R.W. Richard's Blog, page 9
September 6, 2020
The value of Instagram
What’s the point of Instagram? To make connections with people who enjoy your photography of things that interest you and would like to share their own. If you are in business or simply gregarious Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. is a good place to be, provided you don’t neglect or hide form your purpose. In my case it is writing stories.
I must be a complete nerd because the only thing I can think of for Instagram that serves my career as an author are what’s around me in my office. So I’ll start there. Besides, lately aren’t we all spending more time at home and if we are writing, more timer in our office?
Today’s tip: Go to virtual conventions. I learned so much and connected with so many people at the RWA convention last week. I have a huge task ahead of me when The Wild Rose Press, releases Cinnamon & Sugar. In order to help it become a hit I must spend x amount of time marketing and y amount of time writing the next one.
Right now, I’m comfortable building up my FB friends (at 4100) and will embark today on Instagram. Twitter throws me, but I’ll get on board soon.
Oh yes, writing tips. Chapter one is so important to the book because it shows the inciting incident(s) and sets up the main characters. Expect to rewrite this more than other chapters, but don’t let that stop you. If you feel it isn’t quite right, don’t hide in a perpetual chapter 1. Write more chapters and come back to it later when everything clarifies, and it will. What I’m talking about is how much we need to know about the hero and heroine at that moment(s), and exactly how many ramifications of the inciting incident, which can also be tweaked. And more.
August 23, 2020
Sex and fiction
In any story where there’s a man and woman as characters, any writer would be hard pressed not to acknowledge the cultural, physical, or sexual dynamics. After all, they describe, right? To ignore this just makes the relationships in the story unrealistic. So, I dare say, that in all good fiction where the opposite sexes show, where is some reference.
In romance there’s a lot of references, lol. They rate heat levels from 1 to 10 in chili peppers. 1 is a sweet romance. Ten burns down the building. I was asked if I write sex scenes or do I close the bedroom door like they try to do in ABC’s The Bachelor franchise. What if there is no door and no sex? Is that possible? Yes, it depends on the characters, but absolutely no man and woman involved in a romance does not at least think about it. That’s the beauty and also the responsibility of writing romance and the truth in any type of novel.
Writing sex for sex’s sake is way different than romance, even opposite. Romance is about love or the search for love. If a sex scene is written it must be written with that in mind, otherwise put that book down. To do otherwise, once again, would be unrealistic, or bad fiction.
Yes, I write sweet romance and sometimes steamy romance at perhaps a five on that 1 to 10 scale. I know I can write erotica (sex) and make a lot of money, but I won’t because I don’t find it realistic. It is true that some guys or gals are players, but even then, they run away from love, and for what reason. There’s no getting around it. It’s like painting a Zebra so there’s no stripes and how are going to sneak into a zoo, huh? Give me a break.
August 16, 2020
This and that
I received back some minor edits from The Wild Rose Press. Having finished them, I decided to check one of my favorite peeves. In a 70,000 word manuscript, I found 350 THATs.
The idea is if the sentence can survive and be completely clear drop the THAT.
On top of that, if you want the THAT to be distant, keep it, but if you want it to be intimate as in point of view change it to THIS.
Example: She seemed to admire THAT bike. If the bike was his then consider THIS. It's possessive and more intimate.
Perhaps I'll put more about words that might need to go: then, very, really, like, truly, actually, extremely, simply, and many others, but today I want to finish the edits and get them back to TWRP.
Have fun writing.
August 14, 2020
Professor Karen Hulene Bartell
I'm so happy today to introduce you to Professor Karen Hulene Bartell, a good friend and great author, who I met when I joined The Wild Rose Press.
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Here's our interview:
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
Thank you for inviting me to your blog! I was born in Jersey City, NJ, to rolling-stone parents who moved annually. My earliest playmates were fictional friends in books. Paperbacks were my portable pals. Ghost stories kept me up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was my passion. Wanderlust inherent, I enjoyed traveling, although I loathed changing schools—seven schools by the time I entered ninth grade.
Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, I began my first novel at nine, but stopped after several days. (Said I needed to learn more first.) Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, I live in the Texas Hill Country with my husband Peter and my mews—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.
Where did you
In the Lakota Sioux language, Keyameans Turtle. The setting of the Mainstream Fantasy novel is the Florida Keys, and the premise is protecting sea turtles and their nesting beaches. The title is The Keys: Voice of the Turtle.
Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?
The only writing “tricks” I have are these two:
a) I can only write in the morning when I’m fresh—which often means getting up at 3:30, so I can write before my day begins, and
b) I write every day, which keeps the story going. Even afternoons, when I’m busy with other obligations, my mind continues thinking about what the characters will do next.
What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn't understand why you do?
I love researching my books and going on “Tory n’ Mom” trips with my dog—for instance, going on Louisiana’s Creole Nature Trail and getting cornered by a bobcat or walking through the Wetland Walkway and meeting an alligator. I love nature and enjoy going on rock hunts near the Rio Grande in Terlingua’s mountains, or walking barefoot through White Sands, New Mexico, or climbing the Franklin Mountains, or sitting in an open cattle trailer at dawn, waiting for Nebraska’s Prairie Chickens to begin their “dance.”
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Completely, yet not at all. Let me explain ;) I take pieces of people—facial or other physical features, mannerisms, unusual speech inflections, or temperaments. Then, I combines these qualities into a wholly new character. Once in Taipei, Taiwan, I followed a man into a bookstore because he absolutely looked like the mental picture I carried of one of my characters.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Yes, in THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE, the underlying message is to save one of the Keys’ few remaining sea-turtle nesting beaches from being developed into a hotel complex and lost forever to the turtles.
How much of the book is realistic?
All of it, yet none of it. Let me explain ;) Like I “piece together” characters, I merge real places (and sometimes events) with total fiction. Hopefully the result is a seamlessly “realistic” amalgamation that is plausible and could happen yet is rooted from my imagination.
How did your interest in writing originate?
Characters in books were my earliest playmates. Paperbacks were my portable pals. Ghost stories kept me up at night—reading feverishly. My mother didn’t care how late I stayed up—if I read. The result? Writing—it’s the natural extension of reading. Besides, what reader can resist creating her own ending?
THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE Blurb:
Finding buried treasure and love, Keya moves forward, but can she save the beach? Can Ruth find Maita’s murderer or help Bart solve his 400-year-old mystery? Join their adventures as they mingle with ghosts and talk with turtles.
THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE Excerpt:
“These nesting grounds are the reason I’ve fought to keep this property intact. If this beach is developed, the impact will destroy it, but fighting the lawsuit is expensive. I’d hate to sell this place to pay court costs.”
“But you said keeping the nesting grounds intact is only part of the reason you stay.” Ruth gave her a sympathetic smile. “What’s the rest of it?”
“Call it my legacy.” Keya stood up straight. “When I’m gone, I’d like this beach to remain as nature intended it…for the turtles. Since I’ve never had children—”
Earnestine meowed.
Keya grinned. “That is, except for my furry, four-legged kids, I’ve never had children. I have no one to leave it to other than who or what will make the best use of it. Conveying this land to the turtles would be my way of leaving the world a better place.” She turned toward Ruth. “Does that make sense?”
Ruth nodded. Her cousin’s intentions were clear. “But legally, how can you will the property to the turtles?”
“Easy. I leave it to the Turtle Refuge.” Keya chuckled as they meandered along the beach. “And this is where you come in. When you’re writing the brochure, add a few paragraphs about planned giving and charitable bequests…” Keya stared as if in a trance.
“What’s wrong?”
Her hand shaking, Keya pointed to a shady patch of beach half hidden by sand dunes. A lifeless hand lay tangled in seaweed, its fingernails broken and bloodied.
THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE Buy Links:
Amazon eBook: https://amzn.to/2XV2wO1
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2yfSB7b
Barnes & Noble NOOK Book: https://bit.ly/2YFHWgQ
Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://bit.ly/2yuBEWO
The Wild Rose Press: https://bit.ly/2ZsH1lm
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH KAREN HULENE BARTELL:
Newsletter: info@karenhulenebartell.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenHuleneBart
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell
Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/
Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenhulenebartell/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/
AUTHORSdb: https://authorsdb.com/community/17847-karen-hulene-bartell
August 11, 2020
Can you see me smile?
I really liked this idea by one of my favorite authors and friends, Tricia Hopper Zacher:
Can You See Me Smile?
Writers often search for new ways to express a character smiling, and often they include the eyes. “Her eyes lit up with a smile” or “His laughing eyes,” or we’ve all seen this, “A twinkle in her eye.” But how much of our smile is really expressed through our eyes rather than an upturned mouth or a silly grin? I’m finding during these times of Covid-19 and masks, that the eyes are everything.
My discovery started in the supermarket during the early days of the virus, while I politely passed a shopper at the new appropriate distance. I, like many others, felt uncomfortable with the new rules, so without thinking, from behind my face covering, I smiled reassuringly at the woman. To my delight, she responded in kind, her eyes, the only thing visible behind her masked face, lit up in a gesture of understanding.
On my rare occasions out in public, I began a mission of smiling. At first, to test my theory of smiling eyes, but gradually my objective evolved into a desire to let people know we’re in this together. A casual smile can go a long way. So, don’t be deceived in thinking that just because we hide our faces behind the mask, people can’t see our joys, and sometimes our loneliness.
Despite these strange times, I find I have a lot of reasons to smile, and I hope you do too. But if you feel down or find yourself with a bout of anxiety, share a smile, you might be amazed at the comfort of a return smile, and you may bring joy to a stranger
Bob: I might add that if you look carefully at a masked face you might notice the person's cheeks rising, which would also indicate a smile.
I really liked this idea by one of my favorite auth...
I really liked this idea by one of my favorite authors and friends, Tricia Hopper Zacher:
Can You See Me Smile?
Writers often search for new ways to express a character smiling, and often they include the eyes. “Her eyes lit up with a smile” or “His laughing eyes,” or we’ve all seen this, “A twinkle in her eye.” But how much of our smile is really expressed through our eyes rather than an upturned mouth or a silly grin? I’m finding during these times of Covid-19 and masks, that the eyes are everything.
My discovery started in the supermarket during the early days of the virus, while I politely passed a shopper at the new appropriate distance. I, like many others, felt uncomfortable with the new rules, so without thinking, from behind my face covering, I smiled reassuringly at the woman. To my delight, she responded in kind, her eyes, the only thing visible behind her masked face, lit up in a gesture of understanding.
On my rare occasions out in public, I began a mission of smiling. At first, to test my theory of smiling eyes, but gradually my objective evolved into a desire to let people know we’re in this together. A casual smile can go a long way. So, don’t be deceived in thinking that just because we hide our faces behind the mask, people can’t see our joys, and sometimes our loneliness.
Despite these strange times, I find I have a lot of reasons to smile, and I hope you do too. But if you feel down or find yourself with a bout of anxiety, share a smile, you might be amazed at the comfort of a return smile, and you may bring joy to a stranger
Bob: I might add that if you look carefully at a masked face you might notice the person's cheeks rising, which would also indicate a smile.
August 9, 2020
Zoomers, part 2
In Zoomies part 1 I mentioned how to research for a novel could be done more easily by using Zoom or the like to visit places and events not normally available to a writer. Today I'm going to talk about education for authors, that in the past was financially challenging for some.
This year will be the first time Romance Writers of America is having a virtual conference. It will be held at the end of August. Anybody, member or not, can attend but the fee is different, $239 instead of $189. Think about it. You save on airfare in our clean jets? No hotel bills. You might even make your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at home or go overboard with a gourmet meal.
What put me over the top was the course listed below:
Moments of Brilliance: 3 Techniques for Creating a Sticky Story (CRAFT)Speaker: Rebecca Hunter
In this workshop, we’ll focus on three techniques to make a solid book into an outstanding book during the editing phase of writing. These techniques focus on small, manageable chunks of the story, building them to lift a reader’s larger experience of your book. You’ll learn to create “moments of brilliance” that last with readers, even after they finish reading, making your story stand out in a crowded market. You’ll leave this workshop with three very practical tools for your writing toolbox as well as new ways of thinking about your stories.Oh so true:I had just gone through the editing process for my novel Cinnamon & Sugar through a great editor at The Wild Rose Press. Her suggestions led to approx.. 7000 words more and definitely enriched the story. I’ll won’t call them moments brilliance, rather I prefer to say moments of sweet reflection.There are many fine classes to suit any writer. I’ll be at many of them. Even if you don’t write romance, the tactics and strategies you’ll learn can be applied to any genre.If you go, let me know. We’ll say hi and share a virtual coffee.[Visit rwa.org/Online/Events/RWA_Conference/....]
Zoomies, part 2
In Zoomies part 1 I mentioned how to research for a novel could be done more easily by using Zoom or the like to visit places and events not normally available to a writer. Today I'm going to talk about education for authors, that in the past was financially challenging for some.
This year will be the first time Romance Writers of America is having a virtual conference. It will be held at the end of August. Anybody, member or not, can attend but the fee is different, $239 instead of $189. Think about it. You save on airfare in our clean jets? No hotel bills. You might even make your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at home or go overboard with a gourmet meal.
What put me over the top was the course listed below:
Moments of Brilliance: 3 Techniques for Creating a Sticky Story (CRAFT)Speaker: Rebecca Hunter
In this workshop, we’ll focus on three techniques to make a solid book into an outstanding book during the editing phase of writing. These techniques focus on small, manageable chunks of the story, building them to lift a reader’s larger experience of your book. You’ll learn to create “moments of brilliance” that last with readers, even after they finish reading, making your story stand out in a crowded market. You’ll leave this workshop with three very practical tools for your writing toolbox as well as new ways of thinking about your stories.Oh so true:I had just gone through the editing process for my novel Cinnamon & Sugar through a great editor at The Wild Rose Press. Her suggestions led to approx.. 7000 words more and definitely enriched the story. I’ll won’t call them moments brilliance, rather I prefer to say moments of sweet reflection.There are many fine classes to suit any writer. I’ll be at many of them. Even if you don’t write romance, the tactics and strategies you’ll learn can be applied to any genre.If you go, let me know. We’ll say hi and share a virtual coffee.[Visit rwa.org/Online/Events/RWA_Conference/....]
August 3, 2020
Guest author D.V. Stone
So here she is:
Hi Bob{{waving}}Thank you for hosting me today. I’m a former EMT, and in an author’s chat one night, the theme was ABC’s of writing. A, for others, was art, author, ARC. My mind went in a different direction. A for me is Airway. The same with the B for Breathing and C for Circulation. Old EMT’s don’t die; they just retire.To me, the airway is the book, breathing the words and circulation the pacing. You need all three (and other things) to create a dynamic story. Let’s break it down.Airway = This would be the basics. What is the manuscript about? Who are the characters? It would be like a tag line. For instance, in Rock House Grill’s isOne man’s choices. One woman’s impact Here’s a couple of others I’ve usedCan a celebrity chef and an EMT with dreams mix it up in the kitchen?OrTwo lives on a collision course.
Breathing = is what keeps us alive. It’s oxygen being brought in, feeding the body, and then what isn’t used is expelled. To me, this would include style, grammar, punctuation. What is the author’s voice? Is the book urban and gritty? I’ve read books whose prose is almost poetic in the use of language. What about dialect? Is it from the UK where the words don’t necessarily mean the same thing? Whose point of view is the story told in? What is superfluous and needs to be cut?Circulation = Pacing is so important. Like a heartbeat, your novel needs pacing. In the body, if your beat is to slow (bradycardia) or to fast (tachycardia), it’s dangerous. Also, an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) is a problem. The opening needs to be strong, but so does the middle and end. If your story is too slow taking off, it will not keep the reader engaged. The same applies to long lags between action, emotion, intrigue. I would hate for someone to get tired of waiting for something—anything to happen. A good healthy heartbeat has rests in it as well. This is the time to get to know the characters and the world you’ve built. Try to balance the highs and lows, and don’t forget the rests.Rock House Grill as a novel has a certain beat to it. Rainbow Sprinkles, is a novella where the pacing is a little different. Everything had to happen faster, but not seemed rushed.
Thanks again for the opportunity to be on your blog. I hope these thoughts are informative and entertaining and your readers find their own story heartbeat.[Bob: They certainly are. Thank you so much.]
Here's our guest author's blurbs, excerpts, and links:
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One man’s choices—One woman’s impact
Rock House Grill
Aden House, successful but driven chef and TV personality, refuses to slow down. His life implodes one night, damaging him both physically and emotionally. He’s rescued by a woman he thinks of as his angel.
Shay McDowell has rebuilt her life after her divorce. She juggles volunteer EMT duties and her job, while dreaming of becoming a chef. She finds her way to Rock House Grill and back into the life of the man she helped save.
Can love be the ingredient needed to survive the many obstacles they face?
Excerpt
“Easy, you’re going to be okay.” A soft voice eased through the chaos around him. The owner of the voice grabbed his arms and held them in a firm but gentle grip. “I’m right here with you. You are not alone.” “Can hardly m-move.” His voice slurred. “C-can’t see anything.” “You’ve been in an accident. I’m an EMT with the ambulance squad,” the velvety voice calmly explained. “You can’t see well because we’re under a tarp. Hold still, okay?” “‘K.” A small light flickered at the edge of his vision. It shone into a bag next to him. Penlight. “You’re restrained to a board. It’s to keep your head from moving and causing more injury.” She continued to talk to him. The voice reached down somewhere inside him, calming and peaceful, so he focused on it. A glow from spotlights on the outside lit whatever covered them. The shadow gave the woman the appearance of a halo—like an angel.
Hi, my name is D. V. Stone. I am a multi-genre author of two independently published books. Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar is a fantasy romance. Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake is a mid-grade paranormal. Recently, Rock House Grill was released by Wild Rose Press. Rainbow Sprinkles a novella is coming out on July 8th. I also host Welcome to the Campfire and A Peek Through the Window, both weekly blogs. Here’s a little more about me.
Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Throughout her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met and married the love of her life, Pete—a lifelong Jersey Man, and moved this time to Sussex County. They live with Hali, a mixed breed from the local shelter and their cat Baby.
D.V.’s career path varied from working with the disabled to become a volunteer EMT, which in turn led to working in hospital emergency rooms and then in a women’s state prison. After a few years, she took a break from medicine and became the owner of Heavenly Brew, a specialty coffee shop in Sparta NJ, and a small restaurant in Lafayette. Life handed some setbacks, and she ended up back in the medical field, but this time in a veterinary emergency hospital.
“Thank you for taking the time to read about me. Each time you open the pages to one of my books, I hope you’ll be swept away by the story and find encouragement in your own life, never to give up on hope.”
D.V. Stone
Buy LinksAmazon Barnes & Noble iBook’s Google Books Kobo
https://www.dvstoneauthor.com/https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084VCWRXhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088FCBLNG
Other Books byD. V. Stone
Rainbow SprinklesAfter the storm come the rainbows.
Felice, Shield-Mates of DarOne foolish thought. One brutal act. Instead of a peaceful alliance––war.
Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch LakeA Mid-grade paranormal
Contributing AuthorAustralia Burns
August 2, 2020
Zoomers
Zooming and the like, Covid, strange politics (like not wearing a mask), non-violence, and other current problems are grist for the writer's mill, For romances it's simple. Boy meets girl on Zoom and you write the rest. Any fiction could use these new problems and don't be surpirsed when you see one on the NYT best seller list.
No matter what trope new or old you use all stories must have a purpose. Not that you bang people over the head with it. Since stories are put together around characters, all characters must also have a purpose. Try this test: write down the names of every character and put next to them their purposes. The more you write about a character the more the purpose shifts. And bravo to you if your character does a 180. In real life people change and so should your characters. Otherwise, where's the drama. Your reader will say so what if all he/she gets is slices of life. This happened, I was emotional. That happened, I was emotional. How about, this happened, and character x saw the light. He's now able to let love into his life. Or, she's able to see through the smoke screen left by the antagonist, after leaving self-doubt behind.
In my current novel set for release in 2021 by The Wild Rose Press, I write about two kids wanting to go to college, both held up for different reasons. Both, surprised that their best shot at college lies in each other as two strangers who would never had met. They must both confront changes to their purposes. until their purposes merge into one.
