AmyLiz, -ma is a child of karma. It specifies that you want good karma beamed your way from the group - for car repair (car-ma), health (health-ma), employment (job-ma), etc.

But what's "-ma"? As in "healthma", for example? If that one was in the FAQ, I definitely missed it.

Short for karma. I think it started when people were asking for/offering good karma for stuff, then someone had car troubles and "carma" started being tossed around, and then it kind of evolved into health-ma and exam-ma and jobma and just generalized -ma.

t x-posty

hello everyone!

AmyLiz : If you still need someone i would like to read it ! Email is Kessiebabe@compuserve.de ...

Btw how are the guidelines( format) for a novel manuscript in the US ? I know the german ones but i´m not sure if they are similar. Sorry still a newbie at all this.

I've got it AmyLiz.

Question: is this the first book in the series?

Also, I'm just going to track changes, marking anything that catches my eye as well as putting my thoughts in parentheses as it progresses (in red or green or whatever color Word decides is appropriate today), if that's okay with you.

eta: backflung!

Also, Deb, got your snail mail today, thank you.

I love the concept of -ma. I could use some careerma myself. And the baby could definitely use some teething-ma. *g*

Deena, thanks for the read. It is Book Two, by the way. And believe it or not, it is for readers as young as ten, and the kids will have sex, although it will always be off-camera. There's actually a pregnant fifteen-year-old in teh series. I thought we were going for strictly YA -- twelve and up -- but not according to the publisher. And yet, they still want it "edgier." It may be a blessing to disassociate myself from this.

Kessie and Hil R., thanks! I'll send it along.

Kessie, when you say manuscript format, what exactly do you mean? In the most basic terms, we're talking double-spaced, letter-quality printing, numbered pages with your name in the header (in case pages go astray), and normal one-inch margins. Anything more specific than that you were wondering about?

That's intriguing, though not, I suppose, surprising. When I taught 7th graders I took them to the library and was surprised at what was offered in the YA section; teenagers having wild parties with drugs, alcohol, sex, and of course all the soap opera stuff that attends it in an overwrought pile of manure, for 7th graders. I'd forgotten that until just now.

I know about that teething-ma. Aidan, our 13 month-old, bit the husband's shoulder this morning, so hard Greg dropped him on the floor -- thankfully from a seated position, so it wasn't so far to fall.

Amyliz: Thanks !! And the font is probably size 12 like TV Scripts right? So they are are not very much different from the german format! Oh and i just noticed you are seniorslayer on the beta!! So ... um ... Hi ! *g*

oh btw has anyone here some free time and wants to be my beta? but i have to warn you my english is still not the best! thanks in advance !

Ever had anything pop into your brain that just really freaked you out? Did you write it anyway? It was all vivid and graphic and strong and everything, but I think it's gross, now that the initial inspiration has passed. I have and dump a lot of ideas...despite what the books say we all know they're not created equal, you know. Like "The Breast"...man should that ever have stayed a jot in Roth's notebook.

erika, you bet I have. I think the best thing to do is write it anyway, get it out of you, and then don't look at it for a while. In a couple of weeks, or months, whatever works, go back to it, and see if there's anything in there that jumps out as worthy of keeping/expanding -- whether it's one word, one sentence, a character, an image -- which could take you in a totally new direction from the original graphic piece.

My feeling is, if it's there, it wants to be written, so for god's sake, get that puppy out of you!

But maybe I'm being uptight and it's edgy and outre, not "Gee, maybe the group will take me back?"