Sunday, September 21, 2008
Misfits Misalign: Congratulations, Heather!
Last year three members of my writing group, The Misfits, took second place in our categories in the ACFW's Genesis contest.
This year, a fourth member -- the only one of us entered this time around -- took first. Way to go, Heather!
Here's the list of winners.
Shout out to Val Comer whose "The Girl Who Cried Squid" took third in the category I seconded last year (but hers shoulda-oughta taken first based on title alone).
This year, a fourth member -- the only one of us entered this time around -- took first. Way to go, Heather!
Here's the list of winners.
Shout out to Val Comer whose "The Girl Who Cried Squid" took third in the category I seconded last year (but hers shoulda-oughta taken first based on title alone).
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Dueling Billie Jeans
Chatting with fellow Misfit/writer Angie the other evening, and she mentioned I should check out David Cook's rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" from the Idol show. Having already displayed my vast knowledge on the topics of fashion and interior decorating, there wasn't really any point in butching it up and saying "that's not how I roll."
Tracked it down on the YouTube. Not bad, Maynard.
Still, not my fave version of the song. Well, the video, at any rate. Checked for the Steve Martin/New Show vid from the mid-80s. Surprise. Surprise. Surprise. It was up! Now that's talent.
Tracked it down on the YouTube. Not bad, Maynard.
Still, not my fave version of the song. Well, the video, at any rate. Checked for the Steve Martin/New Show vid from the mid-80s. Surprise. Surprise. Surprise. It was up! Now that's talent.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Junior Misfit
When Dina found herself in the (almost) never-ending joy that is West Texas last Friday I had to reshuffle some plans for Phil. Plan B entailed taking him with me to meet several members of my editing group -- The Misfits -- in town for the rilly big ACFW shew. So he met Heather (who has a husband named Chris) and Jenny (who has a husband name Phil) and Angie (who has a daughter Zoe, not too much younger than him). (Angie has a husband named Stan, but Phil knows her as Zoe's mom. Sorry, Jacey; you're Angie's daughter, too, but Phil doesn't know that yet.)
Here we are hanging out in the conference hotel lobby.
Here we are hanging out in the conference hotel lobby.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
How Much Does This Not Suck?
Way back in April I submitted the first 25 pages of my novel manuscript to Genesis, a first-25-pages-of-your-manuscript contest sponsored by the Association of Christian Fiction Writers.
Then in May I got word that I finaled in my category: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Allegory.
Tonight the winners were announced. I took Second Place. (Congrats to Sally Apokedak, the SF/F/A winner.) Two other members of my crit group, Angie Poole and Jennifer Cary, also placed Second in their categories. We got certificates and got to walk across the stage, but we didn't have to make speeches. Second is the new First as far as we're concerned.
Congrats also to fellow Misfit (our crit group is The Misfits) Mich Pendergrass, who has been accepted to next Spring's Pen to Press retreat in New Orleans. And to Heather Goodman who took my author photo (above); it was the highlight of the awards banquet and got a "that's a great photo" comment from Camy Tang, who presented the Genesis Awards.
Then in May I got word that I finaled in my category: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Allegory.
Tonight the winners were announced. I took Second Place. (Congrats to Sally Apokedak, the SF/F/A winner.) Two other members of my crit group, Angie Poole and Jennifer Cary, also placed Second in their categories. We got certificates and got to walk across the stage, but we didn't have to make speeches. Second is the new First as far as we're concerned.Congrats also to fellow Misfit (our crit group is The Misfits) Mich Pendergrass, who has been accepted to next Spring's Pen to Press retreat in New Orleans. And to Heather Goodman who took my author photo (above); it was the highlight of the awards banquet and got a "that's a great photo" comment from Camy Tang, who presented the Genesis Awards.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Where I Been?
Been going through Internet withdrawl, that's for sure.
It'll be next weekend before the Internet gets hooked up at our apartment and until yesterday I was without it at school, too. (Blogger is blocked on the district network, so I'm posting this from the Richardson Library.) Were it not for the library and Staples and Corner Bakery I'd be wardriving the suburbs like a wifi junkie jonesing for a fix.
The first three days of school felt like three weeks. Several of the teachers at TJ agree this feels like a very long week. Today felt like a regular day, though; so perhaps things are improving. If tomorrow feels like half a day I could be in trouble. (I had a meeting with my fellow Texas Teaching Fellows fellows on Tuesday; wonderful to be back with the gang again.)
Phil's adjusting to his new school and being a second grader. He finds the 20 minutes of free-reading homework oh-so-onerous. Poor kid. He doesn't appreciate naps, either.
In case you missed it, I had another short in the Door Insider this week: Mormon Missionary Team Faces Blood Doping Charges.
And I'll have some sort of a presence at the Misfits blog tomorrow, so be sure to check that out, too.
It'll be next weekend before the Internet gets hooked up at our apartment and until yesterday I was without it at school, too. (Blogger is blocked on the district network, so I'm posting this from the Richardson Library.) Were it not for the library and Staples and Corner Bakery I'd be wardriving the suburbs like a wifi junkie jonesing for a fix.
The first three days of school felt like three weeks. Several of the teachers at TJ agree this feels like a very long week. Today felt like a regular day, though; so perhaps things are improving. If tomorrow feels like half a day I could be in trouble. (I had a meeting with my fellow Texas Teaching Fellows fellows on Tuesday; wonderful to be back with the gang again.)
Phil's adjusting to his new school and being a second grader. He finds the 20 minutes of free-reading homework oh-so-onerous. Poor kid. He doesn't appreciate naps, either.
In case you missed it, I had another short in the Door Insider this week: Mormon Missionary Team Faces Blood Doping Charges.
And I'll have some sort of a presence at the Misfits blog tomorrow, so be sure to check that out, too.
Labels: Misfits, Second Grade, Teaching, Wittenburg Door
Friday, July 27, 2007
Choose Your Own Adventure
You are in a maze of twisted little text passages, all alike in their dissimilarity.
If you want to head north and read my post at the Misfits blog turn to page 169 by clicking here.
If you want to head southwest and see some pix from Phil's birthday weekend turn to page 97 by scrolling down a bit.
My sister Julia sent me a few more pictures from Phil's birthday weekend at the coast. Here are some of them:
If you want to head north and read my post at the Misfits blog turn to page 169 by clicking here.
If you want to head southwest and see some pix from Phil's birthday weekend turn to page 97 by scrolling down a bit.
My sister Julia sent me a few more pictures from Phil's birthday weekend at the coast. Here are some of them:
- Blowing out the candle
Dina and Julia in the background. - Phil and Jack-Mike, his Build-a-Bear friend
(Technically, that's Julia's monkey, who bears a striking resemblance to Jack-Mike. It is Jack-Mike's Mariners outfit.) - Party -- or is it par-tay -- Boy: 1, 2
Friday, July 20, 2007
Misfitting Today
Today's my day to post over at the Misfits blog. Little thing on not taking shortcuts.
So I don't expect I'll be posting anything here today.
D'oh!
So I don't expect I'll be posting anything here today.
D'oh!
Labels: Misfits
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Misfits Misalign!
That's the rallying cry of my writers group's Tuesday- and Friday-night online chat sessions. Sort of like "Wonder Twin Powers, Activate" only there are eight of us and, other than the power to handily split infinitives with a single adverb, our "wonder powers" lack the jaw-dropping awesomeness of, say, turning into a bucket of dingy mop water (yes, I mock you, Zan).
Not that we're powerless. We write; that's "mightier than the sword," they say. Someday we might (speaking for myself, at least) be able to wield such a power without stabbing ourselves in the foot. We laugh, and they (the coiners of aphorisms, if no one else) say that's "the best medicine." How can something with the might of the first bring the healing of the second? It's one of those Zen riddles like "if a tree in the lonesome forest falls on a one-handed clapping man what time does the train from Chicago get to Cincinnati?" Wonder powers, indeed.
Anyhoo, we've started a group blog: The Misfits. Each of us posts a different day (two alternate Sundays). I'm Friday. Blog topics are wide open; most are likely to be writing-related. But who knows? C'mon by and see.
(And if a tree should start to suddenly fall, step away from the man clapping single-handedly before checking your watch.)
Not that we're powerless. We write; that's "mightier than the sword," they say. Someday we might (speaking for myself, at least) be able to wield such a power without stabbing ourselves in the foot. We laugh, and they (the coiners of aphorisms, if no one else) say that's "the best medicine." How can something with the might of the first bring the healing of the second? It's one of those Zen riddles like "if a tree in the lonesome forest falls on a one-handed clapping man what time does the train from Chicago get to Cincinnati?" Wonder powers, indeed.
Anyhoo, we've started a group blog: The Misfits. Each of us posts a different day (two alternate Sundays). I'm Friday. Blog topics are wide open; most are likely to be writing-related. But who knows? C'mon by and see.
(And if a tree should start to suddenly fall, step away from the man clapping single-handedly before checking your watch.)
