My Favorite Writing Resources: Ackerman and Puglisi

It's a challenge to express emotion in an authentic and accurate way without sounding robotic.
Also, there's this drive as a writer to sound poetic and fresh with every single description...

At least for me the result is something like this.


There are helps to maybe cushion the desktop as we slam our heads against our keyboards:


Get out and experience: Then think about it in front of a mirror, or bring a little make-up mirror when you're out.

Sure, you'll look vain and self absorbed staring at your own face all the time...

Alright, this is an unrealistic suggestion if it's the only thing you use.

Yay, there's more! Here are some amazing HELPS.

The Emotion Thesaurus

http://www.amazon.com/Emotion-Thesaurus-Writers-Character-Expression/dp/1475004958/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431210585&sr=8-1&keywords=Emotion+Thesaurus

"A book to help you write a book?"
Yes.
So much yes.

Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are heroes among writers. I think of them as my best buddies because they've captured every range of weakness and made a Go-To-Guide just for me!
They know me so well.

Ok, I suppose everyone is welcome to their awesomeness.

Personally I work on 3x5 cards and list my character name at the top. Using

The Negative Trait Thesaurus:

 http://www.amazon.com/Negative-Trait-Thesaurus-Writers-Character/dp/0989772500/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437681185&sr=8-1&keywords=negative+trait+thesaurus

I plot a character weakness, possible causes, and ways the weakness can be overcome or triggered in that character.


But, let's not leave the character emotionally unbalanced!

The Positive Trait Thesaurus:

http://www.amazon.com/Positive-Trait-Thesaurus-Character-Attributes/dp/0989772519/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1437681185&sr=8-2&keywords=negative+trait+thesaurus

Gives a nice rounded balance to each character, with some redeeming quality to round out their flaws. Even side characters have both aspects, though it might not be highlighted in my writing due to a non-importance for the reader to know all the background details in all the characters in a single story.


(rounded visual--in case this one was too confusing)

 BUT WAIT!

There is more to the Ackerman and Puglisi awesomeness than my favorite trio of writing resources.
Check out their place online:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/

Seriously, they know me so well. My best buddies (if they only knew me in real life).

WriteTip: Query Smarter

Query anxiety should be a DSMVI listed phobia.

I spent days working-reworking; checking, double-checking my files needed to send off submission requests received after a pitch contest.

I mean, I had one foot in the door- my pitch did well enough to garner agents interest and they asked me to send my query, synopsis , and additional sample pages.
Happy Dance, Right?

Except Moronic-oversight never rests--especially when I'm anxious. My chances of doing something stupid rise tenfold.

The synopsis had me most concerned, since I struggle with that document, which is a step-by-step guide on the major events throughout the book. It let's the agents know what will happen, if the story arc is interesting and if you know how to close the dang thing satisfying enough for readers.

What I hadn't anticipated, was file corruption when working from a document. And it wasn't my synopsis- it was the actual query section--the first item in the email--the thing that says "I'm either a competent writer you can trust, or a total moron."

My query file looked perfect, when I copied and pasted it in the body of the email, because no one wants to open mystery attachments in emails anymore--virus/malware candy, but as soon as I hit send the document added shadow files from the file I had worked from in order to develop and spruce my query letter.

I didn't even know it. Until, later, out of writer-anxiety to make sure I sent files to the correct email accounts, I noticed something odd. My parenthesis marks indicating areas I needed to add for my query, which I only use when developing a document. Inside the parenthesis says, (personalize for agent).
Seriously.
How much dufus-ier can it get?
Much.
It duplicated the shadow files multiple times in the sent emails.

So the first thing any agent I sent the query to  sees, after the actual query I intended to send,  is impersonalized notes about needing to address and personalize my document--repeated two to three times.

Good first impression. I was mortified to say the least.

First I panicked and assumed my writing career was over, because obviously I'm a dufus. Who wants to sign a dufus? I don't--and I'm not even an agent.
Completely embarrassed and highly apologetic I sent an email stating my error and apologizing for sending a confusing and unprofessional submission.
I heard back from two of the agents, who were so kind and reassuring- informing me that human error happens, and computer error likes to jump on board wherever it can.

I wanted to jump through the screen and hug these agents, because I was truly in despair over this error.

I also learned a valuable tip. Here it is:
When copying and pasting files to the body of an email send a test copy to your own email address first to check how it's translating once sent through the internet. Or have a good buddy willing to receive your tester submission to check the files- do this at least once for each file you are copying to the body of an email.

Believe me. This is a good tip.

Dignity is something I gave up on in third grade when I ran into a tetherball pole during a recess game of freeze-tag, knocking out my front tooth and bloodying my entire face in the process.

It was my twelve embarrassing occurrence in my elementary experience and I realized it was best to stop holding myself to a dignified standard.
My nature opposed such things.

Basically, I'm Elaine Benes of Seinfeld.



Learn from me:
Send a dummy version of submissions to yourself. There's no harm in checking how your submission looks once it's been sent. And it's a whole lot less horrifying than realizing you sent something riddled with shadow file duplicates.

Write Smart--or if you're like me, Just Write On.

Five Reasos I Love Numbered or Bulleted Blog Posts

 

1.  Convenience.

It makes skimming for relevant information much more convenient. I mean, who has time to read entire paragraphs for the single point of interest? Not me.

2.  Pretty.

My eyes just prefer the look of things ordered.

3.  Plays to my skills.

I don’t want to totally claim and embrace the fact I lean toward lazy, but bulleted items help me grasp one or two main points that I can put energy toward improving without bogging my brain down in the overwhelming information inside each paragraph. Even this paragraph I’m writing at the very moment is getting a little overwhelming for me.

4.  Time saver.

Along the same lines as convenience. I don’t have time to sift through irreleivant information. My kids are hovering at my side, telling me to look at them (balancing shoes on their ears—it’s a little impressive). My phone is dinging that I have some sort of notification, the school just called that one of my kids has an overdue library book, and I have to fill out claim forms, work forms, and time cards. So, yes I’m ever so grateful for the blogger who takes the time to put their posts into a list that allows me to pick and choose where to spend my time while browsing their ideas and suggestions.

5.  Teaches me organized thinking.

I am not the most organized individual. I have piles of papers in every room of the house. Books I’m referencing stacked on all surfaces, and stuff (I don’t even want to figure out what it is) shoved behind, under, and inside every furniture item. Thank goodness that blog post shows me how a non-cluttered idea should be.

…Now to find a bulleted blog post about de-cluttering my home in five easy steps.