The Secret of Authors

When I first began writing, I searched the world over on the best ways and means to write and get published. I frantically scoured the internet for the best tips from the most successful authors out there. I tried to mimic their patterns and thought processes. And then one day, I discovered that all the joy of writing had been sucked out of my passion.

I joined a writers group, only to discover those that were in it didn’t know any more about writing and publication than I did.  We all talked a good talk, but none of us were moving forward. Critiquing became an exercise in each of us telling the others they should change this, that, or the other thing, because ultimately it wasn’t the way we write. A writers group is not a replacement for a good editor. It’s mostly for two purposes: support in a common effort, or brainstorming.

Marketing in itself was taking a huge chunk out of my time. The time I could be spending with my family and friends, or writing. I would spend hours on Hootsuite crafting tweets and Facebook postings, and even some for LinkedIn, and then I realized I was spending more and more of my time marketing and less and less of my time writing.

If I want to be a good writer, or maybe even a great writer, I have to keep at it, every day; 30-minutes minimum - every day. It’s a developed habit. It can be a daunting task at times. Sometimes I sit there staring at the blank screen before me and I just want to cry because nothing comes out. “Write something; anything,” I tell myself. “Write all the chores you have to do today in story form.” Sometimes even that can be a challenge. Writer’s block is a very real thing. Sometimes the words just don’t come. However, I still sit there for 30 minutes, just in case. I have neglected my blog, or at least have seemed to, since August 30^th. The words just wouldn’t come. I assure you, I sat there, every day, for 30 minutes, and nothing.

My cure for writer’s block: I just sit with it for a while. After my 30 minutes of sitting, I go do other things that have nothing to do with writing. It works every time, sometimes it takes days, but it works.

In my quest to become an author, I also tried to write like someone else. This was a bad idea; a very bad idea. When I try to write like someone else, I lose all the flavor of the story I am trying to tell. I stopped doing that. I have to write authentically as myself.

I stopped listening to what the world was telling me about writing. I limited my marketing time – on purpose. I developed a habit of writing, and a cure for what ails writers the most. I developed my own voice. Now I write what pleases me.

Here’s the secret about successful writers. They don’t write for the market. They simply write for the sake of writing. Believe it or not, most of the great writers out there have had a flop of a book. They don’t dwell on it. They don’t drown their sorrows in wine and beer. They get to work, writing a new story. And, that is the true secret to becoming an author.

No! You Cannot Have it for Free!

Do you ever have one of those pull-out-your-hair-and-scream moments? I'm sure most artists, writers, musicians, and other creativepreneaurs have. There is a unified voice rising across the creative markets and we are all saying, "No! You cannot have it for free!"  So today, I am going to paint a picture with words that describes exactly why you cannot have my work for free.

I want a new car. I want the best new car the world has to offer. I don't care how much time you, the engineer, have put into its design, or how many hours you, the factory worker, have put in, making sure it's safe. I want it for free...and I want it now. No CEO in their right mind would accommodate such a request from one person, let alone a whole slew of people salivating over the coolest, most luxurious car ever made.

The creation of such a car takes time. Sometimes years of research, engineering, and testing go into making cars before they ever hit the manufacturing plant. Writing songs, composing music, painting pictures, or telling a story can take years of research, engineering, and testing before they ever hit the medium of choice.

A lot of people are involved in the transference of car design from monitor to street - people who have to be paid. The same is true for creativepreneurs. There are editors, publishers, marketing people, designers, vendors, managers, etc. involved in that great new creative piece by your favorite author, musician, artist, composer etc. They all have to be paid - by the creativepreneur.

If we all gave away our work for free, in essence, we would be paying the world to read our books, view our paintings / digital art, or listen to our music. That doesn't seem to be a very lucrative idea, any more than the car company giving away their product.

The next time you think, or say, this or that creativepreneur should give this away, think about how you would feel if we said the same thing about the products or services you are paid to provide. If your company gave it all away, you wouldn't have a job.

Next time on Butterfly Phoenix, I will be addressing the New Slush Pile - DIY publishing and how it is hurting the publishing industry.

Butterfly Phoenix Receives the Very Inspiring Blogger Award

I was honored when my good friend and fellow author, Linda Lee Greene, informed me she was nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger award! I was so blessed! Her novel, Guardians and Other Angels is available in eBook format and print on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Here are seven things about me that will help define who I am, and what I do best.

Seven things about me....

I was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, and moved to my mother's home state of North Dakota when I was a toddler. I was born a blue baby in the late 1960s, and this is where my story is somewhat interesting. My first doctor was a man who had narrowly escaped Cuba before the Bay of Pigs. He just happened to be in Miami and had specialized in a relatively experimental surgery in cardiology for infants.

I am the mother of three beautiful grown daughters, and grandma to two very special grandchildren.

I love culture and world history. Growing up on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in western North Dakota immersed in two story-telling cultures, Irish and Native American (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara), gave me the ability to appreciate and accept people for who they are.

I'm supposed to talk about an achievement in my life. However, I view my life itself as an achievement. I could have, and in all likelihood should have, died at birth, but I didn't. I grew up in a time of extreme conflict, fear, and violence and survived - not unscathed, but survived nonetheless. I endured eight years in a loveless relationship as the significant other of a man whose life became consumed by drug abuse and alcoholism. I championed a home to the best of my ability as a single-mother in a relatively conservative state. I graduated college twice while providing for my three daughters. I have overcome many obstacles and challenges in my life, and that is an achievement that cannot be dwarfed by any award or accolade I could ever receive.

I am currently working on "The Chrysalis Series", a fantasy trilogy set in the times of the Gael - although not a historical fiction series. The first book, "The Butterfly Fields," is near ready for release. However, I don't have a set date. The story follows two sisters, Elsie and Annalicia McCormick, as they both find their way through the wilderness of life in the hopes of finding the freedom, safety, and sanity they enjoyed in their youth.

I have my favorite organizations, and as many of my long-time readers know, those organizations are the ones who champion for the unwanted, uncared for, and unloved of the world. Diva Connection is one of those organizations, because they not only champion for women, they empower women of all ages and all walks of life to champion for others. The Jeremiah Program, because they help young single mothers build sustainable successful lives. And my national organization is GEMS, who advocate for and assist young women who are victims of sex and human trafficking. I have been a mentor mother for the Young Mothers Network of Cass and Clay Counties since 2009.

I am not currently serving on any boards or committees. I am a member of the American Legion Auxiliary - Arthur Solie Post, Parshall, North Dakota. I am a member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. I served as a parent volunteer, and later as the Secretary of the Executive Bethel Council of Bethel 32, Moorhead, Minnesota, of the International Order of Jobs Daughters.

I would like to take this opportunity to nominate some of my friends who are bloggers that I feel have made a positive impact on my life. I hope that you will go visit their blogs and leave a comment. In alphabetical order, they are:

Arlene O'Neil - Although she is not a blogger, she's still very inspiring, so buy her book Broken Spokes, you won't regret it.

Sarah L. Wallace at Cross Roads of Humanity

Wendy and Charles Seifken at Seifken Publications

Are You Quality, or Are You Discount?

How much do you, as a reader, value “free?” That seems to be the buzz question within many author groups. I cannot count the number of times I have heard the question in various forms, the most common being, “Do you think I should release the book as free for X number of days?”

My answer is no. No, I do not think books should be released as free for any amount of time. Why? I have the perfect analogy that I heard from a man with a MBA I used to work with several years ago.

Let’s say you are going to buy a t-shirt. You find the t-shirt that you want at two big box retailers; Wal-Mart and Target. Which do you value more? The t-shirts are identical, from the same vendor and made by the same company. The only difference between the two shirts is the price. The ultimate decision does not come down to the price tag. The psychology behind the purchase has nothing to do with how much the t-shirt costs. It comes down to which store you think has the better product. Wal-Mart holds to the low, low prices marketing campaign, whereas Target promotes quality. Without conscious thought you buy the t-shirt at Target, paying a few cents or dollars more. Why? Because it is engrained in your mind that somehow the t-shirt at Target is of better quality, even though the t-shirts are exactly the same.

Now, let’s apply the theory to the free book phenomenon that is sweeping the e-book publishing industry. The most common reasoning behind the free book release is, ‘I have to get my name out there.’ Ok, I can understand that. It’s true an author wants as many people as possible knowing their name, and their work. However, they may have promoted their product value right into the discount bin. To the avid reader, free equates to of lesser quality. The general thought behind it seems to be the author has to give their books away to get anyone to read them. That’s not necessarily the case, but in many instances it is the perception. The author’s persona is now in line with Wal-Mart’s low, low prices marketing campaign. If they do this long enough, readers will equate the author name with low quality based on promotion of the price. I’ve often been in Wal-Mart and assailed by the free sample ladies in every aisle. I don’t think I’ve ever had that happen at Target. The question is: is the author Wal-Mart or are they Target?

Free e-books are flooding the on-line retailers at break-neck speed. In fact, it seems there are so many free books that it’s starting to have a reverse effect. The free book the author worked so hard to create is now buried under thousands of other free books.

What happens to all the free book downloads? The buzz on the web is they tend to stay unread in the bottom of the e-reader for someday.  All the effort the author put into promoting the book for free is most likely sitting at the bottom of the e-readers of the world, right along with the manuscript they spent so much energy in creating. Initially the author will see a spike in sales, just like Wal-Mart does on free sample Saturday. Then the sales of the product plummet or even out to what they were before. Freebies are a short term solution to a long term marketing strategy.

The big publishing houses do not offer freebies for a reason. It’s all about perception of the author. Is the author a quality commodity, or are they not? Are they quality or are they discount? It’s all about branding of the author. How an author presents themselves to the world is exactly how the world will see them. How the world sees them is how they will place value on the author’s work.

I learned this from my own experience in publishing Sticks and Bones. I devalued my own work by dropping the price to 99 cents. I sold more copies of Sticks and Bones at the $2.99 price than I ever have at the 99 cent price point. I also learned a few more things by publishing Sticks and Bones, and I will be blogging more about those lessons in future posts.

Note: There is nothing wrong with shopping at Wal-Mart. I shop there all the time. This is about common public perception.

Merry Koda Christmas: Author RaeAnn Hadley

What I Love About Christmas

            There are so many things that I love about Christmas that bring forth the warm fuzzy feelings and moment of believing that everything is right with the world.

            My first and foremost happiness is that people tend to be a little gentler with each other and go out of their way to help others. My daughter’s expression is to “fill someone’s bucket” so that they feel good about themselves. Such a profound statement from someone who’s earthly body is only 8 tender years old. Because of this we try to fill someone’s bucket every day. Not everyone else thinks to do this every day or even every month with life’s busy schedule but around Christmas people seem to remember and offer that courtesy. I am hopeful that maybe some of them realize how great it feels and start to do it more often throughout the year.

            The second thing I love SO much about Christmas is being able to be a child again. Being the mother of two young girls, I’m transported back to my magical and whimsical holiday seasons where Santa was watching my every move and elves were busy making my perfect gift. The smell of cookies filled the house daily, hot chocolate was always ready when chilly hands and tummies needed warming and the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree filled me with excitement and anticipation. My husband and I are both child-like during the holidays and enjoy creating the fantastic, magical world that offers a special time and place in the hearts of our young. We bake our cookies, decorate our tree, make our snowmen and revel in the fact that we are healthy, blessed and together as a family.

            The third thing that I love so much is being able to share within our community. Our girls donate their time in the retirement homes where they read to the elderly, sing to them and bring them cards. We also become a Secret Santa to a family in need and buy a large amount of food items that we drop off, ringing the bell and running away before the intended family can see who it was. Granted, we like to anonymously donate throughout the year but there is something special about surprising a family at Christmas time and being able to bring them closer to the magical realm that I had growing up as a child.

            I have so many more things that I love about this time of year but I will end it here and leave you with this thought. We all know how wonderful it feels to receive, whether it is gifts, a compliment, love or support. Imagine how greater that feeling is when we fill someone else’s bucket. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and remember, life is meant to be fun; enjoy the journey.

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RaeAnne Hadley: RaeAnne is an author from Craig, CO, USA. RaeAnne writes mystery and paranormal romance. Her works include, Mechanics of Murder (2004), WithLove; Now & Forever (2011), - From outward appearances, Anastasia Cassadine has the perfect life; a very successful company and handsome men vying to be her companion. But the appearance she projects is terribly misleading. Ana is haunted by a dark secret from her past, one that involved her first love, Austin Troy. Shadows (2011), and Love’s Everlasting Song (Dec. 2011) - The physical attraction between the two is immediate but Rebecca struggles with her pending divorce and need to be successful in her career. As Rebecca begins to open her heart and believe in her future, her past won't leave her alone and threatens to destroy everything she has worked for. Can she fight to put her past to rest and begin a new life or will this be her swan song?

Thank you RaeAnne for sharing with us today! It seems your kind and generous heart will be a tradition handed down for many generations. Merry Christmas!

Rejection is not the End of the World

Being rejected is not the end of the world. In the moments after the initial blow it may seem like it. A person wants to crawl into the nearest hole, pull the cover rock over top, and stay there…forever. Instead of burying yourself in the hole, kick the rock aside. Go ahead, kick it hard. Then keep walking.

So the bombshell beauty at the bar shot you down. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe you don’t want that whirlwind catastrophe in your life. Maybe, it was a rejection that saved you a world of hurt that you would have never expected.

So the dream job that you thought you were made for rejected you without so much as an interview. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe there were organizational cultural differences that made you ‘not a good fit.’ Maybe their ways and means of doing business wouldn’t be in line with your core values after all. Shake it off and look for the next opportunity. Contrary to popular belief, opportunity knocks every day; you just have to be willing to answer the door.

If you want to be a writer or an author, rejection is part of the game, just like in life. I hold to the belief that every author that has ever lived has been rejected multiple times in their life. If you’ve never been rejected, then I tip my imaginary hat to you. (I don’t wear hats.)

The initial rejection from an agent or publisher feels like someone slammed you in the gut with their fist, and then did it again for good measure. You start questioning your ability, your imagination, your vocabulary, your prose, and perhaps even question your own identity.

Then you get angry. It isn’t your fault. They don’t know good writing when they read it. They have no clue of what they are missing. That’s right, you’re the next great American author and they missed out. Or, did they?

Honesty goes a long way when it comes to rejection. Some agents and publishers will at least give you some reason for the rejection. Sometimes that reason comes as a standard form letter. Here’s my take on the form letter rejection: The writing is of low quality. The end.  I would take that as a generous dose of politeness on the part of the agent or publisher. They could tell you exactly how they feel about the quality of writing, but choose not to, so as not to deflate your hopes and dreams of one day becoming better.

Agents and publishers aren’t the only sources of rejection. Reviewers can hit you in the gut with a loaded fist. Honest reviewers, and there are a lot of them, will tell it like it is, with or without your permission. If they don’t like what they read, they have a tendency to say exactly what was wrong with it, in their opinion. Reviewers differ from one to the other, but when that bad review goes to press, you better be prepared for it. Maybe they didn’t like your characters, or the whole thing was filled with clichés, or maybe the story just didn’t resonate or ring true with them. Are they wrong?

Instead of getting angry or upset, go back and look at the work from their perspective. Are the characters weak? Are there a lot of clichés in the story? Think, "It was a dark and stormy night…” Is the story believable? Or, is it accurate to its time? Historical accuracy is important to a lot of reviewers. Did you do your research? Grammar and punctuation are also important to reviewers. Editing anyone? Nobody is perfect and reviewers know this. But, there is a certain level of expectation.

The granddaddy of them all is the reader rejection. Readers can deliver a KO punch like no one else. Most readers today do not give reviews on the e-book sites. However, they give their reviews in the lunchrooms of schools and businesses across the world, or at the dinner table, at parties, to their friends and families. The word of mouth rejection eventually shows up in print somewhere. Maybe even in an email to the author, or on the author’s blog, or a social networking comment, but it will show up. Listen to what they are saying. They are your target market; they are your customers, your buyers, and most of all your crowd-source marketing team.

Author to author: We have a duty and an obligation to each other to call a spade a spade. When we beta read for each other, be honest. We need to tell each other when something is off, a plot hole exists, grammar and punctuation needs work, etc. Anything less is just back scratching.

What I want aspiring writers to take away from this post is this: I have been the subject of every one of these scenarios. However, the rejections that ensued were not against me as a person. They were about the poem, the short story, the novel. I could have thrown in the towel, walked away, and never thought on writing again. But, I didn’t. I took all the rejections, in the various forms, and learned from them. I learned to try my best to make sure grammar and punctuation were considered. I learned to show not tell (well for the most part anyway.) I learned to develop rich, believable characters, and not to use clichés.

In the next few weeks, I am again going to put myself out there for the rejections that might happen. No, the rejections that will happen. There will be agents, publishers, reviewers, readers and other authors who will not like what I have created. That does not mean they don’t like me. It means they don’t like the story. Not everyone is going to like it.

When the time comes for you to put yourself out there, just do it. See what happens, and learn from it. I guarantee you will be rejected, and sometimes that’s a good thing.

A Merry Koda Christmas

I belong to an on-line writer’s group filled with aspiring new authors, established authors, bloggers and those who assist in everything from editing to book cover illustrations. Master Koda. Kim Mutch Emerson moderates the group as well as owns and operates Masterkoda.com, an author service site that offers promotion, editing, and publication services to authors and bloggers.

Beginning this Friday, December 14th through Friday, December 21, 2012, seven Master Koda members will be sharing what they love most about Christmas. I am also featuring a local author, and friend, Roxane Beauclair Salonen.

 

The week’s line-up:

Jamesina Greene: Jamesina is an author from Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. Jamesina is also President of Jamie Greene Ministries. Some of her works include, A Mother’s Cry, a Mini Book for Mom's on the go. It provides inspiration and uplifting for every Mother's heart; and HelpI Don’t Like Myself, This book shares the personal experience of the author from a place of self-hate to a place of self-love. The author's battle with Depression has driven her to share her experience in order to help others who may be in this same place. Learn how to journey into a place where you love yourself as God loves you. Feature Date: Friday, December 14, 2012.

Alycia Adams Neighbours: Alycia is an author from Hendersonville, TN, USA. Alycia is a full-time writer, wife, and mother of seven children. Some of her works include, Deciding to Dance – Learning the Steps of Life After Loss; and Wake Up in the Mourning- How to Rise and Shine after Loss. Feature Date: Saturday, December 15, 2012.

Roxane Beauclair Salonen: Roxane is an author from Fargo, ND, USA. Roxane is a full-time writer, wife, and mother of five children. Roxane is a children’s author and communications specialist. Some of her works include, P is for Peace Garden; and FirstSalmon. Feature Date: Sunday, December 16, 2012.

DeEtte Beckstead Anderton: DeEtte is an author from Salt Lake City, UT, USA. DeEtte’s first work, The Christmas Visitors, was published November 25, 2012; and her first novel, Victory, - Victory, a town where the people love their country and their neighbors, but what happens when two visitors come to town? One comes with fear and control, slowly taking away the freedoms the people love. The other comes with faith. When darkness overtakes the town who will have Victory? was just released on Friday, December 7, 2012. Feature Date: Monday, December 17, 2012.

Arlene R. O’Neil: Arlene is an author from Johnston, SC, USA. Arlene is a widow and the mother of one son whom she loves more than life itself, Sgt. Tanner David O’Neil, United States Army. Arlene is the author of Broken Spokes- an inspirational collection of the memories of a courageous child who, in spite of physical and emotional suffering, grew into a compassionate, loving and valiant woman. Crippled at age six, the author begins an odyssey which will consume her entire life. Through her sufferings, she finds a way to heal others, and in doing so, saves herself. Arlene is currently working on her second novel. Feature Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2012.

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Show Less RaeAnne Hadley: RaeAnne is an author from Craig, CO, USA. RaeAnne writes mystery and paranormal romance. Her works include, Mechanics of Murder (2004), WithLove; Now & Forever (2011), - From outward appearances, Anastasia Cassadine has the perfect life; a very successful company and handsome men vying to be her companion. But the appearance she projects is terribly misleading. Ana is haunted by a dark secret from her past, one that involved her first love, Austin Troy. Shadows (2011), and Love’s Everlasting Song (Dec. 2011) - The physical attraction between the two is immediate but Rebecca struggles with her pending divorce and need to be successful in her career. As Rebecca begins to open her heart and believe in her future, her past won't leave her alone and threatens to destroy everything she has worked for. Can she fight to put her past to rest and begin a new life or will this be her swan song? Feature Date: Wednesday, December 19, 2012.

Cody Martin: Cody is an author living in Iwakuni-Shi, Yamaguchi, Japan. Cody teaches English to junior high students in Japan, as part of the JET Programme. Cody is originally from Cody, WY, USA. He graduated from Kansai Gaidai University in 2005, and the University of Alabama in 2006. Cody will be sharing the traditions of Christmas in Japan from a very personal point of view. Feature Date: Thursday, December 20, 2012.

 

Linda Bowers Bolton: Linda is an author from Addison, Texas, USA. Linda is a contemporary romance author, marketing agent, and independent fitness consultant. Her debut novel, "Take 2" - a story of love, loss and loving again.will be released within the next few weeks. Watch for it on Amazon! Feature Date: Friday, December 21, 2012.

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Nollaig Shona Duit (Merry Christmas) readers! Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Monday Musings: Reading, Listening, and Writing

One of my traits as an introvert seems to be that I know a lot of stuff. I know trivial things to minute details about the state of the world. I can usually hold intelligent conversations with just about anyone...usually. I am often asked how it is that I know so much about various topics.

Today, I am going to talk about this in relation to how it has improved my writing. There are two things in this world that are important on many different levels. The first is reading, and the second is listening.

Reading:

I have read since I was old enough to sound out the words in the Dick and Jane books in the first grade. I loved to read then, and I love to read now. There is nothing more pleasing in the world to me than the feel of the pages between my fingers.

I enjoy reading fiction to a certain degree. However, books aren't the only source of my reading. I read blogs - I'm world class blog stalker - I read various websites, professional journals, newspapers, etc.

I don't limit what I read to simply the things I enjoy. I read the news coming out of Afghanistan and I certainly don't enjoy it. Yet, it is a necessary act to know what is going on in the world in which I live. I also read the financial pages (you would think I would be a better money manager...). It's a quirk of mine to abhor the insane acquisiton of money to the point of greed. I view the financial pages as a study in human behavior. Just how far will people go to acquire wealth, what do they do with it once they get it, and in some cases how long will it last? I read to know the details of life as we know it.

If I am writing, I read a great deal about the subject; before and during the process. In the process of The Butterfly Fields, I have had to read many different things about the subjects of religion, culture, and finding one's place in the midst of it all. I will be the first to admit, I had no idea what the Augsburg Confession is, let alone the important role it plays in the history of religion in the world. In fact, the important role in the religion I have chosen as my personal path. I found the Book of Concord (the hardcover) fascinating. What an interesting time in the world. Another important book that I have had to read is the Bible itself. I'm still working on this one. I truly believe a person could study the Bible for an entire lifetime and still not know all that it says. Or, maybe I just started too late. I have also had to read a lot of information about the Dark Ages. I have another quirk about things being as historically accurate as possible. This includes dialogue, descriptions, and the way people really were, not how we seem to romanticize this era in our history. It was called the Dark Ages for more reasons than the religious discord in the world. Writing is a process. It is not something that can be typed out in a few sittings and offered to the world with any expectation of respect in the industry.

Listening:

Many times when we are sitting together in a room as a group, or just two people having a conversation, we fall into the poor listening skills area. Instead of truly listening to what the other person is saying as an active and engaged listener, we start planning what we are going to say next. There are even times when we let our minds wander into what's for dinner tonight or how am I going to pay a bill, and so on. Lastly, we do the ultimate act of poor listening, we cut the person off in mid-sentence assuming we already know what they are going to say. Personally, when someone does this to me enough times, I will just get up and walk away in the middle of the conversation. One it is without manners to interrupt someone when they are speaking, and two assumption is the mother of all miscommunication. We all exercise poor listening on some level, every day.

Growing up, I learned the fine art of listening due to the generally observed rule of children should be seen and not heard. I would also watch with great interest the interactions of the elders in the family and how they conducted themselves. They were far from perfect, but they had some things that always seemed to be engaged in the moment. An elder was always allowed to finish speaking, no matter how long it took, before anyone said anything. Many times a silent pause would follow what was said while the listeners processed the information that had been shared. I learned to think before I speak. Some people today don't grasp the concept that I don't like to give an immediate answer until I have taken under consideration what had been said. It makes it very difficult for some of us introverts to be actively engaged in meetings filled with extroverted people.

Listening to others plays a significant role in the trust factor of relationships. If you are a natural people watcher like me, listening coupled with picking up on body language, you understand how much of the story is never tranferred in the spoken word. We naturally learn a lot about and make judgments of other people based on these two things, more than any conversation we will ever have with them. This helps in character development in the story. I have a tendency to build characters based on the mannerisms of people rather than what they say.

I find listening more interesting and comfortable than talking. I learn a lot more when listening than when being fully engaged in the conversation. I view this as a strength. Through active and engaged listening I can make better decisions even if it takes a bit longer.

While working on The Butterfly Fields, I have had to do a lot of listening in addition to reading. Sometimes I didn't necessarily enjoy what I was hearing. However, I feel through this listening process, The Butterfly Fields, and The Chrysalis Series as a whole, is a stronger story. Also through listening, I have gained some personal skills in regards to who I am and where I am heading.

Reading and listening play an important role in writing. If you want a strong story with lots of detail and interesting characters, you have to know your subject. I will always read and listen for the rest of my life, otherwise the world will be very flat; very flat indeed.

Simply Saturday: Now Serving Meat and Potatoes of Life

The house where I grew up is a small three bedroom rambler style that was the uglies shade of 1970s orange I have ever laid eyes on in my entire life. Thankfully, someone has since had the good sense to change the color. The house is in a small town in the country, about ten miles as the crow flies from the shores of Lake Sakajwea.

In this little house lived myself, my siblings, our mother, and various pets over the years. Despite growing up poor as dirt, our mother provided us with everything we ever needed. When she would come home from work, she made dinner. It wasn't just any dinner. It was the meat and potatoes kind of dinner. We were not allowed to eat in the living room glued to the television. We ate together at the table. We discussed our day, picked at each other, laughed, and enjoyed the time we had together. There were a few times in which we told on each other for little acts of indiscretion, or in my case, told on myself for lack of forethought before I spoke. Never, ever tell of your greatest feat of the day at the swimming pool when you're supposed to be grounded. These things do not go over well with Mom. I couldn't help it, I jumped off the diving board for the first time that day. But, I digress...

In our little house we didn't have a VCR or an Atari game system. For the longest time we didn't even have a colored TV. It didn't matter to us, or for that matter to most of the kids who lived in the small town. We were all outside enjoying the meat and potatoes of life. We had too much to do to worry about whether or not we were missing something on the magic box in the living room. The TV was more of an entertainment piece for grown-ups. Prime time television? We didn't know what that was. We were out playing hide and seek in the dark, or other games. We built snow forts in the winter and tree forts in the summer. Kick the can was an awesome variation on the traditional hide and seek game. We had snowmobiles and horses to ride. There were frogs, turtles, and even snakes that needed catching. We had no time for sitting idly on the couch stuffing our faces with the deliciousness of chips, candy, and other munchies. We were living life.

As a person who endeavors to write, the importance of these past experiences plays a significant role in the process. The saying goes, write what you know. How can an author know anything if they haven't experienced the meat and potatoes of life? I wonder sometimes about the quality of writing. I wonder if the experience of sitting on the couch watching television or playing video games will effect future stories. Will it effect the stories that my grandchildren will read? I wonder if this is where telling and showing becomes difficult.

I have recently read a blog about the show don't tell technique. Although showing is important, telling has it's place in writing also. I think what matters is how we tell. What are we showing when we are telling? Look at all the greatest storytellers of all time. They showed more than they told through their animations, voice inflections, and descriptive wording. Thoreau is a prime example of the showing through telling. When you read his stories of his experiences, he is telling it, yet showing the reader the beauty that surrounded him. He is telling of the deepest thoughts and emotions that lived within him. He was serving up the meat and potatoes of life; as he experienced it.

Is the mantra of show don't tell really that important authors should be ostracized from the writing world, simply because they choose to be different?

Monday Musings: The Culture of Writing

As a person, I have worked in diversity and inclusion for a very long time. A lot longer than any paying position on a resume could reflect. However, it does not make me an expert on the subject, especially the legal aspects. What it does make me is a more cultured person, not any better or worse than others.

In our present day world, this cultured aspect of life is becoming more important. This is true especially for those of us who choose to write. No longer are we writing for the local or regional market. It is the global market that looms before us. As such, and this is only my humble opinion, it is my duty to ensure what I write accurately depicts the world as it is. Even if I have created a whole new world, such as in The Butterfly Fields, I still must practice diversity and inclusion in my work. Why? Because the market demands it.

What I know to be diversity extends far beyond race. Diversity is the cultures, traditions, lifestyles, histories, and subcultures of every group of people in the world. I once argued that the homeless population is a subculture of the urban lifestyle. It is part of the fabric which creates the tapestry of the diversity in any city. The same is true for the goths, industrialists, hipsters, generations, etc. We all, in our own right, contribute to the vibrancy of the world. This reality of our times should be reflected in our novels, novellas, short-stories, and essays.

People of all walks of life enjoy reading about themselves in a positive reflection of their reality. People like to be included. If we, as writers, are going to appeal to the mass global market, we must gain a satisfactory knowledge of those with whom we share the world. It is really a no brainer when it comes to modern marketing - of any product or service. If the goal is to expand the market base into the global market, the author, business, or organization must first understand those to whom they wish to sell their product.



In the writing of The Butterfly Fields, I acted with intent to include various words from different cultures in the world. I did this to reflect the cultures of the people in the story. I am not clever enough to create an entirely new language such as Klingon or Elven, but I am clever enough to utilize the translation tools available. I acknowledge that one must be careful when using online translation tools. I also consulted various language dictionaries, and people I know who speak those languages to ensure no unintended faux pas occur.

The Butterfly Fields is primarly written in the English language, however there are Irish and French words sprinkled throughout, with references to Romani and other cultures. My understanding of different cultures of the world has given The Butterfly Fields an authentic cultured flavor that we do not see in the usual novel. Or, do we and we just don't realize it?

As  you read your latest novel pay attention to what makes the characters so rich and vibrant. Is it the descriptiveness of their appearance and mannerisms? Or, is it the underlying culture displayed in the character's history, psyche, current or past circumstances, family life, etc?

Diversity is everywhere.

Monday Musings: Reviews and Interviews

Reviews:

Every so often an author will request me to write a review for their book. Although, I understand the importance of reviews for authors, especially new authors, I will most often politely decline the request. There are a few reasons for this, just so authors don't take it personally.

1. I am an incredibly slow reader. I am an analytical reader, so it takes me a long time to finish a book. I'll blog about this some other time.
2. As I have said before, I am not the most astute person when it comes to grammar and punctuation. (That's why I use an editor for most everything.)
3. I am in the middle of a major three book series which is taking most of my free time right now. I don't see this changing anytime soon.

The good news is: There are many professional reviewers, book bloggers, and author support networks out there who would be happy to help in this regard. I have never personally requested a review, so I don't want to make any specific recommendations.

Author Interview:

On May 14th, best selling author, Debra Shiveley Welch, winner of The FaithWriters Gold Seal of Approval Award (twice), Books and Authors Literary Excellence, Best Non-Fiction Book of 2007 and Allbooks Review's Editor's Choice 2010, will be talking about her new book , Cedar Woman, on the Butterfly Phoenix blog.

Debra has four previously published novels: A Very Special Child – a heartwarming tale of love and thankfulness on the adoption of her son, Christopher; Son of My Soul – The adoption ofChristopher, Christopher Bullfrog Catcher; and Jesus Ghandi Oma Mae Adams (with author, Linda Lee Greene).



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Have a great week everyone, and I will be back for a special Mother's Day posting on Saturday.

Guest Blogger: Professional Editor, Gail Gabrielson

I met Gail Gabrielson several years ago, while blogging on Areavoices.com, a blogging community of Forum Communicatons Company Newspaper and Broadcast websites, ie Newspapers, Television and Internet.

Gail graduated from the University of North Dakota, in Grand Forks. She has worked for several hometown newspapers, as well as, North Dakota's largest communications company, Forum Communications, as the editor of the Celebrations section of the Fargo Forum (7 years). Today she is the President of Gabrielson Editing.

Gail is a whiz at grammar and punctuation, proofreading, and content suggestions, all the while maintaining a professional, yet friendly relationship. Gail's editing style is unlike anything I have encountered; she edits with encouragement. I asked Gail if she would guest blog for me today, which she graciously accepted, taking time out of her busy schedule. In her guest blog today, you will see a side of Gail that is humorous, and delightful, not at all the personality you would expect from an editor. Gail is also an avid reader and posts reviews on her blog: The Book Bag. NOTE: Gail posts reviews on books she chooses to read, she is not a paid reviewer. So, in the infamous words of Mel Blanc, on with the show, this is it....

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Thanks to Donna for allowing me to “guest-blog” on her website! She asked me to write about editing -- my first love.

I had my first taste of editing back when I was writing for a weekly newspaper. The local “who-ate-with-whom” news came handwritten from the correspondents. I changed “quests” to “guests” and “ladies” to “women.” (The publisher told me, “All ladies are women, but not all women are ladies.”)

From there, I started editing the handwritten stories of city council meetings given to me by the editor of a sister publication. This editor basically took minutes of the meetings as they happened, and gave them to me for what she considered editing. Normally a writer would decide the most important thing that happened at the meeting, and put that first in the story, going on to expand on how the decision was made and how it affects the readers.

I applied that to her stories, coming up with a lead and headline mere minutes before printing. When she saw my changes, she told me to leave her stories alone – they were fine as they were. And every single story about the meetings began the same way. It killed me to see those stories go to print.

My first experience editing a book was also during the time I was working for the weekly newspaper. An acquaintance had confided that she had written a book and asked if I would consider looking it over. She brought her typed manuscript over and we discussed just how much input she wanted. She wanted all my ideas and suggestions, along with a thorough proofreading.

She had a good story, and she had dreams of having the novel printed by a real publisher. It was a historically-based novel that started out in the present-day and then flashed back. I thought her book would have been more interesting -- more compelling -- if the story would jump back and forth in time, using elements in the story to prompt the movement.

Unfortunately, she thought that would be too much work. And then I knew that she wouldn’t be able to find a publisher who would take her story as it was and print it. They would want her to rework it, polish it here and there, write and rewrite. So, my friend took her book to a print shop and told them to print and bind it.

When she gave me her second book, I merely proofed it. It was good, but not great. She’d found her voice by the second novel; it was nice to see that growth. This is when I realized that I was born to be an editor. I can write, but I’d rather see what someone else has written and work with that.

With that first historical novel, I could see the finished product: I wasn’t going to change her words, just the way in which they were organized. All it would have needed was a little juggling of her chapters and the creation of proper segues from one time to the next. That could have been accomplished easily with the use of italic font.

Another author I know was doing his own proofreading. That’s hard – the eye doesn’t always see the errors when you know what should be there. Even after his first printing, he was finding errors, but his self-published book was by far the cleanest I’ve ever seen.

What really disappoints me is seeing errors in books released by major publishers. It makes me wonder if they have people reading through these books, or if they’ve resorted to a spell-check program. If that’s the case, we’re doomed. With the heavy use of texting and brand names that purposefully misspell proper words, it’s going to take some heavy lifting by the rest of us to maintain the English language. ~ Gail Gabrielson,President, Gabrielson Editing

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Gail, has helped me to re-work parts of one of my, yet to be published, works, "The Ten Thousand Hands Project". It was a pitiful piece of prose, which still needs more work, but with Gail's help I was able to get the project moving in the right direction again.

When I first revealed my desire to write, to be an author, Gail was right there to provide encouragement for me to pursue this dream. Thank you, Gail for guest blogging for me today!