28 March 2019

Evernighties Week 13: What I learned when researching my book


This week posts the question: What I learned when researching my book. I'm not quite sure what this question is supposed to be because I've written over fifty books/novellas, and whenever research was needed I made sure to do it. I've written a few historicals over a time, and each one presented something unique. 

For instance, in "The Song Bird", it's set in San Francisco during the 1850s. The Barbary Coast, as it's known today, was called Sydney Town back then. The area had a layer of coal dust coating it, making it a fire hazard. People worked diligently to make sure fire never got out of control.

In my book "The Scarlet Dove", I mentioned that Benjamin Franklin was on the fifty dollar bill. In the 1880s, money wasn't quite as finite as it is today. He appeared on various bills in different denominations from different banks. 

I had to research and learn about the cause of The Great Depression for my book "The Treasure Hunters", and how trickle down economics caused a world wide devastation. 

But I think the most interesting story I've ever researched and written is my book "When Lightening Strikes". In that story, my heroine Henrietta came forward from the year 1794. I wanted to make her story unique so I researched the first money of the new United States and came across the name Robert Scot who designed the 1794 Liberty Flowing Hair silver dollar. It sold at auction in 2013 for 10 million dollars. It's the most expensive coin ever sold at auction. This little fact became the basis of my story. 

But it's just not history I have to research. If there's something I don't know how it works then I make sure to interview people or find out everything I can before I write it into my story. And if I do make an exception, I note it at the back of the book. In "The Song Bird", I moved up the time line for a historical figure a few months to fit within my story's narrative. 

The main thing as a writer is always fulfill the due diligence to give your book not only the accuracy it needs, but to give the reader the respect he or she deserves. After all, they just spent money on your book.

27 March 2019

Wednesday's Writer's Block Exercise

Got Writer’s Block?

Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in?  Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.


You can never give too much stuff for your hero to overcome, as long as you can let your hero figure it all out. And try not to be predictable about it. I once read a book by Charlaine Harris titled Grave Sight.  I loved how the main character Harper (who can communicate with the dead) has to not only figure out a murder, but find a missing teenage girl among a long list of complex lies. I figured out the who-dun-it because it came down to ordinary blood-tests. I still enjoyed the story, but I usually being surprised at the big reveal.

Luckily, the four follow up books knocked my socks off. The series still remains a favorite of mine.

I try very hard to think outside the box. One of my books, Lawless Hearts, had originally been written with a superficial ending, mainly because I was too new of a writer to trust my inner voice. Years later, I was able to take back the rights and I completely changed the ending. I closed my ideas off to finish the story, and that's when the story suffered. I'm glad I was able to correct this.



#12 Stack of Needles

Too much can be worse than too little. Overwhelm your hero with more than she/he can handle.


>List three thing the hero needs or wants. For each, what might be the consequence of
getting too much?


> An actual stack of needles is no match for a strong magnet. What are ways your hero could handle could handle a sudden deluge?


>Consider jealous. How would your hero react if other characters suddenly had their wishes fulfilled?




Whatever your hero needs, give him way too much of it. Give the detective six thousand clues. Give the sad sack forty dates.

How heroes handle success can be as illuminating as how they handle failure. Are they gracious? Vindictive? Can they make the transition from rebel to king?

Irony shines a spotlight on the struggle of life. You may be dying of thirst, but with a few bad decisions, you can drown in the desert.



Happy Writing!
 







***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august 


21 March 2019

Evernighties Week 12 Blog: My Contest Experiences (Win, lose, get signed?)


My Contest Experiences (Win, lose, get signed?)

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be contests from my past or ones that I've run myself, so I guess I'll start with the ones I entered when I was a teenager. I remember winning two big contests, the first was a horse. A pony actually. It might sound strange, but I grew up in Missouri so winning a pony isn't all that strange. My dad, however, wouldn't let me keep it and he ended up selling the pony for $150. I didn't get the money. My dad kept it. Sadly, I never saw what the pony looked like.

The other big contest I won was a Christmas Tree from the local Hallmark store. The artificial tree was about six feet tall and was filled with Hallmark ornaments. I think it was worth (at the time) about $400. This was in the 80s so you can compare it to today's inflation places.

I've lost plenty of contests too. I'm not yet a millionaire like I had hoped I be. The most I've ever won from the lottery is $392. Pretty good.

I've also run a lot of my own contests for readers to win things, like Halloween stuff, Christmas pins, free books....I've always wondered what readers would really love to have. I can't afford to give tablets away or $100 Amazon gift cards. So I would really like to know what would draw readers to visit a site and enter a contest.

Or let me know if contests are even worth running.


20 March 2019

Wednesday's Writers Block Exercise

Got Writer’s Block?



Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in?  Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.



Recently I wrote an apocalyptic story that focused on biological warfare. Not the type to produce zombies, instead killing certain blood types. I targeted the blood type O, which would kill over 85% of the world's population. So to explore this world was interesting because I didn't know where my main character, Jo, would take me.

Every scenario and character must have flaws to be believable. Omnipotent power (eg: robots or gods) is boring as hell. Even magic must have limits. In one of my stories I had one rule for magic: "Only for the living and only in the now". Meaning, you couldn't bring the dead back to life, or time travel somewhere.





#11 Puny Humans

Sometimes, it really is the end of the world. How would your story change if the stakes were cataclysmic?


>A comet will smash into the Earth in 24 hours. What would your hero do?


> Imagine your story in a post apocalyptic world. What would change? What might stay the same?



> What if your hero was the invader? Consider the story if he was the conqueror rather than the conquered.



Looking at how your hero might respond to a major cataclysm- asteroid, plague, tsunami, robot uprising- can offer insights into her actions at a more human-level jeopardy. So start blowing things up. Knock down some national monuments. Smash, crash and see what you get.


What's import to your hero? Who would she save? Where would she go? And once there, would she lead the resistance, or keep her head down?


How would a cataclysm change your hero’s interaction with the antagonist? Would they still be on opposing sides?







Happy Writing!









***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august 


18 March 2019

Musical Monday.... Signature Songs and Inspriation

Series Blurb: 
The year is 2050. Earth is quickly becoming uninhabitable. The seven continents are shrinking as flooding devastates the land masses. Crime and disorder are rampant among the dwindling human population.

There are only two safe havens in the galaxy capable of supporting humanoid life. Xyran is a world of power-hungry demons and Planet Alpha is home to a fearless warrior race.

The males on Planet Alpha need mates. Infertility has plagued their race for decades. The answer lies on Earth where tempting females are waiting to be saved. When their enemies attempt to claim the spoils of a dying world, only the strongest will get their prize.


This was my first book in the Planet Alpha series. When Evernight came out with the specs, I knew I had to write a book for this series, even if I was unsure of what the editors wanted. I also knew I wanted it to be a little different. In the first draft, Keirah and Geoff were going to a legitament auction. I got an R&R (redo & resubmit) with an editor's checklist of what needed fixing. One was the auction block. I changed it around and got an acceptance the second time around. 

My favorite bands of all time was Linkin Park, and a lot of their music has influenced the emotions in my stories. As I listed to their song "Lost in the Echo", the lyrics mimicked a lot of what I wanted Geoff and Keirah to feel. I listened to the song over and over as I wrote "Proposition", hoping to tap into the music's poignant feelings. 

The video is even interesting, set in a type of dystopian society. Check it out HERE

Lost in the Echo by Linkin Park

You were that foundation
Never gonna be another one, no.
I followed, so taken
So conditioned I could never let go
Then sorrow, then sickness
Then the shock when you flip it on me
So hollow, so vicious
So afraid I couldn't let myself see
That I could never be held
Back or up no, I'll hold myself
Check the rep, yep you know mine well
Forget the rest let them know my hell
There and back yet my soul ain't sell
Kept respect up,the best they fell,
Let the rest be the tale they tell
That I was there saying…

In these promises broken
Deep below
Each word gets lost in the echo
So one last lie I can see through
This time I finally let you
Go, go, go.


Geoffrey DeWinter and his wife Keirah live on a dying Earth. The only refuge is an alien world that needs human women as mates, only Keirah refuses to leave her husband to save herself. Geoff decides to bring them to an auction house that takes married couples, accepting that he will have to share her with another.


Their shuttle is attacked by Xyran raiders looking for women and it's Keirah who defends them. When Captain Krig sees Keirah looking like an angel come to life, he wants her. The Alphan warrior wants her enough to accept her husband, thinking he will deal with Geoff in some way or another. But when a vengeful Xyran comes after Keirah they have to take refuge on a wilderness moon, forcing them to work together to survive. Is their love for Keirah enough to turn them into a family?

Be Warned: anal sex, menage sex (MFM)

https://www.evernightpublishing.com/proposition-by-beth-d-carter

https://www.amazon.com/Proposition-Planet-Alpha-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00L04VSEC/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=beth+d.+carter+proposition&qid=1552841416&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

17 March 2019

Celebrating the Irish...Happy St. Patrick's Day!

When I was growing up, I had always identified with my mother's side of the family. Every summer my mom, dad and I would drive from Missouri to Delaware and spend the time living with my grandparents. My grandmother, Julia, was full blood Italian. Her parents immigrated from Italy in 1912 and 1922 (respectively), processed through Ellis Island. I'd eat Italian food all summer, spend time with the gazillion cousins I had, and my grandmother would teach me card games and how to curse in Italian.

My father's side...well, that was a different story. Rumors said his side was from Ireland, but the family name (Cowsert) wasn't Irish. I tried to research my surname, but came up with that it was possible Germanic. Not Irish at all. It was hard to do genealogy back before computers because you had to write letters and buy birth or death certificates to find out any family member names. I only traced my father's line back to my 3X great grandfather, but only because I wrote to the Daughters of the American Revolution. At that point, I couldn't go back any further.

Years later I had a very odd experience. I studied pagan religions and went to a women's mediation retreat where drums lead us on a guided mediation. This was during Imbolc and I had this very vivid visual of Brigid. To say this was lifechanging is an understatement. Brigid blessed me, assured me I was watched over and loved...and when I came back from the guided mediation, I had tears running down my cheeks. I've never forgotten that moment, even though I had no idea what it meant at the time.

Once Ancestry.com took off I joined the search again to trace my father's line. I discovered my 3x great grandfather sailed from Belfast Ireland and came from the County Antrim. He had been born there and immigrated in the late 1700s with his family, including his brother and their wives, who were sisters. His surname was Cowsert and my 3x great grandmother was a Jones. Besides that, I was stuck again, but something monumental came over me. I suddenly realize why Brigid had visited me during that guided mediation. I was a child of Ã‰ire.

My next step is to one day travel to Ireland to take my research even further. One mystery remains is the fact that my surname, "Cowsert", is not at all Irish. Could it be a bastardization of an Irish name? Perhaps a Scottish name? Did my ancestors immigrate from Scotland or England to Ireland sometime in far past? When did the name change? And why? Currently I am awaiting DNA results from Ancestry.com. I have a fairly good idea what the results are going to be. After all, I've been researching my genealogy for thirty years. I have very strong English, Irish, Welsh and Italian roots. I'm not quite sure what the results are going to show me, but maybe having the confirmation will be enough.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.



















15 March 2019

Harley Wylde's New Release ..."Irish" (Devil's Boneyard MC)!


Irish (Devil’s Boneyard MC) by Harley Wylde

Janessa – I’ve been in love with Seamus since the day I met him, even though I’d been fourteen at the time. Now that I’m an adult, I’m ready to go claim my man. Maybe I was stupid thinking he’d wait for me, or maybe I just really wanted a fairytale ending. Seeing another woman in his arms hurt like hell, so I ran…straight into trouble.

Irish – I met a girl years ago, one who had me spellbound despite her young age. I’d kept my distance, knowing it was so damn wrong to be attracted to her, but looking in her eyes I could tell she had an old soul. Now she’s back and all grown up, so what did I do? Something stupid. I kissed another woman. When I hear that Janessa’s been hurt, it feels like someone has ripped out my heart. Whatever it takes, I’ll make it up to her, and I will get justice for her one way or another.

WARNING: Contains some violence and situations some may find uncomfortable. There’s hot melt your e-reader sex, a very determined woman, and a dirty talking biker who will protect her at all costs.



Available for Pre-Order at online retailers (for March 15th release)

Universal Buy Link:

Available at Changeling Press on March 8th!







EXCERPT
All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2019 Harley Wylde

Irish

Fuck me! I hadn’t seen Janessa Rodriguez in so damn long. It still blew my mind that she’d walked into the Devils’ clubhouse. I felt like a complete and utter shit for hurting her the way I had, but it was the right thing to do. If her dad even thought I’d looked at his little girl with any kind of interest, I’d be a dead man. Even though I’d kissed the slut sitting on my lap, after Janessa had walked out, I’d dumped the woman on the floor. I was disgusted with myself.

The years had been really fucking good to her. She still had a pretty olive complexion and dark hair that looked so damn soft. She’d sprouted breasts that were more than a handful since the last time I’d seen her, and hips that screamed she was definitely all woman now. All it had taken was one look and I’d been hard as hell, and not for the woman who had been in my lap.


Janessa had been gone a few hours now, and I figured she was back home where she belonged. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the image of her standing in the doorway, all those gorgeous curves. But it was the look of anguish in her eyes that would haunt me forever. I hadn’t been a saint a day in my life. After meeting the Reaper’s daughter, I’d felt like I was in a downward spiral. She’d been just a kid, a teenager, and my reaction to her had sickened me. So I’d started screwing any woman who offered. Now I was wishing I hadn’t done that.


I’d never counted on her showing up here in Devils’ territory. It had been five years, and I knew she was a grown-ass woman now, but I’d figured her daddy would have her locked up somewhere secure. Away from men like me. Hell, he might have even asked a Reaper to marry her just to keep her safe. Did he even know she’d come here? She had to have been looking for me. I just didn’t understand why. Yeah, she’d plagued my thoughts since the day I’d met her, but surely she hadn’t been waiting for me all this time. Had she? I’d known when she turned eighteen because my VP had made sure I was aware. Maybe he’d thought she’d be the one to tame me, or had just hoped for some sort of reaction. I hadn’t made it a secret that I didn’t plan to settle down. Even knowing she was legal, I’d not had the courage to go after her, though, and had kept my distance. Now I was second-guessing that decision.


The clubhouse doors flew open and Scratch came inside. He never showed up on party nights, not since settling down with his wife and kids. The look on his face told me something was seriously wrong, and all my brothers went on alert. But he ignored every last one of them and came to me. I just couldn’t tell if he wanted to hit me, or console me.


“We need to talk,” Scratch said. “Somewhere quiet.”


“Something wrong, VP?” I didn’t think I’d screwed up lately. Well, other than hurting Janessa.


“Church. Now.”


His tone demanded I obey. I followed Scratch to the back of the clubhouse and through the double doors at the end of the hall. I took a seat and Scratch leaned against the opposite wall, staring at me with his arms folded and a fierce look in his eyes.


“Did I do something?” I asked.


“There’s been an accident.”


I sat up straighter. “Clarity? The kids?”


The VP had an awesome wife and kids, and any one of us would lay down our lives for them. But if Clarity were in trouble, I didn’t think Scratch would be standing in front of me.


He shook his head. “My family is fine. This isn’t about me, son. It’s about you.”


“I don’t understand. You know I don’t have any family here, except the Devils. What’s going on?”


Scratch rubbed at his beard, then sat down in his usual seat. “A blue truck was found along the road heading out of town. It had gone off the road and crashed into a tree. The driver isn’t in good shape, but there are signs that something else happened.”


I still didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. I didn’t know anyone with a blue truck. I wished he’d just tell me what the hell was going on. The suspense was going to drive me crazy.


“The truck had a Harley Davidson sticker on the back. And Alabama plates,” he said.
My gut clenched and I gripped the table. The only person I knew who had been in this area with Alabama tags would have been Janessa.


“The Highway Patrol called Cinder, but he didn’t answer, so they tried me next. They thought maybe the driver was related to someone at the club. They found a wallet in a purse. What I want to know is what the fuck Janessa Rodriguez was doing in Devils territory unannounced, and why didn’t someone tell me she was here?”


Oh, God. It suddenly hurt to breathe.


“Janessa,” I said, my voice cracking. “Is she… will she be okay?”


“Someone beat that poor girl half to death, ripped up her clothes…”


I couldn’t help it. I leaned over and threw up.


“She wasn’t sexually assaulted,” Scratch said, “if that’s what you’re thinking. The assholes did piss on her, though. Cut her up, beat her all to hell. They’re hoping to run DNA and figure out who did this to her, but if they aren’t in the system, then it won’t do much good. In the meantime, they haven’t been able to contact her next of kin.”


My heart felt like someone was trying to rip it from my chest. I stood and pulled my keys from my pocket. “I’m going to see her,” I said.


“Son, the only reason I can think of for that little girl to be here at all was to come see you. What the fuck happened? Why was she on a road headed south and not going back home? Or an even better question, why the fuck wasn’t she with you?”

South? I didn’t know. I’d seen how devastated she was when she’d left, and it was my fault. I’d done that to her. I’d thought she’d go home, get on with her life and find some guy her dad would approve of, maybe go off to college or some shit.


“She came here,” I said. “I didn’t talk to her. I was… I was with someone. A club slut. She saw the two of us and she left.”


Scratch cursed and leaned back in his chair. “When Tex wants to remove your balls, I’m not standing in his way. That was a shitty thing to do, Irish, and you damn well know it. That girl was completely hung up on you from the moment she laid eyes on you. Hell, anytime I go see my daughter and grandkids, she still asks about you, even though you never went after her when she turned eighteen.”


I hadn’t known that. Yeah, he’d brought up Janessa from time to time, but I hadn’t known that she’d asked about me, still thought about me. I’d figured when she turned eighteen and I kept my distance that she’d move on. Scratch had only brought her up in passing after that point, almost as if he were feeling me out, but I hadn’t understood why. Until now.


“She’s at the county hospital. You know I have to call the Reapers, right?” he asked.


“Just… give me enough time to see her. Wait twenty minutes before you call. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need to make things right with her. Is she awake?”


“No. She was unconscious when they found her, and when I got the call, she hadn’t woken yet. You need to prepare yourself. From what I hear, it’s pretty bad.”


I gave a quick nod, then stood up. I stared down at the puke on the floor but Scratch waved me off.


“I’ll have a Prospect clean that up. Go see your woman and hope you don’t have to say goodbye while you’re there,” he said. “And, Irish?”


I met his gaze.

“Despite what you think, that girl is your woman. Don’t fuck it up again.”


Find out more about Harley at harleywylde.com!

Harley Wylde is the international bestselling author of the Dixie Reapers MC and Devil’s Boneyard MC series. When Harley is writing, her motto is the hotter the better. Off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place.
You can follow Harley on AmazonTwitter, or Facebook. Get New Release notifications (for US readers) by following Harley on BookBub!


14 March 2019

Evernighties Week 11: If I Never had to do this One Task Again...



Writing Challenge - If I Never had to do this One Task Again...


Hands down, this has to be the day job. It's more than a task, it's a chore. A hard, tedious, mental draining chore. By day I work as a pharmacy tech in a chain drugstore, and it drains me to the point where I collapse each night in a painful heap. Work has dragged me from productive writing. It has zapped my creativity. Standing on my feet all day, when I get home my feet throb and my lower back aches. I don't even have the energy to do any exercise, which has led to a significant weight gain, which lends to the pain of my knees and feet. Of course, turning into my late 40s hasn't helped with that either.

Screw you, pre-menopause!

Wow, that burst from a deep, dark place.

Back to the task thing...there are many tasks I really hate but lugging water bottles up a flight of stairs to my apartment has to be the tip-top. It's annoying and because I drink 2-3 bottles a day, this happens quite often.

Grocery shopping is annoying too.

Laundry.

Cleaning.

Paying bills.

Truly, which task takes the title of "If I never had to do this task again"?

One may never know.








13 March 2019

Wednesday's Writers Block Exercise

Got Writer’s Block?

Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in?  Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.


I've always been more into the anti-hero. The bad guy with a heart of gold. Han Solo. Joe Asakua (The Condor from Gatachaman). You get the picture. I think having flaws in a hero is far more attractive than a perfect superhero.

Writing ordinary situations doesn't make for very exciting reading. Sometimes detailing the mundane day to day life can be tedious. I'll even go from writing a linear timeline to various scenes of action, then go back and fill in the blanks (so-to-speak) in an effort to keep me focused on the story and move it forward. Sometimes the characters will put the breaks on the direction you're taking his/her journey.







#10 Standard Procedures 

What if this happened all the time? Is your hero writing the rules, or breaking them?


>Write a checklist of rules and procedures for this situation. Now look for ways they can become obstacles for your hero.



> Make a list of skills from your hero's ordinary life. How could they be adapted to fit this challenge?



> Research how this situation (or place, or job) is handled in the real world. Who is in charge? Look for protocols and gatekeepers.



One character's crisis is another character's ordinary day at the office.

What would happen if this situation happened all the time? Is your hero a help or a hindrance?

Heroes often find themselves in extraordinary circumstances, but sometimes they can apply skills from their normal lives. If your hero can fix her truck, can she fix a tank? if she can lead her son's baseball team to victory, can she lead a band of survivors out of the Amazonian jungle?

The best heroes often end up breaking rules they've made.






Happy Writing!




 



***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august 


07 March 2019

Things Only my Family Would Understand


Week #10 Evernighties Writing Challenge

I hear voices.

To most, that would mean a call to a psychiatrist, but for my family they've come to accept when I stare off into space and ask weird questions like: "What's a different way to kill a bad guy?"

If the cops ever confiscated my laptop I promise that I could explain every single one of my internet searches, I swear it!

I ended up asking Mike this question because besides the hearing voices in my head, I basically got stumped with this question. He gave me one of those here we go again looks and replied that I recycle clothes. Which is true. I don't buy new clothes (except socks and underwear). I shop in second hand stores and thrift stores for everything. My clothes, my son's clothes, my mom's clothes...and when they are outgrown or not wanted anymore, I redonate them.

I also recycle plastic bags. We haven't outlawed them yet in Nevada, and I get a ton of them from stores, so I make sure to recycle them and not put them in landfills. Unfortunately, there are so many that blow around outside that they're called Las Vegas jellyfish.

This was a difficult challenge this week for me. Make sure you check out the other Evernighties in the series, and come back next week for another writing challenge!



06 March 2019

Wednesday's Writers Block Exercise


Got Writer’s Block?

Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in?  Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.

#9 Change Relationships

Consider other ways your characters could be related, both now and in the past.

>Picture your hero on a date with each of the major characters in the story. Where would they go? What would the end of the night be like?

> If all the major characters in your story were part of a single family, who would have what role? What would the arguments be?

> Pick two supporting characters and imagine them as dogs or cats. How would the story change?


What if the hero and villain were brothers? Lovers? Neighbors? Childhood friends?

Every two characters in your story have a relationship, even if it’s as strangers. But the most interesting relationship might not be the most obvious one, so consider many possibilities.


While you’re at it, try moving the clock. Is your hero couple newlywed, or nearly-divorced? Could they meet for the first time in your story, or be celebrating twenty years?


Always ask yourself: How could this relationship cause more challenges for the heron?



Happy Writing!


***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august