Writerly Wednesday ~ Consistency!!!

CONSISTENCY!

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Consistency is what I SERIOUSLY lack these days... *sigh*  And I know it's sooo important... especially for a writer.

Like cake batter ~ if the consistency is too thin?  So is the story.  Too thick?  Well, I don't want to choke my (future) readers to death!  I'm working towards the perfect consistency ~ the kind that makes for a moist, delicious, good-looking cake...err...story!  But, it's something I struggle with.  Blogging, writing, sleeping, cleaning the house, taking my meds...yeah, it's that bad sometimes.  I think about how nice "consistency" in all aspects of my life would be.  I'm working on it ~ :)

What about you?  Do you struggle with consistency in writing (or life in general)?  Be it the voice, the style, the time you dedicate to it on a regular basis?  Or is there something else you struggle with?

With that ~ I wish you ALL THE BEST working through your current struggles.  There's a bright light out there.  No worries ~ we'll find it.  Happy Wednesday, my friends!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ A QoP Poll... :)

Hello, friends! As writers - it's always good to know what appeals to the masses. Right? :) So, I thought I'd give you a little poll and find out:

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No, No!!  Not that kind of pole!!!  This kind of poll:

So, tell me ~ did any of these results surprise you? (granted you're not the first person voting, of course... :p)  And, thanks for playing along!! I hope you all have a wonderful day of writing/reading/living out there today! :)

STAR TREK Blogfest!!!

The inspired Ellie Garratt has declared Aug. 22 as "The Day of Star Trek Love!!"  Ok, well...I might have rearranged her phrasing a bit...but, if you pop on over to her blog HERE, you will see a whole list of people blogging about their favorite Star Trek episodes and characters.

And if you aren't familiar with Star Trek....well.  I was going to type that "you're lame", but that seemed kind of mean, so I'll go with:  "You're totally missing out!!!"  Anyone who appreciates imagination will appreciate Star Trek.  :)

I'm supposed to list my five favorite characters and episodes.  But, I decided I needed to also include my 5 Trekkie crushes:

#1:  Ensign Wesley Crusher  - oh, yes.  Wes started it all!  I have a thing for a man in a Star fleet uniform to this day!  :)

#2:  Commander William T. Riker - dude.  Ok, I know he's happily married to Laura (of Luke and Laura fame), but I still have dreams about this man from time to time.  Can't seem to help myself.

(source: found google images)  Yeah, I'm totally PRO facial hair!

#3:  Captain Jean-Luc Picard - what can I say...I'm a sucker for accents.  Plus, he's one slick Captain!

#4:  Dr. Bashir - tall, dark and doctor-y.  Yum!

#5:  Chakotay - (it was totally the tattoo...)

FAVORITE CHARACTERS: (in no specific order)

#1:  Jadzia Dax ~ the lovely Terry Farrell.  She was just so versatile!  She could hang with the guys, she could hang with the gals, and with any number of alien species.  And they all loved her.  And, seriously - who couldn't appreciate a few lifetimes worth of knowledge??

#2:  Again - have to put Jean-Luc here.  He was just the perfect captain.  So authoritative, loyal, majestic, really.  To put it plainly - PICARD ROCKS!

#3:  Captain Kathryn Janeway.  Of course I have to give props to the only female Captain to head a Star Trek spin-off.  And I thought she did a GREAT job!!

#4:  Data:  I just had to pick this adorable android.  Most of the time I just wanted to give him a hug.  I had fun watching his journey towards becoming more human.

#5:  Worf:  the big guy just kind of grows on you.  PLUS - his dedication to Star Fleet command is more than evident.  I think his character has more screen time in the entire franchise of anyone!  Kudos, Mr. Dorn!

Ok - so, at this point I know some of you might be wondering why you don't see the names of any "originals" in my lists so far.  Well...(not sure I should admit this...) my love for Star Trek started with TNG.  I've never entirely been a fan of Kirk and Spock...(don't hit me!)  I know - it's practically sacrilegious to admit.  But, I did like some of the movies.  That counts, right?

Anyhow - onto FAVORITE EPISODES:  (again, in no particular order)

#1:  I SOOO wish I had a holo-deck...  So, naturally - my 1st pick features this wonder of future technology:  Star Trek: TNG  Season 2: Elementary, Dear Data.  Sherlock/Data at his finest!

#2:  Aside from maybe, Voyager's Vidiians...the BORG have got to be the CREEPIEST Star Trek villains!!  And imagine my shock when my buddy Picard was made one of them!!!  I give you Star Trek: TNG's "The Best of Both World's: Part I".  The AWESOME cliff-hanger episode of Season 3.

(source: found by googling image - Locutus)

#3:  Star Trek: DS9's: Tears of the Prophet, the end of Season 6 and also of Jadzia Dax.  This was such an emotionally charged episode!!  And I remember being SOOO upset that they killed off Jadzia!!  Plus - the release of the Pah Wraith...creepy.  And Gul Dukat was at his creepy best!  But, then they juxtaposed all this heart-ache with humor.  Poor Quark and Bashir...they just never had a shot with Dax. Great episode!

#4:  Star Trek: Voyager's: Fair Haven, from Season 6.  I always felt a little sad for Kathryn... the only guy hitting on her was Q - and she'd have NONE of that!  She got so lonely that she had to create the perfect man for herself. 

#5:  (see, I've slipped Capt. Kirk in here somewhere!!)  The movie:  Star Trek: Generations.  Even though James T. met his end in this movie - it was just AWESOME to see him and Picard working together to defeat the bad guy.  Probably not THE favorite movie among many, but I really liked this one.

So, there you have it!!  Have I picked any of your favorites?  And if not - please share one I might have missed!!

Write long and prosper!

Find the Story Friday!!! When Nature's got my goat... :p

Hi, everyone!!  How's it going?  I hope all is well in your worlds ~ :)

OK...so, I'm flipping through more Canada pics (umm...yeah, I took a lot!) and I came across these photos of some mountain goats we had the pleasure to be near, as we drove through Kootenay National Park.  The males were separated from the females.  Perhaps these pics will help you see why?  (And guess - who's who?):

Dude!  What's up with that????  :D  In case you're not sure....the top pic is of the males - all majestic and slick looking.  Look at those BIG horns!!

The second pic...those stragglers with the grass on their faces and bad hair...umm, yeah.  The females.

Is it any wonder the cosmetic companies make a killing????  Sorry, gals - nature kind of screwed us.  It's the same for peacocks (those struttin' males with the big colorful tails!!!) and lions (I would KILL for a mane of hair that thick!) and humans, apparently.  My husband can roll out of bed, throw on some shorts and leave the house in a blink!  Me?

"I'll catch up with you in an hour, honey!!"   *sigh* 

(But, don't worry girls.  We tweak the right look and the men are putty in our hands...mwah, ha, ha, ha!!! >:x)

So, tell me - what would your story be about this?  (P.S. All those natural beauties out there that don't relate to this at all...this one's for you ~ :p )  (p.s.s. - but, I still love you all, of course!)

And, I hope you all have a BEAUTIFUL weekend!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ Do you Writeoncon?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!!!

Well - I've been busy with a little event this week...  Umm, maybe you've heard of it?

Yeah - it's AWESOME!!  If you haven't been by - I HIGHLY encourage you to check it out HERE.  Even if you don't participate in any of the live events/forums, there's a plethora of queries, 1st 250 words, 1st 5 pages critiques going on.  Industry agents are EVERYWHERE!  It's so interesting to see what everyone thinks.  What new story idea are out there.  What agents like and why. 

If you struggle with querying or the beginnings of your novels - maybe there's some agent-picks posted that will give you an idea of what you can try to make it better?  As I said - a plethora of writerly goodness at Writeoncon.  Check it out.  Stat!  :)  Must run now - more Writeoncon-ing to do!!

Find the Story Friday ~ Bear-ly there?

Happy Find the Story Friday ~ :)

Here's my pic of the week:

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Tip of the Day:  If you happen to be driving through a National Park and you see a bunch of cars off to the side of the road?  PULL OVER!  :)  You just might see something like this.

We had the lucky fortune to catch a mama bear and her cubs strolling along a stretch of road as we drove through Kootenay National Park in British Columbia.  There's a third cub you can't see in this pic (I was driving...my husband and daughter got the better views...), but it was just so amazing to see, in person and (more or less) up close.

And it got me wondering about animals in stories.  Do you have any in yours?  I mention a neighbor's dog in passing in my current WiP, but that's about it.  But, if you think about it...they're kind of everywhere.  Chances are...your MC would run into an animal/bird/fish/etc. at some point.  Right?  :)  Some find the story Friday food for thought.

And with that ~ hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!!  I just found out that I get to meet fellow blogger and sister-from-another-mister Donna Weaver at my crit bootcamp tomorrow.  Woo hoo!

Writerly Wednesday ~ Crit Bootcamp!! Hoo-ah! :)

Happy Writerly Wednesday to all my bloggy friends!!  How's it going, today?  Good?  Nice. (yeah, taking a cue from Jag here...)

So ~ I'm participating in a writing workshop this weekend (PUMPED!) put on by my local Precision Editing Group, llc.

I'm just a little excited about it... :)  You know, just a little.  I mean, it's just an editor or two and fellow writers pouring over my first 15 pages for 5 hours.  No big.  

UMMMM - kidding, of course!!  This is an EXCELLENT opportunity and one I will take FULL advantage of!  In case you don't know - I'm a HUGE proponent of workshops, conferences, anything and everything that keeps me and my writing up-to-date and on my toes.  Blogging is also excellent for this.  You guys/gals offer me inspiration and all sorts of writerly goodies on a daily basis.  I <3 you.  :)

But, it's nice to connect with other writers in person, too.  This critiquing bootcamp will be fun!

What about you?  Do you have opportunities like this where you live?  Do you participate?  Do you LOVE it?  Please, share!

And HAPPY WRITING out there today!

Find the Story Friday!! In which I give you some Poutine... :)

Happy Friday, everyone!!

So...clearly, if you're portraying real life in your novels...your characters are going to get hungry from time to time.  You are feeding them, right??

And if your character happens to be in Canada...he/she might enjoy a nice big plate of this:

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POUTINE!!  Nummy...fries, cheese and graaaavvvvyyy... :)

And when you do give your characters a little something to gnaw on...do you think about making it region specific?  Or time specific?  I'm sure a 12th century warrior in a fictional Kingdom would ultimately enjoy a bag of french fries, but...

So, tell me?  How well are you keeping your characters nourished?  Oh, really?  Prove it.  Give me a line from you current WiP/published novel that's all about the food.

And Eat well and prosper this weekend!

Writerly Wednesday - The 5 ESSENTIAL Story Ingredients!!

Again, I stumbled upon an article in Writer's Digest, written by Steven James about the 5 essential story ingredients.  You can (and I HIGHLY encourage you to) read the full article by clicking HERE.  He boils his idea down to this:

Story Trumps Structure

What do you think about that?  Can you throw your ideas of structuring a story with a beginning, middle, and end and/or predetermined plot points and bake a cake instead?  Have I lost you? 

OK, so this story of yours/mine - should have these 5 essential ingredients:

Ingredient # 1:  Orientation

Ingredient # 2:  Crisis

Ingredient # 3:  Escalation

Ingredient #4:  Discovery

Ingredient #5: Change

And like baking a cake....

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We can all start out with the same basic story ingredients, but end up with a wonderful variation of the final product.  Of course - like cake, if you leave an essential ingredient out, the cake falls flat.  Granted - you can tell me that a "recipe" has a beginning, middle, and end.  But, the choices you make with your ingredients are going to have a MUCH bigger impact on your cake/story than the fact that you can follow a recipe from point A. to point C.

Read the article.  It explains these essential 5 ingredients much better than I can.  And then tell me what you think?  Go on ~ I'll wait.  :)

Happy Writerly Wednesday!! 

My Favorite Books-to-Movies Adaptations!

The lovely Madeleine at Scribble and Edit is hosting the Novel Films Blogfest!!   I'll admit - I've slacked a little in putting together my list.  My mind isn't working with me lately.  So, rather than list ALL the movies/tv shows I've seen, based on novels that I've also read - I thought I'd give you my TOP 5:

#1:  Harry Potter (this should be on EVERYONE's list, imho!)

#2: Lord of the Rings - EPIC!  'Nuff said:  (oh, except - can't wait to see what they do with The Hobbit!!!!)

#3:  Stardust - Oh, dear Robert DeNiro...  (a lot of people didn't like this adaptation...or so I hear...but, I loved the film better than the book, personally!)

#4:  The Mists of Avalon - the mini-series didn't really touch the darker/heavier themes of the book, but I still find it enjoyable!

#5: Wicked - Ok, now I know this isn't a film or tv show, BUT it has been adapted to a medium I can VIEW - so it counts!!  Saw this on Broadway in London - LOVED IT!!  The book is A LOT darker - I'll have to say the play wins out for me, but still a must see/must read.

Tell me - what are some of your favorites??? 
And don't forget to check out the link above for Scribble and Edit and check out the other participants.  It might jog your memory about a book or a movie adaptation you've been meaning to read/see!! :)