Jan Christensen's Blog, page 2
June 13, 2017
CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY OR DO—YOU MAY END UP IN MY NEXT NOVEL
I never thought I used actual people in my short stories and novels, but a few readers claim to “recognize” someone. That always surprises me.
Then I decided to use one woman’s particular circumstances and ended up using some of her personality in the character in my novel, A Broken Life, and even her dog. She loved it. Thank goodness.
A friend gave me a tee shirt that said, “I’m A Writer. Everything you Say or Do may end up in my Novel.” Next thing I knew, people were staring at my chest, then smiling.
Anyway, finally, a stranger said, “So, I’m going to be in your next novel?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Thank you very much.”
She laughed. As she walked away, I asked, “What’s your name?”
She laughed harder. Thank goodness.
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https://www.zazzle.com im_a_writer_anything_you_say_or_do_maybe_used_in_a_t_shirt-235114230802496612
This led me to a hunt for other tee shirts for writers. They’re everywhere! Amazon. Café Press. Zazzle.
“I’m a writer. What’s your superpower?
“Save a writer. Buy a book.”
“I’m a writer. (No, really.)”
“Writer’s block. When your imaginary friends won’t talk to you.”
Anyway, putting real people you know in a novel can be explosive. Pat Conway said: “When The Great Santini came out, the book roared through my family like a nuclear device. My father hated it; my grandparents hated it; my aunts and uncles hated it; my cousins who adore my father thought I was a psychopath for writing it; and rumor has it that my mother gave it to the judge in her divorce case and said, “It’s all there. Everything you need to know.”
But what Anne Lamont said should probably be on a tee shirt you wear right after a new novel or short story comes out using real people as templates: “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
So there.
What I really want is the mug that says, “Go away. I’m reading.”
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https://www.zazzle.com/go_away_im_reading_coffee_mug-168942890660892017
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June 6, 2017
MY JUNE, 2017 PICK FOR BEST PRODUCT
I want to recommend a free program called “Pocket.” Because it’s one of my favorites, ever.
Why I love it:
You see something on-line you want to read later, and Pocket grabs it for you so you can read it anywhere: on your phone, tablet, PC, laptop. I tried to capture their icon, but couldn’t find a way to do it. It’s a white arrow on a red shield. All you have to do is click on that shield on your brower’s toolbar and the article you want to read later is saved.
It does NOT include all the sidebars, ads, and other extraneous stuff, just the article.
If you want to see the whole article, it puts the link up in the right-hand corner when you open the article. That way you can go and share it on places like Facebook. And read comments, because it strips them, too.
You can change some settings. My favorite is one that has a black background with a white font. This cuts way down on screen glare!
You can change the font size.
It has a long list of “recommended” articles—probably those that get the most clicks.
You can sit in a more comfortable chair to read longer pieces.
You can delete them, make them a favorite. or archive them.
My only problem with it is that I save way too many article to read later, and that cuts into my novel reading. But I am able to keep up with the news, save how-to-write-better posts, and find quirky things to share on Facebook and Twitter.
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May 31, 2017
LUCKY 7 QUICK CLEANING TIPS
1) QUICK DUSTING:
Use your hairdryer to “dust” lampshades and curtains.
2) CLOSETS:
Add hooks on the backs of closet and maybe even bedroom doors to hang up various items. For example, the one on the back of your bedroom door could hold your robe, either just overnight or all the time. You can hang scarves, handbags, and of course clothes, on the other hooks in closets. Or maybe an outfit you wear for certain occasions, such as gardening, cleaning house, or loungewear.
3) TILE FLOORS:
Use toothpaste to remove black scuffs.
4) DISPOSAL:
Run used coffee grounds through the disposal to eliminate odors.
5) COOKING:
Use time while waiting for the water to boil or something to cook a while before it needs stirring or other attention, to clean up—load the dishwasher, wipe counters, empty the trash, scrub the sink, straighten out items in a drawer, etc.
6) SHOWER AND TUB:
Use a squeegee to wipe down the glass and tile after every use. Train the rest of the family to do the same. Only takes a minute. Get one you can hang with a short handle, and have a dedicated hook for it.
7) REMOVE ONION, GARIC, FISH ODERS FROM YOUR HANDS:
If you have a stainless-steel sink, rub your hands over it when finished chopping onions or garlic, or handling fish. If you do not have a stainless-steel sink, there are “stainless steel chef soaps.” To use, handle it just as you would a regular bar of soap to wash your hands. Available at Amazon, of course.
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May 23, 2017
ORGANIZING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS
Starting right now, for every image you plan to keep, if it’s digital, name it with the date and the people and/or places in it and batch load them to DropBox, to another on-line back-up storage place, or to one of the sites listed below. If you have printed photos, put the names, place, and date on the back using a gel pen as soon as you have them in your hand. I can’t emphasize how important it is to put crucial information on each image or photo. I had to throw out some that dated back to the 1800s that my mother and aunt kept because I had no idea who the people were, so they were useless to me. The same will happen with digital ones if they are not correctly named.
Next, upload your photos to a place like:
FLICKR flickr.com Easy sharing from almost any mobile device
PHOTOBUCKET photobucket.com Scrapbook builder. Add music and slide shows
SNAPFISH snapfish.com Encourages you to order prints and personalized gifts. Has private “group rooms” for family and friends to see your photos and leave comments
SHUTTERFLY shutterfly.com You can upload photos and have them made into greeting cards or calendars. Sign up and get 50 4×6 free prints
SMUGMUG smugmug.com/ Yearly fee, seems reasonable for what they offer, which is a lot
GOOGLE PHOTOES google.com Automatically finds and stores all the photos on your PC and Android devices
I’ve mentioned just a few of the highlights from each site. Frankly, it makes me want to upload my photos to several different sites in get all the unique features. Uploading to any of these sites can act as your backup for photos, which is another reason to use more than one site, in case one goes out of business or suddenly fails for some reason.
Figure out how you want to store printed images. Scrapbook or boxes? You might want to have a system of boxes to temporally store them until you put them in a scrapbook. The boxes can be labeled, for example by person, place, or date in order to easily place them in the book later. You may also wish to get all your print photos digitized. I’ve noticed that the prices for doing this have come down a lot lately.
Ideally, and if I had to do it all over again, I would keep a diary (so easy to do now digitally) and put the pictures on the diary pages every day. Later this could be made into a bound book you can give to people in the photos and keep for yourself.
May 17, 2017
AFTER THE STORY IS RELEASED
In your notes file (I explain what I put in that file later), I recommend you immediately input these items for easy reference as soon as you can after release of your work (hint—copy this list directly into your notes file and fill in the needed info). (Another hint, put each item on a separate line so you can double or triple click to copy it when needed instead of using your mouse or touchpad to capture it):
First put in the final word count.
Kindle
Price
ASIN: number
Date published
URL, regular and one shortened
Paperback
Price
ISBN-13 number
ISBN-10 number
Date published
URL(s), regular and one shortened for each store
Hardcover
Price
ISBN-13 number
ISBN-10 number
Date published
URL(s), regular and one shortened for each store
Short Story
Name of the publication
Date published
URL, regular and one shortened
Amount earned
For All
Long description.
One paragraph description, no longer than 1,000 words.
Another 500-word description.
A short, snappy “elevator pitch” you can use for ads and brochures. Maybe make up more than one.
When all this is in one place and you ask for a review, do an ad, have a sale or anything that needs quick access to these items, you’ll always know where they are. You can easily copy and paste where needed.
After you do all this, be sure to update the information on your website about your new publication and announce it to all your social media.
I use a “notes” document for quick reference while writing each story or novel. It contains:
At the top, space to put in ideas I have as I go and places I want to make changes later.
For both short stories and novels, a character name chart with first and last names in different columns so I can sort by first letter to be sure I’m not using first letters too often, their descriptions, and other important info about them. I fill this chart in as I go.
A timeline chart for novels with: Chapter #, Day of week, Time of day, Location, and chapter Summery. I fill these columns in when I finish each chapter. This can also be used for longer short stories, especially if the timeline is important.
Maps and other visual aids.
Research (I don’t do a whole lot—if I did more, this would be in a separate file with document names for each category).
Doing all of this as you go will save you time in the long run. And the file will be all set up for you to add the details of the story’s publication.
May 10, 2017
THE WRATH OF SHIVA By Susan Oleksiw REVIEW
THE WRATH OF SHIVA
By Susan Oleksiw
A fascinating read
First you have an amazingly described southern Indian setting,. Then you have fascinating characters from another culture, so well-drawn you feel they are real. And of course you have twisty plot to keep you turning those pages.
There’s the missing cousin. The servant who goes into trances. The money lender. And the demanding tour guide, among others. But best of all are the protagonist, Anita Ray, and her Auntie Meena.
This is the third novel I’ve read by Susan Olesksiw, and they have all been excellent. Highly recommended.
May 3, 2017
HOW WRITERS CAN USE THE OODA LOOP DURING ACTION SCENES
The OODA Loop is a “decision cycle” for observing, orienting, deciding, and acting, especially good in a potentially dangerous situation. It was developed by military strategist and United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd.
I learned about this because a neighbor described an encounter in a parking lot with someone who wanted to scam her into having him “fix” her tire. When she realized there wasn’t a think wrong with her tire, she brushed him off and went on her way. Then on the NextDoor forum for our neighborhood, she tried to describe the man and his vehicle. She had really not paid much attention to how he or his car looked, so couldn’t give much information. Someone else pointed out that she should Google “OODA Loop” and learn the process.
Knowing that I’m not very good at observing things either, I decided to look it up. I know I would have had the same problem with description as the other woman did.
And a big bonus for me is that it shows how my main character in a story can overcome the villain in a way I think the reader will buy into.
Not only did this seem like a good idea when not particularly threatened, especially if you’re a writer, it was an even better one when I looked further into it for when we are threatened. My search’s first page never mentioned women at all—just men, for example in combat and business (is there a difference?). And I thought women should be using it, too, for their own safety.
There is, of course, much more to it than simply telling yourself to observe, orient, decide and act.
You are getting a bead on your opponent’s intensions while masking your own intentions, which should be unpredictable.
The steps:
Observe—get information to determine what is really going and what you can do about it
Orient—how is the other person acting and reacting? (Okay, it took me a while to figure this part out, but I finally got it. The word “orient” didn’t quite do it for me.)
Decide–decide what to do about it
Act—unpredictably and faster than the “opponent” is best
Keep in mind that if you get out of a bad situation, you will probably want to tell other people about it, including sometimes, authorities who can arrest the other person. So when observing, take in as many details as you can, using all your senses—sight, sound, smell, and taste or feeling (hope it doesn’t come to those last two!).
If you’re a writer, having your characters perform these steps can be helpful. You can just use them to show the character acting, or you can have the character actually thinking (not naming the steps, of course) in this particular manner. Remember the opponent will also be going through a similar process, but not being aware of these steps could be a disadvantage.
Change the situation faster than the opponent can comprehend. Create confusion, uncertainty, chaos and panic so the opponent will over- or under-react.
Don’t you love finding something unexpected you can use to perhaps write better? I hope this helps us all.
April 26, 2017
FOUR QUICK TIME-SAVING TIPS YOU MAY NEVER HAVE CONSIDERED BEFORE
When preparing meals, do it near the sink to throw peelings into the disposal and put a trash can right next to you for other trash. If you can’t easily move your can, use a bowl to throw stuff in to be emptied later.
Tickler file at home. If you don’t have much going on every month, just make a file folder for each month. Have a calendar in there that shows birthdays and other days you want to send out cards. Put the cards in that folder when you buy them. Stash tickets, invitations, letters you need to answer and anything else that you want to do in a particular month. I do that and keep a Google calendar on my computer for a quick glance to see what’s coming up, like doctor appointments. Using both the file and the calendar, I am usually on top of everything.
Have a box (about shoe-box size) next to where you store your purses. When you want to change bags, put everything into the box and sort through it to arrange the new purse.
April 18, 2017
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMATEURS AND PROFESSIONALS
Jeff Goins wrote a spot-on article about the differences between amateurs and professionals in any profession.
The main points that struck me were:
Pros take action almost every day, if only for a short period of time, even half an hour, or perhaps fifteen minutes. Every day.
Pros keep working to get better, even after they’re famous.
Pros accept failure as a given and learn from it, then carry on.
Pros build a body of work. This improves their work.
To get the full article, go here:
https://medium.com/@jeffgoins/the-7-differences-between-professional-and-amateurs-ab6850c25c61
What it did for me:
I realized that I needed to work harder at being a professional marketer for my work. I need to spend time every single day on that goal, just as I spend most every single day on my writing.
If you really think about it, most of us need two main areas where we shine, usually one helping the other. For example, business manager and employee relations. Or better, wife and mother; husband and father. And yeah, writing and marketing that writing
Do you have two areas you think are complementary? If so, are you spending about equal time on both? Or do you disagree with any of this?
April 11, 2017
CAN LOOKING AT STATISTICS MAKE US BETTER WRITERS?
Interesting interview with an author about using statistics to improve our writing. Go here and see what you think.
Some of my observations:
Best-selling female writers use more “ly” words than the men do.
Beginning a story with the weather is not a deal-breaker for most readers. (But it almost always is for this reader.)
Favorite words can tell you a lot about an author.
This looks like a book that would be great fun to read.
Bottom line? Some writers “break the rules” and become famous. I like to play it safe, though, so I don’t usually start my stories with long sentences, the weather, or a single character musing, especially if she just woke up in bed. I also avoid “ly” words as much as possible, but I do use them sometimes because, you know, variety is the spice of life, and sometimes there is not a good verb that can stand alone that doesn’t distract from the flow. Every time I read that someone is trotting, I think of a horse. Is that what writers want? Think about the reader! Most readers never notice “ly” words, I’m sure. But weird words that are seldom used will take them right out of a story.
