Monday Book Review: The Code of the Woosters

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This is my first dive into the world of P.G. Wodehouse. And I have to thank my dear friend V for not only recommending Wodehouse to me, she was sure I would love his sense of humor, but she actually loaned me the book. (!)

What I adore about Bertie, he constantly has these amazing comments that he doesn’t use. He always tells himself he can’t say that. I love his running thought commentary though.

If you haven’t read Wodehouse, the style is intriguing as well. He uses abbreviations. Like when Bertie is saying something in satirical bitterness, two paragraphs later he says something “with s.b., as before.”

But sadly, when all is said and done, I can’t help but feel “they are all very unpleasant people.” (A. Christie.) Everyone in the book is blackmailing everyone else because no one will help anyone and everyone thinks they know whats best for everyone else even while they do the dumbest things known to man themselves. Even the redoubtable Jeeves blackmails in the end.

If you haven’t read Wodehouse before, you really should. And I’ve been told this is a fabulous example of his work. So read it.

As much as I hate to say it…

℘℘ – 2 pages. I finished this book out of sheer stubbornness. Parts of it made me laugh. Frequently I yawned. Even more frequently I hit myself in the head because I couldn’t hit the characters. sigh.

Weekend Workshop Saturday Edition – New Text

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Good morning. At my husband’s urging I have started reading Everyday Editing by Jeff Anderson. It seemed apropos given I am in the middle of a second edit with my novel. Every spare moment we can sneak away from our kiddo, I am reading my novel out loud to my long suffering hubby who kindly argues with me and every grammatical question, comma placement, and stylistic gamble I make. You can’t hire that level of involvement.

We’ve all heard seven thousand times it’s not writing that makes it a novel, but rewriting. And yet how do we effectively rewrite something we created from nothing, our own blood and energy?

I’ve read about half the book so far and it seems like Anderson has an idea or two that might just help me. Maybe you too? The book is designed for teachers/workshop leaders looking for a way to effectively bring editing/rewriting into the writing process and make it less dreaded. Some thoughts from Anderson more or less.

  • Correcting doesn’t develop skills, it corrects. – My poor husband corrected every paper I wrote in college and still I make the same mistakes in my novels.
  • Part of editing is listening to our writing, making it feel right. – thus explaining why someone else can not edit for you.
  • Great writers are great readers. Make a regular habit of spending time reading great sentences and talking about them.
  • Editing instruction starts with observing how powerful texts work.
  • People absorb what they see.
  • Editing is about looking inside what writers do and figuring out what works and what does not.

I’ll leave you with a final thought from Anderson…if you are writing, then all is good.

I will break down the learning portion of the book and present them over the coming weeks.

Friday Fun

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woohoo, I actually made it to writer’s cafe this morning. Did I get any work done? laughing…not really. I wrote three blog posts. I had vague hopes of getting all my weekend workshops for the next two months written and scheduled. I wasn’t crazy enough to think I would get the exercises done as well but at least the summary posts right? shrug, oh well.

So where am I with my novels.

  • My spy novel is on hiatus, again.
  • My romance is in the midst of being read out loud to my hubby. As soon as we are done hashing all that out, I have a fresh reader lined up to take a gander. I still need to research one more thing. I need a 1949 convertible sports car. That has not proved to be an easy google. But I tarry on.
  • Nano 2015 novel. Still researching a bit but feel like I have a grasp on what I really need to know. Not eager to get started though, I have too much fun life stuff between now and then.

Fun life stuff:

In a week my cuz and his wife are coming to visit for a few days. I haven’t seen them in years. So super excited about that.

Then I have an anniversary party, 10 years, which I am catering as well as enjoying.

Then my friend Patty comes for a few days.

Then I am running away for the weekend.

Then I am launching my romance on the world.

Then a cruise with the hubby and kiddo.

Then NANO.

So not rushing this fall. I plan to enjoy every moment of it. I can’t ever get some of these experiences back again. Time to savor them. What are you looking forward to this fall? What are you writing at Nano?

Wednesday Writer’s Cafe – Canceled

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The restaurant where we meet on Wednesday night was doing some renovations this week and closed on Wednesday. Hrmph. Who do they think they are? The owners or something? LOL

So some of us, met at my house, had dinner, and watched Gosford Park.

Yes, the movie night we discussed last week came to be already.

I love Gosford Park. It is so incredibly subtle in the way it was written and then filmed. You have to really watch and listen to everything. I’ve seen it at least a dozen times and I still caught something new last night. It is such a brilliant mix of carefully crafted words that blend with tiny actions to give things the whole meaning. For example….

The maid has been fired. The daughter of the house is asking if she is in any difficulty. The maid says apart from having no home and no job. The daughter repeats with particular difficulty. The maid placing a hand on her stomach says no. To which the daughter says you were always much clever than I was.

This scene reveals so much if you catch it all. The daughter is asking if the maid is knocked up. At the same time it reveals just what the daughter is being blackmailed about. It’s a short 20 seconds but man does it answer so many questions.

What do you think of Gosford Park? Have you seen it? Did you understand it? Did you catch all the undercurrents? Do you think Midi and Parks will meet back up at the funeral or will Parks immediately change his position? Enquiring minds want to know. Alright, this enquiring mind wants to know.

Monday Book Review: Vanished

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It’s not often that I review YA probably because it is not often I read it. LOL. I read a lot of non-fiction, as anyone who follows my book reviews knows. Occasionally, I read some fiction, if it’s been highly recommended to me by someone who’s reading prowess I respect.

It all started when one night I was unable to sleep and surfing Netflix for something to watch that wouldn’t keep me too awake. It suggested I might like the TV show Missing, with three stars. Hrm. That sounded like just what I wanted, not too good, not too boring…just right. Sadly, Netflix was wrong and I totally loved the show, staying awake much too late for several nights in a row to binge watch it. Then I discovered it was based on a book series. A book series written by Meg Cabot.(!) I didn’t even bother with the library. Clickety Clack, I was on Amazon getting it shipped to my door. Four books in series called Vanished (also available under the name 1 800 Where R U). Woot.

Ok the TV series and the book series, so not the same thing. Loved the books as much as the show though, probably more.

Jess Mastriani is a sophomore in high school when she is struck by lightning. She discovers by complete accident she now has the ability to dream where someone is after looking at a picture of them. In the books you get to struggle with her as she tries to figure out her own moral code for using such a power. Of course the government would like her to help them out. And they are less than understanding when she declines. The books work you through Sophomore and Junior year of high school and then it all stops. NOOOOOOOO.

But Meg (Cabot) in all her wisdom, wrote a fifth book to please her readers.

In the fifth book Jess is older, she’s seen some stuff, done some stuff, and is trying to once again figure out her own set of rules for life. The fifth book actually references the TV show, which amused me. Meg ties up all the lose ends in the fifth one so I assume she’s done. Boo.

Over all I give the series ℘℘℘℘℘ – 5 pages. I love the books. I defy anyone to read them slowly. Binge is the only way to go. You’ll want to know what happens next. And I love Meg Cabot. I have most of her grown up books. They all get thumbs up.

Weekend Workshop Sunday Edition

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So, as the last post from Story Sense, I submit for your review my back of the book blurb.

It’s kind of a pitch, I guess. But I really need to work it over and clean it up before publication. So I am posting for you, my favorite readers, to hack apart with criticism and commentary.

Demobbed from service, rich enough not to need to work, and bored with post World War II London, Molly chances upon a movie poster showcasing the young soldier she gave her heart to in France. Desperate to reconnect with him, she schemes her way onto the movie set where he is staring in the lead role. Molly is certain they will live happily ever after. And they just might. But first Molly has to figure out who she is and what she wants before she can get her happy ending. And she does it all while trying to keep her seams straight. 

There’s something wrong here. It sounds flat. Not at all the funny romp I mean it to be. Hrm…Thoughts?

Weekend Workshop Saturday Edition

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Most of Chapter 12 from Story Sense by Paul Lucey is not terribly applicable to novels, however, I found his commentary on pitching brilliant.

Believe in the wonderfulness of your work. 

Whew, that might be the hardest part.

-Practice, practice, practice. Pitch to your friends, videotape yourself and watch it, have a friend pitch your pitch to you. You can not practice too much.

-Be on time. Dress professionally. Do not waste the buyer’s time, but be tolerant of interruptions on the buyer’s end.

-Do not sound apologetic or self-deprecating. Do not mumble. Maintain eye contact.

-Do your best to tell the story dramatically. Do not read from a prepared page, be a storyteller.

-Describe the plot arc, the problem, the characters and their motivations.

-The story should end cleanly, unless you’re pitching a series. Then explain where you plan to take book 2, 3, 4, etc.

-Suggest a target audience. A genre this might with.

-Do it all in 2 minutes or less. (Also, consider prepping the twenty second elevator version, which you use to garner a formal pitching meeting with an agent or editor or you use when someone asks what you write.)

-If they aren’t interested, be polite and gracious (you may be pitching in front of them again). They aren’t rejecting you, they just aren’t interested in the particular story you have for them today. Rejection is part of writing.

-Note their comments, you might use them to rewrite or polish your work. But don’t buy everything they say wholesale. Give it proper consideration. Your work is a reflection of the story you want to tell. Be true to it.

-At the very least, you have gone to battle and survived. The next time around should be a little easier.

Tomorrow: my pitch, sort of.

Friday Fun

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I’m done editing, I’m done editing, I’m done editing….

Round one, to the authoress.

Round two, standing by. LOL

I think it’s a good sign when your own book makes you laugh. But it could still use a bit of work.

Wednesday Writer’s Cafe

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I got so much work done tonight. Seriously. I edited from Chapter 33 to 42. That means only five chapters to go. Yip! So close. So close. I wanted to get it all combined by the weekend so I can spend the weekend reading it out loud to my husband. I know, I’m a freak. LOL But we have all these points where he has made suggestions in his line edits and I want to argue with him about them. Sometimes what he says is perfect. I know immediately he is right and I need to adjust. Sometimes I know he’s full of it. But then there’s that middle ground and I want to put on my gloves and step into the ring so we can hash it out.

Of course, all this work means I barely participated in the conversations. Whimper.

My poor friends. So neglected.

Of course we did agree to have a Wednesday Cafe field trip to watch Gosford Park. laughing. That’s what writers do. Field trips to watch 15 year old movies that were brilliantly done.

I have to share the most amusing thing I heard this week. Style is merely self plagiarism. Bless you Hitchcock. You were a brilliant man.

Monday Book Review: The Demon in the Freezer

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Truth be told I had read this one before but I wanted to brush up a bit for my spy novel since The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston actually inspired my spy novel. I’ve read everything by Preston and he never fails to simultaneous expand my mind in a frightening manner and entertain me.

While I was googling the book to make sure I had the name right (demon/ the demon?) I saw parts of some reviews panning the book. frown. Other reviewers complain it is disjointed because he talks about both anthrax and small pox. Wow, two potential bio-threats in one book, how can I possibly understand that? snort. And moving on.

Demon covers the eradication of small pox. It also talks about the anthrax attacks post 9/11. Many thought small pox had been mixed into the anthrax for those attacks. Anthrax and Small Pox are considered the two best bio terror weapons for a number of reasons. All of which Preston covers in depth in the book, so I won’t enumerate them here. Read the book if you want to know. Not everyone likes to be scared by realistic possibilities. I do though. chuckle.

As a side note, I love that this book follows up on people I met in previous books. It’s awesome to find out the kid in one of Preston’s previous books who had just started at USAMRIID is still there 15 years later and happily married to another scientist.

I’ve read The Hot Zone, about Ebola. Frightening and thrilling. I’ve read The Cobra Event, a fiction work about a bio terror attack. Frightening and thrilling. And I’ve read Panic in Level Four. All brilliant. All made me think while keeping me on the edge of my seat metaphorically. This isn’t science fiction fantasy. This is science. This is the reality of the world we live in and how little it can take for it to go hot.

℘℘℘℘℘ + Five and a half pages. I love Preston’s style. He makes a story out of the truths of multiple people who all played a role in the reality. If you are one of those people who get freaked out when you read an article about how the big one could hit, don’t read Preston. Everyone else should give him a gander, smiles.