Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope your day is filled with friends, family, food, and fun.
Share your Thanksgiving story with me on Facebook!
Blog Takeover: Caty Farmington
Hi everyone!
I’m not sure if I have permission to do this or not. Some kids named Turner and Jay, and Mr. Moore have all said they’ve done it, but never said if the owner got mad. Not that I care. I’m just here to tell my side. My name is Caty (that’s “Katie” for people who want to know how to say it).
I’ve heard the whole story hasn’t been leaked – I mean told yet, so I’m not sure what exactly I can offer. Phineas is my stepbrother. His mom married my dad. He was I think seven at the time, and I was only two or three. I think. We didn’t always have the best relationship growing up, but we did love each other. It was a lot of big bother/little sister stuff. We’d grown up together from such young ages that the normal step-sibling stuff wasn’t a big deal for us.
I was devastated when I heard the news: Phineas is dead. Killed – murdered, they think. I’m supposed to come help, come look through his things and take trips down Memory Lane I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for. I won’t go into any of the “I told you so” stuff we had been talking about, but I did warn him just like he warned me. I can only wish the police find his killer or killers quickly.
I told them I’d do anything to help. Detective Ellison says my looking through his things will be most helpful. He hasn’t asked for a whole lot, but when I find something that looks odd or important, I pass it along as fast as I can. I really want to help find whoever did this to him.
It’s not just me though. Our sister, our niece and nephew, and all our other family out of state need answers. I just…
I need to be alone for a while. I’m still trying to deal with all this.
Blog Topics
One of the toughest parts of my writing career so far has been this. The blog. I have written blogs for others on specific topics. The client needs a blog on things to do in Miami during your next spring break – I can do that. Another client wants a top ten list? I can do that. But when it comes to thinking up and writing about topics that I can choose myself, it gets a little nerve-wracking. My thoughts include ‘what if I can’t think of something?’ ‘what if no one cares about that topic?’ ‘what if that topic has flooded the internet and no one cares about my take?’ I also talk about my family and my life outside of writing, and I think ‘what if no one cares about what’s going on in my family?’
All those questions have me putting off writing a post. Until I decided to change things up. Yes, writers need help figuring out what to write. I have a list of potential topics. I take advantage of holidays and other special days – those are the ones that write themselves. I also have a 108K-word novel to pull from. It’s added a little inspiration, and I can write up a month’s worth of blog topics in a single day.
Still, when the topic is all up to me, I sometimes feel like I have no direction. Which is why sometimes, like today, I reach out to my readers to ask what you’d like to read about. Are all of the topics I suggested in the first paragraph something you would like to hear about? Your feedback can help influence the next week’s or month’s blogs.
As most people looking for help or guidance say: thanks in advance!
Is there something you do that’s all up to you to craft from idea to finished product? What is it? Was it more difficult to come up with the idea or to execute it to completion?
Let’s talk on Facebook!
Outlining My Next Book
Outlining is one of the things I hate most about writing. I usually like to “pants” my writing – fly by the seat of my pants and see what comes out of my mind and spills onto the page. But when it comes to writing something that’s novel length, and you need to make sure to tie up all the loose ends and make sure you don’t leave any plot holes, an outline is a good place to start.
Part of my hatred for outlines comes from the feeling they give me. In school, you have to turn in your outline for teacher approval, then stick to that outline for the final paper. I carried that feeling with me into other aspects of writing, and felt them very limiting in story writing. Until someone with much more experience than me pointed out that outlines, like rules, are meant to be broken. Yes, they offer a road map to where you’re going, but it doesn’t take into account the sights and attractions along the way that may take you off the beaten path.
My first novel and the one that follows were in desperate need of one. Not only is there a lot going on, but you could consider there to be two main characters, each with their own drama. There are secondary characters that relate to the main characters and may have a bit of their own subplot. There are minor characters who come in and make a splash and leave. All of them and their lives and worlds need to be accounted for. How else than through an outline?
The outline helps keep everyone straight, but also allows me to give them a new experience that either takes them out of their comfort zone or is something they’ve wanted to do for a while but never got the chance.
I’m working on the outline for my second novel. It includes all of the above, and the outline is proving useful in keeping everything and everyone on the right path. I may grow to love outlines, but for now, I’ll tolerate them as a tool to get my work done.
What is your experience with outlines? Do you love them or hate them? Why? Let’s talk on Facebook!
Happy Veteran’s Day
Happy Veteran’s Day!
Veteran’s Day is an important day on the U.S. calendar. Unlike the 4th of July when we celebrate our independence, Veteran’s Day is one of the holidays that pays tribute to the men and women still with us who have sacrificed their lives and energy into keeping our country and independence safe. They’re the ones who came home to tell the stories or the trials and tribulations of war, and be celebrated for all their accomplishments.
Some locales celebrate the day and their veterans with parades, recognition, and celebrations just for them. Many schools and businesses observe the day with closures to give their workers and customers the time they need to celebrate their loved ones and pay tribute to the country.
When my son was in elementary school (a private Catholic school), his school didn’t close for the day. Instead, they opened their doors and their hearts, inviting veterans to be honored at a courtyard celebration and breakfast. All veterans were invited, from the young men and women recently discharged to a veteran who saw combat in World War I. The church’s Cub Scout pack led a touching flag ceremony, where a new flag – donated by a school community member – was raised on the flag pole for the first time. Those Scouts led the singing of the National Anthem as well as the Pledge of Allegiance. The students had made thank you cards for the veterans, and many gave hugs and thanks.
No matter how you celebrate the veterans in your life, make sure you say thank you today. Whether it’s a quick email, phone call, or in-person visit. Do you know a veteran? What war(s) were they in? This Veteran’s Day, sit with a veteran and learn their story.