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Have Confidence in Your Words

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Have Confidence in Your Words

Natalie Bright

A wise, multi-published author once told me, “NEVER delete anything.”

I’ve tried to make it a habit to save everything, which is a difficult thing to do when your self-editor is vigilant. Thank goodness there have been a few times I made the effort to save a story.

Many, many years ago during college, I spent time at a friend’s ranch. The ranch foreman was an old cowboy that had a story or two to tell. Wise and weather worn from spending a life-time punching cows, I remember he had the most brilliant blue eyes and he was one of the most laid-back, happiest people I’d ever met.

A spark of an idea turned into a story about that cowboy many more years later for a writing class assignment. I never thought about it again, but I’m so glad that I kept it in my class notes. Fast forward another ten years, a callout popped up into my inbox asking for stories for a Christmas collection with a West Texas theme. That cowboy and his life immediately came to mind. Within 30 minutes of my submission, I got confirmation back that my short story has been accepted.

You never know where and when your words might find a home. Sometimes we write in one form and those words can take on a life of their own and end up as something entirely different. I love when that happens!

Instead of deleting, cut and paste unwanted scenes, dialogue, and chapters, and move them into a separate file. Give it a clever name on your computer, like “My Musings” or “Brilliant Ideas”. Keep an idea file folder for those story sparks that you’ve written on restaurant napkins, scraps of paper, or sticky notes. Never let an idea pass through your brain that you don’t write down. Keep an idea journal and jot down everything when it comes to you, whether it’s a setting, a character, or a bit of dialogue.

You can read my story “A Cowboy’s Christmas Blessing” in the anthology of more than 30 heart-warming and humorous Christmas stories—all set in West Texas or by West Texas writers.

west texas christmas stories

West Texas Christmas Stories

Edited by Glenn Dromgoogle

Abilene Christian University Press; http://www.acu.edu/campusoffices/acupress/

 

Merry Christmas Y’all! Thanks for following WordsmithSix.

 

Story Time

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Outtakes 224

Story Time

By Cait Collins

 

Have you ever been with a group of kids and decided it was time to write a story. It goes something like this.

What if a space ship landed in your back yard? What then?

The door opens and the aliens get out.

And what if they looked like…

Dogs. Big ones and little ones.

And they walked on their back legs.

They talked English. I could understand them.

And one of them had to pee. He walked to a corner in the yard and peed.

Did he poop?

No, he just peed.

And then what?

They wanted something to eat and drink.

What did you give them?

Dog food and water.

Boring. They wanted those black, jelly looking things. They put the stuff on a cracker and used wooden knives. Dad said they were fish eggs. Yuck!

What did they drink?

Bubbly stuff. Mom keeps it for special occasions. Is meeting aliens a special occasion?

I think so? So how were the aliens dressed?

Superman pj’s.

No, they wore camouflage. Like soldiers in the desert.

And then what?

They asked for directions to the Alamo. They wanted to fight with Davy Crockett.

And so?

It started to rain. It rained cats. Tabby cats, black cats, orange ones.

What happened then?

They ran back to their ship. One of the little dogs yelped. He was melting into a puddle of butter.

Really? Did you get pictures?

Tried, but they went invisible.

You mean they melted?

Sure.

And then what happened?

They couldn’t take off. They were melty.

And so?

The space ship is still in the back yard. And it’s bigger and better than Bobby Johnson’s tree house. We play there all the time.

Isn’t it melty?

No, Dad took the garden hose and washed it out. It’s neat now?

Are you going to fly the ship?

Nah, we want it for a club house. No girls aloud. (Yes, that’s the way the kid said it.)

Why not allow girls?

Cooties. Girls have cooties and maybe bed bugs. Don’t like that.

So how does the story end?

All the alien dogs got melty and went away. The girls had to go to the hospital to get rid of their cooties and bed bugs. And my friends and I took over the space ship and now we have a nice place to play basketball and football. My dad says he’ll get us a special video game set-up so we can play all kinds of games. My dad’s rich. He has twenty credit cards and money in a hundred banks. That means we can be happy and never have to go without things we want.

Pretty neat, huh?

The end.

Try editing this tall tale.

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.

 

Verbs

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Verbs

Rory C. Keel

 

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Without Verbs, stories would be boring. There would be no action such as running or jumping. No motion or movement, like when the spy rolled and dodged the bullet. There would be no romance without kissing or holding her tight.

Verb or Noun?

There are times when a word can be a verb or a noun, depending on how it’s used in a sentence. For example, the word dance would be a noun when describing a type of dance. The nutcracker is a ballet dance.

Dance is a verb when describing the action of those in the play. We watched the actors dance during the Nutcracker.

Verbs are what give life to your stories, so use them often.

Writing Memoirs: Biography Fiction

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Writing Memoirs: Biography Fiction

 Natalie Bright

Award winning author Jan Sikes spoke to the Texas High Plains Writers group in November about her biographical fiction series detailing life with her extremely talented husband, country singer Rick Sikes. The events are true; but to be able to share these immensely personal details, she tells the stories in third person and replaced real names with fictional names. To be able to tell the story, she fictionalized dialogue into scenes that she didn’t witness first-hand.  She noted that the series is semiautobiographical told in a fiction format, 90% true and 10% fiction.

This method poses a unique way to write your family stories, and because Jan wanted total control of the material she self-published.

Self-Publishing Key Points

Jan stressed the importance of having a “good quality piece of writing before you release it.” That means hiring a professional editor. True, there are more opportunities for writers than ever before, but self-publishing has a bad rep because of the less than quality material that has flooded the eBook market place. Constructive feedback is very important.

Have a publishing imprint and purchase an ISBN number. The $5 package from CreateSpace is limited as to where your book can go. It will only be available on Amazon.

Promotion

Jan reminded us that whether you’ve gone with traditional or self-published, writes must promote themselves. Traditional publishers have very limited marketing funds, and understandable those dollars are targeted for a small group of top selling authors. Mid-list authors, whether traditional or indie publishes, have to do their own promotion. For her particular series, Jan has seen the most success through one-on-one interaction with readers. She participates in community events and book festivals throughout the year.

For indie authors, there are numerous organizations that support and assist with promotion. Jan recommended the Texas Association of Authors, Independent Authors Network, and the Historical Novel Association.

Thinking About Theme for your Story

The success of this series and her unique writing style is in part because of a no secrets left unturned approach. Remember that old saying, “write like your momma’s passed on and will never read your story”? This is real life at its darkest. The main characters take a downward spiral into drugs, motorcycle gangs, Texas honky-tonks, and federal prison. Despite the events in life and insurmountable odds, what emerges from the chaos is a love story with music being the salvation. Rick built the first sound studio inside the walls of Leavenworth and was able to smuggle his songs out to his family and fans.

While each book can stand alone as a fascinating read, I started with the second book in the series, The Convict and The Rose, which won a first place award for biography fiction from the Texas Association of Authors. Music CD’s are also available.

  nataliebright.com 

A Writer’s Thanksgiving

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A Writer’s Thanksgiving

by Adam Huddleston

 

Well folks, it’s that magical time of year again when leaves are falling, footballs are sailing through the crisp air, and turkeys everywhere are acting a bit…skittish. It’s Thanksgiving! There are many things that I am thankful for, and a few of those are specific to me being a writer.

  1. My wife and kids for supporting me in extra-curricular activities that sometimes keep me from them.
  2. My critique group who encourage and enlighten on a regular basis.
  3. My laptop and work computers for holding reams of literature that may one day see the light of day.
  4. The freedom to express myself under the First Amendment in a country that, while divided, still holds onto a visage of its former self.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy writing!

WRITING LIFE

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WRITING LIFE

By Natalie Bright

The writing life is a solitary endeavor, and routinely interrupted by everybody!

Seriously, at times writers have to put aside the world within their heads and face reality. Somebody’s always hungry (at least at my house), something needs cleaning, bills waiting to be paid, and laundry is piling up. I’ve been hit with reality for several weeks now and I can’t seem to dig out from under it. I really miss my fictional world.

Many experts suggest that you have to live a real life in order to find material for your stories. Overheard conversations, experiences, and research can add richness to your writing. That may be true. During this break my creative mind may be taking a pause, but my self-editor and self-doubt is partying hard. I’m a loser. I’ve been working on a 500 word piece for a month now and it’s just not coming together. At this point, I’m totally convinced that I will never write anything again that anyone will want to read. I can’t see that I’m making any progress towards building a writing career. I’m done.

Thank goodness part of the real world this past weekend included a writer’s meeting. Author and song-writer, Jan Sikes, talked to the Texas High Plains Writers group in Amarillo about her series of books based on her life with a musician. Using the facts of her own experiences, she changed the names of the people involved to create what she explains is 90% true and 10% fiction. She even gave herself a fictional name so that she can step back from the very personal connection and bring this fascinating love-story to life. Her talk was excellent. I’ll share some of her writing advice with you next week.

Thank goodness I am reminded how sitting in a room full of creative people can give you inspiration to keep going.

Texas High Plains Writers meets every other month on the third Saturday at the Amarillo Senior Citizens Center in downtown Amarillo.

Thanksgiving Cuisine

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Thanksgiving Cuisine

by Adam Huddleston

This week, just for grins and giggles, I thought we’d look at a few traditional items found on the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day and try to come up with a few adjectives for each. These are my descriptions, so it’s possible, but highly unlikely, that they’ll differ with yours.

  1. Turkey-juicy/dry (depending on the bird and the cook’s ability), succulent, savory
  2. Stuffing-earthy, salty, fluffy
  3. Cranberries-sweet, tart/tangy
  4. Green bean casserole-creamy, crunchy,
  5. Broccoli and rice casserole-cheesy, comforting
  6. Sweet potatoes-smooth, filling, sweet
  7. Rolls-hot, yeasty
  8. Pumpkin pie-sweet, delicious

The Trilogy

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Outtakes 222

The Trilogy

by Cait Collins

 

 

Take a seer, an archeologist, a magician, a navigator, a sprite, and a warrior, add a legend and an exotic locale and you have Stars of Fortune, book one of the Guardians trilogy. Nora Roberts is a master in writing serial releases. Her fantasy/paranormal romances are among my favorite reads. I got hooked on this line of her works when I read the Three Sisters Island trilogy. I have not been disappointed. What makes the trilogies good reads? It’s in the essential elements of the books.

Characters are the key element of the stories. Each person possesses special skill sets. In many cases, the character knows his primary talent. For others it’s a learn-as-you-go revelation.

E ach character has flaws. Despite their gifts, each one must overcome his weakness in order for the group to fulfill its destiny.

 

Unity is primary. All skills are necessary for success, but trust is essential.

Good and evil are clearly defined.

Actions or lack thereof are the choices of the character.

Magic is a respected gift that should not be abused.

 

Locales are exotic. Islands, gardens, forests, Ireland, and country inns provide setting. Bold descriptions make the story realistic. Local lore and customs ground the reader and allows her or him to become part of the story.

Romance is an element of the story, but it is not the story. Some of my friends view romance novels as silly and stupid. In their minds, it all about sex, But if the story were only about sex, it would become unbelievable. There has to be more than the physical response. In good romance novels, it is committed love that permits the characters to keep going when the odds are not in their favor. Love is glue that holds them together.

Friendships are cemented by love. Knowing that the members of the team are willing to fight and die for a cause frees the protagonist to step up to defeat an enemy.

Love is magic. With love all things are possible.

In skillfully combining these elements, Ms. Roberts weaves stories of bold deeds, causes won, and life fulfilled. And it leaves the reader anticipating the next installment of the tale. Even though the second book will not be released until late next year, the author will release a contemporary romantic suspense in April of 2016. And that, my fellow readers, is just one more jewel in Nora Roberts’ long list of successful novels. I wish I had her backlist.

 

Keep on keeping on. That’s the true secret.

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Keep on keeping on. That’s the true secret.

DeWanna Pace

 

These are inspirational words that I have tacked to my office bulletin board from a local author and creative writing instructor. One of DeWanna’s dreams was to be a published romance author for Harlequin, and that dream was finally realized. Right after she sold to Harlequin, she was taken suddenly last year and sadly did not live to see publication of those stories.

We’re celebrating the release of her last book with Harlequin, THE TEXAS RANGER’S SECRET, which will be released in January 2016. The exciting news is that this book has received a Top Pick starred review. Please watch for more information right here at WordsmihSix Sunday Writer’s news.

Thanks to DeWanna Pace for her ever present encouragement and unfailing support of writers. She is greatly missed.

THE TEXAS RANGER’s SECRET by Dewanna Pace

Willow McMurty has just arrived in Texas for her sister’s wedding. As a fiction writer, she hopes to learn a thing or two about Texas Rangers. When she meets handsome Gage Newcomb, she believes that she’s found the perfect man to teach her about Ranger life. Now all she has to do is get him to agree to help her. With a cunning outlaw on the loose whom Gage has been tracking for years, he finds it hard to trust anyone, including Willow.