1/31/2016 0 Comments Catching Up on My "To Read" List
A Twist and Two Balls by Clare London
My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was so happy to finally have some quiet time to read this. I've been dying to read it since I read the blurb--a Turkish cab driver and an underemployed actor? No super rich people? YES! If you've read some of my reviews, you no doubt expect me to follow that up with, "so I was disappointed...." but I wasn't! It's an unbelievable treat to have a story be every bit as good as I'd hoped it would be. Although I've read this author before, so I had a reasonable expectation she wouldn't let me down. Clare London has a way of writing that just draws me in and this story was no exception. By chapter two I literally breathed out a sigh, the sound of a reader who trusts the writer to deliver and is settling in with all the happy feels. Although it was a novella, at no point did it feel like the writer skimped on details, this story was as long as it needed to be, the characters as realized as I needed them to be to feel for them. I will re-read this one, in a few months, just for the sheer joy of it. This is my favourite so far, from this author. View all my reviews
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1/28/2016 0 Comments Book Trailers...I admit, I'm old enough to find the idea of book trailers...odd. The highly professional ones cast actors as the characters, which in my mind is a big no-no. The whole point of a book being better than a movie is that the reader is free to imagine the characters as they will--even as themselves! But it's not my book and it certainly isn't my money. Whatever works, but I think even if I had a million dollar contract with a Big Five publisher, I'd protest using actors. Ask me again, if I ever get that contract! Book trailers on YouTube seem to fall primarily into three categories, those flashy professional ones mentioned above, Wattpad book trailers filled with stolen video and music (because only a Wattpad writer's creative output is worth copyright protection; nay, their very ideas are pure gold one mustn't steal! But someone else's music or video? No problem!), and Windows Movie Maker slide shows made by indie/self-pub authors with no money. Why am I blabbering on about book trailers? I made one--naturally. And although I watched far too many book trailers before making my attempt, I'm sure I still left out things that ought to be included. And I am presently doubting book trailers will ever be a service I offer indie authors. There is a learning curve. I slipped many times. I am accepting all tips from other WMM users, and critique from everyone--I'm a writer, my ego is already calloused!
Now, if I could remember what I'm supposed to do with the trailer, now that it's done.... 1/25/2016 0 Comments Vintage SydneyIn the early spring of 2003, a local entertainment paper ran a contest for stories told in exactly one hundred words, including title on the theme of love and redemption. Or maybe it was love or redemption. Six stories from thousands were selected for publication, in no particular order. We won glory and a gift certificate to City Lights Bookstore. In March 2003, this was my second published work: LOVE UNWANTED All I really wanted to do was sleep with you. I didn't want to know about the deck you built or your problems with your ex. I didn't want to know about your kids, the woman you had an affair with, or your Reflexology classes. I didn't want to know about your paper route, your out of body experience, or the I Ching.I didn't want to like you; I didn't want to care. I didn't want to let you go. I didn't want it to hurt. All I really wanted to do was sleep with you. Not sure how I feel about it from this remove...but once, somebody like it enough to print it.
1/19/2016 0 Comments Steampunk M/M
There was a lot of unrealized potential in this story, to the point, I wanted to write the next draft myself. But I already waste too much time writing stuff that will never see the light of day! I suppose everything is an exercise. Anyway, I hope one day the author finishes this story and republishes.
However, the science in it all seemed plausible and well-researched, unlike my first Steampunk story review.
Wes and Kit by Hollis Shiloh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars I really wanted to like this more than I did. It really felt like I was reading the first draft, with corrected spelling. It had a very unfinished feeling to it that had nothing to do with the plot, per se, or the characters, per se...it all just felt very...unpolished. I would very much like to read a polished, final draft of this story. View all my reviews 1/10/2016 0 Comments New Year, New Book Reviews
The Viscount's Christmas Temptation by Erica Ridley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was one of those stories that I downloaded in spite of the cover. We are told we shouldn't judge a book by the cover, but we all do. Seriously, a modern prom dress for an historical? My expectations were that I would not finish this novella. So I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. I loved the humour and the heroine; and the hero was actually a decent human being, which for an historical romance lately it seems, is damn near miraculous. And unlike many holiday romances, it wasn't overly saccharine. It was a lot of fun to read once, and just as much fun to skim over again for this review. View all my reviews 11/15/2015 2 Comments In the Middle of NaNoWriMo2015 is my fifth year participating in National Novel Writing Month, a self-directed challenge to write 50k words in the thirty days of November. It's not something every writer can benefit from, but those of us who have a few self-discipline issues can benefit from it. It also provides community, and the forums are great places to get personal insights into those sticky plot points.
This is my first year to work with a collaborator and I'll admit, I wasn't sure how it would go. By NaNo's rules, if you write with a collaborator, both of your output is counted for each of you. In theory that means two authors working together only need to write 25k each for their collaborative story to reach the fabled 50k, which should make it a cake-walk, right? But any writer worth the name knows that the Story Demands. My collaborator and I hit 50k on the 13th. Last night we finished our daily writing spree at 63k. Today, the fifteenth, marks the halfway point. We could quit, if it was just about word count, but the story isn't finished yet and neither is November. So now our challenge is, can we finish this story (in a rather rough first draft) in November? And writing with a collaborator? FABULOUS! 10/27/2015 2 Comments Point of ViewPoint of view or POV seems to be something new writers have never heard of. I'll admit I don't understand how you can just start writing without ever cracking a book or doing a Google search on "how to write" but hey, after reading books like Twilight and 50 Shades of Awful, I can see how people might think you don't need to know shit about writing to write best sellers. But even those two books followed the rules of POV. Twilight was written in third limited, and 50 Shades in first. So let's talk about POV, shall we. With helpful examples. When i started writing, third limited was the POV of choice. It was considered the easiest to write. But what is it, exactly? Third person is how we describe people/characters by their names and pronouns. Charlie, she, he, Rob. In writing, the third person POV comes in two general forms, omniscient and limited. Omniscient narration is when the narrator voice is all knowing, the thoughts inside every character's head is open to us, the reader. We know that while Julia is sitting in the window seat reading a book, she is thinking about murdering her husband, who is across the room, and we know in the very same scene that her husband is pining for the loss of the intimacy they once shared. It is, in my opinion, the most difficult POV to do well, in a manner that doesn't feel like third limited "head jumping". And, also my opinion, when done well, it has a distancing effect, keeping the reader at arms length from the characters. As a reader who loves to be immersed in the story, third person omniscient done well is still my least favourite to read. Limited describes a style of third person writing that delves into the point of view of a single character for a scene or chapter. The character is still referred to as She or Maria, but the reader only knows her thoughts, and what she knows in any given scene. So using the example above, from Julia's POV, it might read something like this: The morning sun was perfect for reading but Julia wasn't focused on the book in her hands. She was thinking about the man across the room, face buried in the morning paper, oblivious to her, as always. It was hard to believe she loved him once, but they did say the line between love and hate was very fine. A rattle of paper told her he'd put it down. "Julia," he said, "it's such a lovely Saturday morning, would you like to do something?" She thought about ignoring him, pretending she hadn't heard, but that would only make him speak again. She looked up from her book and forced her mouth into a brief smile. "Tomorrow? I'm just finally catching up on my book." "Of course," he said. What she wouldn't give to silence that bland acquiescence forever. The same scene, in the husband's POV might go something like: She looked so beautiful, the morning sun in her hair as she slowly turned the pages of her book. He missed her, his beloved Julia. Where had they gone wrong? He folded the paper abruptly. "Julia, it's such a lovely morning, would you like to go for a drive?" He could hear the hope in his voice. But she, evidently did not. She gave him a distracted smile and returned to her reading. Defeated, he looked down at the table, forcing himself to reply in a neutral tone of voice, "Of course." As if her indifference meant nothing to him. It is poor writing to just repeat a scene through each POV. It is the writ'er's job to decide which POV is the most effective for a given scene and use it. That often depends on what exactly the plot is. Is it about a woman's journey to homicide? Or is it a story of two people who struggle to find their way back to each other? Or something else again? Which POV supports the plot best? First person POV is used to tell the story from a single narrative point of view. The writer must pick one character who will be the narrator for the duration of the story. Many detective stories are written this way, Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone stories are written in the first person. The Hunger Games is in first person. Imperfect Memories is in first person. Second person narration isn't used often The second person is when we refer to one as "you". This is mostly used in Choose Your Own Adventure* stories. It often comes across like it's telling the reader what to think or feel. Do not try to write in second person because you feel it's edgy or unusual without having Pulitzer prize-winning writing skills. *For a modern take on CYOA stories, see Twine -- a tool for creating interactive fiction. 10/19/2015 0 Comments Once Upon a Time...from The Mechanism, a WIP The town of Rensler was celebrating its incorporation as a city. Celebration might be too strong a word, Halston thought wryly as he studied the new city from the window of his new office. Neither were new in the sense of fresh made, but both represented new beginnings. He hoped the bright optimism of the newly minted city would drag his life from the depths it had fallen. He rubbed the stubble on his chin. He had no need to examine his appearance to know he looked disreputable. That would have to change. He might be thirty-eight, without income or family connections, but he could still muster a facade of confidence and prosperity. ...which is why editing is so important... This is what happens when real life gets in the way of creativity!
10/12/2015 1 Comment Inspiration Monday: CemeteriesCemeteries have always been one of my favourite places to go. I think it's because the dead are so unobtrusive. As a writer I find a lot of inspiration there, from unusual names (that can seem downright funny sometimes!) to birth and death dates indicating a life cut short too early -- what happened? Was it illness, an accident? Some names are just funny because they're on a tombstone. Findlater, Guest (uh, no thanks!) Names can be difficult sometimes, especially surnames, and cemeteries are full of names we, as writers, might not have thought of. Hoar, Beddome, Begg, Darch, Complin, Carradice, Skuse, Humpidge, Baragar, Oiley, Hexter, Stanga, Pepper, Chamberlain, Fountaine, Tamblyn, Aikenhead.... And some make you wonder--when the surname is Sue Tang, why are the first names James and Rosemary? (research online says there are more Sue Tangs in Canada than any other country, but I'm not sure what that means....) Cemeteries can also give you an idea of the cultural background of a given populace. Woodland Cemetery has stones covered in kanji, and names like Putiks, Bekmanis, Libis, Rudavics, Petrovski. Given names are also interesting -- Myrtle Alberta (Drake), anyone? She was born in 1916, which says something about names of the time. Or her parents. Or both. And of course some stones hint at sad, sad stories. "In memory of Margaret, beloved wife of Edward Martyn. Died April 4, 1881 aged 27 years." Right beside a stone for a baby. And sometimes, amidst all the stories, there is a peaceful reminder that life goes on.
9/21/2015 2 Comments eBook Covers!I've decided to make a few pre-made covers to sell; these are cheap, ready to use with the insertion of your title and byline. I love making covers, and have decided to try to earn a few extra pennies at it, until people realize what a brilliant writer I am and offer me a million dollar contract. Writers dream, that's what we do! And while we're dreaming, writers gotta eat! Click on the image* to see a small gallery of pre-mades. I also do custom work (see SB Designs), but I have to charge a little more for that, because I cater to your every whim, to the best of my ability for those... (just caffeine so far today, honest!) *image is a free sample of who knows what? Sometimes I forget what I'm doing, but I love masquerades, and the opportunities for mistaken identities...
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