Links to Writing & Marketing Blog Posts

Q: What is a question mark? (Hang with me a minute to see where this goes.)

A: (from Wikipedia) The question mark (?; also known as an interrogation point, interrogation mark, question point, query, or eroteme),^[1] is a punctuation mark that replaces the full stop (period) at the end of an interrogative sentence in English and many other languages.

How to use question marks is taught in elementary school, but I must have been absent that day. Or, maybe that was the day we moved to Kentucky from Virginia.

Why am I talking about question marks? Because yesterday, I spent most of the day working through my manuscript with a split screen—beta reader notes in one document, work in progress in the other. 

As I worked through the story, I must have added two dozen question marks. Not only did I find them missing, but I found them in the wrong place. 

What’s up with that?

Now, I’m an intelligent person. Of course, Ken told me the other day that I’m not as smart as I think I am, but he was trying to make a point that had nothing to do with knowing when to use or not use question marks. The point he was trying to make was that if I was so smart, then I wouldn’t continue the same behavior hoping for a different result. Hmm. If I think hard enough, maybe I can apply that thought process to the use of question marks.

Could it be because I’m a lazy typist and don’t want to make an extra keystroke? (Shift/question mark). Could it be that I don’t hear the question when I write? Or, like the example in the picture above, am I already hearing the other character’s response in my mind that will require a question mark when I finally type it?

I don’t know the answer but I think it’s bizarre. It must be my ear because I capitalize correctly and that requires an extra key stroke.

So, how do I change this behavorial pattern? I have a degree in psychology. I’ll think about it when I go for a run. Maybe today I’ll put on the same running gear, hit the same running path, and expect a faster time. See, sometimes you can continue with the same behavior and get a different result. Who am I kidding? I’ll never run an 8 minute mile, or, will I???

Happy writing & running, Kathy

Metro Diner - Broadway & 100th St., NYC

P.S. I walk by this diner twice a day, taking and picking up the grandkids from the bus stop. Doesn't it make you want to go in, order a coke float, and listen to 50s music? 

~*~

If you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they are again: 

1. Saturday Morning Version of “The Hero’s Journey” http://ow.ly/nCukP via @storyfix
2. Social Media Secrets Part II: How to Blog your Way out of the Slush Pile and onto the Bestseller List http://ow.ly/nCuDe
3. Writing, Art and Outlining | fcmalby http://ow.ly/
4. Want to Read More? Think About Audiobooks | BookLife http://ow.ly/nCuYr
5. How Genre Labeling Keeps Some Books from Being Discovered | Indies Unlimited http://ow.ly/nCv0W
6. Indie Author Organizations for Publicity | "CommuniCATE" Resources for Writers http://ow.ly/nCv3h
7. Do it yourself? 10 tips for beginners from top self-publishing sites | Darla Writes http://ow.ly/nCv5d
8. Five Ways to Tell If a Writing Partner is for You | Just Effing Entertain Me http://ow.ly/nCv7m
9. The Bookshelf Muse: 10 Things You Don't Want In Your Novel http://ow.ly/nCv8B
10. Why authors should respond to reviews of their book on Amazon http://ow.ly/nCvJT
11. You Can Never Predict Your Bad Reviews | Nathan Bransford, Author http://ow.ly/nCvS0
12. Sell More on Amazon.com: Understanding Keywords, Categories, & Amazon's Algorithm's | @bookgal http://ow.ly/nCw0u
13. How To Organise a Successful Blog Tour by Donna Huber | Lucy Pireel #asmsg http://ow.ly/nDclk
14. Guest Post: 4 Tips on Using Theme in Science-Fiction — Veronica Sicoe http://ow.ly/nDdGN
15. How Do You Build A Strong Character In Your Writing? http://ow.ly/nDoX8
16. How Do Literary Agents Fit Into The New Book Publishing Ecosystem? - Forbes http://ow.ly/nDrTg
17. How Do You Know If Your Hashtag Is Working? http://ow.ly/nDxn4
18. Are Hashtags Working On Facebook? Study Says, Not Quite http://ow.ly/nDxv3 

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