Kathy Cyr's Blog: Kathy Cyr- Author, page 100
July 1, 2015
Wednesday Wisdom
Good Morning!
It's time for Wednesday Wisdom. Words of wisdom for writers.
I love today's words of wisdom and I think you will, too.
Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay?"
- Stephen King
"Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever."
- Will Self
“Be daring, take on anything. Don’t labor over little cameo works in which every word is to be perfect. Technique holds a reader from sentence to sentence, but only content will stay in his mind.”
- Joyce Carol Oates
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
It's time for Wednesday Wisdom. Words of wisdom for writers.
I love today's words of wisdom and I think you will, too.
Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay?"
- Stephen King
"Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever."
- Will Self
“Be daring, take on anything. Don’t labor over little cameo works in which every word is to be perfect. Technique holds a reader from sentence to sentence, but only content will stay in his mind.”
- Joyce Carol Oates
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
June 30, 2015
Ten rules for writing fiction
Good Morning, everyone!
Found a very detailed and wonderful article for your viewing pleasure.
Definitely worth a read. :)
Ten rules for writing fiction
Elmore Leonard: Using adverbs is a mortal sin
1 Never open a book with weather. If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a character's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways than an Eskimo to describe ice and snow in his book Arctic Dreams, you can do all the weather reporting you want.
2 Avoid prologues: they can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are ordinarily found in non-fiction. A prologue in a novel is backstory, and you can drop it in anywhere you want. There is a prologue in John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, but it's OK because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about. He says: "I like a lot of talk in a book and I don't like to have nobody tell me what the guy that's talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks."
3 Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But "said" is far less intrusive than "grumbled", "gasped", "cautioned", "lied". I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with "she asseverated" and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.
4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" ... he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances "full of rape and adverbs".
5 Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.
6 Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose". This rule doesn't require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use "suddenly" tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.
You can read more here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Found a very detailed and wonderful article for your viewing pleasure.
Definitely worth a read. :)
Ten rules for writing fiction
Elmore Leonard: Using adverbs is a mortal sin
1 Never open a book with weather. If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a character's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways than an Eskimo to describe ice and snow in his book Arctic Dreams, you can do all the weather reporting you want.
2 Avoid prologues: they can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are ordinarily found in non-fiction. A prologue in a novel is backstory, and you can drop it in anywhere you want. There is a prologue in John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, but it's OK because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about. He says: "I like a lot of talk in a book and I don't like to have nobody tell me what the guy that's talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks."
3 Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But "said" is far less intrusive than "grumbled", "gasped", "cautioned", "lied". I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with "she asseverated" and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.
4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" ... he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances "full of rape and adverbs".
5 Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.
6 Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose". This rule doesn't require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use "suddenly" tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.
You can read more here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Traveling Tuesday
Good Morning, my friends.
Are you ready for another day of writing? Got your coffee? Tea? Juice?
Good. Because today's pic prompt comes from Howth Ireland.
Your character could be waiting for something or someone. It's early morning. Perhaps it's right before sunrise. Is there a mist rolling in?
Is he/she looking for signs of a ship? Perhaps shapes/images are forming in the mist....
First some info links to get you going:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howth
http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activities-Adventure/cliff-path-loop/71514
http://www.fingaldublin.ie/interior-pages/travel-info/maps/howth-town-map/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/dublin/howth/history
http://www.howth-boats.com/about-howth-dublin.php
http://howthcastle.com/
Link credits for photos:
https://www.facebook.com/Ireland/photos/a.147913755628.110188.28953120628/10153374768200629/?&theater
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howth_Head_cliffs.JPG
http://wanderireland.com/2015/02/23/howth-co-dublin/
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Are you ready for another day of writing? Got your coffee? Tea? Juice?
Good. Because today's pic prompt comes from Howth Ireland.
Your character could be waiting for something or someone. It's early morning. Perhaps it's right before sunrise. Is there a mist rolling in?
Is he/she looking for signs of a ship? Perhaps shapes/images are forming in the mist....
First some info links to get you going:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howth
http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activities-Adventure/cliff-path-loop/71514
http://www.fingaldublin.ie/interior-pages/travel-info/maps/howth-town-map/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/dublin/howth/history
http://www.howth-boats.com/about-howth-dublin.php
http://howthcastle.com/
Link credits for photos:https://www.facebook.com/Ireland/photos/a.147913755628.110188.28953120628/10153374768200629/?&theater
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howth_Head_cliffs.JPG
http://wanderireland.com/2015/02/23/howth-co-dublin/
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
June 29, 2015
7 Strategies and 110 Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers
If you haven't seen this list yet, it is definitely worth a read through.
Might be helpful to many of you and possibly worth bookmarking.
7 Strategies and 110 Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers
Self-publishing is growing, and with it come new resources. One of the biggest hurdles of being an indie author is finding readers and getting reviews (which helps find more readers). Some people may still consider self-publishing a stigma, and some writers may think that promotion takes away too much time from writing. But many sites, including Outramp, Your Writer Platform, and Indies Unlimited have written posts giving advice for marketing.
On Digital Book World, founder of McCarthy Digital Peter McCarthy said, “Whoever is the best at connecting authors’ works with the end consumers — they win.” It’s about being agile and seeing what works.
With that in mind, here are 7 strategies and a list of 94 tools indie authors can use to help promote their books and find new readers and reviewers (although the first and most important thing is to write a good book, and then write another, and then keep writing).
You can read more here:
http://www.digitalpubbing.com/7-strategies-and-94-tools-to-help-indie-authors-find-readers-and-reviewers/
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Might be helpful to many of you and possibly worth bookmarking.
7 Strategies and 110 Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers
Self-publishing is growing, and with it come new resources. One of the biggest hurdles of being an indie author is finding readers and getting reviews (which helps find more readers). Some people may still consider self-publishing a stigma, and some writers may think that promotion takes away too much time from writing. But many sites, including Outramp, Your Writer Platform, and Indies Unlimited have written posts giving advice for marketing.
On Digital Book World, founder of McCarthy Digital Peter McCarthy said, “Whoever is the best at connecting authors’ works with the end consumers — they win.” It’s about being agile and seeing what works.
With that in mind, here are 7 strategies and a list of 94 tools indie authors can use to help promote their books and find new readers and reviewers (although the first and most important thing is to write a good book, and then write another, and then keep writing).
You can read more here:
http://www.digitalpubbing.com/7-strategies-and-94-tools-to-help-indie-authors-find-readers-and-reviewers/
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Monday Mentionables
And we are back..... How was your weekend?
Wanting another? Me, too. ;)
On Saturday's Saturday Series, I featured a great writer: T. A. Barron and his Merlin series.
For today's Mentionables, I've got a few links to his blog. There's really good stuff there and worth a read.
Questions from Readers About Writing and What Influenced Me to be a Writer.
http://tabarron.com/blog/questions-readers-writing-influenced-writer/
Some Notes About My Writing Process
http://tabarron.com/blog/notes-writing-process/
How Do You Write Your Stories, T. A. Barron?
http://tabarron.com/blog/how-do-you-write-your-stories/
Part II: How Do You Write Your Stories, T. A. Barron?
http://tabarron.com/blog/part-ii-how-do-you-write-your-stories/
Have a great day and join me tomorrow for Traveling Tuesday, pic prompts for #writers.
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Wanting another? Me, too. ;)
On Saturday's Saturday Series, I featured a great writer: T. A. Barron and his Merlin series.
For today's Mentionables, I've got a few links to his blog. There's really good stuff there and worth a read.
Questions from Readers About Writing and What Influenced Me to be a Writer.
http://tabarron.com/blog/questions-readers-writing-influenced-writer/
Some Notes About My Writing Process
http://tabarron.com/blog/notes-writing-process/
How Do You Write Your Stories, T. A. Barron?
http://tabarron.com/blog/how-do-you-write-your-stories/
Part II: How Do You Write Your Stories, T. A. Barron?
http://tabarron.com/blog/part-ii-how-do-you-write-your-stories/
Have a great day and join me tomorrow for Traveling Tuesday, pic prompts for #writers.
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
June 28, 2015
Max Hamby Map
Hi everyone,
I hope your weekend has been a good one.
Just wanted to share a sketch I did for the Max Hamby books.
It was fun to do and I might do a second version.
It was quite big and I had to piece it together, but hopefully everything is clear enough. :)
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
I hope your weekend has been a good one.
Just wanted to share a sketch I did for the Max Hamby books.
It was fun to do and I might do a second version.
It was quite big and I had to piece it together, but hopefully everything is clear enough. :)
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
June 27, 2015
A serialized fiction growth-hacking technique for fiction writers
Interesting article, my friends.
Take a peek:
A serialized fiction growth-hacking technique for fiction writers
Most book marketing tips and strategies are for non-fiction authors. When publishing experts are asked, “well what about fiction writers,” the answer is usually, “um, I don’t have experience with that, but it should work too.”
Here’s how to sell books: build a platform and an email list.
BUT HOW?!
Usually by giving away a lot of free stuff or some free books.
BUT WHAT IF I ONLY HAVE ONE BOOK?!
Then you’re screwed.
Or maybe not.
Here’s a trick you can use.
1. Offer the first chapter for free on your website.
Make it immediately available, without any barrier or sign up required. Don’t ask them to buy or give up their privacy until they’ve had a chance to test your writing. People buy from people they know, like and trust – don’t ruin your chance for them to get to know you by asking for a sale too early.
You can read more here:
http://www.creativindie.com/a-serialized-fiction-growth-hacking-technique-for-fiction-writers/
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Take a peek:
A serialized fiction growth-hacking technique for fiction writers
Most book marketing tips and strategies are for non-fiction authors. When publishing experts are asked, “well what about fiction writers,” the answer is usually, “um, I don’t have experience with that, but it should work too.”
Here’s how to sell books: build a platform and an email list.
BUT HOW?!
Usually by giving away a lot of free stuff or some free books.
BUT WHAT IF I ONLY HAVE ONE BOOK?!
Then you’re screwed.
Or maybe not.
Here’s a trick you can use.
1. Offer the first chapter for free on your website.
Make it immediately available, without any barrier or sign up required. Don’t ask them to buy or give up their privacy until they’ve had a chance to test your writing. People buy from people they know, like and trust – don’t ruin your chance for them to get to know you by asking for a sale too early.
You can read more here:
http://www.creativindie.com/a-serialized-fiction-growth-hacking-technique-for-fiction-writers/
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Saturday Series
I just started reading the series by T.A. Barron: Merlin. The Lost Years.
I discovered it not that long ago and became hooked. There is so much detail in this series. It pulls you right in and you feel like you are apart of Merlin's world.
Here is a snippet from its Wikipedia page:
In the beginning, a young boy has just regained consciousness and finds he, along with a woman with long blond hair and a tattered blue tunic, are washed up on a beach. The boy encounters a boar as he is walking toward the woman, which tries to attack him and the woman. It stamps its foot on the ground, signaling that it is going to attack. With tusks like razor blades, it charges at the boy. He tries to drag the woman into a hollowed out tree trunk. He puts the woman in first, then tries to fit himself in but is too big. A beautiful stag leaps from the forest and stands between him and the boar. The stag and the boar fight. Angrily, the boar retreats. The stag looks at the boy with the deepest eyes the boy would ever see. The stag and the boar fade away, and soon the woman regains consciousness. The woman declares herself the boy's mother, and that her name is Branwen and his is Emrys. Years later, Emrys finds that he has magical powers and eventually uses them to defend Branwen against a terrorizing bully who is trying to burn her at the stake. Tragically, he accidentally sets a tree on fire which collapses on a boy whom Emrys tries to save and fails.
That is just a tiny piece of this series.
And guess what? It is being made into a movie!
You can read more about that here:
http://tabarron.com/merlin-the-movie/
I'm going to be keeping an eye for it.
You can learn more about T.A. Barron on his website and follow him on Twitter and Facebook
http://tabarron.com/
https://twitter.com/TABarronAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/TABarronFans
He also has a Youtube page:
https://www.youtube.com/user/tabarronweb
And the first book in Merlin, The Lost Years can be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Years-Book-Merlin/dp/0142418897
Definitely worth having a look.
Have a great day everyone. Happy reading!
I discovered it not that long ago and became hooked. There is so much detail in this series. It pulls you right in and you feel like you are apart of Merlin's world.
Here is a snippet from its Wikipedia page:
In the beginning, a young boy has just regained consciousness and finds he, along with a woman with long blond hair and a tattered blue tunic, are washed up on a beach. The boy encounters a boar as he is walking toward the woman, which tries to attack him and the woman. It stamps its foot on the ground, signaling that it is going to attack. With tusks like razor blades, it charges at the boy. He tries to drag the woman into a hollowed out tree trunk. He puts the woman in first, then tries to fit himself in but is too big. A beautiful stag leaps from the forest and stands between him and the boar. The stag and the boar fight. Angrily, the boar retreats. The stag looks at the boy with the deepest eyes the boy would ever see. The stag and the boar fade away, and soon the woman regains consciousness. The woman declares herself the boy's mother, and that her name is Branwen and his is Emrys. Years later, Emrys finds that he has magical powers and eventually uses them to defend Branwen against a terrorizing bully who is trying to burn her at the stake. Tragically, he accidentally sets a tree on fire which collapses on a boy whom Emrys tries to save and fails.
That is just a tiny piece of this series.
And guess what? It is being made into a movie!
You can read more about that here:
http://tabarron.com/merlin-the-movie/
I'm going to be keeping an eye for it.
You can learn more about T.A. Barron on his website and follow him on Twitter and Facebook
http://tabarron.com/
https://twitter.com/TABarronAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/TABarronFans
He also has a Youtube page:
https://www.youtube.com/user/tabarronweb
And the first book in Merlin, The Lost Years can be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Years-Book-Merlin/dp/0142418897
Definitely worth having a look.
Have a great day everyone. Happy reading!
June 26, 2015
Max Hamby Updates
Good morning, friends.
The weekend is almost upon on us and I hope it will be a great one for you.
I'll be deep in the third book in the Max Hamby series. I am almost finished and zip back to book 2 to start editing.
Book 3 was scheduled for 2016, but it looks like it might be out along side book 2. I will definitely keep you updated.
Thanks so much for reading and for your support.
Join me on Twitter or Facebook.
https://twitter.com/kathycyrwriter
https://www.facebook.com/authorkathycyr
You can help spread the word about the Max Hamby series by sharing any one of the following links. It's always appreciated.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id92...
Createspace: https://tsw.createspace.com/title/500...
Also available on B&N and other online retailers.
Have a wonderful day.
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
The weekend is almost upon on us and I hope it will be a great one for you.
I'll be deep in the third book in the Max Hamby series. I am almost finished and zip back to book 2 to start editing.
Book 3 was scheduled for 2016, but it looks like it might be out along side book 2. I will definitely keep you updated.
Thanks so much for reading and for your support.
Join me on Twitter or Facebook.
https://twitter.com/kathycyrwriter
https://www.facebook.com/authorkathycyr
You can help spread the word about the Max Hamby series by sharing any one of the following links. It's always appreciated.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id92...
Createspace: https://tsw.createspace.com/title/500...
Also available on B&N and other online retailers.
Have a wonderful day.
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
June 25, 2015
Thursday Three
Good Morning!
It's Thursday Three. Are you ready to start #amwriting? I've got three writing prompts for you.
Have a wonderful Thursday everyone. May it be good to you. :)
It was the first snowfall of the year.
Stars blazed in the night sky.
His feet were already numb. He should have listened.
You can find more here: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/writing-prompts-101/
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
It's Thursday Three. Are you ready to start #amwriting? I've got three writing prompts for you.
Have a wonderful Thursday everyone. May it be good to you. :)
It was the first snowfall of the year.
Stars blazed in the night sky.
His feet were already numb. He should have listened.
You can find more here: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/writing-prompts-101/
#Books #Ebooks #SelfPub #Publishing #Novel #AmWriting #Writers #Readers #kidlit #middlegrade #bookseries #maxhamby #childrensauthor #MGlit
Kathy Cyr- Author
Kathy Cyr writes in an underground cave, but has her eye on a wizard's castle.
On an average day, she's usually surrounded by a dwarf with a curious addiction to coffee, a moody dragon and a pink pixie ...more
On an average day, she's usually surrounded by a dwarf with a curious addiction to coffee, a moody dragon and a pink pixie ...more
- Kathy Cyr's profile
- 15 followers
