problem is that I would basically have to come up with 80 pages of copy in a few days… and I’m going to go for it. No harm, no foul. I encourage any interested persons to attempt this great feat, it will be easier if we’re not all doing it alone!

Here are the details:

Call for Submissions: Samhain Publishing Shapeshifter Anthology

I’m too sexy for my shape!

Bad boys and wild girls. Cats, wolves, dragons and hamsters (just kidding about the hamsters…really). We’re looking for the best of your shifters, no holds barred. Show us your sexy, your untamed and all the growls, purrs and squeaking hamster wheels (still kidding about this part) you think we can handle.

Samhain Publishing is seeking submissions for their as-yet-untitled Summer 2009 shapeshifter anthology. Stories can be of any genre or heat level—make them fun, make them sexy, make them burn right off the pages but whatever you do, they must feature a shifter theme as integral to the story. M/m or same-sex submissions welcome and anticipated.

Submissions should be 20,000 to 30,000 words in length. This anthology is open to all authors previously published with Samhain and authors aspiring to publish with Samhain. Submissions must be new material, previously published material will not be considered.

Chosen manuscripts will be published as separate ebooks under their individual titles in Summer 2009 but will be combined in print titles for Spring 2010 print release.

To submit a manuscript for consideration, please include:

The full manuscript (of 20,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-5 page synopsis. Please include a letter of introduction/query letter. Full manuscripts are required for this as it’s a special project.

Important! When sending your manuscript/synopsis please name them: SS_Title_full/synopsis. For instance, if you’re writing a book called Hot Hamster Love (which we sincerely hope you’re not because that title is ours, darn it!), you’d name your manuscript SS_HotHamsterLove_full and your synopsis SS_HotHamsterLove_synopsis.

Following this naming convention insures that your manuscript/synopsis don’t get lost in the mess of files and submissions we save to our computers, and helps us keep them separate from normal submissions. And keeps them neat and tidy on the ebook reader! It’s harder when you have 50 files called “Synopsis” to know which to look at.

Submissions are open until March 1st, 2009 and final decision will be made by March 23rd,2009.

Send your submission to editor@samhainpublishing.com

Please put Sexy Shifters Anthology Submission in the subject line. Query letters can be addressed to Angela James.

Me

The music player has arrived. It is functional and from last.fm. So, click the play button and enjoy some of my favorite artists while you’re browsing my blog or working on your writing prompts!

<3

Me

Good Afternoon!

 And welcome to a happy Friday… for most people it means the start of the weekend and less work, huzzah! For me, it’s just another day as work has been VERY VERY slow as of late. It is a sad time. I subbed one day 2 weeks ago and ran 2 karaoke shows in the past 3 weeks. I really wish one of those fancy new jobs I’ve applied for would hire me, but that obviously isn’t happening, though that is besides the point.

It just means you get to spend more time reading my wonderful blogs. Happy times for you! I’ve also decided to finally sit down and pen that novel. Since I have the time, means and ability…why not? I will probably be posting a VERY rough draft of the first chapter for you to pick through! I will expect some comments or criticism.

 That being said, I hope you’ve noticed our new and exciting widgies. There is now a hit counter and shoutbox off to the left of the main posts. I had a request for the shoutbox and now it is here! So, if you have something to say that isn’t related to the newest post or writing prompt, feel free to leave some love in the shoutbox.

I also hope to add some music in the near future. Let me know what you think?

<3

Me

*WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD* 

Friends,

 I realize that this doesn’t REALLY have to do with the writing world, but I think the premise is the same. If you take an AMAZING book and decide to make a movie, the movie better at least stay true to the book. Which, in most cases, does not happen and most book turned movies are a huge disappointment–There are, of course a few exceptions.

So, in regards to the recent Friday The 13th movie, I would like to express my sever disappointment with the flick. While I was okay with them combining elements from the first 4 original films, I was not okay with what they did to the Jason character. They should have never attempted a re-make and instead just added to the series.

Movie producers and directors claim to have stayed true to the Jason character when what they did could not have been further from the truth. Yes, Jason started out with a burlap sack on his head and then got the hockey mask–bravo for getting that part right! Yes, he had weird mommy issues and a plethora of sharp weapons, but that is where the similarities ended.

Jason wasn’t a thinker, he didn’t plant traps or rig up interesting ways to kill his victims. Nor did he clean up after himself and the people of Crystal Lake were certainly NOT aware of his presence. Jason was a slasher…stab stab you’re dead, I”m moving on… and the movie should have stayed true to what he was, even if it was a cliche. The fact that he was a methodical and human character defeats the whole purpose of Jason. It also diminishes the fear that he invokes in others. It’s not scary when he’s just a human, it was the supernatural element that made him a threat.

Also, the whole system of underground tunnels that he had made for himself didn’t make any sense and what was he doing with all of those dead bodies he brought back… taking them apart, eating them? It was void of purpose to show him storing bodies in some underground back room!

He also would not have kept someone chained up and alive, even if they did look like his mother… I realize it was a part of the storyline, but that is not something Jason would have done. As we have seen in the past, even the girls that had tried to be his mother….got axed.

The only part of the movie that I liked was the very end where he jumped back out of the lake and grabbed the girl. That was very Jason. The rest of it was an extreme disappointment to me.

Also these guys did a review on the film and they were also disappointed!

Hello Readers,

 I don’t have much in me today. I spent the morning at the ER because I had cripling pain in my upper abdomen… which has been re-occuring for the past year, but was especially bad this AM. So, I figured it was about time to go to the doctor.

 THEY DID NOTHING FOR ME! Seriously, the doctor told me I had what I thought I had and that I was treating it as best I could! He also wrote me a scrip for Vicodin to help with the pain…. and that’s it!

So, now I’m still sick and there’s nothing to make it better and I have a stupid HUGE hospital bill now! Life is frowning upon me. So, if any readers would like to donate to my outrageous hospital bill, you can click the DONATE button to the right and send some money and love my way.

 I will try to post a prompt and / or video later on in the day when I am feeling better.

<3

Me

Dear Blog-lovers,

I feel like we’re back in the swing of things… as if you hadn’t guessed by the title of this post. That being said, I have lots and lots to tell you. The first matter of business on our agenda is an update on the “February Books-Read List.” I know I’ve already pointed out that the February list will pale in comparison to the January list–a whopping 11 books! Though, I’m more dissapointed with myself than I had anticipated. Thus far, we’re at a whopping 4 books! What a sad state of affairs. I do hope to devour a few more tasty novels before the end of the month so that I can provide you all with a nice selection of reading suggestions. Here’s to hoping!

I have been working on a few new poems (Not as if I am not ALWAYS working on a few new poems…) and one of them has me stumped. I can usually revise on my own to make the poem work better, but this one is throwing me for a loop. I need some advice on how to improve it. I would like to not have to discard one… so I am reaching out to my readers. Help me improve this struggling poem! It can count as your daily prompt… eh?

small trinkets from restaurants;

crystal ice cream dishes,

colored glass ashtrays,

decorative salt shakers,

anything shiny.

She would covertly

stuff them into

her oversized leather

handbag and waltz

out, without a care.

I find myself

unconsciously

stealing supplies

from the desks and

classrooms of the

teachers I

occasionally replace;

stickers that shout

praises of “Good Work!”

or “Terrific Job!”

copy paper, paper clips,

red pens, highlighters…

small things that will

never

be missed.

And, in thinking

back on it, I

smile

noticing that there is

more of her in

me than anyone wants

to acknowledge.

I wonder

if she would have

enjoyed watching “Psych”

or getting

tattoos to piss off

my mother, her daughter

and I cry

because I will never

have the chance

to

find out.

<3

Me

Note To All Readers: Make Sure To Check Out The Previous Entry and Attempt The Prompt. Thanks!

Greetings Earth-dwellers,

As I have already explained, I feel as if I have been neglecting my blogging duties. So, since I am awake in the middle of the night because my stomach hates me, I will post AGAIN. I’m playing catch up. I hope everyone enjoyed their “holiday” weekend or at least made the most of it. We’ll steer clear of the “love” topic today, but perhaps in the future I can PROMPT you all to share your love stories with me.

I do not plan on giving you another prompt so soon… mostly because I really want everyone to work hard on their vampire haiku poetry! Hey if we get enough, perhaps we can publish it as a collaborative effort…. everybody wins!

Although, I am not going to go an entire post without at least attempting to start a “scholarly” discussion. I want to talk about what drives you as writers. Let us all know if it is an inexplicable passion that drives you to create or perhaps a profound obligation to contribute something to the human race or maybe even to further a good cause? What is your motivation as a writer/artist? Post your responses as a comment at the end of this entry.

This video is VERY interesting. A concept that I have NEVER run across before. The author has chosen to create a “Villanelle” with only images. You, as the viewer, need to understand the sequencing of a vilanelle to see the structure unfold via imagery. How unique! Check it out.

It has been quite a while since I’ve shoved some Bukowski down your throats. So, if you’re interested…. here is Bukowski–On People.

This last video is just for laughs…. gotta toss in something humerous every now and again. So, sit back and enjoy!

<3

Me