BACK AT YA! Karen  Karen Cioffi The Article Writing Doctor Your Content Marketing Prescription Content writing services and training

Dear Karen,
Thank you for writing. It’s good to hear from you. I hope your New Year is filled with fun, good health, and love.

Never Give Up
Joan

Hi Joan, I’m a new writer and don’t really know were to begin I have written two books which I’ve not submitted to anywhere I’ve just got friends and family to read them and they loved them. I’m hoping 2015 will be my year to get my writing off to a running start x Happy New Year and I always love reading your posts. Sharon x x

Dear Sharon,
Thank you very much for writing. It’s a joy to hear from you. Good luck with your writing. I’m proud of you for writing. See if you can join a writers critique group. Having other writers read your work will be very helpful. Read books on the craft of writing. “Wired for Story” is a good one. I’m glad you like my blog posts. I hope you have subscribed to my blog.
Consider joining Pub Subbers to encourage you to get those manuscripts ready to submit to a publisher.

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Joan,
It’s great to hear more about you. It’s my pleasure to know you better and better. May all your goals be reached in 2015. And in an effort to add to that, I’m going to suggest another way to get you to laugh as you create books two and three featuring Larry, the Terrifying Turkey. Maybe you can include a section about a sheep. After all, 2015 is the year of the sheep. Just thought you’d enjoy thinking of some baaa-d jokes or puns. ;)

CONGRATULATIONS on your contract with GMTA Publishing, Ravenswood Publishing Imprint! That is awesome!

Joan, I wish you a preposterous new year.
I need to warn you about all that laughter. It is dangerous. You may think you are standing on solid earth, but actually it’s a balloon, and if you jiggle too much, laughing at things like Tweety, you could puncture it. Where will we be then?
:)
Bob

Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. It’s good to hear from you. Thanks for enjoying hearing more about me. I appreciate your good wishes for all my goals to be reached in 2015. Hmm! Including a sheep in the Larry, the Terrifying Turkey series might be interesting. I’ve got book two written, “Larry, the Terrifying Turkey Tames Billy, the Bull.” A sheep could add fun to the mixture. Thanks for your ideas to think of baaa-d jokes or puns. Fun, fun, fun! Thanks.

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Sandra,
Thanks for writing. It’s so good to hear from you. Thanks for your congratulations for my contract with GMTA Publishing’s Ravenswood Publishing Imprint. You are right. It truly is awesome. It’s a fairly new publishing company. I am excited about it. It’ll be fun to see Larry, the Terrifying Turkey in print!

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Dr. Bob,
Thanks for writing. It’s good to hear from you. Thanks for your wishes for me to have a wonderful New Year. I wish you an abundance of all that you want and need in 2015. BEing in a balloon that pops from jiggling so much from laughter would be fine. I’ll hang on and float down to earth or inflate a spare balloon. Laughter is healing. Thanks for reminding me I need to have Plan B!

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Joan,
Thank you,Joan you are an inspiration to all of us.

Dear June,
Thank you for writing. It is so good to hear from you. You are an inspiration to me, too.

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Happy New Year, Joan! I hope that 2015 is even more amazing than 2014 for you, and pray for health and healing in the days and months ahead. You are such an inspiration, my friend!

What a change, Joan. Instead of educating, assisting, helping or inspiring, you are actually marketing your own book!

Well done.

Go Flip! Go Joan!

Dear Dr. Bob,
Thank you for writing. Thank you again for your rave review of Flip Flap Floodle on Amazon, I’m glad you believe my marketing post was well-done.

Celebrate you now. Don’t wait.
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Linda,
Thanks for cheering Flip and me!

Celebrate you now. Don’t wait.
Never Give Up
Joan

Happy Marketing Joan!

Dear Susan,
Thank you for writing and wishing me Happy Marketing! I think people will love Flip Flap Floodle. Do something fun for you today!

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan

Flip, Flap, Floodle will likely become a classic like The Little Engine That Could. There are several positive messages for children. My favorite is never give up. Adults need that encouragement, too! Children will love the illustrations and the song.

Janis Silverman

Joan,
Sometimes, I’ve wanted to hide from reality. Closed blinds and silence shut me off from the real world temporarily. I wonder what others do when they experience this need.

Thanks for another good post in this series.

Good one. Wherer will I hide him?!?!!? Thanks, Joan.

Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. Sometimes I’ve wanted to hide from reality, tool But, reality will come knocking at your door or be at you heels, no matter where you hide. I try to keep myself so busy that I don’t have time to think about it.

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Mona,
Thanks for writing. I’m sure you’ll find the right place for your character. You have a good sense of story. You’ll find it.

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan

Joan,
I enjoyed dreaming of places to live, I mean for my MC to live. ;) Seriously, I found your suggestion very helpful about having the home setting add tension to the story, so much so that the MC may want to move. Thanks for your series about characterization.

Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. I’m glad you enjoyed dreaming of places for you and/or your characters to live. I hadn’t thought of what it would be like for me to live in each of these places. Life would have advantages and
disadvantages at each place, I’m sure.

Thanks for appreciating the characterization series. I’ve had fun doing it.

Celebrate today. Don’t wait.
Never Give Up
Joan

Loved the idea of someone going to 10 buildings on a block in search of a job! Great way to help us with our character building! Thank you Joan!

Dear Kathleen,
Thank you for writing. I’m glad that you loved the idea of going to 10 buildings in a block in search of a job and thought it was a great way to help you with your character building!

Celebrate you now.
Don’t wait.
Never Give Up
Joan

I took a city girl, put her in small town British Columbia, in an isolated ski resort. I used a fictitious town and ski resort so I wouldn’t be limited by an actual place. It’s fun to write about a character who is out of her element. Clothing was a change for her from city wear to ski resort wear.

Dear Kristina,
Thank you for writing. You were wise to take a city girl and put her in a small town in British Columbia in an isolated ski resort. Your character would definitely be in for a change in clothing.

Hurray for you and your characters!

Celebrate you now.
Don’t wait.
Never Give Up
Joan

These are great photos and good reminders to develop setting and its relationship with the main character.

Love,

Janis

Dear Janis,
Thank you for writing. I’m glad you believe these photos are good reminders to develop setting in view of its relationship with the main character.

Celebrate you today. Don’t wait.
Never Give Up
Joan

Another fun post, Joan. I think your imagination is going to town creating these mini-scenarios!

Dear Carol,
Thanks for writing. I’m glad you are enjoying this series of mini-scenarios for characters. I’m having fun, too. It’s a win-win situation. It’s especially good when other people read it and enjoy it with me.
Thank you.

Celebrate you today. Don’t wait.
Never Give Up
Joan

Joan,
Tis the season for yummy food…seems like we often want what isn’t good for us. Thanks for the wide variety of pictures and captions to stimulate creativity.

I did enjoy choosing foods for characters in a breakfast scene I’m writing. This post reminded me how I thought about what food would suit each one best.

Enjoy the holiday foods and get-togethers.

Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. You’re welcome for the wide variety of pictures. I’m glad they stimulated creativity and you were able to find breakfast items for one of your characters. Thanks for your holiday wishes!

Celebrate you every day of the year
Never Give Up
Joan

Now I just want breakfast. I write about athletes so there are a lot of cards in the diet. I have one pregnant character so that influences what she eats. I’m going think about putting in foods my characters don’t like. Thanks for the idea. Could make an awkward dinner party moment out of this.

Dear Kristina,
Thanks for writing. I’m glad you ate a good breakfast while reading my blog, even if only a cyber breakfast. I understand that your pregnant character would have to watch what she eats. Some pregnant women develop Gestational Diabetes…in which case they really have to watch their carbs and sugars. You’re right, If your character is adamant about not eating a certain foods and the only foods served at a dinner party in her honor fall into this list, it could create havoc unless she does her Yoga centering! Enjoy developing your great characters! You’re making me want to find out more about them!

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Joan,
Thanks. This was fun! I have a breakfast scene in a WIP and your post has given me the idea to add spilled milk. Simple, but it adds more tension to the scene. I’m sure others will keep these suggestions in mind when they’re writing too.

Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. I’m glad this post was fun for you. I had fun writing it and collecting the pictures. It’s neat that you thought of a way to add drink to your work-in-progress. Spilled milk is a simple addition, but, you’re right, it adds tension to the story. I’ve seen in movies where they have one person talking about the spilled milk and the other is talking about something completely different.

Celebrate you and your gift of writing
Never Give Up
Joan

Thanks, Joan. Answering questions like these helps us understand our characters better.
In “Emily’s Ride to Courage,” Emily’s mother is a doctor, so the family mainly drinks healthy things like water or milk or iced tea, but the occasional soft drink is allowed. Emily especially likes real lemonade.
In “Terror’s Identity” Brent’s parents don’t put up a fuss about soft drinks, though Mom doesn’t buy them very often. Brent likes coffee with a lot of milk.
In “Bad Hair Day,” Ayesha’s mom, a pediatric oncologist, doesn’t keep soft drinks in the house, but that doesn’t stop our girl from drinking them when she can. Still, she is conscious of her figure, so she’s careful about her sugar intake. The other main character in this book, Rachel, drinks a lot of milk. She wants to be a large animal vet and is raising dairy cows. She works too hard to worry about her weight.
Take care and happy Thanksgiving, Sarah.

Joan, another great way to develop our character for our manuscript! I love the one with no money to get drink out of soda machine and the motel person gives him one :)

Dear Sarah,
Thank you for writing and sharing what your characters drink and why. When readers know the answer to the why question in a story, it helps them relate.

You’re welcome for the post. I’m glad that my questions help you understand your characters better.

Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for you as a reader and as a member of Pub Subbers.

Celebrate You
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Kathleen,
Thank you for writing. I’m glad you liked the post and think it’s a great way to develop your characters for your manuscript. It’s great that you liked the one where the character didn’t have money for the soda machine but the motel person gave him one.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful you are my friend and you read and comment on my blog posts, too. How sweet!

Celebrate You
Never Give Up
Joan

A Happy Thanksgiving to you as well! I am grateful for your friendship :)

Dear Kathleen,
Thank you for the Happy Thanksgiving wishes and being thankful for our friendship!

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Thanks for the fun post Joan. Also thanks for the morgue file link, I didn’t know about them.

Joan,

I loved choosing between the different modes of transportation, but I didn’t anticipate the twist. After choosing just the right transportation, it is snatched away. Oh my! Definitely adds tension. I see me stepping out the door of my house to drive my car, the one with the smile, only to find a tractor trailer sitting there instead and Scotty’s pickup truck is being repaired. What will I do?

Thanks for the logo. It’s terrific and reminds me that my comments are valuable. Appreciate the gift!

Dear Linda,
I’m glad you loved choosing between the different modes of transportation! I’m glad that my twist at the end added tension and then you found yourself with a tractor trailer to drive instead of a pickup truck! Now there’s a challenge! Fun, fun, fun!

You’re welcome for the logo. I’m glad you think it’s terrific and reminds you that your comments are valuable. That was my hope.

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

My main character uses cross country skis, snow shoes, hiking boots and downhill skis. She occasionally uses a car. I try an only put the trip in if something exciting happens on the journey. Thanks for all the ideas.

Dear Kristina,
Thanks for writing. How awesome that your main character uses cross country skis, snow shoes, hiking boots and downhill skis. You are wise and a talented writer to remember not to put the journey unless it is significant to the story! You’re welcome for the ideas. It helped me brainstorm for my characters, too.

Celebrate today.
Never Give Up
Joan

Since I write fantasy, cars, trucks, anything motor-powered is out. My characters sail or occasionally travel by coach when they are in formal gowns, but the usual mode are horses, special breeds with their own magical abilities of course.

Dear Helen,
Thanks for writing. Aha, fantasy modes of transportation would include coach and horseback. A few dinosaurs or magical cars like in back to the future might be suitable. Seems you’ve got your characters mode of transportation picked out for them. You are very creative. Have fun with your writing.

Celebrate You
Never Give Up
Joan

Thank you for the special logo. Ooohhhh, what if?????? my Subaru that is just the right size for hauling my kayak, turned into a skateboard hauling a trailer!!! Picture this….oh never mind, I’m on the ground already!!! What fun, Joan, thank.

Dear Mona,
Thank you for writing. You are welcome for the logo made special to recognize you for making a valuable addition to my blog. I loved imagining you with your Subaru packed with your Kayak, when all of a sudden your Subaru turned into a skateboard strong enough to haul a trailer. Now that’s one fantastic skateboard. What an adventure!

Love, Joan

Joan, It made me so happy to see how you value your readers and commenters :) Again, transportation -what a great way to mold your character–if they were claustrophobic –what if they had to rent a car but only a compact one left–you sparked some really clever character building exercises! Thank you :)

Dear Kathleen,
Thank you for writing. I’m glad you rolled over to see this post about transportation. Without you and the others who read my blog and leave comments, I would have no reason to blog. You give me purpose and focus. I get excited when I see that someone left a comment on my blog. I get excited when I see that someone read my blog post. You bring me joy. Thank you.

I like the idea of a person who is claustrophobic renting a car but only a compact one is left. Thanks for the compliment saying that I sparked some really clever character building exercises! They were fun to create, too. It’s great that http://www.morguefile.com lets people use their pictures freely. What a wonderful gift!

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan

Joan,
Setting is very important and can even be a character. I tend to forget that sometimes. I like your line of thinking! You help us to think too. Photographs encouraged brainstorming. Something we could all try with our stories. Thanks!

Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. You’re right, setting is very important and can definitely be a character. I’m glad your like the thinking path I led you down. I agree that the photographs encourage brainstorming…one thought, then another. Finding a good picture with the mood you’re trying to set in a story will help you find the right words to describe it.

Celebrate you
You add joy to our world
Never Give Up

Joan
.

Many years ago I lived in Bermuda . So I’m going to say that my characters would be hanging out on the beach under some palm trees. Houses in #2 are looking quite familiar to me. I remember waking up in the mornings and usually finding a lizard on the wall flicking his tongue, just hanging out also. So, my character lives in a beach house because nothing else will do! Thanks Joan, a creative and fun post.

Dear Susan,
Thanks for writing me a note. Wow! You lived in Bermuda. My parents visited Bermuda in 1953. They loved it. I love your description of the lizard on the wall flicking his tongue. It helped me envision him. I’m glad this post was fun for you!

Celebrate you.
You are fun.
Never Give Up
Joan

Joan, what great pictures and ideas to get those creative wheels rolling in our heads!! Thank you!

Dear Kathleen,
Thank you for writing. I’m glad you loved the pictures and ideas. So glad they got your creative wheels rolling which leads to the post about getting from place to place.

Celebrate you
Keep creating your joy
Never Give Up
Joan

Mine would wear flip flops, of course! :) Or maybe stilettos, cowboy boots, loafers, or even sneakers. :) What a cute blog, Joan. Shoes do say a lot about a character and his/her personality. Thanks a bunch for sharing!

Well, this is an interesting post…never though of all those shoes unless they’re going on my feet. Thanks…got me thinking!

Dear Jennifer, Thank you for writing. You’re right, your characters would probably wear Flip Flops. I love your characters, Flip and Flop. You’re right, shoes do say a lot about a character and his/her personality. You’re welcome for my sharing.

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan.

Dear Mona,
Thanks for writing and for your compliment. I’m glad I got you thinking. Thoughts bring wonderful ideas!

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Loved this blog, Joan. Very creative–and will make me think more! Thanks for the pix too.

Dear Carol,
Thanks for writing. I’m glad you loved this blog post. Thanks for the compliment about it being very creative and made you start thinking about your characters shoes and perhaps your own.

Celebrate you
Enjoy your shoes
Never Give Up
Joan

Great question, Joan.

Mine would wear wing tips, spit polished and shined to perfection because as a child, he had to make do stuffing cardboard to cover the holes in the soles, and soles barely attached.

Dear Sandra,
Thanks for writing. Great description of the shoes your character would wear and why. Why is what pulls your readers into your story. Awesome. Great hearing from you.

Never Give Up
Joan

Joan,
The MC in my WIP would wear bedroom shoes–some sort of animal ones, but nothing pink. In my adult project, the MC would wear tennis shoes or comfy casuals, and sometimes socks only.
What a great exercise and lots of fun to think about. Nice of you to spotlight Jennifer Larson too. Lots of cool pictures.

Dear Linda,
Thank you for writing. Children love to wear animal bedroom slippers. Hmm…nothing pink means perhaps it’s a boy main character. Glad that your main character in your adult project enjoys wearing comfy shoes or just socks.

Thank you for the compliment about this being a great exercise and lost of fun to ponder. It was my pleasure to spotlight, Jennifer Larson. She is a jewel.

Celebrate you and your writing!
Never Give Up
Joan

They tried to call me once. Unfortunately, I was too busy to play. I want to play, too. ;) Just not when I’m busy.

Joan,
Such valuable posts about scams! Thanks! I’m glad you outsmarted the bad guys.

Dear Holly, Thank you for writing. You are delightful…when you were too busy to play with them.

Celebrate you and your sense of humor
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. Thank you for the compliment about my posts informing you about possible scams. Thanks for being happy that I outsmarted the bad guys. God is good to me. He helped me be alert and aware.

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan

Funny how they don’t like leaving messages! :)

It was a missed opportunity. I was a little sad, on hanging up. How often do you get INVITED to make a reverse prank call?

Dear Widdershins,
Thank you for writing! It is funny how they don’t like leaving messages, isn’t it? All those recordings of possible scam conversations. They wouldn’t want that. I hope you are doing well. I am asking God to bless you.

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Holly,
I love it. Glad you are on top of this so that you do not get scammed!!!
No fooling, Holly Jahangiri! No sir, she’s too smart for those scammers. Yippee!

Never Give Up
Joan

:) I do work in a high tech industry. I’ve never played, but I do enjoy 419eater.com, too. I behave… but I can get my vicarious kicks with the best of them.

Dear Holly,
Ah, good for you to know all the internet scams, then. I didn’t know about 419eater.com. It’s good to know about that.

Do something fun.
Never Give Up
Joan

Joan,
What a great service you have provided here and with so many details. Lots of great research and information. Thank you! It’s good to be cautious!

Joan, I am sorry this happened to you. But thank you so much for taking that experience and enlightening us all about it-so very helpful. I will now know and I will tell my mom as well!

Dear Linda,
Thank you for writing. I do hope this will help keep others for falling in the scammers trap.

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Kathleen,
Thank you for writing. I appreciate your being sorry this happened to me. It was a lady on the recording. I’m glad I figured it out by doing research and thinking that the IRS would contact me by U>S. Postal Service, if I owed the government money. Then the information on the IRS site and treasury site helped ease my mind, too. I’m glad you think it will help you and that you’re going to share the information with you mother.

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

Joan,
I write recipes on 3X5 cards. The smaller cards don’t contain enough space for me, usually. I have a wooden box that holds my 3X5 cards.

I remember hearing that Michael Critchton is known for writing a plot point per index card until he has a shoe box full. Then he’s ready to begin writing his book. Isn’t this done with 3X5? Do I have this story correct?

Joan, this post brings back memories of middle school. In history class we had to write out our entire rough draft on index cards and hand them in with our report. This particular teacher did this every year for every class-we used to joke that he used them to wallpaper his house! :)

Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. Using 3×5 cards for recipes is a great idea. Yes, I believe you’re right that Michael Crichton writes his plot points on index cards until he has a shoe box full.http://woelfdietrich.com/2014/06/11/michael-crichtons-method-for-plotting-out-a-story/.

Celebrate you. Cook one of your favorite recipes on one of your 3×5 cards.

Love,
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Kathleen,
Thanks for writing. Glad this brought back memories of middle school history class! Hmm! I had never thought about using 3×5 cards to wallpaper your home. There’s a new use!

Did the teacher’s idea work for you? Did it help you get the steps for your paper in order? I’m thinking, it probably did a good job of it.

Isn’t it interesting how different topics take us back to earlier times?
Puff! and we’re back in middle school!

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Love you,
Joan

Funny, I just had a mom at the playground ask me where she could buy index cards. She had gone to a discount store and a craft store and the cashiers DID NOT KNOW what index cards were. How is that possible? Well, I sent her to the office supply store, wondering why she hadn’t thought of that in the first place. Her answer? She’d never thought of them as office supplies – she needed them for a craft she found on Pinterest. Oh, what the world has come to. I personally use them to organize plot points, quiz my kids on their spelling and math, and track queries. –Katey

Dear Katey,
Thanks for writing and sharing your experience where a lady didn’t know where to buy index cards. It’s interesting that she had never thought of them as office supplies. Tracking queries on index cards is a great idea. Awesome! What a clever idea. Thanks for sharing it with me.

Celebrate you
Never Give Up
Joan

I really enjoyed this one. Didnt know that there were so many ways to use an index card. – Angela

Dear Angie,
It’s so good to hear from you. Thanks for writing. I’m glad you enjoyed this post about 3×5 cards. You’re right. It’s amazing and surprising how many uses index cards have. I hope you are doing well.

Love you,
Never Give Up
Joan

A lot of good ideas there. I put information about each chapter of my WIP on a card, like: Characters in that scene, Setting of that scene, and What happens. It helps me remember whether I’ve already said something before. :)

Dear Beverly,
Thank you for writing. I am glad you think there are a lot of good ideas for using 3×5 cards here. What a great idea to put each chapter of your Work in Progress on a card: characters in a scene, setting of that scene, and what happens in that scene. Thanks for sharing it. You’re right, keeping track of each chapter would help you remember when you said something so you don’t repeat it.

Celebrate you right now.
Never Give Up
Joan

Congrats on your accomplishment Joan!

Dear Erin,
Thank you. I appreciate that you are on the journey with me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you and my other readers.

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan

Congratulations on fulfilling a dream,my dear friend. I can already imagine you on that keynote speaker platform. You will wow and entertain, motivate and encourage. Keep dreaming and achieving!

Congratulations, Joan!

Joan, how great it feels to reach a longtime goal. And your faculty introd. at the conf. mentioned your natural encouragements to the chairperson. A motivational speaker, yes, I can see that in future. Why not, you are always postive in your responses to me and to us in Savvywordsmiths! How many times have I heard and read “Never give up?” That’s you.

How wonderful Joan! I wish I had been there to hear your presentations and support you. You have so much to offer.

Joan, Congratulations on one of your dreams coming true! You are so encouraging to us about our dreams, I so enjoy celebrating yours!! I am sure the SCWW participants learned so much from you!!

Dear Linda,
Thank you for writing and congratulating me on fulfilling one of my dreams. Thank you for envisioning me at a keynote speaker platform entertaining and motivating and encouraging the audience. You are such a good friend to dream along with me. Thank you.

Celebrate you.
Dream big dreams.
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Mona, Thank you for writing and for your congratulations. You are a good friend to cheer me on.

Celebrate you.
Dream big dreams.
Never Give Up
Joan

Dear Barbara,
Thank you for writing and encouraging me to go for my new dream, that I’ve got the qualities, that I just need the opportunity to show up. I appreciate your vote of confidence in me. You are a good friend.

Celebrate you.
Dream big dreams.
Never Give UP
Joan