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Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.
- 16:18 twitpic.com/vx7sg - < /meatballs > #
- 18:33 My clothing rack broke leaving every costume item I have collapsed in a sad pile on my floor. HELP! send me your best clothing rack links. #
- Read an interview with Max & Co. founder Michael Murphy.
- How many agents should you query?
- How to write a query letter: The 3 parts
- Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
- Read about
- Read another great synopsis: Starman.
- How to write a novel synopsis.
- One story? You need 5 versions.
- Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
- Read about
| Thursday, December 31st, 2009 | ||
|
newyorkers [ welling1 ] |
11:21p | what's a reasonable time on NYE to ask people to be quiet? There is a raging party happening in the apartment above me and I'm fearing that it might go on long into the morning. What is a reasonable time that I can ask them to keep it down? This is a tiny apartment as it is, and not suitable for a party at all. I don't want to be a party pooper, but I need to get some sleep tonight. |
|
petemosq |
10:05p | Oh, One More Thing. No matter how many years pass, you need to take time to, well you know. :) Current Mood:  cheerfulCurrent Music: Duh! |
|
halseanderson |
9:51p | Reflecting on a decade First things first!  All of the creatures in the Forest wish you and yours a healthy and happy New Year! For me, this has been the most unexpected, exciting decade a person could possibly enjoy. I feel like I've lived thirty years in the past ten, and that is a rather cool feeling. But I have been so deep in the work on my new book that I haven't given much thought to the fact that the decade is closing tonight. What made me open my eyes? WINTERGIRLS was named as one of the ten most influential books of the past freaking DECADE by the Chicago Tribune. I NEVER saw that coming. I am utterly gob-smacked by the notion. (And incredibly grateful that one of my books would even be considered for such a list!) It stopped me in my tracks and made me take a good, hard look at the past decade. Because you probably don't want to read all of this, I'll insert headings. FAMILY The most important changes have had to do with my family. My biological kids have grown up into outstanding women. They are by far the best accomplishment of my life, though I can only take a smidgen of credit; they did the hard work of growing up and figuring out how to make their lives rich and rewarding. Ten years ago I was sorrowful about my fractured marriage. Eight years ago my first husband and I found a way to divorce peacefully. We decided to act like grown-ups and put our kids first. I will forever be blessed that we figured out how to become friends again, and stay family, and celebrate the fact that we both found partners that were right for us. And then there is Scot; my childhood sweetheart, my Beloved Husband, and the builder of the most awesomest writing cottage in the history of Western literature. More importantly, he gave me two more completely incredible kids, who made space for me and their step-sibs in their hearts. AND he gave me the Creature With Fangs. Did you like any of the books I've written since 2003? Then send your appreciation to my husband. He is my entire world. In my journal ten years ago, I was worrying about the impending death of my mother. Because she was a Yankee hewn from granite, she lasted ten years later than I thought she would. Thank God. This year I was blessed to witness her cross over to the next world, and a few weeks later, my father-in-law. I miss them. We miss them. But it's all good. FRIENDS I am an introvert. Some would say a fairly pathological introvert. But for some reason I can't understand, my life has overflowed with friends who have enriched my life beyond the telling. I consider all of the readers who have reached out to me through email, on a social networking site, through old-fashioned snailmail, or who took the time to meet me at a bookstore I really struggle to make sense of this.I'll never figure it out, so let me just say thank you. To all of you. I am fairly adept at word-spinning, but the only way I can think of to explain how much you mean to me is to put my hand on my heart, bow my head, and say: THANK YOU. ::runs downstairs to hang with family and look forward to the next decade:: MUSE Yep. The Muse gets whopping heaps of thanks. I show how much I appreciate Her Presence by showing up to write every morning. Sometimes I draw. And I hum a lot. And so it goes. I really can't grok most of what has happened in the past ten years. But I am grateful. Crazy grateful. I really appreciate all the minutes I've been given to love and laugh and make up stories. Thank you, my friends. |
|
petemosq |
7:47p | All's Well that Ends Well Just So Long That it Ends! Hello Kiddies, We made it through another one! Both a year and another holiday season! Work today was a brutal piece as has become the New Years custom. New Year's week was for many years one of the least busy times, now because of different factors it has become one of the busiest and most hectic times. The snow today made it more fun, but still finished and made the early curfew. We shipped over 200,000 cases in 4 days so there will be lots of happy drunk people this weekend. When you toast tonight, remember the fine folks who bring the cheer all year round! This year seemed to suck for a great many reasons, however I cannot in retrospect say it was all bad. There were some really great times with great people, a few nice flings here and there and even one that turned into a nice (if brief) relationship. I was reading posts from NYE's past, and was struck at the differences and similarities of them. Memories of activities and partners over the years (most prominently ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} fluxinflutter and teediggy). Celebrations past and the things that seemed important at the time. I will be spending this NYE quietly (relatively anyway) among some close family and Asti Spumante. We already had the Octopus, which is a New Year's treat! Normally one reflects on things they did or did not do, or make resolutions they will or won't keep. I generally do not make resolutions because I find the idea to be silly. That would mean you are resolving yourself to do something, as if you didn't want/need to. I try to keep my goals and expectations relatively within reach and not set myself up to fail. I'm also not in the regret business. That said, there are some things I should probably work on more than others. I need to maximize my opportunites and use my resources better. This year I got very distracted by the bright and shinies (waves hi to the ones reading >wink<), and lost sight of important stuff. I make it a point not to sweat the little things, but found myself almost consumed by things (and people) that in the grand scheme of things don't really matter. So as I enter my 38th(!) year of life, farther than I ever thought I would get, I will remember my successes and learn from my mistakes and fly baby fly! No one has a guarantee, and I will cherish the days as they come. When I was leaving for work today, I grabbed a CD that I hadn't played in a while but remains a favorite. The opening track on it has a nice way of slapping me upside the head with a nice dose of perspective (it has a great riff too!). I'll share it here. ( The Lament of...... ) Well this rambled on a mighty bit didn't it? If ya'll are still reading after that, I love you. Happy New Year and may blessings in abundance to you and yours! See yah next DECADE!! Current Mood: peacefulCurrent Music: Steve Taylor - The Lament Of Desmond R.G. Underwood-Frederick IV |
|
craftgrrl [ ethora ] |
4:02p | Once in a Blue Moon Tree Pendant I crafted this pendant today from 4 different gauges of sterling silver wire and an amazonite coin bead. I know I know...today's moon is not literally the color blue, but in silver forests it is!  Happy New Year! |
| tigerbeatdnblog | 11:47p | STATE OF THE FEMINISM: Time for a Rebranding, Ladies! Hey, you guys! It is almost a new year! A new DECADE, even. That is a big deal, right? And, as we approach our bright and shining future, it’s time for us to engage in some serious thoughts. Thoughts about Feminism! Where has it been, where is it going, at what point do we just get around to establishing that the true point of Feminism is and has always been for me to have my own rocket car, etcetera. And who do we trust, in this hour of futuristic thought, to guide us on to Feminism’s new era? Probably not Nicky Loomis of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, that’s who! Oh, I know, I know. “Nicky Who-mis of the Where Where WHAT, now?” That is what you are saying. And I sympathize! I’ve never heard of this person, either! But Nicky has written us a letter, about our movement, and the many faults Nicky happens to perceive therein. And since it is addressed to us – to ALL OF US, in fact – I think we should give it a fair hearing. It begins:
See? It’s for you!
God damn it, Nicky Loomis of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO CONTACT ME. It’s over! Let it go!
Um, fucking EVERYWHERE, I think? Did you try Google? Did you look for the explosion of independently-run and/or corporate-backed feminist media that has been one of the better developments of this past decade? Like: there are some big places we hang out on the Internet, really. Did you try Shakesville, Feministing, Pandagon? A website entitled, last time I checked, “Feministe?” These are some of the easier names to plug into your Google machine! They’re not even the only names I know or the only names I seek out because they’re continually attached to work where I can find Feminism hanging out and chilling and entertaining guests; they’re just names that are substantially easier to know about or have heard of than, say, “Nicky Loomis!” Did you try the feminist or feminist-friendly offshoots of major for-profit media? DoubleX, Broadsheet, Jezebel? You can find Sarah Haskins on the Internet too, I hear! She has a little TV show, I recommend it! Also, do you read things that are printed on paper? Such as the print-media zine-era survivors and thrivers, like Bitch? The second-wave stalwarts like Ms.? The many feminist contributors to your more progressive magazines and journals? Feminism can be found there, too! And also at bookstores. Do you go to bookstores, Nicky Loomis? You can find Feminism chillaxing in a lot of books, at a lot of bookstores, in the sections devoted to Feminism! Some of the writers associated with this general Internet milieu can also be found in these “book stores!” And some of the writers have been around longer, longer than the Internet itself, making friends with and introducing people to and supporting Feminism, and their books and articles and the results of their hanging out with Feminism and helping Feminism out are fucking all over the place! It’s crazy! Also, here is another place you can find Feminism: in real life. Did you check real life, Nicky? I recommend it! Maybe if you look around – like, at protests and women’s shelters and some of your more major feminist organizations and in your office and in your family and in your general life environment, those are fun places to look – you can find Feminism and feminists there, too! A lot of them, in fact! Did any of this register for you, when you were writing your little letter? Like, this whole thing of Feminism entering the national conversation yet again, and being adopted and researched and learned about and participated in by so many people, and basically being a whole lot bigger and more visible and more accessible right now, at the end of this particular decade, than it has been in years and years and years? It’s all possible to learn about, via an entertaining buckets-o-fun process I like to call “knowing a damn thing before you sit down to write!” Or not. Anyway, now that we’ve established Nicky’s in-depth research and expertise relating to the whereabouts and nature of Feminism, time to field some suggestions!
HOW TO IMMEDIATELY ENDEAR YOURSELF TO FEMINIST WOMEN IN ONE SENTENCE OR LESS: Assume they will all go buck-wild crazy with enthusiasm if you mention “Oprah” and a “makeover.” Works every time!
Oh, yeah. I remember when Puff Daddy was calling himself “Feminism.” That was weird! But, hey, maybe we can ditch the whole “Feminism” moniker! I read about it in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, so I’m pretty sure it’s a good idea. I recommend that we now dub our noble movement, “Hot Sexy Wet T-Shirt Tits for Beads Jell-O Shot Party X-Press.” You know, for branding purposes! Or “Girls Gone Wild.” Is that one taken? Maybe we could just call it, “Dudes, Cut That Bullshit Out Right Now, Or I Will Make You.” That is the phrase most likely to flash across my mind, right before I engage in some Feminism. We’ll work on it, Nicky! We will, as you suggest, get back to you!
Wow. I was one! I was really into Bert and Ernie, if I recall. I insisted that Ernie was a girl, because I liked him, so he had to be. I shoved peas up my nose sometimes and I thought broccoli was baby trees! Oh, and also? I would have had the good sense not to publish this article. Some of us mature faster than others, is the moral here.
Oh, my God! I LIKE WATCHING TV, TOO! We have SO MUCH IN COMMON! And I agree: in recent years, there has been more TV with feminist overtones or undertones or just general tones, coming from folks like Joss Whedon and Tina Fey and all the many folks on Mad Men or Battlestar Galactica or whatever, and even the misogyny of some TV – though not gone, and not un-appalling – is more widely called out than it once was, and people seem to seek to avoid that, simply because an increasing number of people feel comfortable saying that something is “misogynist” and that misogyny is a good enough reason not to support it. I wonder if all those ancient withered feminists of ‘83, writing letters to praise the good stuff and criticize the bad, creating a culture where it was totally acceptable to view pop culture “through a feminist lens,” as the saying goes, had anything to do with that at all??? No. Pshaw! Gloria Steinem, contributing to the benefit of the culture? Couldn’t be! She’s just so old! And acknowledging that this made a difference back then would imply that it could still make a difference now! Which is just plain wacky.
Feminism is especially tough to define if you don’t read any feminist writers, or seek out any feminist expertise, and if you rule out engaging in any feminist activism! Just saying. Or if you insist that a movement dedicated to bettering the lives of over fifty percent of the human beings on the fucking planet have only one priority (again: getting me a rocket car is a good one to pick, ladies) which is universally agreed upon and espoused by all of its members! Just saying. Oh, what’s that Nicky Loomis? You have a final point?
Huh. That’s awesome! Because, you know, there have been times when I’ve been totally afraid to be a woman. Like: walking down the street, late at night, alone, when being a woman means some dude might rape me. Or going to a bar and having to keep an eye on my drink, because being a woman means some dude might roofie and rape me. Or basically always having to think about what I’m wearing and who’s around and what my exit strategy is and whether my friends (also women) and I are safe from being roofied and raped, or raped without the aid of roofies, which might indeed happen to us because we are women. I’m kind of afraid to be a woman at those times! Or when my ideas and work are dismissed by men, because being a woman means that I’m not cut out to be an intellectual equal, and being an openly feminist woman who talks about being a woman and seems totally not ashamed of that fact means that I’m either frivolous or a fringe-dwelling wack-job. That happens, and makes me scared to be a woman! Or when I’m patronized by men, or regarded as a “bitch” because I advocate for myself, or taken advantage of because I fail to advocate for myself, or sexualized and fetishized in a creepy way that by no means depends on my consent or participation, which can happen in lots of places – an office, maybe! It’s happened there – because I’m a woman. When a boss hits on you, or when a man addresses his female employees as “girls” and treats them like particularly stupid five-year-old children: that’s kind of scary. Because of the woman thing. You know when my mom was probably afraid to be a woman? When my dad beat her up a whole bunch. I was scared to be a woman, too, because I got to see it. When I worry that I won’t get jobs, or will be taken less than seriously at my job, or will have to enact some unsatisfying and impossible compromise with my job, due to the fact that I can (probably!) have babies and will be perceived as (or will be) the parent most responsible for taking care of any babies I have, I get scared to be a woman. When issues that are kind of super-important to me, like having access to birth control and abortion, get kicked off the table by the “liberals” who are supposed to support me because those trivial women’s issues are not worth fighting over: I get scared to be a woman around those times. When I’m engaged in the constant negotiation of disclosing my sexual history or tastes, and in the more-or-less mandatory sexualization of my body, constantly trying to negotiate between “stuck-up ugly bitch who won’t put out” and “dirty whore,” I get scared to be a woman, because that can affect everything from my job to how friends and family treat me to how people think it’s appropriate to interact with me on the street, and can be utilized as a justification for any number of crimes and shitty acts enacted against me, up to and including the aforementioned rape and beating-up-a-whole-bunch. And when people act like all of these things that might happen to me are not real issues, are either trivial or not worth thinking about or funny – a lot of people think they’re funny, I’ve gathered – I’m scared to be a woman. Really, REALLY scared! I’m scared to be a woman pretty often, actually, now that I think about it! But, hey, as long as those things have stopped happening – have they stopped happening, Nicky? Surely, with your research skills, you can fill me in – let’s ditch the fear of being women! NO FEAR, like the t-shirt says! Of course, I would still be a woman, whether I was afraid of it or not – I can’t precisely turn that shit on and off like an iPod - so for some reason getting over the “fear” of being a woman seems slightly less important than making sure there are fewer things for women to be afraid of. But, you know, sure: let’s work on making women not afraid to be women any more. My first suggestion? Make them less afraid to be feminists. [Cross-posted at Feministe.] |
|
newyorkers [ brooklynknight ] |
5:20p | Fox vs Time Warner Fox 5 NY just gave a list of where Fox is still going to be available after midnight, and Cablevision wasn't on the list..... This confuses me. I thought Cablevision and Time Warner were competitors, Time Warner services some parts of New York and Cablevision services others (Brooklyn and Bronx specifically). Does this Time Warner crap affect Cablevision too? Current Mood: annoyed |
|
saltyliquorice |
5:20p |
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yuki_onna |
4:51p | Midnight, Champagne, Kisses This post assisted by Mickey, my Jack Russell terrier-in-law. He has decided that the World Is Deeply Upset On a Fundamental Level if he is not in my lap. To avoid this, he is now firmly installed there, and not moving for nothing. I'm not going to say I hate New Year Resolutions. I hate breaking them. But hey, making and breaking is kind of the Circle of Life, you know? New cylces, new thoughts, new selves. I'm not going to say I want to lose weight, though I do and hopefully will. I'm not going to say that I'll travel more, or less, or that I'll appreciate things more, though I hope I will. I'm not going to say I'll live graciously, because zoethe 's got that covered and is better at it than me and I've been dealing with the pressure to be gracious and nice above anything else most of my life.I'm going to tackle my worst habit. The thing that causes me the most setbacks and grief and stress. I would like to stop procrastinating. I'm terrible about this and it's going to take more than a year to stop fully. I put things off way too much, and then it piles up and I feel overwhelmed and I don't do the items on the list because I feel terrible about not having done them. It's a shit cycle and I'm going to work, without causing myself more stress by saying OMG I HAVE TO DO IT ALL NOW, on doing things as they come across my desk rather than putting them all away for a later date. And of course, I will make more terriers happy this year than last year. Lastly, whenever New Year rolls around I think of this post from 2004, which was one of the first Serious Posts I wrote on LJ. It said everything about my life then, and I look at it now and am so grateful that I have passed out of that dark place and into a kind of light. Yet it's still a touchstone for me, the final image of the post, a psychic place of both rest and sorrow that I return to again and again to put everything I am and know now into perspective. Old worlds, shifting into new ones. It's not such a bad thing to celebrate. Current Mood:  calm |
| Friday, January 1st, 2010 | ||
|
craftgrrl [ rollinghop ] |
12:28a | |
| Thursday, December 31st, 2009 | ||
|
polyamory [ ewysiwyg ] |
1:50p | |
|
craftgrrl [ gore_gore_grrrl ] |
12:47p | John Waters & Divine My two newest masterpieces, late Christmas gifts for two of my best friends. ( Divine Trash and Pink Flamingos ) Current Music: Lawrence Welk - Emaline |
|
passionandsoul |
11:34a | |
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craftgrrl [ sighfoo ] |
9:31a | herd of critters broke my foot, so i've been keeping off my feet and doing a lot of sewing. good thing i have a lot of little nieces and nephews. |
|
midnightstation |
10:58p | I am in an online magazine..... One of my more Film Noir images made the cut for the Gatehouse Gazette. It is a shot I took of the EGL model Kassandra Leigh Purcell. The photo is on page 28 of issue 10, you can get it here: http://www.ottens.co.uk/gatehouse/tag/g Sahweet!!!!!!!!!!! Current Mood:  excited |
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craftgrrl [ gonebycontact ] |
10:25a | I also started working with wood and power tools! ( Its Been a While ) |
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nex0s |
9:00a | |
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halseanderson |
8:35a | Working On It I've been thinking a lot about the past decade. Look for a post later today. How was the last decade for you? |
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craftgrrl [ mcb397 ] |
7:04a | Present I did a lot more for the holidays, but at the end I got so rushed that this was the only thing I took pictures of, lol. Both patterns are from Urban Threads and I took the tutorial for the wall hanging on the same site and turned it into pillows. Enjoy! Crayon tinted, then hand embroidered. The red fabric reminded me of blood spatter.... Appropriate for a future nurse, don'tcha think?  ( Individual Pictures ) |
|
luxie_loo |
3:01a | Tweets and Treats ***Red Hots Burlesque, SF's ONLY Weekly Burlesque Show, Fridays 7:30 El Rio, Burlesque Classes, Figure Modeling and more RedHotsBurlesque.com |
| Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 | ||
|
mingdestiny |
9:03p | |
| Friday, January 1st, 2010 | ||
| litagentguide | 12:27a | New Agent Alert: Nettie Hartsock of Max & Co.
Reminder: Newer agents are golden opportunities
for new writers because they're likely building their client list; however, always
make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies
that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you're just wasting time and postage.
About Nettie : Nettie is a recovering technology journalist. She has been employed via the Web for over a decade, and is a proud member of the Internet Press Guild and Online News Association. She is also a published essayist and writer, currently adding the finishing touches to her one-woman show titled, "Drunko Bunko" which will be staged in Austin, TX in 2010. She recently started with Max & Co., a Literary Agency and Social Club.>Seeking: literary & commercial fiction. business books & popular nonfiction, and the occasional Southern fiction book.
How to submit: Nettie[at]NettieHartsock.com.
E-query, and include a brief synopsis and biography stating what the book is and who
you are. "Ideally both will point to a very large collection of people willing to
drop $24.95 to read your work. We appreciate direct & cogent proposals (well...at
least in others). Then include sample chapters as attachments, one of which must be
your opening (we like to see how you take the stage). If more than four weeks
have passed without a response, write again or call. E-mail was never intended to
carry the burden we all now place upon it. Stuff gets lost in the ether."
[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] ?>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.] <p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Nettie+Hartsock+Of+Max+Co.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Nettie+Hartsock+Of+Max+Co.aspx</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,71e5083a-8113-4ca0-a44b-ab9e326197f4.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,71e5083a-8113-4ca0-a44b-ab9e326197f4.aspx</a></p><font color=#000000>
<p>
<font color=#000000><em><strong>Reminder</strong>: Newer agents are golden opportunities
for new writers because they're likely building their client list; however, always
make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies
that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you're just wasting time and postage.<br>
<br>
<br>
</p>
>
<p align=center>
<img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/nettie.jpg" border=0>
</p>
<p>
<br>
</p>
</font>
<p align=center>
<font color=#000000></font>
</p>
<font color=#000000><strong>
<p>
About Nettie
</strong>: Nettie is a recovering technology journalist. She has been employed via
the Web for over a decade, and is a proud member of the Internet Press Guild and Online
News Association. She is also a published essayist and writer, currently adding the
finishing touches to her one-woman show titled, "Drunko Bunko" which will be staged
in Austin, TX in 2010. She recently started with <a href="http://www.maxliterary.org/"><font color=#990000>Max
& Co., a Literary Agency and Social Club</font></a>.</font>>
<p>
<font color=#000000><strong>Seeking</strong>: literary & commercial fiction. business
books & popular nonfiction, and the occasional Southern fiction book.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000><strong>How to submit</strong>: <a href="mailto:Nettie@NettieHartsock.com"><font color=#a52a2a>Nettie[at]NettieHartsock.com</font></a>.
E-query, and include a brief synopsis and biography stating what the book is and who
you are. "Ideally both will point to a very large collection of people willing to
drop $24.95 to read your work. We appreciate direct & cogent proposals (well...at
least in others). Then include sample chapters as attachments, one of which must be
your opening (we like to see how you take the stage). If more than four weeks
have passed without a response, write again or call. E-mail was never intended to
carry the burden we all now place upon it. Stuff gets lost in the ether."<br>
</font>
</p>
<p align=center>
<img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/max.jpg" border=0>
</p>
<p>
<strong><u><font color=#000000 size=1>
<br>
Want more on this subject?</font></u></strong>
</p>
<ul>
<font color=#000000>
<li>
<font size=1><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Agent+Advice+Michael+Murphy+Of+Max++Co+A+Literary+Agency++Social+Club.aspx"><font color=#990000>Read
an interview with Max & Co. founder Michael Murphy</font></a><font color=#990000>.</font></font>
<li>
<font color=#990000 size=1><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=88d7e1c8-18f7-4fa0-8b50-e8d606cd0556&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fHow%2bMany%2bAgents%2bShould%2bYou%2bQuery%2b%2bIs%2bThere%2bA%2bRight%2bNumber.aspx">How
many agents should you query?</a></font>
<li>
<font color=#990000 size=1><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=88d7e1c8-18f7-4fa0-8b50-e8d606cd0556&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fHow%2bTo%2bWrite%2bA%2bQuery%2bLetter%2bTo%2bA%2bLiterary%2bAgent.aspx">How
to write a query letter: The 3 parts</a></font>
<li>
<font size=1>Confused about formatting? Check out <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=d2d3d106-8d27-4698-aa25-3df73e67f73e&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.writersdigestshop.com%2fproduct%2fformatting-submitting-your-manuscript%2fget-published%3fr%3dchuckblog102809"><i><font color=#990000>Formatting
& Submitting Your Manuscript</font></i></a>.</font>
<li>
<font size=1>Read about <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=3ff6aeac-17a8-4f53-bf3e-baa47d2d831c&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fct.ashx%3fid%3db35cb06f-5fce-433c-9b79-c84412b2c1a7%26url%3dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%252fblog%252fct.ashx%253fid%253d8709e893-6fe8-42af-a39f-12ad02d96477%2526url%253dhttp%25253a%25252f%25252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%25252fblog%25252fct.ashx%25253fid%25253d1a28e0a9-784e-42b2-90fb-55a5524f7898%252526url%25253dhttp%2525253a%2525252f%2525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2525252fblog%2525252fAgents%2525252bChapter%2525252b1%2525252bPet%2525252bPeeves.aspx" ?=""><font color=#990000>What
Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves</font></a>.</font>
<li>
<font size=1>Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking
for? <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=d2d3d106-8d27-4698-aa25-3df73e67f73e&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.writersdigestshop.com%2fproduct%2f2010-guide-to-literary-agents%2f%3fr%3dchuckblog102809"><font color=#990000>Buy
the <i>2010 Guide to Literary Agents</i> today!</font></a></font>
</font>>>
</ul>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/aggbug.ashx?id=71e5083a-8113-4ca0-a44b-ab9e326197f4" /> |
| Thursday, December 31st, 2009 | ||
| litagentguide | 12:03a | The 'Punch-Drunk Love' Synopsis
I always tell people that if they're confused as to how a novel
synopsis
Besides this synopsis, I've also posted examples of a young adult
story (Bill & Ted), a middle-grade adventure (Flight of the Navigator),
a thriller (Proof of Life), women's fiction (Peggy Sue Got Married),
science fiction (Starman), fantasy (Dragonslayer), mainstream fiction (Witness),
and historical/epic (Gladiator). You can see all posted synopsis examples
by clicking on the "Synopsis Writing" category on the left-hand side of this page.
Barry calls a phone sex hotline for conversation, and the female operator correctly surmises he’s a weak man with money in the bank. The sex line “supervisor,” DEAN, sends four henchmen from Utah to Southern California, where they quickly threaten and extort Barry, forcing him to take out money from a cash machine. This complicates his budding relationship with Lena, as well as his plan to exploit a loophole in a frequent flier miles promotion where he can amass a million miles by buying large quantities of Healthy Choice pudding and mailing in UPC bar codes. After Lena leaves for Hawaii on a business trip, Barry decides to follow her. Upon meeting her, Barry explains that he is in Hawaii on a business trip by coincidence, but he soon admits that he came to pursue a romantic relationship. She kisses him and the pair retreat to a hotel room for more. After returning home, the four sex-line henchmen ram their car into Barry's, mildly injuring Lena. Normally not confrontational, an outraged Barry attacks his attackers in the street, and fights them off despite being outnumbered. He awkwardly leaves Lena at the hospital to try and end the harassment, and drives to Utah. When he arrives, Dean meets a changed and powerful Barry who explains “I have so much strength in me you have no idea. I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine.” Dean agrees to leave Barry alone. Returning home, Barry asks forgiveness from Lena for abandoning her at after the accident. He plays a simple song for her on the instrument he found and pledges to use his frequent-flier miles to accompany her on all future trips to Hawaii or wherever she goes. She forgives him, and they embrace; lastly, Lena says "So, here we go."
[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] ?>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.] <p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+PunchDrunk+Love+Synopsis.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+PunchDrunk+Love+Synopsis.aspx</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,d27a97c3-5ee7-407b-97a1-ddbdc478712d.aspx">http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,d27a97c3-5ee7-407b-97a1-ddbdc478712d.aspx</a></p><font color=#000000>
<p>
<font color=#000000>I always tell people that if they're confused as to how a novel
synopsis
<br>
should look, simply go to Wikipedia. Search any movie made in the last five years
and the first thing on the page is the long "Plot" section, which is essentially a
front-to-back synopsis. A lot of them are too long; a lot of them are poorly written;
but some are good, and you will get a sense of how they work. Or—you could just let
find good ones for you and edit them a bit.
<br>
<br>
This time it's <b><i>Punch-Drunk Love</i></b>, my second attempt at a "literary fiction"
story. The female lead here, Lena, is somewhat bland, so the synopsis rests on showing
the strange-yet-likeable nature of Barry, and explaining his arc, because it is a
big one. </font>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>Besides this synopsis, I've also posted examples of a young adult
story (<em>Bill & Ted</em>), a middle-grade adventure (<em>Flight of the Navigator</em>),
a thriller (<em>Proof of Life</em>), women's fiction (<em>Peggy Sue Got Married</em>),
science fiction (<em>Starman</em>), fantasy (<em>Dragonslayer</em>), mainstream fiction <em>(Witness</em>),
and historical/epic (<em>Gladiator</em>). You can see all posted synopsis examples
by clicking on the "Synopsis Writing" category on the left-hand side of this page.
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font>
</p>
</font>
<p align=center>
<font color=#000000><img src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/content/binary/PDL425.bmp" border=0></font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>
<br>
</font><font color=#000000>BARRY EGAN owns a company that markets themed toilet plungers
("fungers") and other novelty items. He has seven overbearing sisters who ridicule
him regularly, and leads a lonely, depressed life punctuated by fits of rage. In the
span of one morning, he witnesses a bizarre car accident, picks up an abandoned musical
instrument in the street, and encounters LENA, a sweet, somewhat mysterious woman
who orchestrated the meeting after hearing about Barry from one of his sisters with
whom she works.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>Barry calls a phone sex hotline for conversation, and the female
operator correctly surmises he’s a weak man with money in the bank. The sex line “supervisor,”
DEAN, sends four henchmen from Utah to Southern California, where they quickly threaten
and extort Barry, forcing him to take out money from a cash machine. This complicates
his budding relationship with Lena, as well as his plan to exploit a loophole in a
frequent flier miles promotion where he can amass a million miles by buying large
quantities of Healthy Choice pudding and mailing in UPC bar codes. After Lena leaves
for Hawaii on a business trip, Barry decides to follow her. Upon meeting her, Barry
explains that he is in Hawaii on a business trip by coincidence, but he soon admits
that he came to pursue a romantic relationship. She kisses him and the pair retreat
to a hotel room for more. </font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>After returning home, the four sex-line henchmen ram their car
into Barry's, mildly injuring Lena. Normally not confrontational, an outraged Barry
attacks his attackers in the street, and fights them off despite being outnumbered.
He awkwardly leaves Lena at the hospital to try and end the harassment, and drives
to Utah. When he arrives, Dean meets a changed and powerful Barry who explains
“I have so much strength in me you have no idea. I have a love in my life. It makes
me stronger than anything you can imagine.” Dean agrees to leave Barry alone.</font>
</p>
<p>
<font color=#000000>Returning home, Barry asks forgiveness from Lena for abandoning
her at after the accident. He plays a simple song for her on the instrument he found
and pledges to use his frequent-flier miles to accompany her on all future trips to
Hawaii or wherever she goes. She forgives him, and they embrace; lastly, Lena says
"So, here we go."</font>
</p>
<font color=#000000>
<p>
<strong><u><font color=#000000 size=1>
<br>
Want more on this subject?</font></u></strong>
</p>
<ul>
<font color=#000000>
<li>
<font size=1>Read another <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+Starman+Synopsis.aspx"><font color=#990000>great
synopsis: <i>Starman</i></font></a>.</font>
<li>
<font size=1><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/How+To+Write+A+Novel+Synopsis.aspx"><font color=#990000>How
to write a novel synopsis</font></a>.</font>
<li>
<font size=1><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/One+Story+You+Need+5+Versions.aspx"><font color=#990000>One
story? You need 5 versions</font></a>.</font>
<li>
<font size=1>Confused about formatting? Check out <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=d2d3d106-8d27-4698-aa25-3df73e67f73e&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.writersdigestshop.com%2fproduct%2fformatting-submitting-your-manuscript%2fget-published%3fr%3dchuckblog102809"><i><font color=#990000>Formatting
& Submitting Your Manuscript</font></i></a>.</font>
<li>
<font size=1>Read about <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=3ff6aeac-17a8-4f53-bf3e-baa47d2d831c&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2fblog%2fct.ashx%3fid%3db35cb06f-5fce-433c-9b79-c84412b2c1a7%26url%3dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%252fblog%252fct.ashx%253fid%253d8709e893-6fe8-42af-a39f-12ad02d96477%2526url%253dhttp%25253a%25252f%25252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%25252fblog%25252fct.ashx%25253fid%25253d1a28e0a9-784e-42b2-90fb-55a5524f7898%252526url%25253dhttp%2525253a%2525252f%2525252fwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com%2525252fblog%2525252fAgents%2525252bChapter%2525252b1%2525252bPet%2525252bPeeves.aspx" ?=""><font color=#990000>What
Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves</font></a>.</font>
<li>
<font size=1>Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking
for? <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ct.ashx?id=d2d3d106-8d27-4698-aa25-3df73e67f73e&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.writersdigestshop.com%2fproduct%2f2010-guide-to-literary-agents%2f%3fr%3dchuckblog102809"><font color=#990000>Buy
the <i>2010 Guide to Literary Agents</i> today!</font></a></font>
</font>
</font>>>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/aggbug.ashx?id=d27a97c3-5ee7-407b-97a1-ddbdc478712d" /> |
| Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 | ||
|
petemosq |
9:57p | Tis the Season: Epilogue Hello Kiddies, It's been a rough week here in the HSB with more humbug than happiness. I've been depressed and acting very Scrooge-ish, for no real good reason. So I decided to pop-in a few faves (A Muppet Christmas Carol, and of course Scrooge Gets an Oscar) to remind me how silly I have been. The holidays have not been all bad, busy season at work has kept me occupied without much room for reflection. There has been some drama and issues as always but I cannot let the little things that sting, distract me from the abundance that I enjoy. So the Christmas Eve and Day brought the family together, and Vincent had fun playing with his new toys (including a Wii from Rose and Uncle Pete), and was more animated than ever. Matthew was also very happy enjoying his first Christmas and got some nice toys too. After the family went home, it was off to Hefe's for the Merry KISSMas Cruise! The next day, we braved torrential drippiness to attend the annual holiday shindig at the home of catelynn and volund and friends. Much merriment was had well into the night. So much so that I ended up staying over. The next day was a leisurely holiday sojourn in the city with the powerful and attractive evilsausage. We cruised around and hit the last great record store in New York. While I was on the strip, I got Taz's official replacement, the Sonic Bomb Vibrating Alarm Clock. In addition to shaking the bed, it has lights and a bell like an air-raid siren! No more oversleeping! It's been one hell of a year, the good, the bad, the insane and the indifferent. Thank you all for riding with me for a spell. God Bless You Every One. :) Current Mood: thankfulCurrent Music: Black Sabbath - Lonely is the Word |
| Thursday, December 31st, 2009 | ||
| someposifeed | 3:09a | [SP Video] Where Did Vanessa Come From? Some of you have already seen this. Sorry. It's my vacation - sorta - and I'm lazy. Something Positive returns January 4th. If there are any problems with the comic or website, or if you have any questions, comments, or complaints you would like to address directly to Randy, please email him at choochoobear@gmail.com. |
Please help me!!
