T.K. Turner's Blog, page 13

Join me this Saturday...

I'm interviewing book narrator extraordinaire, Drake Stone this week! He is promoting his most recent book, "Best Gay Erotica 2011"  from Cleis Press and I am stoked! I must admit, I've never interviewed (let alone spoken to) a book narrator before! So I'm super excited to have this guy on my blog! I can't believe my luck!  I took a quick listen to some of his samples today--holy cow! Drake's voice is really awesome! 
I guess I didn't know what I was expecting. To be honest, I've never listened to a book before but it's one of those things I've been meaning to try. Anyway, I wonder how someone prepares for a role like that! Although I write erotica I doubt I have enough balls to stand in front of a microphone at a recording studio and read it aloud! Hahahaha! I'd be blushing like a sunset! I gotta ask Drake about that when he's over here! 
Anyway, he's going to sit down with me this weekend so we can talk about his books. :) I hope you guys will join us here on Saturday! *happy dance* Yay! 
~Cheers from the Vegetarian Cannibal!

Smexxxy Friday (Boyfriend cheating prank)

Kinda smacks of the Bunny Boiler videos, doesn't it? Enjoy your weekend! :D

Plotter or Pantser? Which are you?

Which one is better? Is there a better? Can one claim moral superiority over the other? The Plotters claim the Pantsers are too disorganized. The Pantsers scream back that they are more"artistic"and "creative" for that very reason.


I don't think it matters so long as you finish your WIP. Boy, but this debate continues to pop up on writing message boards a lot. I would never look down on a "pantser" just because I'm a "plotter." People use different tools when they're writing. So why knock each other down over something so silly? 


With that said, which are you? I'm curious to know...

Monsters

I wrote this poem a few months ago. I thought about publishing it...but then I decided it is just not something I want put out there (professionally). Anyway, I wrote this poem after watching an episode from Criminal Minds. I think the episode was called "Six Seconds." There was this song that came on during that episode by Imogen Heap and I knew I just had to jot down something. It was a spur of the moment sort of thing. Please enjoy the song that inspired me to write this poem and also (if you you can) the poem itself. I always cry when Imogen sings: "You're scaring me! You're scaring me to death!" and also "I've got a bad feeling...trust me on this one....you're gonna throw it all away!" When she says "Smash!" I flinch from the sting of it. Such artistry in this song. 


Namaste,
VC



"Monsters"

Monsters all around mesmiling so wideusing their deceptionto hide in plain sight
When we were childrenour parents often saidthe monster in questionlived under our beds.
But this isn't truewe know these are liesmonsters hunt everywherein disguise, they survive
Unspoken, unseenand veiled by our silencethey creep undisturbedand act out their violence
Vulnerable childrenwith eyes on their pillowsfall victim and preyeaten and swallowed.
And no one cries out! These speechless parents…A muted community…Our broken spirits…
Monsters blow kisseswhisper so sweetyou'll almost never find onebeneath the bed where you sleep. 

Tim Minchin

You see...the awesome thing about meeting new betas is learning new things from them. One of my betas (*waves at Aaron*) introduced me to this musician named Tim Minchin. Had I not read this beta's MS, I never would've heard of Tim Minchin.


And now Mr. Minchin is my new favorite thing...so yeah. Hurray for meeting new people and stuff. Anyway, this song cracked me up. Thought I'd share. Have a good weekend! :D

Smexxxy Friday (How to properly undo her bra)

*Sigh* How many times has a man put his hand up my blouse just so he could fumble around for the next 30 seconds trying to unclasp my bra? So frickin' annoying! Half the time I just undo the damned thing myself because it seems most males on the planet are so hopelessly inept in this area. Guys, if you're going to take off her bra, AT LEAST LEARN HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY! You can score extra points for doing this with one hand, you know. Watch and be enlightened! 


I must admit...the lightning bolt factoid kinda freaked me out a bit. It further reinforces the idea why I never wear underwire bras. Wireless and padded-free all the way, baby! W00t! [image error]

Beta Beta Beta Reader

So if you've cruised around writing forums/blogs as much as I have, you'll eventually encounter the "Beta-Reader" and the perilous quest many writers undergo to find one. So...what is a beta-reader exactly? 


Simply put, a beta-reader is usually the first person to read your entire WIP (work in progress) with the intention of helping you clean it up and submit to publishers or agents. A beta is not the same as your best friend or your boyfriend reading your WIP. Beta-readers are NOT your cheerleaders, they're supposed to tell you what works and what doesn't. That is why beta-readers are a necessity. Without having someone else (preferably another writer) take a critical look at your polished second draft, you could overlook something important. Unfortunately, the worst part about being a writer is our inherent need to "offer up" our work for critique/review. Otherwise what's the point? So you gotta hold your breath and wait for that inevitable first reaction from your peers. And it can be nerve wracking! 




A shy writer (such as myself) finds the whole beta-reading task a daunting one! Finding the right beta can make all the difference while you slug through the grueling editing/revising process. However, when you are lucky enough to find a beta who works well with you, this partnership can be a magical one! However, be prepared to meet a lot of duds along the way...awesome betas are extremely hard to find. *waves at Theresa* I must also thank Michan, Aaron, Al, Karen, Tal and Anna for sticking it out with me through this process! You guys are the bestest! *blows kisses* And working with you has been great! 


So how do you find a beta-reader? We all know writers are private solitary creatures, so it's not like you can just waltz into a bookstore/coffee shop/library and ask the first stranger you see. Usually you can find a beta by using the internet, such as absolutewrite.com or other local writing "guilds" in your area. You can start a writer's group yourself or search for one using meetup.com. The trick isn't so much finding a beta, it's finding a GOOD beta, or a beta who you work well with. 


I've always done this writing thing by myself. I never sought out the opinions of others, and my writing suffered for it. I've grown so much by meeting other writers/bloggers and learning from them. Writing can be a tricky business, but working with your beta-readers should be a fun and challenging experience. 


Happy writing, minions! (and happy leap year!) 
VC



[image error]

More on Toni Morrison...

I should have included this in the last post but agh! I'm a spaz. Anyway, I found this interview on youtube and I wanted to share it with you guys. She's talking about "The Bluest Eye." What an incredible lady! I hope one day my dreads can look as majestic as hers! *serious loc envy*

Books I'm Reading: The Bluest Eye

"The Bluest Eye" written by Toni Morrison. This book destroyed me. It really did. And I don't often say that about a book, but good gawd, when I got to the final chapter I was bawling my eyes out. I cried so much I had to start drinking whiskey just to comfort myself. Then I got so drunk I passed out. And all over a book. 


In my last post, I talked about "Sister Citizen" and the John-Henryism effect. "The Bluest Eye" deals with beauty (or the lack thereof) in the black community. There's also sexism, colorism, feminism, incest, violence, and poverty. Morrison shows us these horrors by streaming it through the eyes of a little girl named Pecola. Pecola, who wishes for blue eyes and blonde hair. Pecola, who is abandoned by her mother and raped by her father. Pecola, who is seen by everyone, shamed by everyone, and utterly ignored by all. Little Pecola. 


Gawd, she destroyed me. When Pecola finally becomes undone, I found myself unraveling just the same. I wanted to tear my hair out. I thought of all the Pecolas of the world who would never be seen, never be saved. And I got so angry because I guess I saw a little bit of myself in her too. 


Reading books like these just makes me want to become a better writer. Toni Morrison's writing is next to godliness. I am jealous but happy to read a book by such an awesome storyteller. She inspires me as a black female writer, to really push myself and do something great. I may never be able to write like Toni Morrison, but good gawd, I will try to learn from her if I can! Highly recommend this book. 


Happy reading! 

Smexxxy Friday (Touch)

I rather like this interesting short film. Haven't we all crushed on a mannequin (or some other inanimate object) at some point in our lives? I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did. Kinda reminded me of "The Girl with the Yellow Stockings." :)
VC