Story of the Writer: With Greg Spry

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

 

 

GREG SPRY 

WELCOME TO THE TRAIN

 

 

 

 

 

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Everybody please welcome science fiction author Greg Spry of the Beyond the Saga series!

Beyond the Cloud Nine won silver medal in 2015 Reader’s Favorites Awards in the Science Fiction category, and IAN Book of the year awards nominee for Science Fiction. He writes action-packed hard science fiction with space combat and technology. If you go to his website, you can enter a Goodreads giveaway beginning Jun 23 and ending Jun 30.  I’ve wandered around his site and it really has a nice feel to it. Please go to: www.gregspry.com.

 

I found Greg to be an all around fascinating person with a great background to write science fiction. He has worked in IT, computer programming, search engine marketing, entrepreneurship and holds a MS Space Systems degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. But above all, he loves science fiction.   There it is folks!

 

 

Let’s meet our guest!

 

 

-md

 

 

*How did you get into science fiction? Early childhood influences?

I’ve loved science fiction as far back as I can remember. As a kid, I used to create Lego spaceships, watch Star Trek and Robotech, and play video games like Final Fantasy and every space shooter I could find. Now that I think about it, my dad used to watch a lot of sci-fi, so I watched along with him.

 

Yes! I did much of the same thing. Lego spaceships, Robotech, video games, Star Trek, but my brother never let me play Final Fantasy. I begged him to play it but he was quite dedicated to my misery. Robotech is probably my favorite out of this group though. I wish they would”ve made it a longer series.

 

 

 

Sunrise over group of planets in space

 

 

 

*What kind of books did you read over the years?

I remember reading My Teacher is an Alien and plenty of Choose Your Own Adventure books. I read Ender’s Game in late elementary school, the 21-book Robotech series three times in middle school, and classics like To Kill a Mockingbird in high school. Now, I read hard science fiction and self-published books.

 

I can see you were an early consumer of science fiction. Never realized that Robotech had a book series! My diet mainly consisted of  various cartoons versus books. 

 

*Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Since a young age, yes. I wrote a couple of full manuscripts in middle school.

This is an amazing feat for a kid in middle school. Some adults haven’t even completed full manuscripts!

 

 

 

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*Are you currently writing full-time?

No, I work as a software consultant for an IT company during the day. I’m working toward turning writing into my full-time day job.

That’s great, I’m all for it. A lot of us have the same dream. I certainly think you have the talent to do so.

 

 

*Who are your favorite authors?

My favorite authors are Arthur C. Clarke, Peter Hamilton, and Alastair Reynolds.

 

Nice. I’ve heard of Clarke, but the others are new to me honestly. They must be pretty good!

 

 

*Tell us about the Beyond Saga series

The Beyond Saga is my generational, fate-of-the-galaxy-hangs-in-the-balance type of space opera based on elements of hard science fiction. The saga includes the first attempts at faster-than-light speed travel, exciting space combat, cool technologies that are truly possible, first contact with alien races, time travel, alternate realities, and more.

 

Wow. This sounds like a very juicy series! 

 

See the Beyond Cloud Nine official homepage

 

 

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Beyond Cloud Nine (Beyond Saga Book 1)

 

 

Book 1, Beyond Cloud Nine (https://bit.ly/bc9kdle), is the story of the first pilot to fly faster than light and the solar conspiracy that gets in her way. Book 2, Beyond the Horizon (https://bit.ly/bthkdle), follows a young ensign as she tries to stop the extermination of a benevolent alien race during humankind’s first interstellar mission. Book 3, Beyond Yesterday, involves travel to Earth’s past to discover mankind’s origins and book 4, Beyond Existence, is the big intergalactic finale in which the human race may perish or prevail—or both. Books 1 and 2 are available now.

Beyond the Horizon was just published May 1, 2016. Read the Beyond the Horizon official homepage. His website is amazing!

 

 

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Beyond the Horizon (Beyond Saga Book 2)

 

 

*Can you take us through your research process?

I’ve immersed myself in science fiction my whole life, so I know the concepts and how things go. With a master’s degree in space systems from the Florida Institute of Technology, I’ve got a solid knowledge base regarding the realities of real space flight. All things space and astronomy naturally interest me, so I’ll use Google to confirm the details about things like the gravity and atmosphere of Titan or the conditions on a planet orbiting a red dwarf star.

At the start of the writing process, I outline at a high level and create basic character profiles. Then I let the story go where it goes as I write a rough first draft. Draft 2 is where I round out the characters, fix plot holes, make sure I’m showing rather than telling, and fill in the fine details. Draft 2 goes to beta readers and/or a critique group and an editor for refinement. After that process completes and the proofreading’s done, the publication and marketing process begins.

 

AMAZING. This sounds like a pretty refined process. I always enjoy hearing how authors delivers the goods! This is great.

 

 

 

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You’re a writer; so what’s your story, or what inspired you? 

The books, movies, shows, and video games I’ve loved throughout the years have inspired me. One big inspiration was the Final Fantasy games. Anyone who has played role-playing video games knows they’re like interactive books or movies. The great plots and characters in them motivated me to create my own.

My brother would know all about it…

 

 

What’s your GOAL in becoming a writer? After being published what’s next?

I’ve self-published two books, and I’m working to complete book 3 and then book 4 in my Beyond Saga. My goal is to generate enough of a revenue stream via book sales that I can turn to writing full-time, which means that marketing is currently my biggest challenge. I’ve been trying out different promotional services in hopes of finding something that works. Ultimately, I’d love to have my books turned into movies. Many people have seconded the notion that the space battles, environments, and plot of Beyond Cloud Nine would work well on the big screen.

 

Let it be so! That would be cool to see it on the big screen. You never know, it just might happen one day.

 

 

 

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Beyond the Saga

 

 

 

What has hindered you from completing your projects? (CONFLICT)

A market-savvy author knows that each book is an opportunity to sell all the other books. Hence, the more books you’ve published, the more books you’ll sell. My first problem is that the process of writing and releasing each book takes too much time given that I can only write in my spare time. If I could quit my day job and pump each one out faster, I’d make that much more money. I’ve been dumping hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars into promotion without seeing enough results to even offset my costs. If it weren’t for my day job, I’d be declaring bankruptcy about now. So I’m kind of stuck at the moment not being able to write fast enough to make enough money at it.

 

Ah, that sounds like such a heartache. Drop me a line, I’d be happy to do some book promotion.

 

 

What keeps you motivated in achieving your dream? (DESIRE)

I love smart science fiction and creating plots, worlds, and characters. I also believe in myself and think I can do these things just about as well as most anything else that’s out there.

 

We definitely share the same values in creating plots, worlds and characters. Your confidence is also inspiring. Don’t let anything get you down.

 

 

What’s your ANTAGONIST? What’s in the way?

 

 

 

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As previously discussed, visibility and how it takes money to make money. There are some well-known works of fiction out there that are only well-known because they’ve been mass-marketed. Meanwhile, there are other great works that aren’t well-known because a wide audience has yet to discover them. Such is the reality of the industry.

 

I’m glad I’ve discovered your work! And another reason why I do these interviews is to support authors like yourself. 

 

 

Have you ever wanted to give up your dream? If so, why?

 

I actually got really down in the dumps for a few days after I released book 2. I ran a 3-month promo period prior to publication in which I gave away review copies, put my book on Amazon for pre-order, did Twitter blasts, contacted bloggers, and spent hundreds of dollars. I didn’t do any of that for book 1, yet sales of book 2 paled in comparison to book 1. So I thought if I’m going to pump all that effort into promo and not see results, how can I possibly be successful and why bother to keep writing? I make plenty of money in my day job. If I focus on that, I’ll be far better off financially in the long run, so why waste my time being anti-social and writing in my personal time when I could be out doing more active stuff? But as the weeks have gone by, I’ve noticed a little bit better recurring sales. It’s taken people a while to read book 1 and then get around to reading book 2. While sales are still a long way from where they need to be, I’m more hopeful for the future. I’ve also learned what to do and not to do with a book release, which will help with book 3 and beyond.

 

This is very helpful to get a view of your experiences. Seems like it’s quite a battle once you get your book published. Probably a lot of writers think getting a book published equals instant success. Thanks for sharing. 

 

 

 

Why do writers give up, quit or never complete their projects?

To answer this question, we should put on our business caps. I’ve started several businesses in the past unrelated to writing. While most of them failed, I learned a lot from trying. Every now and then, a friend who wants to start a business will come to me for advice. They have a great idea and want to know how to make it a success. They want to pitch it like in an episode of Shark Tank. What do I tell them? That except in very special cases, Shark Tank is a lie and their idea doesn’t matter. When running a business, the least important factor in success is your product or service. Rather, your business system is what matters. I mean, of course you can’t be selling crap. But things like internal business practices/culture, marketing, sales, customer service, timing, leadership, and everything else surrounding the product or service is more important. Does McDonald’s serve the greatest, most revolutionary food on the planet? Of course not. Then why are they the biggest fast food chain in the world? Figure that out, and you start understanding what it takes to be successful. The point is that the actual writing itself is only a small part of the overall process—and not necessarily the most critical part—of being a successful author.

That’s why I think the single most important thing is passion. You’ve got to be able to conjure up the motivation to keep writing and promoting when nothing’s going right. So I ask people who come to me for advice about whether to start a business if they want to live and breathe their trade for 100+ hours per week. Do they want to not get paid for years until their product or service finally catches on? Do they want to spend far more time on everything else besides the actual trade (writing) that they love in order to make the business successful? Only if you answer yes to every one of those questions should you start that business, or in our case, get serious about writing. So to sum up and answer the question, people who quit don’t have the sustained passion for EVERYTHING that it takes to be successful.

 

Wow, this is wonderful advice for us newbies. You definitely sound like an entrepreneur to me. Simply being a writer isn’t going to cut it in today’s world. We must be the ultimate entrepreneur. 

 

 

businessman-in-suit-md

 

(Your name here)

 

 

What would you say to a struggling writer who’s given up?

Do you have the passion to keep going? Is this what you truly love? If not, give up. But if yes, stick with it. Even if your writing isn’t very good, if you love doing it and have great desire to improve, you can and will get better. Don’t let anyone tell you writing a book is some mysterious art form that some people are born for and others aren’t. While some people are naturally good storytellers, the vast majority of all stories have certain structural elements in common. Simply put, there are right ways and wrong ways to write a story. You can learn them if you stay open to feedback, do your research, and are willing to put yourself out there.

 

I’m lovin’ it. Solid words here. Let’s face it, authors are the most resilient people on the planet. We must have an undying passion, a steadfast commitment, and a desire for life long learning.  I love writing and learning equally.  It’s an awesome journey and adventurous process.  Let’s keep the ball rolling!  Woohoo! 

 

 

BONUS: What else do you have coming down the pike?

I’m currently working on book 3 in the Beyond Saga. After that, I’ll write the final book 4. Somewhere in there, I’m going to publish one or more of my Bears in Space short stories, which are sci-fi comedies. Think South Park in space but with raunchy adult Disney animal characters. Bears in Space allows me to do some fun venting about all the horrible clichés out there: unrealistic alien invasions where the all-powerful but completely moronic aliens hover their spaceships over our cities like big bullseyes instead of just blasting us from orbit or releasing a virus, cheesy romance novels with the dude with washboard abs on the cover, dystopian apocalypses where the biggest threat is zombies that can’t even move fast enough to jog, and more. After the Beyond Saga, I’ll return to working on Destalis, which was the first full manuscript I wrote as an adult. Destalis will continue to explore the concepts introduced toward the end of the Beyond Saga but with more of a Game-of-Thrones-in-space type of feel. I haven’t decided whether it will remain a single book or if I’ll expand it into a book series.

 

Man, that sounds pretty sweet. Can’t wait to see what you come up with. Write on! Don’t let anybody slow you down.

 

 

Thanks for coming on the site Greg! Come again!

 

 

GREG SPRY HAS AN EPIC WEBSITE

 

  www.gregspry.com

There’s also a BEYOND THE HORIZON ENCYCLOPEDIA that lists the following:

Characters

Technology

World

Terminology

 

 

 

Favorite quotes?

 

“There’s no sense in nonsense, especially when the heat’s hot.” – Safety Not Guaranteed movie. I don’t know why I love this saying. Maybe because it’s so stupid it’s awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

KEEP WRITING 

UNTIL IT’S 

FINISHED 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com

 

 

 

 

Story of the Writer: Caroline Peckham

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

 

 

Welcome back to the Writing Train!

 

 

 

To Trains sign

 

 

 

Howdy!

 

 

Do you love stories? We ALL do right? It’s no secret writers have some of the most gripping minds on the planet. The characters they’ve created; worlds they’ve crafted, and plots they’ve weaved together, have left their imprint upon the world. This series is dedicated to them, published or unpublished.

~Every author is a story~

 

 

 

 

Books, old, stacked.

 

Everyone please welcome

YA Fantasy Author

Caroline Peckham

 

 

 

 

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First off, I’d like to pay a special tribute to my friend Caroline. She may be largely aware of this, but she inspired me in a very particular way as a writer. I was stuck in a dreamy state wishing and wanting to be a writer. There I was, sitting on the sidelines cheering and watching everyone else’s success. She had just published one of her books (can’t remember which one) and I got so excited and genuinely happy. I proceeded to ask her the question. Kind of like,  what’s your secret sauce question. So I asked; what’s the difference between those who dream, and those who achieve their dreams?  Then she dropped the line on me. BAM. Just like that, it smacked in the face like a ton of bricks. But what she said was utterly simple. Make a plan and do the work. That’s it. Make a plan and do the work. I’d like to plaster these words on my forehead in neon ink. Possibly a green, or orange color would suffice.

 

You may never know how your words affect other people. Words have power. Lasting power. Enduring power. A single word, phrase, sentence can last a generation. It may ignite and inspire an entire generation. It certainly did with me.

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU CAROLINE

 

*Give honor to whom honor is due*

 

 

~Make a plan and do the work~

-Caroline Peckham

 

 

 

 

*Are you originally from Kent, UK?

 

I am! I live ten minutes from my family \home so I get to see my parents all the time. I currently live in a little village which is famous for being where Winston Churchill lived. Lots of tourists come here in the summer. It’s a very typically English town (pubs, teashops and the like!)

 

Wowsers! Winston Churchill, thats amazing!  I saw some pictures online and it  Kent is a very beautiful place. Would love to visit there someday. Here’s some juicy quotes by Winston Churchill. 

 

 

“This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure”

~Winston Churchill

 

*******

 

“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.”

~ Winston Churchill

 

*******

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

~ Winston Churchill

 

 

 

*Did you love books as a child? Name your favorites. 

 

 

 

I did, I was brought up in a strict diet of books and The Beatles haha. My dad used to read to me all the time and, as he was a bigger lover of fantasy, even read me books like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was probably much too young for them!
I remember him reading me the first couple of Harry Potter books but I was old enough to read them myself by the time the third one came out and was absolutely hooked! Some of my all time favourites were His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman, The Healer’s Keep by Victoria Hanley, and any of the Katherine Roberts books (I actually won a signed copy of one of her books which I still have!). They were fantasy books for young teens, my particular favourite was Spellfall. I used to read it every time I was sick off school.
I’m beginning to realize that reading begets writers, and writers beget readers. It’s an endless cycle. It seems to affect only a select group of individuals though. Obviously everyone who reads doesn’t become an author. But somehow when it reaches kids at a young age; and their combustible imaginations, it takes flight. Then in turn your words will indeed beget more writers, enable more readers. Awesome.
*What influenced you the most in your early years towards being an author?
It’s a bit of a cliche but I grew up in the golden age of Harry Potter. The stories just captivated me and I began writing around this time. When I was older one of the things that really resonated with me from this series was that feeling of pure excitement about a novel coming out. I used to queue up at midnight to buy the books from my local supermarket and I wanted to write something that made me feel that way again. I can honestly say my debut series excites me as much as they did, if not more!
Yes! I love it. Exciting isn’t it? 
*Would you write anything besides YA fantasy? 
I have a few science fiction ideas but, through no real intention of my own, most of my ideas tend to be based in the fantasy genre. I would definitely move around a bit perhaps into something a but more paranormal. I have a massive document dedicated purely to ideas so any time something comes to me it goes straight in there!
Yes, having something like an idea folder is quite critical. Especially us writers who have ideas literally coming out of our ears. That in itself sounds paranormal.   🙂
*Did you study literature in college?
I didn’t, I actually studied Zoology. One of my other passions in life is animals and I never actually considered a writing career as a possibility until the last few years. I always just assumed writing would have to be my hobby until I realised there was nothing I wanted more than to do it fulltime.
Awesome! I always find it intriguing when I hear this. Lawyers, Physicians, journalists, engineers etc. all have had an unquenchable desire to write. It never ceases to amaze me; that those in top notch professions would be willing to put them aside and pursue writing!  Passion is powerful. 
*Tell us a bit about your series
My series follows a sixteen year old boy on a journey through the seven worlds to save his sister from a curse. Each world is locked by a Gateway and a challenge must be completed in order to receive a key. An enemy is on the rise who is looking to thwart them at every turn and Oliver’s family is much more involved with him than he could ever have imagined. It’s got a bit everything from action, magic, adventure, to romance!
I always enjoyed a book with a journey in it. I love the organic feeling of movement in a story that is always heading toward an end point.
Journey wins every time. Let’s take a look at some of your books.

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Creeping Shadow  (The Rise of Isaac, Book 1)
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Bleeding Snow (The Rise of Isaac, Book 2)

NEW RELEASE 

May 24, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Turning Tide (The Rise of Isaac, Book 3)
*Can you tell us a bit more how you made the transition from zoology to being a full-time writer? What was the tipping point
I suppose I’m the sort of person who follows her heart – mushy as it sounds! I try to do things in life that make me happy. I don’t believe in ‘one day I’ll do this’, instead, I make a plan and start working toward that goal. So I guess the tipping point was leaving university and after several failed interviews for jobs my heart wasn’t even in, I asked myself what I wanted to do. The answer was writing. So, I decided to work for my family business and on the side start writing my fantasy series with the goal of one day doing it fulltime.
YES. I. Love. It. Not mushy at all. You totally sound like a go getter. Keep following your heart!
*What made you chose the self-publishing route? 
I, like I imagine a lot of self-published authors do, tried to get an agent first. I was so unbelievably naieve to the whole publishing world I didn’t even know anything about self-publishing! After being rejected…a lot…I discovered Amazon’s KDP programme. I learnt about building an author platform by blogging and getting out there on social media. I started to really look at being an author as a business and now (having five years of experience in my family’s business) I had a good background in what made a business work.
It was another year before I was ready to hit publish on Amazon with my first book last December and I haven’t looked back!
Nice. It’s certainly not easy to take this route. I’m glad you overcame those hurdles. 
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*What was your goal (s) in becoming a writer? (GOAL)
The number one reason I’m writing this fantasy series is that I love it. I couldn’t stop writing it whether I had people reading it or not. In fact, for the first years it was just me and a whole lot of self-doubt. It wasn’t until I got the first book out there and I started getting reviews that I really started believing I had written something worthwhile. So I suppose my goal in becoming a writer was to write something I love and, now that it’s out there, all I want is for the people who read it to love it too!
This is better than going to the movies. Seriously. I wish I had some popcorn right now. Your passion is tangible! I highlighted your words because they’re so inspiring. 
*Now that you’re published, do you have new goals in view?
It’d be a lie to say that it’s all sunshine and rainbows in self-publishing. There has to be a certain amount of planning, deadlines and marketing that goes on behind the scenes. My goals now are to get out books regularly (every 90 days) which benefits the fans and keeps my books up there in the new releases etc. so I don’t fall off the radar. I suppose my short term goals are to have this series out over the summer and have hopefully started a new one before the year is out.
I’m floored. Self-publishing has done a lot for authors though.   Its been a game changer on many fronts. I think its also cultivated authors to become entrepreneurial in today’s world.  Every 90 days! Wow! Hey, if you’re sending out review copies in the future drop me a line.
*Do you have any major conflicts hindering you from attaining your goals?  (CONFLICT)
I think the one thing self-published authors are always battling against is visibility. Amazon changes the way it ranks books/publicises them/presents them all the time. So we indie authors have to try and keep up with that, constantly adapting to try and stay visible. With 2,000,000 ebooks on Amazon Kindle alone it’s no wonder a single author has to battle for their spot in the limelight!
You’re not kiddin, and there’s alot of people casting shadows. Hopefully there’s enough limelight to go around.
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*What keeps you motivated? (DESIRE)
I think a simple passion for my stories is what keeps me going. In a funny way, I‘m as excited to find out what happens as the fans! I get the same joy out of writing as I do out of reading. I can’t deny receiving great reviews and emails from the fans doesn’t make my heart absolutely sing though. Knowing someone out there is waiting for the next installment of my book is the best motivation an author could ask for.
“I get the same joy out of writing as I do out of reading” … This is so amazing.  Joy and passion working together in unison. 
*What’s the main antagonist in your  career?
The antagonist of my career! What a brilliant question!
I suppose Amazon is the antagonist and the protagonist. It can be the best and most helpful thing in the world when its algorithms are in favour of my books but it’s getting Amazon to work for you that is the most monumental task for an indie author.
That kind of sounds like an anti-hero with evil algorithms.
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Evil antagonist
*Why do writers give up? And what would you say to inspire them?
I can see why writers give up. It has been a seriously long road to where I am and, now that I’m here, I can’t just sit back and enjoy the view. It takes constant work to keep yourself out there. I think anyone looking to write fulltime, self-published or not, should do it because it’s their passion because at the end of the day it’s hard work!
Also, I’ve looked into whether there’s a magic fix or formula that makes your books blow up and get sales but I can honestly say that the key is consistency. Stick at it and you’ll get there. View this as a life long thing not a quick fix.
I read a self-published author’s advice somewhere (and I wish I could remember who it was now!) but they said something that has really stuck with me: when you independently publish an ebook it has unlimited potential. Over the course of the rest of your life, your book has the potential to return revenue to you. What other business has that much possibility?
Yup. I think Joanna Penn calls this scalable income. It definitely has unlimited potential. You’re on the right track, keep running.

*Writing is marathon. Are you a distance runner?*

 

 

 

Running
Writing is the journey
 

BONUS: What are your favorite quotes?

 

I’m a big Pinterest freak! I love looking at quotes on there that give me a boost when I need it. So, instead of sharing my favourite book quotes with you I’m gonna share a couple of my favourite motivational quotes that make me believe anything is possible.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale

 

 

*******

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” – Suzy Kassem

 

 

*******

 

“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” – J.K Rowling

 

 

You can find Caroline online:

Thanks so much Caroline! Please come again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep writing,

someone’s always feverishly hunting 

the next book…

Why not write it?

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com

Forensic Lenses: With Cozy Mystery Author Elizabeth S. Craig

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

 

 

“Read a lot. Write a lot. Delete a lot.”

~ Hannah Richell

 

 

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode on the Writing Train. Well today is very special because it’s the day we’re kicking off our new series! Check it out.

 

 

Contact lenses

 

What is forensic lenses? First, it’s another reason for me to interview people. Second, it’s an interview with a particular view in mind (No pun intended) hence the name forensic lenses. But why forensic lenses? The word forensic means: pertaining to, connected with, or used in courts of law or public discussion and debate.  So far I’ve been interviewing so many wonderful writers both published and unpublished. Writers from all backgrounds, levels and walks of life. Now, I’d like to interview  them as…wait for it…..READERS. Yes you read that correctly. Readers.

 

 

A lens is defined in part, as a substance that changes the convergence of light rays, as for magnification, or in correcting defects of vision. In other words, they help you see things you wouldn’t normally see. They make things bigger, or magnified, that wouldn’t normally stick out. But the most simplistic definition is that they help you see. Everyone’s eyes are different, and everyone’s lenses are different in how they affect eyesight. We were all born with two embedded scanners in our heads, but we still see things in our own particular way. So when you’re reading the next bestseller what do you see? What do I see?  What resonates you to tears may bore me to death, and vice versa.

 

Personally I LOVE eyes for some reason. Research estimates that eighty to eighty five percent of our perception, learning, cognition and activities are mediated through vision (Vision Is Our Dominant Sense). Before there were writing conferences, retreats, blogs, and how-to-do-everything, there were just books. Good old fashioned tangible books. How did the great writers before our time learn the craft so well? BREAKING NEWS: They read a lot. Sounds simple eh?

 

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Forensics naturally solves crimes by scientifically providing evidence to be used in a court of law. To prove one’s guilt, or perhaps their innocence. In other words help solve crimes and catch criminals.  As a reader do you have any pet peeves? Have you ever read something that made you throw the book across the room? Or made you close it, never wanting to open it again? Most of the time it’s not that dramatic, but it could be something small and equally frustrating. These are what I consider crimes so to speak. Things that violate your emotional resonance. That’s on the negative side. The positives are things you enjoy, observe, or witness that prove to be worth your time. It’s the evidence of a great read, and possibly a re-read!

 

 

Reading is dreaming with your eyes open

~YoYo

 

 

open your eyes
Keep your eyes open…

 

 

 

Teen girl reading book outdoors
Dream reading

 

 

FORENSIC LENSES

 

 

Let’s get started with the first guest of the series!

Please welcome

Elizabeth S. Craig 

 

 

 

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Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries and Memphis Barbeque mysteries. She also has one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 best websites for writers. Feel free to visit her over at: elizabethspanncraig.com. Receive a free ebook, updates, recipes by signing up for her newsletter click here.

 

 

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To see more books by Elizabeth click  here.

 

*How did you begin reading habits as a child? Did someone in your family read to you?

My father was an English teacher and my grandmother was a retired English teacher. Reading was as much a part of my day as eating and sleeping.  Everyone in my family read to me and continued reading to me, even when I was able to read for myself.  Sometimes the settings of the books we read together, the Oz complete series, for example, were almost more real to me than my own home.

YES I love this. It always begins with reading. That’s great you had English teachers in your family AND experience collective reading habits from family members. Amazing.

 

*Who was your childhood favorite? Scooby-Doo, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Hardy Boys? Why?

Nancy Drew was an early-elementary school favorite because she seemed so calm, collected, mature and brave as she unraveled genuinely creepy mysteries.  By late elementary, I’d shifted my loyalties to Trixie a bit.  That’s probably because Trixie was closer to my age and actually misbehaved in the stories…she seemed a little more realistic.  The interesting thing about my childhood favorites; Nancy, Trixie, and Scooby; is that they all embody the ‘friends as sidekicks’ approach to sleuthing.  That had a tremendous influence on me as a writer…no solo sleuths or lone wolf detectives for me.

Yeah, I think the lone wolf characters are kind of boring honestly. Unless something really sticks out.

 

“Reading… a vacation for the mind….” ~Dave Barry

 

 

*In your bio, you state “I started in on the Agatha Christies. Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot made me a lifelong mystery fan.” What was it at this stage of reading that made you a LIFELONG mystery fan? Something had a major impact here.  

 

Agatha Christie and the other masters of the genre turn mystery reading into an interactive experience. Their mysteries grab the reader and drag him in. A good mystery, such as the ones Christie wrote, make the reader feel as if he or she is in the sleuth’s skin, solving the mystery as they go.  It’s this armchair detection, the ability to feel the thrill of edging closer to a dangerous killer, all from the comfort and safety of one’s home. To me, there’s nothing else like it—it’s the ultimate escape.

 

Wow! I had an escape just by reading your statement! Excellent.

 

*Currently, who are your top 5 mystery writers and why? 

For cozies, my top pick is M.C. Beaton.  Her ability to write quirky characters and an engrossing setting is second to none. For police procedurals I like Elizabeth George, Deborah Crombie, and Louise Penney—their sympathetic portrayals of their detectives and how they balance their personal lives and professional lives makes their books both realistic and a joy to read.  For a darker story, I go to Norwegian writer Jo Nesbø…the grittiness of his stories sometimes just hits the spot, as a reader.

 

Elizabeth George is absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to read more of her books. 

 

 

*Since you’re an experienced reader in the mystery genre, is it easy to figure out whodunit? Or does it make it harder to enjoy a good mystery book? 

Unfortunately, yes, I usually figure it out.  I absolutely love it when I’m wrong. I love twists, I love being surprised.  But if the writer has done a good job wrapping up all the loose ends of a mystery and circled around to the beginning of the book from the conclusion, I’m still satisfied as a reader, even when I’ve pegged the killer.

 

Man, just was thinking how hard it must be to fool an experienced mystery reader.

 

*As a reader, what are your biggest pet peeves? (Writer Crimes)

I’m really not keen on plot devices and seeing writers manipulate plot and make characters behave out of character just out of convenience. This kind of Deus ex machina, especially at the end of a book, feels contrived and can contribute to a flat ending.

This is a very interesting viewpoint. We must be the ever skillful writer to avoid things like these. 

 

*After all these years of reading, what makes a good mystery? Or a great one?

I think greatness ultimately is attained through the sleuth’s personality. We don’t have to like the sleuth, but we have to relate to or understand him or her. A good mystery will have an interesting or appealing sleuth and a cast of supporting recurring characters that either act as a sleuth’s foil or play up his or her strengths.

I love this. It comes down to character and more specifically his personality. Understanding him or her makes all the difference. Sweet!

 

Thanks so much for joining us Elizabeth! Please come again.

 

elizabethspanncraig.com
Newsletter Sign-up

 

 

 

A book is a gift you can open again and again.

-Garrison Keillor

 

 

**********

Keep reading

It’s one of the most marvelous adventures

that anyone can have

-Lloyd alexander

 

 

**********

 

READING IS FUEL 

FOR THE IMAGINATION

~ Benjamin Thomas

 

 

 

 

Join the Locomotion

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com

 

 

 

On The Train: With Angela Ackerman

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

On The Train

with Angela Ackerman

 

 

We have a very special post today, with bestselling co-author of mutiple blockbuster thesauri Angela Ackerman.

 

WELCOME ANGELA 

We’re so pleased to have you with us today!

 

 

Author Angela Ackerman_Writers Helping Writers

 

Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: a Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, as well as four others including the newly minted Urban Setting and Rural Setting Thesaurus duo. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site, Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, an innovative online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling.

You can also connect with her on Twitter: @AngelaAckerman

 

I’m so glad to have at least one half of the dynamic duo of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. These two are a completely awesome pair and deserve a splendid title. Therefore, by the power vested in me, I deem thee Champions of Inspiration and Thesauri Queens! WAHOO! HIP HIP HOORAY!

And if you haven’t heard already, Becca & Angela are the masterminds behind the game-changing Positive and Negative Trait Thesauruses, as well as the Emotional Thesaurus.

 

 

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CONGRATULATIONS

 

 

The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another. ~J.M. Barrie 

 

 

 

Hi Angela,
You and Becca have two wonderful setting books coming out soon, June 13th I believe. Can’t wait to read them. YUM. So let’s talk settings shall we?
Please don’t stone me, but I’ve never been to Canada. Hopefully sometime soon though. Especially since I keep meeting great people from Canada. (and I drink Tim Horton’s coffee)
*You live close to Calgary, Alberta; what’s it like living there? I bet it’s UBER GORGEOUS. Do you have any pictures of the Canadian Rockies to woo us with?

I won’t lie—it’s very beautiful. I am close to the mountains, and a well-known place called Banff, which is one of the most sought out natural areas in the world. Becca recently came up (from New York) as we were teaching a workshop together, and the first thing we did when her feet hit the ground was drive 45 minutes to Banff.

That sounds pretty inticing. I’ll have to follow suit. 

 

 

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This is absolutely breathtaking.

 

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Looks like the mountains are right in your backyard practically!

 

See below for a list of their publications.

The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Attributes

The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws

The Emotion Thesaurus : A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression

Emotion Amplifiers Kindle edition

The Rural Setting Thesaurus:  A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural places. Add this publication to your Goodreads  account.

The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces. Add this publication to your Goodreads

 

 

*Tell us about your new setting books and how they can enrich our writing.
This pair of books I think will surprise people, because so many writers really don’t peel back the curtain on setting and all it can do. Most think of setting as a stage, a place that is necessary for a scene’s action to unfold, the anchor for readers. They sprinkle in a few sensory details to help the reader picture it and then focus the storytelling lens on the action. But setting is story glue. It lends powers to all other elements: helps to characterize the story’s cast, adds dimension to plot and character growth through challenges and conflict, evokes mood, steers emotion through emotional triggers and symbolism, and even allows writers a way to deliver critical backstory in a non-dumpy way. Honestly, choosing the right setting for each scene is akin to creating magic, so learning how to use setting to its fullest may be one of the smartest things a writer can do to improve their storytelling.

But I guess that might not fully answer your question. Bare bones, these books show writers how to use the setting to elevate a story as mentioned above, plus list the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and textures for 225 setting a characters might visit, spark ideas on how to generate natural conflict in the setting, and give descriptive examples of each one using different techniques. Most of the book is set up in list format, and each setting location has two pages of sensory detail and information. This allows writers to find the description they need that fits perfectly with their story and then quickly get right back to writing.

You guys are the best in the business, honestly, at what you do. We give honor to whom honor is due. I have all your books, yet there’s unplumbed depths waiting to be discovered.

Hone your skills with the Urban Setting Thesaurus.

 

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Unearth the secret of mastering the Rural Setting detail.

 

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I have to say, I’m licking my chops here waiting for these books to come out. In order to write or utilize setting to its fullest potential we need a KEEN NOSE. For detail, discerment and skill. The skill is in the balancing affect. Knowing when, how, and how much of the setting to enrich our  stories with.

 

 

Liar

 

*Can you tell us about the adventures you and Becca experienced in researching settings? I’M SURE YOU HAD MANY ADVENTURES LOL!
Yes we did. Becca has taken quite a few road trips to check out marinas, lighthouses, schools, and racetracks. I hung around some seedier areas to get sensory detail on alleys and underpasses, toured a jail cell, watched half a dozen videos on (ugh) taxidermy, and was arrested so I could get the sensory experience of being handcuffed in the back of a police car. Thankfully it wasn’t a real arrest because my family set the whole thing up, but it FELT pretty real, let me tell you!

I like how you casually weaved in getting arrested. I bet that was quite a sensory experience. Adventurous indeed!
*Where physically did you have to go in order to obtain the necessary sensory feedback?
Most of the locations we have in our books we physically visited. Some we couldn’t. It’s hard to get into a psychiatric ward, for example—they aren’t big on letting you tour a place like that. Or a funeral home, or a slaughterhouse. In these cases we watched a lot of you tube videos, did a lot of googling, and often talked to people who worked in these settings. But other places—a cruise ship, casino, a fire hall, ancient ruins, pastures, rainforests, orchards, salvage yards—these we visited. At the fire hall I got to try on all the firefighter gear, and man, talk about heavy!

Cool. You should’ve taken a picture! Sounds like it was a pretty thorough job. My dad was actually a fireman his whole career. 
*Where emotionally did you have to go to tune in to the settings?
Good question. It often depended on the setting, and what sort of emotions were naturally evoked. Sometimes we had to distance ourselves. To get detail on slaughterhouses and pastures, we watched a lot of videos that were disturbing and graphic—animal slaughter processes, factory farming, animal cruelty, things like that. We had to try and focus as much as possible on the details, not what was happening, to get these entries right.

Wow. That’s sounds very challenging. Hard to imagine having to sit through that. Well thanks for taking one for the team. It just goes to show how much work physically and emotionally are invested in these kinds of things. THANK YOU.
*Did you encounter any difficulties on your adventure?
Not that I can think of. Mostly it was fun, albeit time consuming—these two books took several years to create. But I am a big traveller and been to different countries, which really helped me get access to some of the different types of natural environments that are climate-specific (rainforests, deserts, places like that). And the fact that Becca and I live in different places helped us access different types of locations. It worked out well.

That’s great! Although personally, I would skip the rainforests and deserts. But seriously, this shows the caliber of writers you are, and I commend you for it. 
Thanks so much for asking these great questions!

Angela

 

Thanks for joining! Feel free to come back anytime.

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Must see interview with Becca Puglisi and Lorna Faith.

 

 

 

1. How Writers Can Bring Setting to Life through Personification  A guest post by Becca Puglisi over at C.S. Lakin’s site livewritethrive.com.

2. Something Big is Coming by Angela Ackerman.

3. Level up your Setting by Thinking Outside the Box by Angela Ackerman.

4. Showing Through your Characters Senses a guest post by C.S. Lakin.

5. Learn How NOT to Waste Your Story Setting’s Full Potential by K.M. Weiland

 

 

 

KEEP WRITING 

YOUR STORY 

YOU’LL NEVER 

REGRET IT 

Benjamin Thomas 

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com 

Story of the Writer: Abby Jones

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

Story of the Writer

Interview Series

with Abby Jones

 

 

Howdy all, welcome back  to the Train. Today we have another special guest…They’re all special right? Everybody please welcome Abby Jones! She’s actually a friend of the first interviewee of this series, Bethany A. Jennings. Thanks for joining us today Abby.

 

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Here we go folks, let’s learn a bit more about Abby….

Are you married with children? 

I’m happily married to a man who is Licensed Teacher (Recognized Gifted Brother) in our church, with a desire for the eldership. We haven’t been blessed with any of our own children, but we have 11 nieces and nephews. I often write children’s stories for them, which I hope to publish as picture books someday. You can read some of them on my blog.

That’s awesome you already have an audience! 

 

Where are you located?

I live in the great state of Texas near Fort Worth.

Sweet. I’m in Buckeye country. I love Texas though.

 

Where did you go to school? Major?

After high school, I attended a local junior college where I got an Associate’s Degree and swore off college.

I have an Associate’s as well. Think about going back, but it’s much TOO expensive.

 

You said you switched genres a few times, can you take us through your experiences, journey with these?

Well, the first switches were due to my desire to spend more time writing and less time doing research. My older brother is an amateur historian, and I’m an armchair historian, so even writing Swords and Sorcery type fantasy required lots of research for fear my brother would call me out on an incorrect detail. Moving closer to a time frame I loved—Victorian—didn’t solve the problem. Funny enough, I still needed to do research. Confounded, I switched to Urban Fantasy. At least I’m familiar with what types of clothing we wear. Here I discovered my voice: action flick meets thriller meets fantasy with smatterings of beautiful prose.

For several years I settled down nice and snug in my world of serial killers, saved vampires, and broken hunters. While I was researching how to torture people (researching serial killers didn’t bother me as much as researching corsets or halberds), my husband and I sold our business so we could focus more on our church. I had several books under my belt by then, finished, and in various stages of editing.

My husband started preaching for our church on almost weekly basis. That’s when I realized that if I continued, I’d be going down one path and he’d be going down another. After talking to him and some close friends, praying, and crying a lot, I switched genres to something that lines up better with his plans: Faerie Stories and Children’s Stories.

Before anyone freaks out, my decision wasn’t forced on me, nor do we believe a hopefully-future-pastor’s wife couldn’t write vampire serial killer stories. Not at all. We both believe I had the total freedom to do that. It was me asking myself if those stories were serving my church at all. The answer was no. About three or four people total would even read them. Most people shied away from them. And, I didn’t feel comfortable talking about them with my church family.

Switching that last time to something I could actually share with my church was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I switched blogs, set aside stories I loved, and packed away very dear characters.  But, I didn’t want to go down a path that would lead me away from my husband’s hopes for the future, and I didn’t want to be unable to share the writing side of me with my church. If I’m not using my gift to encourage Christ’s bride, what’s the point of having it? (This is by no means meant to guilt anyone, just me being honest about my choices.)

God is amazing. He’s graciously blessed my work. My church family has been encouraged by my blog. I’ve connected with other churches via my writing that I never would have met otherwise. I’m closer to being published than I’ve ever been before with my children’s books. And, I’ve figured out how to tie my new YA Faerie Stories into my beloved Urban Fantasies minus the violence and language. God has been so gentle and kind to me through this time.

That’s a very touching story, thanks for sharing! I’m sure it wasn’t easy. At least you’re still writing!

Below you’ll find an image that has inspired Abby in her writing endeavors. Check it out, there’s some pretty cool artwork.

 

novel inspiration from Bethany

 
1. You’re a writer; so what’s your story, or what inspired you?

I discovered my love of writing back in 2000. My husband (then boyfriend) had just read Lord of the Rings, and was inspired to try his hand at writing. Wanting to be engaged in his interests, I started piddling around with writing as well. All my life, I’ve been a reader and a lover of stories, but I hate all things grammar-related. My mom even put me through remedial English as a home schooler. I longed for a way to artistically express myself, but couldn’t imagine dealing with commas and spelling and such. Don’t even get me started on homonyms. Everything changed when I finally gave in and put pen to paper. I discovered my form of self-expression. The stories in my head have been escaping ever since. Even with 16 years under my belt, I require editors (friends). I still can’t sort out where commas are supposed to go.

It always begins with reading doesn’t it? I talked to so many people that’ve been inspired by the Lord of the Rings. I’ve seen the movies but haven’t read the books!

 

2. What’s your GOAL in becoming a writer?

My original goal was to express myself. I’ve always felt the need or the longing to do creative things. I tried music, painting, drawing (which I still dabble in), photography, fashion (still something I love), and crafts. I was never satisfied with what poured out. I could never get anything to match what was in my head. Discovering writing was like discovering magic, though it should have come as no surprise based on the way I devour books.

Once I found my voice, my goal became, and still is, to tell warrior stories that don’t mince on the hardships of life but are flooded with beauty, light, and hope, from a Christian worldview. I love the concept of the man who sacrifices a normal life to hunt things that go bump in the night, and the woman at his side…with magic thrown in. I also love the idea of the Undeserved Rescue. I always have at least one villain being shown grace.

There you go, sounds good. Even the villains need mercy. That’s probably why I like Darth Vader so much. 

 

3. What 3 things have hindered you from completing your projects? (CONFLICT)

The first thing that has hindered me is just the learning curve. My first few projects fell by the wayside because I wrote myself into a plot corner that I couldn’t see a way out of. I’m also determined to publish a well-written story. I love books with excellent prose, and refuse to add to the slush pile of poorly written literature. This means years spent honing my craft and wordsmithing. I’m also a pantser and can’t publish one part of a series until the whole thing is done because it takes me that long to make sure I don’t need to make changes.

Second, I’ve changed my focus several times. I started out pretty traditional Sword and Sorcery, switched to Victorian Historical Fantasy, then to Urban Fantasy with a strong Criminal Thriller feel where I found my voice, and finally to YA Dark Faerie Stories. Each time I’ve changed focus, I’ve set myself back and created a new learning curve.

Last, writing is not my main focus in life. I love it. I write every day. I hope to be published someday, but all that is secondary to serving my church, my husband, and my family. Those three things are far more important to me than my stories. I’m unwilling to sacrifice them for the sake of my writing. This can be a real struggle. In our culture, we’re pushed to give up everything for the sake of art. I constantly battle the voices that tell me I should abandon everything to be a published writer. The voices lie. The stories are important, but they aren’t everything.

Yeah, I guess changing focus would definitely slow you down. Suppose it’s part of the journey of being a writer.

 

  1. What keeps you motivated in achieving your dream? (DESIRE)

I love stories. I love telling stories. I love this story and my Worlds before the Door (my name for them) specifically. Even if I can only write for ten minutes a day, I’ll take it. Even if I couldn’t write, I’d still be making stories up in my head. I’ve been doing that since I was six. It’s part of who I am, and who God made me. Besides…I’m really rough on my characters and even if I’m the only one reading the story, I can’t leave them until they reach the light.

I can relate! I love creating things and being creative. So storytelling is an outlet of that for me. The possibilities are endless! Honing or craft is learning how to take those ideas and shape them into a compelling story. Keep at it!

 

 

Business cartoon showing businessman with smiling face jumping from one cliff to another cliff. The second cliff has a sign that reads 'Welcome to the Other Side'.

 

 

5. What’s your ANTAGONIST? What’s in the way?

My main antagonist is probably being a pantser. I have to discover the story first, while I’m writing it. Then I have to do major edits and rewrites. It seems to me that outlining is very useful because it cuts down on rewriting entire plot points or just having to yet again change the time of day. But, outlining doesn’t work for me. I am trying to learn how to outline, but thorough outlining drives me away from the story.

I’m a panster, or tweener, kind of. It’s good knowing what doesn’t work for you though. It’s part of the process!

 

6. Why do writers give up, quit or never complete their projects?

Learning to write well takes a long time, a lot of focus, and dedication. You can’t just sit down and peck out the next Great American Novel. It can take years to hone your craft. That’s intimidating. It can be a long time before you can share your work. That can be lonely. Every book you read seems to be better than anything you can produce. That can be discouraging. These are the reasons I’ve been tempted to give up.

It’s 100% intimidating, but also liberating and fun! Jerry Jenkins said something simple that lifted alot of weight off my shoulders. “Give yourself time to learn the craft first”. EPIC. Simple yet full of wisdom. So I gave myself permission and time to learn. The fact that it’s a life-long learning with dedication involved is very appealing to me on many fronts. One, being a life long learner! I’m probably a polymath of some sort. A lover of learning. Just take the process as it comes. Day by day. 

 

7. What would you say to a struggling writer who’s given up?

Find your core. What was it that first excited you about writing? Why did you start writing? Getting back to your roots can help you regain some perspective. Also, make sure you’re doing some fun writing, whether it’s fan fiction, word doodles, or poetry, do something playful. Last, write what you want to read.

Anytime I feel like I’ve lost my desire, I return to the concept of the Undeserved Rescue, war movies, and friendship stories. (Think Band of Brothers and Firefly.) These concepts fuel my mind and inspire me. You have to find that thing that keeps you going.

Absolutely, I love it. That’s very inspiring. “Find your core” I adore that statement. Those are some really good ideas, I’m going to have to play with some of those. Thanks for sharing. 

 

BONUS: 

Can you tell us a little about your writing time in homeschooling? (Sounds like fun).

Most of the writing I did while in school was English/Grammar related, like parts of a sentence and such. At one point, my mom did tell me I could write sentences that didn’t include a black stallion.  Good luck with that one. I manage to work a black stallion into just about every major story I’ve ever written.

One time my Mom gave me a ‘free-writing’ type of assignment. I wrote an anthropomorphic story about my cat. My mom loved it and suggested I try my hand at writing beyond the required homework. I ran screaming in terror and didn’t try writing for fun again until several years later.

The great gift home schooling gave me was books. My Mom encouraged me to read, and read with discernment, filling me up with beautiful stories. I’m so thankful for the books she constantly put before me.

Books, books and more books! Wonderful aren’t they?

 

Can you say a little about how you run your writing time in your group?

Due to some health issues, I’ve had to step back from our group for over a year now. But, when I ran it, we would start by going over our goals, then I had a ‘Being Brave’ question which forced all of us to share something about our work. The bulk of the time was spent reading aloud a 1000 word excerpt from a project of your choice. After each reading, we would go in circle and offer remarks. I used a timer (3 minutes per person) and we had a no repeat rule: if it’s been said, either say something new or pass.

I’d like to say we kept things organized, but the group could get very long-winded. I have a love/hate fascination with Writing Groups.

Thanks for sharing your story and joining us on the Train Abby!

 

You can connect with Abby all over social media:

Blog: http://gentleandquiet.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gentleandquiet

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/olivecrow/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/abigailtinuviel/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7303921-abby-jones

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GentleandQuiet

Scribophile: http://www.scribophile.com/authors/abby-jones/

 

 

 

KEEP WRITING 

YOUR STORY

NO ONE ELSE WILL

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com

 

 

Story of the Writer: Janice M. Whiteaker

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

STORY OF THE WRITER
INTERVIEW SERIES

With

Janice M. Whiteaker

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen today we have a very special guest and fellow daytonian Janice M. Whiteaker. She’s is a mom and an author. I absolutely LOVE author moms. Being a parent is tough as it is, but then being a mom AND an author, adds a whole new dimension.

Everybody please welcome Janice! 

Welcome to the locomotion. Let’s begin!

 

 

 

 

SONY DSC
Janice Whiteaker

 

Janice writes romances with a bit of suspense. One of her books, RUN is available now, and her new book OUT BAD is due on Amazon July 15th 2016. Here’s a peak at the covers.

 

 

RUN COVER 4-page-001

 

 

 

Her new book Out Bad, is available to pre-order and will be delivered wirelessly via Amazon July 15th. Check it out, I just pre-ordered!

 

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Hi Janice!

It’s so nice to interview someone from my neck of the woods.

It’s great that you are a full-time mom and pursuing your dreams. I find that very inspiring.  Well, here it goes.

Are you originally from Dayton, Oh?

I am!  I was born at Kettering Medical Center and raised in Miamisburg.  Now, I live in Springboro which is where both my grandfather’s grew up.  One grandfather’s great-uncles actually helped found the city.

That’s awesome, I love Springboro. It’s a bustling area right now too. We frequent the urgent care center there. Lol!

 

Tell us a little about when you were a hairstylist.

I did hair for 15 years, most of them as a sole-proprietor.  I very much like to be in control of things (the same reason I self-publish) and it was a great fit for me.  I made my own hours and handled my own books.  The profession requires you to be a self-starter and I have found that to be very helpful experience when it comes to writing.

I admire anyone who can tackle self-publishing head on with its challenges. You also strike me as a go-getter. That’ll definitely work to your advantage.

 

YOU’RE A MOM! AWESOME! I love moms because they’re the hardest workers on the planet. Period. So what’s a typical day like at home?

Essentially, I make food, clean up food, make food, clean up food.  All.  Day.  Long.  Oh, and I try to keep the workplace injuries to a minimum.

I can relate to this all too well. Little eating machines aren’t they? It’s hard to believe human beings can be that messy. I’ve managed to keep that quality in adult life. *sigh* The workplace injuries MUST be kept to a minimum. Safety and fall prevention is part of my day job, I completely understand! Essentially we try to keep them fed, clean, and from killing each other. Fun!

 

 

Overworked and Multitasking
An overworked very busy multitasking author-mom under stress

 

 

Do you have any major hobbies you enjoy?

I actually have quite a few hobbies.  We own an RV, so we do quite a bit of traveling/camping.  I knit and crochet.  I also love gardening, the edible kind, and canning.  I’m pretty handy with power tools and love home renovation.  These hobbies rotate in importance since there’s only so many hours in a day.  Right now, we are in prime camping season so that is the major one.

Traveling is definitely a fun one. Not too outdoorsy, but I’ll go camping. It’s great you can work power tools. I’m jealous, sort of. Kind of mechanically declined. It’s hopeless.

 

What’s your genre? Why?

I write romance.  I love it.  Always have.  I love reading and writing about the complexities of love and relationships.  Plus, I’m a little bit sensitive so a book with a sad or upsetting ending will gnaw at me for a long time.  I like knowing the end of a book is going to be a happy one.  With romance, your odds of leaving the story with a smile on your face are pretty darn high.

It’s great you write what you love, love what you write. Makes a big difference. Youre readers are keen on this. I’m curious as to what you think a bad ending is though. 

 

Tell us about your upcoming book, Out Bad.

Right now I’m neck deep in editing a stand alone titled Out Bad.  It’s about a former motorcycle gang member trying to build a new life, one he hopes will attract a future wife.  He feels his past will make most women avoid him like the plague so he works hard to build a business and a beautiful home, hoping it will be enough to offset his misdeeds.  When he meets the woman he’s been looking for, it turns out the life he actually needs to help rebuild is hers, only in a very different way.

Your premise sounds very intriguing with lots of history. Can’t wait to read it!

 

1. You’re a writer; so what’s your story?What inspired you to take this journey?

Initially, it was simply to see if I could.  It’s probably odd, but I didn’t always write.  I didn’t always want to be a writer.  I have, however, always been a reader.  At a certain point, I was reading books by women just like me and I thought, I wonder if I could do this too?  So, I sat down and started writing.  Very quickly, I realized there was more to it than just writing.  That’s when I found K.M. Weiland’s books on structure and outlining.  I took some time, educated myself and then went back to work.  Right now I have one published book, one book in editing and another completed draft hanging out and I am deeply in love with what I’m doing.

 

Hey, you can’t go wrong with KM Weiland. Your story sounds very much like mine! The only difference was I didn’t read alot growing up (this didnt stop my rampant imagination) I did however fancy words a bit, kept a dictionary in my back pocket. Lots of TV and comics too.

 

2. What’s your GOAL (S) in becoming a writer?

I want each book I write to be better than the last.  I want my books to make people feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.  I want to write stories that stick with the reader long after they’ve finished, in a good way.  I want to keep people up at night, reading one more chapter.

Hmm. I like your focus here. You sound very passionate about what your doing. I love it! The profilic James Patterson said, one thing you can’t teach is passion. Every writer needs it, and you’ve got it. A+. 

 

3. What 3 things have hindered you from completing your projects? (CONFLICT)

Well, my first issue was lack of knowledge.  I had to learn the basics before I made a big mess so that really slowed down my first book.  Now, my primary struggle is perfection.  I am constantly forcing myself to keep moving forward and not get hung up on one line.

Somehow I think we’re kin.

 

4. What keeps you motivated in achieving your dream? (DESIRE)

I really like to push myself to progress.  I want to be the best I can be at everything I do, and writing is a great challenge in that aspect.  There is always something to learn, a skill to develop.

Very inspiring!  Writing will always teach you something new. Nature of the beast. Something of ourselves, characters, our writing process, the world, life etc. It’s the constant learning  that I love. You’ll find perfection in the process,  it comes included in the journey. 

 

5. What’s your main ANTAGONIST? What’s in the way of you accomplishing your goals?

This is going to totally ruin my chances at winning mother of the year, but as cute as my kids are, they are kind of energy and attention vampires.  Right now, my older son is dancing in his underwear, stabbing the television with a silk flower stem, repeating the dialogue to Pinky and the Brain at the top of his lungs.

You’re already Mom of the Year. Seriously, to your kids, your the BEST ever. That’s all they need. Nice visual.  All too familiar with underwear dancing, especially in front of the mirror before bedtime. Right when my patience is evaporated. They should make it into a sport.

We’ve got two mini-vampires aged 5 and 7. Not sure where their energy comes from, except sucked out of us. Hah! Actually we’ve got one Frankenstein, one Vampire. Adorable little cuties aren’t they?

 

~Every mom is a superhero to their children~

 

 

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Author Momma

 

 

6. Why do writers give up, quit or abandon their dream?

Being a successful writer means different things to different people.  I would guess, most people want their books to be well received and make them some money.  Unfortunately, getting to that point is preceded by years of hard work with very little financial gain while you build a back list, a fan base, and an online presence.  It isn’t just about writing books anymore.  Now you have to build a brand while you write books.  Success involves strategy and business savvy, not only talent and creativity which can be more than a little overwhelming.

I love this answer, it’s so true!

 

7. What would you say to a struggling writer who’s given up? Or perhaps to encourage other moms in your position?

I think it’s important to realize writing and publishing is a marathon.  You have to train for it and then keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Nice. Words if wisdom here. Definitely a marathon. Takes training, commitment, determination, pleasure and endurance. Well said.

 

 

 

BONUS: What are your favorite quotes?

“You can’t edit a blank page.” Nora Roberts

“If I waited for perfection I would never write a word.”  Margaret Atwood

You can also list a few of your favorite books, novels, or writing books.

 

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing-Mignon Fogarty

Smarter Faster Better-Charles Duhigg

All the Writer’s Thesauruses by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

 

 

THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION

Keep writing sister! 

God bless you and your family!

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain
http://www.thewritingtrain.com
Thebigcaboose@gmail.com

 

 

Story of the Writer: Kenneth G. Eade

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

 

 

 

 

Story of the Writer

Interview Series:

Kenneth G. Eade 

 

 

Hello everyone, I’m excited to welcome bestselling author Kenneth G. Eade of several political and legal thrillers. Mr. Eade is likened by some to John Grisham in writing style; and also as an experienced  lawyer with 30 years of experience, he’s well positioned for the field.

 

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His newest installment is The Decree of Finality starring lawyer Brent Mark in his popular legal thriller series. He takes on a shady divorce case and gets caught up in a perplexing dilemma.

 

FinalityFront (1)

 

 

 

Here are a few more books in the series.

 

best legal thrillers mystery thriller and suspense police procedurals mystery ebooks courtroom drama books political thrillers and suspense police procedurals and law enforcement crime thrillers and myster

 

 

 

fiction best legal thrillers mystery thriller and suspense police procedurals mystery ebooks courtroom drama books political thrillers and suspense police procedurals and law enforcement crime thrill

 

 

Experience the Beverly Hills Book Awards 2016 winner Killer.com another Brent Marks legal thriller (Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series Book 5). This one is on sale for 0.99 cents on amazon for the next three days! I’ve already got it and it’s looking great for consumption on my TBR list.

 

LET THE GAMES BEGIN! 

 

Where are you originally from? (I saw online you’re currently in France. Never been there)

I’m originally from Los Angeles.  As a kid I lived for a while in Athens, Greece, and I guess I got the travel bug.  So, eventually, I ended up living in France.

I used to live in orange county, interesting place. Athens sounds like a great city to see. Looking forward to visiting France one day. Oui monsieur! 

 

What areas of law have you practiced?

Criminal law, family law, bankruptcy, business law, and civil litigation.  I guess you can say I’ve done it all.

Wowsers, that’s pretty broad experience.  I have to say the complexity of law is mind boggling, especially across different cultures. In my current WIP,  I’m attempting to create differing legal systems that’ll conflict with one another. 

 

Do you have any major hobbies you enjoy?

I enjoy traveling and also like to play golf.

Ah golf, never played a lick in my life. Unless you include the golfing range. It’s not bad if you can actually hit the ball though.

 

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes, but I never knew I had it in me until just a few years ago.

That’s awesome and I can totally relate. I didn’t start writing until last year myself. Looks like your off to a great start though! 

 

Tell us about your new book, the Decree of Finality.

In “Decree of Finality” lawyer Brent Marks takes on a divorce case against his better judgment, and ends up with quite more than he bargained for, including murder.

It’s amazing how the simplest things can turn sour on a dime. The case is very intriguing by the way. You had me hooked!

 

You’ve already written a few series, which is your favorite? Why?

There are two series, the “Involuntary Spy Espionage Series” and the “Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series”.  I can’t say I like one any more than the other.  Both are an adventure in political fiction which highlight contemporary social and political issues in each novel.

Both series have received good reviews. I can’t wait to finish the rest of the Brent Marks legal thrillers. Then I’ll make my way over to the Spy Espionage series. 

 

Who’s your favorite character you’ve crafted?

There are so many.  I probably like “Richard Hannaford” who is a lawyer in the Brent Marks Legal Series because he was the most fun to create.

Hmm. I’ll definitely keep my eye out for him as I’m reading. 

 

Can you briefly describe how you write a thriller?

First, I decide what type of issue I would like to focus on.  Then, I figure out how to wrap a story around that issue and make it exciting and entertaining to read.

Short and sweet, I like it. Somewhere I read you call it “faction”.  Real situations and life problems wrapped around  fictional characters. 

 

What are your favorite travel destinations?

I like to go where I am invited.  It is much better to visit a foreign country as a visitor rather than a tourist.

Love the mindset. It leaves the possibilities open worldwide. 

 

What is it about traveling you enjoy?

I used to look at the planes taking off and wish I could be on one, but after being on so many it’s getting a little difficult.  I like to wake up in a different world, where people are speaking a different language and the culture, architecture, art and history are old, but new to me.  There are thousands of stories to be discovered on unknown shores.

Yes! Totally. There’s something to being enveloped in another culture that gives you an awesome sense of adventure. I hope you discover more stories there. 

 

Do you have a favorite spot to write?

Not really.  I have an office I use in each of the two places I live.  The most unusual location was the one where I wrote the epilogue to my last novel: In a cafe overlooking the Coliseum in Rome.

Oh, I’m so jealous! I’d totally dig drinking coffee overlooking the Roman coliseum, that’d be EPIC.

 

Highlight the best thing in your experience as a lawyer.

I have seen a lot of human misery in my former profession, but the most rewarding part of it was helping someone to right a wrong that had been done to them.

That does sound pretty rewarding, helping someone right a wrong. It also sounds pretty complicated. I can only imagine how perplexing it must be.

 

In all your experience as a lawyer, the good and the bad, what is your view of justice?

Justice is subjective and the scales of justice are held in the hands of fallible humans, each with their own opinions, biases and prejudices.  You are not going to find justice in front of a judge, jury, or with a zealous prosecutor.  Whatever God you believe in may be able to dispense justice, but the legal system will never do so.  You either win or lose.  I have won cases should have been lost and lost cases that should have been won.  I am sorry to say this, but it is the reality.  Last year, in Paris, I saw an exhibition of Taryn Simon called “The Innocents”, which included a video presentation of people who had been locked up in prison most of their lives until they were freed by DNA testing.  It was a heartbreaking essay on the reality of justice.

 

Wow. This statement carries a lot of weight, but I love how you explain it.  Justice is subjectively biased in the hands fallible humans. That’s makes perfect sense to me. That’s why there’s so many grey areas. I suppose it makes for great fiction.

 

1. You’re a writer; so what’s your story?  What inspired you to take this journey?

I started writing articles for a local law journal.  After writing a few articles on the importance (and disappearance) of bees, I culled a few of them together, did more research, and came up with my first book, “Bless the Bees”.  During my research on “Bless the Bees” I discovered a lot of things about genetically engineered foods and that became the focus of my first novel, “An Involuntary Spy”.

That’s a fascinating story indeed. You also have great reviews for this book, can’t wait the read it!

 

2. As a successfully published author what is your current GOAL (S)?

My current goal is to expand readership to the point where my messages get to as many people as the entertainment of James Patterson, Harlan Coben and John Grisham.

That’s a great goal indeed! Well, you’re off to a good start. Patterson and Grisham I know, but haven’t heard of Coben. Will have to check him out. 

 

3. What three things have hindered you from completing your projects? (CONFLICT)

To write, you need to have absolute concentration.  Living in a city (and family) environment, sometimes that is hard to find.  Secondly, you have to discipline yourself, which goes hand in hand with motivation.  Finally, you have to constantly market your books or nobody will ever know about them.

Well said. I’m finding this to be true in writing my current project. Absolute concentration is golden, precious, yet hard to come by. Discipline and motivation must be cultivated at all costs. Marketing our work is another beast altogether. I’ll be interviewing the great Jane Friedman, and will be sure to include a question or two about this subject. 

 

4. What keeps you motivated? (DESIRE)

Comments from readers who say that they enjoy my books, or have learned something useful from them.

That’s great motivation. I enjoyed the research you included in The Decree of Finality. Knowing real life facts brings about an awareness to the subject. 

 

5. What’s your main ANTAGONIST? What’s in the way of you accomplishing your goals?

Nothing gets in the way of accomplishment of a goal if you really want to achieve it.

Nothing to disagree with here. Find what you want to accomplish and go after it headfirst.

 

6. Why do writers give up, quit or abandon their dream?

I don’t know because it has never happened to me.

Great! 

 

7. What would you say to a struggling writer who’s given up?

Why are you giving up?  If you have a talent to express yourself in writing, a passion to do it and a need to express yourself, you should never give up.  Then you will succeed.

I LOVE IT. We all need to hear that from time to time. I say don’t quit, keep writing and let er’ rip. 

 

BONUS: What are your favorite quotes?

 

“if they give you lined paper, write the other way.”

~ Juan Ramon Jimemez

 

 

You can also list a few of your favorite books, novels, or writing books.

“A Covenant with Death” by Stephen Becker

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

 

Thanks Mr. Eade! Really appreciate your time. Come back and see us again!

 

 

KEEP WRITING

SOMEONE OUT THERE 

NEEDS YOUR STORY

 

 

Every word makes a a difference

~ Benjamin Thomas  (yes, I do quote myself occasionally)

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com

 

 

Bound in Spine

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

image

I shamelessly
bare my soul
to the page.

Concede it
to bear my soul
to its reader;

Betwixt and between
the lines we meet,
bound in spine
to the eater.

Story of the Writer: Honoree Corder

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

 

Story of the Writer Interview Series 

with Honoree Corder

 

Welcome back to the Writing Train folks. We have a special guest with us today. Please welcome aboard the prolific best selling author, mentor and coach, Honoree Corder! If you need someone to help you turn your lofty dreams into practical, actionable goals, look no further. Without  the practicality of goal setting, positive affirmations, self-realization and execution, our dreams won’t be realized.

 

HonoreeCorderHeadshot

 

Honoree is a best-selling author of over a dozen books including her new publication Prosperity for Writers: A Writer’s Guide to Creating Abundance.  She’s passionately served professionals and entrepreneurs as their coach, mentor, and strategic adviser for almost 20 years. I had the great pleasure of speaking with Honoree over Skype recently but was unable to obtain an audio recording. So the next best thing was to post an awesome video of Honoree and Joanna Penn! How sweet is that! Two mega-entrepreneurs in one sitting. This is ten times better in my opinion. The video is very inspiring please see below.

 

 

You can learn more about Honoree on her blog at honoreecorder.com, on twitter @Honoree, or on facebook at www.facebook.com/Honoree.

In her book she tackles first the erroneous and limiting belief system that we tend to tolerate as “starving artists.” That we can’t make it as writers or be poor because that’s the way it is right? Wrong! Whenever we say that we can’t make it, or don’t have the time to write we’re indeed affirming those beliefs. In November of last year I had my first written affirmation. I AM A WRITER. I WILL BE PUBLISHED. At that point I began to take myself seriously. So many writers suffer from fear and doubt they really need a change in their belief system to positive affirmations.

 

Prosperity-Front-Cover

Learn more about it here.

 

Here is a foretaste of some of her inspirational, yet practical books.

 

Yay for moms!

TSSM Cover

Learn more about it here.

 

 

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00006]

Learn more about it here.  I just purchased this title recently and can’t wait to devour it. Productivity is not only about setting goals, but also how we manage our time.

 

TMM-Writers-iTunes

Learn more about it here.

I just discovered the new Miracle Morning series:

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform your Life

The Miracle Morning for Network Marketers: Grow Yourself FIRST to Grow Your Business FAST (The Miracle Morning Book Series)

The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents: It’s Your Time to Rise and Shine (The Miracle Morning Series)

Prosperity for Writers Productivity Journal: A Writer’s Workbook for Creating Abundance

 

I asked some of my fellow writers in our Facebook group some questions we could ask our guest. Here’s what we came up with:

1. My biggest question is always what draws people into being educators or mentors? I’m really interested what inspires people to share their knowledge with the world. 

Honoree has always had a passion to inspire others to achieve their dreams by coaching professionals and entrepreneurs, including lawyers, executives, and banks. Currently she also does publishing consultation as a continuation of her commitment to mentor others.

2. What one thing does she wish she had known at the start of her career?

To have a checklist, a formula and create a time process for everything like editing, publishing, book covers, have an Amazon advantage account, use of social media (like twitter), and writing copy.

3. How can one practically accomplish their dreams?

Paint a clear picture of what you want through words or pictures.

  • Create a plan
  • Make a production schedule
  • Create a system

Honoree has multiple streams of income from her speaking, coaching, books, publishing, training and courses. First she wanted to make 10k a month and gave herself 5 years to do so. The production schedule was to produce 120k words per year and 90 days to crank out a first draft. It took her 3 years to accomplish her 5 year goals although with personal and professional struggles. Impressive!

4. How can writers successfully market themselves and their books?

Build up a solid author platform, the use of social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. Be interesting and build your list of readers.  Use mail chimp with timely newsletters through email to get your name out there. You can use podcast interviews to build a solid platform. Give your books away, or a few chapters for free.

 

~If you don’t have a plan you plan to fail~

 

I was particularly impressed with her STMA 100 day plan. Which stands for short term massive action. 30 days is far too short, just barely enough to change a habit. A year is much too long and gives a lot of room for procrastination. So she’s been practicing this 100 day plan for 25 years now and it’s proven to be effectual. It takes 45 days just to build up momentum so 100 days is a good time frame. You set 3 total goals; 2 business and 1 personal, 6 daily actions to complete. Some of the benefits are you figure yourself out first. The best time of day the write, edit, rest and what works best for you. Honoree practices three 100 day cycles a year and has a review at the end of each cycle.  During the review time she determines what worked? What didn’t work? Why? Did I attain my goals? What did I not do? What do I need to achieve my goals? I love this. I’m totally not a planner, but I need to become one! This is so awesome. If you’d like to take her 100 day course it’s 50% off if you read her book Prosperity for Writers. 

 

Thank  you so much Honoree for joining us! Come visit us Again!

This is the Writing Train signing off.

 

~Keep writing because someone needs your story~

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Story of the Writer: Danielle Rose

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

 

 

STORY OF THE WRITER

INTERVIEW SERIES:

Featuring Danielle Rose

 

Welcome back folks for another session of the Story of the Writer series! Today we’ll be featuring romance novelist and owner of editing company Narrative InkDanielle Rose. If memory serves me correctly, I remember Danielle from the 2015 NaNoWriMo Wahoo!  To learn more about Danielle please check out her blog: danielle-rose.com

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~Welcome aboard Danielle~

Glad you’re with us.

vintage locomotive

 Alright time for lift off, let’s get right to it….
 

Did something or someone influence you as a child to be a writer?

I consider myself to be a late bloomer. While I do remember writing stories as a child, I didn’t start taking my writing seriously until late-2009. At that point, I wrote on and off for several years, while pursing my education, until I started to publish in 2015. In 2008, I began reading religiously, which is what prompted me to write my Blood Books trilogy. After reading at least a hundred books, I couldn’t find, what I considered to be, the perfect story. So I wrote it.

I love your story! It seems that in your hunt for the perfect story, you had a great realization. You had to write it yourself. Epic. If you’d like to explore Danielle’s complete story on becoming a writer click here.  Quite fascinating. 

Where did you go to school and what was your major?

I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in English and certification in professional writing from the University of Wisconsin—Parkside. I then obtained my Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine.

That’s awesome! I’ve always admired the one’s who’ve actually studied this stuff in college. Flunked technical report writing with flying colors, whoo-hoo! Somehow giving presentations and speeches gave rise to panic attacks. Arrggh. Eventually passed it online. Whew. Got an A in creative writing though.

Obviously you’re a cheesehead, how many packer games have you been to? 

Hmm, honestly, I’m not sure. We have season tickets. I go to games every year, and when I can’t go, I watch the games on TV.

Would love to come to cheesehead country and go to a game. Supposedly I’m 49’ers fan, but they need some serious resuscitation. Somebody call the paramedics.

What’s it like being an editor?

It’s the second best job I’ve ever had. The first, of course, is being an author. Narrative Ink has a fantastic client base, and I’m honored to be trusted to edit their manuscripts.

Amazing. This must keep you pretty busy !

List your favorite writing books or novels.

Some of my favorite authors are Sylvia Day, Lauren Blakely, Meredith Wild, Chloe Neill, and Richelle Mead.  I collect books on the craft of writing, but it’s difficult to say which are my favorites. In a way, they’re all my favorites, because they’re all equally important. Some describe experiences, some give advice, and some discuss the basics. In my opinion, a good writer won’t turn away a good source. So I read and collect.

“a good writer won’t turn away a good source” YES, you hit the nail on the head with this one. Absolutely LOVE reading and collecting craft books. Can’t get enough of them!

What’s your concept of the perfect story? Have you written it? I’m curious as to how you came to search for such a story.

The idea of the “perfect” story is subjective. My idea of the perfect story changes constantly. It usually depends on the genre I’m writing. Sometimes, the perfect story depends on the right balance between action and romance. Other times, the perfect story depends on strong, dynamic characters and dialogue to drive the plot.
I always write the story I need to write, which in and of itself is the perfect story for me. However, I still believe I haven’t written my best work yet. In time, I hope I will.

Love you outlook on this. Your idea of the perfect story is constantly evolving with the right balance of particular elements. Whatever seems to meet the need at the moment.  “I always write the story I need to write.” This seems to resonate with me as well for some reason. Should print this out and stick it on my wall. 
You mainly write romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense? Are locked into this genre or will you branch out?

Yes, I mainly write romance (contemporary, suspense, paranormal, new adult, erotic, etc.), but I don’t limit myself. I have a horror short story published, too, and my paranormal romance trilogy, Blood Books, is heavily urban fantasy. There is just as much action (if not more than) as romance. I’d love to write psychological thrillers one day, too.

Psychological thrillers definitely sound like a must. I’d read it!  Here’s a short story by Danielle. 

 

DAEMON ACADEMY

DaemonAcademy_Amazon

Check it out: Daemon Academy: A Horror Short Story

 

Tell us about the Blood Books trilogy leading up to the final installment, Blood Promise, due to be released June 28th 2016.

My Blood Books trilogy follows the harrowing journey of Avah Taylor, a mortal witch in the midst of a centuries old war against the immortal vampire species. Avah’s intense journey is fueled by blood, sex, jealously, betrayal, murder, and revenge. This trilogy is meant for new adult/adult audiences.

I read a few pages into Blood Rose book and I can tell you’re a skilled writer. Your idea sounds well developed, crafted and flows well. Should be a great read!

 

BLOOD ROSE

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Check it out: Blood Rose (Blood book 1)

 

 

BLOOD MAGIC

BloodMagic_Amazon

Blood Magic (Blood Book 2)

 

 

BLOOD PROMISE

BloodPromise_Amazon

Blood Promise (Blood Book 3)  Releases June 28, 2016!

Click here to add Blood Promise to your reading list on Goodreads.

 

At this stage in your career, what is your goal (s)?  (GOAL)

I have many short-term and long-term goals. I believe in the power of setting and reaching goals, so I always strive to add more to my list. I actually have a writing group (We formed our group after meeting in graduate school.), and we check-in with weekly goals. We also do daily writing sprints/stints, which are extremely helpful for writers who struggle with procrastination.

I’m finding that without goals nothing practical happens. Our dreams aren’t coming around knocking on our front door, we have to make it happen. 

 

Many of us see publication as the only lofty goal, but the lack vision afterwards.

Publication was definitely a long-term goal for me when I started writing in 2009. After achieving this goal in 2015, I updated my list. Some of my goals include publishing a certain number of books each year, perfecting my marketing plan, reaching a bestseller list, attending certain writing conventions as a signing author, and seeing my books on the shelves at major retailers. Honestly, my goals are similar to what most writers strive to achieve.

This is very specific. My goals are very short sighted like, finish my WIP. Not much of a planner so drumming up goals is work for me. I really like your mindset on this though. Maybe if I talk to enough planners it’ll rub off. Hah!

Do you have any major conflicts hindering you from attaining your goals? Once you’re published what’s the next hurdle? (CONFLICT)

I absolutely do. I think conflicts are the main reasons behind why these are goals and not reality. My biggest hurdle is reach. Without readers, I can’t do what I love, and I couldn’t obtain my goals/dreams. This is actually a common problem most writers face.

Very true. Somehow I believe you won’t have any trouble with this one. They’ll come with zombie fueled voracious eyeballs, trust me.

What keeps you motivated? (DESIRE)

Readers, my writing group, and bills. (Ha!)

That’s actually a good list!

What’s the main antagonist in your life or career?

I’m the main antagonist in my life. Like anyone, I can fall victim to my own self-doubt. In my opinion, the mind can be the biggest advantage or hindrance to writers.

This is all too true. We’re our own worst enemy. Every day is different and changes like the wind. Actually, our days are pretty much the same. The mind is what turns on a dime. Heads or tails? Who knows? The best thing we can do is show up every day and be consistent. 

You have your own editing company. What made you want start it?

Honestly, there’s no exciting story here. I have a strong background in editing, and I’ve always wanted to start my own business, be my own boss. I took some entrepreneurship courses in undergrad, so it was fairly easy to branch out and form my own LLC, Narrative Ink Editing.

That’s great Danielle. We’ll always need Samurai editors to slice and dice our manuscripts, for sure. 

As an editor, what are some of the major problems that affect writers and their careers?

In my opinion, self-doubt, shortcuts, and marketing are the three biggest problems writers are facing today.
Self-doubt: There is a fine line between self-doubt and self-pride, and many writers can’t walk that line without stepping over. Writers who experience self-doubt constantly question their writing. When this happens, the book rarely makes it to print.

Shortcuts: On that same note, self-pride can ruin a career. Having pride in your work is great, but at some point, you have to step aside and bring in professionals. Don’t take shortcuts. While you may believe you can do it all alone, the truth is, not everyone can be an editor or book designer or interior formatter or marketing guru. Writers who take shortcuts are hindering their growth. Readers judge books by the cover, design, and editing first. The plot comes second.

Marketing: Many writers believe they only need to write the book. Once it’s published, they can sit back and watch the sales come flying in. This is never the case. Even major authors, like Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks, have a marketing team to ensure the news of the impending release reaches readers. Sure, the name alone will sell the book, but marketing is still involved. Don’t sell yourself short. Invest in a good marketing plan.

I really appreciate the inside scoop on this. Writing and publishing books is only half the battle, while marketing is an oft forgotten element in the equation. The business side of writing is lacking with a lot of writers. Just taking up writing a novel is a huge endeavor, but the business side of matters is another animal altogether.

What made you want to switch from pre-law to English and creative writing?

I was actually pre-med first. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor. I was never the kid in class who said she wanted to be a princess. But after my first year of pre-med, I knew that wasn’t the right route for me, so I switched to pre-law and changed my major from biology to English. That’s when I fell in love with literature and the written word.

This is so fascinating. I’m so glad you found it! 

Having studied writing in college, what top 3-5 things did you learn about the craft?

The biggest lesson I learned in college was how to write. I first learned the rules of writing. I learned the technical skills, like spotting dangling modifiers and proper placement of punctuation. And then I learned how to break the rules to discover my own style.

I long for the day when I  discover my own style. Guess you have to learn the box first before you can think outside it right?

What writing books do you highly recommend?

I have never come across a writing book that I wouldn’t recommend. I believe writers should read as many as they can get their hands on. I collect books on writing and reread when I have time. Some of the books sitting on my shelves are Stephen King’s On Writing, Carol Fisher Saller’s The Subversive Copyeditor, Caroline Taggart and J.A. Wines’ My Grammar and I… Or Should That Be Me?, and William Zinsser’s On Writing Well.

I have a couple that you mentioned here. The others I’ll have to look into!  Thanks for the pic.

 

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If permissible, can you tell us about some of your clients you helped at Narrative Ink?

I’ve had the pleasure of working with immensely talented authors, who continue to surprise me with their stories. I’ve recently edited manuscripts by Rachel Amphlett, Jackie Parry, and Liam Saville. I’ve also worked with Andrea Cefalo, Taylor Lavati, Margaret Bucklew, and Matt Jordan.

 

Thanks so much Danielle for joining us! Please come again, and if you’ll recommend anyone for an interview let me know.

 

This is the Writing Train signing off. Happy reading and writing everyone! 

~A writer is a world trapped in a person~

-Victor Hugo

 

 

KEEP WRITING 

SOMEONE OUT THERE NEEDS

YOUR WORDS

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com