Grammarly Deets #7

Back to school again with Grammar class 101. This time I'm going to focus on a few confusing words, which many misuse quite often. It happens more than you'd think and in situations from people you wouldn't expect. Of course, that only perpetuates the misuse. Gotta love the English language!

First up, and it's a biggie, is the misuse of the verbs to lie and to lay. In this case to lie is not referring to the meaning of telling a fib, but rather to recline. If you're familiar with the grammar term "direct object" this might be easier to understand. If not, please be patient. I will use examples to help clarify.

Present tense:
--to lie: I lie on the bed.
--to lay: I lay the book on the table. (notice the underlined words, the book; that's a direct object.) 

**Remember: Lay will always have a direct object when it means placing something or putting something.

Now, let's go on to create a chart (it helps me to refer to this and maybe it will for you, too):
                                     
To lie (meaning to recline)

present tense:    lie (I lie on the bed)                             
past tense:         lay (Yesterday, I lay in bed until noon.)
past participle: lain (I had lain in bed until noon three days last week.)

To lay (meaning to place something or put something)

present tense:     lay (I lay the book down on the table.)                   
past tense:          laid (I laid the book on the table yesterday.)
past participle:  laid (I suddenly remembered I had laid the books on the table.)

Don't be discouraged if you get lie and lay confused. Some of the greatest figures in society have done so, too. Remember Bob Dylan and his song "Lay Lady Lay"? It's wrong! Should be "Lie Lady Lie". Eric Clapton? "Lay Down, Sally"? Eh, eh. Nope. "Lie Down, Sally". 

You want more common grammar confusion? How about there, their, they're? It's really quite easy to remember this way: there has the word here in it. Therefore, it means location. Example: I left the book over there by the door. The word they're is a contraction. Remember that the apostrophe (') is the replacement for a letter. They're = they are. Example: They're (they are) going to the party together. Of course that leaves their. One trick to remember is to focus on the letter i in the word. I can prompt the idea of possession. Another trick is the word heir inside their. An heir inherits so things belong to him, i.e. possession. Example: They needed to bring their books to class.

A couple more? 

Accept/Except : I accept your apology. Everyone came except Tom. The first one is a verb.

Affect/Effect:  Lack of sleep affects your health. The effects of poor health may kill you. Again, the first one is a verb, second one a noun. 

Enough for now. Class is over. However, I'll be back with more word confusion next week!

Enjoy life and write well!

Weekly Deets - 9.14.15

Scary is ... well ... scary. This time of year we think about scary. The scary movies are starting to flood our media, of course because of the Halloween season. So are scary stories. Stephen King and Dean Koontz have been my favorite authors of the horror genre. Or at least when I used to read horror genre. I think I had my fill somewhere back in the nineties. After years of feeding on the fright, the gore, and the eye-popping, heart-pounding moments I decided my health couldn't take it any longer. Seriously though, I just wanted to move along to reading my new fave genre, mysteries. Of course, some of those have gore and fright, too. I do love an evil-minded psychotic killer and the gruesome forensic evidence he leaves behind. Think Criminal Minds.

So, what is it about scary? According to an article I found: "Department head Magne Arve Flaten says that fear comes from the part of our brain that is specialized to express terror.

'Our fear centre sits in an area in the front of the brain near the temple and is called the amygdala. Studies that have been done on people who lack an amygdala demonstrate that they do not exhibit fear,' he says." ( Fear Reaction )

The article also states that our fear is immediate. Like in one eye blink, folks, we react in about a tenth of a second. No wonder we nearly jump out of our seats when someone sneaks up on us, or when we read about or watch that goon hiding behind the door who pops out to surprise the unsuspecting victim in the movie or novel. I'm shivering just picturing the shower scene in Psycho (Hitchcock's original). Surprising or not, it's something lots of people thrive on. Give 'em an adrenaline rush prompted by fear and it satisfies them. Well, it does for most, present company excluded. 

In another light and much smaller scale of scary, I'm thinking of an upcoming event where I'll be reading to listeners, big group or small, it doesn't matter. That adrenaline rush is already boosting my heart rate as the date draws closer. Not from fear, but more from anxiety and nerves. Heck, maybe it's triggered from the same place, that amygdala in the front brain. Whatever or wherever, I feel it. And will always feel it, every time I go before a group of people to talk, read, sing (that's not going to happen) or stand on my head (never going to happen). They do say, though, that a bit of nerves are good when performing at any level. Keeps you on your toes and brain alert, so you do a better job. At least that's their excuse! 

Fear. It's what makes the world go round and Halloween lovers thrive! 

Favorite Scary Movie: The Haunting (1963 version only ... and because there's no blood and gore. If I count those elements then it's The Exorcist.)

Favorite Scary Novel: The Dark Half by Stephen King (one of my many favorites, actually. I think this one fits because it's about an author who has a darker half, which comes alive to commit all kinds of horrific acts. bruhaha!)

Favorite Scary Song: Tubular Bells -- theme song to The Exorcist (okay, only if you've seen the movie, then you know exactly what I'm talking about, otherwise it's really a pretty song, haunting but pretty. And I have to give my honorable mention to that heart-pumping beat in the movie Jaws.)

Anyone willing to chime in and add their scary favorites, please do in the comment section below!

Well, that's my take on scary. And here's to a week of fun and fear! Watch your back, folks! 

Grammarly Deets #5

Do you write poetry? Song lyrics? Play drums or other percussion instruments? Of course, if you do any of these you know how important beat and rhythm are. What I'd bet you weren't aware of is how significant it is in writing. Yep. Beat and rhythm. Some will call it pacing. That's a loose translation at best, but it will do to explain this post on writing. It doesn't concern grammar, no. (If you were wondering.) However, it is very essential you master this skill. 

You might read books on writing that will describe the peril of monotonous dialogue, line after line of he said, she said, where no descriptive tags are interspersed. You add a "he took a sip of his coffee" here, or "she hesitated, worried he may not admit the truth" there, and suddenly the reader feels he's been transported into the story, experiencing everything. Much more interesting, right? Of course you don't want to tag every line of dialogue. That's slowing things down too much, and quite frankly it gets annoying to the reader. 

Another piece of advice will address pacing. Nothing worse than a plot bogging down with slow, arduous and painful detail. There must be variety. And it starts with sentence length. That's where I'm taking this post. The beat, rhythm and pacing of your sentence structure. 

Take a look at this paragraph: 

Mary stepped to the door. She opened it to find Jack. She froze and couldn't speak. Her eyes spoke to him instead. She waved him inside. They sat in the living room. Neither one started the conversation.

The pacing is quick, but the monotony of repeated word length and structure doesn't lend itself to originality or prose that sparks a reader's interest. So, let's mix it up a bit. Again, think beat, think rhythm.

Mary stepped to the door. When she opened it to find Jack, she gasped. There weren't any words, nothing would fall from her lips. However, the anger inside screamed a tirade of questions. Where had he been? How could he desert her like this? She stared for another minute. Finally, stepping aside she waved him in. They sat in the living room. For several awkward minutes, neither of them spoke. 

Okay, maybe not the greatest example, but I'd bet you noticed the varied sentence structure and length. Also, I included some inner thought to deepen the character's voice. The first paragraph is rather boring. Think of a drum beat thumping out tap, tap, tap, tap, all in an even rhythm. The second paragraph mixes up the beat. Now your drum is sounding great. Tap, tap, tatata, tap, tatap. Or something like that. (I apologize. I'm not a drummer!) 

Taking it further, note that pacing dictates the action of the story, whether it should be fast or slow. When a scene needs to be fast-paced, for example in a fight between two characters or during an escape from the bad guys, repeated short sentences do the trick. When the action slows down, like in a romantic scene, you can lengthen the description, draw it out with those long, complex sentences. It works. Keeps your readers engaged and wide awake, not knowing what's around the corner ... that is, the next page! 

Beat, rhythm, pacing. They are essential ingredients to great writing!

Enjoy your weekend, and as always, happy writing!

Grammarly Deets #4

I found a quote last week that suits this week's topic. It pretty much covers all points of writing, and how you should divide, share, and conquer! It goes something like this: "Most of your novel should be Action and Dialogue. Description is the dessert. Interior Emotion provides the spice. Interior Monologue is the salt. A little salt goes a long way."

This post is specifically about the details you include in your action, dialogue, description and so on. I'd like to focus on that. Stephen King advises writers to provide enough of those details to make a great story, but always leave the reader something to imagine, to figure out for himself. Reading is an active exercise, not passive, as you should know. You must keep readers guessing, predicting, imagining, and drawing conclusions. That's your objective. You settle for nothing less. (Oh, boy ... those English teacher habits seep out of me on occasion, like now!)

Besides maintaining balance and proper proportion, your story details should be relevant. Otherwise, the story becomes boring, overwhelming, even confusing. And worst of all? The plot slows to a crawl. So slow, a turtle could pass it up in a race! Oh, yeah. That reminds me of yet another piece of advice, a la Stephen King, of course. At all times, and I do mean all, you should be thinking of the plot. The actions, dialogue, inner thoughts, etc. in every way should drive the story toward the plot's resolution and the ending. Your words need to have purpose. It's as simple as that. Okay, maybe not simple to do, but who said writing was easy? 

That's it for this week, folks. Keep on writing, and above all else, enjoy!

Grammarly Deets #3

Last week the topic was passive words, the week before ... overused words. This week I'm focusing on unnecessary or excess words. Yes, we use them when we talk or write an informal email, text, etc, and no one much cares. On the other hand, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, when it counts, (as in you're trying to get published or earn that A+ on your latest school assignment) be more concise, i.e. get rid of excess words. Sometimes, the solution is to simply replace an expression that contains three or more words with a more specific term. Example? in front of can sometimes be replaced with before or ahead. A few other examples are: at the back = behind; out of = from/away/beyond; 
off of = off.

Of course, I'm not implying these all must be changed. Remember, you are looking for concise writing, writing that expresses what you want to say in a smooth, flowing manner. This attracts readers. This keeps them interested to read to the last page. 

One tip that comes to mind in searching for more exact synonyms is to use the thesaurus feature in Word. It's helped me when I draw a blank on replacements. However, I'm passing along this link which gives 50 wordy expressions with their one word substitutes. Caution: I don't favor all of them. For instance, replacing in order that with so. (refer back to last week's post on passive words.)

Daily Writing Tips

So (haha!), there you have it. Go forth and chisel away at those wordy expressions and enjoy your week!

Weekly Deets -- 8.24.15

It's Monday morning and I'm attempting to jump start my week. Protein and fiber included in breakfast (I'm usually not so vigilant; most of the time it's coffee and more coffee.) to get the energy juices flowing. Then I stare at the current WIP and ... and ... okay, so I decide to pop in here to write a post. After all, I totally skipped last week *gritting teeth being reminded of bad habits, i.e., procrastination*. Seriously though, this is writing calisthenics, which will get me going on that WIP. I'm 99.99999_% sure of it!

So, topic for the week? I've been thinking about the whole representation-publication-because-I-want-a-career process. I've trudged through nearly fifteen years of it, faced the battlefields, hurdled the obstacles, picked myself up and, well, trudged on some more because that's what we do if we want something badly enough. And I want it. I want it baaaaad. *maliciously grinning while drooling* Anyway, returning to my original thought. Let's go far back in time ...the image in my brain is a caveman writer, chiseling out his story on a stone tablet, and then Dino the dinosaur traveling miles and miles to deliver it to the Bedrock Publishing Company. No. Wait. That's the Flintstones. Wrong story. Oops. Seriously, you get the picture and you know it hasn't always been easy to get your writing out there to somebody, anybody, like it is today. 

Up until the nineties, the process was quite simple, well, not simple as in easy, but there was one way to do things. Only one. You wrote a story. You wrote a query to introduce the story. (Remember, all of this needed to be typed ... on a typewriter, folks. Ever seen one?) You printed off your story, your query letter. Searched for an envelope. Oh yeah, almost forgot, you needed a copy of the Writers Digest, (actual book, cause there wasn't a computer and internet, or any modern technology to go searching through, right?) And last year's copy wouldn't work. No, no, no! Writers Digest  was, and probably still is, released once a year. You needed access to the current one because editors come and go so quickly in the land of publishing, don't they? So, you found an agent or publisher you thought would like your story, and then you sent your work to said agent/publisher. Don't forget, you had to include a SASE for their response. Yeah, they don't flip the bill for that. And then you waited. And waited. And waited some more. Really this should sound familiar. Even through cyberspace communication, you wait, and wait. 

If you were lucky you got a positive response. Maybe the person you addressed wanted to see more (if this was a full-length MS), in which case, NOW you were about to spend a whole lot more on additional chapters to print, or even the whole thing! This, on a possible yes-we-want-your-story from agent/publisher. And if no? Well, you started over. *sigh* Yes, today seems so much easier and cost-effective, if only the market wasn't flooded with so many wannabe authors. Still, we try, don't we? Because that is what we do if we want something badly enough. 

Happy writing! Enjoy your week and above all, if you write it, they will come. Or at least if you keep subbing your story, they will ... eventually ... we always hope. 

Grammarly Deets #2

This week I'm focusing on what I call air filler, those words you really don't need because they fatten up your writing with air and no substance. They keep you from sounding concise. Concise is good, very good. It makes your writing move at a smooth pace and keeps the reader interested enough to keep reading. No bogging down, here, folks! Every single word you write should have purpose. 

Anyway, here's a list of passive words to watch out for and change/omit whenever possible or when they occur too often: 

a bit, a little, about, actually, almost, almost like, already, appears, approximately, basically, close to, even, eventually, exactly, fairly, finally, here, highly, just, just then, kind of, mostly, nearly, now practically, pretty, quite, rather, really, seemed, seems, simply, slightly, so, somehow, somewhat, somewhat like, sort of, suddenly, then, there, truly, utterly, very, AND any other -ly word should be examined.

Now, you ask, do you have to trash each and every passive word you find? No, not at all. In truth, it's not possible, or sometimes not even favorable. Sometimes, those words fit. And heck, we are writers -- here's where you pull your shoulders straight and tip your chin up because you're proud to be one -- but also human. A few of those words here and there aren't going to make your writing crappy. A ton of them lingering about and you'll be wearing the sign "AMATEUR" in bright green neon letters! *grin*. So, erase away! Edit, change, omit, polish your work until it's crisp, clean, consise, and colossal! How's that for alliteration?

Until next week, happy writing ... and editing!

Weekly Deets - 8.13.15

Middle of August blues? I know, plenty to get blue about, right? For kids it's soon or already the start of ..... okay, won't say that six letter word, but I don't have to, do I? That goes for teachers, too :-) I had the same vibe up until two years ago when I retired. Now? I can do a little dance and say, "nanner, nanner, nanner!", right? 

So, what else? Who gets down in the dumps this time of year? Boaters! My older daughter is one. She laments that the boating season in Ohio will be over in another month or so. (It's not the weather so much as the Portage Lakes agenda. They lower the water level every couple years. Too difficult or impossible to go putting around when that happens. Then, it's time to store the boat!)

Hmm ... anyone? Swimming, golfing, or just enjoying the nice, warm, sunny days ... it's closer to autumn, and after that ... da, da, da, DA! Winter. Burr, cold, ugly, not so much fun. All those outdoorsy activities conducive to warm weather will be gone until next year. 

The real torture this year was that "summer" as we define it, didn't arrive until late July, here in northeastern Ohio. We had rain, lots and lots of rain. And clouds, and more rain, and thus cooler temperatures, i.e., definitely not summer. It's been a total cheat, but hey, what's that saying? Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. Well, gee, what exactly can we do about it but talk and complain? 

I do have a suggestion, or two. Fortunately, we live in a time when grass huts or sleeping under a tree or in a cave is not the norm (unless you are on some reality show like Survivor, but really, who wants that?) So, the comfy indoors is our domain, complete with every modern convenience possible. Great time to catch up on that favorite TV show you've been missing while enjoying the great outdoors. Binging on an entire season will take time. I did this with seven seasons of True Blood. It took me exactly three weeks. I'm cross-eyed from the experience, but heck, I so enjoyed it. Besides that, the wonderful fall lineup of shows will arrive soon. Can't wait for new episodes of Castle. OR you can read a book! Yeah, that rectangular-shaped object with front and back covers and all those wonderful pages in between with fantastic words, clever words, action words, emotional words, words, words, words! It's euphoric and totally satisfying. I learned that if you read even six minutes a day, it makes you calmer. I'm all about calm. Anyway, you should try it :-)

Now, as I bring this lengthy, non-stop, never-pausing-for-a-breath post to an end, let me close with a quick (did I say quick?) summary of the past week's events. It is titled "Weekly Deets", after all. How about I make it a bullet point checklist to shorten things up? Okay, got it.

• August 3: shopped for a new vehicle (hubby's car is hitting the dust at 14 years old)
• August 4: bought a vehicle, and it's a beaut! First SUV. My mantra? Don't wreck it!
• August 5: writing seemed to encompass the day (got to catch up sometime, right?)
• August 6: nada, except maybe more writing *grin*
• August 7: family evening -- chance to take a cruise around the lake on that boat!
• August 8 & 9: relaxing around the home front -- grilling, chatting, and so on with hubby :-)
• August 10 to NOW: okay, definitely writing! How is it I never seem to move fast enough?!

That's it! Enjoy your summer remainder and get outside! Before you know it will be ... brrr ... yeah, I won't say that six letter word either!

A Deadly Deed Grows -- great summer romance and suspense.

Grammarly Deets #1

I am starting a new post idea ... we'll see how it goes. Many of these will be familiar but maybe a few will prove new and useful. Okay, so what am I talking about, you ask? (Now, take a look at the post title ... um hum, yeah, that's it., aka, writing tips.)

This will be short but otherwise noteworthy, I hope. 

Tip #1: cull your writing by searching for these overused words: would, could, start to, only, about to, begin/began/begun, that, as. Consider eliminating or replacing some of them. Don't be discouraged. Some of these changes can be really simple. For instance: example 1: Use he walked away. instead of he started to walk away. Example 2: Use she saw the possibly instead of she could see the possibly. Others may require a bit more clever rewording. 

To help move the process along quickly and smoothly my suggestion is to use the find or search function in your document and attack one word at a time. Make changes where they fit and be sure it reads okay, (not just changing them because you think you need to get rid of all the overused words). 

Okay, that's it! Next time I will talk about some common passive words you should tackle. 

Enjoy writing ... and editing!

Author of:
A Deadly Deed Grows
Dying to Dream
Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes

Weekly Deets -- 7.8.15

Yes, yes. Late again. Yet, here I am. I wanted to wait until after my author visit to post, but another day passed and then another. Before the week is entirely gone, I am writing a new post. Part of my excuse deals with the True Blood series. I finished watching the final episodes today with my daughter -- the one who caused all this madness in the first place by suggesting I watch! 

I loved it. I truly loved it. And now I'm heartbroken because it's done. After three weeks of binge TV and seven seasons, i.e. 110 episodes, and I refuse to add up the total minutes, I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Sad, yes, I know. But true. Next comes the books. I've only read the first, and there are thirteen Sookie Stackhouse novels. I want to compare the author's writing to the show, how they differ, because I'm assured they do differ. Will post later on that.

Monday evening I made another author visit to my hometown library. It's always fun going back. I don't live that far away now, but I love to reminisce. There were a few visitors, my sister and brother-in-law included. I also got a wonderful surprise to see a high school classmate. I love him for that. We hadn't seen each other since graduation, and I won't admit how many years ago that's been! I sold a few books, but it's the talk that I love the most. Such a great time.

Next up, the Learned Owl Bookshop on Saturday. Signing at bookstores is so different. Engaging in a more intimate way, one on one most of the time, talking with customers. I'm looking forward to browsing the store for goodies! Independent bookstores are full of them. 

Writing is coming along. Sort of. One of my guests Monday evening asked what kind of mood writing puts me in, if I experience times when I somehow connect with the story on a much deeper level. Or maybe have an "ah hah!" moment. I told him I have plenty of angst! It can be shear torture at any given point when each word on the page is a struggle, especially with descriptive details. And when it's done ... like a labor of love, painful but worth the effort, it will shine, and I do enjoy that. 

Wrapping it up, I will quote Stephen King (from his book On Writing) on descriptive writing -- "Description begins in the writer's imagination but should finish in the reader's." In other words, when putting descriptive details into your work ... "The trick is to find a happy medium."

And by the way, you may find it interesting that one of King's pet peeves about description is when writers include the tiniest details about what a character is wearing or how he/she looks. Unless, for example, Martha wearing a blue polka dot dress is significant to the plot, you don't need such detail. In his words, "If I want to read a description of clothes, I can always get a J. Crew catalogue." Of course, this is just his opinion. But he is friggin' Stephen King!

P.S. A Deadly Deed Grows now has 15 reviews on Amazon! Chug, chug along. 

Happy reading and writing, everybody!

Weekly Deets -- 6.29.15

Did I skip a week? Yes, I think I did ... oh boy. How time gets away from me. I spent a lot of it rethinking new projects and old. I've decided to change my most current MS from 3rd POV to 1st. Why? It's the only way I seem to be able to get inside her head and give her a fuller voice. It's going to take a lot of work, but I have to believe it will be worth it. Next up, I start with this idea from the MSWL, aka agent manuscript wish list on Twitter and tweak it a bit. Take a Veronica Mars like character and plunk her down in Louisiana, then create a mystery full of voodoo and murder. We'll see what happens. But I'm definitely liking it so far! And .... next! Still working to finish writing my romance dashed with a bit of mystery. I'm maybe a third of the way through. It's a seat-of-my-pants approach where I really have no idea how it will end! How do writers do this? Oh, I use to, but it's scary after all my recent work done from planning and outlining.

And on Friday I got pulled into another Twitter contest -- #writepit. Yes, I'm addicted. It's fun and like fishing, I sometimes get a nibble or two. This time my catch included two publishers and one agent. I'm slow, but I'm beginning to think this is me just wanting positive strokes. Tell me you like me enough to want my work and I'll be proud as a peacock! Geesh! The real problem with Twitter pitches is just that. It's a 140 character pitch. How can anybody tell what the writing is going to look like based on a skimpy pitch? I'd guess their acceptance rate is about a gazillion to one. Still, it's lots of fun to do and you can make great Twitter friends. In the meantime, never know when you'll be that one in a gazillion!

Okay, enough about me and all this writing stuff. Well, sort of. This is more like a footnote. Do you folks who write ever need some kind of outlet? You know, a hobby, recreation, or whatever that distracts you from writing and helps you stay sane? I bought a needlepoint kit. Sad, right? I'm thinking I can needlepoint while plotting in my head. Yeah, that's not really a distraction from writing, but at least I will have a needlepoint creation :-) 

One more thing ... I said I would update about my True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse observations. I am on season 5 and just started reading book 1. The show is so creepy and disgusting with all the blood and gore, but that makes me want to watch it even more! The book is, well, I can't really say too much yet. The writing is simple, but in that way probably appeals to a wider audience of readers. I will have more on that later. 

Alrighty then. That's it for the week. I will try to do better next time and be on time. Happy Fourth of July! Enjoy your freedom, your family, your friends. 

Weekly Deets -- 6.16.15

                                                      It's been a busy week ... but not with writing :-( I spent time with my hubby up at the family cabin in Pennsylvania this past weekend. It was relaxing and fun. Nice to see the surrounding sites and have them remind me of years gone by, AND picturing them as scenes in my WIP. That's an interesting experience, thinking of the characters as they act out a particular scene in a place I'm visiting. Over all, it was a relief to unplug and not worry or stress about writing or getting work published. Always wise to put that into the equation once every so often!

New experience -- I have never really liked vampire stories, aka, NOT a Twilight fan, and don't agree to recommendations of said topic. However, my daughter suggested I might enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. And this is how she peeked my interest: interesting, entertaining characters. Yep. One comment on how these reminded her of my story characters, or at least some of them, and the MC's bold, independent, sassy ways led me to check it out. Well, sort of. I took a sneak preview of the HBO series, True Blood ... and I love it! Although it's sometimes a bloody, gory vampire mess, the characters are engaging, warm, and entertaining. AND it takes place in Louisiana! BAM! Bonus points! Seriously, I will start reading the series -- always like to compare book to tv, movie versions. And I'll get back to you with comments later on. 

All of this reminds me of how important characters are when writing. I like to create ones that are unique in at least one or two ways, I mean extremely unique. Like Louise Picault in my Dying to Dream who's a spry eighty-year-old loaded and ready to zap you with her voodoo and Cajun powers. Or Kooky Colonel Crockett in Lilly M's Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes, an eccentric, somewhat crazy neighbor who thinks he's Davy Crockett protecting the frontier with his gun, Betsy. They are secondary characters, but they are what make the story colorful and pull you into their world and keep you there until the last page! 

Sure, the plot drives the story but it's the characters who make it interesting enough to stick with it and set it apart from the million other stories out there. Anyway, it was nice to be reminded of that. Thank you, Charlaine and Sookie! 

That's about it for this week. On professional notes: 1) I sent out Grave Maker Blues to Carina Press. Another 12 week wait, I'd guess. But it's doing something, and I'm all about that!; 2) The Lilly M cozy series is making waves on Amazon. I priced #2 for free in Kindle and it's pushing sales for the other two. Weee!; 3) A Deadly Deed Grows is moving slowly, but it's being checked out at local libraries which means gathering new readers! Always a plus and I love sharing what I write. Next book signing -- July 6th. 

Take care and happy reading!

Traveling a Very Long Road

FLASHBACK: I finally received an email (after many emails, actually) from the publisher I'd submitted to for my mystery romance, A DEADLY DEED GROWS and the editor informed me that I was being offered a contract. Woo hoo! I was so excited. In fact, I was amazed that I could've gotten two books and two contracts in a matter of six months. Both were with small presses, one significantly smaller than the other. Still, I'd managed these on my own. Of course I want to get more, and more. We authors are a greedy lot :-) Anyway, I signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press in April of 2013. Yes, you heard me. 2013. 

FLASH FORWARD: It's now February, 2015, nearly two years of editing, revising, and editing and revising some more, but we (my editor Johanna and I) are finally getting there, i.e. a publication release. I'll admit, there were times I'd think, "maybe they'll decide not to publish it, put it on a shelf, and let it sit for an eternity". This, too, is the mind workings of an author. Lots of insecurity and doubt along the way, and it's a true roller coaster of emotions from highs to lows. But when you see the cover, then you know. It will happen. And it feels great! 

I haven't received a release date for the book yet, but I'm hoping some time this spring. In the meantime, I have my cover to keep me satisfied. And it's truly an awesome cover! Thanks Kim Mendoza! You rock! So, drum roll, please ..... brrrrrum ... Tada!  (UPDATE: Released March, 20, 2015)

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And I'm Off and Running to the Publishing Deadline

I finally received an email with lots of goodies attached ... my ARC and editor comments. And I have 20 days to read through it all, make my comments, corrections, etc. Yikes! I can do this. Yes, I can. Uh ... right? Fortunately, nothing really big going on at work, so I should have time. I just want to make sure I do a thorough job. So, nobody better bug me! Or ... grrrrrrr. (Just noticed: is it any wonder my editor says I use maybe a few too many ellipses?)

I read and reread the email, and then a few more times to make sure I didn't miss anything. So, this is the skinny: my feedback on the first draft ARC is due March 23rd. Cover should be coming around the beginning of April, so I need to start collecting reviews. If I would like them added to the back cover, that is. Of course, as anxious as I am, I already sent out requests for reviews to several mystery review websites and authors. Keeping fingers crossed. -- Thanks Michael Murphy for agreeing to do one :-) And to Cjung at Over My Dead Body. You both are great for responding so quickly, and settling my nerves since this means my back cover won't be blank! haha

Okay, what next? Well ... (yet another ellipse ... sigh) just have to wait and see! If all goes well and according to plan, I will be seeing my baby in print sometime in June. Then, I'd absolutely love to have a book launch event. Maybe at our local library or perhaps at one of the area bookstores. I'll have to start researching. Hmmm. Yet another task to consider, but such fun!

Update: Yet another thanks goes out to Sand, a wonderfully kind and helpful lady who happens to run the very cool ezine, The Piker Press and also agreed to do a review. Then finally, to Apex Reviews who will take a look and see :-)

All great people who help to make this project a success.

The Road to Publication is a Long One ...

Almost ten years ago, I had this dream. Someday, hopefully in the near future, I'd write a story good enough to be noticed and wanted by a reputable publisher. That was in 2004. Fast forward to 2012, and I made the dream a reality. I had queried before on other work, submitted to publishers and agents alike, by the hundreds. Some wanted to see more. Some gave me a polite rejection. None wanted what I had to offer.

Then, I had this idea. I would write a story in the most unique fashion, using any particular skills/knowledge I had to make it different. The result: Dying to Dream, a mystery with paranormal and romantic elements. But that wasn't all. I wanted to make the characters and setting something special. I know French. So, the story takes place in Louisiana. Tante Louise, a peculiar old aunt who dabbles in voodoo, doesn't hesitate to blurt out a phrase or two in French. The street names of my imaginary town, Saint Toulere, are in French, such as Tant Pis, which means "too bad" and is an appropriate label since the street's buildings have a certain history. And I didn't stop there in creating this unique nature for my work. Each chapter has a quote from classic poets and authors about ghosts. After all, there are ghosts in my story. Marin, the main character, dreams the dreams of spirits who need to communicate a message to her. In other words, she becomes them.

So, I had my story completed. Next, I wanted to query some small, independent publishers, and I really expected to be bogged down with querying to dozens and dozens before any resulted in a contract. However, I did feel strongly about the work and that it certainly would eventually have its moment in the limelight. Maybe in another ten years! And then ... it happened ... so very quickly that I was stunned. First, one and then another offered a contract. I actually had to choose! That amazed me even more. I decided to go with Mainly Murder Press. It seems like a good fit.

So ... Dying to Dream will make its debut in June, 2013. I can hardly wait, but have much to do beforehand. It's been a long struggle with lots of heartbreak and perseverance on my part. Still, I made it and life is good. And if you have time, head on over to check MMP out. They have many really cool books! And they even undercut the prices on Amazon. An extra plus :-)

It's Never Too Soon or Too Young.

How soon or at what age should someone think of taking the big leap and publish a book? Well, times are a changing! Meet Spencer Brokaw. He's twelve AND a published author ( Impenetrable Spy ). Can you imagine? Plus, he maintains a website where he regularly includes author interviews, which is how we got together. I asked and he accepted. So, below is the link to that interview.

Writing and publishing at a young age is what I'd refer to as "dream-inspiring". What self-publishers such as Amazon, Smashwords, and Lulu have done is to make it possible for writers of all ages to display their work in a big way and with an actual product. That's an extrinsic motivator you can't ignore. Before the days of computers and the internet, I recall how elementary teachers would "publish" their students stories, making them into books. Sure, it looked homemade, perhaps with construction paper covers and spiral-binding. But it was something to take home and show to family and friends, thus creating a proud moment for both creator and admirers.

So, I'd say it is a great thing being done, here. Giving young people the opportunity and encouragement to fulfill their dreams. Nothing wrong with that!

Here is the link to my interview, if you're interested. And to all those writers and writers-to-be ... write on!

Interview With Author K. Sean Jennkrist (Kathryn Long)

New eBook craze ... Digital Add-ons ... What Could Possibly Be Next?

Ebooks ... some might say, "Isn't that enough technology in the reading world?" Well ... I guess not. I have to admit I'm rather excited about this new trend. And I imagine it will attract a whole new category of readers -- those who would rather watch than read the written word. Sigh, groan, sigh somemore.  I myself would like readers who truly enjoy reading, but an occasional visual might add to the experience.

Okay, getting right to it. The latest technology is to embed videos in the eBooks where ever they might fit. I am linking to an article that might explain it better. It even gives you an example of a book -- Nixonland put out by Simon & Schuster. Since it's an historical book, it places video clips on such topics/people as John F. Kennedy, news clips of demonstrators against war, etc. Really, it is very fascinating to watch.

The author of the article on this trend brings up a valid point -- visualizing or imaging through words is what drives the imagination and makes each reader's experience a personal one. As a teacher, I agree totally that to take away from this skill and experience by replacing words with videos may diminish the skill. We already do that enough with the technology and media at everyone's, especially young people's, fingertips. In other words, walking a fine-line and not overusing this technology should be the guideline for authors and publishers. At least, that's what I hope for. From an author's viewpoint, I truly am infatuated by the idea. I can see embedding videos in my books, only to supplement the stories, not to replace the details. Again, limiting the numbers is key. I think I would most like to embed a video of me in each of them, talking about how I came up with the idea for writing them, etc.

So much is changing in the digital world. It's scary and exciting at the same time. Who knows where we will be five years from now? (A memory of when I first saw the hollistic chess game in Star Wars comes to mind. I thought that was the greatest invention ever!) I wish I had that crystal ball. Anyway, here is the link to the article on video-enhanced eBooks. Let me know what you think.

Video-enhanced E-books Beginning to Gain Momentum

Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes
Not So Snow White

My alter ego, K. Sean Jennkrist has surfaced and created a new fairytale. Enjoy the magic!                                      
                                          NOT SO SNOW WHITE

NOT SO SNOW WHITE is a modern teen fairytale that's magical, adventurous, mysterious, romantic, humorous, sensitive, and so much more. Winter Snow takes advice from her elfin-sized sidekick she's named Duane and journeys to find her missing dad. She soon discovers she has more than "elf power" to help her. Winter has "witch power". It's an exciting battle with good witches and bad, with school bullies versus the witchy freak, and then of course add in a little romance to comp..is a modern teen fairytale that's magical, adventurous, mysterious, romantic, humorous, sensitive, and so much more. Winter Snow takes advice from her elfin-sized sidekick she's named Duane and journeys to find her missing dad. She soon discovers she has more than "elf power" to help her. Winter has "witch power". It's an exciting battle with good witches and bad, with school bullies versus the witchy freak, and then of course add in a little romance to complicate things and you have Winter Snow's life. The ending will leave you feeling good since Winter gets to discover more about her family and herself. Lots of surprises and lots of entertaining fun. It's CINDERELLA GEEK (the first in this series) but with a magical boost. Only 99 cents in Kindle format.

Having a LILLY Moment

If you write stories, I'm sure you will relate to my experience. I had a Lilly moment. Lilly is the main character in my mystery novel WHIPS, CUFFS, AND LITTLE BROWN BOXES. To know her is to love her ... or maybe hate her. It depends on the day. To put it briefly, or as short as I can possibly make it, Lilly is a forty-year-old, single woman who has issues. Guy issues, mother issues, friend issues, crazy neighbor issues, job issues, and the list goes on, but I promised to TRY and make this short. Anyway, Lilly gets inside my head and if you want to say I have a case of multiple personalities, okay. I'll buy that. I love my Lilly. In fact, I love all the characters in that book. They are family. But I digress ... I had a Lilly moment when my niece was explaining--she's fifty-five, divorced, and seeing this really great guy--that her guy friend had made an insensitive comment about her weight. WELL, Lilly popped into my head and the fireworks started. She went on a rampage about how great my niece looked and if guy friend didn't like it, then he could ... well, you get the picture.
Okay, so this little anecdote was really meant to be educational and informative, a writer's tidbit of advice. So, getting right to it ... Know your characters, become friends, create the whole picture for them, have conversations with them! If you do this, when you write their scenes, they will act naturally, genuinely, and everybody reading will say, "Wow! Now that's great writing!" Of course, side effects include the occasional Lilly Moment, i.e. replace Lilly with your character's name. But it's worth it!

So, go write yourself a few friends and have a great story to tell :-)

WHIPS, CUFFS, AND LITTLE BROWN BOXES
CINDERELLA GEEK

Celebrate the Fireworks in Your Writing!

Each of you probably have your own manner of celebrating this holiday, one of them being going to watch the fireworks ... bright, colorful, an explosion of sound echoing in the sky. Ask any kid, or many adults for that matter, what the favorite part or most memorable part of the Fourth is, and most all will say the fireworks. So, enjoy the display and think about this ...


When you write, do you include fireworks? You know, the words, the action, those little or big impacting features that make your story go ZING, POP, BOOM so your readers will grip the edges of your book and never want to put it down until the last page. Or are you afraid you may be putting your readers to sleep with too much detail, backstory, and just too much stuff that's boring? It's a challenge. Today's readers are demanding. They need to be entertained to the nth degree. Give them any less, and you might be losing them. And then they move on to the next book. There are millions out there to choose from.


Now, when I say fireworks in your writing, I need to explain that fireworks aren't limited to those action scenes you find in movies like Transformers or Independance Day. You can include intimate moments, those personal moments that may slow the pace down, but they have all the crackle and pop to call their own. It may be the choice of words, that pause given in dialog, that phrase to describe a character's expression ... just so many fine nuances that make the difference between good writing and great writing. One contemporary writer who just blows me away with his style ... whether he is writing an action scene or a quiet conversation ... his prose is superb. It's the kind of prose that makes a writer want to cry and say, "I want my writing to be like that." Take a look at James Lee Burke . I read one of his earlier novels, In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead. Of course, there are many more. I am in awe of his style.


The catch here is that I can't really explain in so many words what "fireworks" in writing is. I just know it when I read it. But I can say this ... find a beta reader, someone who will give you an objective opinion. If you suspect or worry that your writing may be boring, give it to that person and see what he/she thinks. If it turns out to be the "yawn" you suspected, go back to the "writing board" and work on that. There are many books out there on writing advice. I realize it may be confusing and overwhelming to choose. I can suggest a couple in my library that have helped me.

• Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King
• Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon

The last two are really great after you've finished your story and you are ready to revise, but I think it's wise to be armed with knowledge beforehand and thus avoid making those common mistakes in the first place.


I hope this encourages rather than discourages your efforts in writing. It's a battle, but like anything one sweats and toils over, the end product becomes worth it. If you have any books on writing or suggestions of authors who have that sparkle, crackle, pop in their writing, please share!


Happy Fourth of July!!!!