Tag: #IAmWriting

After Reaching The End #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 August 2 posting of the IWSG are Kate Larkinsdale,Diane Burton, Janet Alcorn, and Shannon Lawrence!

August 2 question: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?

Easy answer: All the freakin’ time. I worry about the last few words, the last sentence, the last paragraph, the last chapter. Is the story going where I want it to go? Am I setting the right tone? Staying true to my characters?

But I suspect the question is referring to an entire story. The answer is still yes. I’ve written total books that are filed away because I don’t believe they are good enough. If they don’t meet my standards, I won’t foist them off on my readers.

For example, I’ve tried to write romance. Just can’t do it.. At least, I’m not meeting the expectations of the genre. I can’t write the deep emotions that readers anticipate. Give me action/adventure, mixed with a touch of romance, and I’m in my element. 

I’ve handled those failed attempts in several ways. I have set some aside. Sometimes I take elements of the stories to reuse in a whole new work. I am currently working on a remake of a manuscript I set aside over a decade ago. As I set to work, I realized the new story was more of a tribute to the original, rather than a rewrite. I’ve shed some of the major plot points from the first version while strengthening others. (The working title is The Edwards Agency. )

I don’t consider any of those set-aside books as failures. I see them as learning experiences. Each one has improved my writing skills. 

To see how other authors feel about the question, check out a few of the links below.

Over The River And Through The Woods #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 10, 2023

What do you order from your local Chinese restaurant? Do you order it every time or mix things up?

What do I order from my local Chinese restaurant? Clutch your pearls, I don’t really have a local one. The nearest one is over the river and through the woods and down a hill; not necessarily in that order. In the year since we’ve lived here, I haven’t ordered from it.

There’s a reason for that. I drive by it on my weekly trip to the grocery store and no matter what time it is; the place is never busy, which makes me assume the food isn’t very good. Even if people were getting takeout, there’d be cars in the parking lot, and the most I’ve seen even at suppertime is two. That’s not encouraging. (And they don’t deliver to my area.)

 How does a place like that stay in business? What are they selling out the back door? And what does that have to do with the mystery the private investigator in my work in progress is involved in? I can’t wait to find out!

It won’t be the first time I’ve used Chinese food in one of my stories. There’s a pivotal scene in The Rise of Jake Hennessey that takes place over a meal of Chinese takeout. Typical stuff – fried rice, lo mein, sweet-n-sour chicken.

That doesn’t mean those are the food I would choose. I like to experiment. I may not try any of the really spicy recipes, but I’m good with anything from mild to medium. It really depends on the restaurant, but put me in front of buffet and I will make several trips. I may not leave room for dessert!

What are my favorites? Honey chicken and pepper chicken. You can’t find them everywhere. I’m also fond of a good combination fried rice.

 

Oh, as a sidenote. I don’t use chopsticks. I’ve tried, and never got the hang of it.

How about the other authors on this hop? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 10, 2023

What do you order from your local Chinese restaurant? Do you order it every time or mix things up?

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.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

Where Do The Ideas for My Books Come From #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!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the July 5 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre!

July 5 question – 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?

 
I don’t remember most of my dreams. And most of the ones I remember are so scattered that they don’t make any sense. I had a dream that started on a cruise ship (I’ve never been on a cruise) and ended with me running up and down hills somewhere in Italy. (I’ve never been to Italy, either.) I can’t figure out how to turn that nonsense into a coherent story.
 
There is an exception. Wolves’ Pawn, my first published book, got its start from a snippet of a dream that turned into the prologue. The other two books in the Free Wolves series were a natural extension of that story.
 
The rest of my stories? They have a way of making themselves known to me. For example, The Marquesa’s Necklace was originally titled The Ghost Who Loved Me. The characters soon convinced me that my original premise for the story was all wrong and I switched it. What was supposed to be a paranormal romance turned into a whole series of mysteries. The Jake Hennessey stories were inspired by a background character in those books.
 
MY current WIP, The Edwards Agency, is a tribute to a story I wrote over a decade ago, and never attempted to publish. The time just wasn’t right. I thought I’d rewrite it, but soon realized that it needed a total reworking. The new book shares a title, some characters, and a few basic plot points. It has a life of its own, which it deserves.
 
So, where do my book ideas come from? The characters chose the time to talk to me. It’s up to them.
 
Find out where other authors get their ideas by following the links below. 
 
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
 
 
 

AI (Artificial Intelligence) It’s Not As New As You Think #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 3, 2023

Have you played with AI in your writing? Tell us what you think about it.

This article was not written with AI – or was it?

I read about it everywhere. How AI (artificial evidence) is writing blog posts, term papers, articles, and entire books. I’ve seen dozens of FB pasts proudly heralding the fact that a book was not written with the help of AI.

But we need a definition here. What is AI? The widely accepted meaning from Artificial Intelligence (courtesy of the website TechTarget) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.

The question becomes, how deep does this go? Does something as simple as Microsoft’s built-in spell-checker count? (Which was part of Office 2003.) How about sites like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Scrivener or a dozen more? Rytr or Jasper?

I’ve been using basic spelling and grammar checking sites for years. I’ve also used the option of looking for synonyms using the built-in capabilities of whatever document creation program is available to assist with tightening my writing. Does that mean I am using AI?

Shoot, ProWritingAid and Grammarly have added ‘suggestions’ to fix phrasing errors and bad writing into their standard functions. (I’m sure other systems have as well, but those are two I am familiar with.) Is that using AI? Will I run this entry through ProWritingAid before I post it? You bet your sweet bibby. And will I change things when it says bibby isn’t a word, or the phrase is a cliché and should be revised? Nope.

Does that mean I’ve used AI to produce this blog? Technically, yes. Do I believe this counts as an AI generated post? No. Absolutely not. I’ve poured a lot of energy into this entry. No computer wrote it for me.

What it comes down to is that I think we need new terminology. Just like a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not necessarily a square, we need terms that denote the differences between AI assisted and AI generated. And at what percentage is the dividing line? I will leave that discussion to others.

Would I consider using AI to generate a blog post? sure, I’d consider it.

.

.

It’s been considered. My magic 8 ball says it’s unlikely.

It’ll be interesting to see what the other authors on this hop have to say about Ai. To find out, follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 3, 2023

Have you played with AI in your writing? Tell us what you think about it.

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.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Something to Eat, Drink, and Listen To #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 8, 2023

How do you get ready for a long writing session?

I thought this would be an easy question to answer until I stopped to think about it, and how long it’s been since I had a really long writing session. I’ve lost my focus. All the changes I’ve gone through in the last year have messed with my internal equilibrium. Even writing these blog posts takes me forever as I start, get distracted, and have to come back to them.

My current distractions? Too many to list, but they include identifying the flowers and birds in my yard. Spotted what I think was an Eastern meadowlark today, but it flew away before I got a good look at it. And my yard is filled with pinkish-white flowers that I think are cuckoo flowers. I can’t find much information about them in my locale, so I’m not sure. The plant identifier sites barely mention the possibility of them in my area.



I’m also getting ready for the release of The Rise of Jake Hennessey and having fun creating memes, spending time on free photo sites and manipulating them in Canva. Have you seen one of them on social media? Here’s the latest.

 

Okay, back to business. After I check my email. All three of them.  And check the view out my window as the daylight fades. Where were we?

Oh yeah, how do I settle in for a long writing session? First, I have to refill my water bottle. Water is my choice of beverage, although it gets boring. Then, I need to choose a snack. Reese’s Pieces are a good option, but I have to limit my intake. Cheese cubes are a healthy alternative. Next, I put on my headphones and pick an artist or playlist. John Denver remains a top choice, along with classic rock. Something I’ve heard enough that I don’t have to concentrate on the words but can only half-listen to without feeling like I’m missing anything. It  helps block the urge to hop on the internet and browse. Although I’ve been listening to 80’s music as a background for my WIP and getting distracted because I’m discovering artists I didn’t pay attention to back when the music was popular.

Where was I? How about the other authors on this loop? How do they get ready for a long writing session? Find out by following the links below. 

Until next time, please stay safe.

May 8, 2023

How do you get ready for a long writing session?

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.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

What Inspires My Writing #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 Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the May 3 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler,Ronel Janse van Vuuren,Meka James,Diane Burton,Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour!

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 3 question – When you are working on a story, what inspires you?

What I am inspired by depends upon the story, but music is the constant. What music depends on what mood I am in. Sometimes it’s classic rock, sometimes it’s Celtic, but singer songwriters like John Denver, Buffy Sainte Marie and Joni Mitchell are my fallbacks. Although lately, I’ve been following several YouTube reaction channels, because they remind me of music I loved but that I lost track of.

The other thing I’ve added to my playlists are 1980s country, because my WIP references songs from that time frame, and it wasn’t anything I followed back in the day. But those songs are part of the way I’m trying to recreate the time period and the atmosphere of scenes. 

But my biggest inspirations come from the characters themselves. I may start off knowing where I want the story to go, but as I get to know my characters, they will tell me what I’m doing wrong. Yes, I have changed my plot because the characters have convinced me their way of doing things is better. It happens more often than not. They will also tell me if I am writing a stand-alone or a series.

One quick sidenote- my new book, The Rise of Jake Hennessey, releases May 17th. Watch for it on this blog. 

Check out some of the links below to find out where other authors get their inspiration.  Until next time, please stay safe!

As Stealthy as Jake Hennessey #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By IWSG

Jan 30, 2023

Are there other writers you ‘stalk’ on social media? Who and why?

First, let me explain the title of this blog post. Jake Hennessey is the main character in my WIP, The Rise of Jake Hennessey. Here’s a line from Chapter One.

“She hasn’t spotted me for twenty-two years, and I wasn’t going to let it happen now.”

Now, Jake doesn’t consider it stalking. He’s keeping a protective eye on Harmony, his cousin’s widow, that’s all. Oh, and the fact that she’s his ex-lover has nothing to do with it. (Yes, it’s complicated.)

Seriously, I don’t have the time or energy sink into that kind of drama. I barely keep up with the authors I follow on Facebook. (Although I blame FB for that. Too many ads, and not enough posts from the people I follow.) There’s one author I followed regularly who just dropped from my feed. (It took me a  while to realize it. And yes, I ‘followed’ her, not just liked her. ) Shoot, the algorithm doesn’t even show me everything my husband posts!

I also get newsletters from a number of authors. Too many, perhaps, because I get overwhelmed and don’t pay enough attention to them. We won’t even discuss my apathy towards Twitter, MeWe, and Instagram.

So, unlike Jake, I utterly fail at ‘stalking’ my fellow authors.  Let’s find out if anyone else on this hop is better at it. Just follow the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Jan 30, 2023

Are there other writers you ‘stalk’ on social media? Who and why?

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 Missing Info #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Jan 16, 2023

What is one thing that you wish you’d known about writing before you started?

Let’s specify: I started writing back in 1974-ish. Back then, I wrote poetry. I don’t think that counts for the purpose of this question. Instead, I’ll talk about the last ten years, when I started writing fiction, instead.

I thought I’d done my homework. I’d joined a writer’s group on-line and followed the discussions, even when I had nothing to contribute. It helped me make my decision to publish as an indie author. But it didn’t prepare me for everything that went along with that decision.

Writing to please yourself is one thing. Writing for potential publication is another. It’s a lot more work.

It’s hard enough getting words on paper and finishing a story. Whipping those words into shape for other people to read is a whole different challenge. I don’t think I understood how much work editing is until the first time I tackled it with an aim of publication, and I keep learning more about it every time I get another book ready to release. (And I’m on book eleven!)

It’s not just fixing spelling and grammar errors, it’s making those words sing. That’s the hard part. I won’t go into detail—there have been entire books written on the topic. Two of my pain points are using too many adverbs and overusing the word ‘was.’

If I had known how hard it was, I might have reconsidered my decision to publish my stories. It’s too late for that now. I’m having too much fun. Much to my surprise, I’m even enjoying the editing process for my work-in-progress. Seeing how the changes being made are making the story more suspenseful makes me eager to share it with readers. (The working title is The Rise of Jake Hennessey. The cover is coming soon. It’ll echo the cover of The Fall of Jake Hennessey and that’s as much as I know.)

What do the other authors on this hop wish they has known? You can find out by following the links below.

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

Jan 16, 2023

What is one thing that you wish you’d known about writing before you started?

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.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Mixing The True and False #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

Nov 28, 2022

Do you use real or fictional cities in your writing? How do you incorporate them into the story?

There is a town called Oak Grove in Indiana, but it’s not my Oak Grove. I’ve never been there, but I was close. We were taking a shortcut between here and there, stopped at a gas station, and came across the town’s little newspaper. I still have it somewhere.

My fictional Oak Grove sits near the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio, north of Pittsburgh. I’ve kept its location a secret so that I can play with the differing laws and law enforcement structure between the two states. I’m writing fiction—so I can get away with it.

But Oak Grove, the home of Harmony Duprie, is based on several real small towns. As I wrote the second book in the series, I realized it was as much of a character in the story as the people, and tried to show that by focusing on events and people that shape the city. The small towns I’ve lived in for much of my life were the base for how Oak Grove developed.

In building the world around Oak Grove, I mixed in larger, actual cities to give readers a geographic reference. Pittsburgh. Cleveland. Washington D.C. Places I’ve visited so I don’t feel I’m making them up. (and the internet is a marvelous source of maps and images.) My Oak Grove boasts a marvelous Carnegie Library, but as is true in many small towns, the residents may have to travel to a bigger city for shopping or specialized health visits. Of course, these days, some of those issues are resolved thanks to on-line shopping and telehealth.

My urban fantasies are different. Because my wolf-shifters don’t want people to know where they are living, I made their location purposefully vague. I have a general location, and that’s it. The only time I identify a city is when they travel far from their home. (Easter egg: There are some crossover references to the characters from the Free Wolves series in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries. Yes, I realize they attract different types of readers, but I had fun doing it.)

I’m looking forward to seeing how the other authors on this hop answer this question. Can you use real cities in a story set in outer space? (I’m looking at you, Richard!) Just follow the links below to find out with me.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Nov 28, 2022

Do you use real or fictional cities in your writing? How do you incorporate them into the story?

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.

 

Have It Your Way Pizza Edition #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

October 10, 2022

What toppings do you put on your pizza? Is pineapple a real pizza topping?

I actually had this conversation with my brother-in-law a few nights ago. I don’t remember who brought it up, but I think we were discussing the sandwich shop down the street. (They sell pizza, too.) He nearly had a heart attack when I revealed I like pineapple on my pizza. 

Not just any pizza. It has to be a traditional Hawaiian style pizza. Which isn’t Hawaiian at all, but the name makes sense when you consider the other toppings.

The basics are the basics. Crust (your choice) pizza sauce and cheese. Now, start with the meats. I don’t think I’ll offend anyone with those. Canadian bacon tops the list. No substitutions. Ham doesn’t cut it. Pepperoni is a bonus. Other meats are fine (Bacon is always good!) but not needed.

Green pepper is called for, as are diced tomato pieces.

Here’s where I may wander into controversy.

Sliced black olives. I know, I know. Many of you don’t like them. You can skip them.

It gets worse.

Pineapple. Yes, pineapple is a fruit. So are olives and tomatoes. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Tomatoes are fruits that are considered vegetables by nutritionists.”

If you think that’s bad, I’m not done. There’s one more old-school topping. Yes, I know it sounds crazy. Maraschino cherries, cut in half. And there you have it-one Hawaiian style pizza.

Still with me? What do you think about pineapple as a pizza topping? Let me know in the comments. And check out the other authors 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

October 10, 2022

What toppings do you put on your pizza? Is pineapple a real pizza topping?

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.