The semester is officially over.
The science project of insanity is officially over.
It is a good day.
Now it's time for a summer full of writing so I actually have a full manuscript next year. Eek!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Baseball Jingles
So on the radio this morning, they were talking about the Nationals' jingle "Nuts about the Nats" and just for fun, they played the Orioles one as well. I had never really thought of baseball teams having jingles, but it is an insanely fun idea. Now, the Cardinals have their "theme song" "The Budweiser Clydesdale Jingle (Here Comes the King)." But let me tell you, even though I can hum this tune all day long, there are no words. We need a fun song to sing! I am freaked out by the scary, cheesy, 70s-esque songs that the Os and the Nats have to offer, but they are still fun. So the Cardinals need one of these!
Orioles Magic:
Cardinals/Here Comes the King (at the old Busch, aww)
Orioles Magic:
Cardinals/Here Comes the King (at the old Busch, aww)
Monday, May 12, 2008
Autobiography vs Memoir
So, my mom was asking me (because I, the writer, know all of these things) what the difference was between an autobiography and a memoir. This was spurred because of Barbara Walters' new "memoir".
I told her I thought it was just a marketing ploy. Since memoir is selling so well now, calling this book a memoir would work a lot better than just saying it's an autobiography. It's probably not really a memoir.
But she needed a little more than that. So I said an autobiography was more straightforward information, which covers all, or a majority of, a person's life. Memoir, on the other hand, is more narrow. It will focus on an illness, or a significant theme or series of events in one's life. It is also creative nonfiction rather than just fiction. It should read more like a fictional tale.
This opened up a whole wild discussion about writing and who can/should be writing books, but that's not really important.
Mom wasn't really sure about my analysis, so I went on a search. Apparently:
"An autobiography focuses on the chronology of the writer's entire life while a memoir covers one specific aspect of the writer�s life. So, if I chose to write about my complete life up to this point, including growing up in Cincinnati, my time in New York, the few years I spent in Chicago and eventually landing at Writer's Digest, I'd write an autobiography. If wrote a book about the winter of my sophomore year in high school where I got my tongue stuck to an icy pole, I'd write a memoir."
So yeah. I don't know what Barbara Walters wrote or what Hillary Clinton wrote (mom's other question, hers is an autobio but written by someone else...) but it's something to think about. I don't know that I ever really thought about the difference, it just seemed very clear. Memoir is so much about the creative that it never came close to being similar. But to the normal American, can they understand the difference? Especially when I don't know that it's portrayed correctly and lines now blur?
I told her I thought it was just a marketing ploy. Since memoir is selling so well now, calling this book a memoir would work a lot better than just saying it's an autobiography. It's probably not really a memoir.
But she needed a little more than that. So I said an autobiography was more straightforward information, which covers all, or a majority of, a person's life. Memoir, on the other hand, is more narrow. It will focus on an illness, or a significant theme or series of events in one's life. It is also creative nonfiction rather than just fiction. It should read more like a fictional tale.
This opened up a whole wild discussion about writing and who can/should be writing books, but that's not really important.
Mom wasn't really sure about my analysis, so I went on a search. Apparently:
"An autobiography focuses on the chronology of the writer's entire life while a memoir covers one specific aspect of the writer�s life. So, if I chose to write about my complete life up to this point, including growing up in Cincinnati, my time in New York, the few years I spent in Chicago and eventually landing at Writer's Digest, I'd write an autobiography. If wrote a book about the winter of my sophomore year in high school where I got my tongue stuck to an icy pole, I'd write a memoir."
So yeah. I don't know what Barbara Walters wrote or what Hillary Clinton wrote (mom's other question, hers is an autobio but written by someone else...) but it's something to think about. I don't know that I ever really thought about the difference, it just seemed very clear. Memoir is so much about the creative that it never came close to being similar. But to the normal American, can they understand the difference? Especially when I don't know that it's portrayed correctly and lines now blur?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Vacation Planning!
I just spent the last 2 hours planning vacations I will probably never take. Or maybe I can convince John that spas are not scary and we'll go on one for our anniversary or something. It could happen.
But yeah, this just proves, again, that I need a vacation.
You would think I would have just done work in planning our real vacation. But no, I didn't do that. Fictional vacations are more fun?!
But yeah, this just proves, again, that I need a vacation.
You would think I would have just done work in planning our real vacation. But no, I didn't do that. Fictional vacations are more fun?!
Happy Mother's Day
It is cold and rainy and has been a great day. We had lunch with John's family and then came home and watched Last of the Mohicans. Movie complete with snuggling and warm tea. Mmm rainy days.
Now I kind of miss my mom.
Now I kind of miss my mom.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Poetry Revisions
I think my poetry revisions are turning me into a nut case.
I just spent 10 minutes trying to get a line right, one freaking line, and my problems all fell to one "the" which I wanted to delete because it would make my line look better but couldn't because it would sound weird.
This was after spending 15 minutes thinking of a word to rhyme with "driven."
By the end of this I will have completely lost it, I think.
Do not do revisions all in two days!
I just spent 10 minutes trying to get a line right, one freaking line, and my problems all fell to one "the" which I wanted to delete because it would make my line look better but couldn't because it would sound weird.
This was after spending 15 minutes thinking of a word to rhyme with "driven."
By the end of this I will have completely lost it, I think.
Do not do revisions all in two days!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Two classes down
one to go. But I have to go to that one twice still. Our last class and our turn in final/party class. Ugg.
In other news, I hate my job this week.
In other news, I hate my job this week.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
It might help to know...
Sometimes the answer is a single rose (or even a daffodil, daisy, or tulip) and an "I love you."
In case anyone needed an answer. This works for many things. Use it!
In case anyone needed an answer. This works for many things. Use it!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Horrible Mothers Day Cards
I am disappointed in the choice of Mother's Day cards. There are some really, really bad ones out there. I ended up choosing a sappy one, even though I don't like sappy most of the time. The funny ones were just lame. And Mom will like the sappy.
This excursion made me seriously consider writing for Hallmark.
For about five minutes. Then, I decided they want all that bad stuff and would fire me after one card because I would think it was perfect but they would not.
Obviously the answer is making your own Mothers Day cards.
This excursion made me seriously consider writing for Hallmark.
For about five minutes. Then, I decided they want all that bad stuff and would fire me after one card because I would think it was perfect but they would not.
Obviously the answer is making your own Mothers Day cards.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Piranha Review is here!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)