Kathleen Pooler's Blog, page 35
August 28, 2015
Lessons Learned From Author Interviews: A WOW Blog Tour with Jennifer Roland
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Jennifer Roland/@jenroland
Please join me in welcoming freelance and marketing author Jennifer Roland on her Wow Women on Writing Blog Tour for her new book, Ten Takes on Writing.
Welcome, Jen!
Freelance Author Jennifer Roland
Lessons Learned From Author Interviews
I love personality and work style tests. I take them whenever offered. So, I know that:
I’m an INFJ. (Meyers-Briggs)
My D and my S are higher than my i and my C in my natural style. (DiSC)
My archetypes are Intellectual, Creative, and Visionary, in that order. (Archetypes.com)
And Learner is one of my strengths. (Strengths Finder)
When you add that together, it seems to say that I love to learn, and writing is a great way for me to do that because I can research and use my creativity to process that research. And interviewing experts is a great way to research and take advantage of my introverted tendencies.
So Pacific Northwest Writers was the perfect book for me to write. It brought together something I love and want to learn more about (writing) with the opportunity to pick the brains of published/produced writers and share their writing lessons with other writers out there.
Here are some of the top takeaways I got from speaking with these people about their craft.
Try Something Different
Patricia Briggs told me one of the best things a writer could do is take an acting class. Actors learn how to take limited information and create a fully realized character, which is an important skill for a writer.
Actors and writers have slightly different tools in their repertoires to create these fully realized characters, of course, but the basic building blocks are the same.
Be Willing to Give up Control
Greg Rucka writes for graphic novels, which means he creates a story, then gives it to his artist to bring it to life. He told me that he is willing to change words to better fit the graphic narrative when the artist has a different idea — and that the artist often helps create a better story than he originally conceived.
Much as we all love the words we’ve come up with, we need to be willing to give them up when an editor or critique partner tells us something isn’t working. You may find that the edited piece works even better.
Remember that All Writing Benefits Your Craft
For the next two weeks, I have a day job that requires writing. I do freelance writing in my off-hours. That means I spend a lot of time working with words, answering the questions about the best word to use to convey a meaning, how to make what I’m writing more succinct, and what techniques to use to be the most clear I can be. After my tenure at my day job ends, I will likely be spending just as much time on writing, as I work on future installments in the 10 Takes on Writing series, serve writing clients, and make time for fiction.
I know that some writers pursue day jobs outside of writing, to keep their paid work from robbing their creative inspiration, but that isn’t how it plays out for me. As Eric Witchey says in Pacific Northwest Writers, no matter what you’re writing, “It’s still the manipulation of little black squiggles on a white background.”
***
Thank you Jennifer for sharing these valuable writing tips with us. You show how knowing ourselves is the first step in approaching a satisfying writing career.
***
Ten Takes on Writing summary: From novelists to poets to playwrights, Jennifer Roland interviews a variety of authors who have one thing in common — they have all chosen to make the Pacific Northwest their home. Covering a diversity of disciplines — from comics, fantasy, and detective novels to long-form poetry and illustrated children’s series — 10 distinguished authors provide unique perspectives about their craft, provide helpful writing advice and tips for success, and share their passion for living and writing in the Pacific Northwest.
About the Author: Jennifer Roland is a freelance and marketing writer with more than 20 years experience in newspaper, magazine, and marketing environments. Jennifer also works as a virtual assistant to writers, helping them build their online presence and connect with readers so they can focus on what they love — writing.
She loves fiction and writes that under the name Jennifer C. Rodland. She hopes to put all of the lessons she learned writing this book into getting more of that published.
Jennifer can be found online at:
http://instagram.com/thejenroland
How about you? What was the most important writing lesson you learned?
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
Next Week:
Monday, 08/31/15:
“Writing About Writing: The Process Journal”
August 2015 Newsletter: ” The Fine Art of Doing Nothing” If you are interested in receiving this monthly newsletter with updates, memoir musings and Max moments, please sign-up in the right side bar under the blog sign-up. I’d love to have you!
August 24, 2015
Why Grief Matters by Memoir Author Daisy Hickman
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Daisy Hickman/@dhSunwriter
“Between grief and nothing, I will take grief.” ― William Faulkner
The loss of a child resonates with all parents and is often described as “a parent’s worst nightmare”. To endure this unfathomable loss is one thing but to write about it and share the depths of the grief and sorrow is another.
I am very pleased to feature Daisy Hickman in this guest post about grief. She speaks from her heart about the devastating loss of her beloved 27-year old son and the memoir she is in the process of writing; about how her own personal grief matters and why.
Daisy and I met online several years ago. I am drawn to Daisy’s eloquent and inspirational writing about life and loss. She has a way of puling her reader away from the chaos and into a place of quiet reflection.
My reviews of her published memoir, Always Returning: The Wisdom of Place can be found on Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing and Riffle
Welcome, Daisy!
Memoir Author Daisy Hickman
Why Grief Matters
In choosing to write a memoir about loss, I realized that death teaches us more about life than just about anything else. And though every ending is a beginning in disguise, it takes a very long time to find that glittering golden thread weaved into the fabric of daily life.
But don’t most things that truly matter demand a great deal of us?
I must admit, however, this was a challenge I resisted. I wanted grief to be understandable and brief. No such thing, of course. Grief is neither. And once it moved into my life with the loss of my son in 2007, it stayed, and stayed, and stayed.
I wasn’t remotely prepared for the curious demands of loss, but who is, I wonder. Would a saint be prepared, someone braver than I, perhaps? Or someone who simply moved on with a heavy shrug of the shoulders, a fierce sigh, a wistful expression?
With heavy footsteps each breath felt laborious for a long time. The wind knocked out of me with a force I’d never imagined possible.
From my memoir: “I knew I was no longer in the driver’s seat. Grief was at the wheel. Now I was a reluctant passenger in my own life – the one hiding in the far back, cringing, half numb, asking impossible questions, suggesting a vastly different route. Begging for a smoother ride to an unknown destination. But grief, I would come to learn, was the keeper of fearsome secrets: what death means, how profound sorrow instantly invades every aspect of existence, how to survive its uncompromising intensity.”
Those fearsome secrets saved me.
Not from grief or the harsh reality of saying good-bye to someone I’d loved for 27 years; not from my son’s painful absence, or the years of soul searching that his death ushered into my life. Rather, those secrets saved me from the abyss of time, from believing it was real.
Einstein told us that time is an illusion, but do we really believe him?
I’m not sure I even knew what he meant until time ceased to matter, until I spent seven years writing a book that forced me to come to terms with the many ways in which time skews our perceptions and beliefs. Yes, it took dedication: a sustained willingness to confront the biggest mysteries of existence. It also required a bit of courage to search deeply with a receptive heart to whatever might arise.
But now I know exactly how much grief matters, and why. Without it, how would we encounter the depth of our own souls? As a powerful catalyst for change, personal growth, and deepening perspectives, there really is no comparison out there. Everything pales when viewed against the tremendous urgency of sorrow.
I’ve been working on a book title, and interestingly, this process has mirrored the difficulty of the path itself. The path of loss I found myself on so unwillingly, so fearfully.
Many ideas surfaced. Some even lasted for a few weeks or months, but I had to dig deep, wait patiently, for the precise words to surface, to stay. The memoir I never expected to write now has a title that instantly, like a sudden whirlwind, takes me back to the very moment of loss. By pointing to a most remarkable truth, one revealed in a context that can never be forgotten, the title somehow reflects the full-circle nature of my journey. Surprisingly so.
Maybe the right title should shock us a bit. For me, it was right in front of me all along. And I’d gotten very close to it several times, but never quite hit the nail on the head, so to speak, until I’d waded through many other options that could have worked. I didn’t want to settle before I felt ready, though. The project meant too much; I’d worked too hard.
When suffering through the heavy days of grief, I also wanted things to happen sooner, more easily. I wanted to feel better before it was possible, yearned to find comfort and trust in a life that was gone. Like most of us, I tried everything (suffered more because of it) to hold on to what I could no longer have – the unpredictable, temporary nature of life would not permit it.
Similarly, before the dawn of knowing and discovery arrived, I wanted the other titles to “work” so I could feel focused, certain, and confident of my direction. But nothing happens before we are ready to hear, to see, to learn – to grow. The creative process, like grief, mandates that we tunnel in the dark for as long as it takes, period.
The glittering gold thread of discovery is well hidden, isn’t it? But without the search, who are we, really? We wouldn’t begin to know. ~
***
Thank you, Daisy for inviting us into your brave story of navigating your way through the unfathomable loss of your son and for showing us how grief matters. You have many wisdoms to share and provide a guiding light for all of us, especially for those who have experienced the loss of a beloved child. My hope is that you will find peace and healing in writing this upcoming memoir. Thank you for sharing.
***
Daisy A. Hickman is a poet, an author, and the 2010 founder of SunnyRoomStudio—a creative, sunny space for kindred spirits. Includes author blog and features Studio Guests (other authors, artists). Hickman holds a master’s degree in sociology (Iowa State University), and earned her bachelor’s degree at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. A member of the Academy of American Poets and South Dakota State Poetry Society, she is at work on a poetry collection and is pondering writing a new book, The Zen of Noah, about her beloved schnauzer.
For author updates or to subscribe to Hickman’s blog, visit SunnyRoomStudio.com or just find SunnyRoomStudio on Facebook or Twitter.
Contact Information:
Website:wisdom@sunnyroomstudio.com
Twitter @dhSunwriter
email: bluestardah101@zoho.com
Published works:
Always Returning: The Wisdom of Place (second edition, Heart Resides, Capturing Morning Press, 2014.
Synopsis:
We all live somewhere, but have you figured out how to draw wisdom from your surroundings? If not, this book is for you. Wisdom isn’t some fancy paradigm rarely discovered. It’s within each person; it’s only a matter of looking to the deeper aspects of life no matter where you live. And it’s about consulting your heart for timeless messages of compassion, awareness, hope, and empathy. We’re always returning, coming back, coming round, as our perceptions ripen: as we gather the delicate strands of our lives, time and time again. Only an inner wisdom can help you connect a world of incessant surface activity with a deeper awareness. The prairie landscape invites contemplation and reflection, quietly urging us to look within for universal truths. If you’re looking for a book that speaks to your soul, you’ll love this book. Our spirits, our hearts, point to a timeless wisdom. ALWAYS RETURNING is an insightful and essential guide. How do we tune in more fully, more consistently, to that which we already know? We need something (time and time again) to draw us inward. A place or a situation, an intuitive knowing. An open landscape that silently tugs at the senses – at the soul.
Where the Heart Resides: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie (William Morrow, Eagle Brook imprint, 1999.
***
How about you? How has grief impacted you?
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
Next Week:
Monday, 08/31/15:
“Writing About Writing: The Process Journal”
August 2105 Monthly Newsletter: “The Fine Art of Doing Nothing” (There is a sign-up form in the right side bar if you are interested in receiving the newsletter)
August 17, 2015
Mom Goes Into Assisted Living: A Memoir Moment
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“Life is one big transition” ~ Willie Stargell
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons
Mom Goes Into Assisted Living:A Memoir Moment
I had always heard that moving an aging parent out of their home is one of the hardest tasks an adult child has to face and now my siblings and I know what it feels like firsthand. In our case, we are moving our 92 year -old Mom into Assisted Living at her request. We had seen it coming gradually over the past year and we’re hopeful she would agree. We are all on the same page with the overall goal to maximize Mom’s quality of life, safety, and well-being. It has gone as smoothly as such a difficult event can but…
the roller coaster ride of emotions that have cropped up has made me think about life transitions and how they affect us…
Did you ever look at a photo from the past and find yourself doing a mental inventory of what has happened in your life since that photo was taken?
It seems we get so caught up in the busyness of daily life with all its demands and distractions that we lose sight of all the transitions –big and small-that have occurred over the intervening years. Some are obvious and life-altering, like a job change, a birth, a death, an illness. And some are as simple and minor as adapting to a change in grocery stores.
Our first impulse as humans, whether it’s a big or small change, is to resist the need to move out of the familiar and into the new and unknown. Thankfully, we’re adaptable and eventually get used to our new path.
As T.S. Eliot noted:
What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
Each transition is like a story with a beginning, middle and end. We know there will be anxiety, stress, even excitement and we hold out for hope that it will bring good things.
I’ve written about Mom and how she has amazed us with her spunk and feistiness. For the five years since Dad died she has exceeded our greatest expectations that she live her life independently and happily. Going to YMCA and working out, visiting the elderly in the community, volunteering at the local food pantry, dancing at family weddings and continuing to nourish and delight us with her delicious cooking have all been evidence.
But, age has a way of creeping up and Mom has slowed down. She still has a lot of life left in her but simple tasks have become difficult. And perhaps the most obvious and difficult aspect of outliving friends and her beloved spouse, is the haunting loneliness. She’s ready to turn over the car keys, put the house on the market and be with people her own age. Socialization is a key to her happiness.
Her new home will be nearby and we will be there for her as she has been there for us all these years.
It’s a good thing. She’ll be in a safe, caring environment with many options for socializing. She won’t have to worry about the furnace breaking down in the middle of winter or the car battery dying. We won’t to have to worry about her falling down the cellar stairs on her way to do laundry or her being alone in her two-story home all winter. By the way, she’s still feisty and independent enough to absolutely refuse to live with any of her children. This has been her decision.
She’s ready. I’m the one who is still resisting giving up the old even though I know in my heart, this is what’s best for her.
***
I look at this photo from 2003 and I recall the joy of our visit. This is Aunt Rose, Mom’s sister with Dad and Mom. Their smiles tell the whole story of how much they enjoyed each other’s company.
Aunt Rose , Dad and Mom, 2003
Aunt Rose lived near me and when I went to Corning, 200 miles away, I always invited her—weeks in advance– to come along. She’d hem and haw, “Now till then, Kathy..” giving me all sorts of excuses , like “ I have to do my bills”. She didn’t like change either! But, most of the time, she relented and always ended up being happy she did.
Aunt Rose was like visiting royalty and we all loved it when she visited. I smile every time I recall the sweet memory of those visits.
I will miss the home we moved into when I was 11 years old:
I will miss Mom greeting me at the front door when I arrived for a visit:
Bittersweet indeed…
But much to our relief, Mom is excited about her move. She has visited the facility, dined with the residents, and picked out a room. Of course, the insurance company will have the final say. Until then, she is like a young woman striking out on her own and moving into her first apartment.
Once again, I am reminded that life is a cycle of pain, joys,hurts,healing with the hope that we can always start anew.
This is a new chapter for Mom and our family. I pray that Mom’s new chapter will bring her the peace, joy and happiness she so richly deserves. And I pray we can all gracefully let go of the past and let the present be the best it can be.
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” Lao Tzu
Mom and I visit her new home, 2015
How about you? What transitions have been bittersweet for you? How do you let go of what was and accept what is?
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
This week:
Friday, 08/21/15:
“Why Memoir Writing is a Spiritual Journey”, my guest post on Daisy Hickman’s SunnyRoom Studio blog
Next Week:
Monday, 08/24/15:
‘Why Grief Matters by Memoir Author Daisy Hickman”, author of Always Returning:The Wisdom of Place.
August 10, 2015
Drawing Out the Sting: Finding Forgiveness by Memoir Author Gwendolyn Plano
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Gwendolyn Plano/@gmplano
“Forgiveness does not mean condoning what has been done. It means taking what happened seriously and not minimizing it; drawing out the sting in the memory that threatens our entire existence.” ~Archbishop Desmond TuTu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
What a powerful message from a powerful man. The ability to forgive and let go of past hurts is one of the most difficult challenges many of us face in life. It is my pleasure to feature memoir author Gwendolyn Plano in this guest post about the value of forgiveness. Gwen’s memoir, Letting Go Into Perfect Love is a beautiful testimony to the healing power of forgiveness that can serve as a guide for all of us. We met on Facebook when Gwen reached out to me. Through reading each other’s memoirs, we realized that writing our stories had helped us to find freedom and peace through forgiving our past and also forgiving ourselves. These meaningful connections nurture my soul. I hope you will find nourishment for yourself in Gwen’s eloquent words.
My review of her memoir can be found on Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, and Riffle.
Welcome, Gwen!
Memoir Author Gwendolyn Plano
Drawing Out the Sting: Finding Forgiveness
Thank you, Kathleen, for this opportunity to join you today. When I read your beautiful book, Ever Faithful To His Lead, I realized we share a similar past and a common present. Our travels have taken us into and out of fear. And, as part of that journey, we have learned what it means to forgive. Today I will share a bit about the process of forgiveness.
Many of us have grown up with the Lord’s Prayer; we recite it almost automatically. The line, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” rolls from our lips as easily as greetings on the street. Unless we have faced a situation that seems to be unforgiveable, we may give little thought to the verse.
It is the unforgivable situations that make us question the validity of forgiveness.
An example…Two years ago, Ariel Castro was arrested for kidnapping and brutalizing three young women for more than a decade. As the story unfolded, the nation gasped in horror. How could this happen, we asked. And when Castro’s prior history of violence emerged, we were stunned into silence. If only appropriate action had been taken, if only…
How does one forgive a person like Castro, or someone else who has taken away part of our life? How can we forgive someone who has inflicted such suffering?
As Bishop Desmond Tutu claimed, drawing out the sting is crucial to recovery for anyone who has been traumatized by another.
After the three young women escaped from their prison, they began the arduous task of rebuilding their lives. One recently spoke of forgiving her abuser, explaining that she was determined to free herself of him in all ways. She has resolved to draw out the sting.
Because of the sorrows of these three young women, we may recognize our suppressed anger over the molestation of a child, or our dormant bitterness toward an abusive spouse, or our desire for revenge toward anyone who has threatened or taken the life of someone we love. The rage we feel towards such injustice can expose that which remains unforgiven in our hearts.
If we unravel our feelings a bit, we may find that we associate forgiveness with reconciliation or acceptance or forgetting, but true forgiveness is quite the opposite.
To forgive the unforgivable, we must allow our screaming, hurting, mourning heart to speak. When this pain is expressed, we can offer comfort to ourselves by summoning love and tenderness, by embracing this injured part of who we are. Forgiveness does not mean making peace with the offender nor does it mean justice, because forgiveness is not about the offender. Forgiveness is about ourselves.
My life journey has included domestic violence and the sexual abuse of my daughter by clergy. When I began the healing journey, my spiritual director would not allow me to step over the offenses or minimize their impact in any way. He insisted that I had to see the atrocities for what they were—violations, aberrations; and then he guided me in loving the broken part of me. His tenacity helped me see that suffering does not define us, but it can constrict us.
When we draw out the sting (by honoring the feelings lodged within our hearts), we loosen the binds that limit our lives; and, we open our hearts to the possibility of healing.
True forgiveness for me has been and is a progression of faltering baby steps through a storm of flying debris. With time and patience, I have learned to walk more freely. And what began as struggle is now ease.
I have found that it is through self-love that we find love, and letting go into Perfect Love transforms our past and creates the present we’ve only known in our dreams.
***
Thank you Gwen for sharing these powerful words, spoken from the heart of your real-life story. We can all benefit from your reminders to free ourselves from life’s struggles through forgiveness.
***
Brief description of the book:
Letting Go into Perfect Love is a story about our shared journey to wholeness. Though each person’s life experiences are unique, we all know heartache at some point in time. Most of us would not have chosen our life difficulties, but it is through these hurdles that we chart our way to find the love we seek.
As a college administrator, Gwen’s work was visible and accountable. No one knew that after hours and behind closed doors, she experienced the terror of domestic violence. It was her secret; it was her shame. When her children came to know that same fear, however, she could no longer pretend that all was well.
The book exposes the stages of domestic violence; and, it reveals the devastation of childhood sexual molestation; but it concludes with the healing experiences of an extraordinary kind.
The book will most likely evoke both tears of sadness—and tears of joy. More than anything, though, it will bring you home to your own heart.
Author bio:
Gwendolyn M Plano spent her professional life in higher education. She taught and served as an administrator in colleges in New York, Connecticut and California. She has multiple academic degrees, including one in Theology and one in Counseling. Recently Gwen retired, and she now devotes herself to writing, travel, volunteer work, and her beautiful grandchildren.
Author Contact Information:
WebsiteBlog: From Sorrow to Joy, Perfect Love
Email: gwenplano@gmail.com
How about you? Have you experienced the freedom that comes from forgiving others and yourself?
Gwen has graciously offered to give away a copy of her memoir to a random commenter.
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
Next Week:
Monday, 08/17/15: ” Mom Goes Into Assisted Living : A Memoir Moment”
August 6, 2015
Timing and the Creative Process by Lily Iona MacKenzie: A WOW Blog Tour
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Lily Iona MacKenzie/@lilyionamac
“You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you’ve got timing, it’ll go.”~Yogi Berra
Please join me in welcoming Author Lily Iona Mackenzie in this WOW Women on Writing Blog Tour for her new book, Fling. Lily shares her thoughts on how timing impacts creativity and success. We all know life, in general, is “all about timing” so let’s see what she say about how it affects success in writing.
Welcome, Lily!
Author Lily Iona MacKenzie
TIMING AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS
I’m thinking today of timing—how important it is to success. Timing and perseverance: the two go together. I’m also noticing the seasonal aspect of creativity, how cyclic it is. That too is hard to grasp. I want it all the time. I’m afraid if it isn’t there, it won’t return. But I need to remember that if I pursue my creative impulses, and if they’re in accordance with my abilities, then there will be success. Maybe not financially, though that would be nice. But I’ll experience the satisfaction of achieving what I’m capable of.
I must keep in mind that the cup will empty and fullness will recede, as happens each night with the waxing and waning energies of the moon. I can’t help but hear “moo” when I write moon, those old nursery rhymes of the cow jumping over the moon still playing in my imagination. Of course, cows are very much moon creatures, with their emptying and filling, the various stomachs they have for digesting food that turns into nourishing milk. They’re a wonderful symbol for the creative person.
Perseverance is the key word. I need to keep this in mind to combat the bombardment of negative things I’m reading currently about being a writer. Not only is publishing like finding a needle in a haystack—especially publishing fiction—but also only five percent of writers support themselves on their writing.
***
“Fling” summary: Lily Iona MacKenzie’s debut novel Fling!, a wildly comic romp on mothers, daughters, art, and travel, will be published by Pen-L Publishing in July 2015. The book should appeal to a broad range of readers. While the main characters are middle-aged and older, their zest for life would draw readers of all ages, male or female, attracting the youthful adventurer in most people. The heart of the book is how they approach their aging selves and are open to new experiences.
About Fling!: When ninety-year-old Bubbles receives a letter from Mexico City asking her to pick up her mother’s ashes, lost there seventy years earlier and only now surfacing, she hatches a plan. A woman with a mission, Bubbles convinces her hippie daughter Feather to accompany her on the quest. Both women have recently shed husbands and have a secondary agenda: they’d like a little action. And they get it.
Alternating narratives weave together Feather and Bubbles’ odyssey. The two women travel south from Canada to Mexico where Bubbles’ long-dead mother, grandmother, and grandfather turn up, enlivening the narrative with their hilarious antics.
In Mexico, where reality and magic co-exist, Feather gets a new sense of her mother, and Bubbles’ quest for her mother’s ashes—and a new man—increases her zest for life. Unlike most women her age, fun-loving Bubbles takes risks, believing she’s immortal. She doesn’t hold back in any way, eating heartily and lusting after strangers, exulting in her youthful spirit.
Readers will believe they’ve found the fountain of youth themselves in this character. At ninety, Bubbles comes into her own, coming to age, proving it’s never too late to fulfill one’s dreams.
***
About the Author: A Canadian by birth, a high school dropout, and a mother at 17, in her early years, Lily Iona MacKenzie supported herself as a stock girl in the Hudson’s Bay Company, as a long distance operator for the former Alberta Government Telephones, and as a secretary (Bechtel Corp sponsored her into the States). She also was a cocktail waitress at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, briefly broke into the male-dominated world of the docks as a longshoreman (and almost got her legs broken), founded and managed a homeless shelter in Marin County, and eventually earned two Master’s degrees (one in Creative writing and one in the Humanities). She has published reviews, interviews, short fiction, poetry, travel pieces, essays, and memoir in over 140 American and Canadian venues. Fling, one of her novels, will be published in July 2015 by Pen-L Publishing. Bone Songs, another novel, will be published in 2016. Her poetry collection All This was published in 2011. She also teaches writing at the University of San Francisco, is vice-president of USF’s part-time faculty union, paints, and travels widely with her husband. Visit her blog at:
Author Contact Information:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lily-Iona-MacKenzie/829244327113557
lilyionamackenzie.wordpress.com
Amazon link:
***
Thank you Lily for reminding us of the importance of timing and perseverance in writing. I wish you much success with Fling. I love the idea of never giving up on a dream.
***
How about you? How has timing affected your creativity and, therefore, your success?
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
Next Week:
Monday, August 10, 2015: “Drawing Out The Sting: Finding Forgiveness by Memoir Author Gwendolyn Plano”, author of Letting Go into Perfect Love: Discovering the Extraordinary After Abuse. Gwen will be offering a book giveaway to a random commenter.
August 3, 2015
The Writerâs Digest Conference East 2015 Takeaways: Breakthroughs Happen Here
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“We write alone but no one succeeds alone.” Vaughn Roycroft, Writer Unboxed panel
Writerâs conferences provide a wonderful opportunity to learn/improve the art and craft of writing, assess the effectiveness of your author platform and network with other writers and authors, publishers, agents and editors.
Writer Unboxed Panel discussion at Writer’s Digest Conference 2015 in NYC
Iâve been attending national writerâs conferences since 2009 when I began this writing journey which has taken me through steep learning curves and moments of triumph. Following the publication of my memoir, Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse in July,2014, I approached this year Writerâs Digest Conference with an eye on refining and maximizing what I have been building over the past five-plus years .
Because itâs not only about writing a book. Itâs about a lifestyle focused on tapping into your creativity and spreading your message and lifeâs work to the world.
The Writerâs Digest Conference offers a nice balance of craft and business in a motivating and inspirational environment. This year the theme, Breakthroughs Happen Here offered the promise that anyone with a dream can make it happenâ¦
A few takeaways…
There’s so much more but I hope you will enjoy a few highlights on writing craft, business, and publishing:
Writing for magazines.. a panel of freelance experts stressed the importance of knowing the magazine you are pitching and align your pitch to their mission. “get the right pitch and have a great headline.” Platform does not make or break a writer for magazine submissions. Content needs to be original, i.e. no previously published blog posts , however you can re-purpose the content.
Book Marketing: Â NYT best selling Author and founder of AuthorBuzz.com (marketing service that puts authors in touch with readers), M.J. Rose talked about discoverability and asked: ” How did you discover your last book? Pay attention to what worked for you and duplicate it for your book.”
Be optimistic when writing your story but be realistic about publishing your book and making money from it. Otherwise, you will be miserable.
Don’t commit “social media suicide”..spend all your time on social media and neglect your writing. 1% of book buyers buy your book from your website and social media channels.
Develop multiple products around your book…free eBooks, speaking engagements.
Build your email list to reach your readers.
Publishing:
Many options. Whichever one you choose, commit to quality.
Literary Agent April Eberhardt: “‘Partnership publishing’Â will be the way of the future. You own the rights and have creative control, they have a shared stake in your success. Reputable examples: SheWritesPress, Booktrope , InkShares, White Cloud Press, Turning Stone Press, SheBooks, EtruscanBooks.”
Check out the reputation and credibility of publishers and editors on Editors and Predators.
Query Letters:
Literary agent Janet Reid of Query Shark blog offered her tips and trademark humor about writing query letters.
“Be stark, make your point, get to the meat of the story. A query letter is a business letter”
“Words are your tools, use them wisely”
Marketing Strategy:Â
A panel discussion with Jonathan Maberry, Dan Blank, Nina Amir and C.P. Ching
“Bring yourself into the marketing, be part of the community, promote others.” Jonathan Maberry
“Think of marketing ahead of time, identify the life cycle of your book” Dan Blank
“Nothing sells books more than more books. Have a business plan that includes promotion” Nina Amir
Journalist and publishing consultant Porter Anderson introduced a new discoverability platform whereby authors can upload their ebooks for inclusion  in the state library collection system and consideration for the national level. A win-win situation and its free to authors. It’s at the top of my to-do list for this week.
The Writing Life: Â Â
Gabriela Pereira Author, Writing Teacher and Founder of DIYMFA shared her Mindfulness Manifesto which included,
“Honor your reality;
Best practice is what works best for you;
Resistance is a sign you are onto something.”
Author,Editor, Writing Teacher  Jordan Rosenfeld discussed the importance of  persistence and passion in being  writer. Her Writer’s Code includes:
Claim your writing as a practice, the foundation of which is passion. Her recipe for persistence=Practice, Polish and Persist.
“Starting anywhere will get you somewhere.”
“Writers must sweat the small stuff (sentences,words) so the big stuff (our ideas) can rise up.” Author Rebecca McClanahan, Word Painting.
“Always keep writing… no matter what. Be afraid of how disappointed you’ll be with yourself if you don’t do it.”Author Nathan Bransford
“Writing is both mirrors and windows” Keynote speaker, Author Jacqueline Woodson
NonFiction Book Proposals by Phil Sexton, Vice-resident and Group Publisher, Writer’s Digest
“Proposals must demonstrate the value of the book, why you are the right author and who is the reader.”
 ***
This is by no means the sum and substance of the entire conference. Porter Anderson live tweeted the main conference sessions. If you’re on twitter, you can follow #WDC15 and capture the essence of these sessions.
As always, networking with writer friends, old and new is always a highlight of any conference. Meeting or reconnecting with an online friend in person or connecting with new friends is rejuvenating and fun.
Writing buddies Julie, Viki and Gabi
My son lives on New York City so seeing him is always a personal highlight.
As far as breakthroughs…yes, I did have a major one…the one I was hoping for, my son’s blessing to move forward with the story that has been bubbling up inside of me and stalled by my own fears and doubts.
“It’s a your story, Mom,” he said, without hesitation, “pour it out on the page and then we’ll talk. Don’t censor yourself.”
I couldn’t have asked for more.
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons
How about you? What conferences have you attended lately? What takeaways or breakthroughs can you share?
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
THIS WEEK:
Thursday, 08/06/15: Â
“Timing and the Creative Process by Author Lily Iona MacKenzie: A WOW Blog Tour, author of Fling, Women’s Fiction
NEXT WEEK:
Monday, 08/10/15:
“Drawing Out the Sting: Finding Forgiveness by Memoir Author Gwendolyn Plano, author of Letting Go Into Perfect Love:Discovering the Extraordinary After Abuse
The Writer’s Digest Conference East 2015 Takeaways: Breakthroughs Happen Here
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“We write alone but no one succeeds alone.” Vaughn Roycroft, Writer Unboxed panel
Writer’s conferences provide a wonderful opportunity to learn/improve the art and craft of writing, assess the effectiveness of your author platform and network with other writers and authors, publishers, agents and editors.
Writer Unboxed Panel discussion at Writer’s Digest Conference 2015 in NYC
I’ve been attending national writer’s conferences since 2009 when I began this writing journey which has taken me through steep learning curves and moments of triumph. Following the publication of my memoir, Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse in July,2014, I approached this year Writer’s Digest Conference with an eye on refining and maximizing what I have been building over the past five-plus years .
Because it’s not only about writing a book. It’s about a lifestyle focused on tapping into your creativity and spreading your message and life’s work to the world.
The Writer’s Digest Conference offers a nice balance of craft and business in a motivating and inspirational environment. This year the theme, Breakthroughs Happen Here offered the promise that anyone with a dream can make it happen…
A few takeaways…
There’s so much more but I hope you will enjoy a few highlights on writing craft, business, and publishing:
Writing for magazines.. a panel of freelance experts stressed the importance of knowing the magazine you are pitching and align your pitch to their mission. “get the right pitch and have a great headline.” Platform does not make or break a writer for magazine submissions. Content needs to be original, i.e. no previously published blog posts , however you can re-purpose the content.
Book Marketing: NYT best selling Author and founder of AuthorBuzz.com (marketing service that puts authors in touch with readers), M.J. Rose talked about discoverability and asked: ” How did you discover your last book? Pay attention to what worked for you and duplicate it for your book.”
Be optimistic when writing your story but be realistic about publishing your book and making money from it. Otherwise, you will be miserable.
Don’t commit “social media suicide”..spend all your time on social media and neglect your writing. 1% of book buyers buy your book from your website and social media channels.
Develop multiple products around your book…free eBooks, speaking engagements.
Build your email list to reach your readers.
Publishing:
Many options. Whichever one you choose, commit to quality.
Literary Agent April Eberhardt: “‘Partnership publishing’ will be the way of the future. You own the rights and have creative control, they have a shared stake in your success. Reputable examples: SheWritesPress, Booktrope , InkShares, White Cloud Press, Turning Stone Press, SheBooks, EtruscanBooks.”
Check out the reputation and credibility of publishers and editors on Editors and Predators.
Query Letters:
Literary agent Janet Reid of Query Shark blog offered her tips and trademark humor about writing query letters.
“Be stark, make your point, get to the meat of the story. A query letter is a business letter”
“Words are your tools, use them wisely”
Marketing Strategy:
A panel discussion with Jonathan Maberry, Dan Blank, Nina Amir and C.P. Ching
“Bring yourself into the marketing, be part of the community, promote others.” Jonathan Maberry
“Think of marketing ahead of time, identify the life cycle of your book” Dan Blank
“Nothing sells books more than more books. Have a business plan that includes promotion” Nina Amir
Journalist and publishing consultant Porter Anderson introduced a new discoverability platform whereby authors can upload their ebooks for inclusion in the state library collection system and consideration for the national level. A win-win situation and its free to authors. It’s at the top of my to-do list for this week.
The Writing Life:
Gabriela Pereira Author, Writing Teacher and Founder of DIYMFA shared her Mindfulness Manifesto which included,
“Honor your reality;
Best practice is what works best for you;
Resistance is a sign you are onto something.”
Author,Editor, Writing Teacher Jordan Rosenfeld discussed the importance of persistence and passion in being writer. Her Writer’s Code includes:
Claim your writing as a practice, the foundation of which is passion. Her recipe for persistence=Practice, Polish and Persist.
“Starting anywhere will get you somewhere.”
“Writers must sweat the small stuff (sentences,words) so the big stuff (our ideas) can rise up.” Author Rebecca McClanahan, Word Painting.
“Always keep writing… no matter what. Be afraid of how disappointed you’ll be with yourself if you don’t do it.”Author Nathan Bransford
“Writing is both mirrors and windows” Keynote speaker, Author Jacqueline Woodson
NonFiction Book Proposals by Phil Sexton, Vice-resident and Group Publisher, Writer’s Digest
“Proposals must demonstrate the value of the book, why you are the right author and who is the reader.”
***
This is by no means the sum and substance of the entire conference. Porter Anderson live tweeted the main conference sessions. If you’re on twitter, you can follow #WDC15 and capture the essence of these sessions.
As always, networking with writer friends, old and new is always a highlight of any conference. Meeting or reconnecting with an online friend in person or connecting with new friends is rejuvenating and fun.
Writing buddies Julie, Viki and Gabi
My son lives on New York City so seeing him is always a personal highlight.
As far as breakthroughs…yes, I did have a major one…the one I was hoping for, my son’s blessing to move forward with the story that has been bubbling up inside of me and stalled by my own fears and doubts.
“It’s a your story, Mom,” he said, without hesitation, “pour it out on the page and then we’ll talk. Don’t censor yourself.”
I couldn’t have asked for more.
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons
How about you? What conferences have you attended lately? What takeaways or breakthroughs can you share?
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
THIS WEEK:
Thursday, 08/06/15:
“Timing and the Creative Process by Author Lily Iona MacKenzie: A WOW Blog Tour, author of Fling, Women’s Fiction
NEXT WEEK:
Monday, 08/10/15:
“Drawing Out the Sting: Finding Forgiveness by Memoir Author Gwendolyn Plano, author of Letting Go Into Perfect Love:Discovering the Extraordinary After Abuse
July 27, 2015
The Benefits of Journaling in Writing a Travel Memoir by Trish Nicholson
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Trish Nicholson/@TrishaNicholson
“Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it.” ~Gabriel García Márquez
I am very pleased to feature memoir author Trish Nicholson in this guest post about the benefits of journaling in writing a travel memoir. Her memoir, Inside the Crocodile: The Padua New Guinea Journals is currently available on Amazon USA in Kindle Format. It will be available in paperback on October 25. 2015.
Trish and I met on Terry Britton’s blog, The Creative Flux in 2012 and have been following each other on Twitter ever since. It’s amazing to me how we can travel and learn about different parts of the world through our stories. As a social anthropologist and world traveller, Trish has twenty years of experience of international development in the Asian Pacific. The journals she kept became the seeds for her memoir so let’s hear how journaling helped Trish bring people and scenes alive on the pages of her memoir.
Welcome, Trish!
Memoir Author Trish Nicholson
The Benefits of Journaling in Writing a Travel Memoir
How often have we experienced an episode in our lives that has touched us deeply, and thought, ‘I will never forget this’? But over time, the memory becomes like an old sepia photograph, the finer details foxed and faded. It is especially hard, I think, to recall raw emotions.
And because these incidents are often life-changing, when we review them later, we see them from a different perspective. ‘How I remember it’ is the essence of personal memoir. Yet the insights we gain are greatly increased if we can also recapture our original feelings, recorded in a letter, diary or journal.
I experienced this myself. As I lay in a remote health post in Papua New Guinea suffering acute malaria, it became clear that no one expected me to recover. From the brief scrawl I was able to write, I know that my emotions swung erratically between fear, gratitude for a life lived, and numb acceptance brought on by extreme fatigue. Each day I survived was like a new life.
As we live each moment we seem gripped in a static reality, unable to see beyond our current loss, failure, or success. Encased in our ‘present’, it is easy to overlook that life is a flow of moments ever in transition. The subtle transformations that take place within us, and in the ways that others respond to us, are lost if they are not written down at the time.
Keeping a journal can also be therapeutic. My Papua New Guinea journal grew to 600 pages over the 5 years I worked there. Letters to family and friends excluded events which might worry them, but everything went into my notes. I wrote every day, relieving in the process the anger, joy, and sadness that mingled freely in those challenging days.
But the greatest value of a journal emerged when I came to write Inside the Crocodile. Memoir reveals experience through creative writing that draws the reader into the author’s life. The role of a well-kept journal in achieving this is to provide the fine details that stimulate readers’ senses and engage their emotions. Such details can also be used to generate a sense of time and place, for example, by indicating external events, or even what songs were popular, all of which add to a work’s authenticity.
For travel memoir, a journal is essential to grasp the essence of places, people and events among the multitude of sensations we receive.
As illustration, I share below a few brief extracts from Inside the Crocodile:
After three months on leave, during which I had felt detached from my old life but unsettled in my new one, I returned with some uncertainty to the chaos of Papua New Guinea. But when I woke on that first morning back, all doubts had gone.
A hornbill plodding on the roof woke me. The sun was up; warm, moist air wafting in between the open louvres smelled of green, of prolific vegetation teeming with life, and my skin was slick with sweat. With a sleepy smile that became a long yawn, I recognized the familiar sounds, scents and sensations of home in Vanimo.
I had recorded enough dialogue in the journal that I could let readers hear the voices of people I interacted with, such as the friend in Vanimo who struggled bravely to survive marriage with a violent husband.
I received a message that she was in the hospital and went down to see her. The maternity ward was basic, providing only metal bedsteads with bare boards; patients brought their own bedding which was probably more hygienic anyway.
Chrissie had lost her baby, born premature and tiny.
“Bebi i liklik tumas.” She reached for my hand and held up the little finger. “Lek bilong em olsem pinga bilong yu.”
“Sori tumas, Chrissie. Yu stap long haus sik?”
“Nogat. Mi orait,” and she asked me to take her home.
And amusing little details in description helped me to relive a scene as well as depict character. After a long trek I arrived, unexpected, at an isolated mission station, and met the only inhabitant:
Outside the mission house, his cropped white hair vivid against tanned skin, a short, elderly man stood watching my approach through startlingly blue eyes. Despite his crumpled shirt and obviously home-made, flared canvas trousers – purple cloth sewn with long stitches in thick white thread – there was something venerable about him, an aura of other-worldliness.
He turned out to be a Polish priest who had been in Papua New Guinea for over forty years and lived on green mangoes and dried coconut – monsoon rains stranded me there for a week, much to his consternation and my hunger.
I had even made notes on Frisbee – the dog I inherited – and that enabled me to focus on her actions and avoid the trap of imposing human emotions on her. After being away for a couple of months, I was unsure whether she would remember me:
As I got close to the truck, she saw me, her paws up at the partly opened window, scratching at the glass, and when I opened the door she tumbled out in a tizzy of wriggles and wags, weaving round my legs, sniffing and licking my hands. Riding back to Jim’s for lunch, she sat between my feet in the front, gazing up at me, her tongue lolling with the heat, dripping saliva onto my toes.
It is never too late to begin a journal. For example, if you have already begun your memoir, you could record your feelings each day as you research and relive episodes of your life. Such reflections on the process could yield a fascinating prologue or epilogue to your manuscript.
“We soar above our memories to gain new perspectives.”
Book Synopsis:
In the wilds of the most diverse nation on earth, while she copes with crocodiles under the blackboard and sorcery in the office, Trish Nicholson survives near-fatal malaria and mollifies irascible politicians and an ever-changing roster of bosses – realities of life for a development worker. With a background in anthropology and a successful management career in Europe, five years on a development project in the remote West Sepik province of Papua New Guinea more than fulfils Trish Nicholson’s desire for a challenge. In extreme tropical conditions, with few only sometimes-passable roads, travel is by a balus – an alarmingly tiny plane, landing on airstrips cut with grass knives and squeezed between mountains. Students build their own schools, babies’ weights are recorded in rice bags and women walk for days, carrying their produce to market. Physically tested by dense jungle and swaying vine bridges, Trish’s patience is stretched by nothing ever being what it seems and with ‘yes’ usually meaning ‘no’. Assignments in isolated outstations provide surreal moments, like the 80-year-old missionary in long friar’s robes revealing natty turquoise shorts as he tears away on an ancient motorbike. Adventures on nearby Pacific islands relieve the intensity of life in a close-knit community of nationals and a cosmopolitan mix of expat ‘characters’. Local women offer friendship, but their stories are often heart-breaking. More chaos arrives with Frisbee, the dog she inherits when the project manager leaves, along with other project expats. Tensions increase between local factions supporting the project and those who feel threatened by it – and stuck in the middle is Trish. Her emotionally engaging memoir Inside the Crocodile is full of humour, adventure, iron determination and…Frisbee the dog. It is beautifully illustrated with colour photos of Trish’s time there.
Author Bio:
Dr Trish Nicholson is a writer and social anthropologist, and a former columnist and feature writer for national media. After an early career in regional government in the UK and Europe, she worked for twenty years in development aid in the Asia Pacific, including five years in the remote West Sepik province, Papua New Guinea, where she was also Honorary Consul for the British High Commission. A shifting lifestyle she survived with a sense of humour. Her other published works include books of popular science, travel, management, and writing skills. She lives in New Zealand.
http://www.trishnicholsonswordsinthetreehouse.com
Twitter @TrishaNicholson
***
Thank you Trish for giving us a glimpse into your story and for sharing the importance of journaling in recalling vivid details. You make us feel like we are right there with you and for most of us, that means on the other side of the world.
How about you? Does journaling help you in writing your stories?
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
THIS WEEK:
Monday, 7/27/15: July 2015 Newsletter: “Freedom and Independence are Balancing Acts”
REMINDER: Smashword 50% Summer Sale on Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse ends FRIDAY, 07/31/15
NEXT WEEK:
Monday, 08/03/15:
“Writer’s Digest East 2015: Conference Takeaways”
July 22, 2015
Bad Reviews-Why You Must Read Them (and How to Survive): A WOW Blog Tour with Author Eric Trant
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“Praise and criticism seem to me to operate on the same level. If you get a great review, it’s really thrilling for about ten minutes. If you get a bad review, it’s really crushing for about ten minutes. Either way , you go on.” ~Anne Patchett
I am pleased to feature author Eric Trant in this Wow Women on Writing Blog Tour for his new book, Steps. We all know how important reviews are but what happens when we –inevitably–get less than positive ones? Eric offers some practical tips for writers on why we should not be bothered by the “bad reviews” and how these bad reviews can help us become better writers.
Welcome, Eric!
Author Eric Trant
Bad Reviews: Why We Must Read Them and How to Survive
So you make your baby however it is you make your baby, and during your maiden cruise through the park, some guy slides his head into the stroller and laughs at your odd creation. He then ribs his partner and says something like what I list below.
What he says will label him as a particular type of reader, and, depending on his class, you can either take his advice and improve your skills (it’s the stone that sharpens the knife and dents the skull), or laugh and move along.
You should never get hot about it. Not everyone thinks your baby is cute, and frankly, maybe you made an ugly baby. I wrote five full-length, novel-sized monstrosities before I found my groove. No big deal. Learn from it. Write from a different position or something, but don’t let it unsettle your head and nerves. Certainly don’t let it discourage you from pursuing what I will assume is a lifelong goal, and for those of us in a committed relationship with writing, a do-or-die journey off a long pier into deep, dark, and dirty waters.
Below are some actual reviews for my 2013 novel, Wink.
(ed. note: Reviews are direct copies of the original text, and are not corrected for grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.)
Heckler
I couldn’t even finish it, it became to ridiculous for words.
This is absolutely the worst book I have ever read. Do not waste time on downloading this waste! The only positive for me was that the book was free.
These are spitballs from the back of the room, snickers, coughs, and random hoots. Online we call them trolls, and I never feed the trolls. Still, you should read their comments, because sometimes you find a little diddy, such as a mention of boredom owing to a slow pace. Maybe the pace of your story really could use some tweaking. That’s when you poke through the other reviews to see if it is a common theme.
Constructive Critic
Too many characters. Could not relate.
I had a hard time connecting with the story at times just because Marty’s life was so strange that I couldn’t always comprehend it or wrap my mind around it.
This sort of criticism needs to be carefully reviewed, as it may hone your craft. This person took the time to read your book and post a thoughtful (even if crass) review. They may give you two or three stars and say nice things, such as calling you a talented and skilled writer. They are potential audience members, and while their review might not be good, it is not completely bad. Ferret out these reviews, and don’t let their gruff nature ruffle your feathers. Writers shouldn’t have feathers anyway. Feathers are for chickens.
Non-Audience
Drugs, abuse, neglect etc. I would have given this more stars, but even though I know there are situations like this in the real world, I read to escape the real world. Yes, there is some supernatural stuff in this book, but the child abuse/neglect was too much for me.
It was too much like a fairy tale and science fiction together. I wasn’t into it.
Sometimes, people just don’t like your baby. There you go. If you want to make them fans, write something suiting their tastes. Otherwise, drift by with a wave and a farewell.
Subconscious Fan
I can’t imagine why anyone would want to expose themselves themselves to this book. The fact that it is well written makes it worse, because you hate to put it down.
Spicy food does this to many of us. You begin with that first bite. Then another. You complain to the waiter the food is too hot, and she offers to bring out a fresh, unseasoned plate.
No, no, you say. This is fine. I’ll finish, even though I don’t like it.
You take another bite. Sip some water. You say to your dinner guest how horrible it is, offer them a bite. You pull the pin on another spoonful, slam it down your throat before it poofs in your gut with the rest of the shrapnel.
You rise after dinner, sated, buzzing, knowing you’ll pay for it later, but for some reason, you ate the whole thing. I mean, you ate the whole thing, because you just couldn’t stop.
You might be a subconscious fan. You liked it, but you can’t put your finger on why.
Now, for some general advice on reviews, you need to listen to what they ~don’t~ say.
Listen to what they ~don’t~ say.
This will be the most important thing you read. Notice in my bad reviews, nobody mentioned grammar, sentence structure, misspelling, or other basic elements. Nobody mentioned plot holes, unresolved questions, or thin characters. Nobody mentioned point-of-view, timelines, etc. Even as you sift through the murk, make note of what you ~don’t~ find. Celebrate these holes! I do. I worked hard to avoid such basic attacks.
In the end, it is about growing as a writer, rather than shrinking and shirking. If you approach all reviews like this, you will find that your bad reviews, even if they are hard to read, will become some of the most useful sharpening tools in your kit.
Genre: Fantasy Thriller
Publisher: WiDo Publishing (May 21, 2015)
ASIN: B00Y3A9AZE
Book Synopsis:
Society is falling to a ravaging virus, and the Peacemaker family is stranded in the mountains of Arkansas. Forced to band with a group of deserted soldiers, they battle to survive starvation, apocalyptic cataclysms, and a growing number of dangerously infected wanderers.
As their dwindling number struggles against ever-increasing odds, they realize they are not alone in the wilderness. A large creature is present in the hills, at first seen only as a fleeting shadow.
Now the family not only faces impending death from the unstoppable virus, they must also deal with the mysterious giant, whose footprints signify that he knows where they are.
About the Author:
Eric W.Trant is a published author of several short stories and the novels Wink and Steps from WiDo Publishing, out now! See more of Eric’s work at
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6939871.Eric_Trant
http://www.amazon.com/Eric-Trant/e/B00DU1O8T0
***
Thank you Eric for for sharing your perspectives on how to handle bad reviews of our “babies”. I also appreciate the examples you provide of specific reviews that helped you “fill in the holes”. The point I value the most is how bad reviews “can become some of your best sharpening tools in your kit.”
***
How about you? How do you feel about getting bad reviews?
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
Next WeeK;
Monday, 07/27/15:
“The Benefits of Journaling in Writing a Travel Memoir by Trish Nicholson”
July 20, 2015
Help! Iâve Fallen and I Canât Get Up: Memoir Musings
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite: “Fool!” said my muse to me, “look in your heart and write.” Philip Sydney, Astrophel and Stella  (Goodreads quote)
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons
Well, not really. I havenât fallen and I can get upâ¦BUT–and itâs what comes after the but that counts–the truth is, my story has fallen and it canât get up. Some people call it writer’s block. Some believe there is no such thing. I’m not blocked from writing. I write everyday–on my blog, in my journal, on social media. But I am stuck when it comes to penning my next memoir.
I thought it would be so simple to write my second memoir after completing Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse, which, by the way, turned out to be the story I didnât intend to write but begged to be told.
I was hopeful that all the hard lessons I learned in writing and publishing it would pay off and make writing the second one much easier. I already have 14,000 words of it written in first draft form. Yes, they need a lot of work but Iâm used to that.
The story is bubbling under the surface like a volcano getting ready to erupt. As of this writing, the vignettes are safely stashed away in a corner. I swear they are crying out to me to pay attention to them.
So why do I turn to other activitiesâsocial media, email, staring out the window,etcâwhen I should be concentrating on my story? Itâs like cleaning the oven instead of writing that paper in college. Yes, I did that.
Maybe if I write about it and put it out there, I might get inspired to get a grip and get my focus back? So I hope you tell me what works for you. I need all the help I can get.
Hereâs what I thinkâ¦more questions than answers:
Now that Iâve published a book, I have realistic expectations about whatâs involved in the process. Itâs like starting a marathon and realizing the 26.1 miles you have to endure to complete the race. I know what Iâm getting into this time. Maybe this is holding me back from starting?
Maybe I need to give myself time to enjoy marketing my first memoir before I plunge into what I know will be a long, grueling, yet exhilarating journey?
Maybe the topic—a cancer diagnosis and my sonâs spiral into substance abuseâis too painful to relive?
Maybe the fact that I will be telling some of my sonâs story makes me feel uncomfortable. He has full awareness of my intentions and has given me his blessings. He will read every word before it is published. But, what liberties can I take and still do the story and him justice? I know I wonât know until I try but maybe this is holding me back?
Am I in a self-imposed jail cell with the door open?
What will it take to move forward? time? journaling? meditation/prayer? a vacation from it all?
Then I ask myself, âWhy do you want to write this story?â â¦
and that small voice within tells me,
âbecause you cannot NOT write it. You want to share your journey from despair to hope. You want to show how your faith gave you the strength to overcome and move on to a life of peace and joy. You want to share your story to enlighten, ,enrich and inspire others traveling the same path.â
I know that once I can clarify and connect to my purpose for writing this story, the rest will fall into place as long as I show up and start writing. And I know the long, grueling journey will be worth it in the end.
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons
Progress..TBA.
Thank you for listening!
How about you? What is holding you back from writing your story?
Â
Iâd love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
Â
ANNOUNCEMENT: Congratulations to Marian Beaman and Tracey Lee Karner. You are the lucky winners of Lucinda Clarke’s eBook, Walking on Eggshells!
This Week:
I’m also over at Gwendolyn Plano’s blog, From Sorrow to Joy-Perfect Love with a guest post, “Faith and Freedom.”
Wednesday, 07/22/15:
“Bad Reviews: Why You Should Read Them (and How to Survive): A WOW Blog Tour with Author Eric Trant.”
Next Week:
 Monday, 07/27/15:
“The Benefits of Journaling in Writing a Travel Memoir by Trish Nicholson.”
July 2015 Newsletter: “Freedom and Independence are Balancing Acts.”
