Tuesday Tips:

Okay, first off, I've zombified myself in honor of Carrie Harris's debut YA novel, Bad Taste in Boys, which releases today.  It's next on my to read list, and I've heard only great things about it.  And Carrie warned me that I shouldn't eat anything while reading it.  Carrie's full of awesomesauce and a member of the Class of 2k11.

Oh, and she's holding an auction to benefit the Giving Library at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. You can bid on signed books, query critiques, a book trailer created by me and more, all for a great cause. :) 

Okay, onward.  It's Tuesday Tip Day, and today, with the help of Punctuation Made Simple, we're talking about the semi-colon.

 1) To Connect Two Sentences

The semicolon is most often used to connect two sentences. Obviously, the sentences ought to be relatively close in content, but other than that you can connect any two sentences with a semicolon.

As a communicator, you are always putting together complex items in your prose and showing how they relate to one another. A semicolon is an economical way to join two sentences, and therefore two ideas, so that your reader sees the relationship. For example:

Megan is awesome; she can do no wrong.

Are you asleep yet?  Wait until the next paragraph. (this is not an example of the semicolon, but my own personal opinion about this lesson)

The  example above contains two sentences glued together by a semicolon. The second part of the sentence makes a comment on the first. Certainly, each sentence could be written as two sentences, but you wouldn’t be expressing the close relationship between the two parts that you do when you use a semicolon.

The important point to remember is that you must have a complete sentence on both sides of the semicolon. If your second sentence begins with a conjunction (and, but, or, etc.), you do not need a semicolon because the conjunction and the comma that usually goes with it are equivalent to a semicolon. Instead, combine two full sentences with the semicolon. (Didn't they already say this?)

Sometimes a sentence may begin with words like however, therefore, and nevertheless. If your second sentence begins with one of these words, and if it is indeed a full sentence, you still must use a semicolon to connect the two. An example:

However, this lessons is boring; nevertheless, it is also educational. 

Never glue two full sentences together with only a comma. Grammarians call this sentence error a comma splice.  A comma splice is considered ungrammatical because the reader begins reading the second sentence before realizing that the first sentence is completed. Readers are used to stopping at the end of a sentence, and they become disoriented when they find that they have unknowingly left one sentence and entered a new one. (Really?  Does anyone really think this hard about reading?)  This is why effective writers avoid the comma splice. Here is an example a of comma splice:

Megan has a great blog, she is always interesting to read.

The example constitutes two sentences glued together with a comma. You can correct a comma splice by inserting a semicolon between the two sentences, by adding a comma to your conjunction, or, of course, by punctuating them as two sentences. Whichever way you choose, however, you must make sure your final drafts do not contain comma splices.

There is one instance in which a comma splice is considered acceptable. Occasionally, you may have a list of items that could stand alone as full sentences. (I wrote about the comma last week, so I'm not going over this again.  Go read last Tuesdays blog if you want to find out about the comma)

2) As Supercomma

As you know, you normally separate the members of a list with commas, as in this sentence:

I have just read Stupid Fast, The Pull of Gravity, Popular, and Illegal.  

The commas let the reader know where one item ends and the next begins. Sometimes, however, you have a list of complex items and one (or more) of the items already contains a comma. In such a case, the reader is likely to get confused about what is really a member of the list and what is not. You can avoid this confusion by making the semicolon a sort of“supercomma.” 

        I've just traveled to: Scotsdale, AZ, Long Island, NY, and Leavenworth, WA.

This sentence contains so many commas, both between the members of the list and within them, that readers are likely to become confused. Instead, you can make the semicolon a supercomma between each of the members so that your meaning is clear:

       I've just traveled to: Scotsdale, AZ; Long Island, NY;  and Leavenworth, WA. 

The second sentence is clearer than the first because the reader knows exactly where members of the list begin and end. You probably will not need to use a semicolon as a supercomma often, but if your sentence contains a list of items, one (or more) of which already contains a comma, you can clarify your meaning by using the supercomma.

And thus ends today's lesson on the semi-colon.  Come back next Tuesday where we talk about the colon.

F³A: Mowing and other bits

Okay, so first off, I mowed my lawn for the first time (don't think I'm a slacker, I don't have a lawn mower, so I've had a variety of men over to do this for me, which didn't suck).  And I will say this.  My lawn is a bitch.  First of all, it's HUGE.  Second of all, the lawnmower I borrowed wasn't self propelled, so I had to actually work.  I'm surprised I'm not sore today.  It took me like an hour and a beer to do it.  At one point I was so tired of mowing I actually ran with the mower to get it done faster.  I'm going to get rid of some lawn.  That's for sure. (and buy a self propelled mower)

Okay, I posted a couple weeks ago that I was getting divorced.  Well that didn't happen because the dumb commissioner said I needed stuff that two attorneys have told me I don't really need to get divorced.  So, I go back today.  And if I'm not divorced by the time I walk out of that courtroom, someone is going to get hurt. (totally kidding, but I will be seriously pissed.


I'm making my kids cinnamon (I can't ever spell that) rolls for breakfast.  Non sequitur.

Started watching Bed of Roses last night, because my kids are totally into 80's movies and we love Christian Slater, and I thought I loved that movie.  Then I realized I'm not even sure I've seen that movie and Mary Stuart Masterson was supposed to be Marissa Tomei, so I had my daughter look up Christian Slater on Netflix.  Untamed Heart.  That's the one I wanted to watch.  So we did.  And it's still awesome.

Okay, I know that was all totally random, but it's the Friday Free For All after all.

My nibbles:

Random Pandora Song: Slide by the Goo Goo DollsGreatest Hits Volume One - The Singles.  I will mention I'm listening to One Republic radion.

Movie of the Week:  I'm going to stick with Untamed Heart I love that my kids or into 80's movies.  It's like reliving my youth.

Book of the Week:  Popular by Alissa Grosso Okay, seriously, I'm loving this book.  And I KNOW there is going to bea twist, maybe a couple, and I'm excited to find out what they are.  I've been guessing, we'll see if I'm right.

Quote of the Week: "Do or do not...there is no try." ~Yoda  Not only is this quote in my friend Gae's book The Pull of Gravity, but I've just been hearing people say it a lot lately.  And it's a good quote to live by, and I'm trying to do.  I'm sick of trying.

Until Monday,

Megan

F³A: Time

I don't have any anymore it seems. None that's free anyway.  I work.   Then I go home and work some more.  I don't think I could possibly have fathomed how much time and energy it takes to release a book.  You write it, get a book deal, and the rest just falls into place, right?  Um, no.

First there's swag.  If you don't know what swag is, it's pretty much a group of promotional items you give away.  Most people would hire someone to design these things for them, but since I have a bit of know-how (a small bit really, but enough not to pay to have it done) I'm designing them myself.  Time.  Yep.  I just ordered buttons yesterday.  I'm designing bookmarks.  I'll probably do some stickers, pencils, and hopefully come up with some other really brilliant ideas.

Once you have the swag, it's time to make connections.  You take them to your local bookstores and libraries and ask them to carry your book.  You give them to LA teachers and school librarians to give to their students.  You send them all over the country to any of your connections that will pass them out for you to their local bookstores and libraries. 

Then there's donation letters.  I'm reaching out to any company I mentioned in the book.  Ford, Starbucks, the Space Needle, etc, and ask if they will donate ANYTHING for giveaways.  I'm still working on this one.

I've booked one release gig.  But I'll need to do at least three or four to include everyone I want to.  And this will require me talking to my local indie store, which I as of now have no relationship whatsoever.

I'm trying to put some of these things in place now because I know the closer it gets to the release, the busier it's going to get.

There's way more than that too. AND I'm also working with the Class of 2k12 on basically the same stuff.  I love it, but it's exhausting.

That's all for today.  Getting sidetracked and feel poopy. Happy Friday and have a great holiday weekend.  Remember all those who gave their lives for your freedom.

I'll leave you with the Friday Nibbles.

Random Pandora Song: Break Even by the Script.  I freakin' love this song and it's so true.

Book of the week: I'm still reading Popular by Alissa Grosso, but let's throw Tension of Opposites in there too.  It's by Kristina McBride.  Just Facebook friended her and we have a mutual friend.

Netfix of the week: The Office Season Six.  Just finished it.  Hilarious

Quote of the week: "When love is not madness, it is not love."  ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca

F³A: Relationships

Those of you who have followed by blog for awhile know I've had my share of difficulties, mentally, physically, and emotionally (I'm not called the angsty writer for nothing).  Today marks a new chapter in my life for today my divorce will be final.

It's been a long strange trip for me.  We were married for seventeen years, had our ups and downs, but things happen along the way that you can't fix and you can't go back.  My husband and I have always marched to the beat of a different drummer.  We are a bit crazy, eccentric, weird, but fun.  Divorce is no different.  It was hard at first, but we realized we still loved each other (just not in the way we needed to, mostly on my end), and liked hanging out together.  It was very important to stay friends, for us, for our kids.  We bbq together, have gotten together for movie night, gone out to dinner.  We want each other to be happy.

We'll be divorcing together.  I'm picking him up, we're hitting Starbucks, the county/city building, then lunch (he said I have to buy).  And hopefully our friendship will remain intact.

Does it hurt?  Yeah.  Along the way I've had my doubts, but I know this is what I need right now.  My life has traveled down a different path the last few years making me a different person than I once was.  And I like that person.  Sometimes she's a bit mad, she may cry a little too much, and she gets lonely when her kids aren't around.  But she's more confident, stronger, braver, more adventurous.

So here's to closing this chapter in my life, and starting a new one.

Catch you on the flip side.

Megan

Oh yeah, Friday nibbles:

Random Pandora song (Thing Two has been pilfering my iPod as of late):  Different Names for the Same Thing by DCFC.  From my Death Cab For Cutie station

Movie of the Week:  I'm thinking Thor.  I really want to see it.

Book of the Week:  Popular by Alissa Grosso.  A take on popularity from five girls points of view.  Very interesting so far.

Quote of the week: "There are some things one can only achieve by a deliberate leap in the opposite direction." ~ Franz Kafka

Thought Provoking Thursday: Goodreads Reviews

This is a tricky subject to cover, so I need to tread carefully.  I know I've talked about reviews, but I want to talk specifically about Goodreads reviews and some of the effects they have.

I've heard I should not read Goodreads reviews.  Yep, that's going to happen, not.  It's too hard to see that someone has reviewed your novel and then not read that review.  Do I wish they were all 4 and 5 star reviews.  Of course.  But that's not reality.  In fact I got a 3 star from the Reading Housewives on Indiana the other day that I thought rocked.  Click here to read it.  The reviewer was very honest.  She like the book, was entertained, but could not connect with my main character.  I'm good with that.  She was respectful and tactful and I appreciated that.

I recently got a horrible 2.5 star review on Goodreads (and subsequently the reviewers blog).  I'm okay with the review.  I felt the language was a little harsh, but I respect the reviewers opinion.  It's a subjective business.  As writers, we hear this all the time.

And reviewer's followers sometimes take their word as gospel.  Again, fine.  They follow them, maybe they have some of the same opinions on certain books, so they take their reviews and base their decisions on them.  I'm down with that.

However, (of course there's a however) I think if someone reads a synopsis of a novel, and they think it sounds interesting, they should make their own judgment.  Plain and simple.  I mean, reviews are important, but if you doubt that review  in any way, just pick the book up and try it out.

There was one thing that bothered me about this particular review.  It was the fact that the blogger stated that the people that gave Never Eighteen five stars must not have read the book.  Yes, she has her freedom of speech, I just find this comment reckless and unprofessional.  That's just my opinion and I'm free to voice it as well.

I was researching opinions about Goodreads reviews, and only came up with a couple sites.  I think we as writers worry about criticizing reviews, as we should, so we stay away from the topic.  Here are a couple good blogs, click here for one by Alissa Grosso about the pros and cons of the site.  And click here to read one from Faerye.net about Goodreads vs. Librarything.

As you see, I've linked to the review in question above , only so you can read it, please do not feel the need to defend me or my novel.  Like I said, it's a subjective business.  Some people will hate your work, some with love it.  My friend Gae made a good point, that the bad reviews give the good ones some legitimacy.  Balance, Yin and Yang and all that.

Even you don't read or don't like Never Eighteen, I will still love you. :)  You are my blog readers and followers and I hold you close to my heart.

I hope no one is offended by this post.  It's just something I think about and wanted to talk about.  I would love your opinions on Goodreads, review bloggers, and Amazon reviews.  Do they hold water?  Are they gospel?  Do you only trust ones from your friends?

Tooting the Horn Tuesday: More from the Class of 2k11

First of all, check out the trailer Alissa Grosso made for her novel Popular.   I think she did a great job!!  And she's so darn cute.

Also, my friend Gae Polisner, author of the Pull of Gravity, got a great Kirkus Review.  They said, " Pulls the heart in all the right places." 


Another member of the Class of 2k11, Angie Smibert sold her novel, The Forgetting Curve, the sequel to Memento Nora, To Marshall Cavendish, to be released Spring of 2012. 

Bettina Restrepo's novel, Illegal, hits bookshelves TODAY!!!! Contrats Bett!!

And did I mention my ARC's are coming out? :D

Don't forget my contest, prizes to my 200th follower and their referral. Thanks to Cari at Cari's Book Blog for spreading the news.

Thanks for reading, catch you on the flip side.

~Megan