Category Archives: Writing

Think About It and Become Inspired

Posted on by
Reply

Think About It and Become Inspired

By Rory C. Keel

Recently I found myself bogged down in writing my Novel. My first thought was that I had lost my ability to write. However, I seem to be able to spell and put a sentence together and my computer still functions. My fingers are flexible enough to hold a pen write on the reams of paper I have so what’s the problem, the lack of inspiration.

Inspiration

Inspiration doesn’t fall from the clouds nor is it mystical but it is a product of action.

When we feel inspired, it’s because we’ve been thinking and meditating on information we have taken into our minds through our senses. We take all of this information and then twist it, shake it, mold it and place it into a certain order in our minds that makes sense to us.

We then become inspired.

This process is action that produces inspiration.

roryckeel.com

Top Sixteen OWFI 2014

Posted on by
Reply

Top Sixteen OWFI 2014

By Natalie Bright

 Oklahoma Writer’s Federation held their annual conference this past weekend in Oklahoma City. This group always offers a diverse slate of speakers representing multiple genres and topics plus agents and editors. For more information www.owfi.org. Hope to see you in 2015!

  1. You can pursue regional and niche markets that the big traditional publishers ignore. JERRY SIMMONS, retired, V.P. of sales, Time Warner Book Group.
  2. A Fairy Tale Sampler by ELOISA JAMES, free to every OWFI attendee!
  3. Authors are damaged people. It’s not normal what we do. DAVID MORRELL, bestselling author, creator of Rambo.
  4. We don’t believe in sleep at OWFI. Be sure to attend a buzz session after the banquet. CHIRSTINE JARMOLA, 2014 OWFI President.
  5. Become a student of the market place. SIMMONS.
  6. Embrace the reasons we are doing this crazy thing. MORRELL.
  7. Write blogs to showcase your voice and practice your writing. HEATHER DAVIS, popular MiniVan Momma blogger and author.
  8. Writing has to be a real job in your head. CHRISTINE TAYLOR-BUTLER, best-selling children’s author.
  9. Every person has a dominate emotion. Probably it’s something that is so painful and so shameful you don’t acknowledge it. Admit it and write it. MORRELL.
  10. Schedule your time to write as if it’s a doctor’s appointment or part of your day job. TAYLOR-BUTLER.
  11. Don’t blog unless you really want to. If you’re not genuine, people will know. DAVIS.
  12. Don’t get your work critiqued until you know clearly what you are writing. Opinions will get you off track. TAYLOR-BUTLER.
  13. Keep an idea folder for newspaper or magazine clippings, articles, even junk mail—anything that sparks an idea. DARLEEN BAILEY BEARD.
  14. In real life, we do not address one another by our names. Don’t use them in the dialogue of your fiction. MORRELL.
  15. If you are serious about writing as a career, you must write two pages per day. No excuses! TAYLOR-BUTLER.
  16. The future will include newer, faster forms of delivery, easier forms for payment, and content will become shorter. eBooks aren’t going away. SIMMONS.

 

The Run-On Sentence

Posted on by
Reply

Outtakes 148

 

The Run-On Sentence

By Cait Collins

 

Have you ever listened to a person talk on and on and on without ever saying anything?

After a while, it like the Charlie Brown animated programs where adults are saying, “Awanah, Awanah, Awanah.” Or to put it in more modern terms, “Yada, yada, yada.” Needless to say, we don’t truly enjoy the conversation. The interminable chat is akin to reading a run-on sentence in a book or story. Which would lead one to believe all run-on sentences should be avoided at all costs.

Not necessarily true. The never-ending sentence just might be a way to edit a particularly weak section of your current work. Take another look at the troubled portion of your novel. Now rewrite it as one long sentence. No punctuation. No editing. Instead of periods, commas, semi-colons,or quotation marks, use connecting words such as and, and so, but, then, then so, which means, neither, nor, either, or and so forth. Do not stop writing. Completely retell the section in one sentence. Expand the sentence outward, adding details and new thoughts.

Now read your sentence adding the punctuation. Check your verbs. Are they active or passive? Count the verbs. Underline the active verbs and circle the passive. What is your ratio of active to passive? What have you added to the sentence that was not in the original piece? Are the additions valuable to the telling of the story? Check what you have neglected to include in the sentence. Will the story stand well without the omissions or do you need to add some of the information to the rewrite? Has the section improved by using this exercise?

Normally free writing produces better work. Without the internal editor interfering with the creative process, we write with the heart and soul instead of with technical tools. This is just one tool the writer has to improve his work. Just remember the unedited sentence cannot remain in your story.

ARE YOU AFRAID TO FLY?

Posted on by
Reply

ARE YOU AFRAID TO FLY?

by Rory C. Keel 

It’s amazing that so many people have a fear of flying. Several years ago, while on a plane from Saint Louis Missouri to Portland Oregon, I remember boarding and seeing a man who looked as pale as death. He took his seat across the aisle and immediately buckled the seat belt, grabbed the armrests and shook so violently I wondered if it was the engines or him shaking the plane. After sedating himself with a couple of adult beverages, he slept soundly to our destination.

While I have never been afraid to travel in an airplane, I have experienced a fear of flying. Realizing I would never pilot an F-16 fighter jet, I turned to the hobby of remote control airplanes.

After what my wife called “investing heavily” in a kit, I began to build my first R/C airplane. For days I trimmed every piece of wood with the skill of a surgeon to the exact specs. For weeks, I placed every drop of glue precisely in the correct spot, as to not change the balance of the plane. And after months of careful tune-ups on the engine and electronics, along with a few instructions from others to assure that my plane would soar with the eagles, fear took over.

What if it crashes? All that hard work and time will have been in vain.

On my first solo flight, I rolled the plane down the tarmac and lifted off. A feeling of accomplishment flooded over me as I made one pass, then another over the stands. Not wanting to run out of fuel and lose the plane, I made the approach to land. That day I witnessed the most horrific sight—in front of me laid splinters of wood, pieces of plastic and shards of metal. I crash-landed my plane.

In writing, there are moments when we are afraid to submit a piece of work, fearful of rejection. We work on a piece until it is perfect then, “WHAT IF” takes over. What if it’s rejected? What if it was a waste of time because no one likes it?

The good news is that my first plane did finally soar. I learned that my time wasn’t wasted at all. In all the hours of building I had learned how to repair the broken plane, and after adjusting the mistakes I made in the landing approach, confidence took control.

Yes, I have letters of rejection for my writing, however with repairs and a few adjustments, those same pieces have been published.

Don’t be afraid to fly!

Roryckeel.com

Calling the Spirits of Words

Posted on by
Reply

Calling the Spirits of Words

By Natalie Bright

 

On my way to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in Oklahoma City, I always take exit 108 off of I-40 for a stop at the Cherokee Trading Post. Jewelry, pottery, clean bathrooms, original artwork, and did I mention jewelry! On this trip I purchased a colorful Native American figurine blowing a flute. The informational card reads: CALLING THE SPIRITS. 

This colorful flute player in a bright yellow and green costume, complete with spiked hair and dancing feet will be my inspiration. With a flute that is raised high in joyful song, he’ll hold an honorary place on my bookcase. Perfect for my office, since I’m deep into writing a MG historical in which one of my characters is a Comanche. I’m constantly calling on the spirits or the muse or whatever motivation I need to help me dig deeper into the research.

Damaged

After I returned home, I carefully unwrapped the new treasure only to find the end of his flute was broken. It wasn’t about the money, less than $20 bucks, but I was sad. I think the clerk must have accidently snapped it off when she wrapped it in tissue and then newspaper and then taped the box. It was very nice of her to take such care, but I wonder if maybe she broke it before she wrapped it and that’s why such a cheap purchase was wrapped up in so many protective layers.

I found the glue, which of course was dried. Had to look for the pliers so I could open the glue. About the time it got to the tacky stage, our cat jumped into my lap, knocked my hand, and the broken piece came loose, sticking very nicely to my finger.

Broken Dreams

I am reminded of my writing. Some days it’s broken. Some days other people can crush your motivation without even meaning to. Some days you can’t write one word. Demands on our time, the heartbreaks of life, or our inner devil-muse tells us we’re sure to fail.

And then there are those other kinds of days. The music of our words soar! We find joy in writing again and we know that what we create is sheer magic. Someone says, “Yes, I’ll publish that”, a stranger comments on your blog, or one of your tweets gets a ReTweet. These are the days that feed a writer’s soul.

So for now, my little Shaman has an instrument that is held to his hand with tape. He’s patched, he’s doing fine, and he’s still playing.

Words From A Master

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Words From A Master

By Nandy Ekle

 

“As a writer, one of the things that I’ve always been interested in doing is actually invading your comfort space. Because that’s what we’re supposed to do. Get under your skin, and make you react.”  –Stephen King

I’m making a confession here. I’ve bee a huge fan of Stephen King nearly all my life. I consider several of his books to be outright masterpieces.

I like this quote of his because it puts images in my head. Let me show you.

I’m sitting in a chair in front of my fireplace, a blanket wrapped around my legs and a book in my hand. The words march across the pages and occasionally I gasp with emotion.

I become aware of a voice in the room, actually right in front of me. When I look up I see the author squatting before me whispering. Keeping my finger between the pages, I close the book and listen to the words coming from his mouth. The story becomes alive in my head and I feel a connection with the author.

This is what makes a great book.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

 

 

Tag words:

Brain Dead

Posted on by
Reply

Outtakes 147

Brain Dead
By Cait Collins

There are just some days that kill every brain cell in your head. I’ve spent the last two days doing prep work. In other words I sort the correspondence requests that come into our work list. My favorite expression has been, “Whaaaaat?” In other words who wrote this and what were they thinking? I love my job and the various aspects of the position, but I haven’t written a letter in two days.

The letter writing and researching are my favorite parts of the job. Digging for what happened, why it happened and then preparing the response are a pleasure. Sometimes its like working a puzzle, and then there are the days when every request is simple and done in a few minutes. The length of time required to assist the client is not important. Helping the client and making him happy is the real purpose of the job.

Pleasing our readers is much the same as responding to a client request. We take the time to research, plot, plan, write, edit, and polish until we produce a story, a novel, a press release, or a marketing plan that meets the needs of the reader. Knowing that we’ve done our jobs well is a reward in its self. But the financial rewards and recognitions don’t hurt at all.

Foundation and Details

Posted on by
Reply

Foundation and Details

By Rory C. Keel

In the past I have been involved in planning and building a new facility for the church where I attend. In the planning, every aspect of the building has a purpose. The measurements of the foundation are laid out on paper and then the details are considered, what color of paint, what kind of flooring? Will the congregation be comfortable with the seating? What about sound quality? What happens in an emergency? Is the lighting adequate? The list seems endless.

The day came when the project started and the foundation was poured. At the end of that first day, I stood gazing at a slab of concrete that didn’t come close to looking as large as I had imagined. My mind said something’s wrong! The plans confirmed the size was correct!

Every day since, I have watched as each wall was raised and the roof now appears atop the building, and my perspective has changed. The building has been transferred from ink on paper, to a multi-dimensional object that better fits the concept I had imagined.

As a writer, a similar process takes place, only we use words as the building materials. We hold a story concept in mind with all of its grandeur and we begin to write, one page then two, our mind says something is wrong! What we see doesn’t look like what we have imagined, so we wad the paper up or hit delete.

The story doesn’t look like the grand story in your head, because it isn’t finished!

Don’t give up too quickly, create an outline, the foundation, and then build your story by filling in the blanks with the details.

roryckeel.com

Writers and Their Many Lives

Posted on by
Reply

Writers and Their Many Lives

By Natalie Bright

As I waited for our Dairy Queen order, I checked my iPhone calendar. Today, Monday, deliver lunch to my husband who was tending to cattle. I’ll hop a ride with him while he makes his afternoon rounds keeping watch for spring photo opportunities.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, it’s back to the day job office. I’d wear my best speaker suit and heels for a lunch at an exclusive dinner club in downtown Amarillo to talk about children’s literature with a group of retired educators. I am looking forward to what I feel sure will be a lively discussion.

What a contrast. Today I watched a newborn calf on wobbly legs take his first taste of warm milk. Tomorrow I’d be peering down at the streets of the city from the 30th floor of a high rise office building.

A Writer’s Path

A friend and author of 37 books, Jodi Thomas, warned me that if I took the writer’s path I’d be living several lives. I realize now that she didn’t just mean the stories inside my head.

The writing part of your life is nothing like the living part of your life, although there are some who seem to manage the chaos. For most of us families and day jobs are detached from prose and publishing. Add to that marketing, promotion, social media, conferences, networking, and whatever else it takes to achieve our dreams of becoming a successful author. Families have no idea what we do.

There too is the world inside our heads. On some days I feel like the stories choose me and I am powerless to control the process. To successfully convey that world on to a blank page, writers must immerse them selves in the fictional existence of our imagination. If it’s believable and real to us, we hope it will be the same for our readers.

My life seems so jammed packed, and when I can’t imagine taking on one more task, I’ll say yes to chairing a committee or volunteering for the book fair at my son’s school. When I’m busiest shuttling kids and juggling appointments, a new character will shoot in my brain like a firework and I’m scrambling to find a blank page and a pen.

Live in the Moment

As I jotted notes for this blog on a crumpled piece of paper, I paused to watch a jumble of calves run away at the sound of the feed truck. They bumped and tottered across the pasture, stopping to catch their breath only to realize their mommas were nowhere close. They turned and made a beeline back towards the herd. We laughed at their shaky legs and cute faces. Today was full of greasy burgers and cloudy skies and endless pastures. New life running full tilt.

Tomorrow will be completely different.

“They’re thinking it’s a great day to be in the world,” my husband said.

Yes. It certainly is. It’s a great day to be in the world, no matter how many worlds or lives or careers you might have. We make it through whatever this day might bring, and then we can be somebody totally different tomorrow. And the cool part is we can write about it all.

Being a writer is never dull.

Studying a Tableau

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

 

Studying a Tableau

By Nandy Ekle

 

I sat in a drawing class one semester with a deaf student taking notes. The instructor had covered a table with a cloth and then laid out several random objects. There was an old shoe, a cow skull, several empty wine bottles—some standing up and some laying on their sides—and little flowers strewn around. The students were told to draw what they saw and show the relationship between each object.

In a way, we writers do the same thing. Our eyes take pictures of a group of objects, then store them away. We boot up the computer and transfer what we saw onto our word processors. Then we illustrate the relationship between each thing.

We may see a unique cloud in the sky, a broken shoe string on the parking lot, a dead bug in the grass, and a penny on a rock in the middle of a puddle of water. For some reason our brain holds on to these pictures. We describe the changing shape of the cloud as it morphs from a sheep to an alligator. Maybe the string began its life as a functional length of woven cotton, but has now become an abused cast off to be tossed into the trash can. Suppose the dead bug was on her way home to a nest of little larvae, bringing a couple of bread crumbs home to the hungry mouths before it was stepped on. And perhaps the penny was tossed to the middle of the rock by an angry man whose lunch hour was over before he could eat his sandwich because the soda jerk who took his money forgot how to count change back.

Or maybe there was some huge event that occurred that caused the cloud to ruffle its billows as the shoe lace fell from the shoe while the kid ran for cover and accidentally stepped on the bug with one foot while the other foot kicked a penny which landed right on the center of the rock in the middle of the puddle.

What do you think?

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.