Pushing past it....

As writers we know how difficult it is to create....well... anything! If I had a dime for every time I heard the phrase "I'm writing a book too!" Sigh...I do believe there's a book inside everyone...but getting it from an idea to the page is WORK! I love writing but like most wordsmiths I'm not earning enough to live on it. That's the dream of course...and the challenge.
     I've found that there are days that there's nothing more daunting than the blank page. As a former soldier and police officer I used to think I was past intimidating...wrong! The blinking cursor on my laptop can frustrate and give me feelings of dread that I wouldn't have thought possible! I have learned however that as with most things in life that in order to persevere we must be dedicated and be persistent.
On the days (or weeks!) that I find myself struggling, I drag myself by the scruff of the neck and stick to my writing schedule...BUT wait a minute!
                                              The words won't come! 
Well...no good ones anyway! It doesn't matter...write drivel, peck out one letter at a time (unfortunately, I ALWAYS type that way!) keep hitting keys even if there's no story flowing! A waste of time? No. You're writing by God and by doing the WORK sooner or later the muse will come! Mine's a cigar chomping wise ass that grumbles and grunts, rarely putting in a constructive appearance but when he does speak...magic! Think of it this way....The great painters, athletes, and yes authors aren't ever really satisfied with their work. If they were, there would be little reason to do it again! The real reason to keep repeating any task is because deep in your heart you know...I can do better than that! 
     Am I saying you should jump from story to story? It depends....if you're "blocked" or stuck on one then it may be a viable option but beware...NOT FINISHING is one of the most common sins we writers make! Do a short story, an article or hey a BLOG...just write something! 
Writing is a joy...but don't ever make the mistake of thinking it's easy. If it was everyone would do it! As my old friend and mentor Yoda would say.
                            "Do or do not...there is no try!"
So....you still wanna be a writer? The up side is you get to create and destroy worlds of your very own design...the down side is everyone and their brother will critique the way you do it! You'll put in long hours for little or no pay and spend endless days in search of the elusive reader...who will peruse your work and go.
                              "Euhhh...it was alright."
Sigh....So where do I sign?

Back to our roots

When in a reflective mood we all sometime ponder the age old question...Who am I? What is my heritage? Is there something...more? As writers we get the unique opportunity to not only craft the backgrounds of our characters but the chance to explore the details of the events that shaped who they are now! 
Think about it....YOU decide the events and experiences that develop the psyche of your hero's and villains! The more depth and realism, the deeper you dig, the more you'll uncover...and the closer your protagonist (and antagonist) will be to feeling real! 
People are complex creatures...we all have light and dark...Yin and Yang. Even the most vile villain you can think of has to have some qualities, however slight, that allows them to at least understand their intended victims. The scariest monsters are those that can blend in and walk among us...unseen until they choose to strike!
In contrast, our hero's have to have fallibility's. A perfect protagonist that never makes a mistake is not only paper thick but boring! Layer your characters...maybe they excel at physical combat but they can't balance a checkbook...they plan and execute horrendous acts of violence but they love dogs. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!
As in our own lives, your creations need to evolve. Nature abhors a vacuum...all things and people change. We are shaped not only by our experiences but by our interpretation of them! Assemble a hundred people to view the same event and you'll get a wide and varying description of exactly what happened and more importantly, why.
Why is crucial...madness may not have a reason but it can have a purpose! By putting your characters in impossible and unfamiliar situations you'll be forced to think their way out...be spontaneous and non-linear...then ask yourself...would that really work? 
My advice? If you want to amp up your writing style, NEVER stop experiencing new things yourself! Push your own boundaries and comfort zones...life is meant to be lived and experienced first hand. New challenges and experiences will give you perspective and insights into varying points of view. The smallest things can trigger the light bulb...never changed your own oil? Give it a whirl! Go to the local VA (or pick an outreach) and volunteer for a day or two. I guarantee you'll meet some fascinating people with rich stories to tell! Look at your own heritage...was your great-great grandfather a frontiersman? A merchant marine? A WWI ace? We each have chapters in our lives....seasons that come and go as our interest change. What we mustn't lose is the passion we possessed during those times...the excitement of the new and wonderful. Keep that and your writing can't help but shine!

Sick.....AND tired!

We've all been ill at one time or another...colds, flu, allergies....You name it and most folks deal with it from time to time. Generally, I'm fortunate...I'm rarely sick more than a day or two and usually its just allergies or a head cold. Annoying...inconvenient for sure, but manageable.
This past few weeks I've had the karmic equivalent of a kick in the pants for my years of good fortune. A cold, followed by the flu and topped off with a sinus infection...Gawd. 
   Am I whining? No. Well, maybe a little...(honey say's A LOT!) Which prompted me to write about the differences between men and women when we're ill. When honey (my wonderful wife) is sick, she usually takes short naps and does task in micro burst. She only goes to the doctor as a last resort as she's a fitness/health fanatic. Her mood is dampened but rarely is she short tempered or out of sorts. A dainty little cough...."ahack...hack." A red, irritated nose...actually kindia cute.
ME on the other hand, after two days with the flu....
A waste basket full of crumpled tissue and an end table littered with prescription drugs and over the counter remedies are within arms reach of the couch, where I lay swaddled with blankets, the powerful aroma of Vick's permeating the air around me.
                "HACK---HACK----SWIIIIICHHHHKKKK----PATOOOO!"
Spitting and hacking disgusting globs of goo into the basket makes my honey cringe. Moaning, I plop back down, resuming my bear like slumber as honey mumbles.
                   "That's SO gross! You're making me nauseous!"
Harrumphing, I drag my blankey over my head, croaking.
                 "Will you rub some more Vick's on my chest?"
Rolling her eyes, (I can FEEL it!) honey sighs, replying.
                 "Yes, dear."
Uncovering my head as she reaches me, I say.
                 "And bring me some 7-up?"
Suppressing another eye roll, she reverse course to the kitchen for my drink. Handing me the glass, I sip before handing it back to her with a groan.
                 "Now the Vick's?"
Nodding, honey smears the axle grease-like concoction onto my chest. I ask her.
                 "Sing soft kitty to me?"
Scowling, honey replies.
                  "Absolutely not."
Giving her my best puppy dog look, I plead.
                  "But I'm sick!"
Smiling slightly and rubbing my head, honey answers.
                  "You are...and apparently deranged. Maybe we should check that fever again!"
College girls....To her credit, honey put up with my demands for a solid week ( I only missed two days of work) before threatening to bunk me with our dog. I grudgingly scaled back the sniveling after that...well...some anyway!
So are women tougher than men when it comes to being sick? I dunno. I think us guys just wanna be...pampered a bit more. What's wrong with that? :o) Besides, my traitorous dog snarled at me when I tried to crawl into his bed....Selfish animal!

A heart-felt thank you!

Good morning all,
                             I want to thank all of you for the prayers and well wishes for my wonderful wife. The swollen lump on her opposing side has receded and the second series of test still show it as a none issue! :o) After completing the cancer treatments less than six weeks ago, we are understandably greatly relieved! Honey sends her thanks and hugs out as well.
In other news, honey (who has always been terrified of the water) took and completed a 25 hour lifeguard course this past four days! She is now a certified lifeguard and just plain certifiable!! LOL! She plans to add this to her hours at the YMCA were she is a personal trainer and fitness instructor. She continues to inspire me daily with her desire to overcome her personal fears and to challenge her own boundaries. We had the following conversation.
"I'm SO proud of you! Now you can save ME!" I say with a leer.
Honey looks me up and down saying with a smirk.
"I think I'm gonna need a bigger floatation device..."
The stupid dog snickers. Glaring at him, I protest.
"HEY! In the water, I'm light as a feather!"
"Uh-huh...I was thinking about getting you OUT of the water..." Smiling brightly honey snaps her fingers, quipping. "I could put snacks pool-side!"
Scowling, I shake my head, replying.
"No way...I'm not getting out til you give me mouth to mouth!"
Wrapping her up in a bear hug, honey kisses my nose giggling.
"Ok, then...I guess I'll keep you instead of throwing you back!"
Smart alacky collage girls!
I hope you all have a wonderful week and once again, I thank you!
                                                   Jim

Getting Reviews

Getting Reviews!

You’ve done it! Finished that labor of love that’s taken you months (or years!) of painstaking research and editing. Your novel…it’s complete! You send it out into the world and just KNOW if people would only pick it up, they’d love it as much as you do!

Unfortunately your work has just begun…getting the readers to actually BUY your book is a daunting task! According to Bowkers, the folks that issue ISBN’s, last year three MILLION books were published! That’s a 200% increase over the previous year! Astoundingly, they estimate that THIS year that number could be 15 MILLION!! The mind boggles….

What to do? It means that we have to use EVERY single tool available to us to increase our visibility. Honest reviews are one tool that must be included in each marketing plan. There is no “magic” plan! No one thing works for everyone or with any consistency! TRY EVERYTHING!! Even your failures will net exposure! Here are a few things that I’ve personally had some success with. The only limit is your imagination.

I've spent a LOT of time talking to (in person) the local book chains and small storeowners. Some of these have been fruitful and others are still in progress. I also researched the local newspapers carefully for the editors of the lifestyles sections and crafted emails requesting inclusion in their weekly "book-news" they only included me however, once I started having book-signing dates. I've mailed hard copies to several big reviewers and am hoping to get those within the next few months. I polled my friends that I KNEW where avid readers and gave them a copy with a request for a review. ONE of them so far has read and completed a review! LOL! I do use twitter but rarely do I promote my material (maybe 15%) the folks that constantly bombard with nothing but self-promotion quite frankly BORE ME TO TEARS!

In my opinion, social medial is just that….SOCIAL! It’s for getting to know folks a little at a time. If I wanted to watch commercials, I’d sit in front of the T.V.! Marketing takes time and patience, BOTH of which are in short supply when all you want is for somebody to READ YOUR BOOK!

My advice? DO market and promote but NOT at the exclusion of WRITING! Give yourself a time frame for promotion each week and then get back to work! The reality is simple. Not everyone is going to like your work. That’s OK…because some WILL too! When that wonderful thing happens, guess what? Those folks are going to want your next work and if it’s NOT there…well, goodbye new reader! They’ll move on to the next work that’s available….don’t you?

Another tactic is to place some of your books in chain stores on a commission basis. You’ll be the supplier, which means you purchase copies up front and the store gets a cut to put them on the shelves. As indie authors this may be the only way to get your work in the chains in something other than an eBook format.

The bottom line…short of being obnoxious, promote everywhere and in any way you can imagine! Be dandelion like…spread the fluff EVERYWHERE until something takes root! Above all, be kind! ESPECIALLY to those that aren’t receptive, they may be at a later time or not, but if you show you tail you can BET that word will get around!

Always be the best example and presenter of your craft as possible. In the end, people buy books because they fall in love with YOU! Your voice thru your characters…THAT’S what it’s all about!

                          

The power of positivity

It seems everywhere we look these days the news is bleak. Death, destruction, chaos...followed by heaping doses of denial. Certainly the perpetrators of these horrendous acts are imbalanced but in the aftermath there are always those that want to make excuses or worse, flat out refuse to acknowledge the truth! The media spins each nauseating detail until we're weary of listening...dragging it out (seemingly) until the next tragedy.
The underlying gist's is always what we ALL want to know....WHY? How could such a thing happen? Why would anyone do such a thing? What were they thinking? The answer is simple.
                   "Madness has no reason...but it can have a purpose."
An oversimplification? I suppose. If you're looking to understand the psychology behind such things. I would classify such musings as a S.W.A.G (Scientific Wild Ass Guess) human being are to wildly diverse to neatly pigeonhole into neat little boxes. Generalizations? Sure...Why not? I know there are experts that would vehemently argue this point BUT I think rational folks would agree...nuts is nuts!
Take a thousand people, expose them to the EXACT same stimulus and no two will agree or react exactly the same. It's what makes us unique and as individual as snowflakes!
There seems to me to be a tipping of the scales...more hopelessness...desperation. Has living gotten harder in the past fifty years? I think not. By all measurable standards, our lives are easier than at any time in history. More stressful? Debatable...a lot of our stresses are self inflicted.
                           I NEED this...that...or the other thing....NOW!!! 
I believe, that in part we've become so complacent in the instantaneous nature of modern existence that we ignore or fail to recognize the simple joys all around us. The sun on our face...the laughter of a child...the unquestioning love of a pet. Not enough you say? To simplistic? I would ask you...WHY?
If the simplest things fail to move you, if we only live for the highest of the high then why would we expect our lows to be less devastating when there is no cushion in between! In each of our lives there are a myriad of things we cannot control...what we CAN control is our response AND our attitude! We either take a deep breath and make the best of a situation or we take a deep breath and bemoan our fate. We get one shot folks...make the most of it! Life is change...good...bad...it evolves and ebbs. Let me tell ya a secret....it's ALL wonderful! Even the points that are the most difficult can be used in a positive manner. You may be able to keep another from the same heartache or use the wisdom of your experience to alter your course. The point is...YOU CAN CHOOSE! Attitude...my friends, ATTITUDE!

Senseless....

We're bombarded daily with horrific acts of senseless violence. It would seem there's no shortage of imbalanced people willing to inflict harm on innocent and unsuspecting victims. The media brings us these events in real time and the heartache and agony of those involved is replayed over and over in an unending loop until we become desensitized.
Shock value it's called...
In the age of instantaneous information, we're used to getting everything NOW. It's a double-edged sword...while we see the aftermath of a mad-man's  mayhem, we also witness the courageous acts of everyday folks thrust into impossible scenarios, exemplifying the very best in human behavior.
I sometimes despair at the hopelessness of it all. Asking the unanswerable...why?
There are no satisfactory explanations. Good versus evil? Angles and demons? I dunno...I only know that unless we all slow down and realize that in reality, there are no differences...race, religion, economic class....We ALL want the same things!
A commonality that bridges language and nationality...most folks want a sense of purpose. A feeling that we've make our mark and that we lived for something! We want our children to grow up healthy and without fear. To have the freedoms to pursue our desires and dreams...life offers no guarantees...it's not fair...it's not always just...BUT by striving to be the best each of us can be, we make our world and those we come into contact with a little bit better!
Trusting is hard...more so in these times. I'm more cynical that most...my sweet wife, bless her; has shown me by example that doing little things to help others can make profound differences! Yes, we must be wary and vigilant, but temper that with a willingness to lend a hand. There are a great many kind, good people in this world...they just rarely get equal time in the press. Start today...let your own light shine.