The Zen Pen

Almost Back

2009-01-19T14:29:00.002-05:00

You really are the most patient people. First you had to deal with my having a baby and then the loss of my job.

I still don't have a new job, but life has settled enough that I think I can find the time to get TZP up and running again. I'm going to go through all of my emails, do some site updates, and then start cleaning out the queue.

Zen Pen Closed again :(

2008-12-01T08:02:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry guys, but I'm going to have to close my doors yet again. I just lost my job due to downsizing. All of my free time is going to be spent looking for a new job.

I'm sorry...

Queue Hopscotch

2008-11-18T15:06:00.002-05:00

The queue isn't quite accurate at the moment because some people have pulled their stories. Therefore some people may be receiving crits seemingly out of order. Don't worry. It will all settle soon enough.

To help with the confusion I am providing a queue count on the right as well.

I'm also removing the response times section. Let's face it, it was never accurate though made with the best intentions. Instead I'm going to use "queue climate" for a more accurate albeit general description of how the queue is progressing.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

2008-11-18T14:01:00.002-05:00

I'm terribly sorry that I kept all of you in the dark. August hit and I just became absorbed in getting things ready for the baby. It was all worth it though. I'm the proud first-time mommy of a beautiful baby girl, Emma Rose. Emma was 8 pounds, 11 ounces, and 20.5 inches long. It was an all-natural water-birth, only 3 hours in labor.

Anyway, I'm finally back to working full time and am ready to start TZP up again. I apologize to those of you who sent in stories who haven't heard from me. I'm going to go through those emails now and sort everything out.

If you submitted to TZP during my maternity leave and no longer want that story critted, please let me know.

It's good to be back behind the Pen.

Maternity Leave

2008-07-02T12:12:00.003-04:00

I will be on Maternity Leave from July 3 - November 10. I am due August 15. I intend to continue critting while I'm at home, so response times should temporarily improve. But after mid-August, all bets are off. TZP will most likely have to close until I get this whole motherhood thing down and am actually sleeping regularly again. I'll try and keep everyone posted as well as I can.

Site Redesign

2008-06-06T15:18:00.000-04:00

Yup, I redesigned it again. All content is updated.

Been Sick

2008-06-03T09:03:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't been answering emails everyone. Shortly after I emptied the queue, I got terribly sick with a sinus infection. I was MIA for about 5 days - it takes a lot longer to bounce back when you're 7 months pregnant apparently.

I haven't checked a single email since the last time I critted. I'm sorry I disappeared. Hopefully I'll have time to clean out my inbox and get the queue going again this week.

No Queue!

2008-05-23T12:52:00.002-04:00

For the first time in TZP history, there's no queue. Is this because I've been diligently staying on top of things? I don't think so. Is it because I haven't been marketing TZP enough? Perhaps. Is it because my response times are so unreliable that nobody wants to submit stories to me? I fear so. Sorry if that last one is the reason.

Well, whatever the reason for the miracle of an empty queue, whoever submits next will be getting their story back FAST! In the meantime, might as well redesign the site again. I love redesigning sites...

More Delays

2008-05-08T08:22:00.003-04:00

I thought I would be able to start critting as soon as I got back from vacation, but alas that just isn't true. My semester finishes Friday May 9, so I'm knee-deep in my final project. I'm sorry, but I just won't be critting until the semester is over.

The good news is that, once the semester is over, I won't be in school again until the spring. I'm taking the fall semester off for the baby since I'm giving birth August 15.

This of course means The Zen Pen may be closed in the fall. I don't know. I've never had a baby, so I'll let you know.

Vacation

2008-04-17T13:36:00.002-04:00

I'm going on vacation from April 19-27. I may or may not crit during that time, but don't panic if I don't respond to your emails right away.

Speculations Rumor Mill CLOSED

2008-03-03T10:55:00.003-05:00

March 2, 2008 was a dark day for those of us in the speculative fiction world. The Speculations Rumor Mill has closed its doors.

Those of you unfamiliar with the Rumor Mill probably don't understand how grave this is, but for those of us who have thrived in our craft thanks to the Rumor Mill are saddened, shocked, and may feel like we've lost our homes.

Speculations suggests the following forums to replace their former empire:

"We strongly recommend Absolute Write, Teresa and Patrick Nielsen Hayden's Making Light, and the writers' newsgroups at sff.net. And keep an eye on SFWA's Writer Beware page; it will save you much heartache."

I will be sure to add those sites to The Zen Pen's del.ico.us link cloud. This blog is no replacement for the Speculations Rumor Mill, but as usual, you are welcome to post here to reach out and find others whom you may have lost. Let's hope that The Rumor Mill gets back on its feet. Until then, keep your chin up, and your fingers to the keyboard.

TZP is del.icio.us!

2008-02-26T14:46:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my Social Software class, I will never have to spend hours updating the links section of The Zen Pen again! TZP has gone del.icio.us! For those not familiar with del.icio.us, just click on whatever interests you. For those of you familiar with del.icio.us, add me! Either way, if you know a great link, or want me to add your site, let me know! Now I can get it online faster than ever!

Meebo Down (for now)

2008-02-25T15:12:00.002-05:00

Those of you who are used to contacting me via the Meebo widget on my main site may have noticed that it's been down. There is a good reason for this...

I am taking a Social Software class as part of my Masters in Library Information Science. Maintaining a Meebo account was one of our assignments, so I have to use the class's Meebo account for now. I guess I could just change the widgets, but that's sort of on the bottom of my priority list as far as getting The Zen Pen back on its feet. You can still get me through the main email.

Also thanks to my Social Software class, you should see some other options popping up on the blog here and there.

Zen Pen Opening Its Doors (slowly)

2008-02-25T15:10:00.003-05:00

I am finally in my second trimester and the nausea and vomiting have stopped enough for me to start picking up the pieces of my life that got left behind for the past three months.

I apologize profusely for leaving all of you suddenly with little to no warning. I'm going through all of the stockpiled emails now, so don't be surprised if you start receiving responses to very old emails.

I'm hopeful that I will be back in full swing at the end of this week. As usual I will keep you posted.

Zen Pen Closed (for now)

2008-01-10T13:38:00.000-05:00

The good news is that I'm pregnant! The bad news is that I have morning sickness that happens all day and all night. It's like having food poisoning 24/7. (I wish I was exaggerating). I'm really sorry for those of you who have waited so long already, but it'll probably be another month before this abates.

Politically Correct Season's Greetings

2007-12-09T14:40:00.001-05:00

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all ... and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008 , but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

Back To School

2007-09-12T14:24:00.000-04:00

It's Back To School time which means delays all around. Not only do I work for a school (The American Boychoir School), but I also just started grad school. So September is going to be a little tight.

Site Redesign

2007-08-20T15:55:00.000-04:00

I just redesigned the site (again) and we are live! There are fewer graphics so it should be easier for you dial-up types. And there's practically no CSS which makes it work better in Firefox, since I know that browser is a big favorite. I tried to make it easier to read and more user friendly all around.

ZEN PEN OPEN!

2007-08-13T12:14:00.001-04:00

The Zen Pen is back open for business so feel free to start submitting again! I am settled in my new job and home. Keep an eye on the website for changes. I'm going to be redesigning it so it's friendly with more browsers.

Zen Pen Closed

2007-06-26T22:27:00.001-04:00

I'm afraid The Zen Pen will be CLOSED for a while. I just started a new job, and I don't have as much free time as I used to. Maybe after a few weeks, once I get the hang of everything, I'll have time to start reading again. But for right now, I'm just keeping my head above water while I'm learning all of the ins and out of the new position. Sorry for this. At least the queue is empty. Feel free to submit if you don't mind a wait. If you have any sort of deadline though...

New Job?

2007-06-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

I will not be critting Thursday 6/14/07 as I will be attending a third "interview" for a potential new job. I have no idea what this will mean for The Zen Pen. I successfully emptied the queue, but I have no idea how much Zen Penning this new job will afford me. I'll keep you posted. Get it? Posted? It's a blog? Aw, never mind!

My Husband Got a Job!

2007-05-09T09:02:00.000-04:00

My husband got a job! He's going to be the drama teacher at Chatham High School in Morris County. That location is about two hours from where we currently live, and so we're in the midst of a major relocation project. We're selling our home, shopping for a new one, and I'm looking for work in that area myself. Anyone know of either homes or work up there, let me know! I'm unsure what this means for The Zen Pen. Since I'm no longer spending time job hunting for him, I'll have more time for critting. However, once we're physically moving, it may cause some delays. I'll keep you posted. Get it? Posted? It's a blog? Never mind...

Opera Delay

2007-04-23T10:58:00.000-04:00

Many of you are probably wondering why I've been stuck on #123 for weeks. I forgot to mention that my opera, Rigoletto, went up this past weekend. Anybody who's performed a show knows what tech week is like. So for about a week and change I did absolutely nothing Zen Pen related. Today is my first day free of rehearsals or performances though, so I'm back to the grind. You should start seeing numbers change again and emails answered. Sorry for vanishing like that for a bit.

Zen Pen Vacation

2007-03-28T11:07:00.000-04:00

The Zen Pen will be closed from Saturday March 31 - Sunday April 8 for a little vacation. Feel free to submit, but don't except any responses until I get back.

Lost Job

2007-03-20T14:49:00.000-04:00

We found out a few weeks ago that my husband is losing his job at the end of the school year. Since the primary reason for moving out east was to help his commute, we are no longer moving. At least until we find out where his next job is going to be. This is of course sad, but I've had a lot more time for The Zen Pen as a result! Take a look at the queue!

Carina is Moving

2007-01-10T11:05:00.000-05:00

We are moving. East. We're getting our current home ready for sale and are looking for a new home simultaneously. This is yet again another source of delay for The Zen Pen. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm ever going to give this project the time that it needs. Since it's launch, there has always been something in my life preventing me from Zen Penning. In honesty, if I were you, I wouldn't submit to The Zen Pen unless you haven't a care in the world as to when you'll get that story back. I have no idea when I'm going to have the time to pick this up again. This makes me angry, as I still count The Zen Pen as one of my proudest achievements. But life calls.

Closed for the Holidays

2006-12-22T14:54:00.000-05:00

The Zen Pen will be closed for the Holidays, to re-open in the New Year! Season's Greetings!

Zen Pen New Look

2006-12-04T14:18:00.001-05:00

As the final for my web design class, I chose to redesign The Zen Pen. Tell me what you think.

Zen Pen MySpace

2006-09-21T10:18:00.000-04:00

The Zen Pen is on MySpace now! Come over and say hello. www.myspace.com/thezenpen

www.thezenpen.com Redesign

2006-09-13T11:28:00.000-04:00

I just redesigned The Zen Pen. There's a ton more information, a new look, and hopefully it's easier to navigate. Got suggestions? Let me know and I'll try to accommodate them as best I can. I'm still learning about website design though, so be patient.

Zen Pen Open!

2006-09-06T14:52:00.001-04:00

The Zen Pen is open again for business!

The wedding is over, as is the summer, which means I finally have the time to get back to the important things in life, like The Zen Pen! Keep your eyes open for a website redesign as I continue to familiarize myself with Dreamweaver.

Zen Pen Closed

2006-07-26T08:25:00.000-04:00

The Zen Pen is currently closed. I'm getting married on Saturday followed by my honeymoon in Spain for two weeks. I won't be back in the states until August 15th. Feel free to continue to email me but don't expect a reply for at least two weeks. After the wedding I look forward to getting response times back down to a respectable level.

Expect Delays

2006-04-11T15:50:00.000-04:00

The wedding planning monster has once again reared its ugly head. I doubt I'll be able to read a thing for a little while. Expect delays over the next few weeks until I beat the monster back into submission. The positive is that, come May, I will be quitting my second job AND my opera season will be over so I should be back up to speed once again.

How (not) to speak English properly

2006-03-27T15:39:00.000-05:00

HOW (NOT) TO SPEAK ENGLISH PROPERLY
(largely stolen from William Safire and then elaborated upon anonymously)
1. A writer must not shift your point of view.
2. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
3. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
4. Always pick on the correct idiom.
5. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
6. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
7. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat)
8. Be more or less specific.
9. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
10. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
11. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
12. Don’t over-use exclamation points!!!!!
13. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
14. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
15. Employ the vernacular.
16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
17. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
18. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
19. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than under-statement.
20. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
22. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
23. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
24. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
25. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
26. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
27. No sentence fragments.
28. One should NEVER generalize.
29. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
30. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
31. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
32. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
33. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
34. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
35. The adverb always follows the verb.
36. The passive voice is to be ignored.
37. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
38. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
39. Who needs rhetorical questions?
40. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
41. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
And the last one...
42. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

First Writing Assignment

2006-03-15T14:15:00.002-05:00

I just got my first big writing assignment in my new job. It's an informational pamphlet on...

...video games

I LOVE THIS JOB! :)

Back on Track!

2006-03-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

I'm back on track and critiquing away!

DELAY

2006-03-07T13:32:00.000-05:00

I started my new job on Monday, and so I haven't had time to critique a thing. I'm also terribly distracted trying to find a home for this poor dog. :)

Chat in g-mail

2006-02-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

Do you have a gmail account? Would you like one? I have many invites left. Gmail now has a chat option for others who also have gmail accounts. I pop my ZenPen email to a gmail account because it has a really nice interface and organization structure. So I pretty much have my gmail account open at all times while I'm critting submissions.

In other words, if you have a gmail account, you can say hello to me all day 9:00 - 5:00. :)

2/23/06

2006-02-23T11:48:00.000-05:00

I have made the queue status a permanent and easily accessible feature of the blog now. So you no longer have to scroll through posts to find the information you need. It's all right there for you on the left hand side. :)

2/17/06

2006-02-17T10:50:00.000-05:00

I'm back in the saddle and reading! Sorry again for the delay.

2/10/06

2006-02-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

I apologize profusely. I haven't critiqued a thing in days. I'm in the midst of finalizing my guest list for the wedding and sending out save-the-date cards. It's taking WAY more time than it should. *groan* Sorry for the delay...

12/5/2005

2006-02-01T14:54:00.001-05:00

The good news is that I have applied for a job transfer to a different division – a job that will finally properly utilize my writing skills! Our Property and Personnel Committee is meeting tonight to decide if the transfer was approved or not. The bad news is, if I do get this job, I do except a significant slow down in the critique process because I will be spending my time acclimating to the new job. I will do my best to learn quickly, but a delay is inevitable.

12/9/05

2006-02-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

I GOT THE JOB! I have officially been approved for a transfer to the Communications Division of the NJEA. I finally get to use my BA. Whoo hoo! Now, as I said, this probably means things may get clogged a while again as I put my attention towards the new job. But, we all have to take a few steps back sometimes to make leaps forward!

12/6/2005

2006-02-01T14:53:00.001-05:00

I haven’t forgotten about novel #20! I still have it in the back of my mind. And I honestly was really enjoying it. I had to put it on hold though to concentrate on the enormous number of short stories that are in the queue.

11/22/2005

2006-02-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

I’ve decided to take back my offer of novels in their entirety. The popularity of The Zen Pen has just increased beyond my ability to keep up with it. I will now only read the first 60 pages of a novel. I will detail the changes in the services section of my site.

11/19/2005

2006-02-01T14:52:00.001-05:00

I have started a second job to help pay for the wedding. Therefore any critiquing I was doing in the evening won’t be happening any more.

5/1/2005

2006-02-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

I’m getting married 7/29/06, so I will not be able to critique as often as I had hoped. I have a wedding to plan. Please be patient with any delays.