Pamela Beason's Blog, page 4

How to Break Through Writer’s Block

This morning my author friend P.J. Alderman and I were whining to each other about the problem of getting bogged down while writing a new manuscript. We were both trying to climb out of the dreaded “muddle in the middle.” This happens to most authors I know–we have already planned out the stellar endings for our books, but somehow we always fall into a bog of quicksand as we race down that path toward the finish line.

Over the years, I’ve developed strategies for helping my brain break out of...

Three Common American Misconceptions About Money and Our Tax System

Last week, as I was sharing drinks and conversation with a few of the people from my western line dance class, the instructor mentioned that she valued my ebook on saving money (SAVE Your Money, Your Sanity, and Our Planet: 5 Lessons and 125 Tips for a Thrifty Lifestyle). I was surprised that she knew about it and even more surprised that she’d downloaded it; I generally make no effort to promote it because I focus primarily on my true love, fiction. I wrote my SAVE ebook because I grew up in...

Four Tips for a Happier, Thriftier Lifestyle

Our consumer culture leads us to believe that we always need more money to buy more things. We hunger for more leisure time, better relationships with family and friends, and relief from the stress of constantly needing to earn more money for more stuff. And by accumulating all this stuff, we are, frankly, poisoning our planet. Some days I wonder if future generations will come to think it’s normal to live on top of landfills and strain garbage out of their drinking water.

I was lucky to be bo...

Are Books Really Worth Less Than Coffee?

As I was recently trying to explain the bookselling business to my sister, who has a marketing (but not a book marketing) background, I found myself wondering again just how the whole publishing business model got so screwed messed up. These days, many of us think nothing of plunking down several dollars for a cup of coffee, but we look at a book and think—gee, I don’t know if I want to spend money on that. (I confess, I do this too, although I’m also a skinflint about the coffee.)

The coffee...

The Next Big Thing

One of my favorite authors and cyber-buddies, Jessica Speart, tagged me to participate in this online ‘blog-hop’ or ‘blog-tour’. I’ve never done this before, but I gather I’m supposed to grab the torch, answer ten questions, and pass it off to other authors to carry on the eternal flame.

The Next Big Thing, as this online ‘blog tour’ is called, is designed to be a way to discover new writers and find out what we’re all up to.

Now for the 10 questions…

What is the working title of your book?

I hav...

Duct Tape – The 11th Essential

Every time I see an article about backcountry travel that lists the classic ten essentials (first drummed into all northwesterners by the Mountaineers), I shake my head in disbelief. Map, compass, sunglasses and sunscreen, extra clothing, headlamp/flashlight, first-aid supplies, firestarter, matches, knife, extra food … all great things to have on any outdoor expedition, but there is one crucial element missing: duct tape. How could any intrepid outdoor type leave home without it? Duct tape h...

Do Crappy Experiences Create Good Writers?

Today as I absorbed my morning caffeine, I read my friend Rae Ellen Lee’s excellent book Cheating the Hog, which is the story of a woman working in a sawmill in a remote area. As I read scenes describing the hard physical labor, I was reminded of when I worked at a tree farm during graduate school in Oklahoma. The farm was owned by the US Forest Service and, forest and wilderness lover that I am, I thought it was cool to be able to say I worked for the USFS.

The work was definitely not cool, t...

What Makes a Romantic Gift?

Everyone deserves love

As we approach Valentine’s Day, I think a lot about what makes a loving relationship and what is a truly romantic gesture toward someone you love.

You can’t walk into a store this time of year without confronting red cardboard heart boxes loaded with candy, heart-shaped balloons, bouquets of flowers, and glittery greeting cards.

Lovely but impersonal

And although I would smile if any man bestowed any of those on me (except for the balloons, which I consider an environmental...

Why I Don’t Write Cutesy Murder Mysteries

As a longtime lover of mysteries, I read all sorts of mystery books, and I’m fascinated by the idea of “murder mystery” parties and such. Castle is one of my favorite TV shows. But I have to say that while I enjoy all these things, they also bother me on a certain level, too. Because in most popular fiction, and especially in television series, an important element is missing: the grieving families and friends.

We all walk among murderers every day. It’s true, because most murderers do not sta...

Africa, Where Life is Cheap…and Precious

Wanna Play?

I recently returned from a safari trip to Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. My group stayed in remote bush camps with no fences; the animals wandered among our tent cabins at will. We heard lions and hyenas all night long; one morning ten of them surrounded the tent next to us–imagine seeing a circle of lions waiting outside your flimsy screen window! It was an interesting experience being a potential link in the food chain instead of at the top of it. We don’t often need to think th...