Sarah J. Carlson

Contemporary Young Adult Author

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve Googled for your novel?

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So as a writer, I must admit that Google is one of my best friends (apart from all my awesome writer friends). Google Maps Streetview was essential to my writing Hooligans In Shining Armour (as I don’t live in where it’s set). I could plop that little yellow dude down on any street I wanted and just “walk” around the neighborhood. Amazing! Pretty much any question I ever have, all I need to do is type it into Google and–like magic–I get the answer. Being able to connect to writers around the world is also awesome.

I can’t imagine how difficult writing must have been before the wonder that in the internet was invented. Going to libraries, using card catalog to find books, probably having to hunt through many libraries to get all the books you need, sitting at those for hours sifting through newspapers on a microfiche reader (yup I did Google “whats the machine called you use to look at old newspapers.” Yes, I have used it before, I swear!). Though I will say, it may have been a bit easier to stay focused on writing without Monty Python GIFs and a plethora of “Evolution of Dance,” Epic Rap Battles of History, and 139239450442345 videos beckoning.

Here’s one more treasure from my wasted time tonight:

Old Hamster Dance:

 

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Versus new Hamster Dance:

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Anyway, I have to say my search engine has some PRETTY interesting things that pop up in the history. Here’s a sampling:

1. Places to hide guns
2. Expensive black high heel shoes.
3. How big is a coffin (my husband still talks about this one! I was working late one night, trying to see how long a coffin was for my character to mention, my husband comes out of our room to get a glass of water and sees this…. Needless to say there were many jokes with friends about how I may be plotting his demise :P))
4. healing from a kneecapping belfast
5. Axe body spray
6. mixing alcohol and tranquilizers
7. can you re-take A-levels
8. Four Loko
9. Gauging your ears point of no return
10.hipster jeans
11. Justin Bieber profile photo
12. kinds of punches in boxing
13. lyrics to billy boys
14. Minging meaning
15. naff
16. oh ah up the ra
17. pointer finger (because someone told me that was an american thing to say…)
18. Riot July 1 2011
19. sensations of fear in the body
20. tall boys
21. up the duff
22. what is the color of the sky right before the sun comes up
23. you’re a geg

What’s the most random thing you’ve Googled for a novel?

Prayer for the New Year

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Praying to Buddha in Angkor Wat during Tet, Lunar New Year.

Apsara, the dancing girl

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A woman in traditional dress outside Angkor Wat, Cambodia during Tet, Lunar New Year.

Portraits from around the world–first post

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Woman possessed by a spirit, telling the future outside Angkor Wat Temple, Cambodia during Tet (Lunar New Year).

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(Oh, and here’s Ankor Wat in case you’re not familiar)

In February this year, I went on a trip to Cambodia and northern Viet Nam. While I was there, I adventured out of my usual photographic focus (landscapes and buildings) and decided to photograph people, both candid shots and also asking for permission to take a portrait–which pushed me out of my comfort zone because  I’m secretly shy! I was particularly interested in showing how kids lived and how they dress in other parts of the world because back home I work in the schools.  Anyway, I’m officially going to launch a themed series of photos within Samples of Southeast Asia around portraits. Check out my first attempts at capturing people. Please offer any advice on what I can do better to capture the message or emotions.

 

Survey question, writer friends!! How many different alpha/beta readers do you use?? (I seriously want to know)

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ImageHey writer friends, as I’ve been trying to finish up my perpetually nearly finished novel, Hooligans in Shining Armour, a thought’s been nagging me. What is the most effective way to use readers, professional critique services, and editors to make your novel sparkle?

 

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(No, no! Not this kind of sparkle!!)

Image(More like this, I guess?)

I do think you can have too much of a helpful thing, i.e. beta readers. That getting too much feedback can start to make things convoluted for the writer and potentially do more harm than good to the blossoming novel.

Also to all of you starting Camp NaNoWriMo today, happy writing! I’m supposed to be doing it, too, but I have a feeling it’s not going to be done with integrity…lol. I admit it freely, don’t judge!!!

How do you decide when it’s time to close the doors on that and focus just on editing? How many readers do you typically use? Do you have a strategy for how you use them?