writing

New Year Goals

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Do you set New Year goals? I fight against it but somehow they sneak in suggesting I continue learning Italian, or take my photography to a level beyond snapshots, or redo parts of the garden in the spring which of course requires planning now.  What about the books I received for Christmas: Richard Ford’s Canada and Ross King’s Leonardo and the Last Supper, among others?
And what about my new book, not the one just published, No Motive for Murder, but the one I’ve been working on this winter. I’m excited about being close to the end of the first draft. It’s not in my usual genre, not in my Dangerous Journeys series, and I hope will be my best.

I’ve been asked to speak to the Canadian Club, here in Lindsay, so polishing my talk is on the New Year agenda as well.

So in spite of resolving not to make New Year’s resolutions, I seem to have made them after all.

Christmas Gifts for Writers

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A Google search for gifts for writers(or photographers or gardeners) and out comes a list of blogs to newspapers, all advising what to buy. I noticed that only one or two items on each list interested me, so I’ve put together my own. Some are expensive, some not.

1) A writers’ retreat. My favourites are the Writescape retreats organized by Ruth Walker and Gwynne Scheltema. Find them at http://writescape.ca/writescape.

2) Scrivener, a superb writing programme from the folks at Literature and Latte. http://literatureandlatte.com. I’ve been using this gem through two books now and couldn’t do without out. It replaces everything from research notes on random bits of paper to character biographies kept in notebooks without a search function. It   allows the generation of a rudimentary plot synopsis and a virtual corkboard on which scenes can be repositioned. I could go on and on, but try it for a month. Now available for Windows.

3) Pens: To record those thoughts that would other wise be lost. I like Staples Optiflow: ca709364grp_1_std

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Books on writing: I love to read books about writing. Writers Digest has a good selection, but there are others:

1. Stephen King, On Writing

2.David Morell: Lessons for a Lifetime of Writing

3.William Brohaugh: Write Tight

4. P. D. James: Talking About Detective Fiction

5. Sol Stein: On Writing

6. Jack Hodgins; a Passion for Narrative

5) A Kindle: Writers need to read everywhere and a Kindle is handy on the subway, in a bus, on that trip to  Europe.

7) Coffee maker, coffee mugs, coffee.

8) A web design package, perhaps from Linda Lyall who did Louise Penny’s http://www.louisepenny.com

9) A smart phone with a camera, because you never know when the perfect scene to jumpstart your imagination will pop up in front of you. (The phone is always in your pocket, unlike your SLR)

10) Time, uninterrupted. If she has children, offer to babysit. If she needs a day away, offer your cottage, or pay for one day in a lovely B&B. I like the Gardener’s Cottage near Elora. http://gardenerscottage.ca

Turning Leaves and other lovely things

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Just got back from Writescape’s Turning Leaves retreat at Fern Resort. What a gift to spend a weekend with old friends and new, writers all, concentrating on projects and the writer’s craft. I learned valuable lessons in characterization, especially the Sunday morning session with Gwynn Scheltema and Ruth E. Walker.

Back home, it’s Monday, snow is falling and the carryover from the weekend had me spending it on my work-in-progress. The voices of my characters are  distinct and clear in my head, less so on paper(or the computer screen).

I just started reading Russ King’s Defiant Spirits: The Modernist Revolution of the Group of Seven. A giant Black Willow at the river’s edge, the black water, dotted with a gaggle of Canada Geese who seem to be practicing take-off and landing this morning while working on their group harmony, ice forming, and in the distance a row of white—seagulls resting on a half-submerged log— turn the view from my kitchen window into a Group of Seven landscape.

I’ve started “pinning” to a few boards on Pinterest, a process I didn’t understand until recently. Several writers I know are using it as a sort of giant white board, pinning portions of their wip or research or clippings, to private boards. I am using one for clippings, but the rest to collect and share books and paintings and photographs that I especially like. http://pinterest.com/virginiawinters.

A true tragedy this: the mayor brought down by his fatal flaw, his apparent inability to understand that the rules apply to him.

ec·o·nom·ics: a simple twist on normalcy by Kersten L. Kelley

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Today’s guest blogger is Kersten L. Kelley whose new book ec·o·nom·ics: a simple twist on normalcy 

reveals the role economics plays in our lives, from social movements to football. ‘m delighted to have her here today to tell us about herself and her approach to economics

Kersten L. Kelly is a self-published author of narrative non-fiction and semi-fiction books. She grew up in Munster, Indiana, and currently works in a sales role based out of Chicago, Illinois. She started writing at an early age and graduated from Indiana University with a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Communication & Culture. She then went on to earn a Master’s in Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She has a passion for learning, teaching, and writing as well as international travel in her spare time. This book is her first piece of published work.

Kersten:Kersten L. Kelley

When I first started writing as a kid, I never dreamed that I would be able to compose an entire book and actually publish it. The process seemed overwhelming and a massive undertaking, as it most definitely was. I began the writing process, and I found that I was writing little excerpts about economics that really interested me. Usually, I would encounter something in my life and think how economics played a large role in it. The majority of the time, these things seemed like they were unconnected to the naked eye. In particular, my interest in economics blossomed during my college years when I actually started studying it for my degree.

I love economics, and I majored in it during my undergraduate work at Indiana University. As a student, many of the examples in my textbooks were irrelevant and made the subject one that many students did not enjoy. I wanted to change the negative connotations associated with the topic. I wanted to make it something that people understood and relished learning about. I want to shed light on economics as a topic for the average reader. I want them to realize that economics is not just graphs, charts, and theories. It can be applicable in almost any situation. The theories that I explain in the book are developed with multiple examples that readers can relate to. Purchasing gasoline is one of them, and education is another. It is amazing how economic theory can help to explain both.

I liked the ability to argue my opinions, compile them in a written publication, and have readers be able to communicate with me via my website and through reviews. There has been nothing more rewarding than working for a year to create a publication that people can pick up and read. I like the idea that someone else can read what I wrote and discuss it with others. I wanted people to be able to learn from what I wrote, so I took the chance and created the book.

The book is a unique compilation of examples of pop culture, history, social media, business, sports, and education all explained through an economic lens. It uses current market trends and examples that can be applicable and enjoyable for anyone. It is written in a narrative non-fiction format so it flows easily and does not read similarly to a textbook. Economics is part of daily life, and this book challenges readers to question how and why people make decisions by adding a simple twist on normalcy.

Kersten’s website   http://www.theeconomicsbook.com

Kersten’s book on Amazon http://preview.tinyurl.com/9jkmlvv 

Thanks for visiting, Kersten and all the best wishes for your writing career.

Press Release for No Motive for Murder

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Third novel in Virginia Winters’ Dangerous Journeys series released by Write Words Inc., publisher.

Lindsay— Dr. Virginia Winters’ new book, “No Motive for Murder”, just released by Write Words Inc., available online at http://www.writewordsinc.com

Anne McPhail is on holiday in Bermuda, visiting her sister. She stumbles upon a murder in progress and this time, she is more than just a witness, she is a suspect, dealing with a police officer who decides Anne is guilty, and sticks to it in face of the evidence or lack of it. But more is going on than a random murder. Anne is caught in the middle an assassination plot. When she inadvertently upsets the killer’s plan, he turns his attention to her. The risk spreads to her family and friends and then Thomas Beauchamp arrives on Bermuda. When his role is revealed, Anne’s life takes a dangerous turn.

“I’m so pleased to have this novel published by Write Words Inc. of Cambridge, Maryland. Anne’s travels have become a series, Dangerous Journeys.”
“We are very proud to have published No Motive for Murder by Virginia Winters said Arline Chase, publisher.
“We are a small company and choose our books carefully. We only publish work from writers we feel are talented and have a lot to offer.”

Dr. Winters’ two previous novels are:
Murderous Roots
The Facepainter Murders

Both published by Write Words Inc. Arline Chase, publisher, and available at:
Write Words Inc.
Barnes&Noble
Kent Bookstore, Lindsay, Ontario
Amazon
Other works have appeared online at Pine Tree Mysteries, Six Sentences and the Camroc Press Review, as well as in the Gumshoe Review, and The Other Herald.

She enjoys meeting readers at book-signings, speaking to local groups (at the library, community college, clubs, etc.) about her work, and may be contacted through her website at http://www.virginiawinters.ca or by e-mail at mailto:vwinters@bell.net

Publishing and still more waiting.

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The printer finally shipped a book to me. A book, not my book, so I’m back to waiting. Strange business, publishing.
While I’ve been waiting, I’m polishing another novel, and have it almost ready to go. It is set in Toronto, with side trips to Rome, Venice, Florence and Dubrovnik. A lot of fun to write. It’s working title is HIDDEN.
I’ve started planning another, which occupies my thoughts much of the day. This one will require more research, especially into the world of art restoration.

Sakineh Ashtiani still sits in that Iranian jail, awaiting her stoning sentence to be carried out. Latest news is at this link:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/d5bpwvs

Publishing and still waiting, cont.

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The proof copy is in the mail! Now I’m waiting on Canada Post. In the meantime, I’m sending out a few queries to Canadian agents for another novel, HIDDEN. This one isn’t in the Dangerous Journeys series although the protagonist is well-travelled by book’s end. Below is a very short synopsis:

Bella, a young Toronto doctor, leaves her narrow life, bounded by her condo, her addiction meetings and her volunteer work at a refugee centre, to save her immigrant clients from a gang of imported thugs from Chechnya. The next three weeks take her from Toronto to Rome to Venice to Dubrovnik, finally bringing her face to face with a killer in a toolshed in Toronto.

Writing synopses is one of the more difficult tasks for a novelist. One needs to write more than one: one for the jacket and then a series for different agents and different publishers. There isn’t uniformity in the publishing world.

And then there is something else called the “pitch”. This is a very short, 20 second sentence that can be blurted out to agents or publishers at conferences, at lunch or in the elevator. It seems strange to me that a decision on whose work to read can depend on a practiced sentence, possibly not even written by the speaker.

Another item is “the hook”, a brief description of some aspect of the work that sets it aside from others and can capture the reader.

All this for the business of writing.

Publishing and waiting cont.

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I heard from the publisher a couple of days ago, well, two, that  No Motive for Murder, the proof copy is on its way to me. Now the waiting depends on the USA post office, Canada Post and customs.

In the meantime, I’m working on the press release and trying to solve a strange problem. For some reason, Word for Mac can’t connect with Amazon from a hyperlink in a document. It connects with Barnes&Nobel, my local bookstore, the publisher, but not Amazon.

I joined a site called Blogtour.org which puts together bloggers and people who want to promote  a book. Kersten L. Kelly is touring for her new book Ec*o*nom*ics: A Simple Twist on Normalcy. I’ll be hosting her on Sept. 5/2012 for a guest post and an author interview.

Publishing a novel

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I’ve been away from the blog for two weeks or so, correcting proofs of my latest book in the Dangerous Journeys  Series. When the manuscript is finished and sent to the publisher, in my case electronically, time passes, and then it is returned, or at least the files are, downloaded to some vast internet cloud, and then to me. Line by line, error by error, recorded first on legal pads and then into Excel, and finally it is ready to return to the publisher. The process repeats itself, she corrects, then I correct again, and finally we both agree that we can find no more errors, omissions or outright howlers. After that, I wait, and wait and wait, while mysterious manipulations go on to convert the files to e-book format and prepare for the paper press as well.

In the meantime, I write and then of course, rewrite, a press release, find multiple free services that could disperse the press release across the internet, and read books about marketing and the importance of an author platform. So  I sign up for twitter, post more books at Goodreads, expand my Linkedin network and ask friends and relatives to post my press release when the book is ready. And then I wait some more. A problem with the files at the printer, I’m told, is delaying the appearance of NO MOTIVE FOR MURDER.

I  return to writing, now a rewrite of a book that has been hanging around in a virtual drawer. It was fun to write and now even in rewrite, mostly because of the settings, besides Toronto, my protagonist travels to Rome and Venice, Bari and Dubrovnik.

I’m still waiting.

Marketing—an update

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I’ve been investigating different avenues for marketing my books and the latest is Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com. If you haven’t found this site, check it out. There are millions, yes more than five million of them—reading, reviewing, interacting with each other and with authors, suggesting books, and making friends. My two first books are posted there and yesterday I uploaded a short story as a sort of appetizer. Reviews gratefully accepted.

What startled me about the site, aside from the ease of use were all those members. So much for the death of the book. Rather than sound the death-knell for the written word, electronic media seems to be resuscitating it.