Laci Maskell's Blog, page 3
December 5, 2014
It's Been A While
Hello all.
I say all like there are people who actually read this. If you are reading this, I appreciate it.
There are some exciting thing happening today. My book will be featured on The Oak Wheel blog as well as Book Tweeter.
For the month of December only, Still Life Moving ebook is $.99. This is a Christmas special. When January rolls around, it will no longer be that price. Links here: Barnes and Noble and Amazon.The paperback is still the same price, but I promise you my book will make a great Christmas present!
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If anyone was wondering, I am hard at work on my next book. I hope to get it finished up soon and edited. However we shall see. I didn't realize rewriting a book could be so hard. I am loving it. But it is proving to be slightly more than slightly difficult. It's like, when you already know what happens it's hard to write it over again. I don't know. I could just be complaining because I can. But there you have it.
Okay. That is all I have for you today. Until next time.
I say all like there are people who actually read this. If you are reading this, I appreciate it.
There are some exciting thing happening today. My book will be featured on The Oak Wheel blog as well as Book Tweeter.
For the month of December only, Still Life Moving ebook is $.99. This is a Christmas special. When January rolls around, it will no longer be that price. Links here: Barnes and Noble and Amazon.The paperback is still the same price, but I promise you my book will make a great Christmas present!
[image error]
If anyone was wondering, I am hard at work on my next book. I hope to get it finished up soon and edited. However we shall see. I didn't realize rewriting a book could be so hard. I am loving it. But it is proving to be slightly more than slightly difficult. It's like, when you already know what happens it's hard to write it over again. I don't know. I could just be complaining because I can. But there you have it.
Okay. That is all I have for you today. Until next time.
October 31, 2014
NaNoWriMo . . . and Other Stuff
NaNoWriMo begins (deep voice) TOMORROW! dun dun dun.
I will not be partaking in NaNoWriMo this year. I am trying to finish the novel I am currently working on so that I can publish it.
I have never actually done NaNo in the proper sense. I have never gotten on line and done the whole word tracker or anything like that. I have used NaNo as a way to help motivate me to finish the projects I am currently working on . But never actually done NaNo. I do hope to one day do it properly. As it was meant to be done.
I really like the concept of NaNoWriMo. I think it teaches its participants many things. Things like hard work and persistence and determination and goals. I think that is essential to learn these things, especially for young people to learn. I think young people who participate in NaNoWriMo, which lasts a month, will carry these teachings with them in the rest of their lives.
Anyway, good luck to the participants of NaNoWriMo this year. I wish you many successes in your endeavors.
Okay. On to other things. I would like to talk today about working on multiple projects at the same time.
As with most other things, I have differing feelings on this. Like most of the other things I talk about, I change my mind on how I feel about that particular thing. Before, I could only work on one project at a time. I would take notes on other projects, but I could never write on more than one project at a time. Then, there was a time where I was working on three projects at once. That got chaotic, but I managed. Now, I am only working on one project. I have thought about working on more than one project, but as of right now, I haven't.
Now, let me tell you what I think about that. As I just mentioned, NaNoWriMo begins tomorrow. I had thought about doing a different story for NaNo and still working on the project I am trying to finish, but I knew there was no way I could swing that. I also thought about using NaNo to finish the project I am working on, but I didn't know if I had the motivation. Also, I am trying to finish my project by the end of November so that I can get it edited and formatted and out for sale by the beginning of next year.
If you couldn't tell already, I have no train of thought. Really I should write these out and then post them. But what is the fun in that.
Anyway, I think that working on multiple projects at one time can be a good thing. If you get stuck on one project you can move on to the next one and work on that till you get stuck. That way, you are always working on a project, always getting a little further on something.
However, if you are working under a deadline then working on multiple projects won't be too beneficial. I also think that if you are really excited about one project you don't want other projects to weigh you down or take away from that project that you love so much.
So, in conclusion, seeing as I've conveyed nothing to you, I think that working on multiple projects at one time is a great thing, but you have to know when to do it and when not to do it.
I will not be partaking in NaNoWriMo this year. I am trying to finish the novel I am currently working on so that I can publish it.
I have never actually done NaNo in the proper sense. I have never gotten on line and done the whole word tracker or anything like that. I have used NaNo as a way to help motivate me to finish the projects I am currently working on . But never actually done NaNo. I do hope to one day do it properly. As it was meant to be done.
I really like the concept of NaNoWriMo. I think it teaches its participants many things. Things like hard work and persistence and determination and goals. I think that is essential to learn these things, especially for young people to learn. I think young people who participate in NaNoWriMo, which lasts a month, will carry these teachings with them in the rest of their lives.
Anyway, good luck to the participants of NaNoWriMo this year. I wish you many successes in your endeavors.
Okay. On to other things. I would like to talk today about working on multiple projects at the same time.
As with most other things, I have differing feelings on this. Like most of the other things I talk about, I change my mind on how I feel about that particular thing. Before, I could only work on one project at a time. I would take notes on other projects, but I could never write on more than one project at a time. Then, there was a time where I was working on three projects at once. That got chaotic, but I managed. Now, I am only working on one project. I have thought about working on more than one project, but as of right now, I haven't.
Now, let me tell you what I think about that. As I just mentioned, NaNoWriMo begins tomorrow. I had thought about doing a different story for NaNo and still working on the project I am trying to finish, but I knew there was no way I could swing that. I also thought about using NaNo to finish the project I am working on, but I didn't know if I had the motivation. Also, I am trying to finish my project by the end of November so that I can get it edited and formatted and out for sale by the beginning of next year.
If you couldn't tell already, I have no train of thought. Really I should write these out and then post them. But what is the fun in that.
Anyway, I think that working on multiple projects at one time can be a good thing. If you get stuck on one project you can move on to the next one and work on that till you get stuck. That way, you are always working on a project, always getting a little further on something.
However, if you are working under a deadline then working on multiple projects won't be too beneficial. I also think that if you are really excited about one project you don't want other projects to weigh you down or take away from that project that you love so much.
So, in conclusion, seeing as I've conveyed nothing to you, I think that working on multiple projects at one time is a great thing, but you have to know when to do it and when not to do it.
October 24, 2014
Titles
Titles are maybe the most important part of a book.
Actually, don't listen to me. I'm sure next week, I will tell you something else that is the most important part of a book, like the book.
Really, everything is important to a book. The cover is the eye catcher. Then the title is the next thing the reader sees. If the title is catchy or sinister or funny, or whatever the title is, it may help draw the reader into your book and make them want to buy it. So, the title is important.
Some of my favorite titles are: Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Love and Decay by Rachel Higginson, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessan, Just One Day by Gayle Foremann, Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira, Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres, Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Mind you these are only a few. But each of these titles evoked some response in me that made me want to read that book. And that is exactly what a title needs to do. It needs to make the reader want to read the book.
I love titles. I love thinking of titles. Even though it may not be the most easy thing. The first book I published is titled Still Life Moving. I think this fits the story perfectly. It is a cool title. It evokes interest in the story. And it explains the story. Kristopher is a vampire. His body is still, unchanging, yet he is still living and the world around his is changing. Therefore we have Still Life Moving.
So, having not explained at all why titles are so important or why you should chose a great title, I will explain a story to you.
I work at Subway. I was filling the chip rack yesterday. It is slightly a monotonous job which allows a lot of time for thinking. As I was filling the chip rack yesterday, I was thinking about book titles and how I wanted to come up with a sinister book title. Now, I can't give a lot away because I don't want to, and it is something that won't probably come up for a long time. But anyway, I was thinking of cool titles. That made me think of my own sinister title. Then I had to come up with a story based on the title. And I did. And it was so awesome. I wish I could tell you about it and how excited I am about it. But I can't. Just know that I spend all day thinking of this story from this title. Things just piled on and oiled on until I had the story and it was a great organic experience. It was great.
Okay, until next time.
Actually, don't listen to me. I'm sure next week, I will tell you something else that is the most important part of a book, like the book.
Really, everything is important to a book. The cover is the eye catcher. Then the title is the next thing the reader sees. If the title is catchy or sinister or funny, or whatever the title is, it may help draw the reader into your book and make them want to buy it. So, the title is important.
Some of my favorite titles are: Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Love and Decay by Rachel Higginson, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessan, Just One Day by Gayle Foremann, Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira, Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres, Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Mind you these are only a few. But each of these titles evoked some response in me that made me want to read that book. And that is exactly what a title needs to do. It needs to make the reader want to read the book.
I love titles. I love thinking of titles. Even though it may not be the most easy thing. The first book I published is titled Still Life Moving. I think this fits the story perfectly. It is a cool title. It evokes interest in the story. And it explains the story. Kristopher is a vampire. His body is still, unchanging, yet he is still living and the world around his is changing. Therefore we have Still Life Moving.
So, having not explained at all why titles are so important or why you should chose a great title, I will explain a story to you.
I work at Subway. I was filling the chip rack yesterday. It is slightly a monotonous job which allows a lot of time for thinking. As I was filling the chip rack yesterday, I was thinking about book titles and how I wanted to come up with a sinister book title. Now, I can't give a lot away because I don't want to, and it is something that won't probably come up for a long time. But anyway, I was thinking of cool titles. That made me think of my own sinister title. Then I had to come up with a story based on the title. And I did. And it was so awesome. I wish I could tell you about it and how excited I am about it. But I can't. Just know that I spend all day thinking of this story from this title. Things just piled on and oiled on until I had the story and it was a great organic experience. It was great.
Okay, until next time.
August 26, 2014
First Lines
All authors love different parts of the writing process. Some like the first line. Some like the first chapter. Some like the middle, or the climax. And some like the ending.
I like a lot of it, but what I probably like the most is the first line of the whole book. This may not be my strongest point. Actually I'd say it's not my strongest point. But I do love first lines. The first line of a book is called the hook. It is what is used to pull the reader into the story and make them want to continue reading it.
Some of my favorite first lines are as follows.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." This of course is from The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien.
"It is the first day of November and so today someone will die." The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.
"'You stop fearing the Devil when you're holding his hand.'" Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve
"What if Shakespeare had it wrong?" Just One Day Gayle Foreman
"The thing is, all memory is fiction." Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick
And of course who can forget. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
There are many ways to write a first line. There are many things you can do with a first line.
A lot of classic books and several modern books use narrative as their first line. The Hobbit quote is an example of this. It is a sparking line that starts the story and continues it.
Several authors these days use a line of dialogue to start their novels. The Devil quote is dialogue used as the first line. It is a good way to open the story interestingly, but also open it quickly and puts the reader right into the story.
Most authors like their first line to have shock value. The Just One Day quote is an example of this. Everyone knows who Shakespeare is. And I'm pretty sure, by now, no one questions him. So What is Foreman doing stating something so boldly? She is using if for shock value. And for me, it worked. I would also say the Heading Out quote does a good job of this. Most people believe their memories to be just that, memories. True memories. Fact. But for Goolrick to state that they are, in fact, fiction, is a bold statement and something that may shock some readers.
Another way to use a first line is to ask a question. The Foreman quote also does this well. Sometimes asking a question is not a good idea. If the reader is asked to engage right away, it may throw the reader off and make them not want to read that book. But asking a question in the first line may be a good way of engaging the reader. If they are ready for it. It may also make them feel important to the story.
You may not see why the first lines of a novel are so important and why they are so vital to the story.
I like a lot of it, but what I probably like the most is the first line of the whole book. This may not be my strongest point. Actually I'd say it's not my strongest point. But I do love first lines. The first line of a book is called the hook. It is what is used to pull the reader into the story and make them want to continue reading it.
Some of my favorite first lines are as follows.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." This of course is from The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien.
"It is the first day of November and so today someone will die." The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.
"'You stop fearing the Devil when you're holding his hand.'" Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve
"What if Shakespeare had it wrong?" Just One Day Gayle Foreman
"The thing is, all memory is fiction." Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick
And of course who can forget. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
There are many ways to write a first line. There are many things you can do with a first line.
A lot of classic books and several modern books use narrative as their first line. The Hobbit quote is an example of this. It is a sparking line that starts the story and continues it.
Several authors these days use a line of dialogue to start their novels. The Devil quote is dialogue used as the first line. It is a good way to open the story interestingly, but also open it quickly and puts the reader right into the story.
Most authors like their first line to have shock value. The Just One Day quote is an example of this. Everyone knows who Shakespeare is. And I'm pretty sure, by now, no one questions him. So What is Foreman doing stating something so boldly? She is using if for shock value. And for me, it worked. I would also say the Heading Out quote does a good job of this. Most people believe their memories to be just that, memories. True memories. Fact. But for Goolrick to state that they are, in fact, fiction, is a bold statement and something that may shock some readers.
Another way to use a first line is to ask a question. The Foreman quote also does this well. Sometimes asking a question is not a good idea. If the reader is asked to engage right away, it may throw the reader off and make them not want to read that book. But asking a question in the first line may be a good way of engaging the reader. If they are ready for it. It may also make them feel important to the story.
You may not see why the first lines of a novel are so important and why they are so vital to the story.
August 16, 2014
Paperback
Hello all. It has been a long time. And that is because I have been spending my time getting the paperback ready for you. So maybe you will forgive me.
So, making the paperback was a lot more difficult than I would have expected. It didn't take as long as I would have expected but at the same time it took far longer than I would have expected. I got it done the way I thought I wanted. And then I turned it into a PDF. And then I went to upload it. Which, when I uploaded it, it said I had an error. So I went back and tried to fix the error, turned it into a new PDF and uploaded it again. Now it said I had three errors. So again I did it all over again. And just saying I did it over again seems easy right? No. Doing it over again took an hour each time. I spent so much time uploading and reuploading this thing. Then I ordered a proof. The proof came in the mail three days later.
Then, I wasn't happy with the proof. Some of the page numbers were touching the last lines on the pages. The don't was too big. The margins were too small. There were just things that I could have lived with but that I wanted to look professional. So I needed to change them.
So I went to change them in the indesign document. But some of the things weren't working. So then I decided to just start all over again. It was a little frustrating.
But alas, I got it turned into a PDF, uploaded it, got the proof, approved the proof, and it is now available on amazon for paperback. After all that work, it is now available.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1500714...
You are welcome. I hope at least some of you buy it. And if you do, thank you.
So, making the paperback was a lot more difficult than I would have expected. It didn't take as long as I would have expected but at the same time it took far longer than I would have expected. I got it done the way I thought I wanted. And then I turned it into a PDF. And then I went to upload it. Which, when I uploaded it, it said I had an error. So I went back and tried to fix the error, turned it into a new PDF and uploaded it again. Now it said I had three errors. So again I did it all over again. And just saying I did it over again seems easy right? No. Doing it over again took an hour each time. I spent so much time uploading and reuploading this thing. Then I ordered a proof. The proof came in the mail three days later.
Then, I wasn't happy with the proof. Some of the page numbers were touching the last lines on the pages. The don't was too big. The margins were too small. There were just things that I could have lived with but that I wanted to look professional. So I needed to change them.
So I went to change them in the indesign document. But some of the things weren't working. So then I decided to just start all over again. It was a little frustrating.
But alas, I got it turned into a PDF, uploaded it, got the proof, approved the proof, and it is now available on amazon for paperback. After all that work, it is now available.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1500714...
You are welcome. I hope at least some of you buy it. And if you do, thank you.
July 29, 2014
Me and Sleep
I LOVE SLEEP! Alas, it does not love me.
I am 23 years old and I love to go to bed at 930 at night. Yes, I know that I am an old lady for going to bed that early. But trust me, if I don't get a lot of sleep, I can be a bear. I get really cranky when I don't get enough sleep. I guess I didn't grow out of that as a child.
Most nights I lie in my bed and wait for sleep. Some nights I wait hours for sleep to take me. This sucks. Most of the time it's because my brain will not shut up. And most of the time it is thinking of useless stuff. Or playing songs. UGH! Like, I appreciate that I have an active brain. It really helps to have an active brain being an author. But when I am tired and want to sleep, I wish I had a switch, like a light, that I could just turn it off. There are a few miraculous nights where I actually get to sleep in a reasonable amount of time. But like I said, these are rare occasions. There was a time that I knew every single word to It Will Rain by Bruno Mars. I would sing this to myself over and over again until I fell asleep. And it actually helped. It's that counting sheep theory.
To get to my point. Sunday night, I was lying in bed, not able to sleep because, well, I just don't think I was tired. So, because I couldn't sleep, I decided to actively think, instead of trying to shut my brain up. Now, I recently published my first book. It is a stand alone book. Which means there will not be a sequel to it involving the same main characters. One of the people who read my book was said because there would not be a sequel. Now, before she had read my book, I was toying with the idea of writing, not a sequel, but a companion book to this one. I knew it would involve the first books' main character's roommate. Wow that was complicated. So, I knew who the main character would be, but that was it. I had no idea if I could even give him a story. I knew I wanted to, I just had no idea what was going to happen.
So, as I laid in my bed, unable to fall asleep, I plotted out almost the entire book. I came up with the love interest. I knew what she would do. I knew what the conflict would be. I knew how it would end. I had it all down. And I was so proud of my brain. I wasn't even upset that I couldn't go to sleep. I hate to sound conceited, but sometimes I am really amazed by some of the things my brain comes up with and how it can connect dots.
So, I use the word so a lot. But besides that, I turned a night of frustration into a night of productivity. I do have to say, even when I don't get sleep because my brain won't shut up, most of the time, right before I'm going to sleep is when I get some of my best ideas.
In conclusion, lack of sleep is not always a bad thing. But only once in a while.
I am 23 years old and I love to go to bed at 930 at night. Yes, I know that I am an old lady for going to bed that early. But trust me, if I don't get a lot of sleep, I can be a bear. I get really cranky when I don't get enough sleep. I guess I didn't grow out of that as a child.
Most nights I lie in my bed and wait for sleep. Some nights I wait hours for sleep to take me. This sucks. Most of the time it's because my brain will not shut up. And most of the time it is thinking of useless stuff. Or playing songs. UGH! Like, I appreciate that I have an active brain. It really helps to have an active brain being an author. But when I am tired and want to sleep, I wish I had a switch, like a light, that I could just turn it off. There are a few miraculous nights where I actually get to sleep in a reasonable amount of time. But like I said, these are rare occasions. There was a time that I knew every single word to It Will Rain by Bruno Mars. I would sing this to myself over and over again until I fell asleep. And it actually helped. It's that counting sheep theory.
To get to my point. Sunday night, I was lying in bed, not able to sleep because, well, I just don't think I was tired. So, because I couldn't sleep, I decided to actively think, instead of trying to shut my brain up. Now, I recently published my first book. It is a stand alone book. Which means there will not be a sequel to it involving the same main characters. One of the people who read my book was said because there would not be a sequel. Now, before she had read my book, I was toying with the idea of writing, not a sequel, but a companion book to this one. I knew it would involve the first books' main character's roommate. Wow that was complicated. So, I knew who the main character would be, but that was it. I had no idea if I could even give him a story. I knew I wanted to, I just had no idea what was going to happen.
So, as I laid in my bed, unable to fall asleep, I plotted out almost the entire book. I came up with the love interest. I knew what she would do. I knew what the conflict would be. I knew how it would end. I had it all down. And I was so proud of my brain. I wasn't even upset that I couldn't go to sleep. I hate to sound conceited, but sometimes I am really amazed by some of the things my brain comes up with and how it can connect dots.
So, I use the word so a lot. But besides that, I turned a night of frustration into a night of productivity. I do have to say, even when I don't get sleep because my brain won't shut up, most of the time, right before I'm going to sleep is when I get some of my best ideas.
In conclusion, lack of sleep is not always a bad thing. But only once in a while.
July 14, 2014
Writing Funny
I love to laugh out loud while reading books. I love funny books and funny moments in serious books. Comedy is a huge part of entertainment, whether it be stand up, books, movies, or TV. So do you have to be a funny person to write funny, or can you just work at it?
I would like to think I am a decently funny person. I get told I'm funny. I've been told I should be a comedian. I make people laugh. So writing funny scenes in my books should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong. Sure, I can write funny scenes, but they don't just come to me. I have to work hard at them. It is one thing to come up with a comeback when you are in a conversation with someone and your mind is sharp. But it is an entirely different thing when you are writing a scene and you need to write something funny, but also something that your character would say, not just how you would react to what the other person said.
Then you have to figure out how funny you want it to be. How long do they have to be funny. Do you just want a good one liner for a punch? There is a lot to being funny in a book. Also, a one liner that may be common to you and your friends, a reader may have no clue what you are talking about. It's a complicated process. For me anyway. I'm sure other authors have no problem being funny.
For me, I write a lot of serious stuff. A lot of dark moments. One of my problems is not having light moments to break up the darkness. Sometimes you need a little humor to break up the tension. Sometimes you need a character to say something funny to add awkwardness. Sometimes you should not put something funny in a serious scene because it will seem crass and break up what you have going. Humor is like walking a tight rope. One of the worst parts about using humor is offending someone. I hate judgmental people and I hate judging period. I hate hurting people's feelings. So when I add humor I have to make sure it doesn't offend anyone or hurt anyone's feelings.
So in conclusion, humor is great, possibly bad, and almost always difficult for me.
My book has been out in the world for two weeks now. I can hardly believe it. If you haven't gotten a digital copy yet, there are several places you can do so.
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/still...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Still-Life-Movi...
Or, if you are waiting for a paperback copy, don't fret. I am working on that this week and will hopefully have that out to you soon.
I would like to think I am a decently funny person. I get told I'm funny. I've been told I should be a comedian. I make people laugh. So writing funny scenes in my books should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong. Sure, I can write funny scenes, but they don't just come to me. I have to work hard at them. It is one thing to come up with a comeback when you are in a conversation with someone and your mind is sharp. But it is an entirely different thing when you are writing a scene and you need to write something funny, but also something that your character would say, not just how you would react to what the other person said.
Then you have to figure out how funny you want it to be. How long do they have to be funny. Do you just want a good one liner for a punch? There is a lot to being funny in a book. Also, a one liner that may be common to you and your friends, a reader may have no clue what you are talking about. It's a complicated process. For me anyway. I'm sure other authors have no problem being funny.
For me, I write a lot of serious stuff. A lot of dark moments. One of my problems is not having light moments to break up the darkness. Sometimes you need a little humor to break up the tension. Sometimes you need a character to say something funny to add awkwardness. Sometimes you should not put something funny in a serious scene because it will seem crass and break up what you have going. Humor is like walking a tight rope. One of the worst parts about using humor is offending someone. I hate judgmental people and I hate judging period. I hate hurting people's feelings. So when I add humor I have to make sure it doesn't offend anyone or hurt anyone's feelings.
So in conclusion, humor is great, possibly bad, and almost always difficult for me.
My book has been out in the world for two weeks now. I can hardly believe it. If you haven't gotten a digital copy yet, there are several places you can do so.
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/still...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Still-Life-Movi...
Or, if you are waiting for a paperback copy, don't fret. I am working on that this week and will hopefully have that out to you soon.
July 7, 2014
Happy Monday
Hello all. My book has been out for a week now. That is exciting. Who actually believed I would have published a book? I had my hopes but I had my doubts. Just kidding. This is what I have wanted to do the most, for the longest time. I could not live if I was not creating stories.
My family likes to give me crap and bring up the story of the time I rehashed to them an episode of Friends I had seen. Now you might not think this would be something worth giving me crap. However, the episode was 30 minutes and it took me about an hour to tell them about it. When they talk about it now, I just tell them that should have given away that I would be a writer. I mean, I had to give them all of the good details. Well, anyway, my book is out!! I am an actual, legit author now. That is so exciting.
IF anyone is interested, it is a great paranormal romance. Who doesn't love those, right? If you have any questions or want to reach me . . .
You can find me at the following places:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laci-M...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaciMaskell
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
Here is where you can find my book
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/still-life-m...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Still-Life-Movi...
If any of you have read my book, I would love it if you would leave a review on any of those websites. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Also, if you've read my book, I hope you enjoyed it.
Also, I am working on formatting my book so that I can get it out to you all in paperback, because I know a lot of you are waiting for that.
Until next time.
My family likes to give me crap and bring up the story of the time I rehashed to them an episode of Friends I had seen. Now you might not think this would be something worth giving me crap. However, the episode was 30 minutes and it took me about an hour to tell them about it. When they talk about it now, I just tell them that should have given away that I would be a writer. I mean, I had to give them all of the good details. Well, anyway, my book is out!! I am an actual, legit author now. That is so exciting.
IF anyone is interested, it is a great paranormal romance. Who doesn't love those, right? If you have any questions or want to reach me . . .
You can find me at the following places:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laci-M...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaciMaskell
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
Here is where you can find my book
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/still-life-m...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Still-Life-Movi...
If any of you have read my book, I would love it if you would leave a review on any of those websites. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Also, if you've read my book, I hope you enjoyed it.
Also, I am working on formatting my book so that I can get it out to you all in paperback, because I know a lot of you are waiting for that.
Until next time.
June 30, 2014
Book Birthday
The day has come! I have published my first book! Happy book birthday to me!
I feel really awesome! I mean, I published a book. I knew this day would come, but I was never really for sure about it. I mean, me, publish a book.
So, it is out there. My book is called Still Life Moving. Right now you can get it as an ebook on Smashwords. Hopefully soon it will be on Barnes and Noble and then Amazon. Also it will eventually be available for Soni and Kobo books and a few others. So check it out. My name is Laci Maskell if any of you wanted or needed to know.
In celebration of publishing my first book, I would like to talk about emotions we get from various mediums like books, music, movies, and so on.
I have been told I am an emotional person. And I will admit, that yes, I am decently emotional. I used to be worse, mind you. I love to cry while watching a movie or reading a book. My siblings find it strange, wondering why I would want to watch sad movies when there is already so much sadness in the world. Here is my explanation, I love to get so attached to characters that I feel the need to cry for them.
Here is a run down of my emotions from books, music, movies, and so on.
When I was 11 years old, my dad and sister took me to The Lord of the Rings against my will. I did not want to see this movie. I didn't think it was my thing. Then I went. I sat in the theater enthralled by the story and the characters. I didn't move or practically breathe for 3 hours. Then the movie was over and I was devastated. I held my composure until we got out into our vehicle. I sat in the truck, silent, trying not to cry. My dad and sister asked how I liked the movie. That is when I cried. They were shocked and asked what was wrong. I merely said, "It ended." I was so in love with these characters and this story that I was crushed that it was over. Trying to help me through my emotional state, they told me that there would be two more movies in the series. It was like the best news I could have ever gotten. So my sister and dad taking me to The Fellowship of the Rings was what started the whole Laci being a person. Or Laci being the person she is today. So really I need to thank my dad and my sister.
I cry watching many movies. PS I Love You. OMG When she says "I loved him and he died. What was the point?" I lose it every time. I mean, you get so attached to this character throughout the movie who has lost her husband and you feel for her. At least I did. I cried so hard. I cried at the end, well several times, while watching The Time Traveler's Wife. After he dies and then comes back years later and his wife does that little hiccup laugh cry thing because she is so happy to see him, I mean how could you not cry watching that. I cried when Cedric Diggory died. I cried watching King Arthur when Lancelot dies. OMG with the crying. I mean, I do laugh and smile a lot, but crying may be the harsher emotion.
I love music almost more than I love anything. I seriously love music. When Katy Perry's Teenage Dream came out I would smile huge ever time I would hear it. I love that song. I love Ed Sheeran songs. I See Fire by Ed Sheeran for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, OMG I love that song! I could listen to that song over and over again. And I do. I am listening to it as I write this post. Also his song for The Fault in our Stars, All of the Stars, I cannot get enough of that song. I love it so much. Wherever You Will Go by the Calling is probably by far my favorite song ever! I love it so much. Also, Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas! OMG I love that song. Not to mention that it is the song they play on every season finale of Supernatural which is one of my favorite shows ever. UGH! I love music so much. Music makes me feel so many things. So, I do like country music so don't get me wrong, but I love rock music way more than country music. And I will tell you why. I challenge anyone who wants to argue with me, to find a country song that has more emotion in it than in any rock song. Rock music so much emotion and energy and passion in it. It fills you with so much you never feel like you are without. I have cried listening to music before. You better believe it.
Now, books. What can I say about books? I love books so much. Mostly I read YA books. But I do love other books. If I didn't love books, I don't think I would have read 91 of them last year. I love books so hard core. I cry a lot when I read books. I laugh a lot when I read books. I cried when I read the last Harry Potter book and he goes out to the forest to face Voldemort and he knows he is going to die. UGH! So sad. I cry a lot when reading books. There are too many to list at the moment, so I will tell you about the one book that kills me every time. And subsequently the movie. The Fault In Our Stars. I know a lot of people love this book and the movie and they feel like it is their own. But really this book is mine! Just Kidding. But man. The Fault in our Stars has got to be my favorite book ever! Lately John Green, or people who write about John Green, have gotten a lot of flack for calling him the teen whisperer. Now, I have mixed emotions about this. I understand where other authors are coming from here. Some of their books are just as good and just as popular as The Fault in our Stars, so they have every right to be mad. However, they cannot deny, I will fight them if they do, that TFIOS is seriously and amazing book. I cry every time I read this book. I have read it 6 times and I openly weep every time I read it. So TFIOS is 313 pages. The first time I read it, I cried from page 203 to the very end. And I read this thing in one sitting. I love this book SO MUCH!!! I can't even really tell you why I love it so much. But I do. When I watched the movie I cried hard core! Hard Core! I recommend this book to everyone I know. It truly is such a great book.
Now, my book. I used beta readers before I published my book to find out if it was any good. I gave it to my best friend. When she was finished reading the book she texted me and was mad. She said she cried, and I told her how happy that made me. Like I said, I think it is very important for the reader, listener, watcher, to get so attached to the characters that their experience with the material elicits some form of emotion from them.
So there you have it folks. I am a big baby who will pretty much cry at anything.
Don't forget, I have published my first book. It is called Still Life Moving by Laci Maskell. It is now available at Smashwords.com and will be available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon soon. If you choose to purchase it I will be greatly appreciative. Also, I will be making it available in paperback soon, so if you do not have an ereader, do not fret, you will be able to get a paper back in the near future. Happy book birthday to me!
I feel really awesome! I mean, I published a book. I knew this day would come, but I was never really for sure about it. I mean, me, publish a book.
So, it is out there. My book is called Still Life Moving. Right now you can get it as an ebook on Smashwords. Hopefully soon it will be on Barnes and Noble and then Amazon. Also it will eventually be available for Soni and Kobo books and a few others. So check it out. My name is Laci Maskell if any of you wanted or needed to know.
In celebration of publishing my first book, I would like to talk about emotions we get from various mediums like books, music, movies, and so on.
I have been told I am an emotional person. And I will admit, that yes, I am decently emotional. I used to be worse, mind you. I love to cry while watching a movie or reading a book. My siblings find it strange, wondering why I would want to watch sad movies when there is already so much sadness in the world. Here is my explanation, I love to get so attached to characters that I feel the need to cry for them.
Here is a run down of my emotions from books, music, movies, and so on.
When I was 11 years old, my dad and sister took me to The Lord of the Rings against my will. I did not want to see this movie. I didn't think it was my thing. Then I went. I sat in the theater enthralled by the story and the characters. I didn't move or practically breathe for 3 hours. Then the movie was over and I was devastated. I held my composure until we got out into our vehicle. I sat in the truck, silent, trying not to cry. My dad and sister asked how I liked the movie. That is when I cried. They were shocked and asked what was wrong. I merely said, "It ended." I was so in love with these characters and this story that I was crushed that it was over. Trying to help me through my emotional state, they told me that there would be two more movies in the series. It was like the best news I could have ever gotten. So my sister and dad taking me to The Fellowship of the Rings was what started the whole Laci being a person. Or Laci being the person she is today. So really I need to thank my dad and my sister.
I cry watching many movies. PS I Love You. OMG When she says "I loved him and he died. What was the point?" I lose it every time. I mean, you get so attached to this character throughout the movie who has lost her husband and you feel for her. At least I did. I cried so hard. I cried at the end, well several times, while watching The Time Traveler's Wife. After he dies and then comes back years later and his wife does that little hiccup laugh cry thing because she is so happy to see him, I mean how could you not cry watching that. I cried when Cedric Diggory died. I cried watching King Arthur when Lancelot dies. OMG with the crying. I mean, I do laugh and smile a lot, but crying may be the harsher emotion.
I love music almost more than I love anything. I seriously love music. When Katy Perry's Teenage Dream came out I would smile huge ever time I would hear it. I love that song. I love Ed Sheeran songs. I See Fire by Ed Sheeran for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, OMG I love that song! I could listen to that song over and over again. And I do. I am listening to it as I write this post. Also his song for The Fault in our Stars, All of the Stars, I cannot get enough of that song. I love it so much. Wherever You Will Go by the Calling is probably by far my favorite song ever! I love it so much. Also, Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas! OMG I love that song. Not to mention that it is the song they play on every season finale of Supernatural which is one of my favorite shows ever. UGH! I love music so much. Music makes me feel so many things. So, I do like country music so don't get me wrong, but I love rock music way more than country music. And I will tell you why. I challenge anyone who wants to argue with me, to find a country song that has more emotion in it than in any rock song. Rock music so much emotion and energy and passion in it. It fills you with so much you never feel like you are without. I have cried listening to music before. You better believe it.
Now, books. What can I say about books? I love books so much. Mostly I read YA books. But I do love other books. If I didn't love books, I don't think I would have read 91 of them last year. I love books so hard core. I cry a lot when I read books. I laugh a lot when I read books. I cried when I read the last Harry Potter book and he goes out to the forest to face Voldemort and he knows he is going to die. UGH! So sad. I cry a lot when reading books. There are too many to list at the moment, so I will tell you about the one book that kills me every time. And subsequently the movie. The Fault In Our Stars. I know a lot of people love this book and the movie and they feel like it is their own. But really this book is mine! Just Kidding. But man. The Fault in our Stars has got to be my favorite book ever! Lately John Green, or people who write about John Green, have gotten a lot of flack for calling him the teen whisperer. Now, I have mixed emotions about this. I understand where other authors are coming from here. Some of their books are just as good and just as popular as The Fault in our Stars, so they have every right to be mad. However, they cannot deny, I will fight them if they do, that TFIOS is seriously and amazing book. I cry every time I read this book. I have read it 6 times and I openly weep every time I read it. So TFIOS is 313 pages. The first time I read it, I cried from page 203 to the very end. And I read this thing in one sitting. I love this book SO MUCH!!! I can't even really tell you why I love it so much. But I do. When I watched the movie I cried hard core! Hard Core! I recommend this book to everyone I know. It truly is such a great book.
Now, my book. I used beta readers before I published my book to find out if it was any good. I gave it to my best friend. When she was finished reading the book she texted me and was mad. She said she cried, and I told her how happy that made me. Like I said, I think it is very important for the reader, listener, watcher, to get so attached to the characters that their experience with the material elicits some form of emotion from them.
So there you have it folks. I am a big baby who will pretty much cry at anything.
Don't forget, I have published my first book. It is called Still Life Moving by Laci Maskell. It is now available at Smashwords.com and will be available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon soon. If you choose to purchase it I will be greatly appreciative. Also, I will be making it available in paperback soon, so if you do not have an ereader, do not fret, you will be able to get a paper back in the near future. Happy book birthday to me!
May 20, 2014
Inspiration
One of the most common question most writers get is, where do you get you inspiration. I am here today to tell you some of the ways I get mine. Now, some of what I have to share is common to a lot of writers, and some is not common. Bare with me.
Now, I don't want to give all of my ideas away, so I may be quite vague with some of the ideas, but I hope the message is there.
Most of my ideas have come from vastly different places. The first book I wrote came from a trend. It is a vampire book. I wrote it on the tail end of the Twilight craze. It was my first book. I thought I needed to have my own vampire book. It was the story I wanted to tell at the time. There were a lot of reasons it is a vampire book, but the main one is because it was the trend.
The second book I wrote was a little different. I wanted to write a book about a certain situation, but I wasn't sure if I was ready, in several ways, to write it. I didn't quite have the characters figured out, or know how certain things would play out. I also didn't know if I had enough knowledge on the subject and so on. Then, one night I was watching the TV show Parenthood. One of the characters said a line of dialogue and suddenly it all clicked for me. I had the characters, I had the situation, I had the emotions, I had everything. And it was all from one line of dialogue from a TV show. Who would have thought.
The third book's idea came from a reverse trend. Sort of. I wanted to write a book like a trend, only one that may start a new trend. Vampires, werewolves, angels. They had all been done. I wanted to find something that either no one had done, or that not many people had done. The trick was, finding something that wasn't that popular, something that I could research, and something I could put my own spin on. I had a couple of ideas, but the research just wasn't there, so I really had to put my spin on it. Also, I wanted this to be my first trilogy, so I had to make sure I could write three books on it, be able to pull it all off, and be able to connect everything. I'm still working on that part. I am currently writing the second book.
I got the idea for a novella series from a dream. Yes, I pulled a Stephenie Meyer, and I don't feel bad about it. Because I love this idea. It was so full in my head and I just had to know what happens. The funny thing was, when I woke up, I couldn't remember the dream. But throughout the day, more of it kept coming back to me and I was like, Holy crap, this is a good story. So anyway, there you have it folks, I got an idea from a dream.
I got the idea for another novella series by combining three things; genetics, a lion documentary, and a TV show. There is this genetic anomaly I am really interested in that I want to use, but like the other story idea, there is almost no research to be found. There was also parts of the lion anatomy, or genetics that I wanted to add to the genetic anomaly. Then there was the TV show aspect. Really the idea has nothing to do with the TV show, but the show was more of a guidance than inspiration. The show was more for pacing a novella series than it was for story inspiration.
I got inspiration for a book title, and nothing else, from a band name.
I got inspiration for a couple ideas based on coming to love a stranger and then it's counterpart, loving a best friend.
So, clearly, I have a lot of ideas. I wish I had more time, motivation, and time to write them. I can be in the middle of a project and get a new idea that I am in love with and it's like, what do I do? Do I finish the current project I am working on, or do I abandon it for the new shiny idea? I will tell you. I have done both. I was in the middle of rewriting a book when I got a new idea. I abandoned the rewrite, which I have yet to finish, and went full steam ahead with the new idea. Right now, I don't do that. I have a notebook I carry everywhere with me that I can write scenes, dialogue, plot and so forth in for any idea so that I can remember it, and also so I don't have to abandon projects.
Really I have no idea what I am doing, I just want every one who reads this to think I do. Thanks for reading.
Now, I don't want to give all of my ideas away, so I may be quite vague with some of the ideas, but I hope the message is there.
Most of my ideas have come from vastly different places. The first book I wrote came from a trend. It is a vampire book. I wrote it on the tail end of the Twilight craze. It was my first book. I thought I needed to have my own vampire book. It was the story I wanted to tell at the time. There were a lot of reasons it is a vampire book, but the main one is because it was the trend.
The second book I wrote was a little different. I wanted to write a book about a certain situation, but I wasn't sure if I was ready, in several ways, to write it. I didn't quite have the characters figured out, or know how certain things would play out. I also didn't know if I had enough knowledge on the subject and so on. Then, one night I was watching the TV show Parenthood. One of the characters said a line of dialogue and suddenly it all clicked for me. I had the characters, I had the situation, I had the emotions, I had everything. And it was all from one line of dialogue from a TV show. Who would have thought.
The third book's idea came from a reverse trend. Sort of. I wanted to write a book like a trend, only one that may start a new trend. Vampires, werewolves, angels. They had all been done. I wanted to find something that either no one had done, or that not many people had done. The trick was, finding something that wasn't that popular, something that I could research, and something I could put my own spin on. I had a couple of ideas, but the research just wasn't there, so I really had to put my spin on it. Also, I wanted this to be my first trilogy, so I had to make sure I could write three books on it, be able to pull it all off, and be able to connect everything. I'm still working on that part. I am currently writing the second book.
I got the idea for a novella series from a dream. Yes, I pulled a Stephenie Meyer, and I don't feel bad about it. Because I love this idea. It was so full in my head and I just had to know what happens. The funny thing was, when I woke up, I couldn't remember the dream. But throughout the day, more of it kept coming back to me and I was like, Holy crap, this is a good story. So anyway, there you have it folks, I got an idea from a dream.
I got the idea for another novella series by combining three things; genetics, a lion documentary, and a TV show. There is this genetic anomaly I am really interested in that I want to use, but like the other story idea, there is almost no research to be found. There was also parts of the lion anatomy, or genetics that I wanted to add to the genetic anomaly. Then there was the TV show aspect. Really the idea has nothing to do with the TV show, but the show was more of a guidance than inspiration. The show was more for pacing a novella series than it was for story inspiration.
I got inspiration for a book title, and nothing else, from a band name.
I got inspiration for a couple ideas based on coming to love a stranger and then it's counterpart, loving a best friend.
So, clearly, I have a lot of ideas. I wish I had more time, motivation, and time to write them. I can be in the middle of a project and get a new idea that I am in love with and it's like, what do I do? Do I finish the current project I am working on, or do I abandon it for the new shiny idea? I will tell you. I have done both. I was in the middle of rewriting a book when I got a new idea. I abandoned the rewrite, which I have yet to finish, and went full steam ahead with the new idea. Right now, I don't do that. I have a notebook I carry everywhere with me that I can write scenes, dialogue, plot and so forth in for any idea so that I can remember it, and also so I don't have to abandon projects.
Really I have no idea what I am doing, I just want every one who reads this to think I do. Thanks for reading.
