Settling down #amwriting #amrevising

/ Marcia Meara / 1 Comment

How are your spirits holding up throughout all the turmoil going on around the world? If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, I recommend a visit to the Facets of a Muse blog. Julie Holmes has a terrific post today, full of positive ideas for ways to cope with the stress of it all, and find a calm center that might even improve your creativity along with your overall well-being. I know you’ll enjoy her post as much as I did, and hope you’ll consider sharing it far and wide so others can, too. Thanks, and thanks to Julie for such helpful and uplifting ideas! 🙂 ❤

Julie Holmes, author's avatarFacets of a Muse

writing in a journal on the lawn
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

A lot of writers have been posting about how the pandemic and the quarantine have disrupted their writing. Despite spending so much time at home, they are having a tough time focusing. Heck, a lot of people have trouble sleeping. COVID dreams, anyone?

Now with the turmoil of the past couple weeks added on top of all that, settling down to write seems to be a losing battle. All of the things going on right now foster anxiety, fear, anger, and frustration. Then there’s the whole being cooped up 24-7 with people you love but honestly need a break from sometimes–erm, on a regular basis. 😀

All these things disrupt the flow of creativity, at least for me. Considering it’s been what, three months since the pandemic kicked off the quarantine, there’s been time to try different things to settle that creative energy enough to…

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#FirstLineFriday Submissions Are Now Closed! Here’s the Answer to Our Quiz, and the Name of Our Winner!

/ Marcia Meara / 29 Comments

Submissions for #FirstLineFriday are officially closed now. My thanks to all who emailed me with their guesses. Today, we have one winner: Harmony Kent.  Congratulations, Harmony, and I hope you enjoy your prize.

Harmony’s Author Page can be found HERE. 

And now, here’s the answer to today’s quiz:

“Nobody was really surprised when it happened, not really, not at the subconscious level where savage things grow.” is the opening line of the epistolary novel, Carrie, by American author Stephen King.

 It was King’s first published novel, released on April 5, 1974, with a first print run of 30,000 copies. Set primarily in the future year of 1979, it revolves around the eponymous Carrie White, an unpopular friendless misfit and bullied high school girl from an abusive religious household who uses her newly discovered telekinetic powers to exact revenge on those who torment her.

During the process, she causes one of the worst local disasters the town has ever had. King has commented that he finds the work to be “raw” and “with a surprising power to hurt and horrify.” Much of the book uses newspaper clippings, magazine articles, letters, and excerpts from books to tell how Carrie destroyed the fictional town of Chamberlain, Maine while exacting revenge on her sadistic classmates and her own mother, Margaret.

Several adaptations of Carrie have been released, including a 1976 feature film, a 1988 Broadway musical as well as a 2012 off-Broadway revival, a 1999 feature film sequel, a 2002 television film, a 2013 feature film, and a 2018 television special episode of Riverdale. The book is dedicated to King’s wife Tabitha King: “This is for Tabby, who got me into it – and then bailed me out of it.”

WHAT AMAZON SAYS:

Stephen King’s legendary debut, about a teenage outcast and the revenge she enacts on her classmates.

Carrie White may be picked on by her classmates, but she has a gift. She can move things with her mind. Doors lock. Candles fall. This is her power and her problem. Then, an act of kindness, as spontaneous as the vicious taunts of her classmates, offers Carrie a chance to be normal…until an unexpected cruelty turns her gift into a weapon of horror and destruction that no one will ever forget.

Buy Carrie HERE

I think this particular line proves once again that while great opening lines can pull us into a story, it’s the tale, itself, that sticks with us in the long run.

And that wraps it up for this week, folks. Hoped you enjoyed playing along! Thanks so much for taking part, and stay tuned for another #FirstLineFriday quiz in two  weeks. See you then!

 

 

 

Writing: There is no one size fits all

/ Marcia Meara / 6 Comments

Do you hold fast to the idea that all writers should–must— write every day? Check out what Mae Clair has to say on this subject in her Story Empire post this morning, and weigh in while there, with your own ideas on  this matter. Then, as always, please pass Mae’s thoughts along far and wide so others can consider the question, too. Thanks, and thanks to Mae for a great Friday post! 🙂

Mae Clair's avatarStory Empire

Hi, SEers! You’re with Mae today for the first Mae Day of June. Summer is the time when I’m the least productive as a writer. I think that’s true of many of us as we become distracted by nice weather and outside activities. The again, maybe you’re highly prolific during the summer. If so, good going, and keep at it. I do a lot of daydreaming, plotting, and jotting story development notes during warm weather, but actual writing time takes a serious hit.

Which brings me to a statement you’ve probably heard more than once:
“To be a writer, you must write every day.”

Nah. I think not.

There is no one size fits all for writing.  As with anything, there are “best practices” for growth, but—especially with a creative endeavor—there has to be wiggle room. We’ve all heard it said, “find what works for you and stick with it.”…

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#FirstLineFriday #GiveawayContest #FreeDownloads

/ Marcia Meara / 20 Comments

It’s been a couple of weeks, I know, and I apologize. I’m still trying to catch up, but mostly treading water right now. Lots going on in my life these days, even considering I’ve been trapped here at home for more than three months now. BUT. I was determined to get a #FirstLineFriday post out for you guys today, and voila! Here it is!

As always, the rules are simple:

  1. Be one of the first five people to email me before the game ends at 4:00pm, with the title and author of the correct book. 
  2. Do not reply here on the blog. Email only: marciameara16@gmail.com
  3. Honor System applies. No Googling, please.
  4. Submissions end at 4:00 P.M. EST, or when I receive 5 correct answers, whichever comes first.
  5. Winners who live in the U.S. may request a free download of any one of my books for themselves, or for someone of their choice. OR, if they’ve read all of the offered books, they may request a free download of my next publication.
  6. Winners who live elsewhere may request a mobi or PDF file of the same books, since, sadly, Amazon won’t let me gift you from the site.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for! Put on your thinking caps, because here  is today’s opening line:

“Nobody was really surprised when it happened, not really, not at the subconscious level where savage things grow.”

Remember, email answers only, please. Thanks! And now off I go to await your guesses. 

Author Essentials Part 6: Marketing Plan

/ Marcia Meara / 3 Comments

Is marketing your books as big a puzzle for you as it is for me? If so, you might want to check out today’s Story Empire post from P. H. Solomon. Paul shares his experiences in various marketing techniques and you are sure to garner some new tips and ideas. Please remember to pass the post along so others can learn as well, thanks. And thanks to Paul for this informative post. 🙂

P. H. Solomon's avatarStory Empire

Good morning Story Empire readers, PH here with you today back with another author essential. Previous author essential posts can be found just below here for reference, all of which cover various topics that you will find it necessary to have if you’re going to progress as an author. Today, were going to take a look at a specific plan that will help you sell books, marketing plan.

When I first published The Bow of Destiny, I thought I had a sufficient marketing plan. I was very wrong and paid for it with a complete lack of sale. Understanding what is needed to actually market book took far more than I thought. The result was largely crickets in response to my release…

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#Dresdenphiles Rejoice! Only 6 More Weeks until #PeaceTalks !

/ Marcia Meara / 36 Comments

Woohooo … another week closer to Peace Talks, and another chance to chat about Harry Dresden and his very interesting friends and enemies. Today, whaddya say we talk about my favorite female character of the series:

 SGT. KARRIN MURPHY!

All good Dresdenphiles know that Harry has been attracted to a few women here and there in his life. He’s not a kid, after all, and he can admire a nice-looking female with the best of them. But his real choices throughout the series have been pretty limited, and only one of them has ever made sense to me, even though Harry seldom admits being attracted to her.  Sgt. Karrin Murphy is in charge of of Chicago’s Special Investigations department, and Murph, as Harry calls her, is my topic of the day.


Sgt. Karrin Murphy (alias Murph)

Personally, I’ve always been on Team Murphy, hoping these two will finally admit their mutual attraction, since they are obviously perfect for each other. (Just ask me. I’ll tell you. 😀 )

In Book 1, Storm Front, Harry and Murphy already have a working relationship, of sorts. Murphy is never sure she can trust Harry, and Harry is always wary of being arrested by Murphy. But Storm Front is not where the two met for the first time. Oh, no. That took place in a short story called Restoration of Faith, which was first offered on Jim Butcher’s website in 2010, but was later reprinted in the anthology Side Jobs, a terrific collection of short tales any Dresden fan would love.

The friendship between these two does grow with each book, and they make a damn good fighting team, even if Murphy is a strictly by-the-law kind of gal, while Harry is… ermm … not, at least not necessarily. He’s more concerned with doing what he thinks is right, legalities be damned. (A goal that is often dangerously at odds with his own well-being. I mean, the man gets beaten up more than any hero I’ve ever read about, I do believe.)

Somehow, nothing ever goes exactly the way Harry thinks it’s going to, but he never, ever gives up, even though many a scene between Murphy and him ends up like the one below, especially in the earlier books. Heck, half the fun of each book is wondering when he’ll have to ask  Murph for help, or when she’s going to show up unexpectedly to either recruit him,  or arrest him, depending on how she calls the situation.


Uh-oh. Harry’s in Trouble Again.

Murphy is described as being 5 feet nothing, cute as a button, and tough as nails, fighting for her place in a job that is dominated by men, learning how to battle things she never believed in until seeing them for the first time. She’s also annoyed as hell when Harry does things like open the door for her, or pull out a chair. Harry, on the other hand, is old school, chivalrous to a fault, and determinedly considerate of all women. Except those who scare him half to death, like Bianca, the Red Court vampire, and Mab, one of the Queens of the Fae. 


Just Another Day on the Job for Harry and Murph.

Confused yet? You won’t be as you read the books. Butcher is an expert at laying out marvelously complex plots without losing readers in a sea of confusion.  And on that note, here are a couple of amusing  memes for you.

And that’s it for today, folks! Hope there are some Murphy fans out there who enjoyed this one, and some new potential readers who are looking forward to meeting her.  I’ll be back next week with something else to help celebrate being another week closer to Peace Talks! Until then, remember our rallying cry:

Changing Literary Styles (Part One)

/ Marcia Meara / 1 Comment

Joan Hall has a very good post on Store Empire today, dealing with current trends in writing styles. It’s interesting and informative, and I highly recommend you check it out. Most writers will want to stay on top of these trends in order to help their books become as popular as possible. Stop by and see what you think, then please consider sharing so others can enjoy this one, too. Thanks, and thanks to Joan for helping us see just how much writing styles have changed over time. 🙂 ❤

Joan Hall's avatarStory Empire

Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today on this first day in June. Reading is still one of my favorite past times. There’s nothing like curling up on the sofa on a rainy day with a good book in hand.

Since becoming an author, I tend to read with a more critical eye, looking for ways I can improve my own work

Writing styles have changed over the years. Our vocabulary and choices of words are different than what they were a hundred or more years ago. People’s attention spans are much shorter, perhaps in part to the introduction of television in the mid-twentieth century. These days texting and instant messaging have become the norm. We like to keep communication short and sweet. Things that were once acceptable in writing are frowned upon these days.

Consider the opening paragraph from Last of The Mohicans, written in 1826 By James…

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Heads Up!

/ Marcia Meara / 44 Comments

Just want to let you folks know that tomorrow is the date when WordPress is going to make their new editor our default. I don’t like it. I have continued to use the Classic editor. Now their notification says the Classic editor will still be an option (presumably not our default, but an option). I hope this is true. If not, and I disappear for a day or two, it will be because I’m trying to learn how to use the new one. Under protest, definitely, but if they take my options away, I’ll do my best. 

They have said the Classic editor would continue to be an option for two more years, so I’m counting on that saving my bacon until I am forced to learn how to deal with it. (As if I have time for yet another distraction.) But if that’s how it’s going to be, I’ll figure it out. I just do NOT have time to deal with it over the next few days.

Again, I will do my best to post, especially by Tuesday, so I can continue our Peace Talks Countdown posts. And I’m hoping to do a #FirstLineFriday this week. But all depends on whether I still have my options available. 

Wish me luck! 😀

The Building Blocks of Story: Sequels

/ Marcia Meara / 6 Comments

Staci Troilo is back on Store Empire today with another of her great Building Blocks of Story posts, this time on the usage of scenes and sequels. I find this concept extremely interesting, and encourage you to stop by to check it out for yourself. I think you’ll be glad you did, and will want to share it all over the place. Thanks, and thanks to Staci for helping us learn to be better at the craft of writing. 🙂 ❤

Staci Troilo's avatarStory Empire

Ciao, SEers. Last time, we discussed Dwight Swain’s concepts of scenes. (If you missed that post, you can find it here. You can also find the earlier introductory post on both scenes and sequels here.) Remember, a chapter’s scenes can be one of two things, a scene or a sequel. Today, we’re going to go deeper into the concept of sequels.

What is a sequel?

Sequels are the “reactive” units of a story. They include reactions, dilemmas, and decisions. Sequels must contain all three items before advancing to the following scene. Why? Without each, there isn’t a proper resolution and the sequel doesn’t work. Also, this is the time to give your reader a breather. The scene is all about motion, energy, drive. It’s fast-paced. But readers can’t sustain a prolonged adrenaline rush. The slower downtime of a sequel is critical for…

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Saddle Up Saloon; Blog Blusterin’

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 1 Comment

Ranch hands Kid and Pal have opened up their saloon at Carrot Ranch to any blogger who wants to come by and leave their linked 9-word tag line to their own site. Those who took the challenge to describe or define their blog in 99, 59 then 9 words have found the exercise to be productive, helping them to reflect and to clarify for themselves and their followers what they are all about. Come by the Saddle Up Saloon where it’s all about you!