Words & Images to Inspire You!

LOL - One way or another!

This is also for Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry who commented the other day “I wish there were more poets about as sometimes I feel a wee bit out of my depth with such established writers.” Well, Yvonne, I am not a poet. This poem/song is about thirty years old and certainly not the best thing I’ve ever written - so now, YOU are the expert!!

Believe

Dreaming peacefully
A gentle fantasy
A place so far away
Yet so very near
One day I shall go there
Believe

Dreaming of love
A warming hope
A love so very true
Yet so unreachable
Just beyond my touch
One day I shall find it
Believe

Dreaming happily

An intense joy

A feeling of bliss

Yet so very remote

One day I shall feel it

Believe

Dreaming endlessly

A never waking sleep

A vision of the unknown

So very beautiful

Just beyond my life

One day I shall live it

Believe

Winners and Big Changes

First, the winners of my 300 Followers Giveaway. Thanks to all who entered and helped to spread the word.

The winners:

First place with her choice of three books - VR Barkowski (VR has selected Books II and IV and Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK!)

Second place with her choice of two books - Hart Johnson (Hart has selected Books II and V.)

Third place with her choice of one book: Beverly Stowe McClure (Beverly has selected Book V.)

Congratulations, ladies!

I'm also visiting Marketing Tips for Authors today!

Now for the changes…

After years of blogging, I’ve decided this site is due. Part of this comes from the fact the book series I was promoting has come to an end. Part is due to a shift in interests. Since my passion isn’t for novel writing at the moment, I need to shift my focus.

There’s so many things I’ve learned on my author journey that I can share with other writers and beyond just book promotion. There’s other areas, such as speaking, and I’m going to expand into new topics over the coming months. I’ll delve into the publishing industry and genres, and how things are changing, for better or worse.

I’d also like to do more with my photography. (Like to do more in my real life, too.)

So, here’s a rundown of topics, new and old:

The Sunday Sillies will become The Weekend Sillies. You guys might lynch me if I discontinued the LOL Cats!

Author guest posts. And I have several coming up:
October 4 - W.S. Gager
October 20 - Marvin Wilson
October 27 - Alex J. Cavanaugh
November 18 - Stephen Tremp

Book industry situations and conditions - got some wild ones for this.

Photos to inspire.

Tips for authors beyond just writing books.

Inspirational posts revolving around the keys to success.

That’s the plan! Hope everyone continues along for the ride.

The Sunday SIllies

And now, a deluge of cats…





















Last week’s caption winner:
"I said you can stick that stick where the sun don't shine! So, he did." By D L Hammons

Now, caption this photo for a chance at bragging rights next weekend:

Creating Compelling Characters

Today is the Great Blogging Experiment - Creating Compelling Characters, a blogfest created by Elana Johnson, Jennifer Daiker, and Alex J Cavanaugh.  Please visit their sites for a full listing of participants.

How do I create memorable characters? I start with a character sheet. Now, I teach a characterization session in schools and there are several steps to the process. Probably the most vital are the background and the personality.

In order to appear real, characters need detailed backgrounds. They need a detailed history. How were they raised? Did learn right from wrong and develop strong morals? What was their financial situation? What about schooling? Did they have parents and siblings? What were some of the major events of their past? All of these things affect those characters today.

I’m a big believer in the personality types as outlined in Florence Littauer’s Personality Plus - choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine, and melancholy. These often line up with the four birth orders as well - oldest, middle, youngest, and only. Each personality possesses its own unique strengths and weaknesses, which guides the writer. Once a character’s personality is decided, his or her reactions, behaviors, and goals become easy to determine.

Subsequent steps in the process involve appearance, hobbies, and current situation.

All of this adds depth and realism to a character. And a believable character is a compelling character!

The Best Book Festival Ever!

I’ve attended many book festivals over the years, but Book ‘Em remains my favorite.

The Book ‘Em Foundation was started by my buddy Trish (author p.m. Terrell) and Officer Mark Kearney. It now appears in three cities and Mark continues to expand with more locations. The Foundation’s slogan is “Buy a book, stop a crook!” and fights illiteracy.

The event attracts a wide variety of authors, including several from other countries. (Notable appearances include Ellen Hopkins, Janet Evanovich, Catherine Coulter, and Chris Crutcher.) There are talks and panel discussions throughout the day as well.

I’ve participated in two panels and every year I give a talk. I also visit several schools on Friday to do my characterization session, and the kids love it. Many of the authors come in early to visit schools.

This year’s Waynesboro Book ‘Em is October 16. A full list of authors appearing can be found HERE

There’s still time to join the fun! We have a blast every year at Book ‘Em. Contact Mark at mkearney@bookemfoundation.org if you are interested.

And...

Don't forget my 300 Followers Giveaway! Several chances to win - ends this weekend.

Top 10 TV Shows

Today is Alex J Cavanaugh’s Top 10 TV Shows blogfest. Check out his site for a full listing of participants.

My Top 10 in no particular order:

X-Files

Never missed an episode - I was an X-Files junkie! The mythos was interesting, but the stand-alone episodes were the best. And yes, I wanted Mulder and Scully to get together SO bad!

House

The man you love to hate! He’s so terrible. Great group dynamics, although I’m bummed Cameron and Chase didn’t work out.

CSI

The original is still the best of the series. Miss William Petersen, but Laurence Fishburne is a great addition.

Scooby-Doo

A childhood favorite. Loved the first incarnations of the show, but Scrappy-Doo ruined it for me. I agree with comedian Eddie Izzard - “Scrappy-Doo? Magnum. Boom!”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

This series is not a Trek fan favorite, but it was mine. Excellent writing and I loved all the characters. Got even better once Worf showed up!

Mystery Science Theater 3000

This was a Saturday night staple! Who doesn’t like to make fun of bad movies? Loved the show even more when Mike replaced Joel.

Monty Python’s Flying Circus

My Friday post isn’t named after one of their skits for nothing! Silly, twisted British humor - gotta love it! John Cleese steals every scene for me.

Ground Force

Surprise garden makeovers - how cool is that? Loved the neat ideas, although I’d never attempt any of them - I just want these guys to visit my backyard and surprise ME!

Farscape

Such an original concept and series! Loved all the quirky characters, although Chiana was my favorite.

The Muppet Show

I love the Muppets and the original show, with a new guest each week and zany skits, was so much fun. Best episode - Alice Cooper!

The Saturday Sillies

And now for something completely different - on a Saturday and with dogs!


















And the caption winners for last week's photo:
"wher da pryz?" - The Words Crafter
“Does this box make me look fat?” - RaShelle at A No. 2 Pencil Stat!

Now, caption this photo:

What on earth do I put in my Media Kit?

Yesterday, Stephen at Breakthrough Blogs talked about the Media Kit - what does one put in it? Since my reply was rather lengthy, I decided it would make a good post topic for today. (Thanks, Stephen!)

The media kit comes in two forms - physical and online.

You’ll rarely need a physical kit, but it’s best to have one ready at all times. It needs to be in a very nice folder or thin binder and appear as professional in quality as possible.

The online media kit is more essential. This needs to be a full page or more on your website. Be sure this page contains high resolution photos of you and your bookcover - at least 300dpi.

What goes into a media kit:

Media release (press release - the most current one)
Sell sheet (one sheet page with your book’s information, synopsis, cover art, short bio, publisher, ordering info., etc.)
Bio
Media pitch/topics (if you were interviewed for your expertise, what’s your angle - how can you help others be healthier, wealthier, sexier, or save them time?)
Interview questions (make it easy on reporters and hosts - list questions and your answers)
Business card, bookmarks, brochure, postcards, and other promo items, including DVD if applicable
Review copy/final copy of book (if applicable)
Book reviews (and if you’re sending out your media kit before you have any reviews, guess who writes that first mock review?)
Articles written or a sample article
Notable previous appearances
Endorsements
Excerpt or sample chapters (if applicable)


Obviously there’s differences between the physical and the online kit. A video online of one of your talks or speeches takes the place of a DVD. You can also link to several articles within your website. And of course, your website should contain links to purchase your books..

Keep this in mind when building an online press room - if a reporter finds your website, is there enough for him to do a complete article without ever contacting you? Because if not, he will move on to someone whose press room IS complete…

Any other items you would include?

And just because this card my husband gave me for my birthday this year is just so darn cute!!!

WHY Were You Inspired to Write Your Story?

I often hear the question, "What inspired you to write your story?" When asked of other authors though, I want to know more. WHY did that inspire you?

We're inspired by events, locations, people, situations - but why? What is it about that moment that sparked the story?

Almost everything I've written was inspired by a dream. A vivid dream will haunt my mind for days. I'll continue the storyline after I wake, pondering the path. It's not the visuals that stick with me, though. It's the accompanying feelings.

My five book YA series began as a dream. I saw Book I's Lori and Jason, knew she was a swimmer and he a football player. But what sparked the story were the emotions involved. I felt Lori's isolation and loneliness; felt her desire for Jason. I felt these two characters coming together. The story that poured out of me was sparked by those emotions, and as I wrote, the feelings of the secondary characters fueled four more books.

That's why I was inspired. Why did your inspiration motivate you to write your story?

The Sunday Sillies

Beware! Next week, the Sunday Sillies go to the dogs!

Monday I am visiting Breakthrough Blogs with an overview of self-publishing options.

And don’t forget my 300 Followers Giveaway!!




















And the winners of last week’s caption contest:
"Captain, release the shuttle." by Terry Lynn Johnson
"Accommodations in this igloo leave something to be desired." by Peggy Frezon at Peggy’s Pet Palace

Now, caption this photo: