Charlotte Rains Dixon

Guest Post: Writing my Fingers to the Bones

Today we have a guest post from mystery writer J.D. Frost.  Regular readers of this blog will recognize J.D. as a loyal reader and commenter.  J.D. is currently working on at least two, and despite my constant entreatries, he does not at the moment have a website or blog I can point you to read.   I was thrilled when I read his guest post submission because he shares a lot of wisdom in it.  So here you go:

Writing my Fingers to the Bones

by J.D. Frost

Television is more addictive than potato chips ever pretended to be. For a while we didn’t watch ours. I put it in the spare bedroom, nailed the door shut and taped black plastic film over the opening. You know how it creeps around the edges of the door, like that incessant fog in those late-night monster flicks. You can’t be too careful.

But somehow my wife saw an episode of Bones and, to my horror, she liked it! When Christmas 2012 came around, instead of an electric hand vac, I bought her DVDs of the first season. Now every night at ten—more regular than most things in my life—we watch an episode on her computer. We are now on season five.

At first, determined not to let those Hollywood tricksters take the edge off my piercing intellect (clearing throat), I only cast a sideways glance at the screen. I might as well have been staring at a swinging watch, for the show soon had me under its spell.  That left me wondering how to elicit that same wide-eyed concentration from my readers. I flipped on my analytical switch and came up with a list.

♦Make your characters strong. Temperance Brennan, aka Bones, longs for a world ruled purely by science. Underneath, she is very fragile, but that is a side she steadfastly guards. Booth, her FBI sidekick, is a rock of reliability. He has a sense of humor, but is also quick with a gun and a business attitude when needed. Angela is socially wise; Hodgins is quick to anger, a bit insecure because of his small stature. As episodes progress, nuances emerge but the gist of each character is carved in stone.

♦Write in scenes. Charlotte has suggested this many times. When I think of scene in Bones, I think of locale: the crime scene, the lab, the Royal Diner.…

♦Write scenes within the scenes. After the remains are found, the arrival of Temperance and Booth is a scene within the scene. As they approach the body, they banter about something totally unrelated to the deceased. Keep in mind that though the location may be exotic and very busy, what we are really interested in is what they say.

♦Conflict—doesn’t every writer’s cousin talk about the importance of this? A famous writer, whose name I can’t recall, once said: Everybody wants something. A doorman wishes to leave early. A cook hopes his diners enjoy their food. The desires of each character influence how they interact with the major players. To generate sizzle put two major characters on a colision course.

Don’t feel too guilty about digging your TV out of the spare bedroom. If your partner screams at you, demanding to know why you aren’t writing, trying to earn that 7¢ ebook royalty, tell them it’s research.

J.D. Frost is a mystery writer from near the Rocket City.

Image by angelrravelor from everystockphoto.

Why Connection is Important to Writers and Others

So it turns out that connection is way more crazy important than we might have thought.

This probably doesn't come as a huge surprise to writers.  After all, communication is inherent in connection, and we're all about communication.

It's why we blog.

It's why we write novels.

It's why we read the writing of others.

Connection turns out to be a powerful theme in my novel, Emma Jean's Bad Behavior, and it is also the topic of a guest post that I have over at Pomogolightly, Beverly Army Williams' blog today.    Hop on over there and give it a read!

Photo by pixelstar.

An Interview You Can Hear

I've got another interview for you today.  It is at my friend Patty Bechtold's blog, Living Deep Studio.   I'm not exactly sure how I stumbled upon Patty--or maybe she stumbled upon me--but I am so glad I did.  Patty brings a deep and gentle respect for self-development and creativity to all her work.

And this interview is a bit different (that's a really cool thing about the publicity I've done for the book--it has sorted itself out to be quite varied in its content).  For one thing, it's in audio version so you can listen to the two of us as we talk.  And for another, we talked more about thematic stuff--creativity and spirituality as it relates to the novel and, well, life.

Give it a listen, won't you?

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Publishing

Okay, it's not exactly everything, but it's a lot about what I learned in the process of getting Emma Jean out into the world.  And it is--you guessed it--another interview.  This one is over at Patrick Ross's blog, the Artist's Road.

I feel a bit smug about Patrick because I was one of the first to discover his blog, right after he returned from a cross-country road trip to interview creatives of all stripes.  He's shot right to the top with his blog, being chosen last year as a Top 10 Writer's Blog.  And it was all because of me discovering him.  Actually, we all know that is not in any way true.  It's because he writes an awesome blog, which always features thoughtful posts.

So head on over there today and read my thoughts on all aspects of the current publishing world, including the big New York houses, indie presses, and self-publishing.

And by the way, I just found out that I'm having trouble with comments going into a spam file.  I kept wondering why I wasn't getting any comments and then I found a ton of them stashed there.  So if you've commented in the last couple weeks and haven't seen it post, that's why.  I now know to look in the spam file while Typepad works to fix this problem, so please, please, please feel free to comment again!

 

Guest Post: Writing a Book With a Homeless Man

Please welcome guest poster Alene Snodgrass, who talks about the fascinating process of co-authoring a book with a homeless man.  You may remember Alene from a guest post she wrote earlier this year.  Welcome back, Alene, and congratulations on the successful launch of your book!

Writing is hard!

There, I said it. It takes diligence and discipline. You must create the quiet time to sit down and form those words that are stirring within your soul into something that others can understand and relate to. It takes focus.

Writing a book with a homeless man is even harder!

Once you decide to share book space with a co-author, everything changes. There are two voice styles to incorporate, two schedules to work around, two different ideas about the project, and two times the amount of coordination. Can you imagine how many more obstacles there might be if that co-author happened to be homeless?

Well, about a year ago, I met a homeless man.

As we passed, he walked up to me and began reciting poetry. It was beautiful. The tone and inflection in his voice were captivating. Come to find out these were poems he had written and memorized. I dutifully asked, “Is there any way you can write those down for me?” He did. And the rest of the story can be found in my newly released Kindle eBook Graffiti: scribbles from different sides of the street.

What transpired the months following was nothing shy of miraculous.

My homeless friend began bringing me writing after writing. Mostly poetry at first. When he found out that I am an author he started stretching his writing skills. He was shy at first thinking I was judging his grammar. I wasn’t – I was enthralled by his love for writing.

We didn’t know each other that well at the time so earning his trust was of most importance. As his trust in me grew, he began to branch out and write more about his life. There was hurt and pain. There was a life story that made me wonder, “How did you end up on the streets?” I asked for more. I stretched him to write more about his life.

I could see that there was so much potential and story behind that worn and tattered body. I continually encouraged him and asked for more of the story. Maybe selfishly at first, because I wanted to know more of his story, but seriously the more he wrote the more I wanted.

It was interesting that the more he revealed of his life; the more I realized we had so much in common. He from his dysfunctional family, which eventually led him to the streets. And me from my blessed family, which led me to help the homeless on the streets.

As I sat and stared at his writings, I knew our story had to be told.

However, we wanted to write less of our life story and tell more of our heart story. The story of how we decided to trust each other, step out of our comfort zones, and love another who was different.

In weaving those facets of our writings together Graffiti: scribbles from both sides of the street was born.

About Alene: Alene loves to tell the story. With a heart for the broken, Alene Snodgrass speaks, writes, and blogs about her real life experiences serving people in the inner city. Alene’s blog, PositivelyAlene.com, is where many come who are seeking and searching to be challenged to find their purpose through serving others. You can connect with her on Facebook or Twitter. Graffiti reached #7 in free Kindle rankings the first day it was released. Download it here.

Guest Post: The Power of a Written Wish

Please welcome today's guest poster, Milli Thornton, who many of you will recognize from her wonderful thoughtful comments on this blog.  I'm excited to have her blogging here today!

The Power of a Written Wish

by Milli Thornton

 As much as I love writing and words, sometimes words are just too left-brained to capture the magic. I guess that's why I've been feeling nervous about writing this post . . . I didn't want to take the uncanny out of what happened by trying to pin it down.

All I know is that I entered a contest here at Charlotte's blog where I was to name a wish - and my wish was granted.

(Is Charlotte magic?)

On July 16 our favorite Wordstrumpet posted It's My Birthday Week, and I'm Giving Someone a Present . To qualify for the prize draw readers were asked to do something whimsical and fun:

"If you could wave a magic wand and have anything in the whole wide world that you wanted for your next birthday, what would it be? Bear in mind, there's no limits here. You could have anything your little heart desires, such as a bestselling novel, world peace, the entire Amazon catalog in a wood-lined room, a Ferrari, a Grand Tour to Europe, and so on. I'm talking true, mad, deep desires."

The prize (eventually won by Carole Jane Treggett ) was a $20 Amazon gift card. Good enough reason to enter, right? Nobody really expected to have their wish granted, right?

I certainly didn't. Nevertheless, I took the time to get very specific with myself about what I would wish for if I could wave a magic wand. I wrote in Charlotte's comment section:

"If I could wave a magic wand right now, I would suddenly understand deep down in my soul (but also in a conscious way that is not at all mysterious or rollercoaster-ish) how to balance my over-achiever side with my 'I love my creativity and I love to have fun!' side while at the same time making the income I desire to make. Income from my writing and my creativity, just to be completely clear."

I just deleted the paragraph I started to write detailing how my wish has been coming true. It was starting to feel too much like capturing a firefly in a bottle. Because this entire thing hasn't unfolded yet, and I keep bumping down another level to find out it wasn't what I at first thought.

I call it "bumping down" because it keeps feeling like I'm falling off my own cliffs of preconceived notions. Every time that has happened since my wish-casting on July 16, I would feel confused and all out of sync - not to mention embarrassed that I wouldn't be able to write the post I promised to Charlotte. Realism would shift to surrealism and then back to a new reality.

I finally realized I was getting my wish, but it was going to take a while (like any good adventure) and it was going to explode most of what I thought I should be doing (or how I should be doing it).

If you happen to write a wish, and if you happen to have your wish granted, don't be surprised if it seriously messes with your comfort zones. And that's how you'll know you're getting the deepest possible version of your wish.

P.S. Despite my careful wording, it actually has turned out to be mysterious and rollercoaster-ish. But now I get it: that's better than something neatly sewed up and presented as a pre-packaged wish.

---------

Milli Thornton is the author of Fear of Writing. She is owner of the Fear of Writing Online Course, where her mission is to put the fun back into writing. Milli blogs at Fear of Writing and Milliver's Travels and coaches writers at Writer's Muse.

Check Out My Guest Post!

I've got a guest post today over at the exuberant Milli Thornton's blog, Fear of Writing.  My post is called Fear of Being Funny, and it talks a bit about the writing of my novel, Emma Jean's Bad Behavior.  So head on over there and let's chat about all kinds of writing fears!

Self-Love For Writers

I've got a guest post this morning over at Sandi Amorim's blog.  It's on how authentic creativity is self-love.  Won't you check it out?  Here's the site: Deva Coaching.

And I've got one more thing for you.  Remember how I reviewed the Artist's Way Toolkit site?  Well, the site is offfering a free promo.  If you want to try the tools for a month, go ahead and register using BLOGHER as a promo code.  You will need to put in your credit card info, but it's only because that's the only way the registration works--there's no tricks, no continuation after the free month unless you want it.  Check it out.

But go read my guest post first.

UPDATE:  The Authenticity + Creativity class is next Tuesday night!  You can still register.  Check it out on this page.  (And thanks Heather for the reminder that I needed to post this today.)

 

Guest Post: A Day in the Life of a Writer, Author Cynthia Haggard

A Day in the Life of Writer

by Cynthia Haggard

I dream that I am sitting on a chair in an ocean cruiser, two rows back from the Queen. Yes, that’s right, I’m sitting right behind the Queen of England, or would be were it not for her numerous relatives sitting in the row between us. A bell sounds. My eyelids flutter. I glimpse the clock. Six o’clock, and I must force myself out of bed because I have a yoga class at seven.

I wriggle my way into a seated position, the thrill of being so near the Queen fading as night fades into day. I go to my yoga class, do my shopping afterwards, carry it home in my backpack.

I unpack it, soak myself in a hot bath, and get ready for my day. By ten o’clock I’m finally ready to write.

“Corfeeee!” My husband’s voice intrudes from the room across the way, where he is taking his bath. Sighing I rise, and make a cup of espresso, remembering to add two teaspoonfuls of sweetener. My husband is unable to function without at least one cup of it. And now he’s buried in student papers, propped up on a wire thingy that crosses the bath, and also prevents his laptop from getting wet.

I return to my desk. Where was Cecylee when last I saw her? Was she having an argument? An argument with Richard? But they had a great many disagreements— “Sweetie! Where are my glasses?”

I rise up and hurry into our hallway. My husband is dressed for the day in cords, leather jacket and felt hat. He’s looking around, turning over papers, rattling keys. I hunt around and retrieve them. They were sitting on the table right behind his chair.

“You put them there!” he laughs.

“I did not,” I reply, kissing him, knowing that he loves to accuse me of hiding things. When the truth is that I’ve become very good at finding things he’s constantly losing.

He gives me a squeeze, and strides off down to the garage, where he’ll drive the car to the university.

I sit down again. Nothing happens to fill the blank in my brain. Speak to me please. But Cecylee folds her arms and taps her feet. She doesn’t take kindly to being interrupted.

I read what I’ve written, and do a light copy-edit. The phone rings.

“Hello,” says a well-known voice. “We’re having dinner tonight with—” And my husband names three other people. “Could you get up and look in the fridge?” I rise up, carrying the cordless phone while I peer into the fridge. How can I complain about a husband who is such an enthusiastic cook? So we discuss the menu, for a while.

Back to the desk. Cecylee is positively seething. But you know all about husbands, I say.You were married to yours for twenty-three years. You know how difficult they can be.

She relents, and tells me more of her story. Hours pass. Finally, I look at the clock. I am tired and it is three o’clock in the afternoon. Time to have a late lunch, before I get on with the rest of my day.

Cynthia Haggard is the author of Thwarted Queen.  Here's a bit about the book:

Cecylee is the apple of her mother’s eye. The seventh daughter, she is the only one left unmarried by 1424, the year she turns nine. In her father’s eyes, however, she is merely a valuable pawn in the game of marriage. The Earl of Westmorland plans to marry his youngest daughter to 13-year-old Richard, Duke of York, who is close to the throne. He wants this splendid match to take place so badly, he locks his daughter up.

The event that fuels the narrative is Cecylee’s encounter with Blaybourne, a handsome archer, when she is twenty-six years old. This love affair produces a child (the “One Seed” of Book II), who becomes King Edward IV. But how does a public figure like Cecylee, whose position depends upon the goodwill of her husband, carry off such an affair? The duke could have locked her up, or disposed of this illegitimate son.

But Richard does neither, keeping her firmly by his side as he tries to make his voice heard in the tumultuous years that encompass the end of the Hundred Years War - during which England loses all of her possessions in France - and the opening phase of the Wars of the Roses. He inherits the political mantle of his mentor Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, and become’s the people’s champion. The rambunctious Londoners are unhappy that their country has become mired in misrule due to the ineptitude of a King prone to fits of madness. Nor are they better pleased by the attempts of the King’s French wife to maneuver herself into power, especially as she was responsible for England’s losses in France. But can Richard and Cecylee prevail? Everywhere, their enemies lurk in the shadows.

This book is filled with many voices, not least those of the Londoners, who forged their political destiny by engaging in public debate with the powerful aristocrats of the time. By their courageous acts, these fifteenth-century Londoners set the stage for American Democracy.

And here's a bit about Cynthia Haggard:

Born and raised in Surrey, England, Cynthia Sally Haggard has lived in the United States for twenty-nine years. She has had four careers: violinist, cognitive scientist, medical writer and novelist. Yes, she is related to H. Rider Haggard, the author of She and King Solomon's Mines. (H. Rider Haggard was a younger brother of the author’s great-grandfather.) Cynthia Sally Haggard is a member of the Historical Novel Society. You can visit her website at: http://spunstories.com/

We'd love to hear your comments.  Does your day as a writer resemble Cynthia's in any way?

Guest Post: It's Between the Page and I, 6 Things I Learned Over 10 Days of Morning Pages

While I'm on retreat, I've got a variety of guest posts for you.  Today, please welcome Resham Khiani, as she writes about morning pages.

It's Between the Page and I, 6 Things I Learned Over 10 Days of Morning Pages

by Resham Khiani

It's 8:00am on Saturday morning.

Another long, hard week in London has come to an end and I'm looking forward to a cosy lie in.... until the challenge I've set myself bursts my bubble.

For 10 days straight, I will be doing my Morning Pages Exercises. For those of you who are new to hearing it for the first time, they are an exercise devised by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way. The concept is basic: write three long hand pages, non-stop once you wake up in the morning. It doesn't matter what you write, just write.... even if it's line after line of "I don't know what to write,"  your subconscious mind will kick in and messages will appear.

Bleary eyed, I made my way to the kitchen, prepared a green tea and grudgingly sat at my desk. "I'm too tired to write" - the voice of sabotage has arrived. I gently say to shut up or I will smack it (I know, I know, it's weird, how on earth can anyone smack their conscious mind?!). A sip of green tea and my hand begins to glide, almost insanely, within seconds. Scribbling messily, sloppily, uncontrollably I see I'm just whinging and moaning about all the things in my life. I'm fed up, tired, can't be bothered and don't want to take responsibility of my life.

But then, I feel an urgent message coming along, something profound, almost spiritual. I'm alert. I'm ready: "Do you remember what it was like to fall in love?" Before I answer this message, my subconscious begins misbehaving and complaining how annyoing my flatmate has become. It begins hatching a plan all by itself, with me, merely being an onlooker with no say. All I know is, the retalation is quite harsh. And then I hear: "muhahahahaha." Note to reader: writing down the evil laugh diminishes it's effect.

Each day, of course, was a battlefield with the mind. Getting up on time to actually do the exercise was a challenge; however, I remained disciplined throughout. Looking back at my pages, I could see myself swinging from exhilarating happiness, to downright depression, to simmering, passionate feelings and finally spiritual, optimistic statements. The Morning Pages revealed so many messages in a short space of time. And they were:

1) I write a lot about sex, so much so, I make myself blush after I finish reading it! (I blame the Mills & Boon romance books I read on a regular basis, whereas Sigmund Freud will blame me for suppressing my natural instincts).

2) I goad myself to set up my own business, based on NLP and helping woman change their beauty beliefs.

3) I have a depressive and philosophical streak in me enough to put Milan Kundera (author of The Incredible Lightness of Being) to shame.

4) Apart from being depressive, at the base of it, I'm optimistic, and realise I have the power to direct my thoughts.

5) I question myself too much: I live too much in the future or past,without fully being present.

6) I am a diva.

Putting ink on paper, coupled with honesty is a revelation to oneself. Morning Pages have switched on my intuition, my creativity, my belief of trusting myself. I realised I had fallen out of love with my life and my creativity - hence the reason why I got such a message. As a result of being persistent with the exercises, I no longer walk around with a feeling of frustration or anger because I've dealt with it on paper. I'm free from negative emotions and drama. Funnily enough, my life has become simpler, more fun, opportunities are flowing, inspiration is soaring. I'm writing a lot more, I've got a few romantic dates lined up and certainly feel life is on my side. Perhaps getting up on the first morning really was the beginning of a new life......

 

Resham Khiani (on the left in the photo) is the founder of InnerBellissima blog, devoted to helping
woman change their beauty beliefs. She writes regularly on her blog.

Guest Post: Engross Your Readers

While I'm away, I've got an array of guest posts for you.  Today's comes from Alice Anderson.  Check out her website here.

Engross your readers

by Alice Anderson

I recently read an ARC from Karen Hawkins that got me thinking about ways to engross your readers. This book, The Taming of a Scottish Princess, did a fabulous job of it. So well in fact that I read straight through Dancing with the Stars and Castle!

So how do you engross your readers?

Well, it starts with your characters.

Let your readers in on an inside joke.

Why it works: We all like to be included. At some point or another we've all been in on an inside joke. Giving your characters an inside joke gives them a connection that they don't have with other characters. It's that connection that ties them; it gives them something in common. Relationships are often based on commonality. By giving the characters an inside joke, and letting the reader in on it, they'll look for references to that joke throughout the book. I like to think of this as a thread that pulls them through the story.

Example: Michael Hurst and his assistant Jane Smythe-Haughton have a unique relationship. He's an explorer. Think Indiana Jones. And she keeps his life running smoothly. She is charming and sunny and he is no nonsense. She doesn't put up with his crap. In fact, she gives as good as she gets.

So what's the inside joke? Though he acts as if he could live without her, she knows he can't and she calls his bluff. They call each other silly names over the course of the book. They're not menacing, rather playful. Always keeping each other in check. He'll call her a "fainthearted twit," to which she promptly replies "cravated grump." And they go on and on with their tenderhearted insults.

This happens over and over throughout the course of the book, not over doing it, but showing that these two have spent a lot of time in each other's company and that they understand each other. They respect each other. They pick at each other. This works for the story and I found myself looking for these "spitfire" moments between the two of them.

Give your characters habits.

Why it works: we all have habits. Twirling our hair, biting our nails, worrying our lower lip. Habits make us human, good or bad. Readers will begin to anticipate characters making those habits and if the habits mean something (for instance, I twirl my hair when I'm deep in thought) they can read the character's mood without you having to tell them what the mood is.

Look for habits everywhere. Search on the web. Think about friends and family. Ask for suggestions via facebook or twitter.

Example: As Taming a Scottish Princess begins, Michael is at a ball and he's tugged at his tie. Okay, okay it's a cravat, but the point is, he does this several times during the course of the story. He does it when he's impatient. And ultimately, that garment comes in handy, but you'll have to read the book to find out why. I don't want to give all the good stuff away.

Vary your dialog.

Why it works: A person's speech can be as unique as a fingerprint. Do you have a phrase you use often? Perhaps you don't even notice it. Ask someone who spends a lot of time with you. Give your characters a favorite phrase, a level of formality in their speech or even an accent and then carry it (or change it) over the course of the story.

Example: Michael is English with Scottish ancestors. Jane is Scottish with an English mother. Both of them have spent extensive time traveling the world but over the course of the story, Michael finds out that Jane is Scottish. As she talks about her homeland, her old accent comes out. When they travel to Scotland, they meet a character named Mrs. Farquhar and she has a thick accent, an accent that the author plays up. In this scene there are three people and you can tell who's talking without any sort of dialog tag. Why? Because they each "sound" different through their accent and language.

So there you have it. Three quick and easy tips to take your novel from ordinary to extraordinary, engrossing your readers from the first page to the last.

Alice can be found on her website and Facebook and Twitter.

Guest Post: The Life of a Writer--Peaceful to Frazzled

While I'm away, I'm running a variety of guest posts.  Today's post is from Alene Snodgrass of Positively Alene.  Welcome, Alene!

The Life of a Writer--Peaceful to Frazzled

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was slowly taking away the night sky and the sunrise colors emerging were shades of pink and orange. It was pure beauty to savor, as I sipped my morning cup of coffee. I was finishing an eBook I had been working on and this setting definitely kicked the creative part of my mind into overflow.

I wrote passionately, with an urgency that had been escaping me for the past few months. I remember thinking, Ah, now this is the life of a writer! Bliss. Perfection. Peace.

I wrote with abandoned joy. I left words of passion and encouragement upon every page of the document I was working on. This felt so right. So inspiring.

Distracted from the task at hand, I clicked over to check-in with twitter when I saw Charlotte had left a tweet asking if anyone would want to guest post for her and describe their day-in-the-life of a writer scene. I had to jump at that because I knew in that moment I was called to write! Bliss. Perfection. Peace.

Still distracted from my writing deadlines of the day, I emailed Charlotte to see about guest posting for her. She quickly responds yes and gives me a deadline. Weeks passed with that deadline lingering on my to-do list when I realized I had to get this post in.

As the day begins, I quickly begin to wonder why in the world I thought I should write about this. Everything that could possibly go wrong did, which totally left me feeling like a failure as a writer. I longed for that peaceful morning where dashes of pink and orange filled the sky. Instead, I was left sitting behind my computer frustrated and frazzled.

This just happened to be the day before the BIG launch of my new eBook “Giving Up Normal.” I was coordinating the link-up of the eBook to my newsletter, websites, blog posts. I was soliciting influencers to help me get the word out and asking for endorsements from others. It was only 8am and my two hours of linking and working on html codes seemed to be going smoothly. Then . . .

I check email.

Note from friend: Alene, the link you gave in your site did not work.

I spent an hour trying to decipher the technical glitch.

I create a specific “tweet this” link and tweet it out.

Direct Message: Do you know your tweet link to your eBook does not work?

Then I receive a Facebook message: I tried to subscribe to your newsletter, but it is not letting me enter my email. Mercy! By this point, I’m fried and frazzled.

Can I just give you the short version of the rest of that day? It consisted of 8 hours of linking, relinking, coding, decoding, emailing, and answering emails about issues I was having.

And this is the day-in-and-day-out-life of a writer – especially this writer.

Knowing that you were called to write one moment and the next doubting why you ever embarked on such an emotional task seems to be the underlying mixed messages of my heart. However, I wouldn’t change the fact that I get to live this crazy life as a writer.

If you’d like to receive a FREE copy of the eBook “Giving Up Normal” that was written under beautiful pink and orange skies, click over HERE.

I’d love to hear what your day of writing looks like. Peaceful? Frazzled?

Oh, please do tell!

About Alene:  Alene Snodgrass is a south Texas girl who loves to write, speak, teach, and serve. Basically, she loves living life as herself . . . Positively Alene! You can connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

Photo credit: Alene Snodgrass

Call For Guest Posts

I'm going to be away the last week in April (at the Diamond writing retreat I'm co-leading) and the first week of May (in Maui, for a spiritual retreat with the women of my church.)

The Diamond retreat is at an old hotel that was once a stagecoach stop that does not have Wi-Fi or cell phone service, but the good news is that there 's a traveler's stop a few miles away that does.

The Maui retreat has no Wi-Fi.  Gulp.  I'll be without my computer for a week.  This is like saying I'll be without my arm for a week. 

But the point of all this is that I am going to have two weeks away from blogging.  And so I have had an idea.  I'm calling for guest posts.  I'm really interested in anything you have to say, but I'd especially like it if you wrote on this topic:

A Day in the Life of A Writer (or if you're an artist or creative, that's fine, too). 

Here's an example of what I mean in this post I wrote a few years ago.

I'm fascinated when I get to peek into the daily lives of other writers, and I think my readers will be, too. 

If you'd like to participate, email me at charlotte@charlotterainsdixon.com, putting GUEST POST in the subject line and I'll fill you in on the details.

Guest Post by Mystery Writer Reavis Z. Wortham

Please welcome guest author Reavis Z. Wortham.  I met Reavis several years ago at the Mayborn Literary Non-Fiction conference in his native Texas.  We've stayed in touch ever since, and when I heard about the buzz his new mystery novel is getting, I begged asked him to write a guest post about his path to publication.  Read to the very end to catch the very exciting news about his novel (I don't want to steal his thunder by telling you here.)

As A Beginner

by Reavis Z. Wortham

I have been a published columnist and feature writer for 23 years in newspapers and magazines, but giving advice has always been sticky.

The columns helped me polish my style, and believe me, looking back at those first efforts, I’m surprised anyone kept me on. But I got better, and developed my own voice.

With the success of what eventually became a self-syndicated newspaper column in more than 30 papers, I began to seek out magazines. My first humor column was published by Texas Fish and Game Magazine. That led to Texas Sportsman, Vintage Trucks, American Cowboy and many others. Each success made it easier for editors to see my work and to offer assignments. Sixteen years later, I’m Humor Editor for Texas Fish and Game and still write columns and articles for other magazines.

The book manuscripts continued to cook inside my head, and as I kept experimenting, I read Stephen King’s, On Writing. Not long afterward, David Morrell’s Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing brought my personal faults into crystal clarity. All those things like, “show me in the story, don’t tell me,” “point of view,” and “the right voice” finally made sense.

Especially, show me, don’t tell me.

I took the old adage; write what you know, to heart. The Rock Hole is a mystery set in 1964 Lamar County Texas and based on an old constable I knew, my grandfather. I know the people and the geography. I’d heard the tales they told beside the fire at night, and up at the country store.

The story came easily. My agent Jeanie Pantelakis with Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency fell in love with the manuscript and she quickly placed it in the hands of Annette Rogers, the wonderful acquisitions editor at Poisoned Pen Press, who took me on the next journey.

Annette helped me polish The Rock Hole. I soon learned to write tight when she told me the manuscript had to be cut from 120,000 words, to 90,000. From there it was write, re-write, and use the Word search application that allowed me to see how often I used words over and over again, words like: that, church, old, store, porch, door, and would (to name just a few). I learned to identify passive sentences and cut them out like cancers. Under Annette’s tutelage, I gave my characters an action to perform, to identify who was speaking, while cutting out, “he/she said/asked/replied.”

Her advice and guidance was the difference between night and day. I learned to lift my vocabulary until it sizzled. Then Poisoned Pen Press surprised me. They asked me to rewrite the ending so the novel could continue as a series.

Today, Kirkus Reviews listed The Rock Hole as one of the best mystery novels of 2011. What an honor by such a prestigious reviewer. The sequel, Burrows, is scheduled for release on July 3, 2012. I can only hope it gets half the reception as The Rock Hole.

Visit Reavis's website here, and his blog here.  And go buy his book! You know you want to.

Guest Post: Jessica Baverstock on What's Your Story?

This is a guest post by Jessica Baverstock, an Aussie writer currently living in Beijing, China.  Jessica read my newsletter discussing how we writers get our knickers all wound up in our stories last month and it inspired her to write about her own stories.  The process of which was not only entertaining, but enlightening and worthy of sharing.  So here you go.  And thanks, Jessica!

1. Observe - Make a note of the stories you tell.

I am a failure as a writer.

Sure, I love to write and I have the eccentricities down pat - but I can't actually call myself a writer. You see, I've never had anything published. The closest I've ever come was at 19 when I had a poem read out on the radio. Since then I've endured a distinct silence of recognition.

And rightly so. I have nothing worth submitting. I have no polished manuscript sitting in a slush pile waiting to be discovered. I have no polished manuscript at all! I never finish projects. I have notebooks full of scribbled ideas, a bookshelf full of first drafts and several unfinished 2nd drafts languishing in a dark computer folder somewhere - but nothing actually finished.

So you see, I'm a failure as a writer.

2. Write About It - Pull your story apart.

As stories go, this is demoralizing right from the first sentence. While the statements of 'accomplishment' themselves are true, the conclusions inferred are depressingly skewed.

It does, however, give one a feeling of security. If you've already declared yourself a failure, then no one can be disappointed in you no matter what the outcome of your efforts. It's the same reason why people who are prone to falling find lying on the ground oddly comforting - at least you can't fall any further. In this case, by declaring yourself a failure, it pre-empts someone else implying it or saying it outright.

Declare yourself a writer, on the other hand, and people will immediately expect proof. 'What have you written?' 'Have you been published?' 'Can I read some of your work?' Using the above story, you've given them all the proof they need. After such a tirade, who in their right mind is going to ask to see your work?

3. Assign it to a Character - Use your story as one of your character's stories.

I am assigning this story to Shelly - a character in a novel I'm currently working on.

Shelly is bubbly, insightful and kind - always quick to point out the accomplishments and worth of others. However, as soon as she opens her mouth with this story, we realise she is not as kind to herself.

She's nursing a very personal disappointment. Her dream from childhood was to be a writer, to publish stories and see her name in print. But it never happened. She reads articles about younger people who have achieved their writing dream - how their insight into human nature, their turn of phrase, their attention to detail contributed to their success - and realises she hasn't reached the height of quality necessary to accomplish a similar feat.

She reminds herself that such dreams are childish - don't all young girls want to be ballerinas and all young boys want to be astronauts? The fact is, the world is filled with an infinite array of different occupations. This must prove that at some point in a person's development, childish dreams fall by the wayside to allow new understandings of life and the world emerge. Such is what happened in her case.

However, on the bookshelf next to her bed are several colorful journals, written in from her childhood onward and so precious to her that she cannot part with even one of them. And every morning, over breakfast, she writes in her journal about the wonderful characters and stories she dreamed of the night before.

Now isn't that the sign of a true writer?

4. Consider All the Elements - Look for the main elements, characters, themes, plot, action.

From a storytelling point of view, the only way this story can progress is for the storyteller to effect a complete change of attitude. Currently it's a 'dead end' tale. The words "never", "nothing" and "failure" do not move forward. They do not hold promise of more and better to come. They sit limp, heavy and stubborn on the page - refusing to allow any plot or action to follow.

In order for the plot to develop further, the character must step up and take action. Although the catalyst which starts a story is usually out of a character's control, the character should be the one to make the decision to launch into the next chapter - to spark off the journey which we long to read about.

Therefore this character must change her tune - she must transform her theme from 'failure' to 'opportunity.'

And this can all be done starting with one very simple word - yet.

"I have never had anything published." Yet.

"I have nothing worth submitting." Yet.

5. Write a New Story

I am a writer. I haven't had anything published yet because I'm working through what I like to call my 'apprenticeship.'

I've worked on many different stories, genres, characters and plots - learning along the way. I'm finding my distinctive voice, discovering the tricks to storytelling, creating collections of ideas, instituting schedules, building friendships and practicing the art of writing itself.

One day I will produce polished work worthy of submission. Until that time, I am thoroughly enjoying my journey - for without it I would never accomplish my dream.

Jessica Baverstock had her first run in with the writing life when, at age 3, she met her father's typewriter. Ever since, she's been passionate about putting words on paper, dreaming one day of making it to publication. She can be found at her blog, Creativity's Workshop, where her Creativity is featured as a real character - writing in distinctive purple text.

Guest Post: Erica Nelson and Happiness Quotations

I'm pleased to offer you this guest post from Erica Nelson, author of Happiness Quotations: Gentle Reminders of Your Preciousness.  Read about her book and enjoy an excerpted passage below.  Be sure to visit Erica's site at www.happinessquotations.com.

“Most people pursue pleasure in money, sex and power but are still unfulfilled. Why? Because they are non-sustainable energy sources whereas happiness is the purest, most sustainable and reusable form of fuel for the human spirit. Thank you Erica for writing such a meaningful and important book. I love it and it makes me happy.”

- Michael Port, NY Times Best Selling Author of The Think Big Manifesto

When Michael Port sent this recommendation for Happiness Quotations, it lit a fire for me to finish the manuscript and get it ready for the publisher. Glowing recommendations kept pouring in during the book creation process with this book. Michael actually recommended the book when it was nearing completion. The concept was born right after my last birthday in September 2010. I was ready for the next book, the first book was published in 2008. Two manuscripts are sitting on my hard drive, neither worthy for me to take the time to get them into print and before people.

Initially, Happiness Quotations: Gentle Reminders of Your Preciousness was part of a trilogy on happiness. I considered having a journal created, for people to write down wins and happiness experiences; writing a book on the how-to of happiness; and writing quotations to practically apply the happiness way of life I was born knowing.

When I began to post Happiness Quotations, smaller quotations I wrote to encourage people to feel good about life, to forgive old wounds, to recognize ego and connect to source energy – the response was so great. The light of these quotations quickly left the other projects in the dust. I began to concentrate fully on Happiness Quotations, and developed each smaller daily post into a longer passage with more insight, and more information on how to live and integrate the concepts into our lives.

Here’s what came up when I opened the book “Happiness Quotations: Gentle Reminders of Your Preciousness” to a passage for you this morning:

Experience Everything More Fully

Ask more of yourself. Ask yourself to feel joy more fully. Lift your heart higher. Believe in yourself more deeply. Follow your intuition more truly. Be bigger than you thought you could be. Experience love with more depth. Just ask yourself to be more than you thought you could be, and feel more than you thought you could feel.

As you ask, so it shall be. As you step more deeply into the joy that is your birthright, more joy becomes available to you.

So often we forget to ask ourselves to become more than we are. The set-points that become our normal waking consciousness grow engraved and rooted into our behaviors. Yet, you can change a set-point. You can change how deeply you feel. You can experience more of all that you came onto the planet to experience. Just ask.

The next step on my journey will be to write what I’m calling HQ2, or the second in the series of Happiness Quotations. I’m also in creation on a happiness e-class people can take to deepen the experience of living in happiness each day. To find out more about Happiness Quotations, go to www.HappinessQuotations.com, where you can read quotations and get into inspiration to embrace your day.

Here is a little bit more about me:

I believe that happiness takes time each day. To step into happiness means to let go of judgment, fear, and programmed beliefs that hold you back. I started writing about happiness professionally in 2006. I coach others to let go of negative binds and free up joy and delight, awe and gratitude in living each day. A former Sacramento Bee and Santa Barbara News-Press news reporter, I wrote for California newspapers for years covering education, schools, cities, entertainment and water. She presently writes a weekly advice column in seven San Francisco Bay Area major metropolitan papers including the San Jose Mercury News and Contra Costa Times. I worked for about a decade in philanthropy, before I became a coach and independent author. I’m married with three beautiful children and a fabulous Tennessee Walking Horse. We live in California.

More: www.HappinessQuotations.com.

Guest Post: Valentines and Verse

Today's guest post is a bit different in nature, but very timely given that Valentine's Day is Monday. (Yes, Monday!)  Please welcome guest blogger Lora Cain.

The Mother of All American Valentines – and Verse

by Lora Cain
 
She may not have written the very first Valentine but Esther Howland certainly was the first American – and woman – to mass produce them.  As a contemporary of the poet Emily Dickinson in 1847, Howland received her first English Valentine at 19.  Valentines at the time were often hand written notes but some had elaborate drawings and real lace.  As her family ran the largest book and stationery store in Worcester, Massachusetts, Esther decided she could do better.  She persuaded her father to order lace paper and other supplies and artistically wrote out and created several samples for her brother’s next sales trip.  Hoping for $200 in orders, he came back with $5000 worth, more than she could make herself. Howland asked her three best female friends to help and a company and an industry were born.

Howland is credited with several innovations including the small brightly colored wafer of paper placed under the lace to give contrast, the built up shadow box.  She also wrote “The New England Valentine Company’s Verse Book", 31 pages of text that allowed customers to choose the verse for their card.  Esther never married, though she wrote about love her entire adult life until she passed at 76.  She made magical love stories possible for so many others.

Lora Cain is the first female Guest Announcer on Wheel of Fortune or any game show that is nationally syndicated in every television market.  You can hear her Valentine’s week, February 14th – 18th, and select dates in March and April.  Vote for her through April to be the first female fulltime announcer on the show here.

Photo of vintage Valentine by Thor, from Flickr via Everystockphoto.

 

Guest Post: The Road to Creativity

This week it's Patrick's turn.  Please welcome a guest post by my new friend and fellow creative, Patrick Ross, a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer who blogs at The Artist's Road and is on Twitter at @on_creativity.  He is working on a narrative nonfiction book chronicling his cross-country road trip.  

When it comes to ignoring the obvious, I'm a master. What is obvious to me now, and what I ignored for many years, is that I have an internal drive to create, and to express that creation through words. My awakening to this truth did not come easily, but it did come, after the metaphysical equivalent of massive and repeated blunt-force trauma to the head.

Let me step back a moment. For about a quarter-century I have been a professional writer. I'm proud of the writing I've produced, and pleased I've always managed to find folks willing to pay me for my prose. But very few of the words I've written over the years have found their way into what we would call "creative" works, whether fiction or nonfiction.

I was creative in pursuing stories as a journalist, but just-the-facts-ma'am in my prose. The think-tank papers and government filings I've authored have resulted from my creative brain being applied to research and problem-solving, but they certainly don't read like a Carl Hiaasen thriller. (Perhaps we'd all be more interested in public policy if government documents did read like a novel?)

Last summer I drove across the United States, a six-week trip through thirty-five states.  I interviewed more than forty creatives -- writers, painters, songwriters, photographers, filmmakers, actors -- and captured their stories on film. They opened their homes to me, and their hearts.

I began the trip as a journalist. I was there to tell their stories. But to my surprise, my interview subjects received me as a creative peer. They saw my journey as one of creative self-discovery. I told you I can be dense, but after countless hours of driving empty roads, reflecting on my conversations with those creatives, I came to realize they were right.

As it turns out, opening my mind to the obvious was the easy part. The hard part now is building a new life based on maximizing my creative being. I'm shifting my professional focus, remaining a professional writer but doing so full-time under my own shingle. I'm expanding my network of fellow creatives through Twitter and a blog. It's how I came to find the author of this delightful blog, my new friend Charlotte.

Now I'm working to make sure that I remain open to possibility, rather than closed to reality. It's a bit unnerving, expressing my creativity and thus exposing myself. But I take the plunge with joy in my heart.

So go read Patrick's blog, y'all.  He's got awesome videos with fascinating creative people on it.  By the way, the photo is by centralasm, from, you guessed it, Everystockphoto.

 

Guest Post: A Writer Comes Out

 I'm so excited to present a guest post from my good friend David Paine.  Besides mixing the best cocktails in Nashville, David does marketing for a social media company and thinks deep thoughts about God and life and writing, not necessarily in that order.  There's nothing I love better when I'm in Nashville than spending an evening discussing (and solving) the world's problems with David.  Since he writes the same way he talks, now you get a chance to hang out with him, too.  After you've read this post, head on over to his blog to read more.

A Writer Comes Out

by David Paine

Writing is about knowing.

When you write something down, it’s something you know, even though you may not know you know it. In my case, the more I let myself know, the better I write. And the more and better I write, the more I can let myself know.

About four years ago, at the relatively ancient age of 55, I came out to myself as a gay man. The path to this self-knowledge was a long one, involving along the way a reasonably respectable number of girlfriends, two wives, two sons, and three years of gut-wrenching therapy.

The interesting thing is this: The path also involved writing. Though I didn’t really get it at the time, coming out to myself has also meant coming out to myself as a writer. Because they are both fundamental to who I am, the two identities are intertwined. Knowing I’m a writer as well as knowing I’m gay means knowing myself – or at least knowing myself better than I did before.

The point of final clarity regarding my sexual orientation came when I could say to myself – and mean it – this isn’t about who I’m sleeping with, it’s about who I am. Same thing with writing. It isn’t about what I might be doing – for a living or otherwise – at the moment. It’s about who I am.

Having been in the marketing business for more than 25 years, I’ve done a lot of writing. But it was never the focus of my life at the office. The focus was always elsewhere. The writing was ancillary. And, just as in relationships with women, I never felt quite whole at the office. It’s not that life was all that terrible. But there was something – a fairly subtle something in my case – missing.

Looking back, it’s clear that the process of revealing myself to myself actually began with writing. Seven years ago, while on vacation deep in the South Georgia woods at the edge of a lake that’s been in my family for four generations (and thus fairly basic to my sense of self) I was seized by a need to write.

Right after lunch one afternoon, I drove my rapidly aging father to the little county airport to catch the puddle-jumper back home to Atlanta. I had the clear sense that this would be the last time my father would see the lake, and that I needed to write something down.

I was right on both counts. Dad died without ever returning to the lake he had loved all his life, and I did need to write something down. In fact, my life as a writer began that afternoon.

After leaving the airport, I drove six miles farther up the road to the Winn-Dixie, bought a spiral-bound notebook and a couple of pens, came back to the lake, sat down on the porch and began writing. I wrote for hours – right through cocktails. I kept on writing for several years.

I wrote stories. They were lousy at first. And, a little disconcertingly, they all seemed to be about me. The stories got better with time, coaching and practice, and the “about me” part got more subtle. Although more subtle perhaps, it also got more true. I was peeling back the layers – well before I got into therapy.

Eventually, as I got deeply into the often scary, sometimes very sad process of coming out, the fiction fountain sort of dried up. But it was immediately replaced by a more intentional focus on writing at the office, and this produced some of the best and most enjoyable writing I’ve ever done.

I’m still at it. Blogging for myself and writing for business. Loving both because I know it’s what I’m supposed to be doing, and looking for a way to rearrange my life so writing becomes central to my income as well as my identity. And the fiction fountain may be beginning to bubble up again, too.

Life is good these days. In spite of having ended a better-than-average marriage – with no boyfriend in sight, by the way – and now having to wrestle with a lousy economy and daunting business challenges, I’m more at peace than I’ve ever been. I know who I am. I’m a gay man. And I’m a writer. That’s not all there is to me of course, but these are two big pieces of the puzzle. Pieces I had never quite put into place before.

Out, proud and pounding those keys. Life is good!

 All photographs by David Paine.

 

Friday Guest Post: An Ode to the Ipad

An Open Letter about the iPad

by Roy Burkhead

In keeping with all the Open Letters coming from Apple and Adobe these days, I thought I’d piggy-back and send my own in reaction to my new iPad. Actually, most of this comes from a letter that I sent to my good friend over at Wordstrumpet. She gave me permission to publish my private letter to her, in full or part. So, here goes:

Hey Wordstrumpet:

Okay, this email is the only thing (for me) that I will be doing today. After I hit SEND, it's time to work on classes, laundry, dishes, kids, and so on.

Man o Man, the kids woke me up before 8 a.m. today--both of them wanting to get on the iPad. My son wanted to play a cool race-car game and Space Invaders, and his little sister wanted to play with a Jackson Pollock finger painting program. They both gave me the stink eye when I told them to go away, that I had to use it.

Actually, I am giving it to my son to play with since I'll be grading papers all day. Blackboard can be pretty complicated, and it helps to have a 17-inch screen to see everything all at once.

I am still loving the iPad, along with everyone else in my family...apparently. But I've only had it a few days, and I've been way too busy to learn how to use it and outfit it properly. Classes will be over in a couple of weeks, and I'll be able to dig into it.

Honestly, buying it was a tough, tough decision. It's not often that I spend $500 on something that I technically do not need. When it comes to these big purchases, I normally put the family needs first. And I spent another $200 in accessories. Shipping was free, but there was $50-ish in sales taxes. So, we are looking at $850 door-to-door costs.

I am thrilled that I did it. I love it, and you will, as well. If you get the book writing gig, you should go for it. There is one important decision for you to make and one accessory to get. I got the cheapest WIFI model, which was $499, aka: $500! It is 16 gig, and honestly, it's been fine. It holds all kinds of media and photos, and it has countless space for documents for my fiction. I am glad that I did not pay extra for one of the other two WIFI models with larger hard drive space. The WIFI is like my laptop now, i.e.: I get on the wireless connection in my home and in places that have free WIFI hotspots, like Borders.

Then, next, there is the WIFI + 3G model. The 16 gig version of this model is $629. This means that your iPad will work like any cell phone, i.e.: you can access all of the web features no matter where you are. You are always online, and/but of course you have to pay something like a $15 access fee each month.

The Question: 3G or the regular model? It's six of one and half a dozen of another. I don't do all that much roaming, so, it wasn't an issue/need with me. But you are on the road a lot, and it might make your travel life just a little bit easier if you chose 3G. For the extra $129 will probably bring your thousands of dollars in benefits in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

The One Accessory: Without a doubt, you need to purchase one accessory: the Apple wireless Bluetooth keyboard. Oh, the touch screen keyboard is fine, Great, actually. I am not using it now because I knew that this would be a long email. In fact, I think that we writers push the Bell Curve to the limits with this stuff, and those hours spent in front of a screen really does require the best investment in writing accessories. We owe it to ourselves to invest in the best chairs possible, nice keyboards, a generous supply of good Kentucky bourbon. :)

Seriously, though here's an important thing to justify the purchase of the keyboard for we writers: At this point in my iPad knowledge, with the touch screen keyboard, I have not figured out how to locate/use the arrow keys, and this has been a sort of a pain. Of course, you can touch the part of the screen you want to move to, but navigating amongst words gets tricky. The wireless keyboard solves this problem...and it allows me to see all of my text on the screen, verses splitting the screen between the text and the keyboard.

Another Accessory: Okay, I was wrong. Another accessory you MUST have is the cool carrying case. It protects the device and looks cool, but more importantly, it flips, locks, and creates a comfortable ad-hoc place to write on it.

A Third Accessory: Crap, I forgot. There is a third accessory. I was wrong about the one accessory. Darn, with my 45th birthday approaching in June, you'd think that I'd stop being wrong at this point in my life, but somehow, I have not forgotten to do that. Who knew? :)

Anyway, the third accessory is the iPad doc. It is ESSENTIAL that you do NOT get the iPad doc/keyboard combo. That is a single device. You want these things as two separate items. Oh, the single device is fine, BUT having the items as two things will allow you a greater degree of comfort flexibility. When setting up for HOURS in front of a document, every little bit of comfort helps. Oh, the doc is a great device that acts like a stand for the iPad, and you can charge it as well. I read a couple of bad reviews about it online, but from my experience, they are wrong. It works just fine.

I was shocked at how...instruction-less the iPad was out of the box. Being a full-time technical writer, writing guides and instructions are big portions of my day. So, I had a lot of expectations with this out of the box. There was a small card and a cool decal for my car, and that was it. I was amazed how easy it was to flow through the product, through the experience of using it. Oh, there's some digital documentation available, but it really is NICE TO HAVE/KNOW stuff, verses MUST HAVE info. I plan on buying a book on it...just to suck all the value out of it I can, but I am impressed and amazed.

Battery Life: Jesus. I have never owned a laptop that lived up to the promised battery life time. Ever! But this thing does. TEN FULL HOURS of doing whatever you want. With my laptop, when the battery gets below thirty percent, I start to keep an eye on it. With this thing, it's not even a factor.

The Apps blow my mind! First, there's a lot of stuff worth having that is just FREE. Even the updates are FREE. Wow. And many magazines have created iPad versions. These are NOT digital copies of their stuff on the news stands. These are re-envisioned digital versions. Again: Wow! And the stuff you have to pay for is go great that you don't mind paying for it. No one is ever upset at paying for quality.

Ebooks! The Kindle is so screwed. I have been looking at the Kindle and Sony eReader for over a year. I've wanted one, but I knew that Apple would come out with something better. I was just waiting for it to happen. It has.

Anyway, yeah, sure, of course. Get a iPad. :)

Okay, I gotta go. My little girl is driving me nuts over the finger paint feature of iPad, and her brother has a race to run in Italy!

Later

Afterward:

Since sending Wordstrumpet this letter, I’ve had a few other noteworthy experiences with the iPad.

In no particular order:

I purchased the adapter that…almost allows me to watch shows in my iPad on my television. For $29, the iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter arrived. My common sense should have told me that I would need to get a cord with two male ends to connect the end of the dock to my television, but I was too focused on getting the iPad. Anyway, a $25 trip to Radio Shack solved the problem. The video looks great. The sound plays on the iPad verses on the television. Not sure if that is suppose to work that way or if I am doing it wrong. More research required, BUT it works. Nice feature. I get a lot of content from iTunes that I cannot find over the counter at traditional outlets. So, it’s nice to watch my favorite PBS and Sundance Travel shows on the big television whenever I want.

16 Gig. The minimal hard drive space has forced me to be…selective about what I choose to load. My iPod is loaded with hours and hour and hours of video and music and audio books, and so much more.

Bringing it to work and using it at my local Borders has been a good experience. So much better than bringing my heavy laptop and lugging that around. Easy and portable and great. Although, I think that I have received the ‘stink eye’ a few times from my fellow patrons in the café.

I had a great service experience with it today. I noticed yesterday that one of my books from the iBook bookshelf was missing. Since it cost me $10, I was a bit unhappy. I went online and was able to schedule a phone call with support. Instead of waiting and waiting, I indicated online the phone number and when it was best FOR ME to have the call. And a couple hours later, my phone rang. That was the best technology-related service call that I’ve ever experienced! During the call, they helped me remember that I (most likely) unclicked the entry for that book/author when I sync’d up my iPad last night…while clearing up hard drive space. I am sure that it will be there waiting on me when I get home to my laptop tonight.

Note from Charlotte: Be sure to visit Roy's blog, Novel Operation, where he details the progress he is making on the rewrite of his novel.