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So there's a bit of work ahead and I'm slowly gathering the words to put all together.

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Bucket Lists & Memoirs by Diane Bator

To Buy All That Shimmers

A funny thing happened while Victoria Chatham and I were at a Christmas Farmer's Market selling our books. A lovely woman came over to share that people kept telling her to write a book of her experiences because she'd had some interesting ones. When she told us about a Christmas tree her family had when she was a kid, we were both hooked! The longer we chatted, the more intrigued we were. I lost track of how long we talked with her, but came away in awe.

Over the years I've done a few podcasts and blog posts and always find it fascinating how other people actually want to hear my story. I know I'm not alone in that. This woman doubted the validity of how wonderful her stories - and her ability to tell those stories - actually was. The more Victoria and I encouraged her, the more animated she became. I have no doubt she went home and started figuring out how to write her story.

The last thing she told me before she left was how she'd recently turned 70 and decided she wanted to go to Europe. Her husband had no interest in going. So she went alone and had the time of her life! She's also been indoor skydiving (something on my bucket list), and checked off a few other items she's only dreamed about doing. Writing her book will be next.

That got me thinking about my own bucket list and how I've been ticking a few boxes of my own.

I won't lie, 2023 has been difficult in so many ways, but I have done a few things I'm proud of:

published my 15th book, All That Shimmers
moving across Canada solo with two cats
driving from Calgary to Penticton for the Wine Country Writers' Festival, again solo but no cats!
setting a few personal boundaries
meeting new people
meeting people I've known virtually for years
attending When Words Collide in person!
started to learn some new skills that will come in handy in 2024
connecting with writing friends and starting a monthly Zoom chat
guesting on several podcasts and blogs and making some great connections
starting to read other people's book again!
moving closer to the mountains
starting to write short stories again and having them published in anthologies
hanging out with family when we can
becoming my own cheerleader - something a lot of people struggle with

What's on the horizon for 2024? Probably catching my breath after 2023!

The good thing is, I have a month to figure it out!

What's on your bucket list?

Is there a book you long to write? I'm not only a writer, but also a book coach and can help! For coaching info: https://www.dianebator.ca/

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Diane Bator

Friday, November 17, 2023

Writing - Choosing a Plot by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Plot #Mystery #Horror writer #Demise #romance

Back to my way of writing. When I begin, I decide what kind of book I plan to write. This time, I wanted to start a new mystery series and several things were buzzing in my thoughts. I decided rather than a straight mystery, I wanted this series to have a developing romance along with the mystery. Then came the idea for the first one in this series. I needed a title before I began.

I'm funny this way, but I need to have a title before I can begin the book. I knew the dead man was a horror writer. A number of titles flashed in my thoughts. Finally I decided on the Horror Writer's Demise. Not sure why that stuck in my head. Then the planning for the book began.

Setting became the Hudson Valley and one of the places there was a house that had been turned into a place where writers and other people involved with the arts couldrent a space where they could write. There once was such a place not far from where I live. Not sure if it still exists.

Te Characters came next - Not all of the but they will either increase of combined in versions of the story. The heroine is Valentina Heartley. With a name like that she thinks she should writea romance, especially since there have been no good ones in her life. She does research for professors, attorneys and authors. Her interest is Dane Grant, a local detective and widower. Theyboth have five year old sons. She has a mother who helps her and he has a sister.

What happens next will be my taking these two characters and writing a synopsis of the story. For good or not, I organize my stories completely. At present there are a few questions I need to answer before I can start writing.

That's how I work and the system has evolved over the years since 1968 when I soldmy first story.

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Monday, July 17, 2023

The Characters in the Stories by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #writing #characters

Once the Idea is in order and the Plot is decided upon, the characters must be found for your stories. There are a number of ways characters have ventured into my stories. The oddest one happened about a month ago. As I was falling asleep, a voice spoke in my head. "Hi. I'm Valentina Heartly. With a name like that I should write a romance novel." I haven't found a story for her as yet but the ideas are slowly forming.

Often when developing characters, I use Astrology. Now I don't cast their entire charts but I look at the Sun sign, the Moon sign and the Rising sign and combine these to make a person come to life. Then I use one of the many baby name books to find the right name.

Sometimes the characters are well established and are part of a series. At present I'm working on Murder and Iced tea staring Katherine Miller, now married. Along with Robespierre, he Maine Coon cat, I know her almost as well as I know myself. This time I am using many of the characters from the other stories in the series. There are also new ones. There's the Mayor, his wife, his two children and his "yes" man.

I once found a character in a research book on Egypt from a single sentence. "Mermeshu was his name." Amazingly he took form and set forth on a time travel story.

How do you find and name your characters? Sometimes, for me, this takes the msot time but I love Plots and they come fairly easy.

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Saturday, June 17, 2023

After the Idea, Plot Comes Next by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #writing #plot

Once I've spend days of hours with the idea for a book, I then decide what's next. For me, that's the Plot. While there are many types of Plots, I must choose the one that's right for the book. For a fantasy story, I usuallt choose the Quest plot. This emns sending my characters out into the world in search of something. Sometimes a physical thing and sometings more of a growingup quest. These are fun to write.

The story I'm talking about today is pursuing Doctor West. This uses the chase plot. That's often the case of a romance, at least the romances I write and enjoy reading. In this story, Zelda has loved Doctor West since they were children and next door neighbors. Her attempts always seem to be futile. How can she win. The opening scene shown him returning home as a surgeon and joining and group of doctors. He learns Zelda is the nurse manager of the surgical unit. He wants to avoid her but tha doesn't seem possible. Zelda sees him andknows what she wants. The middle of the book is the chase and her many failures to succeed. Then comes the twsit as the middle comes to an end. Zelda decides she will never succeed and she decides to leave. Suddenly the reverse happens and he decides to chase Zelda.

So having decided on the plot, I begin the process of writing which ever book I've decided to write.

Friday, June 9, 2023

Bon Voyage To Meee by Vanessa C. Hawkins

So curretly I am en route to Toronto Ontario, so I fear there will be but a small blog post this month. I flew via Flair Airlines without a hitch, and am typing this up as I sit in the very front of the Robert Q bus. What a flight, I must say! I was glad to have a bit of liquid courage on the plane because the landing was rocky at best. The wildfires in Canada mean the skies are clouded in smog, which I suppose corresponds to mega turbulance. However, I am lucky to find myself here and on the way to plan and map out another book!

It was a lovely view in New Brunswick today at least. Though, if you have ever flown flair you may know how cheap it is. This comes at a price however, as every little thing has an extra charge. For example, carry on baggage. Now... I am but a humble writer. I'm no Stephen King nor Dean Koontz. I can't afford all the extras can I?

Well... not on a novelists salary! So, I planned ahead! I wore all my clothes on the plane, packed a fanny pack, and made sure even my boots had pockets!

I wasn't kidding! Good for one pair of underpants!

Now that means as soon as I arrived I had to change. Holy heck its hot here! New Brunswick was crisp 10 degrees maybe, but by the time I arrived at TO I was due for a wardrobe change. I'm only here a few short days, but I am hoping to take in some sights while I'm here. I'm also going to be meeting up with my co-author for the Ballroom Riot series, Tara Woodworth!

I'll have more to report next month when I return from my first trip since the pandemic! So stayed tuned then and keep writing!

Before Flight and after flight... I felt much cooler after changing!

Bon Voyage to Meeeeeeeeee

Vanessa C. Hawkins

I hate writing introductions because my first thought it how can I make this as extra as possible. Honestly, I'm not that interesting. I write books sometimes and hang out with my family and eat nacho's on Friday nights when my daughter goes to her Grandparent's house. Sometimes I dress spooky, but lately because of Covid (yeah... Covid. Right...) I've become too fluffy to fit into my goth clothes. I'm married. I like comics, and I like sleeping in, though I rarely get to do it these days.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Writing with Pets by Eileen O'Finlan

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As people who share their homes and lives with pets can attest, their furry companions are often involved in everything that goes on at home. For me, that includes writing. My two cats, Smokey (now a Rainbow Bridge Angel Kitty) and Autumn Amelia even inspired my latest book, All the Furs and Feathers. In some ways, they helped me write it since I often took my cues from their personalities.

It's one thing to pay attention to the pets, think about how they might respond given various fictional situations, and put it in a story. It's quite another to have them physically involved while trying to write that (or any other) story.

About a year ago, I became a Rover.com sitter and began boarding small dogs in my home for weekends while their pet parents were away. Two of them, Chewy and Bruce Lee have become regular clients. They are getting used to me spending time on my laptop while they are staying with me, though if a writing session runs too long in their estimation, they make their feelings known and cut it short. However, the last time they were at my house, Bruce Lee decided that rather than trying to drag me away from my writing, he'd help out. Here's how that went:

Does this mean he's now co-author on my next novel?

Not to be outdone by the dogs, Autumn Amelia has been spending more and more time huddle as close as she can get to my laptop whenever I'm working on it, inching ever closer to the keyboard. A strict editor, she keeps a close eye on my writing. I can tell when she thinks her editing skills are needed. Here, let me show you in pictures how that progresses:

Autumn settles in, ready to start assessing my current writing session.

Hmm...this could use some help.

Autumn thinks she can write it better so she takes over

It's well-known that pets bring us many joys and having them in our lives offer a number of benefits. Who knew writing help was one of them!

Eileen O'Finlan

Eileen O’Finlan was a member of the Worcester Writers Workshop for many years and now hosts a writing group at her home in Holden. Kelegeen, published by BWL Publishing, is her debut novel. She is currently working on the sequel to be titled Erin's Children set in Worcester, Massachusetts. Eileen is a holds a Bachelor’s Degree in history and a Master’s Degree in pastoral ministry. When not writing or working her full-time job, Eileen facilitates online courses for the University of Dayton, Ohio.

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Write one, knit one

by Priscilla Brown

http://books2read.com/Hot-Ticket

Lawyer Olivia is familiar with her calculator,

and would barely know what to do with a knitting needle.

Callum knows his way around a kitchen,

does complicated arithmetic in his head and knits without a pattern.

💕💕

Writing contemporary romance fiction and knitting whatever appeals to me at that time are my most important creative pursuits. With the ambitious aim of saving time, I started working on these almost simultaneously, in that I handwrote the story in a notebook when pausing the knitting of an adult broad-brimmed hat at the end of a row. I am an experienced knitter, but knitting a hat is of course not like, for example, the unshaped part of a sweater's back. I find working on these two needs more concentration than I allowed for, and calls for frequent coffee stops. So writing and knitting, while not of course precisely simultaneous activities, for me are both works in progress.

My current romance fiction on the computer awaits resolutions to assorted dilemmas and attention to the 'villain' of the piece, while the wool yarn in its basket shows promise that it will end up like the hat pictured on its pattern. Fortunately I don't have official deadlines, though I do need to get the hat out into the craft shop which sells my textile work because this is a cold winter in my area of inland Australia and head wear is a good idea.

If you have a work in progress whatever it may be, then good luck for its successful outcome.

Warm regards, Priscilla.

https://bwlpublishing.ca

https://priscillabrownauthor.com

Labels: knitting, writing, contemporary romance fiction, hat, wool, creative pursuits, works in progress

Sunday, April 23, 2023

From Hisses to Kisses by Victoria Chatham

AVAILABLE HERE

Retirement from day-to-day formal employment in 2013 was a dream come true, but as many retirees have found, the dream can fade. My dream was to concentrate on my writing, which I did for a while, and then I started getting restless.

But then a writer colleague asked if I knew anyone who might house-sit for them and look after their animals so they could have a family vacation. Who better than moi? With years of property management experience, I thought I was well qualified to look after a house. I’ve had a couple of cats and dogs for most of my life. I've been around horses since age five. In addition, I have several more qualifications, including being a mature, non-smoking individual. So now it’s have laptop, will travel. I have clients in different places, from almost on the doorstep to within a few hour’s drive from home. I enjoy very different scenery, from watching glorious sunrises on an acreage to spotting hummingbirds in an urban garden, all while I get my pet fix.

My house and pet-sitting career started with two horses, a dog, four cats, and a bearded dragon lizard. Since then, I’ve cared for chickens, turkeys, rabbits, pigs, fish, sheep, calves, birds and goats in the ten years since then. Now I’m more mature (IE: older, but I dislike that word), I’m pickier about caring for the larger animals, goats especially. They may be adorable as kids, but in my book, they are evil beasts as adults and their horns hurt.

My mandate is to maintain as much of the pets’ routine as possible. Are pets allowed on the furniture or beds? What is their feeding routine? Are they afraid of anything? And then there are the practicalities such as where is the electrical box and main water shut-off? I always ask for emergency contacts, especially a vet. Before accepting a new client, I like to meet them and their pets. It’s a two-way street, giving the pet owner a chance to know me and see how their pets interact with me. I’m not offended if they are uncomfortable and prefer to make other arrangements, as for me, it is all about the pet(s) and their comfort.

The hardest part of my client interviews, especially where senior pets are concerned, is the ‘what if’ discussion. However much we love our pets, the sad part of being a pet parent is that they are likely to pass on before we do. Of all the seven dogs I’ve had over the years, I’ve had to make end-of-life decisions for every one of them. My first was the hardest as I had not had him long, and he wasn’t much more than a pup. The others were between twelve and nineteen, all living happy, healthy lives until they were no longer happy or healthy.

Animals give us so much joy, and I often think humans are undeserving of their love and loyalty. I’ve spent hours in the paddock with the horses, watching and talking to them. There is nothing as willing as a horse's ear. Chickens can be charmers, and many enjoy being cuddled. I've had them go to sleep in my arms. I ran a lukewarm bath for the lizard to help her slough her skin and made a mud wallow for the pigs, laughing at their antics as they splashed in and out like children playing. I had a panic attack at the house with six cats when I could only find five. It turned out that the sixth cat was very shy, and I didn’t see her until the fourth day.

My current charge hissed at me every time he saw me for the first couple of days, but now we’re joined at the hip, and I get kisses. I go to the kitchen, and he comes too. I go upstairs, and he follows. I go to the bathroom—you get the picture. I flatter myself that he really likes me, but being a cat, it could just be his way of ensuring the person who feeds him and cleans his litter tray doesn’t stray. He snuggles up to me in bed, although I draw the line at having my ear washed, and sits beside me on the sofa when I’m done writing for the day.

I consider myself fortunate to have such a variety of furry friends. Once I know their routines, I can settle into writing when they curl up in their beds and sleep. Do I have favourites? That would be telling. Life being what it is, I’ve lost some four-legged clients and gained new ones. Retirement? One day I might find out what it’s like, but until then, I’ll continue writing and house and pet sitting.

VICTORIA CHATHAM

AT BOOKS WE LOVE

NB: images from the author's collection.

Monday, April 17, 2023

A Plot Is Just A Plan by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Plot #Plan

Many years ago, more than fifty, I went to hear a NYTimes Best Selling Author speak at an all day event in Pittsburgh. The first thing he said was "A plot is just a plan." The plan is where your characters play their roles. I took this to heart and read books on writing and focused on Plot.

Just what does this mean. Think of the plot of your story being like planning a trip using a road map. There is a starting place. Why are the characters in this particular place? What do they plan? How does the plot and setting effect their decisions and directions.

Once the characters have set off on their way toward the goal they have selected, you come to the middle. This may be where the characters remain on the road or perhaps take a side trip of two. The middle of the plot shows the decisions they make and what changes those decisions may cause.

The end of the journey shows they have either succeeded, failed or changed their initial goal. This includes the crisis, the moment of decision and then the characters leave the plot, happily My Places

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