India found this great item for writers called The Wasteline Test, which measures the amount of bad grammar stuff in our writing. Follow the link at her site - India Drummond
My writing measured ‘lean,’ which is awesome!
I'm working on another project while kicking around some new ideas. Something about the storyline for CassaStar's sequel didn't feel right, so I sat down this weekend with one of my test readers, and we tossed out some ideas. He had great suggestions and spurred my imagination, and the outline is much stronger now. I'll have to do a lot more research for this one, but I'm really excited.
I'm currently reading two books, a fantasy by Robin Hobb and one from The Autumn Rain trilogy by David J. Williams. However, the latest Preston & Child book, Fever Dream, arrived Saturday. I'm tearing through it, so hope to have a review up soon.
Have I mentioned lately that my iPad still rocks? I did make one mistake, though. I had Plants vs. Zombies on my iTouch, so I downloaded it to my iPad as well, just to see it on the larger screen. Yes, it sucked me in! I'm currently on the roof, so not long before I win it yet again...
As for stuff - I updated my blogroll on the right this weekend. If anyone who visits my blog and comments on a regular basis is not listed, please let me know! I've got all but the very newest followers up and may have missed a devoted friend.
Oh, and I finally have a button. Left hand side of blogroll, near the top. (For all those who've been asking for the past month!)
And Shannon at Faith, Hope, and Love passed out some awards the other day - and this one excited me:
My writing measured ‘lean,’ which is awesome!
I'm working on another project while kicking around some new ideas. Something about the storyline for CassaStar's sequel didn't feel right, so I sat down this weekend with one of my test readers, and we tossed out some ideas. He had great suggestions and spurred my imagination, and the outline is much stronger now. I'll have to do a lot more research for this one, but I'm really excited.
I'm currently reading two books, a fantasy by Robin Hobb and one from The Autumn Rain trilogy by David J. Williams. However, the latest Preston & Child book, Fever Dream, arrived Saturday. I'm tearing through it, so hope to have a review up soon.
Have I mentioned lately that my iPad still rocks? I did make one mistake, though. I had Plants vs. Zombies on my iTouch, so I downloaded it to my iPad as well, just to see it on the larger screen. Yes, it sucked me in! I'm currently on the roof, so not long before I win it yet again...
As for stuff - I updated my blogroll on the right this weekend. If anyone who visits my blog and comments on a regular basis is not listed, please let me know! I've got all but the very newest followers up and may have missed a devoted friend.
Oh, and I finally have a button. Left hand side of blogroll, near the top. (For all those who've been asking for the past month!)
And Shannon at Faith, Hope, and Love passed out some awards the other day - and this one excited me:*****************************************
Rock Star Blogger! Have guitar, will travel.
******************************************
I'll just pass this along to two others who rock-
Jamie at Mithril Wisdom and Arlee at Tossing it Out
Whoo! Thanks for the award :D
ReplyDeleteI tested out an iPad at my local Apple store last week, and I had to tear myself away from it. If I had a spare £400 I'd not miss a beat in getting one. Plants vs. Zombies was awesome (and I was hooked on the keyboard app too).
I hope the new outline works out for you. I've tried to be an outline sort of guy, but I think I'm more of a discovery writer when it comes to fiction. Probably because I associate outlines with academic essays and such.
The waistline test looks awesome, I'll have to run my work through that a few times and cut down on the trash, hehe.
Thanks for the linkage Alex, you're the best!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love the jittery excited feeling you get when you're just starting out a new project? Good luck with it! :)
ReplyDeleteWanted to let you know rhat there's an award for you on my Blog.Cheers!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new WIP. Isn't that great when a plan comes together. And thanks for the linkage. And yes, I agree, you are a rock star blogger! Go you!
ReplyDeleteYou are definately a rock star blogger. Congrats. Thanks for the links. Good luck with the new WiP.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links. Congrats the rocker award!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with the sequel to CassaStar. You'll rock that story, I'm sure of it!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your brainstorming and writing of the sequel.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your awards!
Congrats on the award. You definitely rock! I'll be at her Blog today...:)
ReplyDeleteJamie, the iPad will suck you into its awesomeness. And let me know how your manuscript scores.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Will - I just saw it!
Thanks, everyone!
Go, Rock Star!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd heard Plants vs Zombies was addictive.
Congratulations on the award well deserved I'm sure, have you your guitar ready yet?
ReplyDeleteI saw those ipad on the TV, they look very interesting.
Have a nice day.
Yvonne.
glad to hear your brain is all in motion and you're working on a new project :) Keep on rockin'
ReplyDeletePS for all you writers, as a translator who dissects all of your sentences in the process of his work, I can tell you that all of you often have grammar mistakes even in the published books. The most common mistake that most writers repeat and their editors often miss while editing are repetitive words and terms throughout your novels. Another horrible mistake, which is often overlooked, is repeating the same sentence structure throughout your novel. I've just translated a novel in which the author used sentences beginning with "AS" at least five to ten times on each page!!!
Congrats on your award, and congrats to Lee and Jamie too! Thanks for the links.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your award. Rock Star, huh! Cool!
ReplyDeleteMy son told me that two million ipads have been sold in the US. It has not even arrived in Malaysia yet.
ReplyDeleteYea - good luck with the new WiP!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out the waistline site...
I haven't done it in a while but I used to run my writing through the reading level thing on my word processor to let me know that I was writing for an appropriate audience. I was surprised to find my nonfiction and fiction scored very differently, although that's a good thing I suppose.
ReplyDeleteOh, I might have to try that waistline thing out haha. Cool.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got the outline worked out, good luck writing!! :)
And congrats on the award!
It's wonderful to be excited about your project. Thanks for the link to India's site and the Wasteline Test. I'm off to check it out :)
ReplyDeleteDez, I hope to God my book isn't repetitive!
ReplyDeleteOcean Girl, I hope it gets there soon.
Charles, I never thought of doing that.
Thanks, everyone! Rock Star Alex can't wait to work on his project tonight.
Well, golly gee, oh shucks, thanks for that award. Something for me to put on my site this coming Saturday.
ReplyDeleteChecked out that Waistline test writing site and that seemed pretty cool. I might not get addicted to that zombie game, but I'll probably be sticking writing samples into the waistline test for a while. If I am to believe it my samples that I put in so far got pretty good ratings. Fun.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Nice link for The Waste Line, good sir. Leans across the board for me also, which is cool since I pasted in some of an unedited vomit draft of a story in progress. I think I just sprained my arm trying to pat myself on the back. Enough of that, then....
ReplyDeleteArlee, you've posted so much about music recently, it seemed fitting.
ReplyDeleteSimon, I'm sure you deserved that pat on the back.
Ooh, which Robin Hobb? (They're all good, but some of them are wonderful!)
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous you have an iPad! Enjoy! Wait, you already are enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteMy writing writing was lean, my current blog post was fit and trim, which by the way has been proofed since you read it. ;)
ReplyDeleteAwards was a ritual I forgot about!
Congrats on the award.
My hubby's getting me an Ipad for my birthday-the end of July. I'm so excited. I can hardly wait! The Wasitline Test is very useful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMy ms was lean as well :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you're still enjoying the iPad!
OOH! A sequel! I can't wait for Cassastar to come out, it'll be great! Good luck on the sequel, and don't hesitate to include my likeness in it :P
ReplyDeleteHampshire, it's Assassin's Apprentice.
ReplyDeleteCarol, you will love it!!!!!
Thanks, BStearns! And I will do that.
Looking forward to Cassatar. I'll pay for it. Preston and Child are two of my favorite authors and Relic is what helped inspire me to write. Rock on. I love this blog.
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp
Thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about the whole plants vs zombies thing, a friend of mine just gets completely sucked in to the game and I have to admit, it looks quite entertaining.
Wishing you the best.
Woa - cool award! As an old Hippie Rock and Roller I can relate to that one ... and you are certainly deserving - kudos!
ReplyDeleteThe Old Silly
Thanks, Stephen - I appreciate that!
ReplyDeleteThank you Cassandra and Marvin. I'm a rockin'!
Alex you are the award collecting machine recently! Good stuff and congrats!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!!! Really a sequel, that is exciting! I can't wait to see read your book~
ReplyDeleteI will check out the grammar check...ought oh, I know I have issues there! Congrats on being LEAN!