The Versatile Blogger Award

I have had the honor of being nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award, not by one wonderful writer, but by two.

Barbara and Joylene, Thank you so much for the recognition and I accept with great joy. I am thrilled that you both follow and find my blog entertaining.

Now for the tasks at hand: according to the rules, I'm required to:

1. Thank the person who loved me enough to bestow this gift.
2. Share seven things about myself.
3. Bestow this honor onto 10 newly discovered or followed bloggers – in no particular order – who are fantastic in some way.
4. Drop by and let my ten new friends know I admire them.

Thanks again to Barbara and Joylene.

1. I began writing fiction at an early age, mostly short stories and poetry. This desire produced from a great love of reading and the want to give back what I received from the authors I read - An escape.

2. I became interested in the tarot early in life. My first experience was with playing cards. You'd be surprised how accurate of a reading you can get from ordinary playing cards, but Tarot Cards bring much more insight and are easier to read.

3. I am a big fan of Prince and the Revolution, not the artist formally known as.

4. My favorite writers are Stephen King, John Saul, and Dean Koontz.

5. I completed one novel four years ago. This novel sits in a box waiting for attention. But, the writing of the novel brought about great changes in me and my life. It may never see the light of day but it will never leave my possession.

6. I love to watch action movies and comedies, especially if they star Bruce Willis.

7. I am a cat lover, but do not own a cat during this time in my life.

I see nothing in the rules that say these bloggers have to be writers, so a few tarot blogs will appear in my list. I bestow this award onto, in no particular order, the following bloggers:

1. Aubrie, Flutey Words... A writer/flutist's ramblings about words and music. http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com/

2. Lynnette Labelle, Chatterbox Chitchat A Writer's Outlook on the Craft of Writing, Getting Published, and the Big One...Life. http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com

3. Christiane, Cosmic Faery's Journal of Wisdom and Wonder, Reflections and Musings on Tarot, Magick and Spirituality. http://cosmicfaery.blogspot.com/

4. Douglas Gibb, Tarot Eon, A Tarot Blog - Tarot Tutorials, Tips and Techniques. http://taroteon.com/

5. Alyssa Ast, The Writer's Block http://writers-block-alyssa-ast.blogspot.com/

6. Kim Smith, Writing Space http://writingspace.blogspot.com/

7. Cherie Reich, Surrounded by Books, The life of an aspiring writer and library assistant. http://cheriereich.blogspot.com/

8. L.M. Lawrence, When words come together to evoke emotion. http://lmlawrence.blogspot.com/

9. Tara McClendon, Eye Feathers. http://eyefeathers.blogspot.com/

10. Manda, 78 Whispers in my Ear, A(mostly)Tarot blog by a mother and writer drifting through the universe. http://78whispers.blogspot.com/

Thank you all for sharing your insights and journeys with us.

Submission

I'm determined to get back in the swing of things. And slowly it is working out. If only there were more hours in the day, more could be accomplished.

I have a few short stories that I sent out last year that were rejected. I'm working on getting each of them reworked and back out there in hope of publication.

Earlier this week, I submitted my short story 'Forever Friends' to Shroud Magazine.

I am working on another short story, previously rejected, in hopes of completing in time to submit to Shroud's Halloween issue. Cross some fingers for me.

Taking the Week Off

I hate to do this in the middle of the Artist's Way, but it has to be done.

I'm working a lot of hours at my day job and I just started a writing course at the Writer's Village University.

I've tried for many years to get into the free course, F2K, and this year I finally made it. I've been told wonderful things about the courses at this site. I'll let you know of my experience. It is an eight week course and the talent 'so far' seems to be abundant.

I've also been trying to get a few of my rejected stories back out there in Editor Land. I should be posting submission updates soon. I'm even having trouble fitting this into my schedule.

The Artist's Way should be back next week, but I won't make any promises. It all depends on my work schedule, which changes from day to day.

Keep writing your daily pages. They are important and something you should continue even after you've completed your journey with the Artist's Way. Till next week, have a great week!

Word and Phrase Frequency

You've written your story and now it's time to edit.

One of the processes of editing is removing reoccurring words and phrases. But, how do you do this and do it right?

Some writers use programs to single out these occurrences. Others may do it by sight or by reading out loud. This is a process that one must develop as an individual writer.

I'm giving it a shot with a program called Textanz.

My first run shocked me. I couldn't believe that I had repeated phrases within the same paragraph. This was a real eye opener. It is human nature to repeat things, and it will show in your writing.

How do you edit Word and Phrase Frequency?