What Morgan Freeman Teaches us about Writing Novels... and Free Book Friday

Free Book Friday

Today, it's a Writer Peeps special! 

First I am giving away a signed copy of Bree Despain's THE DARK DIVINE. She is #3 Crazy in my writer's group. (Although lately, she's been making a push for #1)

Also, I'm giving away Emily Wing Smith's THE WAY HE LIVED. She's #2 Crazy since 2009. 

Read to the bottom to find out how to enter.

Here's What's on my Mind:

1. It's been one of those weeks. You know, the kind where everyone around you is eating message hearts that say, "Be Mine" and "I'm Yours" and "So Cute" and then you open yours to find this:

How did the heart makers know? The next heart I drew said "So, Suck it".  I didn't bother to take a picture of that one. 

I stopped drawing hearts after that. Chances are the next heart would say, "Grow a pair". 

2. The Olympics: Full of Characters I care about.

 Shaun White hangs a Double McFlurry

(Okay, maybe that's not a real trick name)

When watching the Olympics, I've been saying to Sam, "You gotta watch Vonn... She knows how to triumph over adversity" and "Here's Lindsey Jacobellis. Do you think she'll redeem herself?" and "Morgan Freeman says Shaun White is gonna do something that's gonna blow my mind!"

I got thinking about how this applies to writing a good novel: plot doesn't matter if the reader doesn't care about the characters. 

Without Morgan Freeman, Vonn would've been some stranger in spandex going really fast down a hill, and it left me wondering, how would Morgan Freeman narrate my life in 30 seconds or less?

It's like a Mad Lib.

When [insert name] was a little [girl/boy]

[She/he] would [insert endearing quirky characteristic, like eating cardboard, or drawing on bedroom walls]

And the other kids would [make fun of/spit in his or her jello]

Today, you can find [him/her] on the [mountain/ice/snow]

doing [crazy stunt/triple axels/going 90 mph]

And you know what? Nobody spits in her jello anymore.

Go World.

So, in honor of Morgan Freeman, to enter the contest:

1. Follow the blog. (This time, it's only open to followers. So, Follow first)

2. Leave a comment. Easy Peezy.

3. For a bonus entry, include how Morgan Freeman would narrate your life in 30 seconds or less. Feel free to use the Mad Lib.

4. Want one more entry? Tweet about the contest. Include the link in the comments.

You have until the end of the weekend to enter. Yay! Go World. 

How the Olympics are like the Hunger Games... and the Free Book Friday Winner

The Free Book Friday Winner is:

SalGal

Email me your address and book choice. (My email addy is in sidebar)

Many of you have asked how I pick the winners. It's simple:

1.    I assign a number to every commenter, starting at 1 with the first commenter, and continuing on. If the commenter has tweeted or blogged about it, they get another number too.

2.    I take all the numbers, and I write them on separate squares of toilet paper, and attach each one to a tiny little parachute.

3.    Sam then takes them sky-bound and drops them over Vancouver.

They are judged in much the same way as the pairs figure skating event, with high points awarded for artistry and synchronicity, and with a slight proclivity toward Russian entrants.

Anyone watching the Olympics?

Evan Lysacek was amazing on the ice last night. He makes it look so effortless. 

Okay, maybe that move took a little effort.

I love watching men's skating, because like many girls from my generation, I wanted to grow up to be Johnny Weir.

 Did you see the looks he was throwing the judges last night? He'd wink at them like they could get him VIP seating at the Bedazzler Convention. (I bought my tickets last June. I can't wait!)

Winter Sports can be extreme, and not just a little schizophrenic. Like the biathlon. 

Cross country skiers are forced to stop after each lap, drop to their knees with skis on, and shoot targets. It just seems so random.

Like the gamemaker was all, "They go round and round in circles, with sticks on their feet, then they stop and..." scratches head... "get attacked by bears?... no... chew 17 saltine crackers and whistle the Star Spangled Banner?... no... I know! Carry an egg in a spoon!"

They were about to give up when another guy was all, "Let's just have them drop to the ground and shoot stuff. We'll make 'em carry their own rifles."

 

It's something straight out of Hunger Games. I'm just waiting for the Muttations to appear.

Anyone else watching? Anyone else putting off writing to watch women's hockey? I know I am.