The Warrior Muse

On Writing Biographies & Historical Fiction...Research

2012-02-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

I got to attend a luncheon with speaker Cynthia S. Becker, who wrote Chipeta: Queen of the Utes, a biography about Chipeta, wife to Chief Ouray of the Utes. She spoke to us about resources for researching biographies, but her information would be useful to anyone who wants to be historically accurate, no matter the type of story you're writing.

A lot of what Cynthia did was legwork. If any of you have ever tried to find information on Native American history, you know how hard it is to find thorough and accurate information. I've hit roadblock after roadblock in trying to research my own ancestry, and that's despite family still living on Indian land and my grandfather having been offered a plot in Oklahoma (he wasn't registered, and we can't find who was). You see, the safest thing for many Natives was to pretend to be white, to record it that way on censuses, adopt white names and get social security cards, etc. Tracking family beyond that point can be very hard, unless you know what their previous given names were.

Luckily, one of Cynthia's hobbies was genealogy, something that gave her a leg up on knowing some resources for historical research. She recommended genealogy websites. Personally, I found great information at Ancestry.com, but the cost was steep. Cynthia informed us that many libraries have access to Ancestry.com, so if you don't want to pay for your own account, you can do this research at the library.

You can check Census records to find locations, as well as who was living with the person you're researching. There was a separate Indian Census on reservations, done by their Indian Agents, so if you happen to be researching Native history, that is one additional place to look.

Some obvious places to do research are old newspapers (often available online these days), historical societies in the appropriate areas (for instance, Cynthia worked with the Colorado Historical Society), Grolier (a research site with encyclopedias and newspapers), OneFile (which has periodicals and journals), CultureGrams (which covers over 200 countries), and ProQuest (for research around the world).

Newspapers are a great source for those writing historical fiction, as well as biographies, because they can give you a feel for other things going on at that time. For instance, you can see how people dressed, what was in style according to the ads, what prices were, kitchen and household items being sold, vehicles being sold, movies and shows playing at the time, etc. This can be valuable research when trying to set the scene.

If you can swing it, a visit to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. can be very valuable. They have copies of government receipts and documents. Cynthia was able to swing that by piggy-backing on her husband's business trip out to D.C. I would love to spend some time at the National Archives!

All of this research is great, of course, but even better is talking to people who have a more intimate knowledge of what you're researching. You can find golden nuggets of information that you likely wouldn't have found out any other way. Cynthia points out that people are often eager to talk about their past experiences, whether loved ones or a famous person they encountered. While doing her research, she was able to talk to family members of people who had met Chipeta and/or Ouray. One man talked about how Chief Ouray came to a trading post and took the little boy whose parents ran it out back, spending hours patiently teaching him how to properly use a bow and arrow. A man told Cynthia his neighbor was having a baby at the hospital when Chipeta came in for a surgery, and how Chipeta, who had never birthed a child of her own, came in and asked to hold the baby, snuggling it and talking to it in the Ute language, so sweetly. Considering how horrid newspaper reports were about Natives during the time in question, first-person accounts like these can help tell us who these people really were.

CHIPETA AND OURAY

One thing to remember in newspapers and personal accounts is that anything that can be researched/backed up, should be. Reading through the sensationalized newspaper accounts about the "savages" running around torturing white farmers and prospectors, mutilating them, raping their women and children and the like, it is easy to see why residents wanted the Natives removed. What the papers were reporting was utterly terrifying. Yet those who lived near the Utes, the Indian Agents and those that came into contact with them reported things completely differently, though attempts to set the record straight fell on deaf ears. Here, I've been thinking that our media has gone downhill, sensationalizing things and stretching the truth, yet you see it no matter what the year. The news has always been about what would sell papers, so take what you read with a grain of salt and seek other means of research to check it out before reporting it as the gospel truth.

Cynthia S. Becker was a wonderful speaker. I was captivated with her obvious respect for Chipeta and what she went through. She passed along some great information, and I'd like to close by sharing resources she recommended for research at the end of this message (many of them are regional, but may give you an idea for places to look that are similar).

Come by tomorrow for a teaser from Chipeta: Queen of the Utes, as well as Alex's Catch Fire! Blog Party!

From Cynthia's handout:

Online Research Sources

National Archives Denver Branch

Native American Nations (Southwest)

Colorado Historical Society

Colorado State Archives

Library of Congress American Memory

U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management

Newspapers

Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection

Library of Congress Historic American Newspaper Collection

New York Times Archives (fee for use/free for subscribers)

Rocky Mountain News Archives (fee for use)

Photographs

Denver Public Library Digital Collections

National Archives Digital Photography Archives

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library

Some of those sites are so incredible that I could get lost for hours! Any great research sites you'd like to pass along? I'll gladly re-post them on Thursday with credit to you!

May you find your Muse.

Thursday Helpful Links: Writer's Grants, Contest, Fun Stuff & #atozchallenge

2012-02-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

Before jumping into this week's links (which I think are pretty awesome), I'd just like to say that IT'S ALMOST THE WEEKEND!!! Despite the short week, thanks to President's Day, I've thought it was a day ahead all week. That makes today Friday...if only!

Also, see my new banner?! Jeremy over at Retro-Zombie rocks! I sent him one sentence and he completely nailed my inspiration for The Warrior Muse! Maybe you recognize his digital signature in the corner of the banner; Jeremy is also the person responsible for many of the A-to-Z banners and badges you're seeing around the blog-o-verse. Like this one:

Speaking of the A-to-Z and my co-hosts, we are hoping to get to 1000 signups for the A-to-Z Challenge by March 1. If you're waffling, now's the time to sign up! If you've already signed up, would you help us meet our goal by posting about it/sharing? This year's A-to-Z is going to be amazing!

Image courtesy of OCAL at CLKER.com

First, we have FundsforWriters. This site lists contests, grants and publications. You can sign up for a newsletter that will automatically bring you updates on these things. Very cool! I'm kicking myself because I know one of our fellow bloggers was asking for help due to medical reasons. If anyone knows who that was, can you send her the link? There are grants to pay medical bills for writers in need.

Image courtesy of OCAL at CLKER.com

There is a writing contest open, no entry fee. They also have an art contest associated with it, so this isn't just for writers! This is the Tarcher Top Artist Competition. It is associated with Penguin and the winners receive $5000 cash and, for the writers, a critique of their entire book by a Tarcher Books editor. Not too shabby, eh?

Image courtesy of OCAL at CLKER.com

This binder from the Novelists, Inc. was recommended by someone on LinkedIn. You will find tons of helpful information in it, and it is FREE! I scanned through it before I downloaded it and it is chock full of information helpful to writers.

Now, just for fun, here's some art carved out of old books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, etc., all out of date, I believe).

Weekly Reminders:

Are you devious at heart? That's the theme for the PPB NLAPW Flash Fiction Contest. More information can be found on the Flash Fiction Contest tab at the top of my blog.

The A-to-Z Challenge is filling up fast! No worries, though, there is no limit to how many people can sign up to participate. The sooner you sign up, the sooner you can start getting to know your fellow A-to-Z participants. Click on the A-to-Z tab at the top of my blog or go to the official A-to-Z website for sign-up, information, helpful posts from our team and past participants, and video challenge pieces.

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference is filling up fast! The sooner you get registered, the better your chance at getting a Read & Critique appointment or Pitch appointment.

The Flash Fiction Contest I'm chairing for the Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women is open through May 1. I received the first official entry this week! Now if only someone would submit the first official online entry, I'd be all sorts of pumped!

Anything to share? Anything you'd like me to be keeping an eye out for that I'm not? Let me know!

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: Field Full O' Elk

2012-02-22T07:00:00.001-07:00

Seeing as how it's been cold and randomly snowy around here, how about a photo theme that's the epitome of winter? I never posted any photos of the elk we ran into on our way into Estes Park in November, and the feel of the photos seemed apt for today. So, without further ado, elk!

The first photo is to give you an idea of how large this herd was (I suspect it was many herds, but I'm not elk expert). This is maybe 1/4 of the elk out there, if that much.

Just a note: Any barbwire fencing you see is because they had wandered onto someone's fenced property. They were wild, not trapped within a fence.

I've lived in Colorado since I was twelve, but my trip to Estes Park two years ago was the first I ever saw elk. The second time was this past November. They're neat animals to observe.

Ever seen elk? Moose? Do you live somewhere with a lot of deer (random question, I know, but I thought everyone had herds of deer in their neighborhood all the time until recently)?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: Here, Kitty, Kitty

2012-02-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

"I shut my eyes. My voice was hushed. 'Is change all bad?'

'You're going to get yourself killed. And not because of people like that assassin.'

'I'm an adult. I can take care of myself.'

'No, you can't.'

And that's what this was all about, wasn't it? Which one of us was right?"

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

Yay & Twitter: Help!

2012-02-20T07:00:00.002-07:00

Before I start talking about Twitter, I want to excitedly announce that I got the first submission for the Pen Women Flash Fiction Contest! Yay! I hope they start to flood in. If you haven't seen information on this Flash Fiction Contest, you can click the Flash Fiction tab at the top of my blog. I am the Chair for the contest, but am not judging it. Getting that first submission made all the hard work seem worth it!

Also, I attended a lovely Pen Women meeting on Saturday with guest speaker Cynthia Becker, who talked to us about researching for a biography (she wrote about Chipeta, wife of Ute Chief Ouray). I am hoping to pass along some of the helpful information she gave us, probably next Monday. She had great research links and ways to research that will help you with historical accuracy, whether you're writing historical fiction or a biography.

Lastly, I think I've landed on a fun extra for daily posts during the A-to-Z. I'm so excited to try it out! Speaking of the A-to-Z, we hosts are doing "getting to know you" posts throughout the next month-and-a half and answering questions you might find to be unexpected. Arlee Bird, our honorable leader in insanity, posted his on Saturday. Mine isn't until March, but you will find some fun posts from my co-hosts in the meantime.

Moving on to Twitter...

I signed up for Twitter last spring or summer, having received encouragement during the A-to-Z on how helpful it was for writers. I have not really gotten to know it well yet, and have mostly used it to reply to tweets directed at me and to post a link to each post here on the blog.

The problem is that I've been getting contacted more and/or tagged, and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to respond, what the Twitter rules of etiquette are, etc. I'm hoping some of you can help me.

When someone tags you in a "tweet" with the tag #WW what does that mean? Is it just referring people to a Wordless Wednesday-type post? Should I be responding with a thank you, re-tweeting, what? Help!

Also, if someone tags you with the tag #FF what is that for? Follower Friday? What does that mean? Should I be responding with a thank you? Once again, please help!

For my part, I always try to tweet a thank you to anyone who retweets one of my tweets (haha, writing that word over and over is weird). I follow back most who follow me unless it is blatant advertising, completely inappropriate (considering I have a twisted sense of humor, it has to be really inappropriate) or something porny, and I hesitate when it is someone with no tweets, or none that are recent. I also look at their number of followers versus the number they follow. If this is very lopsided and they have a ton of followers but are only following a few, I pretty much assume they intend to delete me after I follow back, so they will not get me as a follower.

If I happen to be on for whatever reason and see something interesting I want to share, I retweet it by clicking "retweet" at the bottom of their post (I specify that because I've since happened across a discussion on whether you should do it that way or whether you should copy the link and do a whole new tweet on it).

I'm trying to learn it because I hate thinking there is some proper way I'm supposed to be responding to various things on there and people who were nice enough to mention me are possibly peeved that I haven't responded appropriately. I'm sure there have been some other manner of tags, though I think #WW and #FF are the major ones I've seen. Is there a resource you might recommend for knowing what various hash-tags mean or would someone kindly tell me about the proper ways to behave in Twitter Land? I don't want to be known as rude.

I imagine I can't be the only one who has no idea what any of this means, so any answers provided in the comments will hopefully help someone other than me, as well.

What do #FF and #WW stand for and how should one respond to them when tagged/mentioned? Do you automatically follow back? If not, what are your specifications for whether you follow someone? Are you in the same boat as me...signed up, but completely clueless?

May you find your Muse.

Visit me at the A-to-Z!

2012-02-17T07:00:00.001-07:00

I'm posting over at the official A-to-Z Challenge Blog today! I'm talking about the importance of community among bloggers and writers, and how the A-to-Z can contribute to this. Please come over and visit!

CLICK HERE to come visit.

May you find your Muse.

Project 52 Update & Helpful Links: Contests, CAL, Submissions, Write Brain

2012-02-16T07:00:00.004-07:00

We'll start with a quick Project 52 update:

I submitted a horror story this week! Yay! Doesn't mean it will be accepted, but I'm excited to have gotten my act together and to have submitted a work of fiction.

~~5. Submit at least 1 horror short story for publication~~

I can also cross off:

~~39. Contact publications about flash fiction contest.~~

#39 is why I'm behind on responding to comments and visiting blogs. I've spent a lot of the last two weeks, including the weekends, going through and finding contacts for the flash fiction contest. I will continue doing so, but the main drive is through, I think. Everything else is going to consist of random searches when I have a few minutes.

Can't believe I hadn't already crossed this off, but I forgot it was on my list:

~~48. Register for Pikes Peak Writers Conference.~~

Now for some links!

This sounds interesting, and there are some very cool prizes: My Gutsy Story Contest.

Here's another one that might be interesting: Essays for Hope.

I've heard about this contest the last couple years, and it has some high cash prizes: Scare the Dickens out of us Short Story Contest. It does have an entry fee, but it seems reasonable for the prize money.

This seems like a neat group/resource for Colorado authors (I am not a member, but contacted them about the Flash Fiction Contest, and they were very friendly and receptive): California Author's League (CAL).

I had not heard of these guys before, but it is something I wanted to look into a bit more (though I haven't yet): National Writers Union (NWU).

For those in or near Colorado Springs, there is a great Write Brain this month. I can't make it to this one, but it definitely sounds worth attending: Formatting eBooks 101, presented by DeAnna Knippling (you may remember her from the previous Write Brain I attended.)

Weekly Reminders:

Are you devious at heart? That's the theme for the PPB NLAPW Flash Fiction Contest. More information can be found on the Flash Fiction Contest tab at the top of my blog.

The A-to-Z Challenge is filling up fast! No worries, though, there is no limit to how many people can sign up to participate. The sooner you sign up, though, the sooner you can start getting to know your fellow A-to-Z participants. Click on the A-to-Z tab at the top of my blog or go to the official A-to-Z website for sign-up, information, helpful posts from our team and past participants, and video challenge pieces.

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference is filling up fast! The sooner you get registered, the better your chance at getting a Read & Critique appointment or Pitch appointment.

Anything to share? Anything you'd like me to be keeping an eye out for that I'm not? Let me know!

P.S. I will be posting over at the official A-to-Z Challenge Blog tomorrow about the A-to-Z Challenge and the importance of community among bloggers and writers. I'll post a reminder and link then!

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: Fairy Wonderland

2012-02-15T07:00:00.002-07:00

We had one of those perfect snows on Saturday. The kind where the snow sticks to the trees and brush and coats them in glistening white and silver. We had fog, too, which we don't see nearly enough around here (have I mentioned I lived in Oregon for seven years?). Fog and a gentle snow make me want to snuggle up and relax. Instead, I went for a snowy hike in Garden of the Gods and snapped a few pictures.

I hope you enjoyed your walk through my fairy wonderland, winter in the high desert. I know the pics were a bit dark, but, well...it was dark and foggy, and snow was still falling, so I hope you'll excuse my lack of photo prowess.

How is the weather in your area? Are you a fan of snow and fog, or could you do without it?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: An Oldie, Yet to See if it's a Goodie

2012-02-14T07:00:00.002-07:00

Today's teaser is from The Night Crew by John Sandford, p. 33

"The two-faced man hurried down the darkened pier, saw the light in the side window, in the back. He carried an eighteen-inch Craftsman box-end wrench, the kind used in changing trailer-hitch balls. The heft was right: just the thing. No noise."

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

Guest Posting Tips

2012-02-13T07:00:00.014-07:00

I've only entered the world of guest posts in the last few months, but there are some things it's worthwhile to pass along when it comes to guest blogging or hosting a guest poster. I'm not aware of a manual floating around out there, so here are a few tips you might find valuable. Feel free to add your own in the comments or, if you beg to differ, tell me why. I'm still learning, and can use any tips you have to offer me.

When You're the Guest Poster

Do:
*Thank your host.
*Post about something the host's readers might be interested in. In other words, do your homework.
*Return to respond to comments.
*Visit those who were kind enough to read your guest post and comment.
*Get your post to the host by the requested deadline (or in a timely manner if there is no deadline).
*Post a link on your own blog so people know you have guest posted elsewhere and can follow you there.
*Be professional. Watch your language, be respectful, etc.
*Keep up with communication with your host before your post.

Don't:
*Ignore guidelines (if they say it should be 500 words, make it 500 words).
*Monopolize your guest post as a sales pitch for yourself, even if it technically is. Instead, write something interesting that will make them want to know more about you.
*Submit a guest post full of errors; check your grammar, spelling, html and information.

When You're the Host

Do:
*Be sure to make clear any preferences, guidelines or rules.
*Thank your guest poster.
*Write a nice introduction to your guest poster.
*Let people know the guest post is coming up to make sure people stop by.
*Be flexible where you're able.
*Keep up with communication with your guest leading up to the post.

Don't:
*Assume your guest poster knows what you want if you haven't told them.
*Take the day off. You should still be there to respond to comments on your own blog, even though it isn't technically your post.
*Change the date of the guest post without discussing it with the guest.
*Change the content of the guest's post without discussing it with them first.

Guest posting can either be very comfortable and rewarding or very uncomfortable and, possibly, damaging. Treat it as if you're a guest in someone's home, or a guest speaker at their office. If you wouldn't do something in person, don't do it in writing. You're being given a great opportunity to reach a new audience, so be sure to show your gratitude through your words and actions.

Do you have any other tips for guest posters or hosts? Any guest/host horror stories to share?

May you find your Muse.

Thursday Helpful Links:

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

For today's helpful hints, I've got a smorgasbord (hey, I spelled that right the first time!).

First, Rachael Harrie's Fourth Writers' Platform Building Crusade is open for sign-ups. I had no idea it was time until I happened it across it on someone's blog. I think you have about a week to sign up. I'm not sure I'll be doing it this time around, but if I do it will be last minute sign-up, right around the time I miraculously get all aspects of my life caught up.

If you're not sure what the Writers' Platform Building Crusade is, I'll tell you! You sign up to participate in some mini writing projects. You are given specific dates for participation, and on the opening date you are given details for what you are supposed to write. You have a couple days in which to write to the given specifications. You visit other participating blogs and others visit your blog from the main linky list(s). You also compete, so there are judges and voting. If you've got the time, it's a great way to build your platform and stretch your writing skills.

An annual magazine, "Kansas City Voices," is accepting submissions through March 15, 2012. Don't let the name fool you, they are open for any quality subject matter, not just that related to Kansas or the midwest. They accept prose and poetry. This is a paying market.

Pentalk is a community on Facebook where you can view little mini-workshops on various writing-related items, share your expertise or look for someone else's guidance.

Dark Markets is a website that keeps you apprised of horror markets accepting submissions. There are some great projects on there!

Big World Magazine is looking for photos and stories that are travel/culture related.

Q&W Publishers are putting together an anthology on "The Old Weird South". This is a paying market.

Just a Contest appears to be a great site where you can track down various contests. You can even sort the categories for your search.

Finally, Writer Gazette seems like a wonderful overall resource for writers, listing resources, articles, calls for submissions, contests and such.

Weekly Reminders

Are you devious at heart? That's the theme for the PPB NLAPW Flash Fiction Contest. More information can be found on the Flash Fiction Contest tab at the top of my blog.

I'm officially registered for the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference! They are still open for attendees, but register soon if you want a chance at Read & Critique appointments or a pitch appointment.

Any helpful links or sites to share? Please feel free to share links and/or to ask me questions about what I've posted, especially if it's about the reminder links, as those are the ones I'm most familiar with.

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: Toasty Meerkats

2012-02-08T07:00:00.002-07:00

It's chilly today, and I was sitting in front of the fireplace, getting toasty, as I looked through my photos for some [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday inspiration, and here were these little guys, getting toasty in front of a space heater:

So I thought I'd share them. Cute little guys, aren't they? This isn't the first time I've shared the meerkats, though it is the first time it's been this particular photo. They're a cute and feisty little bunch, full of personality.

I had no idea what meerkats were until "The Lion King." I wonder if we'd have them at the zoo if it weren't for that movie. Things that make you go hmmmm...

Speaking of things that make you go hmmm, Arsenio will be on the new season of "The Apprentice." Anyone watching that? And did anyone catch the 2 hour premier of "The River?" I wanted to watch it and failed to DVR it, so I have to wait until it's available online. I'm curious if it was any good.

Did you know meerkats existed before Disney introduced them?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: Skinwalker Versus Vampires

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

"I had a feeling that this formal visit might be only marginally better than Leo's kerosene and fire visit of the night before, and that brought out a belligerance I usually controlled better. I narrowed my eyes at him. 'No shit.'" p. 43

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

Write Brain Notes: New Models in Publishing, An Indie Author Speaks

2012-02-06T09:00:00.002-07:00

This is the third, and final, portion of my notes from the Write Brain workshop New Models in Publishing, presented by Pikes Peak Writers. Today, I will pass along notes from DeAnna Knippling, an independently published author.

DeAnna Knippling gave us advice on indie publishing. She pointed out that we should do research on self publishing, whether we're going traditional or not, so that we know what to look at. For instance, if you've done your research on what makes a good cover, you will know what to consider when a traditional publishing house sends you their design for your book cover. Is the font good? Will the colors stand out? Can you read the title? Is the image eye-catching? Studying up on details like this will help you insure your book is high quality, even if you're being traditionally published.

If you're being traditionally published, she stresses that you should READ THE CONTRACT CAREFULLY. Don't just sign it in a flurry because you're excited to be getting published. Read every nitty-gritty detail and make sure you're being treated fairly.

DeAnna pointed out that being consistent in the types of stories you're putting out can increase your sales. She'll be the first to tell you that she doesn't do this across the board, but that her children's series is consistent and sells better than some of the more varied offerings. People will come back to something they liked.

The following is summarized from her handout on Indie Publishing, and is what she feels is the bare minimum (for the full handout, please see it on the Pikes Peak Writers' official blog, Writing From the Peak, where there is fantastic information I did not pass along in this series of posts):

You need material that you own the rights to; a freelance business (properly set up) for tax purposes; various forms of marketing (an author website, social media, contact with reviewers (send them a free e-copy), contact with any specialty markets that may apply to your book (websites with related content) and writer's groups); proper editing, proper formatting, a good and legal cover design, e-publishing in all formats, validation of your product once published, announcements/marketing and limitless patience. **NOTE: All of this is further explained in the handout, linked above)**

Some links:
Goodreads
Library Thing
Nolo
Step by Step Self-Publishing
www.blog.deannaknippling.com
Smashwords Style Guide
Gimp.org
Scribus
Dreamstime free images and software
Smashwords
KDP Amazon
PubIt!
Zen Habits for patience

Some additional resources:
The Copyright Handbook by Stephen Fishman (this comes highly recommended by her, and seems like an excellent resource, whether you're self-pubbed or traditionally pubbed).
Nolo's checklist: Start Your Own Business: 50 Things You'll Need to Do

DeAnna always has valuable insight, and can be found in the following places:

Her personal blog, deannaknippling.com
Her small publisher website, wonderlandpress.com
Her middle-grade pseudonym blog, dekenyon.com

She also does e-book and POD formatting for hire, so feel free to contact her at the above places. Her books can be found under the names DeAnna Knippling and De Kenyon.

Do you have anything to add to this?

This concludes my notes from the Write Brain workship, New Models in Publishing, by Pikes Peak Writers.

May you find your Muse.

Project 52 Update, Open Anthologies, Community Websites

2012-02-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

It has been an overwhelming week, so the links are a bit sparse today, but I do have a couple. First, though, how about a Project 52 update?

I can now cross out:
20. Make query/submission spreadsheet
28. Organize and edit scenic photos

I can technically cross this one out:
34. Submit 1 photo to a contest/publication

But I'm not going to. I had two photos in a paper and they credited them as Courtesy Photos instead of putting my name in. By the time I discovered it, it was too late to do anything about it, though I imagine if I fought I could make it happen. They were not scenic photos like I enjoy taking, but were of people, and I don't feel like they were very good, so I'm letting this one slide in order to not ruin a specific relationship (so yes, I have my reasons, but I'm still not necessarily happy about the situation). I am going to take this as a learning experience and go from there.

On a positive note, I was delighted to see that I officially have 400 followers as of this evening! So cool! I appreciate each and every one. I'm thinking it's time to start planning a giveaway when I reach 500 followers.

And now...the links:

Writers Unite is a writer's community I heard about this week. I have not yet joined, nor have I checked it out in-depth. However, it sounds interesting, so I'm passing it along, as it never hurts to find a supportive community, especially in such a solitary pursuit as writing.

The Denver Women's Press Club is running their Unknown Writer's Contest. You must be a Colorado resident (both men and women can enter) and you cannot have been paid for published work before.

Renee Rongen is accepting submissions for an anthology on the spirit of a woman. I do not believe you have to be a women to enter this, just to follow the theme of "What is the Spirit of a Woman?" Though it is not reflected on the webpage, the deadline has been extended to February 18.

I came across a second online community, this one called the WAE Network (or Writers, Agents, Editors). I did sign up to look at a pitch fest they are having, but didn't find much information on it. I haven't explored the site further (NO TIME!!). I like their cute little characters at the top of the page (featureless except for sneakers and socks).

And here are the weekly reminders:

The Pen Women Flash Fiction contest is ongoing. You can find more information on the Flash Fictiontab at the top of this blog. The theme is Are you Devious at Heart?

The A-to-Z Challenge is up to 430 sign-ups as of the writing of this post! You can sign up on the A-to-Z Info and Sign-up tab at the top of this blog.

Pikes Peak Writers is still accepting submissions (unpaid) for an anthology, to benefit their scholarship program. The theme is Moving Mountains.

And, of course, the Pikes Peak Writers Conference is open for sign-ups, and has scholarships available for those who need help with the fee. The sooner you sign up, the more likely you are to get a pitch session and/or a Read & Critique session. I'll be doing some volunteering, including in the pitch room, and I'd love to have an introduction to any of you who might be attending, as well.

That's it for today, everyone. Have a wonderful weekend! I hope to see you back here on Monday for the final portion of the Write Brain notes on New Models in Publishing, where I'll discuss information from DeAnna Knippling on e-publishing. You don't want to miss it!

Any helpful links to pass along? Are you familiar with any of the websites mentioned?

May you find your Muse.

Write Brain Notes: New Models in Publishing, What the Writers Say

2012-02-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

There will be no [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday today. Instead, I bring you the second part of the three-part New Models in Publishing notes.

Last week, I posted ten notable comments from bookseller Natalie Johnson, owner of Black Cat Books in Manitou Springs. However, those comments were only a portion of the Write Brain workshop I attended. This is the second part of that workshop, and will detail my notes from Deb Courtney (Courtney Literary) and Robert Spiller (author). DeAnna Knippling's contribution will be passed along next Monday.

Deb Courtney, who now represents Robert Spiller, after he left the publishing company that put out the first three books in his Bonnie Pinkwater series, spoke about key points in publishing these days. Her new business, Courtney Literary, is not a publishing house, nor is she an agent. Instead, her goal is to help self-published authors make marketing plans and book-selling strategies. Basically, her job is to assist self-published authors and to do some of the legwork for them.

Deb pointed out that the things you need to insure are taken care of in self-publishing are the quality of your book, the editing and the graphics. As she said (and I'm not sure of the exact quote), it's worse to put out a bad product than no product at all. If you cannot properly edit your own words, pay someone else to do it or do an exchange with another author, where you each edit the other's work. As far as cover art, it is there to catch the eye and draw buyers in, whether on a physical book or the photo representing an e-book. This is something you should either be very good at, or that you should pay for. Expect to pay between $200 and $1000 for a good cover.

She reminded us to do our homework on format (Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, etc.) and to explore different product lines and revenue streams (audio book, short stories that are associated with your novel/series, and all distribution types). She recommends that you not limit yourself to just one type of format (such as just putting it out for the Kindle, but not the Nook).

One service Deb Courtney provides that Robert Spiller is pleased with is a marketing plan. She says you must have one. Set specific goals. How will you get yourself out there? Who will you contact? What is your time frame? She and Robert had made a list that filled several pages, just on places to contact. Consider author interviews on blogs and in newspapers/other media, get reviews, get your book placed in bookstores, do giveaways and guest posts, and get your book on Good Reads. If you absolutely can't find anyone willing to review your book, there are respected places that will charge you to do a review, such as Kirkus (costs around $500 or so). They don't guarantee a good review, though.

Deb Courtney has just launched her business, and Robert Spiller is her first client. At this time, they both seem very happy with the arrangement. In fact, Robert Spiller said he is having much more fun with this, his fourth Bonnie Pinkwater novel, than with the other three. They have great communication between them, and she works closely with him throughout the process.

Some resources she passed along are:

http://allindiepublishing.com
http://selfpublishingresources.com
http://barryeisler.blogspot.com
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com
Huffington Post

Any advice to add?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: Not the Internet!!

2012-01-31T01:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! The A-to-Z Challenge is certainly filling up. It was so exciting signing in yesterday to see so many blogs already participating.

"Now, Brent Porter was not a brave man. Were this a yeti or a zombie destroying his network, he would have merely hid behind his desk and called security, but this...this was some kind of child-sized mutant, twenty pounds at most. Brent, who had never been in a fight in his life, was pretty sure he could take the little bastard." Kindle, 2% in.

Obviously, I'm not very far in yet, but their humor is a kick and the premise is fascinating. You can get an idea of how you feel about their writing by visiting their blog, linked above.

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

A-to-Z Sign-ups are Open!!

2012-01-30T09:00:00.006-07:00

Hello everyone! The sign-ups are here if you're interested in the A-to-Z Challenge. Last year was my first year participating in the Challenge, and I'm looking forward to doing it again this year.

If you don't know what the A-to-Z Challenge is, have no fear (that comes after you sign up, haha)! The A-to-Z challenges you to post every day in April, excluding Sundays (other than the first one, as April 1 falls on a Sunday), following an alphabetical scheme. You can post anything you want, but it has to be in alphabetical order. For example, A is for Author (April 1), B is for Benchmark (April 2), and so on and so forth. You sign up on our little linky and you'll get lots of new visitors by your blog. Hopefully, you'll hop around and visit others, as well.

These posts can be thematic (mythological creatures, poems, horror movies, books, authors, games, websites, publications, you name it) or anything that particular letter of the alphabet stirs up for you. Though many of our participants are writers, you do not have to be a writer to participate, just a blogger! This is a great way to stretch yourself, get yourself on a schedule, challenge yourself and meet new people.

Thank you, Jeremy!

For more information, you can go to the official A-to-Z Challenge Blog. We will have all different kinds of posts on how to approach the A-to-Z, survival strategies, technical help and anything else that has to do with the A-to-Z. You can even find people's reflections on last year's A-to-Z if you want to try to get a better grasp of what it will be like. We welcome others' posts, as well, so if you've participated before and want to share your strategy, advice or story, please contact myself or one of the other hosts.

Speaking of hosts, how about a list of my wonderful co-hosts for those who might have missed it?

Arlee Bird Tossing It Out
Damyanti Biswas Amlokiblogs
Alex J. Cavanaugh Alex J. Cavanaugh
Tina Downey Life is Good
Karen Gowan Coming Down the Mountain: A Writer's Blog
DL Hammons Cruising Altitude 2.0
Jeremy Hawkins Retro-Zombie
Matthew MacNish The QQQE
Elizabeth Mueller Author Elizabeth Mueller
Jenny Pearson Pearson Report
Konstanz Silverbow No Thought 2 Small
Stephen Tremp Breakthrough Blogs

If you haven't already checked out all of these blogs, I highly recommend you do so. I couldn't be more delighted to be working with all of these wonderful folks!

You can find the A-to-Z Challenge on Facebook. Stop by and chat with other Challengees or ask questions.

If you Tweet about the A-to-Z, be sure to use the hashtag #AtoZChallenge. This is yet another great way to find out more about the A-to-Z and chat with your fellow Challengees. There's already lots of discussion.

You can see last year's A-to-Z posts in my archives if you look at April 2011. This may help you if you're on the fence.

The A-to-Z is a great time, and we hope to see as many of you participating as possible. There will be familiar faces, but also new faces. Also, for any of you out there who like to do videos, or maybe want to try their hand at video-making since you'll eventually be doing a book trailer, for instance, check out our current Pre-Challenge Video Challenge on the A-to-Z blog.

If you have ANY questions, please feel free to ask them, either here in the comments, by emailing me through my profile (or any of our esteemed hosts) or at the official A-to-Z email: 2012azinfo@gmail.com. There is a convenient "Contact Us" tab at the official blog, as well as an FAQ that we will build on as we get questions.

The linky list can be found on the A-to-Z Info and Sign-up tab underneath my header. I hope you'll join us!

Helpful Links: NiNoCon, Formatting Help, Free Reader & Author's Houses

2012-01-26T09:00:00.001-07:00

Before I get to today's links, I need to announce that Monday's post on New Models in Publishing will be moved to Wednesday, in place of [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, due to the opening of official sign-ups for the A-to-Z Challenge. I misplaced my days, but didn't want to make you wait another week for the informative notes from the Write Brain.

Onto the helpful hints:

I swear by THIS for formatting during that crunch before submission. I searched it out this week to format a short story for submission, and realized I hadn't passed it along before. It's a fantastic resource.

And, because I was doing a lot of editing this week, I did some looking around and heard about Natural Reader. It's a free program that allows you to listen to your words instead of just reading them over and over. I have, of course, read my novel out loud in editing, but my voice was hoarse and my throat sore for the next day or so. Plus, having sat in a Read & Critique at conference, I know that it sounds different in someone else's voice. I haven't actually tried this yet, but plan to within the week. It came highly recommended, though.

It seems there are a lot of online conferences I keep missing, but I lucked across this one ahead of time: NiNoCon begins Saturday, February 4. Click on the link for more information.

This link is just meant to be frosting. There was an article on Flavorwire about "15 Authors' Beautiful Estates". I was rather partial to Stephen King's house (I'd love to see it decorated for Halloween), Mark Twain's house and Kurt Vonnegut's house.

Finally, some weekly reminders:

Don't forget the A-to-Z Challenge. Even if you don't want to participate in the blogging challenge portion, there is currently a video challenge for your video-making pleasure. We are also looking for anyone interested in guest posting in the lead-up to the challenge.

The NLAPW (Pen Women) Flash Fiction Contest is ongoing. The theme is Are You Devious At Heart?; it is a micro-flash, 100 word maximum contest with a cash prize.

Pikes Peak Writers is accepting submissions (unpaid) for an anthology, to benefit their scholarship program. The theme is Moving Mountains.

And, of course, the Pikes Peak Writers Conference is open for sign-ups, and has scholarships available for those who need help with the fee. The sooner you sign up, the more likely you are to get a pitch session and/or a Read & Critique session.

That's it for today, folks! I hope you'll be back to sign up for the A-to-Z on Monday. Next Thursday, I hope to include a Project 52 update with my links. Also, don't forget that the continuation of my notes for New Models in Publishing, a Write Brain workshop presented by Pikes Peak Writers will be moved to Wednesday of next week, in lieu of [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday.

Which author's estate was your favorite? Any helpful links, information on readers or online conferences to pass along?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: Peanut Butter and Jellies & A to Z

2012-01-25T09:00:00.001-07:00

Since we're in the dead of winter, and I'm entirely landlocked, how about a photo of a jellyfish? From the aquarium, of course...

Random Jelly Factoids:

1. Jellyfish both eat and expel waste through their mouths. Pleasant.

2. Jellyfish have no nervous system, no blood, no heart, no bones and no brain. They're basically jet-propelled water.

3. Jellyfish have been around longer than dinosaurs. Guess the dinos just weren't ready for that jelly.

I've now written "jelly" too many times and really want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It doesn't help that yesterday was National Peanut Butter Day.

I guest posted at the official A-to-Z Challenge Blog today, as well, about something important to remember during the A-to-Z Challenge. You, too, can guest post over there! Just go HERE to read up on how to do so.

Any random jelly facts? Ever been stung by one? How did you celebrate National Peanut Butter Day?

I have some helpful links/software for you tomorrow (and no, it doesn't make typing sounds), and Monday sees the continuation of my notes from the Write Brain on New Models in Publishing.

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: My First Steampunk!

2012-01-24T01:04:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Thanks to this book making the blog circuit, I was introduced to Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, part of the Infernal Devices series, which is what my teaser is today:

"'Such a fuss over a few mundanes.' Mrs. Dark chuckled and moved to stand beside her sister, so that Will, with his blazing sword, was between Tessa and both ladies. 'We have no quarrel with you, Shadowhunter, unless you choose to pick one.'" p. 46

Interesting book, and the pace is fairly lively. I like the writing; it flows. From the back of the book:

"Magic is dangerous - but love is more dangerous still.

When Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother in Victorian England, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she has the power to transform into another person. The Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. She soon finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends: James and Will. As Tessa is drawn deep into a plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, she realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

Write Brain Notes: New Models in Publishing, A Bookseller's View

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I attended the Write Brain session, offered by Pikes Peak Writer's. It was a great workshop, which I promised to pass along.

The wonderful folks who ran it were Deb Courtney (Courtney Literary), Robert Spiller (author), DeAnna Knipping (author) and Natalie Johnson (Black Cat Books). For this post, I am going to cover just the first part of the workshop, as it will otherwise be too long.

Natalie Johnson went first, as she had to leave. She is the owner of Black Cat Books, a small bookstore in Manitou Springs. She was quite reassuring on trends in publishing, as far as her store was concerned, and said she'd only seen a drop-off in physical book sales in the last few months. She feels e-books reach a different audience than the physical books in her store. Here are a few of the notable things she said:

1. When contacted by a local author to do a signing/carry a book, she will always do a signing first, which introduces the author to her patrons and lets people know she will be carrying the book. After the signing, she carries the book continuously.

2. When you contact a bookseller for a signing/to carry your book, make sure you know how to get them copies of the book and are prepared to give them your distributor/sales information(they are not just going to buy them from Amazon).

3. Booksellers, both big and small, are more likely to carry your book if it is returnable through the distributor. This is one of the reasons self-published books are often not carried by local stores. Black Cat Books will still give you a chance, but you will be expected to provide your own books.

4. When doing a signing, it is a good idea to also have information to hand someone on how to purchase an e-book format of your book. Whether that's a bookmark, a business card, or something specific to the e-book, this is something authors frequently overlook.

5. Once a store is carrying your book, she recommends you call to check up every six months or so. For her, this reminds her to re-stock the book if it is sold.

6. Booksellers have the right to turn down your book. This might happen because it is badly edited, because it promotes hatred, or for any other reason. Make sure you are bringing a quality product to the bookseller.

7. When doing a book signing, promotional items are great. However, make sure they are not too big; there is limited space in a store, and something smaller will likely be kept out longer than something large and unwieldy (like a large sign/banner, for instance). Bookmarks and small items like that are the best.

8. Speaking of promotional items, if you can come up with something that is unique to you or specific to your book, it can help you get an edge. One author had his information printed on nail files, because people often need a nail file in a pinch. Another author gave out guitar picks, which had bearing on his novel. Sweet treats are good, especially if geared toward something in your book.

9. If you can get an award sticker on your book by submitting it for contests/awards, that book will sell.

10. People come into bookstores knowing what they want, most of the time. She is rarely asked for recommendations by patrons. Have your information out there.

This is the end of the first part of my notes. Come back Monday for the next portion.

Any other pointers for authors when it comes to getting your books out to booksellers, whether big or small?

May you find your Muse.

Thursday Helpful Links: Anthologies, Typewriter Sound Effects, SOPA Petition

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

First, here is the link for the petition against SOPA, courtesy of J.A. Bennett in the comments in my last post: PETITION
.

Courtesy of OCAL at clker.com

I briefly scouted around for free programs that would make a typewriter sound when I was typing. I came across an e-How article that recommended three. The one I've gone with is ClicKey, and I can tell you it works! So far, it seems easy to use, but I just installed it. As in, right before I did this post. When you open the program, a window comes up. Type the different letters to hear the sounds that go with them. I prefer "C." It has the most typewriter-y (yes, I know that's not a word) sound. Also, it doesn't all blend together like "A." There are also pings and other sounds that have nothing to do with a typewriter.

Related to that, Alex J. Cavanaugh, a fellow host of the A-to-Z Challenge, passed along an app that includes typewriter sounds: CTS MobileSoft Office. It costs $.99 and has other sounds, as well. Thanks, Alex!

Courtesy of OCAL at clker.com

I submitted my first piece for the year, yay! I wanted to pass along the link again, in case you missed it on Monday. They are not guaranteeing pay at this time, but the premise caught my attention. It is an anthology with the theme "Sofas I've Slept On." I can imagine a lot of interesting stories will come from that.

A few reminders from past links:

Don't forget the A-to-Z Challenge. Even if you don't want to participate in the blogging challenge portion, there is currently a video challenge for your video-making pleasure.

The NLAPW (Pen Women) Flash Fiction Contest is ongoing. The theme is Are You Devious At Heart?; it is a micro-flash, 100 word maximum contest with a cash prize.

Pikes Peak Writers is accepting submissions (unpaid) for an anthology, to benefit their scholarship program. The theme is Moving Mountains.

Pikes Peak Writers Night is this Monday, January 23, from 6:30-8:30, at Poor Richard's Bookstore in downtown Colorado Springs. It's always a great night.

And, of course, the Pikes Peak Writers Conference is open for sign-ups, and has scholarships available for those who need help with the fee. The sooner you sign up, the more likely you are to get a pitch session and/or a Read & Critique session.

Stop by Monday for my notes from the Write Brain on new models in publishing. There will be more helpful links that day, as passed along by Deb Courtney and DeAnna Knippling, concerning publishing resources, as well as others.

Any helpful links to pass along? Anyone going to add the typewriter software? Know anywhere I could advertise the flash fiction contest?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: No SOPA, A to Z Video Challenge Up!

2012-01-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Today's [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday is a statement against SOPA and PIPA:

Image courtesy of OCAL at CLKER.com

I am delighted to announce that the A-to-Z Video Challenge is open for entries! You can find the rules, some samples, and the entry form at the official A-to-Z Blog.

Also, I went to a great writing workshop (Write Brain) last night, put on by Pikes Peak Writers. I intend to type it up and pass it on to you Monday. It's on New Models in Publishing. More on Monday! Tomorrow I'll have some helpful links for you.

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: Mini Witches and Warlocks

2012-01-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

"Would you think I was completely mad if I told you that what saved us in that signal hut was a portal that sucked me and Wisty through several dimensions and hurled us back into our current hellish reality at a completely different location?

A year ago, I would have checked myself into a psych ward for that, but crazy is the new sane in a society defined by New Order nutjobs." p. 25

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

Social Media for Writers

2012-01-16T09:00:00.001-07:00

I've questioned various forms of social media since starting this blog: why should we use them, what good are they, how do they help, are they just time wasters? I signed up for Twitter after a lot of recommendations on my Twitter post during last year's A-to-Z challenge, because I was told it was valuable for writers. I was already on Facebook, and MySpace was obsolete to me before I joined Facebook. As far as LinkedIn, I only joined because I kept getting requests from people. But what should I be doing with them?

For Twitter, I've followed publishing houses and such, and some have even found me first, which I imagine is for their advertizing purposes, but it works for me, either way. So far, it has not had major use yet, but I imagine its day will come. Also, I would have to spend more time on there to give it a real chance before I complain. I can see how it would be a good source for finding publishers, learning about agents, and hearing about contests, though. And when the day comes that I've got something to advertize, I'm sure it will be helpful there, too. I know that I have valued it when someone has "retweeted" or "RT'd" something I've put on there, and I wonder if some of my readers haven't been discovered that way.

I'm still trying to figure out some of the logistics of Twitter. When someone "tags" me with a "FF" tag, for instance, am I supposed to respond in some way? I don't right now, because I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Help? I don't respond every time someone thanks me for following them on there, for various reasons. Am I supposed to always respond? Am I supposed to tag everyone who follows me with a thank you message? Do people prefer that, or are they happy without it?

Facebook has a bunch of uses, so while I can see how it can be valuable, I'm not sure how to get a Facebook page out there where everyone knows it's there. For instance, I created one for the Pen Women, but how do I get people to follow it? Of course, I have one for this blog, too, but I figure for right now just having the button on the side of my blog referring people to it is good enough. If someone wants to "like" the Facebook page, they can find it on here. As of right now, though, it is mostly used to notify people of new posts on here. I tried starting conversations on there a few times that were related to what I had posted, but it didn't work. Maybe in the future when I have five trillion followers/readers?

One that I never bothered much with until recently was LinkedIn. Like I said above, I added it because I kept getting requests. I mostly had a couple friends on there and that was that. However, I started getting requests from fellow writers who had found me on here, and then I got recommendations for others to add, and I've started doing a teeny bit more that way, but that was really it. Then, maybe about a week or so ago, I got a nice little form message recommending some groups I could join. I had no idea there were groups! I clicked on the groups and checked them out, and there were some neat groups of writers, so I went ahead and joined.

Lo and behold, a few days ago someone posts in one of the groups that their anthology deadline has been extended. I click on that discussion, it sounds interesting, and I go to the site. Their prompt instantly sparked something, and I immediately wrote a personal essay to submit. I've never submitted an essay for publication (I've hardly submitted anything for publication...), so I have no idea if it's good, but I'm delighted to have done it. In case you're interested, the anthology is Sofas I've Slept on. I believe they're taking submissions until March 20, 2012.

Image courtesy of OCAL at CLKER.com

I'm learning that I maybe shouldn't be so skeptical of social media, and that it has value. The problem is learning how to use it to my advantage without allowing it to suck me in and become a time waster. That's true for every single bit of social media I take part in. Other than the lure of CastleVille, I'm getting better at brief, pertinent visits most of the time.

Quickly, I'd like to mention the Pikes Peak Writer's Write Brain, occurring tomorrow, Tuesday, January 17, 6:30-8:30 at Celebration Place in the Citadel Mall. It sounds like a great program. I'll likely write it up if I get good notes, and share it with everyone, but if you're able to attend, I'm sure personal attendance would be far more valuable than my write up. This Write Brain will be run by Deb Courtney, Robert Spiller and DeAnna Knippling, and concerns New Models in Publishing. Each of these people has been involved with both traditional and self-publishing. For more information, click HERE.

What forms of social media do you use? What do you find most valuable? How do you insure you aren't wasting time?

May you find your Muse.

The Best of Both Worlds: A Guest Post by Author Ian T. Healy

2012-01-13T07:00:00.002-07:00

I met Ian at last year's Pikes Peak Writer's Conference. He was friendly, calm and seemed confident in a setting that I found mildly overwhelming. That was the first thing I noticed, other than his hair (obviously). Most people I saw at the conference looked about as frazzled as I felt, but he seemed to be having a great time.

Since then, he has become the word-wielding slave master that makes me feel bad if I'm screwing around on Facebook without having written or edited anything that day. Not because he is actually telling me I should be writing, or in any way trying to make me feel ashamed, but because he is always working on something, despite being a dad and having a full-time job. He cheerfully posts snippets of his current works in progress and updates what he's working on. If you want real, positive encouragement, I recommend you add him on Facebook. Everyone needs someone to kick them into gear in some way or another, right?

Since that meeting, Ian has self-published several novels and short stories in e-book format, which you can find on Amazon and Smashwords. He has also traditionally published a book through New Babel Books, entitled Just Cause:

Some superheroes can fly, or lift great weights, or shoot lightning bolts. Mustang Sally runs. A third-generation superhero, Sally's life changes forever when she fights and loses to the notorious villain Destroyer, who killed her father just before she was born. She dedicates herself to tracking him down so she can even the score. When all you can do is run, you'd better be fast, but can even the fastest girl in the world run quick enough to save her teammates' lives from Destroyer and his growing parahuman army?

Ian is one of the few authors who has experience in both self-publishing and traditional publishing, and one who hasn't chosen sides in the war that rages on the battlefield of publication preference. He agreed to write about the best of both worlds on his Just Cause Live Blog Tour (for other stops, including interviews and guest posts, go to his blog and look in the top left corner).

#

The Best of Both Worlds:
Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Dual Publication

I've been rejected more than anybody I know.

That's not to say I'm any kind of record-holder. I'm sure there are writers out there whose Rejection Collection is more than a thousand strong, but let's face it—if you've earned that many rejections, maybe writing just isn't your strong suit.

That being said, the story of how Just Cause found its way to publication involves well over 140 rejections (that was the number where I stopped counting). I've recounted how the initial story came about in other posts of this tour, but to recap, I wrote it as a way to get my foot in the door with Del Rey so I would be asked to write Star Wars novels. I realize that's an odd reason to write a novel, but like so many other great discoveries throughout history, it seemed like a good idea at the time. This was 2004, when I was barely scratching the surface of what it meant to be a modern writer, and the truth is that I knew next to nothing about revising, editing, querying, etc.

Is it any wonder I earned all those rejections?

Unlike many other writers, I didn't keep trying to massage Just Cause. I kept writing other books, like sequels (which I know you're Not Supposed To Do if the first book hasn't been published). I discovered NaNoWriMo and over the years have added eight more novels to my catalog than I might have otherwise. I experimented with "self-publishing" in 2005 with my NaNo book The Milkman. iUniverse took money from me and that was the first time I really learned the lesson that money should flow to the author, not the other way around.

I finally landed an agent, who couldn't sell any of my work, and eventually her failing health drove her to retirement. Her replacement likewise couldn't sell any of my work, and eventually her health issues drove her to retirement as well (Note: along with my next agency contract, I'll require a note from the agent's doctor). At the beginning of 2011, I found myself without an agent and something like two dozen completed works gathering dust on my hard drive.

I decided to publish them as ebooks. Just Cause, renamed Mustang Sally by then, was one of the first ebooks I released. It, along with a few superhero short stories, formed the backbone of my early library. And by then, those works had been revised and edited, because I learned a lot in eight years of beta reading, conferences, and paying attention to the Right Sort of People (those who have been published).

What I did worked, because I attracted the attention of a small publisher specializing in superhero fiction, named New Babel Books. The Editor in Chief wanted to acquire the entire Just Cause universe. I was pleased to accept the offer. Right now I have three more books under contract with them and one more under consideration. I have plans to write at least fifteen more novels set in the JCU, and as long as New Babel is happy with them and I'm happy with New Babel, we'll keep working together.

At the beginning of 2011, I was hiding my ebook library from potential agents. Now I'm flaunting it. I know what I'm doing now, and it's important that they see that if they can't (or won't) sell my work, I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. Publishing doesn't have to be an either-or proposition. You can be successful working both sides of the fence.

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Ian Thomas Healy is a prolific writer who dabbles in many different speculative genres. His superhero novel Deep Six: A Just Cause Novel was a Top 100 Semi-finalist in the 2008 Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award. He’s an eight-time participant and winner of National Novel Writing Month where he’s tackled such diverse subjects as sentient alien farts, competitive forklift racing, a religion-powered rabbit-themed superhero, cyberpunk mercenaries, cowboy elves, and an unlikely combination of vampires with minor league hockey. He is also the creator of the Writing Better Action Through Cinematic Techniques workshop, which helps writers to improve their action scenes.

His goal is to become as integral to the genre of superhero fiction as William Gibson was to cyberpunk and Anne Rice was to urban fantasy. The first book in his Just Cause Universe series, JUST CAUSE, is available now from New Babel Books.

When not writing, which is rare, he enjoys watching hockey, reading comic books (and serious books, too), and living in the great state of Colorado, which he shares with his wife, children, house-pets, and approximately five million other people. His ebooks can be found on Smashwords, Kindle, Nook, iBook Store, and other online retailers.,

www.ianthealy.com
www.facebook.com/authorianthomashealy
www.twitter.com/ianthealy

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Thank you for coming by, Ian, and for your informative guest post! Good luck on the rest of your tour.

Any questions for Ian?

Helpful Links: Anthology, 750 Words, Conference Scholarships

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday! We've almost made it to the weekend.

Before I get to today's links, be sure to return tomorrow for an insightful guest post from author, Ian T. Healy, who is both self-published and traditionally published. He is a prolific writer, and one that keeps me motivated when he posts his writing progress on Facebook. For those torn on self-publishing versus traditional publishing, he tells you why both are equally acceptable.

Also, if you haven't stopped by the official A-to-Z blog for information on the video challenge leading up to it, check it out! Not my bag, baby, but it might be yours. And I'm very excited about watching the video entries.

Moving on to some news from the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference, which, by the way, I can officially declare I'm staff at! There are some truly exciting things coming up for this, the 20th Pikes Peak Writer's Conference. I can't wait until I can share it all with you and get you as excited as I am.

There are scholarships available for those that might wish to come, but cannot afford it. You can click here to apply. You can also donate if you do have the means and want to help a struggling writer along. A note: do not register until you've heard the results of the scholarship (if you apply, obviously). If you have the means to pay while waiting, you will likely be disqualified, as others won't have even that option.

Speaking of donations and scholarships, Pikes Peak Writer's has paired with Courtney Literary to create their first ever anthology. They are now open for submissions. This will not be a paid anthology; rather, any money brought in will go toward PPWCon scholarships. The theme is "Moving Mountains," 1000-5000 words accepted, all genres, but no poetry. Check out www.pikespeakwriters.com for more information, or email anthology@pikespeakwriters.com.

Lastly, I heard about a website called 750 Words over at Annalise Green's blog. You can sign up at the website, then write each day (750 words, duh). You get points for your participation. I haven't signed up yet, but am considering it. Anything to get my mojo marching forward at a more acceptable pace.

Image courtesy of OCAL at CLKER.com

Now that I've passed those along, does anyone know of a free trustworthy downloadable software that will make typewriter sounds while you're typing? Weird question, I know, but I had that with a piece of software from Stephen King about a decade ago (when he pioneered purchasing and reading a book, all online...) and I'm looking for a fun little change-up. Also, I love the sound of a typewriter when I'm writing. Seriously. I might get sick of it, but I'd like to give it a try. I stupidly got rid of my typewriter a few years ago. Sigh.

Any other helpful links to pass along?

May you find your Muse.

P.S. Stephen King may not have pioneered it, but he was the first fiction writer I'd heard of to try it. I need to look up which one it was. "Riding the Bullet," or something like that? It was about a decade ago, because I remember the four-plex I lived in at the time, and staying up late on my computer after work to read it. Love him or hate him, he has progressed the writing world in many adventurous new ways over the years. Gotta' give him props for that!

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: Sweater for a Tree

2012-01-11T09:00:00.002-07:00

For today's [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, how about a silly one? I was in downtown Colorado Springs this week, at Poor Richard's Restaurant, which tends to draw a sort of artsy crowd (including the writer's night I attend there once per month). Outside the restaurant, I found this crocheted "sweater" on a tree:

There are different patterns and colors, but they're all connected, right up the trunk and onto the branches. I have no idea why or when this was done, but I loved that it appeared to be a community effort, the differences meshing together to create the whole. This is the sort of thing artists should do more often.

What was the most interesting thing you've seen lately?

P.S. If you have a moment, especially if you like to create videos, head over to the A-to-Z Challenge blog. There is a current challenge that has nothing to do with blogging, and everything to do with making fun videos!

May you find your muse

Teaser Tuesday: The Maze Runner

2012-01-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

Before I do my teaser, I have two announcements to make:

1. There will be a guest post from the fantastic Ian T. Healy, a prolific writer, and one both self-published and traditionally published. On Friday, he talks about how it shouldn't be one against the other, but that dual publication can be beneficial, too.

2. There will be an exciting project announcement on the A to Z blog on Wednesday. I will link to it once it's up, both Wednesday and Thursday. It's not just a writing project, folks!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week I'm reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

"My name is Thomas, he thought.

That...that was the only thing he could remember about his life."

This book is intense, fast-paced and intriguing. It keeps you turning the pages, desperate to know what's going on, what the big mystery is.

From the back cover:

Everything is going to change...

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty.

But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up - the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the Maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home...wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers - if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

Twenty Seconds of Insane Bravery

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to see We Bought a Zoo the other day. In it, the main character, played by Matt Damon, said that sometimes all it takes is twenty seconds of insane bravery. Aside from being a touching statement, it's fantastic inspiration. As writers, twenty seconds of bravery is what it takes to hit send on a query email, or push that envelope through the slot. Twenty seconds is how long it takes to hand over your manuscript to a beta reader or critique partner. Twenty seconds will net you an elevator pitch, better known as the drunken bar pitch. Oh, wait, it's not called that? All the ones I witnessed involved alcohol.

Once you take that step, there's no going back. You've taken that courage and used it to pursue the next step. Sometimes, though, it takes more than twenty seconds of bravery to get where you're going.

A writer must carry their conviction through the entirety of their work. Yes, we face doubts ("No one's going to want to read this," "this sucks," "I'll never find an agent/publishing house," etc.), but those who make it have to stay brave throughout and push right through those doubts.

Courtesy of Mohamed Ibrahim, clker.com

In those moments of doubt, it only takes those twenty seconds of insane bravery to push through the hump. We've all got that within us. I hope everyone out there employs their twenty seconds to make the next step today, whether it's just to face that manuscript today, to write a tricky scene, to query someone, or whatever else requires that measure of courage.

What has required your twenty seconds of insane bravery lately? Was it worth it?

May you find your Muse.

A-to-Z Challenge Official Announcement!

2012-01-06T09:00:00.003-07:00

I'm delighted to have the honor of being a member of the 2012 A-to-Z Challenge team, and to be announcing that sign-ups for this year's Challenge will be opening up on the 30th of this month.

For those who aren't familiar with the A-to-Z Challenge, it is a challenge wherein you post every day except Sunday, and you do so with an alphabetical theme, in order. So, for instance, on the 1st of April you would post something that had to do with the letter "A." You can do it any which way you want, in any theme, or lack thereof, as long as you post all but Sunday, and you do so in alphabetical order. For more information on what this means and how it began, click HERE, where you can hear it from the creator, himself, Arlee.

I will be joining this esteemed team:

Arlee Bird Tossing It Out
Damyanti Biswas Amlokiblogs
Alex J. Cavanaugh Alex J. Cavanaugh
Tina Downey Life is Good
DL Hammons Cruising Altitude 2.0
Jeremy Hawkins Retro-Zombie
Matthew MacNish The QQQE
Elizabeth Mueller Author Elizabeth Mueller
Jenny Pearson Pearson Report
Konstanz Silverbow No Thought 2 Small
Stephen Tremp Breakthrough Blogs

Please take a moment to visit their blogs and show them some love. You won't regret it!

As a member of this team, I will make occasional announcements concerning the A-to-Z Challenge. For the best and most up-to-date information, though, please go to the official A-to-Z Blogging Challenge site and be sure to follow so you get the updates. The number of followers on that blog will help us determine some tentative numbers for the upcoming challenge, and help us in our preparations.

While you're there, check out some of the reflections posts from last year's A-to-Z Blogging Challenge, as well new posts on the upcoming challenge. I hope to see you there!

Have you participated in the A-to-Z before? Do you plan on participating this year?

May you find your Muse.

Thursday Helpful Links: Forensic Science, Flash Fiction, PPW Conference

2012-01-05T09:00:00.002-07:00

Today's Helpful Links:

The Pikes Peak Writer's Conference is open for registration! You can go to their site at www.pikespeakwriters.com. You can also go to that site to join, which is free!

Speaking of Pikes Peak Writers, click here for the December Write Brain, a FREE MP3 workshop, with handouts you can print up, run by Chris Mandeville, PPW's president, entitled "52 Ways to Get Unstuck." It's worth listening to, even if you're not stuck right now. Chris is a great speaker and motivator for her fellow writers.

If you enjoy writing flash fiction, there's a great blog and newsletter that updates on paying markets, contests, etc. You can find the blog here, and if you look on the left-hand side, you can see where to sign up for the free newsletter. You can also request that information be put in there, such as if you're running a contest.

Speaking of contests, don't forget the NLAPW Flash Fiction contest with the theme "Are You Devious At Heart?" More information here.

Lastly, for mystery writers, or anyone writing about police investigations, there is a great informative blog called Forensics4fiction. He posts all manner of fascinating forensic information that you might have trouble finding elsewhere. This week included obtaining ear prints at the scene of a crime, touring the crime lab, getting fingerprints from dead bodies, shoe-print overlays and recovering erased marks from a white board. I don't even write crime, but I find it all fascinating.

I hope you find one or all of these links helpful. Come back tomorrow for an official A-to-Z announcement that includes an introduction to all the hosts.

Any interesting links you'd like to share?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: A Refreshing Taste From Shoshone Spring

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

I live a couple minutes from Manitou Springs, which is sort of our local hippie, artist and pagan hangout. The arts are strongly respected in this tiny town, and the views are glorious. For readers and writers, they have some great book stores, and tend to be very willing to work with local writers.

One fun thing to do is to walk around and sample the natural mineral springs. They each have a different mineral makeup, and therefore a different taste. The photo above is of Shoshone Spring. These springs used to be bottled and sold around the country for their health benefits as sparkling table water (some are naturally carbonated). A couple of the springs produce water that is supposed to be super tasty to make lemonade with. I haven't tried it yet, but I think I've figured out one spring that would be fantastic in lemonade. It's just a matter of wandering over when the weather is nice and gathering it up!

HERE's a little article about some of the history, distant and recent, of the mineral springs of Manitou Springs, including a bottle label from 1910.

Ever been to a natural spring? Did you taste it? How was it?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: A Visit to the Land of Oz

2012-01-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Still reading the same Kindle book. Only because that's what I read when out of the house and I've gotten a break the last two weeks on being out of the house. Woo-hoo! Not because the book is lacking.

This week I'm reading Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire. I loved his first couple books, but have not read another of his books in a long while. I saw this on the new releases at the library and snatched it up.

"So upon her return, Dorothy had been greeted not as a ghost or an angel, neither blessed by the Lord nor saved by a secret pact she must have made with the Evil One. Just tetched, concluded the good folks of the district. Tetched in the big fat head." p. 4.

That is from the Dorothy portions of the book. Glinda is the other POV character.

"Puggles saw her struggling with the front door and rescued her. 'Let e help, Mum,' he said, relieving her of the umbrella. It had a handle carved to look like a flying monkey; she hadn't noticed that. Probably Cherrystone would decide that the umbrella was grounds for her execution. Well, stuff him with a rippled rutabaga." p. 24. (Ow.)

This is billed as "The Final Volume int he Wicked Years." I had no idea it had progressed into a series. I'm actually going to return this one and read from the second novel forward, though I think this book probably stands on its own. Reading from the beginning is just a quirk of mine. For all I know, it will be better if I do it that way, but I don't feel like I'm fumbling around, unaware of what's going on, either. The book is good enough to make me want to go back and read the others, though, if that tells you anything.

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

New Year, New Goals!

2012-01-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

This year has been a good one, but I have not achieved much of what I'd hoped. I'd thought it would be easier to get time to write with my daughter in preschool for half days, but all that did was create one more reason I had to be out of the house for a couple hours each day. That, paired with other issues, insured I never managed to establish a routine for my writing, which is what got me through 2010 with a novel written.

That being said, I'm bound and determined to do better this year. I'm not one to set New Year's resolutions, but I have no problem with setting goals for the year to come.

It's been awhile since I posted a Project 52 update, so I figured I'd post my update, then add goals for the new year to fill it back up to 52 goals for 2012.

I finished:

13. Prepare flash fiction contest. (See HERE for more information on the contest).

21. Find old floppies with saved writing. (This is not technically completed, but is being removed, as I have discovered said floppies appear to be gone forever).

25. Check out RMFW and consider membership. (I have checked it out and do intend to become a member)>

27. Make blog tabs for resources, prompts, publications. (I made the tabs for what I wanted for the time being).

37. Research non-fiction book. (I'm removing this, because I've lost my enthusiasm for this particular project, but am considering another).

38. Start Scrivener file and introduction for non-fiction book. (Removing for the same reason as 37).

46. Post a weekly photo through the end of the year. (Accomplished, yay!)

50. Discover at least 1 new blog per week. (Done, and then some, yay!)

With these removed, I now have a list of 37. Considering I started the journey fairly late into the year, I'm satisfied with that completion rate, especially as some of those still on the list are partially, if not mostly, completed.

Courtesy clker.com

The rest of my list is as follows:

38. Prepare for the 2012 A to Z.
39. Contact publications about flash fiction contest.
40. Submit at least one flash fiction piece for publication.
41. Spend less time on the computer (unless writing).
42. Try hand at travel writing.
43. Submit one travel writing piece for publication.
44. Take four "field trips" this year.
45. Read at least two books on writing.
46. Establish writing routine through beginning of summer.
47. Join Friends of PPLD and RMFW.
48. Register for Pikes Peak Writers Conference.
49. Finish listening to writer's workshop materials.
50. Attend more writer's meetings.
51. Get better about reading through Writer's Digest magazines when they arrive.
52. Write at least five How-to articles for Helium.

What are your goals for the year?

May you find your Muse.

Guest Post at Blogging From A to Z Challenge Blog

2011-12-31T20:55:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year!

I guest posted at the Blogging From A to Z Challenge Blog on the 29th and failed to mention it here! (Life sort of went insane this week, so it's lucky I had pre-written this week's posts, which is usually something I don't manage to do, or there would have been no posts!)

You can still check out my post, as well as the posts of fellow past A to Z participants by clicking on the blog title above. Follow that blog to stay updated on the upcoming challenge.

Also, be sure to check back on January 6th to meet my fellow co-hosts of the 2012 A to Z Challenge. Signups begin January 30th. Are you up to the challenge?

Giveaways & Flash Fiction Contest: Helpful Links

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Before I get into the helpful links for today, don't forget the flash fiction contest I'm chairing! It is now open and accepting flash fiction pieces with the theme "Are You Devious at Heart?" This is micro-flash, 100 words or less, with a deadline of May 1, 2012. First prize is $100. For more information, click here.

Like giveaways? There's a big one at The Grinches Who Gave Away Christmas. This giveaway ends with December, so check it out right away!

Medeia Sharif is also hosting a giveaway. You must be a follower of her blog to enter, but believe me, it's no hardship to follow her blog!

Finally, Chuffed Buff Books is accepting submissions of flash fiction and short stories for an anthology. Submission information can be found here.

Any helpful links you want to pass along? Contests, giveaways, submission guidelines? If you post a link for something that will still be active next Thursday, I will re-post with credit to you.

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: Now, That's How You Sign a Book!

2011-12-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune to meet illustrator Michael Hague and get his signature on a couple of his books at Imagination Space in the Citadel Mall, here in Colorado Springs.

Tell me that isn't an excellent way to sign a book! You see those drawings? Each book he signed, he did a quick (and spectacular) illustration. The fairy book is for my daughter, and signed to her, The Velveteen Rabbit is for my son, and The Hobbit is mine, my preciousssss. Oh, sorry, the geek in me came out for a minute. I read The Hobbit for the first time in fifth grade, and have since read it a few times. Now I have a wonderfully illustrated copy to read with my children!

What's the best or most exciting signature you've ever gotten in a book (or other object)?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: An Old Favorite-Grafton

2011-12-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend and wonderful holidays!

"A black Mercedes sedan accelerated out of the slot, swung sharply, and careened backward in my direction. The younger woman had an arm over the front seat, zeroing in on me, the car zigzagging as she corrected her aim." p. 32

This series by Sue Grafton follows a female private investigator, an ex-cop. She was one of the first major female protagonists I remember reading. Even now, she's a stronger female character, who doesn't do the stupid things some of the current female protagonists do.

One interesting thing about this author is that she sets her books sequentially, setting the entire series in order and fairly close in time. This means that the book I picked up this month, though published this year, is still set in the 80's. She keeps her details accurate for the time (so no cell phones!). I haven't run into anyone else who does this (not to say no one else does, just that I'm not aware of them), and I think it's quite interesting. It's fun to get lost in the scenery of the 80's. The end of the series is drawing near, and I'll be sad to see it go.

What are you reading? Have you read a series that stays true to a different time? Would you ever consider writing one in this fashion?

May you find your Muse.

Helpful Link: Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest Worth It?

2011-12-22T13:53:00.002-07:00

I had planned to take today off, but since I passed along the link to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest last Thursday, I felt I should also pass along this additional information posted by The Passive Voice. (Thanks out to Ian Healy for passing this along).

It seems there is some fine print for this contest that you might want to review before deciding whether or not to enter (entries begin January 23). There are some restrictions that may be of concern, including giving Penguin first and last option to publish, whether you're a winner or not; not being allowed to have an agent shop your manuscript until the contest is finished, whether you're a finalist or not; and, the big one, any contract for the winner is non-negotiable, and you will not get to know the terms until you've won. There are other concerns, as well. Check them out on The Passive Voice.

This is a great reminder that one should always read the fine print before entering anything. This includes any time you hand over your manuscript to someone, which is also why you should research agents and publishers. A highly recommended place to do this is Preditors and Editors. For those who aren't writers, this site is also for artists and composers, and is a truly fabulous resource to have.

Those are your helpful links for Thursday! Anything to share or other recommendations on researching agents, editors, publishing houses, etc.?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: Santa's...Moose?

2011-12-21T09:00:00.001-07:00

Hey! That's not a reindeer!

I've never seen a moose in the wild, but apparently they wander through here sometimes. Followed by five billion cameras, including ones from all the local news stations. Next time one wanders through I'm totally stalking the poor thing, too! Okay, I won't really, but you can bet your sweet bippy I'm taking a picture if I happen across one.

This big guy is from our local zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

How about you? Do moose wander through your neck of the woods?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: Fantasy and Horror Make Good Bedfellows

2011-12-20T01:06:00.000-07:00

On my Kindle this week: Woman of Honor: Kingdom of Arnhem, Book 1 by Nicole Zoltack. (Cover image from her website.

"Aislinn raised her chin and faced the knight. Although sitting, she knew Sir Variek was a tall man with broad shoulders. He had a white goatee and piercing gray eyes that roamed over Aislinn's form. 'You're the girl who wants to be a knight.' 'Aye,' Aislinn breathed the word." p. 27, or 16% of the way through.

In hard copy, I'm reading The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror #21, edited by Stephen Jones.

"She had the sweet smell of faded roses that I associate with polite mortality in decay. I would have preferred talking to someone else at the Selwoods' lunch party - after all, buffets are designed to shuffle sheep and goats - but she held me with deep-set eyes that might almost have been blind, or perhaps they were focused upon something beyond me or the house." p. 274, taken from John Gaskin's Party Talk.

And for another small taste from the anthology:

"They rode west from the slaughter, through the painted desert, and did not stop until they were a hundred miles away.", p. 108, taken from Throttle, by Joe Hill and Stephen King.

What are you reading?

Happy Birthday, Miz B!

May you find your Muse.

Multiple Blogs: Worth It?

2011-12-19T09:00:00.001-07:00

Having a blog is fun, but it's also work. You have to try to keep up with your own schedule, find the time to write your posts, think of content, search for images and do research when necessary. You also must find the time to do your own blog surfing, visiting the blogs you enjoy reading, including those who have been nice enough to visit you.

I've been considering starting a second blog for awhile. It would have nothing to do with writing. Instead, it would talk about Colorado, both history and tourism, so to speak.

I like exploring and discovering the state I live in, and I've gained a new appreciation for Colorado since opening myself up to learning more about the area. This new love of my home really began when I was constantly faced with possibly having to move either out of state or out of country for my husband's job. While we've managed to stay here for this long, the message has been received that some day it might not be the best thing for us, and we'll have to consider moving. If that day comes, I want to be able to leave without the regret of knowing that I missed out on so many opportunities that I had constant access to. Unfortunately, I know that feeling well, as that's how I feel when I consider the year I lived in Oregon as an adult without exploring anywhere, because I was always working.

As it is, you get little tastes of my fascination with Colorado on [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday and occasionally other days, such as when I go on a "field trip." So why not make it permanent in another forum?

I look at those of you who have multiple blogs, though, and I wonder how exactly you do it while keeping up with the rest of your life. Are you able to keep up with writing, housekeeping, parenting, jobs and anything else you have to do? Is it stressful? Is it worth the stress? Do you regret making the decision to start a new blog?

I suspect I need to look at how often those of you with multiple blogs post on each. Whether you criss cross days or have specific days you post to each blog. Whether you ever share content between the two.

Those questions I can look at on my own, but I'd love to hear feedback and advice from those of you that have already ventured into this multi-blog world. Do each of your blogs address the same audience or different ones? What other advice might you offer someone pondering a second blog?

May you find your Muse.

An Interview With Indie Author James Hutchings

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I’m pleased to introduce James Hutchings, self-published author of The New Death and Others, an anthology of short stories and poems available in e-book format. Please help me welcome him to The Warrior Muse!

Death gets a roommate...

An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...

A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...

44 stories. 19 poems. No sparkly vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it - but from which direction?

He had me at “no sparkly vampires!” James Hutchings’ stories and poems are a great mix of whimsy and darkness, with many of them set in the fictional world of Teleleli/Telelee.

I was intrigued by the world of Teleleli that you created and it made me wonder if you have a background in mythology and what inspired you to create this world?

When I was young we had a copy of 'Bullfinch's Mythology', which I read a lot. The world of Teleleli or Telelee is influenced by it in that the gods have much more of a presence, like Greek mythology but unlike most fantasy fiction. Teleleli is also a 'loveably evil' fantasy city, which is quite common. Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork is a famous example, but Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar is probably where that idea started. Before I wrote any stories I had an online game called Age of Fable, and I carried a lot of ideas over from that.

Interesting. I've never read those, but am betting I would like them. I like the mix of mythology and the “’lovably evil’ fantasy city.”

Your mix of story types shook things up, so the next piece was always a mystery to the reader. For instance, a short mythological/dark fantasy story followed by a jaunty humor poem. Of the types of pieces, do you have a favorite to write? Humor vs. Mythology/Dark Fantasy; Poem vs. Short Story.

I like writing flash fiction (stories under 1000 words) because they're the quickest to finish, and so I get the satisfaction of adding another story to my collection sooner.

There appears to be a political theme throughout your book, as well. Did you set out to make a political statement, or is it something that just tends to come out when you're writing?

I didn't set out to make a statement or have a 'message'. Like anyone else's writing, my writing is a reflection of the things I'm interested in or thinking about at the time. A lot of people would think of fantasy as being all about escaping the real world, but it's surprising how much of it makes the author's views obvious. CS Lewis, Tolkien, HP Lovecraft, Robert E Howard and Ursula Le Guin are famous examples.

Good point. No matter the story, we'll often see a little bit of the author peeking out.

Some of your stories seemed reminiscent of HP Lovecraft. Did he influence your work? Who else do you feel may have influenced your writing style (if anyone)?

I think HP Lovecraft's story ideas had an influence on me, but not his writing style.

JRR Tolkien and Jack Vance for the elaborate dialogue. Robert E Howard for the general atmosphere. Terry Pratchett for the humour. Lord Dunsany for the use of Fame, Time and so on as characters.

Switching gears, why did you make the decision to self-publish? Did you attempt traditional publishing first or did you know from the start that self-publishing was the direction you preferred?

I've never tried to be traditionally published. It seems like traditional publishers expect most of their authors to do their own promotion anyway, so what are they giving in return? Also, of course, it's very difficult to get a contract, and bloggers like JA Konrath argue that it's going to get more and more difficult, because publishers will respond to loss of income by cutting their 'mid-list', or paying them less, to concentrate on a few authors who can make them a lot of money. I was also influenced by not wanting to waste paper. There are publishers who only publish electronically, but I was skeptical about what they'd do for me that I couldn't do for myself.

I never really looked at it that way, but you're right. Traditional publishing or not, right now authors are having to do an awful lot of running around and promoting.

What, if anything, has been your biggest obstacle to publication?

If you're fairly computer-literate and internet-savvy, there aren't any real obstacles to publication any more. The downside of that is that, if your work isn't ready to be published, no one's going to stop you. That's why I put a lot of effort into getting critiques of my work.

I think nowadays it isn't so much "how do I get published?", but "how do I make sure I don't publish something bad?" and "how do I get anyone to notice my work among the thousands of other writers?"

How long did you hold off on publishing before deciding you were ready, and what was the process leading up to it? (How did you get critiques, how many, how did you ultimately decide it was time)?

I classed everything I wrote as 'good enough to publish' or 'not good enough', and kept writing until I had at least 40,000 words of 'good enough'. I chose 40,000 words as my target because that's generally considered the minimum length for a novel.

I think I got at least one critique for all 63 pieces. I have a face-to-face critique group that meets once a week, as well as being on two websites (www.scribophile.com and www.critiquecircle.com), and an email list for stories under 1000 words (the flashfiction-w list).

I hadn't heard of those sites; they seem like great resources. I may have to check them out!

For those stories that weren't good enough, are you still working on them or do you typically shelve them?

I've turned some stories that either I didn't finish, or weren't very good, into poems. Otherwise I just keep them. Maybe I'll go back to them in a year or so.

What is your next big project?

I'm working on a verse version of 'A Princess of Mars'. This is a science fiction adventure story, now in the public domain, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who's more famous for Tarzan. Disney is also doing a movie of it, called 'John Carter', but that's not why I chose it. I generally work on several things at the same time, so I'm also in the middle of a few short stories and poems. I've been encouraged to write a novel set in the fantasy city of Telelee, which is the setting of a few of the stories in 'The New Death and others'. I have a lot of background for this world, because I blog every day (http://www.apolitical.info/teleleli) and most of it is setting detail. I also have a half-finished novel called 'All-American Detectives', which is a combination of a detective story and a story about superheroes, which I'll probably come back to in the future.

You sound very busy. It's great that you're thinking of doing a novel about Telelee; you definitely appear to have built up a multi-dimensional world there that could support a novel.

As we near the end of the interview, what advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Nowdays anyone can self-publish. If you can make a Word document, you can have an e-book on Smashwords or Amazon. However that means that if your work is no good, no one's going to stop you. I'd recommend that people get into a critique group (either online or face-to-face), and listen to what people tell you. Don't 'defend' your work against people's 'attacks'. They aren't attacks, they're helping you. I've found that the people who defend their work have a strong tendency to have the worst writing, I suppose because they're not making the changes they need to make.

My next point doesn't matter if you're going to self-publish, but it is important if you want to be published by a regular publisher, or if you want to submit stories to magazines. Most places won't publish work that's already been published. And most places count putting a story on the internet as publishing it. In my opinion that's silly, but that's what they do. Scribophile and Critique Circle are exceptions, because Google doesn't index them and you can't see any stories without logging on. However there are writing group websites out there where, if you put a story on the site, that counts as the story being published. That seems like a really terrible way to set things up, but they're out there.

I'd also say that getting a book out isn't the final step. It's just the start of the work of self-promotion. This is true even if you're not self-publishing: I'm told that authors are expected to pretty much arrange their own book signings and so on (if you just want to have a book out to show family and friends then this doesn't matter, of course).

There are a lot of sharks out there, who make their money from authors and not from readers. They will make all sorts of promises about how they're going to promote you and help you, but these are lies. Authors do not pay publishers, ever, and if they're asking you to pay then it's a scam. Of course if you're self-publishing you might end up paying someone to design a cover for you, or you might pay for internet advertising, but those are different things. You might also pay a printer to print your books if you want to get physical books rather than e-books - but in this age of the kindle and print-on-demand I don't know why you'd want to. Preditors and Editors (www.pred-ed.com) is a good website to look at, and you can get good advice at the forums of Critique Circle.

Finally, I'd suggest learning to touch-type if you can't already. You're going to be doing a lot of typing, and every hour you spend getting faster at typing will save you ten in the long run.

Thank you so much for your helpful advice and for the opportunity to interview you. You’ve given us some great resources, both in the links and in your words.

For everyone else, you can find The New Death and Others at Amazon on Kindle format, and at Smashwords in multiple formats. You can also download a sample of the book at Smashwords. This book is available now; I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for joining us here today.

May you find your Muse.

Helpful Links: Big Contests (Amazon & Writer's Digest) & More!

2011-12-15T09:00:00.001-07:00

I don't typically blog on Thursdays, but I figured I could pass along a few interesting/helpful links from now on (when I have them).

Did you know Amazon has a Breakthrough Novel Award? I didn't until this week, so I definitely wanted to spread the word for those interested. You can enter if you are an author with an unpublished OR previously self-published novel. They start accepting entries on January 23, 2012. Will you be entering? Has anyone entered this contest before?

Before we get to the next contest, which Indie writers may be particularly interested in, did you know the Blogging From A To Z April Challenge Blog was the Blog of Note this past week on the 12th? If you hop by the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge Blog, you can catch a series of reflections posts about the 2011 A-to-Z, as well as some new posts about it. Mine's coming at the end of the month, so stay tuned! Are you getting geared up for the A-To-Z? Participating this year?

Okay, for the second contest, Writer's Digest has an annual Self-Published Book Awards Competition. I was shocked to see this is their 20th year of honoring self-published authors. It's a great reminder that self-publishing is by no means a new thing. Deadline is April 20, 2012, to submit your self-published work. I'd love to see one of our Indie bloggers win this thing! Anyone considering entering this? Entered it before?

Those are the links for today! Come back tomorrow for an interview with James Hutchings.

Any interesting links you'd like to share?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday: My Own Personal Clark Griswold

2011-12-14T09:00:00.002-07:00

Have you ever seen Christmas Vacation starring Chevy Chase? If we had lights on our roof, I think my husband would have him beat.

I can't do it any justice. You should know there's also a side yard, and the lights look much brighter in person. There's a sleigh behind all those reindeer. Oh, and there's music...

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday: Would You Like Some Terror With Your Romance?

2011-12-13T00:07:00.001-07:00

For the first teaser, I've got Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich.

"New Jersey was 40,000 feet below me, obscured by cloud cover. Heaven was above me, beyond the thin skin of the plane. And hell was sitting four rows back." p.3

The book I'm reading on e-reader this week is fellow blogger Aric Mitchell's The Congregation.

"At first Marco thought he would have to kill it. But upon closer examination, he could see that it was, in fact, a woman, and that at one time she had been very beautiful." 31% progress in Kindle.

These are two incredibly different books. One is comedy and romance, while the other is pure horror. Both, as it turns out, are quite good.

Come back Wednesday for [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, Thursday for some helpful links (contests and a blog hop), and Friday for an interview with James Hutchings.

What are you reading this week?

May you find your Muse.

First Impressions Matter: Choosing Titles

2011-12-12T09:00:00.003-07:00

A book can be wonderfully written, yet a terrible title will keep readers away. Looking at this from the other end, a magnificent title can pull people into a terribly written book, though one would hope they wouldn't make it all the way through. Still, in terms of book sales, which of these methods works best? The magnificent title and lackluster writing. Sad, but true.

clker.com

Obviously, the intent should be to focus on both the writing and the title, making both so spectacular that you bring in readers and keep them. This is true of any sort of entertainment media. A movie with a bad title may not get the viewers it deserves.

For all you bloggers out there, you know this principle applies to blog titles, as well. Sometimes it's easy to forget that your blog title still has to pull in readers or they'll skip over your post, whether they happen across it in a search engine, are linked to it from another blog, or get notices from their preexisting subscription.

This is mostly common sense. What isn't is how to choose that perfect title. Firstly, what is a title there to do? What do you want it to accomplish? You want it to titillate, to pull a person's attention to it and make them buy/click. At the very least, you want it to interest them enough that they read your description or a teaser, maybe the first paragraph. In addition, you want it to be descriptive. It should let the reader know what the topic is about, both today and in the future. For instance, a blog will have archives. One should be able to look through the archives and see what each article or post may be about. This gives you future business and helps one find important references later on.

Going one step further, you should know whether you want your title to titillate via topic, humor, mystery, fear or any other means. A funny title will bring in people looking for a fun read, but a fear-based one will grab a different audience. Consider who your audience is. Do they want just the facts? Lay it out for them in all seriousness, avoiding the humor. Will a question grab their attention more readily than the answer? Your audience should dictate every facet of your medium, including the title.

clker.com

Once you've figured out your purpose and your audience, it's time to pick that title. First, consider what your piece is about. The title should reflect some important, or at least meaningful, aspect of your work. It's okay if the connection isn't readily available right from the start. Some of the best titles inspire that "ah-ha" moment during the read, and can be the most fun. This may not be appropriate in more serious pieces, though, as a serious piece should be more straight-forward in order to engender trust and gain the appropriate audience.

clker.com

Another important factor is title length. A title that is too long may be a turn-off. It's also harder for someone to remember if they hear about the work in passing or want to recommend it to another. Don't shoot yourself in the foot that way! Choose a title that gets the point across with some measure of brevity. In this age of short attention spans, you want someone to read your entire title before deciding whether or not to move on.

If at all possible, make the title something that touches someone in some way. Whether this means eliciting a reaction or an emotion, there should be a connection there. It may make them question what it means. It may make someone nod in agreement and read on. Perhaps it will touch off a sense of fear within them, or even delight. Chances are, if it touches you in some way, it will do the same for them.

It's obvious to me that I don't have the market on titles cornered. It was this fact that made me want to talk about it and look into it a bit further. Setting aside blog titles (which I'm going to try to work on), I'm still not entirely certain I'm happy with the title of my YA novel. You see, I either come up with a great title and work from that, or come up with a great story and struggle (at least sometimes) to find the title that fits it and gets it across to others in the way I would like. As someone guilty of having a weekly dated title ([Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, ahem), I feel I need to work on bettering my titles. I'll try to start with those [Mostly] Wordless Wednesdays!

What do you think makes an excellent title? Can you think of any titles that have really stood out for you over the years? What was it about them that touched you or caught your attention?

Please return Wednesday for the photo of the week, and Friday for an interview with James Hutchings, independently published author of The New Death and Others.

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 12/7/11

2011-12-07T09:00:00.003-07:00

Since they've been quite far from wordless recently, I give you...

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

May you find your Muse.

Monday Mish Mash, Including Flash Fiction Contest

2011-12-05T09:00:00.007-07:00

First, I'm delighted to tell you that the Flash Fiction Contest, hosted by the Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women, and chaired by Yours Truly, is now open! This is micro-flash, so 100 words maximum. It can be found at the Pen Women website: www.ppb-nlapw.org.

The theme is: "Are You Devious at Heart?" You can take that in any direction you want to, horror, romance, mystery. I think it's a topic you can have a lot of fun with. You can enter by mail or email. Details are on the website, but feel free to ask questions of me directly on here, as well.

If you didn't see my guest post at Nikki's blog, authorinprogress, check it out!

For those that did the A to Z Challenge and/or the Follow-up Challenge this past year, Arlee is revving up the A to Z engines in preparation for the 2012 A to Z! It now has a dedicated website where you can track progress, read reflections posts and be a part of the discussion for the upcoming challenge: Blogging From A to Z April Challenge Blog.

If you signed up for the Follow-up Challenge here on my blog or on my partner's sites, it's still ongoing! You've got until the next A to Z Challenge to visit everyone (and then we start all over)!

I owe Jennifer at Jen's Bookshelf an apology. I don't believe I ever properly thanked her for the "One Lovely Blog" Award, and it's been nearly a month since she posted it. Thank you for thinking of me, Jen!

Finally, how about an update on the final week of ShaNoEdWriMo since I never did that? I got more than my goal of five chapters edited for that last week, which was awesome! As far as words written, I got over 5000 words written for the week!! Yay! It was the only week I met both goals entirely, but I'm happy with it, anyway.

That's more than enough for a mishmash, eh?

Any news to share? How did you do if you did any version of NaNo? Even if you didn't do NaNo, did you meet your writing/editing goals for the week/month?

May you find your Muse.

That's more than enough for now.

Guest Post at Author in Progress

2011-12-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

I guest posted about finding time to write when you're a parent over at Nikki's blog, Author in Progress. Come by and check it out!

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 11/30/11 & PPW Event

2011-11-30T16:42:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to post this little guy for awhile. He's an Asiatic Black Bear, and I think he's adorable.

These guys are sort of hidden at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, but it's fun to visit them. The Asiatic Black Bears climb trees in their habitat, and the zoo does enrichment where they send a snack down in a paper bag on a zipline, which is always fun to watch, because the bears love it. You can visit the bears at the zoo or HERE.

These guys are found in, gasp, Asia! They like honey, just like Pooh Bear. Some interesting bear facts (not just Asiatic): A male is called a boar, a female a sow, and a group of bears is called a sloth or sleuth, which otherwise have entirely different meanings, of course. More info on bears HERE.

I'm a bit behind on responding to comments and visiting, but will catch up this week.

Also, I wanted to let people know about an event for kids and teens at the Citadel Mall, here in Colorado Springs, put on by Pikes Peak Writers in partnership with other groups. There will be crafts and creative activities for smaller kids, Hunger Games activities for teens, and visits from Santa and The Fairy Godmother. More information can be found HERE.

Lastly, I will be posting about a Flash Fiction Contest within the next couple days (Monday, at the latest). Keep an eye out! I'm excited to be helming this project for the Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. The contest will be open to non-members, male and female alike, which is my favorite part! I'm not a fan of excluding any gender from events.

Any fun activities in your neck of the woods? Ever seen an Asiatic Black Bear? Aren't they the cutest?

May you find your Muse.

Chapter Length: Does it Really Matter? And Other Nitpicky Fears.

2011-11-28T09:00:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend, got the deals of their lives and didn't get trampled at Walmart (or pepper sprayed)! To you NaNo'ers out there, good luck in the final stretch!

One thing conferences and writer's groups are good for is making a person even more insecure about their writing. What? Yes, it's me, the person who is typically speaking about how great it is to talk to other authors. The person who encourages everyone to do the same. However, it cannot be denied that the inspiration brought on by being around other artistic types sometimes brings with it a sense of failure or panic on your part when you begin to compare yourself to them.

The latest insecurity I'd like to write about is chapter length. This is one of those things I never would have considered as being an issue until I started being active in the writing community. All of a sudden, people are talking about how your chapter lengths should be consistent for more fluidity in your book. Say what? Is that something ELSE I have to stress over while writing and editing? Do I now have to go through and pare down my chapters, or bulk them up, just so they can be a consistent length throughout the book?

You see, I now happen to have been part of several conversations on the topic. There are writers who write down the number of pages and words in each chapter to keep track. They journal the exact numbers in order to be able to edit them to where they need to be to be similar. Others go back through to check how well they kept to the same numbers, but don't necessarily keep track as they go. Still others set the goal for word count in a particular chapter before they even begin. Then, of course, there are those who just keep them consistent without even trying. You know...THOSE.

Where am I in this? I just write! When did that become obsolete? Some of my chapters are a bit longer, while others are shorter. If the scene is completed, why shouldn't I start a new chapter? Now, if it's too long, I'll split it into a separate chapter, so, yes, part of me does think there's something pleasant about there not being too massive a discrepancy, I suppose, or maybe I just don't like super long chapters. That actually sounds more like it.

I'm not just picking on chapter length here, but it's a symptom of something I see all around. We over-analyze when we should just be writing. We look at something someone else points out and begin to question ourselves because it never occurred to us before. Are we doing something wrong? Is our writing lacking something that other person's might not be? Is this something I need to change, to pay attention to, to address? Is this important? Will it cost me a book deal?

OH MY GOSH! WHAT ELSE AM I DOING WRONG?

Yeah.

It's natural to examine the things you do. It's natural to doubt yourself, to question yourself. It's also natural to compare yourself to others, especially when they seem more accomplished or successful. However, we cannot allow this to get in the way of the important parts. Just create. Worry about the logistics later.

And when you're hanging out with others of your ilk, take what they say in the spirit they're giving it. Typically, they don't think they're better than you. They have doubts, too. They don't know if everything they're doing is perfectly correct, or even if it will work for others. So they talk about it with you. They throw it out there and see how you respond. Instead of internalizing it, discuss the merits and drawbacks with them, tell them how you do it, what you think about it. Have a dialog, but don't draw it inside you and let it eat away at you. What you're doing is right for you.

What about you? Do you think a book is best when the chapters are equal lengths? What do you nitpick about?

May you find your Muse.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T11:15:00.001-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving out to those who celebrate it today! And to those who don't, Happy Thursday and Approaching Weekend!

May this be a weekend of inspiration, family and relaxation (well, for those who don't do Black Friday, anyway).

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 11/23/11

2011-11-23T11:22:00.002-07:00

I'm mostly on vacation this week, so here's a wordy [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday entry for you. An image full of words (borrowed from Facebook), but no further commentary from me. You should be able to click on the image to enlarge it. Have a wonderful week!

Which ones really grab you? Any you don't agree with?

May you find your Muse.

Cool Places to Visit for Movie Fans

2011-11-21T09:00:00.001-07:00

Since I'm currently visiting the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, the inspiration for Stephen King's The Shining, I thought I'd list a couple places movie fans might enjoy visiting.

First, of course, I must talk about the Stanley. Stephen King lived in Boulder, Colorado for a time, which is why some of his books are actually set in Colorado instead of Maine. He stayed in Room 217 of the Stanley, at one point, and was inspired to write The Shining, though he only developed the concept there. It has been rumored in the past that he wrote most of it there, but this isn't true. The Stanley was not used in Kubrick's film version of the book, but it was used in King's mini-series version for some of the scenes.

One can't mention filming locations and The Shining in the same post without also mentioning the Timberline Lodge in Mt. Hood, Oregon. This is where the exterior shots of Kubrick's version of The Shining were filmed. Stephen King wasn't happy with this setting, but a lot of people have seen the film, so it's worth mentioning. The interior shots were done on sound stages, which Kubrick made to look like various hotels he had visited.

Playing a bit of Six Degrees here, I've mentioned the sign before, but you can visit various places in Oregon where One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was filmed. Jack Nicholson starred in both this film and Kubrick's version of The Shining. You can view the duck crossing sign in Salem, Oregon, as well as the Oregon State Mental Hospital it was filmed in. Depoe Bay, Oregon was also in the movie. It's a great little coastal city to visit along the Pacific Coast Highway, especially if you enjoy beaches, whale sightings and kite flying.

Also in Oregon, you can visit the neat little homes from The Goonies in Astoria, Oregon. Several other movies were filmed here, including Kindergarten Cop and Short Circuit ("No disassemble!") Getting back to The Goonies, you can view Mikey's house, still intact. The bridge from just about every movie filmed here is still standing and stretches across to Washington to give you a nice little jaunt across the bay.

Lastly, for you Harry Potter fans out there, how about a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland, where J.K. Rowling found inspiration for Hogwarts looking out the window of The Elephant House cafe. The photos are of The Elephant House and Edinburgh Castle, from one of hubby's business trips (No, I've never gotten to go there, but golly gee whiz, I did get a coffee cup from there! phlbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt!). They were taken by one of his co-workers. I had to edit the hubster out of the castle photo, and the Elephant House photo is the only one he wasn't in to begin with, so they aren't the best:

These are but a very few of the places you can visit to see visible remnants of the movies you love. Feel free to throw out any others you'd recommend!

What would you consider a great place for movie fans to visit?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 11/16/11 & ShaNoEdWriMo Update

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

First, the ShaNoEdWriMo update:

Out of 5 chapters to edit, I edited 5! Yay! I also edited those five over and over, because I submitted my novel for the Pikes Peak Writer's writing contest.

Out of 5000 words, I wrote...well, not 5000, I'm pretty sure. I think I'm in the neighborhood of 3547 unless I'm missing something, but I'm pretty sure I counted everything.

And I'm okay with that! Not only did I get a piece ready for a contest, but I did so with a nasty tooth ache that ended up requiring "emergency" oral surgery. I put emergency in quotes since they couldn't get me in right away and I got to go all weekend in intense pain when it had already been three days of pain before I went in (which is, of course, my fault). I would say that is not so bad!

And for [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, how about a beach photo?

This photo was taken at Beverly Beach in Oregon, north of Newport (where Keiko, better known as Willie of Free Willie fame resided) and south of Astoria (where the Goonies was filmed.) I regret to say that, despite a childhood spent in Oregon, I don't believe I've ever been to the Goonies beach in Astoria. Sad, I know.

Unfortunately, I could find nothing about anything interesting happening at Beverly Beach. You can see the Yaquina Head lighthouse when you look down the beach, and the beach, itself, is gorgeous. There is a camping area right outside the beach, surrounded by these giant ancient trees. I felt like I was walking with dinosaurs when I hiked through the trees, and I got a ton of photos, though they were all point-and-shoot camera photos. I hope to go back and photograph with my SLR in the next year.

I will say, for those of you who like sea life, you can see whales, great white sharks, sea lions, and pools of sea urchins and starfish along this and adjacent Oregon beaches. I used to love watching the whales go by, though I've never seen a great white (fortunately or unfortunately?).

The photo's dark because it was night, but I liked how moody that formation was in the low light. Even though I can't see the water, I hear the waves, feel the breeze and smell the fresh sea air when I look at that picture. Those waves used to lull me to sleep at night when I stayed at my grandmother's house, and I wish I'd had the opportunity to go visit for awhile and write in the little loft to the the crashing of the waves and the the call of the seagulls.

The beaches in Oregon are unusual compared to beaches on the east coast (though my experience of each is limited to a few beaches). While there is fine sand at some of the Oregon beaches, there are also massive black rocks and large, rounded black pebbles at others. The water was always super cold, the wind a constant companion. Thanks to the heavily treed coastline, there were always bleached tree corpses littering the beach. You can see some less weathered trees in the photo above.

Ever been to Beverly Beach? Another Oregon beach? Do you enjoy the beach? Find it inspirational?

May you find your Muse.

Photo Usage Legalities for Bloggers

2011-11-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

For the longest time, I refused to post any photos here that had not been taken by myself. Then I decided that if I did a proper source attribution it must be fine, right? Wrong. In looking at the issue again, I've discovered that, without proper written consent from the owner of an image, even proper attribution will not protect me if someone decides they didn't want me to use their images. Which, of course, would be well within their rights.

Written consent is not required in cases where the photos are clearly labeled as public domain, such as if they mention a Creative Commons license. More information can be found at artslaw.com. I've linked you to the FAQ page.

Since I don't want to merely be bursting people's bubbles, I thought I'd pass along a few sites that have free stock photos. You can also find sites that charge a small amount, if you would prefer going that route. You will typically find better photos there. However, I've used some of these sites for good, useful photos, as well. Here are the free sites I know of:

Freedigitalphotos.net (Which also has pay photos; be sure to read the requirements for photo usage from the site)

bigfoto.com

Clker.com

freerangestock.com (You must create an account, but it is free of charge)

commons.wikimedia.org

You may also have luck by searching for "public domain images," "free digital images," "creative commons photos," or something similar. I have not yet used all of the above sites, but have come across them in searching for photos in the past.

I intend to go back through my posts this week and remove any images I used without first attaining permission or that I didn't get from a free stock photo site. I figure better safe than sorry.

Do you know of any other free photo sites, especially ones you have used personally? Any input on the photo rules for bloggers?

May you find your Muse.

Feature Friday Features: "Cowboys and Dragons at the Cafe" & a Blog Fest

2011-11-11T09:00:00.004-07:00

Feature Friday is a meme hosted by The Warrior Muse that encourages you to feature a blog of your choice each Friday to introduce others to blogs you enjoy. Anyone can participate. You can choose these blogs however you like and spotlight them in any way you please. Be sure you include a link in your post to the blog you wish to feature, copy the button above, and enter your blog on the linky list at the end of this post. I hope to see some others joining in so I can discover new bloggers!

Today, The Warrior Muse is featuring Cowboys and Dragons at the Cafe, a blog with multiple posters, all writers who belong to a critique group. If you live on the Western Slope in Colorado, they're holding NaNo writing meetings, as three of them are participating. Check out Mike and his fellow writers for varying viewpoints, genres and discussions on writing.

Also, a quick mention of a new blog fest coming up. Shelly, of The Life of a Novice Writer is hosting her first blog fest: The Crazy Alternate Reality Blogfest on December 3rd. While I can't participate on this one, it sounds like a lot of fun.

Any blogs you'd recommend? Blog Fests I haven't heard of?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 11/9/11, ShaNoEdWriMo Update & Contest

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Before the [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday photo, I thought I'd do my penance and post an update on ShaNoEdWriMo really quickly. My current goal is 5000 words per week, 5 chapters edited. Of that, I got 0 chapters edited (I haven't even SEEN my office in the last week) and 2886 words written.

Yeah.

At least it wasn't zero words written, right? I intend to do better this week. I have to be home enough for that to be possible, considering all those words written were done so in snatches when I was somewhere other than home. Sigh.

I also wanted to remind people of the Pikes Peak Writers' Fiction Writing Contest. The final deadline is November 15. Details here. They are also holding weekly NaNo write-ins at the Citadel Mall, here in Colorado Springs. Check this page for more details.

Now, say hello to my little friend (said in a terrible fake Cuban accent because that's what I heard in my head a la Scarface).

This little guy is one of my backyard visitors. When I had cats he and his pals liked to harass them endlessly, throw things at them, taunt them with their tails, chatter at them about this and that, usually angrily. The magpies thought it was a ton of fun, too.

Did you know that, "relative to its size, the squirrel's jaws are the most powerful of any animal?" You can thank The White Squirrel for that factoid.

Did you know that, other than nuts and acorns squirrels eat "wheat, fruit, bird’s eggs, mushrooms, berries, oak buds, corn, insects, moths, nesting birds." That factoid is thanks to All About Squirrels. Did you read the nesting birds part twice? Because I did. Suddenly, they are not so cute!

How are your November writing goals going? Do you get squirrels around your place? Is that a good thing or a bad things?

May you find your Muse.

Shifters, Weres & Walkers, Oh My! Research & Field Trip No. 2

2011-11-07T15:02:00.002-07:00

With the popularity of Urban Fantasy, we're seeing a lot of animal characters, usually in the form of weres/shifters, but skinwalkers are starting to trickle in, as well. Some of the presented characters are remarkably well done, the pureness of the beast brought across in stunning descriptions, while others are dull and uninspired. If you're going to write a character with animal traits, whatever the form may be, you will appeal to readers more if you've painted both sides of your character in equally vibrant hues.

An excellent way to do this is to observe the animals you're portraying in person. One good place for this is the zoo, which most people should have access to, though it may mean a day trip to another city. If the zoo is a good one, you should be able to observe the animal in an environment similar to their natural one, which should give you some insights.

An even better way to do it is to find a conservation site near you. This one is harder to come by, but extremely gratifying if you can find it. This year, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit two such places, and will hopefully visit another in the spring or summer. Most exciting about that future visit is that they have a black leopard, which is an animal I'll be writing about in my next novel. I can't wait!!

The two sites I've gotten to visit were The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center and The Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation, both of which are wonderful places that obviously care about their animals (one has all wolves and wolf-dogs, while the other also has foxes and coyotes). The place I went yesterday, the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation, actually allowed us several hours of visiting in the pens with the wolves. It was an amazing experience, and one I hope to repeat in the not-too-distant future. There is nothing like personal interaction to really get the feeling for an animal, especially one as misunderstood and maligned as wolves.

Another benefit to visiting one of these places is that you get to support the very animals you are writing about. Many of these places rely on donations, alone, such as the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation I visited. The owner, Mark Johnson, gives three hour tours (yes, every time I say it I hear Gilligan's Island theme music) where you get to interact with his wolves completely free. He never asked us for a donation, even. He is entirely dedicated to his wolves and they, in turn, are well cared for and loved. This is the type of place I like to support, and I'm glad that I'm able to do so while also getting the experience of a lifetime and possible research for future stories. Some photos will be posted at the end of this post.

I know that I am very lucky to live in a place that offers the kind of access I have to places where I can study wildlife. If you aren't in an area like this one, you can observe similar animals in person, such as cats or dogs. Though they aren't the same, they have similarities that can be conducive to your descriptions. Watch how they move, how they eat, how they react to things. Though they are domesticated, they still have much in common with their untamed brethren.

Lastly, there are animal documentaries galore! If you can't visit or observe animals in person, check out documentaries and do your research on their habits. You will still be able to watch them, and in fact, will more often get to see them in their wild settings, which is great information to have.

This may all seem like a lot of work, but I assure you that it's worth it to really get the correct characterizations down. Of course, if your shifter or were acts and moves like a hairy human, I suppose research isn't all that necessary, other than observing hairy humans in their natural habitats. If your character is supposed to take on an animal's attributes, your writing will truly come alive when you present them in vivid living color.

The following photos are from the wolves of Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation:

This is Baby; she is a sweetheart who likes kisses and belly rubs.

Baby again.

~Yawn

Baby howling back at Josie, a wolf-dog in another pen.

Apache (who I've posted pics of before); he was digging under their shared house.

I think this was Apache, as well, standing on top of their house.

Lakota, who I found just gorgeous (of course, they all were); he is Apache's brother.

Lakota doing a little snacking.

~nom, nom, nom~

Side view of Lakota

Merlin, who has never been touched by human hands.

Merlin, watching us closely.

Another of Merlin.

Zoya, a part-wolf, part-Siberian husky. She has one blue eye and one amber.

Zoya getting a belly rub (sort of amazing to have a wolf offer up their belly to you; several of them did so, all female, I believe).

Cherokee, Apache and Lakota's sister, who was also quite a fan of belly rubs.

Thanks for looking! As always, all photos are mine alone, and cannot be used or copied without my permission.

Aren't they gorgeous?! Have you had the opportunity to visit rescued wild animals at a conservation center? How do you research your animal characters?

May you find your Muse.

Feature Friday Features: "Timeout2 Blog"

2011-11-04T06:00:00.001-06:00

Feature Friday is a meme hosted by The Warrior Muse that encourages you to feature a blog of your choice each Friday to introduce others to blogs you enjoy. Anyone can participate. You can choose these blogs however you like and spotlight them in any way you please. Be sure you include a link in your post to the blog you wish to feature, copy the button above, and enter your blog on the linky list at the end of this post. I hope to see some others joining in so I can discover new bloggers!

Today I'd like to feature a fellow Pen Woman, Doris Dembosky at Timeout2 Blog. She is a published and award winning author who writes about writing, the arts and life in small town Westcliffe, CO. She posts gorgeous photos of the Colorado landscape, which is always something I find enjoyable. She also posts a Writers' Trigger at the end of each of her posts and is listed on my tab for blogs that post prompts.

Any blogs you'd like to recommend this week? The linky stays open until Thursday of the following week.

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 11/2/11

2011-11-02T06:00:00.004-06:00

It may be two days after Halloween, but why not embrace it all year? Okay, okay, maybe just the week?

This [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday photo may not be creepy on its own merit, what with all the sunshine and blue sky, but if you look at it right there's plenty to see. I'd love to photograph this particular formation on a foggy day or with a storm in the background, something to properly set the scene.

I call this Gargoyle Rock. No, that's not its proper name, but if I'm playing tour guide I can call it whatever I want!! It is, of course, a rock formation at Garden of the Gods, here in Colorado Springs.

Though I call it Gargoyle Rock, it can be seen in other ways. You know the demon (devil?) from Fantasia? Some days it looks more like him, sitting on a rock, head turned away from me, one big leathery wing hanging down his side, back slightly hunched. He's having an intellectual pause, pondering his evil ways. Where did he go wrong? Would he be happier if he were good? Are wings in this year?

What do YOU see in this rock formation?

May you find your Muse.

ShaNoEdWriMo...Say What?!

2011-11-01T06:00:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

After some thought on NaNoWriMo, I decided that starting a new novel right now would be quite the opposite of helpful, so instead of participating in NaNoWriMo, I've made my own:

ShaNoEdWriMo or Shannon's Novel Editing and Writing Month.

I didn't do NaNoWriMo last year, either, but it still helped me get moving and make progress on my novel. I set a different goal last year of 30,000 words completed on the novel I was already working on, and I met that goal! I'm aiming for that same sort of aid this year, so I'm once again making my own goals for the month.

My goals are as follows:
*5000 words written per week (can be fiction or non-fiction, and any medium)
*5 chapters edited on my Lonely Hollow novel per week

While I can set these goals at any time, November brings along with it the energy of NaNoWriMo. Other authors are either following the NaNo goals or making their own (I can't be the only one!). That energy can be infectious. In addition, there are support systems everywhere, thanks to NaNo. I can pop onto Facebook, Blogger, Twitter and various other places at any time and find someone else trying to meet their goals. I'm hoping this community energy is beneficial.

Having said that, I set goals regularly to help me through. These ones are maybe a little more stringent, but if they work, I'd love to be able to keep them going. If they don't work, I can tinker with them and find out what is possible and go with that from here on out. Lacking flexibility will get me nowhere.

On a side note, if you're in the Pikes Peak region, Pikes Peak Writers is hosting write-ins for NaNoWriMo (or their very own NaNoTryMo, which involves setting your own rules, as well) each Tuesday at the Citadel Mall. More information on that can be found HERE. You can participate in these write-ins whether you're participating in NaNo or not. I intend to make at least one, if not more, though I will be missing today's.

Are you participating in NaNo? Are you following the proper rules or making your own? What are they? Is this your first year of doing some sort of WriMo?

May you find your Muse.

Scary Urban Legends for Halloween

2011-10-31T06:00:00.015-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

To celebrate Halloween, I thought I'd throw out a few of the urban legends I remember hearing through the years. I'm betting these will be familiar to a lot of people. I'm also betting there are a lot of different versions out there, so I can't wait for the discussion!

Let's start with the one that made makeout point not such an alluring idea:

Escaped Criminal
Jennifer glanced shyly over at Sam as he pulled off the road into the gravel parking lot. Her heart pounded when he parked between two other cars, their windows fogged up. He turned the radio up and rubbed his hands down his pant legs as if to wipe his palms off.

Turning slightly in his chair, his eyes came up to meet Jennifer's. She smiled back at him, hand going to the jeweled cross hanging at her throat. She twiddled with it a moment before tucking it under her shirt. Jennifer adjusted her position in her seat, sliding closer to Sam, who cleared his throat and reached a hand toward her. His hand shakily clasped the back of her neck, pulling her face to his. Their lips met, hers soft and pliable, his firm and eager.

Her first kiss!

He pulled back, but she leaned further into him, kissing him back this time. His other hand slid onto her leg where hers met it, stopping it just above her knee.

"We interrupt this transmission with an important announcement. Police have asked us to alert the public to an escaped convict. He is mentally ill, armed and dangerous. You will recognize him by the orange prison uniform, a tattoo on the left side of his throat, and a hook on his right hand. Do not approach. Get somewhere safe and call the police immediately if you see him."

Jennifer pulled away, head turning as she looked through all the windows. She slapped the lock down on her door and asked Sam to do the same.

"Maybe we should go home," she said. "We're not that far from the penitentiary."

"Ah, he's long gone by now. We'll be fine. Come on."

He took her hand and pulled her toward him again. She hesitated, but he was so confident and calm that it calmed her, too. Finally, she let him bring her closer and returned his kiss.

She had just relaxed into it when she heard something scratching at her door. She broke away from him, turning toward the door and backpedaling toward him.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"Didn't you hear that? It was a scratching sound."

"I didn't hear anything!"

"Well, I did. I wanna' go home."

"Fine."

With this, Sam threw the car into reverse, skidding on the gravel. They heard the sounds of tiny rocks pinging off the other cars, but that was overshadowed by a terrible screech, as of a rending of metal. Jennifer screamed and moved closer to Sam, straining against the seatbelt she had slid into place as he'd taken off.

As he steered the car around to get back on the road, Sam thought he saw a silhouette in the rearview mirror. He shook his head and sped toward Jennifer's house, holding himself firm, resisting her grip.

When they got to the house, Sam couldn't meet Jennifer's eyes. He put the car in park and waited for her to get out.

"I...I'm sorry, Sam. It was scary out there. I..."

"S'okay."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam watched as Jennifer slumped a bit and turned to get out. He sighed.

"Jennifer, it really is okay. I had a good time. I just wish we didn't have to leave so soon."

"I know. I'll see you later, Sam."

"Yeah," he said.

Jennifer got out and closed the door, turning to say one last thing. As she did, though, she looked down and saw something sticking out of her door. Leaning closer, she saw that it was metal, but with something dark and wet attached to it. She reached toward it, eyes widening. It was then she realized it was a hook. A remnant of flesh hung from it, dripping thick, red blood.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Oh, sorry, that was me.

How about the one that inspired me always to check the back of my vehicle before getting in, especially late at night when my car was the only one in the theater parking lot?

Look Behind You!

Mary fiddled with the radio, trying to find a good song. Heck, a song that didn't grate on her last nerve would be an improvement. It had been a long day and this drivel was just too much.

She settled on a rock station and leaned back into her seat, nodding her head in time to the beat.

"Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage!" she sang. Ah, Smashing Pumpkins.

The night enveloped her car, the headlights barely keeping it at bay. She flicked her brights on since she was alone on the road and continued singing along with the song until she saw headlights approaching around a bend ahead. She turned the lights back to normal long enough to pass then clicked them back to bright.

A few minutes later she winced as a pair of lights flooded her car from behind. She adjusted her rearview mirror to save her eyeballs from the glare and switched stations again, this time stopping on a R&B station.

Before she could start singing, though, she realized the car behind her was flashing its lights at her. She squinted and moved the mirror back where she could see behind her. Sure enough, the car was gaining on her, flashing its lights. When the driver started honking she threw her right hand up in the air.

"What the hell?!"

The crazed driver pulled up so close behind her she thought they were going to collide any minute. She pushed the gas pedal to the floor and shot forward, trying to trace the road before her far enough ahead to see the curves coming.

The horn blared, the driver holding it down, and the lights continued to flash.

"Pass me, why don't you?"

She slowed down when she hit a straightaway, hoping the driver would take the hint. "Come on, pass me!"

The driver simply slowed, continuing to ride her tail. The lights had stopped flashing, now permanently on bright.

As Mary approached her street, she grabbed her cell phone and hit speed dial.

"Dad? I need you to call the police and meet me in the driveway. There's some crazy person following me. I don't know what they want. I'm almost there!"

She jerked the wheel, not stopping at the stop sign, and sped toward her driveway. The front door burst open, warm light spilling out of her home onto the porch as her dad ran toward her. Her tires bumped over the end of the driveway and she threw the car into park and jumped out the door, not even bothering to turn off the car. She ran into her dad's arms, comforted by his embrace as he called out to the man who'd stepped out of the car behind her.

"The police are on their way. You need to leave. Now."

"Listen to me. There's someone in the back of your daughter's car."

"Bullshit. Too late, the cop's are here."

When the police pulled in, they took down the stranger. At his insistence, they checked the back of her car. Sure enough, there was a man in the back of her car, an axe hidden under a blanket beside him. The stranger had saved her life.

Yep, always check the back of your car. You just never know.

I had so many urban legends pop into my head, but I figure this is long enough. I'd only intended to describe the stories and list them, but this was more fun, and a good start to the beginning of NaNoWriMo. I'll talk about my version, ShaNoEdWriMo tomorrow.

What tales spring to mind when you think of urban legends? Have you heard different versions of the ones above?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 10/26/11

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is really going to be a [MOSTLY] Wordless Wednesday:

This is my house this evening. I took photos with and without the flash, but you couldn't see the SNOW in the ones without the flash (though you could better see the light-up decorations). Snow is coming! YAY! We've only had one good snow, so far, so I'm excited for another. As long as it's nice for Halloween.

Like the flamingos?

Do you decorate for Halloween?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday 10/25/11

2011-10-25T06:00:00.001-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm doing two teasers today since I'm reading two different books (okay, three, but I haven't picked the third one up this week, so it doesn't count).

First, on my Kindle, this is Blood on the Ice by Ian T. Healy. I want to preface this by saying that if you like this teaser, you can download this book for free from Smashwords, Kindle or Barnes and Noble until Halloween (I think that's the date).

"If this was ten thousand years ago, he'd be a barefoot caveman hunting wooly mammoths on a grassy plain with nothing more than a spear and balls the size of coconuts. Our story, though, takes place in a more modern time, and instead of a spear, he's wielding a hooked stick of graphite with a wicked hundred and thirty-five degree curve at the lower end."

The blurb from his website:

When a talented new player joins the perennially-losing sub-minor-league hockey team, the Fighting Aardvarks, it marks the beginning of a winning tradition. But things aren’t as they seem, and players begin to change. First line center Hammie learns the truth: the Aardvarks are becoming vampires, and it’s up to him to stop them before the infestation spreads beyond just the team.

The second teaser is from Skinwalker, a Jane Yellowrock Novel, by Faith Hunter, p. 24:

"I took up the snake that rests in the depths of all beasts. And I dropped within."

From the back:

Last year Jane nearly lost her life taking down a deadly family of vampires who preyed on the helpless local populace. Now, after months of recuperation, she's back and ready to fight again. Except this time, she's been hired by those she's trained to kill - vampires.

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind - a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires - and hunts the undead for a living. But now she's been hired by Katherine Fonteneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie's Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who's killing other vamps.

Amidst a bordello full of real 'ladies of the night,' a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission...or else the next skin she'll need to save may be her own.

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

Is Simpler Better When it Comes to Horror?

2011-10-24T06:00:00.001-06:00

With Paranormal Activity 3 having premiered with the highest grossing horror film opening weekend ever, maybe it's time to look at what horror fans really like. Gore took over in place of thrillers and ghost stories for awhile, but has gore finally lost its sheen? Has Saw 325 put the final nail in the gore porn coffin?

I haven't seen Paranormal Activity 3, and it will probably be awhile (video, ahem) until I do, but I know the type of film it represents. It's the softer spoken kind of horror that builds the tension for awhile then sends chills up your spine without spraying intestines all over the screen to accomplish this. It's the kind of scary that may seem inconsequential at first, but creeps up on you as you shut out the lights and head up to bed, straining for you in the darkness as your feet pick up speed and your spine tries to outrun the rest of your body. You laugh at yourself once you reach the safety of your bedroom, but then it's time to turn off the lights. That's when the terror creeps under your bedroom door and slithers underneath your bed or into the gaping maw of your darkened closet, waiting for your head to touch that pillow. This kind of horror, where you don't really see a monster, works to make your sleep a little harder to come by. The evil the victims face is implied, exhibited more discreetly.

Take a moment to look at one of the gory horror films. Choose one, be it Hostel, Turistas, Saw 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 17, 29, 36..., Wrong Turn, etc. The fright is in the depravity of the perpetrator and in the horrific torture insinuated on the victims. Considering that this is something that could really happen, that these are typically human monsters rather than spectral ones, is part of the fright. It puts the scary in going to a stranger's house, going out in public, going on a trip to another country, staying in a hostel, or basically leaving your house in any way, shape or form. But where these movies fail to scare watchers is in their own homes. When these were the films horror fans were clamoring for, they still had a safe place to go. Bed was a safe haven, not a place ripe for ghostly attacks.

No longer!

This particular monster watches you in your own home. It waits for you to come in the front door and slide the lock home. It hears you let out that little breath of relief because you know you're safe again, all locked into your own space. This monster doesn't have to be visible to you until it wants to be. It can stand over you as you slumber in your bed, as exposed and unprepared as possible. It is the monster that knows where you are at your most vulnerable and can seize the advantage whenever it wishes. You could be cooking dinner, rocking your little one to sleep, taking a bath, watching TV, necking with your boyfriend or heading down into the basement to grab something from the pantry down there, and it gets to choose the moment it will attack you. Made it safely up those backless stairs without getting an ankle grabbed? That's okay, you still have to go to bed.

This kind of evil has no physical boundaries. You can't stab it or shoot it to get away. You can't kick it in the testicles and gain a few seconds. You can't blind it or maim it. It's untouchable. And it's in your own home. Your safety net.

Now what?

Do you think the face of horror is changing again? Do fans want something different? Or will gore porn still have a home?

Happy Halloween Week!

May you find your Muse.

MonsterFest 2011: Wendigo

2011-10-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

For my second entry in the 2011 MonsterFest by Sommer Leigh of Tell Great Stories, I'd like to talk about the Wendigo. I previously wrote about skinwalkers. You can still sign up to participate in the MonsterFest on Sommer's blog.

Wendigo

While skinwalkers seem to be more commonly known in the United States, Wendigo is mostly a Canadian First Nation's monster, though his realm extends into the Great Lakes region, Minnesota and the Dakotas. So many tribes recognize Wendigo as a real creature that it has many names. "Wendigo" means "evil spirit that devours mankind," and is Algonquian in origin.

What is it?

Wendigos are creatures that roam the cold woods of the north looking for human flesh. They are always hungry, starving in fact. Not only are they formidable in size and strength, but they also have power over the weather, the beasts of the forests, and their victims.

As hungry as they are, Wendigos like to toy with their victims before tearing them apart. They will scream and growl, chasing the victim through the woods to get their giggles. (Not that they giggle.) They will do this until the victim is such a mess that they can no longer defend themselves rationally.

What do they look like?

Though stories vary, it is widely reported that Wendigo is humanoid in appearance, but deformed. Their skin is yellowish, and some have matted fur. Their teeth are needle sharp, their tongue a swollen dark blue. Bulbous yellow or red eyes glow out of its skull, peering through the darkness. Its claws are a foot long and razor sharp, both on feet and hands, though there is only one toe and claw on each foot.

They are said to be of such great size that the human mind can't comprehend it. Fifteen feet of height is not uncommon, and their limbs are extraordinarily long. They are scrawny, though, thanks to their intense hunger. Such hunger, in fact, that it is said they ate their own lips, leaving them with horrible, lipless grimaces.

What are these powers they possess?

When the Wendigos are young, they crash around haphazardly, causing wind storms, cyclones, blizzards, stampedes and destruction of the forests. When they're older, they gain actual shamanic powers over the weather and can control it intentionally. Therefore, when harsh weather phenomenon moves in, it is a signal Wendigo will come for you.

It's not just the weather, either. They work closely with the predators of the forest, sometimes controlling them. These creatures will often help the Wendigo, and both are known to share their kills with each other.

They can cause Wendigo Fever. The first sign you have Wendigo Fever is an odor that no one else can smell. When this happens, a person doesn't stand a chance. Within hours, they will begin having terrible nightmares, eventually awakening with a burning in their feet and legs which drives them to flee their homes, ripping their clothes off. This is when they race into the woods, to either be eaten by the Wendigo or to perish from exposure. Either way, very few ever return, and those that do aren't in their right minds ever again.

They can see in the dark, smell you for miles, and use nature to track their victim's every move without having to be near them. They have a connection with the trees, animals and plants of the forest that allows them to know precisely where they are. They can also detect body heat, just in case the rest of it wasn't enough.

Possibly the most frightening is that they are very smart and cunning. They can outsmart you, there in the woods. They may even let you think you're winning for a bit before really amping it up. Also, like the skinwalker, they can imitate voices, so don't rely on rescue. Just because you recognize a voice, doesn't mean you're safe.

I don't believe in magical powers; what else do they do?

Disembowel. Behead. Their teeth are so large and strong they can bite through a man's skull. Their claws are so sharp they can go through flesh and bone, alike.

Wendigos hibernate. The problem is, sometimes they prefer a house to a cave, which means someone has to give up their little cabin in the woods. Unfortunately, the Wendigo doesn't come with a pocket book, which means they must break into a cabin and take it by force, meaning some happy campers are going to be dinner.

Also, being smarter than the average squirrel (and then some), they know that people don't hike in the woods quite so much in the winter. Thus, sometimes they've got to sock away a little food. It's said that they keep pots of human body parts up in the trees for emergencies, but that takes away part of the fun when mealtime comes. This means they sometimes prefer to keep a warm body in their winter abode, so they can eat fresh while the person survives. Yum.

How do I kill one of these freaks?

In a word...silver. Right, not shocking, is it? Some day I'd love to research why so many different cultures thought silver was the go-to cure-all for killer critters.

It's not that easy, though. The slightest touch of silver doesn't kill the Wendigo. It's just further insurance that the thing may die. Like a vampire, you must go for the heart in order to shatter it. Did I mention its heart is made of ice? Once you have achieved the shattering of its heart of ice with something silver, you must then disassemble its body with an ax made of silver (the blade, not the handle), lock the shattered remains of its heart in a box that you bury, cover the rest of the remains in salt, burn them, then scatter the ashes to the four winds (north, east, south, west).

Now, a silver bullet or small silver blade may injure them long enough to get away, but they likely can't kill the Wendigo. The same can go for amulets and other protective items, which may hold it at bay. A fire will hold them off, as well, despite the fact that if they are burned they will quickly heal from it, just as they will from any other injury.

Where did these things come from?

It would seem there was originally an evil spirit with great powers. Beyond this guy, though, it is actually quite easy to become a Wendigo. (Don't try this at home).

The main way to become a Wendigo is to cannibalize. As the Wendigo is from cold areas, areas that can become isolated due to winter storms, this is quite common. Sometimes people become trapped and are forced to eat the weaker member in their group. When the spring thaw comes, there will only be monsters left behind, ready to rampage in the forests surrounding them. Once they cannibalized, evil spirits entered their bodies, forced their souls out and allowed the body to perish, thus allowing the Wendigo to rise from the dead. Woe to the person who finds this lost hunting party, for they are now a different sort of hunter, stronger, faster and exponentially more evil.

One may also become Wendigo by being bitten by one, much like the fabled werewolf. In addition, when a Wendigo has become old and weak, they can leap into another's body, possessing them. People can be turned by sorcery or by praying to the evil spirit for help.

Real life cases of the Wendigo:

Northern tribes used to have special shamans who were trained to track the Wendigo and kill any persons being converted to its evil form. Jack Fiddler, of the Cree tribe, worked with his brother and son as a Wendigo killer. He actually committed suicide in prison after being arrested for the killing of a woman he claimed was changing into Wendigo. White man's law felt he was just euthanizing a sick person, as they could not adequately care for and treat her. His Wendigo body count is said to be eighteen.

There is an actual diagnosis called Windigo Psychosis, in which a person believes they are turning into a Wendigo and become increasingly more aggressive and depressed over time. People have convinced others that they are changing and asked them to kill them. Marie Courtereille was one of those people. In 1887, with their community's blessing, her husband and son gave into her requests and killed her with a silver axe. There have been other documented murder cases thanks to this psychosis.

Or thanks to the Wendigo...

For further research:

http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Wendigo

http://www.prairieghosts.com/wendigo.html

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Wendigo

Have you heard of the Wendigo before? Like to go camping?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 10/19/11 (& Award)

2011-10-19T06:00:00.001-06:00

It's insect day on [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday!

This little guy sat still for me, which was shocking. You ever try to get a picture of a dragonfly? I tried late last month to get a photo of a blue dragonfly in the same place I'd gotten this one the year before (Rock Ledge Ranch), and no matter how patient and prepared I tried to be, I got a bunch of blurry photos of the little punk. This one, though, spread itself out on a rock to sun and I grabbed the pic. Yay!

Little factoid for you: though dragonflies have 6 legs, just like other insects, they can't walk well at all. They are some of the fastest insects in the world, though, in flight anyway.

This is going to be less wordless than usual, as I got an award from TF Walsh. I'd intended to post it with my Teaser Tuesday, but...well, scan back. I didn't do my usual Teaser Tuesday. Instead, I'll post the award here. With extra words.

Thank you, Tania!

In honor of Halloween, I'll continue what TF did and list 7 Halloween-type things about me. (Random ones, Andrew! Hahahahaha! Okay, just kidding.)

1. I spend the entire month of October devouring horror movies, books, shows, you name its to try and get a good scare.

2. I was quite pleased to freak out a friend since I usually fail to freak myself out. I passed "The Shining" on to her and she rather enjoyed it, but it scared her! ~Maniacal laughter~

3. For years, I've wanted to go on a haunted history-type tour, but have yet to do so. Cripple Creek does them. Some day, some day.

4. I love to watch shows about old haunted places, like southern plantations, but it's the stories about the people that draw me in.

5. I went trick or treating once in high school. Didn't go well, as most people told us we were too old to be trick or treating. I suppose I should have been committing property damage or other crimes instead?

6. I'm seriously considering hiding in my house instead of handing out candy this year, and fully taking advantage of the time alone while my hubby is out trick or treating with the kids. We get so many trick or treaters that I don't usually get any downtime between them. And the atmosphere of the night is just screaming for writing!

7. This horror buff has only seen two or three of the Nightmare on Elm Street films (four, if you count the new one). After decades of having night terrors and nightmares, there just seems to be very little entertainment in the franchise for me. And it actually freaks me out. There, I admitted it.

Considering this award says "I love blogging," please feel free to take this one for yourself and list 7 Halloween facts about yourself. Let me know if you do so I can check it out! Thanks again, TF, for thinking of me!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for my MonsterFest post on the Wendigo!

Any interesting Halloween facts about you? Is there a movie/franchise that freaks you out?

May you find your Muse.

Field Trip: Taking Inspiration From Your Surroundings

2011-10-17T11:55:00.000-06:00

Whether you're in a slump, stuck for ideas, lacking inspiration or just wanting a change, a great way to get yourself started is to go on a field trip. A field trip, you ask? Yes, a field trip! You're never too old for a field trip.

Yesterday, I packed the kids up and headed out to the old mining district, specifically Victor, Colorado.

There's a better chance you've heard of Victor's neighbor, Cripple Creek, but they both have old preserved mining equipment from the last big gold rush, as well as preserved buildings from the time. Walking through a town that still boasts the gorgeous brick visages of the late 1800's and early 1900's will get you in a creative mood if nothing else can. Since we went on a Sunday afternoon, it was a virtual ghost town, which meant I could envision the old days: miners grabbing the electric car out to the mines; rich men in suits and hats strolling with powdered, perfumed women in long dresses with frilly hats; the bawdy madams of the red light district calling out to the saloon goers; trains steaming their way into town. Into historical fiction, non-fiction, steampunk? This place had it all!

I had intended to hit Victor, Cripple Creek and Florissant (to view some fossils and fossilized redwoods), but the kids and I had so much fun hiking and exploring the old mines and homes that we never made it anywhere else. And, while I'd really gone out there intending to get some fall foliage shots with maybe a couple of homestead/aspen shots, most of my hundreds upon hundreds of photos from yesterday are of the great old buildings.

I highly recommend that any field trip you go on, you take a camera, pad and pencil. Jot down ideas and notes that come into your head. Take photos of those things that inspire you, as you will continue to be inspired each time you reference them, and it will help to keep those ideas fresh.

Not everyone has a mining town near them that they can just pick up and drive to in an hour, but anywhere that allows you to get lost in the feel of a different time or place, anywhere that allows you to be closer to nature or deep in a past time, is perfect. If you're busy and can't spend a day exploring a new place, take a half hour jaunt to the woods, the beach, the mountains, a historical site near you or even your downtown, which will often boast older buildings, especially deep in the heart of the city. Go somewhere that is bustling with people to watch them and take it all in. Listen in on snatches of conversation and fill in the blanks. Any of these things can get your mind working in a different way, and bring out the creative juices.

I thought I'd pass along a handful of photos from my day out yesterday to maybe give someone else a little inspiration. I hope you enjoy!

An old homestead along Highway 24

Victor, CO, downtown, as you come upon the city

Victor City Hall, built 1900

Street view in Victor

Old buildings in Victor, including Victor Record (newspaper)

Shot of inside of one of the old electric cars that took men up to the mines

Old home on mining site. That top window was creeeeeepeeeeeey.

Mining buildings down the slopes

Old mining machinery

Some sort of motorized mining cart

Mining cart

Ore processing house at mine

Theresa Mine

Theresa Mine gears

Small building by Theresa Mine; I've seen this referred to at the changing house, and it had a little bench inside.

Homestead above Theresa Mine

Note: Do not use these photos without my permission.

Have you gone on any field trips lately? Any you'd really like to go on?

May you find your Muse.

Feature Friday Features: "New Never News" and "A Blog by Writer J.A. Kazimer"

2011-10-14T06:00:00.003-06:00

Feature Friday is a meme hosted by The Warrior Muse that encourages you to feature a blog of your choice each Friday to introduce others to blogs you enjoy. Anyone can participate. You can choose these blogs however you like and spotlight them in any way you please. Be sure you include a link in your post to the blog you wish to feature, copy the button above, and enter your blog on the linky list at the end of this post. I hope to see some others joining in so I can discover new bloggers!

In honor of the New Never News returning from its summer hiatus, today's Feature Friday is featuring two blogs by author J.A. Kazimer:

First, A Blog by J.A. Kazimer. She is a published author with several books under her belt, plus a new book due to come out in March 2012. She's a conference pro when it comes to Colorado conferences, so check out her blog for upcoming author's events, as well as conference tips and discussions on the writing world, as it currently stands.

The second featured blog run by J.A. Kazimer is The New Never News, a quirky online periodical that features stories from a grown up fairy tale world. Here, you can read about the nefarious deeds of the dwarves, Little Red Riding Hood, Old Mother Hubbard, and more. As an added bonus, you can find stories from me on there, as well!

You can also check Julie out on her website, www.jakazimer.com.

May you find your Muse.

MonsterFest: Skinwalkers

2011-10-13T06:00:00.002-06:00

It's my day in the 2011 MonsterFest, hosted by Sommer Leigh (awesome name, wouldn't you agree?) of Tell Great Stories.

Skinwalkers

What are they?

We are going to focus on the Navajo version of the skinwalker: yee naaldlooshii (which translates to "with it, he goes on all fours.") A skinwalker is a witch who can shape shift, at least partially, by using an animal's pelt. They are best known in the form of the coyote, but can take any shape, so long as they possess that animal's pelt.

What's so scary about that?

Not only can they shape shift (some say not fully), but they also practice mind control and read minds. Skinwalkers are known to cast spells that can cause illness or death, cause car accidents, mimic voices or the cry of a baby to draw people out of their homes, and wreak havoc overall.

People report creatures whose eyes don't reflect their headlights, stalking them from the roadside. These creatures can keep pace with a car and, ultimately, force it off the road.

Others report something half human, half animal staring in their windows at night or climbing on the roof. They will try to break in, pounding on the doors and windows. They possess great speed, agility, strength and any other abilities they may glean from the animals whose pelts they wear. In owl or crow form, they can even fly.

Never meet a skinwalker's eyes, or they may take over your body. Some believe they can also use human skin to shape shift. If you're lucky, they will simply read your thoughts.

Skinwalkers sometimes use corpse powder, reported to be made of bone dust, to kill. They blow it in a person's face, which causes their tongue to turn black and their bodies to convulse. Eventually, they die.

How will I know one if I see it?

For one, there will be a naked man standing around with an animal pelt on his head. He will likely look pretty menacing. Sort of like he wants to kill you or step into your skin like a designer suit.

Aside from that, their eyes are said to glow yellow when they're in human form, yet not reflect light in animal form. Alternatively, they may have glowing red eyes. Also, they tend to look like a mutated form of the animal when shifted, rather than completely like that animal. If an animal is deformed, steer clear.

This sounds pretty groovy; how does one become a skinwalker?

How? By committing pure evil. Skinwalkers choose to be evil; they aren't born with a curse or bitten against their will. They learn some of the same things medicine men learn, making them educated and intimately knowledgeable with the workings of your mind and body. If they break cultural [moral] taboos, they gain their powers. One common way to become a skinwalker is to murder a family member, especially a sibling.

Holy evil skin-wearers, Batman! How can I fight them?

Due to the fact that skinwalkers often shift into predators, the Navajo have forbidden use of the skins of coyote, wolves, bears, owls, foxes, crows and cougars. Furthermore, Anasazi ruins are to be avoided, as it has long been thought that powerful magic could be created there.

Avoid talking about skinwalkers. Discussing them will bring their attention on you.

The only way you can harm a skinwalker is with a bullet coated in white ash. Beware, though, as you must take care not to be caught trying to kill a skinwalker; if they catch you, your gun will likely jam. Then you die.

Actually, there may be another way. If you discover who the skinwalker is, you can say their full name three times, which will cause them to perish. Good luck tracking them, though! If they know they've been recognized, they will become intent on killing you to keep their identity secret.

So where did they come from in the first place?

No one really agrees on this. Some think they started with other tribes (the Lakota, for one, or the Anasazi). Others feel they came to be after the forced marches by the whites. They developed the ability to shape shift in order to get away from the white soldiers and use the animal's strengths to keep them safe.

Another interesting origin story (from the Wikipedia entry on skinwalkers) involves the poor members of the tribe. They went door-to-door in ceremonial garb to collect food left out by those in each hogan. When people stopped leaving food out, the poor became angry and disillusioned, turning evil. Let this be a lesson to you, penny pinchers!

These are old stories, though, right? Just silly old tales.

Actually, the Navajo believe there are still skinwalkers. In fact, there has been a lawsuit in recent years, brought against an alleged witch/skinwalker by attorney Michael Stuhff during a custody battle. The child in question reported to his mother that his father had taken him to see a witch and a ceremony had been performed. During the ceremony, a dark doll and a pale doll were buried, indicating that the mother and lawyer (allegedly) would end up buried in that area. The judge, being a Navajo, recognized this particular ceremony and shot down the father's lawyer's argument that it was a Blessing Way, another ceremony he was quite familiar with. The verdict was upheld.

Reservation police have come forth with stories of animals pacing their vehicles at 60mph. Sometimes it is more man than animal.

You can still find people who will tell you of their encounters with skinwalkers. Whether it's the mother whose door was ripped open on an early morning paper route, or the man who watched a maddened creature crawl all over a neighbor's house, scratching at windows, pounding on doors. The skinwalker exists in the here and now, and no longer cares only to exact its vengeance on the Navajo people, but anyone who dares cross Navajo land. So lock your doors and windows tight, block the chimney, stay off Navajo land, and for heaven's sakes, if you hear a baby crying outside, don't go to investigate. It may be the last thing you do.

Hey, what's that pounding I hear on the roof?

Sources (and further reading):

Wikipedia article on skinwalkers

Rocky Mountain Legends

Skinwalkers - What Are They?

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 10/12/11

2011-10-12T06:00:00.005-06:00

For today's [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, I got to take a bit of a side trip on the way to get my daughter from school. This is one of the surest signs we get that fall has arrived:

That's snow on Pikes Peak! Of course, this isn't the first snow. I tried to get a good pic of that a few weeks ago and wasn't happy with the result. We've actually had snow down here on the ground, but it melted within a couple hours, so I look to Pikes Peak for reassurance on a day where we're supposed to hit 68 degrees. It's fall!

If you look closely, you can also see a dappling of yellow aspens on the green peak in front of the snow-covered Pikes Peak. I love the changing of leaves and can't wait until all that green around Garden of the Gods is full of blazing autumn shades.

This photo was taken at Garden of the Gods, one of my favorite places to go for some camera action. The red rock on the left is the eastern edge of the Kissing Camels formation.

Happy Fall!

Is there a landmark or event that truly, officially says "autumn is here" to you? How do you celebrate the start of fall?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday 10/11/11

2011-10-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The following teaser is from Heather McCorkle's The Secret of Spruce Knoll. (Note: Heather is a fellow blogger. Check out her blog by clicking her name above.) From page 48:

"Maybe there was hope that she could remain normal a bit longer - or at least pretend that she was. She'd lost so much."

From the back:

"It's hard enough being a teenager under normal circumstances; imagine being orphaned, sent to live with an unfamiliar aunt - and learning that there really is magic in the world. Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with her aunt. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with so-called 'channelers' - a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands.

Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they - and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Now, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charming tricks show her being a channeler isn't all bad; in fact, it's kind of cool. But is it Aiden's abilities or Aiden's looks that Eren finds so fascinating?

As Eren and Aiden's relationship blooms, so too does a mystery in Spruce knoll. The town holds many secrets - and many enemies. It soon becomes apparent that the untimely death of Eren's parents was no accident and that her life might be in danger, too. Only time will tell if young, inexperienced Eren has the power to protect the people she has come to love."

What are you reading?

May you find your Muse.

Details Matter: Do Your Research!

2011-10-10T06:00:00.001-06:00

When I first became involved with the writing community, one thing I heard a couple times that stuck with me was that your details should be accurate when you're writing. Whether you're writing historical non-fiction or a fantasy novel set on a different planet, it is important that you get anything "real" correct, such as elements of the setting. People will notice if you get things wrong, no matter how minor you might think that specific thing.

For example, if you're writing a book set in Colorado Springs, you research wildlife before you mention seeing a grizzly bear in your book. We don't have grizzlies. We have other types of bears. People who live here will notice, as will others who have been here, or who study grizzlies, or who have any interest in wildlife in the west, so on and so forth. There will always be someone who notices.

People want to get lost in a book or movie, but when some minute detail catches their attention for being inaccurate, it can drag them out of it and ruin the experience. Even if the writing is phenomenal, something minor can rip a person right out of the story. Consider something like a cell phone being pulled out in a movie set in the 50's. That's an extreme sort of example, but would it catch your attention? Would it remove you from that suspension of disbelief that caused you to be absorbed in the story being told? Almost certainly! In fact, if you look at IMDB.com, many of the films have a section dedicated to goofs people noticed.

It doesn't take long to look up little things like native wildlife, local weather, state/city government, etc. Technology has even made it possible to see a street corner or storefront via satellite. You just have to go on the internet and you can see an entire neighborhood, zooming around to look at the houses, the lawns, the types of trees.

Historical novels are trickier, of course, but if you go into historical fiction or non-fiction, you likely go in fully prepared to do the research. One of the examples I first heard was from local author M.J. Brett, who taught before she became a writer. Her class was reading a novel that was set back during WWII, and a local area was detailed. This book had a couple driving through a part of town that would have been rubble on the day they went through it, thanks to bombing. These kids caught it and ridiculed the book; it ruined the entire story for them, made it so they couldn't take the rest of it seriously. Such a small detail, though probably not the easiest thing to find.

I'm not saying it's easy to do this research, but it is important. If you find yourself questioning something, it's best to look it up. Chances are, if it strikes you as wrong, someone else will respond in the same way.

By the way, I looked up London bombings in WWII to be sure I was talking about the right time frame (wouldn't THAT be embarrassing, considering the topic), and there are old newsreels of the bombings, which was interesting, so I thought I'd pass one along: NEWS REEL.

Is there a book or movie that has been ruined for you due to a botched detail?

May you find your Muse.

Feature Friday Features: "LolliPop's Cottage"

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I did a Feature Friday, so here's a fun one for you! Today, the Warrior Muse is featuring LolliPop's Cottage. Maeve writes about writing, but also does book reviews accompanied by a yummy cookie recipe. That's right, for every book review she does, she posts a cookie recipe. Come on, who doesn't want hot fresh cookies while reading a good book!?

Make sure you read her bio for details on how she came up with the name of her blog; it's a cute story.

Question to all of you out there: Is this something others might enjoy doing as a meme? If so, I could put up a linky list from here on out. I'd love to discover other blogs, and a meme like this would be an easier way to do it than a giant blog hop (not that I'll stop participating in blog hops, but this seems a bit more laid back to me in the meantime). Anyone? If so, would you be interested in weekly or monthly?

I hope you enjoy a visit to LolliPop's Cottage!

May you find your Muse.

Author U BookCamp, Project 52 and Goal Setting

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today I'd like to quickly pass on some information on the Author U BookCamp. This is an online workshop intended to teach you how to launch your book online. It includes things like book blog tours, Kindle/nook links and customizing campaigns. Sounds like it could be quite valuable for someone about to launch their new book. I know that I was amazed by Beth Groundwater's book blog tour schedule, and that it made me wonder how one sets something like that up, to begin with. Here are the answers! There is a cost for this workshop, so check out the link HERE for more information.

While I'm here, I may as well update Project 52 and my progress.

Unfortunately, for soooo many reasons, I have not gotten much accomplished with editing and writing. I go to bed each night completely determined to wake up and get back to it, and it never ends up working out in the morning. Rawr. I did, however, get some more New Never News articles written up, so I am submitting those tonight. As such, I get to scratch out:

~~40. Write more New Never News articles~~

I didn't give myself a number I had to write, so this is good enough to mark something off. Anything scratched off is incentive to get more done. I don't know about you, but accomplishing anything from a list helps me to leap forward.

I'm tempted to write daily goals/to-do's on here just to get my butt moving. Instead, for now, I will make myself a major goal for November (since I have no intention of doing NaNoWriMo) and work toward that goal. It's time to get things done. Now to figure out what that goal will be.

Here's some miniature goal setting, in the meantime:

Today I will work in my office for an hour, minimum. What I'm working on is up in the air. Just getting my butt down there will be more than I've done in about two weeks.

This week, I will work on a short story. All the better if I finish the first draft.

This month, I will edit at least five chapters of Lonely Hollow: Synthesis.

How's that for a few mini goals to get myself back in the driver's seat?

How do you do goal setting? What's your goal for the day/week/month?

May you find your Muse. I hope it isn't hiding with mine.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday 10/5/11

2011-10-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

I previously posted a photo of Apache, a gorgeous timber wolf who made an appearance at the Annual Garden of the Gods Pow Wow. I got to visit him again this year (and am looking forward to an even better visit in November at the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation), but there were also birds of prey to interact with. That's where I got a picture of this little fella':

They didn't give his name, but he was specifically bred for the program and is a mix between a peregrine falcon and a prairie falcon. He was very interested in what was going on around him and was hopping all over the place.

I was interested in why they would have cross-bred these two types of falcons and did some brief reading. It turns out when you cross-breed falcons like this, the resulting falcon gets the best traits of each type, something known as "hybrid vigour" or heterosis. The peregrine falcon brings speed and endurance to the pairing, while the prairie falcon appears to bring different hunting habits (such as catching prey in mid-air, rather than knocking it down, like the peregrine falcon does). I couldn't honestly find anything big the prairie falcon brought into it. Apparently, this is a pairing that occurs naturally in the wild at times.

A couple factoids:

*Baby falcons are called eyases. Raise your hand if you've ever heard that term before...anyone?

*Power plants have the best production rates for falcons. As in, a lot of babies are born in power plant stacks. It's like the falcon Caribbean. This is such a well known fact that power plants actually participate in restoring falcons to the wild.

*The females are bigger than the males. Female Power!

*During the Hundred Years' War, if you poached a falcon from the wild, your sentence was to have your eyes poked out. Yikes! Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to have them pecked out?

*Lastly, in medieval England, falcons were status symbols. The type of falcon you were allowed to own was a good indicator of your rank: Kings owned gyrfalcons (the largest type, and sort of the king of falcons), while servants could own kestrels (so I guess we can call them the poor man's falcon). Falcons were important to the clergy, as well, and they were allowed sparrowhawks, basically one step up from a kestrel.

So there's your lesson on falcons for the day! Didn't know this was a biology blog, did ya'?

Have you ever seen a falcon in the wild? Any fun factoids about them? What do you think of when you see a bird of prey?

May you find your Muse.

Teaser Tuesday 10/4/11

2011-10-04T00:47:00.001-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The following teaser is from Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I've had the urge to reread this oldie, but goodie, for awhile now, so I finally pulled it out. Maybe it's because I've been loosely planning a trip back home to visit family in Oregon, where this was set. I have no idea, but I love the way he words things. From page 16:

"Nobody can tell exactly why he laughs; there's nothing funny going on. But it's not the way that Public Relation laughs, it's free and loud and it comes out of his wide grinning mouth and spreads in rings bigger and bigger until it's lapping against the walls all over the ward."

From the back:

In this classic novel of the 1960's, Ken Kesey's hero is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a boisterous, brawling, fun-loving rebel who swaggers into the world of a mental hospital and takes over. A lusty, life-affirming fighter, McMurphy rallies the other patients around him by challenging the dictatorship of Big Nurse. He promotes gambling in the ward, smuggles in wine and women, and openly defies the rules at every turn. But this defiance, which starts as a sport, soon develops into a grim struggle, an all-out war between two relentless opponents: Big Nurse, backed by the full power of authority...McMurphy, who has only his own indomitable will. What happens when Big Nurse uses her ultimate weapon against McMurphy provides the story's shocking climax.

If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend you do. Kesey's writing is phenomenal, and the story is powerful. Don't assume that if you've seen the movie you know all about it. His writing makes this an easy read, though the subject matter can make it a rough one.

However, for those of you who have seen the movie, I used to live in Salem, Oregon and pass that duck crossing sign on a regular basis. I fully intend to get a pic of it this time through, if I can make it out to Oregon for vacation next summer. Of course, when I lived there I was far too young to know the sign was famous. Thus, the lack of a photo up to this point.

Do you have a book or books that you return to again and again? What brings you back to it? Anyone read any of Kesey's other works? Would you recommend them?

May you find your Muse.

National Book Month

2011-10-03T06:00:00.001-06:00

Did you know that October is National Book Month? What better time to fall into a book than the first full month of fall? Grab a light blanket (because let's face it, most of us aren't having truly cold temperatures yet), light a fire, make some tea and curl up with a great new book or an old favorite.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, though, right? For my part, I didn't actually have any idea it was National Book Month until I visited the Writer's Digest website and saw a story on there about it.

Speaking of books and October, there's another blog hop going for the month with a Halloween theme. This one appears to be for published horror writers, and is called the Coffin Hop Horror Web Tour. It will be taking place between October 24 and October 31, and will involve prizes. Sounds fun; check it out!

Did you know it was National Book Month? Know of any special ways to celebrate it?

May you find your Muse.