Theresa Jacobs's Blog, page 22
January 20, 2018
Oh Blogging, is this the life for me?
Do I want to do it?
Why would I do it?
What do I have to blog about?
There are many pros and cons to a weekly blog. Content is the #1 con – how do you maintain exciting material over and over in a “writer’s life” style blog?
Yet on the flip side, the #1 pro to a blog, is finding other like-minded people to gather with. As a novel writer, I may publish a book, twice a year (if I’m lucky).
You can’t maintain fans/readers if you only show your face like Wiarton Willy, or for the American fans, Punxsutawney Phil.[image error]
So, I stopped thinking about it and just went ahead and began. I figured, “meh, I’ll sort it out as I go.
[image error] One of the side effects of blogging that I had never thought would happen to me, is the seeking validation. I am not a “look-at-me” type of person. I’d much rather hide in my own home and not even talk to people than be on stage screaming for attention. And then I started blogging. People pop in and like, they follow, they comment, and you’ll begin to think, “hey maybe I can do this.” Some weeks blogs are better than others. One week will get tons of likes and shares, and the next, you could hear a pin drop in the silence. That’s when you start second guessing everything in life.
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Luckily the answer to life is 42 so as long as you bring your towel you’ll get through it.
The point of this – nothing – I needed to blog Sat, and I did. Give it a go too, you never know, you just might like it.
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How do you keep your content fresh? Share your thoughts, we’d love to hear from you, and check out your blogs too.
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January 13, 2018
Writing a writers Blog
I like to keep my blogs relate-able to who I am in real life. I have been sharing my writer’s journey since week one. Which has only been two years now. And boy-o-boy that two years have flown!
Occasionally people will ask, what does a writer blog about and while I am not going to post others here without their permission – which I admit to dropping the ball on – here are types of blogs writers create…..
There are the informative, dry bones, how-to….. which are perfect if you need quick info.
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There are the writers who come up with ingenious tales or insights into real life, and they share these gems with us. When you read blogs like this, you think “I am not worthy to write at all!”
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I’ve even come across a writer (who I shall not name) that was sharing stories, books for sale, contests, and inviting writers to create short stories in their comment section.
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All well and good! Be creative, share your work, entice people to join in. The problem was they never actually interacted with their followers! I was right in there, enjoying the blogs, laughing, leaving comments, and then I asked a direct question. After a few weeks of no response, I did some investigating and discovered that writer, drew people in like a banshee, made crazy book sales, does public appearances, and yet doesn’t interact with the general public, who are the very ones supporting them! Therefore, I never bought any of their product and dropped their blog like a hot potato.
This list can go on and on. Some writers do book reviews, author interviews, share chapters, or stories of their own works. The list is unending. If you are a writer, use your imagination. Read lots, comment too, connect and find what works for you. I do whatever I feel that week, from info, to woes, to my newest endeavor.
Share your blog ideas with us too 
January 9, 2018
Dead Friends: Chapter 1
For my horror loving friends, check this out – read along, share your thoughts, or give advice as this novel is played out in first draft right before your eyes.
“This place is a mess.”
Lizzie looked around the front entry way to the house and agreed with her best friend. Sarah had never been one to mince words and was known for being extremely blunt. Which is why when she said this place was a mess, Lizzie had to wonder why she was being so nice. The place was a dump.
“Yeah, it sure is.”
“And what is that smell? It smells like.., did your uncle have a cat?”
“I’m not sure. He might have.”
“It smells like urine.”
“Oh my God, he didn’t piss all over the place did he? If we find piss stained furniture, I’m gone.”
Lizzie took another step into the room, herself trying not to gag as the smell was overpowering. Did her uncle have a cat? The lawyer hadn’t said anything, but there really hadn’t been too many details. It had been a…
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January 6, 2018
Outlining or Plotting
My new novel “Kept” will be coming Feb 2018 and I know there are readers who like to see how a novel process is worked out. Here are my “behind the scene’s” notes.
I am a pantser, so I write as I go. I generally do not have outlines or plots, or even characters worked out. However, for this novel, being a Sci-Fi, I had a much harder time just “going with the flow”, so I did some set up to get my mind focused. Below are my notes as I was preparing to write the book, and some add-ins during.
My original Idea set to paper
As you can see, “figuring out” the how’s, what’s and why’s of it all.
Part 2 of plotting.
Creating the characters. I already had the three main people in mind. Finnegan, Helen, and Montana.
The rest came as I wrote them into the book.
Helen and Monty
I Needed to create a human protagonist that lives amongst the people for interest and excitement.
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esearch on the 12 Ship names, even though there is only an allusion to them in the story, I wasn’t sure if at any point they would be discussed.
And finally the general overview of how I think the story will be played out.
Watch for KEPT and find out how much of this outline I’ve used, discarded, or was a tipping point to the conclusion.
YOUTUBE PROMO VID FOR THE BOOK
Share your outline preparations, or thoughts with us too.
Happy writing Folks, Theresa Jacobs. http://theresajcbs.wixsite.com/authorpage
December 30, 2017
Even Writers Need Fashion
The ladies out there will understand, this is a great way to narrow down the selection and make preview day go that much smoother. Just because I spend many hours at home tucked away in my jammies, doesn’t mean I can’t look smashing in public
December 24, 2017
Find out what’s made me tick for the last 75 years – my autobiography is finally finished
Sharing this book about a woman’s journey through life with a rare disease. We met in person about two months ago and clicked instantly, you don’t always get that in life. Check it out and share with the world, you never know who else has CMT!
Hi everyone and Merry Christmas:
After 2 ½ years of work, I can’t quite believe that I’ve finished my autobiography, CMT and Me: an intimate 75-year journey of love, loss and refusal to surrender to a disabling disease and that it’s up and out there. It took so long because I had almost 55 years of journals dating back to 1963 to go through, 103 CMT Newsletters to revisit and thousands of photographs and negatives from family members dating back to the late 1800s to view in order to illustrate the book properly. I not only write about my CMT but my life as a woman trying to find love and happiness and make a difference in the world because isn’t that what we all want, CMT or not?
In 330 pages, I bring to life my family and then what it was like for me to grow up in the 1940s coping…
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Antisocial Media
As an indie writer, our jobs are not only to write, but to market, and network, to build a solid community around us. There are days, however, when being “on” through social media can become overwhelming.
Many writers use their personal, and author accounts, as one. I do not, I keep mine separate. I do share some personal details on my writer’s account, but I try to stick to human interest style posts. I share the mundane daily stuff or any political, or religious believes with my family and friends. As a writer, I feel that the public only truly wants to read my stories, not know that I have dinner plans with friends, (unless their famous people perhaps).
But there are days when the thought of more marketing can be overwhelming, or just plain boring. So I just don’t do it that day. Some sites say you must be present online [image error]every day. We have many hats to wear and life is extra busy when you are working, raising a family, writing, marketing, and seeking other avenues of promoting your work.
It’s enough to drive a person mad.
I say nope, I need me time TOO!
Stay sane, be happy, be creative, and stay healthy. Happy writing folks. Theresa
http://theresajcbs.wixsite.com/authorpage
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B786Z7K
(.99 cent sale)
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/596600
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December 17, 2017
December 16, 2017
A Writers Life is Stranger Than Fiction
So this happened to me the other night.
1:30 I awaken with the need to pee – happens to the best of us – although my routine is 4:00 am – so this is a very unusual time. [image error]
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I climb back into my warm cozy place in bed and suddenly the room is lit up as though the overhead light has been turned on. I open my eyes and the husband’s phone, normally off, is face up and some sort of silent notification came through that woke it. Ok weird but whatever, I snuggle back in…. and then an alarm clock, that I have never heard before, starts buzzing from the basement of all places!
I’m so tired at this point I don’t even care about the cold house (winter in Canada) or that I’m in my birthday suit, or that perhaps there is a demon lying in wait.
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I run downstairs to find an old alarm clock that my husband had plugged in to view the time. The next oddity was that the alarm dial was in the off position! I pressed buttons until it shut up and went back to bed.
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As I snuggled in I thought is someone trying to tell me something? Then rolled over figuring if it was really important they could try again, I was just too tired to care.
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However, in the light of day, I was pondering why those three unusual occurrences transpired and would be a good idea to slip things like this into my next novel.
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That’s how a writers mind works, happy writing folks Theresa Jacobs
theresajcbs.wixsite.com/authorpage
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December 9, 2017
Darn it …what was my blog?
While blogging weekly can be a daunting undertaking, most of us find something to talk about. However when you have a brilliant flash of a blog mid week but neglect to write it down – that’s a pisser!
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I awoke this morning to blog and had absolutely no idea what my mind-blowingly-thousand-likes -blog was going to be!
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I did my chores, walked the dog, had some lunch and tried not to think about it. Maybe it would sneak back into my consciousness if I avoided thinking about it altogether.
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Clearly, via the state of this Blog, that did not happen. Perhaps next week I’ll have that showstopper. But for today you are left with this –
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Debut Novel, 5* reviews https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B786Z7K
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