Hey! Has anybody here read anything by author, and homeschool alumni, Faith Blum? Her latest book is on blog tour, going on now.
(Wow! Doesn't "on blog tour" just sound so much neater then expected?!)
And.... *drum roll, please,* ...E. Kaiser Writes-A-Blog is part!
*Low tones* Here, we speak with Faith about her deepest fears... um, desires... well, more like... some kind of regular writer chit-chat kind of things, actually. (At first. Stay tuned for delving deeper behind her mask, though.)
E:
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
F: Definitely
editing. I can edit other people’s books and pick out typos, but
with my own stories, I have a hard time doing so.
E:
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you
about their work?
F: This
is like trying to pick your favorite book or the limb or body part
you would most like to live without. I guess I’ll say Jaye L.
Knight. I don’t typically like fantasy books, so when I heard about
her new book, I was a little hesitant to read it. I’m hooked on her
books now. She wrote fantasy that works and doesn’t have magic in
it. She also manages to mix God into her stories without beating you
over the head with Him.
E:
Do you have to travel much concerning your books?
F: I
wish! I would love to travel to the places I write about, but
finances would definitely not allow that at this time.
E: Okay! Now that those boring questions are out of the way to sort of break the ice, how 'bout we take this up a notch, just 'cause we can do awe-inspiring things like that, hm? Now for some off the wall, shoot from the hip, knock-'em dead 'cause they never saw that coming, sort of Q&A!
E: Since you wish you could travel as part of your job; how 'bout if you were a super-secret-agent-spy type character? Where would your first dangerous mission be to?
F: Awesome question! I love the idea of being a super-secret-agent-spy
type character. I’ve always been fascinated by Scotland, Russia, and
Israel, so I would love for one of my missions to be there. And since
Israel is the current hot spot, I would say either there or Russia. But
maybe I could stop in Scotland for a quick sight-seeing trip/training
mission? *hopeful grin*
E: Hmmm...
only if the enemy is hot on your tail, and you simply HAVE to
unexpectedly change flights last minute at the airport. Then... how
could HQ object? Right? And is it your fault if you are spotted as soon
as your plane lands in Heathrow, and you are forced to hide on a flight
to Scotland? And then you have to lay low for a couple weeks; translate=
moving from place to place, disguised as a tourist. What could be more
clever? Right?!!!
F: *laughs* I love it! Sounds like a great idea! That could totally work and totally be feasible!
E: 2nd Fun Question: Would you be, 1) infiltrating enemy ranks to steal back top-secret data files kept on a chip embedded into a Ming dynasty vase?
2) Cat burglaring their safe to retrieve the gems they intend to sell and finance their nefarious plans?
or 3) Planting false documents on the head honcho to make him look like a double agent, so his cohorts no longer trust him, and they all start shooting each other instead?
F: Ze
answer, Madamoiselle: Oh wow. That is a hard one. Um… *thinks* I think I
would rather do #3 and plant false documents. Although, the second one
sounds like something I would enjoy, too.
Okay!
Sounds like a plan... so... the heart of a cat burglar secretly beats
behind those ribs, hm? I shall have to go check my valuables... be right
back.
Here's some stuff about Faith's book while I'm gone...
Excerpt & Description: "The church was empty when I
dragged myself out of the pew and headed out the door. As I opened the
door, the corner of my eye caught a flicker of movement which I chose to
ignore. I walked down the steps and was nearly bowled over by two wild
boys. With arms grown strong and quick from man-handling two brothers
growing up, I grabbed the two boys before they had a chance to escape
me." ~ Anna Stuart is comfortable with her life. She may be a 30
year old spinster, but she has her routine and enjoys taking care of
her father and older brother. One letter shatters all her routines,
comfort, and enjoyment. After learning of her brother’s death, Anna
feels like her life will never be the same again. ... Then she meets
two motherless boys. Did God place them in her life to lead her to a
new vision of life? Can she trust God to give her the desires of her
heart before she even knows what they are?
Bio: An avid reader, Faith Blum started
writing at an early age. Whether it was a story about the camping trip
that summer or a more creative story about fictional characters, she has
always enjoyed writing. When not writing, Miss Blum enjoys reading,
crafting, playing piano, moderating on the Holy Worlds Historical
Fiction Forum and playing games with her family (canasta, anyone?). As a
history enthusiast who has been fascinated for years with the Old West,
Faith has endeavored to create a clean, fun, and challenging Western
story. Faith lives with her family on a hobby farm in the Northern
Midwest, where she enjoys the many cats they have.
Faith Blum's Website: http://www.faithblum.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HymnsoftheWest
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/Faith_Blum
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/102215478367164319526/posts
E: Thanks for stopping by, everybody!!!
And thanks for chatting with me, Faith! Someday we should go be super-secret-agent-spies together... Hey! Can we free-lance? That way nothing would be safe from us....
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
How would you live with one year left?
I’m participating in the “A Time to Die” Blog Hop!
This hop is to spread the word about Nadine Brandes’s new dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releasing September 23rd. It is also to encourage myself and others to look deeper into how we would live if we knew how short our time was.
Personally, I’ve actually thought about this subject a lot, ever since I was a little girl. (The Little House books kind of started a fascination with the dreadful, I guess… I used to pretend I was blind Mary, just to see how that would be. ‘Till mom forbade it…
)
This hop is to spread the word about Nadine Brandes’s new dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releasing September 23rd. It is also to encourage myself and others to look deeper into how we would live if we knew how short our time was.
 |
| Nadine Brandes "A Time To Die." |
Personally, I’ve actually thought about this subject a lot, ever since I was a little girl. (The Little House books kind of started a fascination with the dreadful, I guess… I used to pretend I was blind Mary, just to see how that would be. ‘Till mom forbade it…
)
The sudden losses of almost all my extended family didn’t help things, I’m sure. (Grandparents, uncles… my last, and youngest, uncle died in an accident at 30 years of age. I was in my mid teens.)
I kind of went through each day as if I was only separated from the grave by a hair… which definitely is a realistic view, and kept me concentrating on the important things, such as my spiritual walk, and relationships with my family.
But it was a rather oppressive life perspective, and I’ve been able to grow into the view of being given an infinite amount of time, who can tell when my time will be up? It could be long and lengthy!
Anyway, I kind of put my life on hold even as a teen, I felt unsure of being able to finish any big project, and so just kept “to the ruts in the road” kind of thing.
I kind of went through each day as if I was only separated from the grave by a hair… which definitely is a realistic view, and kept me concentrating on the important things, such as my spiritual walk, and relationships with my family.
But it was a rather oppressive life perspective, and I’ve been able to grow into the view of being given an infinite amount of time, who can tell when my time will be up? It could be long and lengthy!
Anyway, I kind of put my life on hold even as a teen, I felt unsure of being able to finish any big project, and so just kept “to the ruts in the road” kind of thing.
So, now, I’ve concentrated on living: I want to take my mom and sis to Florida one winter, and visit the Disney park there. 2016 maybe? (My parents went after they got married, and Mom has always talked about wanting to take us kids there. Now that we’re all grown, I’d like to take her, instead. 
)
)
And I want to finish my books. I’ve got a second series started this year, (3 ms. completed, 2 more to go! ) and I want to clear out the WIPs on my hard drive from the past ten years. I’ve come to the “finishing season” of my writing career, and so I’m anxious to get those unfinished jewels cut, polished and complete.
) and I want to clear out the WIPs on my hard drive from the past ten years. I’ve come to the “finishing season” of my writing career, and so I’m anxious to get those unfinished jewels cut, polished and complete.
I have a year to live… and many more after that! But if I should wake up one morning and have that be my last, there is nothing I’d regret. I am safe in the hand of a King much more capable and important than anything I could ever do, say or think, so if He’s okay with my going home…. I’m WAY more than okay with it!
Parvin Blackwater believes she has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside. In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the government’s crooked justice system.
But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall — her people’s death sentence. What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her Clock is running out.
This is the first book in the Out of Time Series. Released September 23rd from Enclave Publishing.
- About the book: www.nadinebrandes.com/my-books/
- Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/NadineBrandesAuthor
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/NadineBrandes
- Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/NadineBrandes
- Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/NadineBrandes
Other blog hoppers! :-)
9.03.14 – Nadine Brandes
9.08.14 – Ashlee Willis
9.11.14 – Caitlin Schesser
9.15.14 – Jennette Mbewe
9.17.14 – Heather Fitzgerald
9.19.14 – Kristen Stieffel
9.22.14 – Rebekah Gyger
9.25.14 – Lydia Thomas
9.26.14 – Ashley Olson
9.27.14 – Angel Roman
9.28.14 – Rosalie Valentine
9.29.14 – Aubrei Crooke-Adams
9.30.14 - Sarah Grimm
10.01.14 – Jon Del Arroz
10.02.14 – Amy Brandes
10.04.14 – Kathrese McKee
10.07.14 – Karen DeBlieck
10.09.14 – Bethany Jennings
10.10.14 – Angie Brashear
10.13.14 – Adam Collings
10.15.14 – Bree Courtney
10.20.14 – Gretchen Engel
10.24.14 – JC Morrows
10.30.14 – Lisa Gedfries
a Rafflecopter giveawayMonday, October 13, 2014
October Update: 20k is Down and OUT!!!
Okay, peoples!!!
I'm just as thrilled as pink peaches to announce to the world today that my 20k for October is
accomplished!!!
(Post-scriptus: I wrote this on Saturday, but since my poor blog already had a post that day, I set this to post on Monday.
)
I had several thousand words left over in September from that month's 20k goal to "pay forward" towards October's... which was a good start for "Month Before NaNo Crunch Time".
...And then I had a good sit down with my main-brain side-kick and plot-planning partner, and we roughed in some timelines and got several sticky details nailed down.
(P.S. Snapp and Snurr are some long lived reindeer! They're treading 13 years old now, at this point. And still going strong!!! I tell you what, does Kai really know how to treat his team or what? He's a master herdsman! )
(P.P.S. What do you think of those names for a pair of reindeer? Sound reindeer-y enough to you?)
So, jet-fueled with all the new scene ideas richocheting around in my head I plopped down in the chair and typed madly for the rest of the day! I held out against distractions, against movies being watched in the next room over.
I even held out against naps and... food. (Kinda.)
And I did somewhere in the neihgborhood of 5-7k that day!
And then I hit the keyboard in the days that followed, putting in late nights, and middle of the night writing sprints and anything you can imagine to be sure that I
A) Got these good ideas down, and
B) got to 20k as soon as possible.
Now, I have.
My 20k for October is accomplished, so I don't have to worry about that anymore.
And most of my good ideas are down, and I'm feeling very confidant in this book's future as NaNo project starting next month.
So, with those two worries off my mind, I can now concentrate on the one obstacle that remains: Prince of Demarken, Mission Code Word:WRAP-UP.
Like seriously, Wrap-UP!!! I've been talking about getting that thing finished off for months now, and I'm deadly determined to make sure it happens before November.
'Cause I can't start on Reindeer King with the clear conscience it will definitely require if Prince of Demarken is STILL lurking unfinished in the background.
Come one, now, WIPs!!! This is NOT funny by now!
So... that's my plan for the rest of the month.
What about you?
( And do you think it is remotely possible that I will actually finish off this long-haunted project at long last???)
I'm just as thrilled as pink peaches to announce to the world today that my 20k for October is
 |
| Found at FrontPorchCandles; don't they look scrumptious?! |
(Post-scriptus: I wrote this on Saturday, but since my poor blog already had a post that day, I set this to post on Monday.
) I had several thousand words left over in September from that month's 20k goal to "pay forward" towards October's... which was a good start for "Month Before NaNo Crunch Time".
...And then I had a good sit down with my main-brain side-kick and plot-planning partner, and we roughed in some timelines and got several sticky details nailed down.
(P.S. Snapp and Snurr are some long lived reindeer! They're treading 13 years old now, at this point. And still going strong!!! I tell you what, does Kai really know how to treat his team or what? He's a master herdsman! )
 |
| Current Mock-up Cover Art |
So, jet-fueled with all the new scene ideas richocheting around in my head I plopped down in the chair and typed madly for the rest of the day! I held out against distractions, against movies being watched in the next room over.
I even held out against naps and... food. (Kinda.
)And I did somewhere in the neihgborhood of 5-7k that day!
And then I hit the keyboard in the days that followed, putting in late nights, and middle of the night writing sprints and anything you can imagine to be sure that I
A) Got these good ideas down, and
B) got to 20k as soon as possible.
Now, I have.
My 20k for October is accomplished, so I don't have to worry about that anymore.
And most of my good ideas are down, and I'm feeling very confidant in this book's future as NaNo project starting next month.
So, with those two worries off my mind, I can now concentrate on the one obstacle that remains: Prince of Demarken, Mission Code Word:WRAP-UP.
Like seriously, Wrap-UP!!! I've been talking about getting that thing finished off for months now, and I'm deadly determined to make sure it happens before November.
'Cause I can't start on Reindeer King with the clear conscience it will definitely require if Prince of Demarken is STILL lurking unfinished in the background.
Come one, now, WIPs!!! This is NOT funny by now!
So... that's my plan for the rest of the month.
What about you?
( And do you think it is remotely possible that I will actually finish off this long-haunted project at long last???
)
Saturday, October 11, 2014
FALLING LEAVES, FALLING PRICES
Clean Indie Reads, the home of Flinch-Free Fiction, is having a Fall Sale October 5 thru October 11!
Check out all the sale books here.
To celebrate, we are having a blog hop where you can learn more about some of our authors and their books.
Our bloggers will also be answering the question:
Do the changing seasons influence your writing and/or choice of books to read?
Please join the discussion on the following blogs, and you might win a prize or two!
Happy Hopping!
Hey! I'm participating in the Clean Indie Reads Fall Sale Blog Hop, and so the question I need to answer today is: how do the changing seasons affect my writing?
Well, I can tell you right away that they mostly don't.
Exept when they kind of do...
Here's the thing. I write whatever season, temperature and landscape my current Work In Progress requires, so that isn't affected much by what's going on outside my window.
But, I can also tell you that I hate heat. And also cold.
So I really don't want to work on heat-stroke-inducing desert scenes in the middle of August, when heat stroke is a very real option here and I'm trying not to think about it for fear of priming events for it to actually happen.
(I'm an "attack-first" thinker; not to say that my thinking about something will make it happen, but I have been victim of my powerful imagination before, and find my poor little mind very suggestible to it's influences. So it's best to stay very strictly away from mentally listing "worse case scenarios", unless it's absolutely a state of verifiable crisis and we have to.)
So this also means that in the middle of the blooming cold of winter, I DO NOT want to be imagining myself in the middle of a blizzard, and describing that in vivid detail. (I have been there and done that, and on a hot day in August, recalling all the sensations can actually be enjoyable. In the middle of January...? No. It is not.)
So there you go. I generally try to write opposite to the extreme season I happen to be in... call it a case of authorial wishful thinking.
How about you? Do you "transport" yourself into a different time of the year to escape the current discomforts? Or am I unusually strange?
(You don't have to answer that!!!! )
)October 5:
Linda Covella
Mary Ellen Bramwell
Tina Webb
Logan Crowe
October 6:
Tara Fairfield
Barbara A. Martin
Shanna Hatfield
October 7:
Sally Sue Fleischmann Ember
Chrystal Lynn Miles Gauthier
Zelda Benjamin
October 8:
Kelley Crandall
Jennifer Pitkin
Mari Barnes
October 9:
Sharon Skretting
James DiBenedetto
Melanie Snitker
October 10:
Felicia Rogers
Ruth O’Neil
Debbie Brown
October 11:
Faith Blum
Kristin Wallace
Elizabeth Kaiser
Friday, September 26, 2014
September Update; 20k In the Bag!
Okay, folks!
Here's my 20k notice for the month of September.
Yes! I did it.
I was able to start out fairly strong in the beginning of the month, and so I built up a lot of my word count before we hit the middle. This allowed me to be able to get the tail ends of my goal wrapped up before the complete end of the month was here, so I'm gald to report I'm done for my September writing goal!
I did not finish Prince of Demarken, again. I had hoped to, but... I DID get some really key scenes in, ones that had been getting me stuck for a while now, so we are making progress.
So I ended up letting it soak a bit while I worked on other things; mainly Twelve Dark Knights and The Beaded Slipper. Yes, those are the two chronologically-first spin off novels, so it was decided that working on them would be a good relief, (but still in the same world and therefore self-informative) for Prince of Demarken.
We've got some good times ahead with Twelve Dark Knights, let me tell you! :-) The set-up is just riff with fire-crackers and ready to blow in a million different ways! Going to be lots of fun in there!!!
Now that my goal is finished, I'm hoping to keep wrangling with the last stubborn scenes in Pricne of Demarken, and get them ironed out. I've let them "soak" long enough, I have a hunch they'll relent under pressure.
And of course, October is the month before NaNoWriMo, and I can't afford to be strangling the last drops of inspiration out of my brain in the dwindling light of October's end.
No, NO!!! That would be something worhty of a horror story!
I must have a fresh batch of creativity to tackle the long haul of 50k in November.... so that means I really need to have my alotted 20k for October done up very early in the month.
So I'm going to get working on it this month, in the week that we still have left.
The goal is to have 20k new words for every month, and if they're written early... WHO CARES? Certainly not I!!!
So, there are my plans for the next three months.
What do you think of them? Sound doable to you?
Do you have any big projects you're tackling? Have you planned it out?
Yes! I did it.
I was able to start out fairly strong in the beginning of the month, and so I built up a lot of my word count before we hit the middle. This allowed me to be able to get the tail ends of my goal wrapped up before the complete end of the month was here, so I'm gald to report I'm done for my September writing goal!
I did not finish Prince of Demarken, again. I had hoped to, but... I DID get some really key scenes in, ones that had been getting me stuck for a while now, so we are making progress.
So I ended up letting it soak a bit while I worked on other things; mainly Twelve Dark Knights and The Beaded Slipper. Yes, those are the two chronologically-first spin off novels, so it was decided that working on them would be a good relief, (but still in the same world and therefore self-informative) for Prince of Demarken.
We've got some good times ahead with Twelve Dark Knights, let me tell you! :-) The set-up is just riff with fire-crackers and ready to blow in a million different ways!
Going to be lots of fun in there!!!Now that my goal is finished, I'm hoping to keep wrangling with the last stubborn scenes in Pricne of Demarken, and get them ironed out. I've let them "soak" long enough, I have a hunch they'll relent under pressure.
And of course, October is the month before NaNoWriMo, and I can't afford to be strangling the last drops of inspiration out of my brain in the dwindling light of October's end.
No, NO!!! That would be something worhty of a horror story!
I must have a fresh batch of creativity to tackle the long haul of 50k in November.... so that means I really need to have my alotted 20k for October done up very early in the month.
So I'm going to get working on it this month, in the week that we still have left.
The goal is to have 20k new words for every month, and if they're written early... WHO CARES?
Certainly not I!!! So, there are my plans for the next three months.
What do you think of them? Sound doable to you?
Do you have any big projects you're tackling? Have you planned it out?
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Are You As Mixed Up As I Often Make People?
Everybody who is anybody probably already knows all about the Extrovert/Introvert dilemma and the various tangents different people can go off on.
I've always considered myself an introvert... but people who meet me shake their heads in disbelief and practically call me a liar when I share this small fact.
I understand what makes them respond this way, but the fact is: I've put a lot of hard work into my "out-going personality" and friendly smile.
I enjoy people, I really do, and I love to have deep and meaningful conversations with old friends and new ones alike.
But I've always felt no one really understood me... including, sometimes, a sneaky feeling that neither did I.
So I was very intrigued when I learned about the alternative category of Ambiverts.... this was decidedly me.
And now I've run across a blog post on the Introversion Effect that basically sums me up!
I've always considered myself an introvert... but people who meet me shake their heads in disbelief and practically call me a liar when I share this small fact.
I understand what makes them respond this way, but the fact is: I've put a lot of hard work into my "out-going personality" and friendly smile.
I enjoy people, I really do, and I love to have deep and meaningful conversations with old friends and new ones alike.
But I've always felt no one really understood me... including, sometimes, a sneaky feeling that neither did I.
So I was very intrigued when I learned about the alternative category of Ambiverts.... this was decidedly me.
And now I've run across a blog post on the Introversion Effect that basically sums me up!
19 Struggles Of Having An Outgoing Personality But Actually Being Introverted
So, what say you all? Do resonate any of these "struggles"?
Monday, September 15, 2014
Writer Interview: Jo M. Coleman!
Joining us for today's Writer Interview, we've got Jo M. Coleman, from Southeastern Arizona!
Thanks so much for joining us, Jo! We're so glad to have you here this time, and we hope to get you back for a reader interview sometime later. Tell us a little about yourself and what you've written.
Jo M. Coleman: Hey! I'm so glad to be here, and it is honestly my first time doing an interview like this, so that's pretty exciting! Anyways, I grew up in Arizona with lots (and lots and lots) of siblings, and tried to write my first book at 10 years old. It didn't get more than 2 pages, but it was fun drawing up fan art for it. At 14 I really got serious and wrote a book that was a WIP up until I was 17, when I finished it. I have written 2 more novels since then, so 3 in all, two of them are fantasy novels and the other is a Christian Western. I'm currently working on my fourth novel making good use of NanoWrimo 2012! :D
E: How about this for a quick writing challenge. Using a few sentences, how would you paint a description of the setting/your world, (either where you are or where you grew up,) as if you were setting the scene for a book about you?
J: It's that moment when you step outside and the sky stretches so far and blue above you, the sun wrapping you in its warmth. The green is more of a brown, but the air hums with the comforting buzz of june bugs. Clouds dance across the sky in a symphony of pure white beauty, almost as though you could run through them. This is home.
E: Great description, Jo! Sounds like a great place to be.
So, let's get started. What's your favorite genre/genres, and what do you think really draws you to that/them the most?
J: I absolutely love fantasy. I have read many different genres and I like books from each of them, but overall, I just really love fantasy, especially young adult fantasy. I think what I like about it is that it is pure creativity... creating an entire world/laws/people groups/creatures that don't exist in our world! I love the “royal culture” as well as the idea of virgin land stretching as far as imaginable, forests, plains, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and hills. Untouched land just waiting for me to revel in its beauty. Plus, I just really, really love dragons and unicorns. :-D And the thought that I could own a White Siberian Tiger.
E: Ooo... I like your description. I think we're on the same page there! Myself, I'd take a regular, orangey tiger. I just love that color!
What's your most favorite writing related advice?
J: “Write the book that you want to read.” I don't remember where I first heard it, but I have taken it to heart ever since. It is great fodder for ideas and keeping me going in the middle of a work in progress. What is it that I want to read? What book have I wanted to read but have never found one quite like it? Write it myself! I think that's one of the best ways to maintain writerly inspiration (which, like middle school crushes, can be so fickle!), and come up with great ideas and characters! What do I want to read in a book? What character do I wish I'd read before? That is one of the main reasons I did my rewrite of “Beauty and the Beast”, because I'd always wanted to see it done from the Beast's point of view (and there may be some out there, though I haven't read any), so I figured... why not do it myself?
E: Great advice! And I like how you've really taken it to heart and gotten a great writing attitude out of it. And, yes, that writerly inspiration can be so vanishing when you need it most!
What is your favorite type of character to write? Why do you think that especially appeals to you?
J: Hmm... I have written quite a few strong women characters, so I think that definitely appeals to me. A woman who will do what needs to be done, but is not afraid to be vulnerable at the end of the day. A woman who fights fiercely, loves devotedly, and dreams big. I guess the reason that particular type of character appeals to me is that I see it as sort of a “larger than life” version of myself – the woman I would hope to be if I were to encounter the situations my characters do. I also like to write a character who, in the face of the right (hard) choice or the wrong (easy) choice, will choose the right! So characters with character! I do also like to write a bad guy that the reader (and I!) really really want to see beaten in the end. Although I do like to make my antagonists sympathetic in some way, they generally are also so far deep in evil that despite feeling sorry for them, you also just want to see them pay for their crimes.
E: Where do you like to get your characters? Do you like to draw off of people you know, other books, or just pull them put of the blue?
J: It's a mash-up. I do like to give every main character of mine an interest that I share with them, because it's one level that I can really add realism to. So, I would make them an artist, or give them a love for reading, or have them be a seamstress. Other elements may be taken from people that I know, or myself, such as that person who's always making silly jokes that nobody laughs at, or the way you just laugh and laugh with someone, or how someone always inadvertently knows how to make every situation completely awkward.
E: Some writers talk about their characters getting out of control and things happening that they didn't intended to happen; have you ever had this happen?
J: Actually, I don't think I can honestly say this has happened to me! It kinda makes me feel somewhat abnormal... but my characters generally will do what I've set for them to do. I am something of a pantster though, so often the plot will end up going down some random deviation of a rabbit trail and my characters will skip along with it. But I see that as more of a plot deviation leading to character deviation, not really the other way around.
E: How do you write, is it 'start with page one, scene one' and go through it in order; or just "whatever scene pops into your head"
(and that might mean that you have the entire middle of your book written before you even start on the beginning)?
J: A general overview is always in place in my mind before I begin writing, and usually the ending is pretty clear as well. Once I actually begin writing it down, it is completely written in the order it will be read (though I may switch some things around once it is all written down). Unless there is a particular scene in which I have something very specific in mind (such as a piece of dialogue, a section of prose, or the like), and I have to write it down ASAP or else I will forget it. But generally it is written from Chapter One in order through till “The End”.
E: How do you plan your stories' "bones", or do you?
J: I will “Pants” the first draft, just hacking it out however it comes. Then I will sit down for as long as it takes (weeks to months) and write down a solid outline (a friend of mine has written a FANTASTIC book about outlining), then I will begin the rewrite. But I will still end up “pantsing” on some parts even with the solid outline.
E: Have you tried any plotting, outlining, methods; and what works best to your way of thinking?
Thanks so much for joining us, Jo! We're so glad to have you here this time, and we hope to get you back for a reader interview sometime later. Tell us a little about yourself and what you've written.
Jo M. Coleman: Hey! I'm so glad to be here, and it is honestly my first time doing an interview like this, so that's pretty exciting! Anyways, I grew up in Arizona with lots (and lots and lots) of siblings, and tried to write my first book at 10 years old. It didn't get more than 2 pages, but it was fun drawing up fan art for it. At 14 I really got serious and wrote a book that was a WIP up until I was 17, when I finished it. I have written 2 more novels since then, so 3 in all, two of them are fantasy novels and the other is a Christian Western. I'm currently working on my fourth novel making good use of NanoWrimo 2012! :D
E: How about this for a quick writing challenge. Using a few sentences, how would you paint a description of the setting/your world, (either where you are or where you grew up,) as if you were setting the scene for a book about you?
J: It's that moment when you step outside and the sky stretches so far and blue above you, the sun wrapping you in its warmth. The green is more of a brown, but the air hums with the comforting buzz of june bugs. Clouds dance across the sky in a symphony of pure white beauty, almost as though you could run through them. This is home.
E: Great description, Jo! Sounds like a great place to be.
So, let's get started. What's your favorite genre/genres, and what do you think really draws you to that/them the most?
J: I absolutely love fantasy. I have read many different genres and I like books from each of them, but overall, I just really love fantasy, especially young adult fantasy. I think what I like about it is that it is pure creativity... creating an entire world/laws/people groups/creatures that don't exist in our world! I love the “royal culture” as well as the idea of virgin land stretching as far as imaginable, forests, plains, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and hills. Untouched land just waiting for me to revel in its beauty. Plus, I just really, really love dragons and unicorns. :-D And the thought that I could own a White Siberian Tiger.
E: Ooo... I like your description. I think we're on the same page there! Myself, I'd take a regular, orangey tiger. I just love that color!
What's your most favorite writing related advice?
J: “Write the book that you want to read.” I don't remember where I first heard it, but I have taken it to heart ever since. It is great fodder for ideas and keeping me going in the middle of a work in progress. What is it that I want to read? What book have I wanted to read but have never found one quite like it? Write it myself! I think that's one of the best ways to maintain writerly inspiration (which, like middle school crushes, can be so fickle!), and come up with great ideas and characters! What do I want to read in a book? What character do I wish I'd read before? That is one of the main reasons I did my rewrite of “Beauty and the Beast”, because I'd always wanted to see it done from the Beast's point of view (and there may be some out there, though I haven't read any), so I figured... why not do it myself?
E: Great advice! And I like how you've really taken it to heart and gotten a great writing attitude out of it. And, yes, that writerly inspiration can be so vanishing when you need it most!
What is your favorite type of character to write? Why do you think that especially appeals to you?
J: Hmm... I have written quite a few strong women characters, so I think that definitely appeals to me. A woman who will do what needs to be done, but is not afraid to be vulnerable at the end of the day. A woman who fights fiercely, loves devotedly, and dreams big. I guess the reason that particular type of character appeals to me is that I see it as sort of a “larger than life” version of myself – the woman I would hope to be if I were to encounter the situations my characters do. I also like to write a character who, in the face of the right (hard) choice or the wrong (easy) choice, will choose the right! So characters with character! I do also like to write a bad guy that the reader (and I!) really really want to see beaten in the end. Although I do like to make my antagonists sympathetic in some way, they generally are also so far deep in evil that despite feeling sorry for them, you also just want to see them pay for their crimes.
E: Where do you like to get your characters? Do you like to draw off of people you know, other books, or just pull them put of the blue?
J: It's a mash-up. I do like to give every main character of mine an interest that I share with them, because it's one level that I can really add realism to. So, I would make them an artist, or give them a love for reading, or have them be a seamstress. Other elements may be taken from people that I know, or myself, such as that person who's always making silly jokes that nobody laughs at, or the way you just laugh and laugh with someone, or how someone always inadvertently knows how to make every situation completely awkward.
E: Some writers talk about their characters getting out of control and things happening that they didn't intended to happen; have you ever had this happen?
J: Actually, I don't think I can honestly say this has happened to me! It kinda makes me feel somewhat abnormal... but my characters generally will do what I've set for them to do. I am something of a pantster though, so often the plot will end up going down some random deviation of a rabbit trail and my characters will skip along with it. But I see that as more of a plot deviation leading to character deviation, not really the other way around.
E: How do you write, is it 'start with page one, scene one' and go through it in order; or just "whatever scene pops into your head"
(and that might mean that you have the entire middle of your book written before you even start on the beginning)?
J: A general overview is always in place in my mind before I begin writing, and usually the ending is pretty clear as well. Once I actually begin writing it down, it is completely written in the order it will be read (though I may switch some things around once it is all written down). Unless there is a particular scene in which I have something very specific in mind (such as a piece of dialogue, a section of prose, or the like), and I have to write it down ASAP or else I will forget it. But generally it is written from Chapter One in order through till “The End”.
E: How do you plan your stories' "bones", or do you?
J: I will “Pants” the first draft, just hacking it out however it comes. Then I will sit down for as long as it takes (weeks to months) and write down a solid outline (a friend of mine has written a FANTASTIC book about outlining), then I will begin the rewrite. But I will still end up “pantsing” on some parts even with the solid outline.
E: Have you tried any plotting, outlining, methods; and what works best to your way of thinking?
J:
I
outline in a notepad with a black pen (Pentel R.S.V.P.). My first
draft I will type up (generally during Nanowrimo), then I will write
out my outline in a notepad as well as the second draft once the
outline is done. After that, I will type up the third draft, print it
out and read through to edit. I only just started outlining in
January of 2012, and found it was very helpful with my third novel,
so that is going to become a solid part of my writing process.
E:
What is your worst writing trouble?
J: Finishing what I've started. I really, really hate going back through and editing, so it's been a struggle for me to get that work done! The initial drafts aren't so difficult (I like to start with a blank slate each time I go to write a new draft, just using the previous one as a springboard), but once I have a solid draft and just need to go through with more specific edits rather than total overhaul, it seems really overwhelming to me.
E: What is your worst writing fault? How do you identify and rectify its effects?
J: Procrastination, also named Facebook. :-P I looooove to procrastinate, though not just with writing but just in general. It's a fault in general for sure. I have to set a specific day and time that I will sit down and GET SOME WRITING DONE, and then I have an easier time doing it. Also with writing, I tend to repeat the same words/phrases a lot, I definitely have to keep a regular sharp eye out for that, as it can get very mundane as a reader to be reading the same things over and over.
E: Hey! It's been great having you here! We've so enjoyed learning more about another writer's mental workings! Thanks for participating.
J: Thank you for having me! It's been fun and I'm looking forward to seeing what other writers have to say as well. :-)
J: Finishing what I've started. I really, really hate going back through and editing, so it's been a struggle for me to get that work done! The initial drafts aren't so difficult (I like to start with a blank slate each time I go to write a new draft, just using the previous one as a springboard), but once I have a solid draft and just need to go through with more specific edits rather than total overhaul, it seems really overwhelming to me.
E: What is your worst writing fault? How do you identify and rectify its effects?
J: Procrastination, also named Facebook. :-P I looooove to procrastinate, though not just with writing but just in general. It's a fault in general for sure. I have to set a specific day and time that I will sit down and GET SOME WRITING DONE, and then I have an easier time doing it. Also with writing, I tend to repeat the same words/phrases a lot, I definitely have to keep a regular sharp eye out for that, as it can get very mundane as a reader to be reading the same things over and over.
E: Hey! It's been great having you here! We've so enjoyed learning more about another writer's mental workings! Thanks for participating.
J: Thank you for having me! It's been fun and I'm looking forward to seeing what other writers have to say as well. :-)
Monday, September 8, 2014
Monthly 20k, and August Update!
Yes, we made it through August!
August to me is one of those difficult months... it's too hot to enjoy summer any more, but we're still not ready to acknowledge that it's almost fall. It's like something inside is screaming "I wanna go back to May!!!"
Which isn't possible... so, everything just slides into a long, sticky string of events, like molasses. Black strap molasses, in fact.
But by the time we reach Semptember everything is better. The temps are cooler, the weather more gorgeous, the harvest is coming in and from time to time you can almost catch the smell of fall in the air. And that's okay, in fact, by this time, we're looking forward to fall.
Hey, by mid-canning-season: we're even looking forward to winter!!!
So, the big question is: Did I make my 20k goal for August?
After the creativity draining Camp NaNo in July, where I over shot my original 20k goal to produce 32k.
...Let me tell you, August did not start out with a thunderclap of writing frenzy.
In fact, August didn't start out with any writing at all.
My batteries had to seriously recharge.
And then some Real Life stresses stepped in and messed things up in their own sweet way, and then it was the middle of the month and I had hardly written anything at all.
So of course, there was mild panic, because I don't want to break my "20k monthly goal" success
This is the 8th consecutive month that I've produce 20k words in.
And yes.... I did get them produced.
It was tough, but I finished the final 2k needed on the next to the last day of the month, and then I just called it quits.
I seriously need to recharge my batteries!!!
Progress So Far This Year
So, on the flip side, I do want to take a minute and publicly consider what this commitment to "Monthly 20k" has resulted in.August was the 8th month!!! Can you believe it??? (I can't hardly!
)
Here's the math: 8 x 20 = 160
That means that I have written a minimum of 160 thousand words, so far.
A minimum!
That is 3 novel's worth. .... Or 6-to-8-ish novellas... or...
Well, actually, it's two 30k novellas, one 90k novel, and I've got the follow-up novel at about 50k, with a couple of thousands tossed into roughly three of the later in the series.
(Yep, all new since January '14!!! Yes, I am kind of freaking out. It seems I've finally closed in on the secret to letting the stories out of my head in a smoother stream!)
Since I have overshot 20k on more months than not, the total word-count is at least 200 thousand new words.
That is... to me... pretty amazing. I wouldn't have thought it possible even just a few years ago, and now...? It's still pretty amazing.
But, having the flexible-timed, large-monthly goal has helped me keep motivated without getting discouraged.
Discouraged is a horrible place for creativity.
And learning how to refine the quality of my writing time has hugely affected the words-per-hour.... since I no longer sit at the computer beating myself up for not having a clue what should happen in this scene.
And having a truly gripping set of plot-lines has inspired a much better conversion rate of time-in-chair.
So, thanks to expert, knowledgeable, professional folks like Rachel Aaron, Dean Wesley Smith, and Hugh Howey for publicly sharing their hard-won perspectives on the realities of being a writer... and particularly, an indie writer.
You have each inspired me!
(And if you don't know them yet, I heartily recommend checking them out! As writers, they are truly great role models to watch, and learn from!)
Future Progress
Also, in August, to get me through to the goal, my first reader and I did a lot of plot brainstorming. We now have the next four-to-five novels lightly sketched out, and the possible spinoffs nailed down enough so that their possibilities will not be impeding forward motion on any of the next up books.
This is huge!!!
(Also, I do intend to make a post about my/our plotting process to share! ...Soon... ish... )
)
So... that was my August. How was yours?
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Blast from the Past: Why I write.
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| Click here to Pin! |
I remember writing this... but I can't remember exactly when. I think it may have been as far back as eight/ten years ago... or maybe not that many, I can't place it for sure.
Anyway, here it does:
"Why do I write?
Why do you dream?
When I write, life recedes a distance and I am on a different level... where the temperature drops on the mist of my thoughts, condensing then into drops of words.
Then, like dew on a spiderweb... stringing into sentences and paragraphs. Images and feelings, swirling and fading, in and out.
I wanted to write because I loved reading so much as a youngster. I wanted to contribute something good back... and that's never changed.
When I emerge I am refreshed; renewed.
Day-to-day returns and I can face it with a cleared perspective.
...I have learned something from myself."
What do you think about that?
Why do you write? Hm???
Thursday, August 28, 2014
ICA Blog Train: David Bergsland Interview!
Welcome to the next stop on the Independent Christian Authors Blog Train!
I'll begin the "linked blogs" on this train by interviewing fellow indie
author, David Bergsland. We both belong to the online group
ICA and connected through there... a great place to learn from the many experienced members on there who happily share of themselves, and David is right in among those!
So I am glad for a chance to introduce him to you all, and hope others will be encouraged, blessed, and perhaps even challenged by his story!
If you're a writer looking for a warm, helpful place, I'd highly recommend joining ICA on Facebook here.
We'd welcome the chance to get to know you!
ICA and connected through there... a great place to learn from the many experienced members on there who happily share of themselves, and David is right in among those!
So I am glad for a chance to introduce him to you all, and hope others will be encouraged, blessed, and perhaps even challenged by his story!
If you're a writer looking for a warm, helpful place, I'd highly recommend joining ICA on Facebook here.
We'd welcome the chance to get to know you!
So, David; what or who inspires you to write? Is there a “real person” you pattern either your protagonist or antagonist after?
It’s
just part of who I am. I began as a scientist when I got out of high
school in 1961. In full rebellion, I was one of the early flower
children [pre-hippy] in the 60s. All the drugs gave me a strong desire
for a creative outlet. I graduated from college with a fine art degree. 3
years later I met the Lord.
It
became quite obvious that the Lord had no plan to bless my art career
even though the desire was still there. He led me into graphic design,
then art director, then teacher, font design, and finally dropped
writing into my lap.
So, writing
started as a ministry supporting my teaching of digital publishing. The
state school I taught in [Albuquerque TVI] didn’t allow me to mention
Jesus in my class or coursework, but He blessed my time there and I
ministered to many students over the years.
My
technical books on book design, using InDesign, font design,
typography, so on are still what He blesses for me, primarily. When I
was forced out of teaching [the school dropped the degree], I happened
to be 65—so I “retired” early—accepting this as the time where the Lord
would finally let me write for him. It’s a financial necessity for me to
work at my trade. So, I began writing Christian books: Bible studies
and creationist books. They’re beginning to sell, but they’re a small
part of my income.
I also had two relatively complete novels almost completed. They were released as The Righteous Perish,
a radical, edgy, non-conventional endtimes thriller patterned after
what I knew as a prophecy teacher and Bible teacher for 40 years, and as
an associate pastor supporting my wife’s ministry.
The 2nd novel was released as Daniel’s Mighty Men.
It’s an epic technothriller with the heroes and heroines roughly
fantasized out of people I know. It shows a privately owned black ops
company made up of over the top, Charismatic/Pentecostal/Fundamentalist
Christian warriors. It’s wonderful to read—but it’s a massive book, so
it’s taking a while to get traction.
Where do you want to be in your writing career five years from now?
Serving Jesus in power, following His lead. I have no idea what His plans are.
What one piece of advice do you have for other authors?
We don’t need more entertainment. We need more books which the Lord can use to transform lives.
Which author, either living or dead, would you most like to meet?
The Apostles Paul & John
The prophet Isaiah
What book project/s are you working on right now?
An inspirational book on what it takes to be a Christian author with a strong call called Writing In Holiness: While Keeping It Real.
An
epic fantasy about a world where political control is a fight between
an apostate church and occultic evil. The true believers are being
slaughtered by the church. The hero is a calligrapher/artist called by
God to strengthen the true believers and the heroine is a princess
running for her life from her brother who has sexually assaulted her
physically and demonically. It’s the first book in a series called Staff
of Light.
Plus new editions of my technical books on font design and book production for Christian self-publishers.
Author Links!
Amazon Author page: David Bergsland
My latest release is Designing ePUBs With InDesign. It’s the ebook production portions of my main book design offering Writing In InDesign CC 2014 Producing Books.
My books are in the iBooks Store, NookBooks, Kindle, Createspace, Kobo, Books-a-Million, Scribd, and many more.
Social Media:
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/radiqxpress
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/radiqxpress/
Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/radiqxpress
Twitter [Christian]: @radiqxpress
Twitter [technical]: @davidbergsland
Google+: +DavidBergsland
Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/bergsland
I’m also active in: christianwriters.com, and several private or secret FaceBook groups.
My technical blog: The Skilled Workman focused on book production, font design, and typography for the Christian author http://bergsland.org
My Christian blog: Reality Calling specializing in Reviews of Christian speculative fiction http://radiqx.com
My normal email: david@radiqx.com
Thanks for joining us, David, and we look forward to seeing who you interview on your blog Sept. 2nd!
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Surprise Guest Post!
Well, the internet has done it again!
I am once again surprised by my own post.
Vaguely Circular is featuring my guest post today on the Mathematics of Speculative Fiction. You should take a look, and then tell me what you think of the theroy?
After all, who loves a good theory more than Spec-Fic lovers???!!!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
July 30th Update!
Okay!!!
July is almost over. I mean, like almost OVERRRRRR... for which I am actually really happy. I know, I'm supposed to be shocked and surprised at how fast time is flying, but instead I'm kind of
like; "YES!!! Come on, come on! I can't wait to get to the end of this tunnel!"
Which speaks of my belief that the best is yet to come, I guess? ;-)
Either way, I'm happy to report to you all that this month I did indeed make my 20k Camp NaNo goal... in fact I did better than that and wrote a total of 31,740 words.
Which is a great!
...Even though not all of it was on the particular ms. I wanted to wrap up this month.
(Should I be learning something here, do you think? My "wrap this up" goals never seem to work in monthly segments, methinks.)
Anyway, back to the subject.
I wanted to finish off the first draft of Prince of Demarken, and since I already had nearly 40k on it I thought that should have been a do-able task. Unfortunately, it appears that the "easy part" had been the first 40k, and the rest of this is proving more dicey.
You see, in the first part of Demarken, our boy faces some major musical overtures in his home country, having caused great distress to his kingdom and his family, (political/ diplomatic, as well as personal reactions all having a heyday.)
So, he's in serious hot water, and because of stuff that happened in Winter Queen, he's not handling any of that very well.
So it's a real, royal mess of a familial stress event, and it's a bit tricky to chart the course correctly.
One of the snags I hit upon this month was his brother's personalities. His oldest brother, (by over 2 decades) is the current king, and it goes from there. Having a large family, (boy, am I a sucker for this or what?) makes for interesting situations, but getting everyone to have a distinctive personality, and knowing them well, is crucial for having the key players be unique enough to add spice to the story, not glop it all up.
This is of course a tricky proposition, but something I know can be handled well. And I think it's important to have literary representation of genuine family relations... since authors so often go with the cop-out of "the Orphan!!!" ;-)
So, in order to understand how his brothers act now, I had to go and write some scenes of them in their younger years.... when they were the main players in Twelve Dark Knights. Yep, about 15 years ago.
It's amazing how much info you can get from a younger form of a character... and let me tell you red headed, green eyed Helje is quite the kid! He's complicated and somewhat embarrassing in a manner so authentic you can't help but feel sorry for the fella. His twin Morten is so much better equiped to take on the world, even at eleven. But the special relationship between the two is super endearing, and I can't wait to see where they go a little later in their lives.
Anyway, so I wrote these particular pieces in Demarken by flipping back and writing a scene for Knights, then a current scene from Demarken, back to Knights, back to Demarken.... this kept the characters on pitch with themselves and made the whole world of the family crystalize into clarity.
It was pretty amazing to see how much the brothers were shaped together in Twelve Dark Knights, and it's kind of a little bit sad that our boy missed out on lots of that because he was the littlest by such a large margin.
But the family dynamics are really resonating through the series, and I'm very excited to listen to them hum.
So although Prince of Demarken won't be wrapped up here this July, I do now have several thousand on Twelve Dark Knights, which has me super excited to get to that stage when the slot comes up!
And Prince of Demarken currently stands at a little over 57k, so we're definitely closer than we were before! :-)
But there's still a whole lot of story left to go.
What'cha think? Will I ever be able to correctly predict my word counts? Or the time needed to finish something? ;-)
July is almost over. I mean, like almost OVERRRRRR... for which I am actually really happy. I know, I'm supposed to be shocked and surprised at how fast time is flying, but instead I'm kind of like; "YES!!! Come on, come on! I can't wait to get to the end of this tunnel!"
Which speaks of my belief that the best is yet to come, I guess? ;-)
Either way, I'm happy to report to you all that this month I did indeed make my 20k Camp NaNo goal... in fact I did better than that and wrote a total of 31,740 words.
Which is a great!
...Even though not all of it was on the particular ms. I wanted to wrap up this month.
(Should I be learning something here, do you think? My "wrap this up" goals never seem to work in monthly segments, methinks.)
Anyway, back to the subject.
I wanted to finish off the first draft of Prince of Demarken, and since I already had nearly 40k on it I thought that should have been a do-able task. Unfortunately, it appears that the "easy part" had been the first 40k, and the rest of this is proving more dicey.
You see, in the first part of Demarken, our boy faces some major musical overtures in his home country, having caused great distress to his kingdom and his family, (political/ diplomatic, as well as personal reactions all having a heyday.)
So, he's in serious hot water, and because of stuff that happened in Winter Queen, he's not handling any of that very well.
So it's a real, royal mess of a familial stress event, and it's a bit tricky to chart the course correctly.
One of the snags I hit upon this month was his brother's personalities. His oldest brother, (by over 2 decades) is the current king, and it goes from there. Having a large family, (boy, am I a sucker for this or what?) makes for interesting situations, but getting everyone to have a distinctive personality, and knowing them well, is crucial for having the key players be unique enough to add spice to the story, not glop it all up.
This is of course a tricky proposition, but something I know can be handled well. And I think it's important to have literary representation of genuine family relations... since authors so often go with the cop-out of "the Orphan!!!" ;-)
So, in order to understand how his brothers act now, I had to go and write some scenes of them in their younger years.... when they were the main players in Twelve Dark Knights. Yep, about 15 years ago.
It's amazing how much info you can get from a younger form of a character... and let me tell you red headed, green eyed Helje is quite the kid! He's complicated and somewhat embarrassing in a manner so authentic you can't help but feel sorry for the fella. His twin Morten is so much better equiped to take on the world, even at eleven. But the special relationship between the two is super endearing, and I can't wait to see where they go a little later in their lives.
Anyway, so I wrote these particular pieces in Demarken by flipping back and writing a scene for Knights, then a current scene from Demarken, back to Knights, back to Demarken.... this kept the characters on pitch with themselves and made the whole world of the family crystalize into clarity.
It was pretty amazing to see how much the brothers were shaped together in Twelve Dark Knights, and it's kind of a little bit sad that our boy missed out on lots of that because he was the littlest by such a large margin.
But the family dynamics are really resonating through the series, and I'm very excited to listen to them hum.
So although Prince of Demarken won't be wrapped up here this July, I do now have several thousand on Twelve Dark Knights, which has me super excited to get to that stage when the slot comes up!
And Prince of Demarken currently stands at a little over 57k, so we're definitely closer than we were before! :-)
But there's still a whole lot of story left to go.
What'cha think? Will I ever be able to correctly predict my word counts? Or the time needed to finish something? ;-)
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