Category: A to Z Challenge

My Weekly Update – Edits, Please.

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle9 Comments

I’m a Minnion

A to Z Challenge #195

Thanks to Nicole from The Madlab Post for choosing me to be one of her minions.

I am on a staff with Sheila Siler, Tami Van Zalez and M.J. Joachim. A talented, smart and fun group to be a part of and we will do Nicole proud.

Have you signed up for the A to Z Challenge?  For more information, read this.
Still trying to figure out a theme, read this.

Third Week Of Edits

In order to stay up to date on my edits, I have a number of accountabilities (that’s a word) in place.

  1. the writers dojo – As a part of NiNoReMo group, I have set a goal to edit 12 chapters in the month of March.  Ali cross and the rest of the group are super supportive and I don’t want to let them down.
  2. Beta readers – I am sending chapters to my beta readers as soon as I finish editing them and it’s a good sign when my beta’s are calling me to send more chapters. They are breathless with anticipation (anyone know where that quote comes from?).  And, one of my beta’s said, I can’t wait to see if the main characters get together, but she picked the wrong two main characters, so she is going to be in for a surprise. That’s what I hope every reading my book when they read it. I suck them in and then turn the tables on it.  hahahahaha(evil laugh).
  3. DFW Writer’s Conference – I want my beta’s to finish reading so I can have all edits done and ready to go for the conference in May.  All those agents out there are just waiting to read my manuscript. 😉

Do you work better when you’re held accountable or are you one of those internally motivated people (hate envy proud of those people)?  

Post to Ponder – Edit Edition

Chapter Edits – A Quick Overview by Raewyn Hewitt – If you’re new to editing and not sure where to start, follow these steps. It will get you far. 
Four Situations When We Should Tell Rather than Show by Marcy Kennedy – I know this sounds blasphemous, but read it. It makes so much sense. 
Close Edits: What I Look Out For by Tara Tyler – Great list of edits to look for. 

My Favorite Blog of the Week

Rejection Love Letters – John Tompkins is a writer who has turn rejection into triumph. Ok, maybe not triumph, but he certainly has the right attitude.  I have been LOL’ing over his sight all week.  He turns his rejection letters into love letter.
New Followers
Jenny Keller Ford
Billy Dawson
Carissa Taylor
Leo Rex
Crafted in Carhartt
Rick Mallery
 
Next Week’s Schedule
Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday – calling all tattoo’ed writers
Wednesday – SQM Silver Lining Playbook
Friday – The Only Exception Blog Tour
Sunday – My Weekly Update

My Weekly Update – Better Late Than Never

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments

Twenty Seven days into 2013 and I now I am starting to understand.  Well, Better Late Than Never, right?

  1. I understand that my lackadaisical, laid back, ‘oh, I’ll get to it’ attitude about blogging is not for me.  I need a schedule. I am going back to announcing my schedule for the week – better late than never, right? 
  2. I understand that while I can’t spend all my time on social media and be a productive writer, I can’t ignore days of social media and expect to be on top of things.  Playing catch up all the time doesn’t work for me – better late than never, right? 
  3. I understood that I needed some time after my last job to relax and recharge.  But, 6 weeks out of work and I am bored and unproductive in every part of my life.  Far be it from me (What a great saying, I feel like my grandma) to use all this extra time to practice writing habitually, reading cognitively and editing effectively.  But, I am starting now – better late than never, right? 
  4. I am realizing that with so many opportunities out there for pitching/querying/submitting to agents/publishers on blogs/twitter/facebook/writer’s conferences. My three first drafts aren’t ever going to be ready, sitting on my desk unedited – better late than never, right?

Have you had any Better Late Than Never lessons learned this year?  

Awards

one-lovely-blog-award

Thanks so much to EM Castellan for the The Lovely Blog Award.

Also, a quick thanks and shot out to Karens Different Corners for awarding me the Liebster Award, although I am not sure I should except because I have more then 200 followers, I appreciate the recognition regardless. And, she is close to 200 herself, so follow her and prepare to gain knowledge and be entertained.

Post to Report On

Hey, Y’all: Dialect and Slang From the Write Angle – As someone from Texas, I have to practice not making all my characters sound like Texans.  What do y’all think about dialects and slang? 
Character Study by Left and Write – How much character development do you do before and during writing and editing? 
6 Things You Didn’t Know About Becoming and Published Author: a guest post by RaeBeth McGee-Buda on Amanda Fanger – #2 – Editing is Tough – I knew it. 
The First Draft Run Through Blues by Raewynn Hewitt – Makes me want to cry. 
Editing is Writing Too by Raewynn Hewitt – The push I needed to get off my butt and put my butt in the chair and edit. 
New Followers
Tim The Film Guy
William Stadler
Special thanks to my email followers as well.  
 

Next Week’s Schedule

Monday – Re-Introduce Myself Blog Hop
Wednesday – The Word Master Challenge
Friday – Imaginary Friend Blog Hop
Sunday – My Weekly Update

And, don’t forget to sign up for Blogging from A to Z Challenge on Wednesday, January 30, 2012.  Click the badge below for rules and Tips on Blogging from A to Z.

 

And, congratulation to Aldrea Alien for knowing her Bilbo/Gollum Riddles. Here are the answers:

1. Mountain.
2. Teeth.
3. Wind.
4. Sun in the sky shining upon daises on a hill.
5. Darkness.
6. Egg
7. A Fish.
8. A fish lay on a table. A man sat on a stool. And the cat got the bones.
9. Time!

My Weekly Update – I’m Back

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Did you miss me? I know, I was only gone a week and you barely noticed I was gone. That’s ok.  I wasn’t completely gone.  I had an interview posted and a guest post on a couple of great sites.  Check them out and let me know what you think.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: Sydney Aaliyah & Australia Interview – thanks Alex and the rest of the A to Z Crew
Is My Blog a Success? Guest post at My First Book – thanks so much Misha
 

NaNoWriMo Thank You I was thinking about doing a NaNo debriefing, but everyone is doing that. I am just going to send out a few thank you’s and leave it at that.

Felicia Scotzig, Amanda Fanger, Vikki, AM Schultz, Sevastian Winters, Donna McNicols, Shah Wharton, Audrey Austin, Jami Gold, Mark Ethridge, Anna Howard, Rebecca H. Campbell, Andrew F. Butters, Jennifer Gracen, Angela Goff, Sarah Thayer, Jeff Tsuruoka, Tia Siverthorne Bach, Meg McNulty, Miranda Gammella, Sarah Nicholson, Ruth Long, Cara Michaels, Bethany Miller, Candy Sparks, Molly Ahola, Alberta Ross, Artemis Leaena, Shan Jeniah Burton, David Swensen, all my tweeple, all my FB friends, all my blog followers, my WanaTribe and my Tribe Mates.

I could do this without you, but it wouldn’t be near as much fun.

And, if I forgot anyone, if you have ever writing anything, anywhere, anytime, in any form what so ever, thank you, too.

Congrats to all the NaNoWriMo Winners!

The last of the great NaNoWriMo Posts

New Followers
From Page to Screen
Gabriel Lucatero
Through Crystal Clear Waters
Fabulous Realms
Hristina H. Vasileva
Matthew Blake
Michael at Vive la Rock n Roll
Ahamin
 
Next Weeks Schedule
Monday – And You Are Blog Hop
Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday – Amsterdam Tattoo Museum Needs our Help
Wednesday – A Good Kind of Knowing Blog Tour – My Road to Publication by Kathy Lynn Harris
Friday – The Fitzroy – An Update
Sunday – My Weekly Update 
 
 
And You Are?
 

A to Z Challenge Interview

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Hello Everybody,

Not quite back, yet.  I’ll resume full blog duties tomorrow, but had to share with you this interview I did for the A to Z Challenge website. Ninja Captain Alex interviewed me about my A to Z Challenge last year. My theme was Australia.

Please check out the interview and let me know you think.

And, start thinking about your theme for next years A to Z Challenge.

What will your theme be for 2013?

Sign Me Up for The Next One

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle18 Comments
This is how I felt after completing the challenge.

I really enjoyed the A to Z Challenge.  It was the first writing challenge of any kind that I participated in and it taught me a lot about myself and how I write.

Top 5 things I learned from doing the challenge:

  1. I learned that I must have some sort of emotional reaction to what I am writing about in order to write it well.  I can love it or hate it.  Something. Anything.  When I take the emotion out of it, it just isn’t as good.  Probably why I hated writing term papers in school.  My theme was on Australia.  I adhered to this theme for the most part.  I had a couple of deviations because I wasn’t feeling the topic I previously picked and a couple that were a bit of a stretch from the theme, but for the most part, I adhered to the theme throughout.
  2. I learned how to use the features of WordPress better.  The schedule a post feature was a big help.  I was able to schedule a couple of posts ahead of time when I knew I would be busy or when I was traveling.
  3. I learned that there was I lot I could learn from other bloggers.  I visited about 500 different sites during the challenge and was able to see what I liked on others people’s blogs and what I didn’t like. From how a blog looked, to what the post looked like and how the photos were used, I paid attention on what blogs made me want to stay or come back and which ones made me click the next button.  I go a lot of great examples of what I liked and few examples of what I didn’t like.
  4. I learned that I enjoy being a part of the A to Z challenge group.  Writing can be a pretty isolating endeavor.  It is nice to be a part of like-minded individuals with a single goal in mind. Not like a cult, more like a play group.
  5. I learned that finishing the challenge was a motivation for me.  Finishing anything motivates me.  I have much more confidence about my writing now and I actually am pretty funny;)

I am excited about the next challenge and will definitely participate in the A to Z challenge again next time.

See my other A to Z Challenge posts, here.