Those Who #Write Are #Writers

Haha! On Wednesday, I made a comment in my blog post about being a writer not a waiter, and today, I stumbled across this perfect companion picture:

What are you? A writer or a waiter?

If Women Want Rights

Do you agree or disagree with this quote from Harriet Beecher Stowe?

#IWSG -- Because Neil Gaiman Said So!

"Let go and enjoy the ride!" @neilhimself

I've quoted Neil Gaiman many times (like HERE and HERE). I love his speech "Make Good Art" so much, I've featured it twice on my blog! Click here to view it (especially if you've never seen it.)!!

In that well-known commencement speech about making good art, he gives the following advice:

"Stephen King said to me, "This is really great. You should enjoy it." And I didn't. Best advice I ever got that I ignored. Instead I worried about it. I worried about the next deadline, the next idea, the next story. There wasn't a moment for the next fourteen or fifteen years that I wasn't writing something in my head or wondering about it. And I didn't stop and look around and go, "This is really fun." I wish I'd enjoyed it more. It's been an amazing ride, and there were parts I missed because I was too worried about things going wrong, about what came next, than enjoying the bit I was in. That was the hardest lesson for me. To let go and enjoy the ride, because the ride takes you to some remarkable and unexpected places."

Since this is the first Wednesday of the month ... time to post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group ... what's a better thought for us than to "Let go and enjoy the ride!"? No matter what stage of the writing and publishing process we're in, let's enjoy it and celebrate it. Because it is remarkable.

Enjoy every bit of 2015!

Join the group! www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

IWSG: Distractions

It's that time of month again ... I mean ... it's the first Wednesday of the month, and that equals INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP.  For complete details on this awesome group CLICK HERE!

As for me ... I've been struggling with distractions. I need to finish the revisions on my work-in-progress and get the manuscript back to my agent, but I've been distracted by SO MANY THINGS. Like my daughter graduating from high school (yes, back in May ... I've been revising for a long time!), girls camp, family vacation, gardening, getting my daughter ready to leave for college, and the prepublication activities for my debut novel.

The last two items on the list have been, by far, the most distracting!!

It's all good stuff, and I'm not complaining. ... I just wish I could finish this round of revisions already!!! Then I could focus on my sweet daughter's remaining time here, and I could get uber-excited about my debut releasing!

Here are some exciting things that have been said about Who R U Really? by industry experts:

 

For the complete review, click here!

So ... what distracts you when you're trying to work? How do you ignore the distractions or better balance your time? I need all the advice I can get! ;)

Create an Amazing Protagonist

"If you can create a strong character with a strong sense of core self, then thrust him through a plot that attacks those pillars of identity, and surprise the reader with some of his choices, you will have an amazingly layered protagonist on your hands." -- Mary Kole (Writing Irresistible Kidlit, page 109)

S is for SAVE THE CAT

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


S is for SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder

Seriously, if you haven't read this book yet ... WHAT are you waiting for?

 

 

Have you already read SAVE THE CAT? If so, did you find it helpful?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

 

 

 

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day.

 

Click here for more information about the group.

 

Post your thoughts on your own blog.

Share and Encourage.

Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak.

Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance.

It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

 

I highly encourage you to check them out today and join the group.

 

Do you belong to a writer's group?

How has it helped you?

 

 

Need Writing Motivation?

...

You're welcome.
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IWSG: Words of Encouragement

 

 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

 Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

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Words of encouragement for today:

 

"What makes every story unique in today's marketplace is execution. That's what you bring to the table as a writer."

-- Mary Kole (WRITING IRRESISTIBLE KIDLIT)

Unschooled Writers

Do you agree or disagree with this idea:

"Rebellious, unschooled writers break the rules. Artists master the form." -- Robert McKee

With the wave of self-publishing, do the "rules" change or get lost?

What's your opinion?

3 Great Writing Quotes

For some writing motivation, here are three great quotes from James Frey's book on writing thrillers:

 

"You should at all times be showing a well-motivated character overcoming obstacles in pursuit of a goal." -- James Frey

 

"Most of the time, it's not the concept, but the execution of craft that counts." -- James Frey

 

"To write a damn good thriller, you need a killer attitude." -- James Frey

 

A Quote for Inspiration

 

“To write a breakout novel is to run free of the pack. It is to delve deeper, think harder, revise more, and commit to creating characters and plot that surpass one’s previous accomplishments. It is to say “no” to merely being good enough to be published. It is a commitment to quality” – Donald Maass (Writing the Breakout Novel, p.12).

Do you have a favorite writing quote to share?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character".

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

Let's take time to celebrate the content of each other's character.

:)

Book Review: ODD APOCALYPSE

Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Odd Thomas is funny, clever, and psychic. He's one of my favorite Dean Koontz characters. And this was one of the better Odd Thomas novels. I found myself laughing several times and reading faster at other times to find out what was going to happen. There were a few gory scenes - so beware if you don't like that kind of stuff, but there was practically no cussing and there was no sex. So - just your basic horror. ;)

Here's an example of why I like Dean Koontz:

On page 74 he writes: "Without faith to act as a governor, the human mind is a runaway worry generator, a dynamo of negative expectations. And because your life is yours to shape as you wish with free will, if you entertain too much anxiety about too many things, if you place no trust in providence, what you fear will more often come to pass. We make so many of our own troubles, from mere mishaps to disasters, by dwelling on the possibility of them until the possible becomes inevitable."

And on page 77 when Odd Thomas is hiding inside of a bin trying to be silent so that he won't be discovered, Koontz writes: "Bleachy ozone tingled in my sinuses, but I trusted providence to prevent a sneeze, refused to worry, declined to dwell on negative possibilities, and I did not sneeze, did not sneeze, still did not sneeze, but then I farted."

The reasons I did not give the book five stars include: 1) The "freaks" (monsters, pigs, whatever) were not very scary, and they reminded me too much of zombies. I don't like zombies. 2) I wanted more development and resolution with Annamaria. That character is becoming frustrating. I hope more happens with her in the next book.

I love Odd Thomas, and I cannot wait to read the next book.



View all my reviews

A Quote for Your Writing Inspiration

"Conflict that holds our attention for long periods of time is meaningful, immediate, large scale, surprising, not easily resolved and happens to people for whom we feel sympathy" (Donald Maass, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, p.136).

Motivation from Neil Gaiman

I find Neil Gaiman's writing advice very motivating. He said:

"If you’re only going to write when you’re inspired, you may be a fairly decent poet, but you will never be a novelist — because you’re going to have to make your word count today, and those words aren’t going to wait for you, whether you’re inspired or not. So you have to write when you’re not “inspired.” … And the weird thing is that six months later, or a year later, you’re going to look back and you’re not going to remember which scenes you wrote when you were inspired and which scenes you wrote because they had to be written."

For more inspiration from Gaiman, check out this worthwhile post from www.brainpickings.org

What motivates you to sit down and write?

A Writer's Quote for Inspiration

"Make your characters suffer. That can be tough to do, but consider this: Being nice does not engender great drama. Trials and tests are the stuff of character building, of conflict. Ask yourself, who is the one ally your protagonist cannot afford to lose? Kill that character. What is your protagonist's greatest physical asset? Take it away. What is the one article of faith that for your protagonist is sacred? Undermine it. How much time does your protagonist have to solve his main problem? Shorten it. Push your characters to the edge, and you will pull your readers close" -- Donald Maass (WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, p. 78). [emphasis added]

Feed Your Characters

"You are a breakout novelist, and you have characters with mouths to feed" (Donald Maass, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, page 112).

Unpredictable Endings

"The secret to unpredictable endings ... is to allow ... your protagonist ... the possibility of failure" - Donald Maass (Writing the Breakout Novel, p.196).

Does Your Writing Lack Authority?

"If your every sentence admits a doubt, your writing will lack authority. Save the auxiliaries would, should, could, may, might, and can for situations involving real uncertainty" - Strunk & White (THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE, p. 20).

...
Well, there's some revision inspiration. I'm going to highlight these doubt-filled words in my manuscript and reconsider my word choices. Great advice from Strunk & White.

Does your writing lack authority? Do you think it matters?