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**Soen Eber** · 03-20-2012, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jura Shepherd

In a couple of weeks, I'm going home for a week, I'm super stoked about it.

I know it sounds crazy, but I'm really looking forward to cooking my own food and doing my own laundry.

Congrats!! I'm sure they feed you very well out there (its like in Navy Subs - a bribe for the working conditions), but its just not home and sometimes you just want to make a cheese and peanut butter sandwich or whatever your "go to" comfort food is. Agree on the laundry, too - it's "Home".

Hope you're making and banking lots of money out there, oh, and say high to the mosquitoes for me when you get back to work, if you're working where I think you are

Also, hoping to hear some war stories of your experience. Well, the ones you won't have to kill me if you told me, that is.

Darnk Yun · 03-20-2012, 02:59 AM

well if we're talking finger damage I once sliced a good chunk of the tip of my middle finger off while peeling potatoes! shaved it like a nice piece of ham!

thankfully it purdy much grew back completely, does have a weird dent to it tho.

didn't even notice until I saw blood on the potato. why in the hell does a potato peeler need to be serrated?

Bruise Shepherd · 03-20-2012, 03:17 AM

I log into our work manager system at 07:04 every morning, ready to accept tasks and head off to where ever the first job in the list is located.

If, for some reason, the system cannot allocate tasks to me automatically, it tells me to contact the office.

But here's the catch.

The guy who manually allocates work doesn't start until 08:00.

It's now 08:15, and I've just picked up my first jobs.

**Ann Launay** · 03-20-2012, 09:15 AM

There were three cat toys in bed with me when I woke up this morning. I'm quite sure they weren't there last night.

OrinB · 03-20-2012, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eku Zhong

i wish i had a stylus that worked.. the one from my wacom doesnt work

Can you get hold of these Eku? It works for me ( I have the left handed version

)

Amazon link for stylus pen

Zaida Gearbox · 03-20-2012, 09:28 AM

It is foggy here today, and I actually had a motorist thank me for having my helmet light turned on. He said he'd almost hit another cyclist who was riding without lights. Ironically, I'd almost pulled out in front of a car that didn't have lights. So, I thanked him too.

**Syan Loring** · 03-20-2012, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann Launay

There were three cat toys in bed with me when I woke up this morning. I'm quite sure they weren't there last night.

Maybe you are a kleptomaniac?

**Ann Launay** · 03-20-2012, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syan Loring

Maybe you are a kleptomaniac?

I believe someone was trying to entice me to play, but I was not cooperating.

**eku Zhong** · 03-20-2012, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrinB

Can you get hold of these Eku? It works for me ( I have the left handed version

)

Amazon link for stylus pen

i ended up ordering the wacom bamboo stylus (for iphone/ipad)
Humpidoos has one and he says its wonderful

but thanks.. that would have been a great alternative

**Elysium Hynes** · 03-20-2012, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eku Zhong

i ended up ordering the wacom bamboo stylus (for iphone/ipad)
Humpidoos has one and he says its wonderful

but thanks.. that would have been a great alternative

You all just wanna cheat at draw something

**eku Zhong** · 03-20-2012, 12:29 PM

na.... Humpidoos is letting me adopt his ipad 2 .. now that he threw it over for the new ipad... it arrives at the end of this weekish ..
and i am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited

Fluttercat · 03-20-2012, 01:50 PM

We got the final paperwork today. My son's adoption by his stepfather has finalized!

Wrong Weatherwax · 03-20-2012, 02:15 PM

Comfort in the storm....

Just got in two pounds of the best Earl Grey I've ever had.

**Joshua Nightshade** · 03-20-2012, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua Nightshade

Holy shit!

So last month I had entered the aggregated form of the first four novellas in the Iyetra series into Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award, the grand prize of which is $15,000 and a publishing contract with Penguin. Earlier today they announced the results of the entries that had been selected to progress to round two — there were two categories in total and only five thousand entries in each had been accepted before they closed submissions, and they reduced that number to one thousand in each category with round two.

I was quite excited to check the listings and see that my book was one of the thousand in my category (general fiction) selected to progress through the competition!

Amazon.com: Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

Holy shit! They announced the round two winners and I progressed again! This was the first round that judged my actual writing (round one was based on a 300 word summary, while this round was a 5000 word excerpt of the start of the book) so it was the one which was most important to me.

This was also the first round where you get the feedback from the judges, and the reviews I got were actually really flattering. I don't know if I'm allowed to repost them but waking up to that has put me in a really good mood.

The initial round cut contestants from 5000 entries to 1000, round two narrowed it down from 1000 to 250.

Isabeau Imako · 03-20-2012, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua Nightshade

I don't know if I'm allowed to repost them...

Repost them!!!!!

We wanne see.

Kaimi Kyomoon · 03-20-2012, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann Launay

There were three cat toys in bed with me when I woke up this morning. I'm quite sure they weren't there last night.

We wake up to several cat toys in bed with us almost every morning. She also brings them to us while we are watching tv, leaves them by the front door while we are out, puts them in empty food bowls, in our shoes and so on.

Kaimi Kyomoon · 03-20-2012, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua Nightshade

Holy shit! They announced the round two winners and I progressed again! This was the first round that judged my actual writing (round one was based on a 300 word summary, while this round was a 5000 word excerpt of the start of the book) so it was the one which was most important to me.

This was also the first round where you get the feedback from the judges, and the reviews I got were actually really flattering. I don't know if I'm allowed to repost them but waking up to that has put me in a really good mood.

The initial round cut contestants from 5000 entries to 1000, round two narrowed it down from 1000 to 250.

Congratulations Joshua! Lol - I'm experiencing vicarious pride in your achievement.

**Joshua Nightshade** · 03-20-2012, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isabeau Imako

Repost them!!!!!

We wanne see.

I looked on the main site and I saw a discussion thread on the Amazon forums of people doing exactly that, so evidently it is okay.

The first review was:

Quote:

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

In a very compact fashion, within a few pages the author introduces us to a highly complex and detailed world, and makes it begin to become familiar. To do this so effectively requires great skill and excellent writing technique. Even more, the world is multi-faceted, spread across time, space, and cultures. All of this drew me into the story right away, not just with amazement at the author's skill, but with genuine interest in the developing plot line.

What aspect needs the most work?

The main character doesn't engage the reader's sympathy very well, at least not yet. She's a good character and is beginning to take shape, but perhaps this process could have been accelerated a little. Also, the back story needs a little more integration. I realize a lot is going on here, and as I stated above the author handles it masterfully, but I couldn't avoid a certain amount of confusion.

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

This is a superb, top-quality excerpt with a story that got my interest and held it. The world-building is incomparable, and the prose flows and eminently suits the story. I'd like the main character to be a little more engaging, but I suspect that will happen as the story goes on. The premise makes something new out of the usual technology / magic combination and everything adds up to promise a great story and a great novel.

On an excerpt it's hard to make an overall evaluation since what they read was just a handful of pages, so her character development does go faster later on.

I do agree about the back story, I still feel that the beginning of book one is the weakest part of the entire series. I spent a week editing it to integrate it better compared to the flow of the rest of the series but I was still worried about it — still, though, this round judged on the excerpt from the section I was most concerned over while the next round evaluates the entire manuscript. I got through this part over the hurdle that I was the most worried about, so I feel good going into the next round.

The second review was a little bit more back-handed.

Quote:

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

Tela is an interesting and fleshed-out main character. She is intelligent but green, and she is apparently about to get in way over her head. I would certainly be interested in learning more about her and how she comports herself in a sticky situation. A compelling protagonist is a requirement in almost any successful novel, so it's good that the author has already achieved that necessity.

What aspect needs the most work?

I think this excerpt is wrongly categorized as science fiction. While I understand that some of the surface details, such as the advanced technology and presence in space, may point to science fiction, the basic premises of the story obviously lie within the genre of fantasy. Magic, demons, gods, and chaos are clearly elements of the realm of fantasy.

It might seem like a minor quibble, but if a book is marketed as science fiction, then sci-fi fans are going to expect certain things, and magic is not going to be one of them. To target the right fans, this needs to be sold as a space fantasy, or maybe an urban fantasy, but definitely not as science-fiction.

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

This is an appealing bit of fantasy. It doesn't have the sparkle and uniqueness required to be assured a place as a classic in the genre, but I think it could be a fan-pleaser and could do well in publication. The author's smooth style and skill at world generation add to the appeal of an affable main character in a fairly standard (for a fantasy novel) set of circumstances.

I don't really agree with their criticism over the genre mostly because I never said anywhere that it was pure sci-fi. In the 300 word summary I went to great lengths to highlight the fantasy elements (I don't know if these reviewers had access to that or if they were just given the excerpt) [ETA - I just looked at a thread started by someone who was a part of the group doing this round's reviews and they don't have access to the pitch] and underscore that it wasn't pure science fiction. Nevertheless it's something to keep in mind for further marketing if that might be a point of confusion for others.

I don't have a problem with "won't be a classic," since I don't really disagree with that assessment. When I started out I just wanted to get a series done and I've been using this as exercise for an eventual "traditional format" novel.

Overall though I feel good about it. Like I said, this was the first round that evaluated my actual writing — through what I feel is the weakest section of the series — so unless my judgement ends up being way off I am hopeful that the next round will go well.

**Mojo Skytower** · 03-20-2012, 08:45 PM

New apt moved into and it's even more awesome than I thought it would be! I keep thinking someone is gonna yell CUT! and then dismantle the place - it feels like I'm living in a movie set lol Only issue is no interweb for a week or two. For now, it's Starbucks when I get the chance,so I won't be able to blather much for the next wee while or stalk the sys thread

See you soon SLU

Zaida Gearbox · 03-20-2012, 08:49 PM

I rode my bike just under 14 miles today. Now my legs are sore!

pancake · 03-20-2012, 09:25 PM

I'm dragging Jack to his first ever breedables live voice auction tonight.

Jura Shepherd · 03-20-2012, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soen Eber

Also, hoping to hear some war stories of your experience. Well, the ones you won't have to kill me if you told me, that is.

Ha! No war stories just yet I guess. I did pull a 44 hour long "day" with only a couple of 20 minute naps. It was a time sensitive operation with a lot happening. I actually felt pretty good throughout, but that next morning, I felt like I was hit by a truck.

It's not all bad. Your submarine analogy is about right I guess. They know it sucks so I get the princess treatment to the extent that they're able. I also get to work with tech and talented people that other industries just can't afford. For my skills and personality type, it's a good fit.

Kaimi Kyomoon · 03-21-2012, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua Nightshade

I looked on the main site and I saw a discussion thread on the Amazon forums of people doing exactly that, so evidently it is okay.

The first review was:

On an excerpt it's hard to make an overall evaluation since what they read was just a handful of pages, so her character development does go faster later on.

I do agree about the back story, I still feel that the beginning of book one is the weakest part of the entire series. I spent a week editing it to integrate it better compared to the flow of the rest of the series but I was still worried about it — still, though, this round judged on the excerpt from the section I was most concerned over while the next round evaluates the entire manuscript. I got through this part over the hurdle that I was the most worried about, so I feel good going into the next round.

The second review was a little bit more back-handed.

I don't really agree with their criticism over the genre mostly because I never said anywhere that it was pure sci-fi. In the 300 word summary I went to great lengths to highlight the fantasy elements (I don't know if these reviewers had access to that or if they were just given the excerpt) [ETA - I just looked at a thread started by someone who was a part of the group doing this round's reviews and they don't have access to the pitch] and underscore that it wasn't pure science fiction. Nevertheless it's something to keep in mind for further marketing if that might be a point of confusion for others.

I don't have a problem with "won't be a classic," since I don't really disagree with that assessment. When I started out I just wanted to get a series done and I've been using this as exercise for an eventual "traditional format" novel.

Overall though I feel good about it. Like I said, this was the first round that evaluated my actual writing — through what I feel is the weakest section of the series — so unless my judgement ends up being way off I am hopeful that the next round will go well.

It sounds like a book I would really enjoy reading.

Darnk Yun · 03-21-2012, 04:03 AM

PepperAnne · 03-21-2012, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darnk Yun

03-20-2012, 02:59 AM	#12127 (permalink)
Darnk Yun 01001100 01001111 0100110 01000011 01101111 01101111 01101100 0100001 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Location! Location! Posts: 4,369 My Mood: SL Join Date: '06 Business: Darnkeyes! Blog Entries: 1	well if we're talking finger damage I once sliced a good chunk of the tip of my middle finger off while peeling potatoes! shaved it like a nice piece of ham! thankfully it purdy much grew back completely, does have a weird dent to it tho. didn't even notice until I saw blood on the potato. why in the hell does a potato peeler need to be serrated? __________________ Ahaha, such a simpleton. It'z so much fun playing jokez on you. I waz only here to see how she waz doing, but I had fun while I waz at it. So long, Sere, au revoir, mon ami! Pleaze dream of moi every night! Oui! ~ Harle http://leechmouth.deviantart.com/

03-20-2012, 03:17 AM	#12128 (permalink)
Bruise Shepherd Disestablishmentarian *SLU Supporter* MORE BARN!!!!!!!! Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ecosse Posts: 2,417 My Mood: SL Join Date: 18/june/2007	I log into our work manager system at 07:04 every morning, ready to accept tasks and head off to where ever the first job in the list is located. If, for some reason, the system cannot allocate tasks to me automatically, it tells me to contact the office. But here's the catch. The guy who manually allocates work doesn't start until 08:00. It's now 08:15, and I've just picked up my first jobs. __________________ "The rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion" - Adam Smith "And that "quote' about depression and assholes around you? I never said that. I did RT it, though." - William Gibson

03-20-2012, 09:15 AM	#12129 (permalink)
Ann Launay Neko-licious™ *SLU Supporter* Crumpet Khaleesi Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 12,911 My Mood: SL Join Date: 8/8/06 Blog Entries: 4 Awards: 2	There were three cat toys in bed with me when I woke up this morning. I'm quite sure they weren't there last night. __________________

03-20-2012, 02:15 PM	#12138 (permalink)
Wrong Weatherwax Senior Member Getting Back There Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2,254 My Mood: Client: Exodus	Comfort in the storm.... Just got in two pounds of the best Earl Grey I've ever had. __________________ An education was a bit like a communicable sexual disease. It made you unsuitable for a lot of jobs and then you had the urge to pass it on. -Terry Pratchett

03-20-2012, 08:45 PM	#12144 (permalink)
Mojo Skytower Haggis Wrangler *SLU Supporter* Wibble! Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Aloha! Posts: 2,143 Business: .::Poise::. Poses	New apt moved into and it's even more awesome than I thought it would be! I keep thinking someone is gonna yell CUT! and then dismantle the place - it feels like I'm living in a movie set lol Only issue is no interweb for a week or two. For now, it's Starbucks when I get the chance,so I won't be able to blather much for the next wee while or stalk the sys thread See you soon SLU __________________ "For me, socks are like sex. Tons of em around and I never seem to have any" -:- “It's always funny until someone gets hurt. Then it's just hilarious.”

03-20-2012, 09:28 AM	#12131 (permalink)
Zaida Gearbox Senior Member I finally got it all together, but now I forget where I put it. Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Steelhead, Winterfell, New Babbage Posts: 3,805	It is foggy here today, and I actually had a motorist thank me for having my helmet light turned on. He said he'd almost hit another cyclist who was riding without lights. Ironically, I'd almost pulled out in front of a car that didn't have lights. So, I thanked him too.

03-20-2012, 12:29 PM	#12136 (permalink)
eku Zhong ガンバレ日本 *SLU Supporter* rotisserie compulsive Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 田舎 Posts: 11,212 My Mood: Bistro Stars Champion! SL Join Date: 9/29/2007 Business: Culprit Client: LL beta	na.... Humpidoos is letting me adopt his ipad 2 .. now that he threw it over for the new ipad... it arrives at the end of this weekish .. and i am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited

03-20-2012, 01:50 PM	#12137 (permalink)
Fluttercat Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 636 SL Join Date: August 2007	We got the final paperwork today. My son's adoption by his stepfather has finalized!

03-20-2012, 08:49 PM	#12145 (permalink)
Zaida Gearbox Senior Member I finally got it all together, but now I forget where I put it. Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Steelhead, Winterfell, New Babbage Posts: 3,805	I rode my bike just under 14 miles today. Now my legs are sore!

03-20-2012, 09:25 PM	#12146 (permalink)
pancake SLU Fluffer Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: The True North Posts: 3,543 My Mood: SL Join Date: 2007 Client: Usually Catznip but I dabble a lot in others Awards: 1	I'm dragging Jack to his first ever breedables live voice auction tonight. __________________ My blog and my pictures "It's one thing to have a difference of opinion, it is quite another to be a consistently toxic ass" ~ Cristiano

03-21-2012, 04:03 AM	#12149 (permalink)
Darnk Yun 01001100 01001111 0100110 01000011 01101111 01101111 01101100 0100001 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Location! Location! Posts: 4,369 My Mood: SL Join Date: '06 Business: Darnkeyes! Blog Entries: 1

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