Author: P.J. MacLayne

What Comes Next? #IWSG

  By IWSG

 
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support
 
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
 
The awesome co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim!

Remember, the question is optional

June 5 question – In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?
 
Good question. If I could figure out the answer, I wouldn’t be part of this group with other struggling writers. But I can’t see into the future. Heck, it’s hard enough to stay current with what is happening in the writing world on a week by week basis. I feel like I’m always getting in on the tail end of the “next big trend” in publicity.
 
One thing I’ve always wanted to develop is a site where authors can share potential events and opportunities for selling books in person. I’m talking community festivals, local book signing days, and the like. It could be a site where authors share with others about their successes and which ones didn’t pan out. It would take a lot of work, and I don’t think any one person could maintain it. Who would have imagined that the Chugwater Chili Festival was a hot market for books?
 
 
Anyway, that’s my suggestion. I’m looking forward to see what ideas everyone else has.
 
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
 
 
 

Because You Can’t Do it #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 3, 2024

What is the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

I’ve been lucky.

No one has ever told me that my work is so bad I should stop writing entirely. Sure, I’ve had my share of critiques and criticism, but those I can take time to consider if they help me improve,

Plus, I’ve developed a fairly thick skin. It’s gotten easier to nod politely and ignore baseless harsh words. On line, where no one can see my face, I’m free to display my reaction and delete the email or close the web page. Not as satisfying as slamming down an old-fashioned phone receiver, but not bad.

As a result, I can’t tell you the worst advice I’ve received. It’s been wiped from my brain and replaced with encouraging words.

But the journey hasn’t been all roses and sunshine.

Many years ago, when poetry was my passion, I wrote a poem detailing the mix of emotions I felt when leaving on a solo trip. A fellow poet, whose opinion I respected, commented it needed more humor. It wasn’t supposed to be funny. Yes, I gave up on that piece, but that was around the same time that poetry gave up on me.

The move to fiction was made without consulting anyone. There was no one to tell me I couldn’t succeed. I didn’t rely on advice from anyone-I just did it.

Bad writing advice? I’m sure I’ve received it, but tuned it out. On the other hand, I’ve heard plenty of marketing advice that didn’t work for me. But then, there are plenty of authors in the same boat. What works for marketing is short-lived and changes constantly. But that’s a topic for another post.

I know that some of the authors on this hop haven’t been as lucky as me. Check out their stories by following the links below. 

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

June 3, 2024

What is the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Reading Not Editing #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 27. 2024

How do you turn off your internal editor when you are reading for enjoyment?

Every author knows how hard it is to spot the mistakes in a first draft—or a final one.

And how easy it is to spot mistakes in the books you are reading. It’s a hard habit to break, looking for those misplaced commas and typos. I’ve stopped trying. Instead, I use them as a moment to hug myself and say, “See, it happens to other people, too.” (Especially in the case of big-name and best-selling authors.) With that, I can move along and not let it interfere with the pleasure of reading.

Now, that’s for minor mistakes. Like we talked about last week, many errors create a different scenario. I can’t overcome those and will stop reading.

It’s not just reading.

My internal editor is finely tuned to pick up missteps in other forms of communication. My ears pick up on bad grammar in TV shows and commercials. (If I happen to walk by the TV when my husband is watching.) Even you-tube videos can be a target. Of course, those can be research for dialogue in my writing.

So, I don’t think my internal editor ever turns off. I even edit my dreams. (You know, getting half-awake, going back to sleep, and dreaming the same dream but making it change.)

How do other authors do it? Find out by following the links below to more posts. Not seeing any? Check back. Most of them show up on Monday.

FYI, next weekend (June 1&2) I’ll be selling books at the 3 Rivers ComicCon in Pittsburgh PA. If you’re in the area, come by and say hi! As always, until we get together again (in person or on-line), please stay safe.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

May 27. 2024

How do you turn off your internal editor when you are reading for enjoyment?

 

I Used To Take Pride In Finishing Every Book I Started. #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

May 20, 2024

What determines whether or not you finish a book you’re reading? Do you review books you didn’t finish?

I used to take pride in finishing every book I started.

That doesn’t happen anymore. If an author spends the first three chapters of a book describing a world, with paragraph after paragraph of nothing but description of scenery, chances are I won’t wade all the way through. If there are major grammatical and spelling errors, it pushes my buttons. Then there’s terrible storytelling. Many of us have experienced that. I used to ignore everything and skim, not read, all the way to the last page. (No, I won’t be naming names.)

But somewhere along the way, I decided I don’t have time for that. There are so many good books waiting to be to read, why waste my time on bad ones? 

I’ve made exceptions for authors I’ve enjoyed in the past, but the current book doesn’t feed my soul or mind, hoping that it will get better. Or deciding I’ve outgrown an author. This usually happens in a series, when I don’t see any real growth in the characters, and I stop following the story.

Do I write them reviews?

Bad books? In short, no.

I refuse to review books that deserve a one or two star rating. (If I haven’t finished reading them, I won’t review them!) Chances of me writing a three star review are slim. Heck, sometimes I feel bad giving a deserved four stars. I want to encourage other authors, especially indies or those with small presses. Shoot, I worry about pointing out obvious typos in a non-critique setting. (Yes, I hope someone will let me know if I’ve made a typo that has been missed by my editor.)

By the way, I struggle with writing reviews almost as much as I struggle with book blurbs. Yes, I know all I have to say is that I loved the book, but I can’t do it! I have to write more. 

If you follow this blog, you know the drill. This is where I tell you to go check the other authors on this hop by following the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until the next time!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

What determines whether or not you finish a book you’re reading? Do you review books you didn’t finish?

 

 

Social Media As A Teacher #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 13, 2024

Has being on your favorite form of social media taught you anything about writing?

It isn’t for everyone

Writing, that is. Social media, too, but that’s another story. Do the two intertwine?

First, let me expound on the ways I hate social media. I won’t name names. (cough. . . FB) I’ve done what social media is good for, and social media helped me stay in meet and touch with other writers. I followed the rules and looked forward to their posts. Liking, commenting, sharing—and suddenly I notice I haven’t seen anything from them for a few days. Or a few weeks. I have to go searching for their posts. (SapphireJBlue, P.J. Fiala, Angela Pryce) Maybe I lose track of them entirely. (Heck, sometimes a post from my daughter didn’t show up on my timeline!)

But I’ve learned from each of them, and many others. I guess that counts as learning from social media. Then there are the various groups and pages that I’ve joined and followed, with other authors willing to share information and resources. Sadly, they often follow the pattern of ‘disappearing’ from my feed.

My favorite form of social media isn’t considered social media by many.

I belong to two email groups, one devoted to marketing, the other to crime scene information. Guess what? I never miss a post, and they never disappear from my inbox. And they are searchable by topic, so it’s possible to find information I vaguely remember but want to verify. Even if they aren’t topics I care about at the moment, the information can be stored away for later. Sometimes older technology is more reliable. Best of all, the algorithms never change and I don’t worry about getting kicked out because I’m mostly a lurker.

So there you have it. My favorite form of social media to learn from doesn’t include pictures, likes or upvotes, just text. How about the other authors on this hop? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Wordpress shortcode

May 13, 2024

Has being on your favorite form of social media taught you anything about writing?

Selling Books Face-To-Face #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 6, 2024

Do you attend book selling events? (Can be local events such as craft shows and festivals.) What is your best tip to sell books at one?

I love book signing events! Or any event where I can meet people and talk to them about books. My books, specifically. Just yesterday, I took part in a craft fair at the firehall a few blocks away.

It wasn’t a big event. If more than 400 people came, I’d be surprised. I heard several of the exhibitors lamenting their poor or non-existent sales. But in 6 hours, I sold a dozen books. While that isn’t a huge number, it was enough to meet expenses and make a small profit.

But the highlight of the day was talking to several people who’d bought a book at a previous event, or borrowed a book from a friend to read, and told me how much they’d enjoyed it. Then there was a fellow vender who bought three of my books first thing in the morning and mentioned that she was up to Chapter 7 in The Marquesa’s Necklace by the end of the event. (Sadly, that meant she didn’t sell much herself.)

I’ve participated in big events, too.

The first time I did a book signing was at a comic con in Cheyenne, WY, back in 2016. I had no idea what I was getting into. I overspent and overbought, but learned a lot and had fun. I’m still using the banner I had created for the event. (Official records say 12,000 people attended. It was the biggest event I’ve taken part in.)

Things I’ve learned over the years and many events:

Even if you have a chair, be prepared to stand. A lot. It’s harder to talk to people if they are towering over you. (Standing is easier on your neck, too!) I often move out from behind the table to have a conversation, and cut down on the noise in a busy room.

Make sure your books are easy to touch, and don’t be afraid to pick up one and hand it to a person showing an interest. Last year, I moved to a display rack to hold my books, and my sales went down. Coincidence? At the last event last year, and the first one this year, I still used the rack, but I also placed copies of my books directly on the tables. My sales returned to standard levels at both events.

Top tip? Be prepared to smile and say hello. Don’t wait for them to approach you. (If they are avoiding eye contact, it’s OK not to bother them.) Have something they can walk away with. Your business card is a necessity, in my opinion. I’ve tried the trick of having candy on the table, first to attract people, and second to keep them hanging out for a few minutes, but it doesn’t work for me. On the other hand, people like taking the postcards I have featuring my books. They can be used as bookmarks, and are a heck of a lot cheaper than having commercially produced ones.

What else?

On a personal level, if you can, enlist a buddy to help. It’ll make it easier to take breaks. Otherwise, make friends with the venders next to you. I haven’t run into one yet that didn’t mind keeping an eye on things while you run to the restroom. You’ll want to keep your throat wet, so bring plenty of water or your beverage of choice.

That’s more than one tip, I know, I couldn’t help myself from oversharing. Still, I’m sure that other authors will pick up on something I didn’t know or forgot. Check out their posts in the links below. Or add your suggestions to the comments.

And, as always, please stay safe until the next time!

(FYI, my next signing event is the 3 Rivers ComicCon in Pittsburgh, PA, June 1-2nd. Quite the switch from the Pleasantville PA spring craft show! https://3riverscomicon.com/

May 6, 2024

Do you attend book selling events? (Can be local events such as craft shows and festivals.) What is your best tip to sell books at one?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Squirrel! #IWSG

  By IWSG
 
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
 
The awesome co-hosts for the May 1 posting of the IWSG are Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

May 1 question – How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

 
Or as they used to say in the office before I retired—Squirrel! That was the standard response to any of our IT experts getting distracted by a new project, which happened frequently. But it applies equally to my endeavors in writing as well.
 

Image by moonflower5 from Pixabay

 
It could be anything-going down a rabbit hole in research, spotting an interesting post on social media (I should block myself from Reddit) to one of the other people in the house tapping me on the shoulder to ask me a question. (Recently, I moved my desk to a more ‘public’ area in my house and I like to listen to music as I write, so with my headphones on, I’m easy to sneak up on.) Depending on the type of distraction, I might not return to my writing immediately, or I might need to get out of my chair and go do something else.
 
How derailed do I get? That depends on what I’m working on at how long the distraction lasted. If I had to make a run to the kitchen while I was working on a blog host, I likely will get right back to work. But in the case of something like stopping to do yardwork or run a load of clothes, it might be hard for me get back into writing mode.

That’s not always a bad thing.

A break gives me time to refocus my thoughts. If I’m working on a tough spot in a chapter, the answer may come to me while mulling it over as I do something else. When I get derailed while doing research, I may stumble across a fact that fits in with my topic. If I’m composing a blog post, a temporary absence may give my mind time to come up with other points I should cover.
 
Don’t let my post fool you. It’s not all sunshine. I might not get back into my writing groove for a week or more. It frustrates me, and I don’t have a consistent cure.
 
What do other authors have to say? Check out a few of their answers by following the links below.
 
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
 
 

Life-Changing Experiences and Writing #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

April 29, 2024

Have you ever had a weird experience that led to an improvement in your work? (like something came up at an event or on tv that was oddly timely.)

This question stumped me.

My life has been filled with not-your-average experiences. Nothing spectacular when taken individually, but over a lifetime, they add up. Everything from having the front wheel of my bicycle fall off when I was going down a hill (Ending up with a broken collarbone and concussion) and dangling off a cliff four months later as part of a course in mountain climbing.

How about getting on a Greyhound bus (remember those?) with almost everything I owned and heading to a college I found in a book and never visited. (Pre-internet days.) Or getting engaged six weeks after the hubby and I met, married in three months, and still being together almost fifty years later?

What about living on the Oregon coast and moving to the coast of Florida, then moving to Wyoming? Or buying a house in Pennsylvania without setting my foot in the door before signing the paperwork?

None of those are unique. As a sum total, my life has been unusual.

I can’t point out any one of those experiences as leading to an improvement in my work. But overall, those events contribute to who I am and how I think, how I view the world. Naturally, that is reflected in my writing.

None of those are ‘weird.’

Weird is reading tarot cards for someone for fun and later finding out the prediction came true. Or figuring out the names of my house. (The front of the house is Priscilla, the back of the house is Harold. The house was built in two separate sections over 60 years apart. It’s my job to keep the peace between them. Penelope is the house goddess. The land the house sits on is Henry. That affects what I can do with landscaping.) I don’t know how that information will ever fit into my writing. 

So no, I can’t put on any weird event that led to an improvement in my writing. A lifetime of work and many interactions with others have.

How about other authors? I’m eager to find out.  You can too, by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

April 29, 2024

Have you ever had a weird experience that led to an improvement in your work? (like something came up at an event or on tv that was oddly timely.)

 

 

Books On The Shelf #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

April 22, 2024

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

I wrote four or five books before I felt ready to publish one.

It was part of the learning process. The first book I attempted went through numerous drafts and several changes in the point of view. But the story line was overly derivative of someone else’s story, and there was no fixing it. Still, it felt like an accomplishment. I’d written a book.

Actually, that wasn’t my first attempt at writing a book. At the tender age of 19, I wrote a book without knowing any of the rules. The story stunk. I have no idea how bad the grammar was, and didn’t count words. It was written by hand and typed on a typewriter-this was before the computer revolution. I still have a copy stashed somewhere.

But back to my later-in-life reengagement with the goal of writing books. I wrote three more books before I found my voice and wrote one I was satisfied with. Two of those books have plots that are worth reworking. One of them is the inspiration for the current work in progress. (Tentatively titled ‘The Edwards Investigations: Book One, The Rimer File). When I started, I thought I’d rework and update the old story. Instead, It turned into a whole new plot.

 There’s one story I wrote after publishing my first book that I finished but will never publish. Truth is, I’m not any good at writing romance and that book proved it. Oh, I can include romance as a subplot, but I’m better at action stories.

There’s one more.

I’ve long wanted to add another story to my Free Wolves series. Yes, four is an odd number for a series, but it is what it is. What I didn’t know is whose point of view to write it from. I’ve made at least three attempts to get a feel for the story, and got nowhere. My newest attempt is 2000 words in and the story is heading in a direction I didn’t expect. It’ll take every bit of skill I’ve developed to take it where it wants to go. What threw me for a loop is I’m writing from a man’s POV instead of a woman’s. It’s been 10 years since I’ve done that and wasn’t prepared.

So, the first version of the first chapter is done and I’m busy formulating the beginning of the second. 

 

Let’s tie this up in a neat little package.

So far, I’ve published 11 books. Three in the Free Wolves’ adventures, six in the Harmony Duprie mysteries, and two Jake Hennessey stories. I’m editing one book, starting the first draft of another, and have five books in my archives. One of those has the potential for revisions and publication. (It’s a romance written from a male point-of-view, so I’m not sure I’ll revive it.) I’m not the most prolific writer out there, but I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished.

How about the other authors on this hop? Do they have a backlog of unpublished books? Find out by following the links below.

Of course, as always, please stay safe until the next time.

April 22, 2024

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Writing Quirks and Superstitions #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

April 15, 2024

Authors like Truman Capote, James Joyce, and Virginia Wolfe  had some interesting quirks when it came to writing. Do you have any rituals, quirks, or superstitions when it comes to working?

Truman Capote never started or finished a story on a Friday.

Among other things, he also wouldn’t stay in a hotel room with numerals that added up to 13 or have more that three cigarette butts in his ashtray. James Joyce supposedly went through a stage where he wrote with red crayon on massive sheets of paper. (He  had an reason-major eye problems) Next to them, I am positively boring.

Perhaps a writing ritual would help me increase my writing output, but I don’t have any. There’s been a major change in my life, and my writing space has moved. I’m settled in physically, but not mentally. My desk is now in a spot that isn’t closed off and I can be interrupted easily. As I type this, one grandkid is sitting at the table behind me, eating lunch, crunching on potato chips. But I feel anti-social if I put on my headphones.

The biggest change is the break I took in writing after my mother’s death.

I didn’t stop writing altogether, but I didn’t do any editing on my WIP for four months. I wasn’t in the right head space to tackle the changes. This week, I took a hard look at the first chapter, and decided it wasn’t as bad as I remembered. Now the story bugging me to dive in and get to work on the rest of it.

And a new story is lurking, with about 1200 words written. Whether they’ll make the final cut is yet to be decided. I’m still trying to figure out where the story is going.

Back to rituals.

I like to start a writing session by first finding background music that suits my mood. I rediscovered some old favorites while moving my collection of albums. Joni Mitchell. Carly Simon. Carol King. Janis Joplin. Buffy St. Marie (Those are just the women). With the headphones on, I can mostly ignore the world around me and zone in on my computer screen. Mostly. Until someone comes and taps on my shoulder to get my attention.

I’m hoping that some of the other authors on this blog hop are more interesting than me. Join me in finding out by following the inks below.

As always, until next time,  please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

April 15, 2024

Authors like Truman Capote, James Joyce, and Virginia Wolfe had some interesting quirks when it came to writing. Do you have any rituals, quirks, or superstitions when it comes to working?