Pursuing Creativity in 2012 – My New Year’s resolution

Well friends, it is 2012 – the year that I am claiming as “The Year of Creativity”.  My prayer is that it will also be “The Year of Productivity”, and you will find that I have a very good reason for wanting this.  But I will get to that later.

For right now, let’s discuss “creativity”.  In the dictionary, creativity is defined as the ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things, especially in an artistic context; it is, in essence, the quality of being creative.  As writers, we are constantly creating… even when it appears to others that we are doing nothing at all.  This is because, to those who are creative at heart, our minds simply cannot STOP creating.

It’s true!  How many of you writers out there have decided you were going to read a book simply for the pleasure of it, and catch yourself comparing character traits and notarizing world building techniques by the middle of the third or fourth chapter?  How about those of you who glance out the window simply to see the landscape and find yourself contemplating the purpose of your characters’ journeys, or perhaps you start worrying over landmarks for your map, or you see a bird or a bug of some kind and get an awesome new idea for a unique creature?  Maybe you turn on the television to watch the news and begin to ponder the political standing of your characters, the government of their cities, or the religions of their world.  Do you ever sit in a church service taking notes for allegorical themes and hidden messages to incorporate into your story from your pastor’s sermon?

I have done all of those things and let me tell you – sometimes I get seriously exhausted from the fact that my mind quite simply refuses to SHUT UP.  I don’t MEAN to think about those things at those times… I simply can’t help it.  I have no control over the matter… it just happens.

But for the last couple years I’ve been seriously struggling with getting these thoughts onto paper – or perhaps better worded, into the computer.  I LOVE to write, but of all the activities that I find myself doing, writing is the one creative outlet it seems that I neglect.  It used to be that I would sneak away any chance I got to sit down and flesh out a scene for my book… but for the longest time now, I’ve had no will – no inspiration – to do such things.

Hopefully for no longer. 

My “sabbatical” from writing has lasted almost two years now against my will.  It has been a struggle to get the words out right, and then I grow weary of trying… so I stop, saying that I will pick it up again when I am more up to the challenge.  But I have come to realize that this will never happen unless I make myself up for it, and I berate myself for stopping at all.  Without pushing forward, of course I will always be stunted by that one obstacle that stands in my way; without persevering, of course I will be overcome by a problem that might have otherwise been easy to solve.

So this is my year of creativity.  This is the year that I take back the inspiration and perseverance that was always mine before.

And with that in mind, this is also the year that I claim as “The Year of Productivity”.  Not only am I going to work to get SOTD out of this rut that it’s been stuck in for so long, but I have some other exciting news as well… ^_^

MAGPIE ECLECTIC PRESS is almost ready to start accepting submissions! :D

(You may have noted the name change… and there’s good reason for it that I won’t go into right now. ;D)

That’s right, people!  Though I may have been neglecting my writing life, I have not neglected my research.  It has been six months to the day that I posted that Blog Post about wanted to start a publishing company.  But as I mentioned in that post, the idea has been simmering in my heart for several years, and I had been researching the subject long before I decided to share about it for the first time.    I thought back in August that to get the company set up correctly would take several years – and I don’t think I was wrong, but I also don’t think I was looking at the full picture.  Because, you see, I had already done lots of research beforehand, and since August, I’ve done even more. 

The other day I was able to get the site together and ready to launch.  I found a few typos afterward that needed to be corrected, but they are due to the fact that I typed up most of what is said on the site in a Word Document, and for some reason the site builder that I’m using doesn’t accept “smart quotes” and “smart apostrophes”… therefore leaving many of my contractions without an apostrophe at all.  :P  I was able to get those corrected.  There are a few other details I’m still working to get cleared up before I can start accepting submissions, but I’m confident that Magpie Eclectic will open its doors sometime within the next few months. 

Of course, this is an extremely exciting time for me.  As many of you know (simply because I’ve said it before… over and over again…) I’ve never tried anything like this before.  But I’m not backing down… not even a little.  I’ve been studying this industry since I was 17, and ok, that means it’s only been almost 8 years (much less that some people out there), but that’s still a whole 8 years dedicated to learning the business of writing and publishing.  Plus I’m earning a degree in English, was previously a writing tutor, and have done editing jobs on the side… not to mention the fact that I did once teach a creative writing class for young adults.  I’ve even had a few things published (well… mostly in the college literary journal, but still), and was afterward made a part of the same literary journal’s production team. 

I know this makes me sound like I’m bragging, but I’m not trying to.  Really.  Actually, if anything, I’m telling this to you simply to help convince myself that I can handle this.   Or at least I hope I can. <_<

So keep your eyes open for more news on the opening of Magpie Eclectic Press.  If you are interested in visiting the site, here’s the link, but we aren’t open for submissions just yet: http://www.wix.com/nichole_white/magpie-eclectic-press

And on that same note, I hope that some of you will also claim this year as THE year for creativity and productivity.  I totally believe it is.  By God’s grace I will be able to move forward, no longer stuck in 2011… this is 2012!

Nichole White

Fun in Music

Hello,

As some of you know, I am a college student working towards a double major in English and Music.  Last year was my first semester in Music Theory (even though I've been at my college doing gen-eds for three years now... :P).  I was so excited!  I had a lot of fun last year learning as much as I could about music and how it all works together.  I also started piano lessons.  But the best part of all was learning how to write music.

Now, I've been a musician for years... I sing, and write songs, play the guitar, and I could still plunk out songs on the piano, even though I couldn't read or write music.  But now, I'm starting to understand how music works together and it's PHENOMENAL!  I love it so much!

I spent a lot of time in the piano practice rooms last year, composing small pieces and writing down the music.  One of the pieces that I wrote I was actually able to play for my piano final, which was super exciting!  Afterward, I decided I wanted to be able to listen to it, so I found a software that let me play around with synthesized sounds to create music.  Following the sheet music I had, I put the notes in and played around with them a bit, adding some here and there.  This is how it turned out and I hope you like it!  The song is titled "Waves" because the music made me think of the ocean.  It's a little repetative, but I hope in this next semester to be able to add bits and pieces to it to make it more... eh... interesting. :)

“Replication” by Jill Williamson – a Review

Hello friends,

It has been a while since I’ve had the time or a sufficient connection to the internet with which to post something more meaningful. I hope you all had a good holiday! Mine has been quite full to say the very least, and while I know that college starts again on the 17th, I’d swear that classes got out for Christmas only a week ago… Oh well. No matter how short the vacation was, it was still time off, and I’m thankful for it. Just know that when school starts again, I’ll be able to blog more often: it definitely helps when you have a reliable connection to the web. But, the time off has helped me get back some of my personal priorities too, like writing (I’ve made some new leeway in SOTD, but I’ll talk more of that at a later time) and like… sleep. In fact, sleep has become so much a priority that sometimes my parents become aggravated; they ask how a person can spend so much time with their eyes closed, and I tell them it’s to make up for a whole semester of trying desperately to stay awake 24/7. Lol! College takes its toll, my friends. Especially when you fill your class schedule with as much as you can manage. I really need to fix that… :P

But enough chit-chat!

Today I’m writing a review for Jill Williamson’s newest book just recently released through Zondervan, titled “Replication”. I can’t tell you how excited I was to receive an invitation for an ARC. Jill is one of the most respected authors on my long and still growing list of favorite authors, and one of the most anticipated. I haven’t posted a review on her “Blood of Kings” trilogy yet, but I will be posting one sometime this year (when I finish the third book. ;D). Besides that however, who wouldn’t be intrigued by the premise? A main character named Martyr? A farm solely dedicated to cloning humans? What’s not to like? :D

Here’s the blurb so you can read it for yourself:

Martyr – also known as Jason 3:3 – is one of hundreds of clones kept in a remote facility called Jason Farms. Told that he has been created to save humanity, Martyr has just one wish before he is scheduled to “expire” in less than a month. To see sky.


Abby Goyer may have just moved to Alaska, but she has a feeling something strange is going on at the farm where her father works. But even this smart, confident girl could never have imagined what lies beneath a simple barn. Or what would happen when a mysterious boy shows up at her door asking about the stars.


As the reality of the Jason Experiment comes to light, Martyr is caught between two futures – the one for which he was produced, and the one Abby believes God created him to have. Time is running out, and Martyr must decide if a life with Abby is work leaving everything he’s ever known.


Now about the author:

Jill Williamson is a novelist, dreamer, and believer. She grew up in Alaska and loved to read books. In 2010 her first novel, “By Darkness Hid” won the Christy Award. She loves to work with teens, and she gives writing workshops at libraries, schools, camps, and churches. Currently she lives in Oregon with her husband and two children. And of course you can find out more about her, her writing projects, and her books at www.jillwilliamson.com.

Also, a word in edgewise, Jill is simply a really awesome person to hang around. I don’t know her very well, but I was able to meet her once in person and it was such an honor. If first impressions are anything to go by, Jill made a good one. She was kind, fun-loving, and she smiled a lot. And come on! What’s not to love about setting out to meet one of your favorite authors for the first time, and having her greet you wearing a medieval Lord of the Rings style dress. ;)


My thoughts about the book: WARNING: Spoilers ahead.

Replication was not quite what I anticipated… it was much better! When I first started looking into the book, I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. How would the clones be portrayed? Why had they never seen sky? Just what exactly did Abby’s father do? I wondered at first if the book wouldn’t have similar qualities to the movie i-robot (which is, by the way, one of my favorite futuristic films.) My mind predicted clichés in Science Fiction, and I pondered the possibilities.

I shouldn’t have worried… my mind couldn’t have been more wrong.

Replication is all about finding God’s purpose for our life and living out that purpose to the fullest. And what is that purpose exactly? Why, it’s living for Him, of course!

The main character, Martyr, is quite simple upon first glance, but we soon find out that he’s much more complicated than his “creators” ever thought likely. They knew he was smart, but they didn’t expect his ability to mentally think over problems to work so well, nor did they think his endless questioning would actually render useful answers.

Martyr’s one wish to see the sky before he expires is what first compels him to disobey the rules. Now for him, this is hard as he doesn’t like to lie – at all – which is an intriguing quality in Martyr’s character that brought into retrospect several interesting thoughts about the consequences of lying. Martyr is also very naïve, an aspect that has him asking curious (and sometimes almost embarrassing) questions throughout the course of the book. This aspect also has him regret simple sins that most of us in today’s world would overlook entirely or justify. That fact in itself was an eye-opener, but it was written into the book in such a way that it wasn’t overwhelming.

Having lived his whole life without ever seeing the outside world, Martyr’s first glimpse of some things in our world – like the sky, the sun, a moose, a car – all were slightly choppy and vague, pieced together with what little he already knew of the world. This was a most satisfying element in Martyr’s character, and one that isn’t exactly easy to pull off, but Jill managed to do it with grace and believability. It’s like a writer asking themselves, “How would I describe something of this nature to a blind person? Or a person who has never seen it before and has no notion of what it is?” The trouble is always in keeping elements that you yourself find obvious knowledge out of the description, and comparing the experience to things that the character would already know.

Here’s an example from the book so that you can see what I mean. It depicts the first time Martyr get’s a good glimpse at the sky:

The sky stretched overhead like a very high, blue ceiling – a lighter color of blue than the picture of Myrtle Beach, but darker than Rolo’s eyes. The sun hung up in the sky, as well, somehow staying there without falling to the ground. It did not have a smiling face or long beams stretching out on all sides like the pictures Dr. Max had drawn. It was a pale, round ball of brightness. It hurt his eyes to start at the sun, so he studied the clouds instead. They were fluffy and white like the snow. (he had already seen snow at this point.)

I thought Jill managed this part of Martyr’s character very well. It was almost like I was seeing these things for the first time too, as I was reading the book. Notice that the sky was like a ceiling, something Martyr had seen before, and the sun was not like the smiley faced drawing he had been shown in the past. These descriptions kept the experience alive and fresh in my mind to the very end of the book.

Of course, the questions Jill posed in this book were good ones: Are clones actually “people”? If they were “created” (so to speak) by man, then did they actually have a purpose beyond the one given to them by man?

In the book, the character of Abby Goyer certainly believed so. Abby is a Christian, though her father is not. She is the one who befriends Martyr in the outside world. Martyr, curious about anything and everything, asks Abby some simple questions about her faith and God which then turn into more complicated ones. Why does she “pray” over her food? Who is she talking to? And so forth and so on. The most interesting thing about these questions was that they truly played on Abby’s knowledge of her faith. How was she going to explain these simple acts that she had taken for granted all of her life to a person who had never, ever heard of such a thing before? And the hardest part was that Martyr’s questions grew larger and more complicated, until she didn’t have answers for them at all.

This part of the story really got me thinking about how well I know my own faith. I’m a Christian, but just how well do I actually know what that means and entails? Or do I just go through the motions half the time, like Abby did on occasion, doing simple things just because it goes along with my faith? And what exactly is my faith? What does it mean, and why do I believe as I do? These questions should all be simple… I’ve faced them before, as most Christians have at one time or another. But the book started me thinking about them again. And, one of the best parts of the book, in my opinion, was watching Martyr come into his faith. He would do things that seemed so simple and sweet… and sometimes things that even Abby couldn’t understand.


(BIG SPOILER ALERT!)

Like when he gave one of his kidneys to the doctor who had cloned him and was going to kill him for both kidneys. Abby asked why he would do such a thing, and clearly thought that he didn’t have to and really shouldn’t have. After all, Dr. Kane, who was dying slowly of Lupus, had been planning the whole time to kill Martyr for no other reason than he wanted his kidneys. Dr. Kane’s justification was that Martyr was a clone, clearly not a real human, and therefore the act was not really murder at all. But as the story progresses there was no doubt in my mind (as I’m sure there will not be in yours) that Martyr and all of the other clones were most definitely human and that Dr. Kane’s actions would have been murder, whether he thought so or not.

Martyr’s answer to Abby’s question opened Abby’s eyes to a completely new meaning and depth of the faith that she called her own. He said simply, “Because Jesus would have done it.”

Abby’s reply was that Jesus didn’t have the option of giving away his kidney, especially to a criminal man like Dr. Kane.

But then Martyr quoted from the book of Luke: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. And then he tells Abby, “I have done so for Dr. Kane. That was my purpose for him.”

(End spoiler)

Wow. I mean really, WOW. That depth, that understanding of God’s true purpose for us… it’s all written right there in the Bible, but how many of us actually think of that verse’s meaning to the extent that Martyr did? How many of us take God’s word and truth that far?

This book was an eye opener. Not only was it compelling science fiction that kept me turning pages long into the night, but it held truths and perceptions that I had either not thought of before, or that I had let my understanding of them go rusty. This was a book well worth reading.

The one trouble I had with the book (and mind you, it is a very small trouble), was how Martyr killed Dr. Elliot. I know it was a sort of pre-considered self defense, and that both Dr. Elliot and Martyr had a mutual dislike of one another… and I know that Dr. Elliot was just plain cruel, partially for the sake of being cruel… but I saw no remorse in Martyr afterward, and for a boy who would give an evil scientist one of his kidneys because that’s what God would have wanted, this seemed partially uncharacteristic.

However, that was just one small scene. Hardly more than a few paragraphs really. Let it not dissuade you from picking up this most excellent book.

I give this book 4 ½ stars out of 5. It was an epic read, and quite memorable for me. That in itself is something to say, as I have read many books, but only a few hold places on my “memorable” list. ;) This is one of them. It’s fresh, funny in all the right places, serious when it needs to be, and fast paced all through. It’s not like any science fiction book I’ve ever read before, and I’ve read enough to tell. I highly recommend this one.

Good luck, Jill, with your other writing endeavors. I know I look forward to reading future books by you. God bless.

And God bless all of you reading this! Go pick up this book: it is definitely worth it. ^_^

Until next time, my friends, HAPPY WRITING! And reading.

Nichole White

Oh the Holidays!!! Crazy life and the Hobbit Movie Trailer. ^_^

Hello friends. :)

Well, it's official!  School is out, and I have passed all of my classes! ;D  And I had a job interview this morning which went rather well.  Hopefully I also get that job.

In the meantime, I've been CRAZY busy.  Which is a really good thing.  I've been able to pick up work on the commissions that had to be set aside during finals time, and I've been making more jewelry too.  I've also been able to finish reading some of the books that I've received to read and review and haven't had a chance to finish. So now that I've gotten back into reading, expect reviews on some pretty neat books!

I feel kind of bad for not being able to post a lot on the P&P though... Don't worry folks, I have some more meaningful posts coming up.  I promise!  This little blog needs some TLC and it will get it. ^_^

Right now, I'm still freaking out over the trailer that I saw this morning for the Hobbit.  Yes, LOTR fans, the official movie trailer is out, and it totally rocks!!! *dreamy sigh*  Do we really have to wait a WHOLE YEAR to watch the actual movie?  That's going to be... painful.




I'll post more meaningful stuff later!!!  Expect a review on Jill Williamson's newest book, "Replication", and a review on Wayne Thomas Batson's "Sword in the stars".  Also, I'll be posting news soon on the new constellation contest Mr. Batson is hosting for his newest book in The Dark Sea Annals, "The Errant King". All coming up soon!!!

Updates and sparkly JEWELRY!!!! :D (Updated)

(Updates:  The pendant and chain "The Birth of New Life" and the silver and blue earrings "Icicles" have been spoken for.  Thank you!  ^_^)

Hello friends!

What do you know!  I made it on before the end of the month this time. lol!

Well, I told you I would post more to let you know what's been going on in my life.  It's been kind of hectic, but in a winding down, School's-almost-over, pleasant sort of way.

Unfortunately I was forced to quit my part time job about a month ago because of a clashing schedule and not enough pay to make it truly worth it.  It was a rather sad day, because I really, really liked that job... I was a writing consultant at my college.  But, with that said, since I pulled the plug on it, my grades have picked up a little bit in my other classes.  Now I'm looking for something to keep the bills paid over the holidays and next semester... putting in my application as often as possible, and picking up art commissions in between to help with gas and insurance. (I'll be posting pictures of the commissions soon.  The latest is coming along very nicely... almost finished. ^_^)  It's not a lot, but I'm SO grateful that people like my art enough to have me do artwork for them. :)  I never dreamed I would get the chance before.

ANYWAY...

On the note of picking up the odd job here and there, I've started making jewelry.... again... <_<  That is to say, I've made it before when I was younger, but back then it was only made for me, and it wasn't as good-looking or as complicated as it is now. :)  Now, I make the jewelry under the "company" name "Personalities" (which was my mothers idea. ;)  In fact, my mom and my sisters and I craft under that title now. ^_^) I started making the Jewelry for a craft fair here in central IL, and I got a lot of large compliments over it.  So... I decided to offer it here on the P&P.  I told you yesterday that I would put prices up with the pictures, if you are interested in buying any of the pieces.  If you decide to buy a piece, thank you very much!  The money will help keep me in a car over the holidays. ^_^  And I apologize in advance for the slightly blurry pictures. :P  I was having trouble with the camera.

(note: Consider all pieces completely hand crafted from scratch unless otherwise noted.  Pieces marked NA are not for sale.  Please note, though, that some of the pieces can be replicated upon request, as I wrote down the patterns as I was creating them.  All jewelry currently available was made entirely from scratch. Shipping and handling is not included in the prices listed below.  Please consider about $3.00 for shipping and handling as you make your selection to cover packaging and shipping.  I am currently accepting checks until the Paypal account for "Personalities" is set up.  Packages will be shipped after payment is received.  Thank you!)

(Pair of Earrings)

Title: Ring Around the Sun
Price: currently NA (pending)

(pendant and chain)

Title: The birth of New Life

Price: $16  SOLD

(note: The chain is not hand crafted)

(Hand crafted chain)

Title: Frills and Lace
(more can be made upon request)

Price: $12

(pair of earrings)

Title: Christmas Cheer

(more can be made upon request)

Price: $10

(Necklace)

Title: Spring's Revelry

Price: $20

2 bracelets (1 child - 1 adult)

Title: Summer's Ice

(more can be made upon request)

Child's bracelet price: $5

Adult's bracelet price: $6

(Ring)

Title: Burning the Yule Log

Price: Currently NA (pending)

(pair of earrings)

Title: Icicles

(more can be made upon request)

Price: $10  SOLD

(pendant and chain)

Title: The music of Christmas

Price: NA

(note: The chain is not hand crafted)

(necklace)

Title: Christmas Lace

Price: NA

(ring)

Title: Unity Ever Green

Price: $10

And that's it for now.  I hope you like the pictures!!!  There will be more to come soon.  And, if you are interested in buying any of the pieces, just let me know in a comment.  First come first serve.  I'll be setting up a paypall account soon so that things can be taken care of quicker and with less hassle.

In other news, Wayne Thomas Batson is hosting another contest to promote his latest book, "The Errant King".  More word on that in a later post... Perhaps I'll get it up later this afternoon.  For now, it's back to classes and finals! :P   See you all later!!! ^_^

CSFF Blog Tour: Corus the Champion (and rambling updates)

Hello Bloggy Friends!!! :D

It has honestly been way too long.  I never meant to disappear for all of November, but that's exactly what happened, isn't it?  Now I have so much I want to talk about!  I went to a weapon's seminar thing that a friend of mine put on for our writer's group... he's what one might call an "expert" hobby-ist when it comes to medieval weapons.  We worked on sword maneuvers and had mock sparing matches so that all of the fantasy writers in our group could get a taste of what their characters had to endure.  Then we were able to pick a "weapon" (made with pvc pipe, Styrofoam, and duck-tape) from his stash of practice pieces, and he taught us all about our choice.  My choice was the Glaive, which is similar to a spear crossed with an axe.  It's a pole arm and can be used much like a quarter staff, or like a spear... and I've discovered that I like the feel of that weapon in my own hands even better than the grip of a sword.  Don't get me wrong!  Swords are awesome, and it was so cool to finally be able to wield one (even if it was fake), but the Glaive just feels right somehow.  When I square up, it's like I already know what to do, and my moves feel smoother -- less jerky and hesitant than I am with a sword. :)

I've also been making a lot of neat jewelry lately.  I took pictures yesterday, and as soon as I can figure out how to work my sister's camera to get the pictures from her SD card to my computer, I'll post them on the P&P.  I plan to start offering the pieces that I'm making for sale, in case anyone is interested.  Just in time for the Christmas season too... *wink, wink*  I'm excited about it because I keep having people stop to ask me where I got my pendant or my earrings, and it's fun to tell people that I made them myself. ^_^  So, if you like what you see when I start posting pictures, let me know.  I'll offer prices with the pictures.  And perhaps it will make you feel better to know that with every piece of jewelry you buy, you help keep a poor College Student  in a car over the holidays. lol! :D

But more on all that later.  Right now I have a review to write. ^_^

Corus the Champion: Synopsis

With Nemesia's defeat, the Barlows have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands. An even greater evil stirs
in the north with a fierce new army bent on destruction.  As the twins, Gabe and Garret, discover their own  special powers, a thin thread of hope emerges: long ago, a fabled king was rescued from death on our world and hidden on Karac Tor.  Who is he?

Each brother has their part to play.  Hadyn must travel north to warn the land rulers, which leaves Ewan with a bitter choice.  Will he sacrifice what is most precious to discover whether Corus lives?  Even more important, if Corus is alive, can he wake the Sleeping King of legend... before it's too late?

My thoughts:

So far, I'm really enjoying this book.  I say "so far" because I haven't quite finished yet.  In fact, I'm not quite at the middle of it yet either, which is rather unusual for me, if I do say so myself.  Usually I finish a book within maybe a week... perhaps two... of when I receive it, but this semester has been so crazy, I just haven't had much extra time in between classes, studying, working on commissions, and trying to find another job.

Anyway...

I've been looking into this series since I first heard of the first book, "The book of Names".  The cover intrigued me to no end, and once I found out what it was about... boys traveling to another, parallel world... and learned about the connection these books include between pure fantasy and the stories of King Arthur, I knew that I would be reading them someday.

Unfortunately for me, "Corus the Champion" is the second book in the series... not the first.  So of course, seeing as I haven't read the first book yet, I'm having a little trouble picking up on the back story.  Not to say that this book isn't good on it's own.  In fact, far from it!  I could tell from the very first chapter that I would like reading this one.  D. Barkley Briggs has quite the way with words.  I love how he weaves in details and descriptions without being over flowery.  When I read the words, I truly am transported into Mr. Brigg's world.  And somehow, it feels very real to me... even with all of the elements of fantasy.

Somehow the writing... or perhaps it is the type of world... reminds me of Jeffery Overstreet's Auralia series.  It's hard to explain why this is, because I find their styles to be quite different.  And yet... I can't help but feel as if the two worlds were almost connected.  Strange, I know... and probably very off course, as these are two separate authors we are talking about.  But still.

What do I think of the characters?  Well... at this moment I think I'm slightly in "reader's love" with the strange and mysterious Prince of Vineland.  And I'm rather intrigued by Ewan's ability with music.  The margins in my copy of the book are currently being filled with notes about the things that I like, or a particular use of style that is intriguing, or the writer's twist on a phrase... or a description.  I don't usually mark up my books like this, but like I mentioned before, I keep finding myself inspired while I'm reading this.

On that note, I really, REALLY, wish I had read the first book first.  I think the stories might stand well on their own, but I still feel like I'm missing something.  I would like to know how the Barlows got to the Hidden Land, and learn more about this "Nemesia" that's mentioned in the book's blurb.  Perhaps that's only my thoughts, though.

So far, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.  When I actually get to the end of it, I would like to do an annalysis of the story as a whole.  As of this moment though, I am thoroughly enjoying just taking my time with it.  I keep having to stop, you see, and write a few notes down for  SOTD.   ;D

If you would like to know more about the book, though, you are more than welcomed to check out the other posts about it.  A list of CSFF participants is posted below.  Happy reading! :)


Gillian Adams
Noah Arsenault
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
CSFF Blog Tour
Carol Bruce Collett
Theresa Dunlap
April Erwin
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Marzabeth
Shannon McDermott
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Nichole White
Rachel Wyant

THE BIG SEVEN-ZERO!!!! and gory murder... but no blood... how does that work? ;)

You read that right people!!!  The P&P has officially reached 70 followers!!! *does a little happy jig*

And as I promised, it's time to set up a giveaway in celebration. :)  I think what I'm going to do is set up a poll, and see what YOU GUYS would like to see given away as the prize.  Your options are at this moment:

1) a book (haven't decided which one yet... that decision will come later, if you guys decide you would like a book giveaway rather than anything else. ;D)
2) 1 black and white pencil drawing (finished) of one of your characters or favorite book characters...
3) an author page set up on the P&P for 1 month, and congratulations and links given over at SOTD's facebook page as advertisement.

There's a possible fourth prize, but I haven't decided on it yet.  It would be one song composed by Jonathan Miaco.  However, I have neither purchased this song yet, nor decided on which song exactly to choose (or whether to let you guys choose), nor have I talked to the composer.  So we will have to wait and see on that one.  ;)

Now... what does this have to do with gory murder without blood?  How is that even accomplished?!?!

It's quite simple really. ^_^  I'm going to set up the poll a little later today, but in the meantime, you, my faithful followers, are charged to KILL THIS THREAD!!!  No blood involved. No knives.  But death... yes, death! lol!

That's right, people.  Last person to post a comment on this thread for 24 consecutive hours is the winner of the prize that the P&P followers will choose by poll.  Choose wisely, my friends... you may end up the receiver of whatever prize is chosen! :)

This very game has been done on several other blogs before.  The one I remember the most was on author Wayne Thomas Batson's blog, "Enter the Door Within" and it lasted almost a year before Mr. Batson had to close the thread himself.  lol!  I doubt my version of the game will last nearly as long, but you never know. ;D

Comment away!!!

Nanowrimo 2011 and Publishing News

Well, it's that time of year again!  Nanowrimo 2011 officially started yesterday at 12:00am, and I'm stoked. :)

 Am I working on something for Nano?  Why yes... yes I am.  But it's not anything new.  Not yet.  I know the rules of Nano technically say that I'm not allowed to work on older pieces, but they are just going to have to make an exception for me.  Because my plan is not to start a completely new story -- it is to MOVE FORWARD on SOTD.

That's right people.  This is my Nanowrimo resolution! The rewrite of SOTD will FINALLY move forward again.  No more going back and going over the chapters that I've already worked through: I've perfected them enough! Now it's time to move on.  Chapter 4 is calling (and yes, that's right; I'm still stuck on "perfecting" the first three rewritten chapters.  But I give up.  They are good enough now; I have to move on!)  I may not get the rewrite of the book completely done, but I will MOVE FORWARD.  And right now, that's the most important part.

So, the idea is that I will try to post the moving word count at least once a week, and perhaps post excerpts.  Maybe.  I just may go back over some of the newer parts and edit as I go, but that's just part of my writing process.  If I don't go back and reread some of what I had before, for some reason I just can't move forward.  So who knows. :D

In other news, I've been doing more and more research into the publishing business and the ins and outs of starting a small press.  I'm hoping to get some interviews done within the next couple of months.  Last night I read an article that was absolutely horrifying, about a small press that completely imploded.  Believe me when I say, it was quite the scary deal.

Besides that, however, I've found a miniature library of advice given via the interwebz for people interested in starting small presses.  I'm through as much of it as I can retain, and trying to put together a marketing strategy that will best benefit the authors of the company.  I'm also considering changing the name.  I LOVE the name "Magpie Publications" or "Magpie Eclectic Press", but just recently I discovered that there's quite a bit of folklore surrounding the magpie, and a lot of it isn't exactly positive... though it's not necessarily negative either.  So I might be considering a new name for this venture I'm preparing to undertake.  We'll have to wait and see.

Well, that's all the news I have for right now.  I perhaps I'll have something more to post about tomorrow.  I know this is a really short post, but I haven't had a whole lot of time lately.  I hope to get up more soon.

Bye for now! :D

Nichole

Guest Post by Janice Hardy

Hello Bloggy Friends!! ^_^

I know it's been a while since I posted last.  It's been a while since I've had any extra time!  But at long last I'm here to post again.  And today is special, because today marks the P&P's first Guest Post! :)

My guest today is Janice Hardy, author of "The Healing Wars" trilogy. You can read my review of her first book, "The Shifter" here: http://theravenquill.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-day-feels-untitled.html

Janice also runs a blog that is very informative as far as the writing process goes.  I often find her posts very inspiring.

So without further delay, I give you Janice Hardy!! :D

Going Both Ways: Outlines for Plot, Pantser for Character

I realized something recently. I’m an outliner all the way when it comes to crafting the plots in my stories. But for my character arcs, I’m a total pantser. I always know where my characters are going, but rarely how they’ll get there.

To me, this is the best of both worlds, especially since I write science fiction and fantasy, which tends to be fairly plot-focused. I can devote as much time as I need prepping my story framework, then turn my characters loose and see what happens. Not only does it allow me to spend more time developing those characters as I write, it keeps the story fresh for me. I never know how things are going to unfold.

Sometimes this does get me into trouble, but that’s half the fun. In my recent teen fantasy, Darkfall, I knew my heroine Nya had to somehow become the leader of a rebellion. The problem? It just didn’t seem plausible for a 15-year-old-girl to find herself in such a position of power and authority. Being part of a rebellion, sure, but leading it? How could I make that plausible?

The plot needed this, so I took a hard look at Nya and tried to figure out what she would do in this situation. The answer was pretty easy—I told her what to do and turned her loose. She’d figure out how to get there.

For three books, Nya has always done what she felt was right to protect those she loves. She’s also quick to jump into trouble, and has one or two hot-button issues that steal all reason right out of her head. So…

Nya’s loved ones in trouble + hot-button issue = Nya acting without thinking.

If she had to end up leading a rebellion, she just had to find herself in a situation that made her act without thinking to save those she loves. I had to put the pressure on her and see how long it took her to crack and try to take over. Because she would do that eventually. That’s just who she is. She’s learned to rely on no one but herself.

Naturally, I finagled a little with the meaning of “leader” to fit the story better and still fulfill my plot vision. Nya as a general in an army didn’t work, but she could very easily be the driving force behind a rebellion, or be the inspiration for one. And considering how much Nya hates to be the center of attention, putting her in the spotlight made for a lot of writing fun for me.

If you’re an outlining panster, (or think you might be) here are some tips on crafting a story with the best of both worlds:

1. Outliner: Pick a few goals for your characters that set the direction you want the story to go in. That’ll give you a framework in which to write.

Pantser: Think about the motives or emotional states of your characters and why they might go after those goals. How a character feels about something will determine how they approach a problem or how they might go about getting what they want.

2. Outliner: Look for the big turning points in the story. Where do your characters need to be when those moments happen? Where do they need to be going forward after that?

Pantser: Look at where your character has come from, who they are at that point in the story, and who they might become in the near future? How might their past affect how they act? What past fears might be affected (or affect) what’s to come in the plot?

3. Outliner: What are the major surprises in the story? The big reveals or secrets? When are they revealed?

Pantser: How blindsided might your characters be? Do they spot the hints or do they miss them? How do they react to the surprises that surprise you? Is there anything in their past that can shake things up even further?

For the pantser half, most of these things you probably won’t know until you get there, but they’re fun things to think about as you write or after you’ve gotten that first rough draft down on paper.  And one last extra outliner/panster tip:

4. Keep asking yourself how your character feels about what’s going on. Where are they at emotionally and mental when they start a scene? Where are they during the scene? Where do they end up at the end of the scene, and how does that affect their choices moving on? You might be following the plot, but it’ll help you develop rich characters to go with that plot.

If you like a little structure to keep you on track, but relish the discovery of an unfolding story, a combo outline/pantser style might be for you.

What’s your style? Why does that style appeal to you? Is there anything about it you’d like to change?

Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, BLUE FIRE, and DARKFALL from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins.  You can visit her online at www.janicehardy.com or chat with her about writing on her blog, The Other Side of the Story. blog.janicehardy.com.

About Darkfall

War has come.

Nya’s the one who brought it. And the people love her for it.

With Baseer in shambles and Geveg now an impenetrable military stronghold, Nya and the Underground have fled to a safer location—without Tali. Nya is guilt-ridden over leaving her sister behind and vows to find her, but with the rebellion in full swing and refugees flooding the Three Territories, she fears she never will.

The Duke, desperate to reclaim the throne as his own, has rallied his powerful army. And they are on the move, destroying anyone who gets in the way.

To save her sister, her family, and her people, Nya needs to stay ahead of the Duke’s army and find a way to build one of her own. Past hurts must be healed, past wrongs must be righted, and Nya must decide: Is she merely a pawn in the rebellion, a symbol of hope—or is she ready to be a hero?

The Importance of Branding

Hello blogging friends.

In my last post I mentioned that I was reading some interesting articles and that I hoped to be able to post on a few of them soon.  Well, it would seem that I’ve come to a point of inspiration.  Not that it’s a point that hasn’t been covered well before by other writers, but I want to write about this particular point now because of the fact that for independent companies as well as aspiring authors and artists by themselves, this is a most important subject.

It is the subject of branding.

Look around you.  Check out your favorite websites or blogs online.  Look into your most well-known local businesses.  Everywhere you turn you will see an example of branding.  Every entrepreneurial spirit, every college kid out trying to make a name for themselves, and every person looking for a job in this economy is actually trying to sell themselves off of some type of brand… their own.

Their names.  Their records.  Their accomplishments.

They put these into a bundle of information that they present to the public.  And it would seem that the more the public sees the good in that information and the more people look into that person’s or company’s accomplishments and decide to buy from them or follow them, the better known their “branding” becomes.

Think of it this way: consider your favorite brand of clothing, or your favorite type of cereal, or even your favorite publishing company.  Now ask yourselves the question, why is it your favorite?  Chances are that for the reason you buy that particular product from that particular company, other people are buying the same product for the same reasons from the same company.

Branding.  The company is making its mark.  People notice them because of their products.  They are getting seen, they are getting attention, and they are growing a reputation as they sell their products.

That’s why I think that one of the hardest parts of starting a new company is creating and marketing a brand for your company.  Whether you are starting out as an independent author, as many people have (consider Joe Konrath or Rachael Starr Thompson) or you are creating a brand spankin’ new company (Like Marcher Lord Press, Flaming Pen Press, and the Spearhead Guild), good branding becomes the life blood of your establishment.  Good branding comes with/from a good reputation, which means people looking at your product, which means people buying your product.  On the other hand branding that comes with/from a bad reputation means people passing over a product and the company ultimately drowning.

You’ll notice I mention reputation a lot.  It’s true that reputation and branding walk hand in hand in this world of business. People trust brands because of good reputations, and likewise, they shun brands because of bad ones.  If you wanted to get technical, you could say that reputation is everything… it’s even more important than branding is, which is true to a degree.  However, one has to think of how they present their reputation to the public, and that’s where branding comes in. 

Let’s look up the definition of branding, shall we?  The very definition of branding is:

1) commerce product or manufacturer: a name, usually a trademark, of a product or manufacturer, or the product identified by this name

2.  recognizable type of something: a distinctive type of something.

So there you go.  A lot is said within the definition of a word.  A brand is ultimately a product or company that is identified (for good or ill) by its name.

Now, as far as building a brand that people trust… that’s the hard part.  That’s the trouble that most companies have when they first get started.  And that’s where most companies either succeed at the beginning of their journey and thrive, or fail, struggle, and possibly drown in the end.

Consider Marcher Lord Press, now a company whose list is large and still growing, and whose books have won awards in the past.  By the time Jeff Gerke decided to take on his project, he already had some experience in the market.  His brand was there as his name and his reputation as an editor was already solid.  All he had to do was get the word out and his company thrived.  Now, I’m sure that’s not exactly what he felt would happen at the time of opening.  I’m sure he had his doubts, and I’m sure MLP might have struggled right up front.  But main point to consider is the fact that MLP is no longer struggling like they might have been at the beginning.  They’ve gone from being an idea, to being a small company, to growing into the premier Indie Christian Speculative Fiction company out there.  

Why?  How has this happened?

It all came about through persistence, growing a good reputation, and marketing a solid and trust worthy brand.

Now we have Spearhead coming out: a collaborative project put together by Christian Authors whom many Christian readers already know, trust, and love.  Spearhead plans to bring its own brand into the mix by combining author brands that have been made and have thrived over the years.  The Guild will draw in readers through the four separate brands of their founders’ names, and in return, readers will be introduced to Spearhead as its own brand or publisher.

Branding is everything.

But, you say, these are all examples taken from people who have already been in the publishing business for several years at the very least.  How does this apply to authors who have not been published, or who have not worked in the publishing industry before?  How does this apply to those High-schoolers and college students just starting into their careers who want to make a name for themselves?  How does it all come together? 

Well, first of all, I’m not going to say that giving Magpie Publications a good reputation and brand won’t take work.  It will.  Whether you want to be published traditionally, self publish, start your own company, or be hired on by an established company as an intern or editor, it’s always going to take work and lots of it.  It will take research.  It will take time.  It will take persistence when the going gets tough, because I can assure you, the going WILL get tough… there will be times when you think that your dream will never find wings and will sit in a desk drawer and gather dust for the rest of your life.  I guarantee there will be moments when you want to quit… but you can’t.  Not if you want to see your dream actually fly.  It’s going to take studying and interviews and passion.  Oh, but it will be well worth it in the end!!!  If you are determined not to see your dream fall and fail, then you will find ways to make it thrive.

You want an example?

The first one that comes to mind is Flaming Pen Press.  As I understand it, Scott Appleton had been a writer for several years and had some of his short stories published in online magazines.  He’d been working on the Song of the Dragon series for several years as well, and had tried to sub it to several different publishers, all of which answered his query with rejections.  He kept seeking advice, he kept working to improve, and he kept trying.  At long last he decided that it was time to take his book public, and he created Flaming Pen Press… a small company on which to establish a big dream.  With persistence and drive, he managed to sell over 3,000 copies of his book in one year, and the first book in his series, “Swords of the Six”, was picked up and published through AMG publishers.  Now AMG has contracted him for the rest of his series.  And as far as Flaming Pen Press goes, it went on to sell over 3,000 copies of 19 year old Jacob Parker’s award winning book, “Kestrel’s Midnight Song” since its release date in September of 2010.  Now it’s taking on another young author’s project, “Out of Darkness Rising” by Gillian Adams, and I have no doubt that it will continue to succeed with this book as well as with others.

Other examples of note within the Christian Fiction field are Port Yonder Press and Splashdown Books.  As this post is getting rather long, I won’t go into a whole lot of detail about them here and now, but those presses and brands have similar stories… starting out small and unknown, slowly growing into a brand recognized by a few, and their recognition is spreading.  Hopefully in future days I will be able to do blog posts on these as well as other small companies as my research progresses.

Why am I talking about brands today?

Well, with the work and research I’m doing for Magpie Publications, I started to realize the influence that branding has on people and how it affects the market.  Good branding could make the company into a success, while bad branding could plunge the company to its death.  However, because I am a relative “unknown”, and because my foundation is not based on past work records in the industry but instead is based on a dream, ambitions, some passion, and the college degree and career choice that I’m currently still working towards, what Magpie really needs at its starting point is a solid (if small) foundation to launch from.  With God’s help, I plan to give this company everything I have.  I absolutely plan to pour myself into it, and I know that, with help, it will be a success.  And if it’s going to succeed, it’s going to need a good brand name and a good preceding reputation that moves it forward.

My good friend and writing buddy, Adele Treskillard and I were talking about how this might be accomplished in a community sort of fashion.  Since nothing is set in stone as of yet, I won’t go into detail about our ideas at this moment.  When things become more clear and solid, then I might write an informative post on the matter.  For right now, continue to keep this idea in your prayers.  It won’t drown, by God’s grace.  He doesn’t just put an idea or thought on someone’s heart to have it fall apart entirely.  I’m just so grateful to Him that He has given me the opportunity to meet and get to know so many young writers out there whose ambitions and dreams parallel my own.  Honestly, it’s a pleasure and an honor to know you all, even it’s only online.  Without your support in this idea, it might never have gone beyond the dream stage to the stage of ambition.  It might never have become a goal.  I thank you all!  Thank you so much! ^_^

(Stay tuned for a Guest Post by Janice Hardy to be up within the next week. :D)