Interview with Author Rosemary Chaulk

Friday Sept.26th, 2008




" Critics are a dissembling, dishonest, contemptible race of men. Asking a working writer what he thinks of critics is like asking a lampost what it feels about dogs. - John Osborne

The Rant 'N' Rave Section

No rants, no raves this time. This is the third of three posts this month. Each one with an interview of a writer. The previous one was with Author Jane Bernard, see my last post to read it. This one is with Rosemary Chaulk.


Rosemary Chaulk, author of Nissitissit Witch, a "fact"ional story about a small New England town in the early industrial age where rivers and streams were the dumping ground for toxins from dyes and other chemicals which caused illness and death on a huge scale. Ignorant of the causes of these deaths, the populace blamed a highly intelligent woman who warned against certain activities and was dubbed, the "witch" when her predictions proved true. Learn more at www.rosemarychaulk.com. I had a chance to interview Rosemary, and here's what she said:

Rosemary Chaulk: The Person:

What three words do you think describe you as a human being?
An emotion receptor.

How do you think others would describe you?
Intelligent but misguided.

Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.
Helping fight for the rights of the working person against the abuse of them by the government.

What is your most precious memory?
My son

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
I would have to find some other outlet for my emotions.

Rosemary Chaulk: The writer:

Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a “real” writer?
Three years ago was when I started writing for real.

What is going on with your writing these days?
Marketing Nissitissit Witch and finish writing J1T (just one tear)

What are your future goals for your writing?
To write a bestseller and make the world cry.

Can you describe a typical writing day for you?
I can only write during the winter months when I can take time off from land survey. I migrate to Florida to my life’s sister in Florida and write stories while sitting in her porch.

Why do you write?
I want to take my life’s experience both good and bad and feed them back to the world. I want to touch the hearts of people and move them forever. I want to leave my readers better off than they were before.

What writer most inspires you? Why?
Robert A. Heinlein. His book Stranger in a strange land helped show me the folly of modern religions.

How do you define your writing?
Straight from the heart. Raw and emotional.

In one sentence—what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?
Wow, she was right.

Rosemary Chaulk: The Details:

Can you tell us where to find more information on you? Website? Blog? www.rosemarychaulk.com,
Blog: http://nissitissitwitch.wordpress.com

Is there a place where readers can reach you?
On my website and on Helium.com

Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?
Summer Dreams by Rosemary Chaulk, Dragonfly Daughter pen name Violet Rose, Nissitissit Witch by Rosemary Chaulk

For new readers—what can they expect when they read your book(s)?
Summer Dreams is whimsical, Dragonfly Daughter is an epic tragedy that turns into salvation, Nissitissit Witch is spiritual and environmental.

In conclusion:
I write for the chance to help change the world.

"TIDBITS"
"Dream Quest Contest"

And now for something entirely different, a hot tip on a great contest. The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves to arrange words into the beautiful art of poetry or to write a short story that is worth telling everyone! And to all who have the ability to dream... Write a poem or short story for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original. Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com/ for details or to enter!

Guidelines: Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject, style, or form, typed or neatly hand printed.And/or write a short story, five pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, creative writing fiction or non-fiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries and screenwriting). Also, must be typed or neatly hand printed.Multiple poetry and short story entries are accepted.

Deadline: December 31, 2008
All winners will be announced on January 31, 2009
Prizes:Writing Contest First Prize is $500. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $100.Poetry Contest First Prize is $250. Second Prize: $125. Third Prize: $50.
Entry fees:Writing Contest entry fee: $10 per short story.Poetry Contest entry fee: $5 per poem.
To send entries: Include title(s) with your story (ies) or poem(s), along with your name, address, phone#, email, brief biographical info. (Tell us a little about yourself), on the coversheet. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope for entry confirmation. Fees payable to: “DREAMQUESTONE.COM”Mail to:Dream Quest OnePoetry & Writing ContestP.O. Box 3141Chicago, IL 60654Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com/ for further details or to enter!



Last but Not Least
"I didn't know that!"

The Bronte sisters lived in a house surrounded on three sides by graveyards.Thanks to blogs.usatoday

Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf



Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

Long Story Short: http://www.alongstoryshort.net/Fantasy Gazetteer: http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/My Writing Friend: writingfriend@yahooPindersoft's Writers Project Organizer: http://www.pindersoft.com/wpo.htmNick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine/com/index.htmlTennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/USA Patriotism, Poetry: http://www.usa-patriotism.com/Poynter 30 Writer's Tips: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943



Freebie Writers Tools

Idea Cruncher: http://www.ideacruncher.com/Freemind: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_PageAuto Crit: Automatic manuscript checker: http://www.autocrit.com/Word Web download : http://www.wordweb.info/

I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.Copyright © 09/26/08

Interview with author Anna Maria Prezio

"Only amateurs say that they write for their own amusement. Writing is not an amusing occupation. It is a combination of ditch-digging, mountain-climbing, treadmill and child birth. But amusing? Never." -Edna Ferber

The Rant 'N' Rave Section

Interview with Author Anna Maria Prezio

No rants, no raves this time. I'll be having three posts this month. Each one with an interview of a writer. The first is with author Anna Maria Prezio, who's new book "Confessions of a Feng Shui Ghost-Buster" is available -

Interview Questions

Anna Maria Prezio

1.What three words do you think describe you as a human being?
Generous, Intuitive, Humanitarian

2.How do you think others would describe you?
Humorous, Generous, Dependable

3.Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.
Photography, Cinema, Family.

4.Do you have any pets? If so, introduce us to them.
No but I love animals.

5.What is your most precious memory?
Seeing my son for the very first time.

6.What is your most embarrassing memory?
Standing in from of my 4th grade class with a drippy nose and without a tissue.

7.If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
Fundraising

The Writer:

8. Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a “real” writer?
While studying journalism in college, my first English class project involved writing poetry that I enjoyed.

9.What is going on with your writing these days?
I write every day and as much as I can.

10.What are your future goals for your writing?
I would like to do public speaking, consultations, radio shows, and TV shows to bring about awareness of how ghosts can be released and how to alleviate the fear around the subject of spirits, ghosts and entities as well as to introduce people to the positive effects of Feng Shui.

11. Can you describe a typical writing day for you?
There is nothing typical about a writing day. Inspiration comes in many forms.
Sometimes my book ideas come to me in a dream. Sometimes they come to me in my meditations. I’m blessed with inspiration.

12.Why do you write?
Writing for me is cathartic.
I write to inspire, to heal, to give of myself, my knowledge and my wisdom.
I write to enjoy wonderful words on paper. I write to teach. I write to be heard.
I write to give something to someone who needs it. I write because the imagination gives us new experiences to pass on to others and old stories, traditions, cultures, experiences to hand down to generations to come so that they can be preserved. Writing allows me to tell my innermost part of me in the form of a character or a story. Writing is creating, imagining, dreaming. What would be do if we could not imagine, dream or create?

13.What writer most inspires you? Why?
Writers who inspire me are so many from Aristotle, Plato and Socrates to Tom Clancy, Ernest Hemingway and Anne Frank. The authors who inspire are those who give a bit of themselves as they write, fertile with imagination and spirit.

14.How do you define your writing?
Simplistic, Daring and Provocative in a very understandable way…I want to provoke your thinking and I want you to open your mind and your heart when you read my works.

15.In one sentence—what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?
She was ahead of her time.
Art and Science do mingle, mix and match…
Anna Maria Prezio was an innovator…

The Details:

16.Can you tell us where to find more information on you? Website? Blog?
http://www.prezio.com/
http://www.fengshuiharmony.net/“Confessions of a Feng Shui Ghost-Buster”
My blog on my website is full of information.

17.Is there a place where readers can reach you?
prezio@sbcglobal.net or my website, http://www.prezio.com/

18.Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?
You can opt-into my website and receive my free report entitled, “Power &Prosperity Through Feng Shui and Color”

19. For new readers—what can they expect when they read your book(s)?
In conclusion: Clarity, knowledge and intrigue on a subject I write about for the
first time. It will inspire you and enlighten you to a new way of thinking about entities, ghosts, spirits and supernatural forces.

"TIDBITS"
"Dream Quest Contest"

And now for something entirely different, a hot tip on a great contest. The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves to arrange words into the beautiful art of poetry or to write a short story that is worth telling everyone! And to all who have the ability to dream... Write a poem or short story for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original. Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com/ for details or to enter!

Guidelines:
Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject, style, or form, typed or neatly hand printed.
And/or write a short story, five pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, creative writing fiction or non-fiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries and screenwriting). Also, must be typed or neatly hand printed.
Multiple poetry and short story entries are accepted.

Deadline: December 31, 2008

All winners will be announced on January 31, 2009

Prizes:
Writing Contest First Prize is $500. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $100.
Poetry Contest First Prize is $250. Second Prize: $125. Third Prize: $50.

Entry fees:
Writing Contest entry fee: $10 per short story.
Poetry Contest entry fee: $5 per poem.

To send entries: Include title(s) with your story (ies) or poem(s), along with your name, address, phone#, email, brief biographical info. (Tell us a little about yourself), on the coversheet. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope for entry confirmation. Fees payable to: “DREAMQUESTONE.COM”
Mail to:
Dream Quest One
Poetry & Writing Contest
P.O. Box 3141
Chicago, IL 60654
Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com/ for further details or to enter!

Last but Not Least
"I didn't know that!"

The Bronte sisters lived in a house surrounded on three sides by graveyards.
Thanks to blogs.usatoday

Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf

Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

Long Story Short: http://www.alongstoryshort.net/
Fantasy Gazetteer: http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/
My Writing Friend: writingfriend@yahoo
Pindersoft's Writers Project Organizer: http://www.pindersoft.com/wpo.htm
Nick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.
Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/
J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine/com/index.html
Tennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/
USA Patriotism, Poetry: http://www.usa-patriotism.com/
Poynter 30 Writer's Tips: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943

Freebie Writers Tools

Idea Cruncher: http://www.ideacruncher.com/
Freemind: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Auto Crit: Automatic manuscript checker: http://www.autocrit.com/
Word Web download : http://www.wordweb.info/


I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.
Copyright © 09/08/08

Writer's Software

"Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing."- Margaret Chittenden.


The Rant 'N' Rave Section

Writer's Software

Well, I've finally found a bit of writer's software that works for me. There are lots of software packages out there and I've tried most of them. The problem I've always had is that, after a short time I quit using then and go back to good ole' Open Office. It's not that the package's weren't good, it was just that they didn't work for me. HA! I've found one that does. It's called Pindersoft's Writer's Project Organizer. Now for any of you that have followed my blog for awhile, you know that I'm thrifty (read as cheap). I always take the free download to try before I buy and so far haven't bought, that is until now.

As an example, I'm working on a novel that is based on Greek Myth. When I get to a point that I have to check on an aspect of that mythology, all I have to do is click on the tree list next to my notepad and it brings up, listed in tree form, all of my notes and research about the subject. How cool is that?

The key word to this package is ORGANIZER. All, and I do mean all, of my writing projects are in one place. One of the most nifty features about the software, IMHO, is its ability to let the user link to any other files on the hard drive. That means I can copy and paste into my word processor then just add a link in my organizer to that specific page. If, while working on my novel I need to check on a tidbit of information, such as how many teeth T-Rex had, all I have to do is click on the link in my Archeology research file and Voila!, it brings up the info.

That's a vast improvement over the "now where in the world did I file that?" There are many more pluses but rather than try to paraphrase them I've taken the liberty of pasting a bit of their comments below for your perusal. For more information click on this link http://www.pindersoft.com/wpo.htm or the link at the bottom of the page.
All the Organizer your writing needs ...

Writers Project Organizer is manuscript orientated software for writers. The program will help you organize your writing projects to make you more efficient at what you do best -- write. What it will not do is correct your spelling, format your manuscript or write your story.

Draft your manuscripts...
Writers Project Organizer (WPO) organizes all aspects of your novel, book, short story or screenplay, from first draft to polished product.
Use the manuscript window to track word and page count, date started, date finished and date sold.
You can also link to individual chapters and scenes located on your hard drive, complete with page and word count, along with a header and notes for referencing in a list view for fast and easy referencing.
Also included in the manuscript window are references for characters, plot, outline, synopsis, theme/pitch, ToDo, notes, RTF notes and a submissions viewer.

A reference page will link you to all documents related to your manuscript so you can access them from within the program and not have to navigate to another working environment.

Track your submissions...
WPO has a submission tracker for all your manuscripts. Use it to see how many days your manuscript has been out by an agent or publisher, and how many more days until you expect an answer.

Storyboard your plot...
to outline, plot and roadmap your manuscripts. This new function, released in version 1.5, rounds out version 1.x.
Organize your stories by inserting, deleting or rearranging the order of your chapters, scenes or acts. And keep track of its progress by tagging its status with icons designed to catch your attention when the storyboard loads.
Fields you can use for organizing include characters, date, location, time and date, along with several others to help you keep tabs on your storyline in one blink of the eye.

Bring your characters to life...
Develop and breath life in all your characters in the Character window. Here you can set their names, age, date-of-birth and death, gender, personality type and view their horoscope sign. You can also link each character to a document located on your computer or network.

Other pages inside the Character window include History/Notes, physical appearance, traits, family relationships, conflict and POV.
Use these function to solve the problem of character consistency. It doesn't matter where you are working inside your manuscript, you can easily refer to a character to refresh your memory and get it right the first time around.


In summation I've been using this software now for a couple of months and am still finding new ways of using it to keep a handle on all of the factors that go into writing a novel. For any of you who have to scramble to find notes or constantly turn pages or switch from one program to another to check on story line I highly recommend this program. Like the old saying goes, "try it, you'll like it!" Their website is http://www.pindersoft.com/wpo.htm.

Now to something entirely different and yes, I am a rabid fan of Monty Python. Once in a while I like to add, with permission of course, comments by other writers that I think are apropos for writers. One of those writers is Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ. Here is her latest blurb.

The Successful Writer
by Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ (mailto:shery@writesparks.com)


I don't believe in luck. I don't subscribe to the idea that successful people get to where they are because they happened to be "at the right place at the right time." They're successful because they stick their necks out and give more than what others wanting the same thing they do are willing to give. They find ways to achieve what they want, accomplish what they want to accomplish. When there aren't opportunities, they create the opportunities. When they fail for the thousandth time, they can't wait to try again.

Now apply all the above to writers. Talent is nothing if you don't have the guts to do what you need to do to accomplish your goals. If your goal is to be published, then you have to do what it takes to get published, and that involves a lot of hard work -- from honing your craft, reading, studying the markets, submitting your work, accepting the rejections and submitting again.
In my view, a persistent writer is better than a talented writer who does nothing. The persistent writer is the one who gets published. She's the one who eventually becomes "big" or well known in her chosen writing genre.

Successful writers like Stephen King, JK Rowling and Erich Segal didn't get to where they are through luck. I'm willing to bet they spent thousands of hours honing their craft. They aren't untouchables; they didn't breeze through the top with nary a rejection hiding somewhere in their drawers. They did the things aspiring and beginning writers should do if they want to realize their goals -- the successful writers picked up their pens, wrote, submitted their works, treated rejections as a part of the writing life, wrote again, submitted again, got rejections again, wrote some more, submitted some more, and so on.

Instead of idolizing successful writers, an aspiring or beginning writer is better off emulating them. I think it's dangerous for an aspiring writer to idolize a successful writer. Why? She's putting the successful writer on a god-like status, unconsciously lowering herself in the process. Emulation, on the other hand, is different; it's positive, constructive. By emulating the successful writer, the aspiring writer sets a goal for herself -- that is, to be the successful writer's equal, or to attain the level of the success the successful writer has achieved. In this regard, the aspiring writer gives herself a goal -- a purpose -- to want to become the best she can be as a writer.

Commitment, too, is a big part of the writing life, and writers become successful when they are committed to their craft. Commitment is regularly showing up to write; it's never missing a date with your notebook, typewriter or computer; it's sifting through feedback (or critiques) and making intelligent decisions regarding your work; it's developing the thick skin for rejections; it's keeping an open mind and reading not only what you like; and above all, it's keeping the passion for writing burning, and feeding it...even if it's only for as short as five minutes a day.

So...are you ready to become a successful writer?
Copyright (c) 2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ
Shery created WriteSparks! - a software that generates over 10 *million* Story Sparkers for Writers. Download WriteSparks! Lite for fr*e - http://writesparks.com

"TIDBITS"

Do I need an editor? Really?

When I started writing I thought that short stories would be the best approach. Why? You ask. Well the primary reason was that it didn't take a commitment of a year or two of my life in order to find out whether or not I had it in me. I can, and do, write a short story each month, usually around 2000 words. With each story I improve and have had several works published. I recently decided, thanks mostly to feedback from readers, that I'm not just traveling on an ego trip. I do have the imagination and stamina to be a writer.

With that in mind and after writing shorts for the last four years, I've started my first novel. Along the way I decided to hire an editor. Was that a leap of faith or a foolish waste of money? If one is serious about writing and about being published, it behooves the writer to make sure the work he or she sends out into the world is the best it can possibly be. That means having someone (not family or friends) read it, suggest corrections in grammar and spelling, look for inconsistencies in plot, theme and logic and return a final marked up copy for a last edit.

My editor, Linda Barnett-Johnson,( http://lindabarnettjohnson.homestead.com/, ) went over the first story I sent her with a fine toothed comb. After a final edit on my part, based on her suggestions, I sent it on its way to the world of publishers. A month later it was picked up and I made my first bit of real money. So, is an editor worth it. You betcha. There is also a link to my editors site in the list of sites to see etc, below.

Last but Not Least
"I didn't know that!"

Charles Dickens

A number of pets graced the Dickens household over the years, including all manner of dogs, cats and ponies. But Charles' favorite pets were his two ravens, both known as Grip.
Dickens was particularly devoted to Grip I, going so far as to write the bird into his 1841 mystery novel, Barnaby Rudge. This same talkative bird reportedly was the inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, "The Raven," published four years later.
Upon Grip I's demise, Dickens had his beloved bird stuffed. These days, Grip can be seen at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Rare Books Department, where he stands guard over the Poe and Dickens collections. (Thanks to cnn.com/living)


Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf

Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

Long Story Short:http://www.alongstoryshort.net/
Fantasy Gazetteer: http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/
My Writing Friend: writingfriend@yahoo
Linda Barnett-Johnson: http://lindabarnettjohnson.homestead.com/
Pindersoft's Writers Project Organizer: http://www.pindersoft.com/wpo.htm
Nick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.
Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/
J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine/com/index.html
Tennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/
USA Patriotism, Poetry: http://www.usa-patriotism.com/
Poynter 30 Writer's Tips: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943

Freebie Writers Tools

Idea Cruncher: http://www.ideacruncher.com/
Freemind: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Auto Crit: Automatic manuscript checker: http://www.autocrit.com/

Word Web download: http://www.wordweb.info/

I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.
Copyright © 08/30/08

Mind Mapping for Writers

"Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing."- Margaret Chittenden.
The Rant 'N' Rave Section
Mind Mapping

I don't know about you but I've been looking for a good (but simple and inexpensive) software program that allows me to lay out my ideas for a story, add thoughts, research and notes to it and then, if needed, re-arrange the whole mess into something that makes sense. Well, I've found a couple of them that I'm trying out. The first one, called Freemind works quite well. I've used it for a year or so and it does help me organize my thoughts. Here are some ideas for using this free program:

1) Keeping track of projects, including subtasks, state of subtasks and time recording
Project workplace, including links to necessary files, executables, source of information and of course information.

2) Workplace for internet research using Google and other sources.

3) Keeping a collection of small or middle sized notes with links on some area which expands as needed. Such a collection of notes is sometimes called knowledge base.

4) Essay writing and brainstorming, using colors to show which essays are open, completed, not yet started etc, using size of nodes to indicate size of essays. I don't have one map for one essay, I have one map for all essays. I move parts of some essays to other when it seems appropriate.

5) Keeping a small database of something with structure that is either very dynamic or not known in advance. The main disadvantage of such approach when compared to traditional database applications are poor query possibilities, but I use it that way anyway - contacts, recipes, medical records etc. You learn about the structure from the additional data items you enter. For example, different medical records use different structure and you do not have to analyze all the possible structures before you enter the first medical record
Thanks to Wikipedia for the above.

Next on the list is new one I've just picked up. It's called Idea Cruncher and it allows you to test the program for 30 days, free. After which, if you like it and I do, you may purchase it for a mere pittance of $9.99, such a deal! I think the cost is well within the range of most writers and newbies.

Here is a sample of what they have to say about the program:

Imagine you're about to start a new project (e.g., an essay, article, report, presentation, proposal, etc.). You sit down with a notepad and start planning. As you get into it, your mind starts bombarding you with ideas. The ideas are good, but they're coming in more-or-less random order. Notepads weren't designed for randomness; the only way to re-organize is to rewrite. You spend a lot of time flipping pages and copying by hand.

Idea Cruncher gives you an easier way to capture your early ideas and work them into an outline. As the outline evolves, you can quickly move ideas around and incorporate new ones. Before you've written the first word of your first draft, you have a detailed, coherent plan. When you start writing, you refer to the outline as the roadmap for your document. Most importantly though, you should feel free to change the outline as you write.

Don’t think of outlining and writing as separate tasks -- your outline is not a rigid structure that cannot change once you’ve started writing. Instead, think of the outline as your best representation of your ideas at that moment in time. As you write, you will naturally ask yourself questions about how well the outline represents the subject you are writing about. Make changes to the outline as you write to improve its logic, flow and completeness. (From Idea Cruncher Help menu).

I am using this program now and so far it's doing a really great job of laying out a novel I'm working on such that I get the kind of overview I need, allowing me to see holes in my plot and re-arrange thoughts and ideas so that they flow through the stories time line and actually make sense, HA.




"TIDBITS"
Well for tidbits this time I'm puttin' on the Brag Rag. I just got word that one of my short stories, "It's All in the Cards," has won first prize for the July edition of The fantasy Gazetteer. For those of you who haven't yet stumbled on to this great site, here it is. http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/ .

For any of those interested, as I am, in the Fantasy Genre, this is a great place to visit. It's a new e-zine venue that went live in March of this year. They run short story contests almost every month and a novelette length about every three months. There is usually a cash prize for the winner and second place and, get this, even some non-winner stories get published if the are good enough. Best of all, the publishers are looking for new writers. According to the editor, they love fantasy stories, lots of them. Be sure to check it out.


Last but Not Least
"I didn't know that!"
Kurt Vonnegut once managed a SAAB dealership.

The Bronte sisters lived in a house surrounded on three sides by graveyards.
Thanks to blogs.usatoday

Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf

Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

Long Story Short:http://www.alongstoryshort.net/
Fantasy Gazetteer: http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/
My Writing Friend: writingfriend@yahoo
Nick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.
Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/
J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine.com/index.html
Tennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/
USA Patriotism, Poetry: http://www.usa-patriotism.com/
The Write Place: http://www.kimn.net/
Poynter, 30 Writers Tips : http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943


Freebie Writers Tools
Idea Cruncher: http://www.ideacruncher.com/

Freemind: http://www.freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/main page

Auto Crit: Automatic manuscript checker: http://www.autocrit.com/

Word Web download :http://www.wordweb.info/



I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.
Copyright © 07/15/08

Keep Going

"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. "~E.L. Doctorow

The Rant 'N' Rave Section

I've taken lots of writing classes over the last few years. As money, time and location (of classes) are factors, I've taken all of my classes online with an eye for cost. (Read as inexpensive.) Now each class did have tidbits of knowledge, all of which advanced my skills a bit, but none carried with them that moment of epiphany, that time when the lights went on and I said, "Now I've got it. Now I know how to sit down, structure and write an novel. Well, in the process I did get a short story and a couple of poems published. I also won a contest or two. Just enough acknowledgment to keep me going. Just enough to allow me to believe I might have a modicum of talent. Finally, I bit the bullet and took a college course at a local college. Midway through the course I started getting the feeling that the long sought after moment, that epiphany, was just about to spring forth, and it did. That's not to say that suddenly I'm a great writer, far from it. It is to say that this course is truly an eye-opener for me. I'm not quite through the course yet, about a month to go to finals, but I've taken a huge leap forward in obtaining the tools I need to be able to sit down, like a musician at a piano, and stroke the keys, knowing what I'm doing, where I'm going with the story, and how to play it so that readers will be entertained. Believe me, the cost is worth it. Don't skimp. Don't allow logical reasons to get in the way of becoming a writer if that's your choice. Do whatever it takes...above all, keep on going.


"TIDBITS"

Well for tidbits this time I'm puttin' on the Brag Rag. I just got word that one of my short stories, "It's All in the Cards," has won first prize for the July edition of The fantasy Gazetteer. For those of you who haven't yet stumbled on to this great site, here it is. http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/For any of those interested, as I am, in the Fantasy Genre, this is a great place to visit. It's a new e-zine venue that went live in March of this year. They run short story contests almost every month and a novelette length about every three months. There is usually a cash prize for the winner and second place and, get this, even some non-winner stories get published if the are good enough. Best of all, the publishers are looking for new writers. According to the editor, they love fantasy stories, lots of them. Be sure to check it out.

Last but Not Least

"I didn't know that!"

Novelist and film critic James Agee, poet Robert Lowell, and comedian Shemp Howard, of 3 Stooges fame, all had one thing in common. The all died in taxicabs. All had heart attacks.
Thanks to funtrivia.com for the above.

Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf

Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

Long Story Short:http://www.alongstoryshort.net/
Fantasy Gazetteer: http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/
My Writing Friend: writingfriend@yahoo
Nick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.
Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/
J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine.com/
Tennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/
USA Patriotism, Poetry: http://www.usa-patriotism.com/
The Write Place: http://home.earthlink.net/~tcwrites/
Poynter: 30 Writers Tips http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=707

Freebie Writers Tools

Auto Crit Automatic manuscript checker: http://www.autocrit.com/
Word Web download :http://www.wordweb.info/

I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.
Copyright © 06/29/08

Writing for one's own amusement?

"Only amateurs say that they write for their own amusement. Writing is not an amusing occupation. It is a combination of ditch-digging, mountain-climbing, treadmill and child birth. But amusing? Never." -Edna Ferber

The Rant 'N' Rave Section

I think Edna Ferber hit the nail on the head though there is a certain amount of amusement also inherent in writing. At least I find that to be so when it comes to fiction. In and amongst all of the aforementioned ditch-digging and all, I always find little veins of not only amusement, but sometimes amazement. Like when words flow onto my monitor with a brilliance that I know can't be mine or when a character I've worked long and hard on suddenly comes to life. Those times are, to me, magic.

Now if I could just control those moments. Maybe once just sit down and write a story without having to continually fight with that inner voice that says everything I write is junk. Maybe not let it get to me when I think of the massive amount of work I've yet to do in order to master the art of writing. Sometimes I get to a place where I think I should just walk away. Leave it. And I do but only for a few days. After being away from the keyboard for a while, the art calls to me. Softly at first, then louder and more insistent. The characters I've created, the imaginary realms and the magic moments when the words flow like molten silver all lure me back to them like treasures just waiting to be unearthed. Perhaps the most amusing part of it all is the fact that I'm incurably hooked. Oh well, guess I'll get back to working on my novel....


"TIDBITS"

In keeping with this month's rant I found the following good advice.

Show Up and Write Down the Flab
by Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ (shery AT writesparks.com)

Do you know why when some writers write, the words come easily?

Why it doesn't seem to require any effort at all for the words to take shape on the page?

Why their prose is almost fluid?

Why, when other writers may take seven, eight or nine drafts, it only takes them two or three drafts to the final draft?

The answer is simple: These writers keep showing up and writing.

They have made it a habit to show up on the page regularly -- whether it be every day or every other day or some other schedule.

Showing up and then writing means most of the time, you end up writing mostly flab -- excess fat.

You do not tone muscles and get a shapely and perfect body right after an hour of aerobics or tae-bo. It requires months and months of religiously following a regimen -- a balanced diet and continuous work outs.

Writing is no exception. It follows the same principle: you follow a writing regimen. You face the page no matter what. And you keep on writing down the flab, the awful stuff, the icky drafts.
Eventually, they will give way to the good stuff -- your prose becomes more textured, your voice clearer and more true.

Write as much and as often as you can, and never allow bad writing to stop you from writing.

Copyright © Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ
About Shery: Shery is the creator of WriteSparks!™- a software that generates over 10 *million* Story Sparkers for Writers. Download WriteSparks!™ Lite for free at http://writesparks.com

Last but Not Least
"I didn't know that!"
"Ambrose Gwinnet Bierce"

Vanished without a trace in 1913. No one knows what
became of him. See below.

Ambrose Gwinett Bierce , 1842-1914?, American satirist, journalist, and short-story writer, b. Meigs co., Ohio. After distinguished Civil War service, he turned to journalism. In San Francisco he wrote for the News-Letter, becoming its editor in 1868. He soon established a reputation as a satirical wit, and his waspish squibs and epigrams were much quoted. In London (1872-75), he wrote for the magazine Fun and finished three books, including Cobwebs from an Empty Skull (1874). After his return to San Francisco, he wrote for the Argonaut, edited the Wasp (1881-86), and was a columnist for Hearst's Sunday Examiner (1887-96); his writings in the Examiner made him the literary arbiter of the West Coast. Later he was Washington correspondent for the American and a contributor to Cosmopolitan.

Bierce's collection of sardonic definitions, The Cynic's Word Book (1906), was retitled The Devil's Dictionary in 1911. Often dark in tone, grisly or macabre in subject matter, and masterful in their spare language, his short stories were collected in such volumes as Tales of Soldiers and Civilians (1891) and Can Such Things Be? (1893). He was also highly praised for The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter (1892), which he adapted from a translation of a German story. Bierce's distinction lies in his distilled satire, in the crisp precision of his language, and in his realistically developed horror stories. Disillusionment and sadness pervaded the latter part of his life. In 1913 he went to Mexico, where all trace of him was lost.

Bibliography: See his Collected Works (12 vol., 1909-12; repr. 1966); Collected Writings (ed. by C. Fadiman, 1946); Phantoms of a Blood-Stained Period: The Complete Civil War Writings (ed. by R. Duncan and D. J. Klooster, 2002); biographies by R. O'Connor (1967) and R. Morris, Jr. (1996); studies by M. E. Grenander (1971), C. N. Davidson (1984), and R. Saunders (1984).
With thanks to High Beam Encyclopedia. http://www.encyclopedia.com
Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf

Sites to see, places to go and groups to join
Long Story Short:http://www.alongstoryshort.net/
My Writing Friend: writingfriend@yahoo.com
Nick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.
Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/
J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine.com/
Tennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/
USA Patriotism, Poetry: http://www.usa-patriotism.com/
The Write Place: Poynter: 30 Writers Tips: http:www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=707

Freebie Writers Tools

Auto Crit Automatic manuscript checker: http://www.autocrit.com/
Word Web download : http://www.wordweb.info/

I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.
Copyright © 03/17/08

Seven Easy Ways to Keep Dialogue Sharp.

"Writing is the voice that calls us from dreams, that peeks out of the corner of our eyes when we think no one is looking, the longing that breaks out hearts even when we think we should be happiest, and to which we cannot give a name." Judy Collins (1939) U.S. Folk Singer, Film Maker….

The Rant 'N' Rave Section

First I must aplolgize for not posting anything for two months. It's not that I didn't try to, it's that I couldn't. Every time I tried to post, I got an error message telling me my article was posted but with errors. When I checked to see if it was on line, NADA, nothing, blank, zip. I tried to figure it out ( that's what took so long) on my own. Finally, I called in the big guns, in this case Kathy at MyHelpHub.com. It was fixed in a flash. "Thanks Kathy." Now, on to the posting.

I thought I'd have lots of time to write over the last few months. I was sure that, with winters cold breath keeping me inside I could skip all the distractions that come with spring, summer and fall. WRONG! I found just as many distractions inside to keep me out of my writing chamber. Oh well, I did get a few short stories written and off to pubs. I also sent some out to contests. Speaking of which, I found a really good site that tracks upcoming contests. It's The Write Place-contests column by Kimn Swenson Gollnick. Now some of you may already know this site but for those who don't, check it out. The site has lots of goodies for new as well as published writers. Be sure to cruise the whole site, not just the contest listings. The web address is http://www.kimn.net/. I've also listed it at the bottom of the page under sites to see, places to go and groups to join.

Next, one of the hardest things for a new writer to overcome is lack of acknowledgment. It's the stuff that life is made of. It's that which tells us we live, we matter, we are noticed by others as being worthwhile. Without it we fade and shrivel up to nothing. Without it our works become meaningless as do our lives. So, how do new writers overcome that first hurdle on their way to success? A mule-stubborn mindset is the key. It doesn't help when friends and family tell you how good you are. Most of the time you know they are just being kind. It's only when, in and among all the rejection letters you get, you find one that says your work has been accepted. That is the key that unlocks the prison of lack of acknowledgment. That is the weapon that fights and conquers the self-doubt that permeates the minds of first time writers. That is the first big step along the path to becoming a pro. Okay, enough pontificating, on to Tidbits......

"TIDBITS"
Here's a helpful article I picked up in my surfing travels.

Seven Easy Ways to Keep Dialogue Sharp

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

1. Keep it simple. "He said" and "She said" will usually do. Your reader is trained to
accept this repetition.

2. Forget you ever heard of strong verbs. Skip the "He yelped" and the "She sighed."
They slow your dialogue down. If you feel need them, look at the words.the actual
dialogue. your character used when he was yelping. Maybe it doesn’t reflect the way
someone would sound if he yelped. Maybe if you strengthen the dialogue, you can ditch
the overblown tag.

3. When you can, reveal who is saying something by the voice or tone of the dialogue.
That way you may be able to skip tags occasionally, especially when you have only two
people speaking to one another. Your dialogue will ring truer, too.
4. Avoid having characters use other characters’ names. In real life, we don’t use people’s
names in our speech much. We tend to reserve using names for when we’re angry or
disapproving or we just met in a room full of people and we’re practicing out social skills.
Having a character direct her speech to one character or another by using her name is a
lazy writer’s way of directing dialogue and it will annoy the reader. When a reader is
annoyed, she will not be immersed in the story you are trying to tell.

5. Avoid putting internal dialogue in italics. Trust your reader. She will know who is
thinking the words from the point of view of the narrative.

6. Be cautious about using dialogue to tell something that should be shown. It doesn’t
help much to transfer telling from the narrator to the dialogue. It just makes the character
who is speaking sound long winded. Putting quotation marks around exposition won’t
draw the reader into the scene or involve him more than if you’d left it part of the
narrative.

7. And magic number seven is, don’t break up dialogue sequences with long or overly
frequent blocks of narrative. One of dialogue’s greatest advantages is that it moves a story
along. If a writer inserts too much stage direction, it will lose the forward motion and
any tension it is building.

For more on writing dialogue check out Tom Chiarella’s Writing Dialogue (Writers’
Digest) and for more on editing in general.from editing query letters to turning
unattractive adverbs into metaphoric gold.find The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book
Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success on Amazon.
----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an instructor for the UCLA Extension Writer's Program. The first book
in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books, The Frugal Book Promoter, won USA Book News'
Seven Easy Ways to Keep Dialogue Sharp by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, 478 words 2
Best Professional Book Award and Book Publicists of Southern California's Irwin Award. The
second, The Frugal Editor, was just released and includes many editing tips on dialogue, the use
of quotation marks and more. Learn more at www.howtodoitfrugally.com .

Last but Not Least

"I didn't know that!"

"Sax Rohmer"

Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward (February 15,1883-June 1 ,1959 ), better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English novelist. He is most remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr. Fu Manchu.

Born in Birmingham, he had an entirely working class education and early career before beginning to write. His first published work was in 1903, the short story The Mysterious Mummy for Pearson's Weekly. He made his early living writing comedy sketches for music hall performers and short stories and serials for magazines. In 1909 he married Rose Knox. He published his first novel Pause! anonymously in 1910 and the first Fu Manchu story, The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu, was serialized over 1912-13. It was an immediate success with its fast paced story of Sir Denis Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie facing the worldwide conspiracy of the 'Yellow Peril'. The Fu Manchu stories, together with those featuring Gaston Max or Morris Klaw, made Rohmer one of the most successful and well-paid writers in of the 1920s and 1930s. But Rohmer was very poor at handling his wealth. After World War II the Rohmers moved to New York.
Ward was often attacked, even shortly after the Manchu stories were published, for creating a character that reflected "racist assumptions". He himself, while "bemused" at the furore, occasionally defended his character by saying that the portrait was "fundamentally truthful" because "criminality was often rampant among the Chinese", especially in Limehouse.
Rohmer died in 1959, somewhat ironically, due to an outbreak of Asian Flu.
*Thanks to Wikipedia for the above.

Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf

Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

Long Story Short: http://www.alongstoryshort.net/
My Writing Friend: writingfriend@earthlink.net
Nick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.
Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/
J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine.com/index.html
Tennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/
USA Patriotism, Poetry: http://www.usa-patriotism.com/
The Write Place, Poynter, 30 Writers Tips : http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=5408

Freebie Writers Tools

Auto Crit Automatic manuscript checker: http://www.autocrit.com/
Word Web download : http://www.wordweb.info/

I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.
Copyright © 05/01/08