When I Don’t Write, and When I Do by S. L. Carlson

 

I am S. L. Carlson, a proud and grateful BWL Publishing Inc. author. My books can be viewed and purchased by visiting https://www.bookswelove.net/carlson-s-l

 

WHEN I DON'T WRITE AND WHEN I DO  by S. L. Carlson

I am an author. I have been telling stories since I was a kid, with captive audiences wherever I could find them – siblings, cousins, friends, gullible adults. I have been writing down my stories for decades. I love writing. I love observing. My husband once bought me a T-shirt which read, “Be Careful! You may end up in my Novel.” <Raising my eyebrows about the truth in this.>

 

One time I was in Mississippi helping with hurricane relief. While our crew was taking a break, one man came up to me leaning against the tree shade to ask what I was scribbling: writing gobs of notes on things I saw, heard, and felt. It was all for potential future stories. He seemed relieved, as he thought I was some sort of spy keeping an eye on the group. Not quite sure if he was kidding or not. Not quite sure he was wrong, either.

One neighbor used to greet me from across the street with a dog howl. It wasn’t until after said neighbor returned from a long trip, that I told him I missed his howling greeting. He looked so hurt. “It wasn’t a howl,” he informed me. “It was a train whistle.” <Raised eyebrows again.> Yes, that one actually got rewritten into a book.

 

I write when I get an earworm – an idea, a conversation, an entire scene unfolding, etc. That used to happen at night until my husband complained of the clicking of the pen. When I switched to a pencil, he complained of the bed jiggling when I scritch-scratched on the paper on the nightstand. I then used to wake and type on the computer, but these days I mostly just sleep.

 

I love the pathways of outside adventures and experiences.

Subbing something (up to 3,000 words) once a month to my critique group keeps me writing during my darkest or most hurting times. We’ve been together a long time, and I’d hate to disappoint.

 

Three on-line writing groups I’ve been involved with are NaNoWriMo, the Goodreads 750 Group, and a now defunct BIW. That doesn’t count the several online critique groups I’ve been in for periods of time. I’ve done six rough drafts of novels during National Novel Writing Month, trying to keep up with the 1,667 words per day.  In Goodreads, all writers who sub less than 750 words to topic, then vote on the best story of the month. I won 1^st place several months in a row, so that it got boring and I stopped; but I will probably do that exercise again. I loved the personal encouragement of Book In a Week. You set a goal of so many pages to write, and then the first week of the month, tried to reach that goal.

 

I find it quite difficult to write while on vacation, or the holidays, or playing with the grandkids, or when there are major house or yard projects going on, or a tornado, or when there’s a pandemic (and moving in the midst of that), or when I get injured. These past 3 years have been difficult on the writing side of life.

 

Yes, there are several reasons why not to write, and I’m sure other writers can continue that list. But there are many more, very pleasant reasons why I do write. Now…off to revise chapter 16, which I sent to my critique group last week. Will our hero be able to save his village against all odds?

 

S. L. Carlson Blog & Website: https://authorslcarlson.wordpress.com

BWL Inc. Publisher Author Page: https://www.bookswelove.net/carlson-s-l

Defining Success as a Writer by Diane Bator

Defining Success as a Writer 

All of my life I’ve defined success as a writer by being able to quit my day job and have a real writing schedule where I can fit in marketing and appearances as I choose. I’m still waiting for that version! But I have definitely learned a few things about being a writer.

1. You don’t have to be a “Best-Selling” author to have great fans! I’ve been grateful to meet some in person—even people I don’t know! Having even one fan can make you feel successful.

2. While it would be great to have one of those books that sells millions of copies, I think the stress of doing that twice in a row might make me crumble. Not that I’m not up for the challenge, mind you! Simply finishing your first book can make you feel successful.

3. Joining writing groups and organizations such as Sisters in Crime and Crime Writers of Canada can be great motivators, even during a pandemic. I’ve met all sorts of other writers, book coaches, and so on just by putting myself out there. Suddenly, I have new writing friends from all over the world. Rubbing elbows with other, more accomplished writers can help you feel successful.

4. It's awesome to see books YOU WROTE on a bookstore shelf as well as on your personal shelf! It’s like Christmas every time a box of new books arrives. Holding your book in print can help you feel successful.

5. Mashing together genres is a real thing so you don't need to feel limited by "the rules." Aside from mystery, I’ve dabbled with fantasy and young adults novels as well as writing my first—but far from last—play! The more you write, published or not, the more you can feel successful.

6. You learn to bounce. I’ve had rejections, bad reviews, and people telling me flat out that I need an editor, a better editor, or them to edit my books for me. Those things can sting and push me down for a while, but have always bounced right back up and got back to writing. The less you can let bad reviews get you down, the more successful you could feel.

7. Not everyone is comfortable with talking to audiences. Over the years, I've learned to talk for an entire hour about me, my books, my journey, writing as a craft, my cat…whatever I need to bring up to fill in any quiet gaps in a presentation where no one has any questions. Talking about your book to others can make you feel successful (or at least like a real writer!)

8. Do some research and find ways to market your books. I've done in-person presentations, radio interviews, podcasts, blog posts, and so on without stressing out about what I’m going to say. Most of the time, the interview has ended and the host and I continue to talk for another half hour! Doing interviews of any kind will help you feel successful.

9. It's possible to train yourself to write about ANYTHING! As part of one of the writing groups I’ve been part of, we use prompts. Several of my novels were written one prompt at a time! Using prompts will help fuel your writing and can help you feel successful.

10.  Feeling restless? When I’m having an off day and don’t feel like myself, it’s a sure sign I need to get back to writing. A day without being creative can drag me down and make me feel like something is missing. Even fifteen minutes of writing per day can help relieve stress and help you feel successful. 

11.  You don't always need to quit your day job. In fact, I’ve worked many day jobs and, while none of them were my dream jobs, they were always good sources of fodder for books. I never would’ve written any of my Gilda Wright Mysteries without working in a karate school! I also wouldn’t have written a play if I hadn’t worked in a theatre. Working a day job can be a great place to get ideas which can help you feel more successful.

12.  Make friends with other writers. I love to encourage and support other authors. I started my blog Escape With a Writer to do just that! While I never seem to find the time to fill my own blog with interesting writing stuff, it’s easy to find other authors to promote and I’ve even been able to work with a publicity person and help with their authors! Spending time brainstorming with and helping other authors might help you feel more successful.

If you think you can’t write, why?

If you think you don’t have time, try!

Ten to fifteen minutes a day is great. All you need to do is start!

Diane Bator

Website: https://dianebator.ca/

Books Available through Books We Love: https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

April Showers Bring May Flowers

 

or so they say. I'm not so sure about that. After many balmy temperatures in March, April started out cold with snow flurries. I can't say I'm thrilled with it, I'm pretty sure everyone is ready for spring, especially after so many 70 degree days in March. 

Mother Nature played an April Fools Joke on us, I guess. According to the weather report, average temps this time of year are in the 50s. Needless to say, we're about 20 degrees below. But warmer days are coming. We can't stay cold forever, right?

I love spring. It's my favorite season. All the trees begin to sprout new leaves, flowers begin to pop up, and everything just smells fresh. New life, new beginning. 

Who knows, maybe Aunt Beatrice Lulu will speak to me again. She's sure been awfully quiet lately. Not to mention the two other novels I've started and none of the characters are speaking to me. 

Maybe I've just been too busy, but there have been many nights I lie awake, unable to sleep. That's when Aunt Beatrice Lulu used to talk to me the most in the middle of the night. I had to get out of bed because an idea would hit me and I learned a long time ago not to trust it to memory. I had to write it down right then and there. Sometimes it was a line or two of a conversation. Needless to say, once I got up and wrote it down, the story started to flow and I was often awake until four or five in the morning.  Fortunately, I'm retired and I didn't have to get up for a job or anything. Hubby was on the road, so I didn't even have to worry about making dinner or anything. Not that I slept all day. Far from it. Sleep has always been a waste of time to me, still is, but necessary. 

I'll let you know next month if my characters woke up and talked to me. 

You can find my books at: BWL 

BWL Publishing Inc. April New Releases and featured Excerpts

 Check us out at https://bwlpublishing.ca   

Read excerpts of our new releases on BWL's Facebook Book Club Page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BooksWeLovebookclub

Birch Shadow is a sumptuous mountain getaway, an idyllic cottage with way too many secrets to keep, like its owner, business tycoon and philanthropist, Shaw Garland. No one knows his dark side like the guests who visit Birch Shadow, including Rhone Alexander who sought the spectacular retreat for some much-needed R&R following the end of a difficult marriage. Worse waited.

Grace Upton is an up and coming interior decorator unwittingly drawn into the treacherous Birch Shadow game.

 Will anyone survive Birch Shadow long enough to make their dangerous getaway?

 

 

 

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The article passed around the table on a hot August night. “Five to ten percent of the nation’s doctors are so impaired or incompetent they cannot or should not practice medicine.” The nurses at Bradley Memorial thought they had them all. That night they formed a group they called The Committee of Angels.

Nearly a year has passed and Laura Bancroft wonders why little has been done to change things. She also wonders about some of the nurses fitting the pattern. Laura has three doctors on her list of incompetents. She seldom meets with the other members and several of the others are upset with her. When her ex-husband joins the medical staff, she realizes she still has feelings for him. One of her list of doctors dies after emergency surgery and Laura finds her suspected since she was assigned to the doctor. She must deal with suspicions, her feelings for her ex. Then a second on her list commits suicide and speaks of blackmail.

 

Can Laura learn the truth of who is responsible before she faces arrest?

 

It's a cat's life by Priscilla Brown

 

for mechanic Billie, fixing cars is easier than perking up her love life

https://www.books2read.com/Finding-Billie

 

 

In my childhood home, we had a much-loved ginger cat who thought he ruled his people. We bought him as a kitten from a farm where we had gone to buy eggs. My sister, then aged about five, noticed a cat and kittens. She insisted she wanted a kitten, and refused to get back into the car until our parents gave in, probably embarrassed by her temper tantrum. The farm was only too pleased to give us a ginger tom, weaned but not house-trained. This task was beyond a five year old, so it fell to me and our mother, Luckily for us, the animal learned quickly, and in spite of our parents' misgivings, this smart puss settled into a routine.

 

When all the family went out together, on return we always found him sitting on the roof of our single-storey house. I  imagined him looking up and down the street, waiting for us.As soon as we arrived, he would jump off the roof onto the garden wall and then onto the driveway, circling our legs and purring, as if telling us how pleased he was that we were home.  At the back of my writing mind, I always had the thought that one day I would put him into a story. As I drafted Billie's contemporary romance, she told me she wanted a cat, so I gave her my fictional ginger tom. The inclusion of this feisty feline who purrs with most humans but spits at any who are not nice to his owner rounds out the household of only herself and teenager Tim.

As an adult, I've never owned a pet. I like to claim part ownership of two cats belonging to friends. One friend's large super-friendly tabby will give up his place on the sofa under a sunny window if I let him settle on my lap. In contrast, the other is a snooty white female who possibly dreams of catching birds as she sits on the windowsill, and whose only interest in people is where the food comes from since eating birds is forbidden.

 

Best wishes, Priscilla

 

 https://bwlpublishing.ca

 

 

https://priscillabrownauthor.com