Please join me for Part Two of my friend and author Vic Socotra‘s series of stories about one of our Congressional trips. We have now journeyed to Shanghai. 01 February 2001 Long Marchers by Vic Socotra I believe in traveling light, but there was no way for it on this trip- we would be in temperate, arctic and […]
What were you doing thirteen years ago today? Thanks to Vic Socotra, I can answer that in detail. Vic penned a series of stories about a Congressional trip to Asia when I was the Congressional liaison officer in charge of the trip, and he, a “strap-hanger.” Vic’s words bring back great memories for me and hopefully will […]
Christmas brings back my last happy memories with my father. Growing up as “Daddy’s little girl,” it was no family secret that we shared a special bond. Dad served in the Navy in my early years, and I enjoyed hearing sea stories and exotic tales of places he visited. One time he brought home from […]
When I joined the military, the Navy’s recruiting slogan was “It’s not just a job; it’s an adventure.” I lived that adventure for 25 years and experienced more than I ever imagined. And now, the adventure continues. A few months ago I received an e-mail from a former “shipmate,” Linda Maloney, asking if I was [...]
Sometimes we just have to have fun. Last week, all the way from Vancouver, Canada, Freedom the “Spokes-character” for Voice For The Horse Foundation Children’s International Writing Competition made his first U.S. stop in Bowie, Md. I’ve been fortunate to work as a volunteer helping coordinate the Voice For The Horse annual writing competition [...]
Yes, we CAN travel back in time…with books. Today Wendy Leighton-Porter, author of the Shadows of the Past time-travel novels, talks about a few of her sixteen time-travel adventures, and more. I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know this interesting woman who spends her time writing and enjoying life in the United Kingdom and southern France. [...]
I’d like to introduce you to a new, fun, interesting blog, and I’m obviously not the only one to think so. Since Chris, the Storyreading Ape’s New (To Me) Author’s Blog debuted in April, he’s had over 10,ooo hits from visitors across the globe. Chris stated he set up his blog “to be a resource [...]
Today I’d like to share with you advice for writers from Jon Bard, co-founder of Children’s Book Insider. Although the four-minute video speaks to children’s writers, I believe the advice applies to any writer. In Jon’s words - “[This] deals with one of the toughest things for writers to come to terms with: The need [...]
A double-header today! I’m pleased to bring you talented author DelSheree Gladden, and discuss her fifth book, Inquest: Book One of the Destroyer Trilogy (Volume 1). After DelSheree shares her thoughts on writing, character building and story creation, I’ve included a review of Inquest. So, please, take your seats, and enjoy the games. Game One: [...]
I wanted to share recent good news about two non-fiction stories I wrote. On December 1st, Barbara Connelli and Flagrans Press published “Irish Storytellers,” in Chique Anthology 2012: The Beauty and Inspiration of Travel. “Irish Storytellers” chronicles an adventurous trip my husband and I took in Ireland, including horses, and the joy of Ireland’s people. [...]
Following is a guest post I provided to the Lollipops and Books Blog recently, that I wanted to share with my readers here. One of the unexpected joys in writing Believing In Horses came from my brother, Eddy Ormond. A career educator, Eddy developed a keen interest in my book from the start and stayed [...]
I spend the majority of my time riding horses or writing stories. Since I know so many equine authors, it dawned on me there might be some kind of connection between horses and writers. In honor of World Animal Day, here’s a few ways I considered that horses are like writers (or writers are like horses): Horses [...]
I like to share, particularly when I’ve invested time at a conference and gained information of potential value to others. So, read on, and consider having saved yourselves several hundred dollars and a few hours of your lives. In your chairs, I’ll bring you highlights of a lecture and exercise during the American Horse Publications’ [...]
Today I am part of a group of virtual friends who are answering the question: What do you look for in a review? The Reading-Romances blog asked over 40 book reviewers, readers, authors, and book bloggers to share their thoughts on this subject today. I’m looking forward to seeing the answers from this widely varied [...]
An equestrian enthusiast and fan of this blog, Jenn Bohman, sent me this graphic I’m about to share with you. Jenn thought you, my readers, particularly the equestrians in the crowd, might be interested. I hope you are, and if you normally visit my blog to read about writing, well, take a break from writing [...]
I recently conducted a writing workshop that led me back to basics. You see, my group ranged in ages four to fourteen, and I had thirty minutes to teach them how to write a story. At the same time, I happened to be reading Stephen King’s On Writing, the best advice I’ve seen on the [...]
I’ve been studying blogging lately, and thought I’d share Derek Halpern’s easy reference “How to Write the Perfect Blog Post” with you. It’s okay, he gave me permission. Not all blogs are alike – use what works for you. I’ve personally struggled along the way. Has anyone else heard these voices: Is anyone reading this? [...]
I last posted about “Keeping It Real” in writing and mentioned how some people responded to my book, Believing In Horses, turning fiction into reality. Last week, some local children made a … Continue reading
This year, the Annapolis Book Festival included a panel, “Young Adult Books: Keeping It Real.” The title alone fascinated me, and I was thrilled to be part of it. The Key School in Annapolis created the Annapolis Book Festival 10 … Continue reading
I blogged recently about the value of receiving critiques as a writer. I then fortunately received the following guidelines from co-Regional Advisor of the Maryland-Delaware-West Virginia Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Edie Hemingway, on giving critiques. Edie graciously … Continue reading
It’s fascinating how our perspectives can change over time. Last year I attended the regional Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Spring Conference and saw people receiving critiques from an agent, an editor, and two published authors. I thought, … Continue reading
Not long ago, I received an e-mail that went something like this: “Dear Valerie, David E. Hilton’s debut novel KINGS OF COLORADO—now available in paperback (Simon & Schuster; January 3, 2012; $14.00)—is a powerful coming-of-age story set on a juvenile … Continue reading
Today I’m featuring a guest post by Edward H. Carpenter, on the re-emergence of the short story in literature. Ed and I became friends via Goodreads due to our military connection. I rarely see a military uniform in an author’s profile photo, so when I saw the Marine green, the Navy blue in me had to say “hi.” Here is a little about Ed and what influences his writing, in his own words:
“Well, I’m one of 12 children, a career military officer, a small business owner, and an athlete. I’ve flown planes and jumped out of them, served in war zones and looked into the empty sockets of skulls in a mass grave. I’ve lived in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, and traveled to more countries than I can list, but not nearly enough.
“Reading has always been a passion of mine, and writing is a small way to give something back, to contribute to the vast store of literature, which is both comfortingly constant and thrillingly ever-changing. I will always enjoy rereading an old favorite novel, and always enjoy discovering a new one. I’ve written non-fiction, poetry, and fiction, and look forward to doing so for years to come, eventually, with a bit of luck, making a career of it after I retire from the Corps.
“I include more about my influences and the basis for my writing in the author’s notes at the end of each of published story. Happy reading! E.H.C.”
The short story is a wonderful, but often overlooked form of literature that appears to be making a comeback. Pundits have recently declared that 2012 may be the “Year of the Short Story.” Famous writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King started their careers writing short stories, and it is in this genre that I myself have chosen to start my fiction-writing career.
That said, until recently, it has always been a difficult niche to get published in. Many magazines offered little or no payment for stories, and those that did were deluged with thousands of submissions every month, of which only two or three would be selected.
Now, the advent of e-publishing, particularly Amazon’s KDP Select program has made it possible for aspiring writers to showcase their best work to an audience of thousands and get paid to do it.
Take, for example, my original short fiction “Seven Lives to Repay Our Country.” It’s a story set in the WWII battle for Saipan, and while it normally retails for 99 cents, it’s free Friday, April 6th, on 0 Comments on The New Short Story – Guest Post by Edward H. Carpenter as of 4/1/2012 9:16:00 AM
I just participated as a judge in the first annual Voice For The Horse Children’s Writing Competition, on the topic of “Wild Horses.” The founder of Voice For The Horse, Yvonne Allen, created the competition to provide an educational opportunity and to allow children to share their love for horses through their written words. I agreed to be a judge several reasons, but primarily because I felt a need to “give back,” and to encourage our next generation of writers. Each entry inspired me — each a unique voice. The children demonstrated dedication, passion, and a willingness to take a chance. I loved their spirit.
I hoped the competition would demonstrate to children that yes, they have a voice, and that people listen to what they have to say, especially when expending time and effort articulating their thoughts in a meaningful way. This was the first competition I had seen in the equine field encouraging children to express their views in writing following an educational phase. The organization’s mandate includes educating people about horses and their needs, promoting North American horse heritage, and looking to the future through the voices of our children.
In order to help educate youth on many aspects of “Wild Horses,” entrants reviewed materials provided as part of the competition, including videos and documents. The materials and rules differed slightly for the 12 and under age group, and for the 13 – 18 group, ensuring both were age appropriate. Voice For The Horse also encouraged writers to conduct research on their own, and of course, express their own final views.
In trying to stay with the theme of my blog, I’d like to provide some personal “lessons learned” for others who may be judging writing competitions:
I have the opportunity to talk to many young folks, and so many express an interest in writing. I always encourage them to do so, and to start now. This competition provided an excellent, and free, means for youth to become actively involved in the horse industry and practice their communication skills. Fortunately, Voice For The Horse and its board of directors decided to continue the Children’s Writing Competition program as part of its baseline activities, with the next six writing competitions planned for the future. Stay tuned!
If anyone has thoughts on judging, please share. These seems to be a lot out there on entering contests and competitions, but not so much on f
Does this sound boring to you? Probably, but it’s likely the most important obstacle in the way for new writers. With so many distractions, how does a writer focus on what’s really important – writing? While there are many answers, I thought I’d offer some personal tips. Now realize, I came upon most of these thoughts due to practicing poor time management in the first place, so don’t despair if you think you can’t break free from watching your writing time slip down the drain.
Set Small Goals. Perfect and timely example, today, while frittering away my time on Twitter, I came across @Charlotte_Abel’s tweet: “ #amwriting for the next hour. #Wordcount goal: 600.” I thought, why don’t I do just that? And I did. And more. Thing is, it’s okay to exceed small goals, but when we make our goals too unwieldy, we talk ourselves out of even starting.
Set Date Goals. Many writers have the luxury of working under our own timelines, which can prove detrimental if we’re waiting for that exact moment when we are completely inspired to write. Writing is hard and takes focus, so sometimes it’s hard to find that inspirational moment. I suggest if you don’t already have an external deadline, set one. For example, I want to have the first draft of my current work in progress complete by March 31st when I’m attending an upcoming writing Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators workshop. Check the calendar, and you may sense my motivation to write this particular post.
Set Aside Dedicated Time. Now I’m not one to deliberately schedule an exact time to write, so I’d be a hypocrite to call that a personal tip. Sometimes I like to write in the morning, sometimes the afternoon, sometimes the evening, sometimes the middle of the night. However, when I do decide it’s time to write, IT IS TIME TO WRITE. Writing time is not editing time; it’s not research time; it’s writing time. Write.
Beware the Social Media Vacuum. I love social media — hey –I already mentioned Twitter, right? And since writers like to write, social media provides a wonderful platform to do what we like to do. But unless your writing goals include a certain number of tweets, posts, or comments you’d like to accumulate, social media interaction can consume valuable writing time that could be better spent, well, writing. Everything in moderation.
Don’t Strive for Perfection. Good writing takes time, editing, and rewriting. So if you sit down to write, and obsess over choosing each exact word the first time, you won’t get much done. Start writing, use whatever word comes out easily, even if you know it’s not the one you want, and go back later to replace it with the right word. I guarantee this is more efficient than agonizing over each and every word choice. And funny thing is, sometimes we end up actually liking the word that seemed at the time to be the wrong one.
Many more tips come to mind, but since the topic is time management, I’ll leave it at this. If anyone else has a tip, and has time to leave one (!), please share.
Congratulations, Valerie! I am SO proud of you! You continue to amaze me. Wishing you the very best in this new venture!
Thank you, Denise. I feel fortunate that I keep finding myself surrounded by great people. You are one of them! Best to you, and hope to see you soon.
Great blog and thanks for the introductions!!
Thank you, and you are most welcome, Joyce! It was a true pleasure and honor being one of the presenters at the Military Writers Society of America annual awards banquet.
And for those of you out there who may need an editor, I highly recommend Joyce and TLC Editing Services
http://www.editingtlc.com . Many of those receiving awards Saturday night benefitted from Joyce’s great work.
How odd it is that these things happen…you shared (below) this with me and a few days later Karyn Molines (Jug Bay) sent me a note that she was working in Calvert County and she has been working with Sharon Strand on a Leadership program…Karyn said they had a long talk about me, but of course, she said it was all good…hmmm. It is really a small world. I enjoyed reading your comments about the women leaders and writers and how we all seem to rediscover each other over time. It is an encouraging thing for the world….love to all, doug & eddy & dog
Thank you, Doug. Great words and goes to show that I am not the only one who knows just how small the world can be. You left quite a legacy at Jug Bay, and it’s nice to be remembered fondly.