Published on August 24, 2011
Max (age 9) and Mason (age 5), who are homeschooled, started their new school year on Monday and we are having SO much fun! While they learn traditional subjects, we try to make their lessons more fun by ensuring they revolve around a central theme each week – something they are very interested in. This week, it’s sharks! Ever since we moved to Florida, they’ve been wanting to go shark fishing and they’ve been watching endless shark nature videos on YouTube and Netflix. Richard even rented Jaws and Jaws 2 for Max and I watched those with him last week, which was a hoot. At one point, Max asked, “Why did guys wear such short shorts back then…”
Published on August 24, 2011
For the past six weeks, we’ve spent every spare moment judging the hundreds of entries submitted for the Summer, 2011 24-Hour Short Story Contest. In case you’re not familiar with our quarterly contest, this is how it works. On the date of the contest, at start-time, we send out the topic for that specific contest to all registered entrants. We also post it online. Entrants then have 24 hours to write and submit their stories. The stories “must deal with the topic in some way to qualify” and they must not exceed the pre-assigned word count.
After reading the entries for each contest, we can see how difficult it is to come up with a unique plot when working with an assigned topic. But, inevitably, a few writers do manage to successfully break away from the pack.
So, today, join two newlyweds embraced on the beach, and learn what he’s been keeping from her…
Published on August 24, 2011
I agree with you on book titles. Personally, I think that they should consist of words people know already even if the book contains words that are unrecognizeable. They will find out for themselves when they read the book and once reading those words, their meaning tends to get revealed within the book anyway.
George Arnold Hall
https://georgearnoldhall.ca
Business: George Arnold Hall’s Pen and Pencil
Amber Khoolie’s Blog: https://georgearnoldhall.ca/amberkhoolie/
Works done or in Progress:
Series: Immortals of Scar – https://georgearnoldhall.ca
Published on August 24, 2011
Okay, I don’t think anyone names their dog, cat, hamster or whatever Fido or Fifi anymore, but maybe that title caught your eye because you love writing about animals, as I do. We currently own a fifteen-year-old Springer Spaniel, and have owned several cats and other dogs. We also deal on a regular basis with local wildlife, which includes white tailed deer, possums, crows, foxes, rabbits, and the occasional black bear. And don’t even get me started on my new found love of hummingbirds. Many of my encounters with these animals serve as fodder for my eager pen…
Published on August 24, 2011
My new POD publisher has published thousands of books so I can expect them to sell lots of copies of my book, right?
Published on August 24, 2011
The words “Don’t quit your day job” are usually meant as an insult, but what if this overused phrase were actually the key to new opportunity?
Published on August 17, 2011
After spending so much time sifting through and then discarding or packing all our belongings during the move, I told the kids we are going to stop buying them so much “stuff.” I’d prefer to spend our money on memories (like day-trips, fishing, snorkeling – that sort of thing) than on material objects they’re just going to throw away in a few months anyway.
So, for Frank’s 19th birthday, I sent him the link to a website showing hundreds of fun things to do in Florida…
Published on August 17, 2011
Last month, we received a manuscript with a book title that featured odd punctuation and characters in the middle of words in the title. Last week, another author submitted a book with three of the four words in the title purposely misspelled (all the s’s had been changed to z’s).
Some authors think they’re being clever in this regard, or perhaps they think this will make their book title more memorable and that these things will increase sales. However, the opposite usually occurs…
Published on August 17, 2011
Angela,
I loved your story about how you folks handled Frank and Ali in high school. It reminds me of something I read a while back about research on kids who went to magnet schools for music and how they fared in the real world afterward. There were only two factors deemed to be significant in the difference between those who were successful and those who were less so. Not talent as such, but (a) the involvement of parents in their education and (b) number of hours practiced.
As folks say here in Australia, ‘Good on you’.
— Bob
Published on August 17, 2011
Advertorials provide information about products or services but are written in the style of an objective magazine or newspaper article. Advertorials provide readers with descriptions of new products and technology, overviews of new developments in a certain industry or assessments of the impact of government programs and new regulations on their business. These can be just as journalistic as any other article…
