Five Links…6/21/19
Loleta Abi
Writing:
1. https://blondewritemore.com/2019/06/16/the-importance-of-magical-and-messy-moments-for-writers-amwriting/ “The creative process for producing any kind of art is both magical and messy.
It doesn’t matter whether you paint, draw, play an instrument or write, your art will sometimes surprise and delight you and other times it will cause mess.
The following moments are what I call messy for writers:
- A draft full of moon crater-sized plot holes.
- Doing a serious amount of cringing whilst writing your first draft.
- Falling down a gigantic plot hole which you never saw coming.
- Reading your draft and realising it reads nothing like the bestseller in your head.”
2. https://killzoneblog.com/2019/06/why-waiting-is-difficult.html “It’s no secret that the writing biz requires patience. Sometimes, though, waiting can be agonizing. Recently, an exciting opportunity came my way. In order to make this dream come true, I had two weeks (two weeks!) to produce something I’ve never done before. Sorry for being so cryptic, but I don’t want to jinx it.
Now that I made my deadline, all that’s left to do is wait. And wait. And wait. Even with a new release, my mind keeps wandering back to this secret project … and the wait.”
3. http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2019/06/17/michael-moreci-writing-under-the-influence/ “long time ago, I read an interview from David Foster Wallace, and in it he talked about how writers are told to write what they know and what that means. He’d been taking a little bit of flak, apparently, for his reliance on modern/pop culture and its ephemera in his opus novel, Infinite Jest. Long story short, but Wallace said that his hyper-referential writing style was a product of his experiences. Like most of us, Wallace grew up on TV and video games and paperback novels. That’s the tapestry of our lives, just like the tapestry of Emerson’s life, or Thoreau’s life, was the naturalistic world. Atari and Saturday matinees, Wallace said, were his Walden Pond, and his writing couldn’t be anything other than a reflection of his experiences.
The thing is, we’re living in a weird time, creatively. Our world isn’t Emerson’s world; we’re smothered in information and art—through social media, through nonstop streaming options, wildly accessible entertainment, so on and so forth. In a sense, we’re influenced by influence. Let me give you an example:” Influence is something we all go through from the first time we start writing until the last time we do so. The key is to make it your own.
4. http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2019/06/17/tracy-townsend-in-pursuit-of-the-sequel/ “Friends, I come fresh from the battlefield of my second novel, The Fall. Now that it’s out in the world where you, too, can see it, I can tell the tales of how it was wrought. I would be a very poor guide, indeed, if I did not want you to learn from my mistakes.
So you’ve decided to hunt down a sequel to your first book! Brave, industrious soul. Perhaps you thought this journey would be just like the last one? A long, winding road, full of switchbacks and mysterious, distracting dream-peddlers, maybe a treasure hoard at the end, guarded by some hulking reptilian being?
Oh, poor dear. You did think that.
Well.
Here. Come closer. In the words of an old friend of mine, “It’s not safe to go alone. Take this.”
5. https://writersinthestormblog.com/2019/06/the-craft-of-the-short-story/ “Over the years I’ve made enough from selling short fiction on the side to help put my daughter through college, (though novel-writing is still my main income source). I’ve found that shorter works are enjoying a resurgence, and busy readers like having the option to read a smaller morsel before bedtime, or while waiting for an appointment. Think of writing short as providing a fine chocolate truffle as opposed to a full meal.”
Research & Fun Bits:
1. https://allaboutwritingandmore.com/2019/06/15/new-and-unique-hairstyles-to-try-today/
2. https://somethingferal.com/2019/06/15/mister-fawst-a-magical-history/ “The Vices and Virtues rise, one by one, and speak, in turn:
Ira: Not warlike. Blood-Spilled! Not romantic. Heart-Thrilled! Not adventurous. Action-Filled!
Invidia: Instead, our muse intends to trill it’s heaven-sent verse ‘gainst this…”
3. https://thesilenteye.co.uk/2019/06/16/rites-of-passage-seeing-beyond-fear-a-weekend-with-the-silent-eye/ “As the June workshop in Scotland draws to a close, why not consider joining us in September for a weekend in the ancient landscape of stones, circles and strange places?
Rites of Passage: Seeing beyond fear
A weekend with the Silent Eye
Derbyshire, UK
Friday 13th – Sunday 15th September 2019”
4. https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2019/06/17/so-it-begins/ “He stares at me through obsidian black eyes. Eyes as black as his heart.
How I allowed this creature to live in my writing cabin is beyond me. My sanctuary. My place of creativity and fun, invaded by a malignant presence of his kind. Stealing my joy, causing me to hate my own stories.
His name is Doubt, and he seems to show up about this phase of every book.”
5. https://somethingferal.com/2019/06/16/caldur-stream/
Some Things More Serious:
1. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2019/06/16/angel-messages-june-16-2019/
2. https://mybipolarmind.com/2019/06/16/done-with-the-chaos-happy-free/
3. https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2019/06/17/%F0%9F%A4%94june17-2019-quote-of-the-day-my-thoughts/
4. https://amdobritt.wordpress.com/2019/06/17/how-amazon-destroyed-barnes-noble/ “I apologize for the click-bait title. I only used it because I’m fed up with that claim, especially now that Barnes & Noble were sold on June 7 to a hedge fund after years of trouble. Everyone seems to be blaming Amazon for that, instead of placing the blame squarely where it belongs: the disastrous decisions of Barnes & Noble’s management.
But let’s take things from the start”
5. https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2019/06/18/%F0%9F%A4%A9june-18-2019-quote-of-the-day-my-thoughts/
Teaser Fiction & Poetry:
2. https://jenanita01.com/2019/06/15/handing-down/ “Kevlar vested cops have guns in their hands. We come out, single file, hands over our heads, newscasters already there, microphones in hand, reporting this latest shooting. Videos capture relieved parents’ hands stroking their children’s cheeks. Some parents’ hands flutter to their own cheeks.”
3. https://chimerapoetry.wordpress.com/2019/06/15/tourmaline-visions-16/ “The thief shut his eyes tight and clutched his cape, pulling it tight across his chest.
The urchin looked at him calmly and beckoned with one
sapling arm.”
4. https://johnwhowell.com/2019/06/15/stream-of-consciousness-saturday-prompt-social/ ““Oh look an ice cream social.”
“What the heck is that?”
“You go there and eat ice cream and be social with the folks who are there.”
“Social? What does “be social” mean?”
“I forgot you were raised in the city. Probably in a dumpster.” John always tells a good story!
5. https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/06/16/tales-from-the-irish-garden-serialisation-winter-chapter-five-the-dapper-man-sally-cronin/ “The next few days passed in a blur as Queen Filigree, Persephone and Narcissus and the rest of the court settled into their new quarters. Whilst the royal family had managed to bring a good selection of their regal attire on the goose transport, most of the other courtiers and servants had only managed to bring one change of clothing. Clearly this was going to be problem within a short space of time, despite the fact that a site for the new laundry had been found.” Sally is another that tells a good tale!
Book Reviews, Cover Reveals, & Author Interviews:
1. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-the-killer-you-know-a-m-taylor/ “One morning ten years ago, the town of Twin Rivers changed forever when the body of Tyler Washington was found in the woods. Son of the mayor, star of the high school basketball team – his death struck right at the heart of this tight-knit community.
For Olivia Hall, Tyler’s death heralded the start of her own personal nightmare – her twin brother, Ethan, was arrested for Tyler’s murder. Ten years later, Ethan is still in jail. Olivia is convinced he is innocent, and now, a true crime podcast has taken up his case.
As the podcast digs deeper, secrets, lies and shocking revelations are all uncovered. For the first time, Olivia dares to hope that Ethan may be set free. But if he didn’t kill Tyler, who did? And how far will they go to keep their secrets safe?”
2.
http://mariacatalinaegan.com/2019/06/16/the-immortals-the-immortal-brotherhood-book-1-a-paranormal-fantasy-by-alesha-escobar-h-m-jones/ “Raina Black
steals treasures from warlords, spies on governments and
corporations, and sleeps like a baby at night. But after a
particularly rough job where she inexplicably wakes up in a tomb in
Cairo, things get weird.
First,
Noah Mason, a man she swears she saw die, approaches her, claiming to
be a demon hunter. Then, Noah insists she must fulfill her family
legacy by helping him restore the Immortal Brotherhood…before all
hell breaks loose.
But
Raina wants no part of it. Going up against dark supernatural forces
is above her pay grade. However, when the promise of a cure for her
terminally ill sister hangs in the balance, Raina decides that the
Immortal Brotherhood could solve her problems.
Between
dodging bounty hunters, non-sparkly vampires, and Noah Mason’s
smoldering gaze, Raina has to use her skill and wit to pull off the
most dangerous job she’s ever taken on.”
3. https://culturevultureexpress.wordpress.com/2019/06/16/muskaan-the-story-of-her-smile-by-sneha-ganesh-review/ “MUSKAAN: THE STORY OF HER SMILE (2018) by Sneha Ganesh is a beautiful, heartwarming story. It is a short read that proves that with determination and support from those who love you, it is extremely possible to overcome adversity and society’s perceptions.
At four, the protagonist Muskaan realizes she is not able to talk and has no way to go about explaining her inner feelings about this or anything else she wishes to convey to her Mum and Dad. She also struggles to make friends with children who aren’t understanding of Muskaan having aphonia. Time moves on and Muskaan faces tragedy and grief when her father is killed in a plane accident. This story is told from two perspectives in two parts. The first section is told from Muskaan’s mother’s POV while the second is told from Muskaan’s POV. This gives us excellent insight into the two POVs from very different angles which added a lot of depth to the story. The reader both understands easily the mother’s love and want to understand how her daughter is feeling and Muskaan’s feelings”
4. https://steviet3.wordpress.com/2019/06/15/streets-ahead-street-team-promotion-miriam-hurdle/ “Songs of Heartstrings plays the melancholy tune of the suffering and transcending to the melody of serenity and peace. It is a road traveled with optimism, hope and appreciation amid heartache circumstances and an unpredictable cancer. It also celebrates true love and fulfilling relationships.
Hurdle in her poetry collection includes nine themes: Songs of Nature, Songs of Dissonance, Songs of Physical Healing, Songs of Marriage, Songs of Parenthood, Songs of Tribute, Songs of Reflections, Songs of Challenge, and Songs of Inspiration. Each of these themes covers various aspects of her life experience. Many poems are illustrated with her photos and watercolor paintings.
The poems in this collection are inspiring to the mind, heart and spirit. The readers will resonate with these experiences.”
5. https://nicholasrossis.wordpress.com/2019/06/15/a-heavenly-toasters-relaunch/ “The more observant among you may have noticed that I have been quietly experimenting with the cover of A Heaven for Toasters. I removed the kissing couple and used a single man, curious to see if that would make any difference to sales. To my surprise, it did, albeit a small one. When coupled with a promo, however, it led to some 30 sales last months.
So, I considered the experiment a success and commissioned a proper cover with a man in the style of Vaant, one of the best-sellers in the book’s genre. Will this lead to increased sales? Perhaps. The experiment continues.” An android toaster. Sounds intriguing.
A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author 
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