Yaaayyyy, it's Monday!
Showing posts with label the writing life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the writing life. Show all posts
My "Aha!" Moment.
Aside from those who claim they were born with a natural desire to write and were penning full length novels before they were even out of diapers, I honestly believe most writers came to the vocation as readers.
When I was young I had a desire to create, but my interests were directed towards music. I started playing trumpet in grade school, and though I never really mastered the guitar, I could strum a few chords. There was also a period on my life where I thought I could draw.
Don't worry, I'm not gonna share any of my art work here.
I've been a voracious reader my entire life, starting young about the age of seven, with comics that we now call graphic novels. I lived in a small neighborhood right on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. during the late sixties, early seventies, and quite honestly reading offered me an escape from the daily grind of being one of a handful of white students in a junior high that was predominately black. To say going to school was a tad dangerous would be an understatement. During the riots of the late sixties I can remember being bused to school under armed guard. There will be those who take offense to this statement, let them, I'm just relaying a simple truth from my childhood.
You see books provided me with the escape I needed to stay off the streets, in a sense they helped me survive my pre-teen years.
Many readers have at one time or another in their life toyed with the idea of writing themselves. Some will actually follow up on that thought by taking up the pen. Others will hesitate, not really sure which way to go, or what to do, after all you can't just wake up one day and call yourself a writer, can you? At the time I mistakenly believed that you couldn't. I thought there had to be some governing body, someone to rubber stamp that assertion, to make it official.
What did I know? I was young and dumb.
Fast forward some fifteen odd years and I was a young man of thirty, a veteran of the armed forces where I most likely consumed over a thousand books. While I was serving my country I always had a book handy and every pay day I'd take a trip to the PX to load up on more books. As I had little space for storage I'd usually pass on what I'd read to whoever wanted it. Life in the peace time military consisted of seemingly endless stretches of absolute boredom interspersed with brief periods of absolute boredom. You either slept or you read. Mostly we read.
The defining moment for me, that point when I finished a book and put it down with the thought, I can do better than that came in 1991. Do you remember the Zebra Books horror line? It was one of those. Stories slapped together behind garish covers that usually occupied the back the magazine racks in the local drug store.
It was the aha moment that one of my favorite authors, Stephen King so eloquently expounds upon.
Have you ever experienced an aha moment?
Writers Regret.
I've often wondered, usually late at night as I toss and turn while sleep eludes me, exactly where would I be today if I had spent the last sixteen years as focused on my writing as I am today.
I began writing earnestly in 1991, and over the course of the first five years of my writing life I amassed drawers of rejections as I followed the time honored route of submitting then moving on to the next story. In that time I managed to create about fifty short stories all in various stages of completion. I had about twenty that were making the rounds at any one time. If one were to have gone through the steadily growing pile of rejections they would have discovered a writer slowly honing his craft as form rejection letters gave way to personal notes from editors.
By 97 I had one novel ready for submission, with four others in draft stage, and began the long drawn out process of finding a publisher for my manuscript. I sparked the interest of a junior editor at Del-Rey books, a division of Random House, who requested the first three chapters that I happily sent out the following day.
After a year and a half, that's right, eighteen months later I received a rejection along with my first three chapters.
By then I was closing in on my fortieth birthday. I lost my father when he was forty seven, I was eighteen when he died, and from that point on a countdown was initiated in my sub-conscious. While growing up I was always told that I looked and acted just like my Dad. So was it any wonder that on occasion I would be struck by the realization that I might never see fifty.
Looking back now, after having reached fifty seven and still counting, I can laugh at myself, but at the time it was serious business. Based on how long it took Random House to respond to my submission, and with an understanding of how the process worked, I might never see my work in print.
It was a learning experience, and let's leave it at that. I will say I believe I made every mistake possible while publishing that book.
A year later, in 2001, it was all gone. Everything was lost in a computer malfunction that fried my hard drive. Seven novels in various stages of completion, eight screenplays, and an untold number of short stories. Ten years of blood sweat and tears gone in the twinkling of an eye.
I gave up, yes I surrendered!
I got a better job, bought a house, and tried to live like a normal person. But late at night, as I tried to sleep while the world was quiet around me, I'd often wonder if I had given up too easily.
In 2008 I hit the big 50, I had outlived that sub-conscious countdown. The housing bubble burst and suddenly I found myself in the unemployment line. I've always lived in an area with high unemployment, by choice, it's where my roots are, so it's really my fault I was unable to find permanent work for nearly two years.
In the time I was off I began writing again, building upon the foundation that had been laid in the early nineties. By the end of 2011 I had rewritten my first book and released it through Amazon. At the present time I have5 novels, 2 novellas, and a short story collection available with a whole lot more to come.
The two biggest regrets that haunt me to this day are.
#1: Not getting the schooling I needed when I first started out. I believe a creative writing course would have helped me solidify the path I'd chosen, and built a strong foundation upon which to build my writing career
#2: Not getting right back into it after I lost all of my work. Yes it would have been hard at first, but I would have gotten through it. This is also my biggest regret. Where would I be now if I'd been as focused on my writing as I am now?
So when you get that rejection from the publisher you'd hoped would fall in love with your work, always remember, you're not alone. All of us are following the same path you're on.
What are your regrets?
What bad writing decisions keep you up at night?
And how did you overcome them?
The one trait every successful writer must have.
If you're a working writer, by which I mean a writer who creates and submits their finished work on a regular basis, then you're familiar with rejections from publishers and or editors. Even if we self publish, no sales is the same as a rejection, only now it's readers rejecting our work.
Rejection from readers or publishers could be viewed as the wind that separates the wheat from the chaff. For the working writer rejection is just another part of living the writer's life.
We've read about the rejections famous writers endured when they were first starting out.
Frank Herbert's Dune was rejected 22 times.
James Patterson's first book was rejected 31 times.
After years of rejection The Chronicles of Narnia are finally published.
What we don't read about are the writers who gave up after being rejected. Those nameless people who finally surrendered and focused their energies on pursuits other than writing.
What is the one trait Frank Herbert, James Patterson, C.S. Lewis and a host of other best selling authors all possess?
Persistence!
It was persistence that drove Frank Herbert to submit Dune the 23rd time. Had he given up after 22 rejections, or even 10 for that matter, the world would never have known about sand worms, spice, and the house Atreides.
It was persistence that drove Stephen King to write another book after Random House rejected The Long Walk. And look where that got him.
It was persistence that pushed Louis L'Amour (one of my favorite writers) to keep trying even after he was rejected 200 times. Finally Bantam decided to take a chance on him.
It is this same persistence that daily pushes thousands of other writers we've never heard of to send it out one more time, to write that other book, or to keep putting them out there. It is this same persistence that will be looked upon as a necessary trait when they do find their success and look back at their careers. They will see those defining moments when it could have gone differently had they not been persistent.
Are you persistent?
Rejection from readers or publishers could be viewed as the wind that separates the wheat from the chaff. For the working writer rejection is just another part of living the writer's life.
We've read about the rejections famous writers endured when they were first starting out.
Frank Herbert's Dune was rejected 22 times.
James Patterson's first book was rejected 31 times.
After years of rejection The Chronicles of Narnia are finally published.
What we don't read about are the writers who gave up after being rejected. Those nameless people who finally surrendered and focused their energies on pursuits other than writing.
What is the one trait Frank Herbert, James Patterson, C.S. Lewis and a host of other best selling authors all possess?
Persistence!
It was persistence that drove Frank Herbert to submit Dune the 23rd time. Had he given up after 22 rejections, or even 10 for that matter, the world would never have known about sand worms, spice, and the house Atreides.
It was persistence that drove Stephen King to write another book after Random House rejected The Long Walk. And look where that got him.
It was persistence that pushed Louis L'Amour (one of my favorite writers) to keep trying even after he was rejected 200 times. Finally Bantam decided to take a chance on him.
It is this same persistence that daily pushes thousands of other writers we've never heard of to send it out one more time, to write that other book, or to keep putting them out there. It is this same persistence that will be looked upon as a necessary trait when they do find their success and look back at their careers. They will see those defining moments when it could have gone differently had they not been persistent.
Are you persistent?
Monday Motivational: Cheerleader?
Do you have cheerleaders?
Is there someone in your life, a significant other, a friend, a lover who understands what it is you do?
Who encourages you just by their presence to sit down at the keyboard every day and open that vein?
Someone whose shoulder you can lean on when the rejections pile up, or the sales go flat. When it seems nothing is going right, and the words refuse to flow, that special someone is at your side supporting you through it all.
Sure writing is a solitary endeavor, we writers live most of our lives alone in a mind populated by all sorts of characters, good, bad, and indifferent. Even when we're with the one we love we can at times wander off into a story idea that suddenly pops into our mind. Yet we still need that human contact, someone who helps to keep our feet planted firmly upon the ground, while our minds soar to the clouds.
My cheerleader is my wife. We've been together for over twenty five years. She is my anchor in a often times volatile world. She keeps my feet planted firmly on the ground while my mind wanders among the clouds.
We should surround ourselves with those who believe in us. You can go it alone, but it always helps to have that one special person who supports us no matter what.
Who is your cheerleader?
Is there someone in your life, a significant other, a friend, a lover who understands what it is you do?
Who encourages you just by their presence to sit down at the keyboard every day and open that vein?
Someone whose shoulder you can lean on when the rejections pile up, or the sales go flat. When it seems nothing is going right, and the words refuse to flow, that special someone is at your side supporting you through it all.
Sure writing is a solitary endeavor, we writers live most of our lives alone in a mind populated by all sorts of characters, good, bad, and indifferent. Even when we're with the one we love we can at times wander off into a story idea that suddenly pops into our mind. Yet we still need that human contact, someone who helps to keep our feet planted firmly upon the ground, while our minds soar to the clouds.
My cheerleader is my wife. We've been together for over twenty five years. She is my anchor in a often times volatile world. She keeps my feet planted firmly on the ground while my mind wanders among the clouds.
We should surround ourselves with those who believe in us. You can go it alone, but it always helps to have that one special person who supports us no matter what.
Who is your cheerleader?
Monday Motivational: 5 Steps to Being a Happy Writer
1.) Take the long view!: Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.I know from experience that this is a lot easier said than done.
2.) Don't compare yourself to others!: Not everyone can be (insert your favorite writer here!) Just imagine how boring the world would be if they were.
3.) Live your life!: Yes, I know, writing is a way of life, but a happy writer is a productive writer, so get out there and live, don't let yourself become a prisoner of the keyboard. This was one of the hardest things for me, when I first started out I was always afraid that if I wasn't writing, I wasn't doing it right. Set aside a set amount of time each day for writing and follow it. And don't forget, writing just one thousand words a day will give you a novel in three months. Writing five hundred words a day will create a novel in six months. How long does it take you to write 500 words?
4.) Don't be afraid to fail!: Get out there and just do it, don't let the fear of failure slow you down. Remember, all criticism is just another individuals opinion. and we all know how common opinions are. Just remember to look at each piece of criticism with an objective eye. You can then choose to follow it or not.
5.) Always remember, there is no right way!: What works for one writer may not work for another. We all have our own unique way of approaching the work. Our own unique voice, even when we're starting out by emulating others, there is still a small spark of who we are in the words we write.
I'm a nobody from nowhere, one of these days total strangers may know my name, but for the time being I embrace my anonymity. I've been writing on and off for fifteen years now (has it really been that long?) so I've picked up a couple of things along the way. Hopefully I can impart some of what I've learned.
How about you?
What piece of advice would you share with other writers?
Monday Motivational
Monday Motivational
It's been said the true definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result each time. In a sense we writers could be considered an insane lot. We market our wares the same way over and over again, in the hope that one day someone will say, "Hey, I'm gonna buy that!" after seeing the same ad a hundred times.
Is what you're doing today getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow?
Walking away, persistence and writing what you know.
Writing is really the only thing I've found I'm any good at, and I'm
basing that on the reviews my work has received so far. That's not to
say I don't have other talents. I'm a woodworker with a fully equipped
wood shop in my basement. I even have a wood lathe. I'm also an
experienced carpenter, but at fifty seven my days of swinging a twenty
two ounce framing hammer all day are behind me.
I want to get back into making things with my hands, spending a little time each day in the wood shop building little projects for around the house. I also work a full time job in retail which gives me a limited amount of time each day to do the things I love.
I've noticed lately that I have been spending an inordinate amount of my time on Facebook and Twitter as I try to get my sales moving again, nothing is working, leading me to finally come to the conclusion, for me at least, that Twitter and Facebook are time sinks that offer very little in return.
I'm really more of a lurker anyway, scrolling down the page checking out what my writer friends are up to , maybe liking this or that status update and not much else. I once said Facebook was such a time sink because it's human nature to scroll to the bottom of the page, has anyone else noticed there is no bottom of the page on facebook, it just goes on and on indefinitely as long as you're willing to keep scrolling down.
This isn't to say I'm leaving FB forever, or even Twitter for that matter. I'm just working to curtail my time spent with either one, I'm walking away in a sense, refocusing my priorities.
With the holidays behind us I can now focus on getting back on track with my writing. Last year was not a good one for me writing wise. I only managed to release one book for the entire year, though I had planed to release three. As a result my sales for the year were abysmal, but from what I've read I'm not alone, sales for many other writers in the horror genre were also flat. It's just one of those things we have very little control over.
It has been said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result each time. Following that line of reasoning it would be a safe bet to assume that writers are an insane bunch.We keep putting our work out there hoping for a different result each time.
I'm not going to quit writing though.
I still have a multitude of stories percolating around in my head waiting to escape onto the page. I just have to work smarter with what time I have available to get more writing done. Which goes back to wasting less time on those activities that are not moving me forward. I will keep the blog going, posting new releases and the Fridays 5 interviews. But I'm going to quit beating myself up over not publishing a personal post every week. I'm reducing my personal goal to one post per month which will naturally be about my writing and this crazy journey through the publishing process.
I recently read a blog post from a new writer who was expounding upon the need to break the rules of writing. To me there is only one rule to writing. You write, a rule I have repeatedly broken this past year.
This writer went on to explain that writing only what you knew would restrict one to writing only about those things one knew about. Plumbers only writing about plumbing, so to speak. I believe he and many of the other writers I've seen lately going on about this little caveat are missing the entire point.
Write what you know, means exactly what it implies. If you grew up as a fan of science fiction, with little interest in romance or spy thrillers, why as a writer would you attempt to write a romance novel? You wouldn't, you would write what you know. As a fan you know Sci-Fi, so it's only natural that you would write in that genre. Seems simple enough to me, but what do I know, I'm just an old guy with a passion for the horror genre.
Tell me, what do you think Write what you know, means?
I want to get back into making things with my hands, spending a little time each day in the wood shop building little projects for around the house. I also work a full time job in retail which gives me a limited amount of time each day to do the things I love.
I've noticed lately that I have been spending an inordinate amount of my time on Facebook and Twitter as I try to get my sales moving again, nothing is working, leading me to finally come to the conclusion, for me at least, that Twitter and Facebook are time sinks that offer very little in return.
I'm really more of a lurker anyway, scrolling down the page checking out what my writer friends are up to , maybe liking this or that status update and not much else. I once said Facebook was such a time sink because it's human nature to scroll to the bottom of the page, has anyone else noticed there is no bottom of the page on facebook, it just goes on and on indefinitely as long as you're willing to keep scrolling down.
This isn't to say I'm leaving FB forever, or even Twitter for that matter. I'm just working to curtail my time spent with either one, I'm walking away in a sense, refocusing my priorities.
With the holidays behind us I can now focus on getting back on track with my writing. Last year was not a good one for me writing wise. I only managed to release one book for the entire year, though I had planed to release three. As a result my sales for the year were abysmal, but from what I've read I'm not alone, sales for many other writers in the horror genre were also flat. It's just one of those things we have very little control over.
It has been said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result each time. Following that line of reasoning it would be a safe bet to assume that writers are an insane bunch.We keep putting our work out there hoping for a different result each time.
I'm not going to quit writing though.
I still have a multitude of stories percolating around in my head waiting to escape onto the page. I just have to work smarter with what time I have available to get more writing done. Which goes back to wasting less time on those activities that are not moving me forward. I will keep the blog going, posting new releases and the Fridays 5 interviews. But I'm going to quit beating myself up over not publishing a personal post every week. I'm reducing my personal goal to one post per month which will naturally be about my writing and this crazy journey through the publishing process.
I recently read a blog post from a new writer who was expounding upon the need to break the rules of writing. To me there is only one rule to writing. You write, a rule I have repeatedly broken this past year.
This writer went on to explain that writing only what you knew would restrict one to writing only about those things one knew about. Plumbers only writing about plumbing, so to speak. I believe he and many of the other writers I've seen lately going on about this little caveat are missing the entire point.
Write what you know, means exactly what it implies. If you grew up as a fan of science fiction, with little interest in romance or spy thrillers, why as a writer would you attempt to write a romance novel? You wouldn't, you would write what you know. As a fan you know Sci-Fi, so it's only natural that you would write in that genre. Seems simple enough to me, but what do I know, I'm just an old guy with a passion for the horror genre.
Tell me, what do you think Write what you know, means?
Fridays 5 with Aimee McNeil
Alluring Song is her first novel, which she presented to the world after a lifetime of dreaming. Aimee writes fantasy because she does not like to be confined within the boundaries of reality. Other interests include reading, painting, and enjoying every moment with her family.
1.) When did you first get serious about writing?
A.) Writing has always been a strong part of who I am. Whenever I had downtime I would curl up with a pen and paper and let the words flow. Even as a small girl I would daydream and create stories. Writing has always had a natural pull on me. Though, it was not until January 2015 that I decided to take the next step with my writing and present it to the world. I finally decided to let go of the lingering doubt and put myself out there. I no longer feared rejection and wanted to know if my words would be enjoyed by others.
2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?
A.) Finding the time to write is definitely the hardest part about writing for me. I am a homemaker and stay-at-home mom to three wonderful children who are very actively involved in a many number of activities. Life is busy and some days will pass me by and I regretfully do not get a chance to sit down with my writing. My family always takes center stage in my life and sometimes claims the majority of my time. I know that because writing is so important to me I always find myself back in front of my keyboard before long.
3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?
A.) Wow!! I was completely overwhelmed with emotions. To have a final, polished product available to the world that represented the many hours, days, and months of work that it took to get to that point ... incredible. It also made me feel vulnerable because it was a big piece of my heart that I was finally brave enough to share. So far I have only published my first book, Alluring Song, but I am very hopeful that I will find success and be able to continue publishing more books in the future.
4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?
A.) I don't know if I see either the story or characters as more important than the other because they go hand in hand. A good story needs solid characters and vise versa. I put equal importance in developing my characters as I do the story line. My characters grow and develop as the story is created. The characters and the story have to work together to achieve a successful finished product.
5.) What is a typical day like in your world?
A.) I wear many hats throughout the run of a day, which can be very unpredictable when it comes to having children. I struggle to find balance every day because it is impossible to complete my to do list that is always endless. Now that my children all attend school and when I am not running errands, cleaning, preparing meals, tackling the never-ending pile of laundry, or at the grocery store I revel in those few precious hours that I have the house to myself to sit down with a cup of tea and write my heart out. I make the most of my time until the hour of beautiful disaster arrives and my little ones come jumping off the bus and barreling down the driveway completely famished and desperately needing to be fed. After I feed their hungry, talkative little mouths I open their lunch bags to discover that they barely touched their lunches that I spent great consideration packing the night before ... ugh. Then the running around for extracurricular activities which can fall before or after dinner depending upon the day and planning supper accordingly so we can all sit down together and eat. Once my children are tucked in for the night and everything is organized for the next day is when my husband and I enjoy some time to ourselves, this is where I usually sneak in some reading or on the rare occasion get to do a bit more writing but usually by that time of night I'm running on fumes so my creative thoughts are not as forthcoming. Though my imagination always kicks into gear in the middle of the night! Ahhh...sleep, the wonderful, sometimes elusive luxury.
Author Links:
aimeemcneilswriting.blogspot.ca
Instagram/@aimeemcneilswriting
Facebook.com/aimeemcneilswriting
Twitter/@aimeeswriting
Ten Ways Writers Sabotage Themselves: Paperback Writer
1.) . Death by Critique: Your first chapter must be thoroughly critiqued by your best writer friend, your crit group, your mom and her friends, and anyone else you can think of who speaks English and isn't dyslexic; this so you can keep improving the same chapter over and over until you get sick of it and start writing the first chapter of your next story idea; lather, rinse, repeat for the rest of your life.
Solution: finish writing the story before you show it to anyone, even Mom.
3.) Heart Bookworms: You have been working on one vitally, important-to-you story that is all you can think about, may be your greatest accomplishment, and will take at least another year or two to finish.
Solution: Sadly there is no cure for Book of Your Heart disease, but to prevent your obsession from eating your brain, you can devote one day a week to writing something else -- anything else -- purely for fun.
5.) Me, Myself and My Ex: Every story you write is revenge for your break-up or divorce, cleverly disguised as fiction that features a protagonist who looks exactly like you, and with whom everyone in the book wants to have sex. Everyone.
Solution: The disguise? Not that clever. Separate yourself from the post-divorce vanity gangbangs, and write a story about non-human creatures, like dragons. And don't let anyone have sex with the dragons, okay?
Read the rest at Paperback Writer
Friday's 5 with Naylene Rondon
1.) When did you first get serious about writing?
A.) I was probably thirteen when I decided I wanted to write a novel. I used to have all these ideas that I wanted to share. However, I never was serious enough to actually write anything more than a few chapters. It wasn't until about three years ago, when I started to write a story out of boredom. At first, it was just a story to pass the time. Then, I found myself getting really invested in it. I started writing day and night for over two months until it was complete. Though I've never published it, it was when I realized I could write a full novel.
2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?
A.) The hardest part is actually sitting down to write. Once I'm down a few paragraphs, I get into this zone that could last hours. Though, the effort of putting myself down in a chair and starting was another story. Even if I have the story right in front of me, I could go about fifteen minutes with writers block. Every sentence I try to write, I'll end up erasing. It takes a while to get my mind in the right setup again.
A.) I was probably thirteen when I decided I wanted to write a novel. I used to have all these ideas that I wanted to share. However, I never was serious enough to actually write anything more than a few chapters. It wasn't until about three years ago, when I started to write a story out of boredom. At first, it was just a story to pass the time. Then, I found myself getting really invested in it. I started writing day and night for over two months until it was complete. Though I've never published it, it was when I realized I could write a full novel.
2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?
A.) The hardest part is actually sitting down to write. Once I'm down a few paragraphs, I get into this zone that could last hours. Though, the effort of putting myself down in a chair and starting was another story. Even if I have the story right in front of me, I could go about fifteen minutes with writers block. Every sentence I try to write, I'll end up erasing. It takes a while to get my mind in the right setup again.
3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?
A.) It was shocking. My family was so excited and I still was in a state of disbelief. I never really thought I would ever be published. Even when I was working on the publishing, it always felt like something so far away.
4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?
A.) The characters are the most important. The story is about them. Characters are the people that the readers would love and hate. They are the temporary people that you get to meet while you read. Most of the stories I've written usually came from the character. I created the person in my mind and then develop the past that made them into whatever I imagined. Then, I write that past. Stories revolve around people.
5.) What is a typical day like in your world?
A.) It consists of mostly studying, housework, cooking, procrastination, and writing. Also, helping my little brother with his homework.
Naylene wishes to maintain her anonymity hence the reason no picture or social media links have been provided.
Friday's 5 with Caleb Monroe
1.) When did you first get serious about writing?
A.) The very first story that I ever wrote was a short story about a group of kids who went to a scary amusement park. I wrote this in fourth grade for an English assignment and I still remember that I fell in love with the story and the process of writing it. Over the next couple years I would come up with some more stories but I never really made it a serious practice. I went on with my life and eventually I became a teacher and last year I finally decided to get back to writing. I live in Louisiana and last January we had about a week off due to freezing rain so one day I simply decided it was time to write the story I always promised myself that I would write. It was during those off days that I remembered how much fun it was to create a world that people could fall into and lose themselves. From that week forward I begin writing what has become my first fiction series call The Quarantine Series.
2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?
A.) I always thought that hardest part would be the actual writing part. I always saw in movies or on twitter that writers would talk about struggling to get started or just making their word count for the day, but that actually came easy to me. I had no problem, on an off day, writing five or six thousand word. I just loved telling my story and once I started it was hard to not stop. So for me the hardest part of writing would be proofreading. I have always struggled with grammar and things of that nature so having to proofread my book was a very horrible experience. You never realize how bad you are those things until you try to read through your own writings. I am constantly second guessing myself about punctuation or spelling and it can often bog down my writing. I will get into a great rhythm and then hit a snag which will derail for me a little while. I have learned while writing more that the best thing for me to do is just write and then once I am done with a book I go back and check over it. That is the best thing I can do to keep my writing from becoming sour. I also apologize for what I am sure are the multiple mistakes you will find while reading my responses.
3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?
A.) When I finished my book I felt as if I had done the impossible. I had actually completed the first part of my trilogy and there was nothing better than that at the time. Unfortunately for me, after getting my first review that all changed. I got a review that was really harsh and somewhat accurate. The harsh part was just an opinion, but the accurate part was something that talked about my grammar. I was almost broken after seeing that the reviewer was right. I almost took my book down out of embarrassment, but then I decided to use this to my advantage. I published my book amazon independently which allowed me to take the book down and rework it. I spent a month going over it and doing my best to fix the mistakes that were pointed out. I ended leaving the whole experience with an even better appreciation for what I had done. I had taken something that almost broke me and made my book even better. I walked away from it feeling as if I was back on t0p of the world again. It even pushed me to get back to writing again and now I am a few weeks away from finishing the third book and beginning to get it proofread professionally so that it can be for sale by the years end.
4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?
A.) I think that character plays a much larger role in how I like to write stories. I spend a good amount of time coming with a story, but at the core of each of my books it comes down to what my characters are going to be forced to do and how they would handle it. I designed my characters in a way that my story had to flow in a specific way because there was only one way they would handle certain situations. The story had no other choice but to unfold in the manner that it did because if I wrote it any other way then the read who never believe that my character would do those things. I wanted to write a story that made the reader stop and think about why my characters were acting the way they were. I never wanted at any point for them to think that the story is just moving along the characters are just a long for the ride. My characters actions are what push everything forward. If I had used different characters then I have no idea how my story would have progressed. The best example I can think of is that while writing my first book I wrote something that changed the whole outcome of the series. I simply wrote down a thought that my main character had and I knew what he had to do. It changed the ending that I wanted to do, but it was the only natural ending that my character could come to while on this journey.
5.) What is a typical day like in your world?
A.) Being a teacher means that my days are pretty standard. I wake up, go to school, teach algebra 2 and honors chemistry, then go work out, I go home to my wife and dog, and then the next morning I do the same. I really do love my job, but free time is something that I do not have a lot of between preparing for the next day and all of the clubs I run. What little time I do have is spent either playing music or writing, or reading comic books. I am a hug comic geek so I always make time for that during the week. I am a very busy person but I have found ways to sneak in some time for those things that are an outlet for me like writing and music. I may only get a little each day with them, but they are some of the most important parts of my day.
Caleb blogs at: http://clmjlg.wix.com/quarantine-series
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/New-Beginnings-Choose-World-Quarantine-ebook/dp/B00JL2GS7M/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1432561375&sr=1-4
Friday's 5 with Tim Aker
1.) When did you first get serious about writing?
A.) When I turned 30. I had been talking about being a writer since high school, and had some publishing credits, but on my thirtieth I decided to get serious. I went out and bought copies of every sf/f magazine I could find, started researching the markets, and began researching the various awards, conventions and organizations in the business.
2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?
A.) Revision. I want to write the next book, no rewrite this one. Ten times.
3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?
A.) Pretty ecstatic at first. But it quickly settled on my mind that it was only one step in the larger project. Writing is something you do over the course of a lifetime, not something you do and then have done and then move on. Being a writer is so much more than one publication.
4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?
A.) I don't think there's anyway to remove one from the other. Characters in a void are just dull, and a story propped up by boring characters are just flash. I don't think you can do one of those things correctly without proper support from the other.
5.) What is a typical day like in your world?
A.) My wife and I are both self-employed. While that comes with a lot of troubles, from unstable income flows to sketchy health insurance to endless trouble trying to get a loan, it has some pretty unique benefits. We've committed to an alarm clock free lifestyle, so we get up when we're no longer tired and are able to take time off during the day. It's pretty grand. That said, I get at least two or three writing sessions in each day. I can't sit and write for eight hours, so I break my tasks into two or three hour sessions. I don't hold myself to particular goals in those sessions, unless I'm under immediate
deadline. Going to the empty page with no real expectations actually does wonders for my productivity.
Tim can be found online at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JTimothyAkers
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@TimAkers
Website: http://www.TimAkers.net
Friday's 5 with Stan Morris
The commotion began in the parking lot where the yellow school buses were stationed. Looking back, I think one of the bus drivers must have been informed over her radio, and she passed the dreadful news to counselors and kids standing nearby. The information quickly spread. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Around me people began crying. I was stunned, but not so much by the news, since from 1963 the United States had been experiencing a wave of assassinations, especially in the ranks of civil rights workers. I was stunned by the reaction of the crowd. At seventeen I learned that my generation was ready to move on, to leave America’s racist past behind. It was a day of tragedy, but it was also a day of triumph.
As a writer I look back to that moment sometimes, and I think about how important it is to remember that most teenagers do have a moral compass, and how when it counts, clothes, sex, school, social media, and other distractions will be put aside, and our common values will be embraced. I never forget that, for the most part, our children will be better men and women than we are.
I’m Stan Morris, and I’m so old, Josef Stalin was still alive when I was born in Linwood, California. Growing up, I lived in Norwalk and Concord, California. In 1972, I moved to New Mexico. I met a teenager at college in 1975, set out to score, and have been married to her since 1977. Early on, my wife and I made a deal. She would have the career, and I would stay out of jail. It’s worked, so far. We lived in Texas for five years, and then we moved to Maui, her home state. Yes, the weather is wonderful. We raised two boys, both gainfully employed, thank goodness. I worked at a variety of jobs before developing a computer business in the late 1980's. Now we are both retired and living on a farm. I garden, watch sports, listen to music, read, and write. I don't make much money at it, so occasionally I have to ask my wife for an allowance. I like science fiction (Heinlein, Asimov, Weber, Flint), romance (Krentz, Roberts, Morisi, Chesney), mystery (JD Robb, MC Beaton), historical fiction (Lindsey, Stewart), and history books (Shelby Foote, David McCullough, William J. Bernstein.)
1.) When did you first get serious about writing?
A.) Excellent question, because I usually get asked when I began writing (age 14). I got serious about writing in 2008. For a long time I had wanted to write a post-apocalypse book showing teenagers working together to create a society. It was my rejection of the concepts from Lord of the Flies. I wanted a book that brought out the best in people. That book was Surviving the Fog.
2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?
A.) The greatest difficulty I have is describing a scene when the characters are not speaking to me. I have that trouble right now. One of the main characters in the book I writing, Howard the Red, is not opening up and telling her story. It's exasperating.
Click on the cover for more info.
3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?
A.) It was a good feeling to see Surviving the Fog offered at ebook sites. Those were the days before Smashwords and Kindle Digital Publishing. I am task oriented, and the completion of the book was the end of the task, though I have edited the book from time to time and have uploaded newer versions.
4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?
A.) I don't see how one can be more important than the other. No matter how interesting the story is, if the reader can't empathize with the characters the book fails. The alternative is also true. Great characters are boring if they sit on their hands.
5.) What is a typical day like in your world?
A.) I get up around 7am on weekdays, stagger into the kitchen and get a cup of coffee, stagger to my man cave and start my computer. Then I turn on the tube which is usually set to CNBC. About 8:30am I walk for exercise, and then I return to my computer. On Thursdays and Fridays I start watching PGA golf at 9:00am. Since I live in Hawaii, watching sports on the mainland starts early; sometimes at 6:00am, so I get up earlier during the weekend. I'm retired, and my time is my own. I live on a small farm, so I exercise in the afternoon by doing farm work. At night, I might spend one or two hours watching television. I listen to music, read, and garden
Books by Stanley Morris
Surviving the Fog
Surviving the Fog-Kathy’s Recollections
Sarah’s Spaceship Adventure
Sam’s Winnings (Tales of the Ragoon)
Kate’s Movie Star (Tales of the Ragoon)
Amy’s Hero (Tales of the Ragoon)
The Colors of Passion and Love
What’s in My Shorts (short stories)
Stanley can be found online at:
Surviving the Fog Website: http://warmhawaiian.wix.com/survivingthefog
Author’s Personal Website: https://sites.google.com/site/stanandrene/home
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FB5As2XVis
Author Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2884264.Stan_Morris
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Stan-Morris/e/B004KB2HG0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stan-Morris/e/B004KB2HG0/
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Stan%20Morris&search-alias=digital-text
Amazon Australia: http://www.amazon.com.au/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Stan%20Morris&search-alias=digital-text
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/morriss003
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Stan+Morris
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/search?query=Stan%20Morris&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all
Social Media Links
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104197033279710118346
Twitter: https://twitter.com/morriss003
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/morriss003/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surviving-the-Fog/247365665471675
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=144288678&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
Readwave: http://www.readwave.com/morriss003/
Writer’s Café: http://www.writerscafe.org/morriss003
Medium: https://medium.com/@morriss003
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a1002532475/Stan-Morris/books
Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/author/morrisstan
My Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2884264.Stan_Morris/blog
Fridays 5 with Taylor Fenner
When she's not busy writing you can find her reading and adding to her extensive book collection, working on photomanipulations on her computer as a hobby, taking photographs, cooking as often as possible, and fighting with her cross-eyed cat, Tiger.
Taylor still currently lives in Wisconsin, not far from where The Haunting Love is set. The Haunting Love is her debut young adult novel.
A.) I always dreamed of being an author but I didn’t get serious about it until I was in middle school or high school. I started writing my first novel, The Haunting Love, when I was a junior or senior in high school.
2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?
A.) The hardest part for me is when I hit a block. In the beginning or every one of my projects I do all of the planning, figure out the setting and the characters, and do any research I might need to start; but sometimes I can be halfway through with a project and have no inspiration to continue on. I find if I let the story sit for a while and work on other things I eventually get back on course but in that moment it’s frustrating not knowing what is going to happen next.
A.) I felt excited of course, but at the same time really nervous. I was afraid that nobody would want to buy or read my novel. The feelings are all still new to me and I’m just letting them sink in. This has been my dream for so long and it finally came true. It’s so rewarding at the end of the day when someone tells me that they’ve read The Haunting Love and they love it or that they can relate to one or more of my characters.
4.) What is more important to you: story, or character? Why?
A.) They’re both very important and they go hand in hand. You could write the best character imaginable but if you don’t have a story you just have a character. What is the character’s story? What complications will they meet in life? Will they end up happy? To me that’s the fun part, seeing how their stories will pan out.
5.) What is a typical day like in your world?
A.) To me there is no such thing as “typical”. Some days I get up and spend the entire day online updating my author social media pages, answering questions about my novel, trying to promote it, and answering emails. Other days I spend the entire day writing. It depends on what else is going on in my life. Some nights I’ll be up until one a.m. listening to music and writing down ideas or just writing in general and some days I don’t get anything done at all.
Taylor is all over the web:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/taylorfennerwrites
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/taylorfenner
The Haunting Love Goodreads Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24766868-the-haunting-love
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TaylorFenner (@TaylorFenner)
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/taylorfenner
Fridays 5 with Chris Tucker
That opportunity came while he was living in Hawaii and he decided to start writing what would become his first novel - Lost Voyage. The birth of his son caused the novel to be put on hold and it would be more than a decade before the book was finally published.
Since that time, he has also published a short story zombie series called the "5280 Diaries".
When not writing, Chris spends his time raising his son, playing guitar, taking his pup to the park, hiking through the Rocky Mountains, coaching youth soccer, and watching anything Boston sports related.
1.) When did first get serious about writing?
A.) I’ve always had a passion for writing, but it wasn’t until I was living in Hawaii when I really sat down and started writing out my first novel. I didn’t have a computer so I actually had to hand write it all out in a notebook. I’m happy to say that is no longer the way I write my books, as I have joined the rest of modern society and now have a laptop of my own. Once my son was born, the book was put on hold for almost a decade while I spent my time raising him. Babies require a lot more attention than you would think. I thought they just came out and that was it, but nope, you actually have to pay attention to them.
2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?
A.) Even though I work from home, it would be the time aspect. I coach youth soccer and run my own business, so while I sit on my couch all day, I don’t have as much time as I would like to actually write more books. Once I get into my groove though, there is no better feeling. The other hard part is trying to keep the ideas fresh. All of my novels will have the same main characters in them, so keeping everything fun for the reader requires me to write the dialogue in such a way that it doesn’t become repetitive in each book. Other than that, I really don’t think there’s anything hard about writing. I love putting my words on paper and I’ve been known to laugh out loud when I write a funny scene. It’s just a lot of fun. I have no idea how I come up with some of the plotlines and dialogue. But that’s the best part of it all. I can’t even put my shoes on the right feet most days, but I’m able to come up with some pretty cool plots and twists along the way (or at least I hope all my readers feel that way).
3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?
A.) I went and bought a pretty kickass bottle of red wine and proceeded to drink it as I smiled profusely. It was one of the coolest feelings to see my novel published and hold a copy in my hands. It was a book 10 years in the making and to finally put it out there for the world to read was a feeling like no other. Getting that first awesome review from someone I didn’t know personally was an even better feeling. To know someone liked (and actually paid for) something I worked so hard on gave me a sort of validation that I might be good at this whole writing thing. The person who left the bad review might differ in that opinion, but I’ve accepted the fact that not everyone will like the book. I personally think it was my mom who left the bad review, but she hasn’t fessed up to it yet. Might be payback for me being a horrible kid in my teen years, but I’ll break her eventually and get her to admit it.
4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?
A.) If I have to choose, I would say my characters are more important, but only because it’s on a personal level for me. While I love how I come up with the storylines for my books, I tend to throw in a personal touch with my characters and their development. For example, my main character’s partner is named Pat Vigil. Pat is based off of my best friend who passed away a few years ago. Being able to write him into the story and pretty much write his character as he was in real life is something that means a lot to me. It helps me to keep him alive, so to speak, and it allows my readers to see what he was like and why our friendship meant so much to me. His character is so easy to write because I just imagine what he would say or do in certain situations. One of his relatives read the book and told me, “Yep, that’s Patrick.” For me, that was the coolest thing anyone could have ever said about his character. It means I’m portraying and honoring his legacy in a good way. There are also a few other characters in the book based on real people in my life. I wish I could have chosen both responses for this question because I have such a great time coming up with my storylines…maybe next interview? Hint, hint…
5.) What is a typical day like in your world?
A.) I always begin each day by getting my faced licked to no end by my pup, Bailey. Then it’s time to get up and take her out for a quick walk. I usually plop myself down on the couch and turn on something sports related (usually a soccer game) while I fire up my laptop. I pretend to work for a few hours so my girlfriend thinks I’m actually accomplishing something (although I’m usually screwing around on my social media accounts), and then I try and squeeze in a little writing. Then it’s off to soccer practice where I get to make myself feel better by yelling at a bunch of 11 year olds (joking about the yelling…not really, but kinda) and I get to do something I truly love as I watch them develop into better players. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to have that kind of effect on kids and see them become better each and every day. I also have my own son who is my entire world who gets a fair share of my attention, and then there’s my amazing girlfriend who seems to put up with me on a daily basis for some unknown reason – we both work from home so we get to see each other all the time. That’s my day in a nutshell. In between all of that, I try and find time to write my next novel so my readers will stop pestering me about when it’s coming out. I know… it’s such a burden to have people wanting your next book, isn’t it?
Chris can be found all over the web.
www.facebook.com/authorchristucker
www.twitter.com/nesaauthor
http://www.authorchristucker.com/
Falling into a hole.
A little more than a month ago I finished my last project. Since then I've found myself skirting the edges of my next project, unable to dive right in like I used to. I'm hesitating. It's not like I don't have enough work to do, or ideas to pursue.
My goal is to have two more releases out before the end of the year, and one full length manuscript submitted to a publisher. Yes, I'm going to try the traditional route again, I'm not going all in mind you, but I believe there are some works that deserve a better chance at grabbing the brass ring by opening channels that are currently closed to me as a self published writer.
But first I have to step off that edge.
And that's where I'm hesitating. I know what it takes to complete a work, my wife knows what it takes for me to complete a work. When I told her recently I was about to start another book she said, "well I guess I'll see you in a couploe of months."
No one's going anywhere, not physically at least, whenever I become focused solely on the story I'm writing I tend to go away to my own little place until I'm done. A quiet place in my mind where the story is all there is.
I still go to work every day, and deal with an increasingly frustrating public, I still take care of the dogs when I get home. I still eat dinner, bathe, and sleep regularly. I even still interact with my wife every evening during the one to two hours I give her my undivided attention, but that's a lie really. For when I'm writing a book I'm physically present to handle the day to day functions, but mentally I'm working on the story, fleshing out a character, or probing the plot for holes.
I'm, on autopilot.
It's during the writing of the story that time compresses upon itself and I'll wake up one day, several months later, wondering where all the time went. The task will be completed, the work will be done, till next time, and the next, giving a little of myself to each project. Putting everything I have into the story.
It's what writing is all about, at least for me.
Are you the same way?
My goal is to have two more releases out before the end of the year, and one full length manuscript submitted to a publisher. Yes, I'm going to try the traditional route again, I'm not going all in mind you, but I believe there are some works that deserve a better chance at grabbing the brass ring by opening channels that are currently closed to me as a self published writer.
But first I have to step off that edge.
And that's where I'm hesitating. I know what it takes to complete a work, my wife knows what it takes for me to complete a work. When I told her recently I was about to start another book she said, "well I guess I'll see you in a couploe of months."
No one's going anywhere, not physically at least, whenever I become focused solely on the story I'm writing I tend to go away to my own little place until I'm done. A quiet place in my mind where the story is all there is.
I still go to work every day, and deal with an increasingly frustrating public, I still take care of the dogs when I get home. I still eat dinner, bathe, and sleep regularly. I even still interact with my wife every evening during the one to two hours I give her my undivided attention, but that's a lie really. For when I'm writing a book I'm physically present to handle the day to day functions, but mentally I'm working on the story, fleshing out a character, or probing the plot for holes.
I'm, on autopilot.
It's during the writing of the story that time compresses upon itself and I'll wake up one day, several months later, wondering where all the time went. The task will be completed, the work will be done, till next time, and the next, giving a little of myself to each project. Putting everything I have into the story.
It's what writing is all about, at least for me.
Are you the same way?
Fridays 5 with Tony Duxbury
Born in North London in 1955. Left school
at 16 without qualifications. Found work as a trainee in a commercial art
studio, left after two years to travel. That became the main passion in my
life. So far, I have visited 28 countries. I would travel, return, find work,
save money and then travel again. That set the pattern of my life for many
years. My jobs have ranged from pearl
diving (dishwashing) to English teacher. By the late 70s it was becoming more
and more difficult to find work and so I looked around for a qualification that
I could take with me on my travels. To cut a long story short I ended up
studying for a degree in Social Science as a mature student. Because I had been
out of education so long I attended a remedial class and my tutor, a published
author herself, encouraged me to try creative writing. It wasn’t until I
graduated that I tried my hand at it and then I sat down and wrote six pages of
my first novel. Then I was struck down by a severe case of writer’s block. I
couldn’t touch them for two years until I returned to Guatemala, but I took
those pages with me and was able to finish my novel there.
Guatemala, C.A. has become my adopted
country. The first time I visited was as a traveller. The second time was as an
exchange student during my gap year and it was then that I met the woman who is
now my wife. I returned to England to finish my degree, but found no work
opportunities because of the continuing recession. Returning to Guatemala I
became an English teacher. I also married the woman I loved and became the
step-father to three children. For the next 15 years I taught English, first in
a Language Academy. From there I progressed to teaching independently and went
on to form my own company and employ others. A prolonged economic down turn
finished off my business and with my wife I returned to England. After several
years we returned to Guatemala.
When I finished my first novel I was quite
surprised and pleased by the result. Since then I’ve written five more. They
are all fantasy novels except one.When did you get serious about writing?
It wasn't until I was about 34. Up until a couple of years before that, I'd never entertained the idea of writing. I come from an old working class background that can be very limiting. 'We' didn't do things like write. That was for other people. For many years I did wonder what it would be like to be a journalist, but that didn't seem like 'writing'. As an addicted reader I did also wonder how some of the crap I'd read got published and if I could do any better, but that was the nearest I ever got to thinking about writing. It was during my quest for a qualification that i found people who encouraged me to write. I did a short course in a Further Education College that led to another and the tutors were impressed with some of the work I turned in. When I went to university I attended a remedial course for mature students like myself and the tutor, a published author herself, encouraged me to try my hand at it. It wasn't until I graduated that I followed that advice. I sat down one day and wrote six pages of a novel. Then i got hit with a severe case of writer's block and couldn't touch it for another two years. Fortunately, when i returned to Guatemala I took those pages with me and was able to finish the novel.
What is the hardest part for you about writing?
I think we all could say, the beginning, middle and the end! Although I do like writing I do have to force myself to sit down and write. I can think about what to write forever, but actually sitting down to do it can be hard work. Once I've started again I'm OK, but it's the intial start that can be difficult. I'm finding the promotion of my work harder than the actual writing of it!
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How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?
Over the moon! Triple somersaults and all that. I was a Master of the Universe. Tolkien and all the rest can move over,the main man has arrived! I just sat back to watch all those royalities pour in( what happened? ) Despite all the self generated hype, I felt a great sense of achievement. When i came back down to earth reality set in and I realized that i was one of many and that book couldn't be considered great literature, but it was mine! I had produced it from nothing and it was a wonder to see something I wouldn't have contemplated attempting many years ago. In a nutshell : I felt bloody great.
What's more important to you, story or character? Why?
The character always comes first with me. After that I think of a situation to put him in. The story develops from that. They are both equally important, but I can't custom make a character to fit a story. It has to build up around him. Most of the time I only have a vague idea of what i'm doing anyway.
What is a typical day like in your world?
A typical day is hot and sunny as i live in Central America. Workwise i'm at a loose end at the moment. Recently I was helping my wife run her cafeteria, but we closed that down. I don't have any hard and fast routines now. I'm trying to figure out my next move and in the meantime trying to promote my book: The Adventures of Jojo Smith
Tony can be found online at:
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/hp/dnr=ZofjM
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?=100005086548859
Book Blogs: http://www.bookblogs.ning.com/profile/TonyLeslieDuxbury
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