Nona's Word Obsession

B&N Intros Nookcolor Tablet, New Children's Titles

2010-10-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

B&N Intros Nookcolor Tablet, New Children's Titles

Inspiration’s Whisper

2010-08-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

Inspiration’s Whisper

Searching for Sara | historical romance book trailer

2010-07-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Redirect

2010-01-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that my actual, literal blog is on my website: http://www.nonaking.com/

Editing Frenzy

2009-09-21T21:29:00.001-07:00

I don’t know when editing became a FUN pastime for me. In the case of Searching for Sara, this is the case.

It all started when I purchased the book /Self-Editing for Fiction Writers/ from the NCWA Christian Writers Conference in May of this year. ….Remember the month when I was sick for more than 1/2 of it? Yet I dragged myself out of bed and to the conference?….

Back on topic–
I began reading this book and experienced an ah-hah moment [I love those moments] in regard to my romance Searching for Sara and what was wrong with it. Before it acted more like a thorn in my side, this notion that something didn’t sit right….

Now I have completed chapter 4 of an in-depth edit, thanks to this wonderful book and the critiquing and support from my buddies at ChristianWriters.com.

I must say that it is a wondrous feeling to actually have a smile on my face as I hack and slash and enhance this MS. Perhaps I will submit it to a mainstream publishing house before dedicating myself to publishing it through CreateSpace?
| Nona |

Books & Movies

2009-09-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

I love reading books. The ability these writers have to create a new adventure in the imaginations of the reader is enthralling. The crafty way they manipulate words in order to spin a tale is nothing short of miraculous at times. Instinctual, in some cases.

When I find a movie that inspires the same intensity as reading a favorite book, I make it my mission to find and read the book the movie is based on. My reasoning? What if there is some of the story left untold due to conservation of funds or time? To me, leaving a story untold, however small the tale may be, is not acceptable!
Now we come to the reason for this post. I have discovered that one of my beloved movies was inspired by a trio of books! The movie is Howl’s Moving Castle by miyazaki hayao, creator of such endearing films as Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away. Imagine my pleasure when, while searching for a Spirited Away book, I discovered the trio of books by Diana Wynne Jones for Howl’s Moving Castle!

The books by Diana Wynne Jones are intended for grades 6 and up, but what a fantastic tale of love and adventure they weave! It is writing such as this that I seek out and soak in like a sponge, hoping that I will count myself lucky enough to be inspired, at least in part, by such wonderful tales.

And Abe Books will be my key to acquiring these fantastic adventure books–all three! Howl’s Moving Castle, Castle in the Air, and the House of Many Ways.

~sigh~
Color me eager!

| Nona |

Editing Monster

2009-09-04T22:09:00.001-07:00

For the past few weeks I have been editing the proof of my dramatic romance Searching for Sara.

I have come to decide that I don't care for editing the MS when it is in book format. While the editing itself isn't the extreme issue, the inputting of the changes from book to soft copy (Adobe InDesign) is a monstrous task! The challenge stems from being required to balance the book in one hand and type the corrections into the document with the other hand. At 450 pages (and hacking down), the book weighs quite a bit and tires my hand out. Not only that, when I attempt to chat on ChristianWriters.com and type in my changes at the same time, it becomes a bit more than my measly two hands can ... handle..... ~ahem~ Sorry.

So at this very moment I am printing out the most recent PDF of my MS. This will make it easier not only for the edits themselves, but also for the inputting of them back into the original InDesign document. My hands will love me for it, I'm certain. :)

To my amazement, since beginning to read/study 'Self-Editing for Fiction Writers', I have found it easier to differentiate what must be hacked out and what must be expanded. I must have already chopped out at least 15 pages! In fact, the entire Prologue found its way into the recycle bin with nary a blink. I am eager to see what other bits of useful information I can glean from SEFW and apply to my staggering writing career.

Perhaps I can finally transfer one of the chunks of Searching for Sara into narrative and decrease this MS's girth...?

| Nona |

...I am keeping hope alive....

Facebook Addict

2009-09-03T09:57:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am a Facebook addict. Specifically, I am addicted to their games. Which ones? Barn Buddy [although I just quit that one], Pet Society, and Mafia Wars.

It is the latter upon which I reflect.

If you were to meet me, I believe you would qualify me as a timid sort. Not necessarily shy, but social in a modest way. Polite, compassionate, patient, gentle, understanding... all these adjectives have been attributed to my person. All of these adjectives are truth, even if I do say so myself. And I only agree/confirm because these words have been used in relation to me for many years.

However, I don't believe these adjectives pertain to my character when I play Mafia Wars.

Much like Goofy in the Disney animated features about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when a person sits behind the wheel of a car, I metamorphose into a frightening creature when I sit behind the monitor and begin to play this Facebook Application.

It frightens even me!

How do I change? you ask?

I become Mr. Hyde, for lack of a better parallel. But first, there is one character trait that you must understand about me: I have a competitive nature. Though I haven't a single athletic bone in my body, I want to win; or I want to be perfectly capable upon the doing of something, regardless of my experience. Unrealistic expectation to have for myself, I know. God and I are working on this. In the meantime, it is a constant struggle.

So, back to Mafia Wars. The purpose of the game is for you and your Mafia (comprised of fellow friends who also play the game) to complete jobs, earn experience and money, acquire loot and purchase properties to collect a take. Each time you level up you are given skill points to put into 5 areas: Attack, Defense, Health, Energy (used with jobs), and Stamina (used to fight other Dons). The more people you have in your Mafia, the better prepared you are for finding loot... and for getting attacked by others.

That seems to be a key point. If you have a lot of members to your Mafia family, you are more likely to be attacked. If you have properties that are developed, you are more likely to be robbed. If you lose a fight, you lose money and experience. If your property isn't protected [and even if it is], they can steal money from you. Not only that, it costs you dearly to repair the property so that you can continue to collect your take.

Believe me, money is necessary to continually build up your Mafia in an attempt to keep yourself on the defense against the other Dons that relentlessly attack you. This is where my Mr. Hyde persona rears her wild and ugly head. The fights. A Don chooses you simply by clicking on your name in a list that the computer generates of those other Dons that are closest to your level. That wouldn't be so horrible if the Dons only attacked once. But there are bullies and goons in this game that attack upwards of 19 times at once! Stripping you of any funds you have, and snuffing out your life if you had the misfortune of being attacked previously and had not enough time to replenish your health.

I, being a determined [read: stubborn] and spirited individual, retaliate in defense of my person or property... and I put a hit on them.

Yes. I add them to a hit list for other, higher-level players to peruse. They accept my bounty, and they attack this poor, unfortunate soul. Unfortunately, the 'poor unfortunate soul' is informed who put the hit out on them and - yes, you guessed it - retaliate against me ten-fold. What do I do? I sic my post powerful mafia member on them....

The death isn't pretty. Neither is the revelation to my soul. Where is my Christian virtue of patience? Forgiveness? Have I so quickly forgotten 'turn the other cheek' and 'vengeance is mine, saith the Lord'?? -_- I am ashamed that my Christian nature can be so easily routed by a Facebook game.

But I have seen the Light and strive to better myself. I haven't put a hit on an excessive robber/fighter all day today!

| Nona |

Honest Scrap Award

2009-08-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine tagged me in her blog with the 'Honest Scrap' award. She says it has been increasing traffic to her blog and her website, so I might as well follow-through with her request. After all, I would like to stop being a starving artist at some point before I die.

The Rule is that when your blog is tagged, you also must share 8 things about yourself on your blog and then list (or tag) other people's blogs, passing the duty of sharing and tagging to them. Make sense?

-----------------------------
8 Things About Myself

1) I grew up on a 30 acre homestead outside Aurora, Oregon. We raised pedigreed rabbits and pedigreed dairy goats that we showed at county fairs. Many of them won Champion and Grand Champion awards. My family didn't move off the homestead until I was 17 years old when we moved to Oregon City.

2) Before I met my husband in 2005, I never had a boyfriend.

3) I knew my alphabet by the time I was 18 months old, though I would confused P and R, O and Q, M and W. I have been writing since I was seven.

4) I taught my sister how to read after I graduated kindergarten at the age of six (she was reading when she entered kindergarten).

5) When I married at the age of 34, I was still a virgin.

6) My mom and I could be mistaken for twins [if she were my age now].

7) When I prayed to God what I wanted in a husband, I tacked on "And it would be nice if he was a writer, or if he at least understood my passion for writing" as a 'wouldn't it be nice.' My husband, Michael, is a writer. :)

8.) I still like playing role-playing video games like Legaia 2: Dual Saga, and Final Fantasy VIII when I need to unwind. It's like interacting with a novel.

THERE! Now to pass the buck! If you've already done your 'honest scrap', you're off the hook... though it would be nice if you would add a link to my blog to your blog-site! But the rules are the rules, so TAG YOU'RE IT!

Michael King - Carpe Iugulum
Tommie Lyn - Tommie Lyn Writes....
Katharine Richardson – Wise Dogs
Rebecca's Journal
Matt Scipione - Fragments of Discarded Memories
Mary Curtis - The Couture Geek
Christian Magrabi - Dream's Lights

| Nona |
(If you would like your blog-site link altered in anyway, let me know.)