Pseudo-what? Pseudonym Contest!

Being a part of this delightful blogging community has its perks. One such being the constant o'er'bundance of contests.

 And we all know I LOVE those.

 However, this one is slightly different from all the rest. Sure, there's a prize, but this contest is about more than just winning [a signed copy of Possession by Elana Johnson!]

This contest is for something quite more portentous. I'm talking about identity, folks.

 Abby Fowers over at Something To Write About is celebrating 200 (approximate) followers with a contest for a suitable pseudonym for herself.

 Pretty genius in my opinion. I'm all for getting people to use their creativity for my own benefit. They always say that there's power in numbers, right? Right. I'm tempted to join her. Maybe I will. Naming minions, unite! *cough* Where was I?

 Oh, right...

 As for the contest itself, it's fairly simple as contests go. Just come up with a name and submit it in a comment to her contest post during the contest period--November 1st to 15th--and let the voters do the rest.

 I don't know about y'all, but coming up with names is one of my weaker points. I rely heavily on stealing names from real people or random name generators. Baby books are also a big help. In the end, it doesn't matter how you get the name, it just matters that it makes you happy and fits the character.

But that's what's so awesome about this contest: we're actually naming a real, live, human person! And she isn't a baby! Isn't that keen? (Wow, just had a total word-flashback due to the amount of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries I've been watching lately. Great show by the way.)

 So get to thinking and come up with names that you think will be simply perfect for Abby! I know I will be! And follow that link up there to find out all the true-blue details that I forgot to include, because I'm sure there are some. My memory isn't what it used to be. Or is it?

How's This For A Promotion? (aka Non-Sappy Sunday #1)

Hello people of the blogosphere! Thank you for stopping by, if indeed you are actually reading this. You're so special and I love you. I. Love. You.

Anyway, I've been following a certain blogger's blog (blogger's blog...haha...that sounds so funny for some reason...) for a few weeks now, and she really knows her stuff. I don't readily admit when someone is younger than me and can write circles around what I do, but here I go:

She can write circles around me, and I like it.

She likes to go by the name Silent Pages, and quite frankly, I'm glad. As long as she's hiding behind that pseudonym, I can still have that tiny belief in the back of my mind that she might just be a figment of my imagination concocted to make me feel bad about my own writing skillz. Those things do happen, you know. Really, they do.

But, since I'm on the topic of great ideas, writing tips, and so on, I would like to pass her link on to you folks so y'all can each get an idea of what I'm trying to say. Whatever that may be.

Without further ado, I give you Silent Pages' blog. Go crazy. (Warning: Her blog posts are so amazingly long, wonderful, and wise that you will feel inadequate, but be comforted in the fact that everyone else is feeling the same way.)

It's An Animal Cracker Morning

Image via WikipediaI can hear what you're thinking. What am I doing up this early and why am I writing a post about it? I respect your questions. In fact, I may even be wondering the same things myself.

Today, dear people, is Monday. Yes, I know it's fairly obvious from the way your bodies don't want to do anything, but hear me out. It's Monday and I'm awake, coherent--or at least enough to be able to type so you can read it--and I'm currently looking at a bag of animal crackers.

What's the significance you may ask? My, my, my, aren't you all a bunch of curious folks in the morning.

Well, those animal crackers symbolize my childhood. They also make me sing "Animal Crackers in My Soup" in my head whenever I see any, but this post isn't about my humming habits.

Childhood. It's a place of myth and legend. Somehow, my mind distinguishes between those two things and separates them, yet places childhood in both categories. Children, those little people, have the ability to exist in two worlds: ours and theirs.

Our world, the world of fact and logic, is what we call reality. It makes sense and, as adults, we like it that way. Reality makes us feel like we have some control over what happens in our lives. Reality is real.

But children live part of the time in a world all their own, where reality mingles with fiction. They have imaginary friends and conduct intense tea parties with a nine course meal. Their conversations deal with the nonsensical and fantastic. Their young minds cannot grasp the fullest idea of our reality, and that is what makes them special.

As writers, we all have to nourish our inner child. We do this is many ways, mine at the moment is pretending my animals crackers are alive and have their own names, lives, friends, enemies, etc. It's childish and that's what makes it fun. It feeds my inner child. She appreciates it and it shows in my writing.

All writers have to have a sense of the childish. It's what makes writing so much fun and makes our works rich. All literature, in order to become worthwhile, must appeal to the inner children of its readers. They may not know what is so interesting about a book because they've never acknowledged their own inner children, but the thrill they get from reading something comes from that secret place.

So, thus ends my little Monday morning post. I hope it makes enough sense and perhaps even no sense at all. Have a great week!