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: Scrulty

This is how I've been feeling all week, rather scrulty,  Sick, Crummy, and that's about the best I can do for today. But it's Friday, so hey, what's the worst that can happen?

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

What I Love About You Wednesday

My new feature for 2011 is called "What I Love About You Wednesday". Each and every one of my followers has added something unique and wonderful to my life, and I want to reach out to each of you and share what I love about you and your blogs.


My plan is to go in order starting with my very first followers, and each week, highlight someone new. If you're a follower of my blog but haven't been blogging for a while, I'm going to wait until you get back into it. If for some reason you are following my blog, but I'm not following yours, please let me know. I tried to make sure I was reciprocating, but there were a few people I couldn't find.

This week I'm sending LOVE to Jody Hedlund.

Jody's blog was one of the first I ever visited. Her debut novel, The Preacher's Bride, was published on 10/1/2010 .  She shared every step of the process she went through to get her debut on the shelves. She has amazing insight into the publishing industry, and a heart of gold.

If you haven't checked out Jody's blog, I encourage you to do so. I get something amazing out of every post. And that's why I love Jody.

Zoosday Tuesday

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

PROBOSCIS MONKEY



This is another one of the amazing animals found exclusively in Indonesia, and only on the island of Borneo. Although their nose is the most prominent feature, take a look at this guys eyes. And how about that tummy.


No, I'm not pregnant



This is a fairly large species of monkey, with the males weighing 53 lbs and females about half their size. The females also have much smaller noses. The male's nose can be up to 7 inches long and are used to attract females and amplify warning calls through the forest.  (Yes, in the proboscis world size matters, the bigger the nose, the bigger the... harem for the male.) One male usually controls a harem of 2-6 females and their offspring. They live in social groups in the mango forests of Borneo.

A male and his harem

The babies are born much darker in color than the adults. They start out a blue/black color and gradually change to the rusty red color of the adults.

Baby Proboscis

The Indonesian people once called this monkey Orang Belanda which means The Dutchman, because the primates long nose and round belly reminded them of European colonists.

Toxic Leaves

The round belly of the proboscis monkey is a result of it's digestive system which consists of multiple chambers that contain various bacteria, allowing them to consume toxic leaves and other plants high in cellulose.

30" tail

They also have a long non-prehensile tail which is used mainly for balance. They are equally at home in the trees or in water, being able to swim long distances, as well as leap long distances in the trees.

But sadly even though they are a versatile species, they are severely endangered. There are only an estimated 1000 left in the wild. They are threatened by the same problems that plague other Indonesian species like Orangutans, Elephants, Rhinos, etc. Habitat loss due to the inefficient management of palm oil production is driving more and more species toward extinction. So look for Orangutan safe palm oil, and you'll be helping their cousins the proboscis monkey's too.


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: biblifang

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Biblifang- The retractable set of canine teeth grown by people who want to suck the words out of a book.
 
The librarian caught me with my biblifangs exposed and almost threw me out of the library.

What I Love About You Wednesday

My new feature for 2011 is called "What I Love About You Wednesday". Each and every one of my followers has added something unique and wonderful to my life, and I want to reach out to each of you and share what I love about you and your blogs.


My plan is to go in order starting with my very first followers, and each week, highlight someone new. If you're a follower of my blog but haven't been blogging for a while, I'm going to wait until you get back into it. If for some reason you are following my blog, but I'm not following yours, please let me know. I tried to make sure I was reciprocating, but there were a few people I couldn't find.

For this week I'm sharing the LOVE with:

ANGELA ACKERMAN

I was lucky enough to have Angela Ackerman as one of my very first followers. I was new to blogging at the time, and she became sort of a role model for me. Her blog The Bookshelf Muse is an amazing resource for writers.

She has several "Thesaurus" that she updates on a regular basis. The Emotion Thesaurus, The Setting Thesaurus , The Color Shape and Texture Thesaurus, The Symbolism Thesaurus.

These are just a few of the amazing resources on Angela's blog, which is also hosted by Becca Puglici.

So if you aren't one of their 1430+++ followers already, you need to be.

They are also have a great contest this week, so if you haven't already done so, check it out!

Thanks again Angela for being a great resource for writers.

Zoosday Tuesday

KOMODO DRAGON



In Low Land Habitat

I admit that I'm more of a mammal person, than a reptile lover, but I thought it would be interesting to look at a famous reptile species from the Indonesian islands. The Komodo Dragon is native to only a handful of small Indonesian islands, Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Montag. They are the largest lizard and part of the monitor lizard family.

Komodo Dragon Distribution

People are fascinated by their large size, and fearsome reputation. They can grow up to 6 feet long, with a muscular tail capable of knocking down large deer, and claws several inches long that are used to defend itself as well as disabling prey.

Toxic Slober

Although they often feed on carrion, Komodo Dragon's have been known to ambush live animals, using teeth and claws to disable their prey. It was once believed that the Komodo Dragon's live prey died from infection delivered through the saliva, but it has recently been proven that although their saliva does contain numerous bacteria and pathogens, they also have venom glands which deliver a hemotoxin to the victim.

Using it's tongue to locate prey

They locate their prey by capturing scent particles on their tongue and passing them over the jacobsen's organ on the roof of their mouth. Using their tongue, they can "smell" prey up to six miles away. Luckily, like most reptiles they eat about 40% of their body weight at a time, but only eat about once per month. 

I think one of the most fascinating things about these animals is their reproduction. Unlike most reptiles, Komodo Dragons are capable of forming bonded pairs that mate for life. On the other hand, if no males are available, female dragons are able to use parthenogenesis to reproduce. This means that a female can produce eggs which can hatch, even without the presence of a male. In this case all of the offspring will be male.



Hiding from Mom and Dad in the Trees



However, they're not the best parents. Although the mother incubates her clutch of 20 eggs for 6-7 months, when the infants hatch she allows them to fend for themselves. Young Komodo Dragons, make up about 10% of the diet of the adults. For this reason, the young spend most of their early years in the trees eating birds eggs, insects, and smaller lizards.



Emerging From the Egg

Keeping The Plates Spinning

I've been thinking a lot about how to keep all the plates in my life spinning, which one's to let fall, which ones to spin faster. I came to the conclusion that one plate I'm going to have to manage more effectively is my blogging life. I've let it get quite out of control; and while I maintain, that blogging actually helps me focus more on my writing, I also believe that I need to cut back.

So one plate I'm going to let fall is my Monday blog post about revision. I need to revise, not write a blog post about revising. From now on I'll be doing three posts per week Zoosday Tuesday, What I Love About You Wednesday, and Foenetic Friday.

On the days that I'm not posting, I will be working on other aspects of my writing, such as revising my newest WIP, preparing querys for my completed MS, reading books on the craft of writing, and researching my  next MS. I probably won't be reading any blogs on M, Th, Sat, Sun.  So I'll have to catch up on Tues, Wed, and Fri.

I hope to find more balance and make more progess this way. What about you, does anyone have any advice?

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: Tyfero


HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?

Tyfero: A new disease characterized by a dry hacking cough, high fever, and weeping eyes.

I came down with tyfero and coughed up a lung.

What I Love About You Wednesday

My new feature for 2011 is called "What I Love About You Wednesday". As of today 1/9/11, I have 87 wonderful followers. Each and every one of you has added something unique and wonderful to my life, and I want to reach out to each of you and share what I love about you and your blogs.

My plan is to go in order starting with my very first followers, and each week, highlight someone new. If you're a follower of my blog but haven't blogging for a while, I'm going to wait until you get back into it. If for some reason you are following my blog, but I'm not following yours, please let me know. I tried to make sure I was reciprocating, but there were a few people I couldn't find.

So without further ado, I'll introduce my very first follower:

Lisa Maliga: Notes From Nadir She also has a blog for her new book Leaving Nadir.
Lisa started following me when I was a baby in the blogging world and didn't even know what a follower was. She is a writer who has the courage to put her work on the internet. And now she's followed up Notes From Nadir with Leaving Nadir.

Thank you Lisa for being my first follower. Stop by and check out her blog, I dare you not to get hooked.

Zoosday Tuesday

The Clouded Leopard

Bornean Clouded Leopard



Clouded Leopard

The Clouded Leopard and the Bornean Clouded Leopard are two distinct species of cat that live in Southeast Asia.  Until 2007 it was believed that the Bornean Clouded Leopard was a subspecies, but DNA testing has proven them to be distinct species.

Both species of clouded leopard live in the jungles of Southeast Asia and like their distant cousing the spotted leopard, they are highly arboreal.

They got the name "clouded" from the large cloud like elipses of black over a tawny coat. This provides excellent camophlage in the dense forest. They also have a tail that is as long as thier body which gives them excellent balance in the trees. They have been observed hanging upside down in trees, and can decend trees head first.

Clouded Leopards are solitary, nocturnal cats who only interact when breeding or rearing young.  Mother leopards give birth the 2-4 young who are blind and deaf at birth.

Clouded Leopards and Bornean Clouded Leopards are considered endangered in the wild. They are also fairly rare in zoos. But if you live near any one of the following zoos, you should be able to see these beautiful animals.



Melissa's Revision Mondays

As always, my revision tips are posted in the hopes that new or beginning writers will discover the tools they need to do a thorough revision of their work, before sending it to agents or publishers. I am far from an expert on the subject of revision, and am learning as I go through the process myself. I call upon my more experienced collegues to offer up their wisdom and tips.

This week, I've been working on organizing my manuscript. Being a died-in-the-wool pantser, I wrote 80,000 words, with only the barest outline to guide me. Now it's time to take what I wrote and try to make some sense out of it. To uncover those plot holes that need to be filled in. To address changes to plot, setting, and character that evolved as the story unfolded.

I turned to one of my favorite reference books to help me bring some sanity to my crazy manuscript. It's called "Thanks, But This Isn't For Us." By Jessica Page Morrell. In it she suggests creating a blueprint of your story. So I deconstructed my MS scene by scene and put together a blueprint, that I can use to illuminate stuctural issues that need to be addressed. I have a long way to go on this, but hope to have a solid blueprint by next week.


http://www.amazon.com/Thanks-But-This-Isnt-Compassionate/dp/1585427217/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1294602017&sr=8-5

Another great post that addresses this issue is Elana Johnson's post from Friday which talks about where to start your book. She has some awesome things to share about revision, so if you haven't seen it, check it out.

Do you have any tips for creating organization and structure in you manuscript?

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: Zable

HAVE FUN! AND HAPPY FRIDAY?
Zable: a new forest dwelling animal, found deep in the jungles of Africa. It was once believed to be a relative of the elusive Okapi, but is now thought to be the sterile offspring of zebra and sable antelope.

I'm sure you guys can do better than that.




 

 

 

Zoosday Tuesday

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


Asian Small Clawed Otter

I've always loved otters. They are fun and playful, they like to swim around  in the water and cavort on land. As their name suggests, these are the smallest of the otter species, and live in Southeast Asia. Unlike other otter species, their feet are only paritally webbed and they have...you guessed it small claws. Their claws don't extend past their fingers, making their front paws very dexterous.


This picuture gives a very good illustration of the paws that give the animal its name. Their main food is molluscs, crabs, and other crustaceans. They use their dexterous front paws to break and pull apart their food.

Another thing I love about otters is their social nature and close family ties. This species of otter lives in family groups that include the ranking couple and several generations of offspring.

The ranking pair mate for life and ususally produce two litters of 1-6 cubs per year. The older siblings assist in raising the young pups.

When they're not hunting and eating they spend most of their time grooming their luxurious double coated fur. Because they spend so much time in the water, they have to keep their fur neatly groomed to retain its water-proofing. But at least these guys don't have to deal with the cold, like thier North American counterparts.

We have three young male Asian Small Clawed Otters at the KC Zoo. They share a inter-species exhibit with the gibbons. While the gibbons swing overhead, the otters swim and splash in their waterfall. They are all a lot of fun to watch.

Melissa's Revision Mondays

I don’t claim to be an expert on the revision process, but I came across a series of blog posts last year that really changed my thoughts about revising. Mary Kole’s series on revision from December is no doubt more helpful than anything I could share, (see Revision O-Rama)  but I’m going to invite you to join me on my revision process anyway.

I finished my WIP during NaNoWriMo, and after dutifully putting it away for one full month, I’m ready to begin revising. A lot of people dislike the revision process, but not me. Now that I’m finished with my WIP I feel like I have a raw lump of clay in my hands, ready to be shaped into something beautiful. But first I have to push out all of the air. If I don't, there will be holes in my manuscript, or the whole thing might blow up when I put it in the fire.
 






The very first thing I have to get rid of is my first chapter. I don’t even want to read it first. When I wrote it, I had no real sense of my character, my setting, etc… (this comes from being a pantster, what can I say?) So the whole thing has to go.



 
What about you? Have you ever banished a whole chapter from your manuscript? Do read it first to see what can be salvaged, or just let it go?