KC Oliver's Blog -- Writely so...

Visit my WordPress Blog!!

2011-08-15T11:48:00.000-05:00

I've been having issues with Blogger and have started up a new blog at WordPress. If all goes well with WordPress, I will start transferring my posts. In the meantime, click the link below to check out my latest post!

http://www.kcoliver.wordpress.com/

Thx so much and enjoy! =D

Trapped

2011-08-06T22:55:00.002-05:00

Phase two of my holidays is goin' exactly as planned. =D

The week has been awesome and busy and fun. The hubby had a blast on a camping trip with his bro, and I spent time with my amazin' daughter and some really great friends.

My daughter and I always have so much fun together, she's as crazy as I am. We spent one day mall shopping, visiting the best store on the planet; 'Teaopia' - we spent as much time in there as we did in the rest of the mall!

The next day was a museum day at the Manitoba Museum, Planetarium and Science Gallery.

In the MB Museum we hung out in a bat cave; played eye-spy in exhibits; swam with the tall ship Nonsuch; got freaked out in the creepy town when we realized we were the only people left in the museum cuz it was after hours and closing (you do NOT wanna get locked-in overnight in a museum!). (O_o) Just sayin'.

We saw a Beatles laser show at the Planetarium - a first for both of us. Good tunes, dry ice and dancing lights - awesome!

The science gallery is filled with these crazy cool things like an anti-gravity machine, a meteorite you can touch, pulley chairs, sound wave dishes, you can even build lil Kinex cars and race them! So much fun!

I spent the next day at Starbucks with my friend Sammy, catching up and talkin' shop (writin' stuff). =) She is one smart lady and a fantastic writer. She always gets me psyched to write.

Yesterday, I went poolside with my buddy Valerie and my daughter. Nothin' like hours of warm weather, great conversation and yummy goodies. Valerie has even begun to write! You go girl!

I'm still on holidays until Tuesday and I plan to make the most outta every minute! Woot woot!

For my writing exercise, I woke up yesterday morning with this first line, 'I am trapped by the darkness of my soul', running thru my head and it inspired the following poem:

I am trapped by the darkness of my soul.

The cold emptiness prevails upon me, whispering madness in my ear.

I am trapped by the endless labyrinth that is my mind.

Towering walls encase me, confound me, distorting my perception of reality.

I am trapped in this useless vessel of skin and bones.

My feet propel me forward, yet I stumble about drunkenly, aimlessly, my purpose unknown.

I am trapped by a span of narcissistic dreams.

The ugliness of my thoughts hold me hostage, beneficial only to me, yet I find no pleasure.

I am trapped by a masochistic world.

Tortured by hypocrisy, my senses bleed intuition that fails me.

I am trapped....with no hope of escape.

The first thing my hubby said when he heard the poem was "deep". LOL. Perhaps it is, cuz I definitely dug deep for this one.

I am...

2011-07-26T16:12:00.000-05:00

All last week I was on holidays! And it was awesome. Spent the week at a cottage at Grand Beach, MB. Strangely, we had a heat wave at the beginning of the week, and then it cooled right down and it was cold! I really can't complain cuz the charming, warm weather has returned, although not at the heat wave magnitude. Not sure how I feel about that… =)

I don’t know how many people know this about me, but I love to run. And I woke up every day on my holidays at 6:30 a.m. just so I could beat the heat. My running route was along the water on the beach. I love running on the beach. There’s nothing like it.

I’m back at work this week, but working towards yet another week of holidays, next week. Très sah-weeeet!

So I have discovered that I am truly crazy about Twitter and have become a wee bit addicted. Okay, okay, I’m a lot twaddicted. Wow, it’s worse than I thought… Anyway, tweeting is always on my mind now. Everything I do, or see, or hear, or say, is fodder for my next tweet. My friends may wanna keep that in mind. Hee hee. =D

So my new writing exercise is based on my thoughts around the fantasy genre image I chose. It was really difficult to go in only one direction, cuz my mind was buzzing with this image. Check out the exercise and enjoy!

I do not sleep. In fact, the night is my enemy. It stalks me like a predator, taking everything and giving back nothing. I am weary.

I do not see the light. In fact, it has betrayed me. It led me to believe in hope, in love, yet skewers hot lances through my soul. I am darkness.

I do not hear. In fact, I can tune out all the cries of fear and pain and despair. They do not reach me at all. I am deaf to them.

I do not weep. In fact, my tears have long since dried. The ache that permeated my every fibre has died. I am numb.

I do not feel. In fact, I am but an empty shell of my former self. I once laughed and loved and lived, yet now I only exist. I am nothing.

I do not have a heart. In fact, a gaping black hole resides in the middle of my chest. I fear nothing. I am godless.

I do not fear death. In fact, I pursue it, I yearn for it. Yet, it eludes me. I am immortal.

I do not know peace. In fact, there is so much blood on my hands, it will not clean. And, more shall fall at my hand. I am doomed.

I have to reiterate just how cool this image is. And, I’m thinkin’ I may use it again in a future writing project; cuz there is a much larger story here to be told. And, I’m very interested in unravelling it. Keep an eye out for that image again.

Brilliant Execution

2011-07-20T22:22:00.002-05:00

On vacation and it's awesome! A beautiful cottage, blue skies, birds singing, temperatures raging, and a lake with a beach to cool off in. My mornings consist of a beach run, then coffee and breakie on a balcony. Life is goooooood. =D

Summer hasn't been too kind to us in central Canada, so when the weather is generous - all bets are off for doing anythin' else! Bring it Mother Nature!

The only downside to my holiday, was the hazy smoke filtering in from some forest fires in Northern Ontario. Narsty. Hard to breath. Then yesterday morning, a thunderstorm washed it all away. Smoke be gone!

So anyway, believe it or not, my daughter and her friend were discussing insanity (teens talk about the strangest subjects...lol), which sparked the idea for this writing exercise. But you know what they say, crazy is as crazy does. Enjoy!

Oddly familiar
Yet unknown
Sinking feeling
Artfully grown.

Doubt planted

Paranoia grows

Anxiety peaks

Insanity shows.

Screams echo

Trapped mind

Slipping farther

Final bind

Reality spins

Dizzying pace

Crazed eyes

Blank face.

Whispers taunt

Shadows crawl

Brilliant plot

Mighty fall.

I'm feeling a lil crazy now! Need to get back to my holidays. =D

Happy Canada Day, eh!

2011-07-01T17:35:00.000-05:00

Here's to wishing you all the best Canada Day!

Whatta great week. My daughter graduated grade nine and wowed us by winning three awards and graduating with 'A' honours. She looked beautiful in the dress she chose and had fun on a boat cruise. My baby does me proud! Congrats, sweetie!

Feels like summer finally made an appearance -- about time! Love it!

For my writing exercise, yup you guessed it, a Canada Day poem. Hee hee. It took me awhile to write, cuz I looked up highlights of every province and territory, but check it out and enjoy!

Oh, Canada
Land of the free
Home of the brave
How do I love thee
Let me count the ways.

Newfoundland
Lighthouses on the Atlantic Ocean
Whales’ song fills the air
Puffins on rocky ledges
Pitcher plant along trails.

Nova Scotia
Bluenose sails unfurled
1500 year old birch trees
Wintering Bald Eagles
Rare Plymouth Gentians and Pink Tickseeds.

Prince Edward Island
Confederation Bridge
Anne of Green Gables
Red sand beaches
Lady Slippers in coniferous forest tables.

New Brunswick
100 billion tonnes of Fundy
Acadian heritage
Warmest saltwater beaches
Longest covered bridge, Hartland Bridge.

Quebec
Francophone, our second language
Beautiful Laurentian Mountains
Winter Carnival ice castles
Ancient fiefdoms.

Ontario
Longest street in the world, Yonge Street
Canadian Government on Parliament Hill
Soaring CN Tower
Stunning Niagara Falls.

Manitoba
Churchill on Hudson Bay
Tundra and polar bears
Carberry Desert sand dunes
The Red and Assiniboine Rivers.

Saskatchewan
Al Capone’s tunnels
Beloved Roughriders
Provincial flower, the Western Red Lily
Golden wheat fields for miles.

Alberta
Hidden dinosaur bones
Mysterious Badlands
West Edmonton Mall
Miles of oil sands.

British Columbia
Towering, ancient Redwoods
Majestic Rocky Mountains
Wild Pacific Sockeye Salmon
Breathtaking Vancouver Island.

Nunavut
Inuit heritage
Massive Canadian Shield, the Laurentian Plateau
Expansive ice fields
Inuksuks standing tall.

Yukon
Aurora borealis lights up the night sky
Igloos on icy terrain
Fields of purple Fireweed
Caribou grazing.

Northwest Territories
Enormous ice burgs
Cavernous diamond mines
Beluga whales with their young
Arctic Sea so sublime.

Oh, Canada
So diverse and beautiful
How I love thee
From coast to coast
Every province and territory.

Have a great long weekend!

Love

2011-06-21T14:44:00.000-05:00

This week has been an interesting week - amazing weather, Game of Thrones finale, and we were adopted by a lil kitty - you know, important stuff. =D

The weather this past weekend was phenomenal! I tossed aside all thoughts of work and enjoyed it completely. Went to the park on Saturday and tweeted all about it. What fun!

Game of Thrones finale this past Sunday was soooooo awesome! I love that show. How do they expect me to wait until spring 2012! Is this some kind of archaic torture! Ugh! ....well, at least I got the books, so there. =P

We were officially adopted by a lil kitty that wandered into our yard about a month ago. We kept telling it to 'go home', but apparently it was home. She is now my son's kitty and he named her Phoenix. She is the most snugly cat I have ever met.

For my writing exercise, I did something a little different. I know I usually write dark fantasy genre stuff, but I felt light, so I wanted to share that. Enjoy!

Do you know love?
Has it found you?
Has it shaped you?
Has it made you more than you thought you could be?

Do you dream of love?
That goal that drives you,
That face that haunts you,
It's yours already.

Do you see the love?
In the eyes of children,
In acts of kindness,
In friendship.

Do you hear the love?
In laughter,
In a whisper,
In your heart.

Can you feel the love?
It surrounds you,
It changes you,
It is you.

I believe true happiness begins within; then radiates outward. And, it's contagious! <3

Crack the sky

2011-06-14T13:10:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was amazing! Sunny sunny sunny! Love it! Except, I have no sense and didn't wear sunscreen, so now I pay. Sunburns suck...I'm just sayin'. Got in some moat-time, walks and runs, even a fun afternoon with one of my best friends at Starbucks. Life is good.

One of the best things that happened to me is that I finally got a solid idea for the third book in the 'Pretty' series. I've been making notes, hashing things out in my head and it's starting to come together. It's so exciting when that happens. I can picture it now, and that is my indicator that I should run with it.

With all the 'fun time' over the weekend, I left it until the last minute to pull together a writing exercise. Once again, I had one of those moments where a word or phrase gets stuck in my head and bangs around in there until I write it out. This time it's 'Crack the sky' -- the title of this exercise. It was tough, but I think I found a picture that represents my thoughts exactly. Enjoy!

The night scores the earth with darkness. Tiny tendrils of light scratch at the gloom, desperate to crack the sky. Darkness bleeds into every crevasse, trying to wipe out the light entirely, but the dawn prevails. Silence stretches over the lands, blanketing the battle cries, the screams of pain, the moans of the dying. It is stifling. The eyes behold the horror – a bloodbath. So many lost souls. Lost fathers, brothers, sons. Bones, bathed in blood are scattered to the four corners. A feast for scavengers. A sight no eye should ever see.

Prayers to the Gods have failed us. We have been forsaken. My heart is weighted. My body weary. My mind, numb. I fear I will never feel again – for I am wiped clean. My hands, sticky with blood, seem foreign to me. I wield a sword. I hack. I cleave. I remember not. My ears ring from the clash of steel. My eyes burn with death and dying. I am a man without a soul. It lies at my feet, thrashing about it the blood-soaked mud. I care not to save it. For a man with a soul, is a dead man. He who hesitates, dies. Yet, do I truly live? The answer evades me.

I love writing so much. I love the way I feel as the words flow through me and into the keyboard. Life is good.

Reflection

2011-06-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

So, I'm back on moat-duty. There's a whole lotta work left to do. Had a great, sunny, warm weekend and moved what looked like a mole hill pile of mud, that strangely felt more like a mountain. How does that happen??

At any rate, my name came up in an article written in the The Winnipeg Review by Anita Daher, writer and editor extraordinaire! It felt great to see my name along side some of the greats. And encourages me to push harder to see the "Pretty" series back in print. Just do it, KC!

Speaking of 'just do it', I was surfin' the Net and came across this amazing picture. It was the image in the mirror the young woman is holding that really got me thinking and I came up with the following:

Beauty
Takes the beast by its shrivelled heart
Pressing back evil
It falls prey to her charms.
Eyes of green
Lips so soft
Hair, red as fire
Skin, pale as snow.
No rhyme or reason
She unbalances the scales
An angel vs a devil
Beauty possesses him.

The Beast
Fathomless darkness
Festering hate
For nearly a millennia.
Eyes of red
Razor sharp teeth
Face of nightmares
Talons and scales.
Light penetrates the darkness
Splintering malice
Spreading warmth
Waking emotions long since thought dead.

Beauty and the Beast
Good overcomes evil
Light shatters darkness
Love conquers hate
Beyond all comprehension
A divided reflection blurs into one.

Can love truly conquer evil? I think we would all like to think so.

Live true

2011-05-30T11:01:00.010-05:00

Another week rolls by and warm, dry weather seems hesitant to stick around. Good weather or not, the week rounded off quite nicely when I got the chance to go grade nine grad dress shopping with my daughter. Do you remember when the important grad was grade 12?? Not-so-much today. There's a kindergarten grad, grade six, grade nine and grade 12 grad! Sheesh. My daughter and I had a blast, like we usually do. I'm very fortunate to be close with both of my kids. And, my daughter will look stunning for her grad. She tried on a bunch of dresses, but when we found the one, we knew we had to get it. She was completely put together with the dress, shoes, earrings, bracelet and purse and I got to say something that I've never said before: "We'll take it all." Made my credit card smoke, but was worth it! =D

For my next writing exercise, I wanted to write something with an inspirational edge. They always make me feel good. I wrote the poem before I got the image, so I hope they work! Check it out.

Life is to be lived…truly lived.
Love more, live more, be more.
Be ready to give more, receive more and feel more.
Never ask more from anyone that you wouldn’t give yourself.
Falter not.

Understand what it is to truly live.
Fight for what you believe in.
Follow your dreams.
Be passionate.
Always.

Focus on what’s important.
Dismiss the insignificant issues.
Find that thing that drives you.
Give it all you’ve got.
Persevere.

Harbour no hatred.
Forgive all transgressions.
Let go of the past.
Look towards the future.
Believe.

Breathe deeply.
Truly see the world.
Truly hear the world.
Allow yourself to feel all that is around you.
Be open.

Give the heart what it wants.
Love with everything inside you.
Say what is in your heart.
Be true to yourself.
Live.

Yup, it definitely makes me feel good.

Shakespearean infusion

2011-05-22T12:51:00.002-05:00

I thought I was bein' a smarty pants by using the word "write" in all my blog titles, but have since discovered through some recent analysis, that dynamic titles have a real draw factor for the reader. So, I thought -- here's an opportunity to put those findings into practice. So, from now on, I'll be coming up with titles that better represent my writing exercises.

So, I think I'm starting to get the hang of Twitter. I've started using #hashtags. They're actually pretty cool and are helpful for searching or even tweet ideas. I'm starting to get a lil twaddicted. *just breath, KC*

Anyway, my daughter was working on an essay about Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and it got me to thinking about famous Shakespearean lines and gave me the idea for my next writing exercise - basically it's a mash-up of Shakespeare quotes from all his plays, put together into a poem. =D

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
Shall I compare thee to a summers' day?
[But] The course of true love never did run smooth
Is whispering nothing?
The lady doth protest too much
[And] All that glisters is not gold

It smells to heaven
Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps
One may smile, and smile, and be a villain
The green-eyed monster
This thing of darkness
Swift as a shadow
Make mad the guilty

And thus I clothe my naked villainy
More sinned against than sinning
One that loved not wisely but too well
The most unkindest cut of all
[So] The patient must minister to himself
I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you
There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow

Why then tonight let us assay our plot
The quality of mercy is not strained
In my heart of hearts
Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed
To thine own self be true
So sweet was never so fatal

O, happy dagger!
Chaos is come again
Neither rhyme nor reason
That way madness lies
O, what men do dare!
O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!

Parting is such sweet sorrow
Done to death by slanderous tongue
We came crying hither
We have seen better days

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me
Is this a dagger which I see before me?
Cowards die many times before their deaths
O coward conscience, how dost though afflict me!
Screw your courage to the sticking place
For goodness sake
What's done is done
[A] Forgone conclusion

Anything in the square brackets [ ], were added by me and not part of the original quotes.

Write in the mind

2011-05-16T14:23:00.020-05:00

I'm so happy! The sun is shining! And has been since Saturday. My yard is drying and there's hope that I could have a sidewalk this year! Whoopee!

I've been using Twitter and MySpace and some other web sites to promote this blog, but I'm not all that knowledgeable on how to use Twitter. I see there's some kind of 'technique' to Tweets that has been elusive to me. I've been following some Twitter accounts to try and get the gist of it, but have been hesitant on actually testing this new found knowledge. So far, I just post what I'm bloggin'. I wonder if there's a Twitter for Dummies book, cuz I'd get it!

Anyway, on to my continued passion with the fantasy genre. The words 'spiritus mundi' got stuck in my head (don't ask me why, stuff just gets stuck there - I've learned to just go with it), and from that, came this poem:

Fatal instincts
Flawed design
Hearts of anarchy
Fear sublime

Harboured rage
Faith revoked
Battle lines drawn
Soul is stoked

Weapons a ready
Fire in our veins
Brother by brother
Our land, it remains

Clash of steel
Splinter of bone
Driven by blood lust
Hearts turn to stone

Advancing forward
Pushing back
Losing ground
Faltering attack

Brothers falling
Terror and screams
Death and dying
Shattered dreams

Loss abounds
Shaken to the core
Blood soaked earth
We’ve become what we abhor

Spiritus mundi
Save us now
Falling to our knees
Our heads do bow

Forgive us now
For what we have become
We seek amends
For what we have begun

Spiritus sancti
Protect our souls
Fill our hearts
Bring us home

As crazy as it is, I do love when things get 'stuck' in my head. :o)

Write exciting!

2011-05-09T17:15:00.000-05:00

My mother's day was awesome! My kids spoil me. My son took me to see the movie: "Thor", and my daughter baked me an amazing cake with palm trees, a blue ocean and lil Jamaican dudes dancing. I am so blessed. =D

Have you been watching the new series, 'Game of Thrones'? All I can say is...WOW! What an amazing show. I can't wait to get my hands on George R.R. Martin's books...ummm, is it just me, or did that kinda sound weird. At any rate, I will read those books...oh yes, I will. =D

Anyhoo, this eerie image drew me the moment I saw it. With it's tiny bit of light desperately trying to push through ugly clouds, while all the darkness presses it back. The following came to me.

The dawn is dead.

Fed to the darkness by liars, thieves and murderers. No distinction between right and wrong - the line blurs into nothingness. They hate. They steal. They kill.

And, the darkness comes.

The night creeps and crawls and slithers into every corner, into every crevice. Searching and choking out the light. It is silent. It is invisible. It is insidious.

It comes for us.

The last of the good hearts. Too few. Weakened by the constant night. Weary. We battle what we cannot see or hear or even touch. We are fragile. We fall. We die. We are human. We fight for humanity...or what is left of it. And we can never stop.

For there is no one to blame.

We took the dawn for granted. We betrayed. We let ourselves be betrayed. We should have done more. We should have done so much more.

We failed ourselves...

My love for the fantasy genre continues to grow. <3

Write opposite

2011-05-02T10:44:00.064-05:00

Today, Canadians go to the polls. Democracy is such an awesome privilege! Every vote counts, so don't forget to cast your vote!

My mom participated in an art show of local artists this past weekend and it was a great success! Even though the weather sucked. I mean seriously, how can it be 21C one day, then 3C and raining the next day, then -3C and snowing the next. It felt like we experienced three seasons in a weekend! Ack! Anyway, one of my mom's painting titles inspired me to write my next piece -- Positively Negative -- where all that is negative, has a positive spin.

Night is day
The dawn guides the way
No is yes
The absence of guess

Sadness is happiness
Exhilaration fills us
Hard is easy
Simple effort is pleasing

Down is up
Scaling heights, never stop
Long is short
Distance, our consort

Ice is fire
Burning hot, we aspire
Crazy is sane
There is no one to blame

Old is new
Rebirth reigns true
Black is white
Darkness shifts to light

Bad is good
It saves, as it should
Hate is love
Fine line, needs but a shove

War is peace
Freedom, an ingrained belief
Death is life
Filled with wonder and beauty, not strife.

I love it when a plan comes together. =D

Write 'wonder'ful

2011-04-27T20:00:00.004-05:00

Spring has sprung! The weather is beautiful. The sun is shining. All is right with the world. Now, if only I didn't have to look at large mud piles in my yard and the lack of grass thereof. At least the mud is dry and no longer acts like a sucking tar pit. Good times ahead! Maybe I'll regain those awesome muscles I developed in the fall -- now that's an incentive!

I keep trying to think of different ways to add some variety to my little writing exercises, and yes, I know, I've been sliding in the consistency of posting, but I have an excuse! Okay, I don't...it's just utter laziness. At least I'm honest with myself.

So anyway, I was watching a show on TV and it was about the many wonders of the world. Now, the seven wonders are really cool, but there are so many other wonders on this amazing planet too. So, I wrote this poem...or at least I think it's a poem. =D

Wonders of the world
Beautiful and mysterious
Thought provoking...
Pyramids - final resting place of kings
Easter Island - faces of stone
Great Barrier Reef - life and beauty and colours abound
Great Wall of China - miles of defense
Stonehenge - incredible stone formations
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon - innovative irrigation
Ayers Rock - primeval blood-red rock
Grand Canyon - carved by water and time
Aurora Borealis - sky, alive with colour
Roman Colloseum - gladiator battles
Taj Mahal - inner peace
Chchen Itza - ancient steps to the stars
Our world has so many wonders to behold
This, but a snapshot of so much more
Awe-inspiring and mind-bending
Bewildering and breathtaking
Wonders of OUR world
How truly blessed we are.

These are but a handful of the amazing creations, both natural and man-made. What an amazing world we live in.

Scars...write deep

2011-04-19T09:04:00.025-05:00

I am so excited! I'm bettin' that coming very soon will be the Easter version of Angry Birds! Just keep 'em comin', Angry Bird game makin' peeps!

I've decided to learn another language - I'm taking French. It's so much fun! Up until this point, all I knew is what I learned on Sesame Street, and to be quite honest, it doesn't get you very far. Course my husband thinks that you can get by on, "bonjour, mon capitaine" (from Q in Star Trek the Next Generation) - he figures if you know that line, what else do ya need? =o)

Well, you might need a canoe if you live in Manitoba. Some pretty nasty flooding going on around here. We keep hoping for no rain and no snow...fingers crossed!!

In this writing project, I tried something a little different; it's a pyramid-type poem: one word to eight words, then eight words back down to one. I had a ball with this one - you gotta pay close attention to the word count and it still has to make sense. Love it!

Scars
Deep inside
Hidden so well
Ever changed by tragedy
Darkness hints beneath the surface
A facade indicative of broken dreams
Ravaged by unrelenting nightmares night after night
Revenge burning inside a heart gone ice cold
No fear of the consequences only strong conviction
Smile on outside to fool and captivate
Laughter faked with skill and ease
A dance with the devil
A soul lost forever
Such beautiful lies
Pretty deceits
Scars

It's short, but it's not about the length of these projects, it's all about gettin' 'er done!

Write proud of myself

2011-04-10T14:22:00.064-05:00

I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of the set-up of my last blog and now this one. The blogger 'compose' template has been giving me trouble and I've had to use html to fix it. Now, I'm no html genius, so being able to fix the spacing, italics, and even setting up the picture properly was pretty darn amazin' for me! Yay!

Anyway, I searched around for an image to write about and came across the one below. I'm gonna try something a little different and write a fight scene. Let's see if I can do it!

She breathed short controlled breaths. Her heart pounded hard against her ribcage. Her muscles, coiled and ready. Her weapons, positioned at her sides.

The air crackled with energy, and all creatures fell silent as if they knew...

Knew what she knew...that today she would die...

She was not afraid.

Dawn had come and she knew this was the day of days. She knew they would come for her. The wind tossled her hair wildly around her face and her eyes burned with malice she would not allow herself to deny. She would hate, and it would consume her, and she would use it.

She placed one foot in front of the other and headed towards him, her blades heavy in her hands, making her muscles burn. She ignored their weight, conscious only of them being an extension of her arms. She rotated one wrist, arcing the weapon in a circle, then repeated the move with the other.

He watched her, his lips curled in a sardonic, malicious grin.

How she hated that smile.

Close enough now to smell the stink of him, she dropped into a fighting stance. Her blades at the ready.

His smile grew larger, showing a row of broken, ragged, rotting teeth. He raised his large, menacing blade.

"You are either very brave or very stupid," he said, as he began to circle her.

She pivoted, never taking her eyes off him. "I am neither. But perhaps you should talk less and fight more." That raised a chuckle from his men.

With a roar he swung his blade high and then down, connecting hard with hers and driving her to her knees. He raised his arms again and she dropped and rolled away as he swung, his blade glancing off a rock, sending a spray of sparks. He relentlessly followed her, driving his sword down onto hers over and over, keeping her on the defensive.

She blocked. She parried. But, he pushed her farther and farther back. Her muscles screamed in agony, but she would never let him see any weakness. She spun around and dived into a tuck and roll, coming out onto her feet again. But he was bigger, faster, and before she could regain a defending position, he was upon her. And with that hateful smile, he drove his blade to the hilt into her midsection. She stared at the steel protruding from her body, her life's blood seeping from the edges of the wound.

He leaned in close, his face mere inches from hers, his breath making her gag.

"Such a waste," he said softly, touching her cheek, smearing the trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.

"At least I am not a fool," she whispered, and with that, she drove a small dagger into his heart.

He didn't even have time to look stunned, he just dropped heavily to the ground in a heap. Without him holding her upright, she toppled and fell next to him. She could hear a flurry of voices and activity, but she barely noticed. Instead, she stared into the vacant eyes of her enemy. She could feel herself slipping away, but this time...it was her turn to smile.

This scene coulda been way longer, but I held back a bit, as this is only an exercise, but it was so much fun!

It's all write with me

2011-03-30T10:44:00.032-05:00

So, the other day I was feeling chilled. It's not that it is actually that cold here at home, maybe it was doing this writing exercise. Cuz honestly, I was freezing after I finished this one. Needing to warm up fast, I grabbed a blanket, turned up the heat a bit and imagined I was back on the beach in Jamaica....ahhhhhh. Then I opened my eyes, looked out the window and saw the mudsoaked plains that have become my yard, and reality crashed in...ugh...

Anyway, subject change! I do so love the colours in this image! Wow! Good and evil battle overhead of men below - shows the true fragility of man...

Surely my eyes deceive me, for I see the heavens open and angels appear.

Have I died?

But that cannot be...

I can still hear the howling wind ferociously rip at us. Feel the angry waves continously toss and batter our boat. I taste salt on my lips and feel it sting my eyes. I am soaked and chilled to the bone. My muscles burn and ache so bad they are beginning to seize.

No, I have most definitely not died. Yet, death is all around me. I see bodies cast about in snarling water and broken bits of timber slam against our small vessel. I hear the cries of men who've fallen overboard. My friends...my comrades...sickness engulfs me as the waves consume them.

Our boat teeters precariously on huge waves, then plunges steeply down only to be picked up again and again. The ocean, intent on devouring us too.

We are in the midst of something truely beyond our comprehension. If I were not seeing it myself, I would scoff at the teller of this tale. Though, it is unlikely that any man will repeat these incredulous events, for They do not see us. Or, perhaps it is that we are insignificant, and not worthy of Their attention. This truth is staggering, and gives me the desire to best them...to survive.

For this story should be told...I must get through this...I must tell it. So that man will know that our Gods have failed us...

Fantasy genre is so awesome - you can do anything with it! Love it!

Write springy day...not

2011-03-22T11:50:00.079-05:00

Spring is in the air! Well, kinda sorta. But it's not -40C, so I'm happy with that. Although, with spring, flooding may be an issue. There's a lot of snowfall all around us that may fill up the Red River and make it pretty uncomfy here. I may wanna get my canoe and hip-waders ready...

Okay! Let's write!

Darkness creeps across alabaster stone, pressing back rays of sunlight. A chill settles, chasing away any warmth. The air falls still, stale and fetid. The ground shudders and moans as he rises from the earth, spreading distorted, broken and blackened wings, like angry spikes protruding from his spine. Black smoke spirals up and out all around him, stamping out the sun completely. A high-pitched screech, pierces the ears, drawing blood. Eyes, serpent red, glow beneath a dark hood. The power at his fingertips, crackles with intensity. He reeks of pure evil and burns with hatred.

They thought they could control him...to sentence their enemies to a gruesome end...but they were wrong. He feels no kinship. He does not hasten to any call. He does not abide by any rules. He feels nothing, except a burning desire to destroy...everything. They realize their mistake...too late.

Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. The ground turns to ebony glass beneath their feet. Fire sears their flesh. They scream, but no one hears them. There will be no help. They brought down this fury upon themselves. Their city burns and crumbles all around them. The horrific irony of the situation is a lesson learned, but there will be no opportunity to practice the lesson. The true weight of their decision being felt in full magnitude.

Terror-filled faces turned toward the heavens; they beg and plead for mercy. How could they have known?

But, they should have known...that the moment they struck the bargain with something so vile, that their fate was sealed.

I popped back into the dark fantasy genre. The thoughts and ideas these dark images evoke are incredible.

A write green day!

2011-03-17T13:00:00.006-05:00

I'm so excited!

Angry birds has a new 'seasons' version for St. Patrick's day! They've even Irish'd up the Angry Birds theme song. Now I can slingshot angry birds and jig at the same time.

So awesome! Just sayin...

In the spirit of St. Paddy's Day, I've composed a lil ditty. (Please note: I am not Irish, merely an Irish wannabe).

Luck of the Irish,
Pots of gold and rainbows,
Leprechauns and magic,
Shamrocks and green meadows.

Fiddlin' and tappin',
Jiggin' and singin',
Good ole Irish ditties,
Fine whiskey for drinkin'.

Faeries and pixies,
Celtic religion,
Legends abound,
In every region.

Emerald green rolling hills,
Majestic oak trees,
Standing stones,
Cool ocean breeze.

Medieval castles,
Fine lords and ladies,
Deep moats and drawbridges,
Mazes and aviaries.

Clan tartan kilts,
Claddaghs and celtic knots,
Blarney stone fable,
Fathomless lochs.

So, go 'Fighting Irish',
Gotta love what they say!
'Kiss me I'm Irish',
And have a happy St. Patrick's day!

Write kind of love

2011-03-10T17:42:00.045-06:00

With so much happening in the world right now - the earthquake/tsunami in Japan - I honestly couldn't bring myself to comment/complain/or joke about the weather here at home. In fact, if the weather was the worst thing in my life right now, I count myself as very fortunate. My heart goes out to Japan and my prayers are with them.

So, I'm just gonna get right into my writing exercise. Gonna take another shot at poetry. I found the following picture in the fantasy genre images. This image evoked a lotta thoughts.

Like a siren's song,
on a peaceful night,
her voice so sweet 'n' strong,
to a sailor's delight.

Upon the wind,
she entices them,
changing within,
even the strongest of men.

Face like an angel,
smile like the sun,
voice like a bell,
eyes as blue as the ocean.

Far and wide,
she's known to all,
upon the tide,
she heeds their call.

When danger does befall,
they put their ear to the wind,
listening for their angel's call,
to guide them safely in.

Her love for them infinite,
protecting them as her own,
to the sea they will not commit,
she always guides them home.

I went for the good thoughts with this image -- wanted a positive message. Take care everyone.

Write fun!

2011-03-06T11:37:00.077-06:00

Went glow bowling for my niece's 30th birthday on Saturday night. Three games in two hours. Good times! It's been awhile since I last bowled and I coulda sworn I was much better at it. Course, I did notice my game improved with the addition of spirits. Go figure. I thought about trying to bowl like Fred Flintstone - you know the way he bowled - he'd do the tippy-toe thing, the pirouette, then throw the ball...STEEERIKE! It works better in the cartoons...just saying.

Now, write on!

My son gave me this strange picture, as you see below. This was a toughy, but here goes!

Seeing is believing, yet they do not see. Layers upon layers of intricate labyrinths lay beneath the surface, yet they blindly accept face value. Fogged with delusions, the careful existence of man staggers drunkenly in ignorance, giving credence to blighters and liars. The dawning of hope dashed by inconsistencies and confusion, they spin perilously close to the edge, yet desire to be saved.

It takes only one to raise questions...to infuse doubt in a belief system...to effect change. Do not fear the unknown. Hold fast to that which sets us apart. Do not dither, or willfully follow those who bury their head in the sand. Ardently strive for more. Never allow them to dissuade or belittle you. Forge a new path and others will follow. Dreams and ideas can never be contained. Hope and love can be slighted, but never completely extinguished. Life knows no boundries, except those that we allow. Believe in yourself, and they will believe in you.

Strong words...inspiring words, yet still they wait...for someone else to step forward.

I often wonder where my thoughts will go when I write from these images. And I have to admit, I am very often surprised by the results.

Write cute!

2011-03-03T12:35:00.053-06:00

I am a huge fan of the Angry Birds game on my iPhone, so my son bought for me the plushies for all the characters. He actually ordered them for Christmas, but they were on back order and only just arrived! They're very popular lil guys. I'm so excited!!

Check 'em out! Love it!!

Okay, let's get to the writin'!

The night lay heavy. Twin moons sparked brightly, almost blasphemous against an ebony sky. The seascape, strangely calm, lapped gently at the toes of his jackboots. The leather of his gloved hands creaked as he gripped the hilt of his heavy sword tightly against his thigh. His heart thundered beneath his ribcage. His breath quickened.

How long had it been since he'd seen those very spires cutting sharply into the clouds? Since he'd lain next to the woman who claimed his heart? Since he'd held his son? A lifetime ago...

Yet the rage in his soul was fresh; cultivated daily, hourly, every second that the blood coursed through his veins. He braced himself for the images that scored his brain and blurred his vision...their screams for him...their life's blood at his feet...the inhuman cries that ripped from his throat...

All that was good in him died with them, and in its place a darkness was born.

He turned and looked at the men behind him, their faces stark in the moonlight. Horses stamped and snorted and pawed at sand, dimpled with the foot and hoof prints of the many that awaited his command.

The time had come. And those who had taken from him would bear the brunt of his wrath. Would experience true fear. Would understand his agony. And...would breathe no more...

You know, I really struggled with this image for some reason. I had originally wanted to go with a sweeter love theme, but my words kept leaning towards lost love, so I stopped fighting myself and went with it. Maybe it's his body language, I'm not really sure. But this image had a story that was intent on being told, even if only a snapshot of that story.

Write beautiful

2011-02-28T19:43:00.059-06:00

My daughter, Karagin, and I went to the spa last week. It was sooooooo amazing. We got the signature pedicure. Talk about getting pampered! We arrived a 6 p.m. and didn't leave until 9 p.m.! The beautiful pedicure was just the icing on the cake. We got big fluffy robes, a leg and foot massage, numerous different kinds of treatments like deep leg and foot moisturising and hot paraffin wax treatment for the feet, just to name a couple. There's yummy snacks and tea or water, or even wine if you'd like to buy a glass. There's even these little cabanas surrounded by sheers that you can recline in while your pedicure dries. Oh! Did I mention you get a massage?! Oy! :o)

Karagin would like to make it a yearly occurence...hmmmm...I like the sound of that.

On to the writin'!

Destination unclear to the naked eye,
Floating freely, weightless in the sky.

Desire to dream infinitely unaffected,
Focus of mind intensely perfected.

Inspiration true to form,
Ideology so easily born.

A gateway to a perfect place,
Leave far behind, the human race.

Time and space a veritable blur,
Peaceful message so sweet and pure.

But back to reality, one must come,
To the place that leaves one numb.

Body mired in fire and ice,
Soul mislead by fanciful entice.

Not to be fooled by beautiful dreams,
Nothing is ever as it seems.

I haven't written a poem in a very long time, especially the rhyming kind - they're tough! I have a re-newed appreciation for poetry.

Write cold!

2011-02-25T17:48:00.028-06:00

Okay, old man winter is seriously getting on my nerves. It was -41C with the windchill today. On the way to the bus this morning, I had icicles hanging off my eyelashes and the rubber soles on my boots turned hard and I was slipping all over the ice. I REALLY don't like winter...I'm just sayin'... It's days like today that make me wanna pack up and head to Jamaica for good!

Have I mentioned previously that I LOVE Jamaica?? Okay, maybe once or twice.

So, my son, Jay, really liked my previous writing exercise -- liked that it was different. He sent me a very cool image with the challenge: "Let's see what you come up with on this one, this is a handful." Hmmmm...what to do....what to do...

I fear the worst.

On their knees, my comrades pray to whatever Gods still remain. I find no comfort in their words.

I turn my filthy, blood-spattered face toward the heavens. The dawning light chokes and sputters in a dismal, sepia-coloured sky, taking with it the faint, flickering hope in my heart.

The earth, soggy and saturated with the blood of our fallen brothers, gives beneath our feet with a grotesque sucking sound. The screams of the dying chill me to the bone.

Walls of our once great city lay in shattered ruins all around us. Neighbouring cities turn their backs on us, for what had we done to bring such wrath down upon our heads.

We are all that remain.

The high-pitch howl of gulraths send shivers up and down my spine. Gulraths -massive beasts that moved upon hind legs and knuckles, like great apes. Hideous spikes protrude from distorted spines, rows upon rows of razor-like teeth and claws that could rip a man in two. The ground shudders as they near.

I flex my trembling fingers on the hilt of my battered sword. What good is steel against warlocks. I see the lighted tips of their staffs in the distance - too many to count.

Weak with hunger and no rest. The few against the many. Steel against magic and beast.

Yes, I fear the worst...

I can honestly say that a whole story could come from this image, Jay! Thank you so much for this one! Can't wait to see what you come up with next. :o)

All the write peeps

2011-02-21T13:24:00.026-06:00

Sunday was family day - spent the afternoon with my aunt and the evening with my mom.

My aunt cooked a huge meal - was sooo good! She followed it up with a desert called: 'monkey buns'....yup, I'm totally serious, that's what they're called. Basically, it's cinnamon bun dough made into balls and placed in a bundt pan and baked. Then covered with cinnamon and brown sugar drizzle and icing...oy. Actually, she wasn't done. It was my bday recently and she knows I love shortbread cookies - so she made me five dozen!

And, there's even more...

It was my mom's bday Sunday, so we had a little party. My daughter, Karagin, and I made her a card. Karagin drew an amazing picture (she's a fantastic artist and photographer and she's only 15!), and I wrote the inside. My mom loves stuff like that.

After all that family fun, I seriously need to get back to my running program!

I wonder how many calories typing burns.....let's find out!

Remarkable folly. Incredible feat. Unimaginable gateway.
Indescribable fascination. Copious generosity. Beautiful autonomy.
Practical thoughts. Impractical decisions. Inevitable repercussions.
Typical insight. Obscure scruples. Infinite power.
Strength displayed. Empathy displaced. Fear discerned.
Incredulous disgust. Phenomenal backlash. Force withdrawn.
Peace restored. Questions remain. Lesson learned?

Okay, I'm thinkin' I didn't burn many calories....dang.

Write scary

2011-02-19T15:07:00.045-06:00

I had to do a presentation at work on Friday. Let me tell you, public speaking is NOT something I enjoy. It totally freaks me out - my heart pounds, my hands shake, I feel light headed and my mind goes blank.

Ugh!

It's not like I haven't done public speaking, I did plenty when Pretty Pretty first came out. But, I just can't get used to it. I could join Toastmasters, there's chapter at my workplace, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet.

So, why is speaking in front of people such a big deal? Why are we so afraid to look silly? I know I tell myself over and over that I don't care what others think of me -- but ultimately, I do. So, if I do public speaking more often, will it cure me of the fear? Okay, now I'm just breaking out in a sweat. I think this fear thing is gonna take a wee bit of work.

I'm gonna do my writing exercise to get my mind off it.

How vast life seems. I yearn for things that seem so far out of my reach. I have walked for miles, but the wind erases my footsteps, so I cannot remember where I've been or how far I've come. I tell myself, only one more hill and I will be where I need to be, but all I find is more hills as far as the eye can see. The sun beats down, relentless. I feel weak. Maybe, I could just rest here. But I fear if I fall to my knees, I will not stand again. I feel something deep inside propel me. I find strength where I thought I had none. I find love in the most unlikely places. My dreams will not be quieted. I will not fear the hills ahead; for they are my inspiration. I will touch the horizon. I will paint the sky blue. For all that I have ever needed has never been over those hills, it has always been within me.

Perhaps I've just answered my own question...

The kitty is always write

2011-02-16T19:09:00.053-06:00

Yup, my crazy lil kitty is at it again. She's a demanding little thing, especially when it comes to her food and water. Whenever we eat, Xena eats, so, while we're eating breakfast, the lil diva decided her water dish wasn't fresh enough. She meowed, rubbed our legs, tried to stare us down, but we ignored her. Not one to be ignored, she jumped up onto a perch that allows her to see out the kitchen window and proceeded to lick the frost on the window...wow...needless to say, I freshened her water dish.

Anyway, I discovered that my netbook's MS Office was only a trial version...ugh. I mean, it did warn me that the trial was coming to an end. Said some features would be unavailable...ummm, really?? The only feature that works is the window that allows you to purchase the "full version". Okay, so I'm thinking my idea of "some" and theirs must obviously be QUITE different. So, I wasn't able to work on my book last night. KC was not happy. :o(

I did, however, find a new image to write about. Yay! Check it out:

Roiling mist swirls around tree roots jutting raggedly from a dark, thick, mossy base. Sharp, earthy scents hover, mocking the senses. A dream-like state, eerily manifests itself with a headiness that makes one question one's sanity. Silence presses down with suffocating intent. Pinpoints of light battle with gloom for dominance. The ground feels like a living, breathing entity, moving with each step. He returns here...over and over. He needs to see her, if only in his mind. His heart, broken and bloodied. Why hadn't he said the things he should have? Regret burns like acid. Taken too soon. No more time. No rewind. A final chapter, remains unwritten...

I love how things evolve when I'm writing. When I started to write my impression of this image, it changed in mid-type and just...became. Awesome!

Write from the heart

2011-02-14T16:31:00.027-06:00

Happy Valentines' Day!

In the spirit of the day, I thought about writing something nice and sweet, then it hit me...

"Nah!"

That's what everyone else is doing -- it's all about the unicorns and rainbows. :o)

I decided I wanna play devil's advocate. So I dug up an image that isn't very 'heart day' like...

Dark cupid...unfathomable phantom of the human psyche. Rising from fiery depths; the earth, scored and blackened. Fevered, filled with hunger, unmerciful. Stark, bony, garish features. Eyes, hollow. Wings, black as soot. Vile stench of evil. Torment dwells deep. Sadness emanates upon a haunting melody that lures shattered souls. Abundance of loneliness and despair on which to feed. Broken hearts of the fallen, relinquished with ease. Promises and lies, indistinguishable. Hope, wavering. Fall not to desolation. Fight, demand the legacy. Speak not with acrimony. Hold true to oneself. The journey, arduous. Strength, within. Love, powerful. Time, both an enemy and a saviour. Tire not. Falter never. Live…always.

Yup, this was short and sweet...like me! =D

Write crazy

2011-02-12T19:06:00.028-06:00

So, today, I kept having this feeling that someone was watching me and every time I turned around, there was my cat, Xena! She just sits there and stares at me. Okay, I think I mentioned my kitty's a little strange. So get this, I literally have a conversation with my little creeper and she gives me total attitude! With a flick of her tail, she stalks off, leaving me to wonder who's crazier -- my lil stalker, or me for trying to get into the head of a feline -- not a pretty sight. Just sayin'...

Since my last post, I worked on the edits a friend made to my second book. I have to admit that I was pleased that the tracked changes were minimal. I need to do a read thru now to see how well the changes flow, but so far it's looking good!

I kept thinking about my writing exercise today. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so I searched thru a bunch of images for one that would grab me. As I looked at each image, I realized that I'm really rather likin' the fantasy genre. The genre is kind of a stretch for me, which is something else these exercises have taught me -- I do all right when I push myself out of my comfort zone. Here's my latest:

Moonlight presses hard against tightly crossed branches; weak tendrils of light find victory only to get smothered by vapour coiling angrily across uneven terrain. Whispers hiss from shadows; filled with both despair and rage. Darkness solidifies, reaching out from crumbling masonry with bony fingers. Fear resonates, stinking of brimstone. Horror rises like bile, scorching and vile. Walls hide, but do not contain the blasphemous ugliness. Unceasing fires burn, but fail to destroy such evil. Only one, pure of heart, will crumble both stone and spire and expose the cursed to the light that it so fears.

Book time tomorrow. Gonna be great!

Ummm, okay...my little creeper is back again...

I'm all write

2011-02-10T18:12:00.011-06:00

I tried...I really did; to get on here yesterday and complete my blog, but it was not happening. My body said, 'nope, not feeling well', and all bets were off. But, okay, I can live with that.

I did work on my next assignment today, it was tough, but I did it. I was going to keep upping the time on these exercises, but I'm at a place now where I'm actually spending longer on each image, which is good. My initial idea behind these exercises was to get me to sit down and write, even if only for 10-20 minutes, and I've accomplished that.

I'm going to continue with these exercises, cuz they are awesome to force creative thinking, but I'm going to do one every 2nd day as opposed to every day, and on the alternate days I plan to work on my books. I'm so very pleased at how fast the desire to write kicked in. This worked even better than I anticipated.

Because I'm still not feeling 100%, I did struggle with this exercise, but I was determined! So, let's pop into my head and see what we find:

The looking glass does not lie. A slave to perfection, the diamond chains that bind, cut deeply into flesh where no one sees. Pain and fear delve so deeply that it manifests itself into a beast of its own. Obsession rewrites all rational thinking, feeding and nurturing the beast. Vanity is prevalent and empathy withers and dies. Beauty becomes a shallow facade, with barren ugliness scratching violently beneath the surface. Time, a vulgar enemy, eagerly awaits its snide revenge against those who would mock it. A battle that is infinitely futile brings about a forced surrender that lays open the soul. Relish in the day where beauty enjoys free reign, for this time is foretold, and the end is far too near.

I don't know about you, but I'm seein' a pattern here...I lean heavily to the dark side (they have cookies...it's an incentive =D ). Which explains why I'm drawn to mystery, suspense, even horror genres.

Tomorrow, I work on some edits a friend of mine did on Sleep my Pretty.

Write up my alley

2011-02-08T12:55:00.028-06:00

I can't help but wonder if my cat, Xena, is a little bonkers. I've always kinda known she was a little odd, I mean, she drinks water from her kitty bowl with her toe...I kid you not! She dips her toe into her dish and licks off the water droplits.

Yup.

If you follow my work, then you'll understand why I patterned "Buttons" the cat in Pretty Pretty after Xena -- there are a few similarities....uh huh...

Anyhoo, I messed up the times of my writing exercises, so I've adjusted that in my previous blogs. So, I was able to spend 20 minutes with my assignment. I think I actually took longer...but it's all good... :o) My imagination went wild with this picture -- a whole story could evolve from the image. For now, I'll settle for what I came up with for this exercise:

A fine mist settles over dark, dank pillars of crumbling stone. A canopy of foliage encroaches, creeping forward to devour its prey and obliterate the atrocities of days gone by. An eerie silence hangs heavy in thick, pungent air. Like bones of a great prehistoric beast, the ancient structure juts out, ragged and broken…reaching for the heavens that abandoned it. A vile darkness hangs, scorching the earth, marring remnants of a former majestic beauty. Blood stains these sacred stones…where steel crossed steel and shattered flesh and bone. The tears of angels do not touch this place…as evil resides here…its breath wretched of death and decay. A cold emptiness permeates the soul of those who enter, and strip the mind of reason. Let the demons lay undisturbed…for they know no mercy. Let the bowels of earth take back into itself the fallen. And let us remember this place no more.

These exercises have been amazingly helpful, and I would highly recommend them to anyone who has found themselves out-of-touch with their inner writer. :o)

And, yup, you guessed it -- 22 minutes!

All the write stuff

2011-02-07T12:05:00.040-06:00

I fear I live in an environment where even polar bears run for cover. Ugh! It's surprising how the weather here chooses to torment us - where one day it's only -2C, then the next, -20C with a windchill that brings it up to -35C. Brrrrr!!!! My ears turned into frozen blocks on my head.

Thankfully, I have a woodstove in my home and trust me when I say, there is NO heat like wood heat. Just sayin'...

Movin' right along.

Armed with another picture compliments of my son, Jay, who is really good at finding images that stir my imagination! He and I knocked around some really cool impressions. I get eighteen minutes with this incredible image, so here goes:

Secrets…buried deep in these walls, like a township of lies piggybacking upon one another. Arrogance, so deep and dark in the belief that no one sees the city of deception, fools no one. Yet, it remains...festering and growing. Beautiful in appearance, yet putrid and decaying just beneath the surface, harbouring fear and rage and loneliness. The winds of time blast the fragile formation, tearing it apart fragment by fragment. Particles like old, ragged scars against the bluest of skies. No lessons learned. No deviation. No atonement. Just indifference...

I have to admit, I'm really enjoying these exercises! Tomorrow -- 20 minutes.

On the write track

2011-02-06T15:37:00.026-06:00

Can you say...wow! I'm really excited how quickly the old writing instincts are coming back.

My out of shape brain's a lil tired today, prolly from pushing it these last few days. So, I'm looking for inspiration!

The pic my son gave me is awesome -- love the colour, the thoughts it evokes. The cool thing is that what it means to me could be totally different to the next person and I love that!

So, I got my picture -- now, gettin' some tunes to match my thoughts.

It's true, the right song can literally pull the words from me. A lil loopy? Well, think about it, it's like in the movies, when you are watching a scene and a great song begins and makes the scene amazing. It's the same for writing - the right song can set the scene - paint it right before my eyes. So, here's the pic and my thoughts:

He finds himself in this place again, with reality at his back and his dreams so close he can touch them. He sits and lets his gaze love that which draws him back again and again. It's beauty, breathtaking. Yet he feels torn. Solid and dependable, his reality stands firm beneath him, compelling him to do what is right, what is safe. His heart yearns for more, so much more. And he knows...all he needs to do is stand up, take that first step and never look back.

Woot! Guess what's next...eighteen minutes!

The write time

2011-02-05T15:53:00.029-06:00

I was vacuuming earlier today and running through some ideas for my fourteen minute writing exercise, and it dawned on me -- it's been a long time since I've brainstormed! Lately, when doing household chores, I usually just fall into a vegetative state. So, let me tell you, this is very exciting!

I was talking to my son, who is also a writer, about my little project and we were kicking around some writing exercise ideas. He told me he likes to dig up digital media pictures, usually fantasy genre pics, and create a short story or poem from the image. He gave me an image to work with, which I will incorporate into my next exercise.

For today's exercise, I did something a little different. When I wrote my book "Pretty Pretty", I got this one line stuck in my head -- "...pretty...so pretty." It was from that line that I built the entire story. That line dogged me and banged around in my head for weeks before I finally sat down and worked on an outline.

This time, the line -- "hands of time cut deeply into her skin..." -- popped into my head. I really wanted to spend 14 minutes with the digital media pic, working on imagery writing skills, but that crazy line wasn't going away.

When I let my mind run with that line, I got this mental picture of an older woman staring sadly out a window. I searched online, looking for an image of my lady and I found it. Unfortunately, beneath the image, it mentions that it's subject to copyright, so I decided not to post it here. But, from that image, I let myself get carried away for 14 minutes:

Hands of time cut deeply into her skin. Knowledge burns brightly in ancient eyes, yet does not disguise the sadness that dwells there. Yearning for days long gone, of a simpler time, of beauty, of youth. Years pass so quickly -- where did they go? Once, surrounded by love and friendship; now only aching loneliness remains. When did it begin that waking to the dawn no longer brings joy? Memories, once so perfectly clear, falter and fade. Her body, once strong and beautiful, now harbours frailty and pain. The hands of time cut deeply...in more ways than we can imagine...

This was a great exercise! Next one: 16 minutes.

Write from the bottom of my tummy tum tum

2011-02-04T12:06:00.005-06:00

I was supposed to workout last night - undoubtedly a great way to clear ones head to get ready for some writing time. Yet, alas...instead I went out to partake in some extremely unhealthy eating. And you know how it is when you eat fast food, it's like swallowing a lead weight and makes breathing seem like a chore. So, feeling sleepy and bloated, I decided to try meditation as a means to prepare to write.

Sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, breathing deeply...yes...this is exactly what I needed to relax...except...who knew a stomach could make that much noise! Clearly, I did not consume a burger, but rather a small creature intent on extricating himself from my belly. Ugh!

A handful of Tums and about 20 minutes later, I finally got down to writing. I think I could get use to this again!

Thinking about the kind of books I like to write, I decided that tonight, I would get into the mind of one of my would-be evil characters for the next 12 minutes and I came up with the following:

Rain tap tap tapped like skeletal fingers on the window pane. Embers buried beneath dark soot, gasped for air within the craggy hearth. Darkness consumed everything in the room, even the man that stood in its depths. A heart beat, the tempo slow and even. Fear, harvested with each breath the man takes, fills the air with a putrid stench. Sanity has but a tenuous grip...and it is faltering. Wave after toxic wave of animosity burns from deeply hollow eyes, scalding its way down to that place where a soul should live. He fears no evil. And yet...evil fears him.

I realized after this exercise that there was some real hope of firming up my flabby brain muscles, and all I could think of was...I wanna do it again!

Okie doke -- it's go time! Fourteen minutes of writing.

All writey then

2011-02-03T12:40:00.019-06:00

So yesterday was my first creative exercise. I heard standing on your head helps increase bloodflow and oxygen to the brain...and in turn, gets those creative juices flowing.

Umm, really?

I prolly shouldn't believe everything I read on the internet. ^_^

I passed on the head standing and went right to the ten minutes of writing. I'll admit I had to force myself into the chair and I only struggled a little. But, once I got down to it, it felt great.

So as not to over-tax my flabby brain, I just imagined a pleasant scene in my mind and set out to describe it. It's a little rough, but passable.

Blue skies, bluer ocean and sand in my bellybutton. Blazing sun presses down hard, cacooning, almost stifling. Throbbing reggae wafts upon a cooling tradewind, mingling with a familiar and intoxicating scent. Sand, raspy yet silky. Surf, warm and inviting. Thoughts of home tease the recesses of my mind, but I'm not ready to let go of this transfixing, beautiful country...Jamaica.

Do you think I'm just a little Jamaica obsessed? Okay, maybe a little.

Brain workout for tonight -- twelve minutes of writing.

Holy blogger, batman!

2011-01-28T12:27:00.040-06:00

What the heck happened! I fell off the bloggin' radar!!

Okay, I'll admit, I've been a major blog slacker. First, working on my house, then the holidays, then I went on a great vacation to Jamaica. Yup, I'm a slacker. They say that's the first first step in recovery - admitting you have a problem.

I wish I could say that only my blogging has been affected, but that's not the case. Not only have I been a blog slacker, I've been a writing slacker in general. It's like having an excellent exercise routine that gets interrupted. At first you're all cranky and you feel out of sorts, then sadly, it gets easier and easier not to do it. Say whaaaat?

So, does that make me a non-writing writer?? Ugh! Not liking that one bit. It's kinda scary actually, how easy it was to become so disconnected from that niggling writers' itch that drives you to write. There was a time you couldn't get me away from my work, now...

I must find my way back!!

So, I'm gonna force my hand and chronicle this journey back to writingdom! My happy place.

Tonight, as an exercise to the unused creative portion of my brain, I will write about absolutely anything (or nothing) for a minimum of 10 minutes. I will letcha know how that goes.

Niche me!

2010-11-18T21:24:00.021-06:00

I was having coffee with a very good friend of mine and the subject of blogging came up. Now, he is a fantastic blogger with a blog that is growing more successful by the day! So, I had to know, what was his secret. And he tells me, "You need to find a niche. You need to be the expert of...well, something."

So, I said to myself, "Self', we need a niche!" Unfortunately, my "self" yawned, rolled over and went back to sleep. My "self" has been completely unreliable since the whole foundation project thing, so I guess I'm on my own.

Luckily, my friend also had a suggestion, which I am presently googling, and so far, it's looking like a really good idea! I'm not going to say what it is, yet. And, I actually have few ideas of my own that need exploring.

I think I can really have some fun with this, so stay tuned!

Who let the blogs out...

2010-10-29T17:24:00.020-05:00

Don’t you just love it when life gets in the way of important things…like blogging. I’m just saying. Anyway, I’ve been working on a do-it-yourself project on my house – foundation work. Ugh!!

Nothing says “crazy” like digging a moat around the entire perimeter of your house. What were we thinking?? I have been asking myself that very question for the last month – which is how long we’ve been working on our little pet project…so far...cuz it ain’t done yet. Double ugh!

I do have to admit, diggin’ a moat for hours and days on end does result in some pretty amazing muscles – which I do happen to love. But, I’d highly not recommend digging a moat as a way to get into shape. There are far easier ways – like going to the gym!

At any rate, I will continue to finish my handywoman project, learn from my mistakes and never attempt a project this large again. I will just pay the money. I don’t care how much. I’m not kidding.

Check out the following photos. They depict crazy people. I'm only calling it as I see it...and writely so...

Synopsis to blow the synapses

2010-09-21T19:13:00.006-05:00

It truly sucks when you are working on something and your computers dies, leaving you to scramble with “works in progress” cuz you can’t get to them. Ugh!

Well, be that as it may, I wanted to complete this blog, so rather than wait, I’m just gonna start again. It’s probably not a bad thing; some of my best work is done on the fly. :o)

Since writing the blogs on queries, I realized that another equally important element of the query letter is..... (drum-roll please)..…the synopsis!

Yup, that’s right, that thing we hate even more than the query letter itself. And, why do we dislike it so? Well, let’s be honest, trying to explain a 300 page (or more) novel in a few pages makes a root canal seem like fun. How do we just keep to the highlights and still do our work justice? There’s always so much more you want to tell. But let’s face it, it’s easy to get bogged down with details that confuse and make a person’s eyes roll back in their head.

Not good. I’m just saying…

So, what can we do?

First and foremost, get it into our heads that it’s a necessary evil.

There. No getting passed it.

Next.

Get the goods -- go to the agent’s/publisher’s website and follow their instructions. How many pages does it need to be? Formatting. They might even give you an example or two that show you how they like them to be written. That would be ideal! Since there are many ways to write a synopsis, if you are lucky and the agent/publisher grants you this insight -- you are aces!

If the agent/publisher doesn’t give you examples of what they like, then one handy trick is to check out their published authors’ websites. You might just strike it lucky and find that one of them blogged about synopses and used their own letter as an example.

Jackpot!

Otherwise, if all else fails, check out some “how-to” websites. My favourite is Writing-World.com. This website is great for so many writing elements. The most awesome thing about this particular blog is that the author demonstrates the different kinds of synopses:

A single sentence.
A single paragraph.
A single page or shorter.
The expanded version.

Love it!

In my writing career, I have utilized every one of these. But the one I use all the time is the single sentence synopsis. Think of how many times you are asked: “What’s your story about?”

Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

That little one-liner is gonna be your golden ticket! Okay, maybe not a true golden ticket, but when you have a great one-liner ready, eyes rolling back in the head will be a thing of the past. And that’s very good.

I like to have my one-liner ready even as I am working on a novel, cuz the moment you mention that you are working on something, people always ask what it’s about. If your story evolves in a different direction that changes your one-liner, so be it. I’ve always said that I am but a venue, my stories write themselves. They only need me to get them into the computer. :o)

I actually rather like figuring out the one-line synopsis. As to the others, I dread them like everyone else and leave them until the last minute....I know...my bad. But thankfully in this computer age, everything is at our fingertips, so finding a format that works for you is easy.

In the words of Dee-Ann in her blog on writing-world.com, “My recommendation would be to find as many different descriptions of synopsis writing as possible and experiment. Eventually you'll find a way that works really well for you.”

Great advice!

Query that

2010-07-25T23:23:00.015-05:00

After my rather humbling experience recently, I realized I want more info on the elusive query letter.

Writing a query should be easy, right? You just scribble out a short cover letter introducing yourself and your work, cuz you know your work is marvellous and should sell itself.

Wrong.

Even if your work is bestseller material, a fumbling query letter is going to get you into the ‘rejection pile’ and no where near the bestseller list. This is your opportunity to sell yourself -- to make the agent sit up and take notice.

So, how do we write the most amazing query letter possible?

Let’s break it down.

First – research, research, research. Even though there’s a basic format to query letters, don’t write one generic query and send it to a bunch of different agents hoping to strike it lucky. That’s like playing Russian Roulette with your career. Read up on your choice of agents. Follow their guidelines to the letter. And don’t forget to browse their blogs – this is where the real nuggets of information are gleaned. Maybe they might even give you an example or two of what they consider a great query. (Yay!)

Next – write a query that’s tailored to the agent you are submitting to. What does that mean? Give ‘em exactly what they ask for; nothing more – nothing less. This can include attachments versus inserting manuscript material into the body of an email. Or, even a paragraph synopsis versus a full-page synopsis. Deviating from their provided instructions just tells them that you can’t follow directions. That’s fast-tracking yourself right out the door.

Another next – the query itself. I like the way writing-world.com sets it out. Though the author is referring to article pitching, I did find this site helpful. It talks about the five basic components of a query:

• The hook
• The pitch
• The body
• The credentials
• The close

Each component is crucial. The author at the above site breaks it down well and is a good read. She even includes links to related articles – check out the sample query letter.

Another site fictionwriters.com has some good do’s and don’ts.

This website charlottedillon.com has a bunch of examples that landed the authors agents. Note that they are all quite different.

What I find interesting is that the above samples prove that queries need to be agent-specific. Note that one letter may start out with a hook, while another starts with an introduction. It would seem that while there are rules, these rules can in some cases be bent a little.

This too can be said for the do’s and don’ts as well. During my research I came across an agent who actually liked a little butt-kissing. (Say what??) Yup, I kid you not. In this instance -- to submit or not to submit -- is the question. Remember, you need to comfortably work with this person. Do you wanna work with someone you have to brown-nose?

Nah. Gimme a professional any day.

Query this

2010-06-15T18:25:00.007-05:00

On the hunt for an agent, I had a rude awakening -- the importance of an amazing query letter.

I thought I'd done my homework -- ummm, no! Course, I realized after the fact -- like 15 seconds after I hit the 'send' button. Ugh!

Check list:
Checked the website submission guidelines -- check
Wrote my query -- check
Wrote my synopsis x2 -- check
Attached my required chapters -- check
Hit send -- check.

So, what went wrong?

I missed one link -- the most important link -- the one where the agent actually 'tells' you exactly what he wants to see in a query to him -- jackpot!!!! Or in this case – doh!

Okay, so what have I learned?

First of all, follow your gut! If you think you should take one more look at the guidelines and requirements for your submission -- do it! Don’t wait until after you send the email. It's like having lottery numbers that you religiously play every week and you forget to play them just this one time! And then, for some crazy, self torturing reason, you check to see if you'd won. Ohh, the horror...

Next, each agent has different expectations for submissions to them -- so read everything on the site, including if the agent has a blog -- especially if they have a blog. On the company site, the info is formal; whereas on an agent’s blog, they can be relaxed and you might find golden nuggets of information that could be the difference between an “aye” or “nay”.

Another next, there is no one-size-fits-all query letter. Yes, learn the basics about query letters, but researching each agent is a must. Each has different requirements; some may want a paragraph synopsis of your book, others may want a separate 2-page synopsis. Some may want a formal-styled query, while another may be happy with a casually approached submission.

And finally -- and this is a big one -- make your query the absolute best it can be. Don’t think for a second that you can write a sub-standard query, with the thought that if only the agent just read your amazing story (and it could be the best on the planet) that it would sell itself. From the way I understand it, if the query letter bites -- your book bites the dust.

All righty then -- that being said -- back to my 2-page synopsis…

Writing a story...one tweet at a time

2010-05-24T16:58:00.025-05:00

I'm telling you - this is the best idea since the internet. And I'm not saying this because it's our idea -- okay, maybe I am. But this is exciting!

My writers' group and I are collaboratively writing a story together -- on Twitter. It's a fun story that utilizes no outline, no charachter sketch, no restrictions. It's seven creative minds doing what they do best -- write!

Check us out on Twitter. To follow us go to: http://twitter.com/tweetaddaline and add us.

The story begins with Kevin's great line: "Adeline died in my arms. I never should have lent them to her." And spins from there.

The entire story is located on our blog: http://tweetaddaline.blogspot.com

What I find so amazing is that we are seven very different writers, with unique writing styles, coming from various genres, and yet it's difficult to tell who has written what. Talk about cohesion!

Where will the story end up? Who knows! Cuz anything goes!

Well, back to tweeting...

Publishing -- Part 2 -- Small vs. Large Publishing Houses

2010-05-07T14:47:00.017-05:00

This subject is near and dear to my heart. I hail from a small publishing house. Though I definitely can’t speak for all small houses, nor can I speak to all large publishing houses, I definitely can pull from my experience, research and the conversations I’ve had with other authors.

(Enter – the main character – the heroine)

My journey has taken me in the direction of the large publishing house. That is where I want to be. I have my reasons for wanting this avenue, but for the newbie, you can weigh the options for yourself.

From my last blog, I made reference to being a “real” published author. This is a bona fide kicker. So the burning question is: What makes a "real" published author? Does it all come down to size? How big is your publishing house? What size is your print-run?

Yes and no. I have a friend who is with a small company here in Winnipeg and she is thought of very highly as an author. Her books are readily found locally. She is definitely a “real” author. I too was with a small company, and I’m definitely a “real” author, though, at times I felt the sting of the “real” author doubts. But here is the difference -- the company I dealt with is American and not known in Canada. This created a dilemma for me. Though my publishing company was just as good as the one here in Winnipeg, the unknown seemed to be too much for some.

Okay, let’s look even deeper. Another quandary for the small house is the global market. Not many of the smaller houses have that far reach and tend to be more local. Course, I am talking physical paper back books here. Cuz, for instance, the books of my friend and I are available online and can be purchased anywhere. But, if no one is aware of you, how will they know to look for you?

(The plot thickens)

So let’s think about this. Big publishing houses can offer you:

1. a bigger global market;

2. book tours; and

3. farther reaching recognition.

Sounds good, right? Not so fast. There are a few strings.

1. more often than not, bigger publishing companies don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, so you’ll need an agent;

2. one author I spoke to was put on a book tour, but it was fairly limited. The economy affects us all, it would seem. On his own, he stopped off in cities that weren’t on the tour to expand on it – and it really paid off for him. So, even with the support of a larger publishing company, you must be prepared to go that extra mile for your own career. So, this tells me that if you have the misconception that once you’re picked up by a large publishing company that you can just sit back and enjoy the ride, you may be in for a rude awakening. You will have to work really hard to promote yourself and your book – of course, self promotion would be expected with a big or small publishing company; and

3. with the bigger companies comes bigger expectations of you. Go big, or go home, as they say.

(The climax)

So where does that leave you? With a huge decision. Even more so here than in the previous blog I posted, your career goals become the focal point. Where do you see yourself? Just on the local front, or something far grander? How much time you willing to invest? How hard do you want to work?

So we've come full circle. It's all up to you. Take your time. Weigh all the options. Do your own homework (I can’t stress this enough). Things are constantly changing out there. And, decide what is best for you.

Then take a deep breath and jump in with both feet, cuz once you sign on the dotted line – you’re in for a wild ride!

(The end)

Publishing -- Part 1 -- e-Publishing

2010-04-18T14:27:00.036-05:00

Publishing is such an extensive subject -- with large publishing houses, smaller publishing houses, e-publishing, POD (print on demand) publishers, and self-publishing.

Since this subject is so generous, I'm going to break it down into separate blogs. Granted, I'm no expert on the subject, but I can draw from my experience -- starting with e-publishing.

I remember when books that were e-published were not considered to be 'real books'. Trust me, it's sad to hear that, because e-published authors aren't the only ones to contend with that stereo-type. I'm published through a smaller publisher with a small print-run, and even with an actual print-run, I had to really push that I was a 'real' author because my publisher wasn't well-known. I will elaborate more on that in an upcoming blog.

I have to admit that I do understand the hesitation of some to accept e-published books. In the earlier days of e-publishing; demand was very low, and it was thought that the only people who got e-published were those who couldn't get picked up by a 'real' publisher. That's a tough reputation to overcome. And, in all honesty, there were and still are some poorly edited stories popping up. But hey, that's happened with even the most reputable, larger publishing houses.

That being said, wanting to be e-published is a choice. It offers some pretty good incentives, yet some pretty big draw-backs too.

Some incentives are e-books are cheaper for the consumer, environmentally friendly, and have a low overhead so the author gets a bigger cut of the royalties. That's pretty sweet. And with all the new e-reader devices, the future looks bright!

On the other hand, you won't see your book in bookstores or libraries. The stereo-type of not being a 'real' author will be an issue. You will need to promote yourself online A LOT to get your name out there and sell e-books. And what if you want to do book signings? Of course, some e-publishers do offer a POD (print on demand) option. So, you could order books for a signing, but you would need to purchase the books first, and unfortunately, some bookstores can be unreceptive to POD authors.

Have I turned you off of e-publishing? I hope not, cuz like I said earlier, it really comes down to an author's choice. You need to ask yourself: What do I want out of my career as an author? How big do I want to go? How much time do I want to invest?

Once you know the answers to these questions -- your choice should be easy.

Books to movies

2010-04-07T22:28:00.006-05:00

If the planets align juuuuust right...everything will be perfect in the universe.

Ya, right.

In the movies, what ever isn't right can be made right with technology that's amazing. I'll admit, I'm a huge fan of blockbuster movies with mindboggling special effects.

But, as exciting as it would be to have a book chosen to be made into a movie, movies often don't do a book justice. They take liberties with the storyline - even as far as just basing the movie on the book. Meaning, only the basic idea of the book was kept - which perhaps, might actually be better than a 'book to movie' cuz at least expectations of the movie's trueness would be far less.

'Trueness' to a book is ideal. When I read a book and fall in love with the characters and the storyline - I want that feeling when I see the movie - I don't think that's too much to ask. :o)

Some authors, like J.K. Rowling, demanded that the movies made of her books be true to them. I think initially her intentions were good, but then her books grew in length and we started to see a decline in the "trueness". I imagine 700+ page novels are difficult to turn into a movie, and I imagine I'm being difficult to please, but so be it.

Now, if someone offered to turn my novel into a movie, I probably wouldn't turn my nose up at that opportunity, but I would demand 'trueness' to my book. And since my book is not 700+ pages, it would be so easy! I'm just putting that one out there...

Coming up with the next great trend

2010-03-29T19:25:00.001-05:00

Trends, especially in writing for young adults, hit the market in waves and usually hit it hard, making a lot of really great stories fall to the wayside. The most recent trend, vampires and werewolves, took the market and readership by storm. A lot of really good series were born, but so did a lot of tailgaters. I find it difficult to conform and would rather wait out a trend than follow. Unless of course I create the trend! Then by all means peeps, jump on board! :o)

The Harry Potter series created a huge trend, but in that created something that hadn't been seen since The Lord of the Rings series, J.K. Rowlings created something fresh and new and I truly admire that.

I'm interested to see what will create the next buzz. My writers' group pondered this and came up with some interesting ideas -- though I have to admit I'm a little skeptical of Sasquatch sweet romance...

I'm back!!

2010-02-06T14:45:00.003-06:00

New blogs to follow shortly.

INTERVIEW 6

2007-10-09T18:44:00.001-05:00

I am excited to welcome my next interviewee, the young novelist, Heather S. Ingemar, to my website.

Heather is an adventurous writer who likes to dabble in many different genres. Her latest novel from Echelon Press is Darkness Cornered and she also has an Echelon download available called A Slip of Wormwood. Coming soon from Echelon Press is Heather's novella, Prophet's Choice.

Check out Heather Ingemar at her website to find out all the latest on this wonderful author.
I am thrilled to welcome Heather to my website.

Check out our interview below:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, the genre you write, and about your latest project.

Answer: Well, I live with my husband on a working cattle ranch, and I work evenings at the local library. In my spare time, I write. I really don't know what else to say beyond that.... (laughs) As for my genre, I like to say that I write speculative fiction; it seems to fit the mish-mosh of genres I have stories in. Paranormal, mystery, suspense, thriller, fantasy, science fiction, a tiny bit of romance.... yeah. I don't think I've had two stories shelved the same. I guess I'm a non-conformist.

About my latest project.... well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you. (laughs) Just kidding! I'm working on a series of short novels that are more urban fantasy in flavor, but have different religious mythology than the standard Christian one we all grew up with. When my husband finished the first one, he snickered and said I'd be shelved in the Christian Fiction section, but I think they're a bit too 'out there' for that. The first one is currently out to a couple publishers, and I'm nearing the end of the first draft on the second. I think there will be three total, but don't hold me to it. I may end up with more.....

2. Did you choose your present genre; or did the genre choose you?

Answer: My genre chose me, definitely. No question. Contemporary, literary fiction bores me to death. For as far back as I can remember, I've been thinking up tales with unusual circumstances.

3. What would be a typical day for you, as a day in the life of a writer?

Answer: A typical day? Is there any such thing as a typical day for a rancher's wife? (laughs) On average.... I guess I'd say my day consists of different farm duties from feeding the stock to fixing fence, to loading/unloading hay, to moving the animals until around 4.30 in the afternoon when I get ready for work at the library. Then, I'm at the library until 8pm, I come home and make dinner, write for an hour or two if I feel up to it, and then go to bed. It's a little less crazy on days when I stay in to do the household chores like laundry and dishes. When it comes to the writing end of things, I don't stress about it too much. If hubby's on the tractor and he doesn't need my help, I'm curled up in the pickup with a notepad and pen. I write when we're waiting at the parts store. I sometimes write when I'm at the library, if there's nothing else to do. I write when I get the chance.

4. Have you always wanted to write?

Answer: Yes. Have I always been able to, no. There were times I'd swear off writing because it wasn't going the way I wanted.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

Answer: I really have no idea. (laughs)

6. Are any of your characters based on real people?

Answer: Not really. Well, let me clarify that. Most of my characters do have some random traits of the people around me, but as for basing an entire character off someone I know, I tend to avoid that like the plague. When you're writing about someone you know, you tend to leave out way too much, you leave your readers confused. All my characters are my own.

7. If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you be and why?

Answer: Wow, um, let me think. I think I'd like to be Viola, from an unpublished story I wrote a while back titled "Opening Minds." She's a telekinetic, and I think it would be very cool to influence objects from a distance. Could catch things falling from clear across the room, or help herd the cows without having to run so much. It would be very cool.

8. Do you do research for your novels? What was the most interesting person, place or thing you have researched?

Answer: Sometimes. I read a lot as a kid, and I guess I'm one of those people who knows a little bit about a lot of things, so in most of the stories I write I haven't come across anything I needed to do a lot of research for. But, on occasion, there are things I do need to research. I've got another short I'm working on in addition to the series of short novels, that required I research steam boilers. That was fascinating.

9. Have you ever had writer’s block? And what do you do to overcome it?

Answer: I don't like the term writer's block. It implies something permanent, insurmountable. I believe there are times when your well of creativity runs a little low and the words are difficult to get onto the page, but it isn't the end of the world. You just need to let it ride for a while, then come back and work on it. That's what I do if I'm having difficulties, and it works.

10. Do you have any advice for the young writer just starting out?

Answer: Research! Research the industry, publishers, the craft itself. There are too many scammers out there to just blunder through without having some sense of direction, and the more you know the better off you'll be in the long run.

11. And just for fun, if you could be a Transformer, which would you be? An Autobot (the good bots) or a Decepticon (the evil bots)? =D

Answer: Actually, I haven't seen the movie yet....

Thanks for having me, KC! This was a fun interview!

Thank you so much for joining me, Heather!

INTERVIEW FIVE

2007-09-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

It is exciting to have another young adult author visit my site and share a little bit of herself with us. We have a lot in common and I am pleased to introduce this week's interviewee: young adult author, Grace E. Howell.

True Friends is Grace's latest YA novel and is available from Echelon Press at http://echelonpress.netfirms.com/Ech... or via e-book from Fictionwise at http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/m... .

Also, coming soon from Echelon Press is Grace's fiction e-book, Severed Bond, a short story for grown-ups.

Check out her website at http://www.graceehowell.com/ to find out all the latest on this wonderful YA author.

I am thrilled to welcome Grace to my website.

Check out our interview below:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, the genre you write, and about your latest project.

Answer:
I have loved reading and writing since my earliest school days and would curl up in the corner of the couch lost in a book until my mother said, "Get your nose out of that book and . . ." Naturally when I thought about writing for publication I knew I wanted to write for children and young adults because I want to share with young readers the same joy that I had reading a good book. As a classroom teacher and a school librarian nothing gave me greater pleasure than finding the right book for the right reader. My first published novel, is True Friends released in 2005 by Echelon Press. It is the story of 1918 Annie who must give up her tomboy days with the boys and become a proper girl. As she worries about her brother overseas in the army, Annie must deal with accusations and prejudice at home until the Spanish flu unites the neighborhood with tragedy and loss.

2. Did you choose your present genre; or did the genre choose you?

Answer:
In a way True Friends which is historical fiction chose me. I had heard many stories of World War I and the flu epidemic from people who had lived through it, or their parents had. This became a story I had to write. I don't think I prefer one particular genre because I like to read and write in various genres. I still have a number of historical stories in my head, but now I am working on a contemporary, realistic fiction series about three seventh grade misfits who reluctantly develop a friendship.

3. What would be a typical day for you, as a day in the life of a writer?

Answer:
I like to get to my computer early, after breakfast and exercises. I may get there on time, but then they start, the interruptions by phone, family, doorbell, etc. until all creative thoughts are battered and bruised trying to compete for my attention. What I would like to say is a typical day would begin with answering emails, then writing undisturbed for a couple of hours when I would break for a walk outside in my garden with a cup of coffee or tea. Back to the computer, writing until hunger pangs announced lunch time. After lunch would be another undisturbed time of writing. Is that a dream or what? That's my schedule, but it seldom happens that way.

4. Have you always wanted to write?

Answer:
Yes, since the day I learned to read.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

Answer:
Ideas spring up from everywhere constantly, so many I can't begin to pursue them all. I get ideas from whatever I see, hear, read, experience in some way, a person, an animal, a newspaper article, an overheard conversation, on and on.

6. Are any of your characters based on real people?

Answer:
Most of my characters are strictly invented using bits and pieces of people I've seen or met combined with my imagination. But the Bolman family in True Friends is patterned after my grandparents and their children. My mother would have been Rose.

7. If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you be and why?

Answer:
I know and love all my characters, but I'm not sure I would want to be any one of them any more than I would want to be somebody else I know. I would like to meet and interact with the characters I write about. But invented characters as well as real people have problems and quirks that may be harder to handle than what I'm blessed with. So I guess I'll have to be my characters, and they are part of me, only as writer and reader.

8. Do you do research for your novels? What was the most interesting person, place or thing you have researched?

Answer:
I do a lot of research, especially for historical fiction, but a contemporary story also involves a great deal of research. Before writing True Friends, I pictured people listening to the radio for news of the war. A little research taught me that radios did not exist for the public during World War I. The story I'm working on now is a contemporary story, Unlikely Alliance—DOGS!, and I studied Siberian Huskies, phobias, dogfights, cerebral palsy, and many other topics for it. In Severed Bond, a short story with a touch of the supernatural soon to be released by Echelon Press as an e-book, I had to research mounted police and nursing homes. I may do more research than necessary, but I have a horror of a reader finding a mistake in one of my books and losing respect for me as a writer.

9. Have you ever had writer’s block? And what do you do to overcome it?

Answer:
Not really. If I start wondering how I should write a scene I can either take a walk or a shower and the ideas and words begin to flow.

10. Do you have any advice for the young writer just starting out?

Answer:
Write what you know and have fun with your writing.

11. And just for fun, if you could be a Transformer, which would you be? An Autobot (the good bots) or a Decepticon (the evil bots)?

Answer:
As I want nothing to do with machines smarter than I am, I would avoid Transformers with all my power. But since you asked, I'm always on the good side in the battle against evil so I'd have to be an Autobot.

Thx so much, Grace!

Stay tuned! And check back regularly for a new interview!

WEEK FOUR

2007-09-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

On to the fourth interview of many more to come of some really great Echelon authors.

This week's interviewee is romance author, Anne Carter, who also writes young adult fiction as Pam Ripling.

Point Surrender is Anne's latest paranormal romance from Echelon Press and is available at (http://www.amazon.com/Point-Surrende... ) in paperback or via e-book from (http://www.bebo.com/Link.jsp?Url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fictionwise.com%2FeBooks%2FeBook46043.htm%3Fcached ).

Anne is also the author of StarCrossed Lovers, and A Hero's Promise, and coming soon, the third installment of the Starcrossed series, The Gypsy in Me. Check out as well, Anne's e-book novellas Starfire and When Harry met Soli.

As Pam Ripling, coming soon is her new young adult novel, Locker Shocker, from Echelon Press.

Check out Anne/Pam's website at ( http://www.bebo.com/Link.jsp?Url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.beaconstreetbooks.com%2F ) for more information about all her novels!

I am very excited to welcome Anne/Pam to my blog!

Check out our interview below!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and the genre you write.

Answer:
I am a wife, a mother, a sister, an aunt; I'm a bookkeeper, a photographer, an ordained celebrant; a Virgo, a procrastinator, a lover of Mexican food and chocolate. I am a PTA Treasurer, a driver, a movie nut. Oh, yeah, and I am a published author.

I started writing in what they now call middle school, and got serious about it as an adult. My first publishing credit was for a poem in a magazine, then a short story in Thema. I wrote a lot of short, literary stories, then started on a romance which ultimately became a novel and then a qualified tome. I was published electronically at first, then in print-on-demand, and eventually, small press trade paperback.

2. Did you choose your present genre; or did the genre choose you?

Answer:
I was chosen, I suppose. I have never given it much thought, which means I probably didn't do any choosing.

3. Have you always wanted to write?

Answer:
In a word, yes. More like, needed to write.

4. What would be a typical day for you, as a day in the life of a writer?

Answer:
There are no typical days in my life. In an ideal world, I would be like Nora Roberts, I'd get up, grab a cuppa joe, sit down and write until mid day, get up, stretch, take a walk in the garden or play with my lovey-dovey Golden Sandie. Then I'd sit back down and write until dinner time.As it is, I sit down late at night after all the chores are done, and "steal" a precious hour or so; I sneak away from accounting long enough to pen a chapter midday; I clear the calendar for a hookie day when I am hot on a story. It is, sadly, hit-and-miss.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

Answer:
Don't know. They just arrive fully formed in my head. But I will say that I have always been the observant type; I am always watching people, imagining what they are about. I am always looking at the details of the setting I am in. I just returned from 6 days in London, and my brain was hurting from all the input I had to store away. I started thinking right away about how I could steer my WIP into Great Britain for a scene or two...

6. Are any of your characters based on real people?

Answer:
Yes-ish. Like many authors, I often pick a public figure or celebrity to be the base model for my character, then alter them as I go along. In the end they may not really resemble the model figure, but something entirely different as they seem to "grow" their own personality.In STARCROSSED HEARTS, one of my heroes was based on a young Paul Newman. My heroine started off as my favorite actress, Jane Seymour. I find when I don't start with a known, I have more trouble developing the character. Whom I choose might depend on who I've recently become familiar with.

In POINT SURRENDER, my hero, Case McKenna, would have been played by Lord of the Rings medieval hunk, Viggo Mortenson.

7. If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you be, and why?

Answer:
Amy Winslow in POINT SURRENDER, because I am already in love with Case McKenna. (see above!) LOL. Plus the fact that she gets to live in a lighthouse. What could be more fun?

8. Do you do research for your novels? What was the most interesting person, place or thing you have researched?

Answer:
Speaking of lighthouses... I was privileged to stay in a lighthouse while penning the last few chapters of POINT SURRENDER. Talk about inspiration! And yes, I do lots of research. It's part of the fun. I learn a lot, I want my readers to learn, too, without knowing they are being taught. My WIP, CAPE SEDUCTION, takes place in both 2008 and 1948. The research for this book is really involving and very interesting. 1948 was a fascinating time in California.

9. Have you ever had writer’s block? If yes, what have you done to overcome it?

Answer:
Writer's Block? What's that? Okay, once or twice I've been stymied (is that the word?) But I've come to realize that if it happens, to me, it's usually because my story has taken the wrong turn. I try to go back to where that happened and go in a different direction.

10. Do you have any advice for the young writer just starting out?

Answer:
As a matter of fact, yes. Aside from the usual advice, such as Read! Read! Read! and Write! Write! Write!, I have to also say, start working on promotion early. Name recognition. Even if you are unpublished, start building a readership in advance. This is something I wish I'd done. There are so many places on-line to get your name out there, for free, it's a shame to not utilize them. Blogs, reviews, articles, comments, websites, etc. I've been preaching this to new Echelon teen author Alyssa Montgomery.

11. And just for fun, if you could be a Transformer, which would you be? An Autobot (the good bots) or a Decepticon (the evil bots)? =D

Answer:
I would be an Autobot. I would be a Mazda Miata that turns into a giant photographer taking pictures of all the action... while writing down notes at the same time...

Thanks, K.C., for a terrific interview!

Thank you so much, Anne, and Pam too ! =D

Stay tuned! And check back each week for a new interview!

WEEK THREE

2007-08-22T13:10:00.000-05:00

Moving right along to week three of the Echelon authors interviews.

This week's interviewee is C.A. Verstraete.

Christine is the winner of The Fast and Freaky Fiction Writing Contest (October 2006)for her e-story, The Witch Tree; available at Fictionwise. See link right after Christine's interview!

She is also the author of the nonfiction e-book, In Miniature Style, available at Writer's Exchange E-Publishing: http://www.readerseden.com/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=243

I am very excited to welcome Christine to my blog! Check out our interview below!

Interview:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and the genre you write.

Answer: I'm kind of a chameleon when it comes to writing. Being a journalist, I've written mostly non-fiction and then started to write short fiction. I enjoy writing mysteries and horror. My short story, "The Witch Tree," won a a "Fast and..." contest and was published by Echelon Press, LLC. http://www.echelonpress.com/. My young adult mystery, "Searching for a Starry Night," has some spooky elements and involves two other favorite elements, dogs and dollhouse miniatures. It will be published in spring '08 by Quake, http://www.quakeme.com/, a division of Echelon Press, LLC.

2. Did you choose your present genre; or did the genre choose you?

Answer: I've always enjoyed reading mysteries, and being a long-time dollhouse miniatures collector, it seemed natural for my book to focus on the search for a missing miniature painting. You can see some of my work at my website, http://cverstraete.com/.

3. Have you always wanted to write?

Answer: One of my favorite baby photos is of me with a newspaper and a pencil stuck behind my ear, kind of prophetic. I remember always wanting to write and began with newspaper writing in junior college.

4. What would be a typical day for you, as a day in the life of a writer?

Answer: I write pretty much every day so I can usually be found at my computer.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

Answer: I'm lucky to have a vivid imagination. Sometimes a news story or something I see will spark an idea. Other times, I will get an idea or know how to finish a story by having it unfold in an dream.

6. Are any of your characters based on real people?

Answer: I do picture certain persons as I write, but my characters are usually a composite of bits and pieces of different people. They're really figments of my imagination.

7. If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you be, and why?

Answer: Hopefully, I'd be the smart one. ha! It's bad enough making mistakes in real life without having to assume those of your fictional characters, too!

8. Do you do research for your novels? What was the most interesting person, place or thing you have researched?

Answer: It depends on what I am writing about. I do try to double-check facts to make sure the idea I had is right and my memory or idea of it isn't faulty. It is interesting to look up things you weren't sure of. I know I always learn something new!

9. Have you ever had writer's block? If yes, what have you done to overcome it?

Answer: There are times when I've been stuck or something is not coming out the way I want, but since I write every day, I've never really been blocked. With deadlines, you don't have time to be blocked. If something isn't coming out right, I simply move on to something else and work on a different story for awhile, then go back to it. If I have to get it done that day, then that is my motivation to finish.

10. Do you have any advice for the young writer just starting out?

Answer: Don't be afraid to write. Don't doubt yourself. You are usually your own worst enemy. If you have a talent, then don't let anyone, or anything, stand in your way of fulfilling your dreams.

11. And just for fun, if you could be a Transformer, which would you be? An Autobot (the good bots) or a Decepticon (the evil bots)? =D

Answer: I'd definitely be a good bot. There is enough evil in the world!

Thank you so much, Christine!

DOWNLOAD AND ENJOY YOUR COPY OF THE WITCH TREE AT: Fictionwise

Stay tuned!
And check back each week for a new interview!

WEEK TWO

2007-08-09T01:19:00.000-05:00

Welcome to week two of the Echelon authors interviews.

This week's interviewee is T.C. Lo Tempio.

T.C. is the author of the wickedly scary horror novel, Ebony.
As one reviewer puts it:

"Ebony is a supernatural, mystery packed read that will keep you nail-biting your way to the end. A well written story with great character development, local and intense drama. Don't miss this one!"Shirley Johnson - Senior Reviewer of Midwest Book Review

I am very excited to welcome T.C. to my blog!

Check out our interview below:

Interview:

Tell us a bit about yourself, the genre you write, and about your latest project.

I was born in New York City, and have been writing in some form or another since I was about ten years old. My favorite genre to write in is horror, but I have also done manuscripts in quirky chick lit and romantic suspense. My latest project is a satire on soaps, entitled SOUTHERN DISH, currently being shopped to agents. Also a paranormal mystery, HIGH MOON, is under consideration. My latest published book, EBONY, was #2 in horror at Fictionwise for three weeks, and my next book, WITCH’S PAWN, will be released from Echelon in 2009.

Did you choose your present genre; or did the genre choose you?

A little of both, I think :-) As a kid, I loved Nancy Drew mysteries and horror movies. My favorite book was The Secret in the Old attic because of the skeleton on the cover.

What would be a typical day for you, as a day in the life of a writer?

Since I hold down a full time job, I usually write on the weekends. I set aside four hours on Saturday and Sunday to write.

Have you always wanted to write? – Yes.

Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

Sometimes it’s a word, or a phrase, or something I see – I got the inspiration for one book from the name on the side of a garbage truck.

Are any of your characters based on real people?

More than I’d care to admit. Yes.

If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you be and why?

I think I would be Chancey O’Neill from Southern Dish, just because she’s so outrageous and in your face.

Do you do research for your novels? What was the most interesting person, place or thing you have researched?

Yes. For example, for EBONY, I researched voodoo from top to bottom. And for Bound by Blood, I had to learn to read Tarot cards, which is by far the most interesting thing I’ve ever done. They fascinate me. And it’s amazing how much of that stuff actually comes true.

Have you ever had writer’s block? And what do you do to overcome it?

Oh, baby, yes. There are many days I sit and stare at the screen, or what I write is pure you know what. To overcome it, I usually take a break, play with my cats, and watch a movie.

Do you have any advice for the young writer just starting out?

Grow a thick skin. Rejection is a way of life. Don’t take it personally.

And just for fun, if you could be a Transformer, which would you be? An Autobot (the good bots) or a Decepticon (the evil bots)? =D

Decepticon – the bad girls have all the fun, dontcha know!!!!

Thank you so much Toni!

To get your copy of Ebony Click Here!

Stay tuned!

And check back each week for a new interview!

IT'S HERE!

2007-07-31T00:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the pet project of a great group of authors from Echelon Press!

We have gotten together and are interviewing one another or writing essays that we are posting weekly to our numerous websites and blogs, creating exposure for us all! I will post the links to the interviews conducted on yours truly, just as soon as they are available.

My first interviewee is Kerul Kassel.
Kerul is a non-fiction author of the book: http://www.stopprocrastinatingnow.com/
And, the soon-to-be-released book called: Productive Procrastination (Echelon Press, 2007)

I am very excited to welcome Kerul to my Blog!
Check out our interview below:

Tell us a bit about yourself and the genre you write.

I'm a fairly new author, and my writing was inspired by my clients and workshop participants. I found so many people beating themselves up about what they hadn't accomplished in life, and it was weighing them down, draining them of energy, and that was so unnecessary! I wanted to help them let go of that punishing perspective and replace it with a new lively, fun, experimental, forward-thinking one, and I could reach more people by writing a book. You guessed it, I write non-fiction, specifically about procrastination: www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com/book.

Did you choose your present genre; or did the genre choose you?

It definitely chose me. But I’ve always been a non-fiction sort. I do love fiction, but the books I’ve collected tend to be reference oriented, such as field guides, how-to’s, photographic essays, books on psychology, philosophy, literature compendiums, animal behavior, and more recently, self-help. Have you always wanted to write?Not in any definite way – I’ve always just wanted to be happy! At times in my life, writing has been a path to that, sometimes through journaling, at other times through telling a personal story or documenting a situation or event, and more recently, to help me get clear on and communicate good ways of mastering one’s goals, dreams, and time.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If yes, what have you done to overcome it?

Writer’s block was a frequent companion during the writing of my first book. The block was usually doubts about the value and originality of what I was writing, what other people would think of it, the quality of the style, grammar and voice, etc. At that time I had a coach who suggested that whenever I made an appointment with myself to write and found no words forthcoming, that I make a diary of sorts, just to spill out of my brain whatever was in it to free up some “RAM”, so to speak. It worked, and in my next book, Productive Procrastination, The Procrastination Diary is included – an almost daily account of the struggle with writer’s block. I hope it helps give people a sense of humor and ideas for options when they’re putting something off because it feels uncomfortable, scary, overwhelming, or difficult.

Do you have any advice for the young writer just starting out?

Write, write, and write some more, and write for yourself first, for fun next, and for others last. I know that you’re supposed to write for your “target market”, but your voice will be truer if it’s really you, and you care about what you’re writing about and are enjoying the process. Some people write for the joy of it, some people write for pleasure, some people write because they want to inspire or entertain or educate, and some write for money. What fun if you can do all of those things!

And just for fun, if you could be a Transformer, which would you be? An Autobot (the good bots) or a Decepticon (the evil bots)? =D

I’d definitely be a good bot, but I can’t pretend to know anything about Transformers. If there’s a transformer that empowers people, has purple and pink in it, loves animals, and is a protector of the environment, that’d be me.

Thank you so much Kerul!

Stay tuned! And check back each week for a new interview!

Welcome!

2007-07-26T10:37:00.000-05:00

Hi,

My name is KC Oliver and I am the author of the young adult thriller, Pretty Pretty.

This is the first of many blogs to come. Stay tuned!

KC Oliver