IWSG - April 5, 2017

Click here to find out more and to see a list of other IWSG blogs.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The cohosts this month are  Christopher D. Votey,Madeline Mora-Summonte, Fundy Blue, and Chrys Fey!

The question posed this month is:

Have you taken advantage of the annual A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, publicity for your book? What were the results?

I've done A to Z a couple of years early on and met so many wonderful people. I just don't have the time anymore, which is sad.

As for support, it was a tough weekend for me on the writing esteem front. The need to market and the games that Amazon keeps playing just wear me down. I just want to write. But the marketing was sucking the joy out of it.

How do you overcome?

How to Build a Strong Online Presence While Maintaining Privacy

I've got a very special guest today, the awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh. He's got a new book out (can I squeee?), I get to help spread the word.

If any of you follow Alex's blog, you know he's the king of authorly support and the father of ISWG (Insecure Writers Support Group). He's also a major player in the wildly popular A to Z phenomenon.

He's also done a rather amazing job at keeping his identity very low profile. Because of that, I asked him to write a post about how he's managed to have such a huge following and still be unknown.

So, take it away, Alex!

How to Build a Strong Online Presence While Maintaining Privacy

Thanks for having me today, Donna!

You asked if I would share some of my reasons for having such a broad social presence online while still maintaining some privacy–and mystery.

Writing was never my passion. There – I said it! Music has always come first for me. Writing was fun and enjoyable, but published author was never my goal.

And then it happened.

I made a promise to my wife – our life would never become a three-ring circus. I would not let the insanity of the publishing world spill over into our personal world. Since I have to devote so much time to social media, which takes away from our personal time, the only way I could adhere to that promise was to keep our personal lives out of the limelight. My personal life is just that – personal.

I never intended to be a man of mystery. That just sort of happened with the whole Ninja persona. And then Elise Fallson made Mini-Alex, and I had an avatar. It was easy to keep my promise to my wife.

How it all exploded into such a huge following? That still blows my mind.

Through all of the means, I have over 2700 blog followers. Add in Google+, and that’s another four thousand followers. (Plus almost fourteen million page views – whoa!) And I have about 3900 followers on Twitter. Plus there’s Goodreads. It just boggles my mind.

I think it all comes down to a willingness to share the joy of others. Not looking for something for us or compensation, but just a genuine desire to celebrate the accomplishments of others. If you possess that, then everything else will fall into place.

 And now the book ...

Dragon of the Stars

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

Science Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure/Military

Print ISBN 9781939844064 EBook ISBN 9781939844057

What Are the Kargrandes? Click here

The ship of legends…

The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, son of a Hyrathian Duke. Poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter, he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

But when the Alliance denies Hyrath’s claim on the planet of Kavil and declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray. Entrenched in battle and told he won’t make captain, Aden’s world begins to collapse. How will he salvage his career and future during Hyrath’s darkest hour?

One chance remains–the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | CHAPTERS | AMAZON UK | GOODREADS | 

iTUNES | AMAZON PRINT | OVERDRIVE

About the author 

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm.

BLOG | ISWG | TWITTER

Have you read any of Alex's fun books? Hubby and I read them together. Well, I read them to him. :)

Do you follow Alex's blog or participate in ISWG or have done (or are in the throes at this very minute of) A to Z? 

Have you found it difficult to keep your public persona from taking over your private life?

Wiped Out

I went to the iWriteNetwork writing retreat this weekend. It was a wonderful experience. Great people, informative classes, and scrumptious food. And the digs weren't too bad either.

This is where we held the classes. Rough life, I know.

One of the open areas.

Nice large kitchen for meal preparation.

There were several common areas where people could gather to write. We had sprints, classes, a brainstorming session, prizes and even watched a movie where everyone got to figure out the beats from Blake Snyder's Save the Cat.

Good luck to everyone who starts A to Z tomorrow. I'm taking a pass. Maybe next year.

Grammar Wednesday - Lay and Lie

I know. Now that A to Z is finished I had promised to get back to my personality series. However things have been nuts AND I'm going to the Storymakers conference this week--Publication Primer is tomorrow!

Instead I decided to share a little tidbit I found from some work grammar notes. There are some grammar rules I latch on to and don't forget. There are others that I can't get to stick to save my life. The proper usage for Lay and Lie fits into the latter category. I usually let Word's grammar checker tell me which to use.

I know. Scary, right? Your professional creditably left to Word?

*shivers* 

I hope this helps you--and forces this dang rule to stick in my brain.


LAY
A transitive verb (meaning it is always followed by a noun or a pronoun that receives the action of the verb).

It means to put or place.

Forms: lay, laying, laid, (have) laid

LIE
An intransitive verb that does not have an object.

It means to incline.

Forms: lie, lying, lay, (have) lain

Did you spot that? Lay appears as a form for both words! No wonder so many of us are confused! It's a conspiracy, I tell ya!

And look what's coming out this weekend. 

Anybody planning to go to the opening?

Hubby and I'll have to go next Monday.

A to Z - Zany

1. a man who is a stupid incompetent fool
2. a buffoon in one of the old comedies; imitates others for ludicrous effect
3. like a clown; "a buffoonish walk"; "a clownish face"; "a zany sense of humor"
4. pungent adjectives of disesteem; "gave me a cockamamie reason for not going"; "wore a goofy hat"; "a silly idea"; "some wacky plan for selling more books"
5. A merry-andrew; a buffoon.
6. To mimic.

Okay. That's one I've never heard before. A merry-andrew?

Definition of merry-andrew: clown: a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior.

Well, folks. We survived. We completed A to Z. Phew.

And Woot! (that means We Owned the Other Team, btw.)

Now, I'm taking a rest and heading to the Storymakers conference this Friday and Saturday. I'm also doing something called Publication Primer. I hear my drill sergeant (though this isn't bootcamp) is brutal but brilliant. I hope to have lots to report next week, especially since I'm taking all master classes this year.

When I went last year I knew almost no one. What a difference a year makes! I became a member of the wonderful Authors Incognito group (you have to have attended a Storymakers conference to join), and I've found an incredible and supportive community of writers and authors. They provide online training, the most recent was a two-week long series on pitches. The first week was on writing and preparing to present it. The second week was on going beyond the pitch, presenting yourself. And this was all before the conference!

Seriously. Am I lucky or what?

And the fabulous Sarah Eden is going to be the Master of Ceremonies again. Sarah writes regency romance and has a delightful sense of humor. I read her books to my hubby, and he likes them. Did I mentioned that I love Love LOVE her books?

Storymakers also has something called the Whitney Awards. These are to recognize LDS authors. I'm a sucker for speculative fiction, so here are the finalists (a complete list of the finalists can be found here):

• The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel by Brandon Sanderson
• I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells
• The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card
• A Night of Blacker Darkness by Dan Wells
• No Angel by Theresa Sneed

I've read four of the five, and I'm embarrassed to admit it's Scott Card's book I haven't gotten to yet. I didn't go to the awards banquet last year. I'm so going this year.

Have you ever attended a writing conference that changed your life?


P.S.

I was hoping to hit the 600 follower mark with A to Z, but while I've followed a ton of new people few of them have followed me back. And I really, really wanted to hit that nice round number of 600. I sent out a plea to a new group I've joined of clean romance writers and within 10 minutes I had 9 new followers. Thank you, ladies!

A to Z - Youth

"Youth is wasted on the young" ~~George Bernard Shaw

What I could do if I was 20 again and knew what I know now.

I think that at times.

But am I right? If I had a young body again that could do the things so easily that I have to work so hard for now, would that be enough? Or is there more to being young than just the young body?

I believe there is. There's a fearless freshness to young people as they go out to face the world and wrestle it into the the image of their dreams. They're not troubled by the "been there, done that" apathy that can overcome us as we age. They're filled with excitement at what each new day will bring.

I have to work at that. Hard.

As much as I think I'd like to be 20 again, I wonder if I could really do it the justice it deserves.

This is actually an issue a couple of my characters deal with in the project I'm editing now. What would they do if they could be young again--not go back and live their old lives again but go back and live a new one, still keeping all their knowledge, experience, and memories.

Do you ever wish you could get back some of the years that have gone?

On an aside, this is my 300th post. Wow.

A to Z - X Chromosome

I break into the usual A to Z post with a query update. Got a request for a full from a publisher I submitted to in February. I'm excited they liked the 15% that I sent them enough to want to read the entire book. 

Can I squeeee?  

And then wait--but I'll be writing and querying while I do that, so don't worry. ;)

Definition: the sex chromosome that is present in both sexes: singly in males and doubly in females; "human females normally have two X chromosomes"


See, there really is a difference between boys and girls--outside of the obvious.


This video is a little long but incredibly informative if you've ever wondered why you couldn't make sense of the way your other gender acquaintances think. There are shorter versions, but I like especially that part where he compares how men try to help women (and vice versa) with their problems. 


To me, understanding the motivation behind the way the help is offered changes how I view it. And helps me appreciate that my husband really isn't the idiot I used to think he was. He's just different than me. That's not a bad thing. 





Though, I will confess that it's a little scary that recent research has hinted the Y-chromosome could be on the way to oblivion. I'm glad that's being debated. Of the five children I birthed, four carry Y chromosomes. I'm kind of fond of them.


What do you think? Are you one of those people who think men and women are essentially the same but with different reproductive parts? Or are you one who goes, "Duh!"?

A to Z - Dr. Who

I confess that I've only caught an occasional snippet of episodes of Dr. Who. But I've got friends who are crazy mad about the show.

The show made the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running science fiction show--2013 will mark its 50th anniversary.

That's pretty impressive.

This is a montage of some episodes.


This is an explanation of the show's history and the various actors who've played Dr. Who.


So, are you a fan? Have you even heard of this show?

A to Z - Vainglorious

So what does vainglorious mean? 

1. Boastful, unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities. 

2. Vain, ostentatious display.

Notice the "unwarranted" pride. My examples are from the old TV series M*A*S*H.

So I would consider Frank Burns to be vainglorious.

 Whereas Charles Emerson Winchester III (irritating as he could be) was not--because he really was as good as he thought he was . . . minus the bedside manner.

Have you ever known anyone in real life who was vainglorious?

A to Z - Ugh and Ugah Chuka

I like to use words for sounds. Anyone who's conversed with me online has noticed that I use ugh a lot.

An exclamation expressive of disgust, horror, or recoil. 
Its utterance is usually accompanied by a shudder.

Now, I confess I don't usually shudder when I use it--or even my characters use it. It's more like a really deep sigh for me.

But I must confess that when I see it written it always reminds me of the song Hooked on a Feeling. You know, the one with the added caveman grunting thingy going on.



Now the song above includes Dr. Who clips, but that discussion is for a different letter.

Do you like to use words for the nonwords in your vocabulary? If so which are your favorites? Or are you one of those folks who avoid them?

A to Z - There, Their, and They're

I've been seeing these done incorrectly a LOT lately, so here's a reminder.

There ... Their ... They're

There . . . . . . . in or at that place

Their . . . . . . .  possessive form of they

They're . . . contraction of "they are"

A to Z - StarCraft

I'm part of a gaming family. We love board games, but we really love video games. One that's sucked us all in is StarCraft. We got to play missions that follow a storyline and reached a conclusion. There are three races--Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss--and you got to play as all three. We had a LAN, so we could play with/against each other. Then there was Battlenet, where you could get online and play with/against people all over the world. And there was the ability to make your own levels.

It began with the StarCraft game and one of the characters, Sarah Kerrigan, is overrun by the Zerg.

In the expansion set BroodWar you find out that your enemy is now led by Kerrigan--who's been taken over and made to become a Terran/Zerg hybrid.





And we had to wait something like ten or twelve years before StarCraft II came.

Oh, my freakin' heck! Love this new version. Blizzard doesn't do anything halfway, and their graphics are awesome as is the storyline. The guy in the picture above is Raynor, who was a main character from the earlier editions. And, who we discover, was in love with Kerrigan, who he's determined to defeat.

Now they've upped the ante. Brilliant because it involves you even more in the characters. It's not just a game about strategy and battles, it's now got heart. I must confess to crushing a little on Raynor's haunted character in this version.

This time Blizzard is releasing three different campaigns. This first one is the Terran campaign. I'm not sure who they'll release next, but with the little romance going on, my guess is it'll be Protoss. They'll want to save the Zerg for last . . . especially now that there're hints a human taken over by the Zerg can be restored.

Are you a gamer? Board games? Video games--even if it's Farmville on Facebook? What appeals to you about the games you play?

A to Z - R2 D2

I'm a total fan of Star Wars' R2 D2. I'm always amazed as I watch the movies how much personality they managed to build into this little guy with his little beeps and whistles.

Let's be real here. It's not like they really had that much to work with, yet I was completely rooting for him every time he was in a dangerous situation. At the end of Episode 4, when he got hit and we're not sure he'd make it, I was stressing out!

That's powerful writing when you can engage someone's emotions so well that they're rooting for a machine!



What's your favorite movie or literary nonliving character?

A to Z - Omniscient Point of View

Source

 As defined in About.com, the third person omniscient point of view is:

a method of storytelling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in the story . . ..

I've considered the use of this POV lately and wondered if it would be difficult to write. Initially, I thought it would be the simpler way because you can be in everyone's heads.  No worrying about being accused of head hopping because, well, you're in everyone's heads. So, of course you're head hopping. It's the nature of omniscient. But would it be confusing to the reader if not done well?

Have you ever written in omniscient or seen it done well? Am I making it harder than it should be?

A to Z - Love

I'm going to talk a bit today about a mother's love. Having children changed my life in way I could never have anticipated. People can talk to an expectant mother but it's not until she bonds with her child that she really understands the depth.

Following is by Erma Bombeck--loved her humor and her heart.

Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I will tell them:

I loved you enough to ask about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home.

I loved you enough to insist that you buy a bike, that we could afford to give you, with your own money.

I loved you enough to make you return a Milky-Way—with a bite out of it—to the drug store and to confess “I stole this.”

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust and tears in my eyes.

I loved you enough to admit I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness.

I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall and hurt.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all.

I found that one of the hardest things about my children growing up was when I went from being the brightest, funnest, most beautiful woman around to being the stupidest creature God put on the earth.

The pendulum has (generally) swung back the other direction, and now my children have a more balanced and practical view of me. It's just proof that you need to hang in there. The terrible twos do turn into the terrible teens--except then they can drive. But the teens years, for all their volatility, can be an amazing journey of discovery and decision.

Maybe that's why I enjoy reading YA so much.

How about you? You've got children and/or you've been a child. How powerful have you found a mother's love to be?

A to Z - Kiersey Personality Sorter

Source

This is from a series I began last month. A to Z got in the middle of it, so I'm just posting a little reminder here.

I've been fascinated for years (all right, decades) with the Kiersey Personality Sorter. It was based on the MMPI, which is a comprehensive test, something like 600 questions. The MMPI is used a lot in dealing with mental illness, but for people trained in what to look for it tells a lot more about the people taking it than they would ever dream.

The Kiersey is much shorter and has many practical uses. They give it to department heads at work. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions, but merely give insight into how the taker views the world.

You can find my March 21st post here where I provide an overview of it, and my March 28th post here where I discuss Introverts vs Extroverts. I'll take the series up again in May.

I'm an EXFP -- you'll have to check out the March 21st post to see what that means.

What is your personality type?

A to Z - Joust

Um. No. This isn't a post about the medieval sport

A bazillion years ago, we used to love to play a video game called Joust. 

Dang, but this was a quirky, fun little game where your character is riding an ostrich, and you have to fight enemy knights riding buzzards. The defeated enemy turns into an egg which will get you extra points. 

Then there's a bumper bird kind of round thing, in which you must collide with your opponent.  

But you'd best watch out for the pterodactyls.

Do you remember this game? If you don't, what's your favorite video game?

A to Z - Ireland

Nearly a year ago, I went to Ireland with a friend. One of my favorite places was the little town of Cong. This is where they filmed the movie The Quiet Man, and there's even a little museum there.

I took lots of fun pictures because a future book is going to be situated here. It made it an interesting experience, as I wandered around, trying to imagine different things for my book.

Following are some pictures. Did I mention I loved this place?

Cong Abbey

Time for lunch--and the food was SO yummy!

I had to take a picture of this. Like some people have a place on their trucks for rifles? This guy has a fishing pole.

Have you ever had a chance to visit the Emerald Isle? If so, what was your favorite place? If you haven't been so lucky, where have you had a chance to visit?

A to Z - Humor

Today's post draws on my notes from a class the awesome Sarah Eden taught last fall at the UVU Book Academy. Sarah's always got great humor in her books, and she's just as funny in person.

Why should you include humor?

• Well, for one thing, it makes the characters likeable. 
• Another is comic relief. I remember thinking as my family was watching The Two Towers film about how dark it was. If it hadn't been for Gimli, it would have been an exhausting experience.
• It's a great way to sneak in an emotional experience.
• Like every emotional response, humor must be earned.

So, what makes things funny?

•  Incongruity - something out of place or inappropriate to the situation
• The unexpected - misdirection or surprise (Jack Sparrow--the pirate we never saw coming--is a prime example)
• Familiarity - the reader can relate to what is said or done. This is something stand up comics use a lot.

Now you can have all those things and still bomb because it's all about the context. You need to know your audience and genre. Some things will appeal to certain ages, or to people who have lived through a certain era, or it can appeal to a stage in life or a common experience.

When I was young, there was a joke we used to love to tell.

Question: What's bigger than Winnie's Pooh?

Answer: Gomer's Pyle

I know. This seriously dates me. Many you won't get that joke at all, unless you've ever seen the old reruns of the TV show Gomer Pyle, which was a spin off of the old Andy Griffith Show.

So, play off your strengths and don't try something you're not good at. Don't force it.

Following is a sample of incongruity, where classical pianist Victor Borgia does the unexpected.



Do you have much humor in your writing? What's one of your more favorite funny scenes in a book?

A to Z - Group Hugs

"The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

So what are you doing this weekend? John Carter of Mars has moved out of our regular theaters but isn't in the dollar flicks yet. Hubby would like to see that but I'm wondering about The Hunger Games. Anybody seen either of them? What are your thoughts?