Me and the Words: A Tale of Critique

Tags

art, comments, critiquing, feedback, reactions, Son of a Pitch, stories, thoughts, writing

I like to critique. If I have something to read and comment on, I will happily set aside my crappy words and do it!

I love to read what other people have imagined.

After critiquing so many queries and first pages for Son of a Pitch, after going to my writers’ group and commenting, after sending numerous manuscripts back to their authors…I can’t help but wonder why people come to me. If what I say is helpful. Though I have been told it is.

I’m no expert on writing. I don’t really know if anyone is.

My hubs told me that I should be an editor…and I laughed. I know he was thinking of a way I could be paid for the work I put in, BUT I AM NOT AN EDITOR. I critique.

So what does that mean?

Critiquing for me is an immersive experience…especially if I have the words…listening at writers’ group is another thing, I’m not as good at the listening. I critique because I am an author and it is part of the job, a give and take kinda thing.

As I read, I make tons of comments. I ask all sorts of questions. I will point out where the words don’t make sense to me…where I get lost in the choreography…where a certain word doesn’t quite fit for me…basically any time my brain skips a beat and says…

But I also highlight the moments I love. The words that flow in a perfect wave…the moments in the story where I have a serious reaction (I will write what my exact reaction is, I have been told those can be humorous)…the moments I have thoughts about the characters or story…

So, basically…everything I think, I write down. I’m not telling anyone what to do. I’m not giving orders as to what must be done for the manuscript to be “good”. I’m giving my perspective, so the author can see one person’s interpretation of their work. We write with a single idea in mind, but writing is art and that is always seen in a million different ways. It’s always good to know how others envision it.

I ask questions for a very simple reason. Not because I think they all need to be answered in that paragraph, but to kick the author’s creative brain into gear, get the imagination flowing outside of the stream…to spark any ideas that the author never knew they wanted.

I write down my reactions so the author will know as a reader, what I am reacting to…what I am interested in. Of course, not everyone will react to the same things. I will react with a lot of flailing and all caps reactions to demon fights or creepy ghosts than kissing or falling in love.

That’s just me.

I expect authors to read my comments, to digest them, then to ignore all the questions that don’t spark any ideas, to ignore all the things that don’t matter. I expect the author to do what is right for their story. The author is the only one who can be certain their manuscript is finished (though I’m pretty sure no one knows when this thing called “finished” is).

I saw a tweet yesterday of an author who wanted to know about finding critique partners…about how one faces social anxiety and talking to people about their work. I have a group of trusted individuals who will read my crappy whatever drafts. They haven’t always been the same group. It takes time to find people. It takes guts to swap chapters to see if you will work well as CPs. It takes being open to what others have to say, but knowing what you need to hear and how you need to hear it to help push you to be the best writer you can be.

It takes time to find people to trust with your words.

But critiques are important. Getting that view from someone outside the story is important. Growing as a writer is the objective.

 

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That’s No Moon, It’s a Space Station

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letting ideas grow, stories, thoughts, writing

Okay, so maybe the fact that the new Star Wars movie comes out tomorrow has influenced my title, but it makes sense…

I swear.

Earlier this month I submitted a horror short story to an anthology. Fingers crossed, kids.

Two people read it.

Carina and Sarah, my dearests! Just two of the nicest, bestest people out there!

And both told me that it should be a book. Well, both told me it should be a series of books. They both saw a bigger story waiting to be told. My first reaction was…WHAT? NO! But then…well, actually, I know tons about the main character and her family. I didn’t get to explore the Afterhere all the way. I would like to dive deeper into beliefs with this story.

Both of these fabulous ladies had so many ideas, sparked by my little story! That is the best! So my creative brain latched on and I have filed away the idea. Someday, I’ll write this series…The Afterhere series, YA horror. I’ve always wanted to do a YA horror! There just isn’t enough of it out there in the world.

So my little moon? Is a space station.

Little ideas can grow. Sometimes without warning. Feed them. Let them spread, blossom. Let all the thoughts run amok, for greatness could bloom.

Words and the World

Tags

characters talk to us, flexibility, never know where the story will go, right, stories, thoughts, writing, writing is hard, wrong

Writing is weird.

Writing makes no sense.

But it must, because so many of us can’t live without it.

I’ve written stories in a few days where every little detail clicked, where there was no need for serious revisions.

I’ve written stories in a few months where every scene was like pulling teeth, where the tale hid in the dark of my mind and I struggled to yank it free…or coax it into the light.

I’ve written stories where I knew exactly how it would end and that was that.

I’ve written thousands of words without the slightest idea how the tale would end.

I’ve written manuscripts certain of the outcome, only to reach the end and learn that I was wrong.

Being an author, for me anyway, has always demanded flexibility. I bend. I skip along the path only to find that the road crumbles away or another less formed path appears off to one side. I have learned to navigate the dark, uncertain streets of my mind, trusting the stories in my head to lead me in the right direction.

For when I fight it, when I make the characters stay within the designated area, they rebel.

So, I remain open. That willingness to listen can lead our minds to wonderful revelations that reveal who we are…showing us how the world, how what’s happening around us can influence us.

I am stepping into the third book of my Doors series…and since I made it a series, I knew how it would end. I KNEW!

But I was wrong. Bryn was my “chosen one”, I suppose, meant to save everyone. I know, how trite.

Over the last couple of days, I’ve been shown more of the end of the chapter of her life that I have been tasked to share. Bryn is chosen. She has a purpose, but it isn’t what I thought. My big bad “evil” The Darkness…is more than he seems. The Light…merely trying to do the best he can.

This final book is resonating with what I see in the world today, with how I emotionally react to what is happening in the world. All the I’m right and you’re wrong being screamed from the very roof tops, all the groups fighting to be heard.

There’s no right.

No wrong.

No good.

No bad.

Only choices.

Only people.

And we all have light and dark within us.

Halloween Night: Trick or Treat… Cover Reveal

Tags

anthology, cover reveal, Halloween, horror, illustrations, MG, stories, trick or treat, YA

So there’s this new book coming… it’s lurking in the shadows. Can you see it? Sense it?

The MG/YA horror anthology Halloween Night: Trick or Treat will be released into the world 10/27/15 from Hocus Pocus & Co.

Halloween Night: Trick or Treat on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25673465-halloween-night

And the cover is FABULOUSLY CREEPILY SPOOKY AWESOME!

Halloween Night: Trick or Treat Blurb

Graveyards, spirits, witchcraft, black cats, candy, and haunted houses.

Strange things happen on Halloween. All Hallows Eve is the single night where the veil between the living and the dead is opened. And now spirits, monsters, and candy will collide!

Seventeen authors and illustrators set out on a horrific journey to set the record straight. What really happens on Halloween night? Trick or Treating is not all fun and games. There are more tricks than treats scattered through these pages. Sure, All Hallows eve can be a scream. But sometimes, it’s straight-up murder.

Halloween Night: Trick-or-Treat is a middle grade and young adult horror anthology that falls on Halloween night.

Read if you dare! You’re in for a scare!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Congrats to everyone involved!

Stories & Illustrations Include:

Big Brother Zombie by Evan Purcell

Give Us Something Good to Eat by Rie Sheridan Rose

Halloween Ritual by Amy Giuffrida

Haunter by Ryan Bartlett

Hello Annie by Tiffany Morris

It’s All a Bunch of Hocus Pocus by Violette Ulalume

Knock, Knock by Jennifer Moore

Ms. Holstein’s Special Halloween Treat by Chad P. Brown

Night of Monsters by Matthew Wilson

Something Good to Eat by Patrick Hueller

The House of Sam Hain by Betty Rocksteady

Sweet Nothing by Julie Hutchings

The Ghost by David N. Smith and Violet Addison

The Peeping Trick-or-Treaters by Kevin Lewis

Tricks and Treats, and Chicken Feet by Shawn Anderson

What Lurks in the Darkness by Kathleen Palm

YES! THAT’S MEEEE!!!!! I can’t wait to read all the stories.

 

More from the Publisher

Hocus Pocus & Co. believes in in all things scary. We are a small publishing house that wishes Halloween was all year long and loves what goes bump in the night.

Hocus Pocus & Co. is headed by Jolene Haley, who noticed that horror was an unrepresented category in MG, YA, and NA and is working hard to change that!

Hocus Pocus & Co. on the web: http://hocuspocusco.com/

Hocus Pocus & Co. on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hocuspocusco

 

Cover Design by Cara Vescio

 

 

Join the book buzz using hashtag  #HocusPocusReads

Setting Foot on a New Path

Tags

Facebook, marketing, stories, Twitter, Wattpad, writing

I have taken a step down an unknown path.

Everyone calm down. I think I’ll be alright.

I think.

As a writer, I am constantly wondering how to get my stuff out there in the world so people can read it.

I query publishers. I wait. I write more words to keep tucked in my computer.

I wait.

There must be something I can do to get my name out there, so when one of my manuscripts finally, magically, fantastically becomes a REAL BOOK and goes out into the world I might sell a few… or several? One can dream.

Marketing. Now there’s a scary word. It implies interacting with… *gulp*… people. It hints at being a part of the real world. I like to write the words. I’m pretty good at it. But marketing? In this I will fail, hence me NOT taking the self-pubbing path. For all those who do… BRAVO!

So I have a blog… Hello!

I am on Twitter. I LOVE IT THERE. MY PEOPLE ARE THERE!

Two of my stories have been published in an anthology! I know everyone rushed out to get it… right? Fairly Twisted Tales for a Horribly Ever After published by Reuts Publishing! No? That’s okay, I still ❤ you. But you can check it out here, for hardcover, Nook, or Kindle! *bats eyes*

Well, that was a shameless plug.

Back to the topic…

Many resources exist for marketing. Many of which, I know nothing about. Facebook… Goodreads… and one I just (I mean moments ago, kids) set foot on…

Wattpad. I published a short story. *breathes*

If you remember back in October, I had a short posted on the Pen and Muse blog in their Haunted House Showcase. It is now out in the world on Wattpad for everyone’s enjoyment. Well, unless horror isn’t your thing, then I’d stay away because it’s a little creepy.

I have quite a few short stories sitting about, collecting dust. Why not toss them into the fray. Maybe, someone will like them… and say, that Kathleen Palm person, I like her writing.

I would die of joy.

All the writers out there! Carry on the good fight to be seen, to be read, to be awesome! Together we can cut our way through the jungle of marketing. We will survive!

*draws sword*

FOR NARNIA!!!!!!

Fairly Twisted Tales for a Horribly Ever After… Release Day!

Tags

anthology, ProjectREUTSway, release day, Reuts Publications, scary fairy tales, stories

IT’S HERE!

A fabulous contest.

So many writers,

judges,

editors,

illustrators,

AND TONS OF WAITING!

Finally, all the hard work has paid off. We release our stories out into the world! Mwahahahahahaha! These aren’t your momma’s fairy tales. Leave the lights on.

 

 

Blurb: When it comes to fairy tales, there are plenty of things that go bump in the night. Things so morbid and grotesque, so sinister and diabolical, they haunt your imagination; warnings from generations past that still manage to terrify.

 In 2013, authors came together for the annual Project REUTSway writing competition, penning their own interpretive twists on stories we’re all familiar with. Seventeen were chosen, bringing twenty-five new versions to life. From The Brother’s Grimm, to Hans Christian Andersen and beyond, these tales are not the ones you grew up with. They are, however, Fairly Twisted Tales for a Horribly Ever After. Dare to find out what happens when “once upon a time” ends in the stuff of nightmares?

 An exclusive hardcover will be available from REUTS Publications in the coming weeks, but you can devour these stories now for Kindle and Nook!

 

This NaNoWriMo season, REUTS Publication is inviting you join us in creating the next talented collection. So brush up on your histories, legends, and cultural lore, because we’ll be looking for the most original, fantastic versions of tales that have braved the centuries. The globe-trotting of world mythology will make weekly theme stops to visit Egyptian, Celtic, and even more rich lore from other areas of the world. This all starts November 1st, so make sure to grab your pens and ready those typing muscles for the twists that will be revealed on the Project REUTSway on twitter, or on their website.  

 

Two of my twisted fairy tales appear in this book, and I contributed an illustration too! The entire experience was fabulous! Go read all the incredibly twisted stories and marvel over the wondrous drawings. GO!

And am I participating in this year’s ProjectReutsWay?

YES! Of course, I am.

Are you?

 

 

#Everyday Is Halloween

Tags

#EverydayIsHalloween, challenges, October, scary, stories, writing

Happy October!

In honor of the month, one of my favorites, I have decided to jump into a little party going on at the Midnight Society blog! #EverydayIsHalloween

Each day has been assigned a word to inspire a pic or short story. So I thought… why not? Right? You only live once and all that. Will I get something on here every day this month?

Maybe?

We’ll see. If I do… great, if I don’t, well, I’ll have fun with what I can get done.

I participated in their top scare flash fiction contest last month. My mailbox story, which you can read here, didn’t win. *sigh* But, hey, getting beat by a sorority-girl-eating monster works for me. And they have set another challenge this month, so I’m letting my brain think up a new flash fiction piece inspired by a pumpkin patch. I can’t resist.

Must.

Write.

Stories.

I might need an intervention.

Anywayssss…

Today the #EverydayIsHalloween word is… words. *giggles* The word is words… *snorts*

Okay, I’m back. So I saw this post yesterday and am going to write something creepy (hopefully) right here off the top of my head. If it sucks, please forgive me.

Words

Whispers attack from the darkness, wrapping around my frazzled mind. Jagged and harsh, the words assault my senses.

Forever speaking. Forever screaming.

Get out! Go away! You don’t belong.

Faceless voices full of power cry from out of the murkiness surrounding me. I huddle in the corners, creeping through cold spots, searching for warmth.

Yet, faith fuels the words that drive me away, pushing me into the void of nothingness that awaits everyone.

In the name of our Lord, get out!

My soul spirals into the blackness of what waits. Lost, because of the words.

End

Hmm… who knew it would end like that? Not me.

Until tomorrow… maybe. #EverydayIsHalloween

A final note: The fabulous Elise Elmore (author of The Undead Playing for Keeps) has nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award! I thank her and am figuring out exactly what that means…

 

 

The Ride that is Life … the New, the Scary, and the Blah

Tags

contest, life, magic, puppy, stories, stress, thoughts, writing

Hello, Monday!

Blog day when I search my head for what has been tumbling around in there and write about it. However, today, not much stomps through my brain. Well, I take that back. Plenty of things are roaming the darkness that is my mind, perhaps that’s why I can’t focus on one topic.

Let’s celebrate those weeks where all sorts of cool things are set to happen, when we let go of the stress and are ready to enjoy the ride. I sit here, on Monday morning, ready for the week, for all the fun, the unexpected, whatever wants to roll my way. Bring it on, life.

We have closed the pool. Whew. That is a load off my thoughts.

I have clipped, pruned, and weeded… fall yard work can be checked off the list.

I finished critiquing a manuscript last night. Yea!

The weight on my shoulders has lifted. I feel free. Accomplishment is a fabulous friend.

So I look forward to what this week brings.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), our puppy gets to come home. The kids don’t know, but he will be here to welcome them home from school. They will be so HAPPY! My excitement (he is so cute!) is dimmed by a nervous energy, and, if you know me, you know I don’t like change… it makes me a panicked mess. Do not be surprised if the next blog post is me pulling my hair out at how many messes I’ve cleaned or what has been destroyed by tiny puppy teeth.

Wednesday… let’s just take a moment and enjoy that October will be here! The beauty of fall will reach its peak in a couple of weeks. The colors. The chatter of the browned cornstalks. The chill in the air. *sigh* And HALLOWEEN! Even though my kids have decided they are too old for tick-or-treating (WHAT?) I will still find fun.

On Friday, my haunted house themed story will be posted on the Pen and Muse blog in their showcase! I had a great time writing that one. All the dark and creepy! I will be visiting their blog all month to read all the stories and see the art work.

Of course, Friday means the release of the movie Annabelle (did I spell that right?). I will see that… I will have nightmares, because creepy doll… but I will see that! Alone.

On Sunday, The Midnight Society will announce the winner of the flash fiction contest, you can read about that here https://findingfaeries.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/lets-celebrate-flash-fiction-conquered/. There aren’t many entered, so I might have a shot. *crosses fingers*

Anyway… maybe a rejection will poke its nose into the week, but oh well. I have more CPing to do and stories to revise and post on wattpad. I will share my triumph (hopefully) of that experience later.

I will enjoy what will come. I am letting the stress go, throwing my hands up and screaming in joy and prepared to laugh if it goes awry – cause it will, kids, this is life. If you stare out at a week full of the terrifyingly uncontrollable stuff, a week of exciting new developments, or a plain ol’ week of blah make sure to enjoy the ride. We only get one.

Laugh in the face of danger.

Smile at fate.

Keep your eyes open to all the possibilities.

Shine on, fellow riders. Don’t forget to look for the magic.

 

A Magical … and a Bit Creepy… Short Story

Tags

Believing, demons, fae, fantasy, fiction, ghosts, Guillermo del Toro, stories, thoughts, writing

My short story ‘The Day after I Died’ is now complete and posted – please check out all three parts in my menu at the top.

*bows* Thank you!

This story was my attempt at a bit of humor mixed with my favorite kind of weird … demon, faeries, or whatever you want to name it.

I believe in that stuff. Ghosts, demons, faeries, angels, and the other generally unexplainable exists behind a veil that most people’s limited vision can’t penetrate. All there and all the same, just given different names. Each person, who comes in contact with that other side, experiences something different. The person dying might witness an angel because they need comfort. Someone who is scared out of their mind will call it demon or ghost. Faerie isn’t a term as widely used anymore *points to my sad face*. But they’re there too … I recommend Guillermo del Toro’s movies ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’  or ‘Don’t be Afraid of the Dark’ for truly creepy fae.

Some people out there in the world, can see them. No not me. (I know! So depressing.) Some people are born with the gift and others gain it. When you die, I believe the veil lifts allowing you to SEE … all questions are answered, everything becomes known. So, when you die and are brought back, thanks to medical genuis, the veil remains gone.

I’ve watched ‘A Haunting’ on TV for years. I’ve seen ‘Paranormal Witness’. Encounters with these things from beyond don’t always go well, but I want my own experience. I want to see!

In my story, Beck dies, but is saved. Yea! Maybe. Now the veil has lifted for him. What is the thing he chases wildly through the city in his hospital gown? Demon? Faerie? Angel?

Anyone ever see a ghost? Anyone want to? Anyone think I’m crazy? *yells at hubs to put his hand down* *laughs* I’m not crazy.

The Magic of Fiction

Tags

adventure, books, Dr. Who, fiction, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, magic, magic of reading, movies, Narnia, stories, TV

Certain places call me, attract me, well, to be honest … I need them. And it’s not the ultra-cool, local bar. Heck, I’m not sure there is one around here.

There are people, who I long to visit, to follow on adventures, or just plain life. And they’re not my fabulous set of BFFs that live down the street. Yeah … friends? Funny. I’d have to talk to people.

No. I’m talking about fiction. And that might make me a sad hermit with social issues. OR it might make me awesome. Or a bit of both? I can handle that.

Books, movies, TV … stories take us places. That’s why we read and watch!

I workout. It’s an obsession. When I am on my rower or elliptical, there would be nothing sadder than me going nowhere on my machines staring into space. I would read, but I have a fear of falling off said machines and trying to turn the page would probably cause my death. And that would be bad … right?

Anyone? Well, someone would miss me. Probably the kids and hubs when there is no dinner or clean clothes.

Never mind … let’s get back on track.

So I watch movies and TV shows to entertain myself, possibly taking my mind off how tired I am or that I would love to collapse on the couch. Choosing movies to keep my brain occupied, while I burn off the tons of chocolate I ate the day before, is quite the process. Sometimes I know exactly what I want to watch and other times it’s more of a this-will-do scenario. But I have noticed trends, places I have to return to … characters and adventures I miss.

Hogwarts, Narnia, the Enterprise, Serenity (yes, I own the entire TV series on DVD), the Ingalls log house (another entire series I own on DVD), the TARDIS, the Millenium Falcon, Middle Earth, the Black Pearl, Camp Half Blood, and The Overlook Hotel. (A big THANKS to Mr. King for writing a sequel to that one!) TV, books, or movies, I go back to these worlds with a smile, knowing what I will find.

FABULOUSNESS!

I love them all, the magical worlds of fiction waiting to take me on journeys.

The end of the journey causes problems. When the Hogwarts Express arrives to take everyone home for the summer, my heart breaks. When the end credits role, I hum to the music, letting all my joy at the world I was allowed to visit sink into my soul. After flipping the last page and closing the cover, my finger traces the title. My mind lingers on all the emotion at saying good-bye to my friends. How many times have I called out to Kings Peter and Edmund, to Queens Susan and Lucy NOT TO GO IN THERE … THAT WILL TAKE YOU AWAY FROM NARNIA! But they never listen. When they tumble out of the wardrobe, I sigh. It can’t be over.

Can the TARDIS come back now? Doctor?

Beam me up Scotty, I want to explore strange new worlds.

Cap’n Mal? I’d love to help you rob that train.

Frodo, let me carry the Ring. Or better yet, I’ll go slay orcs with Legolas and Aragorn.

The Overlook can’t have exploded. I like it there. It’s creepy. Well, except for those hedge animals … they can burn. *shudder*

I don’t want to leave! *bangs on wardrobe doors* For Narnia!

I’m left wondering when I can return.

And there’s the magic. Not an if … but, when. All my favorite characters, the adventure and fantastical places wait for me on shiny discs, in words written forever in black and white, waiting for my imagination to bring them to life.

Recently I journeyed through the wardrobe to free Narnia, went back through the tunnel to meet Prince Caspian, and traveled through the picture to voyage on the Dawn Treader. At the end of each adventure, I sniffed back a few tears.

Now, after facing Voldemort and saving the Sorcerer’s Stone, after slaying the basilisk, I am ready to face the dementors with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. After watching Harry grow up and save the world, I’ll soon grab those books from their spots on my shelf, so pay attention to my ‘currently reading’ status on Goodreads. How can I stay away?

I CAN’T! Don’t make me.

We never have to leave. It’s hard when the story ends, but we carry pieces of the stories we love with us forever. All my favorite characters make me better, allowing me to view the world differently. The best tales change us, open our eyes. And lucky us, we can go back whenever we want.

Just like magic.

Where do you love to go? Who can’t you wait to visit again and again? I’m getting on the Hogwarts Express … wanna come?