tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post985108739933497875..comments2023-10-02T08:53:04.874-05:00Comments on The Book Boost Blog: Making the Grade With Guest Blogger: Valerie MannThe Book Boosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11453163420641824429noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-6219770972635223732010-05-28T17:53:03.690-05:002010-05-28T17:53:03.690-05:00Hide and Seek rocks!! Loved the story :) I highly ...Hide and Seek rocks!! Loved the story :) I highly recommend it.<br /><br />I always LOVED essay questions in school. Give me a test with essay questions and it was an easy pass :) I also had a poem published in high school, and had a teacher read it to all her classes (much to my embarassment I'm a total wallflower in real life.)<br /><br />I wasn't so great at basic english class where you learned subject, predicate, and all that jazz. I'm all about the creativity and not the mechanics :pAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-8996746563004622202010-05-27T18:32:47.524-05:002010-05-27T18:32:47.524-05:00I did well in English and I wanted creative writin...I did well in English and I wanted creative writing, but they made me take Old English Literature, I hated it.<br />Writing for me became important after I stopped working. It fills my life! <br />The best of luck to you Valerie!Mary Ricksenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12676306822821614446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-31804183050744265732010-05-26T22:58:53.633-05:002010-05-26T22:58:53.633-05:00My English teacher in 10th grade really put me in ...My English teacher in 10th grade really put me in my place. We had to pick a month and write an essay about it. Everyone was writing about June, April, and all those cheery warm months. I on the other hand wrote about December the Depressing Month. He asked me if he could put my essay on the overhead projector for the class to see. SURE! I was proud that he thought it was that good. Well, he tore my whole essay to shreds, in front of the whole class. Embarrassment galore.<br /><br />I still remember the first line:<br /><br />December spreads her snow-filled wings and covers our world with cold despair.<br /><br />I was a rather depressed teenager. :)Tami Winbushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16582827296870344522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-40352789165195820222010-05-26T01:12:19.790-05:002010-05-26T01:12:19.790-05:00I've always written stories and short articles...I've always written stories and short articles, but it's taken me a long time to find a way to balance my love of writing with earning money from my degree. Now I've finally come up with a plan to break into medical writing alongside writing more pieces of publishable fiction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-62361442962171308492010-05-26T01:11:18.807-05:002010-05-26T01:11:18.807-05:00I've always written stories and short articles...I've always written stories and short articles, but it's taken me a long time to find a way to balance my love of writing with earning money from my degree. Now I've finally come up with a plan to break into medical writing alongside writing more pieces of publishable fiction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-33176576839442678842010-05-25T19:43:55.140-05:002010-05-25T19:43:55.140-05:00I've always written, from the time I was in se...I've always written, from the time I was in seventh grade. Now, after raising my family and giving all I could to them, I am writing for me. I have two books ready to release and and working on several more. No one should forfeit a love or a need to write. I did it for too many years and the rewards for seizing the moment are much greater than I ever imagined.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08770060882041443770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-37491479855301713582010-05-25T19:35:13.034-05:002010-05-25T19:35:13.034-05:00I loved English but was warned away from the "...I loved English but was warned away from the "evils" of writing. "You'll never earn a living doing that!" Now I'm nearly 50 and I've sold one manuscript. I'm not rich but I'm chasing a first love. I've adopted the motto: No one has the power to shatter your dreams unless you give it to them. Took me long enough, huh? ;)Maeve Greysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14947265251857551496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-56952604492024884642010-05-25T19:34:26.755-05:002010-05-25T19:34:26.755-05:00Last fall, I had extra time and decided to use it ...Last fall, I had extra time and decided to use it to accomplish something worthwhile. It took me about 3 months to write an 85k novel. I was on top of the world. I'd finished a huge undertaking, had a great story and absolutely knew it. One round of editing later, and I was ready to get my book published.<br /><br />After a bit of research on how to get the job done, I found this nifty concept called critique partners. Alright! That'd be helpful, especially since my husband refused to read my work. I sent off a chapter and waited eagerly for the critters to praise my awesomeness!!<br /><br />That's when I received my wake up call. :) In an ever so polite way, the critters informed me my writing was drab, telling, and my characters sucked.<br /><br />That was almost a year ago. I've refined my writing over the months and each time think the reworks are great. Then I search for a second opinion, get another wake up call, and learn new skills.<br /><br />I'm proudly naive about the quality of my work but not too proud to use the advice I receive.Reena Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16860984511692822921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-41532050619468731072010-05-25T19:32:09.527-05:002010-05-25T19:32:09.527-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Reena Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16860984511692822921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-55065174975041140312010-05-25T14:47:58.556-05:002010-05-25T14:47:58.556-05:00My college play-writing prof hated giving me an A ...My college play-writing prof hated giving me an A on my class-graded play. I found his methods tedious and creatively stifling. I pretty much decided that his way of writing was much too difficult (or I was too lazy to learn his ways). I was one of those professional writers who did NOT have a book started someplace. I didn't write anything longer than a few pages for the next twenty years. Now I'm on my 4th novel and while I still find the work difficult, it's rewarding and I say thumbs down to nay-sayers and thumbs up to you, Val.Margie Churchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04487640135615243906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-25164419938013241712010-05-25T12:16:48.126-05:002010-05-25T12:16:48.126-05:00Ha! I had Mr. Heise. I wrote a brilliant piece abo...Ha! I had Mr. Heise. I wrote a brilliant piece about two mice on the run from a gang of thieving, drug dealing ducks...and it got a C because I forgot spellcheck!!! He let me turn it in again for a B+ which I still thought was crap, but the darn commas got me there too!!! Thanks for sharing Valerie and for using your experience to help new writers find the right places for their commas :)<br />StephBecksteph beckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09632214175844632439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-84991646888972864452010-05-25T10:13:28.958-05:002010-05-25T10:13:28.958-05:00Hide & Seek sounds good! I had a composition ...Hide & Seek sounds good! I had a composition class in high school. I was a big fan of R. L. Stine at the time so most of the stories I wrote were like his books. Mrs. Davidson always compared my writing to Stephen King's books. She said I always did the ending like he did his.Amy S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17202603187907169256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-18225889776640958592010-05-25T08:09:21.323-05:002010-05-25T08:09:21.323-05:00Actually, my 11th grade English teacher, Mrs. Rand...Actually, my 11th grade English teacher, Mrs. Randall, was an inspiration to me. She was the best teacher and I loved her class. I did well, but didn't write after that until I turned 50 - I needed a new project and it seemed like a good one.P.L. Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06266607796347848772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2090034241516458003.post-36015238363097210112010-05-25T08:08:56.046-05:002010-05-25T08:08:56.046-05:00I loved english too. My projects were so big, even...I loved english too. My projects were so big, even the teacher got sick of them lol. Great blog. Glad I popped in now.Margaret Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13771552615505635250noreply@blogger.com