If any of you would like to do a Guest Blog on Bookin’ It, please give me a holler. I’ve got some openings (starting tomorrow, if you hurry) that I’d like to fill, and I enjoyed Jenny Melzer’s Guest Blog post last week so much, I’m looking for more. Let me know! (It can be about whatever book-related stuff you wish, in character, or in your own voice. I’m flexible.)
Miscellaneous News
Hugs & Smooches to You ALL!
I’ve been away a few days with company, so I’m playing catch up today. It’s GREAT to see you guys have been posting away, here. PERFECT! I promise to get caught up this afternoon. Can’t wait to read everything you’ve shared, and I will also be tweeting it ALL. What good little writers you’ve been! Santa is keeping track, for sure. 😀
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Writing is a lot like weightlifting, except without the abs
By Ned Hickson
It struck me this morning at the gym, while diligently pumping iron from a seated position at the smoothie bar, the number of similarities there are between reaching your fitness goals and writing goals, and how, in both cases, you will likely fail if you attempt too much too fast — especially if you’re trying to show off and accidentally flatulate while attempting a power lift. OK, now that the obligations required by my Gas-X sponsorship have been met, we can move on to how the same principles that make up a good fitness plan can be applied to achieving your writing goals. (Make sure to stop in next week, when Trojan will sponsor tips on expanding your readership.)
Just like many people who enter the gym for the first time and see the dozens of different torture devices designed to make you look weak and destroy your self esteem fitness apparatus that can sculpt your body into lean muscle capable of opening even the most stubborn mayonnaise jar, those entering the world of writing often find themselves being crushed under the weight of their own lofty goals by not building up literary muscle first. And by this I don’t mean technique, style or developing your writing voice. I’m talking specifically about easing into writing project(s) and commitment(s) in a way that strengthens your writing endurance so you can avoid “injuring” yourself creatively.
This isn’t to be confused with creatively injuring yourself, which I also know about. But that’s a whole other post…
In the same way a smart fitness plan is built on improvements through gradually adding weight in small increments, running for longer periods or monitoring and increasing resistance in measured amounts, writers need to follow the same example if they want to keep their disciplined writing commitment from turning into sloppy repetitions that can hurt their goals. Any gym instructor will tell you lifting a lot of weight too quickly, or without the proper control, is pointless and even dangerous.
Especially if I’m your spotter.
The key is to recognize your limitations and commit to lifting nothing beyond that until it’s time to add more.
How will you know when it’s time? When you realize you’re making the circuit without getting winded. In literary terms, the best measurement I can give you is this: When you find yourself easily beating your deadline(s) on a regular basis — whether self-imposed or established by an editor or agent — you’re probably ready to build more muscle.
Until then, keep working the circuit and maintaining those steady, controlled writing reps.
But please: Stay away from the gym if you’re gassy.
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(Ned Hickson is a syndicated columnist with News Media Corporation. His first book, Humor at the Speed of Life, is available from Port Hole Publications, Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)
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Are You Guys Sharing?
Just a reminder that sharing the wonderful posts here is what will help this site grow, providing us with…even MORE wonderful posts! Please reblog, Tweet, or FB…or all three…when you can. It’s what Writers Helping Writers is all about, and all the buttons you need are directly below each post, on both the main page, and on the comments page. Tell the world about us by sharing our fabulous content!
Here’s a sample tweet I just sent out:
#TheWriteStuff – Aimee Easterling: Preparing for the post-Christmas rush: http://wp.me/p55nCI-b9 via @#marciameara
As you can see, I added a “hashtag The Write Stuff” mention, plus the poster’s name. But even without any alterations, your tweets and reblogs and Facebook posts will help us build the site. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
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A pack of wolves
Me: I’m here today with the cast of Pack Princess. We thought you might need a bit of a reminder on who’s who before diving into book two of the Wolf Rampant series. Terra, do you want to start us off?
Terra Wilder: Okay, if you really want me to. I’m Terra, and I’m pack leader of clan Wilder at the moment. And, um, I guess I’m the heroine too.
Wolf Young: You are the heroine. [Takes Terra’s hand.] I’m her mate, Wolf Young, although everyone who knows me calls me Wolfie. I run my own pack of slightly damaged werewolves.
Justin Young: Slightly damaged — that’s a joke! Halfies, meat, and misfits is what you have in that so-called pack of yours.
Me: Do I need to separate you two? [Justin gets up and stalks to the other end of the room, taking his folding chair with him.] Ooookay, I guess I do. Anyway, that was Justin, who’s Wolfie’s sibling and the leader of the pack that both brothers grew up in. How about we move to Cricket next?
Cricket Wilder: It was so nice of you to invite us all here, today, Aimee. Do you want some tea?
Me: [Mumbling under my breath] It’s always the nice ones that I lose control of. [Raising my voice so I can speak to the whole room.] No tea for me, thanks, Cricket, but do you mind introducing yourself?
Cricket Wilder: How silly of me! I’m Terra’s stepmother, and this great big wolf by my side is my husband, Chief Wilder, Terra’s father. He used to be in charge of clan Wilder. Now he just…um…consults.
Unnamed Uncle Wilder #1: Consults! Ha! I don’t see why we can’t go back to the good old days when men were men and…
Hawk: What my brother-in-law is trying to say is that some of us aren’t so keen on our new alpha. But we don’t all feel that way. I’m another one of Terra’s uncles, but I’m her mother’s brother, which makes me a bit less…um….[throwing a glance at his brother-in-law, then lowering his voice]…never mind….
Bev: Well, I’m Hawk’s sister, and the young man looking all doe-eyed beside me is my son David.
David: I…
Drew Walker: [Nudging his cousin sharply in the side.] Shut up, your mommy already introduced you. I’m Drew, Terra’s cousin. And you can see one of her other cousins, Milo, guarding the door. There are a slew of us running around…but I’m the best!
Wade: Right. So, that’s it for the Walkers for the moment, since we couldn’t cram any more of them into the room. I’m part of Wolfie’s pack, but I’ve been living here with Terra for a while to help keep things on more of an even keel. Wolfie calls me and my friends the yahoos. That includes [pointing to the next three shifters down the row] Glen, Blaze, and the beautiful Fen.
Fen: Don’t make me hit you.
Me: Okay, see, this is supposed to be a cordial introduction, not a pitched battle. Sarah, how about you tell us who you are next?
Sarah: You know, I really don’t think I should tell you who I am. But you can call me Trouble if you want to.
Dr. Dale Baker: You’re not really as much trouble as you think you are. But since I can tell that Aimee wants us to stay on track, I’ll introduce myself next. I’m Dale, Terra’s brother-in-law and the only human in the room….
Keith Baker: Well, except for Aimee, of course. Unless she’s a closet werewolf. Dum dum dum dum!
Me: Thanks, Keith. Way to get rumors started. That was Dale’s son and Terra’s nephew, for those of you who are keeping track at home. And, since we’re running out of time, I’ll just name the other pack leaders present quickly and let you go. The tall, older man is Thomas Bell, the youngster beside him is Gavin Griffin, and then Chad Walker is the third pack leader down the row. Beside Chad is his mate Camilla, who is also the daughter of the Reed pack leader and a distant cousin to Terra. And, on that note, I’ll let you get back to your regularly scheduled reading. Thanks for dropping by!
Cricket: Now, who wants cookies?
Keith: Oooh, I do! Unless they’re oatmeal. I hate oatmeal.
Wade: This would be a good time to fade to black….
Me: Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Pack Princess today! Oh, and yes, I’ll take a cookie, thanks.
[Fade to black]
Me again: The savvy reader will notice that I decided to try out preorders one more time. I’ll report back in about a month once I know whether a preorder in an established series makes more sense than a standalone preorder in a new genre. Thanks for reading!
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Color Poem: Carnelian
And since I’m sharing more complex color poems, I thought I’d share an older one, just to make sure the day is sufficiently colorful. A nice warm poem, for everyone braving the cold.
A rose by any other name…
Image from WikiMedia by Stan Shebs.
Carnelian
An earthy blanket of rich chestnut mulch
neatly bound
by a ring of eggshell and gray-dappled limestone blocks
under a robin’s egg sky
Sun warmed and drowsing
glossy emerald leaves stretch out and up
toward that pale blue sky and inescapable light
anchored by thick gray-brown stems shading to
verdant hues
At the ends
red-tinged new budding curls of foliage
emerge
crowned by bright jewels
proudly lifted to entice passing bees
bright bold petal ruffles flushed carnelian
releasing sweet whispers
on the wind
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Color Poem: Aubergine
“Oooh, aubergine! Oh, yes, please!! I dare you!!”–Marcia
It’s different from the other color poems I wrote, as it’s a bit more challenging, but hopefully it still brings some color to the blog. 😉
Image from WikiMedia by Grey Geezer.
Aubergine
Another word for eggplant
and used to describe
that same shade
of reddish purple brown
which doesn’t resemble any egg
I’ve ever seen
(The name comes from white varieties
because language more often
than not
seems designed to confuse)
The glossy fruit
makes a tasty parmigiana
The color ornaments a variety of objects
bridesmaid dresses
flowers
paint and decor
both lovely, dark, and deep
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Wednesday’s Author Interview – Jen Rasmussen
Interview with one of our own, today, the fabulous and funny Jen Rasmussen. Enjoy!
Ghost in the Canteen
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Today, Bookin’ It is happy to welcome Suspense/Horror writer, Jen Rasmussen. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got to say this morning, Jen. And folks, if you enjoy this interview as much as I think you will, please consider sharingit via reblogging, Twitter, or Facebook. Jen and I will both thank you.Â
BI: Jen, can you tell us a bit about how you became a writer? When did you decide that’s what you wanted to be, and what steps did you take to prepare for a writing career?Â
JR: Before I became a stay-at-home mom I was doing technical and instructional writing, which is less fun than fiction, but easier to pay the bills with. And although you might not think it, it was fantastic preparation for writing novels. First of all, nothing will teach you…
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Wish for You
I saw this lovely poster online, and wanted to share it with you all. It’s available if you want to buy it.
Note: the site has been showing a “sold out” error to some people when the posters weren’t gone yet, so you might want to try again if you get that message.
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Sounding a note of thanks for this community
It’s Thanksgiving morning, and I would be spending time quietly reflecting on all the wonderful things in my life if only my niece and nephews weren’t standing on the second floor launching pillow missiles at me here in the living room. When I went around the room to ask them what they were grateful for, one of them gave me a canned answer like “my family,” but the other two came clean and said, “my iPad” and “cheese puffs.”
Much as I appreciate the simple abundances in my life–food, a roof over my head, my health –what I appreciate most are my relationships. They fuel every aspect of my life, every single day. My gratitude encompasses the relationships I’ve formed through writing in general and this space in particular, a place where creativity and generosity abound.
Thanks to Marcia for starting this place that encourages writers to help one another, a practice that certainly ought to become tradition.
The Write Stuff 