Everything You Never Thought You Needed

Greetings, Scribe friends, Suze here.  Did everyone get their taxes finished and out the door, either electronically or via the good ole Postal Service of the U.S. of A.? Here’s hoping you got a big refund. And when it arrives, or if it’s burning a hole in your pocket already, I’ve got a suggestion how you can spend some of it.

Come back after the flea market closes, and you can have dinner and see a couple of movies!

I’m talking about the flea market. Do you have one nearby? There are a couple not too far from my home, and Mr. Suze and our son visited one last weekend. This one has the advantage of being on the grounds of one of the only drive-in movie theaters left in New England.  (Check out Mansfield Drive-In here.)  So here are my top reasons for loving flea markets:

1.    You can find everything you never thought you needed. Where else can you find a banjo (Son wanted this, but at $350 decided against it), depression glass, knockoff designer purses (I was tempted on some of these), or this stunning planter:

 

Wouldn't this look great on the antique plant stand in the foyer?

 

2. You’re supporting small enterprise. Some vendors actually buy up other people’s unwanted stuff, clean it (sometimes!), pack and transport it, then set it up in a jumble on on their tables or on tarps on the ground, all for your viewing and purchasing pleasure.

3. You’re assisting someone else with her fung shui. Clearing clutter is good for increasing your energy and creativity. That person who is getting rid of unwanted items may now go on to achieve her dreams, all because you bought her barely used George Foreman grill for $5.00 (haggled down from $8.00).

4.  You can observe people for hours, getting necessary fodder to store away in your idea silo. This is one of my favorite things about the flea market. See that woman in the sunglasses and floppy-brimmed hat? Is she the careful, cautious type who wears her sunscreen without fail, exercises and eats right, calls her mother every Saturday morning, and is about to meet the man who will change her life forever? Or is she a spy-gone-rogue, on the run from a secret government organization, and the only thing that can save her is the long-lost information hidden in that dusty trout mounted on a varnished wooden board?

Now, you do have to be careful at places like this. It’s very easy to go overboard and come home with a lot of stuff that will actually make your life worse (see #3, above). Over the years I’ve developed some rules about what I can buy. If it’s just one more thing to store or dust, no. If it is a piece of my discontinued wedding china pattern (Mikasa Imperial Rose — anybody got some cheap?), yes.  I really have to keep my love of a bargain in check, and I have a weakness for antique dishes, vintage costume jewelry, and of course books, books, books.

That's a big TBR pile!

On this latest trip to the flea market, nothing fit my criteria. So I bought nothing. Mr. Suze bought a fold-up fishing chair and a reel for an 8mm film projector (the old projector, we already have). Teenage son bought a hot dog.

How about you? Love flea markets or tag sales (in other parts of the country you might call them yard or garage sales)? What items can’t you resist? What’s the most unusual item you’ve seen at one?

The Oscars — a Confession

Hi, everybody. Happy National Pig Day! (click here to learn more about this fascinating holiday) . Suze here on a fine and snowy Thursday in New England. Hope you’re all warm and comfy, wherever you are.

So — did you watch the Oscars last weekend? I’ll let you in on a little secret. I can never sit all the way through them. I always have to work the next day and, trust me, I’m not the friendliest puppy in the pet shop if I don’t get enough sleep.  So I just wait for the recaps the next day. Is that bad?

Let it happen, Cap’n!

I’m never all that interested in the winners, either. If Meryl Streep doesn’t win every year, she should, that’s a given. Who’s that French guy, the best actor? Didn’t see the The Artist, never heard of the actor. I read The Help  but still haven’t seen the movie. Christopher Plummer? Well, I’m happy for him, but I prefer to remember him as Captain von Trapp singing Edelweiss or dancing with Fraulein Maria in a moonlit garden.

What I really love are the gowns. Who was best dressed? Who was worst? I used to do quite a bit of sewing (before it got to be more expensive to make your own clothes than to buy them ready-made), and I still occasionally drag out the sewing machine if I want new curtains or throw pillows, so I know a bit about how gowns are constructed. Let me just tell you that there is a reason couture gowns are so expensive. There are hours and hours and hours of painstaking work that go into them.

I’m always amazed at how the designers make each gown unique. You’d think there would be only so many combinations out there: Start with your choice of strapless, spaghetti straps, cap sleeves, elbow-length sleeves, three-quarter sleeves, or long sleeves. Add a jewel neckline, sweetheart, or plunging vee.  Choose a peplum or no peplum (that’s the extra, longish ruffle that sits at the top of the hip — see Michelle Williams’s dress this year for that detail). Choose a fitted or full skirt, and skirt length (short, at the knee, tea length, or to the floor).

That’s pretty much it, right? Well, no. That’s only the framework. Leave out any of these items, and you don’t have a complete gown.  In fact, you’ve probably got a pretty serious wardrobe malfunction.  But once the basic choices are made, the artistry comes into play. The selection of a fabric or fabrics, the addition of embellishments such as beading or sequins, the way a gown is fitted to the individual wearer – it’s these details that make each creation unique.

Writing is a lot like that. All stories have a basic framework. But if you gave the same set of characters and circumstances to two different authors, each would come up with a completely different tale (now that I think of it, that might be fun!). That’s because each author brings her own beads and sequins and feathers to snazz up her own story.  How much fun is that? The sparklier, the better, I say.

Now, because I know you’re all just dying to know my opinions, here are a few of my Oscars fashion hits and misses. Click here to take another look.

1. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – You’re both stunningly gorgeous, but what’s with Angie’s slutty pose?  Perhaps a few remedial lessons at a charm school would help. And Brad’s overgrown, shapeless hair borders on creepy – Get thee to a stylist immediately. Sorry, but thumbs down.

2.  Meryl Streep — Some people didn’t like the shiny bronze gown, and this made a lot of worst-dressed lists. Personally, I liked it, even though the top didn’t seem to be fitted properly.  Thumbs up.

3.  Octavia Spencer — I loved your simple gown, I loved your womanly curves, and I loved that you were so excited about your win. Thumbs up.

4.  Jennifer Lopez — You are also stunningly gorgeous, but why do you insist on such painful-looking, severe buns on the top of your beautiful head? And why do you so often choose gowns that look as though they weren’t quite finished? Or did a bodice-button pop off and roll under the limousine just before you were to go into the theater, with nary a safety pin to be found to hold the whole hot mess of a dress together? Whether or not there was nip-slip, or it really was just a shadow, this look was not daring or edgy. It was just distracting, like a twisted car wreck on the side of the road. Thumbs down.

5.  Gwyneth Paltrow — If her dress were gray, Gwyneth would look like an undernourished German prison matron. It’s both strange and severe. I might have liked it better if it had some color, or if Gwyneth had chosen a less awful hairdo. Although I dig the extra-large jeweled cuff bracelet, the overall look is a Thumbs Down.

Perfect!

Drum roll, please … my top pick …

6. Viola Davis– I absolutely adore this stunning green gown. I love the color, I love the style, I love the unusually funky earrings, and I love that Viola flaunted her hair in that cute, coppery style.  Way to rock your natural assets, Vi. Definitely thumbs up!

Your turn. What’s your favorite part of the Oscars? Which gown did you like best? Which did you hate?

Let’s Hear it for The Doubt Monster

Happy Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here.

Is this the Doubt Monster?

Today’s topic: My nemesis the Doubt Monster. He originally debuted on my blog (see original post here) back in June and he’s made his sneaky way over here to the Scribes’ site.

He’s so prevalent that our guest bloggers Lynn Kurland and Kristan Higgins have both addressed him. I’ll get to their comments in a moment.

To recap my original post, here is how the Doubt Monster torments me.

• This story is dumb. Who will want to read it?
• There are so many other things I should have/could have done.
• I must be missing something like (fill in the blank).
• This story is so weird no one will buy it.

On and on it goes. The greedy Doubt Monster messing with my head and my confidence.

Any of this sound familiar? Let’s hear what the pros have to say:

If only the Doubt Monster brought me cookies.

Lynn Kurland’s take on the DM – “It also helps to point sternly toward the scary under-the-bed spot used by all creepy things and tell Doubty to get back there. Then write your book the way you like. If he doesn’t make too many noises you can let him back out to help you with the editing.”

Fellow Scribe Katy Lee – “The Doubt Monster taunts me every time I sit in the chair to write. “Who said you could write? Huh?” Perhaps I’ll keep a club beside my chair to play whack-a-Mole with him when he pokes his head out from now on.”

To which J Monkeys enthusiastically proposed – “I think we need to find someone to create the Whack-a-Doubty app….”

But wait! There’s a voice of dissent here.

Kristan Higgins says of old Doubty – “I love and embrace the Doubt Monster. It took us a while to fall for each other, but because I am old and wise now, I’ve come to learn that the DM and I are actually meant to be together. He lets me know when I need to rethink a plot point or adjust a character, back off or tone down or beef up. That being said, I try to ignore the DM during the first draft. Experience has shown that while first draft may indeed suck, it doesn’t mean the final product will. So I try to barrel through that part of writing, then fling open the doors and let the Doubt Monster have at it.”

Hmm. I’m hearing some love, even admiration. Maybe I should re-consider. Maybe he’s like Darth Vader. A misunderstood villain who really has a soft, gooey middle.

Possibly.

The jury is still out with me. All I can say, is this – “Doubt Monster, I’ve got my eyes on you. Watch it buddy!”

Meanie or Softie?

What do you think?

Have I been unfair to the Doubt Monster? Should I learn to live with him instead of playing whack-a-mole on his head?

How do you deal with the Doubt Monster?

Author, Leanna Ellis, Shares about Taking the Scary Step Out of Her Market

Happy Sunday, Katy Lee here. I am very excited to have Leanna Ellis visiting with us today to share her story on how Plain Fear: Forsaken came to be. As an Inspirational writer, there are pretty strict guidelines to follow when writing for this market. One of them being, absolutely no vampires. But Leanna had a story to tell, so what was she to do?

Leanna Ellis is here to participate in the Scribes Spooky Theme Week to talk about a scary step she had to make. After all, taking the risk to blurr your market guidelines can be pretty scary. So please, give Leanna a warm welcome!

Happy Halloween! Oops! Did I say something wrong? Did you know that little phrase can be fairly controversial? There are certain camps regarding Halloween.There are those who embrace the holiday with all the gore and such and drape their houses in cobwebs. Then you’ve got those who allow their kids to dress up and enjoy the candy but no gory or other-worldly costumes. Then there’s the group that shuns the holiday because of its roots in paganism. So I didn’t mean to offend anyone by saying ‘Happy Halloween,’ but I just meant it as a friendly greeting. Like Halloween, we each have to figure out what is right for us and what is right for our families. And this is true in writing too.

In light of all of that, it seems very appropriate to discuss my current release, Plain Fear: Forsaken, which is a bit like Halloween, somewhat controversial. Some people may love the idea. Others may withhold judgment until they’ve heard more about it or even read it. And others will shun it just because of the subject matter. Just last week, I received this great review where the reviewer said, “Plain Fear Forsaken is a book that screams to be opened. It offers a fresh portrayal of vampires and their complex world, while taking readers on a journey of love and heartbreaking loss. This haunting tale is wonderfully written, with such intensity that you will not put it down.” Obviously a really nice review. Within an hour, I received an email from a reader who called my book, “Evil.” Did they read the same book? Apparently. But like Halloween, it’s not for every reader and it was a risk to write it, much less publish it.

Amish and vampires? Really? Yes, really. I’m asked a lot how this book came into being. Forsaken actually began as a joke. I was at a book signing and another author and I made a joke about we should write an Amish/vampire story because those were the two genres that were selling incredibly well. It really was a joke. I didn’t rush home and start writing the book. But I suppose some seed was planted in my warped little brain and took root. Soon a character was speaking to me about her story and wanting me to write it. But I resisted. However, there was a very intriguing element that I couldn’t seem to ignore. To me, this was a Phantom of the Opera type story, with a love triangle, and a clear dividing line between good and evil. So just playing around with the story idea, I wrote the prologue and first chapter. Then I set it aside because I was busy meeting other deadlines. Besides what was I to do with an Amish/vampire story?

Really, where would an Amish/vampire story ever fit? I was writing in the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) where Amish is very popular. Why couldn’t I write a traditional Amish book? Well, that’s just not how my brain works. I mentioned my story idea eventually to a couple of writer friends. They laughed but in a good way and encouraged me to write it. Well, I wasn’t so sure.

However, I was becoming obsessed with the story and very passionate when I spoke about it to anyone. I spent a lot of time in prayer over this book, because I didn’t want to write something that God didn’t want me to write. Also, I knew I’d have to leave the Christian market and sell it in the secular market. I wasn’t about to make that move without God’s clear direction. He began to show me in more ways than one that this was the book He wanted me to write.

More than a year passed, and I was at a writer’s conference minding my own business and not pursuing this story at all. An editor said the perfect submission would be…you guessed it! An Amish/vampire story. So I made an appointment to meet that editor and just talk about the idea. It almost felt like when an addict first admits she has a problem. I felt like I was teetering on the edge when I said, “I’m a writer and I’ve written an Amish/vampire story.” Well, she requested it.

Then I had to tell my agent about it. Thankfully, my agent loves the way my brain works. I caught her at the same conference and whispered to her that I’d had a request for a book I hadn’t even told her about. When I said, “Amish/vampire,” she laughed out loud in a joyful way. Gotta love an agent like that.

After she had read the prologue and first chapter, we had some serious discussions about ABA or CBA (secular or inspirational) and adult market or young adult. We both felt that in order to have a book about good versus evil, you have to be able to show evil and in the inspirational market I would be hindered in that way. I was once told that I couldn’t have a character say ‘pee.’ Really. Also, my agent and I decided that even though the heroine was young, the topics were adult. In YA novels, the characters are often in school and dealing with issues teenagers deal with. But in the Amish world, kids stop going to school at age 14. They’re making big decisions about their life much earlier than Englisch teenagers.

So began the submission process. Some editors got it, and some didn’t see how the two genres could ever be combined. Thankfully, Sourcebooks had a visionary editor, Peter Lynch who got it and gave Forsaken a chance. It’s honestly been great working with him, and I know God led me to this publisher.

What I love about this story is that it shows the battle of good and evil. Yep, I guess that reader did get part of the theme of the book. Evil doesn’t always appear with pitchfork and horns though. Quite often, evil is appealing and attractive and hooks us in before we realize what has happened. Such is the case with my heroine Hannah. She simply loved a boy. But she opens her heart and her mind too easily and the consequences could be devastating. Even though this story is published in the secular world, it has a powerful spiritual message, a message the world needs to hear.

In Plain Fear: Forsaken, Hannah Schmidt, a young Amish woman mourning the mysterious death of her beloved Jacob, must decide between two brothers, between good and evil. When she learns her first love is now the vampire Akiva, she must forsake him and cling to a new love, a lasting love, one that will save her soul.

To read an excerpt, click here. Bonus Alert: Plain Fear: Forsaken is available for the Kindle and the Nook for only $2.99! I believe it’s only for another week. Don’t miss out!

Winner of the National Readers Choice Award, Leanna Ellis writes women’s fiction. Known for her quirky characters and wacky plots, don’t let the quirkiness fool you as Ellis probes deep in the heart and plucks at the heartstrings. She lives deep in the heart ofTexas with her husband and children and an assortment of dogs and cats, including her crazy labradoodle, aka Hilo Monster, and her new kitten, Sawyer.

To keep in touch with Leanna, you can find her at:

www.leannaellis.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leanna-Ellis/49487472434

Leanna, thank you so much for sharing how Plain Fear: Forsaken came to be. Stepping out of your market can really be a scary thing to do. It’s a risk we are glad you took.

Readers: Leanna is giving away a free copy of her book to one lucky commenter who posts before 10/30/11 -11:59PM (EST) Good Luck!

Kinley Baker – 7 Secrets to Surviving Publishing

Happy Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here.

Today we have a special guest – Kinley Baker. She is the author of the newly released, fantasy romance – Ruined. Stay tuned at the end of the post to learn more.

Kinley has 7 secrets

Kinley is here to share her 7 secrets to surviving publishing.

********

Thank you for letting me visit today at the Writing Secrets of 7 Scribes Blog! I’m so glad to be here. And I’ve decided to share 7 secrets to surviving publishing.

Like any secret, I don’t generally talk about these things on-line. But since I feel like I’ve just jumped off Round 1 of the publishing rollercoaster, I started thinking that someone may be saved a little pain if I shared these details. These are my own opinions. You may think they are wrong. I’ll try to be okay with that and assert my own authority (see #5).

Here are my 7 secrets to surviving publishing:

1.) Finish your book. Keep working, learning and writing. Finishing the book is the biggest step and you’ve got plenty of aspiring authors out there to cheer you on and offer encouragement.

2.) Make friends. There are hundreds of people like you lurking on the internet. Maybe thousands, but that’s kind of scary to think about. These hundreds of people want to be writers. Find someone who is at the same place as you in their writing journey and talk to each other. As long as you like and believe in your friend’s writing, you can’t go wrong with this.

3.) Form your own clique. This is following secret #2. Do you notice all those writer cliques? They get together at conferences, drink wine and talk about their children? There’s generally loud squealing when they see each other. Do you ever wonder how to become a part of that clique? You make your own. Find a few other people who have no idea what they’re doing, too, and form a support group. The cliques you see now at conferences, which make me uncomfortable because I’m an introvert and shy as heck, have been forming for the past 5, 10, even 20 years. If you are not part of a clique, I guarantee if you stick around in this industry, you will find one. Someway. Somehow.

4.) Everything happens for a reason. It recently occurred to me that while I believe everything happens for a reason, I don’t actually believe everything happens for a reason. Because if I was a true believer, those rejections wouldn’t make my gut wrench. I wouldn’t feel tears brimming on my lashes. A fever wouldn’t make me feel suddenly ill when I open the rejecting e-mail. If I was a true believer that everything happened for a reason, I could give a regal nod in rejection’s direction and continue my day. But it’s not that simple. Rejection sucks. And it’s around every corner in this industry. Yes, even that corner up ahead that looks all clear. Rejection sucks. Rejection continues. If you can, look at every rejection as an opportunity. I’m obviously still working on this one.

5.) Make your own authority. Sometimes I look around in confusion and wonder who gave out all the power, and why I wasn’t around when it happened. Everything is kind of backwards in terms of the advice giving. What makes you qualified? Last week, I taught a workshop on dialog tags. One person told me they understood something they’d been struggling with. Who am I to think I can teach a workshop after publishing one book? Well, no one. But it helped one person and I learned a lot, so it was worth it. People will talk down to you with this imaginary authority they’ve given . . . themselves???–I guess, still haven’t figured this out. I’m not encouraging anyone to talk down to anyone, but level the playing field. If you’ve published a book and the person you’re talking to hasn’t, step up to their level from where they’re talking down to you with asserted authority. They may be trying to give you advice, but they could probably learn more from you. If you are like me, you don’t automatically have confidence and allot yourself value. Value yourself and your work. I’m also still working on this one.

6.) Turn back now. Seriously. Just turn around and go back home. This is not an industry for the faint hearted. If I would have known it would be like this, I never would have had the courage to jump into publishing. If I would have known how long this uphill trek stretched, I’m not sure I would have had the strength to start. I’m still climbing a steep incline. That’s how long it is. If I hadn’t naively walked down this road with a backpack and a tale to tell, I’m not sure I’d be here at all.

7.) Be nice. It’s that simple. This is kind of a life question I often ponder. Why do people go out of their way to make other people feel bad? I don’t get it. I’m naïve, blah, blah. I still don’t get it. I dislike when people make me feel bad. Why would I intentionally do that to someone else? If I’ve ever made you feel bad, I apologize. I know it happens and often times the offender doesn’t even know they are doing anything wrong. But just be nice if you can. I’ve run into some really mean people and this is a small industry. I still remember the woman who was ridiculously cruel to me last year. I’ll always associate her name with rudeness. Burn bridges if you have to, but I’m going to be over here in the corner trying to be nice. Honest, but nice. The person that I may have burned ten years ago could be the next bestselling author. That person will probably say no when I send them my request for a cover blurb. (I didn’t actually burn anyone ten years ago, just as an fyi. I haven’t been around that long. Lol.)

This is what I’ve come up with for surviving publishing. I’m sure each day will bring a new challenge and my list will constantly change. But for now, I’m going to go read the list again and remind myself of these points.

Kinley Baker is the author of the fantasy romance, Ruined. She read her first romance novel at the age of thirteen and immediately fell in love with the hero and the genre. She lives with her husband and her dog, Joker, in the Pacific Northwest. As a firm supporter of all supernatural lifestyles, she writes fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. You can find Kinley at http://kinleybaker.com/index.html.

And as promised – Ruined:

Ruined

Jessa is one healing away from death. Under the thrall of her gift, the Court’s Senior Healer risks giving her life in exchange for her patient’s.

Vale is a rebel ruler. When his brother is killed, he’s given the throne and the decree from the Court to produce an heir or lose his family’s hold on the land–and his deceiving advisors aren’t afraid to use murder as a weapon if their directive to stay away from the Senior Healer goes unheeded.

But Vale burns to possess Jessa. The heat between them leaves a wake of smoke, and even the powerful forces above want to bind them in a union that lasts forever. Vale taking another would be a betrayal neither could survive.

Their enemies fear a child born of such a powerful Healer and Warrior, but the true threat lies in the bond forged in shadows and fused in fire.

Does anyone have their own secrets of survival? Any questions for Kinley? Don’t be shy!

 

How to Turn a Manuscript into a Screenplay by Connie Neumann (aka Connie Mann)

Happy Sunday, Katy lee here, and today I have author, Connie Mann here to share with us her exciting journey from manuscript to screenplay. So, readers, sit back and enjoy the show!

Now take it away, Connie!

“Writing a Screenplay” had been penciled in on my list of “Things I want to do someday” for quite a few years. I’d written fiction and non-fiction books, articles, devotions, blogs, but never a screenplay. Every so often an idea for one would pop into my head and I’d give some thought as to where to start. That usually entailed pages of scribbled notes on a legal pad, followed by hours of staring at a blank computer screen–with regular interruptions to pace and consume too much chocolate. After a day and a half or so, I’d give up and move on to something else. But the dream lingered, just off screen, as it were.

Then one day during a conversation with my son, Ben Klopfenstein, who works in the film industry, the screenplay idea came up again. He was directing his first feature-length film (he’d directed multiple shorter projects) and was looking for a screenplay. Did I have any stories that might work for what he had in mind?

I gulped and said I’d think about it. But the idea took hold and despite my fear of the unknown, I told him I’d give it a try.

First, I read everything I could find on how to write a screenplay. But my favorite resource, by far, was “Save The Cat” by Blake Snyder. With my manuscript in one hand and “Save the Cat” in the other, I started taking my story apart, piece by piece.

Novels and screenplays are two very different creatures and the rules and expectations differ. I had to learn a whole new way of looking at things. Here are some of the differences:

Long View vs. Condensed Pace

When you’re writing a novel, you have lots of room to roam. You can develop settings and backstory and subplots and anything else you want. In a screenplay, time is condensed. Only conversations, interactions and conflicts that move the story forward get space on the page.

Introspection vs. Action

Characters in a novel can think about things—and we the readers are privy to those thoughts. Actors can only perform actions. So if the movie-goer needs to know about Jack’s secret, 10-year feud with John, how will you show that?

Settings vs. Locations

Novel settings can change from page to page. Not so in a screenplay. Every time the story changes locations, the whole cast and crew will have to pack up and move. So you limit locations wherever possible.

Different, isn’t it? But the process was a fabulous creative challenge and I enjoyed every minute of it. Clear Slate Films agreed to get involved in the project and I was privileged to be on set during the filming (which almost NEVER happens). I got to see my story come to life, which is something I’ll never forget as long as I live. Matthew Ashford (aka Jack Deveraux from Days of our Lives) and Julia Denton(K-Ville, The Contract Killers) were amazing to watch and work with.

The whole thing has been a huge labor of love, but we’re thrilled that our romantic comedy, Catch of a Lifetime (www.catchofalifetimefilm.com) is just about ready for release. A premiere is in the works, so if you visit the Facebook Fan Page, Catch of a Lifetime, you can get all the latest news, photos and info. You can even pre-order a copy of the movie from the website. We appreciate your support more than words can say.

I’ve so enjoyed being here today and I’d love to stay in touch. Feel free to stop by my blog, www.BusyWomenBigDreams.com any time. I’ll be posting more blogs about the movie process, and also offering encouragement to fellow dreamers.

But while I’m here, I’d love to hear what you think. Have you tried to turn a manuscript into a screenplay? How did it go?

Thank you, Connie for being here today! I will admit that seeing one of my stories out of my head and up on the screen, playing out in real life, would be a dream come true!

Readers, for a seak preview of the movie, click here: www.catchofalifetimefilm.com     

For more information about Connie Mann, visit her blog page. She loves romantic suspense, and her Florida-set novel, TRAPPED! is available now.  She’s also a USCG-licensed boat captain, so when she’s not working on her next story, she’s piloting boats along Central Florida’s waterways.

Lists, Lists Everywhere!

Hello, Katy Lee here. To begin this post in my “list fashion,” let me first start off by annoucing my guest blogger next Sunday. (9/11) Published author, Sandra Orchard, will be here to tell us about her stint at a writer’s police academy. If you write suspense, or anything that requires a police procedure, stop on by. Sandra’s newest release, DEEP COVER is now available, and to celebrate, I will be giving one lucky commenter a free copy!

Now with that checked off my list, onto the next item…

A series of names, words, or other items written, printed, or imagined one after the other makes up a list, and if you are anything like me, you love them.

When it comes to shopping lists, I don’t leave home without one. When it comes to vacation lists, no item gets left behind. When it comes to Honey-Do lists, I get to watch my man do manly things. And when it comes to lists for my new story ideas, characters are born.

The act of brainstorming for me does not begin with an outline, or with mapping, but with a list. Before I do anything, I put pen to paper, jotting down anything that comes to my mind. Interesting settings, careers for characters, personalities and values, and then obstacles. The outcome is a real messy compilation of ideas, sometimes even a little hard for me read, but let’s face it, writing isn’t pretty. So, from these lists, I am now able to take my ideas and form that story outline or character arc. Something I would not have been able to do if I hadn’t started with a list.

The trick with any brainstorming activity, whether you make lists or not, is to give yourself the freedom to write anything. We live in a world where we are graded on everything we do. Because of that, we fear failure. I once took part in a brainstorming workshop where the leader led us through various techniques to get the pen moving, and after we finished, some people raised their hands to volunteer their ideas. As much as I wanted to join them, I couldn’t. I feared mine wouldn’t be as good as everyone else’s. But after hearing so many different outcomes, I realized there wasn’t a right idea or a wrong idea. Failing grades were not handed out, because during the brainstorming process the judge was given the boot.

The Unlocked Secret: During the creative process, judgment is not allowed. Not even if you’re the judge. Write anything that comes to your mind. Enumerate; don’t evaluate. Just get your ideas down on paper. This is just the list, and lists are made for checking off and crossing out AFTER you’ve completed the task. You can let the judge back in the door later when you start the outline.

Question: How do you get your creative juices flowing? Please share your techniques with us.

Play With Your Words

Hello, Katy Lee here. When I was a kid I loved to play with my food. To give myself some credit, though, I will say, I never dove into my meals like “Mommy’s Little Piggy” from “A Christmas Story.” Eww.

Usually, I was a mad scientist pretending to work in a laboratory, creating concoctions that would save the world from some annoying fungus or the like. (Yes, I even created stories to go with my food.) By the time I finished playing, I had taken a boring, straight-laced meal (Shh, don’t tell my mother) and created the pièce de résistance. And eventually, as I got older, my playing turned into experimenting with various spices and ingredients with the end results of some fabulous works of food art.

Even back then I followed the old saying, “All work and no play makes Katy a dull girl.” That anything without play is boring.  And now, as a writer, I have taken that play into my stories.

Now, you may say your story follows the correct baseline, bringing your reader from point A to point B, with all the necessary black moments and turning points, and that’s great, but without a little jue de mots (play on words) your story could end up like my mom’s meals. Sure, it’s complete and it will satisfy, but it sure could have used a little wordplay to spice it up.

Some ways I have found to do this in my writing can include substituting out your everyday words for more exciting descriptive ones. For example, I could take the word “dancing” and replace it with “a toe-tapping production.” It feels a bit livelier and more fun.

A thesaurus can be most helpful for doing this, but a lot of times you want to do more than just swap out one word for another. You want to give your reader a whole visual as a comparison.

For example, in a situation where you need to paint a picture of a failing business, you could draw that out in numerous sentences, or you could say something like this. “We could count our client list on one hand of a bad high-school woodshop teacher.” (Thank you Mitch Joel)

The Unlocked Secret: A picture is worth a thousand words, and if you can give your reader the picture in just a few, you just saved yourself a whole lot of work…and a high word count. Get creative in your descriptions. Experiment with new vocabulary. Play word games. And read, read, read. You never know, maybe your writing will spice up so much, you’ll win a major award!

Question: How do you play with your words? And BTW, if anyone wants to play a game of Facebook Scrabble with me, bring it on.

4 Reasons I LOVED The Help by Kathryn Stockett – a Writer’s Perspective

Hey ~ V here.  I just finished reading The Help.  Okay, I’m a little late to the party on this one, but I LOVED this book.  Not only was it a wonderful story that I couldn’t put down, but there were 4 things about this book that I loved from a Writer’s Perspective.

1 – Accents.  So often, we hear not to write characters with accents, or not to write all their dialogue with the accent, that it’s annoying to the reader.  I loved the accent the author wrote in for the Maids in this book, and at least 2/3 of the book was written in first person, from the Maid’s accented perspective.

2 – Non-Linear Story Structure.  This story was told from 3 different points of view and it didn’t run in a straight timeline.  It meandered around backward and forward in time, by small amounts, a few months here or there.  But I liked that it kept you on your toes a little bit about what was happening when, without being completely unstructured like The Pilot’s Wife.

3 – Incorporated Real Events.  The book is set in 1962-63 and takes place in Jackson, Mississippi.  The events of the day play a small but important role in the motivation of the plot which gives a story with plenty of gravitas on its own, even more merit. 

4 – It’s a fascinating and heart-rending fictionalized account of a real time and real struggle.  I was born in 1970 and lived almost my entire childhood in Connecticut.  I graduated from high school in 1988 and have always said there was a flaw in our high school American History classes. 

We always started the year with colonialism, then got to the Revolution by Christmas.  In January the teachers somehow realized that we were behind and would skip from writing the US Constitution to the Civil War.  After February break, we’d skip from the Civil war to the Great Depression and WWII, then after April break, we’d be hopelessly behind and jump to current events.  Even though the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war were not too many years behind us then, we only ever gave them a brief overview.  Most of the details I know about the 1960′s and 1970′s come from books and movies.  My own memories of the 1970′s mostly involve Shaun Cassidy and the Muppets, separately.  I’m not sure Shaun was ever on the Muppet Show…but I digress.

The short time that I lived outside of CT in my childhood happened in 1971-1972 and my Yankee mother tells me that she remembers seeing “White’s Only” water fountain signs and the like in South Carolina where we lived, even then.  I can’t imagine people buying into something so ridiculous to me, even thought, of course, I know it was part of everyday life for millions of people for a long time.  Of course we have racism in Connecticut, both then and now, but it’s not quite so in your face as segregation.  Frankly, I don’t think that’s a good thing, but again, I digress from today’s topic.

Today’s Secret: As Casey wrote a few weeks ago, in her blog about breaking the writing rules, when done well, breaking the rules can be very effective.  This NY Times Bestseller and award-winning story (movie comes out later this month) is proof of that.

What books have you found inspiring?  Do you break the common Writing Rules?

Checking Your Work

Hello, Katy Lee here. I had such a fun time reading through the “best of the worst” first liners Susannah Hardy posted here on Thursday that it got me thinking.

What if you don’t know your work is bad? What if you think, “This is good stuff!” when it’s not? How is a writer to know for sure if they got it right?

Mathematicians have it so easy when it comes to checking their work. It’s either right or it’s wrong. There’s no in between. But there is no way to check your work when it comes to writing.

Or is there? Hmmm…So this is when I put on my trusty thinking hat, (you can read my post about all my hats here) and I set out to formulate a check list of do’s and don’ts and if’s and but’s.

DO’S:  Do care about your writing, because if you don’t the reader won’t. Style and content are important, but so are spelling and grammar. Readers are extremely quick to judge a writer’s mistakes. Come on, admit it. You’ve held a poorly written book in your hands at one time or another and didn’t hesitate to say so.

DON’TS:  Don’t take criticism personally. It’s not about you; it’s about your business. You’ve entrusted your work to another pair of eyes to pick up on things you missed or poorly clarified. Thank them for their honesty and go about clearing it up. It they’re confused, others will be too.

IF’S:  If criticisms begin to contradict each other, you may have the wrong readers. Choose readers that are familiar with your genre. If they say “I don’t get it” when everyone else does, it could be time for a change of eyes. But once again, thank them.

BUT’S:  But what if you still think your work is good after all this? The fact is you are the creator. You know how your writing needs to flow, grow, and show. In the end if your gut is still saying it’s good, and you have no lingering doubts in your mind about it, then send it out. Let the editors be the judge now.

The Unlocked Secret:  In the end, that checklist is really all about the DO’S. Do you care enough to get it right? Do you put your best foot forward? Do you take your business seriously? 

Aristotle knew “we are what we repeatedly DO.” Even Nike knows the road to self-improvement begins with…Just DOing It.

So, DO you have a certain way to check your work? DO tell!