Category Archives: Natalie Bright

Making Connections

Posted on by
Reply

Making Connections

By Natalie Bright

The business side of publishing and promoting your work is not much different than any other industry. Networking with business colleagues and potential clients has been going on for centuries, whether it be in the local pub or the downtown martini bar.

For writers social media has changed the dynamics of how we can publicize our stories to readers. Just like through the centuries, building a viable network takes time. Consider marketing and promotion as a marathon. In addition to sitting behind your computer, think about putting yourself out there as well.

Connections that Last

Bestselling author, Jodi Thomas, has always maintained a strong local fan base during her 25 year career. Her local autographings in the Texas Panhandle are well attended, with long lines of eager fans. I met a librarian at one of these events who remembers Jodi speaking to their small club over ten years ago. Many years later she happened to be browsing through a bookstore and saw a display with books by Jodi Thomas. Now retired and with plenty of time to read, she bought a copy of every book and has been a  loyal fan ever since. She says, “Even though we were a small group and Jodi Thomas was a New York Times Bestselling author, it was like we were her best friends. She was so gracious and kind, and gave a very professional and interesting talk.” It’s that one to one relationship with her fans that Jodi excels at, and it’s served her well through the years.

That lady’s enthusiasm got me to thinking about making connections that last. Sometimes we may not ever realize the connections we’ve made or the people we’ll meet, and how it might lead to something else many years down the road.

Building Bridges by Volunteering

I’ve volunteered at our local museum for close to 20 years as a docent. I joined the museum auxiliary when I was in college, even before I had kids, because I love history. Through my participation, I’ve talked to countless numbers of kids and teachers and parents while conducting school tours. I’ve met so many wonderful people from all over the world while guiding them through the exhibits and talking about the Texas Panhandle. After I became an author, and my articles began appearing in local publications, those same teachers have invited me to speak in their classrooms. I think these connections have served me well. 

It’s A Book Fair!

I also enjoy participating in book events. Table fees and travel expense can be shared with other authors. One such event was a first ever library sponsored community book fair resulting in only one person coming to my talk.  I also sold one book. The day wasn’t a waste however, because I met countless teachers, school librarians, interesting book lovers, and one lady who is in the process of opening a bookstore. From that one event, I’ve already received two speaking invitations.

So get yourself out there and smile. You just never know where those simple connections might lead down the road.

www.nataliebright.com

 

Cowboy Slang

Posted on by
Reply

 

Cowboy Slang

By Natalie Bright

Southerners have a way of cutting consonants and lengthening vowels to speak our mind. Some people may assume we’re ignorant. I think we’re entertaining and somewhat lazy. For instance, we’ve shortened you all to y’all. Rather than converse in a lengthy explanation of our intentions and plans, we simply say, I’m fixin’ to. The listener has to guess at the intended task.

Lunch or Dinner; Which Is It?

Common day phrases have been altered too. My husband and I have had many a discussion regarding breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He insists the correct names are breakfast, dinner and supper, just like his grandparents used to call it.

Talking Hoss

Same thing goes for the American cowboy. Raising quality beef steak was a real profession, and continues to be so today. Technology has had some influence on the cattleman and ranching industry, but what remains is a simple way of speaking his mind. There are few story tellers equal to a group of cowboys gathered around talking hoss. These types of conversations are gold to a writers ear.  I heard a cowboy mention that his horse was smoked, which means the horse had already been ridden hard and needed a rest so the cowboy had to quit work for the day. One simple word can say a lot. 

Down in the Skillet

In the olden days, the Texas Panhandle was down in the skillet. On the cattle drive, the chuck wagon cook, or dough-wrangler, might whip up a batch of sour-doughs with sop (biscuits and gravy), along with a boggy top for dessert (a pie with only a bottom crust).

After work, the ranch hand would dig around in his war-bag for a clean shirt, which is a carry-all for his personal possessions. I’ve heard the term still used today. A war bag is similar to a sports bag with a cowboy’s rodeo gear for riding broncs or bulls.  Back to the olden days, if he could find clean duds, he’d slick-up for the shin-dig at a neighboring ranch where they’d shake a good hoof until day break.

Cowboy Slang Reference

These witty and colorful catch phrases are interesting to me and I love sprinkling a few throughout my stories. I’ve discovered several helpful reference books, in case you’d like to learn more about the lingo of the great American west. These are a few of my favorites:

COWBOY LINGO by Ramon F. Adams, is a collection of slack-jaw words and whangdoodle ways (Houghton Mifflin Company).

WESTERN WORDS, also by Adams, A dictionary of the Old West (Hippocrene Books, New York).

COWBOY SLANG by Edgar R. Frosty Potter

Happy trails and keep writing! 

www.nataliebright.com

 

The Magic of John Wayne

Posted on by
Reply

The Magic of John Wayne

By Natalie bright

 

While driving a carload of boys, I listened with interest to my 15yo son and his friends chat about movies. I was shocked to hear one of them say that their favorite movie star was John Wayne. What followed was a surprisingly in-depth discussion of his movies, and if the remake with Jeff Bridges lived up to the original version (they all agreed that both actors owned the part). 

I’d like to say thank you cable television. I guess those John Wayne marathons and boring summer days have a way of coming together in every young man’s life. Did you ever imagine that kids of the 21st century would still be watching John Wayne?

Satellite Dish Enchantment

I realized that the youth of today are exposed to so much more than we were. I really didn’t have control of the television channels until I moved out on my own. My children have a television, iPad, and gaming system, all affording exposure to a wide variety of material. My two boys like westerns and 007 and transformer movies, those ridiculous videos on YouTube, and the history channel. Plus we have horses and cattle and lots of chores. It’s a busy and varied life. 

Books for every Taste

And the same goes with books. I read across all genres, and I’ve come to realize that kids are like most adults.  When I speak at schools, I open discussion to talk about their favorite books. I’m always surprised at the variety of answers, and my kids read a mix of genres too, except it’s not the stories I would have chosen for them.  I’m clueless as to why my youngest refuses to read about Harry Potter and prefers zombies instead. And my oldest went from the Jack and Annie series straight into nonfiction about World War I. 

Editors and agents work hard to produce amazing stories, and thanks to social media and eBooks there’s so many ways for readers to discover them. Opportunities abound for writers too.

Rock Songs of the 70’s

As we drove along, we programmed my sons iPhone to the car so he could play his music. The teenagers sang along with today’s country, but the rock songs were from the 70’s and 80’s; Boston, Journey, Eagles. The same rock songs I used to sing to and the same songs that drove my parents crazy. This younger generation thinks they’re the first ones that came up with everything relating to hip. Does that ring familiar?

More Than a Feeling

As More Than a Feeling blasted through the car, my son asked, “How do you know the words to that song?” 

I smiled. Thanks to me, my children are watching excellent movie stars, expanding their interests, considering all the possibilities and realizing that they can be anything they want to be while being exposed to the technology of a new century.

Now if a cable channel would run a Clint Eastwood marathon and if some teenager would take out the trash, my modern world would be complete.

www.nataliebright.com

Still A Little Book

Posted on by
5

Still A Little Book

By Natalie Bright

E. B. White, author of Charolote’s Web, treasured a book he received from one of his professors at Cornell. The year was 1919 and the book had been privately printed by Professor William Strunk Jr. and “the little book” was well known on campus. Thirty-eight years later, Elwyn Brooks White polished, expanded and transformed the little book into a classic: The Elements of Style.

The last chapter lists suggestions and “cautionary hints” to help beginners “find the way to satisfactory style”. Here are a few:

*Place yourself in the background.

* Write with nouns and verbs.

* Do not overwrite.

*Do not overstate.

* Do not explain too much.

*Be clear.

It was the little book that I turned to, not as a writer, but as a mother. My oldest son had to retake the English portion of the state test. He had passed the essay part, but had failed the multiple choice questions about editing. He was required to take the entire test over again. What is the best way to write a sentence? How can you choose A, B, C or D for an answer when they all seem right?

The only thing I could think of to help him was section two of The Elements of Style, “Elementary Principles of Composition”. We read aloud the incorrect sentences and then I had him write the correct one. Which is why I love this book. It has two columns; one way and the best way.  I’ll let you know if our efforts paid off.

In the meantime, think about adding THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE to your writers reference library. It truly is a little gem of a book.

www.nataliebright.com

Memory Jolts

Posted on by
Reply

MEMORY JOLTS 

By Natalie Bright

Through out life, isn’t it strange how the simplest experiences can stun us with a jolt of memory? More often than not, it seems this is connected to a significant loss.  I walked into a welding shop eight years after my father had passed on and the smell brought tears to my eyes.

LOSS OF A CHILD

The loss of a child has an even longer impact and today I’m blogging about the loss of a baby. If you are suffering from this devastating grief, just know that you have more strength than you might realize. Good days and bad days are in your future, and you’ll make it through.  I’m sure you’ve already noticed that every day occurrences can knock you to your knees.

For me, it’s playground equipment and the beginning of school.  Every year around this time I keep thinking I should be buying three sets of school supplies instead of just two. And playground equipment always reminds me of the things our sweet baby will never experience.

PHOTO MEMORIES

When I asked my friend Joe Stevens to take a picture of abandoned playground equipment for the cover of a book I was writing, I mentioned that he had about a month before I finished the final edits. The very next day, he drove to an abandoned rural school yard one evening after work. Out of only eight pictures, this was one of them:

The haunting symbolism in this picture resonated with me, from the beam of the setting sun shining at the top of the slide, to the dead weeds at the end of the slide where a parent might be standing.  His gift and talent to capture that image at that exact time makes me realize how fragile life is. A split second, and the photo would be lost and still life goes on. You must continue too.

WORDS OF HOPE

For words of hope and healing after the loss of a baby, my book GONE NEVER FORGOTTEN  is now available for Kindle at amazon.com. Based on my experience, I’m offering words of hope and poems to lift you during the bad times. From my heart to yours.

Natalie Bright

MAKING RETAIL CONNECTIONS

Posted on by
5

Making Retail Connections

By Natalie Bright

If you’ve self-published a book, it’s up to you to establish retail connections.

An author once told me that he’d only intended to write the book, and never wanted to be a book salesman. Now he’s traveling around with a car full of books. Welcome to the reality of today’s publishing world.  How are people going to read your book, if they don’t know it exists?

As the CEO of YOU, guess who is in charge of book promotion?

Make the Connection

While the internet offers a multitude of book promotion opportunities, for this particular post, I want to talk specifically about working with retail outlets and how to approach owners or managers.

On cold calls, approach them in a friendly, cooperative manner, introduce yourself and ask if they’d like to see your book. Most bookstore owners are always interested in talking to authors. Ask them if it’s a subject their customers might like. Information flyers and postcards work as well. When I receive inquiries in regards to my middle grade book, OIL PEOPLE, I offer to leave the store manager a preview copy. If it’s an inquiry by phone or email, I always offer to mail a preview copy. Be sure to include promo copies in your budget.

Store Owners Rule

Retail stores have to realize at least a 50% to 60% markup in the items they sell. They have a store front to operate which includes payroll, building utilities, and inventory expense.

DO NOT tell the storeowner the retail price. It’s their store, they set the price. Business owners are independent and territorial. If you tell them how to run their business, you’ll be out the door in a flash. Quote them the price you need, and you can suggest a retail price but ultimately the cost to customers is the store owners decision.

Setting the Price

If you self-publish, you have to leave a little wiggle room when setting your price. I hear this complaint all of the time and it is confusing to self-published writers. Authors quote the price printed on their book or the over-inflated price they paid for printing, expecting that’s the price they are due. Shop around and find the best possible printing deal in order to keep your price per book as low as possible. Hopefully, you’ll have room to make a few bucks, and the store comes out ahead as well.

Retail owners are in business to make a profit. If business owners’ efforts aren’t going to generate dollars to pay for the cost of staying open, it’s not worth having your book take up valuable shelf space.

The key, I think, is being able to offer a low price to retail outlets and being able to negotiate a price without being too pushy.

Consider ALL Possibilities

Major chain bookstores may not be an option to self-published authors for many reasons which are beyond your control. Are there specialty shops in your area? What about possible connections through family and friends?

Think about cross-selling. If you have a book of poetry, why not approach a lingerie shop? If you have a children’s book about horses, drop by a saddle and tack store or the local feed store. Stop stressing over things you can’t control and consider all of the possibilities, and keep writing!

Natalie Bright

Raw Emotion

Posted on by
8

 Raw Emotion

by Natalie Bright

In your mind, the characters of your fictionalized world are real. That means they experience emotion the same as real people would, and it’s that component that makes them come alive to your readers. Emotion is what elevates your characters above the problem of having flat, card-board type characters. If the story seems bland and the plot seems to drone on with no excitement, maybe you need to pump up the emotion in your characters; take them over the top.

For example, let’s think about loss. Whatever it is your character is experiencing as the plot develops, whether it is the absence of a thing, person, or familiar home, the emotion to apply is defined by social workers as “Stages of Grief”.  Everyone experiences these kinds of emotion when dealing with a devastating loss. Keep in mind that people may not experience every one of the states defined below, and it might not be in the order they’re listed.

The Stages of Grief

Denial – this isn’t happening to me.

Anger – why is this happening to me?

Bargaining – I promise I’ll be a better person if…

Depression – I don’t care anymore.

Acceptance – I’m ready for whatever comes (usually last).

As a real human being, you have probably experienced some of these as some point in your own life. I remember my mother going through every one of these emotions after my father died. We decided she might need a change. We moved her into a beautiful retirement village with many other widow ladies, thinking she was settled in and healing, and then after several months she found a picture of my dad in an unpacked box. The picture took center-stage on her dresser in her lovely new apartment and I recognized my mother going through the states of grief all over again.

Emotional Behaviors

The writer’s rule of “show, don’t tell” can be demonstrated by physical traits or habits of your character.

Numbness – mechanical functioning

Disorganization – intense, painful feelings of loss

Recorganization – re-entry into a normal social life

Application to Work in Progress

My WIP western opens with the funeral of my main characters’ father. What types of emotion would a young boy experience? I’m thinking much the same as an adult would, except based on the experiences of a fourteen year old. Most definitely he’d be angry about being left alone.

I hope this helps you in developing your characters to their fullest potential. Keep writing!

www.nataliebright.com

Giveaway Winners Announcement!

Posted on by
Reply

Giveaway Winners Announcement!

We had two comments on what inspires you to write, and I have to say that both were excellent.

“Connection” from Richard.  I think this is so true. When a writer pours their heart and soul into the words, its obvious they have a connection to the characters, the story line, and the setting, and that in turn makes the reader care as well. We can find the connection too.

“The only way it will get told is if I am to tell it” from Gaye. This is very inspiring for me in particular. Thanks so much, Gaye, for posting a comment.

I love both of those!  So Richard and Gaye, if you’ll email me privately with your mailing address, I’ll split the Texas related prizes and others goodies between you. 

Email me at natalie@nataliebright.com.

Thanks for being an active part of Wordsmith Six!

GIVEAWAY

Posted on by
2

GIVEAWAY

Today, because it’s my 100th blog post for Wordsmith Six and because I especially love all of YOU, our Wordsmith Six followers, I’m giving away a basket of Texas goodies. I’ve got a mug, coasters, and magnets – lots of happy stuff relating to the lone star state.

To enter, post a comment on the thing or things that  inspires you to write. What inspires you to write? We want to know.

Winners will be announced next week. Good luck and thanks so much for following Wordsmith Six! 

www.nataliebright.com

The Story in Your Head

Posted on by
Reply

The Story in Your Head

By Natalie Bright

A librarian asked me, “Does the story you’re working on ever leave your head?”

As writers, you know the answer. And what most people don’t realize, it’s not just our current work in progress. A multitude of characters, settings, snippets of dialogue are all scrambling for attention in our brains. Which explains why we have no down time in this crazy job of writing.

In a previous blog, Crazy Daze, I mentioned how the month of May has always zapped me of my writing time. The month flew by with hardly any moment for me to sit with hands on the keyboard. That doesn’t mean I left my story behind.

Although I wasn’t actually generating new words, my mind has been totally occupied with the current WIP. It’s another western, so in the late night hours I’ve been reading Elmer Kelton, watching old movies and those black and white series like The Virginian. And I’ve rediscovered Dr. Quinn reruns. All of this got me to thinking about one of my main characters, Roving Wolf.

Roving Wolf is a Comanche brave and I decided that he needs to break the stereotypical image of Indians portrayed in the western genre. In the old movies, Native Americans were so serious and always picking on the innocent white man. On occasion the viewer might learn of their motives and their true lifestyle, but rarely. I want my character to break the mold. I’ve decided to make him the rowdy and funny one. I’m thinking the white guy is not so innocent in this story and Roving Wolf turns out to be the hero.

As Roving Wolf grew larger than life inside my head, I finally found time to write and he came storming into the story just like I knew he would. The first thing he did was shoot my other main character with an arrow. I can hardly wait to find out what he does next.

Writing is torture, and on somedays, it’s the most fun you’ll ever have.  I love this job.

www.nataliebright.com