Tuesday, May 31, 2016

To Paper or not to Paper

I participate in several forums for Indie authors.

One of these forums is on Goodreads and was debating the need for paper editions of their novels. One side of the debate cites low sales number, as opposed to Kindle or Audible.

While the sales numbers may be true for some authors, there are still several good reasons to do a paper edition of your work.
  • No cost up front for Print on Demand
  • Small time investment required
  • Book signing oppertunities
  • Increase credibility as an author
  • Tangible evidence of your work
  • No batteries required
--There is no down side to setting up a print edition. Besides, it will impress your mom.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Fast Friday Indie Interviews: Heidi Angell

Heidi Angell

Tell me about yourself, Heidi?

More than the standard bio.- I am the girl no one quite knows how to take. People who don’t know me find me intimidating, those who only know me online think I am super nice. Those who know me well either think I am a witch or the coolest chick! I am, as my family likes to say, not that kind of Angel(l).

Tell me about your current Book:

When Sam finds a note stuck to her locker, she must find out who is stalking her, or else she could get hurt.

High school is hard, especially when you're a freshman in a new town, surrounded by people you don't understand and who don't understand you. Sam is overwhelmed just trying to fit in. Then she is singled out with the first letter.

While some girls envy the “romantics” of this unknown admirer, Sam can tell something isn't right. Sam wants to just blend in, but someone's eye is fixated on her. As the letters and bad poetry continue, so does the nagging in Sam's stomach telling her this is not normal.

When things escalate from strange to creepy, Sam's world becomes a nightmare. Twisted admiration is stalking her around every corner in the high school from hell….

What are you working on now?

I am actually working on the sequel to my Urban fantasy series The Hunters, which is about vampires, werewolves and immortals. Not the mushy crap that is super popular now. These are the creatures that legends are made of. The things that make children want to be home before dark. It is scheduled to release this summer.

What is your favorite beverage while you write?

It depends on when I am writing. Early in the day is coffee, late in the day is water with Mio, and night… Well, sometimes an adult beverage is in order ;)

What is your favorite Website?

There are so many great sites! I enjoy Cracked for my general entertainment fixes, The Good Men’s Project has some great articles, Ninja News and Joe Michael’s Blog for writing-related and happy geek stuff, and Book Reviews and Such by Larry because he gives some great reviews on Indie books and makes some great recommendations!  

Links:

Email: Hangell531@gmail.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Angell/e/B005IOYLLM
Blog: http://www.heidiangell.com/#!blog/cten
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angellslife/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiAngell
Website www.heidiangell.com



Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Quotes of the Week

Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.
-Warren Buffett

Friday, May 20, 2016

Fast Friday Indie Interviews: C.M. Halstead

C.M. Halstead

Tell me about your current Book!

   When a French Spy captures one of the team members, the rest of the team must drop the current mission at hand, or else they will become a team of six instead of seven! Who is the mysterious man that warns the spy of the team’s presence, even  the spy is smart enough not to trust him! Grey and Rosa arrive in the knick of time. . . maybe.
    If you get behind, you will have no choice but to call in sick or hide from your family in order to catch up with the rest of the world. The Tripper Series is growing fast and will keep moving forward, time stands still for no-one and the seven Trippers must figure out the mystery behind what is causing things to go wrong on their missions before time is changed forever. The long game is being revealed and in book four everything changes. The depth of all seven trippers is gently revealed throughout the series, slowly building their characters and purpose, for when their greater purpose is revealed, even to themselves, it is a surprise.
    Did we mention time-travel, futuristic inventions already feasible, progression from food to pills, the trails and tribulations of humankind. The purpose and flow of it all comes clear by the end.   

What are you working on now?

    What aren’t I working on now…my brain is constantly solving world hunger (move) , determining the path to world peace (stop hating each other), and the next book of The Tripper Series.  I in the grammar editing stage of my third book, a cathartic military fiction piece titled “Earned Innocence” We can never get our innocence back, but some deserve to! I also just finished a 50,000 word rough draft of book one of a thrillagy (I may have made that word up :) It is a great “heroes journey” piece, except the hero isn’t who we think it is, and as in all my books, there is a strong underlying theme valid for all of us.

    We also just returned from the Phoenix Comicon Fanfest; my first time as an exhibitor! Our merchandise and books sold well. It built confidence with me that the CM Halstead brand and books will do well in the awesome crowd that is the Comicon! It is all about fun and not taking life to seriously, which The Trippers are infamous for; you would have to be, to survive in their job!

 Tell me about you?

    Dude, I don’t know… ;) being a reclusive, introverted writer, I am not much on talking about myself, which is juxtaposed to me wanting everyone on the planet to read the books I pull from the nether regions of my brain!
    I finally got out of my own way and am doing what I have always wanted to do! WRITE!!! I never allowed it in the past because of the programming I received when I was young, “art is cool, but you can’t make a living on it, go get a job, join the military, do something. but whatever you do, work hard!” Something along those lines. . .can anyone relate?
    I decided it didn’t matter anymore. My definition of success changed, it changed from working hard at someone else’s dream and switching over to my own. All the money I used to make went into making me happy, spending on stuff and treating medical issues that mysteriously went away when I started writing. Yes, you read that right! As soon as I started writing, I got healthier. Let that sink in for a moment.
    So two years ago, I started writing my first book, now I am writing my 5th book! In two years…. I am becoming a prolific author and am going to write them anyway, so it would be cool if you all would read them, my family will eat more ;) I have about 50 books in me competing to be next! I seem to be able to maintain about seven ideas at a time in my brain and still sleep at night, If I stop writing for a few weeks to a month, sleep goes away and I am forced to make time to write, regardless of what life tells me I am “suppose to be doing”.

    C.M. Halstead is the product of 40 plus years of travel and exploration; a childhood as an Air Force brat and service in the Marine Corps changed him forever. He managed 84 people, negotiated multi-million dollar contracts, drove Jeeps professionally — usually at crazy angles and locals.
    An astute believer in adventure, he is now doing the craziest thing ever, pursuing his passion full out and becoming an accomplished author.
    Ready or not, here he comes!
    Are you ready to join in as he takes you on one wild ride after another? Free your mind to worlds that may or may not be reality and let your imagination be ignited by C.M. Halstead.

What is your favorite beverage while you write?

   Um. . .coffee of course! Preferred purchased blends: PEETS Major Dickenson blend, and the strong espresso blends from COFFEE ON THE PORCH (a small Pa shop, located in Maine). Preferred method of switching the god of all writers from bean form to liquid, is an espresso machine or old fashioned “place on the fire and let the grounds boil” method.
 

What is your favorite Website?

    My favorite website? I guess it would have to be Netflix, it is the only thing I do regularly online, the only close second is when I download a game from Steam.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun.
—Christina Rossetti

Writers get paid for what other people get scolded for—daydreaming.
—Richard Walter

Maybe the hardest thing in writing is simply to tell the truth about things as we see them.
—John Steinbeck

If you’re a writer, you sit down and damn well decide to have an idea. That’s the way to get an idea.
—Andy Rooney

You want to be a writer? A writer is someone who writes every day — so start.
—Shonda Rhimes

I do not write with ease, nor am I ever pleased with anything I write. And so I rewrite.
—Margaret Mitchell

I find that most people don't know what a story is until they sit down to write one.
—Flannery O’Connor

Never make the mistake of assuming the audience is any less intelligent than you are.
—Rod Serling

Before you can write anything, you have to notice something.
—John Irving

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Tip Tuesday: Pen and Paper

Paper and Pen are your friends
Years ago at work a productivity expert came and gave my department a presentation. He talked about lost time. He talked about all the time we spend waiting.

We wait for meetings to start at work. We wait for out spouses to get ready to go out. We have extra time in our lunch hour.

I write down a lot of bullet lists:
  • Character physical traits
  • Plot ideas
  • Scene settings
  • Random artifacts
  • Character and place names
  • Maps and floor plans
  • Outlines of plots
  • Personality traits
  • Random thoughts 
All of these kind of lists are written in a notebook by hand. I use 3-hole-punched notebooks like the one on the photo.  It allows me to take these notes and organize in a tabbed, three ring binder.

I like these kind of pages better than a journal style book because I can organize and find things later, much easier.

I also use an app on my phone called Evernote. This is a cloud based annotation tool that lets you take quick notes, dictation, photos,links and other stuff. It is then available on your phone, tablet or PC.

--I use paper and pen a lot. All my stories start there.

 

Monday, May 16, 2016

Reading: The Ember War

This week I read The Ember War by Richard Fox.

Here is the description from Amazon:

The Earth is doomed. Humanity has a chance.

In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission—determine if humanity has what it takes to survive the impending invasion by a merciless armada.

The probe discovers Marc Ibarra, a young inventor, who holds the key to a daring gambit that could save a fraction of Earth's population. Humanity's only chance lies with Ibarra's ability to keep a terrible secret and engineer the planet down the narrow path to survival.


Earth will need a fleet. One with a hidden purpose. One strong enough to fight a battle against annihilation.


The Ember War is the first installment in an epic military sci-fi series. If you like A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo and The Last Starship by Vaughn Heppner, then you'll love this explosive adventure with constant thrills and high stakes from cover to cover. 


--I enjoyed this book. It's a very easy quick read. It had some good original plot threads and good characters. There is five books in this series so far. I look forward to the next one.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Writer's Life

My daughter graduates from college today.

I will not be doing any writing today beyond this.

But there will be coffee....

Friday, May 13, 2016

Fast Friday Indie Interviews: JB Richards

JB Richards

Tell me about yourself, JB.

I’m a lifelong resident of beautiful Manchester, New Hampshire, where I reside with my husband Daniel and son Matthew, along with the two best dogs in the entire world – our West Highland Terrier, Monty, and our newly adopted shelter dog, Ayden.

I’m proud to say that I put myself through a four-year college program while working a full-time job—first, as a Bill Collector at a retail credit corporation, then as an employee at a local bank - graduating with High Honors from Notre Dame College in Manchester, New Hampshire. I currently hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and History with several completed graduate courses in Counseling and Human Behavior. Due to financial reasons, I decided to forego further schooling and keep my job at the bank. After only a few years, I had moved up the corporate ladder to become Customer Relations Manager, but in 1993, the historic FDIC takeover of the “Big Five” NH banks took place and I feared I would be put out of work. Luckily, I had 15 years of experience in banking and I earned a position as a Corporate Trainer under the new merger, but I only continued to work for the new bank for a short time thereafter.

While looking for a newer, more satisfying job, I found that staying at home with my son gave me more time to explore my artistic talents. In the 2 years I was at home providing childhood daycare for 5 other children, I completed an art portfolio of about 250 pen & ink drawings that were due to go on display at a local gallery! Unfortunately, several big-budget hits on the house we owned forced me to take on a part-time job at a doctor’s office to help make ends meet. Two years later, I was involved in a work accident that resulted in a severe spinal injury and I suffered two mishandled spinal fusions that left me permanently disabled.

After the botched surgeries, it took me awhile to find my voice again. During that time, I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravas, a neurological disorder that causes the protective coating on the nerves to disintegrate. I had trouble with chronic pain, and due to the resulting coordination issues with my disease, drawing became impossible. Desperate to find my voice again, I started reading, journaling, and even penning a few poems and short-stories. Little did I realize that this devastating set-back was the beginning of a whole new career for me as an Indie Author!

I’ve always been interested with the intimate relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. After amassing 20 years worth of historical, religious, and cultural research, I wanted to reintroduce a younger, more vibrant Jesus and Mary through a novel series. It was then that I discovered a way to present their unique bond in a way no one else before me has, with “Miriamne the Magdala – The First Chapter in the Yeshua and Miri Novel Series”!

Tell me about your current book:

When young Yeshua reveals His true identity and makes known His fateful Mission on this earth, an astonished Miriamne must then decide whether to continue her courtship with Him or risk losing Him forever!

From the time of his family’s return from Egypt to Nazareth, young Yeshua has grown up shunned and reviled by the townsfolk of his step-father Joseph’s home village. Questions surrounding the authenticity of his parentage along with the strange and unpredictable supernatural powers that seem to control Yeshua have the people of the tiny backwater town suspicious and frightened.

When Yeshua’s mother, Mary, sends a letter to her dearest cousin pleading for help for her gravely ill husband, Miriamne’s mother, Salome, instantly responds. Soon, Salome and her husband, Micah—along with their three children: Martha, Miriamne, and Lazarus—set out for Nazareth on a mission of mercy. During the family’s stay, an old but avid argument causes major upset, especially for young Yeshua who loses control of His staggering powers. As a result of the calamity, the angry townsfolk pounce on the opportunity to band together with their rabbi and the Elder’s Council to banish Yeshua from Nazareth—forever.

Once Yeshua is forced to relocate from his family’s home to his cousin’s huge country estate near Sepphoris, the budding friendship between him and Miriamne flourishes. But just when things seem so hopeful, a sudden turn of events causes Yeshua to choose between taking His own action to avoid a terrible tragedy and His obligation to obey His Heavenly Father’s wishes.

When an astonished Miriamne learns of Yeshua’s true identity and His Mission on this earth, she must then decide whether to continue her relationship with Him or risk losing Him to His Fate. The pressure reaches a breaking point when Miriamne’s wealthy uncle, Joseph bar Abram, and his Caravaneers arrive for a family visit. Miriamne is devastated when Yeshua is presented with a rare opportunity that will take Him far, far away from her . . . quite possibly forever. It is then that Yeshua must make a life-altering decision—whether to follow His heart or fulfill His Destiny.

"Miriamne the Magdala” is a compelling and provocative story--one I guarantee you will never forget! This introductory novel to The Yeshua and Miri Novel Series—the greatest love story never told—masterfully recreates the early, so-called "missing years" of Jesus, expanding on his intimate relationship with the girl who would become his closest confidante, Apostle to the Apostles, and one true love! The result is a breathtaking, epic tale of how a youth, destined to be “King of Kings”, finds His Destiny when He falls in love with the young girl who forever captures His heart!

 What are you working on now?

Currently, I'm working on the next novel in The Yeshua and Miri Novel Series, “Yeshua the Christ: The Silk Road”, in which Yeshua and Miriamne leave their family home in Galilee to join their uncle, Joseph bar Abram, and his Caravaneers on the road to the Far East.

The wonders of Syria, Persia, the Sind, and the Indus fascinate and delight the young couple who, as guests of their sponsor, Prince Ravanna of Orissa, are shown the grandeur of Persia and the Indus as they are treated to the luxuries of palace life. As a sponsored scholar, Yeshua discovers a whole new system of beliefs among Persia’s Magi and the Brahmana of the Indus. At the Temple at Jagganath, the priests are highly impressed with their young protege and they entrust him with their most sacred and secret teachings granted only to the privileged few. Yeshua, however, believes no one, including the lower castes, should be excluded from these important teachings, and he challenges his teachers, insisting that just like the Torah these sacred writings were meant to be shared with all the people of the world.

When Yeshua decides to leave the Temple after a heated argument with his mentors and sets out on his own, the brash young preacher brings down the wrath of the Chief Lama who immediately censors him and orders him to cease his public teaching. But Yeshua has a will of His own. When he continues to preach the doctrine to the Sudras of the lower caste, and refuses to bow down to the Lama even upon penalty of death, an assassination plot is hatched by the Brahmana, placing his life, and the lives of his family and friends, in mortal danger!

After the release of “Yeshua the Christ: The Silk Road”, there are three more novels awaiting completion and publication.  The Yeshua and Miri Novel Series also includes (in order of anticipated release): “Thomas the Twin:The Sefer Revealed”, “Mark the Scribe: The Angel’s Gospel”,  and “Princess Sarah: Daughter of the King”. A synopsis of each novel may be found on my website. 

Where is your favorite place to be when you write?

Oddly enough, I don’t have a specific place where I do my writing. Since I have to constantly refer to my research materials to be consistent with the religious and cultural norms of Yeshua and Miri's time, you can usually find me sitting on the couch in my living room with my laptop perched on a pillow, a dog or two sleeping at my feet, and a hefty pile of notebooks, textbooks, and documents surrounding us all!

What is your favorite website?

It depends on what part of being a writer you’re asking about! For research and interpretation of the lives of Jesus and Mary Magdalene and their times, I consistently refer to James Tabor’s “Tabor.blog” and Anthony LeDonne’s “The Jesus Blog”. In regard to blogging information, I like Jane Friedman’s blog, and for publicity tips, you just can’t beat Joan Stewart’s “The Publicity Hound”!


I want to express my sincere gratitude to you, Martin, for including me among your interviewed Indie Authors! It’s so encouraging to know that there are good people like you in the Indie community who are willing and able to provide resources to help recognize and promote new Indie Authors!

Sincerely,
Author JB Richards
Email: jbrich1226@comcast.net
Website & Blog: http://www.yeshuaandmirinovelseries.com/

Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/JB-Richards/e/B00XVBM10M
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miriamne-the-magdala-the-first-chapter-in-the-yeshua-and-miri-novel-series-jb-richards/1121504853?ean=9781503548428
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/The-Yeshua-Miri-Novel-Series-with-Author-JB-Richards-206903979347028/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/118388187773305720598/118388187773305720598/posts?cfem=1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14837653.JB_Richards


Thursday, May 12, 2016

Images that Inspire

I have an outline for a short story that this image inspired. It involves a colony planet that looses touch with Earth and sends a team back to see why.

All the people are gone.


Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Quotes of the Week

Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.
—Madeleine L'Engle

Love words, agonize over sentences. And pay attention to the world.
—Susan Sontag

Work like hell! I had 122 rejection slips before I sold a story.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald

I write to find what I have to say. I edit to figure out how to say it right.
—Cheryl Strayed

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor
—Edgar Rice Burroughs

The act of putting pen to paper encourages thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life...
—N. Platt

I never reread a text until I have finished the first draft. Otherwise it’s too discouraging.
—Gore Vidal

If history was taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.
—Rudyard Kipling

I do not dream at night, I dream all day, I dream for a living.
—Ernest Hemingway

A successful book is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it.
—Mark Twain

Speak your dialogue out loud. If it sounds like the way people talk, then write it down.
—Tom Clancy

It is by siting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer.
—Gerald Brenan

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Tip Tuesday: Maps and Calendars

Map of Middle Earth
I write science fiction novels that cover a lot of time and terrain. To help me keep track of all the movement I use actual maps and calendars.When I do world building and future history Maps and Calendars are a critical tool.

Maps:

Scrivener makes it easy to keep maps handy. Even if you do not publish the maps it really helps keep me straight on several fronts:
  • Climate. The Solstice 31 Saga takes place on the Earth like planet called Baytirus. I based the weather on upstate NY. I even created an annotated map that had all the major cities, rivers, lakes, even the gorge was based on the St. Lawrence river.
  • Distances. People can only walk so far in a day. What is the range of a horse? How fast can shuttle fly? 
  • Landscapes. Describing a setting makes a story rich and draws the audience in farther. In my head I know the climate, the kind of trees that make up the forests, the mountain heights and even the geological make up of the ground. 
  • Cities. What makes a city grow. Is it a port city? Is it on a river? Is it in the mountains? Maps inform the descriptions.
  • Street Maps. Actual street layouts of cities make action easier as it moves through them. I even decide on the maps the kind of architecture in specific areas.
  • Floor plans. Lastly, I even make floor plans of building and interiors of space ship and space stations. It all inspires me and keeps the blocking in my story consistent.

Calendars:

Lord of the Rings Calendar
Like maps, calendars keep the action organized. I use actual calendars to make a timeline of a story. The Solstice 31 Saga takes place over a period of about 150 years. I had to use calendars from the beginning because the series of events that all came together on December 22, 2631 all needed tracking. Each character had a timeline:
  • Different plot threads of a story that all happen during the same days and time.
  • Following various events in a story that are critical to specific characters.
  • The duration it takes to travel various distances.
  • If your story cover a lot of time, it keep the aging of the characters straight as well. If ten years have gone by that cute pine year old girl has changed in many ways!
  • Calendars turn into clocks wen seconds count.
  • During the outlining phase, I annotate both dates and locations in the margins.
  • Calendars keep flash-backs organized.
You don't need any fancy tools for either maps or calendars. I use Outlook for the calendars and annotated JPGs for maps. It does not take much time at all to create these during your planning phase.

--These tools will help you finish things.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Reading: Chains of Cpmmand

Last week I read Chains of Command by Marko Kloos.

Marko is one of the authors that encouraged me and gave me a lot of excellent advice when I was writing my first novel. He's a cool guy and writes great military scifi.

Chains of Command is book four in the Frontlines Series.

 The description from Amazon:

The assault on Earth was thwarted by the destruction of the aliens’ seed ship, but with Mars still under Lanky control, survivors work frantically to rebuild fighting capacity and shore up planetary defenses. Platoon sergeant Andrew Grayson must crash-course train new volunteers—all while dulling his searing memories of battle with alcohol and meds.

Knowing Earth’s uneasy respite won’t last, the North American Commonwealth and its Sino-Russian allies hurtle toward two dangerous options: hit the Lanky forces on Mars or go after deserters who stole a fleet of invaluable warships critical to winning the war. Assigned to a small special ops recon mission to scout out the renegades’ stronghold on a distant moon, Grayson and his wife, dropship pilot Halley, again find themselves headed for the crucible of combat—and a shattering new campaign in the war for humanity’s future.

More excellent adventure in the universe that he has built. Great stuff, highly recommended.

--It is worthy of note, in this novel, that there is a character named: Sergeant Wilsey

Friday, May 6, 2016

Fast Friday Indie Interviews: Jenita L. Hunt

Jenita L. Hunt

Tell me about yourself?

I have always had a heart for children & writing.      
     
I’ve also worked several years caring for children as a Professional Nanny.

I began writing in grade school & absolutely loved it! I was probably the only student in class that actually enjoyed being given writing assignments.  It just always came natural for me.

My mother, Estella Johnson-Hunt is actually a very talented writer as well & self-published several years ago, a book called, “Come Share With Me”.  So, I suppose it’s in the DNA.

Tell me about your current Book:

“Beautiful Boy”, is an inspiring, poetic, love story I wrote for little boys. It’s about a boy that is caught in the trenches of despair….Is there hope? Does anyone care?

He takes a journey to the moon & to the stars…searching beyond the sky & clouds afar, On an explorative adventure….in search of mystical mysteries that are buried deep within... & what does he find? 

You’ll have to get the book to hear how it ends!

What are you working on now?  

I  actually just finished “Beautiful Girl”, the second book of this series, which caters to girls. It should be available on Amazon.com  by 4/22/16.  My next book, SmartGirl/SmartBoy is soon to come.

Where is your favorite place to be when you write?

I like to sit by the window.  I like to look out & watch nature & observe various passersby enjoying their day.  I get lots of ideas that way.

What is your favorite Website?

Probably hgtv.com & bhg.com (BetterHomes&Gardens) Besides writing, I also love to decorate!

Links:

Email:   huntsclub@huntsclubhouse.com
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/author/jlhunt
Blog:   huntsclubhouse.wordpress.com
Twitter: @huntsclubhouse

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Quotes of the Week

Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.
—Carlos Ruiz Zafn

It is by siting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer.
—Gerald Brenan

Have something to say and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style.
—Matthew Arnold

I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.
—James Michener

There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.
—T. Pratchett

It is impossible to discourage real writers—they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write.
—S. Lewis

Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.
—Alfred Hitchcock

Work finally begins when the fear of doing nothing exceeds the fear of doing it badly.
—Alain de Botton

In utter loneliness a writer tries to explain the inexplicable.
—John Steinbeck

Anyone who says he wants to be a writer and isn’t writing, doesn’t.
—Ernest Hemingway

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Tuesday Tips: Scrivener Starts

Today's tip is about Scrivener. In my last tip I talked about how I do outlining. One of the last steps was to place the scene by scene outline into Scrivener index cards.

There are several other setup things I do in scrivener.



There are a lots of Youtube videos that show you features and methods in the tool.
  • Enter your character names under the Character folder
  • Add their descriptions and features
  • Use Google and find images of actors that match the character
  • Save the actor photos in the character folders
I also create profiles of various things:
  • Places, planets, cities, locations
  • Ships, space ships, shuttles, ground transports
  • Important objects, books, relics, devices
  • Maps, regions, floor plans, ship layouts
  • Web links and any other things that are important
All of this happens before I start writing the meat onto the bones.

--I love Scrivener!

Monday, May 2, 2016

Writers Life

I never get writers block but there are things that stop me from writing enough. Some of them are obvious. Others, not so much.
  • Work. I have a full time job. I usually write for a couple hours after work. If I work late, it is my writing time that suffers.
  • Traffic. I live in Northern Virginia, West of Washington DC. Where it is the worst commute in the country.
  • Sleep. If I don't get enough sleep it is difficult for me to write.
  • Hunger. Man it is distracting if my belly is growling.Many a chapter has been written after some toast.
  • Visitors. If friends or family stop in unexpectedly during writing time, it doesn't happen. We have an open door policy at my house and love visitors.
  • Cats. Sometimes Bailey is very demanding and decides to lay down on the laptop.It requires closed doors at times and even then the yowling is distracting. 
That's just a quick list. Random stuff can also distract. I just make sure to leave the TV off and do NOT open Facebook. They can be black holes.

--Now I'm hungry!