Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 113

#Hastings #PirateDay 2017

July 16th 2017 was this year's Hastings Pirate Day. The town does this every year; we're world record holders for the most people dressed as pirates in a given location at any one time. There are always pirate themed events all over the town, and a large number of the residents - along with plenty of people who travel some distance especially for the event - attend in full or partial pirate costumes. Several people also attend without pirate costumes. We were among those not in costume, but I do have plenty of photos for you of people who did dress up, including some pirate dogs. Here you go:



As I said, there are always events happening all over town. This year was no exception. We only went to part of it though. We just went to check out what was happening on the peer. There was some pirate themed entertainment, of course, and this giant blow up whale:


The big event on the peer though - at least, the one I was most eager to be there for - was when some sky divers were jumping out of a plane above the peer. We got some photos of the plane as it circled above us...


And a short video too...






We also got some photos of the sky divers...


I never can understand why people would want to jump out of a perfectly good plane. Only way I'd jump out of one is if staying in it meant certain death, while jumping meant a chance of survival. Even then you might have to give me a bit of a push. However, since I like planes - and thought the idea of combining planes with pirate celebrations was cool - I wanted to be there.

If you're wondering: Yes, Lilie was with us. In fact, here's a photo of her we took during one of the restss she and I took during the walk to the peer. There was a low wall by the bench I was sat on, and she decided it made a perfect spot where she could watch the world go by. We didn't get her a pirate bandana though. Maybe next year? Anyway, here she is:


Lilie didn't mind all the pirates, an was happy and eager to greet and be petted by them. As for the plane... It didn't bother her in the slightest. She was far more interested in whether the people and dogs on the ground were coming to see her, or just passing by. I think I was more bothered by the crowds and noise than she was.

Tori's July 2017 #Book #Reviews (LBE)

It's time to take a look at what I read in July.

As with the previous posts like this one, if you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question.

Don't forget: the format I've reviewed may not be the format I read. Also, please remember that I read across multiple genres and age ranges, so you should always check if a book is suitable for the intended reader, especially when children are involved. Sometimes reading the book's description on its Goodreads page will be enough for this, but other times you may need to check elsewhere to figure out the genre and/or recommended reading level.

OK... On to the reviews!

Rain Glade by John H. Carroll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have loved everything I have read by this author, and this book is no exception.

Cloudswept by John H. Carroll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An exciting and entertaining read, which is a fantastic and fun addition to the series.

The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis by Elle Thornton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An interesting book, which will really make you think.

Talwar and Khanda - Assassins in Love by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is another enjoyable read from this author, with a great cast of characters, and an interesting plot.

Saif's Story by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another excellent read by this author, which once again has an interesting plot and contains a great cast of characters. As a blind person myself, I was especially impressed with the blind character in the book, and the way he was portrayed.

Star Minds Third Generation Snippets by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an excellent addition to the Star Minds universe, and an enjoyable read in its own right.

The Traveler in Black and White by Jemima Pett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is an enjoyable read, with a lovable cast of characters and a creative plot.

The Talent Seekers by Jemima Pett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I think this book is my favourite of the series. It is so far, anyhow. I absolutely love Humphrey as a character! The only way I could have enjoyed this book more is if the author had used guinea pig terms instead of people terms for the characters - "paw" instead of "hand" for example - which is something I believe I mentioned when reviewing some of the earlier books in the series. But I suppose that's a personal preference thing, and am not going to let it influence my rating, since I loved everything else about the book.

Bravo Victor by Jemima Pett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An interesting story, but far from being my favourite of the series. I love the characters - especially knowing they're based on real guinea pigs - and have enjoyed the books in the series so far, but just didn't feel this one was as good. I'm not sure why. Perhaps Victor's confusion was rubbing off on me? I felt like he spent an awful lot of time questioning what point he was at in the personal timeline of certain characters, and unsure what to say or do, and it sometimes made it difficult for me to be completely clear on things myself.

Willoughby the Narrator by Jemima Pett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved hearing Willoughby's whole story, and thought the addition of some of his tales when he's telling them was a nice touch.

Ernie by James Sutherland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this story! Not only is it well-written, but it's also cute and entertaining, and you just can't help but adore Ernie.

The Further Adventures of Roger the Frog by James Sutherland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a fun and entertaining read; I loved reading more about Roger the frog's misadventures.

Tarmachan by Geoffrey Wakeling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an exciting and action-packed read, with an interesting plot, a wonderful cast of characters, and some fantastic worldbuilding. I can't wait until the next book in this series!

The Twisted Galaxy by Michael L. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Having read the previous book in this series, I was eager to read this one. It turned out to be an enjoyable read, with an interesting and exciting plot, as well as a great cast of characters. The way the story from Earth 1 that was going on at the same time as that on Earth 2 was told in flashbacks was a little confusing at first, but I got used to it after a while. Other than the flashbacks thing, I loved this book, and would recommend it to those who like their science fiction to include a good dose of science, rather than just consisting of alien invasions and space battles.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An excellent and exciting start to the series.

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An excellent continuation of the series, which has an action-packed and interesting plot.

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don't even know where to start with this one. It had an action packed and exciting plot, which grabbed my attention from the start and held it well until the end, as well as a fantastic cast of characters. Insured, this is an excellent addition to the series, and a great read in general.

The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack by C.S. Boyack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an enjoyable - sometimes creepy or a little scary - collection of short stories. All I can say is: I think the experiments were a success.

The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack II by C.S. Boyack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another collection of successful writing experiments, which were enjoyable - if sometimes a little creepy or scary - to read.

The Enhanced League by C.S. Boyack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I knew I wouldn't enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed the other short stories I recently read by this author, because I'm not a baseball fan. But I decided to give it a read anyway. As it turned out, the author's skill with weaving a good tale, combined with an interesting cast of characters, meant I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to. If you're a baseball fan, you'll love this book. If you're not, there's an excellent chance you'll still really enjoy it.

Amputeddy Makes A Choice by Kate Policani
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a beautifully written story, in which one little amputeddy learns an important lesson about how disabilities shouldn't stop you at least trying to do things for yourself.

Merminia by Emm Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book contains an interesting plot and some wonderful world building. The ending was too sudden for my liking though.

Keeping Merminia by Emm Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought the descriptions were better in the first book, though the insight we get in to the main characters thoughts due to the change to first person viewpoint goes some way towards compensating for that. I also felt the ending should have included the answer to the question of a certain character's fate, which I felt was left unanswered. Other than those things, however, I thought this book was a great read.

#Furkid Friday: Lilie The #Westie's First Walkies Experiences (FD & LBE)

Hi everyone! This is Lilie the Westie.

I've now been allowed to go walkies for a couple of months, but this is the first chance I'm getting to tell you about it.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to make of the walkies thing at first. Quite frankly, my first reaction upon finding myself on the ground outside was to stare around in utter terror at the sheer size of the world, followed by a frantic attempt to dig my way back through the door to get inside again. I mean, I'm only a small dog, and it really is a very big world! But this walkies thing is growing on me, and I'm learning to love going places with the humans.

The first time we went, the humans helped me get used to it by carrying me by the road, and taking me to some place called "the park" where it was quieter, and where we could alternate between resting a while on benches and exploring the world. Here are lots of photos taken while we were there:


I don't know who the person on the bench with me and the Mummy human is in one of the photos, but she said I was cute, so I liked her. Lots of people said I was cute... I loved when they did that!

Anyway, later on we went to the place called "the beach" that I'd been staring at out of our windows. I loved how the breeze felt in my fur, but was still a bit nervous of the whole being outside thing, so we sat down for a snack and to watch the other people and dogs on the beach for a while first. I was a bit upset at first, because the Mummy human wouldn't share what she was eating - it was something called a "Snickers" and apparently dogs aren't allowed it - but felt better when I learned she'd brought some of my doggy treats for me to have. Anyway, that time to just watch everyone else really helped me, and by the time we were ready to walk a while, I was actually eager to do so. Here are some photos:


Oh, and... In case you're wondering... Yes, I did get something to drink too. I needed it with how hot it was out there, so was glad the Mummy human remembered to pack me some water. Actually, she's really good about making sure I have water every time we go out - she has a backpack that has all kinds of things in it I might need, which she takes with us when we go walkies - especially on a sunny day. Shame she's not so good about remembering a drink for herself, but that's another story.

Anyway, even though it was hot, we didn't go down to see the water that time, because there were lots of people and other dogs there. I was a bit nervous of there being so many people and dogs about - especially since some of them were really big dogs - and it would have been tough for the Mummy human to take me down there without getting in everyone's way. So we saved that for another time. Here are a couple of videos of when we did that though:













I wasn't sure what to think of the ocean. On the one hand, the idea of playing with the water seemed fun. On the other hand, it was really loud, and the water kept trying to come and get me. I loved playing in the stones on the beach though...


We've also done something the humans call "popping to the shop" several times. Actually, we do that most days. I wasn't sure about it at first, since it means the Mummy human and I spend a lot of time standing around outside buildings. But lots of people go by while we're there, most of them comment on how cute I am, and some of them even stop to pet me, so I guess it's not so bad. The version called "going to town" is better though. It means another ride in one of those taxi things where I watch the world go by outside the window while feeling the breeze in my fur, and then we go for lunch at a place where we can sit outside together while we eat. Here's a photo of me taken the first time we were at the outside food place:


What's even more fun though is the place called "petstore" where there are loads and loads of toys and treats and things, not to mention everyone there always wants to be my friend and tell me how cute I am, which is great! I'm actually allowed to go inside the petstore place, which is another reason I like it. The times we've been, I was even allowed to pick something to take home with me. Of course, I wanted to take it all with me, but the humans said I couldn't. I don't understand why, but there are lots of things I don't understand when it comes to the rules humans insist on trying to make me obey. Humans really do seem to have a lot of rules... What's up with that?

Anyway, as I said, I wasn't sure how I felt about this walkies thing at first, but I've learned to love it, I'm learning not to be so afraid of the big world that's waiting out there for me to get up the courage to explore it, and am even starting to become excited about all the things just waiting out there for me to discover them.

Although, I'm still a bit hesitant about going out for walkies when the water is falling from the sky - which the humans say is called "rain" - even though I do like water. Look, I only like it on my terms, OK? Anyway, I have this fancy coat to wear when I go out on those days when water is falling from the sky, or it looks like it will any moment, which makes going out on those days not as bad. Here's a photo of the Mummy human putting it on me for the first time:


I think I look good in the coat, so I like to show it to people. Including the guys at the pizza place downstairs...


OK. OK. I admit it... You twisted my paw! I was kind of hoping showing them how good I looked would get me some pizza. Hey, can't blame a pup for trying, can you?

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#Writing Wednesday - August 2nd 2017

For those waiting for it... The paperback edition of "How To Trust Your Human" has been approved, and is now available via CreateSpace and Amazon. It will soon also become available via those other retailers who carry my paperback books, such as Barnes & Noble. Click on the book's title in this paragraph to go to the page for it on CreateSpace.

In other news...

Audiobook production is moving along nicely.

ACX officially recommends that you don't have more than five titles in production at any time. It's not a requirement, but something they suggest due to allowing yourself enough time to give them the attention they deserve. However, since they're assuming you'll be working on full length novels, and my books are generally short ones, I decided not to take their advice.

Actually, that's not entirely true. You see, I did take their advice at first, and simply uploaded my five book "Toby's Tales" series. But - convinced as I was that nobody would want to audition for me - I left the Toby book auditions open to pretty much anyone who could read and speak English, and it turned out that during auditions for the Toby books I discovered people I loved and spacifically wanted for some of my other books, so decided to offer them the contracts for the books in question. This, of course, meant I had to upload the books and set up their project profiles, otherwise I couldn't make the offers officially. Offers which, I'm pleased to report, the narrators I wanted have accepted.

So... Yeah... A lot of those books are now in production. They will become available in audio some time in the next few months. I'm not entirely sure when at this moment in time - we have production schedules, but I'm not sure if we'll need the whole time I've allowed for production or not; I don't think we will need all the time I've allowed for production, because I've tried to be pretty generous with time allowances, but you never know - and I'm not entirely sure what order they'll actually end up ready in now (though the Toby books will probably still be first, since they're furthest along in production). Either way, I'll let you know when it happens, of course, as well as where you'll be able to buy copies if you want them.

If you're interested: Joseph A. Batzel is the narrator for my "Toby's Tales" series, Giles Miller is the narrator for my "Kero's World" books, James Watkins is the narrator for my Degu Days Duo, and Natalee Pfeifer is the narrator for my Magical Chapters Trilogy. I'm hoping to have you get to know a little more about my narrators during the promotional posts when the audiobooks are released.

I also have a couple of other narrators eager to work with me on future projects, which is funny when you consider how convinced I was that nobody would want to audition for me. Despite this though, I won't be setting up any more audiobook projects until at least one of these are finished. As much as I'd love to get the books all available in audio as soon as possible, I think having all 51 of my published books in production at once would be a bit much. Not to mention, you'd probably get sick of announcements of my books being in audio now if I was posting them every other day, and I'd like to let each one have its moment in the spotlight, so I want to space out the promotional stuff for them a little. Still, it's nice knowing my books are so interesting to potential narrators.

Anyway, while those books are in production, I'm working on the notes for the details of requirements for the other books, as well as making arrangements for the audiobook versions of the book covers to be sorted. That way I'll have them ready to set up when some of the stuff currently in production is finished. That's something I can work on in between listening to - and giving feedback on - audio samples, writing poems, writing promotional posts to go up when the audiobooks are ready, working on that pirate themed story I keep getting distracted from writing, and enjoying some of those things causing distractions (like reading, furkid playtime, etc). I might sleep from time to time too... You never know. *wink*

If you're an author who wants to get your books available in audio too, you're in luck! Fellow author, Alex Butcher - the author friend who helped me get started - has put up some posts on her blog to offer tips to help you. Here's the link for where you can check out a noob's guide to audio books with ACX - part 1, and here's where you can find a noob's guide to audio books with ACX - part 2.

So... You've ended up taking a break from your own writing for a while? That's OK. Regardless of the reason for the writing break - and regardless of how long the break was - here's some advice on how to start writing your book again. Also, here's everything that will tempt you to quit writing - and how to deal with it.

Last - but certainly not least - take a look at these tips to promote your book, and bear in mind that it takes a village to launch a book.

How My Love Of Chips Helped Me Finally Meet Alex Lester (FD)

Often, when I can't sleep at night and don't feel like reading or writing, I turn to the radio for company and entertainment. My favourite show being Alex Lester's "Best Time Of The Day" show. Well, that was my favourite. It was on BBC 2 until recent budget cuts made them decide to axe it, which totally sucks.

I knew Alex lived in - or not too far from - the area we now live in, which we moved to almost six years ago, and really wanted to meet him. I almost had the chance to do so a few years ago, when I knew for a fact he'd be at a local event that was happening literally up the road from where I lived at that time (this was before our last move). Unfortunately, as it happened, I didn't end up going to the event after all, so missed out on meeting him.

Kelly went to the event and met him, and even ran in to him a few times while out and about - always when I wasn't with him though, of course. But I was having no luck running in to him.

Until a chance meeting a couple of weeks ago.

We were walking with Lilie along the pomonade towards the peer. Officially we were going to check out some of the entertainment happening that day (more on that in next Monday's post) but we'd left home early in order to stop and have some chips (fries) from the fish and chip shop that's practically on the beach before walking the rest of the way to the peer. It's quite a long walk for me and Lilie, though many people would say it's not too bad of a walk (it's a little under a mile). But the lure of the chips at the half way point, combined with the weather - which was warm and sunny when we left home, even if storm clouds were starting to role in by the time we made it to the peer - made it a pleasant walk. Besides, there are benches set at intervals along the promonade, as well as at street level along the same stretch of road, so there were plenty of chances to rest for a moment or two.

So, we walked down the steps from street level to the promonade, and started walking towards the peer. Suddenly, there was Alex Lester, starting to walk past us.

He stopped to pet Lilie - most people do - and was nice enough to stay and chat for a few moments, and even kind enough to agree to let Kelly take a photo of me with him. So, here's the photo:


It's awesome to have finally got to meet him!

Just think though: If I hadn't wanted those chips so badly, we wouldn't have been walking that way at that particular time. Lucky I'm a sucker for a portion of chips, isn't it?

#Smashwords #SummerWinterSale2017 Ends Soon!

The Smashwords 2017 Summer/Winter Sale is almost over!

As I've mentioned several times over the past couple of weeks, my books are all enrolled at 50% off. This means they'll range in price from absolutely free to $2.50. Either way, you have the potential chance to snap up a great bargain during this event.

To grab your copies of any of my books, simply go to my Smashwords page, pick your book, add it to your cart, and enter coupon code SSW50 in the box at checkout.

Yes, it is the same code for all of my books. This is a sitewide promotion, so the code is used to get any books that are 50% off during this event, which means all of mine, and many by other authors too.

Yes, you can use the code multiple times. As I said, it's a sitewide promotion, so it's the same code for all books that are 50% off during the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale.

Yes, that purchase does give you access to all formats Smashwords offers, which means there will be a format that works for you, regardless of your tablet or eReader of choice. In fact, if you can read this post, you can read my books.

Yes, this is exclusively on Smashwords. But creating an account with them is free and easy, so you could always sign up if you don't have an account but want to take advantage of the discounted eBooks.

Plenty of other authors have their books enrolled too, so don't forget to browse the list of books on sale. Remember to double check the available formats from other authors though, since - unlike me - some authors don't take advantage of all the options for available formats.

The sale ends on July 31st 2017, so you better hurry if you want to get your hands on some free and discounted eBooks!

#Furkid Friday: Lilie's First Baths And #Vet Trips

Hi everyone! This is Lilie the Westie.

The day after the humans picked me up from my Furmama's house, they put this harness thing on me...


And took me to a place called "the vet" that's just a short car ride from my new home. I didn't mind that car ride so much, because it wasn't a long one, and I was allowed to be in the Mummy human's arms looking out of the window. I'm not sure what the harness thing was on me for though. I mean, that thing is for walkies time, apparently, but I wasn't allowed to go down on the ground to walk and sniff, so I don't know why they put it on me.

Anyway, they adored me at the vet, and everyone said how cute I was and gave me cuddles and attention. I loved that! I also got a treat from one of the people there, which I loved too, of course.

The one who gave me the treat weighed me, and I weighed 1.8 kilos (that's about 4.5 lbs). I was also pulled about and examined, which I didn't mind too much. I didn't even mind all that much when they stuck something sharp in my neck... I was too busy eating the treat. I wasn't entirely happy about them squirting something funny smelling on my neck afterwards though, even though they said it was to stop me getting fleas, and I certainly did not approve of the humans squirting nasty tasting stuff in to my mouth for the next couple of days. I'm told that stuff was important too - something about worms - but that didn't stop me fighting them to try and avoid taking it (apparently I can have things that taste better when I'm bigger, but I'm too little to have that stuff right now... I think they should have just waited until I was bigger, rather than punishing me for being little).

Anyway, the next week the humans gave me my first bath. They took this video to show you:





They said it was because I needed a bath. Something about how I shouldn't lay down on the puppy pads after I use them. I'm not sure on details though, since I wasn't really paying attention.

Anyway, I like water. Playing in it is fun! But I don't like being made to stay in there for a long time while the humans get me wet from nose to tail. Even worse than that was the stuff they called "shampoo" that they put on me right after they stopped doing the video. I REALLY hated that part! I was glad when bath time was over, and the humans put my collar back on and helped me dry off. Look at me, all wet and cuddled in a towel:


I have to admit though, I did smell good after, and my fur was super soft, especially after the Mummy human brushed me. Brushing is fun... I like to try and grab the brush while the humans are using it on me. We all have a great time with that game!

Anyhow, I had to go back to that vet place again a couple of weeks after my first appointment. Something about how I needed to finish my puppy treatment before I could go walkies. So we got in one of those car things again, and I got to watch the world going by out of the window as we went back to the vet place.

I got a couple of treats this time, because I had to have two sharp things stuck in my neck. I wasn't so impressed about it this time. I got upset as soon as I saw the sharp thing coming, and yelped when they stuck it in me. I yelped even harder with the second one, because it was a bigger one and made me bleed. The humans say the first one was the rest of my puppy treatment so I'm safe to be going out for walkies (I'd had the first half of that while enjoying my treat the last time I went) and the second was to put some kind of chip in me so I could be found if I got lost. Personally, I think the best way to put something in me is by letting me eat it, but apparently the humans disagreed.

They also used something - I'm not sure what, because they wouldn't let me have it to check it out - to cut my nails, because they were quite long and I kept getting them caught on things. I tried to stay still for that... I really did... But I'm not very good at staying still, so the Mummy human had to hold me for the vet to do my nail trimming.

Also, while I was there, they weighed me again, and I was 2.23 kilos (a tiny bit over 5.5 lbs). Apparently that's a good thing, but it still made me too little for the tasty stuff they said I could have when I was bigger. Since they seemed to be talking about that in connection with worms again for some reason, I was worried that would mean I'd have to have the nasty stuff squirted in my mouth again, but apparently not. Since I was over 2 kilos, I was able to have something that tasted a little better, which the humans mixed in my food. I was fine with that. It did make my food taste a bit funny, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to eat it at first, but I soon decided it wasn't a bad taste, so ate it all up. They had to do it for a few days again, and then again a couple of weeks later. Apparently now I'm over three months old I don't have to have that kind of stuff as often, though I have to make it to 5 kilos before I can have the really tasty one, because even then they would have to break the lowest dose in half for me. I don't think it's fair that I have to go without just because I'm so little. I mean, I can't help being little, can I? Still, at least the new stuff doesn't taste too bad.

I didn't feel too good after that second vet trip. I cuddled up with the Mummy human all that day, and didn't want to do much of anything; I wasn't even really interested in food or drink. I felt better by the folowing morning, though wasn't too impressed when I got put in the bath again the day after that. I mean, it wasn't my fault there was blood in my fur from the sharp thing going in my neck... If they didn't want my white fur stained red, they shouldn't have stuck the things in my neck, should they? OK, so I didn't want my white fur all bloody either, but that's not the point. Besides, I wouldn't mind the bath so much if they'd skip the shampoo part, and if they didn't make it take so long.

Anyway, we went back to the vet place again in June, but we only went there for the humans to pick something up. I was mostly just along for the outing, which was fine by me. At least, it was until I realized they were picking up more of that wet stuff to put on my neck, and pmore of the nasty tasting stuff.

You'd think that would be enough vet trips to be going on with. But, no!

I had to go yet again last week. Apparently we needed more of that wet stuff for my neck. We didn't get the nasty tasting stuff where they say about worms, but I did hear the humans talking about those worms again, and I got a special treat next morning. Not that I'm complaining. Anyway, I had to be weighed before I could have the stuff they picked up from the vet. I'm getting much bigger now... I now weigh 3.8 kilos (9.5 lbs). Also, the humans said my claws had to be trimmed again, because they grow so fast, and then they get caught on things. I didn't want them done again though, so tried to get away. It didn't work too well. The humans ganged up on me and held me still. Nasty, eh? I mean, I'm growing well, but I'm still a little dog, and there were three of them against just one of me. Three against one is totally unfair, especially when they're so much bigger than me!

I like the vet thing for the outing, the car ride, and all the people who say how cute I am. But I could do without the nail trimming, sharp things being stuck in me, wet stuff being put on my neck, and nasty tasting stuff I'm forced to swallow afterwards.

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#Writing Wednesday - July 26th 2017

Do you have the title gene? If you don't, get help from someone who does when deciding on your final title, so you can find the title that will work best for your book. Personally, I love playing around with titles to make them stand out a little, and increase their chances of sounding interesting enough to grab the attention of potential readers.

Speaking of trying to improve how something reads, and how appealing it might be to potential readers: Check out this post on how to give your narration flavor, and this one on how to instantly add depth to your story. Also, here are some tips on where to start and what to consider when it comes to world building.

Of course, all that adding depth and stuff comes after your first draft is completed. When it comes to your first draft, you should always ask yourself the question, "What would you write if no one was looking?"

Speaking of your early drafts, this post on how to outline by the seat of your pants shows a great way to find a balance between writing with an outline and avoiding using one. Actually, the method isn't all that much different from the one I use to write what I call my rough drafts, though I've never thought of it as an outline myself.

Regardless of your method of writing - and regardless of what it is you're writing - remember to edit when you're done. Everyone makes mistakes; even the best editors can sometimes miss something. Do all you can to avoid letting those typos and grammatical errors slip past you though. Remember: If you don't care about grammar, you don't care about writing.

If you're having a bad writing day - which, let's face it, we all do from time to time - you should read the first of the two posts I'm linking to in this paragraph. There's some cursing in the post, just so you know, but it's a great reminder that having a bad writing day - or several of them - is something that happens to even the best writers. Always remember not to underestimate the importance of mastering the art of taking a break!

By the way, do you want to connect with fellow authors on Twitter? Or, perhaps, you just want to make the best use of hashtags to promote your own book? Either way, check out these author hashtags for Twitter.

Speaking of marketing and promotion: Have you considered Finding peripheral sales channels for your book. If not, you probably should. Either way though, check out the post for a few tips on doing so.

Also, if you work from home, here are five rules that will help you work more productively from home. The article was officially written for those who work from home by being paid for blogging, but could apply just as easily to any kind of situation where you work from home, including - but not limited to - the writing of other content besides blog posts.

Finally, if you missed seeing my post about it, and my mention of it last week, you may be interested to know that the Smashwords 2017 Summer/Winter Sale is now on. Check out my post for more details, and to get your hands on some great bargains.

Random Question: The #Wombles Meet #HarryPotter

Though sleep is never guaranteed for me (see yesterday's post) I fall asleep best with something to listen to while I drift off. But I don't like to use books that are on my Kindle for this purpose. Yes, I can either have text to speach enabled so it reads an eBook to me - which is how I have to read them anyhow - or listen to an audible audiobook, so I could use my Kindle for this purpose... And have done in the past. My preference, however, is to listen to an audio CD. This means I often find myself listening to ones I've already listened to, since I don't always have something new on CD to listen to. A few months ago I did though, and was listening to those new ones, one of which was a CD of Womble stories. Right now, however, I'm working my way through Harry Potter again.

This post will make most sense to those who are familiar with both the wombles and Harry Potter and his world, or at least one of those things. You should get the gist even without that knowledge, however.

So... A few weeks ago - well, it's a bit more than that now, but exactly when it was isn't important - when I was relistening to the start of the fourth Harry Potter book, and got to the part where portkeys are first mentioned to Harry, something occurred to me:

Portkeys are designed to automatically transport a witch or wizard somewhere if they can't - or would prefer not to - Apparate to their destination. In most cases with a prearranged time to activate and transport the witch or wizard to the destination in question. When left in previously arranged places for this purpose, they are intentionally objects that muggles would consider rubbish - like old boots, rusty cans, etc - so wouldn't pick up. A womble, on the other hand, would pick one up, since they pick up anything left lying around, whether it appears to be rubbish or not. That's the main point of a womble.

With that in mind...

What would happen if a womble picked up a portkey by mistake, and found itself transported to the destination in the place of the witch or wizard? What would the womble think? Also, how do you think the magical community would react to finding themselves dealing with what would most likely be a rather confused womble? Would they subject it to a memory modification charm like they would for a muggle? Or would the womble be allowed to remember its adventure?

Random Question: Sleep

Every so often I get lucky and manage to have something resembling a sleep pattern going on. During that time I even usually sleep well. Then, all of a sudden, I find myself unable to sleep, the pattern disappears, and my hours become random. Sometimes this just means a shift in sleep times, other times this actually means me getting little to no sleep. It's kind of a little annoying. OK, it's very annoying. But I'm not surprised when it happens any more, because it's just how things are to me these days (and nights).

My reason for mentioning it today is that I was recently - during one of those nights when I couldn't sleep, despite having been up all day, and despite being tired so wanting to very badly - thinking about the longest I've gone without sleep. I know there have been a few times I've gone 72 hours without any sleep, but I'm pretty sure there haven't been any times longer than that - thankfully. Yeah... I probably don't need to tell you that I'm glad that one doesn't happen too often. Actually, it's been a few years since I've gone that long without sleep. But, let me tell you, when it does happen it's no fun, and not very good for my brain, which needs me to sleep sometimes so it can do the thing brains do with chemicals to keep them functioning. I can't remember the details of the thing brains do with chemicals - and don't feel like looking it up - but it's something to do with sleep being needed because a certain chemical is released during sleep that cleans up the mess of the brain from all the hard thinking it's had to do during waking hours, and how this process keeps the brain functioning.

I was going to add the word "normally" there, but several people insist that word doesn't apply to me in any shape or form, especially when it comes to the function of my brain. They might be right.

Anyway...

After spending some time considering how long I'd gone without sleep, I started to wonder about other people. As you do. Well, I do, because I'm nosy like that. So...

What's the longest you've ever been without sleep? Was it intentional?