I Now Own a Gzrlyf

My particular Gzrlyf was an Old Calendar Christmas present from Jasmine.

It's like a hope chest in a bag. I'll explain that in a minute.

Now what's especially fun about this particular Gzrlyf is that it plays nicely with my muse, Warren Peace because it's so "charming."

My Gzrlyf comes with a coffee mug, pens for notes, and scisscors for edits.

It comes with a typewriter for getting the words on the page.

It comes with a warning to anyone who dares interfere with the creative process.

And it comes with the goal of all that effort.

So that's my Gzrlyf. 

However, I don't have any photos of Warren Peace. He's rather shy, but I can often coax him out with plain, dark roast coffee. 

Update on "Call of the Siren"

Last weekend, I spent part of Saturday reading through my current BryonySeries novel in progress.

It's called Call of the Siren and it's the second book in the Limbo trilogy. (The first is The Phoenix, and you can find a copy of it here).

After weeks and months of very slow, all-over-the-place progress - despite two at-home writing retreats and a solid outline - the muse finally perked up a few weeks ago...just in time for the holidays.

So I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that I had finished than I'd assumed. Nearly half of the chapters are completely edited on my end (meaning, they are ready for my editor) and portions of many others are partly edited.

A few chapters and large amounts of other chapters are still in draft form. Below, I'm sharing my file that shows my progressions and gaps, along with my back cover summary of the story.

As you can see, the story hasn't come together in a linear way. But it does read well, and I'm eager to finish it and send it to my editor - hopefully by early spring. 

Hopefully, anyone who writes can see writing a novel is sometimes like assembling a puzzle of ideas. And anyone who reads can see a glimpse of how stories are constructed.

Cover art is by Nancy Calkins, wife of Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara.

CALL OF THE SIREN

Sue Bass is haunted by dreams of her father, who died in a boating accident before she was born, alluring dreams of water and song. But then a soft-spoken outside man with an inside plan comes to town, and Sue's sleepwalking stops, only to resurface with greater magnetism when he leaves.

Two voices beckon. Which one will she heed?

Prologue:

PART ONE: WATER

Chapter 1: Lullaby

Chapter 2: Music or Madness

Chapter 3: Town Mouse

Chapter 4: Country Mouse, Monday Sept. 13, afternoon (spot places to fill in)

Chapter 5: Water, Butter, and Wine

Chapter 6: Little Girl Lost

Chapter 7: The Lure of Their Eyes

PART TWO: FIRE

Chapter 8: Flames and Frost

Chapter 9: Even The Sparrow (drafted)

Chapter 10: Bewitched By Her Sweetness

Chapter 11: House Calls, Saturday, Sept. 18, morning (drafted)

Chapter 12: Coin for the Passage

Chapter 13: Plaintive Cries, Sunday, Sept. 19, morning (1/2 drafted, 1/2 edited)

Chapter 14: As Sharp as Spears, Sunday, Sept. 19, afternoon (1/2 drafted, 1/2 edited)

Chapter 15: The Meadow of Skeletons

PART THREE: AIR

Chapter 16: Gates of Horn and Ivory

Chapter 17 Ask, and It Shall be Given You

Chapter 18: Seek, and Ye Shall Find (nearly edited, needs writing in spots)

Chapter 19: Knock, and it Shall Be Opened Unto You (1/3 edited, 2/3 drafted)

Chapter 20: The Stain No Storm Could Wash Away (1/3 edited, 2/3 drafted)

Chapter 21: A Stone and a Serpent (drafted)

Chapter 22: Treading Water (drafted)

Chapter 23: Last Dream of my Soul (1/2 drafted, 1/2 edited)

PART FOUR: EARTH

Chapter 24: On Solid Ground (1/2 edited, 1/2 drafted)

Chapter 25: Ideal – and Worthy of Envy  (2/3 edited, 1/3 drafted)

Chapter 26: Sue’s Diner, (1/3 edited, 2/3 drafted)

Chapter 27: In Dark Depths Lurking (1/3 edited, 2/3 drafted)

Chapter 28: The Abyss Beckons (drafted, a few graphs edited)

Chapter 29: : No Breath of Wind, No Ripple of Water (1/3 edited, 2/3 drafted)

Chapter 30: Ferry and Scythe (edited)

Epilogue, Monday afternoon (1/2 edited, 1/2 drafted)

Not all "Flooding" is Bad

So I've mentioned briefly the struggles in making any sort of significant progress on the second novel in the new BryonySeries Limbo trilogy Call of the Siren.

We just recently released the first book in the series. It's called The Phoenix and you can buy it in the BryonySeries store and also on Amazon in print and Kindle.

But words for this second book just weren't flowing. 

I have a detailed outline and plenty of ideas. I've done character sketches and mentally wrote quote a few scenes. I see the story, I know the story. Heck, I even have the cover art!

But the words wouldn't come easily.

Until this past weekend.

You know the fairy tale about the little boy who stops a flood by placing his finger inside a whole in the dam?

Well, in this case, it was as if the boy had removed it.

And all the ideas and words spilled out.

I may not get much done this weekend (second COVID shot is Thursday).

But I feel confident that the muse is active and ready to write, once I have the time and ability.

Bring on the story!

Sue Bass is haunted by dreams of her father, who died in a boating accident before she was born, alluring dreams of water and song. But then a soft-spoken outside man with an inside plan comes to town, and Sue's sleepwalking stops, only to resurface with greater magnetism when he leaves. Two voices beckon. Which one will she heed?

On Retreat This Weekend

More specifically, I'm on a writing retreat this weekend.

Ralph Walker of the 5amwritersgroup on Twitter creater an entire program for Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday - and then opened it up to the first twenty writers that signed up. 

Yes, it's on Zoom (Did the photo fool you)? But the twenty of us are sitting in our homes all over the United States, and two of us are in Canada.

I'll share a recap early in the week.

In the meantime, I'll be working hard to make my words the best they can be.

The photo is my view from the plane from on the way to Raleigh to visit Sarah in 2017.

Here's hoping my muse soars to great heights these next few days, too.

How to Coax a Stubborn Muse

Although I wouldn't go so far as accusing my muse (Warren Peace) of "ghosting" me, it's certainly been uninspired and unreliable lately.

But it did reappear in small and significant ways this weekend, enough that I'm happy with the progress I'm making on one of my new novels (no time to open the second one).

How did I coax the muse out of hiding? It's mostly a matter of training and persistence, like teaching your kid to take out the trash.

Honestly, I have no idea why the muse decided to get busy this weekend, but I'm glad it did.

However, here's a few suggestions that often work for me.


1) Show up.

While that may seem like a no-brainer, that does help.

Sitting at the computer (or preferred writing area) and actually opening up the manuscript are good first steps.

2) Bring the muse its favorite drink.

Warren Peace likes dark roast coffee. Hot.

Find out what your muse likes and keep a nice supply handy - along with a microwave for warmups.

3) Put yourself in your muse's shoes.

Think about all the times the muse DID show up, and you DIDN'T.

My muse tends to nap on weekends and then show up at the most inconvenient times (such as when I'm on deadline at work or trying to sleep at night).

For all the "not now, dear; I'm busy" excuses I've given my muse when it's been ready to write, I should be more understanding when it tells me the same thing.

Could your muse too busy with distractions? Sulking at being stood up too many times?

Knowing the reason goes a long way to addressing it.

4) Take time to warm up.

As in any exercise, a few stretches helps the workout. Why should a mental one be any different?

Don't expect your muse to sprint at full speed.

Try this: Reread work from the past weeks and soon your muse will be racing.

5) Keep tidbits of inspiration handy.

People don't work well on an empty stomach. Well, a muse doesn't work well on an empty mind.

Have little inspirational snacks ready (a favorite quote, a deadline, a timer) to ensure the muse is able to work at a somewhat steady face.

But don't overfeed it when it's supposed to work.

Overfeeding the muse can quickly turn into a twelve-course meal of surfing social media and clicking from link to unrelated link, which may put your muse into snooze mode.

6) Give the muse room to wander.

You really want to finish chapter five but the muse has great dialogue for chapter twelve? Go with it!

You like to write in sequence but the muse has ideas for scenes in three different chapters you haven't even tackled yet? Explore that!

Or simply write as the muse dictates, in a free flowing way without expectations as to where the it (sentence, paragraph, chapter, etc.) will wind up. The best journeys sometimes come with no expectations.

7) Praise your muse.

We spend so much time "killing our darlings" that we forget to give our muse a pat on the wisp and let it know when it's done a good job, and we are really, really pleased.

"What a clever sentence" and "Great plot twist!" gives your muse the encouragement it needs to keep producing for you.

8) Don't be a relentless taskmaster.

Look for signs your muse is organically slowing down and know when to give it a rest. A rested muse is happier to work for you.

On the other hand...

9) Don't let your muse deceive you.

Muses are fickle by nature and, like many of us on the weekends, would rather chill and be lazy.

Get to know your muse well enough so you can differentiate between a muse that is exhausted and one that feigns fatigue so it can watch mindless hours of Netflix.

10) Reward your muse and give generously to it.

Muses love good music and good books. Keep a large supply on hand.

For AFTER the writing work is done.

Illustration by Christopher Gleason for "Staked!" Follow him at artworkbytopher.com.

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: The Peaked Winter Cap

Because I have a small head, I have a hard time getting winter hats to fit properly; I wind up with a Pillsbury Doughboy look.

While leaving the gas station yesterday morning after grabbing some bold coffee, I caught myself in the window and commented on the hat's weird look. 

I wish I could remember Daniel's exact wording (Why don't I write this stuff down???), but he laughed it off and said something to the effect that it's because my head is full of ideas.

I loved it; Rebekah felt he'd created a monster.

My head is so stuffed with ideas, even my hat can't contain them. :)

Benefits of Creativity: A Very Short Post

I had some time unexpectedly open up for me this past weekend, and I used to to work on Before the Blood and the second Cornell Dyer book.

It confirmed for me what I knew all along: Creative people need time to be creative.

I'm very cognizant of duty and responsibilities. I tend to subscribe to a "work before play" mentality.

But slipping into a "no play" until each and every piece of work is one hundred percent done often leaves zero time for play.

Creative play relaxes and sharpens my mind and improves productivity everywhere else.

Goal: get better at treating this as a need rather than a want.

If you're an artist, too, you'll understand.

I've Made Friends with a Book Marketing Muse

Most writers who actually write (instead of talking about writing) often speak of their writing muse, that flow of inspiration that either runs like a babbling brook or sludge, oftentimes at its whim.

I now have a new muse in my life, one I thought would never befriend me.

It's my book marketing muse.

Like many writers, the thought of self-promotion turns me as pale as a vampire in sunlight. I'm most comfortable behind a screen, not in front of it, refining a craft I secretly pray will disperse into the universe like magic dust and settle into the minds of readers, making them clamor for more.

Fortunately for me, I've had one good brand ambassador fan of the series who, for several years now, has constantly exhorted me to promote the BryonySeries.

Because she loves the series and is certain others will, too.

Because no one will know if I don't put the information out there.

Because she does plenty of her own promotion of my works, and if she can, I probably ought to do the same.

So last Thanksgiving weekend, I spent a couple days writing a marketing plan. It's about four pages long. I've barely touched most of the ideas, not for reasons of shyness or sloth, but because each idea requires its own developing, and development takes time. And I have faithfully put in that time over this last year.

Also, like any muscle, my book marketing biceps are shriveled from lack of use. But like any muscle, flex it a bit, and it springs into action.

Or so my book marketing muse tells me. And I'm finding it's true.

Yes, a book marketing muse is a real thing.

Now that this muse and I have befriended each other, I'm learning three's not a crowd, that my writing muse and my marketing muse can sit in the same room and exchange ideas.

Hence, the reason for this post.

The ideas these two muses are creating are plausible and realistic. And as I work my way through the plan, executing and refining, I'm finding myself getting as excited about marketing as I do about writing.

Of course, I need to be a good friends to these muses in return. Each requires one-on-one time, as well as group outings. But these meeting of the minds are fruitful, and the seeds of new projects are starting to bloom even as I'm tending existing ones.

Not quite as prolific as bryony vines. But at a pace I can prune and harvest.

Exciting stuff, vampire fans.

Help for a Dry Muse: A To-Do Treasure Box

So last weekenmd I was finishing reading the BryonySeries for the first time, and the weekend before that I was in Raleigh, not writing fiction.

This weekend, I was the weekend editor for The Herald-News and the Morris Herald-News and battling a nasty virus. Losing myself in the nineteenth century was unlikely, and yet, not making any progress on Before the Blood for yet another week, especially with a full weekend ahead, wasn't an option, either.

So what's an amateur novelist to do?

For starters, I teach fiction as a donation for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties on the third Friday of the month, so since I was MIA this past time 'round, we rescheduled this past Friday night. Despite feeling unwell, it was marvelously rejuvenating to hear everyone's progress on world-building and to share some of my work, too.

Must jump-sarted. Cool, so far.

But after a night of fretful sleep and needing to reserve brain cells for the job, I had little concentration left for the manuscript. So that's when I dug into my handy-dandy treasure box of min chores and got to work.

Say what?

Every story (even my feature ones) present these extra "items" that need addressing, things that slow the muse's flow when the story is streaming from your fingertips, but perfect when the muse is sluggish and slow to respond.

So, huddled at my computer in jeans and sweatshirt and interspersed with shivers and coughs, I let the muse rest and worked around it. I went to my viritual treasure chest, raised the lid, looked at the collection of story chores, and selected "characters."

Still with me? Okay, here goes.

Part of the fun of raising a village from scratch is peopling it. I was still short on people, but creating multi-dimensional people take time, and it's nearly impossible to create multi-layered people while writing multi-layered scenes.

So on this Saturday, I let the scenes go and worked on making people (the pretend kind). They needed names, personalities, ages (for the children); without these guys, I couldn't go forward with many of my scenes.

I'd been avoiding this chore for awhile because it wasn't actual "writing," but since actual writing seemed too hard, I was able to go skirt around the challenge and get something accomplished. I'm not quite done with these characters, but the beginning is nicely accomplished, and I felt like I had accomplished something, too.

Then, on Sunday, after I edited a story for work, and finished season two of BoJack Horseman with Daniel and took a walk with Rebekah, I went back to the treasure box and selected "housework." I have a Victorian housekeeping scene that needed some particular details. However, the resource that I thought would provide it actually didn't, so I reluctantly returned that treasure to the box and  turned my attention to Tuesday's health calendar.

Since this coming up weekend is a busy one, my plan is to finish outling the current chapter (which is shaping up to be my longest yet, about 25,000 words, I'm suspecting), so that the FOLLOWING weekend, I can get them written, am author's version of paint-by-numbers (write-by-numbers?) for a work-in-progress.