B is for Blogging!

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Happy April! I’m pleased to be contributing to the challenge this month with my talented friends. My own theme this spring is music from my collection and I nearly used Bile (as in the band) for my post here.

Somehow, though, that name seemed just a little, well… gross. So I decided to blog about blogging. The art is not something at which I’m particularly prolific or gifted but have certainly met some wonderful people around the world. Additionally, it never ceases to impress me when folks manage to make money with the creative endeavor.

Several bloggers I’ve come to follow, especially in the nation of India, receive trips in return for product reviews. My favorite had to be an overnight visit cross country where my blogging friend got to tour an industrial plant. The writers all feasted on wonderful sounding foods and enjoyed the company of their peers.

And they took home goodies! Swag, I tell you!

It made me jealous until I remembered how introverted I am. Hence blogging gives me the perfect opportunity to reach out to the world from the comfort of my own home.

What about you? Do you blog? Does it earn you benefits outside the creativeness? Please let us know in the comments so I can turn green with envy.

A is for Artist’s Way…

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Image Copyright 2016 by Darla M. Sands. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.

By all accounts I’m a newbie to Julia Cameron’s the Artist’s Way and my status is “currently reading” on Goodreads. 🙂

That being said, I can at times be a bit of a zealot when I find something new and “shiny”. When I read a book that sparks my passion, or uncovers hidden truths about writing, craft, publishing or any non-fiction books sparking a “Right on…” sort of response.

My family is usually the first to witness this phenomenon when I buy them the books for Christmas. And then my friends.

My children received Sewing Books for Christmas, because I thought the knowledge was so wonderful.

My sister and best friend received calendars which held quotes from an author, whom I find enlightening.

In spite of my conversion tendencies, I tend to not follow my own convictions. Which brings me back to the Artist’s Way…and my lack of completion of the book. It seems a bit hypocritical for me to tout the wisdom of the book, without actually completing the work myself, doesn’t it. I like to think Ms. Cameron will forgive my error, and hopefully appreciates my “word-of-mouth,” recommendations.

This isn’t to say that I don’t finish things, I absolutely do. It seems to when it comes to taking on things that I perceive as “learning” I procrastinate. Much like a student writing a paper. Hmm, this seems to be a theme in my writing as well…but that’s a letter for another day.

Perhaps I should’ve said, “A is for Accountability”. ~Tina

Writer Wednesday – The Sagging Middle

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Sunrise Over Evanston or, What’s the “O” For?  Oh, my God, it’s early! (Thank you Robin Williams!)
Image Copyright 2015 A. Catherine Noon; All Rights Reserved

So, those of you who are paying attention will notice that it’s actually Thursday.  Yup.  This may give you some indication of my state of the state, compounded to the fact that someone seems to have ripped May out of my calendar completely and it feels like it still should be early April.  Maybe March.

This actually gave me my idea for today’s post:  the “dreaded middle,” or the “sagging middle,” take your pick.  Where I am in my life, the “sagging” is more apt on many levels, some of which I’m not prepared to discuss.  ~grin~ So.  Middles.

Writers talk of the middles as being the hardest part of writing a novel.  Sure, crafting an opening that snares the reader, and finishing off with a bang, are all to be desired.  But once we have them, there’s still the problem of the journey.  Do we add layers?  Do we have too many characters?  Too few?  What about that plot twist that you weren’t a hundred percent sure of – now that you’re at the other side of the mountain, does it provide shade, or block the light?

One of my buddies on Romance Divas, author Amity Lassiter, shared some motivation with the board that I think applies to how I’m feeling today.  I’ll share it with you, but first, a warning:  it’s loud, and rather startling, but very worth it – especially if you, like me, get stuck in the middle.

We can do this.

T Is For… Thaumaturgic – Flash Fiction Word Prompt

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Theo, eyebrows bridged by a crease of concentration, waved her fingers midair in a seeming random pattern. When she finished, Sela gasped. The glowing trails coalesced to clearly show a portrait of their mother. The image sparkled before disappearing.

“You can do it, too. When…?”

“The night Mom died,” Theo whispered.

“We can’t tell him. You do know that, right?”

“I know, Sela. If Father finds out, I’ll be put in the institution just like Mom.”

Sela sat up straight, fists balled in her lap. Fear gathered in her throat but she shook her head and swallowed it.

“He’ll have to go through me first,” she growled.

The air shimmered and the eyes of both girls widened. They clasped hands and bowed their heads, thanking the goddess and their mother’s spirit. Two would now stand strong against the blindly bigoted theocracy headed by their maniacal patriarch.

–

R Is For… Research

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Of the team of Noon & Wilder, I am the ‘Research Queen’ and how I adore my job. Even topics that I originally thought wouldn’t be interesting, often turn out to be the opposite. I think it’s important to get the details right so the reader believes in your writing.

On the other hand, a writer needs to be careful that it doesn’t turn out to be a distraction or overwhelming. You want to make sure it still flows with the story and doesn’t come across as an info dump.

Though, allowing some distraction, keeps your own interest. An example is the Bear Creek Brewery that Noony and I created for the sequel of Sealed By Fire (yet to be published). We had a great afternoon at the Goose Island Brewery in Chicago.

Took a tour:

And a beer tasting seminar:

All, of course, in the name of research. So make sure you’re having fun. Oh, and it helps to bring a pen or favorite pencil, notebook and camera.

Q is for Queen Victoria

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Currently I’m writing a steampunk novel and most stories take place during the Victorian era.   One of the things I like about steampunk is the history blended with the fantastical.   Although steampunk stories have alternate time lines, its still nice to know where the history deviated.

I generally prefer stories with some history woven in.   I tend to read historical romances (including steampunk) and then wonder about the facts of the story.   Its not uncommon for historicals to have a political backdrop.  Inevitably when I’m reading, I want to research what the author wrote.   Between my own research and reading research, I’m always curious about the history behind the story.

I admit to a certain fascination with kings and queens, royal lineage, etc.  One of my recent purchases was a wall map of the royals of Europe.  

I figure it will help in my research and serve as a decent reference.  

Tina

P is for Promotion or Putting yourself out there…EEK!

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“If writers were outgoing, we’d be actors.”

That sums up a lot.   As a published writer, I still have a hard time tooting my own horn.   This is not an uncommon phenomenon.   I’ve met more than a few writer’s who have a hard time Putting themselves out there.

I’ve always considered myself an Extrovert, imagine my surprise when I took my “Introverted” husband to a writer’s conference and found him pushing me to introduce myself.  I later found out that an Extrovert is someone who gets their energy from other people.   They can be outgoing as well, but such is not the case with me. 🙂

Online marketing is pretty crucial for my promotion.  It allows me to socialize from the safety of my living room and filter criticism through my computer.  There’s something about having a box of tissues, wine and chocolate nearby when a reader informs me my book is best used as toilet paper.  Ouch!  I live in the comfort that my book pages might paper-cut their arse. 🙂 

Luckily I’ve grown a bit thicker skin and take most criticism with a grain of salt.  I can honestly say no reader has verbally assaulted me in public.  Whew.

I believe the key for any writer to self-promote is to do what your comfortable with, do it well, and be genuine. If you promote with the “buy my book” and nothing else, readers react like sharks to blood in the water. And, if you dip your hands into everything, your voice can be diluted or become noise.

My general platform involves social media, online presence and public speaking – ironically I loved acting in high school, but never pursued it as an adult.   I was also in speech, so I have no qualms about public speaking.

I’ve spoken at smaller conferences and this particular form of promotion has served me well.   It’s usually indirect as I’m talking about a genre, e-books, publishing in general.   The spotlight isn’t really on me so I don’t have to worry if I forget my lines.  🙂

That’s how I feel in my head.  🙂

O Is For… Opening!

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Openings.  They’re hard.  “You have to grab the reader in the first sentence.”  “If you haven’t gotten the reader’s attention in the first three pages, you’ve lost them.”  “The first three chapters are all you’ve got.  If you can’t take the reader by storm in the beginning, the you aren’t going to keep them reading.”

No pressure, hah!  That’s heaps of pressure!

Many times when I sit down to open a book my brain will go blank, because I’m trying to come up with a knock-their-socks-off opening.  Here’s how I get around it:

I don’t try to start at the beginning.  Another piece of advice is, “get into the action as late as possible, and get out as early as possible.”  So when writing, if I see a scene but not the opening, I don’t worry about the setup.  I get into the scene and write what I do see.  In the process, I usually come up with an opening – or I worry about it during edits.

What about you, Dear Reader?
What advice do you like about starting new projects?

N is for… New Experiences!

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Wednesdays during the summer my brother and my cousins and I would spend the day with my aunt.  We were primarily interested in the backyard pool at my aunt’s house, but my aunt committed herself on those days to making sure we had a “new experience.”  We “had a new experience” at the top of mountains or in unfamiliar restaurants or down winding country roads – any place my aunt could think of to take us out of our routine.
The phrase “have a new experience” inevitably drew eye rolls from our teenage selves back then, and it is still guaranteed to pull a chuckle from our forty-year-old selves today.   I’ve heard my cousin use the phrase with her kids. None of us have gone on to be globe trotters or wild adventurers, but there is no denying that the idea of new experiences as valuable has stuck with us.
Having new experiences is a habit that has to be learned just like exercise or healthy eating.  The important thing to remember is that a new experience does not necessarily mean going to extremes.   Certainly backpacking through Africa would be a spectacular experience, but visiting a new museum in your hometown can be pretty amazing, too.  Just starting at the “finish” of the path in your neighborhood park instead of the beginning can show you things from an entirely different perspective.
My latest new experience is happening this weekend.  Next Monday is my birthday and rather than our usual dinner out my family has agreed to get up early on a Saturday to go visit Maryhill Museum on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge.  Technically we have been there before, but it’s been at least 30 years so it really will be new again for all of us.  I can’t wait!

Pushing outside our routine doesn’t just open our mind it feeds our inner artist too. I hope you will have a new experience this weekend.  Try a new restaurant or buy a shirt in a bright color instead of a neutral or join an exercise class you haven’t been to.  It doesn’t have to be scary or give you a stomach ache – it just has to be new.