Joseph Hunt's Blog, page 28

Author Interview -- Brea Essex!

Go on, introduce yourself, I promise that I won't bite.



My name is Brea Essex. I'm 29 and I'll be turning 30 the end of November.



I'm from a small town called Gilroy, California, USA. It's nicknamed "The Garlic Capital of the World." If you ever go there, you would see why. You can smell the garlic from miles away.



What genre are you most comfortable writing?



Anything YA. I joke that since I was never really a teenager, writing teenage characters kind of gives me a chance to go back and experience it.



Do you ever try out different genres?



I do. Besides my YA novels, I'm working on an epic fantasy series, as well as a couple of contemporary fiction novels.



What do you write? (Novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, flash fiction)



I mostly write novels, although I've written a few short stories and some poems. I wrote a lot of poetry in high school, but unfortunately, those have all been lost.



How long have you been writing for? Is writing your full time job?



I started writing around age ten. I began writing full time about two years ago. I do consider writing my full time job, although I'm in school as well.



What do you prefer to read, stand-alone novels or series?



It depends on the story. Sometimes a story can be effectively tied up in one novel. Sometimes they require series.



Who is your favourite author? Did they inspire you to write?



My favourite author is David Eddings. He's been my favourite since I was 13, even though he wrote mainly adult epic fantasy. He's definitely been an inspiration to me. He was an extremely talented author.



Has anyone or anything else inspired you?



Other than David Eddings, my dad has been a huge inspiration to me. He's worked extremely hard his whole life and he taught me to never give up. He's always encouraged me with my writing.

What's your favourite book? How many times have you read it?



I actually have two favourite series: The Belgariad and The Mallorean by David Eddings, and The Chronicles of the Cheysuli by Jennifer Roberson. If I had to choose just one book, I'd have to say "Castle of Wizardry" by David Eddings. I've read both of these series so many times that I've lost count!



Do you have any fears? If so, give us a list!



Definitely! I'm absolutely terrified of spiders, heights, and drowning. Also clowns and mirrors in the dark.



Do you write with music, or without?



I generally write with music. I have playlists for each series and novel, as well as a general playlist that I listen to when I'm working on something new.

Are you forever coaxed on caffeine (like so many)?



I am, but not coffee. I drink a lot of diet soda (completely addicted) and chai tea.



Are you planner or are you a pantser?



A little bit of both. I plan, but I like to leave room for the unexpected.



Would you like to share any writing tips?

If you want to write, write. Read a lot. Also, I think the best way to get past the dreaded "writer's block" is by not believing in it. If you find yourself stuck, work on something else.



Do you have anything published (self-published)?



Not yet, but hopefully really soon!

Where can people find YOU!





Blog: Author blog: http://breaessex.blogspot.com/Book review blog, http://clusallnightpreview.blogspot.com/Blog "reality show": http://promethiad.blogspot.com/



Facebook: Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/breaessexfanpageBook review Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clus-All-Night-Preview-A-Book-Review/200904929963217



Twitter: @BreaEssex



Other: Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4720741-brea-essexGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/104892200905320794468/postsLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/breaessexFormSpring: http://www.formspring.me/breaessex

It was great having you!

~Joseph Eastwood

Prompts & Cues #BeatTheBlock

Although I have so many novel ideas, I sometimes like to take a break and just write a little something totally unrelated, usually 10 page short stories that I don't need to spend days planning and plotting, because I've found that I'm a pantser when it comes to short stories--well there isn't a real point to planning something so short in my eyes.



If anyone is actually suffering from writer's block, then I strongly suggest buying a book full of prompts, I have one, "The Writer's Book of Matches - 1,001 prompts to ignite your fiction" however, I have seen a lot of websites where you can visit and they'll give you free writing prompts, it's just as simple as going to Google and asking "1,001 writing prompts" please and sure enough it'll spit out a few links which I'm sure will all be good.



I've also seen features on blogs where they put up a different picture and people are supposed to take inspiration from it and write a paragraph or something. I'm not sure, I've never really looked into it, except the pictures they put up are really nice and I can understand why people would be inspired by them.



Every writer will take something different from a picture or a prompt, some people write fantasy and so will turn their prompt into that, other people write romance, so they will incorporate love into their prompt.



I just flipped through my book and found a nice one, it's nice because it can be manipulated to do anything. I can think of lots of different ideas for different genres. This exercise is also good if you've been told that you need to incorporate one genre into your writing or one that you want to get better at.



"I know you're not religious, but why don't you try praying anyway?"

One of the things I immediately noticed about this prompt was that you character could be male or female and their prayer could be anything. I was thinking something selfish because I know a lot of religious people who prayer for other people, and it's always seemed quite sacred to prayer.

ROMANTIC -- "to fall in love", a typical female lead, perhaps she's just broken up with someone and she wants to fall in love again, of course she will, but then there's her ex-boyfriend--that could be the drama in the romance.

FANTASY -- perhaps all of their prayers are answered, and they could prayer for something and not want it. A usual one which I always seem to think of is praying that you had a different family or they weren't your sibling.

DRAMA -- after brushing religion off all of those years and taking the chances on the words of a friend, your protagonist could become religious and change their whole life, which in turn messes with the lives of everyone else--a partner, children, career, hobbies, social life etc.

MYSTERY -- a religious nut believes that God is coming down to Earth to kill the sinners, or something like that, and slowly people are dying, one by one (if you've watched Harper's Island, I was thinking that) there are people obviously trying to figure out and this religious nut is all like "prayer" "redeem yourself" --someone you see on the streets holding one of those cardboard signs that read 'REPENT' in blood red paint.



I know that there are so many other genres, but they are just a few suggestions as to how a writing prompt doesn't have to limit you in what you write. It is also a good exercise to extend the tendrils of your imagination and let ideas free fall and land where they may.



Happy Writing Guys & Gurls! :)

~Joseph Eastwood

Your Platform!

I know some of them.
The key to selling anything successfully, is to market it. And as an indie author you need to market yourself, as you'll be the one promoting, don't think it will fall on the head of anybody else, you've chosen your route, now stick to it. So, as this is your route, you need to market yourself, people have to like you, if they don't then they won't want to buy your novel.



I've been pretty successful on different social media platforms. I have a Facebook Page, I have a Twitter account, I have a Scibd account, a Goodreads account, and this! Because you can't reach a wide scope of people on just one platform, and I know that there are still so many that I don't belong to. I don't have a Wordpress account, I don't do Tumblr, or anything else, but I do have a Youtube account, however I haven't made trailers (I'll talk more about trailers soon). Another thing, I'm not active in forums, I've heard a lot of people talk about forums but I don't know where to start---even though people have suggested I go to the Kindle Board (something like that).



One more thing before I start, promoting is DIFFERENT to spam! People will want to know you as a person, so don't open up with "BUY MY BOOK" or "JOIN MY FAN PAGE", I admit to that I've used the second--and some people have reacted badly, so now if I post I give them a little bio, normally, "Hi, my name is Joseph Eastwood, I'm 18, I'm from the UK and I'm a writer/aspiring author. I write fantasy/dark fantasy. I'm currently editing my novel, Lumen, which I am hoping to self-publish." -- it's a little different every.



So, onto the different platforms!



Facebook

You can create your own group, your own page! This goes without saying that you must be a part of Facebook, I'm no longer a part of it for my social life or personal life as such, but I am in it to market, I'm in it to make friends with other writers and authors. I love to join groups and like pages, I believe that I belong to over 300 groups (most of them from when I was in high school about 2 years ago, so they aren't all aimed at writers, but around 20 of them are). At this moment in time, I have 1,077 "likes" on my page which is an AWESOME achievement for someone who is both my age and yet to publish.



So be a part of Facebook--let people know you're there! Just Facebook search "writing" or "writers" you might even find me in one of the groups. I also give shout outs for writers on my page, and I give you permission to post on my wall---just don't do it all the time.



Tweet, Tweet

I'm not going to lie and say I know what Twitter is, because I don't. I still don't understand it, but most of my readership comes from Twitter and the tweets that I post. And at this very moment I have 1,060 followers on Twitter and I'm following about 1,560, however people are always pining after getting more followers than they are following---for me, I don't really care, I still have a thousand followers, it would be nice if I had more, but I don't want to be one of those attention people who have "will follow back" on the bio page.



There are hashtags people put at the end of their 140 character updates. A common one of mine is #amwriting #blogging #update #milestone etc. and there are other popular ones among writers such as #wordmongering which I've heard has it's own webpage(?--maybe), I don't know.



People often ask me how I get so many followers, and although I don't know them all personally, I have had some really good conversations with them. You can find people by using the search feature at the top of your page, perhaps enter a hashtag like #wordmongering and you'll find people. You will usually see their mini bio and that's how you'll make your mind up on whether or not you want to follow them, they will also do this to you. Make sure your mini bio has your information in, I often see this "writer. blogger. author. editor. poet" (well that's actually the tagline of my blog, but I hope you get what I'm on about). There's a little line where your URL will go for a webpage--or for instance blog. Putting your blog there is good to draw traffic to your blog when people follow you.

Blogspot!

Blogging is also important, I've chosen Blogspot as my preferred site but some people use Wordpress and others have their own websites with a page for their blog. What I like about Blogspot is how easy it is to use, I have my Facebook widget over at the left-hand side there and I have links to popular posts, a little column for the archive, and then there's you in the "Cool People" box. I even have a Twitter feed (which matches the blue colour scheme) and at the bottom there's even a little fish box, if you've never been down to the fish box, do, it's fun---but first read the rest of this post.



So, starting this post I have 112 member of my blog, it's a real nice number--I'm getting around 100 - 150 hits on my blog per day, so I have a lot of coverage for an 18 year old aspiring (and soon to be) author. I've go a few features going on my blog, I have a #Writer's Tools page, where I archive posts about helping writers; word classes, characterization, plotting & planning etc. I also have a #Beat The Block! page, which is dedicated to helping writers out of their rut, namely writer's block.



I want to teach creative writing, but that wasn't the reason why I started this page--I don't think it did have a purpose in the beginning except for a place where I could complain--I like to complain and this blog has been around for a year now but I've only just started to get back into the swing of things last month.You need to have a purpose for your blog--be it a safe haven for your thoughts, a fan page, a tips and tricks guide etc. if you don't have material to work with, or an audience to appeal to, then how are you going to get people to come back or follow.



Youtube & Trailers

These are good because you can use pictures, colours, flashing images, descriptions, speech! And although you're advertising for a book which they will read, I often find that these trailers can give you a greater feel for the novel, they may have a song playing in the background and that could set the atmosphere of the novel, just like you hear a soundtrack in movies, or as a writer you reply a certain song over and over because that helps you hone on what mood you're trying to portray.

Promoting

I've seen a lot of people do giveaways, but that's hard when you're yet to publish, so I like to share my writing, usually by saying when I reach #x amount of likes I'll put up a short story or a sample or a chapter, just something. Another way to get "likes" up on your Facebook page is to sell yourself  on groups and other pages, some people call it spam (well it is called spam) but I like to call it a copy and paste job. I did address some of the things which could go into it like "Hi--" but that can always be copied and pasted, and I did this--because the truth is, you need to, you can't just rely on people who "like" your page to recommend it to other people.



You can create a little online signature for when you comment on a blog post, something like this:

"~Joseph Eastwood

http://josepheastwoodxd.blogspot.com/"

I've used this, and it has worked, but I haven't used it as much lately because I feel that I have a solid number of people following my blog, and now its growth will be natural. I've connected my blog to Networked Blogs and that posts on my FB page, my personal FB page and my Twitter account whenever I post a new blog---it's a less "READ MY BLOG" approach because it's automated.

Happy Promoting Guys & Gurls!

I know that I might have not expressed myself fully or skimmed over some things, however, I hope that I haven't and I hope you find this blog post very informative.

~Joseph Eastwood

Author Interview -- Theresa Oliver!

Tell us a bit about yourself.



My name is Theresa Oliver and I am ... um ... 48 years old. Actually, I'm the age I am and I'm proud of it because I've earned every year! I am the mother of three boys ages 16, 10, and 6. Besides being a soon-to-be-published author, I am also a teacher. I've taught Language Arts and Reading to middle school students, as well as fourth grade. In the fall, I will teach second grade and am very excited. In the past, I have also worked as a reporter and Assistant Layout Editor for the Florida Catholic, and the Arts & Entertainment Editor for the student publication, the Pacer at UTM.



I am originally from Clarksville, Indiana, but lived in West Palm Beach, Florida, for over 20 years. I have also lived in Pooler, Georgia, and Bradford, Tennessee. I currently reside in Kissimmee, FL.



What genre are you most comfortable writing? 



That's a good question. I currently write Young Adult paranormal romance, horror, romance, and anything else that comes to mind. However, I feel comfortable writing books for adults, as well, in all genres. In the past, I was also a reporter and a Layout Editor and feel very comfortable writing nonfiction articles, as well.



Do you ever try out different genres?



Or course! In fact, I love to write books that cross genre boundaries, such as paranormal romance. But I would love to write a romance one day, or a sci fi, as well. To me, writing is writing, whatever the form.



What do you write? (Novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, flash fiction)



I primarily write novels, short stories, poetry, and articles. Currently, I am working on

Star, vampire novel; Wolf Girl and the Children of the Moon, a werewolf novel; and Thou Shalt Not Kill, a novel about Catholic school students that find themselves in the middle of WWIII. But i am most excited about my novel Cambria, a fantasy romance novel, which is set for publication with Firefly and Wisp Publishing.



How long have you been writing for? Is writing your full time job? 



I first put pen to paper when I was fourteen, when I wrote my first short story titled "The Door." I also wrote poetry, stories—virtually anything I could think of—in high school. I have been writing off and on since. I decided to go to college for writing, earning a BA in Communications, News Editorial sequence from the University of Tennessee at Martin. While there, I worked as the first Arts & Entertainment Editor for the student publication, The Pacer. Then i worked as a reporter and an Assistant Layout Editor for the Florida Catholic. But my first love was fictional writing, so I set out to write my first novel and that's when Cambria was born. I also wrote stories for many fan fiction contests through the Stephanie Meyer Facebook page, and won many contests. After the positive response to and encouragement for my work, I decided to take my writing much more seriously, developing my own short story page titled Theresa Oliver's Short Story Page. I hope to quit my day job and make writing my full-time career within the next few years.



What do you prefer to read, stand-alone novels or series? 



Either works for me, as long as they are good and hold my interest. I read all the books in the Twilight saga, by Stephenie Meyer, eight times and counting. I also love Halo, by Alexandra Adornetto, and the Thirst series by Christopher Pike. One of my favourite books is A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux.



Who is your favourite author? Did they inspire you to write?



Hands down, Stephenie Meyer! I never read many young adult books before reading the books by Stephenie Meyer. Reading her books actually inspired me to write again, and to write Young Adult books, as well.



Did anyone else inspire you? Or anything else? 



My mother always inspired and encouraged me to write before her death last year. But I find inspiration to write all around! There is always something to inspire writing ideas if you are open to it. Cambria and Thou Shalt Not Kill were both inspired by my son, Travis. I am also inspired by my fans.



What's your favourite book? How many times have you read it? 



The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I've read every book 8 times, and some of them more. I lost count. I just love them! I'm such a Twihard!



Do you have any fears? If so, give us a list! 



Snakes! Sorry for you snake lovers out there, but to me, the only good snake is a dead snake! LOL!



Do you write with music, or without? 



Actually, not to music, no. I write with my children's kid's shows in the background! I'm such a mom!



Are you forever coaxed on caffeine (like so many)? 



Not really. I love decaf, though, unleaded. You really don't want to see me on high test!



Haha, so what's your poison ;)? 



Ooooo ... good question. Coke Zero and decaf coffee!



Are you planner or are you pantser? 



I plan out my writing mentally, but never write it out until I am writing the book. So, I guess you could say I'm both. I plan it out mentally, but love it when unexpected surprises happen along the way, making writing adventurous and fun!



Would you like to share any writing tips?



Yes! Many new writers have asked me about punctuation and grammar books and I highly recommend the AP Stylebook for this. Also, people have also asked me how best to formulate a novel. I usually write according to scenes. When writing a novel, I write two in-depth scenes for each chapter. Also, when writing a book, have a plan and a focus, whether written down or mentally. Stay true to your characters—what they would do or how they would react within a scene—while keeping the focus of your novel or story in mind. Many writers get off track and find themselves on a tangent, losing the focus of his or her book. But staying focused will help with that. Also, don't be afraid to delete your own words, if necessary. Do not become so in love with your own words that you will not delete them when needed. When I first started out, I had to delete two or three chapters to tighten a book. It happens to us all, but let it go! Lastly, accept constructive criticism graciously. When asking an experienced writer for help, accept it! Because that is only what her or she is trying to do—to help you to become a better writer. And, let's face it, that's where we all want to be! J



Do you have anything published (self-published)?

I have just accepted a contract with Firefly and Wisp Publishers for my first book Cambria! I am very excited about this and can hardly wait to see it in print! I have also published over 125 articles and stories with various newspapers in Tennessee and Florida.



What's Cambria about?



Cambria features Seth, a normal teenage boy who is raised by his mother, Victoria, and does not know who is father is. And Victoria is no help, as she has never told Seth much about him. But everything changes when his mother asks him to visit his Great Uncle Herman in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. In St. John's, he discovers that his uncle is a wizard, in fact, the son of Merlin himself. Herman asks Seth if he would like to go on an adventure. He agrees. With the help of a strange medallion, Herman sends Seth back in time to Cambria, a village founded by one of the knights of Author's round table. In Cambria, Seth discovers his true potential, family secrets, and love. He soon finds himself on an adventure of a lifetime as he races to save Briana, his love and the future queen of Cambria, and Cambria itself. Right now, it'is a single, but I hope it will become a series.



Where can people find YOU!



Blog: Coming soon!

Facebook: Theresa Oliver's Short Story Page



Thank you, Joseph, for having me!



It was a pleasure!



~Joseph Eastwood, with guest and author, Theresa Oliver!

Author Interview -- Charlie Finn!

Go on, introduce yourself, I promise that I won't bite.



Well, I'm Charlie and I just turned 21 this year (July 1st if you're interested ;)) I'm from Stevenage Hertfordshire and this is me :)



What genre are you most comfortable writing? 



Young adult/Paranormal. Although I think I would be comfortable to write any genre it's just this one makes me feel super excited to write about it!



Do you ever try out different genres?



I currently have a bedtime story in the works and another novel that is based on a true story.



What do you write? (Novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, flash fiction) 



Novels.



How long have you been writing for? Is writing your full time job?



I've only been writing for a few months. It hasn't always been what I have wanted to do at all it was only in December last year after a really hard time in my life I started to write and as much as I love writing this isn't my full time job being a stay at home mum to two gorgeous little boys is so I'm very lucky!



What do you prefer to read, stand-alone novels or series?



Series for sure!

Who is your favourite author? Did they inspire you to write? 



My favourite author would be Richelle Mead or J.R. Ward but neither one inspired me to write!



So who inspired you to write? Or what inspired you?



After a really hard time in my life last year I threw myself into book after book to help myself cope because I could get lost inside of a story and forget my problems in the real word and the after a while I started realising that a lot of things got repeated and I thought that I had read enough about the things I love to write my own spin on them with things that hadn't ever been done before. – In case you're wondering the hard time that inspired me to write was a miscarriage.



What's your favourite book? How many times have you read it?



Oh god … ummm….. I would have to say the Vampire academy series I've read them all about four times over and I'm going over them again for the release of bloodlines!



Do you have any fears? If so, give us a list!



- Loosing another child.

- One of my children getting ill/hurt or something much serious.

And spiders YUCK!



Oh and an embarrassing one, I'm scared of mince! Just the thought of it makes me want to cry! If you're wondering why I was really ill one time after having some and ever since then I won't go near it in fact I refuse to have it in my house as I'm so scared of getting ill again by it!



Do you write with music, or without? 



Both. If I'm writing a scene I need good emotion for I will stick songs on that make me cry to help with the emotion and then anything else is normally silence but I don't mind writing to music occasionally too!



Are you forever coaxed on caffeine (like so many)?



I used to be really badly where it affected my sleeping pattern big time but I have been caffeine free now for about two months and I've been fizzy free for about a week! I'm trying really hard though to just survive on just juice!



What's your poison ;)?



Malibu or Pepsi Max.



Are you planner or are you pantser?



I guess I'm a pantser? I'm not sure what it is though haha but I don't plan anything!



Would you like to share any writing tips? 



Just go with the flow and right the story you want to write for you don't let anybody change the reasons why you first set out to write and always stick with what's close to your own heart! … And don't become addicted to caffeine because you won't sleep, ever. Okay maybe sometimes but still don't get too attached to it! Lol



Do you have anything published (self-published)?

I'm currently still in writing mode for all products but I can share with you the cover of my first book, Awakened.



What is 'Awakened' your novel about?



"Layla has spent her whole life thinking she was normal. But now someone wants her to know the truth. Thrown into a world of lies and deceit, who can she trust when she can no longer believe the lies she was told? Unable to accept the lies that once kept her safe can she now learn to accept the biggest one of them all? That she was never human to begin with and should never have been allowed to live the life that was once hers. Torn between different sides, can she learn which side is worth fighting for when she has no one worth protecting and become what she has always been destined to be and finally let go of everything that makes her human and become Awakened."



Where can people find YOU!



Blog: www.charliefinn.com/blog



Facebook: www.facebook.com/CharlieNFinn



Twitter: www.twitter.com/CharlieFinn_x_x



Other: www.charliefinn.com or https://www.facebook.com/CFAuthoraccount

Thanks for having me!

It was a pleasure!

~Joseph Eastwood, with guest and author, Charlie Finn!

Rewarding Yourself! #BeatTheBlock

[image error] I know it's a common incentive, if you do well, you're rewarded. This happened at school in the form of stickers, and if you didn't do well, then you were given detention and what they liked to call Consequences, if you got three in one lesson you missed your break, if you got four, then you missed your lunch.



Deviating slightly to punishment, which is not the purpose of this post. I'm here to say that you must reward yourself. I sometimes complain to myself, in fact, I always complain to myself, it's probably part of the reason why I'm slowly going insane! And again, digressing!



I reward myself if I have a healthy word count that day, or if I edit a chapter, or write chapter, I don't know--sometimes I like to just reward myself because I'm that awesome.



Even though those cakes look plastic, I think you can get what I'm trying to say. Treat yourself to something that you don't normally do, like eating chocolate, I haven't had chocolate for ages, because it gives me the worst headaches. So instead, I reward myself with stationary, pens, pencils, books etc. it might be a little dorkish to admit but buying those kind of things make me happy and I love it when I get some paper.



I think everyone needs to treat themselves, but not something really expensive if you're planning on giving to yourself each chapter you write. I normally do things like, "you're not eating until you finish doing this section" of course it works, but I wouldn't tell other people to do it, it's just my motivation.



I've started rewarding myself with internet, and I know that this will be something EVERYONE can take. If you write 1,000 words, or however many words you've planned, then give yourself a 15/30 minute Facebook, Twitter, Blogger usage and set an alarm! I often get sidetracked by the internet, so it's an amazing compromise, if you have the willpower that is, if not, then unplug the internet, turn it off, stop your laptop from receiving wireless signals. You will always feel better if you're working towards something, and yes, that might be a novel, a short story, the end of a chapter, and although you love writing, you must also love something else, just use that as your reward.



~Joseph Eastwood

Colouring In! #BeatTheBlock

[image error] So I found this image, but don't ask me where; I was browsing through the internet when I should have been doing edits. In my not so free time, I like to read about writing tips, tricks etc. sort of the same thing I offer on my blog. I like to keep my mind fresh (although I'm 18, I can get pretty bogged down).



This wheel got me thinking about colours. I have a blue notepad with words in, sometimes I look for words to improve my vocabulary, and other times these are words that I've come across and they've either sounded really cool or had a neat meaning.



I digress, colours are much more than those things you were given in blocks at school. Colours are symbolic and cultural and this wheel is showing how they accord to different emotions. Although, I don't really understand (a little confidence booster there ;) ). What I'm going to take from it, is a show, don't tell exercise. As colours are more than just visuals, they can activate all our senses; green is generally a calming colour, while red gets your riled up and excitable.



Don't forget that colours sometimes go by other names, black can be called obsidian or jet because of the rocks which are black (bringing other words in place of colours can add a layer to your writing). Another example of colour names is when you're in a DIY shop and they have the paint charts with names beneath them, these names are often the names of foods etc. brown becomes chocolate or coffee or cappuccino.



And just like real life, you can use these words in fiction to inspire the senses and create something specific. You can use plants, foods; anything, and using these kind of words often shows the personality of the narrator, making them more realistic and three-dimensional. Be thoughtful in the words you choose because you're inside the characters mind, they won't be so conscious, but you have to, to keep them in check.



I've fallen for cliches and so has every other writer, and something as universal as colours will also fall privy to being cliche ridden. You say "black", I say "death". You say "white", I say "pure". Hopefully this little exercise will give you some originality to your writing, as well as something to do if you're coming down with the block



EXERCISE:



STEP ONE: Pick one emotion: Happiness, Hope, Fear, Anger, Sadness, Love, Nostalgia, Dislike, Hatred, Boredom, or if you have another then use that.



STEP TWO: Choose a setting, inside or outside? Who's there? Is it a room? What's the weather? Build a small scene and then incorporate one emotion.



STEP THREE: After you have all that set out, choose some colour to SHOW how they are feeling, don't just say they were RED with ANGER because that's telling. How about using (I know I've used this before) her eyes were glowing coals. That's probably the most basic use to show red, but you go on with this, or perhaps use different viewpoints and different emotions.



Happy Writing & Happy Reading!



~Joseph Eastwood

#100blogfest

This is a guest post by Martin King of the #100blogfest where 100 blogs are shown in the space of a month!

Come on, admit it, we've all done crazy things when we were kids. Perhaps you rolled up a piece of paper and set it alight, pretending that it was a cigarette. Let me tell you, that smoke burns the back of your throat something chronic, so if you've never done it – don't!

I remember once me and my mates found a tin of this product called 'Firey Jack'. Let me tell you it is pretty meant stuff, especially when you are just a kid. Apparently you apply it to your muscles and it warms them up. But what they don't tell you on the tin is that it burns like hell. And you can imagine the effect on a young kid.

We had a small gang and the deal was, if anyone gave away the location of our secret den, then they would have to suffer the agony of the Firey Jack. Needless to say, everyone got found guilty at some point just so we could test it out.

And then there was this other crazy time when we found some dog poo lying on the pavement. A pretty random statement you think seeing as it is an everyday occurrence. But back then when you have a four year old boy playing out in the street, who can be easily persuaded to do anything... well it was easy pickings.

I'm not going to go into graphic detail of what happened that day. Let's just say it was the incident of some persuasive kids, a four year old boy and a pile of dog poo – and leave it at that. You can draw your own conclusions.

So what about you then...yes you? There must be some stupid childish prank or crazy thing you got up to. So come then, spill the beans.

These blogs are all about fun and sharing. Thank you for reading a '#100blogfest' blog. Please follow this link to find the next blog in the series: http://martinkingauthor.com/blog/7094550076

~Joseph Eastwood

So what did you do as a child? I'm still 18 and most people argue that I am still a child, I think that might be because of how much I have achieved lately; I have written 3 novels and editing one for publication in September.

Writer's Block! WHAT?!

[image error] No I do not have writer's block, but if I did, I would call it a challenge, a test to see if I can persevere! Because the best things in life come with challenges, being a writer is just that, a challenge.



I personally don't think writer's block exists, well only in the reality of that writer. Writer's block is a concept that's different with every writer when they say "I didn't write today because I have writer's block," but I know that some people are SUPER serious about this. They "lose" the ability to write, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, maybe even the rest of their lifetime.



Writer's block is when a writer loses their ability to write. People will often tell themselves they're bad at writing or what they write is crap. But this is only because we are our own worst enemy, as writers we are super critical of what we produce.



However, this isn't the only reason, in fact there are more serious reasons as to why some people stop writing. Some people suffer from depression, there are a lot of famous authors who have been severely bi-polar and depressive, such as, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. Or it could  be because of a failed relationship, perhaps it had been a long relationship. These things can hinder our inspiration, also someone breathing down your neck, constantly telling you to write.



I agree that deadlines and  being forced to write something for someone will make me feel less inclined to write. However, some people like to have deadlines and someone to encourage/push them to write. I make a little list every morning/afternoon when I wake up, the list will have something like "start edits on chapter #" or "write blog post on--" etc.



Yes, I also believe that writing blog posts counts as writing and it helps to keep me from Facebook or Twitter. And that's another thing, social networks taking time away from people who won't say they've got writer's block or confront themselves and just mask it with Facebook.



This post has actually inspired another little hash tag, #Beat The Block will be full of tips, tricks and challenges.



Happy Writing & Happy Reading!



~Joseph Eastwood

Writing In The Rain!

I can't say how much I love the rain, but I will try and list the ways ;) also, it's 6:44am. I'm listening to Runaway by Yeah Yeah Yeahs (video at the bottom). It is perfect--I'm feeling the most inspired I have all week, and all because of two things just coincidentally going together. Not only that, but I love the rain, I would write in the rain if I could, but there are several problems with that, including things getting wet, and being cold, and as much as I love the rain. I really don't like the cold.



Okay, so I'm posting about the rain. Whoa--I feel a little crazy right now, but there's all these variables for some as to when they write or when they're inspired. I can safely say that the rain is the most soothing noise to me, and it's beautiful. The thick overhanging grey clouds just smashing into each other and becoming darker, only to shower me with the perfect conditions and looking out of my window as the rain puddles and the unrest of the ripples colliding in turmoil---again, whoa---but like I said, it's inspiring to see the rain vine down my window following it's own route, or that of its predecessors. I shall let you call me crazy now, because I'm even worrying myself.





Happy Writing & Happy Reading!



~Joseph Eastwood



What weather inspires you? What song can you surrender to and just sit in a dark room being absorbed into its waves? Is there a time of day when you're feeling the most alive to just WRITE?