Best of PBW 2013

At the end of every year I sift through the archives to see how things went, what I accomplished and where I might improve things with PBW and my writing life. I think it helps me to reflect, plus it gives me something interesting to post on the last day of the year.

My theme for 2013 was a mystery, and pretty much remained that all year. While I did have some interesting revelations, tried some new things and reached a lovely career landmark, I also wrestled with a bunch of disappointments and challenges behind the scenes. I always tried to reach for the roses this past year, I think, even when I knew all I'd probably get was a handful of thorns.

The summer seemed particularly tough, as it rained almost every day for three months. While I love the rain I could have done without the accompanying lightning, which cut my available computer time in half. I think that was the worst the year threw at me, and for helping me through it I have to thank my friends and regular visitors here. You all kept me working on many days when I really didn't feel like getting out of bed at all. I'm hoping that 2014 delivers fairer skies for all of us.

On the plus side, I began publishing a new series in a new genre with a new publisher; the first novel was released in a new-to-me format. All of that was very exciting and inspiring, as I love to take new roads on the journey. I am exceedingly grateful to everyone who was involved in helping me launch Disenchanted & Co. -- it really was a dream come true for me.

Here's a look back at what I think were the best posts of 2013:

January: Title Logic, Writerisms, Journaling Small

February: Just So We're Clear, Booksigning No-Nos, Ten Author Collaborations We'd Like to See

March: Ten Things I'd Like to Write Before I Kick the Bucket, The Never Read Library, Lost and Found

April: The Hours, Be Happy We Work at Home, 750 Words

May: Another First, Inconveniences, Because Sometimes You Need a Prompt

June: Secret Rooms, Story Improvement, When I Can't Write

July: If Ideas Were Alligators, Ten Things Writers Say (and What They Really Mean), Golden

August: Aftermath, Recycling Books in 1892, SPAMmed Again

September: Building with Books, His Lordship Ten, Recycle X 5: Bookmark Keeper

October: Laws of Physics? Need Not Apply, Way of the Spinyback, Raised by a Barn

November: Trust Issues, Push, To Drawer or Not to Drawer

December: Sword of Unimaginable Annoyance, Gift No-Nos, BNE1

Welcome 2014. May you be as lucky for us as we all hope.

New Writing Year Ten

Ten Things for Writers to Do for the New Year

Get to know your characters better by creating a character palette or making up some character trading cards.

Try a new/free online writing service like Hiveword (see my write-up on it here.)

For your next book writing project make up a novel notebook.

Outline your next novel.

Take the paranormal romance novelist's test.

Buff and polish up your queries (and learn what you shouldn't be sending out.)

Create a submissions log book and hunt for some new markets (for a nice variety I recommend the excellent and regularly updated listings over at Ralan.com.) Before you jump on any sub op, however, be sure to read the fine print.

Reinvent something that bugs you (like I did with the BookLoop.)

Unclutter or make some changes to your writing space.

Be valiant.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

2013 Critter Pics

I had a post scheduled for today that was good but rather depressing, and as I was reviewing it just now I thought it might be good to simply delete it and post something better. Only I didn't have anything else prepared except a compilation of some of my animal pics that I was going to post as a year-end thing on the photoblog. Does that work for you? If so, here are

Ten Critters I Photographed This Past Year

BNE1

We made a trip into the city yesterday to have some fun and spend a few gift cards. I think I did very well at B&N with mine:



We also stopped by the big art supply store for my kid, where I spotted some really nice mixed media sketchbooks, and picked up this one for me:



Later my guy and I went out for coffee and talked a bit about next year. I'm at another of those crossroads in my career where I can go a number of different ways; he's decided not to retire for a few more years. Like most folks we're willing to work hard and get through whatever challenges come our way, but it seems like more and more pile on us every year. Needless to say it wasn't a very uplifting discussion, and when we got home I decided to break in the new sketchbook with some doodles and a licenseplate-style letter poem I'd had floating in my head for a week. Here's the poem:

Y
RU
SAD
WHEN
YOU
BE
U

I started with that, drawing the letters on little floating computer keys, and then doodled around them:



I also wrote UCANBNE1 several times on the page. It's something I distilled from the poem while doodling out from the keys I'd sketched. I created it as my license plate definition of a writer; when you write you can be anyone. But it's more than that, I think, and I'm going to find out exactly what that is next year.

Here's the entire doodle:



So who are you going to be in 2014? Let us know in comments.

Under the Tree

I hope all of you out there are enjoying the holidays. I must have been on Santa's nice list this year, judging by the lovely bunch of books I found Christmas morning:



My daughter gave me The Gorgeous Nothings, a photographic collection of the actual poems and poem fragments Emily Dickinson wrote on scraps of paper and the backs of envelopes; my Library Thing secret Santa sent me Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Dr. Maya Angelou and Anguished English, Richard Lederer's hilarious look at how much abuse the language has taken over time; and my friend Jill gifted me The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, J.K. Rowling's not-so-secret adult mystery pseudonym. I also received a gift card for Barnes & Noble from my kid so I can do a little book shopping of my own.

I enjoy when people give me books as gifts. Of course it's the thought that really counts, but their choices are always interesting to me, too. I probably would not have picked out any of these books for myself except maybe the Dickinson collection and the Angelou, which is a welcome addition because my old reading copy of Bird is starting to fall apart.

Did Santa leave any books under your tree? Let us know in comments.

Wishing You

Off to Make Merry

I'm taking the day off to bake cookies and keep our cat from knocking over the Christmas tree (even at seventeen years old he loves to climb it.) Of course after watching this video from Big Cat Rescue I don't think I'll ever again complain about Jeri's holiday mischief:

Down to the Wire Ten

Ten Things to Help with Last-Minute Gifting

I think the best gift for the person who has everything is a charitable donation in their name. To personalize it fit the charity to one of their passions or struggles, such as the Humane Society for an animal lover, a literacy program for a dedicated reader, or the American Cancer Society for someone who has battled the disease.

A blank book, pretty pen and a printed list of writing prompts can encourage your recipient to do some journaling.

Keeping an extra/generic gift on hand can be helpful, especially when that unexpected guest shows up with a gift for you. My favorite emergency gift is home-baked cookies in a pretty holiday tin; if I don't need to use it we just eat the gift.

My favorite feel-better gift for someone coping with a cold during the holidays is a basket or gift bag filled with a pretty mug, envelopes of instant soup or hot chocolate, a pair of funny fuzzy socks and a stack of paperbacks, a movie or a music CD.

A bowl or basket of fresh fruit is a lovely gift during the holidays, and if you make it yourself you can customize it to your recipient's tastes. Add some whole walnuts, pecans or almonds and some fresh evergreen twigs to give it a festive look.

An electronic bookstore gift card can be ordered and delivered right up to the very last minute; so can gift e-books. Tip: Find out what brand of e-reader your recipient uses before you buy; someone who owns a Nook will likely want an e-gift card from B&N.com; a Kindle owner will prefer Amazon.com, etc.

To give 12 months of reading, take a blank subscription card from your favorite magazine and slip it into a holiday card; ask your recipient to fill in the delivery details and then mail it in with your check pay for a year's subscription.

Another great (and easy to make) last-minute gift is to print out your favorite photo of your recipient (or someone they love) and place it in a pretty frame.

My top three suggestions for last-minute gifts for a child are an age-appropriate funny book; a new, soft-furred teddy bear or a small gingerbread house kit.

If you can't afford a gift, offer your services instead. You can clean house or mow the lawn for an elderly person, babysit for busy parents, be a beta reader for a writer pal, take your friend's pup to the dog park, etc. For a really good friend, make up a stack of 12 coupons redeemable for various services over the next year.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Dear Santa

After I sent that letter to you last year I thought it might be a good idea to write again. After all, the world did not end, writers kept writing, readers kept reading, and the planet trundles on. I do have a few more requests to make on behalf of others, but since you're the go-to guy for that kind of thing I'm sure you won't mind another round. So:

Would you please erase the word selfie from the English language? We now loathe it more than head desk, nuff said and even YOLO, if that's possible.

As I'm sure you're aware, stress is at an all-time high. Please help folks around the globe copy with it in peaceful and productive ways. Some solid, dependable employment that pays more than starvation wages for anyone looking for work would be much appreciated wherever you can make that happen.

Librarians could use a little love this year, and a lot more funding in order to keep their jobs and their doors open. Please divert some hearts and minds toward whatever they can do to support their local public libraries. Also, if you have an extra really cool gift in the sleigh, please leave it at the British Library for the unbelievably wonderful gift they just gave all of us over on Flickr Commons.

And finally, the Affordable Care Act. Yes, I know it's on a lot of a wish lists this year. I don't want to get into the politics of the thing; I just worry that it's going to end up hurting more citizens than it helps. If you might use some of your special mojo to fix it? Or if nothing else, if you could simply do something about that web site . . .

Love,
PBW

The Carrot Thief

Warning, very adorable. Also has background music, for those of you at work:

Flocons et carottes (Snowflakes and Carrots) (2010) from Samantha Leriche-Gionet on Vimeo.

How British Are You?

Yes, there is an online test that will determine exactly how British you are. And yes, it's very silly. But if I have to post one more holiday-themed piece I think my head will explode.

Here, I'll post my ridiculous but oddly apt results first:



Must tell the cousins across the pond that they've been a bad influence on me. So how UK did you rate? Let us know in comments.

(Test link nicked from Gerard over at The Presurfer)

Elsewhere with Three Gifts

Today I'm over visiting at That's What I'm Talking About blog for their Mistletoe Madness event, at which you can read Three Gifts, my free, never-before-published Disenchanted & Co. short story. I'm also giving away this lovely scarlet and gold handmade quilted tote packed with goodies, including signed print ARCs of Disenchanted & Co. and The Clockwork Wolf, so stop in if you get a chance and enter to win the lot.

New Cover Art

This is for the German edition of Frostfire; Kyndred #3, which will be released next fall. I've been delighted with every book they've done for me -- their artwork tends to be phenomenal -- but I think this is one of the best covers I've ever had, period.

Online Shopping Ten

Ten Things About Shopping for Gifts Online

Check out Etsy.com for the best handmade gifts by independent artists; here's a gal who will make a necklace for you out of old typewriter keys.

Juniper Moon Farm has a section of free knitting patterns here; one of these paired with some pretty wool would make a neat gift for your favorite knitting junkie. The official website of Red Heart yarn also has a ton of free knitting and crochet patterns.

A subscription to Knockout Novel is a great and very useful gift for the writer on your list as it gives them Hiveword plus James Scott Bell as a virtual writing coach; see my write-up on the service here. ($49.00)

Levenger is offering 25% off your purchases through December 25th, and while they're not cheap you can usually find some decent bargains in their outlet section.

Giving to those less fortunate can be a wonderful gift for anyone. This year we're donating our annual holiday charitable gift to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories.

Aside from being one of the loveliest little museums in America, the Morakami Museum and Japanese Gardens has a very cool museum shop which you can browse online here (and check out their page of gifts under $20.00 for some neat ideas.)

When I need a gift for someone especially quirky I generally find something different over at the Neato Shop (using my link also helps support Gerard over at The Presurfer, too, as he's an affiliate.)

B&N.com has some great deals on Nook Book Bundles; my favorite to give is Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series for $10.99

Free movies: Target is offering ten downloads for free with the creation of a free account at their Target Ticket digital entertainment site.

One of my favorite online shops is Writer's Bloc; they have amazing Clairefontaine note pads and books, Platinum pens and all sorts of neat writer junk. Check out their sale section for very good bargains.

Comments Catchup Day

Weather permitting, see you in comments.

Book Gifts

One of my favorite gifts to give to a friend during the holidays is a bag of new books. I'll make the bag and hand-pick the reads, which are usually a combination of old favorites and recent discoveries, based on what I know of my friend's reading preferences (and this is one of the reasons why I'm so nosy about what everyone is reading.)

Besides snooping through their shelves or TBR pile at home I think the trick to putting together a neat gift bag of books for someone is to consider their personality and really think about their current mood or life situation. Romances are great for a romantic pal, but if at the moment she's going through a divorce you might want to reconsider and give her some humor or light non-fiction. Someone wrestling with depression probably shouldn't read Innocence by Dean Koontz, but A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson might help them see things from a different perspective.

People are most often hesitant to buy books for avid readers, but they're my favorite recipients because they always talk about the books they want as well as the books they've already read. They're also generally more willing than most to try out the first book in a series, and as I'm a series lover I have a long list of favorites in several genres. I also have a few friends of the intellectual/literati persuasion, and while they can be tough to choose for I like the challenge. I often opt for well-written nonfiction or poetry, but I also like to give those that have a working sense of humor some really silly humor books. The smarter they are, the more they probably need a few laughs.

Also, when giving books you love to someone you care about you may accidentally gift them something they've already read. If this happens they may not even mention it, but if they do ask them to pass along the book to one of their friends.

If you're still not sure, here are some of my favorite recs for the book lovers on your holiday gift list:

Anyone in a reading slump will probably enjoy Souless by Gail Carriger, The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu, The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark, Black Ice by Anne Stuart, or All Seeing Eye or Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman.

The thoughtful and philisophical will find much to ponder in At Home by Bill Bryson, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (illustrated by Susan Jeffers), Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart, How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by The Oatmeal, or The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Romantics will warm up to Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, The Arrangement by Mary Balogh, A Piece of Heaven by Barbara Samuel, Kill and Tell by Linda Howard or This is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland.

Your writer pal will likely appreciate The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell, The Writer's Lab by Sexton Burke, any blank journal by Chronicle Books, A Writer's Book of Days by Judy Reeves or The Pocket Scavenger by Keri Smith.

What books are you giving out as gifts this holiday season? Let us know in comments.

Design Starts Here

It's tough to describe what writing is like from the author's perspective, especially how the creative part feels while it's happening. This interesting little video will give you some idea (and contains background music, for those of you at work):

Design Starts Here from Echoic : Music and Sound Design on Vimeo.

Elsewhere Celebrating Victorian-Style

Today I'm over visiting at The Good, The Bad and The Unread blog to talk about how many of our modern Christmas traditions got their start during the Victorian era. Stop in if you get a chance and enter to win this handmade quilted and beaded Victorian tote filled with goodies, including signed print ARCs of Disenchanted & Co. and The Clockwork Wolf.

Off to Party

I'm unplugging today to spend some time with my guy as it's his birthday. So that your stop here was not entirely wasted, here's a very cool animated video from the UK that is actually an advertisement (wish we had more like this over here; does contain background music, for those of you at work):

The Bear & The Hare from Hornet Inc on Vimeo.

14 Days & Counting

Sometimes it can be tough to get into the spirit of the season, especially during online time, so to give my cheer a boost I'm sorting through my holiday bookmarks and trying to visit some old favorites.

I know it's two weeks until Christmas thanks to NORAD's Santa Tracker site, which has a countdown timer on their front page (as well as a whole new look this year.)

Snowday's holiday classic Create Your Own Snowflake site is also back for another holiday season of making virtual snowflakes (quite addictive, too. I can never make just *one* snowflake.)

Every year I make a point to revisit Jacquie Lawson's animated e-card The Snow Dog because it just makes me happy.

What links do you revisit during the holiday season? Please share your favorites in comments.

Covering Elsewhere

Today I'm visiting Typing with Wet Nails, author Anna C. Bowling's blog, to talk about how even great cover art can sometimes mess up your life. Stop by if you get a chance today and enter for a chance to win my hand-quilted and beaded Winterberry tote of goodies including signed print ARCs of Disenchanted & Co. and The Clockwork Wolf.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Gift No-Nos

Ten Things I Do Not Want for the Holidays

Anything related to The Hunger Games, The Game of Thrones, or Ender's Game. In fact, if you're out shopping for me and you spot anything that has Game in the title please just walk the other way.

Ballpoint pens covered with fur, rhinestones, spikes, obscenities or miniature body parts. What you think is cute I'll probably think is pointless, plus my mom will likely end up stealing it, taking it to church and using it during her latest Bible study class, after which the pastor is going to want to have a word with me. Again.

Birdhouses. All of the pregnant birds around here refuse to use them. The snakes, frogs and squirrels, on the other hand . . .

Hats. I'm just not a hat person. I'm not a scarf, watch or lacey lingerie gal, either. I also now own enough cute fuzzy socks to keep my feet warm until Doomsday.

House plants. No matter where I put them my cat gets to them, eats them, and then regurgitates them all over some high-traffic carpeted area, generally during a dinner party. This includes potted catnip and that kitty grass that is supposed to be good for them.

Any product that has the name Kardashian attached to it. Do I even have to explain this one?

Kindle anything. I don't own a Kindle and (more importantly) I don't want to own a Kindle so you would be helping me not buy one. You should probably skip any Nook stuff too because I keep misplacing the one the family bought me for my birthday.

Makeup kits with ten thousand eye/lip/cheek colors in them. Aside from the fact that I haven't worn makeup for ten years, I cannot think of a single occasion in my life that would demand I paint any part of my face fuschia, chartreuse or bubble-gum-pink in order to appear presentable.

Perfume. But if you need some for someone else, please see me -- I have a huge drawer in the bathroom filled with about a hundred unused bottles from birthdays and Christmases past.

A T-shirt or sweatshirt with a decal that reads "Writers Do It [Insert Obnoxious Sexual Innuendo]." This because a) I don't advertise on my body that I'm a writer, b) there's never a really clever way to fill in that particular blank and c) it's absolutely none of your business how I do it.

What don't you want for the holidays? Let us know in comments.

Sword of Unimaginable Annoyance

This animated video is quite clever and absolutely adorable (and contains narration, music and sound effects, for those of you at work):

Song Of The Knight from Ringling Computer Animation on Vimeo.

3 Gifty Journals

While browsing the blank book shelves at BAM I found a trio I thought would make great gifts for any journal lover:



From left to right: Hardcover London-themed journal $5.00; Forest Animals journal with animal sticker tabs $10.95; and Clear Skies Journal $10.95 (I should also note that I got an additional 10% off those prices by using my BAM discount card.)

Here's what they look like on the inside:



The two critter journals are from Chronicle Books, and while I can't read the fine print on the London-themed journal it's a very nice buy for just $5.00. Also, I'll be giving away all three of these journals as part of some upcoming giveaways for the Disenchanted & Co. novels, so if you'd like to win one stay tuned to the blog.

Catch Lark

I know author Barbara Samuel aka Barbara O'Neal has many fans among my visitors, so I thought I'd pass along some news: she's just released a new title in a new genre and under a new psuedonym:



I've nabbed a copy to read on my Nook once I finish up my work this month. To learn more about this new venture visit the author's blog here.

Sub Op + Free Issue

Apex Publishing is holding a holiday flash fiction contest with a nice bonus for everyone who submits: "Whether we’re ready to admit it or not – and I’m definitely not ready to admit it yet – Christmas is right around the corner. This means all the lights, the music, the festivities, and the cheer. To help brighten up the holiday Apex style, we’ve decided to run a flash fiction contest. How to enter: All entries must have to do with Christmas, but have a distinctly Apex slant – dark science fiction, fantasy, or horror;
You can submit anytime between now until December 16th; 250 word limit; Email entries to apexwritingcontest@gmail.com with the title and author name in the subject line; Limit 3 entries per person; Story should be in the body of the email. Submissions will be read by Jason Sizemore and me (Lesley Conner) with the winning story being published on the Apex blog on December 23rd. Besides getting their flash fiction published on the Apex blog, the winner also receives the following fantastic prize pack: a short story (up to 5,000 words long) critiqued by Apex owner/publisher Jason Sizemore, payment of 5 cents a word, and a one year subscription to Apex Magazine. To make sure that everyone has a merry Christmas, all entrants will receive a free issue of Apex Magazine. All you have to do is let us know in your submission email which issue of Apex Magazine you would like and we will send it out to you. Search our back issues to see which one you’d like to own." See contest info here for more details.

Not a Penny Ten

Ten Things You Can Have for Free

Freeware caution: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.

aClipboard Manager manages text clipboards in an easy way. Users do not need any practice to be comfortable with aClipboard Manager. The reason is that aClipboard Manager is a simple-to-use program. In fact, aClipboard Manager has been created for the developer´s own purposes. But it is better to distribute aClipboard Manager among others so that many users can be benefited by using aClipboard Manager. Users can use aClipboard Manager for any purpose free of cost" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7)

ArtWeaver is a "simple Freeware program for creative painting, i.e. Artweaver makes all artistic effects, which you need for your work. You can create sketches from photographies and experiment with a wide range of brushes. The brush simulation is realistic as possible" (OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7)

Converseen is an "open source project written in C++ with the powerful Qt4 libraries. Thanks to the Magick++ image libraries it supports more than 100 image formats. You can convert and resize an unlimited number of images to any of the most popular formats: DPX, EXR, GIF, JPEG, JPEG-2000, PDF, PhotoCD, PNG, Postscript, SVG, and TIFF.
With Converseen you can save your time because it allows you to process more than one image with one mouse click! Converseen is very simple: it features a very simple user interface without strange options" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7)

Flashnote is "just a rough copy for your quick work with any text information. Just when you need a rough copy to save or to process some pieces of a text, here is Flashnote – small, quick and convenient. You just have to press the shortcut combination and in a flash of a second you will have your rough copy before you. This done press ESC and the program hides. Everything can be done quicker, simpler and in a more convenient way" (OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7)

The Form Letter Machine is a "program that will help you to write letters and emails by mixing and matching from pre-written paragraphs. It's useful for people who regularly need to send out emails which include different components in different circumstances. For example if you field technical support requests, or if you need to reply to various inquiries, etc. It enables you to assemble text from multiple paragraphs, each one customized for a specific type of inquiry or response. You can build your own configurations using checkboxes and radioboxes and nested groups, and then easily write new letters or respond to inquiries by checking off the components you want to include. A real-time preview allows you to view the message as it is composed. The program also supports user defined variables, which allows you to quickly personalize the template with a name or other data that is specific to the task. The text is then copied to the clipboard and can be used in your e-mail program or word processor" (OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7)

According to a review of GeniusPDF Reader, "many PDF readers are so bloated that they consume plenty of system resources unnecessarily. If you want a lightweight but effective free PDF reader that will speed up your system, then GeniusPDF is for you. This ebook reader will make you enjoy reading your ebooks on your computer whether they are inspirational, research or comic ebooks. GeniusPDF is compatible with several other ebook formats besides PDF, including CBR, CBZ, MOBI, DJVU and EPUB, which makes it more versatile than many ebook readers, even many of the premium ones" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8 [32-Bit/64-Bit])

M-Minder will "remind you of important (to you) events on computer startup. At computer start up a reminder window will open, displaying a list of events to remember for the day. After you have viewed this list the window can be dismissed and the software will then hide itself in the System Tray. At regular, user selectable, intervals a small reminder window will pop up for each still pending event and a customizable sound will optionally be played. The user is presented with a choice to either permanently discard this window or to let it pop up again after the next time interval. Future events can be reminded daily up to one year in advance" (OS: Windows 9x or higher)

MemPad is a "plain text outliner and note taking program with a structured index. All pages are stored in a single file. User interface available in 16 languages" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7)

Simple Sticky Notes is a "simple, easy-to-use, absolutely free, fast and efficient taking notes software. Simple Sticky Notes is 100% safe and ads free" (OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7)

Task Coach is a "simple open source todo manager to keep track of personal tasks and todo lists. It is designed for composite tasks, and also offers effort tracking, categories, notes and more" (OS: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, BSD, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch)

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.