Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog, page 154

An Excuse to Ingurgitate..?

Ingurgitate – definition: to swallow greedily or in great quantity, as food

Firstly, a Merry Christmas to you all. I wish you health, wealth, love and flowing words for 2014.

The celebration of the festivities centers mainly around the Christmas Day meal. Traditionally, turkey is the bird of choice although duck, chicken, ham and vegetarian equivalents are among the other options available. Although if you read this link, you can find exceptional offerings :  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-502605/It-serves-125-takes-hours-cook-stuffed-12-different-birds—really-IS-Christmas-dinner.html

This combination in itself would be enough to try and consume without all the trimmings to go with it. I am sure there would be many weeks of sandwiches, crock-pot meals and leftover meals after this one.

So why do we eat to excess at these times? Is it greed, showing off to family and friends, a status symbol of our wealth? Or is it a celebration of abundance we are able to enjoy?

Or a symbol of love for those around us who have made our lives better for being in it?

This last option is the one I believe in, especially now, as I am thousands of miles away from my family. I will treasure the moments with my immediate family on Christmas Day this year. My choice of bird this Christmas is duck.

Take your choice of these explanations or comment on your own thoughts.

This link gives some insight from a British point of view.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/22/eating-excess-christmas-british-tradition

What bird are you cooking? 

Image from : http://www.acageybee.com/decking-the-halls/145

Mother Nature’s Fury..?

Fury – definition: 1. unrestrained or violent anger, rage, passion, or the like; 2. sudden violent power or force

Is it me or have there been an exceptional number of volcanic eruptions in 2013? That is not including earthquakes and tsunamis, which have also increased.

Could this be Mother Nature’s fury?

Has she had enough and is showing us how insignificant we really are? There is no human force that can resist or conquer a volcanic eruption or earthquake. We are at her mercy.

I follow a face book page by Gerri Bowen - https://www.facebook.com/gerri.bowen not just for her wonderful books but also because she finds the most interesting facts about seismic events around the world. This year has been extraordinary full of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes globally.

As you can see from these links – the globe has numerous active volcanoes and some have erupted this year after being dormant for a long time.

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/erupting_volcanoes.html

http://www.activistpost.com/2013/11/seven-volcanoes-in-six-different.html

When you actually see the fault lines crisscrossing and moving under the earth’s crust, it is a wonder there are not more. Volcanoes have links to each other many miles underground so it is not surprising when one erupts, others follow.

If you have not seen the movies, The Impossible, I highly recommend it. Not only is it a true story, which has every parent agonizing with the mother but the sheer enormity of the family’s situation and those of the people around them is mind numbing. You ask yourself, ‘how would I cope?’, ‘could I survive?’ ‘would I be able to save my family?’. It is a powerful story of an event that devastated a vast area of South Asia.

So as not to spoil the movie for you I will not divulge more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami

Have you used a natural or man-made disaster in a novel or story?

I refer to a past World War in my novel, Life in Slake Patch, which resulted in the formation of a matriarchal ruled world. Excerpt:

“Surely these are pictures are wild imaging’s of a possessed person, Jacob?”

“Somewhat my thoughts at first, my young friend, but on closer inspection I have discovered this book was compiled as some sort of historic and societal recording.”

“But – men and women living together, it’s…?”

“Yes, inconceivable to our present way of life but obviously prior to the Grand War life was lived very differently.”

“Can such change have come about in three hundred years, do you think, Jacob?”

“It may seem difficult to your young ideals, Evan, but some change can evolve slowly and others quite quickly. Drastic events can mean extreme measures have to be made. Upon reflection I can see The Grand War was reason enough to change society in such a fundamental way.”

This novel is open to representation.

Related articles

About 35 volcanoes are currently erupting across the globe (theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com)
Mother Nature’s Force… (mandyevebarnett.com)
Volcanic eruption causes new island to form in the Pacific (huffingtonpost.com)
Why have 10 major volcanoes along the Ring of Fire suddenly roared to life? (sott.net)

How to Choose a Perfect Novel Excerpt…

Excerpt – definition: a passage or quotation taken or selected from a book, document, film etc. : extract

Excerpts are a great way to entice readers to purchase our narratives. The trick is finding the ‘perfect’ excerpt that encompasses the story enough without giving too much away.  It should also introduce your main character, show exciting action and display intriguing dialogue. The other consideration is to ensure the excerpt is a ‘stand alone’ , in other words it has a beginning, middle and end. The length of an excerpt is commonly between 1,000 and 5,000 words.

How did you choose your excerpt? Care to share any tips?

The following link is a good list of these points you can print out.

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/files/ywp/ywp_10_hs_exceptional_excerpt.pdf

You will have to forgive me but this is too much of an opportunity not to take, so here is an excerpt for you to enjoy.

Ockleberries to the Rescue - a children’s chapter book. Woodland sprites care for the animals within the forest they live in. The twins are squirrels who get lost while playing. This book will be available in early spring 2014.

The twins bounded as one down the tree’s trunk fearing the older squirrel would attack them. His shrill calls echoed behind them. Not having a choice but to run Rayce and Chase followed their noses. A few quick furtive glances behind them after some time showed them they were not being followed. They slowed down their pace. Just as Rayce was about to say something, Chase held his head up.

“What’s that smell?”

Rayce sniffed the air, it was certainly not something he had smelt before but  the strength of it hurt his nose. Before he could reply the ground shook and a deep rumbling sounded behind them. Turning slowly, their hearts furiously beating the twins came face to face with the largest animal they have ever seen. Its mouth was opened so wide the brothers could see not only massive sharp teeth but down its throat. The beast’s breath burst over them as it roared. Fleeing as fast as they could Rayce and Chase bolted into a hollowed log hoping the beast would be too big to fit through the opening. Their race to safely was short lived as they came up against a dead end. The log wasn’t hollow all the way through and now they were trapped. Loud snorting was followed by the strong odor as the huge animal stuck its snout into the log. Clutching each other in fear, the twin’s bodies trembled in unison.    Rayce whispered directly into Chase’s ear.

“It’ll go soon, we just need to stay quiet and still.”

All Chase could do was make a slight nod and grasp his brother more tightly. The snorting continued for what felt like hours but then the snout moved out of the hollow and the twins glimpsed daylight again.

“We’ll wait a while longer then make a run for it. Be ready to go, Chase.”

Just as Rayce was carefully treading toward the opening the log shook and a thud echoed along its bark. Rayce let out a cry of alarm and raced back to his brother. They were engulfed in darkness again.

“What happened, Rayce? “

“I’m not sure but we need to creep to the opening to find out.”

“Not me…!”

“Come on, Chase we have to get out of here somehow.”

Bruin lay across the log entrance he had lost interest in the little squirrels, it was time for a nice long nap.

Mable reached Murtle’s drey and called out flicking her tail in agitation. Within a few moments she heard an answering call and saw Murtle leaping across a branch above her.

“Whatever is the matter, Mable?”

“It’s the twins, they raced off and now I can’t find them. I called and called but now….oh Murtle I’m so worried.”

“Now settle yourself, Mable we will find them.”

As Murtle chirped and chattered her calls were answered from every direction. Soon a dozen squirrels all-chattering surrounded them at once.

“Quiet please everyone, Mable here needs our help. Her two darlings are lost and need to be found. We will start from the point Mable last saw her twins and move out from there. Quickly now we don’t have a lot time before dark. Their names are Chase and Rayce so call out as you go.”

Bushy tails held high and excited chattering accompanied Mable as she retraced her steps to the spot she had last seen her boys. Once at the spot with no answering calls on the way there, Mable felt extremely anxious. What if something had hurt them?

“Goodness what a kafuffle. What is going on?”

All the squirrels looked down from their respective branches at the sprite below.

“Crispin, you may be able to help us, two young squirrels have got lost in the forest and we need to find them.”

Mable looked at Murtle with a puzzled look.

“It’s alright, Mable, Crispin helps all forest animals.”

“I have heard of the sprite’s of course but have never met one. Hello Crispin, if you can help I would be in your debt.”

“No need for a debt to be paid, it will be my pleasure to help. I will summon my helpers and have them spread the word. What are the youngsters names?”

“Rayce and Chase, they will be so scared, I’m at my wit’s end.”

“Calm yourself there, we shall have them safely in your arms in no time.”

Crispin gave three loud whistles. Within moment’s crows, deer and a fox were gathered around him. Quickly giving details of what he needed the animals darted or leapt in every direction.

“Now we have a lot more eyes and ears to help with the search. We will find your young in no time.”

Mable nodded her thanks to the sprite then turned to Murtle.

“Let’s head this way, Murtle, knowing we have all this extra help has made me feel better.”

Bruin blinked several times puzzling why he woke up so soon after dozing off. He dreamt he had heard Crispin’s whistle. Now was it real or not? He lay still straining his ears to hear another whistle. None came. Satisfied he must have been dreaming he nodded back off to sleep.

Chase shivered the inside of the log was damp and cold.

“We have to find a way out, Chase, let’s see if we can burrow our way out this way.”

The two squirrels clawed at the leaf litter and rotten bark for a while but eventually could go no further. Exhausted from their excursions they curled up together for warmth and to curb the fear they both felt. Chase decided that he would never leave his mother’s side again even if Rayce pleaded with him.

A patting on his nose woke Bruin. As he opened one eye a rabbit hopped back in alarm.

“Please Mr. Bear don’t hurt me. I’m helping Crispin to find a couple of young squirrels. You haven’t seen any have you?”

Bruin’s eyes popped opened. The squirrels were still in the log, what had he done?

“Actually I do know where they are…safely tucked up together in this here log.”

“Really? Oh that is good news I need to let Crispin know you found them. Thank you Mr. Bear.”

English: A Sciuridae Deutsch: Ein Hörnchen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Would you like to share an excerpt? Either here or put up a link…

Fair Recompense for Your Endeavor..?

Recompense – definition: 1. a repayment or requital, as for favors, or gifts’ 2. compensation, as for an injury, or wrong; 3. to make a payment, remuneration or reward, as for services or aid

Should authors ‘give away’ their writing endeavors? A novel takes a long time to create, edit, revise and refine. Time you spend away from family and social outings with friends. Your mind is distracted from your full time work, your productivity decreases and you jealously guard your writing time from all interruptions. There are many reasons given for making a novel free. Ratings, downloads, increased readership etc. etc. but in real terms why would anyone give away their work?

This is a topic many people have strong opinions on,  so I will tread carefully. It is everyone’s right to do with their work what they feel is right for them.  If that means giving away hundreds of copies or downloads in the hope that real purchases will be made thereafter then good for them.

What is your view?

I have linked to debates on this subject.

Debate : http://nigelgmitchell.blogspot.ca/2013/03/the-pros-and-cons-of-indie-authors-and.html

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1360794-the-great-free-book-debate

I am happy to let my novels be purchased.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214247

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Rython-Kingdom-Mandy-Eve-Barnett-ebook/dp/B00AUBP2SO

http://www.amazon.com/The-Rython-Kingdom-Mandy-Eve-Barnett/dp/1927510236

http://www.dreamwritepublishing.ca/retail/books/rumbles-first-scare

A Scent of Choice…

Myropolist – definition: a perfume dealer

The word perfume, describes scented mixtures and is derived from the Latin word, “per fumus“, meaning through smoke. Although, perfumery, (the art of making perfumes) began in ancient Egypt, it was subsequently developed and refined by the Romans, the Persians and the Arabs. Perfumery also existed in East Asia, but most of its fragrances were incense based.  Pliny the Elder described the basic ingredients and methods of making perfumes  in his Naturalis Historia.  Today, it seems every celebrity ‘develops’ their own perfume to entice followers to ‘smell like me’! The shops are bursting with choices from super sweet ‘candy’ scents to earthy tones in a plethora of colored and uniquely shaped bottles.

When we watch adverts for perfume they promise romance, love and an allure of fantastic fun filled days and nights. However, scent is a very personal thing. One can be pleasing while another can be gag making. The bottles are art forms in their own right, from its beginnings in humble pottery vials to fantastic colored glass shapes, the bottles are almost more important that the scent they contain.

Smell is one of the important parts of our descriptions within our narratives. They help our readers immerse themselves into the scene. Gun smoke assists a battle scene to come to life, floral scents conjure up a walk in a meadow or garden and body odor the character’s physical state. All the scents -pardon the pun – need to be present to give our readers a complete sensation of what is happening.

I ‘found’ my favorite scent decades ago and it is the only one I ever wear – Obsession by Calvin Klein. I would be heart broken if it was ever discontinued. Musty scents are much more pleasing to me.

Naturalis Historia, 1669 edition, title page. The title at the top reads: “Volume I of the Natural History of Gaius Plinius Secundus.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you have a favorite perfume or cologne?

If you are interested in the history of perfume this Wiki link is good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_perfume

Related articles

Guerlain , 160 years Honeycomb perfume bottle. (evelenmargaret.com)

Self Publishing – Circumventing the Traditional Option..?

Circumvent – definition: to avoid by artfulness or deception; avoid by anticipating or outwitting

The argument of choosing traditional publishing versus self publishing continues to be discussed at length on many social media sites. The option to release your novel into the world without waiting months or even years for a traditional publishing house to pick it up, has revolutionized the authoring world  and our options within it. There are still pitfalls as well as concerns about the quality with self published works, but on the whole it is seen as a great opportunity by many struggling authors.

A twist in the tale is now emerging, where self published authors are being approached by the traditional houses – some accept, some do not. Again there are advantages and disadvantages – drastic reduction in royalties, publicity coverage, cover design,  prestigious outlets, contractual restrictions or conditions.

Even some famous authors  utilized the self publishing route, it is not a ‘new’ concept by any means.

 Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn
 John Grisham, A Time to Kill
 L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics
 Irma Rombauer, The Joy of Cooking
 Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
 Richard Paul Evans, The Christmas Box
 Jack Canfield and Mark Hensen,Chicken Soup for the Soul
 James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy
 Beatrix Potter, creator of the Peter Rabbit Classic Series.

Today’s indie authors have the added advantage of using technology to realize their publishing dreams and at a greatly reduced cost. There are numerous sites advertising publishing options and this is where care needs to be taken. Research each one thoroughly and get personal recommendations from other authors, not from the website! Unfortunately, some sites are preying on inexperienced authors and charging a great deal of money for ‘services’.  Always check http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/  they have a list that is constantly updated of sites to avoid.

How do you view self publishing?

What do you feel are the advantages for traditional versus self-publishing?

 

Related Articles:

http://www.novel-writing-help.com/publishing-a-novel.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-robinson/should-you-self-publish-f_b_3721206.html

Nothing is Impenetrable – Or Impossible…

Impenetrable – definition: incapable of being penetrated, pierced, breached or broken into

When we think about new directions in our life, there is a tendency to fill our minds with ‘what if’ and ‘should I’ thoughts. Fear of the unknown is nothing to be ashamed of, embrace it. Consider the rock face. Solid and seemingly impenetrable but over time tiny pebbles moved with the force of water, can wear that rock down. At first it is only a shallow dip but then it becomes deeper and deeper until eventually a hole through that rock face appears.

Whatever goals you want to achieve, they can be realized with thorough research and planning. The trick is to make small steps towards it instead of trying to get there in one fell swoop. ‘Mighty oaks from little acorns grow’  - yes, it is an old saying but nevertheless true. Take time to contemplate what you really want and visualize it. Once you have the goal clearly defined work your way backwards.

What do you need to do now to get there?

Use a graph or a timeline for your goal. Once it is set out visually it is easier to focus and plot your progress. Each step takes you nearer to your ultimate goal and that is encouragement we all need.

My goal for 2014 is to develop my freelance writing business. I have some doubts – time management, bidding on jobs, building a portfolio – to name a few. I have begun researching other freelancers and gaining knowledge from their expertise and experiences. I have already created a freelance binder where I am filing useful articles, blogs, and any information that is useful. My aim is to be as confident as possible before embarking on this venture. Plunging in blindly will result in failure, so time taken to prepare is an investment. To date, I have collaborated in creating a Vision Statement for the local Council and written articles on a wide variety of subjects on Strathcona Connect, an internet magazine. My blog post per day for 2013 has also given me valuable experience in creating interesting articles from just one word! I don’t expect to be able to leave full time work for quite some time but gradually I will build my business to the point that I will be able to.

Do you have goals for 2014?

Did you achieve your goals for 2013?

How did you plan for them? Care to share your technique?

Related articles

Freelancing and how it improved my writing. (nicklangis.wordpress.com)

What is Your Idiosyncrasy..?

Idiosyncrasy – definition: a strange or peculiar characteristic or trait.

Normally I do not share the second half of my desk diary meaning as it is a sentence incorporating the word. However, today’s is different and you will understand why once you read it. It is too relevant not to use it.

Sentence : The eccentric writer had so many idiosyncrasies it was hard for anyone to tolerate her.

Yes, we have our own ‘special’ traits and to the outside world – not our writing pals, of course  - they may seem peculiar. Writers become absorbed into the worlds they create, their characters are ‘real’ and once the novel has finished many remain with us. We speak about them as we would our own family and friends, we anguish about their plight, even though we are the one creating it.

I found some peculiarities of famous authors, take a look.

The novelist, Nicholson Baker took to getting up at 4.30 am, and he liked what it did to his brain: “The mind is newly cleansed, but it’s also befuddled… I found that I wrote differently then.”

Capote would supposedly write supine, with a glass of sherry in one hand and a pencil in another.

Cheever wrote: “To publish a definitive collection of short stories in one’s late 60′s seems to me, as an American writer, a traditional and a dignified occasion, eclipsed in no way by the fact that a great many of the stories in my current collection were written in my underwear.”

St. Flannery explained “I write only about two hours every day because that’s all the energy I have, but I don’t let anything interfere with those two hours, at the same time and the same place.” Since she had lupus, any activity was incredibly taxing for her during the end of her life, so she sat facing the blank surface of her wood dresser, which provided no distractions.

Nabokov :  “My schedule is flexible, but I am rather particular about my instruments: lined Bristol cards and well sharpened, not too hard, pencils capped with erasers.”

Thomas Clayton Wolfe:  “I use a typewriter. I set myself a quota — ten pages a day, triple-spaced, which means about eighteen hundred words. If I can finish that in three hours, then I’m through for the day. I just close up the lunch box and go home — that’s the way I think of it anyway. If it takes me twelve hours, that’s too bad, I’ve got to do it.”

Somerset Maugham had to face a blank wall before the words would come (any other view, he felt, was too distracting)

David Foster Wallace explained  ”I usually go in shifts of three or four hours with either naps or fairly diverting do-something-with-other-people things in the middle,” Wallace said in 1996, shortly after the publication of Infinite Jest. “So I’ll get up at 11 or noon, work till two or three.”  “So I’ll get up at 11 or noon, work till two or three.”

Agatha Christie complained she had “endless trouble with journalists, who inevitably wanted to photograph the author at her desk”: a problematic request, because she didn’t have one. Any stable tabletop for her typewriter would do.

I find walking helps me to clear any muddle of plot and there is evidence to suggest that walking – especially walking in natural settings, or just lingering amid greenery,  is associated with increased productivity and proficiency at creative tasks.  The best aspect of walking is removing myself from the sources of distraction – televisions, computer screens and social media. At least now I have a designated writing area (photo above) and I will gradually refine it.

What idiosyncrasies do you have?

 

My Homage to a Favorite Author…

Homage – definition: something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another

Most of you know I am a great Stephen King fan. Even though, to date, I have not written a horror novel, Stephen’s skillful writing has inspired me. Although, at the time I had no idea who had written the story, I went to view Carrie (the original) with teen friends one evening. I was so captivated by the movie I went back to the cinema the next afternoon alone to watch it again. That is powerful. Decades later shortly before boarding a plane for a nine hour flight, I browsed through the airport terminal’s book store and picked up the thickest book I could find. The blurb was intriguing. The book was The Stand. Not only did I read this book on the flight but for most of my vacation. I found it almost impossible to put down. Since then, I have re-read The Stand several times. Once I found Stephen’s work, I bought every single issue and impatiently awaited a new book. He could not write and publish fast enough (poor man!) Then I found Richard Bachman was a pen name and this gave me more books to purchase and read veraciously.

I think Stephen’s skill is taking a basic fear and developing it into a realistic story of human emotions and courage. If you have not read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, I encourage you to. This novel is basically one character and superbly written. To be able to master writing Stephen has quoted:  ”Read and write four to six hours a day. If you cannot find the time for that, you can’t expect to become a good writer.” He sets out each day with a quota of 2000 words and will not stop writing until it is met. He also has a simple definition for talent in writing: “If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn’t bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented.”

Stephen’s fifty novels (and counting) have sold over 350 million copies…I would be happy with a fraction of that figure. For those interested : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King

I do read other authors and genres, which include James Long and Kate Morton. Every author who resonates with me are skillful with their characters, locations and plot.

Who are your inspirations?

Do you write the same genre or others?

This house is part of a series of drawings on Stephen’s headed notepaper. My letter from Stephen is my most prized possession.

English: Stephen King’s House in Bangor, Maine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What’s The Driving Force in Your Writing..?

Impetus – definition: 1) a. a driving force : impulse b. something that makes a person try to work hard or harder; 2. the characteristic of a moving body that is caused by its mass and its motion.

I’m sharing a superb post today dealing with the driving force for writers.   Please visit the site, its certainly worthwhile.

http://thewritersvineyard.com/2013/02/the-driving-force-of-story.html

My driving force is mainly an idea that develops exponentially in my mind, demanding attention until it is safely on paper or screen. Even if I try to ignore it, there is an unpleasant sick feeling that comes over me and I have to write. My writing is free flow and it works well for me. With my ‘late’ start with this writing lark, I have an added driving force – to get as many stories written as I can!

What is your driving force?

We all need encouragement for our writing and it comes from many sources but having a few nice things surrounding us also helps! So I’m also sharing some great ideas for writers – put them on your Christmas wish list:

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/12/top-10-christmas-gifts-writers-writers.html

http://madebythepotter.blogspot.ca/2013/11/christmas-gifts-for-writers-and-book.html

http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/

http://www.cafepress.com/+writers+gifts