Judy Nickles's Blog, page 15
November 17, 2012
Excuses, excuses...
This week has not been conducive to writing, and thus I am behind. I am so far behind, as a matter of fact, that I will have to write approximatley 5500 words between now and tomorrow night in order to be at the right place. Then Monday I have things to do, and Tuesday I'm taking off on my annual fall get-away aka some me time. Of course, the lappy will go along, but that doesn't guarantee getting/staying on target.
Frankly, I haven't bought into my story yet. I've come to a place where a major crisis has occurred, but I'm still not excited enough about the story to keep going and resolve said crisis. I don't have to finish, of course, but I want to as a matter of principle. There's really no good excuse not to do so.
Thus, to recap:
Alec has been dismissed from Belle Plain College.
Ruth has left voluntarily (read escaped!) after a horrifying attack on her reputation--and a stealthy one on her person.
Julia has left with her out of loyalty and also fear of being targeted for being Ruth's friend.
Royal alone is left to ferret out what he can about the undercurrent of selective persecution.
Just before leaving for Liberty Hill under the protection of Julia's parents, Ruth receives word that her father has been killed in a farm accident, and her little sister Rachel is staying at the manse--which means she's at the mercy of the Reverend Harbin Manning, whose lust for Ruth started all these intrigues.
Can it get any worse? Oh, yes, it can get a whole lot worse...if only I would put my fingers on the keyboard and get busy! And it is critical I do so, else I'll get so far behind that I'll just give up.
Anybody else out there as unmotivated as I am? How can we help each other get back on track?
Frankly, I haven't bought into my story yet. I've come to a place where a major crisis has occurred, but I'm still not excited enough about the story to keep going and resolve said crisis. I don't have to finish, of course, but I want to as a matter of principle. There's really no good excuse not to do so.
Thus, to recap:
Alec has been dismissed from Belle Plain College.
Ruth has left voluntarily (read escaped!) after a horrifying attack on her reputation--and a stealthy one on her person.
Julia has left with her out of loyalty and also fear of being targeted for being Ruth's friend.
Royal alone is left to ferret out what he can about the undercurrent of selective persecution.
Just before leaving for Liberty Hill under the protection of Julia's parents, Ruth receives word that her father has been killed in a farm accident, and her little sister Rachel is staying at the manse--which means she's at the mercy of the Reverend Harbin Manning, whose lust for Ruth started all these intrigues.
Can it get any worse? Oh, yes, it can get a whole lot worse...if only I would put my fingers on the keyboard and get busy! And it is critical I do so, else I'll get so far behind that I'll just give up.
Anybody else out there as unmotivated as I am? How can we help each other get back on track?
November 11, 2012
Moving Right Along...
I'm where I should be at the end of NaNoWriMo Day 11, but I'm not particularly any happier with how the story is unfolding than I was last week. In a word (or two), IT STINKS! That's not to say it can't be fixed, but HOW?
The Reverend Harbin Manning (are you remembering Arthur Dimmesdale of The Scarlet Letter's infamy?) is working his nefarious plot to ensnare Ruth. No, he doesn't quite have her tied to the railroad tracks or the buzz saw, but he's got her where he wants her. At least, he thinks so. He's even dropped a word or two in the ear of Belle Plain College's dean who is now WATCHING her for so much as a toe out of line. She wants to pack her trunk and leave, but her roommate Julia and Julia's soon -to-be love interest Royal are encouraging her to stay, stand firm, and fight.
She still doesn't know Alec's "secret". Alec has asked Royal not to spill the beans, but he's not quite ready to tell Ruth himself. It's a delicate subject, you see. But Ruth's a farm girl. She knows about the birds and the bees--or, at least, the cows, chickens, pigs, and horses.
This is turning into a real melodrama! Blecccch!
Turning to a more interesting subject: I've formatted all five of my "A Very Kate Christmas" stories and plan to self-publish them in a small volume just to see how they're received outside of the fan fiction forum where they started. Of course, they're now 'mainstreamed' without any visible connection to their roots. The first of the stories, "A Very Kate Christmas: I Was Hungry" won the Editor's Choice Award in a contest in 2008 and was published in Words of Belief: 'Tis the Season. I also got a check for more money than I've ever received for any single writing piece!
Since then, I've written four more Kate stories: "An Unexpected Christmas", "Unto the Least of These",
"He Shall Feed His Flock", and "The Reason for the Season". I expect there will be a Volume 2 eventually. I like writing Kate Christmas stories! And if Volume 1 comes together well, I'll be offering it as a give-away on a blog where I'm guesting December 13th, so stay tuned for more info.
Tomorrow I'm headed into town again for another NaNo session away from the distraction of the internet. At some point, I really need to get a few words ahead so I can take off on my annual Thanksgiving trip without guilt. Of course, I can write in the evenings when I'm done sightseeing, but it would still be nice to have a cushion.
Until next week--Happy NaNo-ing to all involved. Keep those fingers working and the words popping!
The Reverend Harbin Manning (are you remembering Arthur Dimmesdale of The Scarlet Letter's infamy?) is working his nefarious plot to ensnare Ruth. No, he doesn't quite have her tied to the railroad tracks or the buzz saw, but he's got her where he wants her. At least, he thinks so. He's even dropped a word or two in the ear of Belle Plain College's dean who is now WATCHING her for so much as a toe out of line. She wants to pack her trunk and leave, but her roommate Julia and Julia's soon -to-be love interest Royal are encouraging her to stay, stand firm, and fight.
She still doesn't know Alec's "secret". Alec has asked Royal not to spill the beans, but he's not quite ready to tell Ruth himself. It's a delicate subject, you see. But Ruth's a farm girl. She knows about the birds and the bees--or, at least, the cows, chickens, pigs, and horses.
This is turning into a real melodrama! Blecccch!
Turning to a more interesting subject: I've formatted all five of my "A Very Kate Christmas" stories and plan to self-publish them in a small volume just to see how they're received outside of the fan fiction forum where they started. Of course, they're now 'mainstreamed' without any visible connection to their roots. The first of the stories, "A Very Kate Christmas: I Was Hungry" won the Editor's Choice Award in a contest in 2008 and was published in Words of Belief: 'Tis the Season. I also got a check for more money than I've ever received for any single writing piece!
Since then, I've written four more Kate stories: "An Unexpected Christmas", "Unto the Least of These",
"He Shall Feed His Flock", and "The Reason for the Season". I expect there will be a Volume 2 eventually. I like writing Kate Christmas stories! And if Volume 1 comes together well, I'll be offering it as a give-away on a blog where I'm guesting December 13th, so stay tuned for more info.
Tomorrow I'm headed into town again for another NaNo session away from the distraction of the internet. At some point, I really need to get a few words ahead so I can take off on my annual Thanksgiving trip without guilt. Of course, I can write in the evenings when I'm done sightseeing, but it would still be nice to have a cushion.
Until next week--Happy NaNo-ing to all involved. Keep those fingers working and the words popping!
November 8, 2012
It's still a good idea, but...
So here we are, NaNoWriMo Day 8. I was behind, so I holed up in one of my favorite spots in town and caught up. Getting a little bit ahead would be nice, too, since I have a full calendar this month, and there will be days I don't get in many words.
The story of Ruth and Alec is unfolding, but I'd like to scrap it all and start over. However, that's what the post-NaNo months are for. The idea is a good one, but I'm not happy with the way I'm spinning it. It starts slow, is sluggish, doesn't have enough angst, and is definitely out-of-step with modern romance. Of course, it's not a modern romance. It takes place in 1881, when most young people had some restraint. In short, they weren't all over each other from the first hormonal surge. Yet, the sexual tension needs to be there.
My villain, the very Reverend Harbin Manning, is villainous enough--think Reverend Dimmesdale, the nemesis of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. But he needs developing...realistically...though his lust for Ruth must remain more in the mind than of the flesh! His influence with Ruth's father needs developing, too. Why does he have so much "pull" with the successful farmer, a man who has done a marvelous job raising two motherless girls on his own?
Alec is about to find out the secret of his origins. This, too, needs to be handled sensitively, but he needs to react realistically to the truth. And how will Ruth handle the truth? Naive and protected, she won't be prepared to face the ugliness Alec is called upon to deal with.
So I press on. I have to get the words down and fix them later!
On an added note, I am enjoying watching a large group of Red Hatters in all shapes, sizes, and styles of dress/hats having lunch here while I work. Were I more assertive, I'd tell them they were being mentioned in my blog and blithely pass out some promotional postcards for my books. Alas, I am not. So I shall pack up and go about taking care of some errands now...
'
The story of Ruth and Alec is unfolding, but I'd like to scrap it all and start over. However, that's what the post-NaNo months are for. The idea is a good one, but I'm not happy with the way I'm spinning it. It starts slow, is sluggish, doesn't have enough angst, and is definitely out-of-step with modern romance. Of course, it's not a modern romance. It takes place in 1881, when most young people had some restraint. In short, they weren't all over each other from the first hormonal surge. Yet, the sexual tension needs to be there.
My villain, the very Reverend Harbin Manning, is villainous enough--think Reverend Dimmesdale, the nemesis of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. But he needs developing...realistically...though his lust for Ruth must remain more in the mind than of the flesh! His influence with Ruth's father needs developing, too. Why does he have so much "pull" with the successful farmer, a man who has done a marvelous job raising two motherless girls on his own?
Alec is about to find out the secret of his origins. This, too, needs to be handled sensitively, but he needs to react realistically to the truth. And how will Ruth handle the truth? Naive and protected, she won't be prepared to face the ugliness Alec is called upon to deal with.
So I press on. I have to get the words down and fix them later!
On an added note, I am enjoying watching a large group of Red Hatters in all shapes, sizes, and styles of dress/hats having lunch here while I work. Were I more assertive, I'd tell them they were being mentioned in my blog and blithely pass out some promotional postcards for my books. Alas, I am not. So I shall pack up and go about taking care of some errands now...
'
November 4, 2012
What started out as a good idea...
At the end of NaNoWriMo Day 4, my word count stands at 8,556 words, slightly ahead of schedule.
8,556 of the WORST words I have ever written. Blecch! Of course, first drafts are notorious for being bad, but this one is SO bad. It was a great idea, and I think it can be salvaged. I keep waiting for my characters to come to life and the plot to take fire...but meanwhile, I must press on to the eventual goal of 50,000 words.
Yes, yes, December is for rewriting, but I wont' get to it until January. Or maybe February...or March...or sometime.
So what's wrong with my brilliant story idea? Well, for starters it's set in 1881, and I'm rather out of my comfort zone there. Also, young people (which populate my story with the exception of the villain) didn't speak the way they do today, so if I try to be accurate, the dialogue is somewhat stilted. Plus, my villain is a "man of the cloth", and I feel somewhat guilty for making him so despicable. No, no, he doesn't DO anything awful...he's just a weasel...a grinch...
What to do? Keep on keeping on, I guess. Get those 50,000 words down, then go back and clean things up. By the time I get to the end of this thing, I'll figure out what's wrong with it and, hopefully, how to fix it.
Meanwhile, to all you other Wrimos out there...keep writing! And so will I. I won't like it, but I'll do it.
Sigh.
8,556 of the WORST words I have ever written. Blecch! Of course, first drafts are notorious for being bad, but this one is SO bad. It was a great idea, and I think it can be salvaged. I keep waiting for my characters to come to life and the plot to take fire...but meanwhile, I must press on to the eventual goal of 50,000 words.
Yes, yes, December is for rewriting, but I wont' get to it until January. Or maybe February...or March...or sometime.
So what's wrong with my brilliant story idea? Well, for starters it's set in 1881, and I'm rather out of my comfort zone there. Also, young people (which populate my story with the exception of the villain) didn't speak the way they do today, so if I try to be accurate, the dialogue is somewhat stilted. Plus, my villain is a "man of the cloth", and I feel somewhat guilty for making him so despicable. No, no, he doesn't DO anything awful...he's just a weasel...a grinch...
What to do? Keep on keeping on, I guess. Get those 50,000 words down, then go back and clean things up. By the time I get to the end of this thing, I'll figure out what's wrong with it and, hopefully, how to fix it.
Meanwhile, to all you other Wrimos out there...keep writing! And so will I. I won't like it, but I'll do it.
Sigh.
October 30, 2012
Coming soon to a computer near you...
NaNoWriMo begins in 1 day, 6 hours, and 37 minutes (give or take). NaNoWri Mo-ers everywhere are putting the finishing touches on their characters and plots (or not) and will have their fingers poised above their keyboards tomorrow, waiting for the clock to roll around to 12:01 AM on November 1 (or not) so they can begin creating their 50,000-word novel in 30 days.
For me, it's the thrill of the chase and knowing that no one is going to berate or beat me if I don't make the magic number by midnight on November 30. It's also an excuse to put other things aside, pull out one of my story ideas, and tell real life to take a hike while I wax creatively novelistic.
It's a fun time, and "winning" is satisfying. If you're interested in my progress, you can check my daily stats at www.judynickles.com by clicking the NaNoWriMo tab (or not).
If today is Halloween Eve, is tomorrow NaNoWriMo Eve? Whatever, we get to howl. I'm listening for you...
For me, it's the thrill of the chase and knowing that no one is going to berate or beat me if I don't make the magic number by midnight on November 30. It's also an excuse to put other things aside, pull out one of my story ideas, and tell real life to take a hike while I wax creatively novelistic.
It's a fun time, and "winning" is satisfying. If you're interested in my progress, you can check my daily stats at www.judynickles.com by clicking the NaNoWriMo tab (or not).
If today is Halloween Eve, is tomorrow NaNoWriMo Eve? Whatever, we get to howl. I'm listening for you...
October 20, 2012
NaNoWriMo 2012
It's that time of year again, folks!
I've just created my novel at the official National Novel Writing Month site.This will be my 6th year to participate and, hopefully, my fifth year to 'win' by writing 50,000 words in 30 days. That translates to about 1,667 words/day.
The idea for the new novel came from Ghost Towns of Texas (T. Lindsay Baker, University of Oklahoma Press, 1986), a fascinating travelogue detailing the history of the now-defunct towns in Texas. You can read about Belle Plain College in The Handbook of Texas Online.
Though it's doors closed in 1892, they'll creak open again in In the Books: A Tale of Love, Learning, and Lies .
Short Synopsis
In 1881, motherless Ruth Quillan is thrilled to receive a
scholarship to study music at the new Belle Plain
College two hundred miles
from her father's farm. What she doesn't know is who funded the scholarship and
the strings attached. By Christmas she is in love with college life and also
with Alec Marshall who is taking a commercial course so he'll be prepared to
enter his uncle's business and provide for his widowed mother. Then someone
goes to the president of the college with a stunning revelation about Alec, who
finds himself dismissed and on his way home where another revelation is
waiting. Alec's chum Royal Donnelly vows to look after Ruth and prove Alec's
dismissal unjust. As the young people uncover the dark and dangerous threads
already woven into their lives, they realize what they must learn to save themselves
is not to be found in their schoolbooks.
I'm excited!
Anyone else out there doing NaNoWriMo this year? Leave a comment about your novel and/or a link to more information about it!
I've just created my novel at the official National Novel Writing Month site.This will be my 6th year to participate and, hopefully, my fifth year to 'win' by writing 50,000 words in 30 days. That translates to about 1,667 words/day.
The idea for the new novel came from Ghost Towns of Texas (T. Lindsay Baker, University of Oklahoma Press, 1986), a fascinating travelogue detailing the history of the now-defunct towns in Texas. You can read about Belle Plain College in The Handbook of Texas Online.
Though it's doors closed in 1892, they'll creak open again in In the Books: A Tale of Love, Learning, and Lies .
Short Synopsis
In 1881, motherless Ruth Quillan is thrilled to receive a
scholarship to study music at the new Belle Plain
College two hundred miles
from her father's farm. What she doesn't know is who funded the scholarship and
the strings attached. By Christmas she is in love with college life and also
with Alec Marshall who is taking a commercial course so he'll be prepared to
enter his uncle's business and provide for his widowed mother. Then someone
goes to the president of the college with a stunning revelation about Alec, who
finds himself dismissed and on his way home where another revelation is
waiting. Alec's chum Royal Donnelly vows to look after Ruth and prove Alec's
dismissal unjust. As the young people uncover the dark and dangerous threads
already woven into their lives, they realize what they must learn to save themselves
is not to be found in their schoolbooks.
I'm excited!
Anyone else out there doing NaNoWriMo this year? Leave a comment about your novel and/or a link to more information about it!
October 15, 2012
The Last Hurrah
I'm on my way home from my 50th high school reunion. It was a bittersweet weekend. For the first time, we looked old--maybe because we finally are. At the memorial service on Sunday, as 97 names were read aloud, 97 candles sprang to light as we remembered those no longer with us. It was, indeed, our last hurrah.
Did I bring any story ideas home with me? If I read the book of our individual historys, I could come up with a million ideas. Of course, I'd never do it. Our stories are too personal. We've shared those stories, but they're a testimony to survival, not to be spun into fiction, however good.
I promised the small person I'd bring some bluebonnet seeds. Her new favorite book seems to be Tomie de Paola's The Legend of the Bluebonnet. I read it to her, expecting it to be too advanced for her, but now she takes it from the bookshelf and brings it to me each time she's with me. She is most distressed that it is against the law to stop and pick bluebonnets along with highway (not that there are any in Arkansas!), so we will attempt to grow a pot of them. She says she will pick "just one".
This morning I'm headed to the town where I went to college. On Wednesday I'll go home to retrieve a disgruntled beast from the Doggie Dungeon and take up my daily routine again. Daily routine is good for the soul. And it was good for my soul to greet and hug so many of my former classmates. In some ways, it was a reconciliation experience, and we all needed that. When one carries around the garbage from the past too long, it becomes not only heavy but odorous.
So--will I eventually spin a story based on this past weekend? Maybe someday. November 1 and NaNoWriMo loom on the horizon. Meanwhile, I'll process everything that happened at the reunion--and things that didn't happen--and someday...yes, someday...
Did I bring any story ideas home with me? If I read the book of our individual historys, I could come up with a million ideas. Of course, I'd never do it. Our stories are too personal. We've shared those stories, but they're a testimony to survival, not to be spun into fiction, however good.
I promised the small person I'd bring some bluebonnet seeds. Her new favorite book seems to be Tomie de Paola's The Legend of the Bluebonnet. I read it to her, expecting it to be too advanced for her, but now she takes it from the bookshelf and brings it to me each time she's with me. She is most distressed that it is against the law to stop and pick bluebonnets along with highway (not that there are any in Arkansas!), so we will attempt to grow a pot of them. She says she will pick "just one".
This morning I'm headed to the town where I went to college. On Wednesday I'll go home to retrieve a disgruntled beast from the Doggie Dungeon and take up my daily routine again. Daily routine is good for the soul. And it was good for my soul to greet and hug so many of my former classmates. In some ways, it was a reconciliation experience, and we all needed that. When one carries around the garbage from the past too long, it becomes not only heavy but odorous.
So--will I eventually spin a story based on this past weekend? Maybe someday. November 1 and NaNoWriMo loom on the horizon. Meanwhile, I'll process everything that happened at the reunion--and things that didn't happen--and someday...yes, someday...
October 7, 2012
More Links!
MORE LINKS! Can a writer ever have too many sources?
First, even if you're not a genealogist, check into Legacy Stories and take advantage of their free shoebox account to post (privately or publically) stories you'd like to pass on to your children and grandchildren. You can also upload pictures and record your own voice for posterity as you describe them. If you're not sure what to write, go with their weekly story prompts emailed to you.
Would you like your short stories available in coffee shops around the country? Check into the possibilities of Sips Cards. You pay $5 to submit two stories of up to 3000 words each. If a story is accepted, you earn $50 and publication in the magazine which can be accessed with a QR code found on a 'sips card' at various coffee shops. The name comes from the idea that the story should last about as long as a cup of coffee. The stories can also be accessed online.
Looking for just the right setting for a story? Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine is one of the best subscription deals around--$12 for 8 issues and worth every cent! Lots of great pictures to inspire your next writing venture. See their website to subscribe.
Women writers check out the publication Room which is a paying market for fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction by women. Learn the particulars at their website.
Finally, for 125 years' worth of writing advice, take a look at Best of the Writer: Timeless Tips from Top Authors , which can be pre-ordered from Amazon.
Five more great links, and you found them here at The Word Place!
Recommended Reading from the October 2012 issue of The Writer Magazine:
Advice from the Crypt (What would Edgar Allan Poe tell us?)
On Finding Stories That Need to Be Told (Author John Dufresne's advice)
Set Your Writing Free (Don't let "demons" squelch you as a writer!)
A Successful Journey into E-Books (They're no long the coming thing--they're here to stay!)
The Penelope Pembroke cozy mystery series is coming, and the website will be available SOON!
Penelope Pembroke and the Bogus Biker
Penelope Pembroke and the Stubborn Schoolhouse Spirit
Penelope Pembroke and the Feed Store Floozy
Penelope Pembroke and the Possum Hollow Hullabaloo
Penelope Pembroke and the Larcenous Legacy
Penelope Pembroke and Sam's Last Stand
First, even if you're not a genealogist, check into Legacy Stories and take advantage of their free shoebox account to post (privately or publically) stories you'd like to pass on to your children and grandchildren. You can also upload pictures and record your own voice for posterity as you describe them. If you're not sure what to write, go with their weekly story prompts emailed to you.
Would you like your short stories available in coffee shops around the country? Check into the possibilities of Sips Cards. You pay $5 to submit two stories of up to 3000 words each. If a story is accepted, you earn $50 and publication in the magazine which can be accessed with a QR code found on a 'sips card' at various coffee shops. The name comes from the idea that the story should last about as long as a cup of coffee. The stories can also be accessed online.
Looking for just the right setting for a story? Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine is one of the best subscription deals around--$12 for 8 issues and worth every cent! Lots of great pictures to inspire your next writing venture. See their website to subscribe.
Women writers check out the publication Room which is a paying market for fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction by women. Learn the particulars at their website.
Finally, for 125 years' worth of writing advice, take a look at Best of the Writer: Timeless Tips from Top Authors , which can be pre-ordered from Amazon.
Five more great links, and you found them here at The Word Place!
Recommended Reading from the October 2012 issue of The Writer Magazine:
Advice from the Crypt (What would Edgar Allan Poe tell us?)
On Finding Stories That Need to Be Told (Author John Dufresne's advice)
Set Your Writing Free (Don't let "demons" squelch you as a writer!)
A Successful Journey into E-Books (They're no long the coming thing--they're here to stay!)
The Penelope Pembroke cozy mystery series is coming, and the website will be available SOON!
Penelope Pembroke and the Bogus Biker
Penelope Pembroke and the Stubborn Schoolhouse Spirit
Penelope Pembroke and the Feed Store Floozy
Penelope Pembroke and the Possum Hollow Hullabaloo
Penelope Pembroke and the Larcenous Legacy
Penelope Pembroke and Sam's Last Stand
October 1, 2012
Savvy Links
The Wild Rose Press, a terrific author-friendly small publisher, has launched its first subsidiary,
Wildflowers Books.
WFB is a self-publishing venture with for-pay packages depending on what you want. The difference is (and I consider this a biggie) is in the distribution feature which other self-publishers don't offer. In addition, the site has lists of graphic designers and editors from which you can choose to include with your package. You should take a look at this site even if you're not in the market for such a venture. Knowing TWRP, I predict success here. (Be sure to look at the FAQ section!)
I know I've recommended Writer Beware before, but a free email subscription is worth your while. Lots of scams out there --- so forewarned is forearmed!
If you haven't heard of Duotrope before, now's the time to check into this site with seemingly limitless information on limitless markets. It even offers a way to track your submissions, acceptances, and rejections and offers insights into the average length of time a particular market takes to respond (not what they say but what they do). You have to register, but it's free, and you can get updated information by email every week.
Looking for some "ready-writing" practice? Check out Easy Street Prompts for a daily visual starter.
The countdown clock is ticking at the official NaNoWriMo site. Come on--you know you're ready for "thirty days of literary abandon". What could be easier than 1,667 words a day...well, I can think of a few things, I suppose. But hey--no pressure! If you don't finish, no one's coming after you, and there's always next year...
So there you have this week's "blog" consisting of five links. If only one of them works for you, you're ahead of the game. So start clicking...
But hang on a sec. Can I resist throwing in a bonus link? Of course not, not when it's to my own website, which is chock full of good reads and interesting video trailers, not to mention MORE links...especially those to add my books to your collection... The site just got a major facelift and is ready for your visit and viewing.
I know I've recommended Writer Beware before, but a free email subscription is worth your while. Lots of scams out there --- so forewarned is forearmed!
If you haven't heard of Duotrope before, now's the time to check into this site with seemingly limitless information on limitless markets. It even offers a way to track your submissions, acceptances, and rejections and offers insights into the average length of time a particular market takes to respond (not what they say but what they do). You have to register, but it's free, and you can get updated information by email every week.
Looking for some "ready-writing" practice? Check out Easy Street Prompts for a daily visual starter.
The countdown clock is ticking at the official NaNoWriMo site. Come on--you know you're ready for "thirty days of literary abandon". What could be easier than 1,667 words a day...well, I can think of a few things, I suppose. But hey--no pressure! If you don't finish, no one's coming after you, and there's always next year...
So there you have this week's "blog" consisting of five links. If only one of them works for you, you're ahead of the game. So start clicking...
But hang on a sec. Can I resist throwing in a bonus link? Of course not, not when it's to my own website, which is chock full of good reads and interesting video trailers, not to mention MORE links...especially those to add my books to your collection... The site just got a major facelift and is ready for your visit and viewing.
September 23, 2012
If you haven't heard the Laughing Bird...
Okay, all you indie authors out there, if you haven't heard the Laughing Bird, you ain't heard nuthin' yet!
Let me explain. Rather, let me illustrate.
Here is the new front cover for the first book of the new Penelope Pembroke cozy mystery series coming soon to a variety of eBook sites. I created it. Me, the one who always dreaded 'art day' at school, when my snowflakes were lopsided, my jack-o-lanterns grotesque, and my Christmas trees crooked. It took me half a lifetime to develop a decent cursive handwriting. In short, I am artistically challenged, and that's being kind.
But I created this, just like I'm going to create covers for the other five books in the series. And, I enjoyed doing it! Now, this isn't my first try, nor even my sixth, but with perseverance, I got the cover the way I wanted it.
And here is the back cover, since I plan on doing some print copies also. (The website URL will have to be added once I publish the website, but that's coming up!)
So how did I create these masterpieces? (All you professional graphic designers out there are disqualified from commenting...hey, I know I'm an amateur.) I used a software I'd seen demonstrated during a free webinar on epublishing about a month ago. Tight-fisted as I am, it took until yesterday to turn loose of the $37, the price of The Logo Creator V. 6. And then--horror of horrors!--though I watched the tutorial, I decided I'd downloaded the wrong software, not what I'd seen demonstrated!
I fired off a pitiful email to the contact person, Marc Sylvester, and lo and behold, I had a reply in an hour or less. Yes, it was Saturday afternoon, but there was his patient reply in my inbox. I had not downloaded the wrong software and yes, I could create wonderful eBook covers with what I had. Even before I found his reply, I had discovered my error--so I emailed back apologizing profusely and explaining that I was a LOL--a little old lady self-taught in all things technological. He emailed again, glad I was happy, and signing himself ACD--Awesome Computer Dude.
I have been happily creating ever since! And you can, too. Just check out Laughing Bird Software and scroll down to The Logo Creator V. 6. Listen, if I can do it, anybody can!
~~~~~
While I'm at it, let me give a two-thumbs up to another cozy mystery series I just finished reading yesterday. In fact, I whizzed through it and finished Book #4 with total disappointment that there was no Book #5. Lorena McCourtney appears to be a prolific writer, and her Ivy Malone Series is not to be missed! She's my kind of writer--not a blush nor a gulp to be had anywhere in her fast-paced narratives. Check out her books at Amazon.
DO read the books IN ORDER. The first, Invisible, is available free for a limited time. That's how I acquired it and quickly returned to download the other three to my Kindle for just under $17. Good reading--go get 'em!
PS I "borrowed" the LOL--Little Old Lady--from Ms. McCourtney. Ivy Malone is a hoot!
Let me explain. Rather, let me illustrate.
Here is the new front cover for the first book of the new Penelope Pembroke cozy mystery series coming soon to a variety of eBook sites. I created it. Me, the one who always dreaded 'art day' at school, when my snowflakes were lopsided, my jack-o-lanterns grotesque, and my Christmas trees crooked. It took me half a lifetime to develop a decent cursive handwriting. In short, I am artistically challenged, and that's being kind.
But I created this, just like I'm going to create covers for the other five books in the series. And, I enjoyed doing it! Now, this isn't my first try, nor even my sixth, but with perseverance, I got the cover the way I wanted it.
And here is the back cover, since I plan on doing some print copies also. (The website URL will have to be added once I publish the website, but that's coming up!)
So how did I create these masterpieces? (All you professional graphic designers out there are disqualified from commenting...hey, I know I'm an amateur.) I used a software I'd seen demonstrated during a free webinar on epublishing about a month ago. Tight-fisted as I am, it took until yesterday to turn loose of the $37, the price of The Logo Creator V. 6. And then--horror of horrors!--though I watched the tutorial, I decided I'd downloaded the wrong software, not what I'd seen demonstrated!
I fired off a pitiful email to the contact person, Marc Sylvester, and lo and behold, I had a reply in an hour or less. Yes, it was Saturday afternoon, but there was his patient reply in my inbox. I had not downloaded the wrong software and yes, I could create wonderful eBook covers with what I had. Even before I found his reply, I had discovered my error--so I emailed back apologizing profusely and explaining that I was a LOL--a little old lady self-taught in all things technological. He emailed again, glad I was happy, and signing himself ACD--Awesome Computer Dude.
I have been happily creating ever since! And you can, too. Just check out Laughing Bird Software and scroll down to The Logo Creator V. 6. Listen, if I can do it, anybody can!
~~~~~
While I'm at it, let me give a two-thumbs up to another cozy mystery series I just finished reading yesterday. In fact, I whizzed through it and finished Book #4 with total disappointment that there was no Book #5. Lorena McCourtney appears to be a prolific writer, and her Ivy Malone Series is not to be missed! She's my kind of writer--not a blush nor a gulp to be had anywhere in her fast-paced narratives. Check out her books at Amazon.
DO read the books IN ORDER. The first, Invisible, is available free for a limited time. That's how I acquired it and quickly returned to download the other three to my Kindle for just under $17. Good reading--go get 'em!
PS I "borrowed" the LOL--Little Old Lady--from Ms. McCourtney. Ivy Malone is a hoot!
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