R.J. Crayton's Blog, page 13
December 19, 2015
Seventh Blog of Christmas: Jennifer Ellis
By Jennifer Ellis
I’m once again participating in the 12 Blogs of Christmas with eleven other writers, organized by Martin Crosbie. As part of the event, we are to write about—not surprisingly—Christmas. Many of the other eleven bloggers have written about fond or funny memories of Christmas. Last year, I wrote about my fraught relationship with Christmas—acknowledging the magic of Christmas but also the busy-ness, commercial aspects, and guilt associated with Christmas (we have so much, and so many people have so little). So I can’t do that again. Most of my stories about Christmas go something like… we got too much, ate too much, spent too much (even though we don’t spend that much), stressed about a turkey, and were really happy to be able to go skiing and eat leftovers on Boxing Day.
I exaggerate. I’m sure I’ve had some nice Christmases, but since I’m often up to my elbows in a turkey, and have not had any famous disasters, they are not the stuff of stories. Then again, my memory is famously poor—all that living half the time in another world. This year I’ll be sure to burn the turkey, so I have something to tell you about next year (Hmm, I’m getting a strong turkey vibe here. It might be time to start serving Christmas steak).
To me, Christmas is about gratitude and reflection on a year gone by. In an effort to dredge up some Christmas spirit (and not seem like cross between Eeyore and the Grinch—I promise I’m actually not—Christmas commercials make me cry), I decided to do a post on the 12 writing things I’m most grateful for this Christmas. That’s not to imply that there are not a lot of non-writing things I am grateful for (there are so many of those things), but this is a writing blog (and I think this sentence is a triple-negative) so…
About Jennifer Ellis
Jennifer lives in the mountains of British Columbia where she can be found writing, hiking, skiing, borrowing dogs, and evading bears. She also works as a climate change researcher, evaluator and strategic planner. She has wanted to be a writer since she first read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and didn’t want to come out of the wardrobe.
Jennifer writes science fiction, romance and dystopian fiction for children and adults, including In the Shadows of the Mosquito Constellation and A Pair of Docks, which was a bestseller in children’s time travel fiction. She has also contributed to several anthologies, most notably Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel, which hit #16 in the Kindle Store.
You can subscribe to her blog for writing tips, industry insights, and two free short stories at www.jenniferellis.ca, and check out her writing on Amazon at: http://bit.ly/jenniferellis. She tweets about writing, cats, and teenagers at @jenniferlellis.
Miss one of the days? The previous blogs of Christmas include:
Dec. 13 Ellen Chauvet
Dec. 14 Sarah Lane
Dec. 15 Keith Baker
Dec. 16 Virginia Gray
Dec. 17 Gordon Long
Dec. 18 RJ Crayton
December 18, 2015
Sixth Blog of Christmas: The Place for Humbug During the Holiday Season
Sometimes things just don’t go according to plan. And that’s OK. (Photo source: Pixabay)
Bah, humbug!
There, I said it.
I know. It’s the Christmas season. Everything is warm and fuzzy like in greeting cards, sappy viral videos and TV movies. Only, it’s not all warm and fuzzy all the time, because greeting cards and video specials aren’t real life. Everyone feels like saying, “Bah, humbug,” at least once during the holiday season. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
It’s not that the season isn’t full of joy. It’s just that the season is also full of commitments — clashing office holiday parties, school parties, recitals, plays, church performances, family gatherings, and the list goes on and on. Sometimes you just want to shout, “Bah, humbug,” hop into bed, and huddle under the covers with a flashlight and your favorite book. (Those old enough to remember, may even want to hop into a tub, and shout, “Calgon, take me away.”*)
So, this is just a little post to remind you that you get to have a “Bah, humbug” moment or two this holiday season. Not everything will go the way you want it to. There’s someone you’ll want to see, who you can’t see. You’ll have family you don’t want to see, who you have to see.
Something you ordered won’t arrive on time. Or it will arrive, but three sizes too small. Something you’d been planning to buy will be sold out by the time you get to the store. The kids will break something they’re not supposed to. The kids will spill on something they’re not supposed to. The pet will get sick all over something you really adore.
Your flight will get canceled. Or a sudden snowstorm coupled with traffic will turn your two-hour drive to family’s house into a six-hour one. Your mother’s flight will get rerouted and she’ll have Christmas dinner with strangers at a Denny’s in the middle of nowhere.
And it will be OK, because the rough stuff happens. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you want to say, Bah Humbug. And that’s a good thing. Really. Because the bah humbug stuff makes you remember those times when things go right. You see, there’s a reason we love Charles Dickens’s classic, A Christmas Carol. We all have a bit of Ebeneezer Scrooge in us. We all have those moments when the bad feels really bad, and we have an urge to give in to that unpleasantness and go bah humbug. But, unlike Scrooge, apparitions don’t appear in our bed chambers intent on setting us on the right path.**
Like Scrooge, however, we do get moments that redeem us. Moments that remind us of the right path to follow. Those are the moments of joy that make up the greeting cards, sappy commercials and made-for-TV specials that pull our heartstrings. Your daughter will write you the sweetest apology note for her spill. Your son will reach into his piggy bank and present you with all of it because he’s really sorry about what he broke. Your great-aunt who you wanted to see but can’t because you’re going to your spouse’s celebration, will call you. You’ll have a long warm conversation and feel grateful that you got it. Perhaps, you’ll even be the one who feels a guilty twinge of gladness that your mother-in-law is stranded in the middle of nowhere eating Christmas dinner at Denny’s, rather than sitting across the table criticizing you.
So, take a moment to let out your Bah, Humbug. After that, take a deep breath, put on a smile, and wait. Your happy moment is coming. There’s a reason notions like yin and yang resonate throughout so many cultures. With the bad comes the good. And when you recognize that, you can remember that the Bah humbug is just part of the cycle, and rev up for that moment of good to follow it. Of course, you can and should put more weight on the good, and less on the bad, and enjoy the festivity and love of the season.
Merry Christmas,
-RJ Crayton
*As an aside, Calgon is still made. I looked it up.
**As a second aside, The Christmas Carol soured me on people named Marley. Jacob was obviously bad to the bone. Then Bob Marley went and shot the sheriff. So, I’m just done with Marleys.
>>>>This blog post has been part of the 12 Blogs of Christmas, hosted by author Martin Crosbie. P.S. If you like holiday baking, as I do, be sure to check out this awesome Snow Globe cupcake recipe at SugarHero.com<<<<<<<
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Miss one of the days? The previous blogs of Christmas include:
Dec. 13 Ellen Chauvet
Dec. 14 Sarah Lane
Dec. 15 Keith Baker
Dec. 16 Virginia Gray
Dec. 17 Gordon Long
December 17, 2015
Fifth Blog of Christmas: A Cold Canadian Christmas
By Gordon Long
My transportation for the Christmas of 1967 was Dad’s 1958 Mercury pickup. It was one of the first “full box” pickups, instead of the old “step sides,” and I thought it was pretty classy. Think of the picture above with a front bumper and a two-tone paint job: white above, teal below. I was home from university, and Dad was out of the bush because it was too cold to work, so I was pretty well free to drive it around. Loggers can’t work below about -30 because metal gets so brittle that equipment breaks. It’s rather hard on people, too.
Yes, the Christmas of 1967 was rather cold. I came home from visiting friends on Boxing Day, and the weather report said it was going to be -60F that night (That’s -51 for you Celsius types). I plugged in the block heater of the pickup and waited for that reassuring gurgle that told me it was working.
No gurgle.
About Gordon Long
Brought up in a logging camp with no electricity, Gordon Long learned his storytelling in the traditional way: at his father’s knee. He spends his time editing, publishing, travelling, sailboat racing and writing fantasy and social commentary, although sometimes the boundaries blur.
Gordon lives in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, with his wife, Linda, and their Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Josh. When he isn’t publishing, he works on projects with the Surrey Seniors’ Planning Table.
He has published two books this Christmas:
“Mountains of Mischief” Book 3 in the World of Change series
“Storm over Savournon” a novel of the French Revolution
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Miss one of the days? The previous blogs of Christmas include:
Dec. 13 Ellen Chauvet
Dec. 14 Sarah Lane
Dec. 15 Keith Baker
Dec. 16 Virginia Gray
December 16, 2015
Fourth Blog of Christmas: Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
By Virginia Gray
I wasn’t always so sure. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to believe—very badly, in fact. I also wanted to believe in the stories I read. I wanted to know for sure that there had been a Middle Earth, where hobbits and wizards and dragons ran amuck. I prayed that Narnia existed, and that I might be lucky enough to discover one of its secret passages—they’re everywhere, you know. I truly hoped there were wrinkles in time, and that I might be called upon to save our very universe. I wanted to believe in magic!
About Virginia Gray
Virginia Gray is a bestselling women’s fiction novelist. A former university professor, she stepped away from academics to pursue a writing career. She is a great lover of humor, music, and all things food, and is best known for The Susan Wade Saga.
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Miss one of the days? The previous blogs of Christmas include:
Dec. 13 Ellen Chauvet
Dec. 14 Sarah Lane
Dec. 15 Keith Baker
December 15, 2015
Third Blog of Christmas: Fire in the Snow
Fire in the Snow
by Keith R. Baker
The big man’s boot carefully kicked aside a remaining hunk of what appeared to be a roof rafter. Burnt nearly to ash, it had almost no weight to it. Still, it was best to be careful. Any of the smoldering pile of debris that had been their family home could yet be white-hot. He didn’t need a burnt foot; he had enough trouble already.
Rob Finn’s young family had few enough possessions before the fire. Now, it seemed, they had none. Farming their tiny acreage had barely provided enough food in the good times. Along with everything else they’d lost, even their supply of necessary food stuffs were gone. What would they do? Read more…
About Keith R. Baker 
In addition to being an avid history and genealogy buff, Keith has been an avid outdoorsman his entire life. He has a variety of hats in the business world after completing two periods of duty with the US Navy. His hobbies apart from reading and research include shooting, teaching others the basics of gun safety & handling. Until recently he took an active role in local and regional politics as a public speaker and campaign consultant.
Keith and his wife Leni have enjoyed living several places in the US, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and Montana. They have two adult children, two adult foster children and nine grandchildren scattered around the country. www.keithrbaker.com
Links
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Keith-R.-Baker/...
Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/keith_r_baker/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeithRBaker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keith_r_baker/
Current Promotion:
Read about Rob Finn and his family in the Longshot series, beginning with Longshot In Missouri, price reduced through Christmas, here.
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Miss one of the days? The previous blogs of Christmas include:
Dec. 13 Ellen Chauvet
Dec. 14 Sarah Lane
December 14, 2015
Second Blog of Christmas: Sarah Lane
Sarah Lane hopes you will enjoy listening to this reading from her young adult crossover novel The God of My Art. This chapter is taken from near the end of the book, when Helene visits her mother over the winter holidays. Watch the video here.
About Sarah Lane.
Sarah Lane is the author of The God of My Art, the story of a young woman’s journey to become an artist and a quarter finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Lane’s short fiction and poetry have also featured in a number of literary magazines, including The Antigonish Review, Roar Magazine, and Quills: Canadian Poetry Magazine.
Lane’s upcoming young adult novel is a psychological read about a cerebral seventeen-year old who struggles to learn salsa dancing only to be shown up by her doppelgänger. (You can sign up on her website to be notified when it comes out).
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Miss one of the days? The previous blogs of Christmas include:
Dec. 13 Ellen Chauvet
December 13, 2015
First Blog of Christmas: Ellen Chauvet
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
-Composed by Clement C. Moore
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When Martin Crosbie invited me to participate in the 12 blogs of Christmas I immediately said yes. I’ve always treasured Christmas and the opportunity to share my love of Clement Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nick” poem appealed to me. After several hours of research, the following is what I gleaned.
About Ellen Chauvet
Ellen Chauvet lives in Vancouver, Canada, where long months of rain are particularly conducive to writing dark stories.
BLOG: ellenchauvet.wordpress.com
WEBSITE: http://www.ellenchauvet.com
December 12, 2015
Counting Down Until Christmas
These are so cool! You can find the recipe at SugarHero.com.
It’s almost Christmas! I know the kids are cheering. But my blog readers can, too, because this year, I’m again participating in Martin Crosbie’s 12 Blogs of Christmas. In the event, 12 authors blog about a Christmas-themed topic. Each day, participating authors share the first few paragraphs of a blog and link to the full article on the originating author’s site. It’s a lot of fun and you get a lot of cool holiday posts.
I thought I’d give you a heads up before the posts start tomorrow. In addition to heads up, I’m sharing a super awesome holiday recipe I found online. It’s what’s pictured in the photo: Snow Globe cupcakes. Some of you may be aware that I have a cupcake addiction. This time of year is always hard, with all the baking going on. Thankfully, it’s Christmas cookies that get the most play. But, it’s recipes like this one that make me fall off the bandwagon. Kudos to the site Sugar Hero for creating such an awesome holiday treat, even if it means I’ll be giving into my addiction. THUD! (Yes, that was the sound of me falling off the wagon.)
And one last thing. Life First will have a holiday 99 cent sale starting next week (12/15).
Merry Christmas!
December 1, 2015
NaNoWriMo Wrap Up: I Won’t Be Doing This Again
It’s Dec. 1. National Novel Writing Month ended yesterday, and I completed 50,000 words in the allotted time frame. My word processor count said I’d written 50,236 words, though the NaNo validator on the site only validated me at 50,210. ( If you decide to register and validate your word count on the NaNo site, be sure to go over a little, because there’s a discrepancy. I’m not sure if ~30 words is typical or atypical of the discrepancy.)
Here are my take aways from the experience:
I need variety. The word count didn’t bother me so much as the fact that I needed to write 1,667 each day on that specific project. When they do job satisfaction surveys, autonomy always correlates to job satisfaction. People who have the opportunity to pick and choose what they work on within their day tend to be happier at their jobs. NaNoWriMo allows for NO autonomy. You’re working on that book and if you get the hankering to work on something else, you really can’t do that until you meet the word count quota for the day. That’s a very oppressive writing environment for me, and I hated it. I dreaded working on my story toward the end because of that daily grind.
Outlining/story planning are important. I got stuck at one point, and generally, if I get stuck while writing, I quit working on the project and write a different project. Usually, after a few days, I’ll have worked out what I need to do to move forward on the original project. You can’t do that in NaNo, or you fall too far behind. So, at one point, I had to just stop writing story content and write a complete synopsis for the story. This helped me somewhat get back on track.
You get junk you can’t use if you push through to meet your word count. I wrote stuff I know I’m not going to use. The stuff I can’t use isn’t complete junk. However, I went down the wrong path in the storytelling because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to happen. That’s when I sat down and wrote my synopsis (because I could tell what was happening wasn’t working). But, I’ve got about 5k of stuff that doesn’t really fit into the new plan. (And yes, that 5k is included in my NaNo total, because I wrote it, and NaNo is about the writing. Editing comes later. Plus, I might be able to use some nuggets of it later, even though most of it will have to be scrapped.)
You’re not done, generally. Yes, you can declare yourself a “winner” at 50k, but the story usually isn’t over. I know mine isn’t. So, it’s a fairly hollow victory, especially if you’ve got a lot to revise and a lot more to write.
You do have more to work with. Even though I wouldn’t do it again, I am glad I have more content to work with. Getting my synopsis done helped a lot.
You feel burned out after NaNo. I participate in a bunch of online groups of writers and many of them participated in NaNo. Most of the people who completed it said they felt burned out after the process. They needed a break from writing. I don’t think that’s a good place to be, especially if your 50k hasn’t even finished your novel. This feeling of, “I’m so done” was persistent for me throughout Nano. There were days when I had time to write more, but I just said, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be doing this. Even right now, I’ve decided I’m not going to be write anything in December. I’m going to edit and revise two other novels, and format some books for CreateSpace.
I’d rather feel fresher. Ultimately, I’d rather go slower, alternating between a couple of projects and the occasional blog posts and write two books over the course of 3 months than to try to hunker down and plow through one even if I’m stuck. I’d feel fresher, more content and happier about the work by tackling it on the days when I’m excited about it. And for me, that is unlikely to be every single day for a 30 day period. There are days I’ll write 3,500 words on a project, nothing on it the next day and 2,500 words on it the day after. That’s so much more effective, for me, than trying to push out 1,667 words on what should have been a zero day. I don’t have problems finishing novels, so NaNo isn’t going to push me to just get my novel done. I think it’s best to leave NaNo to people who enjoy it or need the pressure to spur them forward. I won’t be doing it again.
I’ve been chronicling my NaNo experience by week. Each Sunday, I posted the word counts for the week, but here’s a wrap up. It lists the NaNo word counts for the entire month. This is just my word count for NaNo. I had a couple of blog posts and other items I wrote during the month, so my November word total was just a little bit higher than the NaNo project at 55,298. If you’ll notice my Nov. 30 was just enough to push me over for NaNo. I had time to write more, but I was so done with NaNo at that point that I just quit.
Nov. 1 – 2,158
Nov. 2 – 2,007
Nov. 3 – 819
Nov. 4 – 2,339
Nov. 5 – 1,828
Nov. 6 – 1,368
Nov. 7 – 2,556
Nov. 8 – 1,878
Nov. 9 – 1,900
Nov. 10 – 1,690
Nov. 11 – 2,178
Nov. 12 – 1,965
Nov. 13 – 1,249
Nov. 14 – 1,885
Nov. 15 – 1,184
Nov. 16 – 616
Nov. 17 – 1,866
Nov. 18 – 1,920
Nov. 19 – 124
Nov. 20 – 0
Nov. 21 – 2,661
Nov. 22 – 2714
Nov. 23 – 1703
Nov. 24 – 2
Nov. 25 – 2588
Nov. 26 – 825
Nov. 27 – 3089
Nov. 28 – 1808
Nov. 29 – 2164
Nov. 30 – 1152
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Total – 50,236
So, that’s my NaNo wrap up. Did anyone out there do NaNo? How’d you do? Do you feel burned out or energized?
November 29, 2015
NaNoWriMo Week 4
Feeling a bit shackled by NaNoWriMo at the moment.
Well, we’re into the final stretch, the very last two days of NaNoWriMo. I’m finally on track, and should finish, presuming these last two days go without incident (though I already know I have to take my daughter to the orthodontist; a wire is loose on her braces. We’ve got wax on it at the moment, but it will need fixing on Monday).
I’ll do a final NaNo wrap up post later in the week once I see how it all shakes up. I don’t see myself doing NaNo again though. I’m pretty sure I won’t complete much more than the 50k words during NaNo, as I’m right on target. But, also because NaNo really seems to suck the joy out of the process. Last night, I’d achieved the word count I needed for the day and I considered writing another scene, but just decided I was too sick of NaNo to write any more for the day. So, for me, it’s been, oddly, a motivation drain
So, for a brief wrap-up of my week 4.
Nov. 22 – 2714
Nov. 23 – 1703
Nov. 24 – 2
Nov. 25 – 2588
Nov. 26 – 825
Nov. 27 – 3089
Nov. 28 – 1808
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Week 4 Total – 12,729
Week 3 total – 8,371
Week 2 total – 12,745
Week 1 total – 13,075
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NaNo Total – 46,920
