Futuristic Friday - In the Future I Hope There Is . . .

As a sci fi writer, my mind is always thinking about what would be cool to have in the future. Here are some things that I want:

1) Robotic closet that packs FOR me before a trip.

2) Anti-gravity Dr. Scholls when my feet are really tired, they actually take the pressure off - literally.

3) NO calorie chocolate cake. Okay, so I can dream a little.

4) The disc thing from Tron.

5) K. It's old school, but I still want a jet-pack. Maybe one studded with crystals?

6) Mr. Fusion from Back to the Future.

7) A household robot that's proud of their profession (That is does NOT feel oppressed, therefore making it susceptible to lashing out at it's employer and subsequently turning evil... and violent.)

8) Ice that never melts in my drink.

9) My own Oompah Loompa (hey it could happen). : )

What do you wish for in YOUR future? SHARE!

Slanging Hash!

One element that adds a lot to a character’s voice is the slang they use.

The MC in The Fancy Deep comes from a part-Japanese mother and an Irish Dad. Using Japanese and Irish slang, I created her own series of words that include mashed-up expletives, personal pronouns and adjectives. She’s also a gem-cutter & jeweler, so I use some of the jargon from her trade as part of the “Aysia-speak.”

While working on the novel, I listened carefully to my friends and family, even myself, to try and discover some unique slang in my real world.

Here are some of the frequent “isms” of friends & family and some of my own:

1. “What in America?” (This is mine)
   
2. “Awesomesauce” (Elana Johnson)
   
3. “Frawesomesauce” (Ditto)
   
4. “Sheena Easton!” (Instead of the “Sh—“ word.) (Mine again).
   
5. “Gotta jet” (Some guy in the cubicle next to my office says this every few minutes. Yet he never does . . . jet, I mean.)
   
6. “Burgess Meredith!” (Expletive by John Cusick from my lit agency – love this one)
   
7. “Preciate cha’” (Utahns the world over).
   
8. “Shushi” (Mikko, our CTO says “sushi” with a Finnish accent. As a result, our entire office calls it “shushi” now).
   
9. “Ping me” (All the programmers I work with). : )
   

What are some of your “isms?” Share!

You Need Someone to Stalk . . . I Mean Watch!

So, until a short while ago, I never dreamed I would be a writer, let alone a novelist. Mostly because I had a strange belief that it was nearly impossible (like winning the lottery).

Until I met this woman.

Her name is Elana Johnson and she too has been on the journey to publish, just a bit longer than I have. She has been key in my journey to take my story to the streets. What have I learned in the process? No matter what your dream/goal is, YOU NEED AN ELANA TO STALK, er, I mean WATCH!

Here's why:

1) The Runner Ahead of You - She was just a little bit ahead of me on the process, but had been through all the bumps and bruises. Her journey gave me a frame of reference for what was coming and helped me know how hard I needed to push and when. This sense of scale IS SO IMPORTANT when you want to give up!!! She helped me understand how many queries are too many (probably more than 300). How many revisions is normal/doable/bearable (you will do at least ten with an agent and editor - plan on it). What percentage of nibbles should I be receiving on my queries, partials, fulls (4-12% on queries or you need to re-write your letter). You get the picture.

2) ROI on My Time & Energy - When it comes to finding an agent and getting published, there are a million different ways you can spend your energy. Watching Elana has allowed me to trim back to what's important and not waste a lot of time and energy on things that don't matter (FYI - Blogs are more important than you think!).

3) IT'S HARD, BUT POSSIBLE! This is the most important thing I've learned from stalking/watching my friend Elana . . . people do get agents, people do get published, people do see their books on shelves. Even people YOU KNOW! Maybe even YOU! Writing is harder than you think. Editing is harder than you think it will be, but KEEP GOING because IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE! (Sorry for the screaming, but I'm a little excited about this point). : )

Today is the birthday of Elana's debut novel, Possession. It's the end of a long, possible road to her dream. I can't tell you how happy I am for her and how grateful I have been for her guidance.

Now . . .

What are you dreaming about? Do you have an Elana to watch?

If not, go find one!!

Making Sense Giveaway - And the winner is . . . Heidi Slack!

Congratulations to Heidi Slack, the winner of my Making Sesne Giveway. She wins a free pair of Skullcandy FMJ headphones in lime green (important Fancy Deep color).

She commented:

I love to listen to music both as i read and as i write. Im no professional writer, but in my own simple journal, poetry, and thought books i use music to float me away to capture the feeling i'm trying to write about. Music absolutely creates the intensity and emotion behind the writing. To me, most of the time writing words without music creates only words, but writing while being swept away in the feeling of music creates brilliance.

Good stuff Heidi. Enjoy the headphones!

Thank you to everyone who participated and keep your eyes peeled for more giveaways in the future!

Making Sense Giveaway - And the winner is . . . Heidi Slack!

Congratulations to Heidi Slack, the winner of my Making Sesne Giveway. She wins a free pair of Skullcandy FMJ headphones in lime green (important Fancy Deep color).

She commented:

I love to listen to music both as i read and as i write. Im no professional writer, but in my own simple journal, poetry, and thought books i use music to float me away to capture the feeling i'm trying to write about. Music absolutely creates the intensity and emotion behind the writing. To me, most of the time writing words without music creates only words, but writing while being swept away in the feeling of music creates brilliance.

Good stuff Heidi. Enjoy the headphones!

Thank you to everyone who participated and keep your eyes peeled for more giveaways in the future!

Making Sense – Contest! FREE Skullcandy Headphones!

When reading, writing or watching a good story, the more senses I use, the better. Today’s contest will help you do just that.

I’m giving away a pair of Skullcandy FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) Audiophile earbuds (a $70 value) in lime green – when you read The Fancy Deep, you’ll know why lime green is important (*Easter egg alert*). : )

TO ENTER:
1) Follow this blog.
2) Invite your friends to follow this blog through facebook (post about it at least once).
3) Comment on one of the questions below.

That’s it! Easy! Contest ends on Friday, June 3rd at 5:00 pm MST. I will pull a name randomly from qualifying Followers.

Music often helps me find my “tone” and enhances my character's voices in my writing. It can also help me with pacing. If I’m writing action and it doesn’t work with a fast-paced rock song, I know it’s too slow. I also love it when authors tell me which songs inspired their work. I like to listen to those songs before, during or after I read their story. Music adds a whole new layer to the world they are painting.

WRITERS: What is your best writing song? Is it different for each story?

READERS: Do you like to listen to music when you read? If so, what?

Do You Have a "Calling"? Does Everyone?

So, this is something I’m frankly, not sure about. But it's FIND YOUR TRUTH FRIDAY, so I want to know what you think . . .

On Oprah’s final show this week, she talked about how she believed that everyone has a “Calling” in life and it’s our job to find it.

Do we? All of us? And if so,what does that mean? Is a Calling just a talent or a passion or is it something bigger, and with a more specific purpose?

What do you think?

Does everyone have a Calling (big C)? If so, what is your Calling? How did you know? How does one find their Calling?