Skye Callahan's Blog, page 9
May 8, 2020
Friday Fives: Binge Watching
I thought it would be fun, now that I have my blog up and running, to share some of my favorite things. Every week, I’ll be back with a new top 5 list with everything from books to snacks.
Since most of us are stuck at home with the current pandemic, I’m sharing five of the TV shows I’m enjoying right now.
Hung
“A former high school sports legend turned middle-aged high school basketball coach finds a way to benefit from his biggest asset.”
A comedy about a high school coach who becomes a male prostitute, this show is NUTS, in every single way. It’s witty, unapologetic, and just plain fun. Not for those who have an aversion to naked bodies or blatant sex jokes.
The Orville
“An exploratory ship from Earth faces intergalactic challenges 400 years in the future.”
The Orville is like Star Trek on an acid trip. Sir is a huge fan of Seth MacFarlane, and although most of his stuff just isn’t my thing, this show is fantastic. They take on some serious topics, but in a comedic and entertaining way, and the ensemble is on point.
SEAL Team
“The lives of the elite Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high-stakes missions our country can ask.”
I got a free trial for CBS All Access and decided to check this show out. I’m impressed by their dedication to bringing authenticity to each episode. The cast is phenomenal (shout out to Dita the Hair Missile, a real police dog who plays a SEAL K9 on the show) and they bring a myriad of emotion to the characters. Although it’s focused on serious situations, there are some great laughs as well, bringing a good balance to an evening of binge-watching.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
“As her 16th birthday nears, Sabrina must choose between the witch world of her family and the human world of her friends. Based on the Archie comic.”
It’s not your average high school show. Sabrina is dark and a bit cooky and crazy which makes for an entertaining evening. I’ve watched the old show, but I haven’t read the comics, so I don’t know how well it adheres to canon. The only disappointing aspect for me, is Salem’s lack of speech (and presence in general, really).
The Last Drive-In
“Joe Bob is back! Watching B-Movies and giving background and behind the scenes information. He watches Tourist Trap, Re-Animator and much much more.”
The Last Drive-In doesn’t really fall into the bingeable category for me because I’m all caught up and it airs live every Friday night. But it’s horror movies and it’s JOE BOB! He shoes some crazy movies and just as he did back in the Monster-Vision days, interrupts the movies for “commercial breaks” to go on rants about this and that, give background information, and sometimes interview guests.
More Friday Fives
May 7, 2020
New Release Round-up
Unforgettable
Melanie Harlow
Buy it now
Just One Taste
Kimberly Kincaid
Buy it now
Hood River Rat
K. Webster
Buy it now
Artful Lies
Jodi Ellen Malpas
Buy it now
The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancee
Annika Martin
Buy it now
Rescue After Dark
Marie Force
Buy it now
That Crazy Kind of Love
Jenika Snow
Buy it now
Love Under Quarantine
Kylie Scott & Audrey Carlan
Buy it now
View Skye's Reading Recommendations
May 6, 2020
Comma Catastrophe: Independent and Dependent Clauses
Comma placement is one of the main things I see authors having trouble with. Although there are a number of rules required to get commas right, proper placement is important. Commas signal a short pause in a passage and separate words, clauses, and ideas within a sentence.
This won’t be an extensive look at comma rules, just a quick look at a few rules that will keep your sentences flowing properly.
Independent Clauses
Independent clauses are phrases that can stand alone as independent sentences.
The bus swerved, and I slid out of my seat.
Because this sentence could be broken into two grammatically correct sentences, a comma is required before the conjunction.
The bus swerved.
I slid out of my seat.
Let’s look at another example.
I searched through every DVD in the house, but I couldn’t find anything to watch.
Again, this sentence can be broken into two grammatically correct sentences, which means a comma should be present.
I searched through every DVD in the house.
I couldn’t find anything to watch.
But in this instance, we can rewrite that sentence so it doesn’t require a comma.
I searched through every DVD in the house but couldn’t find anything to watch.
When we remove the subject (I) from the second half of the sentence, it becomes a dependent clause. Now, because the second clause in the sentence is using the same subject as the first, no comma is necessary.
Dependent Clauses
A dependent clause is a phrase that depends on another phrase to form a complete sentence. As in the second example above, a dependent clause at the end of a sentence does not need a comma, but if you’re using a dependent clause at the beginning of a sentence, it must be followed by a comma.
Because the bus swerved, I slid out of my seat.
The clause “because the bus swerved” is not a complete sentence, and since it appears at the beginning of the sentence, it must be followed by a comma.
The same sentence can be rewritten so the dependent clause comes at the end, and eliminates the need for a comma.
I slid out of my seat because the bus swerved.
Both examples above are grammatically correct and switching up the placement of dependent clauses is a great way to vary your sentence structure.
Here’s another example:
Unable to find anything to watch, Lena decided to curl up with a new book.
Again, the clause “unable to find anything to watch” is dependent on the rest of the sentence, and because it appears at the beginning, a comma is required.
Exceptions
As if commas aren’t complicated enough, there are also exceptions. In the case of independent clauses, the Chicago Manual of Style says: “If the clauses are very short and closely connected, the comma may be omitted unless the clauses are part of a series.”
Eric drove and Lena navigated.
Although each part of this sentence is independent, because each clause is so short (two to three words are okay) and closely related, a comma is not necessary. Using a comma in this example wouldn’t be wrong, but could make the sentence choppy.
If you’d like to see more scenarios and examples, check out the following resources.
Comma Rules, Grammarly
How to Use Commas, Grammar Girl
Commas: Quick Rules, Purdue Writing Lab
I’m proud to be a team member and editor at Write Your Best Book.
If you need more help with your manuscript or you’re ready for a professional edit, we’d love to help. You can email Write Your Best Book, info@writeyourbestbook.com, and be sure to follow us on social media and we’ll follow you back!
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More Blog Posts on Writing
Comma Catastrophe: Independent and Dependent Clauses
Write It Wednesday: Getting Started
Write It Wednesday: Hack Your Brain
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May 5, 2020
Tuesday Updates: Finding Consistency
I’m a lifer in the writing world. This is what I feel like I have to be doing, and I intend on doing it for the foreseeable future, but the one thing I haven’t mastered is consistency.
I have a serious problem there.
The strange thing is that if you ask Sir, he’ll tell you how I hate for things not to be planned and carried as predicted. I don’t like change and I don’t like surprises.
But when it comes to everything about writing, I’m the complete opposite. I also lack consistency in other parts of my writing life–blogging, posting on social media, participating in events and groups. I usually fall away from it after several weeks when I’m under the strain of deadlines or personal obligations, and it takes me several weeks or even months to get back into that game.
I want to get it together and be more consistent in such things–or hide my face in shame until I find an organization muse. Does anyone know where to find one of those?
I’ve tried task lists, planners, winging it, spreadsheets, post it notes, etc., etc. They all work for a short time and then I lose track again. Battling mental health through all of it doesn’t help either. Regardless, I’m on a mission, and this blog is part of that mission. I actually have posts scheduled for a couple of weeks out and a set plan that I’m tracking in Airtable. Fingers crossed!
Books
For the last few weeks I’ve been working to hit my first deadline for the Salvation Society project. I’m super excited for this crossover, and my ideas have now been approved! So, be prepared for a sexy clash between the Ashville police chief and an ex-Navy SEAL when they meet in a foreign country and fight to unravel a life-threatening mystery.
Will they break each other before the enemy breaks them?
Be sure to watch for more news on Irreverent.
I’ve sent Trust Fall over to my Kindle for a final read through and tweaks before it goes to betas and the rest of the world. Yaaaay!! It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to Lena and Eric, but it has been a fun ride and Trust Fall goes to even sexier and heart-wrenching places than I ever predicted.
If you’d like to see some of the numbers behind-the-scenes with writing and editing daily, you can go check out my new Work In Progress page where I have progress bars for all the projects I’m working on, and you can see what stage they’re in. Plus I embedded my word count charts from Pacemaker where you can see the highs and lows. From May 1 until the end of the year, I’ll be keeping track of all the words written and pages edited, if you’re interested in that kind of thing. For me, it’s going to be an accountability thing to help with current and future planning.
Let’s see if I can kick out 1 Million words by year’s end!
Recent posts...
Tuesday Updates: Finding Consistency
Which Skye Callahan Heroine are you?
Libby Thorne
Friday Fives: Favorite Writing Tools
May 3, 2020
May 2, 2020
Libby Thorne
Main Character: Irreverent
Minor Character: Unbreakable, Redline
Hair: long, naturally dark brown, but she changes her hair color regularly
Eyes: Honey Brown
Age at first appearance: 32
Height: 5’5″
Residence: Libby lives in a small cottage-style house on the outer city limits of Ashville.
Education: BS in Justice Studies
Employment: Appointed to serve as Interim Police Chief, Ashville PD when when Captain Richards was found to be cooperating with a crime ring to pay for medical care for his wife.
Parents: Father, Luis, was a security guard and mother, Carla, worked in a daycare center. Libby’s paternal grandfather was from Saltilo, Mexico.
Siblings: No siblings.
Past Relationships: She and Trent Davis engaged in an on again/off again friends with benefits arrangement for a while. Afterward, she was engaged to a lawyer for a short time, but her increased responsibilities at the police department and his hectic case schedule ultimately led them to break things off.
Characteristics: Libby is a force to be reckoned with. Her never-back-down attitude and flair for strategic negotiation made her a critical member of the Ashville PD administration and a respected liaison for the officers she serves with.
Signature Drink: Blackberry Whiskey Lemonade
Bonus Scene
Libby gets the news…
“You did what?” I’m sure I must be having a stroke because I certainly didn’t hear him correctly.
“We eloped.”
“Trent. Davis. Mr. I-don’t-fall-in-love marriage-is-a-joke perpetual-man-whore, you eloped?” When he’d said there was something he needed to discuss before he went to HR, marriage was not on my radar. Usually that little introduction meant he expected me to play negotiator and get him out of trouble.
He drops into the chair across from my desk and holds up his left hand, displaying the band of bright gold that stands out against his tattooed fingers. “I thought she’d appreciate a new name for her birthday.”
“You couldn’t go with chocolates or a new motorcycle. Something normal?”
He stretches out, leaning his arm over the back of the chair. “When have you ever known me to be normal, Lib?”
I sigh. It’s not just that this is out of the ordinary for him. Before I got engaged, Trent had been my go-to. Mechanic, recipient of my venting, and roll-in-the-sack go-to. Of course, that whole arrangement went off the table when I became his boss. Then, I got engaged and three weeks ago, unengaged. Where Trent now wears a shiny ring, I wear a pale line where my engagement ring sat for thirteen months. I’m not bitter, just annoyed that the most cavalier man I’ve ever known beat me to the alter. Although, I doubt there was an actual alter involved.
“Jackass,” I mumble.
“What?” Trent chuckles.
“You’re not supposed to be the one to show me up. James, fine. They’ve been engaged for over a year, but you? I still get the distinct impression you’re fucking with me.”
He cocks his head. “The department hears you talking like that and you might get demoted.”
“Yeah, and you’d be the one to suffer for it. When are you going to cut that mop of hair?”
IrreverentSalvation Society
ebook
Coming Soon
Paperback
Coming soon.
May 1, 2020
Friday Fives: Favorite Writing Tools
I thought it would be fun, now that I have my blog up and running, to share some of my favorite things. Every week, I’ll be back with a new top 5 list with everything from books to snacks.
Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite writing tools.
Scrivener
I don’t usually write stories chronologically. I write scenes here and there as they come to me and then piece it all together as I work. Scrivener is the perfect tool for this because it allows me to work scene by scene and easily reorder them as necessary. It also has great plotting features and provides a section to keep notes and research within the project so I have everything in one place. Plus, I can easily compile my work as a .mobi and send it to my Kindle to proofread.
Get a free trial.
Write or Die
I have version 2 of the software, and it seems the developer disappeared sometime in the midst of developing version 3, but it’s a great tool to keep me focused on getting words down and avoiding distractions. I prefer kamikaze mode which starts deleting letters after a long pause in typing. It’s brutal, but sometimes that’s what I need.
Brain.fm
Brain.fm uses some mix of science and magic to improve focus. They have a great selection of music and ambient sound choices. It’s great for blocking out noise and distractions, but it goes a step further by stimulating neurons in your brain to create the perfect mental state for work.
Airtable
I used to have collections of notes everywhere, a disorganized writing bible in One Note, spreadsheets, word documents, etc. but I’ve been using Airtable to organize all of my ideas and notes for a few months and it’s amazing! I can keep all of my character notes, images, and descriptions in one place and link between multiple spreadsheets. Best of all, you can set up an unlimited number of bases with up to 1,200 records in each for free!
Remarkable
Sometimes, I just can’t get the words to flow unless I’m writing by hand. I have dozens of journals in my office filled with stories and ideas, but I forget which journal has the notes I need and then I have to go through the trouble of typing everything up before putting it all together and editing. Now, that isn’t an issue because I can keep hundreds of notebooks on a single device and automatically convert my handwriting to text and email it to myself. The conversion isn’t perfect, but it saves me a ton of work and stress on my wrists.
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April 30, 2020
New Release Round-up
Time for another New Release Round-up with books from some of my friends and favorite authors!
Cecilia
K.L. Fast M.K. Moore
Buy it now
Hot SEAL, Bachelor Party
Elle James
Buy it now
Counting on Cole
Cynthia Eden
Buy it now
My Favorite Souvenir
Penelope Ward
Vi Keeland
Buy it now
View Skye's Reading Recommendations
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April 29, 2020
Write It Wednesday: Getting Started
Anyone who has ever had a water break or dealt with old water lines that haven’t been used in a while knows the importance of running the water to clear the junk out of the lines. In many ways, our creativity works the same way.
Sometimes, the hardest part of writing is getting started; the first words in a new book, sitting down to the keyboard after a short break, or even after waking up in the morning. Think of your first few lines as clearing out the muck so the true story can find a way out. Don’t judge these words and thoughts too harshly, just get something down on paper. Even if those words never appear in the final draft, they serve the equally important role of getting the flow started.
I’m proud to be a team member and editor at Write Your Best Book.
If you need more help with your manuscript or you’re ready for a professional edit, we’d love to help. You can email Write Your Best Book, info@writeyourbestbook.com, and be sure to follow us on social media and we’ll follow you back!
Link
More Blog Posts on Writing
Write It Wednesday: Getting Started
Anyone who has ever had a water break or dealt...
Read MoreWrite It Wednesday: Hack Your Brain
Are you sick of looking at the same passages over...
Read MoreWho wants to earn $25 Amazon gift cards?
My boss over at Write Your Best Book is working...
Read MoreSubscribe to Blog via Email
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Join 12,367 other subscribers.
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