Jacqui Murray's Blog, page 166
June 10, 2013
Writers Tip #51: Give Your Characters Their Head
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.
Today’s tip: Follow–don’t lead–your characters
When you feel your characters struggling against your pen, let them go. They’re like your children. If you’ve raised them well, they will be independent and yet follow your morals. Develop your characters well–show the reader their motivations, goals, purpose in the plot–and they will create the drama and conflict that is critical to a good novel.
Uncage them. Give them freedom. Revel in their lives, how they think, how they solve problems.
–Click to have Writer’s Tips delivered to your email box
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog, Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, s he is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: characters, writers tips, writing Tagged: authors, characters, writers tips
June 7, 2013
Book Thoughts: Worlds of a Maasai Warrior
Photo credit: wwarby
I enjoyed reading about the life of pygmies so much, I next read Tepilit Ole Saitoti’s The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior. Another great book–wow. How other people live while I’m snug from the weather with plenty of food is amazing. Tepilit grew up on the Serengeti, drinking milk for breakfast, herding cows all day, and feeling lucky to eat at dinner. He was happy–content. Didn’t feel put upon or less than the city folk in their cars and clothes. Simple life. He did grow to love learning, a passion for education, which got him a Bachelors and a Masters. I’m not sure if he was happier–I think not–or just changed. More civilized, with no negative connotations to that observation. The books ends with his plea, “the only key that can now open locked doors is education. The Maasai once resisted education, afraid of losing their children. Now…the Maasai have come to accept it.”
I didn’t realize the Maasai had a reputation as warriors. When their youth grow to adulthood, they want to be of the warrior class. Not because they fight, battle, or war with their neighbors. It seems more of a strong, competent designation for mature males.
Baobabs are great trees, aren’t they. Tepilit would consider it an elephant tree–a place to flee when chased by an elephant. I need a safe haven, from all sorts of my life’s elephants.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog, Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, s he is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: book reviews, culture, education, respect Tagged: homeschool, Maasai, maasai warrior, tepilot ole saitoti, worlds of a maasai warrior
June 6, 2013
Who is Today’s Author?
As I was considering last month’s post for Today’s Author, I jumped to a ponderment (I’m a writer; I’m allowed to make up words).
Who exactly is
Today’s Author.
Are you different from Yesterday’s Author? Or My Mother’s Author? Or the guy with his name on thousands of books and hundreds of contracts? Why do readers visit a site with a name like
‘Today’s Author‘?
Well, I figured it out:
you’re half writer and half salesman, trying to get what you pen into print. Used to be, someone offered to do that for you. “Write for me and I’ll put your name in lights.” Now, you put your own name on Twitter feeds, blog headings, LinkedIn banners, and Facebook Fan Pages. Shy? Get over it.
you work many jobs. Used to be, a writer slaved in anonymity in a cheap apartment with a sponsor paying essential bills, waiting for the Best Selling Book. Or parents kept him/her in the family estate, happy their child was busy, not believing anything would come of it. Until it did. Today, you work a 9-5 gig, then write 7-midnight. And you believe with your entire being you can make it.
you don’t labor in solitude. Few authors do, despite the persona of the lonely figure hunched over a paper, pen gripped in a crabbed hand. Mostly, now, you engage with fellow writers in forums, PLNs, online hangouts. You share ideas, cheer each other up, spread the good word about what colleagues are writing and publishing. It’s not face-to-face, but that’s so last generation. Look at kids. Even in groups, they’re on digital devices, chatting with names on a screen.
when you get published, it is more likely to be non-traditional. All it takes is an internet connection, an Amazon account, and a loud virtual voice. The good news: You will statistically make as much money as the average agent-pubbed author.
you research mostly online. The world is so much smaller than it used to be. You know how to use Google Earth, virtual tours, and Street View Guy. Why would you need to fight the airlines and spend all that time and money?
you write–a lot. Even if you’re a novelist, you probably have a blog, a Twitter feed, an online group of friends, and write for a variety of ezines/websites/blog groups. If you are that one person in the world still writing in oblivion, that’ll change when you come out
you are any age–doesn’t matter. You may be 20 or 60–or 80. You write. You publish. You share. That’s what it’s about. Not chasing the golden ring, but flaunting the golden goose that continually provides those gems of inspiration for your articles.
you can’t be brought down. When the Universe rejects your latest Query letter, you use a rainbow. When Yet Another Agent sends Yet Another Form Letter, you figure it’s their loss–and mean it. The world is big enough for another self-pubbed author to make enough to pay the bills.
You may not have made a penny writing, but that’s the career cap that fits. Yesterday, the agents and publishers and professionals would have slammed the tent on your nose. This year, you enter by the front door, barely glancing at the cadre of gate keepers.
Today, you are an author.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog,Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, s he is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate tech into education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: authors, writing Tagged: authors, writers
June 5, 2013
Check Out My Today’s Author Post
I invite you to drop by my article over at Today’s Author, 5 Writing Goals for Summer. If you can’t make it, no worries. I’ll post here here soon.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog,Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-weekly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, s he is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: Guest bloggers Tagged: guest post, writing
June 4, 2013
Tech Tips for Writers #52: Roll Your Computer Back to a Problem-Free Date
Tech Tips for Writers is an (almost) weekly post on overcoming Tech Dread. I’ll cover issues that friends, both real-time and virtual, have shared. Feel free to post a comment about a question you have. I’ll cover it in a future Tip.
Q: Something happened and now my computer isn’t working right. I downloaded a program/music/video or installed a new holiday program and it hasn’t worked right since. What do I do?
A: These days, that’s not as hard as it used to be. All you have to do is type ‘restore’ in the search box (on the start menu) and follow instructions. What it’ll do is turn your computer back to an earlier date, before you did the download or the install. It won’t affect documents, only the bad stuff. It’s saved me several times.
Questions you want answered? Email me at askatechteacher@structuredlearning.net.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog, Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, s he is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: problem-solving, tech tips for writers, writers tips, writing Tagged: hardware, tech tips for writers, writers tips
June 3, 2013
Writers Tip #50: No More Casual Writing
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.
Today’s tip: Always put your best pen forward when writing.
That includes any writing, be it an email, a memo, a journal entry or your mss. Use every writing opportunity to practice your craft. Address every occasion like a sunrise, extravagant and full of promise. Write, edit, hone your words, let them show your voice. Never settle for a poorly-worded, mistake-laden message no matter how insignificant you consider the occasion or the recipient. Express yourself as well as you can at that particular moment.
Why? Good writing is a habit. Coming up with the appropriate words and perfect phrasing is a learned skill. Learn it. Train yourself until excellence is a knee-jerk reaction when you put your fingers on the keyboard or pen to paper. Until your expectation of yourself is that when you write, it’s well done.
–Click to have Writer’s Tips delivered to your email.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog,Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, she is editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: writers resources, writers tips, writing Tagged: casual writing, writers tips
May 31, 2013
Book Review: Horse Soldiers
H
orse Soldiers
by Doug Stanton
For those of you who think cyber-intel and technology are the tools of war, read Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton. What an eye-opener. Here’s an excerpt:
“…the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who…rode to war on horses against the Taliban. Outnumbered forty to one, they pursued the enemy across mountainous terrain and…capture d the city of Mazar-i-Sharif…essential if they were to defeat the Taliban. The bone-weary American soldiers were welcomed as liberators, and overjoyed Afghans thronged the streets. Then the action took a wholly unexpected turn. During a surrender of six hundred Taliban troops, the Horse Soldiers were ambushed. Dangerously outnumbered, they fought for their lives…”
Two things about this excerpt caught my writer’s eye:
Horses? Now that sounds like fiction. How can I add that sort of creative thinking to my techno-thrillers?
Greeted as liberators? Wasn’t that Paris in WWII? I didn’t hear about that on the news. What else am I missing?
Here’s a video that speaks to these brave soldiers:
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog, Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, s he is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: book reviews, decision making, plot, writing Tagged: afghanistan, american military, doug stanton, horse soldiers, taliban, war 
May 30, 2013
How to Describe a Character’s Home
A character’s home provides the opportunity to tell us a lot about him/her without narrative. People decorate their homes in ways that make them comfortable with life.
Corny though it may be, a home is your character’s castle. The interior might relax him, motivate, be his hide-out from humanity and the threats of the world. It will always reflect their values, beliefs, family, passions.
These are all interiors I’ve read from other authors. I’ve covered descriptions of neighborhoods here.
No heat? There is heat, but it’s unavailable.
Uses his exercise bike as a clothes rack
Doors were hollow core. The finish work was minimal, mostly quarter round molding. The floors were plywood, covered wall to wall with inexpensive tan carpeting which didn’t wear well, but showed the dirt easily. The furniture was fresh from the warehouse
No sound in the house, not even the sounds that houses make: air-conditioning, or furnace, or the stairwell creaking, or the frig cycling on; nothing but silence
Back when home was more than a TV and a microwave
gathered the whole mess and shifted it to the alarmingly large pile tilting dangerously
Locked in shadow in a corner of the room
Brown plaid sofa with heavy oak arms, a bookcase neatly stocked with paperbacks, family pictures on one wall, a china cabinet against another.
Floors and walls were polished stone
My Writing Area: My computer faces out the window. I like having the sky and buildings in the background. Occasionally a bird or plane flies by in the distance. To my far left is my 42″ flatscreen TV (size does matter), which often displays my daily dose of CNN or Grey’s Anatomy. Next to that is my Buddhist altar, which I need to make better use of. To my right is a framed poster displaying a poem of mine that had been on Chicago buses and trains. And to the far right is a black and white picture of Grand Central Station with wide beams of light gushing in through the windows. The beams look like they are about to make the commuters levitate at any minute and float skyward.
Out My Window: This is my first time living in a hi-rise. It’s cool. I’m on the 14th floor. In warmer weather, I go to sleep as kids play baseball in the park below me. And out my window to the right is part of Lake Michigan and Lakeshore Drive.
Small with clean white walls, a twin bed, a desk with a blank blotter on it, sliding closets opposite the bed, and thin green shag carpet.
For more descriptors for characters and settings, click here.
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Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blogger, Technology in Education featured blogger, and IMS tech expert. She is the editor of a K-6 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-6 Digital Citizenship curriculum, creator of technology training books for middle school and ebooks on technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: descriptors, setting, Uncategorized, writers, writers resources, writers tips, writing Tagged: descriptors, homes, novel writing, setting, writing, writing tools
May 29, 2013
I’m a Failed Writer (Well, Yuvi Thinks… doesn’t really ‘think’ that–Never Mind–just watch the videos)
I love the way Yuvi talks about writing. Here are two of his videos. If they resonate for you (like they do me), I encourage you to subscribe to his brilliance:
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Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog,Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, she is editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: humor, writers, writing Tagged: humor, writing, yuvi
May 28, 2013
Tech Tips for Writers #51: Copy Images From Google Images
Tech Tips for Writers is an (almost) weekly post on overcoming Tech Dread. I’ll cover issues that friends, both real-time and virtual, have shared. Feel free to post a comment about a question you have. I’ll cover it in a future Tip.
Q: To copy an image from Google Images (or Bing), right-click on the picture, select copy, then paste it into a document (with right-click, paste). But, It’s hard to move around. Is there an easier way.
A: That’s in the picture ‘wrap’ features. When you paste it into a document, wrap text around it rather than leaving the picture as an in-line image:
Click on image you’ve inserted
Go to ‘Picture tools’ at top
Select ‘wrap’ from ribbon
Select ‘tight’ if you want text to wrap around image
…that should work. If you can read the blurry image. Hmmm….
BTW–don’t copy Google images unless they’re for ‘scholarly purposes’. Or you have permission.
Questions you want answered? Email me at askatechteacher@structuredlearning.net.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blog, Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and a bi-monthly contributor to Today’s Author. In her free time, s he is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: problem-solving, tech tips for writers, writers tips, writing Tagged: images, tech tips for writers, wrap, writers tips
