Linda Zajac

Yesterday, I got together with my writing friends.  One thing that was brought up was the Flesch-Kincaid readability level of my manuscript.  After struggling to reduce this number, I emailed my friends:
"I've decided I don't like Flesch and his buddy Kincaid is no fun either."
In the email, I called them names like Flesh Kinky and Flesch eating bacteria Kincaid.  Then I made up my own formula which was sure to please only me.  In my formula, I subtracted 300 from the result, that way I was assured of being in the ballpark. :-D 

Thus my focus today has been on making this manuscript more readable for the little guys and girls.   I'm having more success making sentences smaller than finding simpler words.  I guess I'm used to middle grade writing.  

My entire writing crew is volunteering at the NESCBWI conference this spring, so that should be fun.

This was the feedback I received on my last Toastmaster's speech about a hiking adventure at Bigelow Hollow Park.  In early January, I blogged about it.  There were no other speakers, so if I didn't get that best speech ribbon, it would have been really bad.  There was a record crowd when I gave the speech.  I've come a long way with this organization.  My heart no longer beats like a banshee when it's my turn to talk.