Search found 12 matches

by ocelott
November 12th, 2010, 10:29 am
Forum: Writing
Topic: Does anyone ever lose that spark?
Replies: 41
Views: 17331

Re: Does anyone ever lose that spark?

A few years ago, Neil Gaiman gave a pep talk for NaNoWriMo authors that I love because he talks about this very phenomenon. You can find it over here , but I'll quote the important part: The last novel I wrote (it was ANANSI BOYS, in case you were wondering) when I got three-quarters of the way thro...
by ocelott
September 12th, 2010, 11:45 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: Banned Book Week 2010
Replies: 12
Views: 8718

Re: Banned Book Week 2010

Genre Reviews is hosting a Banned Books Week contest. Blog entry with the contest info is here.
by ocelott
May 2nd, 2010, 6:47 am
Forum: Writing
Topic: Research Help - New York 1900's / Canada - Current
Replies: 16
Views: 6298

Re: Research Help - New York 1900's / Canada - Current

Ink wrote:Ha!

Are wheat and corn considered tourist attractions? You will see a lot of that.
There's also rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and...
by ocelott
April 27th, 2010, 7:22 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: Fantasy Query - THE COURTESAN'S BLADE
Replies: 6
Views: 2733

Fantasy Query - THE COURTESAN'S BLADE

Guess it's my turn. Be harsh, please. Rip me a new one. [personalized agent greeting here] In an attempt to avoid any more scandals in a politically unstable kingdom, the king secretly hires a courtesan to occupy his wild son. Prince Anton, known for his drinking and indiscriminate sex with courtier...
by ocelott
April 27th, 2010, 7:18 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query Mallory's Story- Rip it apart. :D
Replies: 13
Views: 4746

Re: Query Mallory's Story- Rip it apart. :D

Sometimes the dead haunt the living, and sometimes, the living hurt the dead. For a wandering spirit named Mallory Richards, every day hurts. The way it's placed so early, the pain sounds like it happens before she meets Evan, so I want to know who or what is hurting her. Does she go to Evan to esc...
by ocelott
April 27th, 2010, 10:44 am
Forum: Queries
Topic: Fantasy Query: UNDER A DEAD MOON
Replies: 6
Views: 3188

Re: Fantasy Query: UNDER A DEAD MOON

Agreed that this is a fairly solid hook as is. I notice you have a lot of very short sentences, and in such a short writing sample, it can sound a bit disjointed. Unless this is indicative of your writing in the story as well, I might consider limiting myself to only one very short sentence, where i...
by ocelott
April 25th, 2010, 1:09 am
Forum: Books
Topic: Favorite Lines from Novels
Replies: 30
Views: 12516

Re: Favorite Lines from Novels

"Never make promises in the dark. Always wait until dawn."
-Laura Resnick, In Legend Born
by ocelott
April 24th, 2010, 6:48 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: Strong Female Characters
Replies: 11
Views: 4485

Re: Strong Female Characters

The best way to write a strong female character is not to think of her as a strong female character.

Just create a character who's real, with likes and dislikes and abilities and flaws and what have you. Make sure this is a person first, and a "female" second.
by ocelott
April 24th, 2010, 6:08 am
Forum: Synopses and Plot Outlines
Topic: Plot Outline- Untitled
Replies: 5
Views: 3441

Re: Plot Outline- Untitled

This is the sort of thing I get really excited about reading. It's different and exciting and the greek thing has my geek coming out. Like the others, I'm slightly confused by the ending, but as this is only the outline, I'm sure it makes more sense in the actual manuscript, with more detail. As wil...
by ocelott
April 23rd, 2010, 10:27 pm
Forum: Excerpts
Topic: Life of a Suburban Unicorn - Ch1
Replies: 7
Views: 3304

Re: Life of a Suburban Unicorn - Ch1

Any thoughts on this chapter would be appreciated. :) ----------- Chapter One Elizabeth Brooke was not spying. She stood in her own backyard, admiring a fine view that anyone could see from the road behind her, trying out a brand new pair of binoculars. If she happened to be pointing them at the fa...
by ocelott
April 23rd, 2010, 10:04 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: dirge of the desert - new attempt, new slant
Replies: 50
Views: 17565

Re: dirge of the desert - new attempt, new slant

Agreed with the others about lukewarm phrases. You've also got a lot of adverbs in the first paragraph, considering how short it is. It's a really interesting premise, so let your wording reflect that.
by ocelott
April 23rd, 2010, 9:42 pm
Forum: Queries
Topic: Query: VALENTINE, New Revision & stuff
Replies: 33
Views: 11855

Re: Query: VALENTINE

I have not got much to contribute, because I am the last person on the planet who should be critiquing queries. (And yet, here I am... hmm.) Just wanted to stick in that because your first two sentences are both so short and simple, the flow of them brings to mind an easy reader rather than somethin...