The Odds: A Love Story
What are the odds of finding a good book to read? Great, if you happen to pick up The Odds: A Love Story by Stewart O'Nan. Novella slim, crisply written and delectable, this is a quirky valentine to love gone sour. After thirty years of marriage, Art and Marion go to Niagara Falls, not to celebrate their anniversary but to resuscitate their life. Broke, jobless and about to be foreclosed on, they bet everything on winning big at the casino. Haunted by memories of infidelity at their cheesy honeymoon suite, the novel skips through the ebb and flow of their long marriage in equal parts bittersweet and tender. 
Visit the author at his website.
This week's magazine montage is red hot. Brava Madonna for bouncing back, yet again. She has more lives than a cat. Let's not forget Lady Gaga followed in her footsteps but Gaga rocks in red on the cover of VF.
31 Ways to get Smarter Faster? Yes please. These are my top picks from the article in Newsweek: #24 Write by hand. It engages your brain more than typing. #11 Eat dark chocolate. Works for me. #20 Hydrate. Our brain needs water like sponge. #30 Write reviews online. Seriously.
Visit the author at his website.
This week's magazine montage is red hot. Brava Madonna for bouncing back, yet again. She has more lives than a cat. Let's not forget Lady Gaga followed in her footsteps but Gaga rocks in red on the cover of VF.
31 Ways to get Smarter Faster? Yes please. These are my top picks from the article in Newsweek: #24 Write by hand. It engages your brain more than typing. #11 Eat dark chocolate. Works for me. #20 Hydrate. Our brain needs water like sponge. #30 Write reviews online. Seriously.
Posted by Layla Morgan Wilde at 2/5/2012 12:04 AM 
Categories: Baby Boomers, What I'm Reading This Week
Tags: the odds-alove story-stewart o'nan-review madonna-bazaar newsweek- 31 ways to get smarter vanity fair-lady gaga
Categories: Baby Boomers, What I'm Reading This Week
Tags: the odds-alove story-stewart o'nan-review madonna-bazaar newsweek- 31 ways to get smarter vanity fair-lady gaga
I have just finished reading about O'Nan, about his book with Stephen King - we always wondered why King is reading a book at his front row Red Sox seats - still don't know the anwswer to that one - and read excerpts from the book and read Tom Perotta's bio - he lives in my town... not just Boston, but my town...
Looks like a fascinating book....
I read that same article about getting smarter fast.
Water. Srlsy. Writing reviews on line. srlsy.
This weekend, I am judging fiction manuscripts.
And not working at any paid work, for a change. But more of that will come.
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K, it's up your alley. What judging are you doing?
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I liked the Gaga cover better.
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RWA contest. Some truly incredible manuscripts in the batch they gave me - it is all double blind. Gave a couple of perfect 100 scores. Never did that before. Previously, the highest was 80+, which is good enough to be a finalist.
I've entered these contests before. SO much variety with contest and judging.
All MS are judged by three separate judges in a contest and the scores rounded for the final round, for MS at 80 percent or higher, given to a final judge, who is an editor or agent.
Two years ago, I sent my then-MS (same story but much different version) to six contests.
The results were from 60 to 95, with an average of 75 percent. I did not care about making final, just to get good feedback - this was before I had taken a gazillion courses to better guide me. Always taking a course, in addition to the *few* things I'm doing.
Three years ago, I submitted a Western and got a 75.
Yesterday, also judged a very poor MS and a middling one.
It's all a matter of acquiring certain skills.
I fully expect that the two I believe are worth 100 percent will win in their category - different categories -- and will be published.
It takes me a few hours to judge a MS. I read it once, then a second time. I mark up the MS, with GOOD and WHY and THIS DOESN'T WORK and HOW ABOUT THIS --- so it is a learning experience for both the writer and for me. To recognize and suggest a better way.
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Two 100s, wow, that's impressive. You've come a long way and judging is good experience. We're you able to enter this one?
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