A to Z Blogging Challenge-Z

Z is for . . .

Zippity Do Dah!

WE DID IT! NOW I'M OFF TO SING IN THE SUNSHINE.

A to Z Blogging Challenge-Y

Y is for . . .

Young Adult what else? But I'm wondering if they can continue to call this category of fiction by that name much longer. It seems that a lot of Mature Adults are finding the writing and the stories captivating. In a recent AARP Magazine article their lead story began with Trends: Teen Lit You'll Love, Why the best new fiction for adults is written for kids.

Maybe I'll start telling people I write MA. What do you think? 

A to Z Blogging Challenge-X

X is one letter that can stand on its head (X) or its feet (X) and look exactly the same. The only others I can think of are H and O.  Am I desperate to cross the A to Z Blogging Challenge finish line, or what?


Still, if you think about it, standing on your head gives you a very different perspective as a writer. (I've already said that in an earlier post, but it bears repeating.) We just don't look right upside down the way H, O and X do. Okay, I'm certifiable. Come take me away.
 

Here are some special XXX for the other A to Z Challenge organizers (I already said thanks to Alex and Lee).  Thanks for all the work, bloggers. Thanks for all the fun.

Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas)

Life is Good (Tina Downey)

Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons)

Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)

The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)

The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)

Author Elizabeth Mueller (Elizabeth Mueller)

Pearson Report (Jenny Pearson)

No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow)

Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp) Coming Down The Mountain (Karen Jones Gowen)

A to Z Blogging Challenge-W

The Wow Factor

According to my urban dictionary the Wow Factor is a distinctive appeal that an object, behavior or person has on others.  So I started thinking about what or who has WOWED me lately?

 WMagazine kind of WOWED me this month, and  I guess it's because in one issue there was an article about the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And in a current issue you can watch Nicole Kidman's screen tests. Very WOW.

If you've read my blog, you know that Andy wows me a lot, so I have to mention him in this WOW post. He doesn't have to do a screen test for me. He can be in my cast any day.

I kind of like cars with the WOW Factor, but I have a wide range when it comes to what WOWs me in this category.

This one is for the nostalgic WOW in me and . . .

this one's for the more modern WOW. 

That's my husband inspecting the interior of this beauty. He kind of WOWs me, too!


Okay, share your idea of what or who has the WOW Factor. 

A- Z Blogging Challenge-V

The letter V rules today!

Today's letter is V which is kind of exciting because that means I'm near the end of this alphabet marathon. Only 4 more days, and then I slump to the desktop-OR-will I not know what to do with myself when I come to Z and there's no more A-Z Blogging Challenge? 

I've be re-Vitalized by this Challenge. I've Visited a lot of new blogs and found so many Various, Vital people with strong Voices out the there who I'll Visit again after this challenge ends.


Have to thank all the organizers who put in so much time and Vitality in this Challenge to make it the success it was. Here are the first two on my thank you list:


Arlee Bird, with his Vivacious, Vivid Marketing posts.
Alex Cavanaugh with his Varied, Vigorous salutes to others.

How about you? Are you glad to see V arrive or will the end of April leave you wanting more?

A to Z Blogging Challenge-U

Sometimes writers need a different perspective. Here's my perspective for today. U is for UpsideDown. Ever need a new way of looking at things? What's your perspective?

Now that all the blood has rushed to my head, I can think much more clearly. Go see what the other A-Z blogger have to say about U. 

A-Z Blogging Challenge-T

Today's letter T is all about TIME--the most precious and fleeting commodity we humans have. We spend it, we waste it, we lose it, we find it, we set it aside for things we want or love to do. Sometimes we have a good TIME; sometimes we have a bad TIME. I hate it when things TIME out, but I love it when my losing team takes TIME out to plan new strategies.

TIME is also one of the silent communication forces at work between people. If you're ten minutes late to an event, is that okay? Do you have to apologize? Probably not. 


If it's going to be twenty minutes to half an hour don't you feel you have to say something? "The traffic was terrible." "I'm so sorry, but  . . ."


Then let's go for more than thirty minutes or more. Do you call ahead to say something's held you up? Do you arrive with flowers? Is your apology more elaborate?


Of course, the formality of a situation and some personal variation are always factors, but in general this is the North American time etiquette.


I love to talk about time etiquette in our culture. What's really interesting is to discuss how this silent communication works in social situations involving different cultures. But that's for another TIME when I'm not in the A to Z Challenge mode.


For now, Tempus Fugit, so go say hi to the A-Z bloggers who have something to say about the letter T. 

A- Z Blogging Challenge-S

Today's post is all about S. First here are some SWEETS for all the A-Zers. Gotta keep up your strength. Take as much as you need. Or do you prefer other nibbles? What?

 Now that you have the energy, can you SAY something about these cover choices for me?  It's a Middle Grade adventure fantasy story, and I'm doing my mini SURVEY to try and decide which one of these renderings I'd go for. Not sure if I want either one. What's your opinion? Appreciate your help.

Here's to all the A to Z peeps who are staying the course! 

A- Z Blogging Challenge-R

R is for Rin Tin Tin on today's A-Z Blog Challenge. Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend  is out and retelling the story about puppy that a WWI Doughboy rescued from a French battlefield and brought stateside.

*Rin Tin Tin at one time made more money than many human  Hollywood stars. 
*He had the lead in 26 films and was on more kibble boxes than major league baseball players were on cereal boxes. 
*While Lassie is well known, Rin Tin Tin was a real dog.


I found his story amazing, so he had to be the topic of my R day here. Have you read his story?

Better go see what some of the other A-Zers are saying about R.

A to Z Blogging Challenge--Q

Q

as in 

QUITTING

Anybody thinking about QUITTING?

WRITING STORIES

BLOGGING FROM A TO Z

TWEETING

FACEBOOKING

GOODREADING

ETC.

ETC.

ETC.

Here's my answer: QUITTING
What's yours?     

A-Z Blogging Challenge-P

 P is for POPPIES. YES!

I can't think of the letter P without thinking about POPPIES. A California native flower and it's state flower as well. Here's what California used to look like before shopping malls.

Anyone from a state with a state flower that starts with P? Better yet, what is your state flower? Is it still treasured? Beautiful?


Be sure to HOP around and say hi to others who are in on this wildly wonderful A-Z Blogging Challenge.

A to Z Blogging Challenge-O

O is for OPENING. The other day I OPENED my computer and guess what? No data. Nope. Not one single file, just lots of empty folders. After reviving I did what any semi-literate computer user would do. I pounded my fists on the desk and stomped around the room. Then I called the HelpDesk. While I'm still at the "What in the #@!!$% happened" stage of my computer meltdown, I'm now semi-calm and taking weak tea.

I'm not alone in being a bit at a loss when technology plays tricks, so that's comforting. It's also comforting to know that I still have a sense of humor. Join me in a good laugh, please. It takes a few minutes, but you'll leave refreshed. I keep viewing this to take my mind off my own situation. Do you have any computer horror stories to share? Send 'em over.

A-Z Blogging Challenge--N

N is for New Books to Check Out on today's A-Z Blog Challenge

Here are some books recently out or due to come out in the near future that look darned interesting. 

Life on Hold Beverly Stowe McClure March release.
A paper found; a secret revealed; a girl's life changed forever.

Younger Days Mike Hays March release.

Destined (YA Fantasy) Jessie Harrel January release. When Psyche destroys the one relationship she can't live without, she must journey alone through ancient Greece and face the wrath of the gods if she wants to reclaim an immortal love.


Now off to say hi to the other A-Zers! 

A to Z Blogging Challenge-M

Yesterday's answer: 19.8 billion possible sentences! We're you close?

 On to M, which is for Moods today on 
A-Z Blogging Challenge.

Pick whatever fits today.  I've already staked out #3.

 

Check out the Moods on the other A-Z Blogger's sites.

A to Z Blogging Challenge-L

L is for Language in today's A-Z Blog Challenge

People take language for granted. It's surrounded most of us since we took our first breath. But as writers  we're constantly working with our language to hone our phrases, bring life to the dialogue, create a setting to draw in our readers. Writing is rewriting, rewriting, rewriting--at least for me.

And one thing I've learned over the years is that there are many ways to say something. MANY. So how many do you think? Here's an interesting study I found a long time ago in The Miracle of Language by R. Lederer.

A professor at Wesleyan University gave 25 people a simple cartoon and asked each to use one sentence to describe what it portrayed. He got 25 different sentences. So that's not surprising, right? But then he used a computer, entering the "raw data" of those 25 sentences to see how many other sentences were possible. Here's your multiple choice quiz.

A. 5, 000

B. 50, 000

C. 5, 000, 000

D. 5, 000, 000, 000

E. More

What's your guess? I'll put the answer at the top of tomorrow's (M's Day).

A to Z Blogging Challenge-K

K is for Kindness on today's A-Z Blog Challenge

I seldom run into writers who are unkind. Maybe it's because most of the writers I know or interact with online write for kids or young adult. But even those who write thrillers never say/write rude things to me or about me. Maybe I've been lucky. 

I've had two rather blah reviews, but I can't call that unkind. That's just a difference of preference, and in both cases, the reviewer gave an opinion, not an unkind indictment of me or my work. 

What I love about kindness is the contagion that is inherent in it. When someone says something kind or shows some kindness, that small exchange works a special magic. I'm much more likely to smile at the next person or give a compliment or let a driver ease ahead of me in slow traffic.

What about you? Have you had any "rough" encounters with other writers or reviewers? How do you react to those "kind" exchanges? Any pay it forward moments?

Now I have to go visit a few of the hard-working A-Z Bloggers. Please stop in and be KIND enough to leave a comment.

A-Z Blogging Challenge-J

Today on the A-Z Blog Challenge, J is for Joseph Epstein, the author of Gossip (2012), Envy (2006), and Snobbery.(2003) Here is a writer who chronicles our weakness. How tantalizing!


Loved his interview where he said that the internet has "democratized gossip." It's rougher and "dishier" than it used to be in plain old print.


Do you take part in gossip? Have you been the target of some? Anyone read Mr. Epstein's books?


Don't forget to visit the other A-Zers! They're an amazing bunch.

A-Z Blogging Challenge-I

I is for Irony in today's A-Z Blog Challenge.

How ironic it is for the Ancient Mariner.

"Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink."

And how ironic it is for Dorothy when, at the end of the novel, she discovers that she's always had the ability to go back home, the Scarecrow who has searched for a brain realizes that he's intelligent, the Tin Woodsman realizes he already has a heart and the Lion realizes he's bold and courageous.


Readers are often "in" on the irony, and that only adds to the tension in the story. Then there are the surprise ironies as in the movie, The Sixth Sense. Brrrr!


What irony has intrigued you in books or movies?

A-Z Blogging Challenge-H

H is for Hedy Lamarr in today's A-Z Blog Challenge.

She may have been famous for her beauty, but what I found out from her biography is that she was also schmart!  She came up with the idea for a radio-guided torpedo that was able to escape jamming by the enemy by using "frequency hopping." She and a friend, George Antheil--a composer-- patented that in 1942. It was that technology that was used in the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 60's.

Guess what this "frequency hopping" makes possible today? Cellphones,Wi-Fi and GPS all operate without interference. Depending on our POV, we have Hedy to thank or curse for these modern devices.

A lot of movie stars have other talents they're not recognized for. Any come to mind?

Be sure to HOP around and say hi to others who are in on this wildly wonderful A-Z Blogging Challenge.