Tuesday, 15 June 2010

Apologies ... and title decisions

I'd like to apologise for not getting to many of you yesterday, but it's not my fault :o( I really wanted to but blogger was being a shit. Thanks so much to all who dropped by mine to confirm their title votes. You're all fantastic!

I've decided on BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL for WIP1. The paragraph below, which I have now tweaked to suit the title even more after Nicole Ducleroir's comment yesterday inspired me, is the reason for the title choice. Thank you so much Nicole!

Kit leans against the kitchen sink, squinting at the sunlight creeping through the orange tree by the window. Over-ripe oranges are rotting on the concrete, and the bitter scent of trodden rind is wheedling its way through the cracks in the wooden frame. She thinks about ‘him’ rotting; staining every footpath she is bound to tread with his bitter memory; contaminating her mother’s tongue with his bitter taste at the mere mentioning of his name. But Kit wants to taste the fruit; a need that has been stalking her since Ivy moved away. She wants to find the real ‘him’; she wants to know who he is below the rind.

For WIP2, I'm a little ambivalent now. It'll be either PLEASE DON'T WEAR YOUR EYEBROWS TO SCHOOL AGAIN,  or LOOKS LIKE CANDY, TASTES LIKE MUSIC.

Now I'm even thinking, SOUNDS LIKE CANDY, TASTES LIKE MUSIC ... decisions decisions ... :o)

Anyhoo ...


I'm supposed to be participating in the Character Interview Blogfest today, but unfortunately I couldn't find the time to actually write it. I'm not going to have time to make the rounds either, so cover for me will ya? ;o) Check out the other entries at Sangu's Echoes of a Wayward Mind.
Have a great day!

35 comments:

  1. Blogger was indeed doing dastardly things yesterday - I had to give up on it! Love your paragraph but if it was me I would probably take out the second 'kitchen' from the first sentence. Do feel free to ignore me. :)

    Oh - and love the title 'Please don't wear your eyebrows to school again' - it's so original,a nd you get such a feel for the story.

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  2. ooh yeah, good idea. Taking it out now :o)

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  3. Blogger was a pain to me yesterday too.
    Glad you have made some progress on the titles. :)

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  4. Blogger waas behaving it's self in the UK, hope it's recovered wherever you may be.
    Love the title you have chosen.

    Have a smashing day,
    Yvonne.

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  5. Oh that blogger. Love the titles.

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  6. That's a great piece of writing and I love the titles!

    I was having Blogger issues too, drat! (I just love that word)

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  7. Great choices! I like Sounds Like Music, Tastes Like Candy even better

    I know you're pressed for time, do check on your blackjack hand if you've got a second...

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  8. Like the titles. And the blurb. Very cool.

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  9. Bitter Like Orange Peel is a fantastic title, Jess! It speaks, with a voice of its own, beckoning me to read on. And I love how you bring in the orange tree, the fruit laying waste on the ground reminding Kit of her (non)relationship with her dad. Anyone who has seen a fruit tree and felt, as I have, a certain sadness at the perfectly good fruit fallen to the ground and rotting, rather than being enjoyed, will grasp immediately this wonderful metaphor. What conditions (wind, the antics of a squirrel or bird, unseasonable hail) sent that fruit from the tree? Or was its stem just weak by nature, so that it couldn't cling to its tree of destiny? Oh man, can you tell I love the storyline-generating potential in metaphors like this? LOL!

    Best of luck with it! Oh, and I think "sounds" works much better than "looks" for Sounds Like Candy, Tastes Like Music. The swap of appropriate verbs indicates disorientation or a confusion in how one interprets life. Perfect!

    And, thanks so much for the shout-out! *blush* *hugs*

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  10. GREAT titles Jessica! Glad to know blogger was acting up yesterday since I missed out anyway.

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  11. Bitter won out! Awesome. I love that paragraph btw. Really ties in the title.

    One day me and blogger are gonna have a fist fight. Wanna come?

    ~JD

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  12. I'm glad that Nicole gave you some great inspiration to help you properly decide on your title! She's the best!!

    I think you had some awesome choices so you couldn't really go wrong! Wow how am I missing all the blog events? I think I must be losing my mind these days!

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  13. I like the titles and the paragraph. I will check out the other entries.

    CD

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  14. Gorgeous paragraph, Jessica! So evocative - and now I'm imagining the scent of oranges, too. Lovely - and the last sentence of the graf was perfect.

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  15. Blogger blows. I like your new paragraph:)

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  16. BLogger BLOWS!
    Love the new paragraph!!

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  17. Sounds like Candy, Tastes Like Music is a FAB title. Love it!

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  18. I'm loving your new thought: Sounds Like Candy, Tastes Like Music ...I think this is great!

    I'm glad your making some headway on picking your titles :)

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  19. These are some fantastic titles. I just finished reading the Sol Stein On Writing chapter on titles and one of the things he says that's appealing is to use contrast. Two things that wouldn't go together but do. Like Grapes of Wrath. Incredible title. So
    Bitter Orange might be better than Bitter like Orange Peel, since we think of oranges as sweet and the peel as bitter. Sweet Orange Peel-- another idea that fits the contrast element.

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  20. I know, I missed this blogfest completely but it looks like fun! You have a great day too! (although its already more than half way done for us at this hour...:)

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  21. Ah, that's a shame, I was looking forward to seeing your entry! But I understand time constraints all too well!

    I kind of like Looks like Candy, Tastes Like Music - as opposed to Sounds like Candy, Tastes Like Music - though I have to admit the inversion of senses works better with the second title.

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  22. Blogger was a pain in the rear yesterday...I got kicked out three times and then I gave up.

    Sounds like Candy, Tastes Like Music is a fantastic title...especially given the subject.

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  23. Fun titles! I keep hearing about people having trouble with Blogger. I guess I've been lucky so far -- knock on wood!

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  24. You could still do an interview and just post it a little late!

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  25. Bitter Like Orange Peel sounds great!

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  26. I know - sigh! First Blogger, then Twitter... my world is imploding.

    I like the title!

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  27. Those titles will work - it's fun when they click and just seem right :)

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  28. LOVE Sounds like Candy Tastes like Music for a title. Just my little opinion. I haven't been around lately, but I'll be making an effort to visit more. I just love this blog.

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  29. That paragraph is beautiful! Great fit for the Orange Peel!

    And I also love Sounds Like Candy, Tastes Like Music... though I still love the eyebrows, possibly because I love that scene so much.

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  30. I love the feel of SOUNDS LIKE CANDY, TASTES LIKE MUSIC. I would pick up any book with that title.

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  31. Jessica--((Hugs)) I understand. Don't worry. A true fan will never abandon you!! Take care and hope that you feel better from too many bloggy things to do. ;)

    If you have the chance, come by and read my interview. :D

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  32. I love your writing and was looking forward to your blogfest entry, but completely understand the whole time thing. LOVE the titles. Although the eyebrow story is fun, for a title I really like the Candy/Music one...not sure which, though. They're both intriguing. I think "Looks" rolls off the tongue a little better, but the juxtaposition of senses works well, too. Good luck with that! LOL

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  33. I'm not actually here. I'm just dropping off the new address for my site. Its thoughtsbylilahpierce.blogspot.com

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  34. No way, you are doing a character interview on your next post...preferably with one of the hot hunks from your MS. There, said it!

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  35. Ooo, love the excerpt, and the title is lovely. I really like Sounds Like Candy, Tastes Like Music, for what it's worth! Sounding like candy is just more interesting than looking like candy.

    Oh, character interviews, I need to check that out, too...

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