Author: P.J. MacLayne

Best vs Favorite Opening Paragraph #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Nov. 6, 2023

What is the best opening paragraph you’ve written? (inspired by a comment by Richard) Do you have a favorite one that is different?

Finding the right ‘spot’ to start a story is hard. Creating an opening that does it justice and grabs the reader’s attention is harder. Picking my best one is nearly impossible. I’m rather fond of the one in my work-in-progress, which is still unnamed, (I’m always attached to my WIP!) so I’m going to pick it.

Fair warning. This hasn’t been edited, other than the usual tearing it apart and putting it back together a million times again that I do with all my openings. There may be errors, and this isn’t its final form. I’m open to suggestions.

The mellow voice of Hank Jr. disappeared as she closed the bar’s door behind her. When Annie McGregor stepped outside to clear the cigarette smoke from her lungs, the alley behind the Flats Lounge stunk as bad as she expected. The stench of stale alcohol, piss, and rotten eggs courtesy of Pittsburgh’s remaining steel mills, assaulted her. It wasn’t enough to disguise the coppery odor reminiscent of the time her grandpa had butchered a cow during her summer visit to his farm.

Do at least some of you know who I’m referring to as Hank Jr.? Do I need to add his last name?

For my loyal readers—no, this isn’t a Harmony Duprie book. Don’t worry, she’s still enjoying her retirement.

Now, for the second part of the question—which first paragraph is my personal favorite?

I’m fond of the opening paragraph of The Ranger’s Dog Tags. It’s short, but sets the stage. And I’ve always loved writing scenes that feature Dolores.

The squad car screamed down the street, its red and blue lights tearing through the darkness. I feathered the gas pedal and waited for a second set of headlights to pass. Dolores, my salsa-red F-type Jaguar, growled in anticipation.

I wrote almost an entire chapter (that didn’t make the cut) before this part. Remember what I said about finding the right place to start? It’s not easy.

I’m looking forward to reading the opening paragraphs of the other authors on this hop. Check out the links below.

As always, please stay safe until next time.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Nov. 6, 2023

What is the best opening paragraph you’ve written? (inspired by a comment by Richard) Do you have a favorite one that is different?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

It’s NaNoWriMo Time Again #IWSG

  By IWSG
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
The awesome co-hosts for the November 1 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

November 1 question: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

I almost missed this month’s posting! November 1st snuck up on me.
 
Yes, I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month. . In fact, that’s what got me hooked on this little endeavor. I didn’t ‘win’ with my first attempt-I only reached 49.000 words- but I realized how much I enjoyed it. I rewrite that book several times, including switching the point of view, but I could never make in into something worth publishing. It was overly-derivative of someone else’s story.
 
But I learned a lot from the attempt. A year later, I tried again, and that year I reached the goal of over 50,000 words in November. That book wasn’t good enough to take further either, but I learned even more about the process of writing. I have written books during NaNoWriMo that I have published.
 
I won’t be trying this year. I need to put all my efforts into my WIP. It’s up to 42,000 words and I’m feeling good about it. I’m really stretching my abilities in my current effort, but I think it’ll be worth it.
 
For folks who haven’t attempted NaNoWriMo and are considering it, I say unleash your creativity go for it. Even if you don’t make the  goal, you still win.
 
By the way, Happy November!
And until next time, please stay safe.
 
 

Writing While On The Road #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Oct 30, 2023

Do you write while you are traveling? How do you make it work?

Late nights. Lots of them.

My traveling days are pretty much over. Last trip I made was a year ago, when I drove to Florida in the middle of a tropical storm to help take care of my daughter and her family after she was injured. Other than that, I spend my time at home, enjoying the place we bought for our retirement. and transforming it into my small slice of paradise.

When we were traveling, we had a habit of returning to our hotel or campground early to relax. While my husband would turn on the TV to browse through the channels, I would reach for my laptop or whatever notebook I was working in. Then we’d sit side-by-side and relax, each in our own way.

Our trip planning always specified that wherever we stayed had internet access. That way I could post the prompts for this hop and keep social media active, even if on a limited basis.

When I was still working, traveling was a way to clear my mind and refresh my creative spirit. (Although the job required me to be available 24/7 in case of emergency, so I could never ‘turn off’ completely.) I could write without worrying about all the bits and pieces of the daily grind.

I still do most of my writing in the evenings-force of habit, I guess, after years of working a day job. But I’m often planning ahead in my head even when I’m doing something else, twisting words I’ve already written to see how they can be improved, arguing with my characters, figuring out where the story wants to go next.

How about our other authors? Do they write while traveling? Find out by following the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until next time.

Oct 30, 2023

Do you write while you are traveling? How do you make it work?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

My Introduction to Epic Fantasy #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Oct 23, 2023

What is a book you admire for something specific: world building, characters, dialogue, setting, plot twists, etc.

As a kid, I read a book a day. I slowed down in high school, but still read lots of books. But a ‘breakthrough’ read for me was The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which one of my brothers brought home from college and left behind. (I’ve mentioned this in an earlier blog, but I still have those books. They’ve put on more miles moving back and forth across the US than some people I know.) They were my introduction to epic high fantasy and fantasy in general. What a great place to start!

I’d always been intrigued by tales about King Arthur, but the adventures of the hobbits and their companions were a far different type of storytelling. The idea that it extended over multiple books was new to me.

Sure, I’d read series like Nancy Drew, but each of those was a self-contained tale and had little in the way of an overall story arc. The four hobbit books opened up a new twist in writing. But I don’t remember feeling that there were artificial cliffhangers at the end of each book. Of course, I did binge-read them and didn’t have to wait for the next book to be released. I’m not that old. (No, I don’t like cliffhangers at the end of books, and I won’t write them, either.)

I didn’t immediately delve into additional books in the fantasy genre, but I haven’t avoided them either. There may be a slight preference for women authors, but it isn’t a determining factor for the books I read. But few of them compare to the magnificence of The Lord of the Rings.

I’m looking forward to learning what books have influenced the other authors on this loop., To join me on the journey, follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Oct 23, 2023

What is a book you admire for something specific: world building, characters, dialogue, setting, plot twists, etc.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

 

Songs of the Times #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Oct. 16, 2023

If your WIP had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it? Do you write with some sort of background noise or do you prefer silence? (We may have touched on this before, but it’s a great way to discover new music.

The mellow voice of Hank Jr. disappeared as she closed the door behind her.

That’s the current opening line of my WIP and it sets the soundtrack for the rest of the story. Unlike many of my stories, there isn’t a mention of John Denver in sight. Sure, I mention other genres of music, but the basis is hard luck country all the way. Not my normal standard, but I’ve been having fun delving into the songs of the times.

What’s funny, is that many of the artists who had top 100 songs aren’t artists I think of as country. George Strait is pure country, but Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is more folk, right? And I’m familiar with Alabama as Southern Rock, not country. Willie Nelson is country, but has crossed the lines between types of music many times. There are lots of artists in the top 100 that I don’t even remember. Eddie Raven?

On the soundtrack? Songs about lost loves, hard women, cheap whiskey, guns and pick ’em up trucks. And good ‘ol dogs, of course. How about “A Fire I Can’t Put Out” by George Strait? Or “José Cuervo” by Shelly West?

It’s one of the many rabbit holes I’ve gone down while working on this story. I spent an hour finding the songs used for Jazzercise (and then didn’t mention any of them!) I spent another hour listening to songs as I was writing this post! (Or not writing, because I was busy listening.)

Here’s one to add to your playlist, although it doesn’t match the mood I’m shooting for—George Jones and The One I Loved Back Then. https://youtu.be/uoGqL8_CU3s

These posts are always fun, and I’m looking forward to hearing new songs based on suggestions from the other authors on this hop. You can, too, by following the links below.

As always, please stay safe until next time.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Oct. 16, 2023

If your WIP had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it? Do you write with some sort of background noise or do you prefer silence? (We may have touched on this before, but it’s a great way to discover new music.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

Ewoks and Redwoods #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Oct 9, 2023

Has a book or movie ever been based somewhere you’ve lived? How did it compare?

Many years ago, the world was taken by storm by the phenomenon of Star Wars. A few years later, work started on the next film, the Return of the Jedi, and was eagerly waited for by fans.

Part of the film, the scenes with the Ewok village, were filmed near where I lived at the time. It was an open secret that the filming was happening, but I don’t know of anyone who tried to show up on the site. Parts of the filming took place at Jedediah Smith State Park, about 10 miles away, more of it on nearby private land.

And the backgrounds in the movie were realistic. Redwoods and the underlying bushes are marvels of nature. I often went for long walks in the various forests. Note: Part of the private land is now the site of a maximum security prison. Other areas, including the state parks, have been ravaged by forest fires. I don’t think any of the bigger redwood trees have been destroyed.

It’s hard to describe the impact of seeing a redwood for the first time. I’ve left a piece of my soul with them.

 

 

 

 

 

The scenes in the movie are enhanced, naturally, but they hold true the spirit of the area. (No, there are villages high among the trees. Not for humanoid creatures, anyway.)

I’ve lived in several area that have had books written or movies made about them (Cheyenne and cowboys, anyone? How about Daytona Beach?) but the redwoods are the most memorable.

How about anyone else? Where have you been that has been memorialized in a book or movie? Let’s follow the links below and see what the other authors share.

Until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Oct 9, 2023

Has a book or movie ever been based somewhere you’ve lived? How did it compare?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

AI – Assistance or Threat? #IWSG

  By IWSG

 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the October 4 posting of the IWSG are Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass!

October 4 question: The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?

A while back, I talked about AI in a blog post. While I don’t use it in a major way, I do use a computer program for spell and grammar checking. Although the program I use (ProWritingAid) also offers potential fixes for problematic sentence structure, that feature feels inadequate, and I mostly ignore it. 

I haven’t used any AI program to ‘write.’ I’ve run into what I suspect are AI generated blog posts, and found them lacking in their content and writing style. But would an average reader feel the same way?

My worry is that until better tools are created to identify what is computer generated vs. what a human has written, AI content will be a threat. There are already bogus books on Amazon that Amazon hasn’t figured out how to detect. (But Amazon has always had a problem with ‘fake’ books.) If readers get bitten by additional sham books and dodgy writing, the whole writing community will be suspect. That could be a major problem for indie authors.

It feels as if we are in for a rough transition. I hate to see authors losing income to people who are churning out content with little or no effort on their part. But AI tools can also be beneficial if used properly.

Check out some of the other writers on this hop my following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

 

Who Believed in Me? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Oct 2, 2023

Who was the first person who ever believed in you?

I grew up in the shadow of my genius older sister. She was a year ahead of me in school, and I ended up with many of the same teachers. Comparisons were inevitable. Although I was a good student, I was a different person. My mother saved many of my report cards, and many say the same thing. “P.J. does not live up to her potential.”

The truth is, I was an odd mix of personalities. Part bookworm, part outdoorsman, part creative, part scientist. It wasn’t until I was middle-aged that I was I realized I was a computer geek. (Personal computers didn’t exist when I was a child. Does that mean I was born too soon?)

Back to the original train of thought. Once I got to high school, I had to prove myself to a whole new batch of teachers. Even though many of them had taught my sister, and a few of them my older brothers, they seemed more willing to view me as an individual. I flourished in that atmosphere.

I still disappointed my teachers. They thought that with my grades and the classes I took, I should aim for a career in one of the sciences. Physics, to be precise. But I had no desire to pursue that field. Of course, the world of computers still existed on only punch cards, and no one ever suggested that might be a potential career to pursue.

But several of the teachers took an interest in helping me find myself. I should mention this was a Catholic school, with both priests and nuns on the faculty. Unlike the stereotypes, the nuns were kind and caring. Several of them took me under their wings. The two most notable were Sister Lois Marie and Sister Mary Andrew. Sister Lois guided my love of the English language, and Sister Mary Andrew shepherded me through my math courses. Both nurtured my love of learning and went beyond their job duties to guide my personal growth.

I think they would have been surprised at how things turned out for me. Retired as a computer server administrator (computer geek) with nearly a dozen published books (indie author). They would have approved at the mix of my creative and my mathematical sides, working in a field that didn’t exist when they knew me, and publishing books in a way that also didn’t exist back then.

In my WIP, I’m writing a scene that may be a tribute to them. Well, not exactly them, but to the love and kindness they showed me and many others. Thanks, Sisters!

Who believed in our other authors? Follow the links below to find out.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Oct 2, 2023

Who was the first person who ever believed in you?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

Attack of the Publisher: Writing Freedom vs Money #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Sept 25, 2023

If you were given a large advance by a traditional publishing company and told to produce a series of books in a certain amount of time that obviously you would have to give up the rights to (maybe they would alter your writing too) and do all your own marketing, would you take them up on the offer?

Over a decade ago, When I first contemplated releasing a book, I did my research. Should I try for a traditional publisher or go independent, which was at the time, not quite new anymore? Ultimately, I chose to go indie, for many reasons.

First, I wanted to write a book that went against some of the genre rules. I was writing a wolf-shifter book that included romance, but no sex scenes. I had researched the market, and everything I found included erotic action. I simply had no interest in including those in my story. (Although it could have been done. There are several places where it would have been easy to add in one.)

Then I looked into payment. Sure, some authors get a big advance, but they are rare. What the normal author gets per each book sale is a fraction of the book’s cost. What I didn’t realize back then was how much publicity can cost for an indie author, but many signed authors still have to do all the groundwork to sell their writing.

Writing as an indie, I can also write at my own pace and not be beholden to someone else’s schedule. I’d be in a world of hurt if I had to write my current WIP based on a tight timeline. I’m at 35000 words, and I’ve written more words than that in one month, but not for this story. A publisher would be nagging me daily at this point. (And that wouldn’t help my motivation!)

But the major point in my choice to go indie was my age. I’m not a young thing, and I know finding an agent and selling a book to a publisher and getting a manuscript through editing and production can take years. And years. Like I said, I’m old. I didn’t want to wait that long.

Would I change my mind if I was offered a large sum of money?

They say that everyone and everything has a price. While that may be true, I don’t know mine. I write for the joy of writing, (even when it gives me grief). How can a price be put on that?

I’m looking forward to seeing how the other authors in this hop respond to this question. Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

Sept 25, 2023

If you were given a large advance by a traditional publishing company and told to produce a series of books in a certain amount of time that obviously you would have to give up the rights to (maybe they would alter your writing too) and do all your own marketing, would you take them up on the offer?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

From One to Infinity #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Sept 18, 2023

Do you keep track of your word count on a daily basis? What’s your record for most and least words? (Not including those days when you don’t write anything.)

In the past, I’ve obsessed over the numbers of words I’ve written in the day as a measure of my productivity. I got into the habit when I participated in (NaNoWriMo) National Novel Writer’s Month. The goal is to write 50,000 words during the month of November. It’s a way to force myself to not obsess over the nitpicky bits of writing and just get words on paper.

Can I remember how many words I wrote daily during my last Nano? The goal is about 1660, The best I remember is around 2000. The worst during a sprint was less than 400. No, I no longer know the exact counts.

Now? I don’t keep count of exactly how many words I write when I write. I’m not even writing every day because of the projects I want to finish outside before cold weather moves in. I’m more focused on getting the story right. If that means I slow down and pay attention to word choice, so be it. The story I’m writing is darker than my normal style, and I’m crafting it versus just writing it. Some days I may write 500-700 words, other days squeak out 100. Then there are the days when I strip out 300 words and replace them. It’s a slow process.

Yes, I am still obsessing over my work-in-progress, but not its word count. I’m currently around 33,000 words, which I figure is about half the book. I have loose ends all over the place, but plenty of time to tie things together. I’m obsessing about the balance between action and emotions, and how to tie the two together. Nothing is simple. Everything and everyone is suspect. It slows down word count and for this book, that’s okay.

I’m making guesses on who among the authors on this hop count words. (I got a sneak peek at one of the posts, so I’m cheating!) Find out with me by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sept 18, 2023

Do you keep track of your word count on a daily basis? What’s your record for most and least words? (Not including those days when you don’t write anything.)

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.