I'm not sure if this is allowed. If it isn't, feel free to delete.

I found a really good site that generates names for you. Click on random name (either boy of girl) and it gives you two names and allows you to click on it to get the meaning.It also shows when the name was popular, so if you're writing a piece in a certain time period this could help you.

The site is http://www.thinkbabynames.com

Just thought I'd share.

x-posted to my journal and creativewriter

I just read that the first poem Dr. Suess tried to publish was rejected 28 times. He succeeded on the 29th submission by accidently bumping into a publisher who happened to running down the same street.

I found that on the website below-it contains a lot of Dr. S's early writings. I thought it was encouraging.

http://www.afn.org/~afn15301/seussfiles/early.html

I'd like to offer this to the group. It isn't necessarily 'my' original writing, but something I've compiled from many sources and am always seeking to improve. I use it as my touchstone whenever getting or giving critique, and I modify it when someone makes a good suggestion.  Chances are, most of you already know this stuff, but newer writers might find it new and useful.

 If you like it, please feel free to keep it or pass it along. And if you do not, well...by all means, create your own!

Superb article on the above-mentioned topic:

http://www.utpjournals.com/product/utq/684/684_hollingshead.htm

I thought some of you might be interested in this:


Over at the urban drift forum, there's a challenge on to write a novel in a weekend. This weekend, in fact.

How To Be Creative

A manifesto by illustrator Hugh MacLeod. It's a PDF thing, so you gotta download it. But you'll be glad you did. Lots of good common sense stuff.

Hey all!

Just wanted to give you a happy heads-up that beginnings has returned after a six-month hiatus. For the 18 and older crowd, beginnings is a community where the challenge is to write a 500-word or less piece based on a first-line challenge. It's a fantastic community, and I am excited that the moderator has returned.

I love plays. Especially of the miniature variety. And a large portion of my friends seem to enjoy them as well. So I thought I'd start compiling some of my favorites.

We begin with A Paul Jay Joint. (Warning: it's at least PG-13)

Got a miniature play you think I'd like and don't mind sharing? A miniature play is one that is 2 lines to 1 page in length and consists primarily of dialogue.

E-mail them to me at jenni.powell@gmail.com and I will begin to post them daily at my blog: jenni_powell. You can also go to The Miniature Play Library section of my memories if you don't want to read all my other silly entries.

Let the art begin!

For the heck of it, I thought I'd post a link to my Character Development Questionnaire here for you.

I have found this to be a very useful writing tool. My characters frequently surprise me during these things. I just ask the questions as if I were interviewing the character, and I let the character speak in his or her own words. Fell free to borrow for your own use.

Warning: My CDQ is rather lengthy. Also, I don't ask just the questions listed here. If my characters' answers spark tangential questions, I add those to the individual's CDQ.

My attention has recently been called to the SIRC Guide to flirting which I read today and found very interesting. While I'm sure none of our members have any need to learn how to flirt, I thought it would be a useful writing resource--if you want to get two characters together but aren't sure how to do it, or even if you want some misunderstanding to crop up between characters, this could give you some tips. It's supposedly based on scientific research into the dynamics of flirting, and gives information on body language, verbal cues, and even a little on the actual content of a flirtatious conversation.

I just came upon this useful dialogue formatting guide. I haven't noticed it particularly in this community, but I know a lot of people with serious problems punctuating dialogue, and I figure this could be useful to anyone who isn't completely sure how to format their dialogue.

Urbis.com, is a free, carefully structured workshop community with a mission to expose writers from around the world to literary agents and publishers in New York City. It's a great website for getting feedback on your work, with a quality review system that really works! It even offers a variety of privacy options for those who don't want their work viewable by just anyone on the 'net.

There's a a live journal community for Urbis users here - urbis_writers , so join Urbis and join the community.

If you want to take a closer look at how the site works, check out my Urbis portfolio.

I hope this is OK. :)

Dear Friends,
In addition to the important work being done by the American Red Cross and other relief agencies, there are a number of special efforts we thought writers might be particularly interested in:

* The Katrina Literary Collective has been created to collect and distribute books to victims of the hurricane. For more information, contact the Amber Communications Group at amberbk@aol.com.
* A Louisiana Disaster Relief Fund has been established to receive monetary donations to assist libraries in Southeastern Louisiana. For more info, visit the American Library Association.
* The American Booksellers Association has created a Bookseller Relief Fund to assist independent booksellers affected by Hurricane Katrina.
* The Southern Arts Federation has set up an Emergency Relief Fund to assist arts organizations and artists in those Gulf Communities most devastated by Katrina.

Thank you for whatever help you're able to provide.

(xposted all over the place)

Hello everyone. Just wanna say, I'm gonna be away all week, and...will have little access to the computer, which is why I won't be able to critique. Soz...
But I''m leaving you with this:

( --->follow me---> )

I found another good grammar site -- this one has many of those annoying "which do I use?" conundrums covered, like "Accept or Except?" and "Among or amongst?"  Looks very useful.

Enjoy...Dr Grammar!

-K*

Writing: Characterization and Body Language

Thought you guys might be interested in this post--I certainly was. The poster takes a list of body language gestures, organised by body part, that she uses and explains their meanings. She's also editing it based on what people agree/disagree with in the comments, so it's evolving, but I see it as a very useful resource.

Normally I think most "new writer how-tos" have little that's new or valuable to say...but this one I just stumbled upon proved me wrong, so I thought I should post it!

I appreciated all of the advice in Sally Zigmond's "Top Ten Mistakes New Fiction Authors Make".  She goes beyond the typical advice without getting in the way of creativity, and in my experience, everything she suggests is dead-on.

I hope this is helpful to others as well.  -K*

Sorry if this is an 3v1l question to ask here, but is fictionslamming dead?  My app has only gotten one vote--it's been up for weeks--and I haven't seen a moderator post in ages.  *hmm*

So that I didn't just waste your time on something completely unrelated to *this* community, here are some links I've found very useful lately:

Worldwide Accents of English

11 Rules of Writing

Free short stories (will publish talented newbies)

-K*

Here's some online information about haiku's, for all interested.

http://www.haiku.insouthsea.co.uk/

The following URLs / pages and the books and classes it offers have worked wonders for my motivation to write - just thought I would share with you all. http://www.writingclasses.com/ ...especially... http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106

Also, could someone please oh please comment on the writing submission I made a few days back - I could really use the help. Hate to beg but oh well I did lol. Thanks!