Does Your Reader Need Sunglasses?

This Post by L.Leander, Author of Fearless Fiction

There is a segment on the morning news now about the need to wear protective eyewear in the sun.  Being in a tropical country I well know the value of protecting your eyes from the rays that shine down unmercifully here.

But how does this apply to writing?  Let me ask these questions.

• Are there glaring errors in your manuscript?  Do readers need to wear blinders as they navigate the story?
• Is your book cover professional or does it hurt the eyes to look at it?
• Does your photo say author or something totally different?  Most readers don’t want to see a writer weeding her garden (unless the book is on that subject).  Get as professional a picture as you can so readers will instantly recognize you for your work.
• Do your characters shine?Are they so drab and devoid of personality that the reader can look at them with the naked eye?  Or are they full of life and color?
• What about your book title?  Does it grab attention or say something boring?  Make it sizzle.

These are only a few things you need to pay attention to as you seek to market your craft.  There are many others that may cause readers to turn away because of the glare.

What can you do to make your writing better?  Do you have a professional creative team in place?  Can you add personality to your characters?  Is your photo professional?  This is a good time to fine-tune your latest book, don’t you think?

Books by L.Leander:

Inzared Queen of the Elephant Riders Video Trailer

Inzared, Queen of the Elephant Riders

Inzared, The Fortune Teller (Book Two)

13 Extreme Tips to Self Publishing

13 Extreme Tips to Marketing an ebook

You can also find L.Leander here:

L.Leander Website

Amazon Author Page

Facebook Author Page  

L.Leander Books Blog

L.Leander’s Book Reviews and Interviews

Twitter

LinkedIn

Goodreads

Google+

 

Where Do You Come From?

This post is by Doris McCraw

Where do you come from? How does it affect how you see the world? What kind of history is there? These and other questions came up as I read a friends Facebook post, he performs as T.R., of a quote from Roosevelt in Keokuk Iowa. Now as I am sure most of you have ascertained, I am a history buff. In fact the librarians here now call me ‘historian’.  I find I like the title. But back to my questions.

Where do you come from? The television shows, ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ which was on NBC and ‘Finding Your Roots‘ on PBS were about looking into your ancestry. I know one great-grandfather was from Germany.  Another was so stubborn that although he had served in the Great War (WWI) he would not allow his four sons to be inducted for WWII unless he could also re-enlist. Guess who won? Yes, my great-grandfather.  I had the pleasure of knowing the one from Germany, but am more like the other one.

What kind of history is there? I am from Illinois, having grown up about twenty miles from the Mississippi river.  Quincy Illinois was about thirty-five miles south-west of my home town. Did you know that Quincy was one of the cities on the Lincoln/Douglas debate tour? I also was just across the river from Keokuk Iowa. In the 1880’s there was a medical school in that town and I know of two women who attended who practiced medicine in Colorado prior to 1880. Keokuk also has one of the twelve original national cemeteries designated by Congress. To add to that, Nauvoo and Carthage Illinois were also nearby and they figured predominately in the migration of the people of the Mormon religion.

The historic Carthage Jail (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How does this affect how you see the world? I really do believe growing up in this region fueled my love of history.  At one point I could tell the story of the death of Joseph Smith in the Old Carthage Jail better than some of the experts. I was constantly going there because the history fascinated me. Hannibal Missouri was also close by and I grew up near Sam Clemens country. Being surrounded by this environment had a profound influence on who I became. This was the area of many of my ancestors and I wanted to know all about all of them. It also was in a farming community and since there were not many other young people around I spent a great deal of time with the elderly and listening to their stories.  In many ways it was a blessed life.

I know that much of my writing and my voice are due to the influence of the area I came from. The people, the history and the physicality of the region are all part of who I am. It also has informed how I have responded to my adopted home state.  It is a gift I am happy to have been given. How about you? Where do you come from?

Read the Monday through Friday haiku and photo post at: http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com

Keep Your Enemy Closer by Cher’ley

 This Blog  by Cher’ley Grogg

Sun-tzu Chinese general & military strategist and Al Pachino in the Godfather had something in common. They both knew to “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”.

In my novel Stamp Out Murder, James met some great friends and some people who were potential enemies. The mayor had a bad reputation and James went into this relationship with one hand in a handshake and the other on his wallet.

1942 Admiral Togo with Surcharge marking the Surrender of Singapore (Photo credit: Vintage Lulu)

It’s important in life and in fiction to know your friends and your enemies. When I’m reading or watching a movie, I hope the friend who is about to betray the hero or heroine will change their mind or will actually be doing the mischief for the good of the protagonist.

Sometimes an enemy may not be drastic, it could be someone who doesn’t understand you, someone who wants your position, or someone who just has a rotten nature. Some people put other people down to build up themselves.

As a child I’d sometimes get in an argument or someone would say something mean to me and my Mom would say, “They are only jealous of you.”  I usually ended up in fights, but I should have followed the advice of “How to Deal With Enemies”. Here are a couple of  suggestions from this site.

1. Ignore whatever they say. They are probably only insulting you because they are jealous. No matter what they say, it can’t offend you unless you let it. Just remember when they say something nasty to you, they want you to react. So pretend you didn’t hear it. Don’t acknowledge them or give them any attention for it. If they continue insulting you or bothering you in any way, walk away from them. Don’t look at them or talk to them; just walk away. After a few times of you doing this they will probably get bored and stop picking on you.
2. Surround yourself with friends and people who like you for who you are. These people will make you feel more confident about yourself and you should realize that it doesn’t matter what haters say as long as you have good friends by your side.

As an adult I practice the second bit of advice. I surround myself with people who like me and with people I enjoy being around. Over the years, I have become close to a large group of people. I sincerely try to like and help everyone and it’s paid off in friends.

But fiction imitates life and most of us have encountered people who have wronged or betrayed us so for those people, I write them into a novel and I apply the following:

• How do you deal with difficult people? 

Stamp Out Murder”.

“The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell

 

What’s Your Sign? by Cher’ley

 This Blog  by Cher’ley Grogg

 Doris got me thinking about the stars. She talked about going to see the stars and I’m talking about how the stars influence our lives.

We all know the most famous pick up line of all time is “What’s Your Sign¿”  Did anyone ever use this line on you? In my day, it was like saying, “How you doing?”

A lot of people, as soon as they get out of bed, check their horoscope to see how their day will go. They won’t make a move unless it’s in the stars. The stars direct them in their love life and in their finances.

This is my Chinese Horoscope for Sagittarius.  Is this possible?

While you might think you know what you want, it’s possible your mind is going to change soon enough. So leave some doors open. There’s not always a right and wrong path — just different opportunities for learning.

I used to read my horoscope every day. Opened the paper to horoscopes, then the cartoons, society, ads, and finally the news.

As a teen, my friends and I talked about astrology and how the stars and planets aligned. It was a fun thing to discuss. I think we all are aware of our sign.

An Hour Scope to predict the future.

The descendant is directly across from the ascendant (As) in the chart, in the three o’clock position (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A horoscope is an astrological chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person’s birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning “a look at the hours” (horoskopos, pl. horoskopoi, or “marker(s) of the hour.”) Other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel, or simply chart.

So, what’s your sign? What’s your favorite characters sign? How much does your horoscope influence you?

If you’re a writer, does astrology come into play in your novel?

If you get a chance check out my novels. I’m interested in knowing what you think.

Stamp Out Murder”.

“The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell

Space: A Love Affair

Post by Doris McCraw

It is in our genes. The desire to explore to know what’s there.  From ‘Star Trek‘ , ‘Star Wars‘ and Arthur C. Clarkes “2001, A Space Odyssey“, space is a part and parcel of our dreams and thoughts.  Who hasn’t spent time looking at the stars and wondering what was up there?  As a child my love of space was to stand outside, look up and pick the stars I wanted to visit. I even used to plan my trip, as long as it didn’t involve flying.  I can hear you laughing. I know, space ‘flight’ is part of the package. You are probably wondering where all this is leading.  The Space Symposium!

What is the ‘Space Symposium’? It is the premier gathering of the global space community, which is how they describe it. This one was the 29th year.  Even though NASA didn’t make it this year it was still a great event. To wander the displays, the booths and talking with the people is heaven for anyone who has the slightest interest in space. For me, one of the greatest parts of the event: the young people who attended. They showed interest, asked intelligent questions and overall gave a person a good feeling about where these young ones will take us in the future. If you would like to see an overview of the week you can visit http://www.astronaut.com. and then the link to the 29th Space Symposium.

This image was selected as a picture of the week on the Farsi Wikipedia for the 8th week, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I also realized that this event could be seen as the story and characters of a book. You have the main characters, that would be the larger companies that attended, and then the secondary characters, the smaller companies.  Each has a part to play, but not all are in every story, just like not all the companies are a part of each others final product. However, everyone needs to be seen and their specialties evaluated, just like we do when composing our stories. Who knows when the contact you make at a symposium will be a part of the final product.  Sometimes we just meet characters that will not leave our consciousness until we find a place for them, even if that is in a future story.

Maybe some day I will write a story about this amazing event, but I would have to make it a space story or a mystery about satellites, space travel or…  That is for another time. In the meantime, look up, enjoy the stars, the Milky Way and the sky.  Follow your dreams or as Smashmouth sang at the opening ceremonies “You might as well be walking on the sun.”

Follow my haiku at http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com

Printing Progress

This post is by Erin Thorne.

Many people keep journals for various reasons. They use this medium to inscribe personal thoughts, vent difficult-to-handle emotions, and as a record of special life events. However, a journal is also an ideal place in which to track one’s writing progress.

I recently began to do this as an integrated part of my work. A writers’ group to which I belong has a feature that, once a week, lets us share with other members what we’ve accomplished in the past seven days. At first, my writing journal was strictly utilitarian. There was simply no way I could have remembered what I’d done if I didn’t write it down. By degrees, it became a motivational tool.

Some weeks are busier than others. During those that are packed with activities and obligations, I sometimes feel as though I’m not getting any writing done. This, in turn, leads me to feel badly about my lack of effort. To break out of this spiral, I take a peek inside the journal section of my day planner, which is where I enter my daily progress. Often, I’ve found more entries than I expected, and this has given my confidence a boost. On the other hand, I’ve occasionally been stared down by blank pages that I’d meant to fill. This has provided the impetus to do more, and to intentionally make time to write.

Overall, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the results. I have finished projects ahead of schedule, and kept a more positive mindset about the whole writing process. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel encouraged. I don’t dread sharing my week’s work with others, because I know I’ve done my best in spite of all the demands upon my time. I’d recommend this technique to others without hesitation; no matter what line of work you’re in, nothing lifts your sprits like seeing how far you’ve come. It inspires confidence, and gives you hope about how far you’ll go.

What Happened?

This post is by Doris McCraw

What makes your muse sit up and take notice? When the fickle lady decides she wants to go somewhere other than by your side, how do you get her back? Believe it our not, I go read. Yes, you heard or should I say read correctly, I read. From there it is all easy sailing, with a major dose of work.  You thought I was going to say it was easy.  You still have to do the work, I write as I smile.

From those readings I can find so much to make me wonder, WHAT HAPPENED?  Let me give you some examples that I found fascinating. Maybe you will too.

1. From the poem Emigravit by Helen (Hunt) Jackson

With sails full set, the ship her anchor weighs.
Strange names shine out beneath her figure head.
What glad farewells with eager eyes are said!
What cheer for him who goes, and him who stays!

As someone who loves tall ships I wonder who went, who stayed and how were their lives changed.  What about you? How do you see the people involved?

2. A man was recently hanged for taking vengeance on one who had practically disputed his property in a girl.

I just found this statement so odd and somewhat disturbing.  Still working on this one.

3. The new road though the Ute Pass is completed, and is now alive with traffic.

Imagine using this as your first line. What kind of traffic? When was this opened? This simple statement can take you anywhere.

Summit of Ute Pass, by Chamberlain, W. G. (William Gunnison) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Another mystery, discovered the remains of a man near the head of the gulch. They were found under a pile of rocks. Two bullet holes were found in the skull. They were about forty feet from where the remains of another man was found six weeks ago.

Although this incident took place in 1872, the crime itself is timeless. Who are the victims? Were they related? Is it the work of a serial killer or in the case of the Old West, outlaws?

5. And finally my last and favorite are the last lines to the poem “Last Words” by Helen (Hunt) Jackson

And when, remembering me, you come some day

And stand there, speak no praise, but only say,

“How she loved us! T’was that which made her dear!”

Those are the words that I shall joy to hear.

Helen Hunt Jackson portrait (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I hope someday to use these words as the ending to a story.  I know they remind me of my mother and her love of her family, her friends and those whose lives she touched.

Whatever you do to bring the muse into your life and writing, know she wants to help you tell the story of What Happened, so listen. Hear the call? She is whispering in your ear. Now sit down and write, I say with a smile.

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/Helen-Hunt-Jackson-Live/110440582339080?ref=hl

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Life is Like a Chimney

This post by Neva Bodin

I have told many life is like a chimney—built brick by brick, or experience by experience. I looked up quotations using the word brick and found many times bricks are compared to life situations.

William J. H. Boetcher (I have no idea who that might be) is quoted as saying, “Better to be a strong man with a weak point, than to be a weak man without a strong point. A diamond with a flaw is more valuable than a brick without a flaw.” I don’t agree with the last part of his statement.

When I worked with people who had early emotionally damaging experiences in life, such as abuse or abandonment, either emotionally or physically, I found the earlier the trauma, the harder to repair. Life changes seemingly unimportant to one, can shape future reactions to certain circumstances in others.

My folks had no idea my moving into a two story home at age two where everyone had their own bedroom would make me forever afraid of the dark, including the big dark basement in this house. We had moved from a two room house with five people in it. I was very secure in my crib in a small bedroom that housed adults, teens and a pot-bellied stove.  I cried to go “home” that first night in “Pete’s house.” Pete was our carpenter.

If the first bricks laid at the bottom of the chimney are strong, they will hold up when things that try to beat us down come at us. If the weaker bricks—anything disastrous to our well-being—are put in layers later in the building, they will be more easily dealt with, worked on, and repaired. It’s hard to repair a brick at the bottom of a chimney without shaking the whole structure.

Candace Bergen, sounding bitter, is quoted as saying “Men say they love independence in a woman, but don’t waste a second demolishing it brick by brick.” While not espousing this theory in general, I do recognize her comparison of being made out of bricks as similar to mine.

“If a person offends you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick.”  So says Mark Twain. Would that be like fighting fire with fire?

Mr. Twain also said, “Let us guess that whenever we read a sentence and like it, we unconsciously store it away in our model-chamber; and it goes, with the myriad of its fellows, to the building, brick by brick, of the eventual edifice which we call our style”

Which brings me to my thoughts as a writer—I need to build my character brick by brick, knowing the weak ones and where they lay, and how they will color that person’s choices, reactions, and personality quirks. Can they be changed, or will they have to be accepted by the closest relational person? Will someone or something act as mortar to hold the weak bricks together?

“They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time.” Dorothy Day ( I don’t know who she is either, but I like her comment.)

Amrish Puri (another unknown in my book) says “I am like a brick.” I think he must be like a whole pile of bricks! Let’s hope they are all well made.

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