Samantha Bryant's Blog, page 12

Picking favorites: an open book blog hop post

Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.

What's your favorite book (not your own)? Has it changed in the last few years?  

______________________
Oooh, boy. I hate trying to pick a favorite. In almost any category! I'm too changeable in my tastes--and what feels like a favorite today may not please me that much tomorrow. So, anytime I answer "What's your favorite?" I feel like it needs a caveat of "This is my favorite, today." You may get an entirely different answer if you check back tomorrow. 
When it comes to books though, the first one to spring to mind when someone asks this one is usually We Have Always Lived in the Castle  by Shirley Jackson. 
book cover variations
Like many of my lasting favorites, I found this book when I was young, around age twelve or thirteen. My middle school librarian suggested it to me when I showed an appetite for the eerie and strange in my reading. There's something about loves I discovered at that age that imprints them deeply, at a soul level, and they became a part of me in a way that other things I've loved have not. 
I've read this one several times since that first time, and it delights me every time, sending shivers down my spine in whole new ways. 

If you've not read Shirley Jackson's work before, she is best known for this book and another work of psychological horror: The Haunting of Hill House (another favorite for me). Jackson had a way of making ordinary, domestic moments into something tense and fraught with possibilities. A lot of the time, the narrators are not completely reliable and the reader doesn't know what it is true and what is interpretation. 
Merricat, the main character and narrator of Castle fascinated me because she was such an atypical girl-in-a-book. She didn't care about the same things as other female characters I'd been presented with. She felt more real to me, edgy and judgmental, and fierce. 
One of my own works-in-progress (back burnered until I meet my current deadline on the final Menopausal Superhero novel) is a Gothic romance/family drama (working title: The Architect and the Heir) and I think my taste for that kind of story can be traced back to Shirley Jackson and Daphne DuMaurier, both of whom I read around the same time. 
I've loved a lot of books since. I still read as voraciously as my life allows, somewhere between fifty and one hundred books a year. But there's something special about this one. 
How about you? What's one of the books of your heart? I'd love to hear about in the comments. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Happy birthday, IWSG!

Welcome to the first Wednesday of the month. You know what that means! It's time to let our insecurities hang out. Yep, it's the Insecure Writer's Support Group blog hop. If you're a writer at any stage of career, I highly recommend this blog hop as a way to connect with other writers for support, sympathy, ideas, and networking. If you're a reader, it's a great way to peek behind the curtain of a writing life.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. This month's co-hosts are:J Lenni Dorner https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/Sonia Dogra https://soniadogra.com/Pat Garcia http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/Meka James https://authormekajames.wordpress.com/And the question-of-the-day: 

The IWSG celebrates 12 years today! When did you discover the IWSG, how do you connect, and how has it helped you?

As near as I can figure, I've been participating regularly in the IWSG blog hop since May, 2014, starting with this introductory post. That's the when the logo looked like the one you see above instead of the (in my opinion, much cooler) one we have now. 

So, that's nine years ago, which seems about right because that's about when I committed to taking my writing life seriously and making space for it, and I sought out writing communities and professional support as I worked to figure all of that out. (And how fun that in the comments on that post I see blogging-friends I still connect with through IWSG today!)
Now, how I heard about it? I don't remember! Like most things in my writing life, I bet I saw someone else participating and thought it sounded interesting and jumped on board. But who that was? What I saw? Where I saw it? Sorry, those are all details lost to the mists of time.

Looking back at that post, though, I want to go give my past self a little hug. 2014 turned out to be A HUGE year in my writing life, the year that the professional aspect started rolling. Just three months after that first post to the IWSG, I signed my first book contract for Going Through the Change . 
And the IWSG was here for me, cheering me on, encouraging me to continue when things got tough, inspiring me with their own journeys. They were there when I had to go through a painful revise-and-resubmit for the third book. They were there when that first publisher went defunct and I had to scramble to get my rights back. They were there when I was dealing with burnout and struggling to find the joy in my writing life. They were there when I signed with a new publisher and got a fresh start for my series. 
Each step of the way, I've found love and support among the writers in this group and I've been so glad I found y'all! So, fellow IWSGers, how did you find this group? And for other visitors, do you have a supportive group that feeds your personal journey? I'd love to hear what you have to say in the comments. 

Writing Problems, an Open Book blog hop post

  Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.

What's the biggest problem you have in your writing right now?  

______________________
I'm taking on a first in my writing life right now: writing a series-ender. I've been writing the Menopausal Superheroes since 2013, with the first book, Going Through the Change, coming onto the scene in 2015, and the other books following in 2016, 2017 (with a re-release with a new publisher for the first three in 2019), and 2020 for the novellas and short stories, and 2021 for the fourth novel. 
The Menopausal Superhero series, as of 2021
It's the first time I've written a series, but I didn't struggle that much book-to-book. Each one took me roughly a year to write. Even the third one, which required a revise-and-resbumit to the publisher only took 14 months. I feel good about that rate of progress, especially alongside a full time day job, kids to raise, and a household to take care of. 
But writing the fifth and final novel in the series is a different beast altogether. I'm two years in on this one already and I'm not done yet. And I'm so lucky I have a patient publisher. 
My publisher (John Hartness of Falstaff Books), looking patient by his truck
I really want to stick the landing and leave readers feeling satisfied with how it all wraps up. I need to make sure I tie up the most important loose ends without getting wrapped up in trying to settle every story gambit that I ever through out in previous four novels, two novellas, and collection of shorts. 
Did I mention I'm a pantser? (For those unfamiliar with the term: this means I make it up as a I go. I don't sit down with an outline or a fully fleshed out plan, but just start writing and see where it goes). That doesn't make this easier, but it's a process that works for me. That feeling of exploration and discovery while I'm writing often serves the story and characters well. 
So, yeah, that's my writing problem of the moment: finishing it right. 
I've had a good couple of months of steady progress, so right now it feels possible that I'll finish soon. Send all your good vibes my way! I'll need them. 
In the meantime, check out the other posts in this week's blog hop and see what's giving everyone else trouble and, as always, leave me a comment letting me know what you think!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Nibbles while I noodle…or not: an Open Book blog hop post

 

 Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.

What snack do you like with your cuppa (coffee/tea)?  

______________________
Most of my tea or coffee is a morning affair, enjoyed alongside breakfast. My writing time usually comes at the end of the day, after the job, supper, and family responsibilities have settled. Much too late in the day for me to have caffeine if I'm going to sleep at night! 
image source


In the winter, I might have some Tension Tamer or another herbal tea for the warmth and comfort while I write, but here in the height of summer, it's ice water. I'm too hot all the time--which is part of why I can't wait for Fall to come and rescue me.  
I don't eat while I write, so no snacks for me with that second cuppa. Eating-while-distracted is a recipe for disaster for me: either I'm clumsy and make a mess, or I eat too much because I wasn't paying attention, or I forget the snack altogether because I got focused. 
How about you? Can you snack and get creative at the same time? What's your snacking pleasure? 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Beta Readers and the Role of Feedback: An Open Book blog hop post

 

 Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.

Do you use beta readers? Have they been useful in improving your writing?  

______________________
Beta readers can be really useful…and not so useful. The tricky bit, I think, is finding folks who are available on your timetable and can provide the right kind of feedback. 
For any folks reading this who don't know, beta readers are people who read an author's work after it is complete, but before it is published, when there's still room to take feedback and improve the work. Sometimes, these can be other authors, but ideally, they are readers who enjoy the genre you're writing in and can be articulate about what they like and don't like, but who aren't necessarily going to respond the same way another writer would. 
image source
I have used beta readers, but I rely more heavily on my alpha readers--writing friends who serve as critique partners, reading work in its more raw state and through their feedback helping me refine the story while I'm still writing it. 
I've been in the same critique group for 15 years now (though the membership has shifted over the years, with folks leaving and coming in) and we discuss excerpts of our work-in-progress and will also serve as beta readers for one another when the book gets to that stage. 
It's a process that works well for me and helps me maintain momentum, but I know it wouldn't work for everyone. Knowing when in your process to seek feedback can be quite challenging and might even differ from project to project. 
I've also participated in beta-exchange groups, where authors read one another's complete books and give feedback. 
A few times, I've been able to get readers who are not also writers, but that's tricky since I've been working within a series for almost eight years now and I'd really need people who've already read the rest of the series before giving feedback on the latest volume. That's a lot to ask of people giving their time and energy for free (which most of them are). 
I've gotten great feedback in all these scenarios…and I've gotten vague, contradictory, and not-that-helpful feedback, too. As in most things, your mileage will vary. 
image source
It can take a lot of time to process all the feedback, too, looking for patterns and evaluating whether a critique necessitates changing your work (because most readers seem to agree that something is a problem) or if it's just one person's point of view (and other readers disagree). In the end, the story is still yours to tell, so you don't have to incorporate any of the feedback at all if it doesn't fit your vision.
But feedback is so useful! And the finished story is often tremendously improved by the process. 
Since I've been working with a traditional publisher, I've spent less time seeking formal beta readers, choosing instead to lean on critique partners and alpha readers, then rely on the editorial process to find anything that isn't working in my completed book. 
How and when do you seek out feedback in your creative endeavors? If you're a writer, what's your experience with beta readers? If you're a reader, do you want to be a beta reader for me? I'm hoping to have a draft of the final Menopausal Superhero novel ready for feedback by early November. Let me hear your thoughts in the comments!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Breaking the Ice: An Open Book Blog hop post

 

 Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.

What's your favorite ice-breaker (meetings, parties, dates, socials)?  

______________________
Like many writers, I run towards introverted. I've developed a healthy collection of social skills and coping mechanisms over the years, but "peopling" still wears me out. 
image source

I detest most so-called ice-breakers, those weird little (extrovert created) games that force people into unnatural interactions with strangers should be illegal under the Geneva conventions as torture. As a teacher, I was subjected to so many of them over the years in the name of team-building and collegiality. 
No, I don't want to build something out of marshmallows and toothpicks with a table full of strangers or compete to see who can find someone who has been to France the fastest. This does not make me feel good or result in a human connection that matters in any way. 
image source

But I do recognize that there is a need to meet people. I appreciate being left to do this in a low-key way, at my own pace and volume. Honestly, meeting people works best for me if I can meet one or two people at a time, and there's a mutual acquaintance there to connect us. 
In in-person, writer-centered activities, it's easy to meet people though. I just ask, "What do you write?" and sit and listen. 
Online, there are plenty of people posting little games, surveys, or questions, and I can just join in that conversation. I can participate in things like this blog hop, where a group of people are all in their own space, but thinking and talking about the same things. 
I don't want anyone to break the ice, honestly. I'm happy to let it thaw more naturally, a little bit at a time. 
How about you? Do you like ice-breakers? What works for you when you're meeting people? 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

My Author Origin Story: An Open Book Blog Hop post

 

Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.

What's your author origin story?  

______________________
In some ways, I've always been a writer, at least since I could actually hold a pen or pencil and physically write. My first poems were written when I was only six, in first grade. "Beauty is in the great, tall trees/bending over in the breeze" and stuff like that. 
In other ways, I've only been an author for a decade or so, starting when I panicked a little over the idea that I was turning 42 and still hadn't written a book, then committed to a daily writing habit, and started finishing things, submitting them, and getting published. 
But the important part of my author origin story isn't in the exact details. This heroine's journey begins with reading. 
The first book I can remember loving was a collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. It was a tall, slender volume with a blue cover. I had to lay it down on the floor and stretch out my arm to turn the pages. By the time I was three years old, I had it memorized, down to what words went with what page turns, and convinced my grandmother that I could already read (I couldn't--I just knew that book by heart). 

I had a pretty healthy collection of Little Golden Books as well, since that was my bribe for being a good girl at the grocery store. I'd put up with a lot for the promise of a new Little Golden Book. 
When I got a little older, Mom and I (and little sister, when she came along) became regulars at the library. I was such an enthusiastic little reader that the book mobile ladies would hide books under the seat for me so they'd still be available when they got to my house even though we were one of the last stops. To this day, I am grateful to my library and librarians for all the worlds they opened to me through their shelves. 
But yes, reading was definitely my conduit into writing. I'd make up other endings or additional adventures for stories I loved, and over time I started writing them down. Really, it's no surprise to anyone who knew me in childhood that I grew up to be a writer. 
Writing sometimes feels to me like reading notched up to eleven. If reading lets me walk in someone else's shoes, writing lets me wear their skin and look out through their eyes, imagining all the details of a life very different than my own. It's one of the great joys of my life and I hope to enjoy it for many years yet to come. 
How about you? Do you have an origin story for your heart's endeavors? I'd love to hear about it in the comments! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Inner Conflict and the Writing Process: An IWSG post

  

Welcome to the first Wednesday of the month. You know what that means! It's time to let our insecurities hang out. Yep, it's the Insecure Writer's Support Group blog hop. If you're a writer at any stage of career, I highly recommend this blog hop as a way to connect with other writers for support, sympathy, ideas, and networking. If you're a reader, it's a great way to peek behind the curtain of a writing life.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. The awesome co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG are Kate Larkinsdale, Diane Burton,  Janet Alcorn,  and  Shannon Lawrence!

August 2 question: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?

__________________________________________
By the time I actually finish a piece of writing, as in "this is ready to submit for publication," I've worked my way through all my angst and anxiety about it and I believe in it and want to get it in front of readers. 
So, I'd have to say "sort of" in answering today's question: I've felt that way while the piece was still in-process, but I made my peace with it before I called it done. 
I've definitely written some things that surprised me--that were very different from my usual in theme or style or content. I've spent a little time worrying that the change won't go over well with my readers now that I've established a small following, but in the end, my writing life belongs to me and is about expression of what's going on inside my mind and heart, so I don't hold myself back for long worrying about reception. 
Me with my "half hero/half horror" banner at Ret-Con
I do warn people though. People who know me for my Menopausal Superhero series are sometimes really surprised to find out that I write dark fiction and horror stories, too. And both groups have been surprised by a few pieces that took a more literary bent and weren't really speculative fiction at all. 
I have some writer friends who establish pen names for their work in different genres, and that seems like a great technique to me and a good cue for readers, but I get tired just thinking about managing more than one of me, so it's all just under my real name. 
For other writers coming to my site today, how does this play out for you? For readers, how do you feel about it when an author you enjoy puts out a different sort of work than what you already know and love? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Pick a setting: an Open Book blog hop post

 

Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.

A field full of sunflowers on a bright morning? Or, rolling hills on a clear full moon night?  

______________________
Those both sound pretty nice, in different ways. I guess it depends on what I'll be up to in this setting, and how hot it is outside. I wilt like a cabbage leaf in the bright, hot sun, but I also don't have great night vision. Are there mosquitos? 
I know, I'm overthinking it. 
I can imagine myself walking in the field of sunflowers with my youngest kid, who loves flowers as much as I do. There's a field like this near us, next to Maple View Farms, a favorite ice cream shop, so we could wander in the sunflowers until we got too hot, then cool off with sundaes or smoothies. 
Those rolling hills on a clear, full moon night sound pretty romantic, so I think I'll head over there with my husband, a citronella candle, and a blanket and lay there listening to frog song for a while. 
Maybe this is a more poetic way of asking whether I'm a night owl or a day lark, and like I am with both things, I'm both!
How about you? Does one of these settings please your heart more than the other? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Anne? Pippi? Nancy? Madeline? Ferdinand? An open book blog hop post

Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.

If you were a beloved children's character, which ones would you be? 

______________________
Now that's an interesting question. Am I meant to say which character I think is the most like me? Or more like which character would I like to be? Both, you say? Sure! Why not both!
As a child, I was very much like Anne of Green Gables fame. I was always getting in trouble for daydreaming, a little quick to take offense, and very much following my heart. 
I even had freckles, reddish hair often worn in braids, and a propensity for books and straw hats. 
Honestly, I haven't changed that much. I've just figured out a way to channel my daydreaming into writing, and to go a little slower before I fly off the handle. (Probably much like Anne herself did as she grew up, come to think of it). 
So that's who I am like, but then who would I like to be, given the chance? 
Should I be content to be who I am, no matter what others seems to think, like Ferdinand the bull? Smart, brave, and helpful like Nancy Drew? Self-sufficient, independent, and unable to be cowed like Pippi Longstocking? Loyal and fierce like Madeline? 

I don't think I can pick. How about you? Is there a children's book character you especially identify with? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter