Toi Thomas's Blog, page 107

Author Insights 16

Street Wraith PressThis link is a cultural study of my book. Words can't describe how I feel right now. Who knew I was so deep J ?...Seriously, if you have a moment, check it out. You may just be surprised.
--The book cover you will see is the first edition book cover. It has changed since and may change again. I’m very excited about what is happening with my new publisher and can’t wait to share more with you--
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Sample Sunday 02

Sample Sunday is a weekly posting from my pre-published work in progress Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel. Each week I will post approximately 100 – 150 words from this installment of the series. Please visit the ToiBox to read samples of my other works in progressEternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel chapter 1
This was the second to last stretch of her journey, which she made note of with her digital recorder, before reaching her final destination. She was headed down to a small, remote town in mid-southeastern Virginia, called Whitteltown. Apparently, the town had been founded by several groups of wood carvers a few centuries ago and had been maintained by a wealthy family, for which the town was named. Most of the Whittleton family died off by the turn of the twentieth century, leaving many to believe that the town had become a haven or refuge for criminals during and after prohibition.Word Count: 101
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ToiBox Update Week: 7/6/13

In case you’re interested, here are some highlights from my other blog, the ToiBox. This is where I talk more in depth about my whole writing experience and other works.



It’s Like the Full Moon- chapter 1         





Water








Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel, Abraham’sBio


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Happy Independence Day U.S.A.

I hope everyone is spending time with loved ones and enjoying the freedoms of the country, even the ones you don't like. Remember how this country got to where it is now, good and bad, and think about where it can go. Outside of that, don't worry about politics today, just have fun and be happy.Here's a peek at my patriotic pinboard, Land of the... Click here to enter.
As for the rest of the world, I sincerely hope you are having a wonderful day where ever you are :).
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Mira's Closet: 7/4/13

Mira’s no fashionista, but she definitely has her own sense of style…And now here’s an update on just that. These are style tips from
my own personal fashion guru and my physical inspiration for Mira.


If you like this, be sure to stop by Tori’s Fashionplate to see what else she has to share…and don’t be afraid to leave comments and ask questions.
You can also check out:Celebrity Trends at http://www.whowhatwear.com/Fashion Medley at http://thefashionmedley.com/
My Style Pinboard at http://pinterest.com/toinette_thomas/my-style/

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I Had a Dream About a Gray Man.

These are previous posts that have been dusted off, updated, and freshly presented to an audience that’s never seen them. These limited posts originate from the companion blogs I’ve written for the books of the Eternal Curse Series (40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse & EC: Battleground a Survival Guide).*******************************************************************************************
It’s true. This whole thing started because of a dream I had about a gray man. He lived as hermit isolated from the rest of the world, because of the scrutiny he would feel from other people. I had this dream more than once, and each time I had it, the story would develop more. Finally one night, the dream series came to climatic finish, when the gray man in my dreams, woke from a long slumber and had turned into an angel.
I started to write notes about the dream, trying to remember the details, but most of what I dreamt is lost forever. I just can’t remember it. That’s ok because it gave me an opportunity to fill in the missing pieces with conscious ideas of my own. The one thing that kept coming back to me was the fact that, the gray man in my dream went through a metamorphosis, similar to a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly. He turned into an angel and then I stopped dreaming about him.
Well, before you jump to conclusions, this isn’t a spoiler. I started to develop a story that turned out to be inspired by this mystical dream series. It was in November of 2009 that I really began to piece together a story that was worth writing. By the early spring of 2010, I’d completed the first draft of what would ultimately become the finished story that is in circulation now.
All spring, summer, and even into the fall, I read, wrote, and rewrote my book trying to get it to sound just how I wanted it. I even sent copies of the draft to a few trustworthy people, and asked them to review it and offer insights into the story that I might have missed. I knew how the story was supposed to go, but I needed reassurance from an unbiased source to let me know whether I was properly getting my point across. As an amateur writer, trying to pull off a professional feat, I was willing to accept any feedback I could get.
It was a difficult decision for me to decide to self-publish my book, especially considering the economy of time. After much thought, I decided to invest in myself; it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to really go out on a limb and do something for myself. It was a chance for me to stand up and tell the world that I believed in me. Besides, it kept me from having to deal with the rejection of submitting my work to countless publishers, hoping that just one of them would find my labor of love amusing.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that I’ve somehow found a way to bypass criticism, judgment, and rejection. I will have plenty of opportunities to experience all of that. Anyone who takes the time to read a book is making an investment of time and is therefore entitled to critique the work. While I believe many people may be able to overlook the fresh and simplistic nature of my amateur writing skills and just enjoy the story, I welcome those who would tear me down for every misplaced quotation. I hope it makes me a better writer.
I’d like to think that every person in the world will read my book and love it, but that’s just not realistic, and I’m ok with that. I know of, at least, a handful of people who like my book and that’s plenty for me… but I’m not turning my nose up at the prospect of getting more people to jump onto the “I like this” bandwagon.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Click below to share your Reactionsand more. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #cursescanbebroken

Sample Sunday 01

Sample Sunday is a weekly posting from my pre-published work in progress Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel. Each week I will post approximately 100 – 150 words from this installment of the series. Please visit the ToiBox to read samples of my other works.Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel chapter 1
Like many others, Mira never imagined as a young child that going to an airport and flying on a plane could be so detrimental to one’s mental, physical, and emotional health. People who once embraced, kissed, and said their hellos and good-byes now stared, glared, worried and wondered. People now waited in lines, herded like cattle to be inspected over and over again just to be told that now it is safe to board the plane with your over-stuffed carry-on, but leave behind the luggage you just paid a small fortune for, so it can get lost on the way to wherever it is you’re going. It had truly become a sign of sad times, the transformation of an airport from a travel station into a terror house. Word Count: 128

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I Am Returning!

New posts and a new format coming soon. Next post expected June 30, 2013.

Guest Post 25: Darlene Jones

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Darlene Jones is back at the ECS again and this time she’s sharing Embroiled.

Blurb
What if I could go “up there?”  Why does this obsession drive Emily’s life when she doesn’t believe in heaven? Even the wonderful Dr. David can’t help her find the answers she needs.
Learning that she has lived other lives shocks Emily. Then Yves takes her to his world. There she meets gods and Powers and people rescued from doomed planets—living the perfect heavenly life. She knows she belongs “up there” with Yves, but all is not as idyllic as it appears. Emily is the only one who sees the danger…
But will Emily be able to save Yves and his world?

Comments from Darlene Jones
A long time ago, I lived in Mali. Every single day, I wished I could wave a magic wand to relieve the heart-wrenching poverty. The story line of my books reflects my desire to wave that wand and make the world a better place. If only wishes could come true. And of course, every novel needs its love story, so along with the sci-fi magic, I’ve added the requisite romance.
I've always believed we can't be the only beings existing in the vastness of the universe. There must be others “out there somewhere” and I brought some of them along for the ride. The setting stays, for the most part, within the realities of our world, but I've found that I love the magic the sci-fi element of other beings can bring to the story.
~Thank you for stopping by today to learn about the final installment of Darlene Jones’ Em and Yves series.  To learn more about this author and her other works, check out my interview with Jones here and be sure to visit her list of suggested links.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/darlenejones
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/307726Website: www.emandyves.comBlog: http://emandyves.wordpress.comTwitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/darlenejones47Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EmandYvesGoodreads author page: http://ow.ly/azeWd 

Guest Post 24: Stefan Vucak

So, you want to be a writer, eh? I’d suggest you take up golf instead. It’s just as frustrating, but at least you get some fresh air. Still determined?

I’m not going to talk about why you want to write. That’s a story in itself. You have read widely and perhaps dabbled at writing some short pieces, and after seeing what’s out there, you’re telling yourself it can’t be that hard. You can do a much better job and you’ve made up your mind to prove to everybody you can do it. You also decided that you can take the pain, the loneliness, and exasperation that goes with writing. Have you? If you haven’t, do think about it. Writing a 300 page book means many hours with a pen, notebook, and computer. Time where you don’t want to be interrupted by anything or anybody. Still want to inflict this on yourself?
When I started, I had grand dreams about getting published and seeing my books in every store in the world. I’d be famous! Perhaps you might make it, but before you jump into the writing tar pit, knock any expectations you may have about fame and money out of your mind. If you want to write for money, become a journalist or a freelancer. Better still, get a paying job. That’s my first bit of advice. The second: forget about becoming famous. If you are honest with yourself, you will understand that you are driven to write, and you want to share what you have written with somebody. Everything else is secondary. If you don’t have that fire burning inside you, goading you to write, never leaving you alone, than you’re kidding yourself. Remember what I said about golf?
Okay, let’s get serious. Like any profession, writing is a craft and there are tools you must master to be any good at it. What did Einstein say: ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration? He got that right. Having a story idea is nothing. Getting it down on paper in a form readers will not want to put down is everything. As with anything new, practice makes perfect. If you haven’t already, write some short stories. Why? The effort will tell you how good you are at manipulating words, creating sentences, scene breaks and chapters. It will show you if you have problems with plotting, whether you are a character or action writer; whether you like prose, dialogue or are in love with flowery adjectives. By the way, drown those adjectives - most of them anyway, or take up poetry. You need to find your voice. You need to discover your writing style with which you are most relaxed and one that doesn’t impede the flow of words. Stilted, awkward narrative and dialogue is death, regardless how good the story itself might be. Don’t try to imitate an author you like. You must be true to yourself.
Some basic things that get overlooked, but are important:
-    Format your manuscript correctly. Use 1 inch margins all around and have a proper header: Author Name/Book Title at left, and page numbering at right. Amazing how many people get this wrong.-    Use double spacing with your sentences, and don’t right justify the text. That part comes later when the book gets published.-    Always use the word processor’s automatic paragraph indenting. Have a hard page break, never one you create using the Enter key to space down the page.-    Never use tabs!
There are other small things, but the idea is to get the fundamentals right before you put down that first word. Believe me, it will help in the long run. Why do all that? Firstly, submission editors have rules on manuscript formatting, but more importantly, you are developing yourself into a professional, not some amateur who hopes a brilliant story will carry you over all the bad parts. Long ago, editors helped iron out poorly written manuscripts, but those days are long gone. Today, your manuscript must be perfect, ready for typesetting and printing.
Become your worst enemy! You need to develop editorial skills and be prepared to cut that favorite word, phrase, sentence or paragraph. Never, never become so attached to your writing that you cannot prune. Like a shrub that needs cutting in order to make the whole live, you must be prepared to trim your writing. I know. It’s like hacking off an arm, but you must become inured to the pain, your eyes set on the end product. It takes time and practice, but it’s worth the effort. If you don’t do it, your editor certainly will. He will do it anyway just to demonstrate his superiority over us lesser mortals. Grin and bear it, and have a bourbon.
Develop a disciplined approach to writing. You would never build a house without proper architectural drawings. In the same way, never jump into writing that book without having thoroughly researched your subject, written a detailed outline, and worked every plot angle. Careful not to get carried away with the outline or you’ll end up writing what should really be ‘real’ writing. An outline is a skeleton on which you write the book around. And like any skeleton, every bone must be in place or things will start to fall off when you begin to write. That’s called writer’s block, and it can drive you to thoughts of jumping off tall buildings. It can also result in a book that will be all disjointed and pieces won’t fit. You can write a short story on the fly, and I’ve done it, but not a full-length novel. I have seen results of such amateurish writing and I still shudder when I think of them.
Develop your characters. There is nothing worse than coming across a character that has blue eyes in one chapter and brown in another. There is more to it than that, of course, but you get the idea. Every major character in your book should be fully developed, like a police mug sheet. And like that mug sheet, it should contain everything: height, color of hair, distinguishing features, mannerisms, likes and dislikes...you get the idea. This not only beds down the character in your own mind, but enforces a consistency of behavior by that character. If you have given your character a quirky mannerism, you can use it with confidence throughout the book. It will also make your reader comfortable, knowing you will not spring a surprise on him. If your character is a badass, keep him that way. Don’t introduce a brand new mannerism way down the book simply to make a point.
There are lots more things I could talk about here that every author needs in his toolbox, but I have to do some writing on my own novel. You will run into mental potholes, wander why you’re bothering, thinking that drinking your way out will help, but there is one thing you must always keep in mind. Writing can be tremendously satisfying. There is nothing like the buzz you get when the words flow and everything clicks together. The pure joy of creation can be giddying - and addictive. Once hooked, I’m afraid there is no cure, and no cold turkey withdrawal will help.
Still want to be a writer? On your head be it.
~Thank you for stopping by to see what this great author has to share with us today. Stefan Vucak is an award-winning author of the sci-fi Shadow Gods series of books. His contemporary political thriller Cry of Eagles has won the coveted 2011 Readers Favorite silver medal award, and his All the Evils is a 2013 finalist in the prestigious Eric Hoffer contest. See my interview of Vucak here and be sure to check out his list of suggested links.
Website: www.stefanvucak.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/StefanVucakTwitter: @stefanvucak