Loni Townsend's Blog, page 21

Finding Inspiration Through Conversation

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Digital Painting WIP – Naomi

Technically, I’m not sitting and waiting. I’m digital painting. Still, it’s a case of me not writing because I’m inspired to do something else.

I’m the type of squirrel who uses her half hour of free time a day to indulge in pursing the passion of the moment. That doesn’t make me a very good role-model. I read fellow blogger Sarah Brentyn’s post about how the boot-camp approach to writing overwhelms some people. I don’t get overwhelmed. I’ve just got too small of an attention span to feel obligated to stick to one thing. I don’t let myself feel bad because I know myself enough to know I’ll get back to it if it’s important to me.

When it comes to writing, I want it to be inspired, to stem from a scene that plays vividly in my mind, to have me voicing dialogue in the car on the way to work (everyone does that, right?). I don’t want it to be forced because I’m obligated to get down words when I could be adding detail to my current digital painting WIP.

In the past two days, I’ve had a wealth of writing inspiration. I got ideas for one POV from a writing buddy in Taiwan after I stalled out. I chose a direction for a character in book 4 after chatting with my friend Dani. I figured out how to set up this character direction starting in book 2 after talking with my sis-in-law last night. This gives me more content and a greater role for a book 2 POV character I was struggling with. BAM! Inspiration! Guess who is back to writing?

I love analyzing people’s opinions. So what’s yours? Are you adamant that you must write every day? I’m not talking about taking breaks because of stress. Do you feel disdain towards the people who talk about writing, but struggle to find time to get words down every day? Does the expectation that you must write every day affect you negatively if you don’t achieve it? Do you shrug and say different people have different processes?

P.S. Don’t forget today is the last day to pick up The Ancient for only 99 cents!

The post Finding Inspiration Through Conversation appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

Gotta Please the People #IWSG

I think many writers are people-pleasers. We want other people to enjoy our work. You get that review where the person states your story is their favorite, and you just swell with pride.

That happened to me.

You may or may not know of a project I participated in a while back called The Seven. We released an anthology called The Ancient. My story, Smokeless Flame, was first and one of the reviews said it was their favorite. Reading that made me giddy.

But they didn’t call my story by name.

Then The Seven shifted around. Some roles changed. They corrected minor errors and typography issues and released a second edition. I cracked open the new version on Amazon and my heart skipped.

The order had changed.

It no longer appeared like the review was about my story.

I fretted silently for a while. It was just one review. It shouldn’t matter. Still, it niggled in the back of my mind. What if people didn’t know this person liked my story? There was that people-pleaser aspect of my personality coming out. And yet, I didn’t want to cause problems. I hate conflicts in real life. I’d much prefer to read about them. But I took a deep breath and emailed about my concern, terrified that I might be labeled a difficult child. (Gotta love insecurity, eh?)

Thankfully, the person in charge is very understanding. She hadn’t realized the review didn’t call my story by name. She even bolstered my spirits by saying they wanted a strong end to the anthology, which is why mine was moved. We discussed via email and since we didn’t know the person who left the review, she left a comment specifying the order change and my story.

I don’t know how many of you are like me—people who don’t like making a fuss, don’t like causing problems, don’t like inconveniencing other people. But getting my concerns out in the open helped calm my insecurity.

Have you ever been in a similar situation? Did you speak up, or did you keep quiet? Did it work out well in the end?

If you haven’t picked up a copy of The Ancient, it will be on week-long sale for 99 cents starting tomorrow (3/3 – 3/10). I’d love for you check out my short story contribution, Smokeless Flame, and let me (and others) know what you think.

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group



You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

The post Gotta Please the People #IWSG appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

Are You Insane?

My buddy, Jim, is a member of multiple critique groups. In one of these groups, another member told him, “You only giggle if you are under 6 years old or you are insane.”

Hero Guy holds on for dear life as Dragon tries to flee.

Apparently, I’m not supposed to giggle, despite the fact that I hear voices in my head. *shrug* I’m a writer.

(Un)Lucky for my character, he’s insane, so he can giggle all he wants. What? Wouldn’t you have gone off the deep end after 8 millennia of imprisonment?

Crazy characters aside, I found this rule intriguing. I’m not arguing the validity of it. I’ve found myself in the same mindset when reading before, particularly in the case of belly and tummy. When talking to my kids (who are both under 6 years old and giggle in the most delightful way), I might ask, “Does your tummy hurt?” But if I’m thinking of myself or my husband, I use stomach.

Is that weird that it gives me pause? I mean, I do play with toys and I’m supposedly a full-grown squirrel.

What are your thoughts on giggling and other words? Do any age-appropriate details ever stick out for you?

As a side note, be sure to check out Aldrea Alien’s new cover for her paranormal romance, Golden Dawn!

The post Are You Insane? appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

Every Good Adventure Needs A Map, Right?

I was cruising around G+ the other day when I came upon a post linking to Inkarnate. I thought it looked cool and investigated further.

Inkarnate lets you make maps. It’s a simple interface and tailored for roleplaying games, but I was clapping and squealing in delight. I’ve looked into making maps before. They have installable programs like Campaign Cartographer, but I didn’t want to take the time to do the install and then learn the software. There are tutorials for making maps using graphics software, which I already have installed and know how to use, but I’m not so good at drawing slopes and ridges.

Inkarnate is a web-based and easy to use. I spent about a half hour on my map.

Since Inkarnate is simple, I couldn’t portray my world exactly as I envisioned it. Halqua is actually raised compared to the other provinces with waterfalls flowing over the edges, and Lumenor is a giant ring-shaped canyon with sandstone red walls. But still, Inkarnate is pretty darn cool and quick to learn.

What do you think of my map?

Do you like maps? Do you have a map for your world? Do you have any experience making maps? What do you use?

The post Every Good Adventure Needs A Map, Right? appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

If You Weren’t My Friend, I’d Hate You #IWSG

Last Friday, I was showing my best friend the latest developments with my digital painting and a few pictures I’ve taken of Hero Guy. She and I have been hanging out weekly for the past 14 years. There were a few exceptions. She went to Cambodia, twice. I went to Russia. She’s seen all the many projects I’ve started (not necessarily finished). Often, she sighs and says, “You’re so talented.” This last Friday, she added, “If you weren’t my friend, I’d hate you.” She followed it up with, “I wish I had a thing.”

She composes music, writes her own songs, and teaches piano. She crochets blankets, does needle point, makes paper crafts, and has an awesome eye for home design. She makes friends wherever she goes, and is loved by whoever hires her.

This beautiful, amazing woman was jealous of me??

I realized this applies to writing too. It’s easy to look at someone else’s writing and wish we could do that too. It’s the nature of insecurity. But, we each have our strengths. In my critique group, Angela has an amazing voice. Cami is spectacular at setting the scene. Dani does delicious dialogue. Jim is the master of structure. Kelley finds kinks in all the grammar. Troy thrills with tension-packed action.

Me? Well, I can pervert a non-sexual situation. Yay!

Since no one person is the expert at everything, we come together to use each other’s strengths to improve. That’s what makes our critique group great.

What is your strength? Have you ever been jealous of someone else’s talent? What is one talent you wish you had?

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group



You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

The post If You Weren’t My Friend, I’d Hate You #IWSG appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

Cycles of Creativity

I love writing. Every day, bits and pieces of my stories work their way onto the computer screen. Maybe it’s book two. It might be book three. On a rare occasion, I discover details about book four and how it ties to the others.

I jump around a lot.

But what about the rest of the time, when I can’t focus because my daughter is chatting or my son wants attention? That’s where my projects come in. And, like my writing, I can’t foresee my next focus.

What will it be this week? Photography? Sewing? Some useless experiment that looks cool and fascinates me even more than my kids? I’ve always got something going on.

Exhibit One: Digital Painting

A while ago, I decided to teach myself how to digitally paint. I got as far as a sketch before I switched gears to something else. But this weekend, I got back to it and got some color down.

For a first attempt, it’s not too shabby, though not without issues. I showed my husband my progress and his first question was, “why is he orange?” Eh. I was aiming for metallic bronze. It wasn’t until I merged some of the layers that I realized GIMP had a blur tool, which might’ve helped to smooth out the shading. Ah well. The bridge of the nose needs some tweaking, and I just started the lips this morning. That left (the guy’s right) eye is bugging me too.

I hope to finish the lips by next week. For my next painting, I’ll choose a better angle for the face.

Exhibit Two: Lost Toy Adventures

As I started my run with my sis-in-law this past Saturday, I found a tiny figure lying on the sidewalk outside my house. I’ve since dubbed this toy Hero Guy, though his name is Harvey. It started with a few pictures inside my office.

And he’s been traveling with me since.

I have many adventures planned for this little lost toy. Hopefully, I can get his story out in pictures before my interests switch gears again.

Do you find your interests jumping around a lot? What are all the creative ways you enjoy exploring?

P.S. Thank you for all the hugs and appreciation last week. It was well needed.

The post Cycles of Creativity appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

Hug Me!

It’s National Hug Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day.

Anyone out there feeling inclined to give me a hug?

The post Hug Me! appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

It’s Wednesday? I made it!

It’s been a bumpy week. Last Saturday was an up-day, where my daughter let me dress her up and take pictures of her. She takes after me in this aspect. We both had fun, and I ended up with some cute reminders of my beautiful girl.

Sunday was okay. I restarted my diet that I plan to stick to for at least six weeks (no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or sugar… except for Fridays where I cheat the heck out of it). I spent all day cooking, but the prep has paid off in the convenience of not having to do much every morning.

And then Monday came. It wasn’t the typical Monday blues or woes of returning to work. I received word that a friend had died the day before. Anne was part of my critique group. She had a way of always finding the positive, always encouraging, and always laughing. She was a good writer with an interesting voice and I will miss her stories. But moreso, I will miss her. When an ordeal with critique group hit, she emailed me encouragement and support while I drowned my sorrows in wine. She was happy despite having to go through surgery for her heart. She was an amazing person who I saw every other week. It shocks me that she’s gone. I came home Monday and hugged and kissed my kids and husband.

I got past Monday and started into Tuesday with the arrangements for critique group stewing in the back of my mind. We plan on having a memorial and celebration for Anne tonight (Wednesday). So there I was, on my way to work in the early dark hours. A school bus stopped in the lane next to me and put out its little stop sign. The person ahead of me stopped. I stopped. As I waited, thinking about cancelling the library reservations and if I should take a bottle of wine to Dani’s, I hear the screeching of tires. Headlights flash in my rear-view mirror. I grimace and brace myself.

I’m thankful for many things. I was far enough back from the person ahead of me that I didn’t get pushed into them. The person who hit me didn’t hit the school bus. The person ahead of me stayed as a witness for the police. The person who hit me didn’t get injured. I didn’t get injured. I think my recent exercise helped with recovering from the impact.

Now, I’m waiting for my considerate co-worker to pick me up so we can carpool to work.

“You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.” – Dr. Seuss

It’s been a bumpy week with ups and downs. On the plus side, my daughter built a robot dog named Nick out of Legos and my son said his first full sentence of “I want ice cream.” My husband put together a drill press and helped me figure out one of my side projects. Life is good.

Anne didn’t want to have a funeral because she didn’t want people to be sad. She was such a happy person herself. And so, to do my best to honor Anne’s memory, I’m going to be happy. I will celebrate her life and the impact she made.

Thank you, Anne. We will miss you.

How has your week been? What are the little ups that you’re thankful for? Are you happy?

P.S. The steampunk photo of my daughter is a gif. If you can’t see the animation, you should be able to if you click on the picture.

The post It’s Wednesday? I made it! appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

A Fairly Secure New Year #IWSG

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m still catching my breath from the holidays. Oh, it wasn’t super busy at the Town’s End. In fact, I didn’t even get around to hosting my annual surf ‘n turf meal to celebrate the new year. But I’m all fidgety, like I’m falling behind with something.

It’s not my resolutions. Those are simple. Walk 10,000 steps a day (tough for a programmer with a desk job) and Sworkit at least 5 minutes a day. So far, so good.

It’s not my writing either. I’ve revised some early Isto scenes specifically to add emotion, and according to my local buddies, I’ve done a good job at it. I’ve also been figuring out the plan for book 3. My “Plan” is up to 12K. I can’t say how far through the book percentage wise that is, since I’m a pantser by nature and I don’t really know what all is going to happen. Oh, I know how it ends, but getting there? Pfft! And I’ve also got another story in my head to flesh out the background of a minor character.

Maybe I’m fidgety because I haven’t read a book in months. Things got busy in October and didn’t stop. Or maybe it’s because I don’t have anything to release this year. I’ve been so enraptured by books 2 & 3 of the big books, that I haven’t given any attention to Cera and Murder Most Fowl. Neither Thanmir War or This World Bites are selling. Maybe it’s because I don’t promote my books. Maybe it’s because epic fantasy is a wide market. I tell myself to finish writing the next book. It’s supposed to help. But… What if the reason I’m not selling anything is because I suck?

Oh look… I’m fidgeting again.

I’ll just do what I always do: shove aside my insecurities and just keep writing.

How is your new year going? Do you ever get fidgety? Do you make resolutions? If so, what are they?

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group



You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

The post A Fairly Secure New Year #IWSG appeared first on Squirrel Talk.

Distractions on a Wednesday Morning

I’ve been sketching. Okay, so MaTisha’s eyes are crooked, and Cameron’s face is larger scale than the other two. But I’m actually pretty happy with it. My husband guessed which character was which, without me telling him who I drew. Granted, he has heard me talk about my main characters often enough to know them, and has seen other sketches I’ve done. But it still thrilled me.

My problem is that I’m not a good enough artist to draw the same character the same way every time. So I’m starting with the eyes and eyebrows, deciding the appropriate shape, tilt, and thickness that goes with character. Hopefully, with enough practice, I can draw them consistently.

End goal: Teach myself how to digitally paint them. I’m reviewing the Ctrl + Paint videos. Now that my desktop is back to being usable, I might have a fighting chance to improve.

Speaking of my computer and my awesome husband, he has built me an office. He cleared out a little nook in our garage where we used to keep all of our excess computer equipment (really, we didn’t need all those floppy diskettes).

After that, he built a desk, painted the walls, hung my fan, moved my desktop computer, gave me his monitor, and bought me a clock (which is a little hard to see in the picture). I made the lighting—Christmas lights in a glass bottle and then a LED Edison style bulb hanging in a glass jar with various items I’ve collected. The different decorations include: wire jewelry my cousin made me, a sexton, a compass, a pocket watch, and little glass pebbles, some backed with the Thanmir War tree.

I love my office. The idea was to make a place I could escape my kids. Unfortunately, that does’t seem to be the case. They follow me in. At least my new setup gives me a central location for everything. In the old setup, my daughter had taken over my desk so I couldn’t even use my desktop, and my art supplies were stowed everywhere from the closet to the window sill to under the bed. Now, I have drawers and organization. It’s nice.

What does your work space look like? Do you pursue art? What is distracting you from your writing?

The post Distractions on a Wednesday Morning appeared first on Squirrel Talk.