Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 25

#WriterWednesday 16-12-20; Being Featured + Writerly Links

Sally Cronin has been featuring other authors in her Cafe And Bookstore on her blog again, where she's been doing a Christmas book fair to recommend some books you might like to pick up as Christmas presents.  I was featured in one of her posts, which can be found here in case you want to check that out.  In fact, you might want to check out all her Cafe And Bookstore Christmas Book Fair posts, especially if you still need to pick up a present for a book lover who's on your Christmas list. 

     

Lilie and I were also featured in Sally's 2020 Christmas party - which was a virtual pet Christmas party.  That was this past weekend, and you can see the post we feature in for that by going here. 

      

*~* 

     

In other news: I found my computer to modem cable in time to get a decent chunk of computer time, and I've gathered some posts and articles for you - which I hope you'll find interesting - from among the stack of ones that have arrived in my inbox since the last time I did a writer Wednesday post that contained links.  So, let's see what I've got to share with you today, shall we? 

    

The writing process, and writing life in general:

7 tips to being the author you were meant to be 

How to restart stalled creativity the easy way 

How to cultivate writing inspiration 

NaNoWriMo:

I finished NaNoWriMo: now what? 

Characters:

7 tips for creating awesome characters 

5 dos and don'ts of a good sidekick 

Five things your characters need 

Random writing tips:

Is weather important to stories? 

Leftovers anyone? 

Three literary elements: subject 

The challenge of persuasive speech 

Crossing genres: fantasy and romance 

Crossing genres: fantasy and horror

Story tropes: to avoid or not to avoid? 

Plants and payoffs 

Editing:

What's in an edit? 

Clear out the clutter around your verbs 

Publishing:

How long should your novel be? 

How to publish with KDP, part 20: How to create your Amazon Author page and using Author Central 

The business side of writing:

Writing, editing, formatting, and promotional services 

The Dashing Through The Snow #Book Tag - #Holiday Themed #AmReading And #AmWatching

This is another tag I found during an online search. According to the blog I got this from, it comes from A Stranger’s Guide To Novels. Just so you know.

As usual, I'm not going to tag anyone. However, I'd love to see your answers, so feel free to play along, whether you do so on your own blog, in the comments section of this post, or whatever. Oh, and if it's not in the comments you play along, make sure you tell me where I can find your answers. For now though, here are the questions, along with my answers:

1. Name a book you would like to see under your Christmas tree.

Any of the books I don't have copies of from my to-read list. Yes, that's cheating. No, I don't care.

2. A book you’ll be reading during the Christmas Season.

"The Bear Father Christmas Forgot" by Diana Kimpton. Because I've read it almost every year since I got it.

Beyond that... We'll see.

3. Favourite Christmas Movie.

"Santa Clause - The Movie" (which I've watched almost every year since I was a child).

4. Do you like snow?

YES! YES! YES! Did you get that? I said, "Yes!"

5. Name a character you you would like to spend your Christmas day with.

To be honest, though there are several characters I wish were real, and would like to meet, it's my hubby and my petkids I most want to spend the holidays with, whether we're talking about Yule or Christmas. As long as I have my petkids and Kelly to spend the holidays with, I don't need anyone else.

Of course, having said that, if any of my favourite characters happened to show up, I wouldn't hesitate to invite them in. Just saying. Especially if the one who shows up happens to be either Aeson Kassiope or Jamie Fraser... *dreamy sigh*

6. To give or to receive?

Everyone loves getting presents, and I count myself in that. I actually love giving people presents too though, so I'm not sure I can choose between those things. If I absolutely have to though, I choose giving, because it usually makes others happy when I give them stuff, especially since I try to put some thought in to what I give.

7. What fictional place would you like to spend Christmas at?

Ooohhh... Hogwarts! Yeah, I know you saw that one coming. But they always have loads of snow for Christmas. Not to mention, I'd love to see all those beautifully decorated trees. Plus, wouldn't it be delightful to curl up in a comfortable chair in the Ravenclaw commonroom to read a good book after having enjoyed a Hogwarts feast? Exactly!

8. Fondest Christmas memory?

I have two.

It might sound odd to say this, but the first is the Christmas Eve where I came close to staying in hospital over Christmas when I was ten. Why? Because I spent the afternoon playing and watching movies with both my parents while waiting to see if I could go home. It's ot that it was Christmas, but that I had that time on my own with just the two of them, with no distractions from anything or anyone else.

The other is the Christmas I spent in Canada, which was the first one I spent with Kelly. There wasn't much in the way of decorations or gifts, and the Christmas dinner was pretty simple, but we had decorated our simple Christmas tree on Christmas Eve together, and spent Christmas Day all hanging out together. "All" being me, Kelly, Kelly's Mom, and Kelly's Aunt Sue. Apart from when we went to the store for something - a real treat for me, since at that point nothing was open on Christmas Day over here, plus it was snowy - we spent most of the day all playing the computer game I'd gotten Kelly for his playstation for Christmas. Mostly it was him playing it while we gave suggestions, but technically we were playing together.

9. Can you say Christmas tree ten times FAST  in a row (pronouncing it correctly!)

If I can have a bit of time to practice, I could do it. But if you asked me to do it on the spot, probably not.

#MondayMotivation - #SelfCare And #Mindfulness #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 14-12-20

Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.
~Pema Chödrön

Altogether, the idea of meditation is not to create states of ecstasy or absorption, but to experience being.
~Chögyam Trungpa

Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.
~Thích Nhất Hạnh

Training your mind to be in the present moment is the #1 key to making healthier choices.
~Susan Albers

I’d always believed that a life of quality, enjoyment, and wisdom were my human birthright…I never suspected that I would have to learn how to live…ways of seeing the world I had to master before I could awaken to a simple, happy, uncomplicated life.
~Dan Millman

We can never obtain peace in the outer world, until we make peace with ourselves.
~Dalai Lama

Lighten up on yourself. No one is perfect. Gently accept your humanness.
~Deborah Day

Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.
~Jack Kornfield

Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.
~Marcus Aurelius

Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make us.
~Richie Norton

Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.
~Jon Kabat-Zinn

An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.
~Unknown

Popping In To Let You Know We Moved Safely

Yeah, I know you're dying to hear about the new place, but you'll have to wait a little longer.  Between all the moving related things to get done, exhaustion, how close the holidays are (and the fact I haven't even decided what I'm getting most people yet, let alone done my Christmas shopping) and the fact Kelly and I are having to share a computer to modem wire at the moment since we can't find my one that's long enough to reach where it needs to, I don't really have time to write a long post right now. 

   

~ 

     

I'm glad I scheduled a load of stuff, which means I have little to do in the way of post creation to still make my goal of blogging at least five times a week continue until the end of the year.  Yes, I know it doesn't matter to you if I skip posting days, but it does matter to me, so knowing most of the rest of this year's posts are already set up is one less thing I have to stress about. 

    

~

    

Anyway, we all arrived safely.  The petkids weren't too happy about the travel arrangements - something Lilie and Logan made sure we were aware of, though my Dad (who acted as transport for me and the petkids) and I are pleased to be able to report that they only voiced their objections for part of the journey, and slept through much more of it than they howled and whined.  But we all got here safely, and - despite a few minor hiccups - so did all our stuff, which is the important thing.

    

I'll give proper details, tell you about the new house, and catch you up on everything properly when I can.

#Christmas #Music - Some Versions Of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Since I didn't get a chance to post about it properly, and not everyone reads all my posts anyhow, you may not have realized, but we just moved house, and I've personally been without internet access since December 4th.  All being well, by the time this post goes live I'll have my internet working in the new house (if what was meant to happen does, internet should have been working in the new house from December 8th).  However, even if all goes to plan with us getting back online, it's unlikely I'd have had a chance to sort out reviews for the books I (hopefully) read during the last week, so I'm going to assume I'll be giving  you two weeks worth of reviews next week, and give you something else to enjoy today instead.

 

~

 

With that in mind, and the fact Christmas Eve is just two weeks away, I thought I'd share a few different versions of my favourite Christmas carol: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.  So... Enjoy!

Just A Few More Writerly #Quotes For You

“Dance above the surface of the world. Let your thoughts lift you into creativity not hampered by opinion.”

~Haircrow

     

“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard.”
~D McCullough

     

“One should use common words to say uncommon things”
~Arthur Schopenhauer 

     

“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.”
~Robert Hughes

     

“In writing, don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, “Please will you do my job for me.”
~C.S. Lewis
     

“Write quickly and you will never write well; write well, and you will soon write quickly.”
~Marcus Fabius Quintilianus
     

 “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”

~Joseph Chilton Pierce

     

“You do an awful lot of bad writing in order to do any good writing. Incredibly bad. I think it would be very interesting to make a collection of some of the worst writing by good writers.”
~William S. Burroughs
     

“The real story is not the plot, but how the characters unfold by it.”
~Vanna Bonta
     

 “Let the reader find that he cannot afford to omit any line of your writing because you have omitted every word that he can spare.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
    

“That’s my advice with dealing with writers block. Follow the fun. If you aren’t having fun, you are doing it wrong.”

~Jordan Peele

     

“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.”

~Albus Dumbledore

     

“If it pleases you and you can write at all, it's gonna please somebody else.”
~CHARLAINE HARRIS
        

 

“Stories are the currency of human contact.”

~Robert McKee

     

“I can’t blame modern technology for my predilection for distraction, not after all the hours I’ve spent watching lost balloons disappear into the clouds. I did it before the Internet, and I’ll do it after the apocalypse, assuming we still have helium and weak-gripped children.”
~Colson Whitehead

8 #Mindfulness #Quotes From Buddha - Because It's #BodhiDay

Today isBodhi Day.
     "What's that?" I hear you ask.
     Each year on December 8th, Buddhists celebrate the day that Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment through meditation. The word Bodhi means awakening or enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, is popularly known as the Buddha.      ~ 
    Now, I'm not actually Buddhist myself.  However, while that's certainly the case, I do incorperate some of the Buddhist beliefs and Buddha's teachings in to aspects of my daily life - or try to anyhow - and claim Buddhism as one of the influences on my version of Eclectic Paganism (along with Celtic Druidism, Native American beliefs, and Wicca... In case you're interested).  So, since I had some quotes from Buddha I wanted to share, I figured this was a perfect oppertunity to acknowledge the day (even though I don't actually do anything to celebrate the day) and share those quotes at the same time.
    *~*      

"Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again."~Buddha

"With our thoughts we make the world."~Buddha

"We are shaped by our thoughts; We become what we think. When the mind is pure, Joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."~Buddha

"The Way is not in the sky, the Way is in the heart."~Buddha

"Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life."~Buddha

"If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good."~Buddha

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."~Buddha

"If you are facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep on walking."~Buddha

#MondayMotivation - #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 07-12-20

Every flower blooms in its own time.
~Ken Petti

Forever is composed of nows.
~Emily Dickinson

In a few hundred years, when the history of our time will be written from a long-term perspective, it is likely that the most important event historians will see is not technology, not the Internet, not e-commerce. It is an unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time—literally—substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the first time, they will have to manage themselves. And society is totally unprepared for it.
~Peter Drucker

We cannot start over, but we can start now and make a new ending.
~Zig Ziglar

The world is a great ocean, upon which we encounter more tempestuous storms than calms.
~Edgar Allan Poe

The moment you take responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you can change anything in your life.
~Hal Elrod

There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.
~Michael Phelps

Success is a process, a quality of mind & way of being.
~Alex Noble

It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.
~Molière

A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.
~A.A. Milne

Once we know and are aware, we are responsible for our action and our inaction. We can do something about it or ignore it. Either way, we are still responsible.
~Jean-Paul Sartre

One of the most significant findings in psychology in the last twenty years is that individuals can choose the way they think.
~Martin Seligman

#PetKidPals: Thor

Hi everyone.  This is Mollie the chinchilla.

 

I have a new friend for you to meet today, so let’s see who it is, shall we?

 

Hello new friend, and what’s your name? If you have an unusual name, or there’s a story behind it, please share, because I’d love to hear it.

 

“Hello. Hello. Hello. My name is Thor. My human is an Avengers fan and, for some reason, loves the guy with the big hammer.

 

“I have a story I’d like to share quickly if that’s okay? I think it’s funny.”

 

Great name! And, yes, please do.  I love hearing stories!

 

“One day, my human’s son was getting me out of the aviary, and I got spooked and flew away. That afternoon a summer storm was brewing with thunder and lightning flashing through the sky. My human was so keen to find me; she was roaming the streets of her estate, calling loudly for the god of thunder. Ha, ha. That’s me. Get it? We share the same name. I’m sure the humans in the neighbourhood thought my human had lost a few marbles.”

 

Haha! That is funny.  I love it! So, Thor, what species and breed are you?

 

“I’m an Alexandrian Parrot. Our breed is named after Alexander the Great. We used to be royal pets, but these days almost anybody can be our favourite human. I live in Australia, but my species is native to Western India, South India, and Sri Lanka.”

 

 

That’s fascinating.  Thank you for sharing that parrot information with us.  It’s always fun to learn new things.  Now, please describe your appearance.  This post will include photos you sent me to share with everyone, of course, but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can’t see the photos.

 

“I’m a medium-sized parrot. Our bodies are bigger than an Indian Ringneck and Lorikeets, plus I have two tail feathers that are incredibly long (about 35 cm), taking our length to as long as 62 cm. My body is pale green with a pale blue tinge with some parts, like my forehead, almost fluorescent green. My wings are a slightly darker green with a burgundy patch close to where my wings attach to my body. My two long tail feathers have a hint of pale blue, with a yellow underside, and I have a really big—almost red—beak, curved like a nose. Because I’m a male, I have a flat head and a beautiful pink and black ring around my neck. I had to wait until I was three years old to grow that ring. That’s a long time, but I should have another 27 - 47 years to show it off.

 

“Oh, by the way, the picture of the male Alexandrine Parrot on the wire isn’t me. My human wanted you to get a good look at our tail. The picture is taken by Dr. Raju Kasambe.”

 

 

Thanks for that.  What a glorious bird you are! Hey, Thor, you told us where your breed comes from, and that you live in Australia, but other than that what sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?

 

“I live in a large aviary with my friend, Angel. She’s the same breed as me and can be extremely noisy and demanding. I think she’s adorable, and her human loves her, but her favourite noise can drive the humans crazy at times. She does it for attention. Although sometimes it annoys me too.”

 

Noisy housemates can be annoying at times... I find that with the dogs.  It’s nice to have the company sometimes though.  So, that’s what Angel likes to do, but what’s your favourite thing to do?

 

“Well, there’s this sound that I hear every day. My human says it’s an old-fashioned phone. I love imitating that sound. There are these other noises I hear that I like to replicate. Noises are my thing. My cage friend, Angel, speaks human talk… a lot, but my specialty is noises. You name it—if I like it, I’ll make it. I sometimes speak human, but I like to do it when my human isn’t listening, except I like saying hello. My voice isn’t as clear as Angel’s. I speak human to Angel. I sound more like I’ve been inhaling helium. It’s my form of serenading Angel. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be working. (Puffs out chest) I think it’s pretty impressive.”

 

That sounds fun! How about playing? Do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

 

“Anything I can destroy with my beak. I especially love wood, bark, sticks, dining room chairs… but my human wasn’t too happy about that one. I don’t know why.”

 

I’m with you on loving wooden things to chew on, and can’t think why she wouldn’t be happy about you chewing the chairs... Humans! Speaking of things to chew on though, what’s your favourite food?

 

“Mmm. Fresh corn. Yum. I love it on the cob. This one time, my best friend, Angel, opened our cage and went on a wildlife adventure for three days. My human lured her down from a tree with a big juicy cob of corn. Angel was terrified after being chased by a magpie. Her fear made her not think straight, but that juicy corn lured her away from her fright, and she climbed down the branches back into the safety of my human.

 

“Sunflower seeds are also a favourite. They are like super yum. Apparently, they can make me fat. (Looking at waist) I don’t see it. I also love nuts, seeds, and fruit.”

 

 

You have great taste in nibbles, and you don’t look fat to me.  Humans are always stressing about that kind of tthing though.  Just ignore it... I do.  The human caretakers do some really nice things though, so tell me: what’s the one thing your human does that you love most?

 

“She lets me sit on her shoulder. I could sit on there all day, climbing from one to the other. I especially love it when she smiles. Those funny shiny white things in her mouth are so fascinating. I just want to chew on them.”

 

Who wouldn’t? Funny shiny white things sound fun! As we both know though, the humans don’t always let us do the things we love to do best, so... What’s the one thing your human does that you hate most?

 

“She won’t let me chew on those shiny white things. I don’t know why. I really, really just want to play with them.”

 

Sorry she’s not letting you have your fun.  You’d think she would, since she wants to have her fun.  I mean, I know your human is a writer, and Mummy tells me they enjoy doing that.  Speaking of which, has she written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think she will in the future?

 

“Sadly, no. She has written a book with Macaws in it. I mean, what’s the fascination with them? I’m more adorable.

 

“I don’t know if she will write about me. She keeps writing lots of stories, so maybe one day.”

 

You do sound really cute.  And, thanks for visiting today.

 

***~~~***

 

About the human:

Katrina is an author of several Young Adult and Preteen/Middle Grade novels. Each of her released books reaching the top 100 in certain categories on the Amazon's Best Sellers Rank - a few even as high as number one.

She resides in Queensland Australia. Her three teen/preteen boys and husband of over fifteen years treat her like a princess. Unfortunately though, this princess still has to do domestic chores.

From birth, she has been a very creative person and has spent many years travelling the world and observing many different personalities and cultures. Her favourite personalities have been the strange ones, yet the ones under the radar also hold a place in her heart.

 

Find and connect with Katrina:

https://www.amazon.com/Katrina-Cope/e/B00F00JF9M/

http://www.KatrinaCopeBooks.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7265107.Katrina_Cope

https://www.facebook.com/Author.Katrina.Cope

https://www.facebook.com/groups/162246431165536

https://www.instagram.com/katrina_cope_author/

https://twitter.com/Katrina_R_Cope

 

The Sanctum Series:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074C4DPYB

 

***~~~***

 

I hope you enjoyed meeting Thor, and learning about him, his cagemate, Angel, and his human, Katrina.  If you enjoyed this post, please don’t forget to leave them a comment to tell them so, or share it around.  Better yet, do both, which will make them – as well as me and Mummy – very happy.

 

By the way, we’re always looking to make new friends, so if you’re a bird, cat, chinchilla, degu, dog, fish, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, rat, tortoise, or other non-human animal, you share your home with a human calling themselves a writer – yes, blogging counts - and you’d like to become a PetKid Pal too, to have your turn to be interviewed, go to the “PetKid Pals”page on this blog, and it will tell you how to do it.  You can also use that page to read the interviews for the friends we’ve featured in the past.

 

Squeak soon,

Mollie

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 03-12-20

If you see the magic in a fairy tale, you can face the future.
~Danielle Steel

         

*~* 

     

   
Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!
    

~ 

    
*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.
    
Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.
    

~ 

    

OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right? 

    

*~*
    

Reading:

Despite last minute packing and such, this week I managed to read three books.  All of them were gifted to me by the author, though only one was spacifically in exchange for a review... I've mentioned in my review which one that was.  So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

    

Maylie and the Maze (Tales of a Travel Girl #1)
by M.L. Tarpley
My rating: five out of five stars

This is an excellent and well-written story. The characters are believable, and face issues that are very relatable, and the story itself is a delightful quick read. The plot moves at a nice pace, and manages to teach you a little about the places the characters are visiting while at the same time giving you a fun and exciting tale to enjoy. This is a fantastic book for middle graders, and some older readers might enjoy it too - I sure did.
*NOTE: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for a review. This fact has had no influence at all on what I thought of the book, or the contents of this review, and all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. 

    

~ 

     

No Longer Flighty Fanny (Sisters By Marriage #3)
by Jessica Spencer
My rating: four out of five stars

This book was a lovely read. The main character has a tough start, but it only makes her "happily ever after" all the sweeter when it comes. I also thought it was nice how the book was linked to the previous ones in the series, and moves the stories on for the characters we met in those earlier books too. All in all, an enjoyable little romance. 

    

~ 

    

Never Silly Sophie (Sisters by Marriage #4)
by Jessica Spencer
My rating: five out of five stars

This was my favourite of the series. I love the hint of mystery beneath the romance in the plot, and that combined with meeting some wonderful new characters - not to mention reuniting with ones I grew fond of during the earlier books - made this a fantastic read.

    

*~*
    

Watching:

This week I watched some episodes of "The Simpsons" - just because - and caught up on the latest episode of "The Mandelorian" once it was out.

    ~ 

    

I had planned to also watch more DVDs.  I wanted to watch more of my to-watch pile from my coffee table before I had to pack them.  But I didn't get a chance, since I had to pack them early this week due to needing to have everything packed up by today because of heading to the new place tomorrow.  So had to go ahead and pack them unwatched.  I guess I won't be working on getting through those again until they get unpacked the other end, which won't be until some time in the new year I expect.

    

*~* 

    

Listening:

This week I've been listening to more Christmas music, and this week's share is a reminder from Robbie Williams that Christmas - or whatever you celebrate at this time of year - isn't cancelled, regardless of what the holidays might look like this year because of virus related restrictions.  The holidays might look different this year, but you can't stop Christmas... Remember that!