Tia Silverthorne Bach's Blog, page 67

Write Me, Maybe (NaNo): ROW80 Update

I want to be finishedand this is crazyBut just join NaNoand write me, maybe?
Clearly, I'm influenced by my kids' music. This song is always in my head, but lately my newest WIP has been begging me to commit and write.

Could NaNoWriMo be the answer?

My idea for a Young Adult novel is fleshed out in my head, and I've made quite a bit of notes, but I've only written disjointed scenes. Is this the kind of piece you take to NaNo?

I'm still working on the Depression Cookies follow-up with Mom, but it's hard to write while I'm waiting on a chapter from her. If I write ahead and she throws me a curveball, I have to rework. That gets frustrating. Even though we have a plan, we let the story unfold as our Muses dictate.

But I'm also afraid to continue to put my other WIP on the back burner. I don't want to lose the feel for the story. I'm balancing that fear with the fear of attempting 50,000 words in a month. Something I've never even come close to.

So, I ask of my writer friends, both those who have done NaNo and those who are considering it for the first time, to give me some encouragement to just sign up. Or, tell me I'm crazy and to focus on the WIP that's already 50,000+ words in.

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A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) Update

Writing: Since I just sent a new chapter off to Mom, I turned to outlining my YA WIP. I wrote a few scenes and a character interview (trying to flesh out how my YA character in this is different from Krista in Depression Cookies, a character I know inside and out). This is what got me thinking about NaNo, because I'm excited about this story. What if I can't maintain that feeling through November?

Editing: Contacted my client and set up a schedule to keep us both focused. Excited!

Blogging: Keeping to my less-hectic and more doable schedule of Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Tomorrow, I'm excited to host a guest post by fellow ROW80er, Kim Switzer. Please stop by. She's sharing ideas for keeping the Muse engaged.

Social Media: Of course I wish I could visit even more blogs and leave more comments, but I'm finding balance.

Reading: Thanks to a rainy and cold weekend, I made some headway in my reading commitments.

Yeah for progress. Hope everyone is enjoying some round 4 progress.

Mark Twain: Fascinating Facts Friday

Welcome to another edition of what strikes my fancy, aka Fascinating Facts Friday.

SourceMy 7th grade daughter and I were talking about the "old English" (her words, not mine) in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, her assigned reading this quarter. Her teacher sent her home with a list of vocabulary words from the text.

I pride myself on being a word nerd, so my daughter decided to quiz me. Here's some examples from her list:

resurrected
circumstantial
glowering
tranquilly
furtive
intervening
odious
portentous
futility
oppressive
vagrant
lugubrious
aversion
conflagration
derision
ominous
vindictive
vivacity
vexation
imminence
opulent
incongruous
dissent
clamorous
prodigious
famished
forlorn

I'm going to out myself. The two that stumped me: conflagration (a large destructive fire) and lugubrious (mournful, dismal). My daughter was thrilled to have stumped me since just this week she asked me to stop using the words catawampus (although I love askew and wonky as well), discombobulated, and fastidious. She said they made me sound uncool and nerdy. What she doesn't know is that I embrace uncool and nerdy when it comes to words.

But back to her point about old English. Whatever happened to the beauty and complexity of the English language? I know using too many "big words" can come across as pretentious, but sometimes the bigger words do more justice. Pretentious has a beauty that showing off doesn't. Oh, or ostentatious. Yummy.

Since I'm using Mark Twain to illustrate my love of the language, it only seems fitting to share some of his musings...

"Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream." "Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."
 "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
 "A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read."
 "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't."Read more at BrainyQuote.

What's your favorite big word? How do you feel about using "old English" in writing?

Changing the Nothing: #IWSG & ROW80 Update

It's the first Wednesday of October and time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group (#IWSG) therapy session. From the mastermind behind the group, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the group's purpose is "To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!"

"Nothing changes, if nothing changes." Earnie Larsen
After a rough few rough months of writing, I was in a rut that seemed to be getting deeper and deeper. I lamented about how crazy and helter-skelter life had become. Then I realized something. Life is always that way, I was just letting it get me down. I can't change Life, but I can change the way I react to the challenges.

Sounds mature, doesn't it?

I can't take the credit. Monday, I was listening to Sandi Tuttle's weekly BlogTalk radio show: When Life Happens. Sandi said many things I needed to hear, and please forgive my paraphrasing:

You Can't Stop Life, What Matters is How You Deal

Too often I try to control what cannot be controlled. I make list after list and plan. Then when things don't work out, I label myself a failure. Instead of seeing what I am accomplishing, I tend to ONLY notice the items not marked off the list. Then, as Sandi so eloquently put it, I "immobilize myself." As much as I might like predictable, it isn't reality.

Life is "Chaos, with Occasional Moments of Sanity"

For the past six months, I have been whining about how crazy life has become. Constantly asking, "When will it get back to normal?" I must face that this is normal. Sane moments are to be relished, not expected. And, GASP, sometimes I will not be able to get it all done... especially when I set expectations based on sanity.

Now to how I'll change that nothing...

As I mentioned Monday, I am going to embrace chaos as a way of life. Flexibility and focus are my new armor. I am paring down the commitments that do not benefit my ultimate goal, which is to finish my two WIPs. I love building my author platform and engaging the writing community, but it won't matter if I don't produce words.

Writing comes first.
It's so easy to say. But it's the first sticky note (please tell me I'm not the only one with different colors and sizes, stuck to places all over my house). Okay, the first sticky note after being a mom. Thankfully, kids have a way of forcing your focus in their general direction.

I love social media. Fascinated by it, actually. But it's distracting me from my purpose. Just as blogging daily was. I love the challenge and short-term gratification. No more. From now on, I'll consider this my reward for writing.

Just like with all new things, I'm sure I'll slip back into some old habits. Make the inevitable to-do list with way too many things on it. But, I'm hoping by putting my new focus out there, this wonderful writing community will keep me in check with gentle pushes back to writing.

Sure, I'll stumble. That's the point. I am human. No matter how hard I try, I am not a superwoman. Although I might just be one for Halloween.

What are your top two sticky notes? The ones you really need to focus on.

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A Round of Words in 80 Days Update (ROW80)

For those who aren't familiar with ROW80, it's the writing challenge that knows you have a life. Our fearless leader, Kait Nolan, had a great pep talk to open this round: Part of what I want you to learn by participating in ROW80 is how to FAIL SMALL. Instead of saying “Well, I ate out at lunch, so I might as well cheat the rest of the day since I already blew it”, say “I won’t cheat two meals in a row.” Instead of saying “I’m going to write EVERY DAY”, maybe it makes more sense to say “I won’t miss two days of writing in a row.” You may very well have stretches where you write every day. But if you miss a day here or there, then you ought to have that much impetus to get back to it tomorrow. Learn to be okay with these tiny failures. In fact, don’t even think of them as failures. Think of them as Human Moments–those points in time that prove you aren’t a machine.

Thanks, Kate.

My Update

Writing: 1,546 words since Monday's post and spent time on outlining and character notes. I'm so happy with this, especially since it doesn't include today. But I am going to make a slight ammendment to my "write at least an hour Monday through Friday" rule. I'm taking Kate's (and Sandi's) advice.

My new Writing goal: I will write for a minimum of five hours during the week, and will not go two days without visiting my WIP.

Editing: One of the three chapters promised by Friday. Two to go.

Blogging: Posted Monday, today, and already wrote Friday's.

Reading: Need to finish a book to review by tomorrow. 200 pages to go. Might be up late on that one. I'm fulfilling commitments I made when I still thought I had a cape.

Social Media: After my writing yesterday, I finally jumped around to visit some IWSG from last month (sad!) and ROW80 Round 4 goal posts.

Embracing Chaos: ROW80 Round 4 Goals

Round 3 of ROW80 was not my finest round. Life seemed to pop up around every corner, surprising me with a delighted, "Got you again." I let it win.

Notice, I said, "I let it."

Sandi TuttleToday, I listened to a great Blog Radio show led by Sandi Tuttle: When Life Happens. Sandi has featured me on her show before, and she has a wonderful way of putting things into perspective in a very honest, but humorous, way. Today I felt like she was speaking directly to me.

The show was all about how life happens. She nailed life as, "chaos with occasional moments of sanity." So true, and it's time I embrace the chaos instead of simply wishing it wasn't reality.

I am guilty of all the things she mentioned. I make list after list, commitment after commitment, and then feel like a failure when I don't get everything done. I'll share more about her thoughts and my reaction on Wednesday's ROW80 update and Insecure Writers Support Group (#IWSG) post.

But for now, let me say sum up her advice... we all need to give ourselves permission to be human, to be flexible.

That's what this round is going to be about for me. Flexibility with focus, my new mantra.

My Goals for Round 4 of A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80)

Writing: I will put my butt in the chair and work on my two WIPs for a minimum of one hour a day, Monday through Friday. First thing. This comes before all my other goals, and is the one I will focus on.

I'm choosing Monday through Friday, because I want and need to focus on my family on the weekend. I looked at my almost-thirteen-year-old daughter this weekend and realized she's growing up WAY too fast. I don't want to miss it.

If, and only if, writing is done for the day...

Editing: Since this brings in money in between novels and freelance writing assignments, this is the very next priority. Once writing is done, I will follow a preplanned schedule of editing deadlines. I have written them out, but won't bore you with the details. I have a second read on a very exciting YA novel, a first read on a literary novel (15 chapters to go), and a women's literature piece.

Blogging: I'm going back to a Sunday (ROW80 update), Monday, Wednesday (ROW80), Friday schedule. I will try to use one day a week to prewrite posts. Again, ONLY after my WIP writing is done.

Reading: I truly believe this makes me a better writer, and I do have review commitments. I will plan to read in the evening and during kids' activities (thank you to my middle daughter for three-times-a-week swim practices!). Keep checking my reviews on Mom in Love with Fiction for some great reads.

Social Media: I hate that this is last on the list, but it needs to be. Only after I've done all of the above, will I visit blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. It's too alluring for me, and often leads me into other to-dos. If I'm awhile getting around to say Hi, please know that I'm writing.

To my ROW80 friends, what are you doing differently this round?

Just in case you missed the first time, check out my radio spot with Sandi here.

Tell Me About it... Stud

Let me further cement my status as a dork by admitting how much I loved Grease and Olivia Newton-John growing up. I can sing every song and repeat every word of Grease (and Grease 2, but that's more embarrassing to admit).

SourceSo imagine my joy when I saw an article online today about how gorgeous she still looks at 64! (Go to the article to see how great she looks. My operating budget doesn't allow for buying copyrighted pictures.)

If only John Travolta had aged as well (he looks more and more like an aged Eddie Munster every day). Come to think of it, a lot of the actors I had a crush on haven't faired so well: Val Kilmer, Tom Hanks, Don Johnson, James Spader and Judd Nelson. (visit here for some fun then and now images).

SourceThankfully, some of my teenage crushes have held up pretty well: Rob Lowe, Kevin Bacon, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Downey, Jr. and Harrison Ford. I wasn't into the obvious Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt sort of looks. But I have to admit, they've hung in there.

Oh, and I have to give special mention to one guy who definitely blossomed late in life... Patrick Dempsey. Who would have ever thought, even though I did love Can't Buy Me Love. John Cusack is another example. He looks so much better now. Did those two make a deal with the devil or something?

What star from your childhood still looks good?

Since I did mention Grease 2, Michelle Pfieffer still looks amazing.

Chewing Gum for the Eyes

I loved BlogHer's "Eye" prompt today...

Frank Lloyd Wright said, "TV is chewing gum for the eyes." What are your favorite shows to chew?
First of all, I love that quote. I am such a chewing gum fan, so this spoke to me. I don't have much free time for TV, and I have a horrible memory for what shows are on when. DVR has helped me, but time hasn't cooperated. Sometimes, I will have five or six episodes recorded and give up.

But I have a few shows I'm addicted to, some guilty pleasures, and some shows I wish I was cool enough to love.

My Favorite Shows Last Season

Castle - Big Fan of Nathan Fillon. He drew me to the show initially, but the will-they-or-won't-they dynamic keeps me coming back. (The first episode this season did not disappoint!)

Once Upon a Time - My girls and I watch this together. Love the concept of fairy tale characters living in the modern day with a curse that makes them forget who they are. Such fun.

Pawn Stars - I don't know what it is I love about this show, because normally I avoid the History Channel like the plague, but it's charming and interesting.

Chopped - When in doubt, I turn on Food Network. It's easy on the eyes and stomach!

Guilty Pleasures

 Ian Somerhalder (Source)Vampire Diaries - I never read the books, but have you seen Ian Somerhalder? Enough said. I'm pulling for the bad guy!

So You Think You Can Dance - In my mind, I'm matching them move for move. In reality, I'm a dork.

The Voice - Growing weary of American Idol, I gave this a try and really enjoyed it. I don't love it enough to DVR it, but it's an easy catch-on-the-fly kind of show.

New Fall Shows I'm Looking Forward To

Nashville - I'm a big fan of country music, and this looks like wicked fun.

Elementary - I love the concept of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes accompanied by a female Watson. I've already set my DVR to record this.

Wish I was Cool Enough to Watch

Walking Dead
Game of Thrones
Sons of Anarchy

But I'm a big sissy and prefer my TV shows to be light. I used to be a huge fan of the 30-minute comedy show, but I haven't seen one in awhile that made me want to record it.

Am I missing something? What's your favorite chewing gum for the eyes?

Getting Your eBook Up and Running Guest Post by James Keen, author

Today, I’d love to introduce you to James Keen, author of Trinidad Express.

Jim is an amazing writer and friend. He will always hold a special place in my writer circle, because Trinidad Express was the first novel-length manuscript I professionally edited. It’s an amazing read, especially for sailing aficionados. (I didn’t know much about sailing before I read it, but I sure was gung-ho to learn after reading it!)

Please welcome Jim as he shares his experiences with preparing Trinidad Express for Smashwords.

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Getting Your eBook Up and Running—Smashwords Style.
by James Keen, author of Trinidad Express

My first experience with digital publishing required a fair amount of work, but it was a very satisfying experience. Let me recap the process:

Start by going to Smashwords. Then…

Download their free eBook smashwords-style-guide.pdf. This is an invaluable help in digital publishing. Follow the style guide—to the smallest detail. Digital formatting is very different than print formatting.The guide requires that you start with a MS Word copy of your book, then format it by following the step-by-step procedures very carefully.You then upload your book file to Smashwords for processing by their "meatgrinder" program. The output of that program is several digital formats for different eReaders—make your choice.Expect to repeat the upload process after making format error corrections. I had to do it 3 times and still have a minor problem in formatting. Remember, your readers will be using different digital readers with different screen sizes. Your readers can also change font size, etc. which makes for a better reading experience but makes formatting very hard.Smashwords will review your book and include it in their premium catalog. It will then be distributed to Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, and the Diesel eBook Store. Amazon is no longer a retail channel partner and will not be able to distribute your book from Smashwords.Cost: Nothing to create the digital copy. If Smashwords sells your book from their catalog, they take 15% commission. If an affiliate (like those listed above) sells the book, they take an additional percentage. The Smashwords contract that you sign does place restrictions on you selling the eBook on your own. You must sell through their catalog or through a retail channel partner.Smashwords automatically creates an Author Page for you that includes your book for sale. This page allows customers to download a sample of your book (I chose 15% of the text as a sample) as a teaser before buying. All you have to do is advertise your author page address. Click on my author page for an example.The Smashwords digital publishing process has no effect on your copyright ownership. You retain full rights to your book. You may remove it from the Smashwords catalog at any time.I have only had my book with Smashwords for a short time, but I am very impressed with the service. I realized my goal of digital publication of Trinidad Express. In my print book, I was able to include only 20 pictures (because of cost), but I included over 60 online color photos in the Smashwords Edition and could have included more. I am pleased.

It’s still a thrill to go to the Nook Store and see my book offered for sale. Check it out here.

I hope you will have similar success.

Purchase the print edition here . 

"As for myself, the wonderful sea charmed me from the first - Joshua Slocum."
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Thanks, Jim, for sharing your knowledge.

I hope everyone will check out Trinidad Express!

If you have any Smashwords pointers to share, please leave a comment below. Or feel free to leave a question for Jim. Thanks!

Seeing Through Others' Eyes

Every day has 24 hours. Each hour has 60 minutes. Yet, some days just fly by. Today was one of those. It just shows you perception can be more real than facts. To me, there's no way today had the same number of hours as a normal day.

So I'm squeezing in a post at 9pm, and tackling another BlogHer "Eye" prompt: Do you think you're good at seeing the world through another person's eyes?

SourceInteresting. My gut reaction... of course I can do that. I'm a writer. I create characters.

But wait. Do my characters see through my eyes? Hmmmm.

Then I thought about how often my husband gets aggravated when I try to figure out other people's motives, reasoning, and perspective.

For all my trying, I really do believe we have bias no matter how hard we try not to. We are affected by our birth order, birth decade, the family we are born into, the number of siblings we have or don't have, whether we are born male or female, and so on.

So, as much as I like to try to put aside judgement and understand other people and their perspectives, I have to wonder if it's possible to truly "get" someone else's "view" of things.

Thoughts?

Snapshot of Life

One of the prompts from last week, as part of BlogHer's "Eye" daily blogging challenge, was: Talk about your favorite photograph .

I love photographs. Each one captures a moment in time, a memory a person might otherwise forget. It's priceless and often irreplaceable. Although thanks to computer images, photos are much safer than ever before.

I decided to choose two to share...

The first so inspires me that it is on the cover of our book, Depression Cookies .


Sisterhood, such an important part of my life. When I look at this, I see the ties that bind. My sisters and I have certainly had moments that tore us apart, but we've always come back together. Usually stronger for each time we are apart.

Plus, it holds a special place in my heart because I look at it now and see my three daughters. I am so glad they have each other, and I often tell them that the best gift I've ever given them is each other.

That brings me to my second favorite picture...


Yes, my kids are going to hate me for that one some day, especially since I've used it several times on this blog. Not only does it show each of my kids personalities (mischievous grin for Reagan, old soul eyes for Jackie, and Maddie as the connecting tie), it shows how we are all bonded.

Look closely at the back, that's my foot. Four women, together... I can only hope that the things that tear us apart will be temporary and make us stronger.

Describe your favorite photograph. What is special about it?

Check Out Blood Type: Short & Sweet Saturdays

It's the weekend, the perfect time to find out about some great new reading material.

Today, I'm thrilled to share the announcement of Melissa Luznicky Garrett's newest book, Blood Type. Not only she is a wonderful writer, but she's a friend to writers and bloggers.

I received an advanced review copy of Blood Type, and my review will be up on Mom in Love with Fiction on Wednesday, September 26. But, I'll give you a hint, count the stars... ★★★★★.

Now for the good stuff...

*****

Since getting attacked by a vampire, I didn’t believe in beginnings. Only endings. Every person born to this world comes with an expiration date, but I had never considered mine. At least not until I met John.
Now the end was all I ever thought about. I woke up every morning wondering if that day would be my last. Venom pulsed in my veins and seeped into my bones, infecting all my vital organs and changing me from the inside out. Slowly killing me.
But I’d welcome death in the end, if only because the alternative was even more frightening.
Popular girl Blake Ehlert has it all: a prime spot on the cheerleading squad, a jock boyfriend who’s strong and sensitive, and the winning vote for Homecoming Queen two years in a row. But when she strikes up a conversation with loner John Kelly, her entire world starts to crumble.
John Kelly is a vampire—what’s known to his kind as a Compeller. It’s his job to recruit human Donors with a particular blood type.
And Blake is his next target.
Melissa Luznicky Garrett is an author of adult and young adult novels. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, three children, and numerous animals. Melissa is currently hard at work on her next project. Visit Melissa’s blog or connect with her on Facebook .
Blood Type is available in print through Create Space, or in print and digital through Amazon.
Stop by Melissa’s blog  starting September 22nd and enter to win a signed print copy of Blood Type. All are welcome to participate. The winner will be chosen and announced October 1st. Also, claim your free Kindle copy of Melissa's previous YA Paranormal,  The Spirit Keeper , on Amazon September 22nd through September 26th. *As always, please make sure it's marked as free before you download.*

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My preteen daughter read The Spirit Keeper and loved it. You can find her review here. In addition, I read and loved her novel, Turning Point. See the review here.

Have a wonderful weekend.