M.J. Compton's Blog, page 32

Female Quest Stories

Many years ago, when I first got on the Internet and was hanging out on AOL, a discussion came up about quest stories for children where the searcher was a girl. We came up with two: The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass. Since that time, I’ve come up with another:  A Wrinkle in […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Respect Me/Respect You

Respect seems a rare commodity these days. In many ways, our interactions with others often seem to smack of who’s in control rather than honoring each other for what we are. Here are a few ways we can bring respect back to our everyday interactions: Listen attentively to the person speaking to you. Keep the […]

When Writing Comes Together

I’m in the throes of starting a new book. The working title is Night Shift. I’m learning about the characters, both of whom have been in previous books–the hero in three, the heroine in one.  The hero was a minor a character in the first two books. He played a larger role in the third […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Self-Respect

When I become interested in an author, I will read all I can about that person. Many years ago, someone recommended A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf to me. I read it. I liked it. I bought several of her books. Didn’t care for her fiction. I took out volumes of her letters from […]

Go Bags

Go Bags are bags one has on the ready to grab and go. They contain items specific to  the event. I have several. Here is my RWA Chapter bag (it contains things like my handout binder and my name badge) and my generic writing go bag (contains a box of tissue, headphones, surge protector, water […]

#UpbeatAuthors: The Golden Rule

Growing up, I always heard: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” That was the Golden Rule. I always had a problem with this, because I would love to have someone give me a million dollars, but I don’t have a million dollars to give away. I know. That’s a materialistic interpretation […]

Two Seemingly Unrelated Memories

I don’t pretend to know everything. Heck, I don’t even know most things. But I do have an awareness of the world on a certain level. There was one year, though, that I began to wonder about that. It began in the summer. Swatches were new and “the thing.” I made a comment about them, […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Optimism & Happiness

“Positive thinking gives us the power to achieve our goals.” I am a firm believer in goals. I also believe in optimism. Optimism is considered to be a key ingredient to happiness, well-being, and satisfaction. Happier people have been found to be much more successful and leading more fulfilling lives. Happiness doesn’t mean wild elation. Wild […]

Movie Review: Please Stand By

I saw a trailer for Please Stand By in early spring. My local library system had a copy, so I reserved it. A couple of months passed, but I love having my tax dollars work for me. We recently watched the film. Premise: a young woman who writes Star Trek fanfic wants to enter her […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Boost Your Optimism Quotient

Sometimes it feels as though the world conspires to keep us down. But remember: the only thing over which we have total control is our attitude. Here are a few tips to bolster optimism: Revisit long-term dreams: You dream of being a New York Times best-seller? Imagine yourself on that list. How would being on […]