Category: Open Book

Tracking The Characters #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

September 9, 2024

How do you keep track of your cast of characters?

You don’t want to repeat a name and confuse your readers.

And you don’t want to change their physical characteristics halfway through the story. I learned that early on, when a character started off with light brown hair and somewhere along the way it got darker. So, how do I keep track?

I know an author who covers the walls by her desk with sticky notes. Of course, she’s a plotter, and has everything mapped out before she begins telling the story. When I started writing, I wasn’t in a spot where I could do that, so I never tried. Besides, as a pantser, characters enter the scene when I least expect them.

As I worked on the fifth book in the Harmony Duprie series, I decided it was time to start a series ‘bible,’ listing every character and what they looked like, as well as their relationship to Harmony. And there were a LOT of supporting roles. I abandoned it before finishing, when I decided to end the series with the sixth book. (And set the story away from Oak Grove, where the rest of the series happened.)

I wanted to be more organized as I wrote my current work-in-progress, the Edwards Investigations.

 

Photo by Anna Shvets:

Since it’s semi-historical, it required more research. I wanted to get details right. Thankfully, I’d moved into my own office space when I started the story and could buy a large whiteboard to attach to the wall. As a character revealed themselves to me, I’d add them to the list. I ended up with a list of names on one side and interesting tidbits of information on the other.

But life happened, and I had to move my writing space. I didn’t want to put holes on the walls of the new spot to mount the whiteboard. Guess what happened?

As I edited, I discovered I had used two last names that were very close. Not the same, but too similar for my comfort. Thankfully, with the option of find and replace, it was a simple job to make the needed correction. Then, I bought a small whiteboard that can hang from a thumbtack nearby.

I’m hoping to make The Edwards Investigations a series, so I should start working on a book bible now. A simple spreadsheet will do the trick. Even a word document world work, but a spreadsheet will make it easier to compare characteristics. I don’t want everyone to have brown or blonde hair!

How do other authors keep track of their characters? Just follow the links to their posts to find out.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

September 9, 2024

How do you keep track of your cast of characters?

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Obscure Writing Tools #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

September 2, 2024

What is your most obscure and favorite work supply for writing?

I will admit, this one had me scratching my head.

The tools I use are commonplace. The basics. Pen, paper, computer. Everyday stuff. Nothing exciting there. Even opening a clean notebook isn’t thrilling to most folks.

I could talk about the landscape that inspires and supports me., the hills and back roads of Pennsylvania. I spotted a bear running across the road going to town a few days ago, and have deer wander through my yard occasionally. (Much to the detriment of whatever flowers are in bloom.) But none of those count as tools.

So, I got to thinking harder. I took a walk outside to check my hummingbird feeder and the answer hit me. I use a tool called LibreOffice for my word processing (like Microsoft Office.) It’s free and has many of the same capabilities as the Microsoft product. 

Its development was a combination of the efforts of thousands of people. The list on their web page is amazing and too long to even screen shot and post here. Historically, it branched off a previous program called OpenOffice, which was the effort of even more people. (For those who love computer stuff, it’s open source software.)

As a side note, LibreOffice is more than word processing. It has additional components that mimic the entire Microsoft Office suite. I’ve mentioned it on this blog before, so it might not be as obscure as it used to be.

I’m excited to find out what obscure tools the other authors are using. You can too, by following the links below.

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

 

September 2, 2024

What is your most obscure and favorite work supply for writing?

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The Color of Money #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Aug 26, 2024

What is your area of the world best known for (in your opinion?)

The Native Americans recognized the usefulness of black gold for centuries.

They collected it from seeps in the ground and off the surface of creeks, and used it for many things, including medicine, ceremonial paint, and waterproofing. They even traded it for goods and services. We’re talking about crude oil.

Naturally, white settlers learned from the locals and started using oil. Which led to the desire to find  different ways to obtain it. Introducing Colonel Edwin Drake and welcome to Titusville, PA.

In case you didn’t learn about it in your history lessons, this is the area where the first commercial oil well was drilled and where the oil industry got its start. Wells drilled for other reasons had produced oil as a by-product, the well in Titusville was the first one specifically drilled to bring oil to the surface. That was back in 1859. 

Drake Well

 

The plot of land that the well was drilled on is now a museum and park which draws around 35,000  tourists a year. The oil industry has pretty much abandoned the area as oil no longer easily found, but remnants of it still remain. Money created by the oil rush has mostly followed the move to other parts of the country, but plenty of artifacts remain. Everything from magnificent, restored Victorian mansions to stately churches to crumbling factories.

St. Joseph Parish/ Rev. Johnathan Schmidt

And that’s the answer. The area is best known for the oil industry, which gained prominence here before shifting to many other places.

Oh, and Bigfoot may live here, too.

How about the other authors? It’ll be interesting to find out what their areas are known for.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

What is your area of the world best known for (in your opinion?)

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Pushing Publish Too Soon #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Aug 19, 2024

Have you ever regretted ‘hitting publish’ on a work realizing you could have done more or tweak something to make it an absolute banger?

It was never an issue in the Dark Ages when I wrote poetry. Back then, publishing meant sending typewritten copies on higher-quality paper by snail mail to magazines or other paper publications. If I was lucky, they’d send the copies back along with the all-too-often rejection slip in the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope. The advent of home computers and printers made life so much easier.

I’m always excited to get new work out to my readers.

Now, getting it out ‘too soon’ is another question. With my books, they get seen by so many eyes that I’m confident in releasing them. Sure, there are always tweaks that can be made, but once a book has made it all the way through the process, I like to leave it alone. It’s like setting a butterfly free. You wish it love as it flutters away.

I made small changes to The Marquesa’s Necklace after publishing it. A reviewer mentioned a word that was overused. They were right, and the changes were easy. It didn’t change the story at all. That’s the only time I’ve changed the contents of a book after release. (Covers don’t count.)

My blog is different. I normally write it a day before releasing it. I hit the publish button for this hop just before going to bed on Sunday evenings. Then, as I drift off to sleep, I’m thinking of all the minor changes I should have made or things I could have said. If I remember them in the morning, I can easily add them. (If I remember!)

Social Media posts are different playing field.

I often regret my infrequent comments on social media. Not because of the content, but due to the frequent typos I make, that I don’t spot until after I’ve pushed the arrow. Thank heavens for the ability to edit them. But it bothers me knowing other people have seen the errors.

I work hard to keep my actual posts on social media typo-free. I wait longer and triple-check my work before I publish them. If all else fails, I’m able to delete them and start over.

How about the other authors on this hop? Do they ever regret pushing the publish button? Find out by checking out the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

Aug 19, 2024

Have you ever regretted ‘hitting publish’ on a work realizing you could have done more or tweak something to make it an absolute banger?

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What Makes Me Different? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Aug 12, 2024

Tell us the quirkiest thing about you.

What makes me stand out?

I don’t think of myself as average, despite joking regularly about how generic my looks are. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached and asked “Do I know you?” or “Aren’t you so-and-so’s daughter/cousin/friend?” Once I was asked by a random man if I was his ex-wife! I should have kept a scoreboard, because I don’t know how often it happened.

But that’s not quirky on my part. Nor is the fact that I didn’t touch my first computer until I was almost 40, yet I retired as a systems administrator. How about the fact that I’ve lived on both coasts? Interesting but not quirky. (It goes deeper than that. I grew up in Pennsylvania, moved to Wyoming, then to Oregon, next to Florida, back to Wyoming and ending up here in Pennsylvania.)

How about the fact that I’m an author and have published eleven books? Now we’re getting somewhere. Still, there are plenty of other writers. So, we still haven’t hit the target.

But that leads to the fact that I have a ‘trademark’ when I go to books signing events.

It’s a hat I bought years ago in a tourist shop in Estes Park, Colorado. I’ve forgotten to take my hat once, and I felt weird signing books with a bare head. People have started recognizing me by the hat.

But the quirkiest thing about me? Purple steps. I decided the perfect color for the front step of our house is purple. Now, I tell local people when they wonder where I live to look for the house with purple steps. I need to repaint them soon, but that will wait until the grandkids are back in school.

Of course, I didn’t choose the color without consulting Priscilla first. Priscilla is the name of the front half of the house. Harold is the back half. Priscilla was build in the early 1900s, and Harold was built in the 70s. Oh, and the name of the house goddess – the whole house – is Penelope. The land it sits on is Henry. Somedays, it feels as if they are siblings who get along most of the time but have occasional arguments.

So, I’ve developed a few quirks along the way.  How about the other authors on this hop? Find out by checking out the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

Aug 12, 2024

Tell us the quirkiest thing about you…

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Getting Feedback On A Work In Progress #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Aug 5, 2024

At which stage in the writing process do you seek feedback?

And from whom?

Most often, writing is a solitary occupation. Editing, on the other hand, is better done by several sets of eyes. Feedback, in a general sense, can be done at any step.

I know authors who have a trusted partner they can turn to for advice at a moment’s notice. When I first started writing years ago, I had one of those. But life interfered with that relationship. So, I prefer to finish the first draft and at least one round of edits before seeking outside suggestions for revisions.

Where do I get my feedback?

Here’s where I get to pay homage to my long-time critique partner, Cornelia Amari, the author of 76 books. We met through a Yahoo group, back in the days when those were a thing. That was ten years ago. We’ve traded encouragement and feedback since then. She’s been a great mentor.

I also use Critique Circle, an online community, to get more eyes on my drafts. Although I may not have the same people stick with me through an entire manuscript, as a whole, I get valuable insight into each chapter.  The upside is that I receive input from around the globe. The downside is that it’s a long process to get an entire book through the forum a chapter or two at time. The people who do the critiques don’t see each other’s ideas, and that insures I get a fresh point of view from each.

I started using a professional editor a few manuscripts ago for a final check and to polish my writing. I’ve used Angela Pryce, author of The Devil’s Caress, but sadly, she isn’t available for my current work-in-progress. Instead, I’m contracting with Horus Copyedit and Proofreading.

Final feedback

Of course, the final feedback comes in the form of sales and the always-important customer reviews. So please, when you enjoy a book, please let the author know. 

What do the other authors on this hop do for feedback? Just follow the links below to find out.

As always, until the next time, please stay safe.

Aug 5, 2024

At which stage in the writing process do you seek feedback and from whom?

 

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Which Book To Read First? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 29, 2024

Which book of yours do you recommend readers start with?

That’s not an simple question to answer.

It depends on your favorite genre. Technically, I write in three genres. Four, if you add in my work in progress, which is a semi-historical female private investigator story. If you consider only my currently published books, it narrows things down. Slightly.

Let’s start with my urban fantasy/paranormal series of  3 books, The Free Wolves.

Although there is an underlying story arc, each book is written as a stand-alone. The stories can be read in any order. The one I suggest you read first? Wolves’ Gambit, the last one I wrote in that series.

I’m proud of that story. But then, I’ve always been a fan of the underdog, and the book is filled with them, but they are strong enough that they demanded my original planned plot be changed. As a result, I defied all the expectations I’d set for the plot. Tasha, my main character, was a blast to develop.

For those of you who haven’t read Wolves’ Gambit. Here’s the blurb:

Wolf-shifter Lori Grenville was rescued from near-slavery and a brutal pack leader by the Free Wolves. To pay back the favor, she’s dedicated her life to helping others in the same situation, leading shifters to safety and a new start, risking her life in the process. She’s faced down alphas and has no qualms in undermining pack structure.

Now she’s challenged with the task of restoring an alpha to his rightful place. If she gets it right, she can stop a war from ripping apart two packs and spreading across an entire state. If she fails, she’ll be among the first to die.

There’s still the option of walking away and letting the Jaeger and Destin packs destroy each other. That means she’ll fail in her original mission of rescuing the daughter of the Jaeger alpha before the girl is forced into marriage for political gain.

Lori hasn’t failed in a mission yet. This one may be the exception.

Here’s the link for more info and where you can buy the book:  https://www.pjmaclayne.com/?page_id=224

The Harmony Duprie series and the Jake Hennessey books

These two sets of books are tied together, despite being different genres. The Harmony Mysteries are what I call almost-cozy-mysteries, because they defy the rules of true cozies. The Jake stories are crime/suspense, but Jake is an integral part of the Harmony timeline. Confused? It gets worse. The Fall of Jake Hennessey and the Rise of Jake Hennessey are a complete set, but they also serve as a prequel and a sequel to the six Harmony Duprie books.

So, which of the eight books to read first? I’d suggest The Marquesa’s Necklace, the first book in the Harmony mysteries. The stories are in chronological order but written as standalones, so it makes sense to read them in order. 

Here’s the blurb The Marquesa’s Necklace:

Harmony Duprie enjoyed her well-ordered life in the quiet little town of Oak Grove—until her arrest for drug trafficking. Cleared of all charges, she wants nothing more than to return to the uneventful lifestyle of a historical researcher she once savored.

But when her beloved old car “George” is stolen and explodes into a ball of flames, it sets off a series of events that throws her plans into turmoil. Toss in a police detective that may or may not be interested in her, an attractive but mysterious stranger on her trail, and an ex-boyfriend doing time, and Harmony’s life freefalls into a downward spiral of chaos.

Now she has to use her research skills to figure out who is behind the sinister incidents plaguing her, and why. And she better take it seriously, like her life depends upon finding the right answers.

Because it might.

And here’s the link for more info and where to buy The Marquesa’s Necklace: https://www.pjmaclayne.com/?page_id=232

So, that’s two starting points to my books. Now let’s go check out which books we should read from other authors on this hop. See the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

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July 29, 2024

Which book of yours do you recommend readers start with?

How Long Is A Chapter? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 22, 2024

How do you determine where to end a chapter?

A chapter is as long as the chapter needs to be.

That’s the best piece of advice I’ve ever received in terms of how long to make my chapters.

I’ve seen chapters as short as two pages and others so long I have no idea how many pages they were. My typical chapter falls in between.

The first books I wrote, I didn’t stop for chapters. I just started at the beginning and didn’t stop until I reached the end. Then I went back and figured out where I needed to make breaks. Frankly, that wasn’t an efficient process.

It also didn’t work out to start a new chapter each time I started a new scene. The length of scenes is often far too short. Breaking it up that way makes the story choppy. I’ve settled on using section breaks for those as denoted by something like *****.

That still doesn’t answer the question of how I know when to end a chapter.

The first few chapters in The Marquesa’s Necklace came in at around 2000 words when they reached a natural stopping point. It seemed like a sign, so I aimed for each one to be around that length. Since the stories in that series were more lighthearted, the shorter breaks felt like they fit the book better. I wanted readers to be able to read it in short bursts. (Or devour it in one sitting if they feel so inclined.)

But short doesn’t work for The Edwards Investigations. So, the chapters are each more that 3000 words. Nowhere near the 81,200 word chapter in the Memory Of Light, the last book in the Wheel of Time series. Shoot, the entire story isn’t that long.

That still doesn’t answer the question.

How do I know where to end a chapter?

I’ve worked with some authors who attempt to start and finish a minor story within a chapter, with the end of the chapter being a natural end to the mini-plot. I don’t work like that. Although I don’t write cliffhangers at the end of a book, that’s how I like to end a chapter.

How do you determine where to close a chapter? I try to end with a hook, something to get the audience to turn the page and keep reading. Or be ready to pick it up again as soon as possible. Sometimes, finding that moment is a battle. Other times, I recognize it as I write it.

But I don’t make the rules. How do the other authors on this hop know when to end a chapter? Follow the links below to find out.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 22, 2024

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What Does Your Pet Think? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 15, 2024

Kelly Williams’ dog wants to know: “Why does she spend so much time at the computer and not scratching my ears?’ What does your pet want to know? (If you don’t have a pet, feel free to make up an answer.)

I’ve always been ‘pet adjacent.’

Of all the pets we’ve had over the years, none of them have been ‘mine.’ The dogs, the cats, the birds, the fish – none of them were mine. Even if I was the one responsible for most of their care, somehow they were more attached to other family members. (Except the fish. They lived in a small pond in the yard and didn’t really care who fed them. I can only guess what they thought.)

We currently have two cats in the house. Both are my daughter’s. They ignore me most of the time, and rarely even beg for food. (They will ask my husband!) I have no clue what they think of me. So, this is strictly a figment of my imagination.

We’ll call the cats Calico (Cal) and Tuxedo (Tux). They are rarely in the same room at the same time, so this conversation takes place over long periods as they wander from one place to another.

Cal: (As they change places on the cat tree) She’s still at it.

Tux: (Stretching) Staring at those light boxes?

Cal: Yeah. Does she ever get out of her chair?

Tux: (Later) Well, she played lifeguard when the noisy little humans were taking a bath outside (playing in the pool) and scaring off the birds you like to watch.

Cal: At least she’s good for something besides cleaning up our poop.

Tux: (Curling up on the bed) She feeds everyone else.

Cal: (Later) They ate. Time to go hunt for crumbs. And chase a fly. ‘Cause she’s staring at those light boxes again.

Tux: (Licking her paws) She’ll never even notice.

That’s how I imagine it.

The cats can deal with me as long as I stay out of their way. And I can put up with them, so it’s a fair trade.

I’m looking forward to hearing from other authors’ pets. Just check the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 15, 2024

Kelly Williams’ dog wants to know: “Why does she spend so much time at the computer and not scratching my ears?’ What does your pet want to know? (If you don’t have a pet, feel free to make up an answer.)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Support From The Ones I Love #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 8, 2024

What kind of support do you receive (or not receive) from family, friends, and your community?

None of my books have made it into a top 100 list on release day.

No matter how long I stare at it, I can’t get the bar on the sales chart to go higher on a book release day. It makes me wonder who among my large family hasn’t bothered to buy a copy. But support comes in many ways.

But I’ve been lucky. Many of you already know that my sister (one of four) is my cover artist. She also helps me with other graphic needs. Of course, she gets a free copy of the print book. I’ll also give her credit and thanks for helping me hunt for new venues to sell my books. My dear hubby puts up with me ignoring him when I’m deep in writing mode and encourages me to keep at it.

Before I retired, the team I worked with liked to tease me about my books-but in a ‘fun’ way. A few of them even bought physical copies. Of course, those sales don’t show up on sales chart.

Since moving, I’ve had to rebuild a local community. I haven’t been able to locate a local writers’ group, (The nearest one is 30 miles away on 2-lane curvy roads, which I don’t want to drive after dark. In the snow. Uphill both ways.) I have met other authors at events, but none of them have ‘clicked’ as far as a continuing relationship. So, I’m leaning heavily on the connections I make on-line.

But there’s an upside.

I’ve sold my books at several local events and have a new (if small) fan base. I found out one of my brothers buys print copies of my books even if he doesn’t read them. My boss (I’m working a part-time job) gives me all the days off I need to attend events. 

Then there’s this group. It helps to keep me focused, and hearing how everyone else deals with the writing life is encouragement in my journey. Even with oceans between us, we’re in this together.

So, I have lots of support. 

It may not be pushing me to the top of the charts, but it helps me to keep trying.

How about the other authors on this hop? Do they have a support system? Find out by following the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until next time.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

July 8, 2024

What kind of support do you receive (or not receive) from family, friends, and your community?

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