Virginia Ripple's Blog, page 25

Writing in the Face of Fear

I'm getting ready to re-vision my blog. By that I mean I'm going to take a short break to brainstorm some great ideas for future posts. I want to make this a place you can stop by to pick up handy tips and inspirational messages to help you in your day-to-day life, as well as catch a weekly laugh.

That being said, I don't want to just leave you high and dry while I work up a new plan, so I'll be re-posting some of the best from the last year. Enjoy!

Writing in the Face of Fear

In his book The Courage to Write, Ralph Keyes tells us that every writer worth his or her salt has a fear of writing.  It's not just a fear of being rejected by a traditional publisher, although fear of rejection often causes the would-be author to become what Ralph calls a "trunk writer" (someone who writes something, then puts it in a drawer or "trunk").  There's also the fear of the blank page (or blank screen).  We writers give it the nice euphemism of "writer's block," but more often it's fear.  What if I can't come up with anything?  What if I do and it's crap?

Brenda Ueland has an answer to that in her book If You Want to Write.  She says it doesn't matter.  She dares each of us to try to write the worst story we can because she believes even in the worst we can find great stuff.  Brenda cautions the would-be author not to get too hung up on technical details of writing and encourages us all to put something of ourselves into everything we do.

While I agree with Brenda on both parts, Independent Authors do need to make each work as flawless as possible before going to print.  It's impossible to get anything perfect, but it is possible to make everything the best you can.  Ralph gives several suggestions on how to do this in The Courage to Write. Another good source for things to look for is Edward C. Patterson's eBook Are You Still Submitting to Traditional Publishers? When it comes to technical aspects such as punctuation, my favorite resource is The St. Martin's Handbook.  If you plan to freelance for magazines and newspapers, you'll probably want a recent edition of The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

Knowing I have several good resources at hand helps me face the fear of writing, but I still find myself frustrated by the blank page on occasion.  Ralph points out that many great writers have what he calls rituals to help them get started.  Having a ritual may seem like a waste of time (sharpening 20 pencils before writing like Hemingway did certainly qualifies in my mind), but if it's what gets you in the right frame of mind then it's worth the "wasted" time.  Personally, I know I can't string more than two words together without having my desk relatively cleared of clutter and a hot cup of Earl Grey tea at hand.  Whatever you need to do to psych yourself up to write, do it.  Just don't let your ritual become an excuse not to write.

Although I won't go so far as to say embrace your fear, I will say that knowing the fear is there for your fellow writers can be a comfort.  You're not alone.  Remembering that and having a few good resources at  hand makes writing a little more enjoyable and a lot less frightening.

How do you face your fears?

2 Quick And Easy Meditation Techniques For Busy Lives

I'm getting ready to re-vision my blog. By that I mean I'm going to take a short break to brainstorm some great ideas for future posts. I want to make this a place you can stop by to pick up handy tips and inspirational messages to help you in your day-to-day life, as well as catch a weekly laugh.

That being said, I don't want to just leave you high and dry while I work up a new plan, so I'll be re-posting some of the best from the last year. Enjoy!

2 Quick And Easy Meditation Techniques For Busy Lives

I am one of those strange creatures called Mother who enjoys rocking her toddler to sleep — most of the time. There are times, like Sunday night (thanks daylight savings!), when it's a real challenge. Those are the nights my little girl has a hard time relaxing. Those are also the nights I find myself struggling to stay calm.

Staying calm is essential in helping my toddler fall asleep because she's an hsc. She picks up on my moods quickly, so if I start feeling antsy, thinking about the 101 other things that simply must be done before I go to bed, she gets even more restless. It's taken me the better part of two years to figure out I can't convince her to relax while my mind is busy chewing on my latest to-do list.

Thankfully, I've learned two meditation techniques that help me stay calm even when she's determined to see how far my patience will go. (And they work in other stressful situations, too!)

Count on it — this is the easiest calming method I've found. Count to 120, then count backwards to 1. Repeat as needed. This is a great technique to use not just for calming little ones, but for keeping cool while waiting in long lines and in traffic jams.

Get focused — this one is a bit more difficult to maintain, but I think it has the best end result. Alternately concentrate on your breathing and bodily sensations. For example, while I'm rocking my daughter, I focus on the feel of her weight in my arms, the warmth of her body, the change in her breathing as she falls asleep. When she squirms or talks I focus on breathing deeply and letting my exhalations take away any stressful feelings building up in my thoughts. This works well for doctor visits and on the job, especially for office workers.

Meditation doesn't need to be a long, drawn-out process of sitting cross-legged in absolute silence. It can happen anywhere at anytime.

What other techniques have you found useful?

Chalk One Up For Doggy Weight Loss

I don't know about you, but when it comes to weight loss, or even just getting healthier in general, I lack commitment. This dog, though, has it down cold. Maybe I should watch this every time I get on the treadmill.

Happy Monday!

Using Ebooks To Their Full Advantage

Most of us have heard that eBooks are now mainstream, yet are writers using them to their full advantage? According to James Moushon in his guest post "Real eBooks: Are We Still in the Stone Age?" on The Book Designer, probably not.

Here's what James says about what a real eBook should be:

My contention is that REAL ebooks should be a different product than their paper counterparts. They should be formatted differently; sections arranged differently and in some cases they should have different covers. In short, to be a REAL ebook, they should not be just a copy of the traditional book version.

He goes on to give tips on exactly how to rearrange an eBook so it's a "real" eBook, which includes moving large table of contents and author references to the end and including links to other books, especially the author's other books.

While I agree with James, I admit that it's difficult for me to actually do that. Writers are avid readers. Until recently we all grew up reading traditionally published paper and hardbacks. To layout a book in any other way seems like we're trying to walk on our hands and eat with our feet.

However, James has a point. If you want a potential reader to decide to buy your book based on what he or she has read, you have to get them enough material from the book to read to make an informed decision. When online stores offer only a set percent of the front matter for a reader to view as a sample, it makes sense to make the most of it with the actual story and not a lot of added stuff they would probably skip anyway.

With the rise of eBook purchases, we need to do everything we can to make the experience a pleasant one for the reader so they become not just a one book buyer, but a devoted fan.

What other differences have you noticed between paper/hardback books and eBooks? What changes would you make?

Upon Review: Heaven's Mountain by Jacalyn Wilson

I love to request free books to review. In fact I subscribe to two review sites: Book Crash and Book Rooster, but sometimes I have the privilege to review a book by an author I know or one who is brave enough to contact me for a review.

Jacalyn Wilson emailed me recently asking if I'd would review her Christian romance/mystery book Heaven's Mountain, part of a trilogy she has self-published through KDP. I was intrigued by the idea of a Christian murder mystery, though I'm not fond of romances. Still, as with In The Aerie of the Wolf by Leonora Pruner, I do my best to read the book in light of what a romance reader might enjoy.

Here is the description of Heaven's Mountain:

On the possibility that an innocent man remains imprisoned for a murder committed thirty years ago, newspaper reporter Grace Turner embarks on a dangerous pursuit of the real killer. Her journey to the idyllic setting of Heaven's Mountain turns out to be a quest not only for the story of a lifetime, but also for the emotional and spiritual healing of old wounds. Though attracted to handsome Ethan MacEwen, Grace subdues her desire for the young preacher, knowing that her animosity for the church precludes the possibility of anything more than friendship. Still, by the caprice of circumstance, when she finds herself obliged to work closely with him to uncover the truth, Grace discovers that her carefully constructed walls of protection cannot withstand the all-encompassing love of God.

***Spoiler Alert***

If you don't want to know about anything specific that happens in the book, please skip to The Overall… section.

The Good…

There were two really good things about this book: 1) a thought-provoking Christian message on living a Christian life of forgiveness, and 2) a smart heroine.

If you've read my bio, you know I'm a former minister. Jackie's message of how and why to forgive the church hit home for me, as I'm sure it can for many others who have left congregations because of things Christians have said or done. I found myself often pausing and considering the questions posed in the book on who is hurt by someone carrying a grudge.

Even through Grace's unintended spiritual quest, she does a great job keeping her head on straight when faced with questionable circumstances. For instance, when a young friend calls to tell her he'll give her the murder weapon if she will meet him at an abandoned mine at night, she immediately says no. He manages to change her mind, but she makes sure people know where she's going. That's smart. A lot of times in books, movies, and TV shows the heroine doesn't bother, leaving me yelling at the woman and wanting to quit reading/watching right there.

The Not-So-Good…

Writers are always hearing the mantra "show, don't tell." While there's plenty of showing in Heaven's Mountain, there's also a lot of telling. At times the reader is left outside the story, watching what's going on, but not feeling it with the character. An example would be during the characters' passage across a dangerous old bridge. Although I knew the scene would have been a terrifying experience, nothing in the characters' actions made it seem so. If anything, it seemed as if this was nothing more than a Sunday picnic to them.

There's also a bit of head-hopping during scenes. Sometimes a scene will begin with one character's point of view and then will, within a sentence or two, jump to another's POV. This can be a bit jarring, but it's not a deal breaker.

I also felt the romance part took longer than necessary to tie up. There are several chapters after Grace and Ethan are rescued from the mine in which we see them on a date, speaking with family and friends regarding their feelings toward each other, etc. before the book ends with an epilogue. These were unnecessary chapters. I understand the need to show the two characters didn't just jump into a heavy relationship the next day, but I think readers can figure that out on their own.

The Overall…

If you're looking for a good, clean romance with a few thrilling scenes and with characters who make reasonably good decisions, I think you will enjoy Heaven's Mountain.

Star Wars Goes To The Dogs

In our household, Star Wars is considered sacred. DH's office is littered with3/4″ plastic body parts just waiting to be reassembled into new Jedi. Every other Wednesday night is dedicated to the newest SW comic, which, of course, must be read in the only place of privacy a man has — the bathroom. If there's a cool new video game trailer, as a dutiful wife, I must watch with enthusiasm regardless of the time of night it happens to be.

It's a good thing I like Star Wars, too, or the men in white coats might have to come cart me away. Anyway, when DH showed me this video I knew I just had to share it on LOL Monday. See how many SW characters you can recognize and if you recognize the "song" the dogs are "singing."

May the Force be with you.

Ebook Buyers: Can You Afford To Lose Them?

I recently read a guest post by Chris Keys, author of The Fishing Trip – A Ghost Story and Reprisal!: The Eagle Rises!, about the difficulties of selling self-published books.  According to Chris, he's only sold about a dozen books.  It seems typical of independent authors, but here's the catch: I looked for Chris' book The Fishing Trip – A Ghost Story on Amazon and found that he only had it in print.

What really bothers me about this is that he used CreateSpace to publish his book.  I would think putting out a Kindle edition as well as a print edition would have been a no brainer.  It's really too bad Chris didn't go with both because I was poised to purchase an eBook edition, provided the price was right, on the spot.  I wishlisted the book, but that doesn't mean I'll remember to go back and buy it later.

I'm left wondering how many indie author sales are lost because of this kind of shortsightedness.  Between earning higher profits on lower prices and the immediate delivery (aka immediate gratification) of eBooks, how can anyone afford not to publish in electronic format?  That's especially true now that epublishing is free on major bookseller sites like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I suppose many authors cringe at the idea of formatting their manuscript into eBook format. It's not as difficult as you might think, though it does take some time. There are numerous articles on the web on how to do this, including "How to Format Ebooks" by Jamie Wilson and "How to Format an Ebook" by Smashwords' Mark Coker. If you use Adobe InDesign, check out EPUB Straight to the Point by Elizabeth Castro. For basics on Kindle formatting browse Joshua Tallent's Kindle Formatting web site.

If you still don't want to try formatting your own book (or find you just can't wrap your mind around it) then find someone who can. Indie Author April L. Hamilton of Publetariat warns us of taking the cheap route and simply converting a manuscript rather than having it formatted properly. It's better to spend a little money on putting out a great book, than lose readers due to poor formatting.

Formatting is different from conversion in that formatting standardizes the manuscript and creates any companion files needed for the eBook while conversion is simply loading the work into a program and clicking a button. Conversion is easy. Formatting takes more time and effort.

Regardless of whether you choose to do it yourself or have someone else do it for you, if you want to get your book into the hands of more readers, don't neglect the eBook format.

Everyday Miracles

The country road I grew up on has exactly 3 tracks. Simple math will tell you you cannot have two vehicles meet on that road and have each stay in the tracks.

If the road were just flat,packed dirt with tiny ditches it would be a cake walk, but no. This road has hills a mountain goat would enjoy climbing, with deep ditches reminiscent of Ozark cliffs. Oh! And did I mention lots of loose gravel? I won't even go into the white knuckle driving when it gets icy.

So what's miraculous about this road? In the 30-something years my folks have lived on it there have been no head-on collisions and very few vehicles in any ditch.

You might think it's because there's very little traffic, but it's been a teenager party time freeway since before we lived there. Houses have been cropping up more frequently, too, which means increased traffic.

Any way you look at it, I think that road is an everyday testament to God's care. Luck only goes so far, but God is always watching, caring for our most basic needs whether we ask or not.

When have you noticed little everyday miracles?

When Following The Leader Doesn't Pay

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to follow someone…

Hope you have a better week than that cat.

 

Painful DRMs And Ebook Pricing

I am not an early adopter. I love gadgets, but I like to wait until most of the bugs have been worked out. Then I wait a little longer until I'm sure it's a tool I'm really going to use and not a toy I'll toss aside in a couple of months. So I was really excited about finally buying an eReader last month.

Alas, my excitement was short lived upon discovering my new gadget couldn't read several of my previously downloaded books. No problem, I thought. I'd just convert them with this nifty software I'd read about.

Wrong! Until that moment I had little understanding just how DRMs affected me personally. Suddenly I'm faced with undesirable choices: a) pay for yet another eBook version, b) read it on my laptop or smartphone (doable, but not exactly comfortable), c) learn to strip the DRMs from my eBooks, d) forget the whole thing. While b and d are the simplest solutions, I am actually hovering between paying what I considerate an exorbitant amount for an eBook and learning how to "pirate" my own books for my own personal use, which brings me to my topic: eBook pricing.

Traditional publishers have missed the boat when it comes to eBook pricing. In fact, many aren't even on the loading dock. As JA Konrath points out in his post "Ebook Pricing," customers want to pay less for eBooks than they would for a hard copy. It's always made sense to me as a customer, but as a business person/Independent Author I wondered if it was wise to price an eBook low. If Konrath's numbers are to be believed, however, the lower the price, the better the sales, the more money you can pocket.

With so many eBook avenues opening up to Independent Authors from Amazon's Digital Text Platform for Kindle to Barnes and Noble's new PubIt! pricing for high sale volume seems the better choice.

Author generated links:

April Hamilton's post "Avast Ye Lubbers and Hear Ye Me Pirates" on eBook piracy tells of an honest woman pushed into piracy.