Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Tagged! Part Deux...

Keep working hard and you can get anything that you want. If God gave you the talent, you should go for it. But don't think it's going to be easy. It's hard! - Aaliyah

This is the part where I curse Judy... bad, bad Judy for tagging me AGAIN. Sheesh.

I hereby proclaim a moratorium on tags for the rest of the month. I will stick my virtual fingers in my ears and say, "lalalalalala" if you so much as try. Kay?



I've been tagged by Judy and been presented with the Roar for Powerful Words award. The rules are:

* Link back to the person who tagged you. (check!)

* List three things that you believe are necessary to make writing good and powerful. (oooh... powerful? Hmm... okay, we'll say check)

* Tag five others and comment on their blog informing them that they've been tagged with this award. (see... I hate tagging people... I'll let folks choose to play, or not. So, check sort of)

Three things that I believe are necessary to make writing good and powerful are:

1. Vivid characters. I will read a character driven, less exciting plot long before I will read a plot driven story with cardboard characters. I want to know the population of the book so well that I'd recognize them on the street.

2. Cohesive plot. I read a short story the other day that I still don't understand. I have NO CLUE at all about what the heck it was about. Make me understand. I don't want to drift, I don't want things to fly at me out of left-field (or even right-field), I want all the scenes to be there for a reason. And as I read my explanation, it doesn't make sense. So pretend I stopped at "Cohesive Plot".

3. Powerful emotion. Can I use "powerful" to describe what makes writing powerful? Is that like using a word to define itself? In any case, I think people respond to emotion--both positive and negative--and, used well, it can really make a difference in what you read. I am (as most of you know) a strong proponent of the Happy Ever After, and refuse to read something that ends unhappily. Still, I can understand how that can make a piece of writing stronger--IF it has a place and a reason, and isn't done for shock value. For instance, I love the movie "Beaches".

If Charity, Jen, Groovy, Gay or Diana want to play... they're welcome to!

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Liana Laverentz, winner of the 2007 New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest for excellence in romance writing, is joining us at Long and Short Romance Reviews Yahoo group for an all day chat. Please come join us and have your questions ready. This is our first author chat and we are very excited to have Liana join us.

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So, I took Dakota to the doggy doctor yesterday and she's now on antibiotics and dewormer (again). Would you believe we couldn't get a stool sample? It's like she knew... and crossed her little puppy paws.

In any case, she's already feeling better--she slept through the night last night from 9:00 until I woke up at 3 a.m. In fact, I think I woke HER up for a change!! Yay!!

Your Daily Dakota -- doesn't she look just like a grown-up dog? And, oddly, this picture reminds of the beginning of the old Charlie's Angels TV show for some reason...



For those who asked about DH... I'm telling you, he had a miraculous recovery following the ingestion of oil of oregano. It was amazing.

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Your Ideal Pet is a Big Dog

You're both energetic, affectionate, and a bit goofy.
And neither of you seem to mind very slobbery kisses!


Um... that's a big NO on the slobbery kiss thing. Just saying.

9 comments:

Dru said...

You know, you're right, Dakota's walking towards the camera like the Charlie's Angels did. Kewl!

Your list is so true about what makes writing good and powerful.

I'm glad that both hubby and Dakota are fine. I need to find that vitamin/health store.

Your Ideal Pet is a Cat

You're both aloof, introverted, and moody.
And your friends secretly wish that you were declawed!


If only I wasn't allergic, I would definitely have a cat.

Judy said...

So glad Dakota is feeling better.. and if you got sleep, I know YOU are! :-)

Diane Craver said...

I love your quote! Also your list is right on. I'm freezing - it's cold here so leaving to get a hot drink. Stay warm, Marianne!

Melissa McClone said...

Glad Dakota is feeling better. Poor puppy.

So I watched your man's movie. Me likey him, the movie not so much. I reviewed it on my blog today.

groovyoldlady said...

First things first: Many apologies for the, um, embarassing blog referral. He usually isn't quite so, um, "out there" if ya know what I mean. I put an apology on my blog and put up a new post so other folks don't go rushing over there until he's behaving properly.

Secondly, I will accept your taqg, but I won't put up the popst 'til Saturday.

Thirdly, I am also a big dog person.

Fourthly, I am definitely buying some oil of oregano for my sinusy hubby.

Fifthly, I LOVE the new book I'm reviewing.

Sixly, I need to take the girls to the library.

Ciao!

Charity Tahmaseb said...

Gah. A tag. Powerful writing? Like I know about this. Okay, we'll see.

But don't hold your breath.

Anonymous said...

oddly, this picture reminds of the beginning of the old Charlie's Angels TV show for some reason

ROFL!!! It DOES!!!

Brandy said...

Glad to hear the Vet is working with you and Dakota, she does look a lot like the Charlie's Angels beginning!
Your quiz told me a small dog was my ideal pet. Um, NO. And I'm not telling the 7 cats what the quiz said either! *G*

As for what makes writing powerful, I like your thoughts. *g*

Have a good evening!

Jen said...

Thanks for the tag, Marianne! I'm so behind right now, I may have to wait a few days.