Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Boffiati

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY? (and Thursday)

I saw this word and knew I had to use it right away.  Boffiati- How do I put this? This is what a British/Italian couple call "fooling around".

Hey Cara mia, let's leave this boring opera and head home for a little boffiati.

Hope this gave you a New Years Eve laugh.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Zoosday Tuesday

***The opinions expressed on this blog are mine alone and are not endorsed by the Kansas City Zoo***

The White Cheeked Gibbon

What's the deal? I see one animal with white cheeks, but what's up with the blond? These are both white cheeked gibbons, the black one is the male and the blond is the female. These amazing animals change colors throughout their life. They all start out blond, regardless of sex, this helps them camouflage with the mother. Then at about two years old they all change to black. When they reach sexual maturity at about 6-8 years the females will go back to blond.

Gibbons are the only primates that are monogamous and mate for life. They form duets, that each have their own individual song.  At the Kansas City Zoo we have a young couple. The female is not quite sexually mature, she still has her black coloring, but in the next few years she will be ready to mate.

Gibbons are apes (but unlike orangutans, gorillas, chimps, and bonobos, they are called lesser apes.) This is only due to their size! Like great apes, they don't have tails, and they are highly intelligent.

Like orangutans, gibbons are arboreal, meaning that they spend all of their time high in the trees. They brachiate through the trees (meaning they swing by their arms from tree to tree.) Their arms are extremely long, their hands are hook shaped, and they have a ball-and-socket in their wrists. All of these features help them swing through the trees at up to 35mph.

There are 15 species of gibbon. They range all over South East Asia. The white cheeked gibbons are mainly found in Viet Nam and Cambodia.

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

There Are an Unlimited Number of Myths That Melissa Can Blog About

Sadly, I've run out of myths. I could probably think of more, and you probably know of many that I haven't even touched on, but since this is the last Monday of 2010, I thought it would be a good time to say bye bye to Melissa's Myths for Mondays.

Starting in the New Year, I'm going to be revising my Nano WIP and so I'll be blogging about revisions on Monday. I know there are a lot of great posts about revision, but this subject is too important not to hammer over and over.

Last year about this time, I was new to blogging and found Mary Kole's blog on revision. http://kidlit.com/category/revision/page/2/. I changed the way I view the whole process. I hope to be able to offer some tips for newer writers, and get all of your fabulous input as well.

So any last Myths for 2010?

EVERYONE HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Dyfilip

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Dyfilip : A gymnastics move created by legendary Ukrainian gymnast, Dystansia Bolkonskya.

Claire Dugan is going to perform her first Dyfilip on the balance beam at the 2012 Olympics.

What Would Your Character Do/Say Wednesday

As the year comes to a close, so will this feature. This will be the last What would your character do/say Wednesday? In the New Year, Wednesday will have a brand new feature, but it's a surprise.

So for my last What Would Your Character Do/Say, lets talk about the Holidays.

1) Does your character celebrate any kind of holiday?

2) If so, what are their holiday traditions?

3) What about your holiday traditions? Tell us all about them.

My character William, lived in a suburb of Kansas City until the world fell apart when he was ten. His favorite holiday memory was going to see the Plaza Lights when he was six. (This happens to be one of my favorite holiday memories too.) The family drove to the Country Club Plaza and looked at the brightly colored lights, and the shop windows. Then they visited Santa Clause.

Zoosday Tuesday

***The opinions shared on this blog are mine alone and are not endorsed by the Kansas City Zoo

The Sumatran Elephant



I could go on and on about elephants. They are some of the worlds most fascinating and intelligent creatures. We don't have any Sumatran Elephants at the KC Zoo, we only have African Elephants.

Sumatran Elephants are the smallest of the Asiatic Elephant subspecies. They weigh from 6,000 - 10,000lbs. In contrast, African Elephants weigh 9,000-15,000lbs.

I hate to be a downer on these posts, but unfortunately these guys are highly endangered too, only around 2000 left in the wild. Just like the Orangutans and Tigers, they are threatened by deforestation. But elephants are eliminated mainly because they're considered so destructive by humans. WWF has a great article about using domesticated elephants to drive wild elephants away from populated areas, keeping everyone happy. http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/sumatranelephant/sumatranelephant.html.

Female elephants are very social. They live in family groups lead by a matriarch who keeps the herd moving from place to place to find food. Elephants are strictly herbivores, eating leaves, fruit, bamboo, ginger. But they eat about 200lbs per day. That's a lot of bananas. The matriarch knows where the fruit is going to be ripe, based on season, sunlight, elevation, etc. and leads the family to the best food.

Elephant's have the most amazing trunks. They are so articulate that they can pick up a single blade of grass but so strong they can lift a heavy log. At the Kansas City Zoo, our elephants have learned to paint. This is a form of enrichment that stimulates their minds and allows them to exercise their trunks.

If you have any questions about elephants, just ask.

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

Once You Have an Agent Your Home Free

I used to think that if I could only get an agent, I'd be home free. They'd sell my book, it would be published, everyone would live happily ever after.  Imagine my chagrin, when I found out that even people with agents still have to worry.

What if the book doesn't sell?
What if the book sells to a publisher, but then doesn't sell at the stores?
What if a publisher buys your book, but never publishes it?
What if you agent decides to leave the business, and you have to start all over?
What if ...

So, just like with most careers, job security is very hard to come by for writers. Oh well, another hope dashed. It wasn't the first and it won't be the last.

What about you, do you have an agent? What are some of the great things your agent does? We all know the horror stories, let's hear the good stuff.

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Terworg

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Terworg:: A South American amphibian that lives in abandoned birds nests in the tops of trees.

The only way to study terworgs is by using a balloon raft that rests on the top of the rainforest canopy.

What Would Your Character Do or Say Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting. .

Questions Based on Operation Redwoods:
Waking up alone in an abandoned office, Julian Carter-Li intercepts an angry e-mail message meant for his high-powered uncle:


SIBLEY CARTER IS A MORON AND A WORLD-CLASS JERK!!!
With that, OPERATION REDWOOD is set in motion as Julian discovers his Uncle Sibley's plan to log an ancient redwood grove in Northern California. Will there be "consequences" when Sibley discovers Julian's been tampering with his e-mail? Can Julian find out more about Robin, the intriguing girl who sent the message? Can he escape math camp for the summer and help save Big Tree Grove? Is Operation Redwood doomed to failure . . . or is there hope?

1) Does your character have a cause that he/she is passionate about?

2) What would your character be willing to risk for a cause that they believe in?

3) Does your character have a best friend?

4) How would your character handle the relationship with his/her best friend when a new friend enters into the picture, (especially if that new friend is the opposite sex.)

Zoosday Tuesday

***Any views expressed on this blog are mine alone and are not endorsed by the Kansas City Zoo.

The Sumatran Tiger



I'm going to continue with animals that are specifically from Indonesia, for the next couple of posts. The big islands like Sumatra, Borneo, and Java, and even many of the smaller Indonesian islands have these wonderfully unique eco-systems, where unique species have adapted in isolation.

The Sumatran Tiger is one of those animals. They are the smallest of all the remaining tiger breeds, weighing only about 280lbs for males and 220 for females. They live in the dense forest of Sumatra. They have heavier stripes than other tigers species, which provides good camouflage.

It is estimated that there are less than 400 tigers left in Sumatra. When they are gone they will be like their neighbors the Javanese and Balinese tigers, extinct.  They face the same threats as the orangutans, deforestation. But while orangutans are killed so that infants can be sold to the pet trade, tigers are killed for their pelts and other body parts which are used in traditional medicine.

The WWF has a great web site and really good information about Sumatran Tigers. http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/sumatrantiger/sumatrantiger.html. The good news on this site is that they "captured" pictures of a mother and two cubs on a camera trap in Sumatra! Yeah, maybe that means 402 tigers.

At the KC Zoo we have two Sumatran tigers, who are brothers Manis and Lanka. They are part of the Species Survival Program, but so far neither brother has been sent out for breeding. We don't have the facility to breed tigers at our zoo. The brothers get along pretty well, and like all cats are content to sleep the day away. They enjoy their enrichment activities like getting pinatas filled with meatballs, pumpkins on Halloween, bones, and cow hooves to chew on. They are truly beautiful boys.

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

Any Agent You Can Get Is A Good Agent

I used to think that if I could just get anyone to agree to represent me, that I wouldn't even hesitate before saying yes. But I've come to realize that agents come in different "sizes" just like writers.

The main things I'm looking for in an agent are:
#1 Someone who LOVES my book. Someone who's as passionate about my book as I am.
#2 Someone who is going to be in this with me for the long haul.

#1 is one of the reasons that I care less now if I get feedback on my rejections. If you don't love my book, fine, I get that. But I'm not going to change my book based on the feedback of someone who's not hoping to represent it.

#2 is why I've been more discerning about whom I send my work to. It seems like there are some agents out there who are just doing this as a part time gig while their own writing careers take off. That's fine, I don't have a problem with it, but it's just not for me. For one thing, I think the agents skill sets and the writers skill sets are so different, it makes me wonder how anyone can do both well. I'm sure some people can, but that's not what I'm looking for.

So what do you think? What things do you look for in an agent? Are there any characteristics that would make you turn down an agent, even if they were the only one to make you an offer?

Zoosday Tuesday

Kalijon's Special Story



***The opinions shared on this blog are mine alone, and are not endorsed by the Kanas City Zoo.

As promised last week I am going to share the story of Kalijon, a very special orangutan who was born at the Kansas City Zoo on April 24, 2009.

When Kali was born, the staff at the zoo was prepared for the possibility that she would have to be hand reared. Her mother TK had refused to nurture her infants in the past, and while we all hoped that things would be different with Kali, we had to be prepared to take over.

TK was  not interested in being a mother to Kali, and since she had not nursed after 30 hours, she was taken from TK and given to keepers and docents to hand raise. (TK was not in the least upset by this. She got to go back with Kali's father Berani, who she's crazy about.)

Now it was up to the zoo staff and volunteers to hand raise baby Kalijon with the goal of getting her back with her own kind as soon as possible. We had an experienced mother orangutan, Jill, just waiting in the wings to take over when she was old enough. So instead of treating her like a human baby (which is easy to do becasue the size and anotomy are so similar), the "orangutan mamas" acted like orangutans.

They wore a special vest that opened in the back and was made out of synthetic fur a very shaggy, curly variety that baby Kali could grasp on to. They would support her to some extent, but it was important for her to develop her arm and leg muscles by grasping and pulling on the vest with both her hands and feet.

Kali didn't wear a diaper so the mamas just had to try to get out of the way when she eliminated, and I'm sure it was quite messy, but I wouldn't have minded. (I couldn't participate because of the dreaded day job.)

She was fed a bottle just like a human baby, and even drank human infant formula, (infamil).

During the five month hand rearing period the mamas and Kali stayed in an empty orangutan stall inside the orangutan building right next to the stall that Jill, the experience mother orangutan was in. She had to be held and cared for 24/7 so the mama would bring in bedding and make a "nest" at night and sleep with Kali.

There were about 15 mamas (both men and women, some staff and some docents) who took turns with Kali. By changing mamas so often, she never over-bonded with any one human, the one constant was Jill the orangutan mother in the next stall. Jill was always willing to share her opinion on the mamas orangutan raising abilities, whenever Kali cried she would gesture that the baby should be handed over to her, now.

The only thing standing between Jill and Kali was the fact that Jill wasn't lactating, and the keepers needed to continue to feed the baby to make sure they could acurately monitor how much she was eating. Jill's a great mom, but no one doubted that she would drink some of Kali's milk if she was given the bottle. So they had to come up with another solution.

Kali learned to take her bottle through the 2" x 2" mesh opening that separates the keepers from the animals, but what's really impressive is that Jill learned to present the baby for bottle feeding. The trainers used a stuffed orangutan to teach Jill that when they gave a command she was supposed to bring the baby to the mesh, hold her up and the keeper would give the bottle through the mesh.

On September 24th when Kali was just 5 months old, she was given to Jill to raise. This is the youngest any orangutan infant has ever been paired with an orangutan surrogate. Jill has been taking great care of Kali ever since. They kept up the bottle feeding through the mesh until Kali was one and had enough teeth to eat solid food.

Today, Kali lives in a group with Jill and her older daughter Josie. Josie is 8 1/2 now and in a couple of years will be ready to have a baby of her own. She has learned a lot about how to raise a baby from watching her mother and Kali. She also "babysits" and the two girls play more and more the older Kali gets. The other member of their group is Rufus a 23 year old, 303lb male orangutan. Rufus was part of Jill and Josie's group before Kali was born, and all four are now very happy together.

Orangutan's don't normally form social groups like this mainly because resources are too scarce in their native environment to allow them to live and travel in social groups. But in the zoo where resources are pleantiful their social nature comes out. As for TK and Birani who are Kali's natural parents, they are still crazy about each other. The two "groups" are kept in separate parts of the orangutan exhibit.

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

You Should Write What You Know


I think this depends on how you define the word know. Do you have to be an expert on a subject to write about it? I hope not, because I enjoy writing about many things which are completely unfamiliar to me, zombie rabbits for instance. But I do know animals. I volunteer as a docent at the zoo and have come to appreciate animals in a whole knew way.

On the other hand, when people know too much about their subject it can stifle the action and the tension of a scene. I’ve read several manuscripts (none of them published) where the writer spent so much time trying to teach and inform us about his favorite topic, that the story was drowned.

Lynda Young did a great post about this on her site a couple months ago. http://lyndaryoung.blogspot.com/2010/10/write-what-you-dont-know-part-1.html

Do you only write what you know, or do you like to explore the unfamiliar?

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Gummosis

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Japanese gummy bears.


Those gummosis are going to stick to your braces, Ned.

My NaNo Journey

Oh boy. I'm so glad it's December.

This was my first year to participate in NaNo and overall, it was a pretty good experience. I developed a habit of writing everyday, which I hope will stick with me.

But did I write 50,000 words, the answer is not quite. It's the wierdest thing, I was going strong had about 3500 words to finish on Monday, and a big chunk of time to get it almost done, and I ran out of steam. Right at the end of the race. This is really strange for me, because usually when I set a goal I comlete it.

I really don't know what happened, maybe it was getting to the end of my story (I hate endings), maybe it was my total mental exhaustion (from a combo of things NaNo being only one), maybe it was having to host book club the following night.  I don't know, but I wound up at around 46,578 words.

Oh well, I also have a MS around 79,000 words that needs a lot of revision. So I'm counting it as a success even if I stalled at the last lap.

What about you guys. Did you complete your NaNo goal for this year? How was it for you?

What Would Your Character Do/Say Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.


A small New England town is suddenly, inexplicably cut off from the rest of the world, trapping a large cast of characters inside (or outside) a huge, clear dome. As the emergency escalates, various heroes (and villains) emerge to play a part in the drama. What is the dome? Why is it there? Will the town survive? This is the premise of Stephen King's big, long, thoroughly fascinating new novel.


Under The Dome


1) If your character were cut off from civilization, would they take a leadership role, or let others make the decisions?

2) Does your character have anything to repent for?

3) How would your character respond to being cut of or trapped somewhere with no way out?

4) If your character was the target of a bully, would they use brawn or brains to protect themselves?

5) Would your character ever contemplate suicide in a desperate situation?

Zoosday Tuesday

THE ORANGUTAN

I decided to add a new weekly feature to my blog called Zoosday Tuesday. This feature has absolutely nothing to do with writing. But since my love of animals was first inspired by my volunteer work at the zoo and in turn inspired my writing, I decided to share some of the wonderful things I've learned about animals as a volunteer docent at the Kansas City Zoo.


***The opinions shared on this blog are mine alone, and are not endorsed by the Kanas City Zoo.

This is one of my all time favorite animals. Not only are the intelligent and gentle, they are some of our closest relatives. They are part of the Hominidae family which includes great apes and yes, us, humans. The way to tell an ape from a monkey is that apes don't have tails. There are four great apes: Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Bonobo, and of course Orangutan.

Orangutans are the only great apes found in Asia. They are only found on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra and are divided into two su\b-classes named for the islands they originate from. They are the only completely arboreal ape, they spend their lives high in the trees, rarely coming down to the ground. They eat fruits, leaves, insects, and must travel miles through the trees to find the ripest fruits.

Female orangutans devote seven years to raising a single infant. This makes their reproductive rate extremely slow, which is one of the things that have led to their endangered status. But it's not the only thing.
Currently there are fewer than 6000 Sumatran Orangutan's in the wild and fewer than 50,000 Bornean Orangutan's in the wild.

The greatest threat to wild orangutans is the palm oil trade. Palm oil is used in many of the food we eat, and the makeup and lotions we use. Unfortunately if it't not grown in a sustainable manner, orangutans will continue to die, and could be extinct in the wild in the next twenty years. This is a good article about orangutans and palm oil. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_forests/deforestation/forest_conversion_agriculture/orang_utans_palm_oil/

We have six amazing orangutans at the Kansas City zoo. They are incredibly intelligent and throughtful creatures. Next week, I'll tell you the very special story of our youngest Bornean Orangutan, Kali Jon.

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

You Have to Have a Blog to Get an Agent


I heard at a conference that you needed a blog and a web site plus faceblook and twitter to get an agent, so I got on the bandwagon and started my blog. As I said last week, I’ve found this very beneficial, but I don’t think it’s going to get me an agent.

I hear mixed reviews about whether agents even look at blogs before deciding to offer representation. I think one of the most comprehensive posts I’ve seen on the subject was on Mary Cole’s blog: http://kidlit.com/2010/07/21/should-unpublished-writers-blog/

What about you. How much weight do you think blogs have in the publishing world?

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Tedlyz

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

The newest toy fad. A machine that turns any toy into a teddy bear.


I got a really cool iron man action figure for Christmas and then my sister tedlyzed it.

What Would Your Character Do/Say Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.



The action follows 11-year-old protagonist Lyra Belacqua, accompanied by her daemon, from her home at Oxford University to the frozen wastes of the North, on a quest to save kidnapped children from the evil 'Gobblers,' who are using them as part of a sinister experiment. Lyra also must rescue her father from the Panserbjorne, a race of talking, armored, mercenary polar bears holding him captive. Joining Lyra are a vagabond troop of gyptians (gypsies), witches, an outcast bear, and a Texan in a hot air balloon.




The Golden Compass


1) How would hour character deal with betrayal by one or both of his/her parents?

2) If your character had a daemon what would it be?

3) How far would your character go to rescue a friend?

4) How resourceful is your character?

5) Does your character have influence over people, even ones who are older?

Zoosday Tuesday

I decided to add a new weekly feature to my blog called Zoosday Tuesday. This feature has absolutely nothing to do with writing. But since my love of animals was first inspired by my volunteer work at the zoo and in turn inspired my writing, I decided to share some of the wonderful things I've learned about animals as a volunteer docent at the Kansas City Zoo.


***The opinions shared on this blog are mine alone, and are not endorsed by the Kanas City Zoo.

The Giant Panda

To follow up last weeks post about the Red Panda, I'm going to talk about the Giant Panda. We don't have Giant Pandas at the Kansas City Zoo, only four zoos in the US are home to Giant Pandas, (the National Zoo in DC, Zoo Atlanta, The Memphis Zoo, and The San Diego Zoo.)

Giant Pandas live exclusively in China and are considered a Chinese national treasure. But there are believed to be only about 1700 left in the wild. The primary threat to these bears is overpopulation and deforestation. But the Giant Panda also has a very difficult reproductive cycle. Females only come into estrus for about 24 hours every year. If the males are unable to locate the females in that short time frame, they won't have a cub that year. (Also because they get so little practice, they often are unsuccessful when they do get together).

Researchers around the world have been working for decades to find the best ways to breed Giant Panda's in captivity. They use artificial insemintaion, ultrasound, and hand-rearing when necessary to help produce cubs. Only one panda cub was born in the US this year. You can see footage of the birth, and pictures of the tiny, hairless cub at : http://www.zooatlanta.org/home/animals/mammals/giant_panda/giant_panda_cub_gallery


These cuties are another bamboo eating species, and they have to eat a lot of the low nutrition, high cellulous plant to get enough nourishment. (Ulike the Red Panda who eats mostly the leaves, these pandas eat everything including the culm and stalk.)

They have the smallest mother to cub ratio at birth of any placental mammal. A 225lb female panda gives birth to a 4oz cub. She doesn't eat, drink, or defecate for up to a week after birth, so she can hold the cub constantly to keep it warm.

Have you ever seen a Giant Panda in a zoo? If you have any questions about Giant Pandas, feel free to ask.

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

Blogging Is Nothing But a Big Time Suck


I went through a time where I thought blogging was just a big time suck. But although I spend a fair amount of time writing blogs, reading blogs, and commenting on blogs, I’ve decided that I get much more out of it than I put into it. Here are just a few of the fabulous benefits of blogging.

It’s great to connect with other writers. I’ve connected with people who are unpublished, recently agented, recently sold, preparing for debut, debuting their books, and long published. It’s great to know so many people in the writing community. I feel far less lonely.

I’ve learned a lot about what to do and what not to do in ever aspect of writing.

I’ve stayed connected with my writing everyday because of blogging. Before starting my blog I used to allow days and sometimes weeks to pass without writing or doing anything related to writing. Now I’m connected everyday, working everyday, and I’ve made more progress on my writing in the last year than I ever could have without blogging.

What about you? Do you think blogging sucks down more time than it’s worth?

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is:

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?
Attlatal: A new drug for ADD.



Attlatal may cause impaired judgment, hives, hypersensitivity to sound and light, bladder incontinence, heart palpitations, irregular breathing, flushing, diarrhea, sleeplessness, erratic behavior, headache, stomach cramps, drooling, excessive underarm sweating. Do not take if you have ever been pregnant, hope to get pregnant, or thought about becoming pregnant. Do not use if you have a peanut allergy, blue eyes, brown hair, or fingernails.

What Would Your Character Do/Say Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.


Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul-stirring as it is delicious." — BOOKLIST (starred review)


Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

The Tale of Despereaux


1) What kind of soup would your character make?

2) Does your character believe in him/herself? Do they listen to people who try to bring them down?

3) Would your character fall in love with someone from another species?

4) Would your character want to repent for bad deeds?

5) Is your character envious of any other characters in your story?

Zoosday Tuesday

I decided to add a new weekly feature to my blog called Zoosday Tuesday. This feature has absolutely nothing to do with writing. But since my love of animals was first inspired by my volunteer work at the zoo and in turn inspired my writing, I decided to share some of the wonderful things I've learned about animals as a volunteer docent at the Kansas City Zoo.

***The opinions shared on this blog are mine alone, and are not endorsed by the Kanas City Zoo.

International Red Panda Day 11/13/10
Have you ever seen a more adorable animal?
This is a Red Panda. We are lucky enough to have two darling red pandas at the Kansas City Zoo, Fagan a 10 year old male, and Wen Dee an 11 year old female. (We hope that they do what males and females do sometime next month, and that Wen Dee will have a cub ot two in June.)

When I'm interpreting about these animal's I often find that people have no idea what a Red Panda is. That's not surprising, since for it wasn't until recently that science knew what they were. They were at one time considered a cousin of the Giant Panda and part of the Ursidae (bear) family. They have been also been called "firefox" which would make them Canidae (dog) family. Bearcat (Felidae) cat family. And many people think they are a relative of the racoon, (Procyonidae) family. But DNA testing showed that they are in a family all by themselves. The family Ailuridae.

The trouble is that they are endangered mainly by deforestation in their natural environment. If they become extinct then a whole family will be wiped out. That's why Saturday 11/13/10 was the first International Red Panda Day. Sponsored by The Red Panda Network http://redpandanetwork.org/redpanda/red-panda-ranger/. Zoos around the world participated and children had a chance to become Red Panda Rangers. Your kids might find these activities too.


I could go on forever about the wonders of this precious little animal that's about the same size as a cat. They are so secretive that for years naturalists had difficulty studying them. But they have been found in the foot hills of the Himalayas in Myanman, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. They eat almost exclusively bamboo leaves (up to 200,000 per day), and spend the rest of their time sleeping in the trees.

Their dense coat is so thick, even covering the inside of their ears and the soles of their feet, they can suffer heat stroke in temperatures above 80 degrees. (In Kansas City they have an air conditioned exhibit in summer and an outdoor exhibit in winter.)

I could go on and on, but they sure are cute aren't they. I hope you like my new feature, and if you have any questions about Red Pandas don't hesitate to ask.

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

You Need to Copyright Your MS before You Send It Out


This was one of the things that held me back for years. I hate little niggling detail things like this. I thought, if I write a book, I’ll have to get it copyrighted. Ha, little did I know.

I’m glad to know that this is not a detail I have to worry about. But I still dream of one day having my work copyrighted.

What about you?

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Desorent

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Desert strength deodorant.


I’m going hiking in the desert. I have to remember my Desorent.

What Would Your Character Do/Say Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.


It's the year 2140 and Longevity drugs have all but eradicated old age. A never-aging society can't sustain population growth, however…which means Anna should never have been born. Nor should any of the children she lives with at Grange Hall. The facility is full of boys and girls whose parents chose to have kids—called surpluses—despite a law forbidding them from doing so. These children are raised as servants, and brought up to believe they must atone for their very existence. Then one day a boy named Peter appears at the Hall, bringing with him news of the world outside, a place where people are starting to say that Longevity is bad, and that maybe people shouldn't live forever. Peter begs Anna to escape with him, but Anna's not sure who to trust: the strange new boy whose version of life sounds like a dangerous fairy tale, or the familiar walls of Grange Hall and the head mistress who has controlled her every waking thought?


Chilling, poignant, and endlessly though-provoking, The Declaration is a powerful debut that will have readers agonizing over Anna's fate until the very last page.

The Declaration


1) Would your character want to live forever? What if it meant that no one else could ever be born?

2) Would your character risk imprisonment to rescue someone, even if they had never met that person?

3) Does your character believe what they are told by the authorities, or do they rebel?

4) Would your character keep a journal even if they could get in trouble for it?

5) Does your character have a low sense of self worth?

What A Prize

About a month ago I won a fabulous prize on Justine Dell's blog (come back Justine, we miss you.) The prize was a FULL, yes, I said FULL MS line edit.  How cool is that. Especially for someone as comma challenged as I am.

The wonderful editor was Katie Knish http://katieknish.tumblr.com/ . She is starting her career as a copyeditor and I can tell you she has a wonderful career ahead of her. She was a total pro. And so fast! Within a couple of days of getting my MS to her, she had it half finished. Then when I e-mailed her and said, "crisis, crisis, I got a request for a full MS can you finish by the end of the week?" she said no problem.

Katie is looking for fiction that she can copy edit. Here's what she said in an e-mail communication about what she's looking for. "What I'm most interested in editing is fiction, and my passion lies with children's, middle-grade and young adult literature. Even now I'm in awe of the impact what I read as a child had on the person I became, and to be a part of creating those works would be, in all seriousness, a dream come true."

She's got a real passion for books and reading, and it is evident in the professional job she does. I encourage you to contact Katie if you have any projects that you would like her to look at.

Thanks again Katie.

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

If Other Writers or Agents Read Your Work They Will Steal It


I used to worry like crazy that if someone read my work, they would see my brilliant idea and think, ah ha, that’s a great idea, I’m going to write a book just like that. For the most part I’ve let go of that idea. While obviously no one can write the same story I would, or even really steal my plots, there are a few things I like to keep close to the vest. Because let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than having a flash of brilliance and then seeing it show up in someone else’s book, even if you never made your idea public.

Anyway, I’ve gotten over the idea that people are going to steal my ideas.

Do you ever worry that someone will steal your ideas and use them in their books? Have you ever found your sparks of brilliance in someone else’s published book?.

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Pingso

This is a new game that’s all the rage in nursing homes. It’s a combination of bingo and ping-pong. The balls are bounced off of a ping-pong table and the players have to catch the necessary ball to get PINGSO..


I woulda had PINGSO if Wanda Lou hadn’t knocked over my wheel chair and snatched that last ball.

NaNo Rhino

Okay, I'm going crazy tyring to keep up on everything and doing NaNo.  I got this darling picture from the widly talented Kate Higgins. Check out her blog and this darling picture. http://kathleenhiggins.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-nanowrimo-mascot-nano-rhino.html



How are all of you doing with your NaNo projects?

What Would Your Character Do/Say Wednesday?

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.

Here are some interview Questions based on: Beautiful Creatures  






 Synopsis

There were no surprises in GatlinCounty.

We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.

At least, that's what I thought.

Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.

There was a curse.

There was a girl.

And in the end, there was a grave.



Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Queestions for your character inspired by Beautiful Creatures:

1) How would you’re character feel about living in the same place their whole life?


2) How would your character feel about moving to a small town where everyone knew everyone else and they felt like an outsider?

3) Does your character have any family members that are seen as outcasts? If so, how do to respond to the family member?

4) Does your character believe in a love that was meant to be?

5) Would your character be with someone, even if everyone in their life told them to stay away from that person?

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

There Are a Set of Rules You Must Follow


I’m still trying to figure this one out. For every rule, there are stories of people who break them and still get published. I often hear that people who are published can break the rules, but debut authors need to follow them to the letter. Then I read a debut author who broke all the rules.

So what’s up with this? I’m what my mother calls a “first born rule follower” so if I know there is a rule for something, I’m going to try to follow it. But I don’t want my writing to feel boxed in. On the other hand, I can be totally scatter brained and I am not detail oriented at all, so I often “break rules” simply because I just forgot there was a darned rule. Maybe I should make that my number one rule, to remember all the rules.

What about you guys. What rules do you think are important, and what rules do you think can be broken?

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: ashes

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Ashes: Are you kidding me. This isn’t even a made up word. How can they do this to me. How are we supposed to play a make up a definition game, with a word like ashes????

Okay, since ashes is such a lame word, I decided to make up one of my own. Booge-This is what you call a Halloween Scrooge. (I had to make up a word to describe myself, since if been bi#@%ing about dressing up all day.

What Would Your Character Say/Do Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.

Interview questions for your character based on “Watership Down.”

1)How would your character face the destruction of their whole community?

2)What would your character do if they could see the future?

3)Would your character choose to live a comfortable life, even if it meant some of his/her companions would be killed?

4)Would your character strike out on their own, or would they try to get a group to follow them?

5)What role would your character play in a group of refugees fighting for survival?

Lovely News From Lola

The lovely Lola at Sharp Pen, Dull Sword http://sharppendullsword.blogspot.com/2010 has given me this award. Isn't it beautiful.  You MUST check out Lola's blog, if you aren't following already. She has a way of combining pictures and words that is awe inspiring. Plus her blog is just down right fun.

Thank you so much Lola

Melissa’s Myths For Mondays

Myth #10:

It Should Take No More Than a Year To Finish a Book and Sell It


I actually thought it would be much faster than this. I thought I’d dash of a book, give it a thorough going over to pick up any spelling errors that the computer missed. (Since I’m the worlds worst speller, I’m not sure how I thought this was going to work.) Then I’d send if off to an agent who would take one look, fall in love, and pounce on my manuscript. Within weeks I’d have a contract, and my book would be on the shelves within six months of that time.

Boy did I have a lot to learn. I had no idea that agents might take weeks or months just to look at your query, and then if you’re super super duper lucky they might ask to see a partial or full and take months or more to look at that. And that’s just to get to step one.

Does anyone have any tales of woe or triumph about submission times?

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Herknorf
HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

This is a little know, highly endangered animal that lives high in the andes mountains. It's about the size of a normal house cat, (ie. smaller than Mitchell Lafayette!). It has the hooves of a goat, but the trunk and ears of an elephant. It lives in tiny crevaces high in the mountains and only comes out at night. It eats mainly rocks and branches that grow high on the mountain walls.

No one has ever taken a picture of the herknorf. Only a few natives have seen the animal.

What Would Your Character Say/Do Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.

Interview questions for your character based on “The Warriors.”

1)If your character belonged to a “clan” what kind would it be?

2)What role would your character play in the clan?

3)Does your character’s clan cooperate with or war against the other clans?

4)What would your characters warrior name be?

5)Does your character have an easy life, but a lack of freedom or a hard but independent life?

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

Myth #9

There’s a Magic Formula for Query Letter’s

One thing I did not do when I started writing was to mass query agents with one query letter. Why didn’t I? Because I was too freakin’ scared to query anyone. I let them trickle out like the last few drops of blood available after the vampire holocaust. (Okay, the truth is, I still do.) I have to space my rejection out in small doses.

But I also learned through lagging, that every agent/agency has a different set of requirements and desires when it comes to query letters. Some agents want you to just cut the crap and tell them what your story is about. Some agents want to know why you think they would be a good match. None of them wants to feel like they’re just one of the crowd.

So how do you know? One of my best resources is Query Tracker.com. You can set up a database of agents you want to query, make notes, attach query letters, keep stats. It’s the database I wanted to set up for myself, but couldn’t figure out how, and didn’t have the right software even if I knew. You can also link to interviews with agents, and their social networking sites as well. It’s a huge help finding out what you need to know about the individual agents.

Do you try to customize query letters to each agent you query? What sites do you find most helpful for researching and customizing query letters?

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day


Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.

Today’s word is: Smshang

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Smshang: This is my new favorite curse word. I use it in place of a combination of filthy words I used to spew out, usually when I stubbed my toe, or when the cat chewed up a pair of shoes. FYI: I have no idea how to pronounce this. I just spew out a bunch of mashed up letters.


“Smshang, Mitchell Lafayette, no fancy feast for you, you #@!$. Mommy loves you though, fat boy.”

What Would Your Character Say/Do Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.

Interview questions for your character based on “The Hobbit.”

1)Does you character crave adventure or would they prefer hearth and home?

2)Would your character do something that violated the norms and mores of their society, even if it meant they would be looked down upon for ever?

3)How would your character deal with the hardships of a long journey?

4)How would your character deal with a character like Gollum?

5)Would your character be likely to write down the events of his/her journey for future generations to appreciate?

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

Myth # 8

Anyone Can Be a Writer

This is a tough one. I absolutely believe that anyone can write a book. I also believe that having written a book you are a writer. However, when most people dream of being a writer, they don’t usually imagine themselves with a completed manuscript sitting in a box, in a drawer, behind lock and key… Most people imagine being a writer with a hard bound book that rapidly makes its way from the shelf in a bookstore, to the hands of an eager reader, up to the sales counter, where cha ching, money will change hands, and you will be paid for your writing.

So while anyone can write a book, it takes a lot of hard work to make it to the bookstore shelf. That’s where a lot of people fall short when it comes to their writing. They happily write the book, what fun afterall to bring your imagination to life. But they don’t want to make the effort to do the real work that comes after the book is written. That’s what separates writers who get paid to write, and those whose books moulder away in the drawer. My goal is to be published by a reputable publisher. I’ll keep trying whatever I need to try to make that possible.

What do you think separates people who have written a book and given up on getting published, and those who have been published or are working toward being published?

Fonetic Friday: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.


Today’s word is: Poggia

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Poggia: This is what I called my porch When I lived in New Orleans.
 
“Let’s all go out on the poggia for a julip.”

An Award to Acknowlege New Friends

A Grey from Grey places. http://greyplaces.blogspot.com/ awarded me the "One Lovely Blog Award".

Thank you so much. It's fun to recieve an award and even more fun to pay it forward. I get to pass this award on to some of the new friends I've made in the blogosphere. Check out their blogs. Then pass this on to 10 new friends.

Jolene Perry : http://jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com/
Katie Mills: http://creepyquerygirl.blogspot.com/
Emily White: http://emilytwhite.blogspot.com/
Kate Higgins: http://kathleenhiggins.blogspot.com/
Patti Nelson: http://pattinielson.blogspot.com/
Rachel Harrie: http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/
Stina Lindenblatt: http://www.stinalindenblatt.com/
Janna Qualman http://somethingshewrote.blogspot.com/
Christina Lee: http://www.write-brained.com/
Lola Sharp: http://sharppendullsword.blogspot.com/

What Would Your Character Say/Do Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.

Interview questions for your character based on “Chronicals of Narnia.”

1)If your character found a secret land in a wardrobe, who would they share it with?

2)Would your character align themselves with “dark forces” to reach their goal, even if their goal is to do something good/positive?

3)Does your character have any relatives or authority figures that mean them harm? How do they combat this?

4)How would your character react to unexpectedly being pulled out of their world, into a foreign land?

5)Would your character adapt to their new environment and resist returning to the “real world” or would they try to get back throughout.

Last Weeks Writing Hours Tally

Last week, Patti Nelson http://pattinielson.blogspot.com/ challenged her followers to keep track of the number of hours we spent either writing, or revising. I just started a new WIP so I also had some character development to do, so I included that time as well.

Monday:
Monday I was so fired up about my new WIP and the character I was writing that I couldn't do anything hardly but write. I did still have to do my job, work out, eat, pee, etc. But I spent 5 hours and 30 minutes writing.

Tuesday:
I usually cook all my meals for the week on Tuesday night, and since this can be quite time consuming, I only got 3 and a half hours in.

Wednesday:
I had several things going on and was only able to get 2 hours in.

Thursday:
I realized that I had less than 4 days to read my book for book club. I went and bought it and when I saw how dense it was, I knew I'd have to put writing on the back burner to focus on reading this book. But I still got in 2 hours.

Friday:
I was frantically trying to read the book, but took out a couple of hours to write

Total for Monday-Friday: 14 hours.

I like the idea of keeping track and being accountable for my writing. I'm going to try to find a way to post this on a regular basis.

So how did you do on your writing? Do you ever have days when you just can't stop writing? What about days when you can't seem to get started?

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

Myth #7

Editors Must Have an Easy Job Because All They Have To Do Is Fix Our Comma and Spelling Errors.

I swear, I’m really putting it out there now. Yes, I actually believed that the job of an editor was to go through your manuscript and fix any spelling errors or commas that you didn’t catch before you sent in your MS. I know, I know, but actually I get this question often from non-writing friends.

It took me a while to realize that the job of an editor has very little to do with spotting comma splices. This was quite an epiphany for me. I think I finally caught on to this after attending a couple of conferences where the editors talked about what they did. But understanding the role of the editor really changed my perspective on the revision process that I needed to engage in.

Have you had learned anything about editors or the editing process that you didn’t expect?

***Also, check back tomorrow, I'll give you my tally of hours spent writing. ***

Thank You for the Award

Thank you Pretty Writer http://pettywitter.blogspot.com/ for giving me the Cherry on Top Award

The award includes the opportunity to Thank Pretty Writer, who has a great blog with all sorts of fun book reviews and interesting news from the UK that I love reading about.

Also to tell anser the question: If I had the chance to go back and change one thing in my life what would it be.

that's a hard question, I've found that if you just wait around long enough your decisions, choices, mistakes, usually reveal themselves to be for the best. I definately would not be where I am now, if I hadn't made a few good decisions and many many decisions that seemed crappy at the time. But since I'm very happy with where I am now, I have no regrets.

I'm passing this along to several other bloggers that I have gotten to know and enjoy:
http://louderthannoise.blogspot.com/
http://greyplaces.blogspot.com/
http://tessyquin.blogspot.com/

Now my computer is acting up so I'm going to stop here for now.

Fonetic Fridays: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.

Today’s word is:Ingyla

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

My Definition: A deep sea mushroom. Scientific name: Cantharellus maritimus . "Can I please have extra ingyla on my salad?"

What Would Your Character Say/Do Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.

Interview questions for your character based on “Suite Scarlett.”

1)What specialized school would your character want to attend? What would their best subject be?

2)If they were in a play, would your character be the star of the show, a bit player, the director, the designer, the art dept…?

3)Does your character have siblings? If so, which are they closest too? Which do they have issues with? Have they ever had to face the possibility of losing that sibling to illness?

4)If your characters parents/family were in financial trouble, what would he/she do to help?

5)Is your character a good problem solver? Able to think on his/her feet? What’s an example of a time when they had to come up with a fast solution to a problem?

Melissa's Myths for Mondays

Myth #6

Revision Is A Necessary Evil Because Your Word Processor Doesn’t Always Find All Your Mistakes.

I’m really hanging my head over this one. I remember with great chagrin thinking that the revision process was a matter of looking for any misplaced commas or misspelled words that my word processor didn’t catch.

What else was there? I was a true neophyte. I watched an interview that Diane Sawyer did with JK Rowling right before the 7th Harry Potter was due to hit the shelves. In it, Diane visited Joanne in her London hotel room while she wrote the last lines of The Deathly Hallows. Cameras peered over her shoulder as she typed the final words. Then she printed it out, bundled it up, and off to the printer it went. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work? Surely she didn’t have to revise anything, right?

Since then, I’ve learned a lot about the revision process and all the work that goes into it. It took me less than three months to write my last novel, and six months to revise it. True, I’m not the fastest reviser in the world. I have trouble looking for multiple things. If I’m focus on POV, I’m lible to miss repitition. If I’m looking for show vs tell, I’m likely to miss characterizations. I know that most people can concentrate on multiple issues at once, but not me. Oh well.

What is your revision process like? How many times do you usually revise a manuscript before you consider it “finished”.

The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment

Matt has kindly featured my query for Zombie Rabbit on his blog:http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/

Matt's blog is really great. It focuses a lot on the madness that is the query process. So if your in the thick of that, you should check it out. If you're not there yet, check it out to get prepared for the future fun. If you've been there, done that, check it out to rejoice or commisserate with others who've been in your shoes.

He also has some other fun features such as his 12 step program for blog-aholics.

Fonetic Fridays: Word of the Day

Hey, you know those cool words they make you type when you comment on a blog, the ones that prevent spammers from commenting? If they were real words, what would they mean? See if you can come up with a definition and use it in a sentence.

Today’s word is: Snuncli:

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Snuncli: This is the latest accessory to wear with you snuggy. It goes over your head, and flows down your back, sort of like a nuns wimple. That way, every inch of your body can be covered by micro-fleece.

 “The amazing new Snuncli comes in dozens of fashion colors to match your Snuggy. If you order in the next 20 minutes, we’ll throw in an additional Snuncli FREE.”

Check Out the Great Contest

Checkout the awesome 250 follower contest of Justine Dell's site. Justine's blog is great, she always has funny and informative posts for writers.

http://justine-dell.blogspot.com/2010/09/jds-250th-follower-contest-come-enter.html

What Would Your Character Say/Do Wednesday

I’m always looking for questions to ask my characters; anything to pull them out of their shell and see how they act in foreign territory. I wondered what it would be like if my characters participated in other Middle Grade and Young Adult stories. How would they act in Narnia, or at Hogwarts? It’s interesting to see how your characters act in a completely different setting.

Interview questions for your character based on “Thirteen Reasons Why.”

1)Does your character have a crush or hidden admiration for someone that they haven’t shared with that person?

2)Has your character been let down by the adults/authority figures in their life? How did they respond?

3)What is your characters “reputation” in their school/community? Is the reputation well earned? What will your character do to change their reputation?

4)If your character moved to a new school/community, would they worry about making friends? What clique/club/group would they wind up in?

5)What kind of catastrophe, if any, would cause your character to reach a point of no return?

I'm It

That title sounds like a bit conceited, What I mean to say is that I've been tagged, to give answers to eight questions.   Thanks so much for the tag.

see http://greyplaces.blogspot.com/2010/09/eight-questions.html

So here are all the hot goods on yours truly.

1. If you could have any superpower, what would you have? Why?

I had to look to see what my options were. Who knew there were so many super powers. Trouble was, the one I wanted wasn’t’ listed. I’d like the ability to talk to animals. To really know what’s going on in their heads. I’m calling that a super power even if it’s not on the list.

2. Who is your style icon?

My sister. She picks out all my clothes.

3. What is your favorite quote?

If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat.- Mark Twain.

Yeah, sorry guys.

4. What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

I’m sure I’ve been given compliments but I’m modest.

5. What playlist/cd is in your CD player/iPod right now?

I know this is going to sound totally nerdy, but ever since America’s Got Talent, I’ve been obsessed with Opera. I even got a great story idea from Turondot. I’m very excited. I’ve been listening to Opera Arias for days now.

6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?

In my heart I’m a night owl, but I have to be at work at 7:00am. I have to admit that it’s great to be done with my work day early.

7. 7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?

I love all animals, but I’ve never really had the time or space for a dog. I love my cats, and can’t imagine life without at least one cat. Of course I love my mice too.

8. 8. What is the meaning behind your blog name.

Pretty simple, it’s just my journey toward getting published.

So now I tag three more people to give us their answers to the eight questions: http://sarahblackstock.blogspot.com/
http://suzimcgowen.blogspot.com/
http://lyndaryoung.blogspot.com/