Characters Run Amuck

Gene Twaronite posted a link to the interview below on a Linked In group I belong to.  The “person” being interviewed is actually the main character of Gene’s novel, John Boggle.  The idea of interviewing a character instead of the author wasn’t new to me, my character Jo Sullivan actually did an interview today on Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews.

Gene, however, has taken the idea a step further in an interesting way.  John Boggle has actually highjacked Gene’s Twitter account, too.  From the sound of it, other authors’ characters have been doing this as well, turning up on social media network sites as themselves and not letting their authors get a word in edgewise.

I like this idea.  It sounds like fun, as long as Jo lets me be the one to write the sequel to her story.  To find out what Gene and John Boggle are up to, follow him on Twitter:  John Boggle@gtwaronite

Since this second novel has come out, I feel more alive now than ever before. In a sense I’ve been born again. Since most of you reading this are probably not characters, it’s hard for me to explain. Each time an author writes a sequel about a character, that literary person becomes a little more real. My author tries to hog all the glory for creating a believable character and never gives me credit for all the work at my end. But as the saying goes, it takes two to tango. He claims that it was his brain that first came up with me. But I am the idea itself—just waiting for him or someone else to seize upon my potential. Without me he’s a nothing but a writer without a story.

via I Am A Reader, Not A Writer: Character Interview & Book Giveaway: My Vacation in Hell by Gene Twaronite.

Writing Freebies

There are almost as many people creating companies that offer resources to writers as there are writers jumping into the self publishing frenzy.  There are a lot of hungry fish out there and everyone seems to be chasing those dollar-sign shaped fish hooks.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but you have to be careful to pick a company that can be counted on to deliver some bang for your bucks.  Personally, I have no intention of paying anyone to either publish my writing or to promote it.  I don’t even enter contests if they have an entry fee.

There are lots of these companies, however, that offer free advice or tools that I am perfectly willing to take advantage of and pass on here.  I found the site below when doing some research on freelance rates that has several free offerings you might want to check out.  I’m sure they are hoping you will like their generosity enough to inquire into their paid services, but please know that I am not advocating for them.  If you are interested in what they have to offer, go for it.  Or just take the freebies and go on your way.  Your choice.

We hope you find these FREE writing resources useful for the writing you do. Check back with us often to see what other writing freebies we’ve come up with lately.

via Writing Freebies | No 2 Pen Writing and Communications.

Amazon Highjacks Apple’s Article

The letter Scott Turow, President of the Author’s Guild posted in early March is really about a potential lawsuit against Apple and five publishers.  But his mention of how Amazon practices make the Apple decision an inevitable one results in the majority of the following comments focusing on Amazon and whether or not what they’re doing is good for writers and publishing. Depending on which argument I am reading at the moment, I feel like a fan at a tennis match not sure which player I want to win.

Yesterday’s report that the Justice Department may be near filing an antitrust lawsuit against five large trade book publishers and Apple is grim news for everyone who cherishes a rich literary culture.

The Justice Department has been investigating whether those publishers colluded in adopting a new model, pioneered by Apple for its sale of iTunes and apps, for selling e-books. Under that model, Apple simply acts as the publisher’s sales agent, with no authority to discount prices.

via Letter from Scott Turow: Grim News | The Authors Guild Blog.

20 Fun St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts | Minds in Bloom

Faith and Begore!  In memory of my childhood as an Irish girl (Debby Donahue, don’t ya know) here’s some fun for St. Paddy’s Day I found online.

1. Pretend that you have found a four-leaf clover that will bring you extraordinary good luck for exactly one day. Write about your lucky day.
2. St. Patrick’s Day is not generally a gift-giving holiday like Mother’s Day or Christmas. Write a persuasive essay to convince people to give gifts on St. Patrick’s Day.
3. Pretend that you can only eat green food on St. Patrick’s Day. Create a menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
4. Draw a large four-leaf clover. In the center write: I am lucky because… Then write a different way that you are lucky on each of the four leaves.
5. You have caught a leprechaun and he has given you a pot of gold in exchange for his freedom. What do you do with it?
6. Make a T-Chart. One side, list the advantages of being as small as a leprechaun. On the other side list the disadvantages of being as small as a leprechaun.
7. Make a list of as many things that are green as you can.
8. What does it mean to get a “lucky break?” Write about a time when you got one.
9. What do leprechauns do all day? Make a daily schedule for a leprechaun.
10. Describe a magical land “over the rainbow.” Use as much detail as you can.
11. James Garfield (the 20th US president) said, “A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck.” What do you think he meant? Do you agree? Why or why not?
12. A mischievous leprechaun paid a visit to your classroom during the night and caused all kinds of trouble. What did he do?
13. Write a story about catching a leprechaun
14. How would life be different if everyone had light green skin and dark green hair?
15. Make a list of everything you know about Ireland.
16. Pretend you are a leprechaun who is unhappy with your wardrobe. You are tired of the old-fashioned hat, suit, and shoes. You want a new, updated look for today’s modern leprechaun. Write a letter to the leprechaun fashion designer explaining why you think an update is a good idea and what the new leprechaun outfit should look like.
17. Plan a St. Patrick’s Day party for your class. What will you do? What will you eat?
18. Pretend you are the script writer for your favorite TV show. You have been assigned to write the St. Patrick’s Day episode. Write a summary of the episode you create.
19. Do you believe in Leprechauns? Why or why not?
20. Draw a large rainbow. Write a poem about rainbows in your rainbow with one line on each band of color. Your poem may rhyme or not rhyme (this could make a nice art project if you have the students do their rainbows in light watercolor and then write the poem with a black Sharpie).

via 20 Fun St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts | Minds in Bloom.

Writer Rehab

I know it’s been awhile since I posted anything to this blog, but occasionally I come across a site related to publishing or writing that I think would be of interest to others.  My other two sites www.debra-r-borys and www.paintedblacknovel.com have different purposes and don’t seem the right place to mention these resources, so I’m hoping to revive this blog by posting links as I find them.  They could be related to writing, or publishing, promotion, or freelancing.  The posts will no doubt be random and disorderly, but hopefully at least some of them will prove helpful.

Here’s the first installment:

I have been writing professionally for almost 15 years. That includes screenwriting (yes, I was in the WGA), writing for magazines (the kind you can find at a newsstand), writing my own column (I actually got paid to do this), publishing a non-fiction book (no, I do not mean “self-publishing”), and even copywriting. But this blog is not meant to be about me. It’s meant to be about YOU and your writing journey. I want to make your journey easier because God knows mine wasn’t. I plan to fill this blog with free tools and resources. I paid for the expensive Harvard education and UCLA Film School, and a library full of books on how to write a book proposal, how to get an agent, how to get published, how to write a query letter, and more. So, you don’t have to. Most of those books kinda sucked anyway. I am going to give you real examples of query letters, press kits, contracts, etc, from myself and my friends and colleagues. I am going to interview real working producers, publishers, and agents so that you know what they want to see in writers. That’s my job here. Your job will be to succeed and to pass the information on.

via Writer Rehab: About Writer Rehab.