Showing posts with label the bird. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the bird. Show all posts

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Winner Announced


Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I have the winner of the book pack for you all today! I'm not gonna blab on and on, so here it is!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to the winner! You take home these books:





 

Check out the reviews for these books here on the blog:
Sanctuary
Falling for Autumn
Sir Edric's Temple
The Bestiarum Vocabulum
Chasing Shadows

I've contacted the winner already. I hope she's super happy about this great book pack.

Tomorrow, we're back to the grind!

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

Jo 

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Happy Birthday Giveaway

Hello, good people of the blogosphere! Happy Tuesday, and happy early birthday to me! Well, I'm a year older as of this coming Saturday. No, I'm not telling you how old I'll be. I got an awesome birthday gift already from The Best Husband in the World (TBHITW). So, because he's awesome, I'm giving you all a gift for my birthday. Exciting, huh?

What's up for grabs?

A couple of the e-books I've reviewed this year, and an e-copy of my novels: The Bird and I, Zombie.

Which books am I including? These (that I gave five brilliant stars to):




Check out the reviews for these books here on the blog:
Sanctuary
Falling for Autumn
Sir Edric's Temple
The Bestiarum Vocabulum
Chasing Shadows

So, get on your entry wagon and let your fingers do the clicking!

Rafflecopter will run until the Tuesday after my birthday (through 7/29/14).

Good luck to you all!

If you missed them, check out the great giveaways going over on INDIE Books Gone Wild this week. I'll have another one for you over there tomorrow, too! You'll want to enter this one and tomorrow's. There's a book in the other one that goes with one of the ones shown above.

Here's what you've been waiting for!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you enter? Are you super excited yet?

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

Jo

Monday, June 16, 2014

Heather Topham Wood's 4K Likes Giveaway

Happy Monday, everyone! Today, I'm sharing an awesome giveaway with you from the always fabulous Heather Topham Wood. You may see some books on here you're familiar with. Get to entering and good luck!

I now turn the floor over to Heather!


Thank you all for helping me reach 4,000 fans on Facebook and Twitter! To celebrate, I'm hosting a huge giveaway with tons of prizes: gift cards, paperbacks, eBooks and book swag! A big thank you to all the authors who have decided to take part. Giveaway is international and ends June 30. Best of luck! Prize List:

$15 Amazon Gift Card
$10 Amazon Gift Card
$5 Amazon Gift Card
Choice of eBook (up to $5.00)
Falling for Autumn by Heather Topham Wood Signed Paperback
Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey Signed Paperback and Swag
Dakota Captive eBook and Paperback by Alythia Brown
Gemini Rising by Louann Carroll eBook
A Shadow of Time by Louann Carroll eBook
Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux eBook
Wasteland by Lynn Rush eBook
Death Lies Between Us by Jody Kessler eBook
The Grave Winner by Lindsey Loucks eBook
The Grave Winner Signed Bookmark
Son of a Mermaid eBook by Katie O’Sullivan
Chasing Shadows eBook by Tia Silverthorne Bach
I, Zombie by Jo Michaels eBook

The Bird by Jo Michaels eBook
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Jo 

Friday, February 7, 2014

What's in a Name?

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Oh, man, the weekend is right around the corner. I know you can smell it. Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful Saturday and Sunday! Today, I'm going to talk with you a little about naming your characters and why any old name won't (and shouldn't) do. So, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

When naming characters, there are a few things you should always be mindful of:
  • Is the name difficult to say/read?
  • Does the name have more than two syllables?
  • What does the name mean?
  • Do any of the names sound too similar?
  • How many of the names begin with the same letter?
  • What does the last name say about the heritage of the character?
A lot of authors make a name swipe list for minor characters that run from A-Z. Time is spent gathering names that sound different from one another and those are organized in alphabetical order. When the author needs a new name, they simply pull out the list, choose one of the names, and mark it off. That way, they're guaranteed not to have too many characters whose names sound alike. This is a great plan! Do it! However...

In my humble opinion, you should also look into what every one of them means and write it next to the name in your swipe file. For example, the meaning of the name Trixie (MC in I, Zombie) is "bringer of joy," Bronya (Mystic, book one) means "strength," and Stormy (MC in The Bird) means "impetuous nature." Those names fit the personalities of my characters because I took the time to do the research. Guess what? It didn't take me long at all.

How did I discover that information and think to use those names in my books?

Well, there's a super secret website that I'm gonna share with you in a moment where you can search by name, meaning, number of syllables, gender, or first letter.

Yes! I'm actually telling you someone took the time to help authors out and give us a place where we can find hundreds of thousands of names at the click of a mouse.

What is it? BabyNames.com

Click on advanced search and get your happy on.

I know, you all just groaned inwardly. But this is one of the best resources I've found for character names. I wouldn't want a meek, confused girl to be named Bronya or Stormy. Just like I wouldn't want either of those characters to have a name like Naomi, which means "gentle."

Yes, readers will pick up on that. Even if they don't know it right away, they'll feel something is off if they're reading about Naomi kicking butt and shooting bad guys.

Thought I'd share!

Did any of you know about this site before today? Did you use it? What gems did you find?

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

Jo

Thursday, November 14, 2013

The Bird - Book Blurb and Reviews

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today I'm gonna talk about my NaNoWriMo 2012 fantasy novel, The Bird, and share some of the wonderful reviews written about it. If you missed Monday's post, my interview with author N.L. Greene, please go check it out here. Now sit back, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and join me!

Note: This book is appropriate for those 13+ for the use of a foul word or two. Newly available on Smashwords, Nook, and iBooks.

Paperback: $12.99
Kindle: $1.99
Smashwords $1.99

Synopsis:
Stormy Terrabonne's life is about to be changed forever by a bright red cardinal. She soon finds herself being whisked away from all she's ever known to save an entire race of people known as Trobodytes. When she's presented to the Queen, Stormy learns how she's expected to help: By killing an evil wizard named Bordash Bladeslinger and stopping him from cutting down the sacred trees that bind Trogon to Earth.

Now, there are only two trees left. One of the trees presents a double dose of jeopardy: It's also tied to the renewed life of Stormy's mother. While Stormy learns more about the gifts she gained by becoming a Trobodyte, someone manages to poison that all important tree.

It's a race against time as she faces a legion of fairy tale creatures she never knew existed, learns to harness the power within herself to battle Bordash Bladeslinger, and tries to find a way to heal the dying tree before it collapses and takes her mother with it.

What folks are saying on Amazon:
5 Stars - "Be prepared to be dropped into a whole other world.

Stormy is visiting her dying mother in Missouri where she meets an interesting little Cardinal. The Cardinal seems to want her to follow him into the woods. Once deep into the forest, the Cardinal turns in the handsome Trobodyte Prince. He takes her into the Earth and shows her the world of the Trobodytes. Stormy learns she is the one person who could save the Trobodytes from the wizard Bordash. In return for her assistance, her mother gets a second chance at life (becoming 13 again) and Stormy gets the body of an 18 year old..." ~ Dev


5 Stars - "I'm normally not a fan of fantasy novels. Blame it on my ADD, but I have a hard time keeping all of the characters and world building straight. The Bird is a fantasy novel, but I never felt overwhelmed by information dumps or elaborate back-stories that were hard to follow. It was a great read and I thought it was creative the way Jo worked in themes about feminism and nature into the narrative.

The Bird has parallel plots going on. The first plot centers on a woman named Stormy and her quest to bring down a wizard in an alternate world. At the same time, Stormy's mother is given a second chance at life and is reborn as a thirteen year old. I liked the way Jo tied the two worlds together..." ~ Heather's Book Chatter

To see the full review and more, click the word Amazon.

Since this book has been out a year, I reduced the price! Woot!

I do hope you all take a moment to enjoy the loveliness that is The Bird. It twisted in a way that surprised even me.

What are you reading?

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

Jo

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

20 Ways to Plot Ideas - Part Two of Two

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope your Mondays weren't too bad. I know mine was super duper busy. Melody is in round three of edits and I'm into chapter four of Coralie. I hope you're all as excited as I am about that! Lots coming! But, today, we're continuing the discussion on how to come up with plot ideas. Here are the final ten! Grab your pens and notebooks and write these down!


If you missed day one, here's a link for you: 20 Ways to Plot Ideas - Part One of Two

11. Start With a Title
You can come up with so much from just a title! Think about it: Runner (what does that bring to mind?), The Fae of Ferion, Clockwork Cricket (maybe Cricket is a humanoid), A Piece of Peace. The possibilities are endless!

12. Create a Character
Develop a character using this outline: Character Bios. Then see where that character takes you. Don't forget that the Enneagram Personality Type List can help you decide how that character will act and react. Maybe the character you create will be a supporting cast member. That's okay, too! Change your bratty little brother into a bratty little sister and let them lead the protagonist. Run with it.

13. Make a List
Close your eyes and visualize something from your past. Use the memory to begin a list of things. Write down a couple of words for each scenario. Example: 1. Puppy (the one we found that was half starved) 2. Snow (the time we were homebound) 3. Accident (the time I drove my car into a tree) These all contain the thread of a story. Perhaps it can be woven into the blanket of a novel.

14. Trending
Read the paper or a magazine that deals with a specific subject. If you can read an issue of Popular Science and not get a billion ideas for a plot, you're not paying attention. See what's emerging in the world and write about it. Find something interesting and ask yourself these things: Who cares? What will the trend bring in the next ten years? How can it change the world if everyone takes to it? What if everyone fights it? Who will be impacted? And let your mind go nuts.

15. Prologue Writing
Lights, camera, action! Write a scene filled with action. Pretend it's a short story and use it to build a plot around. Make sure it causes your reader's heart to beat fast. Make them want to turn the page.

16. Write a Sentence
Come up with a fantastic first line for a story and go bananas. Write the entire prologue based on that sentence. Once you have that line, you can back up and flesh your character out or run forward and let him/her lead you where they may.

17. Playing the "What if?" Game
This is a fun game to get your brain working. I came up with an idea for a zombie novel by asking, "What if?" It's easy: Everything you see, question it. Say, "What if that squirrel could talk?" or, "What if people could turn invisible?" You'll find yourself with more plot ideas than you can shake a stick at (this is how The Bird came to be).

18. Do Research
Take a topic you love and plug it into the search engine of your choice. Read everything you come across and take notes or just hold it in your head. Once you've got a good grasp of your subject matter, start writing. All that research will give you a ton of reference to draw from (this is how Yassa came to be).

19. Just Write
Write about anything. It can be the chair you're sitting in, your dog, or the grass in your yard; but get something down on paper. You'll be surprised at how far it can take you. Your dog may be from a shelter, which is run by a corporation, which has a CEO that's a little kinky, and so on. See where I just took that one? It's all about letting your fingers fly.

20. A Dynamite Ending
Come up with the end first. Perhaps your character wins a race. What did he/she do to get there? What stood in the way? Maybe the character is disabled in some way but that didn't happen until he/she was in their thirties and the win is a miracle stemming from hard work and determination. If you have an ending with impact, you'll have little trouble backing up and creating the rest of the story.

I hope you all have wonderful plot ideas in your heads now; or, at the very least, intend to do a few of these exercises.

Thanks for joining me for these two days. Come on back tomorrow for more writing tips!

Which of these do you see working for you?

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

Jo

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Beautiful Books in Print

Happy Wednesday, everyone! What a lovely day it is. So, I was poking around my e-mail and came across a post that went up on The Book Designer. It's all about layout and page margins. If you have more than a moment, go check it out. Totally worth your time. So, today I'm gonna talk about another aspect of print book formatting: beautification. So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Joel makes some excellent points in his post about a book designer needing to be detail-oriented. We pay attention to the things you may miss or may think aren't important. What I think needs to be added to that post is something about the designer beautifying the book beyond the typography (which is the number one consideration). If your designer doesn't know typography, your book won't look (or read) like it should. But, that's another post. For now, let's talk consistency and artistic elements that will make your book stand out from the crowd.

Consistency:
When I'm formatting a book, elements and typefaces from the cover can be found within the pages. Sometimes, I'll set the books text in one of the fonts used for the cover, but this is rare (display or title faces do not good reading make). Rather than use a font that doesn't flow well, I tend to use the display or title fonts for the details. Running headers (or footers) can be set in any typeface you'd like because they aren't put there to help you read. Page numbers can be adorned in many ways because they serve only to mark a place or add a bit of glamor to a page.

My favorite place to use the cover fonts is in the chapter titles and numbers. And, man, are there a ton of ways you can format that first page! It's the page where the text generally begins about halfway down and you have all that white space to play with. You can add flourishes, decorative type, images, logos, anything! Drop caps are fun, too! But any good designer is going to take the time to make sure it's consistent.

You don't want a flourish on chapter one and then not again until chapter thirty. You don't want story breaks to have boring white space between them. Above all else, you don't want someone to open the book and be shocked by how different the inside is from the outside. They should be wowed.

Beautification:
If I've read the book, my imagination goes a little wild when I'm adding those little details that make a book sing off the page. I sometimes use elements from the cover or story throughout the design.

Here are a few of my interior designs (I'm including the covers so you can see how they match):





















































(There's a chance to win a printed copy of that last book shown, Borrowed Things, running right here on this blog! Check it out!)

Those are the types of things I love to do when formatting books. That logo on Borrowed Things is repeated for every story break (smaller in size, of course).

A couple of books I was wowed by when I opened them:
Splintered by A. G. Howard
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Fearless by Cornelia Funke

These are the book designs that stay with me. Sure, I remember stories from many books, but it's when I'm wowed by a design that I remember the story with vivid detail. Each of those links provides a look inside option. Go look inside! See what these people are doing. Love it. Learn from it. Your only restraints are your imagination!

I hope you all got a new perspective on book beautification and consistency in design today. I also hope you checked out Joel's blog and took his advice to heart. Remember, don't sacrifice readability for lower printing costs! Margins matter!

If you're interested in having a book formatted for print, contact me using this form.

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

Jo

Friday, August 9, 2013

Winners and Mystic ~ Coralie

Happy freaking Friday, good people of the blogosphere! I know I've been out for a week, but I was in Missouri, the setting of The Bird. How exciting is that? I've also been doing some formatting and writing. I'm happy to announce that book four of the Mystic series, Melody, is now written and will be hitting the shelves within a month! Coralie, book five, is a chapter in. Today, I bring you the synopsis and cover of Coralie and the winners of my birthday week giveaways! The kids returned to school yesterday and I'm all fired up to get back to work. Without further ado...

Synopsis:

Coralie Meyers is struggling to find her footing as an actress in New York. A malicious attempt to thwart another girl's career ends in catastrophe and Coralie soon finds herself in a precarious situation.

As the fifth and final member of Women Save the World, a company created by Markaza Turner, Coralie possesses all the cunning the young ladies will need to defeat the evil that's rising under Central Park. If the women fail to save her, evil will rise and destroy the world.

Now that Markaza has gathered four of her chicks: Bronya, Lily, Shelia, and Melody, all that's left to do is bring in Coralie, train her, and go to war. But the ladies are struggling with their powers and their personal demons. Will they find the power within themselves in time to destroy the monster and save the world? Only time will tell; and that's one thing they're short on.

This fifth installment of the Mystic series is a lesson in what lies, hate, and judgment can do to the world when left unchecked.

Now, for the winners of the rafflecopter giveaways! Congratulations to everyone and thanks for participating. I'll be in touch today to find out how to get you your prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Jo

Monday, July 29, 2013

Recaps and a Winner

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you recaps of all the active rafflecopter giveaways going on and announce my Indie winner! I do hope you're all as excited about these prizes as I am. Here we go!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to Alesha!

Good luck to you all! We'll be back with our regularly scheduled program tomorrow and talk about writing, editing, and formatting books for print.

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

Jo

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Merry Un-Birthday! Day Two

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! It's time for day two of my giveaways! I heard that cheer. I'm not going to go on and on about what's coming. Check out the list: Prize List. Today, I offer a printed, signed copy of The Bird. That link will take you to a page where you can find out more. The cover and a snapshot of the interior:

Pretty! Here are the entry forms for the contests so far:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to you all!!

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

Jo

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Prize List!

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm giving you all a prize list for next week's fun! Strap in and let's GO!

One lucky indie author will win a purchase and review from me.

One reader will win:
The first four books of the Mystic series, in print. Bronya, Lily, and Shelia will ship as soon as the contest ends, and Melody will be sent at the end of August (book releases to the public in September.








One reader will win:
A printed copy of The Bird.










One reader will win:
A printed copy of Chasing Memories, and a printed copy of The Disappearing Girl.




















One reader will win:
A digital copy of each of my books that are published at this time AND a digital copy of any others that are due to publish this year - in advance. Winner will receive the books no less than one week before they're published to the market. What's coming? Well, the next two books in the Mystic series for sure, and possibly my urban fiction novel, M. So, this winner will get more than eleven books from me.

Of course, every winner will receive a couple of bookmarks:
So come on back and let's have some fun!

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

Jo

Friday, May 17, 2013

Enneagram Types - Conclusion

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today is the tenth and final post in my series on Enneagram Personality types. Rather than just have you typing your characters and following the Enneagram model, I'm going to give you food for thought today. You've been (hopefully) working through the dialogue exercises and have a pretty good grasp of how specific character types will react in certain situations. You can combine these types with an understanding of Human Nature and really dream up characters that make an impact. I'll show you how. So grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Here's a recap of all the posts from the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever
Type #4 - The Artist
Type #5 - The Observer
Type #6 - The Questioner
Type #7 - The Adventurer
Type #8 - The Leader
Type #9 - The Peacemaker

I used definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

So, if you've been following along, you now know what drives each type of person to do the things they do. You'll also have a pretty good grasp of how these characters interact if you've been doing the exercises at the bottom of the posts.

Let's talk about how to bring these characters to their knees, shall we?

Ones are perfectionists. This means they're a little on the OCD side and they try to push their perfectionism onto others. They enjoy dotting the I's and crossing the T's. Think for a moment about what would drive a One up the wall.  If you're using a One as a main character, consider putting them up against something they can't control or can't change the outcome of; no matter how much they want to.

Fives are watchers. Rarely do they get into the thick of things. They prefer to read about things to learn how to do them rather than learning by trying. These folks usually have the right answer. But what would drive them batty? Being wrong all the time, never knowing what's really going on, or even being forced to take control of a situation.

When you study the Enneagram, you're looking for a deeper sense of self. It will tell you what your pitfalls are and how to avoid them. Character insight goes from surface understanding to truly knowing what your character feels, thinks, and how they'll react in any given situation.

What else does understanding give you?

The ability to know just how to hit them where it hurts, make them sublimely happy, or change them in some profound way. Wait, change them? Why would you want to change a great character?

Every character is on a journey. They must change in some profound way from page one to the end of the book. Without the journey, you have no story. If you have no change, your character will seem like one that can't learn from their mistakes. They come off flat. Using the Enneagram will prevent unbelievable change. Know what they tend to when stressed or happy. Put it to good use.

You should think about what kind of character you're writing before you ever put down the first word. Now, there's a caveat to this! Maybe you have a great character and don't know yet what their personality type is. My suggestion is to use free-writing via dialogue. Sit down and have a conversation with that character. Let them show you just who they really are. Once you have that down, you're golden.

As writers, we tend to base our characters on people we know well. We don't even realize we're doing it half the time. But we're familiar with their personality so we're in our comfort zone. Keep this in mind. There's nothing wrong with doing it that way, just make sure you have the greatest understanding possible.

I hope this series has helped you in some way. Character driven stories are pretty popular. Think: Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, or the Percy Jackson series.

How will you use the Enneagram? For personal or writing purposes?

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

Jo

Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Peacemaker - Enneagram Type #9

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I give you the last of the Enneagram types: The Peacemaker. Tomorrow, we'll go into how you can use these personality types in a different way. So far we've been delving into the human mind and extracting what makes people tick. I'm gonna show you how to use that knowledge to create lots and lots of drama. So be sure you come on back tomorrow for the final installment of the series! Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going.

As always, I'll begin with links to the first posts of the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever
Type #4 - The Artist
Type #5 - The Observer
Type #6 - The Questioner
Type #7 - The Adventurer
Type #8 - The Leader

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #9 - The Peacemaker.
Definition: Peacemakers are motivated by the need to keep the peace, merge with others, and avoid conflict. Since they, especially, take on qualities of the other eight types, peacemakers have many variations in their personalities, from gentle and mild mannered to independent and forceful.

Nines are usually pretty easy to spot. They tend to try and diffuse a situation by offering some excuse for the other person or entities' behavior. Some of the more aggressive types might the Peacemaker as taking sides with those who behave badly. It will probably piss the other type off.

At their best, Peacemakers are some of the most pleasant people to be around. They always fit in with a group of people and are seen as the most understanding of the nine types. However, when they're stressed or having a bad day, you'll be face-to-face with one of the strangest people you'll ever meet. It's like a total personality change. Where you've had this calm, nice, understanding person before, you'll be faced with a roaring lion that can't seem to focus on anything and passive-aggressively attacks you.

Never will a Nine ask for what they want. They'll be so focused on you and your needs, they'll overlook themselves. But the dam breaks eventually and the Nine will begin to act a lot like a Four; bringing drama to the table you may not be able to handle. After their meltdown, they'll feel bad and try to patch things up.

Peacemakers don't make good antagonists because they desire peace at any cost.

This leads us to the exercise for today!

You have a Peacemaker that just broke up an argument between a Reformer and an Artist. Show how the Peacemaker acts when under duress. Use a lot of action. Have both the One and the Four yell at the Nine. Make them throw things. Create a hurricane your character must traverse. It's up to you how it all ends, but remember to have some fun with it.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the final post!

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

Jo

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Leader - Enneagram Type #8

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Wednesdays always make me think of weddings. You got wed on a Wednesday. How charming. Okay, enough drivel. We're continuing with our Enneagram personality types today! The Leader (also can be called The Asserter) is a fun type of character for an action novel or as comic relief for a lighter read like chick-lit. Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As always, I'll begin with links to the first posts of the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever
Type #4 - The Artist
Type #5 - The Observer
Type #6 - The Questioner
Type #7 - The Adventurer

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #8 - The Leader.
Definition: Leaders are motivated by the need to be self-reliant and strong and to avoid feeling weak or independent.

Leaders are assertive and often end up getting themselves into trouble with their constant fight for what's right. They can be martyrs, sacrificing themselves for the "greater good." If you use a leader in your novel, do it with caution if they aren't the main character. They'll steal the spotlight every time if you allow them to.

Using an Eight as your protagonist might just be the kick you need to really catapult your story into the next realm of awesomeness. They're assertive, loyal, and fiercely protective of those they love or their own ideals.

When they're bad, you see a control freak that can go overboard with their wants and needs. Leaders make great bad guys; but they can also make a compelling good guy. Remember Peeta in The Hunger Games?

All this leads us to today's exercise!
Create a leader who's angry about deforestation in their area. When the machines show up to cut down the trees, put a Three in the role of foreman. Allow the scene to write itself. What the Eight will do should be based upon their feeling of injustice to the trees. Use action tags with only a few dialogue tags as the two go at it. Remember, you can use a woman and a man, two women, or two men. Do something unexpected. Have fun with it!

Is there someone in your life who's a cut-and-dry Leader? What causes do they fight for?

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

Jo

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The Adventurer - Enneagram Type #7

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we talk about an exciting personality type: The Adventurer. When you read the book about the different types of people, you'll start typing people in your head. Heck, you may be doing it now, from these blog posts! I urge you to pick up a copy of the book and have your friends or loved ones answer the typing questions at the start of each chapter. You may be surprised. Someone you've nailed down as a Three may end up being a closet One or Eight. It's a lot of fun. Well, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As always, I'll begin with links to the first posts of the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever
Type #4 - The Artist
Type #5 - The Observer
Type #6 - The Questioner

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #7 - The Adventurer.
Definition: Adventurers are motivated by the need to be happy and plan enjoyable activities, contribute to the world, and avoid suffering and pain.

This character is fun-loving, enthusiastic, and charming when on their game. They're also clingy, needy, and a wee bit self-destructive when they aren't. Never being happy with what life gives them, they're constantly searching for more.

Your reader may see the character as impulsive and want to slap their face. Or, the reader may wonder why in the hell this character would act they way they do. Especially if your reader is a Five or Six.

Adventurers are reckless and love the element of danger. They sometimes seek it out if life becomes too hum-drum. These actions can cause trouble or a lot of fun! Great characterization can be done if you create a protagonist who's a Seven.

On to today's exercise!
Write two pages of dialogue between a Seven and a Three. Remember, the character types on either side, called wings, also influence the actions of a person (we'll go into this more on Friday). A Three will also have traits of a Two and a Four. Keep your Seven firmly in their type while allowing the Three to lean one way or the other. Your scene? A crowded bar with loud music and lots of dancing. Threes are workaholics so go with the flow and enjoy writing. Don't paint the scene through anything but dialogue. Use no inner-monologue for this exercise.

What was your favorite book with a Seven as the protagonist?

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

Jo

Monday, May 13, 2013

The Questioner - Enneagram Type #6

Good morning and happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we'll be talking about more of the Enneagram personality types. If you've been keeping up with these posts, you'll have taken a headlong dive into some of the more interesting personality types. I think Questioners would make very good writers because they're always asking what if. Decide for yourself! Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As always, I'll begin with links to the first posts of the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever
Type #4 - The Artist
Type #5 - The Observer

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #6 - The Questioner.
Definition: Questioners are motivated by the need for security. Phobic questioners are outwardly fearful and seek approval. Counterphobic questioners confront their fears. Both of these aspects can appear in the same person.

Questioners are constant worriers. They stress over things you'd probably never dream of giving more than a passing thought to. They always look at a situation and try to figure out what's really going on, how it can worsen, and what could make it better.

They make fun characters because you can play with those fears and really show the reader how much deeper the trouble really is. On the flip side, you can also use them as a crux to a One, having the Six constantly make judgments about the decisions being made, or being overly critical of the One's appearance.

Keep in mind flattery rarely works on a Six. They never believe compliments and will always ask themselves why someone is saying those pretty words. Rarely can a Six see it for themselves, even if the person giving the compliment is sincere.

Time for today's exercise!
Use a Two (Giver) and a Six. Put them in a coffee shop and have the Two pick up the tab for the Six. Write one page of inner-monologue and dialogue that shows what the Six is saying and thinking. Remember, your Giver gives freely, with no thought of payback. Now change the POV and write the same scene from the Giver's point of view.

As you've probably realized, many of these personality types can blend a bit into one person. That's because of the way the Enneagram is formed. Folks can jump to the types on the opposite side when in stress or when feeling confident. Know your personality types and use them. If you want to know more, pick up the book. As always, I don't make any money off what I recommend on this blog, I just suggest tools that I believe will help you in your writing endeavors.

Have you read anything lately with a character that fits one of these personality types? What was it?

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

Jo

Friday, May 10, 2013

The Observer - Enneagram Type #5

Holy crap, good people of the blogosphere! It's Friday! Do a happy little dance because you get the next two days off work. Know what you should do with all that free time? Write! Try a couple of the exercises from the blog this week and get your dialogue muscles doing those mental push-ups. Continuing with my series on the Enneagram (pronounced any-a-gram) personality types. I give you #5 - The Observer. So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As always, I'll begin with links to the first posts of the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever
Type #4 - The Artist

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #5 - The Observer.
Definition: Observers are motivated by the need to know and understand everything, to be self-sufficient, and to avoid looking foolish.


Observers, as their name implies, are watchers. They'll never be found at the center of the action, won't ever be the life of the party, and worry about everything, seeking knowledge to make sense of it all. However, when prompted, and reassured their viewpoint matters, it's difficult to shut them up.

They'll annoy the crap out of you with their controlling ways, but often have insight no one else in the room does. Their analytical mind goes crazy with options all the time. If you say yellow, they try to figure out why you said yellow rather than blue.

What's surprising about the observer is, they won't open their mouths until they're sure they're right with their opinion. Once you give them the go-ahead, they'll tell you about everyone in the room. They make interesting characters because you can have them sit by and watch, only to drop the bomb that makes everyone gasp.

Which leads us to today's exercise!
Take an observer and have them watch an artist and a reformer have a conversation. Drop hits that the reformer is wrong in their ever-giving advice but don't let it become obvious until the observer is asked for an opinion. Make it twisty and have some fun.

I know you're all wondering how any of this is going to help you write. I'll get to that next Friday. So keep your pants on!

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

Jo

Thursday, May 9, 2013

The Artist - Enneagram Type #4

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I know you've all been waiting for this one, being writers and all. Enneagram type #4 - The Artist. Would you believe there's only five more types? Well, believe it. Remember, you can delve into awesome things with my writing class over on INDIE Books Gone Wild. You'll learn so much! Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As always, I'll begin with links to the first posts of the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #4 - The Artist.
Definition: Artists are motivated by the need to experience their feelings and to be understood, to search for the meaning of life and to avoid being ordinary.

Artists are drama queens. They tend to make tsunamis out of every wave life rolls at them. In addition, they have a difficult time understanding how others don't see the tsunami. These people tell everyone they meet  about accomplishments, failures, and confusions in an effort to identify.

When I typed ordinary, above, it almost felt like a dirty word. I can't imagine being just like everyone else. I suppose most people would call that being normal. What the heck is normal, anyway? A house with a white picket fence, two and a half kids, and a golden retriever? I have all that but the golden retriever, and I'm far from normal. But I also don't like confrontation. That very firmly puts me out of the artist category.

Have you been trying to identify yourself as we go along?

Creating a character that's an artist requires you to be overly sensitive to the emotions in the world around you. But they have the potential to bring a whole new level of emotion to a story. Used wisely, these characters are confrontational, fun, and very rounded. They can also piss your reader off with their dramatic ways. Ah well, at least they'll be remembered. After all, that's what we strive for, right?

Time for today's exercise!
Put a character who's an artist into the following situation with a reformer: It's a Friday and both are waiting for an interview for a big job. While sitting in the holding area, these two strike up a conversation. Using what you know of the artist's tendencies to tell everyone everything about themselves, create a scene where the other people sitting nearby want to flee. Have some fun with it.

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

Jo

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Achiever - Enneagram Type #3

Happy Hump-day, good people of the blogosphere! I love Wednesdays because I don't have to cook dinner and I get to spend time with The Best Boyfriend in the World. Plus, after today, there are only two days left until the weekend. All good. We're continuing with our Enneagram personality types today. The Achiever is quite the character. But we're gonna put a little spin on that type of character so we end up with more to give our readers. Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!





If you'd like to take a peek back to the first two types, here are the links:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #3 - The Achiever.
Definition: Achievers are motivated by the need to be productive, achieve success, and avoid failure.

These types of characters have a lot of energy and a long to-do list. When they're engaging someone in conversation, they're not fully engaged. Their mind is always thinking of what they need to do next.

Having an achiever means they'll be focused and very good at whatever it is they do. Striving for people to like them, they're the ones working the room at parties; networking, introductions, and telling jokes is the order of the day.

On the flip-side, they're also persuasive and can sometimes talk someone into doing something they didn't even realize they were being convinced to do. It'll come out of nowhere. Achievers have a dire need to win every argument, outhink everyone in the room, and be the best of the best of the best. These characters succeed in everything they do.

You can use an achiever to either further your plot by having them convince your main character to do something (or not do something) they've been wavering on.

That leads us to:
The exercise for today!
Your achiever isn't going to be the CEO of a company. They won't be a business owner. Today, your achiever is going to be a serial killer. Engage them in dialogue with someone who they're planning to kill. Have them convince the person to do things that put them in harm's way without realizing it. Have some fun with this one and be devious as hell.

Remember, The Bird is still free until midnight tonight. Go snag a copy and see if you can tell what personality types the characters are!

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

Jo

Friday, April 26, 2013

Healing Plot Wounds

Happy FRIDAY, good people of the blogosphere! What a week! Here comes the the weekend, though. I hope you all have wonderful plans. Today, we're gonna talk about some common plot wounds and how you can heal them. So, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!


Problem 1: Your flashback is all mucked up.
Make sure you need it. Remember, a flashback will disrupt the flow of the story and pull the reader into the past for some reveal. It should never be an information dump, but a high-energy scene. If you keep your flashbacks short, all the better. Try working the information into dialogue instead. That way, the story keeps moving forward, but your readers get the information you've deemed necessary.

Problem 2: Your scene has no two-punch.
You know that height of the scene where exciting things happen? Find it in your story and highlight it. See how much you can dump before it happens so there's less drag getting there. You'll likely find a lot of the wordy things before the action can be removed and it still work. Then, give it a two-punch. You know, that little something extra. Some emotion or reaction as the action occurs.

Problem 3: You're holding back your characters because they're off plot.
Suddenly, your characters are trying to go left but you force them to turn right. That wasn't what you had in mind and no-way no-how are you letting them go there. This will hinder your story. Try opening a new document and let the character go the way you think they would. Have a conversation, run a scene in your movie-projector mind, or type a quick scene out where your character faces something out of the ordinary. Don't force them to react a certain way. Let the character decide. Then, return to your story and let them play it out the way they want to. It works. As a bonus, the outcome might surprise you. I didn't intend the twist in The Bird, the characters did that on their own.

Problem 4: Mind-system shutdown.
Overload. Your mind shuts off, your imagination takes a break, or a head cloud invades. How do you turn it back on? Writers don't have switches on the side of their heads. If this happens, try one of these tricks: Act out a scene. Don't imagine it, get your booty out of your chair and act it out. Take a walk and have a conversation with your protagonist. No, I'm not kidding. Sometimes, this is just what you need to understand their vision and/or motive. Maybe those crazies on the street, walking along, mumbling to themselves, are actually writers trying to get back in touch, eh? Write down what your novel means to you. What's the underlying message?

These are just a few of the problems we all run in to. I hope the suggestions above help in some small way.

What do you do when problems smack you between the eyes?

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

Jo