Hashing. For those of you who are wondering what kind of leaf I might be smoking, the definition of hashing is thus: Hashing originated in December 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, then in the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia), when a group of British colonial officers and expatriates began meeting on Monday evenings to run, in a […]
Dear Friends, I’m afraid today’s post is more like a cry for help than an inspirational and/or amusing rant. The gist is this: I’m attending a conference at the end of April–about which I am very, extremely stoked–and I need to submit the first 10 pages of a WIP for editor critique. The problem? All […]
I’ve loved Bradley Cooper since Alias. I hated Limitless. (FFS, PAY THE RUSSIAN MOBSTER FIRST.) I did NOT hate this.
Inspired by Originality (Or lack thereof) Writers complain about a lot of things. Some might say that it’s an important part of what we do. Dickens liked to complain about class inequality. Hemingway complained about the improbability of lasting true love. Poe complained about some damn bird that wouldn’t leave him alone one night. All […]
Okay, so the title makes this sound a bit like a cereal ad. And I should probably mention that there isn’t really just ONE secret to writing a good query letter, or any letter for that matter. But here’s one thing I can give you that is practically GUARANTEED to take your lackluster, form-rejected query […]
Hey guys! Welcome to my new (sometimes) Sunday Blog Series, V Reviews Books and/or Movies in 20 Words or Less. (The title is a little unwieldy. I’ll work on that.) Enjoy! WARM BODIES review, by V: Expected nothing from the book. Expected little from the movie. Was pleasantly surprised by both. Brains.
This month, I’m embarking on a somewhat NaNoWriMo-like goal of completing my current WIP within a single month. MARCH MADNESS. This is like NaNo, in that it requires strict attention to time limits, but it is unlike NaNo in that there isn’t a word count, it’s not limited to just writing goals, and there are PRIZES. […]
1. Short people absolutely DO have a reason to live. 2. MILFs can be very, very dangerous. 3. If you ain’t nothing but a Hound, dog… [getting wasted and] crying all the time, you’re never getting laid. Chicks don’t dig that, man. 4. Keep guys with ponytails and weird names the hell away from your […]
First off, let me just say I’m sorry for coming so late to the party, and for being such a rule breaker. When I was in grade school, this used to drive my teachers absolutely nuts. So if I haven’t done so already, let me thank Rhiann Wynn-Nolet for being kind enough to invite me to participate […]
When I was nine, there was a kid in my class who had a severe facial tic. It looked like he was winking at you, all the time, for no apparent reason. Due to my firm and youthful belief in the parental phrase, “Stop making that face or it’ll get stuck that way,” I […]
When I was seventeen, I got in a really bad car crash. It was my third in less than a year, and ultimately, the straw that broke the insurance company’s back. But more on that later… The weird thing about my “bad things come in threes” series of vehicular mishaps was that NONE of […]
I hate the term “writer’s block.” Not because it isn’t apt, but because I feel like it singles out writers and seems to suggest that we–unlike others who toil in a creative vocation–are the sole owners of this metaphorical brain boulder. Like Sisyphus (apparently), we writers are forever doomed to push this gigantic block before […]
When I was eleven years old, my one goal in life was to achieve the holy grail of pre-teen girl existence: the BFF. (Or, as my favorite book series at the time called it, a “Bosom Friend.”) A little less than a year later, I met my dear friend Colee at summer camp, and we’ve stayed in touch–in spite of the […]
(Bonus points if you can tell me the name of this song ^^^) Acknowledgements: Today’s post is inspired by Rhiann Wynn-Nolet‘s post, “Inspired by Adolescent Boys (and Music).” A lot of my writer friends say they like to listen to music as they write or before they write, and some authors have even gone as far as […]
Once again, just in case anyone forgot, here are the rules of this award: 1. Display this award logo on your blog. PROUDLY. 2. Link back to the person who nominated you. (Hint: it’s me.) 3. State 7 things about yourself. (See previous post on this blog for examples…probably of what you shouldn’t do.) 4. […]
One of my very favorite Twitter followers, who ALWAYS laughs at my lame jokes–or at least pretends to–who goes by the name of Rhiann Wynn-Nolet, has nominated me for this thing: Which I think is totes SFC (aka SUPER-F#%€ING-COOL) and therefore, I am prompted to pass the metaphorical torch to seven lucky others. (Which I will announce […]
Today is a day of mixed emotions. Lately, I’ve been really optimistic about this whole publishing process, happily and busily working away at my next WIP while waiting for good things to happen. And I believe they will, because sometimes life IS awesome. Sometimes, just like when you’re working on a manuscript, there are moments […]
Today’s reader poll comes from a common question asked by writers during the initial drafting phase: How long should each of my chapters be? But in the interest of cutting right to the root of the issue, I’d like to pose a similar question: Q: As a reader, how often do you find yourself noticing chapter length? […]
In dating and in life, there are certain rules a girl is supposed to follow. 1. Dress for the job/title you want, instead of the one you have 2. Always appear less interested/willing/desperate than you actually are 3. Keep your eyes and ears open, and count to three before you talk 4. No matter how much […]
I’ve recently discovered that I write in a genre called New Adult. It almost sounds made up, doesn’t it? Author’s Note: for those of you who frequent this site, you’ll know that I have a lot of strong opinions. That I don’t hesitate to dabble in hyperbole, or make blanket statements for the sake of […]
A man known as Shakespeare once wrote*, “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” – (Twelfth Night: Act II, Scene V) *I say “known as” because I recently watched the movie Anonymous, and now find myself doubting along with numerous other skeptics. Regardless […]
Sorry I haven’t blogged in a few days, friends. I promise I’ll have many exciting things to report in the New Year, including a thrilling new WIP. In the meantime, here’s what my Christmas looks like: (Also this:)
‘Twas two weeks til Christmas Down here in “Grenade.” Not a snowflake was falling, But to Santa I prayed. “Please send me an agent, The sooner the better. Ideally, that guy with glasses, Who can really rock a sweater.” When, what to my screen-bleary eyes should appear, But a Skype call from [said Dream Agent] […]
Feel free to add your own captions for this photo in the comments. (I think you can find it on page 192 of the Skymall Catalogue.)
Everyone’s heard the saying “write what you know.” (And if you haven’t, I’m alternately mystified by the possible origin of your existence and jealous because you’ve probably also never heard of Snooki. Damn your enviable peace of mind.) Lately, I’ve had a chance to consider my next project, and the choices are between a past […]
VP Anderson 
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