**Does a little happy dance** Yay for blogfest day and yay for people participating! I can't wait to read your entries!
If you still want to join, it's not too late!
Here's the idea: I really love flash fiction, so in 300 words or less, tell me about a character you are writing (or make one up) who faces a choice... and have him/her flip a coin to make a decision.
Post your entry on your blog TODAY!!! Wednesday 9/26 and leave a message in the comments so that I don't overlook you and so that the others can see what you've done!
Also, If you don't already know, I'm starting an editing business called Writing Refinery (website coming soon). Two lucky entrants will receive a free critique of the first 30 pages of your manuscript! So write craftily, grasshoppers!
Ok, y'all... I've never done this before, so... we're flying by the seats of our collective pants here :) It's blogfest time!
I wanted to say hi to all my new followers! I'm so happy you are all here! It's because of YOU that we're "festing" at all! I look forward to many chances to dialogue with you all about life, blogging, writing, and more!
I read this quote today:
"When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you, but because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you are hoping for."
and I was inspired. Deliberation can so often lead to inaction. Sometimes you just need to stop worrying and make a decision!
So without further ado here it is....
I really love flash fiction, so in 300 words or less, tell me about a character you are writing (or make one up) who faces a choice... and have him/her flip a coin to make a decision.
Post your entry on your blog on Wednesday 9/26 and leave me a message in the comments so that I don't overlook you! If you don't already know, I'm starting an editing business called Writing Refinery. Two lucky entrants will receive a free critique of the first 30 pages of your manuscript! So write craftily, grasshoppers!
Yesterday I passed a blogging milestone! I now have 100 followers! Hi guys! Yay! I wanna welcome everyone who is new. I look forward to our future crazy conversations!
In honor of reaching 100 followers, I'm going to throw my very own Blogfest/Giveaway! Next Wednesday, September 26th, please join me here for fun and prizes.
Thanks for being such a great community of encouragement, advice, and inspiration!
And a guilty pleasure genre from any of the three categories!
Here are my faves.
My Favorite Movie Genre: Fantasy (and yeah, this particular movie would be a guilty pleasure...) I love Fantasy!
I'm very visual and I really enjoy that you can make up the rules for the world (i.e. people can fly and do magic) and that characters and places can be as beautiful or as gruesome as you imagine then to be... that Unicorns and Fairies exist there and that people wear such unusual clothes!
My Favorite Music Genre: Folk and Anti-Folk
I love these two genres and the juxtaposition between them. The lyricism, flow, and social commentary all speak to me deeply...
My Favorite Book Genre: YA Fantasy
I like this genre for the same reasons I like Fantasy movies... anything is possible! You create the world, you create the rules, you tell us what happens. (It's why I write it, too.) I love diving into other people's worlds and learning how things work.
In YA I feel like the characters, even if they start out jaded and hardened by their pasts, have so much potential for growth... that they don't always have to end up as jaded as they start out... because they're younger, perhaps, I feel like they are more resilient and more likely to experience dramatic change.
Hope.
My Guilty Pleasure: It's funny because fantasy used to be my guilty pleasure... I was a Lit major and have been known to be very serious with my reading list... I guess my guilty pleasure is reading new books (that have just been published) and best sellers instead of just focusing on the classics.
That's all for today. We're off to the mountains for the end of the week, so I should have some fun photos for you all when we return.
A person can only do so much to change their nature. After that, you have to figure out how to be in the world as who you are.
My name is Elisabeth and I am an introvert. Today I want to talk to you for a moment about blogging as an introvert. I often look at my Twitter and Facebook feeds and the frequency of posts by other bloggers and wonder if anyone will even hear me in this tree-filled forest of posting maniacs. Does that happen to you, too?
I have pondered and struggled with this topic ever since I started blogging. How often should I publish new posts on my blog? Inability to keep up with frequency of posting is one of the main reasons that new bloggers drop out of the cyber-community, sadly, usually before they ever begin to discover its real benefits. I've found (and researched to be true) a few points about blogging frequency that I'd like to share, though, that will hopefully encourage those of you other blogging introverts to keep at it.
Firstly, you may be tempted to set yourself a rigid and ambitious goal for posting based on the "Well, everyone else is doing it" principle. If you're a machine of discipline, this can be beneficial, and it's likely how you approach most aspects of your life. Good for you! For the rest of us, let's set a goal of posting at a schedule that is realistic and attainable.
Don't start out at seven posts a week! Even you extroverts may find out that (shockingly) you don't have that much to say after the first week or so! Consistency is important, so shoot for something you can achieve at first (a couple of times a week to start) and then ratchet it up from there based on reader engagement and consistent content creation.
Consistency does not necessarily mean regularity. We writers are artists, after all. We needn't always post at the exact same time on the exact same day every week. Give yourself a break! Blogging should be fun! If it's not, you're missing the point. (Same goes for writing, actually. Huh... that's nice to hear from myself today.)
Now, more posting means more traffic on your blog, and that's a good thing. Search engines love new content and your place in the SEO indexes will rise. But you have to consider your goals. If your goal is for your blog to show up on the first page of a Google search for "zombie apocalypse", then get cracking and make sure you mention the zombie apocalypse no fewer than 2 times and no more than 5 in each post (too many times and your posts will drop off because of key word stuffing... interesting, huh?).
For those of you who are interested in QUALITY of post content... less means more. The better your content, the more likely you are to hook new readership and engage your current readers. This is good news for introverts! We can be thoughtful and move at a slightly more slow pace and still have an active, engaging blog. You'll have slightly less, but infinitely more meaningful, traffic on your posts. Yay!
Thing is, just posting on your blog isn't going to get you the traffic and engagement you want. If you want people to connect with what you're saying in the blogging world you have to engage with them, too. (This is where the introverts out there cringe.)
Here's the good news. Especially in this community of amazing and inspirational fellow writers, everyone is super awesome and supportive! When you see an interesting post, comment on that post. Don't be shy. If your response is thoughtful and polite, the author will be ever so grateful and will likely return the favor! And when you run up against the inevitable trolls (those that are neither thoughtful nor polite), the amazing community that's out there will come to your rescue. I've seen it happen.
Blogging can be an introvert's dream. It's a great way to engage in the dialogue relevant to your interests, and can be as high- or low-impact as you want it to be. So dive in! And don't stress about "doing it right." Just be yourself!
I'm jumping on the bandwagon this morning and participating in Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish blog with a different top ten, book related list theme every Tuesday (see the full list here). This week's theme: Top Ten Books that made me THINK. Here they are, in no particular order... 1. Of Mice and Men - I can remember reading this book... I was in middle school. I cried. If I tell you why, though, it'll give away the ending. John Steinbeck really made me think about innocence (and the loss of...) and responsibility. Haunting.
2. Everything is Illuminated - Profoundly beautiful and devastating, all at once. Jonathan Safran Foer... I am humbled to think that he is the same age as me... his writing, his storytelling, blows me away. The second World War features large in this book, as does the theme of forgiveness.
3. The Wicked Day - This is the 4th book in Mary Stewart's Arthurian series... and she once again worked her magic. Mordred, a classic villain, became a sympathetic character to me. So much so that I had to ask myself questions about fate, unavoidable destiny, and evil.
4. The Longings of Women - I know what you're thinking, but it's not like that. Marge Piercy (my absolute favorite poet) has written a zillion novels too... and this one's affecting characters will make you reconsider the assumptions you make about strangers and near strangers (like the girl who works at the coffee shop, or your housekeeper...).
5. My Year of Meats - I wrote a post about this a couple of years ago here. This book, by Ruth Ozeki, isn't designed to convert people to vegetarianism... but that's just what it did for me. A thought provoking look at American culture (as marketed to the rest of the world), the media culture (as part of that marketing machine), the meat industry (doing the marketing), and marketing (as a vehicle for telling the story you want, whether it's true, or applicable, or none of the above)... all wrapped up in an ironic novel full of sarcasm and humor.
6. Wicked - Another book that made me reconsider a classic villain... and how the face of evil, and the face of beauty, sometimes changes with knowledge and perspective. Gregory Maguire... you really know how to mess with the establishment. Thank you.
7. The Other End of the Leash - This is a non-fiction entry by Patricial McConnell. Yes, I'm one of those people that spends an inordinate amount of time staring at my dog wondering if he's content, what he's thinking, how to make him understand what I am thinking... and this book really lays it out in detail. It's a beautiful way to open the door of understanding between you and your canine companion.
8. Of Wolves and Men - Another non-fiction entry by Barry Lopez. This comprehensive look at wolves (biological, historical, mythological, political) really shed some light on the world of wolves... the people who demonize them and the people who romanticize them.
9. More Ready Than You Realize - Back in 2003, this book by Brian Mclaren pushed me outside of my comfortable little conservative Christian bubble... my life has not been the same since. Non-fiction entry.
10. Little House in the Big Woods - yeah, sure, we all read Little House by Laura Ingalls Wilder when we were kids... and we joke about the "purity" and the "simplicity" of it now... but you want a picture of how daily life went for the pioneers? You want to take the time to really think about how harsh that simple life really was? Read it again as an adult... and think about how few generations removed we are from that reality. I tell you, it boggles the mind.
So that's all from this kid for today. I hope you'll share some of your own significant reads with me, too. I'm eager to read books that make me THINK.
Trouble is, expressing it... self-doubt... is not as easy as it sounds. It creeps in for me in more places than just in my writing... I find myself leaving projects undone because I feel that no one will care but me, that my creation is amateur, juvenile, worthless.
And then I remember the Artist's Way, a book given to me by my awesome Uncle Pat (everyone should have an awesome Uncle Pat, by the way... he's an inspiration. Remind me to tell you about him sometime). In the book, Julia Cameron talks about allowing your creations to take form, about not having expectations of yourself that each thing you create (especially the early attempts) be perfect.
It's helpful for me to think that way... that each thing I create (story, painting or stuffed cat) is a step along my journey... and each step is beautiful, even if it seems awkward to me.
Sigh... so I'm here, finishing things that I've started now and being happy that I'm a step closer to where I want to be.
The blue moon peeked through the trees out back on Friday night before unfurling its luminescence, washing the landscape in its milky glow. We had a fire in the pit and spent some time basking in the moonlight. I am often surprised at the turn of the season, at how quickly it comes up... it's time for new things now. Hello September... Hello Fall.
Remember all those weeks ago when I posted a picture of our seedling adventure... weeks, sheesh, who are we kidding? It was MONTHS! Anyhow, looky what I pulled out of my garden this season. I'm so proud!
Yes those carrots are red. They are still orange on the inside, but they're a brilliant red variant called "Dragon". The golden cherry tomatoes are the sweetest things ever, too! And that's just one of the different heirloom tomato varieties we grew. I've been enjoying tasting the literal fruits of our labor this harvest!
In other news, guess who got to go see the premiere of the new Doctor Who series in NYC yesterday? ME! That's who! I'm one lucky girl! And Stephen Moffat did NOT disappoint. Matt Smith and Karen Gillan were there, too!! Which is all well and good, except that I really want Matt Smith to be The Doctor and not Matt Smith... oh well.
I am sure that you have heard this recommendation before, but in case you haven't and because you probably need to hear it again:
Research the agent and/or editor to whom you are submitting your manuscript!
People, I cannot stress this enough. How much time and energy you put in BEFORE you hit the "Send" button can make a world of difference between a publishing contract and a rejection letter. Never mind the fact that you should probably pay an editor to review/copyedit/develop your manuscript a bit more for you (let's face it, none of us can see all our own flaws, and our friends are often a little too kind to point them out, either). Acknowledging that agents and editors have specialized genres/areas of interest is more than just smart for you to do for yourself. It shows respect for the agent/editor's time and that you are invested in the success of your book (and they should be as well).
Seriously, people, if you wrote a non-fiction book about family law practice, don't submit it to a Romance novel editor (Yes, I've seen this done). There's no chance that your book will fit into the scope of that editor's publishing. All you end up doing is forcing the editor to waste their time rejecting you. That kind of character development is just plain unnecessary for you to have to endure.
The more you research and understand the nuances of the genre you are writing in and match it to the genres/areas of interest of the agents and editors you submit to, the higher your chances of success. If you really want your book published, give it the best chance you can! The world is not holding you back. You can be the architect of your own success!
Now, get out there and hire some freelance editors (me) to help you sculpt your manuscript so that when you submit it you really are putting your best foot forward!
Back in January I read a blog post from Brightened Boy in which he mentioned his internship with a literary agency and it sparked something in me. I thought to myself, "I want to intern with a literary agency." And so I sent out 6 applications.
Within a month I had landed an internship with an agent, and so began my education. By the end of April, I had landed a second internship with an independent publishing company. I have learned a lot in the last 7 months. And all thanks to a blogging buddy who posted about his own journey. That's the magic of our little blogging world.
Now Brightened Boy is joining the ranks of professional agent. I am so excited for him! And to think I knew him when. ;)
I, on the other hand, am taking on the mantle of freelance editor. My internship is up at the end of August. Before the month is out I should have a website to point people to for information. I'm not expecting millions of people to beat down my doors wanting service. But I hope that some people will. I think there are a lot of brilliant manuscripts out there that just need a little bit of refining.
Today has had its share of ups and downs and "I'm really confused about how I should feel"'s... so the theme song for tonight is by Florence and the Machine. I LOVE Florence. Shakin' out the devils on my back.
Lyrics:
Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play
And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn
And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around
And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues drawn
But it's always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaaah
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah
I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
Cause I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a fine romance but its left me so undone
It's always darkest before the dawn
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark and right at my throat
Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
In other news, I was still creative this weekend. Two new paintings and a third one started on the easel... here are the two I finished:
I find my inspiration at the oddest moments. I think I like painting because of the instant gratification (relative, I know)... writing takes a long time and a lot of effort and the end result is not quite... THIS... I keep working at it though. But for now I'm pleased with my Ravens.
I jumped on a bandwagon and decided to follow a meme for the rest of the year (as much as I can)... the Top Ten Tuesday meme here! Sadly, it's Thursday... but I am undaunted!
Here are my top ten characters I'd switch places with, in no particular order.
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) - not that I could ever be her... she's brilliant... but I would love to live in a world where magic like that was real.
Susan Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia) - because I want to meet Aslan!
Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice) - How amazing would it be to be part of that world for just a little while? Fancy dresses for balls, servants to cook and clean, parties to attend... and she's not too good for the rest of the world.
Morgaine - it's definitely about the magic, and the time period... this character from Arthurian legend, as portrayed in "The Mists of Avalon,"... I'd love to walk around in her shoes for a little while.
Gemma Doyle (A Great and Terrible Beauty) - her life seems so exotic, and with the magic she discovers, anything is possible!
Bean (Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow) - Bean had it hard, but for the chance to know Ender, I'd switch places with him.
Arwen (Lord of the Rings) - Daughter of an Elven Lord... need I say more? Plus, she has a love affair with one of the most honorable and heroic characters in literature (IMHO)...
Mary Lennox (The Secret Garden) - I know she loses her family and struggles to find her place in a very unforgiving world, but she shines through it all... and the garden is alive and beautiful.
Peter Pan - What I wouldn't give to have adventures, fight pirates, and be able to fly!!!
Alec Ramsey (The Black Stallion) - I read these books when I was young and I have always been enchanted by the Black... and Alec's relationship with him. Fearless. Incredible.
What do you think of my choices? Are there any you would add?
Hey ho everyone! It's been a while since my last post! I need to get back on the wagon for real! So I thought I'd start today with a list of my top 10 favorite books to re-read and why.
Re-reading is not for everyone, I hear. Some people devour a book the first time through, addicted to the rush of not knowing what will happen next (or at least to the illusion of not knowing what will happen next). I call this "plot-angst." When the plot is discovered and the characters all reach their destinations in life (literally and/or figuratively), the non-re-reader's angst dries up. That's all they need from those characters. It's like a one-night stand, really.
Not me! One of my favorite things about reading a book is re-reading. I hurry through the first time to get the "plot-angst" out of the way. Of course we're all drawn in by "what's going to happen" in a good story. But that's why I love to re-read. Without the distractions of "plot-angst", I can focus on the characters... I can really dig in and enjoy who they are. In a good re-read, the characters become like old friends I revisit again and again and again. I want characters I can build a relationship with that will stand the test of time.
Here are my top picks for re-reading (starting at the bottom):
10. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkein - Here's a wonderfully told tale by the master of storytellers. Adventures, dragons, battles, treasure, what's not to love? Whenever I pick this book up I feel I'm going home.
9. The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis - I could fill up my entire list with separate books from this series, but that wouldn't be fair. Though some I love more than others (The Last Battle, Voyage of the Dawn Treader) this entire series is a wonderful re-read, and the characters fill me up every time.
8. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte - A tragic love story whose characters and plot always leave me puzzling over how their lives and loves could become so painfully desperate.
7. A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray - I just re-read this book (first in a three book series) the other day and I loved it even more than the first time! The setting and the plot are both so intricate and the characters really stand out to me. I'm hoping the rest of this series will hold up as well.
6. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen - God I love this book. Darcy and Elizabeth steal my heart every time I read and I love to mull over the burgeoning feminism that Austen laces her characters with... wit, intelligence, independence. Sigh...
5. The Crystal Cave, Mary Stewart - What an amazing story this is. Stewart made King Arthur and Merlin seem real to me... her use of history and mythology woven together to create a world like no other will have me going back to her novels (and England) again and again.
4. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card - The Ender books will always have a special place for me. You'd think this is one series that would lose it's luster once you know the ending, but it's not so. Ender's tortured soul stole my heart from day one. I can't help myself.
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling - Epic. If you leave off the 17 years later tag at the end, this is a masterpiece of a work for me, and after following the characters all the way through their journey to defeating Voldemort, the pay-off is worth every bit of ink.
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling - This book really struck me deeply. Why? Not so much the main characters... Harry, Ron, Hermione all go through a lot of changes in this novel and that's great. But Neville steals my heart in this book... he grows up and becomes more multi-dimensional... and I love him for it.
1. The Book of Flying, Keith Miller - Sheer poetry and whimsy. I will always enjoy re-reading this modern fairy tale. I highly recommend you give it a try as well. Miller's writing is stunning and his story goes straight to the heart. It's something to aspire to.
What are your favorites and do you re-read often? What does it take to get you to crack a book for a second time?
Look! I wrote a guest post here for Emily Suess's "Break Into Freelance Writing" program and I got paid to do it. Please go visit her blog and give me a little comment-luv!
I am a little ashamed to admit this, but I have a hard time with world-building... I know, what kind of a fantasy writer AM I? I get myself confused and turned around trying to figure where things are and how long it takes to get there, and what happens in the meantime...
Although I love being able to break "Earth rules" in a truly fantasy world, I find it's easier to set my fantasy on good old planet Earth, in exotic locations. The distances and basics suddenly write themselves! Of course, I still can't decide which island and town my MCs hail from... and that will matter in the long run... but at least I have a starting point.
My current WIP is set in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. I visited last year... of course, I've been smitten with the islands for years now. I first read about them in Mary Stewart's Merlin novels... then in T.H. White's Once and Future King... and then when I looked them up, I stumbled on Orkneyjar, the most rich and fascinating website! I've spent hours falling down rabbit holes and following my nose... and the research that I've done has really helped me to see the settings I'm trying to write about.
The Orkneys really are thrilling, beautiful, and full of folklore. Who could ask for a better setting for a fantasy? And then! Something amazing like this happens. I could've made that up, but having it be REAL is so much more exhilarating! Don't you think?
What do you do about the details of world-building? Does it come easy to you?
This post is for Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted on the first Wednesday of every month by the fabulous Alex Cavanaugh. Anyone can join. Sign up here! Ok, ok, I don't have a good excuse for posting today instead of tomorrow, except that a few others have and I had this post ready YESTERDAY, so... here you go! Sometimes when I'm painting I get frustrated -- I visualize where things are going versus where I want them to go and I can't make up the difference. I hate that. But then, if I turn the canvas upside down, I get a whole new point of view... and it's inspiring! That doesn't mean I'll leave it that way... but new perspective can help me get my vision back in focus, to realign my aim... and sometimes new and great things come out of it!
I want to figure out how to do that more with my writing... because things are not going at all where I thought they were going with my WIP and I feel pretty deflated about that. So I'm wondering what I can do to regain some inspiration. How can I turn my WIP on its head? Maybe my MCs motivations are more nefarious than I give her credit for. Or maybe my main villain is really my MC...
The cygnets are here and they are
the most beautiful ugly
ducklings I have ever seen.
Thanks to Nick Wilford over at Scattergun Scribblings for bestowing on me the 7x7 award!
I don't really participate in these kinda things anymore (because there are way too many to keep up with!) but this one had some interesting aspects that I wanted to follow through with anyhow. Kind of a blogging retrospective, introspectively... the following links are all to posts from my own blog that I think fit these categories.
Most Beautiful: I'm biased, but Big Island Dolphin Swimming, while not perhaps the most articulately written post, and not even the most well produced video, was the most beautiful experience for me...
Most Helpful & Most Popular: This post was incredibly helpful to me in terms of feedback I got toward my main character Lilith... and it comes in second for number of views on my blog.
Most Controversial: I don't know that I've posted anything "Controversial" yet... but this post with a flash fiction piece I wrote stirred up a lot of speculation...
Most Surprisingly Successful: Possessing the Secret of Joy. Without a doubt, this is the most surprising post. Not because of content, either, I expect. It's an emotional reaction to the novel by Alice Walker. But it has the most views on my blog of all of my posts... even still today.
Most Underrated: This post about my internship with the literary agency was a LOT of fun to write and full of information, but it didn't receive quite the response I was expecting/hoping.
