Inspiration and Adulation

Happy Monday! Things are busy as always here at the homestead. June and I are down to the wire with getting the Spring Fling 2010 conference brochure, registration forms, editor/agent lineup, workshop presenters, sponsors, etc. all in the upright and locked position. No hyperventilating yet, but it is early, so check back and then check here to see for yourself.

An excellent post on prioritizing and where the theory of the super is demystified by Nancy Parra can be found here.

And blog and fan favorite of the global internet, Nathan Bransford ,posted the results of his Best First Paragraph contest today. Read this piece from top to bottom, especially the critiques of the finalists, because it's full of gems about writing. The man's got serious literary skills. This is the kind of critique that all writers need, I think. Not someone who says 'your writing sucks' because that does me no good. I can't improve anything from those words alone, even if they're true. You have to give me more and in a manner that engages my active listening. Rude and unhelpful doesn't get the job done. Unless of course, you perhaps 'forgot' that I'm the woman with the coke bottle and the stocking cap and a trip to the hospital is on your agenda for that day. Otherwise, I need to know that there was too much exposition or not enough, or that the voice is passive or that I switched point of view (no head-hopping!) or, I think you get the picture now. Be helpful or be gone.

Now that I've fulfilled the rant quota for the day, I thought I'd share some awesome music. This is Trixie Whitley on vocals singing with Daniel Lanois and Brian Blade in their band Black DUB. Enjoy!