IWSG 96: LOVE TO VISIT, BUT WOULDN’T WANT TO LIVE THERE

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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co-hosts

 J Lenni Dorner | Janet Alcorn | PJ Colando | Jenni Enzor | Diane Burton

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

 If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?

Worldbuilding for Our Pleasure

When you build a world, you include the landscape that your characters will inhabit, the tone of your story, its major preoccupations and themes, as well as the nature of its morality. Worldbuilding lays the groundwork for your characters to develop, providing the stage for where your creations will perform.

—Masterclass Post

Truth About Living in a Book I’D Read

I spend 80% of my reading time up to my elbows in mysteries. The other 20% in the horror and fantasy genre. I’m sure you see the problem. Living in those fascinating worlds with fearless heroes—of all identities—that pull some super stupid life saving stunts are not placed I could live.

Mostly because I wouldn’t last long.

I’m game joining Stephanie Plum, Grandma, and Lula doing their bounty hunter antics. It’s fairly safe watching them from afar. But I have a feeling I’d be eating at her parents place or limping around the burg, when she finally succeeded.

Sure, Middle Earth is great, but I’m pretty big for a hobbit. I know one of their holes could fit twelve dwarfs and Gandalf, but adding me would be pushing it. Not only am I magicless, always lost at hide ‘n seek, and I’d be pretty useless in a battle.

So there is that. And…

The world of New York’s Cop Central in 2057 was really fun. Love Eve Dallas and Roarke kicking criminal butt. But unless I lived in their mansion and was fed food I take for granted here, I’d never make it.

Do you see a pattern?

The worlds I visit are exceptional. Wonderful. Exciting. Dangerous, and I could never live there.  Die there? Well, sure, but fun is that?

Now, a question for you

How does your everyday life compare with the worlds you read about?

 

 

IWSG 95: As Easy As Writing Looks, It’s Not

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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co-hosts

SE White | Cathrina Constantine | Natalie Aguire | Joylene Nowell Butler | Jacqui Murray

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep yourself writing to the end? If have not started the writing yet, why do you think that is and what do you think could help you find your groove and start?

I hope you take everything here with a grain of salt—if not for you, for me—then I can relax while I share.

Writing Goals

I’m always seeking new information about the craft and recently heard some great advice for the discovery writer—aka pantser.

Write the ending first—ish. Mid-point twist too if you’d like.

This really hit home with me because I’m a Sagittarian. We like to shoot off our arrows and follow them to the bitter end.

I’ll admit my first ending is never my last ending—thank goodness for revisions—but it supplies a general direction and a final destination.

Writing Beginnings

I really want a kick-@$$ first line, first paragraph, first chapter, and to find the first line I do an internet search for best/top first lines in fiction.

They are the best for a reason; they’re inspirational.

The monthly question could also be asking: where to start? Like where on the timeline or storyline?

It is said, through my reading on how to improve the craft, that the best point to start as close to change as possible.

I try to come from the reader’s perspective here.

Like any good joke, there is the setup. Just enough information to so the punchline makes sense when it hits. The opening could focus on a fantastical world so the reader knows they aren’t in Kansas anymore. It could even focus on the person singing under a rainbow before the mind-whirling trip. Or the ruby slippers and who is wearing them.

The choice becomes clearer when I look at my destination, and I decide how to get there.

Writing through

I have my goal and an enormous gap of where I am and where I have to go. I aim myself in the general direction and write. All is well with my world.

However, sometimes I stare at the screen and wonder what’s next. If I’m not writing, my brain is telling me a direct route will fail. I need to think outside the box and the circle the box is in. There may even be a triangle in there somewhere.

Jumping to another scene is a good way to stay in the story while I figure out what my problem is. Because there is a problem. I just don’t see it yet.

Usually I’m using the wrong point of view, or am ignoring the plot hole staring me down, or I’m blindly painting myself into a corner with an unnoticed hallway directly behind me.

It takes time for my subconscious to find the solution. I let it bubble up, then I’m rolling again with a better story than I first imagined.

Now, a question for you

You ever do that, jump around in your story? How does that work for you?

 

Excerpt: A Quick Death

a quick death Excerpt

DEATH DIDN’T COME TODAY. Night had fallen, and the lure of sleep tugged on me. I dragged myself to my feet and dumped the now cold tea.

Maybe tomorrow, I told myself as I brushed my teeth.

I ignored the little voice that whispered it wasn’t normal to wish for Death. I understood that, but normal was boring. Normal didn’t take you on adventures around the world.

Normal didn’t introduce you to Death.

I remembered the first time we met. It had been an autumn day in New Zealand. I was waiting for the tour to start. I was finally seeing where The Hobbit had been filmed. My excitement was palatable. An older man collapsed and the medics were called. Their attempts to revive him were fruitless. That was when I saw Death.

No one else seemed aware of him. I watched him weave through the crowd. He was reaching for the body when our eyes met. Confusion flitted across his pale face. Later that night, I saw him again. He didn’t understand why I saw him. It wasn’t my time.

When, I asked.

He shrugged. One day. Then he was gone. I have been waiting for him ever since.

Buy a quick death

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About Patricia Josephine

Patricia Josephine is a writer of Urban Fantasy and Sci-Fi Romance books. She actually never set out to become a writer, and in fact, she was more interested in art and band in high school and college. Her dreams were of becoming an artist like Picasso. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head for fun. That was the start of her writing journey, and she hasn’t regretted a moment. When she’s not writing, she’s watching Doctor Who or reading about serial killers. She’s an avid knitter. One can never have too much yarn. She writes Young Adult Paranormal, Science Fiction, and Fantasy under the name Patricia Lynne.

Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow.

Find Patricia Josephine

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IWSG 94: The So-So Delicate Writing Balance

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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co-hosts

Kim Elliott | Melissa Maygrove | Chemist Ken | Lee Lowery | Nancy Gideon

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

It’s the best of times; it’s the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?

First and most importantly:

Let The Fourth Be With You! Star Wars Fans.

Back to the post:

The times—good or bad—of my life differ greatly from my writing life.

The Good Writing Times

I’ve lived with depression since the beginning of this century. Worked my way through the spectrum from profound to occasional waves. The quote below captures my life today.

“… when the rain comes, it rains, but it doesn’t stay. It doesn’t stay long enough to immerse me and drown me anymore.” Jim Carrey on NME

Deep depression led to hours, and hours of writing, so good writing times.

Shorts were published. As was a novel until the publisher bit it.

The Crappy Writing Times:

My crappy writing times came in waves between depression and feeling okay. This bumping back and forth left me empty. No source material, I’m guessing. I could manage a short story when the mood hit, and the stars aligned. Like lightning strikes, I never knew when or where.

I learned to hang on to those strikes and stretch them out into writing a short. 3k when I was lucky.

These shorts gave me hope, and my everyday life was good—mostly.

The So-So Delicate Writing Times

My life is manageable now. My writing life—so-so. I’m out of practice. *sigh*

But I meet most of my daily goals and—like I wrote in last month’s post—I’m writing every day. Getting my long project done. I hit the halfway point just the other day.

Very excited about that.

I’ve finally found that so-so delicate balance I’ve been fighting for.

Now, a question for you

It’s nothing personal.  🙂

How do you hang on to your balance between writing and everyday life?

IWSG 93: Cracked Through My Block

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

~~~oOo~~~

co-hosts

Joylene Nowell Butler | Jemima Pett | Patricia Josephine | Louise – Fundy Blue | Kim Lajevardi

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

Have any of your books been made into audio books? If so, what is the main challenge in producing an audiobook?

Nope. Not yet anyway. And I can’t wait to read your posts to learn more about this.

I do have news though

I’m writing again.

I’ve been stuck for over two years on this great project. I love the world and characters so much, but all couldn’t get it moving again. Inspiration would hit.

But not on the project, so I’d write a short. Then my impersonator syndrome would run rampant.

“Nope, you’ll never write another novel. Just shorts no one will ever read. Nevah!”

I felt doomed.

But I wouldn’t give up. During one of my many attempts to right this horrible wrong, I found a discord channel with some wonderful young writers. They listened and offered some really insightful advice that cracked my writer’s block.

Next thing I know, I’m back at something I really love and feeling pretty good.

I feel very fortunate. Thanks so much “Writing Room”.

Question for you:

Where do you go when you’re stuck?

My Research sources on audiobooks:

• https://gladreaders.com/why-are-audiobooks-so-expensive/?utm_source=blogaudiobookstore&utm_medium=blogpost&utm_campaign=CostAvg
• https://audiobookstore.com/blog/the-real-cost-of-audiobooks
• https://scribemedia.com/book-royalties
• https://literaryagentmarkgottlieb.com/blog/are-royalties-fair-a-publisher-weighs-in