Apr 24, 2007
Amidst the writing, I’ve also watched this about eight times already today…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtTHi1gBBak]
I’ve already re-read the first six books, and I’m planning a complete and total media blackout when my already preordered book 7 arrives on my doorstep. (and if anyone spoils the ending for me, you *will* face my wrath… 
), but now I can’t wait to see this… So cool. When’s it gonna be July?
Leave a Comment • Posted in Geekery
Apr 24, 2007
In the past two years, I’ve edited 15 romance novels and something like 40 – 50 technical user manuals. In that time, I’ve done very, very little writing (hm, go figure, I’ve been a little busy). But the past couple of weeks, pretty much since I let myself write for that critique session I did in March, the urge has become overwhelming.
I’ve always heard people talk about how they need to write, and I never really bought into it, until lately, where it was all I could think about…
So today, I gave myself the day to write.
I sat down with a book I wrote years ago, before I started editing romance, and a critique from a fellow author who had many suggestions for me and I ripped it to shreds. In the first chapter, I think maybe ten lines stayed the same. And while I think the book will be significantly better after these changes, (My heroine isn’t a whiny, wishy washy idiot anymore!), I got to thinking about the editing process…
I know when I write I tend to say things to myself that I’d never, ever say to one of my authors, (you suck! and what makes you think you can write? being my favourites), but from an editor’s perspective it’s a cool insight into how it feels to have someone go through your work and point out the flaws and the inconsistencies. To have someone tell you that a work you poured your heart and soul into doesn’t really work, or your characters are unlikeable or you desperately need more emotion or more sex or more…everything. It’s hard to hear. And when I edit, I know I tend to get caught up in the fixing and not on what it’s like to hear this stuff about your work. So seeing it from the other side is a whole new experience for me.
In the end, I think I’m going to learn a lot from this experiment. And I might even have a story I’d be willing to show to other people…
Apr 22, 2007
to Facebook. Have you tried this?
I mean, my alter ego has a MySpace page, but I’m really not a big fan of the whole atmosphere over there, so I rarely spend any time hanging out on the site. The most I do is get random emails from strippers who want to be my friend. Um, no. but thanks! 
But Facebook. Dude! I joined mostly because my sister invited me and I thought it’d be a cool way to keep in touch… then I started playing around. I found friends from college, from university, even from high school. I haven’t really looked from elementary school, but I’m sure I will… I even made T get a profile. T, who completely doesn’t go near the computer ever. (I know. I live online… if you ever wondered if opposites really do attract, heh, yes, yes we do.)
And I’ve been spending wayyyyy too much time over there, searching through people’s profiles, joining groups, exchanging emails with old friends. Which, while much fun and very cool, is probably not so good as life is about to get very interesting in my world.
I’ve made a bit of a life-changing decision (well, I’m 99% sure I’m going through with it anyway), that’s going to completely overwhelm my life for the next four months. (No, I’m not pregnant. ) So I’m trying to get ahead of my projects so that I won’t get completely stressed out with the amount of work I’m taking on… I shouldn’t. I mean, I spent the past six months working insane hours, and I lived through that, this should be a walk in the park, but still, sleep is good.
But if you haven’t found Facebook, you should totally try it… Be like Mikey. He likes it!
2 Comments • Posted in Stuff
Apr 18, 2007
So, R left a comment on my last post, in which the word ‘grok’ is used. Grok? Hm. Maybe a spelling mistake? Maybe a new comment will appear soon? But no. So I did a little searching. Turns out grok *is* a word. A really darn cool word, now that I know it. And, despite the discussion T and I had about it, not Klingon.
Grok is an understanding beyond empathy and intimacy.
What a great way of saying “I’m so down with that.” 
6 Comments • Posted in Editing
Apr 18, 2007
So, I’ve realized the problem with keeping a me blog and a pseudonym blog. I can’t tell the same stories on both blogs…
All this crazy stuff’s been happening in my world, and I went and wrote about it over there, and now I’m looking at this blog thinking, well, I can’t tell the same story again, cuz that would sorta kill the whole anonymous thing, but I’ve used up all my good stories, so over here, I got nothing…
Hm. I might have to rethink this whole secret identity thang…
5 Comments • Posted in Stuff
Apr 15, 2007
Ok, is it just me or is this the funniest thing ever? Dictionaraoke plays the hits of yesterday and today using audio clips from online dictionaries to sing.
Cuz there’s nothing like a monotone guy singing I’m. A. Barbie. Girl.
*sigh* I know, just nod and smile…
Apr 13, 2007
So, rather than answer a specific question, I’m gonna go on a little mini-rant…
Two weeks ago, I talked about how to use the apostrophe with a word that ends in ‘s’. Today, I want to talk about how else to use an apostrophe. Because I see it wrong all.the.time. and it drives me absolutely nuts.
Right now, the apostrophe just seems to show up willy nilly all over the place… the worst is when making any word plural. Please, for the love of all that is grammatically correct, please don’t do this.
Here’s a handy-dandy rule for remembering how to use the apostrophe:
An apostrophe is used for omission and possession.
Omission – if you’ve taken out a letter or two (i.e., don’t (do not), wouldn’t (would not), it’s (yes, it’s – it is, take out the second i and you have it’s) )
Possession – If something belongs to the person/thing you are referring to (Grammar Geek’s rant, The cat’s bowl. One exception… its. Because then it would be “it is”…)
There is one teeny, tiny exception to this… when you are taking one letter (and only one letter) and you’re making it plural, then you use the apostrophe before the s. Why? Mostly to avoid confusion. For example: He got straight A’s, She had to mind her p’s and q’s. Imagine those without the apostrophe. Yikes.
Other than that, please do not use the apostrophe. Want to say something is plural? No apostrophe. There are cats, there are dogs, there are books. Unless you have something that belongs to the cat or the dog or the book, get rid of your apostrophe.
Going to the store to get a new pile of PCs and DVDs and CDs? Yup, no apostrophe there either.
I keep hearing, oh, but I want to separate the thing from the ‘s’. Um. Why? Are people that dumb that they won’t understand what PCs are? or DVDs? or books? I don’t think so. (or, at least, I hope not. ) But for me, if I see PC’s, I think, hm, the PC’s what? Which is more confusing than ‘separating’ the word from the ‘s’.
Just remember the rule… omission and possession. And you’ll have a happy Grammar Geek.
Hope that helps!
6 Comments • Posted in Ask the Grammar Geek, Grammar
Apr 11, 2007
It’s one of those days… I don’t know what it is about this weekend, but I went from months and months of hiding in my little house, barely poking my head up from my laptop, to five straight days of big elaborate nights out… and today, I feel like absolute crap.
Friday night, T and I went driving, looking for a restaurant that was open and would satisfy his desire for fish. We ended up at Hooters. Really. It wasn’t so bad, the food was good, and it wasn’t what I expected, and since we have so much trouble finding restaurants we both enjoy, I suspect we’ll be back. Tho, I may have to invest in a good push-up bra.
Saturday and Sunday, we did the big dinner at mom’s, mine, then his.
Monday and Tuesday were nights out with the girls. Last night, I totally indulged. We did appetizers, alcohol, and cheesecake, not to mention the best grilled chicken salad ever. But after several months of a superstrict diet, where I’ve been hardly eating anything, and certainly nothing indulgent, my body is really, really, really mad at me.
So today, I’m hiding. My plans for the day out of the house got cancelled, and the big edit I had to finish today is done and sent off, so the rest of the day is all mine. I may start a new project, it’s not like they’re not all out there vying for my attention – subs in the subs folder, final edits to do, new edits to start, and maybe some housework, but I suspect I may not.
So what do you do when you’re faced with some unexpected free time? TV? A good book? Or do you just start a new project?
Apr 04, 2007
I haven’t had much to say lately, my life has pretty much been all about editing this week and last. So far, that thing that was both good and bad has been pretty good, giving me much more time to catch up on some projects I’d gotten behind on after getting hit with a really bad cold. Things got a little tense yesterday when I was more than a little overwhelmed, but this morning, with another project complete, I feel I have a much better handle on things.
Tho, I’m really looking forward to that extra time I’m supposed to get to start writing again. No idea when I’m finally gonna get it, but I hope it’s soon.
And for everyone who wondered with my last post about my writing, no I’m not published yet, unless you have access to the Rogers Yahoo! website, where I write for the today module every weekend… and while I’m still very undecided about whether to come out or not, I suspect that if and when I do get published, I won’t be able to keep it a secret. *grin*
So, since I feel like I’ve been neglecting just about everyone (including T, who gets date night and a movie tonight. ), what’s up with you? Any news to share?
Greetings and Salutations. I am Laurie M. Rauch, Owner and Chief Code Nerd of Elle Media and WordPress Divas.
Talking about web design, pop culture, books, decorating my new house, and my addiction to good grammar.
