Word Nerd

The laundromat’s resident writer is in.

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:09:37 -0400

The laundromat’s resident writer is in.

Home office companion: blooming Christmas cactus.

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:14:14 -0400

Home office companion: blooming Christmas cactus.

Mailman or Civil War Hero?

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:37:26 -0400

What makes the American postal system great, aside from cheap rates? Our mailman’s uniform looks like a Civil War tuxedo.

Day 1, Week 6

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:30:49 -0400

Honestly, I under committed last week. Good thing my boss (me) knows when I need more work.

This week’s commitments:

Write a new chapter for Kyle Goes BYE
Re-polish the picture books (my mom, the mother of all word nerds, read them & gave feedback)
Research conference grant
Write bite-sized book pitch

Next week is short for me. And then the month is almost over. Tick TOCK!

"You have to listen closely to the sound of your own breathing; be aware of how much sweat is beading..."

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:11:45 -0400

“You have to listen closely to the sound of your own breathing; be aware of how much sweat is beading on your back; make sure to treat yourself to cool water and a salty snack and ask yourself, honestly and often, exactly how you feel. What could be more sensual than paying exquisite attention to your own body?”

- Ann Trason in Born to Run

Synopsis: BATTLE BERT

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:16:45 -0400

Bertrand Battle Boomer Bailey, Battle for short, is a tough kitten living in an abandoned Air Force base house. He has always dreamed of having a human family to love and snuggle. When Jeff, a man far from his own family moves into the house, Battle sees his chance to make his dream real.

Convincing Jeff that Battle is the perfect kitten for him isn’t easy, but Battle doesn’t give up. In the end, Battle earns himself a new name and is happily headed for his dream home.

(copyright Serene Lewis)

Day 1, Week 5

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:45:00 -0400

I’m so freaking excited about this week. Last week’s commitments were grueling but paved the road for some interesting work (at least, interesting to word nerdy me).

This week’s commitments:

Write and send first agent query (he doesn’t know it, but I already have him in my sites)
Clean up my social platforms (will not be interesting but needed)
Post synopsis of BATTLE BERT here
Outline chapters for new middle-grade fiction book

Reward: another $35 in the cuteness kitty (I enjoyed the pedi I earned last week immensely!).

PHEW!

Sat, 04 May 2013 18:41:00 -0400

Commitments for this week: complete. Now the real hard work starts.

Day 2, Week 4

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:11:52 -0400

One month as a writer. April included:

Started a memoir
Completed Battle Bert, an early reader/pic book
Edited Bad, Bored Emma, another early reader/pic book
Started Layla Goes Bye, a middle reader book
Created publishers and agents spreadsheets (Excel - it’s not just for engineers and data heads)
Traveled to Arizona, NYC and Las Vegas

Had an emotional hiccup yesterday when I realized just how long it will take to fully realize my goal (i.e. be published). Very glad I have a writing buddy who helped me figure out how to regroup, revise and not give up.

Didn’t fulfill all three of last week’s commitments. I’m a tough boss - so no pedi for me. Fresh start this week. Commitments are:

Complete publisher research (finished this today, but it was such hard work, it needs to be on this list)
Complete agent research (pedestrian work but necessary)
Finalize Bad, Bored Emma (sooooo close)
2 blog posts (this counts as 1!)

Reward will be $35 in the “cuteness kitty.”

After experiencing an 8-year old’s love of both Darth...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:16:00 -0400

After experiencing an 8-year old’s love of both Darth Vader and SpongeBob Squarepants, I couldn’t help but imagine a conversation between the two.

Would SpongeBob have a chance to make fun of Darth’s asthmatic seriousness before being choked out?

Write What You Know

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 03:06:48 -0400

That’s what they say: write what you know.

So, why is tonight the first time I’ve thought about writing a kids book with running in it? Went from brushing teeth to 725 words written in 25 minutes, or so. Excited to see how it reads tomorrow!

20 minutes before dinner, inspiration struck. We’ll see how it sounds tomorrow, in the clear...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:43:25 -0400

20 minutes before dinner, inspiration struck. We’ll see how it sounds tomorrow, in the clear light of day and when I’m not hungry. For now, donzo!

Day 2, Week 3

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:15:58 -0400

Week 3 of working for myself on becoming a published children’s book author.

Biggest realization: history proves that I show up for a traditional job every day, so I can show up for myself every day. Even if it is 80 degrees and sunny, like today, I still have work to do that will only get done if I show up at one of my “offices.” Here’s where I spent today:

This week’s commitments:

1. Complete the re-write of Bad, Bored Emma.

2. Outline Emma on the Farm

3. Complete researching publishers

The reward: a pedicure. Much needed after three days of walking around NYC last weekend.

Black ice, eyes and guys

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:21:13 -0400

Random observation: Black ice, black eyes and Black guys sound REALLY alike when said outloud. I’m wickedly tempted to call my mom in Idaho and ask her if she’s seen any black guys/ice just to see if she knows what I’m talking about.

Me: Hey, mom, heard you guys had some crazy cold weather. Seen any Black guys?

Mom: Yep, it was freezing but I managed to avoid all the black ice.

Me: Mom, don’t be scared of the Black guys. If they’re living in Idaho, they probably aren’t too thuggish.

Mom: (I’m imaging silence) … I’m going to give you two black eyes.

By the way, before anyone gets heated, I should mention, I’m Black and this is just a little Fun with Words!

Creative Cocooning

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:09:48 -0400

Creative Cocooning: An experience marked by a notable shift from external socialization to inward retreat, where the desire to create becomes of primary importance.

Like a social butterfly, in reverse.

Day 1, Week 2

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:05:19 -0400

Getting in the rhythm of being a writer, which seems to involve a lot of not writing. Last week, my major accomplishments were:

- starting

- completing the final edit of BATTLE BERT, 1 of my 2 young reader/picture books

- starting a magazine article

This week’s goals are:

- craft BATTLE BERT query letter

- 1 post on each of my blogs - total of 3 (this counts as 1; sweet!)

- complete final edit of BAD, BORED EMMA, 2nd of books

- research grants

If I complete all 4 goals, I get to put $35 into my “cuteness kitty” (aka money toward a facial, massage or a pedicure).

Hi, I'm not sure how the comment system etc. works on tumblr yet, but I just wanted to point out sth about your post about the Swedish soap. The unpronouncable words are because of a typographical error, probably due to the ä and å. The words are supposed to be "färskt från havet", which is somewhat easier to pronounce. Gott nytt år!

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:58:16 -0400

Your edit to the Swedish Soap makes sense and proves that American marketing people should not be in charge of foreign-language copy! Thanks!

A typo is like porn; you know it when you see it. After 5 days,...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:44:25 -0400

A typo is like porn; you know it when you see it. After 5 days, I no longer “exspect” this sad sign of the times to be corrected.

New Jersey retro

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 16:13:36 -0500

New Jersey retro

One letter away from pimping

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:37:00 -0400

A friend told me his email almost arrived missing the letter P. Not the biggest deal - a small typo even for a Word Nerd like myself. Except the meaning of the sentence hinged on that P.

Without the p, the sentence was glowing praise from a pimp: Hoe your day was productive!

With the p, it was an encouraging note from a friend: Hope your day was productive!

Shout out to the letter P for keeping me hopeful, not hooking, for another day.