tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post6146163403953090852..comments2024-03-29T07:29:32.276-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: yes, I have stuffed animals in my office.Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-69898432612117140892017-03-08T16:37:21.879-05:002017-03-08T16:37:21.879-05:00I'm happy to know I'm not the only one who...I'm happy to know I'm not the only one who hasn't seen a Harry Potter film. LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58843616605877224312017-02-28T07:09:32.895-05:002017-02-28T07:09:32.895-05:00Leave it to Janet to provide a great teaching mome...Leave it to Janet to provide a great teaching moment from a stuffed octopus...um...spider. Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-19897869626755350052017-02-27T23:35:03.479-05:002017-02-27T23:35:03.479-05:00Super-late to the party, but I'd take an octop...Super-late to the party, but I'd take an octopus over a spider any day. Harry Potter fans, myself included, would know to run like hell when Aragog shows up! But I take Janet's point - somehow we have to un-learn certain things to bring our characters to realistic life. That's a tall order, but a worthy one.<br /><br />Still reeling from the Oscars finale. I loved Moonlight - it broke my heart into about a thousand pieces - so I'm happy it won. But - holy guacamole!<br /><br />Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61055797240816417822017-02-27T21:30:03.322-05:002017-02-27T21:30:03.322-05:00roadkills-r-us: I need to write a country song: &q...<b>roadkills-r-us</b>: <i>I need to write a country song: "I love this blog". Some of you can guess what it would be a take-off on. But I really do.</i><br /><br />Don't tempt me... ;)<br /><br /><b>Julie</b>: I hear you. Not that actors can't have passionate opinions, but, I don't know, it seems to demean the award when you simply use it as a platform to spout your politics. Maybe I'm being harsh, especially since I didn't even watch. But that's part of the reason why I didn't bother with it.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31371866776349895562017-02-27T19:32:23.433-05:002017-02-27T19:32:23.433-05:00criminy, the comment box didn't come up a minu...criminy, the comment box didn't come up a minute ago. I thought I'd been banned.<br /><br />Janet, awesome post. I love optical illusions. I've read the Harry Potter books and seen all the movies and I wouldn't have thought about the spider.<br /><br />I love octopi, but not to eat. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yHIsQhVxGM" rel="nofollow">This is one of my favorites.</a><br /><br /><b>Amy</b> The lady might have had an emergency, but it would have taken two seconds to say, "I am so sorry, I have a sick child and was in a hurry."<br /><br /><b>Colin</b> I haven't watched any award shows in years. Most of the time it's a political rant fest. Not interested. If I was, I would go to a political rally. I used to watch because there were beautiful gowns, then it got to be who could be most shocking. <br /><br />I was mildly interested this year because after so very many years Desmond Doss' story finally got made and from all accounts Gibson did a good job. I have yet to see it, but I will. It's one of those truly remarkable stories of human courage and conviction. I had hoped it might get some recognition, but didn't expect it would and nearly didn't.<br /><br /><b>Joseph</b>, You are so funny. I love that you had a good time at the conference. The pictures were amazing and I agree. Congratulations on being named in a book! <br /><br /> Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1213424196979523922017-02-27T19:19:05.272-05:002017-02-27T19:19:05.272-05:00DLM: The Beach naturalist program is with WSU, Kit...DLM: The Beach naturalist program is with WSU, Kitsap county (north of Oly) and CoSea (?) a program for all states with shoreline. I used to do graphic design for DNR in Idaho years ago but not here. This volunteer job lets me into research ships on the Puget sound, the aquarium and some really cool areas of ocean research. In real life i am an illustrator, a designer, a writer and slave to 2 large maine coon cats.<br />Kate Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09861373649696211491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22984109804375953092017-02-27T18:15:51.187-05:002017-02-27T18:15:51.187-05:00Lennon: I used to do #pitmad, but the agents seem ...Lennon: I used to do #pitmad, but the agents seem to always be the same ones, and they've already seen my Twitter pitch ad nauseum. <br /><br />One thing to remember: before sending your book to an agent or editor or publisher who 'likes' your pitch, check them out. Some of them are kind of shifty.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-42468092717115290242017-02-27T17:48:29.301-05:002017-02-27T17:48:29.301-05:00Unknown, if you were compared to Alan Furst at you...<b>Unknown</b>, if you were compared to Alan Furst at your seminar, you're gonna need a new moniker soon. Because you won't be unknown for much longer. <br /><br />I just did the online personality test to see if I'm an octopus or a spider. Turns out Donna had it pegged -- I'm an OctoSpy.John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58399448112177480342017-02-27T17:38:11.538-05:002017-02-27T17:38:11.538-05:00What an adventure, Joseph Snoe!
Casey, have you b...What an adventure, Joseph Snoe!<br /><br />Casey, have you been looking over my shoulder?Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-50859702483204387192017-02-27T16:42:22.443-05:002017-02-27T16:42:22.443-05:00Roadkill, I facilitate meetings, working with dive...<b>Roadkill,</b> I facilitate meetings, working with diverse groups trying to develop a common program (e.g., experts deciding which science to fund, or federal/state/local education agencies trying to solve an administrative or financial problem). I facilitate the people and processes toward a solution. And, I develop and teach courses on how to do this. It's fun, but clients are largely public science, health and education agencies, so life is a cliffhanger right now!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03581361783795436259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77460521421936071742017-02-27T16:17:15.233-05:002017-02-27T16:17:15.233-05:00What a fantastic blog post! I sent the link to my ...What a fantastic blog post! I sent the link to my writers group.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02288010060936146108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-44543769985110983142017-02-27T14:10:31.709-05:002017-02-27T14:10:31.709-05:00Obviously an octopus. BTW My daughter thinks your ...Obviously an octopus. BTW My daughter thinks your comment to me reference Alan Furst at the Sharks in the Desert training was spot on. I too tend to do a lot of rambling (throat clearing) before the action starts in some of my books. Thanks for oblique tip. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604377107050493826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-19022814588689715622017-02-27T13:22:37.294-05:002017-02-27T13:22:37.294-05:00The thought of a giant hairy octopus swimming at m...The thought of a giant hairy octopus swimming at me from the depths scares the living daylights out of me. <br /><br />Quite an illustrative metaphor for a very important point!<br /><br /><b>OT</b> - does anyone at the Reef participate in #pitmad? I just joined Twitter and am looking into all this new stuff. <br />Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-15528324997953740462017-02-27T12:57:07.308-05:002017-02-27T12:57:07.308-05:00I need to write a country song: "I love this ...I need to write a country song: "I love this blog". Some of you can guess what it would be a take-off on. But I really do.<br />Another brilliant post by Janet. If I'm going to write a character, place, or culture I don't know, I research it. If possible, I do at least part of that in person. Anyone can reference the Albanian flat topped pine, but unless you have looked out over the mountain tops and wondered at what looks like a disaster (or horde of dragons) leveled the top of a pine forest, unless you have set in the peace that enfolds you in such forests- a scent subtly different than US pines (less intense, less pungent), unless you know that it's just the way the pine grows, it's unlikely to ring true to anyone who has been there. Or even seem very different to anyone else.<br /><br />I loved the stories today, especially Joe Snoe's (with two Es!) and Kathy Joyce's. (Kathy, what is the job you referenced?)roadkills-r-ushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14029861300358380117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51400873145064200082017-02-27T12:38:49.072-05:002017-02-27T12:38:49.072-05:00Kathy Joyce I probably will read "Angle of Re...<b>Kathy Joyce</b> I probably will read "Angle of Repose." How could I not when the Amazon.com description begins, "An American masterpiece and iconic novel of the West by National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Wallace Stegner."Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22095308937285518022017-02-27T12:31:26.373-05:002017-02-27T12:31:26.373-05:00My only question would be, why would anyone want ...My only question would be, why would anyone want stuffed spider? I can understand an octopus, but a spider? Even a Harry Potter spider... Ewww!Kate Larkindalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06202347563426692610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-89846672020523856402017-02-27T12:24:16.017-05:002017-02-27T12:24:16.017-05:00Colin, Another "yes" to your question ab...<b>Colin</b>, Another "yes" to your question about the contests here and "plot in the holes." (I liked your wording too--so clever!) I often have a much more elaborate "rest of the story" in mind, with one character doing this and not doing that, and that's why another character found herself in the situation, etc. But there's not room for all that in a 100-word story. I was just thinking about that over the weekend, and how the contests do train us to be better at determining how much we need to include in our other stories (e.g., novels) and how much information, backstory, details can (and often should) be left out.Amy Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05324408700941398495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-63715690609424944142017-02-27T12:06:00.772-05:002017-02-27T12:06:00.772-05:00Kate: Don't come down too hard here. Octopus ...<b>Kate</b>: Don't come down too hard here. Octopus butts need love too.<br /><br /><b>Beth</b>: Following up on Colin's suggestion, let me suggest that you make a habit of answering the questions accurately but switching the answers around. You'll find it surprisingly easy to remember that your high school mascot was a Ford Pinto, and your first car was a Fightin' Knight.Casey Karphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10592351859886981726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-64294251169791747922017-02-27T12:01:05.453-05:002017-02-27T12:01:05.453-05:00Joseph Snoe and all, for a great western poem, a...<b> Joseph Snoe </b> and all, for a great western poem, and a good laugh, google you tube for Wallace McRae's "Reincarnation."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03581361783795436259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-27808256279854469042017-02-27T11:54:52.435-05:002017-02-27T11:54:52.435-05:00To (soon to be famous) Joseph Snoe , if you like ...To (soon to be famous) <b> Joseph Snoe </b>, if you like books about Montana, my two favorite authors are Ivan Doig and Wallace Stegner. (Stegner's Angle of Repose is one of my all-time favorites). Not to take anything away from anyone you've mentioned, but these two should definitely be added to the list of anyone who likes stories about Montana and/or Montana writers. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03581361783795436259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22076680410526433442017-02-27T11:16:52.327-05:002017-02-27T11:16:52.327-05:00My second Southern Voices Festival story. – This t...My second Southern Voices Festival story. – This time <b>Lou Berney</b>.<br /><br />The book signing part of the festival is at the end after every author has spoken. Author tables are spread out over four rooms (including the large hall). I was one of the first to exit the Theater on my side and <b>Lou Berney’s</b> table was against the wall right outside the Theater exit door. I had bought his “The Long and Faraway Gone,” and though I don’t normally get autographs, I thought, hey, why not.<br /><br />I started off telling him <b>Janet Reid</b>, an agent in New York, writes a blog I visit, and a couple of months ago she wrote an entry saying how much she liked his books, and even gave one or two of them to the winner of short writing contest. I told him he should email Janet R. or post on her blog thanking her for saying nice things about his books. <br /><br />That out of the way, he asked how he should sign my book – just his name or to somebody. I said sign it to “The wonderful and witty Joe Snoe.” I said I’m kidding. Just say “To Joe Snoe” and Snoe is spelled with an “e.” He said he’d write anything I wanted.<br /><br />Anyway, he signed it “To the wonderful and witty, Joe Snoe!” So now I’ll always an anecdote to tell.<br /><br /><b>Now the cool part!!!!!!</b><br /><br />He grabbed a post-it and wrote my name on it. He said, “Would it be okay if I used your name in one of my novels?” <br /><br />I said “Sure.” (pretty snappy response, eh?)<br /><br />So someday, I may be a corpse in a Lou Berney book, or more likely a short order cook wearing a greasy apron, or even more likely he’ll decide not to use it.<br /><br />Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80561853488739684022017-02-27T11:15:47.926-05:002017-02-27T11:15:47.926-05:00Beth: OT tip about security questions. Don't w...<b>Beth</b>: OT tip about security questions. Don't worry about accuracy of information. In fact, using answers that are not true is better security. Especially if a lot of the kind of information asked in those questions is available via your social media profiles/comments. Use answers you will remember, not answers that are true. No-one will know but you. ;)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-50636520291278499292017-02-27T11:14:03.764-05:002017-02-27T11:14:03.764-05:00The wonderful Southern Voices Festival was this pa...The wonderful Southern Voices Festival was this past weekend. Friday night after Rebecca Well’s fantastic one-woman play, I bumped into a colleague from school and his wife. I told then I was excited about hearing <b>C.J. Box</b> the next day.<br /><br />I explained I had been reading <b>Janet Reid’s</b> blog on a regular basis and in Summer of 2015 I enjoyed reading one of the readers' posts, a woman named <b>Julie Weathers,</b> about Texas, Montana, horses and rodeos. I tried to find a book by her on Amazon.com – couldn’t. I emailed her and she said she hadn’t published a novel yet. I still wanted to read about the West.<br /><br />At that moment, walking past us was a short, rosy-cheeked man, dressed dapperly like a Mississippi Riverboat gambler in his beautiful black Stetson. I tapped on his shoulder and said “Are you <b>C.J. Box</b>?” He said he was. And he was.<br /><br />The dorky fanboy in me came out. I repeated everything I wrote above, introduced him to my friends. Told him I’ve read three of his books in the past year. I started with Back of Beyond (I never remember the title correctly but it just flowed out perfectly) because I wanted to read about Montana. He said It was in Yellowstone. I said yes but it started in Montana. He agreed. I then bought and read Endangered, my first Joe Pickett book. <br /><br />He said he sets his stories in Wyoming and Montana. I said Idaho, too, because in researching I read good things about Blue Heaven and bought it. He said yes you’ve hit all three states. I told him Blood Trail was next up on my reading list. I said I wanted to attend Thrillerfest last year because he was honored there. He seemed surprised I knew that. I was surprised I mentioned it.<br /><br />He said he left Cheyenne in a blizzard and enjoyed our balmy weather (blue sky, mid-70s, trees starting their springtime blooms). He talked a little about his flight and how he’s always enjoyed his visits to Birmingham, and then after some pleasantries we went our separate ways. Exciting encounter (and I have two friends as witnesses).<br /><br /> I was able to talk with him again at the book signing, and he actually remembered talking to me the night before. Kind of nice (I think).Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67847893220870964352017-02-27T11:00:50.507-05:002017-02-27T11:00:50.507-05:00I love this post. It's a little like that opti...I love this post. It's a little like that optical illusion with the young woman and the old woman and you can only see one at a time in the drawing. Kathy Joyce, great parable. <br /><br />Living with my husband has taught me that almost any phrase can be construed to have more than one meaning. Setting up security questions can take forever, as he debates whether "High School Mascot" means the team name or the guy in the suit when he was in high school. I've learned patience, and to be precise with instructions. Or at least I'm learning. Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-72771431840562176192017-02-27T10:58:31.551-05:002017-02-27T10:58:31.551-05:00Aha, we have an unreliable narrator today because ...Aha, we have an unreliable narrator today because I was also led astray into thinking we were looking at a spider. Unreliable narrators are irresistible, aren't they! I'd mention my favorite, but if you know it's an unreliable narrator before you begin the story, it takes too much of the pleasure away when you read.<br /><br />Colin, this was a delicious line regarding the flash fiction contests: "see the plot in the holes (as opposed to the holes in the plot)." Yes, yes, yes, I confront this all the time. It's one of the most challenging, and most rewarding, aspects of the contests.<br /><br />Merry Monday, all.<br />John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.com