Tag: writing

Voice Week 2011: Tuesday

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The plot thickens all over the blogosphere with Day Two of Voice Week! It’s fascinating watching everyone’s different interpretations of their characters, and of the project itself. I am so impressed with the talent out there, I could just kiss my computer screen. In case any of y’all missed it, read some quick notes on late postings and pingbacks here.

Here’s my second piece (under 100 this time):

My mamma ain’t much of one. Don’t read us stories, don’t make us dinner, don’t get us dressed in the morning. Heck, she don’t even get herself dressed in the morning. Just wears the same trashy tank and shorts ever’ day, hair all done up in knots, knocking it back. Beer, wine, whiskey, vodka. Anything you need ID to buy. Lays out on the couch or leans up against the stove in the kitchen, tilting her head back and just glugging it down like there ain’t no tomorrow. Sometimes I think maybe there ain’t. But there always is.

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From the prompt “alcoholic mother.” Read the other versions: Day 1, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

Who does the character feel like to you? How old, what gender? Where did you think the voice was strong or weak? Let me know!

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Voice Week 2011: Monday

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Voice Week is underway! As you can see below, I’ll be the first to break the 100 words rule – just to prove I won’t fault anyone else for doing the same. But I promise my other entries  are all under limit. Except that other one…

The thing about my mom – she’s sick a lot. Not the kind of sick you get from germs and stuff, but the kind you get from life. I mean, I don’t know that much about her past, because she doesn’t talk about it much, but you don’t live with somebody for fifteen years and not pick up some details.
Like, she hates men. You don’t get that way without being slapped around by a few creeps. And unless she’s passed out, I can’t go out anywhere except school, ‘cause she’ll freak out. She acts like she’s afraid something will happen to me, but really I think she’s afraid I’ll just decide not to come back. And she’s got scars on her arms, but like a lot of other things, I don’t ask about them.
Yeah, she’s been sick a long time. The booze? That’s just medication.

 

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From the prompt “alcoholic mother.” Read the other versions: Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

Who does the character feel like to you? How old, what gender? Where did you think the voice was strong or weak? Let me know!

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Inspiration Monday: the fault in our stars

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This InMon is important for several reasons. First, it is my birthday. Second, it is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Third, and most importantly–it’s only one week till Voice Week!  Leave a comment if you want to join in or if you have questions. Participants: Visit the Voice Week homepage to make sure your name is on the Voice Writers list, and if it’s not, leave a comment and I’ll add you.

FOURTH – and this is important too – because of Voice Week, InMon will be postponed until October 10, which means you have three weeks to turn these prompts into gold, instead of just one.

Now check out what happened last week!

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How to put writing talent to work in the “real world”

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 Nobody writes their first novel and suddenly hits it big. Well, almost nobody. Most of us need some way to pay for peanut butter and Spaghetti-O’s while we’re shopping for literary agents. 

The good news? All this novel-writing experience can be used towards something other than novel-writing.

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Inspiration Monday: don’t run

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This week, I noticed that I have a disturbing new habit of sticking apostrophes where they don’t belong, on plural word’s. <like that! ME! I usually notice and fix it before anyone else reads it, but it frightens me nonetheless because I have never done that before. Am I losing my mind???

Don’t answer that.

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