'Tube Tuesday

I'm pretty sure this video was intended to be an actual lesson on how to write a novel. It might be useful to students, as a guideline. Her graphics are cute and I can totally see this clip being shown in a high school literacy class as an intro to a semester-long project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LxqmHQFyR8

However. For anyone who plans to actually publish their completed novel, this plan has a few holes.

• Writing a 10-30 page synopsis and using it for submission. In all my querying, I never saw a single agent or editor who wanted to read more a synopsis more than 5 pages long, and the shorter, the better.
• Writing a first draft, rewriting, and then submitting. (I do appreciate that she used the word "polished", but she failed to recommend writing partners or critiques) A self-edited file does not a polished manuscript make!
• Unfortunately, writing a novel and selling a novel are two entirely different processes. Thus, they probably belong in different videos. From watching this piece, a novice might believe that writing the book is actually the hard part, whereas both the editing process and the selling process are much more involved.

But hey, the graphics were cute!

Piper Denna

Romance is sexy!

'Tube Tuesday - Handwriting champion

I was digging around YouTube looking for clips on writing and somehow ended up in the handwriting sector. Came across this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdZflxLP1KY&feature=related

Cute kid, but as a mom of an all-but-OCD kid, I worry for his parents. LOL. And it sounds as if all the extra time he's spent on handwriting might have taken away from geography - he seems to be missing count on how many states are in the U.S.

Still, it's good to see a 9-year-old who's interested in something besides Super Mario and Spongebob.

Autumn
Got romance?

'Tube Tuesday

I stumbled across this girl (Hotforwords.com?) while looking for Tube vids about New Years Resolutions. Poor thing seems to have a somewhat noble idea by teaching people the etymology of words, but I fear the male segment only thinks about one word while she's delivering her lesson: boobs.

Nevertheless, the thinking is sound. Breaking down "resolution" into its precise meaning does make accomplishing your goals more do-able.

Check her out. Her delivery is somewhat silly, but she has a point...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4keG1oT_2g

Piper Denna
Romance is sexy!