P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 331

“In your choices lies your talent.”

PHS:

Reblogging on Archer’s Aim – This is excellent food for thought at the beginning of a new week!

Originally posted on angelomarcos:

You might not have heard of her, but you’ll definitely know of the legacy of Stella Adler.

She was one of the most influential and seminal acting teachers in the history of, well, acting.  Taking her cue from Stanislavski’s ‘method’, she taught among others Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Harvey Keitel, and Warren Beatty.

So she was, y’know, pretty good.

I’m not going to go into too much detail about her approach – although her life and work were fascinating – what I do want to do is highlight one of her most famous quotes.

“In your choices lies your talent.”

For me, this is a quote that becomes more insightful every time I think about it.

Our talents – and by extension our lives – really are about our choices.  It’s not enough to just have an ability or qualification or talent, it’s about utilising those things…

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4 Free Photo Sites – More Tips for the Fund Challenged Writer

Clip Art Image Copyright by Microsoft. Clip Art Used by Permission of Microsoft

This is a follow-up to my blog post last week regarding inexpensive tips to the fund-challenged writer. If you’re like me you need access to resources but have little in the way of paying for what you need. The final tip from last week’s blog dealt with using a free source of clip art for your blogs. Here are more sources of visual media that offer free photos to use for your blog.

 Flickr - Yes, it’s a well-known site already but you can search for photos with various kinds of creative commons licensing. Be sure to read about attributions licensing to understand what you must do to cite your sources.
Dreamstime.com - This service offers both free and fee-based illustrations and photos. When you search make sure to choose the “Free” radio button.
morgueFile - Again, there are many free images to use on this site. As always read the licensing language and be aware you may be required by the content owners to contact them by email before using their work.
FreeFoto.com - Search this site for free content. Here’s their current license information.

For more discussions about free artwork see this blog posts:

Savvy Writers & e-Books Online: Where Can You Find FREE Photos and Illustrations?

Computer Hope: Where can I find free public domain images and pictures?

Articulate Network: How to Find Free Stock Photos and Clip Art for PowerPoint

Thanks for visiting the site and reading. Share your photo resources in the comments section. Please visit the News page regularly for updates. I’m planning a sale for The Black Bag during October but you can receive a free coupon for the e-book for download by signing up follow this site via email. Just submit your information above and I’ll send you the coupon.

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PHS

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Make POV Work for You: Writing the Male POV

PHS:

Reblogged on Archer’s Aim – great post and interested in the book!

Originally posted on KayeDacus.com:

This has to be one of the most popular topics amongst female authors at any conference out there. And the funny thing about it was that until I attended the 2004 ACFW conference in Denver, the first time that Randy Ingermanson taught this subject, I didn’t know anyone had trouble writing the male POV. I’ve actually always found the man’s POV easier to write in than the woman’s. And sitting in that class, though it was highly entertaining, I didn’t really hear anything I didn’t already know about men. I guess because I always found it easier to build friendships with guys growing up, I’ve done a lot more observing of them on a subconscious level than a lot of other women, who only look at them as “the opposite sex,” have.

Several years ago, my aunt Rinn introduced the women in our family to a fabulous little book that…

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Nonnie Jules in “WHO’S ON THE SHELF WITH NONNIE JULES?”

PHS:

Reblogging on Archer’s Aim!

Originally posted on Rave Reviews by Nonnie Jules:

Hello and welcome to “WHO’S ON THE SHELF?” with yours truly, Nonnie Jules!  Since we are a book club, you know we had to offer something that included a book shelf.  A lot of interviews merely cover an author’s work or an individual’s career stories.  Here on this “SHELF,”  we get down and dirty and ask the questions no other interviewer dare ask.  We ask the questions that you want to open up a book and find the answers to on your favorite authors and fellow book club members, but no one has dared to cover them.  WE get personal!  Because when you sit on the RRBC “SHELF,” YOU are an open book!

Today I thought I’d invite myself to sit ON THE SHELF.  I mean, I know how much you all want to know more about the person who writes such confrontational books as “SUGARCOATIN’…YES…

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Status of My Projects

Available at Amazon, Smashwords and All Major E-Book Vendors!

Here’s a quick update on my projects:

The Black Bag is due to go on sale for the month of October so get a copy for your Halloween reading next week!

The Bow of Destiny: I’m about to begin revision of the last third of the book but I’m slowing the pace down since my editor cannot take on the project until mid-late November. I expect to work with a cover artist during October as well after which I will announce a cover-reveal date so keep checking back or follow this blog via WordPress or by email.

For No Reason: I’m almost ready to submit this short story but I want to read it again and revise anything I find in need of changes. Again, check back for news on this story.

Longfingers: This is a dark fantasy short story that is begging to be stretched into a novella. I’ve begun an  outline to re-write this story.

Other fiction short and long: I intend to edit several short stories for submission in the

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

coming weeks – check my short WIP page for news on these projects.

Thanks for reading and showing interest. Share your thoughts and questions in the comments section.

PHS

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Project Management Pt1: Learn to Juggle

As a writer there are many different hats to wear in addition to writing. These can range from aspects of platform management to advertising. If you have limited time per week but have many different tasks and projects to address life can be very confusing. You may find yourself accomplishing less and less when you really need to do more. Part of this problem comes from disorganization. Here are some tips to untangle the knots of work you want to accomplish by applying some analysis.

1. Analyze your time: Most writers these days are making a go of being a professional on the side. However, if you are unaware of how much time you have during the week you may be expecting too much or too little of yourself. Take a few minutes to calculate how much time you have in a regular week to use for writing. It is important not to be honest with yourself about your available time so you can apply the following tips. Over-estimating how much time you have may mean being frustrated that you are not completing writing projects and tasks as expected so be reasonable.

2. Analyze your projects and tasks: This seems straightforward but take time to really think this through. Perhaps you have a novel with a deadline, a short story or two that should be completed soon, blogs to post, social media to manage and any number of other writing-related jobs to address in a week. Assign priority to the items on your list at a monthly, weekly and daily level. Assign goals to your projects and be specific about what you expect – without specificity you only have good intentions. How many hours will your project take to complete? On what are you basing your criteria for priorities? Time? Immediate income? Long-term income? How much time do you need to spend on writing-related tasks? Once you understand this proceed to the next tip.

Editing for Deep POV

3. Compare time needed to time available: You know how much time you have per week and how much time a project and tasks need but how do they mesh together? Perhaps you have a novel to revise and estimate 50 hours of work. If your deadline is a month away then based on your weekly available time you know how much time is available to assign per week to the revision using a little math. Now you have a reasonable expectation for daily and weekly goals. But hold on there! You also have other tasks or projects during the week to address. In this case you should scale back expectations on the revision and assign how much time you need for these other jobs. Here’s where knowing your priorities comes into play. If you know your long-term, main priority is finishing the novel then it gets both weekly and daily priority, meaning it gets the lion-share of time applied to it. However, say you need to complete blog posts during the week. Since these are shorter and need regular attention your might assign time each day to blog. Or you might develop all of a week’s worth of posts in one day and then schedule them to be published. It’s up to you to divvy up the time that meets your needs according to priorities and available time. Regardless, you must make reasonable time for each item that needs your attention during the month/week/day in order to know what to expect.

4. Be very specific: Schedule your time with specificity in order to set your expectations. If you are vague then you will tend toward accomplishing less because you don’t know what you are doing. For example, rather than scheduling thirty minutes several times a day to edit/revise a project with the stated goal of “edit”, be more precise and name what you will edit, how much for the day and how you will accomplish this goal. In other words, thirty minutes of editing several times a day to reach a minimum goal of ten pages in your novel project until you reach your allotted time for the day (remember, you have allotted time to other duties such as social media management). This gives you focus. Since you know that you should apply three hours a day to this priority then you know how to schedule it and everything else for each day, week and month.

5. Be fluid/realistic: You will often fall off the pace if you are unrealistic. What do I mean by this? Simply that you will have real-life issues arise that need your attention so expect your schedule to have interruptions. Go into working your scheduling and project management with the understanding that you need to be fluid – willing to adjust. But this does not mean give yourself excuses for accomplishing nothing, after all, this is why you’re attempting to manage the project(s) better. You must schedule with flexibility either by lowering daily/weekly/monthly expectations or having a tolerance for problems and being nimble enough to adjust for interruptions. Regardless, you are the manager of the project and you must take responsibility for it to complete it.

Available at Amazon, Smashwords and All Major E-Book Vendors!

How do you manage your projects? Do you plan your time around a schedule? Do you know how long projects and tasks usually take? Share your comments and questions in the comments section. I’ll follow-up with more ideas on managing rather than dropping the ball on your projects. Remember to check the News page for upcoming announcements and follow this blog via email to receive a coupon for a free copy of “The Black Bag”.

 

 

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Tech for Writers – Backup Tips

Editing for Deep POV

As I discussed in a previous blog I work in computer support for my day job. Here’s another post regarding computer issues that writers often face.

The Dreaded Backup Question

A problem with a computer or lost data from accidental deletion is a fact of life. Many small businesses and home users do little to back up their data on a regular basis. That is, until data is lost and the lesson is learned the hard way. I think people avoid it because they don’t want to think negatively or they are just too busy. But bad things happen to data regularly so planning and taking a little time can save you from a major headache. This is another question that I field from some people who have the concern so I’ll address this today.

What to Understand about Backups

The old saying is, “You’re only as good as your last backup.” This is very true for several reasons, the obvious being that you have something to go back to in case you lose data. But the important point is that you perform backups regularly to insure you have new data captured as well as revised data from a recent date. If you did your backup months ago then that’s the point in time you have and nothing newer. You should perform a backup ASAP and then plan to backup more often than you have been.

Also understand that a backup is not usually live so data you just changed isn’t captured automatically if you are running a traditional backup. However synchronizing data via software to the cloud keeps your active data rather safe though this is not entirely the case. I’ve had issues with Word not auto-saving as often as it should so I click the save icon often to make sure new data is save for the synchronization.

To What Should Data Be Backed Up?

Clip Art Image Copyright by Microsoft. Clip Art Used by Permission of Microsoft

Again, this is another great question. I like having several options for redundancy. For my daily needs I use Dropbox to synchronize working data to the cloud, meaning internet (no endorsement intended, there are several such products that work well). Most services allow you to purchase extra space for backup, however, in the case of writers most text files are very small so your needs may not be huge. No matter what word processing you use make sure to save often to avoid issues with the software. It can be the difference between hours of work lost versus a few minutes worth of missing data. How such software works is by synchronizing data in a special folder to the cloud on the internet. Most of these services allow you to even access this data from a webpage or smartphone. The main advantages to this type of backup is that your data is off-site on the cloud and the synchronization is frequent depending on the number of saved changes to files – just make sure you’re data is in the correct folder for the software to access and check that it is working properly.

Next I backup to another location using an external drive. Again, I have software that defines what I back up and where. My external hard drive is a good location for this type of redundancy but I only use it about once a week since I sync to the cloud daily. You can also use a thumb drive just as easily. The pros to this kind of drive is that it is small and easy to carry. However the size is also a con in that it can be easily lost. Some backup software also allows you to buy space on a provided cloud so that you remove the aspect of hardware failure with your backups. Remember that this type of cloud space is not necessarily like synchronization so you may have to manage your space by deleting old backups whereas something like Dropbox is syncing changes from a specific folder. Using backup software means you must define what is backed up unlike synchronization software where you must save to a specific folder so understand the differences between the two types of software.

Summary and Closing

To be clear, I recommend backing up data using more than one type for the sake of redundancy. You can do this by using a service like Dropbox for syncing services over the internet to the cloud. You can also backup to hardware simply by copying data you want to protect it or by using specific software. I like to keep a backup of some sort on hardware I can reach in case I’m unable to reach cloud-based services. Whatever you use be consistent and diligent to backup your data so you won’t sweat data loss when something goes wrong.

Do you have a backup plan for your writing data? What type of backup do you use? Please share your strategy and ask questions in the comments section below this post. Also, check out my latest posts and my announcements on the News page. I’m planning a month-long sale of “The Black Bag” for Halloween but you can download it for free from Smashwords by signing up to follow this blog via email for the coupon. Thanks for reading!

PHS

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6 Writing Updates

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

Rather than post a short update on the News page I decided to post more details here today.

1. I plan to complete my current revision of The Bow of Destiny by the end of the month to send to my editor for structural and then detailed editing.

2. I’m currently in discussions with an artist about the cover design for The Bow of Destiny. I hope to share more details during October and announce a cover reveal date.

3. I was honored by Rave Reviews Book Club to have the “The Black Bag” chosen for their PUSHTUESDAY via Twitter last week – many thanks to those who supported me and bought copies of The Black Bag

4. I’m planning a price reduction for The Black Bag during the month of October so check back for more details. However, if you want the book sooner than that you can receive a coupon for a free copy (for any e-book format) to download from Smashwords. You know you want to whet your appetite for some early Halloween reading ! Sign-up today for the free download!

Available at Amazon, Smashwords and All Major E-Book Vendors!

5. I’m submitting a short story this week. If it is accepted anywhere I’ll be sure to post the news everywhere so keep checking my feeds for announcements. I’m also working on several other short stories for submission as well. Check my Short WIP page for story titles.

6. I’ve hosted several book blog tours over the last month so check those out and support those authors.

Thanks for reading and supporting. Everyone is welcome to leave comments and questions.

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4 Platform Tips for the Fund Challenged Writer

Have you got a list of things that you need to do as a writer? Do you lack funds to acquire some or all of these needs for your writer platform. Here’s 4 tips for inexpensively improving your platform without breaking the bank.

1. Lack funds to create a website? Use a free one like WordPress.com. Want a custom domain name with your site for minimal cost? WordPress and other such hosts can help with that too. Here’s what WordPress can do!

2. Need to use email with your own domain name? Try it for minimal cost via Google Apps. Here are the instructions.

3. Have a product, announcement or other tweet you want new followers to see and retweet? Pin your tweet to the top of your feed and it will be the first post seen on your feed by visitors. Here are some visual instructions to do just that:

Go to your feed and choose something you’ve posted and click on the 3 dots for “More” and then click “Pin to your profile page”:

Here’s what currently stays at the top of me feed:

4. Want to add pictures to your blog posts but lack funds? If you have Microsoft Office installed you can use Click Art from Office. Verify that the Click Art is from Microsoft by either hovering over the image or right clicking on the image and choosing properties to see the originator. To access this library from Office 2010 click on the Insert tab and then on the Click Art button:

In fact, the picture at the top of this post is from Click Art. Read the terms of service for Click Art and understand how you may use it. If you need to use royalty free pictures for re-sale that’s another issue altogether so know what your are doing with pictures. For a great discussion of Microsoft’s Clip Art usage click here.

That’s all for today. See the News page for upcoming announcements like the month-long October special for “The Black Bag”! Feel free to leave comments below and I will reply! Remember to sign-up to follow by email and receive a coupon for a FREE copy (any e-book format) via Smashwords for “The Black Bag”. Thanks for reading!

PHS

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“SPOTLIGHT” Author Blog Tour: Best Laid Plans

  Hi! I’m Tamie Dearen—wife, mother, grandmother, dentist, Jesus-lover, musician, composer, and author (as of 2013). I’ve published four books and a novella in The Best Girls Series, and one Young Adult Fantasy, Alora: The Wander-Jewel. As a relatively new author, I’ve found Rave Reviews Book Club to be a great resource for information and a wonderful place for mutual support.

This is an excerpt from The Best Girls.

 

Best Laid Plans: Book Three of The Best Girls Series

 

“Charlie, I don’t understand why you won’t even give me a chance.” Josh tried to catch her eyes as he spoke, but they darted away as if his gaze had burned her corneas. She held herself away from him, her posture rigid, even as they swayed together on the dance floor.

“We’re just too different, Josh. We live in different states. We have different dreams. We have different beliefs and values. You believe in casual sex, and that’s fine for you. But I’m the absolute opposite of that. Can’t you see? There’s no hope.”

“There’s no hope because you refuse to allow it. I’m changing. I’ve already changed. I’m not the same man that you met six months ago, but you won’t give me an opportunity to prove it.”

“Why are you trying to change into something different just to please me? You were fine and happy before you met me. There were obviously lots and lots of women who liked you just the way you were. Why try to change into something you’re not?” She tried to pull away, but he firmed his grasp at her waist and hand.

“But that’s the thing. I wasn’t fine and happy before I met you. I was miserable and I didn’t even know it. And now I’ve met you, so I know I could be really happy if I changed and you loved me. But you won’t give me a chance, so I’m still miserable.”

“You’re saying that meeting me took you from being blissfully ignorant about how miserable you were to consciously aware of how miserable you are?”

“You’re twisting my words.” He ground his teeth together, searching for something to say, anything to break through her barriers. “Charlie . . . Don’t you miss me, even a little? Don’t you ever think about that kiss?”

She was quiet for a moment, “Josh . . . Okay, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t physically attracted to you. There. Are you happy? But . . . But that’s not enough to build a relationship on.”

His mind was spinning. This was his moment, his only opportunity. She’d finally at least admitted to an attraction. If that was all he had to work with, he’d have to improvise. “So physically, you could see yourself being married to me? I mean, if I was a different guy with this body and this face, you could love me?”

Her face was so red, he thought she might be in pain, “I .  . That’s . . . Okay, yes, I mean, if you were someone else. But—”

“What’s he like? This other guy? This someone else that you’re going to marry someday?”

“I . . . Honestly, I don’t think he exists. I don’t think there’s a guy that I’m willing to give up all my independence for. I don’t really need a guy, anyway.”

“But if he did exist, what would he be like?”

Charlie let out an exasperated breath. “I don’t know. I don’t spend time thinking about it.” Josh peered into her huge golden eyes and saw her pupils dilate. She gave her head a shake as if to clear it. “I guess he’d be a partner. I don’t need someone to take care of me like a parent. And . . . He’d have some kind of cool job, like, I don’t know . . . Maybe he’d be a fireman. Someone brave and adventurous who helps people. Not someone who spends his whole life working to make more money. And he’d be the kind of guy who only wanted to be with one woman for the rest of his life. I don’t want to constantly think I’m being compared with someone else—and probably coming up short.”

He was quiet for a moment, contemplating her words. “Thank you. At least I understand what you want, and how you see me.” He heard his voice crack and turned his face away, embarrassed. The hope that had bloomed in his chest died a little at the truth of her assessment.

“Josh, I’m sorry—”

“No, it’s okay. It’s my fault. You hit closer to home than you realize. That’s pretty much who I was, but not who I am and not who I intend to be.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, whistling between his lips. “But let me ask you just one thing. You don’t think you could ever love a doctor? Not even an adventurous doctor who wanted to help people?”

 

Charlie felt her face reddening again. She had so little control around this man. It was one of the reasons he made her feel so uncomfortable. When he’d asked her the first question, she’d tried to come up with a description he couldn’t possibly fit. It probably wasn’t even true. She had no idea who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with or who she could ever be in love with. She only knew that her attraction to Josh made her lose the ability to think logically. When she was with him, she always lost the upper hand. And she needed that advantage to compete. What was she supposed to say to his question now that he was making it specific? What was a safe thing to say?

She was distressed to find that tears were flooding her eyes. What on earth was wrong with her? She blinked furiously, but a few escaped onto her cheeks. “I don’t know.” She pulled her hand away, trying to escape before he noticed her crying.

“Wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

He drew her against him, wrapping his arms around her. Suddenly, the floodgates broke. She’d been working so hard to be independent and not accept any financial assistance from Steven. But her workload, along with classes and studying, had been overwhelming. And she felt so alone and isolated in Colorado while her mom and sister were across the country in New York City. But she didn’t want to admit it to anyone. She hated admitting she was wrong—she’d always hated it. She’d been so incredibly stressed, but hadn’t wanted to share it. She didn’t want to burden her pregnant mom or her sister who was planning a wedding. Now, enveloped in the Josh’s arms, she realized how much she missed feeling cared for and comforted. The tears kept coming, even while she tried desperately to stop them.

He led her back to her chair and handed her a clean napkin. Then he knelt down in front of her, and gazed into her eyes. She noticed for the first time that his deep green eyes had little flecks of blue in them.

“Charlie. I’m not going to do this to you anymore. I love you, and I want to be with you. But I want you to be happy even more. I can’t stand that I made you cry. I’m really sorry. I won’t bother you any more. Just, please . . .” He made a strangled sound in his throat and dropped his eyes. “If you ever change your mind, please come find me.”

He leaned in to brush his lips lightly against hers, and then he was gone.

Follow Tamie online:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TamieDearen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tamie-Dearen/1384772145109650

Website: http://tamiedearen.weebly.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Tamie-Dearen/e/B00FS21B4Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=undefined&sr=1-2-ent

 

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Filed under: Best Laid Plans, Blog Tour, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tamie Dearen, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Amazon, Announcement, Best Laid Plans, Coverart, Indie Publishing, Launch, Marketing, Rave Reviews Book Club, Tamie Dearen, writing