LUCKY NO. 7

I started today's post with a quote that I found on Facebook, that I think is quite apt for the story I am about to share with you. The name of the story is Lucky No. 7. I wrote it for a supernatural literature class I did last year.

The guidelines for the story were that it must be set locally and have one of the following tropes/elements of the weird/supernatural genre; The Ghost, The Bad Place/Haunted House or Locale, The Vampire, The Doppelganger, Cosmic Horror, The Zombie.The terror in the story could either be internal or external.

My story is set in Port Of Spain, around the Savannah. The tropes/elements of the weird/supernatural present in my story are The Bad Place/Haunted House or Locale and the idea of the doppelganger. The terror in Lucky No. 7 is internal.

  A doppelganger — also written "doppelgaenger" or "doubleganger" — is quite simply a double. It can be a ghost or physical apparition, but it is usually a source of psychological anxiety for the person who sees it. The word comes from the German Doppelgänger, literally meaning "double-goer," and has found widespread use in popular culture. (wisegeek.com)

Earlier I stated that Lucky No. 7 contains the idea of the doppelganger, I used the word idea because it is not exactly what a doppelganger is although it is a source for psychological anxiety in the person, namely the mother, who sees it.

The link below will take you to the story.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_eKOq9mvv-GdXJMX3Yxa19iMFE

 

RANDOM BUT INTERESTING TWITTER...ISH...WRITER'S EDITION

This installment of random but interesting twitter-ish...writer's edition focuses mainly on tools that can help make the writing process easier. These tools are not only useful for aspiring authors like myself or established authors but can also benefit anyone who has a project, assignment or any task for that matter that    requires them to get from point A to point B. Some of you maybe wondering what manner of sorcery is this, no sorcery or magic, just logic or rather logistics; it helps you plot the things needed from start to finish of your given task. Without further ado, the first tweet up....

Tools for novel writing and short story writing was tweeted by one of the authors I follow Thea Harrison. I have not read any of Thea's work as yet but her books are on my Amazon wishlist...just a little detour because I can't help myself, love talking books and authors...back to the topic at hand. This first tweet is about the aforementioned tools that can make the writing process easier. I wish I had known about these earlier in my journey because they could have been incorporated into my tools of the writing trade posts as well as in my story. Luckily, I'm not that far into the story (thanks to other assignments) so they can be integrated into the story and besides it is never too late to use knowledge. There are a number tools highlighted on the blog All Write but I just chose a few to spotlight in this post. The link to the blog will be posted below so that those interested can check out the entire list.

The planning tools for novel and short story writing are as follows:

Mind Maps

Mind Maps "...are useful for brainstorming your initial ideas"

Wikipedia defines Mind Maps as

a diagram used to visually outline information. A mind map is often created around a single word or text, placed in the center, to which associated ideas, words and concepts are added. Major categories radiate from a central node, and lesser categories are sub-branches of larger branches.^[1] Categories can represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items related to a central key word or idea.

Timelines

Timelines "are a useful tool for anything that needs a chronological order."

 Wikipedia defines timelines as

a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and (usually) events labeled on points where they would have happened.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding is a drawing "...of key scenes that sometimes pop into [the author's ] head."

 According to Wikipedia

Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence.

The storyboarding process, in the form it is known today, was developed at the Walt Disney Studio during the early 1930s, after several years of similar processes being in use at Walt Disney and other animation studios.

Storyboards are also used in music videos and advertising as well as in writing. When used in writing it helps the author visualize "important scenes or character conflicts."

Storyboards, mind maps and timelines can either be drawn by hand or they can be done in a word document or  as a power point. I chose that particular mind map, timeline and storyboard to show that anyone can use mind maps not only writers. If you want to see what a writer's mind map and timeline look like as well as find out more about the other writing tools click on the link below.

http://allwritefictionadvice.blogspot.com/2011/01/tools-for-short-story-and-novel-writing.html

Next tweet up is another Thea Harrison tweet, this one is about writing with rhythm. This is another set of tools I wish I had known about earlier in my journey. There are five tips for writing with rhythm, alternating sentence length, relocating words and phrases, embracing sentence fragments, matching mood to rhythm, and applying tension and release. For this post I am highlighting only three of the five tips.

Alternating sentence lengths can be done by varying the number of words or by

introduc[ing] a comical character with a statement that resembles a clumsy person stumbling down a stairway — then bring the headlong descent to a sudden stop with a concise comment. Describe a tortuous bureaucratic procedure with a run-on-and-on sentence, and then figuratively snap your fingers at it with a brusque reaction.

Embracing sentence fragments is one that I have seen many authors I love embrace. I was looking for an excerpt to post but that is taking too long because I'm getting sidetracked by reading so instead I'll use two lines from the the article 5 Tips About Writing with Rhythm, one of which is a sentence fragment so you get an idea of how it's done.

As a matter of fact, there never was such a regulation, except in the hidebound handbooks of grim grammarians. No kidding.

When matching rhythm to moods one should

 Let the length and rhythm of a sentence match the mood you wish to impart. A description of a beautiful landscape or an account of a rapturous experience should cascade like a rippling waterfall or undulate with the peaks of valleys of sensual imagery. Longer sentences punctuated with alliteration and assonance and laced with metaphors evoking physical sensations will help readers immerse themselves in the places and events you describe.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/5-tips-about-writing-with-rhythm/

The last tweet to be highlighted today is my favorite of all three because it answers the all important question, at what point can you call yourself a write? Most persons unless they are writers never really get what it means to be an author or when you become an author for that matter. The article At What Point Can You Call Yourself A Writer eloquently describes it so I'm ending this post with an excerpt from it, hope you all enjoy!  

...it’s not the published book that makes you a writer. You’re a writer because of the things you notice in the world, and the joy you feel stringing the right words together so they sound like music. You’re a writer because you can imagine something in such detail that it comes to life. You’re a writer because you’re obsessed with making your ideas clearer, tighter, fiercer. You’re a writer because you have every reason to stop (it takes too much time, pays too little, and the rejection hurts too terribly), but you can’t do it. It’s not that you love to write so much as you need to write.

You’re a writer because you’re weird in the ways you want to continue being weird. And because even as you’re pretending to listen to the conversation that’s now wound its way back to lawn fertilizer and Little League, you’re digging in your purse for a pen (okay, a lipstick will do) so you can jot down the way your neighbor’s mouth sags on one side. And as you try to find just the right words, you realize it’s this quality—this human frailty—that finally allows you to connect.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/at-what-point-can-you-call-yourself-a-writer

  

CONFESSIONS OF A *GASP* BOOKAHOLIC

It is said, that the first step to overcoming an addiction is admitting you have a problem. While I freely confess, that yes I am a "bookaholic" who owns over one thousand books in multiple formats and on multiple devices,  I in no way want to overcome my addiction, instead I want to embrace and celebrate it.

This post does that, it charts how my addiction started, why I NEVER want it to end and those who enable it. My enablers are two-fold; those who supply me with books and those who write the "book crack" I am addicted to.

I have been reading ever since I can remember, been addicted to books pretty much since then too. There are so many things I love about books.

I love the knowledge I gain from them, being sucked into a story, being transported to different worlds, visiting different countries just with the flip of a page, being so lost within their depths that I am oblivious to everything and everyone around me, having my imagination engaged by them, being at the edge of my seat can't wait to find out what happens next, being able to escape within their confines when I need to escape, falling in and out of love with the characters, experiencing every emotion under the sun while reading them and the hours/days of entertainment and enjoyment they bring me. BUT what I love the most, what has bewitched me so is the fact that words, not just any words but the right combination of words creates a vivid mental picture in my mind, that is what has cast a spell on me and holds me firmly within its silken web. That is also what fired my passion for writing at a very young age.

One of my dreams is to be able to create mental pictures, engage the mind and emotions of my readers, have them on the edge of their seat, not able to bear parting with my books for even a second, fall in love with my heroes and get goosebumps when they read my stories. I'm not on that level as yet but I WILL get there, in the meantime I want to share some of the authors who engender these feelings within me.

But first, I should let you know that

I really do love them and I am PROUD and UNAPOLOGETIC about that love. I love romance novels in all forms, be it paranormal, suspense, historical, contemporary or urban fantasy. My love affair with romance can be traced all the way back to my childhood and my obsession with fairy-tales. Back then the enabler of my addiction was my mother. She didn't always have money to buy me brand new books but she had a library card that she used, to get me "new" books.

Fast forward a few years, my sister joins a book-club and starts bringing me books, she becomes my enabler. Fast forward, a year later this time, I become my own enabler as I begin going to the book-club. Pretty soon borrowing books is not enough for me because there are certain books that I just could not bear to part with, so I began buying books and the rest as they say is history. Some of the authors I am about to share with you, were introduced to me through the aforementioned book-club.

First author up is Emma Holly, she is a USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books. The first book I ever read by her was Personal Assets. I borrowed this book from the book-club. It was not on any of the shelves in the store mind you, it was behind the cashier's counter. On numerous occasions, while in the store I would see other women get books from behind that counter and I would wonder what the difference was between those on the shelves and the ones behind the counter. I soon found out the difference when one of the girls who worked there pulled Personal Assets from under the counter as I came up to cash and said "you should try this, I think you'll like it." Like pales in comparison to what I felt during and after reading that book, I absolutely LOVED it, until that point I wasn't aware there were books like that available. Personal Assets was a definite eye opener and mind blower for me. Of course I've read many books since then that will make it look tame in comparison, but it will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first. I became an instant Emma Holly fan after reading it, I am still and will always be a fan of her writing. Just a for your information announcement, Emma was a traditionally published author who has now become an indie/self published author. If you want to know more about Emma Holly and her books visit her website, her twitter and/or her Facebook page.

http://www.emmaholly.com/

https://twitter.com/EMMAHOLLY1

http://www.facebook.com/EmmaHolly.author?ref=ts

Being a fan of Emma Holly introduced me to the next author, Lora Leigh. How? I bought an anthology that featured an Emma Holly story, Lora Leigh was also one of the authors featured in that book. After reading The Breed Next Door I fell in love with Lora's writing. She has a way of writing heroes that makes you wish they would fall out of the pages of fantasy into reality. Tarek Jordan the hero from A Breed Next Door is one such hero so to is Reno Chavez, Clint McIntyre, Kell Kreiger (all are from her Tempting Seals series) as well as Nathan Malone, Micah Sloane (both are from her Elite Ops series) Dawg McKay and Alex Jansen (Nauti series).  She is also a bestselling author, a number one New York Times bestselling author to be exact. I have all, except ten of her books. She has written a lot of books so my missing ten says a lot. If you want to know more about Lora and various series' follow the links below.

http://www.loraleigh.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=56

http://www.facebook.com/loraleighauthor

http://loraleighmusings.blogspot.com/

Next author up is Lorelei James. I was introduced to her books by a member of the Lora Leigh Chatters (a yahoo group for Lora Leigh fans) who recommended her. Lorelei James, like Lora Leigh is also a NYT bestselling author but where Lora writes paranormal and suspense stories, Lorelei writes contemporary western stories. She made cowboys and bull riders sexy before her books my only knowledge of cowboys came from westerns that starred the likes of John Wayne *snickering at the abuse he used to mete out to his penis with those gun belts...nobody else wore them like that..too funny* and Clint Eastwood (love him, he starred in my favorite western The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) neither of whom I find sexy in the least. Lorelei also has that ability, to write heroes that you wish would jump into your reality, Cord McKay is one such cowboy. I could tell you all about him but you should really experience him for yourself so go read Cowgirl Up and Ride! To learn more about Lorelei's scrumptious heroes visit her website, blog, twitter and Facebook pages. Oh I almost forgot to mention that she writes mysteries under another name, Lori Armstrong. She is also a multi-award winning author under this name.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorelei-James/290172309459?fref=ts

http://www.loreleijames.com/home.php

http://loreleijames.com/blog/

https://twitter.com/loreleijames

https://twitter.com/LoriGArmstrong

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-Armstrong/420276695091?fref=ts

The last but not least author I will share with you today is Karen Marie Moning. I was introduced to KMM in the book-club I mentioned earlier. Like Lora Leigh she is also a #1 New Times Bestselling author. Karen Marie Moning was the first author that took me to Scotland, with her RITA award winning Highlander series. Since then I have traipsed through the highlands many times over but none of those stories compares to my favorite books by the incomparable Karen Marie Moning. I love the entire series but these four books are my favorite, Highlander's Touch (Circenn's story), Kiss of the Highlander (Drustan's story), Dark Highlander (Drustan's twin Dageus' story) and last but most certainly not least Spell of the Highlander (Cian's story)...if I had sons these would be their names. I was sad to see this series end but then she wrote my newest obsession/addiction, her Fever series which introduced me to Urban Fantasy. Urban Fantasy wasn't all it introduced me to, it also introduced me to JERICHO BARRONS *dreamy sigh* now that is a man or rather a beast, to be honest I'm not really sure what he is but I can tell you this he is HOT! Follow the links below to find out more about Karen Marie Moning and her addicting series'.

http://www.karenmoning.com/kmm/

http://www.facebook.com/KarenMarieMoningfan?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/KarenMMoning

This concludes today's post, I hope you enjoyed reading it!

NOTE: I could have shared more about these authors and their works but I did not want to offend any delicate sensibilities since all authors write erotic scenes. The above list of authors are just some of my favorites there are  MANY other authors whose books I also enjoy reading. The same goes for books, there are MANY that are on my favorites list.

I'll leave you all with a song whose title aptly describes my response to books, I can never have enough, so just "gimme me, gimme me more..."

   

RANDOM BUT INTERESTING TWITTER...ISH

Random but interesting twitter ish is a lot different to anything else I have posted thus far. It still focuses on things that pertain to writing but it also focuses on stuff that we did in class and also things that are just too darn cool not to mention.

Everything in this post was tweeted or retweeted by authors I follow and all of today's screen shots are courtesy of the screen grabber app on my phone. Now that, that's out of the way, on to the topic at hand.

First tweet up has to do with writing, well writers actually as it focuses on the fact that they are two times more likely to commit suicide than non-writers. Naturally, my eyes bugged out while reading this, I mean what the hell, this is so not what I signed up for when I decided to be an author, back in primary school.

Now don't get me wrong, I knew there were writer's who had killed themselves but I wasn't aware that being a writer actually put one at risk of being two times more likely to commit suicide.

Armed with this new knowledge, I couldn't help but think that writing needed to come with some sort of warning label (giving voice to those stories in your head can lead you to take your own life) so that potential authors knew upfront the hazards of the trade. Just an aside, it would not have changed my path then or now knowing what I know now but for arguments sake let's roll with this train of thought.

Some of you all may be wondering why put a warning label on a career? My response, they do it for cigarettes and technically for the protective services so why not do it for writing too? Everyone knows that smoking can kill, just like they know that joining any one of the protective services can lead to death as well but how many know that writing, something that keeps you for the most part indoors, behind a desk and in front of a computer, supposedly out of harm's way, also has the potential to kill? Honestly, how many people would believe that? I rest my case.

Yes, I am aware that I am being a tad melodramatic and yes, I know that not every writer will be affected by this but it had me wondering why an author would take his or her own life in the first place?  I want to say writing is a double edged sword but it isn't really that, it is more of a Harvey Two-Face, meaning it has a good side and a bad/messed up side to it just like most everything in this world.

Most persons put pen to paper to exorcise "demons," I must admit I have used writing as a form of therapy and I must say it is quite an effective catharsis. However writing is in no way, shape or form a substitute for professional help because there are some demons that writing just cannot exorcise no matter how many times or ways you write it. As Nathan Branford said in his blog, " If you feel yourself struggling, please, find the help you need,"  and I will add to this, leaving it untreated will lead to depression and eventually suicide.

Depression from a writer's stand point in my opinion stems from two things, one of which is "demons" that the individual carries with him/her from past experiences, be it from childhood, or adulthood; the second one stems from not having your work recognized or received the way you thought it would and not having your career take off like you envisioned it would.

Depression and suicide are not to be taken lightly, if you or anyone you know are having these feelings or thoughts please get help and remember that admitting you have a problem is not a weakness, trying to cover up said problem is when weakness steps in.

Note: I am not a mental health or any other type of health care professional, these are just my thoughts and opinions. Below is the link to Nathan Bransford's blog, for those interested in reading it.  

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/11/writers-and-suicide.html

On a lighter note, from the too darn cool not to mention tweets, is an unmanned library located in the Tokyo subway. Seriously how cool is it that this library does not have a librarian or a library assistant yet is fully functional? How does it work, well there are bookcases that look like "an old fashioned metro train filled with books. When commuters use the subway they can browse the bookshelves for a book they would like to read, then they borrow the book and return it to the shelves when they are finished. It is truly amazing to me that they understand and respect the way a library should work, meaning they understand that library books are for everyone to read and enjoy not like what happens here in Trinidad and Tobago where you borrow a book, love it and steal it thus robbing everyone else of enjoying that book as well.

A library like this would be a nice addition to City Gate but sadly Trinbagonians would not appreciate it and use it the way it should be used. I am pretty sure that within ten minutes of the library being set up all the books would be gone never to be seen again...tells us a lot about ourselves doesn't it?

http://popupcity.net/2012/11/a-free-library-in-the-tokyo-subway/

After Barack Obama was re-elected to office some teens posted hate tweets as well as put up hate statuses on Facebook. I had seen references to these tweets but it was only when Lauren Dane retweeted an @Jezebel tweet that I actually saw what everyone was tweeting about..

I knew after seeing the "N" word in this tweet that I should not click on the link but my curiosity got the better of me. You know that curiosity that does not heed warnings even when there are clear indicators (like the "N" word in this case) that tell you, you will be disgusted, angry, annoyed and sad if you watch this, kind of like watching a gory accident you know it is going to gross you out and upset you but you watch it anyway, yes that was me. Even though I knew it would disgust, anger and annoy me, plus make me sad, I still clicked on the link, I could not help myself.

The things that really got to me the most, besides the obvious was the fact that they could not spell and also that they were quoting their parents. Why oh why are they still preaching hate five hundred or so years after slavery was abolished? I will never as long as I live understand it.

I contemplated tweeting a response to them but in the end I realized it was not worth it and besides that I could only see things getting worse and it did get worse. I saw this tweet a few days later

This tweet brings us to one of the topics we discussed in class, cyber-bullying. While I would not exactly call what happened so far cyber-bulling since it is nowhere near what was done to the guy who abused the leather-back turtles, I think it has the potential to get to that level.

After reading the article I am of two minds, I believe there should be some sort of consequence for their actions but I am not sure that making fun of the fact that they cannot spell or that reporting them to the schools they attend is the right type of punishment. Then I think maybe reporting them to the schools is the right thing to do because their parents probably won't discipline them since they are spewing the hate they hear at home, plus the fact that they used their real Twitter and Facebook accounts to post shows that they believe there is nothing wrong with their behaviour, so maybe being thrown off the football etc though I doubt it, might actually make them realize that they did something wrong. What do you think?             

http://jezebel.com/5958490/twitter-racists-react-to-that-nigger-getting-reelected/gallery/1?utm_campaign=socialflow_jezebel_twitter&utm_source=jezebel_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

http://gigaom.com/2012/11/09/when-does-shaming-racist-kids-turn-into-online-bullying/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I am ending this post on a high note, with something that I think is innovative and sheer brilliance and a bit gross too. This is from the too cool not to mention tweets, what is it? It is a urine powered generator. It was invented by four teenage girls from Africa, the oldest is just fifteen years old.

Anytime I hear about Africa it is always about Aids, or malnutrition, or poverty, or drought, the list goes on and on. When I came across this tweet I knew I had to mention it in a post, I knew I had to salute these four girls for creating something that has the potential to help millions all over the world. They took something  that is seen as waste, that is flushed down a toilet and made it into power, that deserves an award of some kind in my opinion. Since I don't have any have those to give out I dedicate this post to their brilliance...Well done ladies, well done indeed!!!

http://io9.com/5958887/oh-this-just-some-teenage-girls-from-africa-who-invented-a-urine+powered-generator?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_twitter&utm_source=io9_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow  

FINALLY! THE JOURNEY BEGINS...THE WRITING PROCESS

The writing process is easier said than done, I of course found that out when I sat down to be begin writing my short story, The BoogeyMan. Even though I knew the story inside and out, from beginning, to middle, to end having had it in my mind for months I had some issues putting my ideas to" paper" so to speak.

I had been writing this story for most of the weekend and I did not like any of the drafts I had so far so I sat down a little while ago and I wrote from scratch. I must say I like this draft a whole lot better than the others so this is the one I am putting up on Google docs and sharing with you all.

I know I will write and re-write the beginning of this story until I think it is right because I'm just anal like that, I always have several drafts of any and everything I write, anyway this is The BoogeyMan so far, I hope you all enjoy the first 363 words.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rvJkfi7_F2WWvM8UGWhw77QsevHGwwl8gJS7CI1RC3M/edit

THE UNVEILING...RIPPING AWAY THE BAND-AID

Today I am ripping the band-aid off, taking the plunge and putting my work out there.  Yes folks I am unveiling a story I wrote last year entitled, The Prefect. To help with the unveiling I am enlisting the help of Google Docs. I have uploaded the story and will share the link later on in the post.

First I want to tell you all a bit about the story. There are no spoilers in this post, I promise. I wrote The Prefect specifically for a creative writing course that I took last year with Earl Lovelace. I read it in class and was given the following advice, the beginning was too wordy so I changed it from, "This is how it all began. I bet you thought I was gonna say something maudlin like this is how I died, yeah, no, before you jump to conclusions, let me assure you this is not that type of story. But what does happen is that become so corrupt you may mistake me for a Politician, but I am not. Although, it is strange how this one little change in my life turned me a once innocent and pure individual into a dark villainous character." To  "In the recounting of this tale you may mistake me for a Politician on account of how corrupt I become, but I am not! Although, it is strange..."

I was also told that each word should count and I must admit that was some pretty sound advice. All authors have to abide by certain word limits based on whatever piece of writing they are working on, be it a short story, a novel etc. Even the contest I am entering has a word limit on it, the story must be between 2000 and 5000 words.I think this might be a bit of a challenge for me but it's one I will meet head-on. Anyway without further ado here is the link to The Prefect. I hope you all enjoy it!

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_eKOq9mvv-GaEtqdTlicG9fa28

 

TOOLS OF THE TRADE PART 5

Today marks the end of the tools of the writing trade posts. It's kind of sad and also nerve-wracking too because it heralds the beginning of the writing process, where I actually sit and write The BoogeyMan. Anyway this last post focuses on one of the most important aspects of writing a story, character. There are several different  types of characters; flat, round, stock, protagonist and antagonist.

Flat Characters are minor characters in a work of fiction who do not undergo any substantial change or growth during the course of the story. Flat Characters are also known as two-dimensional characters or static characters. They play a supporting role to the main character. Examples of static characters are Cinderella's wicked stepmother and Mr Collins from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

On the other hand, Round Characters encounter conflict and are irrevocably changed by it. They tend to be more developed than flat characters. Round Characters are also known as main characters, major characters and dynamic characters. Example of round character is Dark Vader.

Meanwhile Stock Characters are easily recognized and accepted by the reader and requires no development by the writer. Stock Characters are so easily recognized and accepted because their characteristics and mannerisms  are drawn from widely known cultural types. Examples of stock characters are the mad scientist and the dumb blonde.

The Protagonist also known as the main character or hero is the character the reader empathizes with.

The antagonist however opposes the hero and is not very well liked but usually provides conflict whenever he/she is present.  

There are different methods of developing characters, Wikipedia lists them and defines them as

• Appearance explains or describes the character's outward appearance so the readers can picture them, and identify them relative to other characters.

• Dialogue is what characters say and how they say it.

• Action is what characters do and how they do it.

• Reaction of others is how other characters see and treat a main character.

To round up this last post I leave you with a YouTube video that focuses on  static characters, round characters and foils.