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.

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.