Mishka Jenkins's Blog, page 11
August 22, 2014
When not writing is not your fault…
Some days you go to start you writing.
You have a cup of tea or coffee.
You have a snack.
You have all your research.
You have your notes.
You have your plan.
You are ready to get going!
You come to settle into your seat and BAM!
No writing for you today :D
Though, even with Harli saying ‘no’ to writing some days and I have to untangle my stuff from beneath her, I have gotten a lot written and am coming along really well on my next book!
How is your writing coming along? Are there ever things that stop you from writing?
**It’s a bank holiday in the UK on Monday, meaning there won’t be a post on Monday, though I do have some scheduled for the weekend. But I won’t be around until Tuesday next week to reply :) Have an awesome weekend everyone!**
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Progress Report:
Status of fifth manuscript: Writing first draft.
Word count: 6054 (Total word count: 36793)
Books read: 4/4
End of August Indie Review: Written and ready.
August 21, 2014
Conflict drives your story
Some great points about type of conflict within a story. Points I will have to remember! :)
Originally posted on Into Another World:
Every story needs some form of conflict. Without conflict there would be nothing to drive the characters and plot forward. It is the character overcoming obstacles that supply the drama, the suspense, the tension in the story.
There are five types of conflict.
Character struggles against another character
This type of conflict, also referred to as man vs. man, is the most obvious form of conflict. This is when a character struggles against another character in the story. This type of conflict can come in the form of arguments, conflicting desires, or opposing goals. The classic “good guy” vs. “bad guy” scenario is an excellent example of this type of conflict.
Character struggles internally
Sometimes you don’t need an outside force to provide the drama and tension in your story. You character can struggle internally with their choices. This is also known as man vs. self. This is where your…
View original 367 more words
August 20, 2014
Books and Reading Wednesday- Some questions!
For my reading and book blog post today, I thought I would have a bit of fun.
I found these ‘Reading Fun Quick Five’ questions on Rake and Rascals some time ago, and thought they’d be fun to answer and maybe you guys could have fun answering them as well?
READING FUN QUICK FIVE
All you have to do is answer the following questions:
1. Which novel are you currently reading and who is the author?
If You’re Not The One by Jemma Forte
2. What is the opening line of the book?
‘Jennifer Wright slammed the door and ran down the road as fast as her ill-fitting footwear would allow her to, tears blurring her vision.’
3. What are the hero and heroine’s names? (on the remote chance you’re not reading a romance, give the name of the main character).
The heroine is called Jennifer Wright, but it’s rather complicated to see who the hero is as (at the moment) there are two guys introduced- Max, her husband and Aidan, a fling from the past.
4. What is the first sentence of the second paragraph of Chapter 9?
I haven’t gotten that far yet and I don’t want to spoil it! :D
5. What’s next on your TBR pile?
Destiny of Kings by Fiona Tarr
This was fun and I might make it a regular monthly thing, it would be nice to keep updated on what I’m reading and, if you guys answer, what you’re reading! :D
How would answer these questions?
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Progress Report:
Status of fifth manuscript: Writing first draft.
Word count: 2230 (Total word count: 30739)
Books read: 4/4
End of August Indie Review: Written and ready.
August 19, 2014
Romance Weekly Blog Hop #lovewritechat
If you’re joining me from Susan Peterson Wisnewski, author of Chasing the Rainbow, then welcome!
Something a little different for the Romance Weekly Hop this week.
We were tasked with writing a piece of flash fiction in the word count range of 100-150 that included the words: Candle, scarf, and chocolate.
Now, seeing as this is my first ever attempt at flash fiction and I couldn’t think of a story that could be resolved in that word count, I decided to write a bit of a random scene instead (coming in at 151 words, annoyingly)! Hope you enjoy :)
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“You’re going to have to come out of there,” he teased, a smile flickering at the corner of his lips.
“No,” she said, her words a muffled mess through the thick scarf wrapped around her neck and half of her face like an Egyptian mummy. She continued to warm her chilled fingers over the lit candle that stood in the middle of their table, the view of the lake spread out around them, beautiful but cold.
“Fine.” He shrugged and plopped one of the rich truffles into his mouth, moaning as he bit into it.
She pouted behind the scarf, blinking as a snowflake fell on the tip of her nose. “Alright!” she said, and yanked the scarf down past her mouth.
He smiled, and plopped a chocolate between her open lips. She jerked the scarf back into place and sighed at the velvet sweetness that burst from the truffle.
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Now why not check out what Victoria Barbour wrote in response to this flash fiction challenge? :)
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Progress Report:
Status of Fifth Manuscript: Writing first draft.
Word count: 3739 (Total word count: 28509)
Books read: 4/4! :D
End of August Indie Review: Written and ready.
August 18, 2014
Rekindling my Love for Love!
My next book is going to be packed full of romance.
Why?
Because I want it to be :D
I love romance, hence why I write it, but my last couple of books have had heavy stories to go along with romance. And I’d say they were romance of a different kind- a passionate, heavy romance.
This time I want something light and romantic.
So, I wanted to write a book where romance was going to be the main theme of the story. But, it’s also going to be a contemporary piece and I haven’t written a chick-lit type book before. So I needed to get into the mood for writing it.
I scoured the kindle store for books in that genre, but also I watched a lot of romance movies.
I have to say, they really did help me get in the right frame of mind :D As I said in my Romance Weekly post last week, I am very inspired by the visual.
I watched Austenland, which was just beyond awesome!
Then I had an overload on Jane Austen, watching Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Next up was While You were Sleeping and Penelope.
I have to admit, I was a bit de-motivated when I started writing my book, as I enjoyed writing in the fantasy genre so much. But watching these movies and reading that type of story reminded me exactly why I planned this book next.
Because I love every moment of those fun romantic movies! Every stolen glance, every damsel-in-distress moment, and every inevitable kiss in the rain! :D
My next book is going to be a light, fun read where the romance genre in movies and books is heavily involved in the storyline, so watching and reading this type of genre has been perfect for getting me in the right frame of mind.
Let’s call it research! Very necessary research.
I always forget just how much the right mind-set can help to give me motivation to keep writing!
If you’re finding yourself a bit stuck in your story or not motivated, pick up a book in the same genre or watch a movie and remind yourself why you chose that genre. Reigniting your love of that type of story can be an amazing way exciting your creativity to keep writing!
Do you sometimes have to re-find your love of a genre? Do you always read within a specific genre? Are there any books or movies that instantly get you in the mood for writing?
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Progress Report:
Status of Fifth Manuscript: Writing first draft.
Word count: 2395 (Total word count: 24770)
Books read: 3/4
End of August indie book review: Written and ready.
August 17, 2014
Posts to Check Out
Inspired by Taylor Grace’s, ‘Posts I liked this week’ series, I have decided to do a similar thing on a Sunday :D
http://corrieadamswrites.wordpress.com/2014/08/11/i-am-irritated-by-my-own-writing/ - A quote that really just described the writing process really well!
http://rachelcarrera.wordpress.com/2014/08/11/dinner-and-a-show/ – A bit of fun from Rachel!
http://shehannemoore.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/in-which-i-sign-with-soul-mate-publishing/ – Huge congrats to Shehanne! :D
http://winterbayne.com/ – Winter got a new domain name :)
http://faithsimone.com/2014/08/12/bucket-list-writer-style/ – A brilliant idea, one I will have to try out.
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/08/5-tips-for-a-do-it-yourself-retreat/ – Some things to try out instead of an expensive retreat.
http://thescribesapprentice.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/word-porn-science-that-sounds-like-poetry/ – Always fun to expand your vocabulary.
http://topazwinters.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/what-inspires-you/ – A common question well-answered by Topaz!
http://callummclaughlin.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/look-on-the-bright-side/ - A very uplifting post
http://elainejeremiah.co.uk/2014/08/15/reunion-of-the-heart-is-now-live-on-amazon/ – Reunion of the Heart by Elaine Jeremiah is released now!
http://helenafairfax.com/2014/08/15/marie-antoinettes-last-letter/ A really interesting post, always nice to learn something new, especially about such a famous figure in history.
http://melaniealroy.com/2014/08/15/pick-up-your-pen-and-write/- I need to think like this some days!
Hope there are some new posts and bloggers for you to check out in this list :) If you have any recommendations of posts you enjoyed this week, why not share them in the comments?
This is a scheduled post as I am away on weekends, and I will be unable to reply to comments or emails until Monday. Have a brilliant weekend! :D
August 15, 2014
First Kiss – Prophecy of Stones
I thought I might try something a little different this week for my marketing post! :D
So here is a short piece I wrote about Milana and Riff’s first kiss.
Milana and Riff are characters from my newest book, Prophecy of Stones.
It’s not an excerpt, but a kind of backstory piece I wrote in under fifteen minutes for a writing exercise. I hope you enjoy it!
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“Are we there yet?” Milana asked, waving her hands about before her, unable to see through the thick material of the blindfold tied around her eyes.
“Almost,” Riff replied. She relaxed when his fingers curled around hers, helping to lead her onwards over the rough, rocky terrain that pressed even through the soles of her heavy boots.
“We’ve climbed a mountain-”
“It was little more than a hill,” Riff interrupted.
“It felt like a mountain.” Milana steadied herself as the path became smoother. “And now you have to blindfold me?”
“It’s a surprise.” Riff continued to lead her forwards and, even through the blindfold, she could tell that wherever they’d just entered was bright.
The light pierced through the dark material and she frowned at the sudden change. The howling wind had stopped, only silence and the echo of dripping water surrounding them like the chimes of a musical instrument.
When Riff’s fingers fell from hers, she tensed, but then the knot of the blindfold was untied, the smooth material falling against her cheeks as it was pulled away. Milana blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the intense brightness that battered against her. When her vision cleared, she let out a long breath, unable to form her amazement in words.
“Do you like your surprise?” Riff asked, his arm wrapping around her waist.
Milana nodded, staring around the cavern, her eyes wide and her breath stolen by the magnificence. Though she’d heard of the glow stones caves, she’d never actually seen one, they were far too protected to get anywhere near without guards shoving a weapon of some kind towards her and sending her back the way she came.
“This is…” Milana stepped further in the cave, the clear sparkling light bathing her in a white glow. “Incredible.”
“I thought you would like it.”
Milana shivered when Riff brushed a strand of hair away from her face, her attention no longer captured by the glow stones, but the man beside her. “You know me well.”
“I hope so,” he said with a gentle smile forming on his lips.
Milana raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. “And you thought bringing me here might just help you to get to know me even better?”
Riff stuttered on his reply, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.
“Don’t worry, Riff,” Milana said with a soft laugh, saving him from the blush that was rising to his cheeks. “It worked.” She gripped the collar of his shirt and yanked him close to her. Curling her fingers around his neck she had to tip toe to press her lips against his. His lips were soft and warm as they moved against hers in a rhythm that seemed designed only for them, his arm curling around her to press her closer and deepen the kiss.
For years she’d wished to kiss him and the experience did not disappoint.
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Prophecy of Stones
The bond of love can conquer all, but only if it is accepted.
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Prophecy states that three champions imbued with the best virtues of the mortal race: heart, strength and soul, will be the ones to save them all from an enemy which threatens to steal the life from their world and those who live upon it.
These three, along with their scribe, his bond mate, and an overly sarcastic oracle, must set off on a journey which will take them through forest, city, swamp and mountain. On this quest they activate the magical stones which charge the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Tildar and his cult of Dwell.
Yet the closer they draw to journey’s end, the more it seems that it is not the evil which will be their downfall, but the fear of a champion unwilling to accept the bond of their destiny.
Prophecy of Stones is a tale of adventure, love and magic.
To Buy:
This is a scheduled post as I am away on the weekends and won’t be able to reply to comments or emails until Monday. Have a great weekend! :)
Where oh where to write?
I wrote a post quite some time back about the space where I write (in my living room, on my sofa, usually next to my dog!).
But as I’ve focused more on turning my writing into a serious career, it’s becoming more and more obvious that I am going to need a space of my own to write.
I am one of those people who can’t write unless it’s quiet, and you can certainly tell the difference in the quality of my writing between when it’s quiet and when it’s noisy :D
Yet, the more I’ve been thinking about it, the more I realise how many considerations need to be thought of!
It may sound silly, but I like to have my dog with me when I write, hence why I write in the living room. And, although I am lucky enough to have a large bedroom that I could turn half of into an office space, I don’t want to confine my dog to my room all day, not when she likes to wander in and out of the garden. So, for now, my room’s not an option.
We don’t, unfortunately, have any spare rooms either.
The living room is surprisingly noisy, even when there aren’t many people around.
It has been suggested a construction at the bottom of the garden might work, which is tempting. I have seen a few other writers’ blog about their writing space which is contained to a summer house-type building in their garden. It would also mean I could have my dog with me.
But looking at these constructions and mainly their price tag, it was a little bit of a shocker :D
So, I guess for now I will have to stick to the living room. But I am putting some questions out to the blogging/writing community in hope you might be able to help:
What do you do to find the space you need to write?
Do you have any tips on creating a writing space in less than ideal circumstances?
What is your writing space like?
I have some posts scheduled over the weekend but won’t be back until Monday to answer comments and email :) I’m also still having some difficulty with my computer, so please bear with me!
Have a great weekend!
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Progress Report:
Status of fifth manuscript: Writing first draft.
Word count: 6618 (Total word count: 22375)
Books read: 3/4
End of August indie book review: Written and ready.
August 14, 2014
Fuel for Motivation
Something to think of. It’s always interesting to find out more about how individual the writing process sis to everyone :)
Originally posted on Katharine Marie:
In the writing world one often hears about quirks and habits that others have in order to get as much work done as possible. Some people can only work with instrumental music, some have to have complete silence. One person must have a certain type of tea or wine while the other one needs a bowl of Skittles beside their special laptop.
It is very interesting to me to read about these differences between writers. Actually, its not just writers at all, but nearly all types of artists who have these habits and must-haves.
This article over at The Sprint Shack got me thinking about why we have these habits. Does it actually have something to do with the creative processes, or is it just a mental block thing that we could get over if we really wanted to?
For myself when I write, I spend very little time getting…
View original 176 more words
August 13, 2014
Books and Reading Wednesday- Mid-August Review
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Blurb:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.
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I picked up this book because I had seen it reviewed and praised on quite a few book blogs, and it eventually pushed me into buying it.
The opening instantly seduced me into this world of magic and mysticism. As I was reading, I was lost in the book and the incredible dream-like state it evoked. The author’s way with words are almost poetic and really created a smooth feel to the story.
The story began straight away, which I was pleased with, but I have to say the story did drag after that. There were parts that seemed unnecessary filler. Beautifully written filler, but filler nonetheless. I’m not a great fan of books where a lot of it is just fluff, rather than moving the plot along.
But when the plot did move along, I thought it was a brilliantly crafted piece of story-telling that I could completely lose myself in and forget about the things around me.
The descriptions were practically edible they were so good! And I strongly suggest having some kind of yummy food next to you for the dinner scenes, because the way the author describes those moments I could taste the desserts! But again, a lot of the writing was bulked out with beautiful description rather than pressing forwards with action and plot.
The story jumps back and forth between different years and months, which I found a bit awkward to keep up with at first. But, as I got to know the characters and read about the events of the story, I could keep up well and remember easily what had happened and what was to come.
I loved all of the characters, especially Bailey, Poppet and Widget. Each character was unique and distinct, and I found myself connecting to each one in different way.
The love story throughout was beautiful, but again, it took some time to get into. It was worth reading through to get to the end of it though.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Night Circus and am very glad I read it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a story they can get lost in, who wants to find a magical world of awe-inspiring descriptions and intriguing characters.
But, be warned, it is a long story where a lot of it is just well crafted fluff with stunning descriptions. That is worth reading too though, just for writer’s talent at crafting words.
Make sure you’re in for a slow-burning read.
Links:
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Progress Report:
Status of fifth manuscript: Writing first draft.
Daily word count: 2573 (Total word count: 15757)
Books read: 3/4
End of August Indie Review: Written and ready.
