Improving Your Writing with a Journal

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! I hope you all had a super fabulous weekend and are ready to kick the week off with a bang. Today, I'm gonna talk to you all about keeping a journal and discuss how it may help you in your writing life. So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Journal
/ˈjərnl/
noun
1. A newspaper or magazine that deals with a particular subject or professional activity.
2. A daily record of news and events of a personal nature; a diary.

As you can imagine, I'm talking about the second definition of the word. But we'll take it a step further and add to that definition. Now, it'll read: A daily record of news, events, and emotions from a singular individual of a personal nature; a diary.

If you take five to ten minutes a day and write down your feelings or news topics that piqued your interest, you'll end up with an invaluable resource for your novels. I've talked about creating a feelings bible before, but this is something different.

Because you'll be writing in it every day, those emotions will be fresh. Feelings you had will still be on the tip of your fingers and ready to be slapped down on the page.

How does one journal feelings?

Think about a particular incident where you were taken aback by the reaction you had, or consider how something might have made you over-the-top happy. Write down what happened, then go on to describe your feelings about it in vivid detail.

Engage all five senses when you write these things down: Smell, Taste, Sight, Touch, Sound.

Go bananas. If you were angry, let it all out. Be real because you'll only be lying to yourself if you aren't.

What you'll find, after a month or so, is that you have a wonderful record of situational impact on a human being's emotional state. You'll know the situation, the players, and the results. Not only that, but you'll be able to recall things that interest you as a person.

You can also go sit in a cafe or coffee shop and journal other people. Yes, you'll have to guess about their feelings; but, chances are, you've been in a similar situation and can get pretty close to the physical fallout of a given situation. If you're an outgoing type (most authors aren't haha), go ask the person how they're feeling and write it all down. Take note of their facial expressions, posture, and vernacular.

Once you have this gem of a written record, put it somewhere you can get to it when you're stuck on a particularly emotional scene in a novel. If you already have a feelings bible, add some of the content from the journal.

I promise, it's never a waste of your time to get in touch with Human Nature (that's a link to another blog post series I did on the Jo Michaels blog that will give you some awesome insight into what makes us tick).

What do you think? Do you already have a feelings bible or journal? How has it helped?

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

Jo

Paranormal Transmissions by Bella Roccaforte - Release Day Information

Welcome to Paranormal Transmissions! You are about to embark on the first episode of a novel-length serial--guaranteed cliffhanger-free--encompassing approximately 22,000 words of thrilling paranormal suspense (with a hefty side of humor). Buckle up and get ready to fly!

In Episode I: 

Carl and McNab are paranormal investigators. Carl, a man of principle, has the best of intentions. His job is to keep paranormal beings under cover and out of mischief. McNab--young, impetuous, devil-may-care--will add his talents to Carl’s effort...as long as he gets paid.

McNab has a lot to learn--and a lot of growing up to do. But he does come up with a great idea to finance Carl’s exploits--a weekly reality program showcasing paranormal phenomena. To the delight of their cable TV audience, McNab and Carl wade through the seamy, murky waters of the Underside world, helping those in need, saving the blissfully unaware from the ravages of evil, and attempting to redeem their own mistakes--all without causing widespread panic! 

In this first episode we join our heroes in the desert of Mexico trying to bury the body of a chupacabre--and McNab learns his lesson the hard way. After the chaos subsides, Carl notices some suspicious activity in a small North Carolina town--several suicides followed by an odd wave of philanthropy. Both investigators agree--all fingers point to a “pusher.” But what they find catches them both off guard. 

Those readers familiar with Bella Roccaforte’s INK: series will recognize Carl and McNab as favorite characters, but all readers will love their early exploits, which take place long before the INK: series begins. Come and find out what happened before McNab met Shay in Seattle!

Bella's motto has always been that you can choose to watch life pass you by or your can be the one spinning the world. You have to get out and live, life won't come to you!

Bella has always seen things in the world with a different view and has been an avid story-teller. She is enjoying putting her crazy musings into print for others to enjoy.

To her, one of the most exciting parts of writing is getting a chance to interact with readers. It is truly her hope that readers will reach out and tell her what they like and even don't like about her stories. She's looking forward to a relationship with the readers to better write stories they will love.

Please feel free to connect with her via Facebook, Twitter, Email or her website!

 

 

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A Guest Post by Me on The Zombie Survival Crew's Blog

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today I'm giving you a little snatch of what I wrote for a guest post over on The Zombie Survival Crew's blog. Then, I'll give ya a link so you can go see what they're all about and read the rest of my crazy ramblings. *grin*

Grab a cup of Joe and let's get going!

Fear Factors
What’s Really Going on in those Zombie Novels
by Jo Michaels, author of I, Zombie
So, I’m sure you’ve all picked up a zombie novel and turned to page one with your breath in your throat and your hands shaking as you contemplated what horrific situations you were about to be treated to, right?

Is it because you’re anticipating the sticky situations people will undoubtedly get themselves into and out of? Or, is it the mindless munching of brain matter by half rotted, animated corpses that gets your pulse racing?

Chances are, it’s a mixture of both. Zombie novels aren’t about the eating of flesh. While that’s a key component in the movement of the plot and something adding to the spine-tingling horror of it all, it’s not what’s lurking behind the scenes.

Deep within the pages of your everyday zombie novel there’s a central theme: survival of humanity and basic compassion. What you’re reading about is the battle—both with the creatures, who used to be thinking, feeling humans, and with the character’s own sense of what’s right and wrong while trying to survive. All around the character there are old friends, family members, and people those characters met along the way that now must be destroyed.

How do you pull the trigger when you’ve had a conversation with the person staring back at you with those milky zombie eyes? What if it’s your child?

Many times, authors of zombie novels go the extra mile to include how a parent tried to keep their feral child safe once it turned; because the parent(s) were unable to do the unthinkable. A neighbor might present a challenge (it depends if they were easy to work with over that property line dispute), but if they mean to harm or eat you, chances are you wouldn’t have much of a problem pulling the trigger, using a machete, or sticking them in the head with a pitchfork (hey, I lived on a farm; don’t judge me).

Read more on the Zombie Survival Crew site!

What do you think?

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

Jo

Last Chance to Enter!

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm bringing you the Rafflecopter entry form for Finding Autumn, a Falling for Autumn companion novel. We began this giveaway over on the IBGW blog almost two weeks ago, and I'm sure you're chomping at the bit to win a copy of this great book!

Information and entry form:

Title: Finding Autumn - A Falling for Autumn companion novel
Author: Heather Topham Wood
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length: About 153 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Synopsis:
***Not a standalone. Falling for Autumn from Blake's point of view. Includes bonus chapters set after the events of Falling for Autumn.***

Two years earlier, Blake Preston received a phone call that would change everything. His stepfather—a man he trusted and admired—had been accused of sexually assaulting one of his students. His stepfather declared his innocence and Blake chose to stay loyal to the man who had raised him as his own.

Cook University is the one place Blake can keep his anonymity. No one knows about the scandals surrounding his stepfather’s arrest and subsequent conviction. To his friends, he is merely the star running back for the college team and an NFL hopeful. But the life he has built at Cook is threatened when Autumn Dorey locks eyes with him at a campus party.

Getting entangled with Autumn is a mistake. Yet Autumn is the only person who can answer the one question that haunts him: is his stepfather a monster?

Blake conceals his identity and starts a friendship with Autumn under false pretenses. What begins as a way to uncover the truth about his stepfather changes as he grows close to Autumn. His relationship with her calls into question everything he thought he knew about his family. Against all odds, he falls in love with the one girl he’s forbidden to have feelings for. But can their love last once Autumn finds out who Blake Preston really is?

60,000 Words

Ages 17+ Due to Strong Language and Sexual Situations

Now for the entry form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What do you think? Did you enter?

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

Jo

Blog Hop

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you another blog hop. This one was sent to me by the fabulous L. K. Evans as well. It's a little bit of fun information about my work. It's just four questions and answers. Won't take you long to read. Check out L. K. on her blog/website here. Without further jawing on my part...

What am I working on?
I have so many projects in the pipeline right now it's crazy. Markaza, book six of the Mystic series. M, a standalone about a mutating drug. Desiree's Apocalypse, a standalone about a girl who can't remember her past. A short story for a Christmas anthology. My part of my own Young Adult Novella anthology titled Fractured Glass (we're doing this one a lot differently than others have done) about twins who can traverse parallel worlds. So, as you can see, there's a lot going on in my universe. Fit in reading, and you have a lady who doesn't know which end is up. *grin*

How does my work differ from others in its genre?
My work always has a strong female lead character. No matter what genre I write in, you'll find yourself cheering for my heroine. She'll never need a man (though she may want one), and she'll probably end up trying to take over the world at some point. M is my first novel with a male lead since Yassa (and even then I managed to stick a strong female in there). My girls won't let you down.

Why do I write what I do?
Because I believe in empowering women while telling a great story. I have a daughter who happens to be eight. Because I see so many books out there with weak females as someone for her to look up to, I write the things I want her to read and take something away from. I worry that she'll fall into the "I need a man or I won't survive" trap I see all too often in novels. My characters have their men, but my women are equally as strong and level-headed.  There's nothing wrong with that, and I want to get that point across to her before she's too late to save.

How does my writing process work?
I come up with an idea and jot it down, then I work my characters out. After that, I pants it. I've written an outline or two in my time, but they usually end up in the garbage before the first fourth of the novel is done. Meh, it works for me. I do write at the same time every day. I think that helps my muse know when to pay me a visit.

I tried to find people to pass this on to, but everyone I asked had already participated. I guess that happens when you take part in something like this, eh? Eventually, it makes the full round.

What do you think? Do you have a process?

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

Jo

A Young Adult Christmas Anthology

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'll be in my writing cave producing a short story for an anthology hosted by the ever affable Allyson Gottlieb. This post will be short. If you don't know who Allyson is, click her name to read my interview with her.

Anywho, I'm gonna give you a little information about my title that'll be included in this awesome collection of works (and there are some amazing authors in this book).

Title: The Frivolity Fairies
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Length: 6k-10k words
Short Description: What happens when fairies pay you a visit on Christmas Eve? Shirley Beaux is about to find out what the creatures behind her mother's Christmas bedtime story are really all about.

Releases in November of this year (exact date TBA). We also don't have a working title for the collection yet. I'll be bringing you more information as we get closer.

The price? That'll also be determined later. However, all proceeds will go to charity. That's right, every author is donating their stories!

How exciting is this? Kudos to Allyson for the great concept and her generous heart.

If you're a writer: What anthologies do you have coming out?

If you're a reader: Do you enjoy reading anthologies?

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

Jo

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