Tuesday Motivation - Decide What Kind of Day You'll Have

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Whew! Monday is gone. Thank goodness. Mondays always feel so long, don't they? It's like the day that doesn't stop, even though it's really just a twenty-four-hour day like every other. Anyway, welcome to Tuesday! Today, I'm gonna talk about a quote I read on Instagram from @in_gratitude_tv (you can click their name to give them a follow—I highly recommend you do) that I liked a lot. It resonated with me. Why? Well, grab your coffee, or tea, and let's chat about it.

Here's the quote I'm referring to:

This is true no matter who you are. As soon as you open your eyes, you either allow your brain to flood with dread or hope for the following hours you'll be awake and living life. You can either look for the bad things coming during the day, or you can focus on the positive.

Trust me, I've been in some of the most horrifying situations imaginable, and I never lost my positive outlook because I chose not to.

Every day's feeling is a choice, and the decision about how you're going to handle it lies in your hands. Yes, each and every day. As an author, I can wake up and think about that negative review, dwell on it, let it worry me, and let it drag my spirits through the mud, or I can think about those positive reviews, let them lift me up, embrace them, and let those words fuel me through another day.

It's my choice.

If I have difficult things to navigate through outside of author life, I can either choose to allow them to overwhelm me, or I can think about how to slay them, turn them around and make them work for me.

For several years, I battled the lowest of lows. I'm sure many of you wake up and feel like the day is crap and all you want is for it to end. The mindset spoken of in the quote is how I pulled myself out and allowed myself to be a happier human being.

With me, I had this habit of staying in bed after my alarm and wallowing in all the negative things I saw in the day ahead, dwelling on my past mistakes, dreading what the day would bring. I turned it around by making myself leap (yes, an actual leap) to my feet and instantly giving thanks for all the things I had. I focused on one thing I was looking forward to that day and was grateful to have the ability to learn something new. Then, I gave myself "me" time, of one hour, to drink coffee and do something I enjoyed without thinking about anything else. That meant I had to get up an hour before anyone else in my house, but it worked. I wasn't stressed by the time I saw people because I'd started my day for ME.

Now, it's a natural act. I don't even have to think about being grateful; I'm filled with gratitude instantly.

I still carve out my time every morning (no matter what) because I know I need to do that in order to be the best me I can be.

Guess what else? No one gave it to me. I had to take it. With five (small) children at home, being a full-time student (22 hours a semester) that maintained a 4.0 GPA in one of the most difficult programs at my college, being the primary care-giver (also, maintenance man, lawn person, etc...) for my household, and dealing with a ton of medical crap, I still made it happen. You can, too.

Here's my task for you today (if you're not doing this already): Find out what that "thing" is that will start your day off right, and figure out how to make it happen for you. Make it happen each and every morning.

Find your happy. Take it. Choose what kind of day you're going to have.

Do you do any of this? What's your morning thing?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Author Life ABC's - B

Happy Wednesday! Today marks the halfway point of the week! Who's excited? I know I am. Tomorrow, you get yet another excerpt from Provocation, which is sitting at 36k words at the moment with around 15k to go. Keep your eyeballs peeled for that. I can't wait for release day. EEK! Anywho, for today, we're back on the ABC's of author life. Ready for letter B? I know you are. Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going!

My chosen word to go with letter B is Break.

Why? Because I see so many authors with this on their horizon. Every year, too many of us break apart and quit. Those authors reach the point where they don't see why they're doing what they are. They throw in the towel and walk away.

So many more sit and stare at their computer screens or that blank piece of paper and wonder why they're bothering to do what they do. They're nearing the point where they'll break and quit. Of course, several of them reevaluate and push forward, slamming the keys day and night in a continuous loop, charging toward that pot of gold they see at the end of the rainbow.

And still others remember why they started writing in the first place.

If an author sets out to make a million dollars, thinking this is the way they'll make an astronomical amount of money for living, most will end up quitting within a few years. After all, "the big break" only happens to about 2% of writers. Several authors make a decent living, and they're happy with that, but they fall in a rough 5% category, so those aren't the folks I'm talking about here.

Like I said in last week's Author Life ABC's post, you first have to define what success is for you. That's the starting point, and then you gotta run with it. Be realistic, and post it somewhere you can see it every day.

Why did you start?

Many of us became authors because we're addicted to the written word. We have to write. It's what makes our blood move through our veins and what drives us out of bed each day. Even if we never sell a single book, we're in it for the words.

If that's why you started, you should never have a near break day. You're doing what you love, and no matter what, you'll find a way to do it. Putting the words on the page is what it's about. That, in and of itself, is satisfying as hell.

I always say, "I write because I must, and I design because I can."

If it's important to you, you'll find a way;

if not, you'll find an excuse.

I'm not sure who said that, but damn, how true is it?

What do you think? Have you ever hit the point where you thought you might break and quit? How did you come out of it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Facing Facts - How Men are Pigs and Women are Delicate, Pristine Flowers

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm all about a discussion. I've read a couple of articles this week (and I saw a couple of FB posts) that have my brain ticking. I'm gonna talk about them, and I'm probably going to piss a lot of people off. Ready? Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going!

Okay, so on the heels of the #MeToo movement, I've seen a lot of posts from women (and a few men) and how things have happened with men. Don't get me wrong here, I'm 100% NOT saying anything about those victims or what they've been through (it's all quite horrifying); rather, this is a perspective from the female side of this blog post and a discussion about looking at ourselves. I'm also going to touch on the comments made on this post from Facebook because that matters, too.

Yes, ourselves.

Women. Powerful. Strong. Capable.

Sadly, we're also often complete hypocrites. I don't believe all men are pigs and all women are lily-white, innocent bystanders. On the contrary, I know women can be just as bad as men when it comes to thoughts and actions.

It's not often you run across a post from a man about being sexually assaulted by a woman, but it happens. A lot more than you may think. Most times, people assume the man has the same thoughts as the guy in the post referenced above.

But what if they don't?

What if a woman is acting in a way that makes a man uncomfortable? What if he feels the pressure to say yes even though what he wants to say is no?

I've seen men run from women, firsthand, because they were all over the guy and he was not into them. I've heard first-hand accounts from men who decided (at the last minute) they didn't want to have sex, and the woman they were with screamed, cried, and (sometimes) hit the guy for saying no.

Is that okay because the genders are reversed?

I've seen a group of married women groping a man (he was eating it up at the time), but also hear those same women complain about how their husbands look at other women.

But I have yet to hear from the men about all of this. Are they as ashamed as all those women were before the #MeToo movement started? According to the article referenced in the blog post, that seems to be exactly what it is.

If you say no, you're not a man.

I can hear you all saying how crazy this is. Of course guys want aggressive women, right? Actually, that's not the case most of the time. Yeah, there are shy guys who need a little coaxing out of their shells, but that doesn't give women the right to shove their tongues down his throat or grope him in public (or private if he's saying no).

But that's what most women have been ingrained with.

You have to be aggressive or you risk losing the man.

If you lose the man because you can't behave like a lady, so what? A man that's worth it will be there whether you're aggressive or not. You don't want a man to touch you unless you're into it, so don't assume a man wants you to touch him.

This brings me to the post on Facebook that's referenced above.

She's wearing an alluring outfit. That's going to get attention, no matter where you go or who you are. She's probably aware of that. What she's not doing is giving consent for sexual acts by dressing that way. Is she aware men will look at her? Uh, yeah. Does she have to put up with men touching her? Should she expect that? Absolutely not.

Men are not creatures that cannot control themselves when presented with an alluring, scantily-clad woman.

On the contrary, men think and can be taught. Just like women. No, ladies, guys don't want you pawing them. Look all you want, but don't touch unless given permission.

Sadly, sex sells. Just look at the covers of romance novels. They don't even have to be erotica. We, as women, flock to these books because of the attractive male bodies on the front. Now, I want you to think about something:

Would you be okay with your husband ogling a half-naked (or fully nude) woman?

Most women (and there are exceptions to this, as there are with everything--you can't make blanket statements, and I get that) aren't okay with that. These actions are where the hypocrisy comes in. Those women want to be able to do it, but they don't want their husbands doing it.

That's not the way any of this works.

It's never "do as I say and not as I do." If you want someone to do something, you need to be 100% willing to do the same thing. Never ask something of another person that you're not willing to do yourself. This goes for both genders.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Period. It's not a difficult concept. Act with integrity always. ALWAYS. Seems so simple, yet it also seems such a foreign concept for so many people. *sigh*

Personally, I'd like to hear the mens' stories, too. I know they exist because I've heard them first hand. I haven't seen more than a couple handfuls on social media (even when I search the hashtag). That guy in the post above makes a lot of sense, but he doesn't give a woman's perspective (because he can't--he's a man).

Like the men have been told: She needs you to force it on her because she secretly wants it.

Women have been told: He always wants it; you just need to put it in his face.

I mean, what? It's the truth, but dear me, how did we get to this place? What broke? How do we fix it?

I'm just over all the women screaming from the rooftops and not hearing a peep from the men. There needs to be change on all sides of the issue, not just one. Until we have HONEST, open dialogue, not a lot is going to be done.

How about it, guys? Wanna hit me with a story? Feel free to post without a name. I'll still click publish!

What do you ladies think? Have you witnessed things like this? Been part of them and now look back and have a question mark over your head? Tell me your story!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Fun Fact Friday - Contronyms

Happy Friday, everyone! This is my new, twice-a-month post on a fact I find fun and interesting! Today, we're going to talk about contronyms! Fun word, right? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

Do you know what a contronym is? Let's grab the definition first!

Contronym:

con·tro·nym

 'käntrəˌnim/

noun.

A word with two opposite meanings.

So, what does that mean, exactly?

It means the word is different depending on the context it's used in.

For example:
There's dust on that shelf! - means there are particles of dirt on the shelf.
I'm going to dust that shelf! - means to remove particles of dirt on the shelf.
One is a noun, and the other is a verb.

One more:
I got my dog fixed. - means to neuter, or take away.
My truck was broken, but now it's fixed. - means to repair.

That can get awfully confusing, eh? Ahhh, the English language! Such a wonderful thing. *grin*


How crazy are these?

You can find a list of 75 contronyms here.

Y'all... The things I stumble upon! Ha!

Do you find this as awesome as I do?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Viewpoint - The Bachelor and Honesty

Happy Thursday, everyone! So, today, you're getting some randomness. Now and then, I'm going to throw these posts out there that talk about stuff. Stuff that's on my mind, that I've discussed with others and found interesting, and that I feel you might want to get into with me. Today is one of those days. Ready? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

I was watching The Bachelor (mine and the hub's guilty pleasure--oh, the drama!) the other night, and the hubs and I found ourselves, once again, amused by the women trying to do things to "stand out" among the crowd. They drive up in special cars or ride up on horses, wear costumes, bring gifts, and say crazy things. My husband and I find this rather hilarious. Of course, my brain started ticking, and I glanced over at him and said, "You know, if one of these girls really wanted to stand out, she'd forego the dress, extensions, false eyelashes, and makeup, and she'd show him what he'll really be looking at in a few years."

That got me thinking. Is the reason these relationships don't last unrealistic expectations that are set from day one?

What if those women wore their regular clothes and looked the way they looked when they're just bumming around the house? After all, that's what the man is going to see once the show is over.

Why not let them stay in the person's hometown and go on dates at local places? That's where they'll be going on dates once they're married.

Instead, these women put on their best faces, pretending to be something they're not, and jaunt all over the world on exciting adventures trying to win the heart of a guy they barely know.

I'm all about reality outside of books. I mean, you know what that person shows you in the few hours you get to spend with them. Some of the women leave without ever getting one-on-one time with the guy. How is that an opportunity?

While I love the drama and the crazy that happens on the show, I think we'd still get that, in a more raw form, if these ladies were just to all date the same guy with none of the glitz and glamor the show spends money and time on.

Once they leave, their hairdressers and makeup artists leave, too! Back to old Plain Jane.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the stuff they say (make up) to look better in the eyes of the guy. I mean, sit down and have a real conversation. Ask about him. Tell him about you. Don't lie. Lies in the beginning? What's the point? He'll find out eventually, and then what do they say? Oh, I didn't want to tell you that for fear of you judging me?

If someone can't accept you for exactly who you are, flaws and all, why would you want to be with them?

What a crappy romance story it would be if writers told it as the women doing anything to impress the guy!
Guy: "Oh, I can't be with you anymore because you own a dog, and I hate dogs."
Girl: "I can get rid of the dog!" Runs from the room crying because she loves that dog and doesn't want to get rid of it.
*Couple breaks up a year later because she gets tired of compromising.*

If it wouldn't work in real life, what in the world makes us think it'll work in the realm of reality TV?

I don't know about all of you, but I'd watch the show that put guys and girls in real situations with real time and honesty, with their actual selves, just to see what actually came of it.

What do you think? Does this drive you bananas, or do you think there's a reason ABC hasn't done a "real" reality TV Bachelor?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Readers, Sensitivity, and Mob Mentality - How Much is Too Much?

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm on yet another discussion. There are several things that have popped up over the last few weeks about right and wrong things to put in a book. Get your coffee or tea in hand, your typing fingers ready to respond, and let's get going!

We all have opinions, right? I plan to open discussion on both sides of the board with this post, and I won't be standing on either side of the fence. You all know me too well if you've been around here a while. I like to hear what you think, I'm going to try my best not to influence you with my own words, and I enjoy the verbal exchange of ideas and viewpoints.

*****That being said, please be nice when you comment. This is my blog, and I won't tolerate hatred, calling-out, or vitriol here. Got it? Okay. Let's move on.

There are a number of books that have been released lately that have spurred some pretty serious reader blowback. To be 100% transparent, I haven't read any of them. My work has revolved around writing my own book, and it's been emotional enough.

But I've seen posts and discussions on Facebook, and I know the titles of the books under fire. No, I'm not going to share those, either. If you want to know, you'll have to do your own research. This post isn't about that.

For centuries, books have been the catalyst to change in many countries. If you don't know the history, do a quick search. There isn't enough space here to discuss them all, and you should be informed. But what I'm seeing now deals directly with what the authors write.

Incest, racism, hate.

Those are the topics under fire.

From my reading experience, either an author is trying to change your way of thinking, trying to bring to light something that's horrible that needs to have light shed on it, or they're trying to tell a story that has nothing to do with their own thoughts or beliefs (a true escape).

It's difficult to tell the difference sometimes, but that doesn't stop me from reading books I don't know what's inside of. This thing where authors have to disclaim horrifying details of their books in the blurb is unsettling.

Why?

Because the things that bother one person, won't bother another. We see this with all the reviews from all the books everywhere. Some people loved the Harry Potter series, and some folks wanted to burn all the books for promoting witchcraft.

See what I'm saying?

I can see labeling it 18 and up, but I'm talking about all the other things. It's worrisome that someone might just grab a book and "read" it only so they can trash it in the review later on and have that little verified purchase ribbon to back their words. But I'm backsliding.

Anyway, the problem here isn't just that labels are being applied, because I know at least one of the novels under fire was labeled, but that it's expected in the first place.

Who are we to know what someone else is going to feel when they read our books? How are we the authorities on how something we've written will be comprehended by the reader? 

Authors may be the worst people to add warnings to their books, but then, so might readers. What some find intense, others will merely scoff at.

Let's discuss by the three topics above then.

Incest.
This isn't a new trope used in books. It goes way, wayyyyy back to novels published in the 70s even. Before you go bananas, let me say, I can see both sides of the issue here. 1) It's something that happens in real life, ergo, it can be applied to a book for real-world additions. 2) It's disturbing to read about, and the fear is there that it'll incite someone to do something they hadn't considered before. It's a touchy subject, to be sure. If an author writes about it, does that mean they're encouraging it, bringing light to an ugly, or merely writing a story?

Racism.
This also isn't a new topic. I could list several books that were racist in nature, but they've become literary classics all the same. I can, again, see both sides of the issue. Do you want to see through a racist's eyes? Get their viewpoint on things? How their brains work? Maybe. Maybe not. 1) Racism is something that's real. It's a serious problem, but it can be used as a mechanism to show what might be in a racist's mind, giving others a unique insight. 2) It's bothersome to read, and it may fuel the already present racist heart of another, making them think of doing something they'd only considered before reading it. Again, what was the point of the author writing it?

Hate.
This applies to genders, races, siblings, government, etc... An older than time topic. Dystopian worlds were borne from hate of a ruling class or laws. You could also say hate applies to books with rape in them. Both sides have weight. 1) Hate is a true problem in our society, and shining a spotlight on it can be used as an effective fuel for the proverbial fire in a novel plotline. 2) Reading about a character hating on people from any walk of life is hard, and it may, again, reinforce that the reader's mindset is the correct one. Do we care about the point if the book makes us uncomfortable?

Historically, we're strongly influenced by books (again with the search recommended above), but does that mean if we read about it, we're going to act on it?

Has the fine line between reality and fiction blurred, or are we just more attuned to the crossovers now? Do the disclaimers even matter at that point?

What bothers me most about all of this is the mob mentality that's taken hold of the world. When someone writes something that's not considered PC, they're attacked by backers of the antis. While I believe in having an opinion and stating it, isn't that what reviews are for? Why do we feel the need to attack the person (in public, no less) behind the words without understanding (or caring) what it was they were trying to say? Is that really the case, or is something else going on here?

Is this censorship?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the matter. Remember to be nice and don't name authors or books directly. This isn't a bash-fest.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

The Value of Words - How Cheaply are Authors Willing to Work? Boxed Set vs. Individual Novel Sales

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I know it's the middle of the week and all, but today, I'd like you all to get your brains cranking. There are some things I'd like your thoughts and opinions on, and we're gonna crunch some numbers (you all know how I love that)! If you're ready, get your typing fingers ready, your coffee in hand, and let's get going!

I know you've all seen the huge boxed sets floating around the book world. Sixteen books for just under a dollar sounds pretty dang good, right? Well, it is. That's only around six/seven cents per book. Each novel included is usually around 60k words, so that means a word is worth 0.000001 (or one penny per ten thousand words [math: .99 divided by 16 divided by 60,000 multiplied by 10,000]). One hell of a deal for your reader, right?

Now, let's look at the typical full-length novel. They're priced between $0.99 and $5.99. If they're from a big five publisher, you can bet they'll cost a bit more (say $7.99 to $12.99). We'll say those books are the same length as the ones above, and I'll give you the cost per word for a few (gapping so this post of numbers isn't quite so long). At $0.99, a word is worth 0.0000165 (or $0.17 [rounded up] per ten thousand words [math: .99 divided by 60,000 multiplied by 10,000]). At $5.99, a word is worth 0.00009983 (or $0.99 per ten thousand words). And, at $12.99, a word is worth 0.0002165 ($2.17 per word). To readers. This isn't what you make. Stay with me.

I don't know about you, but I write about 2k words per hour. Most of the people I know do 1k or 1.5k per hour, and others do even fewer than that. Let's figure out how much authors are making per hour selling their books, shall we?

At a rate of 2k words per hour, selling a 60k word novel in a boxed set will put the author making less than one penny for every five hours of work put in writing the book (0.00066 per hour). A 60k word novel should take 30 hours to write at that pace. Few of us work 5 days a week, so we'll say two weeks. You would've made a whopping $0.02 for your two weeks (or 30 hours) of labor for each sale (because you don't make the whole $0.99 on a sale, it's more like $0.32 -- divided by 16 people -- divided again by 30 hours). Less than a penny for all that work. But then there's another (at least) four weeks of editing and proofreading that take another (let's say 6) hours. Your pay just got cut. You're now at $0.00055 per sale per hour because you're at 36 hours of work without adding words (goods) to the value of your time.

But wait!

You paid to get into the boxed set, likely paid for a cover and an editor, and you pay for marketing, right?

Before you get into the "it adds up over time" clan, let's really crunch those numbers. Stay with me!

Let's say your buy-in for the boxed set was $200 (just FYI, this is on the low end). Your cover was another $200, and your editing was $2k. Marketing also cost you $200 (being reserved here).

You're up to $2600 at this point just for the extras.

Your end number for each sale is $0.02. You have to sell 130k copies of that boxed set to break even. You haven't even "made" a penny yet because you pre-spent the money to get into the set and market. But then there's dear Uncle Sam...

Now, if you look at the average novel outside of a boxed set, the author has to sell only 8,125 books to break even if their book is priced at $0.99. They'll make $0.09 per hour per sale once they've covered their out of pocket costs (left in the buy-in as it could be used for other things). At the higher payout of 72% and a book priced at $5.99, the author has to sell only 618 copies to break even, and they'll make $0.50 per hour per sale afterward.

Of course, readers want the boxed sets, but how cheaply are we, as authors, willing to work? What would you buy, nearly 1M words at $0.99, or 60k at the same price?

Are we screwing ourselves?

Are these boxed sets undervaluing our time?

Talk about it!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Being Put in Impossible Situations

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Well, the kidlings here in Ga are back in school, and that means Mommy can finally concentrate on things she needs to do without interruptions. While my child is good about not coming into my office when she knows I'm working, she's still a kid. Sometimes, she just can't help herself. But yay to being back on track. This post isn't about all that, however. Today, I'm going to talk about something I hate: being put in an impossible situation. Ready? Let's get going.

My definition of an impossible situation, for purposes of this post, is one where if I do one thing, I look like an ass, and if I do the other, I compromise my core values, allow myself to be deeply hurt or disappointed, or let people take advantage of me. Either way, as you can see, it's lose/lose. As you read, keep that in mind.

I've had sessions with counselors in which I'm told I have a very good sense of self-awareness, but that I need to be firmer with people. I should tell them when they hurt or disappoint me. For example: I know what it was that hurt me and why, but I can't bring myself to address it with someone else because I'm afraid of hurting them even though they've hurt me already. Oftentimes, I find myself commiserating with characters I see in movies that do stupid stuff, those folks that no one but me seems to understand, and I end up feeling badly for them.

Why is this?

Well, while talking out a situation one time, it was pointed out that I'm a giver with a very high core value of integrity, and while I never believed I expected anything in return, that wasn't quite the case.

I believed that if I gave and was honest, I would get loyalty in return. Now, loyalty isn't friendship. A true friend is there because they genuinely like the person you are and respect you. Loyalty, however, can be earned and independent of friendship. Someone who is loyal doesn't necessarily have to like you.

I hold people to a very high standard of behavior that includes respect of me and my time along with a few other things I have a hard time compromising on.

Let me clarify: I don't do things so people do things in return for me. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I give, and what I want in return is respect, thoughtfulness, and to not be put in impossible situations.

Here's one:
My son tells a friend they can stay over before asking me. I just took the kid all over town for school shopping, and I have three other kids in the house besides him. I'm just not in the mood to deal with someone else's child. I say no. He stands there and begs me, says he already invited the kid, and begs me some more. For every no, he has a reason it will work out, and he refuses to call the kid and tell them they can't come.

Okay, now I'm in an impossible situation. 1. ) I can either call the kid's parents and tell them the kid can't come, or 2. ) I can give in and be miserable all night. Several things eat at me about both of those options (please know I realize we'll all react differently to these things--these are my opinions and feelings--they may not make sense to you): 1. ) This option makes me look like a terrible parent (an ass) who can't keep their kids under control and it disappoints another child who might have been looking forward to something. It also has the likelihood of ruining the other set of parents plans they may have made with the expectation their child would be gone for the night. 2. ) If I give in to my kid, I reinforce that he can beg and get his way. Worse, I allow him to have control over me. I would be tired and grumpy, and I'd have yet another mouth to feed, another kid to clean up after, and another someone in my house (this alone causes me stress).

There are so many of these examples that I could throw down here, but I'm not going into all that. Today, I'm trying to get you to think about yourself and maybe even your characters' situations. It can be cathartic to write about people who behave in a different manner than you, but be careful to dig deeply and show why the character is the way they are to your reader. If you'd just read the beginning, without understanding why I reacted the way I did, you probably would've said that you'd stick to your no and be done with it. Hell, maybe you'd still say that. But this is showing you what it might be like via the inner turmoil of another.

I hate disappointing people or making them feel badly about something they've done. I also can't stand being selfish. It eats at me. So, when it comes to me standing up for myself, oftentimes, folks have no idea they've hurt me--even when it's deeply--because I move forward and pretend like everything is okay (this is especially true if they can't see me--if they can, they'll see the tears, but I'll insist everything is fine unless pushed, and then I tend to explode because I'm trying really hard to keep it under control--lose/lose) or I end up just ignoring them because I know I'll hurt their feelings if I say something.

My issue is that I expect other people to be as careful with my feelings as I am with theirs. This is what I refer to as loyalty.

I'm working on it.

What are yours? What do you think of the above? Do you have this issue? Do any of your characters? How did you show it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Talking Sci-Fi

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm gonna talk with you about gadgets and science fiction, and I'll give you links to some interesting articles about emerging technology. If you're a sci-fi author, you've probably read a bunch of these already. I just want to share with my lovely readers some of the futuristic things I found while writing M. Ready? Grab those cups of coffee and let's get going!

First up, my MC has a pair of cool goggles integrated with gloves he uses to play his favorite VR war game. While doing some research to see where we are now with the technology (so I could make assumptions about where we'd be by 2042), I found this awesome site:

Oculus Rift

To make the technology even sweeter, I got an e-mail about this one:

Microsoft HoloLens

You MUST watch the commercial/video on that link. Dear me. Mind=blown.

My MC also has a watch he can talk to that sends text messages or accepts phone calls. Sound familiar? Yeah, I started writing this novel back in 2013 before any of this stuff was even thought about. Can you say visionary? I totally felt like Nostradamus for a hot minute. *grins* You can find information about the Apple Watch here (why didn't they call it the iWatch?):

Videos galore!

I've been waiting for the NSA to break down my door because of the things I've searched to make this book possible. If you'd like to see my search bar history post, it's here:

Indie-Visible - Search Bar Confessions

Yeah, a lot of fun there! Not to mention, as the plot goes on, I have huge battle scenes I had to research weapons for. *facepalm* Check out some of the fun on that site while you're over there. Oh, man!

At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if I could buy napalm online. What a world we live in, huh?

What technology have you written about that you think will come to fruition in the next twenty years or so?

I hope you all have some fun on those links! Go find an alien! *grin*

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Being Indie

Happy Friday, everyone! Today, I'm gonna talk about something a very dear friend of mine brought up yesterday. I'm hoping it'll give everyone something to think about over the weekend. It's all about being an Indie author and why it doesn't make us crap or mean we're not awesome. So, sit back, relax, and let's get going.

Now, this conversation happened on Facebook, and many authors chimed in to say why they love being Indie (self) published.

I'm gonna start with a paraphrase of the original situation (kindly keep in mind the original poster was only seventeen when she published her first book):

She was sitting and talking with some of her college friends, and they were discussing being traditionally published. Someone mentioned that if you aren't with a big six house, you must not be a good writer (validation and all that). Because of this, my friend began to doubt her Indie ways and wonder if she was selling herself short.

Again, that's a short version of the situation with the same outcome and setting.

So, she asked: "Why do you self-publish? Am I selling myself short?"

Overwhelmingly, the responses were more about the community as a whole, maintaining control over one's work from soup to nuts, and keeping more of the profits from sales. There were also some most excellent points made. Some of the authors shared horror stories from friends who signed with publishers, some folks talked about the lack of publicity by presses both large and small, and others pointed out the aspects of film and big actors in crappy movies.

Everything kinda clicked together, and an epiphany hit me right between the eyes.

Know what I realized?

Indie isn't just about self-publishing.

There. I said it.

Allow me to explain. *grin*

Indie is a badge we wear on our chests with pride. When someone comes at one of us, for some reason or another, we go a little bananas. We're fiercely loyal to the title, love our brethren, and dare anyone to challenge our dreams. Because we're living those dreams. Each and every day, we get out of bed to do something we love. We set our own deadlines, work with editors we choose, and hire cover artists we know will do our work proud.

We have an amazing community around us that's a little like a family. People who get that we're a little strange, introverted, and hermit-like.

And they're okay with it.

As a matter of fact, they embrace us for our differences.

But wait! There's more!

As Indies, we get to know our book bloggers. They aren't just blurry faces in a sea of reviewers. They're a lot like us. Every single one of them has a passion that can't be squelched. Their passion is reading. Books. Literature. And we have the unique market insight to what those people are looking for. It's right there at our fingertips. All we have to do is nurture the connection and envelop them in the fold. They become part of the family and are celebrated.

Only Indies can put out a call to arms and have masses of others knocking over little old ladies with purses to rush to our aid (politely, of course).

Sometimes, an Indie will behave badly and get into a situation that's public and disgraceful.

But the community will punish that author so others don't have to. There's really no need for the public to go crazy and berate the person acting up. We do it for you. In that way, we're a lot like family.

Your mother doesn't hold her tongue when you screw up. Guess what? Neither do your peers. We're not afraid to tell you how wrong you are or how ashamed we are of your behavior. But it's done with the understanding that you're shaming the name we've worked so hard to build up.

Bad review? Someone will listen to you rant or give you a shoulder to cry on.

Writer's block? There are masses willing to talk you out of that corner of fear.

Struggling with a storyline? Ask. Someone will have a great piece of advice.

Got a huge deal? Your peers are gonna celebrate and pop champagne in your honor. Why? Because you'll always be an Indie.

So, yeah, Indie isn't just about self-publishing. It's about community, support, and family.

It's a way of life that lodges itself in your heart and refuses to let you go. Even when you push us away, we're there if you need us later.

Indie is in your blood.

You have been assimilated.

So, the next time someone asks you why you're Indie, the simple answer is:

"Because it's the only way to go."

What's your favorite thing about being Indie?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Blank Canvas and Page Woes

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. You're almost halfway to the next one, so chin up! Today, I'm gonna blast my inner musings and thoughts for you to read; maybe you'll take something away from it, maybe you won't. Either way, it's therapeutic to talk it out! So, grab your coffee, get your typing fingers ready, and let's get going on my not philosophical discussion. *grin*

While browsing through Michael's art store the other day, I came upon a 40% off canvas sale. Well, I usually don't spring for the big ones because they aren't cheap. I ended up buying one that's 24" x 36" and giggling the whole way home. If you didn't know I draw and paint, I have to ask how long you've been following my blog, or if you've ever seen one of my book covers (most notably Yassa and The Bird).

Here are a couple of my artworks:

But, anyway, as you can see, I have no lack of skill. Yet, I find myself staring at the blank canvas, wondering what in the world I'm gonna put on it. I don't want to stop once I've started, and I don't want to hate it halfway through and have to gesso it out and start over.

So I find myself planning.

If you know anything about me, you'll know I'm a strict pantser when it comes to my writing.

When the thought of picking up a brush and going at a canvas makes me cringe, how the hell can I craft a story by the seat of my pants?

Truth: I don't.

I think about the book, plan out my characters, and have the plot (at least a beginning and ending) in mind when I sit down to write. I think a true pantser would sit down with no idea what they're going to do and bang out a book.

Like people say a true artist sits down and bangs out a painting.

But is it really that easy? No. Most of the famous artists in the world never sat down and slapped paint around on a canvas. They had direction, and they had a picture in mind before they ever began. This leads me to believe art rarely comes from nowhere. Even color choices made by the artist who attaches balloons to the wall and throws darts at them is a decision. There's never complete freedom in art. Everything has a plan.

Writing novels is an art form. Sure, you can write whatever you want, whenever you want, and throw it out there for the world to consume. But readers will become disenchanted if your novels have no cohesion, plot, or character building. Just like art lovers will spot an amateur painter if the colors on the canvas clash.

On the same note, there must be some freedom in painting like there is in writing. My imagination is my only limitation as far as situations, characters, and plot go; but I'm bound to certain rules of the written word—like artists are bound to rules of composition and color usage. Even Jackson Pollock had a specific idea in mind when he tackled a work. But he got to choose the colors. Note my baby pink oak tree up there.

What I'm saying is: We all have freedom in our writing or art,  but knowing all you can know about your craft—and using that knowledge—never hurts.

I guess buying that canvas did more for my thought process than I realized.

It's still sitting there, completely blank, waiting on me to make a decision.

I'm knee-deep in my section of the Fractured Glass anthology. It's so much fun giving characters free reign to lead me in the direction they choose. I've had a number of epiphanies while writing. Interesting twists and some mighty creepy situations are emerging as I bang the keys. Not long now. Good thing I had a plan, eh?

Time for you to join in the discussion here! Do you think it's possible to write an entire novel from the hip? Or do you think you must know the building blocks on all sides in order to craft something with no idea where it's going or how it'll get there?

Inquiring minds wanna know.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo