Writing Out of the Box (Or How I Learned to Give Complacency the Bird)

If you had told me a year ago to “write out of the box”, this is what it would have looked like.

Only with more hissing and spitting. Someone would lose an eye.

When I first started this little journey of writering, I was awfully quick to label myself. *insert snooty tone here* “I am a Paranormal Romance Author.” (Yes, those capitals are all deserved, thank you very much.) After all, that’s what I had written: a paranormal romance. All this time spent researching vampire lore - the heart of my paranormal undertaking, thinking up new and creative ways to build on said lore, and basically immersing myself in all things fangy for a good long while.

This was it: I had a plan. A series in the works. I will write vampires.

Okay, so not quite like this. But hey, Gary Oldman.

Until I didn’t.

*80’s record screech*

You took the words right out of my mouth, Tom.

Exactly. I found myself being prodded (in only good ways, mind you) to examine the wonders of other genres. Not just reading them, but WRITING them. Really. Before I knew it, I was looking at a handful of books which featured me doing something as insane as NOT writing vampires. A special thanks should go here to my publisher, Moon Rose Publishing, for not only steering me in this direction, but encouraging me the whole time.

And with that, I punched a hole in the box. My first venture didn’t take me too far out of my “paranormal” comfort zone. I penned a magically sexy little tale involving dreams, Shades, and the Sandman. It went well, and was fun to write. Now, back to the vampires.

On the second go-round my brain, I have to admit, went a little nuts. A Steampunk Snow White? It’s okay. Roll your eyes. You won’t be the first. However, this rip-roaring little beast lit a fire under me like you would not believe. I had no idea that I had a story like this dwelling anywhere inside my twisted little imagination.

“Miss Cavendish and the Spark of Salvation” was the eye-opener for me. I was no longer constrained by my own label. I could actually write whatever I wanted. *gasp* And it wasn’t too shabby. The tiny little pings to my ego when I read a really great book in another genre were no longer saying, “You couldn’t do that if you tried” to “You could totally rock this”.

With that little story, I moved on to the next hurdle, which brought me full circle with my romance reading past. The ubiquitous historical. I cut my teeth on bodice-ripping Vikings, and strapping, kilted Highland lairds, devastatingly rakish Victorian dukes, and drop-dead sexy Texas gunslingers.

I should be sorry for using this. But I'm so not. The mullet is truly eye-catching. I may swoon.

So, I set this one in medieval Ireland and sat back and let the brain have its wicked way with these people as the cardboard slowly crumbled around me. I tried very hard, I really did, but in the end that teeny little paranormal part of me couldn’t quite give up the ghost, so I added in a dash of sexy selkie to shut it up.

Hindbrain appeased, I moved on. Urban Fantasy. Hell to the motherlovin’ yeah. Bad ass fallen angels, demons, guns, gore, violence, and you guessed it, more sex. Sort of like my vampires, but not my vampires.

Which brings me to the final finishing move to judo-chop the snot out of this writing box. It’s something I’m working on now, probably to be released next year. This is so far out of my comfort zone, I had to set in the future. Dystopian with a bit of sci-fi. The romance (if you could call it that) is incidental and inevitable. If I were to describe this book to you in two sentences it would be this: Think The Hunger Games meets X-Men meets Gladiator meets Logan’s Run. With a splash of Brokeback Mountain.

Really. It's going to be amazing.

When I finished the six-page outline for this bad boy, I immediately knew I had given my box a jaunty view of my middle finger. This piece is so far out of my comfort zone sometimes I think I won’t ever find my way back. But then I sit down and immerse myself in the worlds and the lives I’ve created and think, “If I ever go back, I’ll be so bored.”

You and me both, Sherlock.

And boring is the last thing I want to be. So, whatever it takes….break out of your boxes. Throw off the lines and set sail for uncharted waters. Write new things. Take your stories new places.

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” - Walt Disney

Tara S. Wood can be found lurking on the internet. Or in these fine establishments.
Amazon 
Facebook 
Twitter 
Goodreads 
Moon Rose Publishing

Jason Writes Again!

However you say it, it has been a strange few weeks.

Ups and downs, a roller-coaster ride, swings and roundabouts, rough with the smooth … I could carry on with all these phrases, but you get the idea. I've been working through one of those times that some of you will be familiar with, some won't. It's like working for nothing, or working and never getting anything right, or working and then hitting yourself around the head with a big self-criticism stick … again, I could carry on.

Don't get me wrong, it's not been horrendous and I have still grabbed my work every day, edited this, wrote that, posted about such and such, but there have been some 'WHY???' moments involved as well. Some have annoyed me more than others, some have been dismissed quite easily, some have lingered around, nagging at me.

I shall try and explain …

So, I suck at sales. It's fine, I freely admit it. It's never been one of my strong points and I remember a long time ago, actually arguing with someone about sales. I don't have that 'Push for the sale' element. If I do, it is asleep, or on holiday, or reading a book … but I know that if I was to ask somebody to buy X, and they said no, that would be it. No more hassling from me, they have made up their mind and I am not going to try to change it.

This can be an annoying quality to have when you are trying to sell books, especially your own books. It adds more pressure. Well, YOU add the pressure to yourself.

It just so happens that I am also being assisted by some friends at the moment, posting and tweeting about me and my books … yet still the sales are non-existent to low.

:( <~~~ I've added in Mr. Unhappy here but I'm smiling as I type this :) :D see?

I am in charge of everything when it concerns my writing/ books. Everything. One decision will lead to another, or this makes that better … I'll do this today and link with that tomorrow …

Having low sales is not unusual. Every author will have spells of this. I have and they don't bother me … usually. It's when I add the other factors in that my roller-coaster sets off.

'My books must be rubbish!'

'If I just had a bit more money to spend, I could afford that advertising, or buy those bookmarks, or run that event …'

'There has to be something wrong with the cover! My genre isn't popular!'

See? See what happened?

Yeah, everything adds together. Silly thoughts breed silly thoughts and then they marry sillier thoughts and have ridiculously silly offspring.

My last post on here was about swag. I had tons of ideas. More importantly, they were ideas that could be achieved without the bank hiring big and scary people to come after me(in other words, home-made and relatively free). I've still included that, though, in the mix of 'What shall I moan at myself about next?'

If I could just sell a bit more, push harder, get to the readers, then I wouldn't have to take time out from writing to make swag, or design swag to make later. I could just buy it with the money I receive from … SALES!!! ;)

This all sounds a bit erratic on my part. I agree … and I don't. I'm a professional at prioritising my thoughts, so can kick out the ones I don't want, much the same as I move a new book idea to a room inside my head when I'm too busy to develop it. I will always come back to a few important points/ thoughts in these times;

I have authored many books :)

I will author many new books :)

I have met some amazing authors/ friends(Emily, the blog boss being one of these:) )

You can't please everyone :)

Even if one reader enjoys my work, I have succeeded :)

I love tea :) (Okay, irrelevant but I'm being soulful)

There are people in the world born to sell, and they enjoy it. I write. I create worlds that didn't exist yesterday. I create characters that live inside these worlds … they live and breathe because I have made them do so. Their lives and adventures and tales of mystery are because I HAVE THOUGHT OF THEM :D

I can't be great at every aspect of the work I do, but I will never give up :)

Aww, look at all those smiley faces … awwww :)

I'm just about to start posting and tweeting about a new sales idea that I had last night. Nothing extreme or one-of-a-kind or spectacular. Who knows, it might work???

Jay Ellis.

P.S. New author logo that I created … like?

Books I Love....and you should, too!

Everyone has a few book titles that speak to their hearts and stay with them forever. I thought I would take a minute and share a couple of my favorites. I read across all genres. I love all kinds of books. Thrillers, romance, fantasy…I love it all.

The first book I can remember that affected me on a visceral level was Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”. It is a bastion of modern fiction that has been heralded as one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century. The first time I read this book I was blown away. Lee masterfully pens a tale of innocence and love that transcended everything I thought I knew about literature. To this day, my well-loved copy holds a place of prominence among all my books.

“Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad is another one on my keeper shelf. Most people I know either haven’t read it or hated it. I love this novel. Love it with a passion. The complex play of emotions and a man’s struggle with his moral compass in an immoral world is haunting in its depth. The subtleties between Marlowe and Kurtz are characterizations that I strive to reach in my own work. It’s one of the reasons I love character studies so much. The inner conflict and turmoil will keep me turning pages long after the action is done. 

“Stuart: A Life Backwards” by Alexander Masters is a contemporary English novel that chronicles the tale of an abused, mentally-ill man and his unique and self-effacing view of the world. He knows who he is, why he is the way he is, and accepts it in a heartbreaking and terrifying way. Something inside me broke when I read this for the first time. Just shattered me. Masters’ recollections of his time with Stuart is funny, endearing, yet so gut-wrenchingly sad it is impossible to read this novel and not walk away changed in some way. 

I think everyone should have some Shakespeare on their shelf. For me, it’s “Othello”. This is my favorite Shakespeare play of all time. ALL. TIME. The tragic story of the mad Moor and his love that borders on obsession with his wife and the sinister machinations of betrayal and deceit never ceases to amaze me.  Every time I read it, I am awed by the sheer passion Othello has for Desdemona, and how crippling that much emotion can be. 

I could go on with several other examples, but I’ll leave it here for now. Go on, tell us about your favorite books!!!

Tara S. Wood can be found lurking on the internet. Or in these fine establishments.
Amazon
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Moon Rose Publishing

SWAG!!!

SWAG!!!

Short post today as I'm busy writing new books, and I'll start with this; I'm obsessed with swag. Well, not as in collecting it, but creating it and trying to think of new stuff to make.

I heard about an author friend of mine who recently attended a book convention. She took bracelets with her that were actually USB drives!!! Amazing!! :)

On the USB drive, she had put a free book, an author message, and other cool stuff. Great idea, right?? I mean GENIUS idea, right??

So, I may or may not have been searching the internet, trying to gain inspiration for ways to create my own swag.

It seems to have become an integral part of the modern author age. Bookmarks of all shapes and sizes, keyrings, tote bags, miniature books, badges … you name it, it's being made.

So, yesterday, I found myself in the local town, checking books, swag that shops sell … but … I also let the imagination kick in as well.

Since then, I have bought some DIY tools(yeah, I really have), contacted a friend of mine who's a carpenter, searched eBay for materials, and trying to keep all the ideas in my head organised.

I have already made lots of swag over the years, and it has been sent out with books, or handed out in competitions or events. Now for the next step, what will my new ideas create??? :D

Jason Ellis 

Those Pesky Prounouns

She, Her, Him, He

OMG

Those Pesky Pronouns

Today, I am going to discuss she, her, him, he, or in other words those pesky pronouns. As a fledgling writer, I had no idea how those simple two to three letter words tanked my writing credibility. It was after a scathing editing venture from a good friend that I learned that the play on words when writing extended to pronoun usage.

Step One – Take ownership of your faux pas

Hi, my name is Lachelle Redd and I use excessive pronouns when writing. 

Step two – Rip it off like a Band-Aid. One sentence at a time, evaluate your pronoun usage. If this is too hard for you, have a friend review your work and see what they have to say. Here is an snippet from one of my stories.

She opened the door and he pushed his through as she tried to find words, but he found them for her.

Step three - Now that you have faced it, fix it

If there were such a thing as pronoun jail, I would be under it. In writing that sentence, I have committed a major pronoun felony and confused the reader. Here is a better take on that sentence:

Amanda opened the door as the demon forced his way inside. The confused woman tried to find the words, however David found them for her.

Step four – Celebrate your rehabilitation

Woo hoo- I have reduced the sentence two pronouns and intrigued the reader with more definition and feeling of what is happening.

So for the rest of you excessive pronoun offenders out there, there is hope. Find other ways to get your point across and excite your reader.

Book Marketing Fun

All authors have to plug their book and do what they can to sell it.  Even the bestsellers from major publishers still have to do city-to-city tours.  Those of us starting out might think it would be great to have someone organize all this for us, but even those can be tough on the author with reporters who have never read the book or ones who don’t care about the book, but want to ask sensational questions about the author’s private life (look at Anne Perry). 

 

Anyhoodle, we all have to work it, we all have to do what we can to get books in hands, reviews on page, and checks in bank.  There are many methods we all know about social media and working that.  Sometimes, we just need to go outside all we know and take a risk, do something different, and maybe look a little silly. 

 

My publisher, Gone Feral Publishing, will open soon for submissions from other authors.  We need to be known, we need to get out there and develop that name recognition just like the big firms, but many of us want to do it cheap, perhaps even free. 

 

We ran through a few ideas and knew we would want something Texas oriented, proud of being independent and free.  Oh, and totally feral.  We saw that the Independence Day Parade was organizing and signed up.  We rode in the parade as the Gone Feral Rodeo Queens wearing tiaras on our cowboy hats and sashes made by the same company who makes them for the Miss America pageant.  As a novelist, I was Miss Adventure, our managing editor was Miss Chief, the accountant went as Miss Fortune, and our intern was Miss Spent.  We gave our pageant waved from a convertible GT emblazoned with the Gone Feral Publishing logo and threw beads with the best of them.  Many strands of beads had pictures and write ups on the book series on them. 

 

Many people noticed us, most of those noticed the Gone Feral Publishing log, and some saw the pictures of the book covers.  We have no idea how much information we got out there, but we had a great time. 

 

Book marketing has never been more fun. 

 

I’m the author of the Hurricane Mystery Series, ECHOES OF THE STORM and BRIDES OF THE STORM, set in Galveston, right after the 1900 Hurricane, as well as the military thriller, SHADOW OF TWILIGHT.  When I’m not writing, I’m working with my husband and daughters to restore our Victorian house in Galveston.  While some people have waiters in fine restaurants greet them by name, we are known to the guys at the Salvage Yards. 

Nothing Like a Vacay...

Yep, there's nothing quite like a relaxing vacation to feed the imagination and rejuvenate the brain, and at this point in my editing process, I sorely need it. (See other posts by me).

So, let me tell you about this current vacay, which is one of two I'm taking this summer. This one is set in the mysterious Applachian Mountians of East Tennessee and North Carolina.

On day one, we drove through the historic Cades Cove, where some of the original homesteaders settled this area in the early 1800's. We saw old mills, homes, spring houses, barns, and churches. All still original. Yet, the most incredible aspect of that excursion was the wildlife: coyotes, deer, snakes, squirrels, and the big one..BEARS. Yes, the black bear of the Smokies. The pic below is of a sunrise in Cades Cove, taken on an early morning hayride.

On another day, we took another tour through the Roaring Forks mountain pass just outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was a 5.5 mile, one-lane drive up a steep mountain, with scary drop-offs and the most beautiful rushing waterfalls and bubbling brooks. Breathtaking is not enough to describe it.

The pic below was taken from the Chimney Tops.

And finally, we got out of our cars and took these hikes through the mountains, which teemed with wildlife and plantlife. It was green and lush and slightly wet, which seems to be the norm this high in the mountains, reminding me of what a rain forest might be like.

And so, I'll end this blog post...because I'm supposed to go sit on the deck of our cabin in the Smokies, gaze at the mountains, and drink some coffee with my family. Yes, the ideas are blossoming and the views are like no other. Talk to you soon!

Ilsa Madden-Mills
Very Bad Things
Falk 2013

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Ilsa-Madden-Mills/164946810330135

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