Tag Archives: Wordsmithsix.com

Big and Bold

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Outtakes 239

Big and Bold

by Cait Collins

I was recently reminded that some characters are larger than life. Last week an old high school friend was in town. He’s a couple of years younger than I, but he has aged well. He still has that line-backer build from high school and makes me feel like an elf when I stand next to him. (Sometimes I really hate being vertically challenged.) His ready laugh keeps everyone happy. He is larger-than-life and has a heart of pure gold.

Tyler Crawford, one of the friends in Three by Three, physically resembles my friend, but the similarity ends there. Tyler is a certified gemologist and gem broker. He is also a prospector and mine owner, running a fee-site from his claim. He is successful in his business dealings, but remains in the past where his heart is concerned. No matter how much money he accumulates, he can not buy back his daughter’s voice. The ten-year old has not spoken since Good Friday five years ago when she found in mother’s body in a pool of blood.

Callie was the love of Tyler’s life. He is unable to move through the grieving process and Sara’s silence hasn’t helped. Realizing his new client, Sean Hawthorne, is none other than his friend Creed Whitley, sends Tyler into a tail spin. He alternates between anger and relief and rage.

Lindy, the gemologist who works with Tyler, goes out of her way to promote the business, but her boss over-looks her. His heart is frozen and he will not be able to look to Lindy until Callie’s murderer is behind bars. And with Samantha Tolliver’s return, will he be able to keep control of his hair-trigger temper?

General Tips on Using Social Media

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General Tips on Using Social Media

By Rory C. Keel

roryckeel.com

  

Now that you have jumped into the deep end of the pool of social media, here are a few tips to keep you afloat.

Double–check content, editing errors

Before hitting the enter button, check your writing for content and editing errors. Bad grammar and incorrect content will cause the reader to lose interest in what you post.

Be consistent

Keep your online presence active for your readers. By posting regularly, you develop your brand and credibility in your writing.

Reply

When you begin to build a platform on your social media, participate with them by replying to questions, offer helpful content, “LIKE”, “Share”, “follow”, “Plus” others to build your fan base.

Keep tone positive, uplifting

Nobody likes a grouch. Readers will become weary if every post is a gripe or complaint. While you may be frustrated, agitated, or you’re just plain mad, keep your writing positive.

Politics, social issues & religion

Talk about hot topics. Nothing creates a fire more than politics, religion or a social issue. If the focus of your work is in one of these occupations it’s a given that your focus will necessitate writing about them. However, you need to understand that by getting involved in a debate online you could limit your followers. You have the right to post on any topic, but others have right to block your writing.

Roryckeel.com

WHAT’S YOUR SECRET?

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WHAT’S YOUR SECRET?

By Natalie Bright

Everybody has secrets. Things deep, down they never tell about their childhood, fears, likes, dislikes, first loves…you know some.

Characters have secrets too. Those buried, dark secrets of your fictional characters, that only you as the creator can know, might lend itself to creating some interesting scenarios for your plot.

Maybe the character knows the secret, or maybe he doesn’t (Luke Skywalker’s father, for example.). Maybe the secret leads him to make wrong decisions. Perhaps the secret is so debilitating it affects everyone your character encounters (a serial killer, for example.).

Here’s a quick guide for creating complex characters:

What’s at stake?

Reason

Real reason

Secret

Greatest fears

Quirks

Dig deep, and don’t be afraid of what you might find.

Elizabeth

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Outtakes 238

Elizabeth

by Cait Collins

 

Sitting in a hospital waiting room for three days gave me a chance to do a lot of people watching. I found the perfect characterization for Elizabeth, a secondary character in Three by Three. I’ve known the lady in question for a number of years. She’s been a part of my family circle for longer than I care to remember. She’s always been quieter than most of the group, I have learned to appreciate her strength and loving nature.

My family is pretty outgoing and expressive. We are often blunt, but we have no problem saying, “I love you.” On the other hand, our friend and family member doesn’t give away much. But when the doctor asked to speak with the immediate family, she guarded the waiting room door. I have a feeling she should have been a mama bear protecting her cubs had anyone tried to disturb the meeting.

This is Elizabeth’s personality. She shares joint custody of her niece, Sara, with Tyler Crawford. Her under stated authority helps keep Sara from becoming a tantrum-throwing brat. Her gentle affection supports Sean when he begins to piece together the threads of his life.

Liz is the perfect foil for the more flamboyant Samantha Tolliver. But woe be to the evil minions who threaten the ones she loves. The sweet, soft spoken lady knows how to protect what is hers. Elizabeth’s role in the story is subtle but important. Others will turn to her to find an anchor and safe harbor in the on-coming storm.

CHANGE. COUNT ON IT.

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CHANGE. COUNT ON IT.

By Natalie Bright

YOUR TUNES

Who remembers 8-track tapes? Soon after, the cassette player in my then boyfriend’s car was something else, and the fancy case with his cassette collection was impressive. From even further back, I have a cabinet full of mom and dad’s album collection. Their beloved, overly large, oak-veneer record player makes a great plant stand.

YOUR TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Some of you may recall surfing through only three major television channels, and the lucky houses with strong antenna signals could pick up PBS. And then cable brought channels devoted to history or animals. Cartoons were on 24 hours! It wasn’t any time before we could watch edgy content that would never be shown on CBS, NBC, or ABC. The satellite dish brought us hundreds of channels. I streamed the entire season of Longmire on Netflix one snowy, dull weekend not too long ago. Waiting for a major network to schedule the reruns is a thing of the past. Amazing!

YOUR BOOKS

Music and television have gone through a transformation in the past decade. Now it’s book publishing’s turn. As I follow blogs and podcasts this year trying to educate myself on the changing tide of book promotion in the new century, all indications are that 2015 was the turning point. How we publish and read books has been altered forever. There’s no going back.

I’ve been pondering these important points:

  • I just downloaded the first book in a series by a favorite author for FREE in iBooks. The iBooks App is a built-in app on some hand-held devices, or is available for free download for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
  • India and China have seen the largest growth in the number of hand held devices, and now have more users than US, with 250 million English speaking people living in India.
  • It’s impossible to analyze the impact of eBook sales because many are being published without ISBNs.
  • Through a wide variety of book platforms such as iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Nook, Kindle, etc., paired with all that social media offers, readers will seek their favorite genres and discover authors. The publisher’s name has very little impact. People are going to read what they want to read.
  • The future is mobile.

For the work that writers do, I think there are several important questions to consider. Where will fans find your books in 2016? Will more people read stories on their hand-held devices? What if more people became readers because they have easier access to the kinds of stories they like?

What I’m trying to tell you is that during a one hour traffic delay because of the lumbering construction equipment blocking Highway 287, I read the heck out of an iBook on my iPhone.

Welcome to the 21st Century. I’m thinking it’s a great time to be a writer!

Keep on writing onward as always, WordsmithSix-ers!

nataliebright.com

Character Sketch

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Outtakes 237

Character Sketch

by Cait Collins

 

Normally, I’m a “pantser”. I construct my stories as characters and situations reveal themselves. Normally it works. But with my new work Three by Three, I’m running into issues. You see, the protagonist and his two best friends’ relationship goes back to grade school. They had a dream of a business partnership and working together after college. On Good Friday, each man was blindsided by a life altering blow and none of them will ever fully recover.

While I have a vision of each man, I find it difficult to separate them as individuals. So I have to write detailed character sketches. As I jot down various thoughts, I learn that Sean Hawthorne’s (aka Creed Whitley) primary state is confusion. Five years ago he woke up in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is or how he was injured. Tyler Crawford still grieves for the woman he loved and lost. Adam Sinclair is drowning in anger over his fiancé’s betrayal.

The trick will be to bring resolution to the upheaval in their lives and to make each man whole. I’m looking forward to the adventure.

Which social media platforms should a writer use?

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Which social media platforms should I as a writer, have a presence on?

By Rory C. Keel

roryckeel.com

As we discussed on my blog post last week called Basic Social Media for Writers, that Social media for business has become the norm. For a writer it is no different, you are a business and your customers are your readers.

With literally hundreds of options to choose from such as Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, LinkedIn, Google+, and YouTube, it could drive a person mad. Before deciding on which social media venue to have a presence, you need to do your research.

RESEARCH

First, you need to develop a platform of readership. Choose a B2C social media platform. B2C simply means a business–to-customer platform that will allow you as a business, to focus on your genre and connect with your readers, the customers.

Second, understand what the venue is and how it works.

A Blog is a place to publish thoughts, tips, ideas. Regular blogs provide keyword-rich content for search engines and can help create you as an expert in your field.

Facebook, Google +, Myspace and other similar platforms, are used to connect and interact with your audience with personal and/or business pages

Twitter allows you to follow and connect with a target audience.

Tweeting about your writing with excerpts, answering questions, and offering helpful insights can help to build loyal readership.

YouTube is the top site for user generated video content. It’s a place to share your business by how-to videos, video readings, discussions, or simply a video introducing YOU.

Other social media sites use the medium of photos to share ideas and communication, such as Instagram and Pintrest.

Another type of social media platform is a B2B platform. B2B simply refers to a Business-to-Business platform. In another words a wholesaler to you as a business.

As a writer, you need access to editors, publishers, or agents. You might even need connections with an ink cartridge and paper supply company. You as a business can connect with others who offer services you need.

LinkedIN is an example of this type of platform and has a business focus.

Having the proper research and information, you can begin to formulate an idea of which social media platform to focus your attention.

With that in mind, next week we will discuss how to best manage your social media so that you will still have time to write.

 

THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

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“If you want to be a successful professional writer, you need to learn business.”

Kristine Katherine Rusch

THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION, And How It Harms Writers, WMG Publishing, 2013.

 

Rusch makes a strong argument for writers to take control of their own careers in her book THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION.

She points out that the business side of what we do is not a part of an MFA degree. We are often told that most writers can’t make a living. Writing is a labor of the heart, and we’re reminded that very few authors reach the level of earning potential that we all dream of. We pour our hearts and souls into our stories, and then we willingly hand over our creations and financial control to complete strangers without a second thought.

There’s no doubt that writing is hard work and long hours, and it is a business after all. All industries experience cycles of downturn. Smart business owners know how to survive through the lean times and make smart investments during the surplus years.

A writer needs to understand the publishing world and that sometimes sales slack off. If you understand your chosen profession, it might be a tweak of your writing or a new cover design is the answer. Or not. Maybe you’ve signed a bad contract.

The main point that I learned from Rusch’s book is that writers must have a grasp of the options and take control. For a new perspective on the business side of publishing, you might give this book a try. I found it to be an interesting read and an eye-opener.

WRITERS CAN WRITE AND SELL

Personally, I’ve always been a glass half-full kind of person. In today’s publishing world where everything is undoubtly changing, why can’t we have it all?

If you’ve ever read much about the halo marketing theory, it stands to reason that every piece of writing we tag our name to helps promote ALL of our projects. Bios in freelance articles and blog posts can include your other book titles for sale. Books published can lead to speaking invitations and booths at library fairs. Everything we tag can help drive readers to our website where they can find out more.

Set aside your dreamy, creative selves for a second and put on your business caps. If you want to control the content, put your book up for pre-sale, create a little buzz and save money to self-publish. You can make it happen.

If your book doesn’t have a universal appeal, but it’s near and dear to your heart, find a small press. Develop a killer marketing plan for your region and sell the heck out of your book. Do it now.

Should you ever write a book extraordinary enough to snag an agent resulting in a huge print run from a major house, wouldn’t that be great too?

I agree with the simple business theory that can apply to writers too: produce a quality product worth paying for.

Nataliebright.com

 

The Front Line

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I read a writing prompt online at www.writingexcuses.com and since it was a short scene, I thought I’d share it. It’s fairly unedited, so don’t expect too much.

The Front Line

by Adam Huddleston

 

So I’m standing here, right smack-dab in the middle of the front line. Joe is to my left. You can tell he’s nervous ‘cause his teeth are clacking like a castanet. Oswald is to my right. He thinks he’s gonna be a hero. He keeps hopping up and down in excitement. And guess what. He stinks. Well, to be fair, we all stink.

We’re the army of the undead. There’s a long line of “good guys” across from us and man do they look intense. They’re all screamin’, and jumpin’ around; not unlike my buddy Oswald here.

I mean, I know we’re undead and all, and if one of those block-headed morons from across the battlefield “slays” us, we’ll just pop back up in a moment or two, but still, killin’ hurts! I mean, how would you like to keep dying over and over again? I know, right?

Well, the other army has begun their assault. They’re pouring down the hill on the other side of the river between us. I love this river; use to fish in it when I was a kid. My Pa and I did. That was ages ago. Long before that sorry excuse for a necromancer raised us all from the dead.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a second chance at life, such as it is. I just hate the way he’s always ordering us around.

“Chop down that tree! Forge this axe! Pick up that arm bone that just fell off!”

Humph. Prima donna.

Wow, the other army is making their way across the river now. Wonder when Mr. “Hey, ya’ll all follow me” is gonna give us the go ahead to charge. Not sure it will do much good. We’ll all go running into their front lines and they’ll scatter our bones all over the place. We’ll spend the next six hours trying to find ourselves, and I don’t mean in a psychological sense.

“Joe, don’t dry heave on me, man. You don’t even have a stomach!”

Ok, so they’re almost to us. Maybe a hundred yards away. And there’s our great and glorious leader, sitting atop his dreadsteed. Might as well be picking his…

Wait! What’s this? He’s giving us the choppy hand sign. I’m pretty sure that means “charge.” Alright, here goes!

 

Kids and Books

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Outtakes 223

Kids and Books

By Cait Collins

I’ve really tried to keep causes out of my blogs, but I hope you will indulge me this week. I realize times have changed, but as we see academic scores dropping and kids having trouble excelling in school, I have come to believe we have an issue with reading. I see kids being held back in school because their reading skills are not where they should be. They are not dumb children; they simply can’t read well.

I grew up in an environment where reading was encouraged. My folks bought the Grolier Encyclopedia, Book of Knowledge, and ChildCraft for us. They bought the books on a payment plan because they wanted us to have easy access to information. I remember Mom or Dad gathering us in the big chair and reading to us. As I got older and could read on my own, I would spend hours reading and studying these volumes.

These days books are not always present in the home. Often the family budget does not stretch to purchasing books. And if parents are not readers, it could be difficult for a child to see the need to read. Unfortunately, the child suffers because the inability to read well slows the learning process. For this reason, I support efforts to get books into a child’s hands.

One of my favorite programs is Toys for Tots. Every Christmas, the Barnes and Noble Store in Amarillo selects books for kids of all ages. The titles are suggestions for customers who wish to purchase books for the toy drive. Or the patrons may prefer to browse the shelves for some of their childhood favorites. Book donations are also accepted by the Evelyn Richards Foundation, a local charitable group that works to provide coats and Christmas for children in our area. It may not seem like a big deal to those of us who grew up reading, but giving a child a book of his own may be the beginning of new adventures and better learning opportunities.

Why not volunteer for Story Hour at your local library or bookstore? Maybe we could mentor in the local schools. As writers, we should be at the forefront of supporting efforts to put books in the home and in schools. Maybe we can’t change the whole world, but at least we can make an inroad in our corner of it.