Archive for June, 2011

First Scene of Chapter 5

Thursday, June 30th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

Managed to get the first scene of Chapter 5 typed in this morning.  Seems I’m always pushing myself a little farther than I should when it comes to getting ready for work.  Time to quit typing and rush through the morning routine.  Work here I come!

Pirating of Kindle eBooks

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

I just got done reading an article about an author who discovered that two of her eBooks have been stolen and are now selling on Amazon.  I don’t know why this particular form of theft had never occurred to me before.  I guess it just goes to show that if there is something that can be stolen, it will be stolen.I have been a victim of content theft on a much smaller scale.  When I had my online retail store, I kept receiving emails that were meant for another store.  So I started digging a little further into the site the emails were generated from, only to find that they had copied several pages of content that I had written directly from my website and pasted it into theirs.  Apparently they weren’t savvy enough to change the email links that they copied.  If not for this, I never would have known.

I guess I should have been flattered that someone found my content interesting enough to outright copy word for word.  Instead I was filled with a sense of outrage that someone had stolen my work and was pawning it off as their own.  I also had a competitor that watched our website and any time I promoted a new idea, they started doing it, too.  Again, I guess it was a form of flattery but it was very aggravating.

I can not imagine how I would feel if someone were to steal an entire book that I had created only to relist it and reap the profits for themselves.  In the case of my website content, a simple cease & desist letter was all it took (along with threat of legal action) for them to post their own content.  I guess artists of all types have been dealing with piracy for years, but it certainly gives one a little trepidation about what we publish on the web.  If I post the opening scene (as I have) to my novel will someone steal it and use it as their own?  Will I even know it’s happened?

I know from experience that crimes generated from the Internet can be very hard to prosecute as things can be done very anonymously and from countries all over the world.  When I had my online store we had to deal with crooks committing credit card fraud.  In several instances I called the local law enforcement to report that items that were purchased fraudulently from us were shipped to a residence in their jurisdiction.  One time we even had someone using different credit cards, making multiple purchases and shipping to the same location (fortunately I caught on before we shipped product).  For some reason nothing could be done about this.  Seemed to me if they were trying to pull this multiple times on my website, they were doing it other places as well.  I’m sure they had a whole treasure trove of fraudulent purchases at this address but the police would do nothing about it.

It will be interesting to see if Amazon takes this type of theft seriously and actually does something.  I’m not sure how they can stop it and perhaps they really don’t care since it puts money in their pocket, as well.  Is this going to stop me from electronically publishing my novel once it is complete?  No.  But it does give one pause for thought.

Young Poet I’d Like to Share

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

work with a young gal who’s majoring in creative writing.  Poetry is her muse of choice and I’d just like to share her work with you.  The poem she wrote for her mother is truly beautiful.

View Poetry on Beth’s Blog

2,000 Words this Morning

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

For the moment, I’ve cleared my plate of work obligations that need to be done from home and finished up the in-laws website.  Now, back to my writing!  Just got done typing in 2,000 words from Chapter 2.  I think this has been a good choice to retype, as I am really reading what I have written (twenty years ago).

I’m using yWriter5 this time around.  It’s so funny when I think about it.  I originally typed this into a typwriter style word processor and thought it was the best thing ever!  Ooy, now I couldn’t even imagine looking at that little itty bitty window.  Somehow I managed to save everything to floppy A’s and get it loaded in Word.  However, there are occasional strange symbols lurking in place of some of the words, so the retype is catching all of those.  So far, I am likeing yWriter5 and the scene breakdowns.

I would be curious to know what writing software others are using.  Please feel free to share which one you prefer.

Opening Scene – I Would Love Your Opinion

Sunday, June 12th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

Below is the opening scene of my novel.  I would love to hear any comments or suggestions.  Mostly I am wondering if it leaves you wanting to read more.

1898

The wrought iron gate creaked in the morning fog. April hesitated, then continued up the path to the main house. Her footsteps echoed on the cobblestones, lending an eeriness to the still morning air. As she entered the courtyard, the house loomed above her. The grave stone walls were faded from years spent in the harsh sea air, their only color a coat of ivy weaving an emerald pattern in the morning dew. A slight breeze lifted the leaves, seeming to give the house a life of its own. April shivered and pulled her cloak tightly around her body, as if the action could take away her mounting anxiety which by now had almost turned into fear. The old mahogany door gave her a sense of reassurance and, lifting the knocker, she put all her reservations behind her. The door swung open abruptly. “May I help you?”
“Yes, I’m Marie’s sister, April. Lady Simpson told Marie if I came by early this morning I could start work today.”
April could feel the doorman scrutinizing her down the bridge of his nose. “Your sister should have informed you that the servants never enter through the front door. Go around back and knock on the kitchen door. Mimi’ll know what to do with you.” Sniffing his dismissal, the doorman turned and shut the door.
Flustered by her mistake and the obvious disapproval of the doorman, April practically ran down the stairs into the courtyard. As she rounded the corner of the house, a man appeared out of nowhere and before she could stop herself, she ran full force into his chest.
“I’m so sorry!” April exclaimed in a rush of air.
“And who might you be? I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before.” The man regarded April through cold black eyes that sent shivers down her back.
“I’m the new maid, sir. Please excuse my clumsiness, it won’t happen again.”
“And does the new maid have a name?”
“April, sir.”
“Well, April, you’d better get moving before you’re late on your first day of work here.”
“Yes, sir.”
April curtsied and continued down the path to the back of the house, wondering what else could possibly go wrong. So far she had made the impression of a lost little girl, thank goodness she hadn’t met Lady Simpson yet. By the time she arrived at the kitchen, she had regained her composure and, taking a deep breath, she tapped lightly on the door.

Random Thoughts: Why is it So Hard to Share?

Friday, June 10th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

So, I’m having a new friend over for coffee this morning for the first time. We’ve known each other for years now but just recently have discovered that we have something more in common – a passion for writing. A fellow Indie writer, in my small little town in the cornfields, who knew! We actually got to talking at the store where I work and she emailed me some free writers tools. It was this email that prompted me to start writing again on my novel.

Coffee and sharing of a paragraph is on the agenda this morning along with bagels and cream cheese. I’ve gone out on a limb and suggested that maybe she bring along more than a paragraph. I am sure that once we get over the initial sharing block we will want to read more of what each other has written. Seems she has agreed and will come armed with more to read.

She out right told me that she doesn’t let too many people in (we’re talking making friends here), to which I replied, “Neither do I.” This could be interesting. At least she is much more talkative than I am so that will help. I’m on the shy side (extremely) and have become a master at getting people to talk about themselves. I don’t consider myself very good with chitchat, but I am good at help you to chitchat along through leading questions. The only time this strategy doesn’t work is when I run in to someone just like me who gives me one word answers instead of expounding a little bit. This soon becomes quite awkward!

I’m wondering if all writers, at least at first, have a hard time sharing what they have written? I know the point for most of us is to get our work published for thousands to read. So why is it so hard for me to share a little bit with someone I know. I think it’s because my writing is such a personal thing that comes from the heart and I’m afraid others won’t like what they read.

Seems to boils down to the fear of rejection. I would imagine this is not just about the book but comes from a personal fear, as well. I am curious if any of you other Indie’s out there have struggled with sharing your work and what you have done to overcome this fear? I would love to hear any comments or tips.

I Think the Fish Are Calling My Name

Sunday, June 5th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

The sun is coming up and a cool, crisp breeze is wafting in the house windows. Both my boys (husband & son) are still asleep but they went to bed last night knowing that I would be waking them up early. I am probably the most dedicated fisherman in the family. Ever since I was a little girl, I would sit by the lake for hours even if the fish weren’t biting.

Morning time at the lake is always so peaceful.  We are usually the only ones there when we arrive early enough. No boaters are around to stir things up and it is a great time to sit back with a cup of coffee and take it all in. This is the best time of day to see the pelicans and grebes floating by in all their glory. I will never tire of them suddenly emerging from the mist that hangs over the lake. At this hour, they seem to accept you as part of their world and do not startle, but leisurely continue their swim up the shore.

As an adult, I have found that when I am sitting beside a lake any problems I might be stewing over simply go away. I’m not quite sure how this works.  It’s not a conscious decision not to sit there and mull over problems. For some reason this is the spot where I am just able to relax in the moment (usually hours). This is the true enjoyment I get from fishing. If I happen to feel that sudden yank on my line, it’s just a bonus.

Random Thoughts: What Role Do You Play in Your Dog’s Life?

Saturday, June 4th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

It’s 5:15 on Saturday morning and I feel a cold, wet nuzzle on my hand that’s dangling over the edge of the bed. Does she wake anyone else in the family? Does she even try? No! She knows it will get her no where. We seem to have an unspoken language whereupon I am her Beck & Call Door Lady. This is my role and I do not let her down for I know it is fruitless. She will pester me without saying a word (whine, whimper, or the dreaded toenails click, click, clicking on the wood floor) until I relent.

My daughter is her go to for any type of human food. It is really quite comical to see her stand beside her and put her nose mere millimeters from Arielle’s plate and turn those big, brown eyes up at her. How can she resist? She usually doesn’t for long. It works and Jazz knows this! She also somehow instinctively knows it will not work on me.

Then there is the boy. The boy named Hudson used to be feared with all of his crashing of cars and other loud noises. She ran and hid the day we brought Hudson home from the hospital and he let out his first cry for her ears! Now the boy has discovered popcorn for an afternoon snack and suddenly Jazz has found she can overcome that fear and snuggle up right next to him hoping for a kernel to be tossed (or dropped) her way. A new friendship has been born.

My husband is her personal easy chair. This may be because his is the only lap big enough to actually hold her. Jazz is a full grown golden retriever so as you might imagine she is no longer really a lapdog…but don’t tell her that! He is also the truly delegated popcorn feeder because he will actually share the whole bowl with her instead of just tossing a kernel here and there.

So I ask, has your dog delegated certain roles to each member of your family?