Writing as Therapy

One of our themes this of this month’s blog is gratitude. It’s been a tough month for some of us, maybe all of us. The contentious election of 2016 put friends against friends, and family members against each other. It has been one of my biggest distractions for the last year, and now that it’s over, I’ve decided to stop watching TV news. I haven’t since November 8th. The vacancy it left got me back to reading, binge watching TV series like Poldark, which I’m loving, and writing. It also made me think of why I started to write in the first place.

It was during a difficult time in my life. I was stressed and upset, over what doesn’t matter. We’ve all had those times; they keep popping up like a summer cold. I read a suspense novel that I thought was rather poorly written, both in execution and plot. I’m no great writing critic, but I know what I like, what keeps me riveted. This book left me thinking, for some ungodly reason, that I could do better. I’d never written anything other than silly poems or fashion copy for ads I used to draw for stores in Boston when that was my profession a lifetime ago.

I had a plot idea and started writing, having no plan, no outline. When I finished, I thought it was a pretty good story, but I knew I needed an editor. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, but at least I knew it. I found a man online, we chatted. I thought he was quite the character, and it turned out he was. I got his prices and sent him the manuscript. He emailed me after reading forty-nine pages and said the plot was great; the writing needed work.

Well, yeah, that’s why I sent it to you, I wanted to say but didn’t.

His edit was great, a primer on how to write a sentence, eliminating all the extraneous garbage. I felt like I had taken a college class.

Not to go further with the book or the editor but to the reason I started writing in the first place. Entering into a fantasy world took me out of my own world, which, as I said, was not a happy place to be at that time. My story became my other life, and I’ll always be grateful for that. I loved being someone else for those writing hours, because that’s how I did it. I became my heroine and my hero, my villain and the supporting players. I enjoyed the process so much, that I kept writing my stories after I finished that book, creating other stories, each different from the one before.

As situations always change, I got past my dark period and found a new love: writing. The book I started at that time was Threads.

Not surprisingly, it’s a dark story, but it has a moral: no matter how dark life gets, no matter if everyone else is in the sun and the rain follows every step you take, life situations do change. Though I wrote that book first, it was one of the last I published. I always felt it was unfinished, but I didn’t know why. It turned out it was the structure, because the story goes back and forth, alternating the time frame, and I couldn’t write it in a way that made sense. Finally, I thought I got it right.

Finding a passion, an outlet, is an important factor in taking charge and making whatever that passion is work for you. It could be writing, as it was for me, or music or art or acting or reading. It could be activism or volunteering or even politics. The point is to keep your mind occupied, seek out a different interest―something that challenges you. Even if you’re not in a dark period, it’s exciting to take a different path to keep you energized. Whatever you choose, do it for yourself. Learning something new is the best reward for a lazy brain.

Polly Iyer is the author of seven novels: standalones Hooked, InSight, Murder Déjà Vu, Threads, and three books in the Diana Racine Psychic Suspense series, Mind Games, Goddess of the Moon, and Backlash. A Massachusetts native, she makes her home in the beautiful Piedmont region of South Carolina. You can visit her website for more on Polly and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

#FridayReads The ComPanion by S.K. Randolph

My introduction to “otherworldly” entertainment came in the form of a western science fiction serial in the mid-1940s. The Phantom Empire, filmed in the 30s and starring Gene Autry, played Saturday afternoons at our local theater. Then Star Trek premiered in the fall of 1966. During the 20-year lapse between Autry and Captain Kirk and for decades thereafter, however, I never stepped over the line into the exciting world of fantasy.

That changed a few years ago when I began reading S.K. Randolph’s novel, The DiMensioner’s Revenge. This first book of The Unfolding Trilogy gripped my attention by the end of the prologue and held it all the way to the last page. Volumes 2 and 3—The ConDra’s Fire and The MasTer’s Reach—continued the adventure, and tension mounted as good and evil battled across the galaxy. The ending of the third volume—stunning as it was—left me hoping that, somehow and in some form, the series would continue. Then I received an advance copy of The ComPanion. My hope had not been in vain.

The Unfolding Trilogy details the battle to save Myrrh, the last remnant of old Earth, and protect the balance of power in the Inner Universe. No longer concealed from interplanetary forces that seek its demise and their rise to galactic rule, Myrrh’s continued existence—as well as that of Thera—lies in the outcome of that life-and-death struggle. A compilation of 10 novelettes (12,000 – 17,000 words each) and 1 novella (an epilogue of 24,684 words), The ComPanion allows readers a revealing peek into the pasts of the trilogy’s primary players and shares details of events that brought them face-to-face with The Unfolding. In addition, it includes an appendix that expounds on the planets, solar system, and family trees, as well as a glossary that defines numerous words specific to the incredible world created by S.K. Randolph.

Let me share three examples from The ComPanion's shorts.

  The door opened with a whisper. The Galactic Guardian responsible for overseeing her training walked into the room. “Hello, Almiralyn.”
  “Good turning, Chealim.”
  His expression grew somber. “I have some disturbing news.”
  Her brows arched. “News?”
  “The Mocendi League has begun a search for you. You hold the keys to The Unfolding, to the maturing of the entire Inner Universe. You must remain attentive at all times.”
  A kiss brushed her forehead. Light flared. The Galactic Guardian vanished.

  “What the . . .” Wolloh stared at his surroundings—dirt and cobwebs, musty old hay, the tumble of boards that made up the remains of an ancient shed had replaced the cottage... the cottage he had fallen asleep in.
  Rain dripped from overhead. Wind found its way through every crack and cranny. “Velar?”
  The lack of answer sent a shiver up his spine. Was last night a dream? He glanced at his pack . . . A small book with a tattered, scarlet cover rested next to it. The title, The Art of DiMensionery and The Order of Esprow, was etched in gold. Wolloh glanced around the interior of the shack. Last night . . . Velar was here. He looked back at the book. He left this for me.

  Clawed talons clicked a rhythmic cadence on the ice-black floor, then ceased. Abarax studied him, its cherubic features inscrutable. Seeming satisfied with what it saw, it passed him a document with The MasTer’s seal imprinted on the folded edge.
  Relevart flipped the document over and read the words scripted there. For Rethdun’s Eyes Only. He glanced at the Astican. “Thank you, Abarax.”
  It bowed and left.
  He pressed his thumb to the seal and whispered, “Dubinn Stersec.”
  The document fell open . . . A careful study of the contents left his brow furrowed and his thoughts in a whirlwind. Laying the document on the table, he steepled his fingers and tapped his chin. “My, my, dear Rayn, what a conundrum you have created.”

In the beginning, I imagined the trilogy would reach out mostly to young adult fantasy fans. To the contrary, it is proving ageless in its appeal. Whether readers are 9, 90, or anywhere in between, it pulls them into its stories. Then I received The ComPanion and pored over its revelations. Curiosities that had arisen while reading the three novels were satisfied. Unique words coined to fit the story took on new power as I learned their full meanings and derivations. Characters, already robust and well-rounded in the trilogy, stepped off the pages to share the triumphs and tragedies that made them who they were. Ideally, readers should use The ComPanion as a tool, an accompaniment to each volume of the trilogy, a reference for both main characters and the original vocabulary describing inhabitants and locales of the Inner Universe.

I highly recommend The ComPanion, as well as the trilogy, to all who love great stories with strong, diverse characters and compelling plots. You will not be disappointed. All the books, including The ComPanion, are available on Amazon.

~ Edited and Reviewed by Linda Lane. This series of books introduced me to the fascinating world of fantasy, a place I had never before visited. I was enthralled.

Author S.K. Randolph grew up in Bermuda, where from an early age she channeled her creative talents into ballet. Her career in dance spanned forty years and took her from performing to teaching, choreographing, and directing, including as Director of Dance at Interlochen Center for the Arts.

She now lives with her partner on a boat home ported in Sitka, Alaska, and spends her time writing and creating digital art. Together, they explore the waters of southeast Alaska and in the words of Thoreau, strive “to live deliberately.”

For information regarding The UnFolding Series, visit SKRandolph.com and S.K. Randolph on FaceBook

Grateful for Great Courses

In a month of gratitude, I want to put a shout out to all those who help other writers become better at their craft so they can continue to feed my book addiction.

My motto has always been: Life is Too Short for Bad Fiction.

You can see my own contributions (the Story Building Blocks series) to this effort on my website.

I love looking through the Great Courses Catalog that comes through the mail. A long string of classes on DVDs and books line our shelves. You can learn everything from history, mathematics, and science to the humanities all in the comfort of your living room, office, or car, via DVD player or downloads onto your PC.

Years ago I found the course Building Great Sentences by Brooks Landon . It changed my writing forever. I vaguely remembered diagramming sentences in high school, but this course turned language into building blocks that are as colorful and versatile as LEGO®s.

As if reading my mind that writers needed more master classes in writing, a course was added by one of my favorite conference attendees, Jane Friedman. If you have been hiding in a cave and don't know who she is, I suggest a visit to her website. She is a great friend to writers everywhere.

I was thrilled to find she was asked to create a Great Course for writers on How to Publish Your Book.

To my delight, I found additional writing courses in my November issue:

1. Writing Great Fiction: Story Telling Tips and Techniques by James Hynes, Novelist and Writing Instructor.

2. Analysis and Critique: How to Engage and Write about Anything by Professor Dorsey Armstrong, Ph.D. Purdue University.

3. The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction by David Schmid, Ph.D.
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.

4. How Great Science Fiction Works by Professor Gary K. Wolfe, Ph.D.

5. Redefining Reality: The Intellectual Implications of Modern Science by Professor Steven Gimbel, Ph.D. Gettysburg College

6. Masterpieces of Short Fiction by Professor Michael Krasny, Ph.D., San Francisco State University.

7. English Grammar Bootcamp by Professor Anne Curzon, Ph.D. University of Michigan

The list prices for the courses are rather high for struggling authors. But there are frequent sales with up to 70% off. Some are also sold in sets. Share them with your writing pals or critique group if you have one. Perhaps you could all chip in together.

You can order via the catalog order form, by phone, or online.

Also check your local library, it is possible a course has been donated.

I cannot recommend these courses highly enough, especially for those going it alone that can't find local resources for master classes. There are too few! Most conferences cater to beginning writers. The more you learn about your craft, the better your writing will be.

Diana Hurwitz is the author of Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict, Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, Story Building Blocks III: The Revision Layers, and the YA adventure series Mythikas Island. Her weekly blog, Game On: Crafting Believable Conflict explores how characters behave and misbehave. Visit DianaHurwitz.com for more information and free writing tools. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

#FridayReads Author In Progress

It was quite a delight to win one of the ARCs for Author In Progress by Therese Walsh, Editor & the Writer Unboxed Community. If you are not familiar with the Writer Unboxed Blog, you might want to hop over there, when you are finished here, and spend some time reading the wonderful posts. I found that community a number of years ago when one of my writing friends had written a guest post there. While I was at the site,  I read a few of the other posts, and immediately subscribed to the blog. Every day there is a new bit of writing advice and wisdom and inspiration, and the writers who share so freely on the blog have contributed to the book.

The book is organized in such a way as to take a writer from the very beginning of a journey of words through to the end. Part One is Prepare, with an opening essay by Barbara O'Neal, Why We Write. She says, "Story is why writers exist, and story is why you are driven to the page. In a world so overwhelmed with everyday trivialities, we need writers more than ever to sift substance from the noise, to make sense of a chaotic world."

That certainly is why I first started writing, and in many ways why I continue. Whenever I have to process the things that are happening in the world and how they affect my life, I  have always done that by putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard.

Part Two is Write, with practical advice on elements of craft from creating characters, establishing setting, and a great piece from Jo Eberhardt on empowering ourselves by owning the badge "writer."

The rest of the book is divided into the following sections:

• Part Three- Invite
• Part Four - Improve
• Part Five - Rewrite
• Part Six - Persevere
• Part Seven- Release

As I read the book I marked so many passages I wanted to quote that I soon realized I could compile a whole new book of quotes. There is not room here on a blog to include them all. However, there were a few that particularly resonated with me.

In several places throughout the book is a section called Community Conversations, where the online Writer Unboxed community weighs in on a topic. Readers are able to connect with that community online using a password provided in the book, and I thought that was a terrific idea. The comments left at the blog are often full of little nuggets of wisdom, and the Community Conversations offer such nuggets. Commenting about "voice" Robin LaFevers shares, "Your unique story becomes your novel's secret ingredient. Voice embodies an author's core emotional truths and personal wisdom. Take time to learn your core truths."

And, in a Conversation about why we write, Robin shares, "The act of creating changes us and makes us stronger, draws us closer to wholeness."

What a nice way of voicing that something deep inside all of us who write that we often find so hard to describe. It is indeed why we keep writing despite all the downsides of this wacky business.

The design and layout of the book make it easy to read a few pages while taking a break from writing, or while waiting in a doctor's office for an appointment. There are Pro Tips, short quotable tips that pertain to the topic of the current article, as well as Caution Signs by Bill  Ferris.

There is actually a little caution sign graphic with a short bit of advice under the headline How to Get in Your Own Way. This one followed the essay about research and how much is too much. "Research is like author time travel. You pause writing for just a sec while you look up the average weight of an American black bear. Suddenly it's an hour later and you're reading the Wikipedia page on PT Barnum."

Oh my gosh. How many times have you done that?

There are so many more things to love about this book, and I will keep it handy, right next to Bird by Bird: Some Instruction on Writing and Life  by Anne Lamott, to pick up and re-read sections until the pages almost wear thin. I found the articles on craft so helpful, and was inspired throughout by the encouraging tone of each essay. Even a beginning writer will feel welcomed into a community of supportive professionals who treat newcomers as kindly as old friends.

Ever since I started reading the Writer Unboxed Blog, I wondered exactly what it means to be Unboxed. The simple answer might be that we can be a writer who  stretches the bounds of genre and stretches the bounds of expectations. However, I found this explanation by agent, Donald Maass, a more complete answer: "Readers aren't moved by what has moved them before, only by how you can move them in new ways now. They want familiar ideas put together in fresh ways. They want to feel like they're in on the joke even though they haven't heard the joke before. That high-wire balance is possible when it is a balance you hold within yourself. To be unboxed is to dwell in an in-between place and be happy there."

I think, "happy" is the key. If we are happy with what we are doing, that will show in our stories.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Therese Walsh is the co-founder and Editorial Director of Writer Unboxed. Her debut novel, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, was nominated for a RITA award for Best First Book, and was a TARGET Breakout Book. Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, was named one of the Best Books of the year by Library Journal, and received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.

One of the contributors to the blog and to  Author in Progress is Kathryn Craft, a former contributor here at The Blood-Red Pencil and the author of The Art of Falling and The Far End of Happy. 

Author in Progress is published by Writers' Digest and is available in paperback and Kindle versions.

Posted by Maryann Miller - novelist, editor and sometimes actress. Her most recent mystery, Doubletake, was named the 2015 Best Mystery by the Texas Association of Authors. She has a number of other books published, including the critically-acclaimed Season Series that debuted with Open Season. Information about her books and her editing rates is available on her website. When not writing, Maryann likes to take her dog for a walk and work outside on her little ranch in East Texas.

Taking Sides

Good morning, duckies! As we know, one of the important aspects of style is movement; the drape, line, and flow of a particular piece. The term also has more serious connotations. It conjures up visions of heated debates, yard signs, and letters to officials.

There is such a movement underway now. It has staunch supporters and ardent opposition, and has inspired many people to duck their heads and wait for it to blow over.

I am speaking, of course, about the Oxford comma.

In the writing and editing world, the Oxford, or serial, comma is a polarizing agent. Clever memes and profanity-laced dismissals abound on both sides of the argument. As with the topic of mixing polka dots with plaid, one must tread lightly. Adherents for or against are rarely swayed by shouting and insults. Indeed, even logic fails to prevail at times.

The CMOS states plainly that, “When a conjunction joins the last two elements in a series of three or more, a comma … should appear before the conjunction.”

While your Maven agrees with this directive, others are calling not only for the retirement of the Oxford comma, but for the possible scrapping of the CMOS itself. Horrors!

On the other hand, as our society evolves and grows, so must our language. I delight in my little black cocktail dress, but I would surely shudder at the thought of being strapped into a corset and crinolines on a daily basis. A touch of nostalgia is fine, but a backward movement advances no one. 

The Style Maven has been in a state of knitter's stasis, watching roses bloom in November and wondering if it will be necessary to cast on for all things warm. She spends her spare time drinking coffee and dismantling the trees that insist on falling on her roof.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Photo by Paul Downey, via Flickr

This is the month of thank yous, the season of gratitude. Even though a writer’s life is not an easy one, we still have plenty to be grateful for. At the top of my list are books, writing communities, and publishers.

A visiting magazine editor once told a room full of writers at a panel on publishing that in order to succeed a writer needs do three things besides write. We all sat up straighter and strained our ears to hear. The magic ingredients, she told us, were 1) to read many, many great books, especially in the genre we were writing, 2) to join and participate in writing communities such as the conference we were all attending, and 3) to send out our work to contests, editors, and agents, in the hopes they would help us get published.

It sounded like a lot of work, but it was nice to have a formula for “success,” whatever that was, so I took it to heart. I got busy and added to my writing practice as much reading, workshopping, and submitting as I could manage in the midst of my busy life. Success at that point in my life was defined as getting my memoir published. I had already drafted it, but it still needed a lot of revision. Amazingly, after just a couple of years, I achieved my goal. And now, I am eternally indebted not just to that speaker, but to all of the authors who wrote all the great books that showed me the way, all the supportive people in my writing communities, and finally to all those wonderful editors and publishers who sat down and read my unpublished work.

Writing is a process, as we know. Draft, revise, edit, repeat until the work is “as good as it gets.” We think of our writing process in terms of our own solitary acts, but maybe we should broaden that to include the interactions with books, writing communities and the publishing industry, because so often our final drafts are informed by the responses of early readers, rejections and acceptances from editors, search engine filters, contest parameters, and all those genre-defining forces that help us figure out what our book or essay is and where it belongs.

I personally am grateful for great books like The Possibility of Everything by Hope Edelman, everything Anne Lamott ever wrote, Liar’s Club, Cherry, and Lit by Mary Karr, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. These books not only showed me how it can be done, they gave me permission to do it my way.

I am grateful for my writing communities, starting with my old friends from NYU’s Dramatic Writing Program, my support group from Antioch University L.A.’s MFA in Creative Writing, and the two organizations that feed me tons of support and insight (as well as wine and cheese,) Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop and the Denver Woman’s Press Club.

I am grateful most of all for the people who read not just one but multiple drafts of my work, for free, and the ones I paid to tear it apart and help me put it back together, my husband’s patience, and even my daughter’s second grade teacher who cheered me on. The friend who told me that this book HAD to be published and the one who told me I was being too clinical and detached in my depiction of my main character, but encouraged me to keep working on it.

While at times the roles of writer and editor can seem at odds, in essence we are two sides of the same coin, united in the same goal. I appreciate all the professional readers, feedback-givers, and decision makers. In short, the gate-keepers.

As writers, we can sometimes forget how much there is to be grateful for. I mean, it’s a tough business – a lot of hard work for low or no pay, critics and reviews, vulnerability and risks. But writing is rewarding nonetheless, and those rewards outweigh the challenges.  And we’d never make it through without the help of literary works, writing communities, and those in the publishing industry who work so hard to bring our words to the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Candace Kearns Read is the author of the memoir The Rope Swing (Eagle Wings Press, Sep 2016). She is a screenwriter who has also been a Hollywood script reader for actors and directors, including the likes of Anthony Hopkins and Michelle Pfeiffer. Her screenplays have been optioned by producers and developed with Fox, Disney, HBO, and Lifetime. She teaches creative writing for Antioch University and the Young Writers Program at Denver’s Lighthouse Writers Workshop. She’s the author of the screenwriting handbook Shaping True Story into Screenplay, and co-author of the memoir Bogie’s Bike. Her essays have appeared in fullgrownpeople.com, The Manifest-Station, and The Rumpus.

Gratitude and Writing—Is There a Connection?

November and gratitude go together, given the traditional Thanksgiving celebration in the U.S. However, let’s look beyond the turkey dinner, visits with relatives, and reflections on the year’s blessings and consider this month’s writing prompt—NaNoWriMo. Now pounding away daily on the keyboard to meet the 50,000-word requirement by month’s end may intimidate some, so let’s explore the inspiration of gratitude when facing a writing deadline. I recently read that gratitude helps generate happiness. What does happiness have to do writing?

Mood can affect both ability and desire to write. Maybe it doesn’t in your case; in mine, it does. What affects my mood? Weather? Sometimes. The moods of people around me? To a degree. Life in general? Uh huh. Negative thinking? Always. And the list goes on. Still, I fancy myself a writer and want to finish those stories I’ve already started.

It’s been said that a routine of daily writing makes huge sense. (Remember NaNoWriMo.)

Unfortunately, mood can undermine that planned productivity. Imagine, for example, that you awaken to your alarm, only to also hear thunder rumbling in the distance. You open the curtain and see a still-dark, starless sky. Lightning steaks across the horizon. Low-hanging clouds threaten to bring another downpour to your already drenched yard, flickering lights announce an imminent power outage, and a sobbing youngster stands in your doorway, fingering the threadbare binding on the remnant of his baby blanket. Your creative mood nosedives as your monitor goes black along with the lights.

WAIT! Rather than give a go-ahead to the negative mood that’s about to consume your carefully planned morning, take another look at the gifts you’ve just been handed. While a crying child may not seem to be a gift, the chance to show your love and compassion is. It’s time to rethink, regroup, and view your dedicated writing time from a new angle.

Grabbing the flashlight from your bedside table in one hand and your little boy’s hand in the other, you head for the living room. The logs in the fireplace spring to life after you light the kindling tucked in around them. Oil lamps on the mantle flicker and brighten to cast fascinating shadows on the wall. Those new, high-powered LED lanterns you bought for emergencies light the room like noontime on a summer day, and the extra pillow and blanket in the closet invite your little one to snuggle close to you on the couch. One glitch: you forgot to charge the battery in your laptop. So much for the new writing angle.

WAIT AGAIN! You remember hearing that writing in longhand releases the inner muse and promotes creativity. Where did you put that legal pad you used to keep by the bedside? The last time you had it, you were teaching your child to write his name. You remember—it’s in the drawer with his coloring books.

Rain pelts the roof and windows with unrelenting fury; the crackling fire softens its pounding and surrounds you with warmth. Dark clouds hide the rising sun; lanterns and oil lamps brighten the room. Your youngster drifts back to sleep, nestled under his beloved “night-night” and a fuzzy blanket. Your legal pad rests securely on the broad arm of the couch. New ideas flit through your mind. Pen in hand, you begin to write. Words trickle onto the paper, then come so fast you can barely keep up. What could have totally wrecked your morning writing schedule has blossomed into a unique opportunity for even greater creativity.

As creatures of habit, we are not always as adaptable as we could be. However, we are creative people capable of thinking outside that clichéd box. Learning to be grateful for changes that seem to thwart our plans takes some practice; but if we just open our minds to the possibilities, we often find new doors opening to enhance our works in progress.

Does mood affect your writing? Have you ever taken advantage of unexpected situations and events to give new dimension to your stories?

Editor Linda Lane has returned to her first love— writing—while maintaining her editing work. She also helps new and not-so-new writers improve their skills through posts on Blood Red Pencil and offers private tutoring as well as seminars online. You can contact her through her writing website, LSLaneBooks.com, which is currently being updated. Also, you can visit her editing team at DenverEditor.com to find experienced editors in a variety of genres to help you polish your book into a marketable work.

Questionable Decisions

• Choosing hydrogen as the gas to inflate an airship.
• Introducing rabbits to Australia. They had no natural predator on the continent and rabbits breed like…well, you know. 
• Rejecting the first Harry Potter book. You have to wonder if those 12 publishing firms have gotten over it yet. You also have to wonder if the acquisitions editor responsible at all the firms is still employed. 
• Ireland. After conquering England, a Norman stood on a west coast cliff, saw a distant shadow of land and thought, "Close enough. Let's have it too." 
• Deciding the aesthetics of uninterrupted deck space was of greater importance to its first class passengers than the number of lifeboats on the Titanic.
• Invading Russia. For some reason, armies tend to forget that it's a big country and winter is coming. Russian winter.
• Vietnam. Enough said, really.
• Deciding to follow George Donner and James Reed and abandon a well-known wagon train route known as the California Trail in favour of a unknown 'short cut' through the Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter of 1846-47. 
• Choosing to open your city gates which have kept you safe for 10 years and drag a big wooden horse inside your city walls because the Greeks suddenly appear to have given up and gone home. 
• Passing on the patent for the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell offered it to Western Union, but its president decided to pass, writing to Mr. Bell, "We have come to the conclusion that it has no commercial possibilities.” 

And speaking of presidents…it’s election day, America. Don’t add to the list. Please.

Elspeth Futcher is a bestselling author of murder mystery games and playwright. She has been the top selling author at host-party.com since 2011. Her British games are published by Red Herring Games in the UK. Elspeth's 'writing sheep' are a continuing feature in the European writers' magazine Elias and also appear on this blog from time to time. Connect with her on Twitter at @elspethwrites or on Facebook at Elspeth Futcher, Author.

#NaNoWriMo Tips Round-Up

NaNoWriMo 2016 is off and running. In between typing your fingers to the bone and ignoring your family, you might want to unwind by reading up on how to improve your chances of NaNo success. Here is the round-up of this week's best NaNo tips, tricks, hacks, and general great advice:

• Want to GO PRO? 10 Ways to Own NaNo (And the Other 11 Months, Too) by Kristen Lamb, who says, Get used to this pace - anything less is for amateurs.
• 5 NaNoWriMo Hacks To Keep Words Flowing by Angela Ackerman - You need a plan, Stan.
• 5 Types of NaNoWriMo Participants and the Tools You Need by The Magic Violinist - Are you a solitary or competitive NaNo-er?
• First draft writing: 7 tips for simpler, easier drafting, at Now Novel. Have you tried Pomodoro yet?
• 38 Tips for Kicking NaNoWriMo in the Butt This Year, at Reedsy, who coaxed dozens of authors and editors to share their single best piece of advice for NaNo-ers.
• And if that wasn't enough to inspire you, here is more Advice From Authors For Your NaNoWriMo Success
• And Joanna Penn interviews NaNoWriMo's Executive Director - How To Write 50,000 Words In A Month With Grant Faulkner

Break time's over...

Posted by Elle Carter Neal