Backup!

Just reminding everyone to BACK UP YOUR WORK again!

E Reader!

Okay, I took the plunge and got a Kindle!  It is one of the cheaper ones, the Kindle Touch. Also got a great free short story from Amazon, The Imaginary Friend By Kelly Hashway.

I really didn't think I would like them.  My son brought one with him when he came home over Easter and got me interested.  I still love real books, but, I can't put this thing down.  It even does text to speech!  It's  not good for fiction, too computer sounding, but for text books and some of the free books on writing books from Amazon, it's pretty neat while doing dishes or other tasks around the house.  It does have an earphone jack.  Amazon has a ton of free books too! 

Along with our local library having downloadable audio books through the R.E.A.D.S. program, they also have Kindle books you can check out.  This is so neat!!!

So,  moving into the 'E-Age' is kinda neat.  (does the term 'E-Age' exist, or have I named an era?)

Still here

Wow! It's not march anymore.  Today is not Monday.  Wow.  Time flew.  I'll get back in the groove as soon as I can.

Have you ever been 'too bogged to blog?'

Ticking Time.

"Due to the fact that Monday comes on Tuesday this Wednesday my weekly Thursday blog will be on Friday this Saturday since Sunday is a holiday."


That's how my week is going.  Running late all week.  This is from a skit I saw Red Skeleton, one of my favorite TV comedians, do.  Of course he didn't have a blog, he was talking about a meeting.  I actually got to meet him in downtown Gatlinburg on April 3, 1980 I believe it was.


Any Way.  When you are running out of time, do you blog, even if you have nothing to say, or skip it?


I guess I post something just to stay active.  How 'bout you?

Busy times!

Spring is here. This means creating inventory for the shop and art shows. It also means KEEP WRITING.  That's what late nights and early mornings are made for.

I am still working on my novel.  By the way I won a free first chapter edit from - DearEditor.com.

I did complete my ICL course.
    Here is something one of the instructors said about my 10B.  I am kinda proud of it.  She is talking about Rodney, one of my characters.
      

“. . . In middle grade and YA fiction, character voice is THE most important thing a writer has to do. You’ve got to nail this, because readers can spot falsity in a heartbeat—and there’s nothing an adolescent disdains more than an adult trying to talk down to them. That’s what some manuscripts I see do: I can hear the adult writer in every word. In writing for middle graders and teens, one should never hear the author. In fact, it’s best if you can convince readers that you, the author, don’t exist; that the character himself is writing the story. Using first person is one way to do that, but it also has to do with the way you use language, and the insights and perceptions you give a character. You nailed all those with Rodney. . . 

“. . .Rodney’s voice reminds me of  Gantos, and that’s saying a lot.” 

                           

                                                        Nancy Butts

She was speaking about Jack Gantos.

I am also working on some pieces for Highlights.

I'm having a blast even though I haven't been bloggin' a lot lately.  I'll get back into it and visit you all.

Need help with you MS?

Hi, this is not my usual type of blog, but if you need help with your MS, check out this site:

http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com/p/freelance-editing.html

Also be sure to check out my Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rick-Starkey-Writes/129782797130864

Win a free Full Edit today at DearEditor!

Win a FULL EDIT today!

http://deareditor.com/

Win a free partial edit from Dear Editor

Check it out and spread the word.  Free partial edit today at:

http://deareditor.com/

Plot or Character?

Plot or character?  Do you like plot driven or character driven stories? 

My First Blog Award

I recently received my first blog award.  (Some have commented about the “Pretty Colors” of this blog award, though not my favorite, I proudly accept and display the award.)  The Kreativ Blogger Award from Katrina over at http://katrinadelallo.blogspot.com/

According to the rules, I must thank the giver.

Thank you, Katrina!

I must link to his/her blog. Okay I’m doing that.  http://katrinadelallo.blogspot.com/

 Next, I have to list 10 things about myself, and pass the award along to six other deserving bloggers.

1.)  I love seafood.

2.) I live at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg TN.

3.) I love classic rock, but can’t listen to it over and over on my mp3 player.  It gets too boreing.

4.) I like old scary movies.  Anything with Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, or weird monsters.  I love Creature from the Black Lagoon.

5.) My wife and I own and run a magic shop in the Arts and Crafts community.

6.) My wife and I carve bears with a chainsaw.

7.) I teach a songwriting course for the Talented and Gifted program at Walter’s State Community College in Morristown TN, on weekends in Jan. and Feb.  It's fun and the extra money comes in handy.

8.)  Last summer I got to go to Key West and visit the house of Ernest Hemingway.  (I’ve never read any of his books.)

9.) I play guitar.

10.) I just finished the Writing for Children and Teenagers ICL course! 

I'd like to pass the Kreativ Blogger Award along to:  I will fill it in as I go.

Ellen at  http://ellenwrin.blogspot.com/
 Allyn at http://allynstotz.blogspot.com/

Katie at  http://katielclark.webs.com/apps/blog/

Corey at  http://coreyschwartz.blogspot.com/