Ouch, That Hurts

Hmmm....I've been thinking about this blog for some time now. Mostly about how I haven't posted to it in what felt like forever. And when I look at the date of the last post (Aug., 2018), I feel a little better that it's hasn't exactly been forever. But...ouch, that hurts.

I guess that means I've been fairly busy since August. And that's true enough. For the third quarter of 2018, over 1.5 million words crossed my desk, The fourth quarter of 2018, it was significantly less (at only 912,000 words) - but in all fairness, I was sick for three weeks in December.  Like, in bed, couldn't work, could barely walk the dog sick. Or, if I wasn't sick, I was taking care of the Hubby, who I so lovingly gave my sickness to (I'm sweet that way - what can I say?).

And 2019 looks to be just as busy as 2018 was. Instead of going to RWA this year (even though it's close to me in NYC this time around), I'm going to an editing conference. The EFA will have its conference in August - in lovely Chicago. So if you are going to RWA and want to make a side trip to CT, I'd love to meet you somewhere for a dinner or some shenanigans. Or, if you're in Chicago in August, maybe we can find time then.

And I've got my traditional May vacation to Colorado booked. Yes, actually booked - plane tickets, hotels...the whole deal. I think we were both so tired of winter that the prospect of soaking in the natural springs at Pagosa Springs had us taking care of those details. And this year, we're taking a different route to Pagosa - by way of Santa Fe to check out Meow Wolf. Both my son and his girlfriend, and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law have been and said it's amazing.

But, more importantly than vacations and conferences, I'm looking forward to a year full of great manuscripts, where the characters drag me in and tell me their stories! So contact me to get your next book on the schedule!

Oh, You Are So Punny!

The first time I met The Boy's current Girlfriend, we were in Denver, visiting The Hubby's family.  So it was me, The Hubby, The Boy, The Girlfriend, Grandma, and Aunt Dee driving down the highway. And one of us (not The Boy or the Girlfriend) starting making some snarky, punny conversation.  We all laughed a bit and then quieted down.  I looked back at The Girlfriend and said, "Doesn't being with someone's family explain a whole about them?" 

My family has always appreciated good word play.  And sarcasm (but that's another post for another time). Maybe that's why I love reading and books and authors-and yes, even editing-so much.  I grew up with words running around in my head, even if I never spoke them.  

The editor groups I participate in on Facebook have no shortage of pun enthusiasts.  Here's a recent post: 

And not to get on a political note here, but I couldn't help but laugh at this one:

 

My brother just shared Mental Floss's article on puns (This Is Your Brain On Puns - which, of course is a play on the anti-drug commercial "This is your brain on drugs" with the fried egg). It's a pretty quick article on how the left and right sides of your brain work to figure out puns.  

A few years ago, I found out there was a contest of puns: the O. Henry Pun-off World Championship.  I'm not sure how this wonderful event found its way into my world, but it's a cool idea: a bunch of people celebrating our wonderful world of words and often employing humor to do so. 

I've decided to run another contest for 2017, and this time I'm letting you all know what it's about.  And if you guessed puns, you'd be right. So for all of 2017, I'll be keeping track of the puns (or just the stuff the tickles my funny bone) and have a year-end poll for the best pun of 2017. 

 

The Beauty of Automation

Okay, this is just a test of the emergency broadcast system.  If this was a real emergency, you shouldn't be on the Internet...you should be doing something to stay alive.

Seriously, though, I am testing out a new service to have all my blog posts show up on my Atwater Group Facebook page.  So if this shows up on Facebook, I know I did it right. 

And if it doesn't....well, I'll guess I'll keep trying.

Getting My Ducks in a Row

So, I've actually got a workday where I have no work to do...but yes, there is work to do!  I've just spent the last hour or so adding tags to all of my blog posts.  I had some in there, but I really let that part of blogging go (not that any other part of my blogging has been a shining example of good blogging, but whatever).

And it was fun to revisit some of those older blog posts and remember some of what prompted them.  It was kind of like reading my work diary over the past few years.

Anyway, back to work... Part of the reasoning to get the blog posts properly tagged/labeled was to make it easier to search and to jump-start some ideas for my 2017 blogging.  (After all, if I've already talked about something, do I need to keep harping and harping on it? Maybe...) So I am setting up a spreadsheet with ideas, categories, and a calendar so I can be a bit more organized for blogging in 2017 (see goal #4 here).  I am thinking I might ask anyone who has done an Author Interview to do an updated one - although I haven't figured out what new questions I'd ask.  But I think it would be cool to see how authors have changed (if at all) and what their writing career looks like now - sort of a "Where Are They Now" thing.

But I am really going to try to get my ducks in a row to give me a good start to 2017 and beyond. Not that 2016 was horrible or anything, but I feel like I need to be more prepared for things, not just go at them willy-nilly. Or get distracted by squirrels - that's Dudley's job!

(And aren't you impressed about this second blog post in under a week?)

Don't Hold Your Breath

So 2014 is officially over (yes, I waited a few days just to make sure!).  So now I can tell you what the secret phrase of 2014 is:

[[drum roll, please...]]

The secret phrase is: held my/his/her breath (especially if the person didn't realize they were holding their breath!).

As I reported earlier, it was one of those things you'd feel like you'd seen everywhere, but when actually tallied up, there were only twenty-two instances. (Considering the number of manuscripts I looked at in 2014, that's not too many instances.)

In tie for third place:

In one title by Author 3A, it's used twice: I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and I let out the breath I’d been holding.

In two titles by Author 3B, we have: She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath again and She let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

In second place, Author 2 used it three times in three separate titles: She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and Hearing those words, he let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, and pulled her into his arms.

And in first place, Author 1 had two titles: one used the phrase just once, but the other used it a record three times: {book number one} He let out the breath he was holding when the door closed behind her and {book number two} She let out the breath she was holding and She let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding and She let out the breath she was holding.

And for first place, Author 1 will receive...a $25 credit on the next manuscript.  So see - sometimes it pays to be a winner in my silly little contests!

Now to dream up a new contest for 2015...

What Are You Made Of?

While my husband and I were on a two-week trip (Denver for Thanksgiving; Wisconsin for a Christmas party - yes, we will travel for a party!), I saw this sculpture:
 

It's a metal sculpture made up of letters, in the shape of a person.  I thought it was a really cool idea - to think about what people are made up of, and how words are used to describe people.  I'd like to say I had time to stand and reflect on the sculpture, but in truth, I had ducked out of the rental car, run across the road, took some pictures (that I hoped would come out okay), and then ran back to the waiting car after the hubby had turned around and drove slowly so I could hop back in.

What made it even cooler? Guess the name of the park where I saw this sculpture:

Yup, that's Atwater Park!

2014 Mystery Phrase Update

Way, way back in January (you remember January, right? well, if not, don't worry - the next one is right around the corner) I awarded the 2013 Favorite Goof and briefly mentioned the 2014 contest.  And here we are, at the beginning of the last month of 2014 and it occurred to me that I haven't given you any updates!

My mystery phrase (it's still a mystery to you!) didn't show up as often as I thought it would - just 21 times in the 100+ titles I've worked on so far.  But it was weird how it would show up in bunches: 5 times in January, 3 times in August, and 3 times in October.  Throughout the rest of the year, it was just once or twice a month.

We'll have to see how December pans out - and what I decide the "prize" will be!

This Is Where I Work

Ever seen Lifehacker's How I Work series? Or their Featured Workspaces like this one or this one? They've inspired me to share my office space.  So here's where I work:



The master command chair: I bought this at Staples.  It's supposed to be rated for an 8-hour day.  But after awhile, that seat wasn't so comfortable anymore.

So I had to find something that would make those editing hours easier to deal with. So I found this soft but firm seat cushion, the Wonder Gel Seat Cushion:

But what about that editing? It's easy with this three-screen setup: the laptop plus two external monitors:

 A different view of the monitors and the keyboard:

 

The Fellowes Tilt N Slide Keyboard Manager was the answer to my desk dilemma: how to get a keyboard  that didn't need to be screwed into my desk but would be able to tilt for ease of use. This adjusts at three different levels, and has a sliding pad for the mouse. It's so much better for my wrist and arms.  Bonus: very Star Trekky.

 And best of all, it just screws onto the desk shelf.

What I'd really like someday is a multi-screen setup like this: 

 or this:

or this:

But those are just dreams for now...

Maybe I Need A Dictionary

So, any longtime followers of this blog (and thanks for keeping me on your list of blogs to read!) may have noticed a slight downturn in blog posts.

According to the dictionary, slight means to a small degree. Hmmm, maybe I need to re-think that sentence.  

Okay, there may have been a standstill (cessation of movement forward or backward, state of rest, stop) in my blog posting. 

And the newsletter - oh, that poor, poor newsletter.  I think I have to change it from "a monthly" newsletter to "a whenever I can manage to get it done" newsletter.  Or a "whenever I can get some interesting, time-worthy, and inspirational information" newsletter.  

Maybe I really should consult that dictionary before I do too much more damage to the English language!  

All that aside, my lack of getting these things done has been bothering me.  I will be trying to post more often, but I want to make sure that what I post has some value, isn't just fluff or a bunch of hooey.  I'm thinking of working out a schedule, or a list of possible topics (that appeals to the organized side of my brain) but when it comes time to put those ideas down on paper, they seem to disappear like wisps of wind that I can't catch.  And I'm working on some author interview requests, so hopefully you'll be hearing from some great authors, too.  

So, dear readers, do you have any topics you want more information on?  Something you'd like to know about in the grammar/editing world?  Drop me a line and maybe it'll be featured as a blog post/newsletter item!

Special Delivery

Look at what I got today - special delivery from Laurie LeClair:

I subscribed to her newsletter and she posts the occasional contest and giveaway...and guess who won this time?  (Hint: ME)

It's kind of cool to get a copy (whether electronic or hard copy) of the finished project: when it's no longer just a manuscript but a real book.  And it's extra cool to have the books signed by the author!

So, if you are an author, consider reaching out to your readers with a contest for a free copy (digital or paper).  And if you're a reader, be sure to support your favorite authors by giving reviews online (either on Amazon or Goodreads, or maybe your own blog) and follow them on Facebook or Twitter to see what they're working on next!

And you can be sure I'll be using that lovely pen for some editing notes, so watch out!

I Did it! I Wrote a Blog Post!

Well, I sort of wrote a blog post.  But it's not really a post, and it's not really on my blog.  But I did write it!

Author Kevin Hardman was kind enough to ask me to answer some questions for his blog.  Check out his questions and my answers here.


And hopefully soon I'll have an actual post for my own blog!

A Winner! A Winner!

I know I promised this some time ago, but I have contacted the winner of the 2013 Favorite Goof.  After all the voting was in, you chose Pamela Fryer's classic line:

Thanks to you, a major catastrophe has been averted, and a serious coo thwarted.

What she meant to write was: 

Thanks to you, a major catastrophe has been averted, and a serious coup thwarted.

Thanks for voting!

Welcome to 2014, Year of the Horse

So, fifteen days in to the New Year, and this is my first post.  It's been a crazy time since the holidays (especially if you go back to Thanksgiving!) and it feels like I've barely had time to breathe, much less do all the holiday cheer!  You wonderful authors have given me such great manuscripts in 2013 and I'm looking forward to 2014!

Just to give you an idea of how busy you guys have kept me, in the last three months of 2013, I read over 1.4 MILLION words.  You guys know how to write! And then write some more...

I finished up the 2013 contest of Your Favorite Goof and the voting for the second half of the year ended on the 14th.  I'll be tabulating the results and announcing the winner in the next few days. 

I started the 2014 contest for the Mystery Phrase, and I've already had one show up in a manuscript.

One of my major goals for 2014 is to update my website.  I've been playing around with some programs to see what I like and what I don't; hopefully I'll make up my mind and get cracking on that project soon.

Here's to a happy, healthy, successful 2014!

Your Favorite Goofs - Part 2 - Vote Now!

Here's the link to vote for your favorite goofs of the last half of 2013. 

Pared down from sixty-seven contenders, this list of twenty-five represent the "best" of the best.  Voting is open until Jan. 10th.  After that, the top vote-getters will be in contention with the top four from the first half of the year for the Grand Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or a $25 credit for the winner on their next manuscript.  So be sure to vote and pass the link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FT3XBS9 ) along to your friends!

My List Overrunneth

So I took a quick look at my Blooper Nominations for the last six months of 2013.  I checked it twice, just like Santa Claus with his Naughty and Nice list.

I currently have sixty-seven (yes, that's 67) nominees so far.  I have another book or two that should get done before the end of the year, so maybe that number will creep up a bit.

So, based on my first survey that had only seventeen to choose from, I feel as if sixty-seven is a lot to go through.  I'm looking for a few people to do some pre-screening, to either pick their top ten or twenty bloopers or at least cut some off the list.  Any takers?  Email me by Jan. 3, 2014 if you are interested in helping out.

You Can't Say That

I only have vague memories but I do remember watching some of Nickelodeon's You Can't Say That On Television. Every time someone said, "I don't know," they'd get slimed.

In that spirit, I've decided on next year's contest (check out this year's contest here and here and here).  Certain phrases get repeated - not just in a book, but in book after book after book.  But there's one phrase that is driving me nuts! I've had some weeks where I've seen this mystery phrase in EVERY BOOK I was working on! Different authors, different genres - it doesn't seem to matter.  This phrase keeps popping up.

So, for 2014, I am going to keep track of this mystery phrase.  I'm going to note the author, the title, and how many times it (or a slight variation of it) was used in the manuscript.  I'll post a little Facebook or Twitter update (#MysteryPhraseStrikesAgain, maybe?). By the end of the year, I should have a tally of how many times it was used (or over-used, as the case may be).

I'm not sure how I should judge a "winner," though...should it be Most Uses in One Manuscript?  Most Over-the-top Usage?  Most Uses By One Author Over Several Titles?  And maybe I should invite reader participation - see if anyone can guess what the phrase is, if an author would let me promote their book as qualifying as a contender for the Mystery Phrase.

What do you think?

Editor Interview

Taking a page from our usual Author Interviews, this month I'm answering some questions.

Describe your typical day.  I'm typically up anytime between 7 and 9 (mostly depending on how late I was up or if I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep).  After feeding and walking the dog, it's time for me to wake up (read emails and news online) and get ready for the day.  Mornings are typically dog walking interrupted by editing.  After lunch, the dog walking slows down and I can focus more on editing.  Dinner is either the start of my winding down or just a pit-stop before more editing.  That depends on deadlines and whether or not the hubby is home.  Some nights I've got meetings (church, town, and professional). I hit the hay around 11 and am hopefully asleep by midnight.

Favorite books growing up: our town library was so small when I was a kid, I feel like I read everything they had.  I wouldn't be surprised if the total square footage was less than 750 square feet (and it was a big deal when it moved to the basement of the new town hall - 2,000 square feet of luxurious rack after rack).  But I was super fond of the Adventures of Tintin, all of the Little House on the Prairie books, and the Bobbsey Twins.  As a teenager, I found science fiction and fantasy (thanks, big brother!) and picked up Heinlein, Robert Silverberg, and Anne McCaffrey.  And what childhood would be complete without the works of Steven King to freak you out (or reassure you that you weren't the weirdest kid in the world)?

What would you tell your younger self? You won't die if you speak out loud in public.  People might actually be interested in what you have to say.  It took me until I was about 30 or so before I became comfortable speaking in public.  Some people would say they preferred it when I wouldn't talk, because now they can't get me to shut up!  I am still shy in social situations, but I've really gotten much better at asserting myself when I need to.

Any writing ambitions?  As any regular reader of this blog knows (and thanks, by the way!), writing is not my best skill.  I am much better at editing.  I really admire my authors—you create new worlds and characters and make them come to life.  I've never really had a story or characters stuck in my head, driving me crazy until they came out on paper (or screen, as the case may be!).  I will say I can write some interesting stories about things that have happened to me, but my life isn't so interesting every day that I'd try to write a collection of stories.  The occasional blog post is about the best I can do on that front.

Is the Atwater Group really a group, or is it just you? It’s just me. It has grown and morphed over the years in purpose and “employees.”  My husband is one who continually has great ideas and wants to start all these “small businesses.”  So, at first, it was a way to corral all of his ideas and ventures.  But then he got laid off from his real job and had to start a rep agency while he was looking for work.  “The Atwater Group” sounded solid, dependable, more than just a one-guy outfit, and wasn’t specific to his name or industry.  He did find another job, but it required that I quit my job (I was working for a rep agency that is in direct competition for my husband’s new job).  So I putzed around a bit, started my own company (Atwater Chocolates) under the umbrella of The Atwater Group, but that proved to be time-consuming and not profitable.  Once I started proofing and editing, I took over the name (after all, it’s a pretty good name and we had all the tax ID stuff set up). We’ve toyed with my husband providing voice-over work and audio books, so if he ever does that it will be under services that The Atwater Group provides. So…no, there’s no farming out, no big corporate backing, no small, dedicated band of brothers/sisters who work here…just me!  (The hubby provides moral support and technical support when needed; the dog provides distraction and a reason to get away from the eyestrain of the computer screen!) 

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know me a bit better.  And next month, I promise to have the Author Interviews back on track!

Favorite Goofs, Update

So, in the first six months of 2013, I kept track of what I thought were the funniest goofs and then had you vote on them.  I've been keeping track over the past few months as well, and let me tell you - the list is pretty full so far!


There's still another 10 weeks or so left, and I can't wait to see how long the list will be.  So will you be on the Naughty list or will you be spared?  Only time will tell...

An Interview with...

October, how did you get here so quickly?  I have to admit, something got off schedule when September hit and The Boy (aka my son) went back to college.  I was super busy working (thank you, writers!) on some great manuscripts (again, thanks writers!) and lost track of the actual days going by.  And I lost track of getting an author interview done for the October newsletter.  Or anything else for the October newsletter.

So, I am going to do a mini-interview with...wait for it...myself.  Yes, I am going to answer five questions.  But first, I need some questions to answer.   So, if you haven't already seen the 10 Random Facts About Me post, check them out so you don't ask any of those questions. 

So, either comment here or send me an email at fwilliams@theatwatergroup.com and I'll compile the best five questions and answer them for the November newsletter.  If I start planning now, I'm sure I'll get back on schedule by then.  (Right?)

Your Favorite Goofs - Part 1

The results are in!  For the first half of 2013, your favorite goofs so far:

#3 - tie between rain was purring down **should be** rain was pouring down AND guards wearing red pants and sashes across their bear chests **should be** bare chests.

#2 - silk top that covered her beasts **should be** breasts.

And drum roll...your #1 choice is: Thanks to you, a major catastrophe has been averted, and a serious coo thwarted **should be** Thanks to you, a major catastrophe has been averted, and a serious coup thwarted.

These three will in contention for the grand prize after the goofs from July through December are voted on.  Aren't you proud, dear authors?