What Kind of Novel Should I Write?

Interesting. . .and let's not forget that I am drawn to tragedies so. . .


GOTHICS! - Deep, dark, mysterious and melodramatic.
You are drawn to write tales of the shadows and
what might lurk there. Could it be Love? Or
Madness? Anne Rice and Bram Stoker are your
guides.


What Kind of Novel Should I Write?
brought to you by Quizilla

Academic Writing

I started teaching a 2.5 week writing course over at the university for the English Program for Internationals (EPI). I am teaching Fulbright scholars. My 17 students are from all over the world (Europe, Asia, South America) and will be attending an American university in the fall for work on either an MA or a PhD. Considering that these are graduate students, you may be wondering what I could possibly have to teach them in a writing course. A lot, actually.

See, they are all very good at writing in their home countries. They are intelligent, enthusiastic, etc. I really like them. But see, they are used to writing in their culture's style. As with a great many other things, there is no universal style of writing. Heck, there isn't even a universal style in the States. What do I mean by style? Well, in this case I mean formatting/layout of the academic/nonfiction text. Grammar/sentence structure matters as well (for that see Strunk's Elements of Style) but my main focus is how to research and document sources. It's much more rigid than the rules for creative writing where you can experiment to a certain degree. There are more style types (see Style Manuals and Citation Guides) than you would at first think but fortunately we mainly deal with APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association).

I've had experience with both over the years but my humanities focus mainly deals with MLA. Most of my students are APA. lol So, guess who gets to relearn the style. Actually, it's a good thing to know. I've talked with colleagues and we all agree that there is no way to know every style rule -- even in the one you use most. Hence the need for the sites and books.

One of my students (from Brasil) asked me if he could just write in his home style since it was simple and he knows it. His reasoning was that he would be going from this class to another in two weeks where he would have to use yet another style. I had to answer in the negative. I understood his point (having had to bounce around from style to style myself over the years) but the point of the class is to learn the style that he will use in his American classes. It sucks to have to come from a weak argument position of, "No, you need to do this style because that's the way things are." But, it's the truth. When it comes to academics there are certain rules that just can't be gotten around even if they don't seem to make sense at first. In this case, I do think the rule makes sense because if he were to publish here (which he claims he will not pursue but you never know), he would have to submit in the proper format. This gives the journal a consistent look. And that is no bad thing.

Have you guessed at the second problem of having everyone in the class using their home style? I don't know them. I would be willing to learn them but the problem comes with the styles most likely being in their home language. I am no linguistic scholar. While I have a natural talent for deciphering things, the only other language that I can read with any ease is French. I can pick out words in Spanish but not with any degree of fluency. And I don't know the Chinese alphabet (my one Japanese student said that they use the Chinese alphabet for writing) so I would be completely at a loss there.

Of course, another side to the whole argument is that if they are allowed to write in their home styles. . .what would be the point of the class? Nothing. They would learn nothing that they could use in the future.

Also, the secondary point to the class (and the bigger goal) is to help them understand the concept of plagiarism. According to my superiors, many of the EPI students don't understand the severity of such an action. They don't really comprehend it because their culture isn't set up that way. Mostly, if it's accessible, you can use it. Giving proper citation and credit is not always necessary depending upon what it is. I suspect that EPI is referring to paraphrasing more so than direct quotation. Ugh, paraphrasing is a hard thing because we get most of our information from outside of ourselves. But see, these rules are hammered into American students from very early on. This does not mean that American students don't plagiarize (snort. . .uh huh, never had that happen in my class. . .riiiiggght) but that they have no excuse for doing such a thing. Each case is different, and accidents can happen, but it is an ingrained cultural context. Getting used to using a particular citation style helps keep that concept at the front of our brain instead of the back.

So, I guess that is essentially the whole point to learning a resourcing style: to help keep ourselves honest. It isn't easy but who said it had to be? And it certainly isn't fun for 99% of us (I know a few linguists who love this stuff. . .they're just weird) (wink). Most of my students (both EPI and regular semester) will never really have to use this stuff but does that make it pointless? No. It helps hone a sense of discipline. And even if it doesn't, no knowledge is ever truly wasted. We may not be aware of how knowledge affects us or will affect us, but that is a joy of having it.

Which Literature Classic Are You?

Cool since it's one of my faves.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Lord of the Rings. You are
entertaining and imaginative, creating whole
new worlds around yourself. Well loved, you
have a whole league of imitators, none of which
is quite as profound as you are. Stories and
songs give a spark of joy in the middle of your
eternal battle with the forces of evil.


Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Which Classic Writer Are You?

This is an interesting quiz:


Adairia AMCLI Okami.
July 25, year unknown (presumably in the early
1400s)
"It was a year in which I did not live and I
was there by no mistake. I was as high as
sound, just as everyone around me. I was there,
I was there watching the lyrics be born and
here listening to them mature at the same time.
I swayed with the rhythm of the music behind
her voice. The music played with me as if I
were a cattail and it were the wind, tossing me
in whichever direction it pleased. I felt it,
the meaning washed through me and I soaked in
every last detail. It was far more powerful
than I, and I willingly submitted. I was no
longer listening, I was belonging to it. It
took me over with little effort, and I loved
it."
You are different from your predecessors. You do
many things people have never seen or done
before, and you do them well. You will someday
be well known for your talent, if you're not
already. The best thing about you is that
you're excellent at what you do and you're
still developing your talent. Chances are,
writing isn't your only talent. Perhaps you are
also a musician, an actress, or an artist. You
are determined to be heard and you have a lot
to say. You will be, in time. Just keep doing
what you do. Never quit.


Which Classic Writer Are You? (With Pics)
brought to you by Quizilla

Murphy's Law for Phones

Why is it that you can go days without a phone call but the minute you get on the phone (or are about to) with someone you haven't talked to in yonks you get a billion other calls from people? lol I feel sooooo popular tonight. Got to talk with Brenda tonight (she is so silly. . .she lost my phone # and my address). She called just as I was gonna call Sam (who I finally saw online after weeks of her acting like a phantom -- did you like the analogy, Sam?). So, Bren and I ended and then I got on the phone with Sam. Just as I was getting off the phone with Sam, Beth calls. lol Now I am writing to you and having a threeway conversation with her and Shawnna (who was griping that her house was finally silent and I was talking to OTHER people). lol

Whew. No, no, not complaining. Just being highly amused and wanting to share. Thought it would be good to at least write about something today. At least I finally got to talk with you all! Yay!

London 2 Part 2

Wow. They shot a completely innocent man. The guy turned out not to have been connected in any way to the bombings. His only crime was having been in the wrong place at the wrong time ("police said officers trailed the man after he emerged from a nearby house that was under surveillance because of a suspected link to Thursday's attempted attacks.") "Suspicious of his behavior and clothing, officers followed him into the station and then ordered him to stop, police said. Witnesses said the man ran into a subway car, where officers fatally shot him about five times at point-blank range. He has not been identified." Again, wow. This is extreme even by US standards and we all know that we have hair triggers when stuff happens.

At first it sounded like the police were accepting responsibility for their actions and mistake but look at this:

"London's Mayor Ken Livingstone called the killing a 'human tragedy.'. . .'The police acted to do what they believed necessary to protect the lives of the public. This tragedy has added another victim to the toll of deaths for which the terrorists bear responsibility,' he said.'

After reading this, does it still sound like they are accepting responsibility? It makes me wonder if the officers responsible for this tragedy will be reprimanded in some way and/or what kind of restitution will be given to his family. I just hope that this keeps everyone from responding rashly.

This is where I found the article:

London 2

Andi wondered why I hadn't said anything about the latest problems in London. Well, yesterday I caught a glimpse of the headlines on AOL but thought that they might have been talking about before. Shawnna filled me in last night. My response, "Do they have any idea who they are messing with? The Empire will rise again and fight back." (It occurs to me that this remark could summon up Star Wars images but it wasn't meant to. More like you should have been seeing British soldiers like those out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. lol) Anyway, I don't think that the intimidation tactics will work. Sure, the British public has been less than thrilled with Blair's choices and want out but bullying them into doing that may just have the opposite response. Our cousins across the pond are not so different from us on some things.

I was a bit shocked, however, over the shooting that occurred today. I too would like to hear the police explain their reasoning. From the article I read, if the man was truly dressed funny for the weather and considering the hyped up senses of Londoners, it's not a surprise that they would choose this method. I mean, come on, 70 degrees in London is like a fiesta day for light clothes. What disturbs me is that it sounds like they shot him after he was down on the ground. The only justification that I can think for this action would be if they thought he was going to blow himself up right there. So, while I am a little horrified at the implications of today's event, I am reserving judgment until I hear more details. I am such a Libra.

Well, Andi, hope you're happy with this response to it all. I'll try and write you a real email soon.

Which Classic Novel Do You Belong In?

Darling, it seems that you belong in Gone with the
Wind; the proper place for a romantic. You
belong in a tumultous world of changes and
opportunities, where your independence paves
the road for your survival. It is trying being
both a cynic and a dreamer, no?


Which Classic Novel do You Belong In?
brought to you by Quizilla

The Book Quiz retried

Ok, I decided to see what would happen if I answered the questions a little differently because there were two that could have gone either way depending upon the moment. However, I only got a repeat of two questions (one of which was one that could go either way). And here is what I got this time:

You're Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

The Book Quiz

Well, as Morgan blamed someone else for this, I'm gonna blame her. lol

Welcome to the BOOK QUIZ

Everyone loves internet quizzes. But so few of them offer the satisfaction of giving the quiz-taker a truly unique identity. Most of them yield a handful of results, almost never more than 10, without recognizing how different people really are. Here at , we have a novel solution. We're giving you a second quiz with real variety... with 64 (sixty-four) different possible outcomes! It's better than a Choose Your Own Adventure book!

Like the last time we did this, there are only 6 (six) questions that you need to answer to find your exact literary match! Rather than spending your entire day giving us details about yourself, we'll give you the details after getting just six responses from you.

Given that there are so few questions, please think carefully about each answer. We're about to put words in your mouth!

You're The Guns of August!

by Barbara Tuchman

Though you're interested in war, what you really want to know is what causes war. You're out to expose imperialism, militarism, and nationalism for what they really are. Nevertheless, you're always living in the past and have a hard time dealing with what's going on today. You're also far more focused on Europe than anywhere else in the world. A fitting motto for you might be "Guns do kill, but so can diplomats."


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Harry Potter and the Half-Dead Booksellers

So, by now those who braved the hordes of HP fans on Fri night have probably finished their book. I hope that the reading was as much fun as the anticipation of it. Have I read it yet? No. I have only read the first one. It's not that I don't like the world that Rowling created, or that I didn't enjoy the book, but I wanted to wait until she has them all out to read the rest. See, I determined a while ago that if I know that a series has a planned limit of books, I would wait until they are all out to enjoy them (like King's Dark Tower series). Why? Because I hate waiting forever between the books to get the next one. A year I can handle. But much more than that and I feel obliged to go back and reread everything so it's all fresh in my memory banks. Not that I don't have a good memory for things but I read so much that I would rather not chance getting confuzzled. Take Jean M. Auel's Earth Child series (Clan of the Cave Bear, etc.) for example. I read the first one when I was 14. There are 5 in the series so far and the last one came out 2 years ago (I believe). It took her like 10 years or so to come out with the last book.

Ok, I think that would be a long time for anyone between books and I know that's an extreme example, but it's why I wanted to wait on the HPs. Besides, I've noticed something kind of unique about the HP fans. . .no one has told me any major plot points that could ruin my enjoyment of reading them. You know how when people see a movie and just have to talk about it and inevitably ruin a major point for you? Somehow I've managed to avoid that with the HP world. However, I suspect that my luck will change if I wait for the last book to come out and I haven't read the rest. So, I may cave in and read them ahead of time. But I am so swamped right now that I don't know when I'll get a chance to do so anyway. Maybe I'll just wait until right before the next one is published. lol

Anyway, I got to work the HP night. Bought a general witch costume that I actually like quite a bit (worth the money) and will definitely wear for Halloween this year. Tony (the manager) went as Haggrid and a few of the temps dressed up. Rebecca (fellow co-worker/friend) also wore a general costume that she made for herself. The evening was a little boring in spots because those who were coming in for the "party" stayed away until late. And even then they mostly just wandered around. We didn't have as many people as I would have thought considering the number of reservations that we had. The one other store did better than us but I think that's because the mall they are in actually has a movie theatre attached to it. I suspect that parents took their kids to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and then to the book "party." They were also chosen to be shown on the news so that probably helped as well.

Most of our HP fans were adults. So, it was fairly calm. Tony decided that I would be in charge of handing out the books which meant that I was the first one to put a hand to a copy. We had strict orders that the boxes were not to be opened until after midnight. So, that was kind of cool. We did a countdown and everything. It was all pretty organized and we had people out by 1:30. We had a last minute guy come in for his copy at almost 2a but since I was just closing the gate behind Tony and Jessica (the assistant manager), I was able to sell him the book. Til Natalie and I got the store organized and everything counted, she left at 2:30a and I got out of there about 3a. It was a looooong day.

I wasn't supposed to be back into the store until 3p but Erin had called to say that she had a nasty migraine and wanted to know if anyone could come in early to relieve her if it was still hanging on. I was the only one that could so I wasn't surprised when she woke me up at 11:30a to ask if I would come in at 1:30p. Man was I tired. When I got in, everyone was tired. We stayed pretty busy until about 7p and then died down. We were dragging but not too badly. I think that most of the diehard fans were home reading the book. And I think that we had way too much competition from places like Walmart for us to stay swamped. I also wasn't feeling very well which didn't help matters but I had off yesterday and today and will chill some more tomorrow. So, I should be all good.

The whole thing felt anticlimactic pretty quickly. I've found that I enjoy the anticipation of events a lot more than the events themselves for the most part. Not always but a lot of time anyway. Then again, I didn't have any real personal investment in this event other than as a bookseller so that could be why in this case. I heard a figure of 6.5 million copies were sold within the first 24 hours. That is just insane. Good day for publishing but I wonder if there will ever be anything as big as this again (besides the last book). But when there is a next time, I think I'll safely stay home instead of being infected and turned into the living dead.

London

So terribly sad. I can't say that I was all that shocked. Poor London gets hit a lot. As my friend, Valerie (who is also American), put it. . ."My beautiful city has been scarred again by violence -- I just want to cry." I agree. But London is a tough old bird. I'm glad that, while they are terrible, the numbers of the dead and the wounded aren't worse. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone harmed in some way by this new atrocity.

This has done nothing to quell my desire to revisit my favorite city. My sense of London withdrawal (it's been two years since I was there) is still strong. And I can't wait to go again.

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

Ok, you know how there are certain phrases which have become a part of our culture? Take the one above. For those of you who don't know, it's the catchphrase for an old commercial. The ad was for a device that would let the elderly alert a service that they were in trouble. These words were spoken by this elderly woman who had fallen and could't get up. Now, maybe it's because the commercial was low budget and so the acting was less than convincing. Maybe we had just become too cynical or hardened against such sights. Whatever, the phrase quickly became a joke. Heck, I've used it a time or two myself. We just don't think much about what they could really mean in reality.

On Friday night, my 83-year-old aunt (yes, the one in PA I wrote about) fell down and couldn't get up. She doesn't know why she fell. And apparently she wasn't strong enough to push herself up. So, she dragged herself to the kitchen for a flashlight so she could see the phone to call someone. Why she chose the neighbors instead of out home, who knows. But they came up and helped her into bed. She was ok on Saturday until she took a bath. For some reason, she couldn't get out of the tub. This was 4p. Well, a few years ago, I'd bought her a cordless phone so that she could carry it with her in case such things happened. Did she have the phone with her? No, of course not. So, in the tub she sat and waited, hoping someone would come by. She stayed like that until Sunday morning. By that time, her leg had swollen up. The friend who takes her to church came by and she was able to make herself heard. He managed to help her out of the tub and then went out to the farm on his way to church.

My nephew, Daniel, went out to her house and, with the neighbor's help again, got her to her bed. The neighbor called for an ambulance because the leg looked icky. Jami, who had come up to hang out with the fam, came over with Cynthia and they stayed for a little while. Daniel rode with her to the hospital. Well, turned out that she was suffering from dehydration and cellulitis in the leg. Other than that, she's fine. No obvious reasons for why she's having problems.

Well, we have a few speculations. One, she is getting on in years. Couple that with her tendency not to eat much (she weighs 110 pounds and her 5'1 frame has shrunk to 4'11) and take a bedtime sleeping pill with a whiskey chaser. . .and I think you can see why. Yes, we've nagged her about these things. Doesn't do much good. So, now she is in the hospital and they are keeping her until they decide that she is well enough again. She has had physical therapy to help her walk better (she took 23 steps today) but she still isn't eating much. She admits that she is a picky eater and hospital food, well, we all know how truly gourmet that is. So, we'll see.

At any rate, it made me think about the phrase because when she was telling me about what happened, I couldn't help but hear that line as a joke. Only now, doesn't really seem all that funny. And yet, it still does. Why? Probably because she is all right now. Or maybe I am just too numb to such happenings in my family. Most likely it's because my family has a warped sense of humor and tend to laugh in times of crisis. . .especially when they are momentarily over.

Interlude 2

Ok, so you want to know what I have been doing since the slumber party that has kept me too busy to write? Well, working, of course.

Tony (manager) was gone for almost two weeks because he had vacation and then ended up with strep throat. Don't know what the relationship is of the two things but it meant getting extra hours. Plus teaching. So, June was a very hectic month. I did have a small break two weekends ago and went up to Charlotte to hang with Mary and Kyle. After lunch, Mary and I went to see Mr. and Mrs. Smith and it was better than I expected. I expected it to be like The War of The Roses (with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner) but it wasn't. It was so much better than that. Good dialogue. Plot is a bit thin but it doesn't have to have a lot to it for the kind of movie that it is. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt definitely have chemistry together. They did a great job. Good boost for their careers. Glad to see that the hoopla about the offscreen stuff hasn't hurt the movie because it really is worth the time and money.

Afterward I wandered around one of the malls to kill time until Kyle got off from work or Chris was home to meet me. (Ok, I should note this for people now. . .this is Kyle #2, the southern Kyle, not to be mistaken for Kyle #1, the northern Kyle I grew up with. And Chris is Kyle's bf.) Got to their house and later we went to dinner at one of their friend's houses. That was a nice dinner. Very comfy and friendly. Very relaxing. I ended up driving home cause Kyle and Chris felt free to have beers. They probably could have driven home but this was safer. Of course, next time, I'm driving anyway cause I hate driving Kyle's jeep. lol

The next day Kyle and I (and a friend of his. . .I so suck at names) went to lunch and to see The Longest Yard. That was pretty decent too. Really want to see the original with Burt Reynolds now. Loved him when I was growing up and I can so see him chewing up the scenery in the movie. I bought the soundtrack and it's pretty decent if you like rap. Makes me get the urge to turn up the bass in my car. lol

And that was pretty much it for the time off. I've been working since then and been tired. But I am catching up on rest and cleaning. So, that's all good. If anything exciting happens or I have any thoughts for y'all, I'll write again soon.

Slumber Party

Ok, so, slumber parties are not just for kids. Did you know that? Well, I got to do my first girlie one a few weekends ago. Yeah, I know I'm behind again. Sue me. Anyway, Samantha invited me to hang with her and some friends at Angela Knight's house. Angela is a published erotic romance writer. I have linked her site to the blog so you can check her out. We have her books at the store and I recommend her whenever I can. Her books sell pretty well on their own too. lol

I worked during the day. I hadn't expected to do more than meet up with the girls for dinner but when Sam called me, she said that I needed to pack a bag. So, I had to run home and grab some stuff so I could spend the night and have a change of work clothes for the following day. Angela lives a little over an hour away from Columbia. It's a decent drive. . .lots of green. Her house is very big and comfy. Very nice place out in a sparse community. There are neighbors but you wouldn't know it because everyone has a decent amount of space.

Everyone had brought something for a potluck dinner. I didn't have anything because I didn't have time to stop for something and it sounded like everything was covered. Poor visitor I am but I was not expecting to go to her house. Ah, well, should get in a habit of keeping bottles of wine handy like when I lived in France. Anyway, was introduced around to Angela, her husband, her son, Sam's friend, Morgan (who is also linked on here), and two other ladies (sorry, I forget their names but they were very nice).

By now I'm sure that you're curious to know what erotic romance writers look like. Are they eccentric? Weird? Ooze sex? lol Well, yes to maybe just the first question. I say maybe because I don't think I know anyone who isn't eccentric to some point. Otherwise, you could look at the ladies and not see anything different about them from everyone else. It was a very comfy and fun atmosphere. All of the women are intelligent and witty. It was a very good time. Wish I hadn't been so tired but I think they forgave me that. Angela's husband barbecued food for us and it was yummy. We settled down to watch an odd assortment of movies (some GB flicks, some others) and chatter away. Got to learn some things about the romance business.

Morgan and I hit it off and I hope that I get to see her again soon. Angela has been trying to get her to publish in NY. Right now, Morgan lives off of her ebook publications. She has quite a few. She lives writing. That is so cool. Morgan comes off as a somewhat caustic character but I think that has to do with her intelligence and intensity. She makes me look mellow. lol It would be interesting to see her and Jami in the same room together. Don't know that those two would get along but us other strong-willed female types would look like Ellie Mays by comparison. Morgan was very helpful with writing tips and some theory tips. I really need to sit down and read the stuff she's sent me! Argh. Maybe that's what I'll do tonight when I am done with this update.

Anyway, went to bed somewhere between 2-3a but didn't fall asleep until 4a. Yeah, I know. Part of it was that they had the Phantom movie on in the background. I would wake up in time to see the GB parts and then drift into a light doze. Had some very bizarre dreams. Too much mental stimuli. In the morning, Angela's husband made us breakfast (yummmm). Angela and I talked about her coming to the store for a book signing. I've since contacted the peeps I need to about permission but have yet to hear the ok from corporate. But there shouldn't be a problem. I would have liked to have stayed longer but I had to work at one of the other stores because they were all off at Carowinds. I have done smarter things than work on very little sleep and still getting over a cold. lol But it was worth the effort. I'm glad that I met them all.