Marny Copal's Blog

I’m pleased to announce that Melissa Robitille nominated me for the Very Inspirational Blogger Award. She is a writer and editor with two published books under her belt: In One Year’s Time and Blackstone Gate. Her current project is Smuggler’s Justice, a science fiction novel she wrote during NaNoWriMo 2012. Now that’s inspiring!

Here’s how it works (and feel free to adjust as necessary):

Link back to the person who nominated you.
Display the award logo on your blog.
State seven things about yourself.
Nominate fifteen bloggers for this award and link to them.
Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.













Seven things about me:

I’m American and my husband is Canadian. The pronunciation of the letter Z is a constant source of friction.

The first car I drove was a tractor.

When I was three or four, I ate one small bite of a banana and promptly threw up. I still hate the smell and taste of bananas (even diluted in banana nut bread) and can barely stand to look at them.

I participated in many parades as a kid, first with our dressed-up dogs in Fourth of July pet parades, then on horseback for the same event a few years later. In high school, I performed in Christmas parades with the marching band. (I played flute.)

I enjoy a variety of teas, both caffeinated and herbal. Japanese genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice) is my favorite.

Freeblood, my first novel, is an urban fantasy set in Portland, Oregon. I’m currently working on the second book in the series, Fastblood.

Crowds and noise drive me nuts (except for the occasional parade). My idea of a great getaway is a remote yurt on the Oregon Coast.



















A remote yurt on the Oregon Coast


My nominations:

If I selected you for the Liebster Award, I didn’t pick you for this one. This doesn’t mean I don’t find you inspirational. I just didn’t want to name you twice in a row.

T. W. Dittmer

John w Howell

Adetokunbohr

Ash N. Finn

Stephen Edger

Laura Thomas

Thomas Rydder

Please accept the nomination in the spirit in which it was given. Some prefer not to post awards on their blog. No problem! I’m simply happy to share your inspirational site with others.

This post first appeared on February 1, 2013, at http://marnycopal.wordpress.com/.

A Cold, Dry Month with a Record Effort

Last Saturday my husband and I spent a few hours toiling away in the back yard, a red letter day in our household. Yard work in winter? What gives?

Typically by that time in January we expect about 4.5 inches of rain, but we were logging in at 0.31 inches. Puddles form in the back yard on the wettest days, which might see more than 2 inches of liquid sunshine. Along with the lack of rainfall, the temperature hovered right around 30 degrees, day and night. Our normal high is 48, with a low of 35.

The unusual weather presented a unique opportunity to tackle yard work without getting soaked, or so I suggested to my husband, who wasn’t nearly as enthused as I was. Usually we ignore outdoor chores during the wet season, but I didn’t want to pass up the chance to get the drop on some of our problem areas. Eugene is a green city that enjoys rampant, prolific growth in springtime, and because our spring months are also wet and our soil waterlogged, managing the abundance presents a challenge. Hence my eagerness to get started on a chilly winter day.

Himalayan blackberries and English ivy can take over a yard in a single season, given the chance. Saturday we pruned them to a manageable level, at least in one section of the yard, and stuffed their arms and legs—er, branches and leaves—into a yard-debris bin, which is collected every two weeks all year round. I’m hoping the weather holds so that I can take a stab at another flora stronghold, by the snowball tree in the corner of the yard. There, tall blackberry canes sweep over the fence into the neighbor’s yard, while ivy vines slink up the rough slats.

I noticed a few things while I was outside. Tiny buds have appeared on the lilac trees. Apparently these buds form in late summer and become visible when the leaves fall. In spring, this head start allows blossoms to quickly burst open. I missed this interesting phenomenon during previous winters while sheltering inside. Lilac is a favorite of mine, and when we bought this house we inherited three varieties: white, pale purple, and deep purple. Score! I may be crazy, but I think they all smell different.



















Lilac buds in our back yard, January 2013


I enjoy the appearance of bare tree limbs, along with red rose hips and bright berries that remain through winter. I also like the look of lemon balm stalks, with the seed pods sticking out like odd-looking beaks. But the stalks have to go now, before the first flush of spring. While cutting them back, I noted with surprise a shock of tender green leaves at the base. They’re ready to go as soon as the warm weather hits. By May, our far back yard (it runs pretty deep) will become a meadow of thick bushes that when gently pressed, smell—you guessed it—strongly of lemon.

For centuries, lemon balm has served as a medicinal herb. It offers antibacterial and antiviral properties, and helps to calm jaded nerves and enhance the mood. It contains eugenol, a natural pain reliever, and speeds the healing of wounds. One study found that it helped patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s symptoms. It may also be useful in combating obesity. Lemon balm may work to suppress thyroid function—useful for people with an overactive thyroid, but unfavorable for those with an underactive thyroid.





















Lemon balm and ivy, January 2013


Making lemon balm tea is simple. Just use two to three tablespoons of fresh leaves or one to three teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of water. Bring water to a boil and pour over the leaves. Steep for 10 minutes. The flavor is mildly lemony.

A local herbalist gave me a simple recipe for lemon balm honey. In the summertime, pick a handful of leaves after the dew has evaporated. In a clean jar, add a small layer of honey and place a leaf on top. Spoon on more honey, enough to fully cover the leaf. Add another leaf and repeat the process until the jar is full. It won’t take long for the herb’s healthful benefits to be absorbed into the honey.

In other news, I’m back at work on my sequel to Freeblood, after a hiatus. It’s called Fastblood. Those who have read the first book will understand the title’s significance. Blocks and barriers that seemed frozen in ice have melted away, and a creative landscape that once lay dormant now seems lush with possibilities. I’d worked on other writing projects in the interim, but it feels good to be back scribbling on Quinn’s story.

It’s been a few days since I first started this post, and the yard is calling me back. Those areas of bountiful overgrowth may be weighing on my conscience, but I equally suspect the allure of the first signs of spring.

First published January 26, 2013, at http://marnycopal.wordpress.com/.

Juliet:
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
(Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)

Ever set out on a road trip and find yourself at a loss for entertainment? Maybe you’re tired of listening to music, or the small talk has ebbed to a trickle. Fear not; rescue is at hand. I’m a big fan of word games (and diversions in general), and I’d like to share one that even Shakespeare, that master of wordplay, might enjoy.

The rules are simple: Just choose a name, scramble the letters, and form new words. You don’t have to use all the letters. Pretty darn easy. It’s well suited to journeys by car because roadside signs are an endless source of proper names; think McDonald’s, Starbucks, Yellowstone. You can play with a group or enjoy this activity solo.

If you’re competing with others, once you’ve picked a name, take turns sharing, offering one word per turn. You’ll want to decide at the outset whether to allow—in addition to common words—names, foreign words, abbreviations, and acronyms. I’m all for mining as many terms as possible from one name before moving on to the next.



Today’s name is Chevron. No shortage of possibilities here.

Common Words
no
ho
he
hoe
roe
roc
hone
cone
cove
coven
crone
rove
hove
hero
heron
or
ore
core
nor
over
hover
cover
oh
o (variant of oh)

First Names, Nicknames, and Surnames
Cher
Ron
Von
Nero
Ev
Che (Ernesto “Che” Guevara)
Chen
Cho

Foreign Words
vor (German for before)
voce (Italian for voice)
ver (Spanish for see)

Acronyms and Abbreviations
RN (registered nurse)
VCR (videocassette recorder)
CEO (chief executive officer)
COV (Commonwealth of Virginia)
Nov. (November)
Nev. (Nevada)
Rev. (Reverend)

Bonus
The person who forms the longest word using only the letters provided receives a gold star!
Chernov

Chevron turned out to be an unexpectedly plentiful source, with enough variations to propel the avid gamester a few miles down the road.

The player who is able to offer a word when others cannot is declared the winner. And what does the winner receive? I’ll leave that up to you, but I will say that victory, like virtue, is its own reward, and smells almost as sweet as true love.

Have you thought of a word I haven’t mentioned? Feel free to add to the list in the comments section.















Chevron station in Grants Pass, Oregon. Photo by Nicolas Vigier.

Have you ever reviewed your writing and found that something felt repetitive, but you couldn’t quite pin down the problem? Try looking at the beginning of your sentences. If you start the same way each time, with a noun or pronoun, for instance, a certain rhythm and monotony creeps in, even if your word choices are varied and your verbs active.

Breaking free from this rut is simple: just rework to create new sentence openers. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Noun: a person, place, thing, animal, or abstraction (quality, concept, etc.).

Ashley took a steadying breath, walked up to the porch, and rang the doorbell.

Sprinklers lay unused on a yellowing lawn.

• Pronoun: a substitute for a noun.

She didn’t hear anything inside the house, not even the dog, Buster.

It felt deserted.

• Adjective: a modifier for a noun or pronoun.

Musty aromas drifted on the air, reminiscent of mushrooms, decaying pears, and the worm bin she’d built in seventh grade for extra credit.

Brown stains dotted the wooden planks underfoot.

• Article: a type of adjective (a, an, the).

A wave of revulsion washed over her.

The murder happened here.

• Verb: an action or state of being.

Calm down, Ashley told herself.

Don’t you think you’re overreacting?

• Gerund: a noun created from a verb by adding “ing.”

Jumping to conclusions seems to be your default these days, she thought with annoyance and then narrowed her eyes.

Collecting evidence wouldn’t be a bad idea, however.

• Adverb: a modifier for a verb, adjective, or adverb, answering questions such as how, when, where, and in what way.

Carefully she scraped up a few stained splinters and bundled them in a tissue.

Never had her fingers shaken so much.

Suddenly she couldn’t wait to leave.

• Conjunction: a connector between clauses and phrases.

But what about Buster?

And the cat that lived in the barn?

• Preposition: a link between nouns and pronouns and other parts of the sentence.

On the distant interstate, sirens wailed.

Along the porch planks in the fading light, a human shadow appeared, carrying a shovel.

• Interjection: an exclamation conveying emotion.

“Oh! You’re here!”

“Bingo, Ashley. You always were observant.”

It’s easy, once you get the hang of it. By the way, the sentences here are simply meant to illustrate. In reality, you wouldn’t want to place two of the more rare forms side by side, like the gerund phrases.

Writer, editor, and writing instructor Elizabeth Lyon inspired this blog post. Thanks, Elizabeth! See her book Manuscript Makeover for more great ideas.

Happy writing!

Writing is an exercise in self-motivation. Quite simply, if you don’t put words on the page, you’re not going to finish your manuscript. While setting appropriate goals is an important key to getting things done, the concept of an “appropriate” pace varies as much as individual writing styles. Learning the speed that works best for you is part of the process of discovering your identity as a writer.

Famous Authors Set the Pace

Ever wonder how your page rate compares with well-known writers? Novelist James Thayer, writing for Author magazine, offers the following insights (www.authormagazine.org/articles/thaye...).

Among the speed writers is Erle Stanley Gardner, author of the Perry Mason novels, who wrote approximately 13 pages each working day, or a million words a year (estimating that a double-spaced manuscript page contains 300 words and that a year contains 250 working days). Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables, reportedly wrote 20 pages each day. English writer Samuel Johnson often produced an astonishing 40 printed pages in a day, or 12,000 words.

On the other end of the spectrum is Graham Greene, author of The Quiet American, who wrote just 500 words per day. Yet he was a prolific writer, churning out more than 30 books, along with several plays, screenplays, and short stories. It took J. R. R. Tolkien 11 years to write The Lord of the Rings, a 670,000-word endeavor, which amounts to 245 words each working day.

Those finding a middle ground include Jack London, who wrote between 1,000 and 1,500 words each day, and Stephen King, who writes 2,000 words a day.

Judging by the variety in the writing pace of the well known, persistence trumps speed.

Book in a Month

Recent years have seen the rise in speed writing contests, which provide a supportive community for those wishing to take the plunge. NaNoWriMo, or the National Novel Writing Month, challenges participants to write 50,000 words of a new novel between November 1 and 30. This averages out to 1,667 words per day, or 2,273, if you take the weekends off. Quantity is valued over quality; the idea is to hit the word count and revise later. The contest offers no official prizes, and anybody who reaches 50,000 words is declared a winner. Find out more at www.nanowrimo.org/.

Don’t feel like waiting for November? Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days, by Victoria Lynn Schmidt, PhD, provides suggestions for creating a rough draft in a short amount of time. You can delve in whenever you have a slow month on your hands. I own this book, and even if you never plan to write a book in a month, it offers great writing tips as well as ideas for organizing your schedule. If you like to make lists and tick off boxes to help meet your writing goals, this is the book for you.

Slow Writers Club

Type “slow writer” into your search engine and you’re sure to come up with blog posts on the realities of slowness, some containing hilarious insights, others reflecting frustration or peaceful acceptance.

Christine Lee Zilka describes “negative word count” days that involve generous use of the delete key (http://czilka.wordpress.com/2010/01/0...). I don’t know her personally, but when I found her blog, I knew I could relate. My editor suggested that I heavily prune my first book, Freeblood, which originally weighed in at a whopping 122,000 words. That advice resulted in a few months of negative word count days—and a much more concise 105,000-word novel.

Ev Bishop, another author whose blog I found serendipitously, observes that taking on a day job to make ends meet has considerably slowed her writing output (makes sense, right?), but she also notes that the new job allows her writing “to be my whimsy and passion again” (http://evbishop.wordpress.com/2010/06...). That’s something to consider when pushing to meet arbitrary writing goals.

A Happy Medium

Where do I fit in? Well, I have my fast days and my slow days. Recently, a day of 3,500 words was followed by several of little to no words. In general, I’d say I’m on the slow end of the spectrum, but a lot of that slowness crops up in the editing process, rather than at the rough draft stage. I’ve noticed that if I write fast to meet an arbitrary word count, I don’t really like what I produce and end up scrapping it. On the other hand, if I write fast because I’m on a natural roll, that’s entirely different, and I generally keep the fruits of that inspiration.

I like to know where I’m going, so I plot events in my mind before sitting down to write. Sometimes I plot and write at the same time, but that’s not my usual habit. On the best days, I develop a scene in my mind, write a few paragraphs, and then think for a while, maybe while I’m doing housework or going for a walk. When I repeat this process throughout the day, I like what I come up with.

If you want to experiment with your writing pace, you might try setting high goals a few days a week. But be flexible! You may find yourself generating useless fluff to hit your mark, a sure indication that speed writing is not for you. Remember Jack Nicholson in The Shining, repeatedly typing “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Sure, he met his word count, but he went crazy doing it!

“There is” and “there are” are commonly used in the English language. What some people may not know is that there is a clutter word. It’s indirect and doesn’t convey much meaning other than indicating the existence of something. This leads to another problem: a boring verb.

“Wait a minute,” you might be saying. “Sometimes using there is the only logical way to express an idea.” You’re absolutely right. For instance, the phrase let there be light would sound weird written in any other way. What would be the alternative? Let light commence? Allow the presence of light?

Most of the time, however, we can come up with a more dynamic sentence without the use of there. Here’s an example:

There was gunfire in the stairwell.

Although gunfire would normally evoke a strong emotion, the way this sentence is written is no more interesting than saying that a meeting took place in the conference room. Consider these alternatives:

Gunfire popped in the stairwell.

A shot rang out in the stairwell.

These sentences zing with energy. Rang and popped activate our sense of hearing and bring us into the action.

When searching for a way to fix this problem, it helps to identify the subject of the sentence. It isn’t there. In the first example, “there was gunfire in the stairwell,” gunfire is the subject. Once you’ve identified the subject, you can rework with a new verb—or even a new subject and verb if your tinkering leads to something you like better.

Here’s another example:

There he stood, waiting, slouched against the windowsill. There was a cigarette in his hand, smoking itself to a slow death.

Better:

He slouched against the windowsill, waiting, the cigarette tucked in his hand smoking itself to a slow death.

Nonfiction benefits from this kind of revamp as well. Sometimes we don’t want to state the subject because it amounts to pointing fingers, but you don’t have to name names to come up with a more interesting turn of phrase. Consider the following example:

There was a budget deficit in 2011. There will be an attempt to make up for it in 2012.

Ah, the dull plod of bureaucratese. You may not want to say who is responsible for the budget deficit, but you don’t have to. Decipher the gist of the information and rewrite:

This year’s greatest challenge lies in securing funds to make up for 2011’s budget deficit.

Go ahead and give it a try. Turn on the find feature on your word-processing software and see if you come up with a there or two in your latest writing project. Then enjoy the metamorphosis as your language becomes more active and dynamic.

Remember, if your passages are sluggish, there is an easy fix.

K. D. Rush has thrown down the gauntlet and challenged his Twitter followers to list our favorite books and explain why each one is special to us (http://j.mp/AblYxD).

Although this was a fun exercise, it turned out to be a difficult for me because I love a lot of books. I had to cut some old favorites because there just weren’t enough slots for everything. Items 1 and 2, as well as the starred selection, are set. The others could go anywhere on the list.

1. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

My college-age brother gave me this trilogy, along with the Hobbit, when I was nine. He was a tad optimistic about my reading level and intellectual capacity at the time, but he must have sensed even then that these were exactly the right kind of books for me. The danger drew me in—those horrible Ringwraiths sniffing around—and the desperation of the quest riveted me. I trace my deep affection for fantasy to Tolkien.

2. Watership Down by Richard Adams

The author claims that this adventure novel was not intended as an allegory, yet many—including me—identify with its themes of liberation and self-determination. I was captivated by the tales of the rabbit folk hero, El-ahrairah, woven into the main storyline, and this technique made for a truly satisfying epilogue.

Now for a real-life great escape: Shortly after my husband and I bought our house, a stray rabbit showed up on the doorstep. We took him in and tried to locate the owner, without success. “Mr. Bun” became a beloved family companion, free to roam our fenced back yard, which he could have dug out of at any time. He was reminiscent of the novel’s Bigwig in many respects, a powerful alpha male with his own ideas about the way things should go. The cats were terrified of him. He took to herding the humans around the yard like a border collie, a game he initiated by tilting his head and flicking his ears.

We learned much later that around the time Mr. Bun appeared, a group of rabbits had broken out of their pen several streets over. What was Mr. Bun’s role in that getaway? Was he the one to chew through the lock? Did his nose push open the gate? We’ll never know, but for many years we harbored this fugitive, a rabbit as fearless and clever as any of El-ahrairah’s chosen.

3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

A primer in the subtleties of oppression. I enjoyed all of McMurphy’s antics, but direct challenges to authority are rarely effective, Kesey seems to say.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Lee tells a story about standing up for what’s right with great insight, humor, and skill, and without ever preaching. I first encountered this book on racial injustice as a kid, and my appreciation grows with each reading.

5. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Earth is at war with the insectoid Formics, or “Buggers.” Smart kids like Ender are taken to Battle School to learn how to fight them. This is an intense read with good twists. It also made me think about violence, military ethics, diplomacy, and bullying.

6. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Spoiled belle meets hard times. Mitchell creates in Scarlett O’Hara a self-centered protagonist who becomes likable—and even admirable. I love this book because of Scarlett’s many foibles and sheer determination.

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

This was my particular favorite of the Harry Potter series. Dolores Umbridge is a stroke of genius, and the showdown at the Ministry of Magic simply heartbreaking.

8. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

This first novel in the Amelia Peabody series, set in Egypt in 1884, combines many fictional elements I like: mystery, action, romance, history, humor, and faraway places. And a mummy to boot!

9. The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne

I was amazed by what the author pulled off in this historical romance. The surprises were fantastic and the characters complex. Annique Villiers, the infamous “Fox Cub,” has become one of my all-time favorite female protagonists.

And last, but far from least, my starred selection:

*Moon Called* by Patricia Briggs

This booked turned me around after a writing slump, and for that it will always have a special meaning for me that transcends “favorite.” Car mechanic Mercy Thompson is a coyote shapeshifter among werewolves, which makes for some interesting social dynamics. A top-notch urban fantasy.

So there you have it—my top ten favorite books for right now, today. I’d love to hear about my viewers’ favorites!


Edited to change a few poor word choices. —MC

The Follower Love Giveaway Hop continues through February 14. Featuring almost 300 blogs and tons of goodies, this hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Rachel Renee Anderson. Hop on board at Unabridged Bookshelf (http://unabridgedbookshelf.blogspot.c...), where two paperback Freeblood ARCs are up for grabs.

A Sweetheart of a Deal

Didn’t win the giveaway? Don’t walk away empty-handed. From February 15 to 29, the Freeblood e-book for Kindle is available on Amazon for 99 cents.

More Sweet News

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can borrow Freeblood for free.

Ever seen a ghost? I haven’t, but I believe they exist. And I’m not alone.

About 34 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, according to an AP-IPSOS poll conducted in 2007 (http://tinyurl.com/85n5ybn). A smaller number, 23 percent, say they have actually seen a ghost or been in the presence of one.

Those numbers don’t surprise me. I’ve been known to watch a ghost-hunting TV show or two, and a few friends have even experienced ghosts. The paranormal definitely intrigues me, and that’s the main reason I write about it. I also love mythology, folklore, and anything a tad offbeat, a little out of the ordinary.

The poll also found that:
48% believe in ESP
34% believe in UFOs
14% say they have seen a UFO
19% believe in spells or witchcraft

Belief in the supernatural is worldwide. For instance, in the United Kingdom, 43 percent believe they have been contacted by the dead or contacted the dead themselves, according to a 2005 poll conducted by the Sun (http://tinyurl.com/6gtcone). In addition:

30% of men and 38% of women in the UK believe in ghosts
36% of English people and 44% of Scots believe in ancient rituals and omens
15% of the under-34s say they believe in magic (compared with 9% average)

Have you ever seen a ghost or a UFO? Do you believe in magic? Telepathy? Precognition? Feel free to share your paranormal experiences in the comments section.

I’d like to congratulate the winners of my Goodreads giveaway, Roxy and Amanda! Each won a copy of my novel, Freeblood. I’ll get those books in the mail to you on Tuesday, January 17. I hope you thoroughly enjoy your winnings.

I’d also like to express my gratitude to the 578 participants of the contest, to the 100 individuals who have put my novel on their to-read list, and to Goodreads for hosting this shindig. Thank you so much!

Marny