Today is the day before Thanksgiving, and my refrigerator is crammed to capacity. Some of the food is already prepared, some of it is still gobbling. By 8:00 tomorrow night, much of it will be gone, but if this year is like most years, there will be plenty of leftovers (cooking a 22 pound turkey for only 11 people might be a contributing factor).
In keeping with that spirit, today’s pre-feast blog will be another feast of sorts, a smorgasbord of random tidbits and writing leftovers. (Oh, don’t make that face, not without trying it. And keep an open mind, there might just be something here that won’t turn your stomach. Don’t worry, I’ve got an unopened bottle of Pepto-Bismol at the ready.)
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I’d like to pass along three writing tips. Number one, put your butt in your chair and your fingers on the keyboard. And type! Number two, finish your first draft completely; this will prevent you from wasting too much time revising a section you’re going to cut anyway. And number three…well, number three is…um, let’s see…something to do with the EPA? No, no, um…Ooops. (And don’t even get me started on Libya. Or is that Liberia? Or Libania? Well, the Taliban are bad, wherever they are…)
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Actually, it doesn’t take that long to amass 80,000 words in a manuscript, maybe a week or two. Of course, it takes another six months to arrange them all in the right order. Ba da bing.
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And speaking of writing, my hat goes off to all the NaNoWriMo participants. Well done, even if you don’t hit your targets. Sometimes it’s the effort that counts. Besides, the real book will be written in NaDecEdMo (and NaJanEdMo, and NaFebEdMo and…).
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Tis the season to give thanks, and I’m thankful for many things. One of the writing-related things I’m thankful for is the nice Library Journal review DEADLY CAMPAIGN received. The pullquote: “Orloff has put together another winning routine, and mystery buffs will enjoy the fresh venue of a comedy club, not to mention a soft-boiled amateur sleuth case.”
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And since we started this blog talking about leftovers, let’s bring this disaster train wreck post full circle. I have a “leftover” ARC of DEADLY CAMPAIGN I’d like to give away. Its official release date is January 8, but one lucky commenter (between now and 6 pm Sunday night) will get his or her very own copy weeks before that!
To enter, just leave a comment describing your best use of leftover turkey. I’ll pick one winner at random (US residents only and, no offense to my fellow MInkers, but I think I’ll limit the giveway to non-InkSpot bloggers, However MInkers, please feel free to leave your leftover turkey ideas—I have a feeling I’m going to need all the help I can get!).
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Alan
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4 comments:
Nice review, Alan! And love your search for number three. :)
I won't have any leftovers! We're actually doing a restaurant meal this year for Thanksgiving. :) I have bronchitis and I think that may have played into it...ha! May have to get sick every year...
Elizabeth - Thanks! Hope you feel better! Happy Thanksgiving!
And a note--this entry is also posted on InkSpot. You can leave your comments here or there, and you will still be entered in the giveaway. Mr. Blogger is giving me problems this morning!
Hi Alan! We had Canadian Thanksgiving weeks ago and my family ruled out turkey for some dumb reason. I love it for the leftovers! Here's my recipe:
After everyone has left that is going to, and the rest have slunk off in fear of more dish washing, and it is at least six hours since you ate, and it is dark being wintery - open the fridge door and look inside. There should be no lights on but the fridge light. Taking a small carving knife carve off some lovely turkey. Put two slices of challah (egg bread) in the toaster. Get out the little green bowl with the leftover cranberry sauce in it and there should still be butter in the crystal butter dish you only use twice a year. Butter up your toast and put a big dollop of cranberry sauce on top of the sliced turkey. Slam the top of your sandwich down and give it a good squish. Stand with it at the back window, looking down over the fields of snow, with the stars shining as they do this time of year. Sigh a grateful sigh and nosh on.
Jan - Wow, that sounds like a pretty good way to use leftover turkey! (BTW, I make a pretty mean homemade challah!) And anytime I get to "slam" food, I'm happy!
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