Mary Castillo's Blog: News from Mary Castillo, page 10
October 9, 2014
Eeeek! It’s “Frankenbook”! How I cut up my manuscript to create a better story.
Okay, so my last post on the WIP was too scary. Sorry about that!
Lost in Whispers has not been destroyed; it went under the knife for a face lift, new boobs, butt lift and a tummy tuck! Part of my process is taking the raw manuscript and completely rearranging it. I cut up scenes, toss those that don’t work, squish two scenes into one, reorder those that could be much more effective elsewhere and make a glorious mess that will one day emerge as a real book.
It ain’t pretty. But it seems to have worked for all of my books so far!
Filed under: Mary's Books, The Dori O. Paranormal Mystery Series, Writing Wisdom
October 6, 2014
August 29, 2014
I still get a kick out of this scene!
From the excerpt of Lost in the Light posted on Lit Central OC
“She crept across the floor, scanned the dining room and then reached in to turn on the dining room chandelier, which thankfully had survived the architectural rape and pillage of the 1970s. His shadow moved across the wall in the hallway. Fear shot up her spine.”
Filed under: excerpt, free reads, Lost in the Light, Mary's Books, The Dori O. Paranormal Mystery Series
“Be a fan of your own work.” #writing
“Be a fan of your own work. Criticizing it to death won’t make it better. Writing is like a garden: it needs a lot of tending and weed control, but mostly it needs your nourishment.”
Enjoy the Q&A at Lit Central OC
Filed under: News
June 20, 2014
Put Down Your Pen to Plan: Basic Business Planning for Writers
Thank you Lit Central O.C. for having me share my experience of writing and maintaining a business plan!
Originally posted on Lit Central | O.C.:
EDITOR’S NOTE: Lit Central O.C. is pleased to introduce the first of a three-part series on savvy business practices for writers by multi-published author Mary Castillo, one of the savviest, career-oriented authors we know.
By Mary Castillo //
It had been my tenth rejection letter that stopped me in my tracks. I knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to be easy to convince an agent to take a chance on a first-time author. But I went ahead anyway and a common theme came back from that first round of inquiries: “You’re good but not that good.”
But if you’re like me and convinced that Published Author is your one and true destiny in life, it’s not easy to hear this kind of stuff. When you’ve put hours into a book, bared your soul and taken risks that kept you up at night wondering if it was the right thing to do—well, it’s pretty…
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Filed under: News
May 13, 2014
Summer starts at McFadden Wharf with open air market
Nueva Vida, Steff’s Stuff and Art & Treasures on the Alley have joined the May 22nd McFadden Open Air Market
Originally posted on Mary Castillo Public Relations:
OPEN AIR MARKET OPENS AT MCFADDEN WHARF NEWPORT BEACH
Summer evening market brings local artisans to Newport nightlife
What: Local artisans, craftspeople, painters, designers and jewelry makers will gather at McFadden Wharf in Newport Beach for the monthly summer Open Air Market. The base of the Newport Pier will come to life for locals and visitors to meet friends, enjoy local flavors and enjoy the salty breeze off our beautiful beach.
Each Open Air Market features one-of-kind vendors offering gifts, antiques, home décor, food, body care, jewelry and more.
The McFadden Wharf Open Air Market is organized by Seaside Events, which also produced Lido Village Market and pop-up markets throughout Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.
When: 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. every fourth Thursday from May to September
Thursday, May 22
Thursday, June 26
Thursday, July 24
Thursday, August 28
Thursday, September 25
Where: McFadden Wharf is located at the…
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Filed under: News
April 24, 2014
Sharing The Indie Author Manifesto
“My creative control is important to me. I decide when, where and how my writing graduates to become a published book.”
Filed under: News
April 22, 2014
Fear or Intuition?
Writers and artists, heck anyone and everyone, uses intuition. I know when I’m feeling the writing flow, it’s working! When the sentences are halting and I’m spending more time zoning out, something is off.
I love this quote from Terri Cole in the video linked below: “Intuition is simple and stated simply.”
Filed under: Awareness
April 16, 2014
March 24, 2014
Holy moly I just did a full camel pose d
Holy moly I just did a full camel pose during @msmandyingber Happiness Yoga on @POPSUGARFitness! Felt soooo good after the morning writing session. Thank you so much Mandy! Try it: http://ow.ly/uUJb1
Filed under: News
