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INPIRATION: A ROCK & A HARD PLACE

December 15, 2010 by in category Archives tagged as , , ,

Sometimes I find myself uninspired. Creatively shot. My mind becomes a veritable wasteland. Think dust blowing over a dry lake bed, a potholed lunar landscape, a book signing where no one shows up. The next turn of phrase, the analogy, adverb or adjective is on the tip of my tongue but that tongue is tied. The fuel pump’s blocked, the door is closed. I am, so to speak, between a creative rock and a hard place. Giving up is out of the question, so I take a walk to jar my thoughts lose. My destination is the bustling village a mile down the hill from my house.
If I head to the beach, I will walk on white sand that rings the sapphire blue ocean which fills a horseshoe of a bay. I can see Malibu across the water and dolphin in the curl of the waves as they frolic with the surfers. There are skaters, volleyball players, cyclists and a plethora of beautiful California bodies which I would probably appreciate more if I were younger (the bodies, not the view). As it is, all those beautiful people only serve to remind me that I’m not younger.
If I go the other way I walk on asphalt, past rows of well-kept, modestly-sized ranch style houses. This is the route I usually take because there is one house that never fails to pique my curiosity. Actually, it isn’t the house but the rock that sits on the lawn in front of the house that I find so curious.
This rock is unimpressively grey, round on top and flat on the bottom. Rather than move it, the owner of the house planted grass around it. The lawn is beautiful; the rock is not. The rock is arm-span wide and a little more than knee-high. There is a stone on top of it that looks like a dinosaur egg. The rock and the stone could be one of those Boy Scout signs my brothers built in the backyard as if they believed I couldn’t find my way home. This rock is just like that but it points the way to inspiration. Whoever lives in the house makes the rock and stone his canvas and three times a year it becomes something else entirely.
In October the rock is wrapped in orange paper, the stone in green and it is transformed into a pumpkin.
Come December, the rock becomes a granite snowman with a red and green stripped scarf wrapped around its nonexistent neck.*
Ah, spring! Rock as Easter Bunny….
You get the idea.
With a little help, the rock and stone become a herald of good cheer and harbinger of happy times to come. The rock speaks of faithfulness, passing each year with the owner of the house, marking time, submitting to the ‘artists’ vision. The rock, all dressed up, is funny and pleasing to the eye and unexpected. Dressing it up is a public service and I, as a member of the public, never cease to be delighted by the ever morphing rock and his friend the stone. Here is a story told completely and without need of explanation or overt flourish.
I believe in getting lost in a narrative, in creating fantasy, in telling a good story. I believe that around every corner is a mystery or mayhem or madness or magic if we just keep our eyes open. I believe that someday I will walk by the rock and it will lament that it is too hot to wear a scarf during the California Christmas season. When that happens, I’ll pause and loosen the scarf. Maybe I’ll rest on the lawn and we’ll have a chat.
And when my mind is mired, when I feel that I am stone deaf to inspiration and that my creativity is weighed down by real life, I don’t despair. I know I will have to go no further to find either than to walk through a modest neighborhood where I will give a wink and nod to a rock, a stone and whoever is in that house who can teach me a thing or two about inspiration.

*This year another rock has been added and a hat has rounded out the ensemble. I preferred the simplicity of the rock, the stone and the scarf but I applaud the extra inspiration and creativity. Here’s wishing everyone a little inpspiration in the year to come. Happy holidays.

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Happy Holidays with Story Videos from Jina Bacarr

December 11, 2010 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

We’re at the busiest time of year…and Santa’s Elves have been busy helping me put together four episodes for my story videos called: “A Naughty Christmas Carol.”

What is a story video? you ask.

It’s an idea I came up with when I decided to make audio stories with pictures and sound effects.

You’d think it would be easy: write a short 5 to 7 minute story epsiode for my theme about a naughty christmas carol, then record the voiceover, take some pictures to reflect the characters and settings, go through my sound effects (I have a collection of more than a 1,000 sound effects!), add some royalty free music and poof!

Like magic you have a story video…

Oh, my, what fools we writers be.

Writing then rewriting the stories was the easy part.

Recording my voiceover…how many takes?

Sound effects? Have you tried to find the right grandfather clock chime to fit what’s in your mind?

Compose pictures for the video: we’re not talking one or two shots; I took hundreds of pix for my Naughty Christmas Carol videos before I narrowed them down to a few pictures.

Have you ever tried to cajole a Christmas Doll to have attitude in her picture?

At least she sat still for her photo session!

Here she is:

Click here if you’d like to watch Episodes of “A Naughty Christmas Carol”

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Gift Ideas for Writers by Kitty Bucholtz

December 10, 2010 by in category Archives tagged as



This is perhaps less a post for you, my writer friends, than for your friends and family. 🙂 Over the last several years of birthday, wedding anniversary, and Christmas gift-giving, I’ve asked for a few things not writing related. (John won Husband of the Year for giving me a Tiffany key necklace for our 20th wedding anniversary.) But for me, most of the things I’d like are things I think will help me tell better stories, or tell stories better.
Here is a list of possibilities for you to consider putting on your wish list:
Books – The obvious first choice. But there are all kinds to choose from – research books or journals for the period being written about; nonfiction how to books on character, emotion, plot, etc.; fiction in the genre being written – or something different. (I asked for three or four Jim Butcher books I don’t have because I love his work and because I write urban fantasy so it’s kind of research.)
DVDs – Movies can be great quick forms (2-3 hours instead of days or weeks) of studying story pieces like plot and structure and character and emotion. Of course, they’re also simply fun! (I asked for the first two seasons of the TV show Castle to study how to have a serious topic – in Castle’s case, murder – with a great deal of humor.)
Amazon or iTunes gift cards – Another obvious choice. Nice thing about both is that there are several choices in both of these online stores – music, books, ebooks, and more. Many writers like classical music, soundtracks, or certain kinds of bands based on the “sound” of their current book. (I asked for Creative Mind 2.0 a couple years ago. It’s supposed to help your brainwaves cycle at the most creative level. I have no proof that it works, but I think I write much better/faster when it’s playing.)
Office supplies – Most writers are a sucker for office supplies, and most have specific favorite pens and notebooks. Pocket or purse size notebooks are always good. Be careful not to overload a writer with too many cool journals – there’s a point at which you get so many you can’t use them all. Gift cards to the local office supply store are always useful. (I bought some more expensive but especially pretty notebooks with a matching bag to take to university when I started my master’s degree. John bought me a beautiful pen for my birthday simply because it was beautiful.)
Software – My two favorites this year are Scrivener and Freedom. Both are available for Windows and Mac. Scrivener ($45 USD) helps you organize your work. Freedom ($10 USD) turns off your Internet connection for a user-determined number of minutes so you can focus on your writing.
Online Classes – There are dozens of great classes available for as little as $20. Make up your own little “coupon” and give the writer in your life an extra boost. (I’m teaching an online class on goal setting and time management in January. I love Margie Lawson’s classes, and you can also purchase just the lecture packets.)
Speakers – There are so many kinds of speakers a writer might be interested in. I went to a presentation once given by a medical examiner. Among other crazy things I learned but don’t know if I’ll ever use is the temperature at which the human head explodes. You could buy a ticket now or you could create a homemade coupon for a specific event or a dollar amount. (John sent me to listen to Joss Whedon, and we went to Kevin Smith together at the Sydney Opera House – about $75 each. I know a couple of my friends want to go a weekend conference by Michael Hauge or Robert McKee – $200-700.)
Writer’s conferences and retreats – Conferences can be as short as one day up to a week or more, so prices can range from $50 to several thousand. Another option is giving a writer an opportunity to get away on a little retreat to focus on writing. It might be with a friend at a hotel or timeshare, renting a house together with a group of writers, or just going away alone for a day, a weekend, or a week. (I’ve rented a room at a TraveLodge for a few days because that chain includes free Internet and a continental breakfast, and has an in-room fridge and microwave. John and I decided that a great amount of gifting to me next year is going to be the cost of going to the RWA National Conference in New York City.)
Musical items – Music is supposed to be connected with math and the logical side of your brain, and it’s supposed to help the creative side of your brain work better. I don’t know the details of why, but it’s a good excuse to keep music on my to do list. (John gave me an electronic keyboard for an anniversary present, and guitar lessons for my birthday one year.)
Brain teasers and video games – Anything that works the muscle of my brain or relaxes me enough to refresh my creativity is a good thing, if you ask me. Ideas include word search and crossword puzzle books, jigsaw puzzles, those metal loop puzzles, Wii or Xbox games, Nintendo DS with Brain Age, and so much more. (John gave me Mystery Case Files: Huntsville for Christmas one year, and Bejeweled 2 during my semester break this year. I just have to discipline myself not to play them too often!)
Bubble bath, favorite wines and other relaxants – Even if you have a $10 limit on your Secret Santa, there is always something you can find. Some of my writer friends love the soaps and bubble bath products at a store called LUSH (and they have a $10 Secret Santa package). Last year a friend gave us a bottle of our favorite dessert wine. I’d be happy to be given a bar of Green & Black’s extra dark chocolate – less than $5.
This list has probably given you a few ideas that aren’t listed here. Feel free to share them with everyone in the comments section. What are some of your favorite gifts?
P.S. If you’re wondering about the photo, I couldn’t find a picture of a Christmas gift. I was at a friend’s wedding this weekend, so it was the latest gift I bought (a gift set of various teas), and I know I’ll never find another good reason to use this beautiful, romantic photograph! LOL!

Kitty Bucholtz is a writer and speaker, and a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of Australia. She co-founded Routines for Writers http://www.routinesforwriters.com/a web site dedicated to helping writers write more. In 2011, Kitty will receive her Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from University of Technology, Sydney.

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Give Books for Christmas – what’s on your Santa list?

December 9, 2010 by in category Archives

I’m about to start my Christmas shopping, and as always, books are at the top of both my giving and receiving lists. Which makes this blog a great excuse to close my eyes and think about all the great books I’d love to own…

Okay, for me… I’m keen to read The Last Will of Moira Leahy, by Therese Walsh. There are a couple of Georgette Heyer books that I’ve read but don’t yet own – Venetia springs to mind. Karina Bliss has promised me a copy of her new book, Here Comes the Groom, yippee. And since, as someone pointed out to me recently, I never stop thinking about food, I also have a couple of cookbooks on my list: Kitchen, by Nigella Lawson, and Ottolenghi, by Yotam Ottolenghi.

But it’s more blessed to give than to receive, so I also have book lists for my nearest and dearest. My son has recently started to read Michael Connelly , so maybe The Lincoln Lawyer for him. Or a book by Marcus Zusak – he loved The Book Thief (of which I’ve ordered a couple more copies for gifts).

For the girls, the Fey series by Julie Kagawa, starting with The Iron King, looks fab. Saw an interesting new book, Matched by Allie Condle, on the HarperCollins website, available for pre-order now, but that might have to wait for a paperback edition. Anything from the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast will be elevate me to supermom status. The latest Wimpy Kid is an auto-buy.

For hubby and others… having read and loved Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, another book by Paul Torday is in order. Maybe a Carl Hiaasen… Maybe the new JoAnn Ross series (not for hubby!)…

So many books, so few shopping days until Christmas! I’d love to hear your Christmas wishlist – do tell!

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It’s Shapeshifter Time!

December 6, 2010 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , ,

By Linda O. Johnston

As people who know me are aware, I love to write about animals–both the real and fictional sort. This month, my focus is on shapeshifters. Werewolves. They’re characters in my new Harlequin Nocturne, ALASKAN WOLF, which is a December release!

Would you like to be one? If so… what would you change into?  

ALASKAN WOLF, another in the Alpha Force series from Harlequin Nocturne, is a December 2010 release.

Be sure to watch for the new Lauren Vancouver, Pet Rescuer series! The first book BEAGLE MANIA will be out in March 2011. It’s a spin-off from the Kendra series, and Lauren is introduced in HOWL DEADLY.

Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

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