Archive for the ‘Writing Fiction’ Category
Posted on March 9, 2012 - by Kav
National Keep It Simple Day
My turn to blog and I’m pooped. Frazzled to the bone and nearly out for the 
count. My eyes always seem to be half-mast these days, my feet feel like they are full of lead and my brain has been replaced by cottonballs. In short, I’m a mess.
Once I dragged my sorry carcass home last night after a mere two hour ordeal on city buses (more like standing on hard pavement waiting for city buses that never came), I realized that I still had a blog to prepare. Did I rush eagerly to the computer with a lightness in my step, my mind a whirl with the myriad of possible blog topics?
No. I sat down and had a good cry instead. After which I went into full Scarlet O’Hara mode and declared, “I won’t think about it today. I’ll think about it tomorrow” and I soaked in a hot oatmeal tub while listening to my favourite podcast instead. And that’s when inspiration struck. Thank you Suzanne Woods Fisher!!!!!
You see, the podcast that I LOVE to listen to is called Amish Wisdom and hosted by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Christian author of many Amish novels. But don’t be alarmed — the podcast isn’t all things Amish — in fact sometimes the Amish don’t figure into it at all. But simplicity does and that’s what I need a huge dose of right about now.
Suzanne’s program is dedicated to exploring ways that us ordinary folk can “slow down, de-clutter, find peace, and live a simpler life.” So, my special holiday for writers and readers and everyone who fits in between is National Keep It Simple Day.
When is the last time you enjoyed a sunrise, or a sunset? When you just sat and absorbed the beauty of God’s creation without your mind running in a thousand different directions while your body twitched with the urge to get up and do something productive? Well, on National Keep It Simple Day you could do that in relaxing calm.
Are you reading your scriptures with one ear tuned to what the kids are up to 
and half your mind planning supper and another quarter of it laying out everything that needs to be done that day in bullet-punctuated exclamations? Not on National Keep It Simple Day. You can spend as long as you want in whole-hearted devotion. Nothing else matters but the peace of that moment. It’s that simple.
Is your family scattered in a hundred different directions every waking hour? Can’t keep track of them — or worse, can’t keep up with them? No worries on National Keep It Simple Day. Family time abounds in harmonious accord hour after hour after hour. What bliss!
And all those edits and muddy-
middles and empty pages that cause the blood pressure to rise in every writer? Gone on National Keep It Simple Day. Words flow free, pages practically fill themselves and you have plenty of time left over to enjoy the activities I mentioned above. It’s that easy on National Keep it Simple Day.
Doesn’t that sound like a dream? I’m getting mellow just thinking about it! But if you tune in to Amish Wisdom, you might discover that every day can be National Keep It Simple Day. It airs at 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursdays, but I’m never home in time to hear it live. I listen to the podcasts later and there’s weeks and weeks and weeks of them.
Last night I listened to Suzanne interview two authors — Battling Excess with Jen Hatmaker and Almost Amish with Nancy Sleeth. Suzanne has an easy, friendly, let’s-sit-down-over-coffee-and-chat kind of interview style which 
exudes calm in and of itself. But both Jen and Nancy made great points about taking baby steps towards a simpler life. See — even the process is simple! Gotta love that. One of the suggestions I found quite brilliant was to place a basket in your front foyer by the door. When family and friends arrive, they deposit their cellphones in the basket so they can really be present in the home. How simple is that?! Just pick a night, invite some friends over and hold their cellphones hostage for a couple of hours and watch magic happen!
Here’s a link to Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Amish Wisdom:
http://toginet.com/shows/amishwisdom
You’ll find hours and hours and hours of programming pleasure. Pick a topic that tickles your fancy, or an interview with your favourite author and sit back and relax. Your life will be the richer for it. Alright, if you’re a multi-tasker and you can’t help yourself, listen while you’re sorting laundry or preparing dinner or some other mundane chore — you’ll still reap the benefits of a simpler life.
Posted on March 8, 2012 - by Regina
DREAM, DREAM, DREAM
Many of you know that I spent the month of February rehearsing for and performing in the pit orchestra for a community production of “Oklahoma!” One song that was the BANE of the orchestra’s existence was the “Dream Ballet,” where there is no singing AT ALL, and you go from one theme to another with action and dance between. I hear the actors and dancers did a great job – the musicians could only imagine!
On top of that, I’ve been recovering from a minor illness – but one that had insomnia as a side-effect! Not fun for a girl who is fond of her sleep!
So you can imagine my delight, when last week, for the first time in nearly a year, I actually slept so well that I had DREAMS!
That made me think – what if there was a holiday in which you remembered all those cool dreams you had, and you woke up with the words simply pouring out your fingers! You have to realize, I have really cool dreams – at least to me. They’re usually stories. Sometimes I’m an observer, sometimes I’m a character in the story. In fact, my first completed novel started out as a dream. I’ve dreamed television episodes, movies, and about the school where I went as a child.
So that’s my writer’s holiday. We’ll call it “In Your Dreams.”
Mom, when are you going to write about your “kidnapping” dream? Talk about a story . . . .
Posted on March 7, 2012 - by Brenda Anderson
White-Out Wednesday!
Editing.
The bane of a writer’s existence. The mere word makes you cringe, doesn’t it? Oh, the time it will take for you to make that masterpiece gleam … The thought of going back through your manuscript, polishing every chapter, paragraph, sentence, and word is enough to convince any writer that there must be an easier profession out there; perhaps we could become rocket scientists instead.
But, you needn’t cringe any longer. You needn’t fear staring down those redundant words or misspelled homonyms. Help is on the way. Yes, today is declared White-Out* Wednesday.
For one day, and one day only, all your literary faux pas will be erased. Heads will no longer hop, and body parts will stop floating! Timelines won’t wander and was-es will be exiled.
Are you excited yet?
There’s more! Your prose will sing beautiful melodies and your descriptions will paint glorious pictures. Characters will have the depth of the Grand Canyon and plots will be as predictable as Minnesota weather.
And let’s not forget, that opening line will be more memorable than anything by Dickens, and every chapter will end in a hook sharper than my kitty’s claws.
Just think, on this day, foot-in-mouth disease will be eradicated! Hurray! I am so susceptible to that disease!
Give me a Hallelujah!
<sigh>
Oh, the pleasures of having all our mistakes erased …
That got me thinking about life. How many things have I done that I’d like edited out of my life? How many mistakes or poor choices have I made? It’s easy to look at my personal biography and want to white it all out.
But I don’t have to. It’s already been done for me–for us. Jesus took all our mistakes to the grave with Him and, when He rose again, He left every sin behind, thus brushing a wide stroke of white over our biography.
Now that’s worthy of a Hallelujah!
The best thing is, we don’t have to wait for a white-out Wednesday. Through Jesus, every day is White-Out Day!
~*~*~*~
For those of you too young to remember, Wite-Out® is a product created during the Jurassic age of typewriters. It’s this magical potion that you brush across typing errors, erasing them forever!
Posted on March 6, 2012 - by JerriLynn
International “It Will Write Itself” Day
I believe it was a Stephen King book that I read one time (The Tommyknockers) that had this device in it that allowed the user to simply think of what they wanted to write. The contraption would then turn those thoughts into written pages. Ever since the day I read that, I’ve wished for one of those machines!
So, if I could declare any writer’s holiday I wanted, I’d choose the International “It Will Write Itself” Day. On this holiday, all writers would need only to do a lightweight (and not at all silly looking) cap that would wirelessly transmit our thoughts onto the written page, at such a speed that there would need to be no lag time between one book and the next.
Can you imagine? How nice would it be to sit down in your comfy chair with your favorite drink, snacks, and a huge teddy (or puppy, or kittie, or kid) for snuggling and then think your way through your book? When it was done, you could walk over to the printer, pick up the pages and have an entire manuscript in your hand.
How fast could you knock out a few novels? And how much would you NOT miss the sagging middle issues, or the spelling/punctuation issues? If you could think in complete scenes and chapters instead of words and sentences?
And while we’re at it, this machine would perfectly translate even the foggiest ideas into fully fleshed-out content that readers would find absolutely enthralling. I don’t know about you, but I could probably think my way through three or four novels in a days time. And if the machine was good enough, they wouldn’t even need any polishing!
So, here’s a self-writing machine that turned out novels at the speed of thought! Now all you have to do is sit back and daydream a while.
Posted on March 5, 2012 - by Kim
Bring ‘Em Back Alive
Whether it be Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series or John Coffy in The Green Mile, sometimes we readers just can’t get past the injustice of a favorite character’s (even the ones we love to hate) demise at the hand of the author. And I have a feeling some of those authors wish they’d done things a little differently, too. Though, to be honest, that reaction may be in response to the outcry of vocal readers who aren’t afraid to tell the world (or entire theater) just how much said character deserved a second chance.
But what if those characters could be brought back from the veil? Given a second chance at their own happy ending without repercussions for the author or the plot? Think a mulligan in golf or a do-over in any childhood game where the inventor of the game is getting beat.
Well, that’s what I’m proposing. A national Bring ‘Em Back Alive Day celebrated on March 20th in honor of the Spring Equinox. On this day, authors can rectify a great wrong by bringing the dearly departed back from the great beyond without wrecking the plot and we readers can rejoice with a little coffee, cake and perhaps a Hallmark card.
So what do you say, folks? Shall I start the petition? Lobby Congress and the House of Commons to demand that these characters’ rights be preserved and their death sentences commuted posthumously?
If so, call Bring M Back. That’s 274-646-2225 and let’s stop the injustice of a character’s untimely demise!
Lines are open! Call now and let your voice be heard!
Disclaimer – All phone numbers in this blog have been changed to protect the innocent. Any resemblance to actual phone numbers is a complete coincidence. No telephones were harmed in the writing of this blog. Dial at your own risk!
Posted on March 2, 2012 - by Dawn Ford
Free Flow Fridays
Writer’s block. This condition affects many writers. Sometimes it occurs for days at a time. Therefore I submit, for your approval, Fridays to be Free Flow Fridays. A day when the right words just ooze out of you like melted butter.
This will enable you to turn your drivel into a dream. Sagging middles? No more. With Free Flow Fridays you will have the pleasure of swinging through those middles with savvy. Ends will tie together neatly with a bow.
Have a hard time breaking into your Monday, never fear Free Flow Friday is near. Hump day too daunting to get over? Don’t give throw in the plate, Free Flow Friday is great. Weekends don’t come soon enough, don’t be gruff, Free Flow Fridays happens once a week.
You’ll never have to suffer for long. Every Friday gives you new purpose and power.
Vote for Free Flow Fridays. You’ll be glad you did.
Message paid for by the (FFFF) Fellowship For Free Flow Friday.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This is Dawn Ford and I approve of this message.
Posted on March 1, 2012 - by Shari Barr
Procrastination Prevention Week
When it comes to writing, nothing plagues me more than procrastination. What better holiday for me than a procrastination-free week.
When I was a beginning writer and a stay-at-home mom, I thought I needed something to show for my day’s work, especially when the procrastination bug hit with full force. If I couldn’t find my lucky pencil, I would vacuum, knowing I would at least have clean carpets. I always had an excuse for not writing. To be totally honest, I still haven’t completely mastered this problem.
Some days it seems anything is more important than writing. Like when the dog sits outside the sliding glass door, staring at me with those big brown eyes, his paw swiping at the glass, begging to come in so I’ll pet him and tell him what a good dog he is. And since he’s spoiled, I give in. (Hey, I know I should be writing, but I can’t figure out how to liven up chapter five. Besides, my son asked me to take care of his dog while he’s at college, so that’s the very least I can do. That’s my excuse anyway, and I’m sticking to it. Anyway, just look at that face. How can I not pet him?)
Of course, a procrastination-free week would need to eradicate those pesky little voices scurrying around inside my head whispering, “Your story stinks. Why don’t you go pet the dog?” In its place, I would need to hear the reassuring words, “Your story sounds beautiful, dear. Hurry up and finish it. I have a spot open at the top of the bestseller list just waiting for you.”
Now, that would be a good week. I’m pretty sure I could ignore the dog if I heard that voice.
To be truly procrastination-free, writer’s block would need to take a hike during this holiday week too. If sitting at my computer lulls me into Snoozeville, I would appreciate a sudden vision, like newspaper headlines flashing in neon lights, to jolt me back to reality and give my novel that little extra twist it desperately needs. If I need to add a vampire or drop my characters onto an Amish farm, I need to know this well in advance, preferably before I finish the first draft of 100,000 words or so.
If this Procrastination Prevention thing pans out, maybe next year a team of publishers could surround my house, cheering me on as they eagerly wait to start a frenzied bidding war the minute I type “The End” on my novel.
I kinda like this writer’s holiday thing. Just don’t wake me up, please.
Posted on February 29, 2012 - by Linda Fulkerson
Magical Ending Day
Wow – I get to choose my very own writer’s holiday! Of course, others can share in this day of celebration as well, because I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who has wished many times for International Magical Ending Day! To give you an idea of how this holiday would work, here’s a peek into a world that already has this special day:
Long, long ago, in a land far, far away, lived a would-be novelist. This would-be novelist had unending story ideas, and she LOVED to plot and outline. She would create complicated character charts, weave intricate plot lines, and take copious notes from the hours of research she conducted. Research was actually her favorite part of the process and often included trips to settings she planned to include.
This novelist didn’t have a favorite genre. She loved to develop tales in ALL of them! Mysteries, Historicals, Fantasy – even the now defunct Chick Lit category. Writing for such a vast array of story types, of course, required even MORE research, so she bought books of all sorts on the topic of writing and loved attending annual writers’ conferences because hanging out with novelists is the bomb – even though she herself hadn’t “yet” been published in fiction.
The entire research-plot-and-outline process exhausted her, though, and she soon found her hard drive littered with dozens of unfinished stories. Each one plotted down to the last “And they lived happily ever after.” She would browse through her collection of craft books to ensure she’d followed all the rules and had everything ready to begin the actual writing part. Her husband once commented that she didn’t like to write, but rather she liked only to read about writing! What did he know?!
One day, she set out the notes, charts, and outline from one of her stories and vowed that early the next morning, after a good night’s rest, she’d sit down and actually WRITE a novel. (Of course, it took several days to determine which novel should be completed first – What was selling at the time? Which story had that agent-whose-name-slipped-her-mind invited her to submit once the manuscript was finished? And, the most important question – Which of her stories-to-be could she FIND amid her mess?)
What happened next, was magical!
Early the morning after, as promised, the novelist-to-be poured a cup of steaming coffee and trudged to her desk. Instead of her pile of notes, she found a complete novel! Each of the 90,000 words had been carefully selected and strung together in perfect order, right down to the final “The End.” She was amazed and called to her husband, “It’s done! My novel is WRITTEN!”
He, too, was amazed. What was even more amazing was when she emailed the already-polished query to the agent (she found the tattered card in between some wadded Wal-Mart receipts in her wallet), the agent responded within 10 minutes, requesting the full ms!
Wondering what could have happened, she decided to set out another of her unfinished novels on her desk before retiring that evening. She and her husband hid behind the piano, hoping to find out exactly who or what had pecked out those pages on the keyboard the night before.
Sure enough, a little after midnight two elves hopped up on her desk and cranked up the computer. They scanned the screen, then shut the thing down and turned away, looking disgusted. The would-be writer couldn’t help herself and burst into the room. “Why did you turn off the computer? Aren’t you going to finish the next novel”
One of the elves (the fat one) looked up at her and said, “Look, lady – couldn’t you even finish writing ONE project? Say, perhaps a thank-you note? You only get to pick one writer holiday, and you picked Magical Ending Day. That’s DAY – not DAYS! If you want another novel to be finished, you’re going to have to put your behind in the chair and start typing.”
As she stood there, mouth gaping wide enough to park a semi-truck, she thought she heard the little elf mutter, “At least the shoemaker made us these clothes!” He lowered his voice and elbowed the fat elf. “Your shirt’s getting pretty snug lately, though. Maybe we’d better back head over to the cobbler and see how he’s doing?”
—-
How does this story end? For me, like the hoards of outlined & plotted novels I’ve started, it’s not finished.
Yet.
Posted on February 28, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter
National Whatever You Want to Write, We Want to Publish Day
This would be the holiday when anyone could get published. All they’d have to do is have a completed manuscript.
* The author has never been to a writers’ meeting or conference—who cares.
* It’s the first book the author has ever written—who cares.
* The author’s craft isn’t up to par—who cares.
* This genre isn’t selling well—who cares.
* It’s not Amish—who cares.
* It’s not Historical Romance—who cares.
* It’s not vampires—who cares.
* It’s not werewolves—who cares.
* It’s not zombies—who cares.
* Book sales overall are down—who cares.
Yes, just one day, where anyone can get just one book published. Let’s not think about how badly written the books might be. Or how much the author has to learn. Or about platform. Or about web presence. Or about sales. Let’s just dream big.
Posted on February 26, 2012 - by Lorna Seilstad
National Muddle Through the Middle Day?
In this day and age, special holidays pop up all the time. Some you may have heard of and some you may not. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up this March.
The second week of March is National Bubble Week and also National Crochet Week.
March has special days as well. Will you be celebrating any of these?
7 National Crown Roast of Pork Day
8 Popcorn Lover’s Day
9 Panic Day
11 Worship of Tools Day – guys, you can relate
13 Ear Muff Day
14 Learn about Butterflies Day
14 National Pi Day- Why today? Because today is 3.14, the value of Pi.
15 Everything You Think is Wrong Day
16 Everything You Do is Right Day
17 Submarine Day - the hero sandwich or the boat??
20 Extraterrestrial Abductions Day
20 Proposal Day
24 National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
25 Waffle Day
26 Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
30 Take a Walk in the Park Day
I’m pretty sure most of us can celebrate Panic Day on the 9th and National Goof Off Day on the 11th. I doubt if Chip and Dip Day and Popcorn Day have a lot of trouble finding supporters, either. But Extraterrestrial Abduction Day? If Pets Had Thumbs Day? Multiple Personality Day? Really?
Now, look back to the 26th. Did you miss that one? It’s very important. Because the Inkspirational Messagers are celebrating “Make Up Your Own Holiday Day” for the next two weeks. We figure if pigs, raisins, potato chips, and Bunsen burners can have a day, why shouldn’t we? We might even make up a few week or month long celebrations. Tell me, why couldn’t every Monday be Don’t Mess with the Writer Day?
So, for the next two weeks join us as we share the holidays we’d make to celebrate books and those who write them. Our hope is that you’ll not only get a glimpse into some of the special and some if the annoying parts of being a writer.
I get to go first, and the day I’d like to ordain is “National Muddle Through the Middle Day.” On this holiday, all writers facing the middle or near middle of their book would get a 24 hour reprieve at the spa of their choice and a case of Haagen Daz ice cream.
Writing the middle of the book is hard for a lot of writers for different reasons. Sometimes, the middle sags, often because the writer lacks direction at that point. Other times, the middle seems to drag because it’s time for something big to happen to shake things up a bit. But for me, it’s the speed of my writing that slows. It’s the point I have to make sure all the pieces are in place, so I think and rethink things and that slows down my writing progress.
But why did I pick a spa day and ice cream to celebrate National Muddle Through the Middle Day? Stepping away from your work in progress at this point is often the best way to get moving again. It’s hard not to worry about if the story is going to come together or you’re going to meet your deadline. A day at the spa would help the writer relax and the Haagen Daz? Well, I think that we should celebrate all our special writer’s days with decadent ice cream. Don’t you agree?
So, let’s talk. Which March holiday will you be celebrating? Do you have a holiday you’d like to make up?
As a book reader, do you find some books sag in the middle? As a writer, do you ever feel like you’re muddling through the middle?
White Pearls by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Shell doesn't have a good reputation...But no matter what everyone in Rose Bud, Arkansas, thinks of her, she's back in town with a job to do. She'll stick it out and make the best of things. But why does Ryler have to be the landscaper on this project? She was just getting her heart under control. Ryler has his own reasons for being in Rose Bud, and they don't include Shell. Spying on his birth family was going to be hard enough. He doesn't have time to worry about a woman who dumped him...even if his heart says otherwise. McKenzie’s Branson Brainteaser by Shari Barr
McKenzie and Sydney meet in Branson, Missouri, where McKenzie has been recruited to help at the Dixie Stampede. While the girls take in the sights and sounds of Silver Dollar City, they become involved in a search to find a teen girl’s long lost uncle–who is rumored to have settled near the Branson area. With no clue other than a whittled necklace with an “SS” on the back, how will they ever reunite Shara with her uncle? The Camp Club girls are on the case, and they’re not about to give up until they close the gap and reconnect Shara’s family.
The Prodigal Daughter by Linda Fulkerson
Ruled by despair, remorse, and anger, the author’s life had become a classic rendition of the cliché “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” Desperate. Overwhelmed. Isolated. Trapped. She hit bottom.
On the elevator of life, those descending will all exit on different levels–some much lower than others. You don’t have to go all the way to the bottom. Stop now and push the “up” button. This book will show you how!
