#IWSG Question: Where Do You See Yourself 5 Years From Now?

 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Alex J. Cavanaugh's awesome co-hosts for the December 7 posting of the IWSG are Jennifer Hawes, Jen Chandler, Nick Wilford, Juneta Key, JH Moncrieff, Diane Burton, and MJ Fifield!

 

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The December 7 Question: In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?

My insecurities do not lie in my beliefs about my abilities or the appeal of my novels but in an inability to attract the attention of readers who share those beliefs. Just writing the words makes me feel egotistical. Is it any wonder my marketing isn't top notch?

Nothing keeps me from continuing to write my novels, however. For NaNoWriMo2016, I typed all but the final climactic scene of my next Pepper Bibeau mystery. The reason I skipped over the climax was because I had a different solution in mind before I started writing. Near the end of the month, a much better solution presented itself to me. I was so excited about this new ending, I refused to write it. Sometimes, it's good to savor such pleasures for as long as possible.

This novel will also be the last one in the series. In the next five years, I will compile and publish a mystery short story anthology featuring sixteen Honolulu authors, concentrate on a new protagonist in a new mystery series, and edit my genealogical novel which is informed by my 20+ years of genealogy research.

But what about the marketing?

Ay, there's the rub.

 

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Mele Kalikimaka

&

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou

 

 

 

 

Mr & Mrs Claus greeting visitors to
Honolulu Hale on O'ahu Island, Hawai'i

 

 

D is for DEADLY SINS #AtoZChallenge

For this year's challenge, my theme is The Fun in Writing. Each of my 26 posts for April is aimed at illustrating fun parts of an author's day. A writer doesn't only write. Creating a story or an essay requires research, revision, editing, and lots and lots of coffee and chocolate.

D is for Deadly Sins

When authors entertain me from cover to cover, this solidifies my belief that the art of writing is fun. Every writer knows to balance reading with writing. How easy that goal is to meet with books that are fun to read - from cover to cover; books like Six And A Half Deadly Sins.

 

Six And A Half Deadly Sins by author Colin Cotterill is a Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery set in Laos. When I learned that Mr. Cotterill was invited to be a guest speaker at the 2017 Left Coast Crime Conference in Honolulu (another event where you can have fun being a writer), I looked for his books at the main library on King Street. How lucky of me to have found this book, one of my “fun-est” reads of the year.

Dr. Siri Paiboun’s witticisms make him a loveable character who never becomes overbearing or boring. The novel's humor is subtle, woven into the fabric of the story. It creeps up on you with a quick punch while the action continues to move forward, leaving you to catch up.

 

Retired coroner Siri and his wife are the quintessential happily-married couple; their love undying. When the doctor receives a mysterious package containing a handwoven skirt, known as a “pha sin” with a human finger sewn into the hem, it sends them on a scavenger hunt of clues around the countryside of Northern Laos.

 

Adventure within the pages, the historical narrative, clever clues, and dangers encountered along the way make this a unique mystery. Another Dr. Siri Paiboun Mystery will be available on August 2, 2016, I Shot the Buddha. With a fun title like that, how can I resist?

 

 

 

#IWSG A New Perspective for 2016

It's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group blog posting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can find a list of all the other members of the group here

His awesome co-hosts for the January 6, 2016 posting of the IWSG are:
L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken,

and Michelle Wallace! 

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

Aloha, and Happy New Year! My New Year’s blog post, A New Perspective, expressed a goal to begin seeing the world from a new perspective. I wanted to start looking at all aspects of my life in a new light. The idea was not fully formed, though, something I realized in the next few days.

Nothing I’d encountered during my daily routine had created an impression. Had I noticed any interesting faces on the bus? Were people smiling, children humming? What colors stood out in a routine scene? I had continued to focus inward, contemplating the intangible rather than absorbing the real world around me.

Seeing the world from a new perspective is a necessity for a writer. I knew it was time to make a conscious effort to put my idea to the test. The first opportunity arose as I walked down a side street, heading home from Starbucks. A bush along the sidewalk displayed a profusion of pink hibiscus blossoms.

I’ve taken pictures of various-colored hibiscus over the past year, but none displayed the solid confidence of this pink bloom. With only green leaves as a framing backdrop, and without frills or contrasting color, it needed only its natural beauty to attract attention. This flower in my path gave me the opportunity to examine my own talents from a new perspective.

As a writer, I needn’t depend on bells and whistles to shine. I can attract attention to my work by using my life experiences as a framing backdrop. I will allow my thoughts to flow more naturally from within. Then the beauty of well-phrased words will reflect the confidence of a solid pink hibiscus.

 

#IWSG Is Ambition the Last Refuge?

It's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group blog posting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can find a list of all the other members of the group here

His awesome co-hosts for the January 7 posting of the IWSG are:
Elizabeth Seckman, Lisa Buie-Collard, Chrys Fey, andMichelle Wallace!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

 

I must confess, Social Media overwhelmed me.

After joining several sites including Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, I started blogging to promote my published novels. I interviewed other authors and participated in a variety of blog hops. At some point, I lost traction as the social world moved too fast for me to keep up, especially if I wanted to write more novels. 

Writing, research, and editing are fun for me. Meeting other writers and marketing my books are also on my list of fun activities. If it was possible to do everything, I would. Admitting I couldn’t was the breakthrough that rendered instant relief. My stress level declined once I learned to strike a happy medium by staying within my abilities. 

At first, I withdrew almost completely from online activities. The withdrawal corresponded with the year-end holidays. I took time to determine what I enjoyed doing most in terms of lifetime goals. 

If ambition is the last refuge of failure, as quoted by Oscar Wilde (and Gil Grissom) then I feel justified in swapping ambition for happiness by living at my own comfortable pace. 

Of course, my pace varies. I currently have three more novels written and in various stages of development. These projects were not created as a result of ambition but from a need to write. This, to me, is the definition of happiness.

 

My Insecurity For the Month of November #IWSG

 

It's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group blog posting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can find a list of all the other members of the group here

 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Alex's awesome co-hosts for the November 5 posting of the IWSG are: LG Keltner, Donna Hole, Lisa Buie-Collard and SL Hennessy!

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What is my insecurity for the month of November? 

This month, I’m in good company. Everyone who decides to jump on the NaNoWriMo wagon sets themselves up for stress, doubt, pressure, and yes, insecurity! Some days, the burning question is, “What in the heck was I thinking?” 

In my case, the question isn’t just burning, it’s shooting flames sky-high. See, in November of 2013, I wrote over 50K words of a novel but later decided I wasn’t ready to move in that direction. I set up my own writer’s month from mid-June to the third week of July 2014, and wrote another 50K words. During August, September, and October, I edited the first draft, wrote a second draft and edited that. Next week, beta readers will begin to attack this second draft. Left with an opening, I decided to jump into NaNoWriMo 2014. 

Unfortunately, I was also scheduled for a panel discussion, an annual reunion, and a book fair, all cutting into my writing time before I even got rolling. Now, I’m running to catch up. Hence, the insecurity.

For years, I’ve insisted I do not work well under pressure. Slightly contrary to this belief, it appears I do better when I lay the pressure on myself. Maybe it’s when someone else is calling the shots that I tend to balk. It is a good thing that, as an author, I am now my own boss! 

Tomorrow, I think I’ll ask for a raise.

 

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? As Joey would say, "How you doing?"

 

 

After All, It Is NANOWRIMO!

As my father once explained to me, my hometown of Two Rivers extends “Seven miles into Lake Michigan.” Two Rivers is known as “The Coolest Spot in Wisconsin” because of its unique location. We would be sitting in the backyard having a family picnic, wearing shorts and short-sleeved tops, when the wind off the lake would shift and the temperature would drop ten degrees at the snap of the fingers. Everyone carried a sweater or light jacket with them at all times.

Along the western shore of Lake Michigan 

There were other reasons my hometown was considered “The Coolest Spot in Wisconsin” also. Food, for one thing. Custard from The Custard Stand on the curve heading out toward the park; Port Sandy Bay Pizza; perch plates at Labor Hall on Friday nights; malts at the M&M near the edge of town after the dance or football game. Movies at the Rivoli or “Outdoor” theaters. Fishing on the Twin Rivers; swimming in Lake Michigan during summer; ice skating at the Washington Street rink in winter.

Our Christmas tree came from the back yard and all our vegetables came from our own or a relative’s garden. Also cool.

My childhood memories of Two Rivers may be flawed by the distance of time, but flawed in a good way, in a rose-colored glasses kind of way. I laugh about the scar on my wrist from when someone jokingly slammed my high school locker door on my hand; still cringe over the "tank" swim suits handed out for “Pool” during Phy Ed class; and will always associate the odor of lemon-scented air spray with my Science project, when I scraped a dead turtle out of its shell in Dad’s basement workshop. (Did I just reveal that deep dark secret from my past?!)

Writers are a fount of knowledge, interesting material buried deep in their subconscious waiting to be mined for a future story. So lay back, close your eyes, and let the ideas flow.

After all, it is NANOWRIMO!

When do the best ideas pop out of your head?

Know Where You're Going -or- Wait 'Til You Get there?

It's NaNoWriMo time again! Do you know where you’re going, or do you prefer to wait ‘til you get there?

Is it better to know the theme of your novel before you begin writing? Should you have a handle on the protagonist’s internal problems so you can build your writing around that issue?

For myself, I find it easier to write out the story, beginning to end, then go back and see what theme emerged from the writing. In my latest WIP (before NaNoWriMo) my third sentence emerged as the metaphor that describes the novel’s plot and subplot. It wasn’t a perfect match after the first draft but become more apparent with the second draft. During the (ongoing) editing process, I started to adjust the story to fall into line with what I saw as the defining theme of the novel.

Enlightenment is an illuminating experience!

Where do you stand on the writing process, do you want to know the facts upfront or do you prefer to watch them unfold as your story grows? Do you consider your story’s theme while you write the first draft, or mine your work later for those enlightening nuggets?

 

 

THE DAUNTING TASK of WRITING a NEW NOVEL

ALEX J. CAVANAUGH'S awesome co-hosts for the August 6 posting of the IWSG will be Sarah Foster, Joylene Nowell Butler, Lily Eva, and Rhonda Albom!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

Genre? Check: Mystery

Length? Check: Novel/75K

Setting? Check: Wisconsin

Protagonist? Check: Pepper Bibeau

Plot? Antagonist? Main Characters? Story Structure? Subplots? First Sentence? Motive? Method? Open with action or build to it? Prologue? Climax? Denouement? Epilogue? 

So many questions and decisions make the idea of writing a novel daunting. If every question had to be answered and every decision made before the writing began, there probably wouldn’t be any libraries or book stores. 

I reminded myself often that it wasn’t necessary to know exactly where I was going, and who did what at every turn, before I could write the next scene or chapter. Some days I wrote two thousand words, other days barely two hundred. On three days of the five weeks I spent writing the first draft, I wrote over five thousand words. Those prolific days produced accomplishments and memories that encouraged me to write another day. 

That’s all it takes, some encouragement to write for one more day, because you cannot write for two days at one time. 

Another trick that kept me moving forward was doing only small stretches of research. If I needed information to advance the plot, I would do a quick check on the Internet for details to assure that what I wanted to do wouldn’t paint me into a corner. Next month, I will learn the weight of a rifle loaded and unloaded, the exact distance from one county to another, and the correct bait needed to catch sunfish in June. Knowing a rifle fits into the story, the driving distance is feasible, and catching sunfish in June is legal, I could keep writing. 

What encourages you to keep writing?

 

KICK-STARTING A NEW NOVEL

For the past six months, I wavered on which direction to take for my next writing project. 

Then I signed up for a five-day writers’ seminar in Honolulu, which took place on July 19-23, 2014 at The Makiki Community Library. The seminar guru/sensei, William Bernhardt, is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Ben Kincaid legal-thriller series. His Red Sneakers Writers Book Series, five compact books in print and ebook format, go hand-in-hand with his seminars. 

Once I committed to attending a seminar for five days, I had to write a novel to present to the group for feedback and critique. I made the decision to continue my Pepper Bibeau mystery series with a fourth novel. I purchased Mr. Bernhardt’s Red Sneaker ebook series for kindle, and read each of the five books. Then I used the information from the first one, Story Structure: The Key to Successful Fiction, to outline my manuscript. 

See book link
to Amazon below

The five weeks preceding the seminar included writing, researching, writing, eating, writing, and sleeping. It was my very own, intense NaNoWriMo - all day - every day! My finished first draft contained 68K words, and was ready for critique. During the five-day seminar, I received suggestions, ideas, and direction from Mr. Bernhardt and the other seminar-ians (not theologists!) on ways to improve the content. 

Moving forward, I will use the information from the other books in the series as a road map to complete and edit the novel. 

Are you planning to start/continue/finish your novel this year? What is your process?

 

 

Link to William Bernhardt's Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/William-Bernhardt/e/B000APOS7G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

 

Link to Story Structure by William Bernhardt

http://www.amazon.com/Story-Structure-Successful-Fiction-Sneaker-ebook/dp/B00CIDH2JE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1406334352&sr=1-1&keywords=Story+Structure+William+Bernhardt

 

 

Doing Just What I Want . . . Sort Of



The other day someone asked me how I liked retirement. In 2009, I decided to retire a bit early and enjoy life. That didn’t mean lounging on Waikiki Beach in the shadow of Diamond Head every day reading my fill of mystery novels; it meant researching, writing, and publishing mystery novels. It also meant paying closer attention to my blogs and participating in writers’ groups. But I do enjoy plenty of leisure time because I do just what I want . . . sort of. 

 

That means that although my goals are set and my projects outlined, deadlines are not carved in stone. If there is a deadline, I can begin the project far in advance so as not to be rushed. This year my goals include completing and publishing a novel; posting interviews with the 13 authors involved in the mystery anthology MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense; and participating in Arlee Bird’s April 2014 A to Z Blog Challenge

by writing and posting twenty-six articles with topics ranging from A to Z.

 

Marketing is an area where I need to improve, another goal. My focus for 2014 includes the novel WITH FIERY VENGEANCE published in December 2013. As the third book in the Pepper Bibeau mystery series, and set in Hawaii, I am having fun discussing the settings featured in the story. 

Yesterday I spent time at Paˋina Café for the monthly local NaNoWriMo group gathering. I had been in a quandary about my WIP because of indecision over the story line. Scenarios had been swimming around in my mind since I completed the first draft last November. As I typed out my thoughts at the cafe, everything fell into place. Doing just what I want, letting my thoughts simmer until the time was right for a solution to develop, worked better than trying to force a decision. 

That’s what I like about my retirement state-of-mind: Doing Just What I Want . . . Sort Of. While I must still take the steps necessary to move a project toward its goal, I have the freedom to do just what I want at any given time. This is my idea of stress-free time management, an enviable luxury. 

How do you manage your time?

Liebster Blog Award 2013!

Recently, my friend Sandra Nikolai nominated me for the Liebster award. Sandra is the author of False Impressions, her first mystery novel in a series featuring Megan Scott and Michael Elliott. Thank you for the nomination, Sandra!

 

As required of the Liebster nominee, I have pasted the Liebster award in my blog post and will provide a link back to the nominator's blog. In my case, it is  Sandra Nikolai

 

Next I am to answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated me, Sandra Nikolai, then compose 11 new questions and nominate 11 more friends to join in the party. The idea is to have fun and introduce new people to your blog site. Sounds like a win-win situation to me! 

Here are the 11 questions Sandra posed for her 11 lucky Nominees, along with my responses:

1. Are you a morning person?

Yes, I am awake by 6, just takes awhile to get oriented enough to make coffee! However, I am also a night person. It is the in-between hours that are not always so productive.

2. What inspires you to blog?

Questionnaires like this one are inspiring. I also like to talk about things related to my home state Wisconsin) and adopted home state (Hawaii.) 

3. What is your current or next WIP about?

My current WIP is the third novel in my Pepper Bibeau mystery series. The story is set in Hawaii. I did much of the initial research several years ago when I visited The Big Island, specifically with a novel in mind. I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time in 2012 and used that research material as the basis for writing this first draft.  

4. What is the one thing you’d like to do but haven’t had the opportunity?

Study the stars. When I moved to Hawaii, it seemed inevitable that I would become an amateur astronomer. But after settling in Honolulu, I quickly learned one thing it had in common was any major city was too much artificial light to see stars.  

5. Name one of your favorite fictional characters and explain your choice.

Huckleberry Finn has always been one of my favorite characters. To me, his name represents independence. I often dreamed of floating down the mighty Mis’isip, stopping to visit towns along the way, and living a thoroughly carefree life.  

6. What is your pet peeve?

Sudden unnecessary noises, like a slamming door or squealing automobile tires. 

7. What would be your ideal holiday getaway?

A spa retreat with no set schedule - I could choice what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it.

8. Who/what did you want to be when you grew up?

Connie Stevens in the television show ‘Hawaiian Eye’. She was talented, independent, beautiful, and always smiling! What more could a girl ask for? 

9. What is your biggest regret?

Aside from not being Connie Stevens? No regrets. The mistakes and misfires only make the successes stand out that much more vividly.  

10. Name two of your favorite cities in the world.

Paris and Bruge (It’s in Belgium . . . that’s a line from the movie, In Bruge.) 

11. What are the best five words that would describe you?

Happy; Motivated (sporadically); Chocolate-addict; mystery-lover; Aloha  

 

Now, here are the 11 new questions I complied for 11 of my friends:

1. As a writer, do your male characters more often resemble Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks?

2. For the majority of the novels you read, do you prefer the print or ebook format?

3. If your latest novel were made into a screenplay, would your story be best served by hiring director Steven Spielberg or Ang Lee?

4. Knowing you must travel to the location for research, where would you set your next story?

5. Is sending a written letter via the postal service a thing of your past?

6. For 50% of the DVDs you rent or buy, what is the genre?

7. Would you walk a mile for an ice cream cone or reach for an apple in the refrigerator?

8. What is your favorite part of attending a carnival?

9. Most tempting: Banana Split or Hot Fudge Sundae?

10. Do you buy gifts for others that you would like to receive?

11. What is your current or next WIP about?       

 

And now, the list of Nominees I have chosed to accept this challenge:

A. Joyce Schneider @JoyceSchneider1 http://www.thecookandthecardiologist.com/thecookandthecardiologist.com/Embryo.html

B. Karin Kaufman @KarinKaufman http://www.karin-kaufman.blogspot.com/

C. Carole Sutton @cazutt http://casutton.tripod.com/cazutt/

D. Kenneth Hoss @KennHoss http://kenhoss.blogspot.com/

E. Elizabeth Wilder @eewilder http://www.virtual-zen.com/the_spruce_gum_box

F. Richard Weatherly @RichWeatherly43 http://richweatherly.wordpress.com/

G. Laurie Hanan @LaurieHanan http://westoftheequator.wordpress.com/

H. Stella Atrium @SAtrium http://stellaatrium.com/

I. Stacy Juba @stacyjuba http://stacyjuba.com/blog/

J. Cynthia Meyers-Hanson @Hanson8046 http://mchanson714.weebly.com/index.html

K. Alison Bruce @alisonebruce http://www.alisonbruce.ca/