Category Archives: Writer’s Rambles

Rambles and rumbles, tips and tricks, songs and suchas…this is where Parker posts pontifications.

The latest and greatest on top, the lastest and worstest on bottom.

 

A Drift of Quills – Lunch with the Dead

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During a recent interview I mentioned my favorite storytellers, and I even had to decide which author I’d want as company in a submarine.

This go around it’s lunch with an author from the past. Over hamburgers we’d talk about habits and describe growing up. We’d finish off with a milkshake and chat about what informed their writing.

It’s a heavy decision, obviously. I mean, you have to agree on where to eat. My pick may surprise you, but I think you’ll follow my reasoning.

First, I’ve mentioned before my love for myth and the way it shaped my early reading habits. Myth and fairy led me to study and read and enjoy Lewis and Tolkien, Rowling and Grahame, MacDonald and Grimm. Entire books have been written on these greats—whole libraries exist detailing their lives, habits, histories and formation.

homerBut what about having a snack with someone that I don’t know much about? Someone none of us really know? What of a mid-day sitdown with Homer?

That’s right. Author of The Iliad and The Odyssey. That Homer. Because the Wikipedia article is basically a long list of questions. Now we have something to talk about. Like, “Are you real, or are you just a group of poets?” “Did you really write the epics, or did you just fabricate a good business card?” “When did you live?” “What’s your opinion on the Percy Jackson Series?” “Did you know a woman like Helen of Troy?” “Why’s Achilles so mad—dude’s just about invincible, good looking, warrior…I mean, come on.” “What do you think of hipsters?” “So…Odysseus taking out the suitors…that was pretty epic. What was home life like for you?” “Tell me about being on history’s bestseller list. Lots of fan mail, I’m sure.”

Homer was characterized as a blind bard, so I’d mention that the hero of my own storytelling is blind, and we might go off on a tangent discussing  the uses of allegory and metaphor.

And so forth. Of course, all of this would be in ancient Greek.

What about you? What would you ask Homer? Or who would you have to lunch instead?

Robin Lythgoe

Robin Lythgoe

Author of As the Crow Flies

Robin’s Website

 

Choosing a single author to sit down and have a chat with is as bad as choosing your favorite book! Or color! Or child! There is a spectacular list to choose from, and stalking up and down between my bookshelves left me dizzy with indecision.

If I were to choose someone from the past, what kind of language and societal hurdles would we face when we tried to communicate? That’d be a whole conversation right there, but let’s assume we’ve been endowed with translation devices so we’ll both be on the same page (pun alert!). In that case…

Patricia Reding

Patricia Reding

Author of Oathtaker

Patricia’s Website

 

This might be the most difficult question presented yet! There are so many logistics to consider. If I choose someone no longer living, just how would the two of us arrange this lunch? Where would we meet? On this side of the divide? Or the other? (Oh, imagine!) If I choose someone whose native language is neither English nor Sarcasm (which is to say, not one I speak), how will we understand one another? Use some instant translation program? (Oh, I can see the problems arising from that already!)

Even assuming all the “how and where” details can be arranged, I have to consider whether I’d rather have lunch with a famous historical figure/politician who also happened to have a gift for words . . .

A Drift of Quills – Chance, Hank & Basset

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We are fond of our pets. We have a dog, Indiana, (Indiana Jones reference, anyone? “We named the dog Indiana!”), who is one part funny, two parts hardheaded, but all three parts loving (Remember The Incredible Journey? We Hank the Cowdogthought we were getting Shadow but Indy is really more like Chance). So when you find a tale (oh no, puns…) with talking animals, there is nothing to do but read and share.

First, an old series (with new titles annually!) that I loved: Hank the Cowdog. Being from the West, I grew up with Hank and Drover and the cowboys, Slim and Loper, and the havoc causing coyotes, buzzards, and of course, Pete the barncat in this humorous series of mystery novels. If you are familiar with Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, you’ll be in the right age category, but Hank offers a voice so unique, cornball and hilarious that everyone in the family will love the story. The audiobooks offer special extras, as they are narrated by the author, John R. Erickson, with music, singing, and effects that are perfect for road trips.

Reading about Hank is like watching your own dog and you can’t help but nod (or wag), but it’s also like watching Myster of the Masked Mauraderourselves—proud, homely, not too bright, but trying to be courageous, loyal and true. These are well crafted stories with much to laugh at, but with plenty left to chew on as well.

Since we’re doting on talking animals, a recent Indie title deserves a mention. The Mystery of the Masked Marauder is Peter S. Cox’s debut novel and is an entertaining adventure-mystery that can only be solved through the combined wit of a boy and his dog. Unlike Hank the Cowdog, The Incredible Journey, or Bolt and so many others, we don’t just hear pet’s “voices” and their perspective; rather, this story has Nate and Basset communicating directly. The resulting dialogue is fun and engaging, and Peter does a good job at creating unique voices for his characters.

Robin LythgoeRobin Lythgoe

Author of As the Crow Flies

Robin’s Website

 

After standing in front of my bookshelves tapping my chin and saying “Hmm… Hmm…” several times, I finally chose Fortress in the Eye of Time, by C.J. Cherryh, the first of her incredible “Fortress” series. Dontcha love when there’s a whole string of scrumptiousness lined up when you get to the end of a book and wish for more?

Catch the rest of Robin’s post here!

Patricia RedingPatricia Reding

Author of Oathtaker

Patricia’s Website

 

It’s my turn! It’s my turn!

For my part, I’m going to share about the work of an author I met at the Literary Classics awards ceremony this past April. Amalie Jahn writes YA sci-fi. In her debut novel, The Clay Lion, Jahn asks young readers to consider what they might do if they could go back in time to save someone they love. I previously reviewed The Clay Lion, and would like to share some of my thoughts with you now.

You know how, when you listen to a symphony, all of your senses are engaged? You catch the sight of the furious violinists; the feel of the pounding percussion beneath your feet . . .

Read the rest of Patricia’s post here!

A Drift of Quills – Q & A

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A Drift of Quills BannerAfter a rigorous training program, several severe examinations, and a truth serum administered by Professor Snape, I’ve been asked to join the writing group, A Drift of Quills. They are really nice, lots of fun, and super talented. And they like second breakfast. Bilbo Baggins was a part of their group for a while, before he took off for the Grey Havens.

They asked if I would be willing to sit down for a short interview. We started talking about reading and writing, but ended up talking about myth, legend, Tig’s sarcasm and the sequel to A Hero’s Curse. Check it out…

Patricia Reding: What are your earliest memories of reading as a child? Did you visit a library regularly? A book mobile? How did that impact your life as a reader and/or writer?

P.S.: I recall reading quite a bit as a kid. One of my earliest favorites was Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. I loved it! I drifted toward adventure stories and we had a whole shelf of G.A. Henty’s historical novels that I enjoyed. I read Treasure Island several times but…(Read the rest on Patricia Reding’s site!)

 

Robin Lythgoe: What is your most recent published work? Do you have a favorite character from it? If so, who, and why?

P.S.: Oh, nice. Fun question. My most recent published work is my debut novel, A Hero’s Curse, book one of the Unseen Chronicles. It was published this past Christmas, with the audiobook having launched last month, over the 4th of July. A Hero’s Curse follows the adventures of Essie Brightsday, a young blind girl, as she attempts to find her kingdom’s lost king. The nature and structure of A Hero’s Curse pushed Essie and Tig, her sarcastic talking cat to the forefront of the story. They get the most screentime. Essie is a fascinatingly complex young lady, and Tig’s dry, sarcastic humor is so akin to my own I can’t help but like him. But there are several characters who I really enjoy…(Read the rest on Robin Lythgoe’s site!)

 

So there you have it. The Q & A teaser. What about our readers? Are you working on a something that you want to someday share with the world? A story, a poem, a song?

Writer’s Rambles – Audiobooks are Awesome

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Essie concept - Final

A Hero’s Curse features a heroine who cannot see. There is a lot of meaning and depth Essie explores as a blind protagonist. As a result of that exploration, we’ve received input from the National Federation of the Blind, Writers’ Division, talked to blind bloggers and individuals, and one of our primary production goals since the beginning has been to make this story an easily accessible audiobook.

Audiobooks are awesome. I love listening to books read aloud. They’ve been used for years as tools for second language learners and struggling readers, or for those who can’t read—but the application of audiobooks doesn’t end there.

Denise Johnson has a great article titled “Benefits of Audiobooks for All Readers,” with a list too cool not to share.

Audiobooks can be used to:

  • Introduce students to books above their reading level
  • Model good interpretive reading
  • Teach critical listening
  • Highlight the humor in books
  • Introduce new genres that students might not otherwise consider
  • Introduce new vocabulary or difficult proper names or locales
  • Sidestep unfamiliar dialects or accents, Old English, and old-fashioned literary styles
  • Provide a read-aloud model
  • Provide a bridge to important topics of discussion for parents and children who can listen together while commuting to sporting events, music lessons, or on vacations
  • Recapture “the essence and the delights of hearing stories beautifully told by extraordinarily talented storytellers” (Baskin & Harris, 1995, p. 376)

We found one of those extraordinarily talented storytellers in Elizabeth Phillips. She has narrated the just released, unabridged production of A Hero’s Curse, available now on Audible, Amazon and iTunes.

So, I’d like to invite you to recapture the essence and delight of story. Bridge the topic of discussion—let’s talk about heroes, disability, struggles and weakness. What does it take to be a hero? Let’s introduce more young readers to adventures that capture the imagination.

And let’s have fun doing it.

 

Yours,

P.S. Broaddus

A Drift of Quills – Writer’s Challenges

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Would C.S. Lewis Tweet, or Facebook? What if J.R.R. Tolkien hadn’t been able to find the time to finish The Hobbit?

A Drift of Quills invited me to help welcome in May by penning a short note on “Writer’s Challenges.”

Writing is a serious, fun and tough discipline. Here are a couple of my biggest writing challenges, cut down to size. Then check out Robin Lythgoe and Patricia Reding on the subject, linked below.

When it comes to writing, who hasn’t had a hard time with discipline and time management?

I have yet to meet a writer who says, “No way, it’s easy-peasy! I get up with the creativity bubbling, nothing gets in my way, my family never intrudes—shucks, I don’t even have to eat!”

I mean, who even says “easy-peasy?”

More often when I chat with serious writers, we talk about time management and scheduled writing. It’s always interesting to hear what works for someone else—and it’s almost never right for me. We can agree that some kind of time management is needed—a schedule usually helps—and self-discipline is a must, but what that looks like on an everyday basis is as varied as the number of different personality combinations you can get with the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator.

I’m currently an ENFJ, (because who says you can’t change!), which means I’m not super disciplined. A couple of things help me hurdle the “oh ma word, 300 pages is a ton o’ writin!’” bar. One, I set a low page count that I want to complete each day and week. I know that if I can sit down and write a page, I can write five. But I might avoid sitting down if I know I have to write five pages—but one—I can do that. Once started, I don’t want to quit. Charis and the kids lovingly drag me away from my writing desk, kicking and screaming, “I don’t have to eat! Easy-peasy!”

The other thing that helps me is accountability. I’m part of a writing group that meets weekly, and we bring a new section of story to every meeting. That regularly scheduled accountability keeps me working—and moving forward. If you’re interested in a writing group, check your library—a librarian can often help you start the process of getting plugged into a local group.

Here’s the writing challenge I could do without: marketing. And it isn’t so much about a lack of knowledge—although I am always learning more. The problem here is a lack of desire. Let me chat about storycraft, heroes, fantasy and YA lit all day long—make me tweet about it—well, it just isn’t the same. I’m that old fashioned type that prefers email, or even better, written letters, to tweets, and I prefer face to face to Facebook.

Marketing can be a black hole. I can spend money anywhere—Facebook, Google, Twitter, Goodreads, contests and entry fees, groups and associations. I could spend all my time on any one of those platforms. Marketing and interacting with social media takes a lot of blood—and then demands I do it again tomorrow. I know it’s important to let others know about the adventure, but I haven’t conquered this beast. I’m just muddling through.

Robin has a great perspective on the subject of Writer’s Challenges and writing with joy:

Robin Lythgoe“The details of How to Write a Book go on and on and on. The bajillion options can be overwhelming.

I’ve been writing since I could first manage a pencil. I wrote what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted. I wrote with joy. Gleefully! Along the way I figured that if I were going to make a career of it, I should study up on the craft.

I’ve learned a lot, but…”

Check out the rest of Robin’s post here.

 

And here is Patricia, with some great thoughts on writer’s block and cutting:Patricia Reding

“Every writer knows what it’s like when an idea comes to her, then fleshes itself out into a scene that plays out in her imagination. Sometimes she has to wrestle to put other life events aside so that she may clear the time it will take to get the words down. Occasionally those words then flow out with a rapidity that defies her wildest dreams. Then there are those “other times.” These are the times when the blank screen before her can—at least temporarily—cripple her efforts. But in due course, comes the telling.

Thus it is that there are two parts to this craft I find most difficult: the first is in getting any words out at all; and the second, is in “the cutting.”

As to the first, what some call “writer’s block,” I’ve recently put a new practice into place . . .”

See her full post here.

What about you? Do you have a corner on marketing? Is it like disciplined writing techniques, different for every personality, or is there a formula for breaking the internet?

Comment away!

Writer’s Rambles – Ahoy Audiobook!

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We’re producing an ‪‎audiobook‬ for A Hero’s Curse.

The story has been selected by ACX, (an ‪Amazon‬ Platform), and Audible as a part of their production stipend program – in other words, they are paying to produce A Hero’s Curse as an audiobook.

They look at past print and eBook sales, recent sales velocity, user reviews, date of first publication, genre, and estimated running time (on ACX, longer is better) to determine eligibility and select stories that resonate.

Basically, they looked to you, our fans, backers, supporters and encouragers. You’ve read, shared, liked and shouted, and now, here we are.

I still retain creative control, and get to approve our narrator in association with ACX and Audible. We’ve been flooded with auditions over the past week. Audio producers see payment will be coming from ACX/Audible – so they know the check will be good. 🙂 But on a deeper level, we see and hear that this is a story that continues to speak and grow and impact – you have loved the story, and now others are finding it as well.

I’m grateful for you, excited about this announcement, and looking forward to the adventure ahead.