Editing, Manuscript, Writing

Writing Passive: The Zombie Way

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zombie

Zombies can help me figure out when I write passive or not. Who really knew this? I sure as heck did not. I love zombies. I watch the films of old to current while reading books on them. Granted the movies of this time frame make zombies more smarter than their counter parts of the past.

I do not always know when my writings are passive. That is one of the reasons I adore my editor and my writer groups that I am a part off. For they know, unlike me, when I am doing it wrong.  If I paid better attention or made a conscious effort to learn I might be able to do it. But again as I mentioned a few times before I am more interested in writing and leave it at that. But I came across this gem on FB. At first it made me laugh simply because I love zombies

Can it be as easy as this? I did put it into a few of my sentences, got a good giggle out of it and did find some that made sense versus those that did not. Though I would have to go through my entire WIP to know for sure on how often I did this. But I thought it was a cute little tip to pass on to others.

All you have to do is insert zombies in your sentences.

“She was killed [by zombies.]” <—- Makes sense? Yes. It’s passive voice.

“Zombies killed [by zombies] her.” <—- Makes sense? No. It’s active voice.

Hopefully this will help someone .

 

 

P.S. I actually own this book

 

 

Publishing Houses, Query Letters, Submissions

Just One Yes

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2013-03-28 09.15.55

My mantra for the last year or so has remained the same.

“All I need is one yes, just one.”

In fact the picture above is a photo of my mantra that I typed out and taped to my computer so I could see this every day when I sat down at my desk.  I know it can get discouraging when one submits to publishing houses. It is a crap shoot let’s be honest. You are trying to find someone who loves your MS as much as you do. A person who believes in it and the potential it has as you do.

One person is a small number compared to all the publishing houses that are out there. I however did not see it as that. I was not looking for 50. I was not looking for 25. I certainly was not looking for 10. All I was looking for was one person in a sea of faces, names, and companies who would say yes. I just had to find that one person.

It takes time absolutely. But your mind-set has to be where you stick to your guns and keep going. Don’t let up for that person is out there. I know I look at it differently from the fellow writers I hang out with. But they gotten so use to me repeating my mantra now some of them are saying it as well.

Thanks to Melanie from FBP she is my one yes. The one person who said yes I want to ride this journey with you. Let’s do it.  To get to this one yes took some effort but man oh man it was worth it. The day she said we want to publish your MS is a day I will never forget. And trust me I have a bad memory but this has been seared into my brain.

People keep at it and keep trying. You are not trying to climb a mountain of names. What you are trying to do is find one person in that mountain. If you stop you may never find it. But if you keep going what do you have to lose but really just time. And who knows you may find your own personal yes.

Author, Book Cover, Stacey Jaine McIntosh

Book Cover Release: Stacey Jaine McIntosh

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Solstice Final2

Today I want to share with you Stacey Jaine McIntosh’s new book cover for her book that is about to be released. This is a coming out party so to speak. I wish her all the best. Personally I think it looks pretty amazing.

About “Solstice”:
The High Queen was dead and Advent Mor is in the throes of being divided up piecemeal between her six children, while in the woods not far away a Faery in exile seeks to reclaim the throne of Aisling that was taken from her at birth and Dragons toy with the lives of mortals.

About Stacey
Stacey Jaine McIntosh was born in Perth, Western Australia. She has a Diploma in Spatial Services and once toyed with being a Cartographer.

At twenty-nine, her first love has always been writing and she now has three short stories; “Freya”, “Blood Sacrifice” and “Fallen Angel” published in various anthologies, along with a few more in the works. Two of her novels “The Winter Princess” and “Queen-in-Waiting” are available for free on Smashwords.com.

Stacey still resides in her home town of Perth, Western Australia, with her husband and four children. Her eldest of which began reading at age three and devours books in just the same manner as his mum.

When she isn’t spending time with her family or writing, Stacey enjoys photography, graphic design, and the occult.

You can find Stacey here:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/StaceyJaineMcIntosh
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RhiannonBrid
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5575229.Stacey_Jaine_McIntosh

This book will be available for purchase 12 May 2013 from Smashwords.com and Amazon.com (and anywhere else Smashwords distributes out to)

The Musings of A New Englander