R.E. Chambliss's Blog, page 5

New from AudioLark.com: Letters from Home, written by Jo Barrett, narrated by me!

Did I mention I'm now a pro? Yup! I've been doing some narrating for AudioLark.com, which publishes romantic audio fiction. Jennifer Feddersen, the owner and editor of AudioLark, has been terrific to work with and has given me lots of opportunities to narrate some lovely stories. Letters from Home, by romance novelist Jo Barrett is one of them.

In Letters from Home, the two main characters Phoebe and John are separated first by distance—he's a soldier stationed in Iraq when they begin corresponding with each other—then by a misunderstanding, and also by their own mistaken beliefs about themselves. They are good people who belong together, they just don't know it...yet! The story takes place in a Mayberry-like small town in North Carolina, and I really enjoyed getting to know Phoebe and John, as well as all of the other characters.

Being a writer myself, I always feel a big responsibility when it comes to narrating other writers' stories. I know all of the time, and energy, and love that is involved in shaping one's vision into words. When I'm reading a story aloud, I try to immerse myself in the world of the story, and not think about how it sounds, but instead tell the story in a way that rings true for me. I hope I was able to do that with Letters from Home.

A tiny tease...uh...I mean...an excerpt. Yeah, an excerpt!

Here is a smallish excerpt from the as-yet untitled sequel to Dreaming of Deliverance.

I know, it's short, but at least it's something!

The truth is, it goes against my nature to release anything before I've finished the novel, because I will spend a lot of time revising the manuscript and who knows what will be cut or changed? But something tells me this little snippet will remain in the ultimate version.

Oh and there aren't any spoilers here, but if you really don't like to have any inkling as to what's coming next, or if you haven't finished Dreaming of Deliverance, you'll want to skip the rest of this entry.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

"You have to go back, Lindsay! They need you! She needs you! Tell me you'll go back! I can't stand it otherwise! It'll blast me to powder if you don't."

"What are you talking about? Go back where?" I was crying now too. Somehow I knew what she meant, but I didn't want to believe what she was saying to me.

"Go back. Go back! To them! To help them. They need you. Oh…it's unbearable!" Her mania broke and she dissolved into exhausted weeping. I stumbled away from her, appalled. She worked her hands free and pressed them to her head on either side, like she was covering her ears trying to block out some terrible sound.

"Please, Lindsay," she sobbed. "Please go back so I can rest. I'm so tired. So tired…. Please?"

"All right," I whispered, returning to the bed and wiping the tears from her anguished face. "I will."

Now on NewFictionWriters.com: "Ghost Town" written by Rebecca Wright, narrated by me!

Leave it to me to blog about my upcoming entries, and then my next entry isn't any of the ones I mentioned!

Oh well!

Those others are still in the works, still coming. But for now, I wanted to let you now about a story I narrated for NewFictionWriters.com. It's called "Ghost Town" and it is such a touching and engaging story. The main character, Leah, is around 13 years old and is searching for her younger brother and dealing with the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina. I did not attempt a New Orleans accent, kept it southern, but I really like how it turned out.

I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed reading it!

Ghost Town, by Rebecca Wright

More soon!

The 52/25 FB group, review compilation, the excerpt dilemma, and my acting heritage!

Happy 1-1-11!

I'm flying by to give you a heads-up on some upcoming blog entries.

But before I do that I want to remind you about our Facebook accountability group the 52 Weeks, 25 Stories Challenge. There is now a 52/25 blog and there might be a podcast. You don't want to miss out! We're getting lots of new, motivated members. It's going to be SO helpful for me, even though I'm not participating the right way: I'm not writing stories. Instead, I'm going to work on DoD 2: at least one hour a day, six days a week. I've been chipping away at it all along, but this should really amp up my progress. Anyway, I'd love to see you there, so head on over and sign up!

Also, I'm working on getting my reviews and interviews all together in one page on my web site. It's been really amazing going through them and remembering all of the incredible feedback I've received on Dreaming of Deliverance. That should be up at REChambliss.com before too long.

As for upcoming blog entries, I'm still trying to decide whether or not to post excerpts of DoD 2. What do you think? Do you like reading excerpts? Would you like a taste of what's to come?

But there are a couple of blog entries I know I'm going to do in the next couple of weeks. The first will be on running and DoD. JP told me months ago that he listened while running and I was so touched and pleased about that. Since then, I've found out that other people have also listened while running. I think that's incredibly cool and will be sharing thoughts and photos about it soon!

Also, someday I want to write the story of my actor grandparents, Woody and Erika Chambliss, and as a start, I plan to blog here about them. Neither are alive anymore, but both are very close to my heart especially now that I'm doing some acting myself. Their stories and backgrounds are absolutely fascinating and I can't wait to share them with you.

But right now I need to get back to the post-NYE clean up and then do some more writing. See you back here soon!

Happy New Year! Peace and positivity for 2011!

Happy Festivus!

I'm having trouble finding my Christmas spirit, which I think is related to being the mom and the one who makes Christmas happen in our house, for the most part.

But I'm trying to let go of my "bah humbug", Grinch-like mood and celebrate the positive of the season, which today is Festivus!



Enjoy the beauty inherent in this time of year, my friends!

More on writing fear: at least I'm in good company!

Last entry I blogged about fear and writing. Craig wasn't sure what I was afraid of, so I decided to write a little more about it today. No I don't have a creepy guy in a black hat stalking me, like poor Johnny Depp's character in Secret Window. 
In my case, the fear is less tangible, but it is a part of my writing process. I've come to learn, however, that not all writers experience it. Like a lot of fears, it isn't rational but that doesn't make it less real to me. 
Almost every time I write I'm scared of trying to get what's in my head, down in words. It's not worrying I can't be good (although I've had those moments too). It's that I'm afraid of the monumental task of piecing the story together so that it works to my satisfaction. When I sit down to write, there is so much that is unknown, and I'm the one who has to face that unknown, alone. There are always a huge pile of problems to be solved, and most of the time, I worry that I won't be able to solve them. I want to solve them. I want to find the story and get it down in such a way that it resonates with other people. The fact that I've solved countless similar problems in past writing sessions rarely reassures me.
I've been writing fiction for the better part of a decade now, and it's clear to me that this fear is just part of my process. If I want to write and tell stories, I have to accept that I'm going to be afraid a lot of the time. I think it's worth it, but that doesn't make it easy.
And I'm not alone. Here are some quotes from that book I mentioned in my last entry The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes, "Page Fright" section (p. 24).

All my life, I've been frightened at the moment I sit down to write.

—Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 

It's really scary just getting to the desk—we're talking now five hours. My mouth gets dry, my heart beats fast. I react psychologically the way other people react when the plane loses an engine.

—Fran Lebowitz

 

I suffer as always from the fear of putting down the first line. It is amazing the terror, the magics, the prayers, the straightening shyness that assails one.

—John Steinbeck

 

Blank pages inspire me with terror.

—Margaret Atwood

See? I'm not the only 'fraidy-cat writer in the world! Wouldn't it be great if Queen Latifa from Stranger than Fiction  could come and give us all some moral support? Sadly, that's not something I can count on so I guess I'll just face my fears, and write anyway.

Writing, accountability, and yes, I'm a scared little weeny!

   


This is a writing blog, dag nab it! Or at least it was when I started it way back when. In those old days I used the blog as an accountability tool to help me finish Dreaming of Deliverance. It really helped. But I've fallen out of the habit of blogging about writing.

I need to get back to it! Well, maybe not about blogging about writing, but writing itself, for sure. More and more people are asking me about DoD's sequel, which is awesome. Plus I want to immerse myself in that story telling mindset again. I tend to get distracted by voice work, hungry children, etc., but I need to write too!

So, I'm making a commitment to write lots in 2011. It's not a New Year's Resolution. I'm not as anti-resolutions as Lipstick Lady, aka Wyo of the awesome blog Temporary Digression of the Spotted Kind, but I don't tend to set them because it's almost a cliché how ineffective they are. But I am joining a Facebook group called "25 Stories 52 Weeks Challenge". Now I'm not planning to write 25 stories this year. I'm going to work on my novels. But I will make some kind of writing commitment, whether word count or time spent writing, I haven't decided which.

What this means is that I have to face the almost crippling fear I feel when it comes to writing and story telling. Why I'm such a weenie about this sort of creating, I have no idea, but I am. I've pushed through the fear countless times before, however. I know I can do it again! Still, I'd better break out my copies of Fearless Creating and The Courage to Write. (Yes, I really get that scared of this stuff. Pathetic, huh? Probably another reason I haven't blogged about writing recently! It's embarrassing!)

So, who's with me? Kael? Craig? Wyo? Tony? Here's a link to the group, so you can sign up!

25 Stories 52 Weeks

My recording tent was attacked!

You know, a lot of people have teased me about my recording tent. Some have praised the clean sound in enables me to produce, but most have mocked it.

That's okay. I accept that not everyone's ideal recording set-up includes crawling into an old Spiderman children's play tent covered with a lavender, sheep-festooned flannel sheet, and a worn duvet cover—all held together with binder clips and duct tape.

Really, I don't mind. Chuckle all you want. It looks stupid. I know!

However, the other day I came across the following disturbing sight. And this is where I draw the line, people. Make fun of it all you want, but I will not allow my goofy-looking recording tent to be assaulted!



I was shocked! It was in shambles!



Was there an earthquake? Was it the kids? No. Soon the problem became clear...



And just in case there was any doubt:




Yeah, not a lot of remorse there. And sadly, it wasn't a one-time incident. She tears it down every chance she gets.

So now I have a new pre-recording task. In addition to turning off the heater and refrigerator, moving the ticking clock to the other room, applying lip balm, making sure I have hot tea and cool water at the ready, the microphone plugged in and the lap top fully charged, I also must put the kitten in the back room and close the door before I finish assembling the recording tent.

On a positive note, I've been podcasting for over a year, but now I feel I've truly arrived! Because one thing I've noticed when listening to other podcasters' outtakes, is that feline interference and podcasting seem to go hand in hand!

Cenizas and the Ash King

My first fullcast fiction production went live earlier this week at the Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine: Cenizas and the Ash King by Lizanne Herd.

Because I'm recovering from fighting the Black Friday crowds*, I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here by describing my involvement, and instead am cutting and pasting some of my comment from the story listing:

When I offered to produce one of the Broken Mirror Stories, I warned Big and Rish that I'd never put together a full cast production and had no experience with sound effects. I was a little stressed out about that part of it because I know how much time and finesse can be put into sound effects and I don't have the experience or the temperament to do them well. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the Cenizas experience! Putting together a fullcast fiction podcast is story-telling and I hadn't realized that before. I always love story-telling.

The best thing about producing the story was that I got to hear the unedited lines from Big and Rish! So entertaining! And really, it was easy to edit the voice track into something that sounded good because they do such a great job with the narration and their characters. It was also fun to give lines to Rhonda, EMZ, and Kenn. They were awesome about getting them back quickly and did a great job with them! Kenn also helped me with the production–the lines that were said in unison–because I was not getting that to work. My kids had a blast doing the kids' voices and they also liked hearing the story come together.

The crowd noise was probably the biggest challenge–well that and the sound effects for the fountain scene, which I think could have been much better. Oh and all of the spitting, which wasn't challenging, but wasn't my favorite part to listen to. I was provided with lots of loogie-hawking that didn't make it into the final version!

One more somewhat unrelated thing: because it's Black Friday, that means the holiday shopping season has officially begun! I want to remind you all that the print version of Dreaming of Deliverance is a mere $9.99. Maybe you have someone on your shopping list who loves to read and isn't into podcasts. You could share DoD with them! And if you'd like me to send you a signed book plate to stick inside, just let me know. I'll try not to be too obnoxious about reminding you about the now-inexpensive nature of the print version. I'm just exited that the price is low enough that people could give it away as gifts! And I'm really hoping that you take me up on receiving the signed book plates. I have a stack of them all ready to personalize and send out!


Have a nice, relaxing weekend!

*Okay, I didn't really fight the Black Friday crowds. I prefer to celebrate B-F by vegging all day!

The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, by Abigail Hilton

As most of you know, I'm not the best at self-promotion, and I don't always put myself out there when I should. Thankfully, I have friends who give me self-promotion nudges from time to time. One of those nudges led me to a story that has become one of my all-time favorites.

The nudge? Craig Roberston told me a friend of his was looking for people to do Stories so Far for her podcast novel and that he thought I should offer to do one. If you're not familiar with Stories so Far (SSFs) they come at the beginning of each episode, and summarize what's come before.

So I wrote Craig's friend, Abbie, and she sent me the text of the SSF she needed. It contained lots of tricky to pronounce names, but I gave it a try. One I butchered so badly, despite the pronunciation guide, that she suggested I listen to an episode or two so I could hear it. I did and was hooked. Really hooked!  I've now listened to every episode that's available--most multiple times.

The Guild of the Cowry Catchers by Abigail Hilton is a full cast production that you can find for free on itunes. Book 1 is also at Podiobooks.com. It has terrific voice actors, beautiful background music, and absolutely stunning artwork that accompanies each episode. But to me story is always paramount and Cowry Catchers has an incredibly gripping story with characters who are complex and three-dimensional. There's beauty, and cruelty, and romance, and action. The premise and the plot are unique and original. It's impossible to predict what's going to happen next. Abbie also does something that I think is so difficult but makes for such great fiction when it's done well. She has a character who is basically amoral, but you like him and root for him and forgive him for the terrible things he does.

Why am I telling you about this? Well, two reasons. One is that I love this story and want to share it with you! The second is that I get to voice one of the upcoming characters! Her name is Dakar and she first appears in Book 3, which is in production right now. So start listening to Cowry Catchers and get caught up so when I start giddily blogging about Dakar, you'll know what I'm talking about!

The Guild of the Cowry Catchers is such a great story. I know you'll love it too!