Sunday News, Author’s Muse.

The Sunday newspaper are a great resource for bargain shoppers and authors. I did not always think that way. When I saw the sale circulars, I was excited. I looked through them and circled the items I wanted. Then, I embarked on an exciting shopping spree.

 

Somehow, after braving the rain, snow or heat to shop, the items spent months or years in my closet with tags attached. I know I’m not the only one. By now, you are probably wondering, what does this have to do with writing? Have you ever introduced a main character and lost sight of, or mixed up their features? Yes?

Then, sale circulars are your new best friend. I use pictures of the models as identification photos for the characters. Did I hear someone say, you can make a chart! Charts are great but they do not work for everyone. I have found a new use for the sale circulars. Instead of using them to put a dent in my finances, I use them to keep my characters feature in order.

How do you keep things in order?

 

Write or Flight?

Things have been strange between us for the past few months and I’m starting to wonder if I have offended him. I am confused. A million things go through my mind. Is he seeing someone else? Does he still love me? One question lingers… Do I really love him?

I do. He saved me from myself. I know it sounds cheesy but he completes me. Please allow me to explain. When he’s with me, I smile, laugh and breathe easier. He’s my oxygen. I am torn and I can’t bear to lose him. He comes home when he feels like it and I am tired of waiting! We’re a team. I cannot do what I do without him. I calm myself and brainstorm for ideas to win him back. I have to make him want me, as I want him.

Everyone appreciates coming home to a calm environment and he is no different. I clean the house, put on some smooth Brazilian jazz and place scented candles in our room. I’m not a drinker but I’m nervous. A glass of wine might take the edge off. Fifteen minutes into the retreat, he arrives. My heart is racing. The closer he get’s I can feel a wave of light current passing through my body and it lingers on my fingertips. I exhale and allow him to caress me.

He’s back! I’m glad we’re working on our relationship. When I say ‘he,’ I’m referring to writing. Writing is my companion. We don’t always see eye to eye but we’re a team. I realize that sometimes he’ll need his space but when I need him I try to do the things that will bring him to the surface. I engage in activities that evoke his spirit. For instance, I take a scenic drive, visit a park, listen to music or attend cultural festivals. Sometimes, inspiration comes from the things that fascinate us. A writer is never short on creativity. Sometimes we are trying to find the right way to express our ideas.

 

I'm curious...how do you set the mood for writing?

Chirp Tweet Retweet

Twitter is a great tool to connect with people across the globe and circulate information. Recent changes have made the experience less enjoyable.   Free advertisement is priceless and companies are in business to make money.  If they can’t make money, they will limit what you can do with their product.   The explanation for the changes is anything but the truth. It all boils down to the loss of potential advertising dollars.



Twitter is not only a way to advertise for free, it is also a means of networking. The new limitation on Twitter can be discouraging if you have not networked in your core group. For example, if you’re an artist, most of your followers may be in that profession, individuals who appreciate art and others related to the field.   We all know how important networking is in the real world and it’s no different in the virtual world.    When I joined, I followed users who shared my interests whether it was professional or personal. 

There is a lot of information shared on twitter. I noticed a tweet that said, gain 5000 followers in a day.  It sounds great, but I think it’s more rewarding when someone follows you voluntarily.   Another tweet advertised a Tweeting Service. I wonder is there a team retweeting their customer’s information or an individual? Are they forming relationships or networking with your audience? Do they retweet your follower’s messages?  

In my profile, I let potential followers know that I retweet!  I let them know that retweeting their information is as important as tweeting my information.   For example, I did what I call a Retweet Blitz. I retweeted literary tweets and the user did not have to be a follower.  I got followers and non-followers attention. This was not a calculated move. I did it to support other authors. As a result, I gained more followers and a dedicated group of retweet buddies!  It’s a group of thirty plus followers who retweet each other’s tweets. When I go to bed at night my tweets are still chirping on Twitter. It motivates me and I faithfully retweet their tweets. 

Despite the changes in Twitter, it is possible to make connections and reach your target audience.  Twitter is a powerful tool but as it continues to change, users will have to make genuine connections that will continue to blossom.

Open Mouth Insert Book!

I have been an avid Stephen King fan for many years. His books have always managed to engage my imagination.  I entered the worlds he created with ease. Despite all his success, there was a time when publishers failed to realize his worth. It’s hard to believe he endured years of rejection letters. Despite the rejection, he kept writing. Stephen invested in his dream until others were willing to. Then, Carrie changed everything for Stephen King. The manuscript made it through the almost impenetrable doors of traditional publishing. Even if you are not a fan of his work, you have to admire his determination.

Now imagine if your favorite author openly bashed self-published authors. It is an unfortunate occurrence. Once an author reaches a certain level of success many people look up to them. Yet, there is ample ‘self-published author bashing’ occurring. It is not wise to offend the people who look up to you. Reach out and give words of encouragement. It is important to remember that self-published authors are consumers who buy, read and recommend traditionally published books.

Many traditionally published authors decide to self publish series when their publishers end them. It’s a smart move and I applaud them for taking the initiative. They realize the value of keeping their readers happy. Books have errors whether they are self published or traditionally published! If you disagree, think back to your education.  Many textbooks meant to educate us had and will continue to have errors. 

“Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.”- Stephen King.  Keep writing, perfect your craft and do not let anyone kill your passion.  Glory does not always come from the mouth of others, sometimes it comes from knowing you are determined to succeed.

Do You Remember Me?

I have been a fan of police and mystery dramas for as long as I can remember.  Murder She Wrote, Matlock and The Shield are some of my favorites. Jessica Fletcher always seemed to be at the right place at the right time when someone died and Matlock always found a way to uncover the truth. It was a certainty that Jessica and Matlock prevailed in the end. The viewers expected it and it kept them coming back for more. Then, there is Vic Mackey, a gritty cop that does unethical things, but at the same time, he is an effective cop.   Vic pushes the boundaries and skillfully displays how far a cop can go to get results.  

The writers of The Shield series have achieved a rare occurrence. They managed to make Vic so good at being bad that the viewer wants him to get away with just about anything; even murder!  I never thought I would root for the bad guy. So I asked myself, has my value system changed? It did not, I want good to prevail over evil. However, we see good prevail in just about every storyline.  

The Shield’s success can be attributed to the character Vic Mackey exhibiting protagonist and antagonist traits. The dual role takes on a life of its own when the viewer becomes emotionally invested in his efforts to evade his superiors and maintaining his position on the Strike Team. Therefore, I strive to create characters that you love to hate or love. Getting the reader to care is not an easy task. You have to give the reader a reason to care about what happens to your character. Otherwise, the character is shot and the reader flips the page or turns the channel without a second thought.

The character should leave an impression on the reader to the point that they question themselves. How can an author encourage a reader to care? A non-literary example is the Caylee Anthony case. The media and law enforcement play a crucial role in making the public aware when a child is missing. They show the public pictures of the child, and keep us informed when the police have new leads. The media and law enforcement make the public care about finding the child. There is no exact formula to achieve this task. We are different and respond to the same situation in different ways. We only have to look within ourselves and ask why should the reader care?

The Importance of a Character's Name

I am an author, so as far as I am concerned, the 
pen is mightier than the sword! I can give or take life with the stroke of a pen. Very few professions have that luxury outside of the literary and entertainment industry. One aspect I enjoy the most is naming the characters.

Author choose names that resonate with them. Sometimes the names of my characters pop up randomly or I let the characters traits lead me to their name. However, there are instances when an author can get away with using odd names. Otherwise, the character names should be easy to pronounce, unless it is a nonfiction book.  On the other hand, sometimes fiction and nonfiction collide.  This was the case in my novel, Thin Skin Soul Pinned a paranormal mystery. The story is a work of fiction, but it is loosely based on actual events.   The character with a questionable name exists, so the peculiar name was used. 

“The name of a man is a numbing blow from which he never recovers.”-Marshall McLuhan

Naming a character is an important aspect of telling a story. In the story/poem Jack and Jill, the story would be less memorable if the character names were Arthur and Ruby. The name you give your character is as important as naming your child. After all, the name will stay with the character for the duration of their lives. Unlike real people, characters do not have the luxury of changing their name. The last thing a reader wants to do is mull over the pronunciation of a name.   

What are your thoughts on this subject?

The Cover MATTERS!

Don’t let the cliché, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’ sway you. Everything is judged by its cover, whether it’s an object or a person! The presentation of a product for sale is important.  If you’ve ever been attracted to a particular product while shopping, 9 out of 10 times it had everything to do with the presentation.  However, the contents are equally important, but this article will focus on what’s on the outside. 

I went to a small business workshop a few months ago and the instructor recommended a book by Paco Underhill, WHY WE BUY.   It’s worth the read and it’s available in audio book.  It was helpful and reinforced aspects of marketing that I already knew.  As an independent publisher/author, I devote as much time to choosing a cover as I do to writing.  Without a cover that represents the essence of your story, you are simply nailing your foot in the “No Name Brand,” market.  I think we all have a sense of how people feel about “No Name Brand” products….low grade, cheap, imitation…you get the idea. 

When your cover has the presence of attracting the naked eye, the odds are, they will move in and investigate the product.   If the Blurb grabs them, you caught one! However, you had to get their attention first!  It took two weeks to find the cover for IN THE VALLEY OF MUD AND WORMS, but I knew it was ‘the one’ when I saw it. It represented the character and the story, but you wouldn’t know until you read it. I was not as lucky with finding a cover for NO STRAYS ALLOWED, so I illustrated it myself. The optical illusion tricks the eye to think that something is wrong.  The effect …you move in closer to see if your eyes can correct the error, but there is none. It’s effective because the potential customer interacts with the product.  Finally, the cover for THIN SKIN SOUL PINNED took three mind-numbing weeks to find, but it was worth it! 

You can purchase In The Valley of Mud and Worms at the following link: 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Valley-Mud-And-Worms/dp/097941721X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371073703&sr=8-1&keywords=in+the+valley+of+mud+and+worms

So by all means, judge a book by its cover.  It is something we do unconsciously and it plays a major factor into what we buy.  Also, I could have easily included examples of covers that aren’t the best representation of a book, but it is not my desire to muddy anyone’s hard work. Instead, I will provide an avenue where you can obtain photos that will improve your chances of finding the PERFECT cover!  Bigstock.com is an excellent site and one of the easiest to use.  http://bigstock.com

Marketing a product is not an easy task.  The next time you go shopping, think about why you buy something.  I am interested to hear your thoughts on this subject. 

You can purchase Thin Skin Soul Pinned at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=thin+skin+soul+pinned