tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45340409592243025592024-02-07T22:12:12.506-06:00Books to Write ByBooks we love, which guides us on our journey to publication.Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-67851526399203019862014-01-06T11:05:00.001-06:002014-01-06T11:05:37.417-06:0010 Ways How NOT to have a Writing Career.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Several years ago I joined several ladies to form a local Romance Writers of America group. We met once a month and had a critique group which met weekly. I was excited to pursue my writing dreams at last. Over the years, I let several things get in the way of my "dream". I decided if I posted those obstacles I allowed to crowd my dream, perhaps it would help someone else not lose sight of their goals.
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<br />
<strong>Top Ten</strong><br />
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1. Deciding to try yet another method from a particular author after reading a book, reading an article, or attending a workshop.<br />
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2. Constantly starting over... <br />
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3. Not settling on the type of book you want to write. <br />
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4. Debating whether to use your real name. <br />
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5. Not setting aside writing time every day. <br />
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6. Committing to numerous opportunities to serve rather than narrowing options to one or two areas of service.
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7. Instead of writing, spending time thinking about writing, studying about writing, setting up your writing area, talking about writing, or constantly rewriting the first three chapters. <br />
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8. Writing is what you want. However, then realize you cannot pursue multiple interests and end your dream of possible publication. <br />
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9. Failing to recognize if you are writing, you are a writer.
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10. Deciding which criticism is valid and which is poor advice. <br />
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I am taking a break from my writing goal to re-evaluate my dream of writing after surviving a second bout with breast cancer. As I faced my diagnosis, and am now on the other side, I have to consider how I want to spend the remainder of my life. I regret letting the above issues block my writing journey. I will always be a writer, even if it is for my own viewing, but for the time being I am savoring the extra time I've been given in life to discover how I want to spend my remaining days. <br />
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So my advice to you if you have a dream becoming a writer, just write. Read about writing, go to conferences and workshops if you can afford the expense, fellowship with other writers, be open to advice, but in the end put writing first. <br />
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Bad writing is better than no writing at all. Profit from my mistakes and don't let anything stand in the way of your dream whether it is writing or some other area of interest. As Winston Churchill once said in England's Darkest Hours of WW 2, "Never give up, Never, Never, Never give up". <br />
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Where's my yellow legal pad and pen? I need to write something. This is how I write best, in long hand.<br />
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Happy writing,<br />
Sue WatsonMoonine Sue Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13606853537439975545noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-74945914390844851372013-12-02T06:00:00.000-06:002013-12-02T06:00:06.547-06:00The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first time I heard of the book, <strong><em>The Five Love Languages</em></strong> by Gary Chapman, I sat in a romance writer's meeting listening to Margaret Daley speaking how this book can help writers with their character interactions.<br />
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Because I highly value any advice Margaret Daley has for me, I immediately bought the book. Unfortunately, for years it has set on my book shelf collecting dust in my "To Be Read" pile.<br />
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However, back in June my heart became heavy for marriages. Not just young marriages, but troubled marriages. As I began to pray for marriages something interesting happened. A story developed in heart. To make this story the best it could possibly be, I pulled any books on relationships I had on my shelf, including this one and I purchased others. (Other books include <strong><em>Marriage on the Rock</em></strong> by Jimmy Evans and<strong><em> </em></strong><span property="v:itemreviewed"><strong><em>Lifelong Love Affair: How to Have a Passionate and Deeply Rewarding Marriage</em></strong> by Jimmy Evans)</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"><strong><em>The Five Love Languages</em></strong> shows the reader that everybody has a love tank inside them from birth. The love tank when it is full, produces a person who is healthy and happy. When the love tank is empty it produces children who crave mischief and adults who file for divorce.</span><br />
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<span property="v:itemreviewed">If the love tank is so important than discovering how to fill the love tank is even more important. Filling the love tank requires learning the love language of your spouse and children. Once you learn their language then their love tanks can be full and they can be healthy, happy people. You can teach your family about love languages and they speak your love language helping you become healthy and happy.</span><br />
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<span property="v:itemreviewed">The most common love languages, according to Gary Chapman are: <em>Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.</em> There is an online quiz to take to help you learn your love language: <a href="http://www.5lovelanguages.com/"><strong>http://www.5lovelanguages.com/</strong></a> . (I encourage you to take the quiz for you and your family.)</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">So, how can this love language thing help writers? If speaking the wrong love language or not speaking it at all can cause love tanks to run empty and thus cause divorce, then we can assume if we apply this to our characters we can create real conflicts for our characters.</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">For example, if you have a heroine whose love language is quality time and she ends up speaking that language to her hero whose love language is acts of service then we have a conflict. He is most likely trying to speak his language to the her. It would look something like this:</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">Elizabeth touched Eric on the shoulder. "I was thinking it would be fun if we got all dressed up and went to the symphony tomorrow night."</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">Eric scrunched his nose. "I can't. I have to work late tomorrow night."</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">"On a Friday night?" Elizabeth removed her hand. "I bet no one else in your office works late on Friday night. They are home with their families." </span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">"If I'm to make partner. I have to put in the time. Besides, when I get off work I want to mow the grass and get those flowers of yours planted so I can enjoy the rest of my weekend."</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">"So, maybe Saturday we can go to the mountains? Have a picnic?"</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">"Why do want to plan out my weekend for me?" Eric sighed. "I might've had plans to do things on my day off."</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">You see, Elizabeth complains to her friends that Eric never wants to spend time with her. He always makes excuses to do other things. She believes he doesn't love her anymore. Each time Eric rejects her idea of quality time, her love tank becomes empty.</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">Eric has no interest in the symphony and doesn't want to go hiking in the mountains. He loves his wife and feels like he proves it by working late to bring home fat paychecks and by planting her roses. </span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">If only they could understand each others love language then they could be happy. But as writers we know that can't happen yet. They must break up, be broken hearted, think their spouse is interested in someone else and then when all seems lost, then and only then can they learn how to love each other. A Happily Ever After.</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"></span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">Merry Christmas!</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed">From Debra and the Writers of Books To Write By!!!</span><br />
<span property="v:itemreviewed"><strong><em></em></strong></span>Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-71244798661095145322013-11-04T06:00:00.000-06:002013-11-06T16:05:49.266-06:00The Story Template by Amy Deardon<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Debra here today to introduce to our readers one of our newest blog contributors, Patti Shene. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Patti is currently on hiatus from writing while
helping her husband face a serious medical condition. Once in a while, she
still manages to get a few words out of her head and onto the computer screen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patti enjoyed a thirty year career as an RN in
the psychiatric nursing field. Although fascinated with all the modern
technology used to improve her husband’s condition,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>she has retired from<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>her
medical career. Her passion now is to influence people in some positive manner
with the power of words. She is published in two anthologies, Love is a Verb
Devotional (<a href="http://ow.ly/q6ad5">http://ow.ly/q6ad5</a>), and Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters:
Real Life Stories of Supernatural Events (</span><a href="http://ow.ly/q6axN"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://ow.ly/q6axN</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">),
as well as some local publications. As a former editor with Written World
Communications, she dreams of having her own editing service some day. Find
Patti at </span><a href="http://www.pattishene.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.pattishene.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Patti, tell us a little bit about yourself:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsbgIevB2heze0OAc-QWoWOMSKnTNd7gNz_nFDAxwrBym91ixByh7-4E13H3KrNSDPDQZvd44VJUVFf_Yx2Kxe0mt-oj9Q0hTNOQq14jCa9zLVQ2hXD20WdiQhzUEr7nFI_DwvXZm2RCW/s1600/Patti+10-22-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsbgIevB2heze0OAc-QWoWOMSKnTNd7gNz_nFDAxwrBym91ixByh7-4E13H3KrNSDPDQZvd44VJUVFf_Yx2Kxe0mt-oj9Q0hTNOQq14jCa9zLVQ2hXD20WdiQhzUEr7nFI_DwvXZm2RCW/s1600/Patti+10-22-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsbgIevB2heze0OAc-QWoWOMSKnTNd7gNz_nFDAxwrBym91ixByh7-4E13H3KrNSDPDQZvd44VJUVFf_Yx2Kxe0mt-oj9Q0hTNOQq14jCa9zLVQ2hXD20WdiQhzUEr7nFI_DwvXZm2RCW/s200/Patti+10-22-13.jpg" width="112" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hail from Long Island in New York, but have made my home in colorful Colorado for almost forty years. I graduated from Central Islip State Hospital School of Nursing with my RN in 1972. Yep, do the math and you'll see I've reached the big 6-0! I took my first job at a Veterans Administration hospital in the Hudson River Valley, but transferred to a VA Hospital in Colorado in the summer of 1973.<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have been married to husband Manuel (lifelong nickname: Speedy) for 36 years.</span><span class="yiv1605419330apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span>We have one daughter and one son. Our kids always thought it was so romantic that I had to move halfway across the country to find their dad!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Patti, tell us about the book you are reviewing for us today:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4o5px4tBmJj1TNanuowslD1e0AIZnxOzg7bDDithDqXB8kogLu16MMdrWRxY-tS61gHjQ8sN-D5OE_9FYcUSTXogvuOLu5yRSqfQtICZLZLeIgTWnlJ61x1vJzKm8mmsKGwqbOvEehjEG/s1600/The+Story+Template.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4o5px4tBmJj1TNanuowslD1e0AIZnxOzg7bDDithDqXB8kogLu16MMdrWRxY-tS61gHjQ8sN-D5OE_9FYcUSTXogvuOLu5yRSqfQtICZLZLeIgTWnlJ61x1vJzKm8mmsKGwqbOvEehjEG/s1600/The+Story+Template.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4o5px4tBmJj1TNanuowslD1e0AIZnxOzg7bDDithDqXB8kogLu16MMdrWRxY-tS61gHjQ8sN-D5OE_9FYcUSTXogvuOLu5yRSqfQtICZLZLeIgTWnlJ61x1vJzKm8mmsKGwqbOvEehjEG/s200/The+Story+Template.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Story Template: Conquer Writer’s Block Using the Universal Structure of Story </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">by
Amy Deardon is a must read for any writer who struggles with the next
paragraph, sentence, or word in their literary creation.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Amy takes her reader on a journey that begins with
preliminary ideas for the type of story you wish to write and ends with
techniques for polishing the completed first draft until it is ready for
publication. She then takes her reader a step further by giving an overview of
the process involved in submitting a manuscript and an explanation of the
different types of publishing available to the writer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The Story Template demonstrates through examples
from well-known books and screenplays many aspects of crafting a great story,
from the general premise of building a story world and developing a plot to
creating an individual scene and employing various storytelling techniques.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Each chapter is packed with exercises that engage
the reader and challenge the writer’s imagination. The exercises build upon each
other in much the same manner that any project requires basic structure
elements followed by more detailed embellishment and fleshing out to create a
superb finished product. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Added bonuses include a comprehensive glossary of
terms commonly used in the writing and publishing world, a collection of famous
opening lines, two sample synopses from well-known published works, and a list
of writing books and self-publishing resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Amy is the author of the novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Lever Long Enough</i>, a story about a small military team that
travels back in time to film the theft of Jesus’ body from the tomb. Included
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Story Template</i> is a sample
passage from her novel before and after editing with an explanation as to why
changes were made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I highly recommend <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Story Template</i> to any writer who seeks a blueprint for crafting
a successful novel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank you, Patti for your review. The book sounds fantastic! For more information about Patti Shene, please check out these links:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="yiv640015068MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_4825">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.pattishene.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_4830" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1383343622_0"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.pattishene.com</span></span></a></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="yiv640015068MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_4829">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_4828" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><a href="https://twitter.com/PattiShene" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_4827" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_4826" style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">https://twitter.com/PattiShene</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_6027" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/patti-shene/34/1a2/a1a" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_6026" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1383242836937_6025" style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.linkedin.com/pub/patti-shene/34/1a2/a1a</span></span></a></span></span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-56155183050890353652013-10-06T13:49:00.000-05:002013-10-06T13:49:38.546-05:00A Step in the Write Direction by Donna Clark GoodrichYou would like to write for a newspaper, or a magazine, or maybe write a book. Questions fill your mind? How do I know what to write? Why would I choose this medium? Where would I send a story after I finish? What format works for publishers? Who buys what I like to write? <br />
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How? Why? Where? What? Who?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">351 helpful pages</td></tr>
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If any of those questions concern you, I recommend <em>A Step in the Write Direction</em> by Donna Clark Goodrich. Ms. Goodrich knows her stuff. She's the author of 22 books and over 700 published manuscripts. She teaches at Christian writing conferences across the nation, began and led for seven years the annual Arizona Christian Writers Seminar, and does freelance proofreading for a major Christian publishing house as well as individual authors.<br />
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This book includes "everything you ever wanted to know about writing." Though especially helpful for beginning writers, it provides beneficial information to the advanced writer. Do you need an agent? Help with grammar or punctuation? Suggestions for ideas, deadlines, learning to say "no?"<br />
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Since I write both short stories and novels, I found her chapter on the difference between the two forms interesting. I marked several paragraphs about characterization versus action.<br />
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For those, like me, who delve into an occasional non-fiction book, she lists item by item needed in a proposal. One portion I found particularly helpful was copyright rules; when you need permission from the author to use a quote, and how do you go about getting that permission.<br />
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Writers, like Ms. Goodrich, often stretch into other areas of the writing industry, such as editing, proofreading, teaching. This book gives practical ways to do this, even what to charge.<br />
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I like the list of trademarks. I'm always wondering do I capitalize Dr Pepper? Goodrich tells us.<br />
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I love her attitude. I find it summed up in this quote. "Treat your writing as a calling from God."<br />
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<em>A Step in the Write Direction</em> belongs on every Christian writers shelf to be used for reference or inspiration.<br />
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Sally E. Stuart, who began and published yearly the <em>Christian Writers' Market Guide</em>, wrote the forward for Ms. Goodrich book. She tell us this: "In buying and reading this book, you are taking a critical step toward finding success as a published writer."<br />
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I endorse it as a "must have."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406103471551171672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-18362494123582208512013-09-02T11:45:00.000-05:002013-09-02T11:54:11.915-05:00The Emotion Thesaurs: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7oeVNHSaGpWSXtxJcTly-kuWq-1P8mqgFAG_xFrAWarTOG1OCvezWpo6BR3z3cDI9nBhQ8xTrMpZ_al8ete8ILFy3xBuZBEqdUNOYMw0aDm9F9YMc_IjXqFPZ4BpIUC_033a-CTB7wS9/s1600/The+Emotion.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7oeVNHSaGpWSXtxJcTly-kuWq-1P8mqgFAG_xFrAWarTOG1OCvezWpo6BR3z3cDI9nBhQ8xTrMpZ_al8ete8ILFy3xBuZBEqdUNOYMw0aDm9F9YMc_IjXqFPZ4BpIUC_033a-CTB7wS9/s1600/The+Emotion.png" /></a></div>
Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have published a book called <em>The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression</em>. <br />
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The book was a result of postings on their online site, <em>The Bookshelf Muse</em>.
I have been a subscriber of <em>The Bookshelf Muse</em> for a long time. I made a file for myself of their postings about character types and how they would behave.
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The traits are in alphabetical order. I will use sadness as an example. An example of a physical sign of sadness would be "touching a cross or fingering jewelry for comfort". Almost a whole page of physical signs are listed, which gives the writer a wide range of choices to choose from. <br />
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Then, the authors list how the character would react internally to this emotion such as "a scratchy throat or the body feeling cold".
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The third area, is <em>Mental Responses</em>. A good example here is "a desire to escape the sadness (through sleep, drink, or companionship)".
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Cues of Acute or Long-Term Sadness, is the fourth area of information. "Tears pouring, dripping or coursing" is one of the choices in this area that I would use.
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The last area is, <em>Cues of Suppressed Sadness</em>.<em> Changing the Subject</em> is a technique I personally use.
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At the bottom of each page is a <em>Writer's Tip</em>. Seventy-five tips on good writing are an additional bonus.
The book begins with an eleven page introduction and closes with suggestions of additional reference books that will help the writer "show not tell" about the characters in her/his book.
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You should buy this book and also check out <em>The Bookshelf Muse</em> for lots of good writing tips. I purchased this book as soon as it was available, and I keep it within handle reach as one of my favorite reference tools.
Moonine Sue Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13606853537439975545noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-3880970051625644862013-07-07T17:35:00.002-05:002013-07-07T17:35:36.948-05:00The Book Doctor by Robyn Conley
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
best way to do that is to run stark naked with your creativity. Don’t be afraid
to bare those virgin thoughts, no matter how your conscious mind chastises the
behavior</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">These are just some of the hilarious lines in the
book, written by Robyn Conley<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, Be Your
Own Book Doctor</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Robyn Conley, the book doctor and speaker, writes
about writing, editing, and marketing what you write. She can show you how to
find the problems in your work which keep it from selling to publishers or
snatching an agent’s interest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She writes in a fun and easy to understand way which
really helps writers create stories, edit like a professional, and helps sell a
book. In the first part of the book, she writes about giving your book a
professional diagnosis. By that, she means find problems in your plot. After
you find problems from your plot, she gives suggestions on how to fix them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She gives tips on how to make your book even
stronger whether it is fiction or non-fiction. She gives tips on strengthening
dialogue, characters, and plot. Telling of her personal experiences, she helps
you learn the easy way to making a better book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now being done writing and editing, it’s time to
sell the book. She calls the last part of her book cosmetic nips and tucks,
talking about query letters, synopsis, marketing, and network, network,
network. Then after you have cured the book it is time to get a second
opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like hiring people to read your
work or getting a critic group to do that for free. By the end of this how-to-book,
your book will become a gem all will want to read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Be
Your Own Book Doctor </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">is her tenth book. Others include <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">John Grisham, Cartoonists, Alexander G.
Bell, Meerkats, Depression, Motion Pictures, The Automobile, Living the
Rapture, </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What Really Matters to
Me –</i> a journal which helps people discover their goals, and then offers
practical tips to make those dreams come true. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Bethany Calloway – high school book reviewer-extraordinaire<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-82893939121385089442013-06-19T10:36:00.000-05:002013-06-19T15:33:37.880-05:00Monday Night With the "Big Boys" <div class="yiv252957260MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1371655502673_3018" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1371655502673_3020" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Growing up in the South, my family get-togethers started out with aunts, uncles, cousins, etc eating, visiting, fishing, and generally having a good time before it morphed into an innocent, but fierce game of penny-ante poker. You know those games where the mason jars and Folgers cans full of change come out and if the winner went home with five or ten dollars, they’d really owned the table.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">While those family times were fun, those backyard poker games aren’t the ones other people can’t wait to watch. It’s shows like Celebrity Poker Showdown that has the public’s attention. Yep. Those little jars filled with nickels and dimes were no match for playing with the big boys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Writing is the same way. It’s great to be able to pour out our passion on paper or computer and let our family members gush over it and encourage us regardless of how much editing it’s in need of. We all need that. It inspires us to keep writing. But there comes a time that if we want to “play with the big boys” in the publishing world, no matter if it’s a small publishing house or a large one, or even a magazine, we’re going to have to bring more to the table than our pages of passion and prose. We’re going to have to up the ante on our skills.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On this blog, we’ve recommended oodles of books in the past. Today, I want to focus instead on a writer’s site that can potentially help us fine tune our skills so that our passion and prose has a better chance of reaching farther than our families.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My Book Therapy is a great place to connect with other writers of all skill levels in a Monday night chat that focuses on a specific writing related topic. They also have all their past chats archived for our viewing and learning pleasure. I’ve been able to find wealth of information on subjects such as the black moment, GMC, and vast number of topics that are not only more bite-size than a book in reading, but also because of questions and answers within the chat, I’ve often had experiences where I’d have a little different perspective than what I’d read in a book. That explanation within the Monday night chat gave me that “aha” moment I needed in understanding a certain concept.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The chats are held most<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371655560_1">Monday nights at 7pm Central time</span> at </span><a href="http://mybooktherapy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1371655560_2">http://mybooktherapy.com/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. But, as I mentioned above, they archive their chats to make them available at your leisure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Before I go, I thought I 'd share some of the recent topics I’ve found interesting. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<li><b style="line-height: 14.4pt;"><span style="color: #663300; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mybooktherapy.ning.com/forum/topics/monday-night-bleachers-chat-march-18-2013-michelle-lim-brainstorm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #7e3b1c;">Monday Night Bleachers Chat March 18, 2013 Michelle Lim: Brainstorming Heroes Readers Love</span></a></span></b></li>
<li><a href="http://mybooktherapy.ning.com/forum/topics/monday-night-chat-5-20-2013-brainstorming-mentor-michelle-lim-bra" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 14.4pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #7e3b1c;">Monday Night Chat 5/20/2013 Brainstorming Mentor Michelle Lim: Brainstorming Spiritual Truths and Lies For Character Journeys</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://mybooktherapy.ning.com/forum/topics/monday-night-chat-may-13-2013-reba-j-hoffman-kill-their-cat-why-i" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1371655502673_3048" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 14.4pt;" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1371655502673_3047" style="color: #7e3b1c;">Monday Night Chat May 13, 2013 Reba J. Hoffman: Kill Their Cat--Why Inflicting Pain on Your Characters Makes a Good Read</span></a></li>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-32989725167237061392013-05-06T18:01:00.002-05:002013-05-06T18:04:29.459-05:00Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine<br />
This month we at Books to Write by introduce a new blogger to our blog, Bethany Calloway. Bethany loves to write fantasy with an element of mystery. She is a high school student who studies AP English and enjoys Marching Band where she is currently Junior Drum Major.<br />
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Welcome, Bethany Calloway! <br />
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In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Writing Magic,</i>
by Gail Carson Levine author of Ella Enchanted, helps get the creative juices flowing, tears down writer’s block, and assists writers in creating stories which fly off the page. </div>
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"In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Writing Magic,</i> Newberry Honor author Gail
Carson Levine shares her secrets of great writing. She shows how you, too, can
get terrific ideas for stories, invent great beginnings and endings, write
sparkling dialogue, develop memorable characters- and much ,much more. She advises
you about what to do when you feel stuck- and how to use helpful criticism. Best
of all, she offers writing exercises that will set your imagination on fire. With
humor, honesty, and wisdom, Gail Carson Levine shows you that you, too, can
make magic with your writing."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The author eases you into writing by starting off with easy little
writing assignments then gradually gives more and more challenging writing
assignments. The great part of this book is that it helps organize writing ideas and generates possible plots. Also, the exercises have awesome
names which make you excited to write like the first exercises is A
Running Start and it ends with Exeunt Writing.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The book, has five sections, 1. Liftoff 2. Hearts and Guts 3. Plowing Through <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4. Digging Deeper
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5. Writing Forever, which help you start the beginning of a book and takes you to the very end. It helps you through the process of
writing a book, and shows you how to write each section of a book successfully. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a book about writing fiction. But it should help you
write anything from e-mails, essays, and greeting cards to love letter and
skywriting. It help you in writers blog by give you easy to do writing
exercises that unleashes you creativity.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Writing Magic </i>is a well written non-
fiction book that helps ages 8 & up write fiction. It's great book which help people get
start writing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-73397000365348819862013-03-31T21:08:00.000-05:002013-03-31T21:08:00.727-05:00Plot Versus Character by Jeff Gerke<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We here at Books to Write by are excited to introduce to our readers a guest blogger posting today. She has an amazing book to share with you. However, before we get to the review, let's meet her...</span><br />
<br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Karin Beery is a freelance writer, editor, and writing
coach. With over 300 articles published, her work also blogs, novels, guide
books, and more. An active member of the American Christian Fiction Writers
Association, Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network (PEN), and the
Evangelical Press Association, Karin enjoys writing and editing in all forms,
as well as helping others achieve their writing goals. Karin lives in northern
Michigan with her husband, aunt, and two cats.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Plot Versus Character: A Balanced
Approach to Writing Great Fiction</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> by Jeff Gerke</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span>What’s more
important to a story: a gripping plot or compelling characters? The best
fiction is rich in both. This hands-on guide to creating a well-rounded novel
embraces both of these crucial story components. <i>Plot Versus Character</i> takes the guesswork out of creating great
fiction by giving you the tools you need to inject life into your characters
and momentum into your plot. (from the back cover)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GdD4jfRfC31pdx-7BXvg2VXm-udDkYvSSIS-LakPk3vb91_S_-2wrxE2zmWOOpYeXUjskj1wke9DM2CZ6kvTp_w9p6pEC0v3aSflmnNzh3trJgp4IFaQN_kLBgndy4ViABCMnY-_rdX6/s1600/art_n_craft_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GdD4jfRfC31pdx-7BXvg2VXm-udDkYvSSIS-LakPk3vb91_S_-2wrxE2zmWOOpYeXUjskj1wke9DM2CZ6kvTp_w9p6pEC0v3aSflmnNzh3trJgp4IFaQN_kLBgndy4ViABCMnY-_rdX6/s200/art_n_craft_lg.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> A follow-up
to his first craft book, <i>The Art and
Craft of Writing Christian Fiction</i>, this book is exactly as the title
suggests – a look at crafting deep, believable characters and attention-holding
plots. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Plot Versus Character, </span></i></span>Gerke begins
by identifying novelists as one of two types: character-focused and plot-focused
writers. By focusing on one aspect and ignoring the other, however, writers
often end up with one of two stories: rich, interesting characters who do
nothing, or stereotypical, shallow characters saving the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though he encourages readers to know which
type of writer they are, Gerke’s book discusses both sides and is mapped out to
take a writer through the entire process – from character development to the
denouement – in order to create a well-rounded novel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first
section of the book – Memorable Characters – walks you through character
development. Gerke starts with Core Personality and Physical Attributes, digs
into the character psyche to find The Knot (core issue/struggle), and takes you
right to The Final State. It’s more than just knowing whether or not your hero
is an introvert. Gerke looks at the complete inner workings of your characters.
He shows you the steps to take to find out every little cog that makes them
tick. By the time you finish, you’ll know your characters better than you know
your spouse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The second
section – Marvelous Plots – looks at the external components of the story: the
plot. Using a traditional Three Act layout, Gerke takes the information from
section one and shows you how to weave your Memorable Characters into the
Marvelous Plots. He shows, using numerous examples from books and movies, how
characters and plot work together, complimenting each other to tell a
captivating story.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Plot Versus Character</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> is easy to read and hard to put
down. I kept a notepad beside me, writing down ideas and concerns that I have
for my current work-in-progress. This is not a beginner’s craft book. Gerke
doesn’t discuss Point-Of-View or Show vs. Tell. This book is more for the
writer working on the story, as opposed to the writer working on the writing. He
digs deeper and challenges his readers to not just write stories about people,
but to write gripping stories about realistic people. A must-read for any
novelist. I’ll be reading it again soon.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For more information about Karin Beery, please contact her at:</span></span></div>
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-80029827101507506242013-03-03T14:36:00.000-06:002013-03-03T14:44:37.409-06:00"Shut Up!" He Explained by William NobleDebra posted last month on an old book. Tis the season because the book I wish to tell you about this month was first published in 1987. For we boomers, that's not long, but for young writers, it's a lifetime ago.<br />
<br />
Good books never lose their power. As a writer, that thought excites me. One lesson I've learned the last few years is that white space on a page beckons readers. <br />
<br />
My eyes jump to a page filled with white space or, as writers call it, dialogue.<br />
<br />
This has been my week to dwell on writing dynamic dialogue. The 4RV Publishing newsletter welcomed an article from me on Friday, March 1. I wrote about <i>8 Tips to Dynamic Dialogue.<i></i></i> The URL for that article is http://4rvreading-writingnewsletter.blogspot.com/2013/03/8-tips-to-dynamic-dialogue.html?spref=tw in case you'd like copy and paste it into your browser and read.<br />
<br />
No doubt, writing those words brought an old book to my attention. It's called <i>"Shut Up!" He Explained.<i></i></i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7OyG6orM4ybRLVux417eMJkW0m_uKtJDKgWi5qE_nquzsY7XcNG5rLU6XZEsr9u51VX2P3bgShgbt-1OikDum6rz2YWSaaE7_nSS12ztNRtMKJN7lHwMb44XLn5CvqhUh4qTvYJ8nDSy/s1600/Shut+Up!+He+Explained.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7OyG6orM4ybRLVux417eMJkW0m_uKtJDKgWi5qE_nquzsY7XcNG5rLU6XZEsr9u51VX2P3bgShgbt-1OikDum6rz2YWSaaE7_nSS12ztNRtMKJN7lHwMb44XLn5CvqhUh4qTvYJ8nDSy/s320/Shut+Up!+He+Explained.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
I awoke last night wondering if I had reviewed that book on our books to write by blog. I checked. I hadn't. I am. I purchased this book from Writers Digest years ago before I ever heard of a writing group or a writing conference. It was just me, writing books, and a blank piece of paper.<br />
<br />
I rush to this book whenever I struggle to ramp up the emotion in character conversations. When I taught a workshop on dialogue, I searched out this book for help. When I wrote my <i>8 Tips<i></i></i> article Friday, again, I consulted this book. It's my go-to reference on this topic.<br />
<br />
I perused the book, opening it on pages where I had sticky notes. I didn't get far. On page 5, I read, "Conversation, then, is not dialogue." Here's the example given: (Yes, I thrive on examples.) <br />
"Where do you live?"<br />
250 State Street<br />
<i>That's<i></i></i> conversation.<br />
"You live around here?"<br />
"If you want to call it living."<br />
<i>That's dialogue.<i></i></i><br />
<br />
<i>Enough said.<i></i></i><br />
<br />
Then, comes page 98 and 99. Yes, there's another sticky-note and tons of underlining and circling. I put my mark on this book. Here Noble compares fiction writing with screen plays. "On the stage, characters rarely speak their lines without doing something--sitting or walking, or drinking or making a face...." This is a good reminder. How long has it been since you went to a live play? Actors study their position on the stage along with their movements and coordination with others on the stage at least as much as their memorized wording. Should our characters not do the same?<br />
<br />
Chapter 13 of this book explores beginning a short story or a novel with dialogue. How could that idea pump up the emotion and pull the reader into the main character's plight?<br />
<br />
If you haven't added <i>"SHUT UP!" He Ezplained,<i></i></i> now might be a good time. The book has been released in paperback and is available on Kindle.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406103471551171672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-58747255991517174832013-02-07T09:55:00.001-06:002013-03-03T14:38:04.120-06:00Goal, Motivation, and Conflict<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="rg_i" data-sz="f" name="UC3qlNd3NZtZVM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQEs_DxkzYgA2OQ12CPvCX5Z1a2TAW69KGowZZ0CxaGnRFWWdUcZg" style="height: 175px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 120px;" /><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"></span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Recently, I re-read the book entitled, Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon. My writing friend, Kay had given the book to me and I remember reading it years ago, thinking I had already blogged about it. However, a quick search through this blog's archive had me surprised that this book has never been reviewed on here. I find this amazing since this book has helped a lot of beginning novelists out there in writing land. </big></span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><big>Pros:</big></b></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>To begin this review, I first have to say that it is an easy read. I've read some pretty tough reads in the past that made me feel like I was swimming through a murky swamp. Not this one. Ms. Dixon writes in a fashion that is engaging and simple to understand.</big></span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Goal, Motivation, & Conflict is filled with interesting information in which all writers should take time to learn. She covers in the first few chapters the reasoning behind a good book and what it takes to engage the reader. The book covers the who, what, why, and why not by using references to movies. It then becomes clear how these parts are invaluable to a story. Another wonderful aspect of this book, is how the author teaches the novelist to write a tagline. Taglines can be so difficult for the author who is so close to the story. With this teaching on taglines, the task seems less daunting. The book also covers scenes and how to write the perfect query letter.</big></span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>I really love this book. I am so glad I decided to re-read it. After reading books by Swain, I feel Goal, Motivation, & Conflict covers a lot of his teaching in an easy to read vernacular. Because let's face it...Swain is no easy read.</big></span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><big>Cons:</big></b></span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Let me use the technique of G, M, & C to describe the cons of this book. Goal - the reader wants to read this book. Motivation - the reader wants to become a better writer. Conflict - I believe I last saw it on Amazon.com for $134. Buying this book used is probably the best and only option to obtain this book. However, the publisher might be able to provide some help, "</big>Our books are either new, used, ex-library, or out-of-print. The condition of the book is described at the end of each description." ~http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><br />
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</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><big>Here is what the publisher said about this book:</big></b></span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc.htm</big></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big></big></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"></span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Goal, motivation, and conflict are the foundation of everything that happens in the story world. Using charts, examples, and movies, the author breaks these key elements down into understandable components and walks the reader through the process of laying this foundation in his or her own work. </big></span></div><div align="left"><br />
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<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Learn what causes sagging middles and how to fix them, which goals are important and which aren’t and why, how to get your characters to do what they need for your plot in a believable manner, and how to use conflict to create a good story. GMC can be used not only in plotting, but in character development, sharpening scenes, pitching ideas to an editor, and evaluating whether an idea will work.</big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> <div align="left"><br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Be confident your idea will work before you write 200 pages</span> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Plan a road map to keep your story on track</span> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Discover why your scenes aren’t working and what to do about it</span> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Create characters that editors and readers will care about</span> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Write a dynamite query letter to an editor</span></span><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"></span><br />
<h1 align="center"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4534040959224302559" name="Table of Contents">Table of Contents</a></span></span></h1><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span> <br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Introduction <br />
<b>If Writing Were Easy, Everyone Would Be Writing</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter One<br />
<b>Who, What, Why, and Why Not</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Two<br />
<b>Goal: What Your Character Wants</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Three<br />
<b>Motivation: “The Why”</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Four<br />
<b>Conflict: Caution! Roadblock Ahead!</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Five<br />
<b>Conflict Mascots</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Six<br />
<b>A Closer Look at the GMC Chart</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Seven<br />
<b>Big Black Moments Need GMC</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Eight<br />
<b>Go Ahead, Make a Scene</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Nine<br />
<b>GMC Brainstorming</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Ten<br />
<b>Twenty-Five Words or Less</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Chapter Eleven<br />
<b>This and That</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Appendix A<br />
<b>Recommended Reading and Reference</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="baseline" width="42"><img height="20" hspace="11" src="http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/home/gmc_files/blbull1.gif" width="20" /></td> <td valign="top" width="100%"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"><big>Appendix B<br />
<b>GMC Charts</b></big></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman, Times New Roman, Times;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></td><td valign="top" width="100%"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-46826701860967631672013-01-06T22:51:00.001-06:002013-01-07T15:44:28.912-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKGVdgTLYwILvYnJ5DF5F46KvhyFwcCxz4P60UJd1zZcldkv6fdfm99lNneYn9238kAHjbOV5zVeVKnOQSbnFPKxjasrC63tY7kSLeM_l5yGuufOQcE9jAW4V_rU56spdrRBB5-CFNnc/s1600/DivineDining+smaller+size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKGVdgTLYwILvYnJ5DF5F46KvhyFwcCxz4P60UJd1zZcldkv6fdfm99lNneYn9238kAHjbOV5zVeVKnOQSbnFPKxjasrC63tY7kSLeM_l5yGuufOQcE9jAW4V_rU56spdrRBB5-CFNnc/s200/DivineDining+smaller+size.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
Janet Brown's book <i></i>Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness<i></i> is a great way to start the new year and be successful with that yearly resolution to lose weight.
Each day has a new scripture and thoughts on how that scripture applies to weight loss.<br />
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Don't worry if you pick up the book and the year has already started. You could either just start when you receive the book on the first page or skip over to the current date. The good thing is you can use the book over and over each year.<br />
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I have known Janet for at least twenty years. When I first met her she was overweight. We lost contact for a few years. When I saw her again, I was amazed at the change in her. She told me she had lost ninety-five pounds by following the Weight Watcher diet. In fact, I ran into her again at a Weight Watcher meeting.
Since that time, we have renewed our friendship and eaten many meals together.<br />
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She practices healthy eating and has maintained her new lifestyle for twenty years. When she said she felt led to write this book, I was excited and offered to read over her rough draft. I was even more excited when I learned that her book would be published.
I can guarantee her book will help anyone struggling with weight loss.<br />
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I was encouraged as I read each entry and amazed at the fact she could compile 365 entries. I suggest that you do yourself a favor and buy this book. You won't be sorry you did.<br />
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Her book is available on Amazon or at Pen-L Publishing: <a href="http://pen-l.com/DivineDining.html">http://pen-l.com/DivineDining.html</a><br />
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Janet's website is www.janetkbrown.com.<br />
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I purchased Janet's book for myself and one for a friend as a gift. Moonine Sue Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13606853537439975545noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-62907983890126719002012-12-02T15:26:00.003-06:002012-12-02T15:26:53.665-06:00PLATFORM by Michael HyattIf you're wondering about the <i>how-to<i></i></i> of marketing an existing or upcoming book or just yourself as an author, the expert to check out is Michael Hyatt.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU31-9DAfEiCknsdEvaBmB8k4vjo-ETwyu_eGTx5hZfXVha3svyEL-XIsfAAjqUjh90X4ALVlH-GgQq6LzMwpJp-_Tl6J1svtVJZBTvRpK15-a6sa4QKIiSuIcBXvzIEN550UZH8UriWw/s1600/PLATFORM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="160" width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU31-9DAfEiCknsdEvaBmB8k4vjo-ETwyu_eGTx5hZfXVha3svyEL-XIsfAAjqUjh90X4ALVlH-GgQq6LzMwpJp-_Tl6J1svtVJZBTvRpK15-a6sa4QKIiSuIcBXvzIEN550UZH8UriWw/s400/PLATFORM.jpg" /></a></div>He was the keynote speaker for the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in September and shared many of his ideas from his latest book. Eager to market my first book, I purchased one immediately and dug into it as soon as I got home. <br />
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Wow, was it worth the money. I love his sub-title "Get Noticed in a Noisy World." None of us doubt, social media has taken over our computers. Many sites vie for our time and attention. My friend, Sue Watson, recently told me that mine was the only blog she looked at because she just didn't have time for them. Another friend, Mary Beth Lee, indicated that if she wasn't careful, reading all the blogs kept her from her writing. Others, like two of my comrades on this group blog, Debra Calloway and Stephanie Gallentine find themselves pressured by job and family obligations with no time to keep up online. Michael Hyatt called it correctly, a "noisy world."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEa6WFfGJ2FJ1gW8-7Lj9EZY4sqy0edrgFouMs-Z81bHE5q_OZ1BKwtCCQomTuiEjrYnmm_HzMj5RSc_X_CyO4_kDhcojRzm_s6EVpDx6Zg1v-WQbxktiUnuOT90F0p_-pnU4982yWeGj/s1600/Michael+Hyatt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="155" width="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEa6WFfGJ2FJ1gW8-7Lj9EZY4sqy0edrgFouMs-Z81bHE5q_OZ1BKwtCCQomTuiEjrYnmm_HzMj5RSc_X_CyO4_kDhcojRzm_s6EVpDx6Zg1v-WQbxktiUnuOT90F0p_-pnU4982yWeGj/s400/Michael+Hyatt.jpg" /></a></div>How do we stand out? Hyatt answered many of my questions. I will be referring back to the book for further advice from time to time which makes it imperative to possess our own copies to keep on hand. <br />
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As a brand new <i>tweeter<i></i></i>, my first question was how often should I post on Twitter. Hyatt answers me on page. 174 of Platform. He explains not with just a number, but with personal examples and experiences. Second, how can I increase my blog traffic? Chapter 35 of Platform gives specifics. <br />
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Dreaming/goal setting? Platform begins with that.<br />
Inspiration? Platform overflows with that.<br />
Practical advice? Micahel Hyatt knows what he knows by doing it himself.<br />
Means to stay legal? It's in there.<br />
Suggestions? Well, suffice to say, I just discovered something I marked that I'd forgotten about when I read the book the first time. On page 225-227, Hyatt lists super blog ideas. Okay, Michael, I'm starting my who-to-e-mail-to-get-for-a-guest-blog list, thanks to rereading your book.<br />
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I recommend all BookstoWriteby viewers, if you haven't purchased this book, rush out and get it now, or go over to Amazon. Hey, you might even want to order it overnight. <br />
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Anyone else out there that's used this book?<br />
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Will you allow a busy writer to include my own books to this post? I'm trying to build my platorm. Okay?<br />
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This is my latest and my only non-fiction. Pen-L Publishing released it 12/1, in time for Christmas presents. It starts with a devotion on January 1.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9redSnZzRtI4g8rl3UyZEeQEBhkAfBgKE8RqnKAPTWfB7WLjQvRcPhjaYqTKxQV8Ej1PjzRee7CHM2v-RpS18oaMSgdT2V3TBy7OSWOstUbQxTTrOP6B3BgD-ngbXIERNc81dD3f-sLJ/s1600/DivineDiningFrontCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9redSnZzRtI4g8rl3UyZEeQEBhkAfBgKE8RqnKAPTWfB7WLjQvRcPhjaYqTKxQV8Ej1PjzRee7CHM2v-RpS18oaMSgdT2V3TBy7OSWOstUbQxTTrOP6B3BgD-ngbXIERNc81dD3f-sLJ/s400/DivineDiningFrontCover.jpg" /></a></div><br />
To purchase, go to http://pen-l.com/zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=7 <br />
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This is my inspirational, paranormal young adult released by 4RV Publishing in July, 2012. This would make a great Christmas present for a 12-17 year old girl.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKns2EPSvj8mAbzv-D_4Ms2uM_16YcbbY2h3WZkSYe6eVwpBUupndHvpeeoxnyY4xIAjF6yi4QKmMNmvWGKIMUBvTinacZqYoFf3WWE-SEmXEBxmqRgZInDFk6hzFLc50dh2NJzCvTcj8/s1600/Victoria+and+the+Ghost+-+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKns2EPSvj8mAbzv-D_4Ms2uM_16YcbbY2h3WZkSYe6eVwpBUupndHvpeeoxnyY4xIAjF6yi4QKmMNmvWGKIMUBvTinacZqYoFf3WWE-SEmXEBxmqRgZInDFk6hzFLc50dh2NJzCvTcj8/s400/Victoria+and+the+Ghost+-+Cover.jpg" /></a></div><br />
To purchase it, go to http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/janet-brown.php<br />
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Thanks, Moonine Sue, Debra, and Stephanie, my co-authors of this BookstoWriteby blog for allowing me some shameless self promotion. God bless you.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406103471551171672noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-31509966715718090482012-09-30T16:06:00.000-05:002012-09-30T16:06:24.619-05:00STORYBOARDINGSubplots and extra layers can be dropped and forgotten as writers rush to bring all threads together, especially the main story plot. A dress mentioned in chapter two and brought up again in chapter six must have signficance in chapter twenty-one, or thereabouts. A reader requires satisfaction in bringing together two secondary characters drawn to each other in chapter eight. We want to discover there's a new romance in the works before we close the book.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkd3lW5xtQZBUh54t48qhtKac8HVyxIiJGqity7G-W46k_CCUWb_IFFwfB_dzWDX7oznG3Gn8Khsj8zv2ETtywpgzfp0AZx988jXcQY7aJeRu8ocRCHPM3nLNs4vZzN58T_MZIw-L_WzH/s1600/Scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkd3lW5xtQZBUh54t48qhtKac8HVyxIiJGqity7G-W46k_CCUWb_IFFwfB_dzWDX7oznG3Gn8Khsj8zv2ETtywpgzfp0AZx988jXcQY7aJeRu8ocRCHPM3nLNs4vZzN58T_MZIw-L_WzH/s400/Scan0001.jpg" /></a></div>The picture shows the rough beginnings of my work-in-progress. I purchased an inexpensive poster board and a bunch of different color post-it notes. That's it. I am now going back over it with pastel colors to mark four distinct subplots. Surprise, surprise, I had left two teens hanging with no romantic conclusion, but thanks be to storyboarding, I discovered the error in time to change things.<br />
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I remember lessons best by writing acrostics. Here's what I came up with to show the benefits or steps for storyboarding.<br />
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<br />
<br />
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<b>S<b></b></b> Satisfaction in all subplots<br />
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<b>T<b></b></b> Threads that we mustn't drop<br />
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<b>O<b></b></b> Outlines whole manuscript in one swoop<br />
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<b>R<b></b></b> Rectifys errors in plotting<br />
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<b>Y<b></b></b> Yardstick to measure how many times something is mentioned.<br />
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<b>B<b></b></b> Boosts your ability to write an enjoyable read.<br />
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<b>O<b></b></b> Organizes your millions of notes<br />
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<b>A<b></b></b> Affixes small forgotten items that should be mentioned again<br />
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<b>R<b></b></b> Rambling is something we writers don't want to do<br />
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<b>D<b></b></b> Design blossoms on a big board.<br />
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<b>I<b></b></b> I love it!<br />
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<b>N<b></b></b> Novel tracking a new way<br />
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<b>G<b></b></b> Gallery of story pictures<br />
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This can be used when you begin a novel to keep you on target, or when you near <br />
the end, the big board can point out errors or problems in plotting that you can correct.<br />
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I first learned about storyboarding when I took an online course from Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley). Find an earlier post about the course.<br />
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My simple mind couldn't take in everything she taught, but one thing I concluded from her instruction. I'm a visual person. A board with different colors offers me a visual image of what I've included and what's left out of my plot.<br />
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HAPPY STORYBOARDING and HAPPY WRITING from the books to write by gang. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406103471551171672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-86121184866322371522012-09-02T23:11:00.000-05:002012-09-03T03:34:05.610-05:00"Victoria's Ghost" by Janet K. Brown, Sharing the Journey I just finished reading <i>Victoria's Ghost</i> written by my friend and fellow blogger, Janet K. Brown. I was privileged, along with other members of this blog, to observe the growth of this book from the germ of an idea to a completed project.
Sharing the journey with Janet began with her detailing her ideas for the story. I was excited because some older members of my Bible Study had lived in that community growing up when it was a booming oil-producing town. Debra and Stephanie were excited because it was going to be a Youth Adult, which both of their teenagers like to read. We read each chapter she either posted online or brought to our monthly critique meetings where we share our current works.
I was fortunate enough to attend the Oklahoma Federation of Writers Conference in Oklahoma City with her when she was asked to submit her finished manuscript. She has shared her adventures of getting the call, marketing, polishing the final copy after editor suggestions, and the arrival of the actual book in the mail. We've celebrated each step of the way.
We are thrilled to share this experience with Janet. It was such a pleasure to read the published copy of the book we had all grown to love as we cheered for Janet on her road to publication. Congratulations seems a hollow word to express my own excitement at Janet's success. Her hard work and perseverance in seeking and securing publication of her first book is a well-earned reward. Way to go, Janet. I'm proud of you. Not one to rest on her laurels, she is hard at work on the story of another teen-ager who lives in the Clara Community. I can't wait to read it.
Purchase her book and enjoy Victoria's adventures at Clara Cemetery. You'll be glad you did.
Moonine Sue Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13606853537439975545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-83685521557508464912012-07-14T14:27:00.001-05:002012-07-14T14:40:02.318-05:00Author Interview with Janet K. Brown<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<span xmlns=""><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">Today, I'd like to welcome our own local "Books To Write By" Blogger, <strong>Janet K. Brown</strong>. Her young adult novel, <strong>Victoria and the Ghost</strong>, debuts this month on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and 4RVpublishing.com.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO55SlE98I1RyCwwYbNnJK2XVOSMDMs93-PIsSbKQShjwMcQlslV23ykBDnvuzA3lQjSEtlonF9ArWqAnrMwXH_PmEYN0fjEZZtlAhyz_BITfKRr8AB5jrHcBOQ-jppnGNr5kcD44Ch0Rf/s1600/Vic%2520Ghost%2520front%2520cover%2520-%2520PROMO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO55SlE98I1RyCwwYbNnJK2XVOSMDMs93-PIsSbKQShjwMcQlslV23ykBDnvuzA3lQjSEtlonF9ArWqAnrMwXH_PmEYN0fjEZZtlAhyz_BITfKRr8AB5jrHcBOQ-jppnGNr5kcD44Ch0Rf/s320/Vic%2520Ghost%2520front%2520cover%2520-%2520PROMO.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">When her mother leaves the family to become a Dallas trophy wife, Victoria's dad moves her and her sister to a North Texas farm to herd cattle and raise chickens. Refusing to believe this is more than a temporary set-back, Victoria tries to make new friends which isn't an easy task. The first one stabs her in the back with gossip and a sharp tongue. Meanwhile, her new stepsister takes Victoria's place in her mother's heart. Rejection and anger stalk Victoria like a rattlesnake in the cemetery. Good thing she makes friends with a ghost and through him, a good-looking teenaged cowboy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Wow! Sounds like an interesting book. I can't wait to read it! </strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>So, can you tell a little about yourself?</strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">My husband and I live in Wichita Falls, Texas. We love to travel with our RV. He is my sweetheart and my best friend. I have three beautiful grown daughters, two great sons-in-law and three perfect grandchildren. I sing God's praises for the emotional healing He gave me nineteen years ago. I enjoy reading, traveling, line dancing, Bible studies, and lunch with my friends.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Can you share with us a little bit about your writing journey?</strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">Writing has always been a big part of my life, but when I retired from my medical secretary's job six years ago, God led me to see it as a ministry. I first sold short stories for both teens and adults. Though I've completed seven books to date, <em>Victoria and the Ghost </em>is the first to be published. I praise Him for allowing me to do something I love that also, I hope, brings glory to Him.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Seven completed novels? Wow! Sounds like you really persevered as you grew in your writing. Did you ever feel like giving up?</strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">Three years ago, I was obsessed with being published. Since I'm older, I saw my time running out for the opportunity. Rejections came faster than I could file them away. I fell into a pity party with only one guest. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Well, I think we can all relate to that feeling. How did you press through?</strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">God set me down and told me, "I don't want you to write anymore, at all." I obeyed, though my heart broke. I spent three months with no writing, no editing, nothing. During this time, God walked with me. He became more dear—far greater than any by-line that I envisioned on a book. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">God spoke to my heart one day of a story He wanted me to write. I started writing again, but the obsession had lifted. God showed me when I put Him first, He gives me the desires of my heart.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Ahh… words we could all live by… So, is that where the idea for this story came, or did God bring to mind an earlier idea?</strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">I moved to Wichita Falls from Dallas where I was born and raised. A few years after we moved, my husband and I came upon the ghost town of Clara, Texas, just northwest of town. We walked among the tombstones. The area captured my interest. I read a lot about it, including the legend of Colonel Specht's ghost. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">When my granddaughter, Victoria, (her real name), reached the rebellious teen stage, and her single mom couldn't seem to do anything right, God brought the story to my mind of a girl that really faces rejection and isolation in her teens. What would happen if this poor unhappy teen met a ghost who lived on with a sad heart?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">The story floated in and out of my mind for years, but my demanding job gave me little time to get it on paper. I finally did now years later, and it became the first one to sell.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>How do you feel this book will encourage young adults /adults, or did you have something in mind like this when you wrote it?</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">I don't know that I had it in mind when I started the story, but somewhere along the way, I saw the struggles of teenagers around me to make sense of things that happen in their lives. Divorce is a normal factor for many of them. Often, they process that as rejection. Especially in big cities like Dallas, teens fight the superficial aspects of name brand tennis shoes and the latest fad. I wanted to tell them there are more important things.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Thanks so much, Janet, for being wi</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>th us today. We wish you great success with your book. If anyone would like to connect with Janet Brown below you will find links to her online.</strong></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Contact: website <a href="http://www.janetkbrown.com/">http://www.janetkbrown.com</a></div>
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e-mail <a href="mailto:Janet.hope@att.net">Janet.hope@att.net</a></div>
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Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Janet-K-Brown-Author/143915285641707</div>
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Here is the link where the book can be preordered right now:</div>
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<a href="http://tinyurl.com/4RVStore">http://tinyurl.com/4RVStore</a></div>
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By July 25, you can find <em>Victoria and the Ghost </em>on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and through book stores.</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"><br /> </span> </span>meliakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336781874374262184noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-45468819971555158472012-05-07T08:23:00.000-05:002012-05-07T08:23:37.420-05:00Conferences/ Why should you go?This past weekend I attended the Oklahoma Writers Federation conference in Oklahoma City with fellow "Books to Write" contributor, Janet Brown. We attended last year and found it beneficial.<br>
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Conferences are a good way in several ways. Going to a conference enables you to meet and network with other people who love the written word. Attending workshops and sharing meals with new people gives you an opportunity to ask questions and hear about their writing experiences. Business cards with important information are exchanged. Email allows you to keep in touch with your new friends. <br>
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The workshops provided at each conference are planned so that attendees can find topics that will help them further their knowledge of the writing world. Authors, editors, and agents willingly give pointers that help writers become more proficient in their careers. Handouts along with your notes can be studied later at home. <br>
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Contests are often a part of the conference. You can read the guidelines and decide if your work is ready to be viewed by others. Check to see that your will receive feedback from the contest. Many contests feature editors and agents as your final judges, which could result in a contract. <br>
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Appointments with editors and agents are offered by most conferences. These appointments provide an opportunity to pitch your work for possible publication.<br>
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Check our available conferences with other writers. Ones sponsored by the writers' organizations you belong to are especially aimed at your interests. Pick one that meets your needs and start saving money. Believe me you will be glad you did. Last year my friend secured a contract for a book, and I had an article published in a magazine. Maybe I'll see you at the next conference.Moonine Sue Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13606853537439975545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-85358319630361055352012-04-01T21:53:00.001-05:002012-04-01T21:53:12.617-05:00Shaken to the Core by Marjorie Parker<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3tPJ5pOg2NXOvMKNH9VIrKopRxwSq27ybx3C04uY52HWUgly9IM-PAV-oPjuzB0FGEErk159WQHqj5yRzH-xIK7UdpnEZJ3Cf6UbODd0hCg_QecZkhTOY6Yq1qEHEUHHT8B6i6e_BL0B/s1600/Shaken+to+the+core.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3tPJ5pOg2NXOvMKNH9VIrKopRxwSq27ybx3C04uY52HWUgly9IM-PAV-oPjuzB0FGEErk159WQHqj5yRzH-xIK7UdpnEZJ3Cf6UbODd0hCg_QecZkhTOY6Yq1qEHEUHHT8B6i6e_BL0B/s1600/Shaken+to+the+core.jpg" /></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
(Debra) have had the pleasure of meeting a North Texas author who is known for
her children’s books, but has recently published a devotional book for adults which I found
unique, helpful, and beautiful. It’s kinda amusing the way we became acquainted
with each other. For years now, the lady who does our taxes has been trying to
get me to call this author because our tax lady felt the author could help get
me published. Unfortunately, that’s not the way the industry works, so I never
did call. However, this year as I sat down to do my taxes, I saw this beautiful
devotional book on our tax lady’s desk. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
I flipped through the pages, I was in awe. This beautiful book targets an
audience needing </span>hope and comfort for troubled times. The devotional
also has segments which draw upon a physical therapist’s insights. There are
powerful personal stories and timeless truths from the Bible, these devotions
for troubled times offer hope and comfort. Tying body and soul together in a
unique way, each devotion contains spiritual workouts as well as gentle
exercises and stretches for those able to perform them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
So, I decided to call this author and had a delightful
conversation with her. This led to me requesting an interview with her. She
readily agreed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNz8v47eG8_UjxtO0xHrxlh7NWb6p6cxVtPyNpyE6LqGF1iCz9pncylqBUf5D7TIQOGFkMZlZaEg0fKzPmtCHrnGEdldNJJkC7sAAE4TtadhVCHyfjavN2RtiNRVI1_iGw5Zv_yGtf2-3/s1600/Marjorie_parker-210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNz8v47eG8_UjxtO0xHrxlh7NWb6p6cxVtPyNpyE6LqGF1iCz9pncylqBUf5D7TIQOGFkMZlZaEg0fKzPmtCHrnGEdldNJJkC7sAAE4TtadhVCHyfjavN2RtiNRVI1_iGw5Zv_yGtf2-3/s1600/Marjorie_parker-210.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;">Interview with Marjorie Parker</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: purple; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Tell
us a little bit about yourself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and loved
writing from the time I was very young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My neighborhood friends and I created a newspaper we called “The
Crestwood Poop,” and we gathered news from neighbors, typed it (longest story
was probably 5 lines) and then sold it door to door for 10 cents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a blast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I come from a long line of writers, starting
with my great-grandmother. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom said
that as a very young child I told her, “I like it when I hear the clack-ity-clack
of your typewriter, because then I know you’re happy.” Mom was often in her
home office typing a story or writing on a book about her adventures as a
Women’s Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) in WWII. (She finally got that book
published when she was 70!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom taught
me all I know about writing, along with the teachers in high school that took
an interest in me and my Texas Tech journalism professors. To graduate with a
journalism degree, I was required to have a story published in a slick
magazine, which I did, and to serve as newspaper intern, which I did at the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I probably
learned one of the most important things for a writer at the Star-Telegram –
they forced me to think at the typewriter instead of writing in longhand and
transposing to type.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was invaluable
later.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then when I married Joe and moved to
the country to his family’s ranch (we were on the banks of the Red River –
beautiful, and remote!), I sold my first fiction about a fire we had on the
ranch (in the Country Gentleman magazine).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also became a part-time feature writer and columnist for the Wichita
Falls Times/Record News.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I retired from
the paper and started free-lance writing after our daughters were born, and
wrote some children’s stories in my free time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had many, many rejections!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But my
ever-encouraging Mom said, “The difference in being a writer and being an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">author</b> is keeping on keeping on until
you finally get published.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standard
Publishing finally gave me my start, accepting my devotional book “Fun
Devotions for Kids,” then another, “Jellyfish Can’t Swim,” then two stories for
an anthology, “God is On Your Side.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was really on a roll until my editor got promoted to another area, and the new
editor never took another thing from me!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: purple; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
What
do you find most challenging about writing?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
most challenging thing to me is marketing. It’s so much fun to write it (and
even re-write and edit) and it’s so hard to sell it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now some really major marketing changes
are happening, too. I’ve lived through many changes, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my 40 years of writing, I’ve morphed from using
a typewriter and correction ribbon to a computer, from queries to e-queries and
hardbacks to e-books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, my
technologically challenged self can use a computer, although I curse the thing
a bit more often than I bless it! <span style="color: #c00000;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: purple; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
You
are a native Texan. In your children's books, do you use Texas as your
settings? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
My first success with non-devotional children’s books
was with a publisher that I met at a Cattle Raiser’s convention through a
friend of mine. This small publisher, Bright Sky Press, loved anything with a
Texas flavor and liked to encourage new writers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, Texas was the setting in “Assault, the
Crippled Champion” which was based on the true story of a King Ranch horse
named Assault, who was crippled as a colt and limped so much that no one
thought he’d amount to anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went
on to become Texas’ only born and bred Triple Crown Champion. I heard that
story while visiting King Ranch and was given permission to write it for kids.
(And, coincidentally, the publisher happened to be very good friends with a
member of the King Ranch family.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span> </span>In
“David and the Mighty Eighth,” the setting is WWII England, where our 8<sup>th</sup>
Air Force was stationed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the
heroes in it is a pilot named “Tex” since I
knew that would appease my “Texas
niche” publisher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This story, too, is
based on a true story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s about a boy
growing up in war-torn England
who had a wonderful relationship with an American flight crew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe and I have become close friends with that
man and his wife, and they’ve visited us and vice-versa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THAT book promotion was fun – we spoke at the
600-year-old British school where David attended, and I was interviewed on the
BBC!<span style="color: #c00000; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: purple; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Tell
us about your new devotional book. The idea of combining physical, emotional,
and spiritual healing is such a clever idea. How did you come about the idea?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> My writing for
adults has mostly been with Daily Guideposts (writing devotionals) and
Guideposts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first adult book has
recently come out – entitled “Shaken to the Core (And Finding God’s Strength)”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You asked how I came about the idea – it was
God’s idea!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was walking into a hotel room – not even
praying or reading the Bible – when a very distinct voice inside my head said,
“I want you to write a devotional book about the human body.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s funny that I wasn’t what my kids would
call “weirded out” by receiving a message like that. I was surprised, but mainly
I was excited. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span><span> </span> When I got home, I started researching
body trivia to write a children’s devotional book, since my experience was in
that genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when I sent a few
chapters to my editor (one that I paid for writing advice), she told me it was
too much like a science lesson and wouldn’t interest kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I filed it away, thinking I’d
misunderstood what God meant. I awaited further instruction. </span></div>
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you had an experience where you have found your devotional useful?</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was probably 8-10 <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">years </b>later that I developed a “mystery illness” that left me so
exhausted, achy and shaky, that I couldn’t do much of anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in prayer I asked God to show me His
purpose in that suffering, since I certainly wasn’t able to do anything for Him
in the shape I was in. Right as I prayed that prayer <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a-knowledge</i> (not a voice this time) came into my head that I would
have to suffer a little before I could write about it. And I <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">immediately</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">knew</b> – I’d just received the final instruction for that body
devotional book!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was to be directed
toward suffering people – adults!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
started right away on the book, and it was the most joyful period of my life as
I researched scripture, interviewed people going through hard times, and used
my own family stories to give others hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span> Many ideas of body trivia came from the physical therapy I was taking,
so I asked my Physical Therapist if she would design exercises to go with each
devotional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I researched a lot for body
facts, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My very kind stomach doctor
checked my information to be sure the facts were right, and Ken Gire, a
wonderful author and high school friend of mine, gave me great suggestions when
he edited it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course, my dear Mom
was my #1 editor and helper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t
have done it without her suggestions and help. (I finally discovered what was
wrong with me while writing the book, and I tell about that in it. It turned
out to be a “perfect storm” of inflammation, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar),
and disc degeneration.)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
I was diagnosed with breast cancer last spring, I was in the final edits of the
book (which I had thought was “late” since it had been scheduled to come out in
the spring). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I got the cancer phone
call, I had just re-read the whole manuscript and been freshly reminded of
God’s promises, His power, grace, help and hope. I felt an incredible peace that
lasted through the mastectomy and recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had thought I was writing the book for others, but it wound up
comforting ME!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has a wonderful sense
of humor.</span></div>
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What
plans do you have for your next writing project?</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
have two ideas for new writing projects, but can’t quite figure out how to
carve out the time to do them just yet – we’ve got a daughter marrying this
summer, and I’m trying to promote my new book, plus travel with my husband’s
volunteer job as President of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raiser’s Assoc. But
both ideas are for young readers, and I suppose it’s because now that I’m a very
delighted grandmother, kids are at the center of my heart once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span><span>To learn more about Marjorie Parker visit this web address:</span></span></div>
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<span><span> http://www.marjorieparker.com/index.htm</span></span></div>
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<span><span>To purchase a copy of <i>Shaken to the Core</i> visit this web address:</span></span></div>
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<span><span>http://www.brightskypress.com/infostore/ca.cart.asp?sAction=DisplayDetails&pid=198</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-69069029463229563342012-03-04T15:06:00.001-06:002012-03-04T15:10:00.210-06:00EMPOWERING CHARACTER EMOTIONS by Margie LawsonIf you haven't looked through our index of subject material below, take a look. In our writing, we find ourselves from time to time in need of information on how to edit, or the best way to plot. You'll find help in storyboarding, writing scenes or creating trailers. What you need awaits you even if it's a word of encouragement.<br />
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Books to Write by blog supports online courses by Margie Lawson. I checked our topics below and found two such posts. One discusses Margie's DEEP EDITING course and the other is entitled DEFEATING SELF-DEFEATING BEHAVIORS. Courses offered online give you a great writing workshop in the privacy of your home and at your preferred time.<br />
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During the month of February, 2012, this humble writer took an in depth study with Margie Lawson on EMPOWERING CHARACTER EMOTIONS. My critique partners constantly mark my manuscript with "ramp up the emotions." I write character-driven stories, but even if one tends more toward plot-driven, you must grab the reader by the emotion, be it fear or anger or excitement.<br />
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The benefit of her unique deep editing procedure is invaluable. I learned again that I don't add enough description. Without using her method, I could read my same chapter over and over and not realize my problem. The reader did not "see" my hero and heroine. I gave no insight into how they looked. Margie states that every time we introduce a new character, we should have at least a line or a phrase of description. <br />
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Remember the biggest percent of our communication is non-verbal. To write great dialogue, we must master body language. Margie looks at characters through a psychologist viewpoint. How the character stands or where they put their hands gives a different slant to their words. Sometimes, characters don't speak at all, but they show a lot.<br />
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A Margie Lawson course stuffs my brain and overworks my imagination, but I learn volumes, I strengthen my writing with power words, or empowered phrases, and I finish a better writer than when I began.<br />
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Three years have passed since I took my last Margie course. It was time for me. If you haven't taken one before, or if it has been awhile, I recommend you enroll. Is it time for you to take a Margie course?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406103471551171672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-7371568872869123192012-02-17T08:30:00.000-06:002012-02-17T08:33:57.425-06:00LONE STAR JUSTICE by Robert M. Utley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"> The novel I'm (Debra) working on now includes a Texas Ranger as one of the leads. For Christmas, I received from my husband, two books on the evolution of the Texas Rangers. The book I will review today is, LONE STAR JUSTICE, <i>The First Century of the Texas Rangers</i>, by Robert M. Utley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Author: Robert M. Utley</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Website: <b><a href="http://www.robertutley.net/" style="color: #444444;">http://www.robertutley.net/</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Purchase: <b><a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780425190128,00.html?Lone_Star_Justice_Robert_M._Utley" style="color: #444444;">http://us.penguingroup.com/</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pros: What I love about this book is the detailed historical accuracy of the rise and fall and rise again of the Texas Rangers. While reading the book, the author captures a mental picture of history and makes the reader imagine it as if history was unfolding like a movie. the author incorporates a blend of narrative and dialogue taken straight from 19th century journals. I also appreciate the thoroughness of the author's research which is quite evident from the beginning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The book includes early pictures and images of early artist renderings of battles scenes. I particulary enjoyed the images of real life heroes of the past, such as Sam Houston, Sam Walker, and Leander H. McNelly. You hear of such Texas heroes and it is a pleasure to put a face with a name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Cons: This book is an awesome book filled with historical facts, perfect for my research. The only complaint I have is that the book is heavy on battle scenes and I grew weary of reading one skirmish after another. I would've enjoyed more information on historical characters and their relationships. However, that is only an opinion. My son who adores reading of battle scenes would enjoy this book, but I'm more of a romance writer. I love getting to know characters better.</span></div>
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-54010460792950394982012-01-02T09:41:00.003-06:002012-01-02T10:03:37.287-06:00One Way to Write a Novel. by Vicki Hinze<span style="font-style:italic;">One Way to Write A Novel</span> by Vicki Hinze is one of my downloads on my Kindle which I received a an early Christmas gift. I downloaded her book at the suggestion of another writer on a Loop I am a member of. I'm glad I followed that writer's advice. <br /><br />I am definitely not going to delete her book from my Kindle because I know I'll want to refer to different sections frequently. <br /><br />Some things that I found helpful on my first read were : "Common Errors to Avoid", "Should You Write the Book?", "How to Make a Story Binder", and "Making a Story Board". <br /><br />Her advice is practical and easy to understand. She makes sure you understand her terminology by giving a definition and examples as needed. <br /><br />I was especially impressed with the list of questions she provided at the beginning of her book that helps the reader decide if the idea the writer is considering is worth pursuing. This alone can save the author the disappointment of spending months on writing a book that will never be finished or poorly finished. <br /><br />I have "sort of" worked on a binder for my story as well as a story board. After reading her book, I'm going to finish those two projects and get on with my book. <br /><br />Ms. Hinze is a successful author of books and articles. I have not read her books before, but I'm going to select one to download to my Kindle. Check out <span style="font-style:italic;">One Way to Write A Novel<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>. You'll be glad you did.Moonine Sue Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13606853537439975545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-7429387455177724582011-12-04T14:33:00.001-06:002011-12-04T15:39:41.605-06:00Writer's Digest magazineLong before I heard of writer's conferences, workshops or yahoo loops, I subscribed to Writer's Digest magazine. As a young mother, I had no contact with other writers except through this magazine and the books sold by Writer's Digest.<br />
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Life demanded too much time. I bade my time until my children were grown and retirement from work was feasible to begin again to learn the craft of writing and submitting for publication. <br />
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I joined Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Writers Fellowship Intl., and Oklahoma Writers Federation Intl. I attended conferences. I learned in workshops. I registered in online courses, and with three of my friends, I began blogging on this site.<br />
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Until about two years ago, the one thing I didn't do to improve my writing career was subscribe to Writer's Digest magazine. When I did, wow, what a treasure I found in that medium. Books and courses are sold online, but if you haven't subscribed to the hard copy magazine, you're missing out.<br />
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September's issue gave me the top ten genres and the secret to their success.<br />
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A sample of invaluable information I found came from the October issue. "Your first 50 Pages" broke down "4 Goals for your Beginning" by Les Edgerton, "Second Scenes" by Nancy Kress, and "4 Ways to Bond your Reader & Characters" by James Scott Bell.<br />
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I waited to get the November magazine to tell me about "Your last 50 pages," and I highlighted everything in the article "Spin Subplots like a Master Weaver" by Elizabeth Simm."<br />
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Now, I've received my December copy and guess what? I'm reading Steven James on "6 Secrets to Creating and Sustaining Suspense" (a problem I continually work with) and I can't wait to read "Timeless Novel Advice" from Stephen King and other giants in the business.<br />
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If you haven't taken a look at the newest version of an old learning tool, search out Writer's Digest magazine. I can't tell you how often I've read and refered back to the articles that purchased as separate books or courses would cost me many times more.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406103471551171672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-14383156529482598592011-11-04T10:10:00.001-05:002011-11-04T10:19:24.522-05:00The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) Cooking, Toilet, and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care of the Sick, Health Suggestions, Facts...Cyclopedia of Information for the HomeI have heard several people comment about Amazon.com having free Kindle books for free downloads, but haven't even bothered to check it out because (((gasp))) I don't own a Kindle or any other digital reading device. At present, I'm one of those readers who enjoy holding the book in my hands. However, since I write historical fiction, I'm always on the look out for research material. My fellow blogger, Sue sent me a link for a free Kindle download from Amazon.com for the book, <i>The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) Cooking, Toilet and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care for the Sick, Health Suggestion, Facts...Cyclopedia of Information for the Home by Fanny Lemira Gillette.</i><br />
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I followed the link to find that Amazon.com has a download for people like me who aren't ready to commit to purchasing a Kindle. It is called Kindle for PC. Readers can use this download to install a Kindle program on their computer and voila!!! Readers can enjoy any Kindle book on Amazon.com.<br />
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After having downloaded Kindle for PC, I then noticed that the cookbook link my friend sent me wasn't the only free book on Amazon.com. Most all the popular classics, such as Pride and Prejudice, Aesop's Fables, Treasure Island, and so many more books are free.<br />
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The Whitehouse Cookbook was an interesting read and one I can use for development of my stories and maybe even useless information that I find amusing. Did you know since I have downloaded this treasure trove of information that I now possess the recipe for Squirrel Soup? Green Turtle Soup? What I'd really like to know is what in the world are the finer parts of the turtle and where exactly is the green fat found? There is even a recipe for Frogs Fried and Frogs Stewed. Only the hind-legs and quarters are used.<br />
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I have even discovered a recipe that has been used my mother's family for generations which we seemed to have shortened over the years. We have enjoyed Salmon Croquettes (I'm supposing southern-style) and have passed the recipe on to our children. The recipe I received from my mother was 1-canned salmon, bread crumbs, and egg. Mix together. Form patties. Fry them in hot grease. Serve with milk gravy. However, here is the 1887 version of the same recipe but I think probably more richer with more calories.<br />
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Salmon Croquettes<br />
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One pound of cooked salmon (about one and a half pints when chopped), one cup of cream, two tablespoonfuls of butter, one tablespoonful of flour, three eggs, one pint of crumbs, pepper and salt; chop the salmon fine, mix the flour and butter together, let the cream come to a boil, and stir in the flour and butter, salmon and seasoning; boil one minute; stir in one well-beaten egg, and remove from the fire; when cold make into croquettes; dip in beaten egg, roll in crumbs and fry. Canned salmon can be used.<br />
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I had no idea salmon came canned in 1887. Who knew? The same recipe is used for every meat listed in the cookbook: salmon, lobster, crab, oysters, chicken, and beef. The beef croquettes adds hot mashed potatoes.<br />
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The book also teaches the housewife to cook all manner of organs. Beef hearts, beef liver, boiled beef and tongue. I'm not quite certain about all the recipes of which meat is used to make pudding. In my mind, I'm seeing vanilla and chocolate pudding, perhaps even fruit flavored puddings, but meat? Veal pudding sounded almost promising with its addition of bacon, but I'm not sure what a suet crust is or what a pudding cloth is either? Maybe I need a dictionary to go along with my reading? But by far, the worst pudding I read was Black Pudding. The main ingredient is coagulated blood of a pig. Yep, those plucky pioneers didn't let anything go to waste.<br />
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Here's a recipe that will really wake up your appetite. Calf's Head boiled. I won't give you the details of the recipe because after that Black Pudding recipe I'm a feeling a little nauseous. But think Calf's Head equals Spam.<br />
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Ooh, did you know that ketchup or as pioneers called it, Catsup was around back in 1887? The recipes say that if you bottle your catsup immediately while hot, and tightly sealed it will keep good for years. But red catsup wasn't the only one they had. There's a recipe for green tomato catsup too. That reminds me of the green or purple ketchup Heinz came out with years ago. The cookbook also lists walnut catsup, oyster catsup, mushroom catsup, and other flavors like gooseberry, cucumber, currant, apple, celery, and spiced vinegar catsup.<br />
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As far as helpful information, the cookbook has planned menus for the holidays and a sample menu for a White House State Dinner...think French food. A menu for Mrs. Cleveland's wedding lunch June 4, 1888 is also listed...again think French food or French words I cannot pronounce or even try to spell. Etiquette for the White House is listed as well with the disclaimer:<i> Etiquette as observed in European courts is not known at the White House.</i> Funny? I didn't know Rednecks were around then. Information is then listed on how to check your coat in at the cloakroom as well as where to sit. Then the menu is given. The first course is French style (no surprise there), second service is sweet dishes, third service includes desserts, fruits, ice, cakes, and all principal dishes are presented to the President before serving the guests. I was disappointed to learn that the fancy folding of napkins in 1887 was considered out of fashion. A plain square folded napkin with the monogram in the middle was preferred.<br />
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For treating the sick, the cookbook cautions housewives to consider the needs of the sick first. Don't serve an invalid milk for this may constipate the patient. As a rule, invalids should be served their food in small, delicate pieces in dainty dishes. Some recipes for ailments include serving an alcoholic beverage of Blackberry Cordial to infants to relieve pain from teething and summer diseases. Yeah, I bet they didn't feel any pain. Colds are due to men sealing the house up tight during winter. The family can stave off suffering from a cold if they drink a whiskey or a glass or two of beer before supper. After a few glasses, I'm sure they didn't suffer from anything.<br />
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A toothache can be cured by saturating a piece of gauze and lying it on the tooth. Follow that with a mixture of Alum powder and salt. To cure an earache: puff tobacco smoke into the sufferer's ear. For a burn, use butter and if that doesn't help add baking soda, the yellow of an egg, and apply with a feather. Of course, with a little flour and sugar and vanilla they could also make cookies to keep the burn victim's mind off the pain. For a sore throat, gargle with hot, salt water with a little alum and honey. Follow this with bacon soaked in hot vinegar applied to the throat as hot as possible. The sick can even gargle with equal parts of borax and alum. They can gargle and do their laundry at the same time.<br />
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One last recipe for the sick. A cure for felons: take a common rock, heat it in the oven, pound it fine, and mix with the spirits of turpentine. Put it in a rag and wrap the felon. In twenty-four hours you are cured and the felon is dead. My question is how can you convince the felon to allow you to wrap him in turpentine? That or maybe nineteenth century folks defined felon different than we define it.<br />
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Toward the end of the book, there are helpful laundry hints like how to wash black lace and how to wash feathers. Who said 19th century brides were prudish? Did you know that washing feathers required ironing too? Adding alum to the rinse water will keep dresses uninflammable. <br />
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I leave you today with a few facts worth knowing:<br />
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To Prevent Oil from Becoming Rancid - Drop a few drops of ether into the bottle containing it.<br />
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Slicing Pineapples: - The knife used for peeling a pineapple should not be used for slicing it, as the rind contains an acid that is apt to cause a swollen mouth and sore lips. The Cubans use salt as an antidote for the ill effects of the peel.<br />
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Choking: - a piece of food lodged in the throat may sometimes be pushed down with the finger, or removed with a hair-pin quickly straightened and hooked at the end, or by two or three vigorous blows on the back between the shoulders.<br />
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Table Etiquette: - Be careful to keep the mouth shut closely while masticating the food. It is the opening of the lips which causes the smacking which seems very disgusting.Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13035500319440232310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-61173085173707240282011-10-02T14:47:00.005-05:002011-10-02T16:20:39.678-05:00The Prodigal by Elizabeth Lee and The Visionary by Pamela S. Thibodeaux
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<br />This last month I've learned a lot by reading the works of two new authors, one, completely new, the other, only new to me. Both books speak of healing and redemption in seemingly impossible situations.
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<br />Ms. Lee self published her first book "The Prodigal" with Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords. This inspirational women's fiction deals with two sisters and a mother thrown into heavy, real life situations such as abuse and depression. They find it hard to deal with life and harder to continue belief in God. I asked Ms. Lee what she liked about her chosen mode of publishing. She liked "the speed of getting out the book." Standard publishing avenues often held up her book for months while she desired to get out her message of hope. She advised that "with the proper format and good cover, her book could go into a premium catalog and be distributed on iBooks and Nook." Good advice given by Ms. Lee for anyone else interested in formatting a book for this medium of publishing is "to get the Smashwords guide on Smashwords.com and follow the directions word by word. Do not skip steps. Then you adjust for Kindle guidelines. It takes a bit of time, but it's well worth the effort and it's free." This new author also has a historical "Honor and Lies" published in the same way. I've learned a lot about this new avenue of publishing as well as I enjoyed an enthralling story. I recommend checking it out.
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<br />I met Pam Thibodeaux, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana now that she's moved to Texas. She's written for years and has come to be known by a tagline "inspirational with an edge." Her newest book "The Visionary" will be released on Nov. 16, 2011, but can be advanced ordered at the present time. Pam's writing was new to me, so I read this new book with no expectations, just curiosity. Truthfully, few people could handle the delicate topic of devastation caused from sexual abuse as a child leading to murder. This book demonstrates the breadth of God's grace. The tender way which she illustrates hope over a dark, untalked-about subject is unrivaled. I asked Ms. Thibodeaux what she liked about her publishers. "They are author-friendly - patient in helping new authors understand their rules without making them feel ashamed or embarrased." Besides women's fiction, she also writes inspirational romance and creative non-fiction. You can find her on www.pamelathibodeaux.com to learn more. I found her helpful and knowledgeable in all aspects of writing and her book, captivating.
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17406103471551171672noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534040959224302559.post-11859420701522299402011-09-05T12:28:00.005-05:002011-09-05T13:03:13.450-05:00The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond<span style="font-style:italic;">The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels</span> by Ree Drummond is a fun book to read. Ms. Drummond started out with a blog about how she met her husband. I had heard about her blog and read a couple of her entries online. When I saw the book, I knew I had to buy it.
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<br />A city girl meets a cowboy and the fun begins. Being from the city and deciding farm life wasn't for me after spending two days hand planting tomatoes, I was instantly interested. Ms. Drummond doesn't hold back on the reality of working with animals and ranch life.
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<br />I am one of those readers who can never get enough of stories about the West whether historical or contemporary. I love those cowboy and cowgirls. I grew up in the Midwest, but every Summer we went to South Dakota where my daddy grew up. I used to beg to move there, but daddy liked being able to pay bills and my mother was an only child who grew up in the Midwest and had no desire to leave.
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<br />The Air Force sent my husband and me to Western Washington, Eastern Montana, and finally Texas. So I consider myself a westerner since I've lived in Texas for over thirty years. I discovered Louis L'Amour in Montana where I purchased my first pair of cowgirl boots. I've been hooked since then. I might add that I have no desire to ride a horse. I'm scared to death of those huge animals.
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<br />I tried to write a ranch story once about South Dakota. I quickly figured out that I lacked knowledge to pull it off. So as I read her experiences, I could identify with her adventures. So if you want to know what ranch life is really like and measure it against what you might be tempted to write, this is the book for you. If you want to write a memoir, this is the book for you. And if you just want a fun read, get a copy of her book. She obviously loved her cowboy enough to become a rancher's wife while I parted ways with "tomato" man and found my true love in Air Force blue. Moonine Sue Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13606853537439975545noreply@blogger.com3