S.M. Pace's Blog, page 14

My Summer Writing Sabbatical Begins!

My Summer Writing Sabbatical has begun!  I think everyone has experienced that feeling of anticipation, the promise that a long vacation brings.  So much time, to get so many things done.

Right now, it seems entirely possible.  Possible to complete and publish half a dozen stories, write two blog posts every week, and about a dozen articles and content for my website.

Maybe I’m crazy.  But I won’t know unless I try.  So wish me luck, and I’ll do the same for all of you. Whether you’re working on summer projects, or just plain projects.  Let me know in the comments what you’re up to this summer; what projects you’re working, and whether you have any fun vacation plans.

Here’s to an amazing, and productive summer for everyone!

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 IWSG one year anniversary!  I'm Celebrating My Wings  Flash Fiction Wednesday - Daughter  What's Up Wednesday and Flash Fiction  How Fanfic Started It AllCopyright ©  [My Summer Writing Sabbatical Begins!], All Right Reserved. 2015.

Insecure Writer Support Group – Summer Writing Sabbatical

Having started a new teaching job earlier this year, I decided I really needed to get myself organized.  I signed up for a class on teacher organization.  And like any good procrastinator who recognizes she has a problem, and wants to pretend she’s trying to deal with it, I was delighted in the first week at being presented with several templates of schedules and to do lists.  Making a list of all the things I need to get done is as good as actually getting them done, right?

Yeah, no.  At least not for normal, non-procrastinating people.  But, I did make some actual strides with the class.  Which made me think it might be a good idea to keep that up once summer starts to make sure my writing doesn’t stall out.

When I realized back in October there was no way I was going to get any writing done during the school year with everything else I had to do, I decided that summer break would be my writing sabbatical.  I would continue to leave my son with my mom during the day, and head to library to write.

So, since those organization templates worked so well for me with the teaching, I figured why not try them again.  I selected one, and adapted it to my writing plan.  I get all excited at the thought of filling it out and getting started, especially now, with only five weeks left until summer break starts.

But as summer vacation creeps ever closer, I’m also nervous as hell.  The procrastinating little ferret in my brain has a troubling habit of popping up long after I thought I’d conquered her.  She’ll rear her ugly head on that first summer day, and remind me that the writing thing is not like a real job.  No one is paying me, and I won’t get fired for not doing anything.  And besides, making it into a job takes all the fun out.  Let’s just hang out with the baby, relax, and we’ll write when we feel like it.

Sigh.

Wish me luck.  And sound off in the comments, are you a procrastinator?  How do you deal with it?

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 Rifters by M Pax  Wings of the Butterfly Blog Tour  Write With Me - June 25  Third Short Story and a challenge  Indie Life and Self-Publishing: Wouldn't you Rather be Writing?Copyright ©  [Insecure Writer Support Group - Summer Writing Sabbatical], All Right Reserved. 2015.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group – Making Time to Write

This would have to be about the fifth time I’ve joined the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, only to slack off and drop out.  If that’s not something to feel insecure about, I don’t know what is.  That, and this post is really late.

Every time it’s the same story.  Join, manage to make a few posts, then life gets in the way.  My writing slows down, and eventually comes that Wednesday that I forget to create an IWSG post.  And it’s that much easier to forget again the next time it comes around.

But I did end up feeling a little more defeated the last time.  I joined ISWG because I was definitely feeling insecure. I know a blogger shouldn’t measure their worth in comments, but I had at least come to expect a few to pop up for each of my posts.  But lately, I hadn’t been getting any.  And I had just revamped my blog, with an awesome banner and everything.

I did my IWSG post, hoping it would help recharge my blogging battery.  I was upbeat and hopeful.

No comments for a couple days.  Same old, same old.  Then came an email.  Alex, wonderful guy that he is, was kind enough to point out that the purpose of the group is somewhat defeated if I don’t allow comments to my blog posts.

Yes, that’s right.  Somehow during my blog revamp, I had turned off the comment section.

Most people probably would have been encouraged to realize this.  “Well great.  People were probably reading the entire time, they just couldn’t make comments.”

Not me.  I highly doubt Alex intended this, but I grew even more defeated.  I threw up my hands at my own stupidity.  I was five months pregnant, just starting a new job, and both mentally and physically exhausted.  So I gave up.

I haven’t written much of anything since then.

Things certainly haven’t gotten any less busy, with a now two 1/2 month old baby, the same high stress job, and a house to keep up.  And I realize they will never get less busy.  Life will never provide time for my writing.  I have to make it myself, somehow.

So, here’s to making the time.  And hopefully, to staying committed, at least until summer break comes along, to posting at least to IWSG each month.  So, I’ve got April down, late though it is.  Come back and see me in May

Cheers.

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 First Short Story and a Question  What's Up Wednesday and My Journey to Indie Part 1  Giveaway Winner!  Second Short Story and Another Question  The Rules of ReligionCopyright ©  [Insecure Writer's Support Group - Making Time to Write], All Right Reserved. 2015.

Readers Meet Writers

There’s this writer who I could best term as my hero.  I discovered her in my second year of college, while sitting in the college writing center, browsing around on the computer.  I had just started to take my fiction writing seriously, and wanted something other than the typical “character profile questionnaire” to flesh out my characters.

And so, there popped up this link to a book called Create a Character Clinic by Holly Lisle.  I bought it, and I loved it.  So, I found her website, and discovered not only even more writing how tos for sale, but a tone of other awesome stuff, including fiction.  And a year or so later, she stared offering huge writing courses, geared toward helping aspiring writers get off their butts, and create the fiction that moved them.

Every single one of Holly’s writing courses and techniques, free and paid, has taught me something.  And now, she’s trying something new, and awesome.

ReadersMeetWriters is Holly’s new and amazing idea to help connect writers and readers with each other.

If you are a writer looking for help getting connected to your future readers, click the link above.

If you are a reader looking for writers that write the stories you want to read, click the link above.

Read what Holly has to say, and if it makes sense to you, sign up, and join us in creating something I believe will be truly amazing.

 

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 New Years Goals and Inspiration  A Short Break  Write With Me - May 22  A Writing ExerciseCopyright ©  [Readers Meet Writers], All Right Reserved. 2014.

IWSG one year anniversary!

It’s that time of the month to express our insecurities.  And there’s a celebration today, because this is the one year anniversary of the IWSG website and Facebook group.  YAY!

Today’s post is special, because I’m submitting it as part of The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond anthology, which Alex will be publishing and releasing for free, to help aspiring writers and self-publishers everywhere.  The book will contain articles about writing, self-publishing and marketing, so keep an eye out for it.  I’ll update here when it goes live.

And now, on to my submission.  I have no confidence in my ability to talk about self-publishing or marketing, being very new and inexperienced about both.  But I’ve been writing for over ten years now, and I’m pretty secure in where I stand as a writer.

So, here are my three tips to aspiring writers to get their butts in those seats, and start writing.

S. M. Pace’s Three Writing Tips

Tip #1 Write Early

When I say early, I’m talking between 4 am to 6 am.  This still applies if you work weird hours, and are accustmed to drawing the blackout curtains and going to bed as the sun is rising.  Especially if those you live with are on a more diurnal schedule.

There’s something really peaceful about those early morning hours, where it’s just barely growing light outside, everyone around you is still sleeping, and everything is quiet.

Quiet being relative depending on where you live of course.  But whether your listening to early birdsong, and crickets winding down for the day or the rumble of rush hour traffic, I find that stealing an hour or so during that less busy time of the day helps get the words out.

Tip #2  Start with Character and Conflict

If you’re absolutely stuck for something to write, brainstorm a character with a conflict.  That’s the root of every story, and if you start with that you’ll absolutely have something to show for it.  It may not be something you love, or even like, but that brings us to my next tip.

Tip #3 Let the Rough Draft be Rough

I know a lot of people swear by editing as they go, and that’s great if that works for them.  But my advice, just keep writing.  Don’t worry about that word you misspelled in the previous sentence.  Make a quick note about that story change you need to make in revision so the plot will still hang together.  All those fixes can be done later.  Let your right brain take over, because messy as it is, it’s still creates beautiful ideas.  You will be amazed what comes out of you head when you silence that inner editor and let your muse reign free.

 

 

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 Insecurity at it's Finest: Flew Too Close to the Sun  A Writing Exercise  A Short Break  The Insecure Writers Support Group  Nanowrimo and Writing Inspiration Copyright ©  [IWSG one year anniversary!], All Right Reserved. 2014.

Rifters by M Pax

I love celebrating other writers whose work I think is awesome.  M. Pax, author of the Rifters series among many other great novels, is releasing The Initiate, the sequel to The Rifters on October 20th, 2014.

If you have yet to try out this awesome series, check out The Rifters below, and learn more about the author.

Blurb

The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves forty years off his age, forty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done.

Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon. Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. On top of it all, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust.

Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.

 

The Rifters is available at an introductory price. The second book in the series, The Initiate, will be available October 20, 2014. It’s up for preorder for a special price at iTunes, Amazon, and B&N. Check HERE for links. Giveaways and events are ongoing through October 31, 2014. Check HERE for details.

 

Links: Amazon / AmazonUK / B&N / Smashwords /Googleplay / iTunes / Other Outlets

 

Excerpt 

Earl’s vigil ended. His girl came home. It had to be her. He stood, ready to run down into the clearing and embrace her, but the angle of the head gave him pause. Silhouetted by the blue energy, the arrival had a long beak. Yes, a beak. Definitely not Charming.

“No.” Earl slumped to the ground and scrambled behind a boulder. Once concealed from the visitor below, he raised his binoculars.

The figure came into focus illuminated by the moon and the rift. It wore a mask with goggles over its beak. Green mist poured out of it in a breathing rhythm, and it had the tail of an eel. The thing stood like a human with two arms and two legs in the usual places. It set down a gyroscope, a metal orb of rings, some full rings, some partial, before the gateway. The gyroscope spun, siphoning energy from the pillars, energy reaching for a crystal in its center. It spun faster, faster, faster until the crystal began to glow. A disturbing shade of green.

The beaked thing from the rift shrieked, which came out as a bubbly burp, an odd sound to go with an odd sight. It kept burping, stopping periodically to sniff at the wind. It continued with its strange behavior until the moon started to set, which deepened the shadows of night, stretching them to distorted patches.

Author Bio

M. Pax is author of the space adventure series The Backworlds, plus other novels and short stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons  to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers as a star guide, has a cat with a crush on Mr. Spock, and is slightly obsessed with Jane Austen. Learn more at mpaxauthor.com.

 

 

 

M. Pax had a great idea to celebrate the release of The Initiates.  Short stories set in Settler, Oregon, the heart of the The Rifters series, based on the theme My Vacation in Settler.  I hope my story does her world justice.  Disclaimer: the world of Settler, Oregon, and all pictures used below belong to M. Pax.  Check out her website to see more and learn more about Settler.

“My Vacation In Settler”

The snap and crackle startled me from my sleep, and adrenaline launched me out of my sleeping bag with the force of a cannon shot.

Unfortunately, as a cannon ball, I was off kilter.  Groggy, my vision still fogged, I stumbled to my knees on the rough ground outside my tent.  It took a few minutes before my addled brain fully registered what I was seeing, and longer before I believed it.

Bring a hiking partner, they said.  Never camp alone.  To think, I’d laughed.

The carved obsidian pillars had captured my attention the moment I spotted them.  The juniper tree centered right between set up a beautiful shot.  The perfect spot for some early morning photos, and I hadn’t hesitated to set up camp.

Now smoke poured off the pillars, and they hissed like water on a hot griddle.  A stink filled the air, like something burning, and the smell of death.  I swallowed, and back crawled toward my tent.

Voices carried over the hiss of smoke from the pillars.  Something told me I didn’t want them to see me.  I ducked into my tent and huddled inside my sleeping bag.  My heart thundered so loud, I was certain someone would hear it, even over what sounded like a vicious battle.  Beyond the flimsy safety of my tent, people shouted, grunted, and something roared, an inhuman sound that made me cringe.

Then all fell silent.  I remained tense for a moment longer, then remembering my situation, I relaxed and pretended to be asleep.  The voices whispered, then one came closer.  I felt my tent shake as the flap was yanked back.  I feigned sleep as I’d done when I was a child, eyes closed, mouth slightly open, breath deep and steady.  No easy feat when my heart pounded fit to burst.

Whoever had invaded my tent grunted, and released the flap.  “Sleeping like a rock.  We’re lucky.”

“But we need to block this area off from campers.”

“It is blocked off.  She ignored the signs.”

I would never do that again.  Their voices faded away, but I stayed put, huddled inside my sleeping bag, too terrified to open the flap, and see what had happened to the world.

Vacation in Settler, Oregon, the brochure had said.  Great locations for hiking and camping.  Ha.  I was spending the rest of my trip in the local spa.

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 What's Up Wednesday - Celebrate Words  Third Short Story and a challenge  Write With Me - June 25  Wings of the Butterfly Blog Tour  Indie Life - The Dos of Self-publishingCopyright ©  [Rifters by M Pax], All Right Reserved. 2014.

Sunflowers for Tina

 

 

I never really knew Tina Downey, only knew of her through the A-Z challenge.  That she was a part of something so amazing on top of all the wonderful stories I’ve heard about her today, makes me wish I had known her.

I have what could best be described as a black thumb, so I had to settle for purchasing fake sunflowers for Tina.  I hope she enjoys looking down on them from where she is now, and all the beautiful sunflowers that have graced the blogging sphere today.

I’m sorry I didn’t know you Tina.  I hope you’re at peace where you are now, and that this splash of color makes you smile.

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 The Rules of Religion  I'm Back and Why I Don't Write Horror  Second Short Story and Another Question  Why Do We Love Zombies?  Giveaway Winner!Copyright ©  [Sunflowers for Tina], All Right Reserved. 2014.

Giveaway Winner!

For those of you looking for my Sunflower Blogfest post, check back later today, when I will be posting my sunflower picture in tribute to Tina Downey.  To take part in the blogfest and cover the internet with Tina’s favorite flowers, sign up here:  Sunflowers for Tina

Wings of the Butterfly is out in the world.  Thank you for everyone who took part in the release, and joined Fantasy Worlds Post.

Members of Fantasy Worlds Post were able to enter a special giveaway for a chance to win free ebook copies of Shadow of the Wolf and Wings of the Butterfly.

And the winner is . . . .

Lisa Foster!

Lisa I’ll be emailing you about your prize and thanks to everyone for taking part.

See you all later today, at my Sunflowers for Tina post.

Cheers

 

 

 

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 A Writing Exercise  What's Up Wednesday and Flash Fiction  Write With Me - May 22  Blog Tour: Marewings by Kristen S. Walker  The Rules of ReligionCopyright ©  [Giveaway Winner!], All Right Reserved. 2014.

Insecurity at it’s Finest: Flew Too Close to the Sun

 

Some of you may be confused to notice that Wings of the Butterfly is not actually on sale.  I messed up.  

Turns out that Amazon doesn’t allow promotional deals until they’ve been carrying my novel for at least a month.  Wish I had paid more attention to that calender.  I am red-faced and highly apologetic, although finding this makes a perfect post for Insecure Writer’s Support Group, hosted by Alex Cavanaugh.  Follow the links to check it out.  And of course, my post for that is late.  I’m hitting every goal post today

So here’s what I’m planning to correct my error.  Shadow will remain on sale until the 7th, as previously planned.  Then, in October, when I can run the sale for Wings, Shadow will go back on sale.

I appreciate everyone who reads this blog and your understanding that I flubbed.  I’m sorry about that again.  Remember, if you are interested in purchasing Shadow of the Wolf and/or Wings of the Butterfly, sign up below at Fantasy World’s Post mailing list, and you’ll get a chance to win both for free.

Cheers,

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 Wings of the Butterfly Blog Tour  Indie Life - The Dos of Self-publishing  Nanowrimo and Writing Inspiration  A Writing Exercise  IWSG - Writing and Real LifeCopyright ©  [Insecurity at it's Finest: Flew Too Close to the Sun], All Right Reserved. 2014.

Wings of the Butterfly is Flying Free

Wings of the Butterfly, my second self-published novel, is available for purchase.  To celebrate the release, I’m selling both Wings and it’s prequel, Shadow of the Wolf, at a discount.

Wings of the Butterfly will be available for $1.99 until September 7th, and Shadow will be available for $.99.  Grab both books for the price of one while you can.

Follow the link to grab your discounted copies today.

Word by Word Bookstore

Sign up below with Fantasy Worlds Post to receive fun freebies, along with up to the minute info on book releases, discounts and giveaways.

Cheers, and happy reading!

 

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 Write With Me - June 25  A Writing Exercise  Flash Fiction Wednesday: And They Lived  Flash Fiction Wednesday - Daughter Copyright ©  [Wings of the Butterfly is Flying Free], All Right Reserved. 2014.