Fridays R 4 Fun

How we feel about life has a lot to do with perspective. The way we view an encounter often determines our next decision. Well, here’s something that messes with what we think we see.

Living life on the edge. Is this what we think will happen in California when ‘the big one’ hits?

                                Oops! Somebody left the water running. I’m sure the neighbors aren’t all that happy about it.

The great escape of today and yesterday.    

And now it’s time for me to get back to work.
                                            

I’m having so much fun finding these photos. What topics would you like to see in the photos of the strange and weird?

An Interview Starring...Me

I’ve been interviewed! A fellow writer, Angelina C. Hansen, was kind enough to request an interview. I had to think about it for a long time before I consented to do it…all of .0001 seconds.

She posted it yesterday. It was a lot of fun and gave me a chance to think about why I write.  The short answer is ‘I love story,’ but if you want the details go over to her blog. It’s all there.

Angelina is a fellow writer of YA fiction. We connected on She Writes, a community of women who write and support each other.

If you would be willing to allow me to interview you, it would be my pleasure. Send me a message and I’ll get right back to you. You can find my email address on my profile of this blog.

Happy Independence Day!

This is the document that started it all. Thirteen colonies wanted to have a say in the country it was supporting. They refused to be ignored. After the loss of many lives and the sacrifices of many people, this great nation began.
                             Our first president, George Washington, worked long hours with a tireless group to put together a country that represented its people.
This is the document that resulted.

A difference of opinion divided this nation and brought it to a place of civil war, a war that devastated and nearly destroyed it.
                                 This president, Abraham Lincoln, addressed an ailing nation that lost more sons than it could afford, a nearly countless number. This speech, the Gettysburg Address, was delivered at the memorial of those men who lost their lives fighting for their ideals.
           This is believed to be one of the many copies of those word delivered on that day. Having survived that terrible loss, this nation worked to heal many of its wounds and overcome its weaknesses.

More than a century late, this nation elected its first president of African decent, President Barack Obama.

Regardless of the politics involved this country can celebrate its great accomplishment. This nation began as a group of upstarts and radicals and developed into a nation that serves its people. It struggled over differing ideologies that divided and nearly destroyed all that it had accomplished.

What is laudable is that we not only overcame this division, but the very people that were a significant part of the reason for that war are now represented in the White House.

The United States of America is a great nation. Is it perfect? Not at all, but its greatness stands in spite of its imperfections. I am proud to be called one of its citizens.

Please join me in wishing this great nation a very happy birthday as we, once again, celebrate our Independence Day.
                                         

Friday’s R 4 Fun

Here’s what I found this week, optical illusions. I have always been impressed with things that change appearance based upon your personal perspective.

Here’s a picture of a man standing on a bottle of water. I think it’s kind of cute and fun.

                      We often hear people talk about the man in the moon, but no one said anything about him playing sports.

       This one is a little strange. You either see a woman putting on her make-up. Or you see a skull.     

These men wear what is really not clothing.

                  I thought this one was really wild. It isn’t a drawing of a man’s head.

In looking at the way these pictures play tricks with your eyes and mind, I know there’s a moral in there somewhere. But that’s for you to determine.

Have a great day. See you next Friday!

Procrastination is My Sworn Enemy

Oh yeah! I’ve got it lined up in my sights and with just one little squeeze of the trigger…

Every morning I have a routine. I check my email, turn on my cell phone, review and revise my WIP, and the list goes on. But lately I’ve been putting off one thing after another. That ends here! I will hunt procrastination down with extreme prejudice.

Today I am making a list of all of the things I need to get done in a timely manner. Here we go.

1.  Write –work on sequel and short stories.

2.  Continue to walk through the NP ms to ready it for formatting

3. Work on breastplate – this really should be number 1, but it really doesn’t matter what order I list it so long as I get it done.

4.  Write posts for this blog.

5.  Exercise

6.  Everything else.

So now that I’ve written it down, I had better go do it. By the way, two things, 1) the next post will be on Friday, so look for something fun and 2) I’ve put a new story up on my website.

See you Friday!

Lost in the Forest

This is a picture of how I’m feeling right about now. I can see the forest and the trees. There are so many things that I need to be doing. It is difficult for me to prioritize. I’m over-thinking everything.

I try to plan and write my next short story, but my brain circles larger, more complex plots. There’s no way they can be written in under two thousand words. I keep at it, but I just get frustrated. So I think, if my brain only wants to focus on the more complex, then switch gears and work on one of my longer works.

That shouldn’t be a problem. I open the file on my next story in Nubia, but I get stalled. I can’t keep my mind focused. I keep thinking about working on the breastplate and which is the next step in that process.

Fine, I tell myself. That’s both constructive and productive. I walk to my  craft room and stare at the thing. Mind you, I don’t pick up a single tool or material to work with. All I can think about is, I need to work on my website. So I go back to the computer and open to the page that needs work…nothing comes.

It boils down to having so many things to do that I can’t get focused. It has all but paralyzed me. The best thing to do is get back to the basics. Take it all out of my head and write everything down. Once I make a list, it will be much easier to see.

When I get it done, I’ll show you what it looks like.

Fridays R 4 Fun

 

Whimsy and quirkiness, that’s what the world needs more of! I was reading Kristen Lamb’s blog post, Give a Dry Blog New Life - The Power of Themes and realized I could be having a lot more fun. So starting now every Friday I will blog about something that I think is fun, like cakes that make me smile.

Who ever would have thought to have a cake that matches your shoes. This one is definitely for the fashionista in all of us. And if you’re going out, you don’t want to forget you make-up bag.

What about a cake that looks like a baked potato. 

A cake that looks like a hot dog.

 Here’s my favorite food, popcorn. I never thought it would come as a cake.

     This has to be better than pop corn flavored jelly beans.

How about this, a cake of Max and his friends.

                                  And finally, the cake that looks like cake…well almost.

This was a hoot. I hope it made you smile, too. We’ll see what I find next Friday.

The Making of a Breastplate

 

A few posts ago, I introduced you to the model of my book cover, Makeda. You saw a picture of me wrapping her in duct tape. In a later post I told you I got an idea about making the breastplate in leather. Here is the picture of the raw leather.

     I put a pair of my reading glasses on it to give you a gauge  for the size. This is one full calf’s hide. I know, it sounds awful. Rest assured, I had nothing to do with taking the life of the animal unless you count the hamburger I ate.

Remember the picture of me wrapping Makeda in duct tape. Here is the shell it produced.

I taped that to the side of a bucket for two purposes 1) to hold it’s shape while I 2) lengthened it and covered it with plaster cloth wrap. As you can see, it was a very messy process. After it dried, I removed it from the bucket and this is what I got . The next step is to fill it with a slurry of plaster that I’ll make from the  powder in the container on the left. Once it dries and hardens, it will become the mold for the leather. But that’s different post.

Now you're caught up with where I am in the process. It’s work, but lots of fun.

So Much to Do

I feel like this tree, snowed under and completely buried. Getting this book ready has been a blast. There are so many things involved in launching it that sometimes I can’t see my way through.

It’s not just making sure that the ms is of the highest quality, nor is it getting things put together for the cover. And to be honest, it’s not even the formatting and getting it uploaded that have got me going nuts. It’s everything else.

It’s what Elizabeth Law of Egmont Publishing said, “For the new author, whether print or electronic, success is based on the platform the debut author builds.” I have to plan for the promotion of the book, get people interested in it, and get them interested in me and what I do. That’s the hard part. And there’s another thing, I have to be really creative in how I arrange ‘book signings’. It’s an eBook!

I doubt that people will want me to sign their Nooks, Kindles, Kobos, or iPads. So I’m brain-storming every moment I can to come up with new and innovative alternatives. One idea is creating mini-posters of the book cover. I’ve even thought of having a rubber stamp that is a caricature of the cover design.

On top of all of this I have to maintain my writing schedule, post on this blog, update Facebook and Twitter, and create new stories for my website. And that’s just the writing part of my life!

It really is a good thing I’m enjoying myself.

A Second Option

I have so many ideas running through my head, I imagine the neural pathways in my brain must look something like this. Oops, a bit of the psychologist just broke through. Sorry.

Yesterday I went to the local leather and saddle shop and spoke with one of the owners. I live in Arizona now and there are such things here. Really cool stuff.

I described to him what I was attempting to do for the breastplate and why. He got so excited that we must have spent at least an hour talking about the possibilities. He’s reading a book series that takes place around the same time period as my novel. He asked detailed questions about what I wanted the finished product to look like.

He pulled out his supply catalogs and explained the pros and cons of the different types of hides available and what I could expect the end products to look like. What a great guy! Then he walked me through the construction process and explained what to expect at the different stages. We talked about colorings and fasteners and methods of finishing!

I had a blast! I can’t wait for the material to come in so I can get started. It should be here next week. I’ll keep you posted on how things are going.

Book Cover Process

As promised here are some pictures of me with the model for my book cover. Her name is Makeda which is a wonderful tie in to my eBook. Makeda is the name that is believed to belong to the Queen of Sheba.

Makeda, my model, is extremely intelligent, beautiful, and reads a mountain of books every week. She is one of my Beta readers and she doesn’t hold back. If she doesn’t like it or something in the book doesn’t work, she has no problem telling me. In fact, her complaint about this book is that she wanted it to be longer. What I love about kids, especially Teens. They tell you the truth. But I digress.

Together, Makeda and I, are making the pattern for Kandake’s breastplate. It all started with a roll of duct tape and a tee shirt.

Then I wrapped her in the tape, with several layers, in the areas the breastplate would cover. And here we are at the end.

PS Makeda's mother, Vicki, took the pictures.

I’ve Been Tagged! Now Guess Who’s It?

I’ve been tagged! Here’s the line I had to complete. Writing is like…

Writing is like having the windows of imagination wide open and the passing breeze sweeps my ideas across the printed page, or computer screen. Honestly. When I write, images just pour out into words. Most of the time I have no idea where they come from, but I think it is the coolest thing. I watch the storyline develop on the page in front o me.

When I write, something physical happens in my brain that feels really good. I love it. So now you must tell me what the experience is like for you. Here are the writers I’m choosing to tag, but the line is open for anyone to complete.

Smells Like Library Tommy is an awesome writer and artist. He’s also a school librarian who works hard to make the world of books interesting. He even creates displays that are works of interactive art.

The Bookshelf Muse This blog by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman is for all aspiring writers. One of the things I like best on this blog is the emotional thesaurus.

The Happy Nappy Bookseller Doret’s blog  reviews books. She exposes us to books that generally wouldn’t get the attention they deserve. There are so many books that don’t meet mainstream press. Doret gets them out there!

So, Tommy, Becca and Angela, and Doret this tag is for you. Tell us all what you think...Writing is like

We’re Getting There

Progress is being made! All of you have been very helpful and supportive. The poll for suggesting book titles is going well. You have given me some great ideas. Please keep those coming. Think of the title you believe would make you want to read the book and write that suggestion in the comments.

Today, I take the breastplate prototype to the model to try on. I will make the necessary adjustments and markings for the final shape and placement of the straps. I am super excited! It is all coming together.

Even though it’s a lot of work, I’m having a blast. I’ll be posting pictures of the process within a couple of days. Thanks for walking with me through all of this.

Great Input!

I am so excited! There are so many wonderful title suggestions already. Most of them are titles I never even thought of. What is really interesting are the reasons for the titles people suggested.

I have my cell phone set to alert me to every new title that you leave in the comments. I find myself staring at the phone waiting for the next idea.

Your suggestions amaze me. They are all so inventive and perfectly represent the story of Kandake or Nubia. Keep them coming. Even if you’ve already left a suggestion and you think of another title, send me that one, too. And please, be sure to tell me your reason for it.
I can’t wait to hear more!

What’s in a Name

I have been working fast and furiously trying to get everything ready to launch my new eBook. It occurred to me that I can’t go any farther until I settle on a title for the book.

Here’s where you can help. On the left sidebar is a poll offering you three titles to choose from. Select a title, vote, and then tell me in the comments why you chose that particular one. Or if none of these suit you, write your own in the comments and tell me why this one is better.

It would probably help you to know a little bit about the book. It takes place in the ancient kingdom of Nubia. Kandake is the youngest daughter of King Amani. All she ever wanted was to be a Nubian warrior, but her grandmother has chosen her to be the next ruler of Nubia. The story is about her struggle between her grandmother’s choice and her desire.

Follow this blog to keep tabs on the poll to name the book and find out what I decide, with your help of course.

Slow Down

I have been trying to get so much done, lately--finding a designer for the book cover, making a costume for the cover model, looking for a formatter, looking into the price of printing and posters. I have so much to do and I’m trying to maintain my writing schedule at same time. There is such a thing as attempting to do too much at one time. I need to slow down.

The other day I was working on a new story for my website. It was a very short piece with an uncomplicated plot. I read through it (or so I thought I had) and the sent it off to a writer friend, Lynn Kelley, to critique. She is the sweetest and really good at catching mistakes and making suggestions.

As usual, she sent it back full of corrections and suggestions. When I reviewed her edits I almost fell off of my chair. What I had sent her was a story that made no sense!  It made about as much sense as the script in the picture, for me. My brain was so tired that what I thought I had written was definitely not what was on the page.

I really need to slow down, take some time to rejuvenate, and hopefully my writing skills will return.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Oh my gosh…Since I made the decision to e-publish my manuscript, my mind and my desk started looking like this. There are so many things for me to do. I’ve decided on the designer for the cover art. I’ve nailed down what I want the costume to look like. I’ve even engaged the photographer. And that’s only the beginning.

Next is making the costume. Then I have to get the pictures to the designer and find a formatter. As soon as the cover is done I have to get posters made.

All the while, I’m walking through the manuscript one last time to be sure there are no errors and it reads smoothly. I also have to line up reviewers (I’m open to one or two extra if you’d like), set up school visits and book signings. Because the book ties-in neatly with Black History month, I will be launching it at the beginning of February. I have a little time, but not much.

On top of all of this I have to maintain my schedule for the other novels I’m writing. I also have to make time to create the flash fiction and short stories that I’m uploading to my website. Take a look.

I feel buried, but it’s a good feeling!

Hard Work Ahead

I have begun the process of getting my book ready for publication. I’m taking a long slow walk back through the manuscript to make sure it is all that it can be. At the same time, I am searching for a designer for the cover and a formatter for the text.

You wouldn’t believe how many artists are out there. I’m talking about the ones with a reputation for good work. Sheesh! I have gone to countless websites and searched through portfolios looking for a style and passion that I want for the cover. There are so many choices. I have settled on one whose work has the feel I’m looking for.

The model I have chosen for the cover is a beautiful and brilliant young teen whose eagerness and determination totally embodies my main character. Because she is a minor I will not release her name until the project is closer to completion.

Now on to the costuming. I am scouring the internet and history books for just the right garment. I want to choose/create several so that I have sufficient options for the photo shoot. Once that is done, I’ll have to coordinate the schedules of the model and her mother, the photographer, and myself to set a date for the photos.

Then it’s on to the formatter and planning school visits and appearances. Oh My Gosh! There’s so much to do. That brings me to the tie-in of the picture. This is a Wee Spoon. The Wee of Africa award this spoon to a very industrious woman in honor of her hard work. By the time I get everything done, I will have earned my own spoon!

I'll be Taking the Left Fork

I have decided to publish one of my favorite manuscripts (ms) as an e-book.  The decision was not an easy one. I have been working to get this ms published through traditional channels, but I keep coming up against roadblocks.

It is not the quality of the story or the writing that has been the problem. It is more of a business/investment issue. The traditional publishers and agents have a difficult time seeing this as more than a niche-market item and they're looking for something that is more of a sure thing for the mass market.

At first the rejections didn’t make sense. How could they say that the ms is a very good story, or extol the characterization, dialog, or even setting and not take it. Then I started researching the whys of publication and things became more clear.

I was looking at the from the  wrong perspective. I had personalized something that was simply business with monetary goals. Essentially I had not realized we have different ends we are attempting to achieve and it has little to do with my skill as a writer or choice of subject matter. Publishing companies are in business to make money. They have a lot of ‘mouths to feed’ and limited investment capital to with which to do it.

I, on the other hand, am looking at the ms from a needs perspective. I originally wrote the story for my granddaughter so that she could have a princess that looks like her. From there it grew to be a story of girl empowerment and endless possibilities. So I guess the argument comes down to this: monetary needs vs. social needs.

Once I arrived here it was a short jump to realizing that I need to publish it myself. It occurred to me that I was upset about someone else’s choices about their own investment. What I realized is that if I truly believe in the ms and the need for it, I should be willing and able to invest in it myself. Will it be an easy do? No. Will it cost me financially? Yes. Will I do it anyway? ABSOLUTELY!

Choosing the Right Road

I have come to the fork in the writing/publishing road and must make my next move. I have made a decision to e-publish one particular piece of work. This manuscript has had great difficulty finding a home. Agents and editors, alike have given it great feedback, but don’t think it’s ‘right for their list’ or ‘not a big enough book.’ So I have decided to turn it into an e-book.

Will I do this for every manuscript? I’m not sure about that. There are stories that I have written that fit the current market and do not present the same dilemma.

Having said that, the publishing industry and its reshaping to become a part of the digital age may change my view of what I want for my work. There is much to consider. Granted, there is considerable prestige to be had in following the tradition publishing route. Will that always be the case? That remains to be seen.

For now I will make that decision for each manuscript based on its own merit. What about you? What are you choosing?

Decisions

I am on the precipice of a decision, as they say. I must decide whether or not to go ahead with an e-publishing choice. The manuscript I am choosing is one that attracts a lot of attention from the industry, but it isn’t one they believe will sell big enough to take a chance on.

I’m wondering how they determine what will sell big and what will not. Or, what does it mean to sell big. It’s easy to point to the success of the Harry Potter or Twilight series, but who could have predicted their success? Both authors received multiple rejections and then a couple of savvy agents and editors took a gamble. And as you know, their gamble paid off bigger than anyone could have imagined.

How often does something like this happen in publishing? The answer is, not very. If we look at the more popular authors like Stephen King, John Grisham, or even Nora Roberts, we don’t see that instant meteoric climb to the top. They are at the top all right, but they worked and worked to get there.

Please don’t misunderstand. I am in no way suggesting that Rawlings or Meyers didn’t work hard, because there is not any doubt that they did. I would say that they each worked very hard. But what has happened for them does not happen on a regular basis. Unfortunately authors, agents, and editors appear to be searching for the elusive ‘it’ that will bring them this kind of success.

I don’t know if a manuscript of mine will ever make such a mark, but that’s not what I’m aiming for. My sights are set on writing a story that will leave the reader satisfied, but also have them yearning for more. Right now I I have a completed manuscript that works on several different levels (as stated by the industry professionals) and could be a commercial success. The problem is that they don’t believe that it is the blockbuster they’re looking for.

So here’s the decision part. Do I wait for them to come around, or do I go it on my own? Your input is very welcome.

The Love of Reading

  I have always loved to read or to be read to. This could very easily be a picture of me. I read everywhere and everything.

In the morning, getting ready for school, my mother would prompt me (a nice way of saying she fussed) to stop reading and eat my breakfast. In the evening, she would tell me I couldn’t bring my book to the table. I would sneak and read books at my desk in school when I should have been listening to the teacher. Maybe that’s the reason math takes me a bit longer.

In any case, I read every chance I got. I still do. Sometimes there's a war within between reading a new book or writing a new story. When the book wins, I justify it by telling myself, this will help me to be a better writer. And that is the reason this post is late.

What am I reading? It’s a wonderful YA entitled, Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu.

Sunrise on Easter

Good Morning! Sunrise and new days are rich with fresh starts and second chances. It’s Easter morning and there’s nothing that exemplifies this better than today. Tradition has us decked out in new clothes, big dinners with family, and the all-important egg hunt. All of this is followed by stuffing ourselves with great treats.

For me the best treats in the world are time with family and friends (especially grandchildren!) and quiet time for a good read. These usually do not happen at the same time. I find it difficult to laugh and tell wild stories and read all at once.

So today I get a second chance to spoil my grandchildren, again (their parents would say I never stopped the first one), another opportunity to appreciate the ones I love and those who love me, and more time to write more stories.

Enjoy your second chances. Happy Easter everyone!

To Write or Not to Write, There is no Question

This picture reminds me of my journey to become a published author. I work to improve my craft. I get good ideas. I paint their picture in words. Then with the help of my critique group, I revise and revise until finally it’s ready to submit.

I search among the agents, whose numbers rival the stars, for the ones that seem a good match for the piece. I dredge up the confidence to send it out and then I wait. And wait. Until finally I hear from them and this is what they say, paraphrased of course.

I great story, but it’s not for me. I no longer represent this type of story. Wonderful characterization, great emotion, believable dialog, but… There is always a ‘but’. This piece would be better suited to someone else. I’m just not in love with the story. You deserve to be represented by someone who…

So there I stand in the desert of publication waiting for that final, refreshing drop of…I think this is great, I’d love to represent you and your work. One day it will come.

The Making of a Story

I am often asked where I get ideas for a new story. The answer is, they come from everywhere. I can see a dog digging a hole. Most people think that the dog is digging up something it has buried, or some small animal disappeared down a hole and the dog is going after it. Not me.

I think about the dirt flying through the air and see small universes being scattered, or I wonder if something from the center of the earth will escape into our realm through that hole, or I wonder if the fleas have taken control of the dogs mind and that they are giving him an alternative to scratching them.

All of these things, and more, roll around in my mind and smolder like this volcano until they grow into a plot line and erupt into a story. Everything I see is grist for the creative story mill. So the next time you catch me staring, beware you could end up in one of my stories.

Dark No More

I have been dormant for far too long. I could list a million reasons (eg, I moved out of state, my husband retired, weddings, showers, births, etc), but the fact would still remain that I have neglected you. Well, no more! So here is my first offering in a very long time.

I've decided to explore the world of short stories and flash fiction. I have found that I really am enjoying it. One of the reasons is that I get a new idea and I can get to the end within a few days! I am not abandoning the world of novels, instead, I am adding this new love. I decided to start posting them on my website www.stephaniejefferson.com  I'll keep you up to date when I post new stories. You can read Swan Song

There will be more to come, here and on the site.