It’s that dreading time in your novel where you’ve completed the first draft and let it breath for a little while, but now you have to do the editing before you can send it off to beta readers or your editor. No heavy sighs and no groaning. Editing isn’t so bad when you go into it prepared. For me, I have a little cheat sheet that I keep nearby when I’m starting the editing phase and it helps tremendously. With the cheat sheet, I can remember to watch for little things and edit in waves rather than plunk down in front of the manuscript and try to face the daunting task head on.
With all of that said, I can provide you with the cheat sheet I use when revising my manuscript after the first pass. Some things may be different based on the way you work and based on common issues your own writing may have, and this is also not to be used for a final pass edit. I suggest using an editor for that. At any rate, onto the list.
1. Fix General Trouble Areas (Homophones and Common Misspellings) - This one will vary from writer to writer. Come up with a short list of problems with specific homophones or spelling errors you notice your work has. For me, I have this annoying habit of typing LEAD instead of LED, almost every time when I’m writing really fast. So, it’s the first thing I check for, especially because it’s something easy to fix too. Sometimes, I have issues with Its and It’s. When I’m in “the zone” while writing, my fingers will just type and my brain is in full-on right side mode, so things like grammar and homophones are not on my mind. So, I check first for the homophones and any other minor spelling issues I know I have that can easily be found using the Find/Replace function. Compile a list of your known trouble areas to remember them.
2. Check Dialogue and Dialogue Tags - I check my dialogue for awkward phrasing. Sometimes I say it out loud to be sure it sounds like something a character would actually say. Dialogue should flow freely and be easy to read. Natural. Just like speaking is. I also make sure that I’m not repeating information with dialogue and that I’m cutting unnecessary dialogue. While I’m checking on these things, I also check my tags. Do I abuse adverbs? Do I repeat in the dialogue tags what is already clear from the dialogue? Is there a way to remove the tags and add an action? Before I finish this step, I also make sure that it’s clear who is talking. You don’t want the reader to be confused.
3. Check for Point of View Shifts - This is something I rarely have an issue with, but there are cases when I switch a sentence into a different point of view on accident. Unless your story is in third person omniscient, you should generally have only one point of view at a time. When you do have to change the POV, be sure that it is done clearly.
4. Watch for Repeating Words - Some writers or readers might not care, but I look out for repeats. As a reader, I notice things like chapters or paragraphs in a row that start with the same word or sentence structure. At first glance, this might not matter, for chapters even less so, but generally this indicates monotony. Varying sentence structure and word usage helps break up the monotony. No matter how action-packed or how interesting or how important the section might be, monotony will kill it. So, I check for this in my own writing. This also goes for word usage too. If I have a paragraph with four sentences in it and use the word “coin” five times, it’s too many. Or if I use a character’s name too many times in several sentences. Often, we don’t need constant reminders of what the word is.
5. Focus on Pacing and Plot Consistency - Pacing is important when writing a good story, as is consistency in the plot. This is where I check for plot holes or check for details like whether or not character A’s hair color changed part way through the book. Pacing should be looked at scene by scene and overall. Are there any places that drag in the overall book? Is there anywhere that needs to slow down a little? In my work, there tends to be a lot of action and high energy, so when I am revising I tend to look out for areas where there is little to no “down time”. Sometimes readers need a break from the action. If I forgot this fact during my outlining and writing phase, I have to correct it during the editing phase.
6. Listen to Your Manuscript - The last thing I do to get my manuscript ready for eyes other than my own, is to physically listen to the manuscript. Use the Text to Speech tool or have someone read it back to you. Yes, the entire thing. Listening to your book will help you pick out the trouble areas. It will also help you catch spelling or grammar mistakes as well as awkward dialogue. Also, it’s really fun to hear your book being read out loud.
If you need a reminder of what to look for when you edit your manuscript, feel free to use this cheat sheet. Anything else that is needed should be mentioned by your beta readers, editor, and proofreader, which is why this list isn’t all inclusive. Also, what works for me, may not work for you. I suggest you learn what your weaknesses are and create your own cheat sheet that caters best to your needs.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Raven: A Movie Review
I wrote up a review on The Raven for a writer's community I'm a part of and thought I'd share it with you. The film had so many elements I love including a writer, a murder mystery, a blur of reality and fiction, and my favourite: John Cusack.
First, let me start off by saying that this review is from the point of view of an avid movie lover and a John Cusack fan. Also, I’m in no way a rabid fangirl of Edgar Alan Poe, though I do enjoy his work. With that said, The Raven was a fun movie with a literary twist that, as an author, I liked.
The concept itself is pretty amazing, especially with the juxtaposition of Poe, his work, and a murder mystery. The namesake comes from his poem of the same title and parallels it in some ways with similar themes. The story of the film takes place in the last few days of Poe’s life, which are historically pretty interesting due to the mysterious manner in which Poe was found on a park bench rambling the name “Reynolds”. The Raven makes use of this quite well.
John Cusack plays Edgar Allan Poe and did a wonderful job. I had my doubts at first because he seemed so over dramatic and pompous, but it’s possible that the character was supposed to be that way in the beginning. As the film progressed, he toned it down and made a relatable and heroic character in Poe. Luke Evans, who played Detective Fields, was a surprisingly great addition to this movie. He’s a pretty decent actor, and his character complimented Poe in a way that made them great to watch.
One of my biggest complaints about this movie was the badly added CG. I’m talking SyFy made for TV bad. In the beginning, there is a horrible CG of Poe’s shadow as he walks down the street. It was a great shot that was completely ruined by horrible CG. The same can be said about the CGed Ravens. While I understand the theme and the visual of having ravens, the CG was just plain bad.
Cinematography-Wise, there were some beautiful visuals. My favorite and the one that is most vivid in my mind is a scene where Poe chases the murderer into the woods, which are completely barren and shrouded in fog. It was a great scene that was ruined by badly CGed ravens. Another fantastic shot, which was thankfully not ruined by bad CG, is when the murderer was riding a horse and he is dressed in a black costume with a skeleton in the front and a skull mask. This was to represent death from
Masque of the Red Death in a fantastic scene.
For those looking for historical accuracy, look else where. The Raven is a fun fictionalization of Poe’s final days and utilizes his work and his themes to create a fun movie. Besides, if Abraham Lincoln can be a vampire hunter, why can’t Poe help catch a murderer who is killing based on his own work? I would recommend this movie for anyone who isn’t a serious and avid Poe fan, who like a good murder mystery, and who love John Cusack.
First, let me start off by saying that this review is from the point of view of an avid movie lover and a John Cusack fan. Also, I’m in no way a rabid fangirl of Edgar Alan Poe, though I do enjoy his work. With that said, The Raven was a fun movie with a literary twist that, as an author, I liked.
The concept itself is pretty amazing, especially with the juxtaposition of Poe, his work, and a murder mystery. The namesake comes from his poem of the same title and parallels it in some ways with similar themes. The story of the film takes place in the last few days of Poe’s life, which are historically pretty interesting due to the mysterious manner in which Poe was found on a park bench rambling the name “Reynolds”. The Raven makes use of this quite well.
John Cusack plays Edgar Allan Poe and did a wonderful job. I had my doubts at first because he seemed so over dramatic and pompous, but it’s possible that the character was supposed to be that way in the beginning. As the film progressed, he toned it down and made a relatable and heroic character in Poe. Luke Evans, who played Detective Fields, was a surprisingly great addition to this movie. He’s a pretty decent actor, and his character complimented Poe in a way that made them great to watch.
One of my biggest complaints about this movie was the badly added CG. I’m talking SyFy made for TV bad. In the beginning, there is a horrible CG of Poe’s shadow as he walks down the street. It was a great shot that was completely ruined by horrible CG. The same can be said about the CGed Ravens. While I understand the theme and the visual of having ravens, the CG was just plain bad.
Cinematography-Wise, there were some beautiful visuals. My favorite and the one that is most vivid in my mind is a scene where Poe chases the murderer into the woods, which are completely barren and shrouded in fog. It was a great scene that was ruined by badly CGed ravens. Another fantastic shot, which was thankfully not ruined by bad CG, is when the murderer was riding a horse and he is dressed in a black costume with a skeleton in the front and a skull mask. This was to represent death from
Masque of the Red Death in a fantastic scene.
For those looking for historical accuracy, look else where. The Raven is a fun fictionalization of Poe’s final days and utilizes his work and his themes to create a fun movie. Besides, if Abraham Lincoln can be a vampire hunter, why can’t Poe help catch a murderer who is killing based on his own work? I would recommend this movie for anyone who isn’t a serious and avid Poe fan, who like a good murder mystery, and who love John Cusack.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Land of No Mortals (Book 2 of the Dark Ascension Series)
eBook Now Available!
Get Land of No Mortals for Kindle at Amazon
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Join Rebecca in her fight to stay alive with book two of the Dark Ascension Series, Land of No Mortals!
Seventeen year old Rebecca Ashford and her younger sister Errol have finally found safe refuge at Crown Haven, a witch-led survivor colony. Rebecca should be thrilled by the secure place to live and the human contact after spending a year hiding in their family tornado bunker, but ever since her friend Fox left she’s been plagued by guilt strong enough to mess with her newfound witch powers.
When demons destroy Crown Haven, Rebecca uses her power to locate the only person who may know how to fight back. Instead, she discovers that Fox is in danger. She and Errol must rescue him and enlist his help in their quest to learn what caused the demon apocalypse and find a way to take back their world. As Rebecca struggles with her feelings for Fox and with controlling her power, she fights to stay alive and defy the demonic oppressors to protect the people she loves.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards
eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards
Bellmawr, NJ: The eFestival of Words Virtual Book Fair announces the nominees for the first Best of the Independent eBook Awards. The complete list of nominees can be found at www.efestivalofwords.com.
The eFestival of Words, scheduled for August 17-19, 2012, is the first virtual book fair designed specifically to highlight the best of the independent digital publishing community. The awards program is one of many events being ran in conjunction with the fair.
According to Event Coordinator Julie Ann Dawson, “The goal of the eFestival of Words Awards is to highlight those independent authors and publishers that have worked to raise the bar in terms of the literary quality and production value and of digital books. Many people still think of ebooks as nothing more than scanned pages of print books. We hope that both the fair and the awards will help readers discover the amazing wealth of original content being produced in digital formats.”
Dawson, who has operated Bards and Sages Publishing since 2002, says that all nominees were nominated by their peers in the industry. Only authors, publishers, and others involved in the production of digital books were invited to submit ballots. Nominations were accepted in over two dozen categories, including genre categories (horror, romance, thrillers, etc), format-specific (short story, novella, novel) and a few just-for-fun categories (such as The "I've Been Shyamalaned" Award for Best Twist Ending).
Each category will be narrowed down further seven finalists, which will be announced July 1, 2012. Final voting will be opened to all registered attendees of the eFestival of Words, with winners announced on the last day of the fair. Registration is free and entitles the attendees to not only vote in the final awards, but also participate in panel discussion, author chats, workshops, and more.
For more information on the fair and the awards, visit www.efestivalofwords.com.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Dark Ascension: A Demon Anthology, and Advocating Children Reading
So, if you haven't heard already, today I and some other authors got together to make our books free for the day in a lovely Give Your Child a Free Kindle Book event. Getting kids excited to read is such an important part of life and this is such an easy way to help facilitate that. Easily accessible, FREE, and very exciting to read, these books are flying off the virtual shelf. As a part of this event, one of my own books is available for the first and possibly only, time. Dark Ascension: A Demon Anthology
is available for FREE today only. And please head over to Stacy Juba's blog for the complete list of books available with our event today. Give a child you love a really amazing book, or fifteen!Keep a flashlight handy. This collection of short stories for young adults is sure to draw out whatever's skulking in the shadows. From supernatural entities, to crazed monsters, to disturbing discoveries, evil is lurking 'round every corner. Delve into the dark recess of this creepy book… if you dare.
Dark Ascension: A Demon Anthology includes:
GRINNING IN THE DARK: A girl is being tortured by a shadowy, grinning figure.
HUNTED: Faceless monsters pursue and attack a young teen at her summer job.
DOPPELGANGER: Fraternal twins believe something sinister happened to their friend after playing with a real spirit board.
PICTURE EVIL: A boy finds a series of fuzzy photographs and is determined to discover what they are and how they came to him.
INFINITY: A teen couple is trapped on a treacherous roadtrip.
THE UNDERTAKING: A pregnant teen can't remember how she became impregnated and must control her violent urges before she gives birth.
ASCENSION: A teen witnesses demons emerge from the ground and murder his neighbors.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Give Your Child a Kindle Book
Fill up your Kindle and get your children reading this summer with these 15 books, free on Kindle only on April 19 during the Give Your Child A Kindle Book (or 15 of Them!) Promotion. Save this page, come back on Thursday the 19th, and scroll down the list, which includes picture books, middle grade novels, and young adult books spanning a range of topics from sports, to paranormal, to historical, to educational. Selected books include the Florida Historical Society's Best Children's Book, and books that have been recommended in Best Books for Young Teen Readers Grades 7-10 and in an edition of Children's Book of the Year. The authors have been published by houses such as Scholastic, Dell, HarperCollins, Simon Pulse, Avon, E.P. Dutton, Millbrook, Lerner, and St. Martin's Minotaur. Adult readers will find much to enjoy on this list also. Some of the titles will be free for a couple days, but the entire list is just guaranteed free on the 19th.
We also have two bonus books in multiple e-book formats, compatible with Nook, Sony and more! You'll find the list of novels for older tween and teen readers first, followed by picture books and books for younger readers, and then our two bonus novels.
Please click on the title to follow the Amazon buy links.
NOVELS
Download Dark Before Dawn by Stacy Juba - When teen psychic Dawn Christian gets involved with a fortuneteller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak “accidents” in town, Dawn has an important choice to make – continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her. "A special book that should not be missed.” Fresh Fiction
Download Face-Off by Stacy Juba - Brad’s twin brother T.J. has gotten himself out of the fancy prep school his father picked for him and into the public high school Brad attends. The whole school is rooting for a big double-strength win…not knowing that their twin hockey stars are heating up the ice for a winner takes all face-off. Included in the reference guide Best Books for Young Teen Readers Grades 7-10.
Download Charlie Woodchuck is a Minor Niner by Dalya Moon - It’s 1988, and Charlie Woodchuck is the most minor of niners. At thirteen, she’s the youngest girl at Snowy Cove High School, and so clueless, she wore leg warmers and acid-wash jeans on her first day. Big mistake! Almost as big a mistake as signing up for a boys-only shop class. Doy! Just when she thinks the first week of high school can’t get any more weird, Charlie discovers she may be adopted.
Download Away from Whipplethorn by A.W. Hartoin - Tiny fairies. Huge adventure. Matilda is about to get what she’s always wanted, and it’s a bad thing. Being a babysitter isn’t much of a dream, but Matilda is anything but average. She’s half a centimeter tall, invisible to the human eye, and hearing-impaired. In her life, adventures are in short supply, but there is a emergency list for her first job. The only problem; humans aren’t on the list.
Download The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Dan Elish - Pancakes that turn into trampolines, attacking caramel apples, roller-skating pies, are all a part of The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Dan Elish, a lip-smacking middle grade fantasy with an original musical score by a Broadway veteran embedded alongside the text! After losing to a cheat for the past eleven years, will chef Applefeller finally manage to nab the prize?
Download Practice Cake: A Romantic Comedy by Dalya Moon - There's one thing Maddie Bird (18) finds more tempting than red velvet cake: her coworker, Drew. All it takes is one of his sly winks or a playful hip-check by the cooler, and she's incinerating the cookies. Her boyfriend would not approve. When a reality TV crew descends upon the bakery, her simple summer job gets even more complicated.
Download Savage Cinderella by PJ Sharon - Eighteen-year-old Brinn Hathaway has survived on her own in the Northwest High Country of Georgia since she was left for dead in a shallow grave by the man who kidnapped her as a child. When a young nature photographer, Justin Spencer, catches the wild girl on film and the two form a tentative friendship, Brinn must decide if coming out of hiding is worth the hope - and the danger-that may await her.
Download Ashlyn's Radio by Wilson Doherty (Norah Wilson and Heather Doherty) - When circumstances force 17-year-old Ashlyn Caverhill to move to her grandma's in Maine, she's PO'd. Although it boasts the hot Caden Williams, she thinks Prescott Junction is the deadest place ever. She may be right. Not only does a ghost train roll through at night, but the Caverhill-cursed radio Ashlyn finds foretells that she'll board it! With Caden's help, she must find a way to escape her fate.
Download Captain Morgana Mason by Dorothy Francis - Gramp falls ill. Morgana and her younger brother, Seth take charge of the family's sponging business, using their small boat to hook sponges from the sea and sell them. Housekeeper, Goldie, adds humor and wisdom to the tale. You'll root for Morgana as she seeks her strengths and grapples with the adult world. The Florida Historical Society voted this book as the best Children's Book of its year.
Download Dark Ascension: A Demon Anthology by N.R. Wick - Keep a flashlight handy. This collection of short stories for young adults is sure to draw out whatever's skulking in the shadows. From supernatural entities, to crazed monsters, to disturbing discoveries, evil is lurking 'round every corner. Delve into the dark recesses of this creepy book… if you dare.
FOR YOUNGER READERS:
Download Teddy Bear Town Childrens E-Book Bundle by Stacy Juba - Immerse your child in the gentle world of teddy bears with three picture books in one download. Each story is fully illustrated with simple illustrations of teddy bear families. Includes The Flag Keeper, Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise, and Sticker Shoes. The Midwest Book Review on The Flag Keeper: "Excellent educational book filled with information all American children should know."
Download Doctor: Discover Series Picture Book for Kids - Who likes going to the doctor? Who wants their child to grow up to be a doctor? Whether you're looking to alleviate anxiety or plant the suggestion early, DOCTOR features 25 full-color photos of of doctors, nurses and medical equipment. Like other titles in the Kindle Kids Library from Xist Publishing, DOCTOR has been formatted to take advantage of the Kindle, Kindle Fire and Kindle apps for phones, tablets and computers.
Download Einstein The Lazy Kitty by Renae Rae - This 30-page story is inspired by Renae Rae's real-life lazy kitty. Einstein The Lazy Kitty, combines rhythmic writing and colorful illustrations to make this a short, fun book for all ages but it was designed with your toddler and early reader in mind.
Download Time to Get Ready, Bunny! by Brenda Ponnay - It's time to get ready, Bunny! Bunny? BUNNY? In this charming little book, author/illustrator Brenda Ponnay has artfully depicted the morning routine of so many families. Whether your little one would rather stay in bed, play with toys, or try on every outfit in the closet, this book is sure to resonate with parents.
Download Grammar Candy by Katrina Streza - Have you ever wondered what exactly an adjective was? Drawn a blank when your child asked for help with English grammar homework? In GRAMMAR CANDY, the second book by educator Katrina Streza, Danny and Sam are back for another candy-filled learning adventure. This time, they'll turn a grammar lesson into some sweet fun when they visit Mr. Candor's Candy Shop and learn about nouns, pronouns,
adjectives, verbs and more. For candy-loving kids in grades 1-3 (and their parents too)!
BONUS BOOKS: Available in multiple e-book formats compatible with Kindle, Nook, Sony and other e-readers.
The Younger Days by Mike Hays -In the beginning, Boy Smyth has a dull Missouri farm life and a burning desire to be an outlaw like his hero, Cole Younger. In the end, Boy Smyth has five dead bodies and two burning buildings at his farm and the most feared man in the United States crying outside his front gate. And that desire for the outlaw life? It's purged completely from his system. Download free on April 19 from Muse It Up Publishing.
The Pea Soup Poisonings by Nancy Means Wright - To get into her brother's Spy Club, Zoe must walk a high narrow beam over rusted farm machinery and then discover who poisoned Granny Fairweather's pea soup. She has 5 days to find the culprit. Can she do it? Winner of an Agatha award for Best Children’s/Young Adult Novel. Download free on April 19 from Belgrave House.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Lucky 7: Seven Lines Meme
So, I normally don't do this sort of thing, but I'm feeling frisky today. Here's the deal: I've been tagged for this Lucky 7 meme by the wonderful and awesome V.J. Chambers. (By the way, if you don't know who this is, learn quick! And check out her amazing books. My personal fav is her Jason and Azazel series.)
So, the point of the meme is to select 7 lines from your current manuscript and post them on your blog. Only, you have to choose seven lines from page 7 or page 77. Here are the rules in list form, for those who enjoy lists (like me) taken from V.J. Chamber's Lucky 7 post.
1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines as they are – no cheating
4. Tag 7 other authors
My current project happens to be Land of No Mortals and I chose the 77th page since it was much more interesting than the 7th. So, here we go!
Cool huh? That was fun! Now to tag 7 other authors. Haha, honestly, I don't know seven authors well enough to feel okay with tagging them, but I guess I will anyway.
1. Jess Waldron
2. Jaclyn Dolamore
3. Griffin Hayes
4. Jerry Hanel
5. Sybil Nelson
6. Jeremy C. Shipp
7. Charmaine Clancy
Feel free to join in even if you haven't been tagged! And if you've done your own, link to it in the comments so I can check it out!
So, the point of the meme is to select 7 lines from your current manuscript and post them on your blog. Only, you have to choose seven lines from page 7 or page 77. Here are the rules in list form, for those who enjoy lists (like me) taken from V.J. Chamber's Lucky 7 post.
1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines as they are – no cheating
4. Tag 7 other authors
My current project happens to be Land of No Mortals and I chose the 77th page since it was much more interesting than the 7th. So, here we go!
“I just hope that fire doesn’t spread across the entire city,” Errol said.
Rebecca stared out her window. As the fire consumed Crown Haven, black storm clouds loomed over the city. “Maybe it’ll start raining soon.”
No one responded. The idea hadn’t comforted her either, but she held onto the hope that the fire would remain centralized.
Cool huh? That was fun! Now to tag 7 other authors. Haha, honestly, I don't know seven authors well enough to feel okay with tagging them, but I guess I will anyway.
1. Jess Waldron
2. Jaclyn Dolamore
3. Griffin Hayes
4. Jerry Hanel
5. Sybil Nelson
6. Jeremy C. Shipp
7. Charmaine Clancy
Feel free to join in even if you haven't been tagged! And if you've done your own, link to it in the comments so I can check it out!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Land of No Mortals Cover Reveal
Oh man, I've been sitting on this one for about two weeks. The cover's been ready and it looks divine, but I had to hold off exposing the world to its awesomeness until it was the right moment. Well, it's time! Land of No Mortals is almost in the beta readers stage right now and after that, it's going to the editor. It won't be much longer before the book is ready an available to purchase. I'm hoping by the end of April. Are you dying of anticipation yet? Okay, okay! Here it is!
Amazing right? Amanda from Razzle Dazzle Design did the cover again. She is wonderful at this, isn't she? I also had her make a few changes to the Land of No Angels cover. Not only did I want them to match, I also wanted to darken the LoNA cover a bit so it fit in with the rest of my work. Check it out!
Pretty nice right? I wanted to add the series and book number on there too. Want to see them together?
So cool! I can't wait to share the new book with everyone. It's going to be crazy fun to read. A lot of new things happening. But stop me from rambling! I don't want to accidentally give away any secrets! If you haven't read the back cover copy, yet, pop over to the books tab and check it out.
Amazing right? Amanda from Razzle Dazzle Design did the cover again. She is wonderful at this, isn't she? I also had her make a few changes to the Land of No Angels cover. Not only did I want them to match, I also wanted to darken the LoNA cover a bit so it fit in with the rest of my work. Check it out!
Pretty nice right? I wanted to add the series and book number on there too. Want to see them together?
So cool! I can't wait to share the new book with everyone. It's going to be crazy fun to read. A lot of new things happening. But stop me from rambling! I don't want to accidentally give away any secrets! If you haven't read the back cover copy, yet, pop over to the books tab and check it out.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Planning for the Apocalypse
With the vast amounts of apocalyptic and post apocalyptic movies, shows, and books the genre has really beefed up in the last five or so years. One of the fun things about movies that feature the apocalypse, whether it be brought on by zombies, a plague, or a huge natural disaster, is watching the characters survive.
Something I find funny is that no one is ever prepared. In the zombie movies, no one seems to know the "rules" about zombie. They waste tons of time and tons of people figuring out that you have to shoot them in the head, but is it really believable that not one of the people in the group has seen a zombie movie? Most movies seem to pretend that they don't even exist. But people talk about it all the time. My husband and I both talk about our plan for the apocalypse and how we're going to survive. And we have plenty of conversations with friends and relatives about the same. It's a silly, fun thing that we do and who knows, maybe some time we'll need it. Especially with the supposed 2012 end of the world hype.
But everyone in the movies, whether it be for zombies or natural disasters, never seem to know what they're doing. And sure, it's possible that the story of characters with a plan is less interesting than the story of characters without, but this lack of characters with a plan makes for excellent conversations after the movie. So, I decided that I'd share our apocalypse plan, which varies depending on the the type of apocalypse.
-Decide what sort of apocalypse. Depending of the type of apocalypse we are experiencing, I will have to choose the next steps differently. Also, if Husband is at work or away from me, wait for him to return and fortify the apartment. If I'm at work or out, find a way home that will not include me dying.
-Find a safe place to hold up until the worst is over. If it's a plague, stay home and stay away from large groups of people. If it's zombies, find a Sam's Club, Costco, or any other warehouse-style store. If it's a natural disaster, find a tornado bunker or other sturdy building (unless the disaster is a series of insane earthquakes).
-Get supplies. The best part about finding a warehouse-style store to take refuge in, you will likely find everything you need. In some states, you can even buy your weapons there.
-Fortifying the safe house and barricade all doors and windows.
-Wait it out, or keep the perimeter safe.
-If we run out of supplies or the safe house is no longer safe, then we move to a new one.
-Repeat steps 2-6 until society either rebuilds its self or we build/join our own.
Also, for fun, here are five of my favourites from the Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalypic genre.
1. Falling Skies (TV show on SyFy, which I enjoy a zillion times more than The Walking Dead. And coming from a rabid zombie lover, that should say something.)
2. The Stand by Stephen King (The book, but the mini-series is okay too)
3. Dance of the Dead (Comedy/Horror movie about teens and zombies and prom. It's epically hilarious, but also rated R for those who worry about that sort of thing.)
4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (YA and a fantastic book)
5. 2012 (This one's PG-13 for those who need to know, and has John Cusack... which, of course, is also important to know. lol)
[READER RESPONSE] Planning for the apocalypse is fun. Do you have a plan? What is your apocalypse plan? And if you think it's too stupid to have a plan for a likely never to happen apocalypse, that's okay. Instead, you can tell us your top 5 movies, tv shows, or books that have to do with the apocalypse or post-apocalypse.
Something I find funny is that no one is ever prepared. In the zombie movies, no one seems to know the "rules" about zombie. They waste tons of time and tons of people figuring out that you have to shoot them in the head, but is it really believable that not one of the people in the group has seen a zombie movie? Most movies seem to pretend that they don't even exist. But people talk about it all the time. My husband and I both talk about our plan for the apocalypse and how we're going to survive. And we have plenty of conversations with friends and relatives about the same. It's a silly, fun thing that we do and who knows, maybe some time we'll need it. Especially with the supposed 2012 end of the world hype.
But everyone in the movies, whether it be for zombies or natural disasters, never seem to know what they're doing. And sure, it's possible that the story of characters with a plan is less interesting than the story of characters without, but this lack of characters with a plan makes for excellent conversations after the movie. So, I decided that I'd share our apocalypse plan, which varies depending on the the type of apocalypse.
-Decide what sort of apocalypse. Depending of the type of apocalypse we are experiencing, I will have to choose the next steps differently. Also, if Husband is at work or away from me, wait for him to return and fortify the apartment. If I'm at work or out, find a way home that will not include me dying.
-Find a safe place to hold up until the worst is over. If it's a plague, stay home and stay away from large groups of people. If it's zombies, find a Sam's Club, Costco, or any other warehouse-style store. If it's a natural disaster, find a tornado bunker or other sturdy building (unless the disaster is a series of insane earthquakes).
-Get supplies. The best part about finding a warehouse-style store to take refuge in, you will likely find everything you need. In some states, you can even buy your weapons there.
-Fortifying the safe house and barricade all doors and windows.
-Wait it out, or keep the perimeter safe.
-If we run out of supplies or the safe house is no longer safe, then we move to a new one.
-Repeat steps 2-6 until society either rebuilds its self or we build/join our own.
Also, for fun, here are five of my favourites from the Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalypic genre.
1. Falling Skies (TV show on SyFy, which I enjoy a zillion times more than The Walking Dead. And coming from a rabid zombie lover, that should say something.)
2. The Stand by Stephen King (The book, but the mini-series is okay too)
3. Dance of the Dead (Comedy/Horror movie about teens and zombies and prom. It's epically hilarious, but also rated R for those who worry about that sort of thing.)
4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (YA and a fantastic book)
5. 2012 (This one's PG-13 for those who need to know, and has John Cusack... which, of course, is also important to know. lol)
[READER RESPONSE] Planning for the apocalypse is fun. Do you have a plan? What is your apocalypse plan? And if you think it's too stupid to have a plan for a likely never to happen apocalypse, that's okay. Instead, you can tell us your top 5 movies, tv shows, or books that have to do with the apocalypse or post-apocalypse.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
New covers!
So, I've been a busy beaver over the weekend and into part of this week. The first draft of Land of No Mortals is nearing the halfway mark for completion, and I've been doing a bunch of other publishing related things that have kept me quite productive. An artist by the name of Karri Klawiter has designed two covers for me over this weekend and start of the week and I thought I'd share them with you.
As we know, Picture Evil has gone through a couple of cover changes before. Nothing seemed to really work for that poor, disturbing story, but I think Karri really captured the heart of it with the cover she did for me. She did an amazing job!
The next one is for a new short story that was recently published in Dark Ascension: A Demon Anthology. Doppelganger really deserved its own spotlight outside of the anthology and Karri did an excellent job of designing the perfect cover for it. This short story should be available in a couple of days.
Pretty neat, huh?
As we know, Picture Evil has gone through a couple of cover changes before. Nothing seemed to really work for that poor, disturbing story, but I think Karri really captured the heart of it with the cover she did for me. She did an amazing job!
The next one is for a new short story that was recently published in Dark Ascension: A Demon Anthology. Doppelganger really deserved its own spotlight outside of the anthology and Karri did an excellent job of designing the perfect cover for it. This short story should be available in a couple of days.
Pretty neat, huh?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Researching the Post-Apocalyptic World
How is it possible to research and write about a world where there is no electricity, every day pleasantries such as new cloths, easy transportation, and easy meals are no longer an option? One of the most fascinating and fun things about writing a world with so much technology but no way to use it, is trying to figure out alternatives that are not too far outside the realm of possibility. Sure, the world of Land of No Angels has earthly magic, but that doesn't mean people can just magically fix things like lack of electricity or lack of food.
When I wrote Land of No Angels (and am currently writing its sequel), I had to do a lot of research about what the world would be like if there was an apocalypse and a lot of people were gone. I remember finding this fantastic page that gave a general timeline of how long electricity could stay on without human interaction depending on how their electricity was gotten. It also had a timeline of how plant life would overgrow and what the buildings would do. It was really interesting stuff.
Some excellent questions crop up when writing about a post-apocalyptic world. My favourite one was: How would an average girl survive on her own? And that's half of what sparked the book(s) idea. Other things I grew very interested in were small things like: What sort of foods would be eaten? Sure, for a while canned goods would work out, but what about when those were gone? Would people have to revert back to the ways of hunting and gathering? In the Land of No Angels universe, many of the typical animals like deer, horses, dogs, cats, bears, birds, etc. have disappeared. How long will it take before this fact royally screws up the ecosystem?
I had to do some interesting research for the second book. How to make a cake-like food for a celebration without things like chicken eggs, milk, baking powder, flour, an oven etc. Even though it's never explained how it was done in the book, it was important for me to understand whether or not it could even be done and if so, how would one go about producing such a thing. I'm sure they made such things when ovens were not invented, even if they were different than they are now.
One of the fun things I had to research in the first book was how to feed an infant without breast milk and without formula. The Ashford girls end up using cans of evaporated milk and water they had stored in their tornado bunker, which is far from good for the baby. But in my research, I discovered that 40+ years ago, it was actually used for babies. It was an interesting way to solve this problem.
Even though it's impossible to know how things would work in a post-apocalyptic world, it's so fun to make conjecture based on things we know, or can guess, or by using research from things that happened a long time ago.
When I wrote Land of No Angels (and am currently writing its sequel), I had to do a lot of research about what the world would be like if there was an apocalypse and a lot of people were gone. I remember finding this fantastic page that gave a general timeline of how long electricity could stay on without human interaction depending on how their electricity was gotten. It also had a timeline of how plant life would overgrow and what the buildings would do. It was really interesting stuff.
Some excellent questions crop up when writing about a post-apocalyptic world. My favourite one was: How would an average girl survive on her own? And that's half of what sparked the book(s) idea. Other things I grew very interested in were small things like: What sort of foods would be eaten? Sure, for a while canned goods would work out, but what about when those were gone? Would people have to revert back to the ways of hunting and gathering? In the Land of No Angels universe, many of the typical animals like deer, horses, dogs, cats, bears, birds, etc. have disappeared. How long will it take before this fact royally screws up the ecosystem?
I had to do some interesting research for the second book. How to make a cake-like food for a celebration without things like chicken eggs, milk, baking powder, flour, an oven etc. Even though it's never explained how it was done in the book, it was important for me to understand whether or not it could even be done and if so, how would one go about producing such a thing. I'm sure they made such things when ovens were not invented, even if they were different than they are now.
One of the fun things I had to research in the first book was how to feed an infant without breast milk and without formula. The Ashford girls end up using cans of evaporated milk and water they had stored in their tornado bunker, which is far from good for the baby. But in my research, I discovered that 40+ years ago, it was actually used for babies. It was an interesting way to solve this problem.
Even though it's impossible to know how things would work in a post-apocalyptic world, it's so fun to make conjecture based on things we know, or can guess, or by using research from things that happened a long time ago.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Years!
Wow, it's amazing that today starts the first of a new year. This means, reflection and goal-setting time. If you are into that sort of thing. Which, I'm great at the setting part, but not so great at the following through part. All in all, 2011 had some real bad times and some really great times.
I moved twice this year, was pretty much homeless for a while, couldn't find work, etc etc. But I also wrote and published a novel. That in its self was epically amazing. I also earned my MFA in Creative Writing and wrote and published four more short stories. So, those things were great. One of the best things, though, was that my Husband and I finally made it back out to Kansas and are doing better. We have a place to live, we make enough money to survive, and I have a job that is part time but makes enough money to help support us so that I can have time to write as well. Pretty good year in the end, despite the bad.
For 2012, I imagine it's going to be great. Hopefully, anyway. My number one biggest goal for the new year is to learn to focus and maximise my productivity. I have issues with following through on things, even if they are important, unless it's for something like school or a job with foreseeable negative impacts like getting a B or losing your job. I started an exercise in productivity a week or so ago, and I will work on it some more to see if I can retrain myself to stay focused and work my ass off to do the things I want and love. Since all of those horrible, negative things that happened last year should not effect me any more, I will be able to get writing things done without feeling guilty too.
My second goal is to write three (3) novels next year. It's a huge stretch for me, but if I can get myself focused and productive, it really shouldn't be too hard. Ideally, I'd like to also publish those three. It would be great to write and publish a short story every other month too, but I don't want to push it to the point of no getting anything done.
I want to make 2012 a great year, not only for my writing and my business, but for me to have some fun too. There was so much stress last year that 2012 should be the year of awesome. I'm going to try my damnedest to make everything I want come true.
Also, there had better be snow in 2012, or so help me... *shakes fist*
I wish for the best 2012 for everyone and hope you all had a great 2011! Let me know if you have any cool 2012 goals or plans too!
I moved twice this year, was pretty much homeless for a while, couldn't find work, etc etc. But I also wrote and published a novel. That in its self was epically amazing. I also earned my MFA in Creative Writing and wrote and published four more short stories. So, those things were great. One of the best things, though, was that my Husband and I finally made it back out to Kansas and are doing better. We have a place to live, we make enough money to survive, and I have a job that is part time but makes enough money to help support us so that I can have time to write as well. Pretty good year in the end, despite the bad.
For 2012, I imagine it's going to be great. Hopefully, anyway. My number one biggest goal for the new year is to learn to focus and maximise my productivity. I have issues with following through on things, even if they are important, unless it's for something like school or a job with foreseeable negative impacts like getting a B or losing your job. I started an exercise in productivity a week or so ago, and I will work on it some more to see if I can retrain myself to stay focused and work my ass off to do the things I want and love. Since all of those horrible, negative things that happened last year should not effect me any more, I will be able to get writing things done without feeling guilty too.
My second goal is to write three (3) novels next year. It's a huge stretch for me, but if I can get myself focused and productive, it really shouldn't be too hard. Ideally, I'd like to also publish those three. It would be great to write and publish a short story every other month too, but I don't want to push it to the point of no getting anything done.
I want to make 2012 a great year, not only for my writing and my business, but for me to have some fun too. There was so much stress last year that 2012 should be the year of awesome. I'm going to try my damnedest to make everything I want come true.
Also, there had better be snow in 2012, or so help me... *shakes fist*
I wish for the best 2012 for everyone and hope you all had a great 2011! Let me know if you have any cool 2012 goals or plans too!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
N.R. Wick's Top Ten PG-13 Horror Movies
I love horror movies. Shocking, right? B-horror, teen horror, slasher movies, 80s horror. I love them all. Some of you might be wondering why I chose to list the top five best PG-13 horror movies rather than just any old horror movie. We all know the R rated ones can show the most boob and the most spilling guts, but there's something to be said about those that have been rated PG-13. Besides, I write books primarily for teens and young adults, so I wanted to make a top five that they could see without using a fake ID.
So, here we have it. N.R. Wick's top Ten PG-13 horror movies.
10. Prom Night - I know, I totally went here. While this movie is completely filled with cliches, it's a pretty good slasher film for teens. Also, there is some surprisingly fantastic cinematography in a couple scenes... if you're into that sort of thing.
9. The Haunting in Connecticut - Kyle Gallner is amazing. Also, Casey Jones Elias Koteas is in it. Half of the appeal of this movie is the two of them, but there are some other great things about it like spewing ectoplasm.
8. One Missed Call - Shannyn Sossamon has the emotional range of a rock, but this one's creepy. Who wouldn't be scared by getting a phone call from a dead friend and a message of themselves being killed?
7. White Noise - Great movie with Batman Michael Keaton obsessing over EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena). Have to admit that I love stories like this one, but I won't say much about it because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it.
6. The Ring - Let's face it, this one never gets old.
5.The Mothman Prophecies - This is another one of my favorite types of stories. Some may or may not classify this as straight out horror, but it's a great movie.
4. Lady in White - Kind of old, but I love this one.
3. Last Exorcism - Not your typical exorcism movie, and it's shot in a documentary style.
2. Insidious - This one is a pretty recent one and it was not only creepy, but it's got a few fresh tropes in. Also, the paranormal investigators are darkly hilarious.
1. 1408 - Probably one of my favorites movies in general. How can you go wrong with a Stephen King story and JOHN CUSACK? You just can't. This one reminds me a little of the Silent Hill games (NOT movie).
There we have it. Trust me, it was hard to decide on only ten since there are many other awesome PG-13 horror movies.
[Edited] I wanted to add two that are technically rated R but I'm not really sure why. They aren't any worse than the ones on my list, and they are really great movies. The first is People Under the Stairs, which is an older movie, but it's creepy and funny and disturbing. The other, is The Orphanage, which is a foreign film, and is amazing.
[READER RESPONSE: What's your favourite PG-13 (or lower rating) horror movie?]
Sunday, October 23, 2011
I Refuse to "Dumb Down" My Writing
A very interesting topic on vocabulary popped up on an writer's discussion board I participate in where someone questioned why an author would choose a "fancy" word over a more commonly known word. First, I wonder what a "fancy" word is. Is it just a word out of the reader's known vocabulary? Or is it a word that is rarely used in general public during this time period? Is it a word that is way too formal for the story/narrative? And really, is it a big deal if the author uses a word you don't know? Sure, you had to pull yourself out of the story to look it up, but now you know a new word. Education is always good, even while entertaining yourself.
As a writer, I refuse to "dumb down" my words, especially when I know it's the appropriate word. It's insulting to my readers. And I'll be honest, I don't have a huge or "fancy" vocabulary, but I DO write for children, teens, and young adults. Because of this, I have to be aware of what words I choose. For example, I had several fantastic beta readers for Land of No Angels, but had one mention that I should consider changing a word because it may be too advanced for the YA audience. The word was "equidistant", which I don't think is a very "fancy" or advanced word, but I considered the comment before ultimately keeping the word.
Had the book been a Middle Grade I may have changed it, but because it's a Young Adult book and my target audience is between 15-20, I felt that if they didn't already know this word, then they should. Don't YAs learn this word in high school math? I'm pretty sure they do. If they don't, then it's a great way to introduce them to the word. Why use two or more words to describe something that one word can? I trust that my readers are smart enough to either know the word, guess what the word means, or to educate themselves and look up its meaning.
Now, if the "fancy" words are used arbitrarily for no other reason other than to abuse the thesaurus and try to make the writing sound smart, that's where I draw the line. It tends to be easier to point out these instances since the vocabulary tends to be awkward when read with the rest of the story.
In the end, as long as the vocabulary is appropriate to the style, time period, narrator, and the audience, I don't see a reason to "dumb it down".
As a writer, I refuse to "dumb down" my words, especially when I know it's the appropriate word. It's insulting to my readers. And I'll be honest, I don't have a huge or "fancy" vocabulary, but I DO write for children, teens, and young adults. Because of this, I have to be aware of what words I choose. For example, I had several fantastic beta readers for Land of No Angels, but had one mention that I should consider changing a word because it may be too advanced for the YA audience. The word was "equidistant", which I don't think is a very "fancy" or advanced word, but I considered the comment before ultimately keeping the word.
Had the book been a Middle Grade I may have changed it, but because it's a Young Adult book and my target audience is between 15-20, I felt that if they didn't already know this word, then they should. Don't YAs learn this word in high school math? I'm pretty sure they do. If they don't, then it's a great way to introduce them to the word. Why use two or more words to describe something that one word can? I trust that my readers are smart enough to either know the word, guess what the word means, or to educate themselves and look up its meaning.
Now, if the "fancy" words are used arbitrarily for no other reason other than to abuse the thesaurus and try to make the writing sound smart, that's where I draw the line. It tends to be easier to point out these instances since the vocabulary tends to be awkward when read with the rest of the story.
In the end, as long as the vocabulary is appropriate to the style, time period, narrator, and the audience, I don't see a reason to "dumb it down".
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Writing The Opposite Gender
So, today's a writing day and because the task ahead of me is so daunting, I'm here procrastinating instead of doing my work. Due to some news and business advice, I decided that instead of working on my Middle Grade novel, I was going to bang out this Young Adult novel that was next on my list. One of the biggest struggles I've come across in writing this story is that the main character is the opposite gender that I am.
I've written male leads before, and I'm by no means a girly girl, but I have to consider my audience, my limited knowledge of the male mind, and the story of this novel when I'm writing. For example, I believe more females read YA than males do, so my book having a male lead could be harmful if not done well. I noticed that of my two published short stories and my novel, the one with a male lead character and male on the cover does not sell as well as my other two. Could it be that the cover is just not as strong as the others? Perhaps, but when I consider how many YA books out there have a male lead, it makes me wonder.
This book I'm working on will have a much stronger romantic element to it than anything else I've written/published thus far, so to help attract the most people, I intend for the cover to show both an attractive male AND an attractive female. Doing so should keep it more neutral. I don't want to give anyone the impression that it's a paranormal romance, because it's a paranormal mystery of sorts, but I think highlighting the romance will help me reach my target audience, which is young adults between 13 and 19.
All that aside, the actual writing can be a challenge at times. In a good way, of course. But how much teenage boy do I want to include in the story before I start losing girl readers? I've been thinking about good YA I've read with male lead characters, and most of them were written by women. For example, Beautiful Creatures is a great book and has a male lead, and while the characters voice was there, I don't recall him feeling very manly. Teenage boys think about boobs and girls and nice legs, don't they? But I don't recall much of these things happening in the YA books with male leads written by women. I'm not saying that they have to overpower the story with the character talking about sex or boobs, but if a girl's blouse is too low or skirt too high and all the character does is mention this like an asexual third party observer, then what does that mean?
It's possible that I'm just over-generalizing teenage boys and that the majority of them don't sneak an (un)intentional glance at an attractive girl's chest when she leans over in her low cut top, or they don't notice long sexy legs in a short skirt. Maybe all of the guys in the books are too effeminate or too much of gentlemen to do such things. Or maybe the women writing the stories don't think it's important enough to mention, and maybe it isn't. I'm not sure, but I always found it strange that the point of view male characters were never as teenage boy-like as they should be. Again, it could just be me not knowing what I'm talking about.
So, how can I convey that this main character is in fact a teenage boy and not a woman trying to write a teenage boy? Voice and characterization are key, but how do I do this without making assumptions or stereotyping the character? An idea I had was in the way they notice things. Generally, I would say men are more visual and women are more intuitive. This is not to say that every single case is exactly the same or that both genders can't be both visual and intuitive. I know this happens and that's fine, but I'm speaking in general terms for the sake of this example. If both a man and a woman were to walk into a restaurant scene, how would their narratives differ? Would their narratives still differ if they were written in 3rd person rather than 1st? As a writer, I would tackle them differently, even in 3rd because the things they notice and the way they notice them would be different between them, not just because they are different people, but because they are different genders too.
[READER INTERACTION]: What are your thoughts on the subject? If you write, how do you tackle this challenge? Know any great examples of an author writing a lead/POV character of the opposite gender?
I've written male leads before, and I'm by no means a girly girl, but I have to consider my audience, my limited knowledge of the male mind, and the story of this novel when I'm writing. For example, I believe more females read YA than males do, so my book having a male lead could be harmful if not done well. I noticed that of my two published short stories and my novel, the one with a male lead character and male on the cover does not sell as well as my other two. Could it be that the cover is just not as strong as the others? Perhaps, but when I consider how many YA books out there have a male lead, it makes me wonder.
This book I'm working on will have a much stronger romantic element to it than anything else I've written/published thus far, so to help attract the most people, I intend for the cover to show both an attractive male AND an attractive female. Doing so should keep it more neutral. I don't want to give anyone the impression that it's a paranormal romance, because it's a paranormal mystery of sorts, but I think highlighting the romance will help me reach my target audience, which is young adults between 13 and 19.
All that aside, the actual writing can be a challenge at times. In a good way, of course. But how much teenage boy do I want to include in the story before I start losing girl readers? I've been thinking about good YA I've read with male lead characters, and most of them were written by women. For example, Beautiful Creatures is a great book and has a male lead, and while the characters voice was there, I don't recall him feeling very manly. Teenage boys think about boobs and girls and nice legs, don't they? But I don't recall much of these things happening in the YA books with male leads written by women. I'm not saying that they have to overpower the story with the character talking about sex or boobs, but if a girl's blouse is too low or skirt too high and all the character does is mention this like an asexual third party observer, then what does that mean?
It's possible that I'm just over-generalizing teenage boys and that the majority of them don't sneak an (un)intentional glance at an attractive girl's chest when she leans over in her low cut top, or they don't notice long sexy legs in a short skirt. Maybe all of the guys in the books are too effeminate or too much of gentlemen to do such things. Or maybe the women writing the stories don't think it's important enough to mention, and maybe it isn't. I'm not sure, but I always found it strange that the point of view male characters were never as teenage boy-like as they should be. Again, it could just be me not knowing what I'm talking about.
So, how can I convey that this main character is in fact a teenage boy and not a woman trying to write a teenage boy? Voice and characterization are key, but how do I do this without making assumptions or stereotyping the character? An idea I had was in the way they notice things. Generally, I would say men are more visual and women are more intuitive. This is not to say that every single case is exactly the same or that both genders can't be both visual and intuitive. I know this happens and that's fine, but I'm speaking in general terms for the sake of this example. If both a man and a woman were to walk into a restaurant scene, how would their narratives differ? Would their narratives still differ if they were written in 3rd person rather than 1st? As a writer, I would tackle them differently, even in 3rd because the things they notice and the way they notice them would be different between them, not just because they are different people, but because they are different genders too.
[READER INTERACTION]: What are your thoughts on the subject? If you write, how do you tackle this challenge? Know any great examples of an author writing a lead/POV character of the opposite gender?
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Links to this post
Labels:
books,
Characters,
craft,
indie publishing,
point of view,
writing
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
In Defense of the Thesaurus
The thesaurus is one of those things that can either be beneficial, or it can be the key to your undoing. General consensus deems that the thesaurus is a troublemaker for professional and amateur writers alike. Stephen King has even gone on record to say, "Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule."* While I adore him and his writing, maybe I'm just too naive or too inexperienced to agree completely. Another source of my sudden need to defend the thesaurus was in a book I am currently reading, Robert's Rules of Writing. Even though I'm enjoying the book and there are some wonderful little snippets of advice, I can't help but slightly disagree. For example, "Thesaurus words are words you would never use on your own; the fact you had to resort to the thesaurus just to find them proves it." (Masello, 293-98) I don't disagree with this statement completely, but I do have to come to the thesaurus' aid.
I have a confession: I use the thesaurus. Often. All the time, really. My desktop dictionary/thesaurus is open almost the entire time I write or am on my computer at all. Why? Because I don't have a vast vocabulary, nor do I remember the exact meaning of every word I (or anyone else) have ever used. This doesn't mean I lack skill, or that I'm an amateur, or worse: just and idiot. It means that I have a zillion other things going on in my head at one time and I can't always remember things, even when I really do use them on a daily basis.
Let's do a quick scenario. I'm looking for a different word for a colour. It's red, but not the typical cadmium red, or tomato red. Crimson's not quite right either. Also, who wants to use those couple of words over and over again in their writing? Not me. I'm thinking of a dark reddish colour with maybe a hint of purple, but I can't think of the word. I know there's a word for it, but for some reason I can't remember what it's called. It's a word I use plenty in my vocabulary, and, hell, I can even tell you exactly how to mix the paint that will make that exact colour. But for some reason, the word escapes me. Should I put "He wrapped a dark, reddish-purple colored shawl over her shoulders and sat down next to her." and use so many words? Or should I take the two seconds out of my "organic flow" of writing to type in 'red', click enter in my dictionary/thesaurus program, and find BURGUNDY sitting in there among the other different types of red? Heh, which do you think I picked?
This happens to me plenty of times with other things too. Completely common words that I can't think of during my focused writing time. Sometimes I'll just go back and edit, but my brain doesn't work that way. If I'm writing about an imp and it's fleeing from someone, shouldn't I use a better word than 'run'? Maybe that word doesn't reflect how he's actually moving. So let's work through some words I could use: dart, bolt. Okay, sure, those are pretty good. It implies quick movement, which works for an imp. Scamper or scurry would be better, though. Sometimes I can't remember the meanings of words, so I will check the thesaurus and the dictionary to be sure the words mean exactly what I'm visualizing in my head. I don't want to use the word 'run' when I meant the word 'scamper'. Run is NOT the right word. Scamper is. No matter what any other author tries to say. Should I leave it as run because I had to use the thesaurus to remind me of the word scamper?
There are so many different and commonly used words for many things that sometimes, to make the writing clearer and less wordy, it would be better to use one of those words. Maybe I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, or maybe I'm just not as awesome as those who hate on the thesaurus. And I can understand. Some people... even extremely famous authors *cough* abuse the thesaurus with inane synonyms that people haven't used since who knows when. Funny, though, that this same author uses a few other words so many times in the same page that it becomes ridiculous. At any rate, when used well and not mistreated, the thesaurus can be a useful tool. And I'll continue to use it without shame.
[READER RESPONSE] How do you feel about the thesaurus? Do you ever use it? Why or why not?
*Quote found on http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Stephen_King
I have a confession: I use the thesaurus. Often. All the time, really. My desktop dictionary/thesaurus is open almost the entire time I write or am on my computer at all. Why? Because I don't have a vast vocabulary, nor do I remember the exact meaning of every word I (or anyone else) have ever used. This doesn't mean I lack skill, or that I'm an amateur, or worse: just and idiot. It means that I have a zillion other things going on in my head at one time and I can't always remember things, even when I really do use them on a daily basis.
Let's do a quick scenario. I'm looking for a different word for a colour. It's red, but not the typical cadmium red, or tomato red. Crimson's not quite right either. Also, who wants to use those couple of words over and over again in their writing? Not me. I'm thinking of a dark reddish colour with maybe a hint of purple, but I can't think of the word. I know there's a word for it, but for some reason I can't remember what it's called. It's a word I use plenty in my vocabulary, and, hell, I can even tell you exactly how to mix the paint that will make that exact colour. But for some reason, the word escapes me. Should I put "He wrapped a dark, reddish-purple colored shawl over her shoulders and sat down next to her." and use so many words? Or should I take the two seconds out of my "organic flow" of writing to type in 'red', click enter in my dictionary/thesaurus program, and find BURGUNDY sitting in there among the other different types of red? Heh, which do you think I picked?
This happens to me plenty of times with other things too. Completely common words that I can't think of during my focused writing time. Sometimes I'll just go back and edit, but my brain doesn't work that way. If I'm writing about an imp and it's fleeing from someone, shouldn't I use a better word than 'run'? Maybe that word doesn't reflect how he's actually moving. So let's work through some words I could use: dart, bolt. Okay, sure, those are pretty good. It implies quick movement, which works for an imp. Scamper or scurry would be better, though. Sometimes I can't remember the meanings of words, so I will check the thesaurus and the dictionary to be sure the words mean exactly what I'm visualizing in my head. I don't want to use the word 'run' when I meant the word 'scamper'. Run is NOT the right word. Scamper is. No matter what any other author tries to say. Should I leave it as run because I had to use the thesaurus to remind me of the word scamper?
There are so many different and commonly used words for many things that sometimes, to make the writing clearer and less wordy, it would be better to use one of those words. Maybe I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, or maybe I'm just not as awesome as those who hate on the thesaurus. And I can understand. Some people... even extremely famous authors *cough* abuse the thesaurus with inane synonyms that people haven't used since who knows when. Funny, though, that this same author uses a few other words so many times in the same page that it becomes ridiculous. At any rate, when used well and not mistreated, the thesaurus can be a useful tool. And I'll continue to use it without shame.
[READER RESPONSE] How do you feel about the thesaurus? Do you ever use it? Why or why not?
*Quote found on http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Stephen_King
Monday, August 8, 2011
Dragon Dictate and No Hands Writing
Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time working with a dictation software called Dragon Dictate (Formerly known as MacSpeech), and thought I would share my experience and how using such software will optimize my writing experience. First, I'll preface this by saying that Dragon Dictate is the mac version of Dragon Naturally Speaking, only it's more expensive and doesn't work as well. From what I've read, anyway. However, I've found Dictate to be an amazing and fun way to dictate my handwritten work to the computer, and I'm even trying to dictate directly, skipping the handwriting process.
Beginning with the training. When you first get the program, you will have to train it to recognize your voice. The training doesn't take long, though, and you're on your way. You can dictate to a lot of different programs, but I chose to just dictate in the Dragon window, then copy/paste it into my normal program (Scrivener), because it's less buggy in the dragon window. Sometimes in Scrivener it was adding random letters for no reason I could understand or find.
I began officially dictating with chapter two of my next novel project, which is the sequel to Land of No Angels. So, there are a lot of little word quirks, such demon names. Often times if the name sounds like something else, I will have to retrain it almost every time. For example, the demon name Halpas is impossible for the software to understand no matter how many times I retrain or correct it. Often times it won't even show up in the list of words to choose from when trying to correct it. Luckily, the name hasn't come up much, yet, but when it does, I'm going to lose my mind.
There was another name, one that is a normal name and was actually already in the program's vocabulary, that I had trouble with: Nadia. No matter how many times I tried to get it right, the program always changed it to Nokia. In the end, I deleted Nokia from the vocabulary and I haven't had another problem since. This can't be done with Halpas, though, because the words that pop up for that name are words like "help us" or "helpless". Basically, words I will need at some point. Even if I emphasized the 'ah' (as in autumn) and 'a' (as in at), the program changes it to 'hall pass', which, I suppose, is closer than the others, but still not right.
Strangely enough, it immediately had no issues with the name Errol the first time I spoke the name. Though, at times it will now change it to Carol. For the most part, though, it recognizes my words just fine. I enunciate pretty well to begin with, and it does worse when I'm slurring some, but it's not so bad. I correct as I go and am still doing pretty well with productivity. Reading from my two handwritten chapters took a lot less time than typing them. Usually it would take me an entire week to write them out, but this took three days.
Today I decided to try dictating straight from my brain, to my mouth, to the computer for chapter four. This was amazingly difficult to begin with because I like to write things down. Seeing the words makes them more understandable for me. At first, straight dictating felt awkward and I struggled a little, but after a while, I was much better at it. In the end, it was just as fast to dictate than it was to write by hand, and much faster than typing myself. Normally I only write for 30 minutes in an hour because I get distracted and I suffer pain in my hands and wrists. But with dictating, my hands hurt less and I was more focused and interested in what I was doing. Somehow it made me focus more. I'm not sure how, but it did. Perhaps I was more focused because it took a lot more brain power to translate the narrative into speech rather than the silent translation of narrative to my fingers.
A couple awesome things I noticed while straight dictating:
-Dialogue was a lot easier to dictate than narrative and went a lot faster.
-My dialogue felt more real because I was actually having the conversations out loud.
[READER RESPONSE] If you've ever used dictation software, how did/do you like it? Did you find it more or less useful? If you haven't ever used dictation software, would you like to? What problems could come with using such a software?
Beginning with the training. When you first get the program, you will have to train it to recognize your voice. The training doesn't take long, though, and you're on your way. You can dictate to a lot of different programs, but I chose to just dictate in the Dragon window, then copy/paste it into my normal program (Scrivener), because it's less buggy in the dragon window. Sometimes in Scrivener it was adding random letters for no reason I could understand or find.
I began officially dictating with chapter two of my next novel project, which is the sequel to Land of No Angels. So, there are a lot of little word quirks, such demon names. Often times if the name sounds like something else, I will have to retrain it almost every time. For example, the demon name Halpas is impossible for the software to understand no matter how many times I retrain or correct it. Often times it won't even show up in the list of words to choose from when trying to correct it. Luckily, the name hasn't come up much, yet, but when it does, I'm going to lose my mind.
There was another name, one that is a normal name and was actually already in the program's vocabulary, that I had trouble with: Nadia. No matter how many times I tried to get it right, the program always changed it to Nokia. In the end, I deleted Nokia from the vocabulary and I haven't had another problem since. This can't be done with Halpas, though, because the words that pop up for that name are words like "help us" or "helpless". Basically, words I will need at some point. Even if I emphasized the 'ah' (as in autumn) and 'a' (as in at), the program changes it to 'hall pass', which, I suppose, is closer than the others, but still not right.
Strangely enough, it immediately had no issues with the name Errol the first time I spoke the name. Though, at times it will now change it to Carol. For the most part, though, it recognizes my words just fine. I enunciate pretty well to begin with, and it does worse when I'm slurring some, but it's not so bad. I correct as I go and am still doing pretty well with productivity. Reading from my two handwritten chapters took a lot less time than typing them. Usually it would take me an entire week to write them out, but this took three days.
Today I decided to try dictating straight from my brain, to my mouth, to the computer for chapter four. This was amazingly difficult to begin with because I like to write things down. Seeing the words makes them more understandable for me. At first, straight dictating felt awkward and I struggled a little, but after a while, I was much better at it. In the end, it was just as fast to dictate than it was to write by hand, and much faster than typing myself. Normally I only write for 30 minutes in an hour because I get distracted and I suffer pain in my hands and wrists. But with dictating, my hands hurt less and I was more focused and interested in what I was doing. Somehow it made me focus more. I'm not sure how, but it did. Perhaps I was more focused because it took a lot more brain power to translate the narrative into speech rather than the silent translation of narrative to my fingers.
A couple awesome things I noticed while straight dictating:
-Dialogue was a lot easier to dictate than narrative and went a lot faster.
-My dialogue felt more real because I was actually having the conversations out loud.
[READER RESPONSE] If you've ever used dictation software, how did/do you like it? Did you find it more or less useful? If you haven't ever used dictation software, would you like to? What problems could come with using such a software?
Friday, August 5, 2011
Themes: Siblings and Family
One of my most favourite themes has to do with family, and particularly siblings. It pops up in my writing a lot and I enjoy writing about brothers and sisters looking out for one another. I'm the eldest of four, and my sister is 7 years younger while my twin brothers are about 8 years younger. It's a pretty big responsibility to be the head sibling. This was especially the case for my family, but despite everything, having siblings is great.
Land of No Angels has a strong theme around family because the main character, Rebecca, only has her sister left. She's the eldest of the Ashford sisters and looks after Errol, who can be a trouble maker at times. In the setting of the book, there is constant danger because of the demons and the idea developed from some of my own fears.
When I was younger, and even now on rare occasions, I would have nightmares about my own siblings and about how I couldn't save them from some horrible monster. Whether it be the evil leprechaun from that terrible (but hilarious) horror movie trying to boil them alive, or a car with no driver trying to run them down in the street, the dreams were a compilation of Eldest Sibling Fears. The fear that you won't be strong enough to look out for them, or the fear that you will be helpless to stop horrible things from happening to them. It doesn't even have to be supernatural like in my books. It can be real things like "Are they making the right decisions?"
These may be more the sort of things parents should worry about for their children rather than the head sibling. However, I love my sister and brothers very much and when I hear about my sister's friends getting into deadly car accidents or my brothers' friends doing stupid things and getting into trouble, I can't help but worry about them. I know that my siblings are smarter than that, but it's still something on my mind. It must be the nature of being the big sister.
[READER RESPONSE:] Are you the "Head Sibling"? Or are you the middle or youngest child? What's it like for you? How do you feel about the theme of family in books?
Land of No Angels has a strong theme around family because the main character, Rebecca, only has her sister left. She's the eldest of the Ashford sisters and looks after Errol, who can be a trouble maker at times. In the setting of the book, there is constant danger because of the demons and the idea developed from some of my own fears.
When I was younger, and even now on rare occasions, I would have nightmares about my own siblings and about how I couldn't save them from some horrible monster. Whether it be the evil leprechaun from that terrible (but hilarious) horror movie trying to boil them alive, or a car with no driver trying to run them down in the street, the dreams were a compilation of Eldest Sibling Fears. The fear that you won't be strong enough to look out for them, or the fear that you will be helpless to stop horrible things from happening to them. It doesn't even have to be supernatural like in my books. It can be real things like "Are they making the right decisions?"
These may be more the sort of things parents should worry about for their children rather than the head sibling. However, I love my sister and brothers very much and when I hear about my sister's friends getting into deadly car accidents or my brothers' friends doing stupid things and getting into trouble, I can't help but worry about them. I know that my siblings are smarter than that, but it's still something on my mind. It must be the nature of being the big sister.
[READER RESPONSE:] Are you the "Head Sibling"? Or are you the middle or youngest child? What's it like for you? How do you feel about the theme of family in books?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Two Weeks of Awesome!
So, in case you haven't heard: Land of No Angels is on Sale for a super awesome BIRTHDAY price! Why? Well, because August is the month for birthdays in my family. Mine is on the 19th, my husband on the 27th, and my dad and HIS dad are also in August. So, to honour so many birthdays, I thought it'd be fun to have a sale. It's only going to last through the 14th, so don't miss the chance. Also, if you wish to get your copy through Smashwords, please use coupon code CT22E for the discount.
Also, I'm finally able to show off the book trailer for Land of No Angels. It was super fun to create, and if you missed the blog post where I talked about my process for creating the trailer, you can check it out here!
The cool thing about the two weeks of awesome is that at the end of it, my young adult short story will be available for your reading pleasure. So, yeaaaay!
[READER RESPONSE] This reader response is going to be a bit different. If you were stuck in the demon apocalypse, would you hide, fight, or die? If you would fight, what would be your weapon of choice? Also, name one person you would fight to the death to protect from demons and why?
Also, I'm finally able to show off the book trailer for Land of No Angels. It was super fun to create, and if you missed the blog post where I talked about my process for creating the trailer, you can check it out here!
The cool thing about the two weeks of awesome is that at the end of it, my young adult short story will be available for your reading pleasure. So, yeaaaay!
[READER RESPONSE] This reader response is going to be a bit different. If you were stuck in the demon apocalypse, would you hide, fight, or die? If you would fight, what would be your weapon of choice? Also, name one person you would fight to the death to protect from demons and why?
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Special Guest Author: Jerry Hanel
Today we have an excellent guest, Jerry Hanel, author of Death Has a Name, for the release of the second book in his Brodie Wade series, Thaloc Has a Body, and it's very exciting! I'm going to hand this post over to Jerry so he can talk about his awesome new book.
My name is Jerry Hanel, and the book I've written is a paranormal mystery/thriller called Thaloc Has a Body. It is the second book in the Brodie Wade series.
What is a "Thaloc"?
Thaloc was an Egyptian creature that was believed to take the form of anyone. I've embellished the legend of Thaloc slightly, adding a few points from "experts" in order to explain how the villain is connected to the murders, but I tried to stay as true to the original legend as I could.
As far as how Thaloc relates to the paranormal world, thus how he would relate to Brodie's ability, Thaloc was a spirit being, very similar to the western concept of the Grim Reaper. Using that template, you can see that it's not a far cry from the first book, with with an Egyptian twist, and a plot twist that I think will leave the reader stunned and amazed. Time will tell, I suppose.
So, how do you pronounce 'Thaloc'?
I'm not sure, to be honest. I've actually had several differing opinions given to me on that. Some say Thay-lock, others say Thahl-lock. I even had one person quote it gangsta-style; The-lock. For me, I refer to it as Thahl-lock. I guess that's part of the mystery, but also part of the history of this creature. He is an unknown. A black hole. Since he can become so many different things, having a single pronounciation of his name seems almost too rigid. Pronounce it however it is comfortable to you in hour head. I guess that's the best way of all.
How did you come up with the idea for the book?
In the first book, Death Has a Name, Brodie had to confront the Angel of Death and his apprentice. While, I have a personal belief about humans and alternate realms, and such, I always want my characters to battle other humans, not necessarily non-human entities. It just makes for a much more dramatic story, in my mind. In Death Has a Name, I pushed even my own boundaries on that personal rule. Brodie still had to battle the apprentice, but there were a few plot twists that I really struggled with, internally.
For Thaloc Has a Body, I wanted Brodie to have to confront actual flesh-and-blood people, without any gray areas and I thought that a shape-shifter would be the perfect medium to make those encounters much more interesting, while remaining true to the themes started in Death Has a Name.
What do you think readers will enjoy most about your book?
Two words; Jamie Stanford. She is the love interest that was briefly introduced in the first novel. Brodie was so freaked out (as he normally is) by the case at hand, he missed the signs of her trying to flirt with him. In this book, she takes matters into her own hands and invites herself on a date. Through that character, we get to see so much more about Brodie and get past his angst-riddled brain into his heart. He really is a caring man, and Jamie brings out so many facets in Brodie that we've never seen before.
Who is your favourite character?
Picking a favorite is hard. All of my characters are reflections of some aspect of me. Even the villains are the darker side of my past, expounded a thousand times, of course. I mean, I wouldn't want to actually kill someone, much less do it in the way that they do. But I can see how someone could be drawn down those dark paths and deluded into doing the things they do. And even those dark characters have a soul somewhere deep in there that I guess my soul can identify with.
If I absolutely had to choose a character, and my life depended on it, I would say Brodie. He's the unsure, scared little boy inside me that has never really grown up. There are so many qualities to Brodie that make him socially awkward that I can relate. But when you get past those awkward moments, he's probably the nicest, most caring man on the planet.
Do you listen to music while you write, and if so what music for this book or in general?
When I write, I generally have my headphones on, listening to whatever music will set the mood for the scene I'm working on. My favorite bands are "The Letter Black", "Red" and "Thousand Foot Krutch." They all seem to have themes dealing with dark, painful issues, but they all have this brilliant, bright, shining thread of hope, grace and redemption that inspire me, despite their dark themes. I guess I can relate to the music, reflect on my past choices, and apply those to the scene I want to create to come up with the story in my head.
Tell us where to find you online and buy your book.
This series is all over the internet right now; Kobo, Barnes & Noble, etc. But I really think Amazon has it down to a science. They give my readers the best price and they are really good to me as an author in the process, so it's a win-win situation.
You can reach me directly on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/JerryHanel
Or on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/Jerry-Hanel-Author
I also have a blog:
http://www.jerryhanel.com
Thank you for taking the time today to interview me. I've really enjoyed it.
-Jerry
Thanks a lot Jerry for being a guest here at nrwick.com and good luck with Thaloc Has a Body!
Readers, if you are interested in reading Death Has a Name or Thaloc Has a Body, I've provided links below.
My name is Jerry Hanel, and the book I've written is a paranormal mystery/thriller called Thaloc Has a Body. It is the second book in the Brodie Wade series.
What is a "Thaloc"?
Thaloc was an Egyptian creature that was believed to take the form of anyone. I've embellished the legend of Thaloc slightly, adding a few points from "experts" in order to explain how the villain is connected to the murders, but I tried to stay as true to the original legend as I could.
As far as how Thaloc relates to the paranormal world, thus how he would relate to Brodie's ability, Thaloc was a spirit being, very similar to the western concept of the Grim Reaper. Using that template, you can see that it's not a far cry from the first book, with with an Egyptian twist, and a plot twist that I think will leave the reader stunned and amazed. Time will tell, I suppose.
So, how do you pronounce 'Thaloc'?
I'm not sure, to be honest. I've actually had several differing opinions given to me on that. Some say Thay-lock, others say Thahl-lock. I even had one person quote it gangsta-style; The-lock. For me, I refer to it as Thahl-lock. I guess that's part of the mystery, but also part of the history of this creature. He is an unknown. A black hole. Since he can become so many different things, having a single pronounciation of his name seems almost too rigid. Pronounce it however it is comfortable to you in hour head. I guess that's the best way of all.
How did you come up with the idea for the book?
In the first book, Death Has a Name, Brodie had to confront the Angel of Death and his apprentice. While, I have a personal belief about humans and alternate realms, and such, I always want my characters to battle other humans, not necessarily non-human entities. It just makes for a much more dramatic story, in my mind. In Death Has a Name, I pushed even my own boundaries on that personal rule. Brodie still had to battle the apprentice, but there were a few plot twists that I really struggled with, internally.
For Thaloc Has a Body, I wanted Brodie to have to confront actual flesh-and-blood people, without any gray areas and I thought that a shape-shifter would be the perfect medium to make those encounters much more interesting, while remaining true to the themes started in Death Has a Name.
What do you think readers will enjoy most about your book?
Two words; Jamie Stanford. She is the love interest that was briefly introduced in the first novel. Brodie was so freaked out (as he normally is) by the case at hand, he missed the signs of her trying to flirt with him. In this book, she takes matters into her own hands and invites herself on a date. Through that character, we get to see so much more about Brodie and get past his angst-riddled brain into his heart. He really is a caring man, and Jamie brings out so many facets in Brodie that we've never seen before.
Who is your favourite character?
Picking a favorite is hard. All of my characters are reflections of some aspect of me. Even the villains are the darker side of my past, expounded a thousand times, of course. I mean, I wouldn't want to actually kill someone, much less do it in the way that they do. But I can see how someone could be drawn down those dark paths and deluded into doing the things they do. And even those dark characters have a soul somewhere deep in there that I guess my soul can identify with.
If I absolutely had to choose a character, and my life depended on it, I would say Brodie. He's the unsure, scared little boy inside me that has never really grown up. There are so many qualities to Brodie that make him socially awkward that I can relate. But when you get past those awkward moments, he's probably the nicest, most caring man on the planet.
Do you listen to music while you write, and if so what music for this book or in general?
When I write, I generally have my headphones on, listening to whatever music will set the mood for the scene I'm working on. My favorite bands are "The Letter Black", "Red" and "Thousand Foot Krutch." They all seem to have themes dealing with dark, painful issues, but they all have this brilliant, bright, shining thread of hope, grace and redemption that inspire me, despite their dark themes. I guess I can relate to the music, reflect on my past choices, and apply those to the scene I want to create to come up with the story in my head.
Tell us where to find you online and buy your book.
This series is all over the internet right now; Kobo, Barnes & Noble, etc. But I really think Amazon has it down to a science. They give my readers the best price and they are really good to me as an author in the process, so it's a win-win situation.
You can reach me directly on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/JerryHanel
Or on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/Jerry-Hanel-Author
I also have a blog:
http://www.jerryhanel.com
Thank you for taking the time today to interview me. I've really enjoyed it.
-Jerry
Thanks a lot Jerry for being a guest here at nrwick.com and good luck with Thaloc Has a Body!
Readers, if you are interested in reading Death Has a Name or Thaloc Has a Body, I've provided links below.
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