Round Up Time #authorevents #outandabout #blogging

While October is usually extremely busy for me, being that I tend to write dark fantasy, dark SF, and horror, October 2016 is especially so! I’m back in my blogging saddle, so let me give you a quick round-up of things to expect (some of which do make blogging challenging because I’m not at home much). Here you go:

This week, I had a most wonderful time being on The Taco Society Presents television show!  You can see the whole thing here.

I also had a great dinner/marketing/shop-talking evening yesterday with the Massachusetts SciFi & Fantasy Authors.

TOMORROW, October 22: I’ll be at the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival! I’m super excited about that, AND I will have a limited (only 18 copies) run of a glossy softcover edition of “Tea with Mr. Fuzzypants” for sale. They’ll be numbered and with some surprise original drawings inside by me! Besides myself, there are about 35 other amazing horror authors who will be signing, a great set of panels, and all sorts of Halloween surprises, so do come and check it out.

On Monday, October 24, I will have a special blog post as part of the #HoldOntoTheLight movement, where over 100 authors of science fiction, fantasy, and horror talk about their experiences with bullying, mental illness, and more. Find out more about this important movement on their website, and check out my Monday blog for my experience.

About the campaign:

#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.

Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hope for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

On Wednesday October 26, I’ll work out another #WriterlyWednesday post about...National Novel Writing Month and be at The Children’s Friend with the Worcester Writers Collaborative, getting in some fiction or poetry words before the big push of NaNoWriMo.

On Thursday, October 27, I’ll be running my Group Tarot Workshop at Generations in Oxford, MA. If you are interested in learning Tarot for divination or writing or your own personal interest, come join us! I’ll be looking at the “scariest” cards in the deck, and sharing a little surprise.

Then on Saturday and Sunday, October 29-30, I’ll be in the Salem Open Market festival with the New England Horror Writers, where we’ll be having a launch party for our latest anthology, Wicked Witches!

And then, Monday, October 31, it’s Halloween, and I plan on snuggling up to the hubby and watching scary movies and getting cheap take-out. Because that’s how you romance this girl, right here. <3 span="" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 

(Also, due to our location, we don’t actually get trick-or-treaters... which is sad.)

What are you folks up to? Hopefully the rest of your Halloween Month is as full of treats as mine has been so far! 

Broad Universe Blog Out: Pauline Baird Jones

Welcome to the fifth day of the Broad Universe Blog Out, where it's my honor to introduce you to Pauline Baird Jones. She is the award-winning author of nine novels of science fiction romance, Steampunk, action-adventure, suspense, romantic suspense and comedy-mystery. She's written two non-fiction books, Adapting Your Novel for Film and Made-up Mayhem, and she co-wrote Managing Your Book Writing Business with Jamie Engle. Her seventh novel, Out of Time, an action-adventure romance set in World War II, is an EPPIE 2007 winner. Her eighth novel, The Key won an Independent Book Award Bronze Medal (IPPY) for 2008 and is a 2007 Dream Realm Awards Winner. She also has short stories in several anthologies. Originally from Wyoming, she and her family moved from New Orleans to Texas before Katrina.


Pauline, tell us about your writing - What genre do you prefer to write? What books, stories, other publications that you've written are your personal favorites? Anything new coming up?

I started out writing contemporary romantic suspense, but have been moving persistently into action/adventure type romances for years. I committed to paranormal AA when I wrote OUT OF TIME, a WWII time travel, then headed into space with THE KEY. For now I’m solidly into science fiction romance, with a fillip of Steampunk romance for fun. I’ve also recently had some short stories published in a variety of anthologies.

I’m a “love the book I’m writing” kind of girl, though I have to say, I’m really feeling the SFR love. It’s just a heck of a lot of fun to write about space travel, to break the bounds of gravity and head for distant galaxies. I’m hugely excited about my April release: GIRL GONE NOVA, a follow-on to THE KEY (though both books can be read stand alone).

I had so much fun writing Doc, my kick-butt genius heroine. And my hero is a redeemed, semi-bad guy from THE KEY. I did NOT plan that. He wouldn’t leave me alone until I gave him a girl to love. What’s an author to do?


What writers inspired you to become an author?

Georgette Heyer. Mary Stewart. Elizabeth Cadell. Helen McInnes. Alastair Maclean. Each of these authors delighted me when I found them and taught me important things about what needed to be in my novels.


What about you as a person? What do you do to relax? Favorite movies or tv shows? Hobbies?

Well, obviously I read, but I also like TV and movies. My current favorite shows are: HUMAN TARGET, LEVERAGE, BIG BANG THEORY and NCIS. I also like to mix a bit of reality tv into my viewing. Favs are TOP CHEF and DANCING WITH THE STARS.


What gets your creative juices going? Do you write to music, and do you want to share your playlist?

I do use playlists to gin up the creative juices. I create one for each book, because my characters have different tastes. The songs tend to filter into the book, so I have to go in and remove them when I edit, because you can’t use songs without proper permissions. I did post playlists for my last two books. Back when I wrote earlier books, I had to create my own music mixes. Wow, does that date me.


"All writers must have cats, especially if they write fantasy or speculative fiction." Do you have a stand on this one? Any cute pictures of your kitty or other pet?

We do have a cat, though technically he belongs to my son and loves only him. Me he tolerates because I feed him (and my son is now at college). He is quirky and demanding. Only likes fresh water, but won’t drink from a pet fountain. Can tell time (DST messes him up more than it messes me up!). And can whine like nobody’s business when I don’t do what he wants, when he wants it. He is bitter and suspicious, which helps us get along when the son’s not around.


Any advice you'd want to share about writing?

The advice I always give is: reject rejection. There will always be people who will tell you that you can’t, or what you shouldn’t do or how you shouldn’t do it, but this is a business littered with people who went over and around barriers to get where they wanted to do go (legally, of course!). DO YOUR RESEARCH. KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO, and you’ll like it better.


Are there any special appearances or events coming up that you want to mention?

I’ll be running release contests to celebrate GIRL GONE NOVA debuting in print and e. I have a contest page on my website, so check back often to see what’s going on! http://www.perilouspauline.com/


Here are more ways to find out about and meet Pauline:

http://www.perilouspauline.com/
http://twitter.com/paulinejones
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pauline-Baird-Jones/
http://perilouslyyours.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/perilouspauline
http://worldsapage.blogspot.com/

And get this, for one lucky person who comments on the blogs for the Broad Universe Blog Out, Pauline will randomly pick someone to receive either a digital or print copy of A TEXAS BOX OF CHOCOLATES anthology!

So, leave Pauline or Trish a comment!

Broad Universe Blog Out: Brenna Lyons

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Was Willingly Kidnapped by Awesomeness Last Night… and how that relates to Writing

Sorry for the delay - but VOLTAIRE was playing at one of my favorite night club's Goth night (Haven at Diva's) last night.

Also, sorry for the lack of pictures. I fell back into my "living in the moment" personhood that generally results in a lack of pictures from conventions, too…

And Scott also forgot the camera.

(So, here's a picture from Voltaire's MySpace):



(Yes, he's that hot in person, too. ;) )

What does that have to do with Writerly Wednesday?

Well, A LOT!

Besides being a great wordsmith in songs, Voltaire also writes (& DRAWS) comic books, does stop-motion animation, has two cute little "coffee table" books about being Goth and decorating Goth, and he designs T-Shirts and toys. His T-Shirts also have some of the best quips on them too - more great writing!

Basically, Voltaire has made himself an entrepreneur doing what he loves the most: CREATING.

Isn't that what writers want to do?

Also - he obviously knows how to diversify!

Face it, most of us aren't going to make a living selling fiction. (My intentions are to break that statistic, BTW, but no arguing the numbers are against me!)

Most writers, I've also learned, have an OVERALL artistic streak, so there is probably more you can do than just write fiction… or even just write. What other things are you good at? What else do you love?

I love horses and food, so I write about those things. I also enjoy drawing - so I made myself an illustrated poetry chap book that I sell. I'm working on a comic with a friend, and of course, several fiction projects.

It kinda goes back to Kevin J. Anderson's advice that I often cite/paraphrase: You can put one piece of popcorn on the stove and watch it until it >hopefully< pops… or you can dump a whole scoop of popcorn and know that SOMEthing will eventually pop.

Who are some of your favorite independent artists? How do they support themselves? What do they do besides their topmost favorite endeavor (be it songs, animation, artistry, writing)? How do they market themselves?

Voltaire does an awful lot of legwork, too, and he is constantly making the most of the Internet and social media - in addition to live appearances and interactions - to cultivate a relationship with his fans. If you like his blog writing, for example, you know you'll like most of what he writes, and you (should) know what to expect if you get a chance to meet him or attend a live show. His attitude and personality shine (Oh my Goth… did I just say shine? Um… darkly glower) in everything he does. Even if it's entirely different media, you know what you're getting when you purchase something he's created, be it music, snarky Ts, comics, books, or toys.

Even though he's diversified, he remains consistent in his own "branding."

If someone picks up something of yours, how accurately could they guess its from you? What is your own personal touch that can make everything you create - no matter what it is - uniquely yours?

So, as a fan and one who appreciates his business savvy, check out Voltaire's work and buy some of his stuff. (Call it marketing research and right it off on taxes.) Also check out his MySpace and Facebook to find out more for yourself about what he does and how he markets himself.

Happy Creating!

In just a few words, introduce yourself…

So, who are you?

In 100 words? 50? Can you show me who you are in 30 words or less?

A great tool I created for myself - one that I use at least once a month - is a selection of differing length biographies. In putting together the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading for Arisia, I was reminded of how few fellow writers have at-hand bios.

But why do you need a bio?

Ok, besides members of Broad Universe I'm including on a Rapid Fire Reading flyer (40-words-or-less, PLEASE; love you!), here are some other places where a ready-made bio will come in handy:

If you publish an article in an magazine or ezine that includes bios of contributors
If you publish a short story/novella/etc. in a magazine or ezine that includes bios of contributors
In any and all cover letters or query letters you send
For your blog
For your Twitter account
For your Facebook
If you are requesting to be a participant at a convention or conference
In case you get covered at an event and can cash in on free advertising
For networking meetings
In advertising
If you donate to a cause and people want to thank you publicly (more free advertising)
For if/when you meet an agent or editor (or someone you want to work with/for) in person

Your bio is written elevator speech that can be used for a 1st-floor stop, or a 21st-floor stop from the basement at Dragon*Con (er, stopping a LONG TIME AT EVERY FLOOR for you non-Dragon*Con readers). If you memorize a few, you have them handy for in-person meetings.

How long should your bio be? Several lengths, actually. I have a document with versions that are 250 words, 100 words, 75 words, 50 words, 40 words, 30 words, and < 140 characters long (I <3 Twitter!) You never know what you will need. I also read them aloud and time them for in-person meetings. (Remember, a good out loud pace is 100-120 words per minute!)

On top of varying lengths, you'll want to have various styles. If I'm at the Downtown Women's Club, my Bad-Ass Faerie and Fantasy Gazetteer credits aren't as appropriate as editing 3 online courses and regularly contributing to certain magazines.

What should be in your bio? What is most important to your audience. For writers: Publication credits. Have you won awards? (If you're writing fiction, talk about your fiction credits first, then non-fiction; if vice-versa, then vice-versa, but you probably already figured that out.) No writing credits? What about related experience? In fact, pick up any article about what to include in your query/cover letter bio and follow those guidelines.

In addition to studying writers' bios, research sales pitches for a different view. I'm a big fan of Copyblogger; I read their blog regularly. And my colleague, Rick Roberge, who I met through the Society of Professional Communicators, has some excellent blog posts, but also sent me to another great blog on the topic (by another great Trish).

Examples? Ok…

Here's my 40-word convention/Rapid-Fire-Reading bio:

Trisha J. Wooldridge's freelance experience ranges from Dungeons & Dragons Online to animal rescue PR. She is published in Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad (co-authored with Christy Tohara) and Fantasy Gazetteer. www.anovelfriend.com

40 on more general writing:

Trisha J. Wooldridge is a freelance writer, editor, and educator. Look for her in the EPPIE award-winning Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad and Fantasy Gazetteer, as well as horse-handling for Massachusetts Horse or talking food in Worcester Magazine. www.anovelfriend.com

For super-quick, general business networking (usually oral):

I'm Trish Wooldridge. As your Novel Friend, I teach you how to love the words you write, and write the words you love.

For longer (oral) introductions:

My name is Trish Wooldridge. I'm a freelance writer, editor, and educator, and my name, A Novel Friend, encompasses the fact I care about each client's words - and that I'm particularly interested in more unusual tasks. My editing projects include the Dugeons & Dragons online role-playing game, novels, and English composition courses. My writing covers weird history, metal and Goth bands, faeries and faery tales, horse rescue, restaurant critiques… and making mushroom merchandising interesting.

(75 words, clocking in at about 40 seconds).

Make sure write your bio in a style that matches your personality - because that's part of SHOWING, which is what we good writers are supposed to do anyway - right? What kind of person do I sound like in these bios?

So, take a few minutes to write yourself some bios of varying lengths - and practice them OUT LOUD.

I shared some of my bios - what are yours?