Tag: #Writing

Chug Chug! Puff Puff! Ding Ding! #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 24, 2023

If you were a beloved children’s character, which one would you be?

There’s an entire world of beloved children’s characters that I know nothing about. Many have been added in the last decade. So, I am going to go old school. Really old school.

Sometimes, I’m the one everyone depends on. Getting things organized, making sure there’s food in the house, and bills get paid. Even when I’m burnt out, I keep pumping. Yep, I’m The Little Engine That Could.

The basis for the most popular version of the story was written in 1902, although the book most if us are familiar with was published in 1930. That predates even me. The story has gone through many revisions to bring it up-to-date, and I have, too.

Like the Little Engine, sometimes I get tired and want to give up, but with another Chug and Puff, somehow I keep going.

What children’s character are you? Tell us in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the other authors on this hop by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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July 24, 2023

If you were a beloved children’s character, which one would you be?

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.

 

 

My Dream Writing Space #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 26, 2023

Describe what your dream writing space would look like.

There’s a log cabin with a wrap-around porch facing a lake near the top of a mountain. The bedroom-turned-office has a picture window facing the lake, and deer and elk wander by. Two of the walls are lined with bookshelves that are overflowing. My cup of hot chocolate never goes dry-at least, when I empty it, my husband brings me more. When it snows, the roads don’t close and the high-speed internet never goes down. Of course, the words flow like water in the springtime snowpack melt..

Okay, so that will never happen. But I’m pretty darn happy with what I have right now.

We’re living in a small town- more like a village-in the hills of Appalachia in northwestern PA. I have a room all to myself as an office. It’s on the second floor, and the two windows overlook our yard and the well-maintained empty lot next door. There are no elk, but deer drop by for a visit sometimes. Then, there is a nice assortment of birds. Plus, I’ve counted over fifteen varieties of wildflowers on the properties.

The room itself is comfy and peaceful. It’s like a warm blanket I can wrap up in on a chilly day. Everything I need is handy, from a bookshelf for reference materials and whatever books I am reading,  and a stereo for background music. The two windows face east, flooding the room with light on a sunny day.

Best part is the quiet. No constant sirens. Little traffic. It’s rare to hear an airplane. I can actually hear the birds sing.

Oh, and the internet connection, while not perfect, is somewhere between pretty darn good and excellent.

(I took this picture before I’d finished decorating, but this is close to what it looks like now- just add dragons.)

Words still aren’t flowing like the springtime snowmelt in the Rockies, but I’m moving along on my WIP.

To read bout more dream writing spaces, check out the other authors on this hop. Just follow the links below.

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

June 26, 2023

Describe what your dream writing space would look like.

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

 

What Subjects Am I Good At? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

June 19, 2023

Besides writing, what other ‘subjects’ are you good at?

Now that I am retired, there are a lot of things I don’t care as much about as I used to. Math is one of those. I used to be a math whiz – I could do fairly complicated mathematical problems in my head. Now, my needs are more basic and I rely on a calculator for most of them. Shoot, the program I use for taking credit cards at book signings will calculate sales tax for me now, instead of me having to figure it out. I prefer making my prices a round number. That way I don’t have to deal with change!

On the other hand, I am learning and relearning skills I had when I was younger regarding gardening and nature. I never knew that robins sunbathe (It’s good for their wings) or that blue jays eat butterflies. But the butterflies know, because I’ve watched them try to hide when a blue jay is nearby. Other birds don’t like the blue jays either, and larger ones will chase them off.

Spring was a joy. I spent a lot of time wandering my yard to find out what new flowers popped up. At one point, I counted over fifteen varieties of wildflowers – and then I lost track. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted them on that platform. I don’t remember seeing that many kinds when I lived in this area growing up.

But the number one subject I’m getting better at? The art of relaxation.  I’m no subject matter expert yet, but I’m learning to take more moments to just breathe.

pink forget-me-nots

What subjects are the other writers on this blog good at? Find out by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe

June 19, 2023

Besides writing, what other ‘subjects’ are you good at?

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

 

To Sit and Think #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 12, 2023

How do you keep from overthinking your story?

“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.”—Voltaire

Recently, I had an old acquaintance describe me as “intense.” I can’t disagree, and that bleeds into my writing. Overthinking my story? I plead guilty.

Even minor details can become sticky points as I consider whether they belong in the story.. Does it matter what posters are on the walls of the gym? They could be a nice touch to the setting, but they could also just be a distraction and slow down the pace of the action. It’s possible that I will spend ten minutes creating them, only to rip that section out and move it to my outtakes folder. Overthinking at its finest.

When I write by hand, I don’t have the same problem. I may spend more time pondering a single word, but less time trying to figure out the plot. It seems to flow more naturally. (But then editing takes more time.)

In my current work in progress, I’ve been spending energy trying to figure out the romantic subplot. When will I introduce it? I know I want there to be one, and who should be involved, but I’m not sure how to make it happen without seeming forced. Yes, I am overthinking it.

But it shouldn’t be a surprise, because I overthink life in general. Expecting overnight guests? I figure out which set of towels to wash and set out for them a week in advance. Trip planning is a whole production, and I won’t share the appalling details.

Still, I can be laid-back and spontaneous, and when I tap into that side of me I do perhaps not my best writing, but my fastest writing—the most words in a sitting. I love those times, when I can stop overthinking and just write. Sadly, I have no hints on how to achieve that state.

What about the other authors in this hop? Find out how they battle overthinking by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

June 12, 2023

How do you keep from overthinking your story?

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

 

What Muppet Would I Look Like? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 5, 2023

If you were a muppet, what would you look like? Are you a person, monster, animal, something else?

There was/is so much talent in the designs of Jim Henson and his team, as well as the many folks who emulated his designs, that I can’t imagine that I could come close to their greatness. From Sesame Street to Fraggle Rock (I still have a plastic Fraggle on my desk) to the Dark Crystal, the genius lives on.

But I can tell you about my favorite, which I would design myself after. But first, the runner-up.

Janice from the Electric Mayhem band. She’s sweet and kind, a little naïve, and extremely talented. What’s not to love? There are parts of her that remind me of what I’d like to be but I could never match her amazing talent. I even named a character after her in one of my never-to-be-published books.

 

But the character I’d like to be modeled after? Animal. His overwhelming energy and enthusiasm is role-model material. How he tackles problems head-on. (Although sometimes he doesn’t get all the facts first) And he never has a bad hair day. .He understands what is important in his life and strives to honor it.  All of this while never saying a word.

I’d have to change that part to be me, of course. I’d have to have words.

What would you look like if you were a muppet? I’m curious to find out what the other authors on this hop would look like. Jin me in finding out by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

June 5, 2023

If you were a muppet, what would you look like? Are you a person, monster, animal, something else?

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.

 

Any Place, Any Time, Any Where #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

April 17, 2023

If you could live in any place, any time, any world, where would you live?

There’s the emotional response and the logical response. It might be fun to visit the Middle Ages, but the lack of decent food, sanitation, and medical knowledge would make it a dangerous time to live. It’s fun to think you’d live in a castle and be part of nobility, but chances are, most of us would be peasants. I’ll pass.

I’d also like to explore the culture and knowledge of Native Americans before they were in touch with Europeans. So much of what we think we know has been filtered through unreliable narrators. It would be interesting to experience a world that developed with minimal outside influence.

Anne McCaffrey’s Pern would also be interesting. Dragons, you know. There would be drawbacks, based on the social class. Not sure I’d want to stay there.

I would love to visit the world I created in my books and have a chance to meet my characters. I’ve often said I’d like to sit on the steps with Harmony Duprie, sip on some of her ice tea, and enjoy a fine spring afternoon. Or maybe I could get a job at the library where she works. Or, since her world overlaps with my Free Wolves stories, I might have the chance to watch a human transform into a wolf or some other creature.

But if I’m being realistic? Although I’m an old fart, I wasn’t old enough to truly take part in the hippie era. I’d love to be born a few years earlier, and to go to Woodstock, make a trip to San Francisco, and perhaps live in a commune. It would also allow me to get into the computer field earlier than I did. On top of that, I’d be able to get into indie book publishing before the market got crowded.

How about you? In what time, era, and place would you like to live? Tell me in the comments. And to find out about our other authors, follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

April 17, 2023

If you could live in any place, any time, any world, where would you live?

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

The Food They Eat #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

April 10, 2023

What does the food your characters eat reveal about their personality?

She longed for a rare steak to satisfy the blood lust licking her paw had awakened, but she hadn’t found a gas station yet selling them. She sighed. Beef jerky would be on the menu.
Wolves’ Pawn

What do wolf shifters eat? Raw meat, of course, when they have the option. Except they have a human side, and a no-nonsense doctor that insists that pack members include fruits and vegetables in their menus. I played with the concept throughout the Free Wolves’ series. In Wolves’ Knight, there is a community celebration that includes steak and casseroles, and in Wolves’ Gambit, steak is mentioned several times as a part of meals.

I took it farther in Wolves’ Gambit, joking about how a Wyoming pack can’t raise cattle because the cows can sense the dual nature of the wolf shifters, and are skittish around them. Chickens, however, don’t seem to care.

The wolf part of my shifters leads to many minor plot points around food. They have rules about what they can hunt and when. Pregnant does are never to be killed. A large stag is considered off-limits because of his potential to expand the local herd of deer. Who says a wolf shifter can’t be an environmentalist and understand their impact on a future food source? Also, there are other rules about verifying if an animal is another shifter or not before attacking them to make them a meal, which would be unethical. (Attacking them in battle is a different set of values.)

It makes sense. The closer you are to nature, the closer you are to your food source.  So my wolf shifters and food are tied together.

How about the other authors. What does food  reveal about their character’s personalities? Follow the link below  to find out.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

April 10, 2023

What does the food your characters eat reveal about their personality?

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.

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Click here to enter

 

My First Book #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 April 5 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, Nancy Gideon, and Natalie Aguirre!

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.

April 5 question – Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you’re at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

 
The first book I ever wrote was back in 1975. It was a time travel romance and frankly, it was bad. No, it was worse than bad, it was terrible. I enjoyed the experience and was proud that I had accomplished it. Somewhere, I still have a typed copy stuck where it will never see daylight.
 
I didn’t try again until about 17 or 18 years ago. That book was at least only bad. But the story was overly derivative of another author’s work, so it too will remain tucked away.
 
I finished several books before finally writing one I felt was good enough to share with the world. But none of them were a waste of time. Looking back at them, I can see how my writing improved with each.
 
I’m currently working on my 11th and 12th books, but I still get a thrill each time I finish writing a story. I haven’t written a best seller yet, and it as great as that would be, the sense of accomplishment I feel each time I write “The End” is the reward that keeps me going.
 
Don’t forget to check out some of the other authors in the group and find out about their first books.
 
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
 
 
 

Do Dragonflies Count? Animals in Writing #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book
 
 
 

March 27, 2023
What is your favorite animal and why? Have you ever included it in one of your stories?

Do dragonflies count? They aren’t really animals, but if I have to pick my favorite non-human creature, dragonflies would be my choice.

I know there are people who are scared of them, but not me. I admire them. The way their mostly transparent wings flash in the sunlight, the variety of colors, the way they can effortlessly maneuver from spot to spot. I’ve been known to rescue one when it got trapped in a building. (That’s not easy!)

My favorite encounter with dragonflies was one warm summer day when an empty field near our home was filled with dragonflies. There were hundreds of them, darting from one blade of grass to another. They were only there for a short time, but I enjoyed the moment.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Have I ever used a dragonfly in a book? Surprisingly, no. I actually went back and checked several of them. (Note to me: figure out how to include dragonflies in a future book! Shifters maybe? Would their lifespan be a problem? )
 
How about our other authors? Do they include their favorite animal in their books? Follow the links below to find out.

Until next time, please stay safe.
 
March 27, 2023
What is your favorite animal and why? Have you ever included it in one of your stories?
 
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
 
 

A Day In The Life #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

March 20, 2923

Tell us about the day in the life of one of your characters.

 After a restless night, my morning routine soothed my frazzled nerves. Start the coffee pot, shower, towel dry my hair, slip into a comfortable pair of jeans and a random blouse from the closet, pour myself a cup of coffee, one sugar, no cream, run downstairs to grab the newspaper, and sit on the bottom step to glance through it. That was my summer routine anyway. I didn’t sit outside in the winter naturally. The local paper, The Herald, tried hard to cover local news, but not much happens in Oak Grove anymore. I’d been in it too much.
   Piper came to greet me, sticking his nose through the chain-link face. Most days, I brought a doggy-biscuit with me, but he doesn’t care on the rare days I forgot. He was happy to have me scratch the top of his head. Some days I swear he purred when I got it just right.
   I sipped the coffee and watched the sun rise.
The Marquesa’s Necklace

Harmony Duprie lives a quiet, routine life and likes it that way. Monday through Friday, she goes to work at the library, helping patrons, comes home, and reads. (She’s a research librarian, with a specialty in Victorian-era history.) Wednesdays nights, she goes out with her friends for supper and a few drinks. Thursday is her day to go grocery shopping, Saturday is her day to deep clean her little apartment, on the third floor of a Victorian-era home, and prep her meals for the next week. (She is somewhat of a neat freak.) Sunday is her day to relax, perhaps help her landlords in their garden, or go for a long car ride to nowhere in particular.

She dates occasionally, but the pool of bachelors in the small town of Oak Grove is pretty slim and she hasn’t found anyone that makes her heart flutter as much as finding a rare book in one of the town’s pawnshops does.

All of that changes when Jake Hennessey wanders into her life and she ends up getting charged for trafficking drugs.

That’s a day in the life of Harmony Duprie. To find out more,  go here:   https://www.pjmaclayne.com/?page_id=232 To get more days in the life of. . . from other authors, just follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

March 20, 2923

Tell us about the day in the life of one of your characters.

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