Agent Kelly

The Semicolon (dun dun dun)

2010-07-27T09:38:00.001-07:00

semicolon 2
Originally uploaded by Bingo Little

Grammar tip o’ the week

Use the semicolon between independent clauses when “and,” “but,” “or,” or “nor” is omitted. *Do not use a comma, as the sentence has no coordinating conjunction.*

Examples:
• The writer hated semicolons; the editor loved them.
• My friend loves Metallica; I think they are awful.
• Madison runs every day; Mac prefers to walk.

Important
If the two clauses are not strongly related, make them separate sentences.

Example:
• I appreciate your interest in grammar. The question you sent about semicolons will be answered in a timely fashion.

Grad school

2009-12-06T13:18:00.001-08:00

exasperation
Originally uploaded by Nic Launceford

Whoot! I got accepted into graduate school at the University of Washington. I am very excited!

Piste

2009-09-07T12:02:00.001-07:00

Trail
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

Main Entry: piste
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Middle French, from Old Italian pista, from pistare to trample down, pound -- more at PISTON
Date: circa 1741
: TRAIL; especially : a downhill ski trail

A nice photo

2009-09-05T15:40:00.001-07:00

Nicole
Originally uploaded by Mitra Kelly

My honey took this photo. I thought it was so sweet that I decided to post it. I think he likes me.

Food time (recipe #1)

2009-09-03T12:45:00.001-07:00

9/365 - What I really want
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

Fettucine Alfonso

• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
• 1 1/2 cups soy or rice milk
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon onion granules
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 15 1/2 oz. can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained well
• 1 lb fettucine
• cracked black pepper

If using frozen corn, thaw and drain it well. Place corn, milk, tahini, and seasonings in blender and process until completely smooth. (This may take several minutes to completely pulverize the corn.)
Pour the blended mixture into a medium saucepan and stir in the beans. Warm over medium-low until the beans are heated through, stirring often.
While sauce is heating, cook fettucine in a large pot of boiling water until tender. Drain well and return to pot. Add the hot sauce and toss until noodles are evenly coated. Serve immediately, topping portions with a generous amount of cracked pepper.

The UnCheese Cookbook by J. Stepaniak

Begging isn't pretty

2009-08-16T20:23:00.001-07:00

I like your curves
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

Begging the question (petitio principia)
My first statement is simple here. Raising a question is not begging the question. As per Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged:

begged the question: a logical fallacy in which a premise is assumed to be true without warrant or in which what is to be proved is implicitly taken for granted

-or-

Raised the question: to bring up for consideration: introduce into discussion : offer as an objection, a problem, or a significant point
Consider the following exchange:

Writer: “My ask is that my editor stop being so tightly wound.”

Which raises the question (rightly)

Editor: “Has the editor’s writer gone to using common verbs as nouns?”

The writer’s statement raised a (good) question, but it did *not* beg the question.

Okay, onto the fallacy at hand.

Begging the question is also called assuming the initial point and is related to circular logic. It is as it then sounds, when the speaker or writer wanders around in a logical circle only to discover that their thesis is true because their thesis is true. I have to admit that I love finding out that I am perfect because I am perfect, but my friends would like to have this proven before they start a cult for me (*curses*).

When does this commonly occur?

It happens when the author doesn’t know how to prove their thesis, so they resort to a logical sleight of hand. They need the thesis to be accepted as correct, so they can continue the rest of the argument. If, perchance, the reader doesn’t accept the axiom, none of the rest of the argument will matter. So, we get desperate. Then, when we think know one is looking, we pull the adult equivalent of the truefalse letter and hope to trick people into thinking we have all the answers.
What does it look like?

It’s ugly. Real ugly. Ugly like your sister’s bride’s maids dresses. It looks a lot like this:

"If stealing wasn’t illegal, then it wouldn’t be prohibited the law."

Are you okay? I feel little queasy like the time I watched “Dead Alive.”
Sloppy logic annoys the reader, because the reader is then annoyed. I mean, if the statement wasn’t annoying, then it wouldn’t make the reader annoyed. Really, this very smart guy told me that circular reasoning is really bad … oh sorry, that’s a different logic issue.

Are you feeling dizzy? I am.

Saturday and editing

2009-08-15T17:25:00.001-07:00

Holy cow! That's a lot of pink.
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

On my day off from my editing job, I chose to edit my newest short story. I think I need to admit I have a problem.

I edit every day.
Sometimes, I hide my editing.
I better understand other people who edit.
I find it hard to not think about editing.
I can be walking down the street, and the urge to edit will hit me.

My name is Nicole, and I am addicted to editing.

(points to anyone who edits this entry)

Barbed wire and the nighttime sky

2009-08-14T18:11:00.001-07:00

Barbed wire and the nighttime sky
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I've taken the summer to re-evaluate my writing. It's been a good break, and I think it will greatly improve my perception of writing and my writing. Seeing that summer is coming to an end, here's what I did with (part of) my summer vacation:

Went on tour with my band
Got cast in a movie
Worked with an editor on my book
Wrote a couple of short stories
Submitted one of the stories to Harper's

I had a great time in the last couple of months. Hope all is well in everyone else's world.

Cheers!

Getting over it

2008-12-24T10:53:00.001-08:00

8/365 - Cold nights
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I am working on getting over my need to be perfect (not that I am ever am). I've spent most of my life being humiluated by any error and/or flaw. Oddly, it's being an editor that is forcing me to accept my own imperfect nature. Not, as most would expect, because I fix other people's errors for a living, but because I send out errors even with my best efforts. All editors, even the best, make mistakes. Our mistakes are very public. In fact, one of my fellow editors once told me that the only time an editor gets noticed, is when they've made a mistake. If the writing is perfect at press time, the writer gets all the kudos for great writing.

Losing my agent took more of a toll than I was expecting. I think I was holding onto that success as a way justifiying a hobby that sucks up 10-20 hours a week. Today, I've decided that it was all for the best. I wasn't actually happy with said situation. I knew it wasn't the best thing for me or my book. And some where in my neurotic head, I knew I needed to not be there. This book is the story I've always wanted to tell. I have another book that I am almost done with that I love, but I am more seperated from. I think it makes a better "first book" too. Continuum (the story I love) deserves another editing pass and a shot being told in its fullness, which is about three books. Publishing climate as it is right now, I would be very sad to see Continuum only get one-third told.

It's a cold world

2008-12-17T14:52:00.001-08:00

Snowy field
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

Three years, one agent, many promises, the book was dropped.

My project that was picked up three years ago, was dropped today by the agency that initially picked it up, worked on it with me, and got it all packaged up. I worked with my agent there for months, and due to his sudden departure from the agency, it was never ever presented to one editor. Instead, I was promised that someone in the agency would take it on. It never happened. On top of all that, the note today that informed me that they weren't going forward with the project, was a form rejection. I guess I wasn't a part of the agency. :(

I am a good, solid mix of frustrated, annoyed, sad, and apathetic.

yawn

2008-12-05T23:21:00.001-08:00

*yawn*
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I went to an awesome art opening tonight at the WAFA art collective's space. They have a studio in the same building I have my photography studio. It was fun, but I have to say that they have the best name ever: WAFA stands for We Are Fucking Awesome. Now, that's the spirit. :)

Hope

2008-12-03T20:14:00.001-08:00

Nicole
Originally uploaded by Nic Launceford

Man, after today's news, I wonder if a first-time author can even get published. I read one agent's blog today (the one who has my full ms), and she is buried in queries and facing down a thinning editorial market. *sigh*

Anyone have some good news?

The contender

2008-09-26T17:51:00.001-07:00

the contender
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

Last week didn't get a lot better, but what can you do?

I finished a new story this week, and sent it off to a couple of friends. So far, it is a hit. :-)

I read an *awesome* story by Kelly Link called, "Some zombie contingency plans." Go read it!

Work was better. Dogs are less bitey. It was sunny for part of the week. Not too bad, really.

Goodnight Stupid Day

2008-09-17T19:02:00.001-07:00

Nicole
Originally uploaded by Nic Launceford

After a very long day at work, I got to have a wonderful "my writer is melting down at me" meeting. :(

I get it. It is hard to take criticism. I sympathize as a writer and as an editor. But, man, try to not to yell at your poor editor (that's me). I've worked as a writer. I've worked as an editor. They are both *very* hard jobs. The best thing I can say to any writer, including me, is that your editor is there to help you and improve your writing.

Again, :( and boo.

Ready?

2008-09-16T20:40:00.001-07:00

Valentine Du Jour
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

The photo is of a performer I know in Seattle. She goes under the stage name of Valentine du Jour. I love this shot, because she looks so strong and playful.

This past weekend was my birthday. :-) Of course, I thought a lot about where I am heading with my writing (among other things). I often get this feeling like I need to be published already, or maybe I should be published. I have spent the week really questioning this issue. As writers, I think we place all of our validation on being published. It is something we can show our friends and family. It is a way of proving that we are not wasting our time on dream that cannot be fulfilled.

So, just to start my 33rd year off right, I say this, "I write to write."

Almost made it

2008-09-11T16:57:00.001-07:00

Seattle Sodo
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I am almost done with my second novel. I have to say, it's good that I never remember how hard it is to write a book when I start a new one.

I am about 350 pages into my new book. The outline is fully scoped. The plot makes sense. Can I bring it home before the end of the year? Well, that remains to be seen.

Are you getting weirder?

2008-09-10T10:41:00.001-07:00

Drunk Chihuahua?
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I just finished a new story, and I am really happy with it (for now).

What I have to know is: Do all writers get stranger the more they write? I started off writing such *fun* and *light* adventure SF. Now, well, I have a reanimated pimp in my new piece.

Waiting

2008-09-09T17:37:00.001-07:00

B&W
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

This picture is one I took of my friend, Kerrie. Although I didn't think about it at the time, the expression sums up my feelings on my writing right now. Perpetually waiting.

I have one short story at Baen's, one short story at Strange Horizons, and a full ms at an agent.

I am bad at waiting ...

Man-made tornadoes

2008-06-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool article. I love when science is as fantasic as science fiction.

I got 99 problems, and the word “bitch” is one

2008-05-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

I hate the word bitch. Not just because it is crude, rude, or derogatory, but because I see this word, in particular, as a word of oppression. The word bitch, as I see in common use now, is most often applied to women that are, shall we say, strong willed. Strong-willed, independent, outspoken, uppity, uncompromising = bitch.

How did the word evolve? Glad you asked.

From the Online Etymology Dictionary:

“bitch

O.E. bicce, probably from O.N. bikkjuna "female of the dog" (also fox, wolf, and occasionally other beasts), of unknown origin. Grimm derives the O.N. word from Lapp pittja, but OED notes that "the converse is equally possible." As a term of contempt applied to women, it dates from c.1400; of a man, c.1500, playfully, in the sense of "dog." In modern (1990s, originally black English) slang, its use with ref. to a man is sexually contemptuous, from the "woman" insult.

"BITCH. A she dog, or doggess; the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman, even more provoking than that of whore." ["Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," 1811]

The adj. bitchy "bad-tempered" (usually of females) is first attested 1925. The verb meaning "to complain" is at least from 1930, perhaps from the sense in bitchy, perhaps influenced by the verb meaning "to bungle, spoil," which is recorded from 1823. But bitched in this sense seems to echo M.E. bicched "cursed, bad," a general term of opprobrium (e.g. Chaucer's bicched bones "(unlucky) dice"), which despite the hesitation of OED, seems certainly to be a derivative of bitch. And cf. the mid-19th century U.S. blackface minstrel song verse about women's rights movement:

When woman's rights is stirred a bit

De first reform she bitches on

Is how she can wid least delay

Just draw a pair ob britches on.

Insult son of a bitch is O.N. bikkju-sonr. Slang bitchen "good" is first attested 1950s. Bitch-goddess coined 1906 by William James; the original one was success.”

One, please note the wonderful ode on the women’s rights movement. Two, the word is, in origin, comparing a woman to an animal (an untrained one at that), a curse, complaints, spoil, and of course something worse than a whore (nothing is worse than a whore that doesn’t listen).

Knowing all of this, why is the word “bitch” so acceptable is modern vocabulary (for example, bitch is not a FCC banned word.)? We are not as tolerant of other epithets that classify a gender, race, ethic group, religious group, etc. as animals. Why can we say bitch as many times as we want by FCC regulations, but not shit and not fuck. Why? Are we really saying that it is ok to demean women, particularly the strong-willed women, but we can’t talk about excrement?

I admit that I am unnerved by the lack of attention to the insidious nature of sexism in this country and throughout the world. To me, the word bitch symbolizes it all.

Editor Geekery 2

2008-04-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Historic vs. Historical

I ran across this tidbit at a party (yes, we editors do go to parties). A book editor friend of mine was excited to tell me about her latest discovery.

From Merriam-Webster:

"Historical: adj. 1 a : of, relating to, or having the character of history historical data> b : based on history historical novels> c : used in the past and reproduced in historical presentations.

Historic: adj. a : famous or important in history historic battlefields> b : having great and lasting importance historic occasion>."

That is all to say, that anything in the past is historical, but only important or famous historical events are historic.

For example:

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was an historic event.

The Historical Society of Seattle preserves information about the history of Seattle (historic or not) in its archives.

Editor Geekery

2008-04-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I work as a technical editor at a big company here in the great Northwest. So I spend most of my days arguing minute points of grammar and the like. Now, I've decided to share my favorite finding with you all. I'll call the posts, "Editor Geekery," and I hope you all enjoy (but don't edit) them! ;-)

Below vs. Under

Under and Below can be used interchangeably, for the most part.

Now that, that is said. Under is more specific than below, indicating a vertical relationship between objects. While below references anything that is at a lower place, but does not require that it be lined up.

There are, of course, many little rules that allow for the two to be reversed, but as a whole this is the way it is for most of their usages.

Under is the antonym of over. Below is the antonym of above.

Submission Status Feb/March

2008-04-11T18:50:00.001-07:00

520
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

2/19 Sniff (fiction)--Abyss & Apex

2/22 Nomad (poetry)--Strange Horizons

2/22 La Busqueda (poetry)--Strange Horizons

3/31 A Tale of Two Heads: The Wenton Family Retrospective(fiction)--Writers of the Future

********************************************************

All are still pending

Urban Sky

2008-03-31T14:48:00.001-07:00

Urban Sky
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

Another story off to Writers of the Future. Hope it goes well. :-)

Belt Test

2008-03-19T11:08:00.001-07:00

Belt Test
Originally uploaded by Nic Launceford

My friend, Nic, who took this photo, calls this my "Bruce Lee" face. LOL. For those of you who are interested, I passed my test! It was really fun and hard. Woohoo!

Kung Fu Kickin'

2008-03-13T14:48:00.001-07:00

That's me doing part of my breaking test for my black belt in TKD. Tonight, though, is my first belt test in Kajukenbo. I have to admit to being a bit nervous. I am testing for my orange belt, so wish me luck.

Published works

2008-03-06T15:24:00.001-08:00

I thought I would post this article here, in case you all wanted to see what I do for a day job. Ok, I don't work for newspapers anymore, but I really believe in making the transition to a low-impact lifestyle, so I wrote this piece for "The Healing Path."

Enjoy!

Politics and feminism

2008-03-06T10:42:00.001-08:00

Chair
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I don't normally allow politics to invade my blog, but I really feel like this article is an article that everyone should read (no matter who they are voting for in this election--or not voting at all).

I am a feminist who makes no apologies to anyone for my beliefs, and it makes me sad to think that there are women out there that are still too afraid to tell men--and other women--that they feel like sexism is still and a national and international problem. I can still vividly remember what made me into the feminist activist I am today. I still thank those powerful women and men in my life that exposed me to these philosophies and set me on the course of growing up proud to be a woman.

I hope one day my sisters (currently not even teenagers), will see a woman running for president and NOT hear people yelling for the candidate "iron my shirt", and not see people imply that a known wife batterer should have married the candidate (presumably to kill her or put her in place), or watch the media criticize her for her husband's indiscretions. Hillary may not be your candidate, but she is a brave woman who is going through what most of us go through in a day, week, month, and lifetime; she's just going through it on prime time.

I was 13 years old when I started on this journey. By the time I was 15, I experienced my first true act of misogyny. That's sad. I hope that the next generation of women never experience what I have, and certainly not so young.

Sweet and Sassy

2008-02-20T12:27:00.001-08:00

Sweet and Sassy
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

This photo is a proud moment for me. I got the coloring, lighting, and focus all in a row. Sweet!

On writing:

I sent Sniff off to Abyss & Apex. We'll see how it fairs there.

Open Studio

2008-02-19T10:14:00.001-08:00

The ring and me
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

Our open studio party went well this weekend. Lots of people showed up to the event, and we got tons of photos (I, personally, got over 200). I am slowly posting them to my flickr site. The posted here is one the boy took, which shows off my favorite light in my studio, the ring light. It was called "The make everyone beautiful light" by a couple people at the party. I can't be more happy that we built it.

On Writing:

I am feeling a new wave of confidence since getting the HM for Writers of the Future. I have submitted Sniff to a magazine that I think it has a great chance at today. In the meantime, I am working on my new WIP.

Writers of the Future contest!

2008-02-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

I just got the call! I got an honorable mention for the lst quarter of the contest for Sniff! I am super happy! Woohoo!

Oh, it is such a frivolous post but ...

2008-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

I got really cool new boots! Observe:

Washington State Primary

2008-02-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

This is a political post that applies to residents of Washington State.

From the Washington State Democrats site:

"You may have received an absentee ballot for the February 19th Primary. The Primary will not count toward picking the Democratic candidate."

If you want your vote to count, you will need to attend your district caucus on Feb. 9th. I’m sure many of you knew this, but I didn’t and I just mailed in my absentee ballot believing that that was enough.

http://www.wa-democrats.org/

Out of Poverty

2008-02-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

This is shameless plug for my step uncle's book, Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail.

My step uncle, Paul Polak, has got to be one of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He is passionate, intelligent, and 100 percent dedicated to his cause. In the time the I have known him, he has be listed in Scientific American as one of eight visionaries who can positively impact the future of our planet over the next 50 years, ended poverty for 17 million dollar-a-day farmers, and started a new organization called "Design for the Other 90 Percent", which is partially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Go check out his book and his work. :)

Biased Sample and the Spotlight Fallacy

2008-01-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while since I’ve highlighted a logic fallacy, but after the most recent non-fiction book I read, I felt compelled to start again.

The Spotlight Fallacy

I am highlighting this fallacy, as it really is being exemplified in the media right now (or always really, but I have a timely example right now).

This fallacy is a simple one. It is when a person assumes that all people of a type or group share the exact same characteristic(s)as those being spotlighted in the media or receiving the most attention.

Examples:

“All black men are violent; I see it on the news all the time.”

“Kids these days are so much more violent; I see all these stories about school violence."

Pretty poor logic to depend on rumors and the media to determine what a class of people are like--which can’t be done anyway, as people are chaotic systems and it is best to judge them on a individual level. In fact, racial profiling started and failed by this logic fallacy.

My most recent example, as it is really starting to agitate me, is with presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. I honestly overheard a conversation a Seattle tea shop between two men that went like this:

Person A: “Hillary’s voting demographic is clearly women."

Person B: “Is that enough to win?”

Person A: “Well, it’s not all women, just women that hate their husbands or are divorced.”

Person B: “There can’t be that many feminists.”

The assumption is in this conversation is that all feminists hate men and are divorced, angry women. Why does this come up? Well, look at who the media tends to highlight as feminist and/or who people talk about when talking about feminism. For example, on a number of occasions when I have said that I identify with feminist thought, I get a lot of questions (almost none about the actual philosophy or reason). Here is a selection of my favorites:

1. Are you gay?

2. Are you and your husband having problems?

3. But you aren’t ugly, why would you want to hang out with those women?

Why do people jump to these conclusion? Spotlight fallacy. It is the same reason people assume that all Muslims are terrorists that blow people up (as per the news reels), and the same reason people see all Americans as loud, violent, and obnoxious.

Back to the tea shop. When these men imagined who would vote for Ms. Clinton, they immediately presumed that it would be her ilk, feminists. Is she a feminist? Well, that axiom was not established through any formal logic; it was assumed because these men saw her as angry and hating husband (circles, circles).

Think what you will about these topics, but please use good logic. Otherwise, it makes my brain smoke.

Another Day

2008-01-28T11:58:00.001-08:00

Another Filter
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

On Photography:

I took this photo yesterday at the Seattle Arboretum. It was a great day, and the Winter Garden was in full bloom. I fixed the color in Photoshop, as it was a little blown out.

On Writing:

I sent off the first four chapters of my second novel to my critique group yesterday. I am super excited to hear back from them. :D

Non-fiction writing

2008-01-24T21:14:00.001-08:00

January 24
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I am currently reading a book about Seattle ghost stories, which I was so excited about. I have to say, though, that I am truly disappointed in the writing. It is clunky, poorly arranged, and, well, juvenile sounding. I was really looking forward to reading this book and using it as research for my next project, but it is just too weak on information. Half the book cites sources of information as a friend of a friend (FoF). In short, nothing is verifiable in the book. Not that I expect ghost stories to be verified, but I do expect crimes to substantiate and verified. You know?

The odd thing is that so much of the non-fiction I read is no where up to the same quality of the fiction I read. Are there just looser standards for the non-fiction market?

Writing ...

2008-01-23T13:43:00.001-08:00

January 23
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I ran across this excellent post about writing short stories. I really think it offers solid, real world advice for fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction writers. My favorite bit, as it can never be said too much:

"3. Get your best ammunition on the first page. Put whatever makes this science fiction or fantasy up front. Also, don't start with an extended scene that only functions as an info dump. If you think you need a prologue, try breaking the information up instead and salting it throughout the story. Prologues can slow down a reader's immersion in the story."

Tired but happy

2008-01-22T20:22:00.001-08:00

January 17
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

On Writing:

I am about 800 words into a new short story. It is very Hemingway, but it's nice to switch up the voice.

On Photography:

I learned how to hand color photos with Photoshop! I am super excited about that (note the photo)!

On Reading:

I am reading the worst non-fiction book ever! I cannot believe the logic flaws with this thing. Go ahead an expect a logic rant in the next day or two (you'll like that Written).

Sniff

2008-01-16T11:23:00.001-08:00

January 14
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I got this nice note from the Writers of the Future contest:

"Dear Contestant,

Your story arrived and has been entered in the 1st quarter 2008 competition. We will have results in the next 8 to 10 weeks. Winners will be notified personally and the results posted on our blog, which you can access through our web site which is www.writersofthefuture.com. Good luck!!
Best, Joni Labaqui - Director"

Honestly, that was a nice note to get. I didn't even submit via the Web, they pulled my address off of my submission form.

It was strange to me that I was so please about getting this, but I think it really points to the nature of the publishing business. As in, I feel respected as a writer, which is nice. Maybe I am just in a winter blues cycle, but I don't feel like most agents or editors are very kind (sorry). I have run into some really great agents and editors, but for the most part the industry personality is terse and cold.

After that bit of less than positive attitude, I give you some great editors that I think are supportive and kind in their responses (this is in no way a comprehensive list, so please add to it for me):

JJA (whose timely responses and rejectomancy fun are always appreciated)
Sean Melican (who wrote me a really nice critique)
Eric Marin (timely, nice, and professional)

Rejection

2008-01-08T11:55:00.001-08:00

4/365
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I sometimes think that being a successful writer is one percent talent, 10 percent ambition, and 89 percent being able to handle rejection.

One of my favorite short stories was rejected last night (form rejection) for the fifth time. I really believe in the story, but I do have to question how much my belief is pride and how much is actually warranted. I have a very hard time having an objective perspective on my work. I have a "love it" or "hate it" problem. Edits are tedious on good days and crushing on bad days. That's the problem with being involved with the arts, there are no good metrics by which is measure yourself and have an objective result. I can't step up to a scale and weigh a story ,or run it and have the results come back with a "bug free" status. So when do you give up on a story? How far do you push "perseverance"?

11 years

2008-01-04T13:21:00.001-08:00

2/365
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

Today is my anniversary. I got married 11 years ago. It's hard to remember that day, but it is still the best decision I ever made.

My strongest memories from that day:

It was 70 degrees outside (the wedding was in Colorado)
I just finished finals (only one semester to go)
I wore white Doc Martens
My husband looked so charming (and still does)

On point

2008-01-03T14:10:00.001-08:00

1/365
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

On Photography:

Boy, I need to make it into the studio. If I shoot one more photo of a dog in my office, I am going to pop.

On Writing:

I am writing an article for a magazine called, "Healing Path" right now. That is taking up most of my writing time. It is a 1400 word story, so I am in knee deep.

On Writers:

The PNWA and I are so close to having a spot for our meeting, which is tentatively set for February 15th. If it all works out, we will be meeting at Elliot Bay Bookstore and the topic will be Speculative Fiction and where is it is headed.

Dog sitting

2007-12-21T17:45:00.001-08:00

Kobe
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I am dog sitting my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law's dog. He is super cute, but man oh man, two dogs in the house are a handful.

On writing:

A whole lotta nothing today.

On writers:

I am talking to a second place about hosting our event. This first one meet up will be for the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction writers here in Seattle.

On Photography:

I am looking forward to getting down to my studio space this weekend. My studio mates and I are about to buy a whole bunch of new lights and reflectors. Hooray for new toys!

Trying to galvanize the troops

2007-12-20T15:26:00.001-08:00

Nic's Nic
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

On writing:

I am still waiting on the last reader, but I feel really good about the new short. I am entering it in a contest, so wish me luck.

On writers:

I am working with my local writers association (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) to start a writer discussion group. I just contacted a great independent book seller here in Seattle to see if they would be willing to let us hold our meetings at their store. I really hope this all works out, as I truely believe that writers need to support each other.

When I was at the writer's conference this summer, I realized how little writer community there is in the Northwest, which is sad considering how many writers there are in these parts. The other thing that really struck me was how much writers worship at the foot of editors and agents. Don't get me wrong, they do great (and difficult) work, but without writers, they have no industry. Still, I saw so many writer debasing themselves in front of these people. I want to start a positive writer community that really focuses on us, the writers, as artists and valuable members of the publishing world (as opposed to the unwashed masses that so many writers see themselves as in this world).

He likes it! Hey, Mikey!

2007-12-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

On writing:

Two of my readers (one is my mom and the other is from my writing group) liked the new ending! I tell you now, I totally feel like it is a major accomplishment to get these two to like what I've written. Move over editors, my mom finally likes something I wrote (mom is also a writer and editor).

I have one more person that is reading the story(other member of the writing group), and then it will be off to its literary destination!

I kicked that story's butt!

2007-12-18T11:14:00.001-08:00

19/365
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

On Writing:

I sent out the short story to my first readers. It was well received, but the resolution was an issue again. I just can't quite wrap this puppy up in a totally satisfactory way. I thought about it for a couple of more hours last night, and I added some more clarifying descriptions. Now, it is off to the second readers. If this doesn't fly, I am going to cry!

It is done

2007-12-14T14:41:00.001-08:00

Nicole
Originally uploaded by Nic Launceford

On Writing:

I finished the last additions to my story and did a paper edit. Now, it's off to my critique group. I wish I had more readers on the piece, but you got what you got.

On Photography:

I am headed down to the studio tonight or tomorrow to work with our studio lights some more. Here's to that working out for me *crosses fingers*

This scene will work or else ...

2007-12-13T15:55:00.001-08:00

32/365
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

On writing:

Still working on the short story. I dreamed up a new ending. Now, I just need to implement it. :-)

Madison!

2007-12-12T14:23:00.001-08:00

Madison!
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

This is my dog, Madison. She almost looks fierce in this photo.

Photography:
I took her down to the studio this weekend to work on portraits with her, but she channeled her inner-energy demon and just ran the length of the studio for an hour or two instead.

Writing:
I am working on refining a short story of mine that I had a lot of feedback on from editors I sent it to. The major complaint was with the resolution. So, I am reworking the ending today. Hopefully, I will be sending it back out this month.

Studio shot

2007-12-12T02:43:00.001-08:00

Studio shot
Originally uploaded by Nicole.Kelly

I've been away for a bit. This (photo right) is my current time suck.

In writing news, I have decided to start looking for a new agent. I am a bit bummed about the last one, but what can you do?

21 days later ...

2007-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

I got a form rejection from Ideomancer for Blink. I reread the piece, as my last submission to them got me a long and personal rejection. I still feel strongly that it is a good story, but I do admit I took a lot of risks with the piece. So, off it goes again into the great world of literary reviews.

Steampunk

2007-10-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

I have to admit to a love for the steampunk genre. This particular alternate history concept really captured my imagination, but what is really doing it for me right now is the rest of the people who are caught up in the genre. The steampunk subculture is just so ... for lack of a better word .. neato! Check out this site http://steampunkworkshop.com/lcd.shtml?WANT

The mod on that computer is absolutely astounding!

Review--A Wild Sheep Chase

2007-09-26T18:59:00.001-07:00

Book Review

I am really slow to decide whether I liked a book or not, so my reviews are pretty slow in coming. All the same, for the sake of furthering my understanding my own writing, I am going to post reviews of the books I’ve recently finished.

A Wild Sheep Chase (1989)

This book, the third in a series, was Haruki Murakami’s U.S. breakout novel, and it is clear how this powerful, and often pensive novel, made it past the U.S. market border.

On the surface, the book focuses on a quest that the protagonist must go on to avoid having his life destroyed by a man that is only know as “the boss.” The narrator (we never get a name), and his girlfriend (“the girl with perfect ears”) set out to find a mysterious sheep that may or may not be pivotal to the boss’s existence. Along the way, the narrator realizes that an old friend is somehow connected to the sheep and possible the boss. This friend, “the rat,” becomes the focus of how to find one sheep in all of Japan.

The story takes us from urban Tokyo to the very rural Japan in an ever-increasingly bizarre adventure. This story is what I would call literary speculative fiction, as a number of important elements of the story depend of paranormal events. I ended up really liking the book, but it was definitely not a quick or light read. I suppose you could breeze through it, taking in only the quest plot, but what I liked most about the story was the focus on the various character’s interpretation of what was important in life, the quest, and each other. I can’t whole-heartedly recommend the book, but when you are feeling adventurous and patient, pick it up and follow Murakami on his mental hike through human spirit.

Stars (out five)

3.5

San Juan Island Picture Share

2007-09-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't it beautiful!

Relaxing weekend

2007-09-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

I spent my weekend up on the San Juan Islands. It was so relaxing, I didn't get a ounce of writing in all weekend. In truth, I sat talked with friends and pondered the ridiculous nature of elitism (essentialist and reductionist philosophies as a cornerstone, which are there as a means of controlling group membership). It has shaken a couple ideas out of my noggin, so let's see if I can't get some more short stories out this year.

Submissions--Blink

2007-09-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

I have my newest story out at Ideomancer right now. It's only been a week, but I am always so surprised how impatient I can get about hearing back. I have so much confidence in this piece that I know it will find a home, but I particularly like Ideomancer. They are a great magazine, and they are very respectful to writers (I actually got a good deal of feedback from Sean Melican about a piece I sent in to them about six months ago). I think I might be done sending into F&SF, Asimov, and Analog. In fact, I think I'd rather run with this crowd--Strange Horizons, Lone Star Stories, etc-- as they print very cutting edge speculative fiction instead of recycling the same authors and stories over and over. I think these magazines take more risks, which leads me to finding some of the coolest stories and new authors. Hooray for small presses, magazines, and publications!

*crossing fingers and toes for mah story*

I couldn't resist ...

2007-09-20T12:21:00.001-07:00

Writing Marcom

2007-09-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am writing a pamphlet today for my work's new "big" product. I am always amazed how different it is to write marketing material compared to any other form of writing (except poetry). Grammar rules go out the window with phrases like:

Access our powerful magic from home! (commanding isn't it).
or
Know your magical item is safe with us. (I feel safe, don't you).

No wonder we all talk in sentence fragments: it is the most common reading we do these days (billboards, etc.). Then I started wondering, is it really wrong, or does it just annoy me. I mean, most editors or writers agree that that grammar is 70 percent solid rules and 30 percent opinion. Still, it makes my red pen twitch.

Confessions of an editor (and writer)

2007-09-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

I can never remember if it is congradualations or congratulations. I look it up every time.

Lay, lie, lying ... it's best to let cranky editors lie ... or is that lay ...

I abuse semicolons.

I am scared of colons.

I leave words out ALL the time.

I put the wrong word more often than I like to admit. ;-)

When I need to edit, I procrastinate by writing.

When I need to write, I procrastinate by editing.

Spell check is my friend.

Cut and Paste is my enemy (it is only in combo that I really get into trouble).

Style? Isn't that a magazine.

I still can't figure out when to use a dash to any good end (but I do hate them).

The reason for all the quiet

2007-09-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

I recently got the bright idea to buy a new house. My life has been swallowed by getting my condo ready for sale. Dear dog, it is more work than I ever expected. I have been dreaming (or nightmaring) about painting, tiling, and cleaning.

Why does my dog ...

2007-08-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Why does my dog lick walls? I know that there is nothing to eat there; I just washed them. Still, she licks them, the paper in my office, the lava lamp, and her favorite bath tub. I can only guess that she experiences the world more profoundly through her sense of taste. Then again, I thought dogs had an underdeveloped sense of taste.

On the note of dogs, what do you think about stories that are told from the prospective of animals, in which they maintained their "animal" nature (i.e. Animal Farm doesn't count, but Startide Rising does)? Are they always a little campy in your mind, or can you think of a story that really pulled it off?

Cats ...

2007-08-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

Go here.

It has nothing to do with writing, but it cracked me up.

An awesome discussion brewing ...

2007-08-22T23:25:00.001-07:00

Go check out this post. I think the post, and the following discussion thread, is really cool*.

*I'm not just saying that it is cool because I wrote a near novel-length comment. *blush*

Harry Potter Review

2007-08-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

I know I am super late on this, but I really have to throw my two cents into the Deathly Hallows ring. I read the book about three weeks ago, but I wanted to think about it before I posted my thoughts on the matter.

First, I’d like to say that the series, as a whole, is good. Ms. Rowling did a good job of telling a very long and involved story. She clearly managed to reach out well beyond the believed market for such stories.

Now down to the nitty gritty …

I really didn’t like Deathly Hallows for many reasons. There, I said it! I know that lots of people are going to wildly disagree with me on this, but I really feel pretty strongly about it. There are several reasons for my not liking the book, and most of those reasons revolve around rule breaking and logic errors. I know, I am an uptight reader about things like this, but I really want the writer to make it work it out correctly, as in, in accordance with the rules of the world. In my writing group, this is the first thing any of us will point out in the each others’ stories. It is so important! So where did she fall down, in my opinion?

1. The elder wand. The rule was that the elder wand couldn’t be defeated in a duel, yet that is how Dumbledore won it from Grindelwald. Bad. Bad. Bad.

2. The final duel. What weird logic was that? Really? Harry can defeat Voldemort because he defeated Malfoy and took his wand, and Malfoy is the rightful owner of the elder wand? So, somehow the elder wand knows that its true owner (Malfoy) was defeated while using a different want and now must belong to Harry? I don’t buy it.

3. More Final Duel. Nor do I buy that a teenager (and not a well-studied one at that) defeats the most powerful wizard of all time, who is currently using the unbeatable wand, with a simple disarming spell. Sorry, it doesn’t fly with me. You know what I would have believed? I would have totally bought into the concept that the horcruxes held his power, as well as his soul. Thus, if the majority of the horcruxes were destroyed, so was the majority of his power. This would clear the way for Harry to defeat him easily, but this would also mean anyone else could have done the same, too.

4. The epilogue was horrid. I wish I hadn’t read it, truthfully.
I could go on, but I am afraid of the rabid Potter fans. On that note, until this book, I was a pretty rabid fan.

A swing and a miss

2007-08-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

It was no love from F&SF. So off Blink goes to Strange Horizons.

:(

Now for the random question

2007-08-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know the average time it takes a letter to go from Seattle to NYC? How about Boston to NYC?

The best thing about ...

2007-08-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

The best thing about a writing group is that it motivates me to write. I just shipped off my newest short story to Fantasy & Science Fiction. It's great to have things going out again. I have to admit that after being orphaned at my literary agency (not being immediately picked up by the other agents), I've been feeling a bit down about sending anything off.

Well, wish me luck.

Clarion West

2007-08-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

I was recently looking into science fiction and fantasy writer seminars and workshops, and I ran across the Clarion workshops, again. I run into this seminar, boot camp, writer heaven every couple of months while looking for cool writer retreats, etc. Here's my question though, who has time to take six weeks off of work? And if you could take that time off, who could move into a dorm for that time? I don't and can't, so I just never get to go check it out, which totally bums me out. Not only is it a great workshop, but its name will carry you far into the industry.

I know I'm whining, but I feel a bit down today about it all. Trying to build two careers simultaneously is feeling more and more daunting. Maybe next year I can make it to Orson Scott Card's writer boot camp; it also has a good name in the industry and is supposedly amazing.

:(

PNWA Part 2 –The Bad

2007-07-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

This year my main complaint is that this conference has grown too big for the convention center we use.

For the last three years that I have been to this conference, it’s been held at the Hilton by Seatac airport. The last two years, it’s been a little tight, but manageable. This year though, man, what a difference a year makes. For anyone who has attended writers conferences, you know that one of the major thrusts of the conference is the agent and editor meetings.* Seeing that these appointments happen throughout the time of the conference, this means people have to leave classes early or come in late in order to make their appointments. Now, when the class in mostly empty, you barely notice, but when the room is darn near standing room only, it gets loud. In one of my classes, a person came or went every two minutes or so. Needless to say, I learned to sit in the front of the room, so I could hear everything being said and not be too distracted by the door opening and closing.

I must stress that I am not the least bit upset with the people for coming and going; they had agents to meet with and those meetings are only five minutes, so no sense in doing nothing for the hour and half that the classes run when you could be attending one. My complaint is: we need to move to a space that is more accommodating for the increased interest in the conference (better parking would be good, too).

The only other thing I can think of is something my husband brought up today. It would be great to see more community building activities at conferences. He pointed out that most of the time we were there people were either dealing with pitching their book or sitting in a classroom being lectured at by a presenter. This, though, is on people like me. I didn’t go volunteer to help set up writer roundtables, so I only have myself to blame. Speaking of which, I will be writing PNWA today to try to get of the conference committee, so I can arrange for activities that encourage writers to network and talk about their experiences. On that note, if anyone can make suggestions to me about good community building activities that could occur within the confines of a writers conference, please leave me a comment, and I’ll add it to my letter to the PNWA board.

*For those new to all of this, those are appointments that attendees have with various industry agents and editors. During the time of your meetings, you can pitch your book directly to an agent and/or editor.

PNWA Conference Part 1 – The Good

2007-07-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

I am going to chat about the conference in three parts: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I have to say that I am continually impressed with PNWA for managing to pull together some top-notch presenters. This year I took classes from:

Louise Marley (awesome science fiction writer from these parts).
Alice B. Acheson (publicist)
Scott Driscoll (writer)
Rick Mofina (writer; he was an excellent presenter)
Kat McKean (agent)
Ginger Clark (agent)
James F. David (writer)
Kat Richardson (local writer of urban fantasy)

I put Ms. Marley at the top because I really believe that any writer would benefit from a class with her. She was teaching a class about pacing and point of view, and I was concerned that it would be too basic to be interesting. Instead, she really made a lot of things make sense to me that have been eluding me for awhile now. Ms. Marley has a lot to offer to everyone; I even saw a well-published author there taking notes.

My next favorite presenter was Rick Mofina. He is a thriller writer and a journalist. If you write thrillers, or have thriller aspects to your stories, this guy is a whiz at breaking down what elements need to be present in your story. He also has tons of interesting war stories from his years working the cops and crime beat for a major Canadian newspaper.

Alice Acheson was a surprise treat. I went to her class about marketing because I know that as my book moves past the agent stage (here’s hoping that the agency sells it soon), I want to be a big part of promoting my book. Ms. Acheson was wonderful. First, she handed out a timeline that shows the process from the acceptance of the manuscript at the publishers to the book being on the shelves. She talked a lot about when you need to push and how you can help your in-house publicist (who probably has a 100 clients) promote your book. Awesome!

They rest of the presenters were excellent. I am truly happy with what I learned at the conference.

Three cheers for more tools in the bucket!

Editor's Diary

2007-07-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

“Day 241: My captors continue to torment me with bizarre guidelines and conflicted editors. They receive lavish pay in my presence while I am forced to subsist on minimal benefits, no days off, and, of course, the vendor. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of eventual escape … that, and the satisfaction I get from occasionally forcing logic into the workplace. I fear I may be going insane”

Was he really evil? Reification

2007-07-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

This fallacy, one I hear so frequently in arguments—especially Lincoln-Douglass debate style—as to make me want to shake my head and throw in the towel. Let me offer you all a quick definition, and then I will move on to discuss its role in literature and the problem it presents in making a plot valid (does the plot makes logical sense?).

Reification is the logic fallacy where an abstraction is treated as a concrete, real, physical, and discrete entity. To rephrase, it is the error of treating something as a "real thing" that is not real. For example, let us look quickly at the concept of ultimate truth. Where is it? Who owns it? What about freedom, liberty, good, bad, right, wrong?

*Now let me quickly note before I get swooped down on for this, let me say that reification can be acceptable in literature when it is used as a metaphor. To use it in a logical argument, however, is a fallacy.*

So what the problem here? Well, let’s examine the concept of evil in speculative fiction. If you are going to say that evil exists in your writing, you have to prove it. Some of your characters could believe that, say, vampires are evil and say as much, but if you want me to really believe that as an axiom, tell me where the evil is in the body. The thing is, you could have a vampire story in which the vampires never kill anyone. It could be just a biological need to drink blood, but it doesn’t have to be human, and they don’t have to kill to get it; they could just “sip” on something for a bit. Thus, you’ll need to prove to me that they are evil if you going to use it as an axiom.

In the show, Buffy, for instance, vampires are demons in human suits. They prove demons are evil; they are totally bent on killing all humans and retaking this realm for their own. Ok, I buy it; they’re evil. To expand, if two life forms are wholly incompatible to the point of needing to destroy each other so the other may exist, fine. If a race of creatures landed on earth and needed to change the atmosphere so that their nitrogen-breathing race could live here, and well, that does away with us, and it’s an irreconcilable problem that easily lends itself to the concept of this race as “evil.”

I am not claiming that I need to know exactly what part of the brain is enlarged to make a man “evil” (although that would make an excellent story; the discovery of the homicide gene and how society would deal with it), but I want to know that this is backed up by something real.

When does it drive me crazy? When the author of a book has one of the characters explain that they cannot work with character X, because they are evil and everyone is just fine with that as a reason despite the fact that if character X were brought in, the heroes would then have the subject-matter expert they needed to solve the problem. As a reader, character x seems like a totally fine person, if a bit odd, and I mostly feel like the author didn’t want to have to come up with a good reason to omit that character from the situation.

“But sir, if we just talk to Igor, we can get that information,” said Walt, the loyal right-hand man.

“No, Walt, we won’t lower ourselves to work with people like him; he’s a mercenary,” responded Dick, the terribly heroic boss.

“If we don’t, it could take days to track down the information,” said Walt.

“Well, that’s the path we must tread then as honorable men,” said Dick.

Oh please! Give me a good reason like:

“If we go to Igor, he’ll know that we are looking into the theft of the Golden Almond, and he’ll try for it himself.”

“Igor buys and sells information. If we buy the information about who last had the map to the Golden Almond, then he’ll sell that information to the next sot who wants to know who’s looking into the map. That could include our thief!”

See, not so hard to justify why the characters were precluded from an activity without having to treat evil as a concrete thing. You know, show us why instead of just telling us why.

The seemingly apparent quirk of writers

2007-07-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, later today I will be writing another entry in my logic series (at the request of the Written Wyrdd). In the meantime, I want to quickly look at writers’ quirks, or at least their writing quirks.

My writing quirk is pretty amusing to me, as it really highlights a part of my personality that I both love and, well, less love. I’m sure my quirk is not amusing to my editor friends or my agent. I, apparently, love the works “thus” and “therefore.” One of beta readers for my first novel pointed it out to me, as in, he highlighted how many times I used the words in a given chapter. It was bad. Think a dozen or more.

This all brings me to yesterday when I was talking to an editor friend of mine (she edits non-fiction books for a publisher in these parts) and her reaction was:

“So you really like to summarize your thoughts and bring them to a logical conclusion.”

I’d never really thought of it that way, but, uh, yeah, exactly. My need to makes sense of things, summarize them, and fit them into their boxes had reared its well groomed head again. I really had to laugh.

I chatted more with said editor about some of my fellow writers, and told her about one of the quirks of my husband’s writing. In his writing, he uses the word “seem” often and by often, I mean once or twice a page. As a note, he knows this and finds it funny, too. Every time I saw it in his writing, I would underline it, as to bring attention to it. To me, “seem” is a weak word.

The place “seemed” to be filled with disreputable sorts.

She “seemed” to be angry.

ARG! It all seems so weak! ;-) I say go for it; tell us how it is or show us how it is.

The place was filled with people more concerned with brandishing their weapons than their personal hygiene.

The place was teeming with the kind of people who would love to take a cop, any cop, down a notch or two.

She was spitting mad.

She turned red, turned away, and turned to him. I don’t think she appreciated my response.

I could keep on with this, but I’ll spare all of you. So my editor friend, who was totally on my side on the matter, really nailed it for why ambiguous wording can be very problematic to your writing. For her, when an author leaves the reality open of the novel with a “seem,” he/she is implying there might be a plot twist based on this moment. For example:

The wind “seems” to be carrying the sent of smoke.

In this case, my friend, would be waiting to find out what the actual scent was. Because in a plot nothing happens without reason (that’s left for stories), readers read a lot into the way we structure our sentences, the exact wording, the rules the world, etc. How many times have you argued that a character could still be alive due to one word in the death scene? I can think of at least one case for me (Sirius Black, BTW, is alive; I know it!).

There you go. Quirks!

Finalists announced

2007-06-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

As it was, I didn't make the cut this year, but a big shout out to those who did! On a personal note, I can't wait to get my critiques back from the judges.

The thing that surprised me about this contest; I thought this was an amateur contest, as in only unpublished authors. Apparently not so, as at least one of the finalists in my category appears to have a book out. No, it's not sour grapes, but I'm still surprised, as the major prize at this conference (very small cash prizes) is meeting editors and agents.

Why do you think, is it a good practice to toss amateurs and professional writers in the same ring? Does it just sharpen our young claws, or push us out of the way of potential breaks into the industry?

Genres ... oh the misery

2007-06-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe someone here can help me.

I am almost done with my WIP, which is a thriller novel. I consider it mainstream fiction, and it has the literary form of a thriller, one set in the near future (next 50 years).
So my question is this: Is "thriller" its own genre in the genre fiction range, or is it a flavor of mainstream commercial fiction? Also, do you think that its setting being in the future means that it by definition needs to be classified as science fiction?

PNWA contest

2007-06-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

I just heard that they have sent all the finalist their notification, so if I am a finalist, I should know this week. On the downside, apparently they don't notify non-winners until after the conference. I have to say that that kind of irked me. Now, before I get flamed, I actually acted as a judge this year (no, I'm not saying what category, except it was not the one I entered), so I know that all my critiques went back to the category chair months ago. So what's the problem with just sending out a rejection notice? If anyone if reading this because they are looking for more information, this is a great blog to look at (for many reasons beyond the contest, too).

Audio Books

2007-06-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

I have long held a prejudice against audio books. It wasn't a terribly rational prejudice (are any such things really?), but all the same there it was lurking around in my consciousness. I did make one exception, which was for Lord of the Rings. My husband really wanted me to read the books with him, but I was in school full time, and working the rest of the time, so I couldn't figure out how to squeeze time in for a book that I really didn't care that much for--I know, how could I, but I couldn't get past the language issue. So, in short, he bought the audio book for LOR, and every night before bed, I would lie in bed and listen to the story. I liked it, the book, and the practice. Still, I didn't buy another audio book, well, until last month.

What changed my mind is simple; I have a 20 minute commute to work every day. It takes 20 to get there and more like 30 to get home. The first weeks I would call my mom on the way home (hands free device, I promise); she likes to talk on a daily basis, so I figured it was a good solution to commuting boredom and mom's desires (no offense mom). Still, after three weeks even she was tired of the daily calls. I tried the radio, which never works for me, as my taste in music is a bit off the pop beaten path. NPR gets old, and I commute at off times, etc, etc. So it was, as I was wandering the aisles of my favorite Seattle bookstore (Elliot Bay Bookstore) that my husband brought up the idea of audio books again. On a whim, I bought one. It was a reading of a book, A Wild Sheep Chase, that I've wanted to read for about seven years now, but for one reason or another, I never got to it.

One week after getting the audio book, my husband got a contract at the same place that I was working, so we began commuting together. With each other to talk to, the grand plan of enriching myself on the way to work was cast aside for the more entertaining talk about friends, our house, and our nutty dog. I swear, Mr. Murakami, it isn't you; it's me.

All this lands me to today, when I finally decided to upload the book to my iPod, so I could listen to it while working on some of my more mundane tasks. While uploading it, I starting listening. The book, and the reading, is just brilliant. All of my snobbishness about audio books flew out the window as I found myself drawn into the story within five minutes. Now, I can't wait for tomorrow's commute.

Under the veil

2007-06-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! I'll have to comment on this later, but for now, go read it.

Stay on target

2007-06-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

I am now officially in my literary contest target zone. Or better put, they are announcing the finalist in the next couple of weeks. I am super excited! This one is through the writer's association (PNWA) I am a member of here is the great NW. I go to the conferences every year, as they are always fun and helpful.

What about you all contests? Conferences? Seminars? Bueller?

We're #1

2007-05-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

So in this moment, I get to join with the rest of America in cheering for some great accomplishment of their city. I understand that this ritual usually surrounds sporting activities, but this is more my style.

Seattle is the most literate city in the United States!

Woohoo!

Ok, it's only so interesting. If not for the social aspect of what pushes one city above another (poverty, social programs, accessibility, blighting weather), then why we feel the need to endlessly rank, compare, and compete.

What I did with my weekend

2007-05-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

First, I know that there have been more non-writing posts than writing posts lately, which is really a reflection of the current state of things. *shrug*

So onto another non-writing post.

I took a running lesson this weekend. I know it sounds odd, as we all "know" how to run, but after complaints from a knee, I thought I better examine my biomechanics. Anyway, for anyone who is interested in such things, it was awesome! I took a Chirunning seminar*, and it really helped isolate so of my more problematic form issues. My instructor is a trail runner/marathoner, who was helpful, patient, and quite articulate. I really couldn't be happier. So, here's to me running and NOT hurting my knees. *grin*

*As a note, I rarely think seminars are that useful, but this was a totally different experience for me.

This is really neat

2007-05-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

"Asked to design a fitting repository for a client’s valuable collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and artifacts, architect Peter Archer went to the source—the fantasy novels that describe the abodes of the diminutive Hobbits.

'I came back my client and said, ‘I’m not going to make this look like Hollywood,’' Archer recalled, choosing to focus instead on a finely-crafted structure embodying a sense of history and tradition"

My turn

2007-05-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Written Wyrdd

Here are the rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here is goes:

1. I practice Kajukenbo, but I have my 2nd Dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

2. I refuse to have broadcast TV in my house, but I rent TV shows.

3. I'm vegetarian (for about 15 years now).

4. My brother used to make space boxes. ;-)

5. I wrote my first major fiction work when I was 13 (it was a play).

6. I used to want to be a chemist, like my dad.

7. I still feel odd for not majoring in a science (I got my degree in journalism with a secondary major in sociology).

8. The last band I played in was a marching band; that was last year.

I don't have many people to tag (who aren't already tagged), so Quinnwick will be my sole peep.

Writing blues

2007-05-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

I am in a serious writing slump. No work on the novel, the short stories, or even the blog. I feel totally blah. I've been writing more at work, so maybe that's it. Or, maybe it's all the editing I've been doing. *shrug* So far this year, I've edited two novels (writer's group), wrote an SDK (work) and various technical docs, edited various technical docs, done a conceptual edit on a non-fiction book, and judged a literary contest. I could blame those factors for my lack of writing, but I think they were more like great distractions due to the lack of writing.

I need to write a song about having the writing blues ... oh wait ... that would mean more writing.

More chairs

2007-05-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

Chair #2 (painted by my husband)

It's really pretty and sort of Seussian in design.

Chairs gone wild

2007-04-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

So this is what I did with my week. Let's start with what I started with, which were very nice chairs, but my concept of what color of furniture I want has changed in the 10 years that I've had my chairs. I didn't want to just toss them so I came up and idea.

So I thought, Hey, I should white wash these chairs and ....

paint them groovy colors. I present chair #1

Wow!

2007-04-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

I got to see one of the most fantastic speakers tonight, Angela Davis. I honestly feel privileged to have gotten the opportunity to listen to her discuss the civil rights movement, the feminist movement, and prison abolishment. I have to say that if anyone who has the opportunity to see this woman speak, they should do so. She is truly one of the greatest political activists and thinkers of our time. I'd write more, but I think I still have a lot to digest from the talk.

Again, go see her (or at least read her writings).

I beg your question?

2007-04-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

Back to the logic, or my attempts to explain it to myself and possibly others.

How familiar does this sound (if you replace the necessary project and agency)?

“Unnecessary projects like the space elevator should be abandoned by all super cool space agencies.” (great example, huh?)

The speaker will then go on to talk about all the money being spent on this frivolous project, which nobody wants. The problem is that the speaker never established that this was a project that no one wanted or thought frivolous. In order to start this argument, the speaker needed to first gain consensus that the project was unnecessary or implausible. This is “begging the question,” when an individual moves onto the safe zone of the argument while ignoring the actually problem.

In a book I read recently, I found this fallacy displayed this way. Character A started a discussion about another character by saying that Character B was worthless. Character A then went on to argue that whatever happened to Character B was justifiable because of the aforementioned worthlessness. The problem, of course, is Character B’s worth was never established.

I find that this is a major pitfall for me in my writing. I want to claim things to be a certain way, so I can move on to pushing my characters forward. For example, I just love to claim that Character X’s idea was so ridiculous, and who would waste their time doing such a stupid thing, without ever going through the extra step of providing the logic behind why the idea was wrong. Oh, I do nitpick.

For the logic nerds, here are the forms (from Wikipedia):

Formally speaking, the simplest form of begging the question follows the following structure. For some proposition p:

p implies p
suppose p
therefore, p.

However, the following structure is more common:

p implies q
q implies r
r implies p
suppose p
therefore, q
therefore, r
therefore, p.

Writing advice ...

2007-04-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am a nerd. It's true. So, as a nerd, I love reading about the craft of writing. What are your favorite writing techniques books?

My favorites are:
Writing the Breakout Novel
by Donald Maass (for writing)

and

The Insider's Guide to Getting an Agent
by Lori Perkins (agent advice)

Version control ... oh the humanity!

2007-04-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I am an editor. I work for a big software company and edit everything from press releases, to pop-up window content, to documentation. I like the work for the most part, and it keeps me really busy.

The one thing I have to say though is, version control is mucho important! I seriously just got a document set back (well into the 100+ pages range), and I have at least two versions in here. By versions, I mean v1 is what was handed to me, I edited it, becoming v1_edit or v1.1, they accepted the edits, and it became v2. I have at least one document from v1, which I edited but none of those edits are there, and another document that I wrote and that never saw an editor. Needless to say, it's a mess.

So, many of you here are writers with big novels, and presumably many of you are on your second, third, or fifth edit (that's me btw) of that novel. What system do you use to keep it all straight? Right now, I use dates in the document name (i.e. greatnovel_040407.doc). That is the name I give to my first major revision. I don't really like my system, but it works. Any better ideas?

This is my dog

2007-04-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

This is my dog, Madison. In all honesty, she means more to me than most people do. I don’t say that to be mean, just to be honest. I wake up to her, she hangs out with me, we exercise together, and she sleeps in my room every night. So, when I read about all the tainted pet food, I was quick to look up my brand and pleased to discover that she was not at risk.

Since then, I’ve been tracking this story, as it really does matter to me what is happening to other people’s pets. I have to say that outraged just doesn’t really describe how I feel. This was irresponsible at best. I thought about it a lot over the last couple of days as I’ve been seeing the number of pets killed by the food swell to nearly 8000. There was just no real response out of the company. If there was a food product on the market that killed 35-45% of humans, it would have NEVER gotten so little attention from the company and media. Maybe I am alone in this feeling, but my dog is a part of my family. I have no children; I have her. It upsets me so much to know that so many families lost someone because of a lack of response.

I remember reading Childhood’s End and reading the part when the aliens make their only real demand of humanity; they must stop needlessly harming animals. Seems so simple, doesn’t it.

How to Make No Sense While Sounding Smart

2007-03-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Man is sentient.

Man feels fear.

The aliens feel fear.

Therefore the aliens are sentient.

And that type logic fallacy is something that absolutely plagues writing. But, unlike the other fallacies that I’ve been looking at here, this one I feel is mostly accidental; the others always strike me as shortcuts gone wrong. I think most writers don’t strive to make no sense at all, or spin a story based on an obvious fallacy. Still this type of fallacy, called the Undistributed Middle Term, comes up over and over again. I most commonly see it in character stereotypes, and in the proof of intelligence arguments. I can think of several stories in which the basis of the reason the explorers went to talk to the aliens surrounded some similar to the above logic fallacy.

The Undistributed Middle Term a.k.a How to Make No Sense While Sounding Smart

Why does this form above imply logic to us? Well, if you studied logic you know immediately why: it is the form of a syllogism, or a logical argument in which the conclusion is supported by a major and minor premise. I am pretty sure, despite being four lines and not the usual three, that this counts as a syllogism at least. All the same, syllogisms are at the foundation for deductive reasoning. Some famous examples:

Major premise: All mortal things die.

Minor premise: All men are mortal things.

Conclusion: All men die.

Major premise: No reptiles have fur.

Minor premise: All snakes are reptiles.

Conclusion: No snakes have fur.

So what is an undistributed middle term? It is when minor premise and the major premise of a syllogism may or may not be relevant to each other. I think it is easiest expressed in examples.

All dogs have fur

All cats have fur

All dogs are cats

So went wrong there? It’s obvious to all of us that it is wrong, but what is the logic problem. The middle term is “cats,” which does not fit into the category of “things that have fur” and “dogs.” One cannot base a conclusion on something that hasn't been clearly proven. We, in the case, have shown no correlation between cats and dogs, besides being warm blooded. Now, if I had said:

Only dogs have fur

Cats have fur

Therefor cats are dogs.

Can you see the difference?

All mammals are warmed blooded.

All cats are mammals.

All cats are warmed blooded.

In this case, the middle term “cats” fits into both “warm blooded” and “mammals.”

So here is the fallacy in stripped down terms:

1.All As are Bs
2.C is a B
3.Therefore, C is an A

Not too hard in these cases, but I bet we can all think of examples where the logic went wrong in writings we’ve read, or perhaps in arguments we’ve heard.

In a rare non-writing post …

2007-03-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am a feminist. I am not ashamed or it, nor do I try to placate my male friends by telling them that I am the friendly sort of feminist. I stand up for my sisters here, in the US, and around the world. I believe that we, as women, must stand together to improve the living conditions of all women. I also believe that we need to work towards changing the stereotypes assigned to women. I am sure to tell people that my husband is the cook in the family, and I take care of paying the bills. I tell them that I have my second Dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and that I continue to study martial arts, and no it wasn’t my husband’s idea, it was mine. I am proud to tell people that I don’t want children, and no I don’t feel like less of a woman for it. I feel like more of a woman for knowing what I want and not just having children because that was what I was told to do.*

I am a writer. As a writer, I promote my beliefs. My main characters are often women, and they are never weak. I sent them into the heart of danger, into emotionally challenging circumstances, and into positions of authority. I want young women to read my work and know that there is a place for them at the top.

I’m sure you are wondering what set this off, well, it’s been a bunch of current events that really culminated in a really silly event. I saw pictures from last night’s America’s Next Top Model. Yes, I know that it is already a show that most feminists are shaking theirs heads at, but last night they posed the girls as sexy dead women. I personally am not comfortable with this. What does this say to women? To young girls who are watching this? Is it telling them that we don’t even care if they are alive, we still think they are hot. I am totally not against nude photos, or risqué photos, but this just reduces women to … well corpses.

* As a quick note, I am not against other people having children at all, but I do believe that you should want them more than anything else if you are going to bring them into this world.

It’s all about the breakdown

2007-03-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Whenever I think about character arcs, I get this feeling of dread in my stomach. It’s about the breakdown, or destroying a character’s world. The best breakdown I’ve read has to be Emilio in The Sparrow. It is horrid, beautiful, and believable. If you’ve read the book, you know, but for those who haven’t, I’ll elaborate. When we first meet Emilio he is in a hospital, mutilated, traumatized, and half out of his head over the deaths of his only real friends. The author, Mary Doria Russell, then takes us back to the beginning of the story of Emilio, where he is a charming, if odd, Jesuit priest. He loves everyone, takes care of anyone, and most of the women are annoyed that he is … in the priesthood. Russell takes us on an incredible character journey that shows Emilio’s ascent to sainthood and fall into misery. I only once felt that the situations that push him along this arc was forced, and for the most part, I couldn’t believe how good she was at breaking the spirit of what appeared to be an indomitable soul.

So, that’s my guide. I like to think about whether or not my breakdown is as elegant as Emilio’s. Sometimes, I don’t feel I have the heart to do it, but flat characters are a real bore. It’s better to give them, the characters, immortality through the hardships, then to protect them and have them be flat. You know, I think there might be a life lesson in there.

;-)

Do you all have a breakdown benchmark?

Either you'll love this post, or you'll pick apples

2007-03-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

I am all about giving characters choices. In fact, what is the point of having a character that doesn’t make his or her own choices (they’d just be drifting through the story that way and that’s no fun for anyone). What I don’t like is when the author creates an illusion of choice where none exists really—or is so limited as to not matter. This brings me to the third logic fallacy I want to highlight, the black-and-white fallacy, aka the either/or fallacy.

This fallacy is pretty straight forward, but I am shocked by how often I run into it in writing, published or not. The basic issue is that the writer sets out choices based on the false assumption that there are only two choices or outcomes that exist when there are clearly several. Outcomes and choices are rarely so simple. I can’t count how many times in romantic dramas it comes down to the protagonist can either stay with the partner or leave and never look back, and those are the only choices. The reason changes for why the protagonist feels this way (adultery, betrayal, better offer, protecting the partner, etc.), but I can usually think of at least five ideas for what other choices are still on the table. Really, when you force a false binary such as this, you are not actually offering choice at all.

Then why do it? My best guess is that the writer only wants the character to have to choices, the one the advances the story and the one that is such a bad idea that no one in their right mind would take it. So, this is my frustration with this fallacy in particular; this is the golden opportunity to really deepen a character. Let them realize all the choices, debate, decide, and move forward. We, the readers, get to know the characters through theirs actions, not through the universe forcing them to decide between to false dichotomies. Don’t get me wrong, I do it sometimes, too, but it really robs the reader of those precious times in which they get to look into the character’s mind.

In short, it’s either all or it’s nothing with character development. ;-)

Flowers

2007-03-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

This little guy is one of the first flowers to poke its head out. The cherry trees are starting to bloom. Hooray, it's spring!

I'll update shortly with my latest in my logic series.

Non sequitur and the domino theory

2007-03-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

The second most common reason that I will roll my eyes while reading a book is the slippery slope fallacy. In short, it is a non sequitur argument that relies on the theory that if the first thing happens, then the second thing will happen, and surely then the third will, too. It’s the kind of logic that will stop me dead in my tracks while reading.

Think about it, you’re reading along and really involved with a character. You think he/she is smart, reasonable, believable, the whole shebang. Then they are presented with a situation, such as whether or not to tell another character, say a subject expert, about an important bit of information that would bring the story line to a quick conclusion. The author, wanting to extend the story line, has the character come to the conclusion that if he/she tells the subject expert, said expert would get upset and would to tell his/her mother. If that happens, the mother would have to tell her friend and then that person … and so on until the antagonist would have all the information needed to foil our hero’s plot. *sigh* In the middle of this, I always think the same thing, “why not just explain to the subject expert that if he/she tells said mother, and the situation does spiral out as it was predicted, said mother would probably be (insert consequence).” It's not a slippery slope because most people can be reasoned with and thus stop the slip.

Do you have a favorite slippery slope fallacy?

A rose by any other name ...

2007-03-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

As posted in Nature:

"Taking a whiff of rose scent while learning a task and then being exposed to the same smell during sleep helps memories to set, researchers have found. The discovery could see students frantically spraying themselves with perfume before exams — although the effect is tricky to replicate at home."

I have to say that this totally cracks me up, because I used to sniff mint during exams when I was in college. I remember reading come study about military pilots having the scent of mint pumped into the cockpit because it increased alertness and helped them recall memories more readily: they were exposed to the smell during training, too.

So my plan was simple: I would sit at Perkins study and sniff an Altoids tin, and at my exam, I would do the same. Oh, what my professors must have thought of me.

The adventures of the straw man

2007-03-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

Every writer has their own set of pet peeves when reading other people’s writing. For me, it’s logic fallacies. You can do a lot of things wrong in a book, but to me, you cannot violate basic laws of logic. I’m sure I will be lambasted for being snotty for this, but it is annoying. And now that I’ve posted this, I’m sure my logic flaws will be pointed out, which I think is a good thing (it will only make me a better writer).

Anyways, I am planning on writing all week on my favorite fallacies this week. Today, I will start with the straw man.

The straw man argument is a subset of the Ignoratio Elenchi fallacies. The whole point of the argument, or character creation in this case, is to create a misrepresentation of an opposing argument as to make it easy to refute and then attribute it to the opposition’s inability to reason, etc.

From Wiki:
“An example of a straw man fallacy:

Person A: I don't think children should run into the busy streets.
Person B: I think that it would be foolish to lock up children all day with no fresh air.

By insinuating that Person A's argument is far more draconian than it is, Person B has side-stepped the issue. Here the "straw man" that person B has set up is the premise that ‘The only way to stop children running into the busy streets is to keep them inside all day’.”

So how does this all apply to writing? I find that authors create characters that are a vast misrepresentation of the opposite side of the argument, and then tear that character apart. Look at any major motion pictures for the portrayal of the “bad” guy. It’s riduculus. The readers or viewer never gets the chance to understand really why there is an opposing side, what might drive someone to acts against society, etc. Most antagonists are portrayed as mindless, uneducated villains. I’m sure you have many characters that jump to mind at this point; I know I do.