How to Remember Commonly Misspelled Words #2: Lose

The English language can be hard sometimes. It's a mishmash of a bunch of other languages with seemingly random grammar and spelling rules. Sometimes remembering the correct spelling of a word comes down to rote memorization. Lose and loose are two words that I see misspelled a lot. Here are some memory aids I sometimes use to remember the correct spelling.

Lose vs. Loose

Lose is a very lonely word to begin with.

To lose someone is to become more alone. To lose something is to be stripped of it, to be less without it. Lose is a word that stands all by itself, that echoes loneliness.

So when you're spelling lose, remember to never give it another O. Loose is a word that has a companion. Loose has two O's, has a friend in the middle. But lose is a word that has lost something. It's lesser without that second O. It's alone. To lose is to be alone.

Loose, on the other hand, is like a pocketful of loose change. The two round O's in the middle are two pennies, rattling around and banging into each other. Loose is a word that's relaxed and easy-going; where lose has that intense "z" sound, loose slides off the tongue with the "s" sound. Loose. Two pennies in a pocketful of change.

So remember this:

He knew that if he were to ever lose her, he would be lonely, the loneliest man in creation. Even the loose change in his pocket had friends, had other pennies and dimes it would meet and collide with. But if he lost her, he would be truly alone.

English is a pretty cool language.

If these word-pictures help you, that's great, but not all memory aids work for all people. Do you have a certain association in your mind that helps you remember certain spellings? What are some other commonly misspelled words that you'd like me to feature?

How to Remember Commonly Misspelled Words: Lightning

You know, the English language can be hard sometimes. It's a mishmash of a bunch of other languages with seemingly random grammar and spelling rules. Sometimes remembering the correct spelling of a word comes down to rote memorization.

Which is where this post comes in. The way I usually remember spelling rules is by associating the spelling of words with their meaning. Sometimes this comes unwilling due to some synesthetic tendencies that I have, such as letters having feelings or different spellings of words having different colors, which makes it easier to remember. But some of the spellings have to do with conscious memory aids, and I'd like to share some of them with you to see if they help.

Lightning vs. Lightening

I see this mixed up all the time. Let's see if we can shed a little light on the situation.

When talking about lightning, "a brilliant electric spark discharge in the atmosphere," remember, the word is short and snappy like the event itself: light-ning. No room for that "e" in here. Just two syllables. 

Imagine a streak of lightning. Feel the brilliant electricity crackling in the warm air. Then all of a sudden it flashes into light - and then it's gone. Light-ning.

However, when talking about lightening a load, that extra "e" is what stretches that word into three syllables: light-en-ing - as if you're lifting that pack off your back, swinging it down, and dropping it on the ground. Feel the weight of the load on your shoulder, feel the muscles stretching as you lift it off, feel the tug of the gravity pulling it down, feel the relief on your shoulders, the lightening. Light-en-ing.

So remember this: if you're talking about a streak of lightning say it short and snappy in your mind: light-ning. Otherwise spell it light-en-ing, three syllables, like the action.

Isn't English awesome?

If these word-pictures help you, that's great, but not all memory aids work for all people. Do you have a certain association in your mind that helps you remember certain spellings? What are some other commonly misspelled words that you'd like me to feature?

Remember, you can follow me on any (or all) of the above social media sites!

NaNoWriMo is Probably Going to Kill My Wrists

via the NaNoWriMo store

I promise that NaNoWriMo won't be the only thing I post about this month. But today is my second day, and I thought I'd share a little bit about how that's going.

First of all, for those of you who are new to this word - NaNoWriMo - it stands for National Novel Writing Month. As in the month in which you write a 50,000 word novel. In 30 days. Which works out to about 1,666 words a day. Oh, and there's a website on which I have a profile. If the website takes a while to load, just know that's because it's November.

So I currently have a total of 1707 words, a little bit over the suggested average per day. I haven't started today's writing yet, but I will soon. After I finish writing this blog post. It was amazing being able to type in that total at the end of the day. 1700 words. I think I can do this. 50k words doesn't seem so unreachable anymore.

Although I also have another story that I'm working on at the same time. I'm trying to finish up H2WaMM for publication the Blotter (and if you're new to this blog that doesn't make any sense. That's why there are helpful links.) Two stories going at the same time... I can still do this, right?

I'm also attempting to write a poem every single day, as a sort of writing exercise. But that doesn't take very long. I'm not worrying too much about quality. It's more for creative stimulation.

So a novel, a short story, and a poem every day. Can I survive this November? More importantly, can my wrists survive this November? We shall see. I may have to take it easy now and then with all this typing I'm doing. But I think it will be worth it.

Heard of NaNoWriMo before? Doing NaNoWriMo this year? How did your first day go? What's your word count? Any tips for avoiding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

What Happened to My Summer Plans

"Summer!" I said in my heart, and in the pride of my heart, at the beginning of the sixth month, the month of June. "Summer is a time of resting and relaxing, of wide-open schedules and blank calendars, of laying in the grass and sipping lemonade. Therefore I will take this summer, to use it as my own, and I will perform many great works this summer; I will finish the first draft of my novel, yea, even the one which I have for so long been working on, and I will write a certain amount of chapters for my other story, yea, even one a week, for the whole summer. And I will study 5 hours a day everyday, and I shall take eight CLEP tests this summer. For I, Lauren, have the whole summer ahead of me, empty, and I shall do with the time what I please."

So even as I spoke these words in my heart I congratulated myself on the marvelous accomplishments I would do this summer. And so the day of planning and the day of lofty goals was the first day of summer.

Then the first week came and I said in my heart "I will not start my plans today. Today is a day for packing, a day for planning ahead for next week's vacation. I will put off my goals until next week." So the first week came and, just as certainly, the first week went.

Then came the second week and I went on vacation; yea, even to the Oregon coast, to the mighty Pacific ocean. And I said in my heart "This is a week for relaxing, for rejoicing. It is not a week for working or for toiling. I will put off my goals until next week." So the second week came and, just as certainly, the second week went.

When the third week arrived I said in my heart "I am just back from vacation. I am tired. Surely if I put off my goals another week, I will be more rested." And as I said in my heart, so I did, and rested the third week. So it came and, just as certainly, it went.

In the fourth week a dreadful cold assailed me, so that my eyes watered and my nose was stuffed up. And a fever racked my bones, and a great headache, so that I could hardly stand. And as I lay upon my bed, I said to myself "by dose id do duffed ub, ad by headayg id do bad, I gadot work od by goals." So the fourth week came and, just as miserably, the fourth week went.

Then the fifth week came, and with it a sore throat, and even so a cough. And I studied a little for my CLEP test, even for Social Sciences & History, as I should have been doing. And I worked on editing this video, and celebrated Independence day, but not much else in the fifth week, the first week of July. So it came and, just as certainly, it went.

And the sixth week came, and I lifted up mine eyes and, behold, the summer was nearly halfway over. And I was astonished, and I was much troubled, and inquired within my heart, even within the depths of my heart, where my summer had gone. And I looked and found that I had been procrastinating this summer, and my schedule had not been empty, and I had much to do and many places to go. And I was troubled, and I said within my heart "where will I find time to accomplish my goals, the goals that I set at the beginning of summer, even six weeks ago?"

So I went to the library and requested a book; and the name of the book was Eat That Frog, and the book was written to help those who suffered, as I suffered, from poor time management skills. So I read the book, and I heeded the words of the author; and I compiled a more detailed list for my summer, yea, even for the remainder I had left.

But it happened that as I pursued my goals I neglected that which I had heretofore been faithful to; my blog. And I worked on my writing and my CLEPs, and my blog fell by the wayside.

Then this day I lifted up mine eyes and, behold, my blog was neglected, and I said in my heart "I will write a post; yea, even one that explains why I have neglected my blog."

And as I spoke in my heart, so I have done it, that you may know why I have been absent. I, Lauren, have written this post; this salutation with my own keyboard I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (*)

How are your summer plans going?

H2WaMM: the Prologue

I'm no murder mystery expert.

Actually, I really prefer the non-violent mysteries (thievery, forgery, etc.) But the murder mystery is the most famous (and the largest) genre of mystery, so I've decided to focus on that.

Welcome to How to Write a Murder Mystery.

Me and murder mysteries go way back. I have read all sixty canonical  Sherlock Holmes stories, a goodly amount of Agatha Christie, nearly every Peter Wimsey, seen every episode of Psych... 

However, I've never written a (serious) one.

Wait a minute, Lauren, you say, why are you telling us how to write a murder mystery if you've never even written one yourself??

The answer: I'm not. I won't be telling you how to write a murder mystery. Instead I'll be attempting to show you.

Yes, my readers, I have written a three-act murder mystery that will give you the formula to write a formulaic MM. I have left no trope untouched, no cliche unturned. 

This three-act mystery will star our two generic heroes, Detective and Sidekick. They will be hired by Client to discover who killed Victim. And of course we'll have Bumbling Inspector, Sheltered Woman, and Heartless Murderer, as well as a good smattering of Suspicious Suspects.

It's a big cliche-fest, so get ready to gather round and prepare to predict what happens next. Hopefully you'll see murder mysteries in a way you never have before. Or at least you'll have a good time.

Either way, be prepared for next Friday, when I will present for your pleasure H2WaMM: Act One.

Are you a murder mystery fan, or more of a non-violent mystery fan? How many murder mysteries have you read? Ever written a murder mystery? What murder mystery cliches have always bugged you?

Isn't It Lovely?

Well, yesterday I promised to post a picture of The Blotter, and here it is.

Lovely, isn't it? Lindsey, a talented artist and one of my very good friends, painted the picture that was used for the cover.

So what is The Blotter? It's a journal of collected stories and poems that were all written by the members of the writing group that I'm a part of.

Why is it called The Blotter? Because our group is called The Inkblot Society (not to be confused with these Inkblots.)

We have three featured works this edition; Bethany contributed a short story, Doug Hayes contributed a poem, and I contributed a poem which I've previously posted on this blog (Death of a Maple Leaf.)

I don't know if I can exactly say that I'm a "published author" now, since strictly speaking the journal is not "for sale" - I think it's more of a "suggested donation." (my, what a lot of quotation marks)

But it's still exciting to see my name in print. I believe the journal will only be for sale locally, although personally I'd like to see it online someday. Maybe an e-zine type thing, you know.

Also, it's kind of a coincidence that when I opened my dashboard today I saw this post by Leslie Rose. She has contributed a story to a short story anthology that is now for sale. It's currently $0.99 on Amazon. Go check it out!

Remember what it's like the first time you saw your name in print? Still looking forward to that day? Ever been part of a writing group or contributed to an anthology? 

Deadly Deadlines (Part 2)

Today I finally realized that summer is almost here.

Well, I mean, it's only May, but that means only a month until summer, which is only about three months long. So, since this is my last summer before I graduate, I wrote out my goals for the summer.

They include:

• Finishing the first draft of my novel
• Passing six CLEP tests (two per month)

I especially want to finish my novel by the end of summer so I can do NaNoWriMo in November.

There's something so refreshing about writing out goals. Deadlines can be "deadly" but in some ways they give you more freedom.

Freedom isn't doing something just because you can. Ooh look! I can spend three hours surfing the internet instead of studying.

Freedom is doing something because you want to. I want to write this blog post by Friday, so I will.

So I said that I would talk about different ways to "disconnect your mind from the task at hand in order to give it a break."

There are three main ways I do that (it's Lauren-creates-another-list-time!)

1. Do something else

Obviously if you're an hour from the deadline then this may not be such a good option. But sometimes taking a walk, doing dishes, or doing something similarly mindless can help your mind focus on something else, letting your subconscious do the work for you.

2. Do something creative

Some writers have more than one project at a time to work on so that they can switch back and forth. I like taking a break and playing the piano, which works a different creative part of my brain. I read an article (on the CollegePlus website, actually) on "How to Be as Mentally Acute as Sherlock Holmes." The main idea of the article is that Sherlock Holmes played the violin, which is a great way to relieve stress, improve your mind, and learn discipline and patience.

I've also found that the different creative processes involved in writing fiction and writing blog posts is a nice switch.

3. Take a nap

Okay, this is actually a suggestion from the CollegePlus speed reading and memory course that I had to take. Apparently your brain solves problems while you're sleeping, so if you're stuck while studying (or writing, or whatever deadline you're on) then take a break and sleep. Even if the problem wasn't solved while you were asleep, you'll be a lot more refreshed (unless, of course, you overslept your deadline!)

Also last week I asked how people coped with deadlines. Three lovely readers shared their insights:

From MOV:

Deadlines. Just the word itself has a "deadly" connotation.

In college, I always produced my best work under the pressure of a deadline. I often waited until the last minute, but usually came out with the "A."

Now, with writing my blog, I only write when I have an idea. Sometimes that is every day, sometimes twice/ day, sometimes it is only once/ week. The A to Z Challenge was tricky for me because I did not like that added pressure of having to be "on" and "produce" every day. It is one thing to want to write every day (for yourself), quite another to be forced to (even if it is a voluntary contest).

From Andrew Leon:

Generally speaking, I find that most people won't do anything without a deadline. That's why almost everyone is rushing to get things done at the last minute. Like taxes.

I work with a lot of self-imposed deadlines. It keeps me moving.

From Amberr Meadows:

When confronted with deadlines, I become amazingly calm and then divide and conquer. It's almost like I become another person. Weird, I know.

I have to agree with MOV about school deadlines. And Amberr - wow, that's pretty amazing!

And I think Andrew brought up a great point. People won't do anything without a deadline. I think this is true on a far bigger level than just day to day deadlines, either.

If you think about it, life is one big assignment with the deadline being the day you die. An unknown deadline, which makes it even more urgent. A deadline which you can't pass.

Maybe it's kind of a morbid thought, but I think that it really puts life in perspective. We only have a set amount of time on this earth. Are we going to spend our time dawdling and dragging our feet, or are we going to accomplish what we were put here to do?

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.

- Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

Couldn't resist throwing in that LOTR quote. ;)

Got any plans or goals for the summer? Any other advice on meeting or coping with deadlines?

Storyboardishness

Today I had a burst of inspiration for this novel idea (let me clarify - an idea for a novel) that I've had simmering in the back of my mind. It was an idea for a new scene. It opened up a lot of ideas for the rest of the novel.

So, since I've been reading Story Engineering (which is all about planning out your novel) I thought, why not plan out this one? I'm already writing two stories at present, but what if I had this one all ready to go when I finished them?

So I tried something I haven't tried before: storyboarding.

Okay, well, to be clear, it's not technically storyboarding the way I'm doing it. It's storyboarding for writers, which has no pictures. (I found a tutorial on one way to make a storyboard!)

You see that red wallet-looking-thing at the top of this post? That, when opened up, is a photo holder. It can hold 24 photos. But instead of photos, I put scene cards in them, like so:

Just to be clear, this is not the working title. It's just a placeholder until I find a working title.

I started with a title card, and then wrote a query/synopis card to remind myself of the basic premise (and to be thorough). After that I wrote out a scene card for the prologue and the scene after that.

I used a grunge filter to make the iPhone-quality picture look less lame.

And here's another grunge-filtered picture of the whole thing. After I fill out ten scene cards I'm planning on putting them all into one photo pocket since there are only 22 (discounting the title and synopsis card). That leaves room for about 220 scenes.

I'm pretty excited about it - I've never planned out a story this way before. We'll see how it goes...

In other news:

I saw The Avengers over the weekend! It was a fantastic movie. Austin, over at Gift of the Present, did a thorough review of The Avengers that I thought was very insightful. Daniel also wrote a very thorough spoiler-free review, as did Raquel and PolkaDot.

I recently found (and followed) a blog called Scribblings of My Pen and Tappings of My Keyboard, by Anne-girl. She did an excellent post on "being real" that I highly recommend you read. I think she hit it spot-on.

Becky Doughty from Braveheart featured my post "Top Ten Tips for Creating Top Ten Tips Lists" as her Friday Guest post! If you haven't read it or want to read it again, go check it out (and look around Becky's blog a little bit.)

If you haven't already, go leave a comment telling me how you cope with deadlines so I can feature it in Friday's post.

Have you ever done story cards? Ever extensively planned out a story? Do you have any tips for keeping your story cards or scenes straight? 

Do any of the links sound intriguing?

Let me know by commenting!

Deadly Deadlines (Part 1)

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.

Sometimes deadlines can be good for writing - that last minute adrenaline rush can get your creative juices flowing better than any amount of free time.

But sometimes deadlines can freeze your mind, stifle your creative process, tighten the rope around the neck of your inspiration, put your muse on the chopping block... you get the picture.

I tend to work better with some semblance of a deadline. I need endgoals, I need to see the finished product, so it's easier for me to have something tangible to work towards.

But let's face it, deadlines can be stressful.

I mean, deadlines are something we use in writing to up the stakes for our characters. Think the characters don't have enough problems, or there just isn't enough conflict? Eh, throw in a ticking time bomb. It worked for 24.

I have different ways of coping with deadlines. 

Checklists, planning ahead, setting a timer. These sometimes seem to work for me. But sometimes it takes the very last minute to come up with inspiration for a deadline.

For example, in my current online Rhetoric class I had to write a speech over the weekend and deliver it Monday morning. It was a very short speech - about 2-3 minutes long. I had specific restraints I had to follow, but the topic could be whatever I wanted.

My mind was frozen.

Finally, I wrote a mediocre, second-class speech on Saturday that I thought would have to do unless I came up with something better. I wasn't pleased with it at all, but I couldn't think of anything else to write.

My class is at 8:00 in the morning since I'm in Pacific time. I usually get up early so I can be awake for the class, but that morning I woke up at 7:00. I had been dreaming about the speech, but when I opened my eyes a flash of inspiration came to me.

I had an idea for a much better speech - but I only had an hour before class started.

So I got out of bed, hurriedly turned on the computer, and typed as fast as I could. I ended up finishing the speech 15 minutes before class started. I submitted the outline, rehearsed it a couple of times, and then entered the online class and gave the speech.

I got an A+.

As nice as that was, I really would rather not have had to come that close. But sometimes you need to disconnect your mind from the task at hand in order to give it a break.

Next Friday I'll talk about different ways to do that.

And I want to hear your thoughts, as well.

What do you think about deadlines? Are deadlines generally helpful or hurtful? Do you have ways to trick yourself into completing a deadline? Do you have any stories about close calls with deadlines that you'd like to share?

Leave me a comment with your answer, and I'll feature it next Friday in Part 2 of this series.

So, tell me:

How do you cope with deadlines?

Top Ten Tips for Creating Top Ten Tips Lists

How could I not write the list that tells you how to write your lists? 

Read on to find my top ten tips on writing top ten tips lists....

1. Title your post "Top Ten Tips on _____"

This one's obvious. So readers know what they're getting into. Also, people search for "top ten tips" so there's a greater likelihood that your article will come up when they do.

2. Bold the main points

Makes 'em stand out. Busy readers can skim and still get the gist of the article. 

3. Lecture a little

If people click on this post they know (or should know) that they'll be getting an earful of advice. Don't start every tip with "In my humble (or not so humble) opinion." But also don't write a post's worth of advice under every main point. It's hard on the eyes and the attention span.

4. Try not to be so dead serious

Always, always avoid the use of words like "always" and never." These are just tips, people, not life-saving instructions. Oh, and a spoonful of humor makes the lecturing go down....

5. Don't accidentally repeat yourself

That's just redundant and annoys readers.

5. Don't accidentally repeat yourself

That's just redundant and annoys readers.

7. Make sure you haven't skipped a number on your list

Otherwise your readers will wonder why they should be listening to your advice when you obviously can't even count.

8. No money-back guarantees

Even if these tips completely changed your life, don't promise that they'll do the same for everyone else. You can insinuate that, yes, but don't outright say it. There may be legal ramifications or something, ya know?

9. You shouldn't not never contradict yourself

If people are looking for advice, they want to know that you're reliable. Nothing says "unreliable" faster than a contradiction.

10. Be fresh, funny, and unique

There are thousands of top ten tips posts out there. If you bring a new perspective, people will be more willing to listen. A little humor never hurts either.

Follow these tips and, well, I can't guarantee it will change your life, but, you know....

Any tips to add to the list? Let me know by commenting!

Z is for Ze Accent

Via Wikipedia

Ve all know zat ze evil villain must have ze accent.

I mean, how else vould ve know zat he vas evil?

Does anyone else find it amusing that evil villains in American stories usually have accents?

Maybe it's our American snobbishness, or maybe it's just ingrained in us from the WWII and Cold War periods where the villains in all the stories were Nazis/Communists/Russians.

I don't know why it is, but I do find it amusing.

The types of accents range from German to Russian to French to British to some made-up in-between language, like Gru's:

Accents usually come with stereotypes as well; for example, the cold British snob, the cruel German general, the handsome but vicious Spanish spy, the calculating Russian lady.

If you do write a character (especially a villain) vith ze accent, keep in mind these three things:

1. Listen to ze real accents   

Don't just assume you know what Russian sounds like and switch out all your the's for ze's. Zat vould neither be professional nor honest. 

Don't know anyone who speaks with a Russian accent? Zat is vat Youtube is for, mein comrades.

2. Don't spell out everyzhing

If you've ever read Huckleberry Finn, you've come across a passage like this:

“Sometimes you gwyne to git hurt, en sometimes you gwyne to git sick; but every time you's gwyne to git well agin.”

Via RT

That might be all well and good for Mark Twain, but please please please don't use it in youse awn writin'. Not only is it hard to read, but it can also interrupt the flow of the story as your poor reader tries to decipher  vat you are actually saying.

How many times in zis post have you had to stop and go back and read zat odd spelling? Zat is not vat you vant, mein comrades!

3. Avoid ze stereotypes

Is the accent part of the character or the character part of the accent? In other words, why are you writing about a character vith an accent? Is it so that your character will be scarier? More stylish? Weaker or dumber sounding? 

Don't give your character an accent just because. It's a part of backstory, of where they grew up, who they grew up with. It's not an accessory. Character before accent, mein comrades!

Follow these three tips and ze accents vill be much better. Until next time, mein comrades!

Do you have a character with an accent? What are some accent stereotypes that annoy you?

Let me know by commenting!

X is for eXit

Via Wikipedia

I've always thought that writing exits was a little bit tricky.

You can't do them as smoothly as they work in real life. For example

He turned and exited the room

is the standard way of removing a character, but it can sound a little awkward. (An awkward exit. Say that five times fast.)

It would be so much easier to write "character exits. Fade out" but that's screenwriting, not novel writing.

I was curious how "the masters" handled exits, so I gathered up five books by five of my favorite authors and sifted through them. None of them, so far as I can tell, used "turned and exited."

Here are five authors and the way they write exits

Brian Jacques, Redwall

The scavengers dashed off, bumping clumsily into each other with panic as they tried to get through the door together.

This certainly brings a more vivid picture than "turned and exited" does.


Jane Austen, Emma

Without knowing when the carriage turned into the Vicarage-lane, or when it stopped, they found themselves, all at once, at the door of his house; and he was out before another syllable passed.

An awkward situation calls for an awkward exit, but Jane Austen handles it smoothly.


J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

"Stay there! she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

If Hermione had merely "turned and exited" it wouldn't have conveyed her excitement as well.


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Speckled Band

She dropped her thick black veil over her face and glided from the room.

The mysterious woman cannot simply "exit" the room.


Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire

My body reacts before my mind does and I'm running out the door, across the lawns of the Victor's Village, into the dark beyond.

Much more powerful than "turned and exited."

Dashed off, sprinted off, glided off - there are lots of alternatives to the generic "exit."

Now I just need to find ways to put better exits into my own writing.

I have to exit - I mean, dash off now!

Do you have trouble writing exits, or do they come naturally? Ever written an awkward exit? Ever read an awkward exit? Ever made an awkward exit?

Let me know by commenting!

W is for Word Clouds

If you've never heard of word clouds before, let me tell you what they are.

A word cloud assesses your most used words in a certain piece of writing and groups them in attractive patterns, like the one above.

I use a site called Wordle. Wordle is free, easy to use, and you can enter anything from a piece of writing to a blog feed. I entered my blog feed into Wordle and it came up with the above picture.

Writing is the most used word on my blog right now (go figure!). Like comes in second, or maybe book, with vision in a close third.

I'm still puzzling over stars. When did I mention stars? Oh wait, that would be the Goodreads reviews.

The only downside to Wordle is that to get the picture off the site you have to take a screenshot. If you don't know how to do that, there's an easy tutorial here.

It's a cool site, and a neat idea. Go check it out!

Have you ever used Wordle, or any other word-cloud-producing site or program?

Let me know by commenting!

V is for Vision

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18

What's your vision?

When I started CollegePlus, one of the first things they had me do was complete a little workbook called Life Purpose Planning. The purpose of that workbook was to help me find my purpose in life (goodness, this could have been the post for "P.")

It asked questions like:

What do you most enjoy doing when you have an hour of free time?
What are you naturally good at?
What areas do people typically ask you for help in?
If you could pick one job that you would never, ever, want to do, what would it be?

It was written to help students who are starting college to discover their interests, to decide which degree choice or field of work would be best for them, and to express what they wanted to do with their life. After the workbook was completed, it asked me to write a vision statement.

It felt a little odd, writing a vision statement for my life, but it really helped me to see more clearly what I wanted to do with it. And having a set goal made me feel less like I was wasting my life. More like I had a game plan. I wasn't drifting aimlessly with vaguely defined goals anymore.

I had a purpose.

What's your purpose, your mission in life? In other words, why are you here?

Answering this question is important not only for college but for all of life, and for all vocations and situations.

For college students, it's important to know what you want to do with yourself, with your life. You don't want to waste four years of college for a degree in a field you don't like and will never use. Know your purpose.

For writers, it's essential to have an idea of why you're writing. And this is not about audience - who you're writing for. It's about the reason you pick up a pen each and every day and put words on paper. It's about the goal you're working towards. Why choose writing over any other field of work? And what do you want to accomplish by writing? How do you want to be remembered? Why?

For bloggers, this is also a question you can ask. Why am I blogging? Who am I blogging for? Does this blog convey the message I want it to convey? Writing a vision statement for your blog might be a good idea if you're struggling with finding your message.

And of course, for anyone, regardless of age or interest, it's good to think about why you're here. I understand, however, that the answer will be different for those (like me) who believe that they were placed on this earth by an omnipotent and loving God, and for those who believe they are the product of a cosmic accident.

I believe the only true way, the only true purpose in life is that which glorifies God. That not only influences my vision, it is my vision.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me save that Thou art.

- Eleanor Hull

Have you ever written a vision statement? If you could write one, what are some goals you would include in it? Do you feel like you have a vision for your life? For your writing? For your blog?

Let me know by commenting!

T is for Tortured Artists

Drawing by Ava. Used with permission.

So I'm writing this blog post in between taking a long, lonely walk in the haunted woods and sitting in a dark room, hunched over a typewriter, weeping over the heartbreaking poetry that I'm writing.

No, I'm not depressed. I'm trying to cultivate my inner tortured artist.

You can too! Here are 5 easy steps to becoming that famous depiction of the mad genius.

1. Doubt yourself.

If you like what you create, you can't be a tortured artist. You must always, always doubt your work, never ever be satisfied with it, and go into fits when anyone praises your work.

2. Learn to play the violin. 

Come on, we all know this one. Sherlock Holmes.

And besides, can you think of an instrument that is more dramatic than a violin? You can also substitute an organ or an out-of-tune piano if you have to. Just make sure to rock back and forth violently when you play it.

3. Make friends with some strange animal - rats are excellent, birds are okay (especially if they're crows or ravens).

The best way to reinforce the idea that you are not of this world, and don't understand ordinary human beings is to make friends with normally spurned creatures.

(This will also give you extra pity points.)

4. Develop a signature messy hair style.

Tortured artists have no time to take care of their hair! They're plagued by visions and dreams and ideas that must be put down on paper or canvas or sheet music! All the same, make sure to choose your trademark messy hair carefully. Einstein looks like he put his finger in a light socket. Make sure yours is as fitting.

5. Die young.

Because only the good do...

Also by Ava. Used with permission.

Follow these five steps carefully, and you're well on your way to becoming the mad genius of legend.

Are you a tortured artist? Do you have any tips to add to the list?

Let me know by commenting!

S is for Seven Books

I've read a lot of books on writing, but only a few have really impacted the way I think. 

Here are seven books that changed my perspective on writing:

Invisible Ink: A Practical Guide to Building Stories That Resonate by Brian McDonald

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is probably the best book on screenwriting I've read. I read it twice in a row the first time I picked it up, and I don't normally do that (especially with writing books). In clear, accessible terms, Brian McDonald explains the reasoning behind the choices that writers make - the "invisible ink" that holds the story together.

The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the earliest books on writing that I read, and I really enjoyed it. It focuses on essays (the forms and how to craft arguments) and how to write descriptions, use active voice, and what to avoid when writing. It's one of my very favorite books.


The Elements of Story: Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing by Francis Flaherty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I stayed up much too late reading this book. The length of the chapters made it easy to read just one more.

Francis Flaherty believes that every article, whether it's about finance or medicine or anything in between, is a story, with actors who feel things and do things, and the key to good writing is to identify and bring out the human elements.

The book, though aimed mostly at journalists, contains practical advice on crafting interesting stories that all writers can use. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone writing non-fiction.

Screen Teen Writers: How Young Screenwriters Can Find Success by Christina Hamlett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very easy-to-read, informative book on screenwriting (geared toward teens). It inspired me to read more books on writing.

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I believe this was the first book on writing I ever read, and I still have fond memories of it. A good book on the "art" of fiction. He uses a metaphor that I wholeheartedly agree with - that a story should be like a "dream" for the reader, and that you want to do everything possible to keep them in the dream and not disturb them by putting yourself or anything unnecessary in the story.

77 Reasons Why Your Book Was Rejected by Mike Nappa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An excellent book on how to (as far as possible) avoid rejection. The author can sometimes be a little harsh (he even apologizes for it at the end of the book) but most of the time it's on topics that writers need to hear. I would highly, highly recommend this book for anyone who's serious about getting published.

The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script by David Trottier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A well-written, comprehensive book on screenwriting. It taught me a lot about writing dialogue and crafting tight narratives, as well as the terms, rules, and general observances of screenwriting. I would highly recommend it, right after Invisible Ink.

What are some books that changed your perspective on writing?

Q is for Quotes

I love quotes. I love when someone says something so true about something so well that it can all be condensed into one or two sentences. Yes, you can quote me on that. ;)

Here are a few of my favorite quotes

(If you want to read more quotes I like, I have a page dedicated to them.)

“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
― Thomas Mann

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
― Toni Morrison

“Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning...”
― C.S. Lewis

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
― William Shakespeare 

“Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible.”
― Rod Sterling

“Still, it doesn't do to murder people, no matter how offensive they may be.”
― Dorothy L. Sayers

“Fiction does not spring into the world fully grown, like Athena. It is the process of writing and rewriting that makes a fiction original, if not profound.”
― John Gardner

“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”
― C.S. Lewis

“I began to get really keen, for every man at the bottom of his heart believes that he is a born detective.”
― John Buchan

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle

“Reading is one form of escape. Running for your life is another.” —Lemony Snicket

Do you have a favorite quote? I'd love to hear it!

O is for Ostentatious Prose (Among Other Things)

I had momentary moment of panic today. I logged into blogger, clicked over to my blog to get a link and, horror of horrors...

the sidebar was missing!

I scrolled to the bottom of the page and there it was, beneath the posts. And I couldn't figure out how to get it back to where it was supposed to be.

Thankfully, I've been following The Real Blogger Status for a while now, so I clicked over to the blog to see if I could find out how to fix it.

I came across this post, which advised changing the most recent thing you'd done. Well, that was publishing my "N" post. So I saved it as a draft and republished it, and voila! the sidebar reappeared!

If you haven't already done so, I advise you to go visit that blog.

And now on to our regularly scheduled A-to-Z post

Question: Am I being ostentatious by using the word "ostentatious" to describe prose?

Don't write the way this bird looks.

What does "ostentatious" mean? It means showy, or to do something in order to show off, or to be conspicuous or pretentious.

Yeah, saying "ostentatious prose" rather than "flowery prose" does sound a little pretentious.

But hey, you all know the real reason I'm using the word "ostentatious." Because I already did a post for "F".  And besides, "ostentatious" is such a fun word to say. 

However, ostentatious prose is not very fun to read.

One of the most common bits of advice I hear for writers is "get yourself out of the picture."

In other words, you want the reader to forget about you as a writer. Don't let them even remember that you're there. You want them to forget that they're reading something written by you and just be engrossed in the story.

That doesn't mean you don't have a voice. It means that while they're reading the story they don't hear you in their heads reminding them every ten seconds "I wrote this I wrote this I wrote this! Aren't I such a good writer??"

Compare this:

When I sleepily open my stunning blue eyes to blearily glance at the rumpled, cream-colored sheets on the opposite side of the bed, not only is it inexplicably vacant, but it is also as chilly as an icicle in the far-flung reaches of the frozen north.

To this:

When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. 

The first example is so overloaded with adjectives and similes that it makes the story drag, and is very stuffy and annoying. The second example (the opening line from The Hunger Games) is crisp, clear, and to the point. We are placed inside the main character's head, and inside the story, without any unnecessary fuss or detail.

So, in summation, my dear devoted readers, whenever the dreadful time comes when you are sorely tempted by the vile devils of ostentatiousness, it is much advised that you, oh peerless perusers, swiftly flee the terrible clutches of its ostentatious claws of grim death.

In other news:

Feel like giving out story prompts today? Two of the A-to-Z participants that I'm following are basing their themes around prompts given by readers.

Jessica Salyer at Just Following a Dream presents a word each day that readers must use in a sentence that will then be included in an ongoing story. You have until 10 PM CST tonight to enter a sentence that includes the word "omnipotent."

Jessica Marcarelli at Visions of Other Worlds is having a Saturday flash fiction challenge. Go leave her a comment with a prompt that starts with the letter "S"!

Have you ever had trouble with a disappearing sidebar? 

Do you have a problem with writing ostentatious prose, or does clean prose come naturally for you? Is there any specific bit of ostentatiousness that habitually annoys you?

Let me know by commenting!

N is for Naming

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

- Philippians 2:9-11

Names are powerful.

What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.


- William Shakespeare

In a way, Shakespeare's right. Roses could be called "ferns" but they would still smell like roses. But we don't define roses by how they smell. We define them by what they are.

To name something means to own it. When you name pets or cars or electronics, in a way they become uniquely yours.

Remember that scene in Annie when the cop says "if he's your dog, call him"?

Once Annie calls Sandy by his name, Sandy becomes her dog. She owns him.

In a similar way, when writers name their characters the characters stop being nameless, faceless creatures and become more fully realized, living, breathing people.

I think naming characters is one of the most time consuming and the most fun parts of writing. I sometimes spend hours agonizing over a character's name, looking at meanings, at rhythms, at sounds.

Something I find helpful to use is the random namer. Even if it doesn't show me the name I want, it gives me ideas for what I don't want.

I recently used the random namer while I was looking for a name for a girl in my WIP. It brought up the name "Austine."

I don't know why, but that name really struck me. It's a little out of the ordinary, and I like names that are a little out of the ordinary. So Austine is my new favorite name.

Sometimes the characters walk into my head already named, but often the meanings surprise me.

My MC of my WIP is named Simon. One of his flaws is that he's afraid to speak up; people don't listen to him. He came already named, and I'd never bothered to look up the meaning until recently.

I discovered that Simon means to hear, to be heard.

Coincidence? I think not.

My name has connotations of honor and victory of wisdom. I like to think that has relevance for my life.

My middle name (Marie) means "sea of bitterness." Perhaps I will triumph over bitterness to achieve the victory of wisdom? I don't know what God has in store for my life.

But I do know the one name I have that has eternal significance. I am a Christian, endowed with the name of Christ, that name that is above all names.

And of all the names there are, His is the only one that really matters.

What does your name mean? Do you believe your name has any special significance to your life?

Are there any names you especially like? Why is that?

L is for Labelling

You don't have to look very hard to see what my major theme is on this blog. 

Of the posts I've written, fifteen have been labelled "Writing."

On my sidebar, where I have the label cloud, Writing and A-to-Z Challenge have become so big that they overshadow all the other labels. They're like monsters, glutted on the gore from all the posts they've been tagged in, while all the other little labels starve.

Actually, I try not to let my labels starve. I love labeling posts, but I try to only use labels that I think I'll use more than once.

I find it very annoying when I'm reading a blog where the author tags almost everything he's mentioned in the post. So you see labels like "peanut butter cookies," or "Rolling in the Deep by Adele," or "ICAN'TBELIEVEIFINALLYGOTTHEJOBI'MSOHAPPY."

Now, I like to click on the labels after the posts to see more of what the author's written on that subject. So when I click on "peanut butter cookies" and there's only one post for that category... it makes me a little frustrated.

If you only ever did one post about peanut butter cookies, then what was the point of labeling it??

Not that I'm especially interested in peanut butter cookies.  It's more the principle of the thing.

Also, blogs that don't use labels at all frustrate me a little.

It means that I will most likely leave your blog faster because I don't see anything to hold my interest. But if you'd labelled a post "blogging" and I clicked the label and found ten other posts in that category, I'd stay longer and read them. And if I liked them, and I liked your writing style, I might follow your blog or leave a comment.


Use labels, my dear followers and readers. They will make your life easier.

There's also the related posts plugin which I'm debating whether to add. The only problem I can see is that sometimes when scrolling down the home page (on other blogs) it takes a while to load. I don't know if it's worth it. Any ideas?

Oh yes, and L is also for Lauren. My name has a few different interpretations, but the one I like best is "of the laurel or bay tree; symbolic of honor or victory."

In Other News:

You can now follow Word Art on Google+!

How about it? Do you use labels on your blog? Why or why not?

Should I get the related posts plugin? What do you like or dislike about the related posts plugin?

Does your name start with "L"?

Let me know by commenting!