Phillip T. Stephens's Blog: Wind Eggs, page 5

Article 1: Inspiration or Inclination? – Part 1 – Guest Post by Phillip T. Stephens…

I’m a big fan of Chris the Story Reading Ape, so when I had the opportunity to write for his blog I jumped at it. I wrote a series on inspiration and writing. Check out Part 1,

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Sources of Inspiration for new writers

(part 1 of 2)

Photo credit Tim Arterbury  unsplash.com

When I browse through posts in writing blogs, I run across comments from aspiring young writers (AYWs) that they’re not sure about what to write. I heard the same complaint in my writing classes, even creative writing classes where students chose to participate (rather than having it required for their degrees).

I’ve heard any number of approaches to finding inspiration, many of them great. To me, however, AYWs who can’t find the inspiration to write might want to ask if they really want to write or they like the dream of being a writer.

The protests begin: Shouldn’t we dream of becoming writers? Shouldn’t we follow our dreams? I can only respond, not necessarily. For every writer who makes a great living following her dream, there are dozens of writers who succeed as writers…

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A quick beginner’s guide to drawing

6 drawing exercises to get you started right now
[image error]Ralph Ammer provides a quick sketch to get you started.

Ever wish you could draw? Not become an illustrator, but add a doodle to your prose or poem like Kurt Vonnegut in Breakfast of Champions. Or, if you really want to get literary, like Laurence Sterne in Tristram Shandy?1 Drawing isn’t hard. I learned to do it, and if I practiced, I might be good at it.

The good news? You don’t have to be good to draw.

 

Ralph Ammer provides one of the best quick start guides to drawing I’ve seen recently. Grab your pencil (or the digital tablet and stylus you bought but never used), and check it out.

1You haven’t read Tristram Shandy? Forget Joyce’s Ulysses, this is a book every writer should read to expand their sense of what a writer can do. Originally published in sections, the eighteenth-century version of blog posts, Sterne pulls your leg, plays with coincidence, and makes illustration a part of the story. No, it’s not the easist read in the world. Rise to the challenge. back

FREE promotion & marketing

I’ve been a member of Authors Professional Co-Operative for several years, and can’t say enough good about the organization. Not only do APC authors have a wide range of experience in promoting and marketing their books, they share that experience with their members and maintain regular networking opportunities.

One of their founders, Paul White, publishes the internationally recognized CQ to showcase and promote indie authors. His most recent post walks you through many of the benefits CQ and APC offer new indie writers.

Ramblings from a Writer's Mind

In this post I take a divergent path, away from my regular ramblings about writing, to speak of something which is usually just as close to any indies heart.

Promotion.

The reason is, no matter how good a writer you may be, how wonderful and eye catching you books cover is… if no one is ever going to see it, or hear about it, no one shall ever buy it, let alone read it.

Every indie I know who has written a book, even a short novelette, agrees the hard work starts once the book has been published.

An almost consecutive issue which is consistently raised, is the seemingly ongoing quest for the ultimate marketing tool. The ‘Eureka’ gift that will sell hundreds, if not thousands, of books each month with very little work or effort on the part of the author themselves.

Wake up, smell the coffee. There is…

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Smorgasbord End of Party Playlist -Requests from Pamela Wight, Jemima Pett, Noelle Granger, Judy Martin, John Howell, Carmen Stefanescu, Lucinda Clarke, Bette Stevens and Darlene Foster

I missed the end of Sally Cronin’s three-day bash yesterday (business elsewhere) but you can still enjoy the festivities with quiz results, spinach cannelloni, and nine guest authors.

Smorgasbord - Variety is the spice of life

I was so pleased with the response to the party and those who took part in the quiz and left their links. I did manage to feature some of the requests but there was simply not enough time to include everyone… So… I will be sharing those guests and their links and music choices in the Blogger Daily slot for the rest of the week.

Here was the Quiz…

Which is your favourite recording artist or band
Pizza or Pasta
Favourite Film
Person you would most like to meet Dead or Alive

I will get to the music in a moment, but first some recipes for those of you who chose Pasta… courtesy of Silvia’s Cucina… I used to make this when I was in my 20s for dinner parties and it is so easy to make and delicous.

Image by Siliva’s Cucina.

Home-made pasta is the ultimate Sunday Lunch…

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Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – Author Update – Phillip T. Stephens, Susan M. Toy, Lyn Horner

Sally Cronin features the latest review of my Wry Noir thriller Cigerets, Guns and Beer. Check it out as well as reviews for Lyn Horner and Susan Toy. A great way to wind down the three-day summer bash.

Smorgasbord - Variety is the spice of life

As I missed the usual Monday post because of the Bank Holiday and the end of summer party so herewith is the Cafe and Bookstore Update.

First author with a great review recently is Phillip T. Stephens for his book Cigerets, Guns & Beer.

About the book

Dodd breaks up a convenience store robbery when his car breaks down in Sweet Water Falls, Texas. What’s the thanks he gets? The sheriff won’t let him leave, the car lot can’t find the parts and everybody wants him for something—sales pitch, church membership, and even stud pony.

But most of all, it seems a family named Dodd were shot down robbing the bank in 1949 and the half million they stole remains missing. Everyone thinks Dodd returned to dig up the loot and no one intends to let him leave until he finds it—along with (or so the legends go) a long…

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Smorgasbord End of Summer Party – Day Two – Three musketeers, The A Team and Free book

SQDD

Same quiz different day. The party continues at Sally Cronin’s site with more guests, more freebies and links galore.

Smorgasbord - Variety is the spice of life

Thank you so much for joining the party on day two and hope you are not too exhausted. Yesterday I featured William Price King, Paul Andruss, with some of the very early visitors to the blog who are still an important part of my support today. There was some food from Robbie Cheadle to keep everyone going, some music from Status Quo,Queen and Bette Midler.. and a FREEbook.

My novel Just an Odd Job Girl is available in eBook – Mobi for Kindle and epub for all other devices. You just have to email and tell me which version – sally.cronin@moyhill.com.

I would love you to participate and if you have not already taken this short quiz and left your answers and links in the comments then now is your chance.

My experience with most of you reading this, is that you are very modest, and…

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Writerly Things…8/27/17

One Stop for Writers is a good resource, especially for new writers learning their craft. Their free resources could fill a reference book, including a variety of category specific Thesauri that cover emotions to colors. The tip sheets could be bigger (easy to read), but it’s a small complaint. Prices range from $8 month-by-month to $90 annually. (This saves you about six dollars so you might want to sign up for the month when you need it, and discontinue until your next project.)

Story map courtesy of One Stop for Writers

Traci Kenworth shares her experience with the site on Writerly Things.

However…Nothing takes the place of a good writing class taught by a published writer or workshopping with published writers. Nothing takes the place of reading the works of the best authors in your genre, Nothing takes the place of reading great writers (and, no, JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer aren’t great writers, merely good ones).

Where Genres Collide

Writerly Things…8/27/17

Traci Kenworth

I started using OneStopforWriter’s website. They have various tools with which to build your characters, settings, and plot. I’ve picked out three positive and three negative traits for my main characters. Some things have occurred to me as I did so that helped flesh them out. I will continue to work on the characters till I get them where I want them, then move on to the setting. After I get the world building as intricate as I want it, I will bring the minor characters into the fold.

I like to know my world a bit better before fleshing out the remaining characters so I can see how they’d react to it. Some authors might do things differently, beginning with the setting and then peopling it but I like to start with my main characters first. OneStop has various templates you can download if you…

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Smorgasbord End of Summer Party – Music, Dancing, Headliners and You…and #Free books

Photo courtesy of Maxime Bhm

Sally Cronin is throwing a three-day party to celebrate the end of summer. Those of us in Texas are floating away in the rivers of water Harvey brought. So it’s more of an escape than a celebration. Join the fun, stay as long as you like. Be sure to thank the hostess.

SaveSave

Smorgasbord - Variety is the spice of life

Welcome to three days of activities where I hope to introduce you to some headlining acts who have contributed and supported the blog since the early days in September 2013. These last four years have been such an adventure and I hope that it will continue for many years to come.

However, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who has dropped in and left their mark on the blog. That interaction has motivated me to keep writing and to continue to build a book promotion site that helps other authors get their books noticed. With hundreds of thousands of new titles each week it is a challenge to grab the spotlight, but I hope that in some small way, I can help with that.

In September I will be increasing the number of opportunities to showcase your work with a new author interview series.. with a…

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Formatting tips and tricks for the newbie #WritingWednesday #AmWriting

It amazes me that people still use typewriting rules.Do they make typewriters anymore? Do they let the old typing teacher teach word processing?

Do they make typewriters anymore? Do they let the old typing teacher teach word processing?I worked with other tech teachers in a project sponsored by Microsoft and Texas A&M in 2000 to teach these rules to high school teachers.

I worked with other tech teachers in a project sponsored by Microsoft and Texas A&M in 2000 to teach these rules to high school teachers.I started using word processing rules in the eighties. They were listed in the first chapter of every Macintosh Word for dummies book in 1984, and the same for MS Word. Only XyWrite and WordPerfect users hadn’t seen the memo. (Which is why those programs died.

I started using word processing rules in the eighties. They were listed in the first chapter of every Macintosh Word for dummies book in 1984, and the same for MS Word. Only XyWrite and WordPerfect users hadn’t seen the memo. (Which is why those programs died.Then I download another Kindle novel by an indie writer and float back to the days when I could still remember the high school typing teacher’s name.

Then I download another Kindle novel by an indie writer and float back to the days when I could still remember the high school typing teacher’s name.D.E. Hageerty runs you through the rules again, and I would check to make sure you know them.

D.E. Hageerty runs you through the rules again, and I would check to make sure you know them.

Hopefully, by the 22nd-century, long after I’m dead, everyone will know them.1

1By the 22nd-century, mindhoppers will probably be neuroposting: “Word processing died with blogs. No one reads text. No one reads but your grandmother.

D.E. Haggerty

If you’ve already written and published a few books, move on. No need for you to be here. When I say newbie, I mean exactly that – someone brand-spanking new to publishing. Over on my Readsalot blog, I promote self-published authors like myself. I actively encourage self-published authors to contact me for reviews and spotlights. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed quite a few formatting issues occurring on a regular basis.

So, let’s dive right in, shall we?

Double space is D-E-A-D. I know you learned this back in school. I did, too! But using two spaces after each sentence is no longer the standard. And it’s really disruptive to readers. Who needs all that space, anyway?

Copyright Phreelance Writers 

Line spacing is dying a slow death. Line spacing is the space between lines within a paragraph. In hardcovers and paperbacks, you won’t see them. In fact, sometimes I think editors…

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I Was Abducted by Aliens and All I Got Were These Stupid Poems

The Abduction Experiences of Famous Poets
[image error]

This rare photo shows a famous poet and his alien inspiration. Can you guess who it is?

As many of you know, I research alien abduction experiences because of my own many abductions since my first incarnation as cavern idiot in an early Cro Magnon tribe.1 I’ve reported some of my findings before, but my most recent publication includes an extra first draft of a Robert Frost poem as well as recently recovered rare photographs (and portraits) of abducted poets. Check it out in The Creative Cafe on Medium.

Who knows whose early abduction poetry we’ll recover next? Kerouac? Donne? Perhaps a novelist like Austin or Bronte?

For some reason, aliens seem to prefer poets of European descent, but I’m still snooping. We may even find abduction by Langston Hughes, or Maya Angelou.

1In the spirit of improving intercultural relations, given the events of the past week, I want to say that my tribe got along just fine with the Neanderthals across the valley, although my father always suspected my disabilities were caused by a “monkey in the rock pile.”back

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