Tag: #IAmWriting

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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The Good, Bad, And Ugly of Ghost Writers #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 10, 2024

Ghostwriters. Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Her name is Priscilla.

She hangs out in the spare bedroom at the top of the stairs on the second floor. Other times she’s off somewhere, gossiping with the house goddess, Penelope. When she settles in come evening time, the rays of the setting sun caused create a glow around her silver-white hair, styled in a loose bun. She helped me pick out the new color for the front stairs, a deep purple. She also picked out some of the artwork I hung on the walls.

So far, she hasn’t revealed when she moved into this 100-year-old house, or any of the stories she has to tell. But I’m not in a hurry. I figure we have a decade or more to spend together. I can wait.

Oh, not that kind of ghost writer. Sorry, Priscilla, making you the star of a post will have to wait. Have another cup of tea. Peach, this time?

Now on to ghostwriters of the living kind. Let’s start with the bad (and ugly.) 

I hate picking up a book by a favorite author to discover that the writing style is nothing like previous stories by that writer. Sometimes the ‘partner’ author is listed, other times not. I don’t mind as much when the joint venture is listed up front. When it’s not disclosed, I feel cheated. 

Then there’s the concept of a ghostwriter for a celebrity’s book. It’s well-known they aren’t spending the time to type out their stories and perfecting them to make them readable. The publisher is using the celebrity’s name as the selling point. It has nothing to do with the quality of the writing. The person who is doing the actual writing earns little to no recognition, and is normally paid a contracted amount, without regard to how many books are sold.

But there is a good side.

“Normal’ people may want to leave the legacy of their life story to their family, but don’t have the skills to document it. Their view of the war they served in. Or how they earned and lost a fortune selling drugs. They may be your neighbor or the nurse at the hospital. They have no desire to sell the book commercially, but want to make sure their tales are not lost to the winds of time, at least not immediately. Hiring a ghostwriter is their shot at making that dream happen. As an added bonus, the writer receives extra income that may support their creative endeavors.

Now, I’ve never given ghostwriting a shot, because I’m busy enough trying to write my own stories. But some of the authors on this hop may have. Will they tell us about it? Find out by following the links below.

Anyway, until next time, please stay safe.

What’s that, Priscilla? Penelope is out of Earl Grey? (Sigh) I’ll add it to my grocery list.

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June 10, 2024

Ghost Writers. Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

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.

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May 13, 2024

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

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!

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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?

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The Best Part Of The Book Writing Journey #OpenBook

  By Open Book

April 8, 2024

What part of the book journey gets you most excited?

There are lots of pieces involved in the writing of a book. It starts with an idea sparking in your brain. There’s the moment when you put on paper the first sentence, the first paragraph, of the new story. When you complete the first chapter, sit back, and realize that you have something worth pursuing is another milestone. (Does anyone else do that?)

Countless moments occur as you solve the question of ‘What’s next?’ or maybe, ‘Why?’ and you find the key to the fabric of the story. Of course, there’s a thrill when you finally type ‘The End.’ It’s a different rush when you first hold a physical copy of your book in your hands.

Which of these gets me most excited?

All affect me in different ways. It’s a rush to meet new characters or become reacquainted with old friends. Satisfaction comes with seeing the story build and pull together. With the first draft finished comes the self-congratulations. Then there’s the thrill when the stats show that someone has purchased your book.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

I could take the easy way out and say they all excite me.

It would be the truth. It would also cheat you, the reader. So, here’s what excites me the most.

If you follow this blog, you know I am a pantser – I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t plot my books out ahead of time. I may have a beginning and an end in mind, but the middle need to be figured out. When my characters start arguing with me, telling me what I’m doing right or wrong and where I need to go next, I take it as a sign, an indicator that they trust me with their stories. That excites and encourages me.

The runner-up is writing ‘The End.’ It’s not really the end of the process for me, as there’s still the many layers of editing that need done, but it’s the pride of having finished the most important stage. Once the first draft is complete, the rest is a matter of stick-to-it-ivness. 

Let’s see what other authors share their take on the topic this week by following the links below. (Most will post on Monday, but additions are welcome all week.)

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

(P.S. for my long-time readers. I’ve been lacking in the stick-to-it-ivness department and haven’t touched the edits for The Edwards Investigations for several months. That’s about to change. It’s past time to get back to work on it.)

April 8, 2024

What part of the book journey gets you most excited?

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Elevator Pitches: Telling It Short and Sweet #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb 19, 2024

Do you have an ‘elevator pitch’ for your books? (A brief 30 second or so introduction)

There are authors who write the elevator pitch and synopsis (as well as an outline) before they write the book. I’m not one of them. It wouldn’t work for me, since my characters have switched things up on me halfway through the stories. I don’t even write my blurb until the first draft is complete.

But there are publicity sites that need shortened versions of the blurb, so I do have what could pass for an elevator pitch. FYI, the name originates from the concept of running into an agent in an elevator and having a few seconds to pitch your idea for a book to them. Not that I expect to ever use a pitch in that context. I’m not in search of an agent or publisher, and the little village I live in doesn’t have any buildings with an elevator. (as far as I know.)

But back to the pitch. I don’t have formal ones. If I ran into an agent, I’d stumble though a through a non-pretty speech about whatever book or series I was working on. Shoot from the hip, as the old cowboy movies used to say. Or rely on of the blurbs and taglines I put so much effort into. (which won’t work for an older book, as I don’t have them memorized!)

Here are a few of my taglines.
The Rise of Jake Hennessey: So much for retirement
The Fall of Jake Hennessey: After all, even jewel thieves get bored.
For the entire Harmony Duprie series: Because how much trouble can one ex-librarian get into? 

Here’s an example of a full back-of-the-book blurb versus a shortened one used for a few advertising sites. The short one is actually medium length, because I had to shorten it farther for one ad. This is for Wolves’ Gambit, in the Free Wolves series.

Full 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.

And here’s a short version:
Free Wolf Lori Grenville has made it her life’s mission to help unhappy shifters escape from overbearing alphas and dangerous situations. She hasn’t failed in a mission yet. This one may be the exception.

I timed reading these out loud, as if I was speaking to someone. The long version takes about a minute to say, the short version about fifteen seconds, so neither is the ‘correct’ length for an elevator pitch.

So, no, I don’t have elevator pitches.

But give me a chance, and I will hold an in-depth conversation with anyone who is interested in my books. Or their books. Or any books at all!

I should mention – there’s a new twist to pitching a book. On X (formerly Twitter) agents will announce a pitch day in certain writing communities. I’ve never participated, so I don’t know the rules. But since the limit of a tweet is 280 characters, think about how concise a pitch has to be. (My short version of the blurb is the above example is 205 characters.) I don’t know if something similar occurs on Instagram.

How about the other authors in this hop? Do they have elevator pitches? 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

Feb 19, 2024

Do you have an ‘elevator pitch’ for your books? (A brief 30 second or so introduction)

 

Who Gets To Decide? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb 12, 2024

Do you ever ask yourself if you are still a writer?

Most people who stumble across me on social media have no idea who I am.

My writing has broken no records and hasn’t made any big-name best-seller lists. Somedays, I feel like the only person who cares about my stories is me. Days when I wonder why I even bother to put words on ‘paper.’ This fall, I was ‘ghosted’ at a book signing event and didn’t sell a single book. I haven’t written anything besides my blog posts for the last two months for a variety of reasons, including the death of my mother and some harsh criticism I received for the first chapter of my WIP.

Am I still a writer?

Based on my recent on-line book sales, the answer is yes. According to the new story churning in my brain, my characters hope so. I’m not convinced.

But blogging is writing, correct? It’s committing words to ‘paper’.

Truth is, I’ve been avoiding writing. It isn’t writer’s block, it’s me finding other things to do. Shoot, I’ve been doing housework instead of sitting in front of my computer—and I hate doing housework. It’s weird. In the past, it was the opposite. I couldn’t be pried away from my stories to take care of other duties.

Am I still a writer? Who gets to decide?

Me. Only I get to make that decision. No one can tell me I’m not a writer. So, I herby declare that I’m a writer on a semi-break. I will get back to my stories. My fingers are itching to get back to the keyboard. I put too much effort into my WIP to abandon it now. After I do my taxes. And clean out a box I stashed in the cupboard two years ago and haven’t looked at since. It holds all the printed out critiques for many of my books.

How about out other authors? Do they ever question their status as a writer? Let’s find out of they share 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

Feb 12, 2024

Do you ever ask yourself if you are still a writer?