MGR Tour: Conclusions

Come on over to Rantings and Ravings of an Insane Writer and see how I did in accomplishing my plans for 2014.

Merry Go Round Blog Tour: December and Where Are My Goals for 2014?

My list of goals for 2014, by the month, was extensive. Last year this time I went through the list as though I were reporting accomplishments to my commanding officer. This year, I'm going to be a little less obsessive-compulsive.

What's been most important? I put six books up for sale. One every other month. This is the 2nd year in a row I've done that. Pretty good stat considering I just started writing in 2011.

I've been studying the craft. I have a world building class, still in progress and a class on how to write a series, extended version that I have been taking from Holly Lisle. https://howtothinksideways.com/login/  I signed up to take the World Building class then the Series Extended class opened.

Click Here for the Rest of the Story.

What I've done with my year . . .

I never did post goals in January, but I still can talk about what I got done with 2014. If you're interested in the pluses and minuses, swing by my blog.

November MGR Tour: My Piece of Advice

New writers get a lot of advice sometimes. This month's task it to limit my recommendation to one thing, and I think my "one thing" encompassed more than that by implication.  Come see what I'd recommend to a new writer.

Your Writer's Platform

Here I shall stand upon my Writing Platform, doing…er, writing platform-y things…Vote for me based on my platform, and I'll give you four years of awesome.

Or not.

VOTE FOR ME by clicking the link. 

MGR: Writer Platform?

We're talking about platform this month on the MGR Tour.  Come see what I have to say about it.

Writing Platform? Do I have One?

When I saw this month's topic, to be honest, I was baffled. I didn't know what that meant. So, being a modern woman I went to the internet to get some help. I stumbled on http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/writing-platform.html and checked out the definition there. Here's the first paragraph on their page.

"Having a writing platform means that you have an audience, and that you have some vehicle in place to reach that audience when you have books to sell. This platform is as important to those not yet published as it is to established writers."

Oh! Yeah, how am I contacting people, selling books, putting my name out there? Good question. The site offers thirteen things you should or could do to create a rounded "platform". If you're interested in what they suggest, check out the site. However, we get all of this same information right here on Forward Motion. Here are a few of the things I do.  Click here to see the whole post.

The Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is sponsored by the website Forward Motion (http://www.fmwriters.com). The tour is you, the reader, travelling the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. There are all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s always something new and different to enjoy. If you want to get to know the nearly twenty other writers check out the rest of the tour at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com!  Up next: Jean Schara!

MGR: Publication Fears

I had to chuckle when I saw this month's topic.  Find out more here.

Dawn's Publication Fears: Unleashed

 When it comes to writing, I perceive there to be two kinds of fears: the first being that voice in my head that throws the meanest what-if’s at me to keep you from getting stuff done. There’s also the stuff that truly is scary. It’s as real for writing as it is for publication.

Keep reading here.

MGR August: Protagonists.

This month, I talk about a few of my protagonists.  Come meet them.

Merry Go Round Blog Tour: August - Protagonists

Protagonist: The story's main character. The protagonist can be anything, think of Steven King's Christine, for example. But we generally think of the protagonist as a person, one that you, the reader, can relate to. A character that you're willing to spend some time with and makes you want to read the book or story you've just picked up.

Most of my protagonists have been women. It makes sense. I'm a woman and not surprisingly, I'm kind of familiar with being a woman. 

See more of this post here.

The Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is sponsored by the website Forward Motion (http://www.fmwriters.com). The tour is you, the reader, travelling the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. There are all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s always something new and different to enjoy. If you want to get to know the nearly twenty other writers check out the rest of the tour at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com! Up next: Jean Schara!

MGR Tour: Mid-Year Check-In

This month we're checking on our progress toward achieving our January goals for the year.   How am I doing?  Come see.

Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour July: Mid-Year Goals Check-In

Six months worth of goals. Ack! It has been a whirlwind year for me in my writing world, to be sure.  I completed all of the goals for January, February and March which to be honest, was a struggle. I just felt behind the whole time. April was tough, though I did get the cover for Hard Choices done and revealed in April. Hard Choices finalized in May right on schedule and was published. It's always pretty exciting to send another book out into the world. Read more here.

The Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is sponsored by the website Forward Motion (http://www.fmwriters.com). The tour is you, the reader, travelling the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. There are all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s always something new and different to enjoy. If you want to get to know the nearly twenty other writers check out the rest of the tour at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com!  Up next: Jean Schara!

Half a year in

I didn't actually post goals back at the beginning of the year, but looking back on the past six months, I'm reasonably happy with what I've gotten done.

Check out the post on my blog to see the details.

June MGR: Improving Craft

This month we're talking about improving craft.  I recommend a three prong approach.

Improving Craft

Three Tools to Improve Your Craft

Write a journal -


It's been said before by many people that keeping a journal helps improve your writing. The act of throwing the words out on the page gets you into the writing habit (a very good habit to have!)

I've never been a journal writer, but I can't argue with the logic. There have been countless journalists over the centuries who have poured their emotions into a diary and became successful authors.

If you're finding yourself stuck, maybe you should sit down and write whatever comes to mind. You can't find the diamonds without digging through the mine.

Continue Reading...

Improving the Craft

In my mind, there are three ways to improve one’s craft, and I actively participate in all three, sometimes binging on one form over the others for a perspective change. There’s input, output, and one-step-removed analysis. Continue reading here.

MGR: Finding A Life

How does one balance writing and life?  I'm sure there are as many ways as there are people.  Come see my thoughts on the subject here.

Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour: Work/Life Balance

Writing can be all consuming. I get a story in my head and I want to start writing and keep on writing. But, I can't write all the time. If I did, where would my ideas come from? So it's important to get up away from the computer and interact with other human beings.

Click here to read more.

The Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is sponsored by the website Forward Motion (http://www.fmwriters.com). The tour is you, the reader, travelling the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. There are all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s always something new and different to enjoy. If you want to get to know the nearly twenty other writers check out the rest of the tour at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com!  Up next: Jean Schara!

Finding a Life - The Balancing Act

The Dilemma

As a writer, it’s more than just a day job and a family life to juggle (unless you’re fortunate and don’t need an outside vocation to survive.) The writing has to be done too, and that will come at the expense of your friends and family. You’re not carrying a full-time job — you’re working two jobs, one of which has you at the corner desk in the bedroom, pounding words into your computer.

The difficulty lies in perspective. You need to concentrate on attaining your writing goals or you won’t be a success at writing. Your family, no matter how accepting, will experience feelings of neglect because you prefer your fantasy worlds and characters over them. I know. I have a super-supportive woman at my side who still feels ignored when I get into a story.

Continue Reading...

Flexible life

Productivity tools come up a lot in my blog because I have a lot of things I'm trying to keep in balance. Swing by my blog to see the latest method I'm using.

Other Bloggy Blog Blogs

Blogs. Blogs. Bloggie blogs. They're everywhere. Read about which ones strike ma' fancy...

MGR Tour: Blog Share

We're talking about blogs we visit regularly this month.  I think you'll see some unexpected options to consider.  Go here if you want to read more.

Merry Go Round Blog Tour: April - What are Three of My Favorite Blogs?

Owl Uses Computer by RedPigeon via www.DeviantArt.com

I go to quite a few blogs every morning. Picking three favorites is pretty tough. One I have delivered to my email inbox is Kristine Kathryn Rusch's blog, http://www.kristinekathrynrusch.com/ . I especially love her business articles. As a new writer I need all the help I can get and she writes easy to understand articles on how to go about making writing a business. Read more here.

The Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is sponsored by the website Forward Motion (http://www.fmwriters.com). The tour is you, the reader, travelling the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. There are all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s always something new and different to enjoy. If you want to get to know the nearly twenty other writers check out the rest of the tour at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com! Up next: Jean Schara!

MGR: What Makes Me A Unique Writer?

Welcome back to another edition of the Merry Go Round Blog Tour.  This month we're discussing what makes us unique as a writer.  Why don't we discuss what make me not unique as a writer?  As in the problems slush pile readers endure.  I have a terrible tendency toward narrative.  I spend a lot of time in my character's heads.  I don't do conflict very well.

Continue reading here.

Merry Go Round Blog Tour: What Makes Me A Unique Writer?

Picture "Unique" by Mazyono from www.deviantart.com

The prompt for the month asks what makes me a unique writer. Hmm. Any answer I give could come off sounding flippant. I'm a unique person, of course. No one has my exact background. No one has read the same list of books. No one has had my experiences with family, job, travel, or children.

What makes me a unique writer is that my experiences provide areas of overlap with many people.
Read the rest here.

The Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is sponsored by the website Forward Motion (http://www.fmwriters.com). The tour is you, the reader, travelling the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. There are all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s always something new and different to enjoy. If you want to get to know the nearly twenty other writers check out the rest of the tour at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com!  Up next: Jean Schara!

The World Needs More 'Niques!

Everybody's unique

And I don't mean peculiar (though some folks certainly wear their freak flag well, don't they?)

Another word for people is "individuals." And isn't being unique, one of a kind, also a single individual? (Makes sense to me.)

There's an old Emo Phillips comedy sketch where he discusses religion. He meets a man on a bridge and neither wishes to make room for the other to pass, so they begin to narrow down their choices:

"He said, 'Well, I'm a Baptist.' And I said, "Ha! I'm a Baptist, too!' What a small world!"

It takes several back and forths between the two before they find the one point of scripture they disagree with, and then Emo delivers the punchline.

Continue Reading...

Am I unique?

What would make someone who doesn't know me pick up one of my stories rather than somebody else's? What is it that I bring to the table? Head over to my blog to watch me talk around the question.

Villainous Villainy

Recently, I read one of the best blurbs from Sir Anthony Hopkins: "I don't play villains, I play people."

Read more while eating fava beans and a nice chianti...

MGR Tour: Villains

This month I talk about our common villain.  Do you know who or what it is?  Come see if you guessed right.

Dead Weight

DELETE.

Ctrl + Z. Undo! Undo! Bring it back!

Some things should be deleted. Cut. Excised.

Cybermen shall DELETE YOU. Read more...

MGR: Plans for 2014

This month, we're talking about our plans for 2014.  Continue reading on my blog.

Merry Go Round Tour: January - Deleted Material

Deleted material, hmm, let me think. Do I delete material from my drafts? Absolutely. I've deleted whole chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences, words. If the material isn't leading the story anywhere, there's no point in it being in the story. Out it goes.

It's kind of like pruning your fruit trees or rose bushes. I have a hard time with that. I hate to cut away perfectly fine growth. Click here to read the rest.

The Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is sponsored by the website Forward Motion (http://www.fmwriters.com). The tour is you, the reader, travelling the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. There are all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s always something new and different to enjoy. If you want to get to know the nearly twenty other writers check out the rest of the tour at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com!  Up next: Jean Schara!