tulips
Five Links…5/31/19
Loleta Abi
Writing:
1. https://www.janefriedman.com/the-two-basic-rules-of-editing-and-the-rookie-mistake/ “Many people who find themselves in an editorial role make the same mistake. They think they’re supposed to fix the book. They’ve identified the problems and they expend a lot of mental energy on coming up with solutions. The classic version of this is the film development executive who tells you to put in a car chase (yes, it’s happened to me). The story is sagging, the pace is dragging: you need some excitement! In this case, the car chase solution is like a sugar hit: a rush followed by dissatisfaction. Far better to address the underlying story issues—but it’s hard to do that if a car chase, or some other plastered-on idea, is occupying the center of the discussion.
Landing on a solution and sticking to it distracts both you and the writer from identifying what the problem is. I’ll talk later about what the problem might be. For now, I want to make this important point: once you’ve identified what isn’t working, stop there for now.” I’ve submitted to an editor. I’m anxious to see what she has to say about my partial. It could be there’s nothing there, but then again, I believe in the work.
3. https://www.tor.com/2019/05/08/seanan-mcguire-on-the-daily-process-of-writing-a-novel-like-middlegame/ “So I’ve been asked to write about the process of writing Middlegame, and why I feel like it’s different from other books I’ve written. And to be honest, this request made me a little uncomfortable, because nothing activates my raging case of imposter syndrome like being asked to write about my process, as if I were some big, fancy artist doing big, fancy things, and not me, writing daily, sometimes with frosting on my nose, almost always in my pajamas.
This is my process: I get out of bed, having already assigned myself tasks for the day which include which projects I will be (need to be) working on; these assignments are based on my deadlines, unless I’ve managed to get far enough ahead of deadline to buy myself some free time. When I have free time, it’s less recess, and more free study: I get to work on projects that haven’t necessarily been sold yet, or aren’t slated to be, like the free short stories on my website. The words happen every day that it’s possible, and some days when it really shouldn’t be (Disney World or San Diego Comic Con are both environments that are very antithetical to getting actual work done).”
4. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/writing-for-a-modern-audience/ “Sometimes I think everything I learned about life I learned from The Andy Griffith Show.
For instance, in the episode “Andy Discovers America,” when Andy is incredulous about the new school teacher “starting them awful young for history,” Aunt Bea just sighs, “Well, maybe they have to. There’s more of it these days.”
If that idea was true of history back in 1963, it’s even more true of literature in 2019.”
5. https://megdowell.com/2019/05/26/why-im-not-ashamed-of-my-terrible-writing/ “I’ve recently been considering bringing back my podcast. Yes, bringing back — as in I had a podcast once, but after seven or eight episodes it became one of many abandoned projects I would set off to the side when I got “too busy” to squeeze it in.
As I began contemplating the possibility of a Brain Rush revival, I went back and listened to the episodes I’d recorded back in 2016 … and I could barely get through them.” We all start out terrible. Life is about improving.
Research & Fun Bits:
1. https://colleenchesebro.com/2019/05/26/synchronicity-at-its-finest/ “I reflected back on that drive down Interstate 40 and how the synchronicityof our decision to move closer to family came about. I still find myself awed at how our unconscious mind can lead us to the right path. And, when you know you’re going in the right direction everything falls into place.
I hope to be back to blogging and writing in the next couple of weeks. Thanks to all of you for checking on me. Your friendship is greatly appreciated. I’ll see you all soon!”
2. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2019/05/26/angel-messages-may-26-2019/
3. http://scvincent.com/2019/05/26/living-in-a-fairy-tale/ “I’ve been looking into old faery lore lately. Not the sanitised Victorian version of miniature winged beauties, but at the old tales of strange encounters, customs that go back beyond memory, time lost in the faery realm and the darker aspects of the hidden folk. I watched a documentary and, amongst a few other ideas, one in particular got me thinking. The suggestion was that if faeries do not have a concrete and objective reality of their own in our world, but do exist for us in the realms of imagination, perhaps imagination itself is a state of being we do not fully understand, bridging the gap between our usual vision of reality and unreality in a way that has a validity of its own. As a concept, and after years of working with magical systems, that works for me.”
4. https://romanceuniversity.org/publishing-changes-from-2009-2019/ “It was fascinating to re-read Brenda Novak’s post from 2009. It made me think that the more things change, the more they stay the same! Brenda no longer runs her online auction for diabetes, but the comments she made about being a good businessperson are still right on the money.”
5. http://awriterofhistory.com/2019/05/28/integrating-symbols-into-a-story-by-rebecca-rosenberg/ “I love what they do in a story! Especially if they are well integrated into the story and change in meaning along the way.
Here are a few examples from my new novel GOLD DIGGER, the Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor, and a few from other authors. I hope these examples will make you think of others.
PEACOCKS! In the beginning of the story, Baby Doe has a peacock fan, a symbol of her beauty and pride. She has never seen a peacock and has always wanted to, so it also stands for her unfulfilled dreams and wishes. Mid-story, she quotes that the eyes of a peacock feather can see the future, which is unknown and uncertain for her. She tells the Silver King, Horace Tabor, she would love to see a real peacock. After they are married, he brings her a hundred; a symbol of his extravagant love for her. The Tabor’s neighbors complain about the peacocks and when they lose their fortune, Baby Doe has to sell all the beautiful birds.”
Some Things More Serious:
2. https://amdobritt.wordpress.com/2019/05/27/ive-got-your-back/
3. https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2019/05/28/may-28-2019-quote-of-the-day-my-thoughts/
4. http://nicholasrossis.me/2019/05/27/how-scared-should-you-be-of-duplicate-content/ “This is a slightly technical post but it’s close to my heart as it answers a question I often hear. Longtime readers of this blog will know that, since 2016, I have been posting all of my content simultaneously on both my main website, nicholasrossis.me, and my WordPress blog, nicholasrossis.wordpress.com (for the reasons which led me to this decision, see here).
This has led me to trouble in the past with some of my guest posters, who dislike the idea that their posts are duplicated on both places at once. The reason is that old SEO boogeyman, duplicate content.
The topic is full of anecdotes, myths, urban legends, and folklore passed down from marketer to marketer over the years. And like any story or tale, it gets taller and more exaggerated as it’s told.
“Google will lower your rank if you post content already published elsewhere,” some say.
“No,” others correct them. “It won’t just lower your rank. It will actually penalize you.”
“No,” a dark voice whispers. “It will blacklist you and you’ll never get another visitor again.”
5. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2019/05/28/angel-messages-may-28-2019/
Teaser Fiction & Poetry:
1. https://somethingferal.com/2019/05/25/wings-of-a-prayer-writephoto/ I’d say my children are the most beautiful to me. They’ve grown into great people.
2. https://jenanita01.com/2019/05/26/silent-sunday-97/
3. https://authorsteveboseley.wordpress.com/2019/05/25/stream-of-consciousness-saturday-dave-would-have-been-a-better-choice/ “Everyone stared at him. No one said anything. Bad orgood. If his heart had been hammering before, now he was convinced the silence must be making it audible. It was probably too late to save now. Exit was the only option.
“So, to the Bride and groom.” Josh raised his glass and the onlookers repeated his toast. He was aware that everyone must be able to see the sweat glistening on his forehead, and it was with no small relief that he took a sip from his pint and sat down.”
4. https://johnwhowell.com/2019/05/25/stream-of-consciousness-saturday-prompt-6/ ““What are you doing now?”
“Looking for a word that rhymes with rosy.”
“Whatever for? Oh, wait you are doing that Linda Hill thing right?”
“Every Saturday I do the Linda Hill thing. Every Saturday, you wander in and ask me what I’m doing. Then we get into some kind of discussion where I end up looking like a fool. You would think you would get it by now.”
5. https://mythsofthemirror.com/2019/05/26/dianas-may-story-defining-human/ ““I don’t know why you keep that decrepit thing around.” Delia sipped her iced tea and glanced out the window of her friend’s home. On the manicured lawn, Sherri’s cyborg pushed their children on side-by-side swings, a human arm heaving on one small back while a mechanical arm pressed on the other.”
Book Reviews, Cover Reveals, & Author Interviews:
1. http://mariacatalinaegan.com/2019/05/26/his-red-eminence-armand-jean-du-plessis-de-richelieu-by-laurel-a-rockefeller-genre-historical-fiction/ “Priest. Lover. Statesman.”
2. http://jessicabakkers.com/2019/05/26/book-reviews-2/ “As per usual, I haven’t had a lot of time for reading, but what I have read has been wonderful (except for two DNFs). Below I’ve jotted down some thoughts (and links) to those I’ve read.”
3. https://mariacatalinaegan.com/2019/05/28/love-in-purgatory-by-timber-philips/ “Gracelyn Adams just thought she was depressed. After
months of feeling blue,
losing her friends one by one, she is at her wits end dealing with
the nonstop soul-crushing despair she feels every day. Even though,
she knows there is nothing at all to feel sad about. Her job is going
well, her life is on track, but things go from bad to worse when she
begins having ‘episodes’ at night.”
4. http://joanhall.blog/2019/05/28/release-day-unclear-purposes/ “Alyssa Weber stood in the large walk-in closet, eyeing the long row of garments. She reached for a black cocktail dress. Elegantly designed, it had a beaded neckline, tiered jacket and skirt, and above-the-knee hem. A pair of silver pumps and drop earrings were the only accessories needed.
If only.”
5. http://mjmallon.com/2019/05/27/do-no-harm-17-medical-thrillers-thrillers-suspense-boxset/
A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author 
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