Publishers Comments – Page 33 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Giants of the Bering Sea

The Giants of the Bering Sea

The Bering Sea tops the Pacific Ocean and is framed by Russia on the west and Alaska on the east. There is a point at which the two land masses almost meet, and, indeed, is widely thought at one point that sea level was so low as to allow the first of the human migration on what is now called the “Bering Land Bridge”.

The population of whales in the Bering Sea during the turn of the 20th Century is unknown, but probably the most common among them included right whales and bowhead whales. My grandfather recounted his being shanghaied on the barque the “Northern Light” and whale hunting experience in his book, “Lucky Joe”. Shanghai was a common practice as it was extremely difficult to recruit seamen willing to board a whaler for upwards of a year. The work was nasty, extremely dangerous, and often resulted in the lack of any pay as the sailor often owed the ship’s “slop chest” for materials (such as boots and coats) necessary to survive the frigid Alaskan waters.

The three-block area of San Francisco known as the Barbary Coast, so named after the Barbary Coast of North Africa, mirrored all that was evil. Well known for gambling halls, prostitution, and saloons, the population swelled with ex-convicts, thugs, and despots following the discovery of gold. Miners and sailors looking for female companionship and entertainment became the primary clientele during its heyday in the 1850’s and 1860’s and hit its peak in alcoholic consumption by the 1890’s. Sailors were an obvious and easy target and quite lucrative for the crimps. (Shanghaiing or crimping refers to the practice of kidnapping men for labor aboard ships and those persons were known as crimps. This often violent practice was heavily performed in San Francisco, Portland (OR), and Seattle (WA). The Seaman’s Act of 1915 finally made crimping a federal crime.)

“A whaler’s life is hell, me lads,

Blow boys, bully boys, blow!

We caught a rotten whale, me lads,

Blow boys, bully boys, blow!

The captain’s drunk and so am I,

All hands are sick and ‘bout to die,

But we don’t care a hang, but cry,

Blow boys, bully boys, blow!”

Writer’s Block? Not Again?!

DAY 7 PROMPT: Do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you recommend to help overcome writer’s block? Any foolproof tricks that always work for you?

Oh man, nothing like a prompt that totally smacks you up side the head! Writer’s block? Who doesn’t get writer’s block? Just this prompt gave me a serious pause–or maybe writer’s block. Ah, so the definition of writer’s block then would be the lack of ideas, put to paper, for one hour? One day? A week? Serious writer’s block set in with the anthology–it was eventually solved in two ways:

I took a page from NaNoWriMo which holds to an interesting concept–50,000 words in 30 days. That translates roughly into 1,667 words per day. NaNo doesn’t read, doesn’t edit, doesn’t critique. It’s a count of words. The whole idea is to GET THE WORDS ON THE PAPER. Doesn’t really matter how many typos or whether it good prose. But getting it down, even bad sketches, can sometimes, later, be the forerunner of a brainstorm. THEN you can refine, edit, critique.
AND, you can take another credit from NaNo, in that a specific deadline (in their case 30 days) usually works wonders for me. If you’ve set yourself a deadline for the debut great–but even self-imposed you have to use that aforementioned discipline. It’s a deadline–it has to be finished; ready to submit. Or perhaps the deadline is for a chapter–doesn’t matter. A time line can work.

Sometimes something as simple as getting away from it for a period of time will help–and don’t think of it! When I still had my motorcycle, a good ride always cleared the air. There is something about riding that pastes a grin on the face, lowers the blood pressure, and goes about gently resetting the attitude. The wind in the face (or in the hair for states that allow choice), the feel of the power of the bike, the smells (you can’t get those in a cage); guaranteed you won’t be thinking of the novel. If you don’t ride, see the two suggestions posted above. Sorry.

The Writing Process Begins With Discipline

Take us through your writing process. Do you keep a regular writing schedule? Do you write on your laptop or longhand? Are you most inspired in the morning, afternoon, evening, or middle of the night?

Yes, there really is a writing process, although it took me some time to figure out that there really was a process. But I’m still working that out, tweaking as I go along. I’ve always loved games where you can change the rules on any given day to suit you–fortunately in my family I was the oldest and it was just too easy!

So the process isn’t just one of writing. Discipline actually has to be employed; not my favorite thing, but if there is going to be progress, discipline is necessary:

Writing means education never ends. It’s a review here, an article there, a story or observation. So much to read, information to glean, rules to learn.
Book matter requires research: location, people, events.
The marketing and promotion process likewise never ends. If you have a book out there, you have to be engaged in promotion. More reading.
Allotment of time for social media, making the contacts, keeping a presence.
Working on a new book? Allotment of time to devote just to writing.
Working on editing? Allotment of time to proof, edit, ……..
Working on graphics, pictures for the novel? Allotment of time for more research.
Working on promotion materials? Bookmarks, postcards, flyers.
Have the book(s) on several venues? Research new avenues–(i.e.) is Smashwords a good fit?
Groomed or in the process of attaining beta readers?

Yes, there is a definite writing schedule though mine is not assigned to a specific hour. For me, writing is more of a general time allotment assigned in the above process, all done on a computer. Not a morning person, my day begins slow and easy so that’s when the reading is done, followed by the research. Diffused into the schedule, household duties. And always with a eye to a goal of the day.

Today’s goal–(1) prepare for a visit with our son–(2) prepare this blog post. Well, one off the list is a start!

What Do You Love – Or Hate – To Read?

Day 5 of the Author Blog Challenge: What do you love – or hate – to read?

Hate is a pretty strong word. While it may be bandied about fairly lightly at times such as the utterances of a strong-willed teenager to a parent, when you get down to it what do you really hate? Human circumstances such as cancer, world war, and terrorism come to mind. But books? Books just don’t fall under that category for me.

A quick viewing of “My Books” on Goodreads would seem to bear that out with a smattering across genres such as Jinx Swartz’s irreverent but fun romps out to sea with her 42′ yacht while she’s solving the latest mystery as the most hip, hardest drinking, sharpest tack in the engineering drawer. Or the Alex Lukeman or Bob Mayer books of black op or military prowess. There are auto-biographies, biographies, memoirs, fiction books about the civil war and non-fiction books about WWII. Historical fiction (obviously a fav) and books about autism. Books about combining plants to achieve color splashes and books about animals (especially love dog books). Caught in the middle of a good page turner, I’ve certainly been known to burn the midnight oil!

There’s YA Fantasy, Sci-Fi, thrillers, and books on social problems and remedies, travelogues, life transitions, American heritage and religious controversy (“30 Pieces of Silver” by Carolyn McCray presented an interesting theory).

So thinking it pretty much comes down to one negative for me and that is the length of the narrative. I have a rather limited time that can be devoted to reading–and one really LONG book will rob time from reading two or three. Not a matter of trading quality for quantity–some have belabored the same premise over and over. That makes for a very long book, not necessarily a good one.

No, maybe hate is too strong a word for that, too. I don’t hate an overly long book–but looking at the length of a 700 page book may have me estimating two others I could read in the meantime. Then maybe avoidance would be the more appropriate description. But looking at that list of books, what have I missed?

Can You Expect Success If You’re Mentor-less?

DAY 4 PROMPT: Who are your writing role models? Whose writing has most influenced you? Who are your writing mentors?

Can You Expect Success If You’re Mentor-less?

I don’t know if you can find success without having a mentor, but totally agree with Patrick Hodges of the Phoenix Publishing and Book Promotion Meetup who wrote yesterday regarding the value of beta readers. Having tried that and being on the giving end of an review swap without the reciprocal receiving end, he’s right in that it has to be “people you trust to read your work before it hits the Internet.” Fortunately, I did find one on Goodreads willing to perform that task for the next book, although I’m somewhat reluctant to trade a review of my 168 page historical anthology for his 637 page telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation (sci-fi fantasy) odyssey. The spirit is willing but the eyes are weak!

Okay, I have another Goodreads buddy who has read it and willing to enter a review, but hasn’t yet performed “beta” duties. I absolutely love his work, however, and have read, rated, and reviewed a pre-release for him–Michael Reisig. He would constitute what for me is a role model. The description of his characters leaves you smelling the sweat or feeling the tension, seeing the terror in their eyes–wide with shock. And the way his characters hold and exhibit their respect for each other is a delight, often felt, impossible for most to actually put into words. The scenes are riveting, whether 300 years ago or 40, on the back of an ox on in a Beechcraft skimming the waters of the Caribbean at sunrise. He has written the “Road to Key West” series, “Hawks of Kamalon” among others, but my favorites were “The Treasure of Tortuga” and the Treasure of Time”.

Somewhere between my musings and his mind-blowing, page-turning sagas lies a real artist. Would that I could attain somewhere near that.

The School of Hard Knocks – Singing or Writing

Singing and Writing Both Take a Lot of Time and Discipline

Besides writing, when I was a little girl I wanted to be an opera singer. I could hit the high notes and often walked home from school practicing “my opera.” Years later, married and living in Sacramento when our local church organized a choir, I was one of the first to show up–never having had any formal training other than a choir class in my sophomore year of high school (hmm, so would have been Yreka CA) and given our propensity for moving, that didn’t last long. Then it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I had no clue what “S, A, T, B” stood for but I knew I wanted to be part of the music program.

When our church members were invited to sing for the “Jazz Mass”, part of the annual celebration in the Sacramento Jazz Festival, I didn’t hesitate. The program, however, turned out to be a whole nother level of choir music with a priest who REALLY had an ear and knew his music and was known to clue into a voice out of key in a company of 100 and throw a pencil at them. But like any director who creates a masterful program, he was not only tolerated but venerated as he produced programs worthy of standing O’s. We always came back for more–praying we’d never go off key. That experience was part and parcel of my “gospel” years–and I truly reveled in singing those gospel songs–many at the top of my lungs as I participated in the MLK Workshop in Sacramento with goose-bump-raising, powerful music.

When we moved to Idaho and I learned that the Gospel Jubilee was not only looking for sopranos but someone to work in the office creating flyers, I was the first to apply–only to learn he used Print Shop. (I’d taken a class in Photoshop.) Still, the singing was wonderful, fun, and creative and I learned a LOT about Print Shop!

So it probably comes as no additional surprise that I haven’t had a lot in the way of formal writing classes. I’ve alluded previously to finding and reading one of my early manuscripts I found so atrocious it was tossed with little fanfare and no regrets. Writing articles became the writing salvation and later the publishing of my grandfather’s manuscripts. I’ve learned a lot! Been through each book a dozen times, eyes crossed and glazed, turning page after page looking for more problems.

English classes may not have been as exciting for me as choir, but I’m from a spelling and cursive generation raised on Erma Bombeck and Abby. And I continue to seek out educational, dynamically progressive groups in which I may learn more about the craft in which so many participants are willing to share. Apparently, I’ve found it.

Please support another Author Blog Challenge participant by checking out Beth Kozan’s blog at http://bethkozan.com/.

When Have I NOT Been Writing?

When Have I NOT Been Writing?

I envy those people who can remember something that happened when they were five with a twinkle in their eyes and a lop-sided grin produced by the nostalgia of the memory. My husband is one of those. For me, it’s not a loss of memory due to age–I don’t consider myself that old.

So I count on stories, pictures, or one of a handful of memories in a childhood spent moving several times a year looking for greener pastures in what would today be considered poverty–we just knew we were poor. The picture is from a newspaper article on reading of myself when I was 8 and my beloved brother (lost during the Viet Nam conflict). It starts with a love and respect of books.

There is another picture (heaven knows where) of myself receiving an award for winning a story writing contest–think it was Red Bluff CA–so would have been a number of years later. Perhaps this was the glimmer my grandfather saw in me. My teacher must have seen something as well as she submitted it to the local paper. Bless her heart.

I’ve had compliments from letter recipients and seldom lacked the ability to pen a story when it was required–but formally? Having majored in the man who would become my husband (now 53 years) in college , I was probably fortunate to attain the diploma I did.

As mentioned before, it was during my riding years that I began writing stories for various motorcycling magazines, though mainly the WOW (Women On Wheels(c)) Magazine. I probably wrote better than I rode, but it was a way to work on my writing chops!

When I discovered my grandfather’s manuscripts and a way to publish them then, it was a natural. It’s good I don’t have to do this for a living–it’s a happy commitment in my retirement–and with any luck one that will continue to grow and provide reward.

And reward doesn’t always have to include dollar signs!

Blog Challenge-Day 1

Blog Challenge-Day 1

Uh oh! It’s here already?! I thought I was preparing, but thank heaven we are being supplied with a daily prompt!

Easy blog challenge prompt for Day 1–intuitive–what are the goals for the Author Blog Challenge better known as the “ABC“?

(1) Is it to introduce new readers to the blog? (oh yes!)

(2) Is it to increase traffic to the blog? (oh yes!)

(3) Get in some extra writing practice? (of course!)

All of the above! I joined in an effort to force myself accountable in continuing to hone the craft my grandfather thought he’d passed on when he left me his steamer trunk full of his own manuscripts, poems, short stories, and paintings over 80 years ago. As the old wives tale goes–twins (especially identical) tend to skip a generation. Interesting if so. Does it also follow with artistic talents as neither my mother nor my aunt had any interest in their father’s work or in creating histories, stories, or fiction of their own; neither do my daughter or son–but my granddaughter?? Keeps a journal with her and is constantly writing!! Don’t I love that! So, is there a writing gene?

But inheriting the urge isn’t the same as the gift and though I began writing in childhood, winning a few little contests, it wasn’t until I began publishing magazine articles of my motorcycling adventures and later of Stanley McShane’s scripts that I realized this was going to be a LOT of work! To that end, I’ve joined groups (hence the Publishing and Book Promotion MeetUp group of Phoenix, as well as the Idaho Authors’ Community) and written my little heart out translating McShane’s works, practicing book descriptions, author pages, media promotions, book signings, and creating this blog that has, at times, floundered.

Therefore, in addition to the SEO class I’m signed up for in the Spring, I’ll stubby my fingers on the keyboard trying to meet this challenge. And in so doing, perhaps I’ll tap into that author gene of my own and in the process succeed in items 1 and 2 above!