DIY MFA Book Club, Prompt #5: What's one "best practice" that didn't work for you?

"Best practice," hmm.

For the past couple of days, I've been thinking about this and how to best express my opinion of "best practice."

My father was in the Air Force and I love the military. Early in my life, I discovered I didn't like being told what to do. I knew I wouldn't do well following my father's footsteps. No one, and I mean no one, tells me what to do. There's an instant wall between us and, sometimes, words that shouldn't be coming from my mouth, or fingers. So, when I decided writing was something for me, I listened, read, took notes, and then did exactly what I wanted to do.

If you want to know more about my becoming a writer/author, check out my blog post here.

I've read various books by authors to discover their "secret" and, true to form, I took what I wanted, scoffed at what I knew I'd never use, and internalized their ideas, recommendations, and experiences on their way to authordom. Here are some of the books I've read:


I went to a couple of websites to help me remember the books on writing I've read.(all my books are packed in anticipation of my move back to Florida and my memory, well, can't find it.) The first site I checked out was: The 10 Best Books About Writing By Josh Jackson.  His first statement hit me: "Writing is hard." For me it is. Even with a book under my belt. It's hard. I'm sure that's why I didn't do well in high school and why it takes me so long to finish a book. It's well worth it, don't get me wrong, but it's very hard for me. Okay, I know, the books:

•  The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (a group of us did this at the bookstore I owned) To this day, I don't follow it's journaling recommendations. I may start journaling, but never made a habit of it. I know I should, but, I don't. (I even have a published book that came from journaling. (?) I just don't.

• Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury This book may have released the creative from within, I have 5 children's books ready for illustration and final editing, and 5 other novels in various stages of outline ready for flushing out.

• On Writing Well by William Zinsser Since I don't write non-fiction, I'm hoping some of this was internalized and transcribed to work with my fiction writing.

• On Writing by Stephen King I read this when I was going through my 'authors know best' stage. As Gabriel points out she had difficulty following his word count recommendations, I didn't even bother. That wall popped up. You want me to do, what? Who do you think you are telling me I have to...? You get the picture. But his other writing advice is, hopefully, still running around with my thoughts and ideas of how to write.

The above site didn't get all my books, so I went to another. Best Books on Writing at Goodreads.

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.  This is a great reference book.

• Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss Another great reference book.

• How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card Maybe by the time I got to this book, I had already internalized his recommendations. I felt like this was just a book of patting himself on the back.

• Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain  I think I have this book.

• How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster Again, I have this book but have not read it. But I read, maybe not like a professor, like a writer. It's so frustrating. That's why I try to audio most of my books. A bit harder to criticise the writing.

• 45 Master Characters, Revised Edition: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt Don't know if I have this exact edition, but I love pulling character traits from her lists and making my own characters.

• The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide: How to Give and Receive Feedback, Self-Edit, and Make Revisions by Becky Levine Because I've been part of many critique groups and I'm definitely opinionated. Not is a horrible way, but some don't like the way I critique.

• The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne As a reference book.

• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers by Joseph Gibaldi  For reference.

• The Art of War by Sun Tzu For reference.

There are other books, I know it, but can't seem to find them in these lists, or may have forgotten their titles enough to not recognize them in the list. (especially since the Goodreads list was well over 600 books) Anyway, there's a sampling of my, mostly read, books on writing.

Back to "best practices" that didn't work. Can't think of any because, like I said, I'm not one to follow. I'm one to pick and choose. Mostly, I love breaking the rules.

Aquaculture update:

Snow and freezing rain last night. Here's a walk to the fish shed, past the aqualculture system all buttoned up tight.
I love fresh, untouched snow. I hate the cold, the wet, and mostly the cold. This storm will be short lived, thankfully. Can't wait to uncover the system and let it breathe and feel the warmth of the sun. There are strawberry plants under the tarp. Hope they're wintering well. The Farmer's Almanac says we're to get one more major snowstorm in early February. Then I'll be counting down the days for the uncovering.

Want to join me and over 3,000 authors on Facebook as we 'Word Nerds Unite' and participate in the diyMFA Book Club? Click here.

Don't forget to stop by "Ten Little Gator Eggs" and Botanical Aquaponics on your way. And check out the diyMFA website. It's full of information and workable ideas to help you:

• Finish that draft once and for all

• Craft a story that your readers will LOVE

• Make that publishing dream a reality

So check them out. You won't be sorry, but you'll have to make room on your plate.

Books I'm reading:

diyMFA by Gabriela Pereira, Jacquelyn Mitchard
Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
Conquering Hope by Kionne L. McGhee
It Cannoli Be Murder by Karoline Barrett

Recently finished:

The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Prophecy of the Dragon by Mike Shelton (waiting for his next book)
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

DIY MFA Book Club Prompt What fuels your creativity?

I spent today with a good friend, her children (twin boys), and my daughter. We went to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. I had a great time watching the twins oogle over the displays. We all loved watching the Sea Otters play in and around their pool. The boys came up soaked as they touched rays, a nurse shark, pet a starfish, and handled conch, a crab, and hermit crabs. I had fun watching the turtles and felt the peace of the ocean as large, ominous, fish swam by.

What fuels my creativity? Visits like this one to an Aquarium or to a natural wonder such as the Everglades. In other words, Nature. Listening to children's discussions and/or playing dialogue. Something that tickles my muse when I'm reading (a book, an article, or an advertisement, listening to a song, or reading a passage in the scriptures)

For something different, I sometimes use prompts from various sources, ie Alexa, putting 'writing prompts' in google search and picking a website, or two, including this one I discovered today--the diyMFAWriter Igniter website app. Try it and let me know how it goes.

I belonged to Marjorie Doughty's Lamplighter's Writing Group and one of it's members would bring in pictures and lists of prompts. If we wanted to read from his prompts we'd pick a prompt or picture and bring the story the next week. He had some pretty good thought provoking prompts. I miss him. He left the world the summer of 2017. Landolphe Burglass d'Aquin-B. Mick, my friend, I miss you. Your quick exit has left a huge hole. See you on the other side.

I rarely, but have used journaling to fuel my creativity. One such journal entry resulted in my Children's Book, Ten Little Gator Eggs.

Want to join me and over 3,000 authors on Facebook as we 'Word Nerds Unite' and participate in the diyMFA Book Club? Click here.

Don't forget to stop by "Ten Little Gator Eggs" and Botanical Aquaponics on your way. And check out the diyMFA website. It's full of information and workable ideas to help you:

• Finish that draft once and for all
• Craft a story that your readers will LOVE
• Make that publishing dream a reality

So check them out. You won't be sorry, but you'll have to make room on your plate.

Books I'm reading:

diyMFA by Gabriela Pereira, Jacquelyn Mitchard
Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
Conquering Hope by Kionne L. McGhee
It Cannoli Be Murder by Karoline Barrett

Recently finished:

The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Prophecy of the Dragon by Mike Shelton (waiting for his next book)
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Prompt #3 diyMFA Book Club What's Your Storytelling Superpower?

Today's prompt sent us to one of those quizzes. Yes, those quizzes I don't usually take. I took this one so I could answer the prompt. Why don't you try it? Quiz: Storytelling Superpower.  I saw lots of writing prompts. It's worth it just for those.

So many choices I had a difficult time deciding. This is why I don't get hired by companies that ask you the same question 10 million different ways in their online application. But we're not going there, today.

Before I reveal my Superpower, let's look at the cheat sheet and see if you can figure mine out. You can find the Superpower Cheat Sheet here. 

The cheat sheet says:

Character-type: There are two primary character archetypes, the everyman and the larger-than-life hero. The everyman is a regular person caught extraordinary circumstances and must rise to the occasion in order to overcome the odds. On the other hand, the larger-than-life characters may seem all-powerful, but they also have some vulnerability that humanizes them.

Desire/Want: What does the protagonist want? This question is what drives the story forward. All wants or desires fall into one of two basic categories: the character either wants to change something or preserve something. This primary impulse--either change or preservation--will affect your character's choices and development throughout the story.

Based on Character-type and desire or want, there are four possible outcomes.

1. The Underdog whose character-type is the everyman and whose desire/want is change.
2. The Disrupter whose character-type is larger-than-life and whose desire/want is change.
3. The Survivor whose character-type is the everyman and whose desire/want is to preserve.
4. The Protector whose character-type is larger-than-life and whose desire/want is to preserve.

 Are you ready for my Storytelling Superpower? But wait:

Here's an insight to help you decide which of the four is my Storytelling Superpower. I just spent the last hour trying to find the contest I entered the first couple scenes of The Blue Rose. No luck, but here's Kate's response to Theodore's request to let him help her:



She grimaces as she stands, her overworked muscles complaining. "I don't want anything to do with you. So tell God, or whomever you answer to, I never want to see you again. One day, I expect to see an angel that will listen and take me when I'm ready." She turns her back to him, tears spill onto her cheeks. "Go find someone who's actually dying and leave me alone!"

Infuriated, but relieved, she disappears around the bend.


(By-the-way, the piece took 3rd place and encouraged me to write the novel)

My Storytelling Superpower is: The Protector


Your superpower is writing superheroes! Your favorite characters see their world in danger and will do whatever it takes to protect it and those they love in it. These characters may not wear spandex and capes, but they show almost superhuman fortitude in their quest to prevent disaster, whatever the cost to themselves. From Scarlett O’Hara to James Bond to Iron Man, you’re drawn to characters who stand up to the forces of evil and protect what they believe in.

Do I agree?  

To a point. I have many stories outlined with The Blue Rose is in its final stages of editing. And one thing each character has in common is that they don't start out as protectors. They tend to move from one stage to the other. Most all, if not all, start out as an underdog, may or may not be a disrupter, but definitely become a survivor and then a protector.

 By-the-way, Kate is giving me a smug face. She's proud of her stance. Even though, in the end, it didn't do any good. (oh dear, spoilers)


Do you like fantasy? If so, check out author Mike Shelton, Facebook, and his next series. Book 1 is about to be released.  Truth Stone Book 1 of the Truthseer Archives

Want to join me and over 3,000 authors on Facebook as we 'Word Nerds Unite' and participate in the diyMFA Book Club? Click here.

Don't forget to stop by "Ten Little Gator Eggs" and Botanical Aquaponics on your way.

 

 

Books I'm reading:

diyMFA by Gabriela Pereira, Jacquelyn Mitchard
Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
Conquering Hope by Kionne L. McGhee
It Cannoli Be Murder by Karoline Barrett

Recently finished:

The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Prophecy of the Dragon by Mike Shelton (waiting for his next book)
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Aquaculture update:

Took pictures of the Koi eating this morning and a video. 

 

Prompt # 2 diyMFA Book Club

How do you handle it when life throws you a curveball and you need to honor your reality? Tell us about a time when you had to honor your reality.

I fully intended to put this off until I found this:

Hello, this is Kate, Kathryn Rachel Smith. Ugh, I wanted to introduce myself, but did I have to use my full name? Now, all I hear is my mother calling me.

Kaaathryn Rachel Smith, where are you? What are you up to? Get your butt here, right now!

Kate shakes her head to clear the unpleasant scene from her mind and looks over her shoulder. She doesn't want to get caught.

Look at that. I'm writing. Maybe I should write my story and it'd get out sooner. Kate sits back, smug.

I should join this diyMFA book club and write my own stories. Kate clears her throat, smiles, cracks her knuckles, and begins:

Dennise Sleeper wrote my story. She started it about 8 years ago. EIGHT years ago. Yesterday, she was thinking of following Toddo Taylor's decision to “skip through this prompt, for now. My story is at the moment still real.” This was his response to January 10ths diyMFA prompt “Tell us about a time when you had to honor your reality.” 

My story is never going to be finished. Kate slumps and pouts. She's always in her reality. For instance, she's finally recovering from the flu. She and her mom have been fighting over who got the toilet. Before and during that, she was taking care of her million fish tanks since she was gone for a week and a half for Christmas. Before that, she was getting those tanks ready for her absence and preparing for her vacation. Before that, and still, she has a torn tendon in her shoulder. She can write one handed, I've seen her do it. Besides, it looks like surgery is in her future and I know what that means for my story.

Shall I go back more? She spent a lot of time after Hurricane Irma traveling back and forth to Florida to help with the clean-up. Before that, she was recovering from parathyroid surgery. See what I mean about knowing what surgery will involve. Before that she was helping her mom with her dying father. Before that she spent 18 days in the hospital with bilateral pneumonia, bilateral pulmonary embolisms, and a DVT.

Her reality doesn't look like it's going to go away any time soon. She needs to stop honoring her reality and write.

Wow, what a surprise to find this on my computer. Trying to get Kate to talk and answer some questions has been very difficult and here she is commenting on my writing. Or lack thereof.

It's true. My mother and I are recovering from the flu. Though we went our separate ways for Christmas, we both came home sick. She was worse. I'm assuming it's because I got the flu shot and, to date, we can't seem to find out if she got hers this year or not.

Yes, I went on vacation for Christmas. I have a small backyard business where I have a few, not a million, tanks. I have aquatic plants, fish, and supplies as well as an aquaponics system. I dabble in hydroponics as well. I also raise house plants. Mostly succulents. But, I made sure my finished... Finished, got that Kate?...manuscript was in the hands of my readers before I went on vacation. Kate seems to have forgotten that.

Yes, I'm looking at rotator cuff surgery. I'm seeing the surgeon next week. This has been going on since September. We tried resting it. Medicating it. Injecting it. Nothing worked, so we did an MRI and that's when they found out the tendon is torn and there are pieces of cartilage floating around in the joint. And, yes, I can plunk the keys one handed.

But, again, she forgets. In the last three years I managed to finish my edit of 102,000 words. I did this during the bits in between reality. My life is a lot of reality with very few bits.

My father had Alzheimer's and I moved in with my parents in 2014 to help mom. In May 2017, he went downhill very quickly and, other than the Alzheimer's, my perfectly healthy (the words the ER used 12 days before his death) father didn't give any indication the end was so close. And yet it was.

Yes, it's taken me 8 years to complete Kate's story. But had I finished it any earlier, I don't think it would have been worth the paper it will be printed on. Her story has a much better chance of publication now.

For some, writing comes naturally. For me it doesn't. Finding the right words, expressing my thoughts coherently, and writing with emotion all seem to elude me. I edit and edit and edit and, most often, I'm still not happy with the results. Writing takes me a long time. I'd probably do well with technical writing, but that's not what I want to do. I may be fighting destiny.

To answer the prompt. I honor my reality during the bits in between. Sure some reality is a molehill and that's why I'm starting the year with this book club. To flatten the molehills and keep the momentum going so it won't be a difficult climb when the mountains appear.

Toddo Taylor, Thank you for allowing me to quote you. Hope your realty lets you get back to writing. Until then, hang in there. It always gets better. Thank you for letting me know I'm not alone.

Want to join us 500+ authors on Facebook as we 'Word Nerds Unite' and participate in this challenge? Click here.

Don't forget to stop by "Ten Little Gator Eggs" and Botanical Aquaponics on your way.

diyMFA by Gabriela Pereira, Jacquelyn Mitchard
Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
Conquering Hope by Kionne L. McGhee
It Cannoli Be Murder by Karoline Barrett

Recently finished:

The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Prophecy of the Dragon by Mike Shelton (waiting for his next book)
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Aquaculture update:

Tried to fix the burst pipe, but it was still a bit too cold. But not too cold for the koi. They were eager to eat. Will get a picture up at the Botanical Aquaponics site soon.

Here we go again

It's a new year and I'm lighting the fire.

The Blue Rose (Blue Rose)(Second Chances) is in the hands of my Beta readers waiting their feedback. Lydia wants me to tell her story. I've been putting her off. So much is going on in my life, not sure I can tell it effectively. Just went through one of the coldest weeks since I decided winter should be 80 degrees. (I think the coldest it got this week was 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Planning my move back into Florida)

To get through this stressful, cold winter, and get my butt back into writing I've decided to join a book club. We are on a month-long reading and writing challenge with the book, "diyMFA" by Gabriela Pereira, Jacquelyn Mitchard.

Want to join the bookclub? It's simple. Click here and sign up with your email. It's not too late.

Want to join us 500+ authors on Facebook as we 'Word Nerds Unite' and participate in this challenge? Click here.

Don't forget to stop by "Ten Little Gator Eggs" and Botanical Aquaponics on your way.


Okay, my big girl pants are one and I'm writing. Here's prompt #1 How did YOU become a writer?

In 2006, I opened a bookstore and welcomed the local bookclub, The Lamplighter's Writing Group, run by author Marjorie Doughty. Every week they bugged me to join them. I refused. I hated writing. Their requests brought back memories of my English writing class in high school and my poorly written assignments. I wasn't a writer. I didn't have anything to offer. After many months, maybe even a year, my husband joined them with his anecdotal stories. He encouraged me to sit with him and laugh along with the others. We talked about a story that was in my head, from my teen years, that wanted out. But I couldn't write. My high school teacher had proved that. There were much better writers in the class. The authors encouraged me to write. (The story is still on the shelf. It's not really a story, but more like a day dream that never went anywhere.)
Once a month we had a prompt and once a month we had a writing tip type class. The other weeks we just read. Over time I became confident with my writing. I wrote for the local newspaper, the South Dade NewsLeader, FamilyShare.com, FanStory.com (where my writing did fairly well), was published in a couple of anthologies, and, from a summer prompt, I wrote and published my Children's Book, "Ten Little Gator Eggs." (Don't you love the illustrations?)
So this is my story and that's all I have to say about that.

Presently reading:


diyMFA by Gabriela Pereira, Jacquelyn Mitchard
Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
Conquering Hope by Kionne L. McGhee
It Cannoli Be Murder by Karoline Barrett

Recently finished:

The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Prophecy of the Dragon by Mike Shelton (waiting for his next book)
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Aquaculture update:

Too cold. System is wrapped up tight to get through the winter freezes and the plants are in the laundry room. Turns out the shed is still too cold despite my efforts to replace the rotten siding, put up some insulation, and install a heater. Will continue work when it looks like winter is losing. Can't wait.