RSS

Tag Archives: writing

The end of NaNoWriMo, a sinus infection and a delay in blogging about it all.

06 Dec

Okay, so this post is a week late, I know. But I really do think the title sums it up for me. As some of my dedicated readers (AKA my family and close friends) know, I have chronic sinusitis. The specialist I see about it has described it as being like having asthma, but in my sinuses rather than my lungs… if that makes sense?

Basically it is a chronic condition I can’t cure or get rid of, just alleviate the symptoms from time to time. I have gone dairy free as this does actually help. I don’t care if there is new scientific research going on and on about how dairy isn’t linked to extra snotty mucus in your head – dairy free works for me. But gosh I miss cheese.

Anyhow, I have chronic sinusitis. It means I can’t hold down a “proper” job as I get sinus infections from working in air conditioning. I get migraine like headaches from the top of my head, through my face, teeth, jaws and down my neck and into my shoulders any time there is a lot of pollen, dust, smoke or crud in the air. I’m my own personal barometer as my sinuses are excellent at telling me when there is a drop in barometric pressure as my ears clog up and my face feels like it’s being crushed like a tin can.

Aint it just awesome being me?

What has this got to do with the whole NaNoWriMo thing you’ve come here to read about? Well, I got struck down with yet another sinus infection two weeks ago and it basically called a halt to all my writing as I was having a hard enough time getting through the basics of my days (getting out of bed, dressing myself, horde wrangling) let alone trying to create and control an Other World 5,000 words at a time.

I don’t take antibiotics for my sinus infections anymore as it still means I’m as sick as a dog for a week or so, but I’m also adding to the antibiotic resistant bugs team by doing so. Instead I stay sick, try and get through my days as best I can with natural remedies and try and not whinge about it too loudly on social media. Heck, this can be a monthly event and that sort of whinging gets old quickly.

So, my house is a mess, my garden is still a scrappy mess, my kids are still messy little Hordes who won’t clean up and Stephanie is still sitting on that damned ferry trying to get off it and into hell. You’re all caught up with me and my NaNoWriMo! How about you, tell me how you went?

Did you get out of NaNoWriMo what you wanted to? Did you make that magical 50,000 words? Or, if not aiming that high, did you reach the goals you set yourself? Remember, I don’t see NaNoWriMo as a competition and really dislike those that do. I see it as a celebration of being a Writer and all Writers getting together to celebrate the magic of words strung together to make new worlds, new adventures, new loves and so on. It is a time to say “I’m a Writer and I love it!” and not be afraid of ridicule. It doesn’t matter the level of your writing, whether you’re a published author, a weekend blogger or a night time fanzine scribbler. You are a Writer and November was our time to say it loud and proud under the NaNoWriMo banner.

Saying that, no I didn’t get my 5,000 words a day done. Then again I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to, no matter how hard I tried. Life just got in the road. My kids needed me, there were assessments to be undertaken (my son is officially Quirky BTW – if you can’t call it aspergers anymore I’m calling it quirky). Stuff just happened. And I ended it all by getting sick.

Am I disappointed I didn’t finish my story? Or write as much as I wanted to? Yes, very much so. I really, really wanted to get There’s no place like Hell completed. I still hope to by Christmas. But, sadly, right now writing has been put on the backburner in my house as being a mum and Haus Frau has more urgent priorities. It sucks, I hate that I can’t just sit and write and it’s a vicious circle. The less I write, the less I am out there being seen as being a Writer. The less work I get completed to build up a name for myself. However, the more I write, the messier the house gets, the less clean clothes we have, the less food there is ready to eat in the pantry. I can’t be two people and I can’t fit it all in. I want to do it all. And that’s why I got the sinus infection… I tried to do everything. Ah well, it happens.

Add the end of the school year, the coming summer holidays, the weather that won’t make up its mind as to whether it’s stinking hot and dry or cloudy and greasy with humidity. The Solstice, Christmas… all the baking and cleaning and prepping that goes with it and – argh! I just want to be a Writer and ignore it all!

Okay, maybe I should have just left it as “Yes I am disappointed I didn’t finish my story.” 😉

One thing that gets me through the constant turmoil of life is focussing on the positives. My positives from NaNoWriMo are this:

I created two new blogs, so I have three all up. One of these new blogs is actually doing quite well and I’ve discovered that if I fail as a fiction writer I might just be able to cut it as a food blogger.

I registered my own domain and am creating my own website. It’s very rough and I’ve only spent a few hours tinkering on it so far, but it’s there and it’s mine.

I did get some pretty good writing done on There’s no place like Hell. I didn’t finish it, but I learnt so much more about the afterlife in my Other World. I got my protagonist on the ferry and on her way to hell. She packed her hand basket and is almost there.

I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, despite it not being a heck of a lot on the grand scheme of things. Nor is it a heck of a lot when compared to what others achieved under the great glittering lights of NaNoWriMo.

Who cares? I created stuff, achieved things and tried my best. I won!!!! Oops, not a competition… got it.

Yes, it’s a small victory I know, but I’ve found it’s a far healthier thing to focus on what positives you achieve rather than dwell on all the festering, nasty ‘coulda woulda shoulda’ that bitch at you in the darkness. Ignore them, be proud of what you did get done. Ignore the gloaters who are trying to rub it in your face they kicked your arse at NaNoWriMo… they obviously didn’t have as much going on in their life as you did so let them have their little victory…. And then unfollow them if they get too annoying. 😉

So, we’ve made it through another year of NaNoWriMo… very few of us have come through as an amazing new “someone to watch” Author who is going places, making money and getting famous. But well done to those who have – you’re awesome. 🙂

For the rest of us – you’re awesome too, we all are! We took part in NaNoWriMo, we made it through the entire month and we came out the other side still with a desire to write, a love of reading and that deep down constant hunger to do more and more of both. Good job!

And as the calendar year draws to a close (my year ends and begins with the winter Solstice in June – just saying), life is going to get busier for me and I might not get a chance to write, let alone blog. So I will be rehashing guest blog posts from earlier in the year done on other’s sites. I will give them full credit and a gorgeous write up… and then use the blog post I gave them. It means I can appear to be blogging while not having a lot of time to actually do it. A cunning plan, I know.

What will the next calendar year bring writing wise? Well, I hope to get my new website up, so that my blogs will move to there. I hope to get more work done on all my blogs. I plan on entering more writing competitions and submitting my work to more publishing houses – all they can do is ignore me and that only hurts if you let it. I also hope to see There’s no place like Hell finished, accepted and published…

But for now, I just need to get over this sinus infection, get through the end of my Hordes school year, all that festive stuff, the summer and the fire dangers.

And I hope you do too. Pep talk time – you’re awesome. So what if other people are too caught up in their own lives to see it. That doesn’t make it any less true.

Be safe, be happy, be proud of your NaNoWriMo achievements – no matter how big or small they were.

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on December 6, 2014 in Writing

 

Tags: , , , , ,

How NaNoWriMo has helped me get to hell with my hand basket.

22 Nov

Hi everyone, so that was week 3 of NaNoWriMo, everything running along smoothly for you? Still enjoying it or over it by now and waiting for December first to crack open the advent calendar door and eat the crappy choc inside?

I actually had a good week at NaNoWriMo this week, despite not making it to 5,000 words on any of the days. I managed around 3,600 words last Sunday, and 2,000 words on Thursday… but that’s it. The rest of the week was just bits and pieces, some blogging and a lot more research for There’s no place like Hell. All the same I’m proud of what I achieved as it got me to a point in the story I’ve had stuck in my head for a long time, and it was such a fantastic feeling to finally get it down on paper. Those who follow me on social media may have heard me go on about ‘meeting a headless man, driving a white van, named Karen’. Well, it finally happened! And we’re now on our way to hell! We’ve even made it onto Charon’s (not Karen’s) ferry to pass through the veil to the other side. Yes, penguin high fives all round as that seriously is awesome news. 🙂

The thing I like the most about this week’s writing is how enjoyable it has been. It’s taken me into areas I knew I was going to touch on, but I never realised how in depth I was going to go into the Other World afterlife. There’s no place like Hell had always been about my protagonist Stephanie going to hell to save the soul of someone she didn’t particularly like, but had to help as part of her new role as ‘Protector of souls’. The basic premise was she felt the deal he’d made with a soul collector, Wroth, was null and void as he’d done it when drunk. That took me into an interesting part of research into contract law and exactly where you stand if signing contracts or making deals while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Yeah, don’t do it, in most cases you’re still legally obliged to stay committed to that deal.

I also had fun looking into the different portals or gateways to hell that are reported to being around the world. My favourite one being a giant sinkhole in Japan filled with boiling hot, red mud. What tickles me so much about it is the newly created visitor centre, heath spa and gift shop. What every gateway to hell needs… don’t you think?

When I then started doing more of the actual writing of the story, I loved how it took me off on a tangent I’d not even considered. The whole mix of faiths, beliefs and interpretations of what happens after death intermingling together, wow! The dullahan and Ankou reapers and soul collectors going about their tasks, the journey through the veil in the white van that has seen better days and onto a huge passenger ferry big enough to take vehicles. The interactions with the deities of the dead, how they’ve moved with the times, the population and the global spread. Originally the whole travelling through the afterlife, and the afterlife part of it itself was just this small thing in my mind. I was so focussed on getting to hell and the whole demon interaction I have planned there I’d not even realised this was going to take place. And I love it. I just hope my readers do too.

So this week has been a good NaNoWriMo week for me. I’ve not just enjoyed the discovery through research; I’ve also enjoyed the discovery through my own writing. I know that sounds lame, but I quite honestly don’t often know what is going on in my own stories until it happens… until I’ve written it down. Mr Vontant is a classic example of this. I never planned on him, never expected him to turn into one of my favourites, never thought of having him be what he is… which would be a spoiler so I’m not about to give that away. I’m pretty sure it isn’t explained until at least book four or five. But, see, if it wasn’t for him now there wouldn’t be a book four or five. He is part of my Other World weaving. I knew hell was going to influence my protagonist quite a bit (more spoilers if I mention what I mean) but I’m amazed and simply love how much the Other World’s afterlife has influenced me. I’m very much pro belief. It doesn’t matter what your belief is as it’s personal and should only mean what it does to you. Heck, as long as you intentionally harm none with your beliefs and don’t go around cramming them down other people’s throats, you’re fabulous. Even if that belief is to not believe. Yes, there are no atheists in my afterlife. As my afterlife is very strongly belief driven and if your belief is there is nothing… you won’t be part of it. I think I’ve got a good support system set up for the agnostics too, pamphlets and interviews with the different deities and all. 😉

I hope your NaNoWriMo has been as fruitful and fun. One more week to go before we can all start patting each other on the back for a job well done. Even if you don’t make that glorious 50,000 words the original NaNoWriMo was created for, even if you don’t make your own personal goals… as long as you’ve done some writing, loved and enjoyed that writing – and any interaction with other writers as you do it – then you’ve done well and had a successful time. Being a Writer is awesome, but like anything in this world – don’t compare yourself and your skill to others. You’re you, so just be you. Yes I say my writing is in a similar style as… insert names here. But my writing is still my writing and it’s all me.

To those publishers who don’t want a distinctly Australian voice as it doesn’t sell – I don’t care, don’t sell my work.

To those people who look at commercial fiction and urban fantasy in distain as around here we only accept you into our social circles if you write poetry, literary fiction or historical romance – I don’t care, your loss not mine. I’m an anti-social cow as it is and wouldn’t turn up even if you did invite me. 😉

To those who look down their nose at me as I am ‘merely’ an eBook author while their books are on paper in print – take a look at your royalties. If you’re happy with your 5% of royalties for a paper book compared to my 45%, good on you. Well done.

To those of you who just write for yourselves and for your friends to read. Who only publish on blogs and fanfic sites and the like – bravo! You are Writers with the capital letter and be proud of your work too as you’re writing is just as important.

Not meaning to sound too Yoda like, but write or don’t write. But when you do write, be yourself, write the way you want to, not the way you think you need to to make money, be famous or get published. If you take nothing else away from NaNoWriMo, take this: As in everything we do in life, be yourself. It makes the job a lot more fun and show people just how amazing you are. If they can’t see it their loss, not yours.

Wow! I hadn’t meant to end with a bit of a bitch and then a pep rally, but there you go. I’ve had a stressful few weeks out in reality and so writing has really helped me relax and find myself again. That and the nut milk cacao lattes I’ve been making. 😉 And did you see the chocolate biscuit recipe I created on my Foodie blog? Oops, shameless plug.

Summing it up – write for yourself, enjoy what you write. If you’re lucky enough to find others who like reading it as much as you do, that’s a bonus. But the fact you’ve written it and enjoyed the journey, then you’ve already ‘made it’.

After recent feedback on Bonnie’s Story: A Blonde’s Guide to Mathematic asking if there will be a sequel… I suddenly had a desire to read it again. And despite spotting areas I felt could do with an edit, I really enjoyed reading it as a book. The fact I’d written it meant nothing. I fell in love with Rogan and Bonnie all over again and can’t wait to learn what else they get up to… Once I finish with Stephanie in another four books time. Yes, I may have written about them all, but that honestly doesn’t mean I know what they will do. I love that about writing… I’m merely the tool these people use to appear on paper. 😉

So NaNoWriMo companions – keep writing when December hits, keep enjoying the journey and keep being yourself as you do it. It’s the best person you can be and you’re awesome at it!

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

 
6 Comments

Posted by on November 22, 2014 in Writing

 

Tags: , , , ,

An asset shaking moment – updates to Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My!

22 Jun

Hello everyone, taking a step back into ‘look at me, I’m an author!’ mode with this post as I have some pretty exciting news to share.

Firstly, the first four chapters of Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! are now available over at Hague Publishing here. If you find them as interest as I hope, you can pre-order the book. You save money on doing a pre-order and everyone loves a bargain, right?

Secondly, if I’m going on about pre-ordering… it must mean I have a publication date, right? I DO! Hague Publishing are proud to announce their 7th book (2nd by me by the way) is to be released on Saturday August 30. It coincides with a book launch at the fabulous Mount Barker Community Library. I can promise the catering is good. 😉 When we have fine-tuned the details of the launch, I will post them here.

As Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! is currently looking for reviewers, anyone interested is to please contact Hague Publishing directly where, if they qualify as a reviewer, will be given access to the story via Netgalley. Seriously, to qualify I think you just need to be an honest reviewer who will actually take the time to review the book, not just sneak a read for free and post nothing.

I’m also taking Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! on book tour in September! Well, virtual book tour. The sort I can do from the comfort of my own home while still getting a chance to horde wrangle and Haus Frau. Again, as the fine-tuned details arrive in my inbox, I will pass them on to you here. Who knows, you may even get to chat or Skype to me on tour. Scary, I know. 😉

And as this is a short blog post today I’m going to end it with a bit of awesomeness. The trailer for Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! Yes I know, a trailer for my eBook, and done so very cleverly. I hope you enjoy it and are getting as excited about its release date as I am.

Pretty cool, huh? I would love to see any questions or comments you have on it so please post away.

Okay, that’s it. I will try and come up with a new topic to blog about soon. Trying to restrain myself from making it a cooking blog, especially as we celebrated the Winter Solstice today and so I went a tad cooking crazy.

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

 
2 Comments

Posted by on June 22, 2014 in Writing

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The distractions of a Writer.

15 Mar

Recently I’ve put my foot down as to whether I’m a Writer or a Haus Frau who occasionally writes and made myself spend more time writing… as I want to be a Writer more than a drudge.

And, as our house is currently in a state of flux as we re-arrange how it all goes, the only place I have to sit and write right now is… cross legged on my bed. Which is what I’m doing right now! But relax, that’s not what this blog post is about.

A metre or so from where I’m sitting cross legged and writing is a bedroom window that looks out over the front yard. I can’t say ‘front lawn’ as that area too is in a state of flux as we dig up the lawn and replace it with shrubs and bushes that are far more ‘obscenely extreme’ weather resistant and not so water reliant. Yes, I live in the Adelaide Hills where we yo yo from plus forty degrees Celsius to minus four. Thankfully not on the same day… but it can make growing things a little hard.

So anyway, I sit and write and try not to procrastinate by just staring out the window. But there have been distractions out there of late and I’ve decided to use this week’s blog to not waffle on about being a writer, but of something more amusing. Call it a blog about procrastinating if you will. The distractions are… magpies.

Now I really don’t know how many of my blog readers are Australian and therefore know I mean Australian magpies – a bird­ not a football team. For those who don’t, I’d suggest going to check them out on youtube where you’ll find many a wonderful film clip of the Australian magpie ‘argle gargling’ away at you. That’s the sound they make by the way, not something they actually do at you like a flasher or something.

Me, I love magpies. I grew up in the Northern Territory of Australia and we don’t have magpies up there. I don’t know if it’s due to climate, resources, that cyclone Tracy blew them all away and they never came back (a theory of a friend of mine when we were kids, that cyclone got blamed for a lot of things). Still, no magpies growing up meant they were one of those unique specialities one only ever got when visiting family ‘down south’ in either Queensland or here in South Australia. They were new, foreign, alien to a tropical child like me. Just like temperatures less than twenty five degrees Celsius or water coming out of the cold water tap actually being cold and not warm to body temperature. And that love of these birds has stayed with me even after I spent eight years living with them in Brisbane (Queensland) or another eight here in the Adelaide Hills.

This love of the good old black and white maggie could be why I have been distracted by them, but I’m a bit of a bird lover in general and most birds tend to distract me. And not just when a falcon swooped down outside my window, pinned a sparrow to the dirt and then took off with it.Truth be known I’m actually a bird whisperer. As in, birds seem to like me as much as I like them. Parrots especially come to me (wild or otherwise) and if I’m ever alone in my garden I’m soon surrounded by sparrows, magpies, parrots and the chickens. Think of it as a bit of a Snow White moment… except the slack buggers don’t bother to help me out with the chores. And so, birds interest me and I will often stop and just watch them.

However! The magpies that have been distracting me over the last few weeks are doing so not by simply being birds, but by their near human like antics. They’re a family of four, two adults of black and white and two juveniles who are more black and grey. It’s the ‘kids’ that have been making me laugh the most.

It started when we had to dig out our septic tank. See, living rural as we do we’re not connected to a sewerage system. Instead we have a septic tank that our council comes and pumps out every four years. All we need to do, once they tell us they’re coming to do it, is uncover it from under a few feet of dirt and wait. The septic tanks in our street are located in our front yards for easy access for the council to get to. Sadly, this meant the day they did pump it out meant I couldn’t work in my room…  where I write being located only a few metres away from the tank… Ew. But back to the juvenile magpies! Once the tank had been uncovered it meant there was a pile of dirt (as well as the hole) in our yard… right in front of my window. One morning I’m sitting there typing away when I hear this funny noise. Juvenile magpies make funny noises as it is, almost as if they’re chatting in argle gargle. But this sounded more like giggling in argle gargle. I look out my window and see one of the juvenile maggies roll down the dirt pile. I snicker at its clumsy mistake and keep writing… only to see it do it again. Now my full attention is on the dirt pile as, taking turns like all good children do, they are climbing to the top of the dirt pile and deliberately rolling to the bottom. And all the time they are making these giggling like sounds. I laugh at the bird’s fun and enjoyment and one of them spots me through the netted curtain. They stop, look guilty and scurry away. Oops!

A few days later, the magpie kids are back, making similar noises and when I look out this time they are having a dirt fight on the pile. I kid you not. They’re picking up little clumps of dirt in their beaks and throwing them at each other, trying to dodge out of the way and giggling. These are birds here remember. I may be a tad eccentric but I am seriously not making this up. After watching them for a few minutes I once again, stupidly, laughed. They saw me, scurried off. And throughout the rest of the day this little grey and black head kept popping up and checking to see whether I was sitting on the bed or not. So cute, even if laughing at its appearance caused a squawk and for the bird to toddle off again.

The other day I came home from the shopping and couldn’t help but laugh as it appeared we had a magpie sports day happening in the front yard. By now the septic tank had been pumped and reburied and so the yard is a vaguely flat area again. And there, on one side right up against the edge of the garden stood two adult magpies looking rather bored. While in the middle of the ‘lawn’ two juvenile magpies chased each other while obviously playing ‘keepy off’ with a plant label. As in, one of the young birds would take this label (ripped off one of my newly purchased plants I may add) and kept ducking and diving and throwing the label away from the other young bird and then scurrying to get it before its opponent could. As I’ve just started being a soccer mum to my eldest child, it all looked just so familiar to me. They, thankfully, couldn’t hear me laughing from in the car but all four birds looked rather affronted when I had to get out to put the groceries away as I had chilled items I needed to keep chilled. They stalked off as if I was interrupting play. Oh dear.

Does anyone else have magpies that do this? Or other birds that distract them from their writing in such ways? I’m so amused by their antics I’m thinking of starting a joke blog for them. Something like ‘the day in the life of family Magpie’ or ‘diaries of a magpie’ in the similar vein to that of Jackie French and her wombats. Hmmm, there’s a thought, no wombats here. That’s a shame. Echidna, emus, kangaroos and the usual feral animals… but no wombats. If we had one of those would be need to dig up the septic tank every four years? Can a wombat be trained I wonder?

So the next time you go to write and get distracted from it, I guess it shows you’re a Writer if what you’re distracted by makes you want to write some more. I’m half tempted to put an old cat toy out in the front yard to see what those kids get up to next.

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

 
2 Comments

Posted by on March 15, 2014 in Writing

 

Tags: , , ,

Twitter etiquette – how to use this social media tool rather than become one yourself.

07 Mar

Now before I even explain this blog post to people I feel a great need to remind my readers I’m an overly sarcastic cow and pretty much everything I say should be taken tongue in cheek. Yes, those who know me well even pause to dissect me greeting them with ‘hi, how are you?’ before responding. I’m indeed that bad.

Okay, so now we have the friendly warning out of the road, anyone who doesn’t get sarcasm who is continuing to read this does so at their own risk. I mean, not all of this post is sarcastic, far from it… but there are just going to be moments that some may read wrong without this initial warning.

What is this week’s post about? Well, if the title isn’t self-explanatory enough, it’s about Twitter and the dos and don’ts of how to interact on it. All these topics of etiquette come from my point of view and so may not be the globally recognised approach to Twittering… but hey. My blog, my rules. 😉

Think of it as a check list if you follow me on Twitter and wonder why I don’t follow you back. As, to me, Twitter is the part of the internet where strangers can still meet instantly and either become friends or not. Bad Twitter etiquette is like having bad breath… yes, you may be a victim of social media halitosis so let’s see if we can find you a cure… or at least a really strong breath mint.

We’ll start with the basics – your profile pic and blurb. I don’t talk to eggs and animated pics give me a headache. I’m not saying you need to display a picture of yourself in your profile. I know many (myself included) wished I would change my ugly mug to something nicer. However, if you go with the Twitter default egg or something that shimmers and moves and irritates – bad move. Then again I feel the same about overly pornographic, idiotic or even ‘fish face’ shots. Be yourself, well, as much of yourself as you can be without people seeing too much of you and then wishing it wasn’t wiggling at them every time you post.

As for the profile blurb, it’s good to start with at least having one. I don’t know why, but I have no interest in following someone who has nothing in their blurb. I liked to know people a little before adding their babble to my Twit stream. The blurb should also not be entirely made up of hashtags and web addresses. Some are okay, everything tagged and bagged? No. You don’t have to include your life story in the limited amount of characters provided… but something of use helps people get to know you better so they can decide whether you’re worth a follow. And, sadly, Twitter seems to be all about the followers. Me, I’m more into quality of followers over quantity and so may be biased when it comes to who I follow.

Don’t be something/ someone you’re not on Twitter. It’s okay to have a joke account or fan club on there… but don’t pretend to be someone else. Those poor celebrities types have a hard enough time being famous and being online without people adding to their woes and pretending to be them. And, to be honest, those I’ve seen pretending to be someone they’re not fail miserably and tend to come across as a douche. If you’re too afraid to be yourself, don’t use Twitter. I will, however, emphasise that joke accounts are acceptable. There are some awesome ones out there and I love their posts. I’m looking at you @ThatBucketWoman, @MrsStephenFry and @BridgetandJoan.

Some see Twitter as just free advertising space and will simply tweet about their book, product, service, business, etc. As I’m writing this the Monty Python song ‘Spam’ has started in my head. What can I say, but yes, you need to shake your assets when and where you can and it is indeed a free service to allow you to do this. I occasionally show off my book and ask people to buy it on Twitter. Note: occasionally. There are a lot of people who use Twitter to socially interact with others, not go shopping for a new house, toy, book, insurer and so on. I know this may come as a surprise to some, but using your Twitter account to just constantly tweet at people to buy whatever it is you’re selling is annoying and a good way to find yourself blocked and reported for being spam.

There are some exceptions to this rule. I mean, there are certain Twitter accounts where you expect this sort of behaviour as they are the Twitter account of an internationally recognised product. Whether it is a soft drink, chocolate, car, phone, whatever. Still, I find them annoying (especially when their tweets appear in my Twit stream as they paid to have them promoted) and so I do indeed block them too. I just don’t report the official sites as spam. Call me Ms Manners.

Other times this behaviour is accepted is when it is a book or film reviewer, a publishing house or set up specifically for a TV/ radio show or play. Most of these accounts plainly state what it is they are in their profile and so if you follow them you really should expect them to tweet about books, films and what not and not much else. I know common sense is a dying art but come on people, give it a go!

When to block and when to block and report as spam? Basically, if it’s an account I don’t want to see but will as they’ve paid Twitter to promote them – meaning shove their tweets into everyone’s Twit stream – I simply block them. As much as I feel that are spamming me, they’re technically not. So I just block them in the vain hope they won’t darken my door again.

Accounts that have next to no followers and a dicey looking profile blurb and pic that just seem to tweet ‘hey check this out’ and add a web address… These are spammers and trolls and should indeed be blocked and reported as spam. And I strongly advise everyone to do so. Don’t just ignore them and expect them to go away. The good team at Twitter need to be alerted to such idiots and can only know they’re there if enough people report them. Come on, now you’ve tried common sense let’s throw a bit of proactive behaviour in for good measure!

Oh, and never ever click on their web addresses. If they are indeed websites, they’re not worth visiting. But what is more likely going to happen it’s some nasty little malware link that allows them to hack your Twitter account and then use you to send the same spammy messages to others. And it’s just plain nasty when they do this to your followers via direct messages. If you’re not careful it will be your account that is blocked and reported as spam.

Just because someone has followed you on Twitter, it doesn’t mean you need to follow them back. I mean, some Twitter protocols dictate that the follow back is the done thing… quite frankly not for me. As mentioned, I use Twitter to interact with people and make friends… not get myself a many followers as possible. Strangely rare, I know. So if I don’t like the look of the account of a new follower, I won’t follow them. The majority of the reasons why I won’t follow them are listed in this blog.

Simple rule of thumb when wanting to follow someone (or follow back as the case may be) is this: Do they look interesting in their pic and blurb? Who follows them, anyone you know? What do they tweet? Do they actually interact with others on Twitter, or do they simply tweet ads, spam, quotes from others, etc. Does that interest you enough to want to follow them? What I’m trying to say is do they look like someone you want to receive tweets from… if yes, follow them. I’m not you’re mother and can’t stop you. 😉

The other side to the whole ‘follow back’ protocol is don’t expect people to follow you back simply because you followed them. If you’ve followed them as they’re a celebrity you like… seriously it rarely happens that they’re going to follow you back. Their Twit stream is crowded as it is. If they’re someone you find interesting and enjoy reading the tweets of… do they need to follow you back? Or is what you’re getting enough? If you want them to follow you back as you feel they’d enjoy what you have to say just as much… tweet them. It’s not hard to just comment or say hello. Sometimes they still won’t follow you back – fine. Your choice as to whether you keep following or unfollow. Just don’t have a dummy spit and send them an abusive tweet because they won’t follow you. You’ll look like a five year old.

One of the most important DON’TS of Twitter is don’t send people a direct message as soon as they follow you back asking them to buy, try, visit, join or follow anything. That will cause an immediate unfollow by me and many I know. That is a form of spam and is unforgivably rude. Especially for those who have it set up to happen automatically. Direct messages are private conversations between people who follow each other on Twitter. If you’re going to abuse it like that, you may find yourself reported as spam.

I don’t mind using direct messages and do use them a lot – with people I know and want to pass on a private piece of information too. Not to tell someone to buy my books, like my Facebook pages or go visit a website that will just blow their minds. Then again, I’m not a rude and callous idiot.

Can you tell I really dislike the misuse of direct messages?

Retweeting and favoriting something someone has tweeted. Rule of thumb on this one is if you like something someone has tweeted – favourite it. If you want to share it with your followers as you enjoyed it so much, retweet it. Quite honestly, if people didn’t want you to favourite or retweet their stuff… they shouldn’t go putting it on Twitter. Or, if they want it on Twitter they should secure their account so only their followers see it. Seriously… think before you tweet as strangers are out there reading it. My downside is it seems that only times I make a typo or grammatical error are the ones people retweet. I make it through whole days where I don’t stuff up the English language in my tweets… but if I’m going to make a boo boo, you can guarantee that will be the one that is shared. Sad, but true.

Now, there are some strong etiquette rules when it comes to when people retweet your tweets too. If they are sharing something you’ve said just as they liked it… you don’t need to thank them. But if they’re retweeting something you’re sharing like a traffic incident you want to give people a heads up on, or if you’re a writer and a review of your book is being retweeted – thank the retweeter. It’s manners and it’s good to show you appreciate them doing it.

Hashtags… man this one’s a doozy. Hashtags get their name from the fact you always start them with the hash (#) symbol. And then run the words on from there – #thisisahashtag. It looks better on Twitter, honest. You can pretty much hashtag anything you damned well like. I often just make them up as the fact that it is a hashtag is what makes it funny or important looking and it gets your followers attention. However! If you want to use hashtags ‘correctly’ there are some basic rules. The best way to explain these rules is to explain what a hashtag is. They are a form of metadata… don’t look cross eyed as I’ll explain them too.

So, metadata are kind of like bookmarks on the internet. You use them to ‘tag’ images, documents, a tweet as a way for people to search for it for later on. Meaning if someone wants to search on a specific subject, if it is tagged it is easier to find. Made sense, right?

On Twitter the hashtag is the most common form of metadata and it allows complete strangers to come together and talk (or at least feel like) they are talking together and sharing information with each other. Hashtags are most commonly used when discussing movies or TV shows, world events or even celebrities. Most common one I see from my UK friends on a Sunday is #TheArchers as they are all apparently glued to the radio.

I personally use them mostly when talking about local issues. I tag that I’m talking to people interested in #Adelaide and the #AdelHills (Adelaide Hills) and have indeed used these tags for weather and traffic warnings. It helps get information out to those interested in the same subjects. And using the right hashtags is a good way to get yourself retweeted – see my mention of typos.

Other common hashtags to those of a Writer’s bent are #AmWriting, #AmEditing, #AmBlogging, #AmProofing and the all-important #AMProcrastinating. I use these ones a lot.

Why use hashtags? Well, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. In the same way as you don’t have to use Twitter. They are just there to help you connect to people who may share similar interests. This, to me, is the greatest use of Twitter. I’ve ‘met’ some very interesting and like-minded people on it. I’ve caught up with real life friends and made new ones.

The biggest thing to remember with Twitter is the same for any sort of social interaction – it’s okay to have an opinion, but remember that it’s okay that others are allowed to have their own opinion too. And slagging off is just wrong. Oh, I whinge and bitch and complain about things that are frustrating and annoying me, but never at a particular person. You have a beef with someone, take it out with them privately or just walk away and let it go. Don’t make it a public scene.

As said at the beginning, this is just my opinion on some of the rules and etiquettes of Twitter. You may not agree with them all, you may feel I’ve gotten some of them wrong or missed some entirely. This blog post comes with a comments section if you feel so strongly about it too.

And yes, that is my very small view on Twitter after all and simply how I use it. I hope they were of some use and that I see you on there soon. 😉

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 7, 2014 in Writing

 

Tags: , , ,

Should I be a thin skinned Writer or a thick skinned Author?

26 Feb

In this post I want to touch on how I approach the wide world out there now I’ve been published.

Basically do I let all the snubs and rejections and cold shoulders get to me and be a thin skinned Writer… or put my big girl’s pants on, toughen up and just keep going and shaking my assets and trying to get my work some attention no matter what people say, as a thick skinned Author?

It’s one of the most common problems placed in anyone’s life. Do I take all the hardships and criticisms personally and crumble and sit there feeling sorry for myself and go nowhere in life? Or accept these negatives as well as positives and keep going? It’s not just something a Writer/Author faces, we all have moments like this in our lives and how we handle them decides not how the world then looks at us, but how we then look at what else the world has to throw at us.

Recently I’ve not only received a lot of new rejections to things from story submissions to Writing Societies feeling I fail to meet the grade as to what they’re looking for. I’ve also discovered (by Googling it) that my book Bonnie’s Story is being used by spammy  Malware sites to try and trick people into downloading whatever evil crap it is they are trying to push on people. So, do I fall to pieces as no one wants me and people are abusing my name and work by using it to spread malice?

I sort of wanted to at first as it was just so frustrating to not be acknowledged for being good at anything… except to use my work to spam people. And then I thought about it and went, hang on, I’m better than that. I chose to be an Author, to be out there in the public eye with my work. I need to toughen up, take this all head on and do something about it!

I couldn’t do much about the rejections, or the fact that these people couldn’t even be bothered informing me I was rejected, simply went with the ‘no reply means rejection’ approach. Now, I can understand this from a Literary Agent or Publisher as time is money to them and they will therefore not waste their precious time bothering with rejections… but when this approach comes from people who have been in my situation and who always prose on about how they can relate to the struggling emerging Author and all that. It may just be my near twenty years in Customer Service and therefore high standards for customer service… but if I was them, I would take the time to at least send a form letter advising of said rejection. Don’t say you sympathise if you’re then going to act just like the people you yourself have just posted a massive whinge on. I may be a nobody Writer, but I always take the time to reply to any questions, comments or emails sent to me. It is manners people!

Oops, that rant came from nowhere! 😉 Anyhow, what I was trying to say was I couldn’t do anything about the rejections… except obviously have a rant… but I could do something about the spam. I reported them to Google, to the website hosts, to whoever I could. Most of them are now gone and dealt with. So what I say to Writers/ Authors in the same position is don’t just sit and have a cry about it… do something. Our lives are what we make of them so do your best to make it better.

Similar to this is last week I had a heck of a lot of web traffic to my blog from people in the USA via Facebook. All traffic was to my Media and Reviews page and I had no idea why as it’s not directly linked to any of my Facebook pages. Being the cynical and mildly paranoid cow I can sometimes be I started to wonder what it was all about. Had someone shared the link to this page and people were going to check it out to be amazed? Or, more likely, have a laugh at my expense? Thin skinned Writer me thought the most negative from it and allowed it to get to me. I mean, surely these people could have the guts to at least say to my face what was so fascinating about that page… it even has the ability to leave a comment, but did they? No twenty something folks in the USA visited, not one of them said a damned thing to me.

Thick skinned Author me then stepped in and thought, hang on: This is my public image they’re looking at, my professional persona as an Author. Is there something there that deserves any ridicule I may be getting? I looked at the page in question, realised it was quite out of date and rather shabby and so I updated it and made it more professional. Weeded out what I felt were all the crappy bits. Coincidence or not, the traffic stopped. Either it was all in my head or I had removed what everyone felt was so funny to go read on and then laugh about behind my back. Heck, I took something that may have been a negative (may have just been in my head) and turned it into a positive. Took my whingey, paranoid, thin skinned Writer self, told it to toughen up and made it all better.

When I get a review, good or bad, I take from it what I can. Most of the reviews I’ve received have been good ones, I take from it that people liked my book. Yay! And yes I’ve had some bad reviews too, so what? Have you seen some of the bad reviews top sellers have gotten simply because the reader didn’t get the book? Sometimes I’ve wondered if the reviewer actually read the entire book and didn’t just base their review on the free sample… but hey! Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I thank them for having had the time and decency to actually leave a review. See, thick skinned Author. 😉

So, how do you handle the big wide world out there as it runs over your work, your public image and your blog with a fine tooth comb? Do you take every rejections, snub and criticism with an emotional breakdown and swear to never write again!? Or do you go ‘fair enough’ and do your best to make it better?

Me, I’m a no one, my work and talents are rejected and snubbed all the time. I fail to make shortlists in competitions, I’m not deemed interesting enough to appear at emerging writer festivals and talks and my last quarter sales consisted of four copies – two of which were bought by family members.

What am I doing about it? I’m looking at new competitions, I’m trying to get myself out there more to get more experience under my belt from the festivals that rejected me, I keep writing no matter what and, you know what? One of my whopping four sales was made by either a school or library in New Zealand via Wheelers. So what if I’m a no one, I’m a no one who is out there as an Author (no matter how small scale it is) and needs to keep at it if I want the world to notice me. I am, and always will be, a Writer and nothing will ever stop me writing. Who cares if no one else reads my work, writing it is such fun all the same.

Being in the public eye, no matter how small you are, is a harsh place to be. It is up to you to choose whether you face it as a thin skinned Writer or hold your head up high, square your shoulders and mutter ‘bring it on!’ like a thick skinned Author.

Until next time,

Janis XXOO.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 26, 2014 in Writing

 

Tags: , , ,

Welcome to my world and what lies within.

25 Jan

This week’s blog post is going to be a little bit different as it’s a sort of a sneak peek into my new eBook coming out later this year. Yes, Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! will be available for you all to read soon!

Now, before my Publisher has a panic attack over the term ‘sneak peek’, please don’t panic as I’m not sharing the book… just the world it’s based in. 🙂

Basically, this post has come about as I was asked recently what the vampires in my world were like… and as I’d had to explain Isis for the cover design, that really only left ghosts, right?

And, in a low key shaking my assets moment, this post gives you a preview of my imagination and writing skills. Yes, I’m not just going to waffle on about being an awesome Writer and a not so well known Author, I’m going to show off my wares and my world… hmmm, not too sure if I have were creatures in my world… but there’s a thought. 😉

I will admit now though, that on saying this is my writing skill… I’m worried it’s going to come across as crap! Oh dear.

Okay, and so here we go, what are Vampires, Ghosts and even Isis herself like in my world? Am I just another cookie cutter paranormal adventure writer? Or is there something a little bit different here, like there is in my world of blondes and mathematics. Let me know what you think!

We’ll go in title order and start with Isis… within my world Isis is the Mother Goddess of Pagan belief more than she is the ancient Egyptian Goddess. And, yes, she is real… aren’t all Gods and Goddess real?

Isis has been revered throughout the centuries since ancient Egypt and each generation has created their own image of her. The Greeks, Romans even through to Victorian England folk have worshipped her. And I don’t just mean the hokum revival of all things Egyptian that happened in the Victorian era. Some of those educated and cultured people still followed the ‘old ways’.  — This is a true fact by the way, not just part of the story… actually it is this worship of Isis that helped make the story what it is.

But getting back to the story, my Isis is the Goddess that epitomises motherhood and being a strong woman. In looks, she is a pale skinned, dark eyed and dark haired woman of unknown years. I describe her like this:

‘…she was beautiful. And not in the way of a supermodel or how modern culture expected us to see a woman’s beauty. She held the flawless beauty that a young child only sees, through eyes clouded by love, in its mother and giver of life.’

Yeah, pretty much feel I nailed it with that one. 😉

On to vampires… if any of you like my author page on Facebook you would have seen this description earlier in the week as it really did instigate this blog post. No, I wasn’t in need of a blog post idea, but it inspired one all the same.

Vampires in my world do not sparkle or smoulder. They are a parasitic beast that lives on, not by dyeing young and staying beautiful, but by existing in blood stained by the banishment of a demon eons ago. They possess a person body and soul, turning them undead to prolong the suffering and feed off their very essence until they are an empty husk and their soul writhes in purgatory for the evil deeds and horror their body has inflicted upon the world while possessed.

You can destroy the host with burning or beheading, but as long as there is a sample of blood left, the vampire can live on. If the host is killed in this way, their soul is still lost to purgatory. It can only be saved within the first cycle of the moon from the point of said possession, but you are saving them in soul only. And you will require the crucible of the Vampire possessing them to achieve this goal.

My vampires do not sparkle, and smoulder, they glower, manipulate and cause harm for pleasure. All good girls need a blessed silver dagger of Isis, a decent prayer book, a splash of holy water and the vampire’s crucible if seeking to rid the world of them. The gloves are optional.

Onto the Ghosts of my world. They don’t clank chains, slime you or even lift a penny up and slide it along a door to pretty music. No, they are the everyday people trapped between the world we know and their next life by a dark ritual. They were people who did a bad deed in front of the wrong person, got caught in the act and were then bled to the point their lives wavered between one world and the next. They are then bound to an item of their making, whether it be a wooden box they’ve carved, a scarf they’ve knitted or a flower they have grown. Ghosts then become tools of the person they are bound to; they become an extension of their power. A ghost is simply the remaining life force energy, the aura, of a person and the item they’re bound to merely the storage device they are kept in. When extra life force energy is required for a ceremony, spell or for protection, the ‘owner’ of the ghost simply draws on their life force to back up their own. Vampires and other Other World creatures of Darkness often have a collection of ghosts to add to their own powers as needed.

Who a ghost is bound to can change, possession taken or given in trade or ceremony. Although a ghost is the image and personality of the person they had been before death, their monotone appearance changes colour to match the aura of the person they are bonded to. In a way, it is also a show of power as it shows the world exactly what sort of person their ‘owner’ is through the colour of their aura.

Ghosts can be destroyed by the vessel they are bound to being burnt, but their souls are then trapped in purgatory with no chance of moving on to the next life. To save a ghost you must find the right ritual, heavily linked to their culture’s religious rituals. Once a ghost is freed in this manner, it moves on into the Light until the time of their rebirth.

As to the Oh My! part of the title… oh there are so many moments in my world that need an Oh My! to explain them. The BirdFolk of Wroth, Earthed demons, women in long white robes that look as if they’ve just taken the sheets and curtains down and put them on… it’s all there.

I will mention that this world of mine has many sides to it. There’s the ‘normal’ world up against the Other World. The people who walk in the Light against those who walk in the Darkness… and then all those fascinating people who have learnt to walk in the Grey in between all these sides.

And so, there it is! A sneak peek into my world. Now, I do hope you realise this is just the world within my next series of books. It starts with Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! but there are at least another five books in my head to get out to continue the journey. My actual real life world is far duller and consists more of horde wrangling, Haus Frauing and magic tricks that make money come from nowhere and cover all the bills and outstanding debts. Then, of course, there is the hot chocolate. 😉

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

janishill_isisvampiresghosts_156x206mm_front_final

 
3 Comments

Posted by on January 25, 2014 in Writing

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

How to write about Maths and not be boring… and Why?!

30 Nov

Okay, so this week I’m getting back into the whole ‘this is a writer’s blog so write about writing’ theme. Though the different Doctor Who things were pretty brilliant weren’t they? From what I’ve heard I’m glad they didn’t show the after part here in Australia. And, seriously, if you’ve not seen it yet, go watch Peter Davidson’s Five(ish) Doctors 🙂

Right, back to wearing my ‘I’m an author’ badge with moulting glitter and all and talk about why exactly I felt I could write about Maths and make it interesting. My first question is, did I really write about Maths? Or just include it in my story as the bubble gum and sticky tape holding the real story together? And secondly, I’ve discovered Maths isn’t actually boring! Yes, I was as shocked and surprised myself when I came to this realisation. So calm down, grab a choccy and a cuppa and read on.

Now, for those who don’t know me, I simply loathed and despised Maths at school. From being rather ill during my primary school years and therefore missing out on learning about fractions properly to, thanks to same illness, missing great chunks of Maths in high school, I sucked at it. Add to that some well-meaning teacher felt I could get into more universities if I did the highest Maths available (which was Maths 1 and Maths 2 back in my day)… all it did was really prove I sucked at it. In exams my answers tended to include a lot of question marks and smiley faces.

My brother is smart, wickedly cleverly smart and ate Maths for breakfast. (This is a compliment by the way). And he is only two years older than me and so I tended to end up in all the same classes he’d just been in and therefore it was assumed I would thrive on the Maths just as much as he did. I even had teachers say to my face “Your brother was excellent at this so you’ll be too”. Er, pass! Did you not notice the extra book I tend to pull out during Maths? The non-school issued one full of pictures and stories I was working on? And, seriously, it may be due to the great gaps of Maths I missed while being sick, but the moment letters were brought into equations I just had no clue. When asked to determine what ‘x’ was I often just looked at the teacher and replied “Well, if you don’t know what it is, why on earth did you add it?” *sigh* No, Maths and I never go along. In high school, add to that Physics and all the science teachers knowing my sciencey father and their frustration at my complete lack of enthusiasms in anything that I couldn’t blow up or set fire to… *double sigh* I was not destined to be a Mathematician or Physicist.

However, being a writer, I did spend many hours just staring at the world, fascinated in how nature was so clever in all she did and how man could often be rather clever too in building things and making them last so long. In more recent years I’ve really started getting into architecture. No I can’t spout the names of great architects or even waffle on about certain styles and forms. Like any sort of art, if I like it I like it. I’m attracted to certain forms and buildings and think “What a clever person to turn their thoughts into something so physical and amazing.”

With this new love of man-made form and structure I started looking at the amazing wonders made by nature that had similar near mathematical precision in their creation. Seriously look at a gerbera and its petals some time, or a snail shell… even a spider’s web or ant’s nest. Look at the structure and beauty and just think nature made that. How did it get it so precise and structurally sound? It’s not as if snails and spiders learn Maths in school before they trot off to make their shells and webs… despite what children’s shows say.  How exactly? Amazingly… it’s all down to Maths and Physics. Which is what brought strength to my story idea of Maths That Stays and Hidden Logic. The world, all around us, exists as it is subconsciously following equations that, with the correct formula, give the desired result. Which is pretty much what the Maths in my story is all about. Rogan has basically stumbled across one of the equations that helps hold the universe together and has learnt to tweak it in such a way he can use it to his advantage. I mean, yes it is obviously fiction here people… but the concept is still mind blowing. Well, it is to me anyhow and if it’s not to anyone else then I’m not only easily amused, but my mind is small enough to be blown by the merest thing. 😉

I’m going to embark on the second book in Bonnie’s life shortly. In it I will try and delve deeper down into this new found fascination in Maths and Physics and try and make it as interesting (and funny) as possible for the readers. If any of my Physics teachers are reading this, I’m sure they’re sobbing hysterically that I’ve finally realised how awesome physics really is, rather than just sitting there either heckling them or pretending to be taking notes but actually working on my latest story. Well done Physics teachers, it took nearly twenty years to sink it, but you did it!

Now I’m not setting out to encourage people to throw themselves into a love of Maths and Physics in the vain hope one day Maths That Stays will be a real thing. Hell no! But I will state I expect ten percent of the royalties please! 😀 No, if I can show people that you can use Maths and Physics in a fictional book of light hearted humour and enjoyment and therefore make it seem not so dull in the class room, that is enough for me. Seriously, the world is an amazing place and a lot of it really is down to stuff Newton was waffling on about in his day. What a clever man!

I really do feel I’m getting into that repetitive waffle stage and so I know I may not be making the point that I’m really trying to make. Just know that cause and effect is what our lives are made up of, and that’s the second law of thermodynamics… isn’t it? I always remember the third one more, which was about entropy and really only because Adric and the fourth Doctor discussed it in Logopolis. 😀 What, my love of Maths can’t include Doctor Who? You’ll be banning me from Star Trek next and then there will be trouble!

Okay, so the point I’m trying to make is yes Maths and Physics will appear deeply dull and horrific ordeals to the most of us as we go through the school system. But they really are pretty amazing despite all the numbers, letters, squiggles and stuff. And, to be honest, if I had my time over again, I would really love to try and wrap my mind around real physics just that little bit more. Sadly, I do wonder how hard it’d be to teach this old dog any new tricks. I honestly feel my eyes would glaze over and the latest story idea would soon be drowning out the drone of my lecturer. It really is far more fun writing about fictional Maths than learning the real stuff. But study hard all the same… as one day it may just click and you’ll look at the world and think “Oh my…”

Do I feel people are put off that Bonnie’s Story is about Maths? In a way I do, which is why its original title of Maths Story bit the dust as soon as someone decided to take the risk and publish it. That titled sucked. 🙂 Why did I keep Maths in the subtitle? As I said earlier, the Maths of this fictional work really is just the bubble gum and sticky tape holding the real story together. Why encourage Maths in the first place? Well, this one really comes down to those annoying pictures that pop up in social media a lot. You know, the ones that say things like “I’m another day older and I’ve still not used algebra”? I hate to break it to you, but every single day of our lives algebra is happening all about us. Just because you’re not putting pen to paper and doodling out those numbers, squiggles and letters, doesn’t mean algebra isn’t happening to you. Scary isn’t it? And yet, pretty darn awesome too. 😉

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

 
1 Comment

Posted by on November 30, 2013 in Writing

 

Tags: , , ,

Friends of writers know we’re weird, but love us all the same.

16 Nov

This week I’ve picked up various social media types, what I call ‘follower fodder’. As in companies/people/ spambots that hook on to something you’ve said, referenced or inferred to somewhere within social media (blog, Twitter, Facebook, you know – that stuff) and basically follow you in the vain hope you’re gullible enough to not only follow them back but buy whatever it is they’re selling (which is usually not much to nothing at all but now they have your money they don’t care).

So I thought of doing a blog post on how sick I am of such people, who take on the belief that everyone who uses the internet is gullible, stupid and has enough money to hand out to anyone who asks for it. I wanted to point out that not everyone who uses the internet is an imbecile and how I wish people would stop approaching me as if I was… and then I spent some time on social media sights this afternoon and read over comments and posts by perfect strangers out there voicing their own opinions on things and well… decided to let that sleeping dog lie. Not only did I not want to waste my precious weekly blog on a rather boring and froth at the mouth rant, I also didn’t want it to look like a snippet of some latest piece of fiction I am dealing with. 😉

As I have mentioned in other blog posts – It is better the remain silent and be thought an idiot than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt… or something like that. In other words, I didn’t want to become another spouty all-knowing god of knowledge and come across an ever bigger idiot than I started out as by acknowledging I had been reading some of the tripe I had indeed been reading. 😀

And so instead, I thought I’d dedicate this post to letting you all know what I’ve been up to in the writing world. Yes, if you’re inwardly or outwardly groaning over how dull a topic this sounds, now’s the time to stop reading and go off and get on with your life. Byie!

For the rest of you, I’ll start by explaining the title of this blog. It came from a conversation I was having with a few friends via one of those notorious social media sites the other day. When asked what I was up to (meaning writing wise) I explained that I had had to redo my zombies, was thinking of doing something with Tasmania, was a little closer to killing my artist, hadn’t yet gotten to hell and was still uncertain whether dragons could be used to explain the true depths of mathematics. So… the usual.

They took this in their stride and wished me well and asked me questions about it, but a friend new to the conversation had to ask if this was all in the one book as it sounded complicated. To which another friend said ‘No, just in her head. She’s weird because she’s a writer, but we love her all the same.’ And yes, yes I did take that as the compliment it was meant to be. I have always relished in being weird, whether hidden in ‘normal people’ clothing (think wolf in sheep’s clothing) or just letting my weirdness show through wearing happy pants and odd (unmatched) fluro coloured socks. And the fact that friends accepted it, enjoyed it, understood it and proudly told me so was just the icing on the cake.

And no, that wasn’t all in the one book. I am a good writer and would never go that nutso crazy in the one book. 😉

In fact it was two short stories, two separate book sequels and my first attempt at a cosy crime fiction. Can you tell which was which? Do you feel I should stick my cliché of ‘being yourself’ in here somewhere?

No, I won’t put it in, but I will brag a bit about my writing projects. I just wanted to start it by mentioning my friends and their kind words when it comes to dealing with me having one foot in reality with them and the other dancing about in various worlds. Creative Hokey Pokey?

So, writing and what I am doing right now. Well, I’ve written a short story titled The last tenant of Adelaide set here in Adelaide of course, but after the all too popular zombie apocalypse everyone appears to be prepping for. I will admit here and now that short story writing isn’t my strong point, in fact the whole story is about as many words as I tend to spend on a chapter… so it was hard and I did have to do a re-write (rare for me). All the same, it has tentatively been accepted for an eBook anthology of short stories that are set in Australia. For more information on this eBook idea I strongly suggest you visit the blog of Samantha Stacey Bond where she explains it a bit better.

And, after chatting with Samantha, I got thinking about whether or not to try and do a short story set in each and every state and territory of Australia. So, that’s South Australia down and after a news article I read the other day about an exploration to Tasmania to see if they could find any more Tasmanian tigers… well, now I’m working on one for Tasmania too. Speaking to another writer, Leonie Rogers, about what it’s like growing up in the red earth of the north (her in Western Australia while I was in the Northern Territory) has had me start thinking of a story for my ‘home’ next. Just the simple comment from Leonie of ‘It’s the red dirt running in our veins’ has of course got those creative juices boiling over with ideas of where to take such a brilliant line. She knows I’m going to do it too!

Short stories aside, I think I may have mentioned I had started on a sequel to Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My!? And if I haven’t, I’m mentioning it now. The sequel is titled There’s no place like Hell. Yes, I’m sticking to the Wizard of Oz quotes and loving it. Basically my lovely and sarcastic Stephanie, who you will meet through IVG-OM! next year, has to save the soul of someone from her past… and to do so has to go to hell to do it. I won’t say too much as it won’t make sense if you’ve not read the first… but it involves the usual demons, Isis stuff, ghosts of a sort and further ‘Other World’ type fun being beaten into submission by her sarcastic but gentle touch. Well, not too gentle a touch really, but hey!

The other sequel is merely an idea for now and would follow on from Bonnie’s Story – A Blonde’s Guide to Mathematics. Basically I feel there are some loose ends to be tied up in the first story… plus a little ‘What if’ scenario I would like to play with. This ‘What if’ was shared on Bonnie’s Facebook page last week. Besides tying up the loose ends, I just want to know how far down I want to delve into maths and physics to show the true origin of magic. And the reason magic is no longer used in our world is because… well, it actually is, if you know the right sums and equations. Who knows, this one is just a backburner thought for now. 😉

And finally, the cosy crime attempt – Mount Loxley Murder Mysteries and me bumping off the Autumnal Artist to kick this alphabetical series off. I’m almost there too! Just hired the artist… now just have to get her back to her place and bump her off in that locked room I keep talking about. Yes, this one leads back to my friends loving my weirdness and I have actually been asked ‘How are you, have you killed her yet?’ by those near and dear to me. Often daily. 😉

So, are you still awake? As that’s pretty much everything I am writing right now… or not writing as the case may be. As I am currently trying to get back on top of all the Haus Frauing and gardening that needs to be done around here as well as get back to full health. Plus with the summer Solstice coming, shortly followed by Christmas (and horde holidays)… I have a lot of other things to rudely get in the road of my writing. But still, school holidays can be a bonus as it means I can sit up until 3 in the morning writing and be able to ignore the world in my own zombie state the next day as long as I remember to provide enough food and water for the kids… and remember how many kids I am meant to have in my care that day. 😉

I hope this blog post has helped inspire you to do some writing of your own. For someone who dislikes short stories so much, I’ve actually become quite addicted to the concept of them and have even entered some of my shorter stuff into competitions. As they say, you have to be in it to show you tried, even if you still fail. The fact you tried still counts!

So go out there, blog, write, enjoy being a writer and possibly in being weird. Don’t just sit and sigh and want to waffle over the imbeciles on the internet and those who prey on them. Go make your own fun instead!

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 16, 2013 in Writing

 

Tags: , , ,

When helping others, the help goes both ways.

09 Nov

No, this isn’t a blog about that whole ‘an eye for an eye’ thing that seems to be a lot of people’s mentality these days. Far from it. In fact, when it comes to friendship I really dislike it being a competition or an eye for an eye… you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours sort of thing. Yes, friendship is still about give and take, not all give or all take, and definitely not something you need to keep score on.

What I will try and explain today is more that by helping others, you can really be helping yourself too. Still not making much sense? Oh surprise me! Me making sense? Pffffft!

Basically, I’ve had a rough couple of weeks. Not the worst in the world, but for me personally they were pretty bad. It started with a sinus infection that developed into suspected shingles that downgraded to a rash which was most likely my immune system reacting to all the stress I was putting myself under and a warning to stop it or really get sick. So, yeah, not the worst news in the world compared to what could have happened… but still shitty. It basically meant I had to make some very tough calls on what to remove from my life to get the stress down. Trying to do two full time jobs wasn’t helping, and as I couldn’t quit from being a mum and Haus Frau… yeah, it was a bad week. 😦

BUT! In my moment of misery there came a shining light that helped me feel less like a useless piece of, erm, refuse and more like someone worthwhile. Now, that moment was a major issue to friends of mine, but I really feel it was a big moment for me too. Not because I helped, but because it allowed me to get out of the dark hole I had allowed myself to fall in to.

Basically, their car was in for a service and then ended up being out of commission for, at the time, just that night. The hubby had to get himself from the city to one of the Adelaide Hills towns and, somehow also pick up the three children from three different locations. Janis to the rescue! I had my kids at home and no way of transporting us all so had my saintly parents agree to look after them while I was on this mercy mission. And so, from Mount Barker to Crafers to Aldgate to Bridgewater to Oakbank to Lobethal and back to Mount Barker I went. The whole time my friends were thanking me, where in all honesty I really do feel like I should be thanking them. They were in dire need of help and they chose me to be that help. Me, who was feeling so worthless and shitty and horrible for not being able to keep up with the demands of the world and having to be a coward and hold up my white flag. Me, who honestly didn’t deserve friends or kindness or to be thought of as helpful (in my mind anyhow). Self-hate and depression is a bitch, isn’t it?

And so Thank You to my wonderful friends in need. I feel you did me a bigger favour by asking me for help than I did by you needing me for said help.

I am not an outwardly emotional person… no, I throw most of it into my writing. I know you won’t have read Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! yet, but there is a moment in that where I really drew on my own hopelessness and depression and that falling into a dark hole sort of thing as a way to vent it all. I suck at showing my emotions (unless you amuse me and I will smirk and laugh) but who needs the negative stuff shared, right? Then again, you shouldn’t dwell and stew in it alone too.

And that is what I got out of this recent call for help. I needed to be doing the calling for help as I was in a very, very bad place myself. So the call for help was my lifeline. People needed me, people were hoping I could help, and I could! I was useful, I helped and they all got home safe and sound. And as I drove home I may as well have gotten my damned ticket tape parade for how bloody good I felt. Life has really picked up again since then. I can get out of my own road, and have even gotten back into being a useful Haus Frau rather than a misery guts on the couch.

So, always think of your friends when you’re in need. To me, a friend may not be in touch every day to re-affirm the friendship, they’re just there whenever. There is no tally of good deeds done or parties gone to or meals given. They are just a friend. And do think of others when you need help as it can be the simplest things that can help them in return. When trying to fit ‘are you okay’ into your daily life, think on it. You need help, but what does that help to for those you ask? I’m back to not making sense aren’t I? 😉

Okay, so I was feeling crappy about my self-worth, friends needed me and being needed made me a happier person. Putting it into one sentence like that a blog it does not make! But maybe it makes more sense.

Just remember to be yourself, be excellent to each other and never be afraid to ask for help. I sort of failed on the last bit, but someone asking me for help equalled the same.

Until next time,

Janis XXOO

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 9, 2013 in Writing

 

Tags: , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →