Tag Archives: Blog

What’s For Supper?

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

What’s For Supper?

 By Nandy Ekle

“Mom, what’s for supper,” my kids were obsessed with knowing what I had planned for dinner every night. Sometimes that was the first thing they said every morning.

Did I always have an answer for them? No. In fact, a lot of the time I didn’t know what was for supper until 4:45 that evening. And let me tell you, 4:45 p.m. with three starving kids home from school and not a single idea of what I was about to feed them will inspire a mother to create miracles in the kitchen.

So deadlines for writing are a lot like that. I know every week a blog is due Thursday night for posting Friday morning. I know there are hungry readers on their way to my table. But do I always know what I’m about to feed them? Absolutely not.

There are weeks when I walk around with blog ideas bubbling like a pot of stew on a hot fire. Those are the weeks when words pour out of my brain at the speed of lightning. This is the milk and honey that I love to serve my readers. Dinner is ready, come and get it!

But then there are those weeks when at 4:45 before dinner time at 5:30, I’m still wandering around, studying the contents of the pantry, the freezer, the refrigerator, and back to the pantry praying for inspiration. These are the lean times when even the words I do have are frozen hard as a rock and refuse to budge to any sort of usable condition.

Oddly enough, these can be the weeks when creativity kicks in and I look at what I’ve managed to write and say, “I gotta remember that recipe!”

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

Women Writing the West

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Women Writing the West

Inspiration for writers can come through a variety of venues, and the truth is we can’t be too picky. We’ll take that flash of brilliance whenever and however it is gifted. 

Hanging out with other writers is one of my favorite ways to ignite a fire under the muse. When you’re passionate about something, who doesn’t love to “talk shop”?

As I mentioned in a previous email, sometimes the group your find yourself a part of doesn’t inspire you, and may in fact start wearing you down. I think professional colleagues should not only be a source of information in regards to your profession, but also a positive influence by offering encouragement and congratulations and ideas. Everyone in the group selflessly promotes each other and are genuinely glad for each others successes. Thankfully, I’ve found that through my Critique Group, WordsmithSix. And recently I’ve stumbled upon that again through an online group: Women Writing the West.

www.womenwritingthewest.org

From their website:  Women Writing the West is a group of writers who set their work in the West, and are creating a literary explosion said to be comparable to the Southern literary renaissance in the 1930s. Women Writing the West is open to all persons worldwide.

History and Heritage

I’m extremely passionate about writing westerns for children and affording today’s kids an exciting way to discover history and their heritage. It’s very inspiring to be involved with a group who loves the same genre as I do. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed is WWW’s active listserv on Yahoo. Questions are asked, multiple answers are given, blog links are shared, book reviews, promo ideas, and personal reflections on story craft. It’s all good. This diverse group has close to 300 members and holds an annual conference.

Women Writing the West: The flavor we wish to recognize and perpetuate is found between the pages of our books. Join us in the adventure of rich conversations and exchanges; information on writing today, western history, and marketing for the future.

Seeking and Joining

I hope for you, dear blog readers, that you find a group whether it be a few or many, that will offer you encouragement, inspire your muse, and feed your soul.

Keep writing!

www.nataliebright.com

 

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?

By Rory C. Keel

“Okay, somebody write a quick blog on trying to find a name for your blog!”

                                                                                             –Natalie Bright

Choosing the one specific term that describes six different writers with very different styles and genres, can be a daunting task. One would think that such an imaginative group could quickly produce a name so extraordinary, so remarkable that the mere mention of it would describe each individual and their genres perfectly. We settled on something a little less complicated.

What about Tuesday?

Welcome to our blog. My name is Rory and every Tuesday I will be sharing with you some of the ideas and lessons that I’ve learned, and will learn along the way to publication. I’m excited to be a part of a group of writers ranging from beginners to the experienced, from the unpublished to multiple publications, and that has the motivation to move forward in their writing. I write Christian fiction and non-fiction, Historical western, short stories, and creative nonfiction. I have published several Christian devotionals, and I have song lyrics published on a CD, “Alabaster Box.”

Choosing the Name

So, how did we choose the name? We tossed words onto a dry erase board, and then the six of us wrestled them around until one stood up and screamed, “Pick Me!” And what is the name that captures the essence of our critique group?

Wordsmith Six

Wordsmith Six consists of six writers who cover the spectrum in genres—a group of a half-dozen close friends who love words, whether we’re reading, writing or researching them. We have individuals who write Women’s Fiction, Historical, Inspirational and Screenplay. Others love Romance, Western, Christian fiction and Middle grade children’s books. Included are authors with published Fiction and Nonfiction books, TV Documentaries, Song Lyrics, Humor and yes, even HORROR.

We have lots of stories to tell and you’re invited to follow along.

Click on the author page above to connect with Rory.

Rory C. Keel

Homework

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Homework

By Nandy Ekle

The time has come to assign homework.

Here’s the scenario. You’re walking through a bookstore. The hunger for a new story, the smell of new ink, the need to feel new paper is burning in your eyes. You must have a new book.

Standing at the end of the aisle you see hundreds of colorful tomes on the shelves, but they aren’t just waiting to be chosen. They are waving and whistling, competing for your attention.

You saunter down that aisle and hear several books throwing out come-on lines, complimenting you, hawking their words, begging you to take them home.

So, your assignment:  What do they say? How do they seduce you? Leave a comment at the bottom of this blog and tell me what a book says that makes you spend your money and take them to your home. Are they romantic like a lover? Are they whiney like a small child? Or do they threaten you like a scary villain?

Feel free to research this assignment by actually going to a bookstore and walking through it. Just be sure and post your discoveries in the comment section below.

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

CONVEY

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CONVEY

By Sharon Stevens

I was so disappointed in the blog I wrote last week. I had read it over and over again and again before I sent it into cyberspace, but still didn’t catch the attitude. It wasn’t that it was so bad in the writing. Some may disagree with that. What was more telling is the slant it portrayed.

When I wrote the blog I wanted to convey all the wonderful connections to everything good. What came across, I feel, was just another marketing ploy to spend money on objects.

Shame on me! I know better than that. I have been writing too many years to know the difference.

Looking back, I guess it was because I had just found out a good friend was being used for ill-gotten gains. At the very least he was being taken advantage of. He didn’t speak well and his clothes were not the most presentable, but never-the-less he didn’t deserve to be targeted for someone else’s benefit. This is what found its way into my blog. Could be that it wasn’t that bad, and maybe I am more critical of my own work. I know it could have been so much worse if my inner heart hadn’t nipped it in the bud. But it still bothers me.

Maybe if I had read Dr. Phil McGraw’s book, “Life Code”, about “baiters” I would have recognized what was going on, and purged my soul of the ugliness I harbored before I put pen to paper so to speak.

As writers we are faced daily with the struggles within our hearts. We type our words and send them out, and have absolutely no control over the content once in another’s hands. We can never apologize once it is tangible, and there are no excuses we can make.  But each sentence we write is another opportunity to write again and to share the message we truly intend.

And as writers, this is the best we can do.

What’s the Difference?

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What’s the Difference?

Blog

Is there really a difference in a website and a blog? A blog functions as a web log or online diary. Think of it as keeping a journal of Ideas or thoughts on a specific topic online.

Blogs are relatively inexpensive to generate and easy to produce. They are an excellent way to promote your work and yourself to an unlimited audience of readers.

Website

A web site should be considered your official address and location of your web-based business. This is the place people go to purchase products and find official information about you and your writing.

Benefits to the Writer

What are the benefits of blogs and websites to writers? Working together, they can generate worldwide exposure for you and your products. Unlike the past where publicity took months or years, now it can be done in minutes.

Rory C. Keel

Happy Blog-iversary to us!

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Happy Blog-iversary to us! 

We’re Celebrating the Big 1!

By Natalie Bright

We are a diverse group of writers actively writing and critique together. We started WordsmithSix Blog on August 1, 2011 with the goal to share our love of the written word.

I have to admit that I was very reluctant to start blogging, mainly because of the commitment. I’m of the opinion that if you volunteer to do something, you follow it through to the end and you give it your all. I wasn’t sure if I had enough topics on writing, but I have to admit it’s been fun, and there are a few things about blogging that surprised me…

Blogging Surprises

1) Exercise that writing muscle. Stuck on your WIP? Write a 500 word blog and just get your words out there. Don’t focus on the number of hits. Focus on the craft of words, make it your very best, then go back and tackle that 100,000 word novel.

2) Develop your “write brain” and your “idea eye”. You’ll begin to see ideas for posts everywhere, and eventually conversations, sights, sounds, tastes will give you more ideas for blogs, articles, stories, characters, settings. The overload is wonderful.

3) Deadline looming, means you must get something written no matter what or you’ll let your critique partners down. They’re just as busy as you are, and they don’t want to hear excuses.  Just do it.  You’ll turn into dedicated writer who can consistently produce new material and meet a deadline.

3) Creative people are inspiring, and it’s fun to be involved in a group effort.

4) People are nice. I’ve made wonderful connections on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest. And vice versa, I’ve discovered a lot of talented writers and their books through social media. There’s a whole world out there of interesting people. Learning about the things they are passionate about is interesting, and being part of a vibrant community is fun and stimulating.

5) Focus, Focus, Focus. If you’ll notice, the most popular blogs are based around a common theme whether that be cooking, marketing, history, home decor, modern mommy’s, politics, etc. Writing a complete novel works in much the same way. You must have that common theme running throughout which ties your plot and characters together.  Establish your blog around a common theme rather than random posts, and when you post, make it the best. The most popular blogs have built that huge audience over a long time through quality and consistent posts.

Thank you for following us at WordsmithSix!

by Natalie Bright

http://www.nataliebright.com

 

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?

By Rory C. Keel

“Okay, somebody write a quick blog on trying to find a name for your blog!”

                                                                                             –Natalie Bright

Choosing the one specific term that describes six different writers with very different styles and genres, can be a daunting task. One would think that such an imaginative group could quickly produce a name so extraordinary, so remarkable that the mere mention of it would describe each individual and their genres perfectly. We settled on something a little less complicated.

What about Tuesday?

Welcome to our blog. My name is Rory and every Tuesday I will be sharing with you some of the ideas and lessons that I’ve learned, and will learn along the way to publication. I’m excited to be a part of a group of writers ranging from beginners to the experienced, from the unpublished to multiple publications, and that has the motivation to move forward in their writing. I write Christian fiction and non-fiction, Historical western, short stories, and creative nonfiction. I have published several Christian devotionals, and I have song lyrics published on a CD, “Alabaster Box.”

Choosing the Name

So, how did we choose the name? We tossed words onto a dry erase board, and then the six of us wrestled them around until one stood up and screamed, “Pick Me!” And what is the name that captures the essence of our critique group?

Wordsmith Six

Wordsmith Six consists of six writers who cover the spectrum in genres—a group of a half-dozen close friends who love words, whether we’re reading, writing or researching them. We have individuals who write Women’s Fiction, Historical, Inspirational and Screenplay. Others love Romance, Western, Christian fiction and Middle grade children’s books. Included are authors with published Fiction and Nonfiction books, TV Documentaries, Song Lyrics, Humor and yes, even HORROR.

We have lots of stories to tell and you’re invited to follow along.

Click on the author page above to connect with Rory.

Rory C. Keel

WELCOME TO WORDSMITH SIX

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Welcome to Wordsmith Six Blog. Thanks for finding us! – Natalie bright

We’re New

We are a diverse group of writers based in Texas. We’ve been meeting bimonthly since 2009 and our meetings are lively get-togethers where we obsess about words and character motivation. Through this blog, we hope to share with you our love of the written word. Come, follow us on our journey.

Welcome to Monday

I’m Natalie and I’ll be blogging every Monday about juggling the writing life, writing for middle grades, and historical research. I’m published in inspirational, several local magazines, and I founded the Write Stuff for Kids creative writing workshops in my area. My first middle grade book came about because of my volunteer work at our local museum. I needed a handout, which ultimately morphed into a book titled OIL PEOPLE about the varied workforce needed to explore, drill and produce American Energy. I’m currently working on a middle grade western set in 1890’s Texas Panhandle. The main character, a wild-haired, feisty girl named Silver Belle, has occupied my mind for over a year. She even wakes me up nights begging for me to tell her story. I’ve had more fun sorting out her adventures. Book one is finished and I’m half-way through book two.

At an Oklahoma SCBWI conference, a speaker said “good stories will always find the right home”. I hope Silver Belle will find a home some day. In the meantime, my current project is on a more serious note. I’ll be releasing an eBook for grieving families on hope and healing after the loss of a baby. Two of my friends have contributed some amazing poetry. This story has been on my heart and mind for 15 years. My wish is that it will bring comfort to those suffering through this devastating experience.

I hope you’ll join us every Monday-Friday as I join my critique group to share our work, hopes,  struggles and inspiration for the written word.

Do you have a story or character that wakes you at night? We want to hear from you too…

Click on the author page above to connect with Natalie.