C.J. Petterson's Blog: Book launch scheduled, page 5

To-be-read and well-chosen details

cj Sez:  The next story I plan to read from my to-be-read eBook listis THE DARKLING, a horror novel from Carolyn Haines---that is, after I finish are-read of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for a Facebook group discussion.

  I am not, however, a fast reader. The abundance of scarringand floaters in my eyes (from a previous surgery and aging) breaks up the wordswhen I try to read a book. Working on my computer has also suffered, until afriend recommended that I use a dark page background with white letters when Iwrite. That’s working better. Not perfect, but better.

  There are so many readers posting on Facebook who exclaimabout their favorite authors and series and have shelves and shelves of books waitingto be read, I’m in awe. Are you one of those avid readers?§§
  Do you have an opinion about showing versus telling, for oragainst? Silly question. I think all authors will declare pro, con, or notalways on the subject. Not always appears to be the majority. I’m pro but can’talways achieve it because it’s hard. It takes visualization, remembering, andsome poetic phrasing. I think of “showing” as writing from a deep point of view,which I love to read.
  A white-haired, wrinkled, old woman, you say? How about thisexample of showing, not telling—excerpted from “One Well-Chosen Detail: WriteJuicy Descriptions Without Overwhelming Your Reader,” a November 15, 2023, poston Jane Friedman’s website by author and writing coach April Dávila (@aprildavila)

“… in the last years she continued to settle and began toshrink. Her mouth bowed forward and her brow sloped back, and her skull shonepink and speckled within a mere haze of hair, which hovered about her head likethe remembered shape of an altered thing. She looked as if the nimbus ofhumanity were fading away and she were turning monkey. Tendrils grew from hereyebrows and coarse white hairs sprouted on her lip and chin.  ///”

  Read more of the post by clicking this link: https://janefriedman.com/one-well-chosen-detail-write-juicy-descriptions-without-overwhelming-your-reader/
§§
  Things to think about: If you replace “W” with “T” in What,Where, and When, you get the answer to each of them.
§§   Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:

BuyValentine’s Day Now     

BuyMardi Gras Now

  These two Mobile Writers Guild anthologies include avariety of wonderful short stories and poems to celebrate the upcoming specialdays. (P.S Mardi Gras celebrations have already started in Mobile. Krewe de laDauphine’s parade rolled through Dauphin Island on Jan. 13. Laissez les bons temps rouler)

  My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

The Haunted Book Shop has signed copies of my paperback booksin stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, shoot me anemail. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping).
➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Welcome back to Lyrical Pens in 2024

cj Sez: I hope your December holiday celebrations were wonderful,and you made many lovely memories. Now, as Draft2Digital told me in a recentemail: “It’s time to soar in 2024!”

  I want to continue my last contronym post with just a few moreexamples from the article “40 Words and Phrases That Are Their Own Opposites” byJudith Herman. 
14. Clip   Clip can mean “tobind together” or “to separate.” You clip sheets of paper to together orseparate part of a page by clipping something out. Clip is a pair ofhomographs, words with different origins spelled the same. OldEnglish clyppan, which means “to clasp with the arms, embrace, hug,”led to our current meaning, “to hold together with a clasp.” The other clip, “to cut or snip (a part) away,” is from OldNorse klippa, which may come from the sound of a shears.
15. Continue usually means “to persist in doingsomething,” but as a legal term itmeans “to stop a proceeding temporarily.”
16. Fight with can be interpreted three ways. “Hefought with his mother-in-law” could mean “They argued,” “They served togetherin the war,” or “He used the old battle-ax as a weapon.” (Thanks to linguisticsprofessor Robert Hertz for this idea.)
17. Flog, meaning “to punish by caning or whipping,” showedup in school slang of the 17th century, but now it can have the contrarymeaning, “to promote persistently,” as in “flogging a new book.” Perhapsthat meaning arose from the sense “to urge (a horse, etc.) forward by whipping,” which grewout of the earliest meaning.
18. Go means “to proceed,” but also “give out or fail,”i.e., “This car could really go until it started to go.”
19. Hold up can mean “to support” or “to hinder”: “Whata friend! When I’m struggling to get on my feet, he’s always there to hold meup.”
20. Out can mean “visible” or “invisible.” For example,“It’s a good thing the full moon was out when the lights went out.”
21. Out Of  Out of means “outside” or “inside”: “I hardly get outof the house because I work out of my home.”
22. Toss Out   Toss out could be either “to suggest” or “to discard”:“I decided to toss out the idea.”
23. Peer   Peer is a person of equal status (as in a jury of one’speers), but some peers are more equal than others, like the members of thepeerage, the British or Irish nobility.
24. Original  According to Dictionary.com, original can meaneither “belonging to the beginning of something” or “new, fresh, inventive.” 
That’s it for this thread on Lyrical Pens. To read the restof the article, click on this link and enjoy: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57032/25-words-are-their-own-opposites
§§
  For writers and readers: The link below is to a recent article on JaneFriedman’s blog directed to writers, but I think there are some clues in there that would serve any parentof a teen well: https://janefriedman.com/4-things-every-ya-writer-should-know-about-teens/
§§
  Okay, that’s the post for today. You-all guys keep onkeeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safeyou and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors: Available! Two Mobile Writers Guild anthologies with a variety of wonderful short stories and poems to celebrate upcoming special days. (P.S The city of Mobile, Al, has already started Mardi Gras celebrations.)
  BuyValentine’s Day Now         BuyMardi Gras Now
  My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
  The Haunted Book Shophas a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If the shop happens to be sold out, shoot mean email. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping).
➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

As 2023 winds down . . .

cj Sez:  In the midst of the angst of world-wide wars andcivil disruptions, it is with great joy that I celebrate the birth of Christ—a figureof love and hope.

 

Merry ChristmasandHAPPY NEW YEAR

 

I pray your holiday celebrations atthis sacred time of year

are filled to the brim with God’speace and joy

and the love of family and friends. Maylove,

health, peace, and happiness

follow you through all

the days of 2024.

 

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.

                                                                                                            Numbers 6:24-26

 

§§

   Lyrical Pens istaking the rest of the year off, but please know, I am profoundly grateful for each friend/fan/reader who visited this page during 2023 (and before).  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
   I hope to see all y’allin 2024. Please join Lyrical Pens on January 7, 2024, for part 2 of “Contronyms”and etc.

cj

(PS:  If you’re still wondering what to givesomeone, give them an adventure…give them a book! Books are non-fattening, easy towrap, and lasts all year long and then some.)
Here are two great anthologies for your shopping list:
Christmas Through aChild’s Eyes
  This anthology has 70 stories written by adultsrecounting their extraordinary childhood Christmas memories. My story, writtenunder my maiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” andrelates how six-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a majorupheaval in our lives.  
  The anthology isfree on Kindle Unlimited    Buy Now   

  FINALLY HOME brings you eight Christmas stories all about our four-leggedfriends and the special people who rescue them. From funny, to sad, toromantic, there’s something here to tug at everyone’s heart strings. 
  My shortstory, Puppy Love, is included.

BuyButton::  

 

Price IncreaseAlert: My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA will be going up inprice on Jan 1, 2024. Right now, they are priced at only $2.99.

  The novels arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. They are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla. TheHaunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock andwill ship. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Do you know what a contronym is? (Part 1 of 3)

cj Sez: Here’s a fascinating article on contronyms, explaining word usages byJudith Herman. Did I ever mention that English is hard? The article started out as 25 words and in January2023 became: “40 Words and Phrases That Are Their Own Opposites.” The articleis a bit too long for a single Lyrical Pens post, so today’s post will include thirteenof the words. Watch for the rest of the words in January 2024. Can you believethat? 2024!  

  Stumble into the looking-glass world of contronyms — JudithHerman 
  Here’s an ambiguous sentence for you: “Because of theagency’s oversight, the corporation’s behavior was sanctioned.” Does that mean,“Because the agency oversaw the company’s behavior, they imposed a penalty forsome transgression,” or does it mean, “Because the agency was inattentive, theyoverlooked the misbehavior and gave it their approval by default”? We’vestumbled into the looking-glass world of contronyms—words that are their ownantonyms. 
  The contronym (also spelled “contranym”) goes by many names,including auto-antonym, antagonym, enantiodrome, self-antonym, antilogy, andJanus word (from the Roman god of beginnings and endings, often depicted withtwo faces looking in opposite directions). 
Here are a few of them.

1. Sanction—which came to English via French, from Latin sanctio(n-) and sancire, “toratify,”—can mean “give official permission or approval for (an action)” orconversely, “impose a penalty on.”

2. Oversight is the noun form of two verbs with contrary meanings: “oversee” and “overlook.” Oversee, from OldEnglish ofersēon (“look at from above”) means “supervise”(medieval Latin for the same thing: super-, “over” plus videre, “tosee”). Overlook usually means the opposite: “to fail to see orobserve; to pass over without noticing; to disregard, ignore,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

3. Left can mean either remaining or departed. If thegentlemen have withdrawn to the drawing room for after-dinner cigars, who’sleft? (The gentlemen have left and the ladies are left.)

4. Dust, along with the next two words, is a nounturned into a verb meaning either to add or to remove the thing inquestion. Only the context will tell you which it is. When you dust are youapplying dust or removing it? It depends whether you’re dusting the crops orthe furniture.

5. Seed can also go either way. If you seed the lawn youadd seeds, but if you seed a tomato you remove them.

6. Stone is another verb to use with caution. You canstone some peaches, but please don’t stone your neighbor (even if he says helikes to get stoned).

7. Trim as a verb predates the noun, but it can also meaneither adding or taking away. Arising from an Old English word meaning “to makefirm or strong; to settle, arrange,” accordingto the OED, trim came to mean “to prepare, make ready.” Dependingon whom or what was being readied, it could mean either of two contradictory things: “todecorate [something] with ribbons, laces, or the like ... to give it a finishedappearance” or “to cut off the [outgrowths] or irregularities of.” And thecontext doesn’t always make it clear. If you’re trimming the tree are you usingtinsel or a chain saw?

8. Cleave can be cleaved into twohomographs, words with different origins that end up spelled thesame. Cleave, meaning “to cling to or adhere,” comes from an Old Englishword that took the forms cleofian, clifian, or clīfan. Cleave,with the contrary meaning “to split or sever (something)”—as you mightdo with a cleaver—comes from a different Old English word, clēofan. Thepast participle has taken various forms: cloven, which survives in thephrase “cloven hoof,” “cleft,” as in a “cleft palate” or “cleaved.”

9. Fast can mean “movingrapidly,” as in running fast, or “fixed, unmoving,” as in holdingfast. If colors are fast they will not run. The meaning “firm, steadfast” came first; the adverb took on the sense “strongly,vigorously,” which evolved into “quickly,” a meaning that spread to theadjective.

10. Off means “deactivated,” as in to turn off,but also “activated,” as in the alarm went off.

11. Weather can mean “to withstand or come safelythrough” (as in the company weathered the recession) or it can mean “to beworn away” (the rock was weathered).

12. You'd screen a movie on this screen. Screen can mean “to show” (a movie) or “to hide” (anunsightly view).

13. Help means “assist,” unless you can’t help doingsomething, when it means “prevent. 
§§

   Google search info: The first night of Hanukkah 2023 started at nightfall on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, and the first candle is lit.The final candles are lit on Thursday evening, Dec. 14, and the holidayconcludes the following day, Dec. 15. §§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj

 Here are two anthologies to put on your shopping list:
Christmas Through aChild’s Eyes   

  Written under my maiden name of Marilyn Olsein,my short story is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” and relates how, after a majorupheaval in our lives, six-year-old me reconnected with the Swedish father Icould no longer understand.  The anthology is free on Kindle.Buy Now   

FINALLY HOME brings you eight Christmas storiesall about our four-legged friends and the special people who rescue them. Fromfunny, to sad, to romantic, there’s something here to tug at everyone’s heartstrings. My short story, Puppy Love, is included.

BuyButton::  


  Price IncreaseAlert: My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA will be going up inprice on Jan 1, 2024. Right now, they are priced at only $2.99.   The novels arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6 

Let's talk villains and heroes

cj Sez: Let’s talk about how to write a “real” villain. Theantagonist, like the protagonist, needs a yen and a yang to be a whole person—i.e.,a personality where seemingly opposite forces may be complementary, where,together, the dual personalities make the whole.

The yin yang symbol is often referred to as "taijitu"
 —a Chinese symbol that represents the interconnection of two opposites.
  Captivating stories requirethat both protagonist and antagonist need some kind of flaw to make thecharacters interesting. Perhaps the villain’s flaw is that s/he is notthoroughly evil but hides some spark of sympathetic “good” inside. Maybe s/hesends money to an animal rescue shelter because of the memory of a cherished childhoodpet. Or the antagonist supports an invalid mother with the money earned fromdoing evil deeds. 
  Like theprotagonist, the antagonist needs motivation, a goal, and some psychologicalreason for that motivation. A perfect villain is the same thing as a perfecthero, a cartoon of a character. You have to ask the same questions of theantagonist that you do of the protagonist; the questions that lead to the plotand theme: What does s/he want, why, and what will s/he do to reach the goal?
  Maybe s/he wants todo something as benign as to cause a little family ruckus in order to getattention. Or maybe s/he wants to kill someone. But why? The answer to that iswhat helps to give the character dimension as s/he pushes toward their goal.
  Depending on howinvolved they are in the story, it follows that tertiary characters require a bit of similardevelopment.
  Authors really have toknow their characters. I write little bios for all my characters, including thevillain. When I’ve created their background worlds, I know what makes themtick, how they will react, and what they will say in the situation I create.Their backgrounds are never inserted as an info dump, though pieces and bitsmay surface during their dialogues. Knowing my characters inside and out alsohelps me develop deep point of view scenes.
  As readers, what doyou expect from the characters? As writers, how do you get to know yourcharacters?
§§
  In last week’s post, LP wrote aboutauthor brands. Mobile author Carrie Dalby has such a signature brand. She writesSouthern Gothic stories, incorporating the historic architecture of Mobile,Alabama, in her settings. Her latest effort is ALLIANCE: WASHINGTON SQUARESECRETS 2, which launches on Tuesday, December 5…it’s available for pre-orderthrough your favorite bookstore/app.
  Carrie says: “ALLIANCE isa fast-paced paranormal Southern Gothic as opposed to the slower pace of myfamily sagas. There is a new cast of diverse characters, as well as a fewfamiliar faces and locations. I hope you'll find time during this holidayseason to read. The main section of the book is set December 1912-January1913 with Christmas and New Year's scenes.”
§§
  A book signing is inyour future should you choose to stop by The Haunted Book Shop on Dec. 8, from 6p.m.to 8 p.m. during Mobile’s LoDa Art Walk. Local authors, Rebecca Barrett andCarrie Dalby are being featured, so if you’re in the Mobile, AL, area, you arecordially invited to stop by and say “hey!”
§§
  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
  Christmas is THE gift-giving holiday of the year, and booksare always great suggestions for gifts—they don’t require daily watering, they’renot fattening, and they are very easy to wrap, even two or three at a time. 
  Ihave stories in several anthologies with Christmas as the theme. Here are twoto put on your shopping list:
Christmas Through aChild’s Eyes   This anthology has70 stories written by adults recounting their extraordinary childhood Christmasmemories. 
  Written under mymaiden name of Marilyn Olsein, my short story is titled “Dancing with Daddy,”and relates how, after a major upheaval in our lives, six-year-old mereconnected with the Swedish father I could no longer understand.  The anthology is free on Kindle.  Buy Now   
§§

FINALLY HOME brings you eight Christmas stories all aboutour four-legged friends and the special people who rescue them. From funny, tosad, to romantic, there’s something here to tug at everyone’s heart strings. 
  Myshort story, "Puppy Love," is included.
  BuyButton:: 



* Price IncreaseAlert:  My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA will be going up in priceon Jan 1, 2024. Right now, they are priced at only $2.99.
  The novels arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  

  If she happens to be sold out, shoot me anemail. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping). ➜ Follow me on . . .  
➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page
➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Author brands sell books

cj Sez: If you saw a new book and the author was StephenKing, you’d expect to read a work of horror/psychological fiction from thisprolific storyteller. How about if the author was Dame Agatha Christie?You’d expect something 180 degrees from King’s genre: cozy crime mysteries.


  What you’ve just done is recognized these two authors’unique brands.
  If I said, “Murder on the Orient Express,” you’dautomatically think cozy mystery written by Agatha Christie.  If I said, “She’s been nominated for theAgatha Award,” you’d know I meant Agatha Christie and you’d know what kind ofstory is being considered for the award.
  Stephen King + Misery (Or Cujo or Carrie or The Shining, etal.) = Stephen King Brand: horror/psychological fiction.
  When readers recognize your name, they’ve recognized yourbrand.
  Building your author brand needs to be one of the firstthings you do, even if you are yet to be published. Start with a Facebook page.It’s free. 
  Set up a blog site, and make sure the theme, style and author voiceof the two are consistent. Use similar colors and fonts in signage, swag,banners for book signings, and business cards. You want your readers toidentify you and your name by your ideas and concepts.
  Now you can develop a brand summary by defining who “you”are or what your books are about.
  Although I write in multiple genres, my “writer’s voice” andpacing are pretty much the same. 
  To reinforce my author image, I wear my squashblossom necklace to every writerly event I attend (some social events as well). 
§§
  Tomorrow’s full moon (Monday, Nov. 27 at 4:16 a.m. EST) is known as the Beaver Moon. According to The Old Farmer'sAlmanac, which lists monthly full moon names from Native American, ColonialAmerican and European folklore, the Beaver Moon's name refers to the time ofthe year in which beavers take shelter in their lodges to prepare for winter,and also the time in which beaver fur traps would be historically set up inNorth America.
§§
Writer Tips (cj sez: Good stuff.)
  BenjaminFranklin once wrote to the Royal Society of London: “I have alreadymade this paper too long, for which I must crave pardon, not having now time tomake it shorter.”  Jane Friedman’s guestpost by author Amy L.Bernstein is a keeper.   https://janefriedman.com/writing-short-book-description/
§§
  Author/editor/professor Brenda Copeland has a guest post onCareer Authors site identifying POV and goes into wonderful examples of closethird person POV. Extremely illustrative. I’m keeping a copy of this teachingmoment for future reference.  https://careerauthors.com/third-person-close-pov/
§§
  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:

  Books are always great suggestions for gifts. They don't need water, they're not fattening; and they're easy to wrap. And Christmasis THE gift-giving holiday of the year. 
  I have stories in several anthologieswith Christmas as the theme. Here are two to put on your shopping list:

FINALLY HOME brings you eight Christmas stories all aboutour four-legged friends and the special people who rescue them. From funny, tosad, to romantic, there’s something here to tug at everyone’s heart strings. Myshort story, " Puppy Love,"  is included.

     BuyButton::  

Christmas Through aChild’s Eyes
  This anthology has 70 stories written by adults recountingtheir extraordinary childhood Christmas memories. 
  My story, written under mymaiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” and relates howsix-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a major upheaval inour lives.
  The anthology is free on Kindle.  Buy Now   

  My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
  Little note: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author andowner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my books in stock. TOORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, shoot me anemail. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping).
➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Avoid Clichés Like the Plague? Or are they useful?

cj Sez:  I wasreviewing some notes I have and the following paragraphs jumped out at me fortoday’s blog. I think we can agree thatnovels need a theme, a premise on which to hang the action and plot points. Anoverall theme continues as a thread through the novel. It lets a writer connectthe dots of subplots to the main plot.

  Caveat:  A cliché is, bydefinition, a trite and overused expression, a figure of speech that has becometiresome.
  One way to get a handle on finding yourtheme/premise might be to describe your novel in one sentence, as with acliché.
  The neat thing is, once you’ve discoveredthat one true sentence for your novel, you can polish it into a marketingblurb.
   Consider this theme/premise/cliché for aromance story: “Love will find a way.” Then every time you put an obstacle in acharacter’s path on the way to happily ever after, that obstacle can beovercome with some kind of act of love . . . even self-love (conceit, egotism)is fair game. 
   In the premise/cliché, “All’s fair in love and war,” the character is free to dowhatever s/he can in order to capture the heart of a lover. 
   For a love story, that beautiful,angst-filled drama which doesn’t always end happily ever after, a perfectcliché might be, “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” 
   Or this tired, old saw for a YA or memoir:“A coming of age story.” That keeps the threads of the story tied to someagonizing affliction and growth of young people over a longer time span.    Find your cliché and tape it to your desk.It’ll keep you focused on the theme of your story, despite all those wonderfulobstacles you throw in the path of the protagonist.
  NOTE: Several writer coaches/experts adviseagainst the use of any clichés in the story’s narrative. That said, I thinkthere are ways to use them—for example, you might have one particular character who loves to rattleoff clichés.

§§ Writerly info:   On Jane Friedman’sblog: “One Well-Chosen Detail: Write Juicy Descriptions Without OverwhelmingYour Reader,” by author and writing coach April Dávila.  https://janefriedman.com/one-well-chosen-detail-write-juicy-descriptions-without-overwhelming-your-reader/
§§
  Did you know that the first “general day of thanksgivingand prayer” was established by Presidential Proclamation in 1789?And since we won’t be together on the holiday . . .
§§
  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
  Books are always great suggestions for gifts, and Christmasis THE gift-giving holiday of the year. I have stories in several anthologieswith Christmas as the theme. Here are two to put on your shopping list:

  FINALLY HOME brings you eight Christmas stories all about ourfour-legged friends and the special people who rescue them.
  From funny, to sad,to romantic, there’s something here to tug at everyone’s heart strings. Myshort story, Puppy Love, is included. BuyButton::    

Christmas Through aChild’s Eyes
  This anthology has 70 stories written by adults recountingtheir extraordinary childhood Christmas memories. 
  My story, written under mymaiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” and relates howsix-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a major upheaval inour lives.
The anthology is free on Kindle.   Buy Now    
  My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance.
 The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author andowner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my books in stock. TOORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, shoot me anemail. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping).

 

➜ Follow me on . . .  
➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page
➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Word Warriors

cj Sez:  Hey, all youword warriors: You still have more than half a month to reach your NaNoWriMogoal of 50,000 words. Keep up the good work…you got this!

  As for my story: After years (true) of pecking away at itevery time I think of a different direction, I’m re-editing, again, a storythat will probably end at about 70 words. Obviously, I am not a candidate forthe NaNoWriMo challenge, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that all you writingwarriors will carry through to the finish!

§§

Writerly info
  Stephen King has published65 novels/novellas, including seven under the pen name RichardBachman, and five nonfiction books, as well as more than 200 short stories.All told, he has sold more than 400 million books, and many of them have beenadapted into feature films, miniseries, and television series. Even some comicbooks. How does he do it? He has strategies for creating a story that peoplelove to read. One of those is to write the truth.

“Now comes the big question: What are you going to writeabout? And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want. Anything atall... as long as you tell the truth... Write what you like, then imbue it withlife and make it unique by blending in your own personal knowledge of life,friendship, relationships, sex, and work...What you know makes you unique insome other way. Be brave.”

§§

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it witha club. — Jack London

§§

   On Jane Friedman’sblog: “A Writer’s Guide to Fair Use and Permissions” . . .     https://www.janefriedman.com/sample-permission-letter/

§§

Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you.
cj

Now a note from my sponsors:

  My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.) The books areavailable on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got alibrary card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winningauthor in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship youany book(s) by any author of your choice.

  Little note: The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copiesof my books. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, shoot me anemail. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping).
➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

It's fall, y'all. Did you remember?

cj Sez: Did you remember to turn your clock back anhour? 

  By the by, the answer to why there is a time change twice ayear? According to a dot com newsarticle: “The U.S. first implemented daylight saving during World War I as away to conserve fuel with the Standard Time Act of 1918, also known as theCalder Act.”
  In recent years, people have questioned the need to continueto observe the act. In response, there are sages among the D.C. electorate who decidedthey needed to save the sunshine. The Sunshine Protection Act that would have eliminated“Fall Back” and “Spring Forward” was approved by the U.S. Senate in 2022, butit never made it past the House of Representatives. The national billis waiting in the wings, however. 
  According to the Farmers’ Almanac, at least33 state legislatures have attempted to keep daylight saving time year-round.Currently only Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii donot observe daylight saving time.
Tip:  The correct term is daylight“saving” (not savings) time. The AP Style Guide says it’sproperly all lower case, as does the “writers’ bible”—the Chicago Manual of Style. Initials, however, areall caps: DST.
§§
  The idea of turning back time can be especially appealingwhen thinking about aging:
  Not me. I want people to know “why” I look this way. I'vetraveled a long way and a lot of the roads were not paved. Points to remember:
   You know you are getting old when everything either dries upor leaks.
   Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
  I'm grateful for each day that I’m lucky enough to growolder. I can testify that eventually we reach a point when we stop lying about ourage and start bragging about it.
  Here’s a wonderful tongue-in-cheek essay on the youngergeneration’s perception of "seenagers" (a senior who doesn’t act her/his age). My personal goal is to be one of those. 
  https://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/2023/11/seniors-ageism-and-cozy-mysteries-by.html?spref=fb    I actually experienced an episode of that perception when Itook my granddaughter to lunch last week. The waitress came back with my creditcard and the receipt for the tab I had paid, handed it to her, and spent a fewminutes suggesting she enter a contest after logging onto the restaurant’swebsite. I was using Mac and PC computers for reports and graphic presentationsbefore either of them were born. I give Maggie Rose credit . . . she startedlaughing before I did.
  I believe the following prayer will help keep the peace…if Ican remember it in time: 

Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over mymouth.  Amen

§§
  This weekend, Saturday, November 11, the U.S. respectfullyobserves Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all the veterans whose heroismmade and keep this country free.

  “When first celebrated as Armistice Day, the day marked theend of World War I, formally recognized on the ‘11th hour, of the 11th day, ofthe 11th month’ in 1918. The U.S. continues to honor the original connection toWWI, and Veterans Day is celebrated on the same day every year—November 11—regardless ofwhich day of the week it falls.” (Source: https://www.military.com/veterans-day)

  Canada honors its veterans on November 11 bycelebrating their heroism with “Remembrance Day.”  
§§
  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you.cjNow a note from my sponsors:
  My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.) The books areavailable on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. 
  Got alibrary card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
  Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winningauthor in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship youany book(s) by any author of your choice.
  Little note: The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copiesof my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, shoot me anemail. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping).
➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

How whitespace affects reading

cj Sez: Since Halloween is only a couple of days away, here’syour next book to read:

  Perfect for the upcoming holiday: HALLOWEEN PIECES . . . Ananthology of 18 pieces of work by 17 authors

A short paranormal story I’m kind of proud of, “Once in aBlue Moon,” is included in this fourth installment of the Mobile WritersGuild anthology PIECES series. Paperback and ebook available. Kindle is $1.99.

 

§§

  Searching my archives for blog ideas, I came across this 2020post by Ellen Buikema on the Writers in the Storm blog. I am a big fan/followerof the concept for all of my writing and believe it’s worthy of sharing. Grantedmy excerpt from her post is directed more to formatters and self-publishers, butthe entire post speaks to presentations, too, whether as an author at aconference or in the business world conference rooms.
  Since creating presentations for senior management was partof my career in the automotive industry, I would add that for visual presentationsdon’t use small, thin, script fonts (need 20 point or greater) and don’t use pastelcolors for text or graphs. They’re almost invisible to anyone beyond the firstrow of your audience. 
  Read the full post by clicking on the link for Ellen’spost below.
Ellen Buikema wrote:
Like a pause in a song, white space can help create drama,emotion, a bit of quiet before a storm of words.
White space is the canvas where we paint our words.
Writers can affect readers with the use of white space in severalways.

1. White space draws the reader’s attentionto the words on the page, makes the print easier to read, and improvescomprehension.
2. Space on the page makes finding where the reader left offreading quick and easy.
3. Kerning, the space between letters, can change the lookof the print and add meaning. Just as using all capitals can be interpreted asyelling, extra space between letters may emphasize speaking words slowly. “Youneed to s  l  o  w  down.”  (cj Sez…Personally, I’d use this only in advertisingand poetry.)
4. The use of white space at the beginning and ending ofchapters gives the reader a visual break. Some writers and formatters choose tobegin a new chapter halfway down the page. Others like to start all chapters onthe right-hand side of the book for physical copies. A new chapter beginning onthe same page as the previous chapter looks like a formatting error.
5. Line spacing may be adjusted to fit next to or around aphoto or illustration, or from left to right margin across the page. Avoiding aline with the final word of a sentence dangling all by its lonesome self on thefollowing page is a good thing and can be done using line spacing as well askerning.
6. Blank pages are helpful in the case of an anthology ofshort stories, particularly if the spacing and word count send the ending ofone story onto the right-hand page. A blank side gives the reader emotionalspace to regroup for the next tale.
Ways to create white space: 1. The use of images surrounded by a margin of space:illustrations, icons, graphs, photos, all give the reader a brief rest and letthe mind focus on something different.
2. Bullet points and numbered lists make reading quicker,scan-able.
3. Variable sentence lengths make for more pleasurablereading. Too many long sentences in a row create blocky text. If you pause andgo back to a big block of text. it is really difficult to find one’s place.
4. Use shorter paragraphs. 
( Source: https://writersinthestormblog.com/2020/03/white-space-in-writing/)
§§
  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you.
cj
Now a note from my sponsors:

  My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen ofromance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.)
  The books are available on Amazon or through your favoriteeTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free fromHoopla.
  Little note: When you shop The Haunted Book Shop, I can drop in and sign copiesof my books for you. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winning author in herown right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship you any book(s) byany author of your choice.
➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6