Writerly musings and random thoughts

cj Sez: There many things that inspire me to keep writing. One of them is the wonderful critique group to which I belong. Each of them brings a special writing/reading strength to the process of critiquing, and I've benefited immensely from their contributions to my work-in-progress, mainly because I have to submit at least a few pages every time we meet. 

My Writing Studio . . . (In my dreams and don't I wish)

I'll admit that it's hard to find a compatible group of writers knowledgeable in the genre in which you write, but I highly recommend trying. The input can be invaluable and the camaraderie priceless.

The following piece of writerly info really makes me happy:

James Lee Burke was born in 1936. (I’m not that old, but it tells me I don’t have to be a twenty- or thirty-something to succeed. Granted, I should have started earlier. sigh)  In the back of his novel, WAYFARING STRANGER, on the “About the Author” page, I found this: “His novel, The Lost Get-Back Boogie, was rejected 111 times over a period of nine years and, upon its publication by Louisiana State University Press, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.”  See, I tell myself. There’s hope.

And this from author Chris Bradford: “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” 

You get the idea. Keep on Keeping on.

Need another reason to make your writing the best it can be? (The following quote comes from an old issue of C. Hope Clark’s fantastically informative newsletter, FundsforWriters http://www.fundsforwriters.com ): 

“Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it’s a letdown, they won’t buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.”

                                          ~Mickey Spillane

I was once asked this question: “If you've published a novel (or, lucky you, more than one novel), could you tell me whether or not the internal dialogue is italicized?”

My answer: I’ve seen it in print both ways. When you self-publish, the choice is pretty much yours. When you have an editor and a publisher, not so much.  At one point, I read that if you use "he/she thought," you didn't italicize the thoughts. But when Crimson Romance published my novel, DEADLY STAR, their editor required italics on all internal thoughts, no matter what. My guess is that “the rule” depends on who’s in charge of the final product.

 

Finally, a reflection:

It occurs to me that I tend to share what I can with charities during our annual season of giving—the Christmas Holidays. I drop the change in my pockets into the Salvation Army kettles. I donate food to food banks. I give toys to toy drives, usually at every place I visit that has a toy box. I send money to animal rescues like the Mobile SPCA and Good Fortune Farm Rescue ( http://goodfortunefarmrefuge.org ). But what do I do during the rest of the year? Of course, I tithe, but there are few instances, other than in November and December, where I run into a need. And that’s my problem: I seem to have to “run into” a need rather than seeking one out.

After I was introduced to McKemie Place, I made a New Year’s resolution to seek out a charity and share what I can. McKemie Place (www.mckemieplace.org) is a haven for single, homeless women in the Mobile, Washington, and Baldwin counties of Alabama. I’ve been blessed to never have been homeless, though there was a time when I thought I could be.

If you’re not already adopting a charity to support, I encourage you to search your heart; and if you’re able, seek out an agency or cause that you consider worthy. Local or national, whichever. I think each of us can help in some way to make another person’s life a little better.

Okay, off my soap box, but let me know what you think of the idea. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

Amazon Central Author Page:  http://amzn.to/1NIDKC0

PS:

“More Than Friends” is a bundle of six romance novels, including Choosing Carter, available on Amazon for 99 cents (sometimes less, sometimes free) …a great idea for a Holiday gift for yourself, a BFF or, at that price, even a casual pal. It’ll be a gift that keeps on giving hours and hours of entertainment for less than a buck!  

Check it out at   http://amzn.to/2dnqnLJ

What invites you to pick up a book?

cj Sez: As an author and reader, the first thing that catches my eye when I’m looking for a book to buy/read is the cover. It will be someone or something I can relate to in a personal way. 

Then I check out the back-of-the-book blurb that gives me a snippet of what the book is about. If my interest is still piqued, I read a couple of first pages then read a couple of pages in the middle of the book. (I check the middle to see if the excitement I found at the beginning sags. No one likes a saggy middle.) Like every reader I know, I do this many, many times before I make a final selection.  

When you’re in a bookstore or library, what piques your interest in a book?
 

I tend to like stories with great dialogue and character narratives. Robert B. Parker, James Lee Burke, and Elmore Leonard are some of my favorite authors. They produce great story content and write wonderful repartee. I want to get most of the story’s sense of place, characterization, emotion, and plot from the action and the dialogue (see the Burke meme). 

 I also appreciate humor, even in some of
the dark scenes.

   What is your preference . . . lots of delicious  narrative or sassy and deep point-of-view  dialogue?

  Follow-up question:  Who are your favorite  authors? What about their writing appeals to  you?

 Exciting ups and downs, i.e., conflicts, must  always be in the story to hold my attention, but I’m not interested in grabbing for tissues. I don’t want to cringe at something a character says or does, even if it really does happen in real life. I believe I have enough grief going on in my life, and don’t want to cry while reading. I’m drawn to strong heroines and hunky heroes…they don’t have to be young, wild, and good-looking, but they do have to be likable. (And for me, the villain has to be villainous, even if there’s a hint of sympathy for him.) I want the heroine/hero to win and the story to end with a promise of something positive for the good guys. That’s the story arc I want to see.

What keeps you reading? Obviously, plot and content of any good book are de rigueur, but when those two requirements are met: Is it a strong, smart heroine, an equally smart and incredibly attentive hero, or a perfect ensemble of characters? 

From Facebook

Okay, that’s it for today. There’s a storm coming in, and I need to get this posted and the computer shut down. Last month, a lightning strike in a neighbor's yard blew out my son’s computer monitor. Can't afford another right now, so I'm gone. You-all guys, keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj
cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

Things that inspire me to write

cj Sez: The following pieces of info make me really happy:

James Lee Burke was born in 1936. (I’m not that old, but it reassures me I don’t have to be a twenty- or thirty-something to succeed. Okay, okay, so I should have started earlier.)  In the back of Burke’s novel, Wayfaring Stranger, on the “About the Author” page, I found this comment: 

“His novel, The Lost Get-Back Boogie, was rejected 111 times over a period of nine years and, upon its publication by Louisiana State University Press, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.” 

And this from author Chris Bradford: “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” 

You get the idea. It’s my motto: Keep on Keeping on.

Sunset...Dauphin Island, AL

There many things that inspire me to keep writing: My family, my friends, writers conferences, memories of places I've seen,  

and the wonderful critique group to which I belong. Each member brings a special writing/reading strength to the process of critiquing, and I've benefited immensely from their contributions to my WIPs. Ergo, because I must submit at least a few pages for every meeting, I am inspired to write. (Disclaimer: We’ve been on a brief hiatus while Michelle Ladner practices being a new mother. I understand it’s difficult to think and type and tend to a newborn all at the same time. Can’t imagine why.) 

It can be hard to find a compatible group of writers knowledgeable in the genre in which you write, but I highly recommend trying. The input can be invaluable and the camaraderie priceless.

Need a reason to make your writing the best it can be? (This comes from a past issue of C. Hope Clark’s fantastically informative newsletter, FundsforWriters, http://www.fundsforwriters.com

“Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it’s a letdown, they won’t buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.”

                                          ~Mickey Spillane

Style question: I was once asked this question: “If you've published a novel (or, lucky you, more than one novel), could you tell me whether or not the internal dialogue is italicized?”

My answer: I’ve seen it in print both ways. When you self-publish, the choice is pretty much yours. However, the rule there is, be consistent throughout the book. When you have an editor and a publisher, the choice is not yours.  I had read in one how-to book that if you use "he/she thought," the rule was that you didn't italicize the actual thoughts. But when Crimson Romance published my novel, Deadly Star, their editor required italics on all internal thoughts, no matter what. My best guess answer is that “the rule” depends on who’s in charge of the final product.

How do you handle internal dialogue? If you’re self-published, which do you prefer? Ital or no Ital? 

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

Amazon Central Author Page:  http://amzn.to/1NIDKC0

The Dauphin Island shore photo is by Jeff D. Johnston. The other ’toons are from Facebook.

James Lee Burke and show, don’t tell

“The evening sky was streaked with purple, the color of torn plums, and a light rain had started to fall when I came to the end of the blacktop road that cut through twenty miles of thick, almost impenetrable scrub oak and pine and stopped at the front gate of Angola penitentiary.”
― James Lee Burke, The Neon Rain

cj Sez: Every adjective works with the verb in that sentence to carry the action forward. The reader is on the road with the character, sees what the character sees, and ends up where the character does. A fantastic opening line to draw in the reader, and a wonderful example of show, don’t tell.

That is not to say that poetic words don’t have a place in a novel. Burke uses them also, and they still show what he wants his reader to see.

Write your descriptions, tell your readers everything, then re-write everything in a way that shows them. How to do that, you ask? Read, read, and read some more. Get familiar with how your favorite author handles the task. It just takes practice …writing and re-writing and re-writing and re-writing, and . . .

There's nothing like rejection to make you do an inventory of yourself.

James Lee Burke

I’ve had a few of those. (Makes for elephant hide skin.)

Hope you’ve had a chance to read Choosing Carter. Let me know what you think, okay?

Thanks, and that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter (Pub: Crimson Romance)

   http://amzn.to/1TlMC1T (Amazon)

   http://bit.ly/1PrBsZj  (B&N)

Deadly Star (Pub: Crimson Romance)  

   http://amzn.to/1LRRwC9 (Amazon)

   http://bit.ly/19QDQq3 (B&N) 

Things that inspire me to keep writing

cj Sez: There many things that inspire me to keep writing. One of the main ones is the wonderful critique group to which I belong. Each of them brings a special writing/reading strength to the process of critiquing, and I've benefited immensely from their contributions to my WIP. Ergo, I have to submit at least a few pages for every meeting. I'll admit that it's hard to find a compatible group of writers knowledgeable in the genre in which you write, but I highly recommend trying. The input can be invaluable and the camaraderie priceless.

The following piece of writerly info really makes me happy:

James Lee Burke was born in 1936. (I’m not that old, but it tells me I don’t have to be a twenty- or thirty-something to succeed. Granted, I should have started earlier. sigh)  In the back of his latest novel, Wayfaring Stranger, on the “About the Author” page, I found this:  “His novel, The Lost Get-Back Boogie, was rejected 111 times over a period of nine years and, upon its publication by Louisiana State University Press, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.” 

 

And this from author Chris Bradford: "There is no failure except in no longer trying."

You get the idea . . .  Keep on Keeping On.

Need another reason to make your writing the best it can be? (This comes from C. Hope Clark’s fantastically informative newsletter, FundsforWriters http://www.fundsforwriters.com ): 

Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it’s a letdown, they won’t buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.

                                          ~Mickey Spillane

Yesterday, I got asked this question: “If you've published a novel (or, lucky you, more than one novel), could you tell me whether or not the internal dialogue is italicized?”

My answer: I’ve seen it in print both ways. When you self-publish, the choice is pretty much yours. When you have an editor and a publisher, not so much.  At one point, I read that if you use "he/she thought," you didn't italize the thoughts. But when Crimson Romance published my novel, DEADLY STAR, their editor required italics on all internal thoughts, no matter what. My guess is that “the rule” depends on who’s in charge of the final product.

Finally, a reflection:

It occurs to me that I tend to happily share what I can with charities during the annual season of giving—the Christmas Holidays. I drop the change in my pockets into the Salvation Army kettles. I donate food to food banks. I give toys to toy drives, usually at every place I visit that has a toy box. I send money to animal rescues like the Mobile SPCA and Good Fortune Farm Rescue ( http://goodfortunefarmrefuge.org ). I also write out checks to organizations whose pleas arrive in snail mail, but (qualifier) only to those I’ve checked out and trust to give more than five percent to the charity they are alleged to represent. But what do I do during the rest of the year? Of course, I tithe, but there are few instances, other than in November and December, where I run into a need. And that’s my problem: I seem to have to “run into” a need rather than seeking one out.

After I “ran into” McKemie Place at a Mobile fundraising event in December, I made a New Year’s resolution to seek out a charity and share what I can. I decided McKemie Place would be where I focus my year-round giving this year. McKemie Place ( www.mckemieplace.org ) is a haven for single, homeless women in the Mobile, Washington, and Baldwin counties of Alabama. I’ve been blessed to never have been homeless, though there was a time when I thought I could be.

If you’re not already doing something like this, I encourage you to search your heart; and if you’re able, look for an agency or cause that’s worthy. Local or national, whichever you prefer. I think each of us can help in some way to make another person’s life a little better.

 Okay, off my soapbox, but let me know what you think about the idea. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same.

cj