When Being Articulate On Paper Just Isn't Enough...

Me: (trying to explain at how I fail at using bookmarks) ...and my bookmark was right there on the table beside me and when I got to the page I wanted to be-

Bro: You make goals for yourself for how many pages you read in a sitting?

Me: No, I just meant, like, when I got to the page I did when I finished my chocolate milk. Um, I mean... like, when I was finished with it... (trying to explain)

Bro: And you call yourself an author.

Me: Hey, I never call myself articulate out loud.

Bro: So... are you articulate in loud then?

Me: Wow... you are such an intelligent conversationalist.

Learning Mostly That I Suck At Writing Titles

Hi! Sorry I haven't been posting as often... but that's what happens when school starts. Anyway, this a post I wrote at the end of August just as I was finishing rewriting a draft of my WIP  (and obviously never got around to posting). Just thought I'd share what I learned. Also, at the end there's a story my brother wrote. Just sayin', if this post bores you, skip to that. ;)

• It is amazing the mistakes your brain can just skip right over. For example, "Gwen sat on her hose". (Yes, brain, the characters in my WIP frequently ride hoses.)

• Less is more. "made it rock" can just be "rocked".  Unfortunately, I like words. I often use too many. :)

• I have used the sentence "She didn't say anything" way too often. It is very obvious she doesn't say anything when she, you know, doesn't say anything.

• I use way too many adjectives. I have to have at least 1700 of them before each noun. (At least that's what it seems like).

• Sometimes sentences just need to switch places in order to make sense.

• I have a habit of using the EXACT SAME WORD a million times. I'm sure that's how many times I used the word "sliced" in my WIP. (My characters do a lot of cooking while they are riding their hoses.)

• Don't mix up "dinghy" and "dingy". Dinghy = little boat. Dingy = dirty.

• And, last but not least, never ask my brother for advice. Evidence:
• Me: Is it "Tamlin had ran" or "Tamlin had run"?
• Bro: Tamlin was running?
• Me: No, that won't work because the story itself is already in past tense.
• Bro: So it's like... double past tense? "Tamlin was ran"?
• Me: ....

Now, as promised, a story my brother wrote... see, I frequently have my brother come across as a complete idiot on my blog when he actually isn't. He's really smart, just doesn't think sometimes when he talks. ANYWAY, here's a story he wrote when we went to the lake on the September long weekend...

ELI WE DON'T WANT YOUR FEET. They are too annoying, they are too purple, they are not wearing shoes, they have no name, they cannot fly, they cannot speak, they cannot kick a giant in the ear, they cannot hear, they cannot smell, feel or taste, all they do is help you walk, ELI WE DON'T WANT YOUR FEET. (by RZS/Gracie's brother).

Cute, isn't it? Can't you imagine that being an awesome kids book?

Anyway.

What have you learned lately... about editing, or writing, or life in general, or really anything?

My Brother's Self-Esteem Issues

I've decided it's time for another "bro convo", where my brother says really funny things without realizing it and I embarrass him on the Internet. Except he's too apathetic, so it doesn't actually embarrass him. (Although he probably doesn't know what apathetic means).

The context is that my brother is forever playing this video game, Little Big Planet 2. There's an aspect of it that you can make levels, and some website is holding a level-making contest. My brother is making a level to the enter the contest. He and I are talking about his level that he is making.

Picture him playing a video game.

Bro: I think I can win if I can do this one part that I hope I can do but I don't think I can.

Me: Well, (making up random melody on the spot) just believe in yourself! Wait... there has to be an actual song like that...

Bro: What about that... Don't Stop Believin'?

Me: (singing) Don't stop! Believing! Hold on to that fe-e-eling... no, but I thought of another song... now you made me forget it...

Later

Me: I remembered the song! (sings "Who Says" by Selena Gomez) Who says... who says you're not perfect...

Bro: What's that supposed to be?

Me: Telling you to believe in yourself. For your level thing.

Bro: No, it's telling you you're not perfect.

Pause.

Bro: Wait, WHAT did the song say?

Yup. And the moral of the story is... DO NOT PLAY VIDEO GAMES WHILE YOUR SISTER IS TALKING TO YOU.

And obviously, I am singing so many uplifting self-esteem songs to my brother because it's an issue of his. I mean, just take a look at the evidence:

Me: Bro, do you have self-esteem issues?

Bro: What's that?

HAHA I love you, bro. ;)

---

In other news... I finished the second draft of my current WIP!!!

**Also, I still have my draw for prizes/ask-the-teens project going on! Check that out HERE and spread the word, please!**

On Weird in Writers

So today I had this conversation with my brother:

Me: Okay, so I have been stuck on my first draft of my cliff-hanger for forever, and I KNOW that I need a new way to freshen it up, to make the beginning more interesting. Any ideas?

Bro (lying stretched out on the couch playing video games): Uh, I don't know, Tam's king?

Me: [Says all reasons why this is a bad idea. And uncreative. And all that jazz.]

Bro: I dunno... someone dies.

Me: Well... [SUDDENLY a HUGE OCEAN wave of inspiration hits me, and somehow it invovles someone dying. This may have been a coincidence, or it may have been triggered my brother. God only knows.] YES. YES! YES!

[I start jumping up and down and dancing while continuing to shout "Yes!"]

Bro: You're weird.

Me: I. Am a writer.

Bro: I don't think all writers are weird.

Me: Uh... I really think a lot of writers out there would disagree.

Bro: Well, then, bad writers are probably normal.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS LOGIC.