Saturday, March 28, 2009

Typealyzing

Did I mention I’m in the middle of moving? Oh the joy. I’ve magically become the Queen of Procrastination (and yes capitals are required you wouldn’t believe what I manage to do to avoid things).

Anyway I’m now knuckling down and the sad part is that means no writing for a little while :( which should get me a pardon on my WIP word counts while I stick my head in a box (my punishment for writing when I should be unpacking).

Until then I’ll still be blogging but less than I’d like :(.

Have you had your blog personality evaluated? Typealyzer has been popping up all over the place and most have found it surprisingly true so I thought (in the interests of avoiding what I should be doing) “what the hell?”


If you go to the site: http://www.typealyzer.com and enter your blog address you’ll get your result. Yes it’s that simple. No questionnaire!

My result:
ESTP - The Doers
The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.



It’s true enough… although I probably would have worded it so I didn’t sound hyperactive and annoying ;) I can actually sit still, I’m not a leg jiggler and I don’t bounce up and down beside you at conferences or kick the back of your chair in an airplane.

If you do have a secret craving for questionnaires visit
http://blogthings.com/whatsyourbloggingpersonalityquiz/ I don’t know how accurate this one is because for some of the questions I could have ticked both boxes …I picked the most flattering (yep I’m vain and some of them made it sound like I stood outside waiting for aliens to come back and abduct me again).

Your Blogging Type Is Clever and Witty
Of all blogging types, you're the best with words. Almost every blog post you write has legendary quality.You have a perverse sense of humor and often play devil's advocate.Impatient and picky, you tend to go off on funny rants from time to time.


Legendary quality pfft… I’ll let you know when my Nobel Prize comes through.

All the best with all your writing! My skin’s already turning green with envy!
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Monday, March 16, 2009

The Great Depression

Am I talking about economics?

No.

Not unless you pay me… and maybe not even then.

I am talking about the fact that my Zokutou word meters are not working *gasp* because the site is indefinitely down. I love these little things they’re my favorites on the web and it looks like I may have to replace them.

For anyone else suffering a similar fate here are your choices so far (I’m sure there are more out there but these I know about from BZ – Before Zokutou):


Well there was Zokutou which I’m putting as number one in the hopes that it does eventually come back to us and although it won’t work now, if the site reloads an example with appear below:


Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
11,758 / 50,000
(23.5%) Bestseller


NaNoWirMo: Perhaps my second favorite?




11758 / 50000 words. 24% done!



Writertopia which has two progress meters one as a bar and one pictorial which also has in built mood indicator including: very frustrated, ready to shoot computer (I think we’ve all been there), sleeping, watching TV, logical & calm, working at novel, and joyful.


Progress Meter:





Picometer (mood: sleeping):





Leigh's Word Meter: A five step DIY word meter that is simple to use.
11758/ 50000


Or throw your hands in the air, scream with frustration and then make your own (go the good ol’ estimate):
( ===#================ )
11,758 / 50,000 : 23.5%



If you find something else please let me know and I'll add it to the list. Hope this helps.
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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Musecally Challenged


There is something very special about amazing yourself with your own stupidity… This happens often enough to me for me to find it amusing… well… most of the time. Most recently my amazing feat of stupidity was writing related.

Often I will temporarily drop a story for an idea. I will spend a couple of hours forming that idea, fleshing it out, perhaps writing what I know about each character and what would happen in their story. It’s a necessary evil, though it throws out my writing plans, but because I can so easily go back to that one line that may have triggered an entire story and create a completely different story it must be done. Unfortunately it does occasionally backfires… well this time it’s backfired (hopefully it won’t happen again.)

I have just finished an ms but I usually work on more than once piece at a time in various stages and one of these was an idea I was reviewing. I came to the end of the first quarter of my “idea” that had actually been written (and wasn’t half bad if I do say so myself ;) ) and then began to review the chapter breakdown for the rest of the book - that’s when it happened.

I have managed to take two different storylines and four very different characters and gradually merged them to a point where they can share very similar black points and endings.

I am not impressed.

I blame my muse.

Said muse is now on strike (if it wasn’t already) and I have developed a sort of block towards the storyline. Sure I can start other stories, I can finish another I am working on so I don’t feel like I’ve completely lost my mind but I do find it immensely interesting that not only have I managed to create the situation I seem reluctant to change it.

It will have to change though because I’m very attached to the characters involved and they’ve already been through so much that I can’t just delete them. They need their happy ending.

So here I am, sitting in a funny creative conundrum, a mess of my own making, and a very impressive one if I do say so myself!


Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Been amazed that you’ve managed to create it in the first place? Been tempted to check your computer records to see if you’ve been sleep-writing because you’re pretty sure you’re not THAT stupid?
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Monday, March 9, 2009

Rabbitting On

Do you ever find yourself wishing for simpler times?

The fridge can tell knock knock jokes, your oven can clean itself, your air conditioner can filter out bird flu and you have to keep one eye open and on your ipod because its one microchip advance away from coming to life and murdering you in your sleep…

We are in the age of technology and let’s face it we’re kind of spoilt. Well... I am.

I can do all my research at home if it takes my fancy thanks to the internet. I can type faster than I can write so the time it takes to do mundane chores is halved but despite all this and the fact that I do get a thrill at having someone turn green with envy over my teeny tiny laptop, I am a reluctant technology convert.

I am the owner of one desktop computer, two laptops, one mobile and a temperamental ipod (it decides what it downloads…most of the time that’s nothing…) and *gasp* there’s not a universal remote in sight. I have recently realized that this puts me in the minority. I don't have a Playstation or Wii and my vacuum doesn’t have a mind of its own. In short: I have a strangely small amount of technology with me in my home and confessing that I don’t own at least some sort of game station earns me bewildered glances, words like “how”, “why” and “quick bob get the children in the minivan because the world is clearly coming to an end” fly from their mouths.

Don’t get me wrong I love my modern conveniences and when I’m rich and taking over the world *cough cough* I’ll probably buy everyone in the world a talking fridge BUT every now and then…I miss the typewriter.

Ahh the humble typewriter.

A cheap, virus-free zone.

You can’t hack a typewriter.

And that’s what it all comes down to. In an age where even mobile phones can get their pants in a twist with a virus, the typewriter remains an untouched thing of beauty that can be used as both a weapon (how’s your upper body launching strength?) and a piece of gym equipment (for those fingers).

So I while I rejoice in electricity I have a firm rule that when my handbag weights 10kg with electronics I WILL buy myself a bag on wheels…


Do you miss any of your older appliances? Is there a new gadget you can’t live without? Do you think the world’s going to hell in a hand basket?


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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Reading Addiction

I have a reading addiction.

It’s quite harmful really. Eye strain. Procrastination. I could live under a rock with a pile of books and that would be just fine… so I guess my socialization skills are going down the toilet too?

I don’t know a single writer who doesn’t like to read. I buy books before clothes, shoes and bags, which should say something since I really do love clothes, shoes and bags. I can spend hours reading but my FAVORITE moment is that second you close the back cover of a book and realize you’ve discovered a new author that you L.O.V.E!

All of a sudden you desperately have to read all of his/her books.

Enter Ebay.

Yes. I am also an Ebay-aholic because, let’s face it, it has cut book buying costs in half, you can ALWAYS find the book you want (eventually) and usually at a price that doesn’t make you buy beans for the rest of the month.

I love books that wrench your emotions and that have you climbing the walls alongside your characters. I love emotional conflict. That being said, EC is also the bane of my life. It’s not something that just spontaneously appears in all of my work. Sometimes I have to work for it. Sometimes I have to bleed for it. Sometimes I have to gain a couple of pounds from eating chocolate for it.

I just posted a query letter and synopsis for the Australian Magnate’s Secretive Secretary (AMSS) to NY and I’m feeling good, even while holding my breath, trying not to talk myself into a premature rejection grave or eat all my hair. But I’ve also read that the most common rejection response is that a piece of work is missing those two little words: emotional conflict.

AHHH!

May your work never lack emotional conflict.

Have you submitted a piece of work lately? Are you engaged in wrestling match with emotional conflict? Have you discovered a new author everyone should read?
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© 2013 Lacey Devlin

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