Search found 77 matches

by One of the Mad Ones
November 1st, 2010, 3:13 pm
Forum: Procrastination
Topic: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread
Replies: 356
Views: 172091

Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Jaime, congrats for both! Hope the partial works out!
by One of the Mad Ones
October 29th, 2010, 8:12 pm
Forum: Procrastination
Topic: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread
Replies: 356
Views: 172091

Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Congrats, Steph!
by One of the Mad Ones
October 29th, 2010, 3:50 pm
Forum: Procrastination
Topic: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread
Replies: 356
Views: 172091

Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Wow, lots of really great news! It is definitely a good idea to have a place for positive writing stories instead of only the usual lamentations -- though those make me feel better in their own way, too. I spent the last whole year getting rejected by all my favorite journals, revising what I sent, ...
by One of the Mad Ones
October 29th, 2010, 3:33 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: NaNoWriMo
Replies: 53
Views: 22676

Re: NaNoWriMo

I'm on the fence about officially signing up because I find it nearly impossible and often a terrible choice for me to turn off my inner editor while writing: I sometimes feel too loyal to what I've written to revise without lots of second-guessing and frustration. My first novel took a year and a h...
by One of the Mad Ones
October 4th, 2010, 1:44 pm
Forum: Procrastination
Topic: What's your favorite song that tells a story?
Replies: 58
Views: 28936

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

oldhousejunkie wrote: I thought about "Intervention" by Arcade Fire and "Sometime Around Midnight" by Airborne Toxic Event. Both of those rank up there in my estimation too. So many choices!
Ah, yes. I love "Sometime Around Midnight."
by One of the Mad Ones
September 28th, 2010, 9:00 pm
Forum: Procrastination
Topic: What's your favorite song that tells a story?
Replies: 58
Views: 28936

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

The first video I clicked on has an explanation of the story, so I guess I won't explain. Anyway, my favorite song with a story is "Me and the Moon" by Something Corporate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FyNdxCnALc
by One of the Mad Ones
September 28th, 2010, 7:09 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: Name that children's Christmas book!
Replies: 13
Views: 5310

Re: Name that children's Christmas book!

unwieldy wrote:Is it A Gift from the Lonely Doll? I think my mother used to have several of these books. The style looks familiar anyway.

Part of this particular story is up on Google Books.
Nope, but thanks for trying!
by One of the Mad Ones
September 27th, 2010, 2:28 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: Gender roles: The pressure of Prince Charming
Replies: 18
Views: 9486

Re: Gender roles: The pressure of Prince Charming

My husband doesn't think all boys internalize this mythos, but in the 6 years I've known him, he's also saved a woman from a burning car, come to my rescue on multiple small occasions, and had consistent nightmares about me being in trouble or having to save his loved ones. Not all of these things n...
by One of the Mad Ones
September 26th, 2010, 9:29 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: Gender roles: The pressure of Prince Charming
Replies: 18
Views: 9486

Re: Gender roles: The pressure of Prince Charming

Interesting topic! I can't say that I have much to offer, but I was thinking of a book I read recently (GHOST DANCE by Carole Maso) wherein the main character (girl) goes through some pretty heavy emotional turmoil, and an older man, who sees her in the train station looking sad all the time, swoops...
by One of the Mad Ones
September 24th, 2010, 2:40 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: Banned Book Week 2010
Replies: 12
Views: 8708

Re: Banned Book Week 2010

Banning books has never made much sense to me. What's on TV and in music and movies is often way worse than what's found in books that are accessible to young people. For one thing, it takes a certain reading level at the very least to gain access to "mature" books. By the time most kids c...
by One of the Mad Ones
September 23rd, 2010, 5:25 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: Favorite Screenplays
Replies: 13
Views: 4345

Re: Favorite Screenplays

Sophia Coppola for LOST IN TRANSLATION, which won the Oscar for screenwriting in 2004.
by One of the Mad Ones
September 23rd, 2010, 5:20 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: Best Writing Advice?
Replies: 11
Views: 4014

Re: Best Writing Advice?

I should add, the problem solving part also has to do with making the story interesting. How do you solve issues of pacing, character development, plot holes, etc? On a craft level, you have to work out the problems using every tool you know.
by One of the Mad Ones
September 23rd, 2010, 5:19 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: Best Writing Advice?
Replies: 11
Views: 4014

Re: Best Writing Advice?

A teacher (who probably got this from some famous writer) told me something that wasn't exactly advice, but rather a way of looking at fiction. She said, "Fiction is an exercise in problem solving." And basically, she added, you use all the narrative tools at your disposal (character, sett...
by One of the Mad Ones
September 21st, 2010, 1:20 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: Gender roles: Emotionally weak heroines
Replies: 58
Views: 29049

Re: Gender roles: Emotionally weak heroines

I didn't read every single word written here, so maybe I missed something, but does a girl have to be like a boy to be strong? Can't being a girl and embracing some of the weaknesses that go along with that be cool too? I think part of the problem might be that emotion in general is often seen as a...
by One of the Mad Ones
September 21st, 2010, 12:13 pm
Forum: Books
Topic: Gender roles: Emotionally weak heroines
Replies: 58
Views: 29049

Re: Gender roles: Emotionally weak heroines

Anyone here ever watch the show Veronica Mars before it went off air? I don't read much YA, but I thought of Veronica in regards to strong but flawed female protagonists. She cries in just about every other episode, but I never remember her as weak. She's loyal, she solves crimes, she's not afraid t...