How Pet Peeves Make You a Better Writer

Apparently I don't like doing MUNDANE simple things over and over and over and over and over. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out my last post about my top three pet peeves. You can share yours too, in the comments.

It's a good thing I don't find writing mundane and simple, even though parts of typing can often seem that way when I'm trying to delete a single word and I have to repeatedly hit the delete button because my fingers keep missing.

Pet peeves can help you find a character flaw to add depth to your characters. If you have a repetitive-type pet peeve, then you'll understand that revision is something that needs to be repeated often. Sometimes over a long period of several years. And that's how pet peeves can make you a better writer. Making changes to create a better story, something that won't irk an editor of your adoring fans.

Things I LOVE!!!

1. Revising a story over and over, sometimes for years, just to get it RIGHT! Very satisfying.
2. A balmy summer's day with sunshine, a few clouds, and a gentle breeze - in the mid-70s. And a motorcycle ride to boot!
3. Hugs and kisses from my children. That never gets old.
4. Going to bed at the end of a long day.
5. Sleeping in.
6. Finding a coin on the sidewalk, in the couch, in the laundry. Collecting
7. And blogger comments!

Apparently repetition was the theme for the last two days. 

What are some repetitive things YOU like and don't like?

Keep on keepin' on...

Pet Peeves

Feel the need to vent a bit? Me too! My top three pet peeves.

1. When I'm folding the laundry and I'm going too fast and/or my vision fails me and I turn a perfectly good right-side out shirt INSIDE OUT because I thought it was inside out to begin with! Grrr...
2. When I'm typing and I miss the shift key at the beginning of a sentence. Three times in a row! Such a simple thing and I'm deleting back back back over and over just to get it right!
3. When I go to pick something up and I miss. Multiple times! Why can't I just pick it up the first time!!!

And the runners up...

1. When I use ALL CAPS, italics, and boldface type in the same blog post. Can't I just pick ONE, one, one and stick with it?
2. When I'm talking to someone and they have to ask "What?" more than once. 
3. When I'm talking to someone and I have to ask "What?" more than once.

More runners up... (things that just annoy me, but don't make me go "GRRR!")

1. When the cap is left off the toothpaste.
2. When a wet towel is left on my bed.
3. When the toilet seat is left up, when the kids don't flush, when the little boy misses, when the TP isn't replaced on the roller.
4. When someone says, "You need to..." A LOT!

And the opposite? Come back tomorrow for how pet peeves make you a better writer.

Keep on keepin' on...

Lucky Clover Picture Book Contest SPRING 2013 WINNER

It's time to announce the winner for the SPRING 2013 Lucky Clover Picture Book Contest! A huge congratulations goes out to...

...Lauri Meyers with her 800-word manuscript, Mapmaker!

Carter, a "famous" mapmaker, uses a map to go everywhere, even to the kitchen for breakfast. He is sought after for the flawless maps he creates, but when he makes a mistake drawing a treasure map, Carter has to face his fear of getting lost to rescue a pirate.

Congratulations, Lauri! Since this is your second time winning, you will no longer be eligible to enter in future contests. That's a big bummer because I really enjoy reading your work. You can expect your critique within five business days.

Just a reminder: the SUMMER 2013 is currently open for submissions. Get those submissions sent in! Just e-mail your ms to me according to the manuscript guidelines. The deadline is September 30.

Write the Next Book

Everyone tells you the best way to get more sales is to write the next book. So I've started my own business to help other authors do just that. By developing a web site for them, they will have more time to write that next book instead of focusing on how to change the font on their header or learning how to create a link or insert an image. I realize these examples are fairly simple, especially when it comes to blogging, but a website? That's another creature all together. At least a professional looking one is. Anyone can turn a blog into a website, but it won't have that polished website feel to it. It'll have a very BLOG-ish feel to it.

I just started my final college course in the Website Developer program yesterday. I'll be finished in December. So as a tribute, I'm sharing my home page for Write the Next Book Web Designs with you. Since I'm not ready to launch the whole site live yet, this is just a sneak preview. The FULL version will be coming soon, though! Hopefully by New Year's or Valentine's.

Actually you can click straight to the link as well, writethenextbook.com. Going to school and keeping up with a blog is very hard to do simultaneously! Anyway, have a good day!

And keep on keepin' on!

Famous Author, Famous Illustrator

About a month ago, I started a sparkly new feature: Favorite Pages. At last, here is the NEXT blog post, and as promised, I will share the answer. Thanks for being patient.

Favorite Pages #1: ANSWER

The book is written by a famous author: Margaret Wise Brown.
The book is written by a famous illustrator: Felicia Bond.
It was published by HarperCollinsPublishers in 1956, 1989, and 2002.

And the book is...BIG RED BARN.

Do any of you own this book? Had it as a child? What's your favorite page?
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And now...for the next two days, I shall immerse myself in WriteOnCon.