Blog-Mountain Musings - P.J. MacLayne

Combating Writer’s Block #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne September 29, 2019 September 29, 2019 Open Book

September 30, 2019

How do you move past writer’s block?

It happens. I’m sitting there staring at the screen and the words won’t come. I know where I want the story to go, but I don’t know how to get it there.

Writer’s Block. What’s the cure?

It was worse back in the days when I wrote poetry. There would be days when the words flowed without effort and then weeks when the words vanished. But poetry was a passion and I understood the ebb and flow. I had other creative outlets to fill in the voids. Until I realized that it had been a year since I’d written a poem and I panicked.

At the same time, I was involved in classes for a very logic-driven career field, and I think the right and left sides of my brain were at war. The left side was winning.

That’s also about the time when I first tried my hand at writing a book. The first one stunk, but it was a learning experience. And I got hooked. It also appears that both sides of my brain contributed to the effort and allowed the words to come.

That’s not to say I still don’t go through brief periods of being blocked.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Sometimes I just don’t know where the story wants to go. And sometimes the stories don’t want to go where I want them to. We’ve talked about this before.

But with my stories, I have a different way of dealing with the dreaded writer’s block. I go back and edit. Normally I don’t do any major editing in one of my works in progress until I’ve completed the first draft. Why put a lot of work into editing something I may get rid of in the end?

But minor editing helps to clear my mind and reminds me of where the story is going. It puts me back in touch with my characters. It helps me see what is going right and what is going wrong. And that, in turn, helps me see where the story is going so I can get back to writing.

So far, I haven’t had to deal with not having ideas for my next book. I’ve got enough ideas tumbling around the back of my head to last for several years. Heck, I’ve got a whole new series I’d like to start. Or two. Maybe three.

The other thing that can help me is reading. Sometimes getting my mind off my own story and into someone else’s is what it takes. A vacation, of sorts. Because I think my love of writing developed from my love of reading, it’s not so much a break as it is a reminder of what got me where I am in the first place.

So, there you have it. The two major things I do to break writer’s block. Or three, if you count totally changing what I write!

Now join me, please, as I head to the tiles below to find out how the other authors on this hop combat writer’s block. Don’t forget to leave a comment if you are so inclined!

September 30, 2019

How do you move past writer’s block?

Rules:1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

The Real People of P.J. MacLayne #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne September 22, 2019 September 23, 2019 Open Book

September 23, 2019

What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

As I say in the copyright notice for each of my book “XXX is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events and places found in this book are either from the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons live or dead, actual events, locations, or organizations is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.”

And that’s true, with one exception. In Her Ladyship’s Ring, I created a character based loosely upon the winner of a contest. As it turned out, it was one of my cousins, (Hi, Jane!) and she became Harmony’s cousin Jane in the book. We were friends growing up, so you can bet I gave the character Jane all the love when I created her. Jane has received mentions in some of the other books of the series as well.

But for my other characters, I can’t point to any one that is modeled after a real person. When a character ‘finds” me, they are their own person. I may not even know what they look like until after I’ve written them into the story. Their personalities develop as they reveal themselves.

Sure, they may pick up small pieces of what makes them an individual from people I’ve known. But the same character may get characteristics from five different real-life people. Another five characteristics come from thin air or are borrowed from a book I read somewhere in the distant path.

But here’s the trick: as far as I’m concerned, as I’m writing the story, each of those characters is a real person in my head. Yes, it gets confusing in there. My head, that is. I have to keep all those characters straight so the reader doesn’t get confused, unless I want them to be confused. I’m like that!

That also means I try to give my characters the same respect I’d give a person in real life. At least, that is, until I figure out what shenanigans they are up to. My bad guys sometimes disguise themselves as good guys until I figure them out. Then I have to switch gears and make them as bad as they need to be.

In real life, I look for the good things in the people I meet and tend to overlook the not-so-good parts of real people until they become unbearable or unforgivable. I can’t do that in my books, because then the characters would be boring. So, I try to give each of my characters faults to make them more life-like.

But back to the original question: To everyone I’ve l know throughout my life, or met for a moment, or listened into your conversation in a restaurant, thank you. Some part of you may have become some part of one of my characters. As they say in every award acceptance speech ever, I couldn’t have done it without you!

Now, let’s head over and find out how other authors feel about using real people in their stories. Just follow the links below.

P.S. One of the characters that gives me the hardest time understanding him is Jake, Harmony’s ex-lover. He’s based on no one but himself. I’m still not sure if he’s a bad guy pretending to be good or a good guy pretending to be bad, he won’t reveal his secrets. But, I have found pictures that I think represent him perfectly. So, just for fun, here’s Jake!

September 23, 2019

What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

Outtakes #OpenBook Blog Hop

By admin September 15, 2019 September 15, 2019 Open Book

September 16, 2019

What did you edit out of your most recent book? (or another book…let’s see those outtakes!)

I didn’t expect much from the two smaller bedrooms, so I wasn’t disappointed by the plain, utilitarian beds. Those rooms would come to life with the right accessories, a floral bedcover in one and stripes in the other. What I wanted to see was the master bedroom. We’d torn out a wall to combine two rooms into one and make it more of a suite. That had been Jake’s idea, back before his arrest.

The first things that caught my eye were the intricately carved wooden headboard and footboard. Truthfully, there was no way not to see them. The king size bed and matching nightstands dominated the space. Two upholstered chairs graced one corner of the room and an empty bookshelf was placed nearby. Two dressers, matching the bed, lined a second wall. The room was lit by natural daylight streaming in from the large window. Once we added light brown bed coverings and curtains, it would be just what I’d imagined during construction. Perfect for Eli.

I glanced over to see Jake taking off his shoes. ‘Should we try it out?”

I wanted to, but not with Jake. I frowned.

“Not like that, Angel.” He sprinted across the room and leapt onto the bed, landing with a soft thud, barely bouncing as he hit.

It looked tempting. But I’d been cleaning most of the day and hadn’t changed my clothes. I wasn’t going to get Eli’s mattress dirty before he had a chance to use it. But to placate Jake, I walked over and pushed on the bottom edge. My hand sank into the surface and stopped at the perfect depth and I imagined how it would feel if I let it support my whole body. I need to upgrade my own mattress.

“When are you moving?” Jake asked, catching me off-guard.

I had a reviewer mention that Harmony’s relationship with Jake was uncomfortable. My answer was yes, it was supposed to be. And that was after I’d cut the above scene from The Contessa’s Brooch, the fourth book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries. (By the way, it’s unedited, so you may find errors.)

If you’ve hung around with me for very long, you know I’m a “pantser” when it comes to writing my books, not a plotter. That means I write by the seat of my pants. Which results, on occasion, with me going down the wrong path in my writing. Like in my current work in progress, where I cut over 20,000 words, basically starting over again at the 8000 word mark. (I’m back up to close to 22,000 words now, if you are interested.

It also means I listen to my characters when I write. I’m telling their story. Which also means that sometimes what I plan is wrong. Here’s another outtake, this one from The Baron’s Cufflinks.

“Eli,” I called, “can you see Jake?” The strobe light shone in my direction every few seconds, blinding me on each pass.

I almost missed his answer in the cacophony of sounds. A siren wailed n the distance, adding to the confusion. “No,” he yelled, “not yet.”

Damn it, I’d hoped Jake would be able to jump out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. “Got any other ideas?”

“Not knowing who’s in all these other cars.”

Good point. “I’ve got an idea.” It was silly, but it might give Jake a chance to hop out of the car.

“Be careful.”

Eli knew me better than that. I reached into Dolores, and grabbed my shoes. “Harmony?” Eli asked.

“Going for the surprise factor. Cross your fingers.” I figured the chances of my plan working were low, but I didn’t have another plan.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I stood, in between flashes of the strobe light, and threw my shoe at that dangling hand,. And missed. Then hurled the second shoe at the windshield. And hit the hand instead. But the gun didn’t drop to the ground. Damn it. Well, it had been worth the try. I wasn’t crazy about those shoes anyway.

“Any sign of Jake?” I asked, ducking back down.

Was Eli laughing at me?

While that scene was fun to write, it didn’t work. But I used part of it in the final story.

Harmony isn’t the only one to object to what I’ve planned in my books. Tasha, from Wolves’ Knight, didn’t like what I’d planned for the romantic subplot and let me know it. Here’s a scene I got written before she changed my mind.

He said we. Tasha liked the sound of that. Her rule was fast fading away. “If you want to sit for a while, there’s a bench near the top of the waterfall.”

“I’m right behind you.”

The spray of the falling water made the cool air even chillier, and Tasha zipped her coat up part way. The bench was nothing more than a large old log that someone had sliced the bark from to create a flat area. It was low enough to the ground that Jaime had to rearrange his long legs several times to get comfortable. They sat side by side for a long while, not touching, and not saying anything. Yet the silence seemed natural to Tasha.

A patch of sky was visible through the trees, and she was watching the clouds skimming past the stars when a red streak flashed by. She pointed upward “Did you see that?”

“What?” Jaime asked, inclining his head towards hers to see what she was showing him.

“A meteor. It’s gone.” Tasha turned her head to find his barely an inch from hers.

“That’s okay. I found something else to look at,” he murmured. Then he closed the gap between them and lightly pressed his lips to hers.

Surprised, it took her a second to react, and by then he’d pulled away. “Sorry,” he said.

“Don’t apologize. It was nice.” Actually, it had been more than that, but Tasha wasn’t going to tell him. Not yet.

“Just nice?”

One side of her mouth rose. “I don’t know. Let’s see what happens if we do it again.”

This time she was prepared for the meeting of their mouths. And yes, she decided, the second time was definitely better, especially as she had the chance to return the gesture. “Hmm, better,” she said when the kiss ended. Much better. He tasted just like his musk aftershave and his kisses stirred a part of Tasha that she’d neglected too long.

“Practice makes perfect?” he asked with a grin, wrapping one arm around her waist.

“Let’s find out.”

Spoiler alert: This scene didn’t make it into the final edits for a reason—but I won’t share the reason and ruin the fun!

So, yes, I do a lot of cutting while I’m writing my books. In the end, that makes for a stronger story that is more true to my characters. (If you’re interesting in the books I’ve mentioned, start here to find out more: http://www.pjmaclayne.com/

Don’t forget to follow the links below to get outtakes from the other authors on the hop!

September 16, 2019

What did you edit out of your most recent book? (or another book…let’s see those outtakes!)

Invisible Women

By admin September 11, 2019 September 11, 2019 Uncategorized

I recently participated in a discussion on Authors Write Aloud with Richard White about “invisible women” …is there a gender bias in literature? You can watch the episode here:

And don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments!

Best Books #OpenBook Blog Hop

By admin September 8, 2019 September 8, 2019 Open Book

September 9, 2019
What are the best two or three books you’ve read this year?

This should have been an easy post to write. I can’t even remember how many books I’ve read so far this year. But the truth is, this has been a really bad writing year for some of my favorite authors. Either that, or I’m getting pickier.

But I won’t call out the ones that have disappointed me and I will concentrate on the ones that kept me enthralled.

First, kudos to J,D. Robb. I admit I’m not a big Nora Roberts fan, but someone suggested I try her sci-fi series. So, I asked for the first book in the series as a Christmas present—and I’m glad I did. (Naked in Death) I sunk into the story easily, and, while I didn’t read the book in one sitting, I devoured it rapidly. I’m not always satisfied in Nora’s endings, but this one it all the right points for me. I enjoyed it enough that I asked for the second book, Glory in Death, for another gift-giving event and I enjoyed that one, too.

Moving on…last fall I had the opportunity to meet Melissa Mayhue. author of several series, including The Magic of Time series. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a time travel series, so I started her book (All The Time You Need) with a fair amount of trepidation. I must say, she surprised me. I found how she handled the time travel aspect of her books well written and well explained. Getting other books she’s written is on my list of things to do. (and I do love being able to put in a good word for authors who aren’t big names!)

Those were physical books. Let me grab my tablet and see what stands out in my recent reads. Aha, there it is! Hook, Dead to Rights, by Melissa Snark. It’s a different take on the classic Peter Pan. Much different. The story had enough twists to keep me guessing who was the hero and who was the villain until near the end. The second book, Hook, Dead Wrong, is on my TBR list.

There you go! Three very different books. Maybe one or more of them will get added to your list of books to read!

September 9, 2019
What are the best two or three books you’ve read this year?

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/984

Finding a Place to Write #IWSG

By P.J. MacLayne September 4, 2019 September 4, 2019 IWSG

September 4 question – If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?

The awesome co-hosts for the September 4 posting of the IWSG are Gwen Gardner,Doreen McGettigan, Tyrean Martinson, Chemist Ken, andCathrina Constantine!

There’s this little lake I know, not exactly in the mountains, but in the high plains. The altitude is about 8000 feet. It’s got a wonderful view of several mountain ranges, depending upon which direction you look. On a normal days, there’s at the most, three or four people there- more cows than people, but they are on the other side. The cows, that is.

Ducks, geese and the occasional seagull swim on the lake’s surface. Along the shoreline, songbirds play hide-and-go-seek among the bushes. Their songs mingle with the lowing of the cattle.

There’s not an electric plugin to be had, so once the battery on the laptop is dead, it’ll be writing with pen and paper. The nearest town, population under 600, is fifteen miles away.

But to sit there in the shade of one of the few trees (or bring my own) and write! No distractions, no cell phone service, no internet, no one bothering me. That would be heaven.

So I’m not going to tell you where it is. You know the song…you call someplace paradise, you kiss it goodbye. I’m not ready to for that.

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Egos and Writing

By P.J. MacLayne September 1, 2019 September 1, 2019 Open Book

September 2, 2019

Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

I don’t know if my ego is big enough to answer this week’s question!

Here’s the deal: A writer has to have a bit of an ego to think they can take words and and mold them into a story that others will enjoy while, at the same time, doing justice to their characters. But that ego has to be small enough to allow the characters to tell you their story the way they want to. It’s a constant balancing act

Take my book Wolves’ Knight as an example. I’d planned out a romance subplot for Tasha, my main character, and even started writing the scene where she and the planned romantic lead got hot and heavy with each other. And promptly got stuck, because she started fighting me. She had a different idea about how things should go. I had to set my ego aside and swap up the plot to satisfy her.

A similar thing happened with The Baron’s Cufflinks. I’d written what I thought was a great chase scene, but something didn’t sit right. The action was great, the words were fine, but it just didn’t work. Then Harmony, my main character, convinced me it was because I’d told it all wrong. That wasn’t the way it happened. I put aside my ego, scrapped the scene, and rewrote it the way she wanted. I have to admit, it was better her way, but I still liked mine! It involved the sheriff and the highway patrol, a bad guy or three, and Harmony throwing her shoes at one of them. Thankfully, I was able to use pieces of it in the revised version.

On the other side, you have to have a healthy dose of ego to get out in the public and sell books once you have them written. To engage total strangers in a public setting and ask them to buy a book isn’t easy at first. I’ve gotten better at it, but I still have to psych myself up for each public appearance. There’s always the fear that no one will want to talk to you. Even on social media you need to interact with people you’ve never met.

(If you want to check out my books, you can start from my front page, here: http://www.pjmaclayne.com )

I hope you’ll take a moment to check out the other authors on the hop and see how their egos hold up to writing. You can follow the links below. But before you go, feel free to leave a comment.

September 2, 2019

Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

Have Some Fun :)

By P.J. MacLayne August 29, 2019 August 29, 2019 Uncategorized

Do you like jigsaw puzzles? Here’s a quick one just for fun.

(Hint-if you want to start from scratch, choose the dotted linebottom left and hit restart.)

And here’s what it should look like when you are finished. Enjoy!

Thanks to jigsawplanet.com, the source for this.

Giving Up on a Book #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne August 25, 2019 August 25, 2019 Open Book

Aug 26, 2019

Why would you, as an author/reader, abandon (stop reading) someone else’s book?

As I mentioned in a comment a few weeks ago, I take pride in reading completely almost every book I start. Almost is the key word here. Every now and then, I run into a book I just can’t handle, it’s so bad.

I won’t be naming any names. Most of them are wiped from my memory. But because of the bad books I’ve run into, I’m pickier about what books I buy. I’ll even take the time to read the reviews for freebies to escape my pet peeves.

The first and biggest reason is bad grammar. Typos, words spelled wrong, the wrong form of a word used, incorrect punctuation. Sure, a few errors here and there happen, even in books by traditional publishers. But when I pick up a book that has several a page, it makes it hard to slog through the entire story. If it’s a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad book, I’ll erase it from my ebook reader. (Thanks, Judith Viorst)

Next up would be boring characters and a boring plot to match. Ever run into a book where you ask yourself why the author even bothered to write it? The characters are flat and nothing happens. The main characters go to work everyday and that is somehow an existential crisis. I’ve never read one of those books the whole way through.

Image by Gerhard Gellinger from Pixabay

How about unrealistic story line? Let’s say in the story it takes an hour to get from point A to point B and you know in real life it would take three or four. Or it’s a mystery and the author has no idea of police procedure. I’ll let one instance pass, but if the book is full of similar mistakes, I can’t finish it.

What do I do with really bad books? It’s easy to get rid of an ebook. It’s a little harder to get rid of a paper version. I feel guilty passing it on to a charity and inflicted the pain on someone else. And it breaks my heart to put any book in the garbage. I have to weigh the end results and usually the garbage can wins.

I did a quick poll on Twitter to see what would cause other people to stop reading a book. I only got a few responses, but the clear winner—or is it loser?—was bad editing.

I’m curious-what’s your number one reason for not finishing a book? Even if it’s already been mentioned, feel free to chime in. Consider the comments section as an informal poll. I suspect there will be a lot of repetition in the blog hop posts this week. But I’m going to go check, anyway. Follow the links below to join in.

Aug 26, 2019

Why would you, as an author/reader, abandon (stop reading) someone else’s book?

Rules:

1. Link your blog to this hop.

2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.

3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.

4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.

5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

SpillingInkShow

By P.J. MacLayne August 22, 2019 August 22, 2019 Uncategorized

I was recently honored to participate in the Spilling Ink podcast, where we discussed our books, writing, and life in general. By the way, I hate my camera setup, and I’ll have to change it up the next time I participate in one of these. Anyway, it was great fun to do. Many thanks go to Jason LaVell and Katie Salidas for the opportunity.

And I apologize, but there must have an issue with my internet connection which ended up making my voice garbled. (LAG!)

P.J. MacLayne