#writingCommunity - P.J. MacLayne

Best Blogging Tools #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne April 12, 2020 April 13, 2020 Open Book

April 13, 2020

What are the best tools you use on your blog? (widgets, templates, etc.)

I’m no expert when it comes to the subject of blogs. I’ve been running this version of my blog for a little over a year now, and I’m still figuring out how to do things. But I’ll share what little I know.

First, the basics. I left the Blogger platform when they dropped the google component that had gained me most of my followers. I debated what to use as my base platform and decided to go with WordPress. I looked at several others, but my choice was made by the sheer amount of free support out there from other WordPress users. I’m not doing anything fancy, and every time I’ve run into a problem, I’ve found a YouTube video to help me out.

Image by William Iven from Pixabay

Next up was choosing a theme. I’m using Parabola, but that certainly isn’t the first one I played with. I don’t remember how many I tried before another author suggested this one. It gives me the flexibility level that’s just right for my basic skill set.

Let’s dig deeper into widgets and plugins. I use the built-in Gallery widget in many places. It has its limitations, but my graphic artist and I have been able to work around them.

I use MailChimp for my newsletter, so the MailChimp widget was a no-brainer. Except for setting it up. I had help with that.

I also use the basic Add to Any for sharing. That’s the widget that gives you the pretty buttons to tweet my posts or share on other websites. I hope you’ll make liberal use of them.

My best non-standard widget is Code Embed. It’s the one that allows me to turn Java Code into clickable fields. That’s what I use to take the code for our blog hop and make it user friendly. (That’s why you can click on the pictures from everyone else’s blog and get taken directly to their post.) It took me a few weeks to learn to use it correctly, but there are helpful videos on YouTube on how to make it work.

I want to find a plugin that allows for basic slideshows. (I had one bookmarked to check out, but it’s no longer being supported.) Does anyone use one and is willing to share the information? Share in the comments, please!

Before I go check out what tools the other authors are using, I’m going to say it. Be safe. I want you to be able to come back next week. Thanks for taking the time to drop by!

April 13, 2020

What are the best tools you use on your blog? (widgets, templates, 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.

#IWSG April Check-In

By P.J. MacLayne March 31, 2020 March 31, 2020 IWSG

April 1 question – The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?
The awesome co-hosts for the April 1 posting of the IWSG are Diane Burton, JH Moncrieff, Anna @ Emaginette, Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter, Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard!

Covid-19? What’s that?

Okay, I can’t run with a joke. This situation is a mixed bag for me. I know too many people who are in the high risk groups not to worry. The ones I worry about the most (Hi, Mom!) are taking this seriously and doing all the right things. Decreases my stress level somewhat.

The trick is, I work for a hospital. (No, I don’t deal with patients. I’m not one of the heroes.) And I am able to work from home. That doesn’t mean I’m isolated from all the concerns and preparations, but we aren’t in a major city and had more time to work on social isolation. No deaths in the state yet. Keep your fingers crossed.

I have more time to write as a result. And I’m taking advantage of it. I’m editing one book and pretending not to write another. I don’t like working on more than one project at a time, but this book demanded to be written. There’s a bit of guilt that I have the luxury to write when people are losing their jobs and are worrying about having a place to live.

But I am hanging in there. And I hope that everyone who reads this is doing okay. The daffodils are coming up, and the promise of spring is in the air. We’ll make it through this.

Image by MrGajowy3 from Pixabay

Favorite Reads #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne March 22, 2020 March 22, 2020 Open Book

March 23, 2020

Ask your readers to share their favorite books.

This post is for you! Share your favorite books and tell us a bit about them.

Here’s one to get the ball rolling from Chelle de Notte on Twitter:

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is my favorite book. And a greater story…it paints a very clear picture of being set in a certain place and time, yet the emotions are timeless.

And one from me:

First off, it’s ridiculous to ask for one favorite book. So, I’ll bend the rules and go with the Harper Hall Trilogy from Anne McCaffrey. The story of Menolly, her struggles and her ultimate triumph, found a place in my heart the first time I read the books.

Now, it’s your turn. Share the books that have touched you, entertained, you, or taught you in the comments below. And if someone else has already mentioned your book, I don’t care, add it to the list again! I’ve already broken the rules, so you can too!

March 23, 2020

Ask your readers to share their favorite books.

Interview With My Cover Designer #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne March 15, 2020 March 15, 2020 Uncategorized

March 16, 2020

Interview your cover designer (even if it’s you!) (Talk about other covers they have worked on, what you love about their work, etc.)

I got lucky in having a personal acquaintance with a graphic artist (okay, she’s my sister!) to design my covers. I’m always astounded by her skill in being able to interpret my books’ characters and bring them to life. Although she’s on the road this week, she took some time to answer a few questions for me. I’m tickled to finally get her on my blog. Please welcome K.M. Guth.

*****

Describe your process for designing a book cover.

I work closely with my authors to make sure they get exactly what they want for their cover. We trade images and ideas back and forth, starting with the front cover. After that’s been drafted out, I move on to the spine and back cover. Because I often do covers for series of books, I try to use the same fonts and color families for each cover in the series so it all has a cohesive look while still maintaining individuality for each book.

I love what you’ve done for each of my books and the overall design of each series. It amazes me how well you can take different elements and put them together in a total design.

*****

Do you have a favorite among the covers you’ve designed?

This one is easy! “Wolves Knight”, the second book in the “Free Wolves” series. Everything went together perfectly and the image turned out so badass we used it to make a large banner for the table at conventions and signings!

I love that cover too! Tasha is such an interesting personality, and the cover reflects it. The intensity in her eyes gets me every time.

*****

Do you ever look back at one of your covers and wished you’d done something different?

Always! I don’t think any creator of any type will look back at something they’ve created and not want to change *something*. Whether it’s how I spaced pieces of imagery or the fonts or colors I chose … I’m always wondering how a cover would have looked if I’d done something differently. Even small changes can make a big difference!

I’ve watched you play with fonts until you get the “look” you want. No Times New Roman for you!

*****

Have you ever designed a cover for someone besides me? How was it different?

I have! I’ve done a couple of covers for another independent author whose books have a completely different audience and topic. The books were non-fiction and didn’t feature any people. Designing them was a totally different experience because I had to figure out where to focus the elements of the cover since there wasn’t a face to concentrate on. I had to be more creative with the text to really draw the audience in.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy week to ‘talk’ to me. May your travels go well. We’ll talk again in a few weeks when you’re ready to tackle the cover for “The Samurai’s Inro!”

On an off-topic and personal note…I hope each and everyone of you is safe and well. Please pay attention to the professionals in your area and wash your hands often!

[fresh_inlinkz_code id="3f3fef4af27149348daaa7873f0de69a"]

March 16, 2020

Interview your cover designer (even if it’s you!)(talk about other covers they have worked on, what you love about their work, etc.)

Audiobooks #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne March 8, 2020 March 8, 2020 Uncategorized

March 9, 2020

Are audiobooks considered reading?

I don’t listen to audiobooks. I have, but only a few, and never while driving. I know myself well enough that it would be a distraction. Heck, the other day, I parked on a different floor than normal in the parking garage and didn’t realize it until I entered the building because I was so deep inside Harmony’s head. (For those of you who don’t know, Harmony Duprie is the main character in my mystery series.)

Now, I have listened to a few audio books in my distant past. I was devouring the James Bond books, and there were some the library didn’t have on the shelves. I found an audio download of the books and grabbed the ones I needed to fill in the gaps. (Back in the day when audiobooks were on cassette or CD.)

And quickly realized how big of a difference the narrator makes. And that listening just didn’t cut it for me. I didn’t get the same satisfaction from listening to someone tell the story as I did from holding a book in my hands and reading it.

When I read, I like to take my time and savor some parts of the story and rush through others. (I’m looking at you, sex scenes. The rushing part. Most of you are boring. I can’t imagine listening to sex scenes.) I can’t do that when someone else is reading the book and I’m listening. I have to move along at their pace.

But just because it’s not my preferred method of reading, doesn’t mean it isn’t a valuable experience to someone else. And if it works for them, I’m good with it. Different people learn in different ways, I see reading is the same way. I wouldn’t say that someone who reads braille isn’t reading, only that they use a different medium. Same with audiobooks, in my opinion.

So, is listening to an audiobook reading? I’ll come down on the side of yes. Information is being exchanged, just in a different format. The reader is being entertained or informed. In a way, it hearkens back to the days of the village bar, when most people couldn’t read and only the very wealthy could afford to own a book.

That’s my take on it, anyway. Now I’m going to hop on over to the other authors and see what they have to say. You can go too, by following the links below. And don’t forget to leave a comment and join in the discussion!

March 9, 2020

Are audiobooks considered reading?

Favorite Writing Blogs #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne January 26, 2020 January 26, 2020 Open Book

January 27, 2020

What are your favorite writing-related blogs?

I would love to have time to read many of the blogs and listen to the podcasts with helpful information for writers, There’s a lot of them out there. Heck, we even stray into that territory on this blog hop. But the truth is, I don’t have time. Instead, I depend on a number of newsletters that act as aggregates for the best blogs out there.

The first one I want to mention is put out by ALLi. (The Alliance of Independent Authors) I’m going to join that group one of these days, but for now, I receive their weekly newsletter for non-members. They cover both the craft and the business of writing. They lean heavily on posts from their self-publishing advice center, but also bring in other experts.

Another good one is put out by Jeffrey Bruner of The Fussy Librarian. (It’s The Fussy Librarian’s Author Newswire.) You may be familiar with the advertising that this organization does, but they are more than just a book listing. Topics they covered lately included story openers to steer clear of and how to create a business plan.

I also get a newsletter from Author Media. It’s focused more on advertising, but pulls from a variety of ‘experts.’ Truth is, I’m not sure how I got on this list, but it’s worth the time to to check out the blogs and podcasts they share.

And one more- if you use Draft2Digital for any of your book publishing, they do a monthly podcast. It’s an interesting look into how their business model works, plus helpful tips for authors. I use them to distribute to Apple so I get the notification when they will do a podcast, but they also post it on Facebook.

And a bonus. Author Terry O’Dell often talks about the process of writing on her blog. Yes, it’s aimed at her readers, but it speaks to writers in general. It would be worth your time to take a peek. https://terryodell.com/terrysplace/

January 27, 2020

What are your favorite writing-related blogs?

Distracted? Who Me? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne January 19, 2020 January 19, 2020 Open Book

January 20, 2020

What are your top three distractions and how do you deal with them?

Did I get a new email? What’s the latest reddit post? Are the clothes ready to move to the dryer yet? And what’s for supper? Oh, did I remember to set the alarm so I get to work on time tomorrow? What’s that? My daughter wants to video-chat?

Distractions! They’re everywhere!

Which explains why my most productive time is later at night when all the interruptions of the day can be set aside. No phone calls, email done and done, social media satisfied. Nothing but music in my headset and words on the screen.

But what are my top three?

First off, family. As they should be. They are my priority. Their needs come before my writing. Their wants are negotiable. My wants come first sometimes, and that’s okay. Whether things like laundry and cleaning are needs or wants is up for discussion, and may depend upon how well my writing is going.

How to I deal with this distraction? Honestly? It depends. Sometimes with a smile, other times with a sigh. It’s not one I can avoid. Nor do I want to. Avoid it, that is.

Second distraction. Work. Is that considered a distraction or an obligation? I am getting paid well, and it supports my writing, but wouldn’t it be great if I didn’t have to plan my life around it? But until I write that million-copy bestseller, work is part of my life. Thankfully, my boss understands if I occasionally take a moment to deal with writing “stuff” while I’m on the job. (From his point of view, my writing is the distraction!)

Last and probably the worst on my list of distraction. Social media. Any of it. All of you knew that was coming, right? It’s a necessary evil for an indie author, but man, it can be a time-killer. I love seeing all the cool pictures other authors post; but that doesn’t get a book written. Reading reddit forums can generate new book ideas, or just waste time. There are a lot of good podcasts out there, but it’s like mining for gold to get useful information from many of them.

But out of all three distractions on the list, this is the one I can actually control. I can disconnect from the wifi, or unplug the network cable. Chances are, I won’t do that.

I can use self-control. You know, only visit the pages I need for research. And only until I find what I needed to know. It’s possible, but hard.

And the winner is, I use surfing as a reward. I get so many paragraphs written, and I get to visit a “fun” page. I finish editing a chapter, and I take time to read some of the newsletters I signed up for from other authors. (I’ve got to cut back on those. You send a newsletter once a month? Cool. Once a week? Okay. Every two or three days? Overkill. Bye-bye!)

That’s my top three distractions, but I’ll give you a bonus one. Playing games on the computer. (Not the cool ones, I’m talking solitaire-type games.) Playing one or two rounds of a difficult game can help me focus my thoughts when I get stuck in a story. It’s more of a tool than a distraction, although it wouldn’t seem so to a casual observer.

That’s my list. What’s on yours? Follow the links below and see what distractions the other authors on this hop deal with.

January 20, 2020

What are your top three distractions and how do you deal with them?

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.

Harmony In Witness Protection #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne January 12, 2020 January 12, 2020 Open Book

January 13, 2020

Your characters have been placed in Witness Protection. What three truths about themselves do they want to keep?

I laughed when I read this week’s prompt and immediately thought of Harmony from the Harmony Duprie mystery series. She’d probably end up getting herself thrown out of the program due to not wanting to play by the rules.

After all, she’s tangled with some nasty bad guys who might want to get back at her. I can see her having to get into Witness Protection at least for a bit while the legal system worked through her latest adventure.

Image by Marco Oetjen from Pixabay

She’d have to give up Dolores, her salsa-red Jaguar, and that would make her unhappy. Dolores attracts too much attention and isn’t useful for hiding. Harmony figured that out long ago, and Federal agents would have a heart attack trying to protect her if she kept her car.

So, what truths would she keep?

She doesn’t have to worry about her hair color, she’s fine with wigs. She already switches between her glasses and contacts, so she’s good there, too. So, external characteristics are not the issue. Losing touch with her friends and having to make new ones, however, would throw her for a loop.

Especially Eli, her lover. He “grounds” her. He’d be unable to go into Witness Protection with her and still run his business. Of all her truths, he’s the one she’d want to keep and it would be impossible.

Now, the Feds should be able to find Harmony a job as a librarian in a small, backwater town where no one would think to look for her. Maybe even a place smaller than Oak Grove. She’d fit right in. So, that’s one.

She’d be able to take her mother’s African violet and her collection of first-edition books with her. A bit of home. That’s two.

I’m sure the Feds could fix her up with a way to access the funds she inherited. Not that she likes to spend that money, but she’ll need some help settling into her new life. That’s three.

And where is Jake, her ex-lover, in all this? He’d get such a kick out of slipping past the protections and finding Harmony, especially with Eli out of touch. I’m just not sure that he has the skills to find her. But there are things I don’t know about him, so he might surprise me.

There you go. Three truths and a bonus question. Sounds like a setup for a new book!

Now I’m off to check out the truths the other authors chose for their characters. Come with me by following the links below.

January 13, 2020

Your characters have been placed in Witness Protection. What three truths about themselves do they want to keep?

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.

Childhood Favorite Books #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne January 5, 2020 January 5, 2020 Open Book

January 6, 2020

What is your favorite childhood book?

Define “childhood.” Or let’s not. Let’s just say that I’ll talk about books I enjoyed after the age of ten. And I couldn’t tell you how far above ten for most of them!

We always had books in the house growing up. Old books passed on from other family members seemed to gravitate to us. There were more books than my mom could keep on her bookshelves in the living room, so they ended up in the attic. And I loved digging through the boxes, looking for old favorites and new discoveries.

That’s where I found my first favorites. The Bobbsey Twins, The Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew. Out of the three series, The Hardy Boys were my initial favorite, but we didn’t have many of the books. It didn’t take long to gravitate to Nancy Drew, as other friends were reading the series and we traded books. Plus, it was easy to ask for another of the books for birthday and Christmas presents. I kept those books until I went away to college and passed them on to another fan.

My hunger for reading soon led me to more mature books. Ivanhoe. Rebecca. Frenchman’s Creek. The Scarlet Pimpernel. Even then I preferred novels that featured more action than romance.

(FYI-I have that copy of Ivanhoe on my bookshelf. It’s in sad condition, with torn and yellowed pages, but it’s still readable. It was originally owned by a school library, and is the Academy Classics for Junior High Schools edition, dated 1926.)

By the way, I suggest being careful if you go back and read some of your old favorites. They don’t always hold up to an adult perspective. The casual racism in the older versions of the Nancy Drew books can be annoying. And Ivanhoe? I need to remind myself that it’s historical and has to be read from that perspective.

It’s easy to see how those early favorites have influenced my writing. And why I struggle with using the British version of English over the American version. (Grey vs. gray, snuck vs. sneaked, labor vs. labour … you get the idea. That along with going through a phase of reading Barbara Cartland as an adult.)

I’m going to make a rash assumption that many of these books won’t appear on anyone else’s list. (Except for Nancy Drew.) So let’s follow the links below and find out!

January 6, 2020

What is your favorite childhood book?

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.

Lessons Learned #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne December 22, 2019 December 22, 2019 Open Book

December 23, 2019

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I started a list of everything that changed about my writing after publishing my first book, and realized this post could get quite long if I included all of them. So, we’ll start from the “biggest” changes and work my way through a few of them.

Probably the biggest change was I started paying attention to chapters. Yes, Wolves’ Pawn started life as one long story with no breaks. I wrote the prequel and kept on going. When I completed the story and decided that hey, maybe it was good enough to publish, the first editing I did was to add chapters. It’s harder than it sounds, to find the right place to break into the action without leaving the reader hanging. (or hanging so they want to keep reading!)

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Next up – head hopping. I wasn’t even familiar with the term until I shared the first chapter of the book with a critique group. For those of you who don’t know, it means bouncing from one character’s point of view to another’s. Yes, I was guilty of it. I don’t do it any more (much) and normally catch it when I slip. The sad part is that I’m much more aware when other authors do it, and mentally take imaginary points off for the transgression.

Let’s mention editing in general. It’s a lot of work. But as I’ve done more of it, with each new book, I find myself catching mistakes before they get put in the document. It slows down my writing speed, but then I take less time editing. Seems like a fair trade-off to me. Same with passive voice. I don’t use the word ‘was” near as much as I used to in my writing. Along with trying to banish ‘had.’

What’s the most unusual (in my mind) thing I’ve learned? The proper use of the hyphen (-) the en-dash (–) and the em-dash (—). I didn’t even know about the existence of the last two before getting ready to publish Wolves’ Pawn. I don’t claim to be an expert, but at least I have a concept of how to use each of them. (I’ll spare you the boring details.)

But the most important thing that has changed since publishing my first book? I no longer write my stories out by hand. Yes, gone are the days of notepads with page after page of handwritten words, with slashes through paragraphs and notes written in the margins. Which translated to additional time spending hours interpreting my own writing and transcribing it on the computer. It took effort, but now I’m comfortable creating my first draft on a computer.

Phew! That feels like a lot of changes, so I’m going to stop here. But before I go, I want to wish everyone who is celebrating this week or last week or next week a Happy Holiday. May your days be cheery and your nights warm.

Now I’m off to check what the other authors on the hop have changed in their writing process.

December 23, 2019

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/0edb449030ce498aa0d1a75cbb40e072

Tag: #writingCommunity

Best Blogging Tools #OpenBook Blog Hop

#IWSG April Check-In

Favorite Reads #OpenBook Blog Hop

Interview With My Cover Designer #OpenBook Blog Hop

Audiobooks #OpenBook Blog Hop

Favorite Writing Blogs #OpenBook Blog Hop

Distracted? Who Me? #OpenBook Blog Hop

Harmony In Witness Protection #OpenBook Blog Hop

Childhood Favorite Books #OpenBook Blog Hop

Lessons Learned #OpenBook Blog Hop

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