Fun Writing App

There's a fun online writing tool that many folks have been tweeting/blogging about lately, and I wanted to chime in and echo just how entertaining is is. Here's the link to I Write Like, an app that analyzes your writing style and word choice to determine which "famous writer" your work most resembles. I put "famous writer" in quotes because I'm not sure how large their database of recognized authors is.

To use I Write Like, you simply paste a few pages of your ms into the box that appears on the page, and then you'll see your results. I experimented by using samples from all over each of my novels (pages 1-5, pages 100-103, for instance), and got consistent results for each novel each time. That's impressive!

For my book Fear the Drowning Deep, a YA historical fantasy, I got:

I write like
Neil Gaiman

I Write Like. Analyze your writing!

For my book The Goblins' Price, a YA high fantasy, I got:

I write like
J. R. R. Tolkien

I Write Like. Analyze your writing!

What's really awesome about this, at least to me, is that these two amazing gentlemen are easily the greatest influences on my writing. I know this is just a silly app for fun, but still, it's nice to think a little of their magic might have rubbed off on me :)

An Overdue Update

Aside from posting about the Sun Vs. Snow contest in which I was a mentor (yay Team Snow!), I haven't updated this page in the past few months--but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy!

Here are some cool things that have happened recently:

*Back in November, my husband and I took advantage of the 3-day Veterans' holiday to travel. First, we stopped in Baltimore, MD for FaerieCon, a fairy-themed festival of art, books, music, crafts, etc. While there, I met the amazing Charles de Lindt, and even managed to say a few words to him!

Here I am with the man himself! 

On the same trip, we also drove up to New York City, where we spent the night in a beautiful hotel and had coffee with my friend, the talented Alona Raevska (you can check out her music here).

A little blurry, but here we are enjoying coffee and tea.

The next morning, my husband and I spent some time in Union Square before having brunch with my fabulous, hard-working agent!! That's right, I met her! And it was awesome! The three of us (me, Christa and my husband, Chris) had brunch at this great French place, where I had a goat cheese omelet. Yum!

With Christa :)

*I enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving week at the beach with my family, and then in early December...my YA historical fantasy, Fear the Drowning Deep, went out on submission!!! That's right. As I type this, Fear is sitting on some desks or e-readers, trying to make its way in the world :) Wish me (and my book) lots of luck!

*In January, to cure the on-submission waiting blues, I mentored a group of wonderful writers in Michelle Huack and Amy Trueblood's contest, Sun Vs. Snow (links to their blogs can be found in the contest post I made!). 

 

*January was also a crazy month in my personal life as my grandmothers were both having some serious health issues, one of my greyhounds cut his foot all the way to the tendon--ouch!--and another of my greyhounds had a stroke, from which she's recovering nicely. I had to put things on hold a few times in January to just be grateful for my loved ones. It's a good thing to do in general, besides. :)

Khaleesi, left, had a stroke a few weeks back but is already acting like her old self! Thank goodness for that. Her sister Julietta is on the right.

*Writing-wise, I've been revising my YA high fantasy novel The Goblins' Price, and researching/outlining/drafting an exciting new WIP that I can't wait to share more about. I'm hoping to finish the Goblins revision by the end of February, and dive headfirst into this new WIP!

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have more fun updates to share soon, sans doggy health problems. Happy writing, everyone!