Creative Inspiration

Earlier this week I sat down to write a scene. One of my characters needed information from another character. Before I sat down to write, I wondered if I were even able to write this scene. Can I make a character be mean to someone else? Do I even know how to manipulate someone? If I don't know how to get what I want, how can I properly write a character that needs to do these things.

In my scene, I had the character call her a liar. She physically reacted but still she refused to give him the information he needed. My bad guy eventually pulled out a gun and held it to her Mother's head. Yes, he got the information he wanted. But what else could I have done? I considered torture. Have him hit her, beat her. But writing that was uncomfortable. I have a feeling I will go back to this scene many times to learn how characters can be mean and to try different things.

Life is interesting.

Whatever I want to learn, I notice the Universe will work with me to bring that information to me.

Today I encountered a customer that I will use as inspiration for many bad characters in the future. He started out a great customer. Nice, talkative, pleasant, complimentary. Then he snapped. Suddenly, the work he previously complimented, was poor work. We worked too slow, even though he had been told how long it would take, and it was done when promised. He insisted we should be responsible for work that wasn't agreed upon, and it was work we aren't qualified to perform. He told me 3 bold faced lies and he looked directly in my face when he said them. I was seething. I have never encountered anyone like this in my life. It took every ounce of restraint not to tell the man off. I admit, I wanted to walk off the job. If we had, we would have not gotten paid for it, even though we had already worked two days there. My husband, who also works with me talked me out of it.

Thankfully, I've worked at the store for 8 years, and hubby has worked there for 25. The store knows our work ethic and it is easy to see the customer was crazy. He complained, quite loudly, and he got what he wanted. He got all the work he wanted done, including what would have cost him $100 if he paid a qualified professional to do what needed to be done because the store brought someone in to do the work he wanted done because he threatened to bad mouth the store.

The point to this blog is, that if I take the time and look around me, I can get great lessons for my writing. I've watched movies and tried to learn from them. But, when I watch a movie, when I see a really bad guy, I think 'no one is like that in real life.' But, I guess that shows me I live a sheltered life.

People are mean. They are manipulative. They will use you to get what they want and they have no consideration for your needs or feelings. I just need to notice them so I can write about them.

Writing Sprints

I have been Nanoing this passed week and I feel great about it. My word count is higher than I expected, and if I continue at the speed I've been going, I will finish a week ahead of schedule.

The problem I'm having is taking advantage of my time. I get off of work and I have at least six hours before my usual bed time. If I can harness the focus there is no telling how much writing I can get done. I know I can't sit at the computer for that length of time, but I can easily work for at least an hour and a half before needing a break. But I get easily distracted. I always have and probably always will.

There isn't any reason why I can't create a structured way for me to write. I was thinking about writing sprints today. With Nano going on, everywhere I look there are people suggesting things to help get in lots of words. Basically, it is setting a time limit and getting down as many words as possible.

It may be the perfectionist in me, but I can't write anything. I want to write my story. So when I get to a point where I have to stop and think, I get side tracked. I punch one tiny button and I'm online. Talk about the distractions. I can waste a lot of time on things I don't need and really aren't interested in.

I guess I'm just babbling and wasting time away from my story. This is my way to think of things and work them out. If it were later in the evening I would pop two sleeping pills and see how many words I can get down before my brain stops working.

maybe, another day.

Keep the Faith

Phantom Dog Bark

Before I get into my blog, I want to say that my family thinks I'm crazy. I say, I'm a writer and I may tell stories. In my mind, the stories are true. At least some of them are. To those that may question my sanity, I will use the excuse that I am practicing my stories and everything I say here is made up. Or, maybe it is the truth?

For several years now, whenever I decide there is something I want to do, for example writing, I often sit down to figure out how to make time for my new project.  Many times, the answer is for me to get up earlier than my husband. In the early morning hours, I think clearer, and I have peace and quiet. It has come to be my favorite time of the day.

Yesterday Nano started. For those of you not familiar with Nano, it is National Novel Writing Month. So, I decided to take out an old WIP and rewrite it. It was never the story I wanted it to be. It was boring and didn't have enough conflict. I've been wanting to take it out and have another go at it. So, yesterday, I started it. Again.

This morning, I lay in bed sound asleep. Sidney, my shih tzu barked to go outside at 5:30. It isn't unusual for him to bark to go out. I usually drag myself out of bed, and let him out, then go back to bed 10 minutes later. So, I got up, got dressed, (that's right, I sleep in the nude.) and headed toward the door, which is on the other side of the house.

When I got there, no dog. I walked back to the bed. He was sound asleep, on the bed, next to where I was sleeping. There was no way he barked at the door, if he was asleep beside me.

All I could do is laugh. This isn't the first time this has happened. Yes, I am admitting to hearing a phantom dog bark. This has happened at least a dozen times in the last few years.

I don't think it has ever happened at random. It is always when I plan on waking early in the morning to get something done. No, we never set an alarm clock. We wake naturally. So, if I want to wake up early I have to set it in my mind when I go to bed at night to wake early. I hadn't done it the night before like I should have.

I like to think it is God helping me with my goals.

I would love to hear if anyone ever has odd happenings that can't be explained. If there is anything odd, what do you say is the cause of the odd thing?

Keep the Faith

Nano Enthusiasm

Yes, I'm doing Nano. Again. I tried about five years ago, and didn't accomplish much. If I made it passed two days, I would be surprised. Back then I had no clue how to write a book. I'm not saying I know everything now, but I have plenty of writing classes under my belt and I'm a bit more organized.

I've tried to set my own deadlines to help me finish a WIP. I have finished them, and submitted them in on time, but not a project as big as 50K.

As I take a few days before November 1 to contemplate what I am up against, I ponder what I need. Plot outlines. check. Know my characters. check. Time to dedicate. check

All set. Right? I don't think so. My history shows me that the first sign of trouble, my mind wanders to another project. I can think of a million excuses to move on to another project. I would rather write on anything than sit there and stare at a blank screen. The other characters are screaming louder than these. On and on. But, it seems I don't ever finish the large projects. I did get one about 95% done, but there wasn't enough conflict, and it fell flat. If I'm going to be a writer, I want to write something that people will enjoy reading.

So, I need to work on my enthusiasm. Seriously, I'm so ready for Nano to start. I thought about starting today. But, I'm not going to cheat. I know when I cheat, and I am in this to improve my writing. If I cheat, I am not doing myself any good.

I bought the book 'No Plot No Problem'. It was written by the guy that started Nano. He stated some of the rules, and he suggests starting on a new book, and not working on one you have already started. I really don't need to start another project. But, he did say it was okay to add 50,000 words to a book you have already started. In other words, I just have to add everything up that I am writing from Nov 1-31 and not include what I have written before. I can do that.

The whole reason I am doing this, is to get in the habit of writing every day and writing new stuff. Not rewriting old stuff, which I could do over and over again.

So, if you are doing Nano, feel free to buddy me. chr15ty

Love to hear if you are doing it or not.

Keep the Faith

PS Another suggestion in the book is to kick your internal editor to the curb. Which means to write and not edit as you go. He suggests to even stop editing emails and personal things. So, this blog is not edited. Deal with it. :)

My bookshelves

I just read Samantha's blog. She posted a picture of her bookcase. That is an interesting thought. Most of my friends are avid reader, and some, like me, are writers.

In my opinion, one look at a person's bookshelf tells volumes about a person. And, if they don't have a bookshelf, because they own no books, that also says a lot. So, I'm going to share pics of my bookshelves with you and let you decide what type of person I am.

This is the top shelf of 'my' bookshelf. It is full of M&Bs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. One day I would love to read them all, but I don't have the time to dedicate to them now. So, there is no way I'll ever get rid of them.

This is the whole bookshelf. Notice, all of the shelves, except the bottom one has books in front of others. It's shove them all in there. Notice the Santa? This is in my spare room, so I never bothered to put him away. Under him is the snowman.

This is in the living room. It was hubby's idea to put them all together for a place for the knick-knaks. If I had my way, I would use two of them beside my desk to store all of 'my books.' But, we don't have room by my desk for them and hubby doesn't want the bookshelves loaded down in the living room. My opinion is a bookshelf isn't happy unless it is loaded down with books. Hubby likes to make things overly fancy.

Feel free to tell us about how you store your books.

Rewrite update

To my horror, I saw the book I had been working on for years, wouldn't work. I refuse to throw it away, so instead, I decided to work with it and rewrite it.

When I knew I needed to tackle the story in a big way, I sat down to brainstorm ideas. I couldn't come up with any, so I grabbed a book off the bookshelf and started reading.

On a side note, this is a technique I've used for years. If I have a problem, I will ask the universe for guidance, and then listen to where I need to go to find the answer. I decided I wanted to read about writing, and I grabbed the first book I saw. 

I grabbed Karen S. Wiesner's book From First Draft to Finished Novel. I've had the book a while, and never read it all the way through.

It's actually a good book. She has examples to help you understand her technique. Funny enough she mentioned a character that was afraid of dogs. I laughed, thinking wouldn't it be funny if my heroine had a phobia of dogs. Not a shoo dog, get away from me phobia, but an all get out, terrified, gonna pee in your pants phobia. Oh, the hero is a Canine Shifter, so it would complicate things big time.

So, what was my first reaction. Nope, can't do it. That would be way to hard to write. Then I think of a picture I saw of Stephen King and a quote that says not to stop writing something because it is too emotional or too hard. (don't think I quoted exactly, but it was something like that)

So, there is my challenge. My book isn't right as it is, so why not completely change it?

I started about a week ago. I have scrapped several scenes and completely rewritten them, and changed minor details in others. I'm about one quarter of the way done.

My goal is to finish the draft by the end of the month and have it edited by before Christmas. 

I'll keep you informed of my progress.

Yay, gotta get my 2 hours done for today.

My Writing Nightmare

At least that's the way I used to think of it. I am so bad about jumping from one project to another one before I can wrap up my story. I have  four novels I've started. The first one I started five years ago. It is completed, but there is something wrong with it. I love the story, but I can't do anything with it because I know there is an issue.

I broke down and hired a professional editor to look over the first three chapters. There were a lot of comments, but the main ones came down to it being confusing and not enough conflict.

What am I going to do about it? Toss it in the trash and move on? No, I love the story.

Five years ago, I wanted to be a writer. I had no clue how to write a book, but I opened a word file and began typing. I had no idea how to plot. I had no idea about conflict or motivation. If someone said POV, I was lost.

That's about the time I discovered online classes. Wow!

I've rewritten the story a dozen times. Each time I add something  I learned in all the wonderful writing classes. I put what I thought was motivation and conflict.

The hero is a werewolf. The heroine is a werewolf hunter. Yeah, this is the story that is confusing and has no conflict.

There is a reason I have four novels started. I get to a point that is hard, and I jump ship, only to climb onto another boat that has a different problem.

I'm going back to my original novel. I opened up a new file. I no longer use Word, but Scrivener, but the process is the same. I'm starting with a blank page and rewriting the story.

Why am I blogging about my apparent failure to write a readable book? I am a writer. I may not be Stephen King, or Nora Roberts, or JK Rowling. But I am me, and I will write a book I am proud to say I wrote. My journey may take longer than others, but I am determined to do what I want to do. Write

Look for my novel, to be completed by years end. My deadline, December 31. Ya' know what? I changed my mind.

In my house we joke about me not having a birthday this year. My birthday is December 22. The day after some believe the world will come to an end. It won't come to an end. I will turn 45 this year, and life will continue.

But just in case. I want to finish this story before the Apocalypse.

Scrivener

 A few weeks ago, I saw a workshop on Savvy Authors Scrivener. It was  a free workshop, so naturally I took advantage. 

I had heard about it before and was interested, but it was only for Mac, which I don't have. Well, they recently came out with a Windows version, so I downloaded it and started playing around. 

Holy Macrel!!!

I have always loved organization, but this is way beyond an organize freaks dream. The best thing is that it takes next to no time to organize things in it.

There are certain things every writer has to make sure is included in their story and other things to make sure remains consistent. I have always made notes of these things, character descriptions, traits, backgrounds. When writing scenes, I have to know my goals, and motivations, etc...

With scrivener, I can have all of this information right on the screen, or at the push of a button. If someone were to tell me this before I knew scrivener, I would think, "Yeah, sure and all the writing would be teeny tiny, too." But that isn't the case.

I admit, I've been thinking of getting a larger monitor since I started working with Scrivener, but the one I use is plenty big enough if I were to be honest with myself. I bought my 21 inch monitor before they started making all TVs and monitors widescreen, so it is square.

I used to sit down at a blank Word page and try to write. Now, I open Scrivener. I see the Binder on the left. It is a list of every document I have. It is in any order I want, and it can be color coded if I want. In the center is the Editor. That is the document I choose to work with.

On the right is the Inspector. That keeps all the information about a document. It can be removed from the screen, or I can keep it right there where I can refer to it anytime. What can I put there? Anything. I like to keep my goals, motivations, conflicts, and possible decisions my character needs to make. I can look at notes I made on the story in general, or notes on the scene or chapter.

I can also split the screen and have more than one document up at once. This is something I always wanted to do. Yeah, I can have more than one document open on Word, but I can't look at them side by side. Once when I went to the accountant, she had two monitors so she could see more than one window. I admit, I considered buying another monitor so I could do this.

There is also a corkboard screen. That is for those that like the 3x5 card method to look at information. I don't care for it all that much, but I do like that if I get to a point I'm not sure what should happen, I have information I can look at in more than one way to jog my brain.

Would I recommend Scrivener to a friend? Oh, yeah. I invite everyone to check it out.

What are the drawbacks? Before I send it out, I have to export it to Word. But, it takes seconds to do that. I have gotten used to using the comment section with Word. It is when I am doing a general read, and want to take notes for when I edit.The comments are there, but separated so the text remains the same.  With Scrivener, I change the color and write within the body.

I admit, I am not familiar with everything, but I'm working on it. I'll give a Scrivener update should I come across something that is fabulous.

4 letter words in Writing

In real life I try to watch the language I use in speech. I avoid cuss words. I avoid negativity. I avoid offending others. No matter what I do, I have found others will always interpret things differently than how I mean. So, people are offended, hurt and disgusted by my words.

In my writing, I find I do the same thing. My characters don't say shit, or damn, or the f-word. But, that isn't realistic. In revisions, I cringe when I nudge myself. Knowledge hits me that that kind of word belongs in that spot. I want to fight and argue with myself. Why do they have to say that? There are a million other ways a character can express themselves. Why do I have to give in?

It's not giving in. I'm not doing it. The character in my book is doing it. It makes them realistic. The readers expect it. I don't write Disney. I write adult fiction.

Sure, a reader, somewhere along the line may think what my Mom always said. "Why do they have to do all that cussing on TV?" I agree, I don't like it either. But when I walk down the street, or go into the store, or anywhere there are people, there is cussing. It's what people do.

Am I the only one that struggles with this?

My Sister Says I'm Crazy

My sister says I'm crazy. I think it is funny that she thinks that. I believe many things and most of these things, I keep to myself. On occasion, I tell my sister. After I speak to her, she tells me I am crazy.

What kinds of things do I tell her? I talk to God. He talks back. She doesn't believe me, but that is her loss. Why? Because everyone can talk to God. This world would be a much nicer place if everyone chose to talk, and listen to God.

I admit, I usually talk to God when I am frustrated or unsure of myself. Which reminds me of a grown child that only comes to see Mom and Dad when they need money. That communication is open all the time. Just like the door to see family is always open.

I have also learned that God is funny. He has a wonderful sense of humor. I asked God one time if he ever made anything that made him laugh. God never answers right then. I have to wait until he, or she, is ready to answer. I did receive an answer, and I promptly told many people. Most, look at me like...I'm crazy. The next day, I walked outside of work, and I saw a lime green spider and on his back, he had an orange smile.

There are times when I don't want to wait for an answer. Today I asked a question and I was given an answer by a cloud. Have you ever talked to clouds? I have. They are awesome to talk to. Talking to a cloud takes a bit of work. You need to use your imagination. It also helps if it is during the day and for it to be cloudy, and a bit windy. What kind of question can you ask a cloud? Believe it or not, anything. I can honestly say every question I have ever asked a cloud, I have been given a logical answer.

You also have to have an open mind and have trust in yourself. I'll use my question today as an example. A little about me. I am a writer. I practice and I study writing. I am working to revise the first book I wrote. Lately, I've been digging into a lot of craft books and trying different techniques to improve.

I didn't go outside to talk to a cloud. I went outside and glanced up and saw the fluffy fast moving clouds. I though, oh how nice. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to have a conversation with the cloud. So, as I sit there trying to think of a question, I think of my writing. I know I'm trying hard, studying, spending hours, reaching out to others. I don't think there is anything else I can do to learn the craft. But, the question is there in my head, so I have to ask. Is there anything else I can do to improve my writing?

How do you get an answer? 
You can stare at the clouds, until you see a figure that you recognize, or you can close your eyes and open them at random. At that point, you will see something in the cloud. It can be an animal, it can remind you of an object you know, it can be anything. When you see that thing in the cloud, think about it. What does it represent to you? This is the tricky part. No one can do this for you. The clouds are talking to you, and you have to translate the meaning. If you see a rabbit, and you think hop. Then perhaps you should hop to something else. If you see a rabbit, and you think of ears. It can be telling you that you heard the answer already. 

This is where the trust comes in. Trust that your first thought is the right answer.

So, what did I see when I asked the cloud? Is there anything else I can do to improve my writing? I saw the cloud smiling down at me. It was a face. A face with fat cheeks and huge smile. The eyes were shaded, like they were partly closed because the smile was so big. That told me that I have to enjoy the process of writing. I have to stop slaving so hard like it is work. To remember that I am writing because it is what I love to do.

I then thought, I want to blog about this. That would be fun. Yeah, maybe no one will read this? Yeah, maybe everyone will read this and think I'm crazy? Yeah, but I really don't care. I love this life, and I'm going to have fun. I hope you do to.

Keep the Faith

The easiest Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

I fondly remember my Dad talking about his favorite meal. Chicken and Dumplings. It was always a Sunday meal, because it took my mom all day to make it. She made her own dumplings from scratch. I did it a few times after I married and moved out. It got to be one of those dishes I thought of fondly, but didn't care to make.

That is, until I learned of this recipe from my second husband. If you've read any of my other blogs, I don't measure. I'll tell you exactly the way I made it, and you are free to adjust to your desire.

I use leg quarters. Today, I used two. Boil them with a bit of salt. Don't worry about over boiling. It is better if you get them to fall apart. I then take them out of the water and let them cool. After they have cooled, I remove the skin, fat and bones. I then transfer the water I used to boil the chicken into another pot. I usually strain it just to make sure small bones haven't fallen in the water.

Today I added onions. Hubby doesn't add it, but I decided to try it today. I added the onions to the water and put the water, now chicken broth on to boil. Then I take the tortillas and tear them up into bite sized pieces and add it to the water. I used 4 tortillas but hubby often uses 7 or 8. When it boils, it puffs up making the best and easiest dumplings ever. After it cooks a few minutes, I add back the chicken.

After about 10 minutes, it is ready to eat. But, this is one of those dishes that the more you let simmer or set, the better it is. I'll let it simmer as long as it still has a decent amount of water.

The Woman That Inspires Me

We can always find time for the things we want most.
Selma Dunn-Williams

I have fond memories of sitting for hours with my Great Aunt Selma. She told us wonderful stories of what it was like when she was a child. Decades later, I can only look back and wish I had used a tape recorder and took notes of all the tales she shared with us.

Yesterday, my sister shared with me a newspaper article that was written in the Atlanta Journal on January 31, 1937. It was titled Georgia Woman Builds Her Own Home.

Women can do remarkable things. I've met women builders. They are great. They are also rare. I have worked construction jobs for decades, and have only met one woman builder.

What does it take for a woman to be a builder these days? Study for a few years and get licensed as a general contractor. Not so hard.

I look at the newspaper article. It has no mention of studying and licensing that someone has to do these days to build a home. But, I am truly in awe by the time I finished the article. To explain why, let me just show you the quote from under the picture. 

Mrs. Selma Dunn Hughes, who drew the plans, sawed the lumber, drove the nails, laid the bricks and did everything else about her six-room house.

Okay. The women that are builders these days don't do that. Not, even the men that are builders do that. They hire and oversee the different trades as they come to work on the house. They don't actually do the physical labor involved in the process.

That's wonderful that a woman, in her spare time, built her own house. Wouldn't you love to have the time to do that? According to the article, it took her 8 months to build the home.

So, my Aunt Selma wanted a house. She drew the plans, saved the money, and physically built the house. That alone would inspire me to look at my life and  evaluate if I am doing what I truly want to do.

But, the article doesn't stop there. At the time, my aunt was widowed. She had one income. Hers. She worked full time at the mill. She had two young daughters at the time. She lived with her Dad and brothers at the time. So she also had the responsibility to fix their meals and take care of the house. (Because, at the time, that is what women did, men didn't)

So, when did she have time to build a house? The article covered that also. Her day started at 4:30. She did her chores, and cooked breakfast for the family. By the time the sun rose, she usually had her chores done. That's when she worked on the house while caring for her daughters. She worked until 12:30. She made lunch for everyone and then got ready for work. She worked 2 -10.

I have learned so much about my Aunt with reading this article. I am honored to be related to her. She has inspired me to look at my schedule and find time to do what I really want to do. 

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Food. I'm always thinking about it. Not that I'm hungry all the time. But with a family, a woman always has to have a plan for that nights dinner. Oh, to be single again and be able to plop a frozen dinner in the microwave and save that hour of kitchen work. But alas, I wouldn't give up married life for that free time in the evening.

Today, I was chatting with my most awesome friend Samantha.  What is the top topic of women? Well, yes it is men, but the second top topic is food. What are you cooking tonight?

I'm cooking meatloaf. Then I read my friends response. I've never had meatloaf before. ???? This has always been a popular meal here in the US. If you ask my husband, he wants it at least once a week. I like it, but not that often. Once a month would be fine for me.

So, for all my overseas friends, here is how you make a meatloaf. Oh, and I guesstimate amounts. I own measuring cups, but I don't actually measure anything.

1 pound hamburger meat. (I think those in UK call it minced beef)
1/2 chopped onion (hubby uses a whole onion and I call it onion loaf when he makes it)
1 egg
2 slices bread, cut in small pieces
steak sauce, or worstershire sauce, or ketchup
salt and pepper

Throw everything in a bowl. Well, except the egg. Crack it open and put the egg in and throw away the shell. It will be crunchy if you use the whole egg. I use about two tablespoons worstershire sauce in mixing it. Now, stick your hands in and get real messy. Yep, the best way is mix it with your hands real well. I then form it into a loaf and put it in a loaf pan and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes. You can use a 9x9 pan. It bakes faster that way and is not as thick. When it is done cooking, drain the fat, otherwise it will be real greasy.

I don't mix ketchup in my loaf. I put a thin layer on top before I bake it. Hubby mixes it in and puts it on top.

The great thing about meatloaf is there are thousands of ways of making meatloaf. My mom used to cut up bell pepper in it. The bread is really a filler. It is a way to make the meat stretch farther. When you eat it, it seems like you are eating all meat. The egg just helps keep it together and not fall apart. I've had friends that use barbeque sauce instead of ketchup or steak sauce.

I usually make mashed potatoes and gravy to go with it. Hubby likes acre peas with it.

Enjoy
Keep the Faith

Author Interview. S R Cole

I'm happy to have with us today S R Cole. She is here to tell us of her magical world of gorgeous hero's like Wild Bill Williams.  Be sure to check out the exclusive, first time seen her, of S R Cole's next book at the end of this interview.

So Stace, firstly how are you feeling about your new release? (Congratulations by the way!) Pretty exciting time for you huh?
Thanks Sam! I’m very excited to be here with you today.
It is pretty exciting yes, but also terribly nerve-wracking! Of course writers improve the longer they write and the more they write, but as this is my first published book, I want to make a good impression. I’m completely in love with my hero, Bill and I want others to fall for him too.

Take us back, what initially got you into writing and your passion for books?
My brother passed away when I was ten and I wrote a poem about him in school. It was then that I realized how good it felt to get what I was thinking and feeling on paper. I have been a book worm all my adult life, so writing what I love to read as been a natural progression.

What inspired you to write The Bodyguard’s Secret Baby?
I love bodyguards. I love protective men and I love cowboys. I’m also a huge lover of secret baby stories and medical romance, so I wanted to write something that combined everything I love in one book.

Are any of your characters based on real people, or are they completely from imagination?
They are all from my imagination, although all of my heroes have a little of my friend Maurice in them. He is my own personal hero and so I can’t help but think of him when I write. Later this year, I’ll be writing two fire-fighter stories, there will be a lot of him in them.

What genre of story do you enjoy writing? Romance obviously, any others tucked up your sleeve…?
I do have something else up my sleeve right now that I am hoping to start work on in the next few weeks, but I’m keeping it under my hat for now.
 

Who is your favorite writer? 

Oh gosh, there are just too any to choose from. I love Shirley Jump, Melissa McClone, Donna Alward, Maya Angelou and of course, E. L. James. I’m totally hooked on the fifty Shades series right now.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you have a method? Are you a pantser or a plotter?
I’m a pantser, all the way. Plotting really doesn’t work for me as I am too fickle. I never know which direction I’m going to take so I try not to plan too much.

Where do you find/take inspiration from? 
Honestly? I really don’t know. An idea just pops in my head and if I like it, I go with it. So I guess you could say I’m inspired by my gut!


What do you like to do other than writing?
I love to read, but that’s pretty much a given. I also love to bake, scrapbook, listen to music. I also love to shop and of course, eat chocolate.

Some quick fun questions...

Starter or desert?
Both – I’m greedy!

Summer or Winter?
Winter. I hate the heat.

Favorite colour?
Oooh, that’s a tough one! I love purple, but I’m also a huge lover of red, gold and brown too. I really can’t choose my fave out of those. - Purple's my favourite too!

Place you were born?
London

Star sign?
Gemini

Favorite food?
Indian and of course Ben & Jerry’s!

Name one thing you are scared of.
Spiders! Urgh!

If you were stranded on a desert island (don’t worry help is on its way!) Who would you like to be stranded with for a day or two?
Ha, this question made me laugh!
I really should say my boyfriend, but I’m going to say George Clooney. Or maybe Jensen Ackles or David Boreanaz. Hmm, can I choose all of them? - I knew you were going to say Clooney!! And Yes, ok I shall allow you have them all!

Where in the world would you most like to visit right at this moment in time?
The US! I want to visit every state before I die. So far I’ve only managed California, so I have a lot of work to do and a lot of books to sell to achieve my goal!

What is next for S. R. Cole…
At this moment in time? Popping to the shop to buy some Coke! I’m a caffeine addict and I’m all out! Beyond that, my plans are not quite so well thought out. I live for the moment so I don’t really think ahead. I do know that there’s lots more writing to come, including a collaboration that will be completely different to my usual writing style. And of course, I’m working on my second cowboy-bodyguard story, featuring Bill’s brother, Danny. Both books will be being launched together in paperback later this year.

What advice would you give to any aspiring authors (like myself) out there?
Just follow your heart. There are so many tips and courses on the practical side of writing out there, but they are all completely useless if you don’t believe in yourself first. Find your voice and stay true to it. And don't be ashamed or afraid to live or dream.

If you knew you were going to die, what would be the one book you would choose to reread before your end?

Fifty Shades

I can't get enough of it

In the book The Bodyguard's Secret Baby, You wrote Carrie Carlton as a strong woman who thinks quickly under pressure. Is there any strong woman in your life that you thought of when you wrote her?

My mum and my sisters. They are so strong and are a real inspiration to me. It's why I write strong heroines and why the book is dedicated to them.

Did anyone you know inspire your for the character of Bill?

Bill, like all my heroes has a bit of my own real life hero friend, Maurice in him. He has been a life guard, a soldier and is now a fire-fighter and was my own personal hero at a stage in my life when i needed him. So every hero I write has a little Maurice in him.

Who is your favorite secondary character in The Bodyguard's Secret Baby?

Danny Williams and...

his story, Fire at White Hill Ranch will be released in August. 

Oh, excellent. I am definitely looking forward to it. Thank you Stace in being here and allowing us to share with your excitement.

Contact details for S. R. Cole:
You can reach me via Facebook
www.facebook.com/writerstace
On Twitter
@writerstace
And via my blog
www.stacemcsweeney.blogspot.co.uk


Before I go, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to you for having me here today and for helping me celebrate my book launch. x - You are absoloutly welcome! Would love for you to stop by often! All the best with The Bodyguard's Secret Baby, I'm sure it will do ridiculously well.

S. R. Cole

Take time to research

A few days ago I bought a printer. Another one. At this point, I have no idea how many I've gone through in the last ten years. I spent three hours on the internet researching printers. This is a first for me, and if I had bothered to do that years ago, I would have bought the right one for me in the beginning.

I had always had people steer me in the direction of Inkjet printers. They say they are 'better'. The last few years, I've been writing. Now, I stop and ask, what do you mean by better? Better how? faster? clearer? prints more? color?

Since I also have a history of having inkjet printers, I know what I like and don't like about them. I love printing professional pictures at home. I'm not a picture person. I don't want to take 24 pictures and pay to  have them all printed up. Am I showing my age here? I'm sick of buying ink cartridges. Also, when I ran out of color ink, I wouldn't let me print anything. Not even a black and white page. Now, that's not right.

So, when I start my research, the first thing I looked at is what cartridge the printer used and what the yield is. Yield is the average number of pages a cartridge will print. I also priced the cartridges. Most web sites don't give you all this information. That's why it took me three hours. I would have to go to one web site to look at the printer, another to find out what cartridge it used, and even another to find out the yield.

I never did this until last week, but I figured I am paying 20 cents for every page I am printing, plus the cost of paper. Now that I know that, I started thinking twice before printing.

During my research I looked at laser printers also. They do have laser printers that print color. Most of them are black and white. 95% of what I print is black and white.

To make a long story short, I found a printer. I had to buy it online and I got it two days ago. It's a xerox 3210. The printer was $230 which comes with a cartridge with a yield of 2,000. I can buy a high yield cartridge that will print 5,000 for less than $50. Quick math, that is 1 penny a copy, plus paper. Yes, it is only black and white. But, who cares? I can print tons.

Yes, I do recycle paper. Save a tree.

So far I love my printer. I'm keeping the old one for when I want to print pictures.

Moral of the story. Research and know what you are buying.

Writer Distractions

It never fails. I get to the good part, and I develop a strong need to go get a drink of water. I always think of a little kid at bedtime screaming, "I'm thirsty." I get up, pour 1/8 of a glass of water. Because, when I got up, I had nearly a full glass. And I trudge back to the desk.

Oh, email. I might have gotten an important email in the last fifteen minutes. I check all three accounts, usually nothing or junk mail I just delete. Thirty minutes later, after reading several news stories about people I don't know and didn't need to know about, I realize I should be writing.

I pull up my WIP and think of something else to do. Why do I do this? I am not alone. I've read other writers that talk about finding other things to do besides write. Writers that struggle with distractions always have sparkling clean toilets. I imagine real writers have messy houses. There have been just a few times in my brief writing career that I was so focused, I didn't have a problem with distractions.

I'm still trying to figure out how I got that focused and how to get it back. When I find out, I'll be sure to blog about it.

I'm the type of person that tends to go to extremes. I see I have this problem, so I'll do something about it. What can I do? You may ask. I can duck tape myself to my chair. I like my chair. I really don't want to do that. I can write a reminder sticky note. "Don't get up unless the house is on fire or you are about to go in your britches." I have many sticky notes. It won't take long until it goes unnoticed. Plus, that isn't in the category of extreme. I like extreme.

I rearranged my bedroom/office yesterday. Not because I wanted to, but because I am getting a new printer and I decided to change my desk area a bit. (I'll blog about my printer once I get it)

As I was deciding where my new printer will go, I thought I needed a new table. I didn't want to splurge for a table so I walked around the house to see what I already have that would work. Boy, did I find a solution. I have a small refrigerator that looks like a safe. That will be my new printer stand. Not only that, but I can no longer get up to get a drink because if I need one, it is beside me. It is a constant reminder that I don't need anything. I need to finish my WIP.

My soul knows I am a writer. So, forget everything else, and enjoy writing, even when I get to that difficult scene that makes me think.

God is Watching

A few days ago a friend went to the Da’vinci exhibit in London. She sent me a picture of one of his drawings. It was so detailed it must have taken him hours to draw. I began to wonder about how he had the energy, brain power, and focus to accomplish everything he did in his life.

Everyone else has to sleep a third of their time, and work for a living a third of the time. That leaves a third of our time for pleasure, to do whatever we want to do. In theory that is. Most have family obligations and normal household chores. We do have to eat and prepare those meals.

So, what did Da’vinci do different than I’m doing? How did he find the energy and focus? Maybe he just decided that is what he wanted to do and didn’t let anything come before it. I don’t know about him, but I decided to ask God. Yes, I admit I talk to God. I have for years. I have also learned, if I stop and listen, he DOES talk back.

How he usually answers can be another blog post. This time when he answered my question, it was clear.

I had a dream.

I was in a crowded theatre. I can’t recall what I was there for, but I looked over and saw my family sitting all together. When I say, all my family, it was all my family. All my cousins, my aunts and uncles, and my Mom. For those that know me, Mom died years ago. I got up to go talk to Mom. My cousin stopped me and told me I can’t talk to her.

A quick side note. I dream a lot. And, my family and friends are often in my dreams. But those that are deceased, I have never been able to talk to. I can sit with them, but communication is always forbidden. That is just one reason I believe some dreams are real. They are real places and real spirits you encounter while in the dream state.

As I walked out of the theatre, I realized I left my purse. At that same time, a woman walked up to a counter with my purse and gave it to another lady. I told them it was mine. They ignored me and opened my purse and looked at my name. I was then told I was dead. I argued. I’m young, I want to do things.

The next thing I know, I was placed in a big bubble and Morgan Freeman was sitting in a chair beside me. He said I needed to rest a while. Inside the bubble was the most comfortable bed and I overlooked a forest and a waterfall. It started raining on the bubble and it sounded like my tin roof when it rained. I thought it was the perfect sleeping place.

It was after I was awake that I remembered Morgan Freeman played God in Bruce Almighty. Yes, God has a sense of humor.  

Later, I was walking around a resort type of place. I enjoyed wonderful conversation with many people. Everyone was talking about their life and what they did. I made the statement that I wanted to write but never did. I was asked, “Why didn’t you?”

Just like my life everyday, numerous excuses popped in my mind. Every single one I came up with, I was shown that excuse is not true. I have the time. I have the talent. I have the tools.

I then woke at 3 AM. For weeks now, I’ve been wanting to get up at 3 AM to write. It works out well because I have no distractions, and I have plenty of energy before work. I have gotten out of the habit when I had to work more time at my job. I admit I am one of the lucky ones that own my own business and if I put in 30 hours a week, it is a busy week. Which proves I have more time than most to write. 

Thank you, God, for that dream. 

What is it that you want to do with your life? Are you making excuses not to do it? Why?

Obama's Writing tips

 

I just read an article about President Obama and his past. As a writer, I thought this part was particular interesting. I don't know when this actually happened, but the advice is pretty good.



A friend sent Obama a manuscript for editing, Obama wrote back with five tips:

1)  "Careful about too many adverbs, particularly describing how people speak (Paul asked disbelievingly, etc.) It can be cumbersome and a bit intrusive on the reader"

2) "Resist the temptation of easy satire...Good satire has to be a little muted. Should spill out from under a seemingly somber situation."

3)  "Try to get the basic stats on the characters out of the way early {Paul was 24} so that you can spend the rest of the story revealing character."

4) "Think about the key moment(s) in the story, and build tension leading to those key moments."

5) "[W]rite outside your own experience...I find that this works the fictive imagination harder."

Rejections

I received my first rejection today. Oddly, I'm not upset by it. It was for my submission for Fast Track. A thought just crossed my mind. By referring to it as my 'first rejection' is that setting me up for a second and third? Not sure, but just like baseball players wear the same pair of socks to every game, I'm going to be superstitious and say my 'only rejection'.

It was really nice. They had a paragraph talking about how they read it with interest(the doubter in me wonders if they really did). They went on to say my style and voice show potential.

Their main concern is that I did not set up the romance fast enough. This is something I'll have to mull over.

If they aren't interested, I'm not sure I will change the story for them.  I will however keep going on it, with a fire under my butt, to get it done.

Has anyone else had an equally happy experience concerning a rejection?

What about a horrible rejection? Was it so bad you wondered if they were even talking about your submission?

Keep the Faith

Waiting

Last month I entered Harlequin's Fast Track. It wasn't something I put a lot of thought in. I read about the opportunity months ago and decided to pass on it. Then a good friend mentioned it a few days before it closed. She decided to do it.

Harlequin Fast Track was opening submissions for a set time and guaranteed a response by May 18th. I thought about my writing goals. I set a goal that I would submit 4 things this year, either to a publisher or entering contests. It is May, and I have done only 1 to date. So, I looked over my WIPs and decided I had one that may fit into the categories they were looking for. But the catch was, it was the story I planned on completely revising.

So, with several days remaining, I got to work. I started by rewriting the first chapter and then I wrote a synopsis of the story. If you aren't familiar with a synopsis, it highlights the main points of the story. Yes, I wrote on on a synopsis on a story that is only written up to chapter 1.

I submitted it. What did I hope to get from it. Really, just a check on my goal list telling me I can write well enough to show it to others. I am also hoping for a little feedback. But if I think realistically, they are probably reading through this giant stack with a deadline, so I don't see getting a lot of feedback. But how long does it take for them to read over half of my chapter and send me a sweet form letter saying, Thank you for your submission, but no thank you. 

So why am I dwelling on this? I have no idea. I submitted and really forgot about it. Suddenly, I notice tomorrow is the day they guarantee an answer. So, I am constantly checking email. Crazy behavior when I should be busy writing and working on a story--any story.

Are you a patient waiter, or do you go crazy, like I seem to be doing at the moment?

Keep the Faith

Mom's Fried Chicken

Today, I was talking with my critique partner and we got on the subject of food. I happen to mention hubby was in the kitchen frying chicken.

But this brings up a story of my Mom. My Mom was famous for her cooking. Years after her death, we sit around and talk about how good of a cook she is. What little girl doesn't dream of being a good cook like her Mom?

But, I found out years later, she wasn't always a good cook. When my Mom and Dad were newlyweds, Mom would have dinner ready for Dad when he came home for work. There would always be 'that moment' when Mom would ask, "So, how's the food?"

Dad never learned. He was always brutally honest. "It's a little dry." or, "It isn't done." or, "It's a little bland."

Mom always tried her best to take his comments and do better. But, enough was enough. Finally, they had a big fight over it. She said according to him, there was something always wrong. According to him, she asked, he was just giving her an honest opinion.

A week went by, and Mom cooked without asking anything. Then she did something sneaky. She went to a restaurant and ordered a bucket of chicken. She came home and made the kitchen messy, just like it would be if she slaved in the kitchen. Dad came home and they sat down to eat.

Then came the question. "So, how's the food?"

She asked, so Dad had to tell her the truth. "It's the best chicken I ever ate."

Mom started crying. She wanted to prove there was nothing wrong with her chicken. He didn't understand because he really did think it was good chicken. He wouldn't lie to her.

Mom eventually perfected her fried chicken, and Dad never said a word about it after that. 

I didn't know about this until years later. But when I moved out and started cooking for my family, fried chicken was one of the dishes I could not master. It took me YEARS to get it right. I never fry chicken without thinking of my Mom and her great cooking.

What is your favorite dish and why?

Keep the Faith

Critiques

About a month ago I read a blog from 'The Kill Zone'. It is written by a group of mystery writers. They offered to critique first pages for 30 people. The catch, you had to be one of the first 30 people to submit it.

I pulled up the first page of a WIP I worked on last year. I edited it to death. At the time I thought it was pretty good. But, it had been maybe 6 months since I read it. I thought, oh, I'll look this over and submit it. Of course, if I had my way, I would take a week to check and double check, then submit it. Since I didn't have the time, I submitted it. I only read it enough to submit the word count they asked for, 300 words.

This morning I pulled up blogger and guess what. My heart stopped, I couldn't breath and my whole body spasmed. There it was, my first page for everyone to read and comment, along with a critique from Jordan Dane.

It took me a few minutes before I could gather myself to read it. I had already read some of the critiques on other first pages. They weren't nice. Not that anyone came right out and said 'you write dog do-do', but if they didn't do well, they had to be told.

So, I've been thinking of critiques all day. If we are going to improve as a writer, we have to listen to our readers. I have my fictional world in my head that I see clearly. When I read my work, I see and feel everything. But, I don't know until someone else reads it and comments whether they feel the same as me or not.

Do I have to listen to everything a critiquer says? No. I have learned this by getting quite a few bad ones. Even JK Rowling has one star reviews on Harry Potter.  But hey, if I earn a billion dollars on some of my books, I can seriously overlook a bad review. But until then, I know I need to get critiques and think about what I'm told.

How many critiques do I need? I have a critique partner. What I like about her is she doesn't let me slide on anything. She always seems to catch the things I know have something wrong, but I don't quite know what. But I do believe we need more than one person to read over our work. I admit, I'm not a strong writer. If I was, I would be published with a dozen books under my belt. So, I expect my critique partner to have someone else look over her work. I don't know that magic number, but I will keep putting my work out there and keep getting critiques and opinions to help me work.

So, what did I learn about my page? It's dark. Hehe. I wanted it to be. It is a crime scene. I didn't do well with the description of the park. Nothing new. I am not good with descriptions. It is something I am working on. One person commented the police procedures were wrong. It wasn't something I researched, but there is a reason I wrote it the way I did. I won't change it, and if they could read past 300 words, they would understand also.

Jordan Dane thought it would read better if I started in a different spot and gave more details in the first paragraph and move my descriptions farther down in the chapter. She probably is right. I plan on looking it over in detail more this weekend.

I'm still on cloud 9 that I got such an honored critique. (Yes, I know that is cliche', but hey, it's only a blog, not a published novel)

Feel free to check it out:   http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2012/05/first-page-critique-beware-wolf.html


So, for anyone that has read this far, I will pay it forward and offer to critique a first page of your WIP. Send it to faiththomas365@hotmail.com 
Just put blogger critique in the subject and I'll send it back to you as soon as I can. If you really want more than the first page critiqued, hey, I'm game. I don't do that many critiques and I can use the practice. I'll give you my honest opinion in a positive way.

Keep the Faith

Tricks of a Writer

Yesterday morning while getting ready for work I had the TV on. It was one of the news shows, either The Today Show, or Good Morning America. I have it on just to see the weather. Everything else is noise.

Finally, something pokes my consciousness and I realize they are talking to a writer. I can't say the title of the book. It is non-fiction, about history, or something equally boring to me. They ask him about research. Good question. I listen up. It could help me. Last year I had to research Greece for my characters to go on vacation. He admitted his wife did all the research. I quickly tune him out. She did all the hard work and he gets all the credit. At least she'll get half of the royalties.

He talked about doing all the work on a yellow legal pad with a pen. He doesn't use a computer. I nod my head. My rough drafts are often written long hand. It helps me think. I wonder who did all the hard work of typing and editing if he doesn't do a computer.

Then he starts talking how hard it is to work at home. Because home is where you relax and put your feet up. Oh, yeah. I admit. If I'm home, I am wearing pajamas.

I tried going to Starbucks and Books a Million to work. I can't do it. If I'm out, I like to people watch. I can't get any work done outside of the house either. If I had more money, I would go to a motel to work. ** I just got a lightbulb going off on the top of my head. I have a spare room in the top of the barn. I might try that. Anyway, back to the blog.

The writer I was starting to think did very little real writing, had a solution!!  He said he gets up every morning, puts on a suit and tie, like he's going to work, and writes. He fools his mind. He has his routine to prepare to work, including dressing for work.

How awesome is that? What other tricks are out there??

Keep the Faith

Write or Die

Earlier today I read a comment from Amalie (yes, my blogging friend, I called you out). She commented that she used writeordie.com . So, naturally I had to check it out. If it has to do with writing, I got to check it out. It is a website for writers that adds that proverbial kick in the butt.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, we've all read the way to get a draft done is KOBBIC. That is Keys on board, butt in chair. The concept being, once it is written, it doesn't matter if it is good or not, it is fixable. You can't fix something that isn't written yet.

I haven't gotten to the point that I can just sit and write constant. I don't want to write for an hour and not keep what is written. That is a waste of time. On the other hand, if I sit for an hour and write maybe 100 words, I will keep, maybe, 70 of those words. Because I take me time, I think about the scene and I nit pick every word to make sure it is the right one. But if I sit and write and write and ramble on, I can get maybe 1000 words in an hour. How many would I keep? What if it is 500? 400? 300?

Even if I throw out 90%, that is still more than if I pick my way through. So, this is something I should try, right?

I ran the idea by my CP. She said the same thing I was thinking. No, way am I gonna do that. The super duper kamikaze will delete my words. I'm not going that route. I agreed whole heartedly. This stuff is not for me.

So, I jumped right back over to the website and paid that $10. I pulled it up and guess what. (uh, no I won't put it on kamikaze) but I put it on normal. I like it. I stopped to think and guess what? The screen turned red. I think oh no. So, I start rambling on. I like it. It won't be writing to keep. But it will help me see the scene, get quick character reactions and just scene ideas. I can come back later and delete my 90%.

Have fun writing.
Faith