S.K. Thomas's Blog, page 4

Love Yourself

Life is hectic. The pace of life is out of control and people are expected to keep up. More than ever people are at dis-ease: physically, emotionally and mentally.


As writers, we want to please and entertain through our writing. With all the distractions these days, it can be harder to keep the attention of others. Writers tend to get lost in their own space and pace. Then, we are thrown out into the world for deadlines, flying from place to place, book signings and appearances. When is there time to breathe, especially after the easy pace we've been accustomed to?


Love yourself first. Be patient with yourself. Find the peace and love within you. To know we are strong because we are familiar with our weaknesses. Beautiful because of our flaws. Fearless because we recognize illusions. Wise as we learn from our mistakes. When times get busy and you are overwhelmed, then slow it down as much as possible. Take a break and breathe. Mistakes happen, still be proud and love yourself.


There have been times in my own life when I was over confident and then something happened. I had to face an overwhelming situation. It's then you figure out how much you really love yourself as I wondered if I could overcome the obstacle. As fear stricken, it forced me to dig deep and believe in myself, better yet, love myself.


How much do you truly love yourself...






Simply post a comment to start a conversation.






SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog. Connect at https://lnkd.in/bYFM6-4 or http://www.skthomasauthor.com to learn more about her Pawned Queen Thriller/Mystery series.

Spotlight: Indie Dependency by Christina McMullen

This week the Spotlight is on Christina McMullen, a self proclaimed oddball and science fiction/fantasy author who would like to remind her future robot overlords that she remains loyal despite her latest tech mishaps.

So without further ado, I present:

A Cautionary Tale of Indie Dependency by Christina McMullen



Last week, my Nexus 7 tablet decided to make an early journey to electronic gadget heaven, which prompted me to have a week-long freak out session. This prompted most people around me to go from, “Wow, that sucks. I’m so sorry,” to “Okay, seriously, get over it. It was a tablet, not a pet. Go buy a new one.” And then there was that one friend who called it, first world problems. Which on one hand, is true. After all, did you know that your score on Bubble Shooter does not carry over to another device? Four hundred levels down the drain.

However on a more serious note, I’m an independent author. I didn’t just lose a toy. I lost a valuable tool that I’m finding difficult to replace. I had several uses for my tablet, from editing, to keeping my social media separate from my work computer, to backing up files, and even creating files that would be used for covers. I got lucky in that I didn’t lose anything that was truly irreplaceable, but it did slow down my productivity while I scrambled for a new plan.

And this got me thinking. We’re told countless times to back up, back up, and back up our work some more. This is truly great advice and as part of my paranoid nature, I’ve taken this to heart. While I lost everything I had backed up on my tablet, I still have everything on my computer, on my Google Drive, in emails to myself, on an external hard drive, and on my phone. While you don’t have to go quite as crazy as me, keeping backups is something that I can’t stress enough to indie authors. But there’s more to life than backing up our manuscript.

We are independent. We get to make our own decisions, publish books on our own terms, cut out the middleman, and bring our product directly under the noses of our public. Great, right? Sure! But there’s a flip side to this. We’re independent. When something breaks, we have to fix it or replace it. We don’t have an IT department. There’s no purchase order that we can put in for an upgrade if our computer is getting old. It’s all on us and when something goes all splody, we have to make the decision as to whether we are going to replace it or live without.

See, it’s not just about backing up. All the backing ups in the world couldn’t save my poor tablet. Actually, considering it was likely a faulty motherboard, nothing could have saved my tablet and I’m still wrestling with whether or not I want to replace it. But you can prepare for the inevitable. You’ve heard the cliché: Live each day as if it was your last. Yeah, I know. You probably roll your eyes every time Aunt Gertrude posts that to her Facebook and misattributes it to Marilyn Monroe, but there’s something to it. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating for YOLO or whatever the cool kids say today before they rob the corner liquor store and run naked through the town square. Rather, I’m going to amend that statement for us indies: Live each day as if your hard drive is about to explode.

Yes, it’s important to back up your manuscript, but let’s face it, there’s so much more to being an indie than writing books. Have you backed up your promotional flyers and photos? How about your cover files? Do you have any marketing obligations coming up and if so, how would you go about fulfilling them if you lost your phone/computer/etc? Me? I made a snap decision to buy a new tablet, hated it, took it back, bought a Kindle, cried about how it isn’t a tablet, cursed Google and Asus until I was hoarse and lost all of the karma I had previously built up with our future overlords, and eventually decided to accept that it wasn’t coming back from the dead. I didn’t have a plan, but you can bet your sweet bippy that I do now. Especially as I sit typing this on my five year old laptop that is getting awfully warm.

Thanks Christina, we can all sympathize with technology woes and hope this week, you have a better week.

To get more of Christina McMullen, check out Amazon and Goodreads for all of her highly entertaining books. And her newest release, You Wish, is also now available:


https://lnkd.in/b7jhnAt -Amazon link
https://lnkd.in/bfZ2pir -Goodreads link


Simply post a comment to start a conversation.






SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog. Connect at https://lnkd.in/bYFM6-4 or http://www.skthomasauthor.com to learn more about her Pawned Queen Thriller/Mystery series.

Email Lists: Supporters vs. Fans

All writers love their email lists. But is it really that essential for indie authors? I mean, before email lists there were mailing lists. Most writers didn't get a mailing list until after there was a need for it, meaning they had lots of fans. So where does that leave most indie authors? And who are these lists actually for?

The world is a rather peculiar place these days with everything at our fingertips and anyone can prepare in any way they want. No longer are such things left up to corporations, figure heads or an agent. These duties are left up to the common individual and you can take your aspirations as far as you want. Is it always successful? No. But most people look at it as a precursor to success and preparation is of utmost importance. This preparation can lead to many failures, but learning from these failures while not in the spotlight will get you ready and at least more prepared.

Email lists, I do believe, are worth discussion. Another way to relay information to fans and share new product as well as connect to people on a more personal level. After all, the fans are the reason for your success.

But how about when an indie author has more supporters than fans? Is it important to have an email list then?



Fans will buy your next product and sign up for that next book. These are the people who want to shell out the bucks, and will be around for events and book signings. The fans are in awe and really appreciate your talent.

Supporters are there for you on a weekly basis. They provide encouragement when you are down, inspiration when things get tough and mentoring as needed. Sometimes they pay, but really after all they've done for you...would you really want them to? If anything you owe them for exactly what they're there for, the support.

So indie authors who have an email list and not that many fans, but mainly supporters: Is it really necessary at this point in their career?


Sound off and let us hear what you think. Leave a comment below.





SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog. Connect @skthomasauthor or http://www.skthomasauthor.com to learn more about her Pawned Queen Thriller Series.

Spring Break

Spring Break is here, so I'm taking some time to enjoy it with family and friends (while catching up other work obligations).

In case you missed any fun and interesting articles, including many talented and worthy guest bloggers, you can also catch up from the beginning:
http://lnkd.in/b43Kbht





Great Quote of the Week:
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."



I look forward to March 31st, 2016 when I will be back and reconnect with everyone.




SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog. Connect @skthomasauthor or http://www.skthomasauthor.com to learn more about her Pawned Queen Thriller Series.

Spotlight: Guest Bloggers

The Spotlight this week is on many fabulous Guest Bloggers that have contributed their time and stories within massive growing social media waters. So kick back and click on all the links below to enjoy the wisdom these hardworking writers have shared.

The Dreamer: Richard Steinitz
https://lnkd.in/bswc3hH

Life is Too Short: KD Forsman
https://lnkd.in/bT49YuU

Indie Dependency: Christina McMullen
https://lnkd.in/bHcXs_i

What’s Next: Katherine Dell
https://lnkd.in/bZ2S9hA

Doubt is a Gift-Trust It: Harley King
https://lnkd.in/b5K9wDe


Thanks for your insight Guest Bloggers and keep contributing.


"With guest posting, you should absolutely try your hardest to write something where people demand you come back... -Quote from Tommy Walker




SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog. Connect @skthomasauthor or http://www.skthomasauthor.com to learn more about her mystery thriller series.

Compartmentalize Imagination

What's the best way to shut down when not writing? Does the storyline keep playing out in your head? Are the characters begging you to come back and finish their part in the story? Is this you?

Well, that's not exactly how it works for me. But sometimes I do have to compartmentalize.

Several blog articles ago, I talked about being forced to go to the dentist office and not just any dentist, but a surgical one. As I glanced around, I could imagine myself falling out of the dentist chair and crashing violently through the huge bay second story window. After moving down the hall, I also saw someone lying flat on what looked like an operating table with only their feet sticking out from under a blanket. I couldn't peek all the way into the room, but enough to tell the person was lying perfectly still. My first thought was, you don't make it out alive. In my mind, I could easily imagine a morgue, and oddly enough, it was the only room that didn't have a single window. The only thing missing was a toe tag! In this particular case, my imagination was running rampant with fear. I started rambling this off to my friend in an attempt to get rid of nervous energy when he stared me down until finally he commented, "What a fertile imagination, can't take you anywhere." There was some truth in what he said. As a writer, when can we shut it off?

Now, I'm working on my next book and it involves crashing elevators, faulty escalators and harrowing scenes. Every time I enter an elevator I think of all the possibilities and let my imagination take me where it will, because I'm writing about it. Even though we know the difference between fact and fiction, our brain has to relive those scenes again and again as we write and edit continually. Compound that with being tired or other stresses in life and I have to admit, at times, when the elevator jerks more than it should or takes extra long stalls before going to the next floor, it can bring on a few anxieties as my mind spirals to these worst case scenarios. How nice it would be to be a romance writer.



Compartmentalize, to divide and conquer. As a writer and author, most things bleed into writing. But to compartmentalize, we can shut down one aspect that might bring us stress and detach ourselves easily. Not to mention, we won't create unrealistic and utterly ridiculous fears. Unless you're a romance writer, who chooses to take work with them on an elevator or escalator. But even then, dodging security or getting a tidbit caught in one contraption or another can be quite harrowing in and of itself.

There is time for everything in life. There is a time to speak, a time to be silent, a time to laugh, and there is a time to write. Compartmentalizing our imagination allows for focus, so we can truly enjoy other moments in life just as meaningful.




Any comments or questions? Leave one below and let me know.




SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog.


Keep in touch with the blogger/author:
Website: http://www.skthomasauthor.com
Twitter: @skthomasauthor
Member of Goodreads, LinkedIn & Google+

Guest Spotlight: Game Changer by Aray S. Brown

The Guest Spotlight this week is on Aray Brown. She is an author and writer born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. Ever since Aray was little she always wanted to be a writer. At an early age, her short stories consisted of cartoon characters such as She-Ra and He-Man. Later on, she decided to delve into something more real and personal.

So without further ado, I present a poetic piece:
Game Changer by Aray S. Brown



He was my first love. Not my first obsession. Not my first infatuation. But my first LOVE. We've been through a lot in our situation-ship (friendship or whatever it was) and no matter how many times he has hurt me and irked me at the same damn time, I still love him. Couldn't fully hate him if I tried and believe me I have, but to no avail. He has his flaws as do I. NO ONE is perfect. I didn't know what that kind of love was until he entered my heart. He changed the game for me. He taught me how to love. Before him, I was experienced in infatuation and obsession.

When someone's your first, you don't forget that person or how he/she made you feel in that moment and they will always have a special place in your heart. I call them game changers...'cuz that's indeed what happens. NO ONE will come before them or be a replacement.

And what if someone turns toxic?

Putting all our time and energy into something that’s not beneficial. Into something that ain’t even influential in our lives. So many of us strive for better. We try so hard to live up to everyone else’s standards that we forget our own. Constantly settling for less instead of holding out for bigger and better things. Turning a blind eye to what’s truly best for us. Another dream shattered.

Today brings anew. A new day. A new dawn. New beginning. A beginning that gives birth to a new ending. New journey. New possibilities. New opportunities. Another lesson to be learned. Another story to be told. We keep telling ourselves that what we’re fighting for is worth it.

Whether it's a dream of writing, a special someone or any other dream to be had...we must always keep telling ourselves that what we’re fighting for is indeed worth it.




Find her book on Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Thicker-T...



~AND~

Aray's Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/araysbrown

~OR~

To see Aray's full poems and blog on her website, check it out here:
http://www.araysbrown.com/


Do you have any questions or comments for Aray? Leave a comment and let us know.




SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog.


Keep in touch with the blogger/author:
Website: http://www.skthomasauthor.com
Twitter: @skthomasauthor
Member of Goodreads, LinkedIn & Google+

Procrastination

As a writer, I hear all the time that we are procrastinators of the worst kind. We busy ourselves with anything other than writing. We take the dog for a walk, get something to eat or drink, watch productions other than our own, do household chores, lunch with friends and just about any excuse you can imagine.

I'd like to respond to all those people, "Everyone procrastinates!"

No matter what job you have or who you are, we all do it. The only difference is if someone is daydreaming at work, then they're doing it on someone else's dime.



Procrastination has such a bad connotation. And some writers talk about it as if a plague has stuck or how they are confounded by it. But why?

The best ideas come when procrastinating. For instance, when walking your dog and new inspiration hits you upside the head. Those times a friend tells a story that gives you a great lead. Or when you were sipping coffee as you stared out into the backyard and *BLAMO* a seed for another story came to light.

It's at these times our brains come up with the best stuff, when relaxed and open to let new and creative ideas flow in. We need times of procrastination as writers, authors or even just as creative individuals.

When anyone implies you are procrastinating, take a deep breath and simply say, Thank You. You'll know when it's time to leap into action.

Procrastination? Yes. I wait until I am ready to write because I will be older, therefore wiser.




Simply post a comment to start a conversation.




SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog.


Keep in touch with the blogger/author:
Website: http://www.skthomasauthor.com
Twitter: @skthomasauthor
Member of Goodreads, LinkedIn & Google+

This is Our Party

Recently, I've been working nonstop on my third book and thinking about...well, I've been thinking about writing as I write. Deep in thought noting that I should describe my scenes better. Scouring the ideas of a reviewer as they commented how a character seemed one-sided. I remembered a piece of advice regarding description. I've always taken such words with a grain of salt and with the knowledge they're just trying to help. I also know I want to grow and evolve as a writer, so I'm willing to pay attention.

It's good to have these little notes and tallies in my head as I begin the journey of my next book. But is there a point when it plagues a writer and one could possibly lose their unique writing style? If we had never received the advice, then how would we ever become better at our craft?

This reminds me of a time when I was in the 5th grade. My teacher would assign a writing assignment and I would just write a tediously boring story of whatever topic she picked. I would write to get it done. I would go along with whatever she wanted to get to recess and would write for a grade as I squeaked out enough on a page to get by. My exact thoughts were, "Hey, she's not paying me to write this. Why should I put my time and energy pouring over these words to make a perfect little story." Ironic, isn't it? Then a day later, we'd have the arduous task of getting up in front of the class and reading what we had written down on paper. Brutal. Not only did we have to walk up there while everyone stared at us, but we had to entertain a bunch of little people who squirmed in their seats anxious to get to recess or lunch, anywhere but being forced to sit still in a classroom. And then it happened.



My good friend and compadre, Noah, proudly made his way to the front of the class to tell his story. He was actually excited. I couldn't believe it and questioned why he was so happy. The truth was he was a fantastic writer and enjoyed these little tasks. He took the most mundane of assignments and spun his web until it was entertaining. He accepted the most boring topic our teacher could give us and conjured up some magic. Up at the front of the class, he read the most ridiculous turn of events his stories could take and had poured his imagination into. These masterpieces, he called writing, were funny. He was the most entertaining moment of our day. We laughed, was drawn in to his antics and enjoyed ourselves as his writings inspired us all.

Pretty soon, I was really enjoying these assignments and we competed to see who could write the most creative stuff, get the most laughs and above all, just plain have fun. The ones who followed his lead basked in the spotlight of being at the front of the class as we read our brilliant and silly pieces. And none of us had the faintest clue where it would lead some of us.

So, as we take our writing so seriously and evolve into who we shall become, we should take a step back and remember those times when feverishly writing our next creative piece and entertaining audiences was simple, fun and just got us through to recess.

This is our party. We can do what we want, we can say what we want and we can write what we want.




I want to hear your voice. Leave a comment.




SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog.


Keep in touch with the blogger/author:
Website: http://www.skthomasauthor.com
Twitter: @skthomasauthor
Member of Goodreads, LinkedIn & Google+

Guest Spotlight: I Am a God by Steve Harrison

The Guest Spotlight this week is on Steve Harrison. He wrote this fun article that I'm tickled to share with all of you.

Steve was born in Yorkshire, England, grew up in Lancashire, migrated to New Zealand and eventually settled in Sydney, Australia, where he lives with his wife and daughter. As Steve juggled careers in shipping, insurance, online gardening and the postal service, he wrote short stories, sports articles and a long running newspaper humour column called HARRISCOPE: a mix of ancient wisdom and modern nonsense.

So without further ado, I present:
I Am a God by Steve Harrison



I create and destroy worlds. I make people bend to my will and if they won’t, I make them disappear or retrospectively ensure they never existed. I can make people suffer and die in agony or experience extreme happiness. I can bend the universe to my will and there is nothing anyone or anything can do to stop me. I control everything. I am all powerful.

On reflection, that may sounds a little bit conceited, so I’ll start again.

I am a writer.

I create and destroy worlds. I make people bend to my will and if they won’t, I make them disappear or retrospectively ensure they never existed. I can make people suffer and die in agony or experience extreme happiness. I can bend the universe to my will and there is nothing anyone or anything can do to stop me. I control everything. I am all powerful.

Much better. No wonder writing appeals to people.

Of course, that’s all bullshit. I am no more in control of my writing than I am of most other things in my life. The character I am about to subject to a gruesome death will do something nice and make me reconsider, or sweet-talk me into building his role. The planet I am about to destroy will surrender and ruin my epic interstellar war sequence. I’ll feel sorry for the woman I created who never finds happiness and make her happy. My hero will do something awful and become the villain. My brilliant plot will go off in another direction and defy every effort to bring it back on track. My characters will laugh in my face when I order them to do something and then do something completely different, presumably out of spite.

The truth is, I’m powerless. All my plans are reduced to ruins, my plots shredded, my genres twisted and my characters always seem to undergo personality changes as soon as I commit them to the page. Nothing ever develops the way I intend.

It all sounds very frustrating and probably makes you wonder why I subject myself to such suffering.

But the thing is, this process is wonderful and comforting. It means something – a creative spark, my Writing Entity, perhaps – is looking after me, saying, in effect, “This is crap!. Let’s do it this way!” I will resist sometimes, but invariably, the Writing Entity will gets its way and literally have the last word.

Despite our constant disagreements, I like and believe in my Writing Entity. It constantly surprises me with plot twists and character developments I could never have come up with myself. On many occasions I will watch my hands skim across the keyboard in slow motion (my usual writing speed) then look up to the screen and be completely surprised and delighted by the words on the page. Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes I think they didn’t come from me.

And so, alas, it appears I am not a God at all. Maybe I’m not even a writer. Perhaps I’m merely a typist happily taking dictation…


And guess what...you can get more of Steve here:
https://stormingtime.wordpress.com/

~AND~

find his book on Amazon here:
https://lnkd.in/bsYTMtb






What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know.




SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog.


Keep in touch with the blogger/author:
Website: http://www.skthomasauthor.com
Twitter: @skthomasauthor
Member of Goodreads, LinkedIn & Google+