Category Archives: Cait Collins

Writers’ Conferences

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Outtakes 20

Writers’ Conferences

Beginning writers often run into problems jump starting their careers. Questions regarding copyright, contracts, submissions, formatting, genres, and marketing come up and answers are sometimes hard to find. I’ve been there so I understand the frustration. I thought I was the only writer out there who had doubts and questions. I had a novel. I’d submitted it. The agent liked it, but didn’t sign me. So what do you do?

My answer came from a newspaper article for a writer’s conference right here in Amarillo. I read the information, called for the registration packet, and made plans to pick brains, and learn more about getting published. I so enjoyed that weekend. I attended workshops with New York Times Best Selling author Christina Dodd, mystery author Rick Riordan, and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cunningham. The best part was that I was no longer alone. I went to the conference not knowing anyone, and left with a pocketful of business cards from fellow writers. I became friends with some of the folks I met, and ten years later, I still can count on their support and encouragement.

Do I recommend writers’ conferences? Absolutely! The trick is finding the right one for your needs. I prefer smaller conferences (I’m shy), but some of my friends like the larger ones. I recommend Frontiers in Writing in Amarillo. The 2012 conference will be held the weekend of June 29-30 on the Amarillo College campus. This year’s conference will offer workshops for everyone whether you are a beginner or a published author. If Amarillo is a little too far away, run an internet search for a conference in your area. It will cost a little money, but this is an investment in your writing career. The contacts you make are so valuable, and the friendships made are priceless.

Cait Collins

Gone, Not Forgotten

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Outtakes #19

 Gone, Not Forgotten

I opened DEAD BY NIGHTFALL, the final installment in the DEAD BY trilogy, and read the sweetest memorial to a favorite author. Beverly Beaver, known to her fans as Beverly Barton, had passed away.

Beverly Barton was an award winning New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books. She had over five million copies of her books in print in fifteen different languages. Her family referred to her writing as her dream career. I’ve read many of her books. She was a master with writing series novels. I would get hooked on book one and then watch the bookstore shelves for the next novel. I was a fan, but I never wrote to let her know how many hours of reading enjoyment she provided me. I never thanked her for teaching me about writing. While we did not meet, her writings gave me insight into improving my own work.

You see, Beverly Barton crafted memorable characters. Her heroes are men with pasts, full of flaws, and searching for redemption. They never excuse their mistakes. Instead they accept responsibility and move forward. They will give their lives to protect those they love. In like manner, heroines are the epitome of the line from the old song, “I am woman, hear me roar”. Her women have strength combined with a softer, nurturing side. They can survive without a man in their lives, but when they meet the man, they commit themselves to the relationship. Like their men, they have flaws, but they accept their imperfections, and grow in spite of them. I learned from her works that villains do not have to have a redeeming quality. After all, true evil does exist in this world.

Beverly’s settings are perfection. She writes of rural towns and mountain communities. Her characters thrive in world capitals. She has the knack of moving the good and the evil seamlessly from a private fortress in the United States to the perverted dens of iniquity in Europe, to Asian locals, and to the south Pacific Islands.

She made me believe what I don’t believe. Through her settings, characterizations, and description, I came to accept the existence of empaths, clairvoyants, and healers. She didn’t force me to believe; instead she created a path that allowed me to come to terms with the concepts and suspend by disbelief.

This talented author entertained me, taught me, and helped me to improve my craft. I will truly miss her stories and her lessons.

Cait Collins

One Picture

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Outtakes #18

 One Picture

There are times when the muse takes a vacation and I struggle to move from one scene to the next. I’ve even had the horrible experience of staring at the blank screen and nothing happens. No words come to mind. The characters fail to speak to me. The page remains blank. I can only shut down my computer and walk away.

So what do you do when faced with “writer’s block”? Here’s an exercise that works for me. Gather a few necessities—a tablet, your favorite pen, a kitchen timer, magazines, photo albums,  or coffee table books, a cup of coffee or tea. Now find a quiet spot, and relax. Forget about editing, you will write whatever comes to mind. Set the timer for no more than ninety minutes. Ready? You are about to put the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” to the test.

Flip through a coffee table book or magazine for a picture that speaks to you. Study it for a few minutes and then draft as many story lines as possible from the scene before you. Imagine characters that would fit into the story ideas and write brief character sketches. Take the setting, your character sketches, and using one story line write a romance, a mystery, a paranormal piece, a thriller, and a horror story.  The possibilities are endless.

Review some of your ideas. Is the writing more vivid? Do the characters breathe? Compare the number of active verbs to the passive ones. Which is greater? I’ve learned my internal editor sometimes inhibits the creative process. When not concerned with perfection, the ideas pop. The words are sharper and the draft less cluttered.

Give this a try next time you are struggling. You’ll be surprised how quickly the creative ideas begin to flow and you are able to get back to your current work.

Cait Collins

Drop Me a Line

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Outtakes #17

Drop Me a Line

I think I may be a dinosaur. You see, I miss hand-written letters on nice stationary. I believe we have lost the art of writing personal correspondence. I remember my mother set aside time each week to write the folks back home. With Dad in the military, we were often great distances away from loved ones. Telephones were still party lines, and international calls were limited and expensive, so letters were the best method of communication. Mom’s letters were full of family news. She related our school successes, the details of our forty-inch snow storm and digging out the cars, and my number six sister’s first words. Reading one of her letters was like sitting on the sofa with her and just talking. Her Christmas card notes were full of news and holiday cheer. There was never a hit of self-pity because she was away from the extended family for years at a time. When my husband and I moved to El Paso, I’d watch the mail box for an envelope addressed in mother’s feminine handwriting. It brought me home and kept me close to those I loved.

In Mom’s later years, she was no longer able to maintain contact with her dear friends by writing letters. I started penning her holiday messages and taking them to her to sign. Her address box turned into a book of memories and family history. As I wrote the letters, I relived the wonderful experiences and people from our time in Newfoundland, Louisiana, and Maine. I recalled family reunions, weddings, and births.  Now I realize the importance of my mother’s lessons on writing letters.

Advances in telecommunications and the availability of personal computers changed the face of personal correspondence. Phone calls replaced letters. My family and I communicate by email or texting. The lovely cards and newsy letters are now reduced to quick phrases and LOL in an email. Oh, how I miss seeing the flow of ink across paper. Now don’t get me wrong. I enjoy family newsletters generated on the computer. I’ve even gotten better at navigating Facebook to check messages and view photos. A chatty phone call works too. Just keep in touch.

This time of the year offers each of us the opportunity to reconnect with friends and loved ones. As writers, we have one more platform for stretching our creative juices and resurrecting a dying art. Why not create a newsletter template and correspond with those who are important to you? Once you get the basics down you can customize the letter by including tidbits that have special meaning to each person on your list. Yes, it takes a bit of time, but trust me on this. Your loved ones will be thrilled.  As for me, I plan to build a fire in the fireplace, get out my best stationary and favorite pen, and write my letters mom style.

Cait Collins

Heroes

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Outtakes 16

Heroes

I’ve been blessed to have heroes in my life. My parents were my first heroes. They didn’t do anything big like break world records or find the cure for a terrible disease. They lived quiet, ordinary lives, working to feed, clothe and house us. They taught us the value of honesty and hard work. We learned responsibility and owning up to our mistakes. Best of all, they provided a positive example for us to follow. They weren’t perfect, but they did their best to raise six girls with lots of love and praise. They even admitted to making mistakes and asked forgiveness.

My husband was another hero. Bill was a bit of a devil in his youth. His mom told me if I had met him when he was a teen, I wouldn’t have had anything to do with him. Maybe, maybe not, but the man I knew and loved was a good man who loved his family and mine. My husband served in the Navy, trained as a paramedic after leaving the military, and worked until the cancer sidelined him. Even after an accident paralyzed him, he kept going, and proved to those he met that handicapped was a state of mind, not a state of being. Bill told people I was the most precious thing to ever walk this earth. He was truly special.

I could continue listing people who have touched my life, made me dream big things, and helped me achieve my goals. I won’t bore you with pages of names and their contributions to my life. The point is we all look up to someone. We acknowledge those who mean so much to us because they held places in our hearts and lives. We honor them because they were human, flawed, but with redeeming qualities.

Heroes play a primary role in our writing. My current novel HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW has three heroes: Dr. Mike Lofton, Sheriff Travis Cooper and Clive Dalton. Mike and Travis achieved their status because they befriended a lonely, ignored seven-year old girl. They vowed a spit vow to take care of Kate Walker to the end. When Kate became ill, they rescued her and earned her grandmother’s undying love. Both let her down because they were mere mortals, yet they never forgot the promise. When Kate returns to Harley to bury her grandmother, they rally to her side to be the friends she’d always loved.

Clive Dalton enters Kate’s life when she marries Jonathan Meyers. He loves Kate, but respects her relationship with Jon. He hides his feelings by treating her like a kid sister. Dalton in many ways is bigger than life. He’s honest, honorable, loyal, and when Jon’s widow needs help with King Phillips, he becomes her fiercest protector. He assumes an I-am-going-to-protect-you- from-all-harm attitude that annoys and angers Kate. His determination to stand between the woman he loves and potential threats leads to a rift in their relationship. Instead of detracting from his sterling qualities, he becomes human. Flawed, yes, but Clive remains a man worthy of respect, admiration, and love. After all, who wants Sir Galahad perfection when a real man is available?

Cait Collins

Grocery Shopping

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Outtakes

Grocery Shopping

It’s that stress-me-out time of the year. My calendar begins to fill with all the obligations of the season. There’s the family Thanksgiving dinner, black Friday planning, black Friday shopping, my brother-in-laws’s annual merry unbirthday party, the sisters dinner, the company holiday luncheons, ornament exchange at church, and the list goes on. Each of these events requires food, so I will sit down with my calendar, my coupons, my holiday shopping-and-planning-notebook and begin to make my grocery list.

Start with the basics. For example, I’m making the dressing for Thanksgiving. So here’s what I’ll need: corn bread mix, onions, eggs, chicken broth, seasonings, celery, a roasting pan, and foil.

Once I have the basic list, I sort through my coupons to see what matches and begin to revise the list to correspond with my coupons. I have 25 cents off on 3 packages of corn bread mix, 75 cents off one container of seasonings, 50 cents off eggs, two coupons for discounts on broth, 25 cents off on foil, and one for the disposable storage bowls I left off my basic list.

The list is further edited by brand, size, quantity, expiration date, and limitations. The final list looks something like this.

6 15 oz cans Swanson’s low sodium chicken broth 50 cents off on 3 can purchase

6 packages Martha White’s yellow corn bread mix on sale 3 packages for $1.25; one 25 cents off on 3 packages.

1 dozen large grade A Eggland’s Best eggs 50 cents off coupon

1 McCormick poultry seasoning ,65 oz bottle. 75 cents off

1 rolls Reynolds aluminum foil 50 foot roll or larger 25 cents off

2 packages of 2 cup Ziplock storage bowls 3 to a package $1.00 off

1 container diced onions in the refrigerator case

1 container diced celery

Now I have a detailed list I could give to my nephews along with the cash, and they could battle the crowd at the store. So what does this mean for a writer?

I make a basic list regarding the characters and storyline for a novel. On a first draft of my novel, I have basic ideas of my characters, setting, time of year and so on. As the story develops, the details emerge and the characters become more alive and the settings are more vivid. I update the list as I go. By the time I’m on the final edit, all the details are filled in and an agent or editor will have the necessary details to present and promote my project.

Getting the details right takes time and effort. It also requires being open to change as the story develops. Making notes of the progress helps prevent errors like the hero has blue eyes in chapter two and brown eyes in chapter ten.

I also use lists to spark creativity. There are some days when the muse is not with me, so I make my grocery list. Instead of green beans, I refine the item to Green Giant French cut green beans. Olives become large, jalapeño-stuffed Spanish olives. Ground beef is lean ground sirloin 90/10. After a few minutes working this exercise, I find my inspiration and get back to writing my novel.

Cait Collins

Thank you

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Outtakes

Thank you

It’s almost done. Sixty pages, three chapters and the second draft of my fourth novel HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW will be ready for final editing. I don’t have a publisher, agent or editor. Yet. The point is that I will have finished the book.

I have so many folks to thank. Without their support, guidance and encouragement, I might have been tempted to drop the project and try something else. So here goes. I’ll start with my good friend Cynthia Hunt who read the novella, liked it but wanted more story. The agent who listened to my pitch and told me it would not sell as a novella. However, I had enough plot twists and ideas to develop a novel, so write it. I have a wonderful family who allows me bounce ideas off them. They support my dream of selling my novel and will celebrate with me when that happens. I have great friends who follow the progress of the story and can’t wait for me to complete the book. I support myself with my writing as I work toward the sale of my novel. I have a great manager and team who support my creative writing.

Last, but definitely not least, I owe so much to Natalie, Sharon, Nancy, Craig, and Joe. Meeting after meeting they critique the pages I read. They offer sound advice, point out the errors without demoralizing, and they give me tons of smiley faces. I treasure their input and friendship. And I wish every writer had such a support group.

Writing is a solitary profession. A writer spends so much time alone in an office, or on the couch, staring at the computer screen or legal pad, and painstakingly give life to a story, poem, song, non-fiction book, memoir, or article. Sometimes you can feel so alone in the process. I compare the writer’s journey to the road a woman travels when pregnant. Can you imagine going through morning sickness, weight gain, runs to the bathroom every ten minutes, hours of labor without family and friends behind you cheering you on? How sad would that be? The truth is we need each other to share the good and the bad. I’m blessed and freely acknowledge it. I wish every writer, every person, would be as fortunate.

So to all of you who have been with me in this journey, I say thanks from the bottom of my heart. I could not have done it without you.

Cait Collins

Boo!

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Outtakes #13

Boo!

By the time this Outtake is posted, I will have participated in my company’s annual Halloween costume contest. My team decided to change our theme from 80’s prom to Death. As I understand things, the Grim Reaper, a vampire-bitten 80’s prom queen, the vampire that bit her, a shotgun toting cowgirl, and the big, bad wolf will make appearances. Dr. Death (that’s me) will hand out lethal prescriptions. It’s all in good fun and gives us a break from the everyday stress of the job.

Saturday evening I’ll park my car on the church parking lot, open the trunk and distribute candy to the children from our congregation and the surrounding neighborhood. The holiday has always been enjoyable. I love seeing the kids in their costumes, and hearing the chant of “Trick or Treat”. I’ll remember my father’s ghost stories, groups of kids going from house to house accepting home-baked cookies and candy apples. We had such a great time. It’s a shame Halloween has taken on more sinister aspects over the years.

While I enjoy Halloween, I find I’m not the biggest fan of horror stories. I had nightmares after reading Edgar Allan Poe’s The Telltale Heart. Stephen King terrifies me. And we’ll not talk about Dean Koontz. I sat through NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with my face hidden. I consider PSYCHO one of the top horror flicks of all times. It’s scary without being gory. While I try to avoid the genre, I appreciate the talent required to craft a true tale of terror. I marvel at the ability to write scenes that make me toss the book across the room or hide it in a box. I guess I rather have my heart race over a gorgeous guy than a ghoul.

While horror fans drool over the latest terrifying book or movie release, I will tune into tamer fare. Maybe I’ll reach for James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series, or watch the campy remake of  THE MUMMY. I can get a jolt but forego the nightmare. And now if you will excuse me, IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN is about to start.

Cait Collins

Ethan

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Ethan

 Have you ever wondered what kids are thinking? Why they do what they do? I have because I’m blessed with many nieces and nephews who give me grins and giggles. Take my two-year-old nephew, Ethan, for example. From the time he was able to hold on to a quarter, my sister and brother-in-law taught Ethan the importance of giving to God. Every Sunday, Ethan would clutch his quarter and wait for the collection plate to be passed. One Sunday morning, he saw the men coming down the aisle with the collection plates. He jumped out of Paw-Paw’s lap and ran toward the ushers. The closest man bent down to allow Ethan to drop his money into the plate. He turned to find his grandfather coming to get him. Beaming, the little cherub raised his arms to be picked up. Aha. I knew what was going on in Ethan’s mind. God loves a cheerful giver.

I teach the little ones in Sunday School. My kids are between four months and two years in age. (Yes, you can teach these children.) One of our main themes is God loves us and gives us good things. Ethan was one of my regular students.  One Sunday morning, the collection plate came to Ethan. Not only did he put his money in the plate, he also tossed in his ratty rubber alligator. A flush crept up Dean’s neck as he grabbed the toy. I leaned forward, “How sweet,” I whispered, “Ethan gave God something he loves.”

Of course I can’t read minds, but the explanations were obvious to me. The reality is Ethan had a motive, a reason for his actions. And so must our characters have motives for the things they do. In my current novel HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW, Kate Walker returns to her home town in response to a phone call from the town doctor. Her grandmother had a heart attack and is not expected to live. At this point, her sole motivation is to see her grandmother and take care of her. But things change. After Miss Lucille’s death, past events and current events combine creating a new purpose for Kate. She wants justice for herself, her grandmother, and her friend Travis.

The antagonist, King Phillips, is a bully, power hungry, and self-important. He has one ambition; to own the Walker family property. He threatened and attempted to intimidate Miss Lucille into selling and now he’s after Kate. His motive seems straightforward, but is it? Is there some other reason King demands Kate sell out to him?

The characters’ motives create conflict. In this case King uses every means, every threat to obtain the land. Kate is equally determined to honor her grandmother’s request not to sell out to Phillips. Their battle comes to a head with surprising revelations. Throughout the story, their actions must be in keeping with the motives. For example, if Kate says she forgives King, it would not be in keeping with her desire for justice. Nor would King be in character if he took pity on Miss Lucille’s granddaughter.  They must be consistent as they pursue their goals.

In order to keep the characters’ actions in keeping with their motives, you have to know who they are. The past, present, and future aspirations should be part of the character sketches you create. I’m not one for long, detailed character sketches, but I believe in a bit of back story. You need to know when the character was born, age at the time of major events in their life, socio-economic status, and where you plan to take him. You also need to hint of the setting. Does he live in a small town or a major city? Can you describe where he lives? What does he do for a living? While I might not write it all down, the information is in my head. By knowing your characters and their desires and motivation, you can lead them from hook to resolution and take your readers along for the ride.

Cait Collins

THE ATOCHA

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The Atocha

On September 4, 1622, twenty-eight ships sailed from Havana to the open sea. They were six-weeks behind schedule. By morning on September 5, the fleet encountered a massive hurricane. Twenty-two ships escaped disaster, but six went aground and broke up. Among the wrecks were the Spanish treasure galleons Santa Margarita and the Nuestra Senora de Atocha.  While the Santa Margarita was partially salvaged by the Cuban authorities, the bulk of her cargo and that of the Atocha soon lay at bottom of the sea. The great treasure of the Spanish government remained lost for 360 years. In May of 1980, salvager Mel Fisher and his team found the Santa Margarita. Five years later, they discovered the Atocha’s mother lode.

Ships’ manifests detailed much of the cargo in the ships’ holds. However, the contraband proved an exciting find for Fisher and his teams. The Atocha was rich in gold and silver bars, pieces of eight, Spanish coins, gold chains, jewelry, and Colombian emeralds. Imagine the thrill of salvaging this glittering piece of Spanish history. The estimated value of Fisher’s find was $450,000,000, making it one of the richest salvages in history.

I was privileged to view a portion of the Atocha’s wealth when Duncan and Boyd Jewelers hosted a showing of the treasures of the Atocha. Case after case of artifacts greeted patrons. I was astonished by the number of gold bars, pieces of eight, passengers’ jewelry, and pounds of silver for sale. The salvagers crafted reproductions of jewelry and artifacts from the salvaged silver. I purchased a cross, a mariner’s dolphin, and a dragon shaped toothpick along with Eugene Lyon’s book THE SEARCH FOR THE ATOCHA, and a copy of Captain Kathryn Budde-Jones’ booklet COINS OF THE LOST GALLEONS. But it was the emeralds that fascinated me. One of the divers slipped a mined emerald ring on my finger. I gulped when I saw the $7,000.00 price tag. It wasn’t even one of the best quality stones. One stone, a medium-sized, almost flawless, round cut was valued at $65,000.00.

After returning the ring to James, I continued to walk the displays. I played one of my favorite writer’s games. What if a ship from the Dutch East Indies fleet was pirated by a Spanish buccaneer? And what if the English attacked the pirate vessel? And what if all three ships sunk? And then, nearly three hundred years later, a young marine archeologist “happens” on all three wrecks. Among the treasures, the emerald encrusted lizard broach jeweler Juan Carlos de Gara presented to his fiancé before she sailed on the Dutch ship, Van der Mar. And what if, the broach was cursed?

I made one last visit to the emerald case. Beautiful! Not only had I held history, been offered an invitation to dive with the team, but I also had the plot for my third novel LEGENDS, LIES AND LIZARDS.

Cait Collins