Author Pseudonyms

Just some of my thoughts today--

Thinking about the use of a pseudonym for my writing.  I know some say that it is better to use just one identity, rather than confuse readers.  I know an author who used a name for her early books, which were successful.  Then when she had a change of life philosophy, and started writing spiritually themed fiction, she used another name.  Most readers love both venues, and don't realize that it is the same author.  I have also heard, more than once, about an author's gender being a deterrent to their work, so they chose a pseudonym of a different gender to release their work under.  This obviously makes it difficult for personal appearances at book signings!  

Some might wonder about the pseudonym I use for some of my crafting.  The double word name, Abigail Jayne, that I have used since 2009, spurs my creativity.  It is my way of allowing myself be more creative by 'coloring outside of the lines'.

It also spurs me to be more than I think that I am.  It keeps me in remembrance of two people whom I admire.   I  love the story of Abigail from the Bible.  She was an extremely brave and wise woman, performing incredibly, especially for the time in which she lived. You can read the story for yourself, and watch this woman perform well outside of her cultural norm.  Inspiring to me!

The second name, Jayne, is representative of another woman that I admire, a contemporary one.  This woman is a writer that has not published anything yet.  She has had stories, even whole books, in her head from childhood and will eventually get them in print.  She inspires the writer in me to keep on keeping-on and get it done!  

So, as to using a pseudonym, I really don't know if it will translate over from my crafting to my writing.  I like the idea, but  . . . we will see.

New Year doin's

After a long hiatus, which I will not apologize for as I don't want to go into a litany of excuses; I'm starting up my blogging again--it's just that life happens.

It's the first week of the new 2017 year, so what have I planned?  No resolutions for me. I have revamped my blog header to reflect a more concise summary of what you can expect to find in this blog.  And of course, I am busy with research for my second novel, more about that in a later post.  Any actual writing at this point is a joint project with my husband.  We are collaborating on a small volume for our family, chronicling our separate and joint lives.  It's more in the legacy theme, that runs through most of my life lately, considering my first novel's title is Unfinished Legacy, and my second is Unknown Legacy.  (I've written about it in a previous post here.)

In case you don't know me, I believe that what is important for an individual life is not the just the moments that make it up, but the entirety of life as it pertains to purpose and legacy.  The journey is what we will leave when the moments are forgotten.    I guess you could say I believe in story.

Well, so much for today's post, I need to get on with transferring some files from my broken computer to my new computer.  See ya later!

Staying Focused on the Destination

Day 9 - - - 

Yesterday I spent some time writing on my second novel, reacquainting myself with the characters and rethinking my plot and how I am getting to where I want to go with it.  (That's what  happens when you get in a funk and let things go for a while! You have to re-think! Refresh!)

I re-read the prologue, and the first two chapters.  I added some details and today I will re-read it to see if it is captivating enough for my readers.  As I write, it occurs to me that I know where the plot is going, but my reader doesn't.  He/she must want to keep reading; I must captivate him with words.  I know you who write already know this, so, who am I  telling, anyway?!  This post is just a little reminder to stay focused and stay in process!

Hope you are able to stick-with-it!

BTW, for those of you who were wondering, my second novel, will be called The Severed Branch.  It is the second in my Legacy series.     

The 'Seasonal Rhythms' of Life

Whew!  The autumn and holiday season of 2015 surely did me in!  I was busy like a whirlwind and the subsequent aftermath of chaos took time to recover from!  I am finally beginning to feel like my own relaxed self again, getting back to my regular rhythm of tasks! When I looked at the last entry date in this blog, all I could say was "WOW!  It's time to write again!"  So here are a few words to begin . . . .

When I was young, embroidered tea towels taught the discipline of daily and seasonal tasks.  Embroidered scenes told me Monday was for washing clothes, Tuesday was for ironing, Wednesday for mending etc. Or, they depicted seasonal tasks like Spring cleaning, Summer vacationing, Fall for back to school and getting ready for holidays. Generally we still participate in some of these actions, but my retired lifestyle's seasonal rhythms are a bit different. I have no one in school, and I am free to go on a vacation whenever I like.

The reason for my Autumn exhaustion and 'no blogging' this past Fall was the seasonal rhythm of my business craft show season, (not to mention a busy personal life with the holidays).  The coming Winter season is my time to change gears from arts and crafts--working with my hands--to returning to some serious writing.  I am working on a revision of my first novel and hope to finish by Spring.  In late March, although I will be still write, I will take a vacation and begin spending my time to be outdoors, taking walks and engaging in photography again.

I love Spring--it invigorates my creative juices like an Artesian well spring--as the earth blossoms, so hopefully does my creativity!

Well, I won't go on, you get the idea. I try to write a bit everyday, as a discipline, and this is my start for this season!  What does your seasonal rhythm look like?  What do you do to make the transition from one season to the next?  Hope this Winter season will be a great season for you, regardless of the weather!

Writer's Encouragment!

I've been on a bit of a break--with my writing--and was recently encouraged by another writer's twitter post that I randomly happened to see.  It was like a refreshing rain.

 All it said was:

"I've been on a long break but today I get back to work.  And it feels so good!"  @JessicaB_writer

It was a simple statement.  Factual but poignant for my life.  What it said to me was:

1)  She had no regrets about her break.  Writers beat themselves up about breaks, or what they call "writer's block".

2)  In the 'here and now', today she was getting back to it!  Not tomorrow, not next week, nor when she finally got a "round tuit."

3)  And to prompt everyone who read the post, she added her feelings!  "It feels so good!"

Who wouldn't feel encouraged by this short tweet?  I did!  I told her so.  Thanks Jessica!  Thanks for a simple statement!  I needed it.  Now, back 'tuit'!  Chapter 4 revision, here I come!

I thought I was not a writer!

When I was a little girl in elementary school, (thought you might enjoy seeing how I used to look!)

I distinctly remember that I could not write stories, nor could I spell.  I had long since decided that I could not write by the time I left 6th grade!

When it came to creative writing,  I remember sitting at my small desk in either 3rd or 4th grade, we had been asked to write a story.  Spending most of the allotted time agonizing for ideas, and thinking about what to write, (Sometimes I still have this problem!  You too?)  I would look everywhere around the room to see something that would hopefully spark an idea.  After wasting all my time, I would turn in a paper with, maybe, one line written on it.

As it turns out, it was discovered that I am dyslexic.  It manifested most in my reading.  Everything would get turned around in my brain, and I would read "saw" as "was" etc.   Reading slowly trying to discern what I was seeing,  I never really finished a book.   Mostly I "improvised" on every book report that I was required to do, reading a little of the front and middle and then reading the ending to get by.  I still experience a reversal of letters when I type fast, I have to check my writing carefully. Thank heaven for spell check!

Today, I write constantly, although I can't say that my mind is always full of stories, but I have acquired a system whereby the stories do flow, once I start.  That's the way it happened, with my first novel, it sort of 'flowed' from my mind and, nearly, wrote itself!  ;) (Of course you know, that is an over exaggeration, since writing is mostly hard work and discipline!)

Little Stones

From time to time, in my blogging, you will find the title "Small Stones."  These are short written passages -- "a polished moment of paying proper attention" -- not really poetry, but succinct thoughts that convey a single thought. It was originally the brain child of Fiona of River of Small Stones, to give credit where credit is due. Although I am not an advocate for her cause, nor do the views expressed by her blog coincide with my views, but I participate, because I love the exercise of choosing something each day, connecting to the world around me, and taking the opportunity to write about it.  I may not publish it, but it is a great discipline for writers and good practice.   

(BTW---I originally started writing these in my other blog, atticreflections.blogspot.com. and after a while started putting a picture with them, as I love photography too! If you visit there, click on the Small Stones tab at the top of the home page for previously published 'stones'.) 

Now, you can follow my little babbling brook of words over the little stones entries here in this blog from now on. I am re-naming them 'Little Stones'.  They will be interspersed with my other posts, and after I have a few, you could always type "Little Stones" in the search box to find them.  The first one in this blog:

Traveling seaward

over the waves,

I see blue 

transformed to white.

Mind wandering,

as peace floods,

My heart transported

I am calm - lp

3 Things Reading Novels Can Teach About Writing

I am always looking for something to help me with my writing, aren't you?

I am at an in-between time, finished my first novel, and waiting for my editors to finish their first read before re-writes begin.  What do I do?  I read!  I read novels.  I read novels by authors that I love, and novels by authors I am not familiar with. I am learning all the time from what I am reading!

 3 things that you can learn from other authors 

1)  Learn style!
Study the style of your favorite authors.  What draws you to them!  I would venture to say that it is not just the type of book, i.e. mystery, romance, Amish stories, historical.  I think that you will find it is usually the way that the author puts their sentences together.  I know, it seems almost too simple, but as Strunk and White say in their classic book about writing, The Elements of Style:

" A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. " 

Favorite authors--Check the sentence structure, what do you like about it? What do you do differently?
New authors--what errors do you see?  Is there a refreshing new style?  Is that why they won an award?


2)  Use of descriptive wording
Not just the descriptive words that explain a setting, but use of descriptive verbs. I marvel at choices of adjectives and adverbs used in various books.
  
" . . .instead of . . . harboring hope in their hearts."  J. Kirkpatrick, A Mending at the Edge, using "harboring" instead of "having". 

" . . . giving Arnie a pitiful little wave as he opened the door . . ."  F. Peretti, in Illusion, describing an attitude of the heart through a descriptive gesture. 

Which words does the author use that you never thought of using? Is that what you like about his/her writing?


3)  Repetitive story?
Some books are produced for commercial value only.  The same plot format is used in a series of books, with "the names have been changed to protect the innocent" as it was always said in the old Dragnet television series.  I recently I read a series of books by the same author that not only used a similar plot for each one, but also repeated the thoughts of the characters over and over.  (That series will remain unnamed.)

As writers and bloggers, we can learn valuable lessons from reading.  May I say that reading is a part of our craft!  We must read to learn, not only to read but to notice what it is that we like and make those habits our own! 

What have you learned lately, from a novel?

Writing Schedule

Although I am between projects---well, actually finishing up the details of one book and starting research for another---you might think that I do not write in this in-between time.  Not so!  I look upon my writing as my job.  I write everyday, whether it is a blog post, a section of a family legacy book that I am working on, or on my current book project.

I have always heard that writers should write everyday.  Recently I read in a magazine about a daily writing schedule, so thought I would write down my own schedule.

  9:00 am   Wake up, breakfast, read emails and news
10:00 am   Write
   Noon      Fix and eat lunch
  1:00 pm   Chores and errands if any or Write/read blogs/do research/go for a walk
  4:00 pm   Begin dinner prep
  5:00 pm   Dinner
  6:00 pm   TV news and relaxation
  7:00 pm   Write/read books/ TV or movies
10:00 pm    Bed time prep and read in bed
11:30 pm    lights out!

Note:  Notice how many times "write" or "read" is listed in my schedule!

Whether I rise at a different time, or go to sleep much later than 11:30  (because I am reading a great book!) my basic schedule stays the same.  It is my job to write and it must command much of my day!

Writing Exercise

One's writing craft should be exercised much the same as one's body -- Both are health giving exercises.

If there is nothing else to write,  I write 'little stones'.  What are 'little stones'?

Little Stones keep my writing skills succinct and honed.  Writing them challenge me to not have extra words getting one thought down in just a few words.  Not really a poem nor prose, just a micro thought on one point or thing.

Here is one that I have previously written, which, by-the-way, is indicative of the tone of my new book.

          Living in crowded conditions brings a need for 

          order and restrictions--on you and me. 

          Rather than forfeit independence, 

          I'd druther have space.

Note:  You can read further about it here.  Small stones were originally published in my other blog.  (There is a tab at the top of the home page marked: Small Stones.)

  

Relative and Friend Authors! Yay!

WOW! Got some good news today:  my niece and a friend both are getting their novels published!  Yay!  The friend has been writing steadily for nine years, has had some short stories published.  Her agent called:  "Are you sitting down?"   She was informed that two of her novels were sold, with a promise of the third in the series to be picked up when it is finished!  I am so happy for her! Here's the link, although the book won't be available for a while:
http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/wb-publishers-has-acquired-rochelle-wisoff-fields-novels-please-say-kaddish-for-me-and-from-silt-and-ashes-both-based-on-a-true-story/

WOW  #2  Then I went to a family function and my daughter said to me, "Mom, did you know that cousin Lois has just announced that her first fiction novel was just picked up to be published in January 2016?"  No, I didn't know that!! Yay again!!  My niece has been writing non-fiction educational books for young readers for some time now.  I didn't know that either! Again so happy for her! It's available on Amazon for pre-order.  Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban for ages 9-12.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0374302162/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_awdo_mNXavb1YSF451

WOW #3  But you wanna know what the best news is, (for me that is) I just finished my first draft of my first novel!!  Yay! and Double Yay!!!   I have no promise of being published yet but I am working on it. I am so happy for me, and I am still hoping!!!!  This is fun! (Love being happy and saying Yay!)

The Writing Room Floor

Re-Writes!  Lots of paper on the floor around my desk!  Just part of the process . . . . I like a clean hard copy while I am working.

Sneak Peek

It's time for a sneak peek of my book!    It's a story for women--mother and daughter story with a touch of romance, the savvy husband hero, and a some fun!   Here's a glimpse of the flavor:

If Abby thought Thursday had come quickly, Friday evening was there like she had crossed the International Date Line and lost a day!  She was riding down the road in his red Forester moving quickly along the country road past the lumber mill, over the creek and alongside the golf course at the edge of town.  She didn't know what to think.  She was still wondering what was happening?  Danny was driving and rattling on about his day, his customers, and talking about the RBA’s recent activities.

Finally arriving at the Oregon City Steak House, Abby entered with Danny to find that a reservation had been made in his name.  “Really, Danny, you didn't have to go to all this trouble.  I just have a few questions . . . .”

“No trouble Abs; in fact, the owner’s a friend!   Besides I don’t think we could talk in one of those trendy, noisy places.  And I didn't want to take you to a fast food place, so Artie has reserved a quiet table for us away from the traffic zone.  After you, m’lady,”  waving his hand for her to follow the hostess. 

As Abby proceeded to follow the smartly dressed hostess to the table, she wondered how she got herself into this predicament.  When they arrived at the table, it was a secluded booth with high backed seats, a candle burning at the back of the table, precisely set with beautiful white cloth napkins and a bud vase with a single yellow rose.  She and Danny were handed large menus which Abby almost hid behind as she perused the entries; she had never eaten in this establishment. The prices seemed a little on the higher side, as were the entree types. 
   “Danny, you really didn't need to bring me here.  I don’t know what to say.”
   “Say nothing, Abby.  Let me treat one of my favorite customers.  This quiet booth will provide us time and space to answer all your questions.   And some of my questions might get answered, too.  I’ve wanted to get to know you.  So just enjoy, Miss Abby.  What’ll ya have?”
   She had not known Mr. Clark to be so forward.  He was always friendly, cordial with all his customers, but this!  Abby began to worry about who might recognize them and get the wrong idea.  She just wanted a few questions answered, and now--now she had forgotten what they were! *

  * Excerpt from Abby's Story by Linda Easter Pruitt, 2015. 

More Writing Process

Thought you might enjoy seeing a bit more of my writing process.  I am writing a novel, currently 2/3 finished.  I make notes, on little sheets of paper--a reminder to include or to continue certain thoughts.  As I focus on the actual writing, I refer occasionally to remind myself of the points listed. This helps with a continuity and the flow of the book.   I continually re-write the list as I cross off ideas, think of new points or want to make sure that I connect my points.  (How many of us have watched movies or read books that were choppy, did not solve certain issues or left details hanging?)

I also have a map handy.  I hand scribe a map of the location that is in my head.  It helps keep my details straight.

I bet you thought I just sat at the computer and typed!  :)

Old dream coming true . . .

Well, tomorrow didn't get here in a sequential way, it's been nearly two weeks and I haven't finished my reflections of the previous year. I've been busy writing.  More about that in a bit.

If you read my previous post, you know that I have been into online craft sales---since 2008.  And before that craft fairs.  I started a wholesale business, selling aprons, a couple of years back which started off slow, then took off, but this last year hasn't been that great.  I won't go into it, except to say, when your vendor replaces their buyer, your business changes.  It's not entirely bad, it has forced me to consider my own desires and my purpose. It made me face the fact that I am mainly a hobbyist when it comes to sewing, not a business person. Like I said in the previous post, it's a good thing. Consequently in 2015, I am making a course correction; picking up an old dream and working toward it.

I have been wanting to write a book since the 1990's.  My husband beat me in that race, and published his first book in 1997.  I have kept up my writing, as a practice, with blogging since 2008. In 2010, I started writing Abby's Story,  but with all my other endeavors keeping up with writing a book was shelved. And as I said in the previous post, I am closing down most of my online presence in order to write full time.

The good news is . . .  I am nearly half finished (with the first draft, that is.) - 35,000 words!! Yay!

I hope to keep you informed about my progress. (If you would like a sneak peak, some of the original drafts were posted in my other blog.) I feel that my year is off to a good start and  . . .

Hope your new year is starting well too!