2013 Academy Awards - Nominations and Predictions, Ninja News, and Questions Regarding Blog Visits and Writing

2013 Oscar Nominations and Predictions

Most of you have seen the list of nominees, so I’ll just focus on a couple categories and my predictions. And if you thought my Super Bowl predictions were suspect…

As for overall nominations, Lincoln leads the pack with twelve. Life of Pi is next with eleven, then Argo with seven, and Django Unchained with five. Even The Hobbit has three nominations. And might I add it’s rare I like so many of the nominations. That will make some of the categories even more difficult.

Best Visual Effects has three likely candidates out of five - The Hobbit, The Avengers, and Life of Pi. I’d be happy with any of them winning, but I’m giving the edge to Life of Pi for the amazing CGI tiger.

For Best Cinematography, I’m going with Django Unchained.

Best Animated Film doesn’t really have a strong contender, so it’s anyone’s game.

For Best Director, Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. (And Ben Affleck was robbed – no nomination for Argo here.)

In the category of Best Supporting Actor, we have five strong entries, most notably Alan Arkin from Argo, Tommy Lee Jones from Lincoln, and Christoph Waltz from Django Unchained. Again, I’d be happy with any of them, but edge goes to Waltz for his captivating performance.

For Best Actor, no contest - Daniel Day-Lewis. He WAS Lincoln.

I’ve seen four of the nine Best Picture nominees - Lincoln, Argo, Life of Pi, and Django Unchained. And here is my big prediction – Lincoln is going to sweep most of the categories, including this one. If Lincoln starts gaining momentum early, and especially if Spielberg wins Best Director, then Best Picture is a lock.

The last time I was right in my Best Picture prediction was 2007 and No Country For Old Men, so I think I’m due!

What are your predictions?

Ninja News

ML Swift started the The Progressive Book Club: A unique blog hop that's an online book club and meets the third Wednesday of every month. Visit his site for details.

My publisher always keeps me updated as to which Science Fiction Conventions they are sending promotional materials for bags and giveaways. And I had to laugh at the one coming up next weekend – Rusty, dude, you have your own Con! Rustycon is January 18-20 at the SeaTac Marriott Hotel in Seattle, WA. I think Rusty should get free admission and special VIP treatment…

Questions and Ponderings

Usually my posts are so full of news and announcements I don’t get time for this stuff!

How does everyone visit blogs?

Through Google Reader? Your blogroll? Comments from the previous day?

I start with my blogger buddies folder in Google Reader, then check a couple other folders, and then check comments for someone I missed. (Sometimes it takes me until the second day to visit commenters.)

Thanks to those who visited my discussion on outlining with M. Pax on Wednesday. There were a couple interesting questions and I’d like to boggle your minds with my answers.

Nancy Thompson asked: I’m curious how you write outline. Is it handwritten or done on the computer? Is it free firm or true outline style? How many pages of outline are typical & how many pages of text do you produce from a page of outline?

First one is handwritten, and then the remaining versions are on the computer so I can add to them. Free form. Printed out, my outlines are three to five pages long. And the outline for CassaStorm was over four pages and produced 82,000 words, so I guess around 20,000? Maybe I need to write even longer outlines…

Johanna Garth asked this after reading that I don’t name secondary characters until later: So now I’m curious how the characters are referenced in the first draft. By letters, numbers??

By blanks. Lots and lots of blanks! Yes, it’s interesting when I finally do select names (usually just before my test readers and critique partners see it) and try to place them in the correct spots…

And if that doesn’t puzzle you, here’s another one – I don’t divide my manuscripts into chapters until the very end. Yes, I send them to my publisher that way – sans chapters. (To my credit, there are breaks!)

Anybody else wait until the last minute to divide up a manuscript?

What are your Oscar predictions this year? How many of the nominees have you seen? Joining the Progressive Book Club? Going to Rustycon? How do you visit blogs? And anyone else share my strange writing style?

Ali Cross is Destined, Ninja News, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

Today I have the honor of hosting the Ninja Master herself, Ali Cross! She just released the third book in her Desolation series, Destined.

It's always a good day to visit Alex's blog but it's fan-freakin'-tastic when you get to hijack it! Thanks Alex for being such a softie and letting me take over for the day! I'm here because my third book just came out! It's the last in a trilogy and it's landed me in a weird place.

It's sort of like riding a see-saw. Sometimes I'm up. Sometimes I'm down.

Sometimes I think, "Yeah! I'm done writing Desi's story!"

And other times I think, "I'm totally gonna write another Desi book!"

But mostly I think, "I did it!"

Signing on for a multi-book deal (doesn't matter if you're independently or traditionally published) is a big commitment. I mean, who wants to let their readers down? You've got to finish the story. And sometimes it's no easy task ~ especially when you've got other stories beating down your mental door insisting that you write them.

If you're currently stuck in the muck, I don't have any magic words to help get you through. All I can say is, strap yourself in and get ready for the ride of your life (up, down, all around). And when you're done (because you will finish!) we can go for a ride together and get our rock on.

Don't mind me if I do a little head-banging while I'm waiting. No matter what Desi says,
I TOTALLY WIN!!

Check me (er, Desi) out! 

This is the last (huzzah!) book in the Desolation Trilogy (notice how I said TRILOGY, and not SERIES like I used to? Hey, I make no promises). You can learn more about the series by going to the site, to Goodreads, or to Amazon.

Thanks again for letting me hang out here today, Alex! You're the bestest!

Ali Cross is the sensei of the writer's dojo where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, two sumo dogs and four zen turtles. 

Links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Ninja News

I’m a guest of Laura Eno and Miss Snark! See how I respond to the strange questions and the stuff floating in Miss Snark’s punch.

Huntress at Spirit Called just signed with Musa Publishing, a small pub in Ohio, for her urban fantasy, The Magic Withheld. Congratulations, Huntress!

Chuck at Apocalypse Now and Shannon at The Warrior Muse are hosting a Choose Your Own Apocalypse Blogfest this Friday.

Losing Hope, the sequel to Losing Beauty by Johanna Garth, is available now, You can purchase it at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Congratulations, Johanna!

Jack Lewis Baillot of However Improbable just released her first book – Haphazardly Improbable. Congratulations, Miss Jack! Buy it now at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Andrew Leon has several books available for free today! Visit Amazon for the full list.

Healing Summer by Elizabeth Seckman is now available!
Find the author and the book at her blog, on Amazon, and on Facebook.

Movie Review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Directed by Peter Jackson, it’s another great entry in the Middle Earth series.
Don’t go into it thinking you’re going to see another LOTR film though. The Hobbit is a very different story and moves at a leisurely pace. The movie is lighter and more whimsical.
Visually it’s stunning. Since we’re now familiar with Middle Earth, some of the ‘wow’ factor is gone, but the scenery and action scenes are still amazing. There’s a bit of backstory in the beginning and Jackson draws upon the appendixes to flesh out other scenes. We get to see Gandalf do more magic as well.
Martin Freeman is perfect in the role of Bilbo, and Richard Armitage does a strong turn as Thorin.
Overall, the movie is a little too long, but I was never bored. (I would recommend avoiding the giant sized drink.)
When it shines though, the film really shines! Looking forward to the second movie next December.

Any questions for Ali? Do you follow her or the Dojo? Excited about the new releases? Ready to celebrate the apocalypse this Friday? And did anyone else see the Hobbit?

Be sure to visit Laura Eno and Miss Snark!