Wishing You

West Coast Attitude

According to this (brief) geographical attitude test, which evidently matches your personality with the U.S. state best suited to it, I should be residing on the other side of the country:



Since I have a sister who lives there that will have to do. So where should you be living? Take the test and let us know in comments.

(Test link swiped from Gerard over at The Presurfer.)

SF Story Contest

The 2014 Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest is now open: "Since its early days, science fiction has played a unique role in human civilization. It removes the limits of what "is" and shows us a boundless vista of what "might be." Its fearless heroes, spectacular technologies and wondrous futures have inspired many people to make science, technology and space flight a real part of their lives and in doing so, have often transformed these fictions into reality. The National Space Society and Baen Books applaud the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science and have teamed up to sponsor this short fiction contest in memory of Jim Baen." Length and theme: "Write a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration." Prizes: "The GRAND PRIZE winner will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website and paid at the normal paying rates for professional story submittals. The author will also receive an engraved award, free entry into the 2014 International Space Development Conference, a year's membership in the National Space Society and a prize package containing various Baen Books and National Space Society merchandise. SECOND and THIRD place winners will receive a year's membership in the National Space Society and a prize package containing various Baen Books and National Space Society merchandise." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see contest page for more details. Deadline: February 1, 2014

Halloween Helps Ten

Ten Things to Help with Your Halloween Celebrations

Cooking Light magazine serves up 5 healthier Halloween snack recommendations.

For excellent tips on how to keep everyone's Halloween safe as well as fun, check out the CDC's Halloween Health and Safety Tips page.

Food Network's Halloween page has recipes, decorating ideas, how-tos and lots of other things to fill your All Hallow's Eve with delicious delights.

Download free Halloween songs and sounds here.

MarthaStewart.com has some neat Halloween crafts you can do with your kids here (and I'm in love the pasta skeletons.)

If you need some games to play at your Halloween party, check out this list at Halloween Games 101.

Homemade Halloween decorations are thrifty and fun, and Better Homes & Gardens tells you how to make up your own for inside and outside the house.

PumpkinCarving.com has all the info you'll need to create a nifty jack-o-lantern.

Need some spooky recipes for your Halloween dinner or party? AllRecipes.com has a bunch here.

Real Simple has Simple Halloween Costume Ideas you can make for the whole family.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments (and I'll probably be very late today.)

Win with Wattpad

I was checking out the NaNoWriMo sponsor offer page for this year and noticed this intriguing addition:

"Wattpad is a free writing and reading app that unlocks a global audience of more than 18 million readers. It is mobile and web-based, meaning that your writing is always with you, wherever and whenever you find inspiration and time to write. In honor of NaNoWriMo, Wattpad will be offering a $2,000 prize to one lucky NaNoWriMo winner who is also a Wattpad user. Check back on November 1st for contest details."

Shoe In

Just a follow-up note on the video contest over at You Gotta Read -- voting is now open until 10/27, and if you'd like to cast a ballot for Her Ladyship's Curse (or any of the competition), click here.

If you've ever wondered how much work is involved with hand-making shoes, this fascinating video gives you a crash course in a few minutes (with background music and sound effects, for those of you at work):

Geology of Shoes from Petr Krejčí on Vimeo.

Interesting Sub Op

Eggplant Literary Productions has an open call for Spindles, their upcoming fairytale-themed adult antho: "Stories should follow the standard fairy tale structure, but can be placed in any time period. We’ll only be publishing one version of each story (so one Cinderella, on Snow White, etc.) so authors are encouraged to submit as many different stories as they want. We are looking for fairy tales from all over the world; not just Grimm and Anderson." They're also looking for "fairy tales retold to feature POC, LGBT and disabled characters, as well as non-Western European and non-North American settings." No erotica for this one, however. Length: up to 5K; Payment: 5¢/word according to Ralan. No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: April 30th, 2014

NanoLinks

I've shuffled through the PBW archives to find old posts I think may be useful to those of you who are planning to participate in National Novel Writing Month. Here's the list along with some brief explanations:

ABCharacter -- a quick and easy way to outline a character.

Endweek NaNoPost -- making cover art for your NaNonovel along with some resource links.

Hiveword -- my review of Mike Fleming's terrific online novel organizer.

NaNo Now What? -- my suggestions on how to edit your NaNonovel once you're finished.

Midweek NaNoPost -- if you're a late starter, stuck in a rut, or you like to beat yourself up over anything writing-related, join the No Expectations Club via this pep talk.

NaNoFun -- Scroll down past the old 2010 badges to find some links to fun, free NaNoWriMo-friendly widgets.

NaNoNotebook -- how making up a notebook for your NaNonovel can help, with links to helpful freeware.

NaNoStuff Ten -- a list of freeware for NaNoWriMo'ers.

NaNoTen -- ten things to try when writing your NaNoWriMo book.

NaNoWriMo Wednesday -- some thoughts on planning your November novel, along with some links on outlining resources.

NaNoWriMojo Ten -- ten things to try when you're feeling blocked, it's no more fun, the magic has gone caput, etc.

Old Rides, New Roads -- my suggestions on how to evaluate an old story idea and its potential to serve as inspiration for your November novel.

Prep Talks -- The Mountain, Stand Out Characters, Food and Fire and Glass Wisdom.

Ready, Set, NaNoWriMo -- ideas and resources for November 1st.

Red Notebook -- my review on this interesting, helpful virtual calendar/notebook freeware.

You Are My Fire -- my storyteller's take on why we write, and for whom.

Writing Your Dragons -- how to handle writing something you hate to write.

Got any helpful links to share with our NaNoWriMo'ers? Please post them in comments.

Library Thing Promo Giveaways

Each month Library Thing, the online book catalog service that I've used to keep track of my personal library, gives away free copies of books for review to interested members, which is a very cool way to distribute the freebies they receive. I've just learned that members can also give away copies of their own published books for review purposes, too. Since the giveaways are open to e-books as well as print, this can be a very practical (and free) way for indie authors to promote their titles to reviewers. Since the giveaway books are awarded only to members who request them this means they'll definitely go to someone who is genuinely interested in reading them.

To find out more about giving away review copies of your books on Library Thing, go to the Members Giveaway page here and read the information on the sidebar.

Added: I've put up Library Thing giveaways for Her Ladyship's Curse and His Lordship Possessed; the winners will receive a code to download a free e-pub copy from SimonandSchuster.com (there are twenty copies of each book available for the giveaways; and since this is redeemable from the publisher site it is restricted to U.S. readers only.)

Target Ten

Ten Things for Writers from Target



1. Wonderland Stationery Set: This set will definitely come in handy if you need to take office supplies on a trip but don't want to pack up an entire tote of writer junk to lug along with you. Contents: a small notepad, pen, stapler, staples, paperclips, 4 binder clips and two button magnets. Makes a nice little gift for your favorite writer, too. The set has a dark purple color theme, and have little bitty hearts on two of the binder clips and one of the magnets, so probably better for the ladies. Clearance priced at $4.98 each.

2. Greenroom File Folders: 80% of these folders are recycled fiber, and they're printed with nontoxic soy-based inks, so definitely enviro-friendly. A sheet of blank tab labels is included, and the floral designs on the folders make a nice change from vanilla manila, too. $4.29 for pack of 12.

3. Wonderland Letter Size Notebook: This spiral bound notebook contains 100 wide-ruled pages with four built-in dividers; the covers and dividers are plain brown craft board that can be easily crafted into something more decorative and personal. $9.99 each.

4. & 5. Green-Inspired Blank Journals: Printed on FSC-certified paper with soy and metallic inks, these blank books have wide-ruled pages and a ribbon marker, and are a greener choice for your journaling needs. $9.99 each.

6. Post-It Notes Super Sticky Week Planner Pad: Plan out your entire week on one large sticky note divided by day with ruled sections for your notes; 25 pages per pad. $5.54 each.

7. One Subject Spiral Bound Notebook: 70 college-ruled pages with plain brown covers you can craft into something cool. $1.50 each.

8. InkJoy Non-Retractable Multi-Color Pens: Shawna convinced me to give these PaperMate ballpoint ink pens another try; more on them once I do the test-drive. $3.89 for a pack of 18.

9. Gold Bar Noteblock: This is a fun, chunky little notepad that looks exactly like a bar of gold on the outside, and has nice amber pages inside for all your noting needs. Definitely a cute gift for the writer who has everything. $8.95 each.

10. Wonderland PadFolio: A clipboard cover with a letter-sized pad and pocket inside, this folio is decorated with an artsy girl design but has sturdy covers and will keep your writing stuff neat and contained. $7.99 each.

All of the above items were purchased at Target on 10/08/13, so prices may vary. If you go shopping, look for the Wonderland products on the bargain endcaps in the store's office supply section.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Raised by a Barn

During our last road trip we stopped for gas, and I caught a glimpse of this property across the street from the station:



I don't know why the old ramshackle structure caught my interest so immediately. I think it was because on my side of the street everything was pristine and landscaped; a few feet from the gas station was a nice hotel. Also, there was a stern No Trespassing sign nailed to a tree on the perimeter (and for the record, I didn't trespass; I just used my zoom.)

The structure, which I decided was a barn, seemed a little menacing, too:



When I zoomed in to get a closer shot, I saw more things that intrigued me: the overgrown trees and brush around it, the signs of damage to the roof and siding, the odd red color, and the absense of a door:



Everything could be explained, of course. I was probably seeing the backside of the barn, which are often red in color, and was likely damaged by wind and debris during a storm. The farmers in this region are always struggling just to get by, too, so it's logical to assume this one hasn't had the time or funds to trim the trees and shrubs.

That didn't matter to my storyteller side, which kicked in immediately to demand: What's inside?

No door -- and now you might notice, no windows, either. Damage. Overgrowth. No trespassing. Red that is definitely not barn red. Across the street from a hotel and a gas station. Lots of cars, traffic, and people from other places.

I will never know what's really inside that barn, but that doesn't matter, because I'm going to put something inside it on the page. I'll have reasons for lack of doors and windows, and why the farmer neglects it, and what is responsible for that weird red color, and finally, what happens when someone does find a way inside the barn.

Next time you're traveling, try taking pics of some random structures that catch your eye. Use that place as a jumping-off point for a story, and you may find it tells you all sorts of things, too.

Le Retour

We outgrow a lot of things, but as this brief and entirely charming animated video by Natalia Chernsheva assures us, some of them still have the power to take us back (this one has some background music and sound, for those of you at work):

Le retour from Natalia Chernysheva on Vimeo.

Waiting For

For everyone who has griped about having to wait until 2014 for The Clockwork Wolf, you should know authors do the same. Probably more often than you do. In fact, I'm about to yell at e-mail Charlene Teglia and give her some grief for getting me hooked on this writer as I wait on her next release:



And yes, I have to wait until FEBRUARY to read it.

So who are you waiting on for their next release? Let us know in comments (and don't say me!)

ACEing Your Story Colors

I tagged along with my guy when he took a trip to ACE Hardware recently, and found some excellent (and free!) color charts in their paint department:



The charts are for ACE's Colors for Your Life interior paint, but what's interesting is how they put together the palettes. Each folder is named with a theme word, and I picked up the charts for Charming, Classic, Cozy, Historic, Organic, Playful, Progressive, Romantic, Serene, Sophisticated, Tranquil and Worldly. Inside the tri-fold pages are 48 different colors to represent the theme word, but they're further subdivided into different moods:



This chart, themed as Charming offered combinations of nine different shades with sub headers of Cheerful, Alluring, Fresh and Blissful. There were also other combinations on the right side foldout page to give you some alternative colors and grouping ideas for your Charming palette.

I really liked the Tranquil chart, which offered Relaxing, Spiritual, Dreamy and Peaceful shades of the sort of sea and sand colors I like best:



The Progressive chart had an interesting mix of bold and soft colors subheaded by Complex, Edgy, Confident and Trendy:



Some of the individual shade names were quite inventive, too. I responded immediately to Crystal Lake, Peace River, Moongrass, Prince's Robe and Mysterious Monique, which along with their particular shades almost begged to be written into a story.

I've talked about how to use color palettes to inspire characters and story elements, and you can find paint charts at any home improvement store. I think ACE Paint charts could be especially helpful to writers who want to try working with color palettes for their stories but aren't quite sure how to put them together. While I don't agree with all of ACE Paint's ideas on color themes -- the Romantic chart, for example, relied heavily on pink, a color which immediately invokes for me Barbie, breast cancer, cover art disasters and/or indigestion -- most of the groupings do fit the theme. Some may even surprise you.

For those of you who want to refine the visual aspects of your settings, each of the ACE paint color charts also show at least two room shots with examples of how an individual shade or a group palette works in an actual setting to invoke the theme mood.
The next time you're at ACE Hardware, stop by their paint department and pick up some charts, and see how they inspire you to create some new color palettes for your stories.

Recycle X 5: Junk Mail Journal

For my final Recycle X 5 project I wanted to go totally green and make a journal out of other recyclable materials I have on hand. One thing I receive a ton of every week is junk mail, and this time of year is when the gift catalogs begin arriving by the dozens, too. I generally use unwanted gift catalogs as work mats for things I apply glue stick adhesive to (the pages protect my work surface, and when I want to glue something else I just flip to the next catalog page for a new work surface.)

There are some especially beautiful catalogs I receive in the mail like Victorian Trading that I hate to mess up with glue or part with because they're so neat to look through, and I picked one of my older catalogs intending to cut it up and use some of the product illustrations for some journal pages. I even hated the idea of that, and then I thought, why don't I recycle the entire catalog by making into a journal?

To make my junk mail journal, here's what you'll need:



One piece of cardboard that is as tall and twice as wide as the size journal you want to make, folded in half

A junk mail catalog large enough to serve as pages for your journal

A glue stick

A heavy-duty stapler (long arm is best, but one you can open up and use to fasten something bulky will work, too)

Staple remover

An old stretchable school text book cover (if you have kids, you probably have a dozen of these sitting in a drawer somewhere. If not, you can probably find one at your local dollar store)

Scissors and/or paper trimmer

Assorted used paper that has one blank side

To start, first make sure the catalog you're using is large enough to serve as pages. If it's larger, measure and mark where you need to trim it:



I used a combination of scissors and my paper trimmer to cut down my catalog:



When you're done, your catalog should look like this:



Now find the center of your catalog (where you can see the staples holding it together. Remove the staples on each end of the catalog, and then restaple them to your cardboard cover in the same places the old staples were. If your catalog is too bulky for this step you may need to remove some of the pages to reduce the size.



Once your catalog is stapled in place, cover your cardboard with your stretchy book cover (optional: glue or staple the cover in place.)



Outside of journal:



Now begin adding your blank-sided paper to each page of the catalog to create writing spaces by covering the used side of the paper with your glue stick and placing it on your catalog page:



If there's an image on the catalog page that you want to show, trim your writing paper into a shape that it doesn't cover it:



If you have some really gorgeous pages in your catalog, you can also use vellum so that the images show through the paper:



You can theme your junk mail journals according to how you want to use them -- for example, I'll be using mine as an idea journal for the Disenchanted & Co. series. If you'd rather make a sketch journal, use an old art supply catalog and some used, blank-sided sketch paper for your pages. Writers, if you have an old, skinny writing mag, use it with old manuscript pages to create a new story idea journal. Readers, one of those old book catalogs you pick up at your local chain bookstore would serve as a neat background for a reading journal. Or, if you're working on holiday plans, use a holiday gift catalog as a base for a winter planner, and some blocks from an old calendar as your writing spaces.

This project was a lot of fun, and (forgive the pun) got me thinking outside the box about how I reuse recyclable materials. It was also a nice recharge for my creative batteries. The next time you're stuck with some wasted cardboard I hope you'll try making it into something you can really use, too.

His Lordship Arrives

Today is the release day for His Lordship Possessed, the latest book in my new Disenchanted & Co. steampunk urban fantasy series for Pocket Star. This book wraps up the story that began with Her Ladyship's Curse in August, and will be combined with that book in the print edition of Disenchanted & Co., to be released in January. Takes notes because there will be a pop quiz on this later.

As most of you know the only income I have is from sales of my books, so if you would like to show your support for me, Paperback Writer, the Disenchanted & Co. blog, and all the other trouble I get into online you can invest in His Lordship. My thanks to you and those already have; you're the reason I keep at this gig.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Way of the Spinyback

I was out in the yard snapping photos of the sunset when I noticed something glittering over my guy's spare trailer:



The web was enormous -- probably six by eight feet in size -- and glowed like spun gold:



I thought it might have been built by one of the big orb weavers in our yard, but on closer inspection I found the maker in the very center of the web:



We call these little critters crab spiders, although they're actually a type of orb weaver called a spinybacked, or properly known as Gasteracantha cancriformis (Linnaeus). These spiders are extremely small; the largest I've ever seen was about as big as an M&M. This spinner was even tinier; I'm guessing she could lounge comfortably atop a pencil eraser.

Why this crabby little gal feels compelled to build such huge, intricate webs, I can't tell you. There's probably some scientific reason to explain it all, but when you look at it common sense tells you it has to be exhausting for her. Why doesn't she spin something smaller and less ambitious? It would certainly be easier, less noticeable and she'd probably get by just fine. All this work she does instead seems almost foolish.

Almost.

Now imagine the spinybacked orb weaver as a writer, and the web she spins is the work. She could probably get by doing a third of the labor, sticking to modest expectations and producing something safe and sellable that won't attract a lot of notice. Many writers do, and make nice careers that way, and likely have comfortable, happy lives. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all glorious or memorable about it, either.

Anyway. There are no shortcuts for the spinybacked orb weaver. She stays true to her vision, does all the work involved and creates something extraordinary. For the short time she's here, she gives it her all, and I can't imagine she has any regrets. She might be small, and not particularly attractive, but she builds castles of silk and light in the air. Even better, she lives in them.

And as a template for the writing life, you don't get much better than that.