The rest of them

Sorry guys for the late post!


4. Speech

What is the tone of the character’s voice? Smooth, or harsh? Quiet, or loud? Do they mumble, or do they enunciate carefully? With a high pitch, or a low one? Are they taciturn, or voluble? How else is their personality conveyed in the way they speak or how talk or think to themselves? Are they kind, or cruel, in their speech? Respectful, or insolent or condescending?

Do they have an unusual accent, or do they try to suppress it, and are they successful all the time, or does the accent prevail when they are emotional or unguarded? Is their general mode of speech an effort to hide or overcome their origins? If they must speak a foreign language, are they fluent, or merely competent, or not even that?

5. Environment

How does a character relate to their surroundings, and how does the person manipulate the environment? What is the person’s dwelling like, and what do the characteristics of that place convey personality? How does their workplace do the same? Is the personal environment functional and practical, or is it expressive of the character? Do their possessions convey a simple lifestyle, or one devoted to acquisition of goods?

A fascinating book called Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You, by psychology professor Sam Gosling, concludes that the way personal items are displayed in one’s home or workplace reveals much about the person, and that there are three general categories: things displayed ostentatiously (certificates, trophies, autographs), things displayed unselfconsciously for both the person and for visitors to see (vacation photos, knickknacks), and things displayed solely for the benefit of the space’s occupant, not its visitors (mementos, notes from loved ones).

Hope that these are helpfull! My particular favorite is #5. It had never occured to me how important stuff is. I'll keep that in mind when my Mom tells me to clean out my room "But Mom, stuff can be so inspiring." :)

-Stoss Cue

P.S I have started a blog called Unread Pages about gardening and just everyday things about life in general. Give it a look!

Monday's Writing Tips

Found these online.
Soon I'll get some up from Writer's Digest!
-Owner's Don't Knock

These tips are more for Aspiring Freelance Writers

1. Write, don’t procrastinate!

I know I’m stating the obvious here, but it had to be first on the list, and I speak from experience! Even the master storyteller, Stephen King, in his 2000 memoir “On Writing” admitted “The scariest moment is always just before you start.”
This is not to say that you shouldn’t plan your piece, far from it, but despite ongoing technological advancements in almost every industry, writing still requires a writer, so write.
Edit, re-write, discard, re-invent, even all of the above, but you need to have written something first.
Whether you produce a single sentence or twenty pages, the feeling of achievement will be tangible, as Henry Ford once observed “There is no happiness except in the realisation that we have accomplished something”.

2. Recognise that all feedback is good feedback

We all feel protective about our written output, and it’s our prerogative, because we’ve toiled and sweated over it. But being a freelance writer is about producing work that will meet the needs of a specific market or audience and any feedback that helps in achieving that goal can only be good, however hard it might be to read and digest.

3. Broaden your horizons

Having an appetite to learn and undertake new experiences, not only keeps life interesting, but also ensures we maintain a healthy stock of subjects to write about . “Write what you know” is advice frequently given to writers, so expanding what you know can only broaden your writing horizons.

4. Believe in yourself

Although an overused phrase, this really is sound advice. Writers will endure many knockbacks and rejections throughout their careers, and it takes a lot of self belief to persevere and keep submitting work.
The self help author Dr. Robert Anthony’s view was “You can have anything you want if you will give up the belief that you can’t have it.”

5. Have a Goal

It doesn’t matter whether it is big or small, but by setting a goal and working towards it, statistics show that you will be one of only 3% of individuals who actually do this.
Philanthropist Hannah More wrote “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals”
A goal gives meaning to what you are doing, it adds perspective, and some days, it will be the prospect of achieving that goal that compels you to return to that project you’ve not been able to finish or even start.
One final piece of advice, when you achieve that goal, win that commission or succeed in getting published, share your success. Whether it be on your favourite writers forum, with your family, friends or colleagues, or on your blog or website, not only will it feel good, you might even inspire others to try and emulate your success.

Book Review

So this is a book I really enjoy reading. Chalk full of details and good humor, The Warrior Heir is the first of three books in the Heir trilogy. While there is rumor of a possible fourth book (fingers crossed!) I won't put that down as final.

Back to the book - I really enjoyed it. The plot is sometimes predictable but none of the important parts are, and there are many surprises. It is a fairly easy read, not that the words are simple but that they flow really well. Basically the plot goes as follows:


"One March day, Jack Swift, a high school student in a small college town, forgets to take the medicine he’s taken daily since he was an infant. There ensues a cascade of events that puts him in mortal danger.

Jack discovers he carries a secret within him that has made him a target of the ruthless wizards of the Red and White Rose. Jack is a Warrior Heir, the last of a dying breed, sought after by the Roses to fight in the tournaments that are used to allocate power among the Wizard Houses. Unknown to him, Jack has lived all his life surrounded by members of the Magical Guilds: wizards, enchanters, soothsayers, and sorcerers. They are determined to save him from the Roses.

With the aid of his aunt, a beautiful enchanter, Jack desperately tries to acquire the skills that might save his life. Jack and his friends, Will and Fitch, unearth a magical sword from a cemetery and fight off the wizards who would take it from them. Jack begins training with the dark and dangerous Leander Hastings, a wizard with a mysterious past.

Meanwhile, Jack is torn between his attraction to Ellen Stephenson, a new student at Trinity High School, and Leesha Middleton, his former girlfriend, who decides she wants him back.

Discovered and besieged by treachery at home, he flees to the Lake District of England. There he is confronted by the greatest challenge of all."

This is directly from the Cinda Williams Chima website where she has all of her other books posted as well (I'd suggest you give it a look).

Last note, I LOVE the romance in this series. Normally I am not one for angst but in this book it's done so well that I just can't resist it, even though it drives me crazy!!!! There are so many different levels for the different characters and the relationships are so intricate that they make me want to cry. Go ahead and give it a try. You'll love it!

-Stoss Cue

(Sorry, I'll post the rest of the character tips either later today or next week)

Wednesday Tip

I found these tips to be really helpful. We really want to make good characters and compelling ones, but that can only be done if we make them believable. The website I got this from is a good resource for tips and ideas and I have found it very helpful.

1. Appearance

Writers are naturally inclined to make their main characters especially attractive unless they believe there is a very good reason to do otherwise: The character wishes to avoid attention, the story has an ugly duckling theme, or the character is reprehensible (in which case they might nevertheless be, for contrast, extremely good looking).

Just a thought...how realistic is it to have a character that is good looking, has perfect teeth, no bad breath and can juggle ten knives at a time?

Don’t introduce your character with an extensive physical appraisal, but do sprinkle hints about their appearance (or don’t — many great works of literature don’t describe main characters’ looks at all). Make sure that physical features are consistent with that person’s ethnic origins, unless there’s a good reason for exceptions.

If you do want readers to visualize your conception of the character, consider not just physical characteristics but also carriage and comportment. How does the person move? Fast, or slow? Purposefully, or uncertainly? Gracefully, or awkwardly? Self-consciously, or without regard for how they are perceived?

2. Attire

How do your characters dress? The period and locale will determine the general costume, but personality is still easily conveyed within these parameters. What does what the people wear say about their social status and about their character? Is their clothing austere, or ostentatious? Prim, or provocative? What kind of accessories, if any, do they wear, and why?

When I first started writing I would detail every little thing that my character wore. Down to the last pin-knife in her boot. It got boring for me to write, and my intended audience (my brothers) had no patience for which dress went best with which boots...

3. Business

I refer here not to business as a synonym for commerce but in the theatrical sense of the character’s physical actions. What facial expressions do they employ? Are they self-conscious about them, or are they natural, or does it depend? If the character is physically demonstrative, how is this characteristic conveyed?

Do they use their hands a lot, or is the person’s entire body an instrument of expression? Do they often handle or caress objects? Does their business convey calm, or are they fidgety? Do they make physical contact with other people? Do they observe conventions of social distance (the space people leave between each other according to their social status and relationship)? Do they establish and maintain eye contact — and is this a sign of forthrightness, or an effort to discomfit or dominate others — or are they evasive about it?

What implements do they carry and use? Are these objects practical, like tools, or are they talismans? Does this person rely on instruments, or on thoughts and ideas, or on both?

All I can say is that my life better not depend on my ability to do this any time soon.

There are two more points but since it's super long as it is I will post those tomorrow as part of the book review. I hope this helps!

- Stoss Cue

Monday Writing Tips

I got these online.

Brainstorm words or images about your topic. Don't stop to evaluate their worth. Keep writing down ideas. When you can't think of another word, wait a while. Often the most powerful idea will surface after you have cleared all the less valuable ideas out of the way.

Write a page or two with your eyes shut.

It doesn't matter if you can't read what you've written. You are giving your mind permission to make "mistakes" and just get on with it.

Write with music in the background.

Experiment to find the style that you like. I prefer baroque or classical music. One of my writing teachers needed country and western.

Give yourself permission to be emotional.

If your writing begins to move you, experience the full emotion. Before your writing changes others it will change you.

-Owner's Don't Knock

Book Review

Hey Everybody! Ok so this is no kidding probably my favorite book in the whole entire world. And honestly as a wannabe writer this book scares me like nothing else. I have read it over ten times, and out loud to my siblings twice. This book is the wittiest book I have ever read. There are some books that you can sit there and go "yeah then he kills this guy, then he goes out with this girl but she's not the one" etc, fill in the blank, you know the predictable stuff. But if you can do that with this book I'd be very much surprised.


As an author I think that the difficulty in writing is coming up with something that will pull you back again and again, this book does that. I read it and I want to be like that when I write. If you need an author to go after look to Mrs. Turner here. And no kidding cross my heart and hope to never write again, you will find something new in this book every flippin time you read it. But anyway here is the back cover description:



"Gen is released from prison by the magus, the king's scholar. The magus finds Gen filthy, uncouth, and insolent, but he needs Gen’s skills as a thief. Without telling Gen where they are going, he takes him out of the city. They are joined by the magus’s two apprentices, Sophos and Ambiades, and by Pol, a soldier.

The journey is dangerous, and the travelers grate on each others’ nerves. None of the main characters are exactly what they seem to be. By the end of the book, secrets are revealed, relationships adjusted, and respect between the travelers is lost and won."
Actually this is Wikipedias description of the book and its a decent synopsis. But believe me, you will come away from reading this book with a greater desire to work harder on your writing. Also I discovered while looking for a cover to show you that there are 3 more books!!!! So I am going to get my hands on them, and if I like them, you will no doubt hear about them from me.


-Stoss Cue

Help!

Hello everyone! It's a beautiful day here in Iowa, and I'm thoroughly enjoying my last day of freedom before school starts. Some things that I've been thinking about for awhile and I'd like some of your thoughts:

I have a hard time setting time apart for things like writing and such. What are techniques that you use to set time aside for stuff like this?

Also while I love listening to music for inspiration, sometimes I feel like it directs my stories just a little too much. What other routes of inspiration do you guys use? Have you had this problem? If so, how do you deal with it?

I'd appreciate any (or all) advice that you guys could give me.

Also I've posted some writing that I've done (not finished worked on) that I'd like you guys to look at. It's on my Trilogy page. If you have any thoughts on this or my Q's either send me a e-mail, or post here.

Thank you!

-Stoss Cue

No Air, No Breath, No Life

Just posted on True Blue Abbi
A bit of my writing I did this morning.
-Owner's Don't Knock
I'd really appreciate it if you told me honest opinions in the comment section.
Thank you.

I talked to you last night. I swear there was magic in the air. Why do you have to be so far away? I want you here to hold me close and whisper in my ear. "Darling it's alright, I'm not going anywhere." But no, you're leaving me behind with tearstains on my cheeks. You have to go, you say but it's for your family's sake. I hate that you're gone, I hate that I'm here. Let's just run away dear, find somewhere safe to hide. I need you close, for you're my air ♥

TT-Different Writing Styles

I thought that since we'd been slacking off I'd hurry and find you guys another post topic. Just make sure to read the last post to... I found that this was a little helpful in learning the different writing styles. Maybe you'll find out what type of writing you do, or would like to do!

-Owner's Don't Knock

While researching this topic, you may have found many different answers to what are the different types of writing styles. No two answers are the same. They range anywhere from your personal way of writing that is your writing style to formal and informal. Many people feel the best answer to what writing styles are those that will be outlined below. You can decide for yourself if this definition suits yours.

The term creative writing covers a range of writing areas. Poetry, fiction books, short stories, and screenplays are considered creative writings. Any writing in which is not strictly non-fiction is classified as such.

Journalism and news reporting are forms of Expository writing. The purpose is to focus on one topic and inform the reader by providing the facts. These writings can be seen in the form of travel brochures, professional journal, business reports, and newspaper articles.

Descriptive writing is what gives you the mental pictures of what we have read. It uses a lot of adjective and adverbs to describe things. When descriptive writing is very good you can close your eyes and know exactly what the author is saying. The kind that makes you taste what the characters and see what they are seeing.

Analytical Writing is a writing that focuses on a topic and then verifies the purpose of it. It is often taught to school age children throughout their years because it is something they will use in their life.

Book reports, conference papers, thesis, essays, and dissertations are all academic writing. It is created using a third person point of view and deductive reasoning supported by facts. Its purpose is to show a clear understanding of a subject by presenting information.

Technical Writing is used in owners manuals, how to guides, magazine articles, and design specs just to name a few. Its purpose is to take complicated technical information and turn it into something the intended audience can understand. Technical writing usually deals with electronics of all sorts, chemistry, robotics, and finance.

Any kind of writing that has to do with business matters is considered business writing. It is concise and to the point. Your intended audience wants to know what happened and why, but with minimal detail in between. An active voice is necessary in business writing. It keeps people focused and shows that you are in control of situations.

Correspondence is the writing of memos, letters, or emails between people. It is a message that is sent between two people or groups of people.

To provide facts & statistics and having the ability to influence your readers with your words is persuasive writing. This is used for products ads, political campaigns, or any kind of promotion. It is not necessary to prove why something else is wrong or bad. You just need to prove why your promotion is better.

Narrative writing is used to tell a story or list of events that have already happened, might have happened, or could happen in the future. These writings may include novels, poetry, short stories, or a number of other things.

A lot of times many of these styles are meshed together in our writing. Business writing and technical writings are often one in the same as are academic writing and analytical writing. With the overlapping of the styles it is hard to define one writing style from another, you can guess it is all a matter of the point of view you are looking at it from and your opinion.

Tuesday's Tips

Hey everyone! Sorry things have been crazy. I'm trying to find time to post. I think once I start school up things will get easier and both Shayla and I will be able to post on the blog more often.
Thank you so much everyone for your patience. It means alot that you guys are with us on the AA team!
-Owner's Don't Knock
PS- If anyone would like to guest post this Saturday (on any writing subject) please email us at shayla.danielson@gmail.com
Reminder-Submit your own writing to be featured on the blog!
Reminder-Make sure to vote on our poll and check out how we're doing with OUR personal writing when you stop by!
Thank you everyone(:

1. Do not compare yourself with others.
We each have our own path to success. Some people are shooting stars. Others are slow and steady. Each may reach the same goal, but at a different pace. Do this: compare yourself only with yourself. Is each new manuscript better than your last? Did you send out more query letters this year? Were your contest scores higher this time around? And always remember -- another author's success does not mean your failure.
2. Find your strengths.
Forget what's trendy and discover what kind of story you write best. Perhaps your writing partner writes wonderfully emotional vampire tales. Does this mean you should write emotional vampire tales? Only if you're good at it. Perhaps you write light, funny, and inspiring tales instead. Write them. No market for them, you think? Doesn't matter. Any book that is strongly written and tells a compelling story will find a place in the market, no matter what the trend is that day.
(And if you can spot today's trend, it's probably just about over.)
3. Don't be in a hurry.
Many yet-to-be-published writers yearn for publication (I know I did). Rejections can be heartbreaking. But take the time to make what you submit to be the very best it can be--no matter that it takes three years for you to finish. It will be much better for your career in the long run to confront the publishing world with a spectacular book that they will get behind, than a mediocre book that is just publishable and will languish in the warehouse.
4. Don't be afraid to write in the manner in which you write best.
Some writers outline, outline, outline then chart each scene before they can even put fingers to keyboard. Other writers sit down and start page one with no clear end in mind. Both of these writers can end up with a wonderful book. Neither is right. Neither is wrong. If you write best with charts, make charts. If you write best simply writing, then write. Never let someone else tell you that your way of writing stories is wrong. It is right--for you.
5. Be strong.
Readers read to live in a different world from the everyday one. Or perhaps they seek the same world, but one funnier, happier, more dramatic, more emotional, more passionate. Give it all you've got. If you write humor, be hysterical; if you write passion, be wild; if you write emotion, make yourself cry (your reader will too).
6. Be knowledgeable.
Market research is as simple as going to a bookstore and observing what's on the shelves. Do you love writing wild pirate tales? Who else is writing them? Who is publishing them? Find out who the publishers are and where they are. Most have their addresses printed on the copyright pages of books. Search The Writer's Market (the latest edition can be found in the reference section of any library) for names of specific editors. Mail your query or manuscript (Writer's Market will tell you which they want) to that editor.
7. Read authors you admire.
If you admire an author, it's probably for a good reason: they are wonderful storytellers, or they have a lively prose style, or their characterizations are fantastic--or all of the above. Learn from these authors, try to discover how they do what they do. That said, also read widely outside your target genre. Find strengths of other genres to pull into your own to keep it fresh. (And if you read a book that you love, that touches you in some way, write the author and tell him/her so. Authors like to know whether they have done their jobs!)
8. Critique groups are not for everyone.
Critique groups can be marvelously supportive, or they can be stifling. I personally write best in a cave, occasionally coming out to ask an author I trust whether I am going off the rails. If you feel your critique group will not you let you write the strong books you feel you are best writing, don't be afraid to go it alone. On the other hand, if your critique group gives you wonderful help and support, don't be afraid to stay.
9. Don't waste time and money.
The best way to write publishable books is to read books then sit down and write books. Everything else is optional. Develop a critical, honest eye for your own work. Many traps exist out there for the desperate-to-be-published author. Save your money. Never pay to get published. You are writing so that people will pay you, not the other way around.
10. Write every day.
If you produce only one page and you throw it away the next day, it doesn't matter. Writing every day keeps your writing muscles in shape. Continuing to write will teach you how to write better than anything else. You'll learn something new every day!

Tuesday's Tips

So sorry the schedule has been out of wack. Things have been ridiculously hectic ALL summer. I thought I'd take a minute and post on here so you guys aren't stuck in the dust.
Just a few random tips I found on google....
-Owner's Don't Knock
1. Cut the boring parts

I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~Elmore Leonard

Unless you’re writing for personal reasons alone, you need to consider the attention of your readers. There’s no point is publishing content that isn’t useful, interesting, or both.2. Eliminate unnecessary words

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain

I used to feel that using words like “really”, “actually”, or “extremely” made writing more forceful. It doesn’t. They only get in the way. Cut them and never look back.3. Write with passion

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth

It’s not hard to realize that unless you’re excited about your writing no one else will be.4. Paint a picture

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov

Simply stating something is fine, but when you need to capture attention, using similes, metaphors, and vivid imagery to paint a picture creates a powerful emotional response.5. Keep it simple

Vigorous writing is concise. ~William Strunk Jr.

Maybe it was all those late nights, struggling to fill out mandatory 10 page papers, but many people seem to think that worthwhile writing is long and drawn out. It’s more difficult (and effective) to express yourself in the simplest possible manner.6. Do it for love

Write without pay until somebody offers to pay. ~Mark Twain

When you’re just starting out it’s hard to decide where to begin. So don’t. Just start writing. A blog is a good place to start. The most valuable benefit is the feedback.7. Learn to thrive on criticism

You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance. ~Ray Bradbury

Writing means putting yourself at the mercy of anonymous hecklers and shameless sycophants. Learn to make the most of the insults and distrust the praise.8. Write all the time

Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed. ~Ray BradburyThe way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn’t behave that way you would never do anything. ~John Irving

9. Write what you know … or what you want to know

If any man wish to write in a clear style, let him be first clear in his thoughts; and if any would write in a noble style, let him first possess a noble soul. ~Johann Wolfgang von GoetheLearn as much by writing as by reading. ~Lord Acton

Successful writing is all about trust and authority. It makes sense to write about your area of expertise. If you don’t have an expertise, reading and writing is the best way to develop one and put it on display.10. Be unique and unpredictable

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. ~G.K. ChestertonConsistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. ~Oscar WildeZest. Gusto. How rarely one hears these words used. How rarely do we see people living, or for that matter, creating by them. Yet if I were asked to name the most important items in a writer’s make-up, the things that shape his material and rush him along the road to where he wants to go, I could only warn him to look to his zest, see to his gusto. ~Ray Bradbury

Following what works will only get you so far. Experiment with new styles, even if it means taking criticism. Without moving forward, you’ll be left behind.

Today's Entry

Thanks to Shelby for sending a poem into us. I really liked it and I think the message is important:

And everytime she turned around
She saw someone falling down.
Her eyes deep into their soul,
Making them look like a fool.
The dropped down to her glory
Making sure that they looked sorry.
Even though they did nothing wring
She glares at them as if they did.
Her piercing eyes that guys fall for
When really she is just a bore.
So when she says get outta my way
I will not obey because I know she
Doesn't rule the World.
And she doesn't own me.

-Shelby

Thanks Shelby! A note to remember that while people will try to bully you, you can make them stop by standing up for yourself. You are worth it, and you deserve to be treated with respect.

I'd like to add a note of thanks to Kayleigh and Katie for joining our blog this past week! See you all on Monday and have a glorious Sabbath!

-Stoss Cue

Your Time to Shine

Hello Everyone!

This is something that I've been toying with trying, and I thought I'd give it a shot over the next couple days. Abbi is going to be gone and I was thinking about the different stuff I could do for the blog while she's gone. I was thinking to myself (while I was on the couch); This is a writing blog. It needs writing, and not just from me but from everyone. So for the next couple days you guys can send stuff to me that you've written and I'll post it here on Authors Anonymous. Anything from poems to short stories; excerpts from stuff you're working on, stuff you've finished, ideas or tips you have...I'll take anything and everything.

If there's a good turnout I'll talk to Abbi and we might try doing this more often. So if you're interested in this go ahead and send it to shayla.danielson@gmail.com . I'll need your stuff in by Saturday and I'll have them all posted on the Front Page by Saturday night.

Hopefully this will all work out! I'm a little anxious (fingers crossed), so I'm a little on edge. I can't wait to read the stuff you guys have come up with.

-Stoss Cue

It's Another Wondifferous Wednesday!

Good Afternoon One and All!

I just returned from the very very last day of detasseling! I am sooooooooooo happy! My feet hurt, as do my arms (corn rash and sunburns...ick!) but I love the pay! I am really pretty mercenary you know, I'd do a lot for money.

I am thinking about writing a short story about some of my more colorful detasseling experiences, if I do I'll post it here and ask your opinion on it. But for right now I have written to remind you that today is Q & A day. Please write and send all questions and mailto:shayla.danielson@gmail.com. We appreciate your questions and suggestions. I do especially, I learn right along with you while we're looking for answers. It's awesome! You guys think of a lot of things that never occur to me.

It's a glorious day and life looks good...as will my arms when they quit looking red and start looking tan...again ick. Have a beautiful day, smile and be cheerful, see how many people you can get to ask you what you're happy about. It irritates them to no end if you admit you have no idea (or worse that you are following my advice).

- Stoss Cue

My Writing Monday

Sorry about not posting a bit last week. I've been ridiculously busy and sick.
Including on my birthday yesterday!
Anywho, here's a poem I wrote a couple years ago.
Please tell me what you think about it in the comments!
I'd love to hear what you have to say.

TEARDROPS
As my teardrops hit the floor, I think of you once more.
For you're the reason why I feel as if I could die.
I don't know what happened between us, we were so close.
I could use another dose of your love.
I never knew what to say when I saw you with her on that dreary Saturday.
But, come what may, there's a chance it won't stay, too deep down in my heart.
As I see you in the hallway I try not to leave a trace of the tearstains on my face.
But, whenever my teardrops hit the floor, it's because I'm thinking of you once more.
(Copyright 2011 Abbigayle Rashae)

-Owner's Don't Knock