Shh! It's a Secret Blog Hop

Shh! It's a Secret! blog hop is hosted by Angela Felsted to help celebrate the relase of Poetry Pact 1.

Poetry Pact 1 is the result of a group of poets making a pact to write poetry every day, or every month, as they were able for a year. Here is the awesome list of contributors:
Angela Felsted (Author), Jessica Bell (Author), Jim Murdoch (Author), Laurel Garver (Author), Lydia Kang (Author), Madeline Sharples (Author), Richard Merrill (Author), Kerala Varma (Author), Glynis Smy (Author), Alaine Benard (Author), Artemis Grey (Author), Roslyn Ross (Author), Angie Ledbetter (Author), Caleb Mannan (Author), Emily Kruse (Author), February Grace (Author), Janice Marie Phelps (Author), J.R. McRae

All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to Direct Relief International, a charity which provides humanitarian aid all over the world. 

Each entry for the blog hop is supposed to showcase a secret pact, a close friend, or a close knit group that has helped through hard times. The blog hop runs from June 27th through June 29th.

I signed up, excited to support his group of amazing poets, and then realized I might not have a story to tell. Really. I don't keep secrets well. Ask anyone in my family, especially the weeks before Christmas. I can't be asked directly about specific present shopping because I will inadverntantly tell all without meaning to and thereby totally ruin the surprise of Christmas morning.

Then I thought about the second part . . . a close friend, or tight knit group that has helped me through hard times. . . hmm, I've got some great friends, close family members, and definitely had a few hard times.

I just went into a details about a few hard times a little while ago though, so I've decided to keep it a little light. I hope that's ok.

Who have I relied on the most, in all of my hard times? Jesus, my Savior.

What earthy guy have I leaned on more times than I can count? My hubby.

Who reads nearly everything I write? My mom and dad.

Who hears about all my writing ups and downs, encouraging me with great expecations? My hubby.

Years and years ago (like in the dark ages), when I was taking university classes, my parents didn't want me to major in creative writing. They wanted me to focus on the practical aspects of life. I went into teaching (English). However, they've read and applauded all of my writing that I've given them to read.

My boyfriend back then (now hubs) was always amazed at my writing, and kept telling me that he "knew" I would be successful novelist. (not "thought" but "knew!) He still says that! We've been married nearly 17 years now and I've produced three rough drafts, some published short stories and some published poetry. He still "knows" that I'm going to make it as a novelist. Wow!

An elementary school friend of mine (secretly sworn lifelong sister), has been a huge encouragement for my writing for 30 years. Again, I can't say I've fulfilled all of her expecations, but she keeps cheering me on at every turn.

A close friend I made just in the last five years asked me to recite some of my poetry in the midst of a gathering of friends from church. I nearly fell over in fright, but her excitement about my writing made a huge impact on me, especially since I was having a tough time believing in my writing dream at that very moment (she didn't know that).

So . . . who do you count on in the tough times in writing and life?

Do you have a pact with anyone to finish a writing project or goal?

No, go visit the poets from Poetry Pact 1, check out the blog hop, or go to Amazon and get Poetry Pact 1!

Road Trip!!!

(photo from here)

Road Trip !!!

My family and I are off on a much needed grand adventure!

With only 9 nights of hotel stays nailed down, and 14 days of driving ahead of us, we'll be making a few stops in the unknown. (This is wild for me, since I'm usually a mega planner for trips)

We're headed to a friends house first, then Arches, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas (where we'll be hanging out with friends who have a working farm outside the city), Anaheim, San Francisco, Redwoods, friends and family in Oregon, Portland's Powell's bookstore (largest bookstore in the world), and then home again.

I'll be here in the blog world for two events - the Shh! It's a secret blog hop and the Insecure Writers Support Group. I might post a few pics from our trip from the road, but I won't really be present more than two to three days in the blogsphere in the next few weeks.

I'll miss you all, but I need this break.

Five Ways to Deal with Distracting Characters

1. Give them five minutes of your time. Write about them, draw them, make them lists. Then set them aside.

2. Work them into your story. (I actually don't recommend this unless they really fit or your story is in the beginning stages.)

3. Daydream about them for five minutes and then let them go.

4. Ignore them and get back to work on your W.I.P.

5. Use them as a reward. Finish your daily word count goal for your W.I.P. and then give those distracting characters 5-20 minutes of your "after" writing time.


What do you think?
Which one of these methods do you use to deal with distracting characters?


100 Days of Revision, Day 53
I'm at the 28,066 word mark on my revision of Champion in the Darkness. The next few days will prove to be challenging due to an exciting, fun weekend, but I made myself a checklist/plan last night that I think will keep my revision writing going in the right direction.

How is your W.I.P. going? Making progress? Hit a wall? Need a checklist? 


Have a happy and blessed writing filled weekend!!!


Upcoming Blog Events

There are tons of good blog events going on every week these days, and it's hard to pick and choose.
I'll be participating in these three upcoming events:

Shh! It's a Secret Blog Hop hosted by Angela Felsted is a celebration for the relase of Poetry Pact 1 between June 27th and 29th.

Insecure Writers Support Group hosted by ninja captain Alex is a monthy event that gives us all a chance to vent our insecurities and encourage our fellow writers.

Hookers and Hangers hosted by Falling For Fiction is a blog hop contest of highlighting the first and last sentences of each chapter on July 16th and July 18th.

Distracting Characters 2 - Backstory for Captain Wrath

One of my biggest distractions these last three months (or is it more) is a space captain by the name of Captain Wrath. Only that's not his real name, because that's just a part he plays for Galaxy Cruise Lines. His real name is Captain Doug, and the whole reason he had to get a job with the cruise line is that he got kicked out of the Space Navy due to an incident with a Leprecharian . . .and I got to wondering just what happened (I didn't really know when I wrote the first story). So here's the start of that distracting story:

          It all started innocently enough, with a card game in the barracks during off hours. Doug was winning. His side of the table held a dozen credit cards, and a few watches. Doug loved card games. His Grandad, Commander Cranton the first, had taught him all the tricks before he even started standard school. He knew that some people felt that counting cards and reading player’s faces was tantamount to cheating, but he figured that if they all played to their fullest ability, then he shouldn’t have to hold back. Besides, it was easy. Any fool smart enough to make it into the Spacy Navy should be able to do it.

          Unfortunately, the Space Navy admitted even bigger fools, like Reynad from the Eutrope Moon Colony.

          As Doug won another game, sweeping up the cards from the table, Reynad stood up, and knocked the whole table onto Doug’s lap.

          “You’re cheating, Cranton, just like your Grandad!” shouted Reynad. He clenched his oversized fists in Doug’s face.

          Reynad’s buddies, Lewis and Zib, stood up to grab Reynad’s shoulders and hold him back.

          If Reynad had simply called Doug a cheater, he would have let it go. But Reynad had maligned Grandad. Doug stood slowly, put all of his winnings into his zipper pocket on the inside of his vest, and rolled up his shirt sleeves slowly. “Would you like to air your grievances outside, Reynad?” he asked quietly.

          “You bet I would!” shouted Reynad. He seemed to have only two volumes for his voice, oily and snobbish, or loud and boorish.

          “Would anyone care to wager on the outcome?” asked Doug, looking around the crowded barracks.

          “You’re going to bet on your own fight?” asked Wistar, his Elvanen friend, who stood taller and leaner than the rest.

          “Well, that would be cheating,” said Doug slowly, “so of course not.” He smiled at Reynad. “But if you,” now he looked at Wistar and their other friend Smith, “would like to place a wager on me, I’m sure you’ll get your money’s worth out of it.”

          Smith chuckled darkly. He always seemed to find grim humor in every situation. It had made him a fast friend in their first few days in Space Navy Scrub Camp.

          “I’ll place a bet,” said a high pitched voice.

          Doug, along with the rest of the barracks, peered around for the speaker. He didn’t recognize that voice.

          “Ahem,” said the voice. “Down here by your boot. No, don’t step on me now!”

          Doug finally saw the little man, dressed in a violent shade of green, standing by his right calf. “Who are you?” he asked curiously. “I don’t remember seeing you in our unit before.”

          “As if a leprechanarian could be a Space Navy Captain?” guffawed Reynad, insensitively.

          The little man drew up himself up proudly, sticking out his tiny chest. “The Leprechanarian Space Fleet is the finest in the Universe, and I am Captain Elwy Eurion Maddox of the Star Voyager.”

          “Sure, and I’m a fire breathing draconian if you’re the captain of anything larger than your silly hat,” Said Reynad.

          “That’s enough, Reynad,” said Doug. “Just because the man wants to bet against you, doesn’t mean he deserves an insult. In fact, I think he deserves commendation for having a sharp eye.” Doug reached down to shake Captain Elwy’s hand in his fingers.

          “Nice to make your acquaintance, Captain Elwy,” he said.

Obviously things will get worse from here because Doug eventually blames the Leprechanarians for losing his place in the Space Navy. In the far future - beyond the snippets I've written, I have a half-notated scene about an eventual peace between Doug and some of the Faerie Galaxy - and a reason they're in space. You see, the idea is that all the myths, faeries, etc were all space-faring races that visited Earth before we become space travelers in this quirky scifi fantasy.

100 Days of Revision, Day 50
 I changed a few little things again, and I think it's making the story stronger, it's just taking me longer to get it done. Here's a bit of dialogue between Clara and Stelia (one of her favorite teachers) on a trail away from Skycliff:

Stelia looked down at the sand path, strewn with dead sea grasses and tiny rocks. “That will depend on Sihrqayya’s plans, although I’m sure that if we are allowed to escape here, she will be waiting for us later, depending on how far we go from Septily.”

          “Does she normally set traps?”

          “She loves to play with her prey, once she sure she has them in her grasp. It is one of the trademarks of all the Dark Sisterhood. They enjoy inflicting pain on others.” Stelia’s stomach muscles clenched remembering old tortures, and the things she had done to avoid them.

So, what are you working on today?

Distracting Characters Spotlight - Gregori with an I

As many of you know I had a topsy turvy week last week, but I'm still writing every day.

In addition to the curveball moments of life, I've had tough time sticking with my 100 Days of Revision for Champion in the Darkness (formerly The Crystal Sword) because of distracting characters and story ideas.

Recently a kid named Gregori popped into my thoughts.  While making breakfast on Sunday (gluten free, corn free, dairy free, egg free breakfasts always seem to require cooking in my house), Gregori jumped into my head, and I thought I would share him with you.

It's kind of a long intro, and I'm definitely not sure where this is going, but he's my latest distracting character.

I’m not that kid. You know the one you’re thinking about when you think of books about an illegitimate kid with a parent that’s never around, the kid with superhero powers that’s the son of a human and the son of some myth. I’m not him. I’m just me. I don’t have powers, and I don’t save the world, but this story is about the one time when I made a difference in someone else’s life.

            Like that kid you’re thinking of, I had a few bully-enemies at my last school, and my math teacher seemed evil in the “I don’t care about you if you’re not a star soccer player for the school team” kind of way. My mom works hard at her job, and had a crappy boyfriend a few years ago.

We ditched him and public school the same year. I don’t know how my mom does it, but she works nights, and homeschools me in the mornings.

 In the afternoon while she sleeps, I go to my best friend’s house. Dennis and I go to the same homeschool co-op on Mondays with his mom, and we’re in the same karate class, three nights a week. We actually get some of our homeschool lessons done together, before we practice karate and play on his xbox. I usually make breakfast for dinner real late so my mom and I can eat dinner together. They say families that eat dinner together stay together, you know. I think breakfasts for dinner together are better than anything else.

So I’m not that kid that you’re thinking of from that mythical hero journey book series. I’m just me.  I’m Gregori Vaclav Schulz. My mom was interested in Christian martyrs when I was born, that’s how I got my name, and it’s definitely Gregori with an “I” and not a “y”, which gets me in trouble sometimes like it did the day this whole mess started.

Wednesday: A visit from Captain Wrath, another distracting character.

Friday: Dealing with the Distracting Characters

100 Days of Revision, Day 48 Update
The last week has been bad, bad, bad. I've barely worked through 250 words every few days. I'm totally distracted by life, other ideas, and the end of school, beginning of summer feeling. On the upside, I'm actually halfway there, and my halfway mark for the count down will be on Wednesday - so I'm ahead, sort of . . .

Do you have to deal with any distracting characters that don't belong in your current WIP?

How old do you think Gregori is?

And finally, do you have any exciting news to share? any summer plans?