Birthdays: Alfred Hitchcock (1899), Kamila Shamsie (1973), Tom Perotta (1961), Sharon Kay Penman (1945), Nikolaus Lenau (1802)
Tip: Secondary characters should not take over a scene unless there’s a very good reason. They are there to support the main characters or add color to the story, not to be the main reason for the story. If they start to take over, then maybe you’re telling the story from the wrong point of view.
Thought for the day: “The hardest part about being a writer is not getting your commas in the right place, but getting your head in the right place.” – Ralph Keyes
Jumpstart: Pick a famous piece of art or sculpture and write about the artist as s/he was creating it.
Birthdays: Edith Hamilton (1867), William Goldman (1931), Walter Dean Myers (1937), Gail Parent (1940), Ruth Stiles Gannett (1923)
Tip: Get yourself a good dictionary, thesaurus, and grammar book—or know where to look for them online. The Chicago Manual of Style is considered the best for most writing. Also Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Roget’s Thesaurus. And use them!
Thought for the day: “Compete only with yourself.” – Mary Ellen Donahue
Jumpstart: Pretend you’re a doll living in a doll house. What is it like? What do you see from your vantage point? Who plays with you? In what way?
Note: I just finished reading a book that I am going to write a review up for later. The premise of the book was good. It’s a YA fantasy and imaginative. However…the editing was horrendous. It looked like the author used “spellcheck” a lot because there were so many wrong word usages, missing words, typos, and more. And it wasn’t an ARC – it was a finished, published book. Please–do not rely on spellcheck for your editing. If you took the time to write a book, take the time to get a good editor and proofreader and have them go over it. And then go over it yourself one more time.
Birthdays: Alex Haley (1921), Andre Dubus (1936), Joanna Cole (1944), Don Freeman (1908)
Tip: We do research to get our facts straight, but don’t get lost in the research. You can while away an entire afternoon looking things up. Find your one item, note it and move on. Or mark the passage for a later time.
Thought for the day: “The trick is not in becoming a writer, it is in staying a writer. Day after week after month after year.” – Harlan Ellison
Jumpstart: What are your top five…anything (desserts, music, movies, etc.). Why are they your top five? What is it about them that you like so much?
Tip: Plot can take two basic forms, or even a combination of the two. It will usually be either a three-act structure (beginning, middle, end), or, from Joseph Campbell’s writings, be a mythic journey. It can also be a combination of the mythic journey within the three-act structure.
Thought for the day: “Practice does not make you perfect, as nobody is perfect. But it will make you better. If you thought you were perfect, you would no longer practice.” – Adrian Parrish
Jumpstart: You’re going to visit a favorite relative you haven’t seen in years. You’ve kept in touch by phone and letter, but not visually. When you see him/her, you’re shocked by their appearance. Why?
Birthdays: John Dryden (1631), Philip Larkin (1922), Daniel Keyes (1927), Jonathan Kellerman (1949), Seymour Simon (1931), Pamela Travers (1899)
Tip: Put the book you’ve just finished writing away for at least a week. Watch movies, read other books, take long walks, relax. Or, better yet, start your next book. Do anything other than look at your manuscript. That way, you can come back to it with a fresh eye.
Thought for the day: “The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.” – Bum Phillips (NFL coach)
Jumpstart: P.L. Travers was born on August 9, 1899. Never heard of her? I’d be willing to bet you’ve heard of Mary Poppins. Travers wrote several books about everybody’s favorite nanny. Imagine you’re a friend of Mary Poppins. Who would you be and what would your quirk be? No fair picking something from the book or movie. How do you know Mary?
Hello Sparklers! So excited to be here with you today!
I’m Gabby Allan and Vicky most graciously let me steal her blog for a bit to hang out with you. I can’t wait to introduce you to my new series! It’s a Rom Cozy—rom com and cozy mystery snuggled up on a beach drinking a Mai Tai! I really hope you’ll love this book and my characters Whitney Dagner and her cat Whiskers!
Thanks for giving me a look and have a great day!
Whitney Dagner is your tour guide to a Pacific paradise that’s to die for—only to find it’s a place people are also willing to kill for—in Gabby Allan’s Much Ado About Nauticaling, first in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series. After far too many years in the Los Angeles corporate world, Whitney Dagner has come home to Santa Catalina Island off the California coast to help her brother Nick run Nautically Yours, the family tourism business. Between gift shop shifts selling all manner of T-shirts and tchotchkes and keeping her feline Whiskers in fine fettle, she pilots the Sea Bounder, a glass bottom boat showing tourists the underwater sights of aquatic plants, marine life—and a murder victim?
The self-proclaimed “Master of the Island,” Jules Tisdale was a wealthy man with business interests throughout Catalina who was about to be honored as Person of the Year before someone strangled him with his own tie and tossed his body into the water. That someone appears to be Nick, who had a raw deal from Jules and no alibi the night of his murder. To clear her brother’s name, Whit will have to investigate Jules’ shady associates and not exactly grief-stricken family members—with the unwelcome help of Felix Ramirez, police diver and Whit’s ex-boyfriend who’s looking to rekindle their relationship.
Tip: Professional jealousy exists. Try not to let it control you. If a friend gets better contracts, etc. than you, be happy for them. Celebrate their success.
Thought for the day: “Trust your instincts. The longer you write, the sharper they become.” – Dee Holmes
Jumpstart: An asteroid is going to hit Earth and there are only enough ships and room on the moon for a small portion of the population. You’re the person who has to choose. How do you do it and who do you save?
Freelance computer genius Trent Marcus took a web development job he wishes he hadn’t, and now he’s in a world of hurt. With his safety threatened, he needs someone who can protect him from his client, who responds to “no” with threats and intimidation.
Personal trainer and silver fox Collin Fitzpatrick gave part of his leg for his country, and now his ex is selling his home, so he needs a place to live quickly. He hears from mutual friends that Trent has a room he can rent and needs Collin’s help.
Neither Trent nor Collin is looking for a relationship, but attraction ignites for Trent, and it’s returned, to Trent’s surprise.
The last thing Collin expects is for his protective instincts to blossom into something much more. Trent’s care and genuineness combine to heal the heart his ex left shattered. As the task of keeping Trent safe becomes more paramount, so does the realization that failing could cost both of them everything.
