P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 316

Getting to the Heart of Character Development

PHS:

Interesting insights about character development from Autumn Birt.

Originally posted on Guild Of Dreams:

– by Autumn Birt

Every story needs a unique idea (or at least a new spin on a classic!), but good character development can keep a reader going despite plot flaws far longer than a brilliant plot with flat characters. At least for me. And if you go by the comments and complaints out there, for most people as well. We write in a era of character driven novels.

The typical problems are stories with great ideas and cardboard characters. There are so many levels of poor character development: no interaction with other characters, speeches that are information dumps, no nuanced emotions. What is your pet peeve? Mine – have you ever begun a story where it felt like the character showed up the same time you did? A character who knows as much about the fantasy world as you on page one, but they supposedly grew up there?! Those…

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Of Butterflies, Spices and Fresh Air

Over the weekend I finished the rough draft of a short story. Then, I took Sunday off from writing. This morning my creativity started percolating.

I’ve had another short story in very rough draft for about ten months. With a major book revision and several other short story ideas I just haven’t had time to edit this story. But this morning, I had fresh ideas for this story. Elements of the project that needed fleshing out suddenly gained clarity.

After sitting down with the story, importing it into Scrivener and making notes about it I realized something: I was charged about taking on this project. Many other writers suggest writing a story and letting it lie for a while before editing. The reason for this hiatus is that it allows your mind to look at the content from different perspectives.

While I think that this was definitely the case with this particular short story, I also believe there is another reason the story came alive for me again. With a draft completed my mind had space to creatively play with the story. Perhaps it’s something like a butterfly escaping its cocoon but I also think it’s the need for variety.

It occurred to me that completing a project allows creativity to flow. The mind craves something different – a varied “spice” – and it starts working through all the ideas that are backlogged. So it’s a very good reason to complete a project. It breathes fresh air over stale ideas. It allows creativity to stretch.

With several short fiction projects in my backlog of ideas, I suddenly have momentum for them. With momentum, comes more enthusiasm and motivation. With some luck, I’ll complete editing this different story soon and move onto another, new idea (I’m alternating writing and editing short stories right now). I hope with increasing momentum, I’ll move onto the second and third books in short order to complete those drafts as well as actually release my first full-length novel this year.

One of my major goals for the year is publication. I want to submit at least six short stories to fiction markets and publish my first novel. Perhaps I’ll have time to get to my second novel published late in the year. It’s a lofty goal, but these butterfly ideas certainly push me onward. The short fiction I can take in smaller chunks which help push the larger goals toward completion.

Are you reaching for your goals with small chunks? What butterflies are emerging for you this year? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Fantasy, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Rave Review Book Club, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, creativity, Facebook, Goals, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing

The Ugly Truth About Book Sales

PHS:

A very informative warning about book promotion and sales.

Originally posted on Leona's Blog of Shadows:

Today I am going to share some eye-opening truths, which might shatter the illusions regarding the book publishing business and crush the dreams of some folk out there. I have recently come across a rather interesting blog post link in the comments section under a post at Suffolk Scribblings blog.

It was a rather grim post by author Kameron Hurley. For those who are not familiar with her, she is an established author who has been a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Locus Award and the BSFA Award for Best Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in prestigious SFF magazines such as Lightspeed, EscapePod, and Strange Horizons. Her fiction has been translated into Romanian, Swedish, Spanish, and Russian. She is also a graduate of Clarion West. Impressive credentials many of us dream about accomplishing some day, if ever.

According to her…

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Scrivener Tips Pt. 1

I’ve recently written about Scrivener templates and different types of content that could be developed using this software. In fact, I’m using it as I write this blog. But for new users, finding information and tracking projects can be confusing. Here’s a short post with a tip to help other new users track their content.

Where Is Everything?

Learning robust software like Scrivener can appear daunting when you first start using it. You jump right in and start creating folders and text containers. The binder isn’t too hard to master and writing is writing.

But how much did you write? How do you set goals and track them? Fortunately, there are tools available in Scrivener that meet these needs.

Words written appear in the bottom bar of Scrivener. This count and amount cover just the container in which you are writing. That’s simple enough. But what if you need more specifics?

The Projects Menu – Project Targets

The answer is the built into Scrivener. Click the Projects menu and then choose Project Targets.

Want to set and track goals? Use these Project settings.

You’ll note that I’ve set this goal to 500 hundreds and my session target to 500 hundred words. If I were writing more later in this same container (for example, if this were a long scene in a book/chapter), I would have another session goal later. By checking my current session I know if I’ve reached my daily goal if that’s important. So that’s an easy way to know how much I’ve done already and what my goal is.

The Projects Menu – Project Stats

But what about seeing more about my project statistics? On the Projects menu select Project Statistics and this is what’s displayed:

You’ll see what the whole project statistics in words and pages. In my example what is showing is my whole Blog 2015 project which is quite new. But if this were a book that total would be more meaningful. For my current purposes I would be concerned with the second displayed section – Selection. This indicates how many words I have in my current blog. At this point, it’s actually several hundred more words than this screenshot but you get the point.

Want to change some of what is displayed? Click the Options tab:

The Projects Menu – Text Statistics

Need more information about what you’re writing? Just click the Projects menu again and choose Text Statistics. Click the arrow beside Word Frequency. This displays information about the your word usage which is very handy to see how often you are repeating words.

So there are a few tips on viewing and managing your goals and content. Want to read more of my Scrivener-related posts. Check some of my recent posts or click the Scrivener category near the end of this page. And yes, I did meet – and surpassed – my set goal for this post!

Got any Scrivener tips of your own to share? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Scrivener screenshots from my 2015 blog project.

Cover art for The Black Bag licensed from iStockPhoto.

Filed under: Blogging, Creativity, Fantasy, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, Indie Publishing, Launch, P. H. Solomon, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing

Keeping Your Creativity Flowing

I use several tools to assist me with writing. Scrivener is my “Swiss Army Knife” for developing all of my content and keeping me organized. Social media keeps me in contact with the world. My website presents my content.

But one tactic I use to keep me moving along is my journal. Here are 3 ways journaling improves my writing.

1. It stimulates ideas: the mere action of writing in my journal gets my mind working in such a way that I begin to sprout ideas. These cover blogging as well as fiction. Oftentimes, I realize that what I’m journaling about holds the kernel of a blog topic or an aspect of fiction that are begging to be written. Sometimes I’ve gotten multiple blog and fiction ideas during one day covering several journal entries.

2. My journal builds consistency: I’ve found that the more often I journal the more often I write. On the other hand, the less I journal the less consistent I am with writing. It takes time away from writing other content but the trade-off comes in the form of the benefits. The activity serves to prime my mind for other content and by writing often in any form it becomes easier to write both fiction and blog content.

3. Keeping a journal also keeps me fresh: I find that “blocks” tend to be resolved by writing in the journal. If I encounter a problem with what I’m writing then I can explore the issue and come up with an answer. If I’m bothered by something else, I can write it out and get the issue(s) off my mind – possibly even develop uses for them in fiction. If I need to figure out why I’m not getting enough done I can examine my goals, priorities and schedule and often arrive at a way to alleviate those problems.

Journaling serves as a mutli-faceted method of exercising my writing muscles. It’s like one of those all-in-one exercise machines. It certainly keeps my creativity flowing un-checked.

Do you journal? Are there other methods you use to write consistently? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Clip art licensed from Microsoft Office.

Waterfall photo courtesy MorgueFile (free photos)

Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Indie Publishing, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, P. H. Solomon, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing

Blog Tour – Liz Gavin

How my Alpha Readers saved Luck of the Irish –

When I was writing Luck of Irish, I got my first serious case of author’s block. For weeks, I’d sit down in front of my computer with my head full of ideas and none would come out and into the Word file. I was on the verge of giving up when I came across an article on Alpha Readers. I had never heard of them so I devoured the article.

As it turns out, Alpha Readers are people who read your draft, while you’re still writing your book, and give you feedback on it. There many different ways to go about it, I was pretty satisfied with my first experience so I’ll tell you briefly what I did:

I had already established a sizable mailing list, thanks to my short-stories and my first novel, so I first reached out to these people for help. I sent out an invitation to the whole list and got some replies. I also posted on Facebook, Twitter and my blog saying I was looking for Alpha Readers and got a few others. I sent the candidates a few guidelines explaining what I needed from them. Basically, I sent them individual chapters of the book. They read it and sent me an email back with their general reactions and opinion about the chapter. They knew the text was still a draft when they received it so they weren’t expected to proofread it. Also, they were aware it was an ongoing project. Now, it may seem easy but it’s not and that’s why these Alpha Readers have my eternal gratitude.

They not only allowed me to see my characters and the story through totally different eyes, but they suggested some things I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise as well as pointed out weak spots in the plot that I hadn’t noticed they were there.

At some point, I had a group of fifteen people who volunteered for this task. Twelve stuck with me until the end. I considered myself blessed to have had a dozen people following my story all the way through because I know we all lead busy lives. Nevertheless, these awesome ladies found the time, through pregnancies, sickness in their families, college classes, work schedules and many other ‘little’ things to sit down, read a chapter of my story, and write me an email with their thoughts and reactions to it. And their commitment and hard work has made all the difference. 

Author Bio: When Liz Gavin was in Second Grade – just a couple of years ago, really – her teacher told her mother the little girl should start a diary because she needed an outlet for her active and vivid imagination. She was a talkative child who would disrupt the class by engaging her colleagues in endless conversations. She loved telling them the stories her grandfather used to tell her.

Apparently, the teacher wasn’t a big fan of those stories, and Liz’s mother bought her a diary. She happily wrote on it for a couple of months. Unable to see the appeal of writing for her own enjoyment only, she gave up on it. She missed the audience her friends provided her in class. She went back to disturbing her dear teacher’s class.

Since then, she has become a hungry reader. She will read anything and everything she can get her hands on – from the classics to erotica. That’s how she has become a writer of erotica and romance, as well.

As a young adult, she participated in a student exchange program and lived in New Orleans for six months. She fell in love with the city and its wonderful inhabitants. NOLA will always hold a special spot in Liz Gavin’s heart. Nowadays, living in Brazil, Liz’s creativity has improved many times because it’s such a vibrant, gorgeous and sexy country.

Welcome to her world of hot Alpha males and naughty, independent women. Add a touch of the paranormal in the presence of some wicked souls and you’ll get the picture.

Book & Contact Links:

Book link on Amazon = http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MS48JO0
My blog = elessarpublishing.blogspot.com
Twitter handle =  @LizGavin_author
Facebook = www.facebook.com/liz.gavin.54
Email = lizgavin@elessarbooks.com

Blog Tour Links:

Goodreads Event Page – https://www.goodreads.com/event/show/950886-luck-of-the-irish-tour
Rafflecopter Giveaway Page – http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4af5be7f6/?

“This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.”

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Filed under: 4WillsPublishing, Blog Tour, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Luck of the Irish, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing Tagged: 4WillsPublishing, blogging, Facebook, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Liz Gavin, Luck of the Irish, Marketing, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Twitter, writing

IN LOVING MEMORY & TRIBUTE TO KATHRYN C. TREAT

Kathryn C. Treat passed away on Sunday, December 21, 2014 @ 2:20 am (California time).  On Friday, Dec. 19, after having a wonderful time at the Rave Reviews Book Club’s virtual Christmas party, in a virtual chat room with her fellow RRBC VIP Lounge members, Kathryn informed that she was not feeling well and that she was going to leave.  Shortly thereafter, she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and then lapsed into a coma.

Kathryn was an honorary board member of the Rave Reviews Book Club, where she served as Membership Director from Dec. 2013, until October, 2014.  Kathryn is the author of “ALLERGIC TO LIFE:  MY BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL, COURAGE AND HOPE.”   She inspired and encouraged many with this book so if you have not had the pleasure of reading it, please head to Amazon and get your copy.

BOOK TRAILER

Kathryn was a dedicated member of RRBC until her passing and she was one of the most supportive members the club had…not just to one, but to all.  Kathryn leaves to mourn her husband, her mother, a sister, her two daughters, a son-in-law and three grand-kids (who she adored more than life), as well as her entire RRBC family.

Let us remember Kathryn and honor her memory by always being kind to one another and by always offering our support to another.  It’s what she did.  It’s how she lived.  It’s who she was.  In honor, many blogs across the world are memorializing Kathryn today with the same post that you see here.   If Kathryn touched your life in anyway, please share your memories and comments below.  As everyone who knew Kathryn may not yet know of her home-going, we ask that you also share this page on all your social media forums.

We have erected a memorial page on the Rave Reviews Book Club site that will remain.  Please stop by to leave your comments and memories of Kathryn as well, so that her family will get a sense of just how loved she was by so many. There you will also find more information on Kathryn and how RRBC has planned to continually honor her in other ways.

THANK YOU!

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Filed under: Allergic To Life, Blogging, Kathryn C. Treat, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Allergic To Life, blogging, Facebook, Indie Publishing, Kathryn C. Treat, Memorial, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Twitter, writing

Fantasy Writer’s Unplugged: Autumn M. Birt

This is the beginning of a new feature on Archer’s Aim – Fantasy Authors Unplugged. I hope to frequently share an interview with a fantasy author. If you have authors to suggest and/or questions you’d like to see answered then leave a comment or send me an email. If you are a fantasy author and would like an interview please let me know and we’ll plan one that fits your schedule.

Today’s feature fantasy author is Autumn M. Birt who has several fantasy novel to her name.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your books?

I am a conservationist, adventure traveler, and writer who lives in Maine in a small cabin I built along with my husband. It’s located in a woodlot and is a quiet and inspiring place to be… especially when I’m stuck next to the fire during a snow storm!

I love writing and have written off and on throughout periods of my life, but only started taking it seriously about four years ago when I self-published my first book, Born of Water. I made a lot of mistakes! Which is one of the reasons I blog about writing and the lessons I’ve learned. Everything from editing, that you need an editor, to methods of using POV to build tension.

Now writing is very much a part of my life. I have dedicated daily writing time and this summer signed on with a small indie publisher, Creativia. And in June of 2014, I published my fifth book, which was also the final book in my epic fantasy series the Rise of the Fifth Order. Finishing a series felt as big, if not bigger, than finding a publisher.

 

Born of Water, Rule of Fire, and Spirit of Life make the Rise of the Fifth Order trilogy. It is an epic fantasy adventure series on elemental magic aimed toward young adults, though I’m a young-at-heart adult and very much love them!

The description for book 1, Born of Water is: In the buried archives of the Temple of Dust may lie the secret to defeating the Curse, a creature which seeks to destroy 16-year old Ria for the forbidden gifts she possesses. But it is from among the ranks of those who control the Curse where Ria will find her best chance of success.

Only the Priestess Niri can save Ria from the forces that hunt her, if Niri doesn’t betray the girl first. Along with Ria comes Ty and his sister, Lavinia, both bound to defend Ria from the Church of Four Orders. However, Ty has been living a life less than honest and keeping it from his sister. To survive a journey that takes them across the breadth of their world, the four must learn to trust each other before pursuit from the Church and Ty’s troubled past find them.

Welcome to the mythical world of Myrrah, ruled by the Church of Four Orders – Fire, Earth, Water, and Air.

Born of Water is perma-free on Amazon too, which is a great way to introduce readers to the series and my writing.

2. Is there an inspiration for the book?

Absolutely, though it is a little odd! Two ideas combined to create the foundation idea to Born of Water. The first was a short story idea bouncing around in my head about an executive, who was also an earth elemental, attending a conference. She sees a girl with abilities like hers but different. It was set in the modern world and I never wrote a word of it. I had no idea what happened after that brief description and no motivation to find out.

While I was pondering what to do with that, I was also frequently staring at a massive painting of a mediterranean city that hung in the bathroom, of all places, at my work. Wondering what life was like in that city was easier than worrying about deadlines. And one day, I wondered what the characters from the short story would be like if that was where they lived. That is how the city of Mirocyne and the characters of Niri and Ria were created.

3. What draws you to this genre?

I’ve read epic fantasy since I stumbled upon a short story of Pern written by Anne McCaffery. I love the genre for its magic and adventure. I love to travel in real life and see new cultures while learning about past civilizations. Now I pour that interest into my writing, trying to balance creating a realistic world and civilizations with the action – along with a frequent touch of romance.

For those reasons, epic fantasy became the first genre in which I wrote, but it is hardly the last. I’m also very attracted to dark fantasy and dystopian. I’ve read sci fi for a long time too, and have a few ideas for stories along those lines too.

4. What do you think of “trailers” for books?

I have a love/hate relationship with book trailers. I don’t spend much time perusing the internet, Facebook, or YouTube. But I know some potential readers do. So I’ve contemplated doing a series trailer.

But researching options and seeing so many trailers with static images set to music along with a few lines of text… I’m just not excited by them. I’ve only seen one or two exceptional book trailers, and they were amazing videos that really drew you in. And they took some time. And possibly some money. But there were amazing.

So I’ve set the bar pretty high to what I would want to see if I did a book trailer. And right now it is out of my budget for both dollars and time. But I play around with notes on a script and maybe, maybe I’ll do one at some point.

5. How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Born of Water took me three years. Seriously. I wrote it, took a few novel writing/creative writing courses, joined a writer’s group, re-wrote it, re-edited it, and then self-published it. Eventually, I edited it again even after that!

The next two books in the series took around seven months, but there were a lot of breaks too (I was building the house!) and then editing took a few more. But as I agonized over finishing the last book in the series and saying goodbye to the characters, I started writing the series that is my current WIP.

This had two great advantages: I was excited to keep writing as the series ended (so it was less painful letting go), and I found that writing two books at once actually increased my pace! When I’m stuck on one, I switch to the other.

I now keep a main WIP in which I write at least three chapters a week, a side WIP that usually sees a half chapter a week, and edit a finished book at the same time. Plus I blog. And have a job. And husband, hobbies… really, I have no idea how it all works! Somehow the chaos that is my life continues and is really productive (hence the no surfing the internet!).

Right now my pace is to finish the first draft of a main WIP in four months or less (not counting lots of pondering, world building, and character development that comes way before I start writing!). I’m about two weeks from finishing a book that I started writing in early October, and a vacation and the holidays slowed me down. After that, editing can still be another three months. But since I have a small backlog of finished work that is being handled by my publisher, I think I’ll see the complete series I’m writing now published in 2015, which will be four books. Plus, potentially, the first of a new epic fantasy series.

Trust me, I think that sounds crazy too and would never set that as a goal for myself. It will double the number of my currently published books. BUT… I’m about to finish writing book 2 and it is only January. The first book, which is a prequel to the trilogy and consists of a series of short stories, is already with my publisher. And I’m about to finish the edits to book 1. As for the epic fantasy, I’m on chapter 12 out of around 40, and stuck at the moment as I finish edits. I think it might be ready to go by the fall, since it will become my primary WIP once I finish book 3 of my new series… which might be sometime around May? And I should be half done with it then, so… maybe an early fall release?? Five books, I don’t believe it so don’t hold me to it, but I’m keeping my toes crossed (can’t cross my fingers – I need them to type!)

6. Do you ever get writer’s block?

I definitely have periods where I get stuck or my writing slows, but I have yet to ever suffer from a prolonged lack of ideas and no writing (thank goodness!). Usually problems come from realizing I need to do more world building or understand the history involved with the story I’m writing, sometimes it stems from not liking the previous chapter or thinking that something is missing in the plot, and sometimes simply from not being able to think of a name for a place or person that fits. Seriously, the name thing screws me up a lot. But that is part of why I write two manuscripts (of different story lines) at once and edit a third. One of those three will not be stalled. And if it is… I’ll go read a book!

7. How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

Now that is a tough question and so much harder to pick out. Everything about my writing style and method has evolved since I first wrote, and then rewrote, Born of Water. I went from full out pantser to a complete plotter with notes about EVERYTHING, to having a general plot and chapter outline and I pants what actually happens in each chapter.

But creativity is so much more than the method of how I write. That speaks to ideas and how I manifest them. And though I know I have grown as a writer, it is hard to describe how. I can say that as I started writing Spirit of Life, I itched to write a more ‘mature’ novel, one with harsher language, less optimism, and more serious consequences: basically a dark fantasy novel. I don’t think I could have tackled the maturity of my current WIP if I’d written it before the epic fantasy series, and I definitely know the events that take place in book 2 would have been beyond me even six months ago. This is very much a book I would have thought beyond my abilities. And now I’m nearly finished writing it. And that gives me a personal sense of accomplishment as well as enthusiasm to see where I’ll be in as little as a year. I’ve not even dreamed of the novels I’ll be writing three years from now. Goodness knows what they’ll be like!

8. What is the hardest thing about writing?

How consuming it can feel to want to take an idea that is in my mind and put it on paper (well, electronic letters). There are times I want to write like it is a drug. And as it does release endorphins, I’m sure it definitely does provide a kick! Fortunately, that drive isn’t there all the time or I’d never leave my desk, resulting in a job loss, failed marriage, and missing out on life in general. I love to write, but I also love to go camping, canoeing, hiking, cooking, spend time with family. Just every once in awhile I have to be reminded that I love those things too… And lets not talk about my recent vacation and the debate of leaving behind all of my writing for over two weeks. Talk about separation anxiety!

So the hardest thing about writing is that it is very much my passion. And that is a good thing, but it can be too much too. Especially when I’m trying to fit it in around a full time job, family, and other hobbies. Hopefully some day I’ll have more time to write. Until then, I try to keep perspective and everything balanced!

9. What’s your next project?

I’ve been hinting at this throughout the questions, lol! My current WIP is a trilogy titled Friends of my Enemy. It is dystopian/dark fantasy set in the years 2055 to 2069. The first release, Stories from the War, will be a set of eleven interrelated short stories that lead up to, and through, a world war that really alters living conditions and the politics of the planet. Book 1, After the War, takes place after the war has officially ended.

What I love about the story is that the foundation is about the friendships and relationships of a small group of people. A plot that sweeps the world along is pulled and twisted by love, hate, and expectations based on lovers, friends, family, and perceived enemies. And real enemies too! The story is easy to write because the intensity and passion of the characters keep everything moving. Which is good because the story is very complex, tacking everything from corrupt governments, flawed heroes, military battles, and strategic enemies. I’m writing the final chapters of book 2, Battle for Europe, now and am as happy as I’m surprised at where the story has taken me. I can’t wait to start book 3, The Fight for Peace!

And my side project is a new epic fantasy trilogy based in the same world, and with many of the same characters, as Rise of the Fifth Order. But how the characters convinced me to write that series is another post!

Media Links

Facebook (me)  Facebook (writing page)  Website

Writing Blog  Travel Blog  Guild of dreams (another blog I write for)

Twitter  Google+  Wattpad  Goodreads

Thanks to Autumn for being first in this feature.

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Filed under: Amazon, Blogging, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Self-publishing, Social Media, Writing

Blog Tour – Jessica: Autobiography of an Infant

Jessica had always been haunted by the fear that the unthinkable had happened when she had been “made-up.” For as far back as she could remember, she had no sense of a Self. Her mother thought of her as the “perfect infant” because “she never wanted anything and she never needed anything.” As a child, just thinking of saying “I need” or “I want” left her feeling like an empty shell and that her mind was about to spin out of control. Terrified of who––or what––she was, she lived in constant dread over being found guilty of impersonating a human being.

Jeffrey Von Glahn, Ph.D., an experienced therapist with an unshakable belief in the healing powers of the human spirit, and Jessica, blaze a trail into this unexplored territory. As if she has, in fact, become an infant again, Jessica remembers in extraordinary detail events from the earliest days of her life––events that threatened to twist her embryonic humanness from its natural course of development. Her recollections are like listening to an infant who could talk describe every psychologically dramatic moment of its life as it was happening.

When Dr. Von Glahn met Jessica, she was 23. Everyone regarded her as a responsible, caring person – except that she never drove and she stayed at her mother’s when her husband worked nights.

For many months, Jessica’s therapy was stuck in an impasse. Dr. Von Glahn had absolutely no idea that she was so terrified over simply talking about herself. In hopes of breakthrough, she boldly asked for four hours of therapy a day, for three days a week, for six weeks. The mystery that was Jessica cracked open in dramatic fashion, and in a way that Dr. Von Glahn could never have imagined. Then she asked for four days a week – and for however long it took. In the following months, her electrifying journey into her mystifying past brought her ever closer to a final confrontation with the events that had threatened to forever strip her of her basic humanness.

This excerpt happened a few months after we had started meeting for several hours a day for four days a week. This session format was ideal fertile ground for the deepest feelings to emerge, which, of course, was exactly what we were hoping for. However, neither Jessica nor I ever imagined how deep that experience would be. In the earliest stages, Jessica’s initial reaction to the spontaneous emergence of deeper feeling was, of course, the most intense, and gradually became less so.

This session started as all of them did. She started talking about a recent event that, at least in my mind, didn’t seem all that upsetting. But as she continued talking, long buried feelings started to emerge. One day as this started to happen, she suddenly jumped up and rushed out of the living room, with cries of “I can’t do this!” trailing behind her.

I waited to see if she was going to stop in the kitchen, but I lost the sound of her steps somewhere on the other side of the house. The rattle of a coat hanger catapulted me out of my chair and sent me hurrying through the kitchen to the small utility room. Jessica had her shoes on. She was holding a light jacket in her hand.

I jumped past her and stood with my back against the outer door. The room was so small that I could easily have reached out and touched her with a single step in her direction. Her coat hung limply from her hand. Tears began to trickle out of her eyes. I raised my arms for her to tumble forward, but she stood in place.

“Listen! Please! I can’t do this!” A few moments passed as I smiled at her, hoping she was receiving the warm vibes I was silently sending her way. Her coat fell to the floor. Then her hands slowly transformed themselves into tight fists, and she pressed them against the sides of her head. Fresh words came.

“I couldn’t make anyone love me! Not even my own mom!” Big tears ran down her face, and her body suddenly arched backward. She exclaimed, “If you can’t make your own mom love you…Ow! Ow!” She grasped her head in her hands and finished her agonized cry, “What kind of a person are you?” Instinctively, I nudged her shoulders with my fingers. She collapsed in my arms.

Jessica’s emotional upheavals over who she feared she was repeated themselves once or twice a week for about a month, each time diminishing in intensity. It took only a few of these sessions before she began to hear from other people that she was behaving differently. At a barbecue she had attended where she knew some of the people quite well, there were comments about how real she looked. One person actually said, “You look like a wanting person!”

Jessica had maneuvered her way through life by doing what was expected of her and never failed to do so! Everyone who knew her thought she was extremely responsible. How could they not? That was not the real Jessica, though. Despite how she appeared to others, that was the made-up Jessica with no inner self, capable only of wooden behavior.

Before, no one had been aware of the emotional storms brewing inside her. They had come out only when I was around. I understood why this was so, though I never stopped being amazed at how calm Jessica could appear to others, while being just the opposite with me. Now, however, people were becoming aware of the Jessica who had always been protectively hidden away.

The social gathering at the barbecue had been the occasion for the debut of “the new Jessica.” It had also shown how insidious the ill effects of deeply hurtful experiences can be. Throughout the evening, Jessica had tried hard to enjoy herself. She had chatted with many people, some of whom she had never met before. However, her conscious attempts to engage freely with others had triggered yet another layer of unresolved feelings. As she was telling me about the evening, she suddenly became very frightened and said, “I feel like I did something I wasn’t supposed to do.”

“What was that?” I quickly asked, having not a clue as to what she meant.

“Have a good time!” she answered and cried a little. The fact that she could state exactly what she was feeling, cry about it, and still recognize the experience as positive, impressed me. She was looking forward to her next social event.

PURCHASE LINKS:

“JESSICA: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN INFANT” by Jeffrey Von Glahn

CONTACT INFO:

Twitter:  @JeffreyVonGlahn

Website:

http://JeffreyVonGlahn.com

***This tour was sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com  To book your own tour, please contact us.***

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Scrivener Templates and Project Management Pt. 5: Book Reviews

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Scrivener has been a key component to improving my productivity this year. I’ve recently written about various uses for Scrivener such as blog posts, newsletters and even template email messages. Additionally, I’ve shared about using Scrivener templates including some resources for these. In my last post I shared about managing templates. In Part 4 I released my Author Platform Management template. A few posts pastin this series I indicated how I’ll use Scrivener more in the coming year. In my most recent edition I revealed how I’ll approach my increased usage. Today, I’ll reveal a new template and I’m planning another how-to post next week as well as another addition to the Author Platform Management template.

I recently had a Twitter conversation with someone who read how I’m using Scrivener more this year. She expressed her interest in the software with a retweet. I noticed that she was, among several things, a reviewer.

What ensued was a short conversation about how she might use Scrivener – as a reviewer. I hadn’t thought of it previously but what another great way to make use of this software. Some people do short reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. But some people review more seriously than others. The Binder is a great way to manage numerous reviews.

Screenshot: Book Review Template

Imagine reviewing lots of books but being confused as to what you’ve done already. With Scrivener you could easily track them and schedule your reviews. What an improvement over individual files if you used a single project for each year.

Well that gave me another idea for a template – reviews. It works much like those for newsletters or blogs but I’ve added some specifics that I imagine serious reviewers might need. I’ve include a rudimentary binder organization and a calendar of schedules as well as tracking. Again, it’s free to download. Feel free to make your own suggestions and I’ll be happy to update and share a newer version.

What other ways can you think of using Scrivener? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Also, in no way do I represent Scrivener or sell the product. All questions about the product, its sales, support and licensing for your own computing needs should be referred to the company.

Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Fantasy, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Planning, Reviews, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, Templates, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Announcement, blogging, creativity, Facebook, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Reviews, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Templates, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing