Taking time out, especially when travelling, focuses the imagination upon the passing trivia, amongst other things, and the potential in that as well as the challenge of the less mundane when it presents itself. I refer to trains sometimes in my stories, because I like travelling in them I suppose. I love their sedate rhythm and pace, even high speed seems to relax one into silent reflection. A mini encampment of reticule and essential items within easy reach,I travel light, is a comforting reminder of self-sufficiency and the welcome prospect of an unencumbered continuation to the journey. Room to stretch imagination and limbs. These self-imposed limitations facilitate wider opportunities to observe and contemplate. Extracting a mood out of which to create the next sentence, or catch a new idea for a title and theme.
As the hours eat up the miles I think of the different accounts each fellow traveller might give, Chaucer like, on the move, to lessen the load of that potentially wearisome predicament. Then I lapse into the luxury of closing my eyes and drifting into sleepy momentum where the thoughts tumble and retreat and images come to mind. On opening them again, now rested, the view from the window has changed. It’s a long journey.
This is where the sight of the spontaneous juxtaposition is for me a thrill. A limping grey tabby, suddenly moving quite quickly, in spite of its disability, along the detritus and graffiti adorned walls of the back of a block of flats, as the train reaches the near edges of the next urban mass.Here we will interrupt the miles and make a connection underground. Another set of possibilities. At what point do we meet the characters in their day? They speed past inside the crowded, metallic containers, our eyes meeting and parting fleetingly, before the shapes disappear from view into the dark. Full of short stories and anecdotes, sometimes poetic gems, like small films, made in focussed frames and concentrated space. These players exit too soon and the moment is passed. But an expression and stance remains with me which I will hold on to.
Another screen appears to be deciphered anxiously, and the crowd, waiting to be connected, using time until the sign to join their chosen carrier appears, suddenly surges towards the point of imminent departure. Carriage, seat, high or low? The perspective and position start to work on the imagination again.
I have an idea as I watch the woman, sitting underneath the image of a sleeping mobile phone, rushing to find her phone, which is ringing loudly, emphatically. She fumbles with embarrassment and is amused at the same time. What does this tell me about her and the menage she is part of, or apart from?
All is at peace once more and the reflection, on the ceiling, from the seat in front, gazes at me because I seemed to find something amusing. Our reflections meet, I turn away and imagine what someone else must make of my reactions.
Suddenly the landscape changes and the houses become familiar, standing rectangular and light in isolated groupings which will soon become larger settlements and eventually a reason to leave this temporary, scenic route.
Watching the exits and entrances as the train waits, the platform is wet,but the people seem at one and in quiet acceptance of it. The glass lift propels them heaven wards and we move out. Time to collect my thoughts and hope I remember what entertained and perplexed. I wrote some of it down, but held the rest at bay as I wanted to mull it over.
The air is cooler than usual as we step out and the mood calmly serious, unflustered and functional.
Three men walk ahead in automatic conversation, their accents different,their gait sympathetic with each other’s. They are in their own story which might have begun as ours had, earlier on in the day, but in another place with a different course to run. They are intent and edgy as they turn off the main drag and disappear, without turning. I have another idea to conjour with, new dynamics to explore and define, an entrance for that fleeting expression of fixed bewilderment which passed by as I stood, waiting for the right connection.
Today, I am going to show you how you can host a very productive book promotion that will allow customers to download your kindle book for free, or at a discounted price, for any duration of time, and the quantity amount of individual downloads you desire, without applying for the amazon-book-lending KDP-Select program. If you can drive more sales to your Kindle edition by getting others to give it as a gift, the rank for your book’s sales page will improve and will ultimately lead to more visibility on Amazon, thus increasing your overall sales.
With this practice, you'd be able to create a promo code like the one shown below that can be applied to each of your published book/eBook. Better yet, your giveaway will be publicly displayed for all Amazon visitors at https://www.amazon.com/ga/giveaways.
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Creating a Promotion
To create a self-sponsored promotion or sell your own products (autographed-books, tee-spring etc) through amazon, you would first need to create a seller-central account here, http://services.amazon.com (the first month is free).
In your seller account account, under the Advertising link, click Promotions. And then click Create for the promotion type you want to offer.
To create a promotion:
Step 1: Conditions
Buyer purchases: Select the customer purchase threshold that will qualify for the promotion from the drop-down list.
At least this quantity of items: Promotion applies when a customer purchases at least X eligible items in a single order. You must enter a whole number.
At least amount (in $): Promotion applies when a customer spends $X or more on eligible items in a single order.
For every quantity of items purchased: Promotion applies to every X units when a customer purchases eligible items in a single order. This option is only available for the Money Off and Buy One Get One promotion types.
To select a list that is not included in the drop-down list, choose Select another.
To select every item in your inventory, select Entire catalog.
Buyer gets:
Money Off: Select an option from the drop-down list.
Percent off
Amount off (in $)
Fixed price for all items (in $): Promotion gives customers a fixed price for all X units of eligible items purchased in a single order. This option is only available when the promotion is set as "Buyer purchases for every quantity of items purchased."
Buy One Get One: Use the default option of Free items.
External Benefits: Use the default option of Post-order benefits.
Applies to:
Money Off: If you select Qualifying Item, click Select an ASIN to search for the applicable item.
Buy One Get One: If you select Qualifying Item, click Select an ASIN to search for the applicable item. Set the quantity of the additional item that will be free when the promotion applies.
External Benefits: Use the default option of Purchased Items.
Advanced Options:
Tiers (for Money Off only): Create stackable promotions that will apply in increasing order. You can create up to 9 tiers. For example, buy 5 items and get $5 off, and buy $10 items and get $10 off. If you select Applies to Qualifying Item, tiers will not be available as an option.
Exclude Items: Select a product list to exclude from the promotion. To select a list that is not included in the drop-down list, choose Select another.
Step 2: Scheduling
Date Range: Set the start and end date and time. The start date and time must be at least 4 hours in the future.
Identifier: Create an internal description and Tracking ID. The Tracking ID does not appear when buyers redeem a promotion offer. It exists for your use only.
Step 3: Additional Options
Claim code: Select Claim code to require that a claim code be used to redeem the promotion. Click Claim code to expand the setting options.
One redemption per customer: Select this option to limit the claim code to be redeemed only once by a customer.
Claim code: Click Suggest a code to generate a random claim code or enter a custom claim code. For more information, see Claim Codes and Combinability. Note: Promotion Manager saves claim codes in upper-case letters and converts the numbers 0 (zero) and 1 (one) to upper-case letters O and I. This offers customers increased flexibility when entering claim codes. For example, customer entry of claim code "top10tix" or "TOPIOTIX" will both be accepted at checkout.
Claim Code Combinability: Select how you want to allow claim codes to be combined from multiple promotions.
Customize messaging: Create and/or customize the required and optional messaging types, including Terms & Conditions, and set the display precedence. Click Customize messaging to expand the setting options.After you complete the information for the promotion, click Review. On the Review Promotion page, review the information for your promotion. To make any changes, click Back. To finish creating your promotion, click Submit.
Checkout confirmation text (for External Benefits only): This message will display at the top of the checkout page to describe the benefits a customer will receive after purchase.
Checkout display text: The default text is Promotion Applied and will display on the checkout page.
Short display text: Provide text to display on the product detail page and in search results. This text will only display for Featured Merchants who win the Buy Box.
Detail page display text: Select this option to display the promotion message in the Promotions and Special Offers section on the product detail page. This text will only display for Featured Merchants who win the Buy Box.
Purchased items display text: This text will be used as the Standard text option for Detail page display text.
Detail page display text: Select the standard text, which is populated with the Purchased items display text, or enter custom text. Be sure your custom text is clear and accurate to help customers understand the promotion.
Display precedence: This number governs the order of your promotions on the product detail page, in case you offer multiple promotions for the same item.
Terms and conditions
Tiered Promotions
For the Money Off promotion type, you can create an offer that increases based on the amount of items purchased. For example:
Buy 10 reams of paper, and save 20%. Buy 30 reams of paper, and save 50%.
Note: Tiers are not an available option for External Benefits and Buy One Get One promotions.
To create a tiered Money Off promotion, follow these steps:
In Step 1, expand Advanced Options.
To add a tier, click Add Tier.
Enter the second tier quantities.
Repeat as many times as you want.
To remove a tier, click Remove Tier.
Have a good day.
Upgrade your membership and you will enjoy all the benefits of adding all of your published books to ReadersBooks.info at no additional cost throughout this month. Apply here, -> PREMIUM APPLICATION <-
Children love to spend time with meaningful adults in their lives. As a matter of fact, spending time with your children could be the most important thing you do, to help your children reach their maximum potential. According to the January 2015 National Geographic Magazine article: The First Year, a baby's brain is affected by the amount of love that they receive.
People who researched babies brains went to the child's environment, their home, with a checklist. One of the questions was, do you have at least 10 books at home. Children who are given positive attention may be more prone to higher IQs.
The article further discusses: do you hug and kiss your children, answer their questions, praise them, have an affectionate voice? Your children's physical brains are being wired according to your direct interactions with them.
Love is the most powerful gift that you can give your children. If you, as a parent, did not receive love as a child, it might be hard for you to give love to your child. Do not fear. There is hope for all parents. "God is love," 1 John 4:8. Turn to the lover of all our souls, and seek His face. He is infinitely interested in every aspect of your life. He can and will change you and your children to be all that He created you and your children to be.
What was life like for black people living in the Old Edgefield District, South Carolina during the time leading up and following the Civil War? Our book–Our Ancestors, Our Stories–chronicles the history of blacks in Edgefield and the journey of one historian and four individuals and their families who lived in this community. They were our ancestors, our flesh and blood. Obviously, the life and circumstances of African Americans during these times were difficult beyond our imagination today. Yet, our ancestors, like so many others in the community, found ways to survive the hardship of slavery, Reconstruction and Jim Crow to raise their families.
As African American authors (The Memory Keepers), we share the journey to honor our ancestors and tell their stories. The lives of individuals who lived in Edgefield, South Carolina will come to life as each chapter in the book evolves into a story for the reader. The authors discovered Edgefield as their ancestral home through researching their genealogy. Through these stories, the rich value of using primary and secondary sources become evident as each discovery examines relationships in the home, the neighborhood, and the community.
The Memory Keepers Harris Bailey, Bernice Alexander Bennett, Ellen LeVonne Butler, Ethel Dailey, Vincent Sheppard
WriterAdvice seeks flash fiction, memoir, and creative non-fiction running 750 words or less. Enlighten, dazzle, and delight us. Finalists receive responses from all judges. First prize is $200. Submit to the 10thWriterAdvice Flash Prose Contest by April 21, 2015. Complete details at www.writeradvice.com.
Some of the first things new writers are told is to write what you know, and to show, and not tell. Russian playwright and author Anton Checkhov is credited with having said “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass,” underscoring the latter. Showing can be a powerful tool when used with discretion, but all too often new authors forget to do this, preferring instead to paint their word pictures with broad strokes rather than choose a finer brush.
I’ve often written about how writing is a construct, something artificial made to seem real. Everything authors do, from creating and recreating setting, penning plot, and/or developing character and dialogue is not real. Everything about any given scene is there for a purpose; the trick is to add them subtly so they seem happenstance.
A price of $5,000 is given annually for a second book of poetry by a U.S. poet that will be published in the forthcoming year. The winner also receives an all-expense-paid weeklong residency at the Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Copies of the winning book are purchased and distributed to approximately 1,000 members of the Academy of American Poets. U.S. publishers may submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages that has come under contract and will be published in 2016 by May 15. There is no entry fee. Visit www.poets.org/awards for more details.
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council - Fellowships and Grants
Individual Artist Fellowships of $5,000 each are given annually to Minnesota writers, and Career Development Grants of up to $3,000 each are given twice a year to Minnesota writers to persue a specific arts opportunity. Poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who are U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age, and have lived in Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, or St. Louis counties in northeastern Minnesota for at least six months are eligible. Using the online submission system, submit up to 10 pages of poetry or 15 pages prose, a description of the work sample, an application, a project description and budget, and a resume of up to two pages by April 30. There is no entry fee. Visit www.aracouncil.info for more details.
Bird Runner Wildlife Refuge
A prize of $1,000 will be given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction published in the previous year that "illuminates the heritage of America's mid-continental prairies." Authors and publishers may submit two copies of a poetry collection, a short story or essay collection, a novel, or a memoir published in 2014 by April 30. There is no entry fee. Visit www.praireheritage.org for more details.
Loft Literary Center
Grants of up to $10,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in the state of Minnesota for at least one year. Writers who have published no more than two books in any genre are eligible to apply. Using the online submission system, submit 15 to 20 pages of poetry or 20 to 30 pages of prose, an artist proposal, a biographical statement, a preliminary budget, and a resume by April 3. There is no entry fee. Visit www.loft.org for more details.
Passaic County Community College - Paterson Fiction Prize
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a novel or short story collection published in the previous year. Publishers may submit books published in 2014 by April 1. There is no entry fee. Visit www.pccc.edu/poetry for more details.
Ploughshares - Emerging Writer's Contest
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Ploughshares are given annually for a poem or group of poems, a short story, and an essay. Writers who have not published a book or chapbook are eligible. Submit three to five pages of poetry or up to 6,000 words of prose by May 15. There is no entry fee FOR CURRENT PLOUGHSHARES SUBSCRIBERS. Visit www.pshares.org for more details.
Poetry Foundation
Five fellowships of $28,000 each are given annually to emerging poets. Writers who are U.S. citizens between the ages of 21 and 31 as of April 30 are eligible. Using the online submission system, submit 10 pages of poetry, a one-page writer's statement, and a list of publications by April 30. There is no entry fee. Visit www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/prizes_fellowship for more details.
St. Francis College - Literary Prize
A prize of $50,000 is given biennially for a third, fourth, or fifth published book of fiction. Self-published books and English translations are eligible. Submit five copies of a short story collection or novel published between June 1, 2013, and May 31, 2015, by May 1. There is no entry fee. Visit www.sfc.edu/literaryprize for more details.
A traditional ballad singer sings within the framework of the ballad form, and an experienced and skilled performer uses techniques of improvisation, decoration and emphasis, where it is appropriate and which may emotionally transcend the boundaries of the form in the experience of the listener. The ballad often includes a repeated line, which is in itself a powerful technique and accentuates the accumulating drama of the piece.
The tune also can be sparse, yet its cadence is often emotionally expansive as the singer articulates and describes the action. Action that might be murderous, magical, funny, heroic, tragic or erotic. Long or short, spoken or sung, the telling of the tale is a skill which requires practice and imaginative integrity. Voices in the tale are not static and the writer’s, speaker’s or singer’s voice, at its best, orchestrates and brings them to life with a subtle empathy. Finding voices and bringing them to life is a vast subject and I will develop this theme at some other time.
Knowing one’s form, and the techniques within that form, intimately, whether as a singer of tales or as a writer of them, is something essential to the ease of telling the story and how comfortably it is received. One’s readers and listeners love to suspend disbelief, be moved and involved with the lives of the characters, care about them and carry the atmosphere beyond the ending. Think of that profound silence which exists at the end of a great performance, leaving the audience still attached to what has gone on and in mutual harmony with its components and their effect and weight. This is a palpable response and something a teller, or writer, of tales should seek to evoke.
Rigour and discipline within the form allows freedom of imagination if one recognises that possibility, however, over prescription, within rigour and discipline, produces weightless and lifeless pages and empty renditions. An over emphasis upon the obvious as opposed to a creative pathway towards one’s conclusion.
Imagination is a marvellous human attribute and we all have it. It marries well within form and content and at its best creates an elegant truth, communicating succinctly and with emotional integrity to the audience.
Well, here I am about a month before the launch of THE XERCES FACTOR. I’ve been through the drill before but never get used to the ‘hurry-up-and-wait’ madness.
I’ve dutifully implemented the action items from my project management spreadsheet; they seem to come in bunches…a day or two of frenetic activity and then days of waiting until the next bunch comes along.
And there’s the frustration of waiting for someone else to do something…but no one’s fault. It’s the nature of the process. Oh how I would like to have the cover art and ISBN number now; I could update websites, put together promos and get ahead of the game.
And, how nice it would be to have the proof for line editing a little early. Although I’ve tried to mentally ‘put the book to bed’, ideas keep popping into my mind…not major revisions, but little things to make the book better. I dare not open the manuscript file and tinker…a sure path to disaster.
But, nooooooo…the process proceeds at its glacial pace, not designed with the author’s mental health in mind…perhaps the opposite?!
With this tirade complete I check the calendar. Less than a month till launch. It will come, but through a quirk of physics the passage of time slows.
One of our facebook group members has suggested that we could get to know each other face to face. I think it's a good idea. As we are all in various parts of the world, it would be a good idea if we know how many people are in the same location and have the same interest. As a first step, please check the box that you feel best explain you. Thank you all.
Add one hundred (100) members / friends to the Amazon Book Clubs and we will enroll you as a Premium Member of the Indie Writers Support network. Benefits of being a premium member includes one-on-one tutorial coaching, free pdf downloads, resourceful articles, conferencing, free book promotions and formatting, free publishing/editing&marketing software's, book reviewing service, exclusive inside tips etc.. Best of all, we will even produce a thrilling website like this one 'Against Their Will' for you, if you can add 200 or more friends.
Go ahead and invite your friends to the Amazon Book Clubs and lets make this book-loving group the largest and most intellectual traffic on the social media.
Many self-published writers have to find ways to market themselves nowadays if they still want to remain in the game. Writing alone is a full-time job, but having to do the marketing by yourself, makes it an overtime job. In today's lesson, I will show you some helpful websites that can bring daily customers to your published book.
Book auctioning websites attract millions of debit card owners every hour, and most of them are looking for valuable items to buy / own. EBay is the largest auctioning website in the world right now, and its service is not restricted to authors who were willing to market their own autographed books to buyers.
Auctioning off your published books online is fairly easy to do, and may require that you (the author) have many copies of your own books handy and ready to ship out to buyers. Any published author may order copies of their own books directly from their published at a fairly cheap price, of at least 50% off. These self-marketing authors may then market their own books at the local venues and invites, thereby doubling their earnings on every book, and gaining experiences with their readers who may thereby become permanent fans.
Self- marketing is no longer shameful practice, and Author J.R.R. Tolkien had proven it since way back in the early-mid 1900's when he self-published and marketed what are now his world renowned books.
Before I give you the auctioning websites that may increase your daily book sales, I want to give you one last advice pertaining to the pricing of your book at the websites. For instance (and for safe practice), if your book's original price is $21.00, and you can get a copy from your publisher for only $6.00, then it will wise if you start your bidding for the sale of the book (autographed or not) between $15 to $20, this way, you will attract more buyers, your effort will still be profitable, and you'll receive instant incomes (mostly through PayPal). The final bidding price for your autographed book may even double if the buyers are very eager enough to have the treasure (book) in the hand.
To generate more buyers to your book-auction-sites after they are created, you may freely post the website URLs to I.W.S network, or published them as wall posts on Amazon Book Clubs. Every book adverts onAmazon Book Clubs instantly streams on Readersbooks.info and I.W.S to expand their views. Every twitter posts with #IndieWriterSupp also streams on I.W.S and Readersbooks.info for the free reading public.
Using Facebook and Twitter Hashtags for Book promotions.
Hashtag is a new word that was developed by the millennial generation. It is also a very powerful, up-to-the-minute, news feeding media platform.
Definition: The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet or posts. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages, and has broadenedto other networks such as Facebook, Google+ and Instagram.
Hashtags (#) make it possible to group messages in any of these specific networks (Twitter, Facebook, Google+ & Instagram), and anyone can search for the hashtag and get the recent set of messages that was recently published with it. Tweets and Facebook Posts may be tagged by putting "#" before, within, or at the end of a sentence (preferably one with a link to your published book). Here is an example, even though LinkedIn doesn't support the hashtag system as of yet:
"LinkedIn please add #LinkedIn to your network so authors may use it as well."
You will see that the hashtag (#LinkedIn) was included in the sentence above, and will thereby stream as one of the results in twitter(and other networks) if it was tweeted.
Using hashtags to categorize Tweets by keyword:
People use the hashtag symbol # before a relevant keyword or phrase (no spaces) in their Tweet to categorize those Tweets and help them show more easily in Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram Searches.
Clicking on a hashtagged word in any message shows you all other Tweets & Posts marked with that keyword.
Hashtags can occur anywhere in the Tweet – at the beginning, middle, or end.
Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics.
If you Tweet or post with a hashtag on a public account, anyone who does a search for that hashtag may find your Tweet
Don't over-tag a single Tweet. Recommend using no more than 2 hashtags per Tweet.
Use hashtags only on tweets, posts, and messages relevant to the topic.
Now that you have gotten the full gistof hashtagsand its global system, I will now show you how you can use it to promote your books to the worldwide readers.
The list of literary-related hashtags below will tremendously help any author with their book sales if they use them sparingly with their Facebook posts and Twitter tweets.
#AmazonCart: The latest innovative thinking brought about by twitter and amazon, in a joint agreement. The hashtag is useful on both Facebook (www.facebook.com/hashtag/AmazonCart) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/hashtag/AmazonCart), and the ability to log into your amazonaccount with twittergives it a fine tone for a great e-commerce partnership, one that will guarantee more book sales and free promotions for authors.
#ePub: Created specifically for independently published authors, this hashtag platform promoteseBooks published on Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, Nook etc. Useful on both Facebook (www.facebook.com/hashtag/ePub) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/hashtag/epub).
#KindleUnlimited: If your book is enrolled in the KDP Select program, then this hashtag is for you. It is where thousands of Kindle owners browse every hour in search of their next free book to download. As part of the new Kindle Unlimited program, anyone may now sign up to download free and unlimited amount of Kindle eBook for only $6.99 a month. #KindleUnlimited is, therefore,the most active book tweeting platform for readers and writers, and you can get involvetoo. Useful on both Facebook (www.facebook.com/hashtag/KindleUnlimited) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/hashtag/KindleUnlimited).
#IndieWriterSupp: Created by the @IndieWriterSupp twitter account, this hashtag is quickly catching on fire as far as free book promotions gofor indie writers, because the #IndieWriterSupp tweets automatically streams on ReadersBooks.info, IndieWriterSupport.com, IndieWriterSupport.org, and WorldsBestsellingBooks.com instantly, thereby generating hundreds of free views every day.
#Askagent: Literary agents are very busy people. Many of them are aware of this hashtag tweet and sometimes uses it. If you want to converse with one or query them via Twitter, you may use it as well, even if it is only to ask book related questions.
#readwomen2014: Created by writer Joanna Walsh (@badaude), this is a place for people to talk about the books they are reading, the authors they admire, link to relevant essays and articles and even share quotes from some of the books. It’s great to have a hashtag (and a Twitter handle) that encourages people to read more books by female writers.
#indiebooksbeseen: Useful on Twitter only, this hashtag is also catching fire among indie writers online.
#WeNeedDiverseBooks: We Need Diverse Books “is a grassroots organization created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature.” Writers and publishing professionals have teamed up to tackle an important issue. The best part of this hashtag is that the movement started on Twitter. It just goes to show how conversations between a few people can lead to an actual movement. Useful on both Facebook (www.facebook.com/hashtag/WeNeedDiverseBooks) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/hashtag/WeNeedDiverseBooks).
#Fridayreads: One of the most popular literary hashtags of all time on twitter. It even generated a global trend at one period of a time. Started by writer and book critic Bethanne Patrick several years ago, it is still one of the best ways to find out about good books. Useful on both Facebook (www.facebook.com/hashtag/fridayreads) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/hashtag/fridayreads).
The mark of a serious writer/author is the willingness to improve. The pursuit of excellence includes any combination of 1) formal schooling, 2) seminars, 3) reading, 4) organizations/groups, 5) research, 6) writing, 7) editing. You can probably think of other avenues.
Pablo Casals was a pre-eminent cellist and conductor (1876-1973) who blessed us with music. When in his 90's it is said that someone asked why he continued to practice so many hours each day. His answer: "I think I'm getting it."
After 58 years of writing (news articles, journal articles, non-fiction, short stories, and novels), I am learning something every day. Some of it is new, some of it things forgotten.
Yes, I read, but with the sloppy way publishers are conducting business today, one must be careful. The best information comes from those who write well and share their understanding of the craft. I learn from these writers and authors, and in turn share writing techniques on a bi-monthly eFile. (I detest the word "blog". It sounds like some disgusting noises cows emit when confined to a coral.)
You are invited to Anatomy of a Story and leave comments that can help others in our craft.
Fine wine needs to be nurtured, rested, watched and turned until ready for drinking.
I think words require a little care too. Serious writers probably have a couple of pages on the go at the same time. Maybe a dormant chapter or manuscript waiting in the wings to be revisited or re-enacted.
I find it a necessity to leave and come back, leave and come back yet again, until I feel I have a complete work, indeed will it ever be complete? It is that detail in the organisation of the narrative that, if ignored, can so easily make or mar the end product. It is often impatience that makes us avoid that essential writing task.
Once the brain becomes attuned and in tune with the process of ‘story’ it has an automatic flick response, that's what I call it, which reminds us of what we need to be thinking of next and to which the kinaesthetic readily responds.
In another life I performed as singer and musician and had to learn a variety of repertoires, including, at one time, a new instrument. I went through a process until the flick, kicked in! But you cannot leave the flick, if you do it will not respond with that agility which facilitates coherence and fluency. It becomes part of the routine of life, though needs escaping from sometimes, in order to refresh the practitioner and creator.
The complexities and tribulations that accompany writing, for me, I cannot and would not speak for anyone else, can temporarily over absorb and possess the creator. This state of being accompanies other areas of creativity and it is important to recognise the symptoms of overload. Actors have tools and techniques to cope with tension and stress. Deeply learnt and imprinted methods of relaxation for example as part of their training.
As for removing writing stress, simply walking away or walking out for an hour are good antidotes to an exhausted or too busy mind-set. Brooding and analysing in an over serious way can alter the mood so much that it destroys the ability to select and organise, contributing to a long term writers block.
I believe these responses are all to do with the rigour and discipline serious writers have to contend with and those who do not know, do not understand.
There is something deeply satisfying when one begins to feel the narrative moves and flows in the way it should. One hopes one’s readers will also feel that as they turn the pages. It can be a relief when the manuscript is set loose to fend for itself after many hours and days of turning, resting and maturing.
Pinot Noir or Chablis? Rioja or Muscat ? Which shall it be?
Patience and consistency, fine words and fine wine!
Imagine being able to add five thousand members of the Amazon Book Clubs to your Facebook's close circle (friend list). That's right, since every member (24,000+) of the Amazon Book Clubs are book enthusiast, where else would be the best place to invite/add other like-minded book-loving friends? These people are looking forward to meeting you, that's why they joined.
Tedious, time consuming, boring, strange etc are words that could be associated with the task of inviting new friends on Facebook, hoping you'll get to know them or they would know you. In fact, meeting and introducing yourself to new people use to be an old tactic way of book promotion, especially when a firm promise to raise your Facebook presence (friend's list) to 2,000+ fans.
Well. Today, we are now confident in telling you that you can now gain that five thousands book-like-minded new friends on Facebook in a matter of few days, with a task that will only take you 10 minutes to carry out. It is not a trick, it is a software, designed specifically for this purpose and others as well. It could extract the UIDs (user i.d's) of any Facebook group members, and give you the option to invite them as friends. If you are not a member of Amazon Book Clubs you would need join the group first before you can extract the members UIDs.
UIDs are a set of identification numbers assigned to every Facebook users. If you are a Facebook user, this software would show you what your UID is.
To broadcast a message to all of your Facebook friends with this software, all you would have to do is extract and save your friends UIDs and use the Messenger tab in the software to send the message into their inbox all at once. For best measure, do not send more than 200 friend request or messages a day using this software.
Upgraded members (PREMIUMS) of our network were supplied a copy of this software as part of their earned service. You can get yours too, and the many more to come, by joining this Exclusive Group. You may also download the software from this Restricted Page, accessible only with payment.
Posted by Tim Fairchild on February 25, 2015 at 12:30am
I discovered this little tidbit on a blog for writers who have Word 2010. I'm not a computer Guru, but It actually works! I only wish the voice sounded like Morgan Freeman.
"If you have Word 2010 you have, as a writer, a brilliant free tool at your fingertips. How many times have you wished that you could “hear” your own work back so that you can tell immediately whether it sounds right?
It takes a few minutes to install this tool but it is worth every second. Once you have this on your tool bar you simply highlight the paragraph you wish to hear and click on the microphone icon to hear if the words flow."
Just follow these simple instructions.
Open a document in Word 2010. Right-click anywhere in the Ribbon underneath the HOME tab and click “Customise the Ribbon.” Right-click HOME in the Right-hand pane. Click “Add New Tab.” Right-click New Group then click RENAME. Give the group a suitable name such as Narration - or similar. Choose a relevant symbol from the grid (i.e. microphone) then click OK. Click the Dropdown menu headed “Choose commands from.” Select “All Commands” then scroll down the left-hand pane and click SPEAK. Click the name you have used (i.e. Narration) in the right-hand list. Click the “Add” button in the middle of the screen and then OK. The SPEAK button will now appear under the HOME tab (if you have too many buttons on the ribbon, it may appear in a New Tab at the top). Highlight a section of your text. Click the SPEAK icon and sit back and listen to your work!
Posted by jenny dunbar on February 24, 2015 at 10:00pm
It would be wrong to say all things are circular, but it is interesting how the narrative can often nuance its starting point as one ties the ends up. Endings, like beginnings, are really vital ingredients and so hard to pitch exactly right. What do I hope my reader will feel here? Does the weight of the last paragraph leave us in mid air, bring us down to earth with a thump, or just miss the point entirely?
This week as I have contemplated the ending of my story/ novel, I have been surprised as I moved the pieces of the jigsaw around slightly, how the time element suddenly made more chronological sense. Why did that not seem obvious before? How an automatic reflection upon an earlier part of the story seemed to take over and gave me another thread to sew with. I touched the primary characters again and hopefully they will touch my reader.
I know I mess around with time in my stories, I shift and vary, but this is a conscious decision, is worked out and not a random action. Hence a great deal of thought is involved and time spent in searching for what one hopes is a viable and credible end product.
Intense scrutiny into the completed draft is an arduous, but essential part of the creative process and actually releases some new ideas. That, of course, produces more reflection and inevitably more work. When I say, ‘completed draft, ’I do not mean the finished item, but it is getting there, thanks to those ever increasing circles which force me to meet my characters again and think about their raison d’etre.
Anecdotes. They attach themselves, not quite as many coloured patches, but rather in the way one lengthens a dart, refining a point and hopefully streamlining the effect. If by some lucky chance this enhances the angle, pace and emotion of the words then craft has gone some way to creating a little art in the narrative. We live in hope!
Thematic or formulaic? On analysis, which is inevitable as one reads through and reads through again, themes as opposed to formulas crop up in my work. Water themes, mystical themes, themes of juxtaposition and abstracted landscape.They occur out of my imagination and I work with them, or discard them if they do not seem right. Oh! And sometimes a dash of alienation.
I do not plan in great detail, but I analyse and work in great detail. That is just my way and a definite pattern emerges. When the knitting, patching and darting start to be necessary that pattern is hopefully made clearer and more resonant by its complexity.
The words wake me up late at night and the next part of the tale begins to take shape. I do not have a pen and paper beside me, but let the ideas fester and a version of those ideas will come to mind, if I am lucky, when I begin to write. And of course one thing leads to another, sometimes usefully, sometimes not.
At times the words rush round in those ever increasing circles I mentioned earlier and I am pleased when I wash my hair which seems to purge the demons.
We all have our versions of the ‘how’ we create I wonder what some of yours are?
Well what about the element of fire ? I have pots in the kiln and anticipate opening it tomorrow morning. If all is sound I will smoke fire the porcelain at some point and hope the shapes and patterning enhance the form.
Several years ago a good friend of mine told me that I should write down a lot of my adventures because I had lived such an adventurous life. Then a year or so ago, a good friend of mine (and former high school Spanish student who is very gifted in all things computer) after having run my web-site for several years suggested that I write a blog.
I agreed as I thought it might help the sales of my books, which seem to be coming out about one a year. At first I thought I should write a “how to” blog on screenwriting tips and writing readability in general. This lasted for about the first dozen or so blogs. Slowly but surely my blog went from the art of how to get words onto a page to a series of personal adventures. Instead of writing grammatical rules and script writing techniques, I finally found my niche—life adventures that one can translate to the written page.
Most people when they think of the word adventure, they think of something exciting and unusual. It may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking with an uncertain outcome. The term also broadly refers to any enterprise that is potentially fraught with physical, financial or psychological risk such as a business venture or other major life undertaking.
Since I changed over to “adventure writing”, you will obviously have noticed that my stories are all over the map literally—some high adventures and some quite small and home grown. For example: My adventures in growing up in Okolona, Mississippi; my adventures with some of my relatives and people I have known; my adventures in foreign lands and situations, my selling Fitzgerald’s Happiness Tonic.
In my blogs, I show how I have used all of these adventures in my writing. I really don’t have to sit and dream up plot complications. The way I have lived my life is enough to just pluck an adventure from my memory and transfer it to one of my screenplays, novels or stage plays.
I suppose I have been trying to show that if you want to become a writer, you must live first—that means get an undergraduate degree from the University of the World and a Graduate degree from the University of Hard Knocks. I have degrees from both. Actually this is what my friend was suggesting: Write down some of your coursework at both of those universities.
A couple of years ago I attended a high school reunion in my hometown of Okolona, Mississippi. I reunited with my best friend growing up. We were inseparable for all those teenage years. Then at age 19 we separated; he went to a Christian Bible School to become a preacher and I went off to Mexico, California, the Army, and a wide range of adventures in life. At that reunion, we hadn’t seen one another for 55 years. Even so, we took back up in our chatting like it had only been a weekend ago that we had seen one another. He told me after a bit, “You certainly have lived an adventurous life.” Then the next day from the pulpit after introducing me to his congregation he said, “Jack went to Hollywood and I went to Jesus .” In a way, I suppose he was saying Jesus was his adventure in life and mine was Hollywood and the worldly universe.
I know that a lot of things I write about sound like high adventure and many of them are—like being caught up in the Cuban Revolution—like being arrested in East Berlin for black market currency dealing—like hitch hiking and getting picked up by some army guys who had stolen a car and were awol, etc. etc.
Adventure is where one is involved in a bit of danger or where your livelihood is at stake or you are taking a chance of some kind. Those are the most popular adventures we like to hear about. However, we can make life an adventure on a much smaller level. I remember when I was young there was a Hillbilly comedienne named Minnie Pearl out of The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. She was pretty much the country Joan Rivers of her day. She could make ordinary happenings hilarious. In the process, she became famous and wealthy and beloved.
So you see, adventure is where you find it. Some people get it in the kitchen. Julia Child made omelets an adventure and caught millions of people up in her world.
So just like my friend when he told me to put some of my adventures down on paper, I’m telling you the same thing. Put some of your adventures down on paper. You’ve had as many as I have but maybe just in your own way. You can keep them to yourself or you can share them—and then if they are interesting enough, they become adventures for others!
Adventure is where you find it and most importantly, what you make of it.
Cheers, put a little adventure in your life today. As Helen Keller said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
Posted by Franz McLaren on February 24, 2015 at 9:30pm
What is the most important characteristic a writer should have? The ability to question everything.
Every tale I’ve written began with a series of what ifs.
What if a child was thrown into a world where magic was real? What if a young girl is given the most powerful weapon in her world? What if a man discovered he was really a demon? The list is as endless as the imagination.
But what if is rarely enough to carry a story. From each what if, dozens of answers can evolve and the writer become hopelessly confused by trying to unite them into something resembling a tale.
For me, the next question is, why?
Why this character and not someone else? Why are they in this situation? Why would a reader be interested in them?
However, why is more than these. As far back as any of us remember, we are taught there are certain truths in this world and that reality is a hard-and-fast concept we must each face. This, of course, presupposes everyone’ s truths and everyone’s realities are the same? By the time we realize we are writers, we (should) know that truth and reality only stand as long as no one asks why.
Why do we believe we have certain inalienable rights when we can see it is not true in many places around the world? Aren’t these just privileges society grants or abridges at its whim?
Why do we accept the world is a sphere when, wherever we see it from, it appears as a convex disk? Is it possible only the portion we see exists and anything else we believe is in a dimension we only imagine?
The whys are not as important as the answers. Our responses are what generate the ideas we need to create worlds.
However, the ability to develop unique and interesting answers needs to be exercised. From my perspective, every writer needs to set aside a few hours each week to let impressions flow and coalesce into ideas.
I am fortunate. I spend an average of 15 hours a week driving. This is my time to turn off the radio, ignore the phone and let the mind wander. During these moments, I recall events I’ve seen and play what if and why. Over the years the ability has grown until it is second nature. I see what is around me and simultaneously see many things they could be.
Yesterday I stopped in a place named Bachi Burger to look at the menu. The hostess asked whether she could help me so I asked if the burgers were made from real Bachi. She looked confused (as many people do when I respond to their serious questions) and told me she didn’t know what a Bachi was. I told her they were a cute little creatures from the land of Neverwas that tasted better than beef. They were in no danger yet, but what would happen if her restaurant chain expanded? She had no response so I decided it was probably best to leave. As I turned to go, she thanked me for telling her about Bachies.
My kids tell me I do a great deal to bring confusion into the world.
The point of all this though, is that learning to see with what if followed by why generates an endless stream of plots. I attribute the blessing of never knowing a day of writer’s block to the fact these questions have become automatic.
I know there are other questions of equal importance for writers to have constantly on their brain. I’ll address those in future posts.
What a pleasure it has been to interview and get to know Lisa Marie Redfern, author of the Haylee e-trilogy and Haylee and the Traveler’s Stone(print book soon to be released). Not only is she a wonderful writer, but her talent doesn’t stop there. As an accomplished artist, photographer, and business woman, Lisa stretches the boundaries of her art and her way with words/imagery, enticing followers to dip their toes into the rippling waters of imagination.
Q: Books, movies and even television shows these days are delivering a steady stream of plots that involve the undead, the unreal, and the wickedly supernatural. In your opinion, what accounts for society’s longstanding fascination with characters that are not completely human?
A:A cultural theme occurs when lots of people have similar ideas and begin exploring it in depth. We take our collective temperature with questions such as; What are we afraid of? What defines us as human? How far can we stretch our imagination? What does it mean to be ‘different? and How would it feel to be powerful and untouchable? I think the dark nefarious vampires, zombies, and wickedly supernatural characters that are popular today are reflections of our attitudes and worries about the cultural and economic conditions that we live in.
Q: Tell us how you came up with your title.
A:Hyale is a daughter of the Greek gods Oceanus and Tethys. The character Haylee, and the book title, is roughly based on this name…with a modern twist.
Q: Alfred Hitchcock was a master at making cameo appearances in all of his movies. Does Lisa Redfern employ any signature tricks or insider jokes that we should know about?
A:Absolutely! Although I won’t reveal them all—I will say that many of the animal names were family pets. The Rattler/Lovey storyline was based on a rescue dog named Bandit. He lived up to his name. Once it was changed to Happy, he was much easier to live with. Lovey was one of our pet cats.
Q: Tell us about your female protagonist, and the passions that drive her thoughts and actions.
A:Haylee has spent most of her childhood living with a wounded parent—she takes on responsibilities beyond most children her age. She attempts to stay out-of-sight and out-of-mind as much as possible, has an affinity for animals, and possesses a quick mind; she aspires to become a veterinarian. But things don’t go according to plan. When it becomes clear that her strange condition poses a threat to her loved ones, she drops everything to figure out how to stop it. Along her adventurous journey, we see a maturing inner resolve, self-direction, and a belief that something good can be born from facing a problem head-on.
Q: In Haylee and the Traveler’s Stone, Haylee is transported to the turbulent backdrop of the San Francisco Gold Rush in 1849. During this time in California history, the population was dominated by young male adventurers who came from all over the world. Why did this specific era personally resonate with you?
A:I feel connected to this time period because it is woven into the historical fabric of where I live—in the heart of Gold Country. I wanted to develop a deeper understanding about what life was really like by bringing alive the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of that time. In my research, I discovered fun and quirky facts that may not have made their way into commonly read history books.
Q: What do you hope this book will accomplish?
A:My goal is to suck the reader into a vortex of altered time where his/her own life fades out for a while as Haylee’s story takes center stage. Isn’t that the ultimate definition of a good book—to entertain? Along with entertainment, I included those quirky facts (mentioned in the question above), because I want the readers to have something memorable to keep. If Haylee readers (who visitSan Francisco) are able to see the city in a new way, I will be thrilled!
Q: Have your characters ever done anything that surprised you?
A:I usually arrive at my keyboard with an outline and longish, handwritten essays that fill in sections of the outline. Days of thought and nights of dreams have gone by as I’ve worked out the complexities of what I plan to write. It is a surprise when I’m typing away and a character goes in another direction…or says something unexpected. They are usually right, but we have to argue about it for a little while before I relent. When I describe it that way, it sounds psychotic doesn’t it?
Q: The publishing industry continues to reinvent itself. The combined effects of downsizing at traditional publishers and the desire by authors to have more control over their intellectual property and pricing structure has led to an escalation in self-publishing endeavors. What are your thoughts on this issue, particularly the debate as to whether a self-published title is as “real” as one produced through traditional channels?
A:Every work published is real. It is meaningful to the person who wrote it, so it can’t be anything else. Prior to 2010, when iPads and e-readers hit the market en mass, publishing houses set the quality standards for reading material before it was released to the public. The flood of independent authors who are self-publishing has changed those standards.
As a consumer, I appreciate knowing that the book I am about to read has a reasonable chance of being good—in subject matter, clean page design, and very little grammatical or spelling errors. When you buy something that has been self-published, quality levels can be hit or miss.
As an artist and independent author, I love having the ability to self-publish. For the very first time in my work life I’m unencumbered and free to create my vision from start to finish. The creation process itself is highly satisfying. I place a great value on producing work that is ‘as good as’ anything that a publishing house would turn out. Fortunately, I have developed the skills to do most of it myself, but I also invest in areas where I need help—editing and some design assistance. There is something ironic about putting so much effort into a product that sells for .99¢, $3.00, or even $5.00. Like those adventuring pioneers who braved the treacherous seas and overland treks with the hope of finding gold, we authors are gambling that more than a few readers will push that shiny, rounded-rectangle button marked ‘buy.’
Q: In addition to being an author, you are also an artist and photographer with a busy home life. How do you find time to write?
A:Good organization is a must. I use a Google calendar synced with my smart phone. Sometimes other jobs have to go to the top of the ‘to do’ list. I get as much done as I can when my son is in school. I enter into my most efficient writing zone after everyone has gone to sleep and the phone isn’t ringing. I try very hard to remind myself to go to bed before it gets too late…
Q: Lisa, you are incredibly multi-talented, and your website, book trailer are amazing. What advice would you give to new writers/artists regarding building a social media or networking platform?
A:1. Realize that platform building and gaining followers is something that takes time. It starts small and slowly increases over time.
2. Once you start participating in social media, know that you’ve created a ‘living’ thing that needs to be fed on a regular basis.
3. Start slow. Choose one or two sites that you think that you might enjoy. Stick with them until you are comfortable before moving on to more.
My social media ‘ah ha’ moment came withPinterest. Because I am visual by nature and I enjoy organizing data, this was a perfect social site to start with.
Q: As an artist and writer, you are clearly an inspiration to others, but who inspires you? Have you benefited from the wisdom and/or counsel of a mentor? If so, who and why?
A:Inspiration comes from everywhere. To quote Christina Hamlet’s bookScreenwriting for Teens, “Log into life. No password required.”Also, my artist friends inspire me when we spend time together setting up art shows, getting our hands dirty, or just sharing and talking about our work.
For authors, I follow the big guys—Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, Barbara Kingsolver, and Jean Auel for starters. I also follow some of the rising independent author stars—Hugh Howey, Guy Kawasaki, Rysa Walker, and Chuck Wendig. I like studying how they present themselves online, how they interact with their fans, what kinds of stories they are writing next, and what rights they are selling.
My son has a big imagination; he and I have many humorous, “What if …” conversations. Being out in nature, photographing interesting animals, random conversations, seeing something online that grabs my attention, or even just being alone and quiet, are all areas of inspiration.
Q: You’re obviously drawn to the metaphysical and otherworldly in many aspects of your creativity and writing, sometimes blurring the lines between the real and fantastical. What is it that draws you in, or inspires you?
A:Underlying everything is the hope and faith that we are much more than just our physical existence. I think all life is connected, and should be respected and honoured as the incredible gift it is. The real magic in this world is love and our relationships with the people, animals and living things around us. That is what I always attempt to express in both my art and in my words.
Q: A lot of new writers think all they have to do is write a good story and their job is done, but today’s writers are expected to do so much more, whether self or traditionally published. What advice would you give to new writers just starting out on this very long journey?
A:I think that is an urban myth. How did that one ever get started? When I worked as a book publicist, I dreaded the inevitable moment when the author bubble would burst. Once it popped, fairy dust and glitter never spewed out and sprinkled to the ground.
My advice to authors just starting out is similar to the advice you gave inyour interview for In the Spirit of Love. Always conduct yourself professionally online. Stick to it - give writing a permanent place at your table - live your life - do what you need to do…and then go back and write some more. Once you have a few books out there for sale, add to your regular routine time to feed the marketing machine.
Q: Many writers and artists struggle with following their creative path vs making a (normal) living, and being accepted in a world that often can’t understand what drives the creative mind. Have you struggled with this, and if so, how do you attempt to overcome it?
A:Oh yes! More than a few times, I’ve wondered if I was adopted. Most everyone in my family is an engineer, accountant, scientist, lawyer, or a business person. Conventional social norms hold the greatest respect for professions with the highest pay scales. If pay scales were based on job satisfaction, artists and writers would be where the venture capitalists and technology moguls are now. I don’t worry about people accepting me. I am who I am, I do what I do, and I am very happy about that.
Q:Where can readers discover more about you and your books online?
