Why did you like THAT horrible book?

I've been reading book reviews on Amazon.com this morning.  Websites that encourage feedback from its client readers provide, in theory, a wonderful service to consumers.  After all, there are millions of titles out there to choose from, so hearing what others who have experienced a story first hand have to say may help you narrow your selection of potential buys.  But the sites offer more insight than that, especially to other writers.

We all know writers know the importance of genre in marketing their work and identifying with a their target audience.  But readers don't.

Before I was a writer, I read what my friends recommended were "awesome" books.  I had friends who were active in their churches and friends who were Goth.  Tattooed, pierced friends and friends who competed in beauty pageants.  Athletes and Dead Heads...and althletes who followed the Dead.  Clearly, their taste in books was as diverse as the people I hung out with.  I wound up reading across genres and sat in with various target audiences.  Reading the reviews on Amazon, it's clear to me others do the same.

Consider these stats:

New Moon, Stephanie Meyer's second book of the Twilight saga sensation, received 2,232 Amazon reviews that break down like  this:

5 star:		(1,394)
4 star:		(388)
3 star:		(191)
2 star:		(123)
1 star:		(136)

If 3 stars represents "average," then 450 people, or roughly 20% thought the book was average or below average.

One of my all-time favorite books, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte has received 888 Amazon reviews: 

5 star:		(613)
4 star:		(147)
3 star:		(44)
2 star:		(28)
1 star:		(56)

56 people thought Jane Eyre deserved a 1-star rating!

The Stand, by Stephen King.  Its complete, uncut version received 1,018 customer reviews on Amazon:

5 star:		(779)
4 star:		(98)
3 star:		(63)
2 star:		(37)
1 star:		(41)

141 readers out of 779 thought The Stand was just "eh."

Just for fun, I checked out The Holy Bible.  I won't post those results here, since many of the comments  argued over religious tenets or over translation of certain versions, but I still found it hilarious that The Bible received negative customer reviews.

It does make my point, though.  Not everyone will fit into one writer's target audience.  As writers, we need to keep this in mind along every step of our journeys.  Negative feedback in our careers is a statistical certainty.  We'll draw it when we share our work on our blogs, with crit groups, and with agents.  We'll hear it from editors and publishers.  And once our books are in print, we'll read it on Amazon, Goodreads, and anywhere else where the general public is welcome to share their opinions.

When your book is published, do you think you'll want to read the negative reviews?

Why or why not?

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming...

I wish!

Life's got me spinning in circles -- and I'm trying to write.  It's the kids' last week and a half of school before summer break -- a crazy, busy time!  I wanted to publish a quick post, though, letting you all know that I'm thinking of you.  I'm reading as many of your insightful, creative posts as I can squeeze in between breaks.  Wish I could respond to all of them!

Have a fantastic day!  

A Full House Usually Wins...

When hubby and the kids said I could choose anything to do on Mother's Day, I said without hesitation that I wanted the four of us to spend the day hiking around DeSoto Falls in the North Georgia Mountains.  Summer posted pictures of her day trip there on Saturday, inspiring me to finally visit the place I'd only written about in a short story but never actually been to.

I left my camera in the car (arg), so thank you Great Georgian Properies(dot)com for this gorgeous shot of the Upper Falls.

As always, I had my pocket-sized Moleskin journal with me, noting the sights, smells and sounds that inspired me as we made our way along a moderately rugged path through the lush forest.  The tallest broadleaf hardwoods in the Chattahoochee National Forest towered 100 feet above us, and the glimpses of blue through occasional breaks in the canopy would have looked artificial had I mixed that color and tried to paint a sky on canvas.  Nature so pure isn't meant to be captured or reproduced; only enjoyed.

Which is why I was so unnerved when we made our final stop of the day.

After leaving the DeSoto Falls Scenic Area, we drove over the summit and into the valley of Blairsville, Georgia.  Nestled at the base of rolling peaks is a quaint cluster of mountain artisan boutiques and country stores.  In one, where they sell beautiful, hand-hewn furniture carved from solid wood, one can also purchase this:

and this:

 

I cursed myself again for not having my camera with me, but thank you Jacob K for his Flickr Collection titled Georgia, for capturing these shots!

I'm not an animal activist, but I clearly fall somewhere on the spectrum of respect for animals' rights.  Taxidermy had always been an art form I didn't particularly understand or appreciate, but I'd never considered it cruel.  Certainly, I understand a hunter's desire to admire the fruits of his game.  But after spending a day basking in nature and celebrating the planet and all its glory, seeing those magnificent animals frozen in poses created from someone's cruel sense of humor struck me as nauseating mockery.  

The price tag on the bear was $599.  The raccoon cost $385.  There was actually a nice selection of raccoons to choose from.  If the canoe wasn't appealing, you could go with: a seated raccoon trying to open a can of Coca Cola between its legs; a raccoon seated with a paw dug into an open box of Cracker Jacks; a raccoon holding five fanned-out playing cards (a full house with kings and queens -- a winning hand, ironically); or a raccoon dressed in tiny hiking gear and holding a compass.  Also available for a mere $181.50 each were canoe-paddling squirrels and squirrels dressed in cowboy regalia.

The good news is those bears, raccoons and squirrels got my writer gears turning.  A brilliant idea (if I don't say so myself) for my antagonist popped into my mind and resulted in a scribbled page and a half of notes in the old Moleskin.  It's going to be a good writing day today!

Did you see anything this weekend that sparked a new idea or twist for your story? 

A Mother's Promise

My children are eleven and ten.  We're standing on the threshold of the teenage years, and a part of me is scared to death.  But it will pass quickly.  Too quickly.  Like our first decade together.  One day, soon, they'll be grown and moved on to live their independent lives.  I wonder how they'll look back on their childhoods?


What I want my children to remember about me as a mother:


That my face lit up each time they entered a room.

That putting their own well-being above my own was a natural reaction and not a choice I felt I had to make.

That I believed in my heart they chose me as their mother, and that I honored that choice every day.

That I was only human and made mistakes, but I understood the importance of admitting my errors and asking for forgiveness.

That I encouraged them to live their own lives, not a life I wished for them.

That I appreciated self-expression in any way it manifested itself in my children.

That I needed my own time, not because I was selfish, but because giving that to myself made me a more centered person and a better parent.

That we laughed A LOT.

That it was okay for us to get mad at each other, healthy even.  But that I was never too proud to make the first move toward reconciliation.

That I was always the last to release a hug.

That I looked them in the eye and said "I love you" every single day.

That I believed kindness and generosity toward others were high priorities in life.

That I wasn't afraid they'd stop loving me if I answered "no."  And if my answer was "no," there was a reason behind it.  I never said "no" because I didn't want them to have fun, or to punish them unfairly.

That I recognized their talents and encouraged their interests (even if I didn't find those things interesting).

That school mattered.  If they got a "C" when they worked their hardest, then I applauded their "C."  If they got a "C" when I knew they could have done better, I came down hard on them.

That I demanded success from them, so they would learn to demand success from themselves.

That I thought they were the coolest people on the planet.

And above all else, I want my kids to always remember how much I love them.  From the day I learned I'd conceived, to the day they were born, beyond the day I die.  I will always, always love them.

Here's to being the best mothers we can be.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone! 

Blog Love to Spread!

I'm coming off a rough week, but my heart's on the mend.  My blog has been the one thing that kept my mind occupied and my spirits up, and I'm so grateful for each an every post and comment I've read from all of you.  You never know, as you type your thoughts for the day, how much those words will touch another's life.  How powerful writing is!

Receiving blog awards has also been the frequent burst of sunlight on my stormy week.  Thank you so much for thinking of me!  I love to search through my list of awesome followers and choose people to pass the awards on to, including those I haven't visited often enough (reconnect, read what y'all have been saying of late!), new friends (especially those I discovered during Spread the Awesome), and my blogger BFFs.  I truly appreciate everyone who felt compelled to click that follow button!  So, without further ado...

Two sweet bloggers who I adore passed this award to me are E.Elle at The Writer's Funhouse and Julie Dao at Silver Lining.  Thanks, girls!

This goes to:
Victoria Dixon at Ron Empress
Erin at Bookish in a Box
Jamie Burch at Dancing Down Serendipity Street
Mariah Irving at Constantly Risking Absurdity
Gina Maxwell at Passion on Paper

Thank you Jai Josh for this gorgeous award!  Her blog rocks; if you haven't been by to visit, I hope you do so today :)

This goes to:
P.J. Hoover
Milton at KittyChat
Charmaine at Wagging Tales
Jen Chandler at From Inkstained Hands
Emily White at Stepping into Fantasy

I have three wonderful blogging friends to thank for the You Are My Sunshine award!  Wendy at On 'n' On 'n' On, Tori at Head in the Clouds, and Christine Danek at Christine's Journey.
This goes to:
Amber at Musings of Amber Murphy
Janna Qualman at Something She Wrote
Hilary Wagner
SarahJayne at Writing in the Wilderness
Lisa and Laura Roecker

The lovely Angie Paxton passed this awesomesauce award on to me.  She has incredibly insightful posts, please visit her!

This goes to:
Clarissa Draper at Listen to the Voices
Eternally Distracted
Suzanne Hayze at Tales of Extraordinary Ordinariness
Kelly Polark
Tina Laurel Lee at Watch Me Practice

Thank you to a great writer and almost neighbor of mine, VR Barkowski for this award.  She's fantastic; I hope you check out her blog today!

I'm passing this on to:
Danyella Leafty
Heather Dougherty
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Yamille at The Che Boricuas
Miss V at Rambles & Randomness

And finally, thank you to the sweet Laura Marcella at Wavy Lines for awarding me the Superior Scribbler Award.  Check out her colorful blog, you'll love it!

This goes to:
Alexandra Stostak
Emily Ann Benedict at Benedictions
Nevine at Dreams, Deliriums and Other Mind Talk
Amy Jo at Ramblings of a Novice Writer
Steena Holmes at Chocolate Reality





Phew!  That's some crazy linkage, there.  I wish I could link every follower on posts like this, because every one of your blogs has something amazing and unique to offer.  Click the links -- I hope you find new friends from here!!

On a side note:  Please take a minute to click your own profile picture from my Follower's mosaic.  When you do, verify that a link to your blog is visible.  I tried to pass awards on to many people today but couldn't because there's no virtual trail from your profile pic to your blog. :(

I hope you're all enjoying the weekend so far!

Spread the Awesome Contest Winner

WINNER!!

Congratulations to Liz S.!!!

By roll of the virtual dice (a handy feature at Writing.com!), Liz's comment number 65 was drawn, making her the winner of my Spread the Awesome Contest!

Liz won a copy of Among the Hidden, the first book in the seven part Shadow series by

Margaret Peterson Haddix

~AND~

a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble!

(Liz, please email me your mailing address to heftynicki(at)writing(dot)com.  Thanks!!)

Thanks to everyone who follows my blog!  Meeting you, reading your comments each day, and having the opportunity to follow your blogs make my blogging experience rich and truly amazing.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

She said, She said...

Conflict is vital to fiction.  No one wants to read a story about happy people who have their lives figured out.  How boring.  And people expect authenticity in the stories they read.  Everyone has issues in life.  Everyone's struggling to work through their problems.  People read fiction both to escape their own lives for a moment and to get lost in a world of other people's problems.


Conflict comes in different forms: with self, with others, with the environment, with society, etc.  Today, because I'm chin deep in conflict with another person in my inner circle, I'll only talk about conflict with others.  Hey, blogging is cheaper than therapy.


When crafting conflict between two characters, keep in mind that there will be more going on besides the central problem facing the characters.  Hone in on the characters' fundamental differences.  Consider the things in their personalities that are inherently contradictory, the things neither see as a problem nor think should be changed.  These are the things that complicate problem-solving and contribute to convincing conflict.


For example, you have a central problem brewing between Character #1 and Character #2, perhaps one accused the other of betraying her confidence in some way.  You can deepen the fictional problem by mimicking reality.  In real life, people hold against each other certain aspects of their personalities or psyches, which become factors when trying to resolve the central problem. 


What if Character #1 is a person who was so affected by her chaotic upbringing, that she developed a strong work ethic, an appreciation for material objects she worked hard to obtain, and a low tolerance for disorganization in herself and others.  Enter the second character, who is spoiled by a life of ease and financial abundance, so that Character #2 is careless with her belongings since there will always be a maid to clean up behind her or a credit card to replace what's missing or broken.  These characters are dealing with a breech in confidence, but their fundamental differences, in real life, would come into play.  Write them into your fiction and you'll have a riveting, believable conflict.


One possible direction to take this example is to have Character #2 feel justified in breaking confidence, because Character #1 is, in her opinion, a judgmental witch.  You could write frustration into Character #1, who feels that Character #2 always plays the "judgement" card.  Character #1 would have been exasperated in the past with Character #2's habitual behavior: always late for get-togethers, forgets to wish Character #1 a happy birthday year after year, offers Character #1 the guest bedroom that's normally where the dog lives (shed fur everywhere, smelly and stained rug, etc.), etc.  Character #2 would, in turn, hate always feeling like she has to apologize for herself to "Miss Perfect" Character #1.


Real life is like this, isn't it?  When there's conflict between people, a fight never stays within the perimeters of the immediate problem.  The past gets dragged into it, personalities and "isms" come into play, and anger just stirs up old, smoldering coals until a new bonfire is blazing.


Conflict in fiction that feels the most authentic mimics real life.  It pays in the long run to spend time writing scenes or short stories about the characters' past interactions, their history together, and the reasons they act and react the way they do in the present.  Even if you don't use those stories verbatim in the novel, your knowledge of the characters' experiences, in life in general and in their history together, will create realistic conflicts and problem-solving.  Readers will readily buy into the characters' predicaments when they mirror both the compassion and the ugly realities of interpersonal relationships.


In preparation of a new WiP, do you write short fiction or vignettes about your characters' experiences outside the time frame of the novel?  Do you write from each character's first person POV, (despite the eventual POV choices of the novel), letting them talk about the other characters?  Is writing therapeutic for you, too?

Don't Be Blue

Me: Do you want milk on your cereal, sweetie?


Sidney: Yes, please.  Mama?  You look tired.


Me:  I'm just a little sad.  I found out this morning one of my short stories was rejected by a literary magazine.


Sidney:  Oh Mama!  It's okay.  When you're a writer, that happens.  You just gotta be sad for two minutes, then get on up to the next one and be happy.


Pretty good advice, from a ten year old.  There are a lot of things going on right now, bad and hurtful things, things out of my control. Draining my energy.  Zapping my creativity.  The magazine rejection is the latest, though easiest of them all to manage.


But, Sidney's right.  Sometimes, being happy is a choice to make.  Rather than give in to the sadness, the feelings of helplessness and despair, I can power through what I can't change, channeling every force in my heart with intention.  Staying positive, standing tall.  Life's too short to wallow in the negative.


Sidney lifted my spirits with her support.  Now, I'm off to cheer her on through her fourth grade's Field Day.  Sack races, water balloon wars, wet washcloth relays -- all under a cloudless, cerulean sky ruled by the hot, Georgian sun.  May children's laughter sate my soul.


I look forward to reading your blogs this afternoon.  In the meantime, do writers respond to rejection letters, form or personal, from literary magazines? What about rejection letters from agents and publishers?  Any advice is greatly appreciated!

(Artwork by Steve Keefer)

Enter my Spread the Awesome contest -- ends tomorrow!  DETAILS HERE

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Spread the Awesome!

to Spread the Awesome!

Elana Johnson had the inspired idea to organize a one-day blog series where participating bloggers choose a book which they love, to promote by sharing its merits with the rest of you!  Isn't she brilliant?  I've chosen Among the Hidden, by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Spread the Awesome blog series is organized as a round-robin, so that once you've finished here you can click the link at the end of this post to go to the next participating blog. 

Enter MY CONTEST at the bottom of this post to win a cool prize!

Margaret Peterson Haddix describes the plot of Among the Hidden on her website like this:

    "Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

    Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

    Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows--does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?"


I was introduced to Among the Hidden after my fourth grade daughter read it for her school library's Battle of the Books challenge.  Sidney loved it, saying the characters were people she really cared about. She said the ending was "so good!" and couldn't wait for me to finish so we could talk about it.  She only had to wait one day.  I devoured this book!


Haddix's story is fast-paced and full of suspense.  I was pulled into her world to contemplate what it would be like living in a society where free will was abolished, and cruel government policies trumped parental decision-making.  The story spurred lengthy discussions, as Sidney and I talked about the possible consequences of over-population and depletion of natural resources, both within the context of the book and in our real lives.  I reminded her that the book was purely fictional, but that the themes of restricted free will and strict government control were valid topics to consider.


We are both working our way through the rest of the seven book series.  The titles of all the Shadow books are:


Among the Hidden
Among the Imposters
Among the Betrayed
Among the Barons
Among the Brave
Among the Enemy
Among the Free

Among the Hidden, as well as the other books in the Shadow series, is recommended for children in grades 5-8 (reading level 9-12).

Please be sure to visit the next blog on today's Spread the Awesome blog series:

the lovely B.J. Anderson

For a list of all bloggers participating in today's Spread the Awesome series, CLICK HERE!

~Before You Go!~

It's contest time!  There are seven books in Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow series.  I'm giving away one new copy of Among the Hidden AND a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble, to get you started on the rest of the collection (or any another book of your choice!).

~To ENTER~

You must be a follower :)  Simply leave me a comment below AND leave B.J. a comment on her blog!  Drawing will be Friday, May 7th at noon, EST. Winner will be announced shortly after.

Everyone is eligible to win, including Spread the Awesome participants!

Different Methods for Different Writers

I've been reading blogs this morning, and have decided not to write my own post.  Instead, I'd like to promote a wonderful series happening today, started by the always entertaining Tawna Fenske at Don't Pet Me, I'm Writing.

Tawna's readers have asked what her writing methods are.  In response, she enlisted the help of five other writing bloggers, and the six of them have each written a post describing their personal approach to a novel, from curser blinking on a blank page to "The End" on the final draft.  I found their methods fascinating in their similarities and their differences.

For inspiring insight into the methods of other writers, check out these participating blogs today:

Tawna Fenske
Sean Ferrell
Cynthia Reese
Linda Grimes
Nelsa Roberto
Kiersten White

Have a wonderful weekend!

No Such Thing As Failure

How do you measure success as a writer?  Certainly, there are milestones an author reaches that confirms success:  securing agent representation; publishing a book or short story; being paid for your work; etc.  But what if you haven't yet reached any of those milestones?  What does success mean then?


I believe every draft is a success, even unfinished stories.  Each time I sit down and write, I learn a little more about the craft.  I may only have one gem sentence in 500 words, or one interesting character out of a cast of five, but that sentence or character is worthy of success.


My current WiP is my "starter novel."  I've said from the get-go that my goal is to finish it, learning the process along the way.  I believe I'll one day write a novel worthy of publication, but it's probably not this one.  I'm struck by both comfort and stress in this statement.  Comfort because it gives me the freedom to just write, but stress because writing a novel takes a lot of time and energy.  Sometimes I ask myself, am I wasting my time?


I read an interesting article on Writer's Digest.com by John Smolens that answered that question for me.  In "There's No Such Thing as a Failed Story," Smolens says, "For every five completed rough drafts, you’re lucky if you find one that you can develop into a finished short story, one that you feel is as good as it can be, one that you feel is ready to be sent out to editors."


Not only did this article reassure me about my current project, it provided a couple a-ha moments about writing in general.  Smolens talked about his mentor, the late Andre Dubois: "Most fiction writers, [Dubois] believed, are .200 hitters, meaning they hit successfully twice out of every 10 at-bats...For every five stories you send out, you’re lucky if one of them is accepted for publication." (Quote taken from same article.)  Having penned thirty-two short stories in the past two years, I can say with certainty that although I'm pleased with most of my work, there is only about twenty percent I would consider great stories.  And of those six, I've only had one accepted for print publication (and two more submitted that I'm waiting to hear back on).


From this article, I now realize I don't have to polish my current WiP, once the first draft is complete.  If, at that time, I don't feel the story is strong enough to peddle to agents, then I will move on to the next project with confidence that I'm not short-changing myself in any way.  I'm simply moving forward in my craft.




Published authors:  Have you written significantly more stories than you have sold?  Aspiring authors:  Does it encourage or discourage you to hear a successful writer say the majority of work by all fiction writers is unpublishable ?

TAGGED!!!!

I've been tagged in this fun Q&A game.  Fun!  Thanks to two of my blogging friends who thought of me after filling out the questionnaire below:  Brindle Chase enjoys writing paranormal erotic romances.  Visit her blog today!  And, Christine Danek of Christine's Journey also tagged me.  I love Christine's blog; it's one of my daily must-reads.  Pop over and visit her today, too!


The rules in this fab game are to answer 5 questions, 5 times, and then tag 5 other bloggers.  So here we go:


Question 1: Where were you five years ago?

1. Living in our tiny, "starter" house, dreaming of walk-in closets, pantries, and garages.
2. At my baby sister's wedding -- and just six weeks ago we welcomed their first child into the world!
3. Working out at the stupidist YMCA on the planet.  Group prayer was mandatory before every aerobics class.  Too bad if you were Hindu or Jewish or any other religion...  Oh, and we weren't allowed to say "Namaste" at the end of yoga classes.  Outrageous.
4. On the mall in Washington D.C. for the National Fourth of July fireworks, which were nothing short of spectacular!
5. Visiting Ground Zero in New York.  I'll never forget the silence.


Question 2: Where would you like to be five years from now?

1. Finishing my second novel, the first that I'll try to sell.
2. Querying agents for representation.
3. Writing from various locations on my super-duper MacBook (that I'd better have in five years!)
4. Debt-free.
5. On an exotic island celebrating twenty years of marriage with my wonderful husband.


Question 3: What is (was) on your to-do list today?

1. Write.
2. Get a haircut (It looks fab, in case you were wondering :)  *check*
3. Buy a couple tee shirts at Target. *check*
4. Wash laundry.  *crickets*
5. Pay bills. *check*


Question 4: What five snacks do you enjoy?

1. Chocolate
2. Cascadian Farms Organic Granola Bars (especially Mixed Nuts)
3. Plain, fat-free yogurt with granola sprinkled on top.
4. Apples and peanut butter
5. Homemade chocolate chip cookies....or just the batter


Question 5: What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. Go to the mall for a full day buying whatever I wanted without EVER looking at a price tag.
2. Buy the most expensive MacBook on the market.
3. Pay for education costs for all my children, nieces and nephews, for as long as they want to be in school.
4. Buy a beach house, a mountain house, a dessert house, and an apartment in Manhattan.
5. Create a not-for-profit company that builds and outfits schools, hospitals, and homes in African countries.


TAG!  You people are IT:


Jai Josh, for wearing a low-cut shirt for Cleveage Day
Justine Dell, for helping us all be better at grammar
Magically Ordinary, for sharing with us "Words of wisdom...
A fact of life...after Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F."

Charity Bradford, for busting a move on her blog today!

Talli Roland, 'cause her novel is ACCEPTED for PUBLICATION!!!!!

Open Wide

I submitted myself today to the semiannual joy of professional teeth cleaning.  In wrapping up her gig, the hygienist handed me a new toothbrush and sample floss, and I noticed the angry, purple dents along the sides of my fingers where my vice-like grip of entwined digits pitted bone against bone.  My shoulders, only now beginning to relax, ache to the blades.  I've sworn off coffee and red wine.  Damn them and the stains they leave behind.  My dentist is wonderful, but I won't miss her these next six months.

A new dentist's sign went up in a neighboring town, on the opposite end of the recently constructed plaza that houses a just-opened Mexican restaurant.  The new dental offices look clean, sleek and modern, from the outside, of course.  I won't step foot inside, so I will never be able to comment on the office interior or on the good dentist's services.  Why, you ask?  Because according to the sign, the dentist's name is Justin Payne, DDS.

Justin Payne?  Really?  As in:  Just In Pain?  Who in their right mind goes to a dentist with a name like that?  For that matter, what man chooses dentistry with a name like that!  If it had been me, and I was passionate about working inside the general public's mouthes, I would at least use only my first initial.  J. Payne, Super Dentist.  Throw in the middle initial even: J.S/T/W/P/Whatever it is. Payne.

Whether it's fair or not, names give us immediate impressions of the people who bear them.  Choosing character names for fiction is a fun and delicate business for this reason.  I once participated in a workshop on Characterization, and we spent a session discussing character names.  We were given an interesting assignment to open creative doors and raise awareness where names are concerned.  I'll print the assignment here, and anyone who wishes to give it a go should do so before reading the rest of this post, where I'll include my own answers:


Typically, all characters have at least a first name. Because of our own experiences, cultural or social background, age, etc., we often hold opinions about certain names. Names can suggest courage, sophistication, clownishness, intelligence, sex, race, class, religion etc. Here is a little exercise. Tell me what the names below mean to you, what we might deduce about the character.


1) Loyd (the author spelled the character’s name incorrectly for a reason, why would she do this?)
2) Marie Huguenot (this one is tricky)
3) Dr. Selim Sengor
4) Zeph
5) Colin Glass
6) Colie Bluestone

Note: The workshop was offered in 2008 through a writers group I belong to called Rising Stars.  The workshop leader's handle was Purivada, and I'm crediting this exercise to her, although I don't know whether she is the original author or not.  She has been an inactive member of WDC since May 2008, but you can view samples of her writing HERE.

My answers to this exercise in January 2008 were:

I love thinking about characters' names. Here are my immediate thoughts about these:

Loyd ~ He wants to stand out in a crowd he feels swallowed up in. He lacks self-confidence even though he has talents hidden in his heart.

Marie Huguenot ~ Married a wealthy man, keeping her in the social class she is accustomed to.

Dr. Selim Sengor ~ Brilliant man who was unable to prosper in the poor country he grew up in. Worked hard to get an education abroad, but doesn't see the respect he deserves in the eyes of his peers.

Zeph ~ Spiritually guided man who marches to the beat of his own drum. Regarded as a throwback but enjoys the edge he feels this gives him as a nonconformist.

Colin Glass ~ Work-a-holic who plays by the rules, striving for what he's been told defines 'success', but is emotionally shallow and out of touch in interpersonal relationships.

Colie Bluestone ~ Hhmmmmm ... Not sure. The only visual I'm getting is being played by Matthew Mcconaughey.

Do you enjoy finding names that represent, or contradict, your characters' personalities?  Do you find you change characters' names as your MS progresses and you learn more about them?  Do you hate the dentist?

Extra! Extra! (Contests!!)

Don't miss out on these two fab giveaway contests!

The fabulous Carolina Valdez Miller of Carol's Prints is celebrating surpassing 300 followers.  Whoot!  Her blog is top-notch, and I love her energy.  She's giving away a TON of signed books, y'all!  Click here, click here!!
And, every time she gets 50 more followers between now and May 25th, she's adding prize packages, so spread the word :))

The incomparable Simon Larter of Constant Revision  is celebrating more than 250 followers with an awesome, vodka-soaked, iambic metered contest.  All you have to do to enter is follow him and fill out the high-tech form, but you up your chances of winning when you follow his prompts and write a piece of flash fiction or metered poetry.  Lots of fun and great prizes!  Click here to read all about it!

Other great contests to enter today are:

Sarah Jayne's 150 Followers Contest - 4/28

Steena and Stina's OMG! Contest - 5/3

Steph Bowe's Massive Book GiveAway - 4/30

Noelle Nolan's 150 Followers Contest!

Good luck everyone!

Enthusiasm for Catching Fire

Synopsis:  Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.  (Source)




I loved this book as much as its predecessor, The Hunger Games.  Suzanne Collins is a masterful writer who understands the art of breakneck pacing in fiction.  I literally couldn't put Catching Fire down until I'd finished the last word.


All I can say is regardless of your preferred genre, to write or read, you will enjoy this book.  In fact, I you haven't yet, pick up copies of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and read them.  Then you'll be ready, like the rest of us, for the August 2010 release of Mockingjay, the highly anticipated third and last installment in the Hunger Games trilogy.


Have you read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire?  On a scale of one to five (with five being "On My List of Top Five All-time Favorite Books" and one being "Hated It!"), how would you rate them? 

Daredevil Living

I spent the day recently with my cousin and her family. A couple years back, she found out her husband was cheating. Their marriage teetered on the brink of the abyss for over six months, then slowly they worked their way back to each other. Now, they're solid. Granite solid. But when things were coming apart, my cousin declared to herself that life was too short to waste the good days. When you're knee deep in bad, you have new perspective. She decided she was going to go skydiving, something she had always wanted to do but never dared try.

A couple months ago, with her now faithful life partner next in the jump line, she did it. The two of them went skydiving. When I watched their videos, I was filled with awe that she would dare to jump out of a plane at 14,000 feet. She fell at a speed of 120 miles per hour! The picture of her, taken by the company's photographer that documents each jumper's experience, is now her computer desktop wallpaper. Firey sunset colors outline the profile of her body, and her face is the picture of pure, living-in-the-moment joy.

I'm not an adrenalin junkie, but I crave experiences that force me right in the middle of the present. I want my immediate senses hightened, my emotions raw and all about the moment, not the moment before or the one after. So, I've been thinking: What would that experience be, for me?

I've never scuba dived on a coral reef. That comes right to mind. I'm sure there are other ideas if I gave myself more time to think. But, scuba diving would be awesome! Oh, and I want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. And I want to climb over the top of the bridge at Sydney's harbor.....

What about you? If money were no object...what would you dare do?