D.G. Kaye's Blog, page 144

#BookReview – Fly Birdie – Jo Robinson

 

Welcome to Sunday Book Review. Today I’m sharing my review about Jo Robinson’s intense story read about Hannah in her book, Fly Birdie. Jo is a wonderful writer and storyteller. She also provides Indie Author Services with excellent work and reasonable prices. She formatted my recent book so I’m vouching from experience.

Blurb:

Hannah’s life has given her no reason to be anything but bitter and afraid. She tries to hold on to her sanity as her life spirals further into superstition and dread, until a small averted tragedy leads to the melting of her heart, and teaches her how to love.



Get this book HERE on Amazon

Left me wanting more  5 Stars
ByD.G. Kayeon July 21, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition

A heartwarming and triumphant story about overcoming fear and discovering self-love. Hannah lived in fear of an abusive husband, and a tree she felt threatened her life. After surviving a scary, stormy night, and after her husband left for good, life took a better turn for Hannah. She learned about love and compassion from a gentle stranger, and then from an injured bird when they both entered her life after the storm.


This book encompasses many emotions in a short book. The reader can’t help but feel Hannah’s fear and lack of self-esteem, which is depicted beautifully by the author. I found myself cheering for Hannah as she learned to pull herself out of her own dark world.

Visit Jo’s author page on Amazon to find more of her amazing books.

Guest Post – Who Has a New Book? – Nicholas Rossis

 

I’m thrilled to have today’s guest, Nicholas Rossis with us. Nicholas is an author, blogger and informer of all things Indie. He is the author of several books now, and has become a multi-genre author. Besides Perseus, his epic fantasy series, Nicholas writes children’s books, short story novels on speculative science fiction, and recently delved into writing helpful tips for writers with his new book Emotional Beats.

 

Today we’re going to get to know Nicholas a little better, and he’ll be sharing an excerpt of Emotional Beats .

 

Blurb:

Because of the way our brains are wired, readers empathize more strongly if you don’t name the emotion you are trying to describe. As soon as you name an emotion, readers go into thinking mode. And when they think about an emotion, they distance themselves from feeling it.

A great way to show anger, fear, indifference, and the whole range of emotions that characterize the human experience, is through beats. These action snippets that pepper dialogue can help describe a wide range of emotions, while avoiding lazy writing. The power of beats lies in their innate ability to create richer, more immediate, deeper writing.

This book includes hundreds of examples that you can use for your inspiration, so that you, too, can harness this technique to easily convert your writing into palpable feelings.

 

Get your copy of Emotional Beats Here 

 

Welcome Nicholas! Thank you for taking some time out from your busy life to visit with us here today to share some of your nuggets of wisdom. Let’s get started!

 

You’re an author, blogger, father, and web designer; how do you manage to write so many books? Do you have a set time for your writing or do you squeeze it in?

I wish! No, I just squeeze it into any available moment. Thankfully, Electra, my wife, picks up any slack, or I wouldn’t be able to do anything at all. It’s like they say, behind every great man… or not so great, in this case.

 

Was there something in particular that steered you toward writing epic fantasy?

Laziness.

I’m only (half-) kidding, of course. Fantasy requires less research than historical romance, for example. Plus, it has epic battles and all kinds of things that excite the boy within me. For someone with as little free time as me, not needing to spend months on research is a great idea. Besides, it allows me to focus on what I enjoy most; character development and the story.

What sealed the deal, though, was the fact that fantasy, like science fiction and children’s stories, free my imagination in ways that other genres fail to.

 

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Ever since I remember myself, I have enjoyed writing. At school, many of my classmates dreaded essay-writing, whereas my essays were usually read in class (right after I polished the teacher’s apple).

In 2009, I felt ready for a career change and decided to try my hand at professional writing. A Greek newspaper had a segment called 9, which included a short science fiction story each week. I submitted my story, not expecting much.

They published it, and sent me a cheque for 150 euros. I was ecstatic. Sadly, by the time I had written and submitted another couple of stories, the newspaper had run into financial trouble and discontinued that segment. So, I sent one of the stories to a short-story competition, and, to my great surprise, it won. The story was published in an anthology called Invasion.

 

Can you share some advice here for new writers?

Just do it! Too many people are afraid of making a mistake, or of what others will think. Believe me, I understand those concerns—I once compared publishing your work with running naked through the town square. And yet, it’s one of the most satisfying things I’ve done in my life. Just make sure you use a professional editor that you work well with, and whose advice you’re willing to take.

That, and don’t forget to have fun. If you do it for the money, you probably haven’t done your research. Being an author is a lot of hard work, and the reason everyone knows J.K. Rowling is that she’s an exception; not the rule. You have to love writing, as pretty much anything else pays better for less work.

You became a first time father last year, congratulations! Has becoming a dad inspired new ideas for your writing?

Thank you! Being a dad has deepened my understanding of certain situations. For example, two of my heroes on Pearseus become parents. I had written their scenes before becoming a father myself, and I had to imagine what that would feel like. At the time, I thought I was overstressing how much they’d worry about their daughter. Now, I know I haven’t stressed it nearly enough.

 

What’s your opinion regarding whether or not to keep your books in KDP select or to diversify?

I mentioned laziness (or, if you prefer, lack of free time) earlier, and it comes to play here as well, especially as I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I’ve chosen to keep my books on Select because it’s the fastest way to organize everything, from publishing a new book to updating old ones to running a marketing campaign. I have now published over 10 books, and pretty much do everything myself, which already takes up an enormous amount of time. That has real impact on my writing career; for example, I organize far fewer marketing campaigns than I’d like. Were I to publish on different outlets as well, the amount of work necessary would multiply to the point where I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

I think it’s important that you know and respect your limits, and Select helps with that.

 

Please tell us a little about how you came to write Emotional Beats, which is a whole new genre from your other books. And would you please share an excerpt with us.

Emotional Beats was born out of necessity. My first drafts are full of telling and dialogue, with nothing in between but nods, shrugs, and frowns. Which makes for rather terrible writing.

That’s because I only care about telling the story. Turning it into an engaging read is left for the second draft. And that’s where beats come in.

When I first started writing, I struggled to imagine the right beat for every situation. So, whenever I came up with a great one, I wrote it down for future reference. I did the same when I read a beautiful beat by another author, and went, “what a great way to show X emotion.”

It wasn’t long before I started jotting down beats and ideas onto a helpful document, imaginatively enough titled “help.doc.”

 

Emotional Beats contains some of the best beats I have found or written. The idea is for writers to use these as inspiration when in search of the perfect dialogue beat. They can use them as a way to avoid talking heads; to color their writing; or as a shortcut to start polishing that terrible first draft. By building their own beats around these, I hope they find them as useful as I do.

As for an excerpt, I have decided to share with my blog readers the book’s contents for free (with the exception of the last part for copyright reasons), so I am posting one chapter each week. If you don’t want to wait, need it right away or simply want to show your love, you can buy it on Amazon. Personally, I’ve already ordered my paper copy, as this will allow me to flick through it whenever I need some inspiration. Besides, I’ve enrolled it on Kindle MatchBook, which means that buyers of the print edition also get the digital one for free. Even better, I’ve made it available on Kindle Unlimited so that anyone with a Prime subscription can also read it for free.

The first parts that have already been published refer to anger and desire:

Emotional Beats: Ways to Portray Anger (http://nicholasrossis.me/2016/09/25/emotional-beats-anger/ )

Emotional Beats: Ways to Portray Desire (http://nicholasrossis.me/2016/10/01/emotional-beats-ways-to-portray-desire/)

 

Do you think you’ll be writing more books on the craft of writing to add to the Emotional Beats book as a series?

Oh, absolutely! I have subtitled Emotional Beats, Author Tools Book 1, and that’s because I envision a few more non-fiction books on the subject. Although I’d like to focus on book marketing first, as I freak out when I hear the amounts of money fledgling authors throw away to promote their work. Now, I only have to find the time to write it!

 

Thank you Nicholas for visiting with us here today and sharing some of your insights and your new book with us. You are great sharer with the Indie community and I for one, appreciate how much research you do to find helpful articles, apps and information on best methods to help market our books. It was a pleasure having you here today.

Thank you so much, Debby! You, too, are a tireless supporter of Indies, and it’s wonderful to be here.

 

Visit Nicholas at his blog: http://www.nicholasrossis.me 
And visit his Amazon Author Page to view all of his books.

 

 

 

The Many Faces of #Empathy | TINA FRISCO

 

Tina Frisco has written a beautiful article on the differences between being empathetic and sympathetic. Empaths are also often referred to as HSPs (highly sensitive people) and being that I am one, I found this article of great interest and thought some of you may find it equally interesting.

 

The Many Faces of Empathy

 

“For the past three days I’ve wanted to review my copy editor’s suggestions and revise my novel, but something has been getting in the way.  It took me a while to identify what that was.  Then this morning I received a call from a friend, and the core of our conversation lead me to realize that I not only was empathizing with her, but also that I unconsciously had taken on her emotional distress prior to her telling me about it.  So what is the difference between being empathic and being an empath?

 

The Oxford Dictionaries define empathy as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.”  Merriam-Webster defines empathy as ” the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another . . . without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.”  In other words, empathy is the capacity to feel what another person is experiencing from their vantage point rather than exclusively from our own. 

 

Empathy is sometimes confused with sympathy.  Unlike sympathy, which is the ability to acknowledge another’s emotional state and then offer reassurance and comfort, empathy derives from having had the same/similar experience or the capacity to put oneself in another’s shoes.
It’s interesting to note here that . . .” Continue Reading

 

Source: The Many Faces of Empathy | TINA FRISCO

A New Place in Town to #Blog – Niume

I follow many blogs and in doing so, besides enjoying so many, I sometimes come across some special nuggets of great information. Today I’m going to share an interesting nugget with you.

 

My friend and social media expert, Janice Wald from Mostlyblogging.com offers up a wealth of information on her blog about everything from blogging tips to interesting social media and SEO tips about gaining exposure for our blogs and brand.

 

Recently, Janice posted an informative article about Niume. This is a site offering writers to post content, or perhaps post content from blogs already written, to gain new readership and possibly earn some money doing so. Money you’re thinking? Yes, and here is how it works:

 

The lingo is a tad different there, whereby instead of ‘likes’ on a post, they call them ‘hype’. Niume pays you for views of your post if you link up your Paypal email address to your account. It also pays you $1.00 for signing up from an invitation to join from someone else, and subsequently, once you join and share your ‘referral link’ from your dashboard, anyone else signing up with your link will earn $1.00 as well as you each time someone new joins with your referral. How cool is that?

 

Okay, so now that I may have piqued your interest, I’m going to share my link here in case any of you may be curious to join. Why not make it worth your while in dollars?

 

Here’s my link: https://niume.com/?ambassadorID=66466  Clicking on the link will take you to the Niume site.

 

Once you join you can choose the ‘spheres’ (categories you want to blog under) and when you find an article you enjoy and wish to subscribe to that author, you just hit ‘subscribe’ at the end of their post. And remember, if you enjoyed the article, hit ‘hype’ to show you’ve enjoyed.
There are also lots of share buttons to share your posts around, and Niume helps to share your posts in their feed.
*Note: From what I’ve learned from Janice, Google search engines don’t appreciate us ‘double blogging a post’ and if their robots find duplicate posts in search engines they may frown upon it and stop pulling up your work. But, according to Janice’s research, you can post content from your website already posted as long as you change the Heading of the post, you’ll be okay with the search engines.
*One other caveat: Writing or copying and pasting over a post to Niume and writing ‘continue reading’ to get people over to your blog isn’t allowed. It’s called ‘click baiting’ so remember that whatever you choose to post should be a full article. There are plenty of places to add your websites at the end of an article and in your bio. And beware that this site doesn’t condone promoting your wares and books. Our links to our website is permissible.

If you’d like more details about Niume, you can visit Janice’s post Here 

Please Visit Niume Here through my link. And be sure to let me know what you think about it, and if you’ve joined so I can ‘subscribe’ to you too!

MIND, PEN, AND SPIRIT: INTERVIEW WITH D.G. KAYE

 

Once again I’d like to share an interview I recently did with Karen Ingalls of Mind, Pen, And Spirit. Karen had read my book, Words We Carry, and invited me over to her blog to talk about some issues many of us encounter in our lives. She was interested in my views on self-esteem, bullying with words, and tools I used to overcome my own experiences. Have a read below, then please follow the link to continue reading at Karen’s blog.

 

 

Bullying is a prominent problem in our society. Do you have suggestions on how this can be best addressed?

 

“I wish I had the answer to that Karen. When we hear the term bullying, it conjures up visions of children being picked on in schoolyards, but the term unfortunately, applies to many situations. Bullying is rampant in our own homes too, taking on many forms, particularly, emotional verbal bullying, not only physically.

 

I believe it’s up to us as good citizens to advocate for kindness. I know I do. It doesn’t cost anything to be nice to someone. Nobody wants to have their flaws made fun of and nobody is perfect either. If we’d all just have some empathy and step into the shoes of others, we’d learn how terrible it feels to be bullied. It is often those with no regard for other’s feelings, who have a need to feel superior to others by belittling them. These people need to become aware of their wrongdoings, and I think the least we can all do is advocate by spreading positive messages in our dialogues and writing. If people hear things long enough, they’re likely to consider their actions. . “.Continue Reading 

 

Source: MIND, PEN, AND SPIRIT: INTERVIEW WITH D.G. KAYE

#BookReview – Runaway Smile – Nicholas Rossis

Sunday book review featuring Runaway Smile by author, Nicholas Rossis. Nicholas is a versatile writer who writes children’s books, epic fantasies, science fiction short stories, and his newest book, Emotional Beats is a writer’s guide to using expressions and dialogue tags in our writing.

The Blurb:

 

Winner of the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award, in the Young Adult Fiction category. Award-Winning Finalist in the “Children’s Fiction” category of the 2015

International Book Awards, Award-Winning Finalist in the 2015 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards.

“I woke up this morning and I had lost my smile and it wasn’t my fault and I looked everywhere and it was gone. Then I met a workman and a king and the best salesman in the world and a clown and no-one wanted to give me theirs. At school, I asked Miss to give me hers, but she gave us a pop quiz instead, and then no-one was smiling and…”

A little boy’s smile runs away until it owner learns that an unshared smile is a wasted smile.

 

 

Get this book on Amazon Here 

 

My 5 Star Review – Where do smiles come from?

 

This is a heartwarming little story accompanied by fun pictures to go along with the stories. A tale of a child searching for his smile and the people he encounters throughout his day whom he questions, asking where he can get his smile back. No doubt, there’s a heartfelt message that comes from his mom, where he learns the true meaning of a smile and where it really comes from. A great children’s book, as well, a great parental read.

 

Check out all of Nicholas’ books on his Amazon page Here! 

How to #Write Your Memoir | Savvy Book Writers Interviews author D.G. Kaye

It’s been a very exciting week for me with interviews I was invited to do on memoir writing and promoting my new book.

 

This week I was elated to be invited over to Savvybookwriters.com – Everything about writing and self publishing, hosted by Doris Heilmann. Read the post Doris put together from my submission.

 

“People telling you “you have a great story, you should write a book” might be a kickstart for you to write your memoir. . . 

The process of writing can help you to understand yourself and others better.  Fundamental dynamics of a family, or relationships with friends could have very deep causes.”

 

Multi-Book Author D.G. Kaye Explains in an Article:

“Whether writing a novel or writing a memoir, the process is similar, but it has different components.  Some might think, writing a memoir is easier than creating fictional stories, but the story must still be created, even though taken from our own experiences, and facts still must be checked.

.

Emotionally Draining…

There can also be added emotional stress when writing such stories as we are forced to re-live, sometimes, really painful memories.  The process of focusing on painful events from your past, writing about them, re-reading them in revisions and edits can become emotionally draining and sometimes depressing at points.

.

Memoir Writing is Similar to Conflict Resolution.

I compare the process of writing my memoirs to going to therapy sessions where I’m baring my raw self and soul to a specialist in search of resolution from the conflict.  There can be dark moments when we go back to some unpleasant places in time.  I find in those times that I need to step away from my work to distance myself from my story in order to decompose for awhile.

.

The Writer’s Job is to Tell the Truth.

As memoir writers, it’s our job to tell the truth and convey our stories from our own truth, the way we experienced it.  The truth is not made to be sugar-coated, or exaggerated. Characters in our stories shouldn’t be adorned for more than who they were, just to sensationalize.  The purpose of our stories is to keep the readers engaged by allowing them to form their own emotion from what we deliver.  The story isn’t a place for us to present ourselves as self-centred or heroic, nor is it to invoke sympathy from the reader.  It’s rather to engage our readers into the stories we tell, allowing them to develop their own emotion from the story, and hopefully gain some insight for themselves from the material they’ve read… CONTINUE READING

*Please Note: Doris’ site is going through a bit of technical difficulties with comments. So please go over to continue reading, share around and please come back here and leave any comments or questions. Thank you.

Guest Post – Who has a new Book? – Ned Hickson #Humor

 

Welcome to my new series for authors with new books. I’ve chosen to start the series off with a blast and few good laughs as well as great information. I’m thrilled to have Ned Hickson, author, blogger, humor columnist, editor, and volunteer fire-fighter here today to start the series.

 

On the serious side – Ned does write a humor column for the Siuslaw  News, a small Oregon paper, where his motto is: “Your dependable source for local news. Twice weekly. Unless we lose count.” 

 

For those of you who don’t know Ned, you’re in for a treat and lots of laughter. Ned sure does wear a lot of hats, and not to mention he’s a dedicated family man and looks for the funny in every situation. Oh, and I just have to mention, Ned loves bacon. If you want to know how much, just go over to his blog and type in ‘bacon’ in the search bar, grab a coffee, and prepare to be thoroughly entertained. According to Ned, bacon is almost a universal item that could be eaten, worn, or even part of a book cover (which he chose not to use). Please visit Ned’s ABOUT PAGE to get a great idea of what he’s all about.

 

Ned’s first book –Humor at the Speed of Life is rated 5 Star Hilarious, and today Ned will be introducing his newly published book  here today- Pearls of Writing Wisdom and share a bit about the book and himself.

 

From the dangers of family forays in the kitchen (Flaming Pop Tarts), and the careful maneuvering of male-female relations (Women are From Venus, and Men Won’t Ask for Directions), to the dangers of working as an under-appreciated JURNALIST, Ned takes us through day-to-day misadventures we can all relate to.

Link to Humor at the Speed of Life:

http://www.portholebooks.com/products/humor-at-the-speed-of-life

 

ABOUT NED:

 

Ned is an award-winning syndicated humor columnist and editor-in-chief at Siuslaw News. He has been awarded “Best Local Column” from both the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. He is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and his weekly column appears in dozens of newspapers in the U.S. and Canada as a syndicated feature for News Media Corporation.

 

He was also a corporate chef for 10 years and has been a volunteer firefighter since 2011. Both are topics that have made their way into his columns, along with daily life experiences and important social issues, such as glow-in-the-dark mice and injuries caused by overheated pickles in fast food. His first book, Humor at the Speed of Life, was published by Port Hole Publishing and is a collection of his most popular columns during his 16 years as a columnist.

 

His latest book, Pearls of Writing Wisdom: From 16 Shucking Years as a Columnist (also from Port Hole Publishing), is a writer’s survival guide offering tips, insights and inspiration from his 16 years as a writer and columnist. It was written for writers and anyone pursuing their love of the written word — whether for publication or personal satisfaction.

 

Ned is a firm believer in the value of humor in daily life, and its role keeping perspective in an increasingly fast-paced and stressful world… especially during seasons of “Dancing With the Stars.”

 

 

 

Blurb:

 

If you are a writer, or fear you might be one, I wrote this book for you. It contains my pearls of writing wisdom: insights, tips and encouragement shucked from my 16 years as a newspaper columnist and writer. Think of this book as a conversation we’d have about writing if we were sharing a cold beer. We’d talk about technique, style, personal experience and hopes. We’d encourage each other and share a few laughs. We might even get a little rowdy and start using air quotation marks. In the end, we’d feel inspired about our love of writing. So pull up a stool, turn the page and let’s talk about writing… — Ned Hickson

 

Link to “Pearls of Writing Wisdom: From 16 shucking years as a columnist”

http://portholebooks.com/products/pearls-of-writing-wisdom-from-16-shucking-years-as-a-columnist

 

 

So without any further ado, here’sssssssssssss Ned!

 

Welcome Ned and congratulations on your newest book, Pearls of Writing Wisdom! Can you tell us a little bit about how this book came to be?

First, thanks for having me as your guest, Debby. And also for the bowl of bacon bits. You’re very thoughtful. And hopefully know how to administer CPR. The idea for “Pearls of Writing Wisdom” really started with a feature called “Ned’s Nickel’s Worth on Writing, which I had been running each Friday on my blog for almost two years. It was aimed at sharing tips, insights and ways of staying inspired as a writer — things I wish I’d known early on in my career. It was a popular series of posts that got me thinking about expanding into a book that writers could keep as a resource for ideas, perspective and inspiration when they need it, from someone whose been there — and still is. I wrote it as if it were a conversation between two writers while having a beer together. The goal was to make it fun to read while, at the same time, being the kind of book writers will nod their head while reading instead of nodding off.

 

How do you manage to have the time to write books, blogs, fight fires, be a family man, and be a ‘jurnalist’ full time?

It’s true that I’m busy. But I’m busy doing the things I love, which I think is the key to staying motivated and inspired. I also try very hard to make sure most of the things I do work together in my life. Writing books, blogging, being a journalist and a family man all dovetail together. Being a volunteer firefighter? That’s important to me because it’s something I’m passionate about and completely unrelated to everything else. It’s important to have something in your life that forces you out of your normal groove. Being tapped out at 3 a.m. for a house fire or someone lost in the woods reminds you to appreciate the groove you have — and that it can change quickly. Plus, our station has a really great dinner together once a month that almost always involves either beef or pork.

 

I’ve read some of your hilarious ‘handyman’ posts. Would you like to share one of your misadventures about your mission to repair something?

My stepfather was a terrific man who could build or fix anything and was never afraid to tackle a project. He instilled in me the belief that I could do the same. He was wrong, of course, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. For example, when I decided to increase the space in our bathroom, I discovered there are certain walls in your home that should not be removed because, as it turns out, portions of your home will collapse. In my own defense, these “bearing walls” aren’t marked as such and, as a general rule, look just like other walls in your home. In this instance, I found myself standing in the middle of the downstairs bathroom while surrounded by the upstairs closet. Everything eventually turned out alright, thanks to my family’s show of support by not hiring a professional. Such as a hit man.

 

Can you tell us about the time you were voted for sexiest number at Public Blogger? What do you think was your winning strategy? Was it bacon?

I have to say there were plenty of other bloggers who were much sexier than me. However, nothing is as sexy as bacon. I knew using bacon in the “Sexy Poem” portion of the competition would overcome things like age and having a stomach that’s closer to a pony keg than a six pack:

 

An Unhealthy Love

The taste of you

continues to linger

on my tongue

along the tip of every finger

 

Your pliant curves

against my lips

all at once

yet savoring you in bits

 

They say this hunger

and constant yearning

will lead to pain

and my heart burning

 

But I don’t care

if I’m forsaken

I love you

because you’re bacon

 

How do you handle rejection letters? (Although I find it hard to believe anyone could reject you.)

I have to credit my sixth-grade crush Sarah Getlost with teaching me how to handle rejection. I spent a lot of time trying to be who I thought she wanted — jock, brainiac, musician, future millionaire — until I realized acceptance for who you are is what matters most. It’s the same for being a writer.

Rejection is a necessary part of the process in finding your readership and those who appreciate you for who you are as a writer. The biggest mistake you can make is trying to be something you’re not because, even if you build a readership or get a publishing contract, you will never truly be happy. It took me a while to figure that out as writer. I spent several years early on jumping from genre to genre, changing my writing style, trying to copy the style of other writers… Ultimately, it’s your voice that defines you as a writer. And you can’t do that in a voice that isn’t your own. Once I understood that, I started seeing rejections as something guiding me to a readership as opposed to an obstacle keeping me from finding one. Incidentally, that same belief guided me to the amazing woman I’m lucky enough to call my wife. And she’s way hotter than Sarah Getlost…

 

When you were asking your readers to help vote for your new book cover, I know you got a lot of votes for you on the sand wearing ‘the red thong’. Do you think you may eventually use that photo for another book?

Hahaha! I’m saving that for the cover of my first horror novel…

 

Please share some of your ‘writing pearls of wisdom’ about some good tips you have for writers.

Every writer is different, but these three things are what I consider the most important aspect of successful writing:

A) Find your voice — This is easier said than done, but critical in avoiding getting lost in the “white noise” of the writing world. Despite the fact that all humans essentially possess the same speaking components — vocal cords, nasal passages, etc. — we recognize a voice in the crowd because each of us has something that makes our sound unique. A writer’s voice is the same way. We all use words and ideas, but it’s the way we put them together that defines our voice and makes it recognizable to readers.
B) Treat your writing as a way of life, not a hobby: If you take your writing seriously so will others. You have to make it a part of everyday life in the same way you do going to work, doing laundry, shopping, etc. Unless you incorporate writing into your routine — whether it be daily, weekly or even monthly — it will always be treated as an extracurricular activity instead of a serious pursuit. Especially if you start wearing a smoking jacket around the house.
C) Don’t write for publication; write for yourself: Chances are you started writing when you were young. You did it because it satisfied a need for self expression. Writers are writers because they can’t NOT be one. It’s important to remember that because it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing you are a “legitimate” writer unless you are published or get paid for it. Money doesn’t make you a writer — writing does. Focus on that and the rest will take care of itself. And no matter what happens, the end result will be something fulfilling that you can feel good about — the same reasons we started writing in the first place.

 

Are you currently working on any newfangled ideas for another book?

I have the final draft of a murder mystery called “No Safe Harbor” that I want to complete by this summer. It’s set in Seattle and I’m calling it a “Why Dunnit” because you know who did it within the first chapter. The question is why? The rest of the book pieces together the “why.” I posted the first chapter on my blog a while back and got some terrific feedback/critique that let me know I was heading in the right direction. I actually have a lousy sense of direction, so this was encouraging. My friend Eric Wilder, who did the cover for Pearls of Writing Wisdom, designed another terrific cover that I posted next to my computer for inspiration. It’s next to my wife’s picture, which is a whole other kind of inspiration…

Can you share a snippet of your new book with us?

I often get asked where I get ideas for my weekly syndicated humor column. Those who don’t ask have probably surmised it has something to do about living in Oregon, where marijuana is legal. Here’s a brief excerpt from my book, which I’d like to point out wasn’t printed on Zig-Zag rolling paper:

Excerpt –

“So how do I decide between good ideas and not-so-good ones? Before we get to that, I will explain why I don’t believe there are any “bad” ideas. At least when it comes to writing (Skateboarding down “suicide hill” wearing nothing but swim trunks and flip-flops when I was 10? Bad idea.)

When it comes to cultivating story ideas — good or “bad” — they’re all part of the filtration process. Think of “bad” ideas as corn mash; it isn’t what you’re after when making moonshine, but it’s a by-product of the fermentation process that leads to the end result. The trick is knowing when to dump it even though, like whisky, mash can still get you intoxicated.

On my desk is a folder I have cleverly labeled: Column Ideas.

This folder is my “corn mash.” That’s where everything goes to begin the fermentation process. Like a bootlegger, I sift through it regularly, dumping what is no longer usable (because of timeliness issues or spilled coffee, for example) and adding more in its place. On those occasions where I come into the office without an idea, I turn to this folder to see if anything is ready to begin the distillation process. Sometimes just a key phrase in something I saved will spark an idea. And even though it may not be directly related to the idea in the folder, again, it started with the corn mash. I should point out there are definitely things which, even though they are tucked into the folder, continue to pop into my head. For example, I received an email last week from…

God.

He apparently lives in San Mateo, Calif., and has a P.O. box.

These are the kinds of things you really have no choice but to write about. And not just because I might land the lead in “Ned Almighty.”

So whether you keep a notebook to jot down ideas, search the Internet, notice an interesting exchange in a restaurant while sipping coffee or inadvertently catch site of something suspicious at your neighbors’ house, once the binoculars are put away write it down and let it begin the fermentation process.

As a writer, you are already hardwired for observation. Whether it’s at the coffee shop, helping out at your child’s pre-school, at the local post office or from somewhere completely unexpected, your muse is always waiting.”

 

Find Ned:                    http://www.nedhickson.com
                                     His Amazon Author Page

Book Links:

Humor At The Speed Of Life

PEARLS OF WRITING WISDOM: From 16 Shucking Years as a Columnist

 

Debby, thank you so much for having me as your guest today. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to have the opportunity to share some things I hope will help other writers. When I speak at writers conferences there’s always a Q&A afterward. Since we can’t do that here, please feel free to email me at nedhickson@icloud.com with any questions. I’ll be happy to answer.    

Thanks again Debby, and to everyone for reading.

Oh, by the way — we’re out of bacon bits…

 

Thanks so much Ned for coming over here and sharing some of yourself with us. You know how much I enjoy reading your blog and I’m sure that there are many here who enjoy your sense of humor and will now leave my blog come to visit your blog for a dose of laughter.

 

Please feel free to leave comments and questions here for Ned. You can also email him at the address he’s provided. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Edition: – #GoFundMe Announcement – Please Share

It’s very rare that I ever ask anything for myself. But today I had no choice but to set up a Go Fund Me Campaign for my sister who is in some great need of help.

 

My family and friends are doing all they can, but life is stressful for many of us to keep our own lives afloat sometimes, so I’ve decided to call for help from the kindness of strangers. Below you will find the post I created for the campaign. I know many of us have our own financial difficulties and it may not be feasible to donate, but I’m hoping readers could please at least share this post around your social media. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read.

 

Please Share! Go Fund Me            Below is a copy of the Campaign

 

This is a story about a remarkable Warrior Woman, my sister Marni. My sister has been a single mom for 23 years who has struggled and overcome all of her life. She raised 3 small kids on her own after years of battling the courts to no avail for child-support from the ‘deadbeat dad’ whom she evicted because of his drug addiction.

Marni lived on social assistance and what support she could gather to raise her kids until through some generous aid, she got a job running a packaging company assembly line for many years, doing the work of 3 men, lifting boxes, driving crane operated vehicles, working in cold, damp freezers for years, which inevitably led to her rheumatoid arthritis in her back and hands, and consequently led to Baastrup Disease. But she continued on anyway, until the company did what so many companies do in Canada now, downsize, fire and hire half the age for half the wage. Her services were no longer required.

Marni continued to find odd labor jobs to keep the roof over her head and feed her children, which are still living at home because of their own jobs that don’t pay enough for them to live on their own in the city of Toronto where housing and cost of living has gotten out of control.

My sister is a go-getter and has done any menial job in construction, plowing and shoveling snow, to things you couldn’t imagine to help ends meet. With her broken down van, on its last ounces of steam, and winter approaching, being the only driver in her family has added concern.

A good Samaritan in the family has loaned her some funds to start her own business of car detailing, but with a new business, even with great growth potential, the bills and debts are piling up trying to keep her house and hang on to her little business.

My sister would give the shirt off her own back to help anyone. I had to fight her pride just to let her allow me to run this campaign. She’s not one who would ever ask for anything. She’s also a huge animal lover and dog rescuer. Right now her Newfoundlander dog, Harley is very ill too. She can barely feed him, so she isn’t able to take him to the vet or pay for his medication.

Marni has exhausted all of her friends and family for donations, so I am stepping up here to ask if people could please find it in their hearts to please give her a chance to pay off some debts to keep her home, and  her business running afloat. This is her only chance of building a future for herself and her children.

This warrior woman, my sister, is a giver to everyone. So I am asking if you could please support Marni through these difficult times. Please help her help her family and get her feet on the ground. If we could all give something, she may even be able to buy a used van to enable her to continue being the captain of her family.

Thank you. Please share!  

 

If you wish to donate, you can do so HERE 

#Writing #Memoir [Expert Interview] – The Blogger’s Lifestyle

I was recently interviewed by Kathleen Aherne of  The Blogger’s Lifestyle , talking about writing in memoir. Please come and visit the rest of this interview on Kathleen’s blog.

 

Writing Memoir [Expert Interview]
Writing Memoir Intriguing interview with D.G.Kaye, author of 5 books in the memoir genre. 

“Everyone is unique and has a story to tell.  Observing other people on the street, in the mall or on the beach, I often wonder what fascinating tale they carry, a story waiting to be written. Let’s look into writing memoir, a literary bloggers genre.

 

What is your story? Most of us have given thought to one day writing our memoirs or assisting a parent or grandparent to write their story. Therefore, I am excited to have a guest today who has just published her fifth book in the literary genre of Memoirs.”

 

Writing Memoir with author Debby Gies

 

“Debby Gies is an accomplished nonfiction memoir author, writing under the name of D.G. Kaye. She writes about life, matters of the heart and women’s issues. I have read her first book entitled Conflicted Hearts. Any good book will keep your interest; a great book feels like you are right there feeling what the characters are experiencing. Conflicted Hearts is such a book, and that is why I read it cover to cover in one day. The sequel to this book has just been published.”

 

“Debby lives in Toronto Canada with her husband.
She self-medicates with a daily dose of humor and is an optimist with a drive to succeed. She loves to cook, travel and play poker.
Her generous and warm personality is evident in her writing.  She writes about lessons from her very colorful and eventful life to empower and inspire others.”

~~~~~

Debby we are so honored to have you here to talk and share your knowledge with us.

 

Thank you, Kathleen, for taking interest in my work and inviting me here to your blog to talk about my writing and for the opportunity to offer some pointers about memoir writing.

 

Breaking Free

 

Debby, you were born in Toronto Canada, and describe your childhood as being emotionally neglected, leaving you with a severely deflated self-esteem.

You could have remained a prisoner of your past influences. However, it is evident that you have overcome and broken free from these invisible shackles.

Was there a trigger where you realized that you could break the mold and effect positive changes in your life? Is this what set you on the pathway of writing your memoirs?   CONTINUE READING THE INTERVIEW HERE

Source: Writing Memoir [Expert Interview] – The Blogger’s Lifestyle