Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
Fourth Blog Anniversary Today
Folks, it’s been four years today since I started this blog. And because it’s a special day of a certain type, I figured I’d get on here and ask you for something special, too.
(No, it’s not publishing related.)
Please consider becoming an organ donor.
Why do I care about this? Well, when Michael died, as per his wishes I donated his organs. This was not easy to do — they asked a number of questions that were both difficult to answer and invasive, because by law they must ask these terrible questions (such as: did he have AIDS? Did he have any diseases you know about? If so, what?).
Fortunately, I knew this was what Michael wanted. So I persevered with these awful questions, and donated his organs. Several people were helped thereby.
At the time, we lived in Iowa, so I continue to receive newsletters from the Iowa Donor Network thanking me (and my husband) for donating his organs. If you live in Iowa, that’s where you need to go if you’re thinking about organ donation for yourself or any family members.
However, if you live in Wisconsin, if you want to donate your organs after your death, you need to go to the Wisconsin Donor Registry and sign up.
Other states, of course, have different donor registries.
Aside from that, the only other thing I’d like my readers to do today is to make sure their after-death wishes are known. It can be difficult to discuss this, especially if you are young and in the prime of life. I get that, but if Michael and I hadn’t had this conversation, I’d not have known what to do when the time came.
No one wants to think about losing a loved one at a young age. No one wants to think about themselves dying early, either.
But it happens, sometimes. And if that terrible thing does occur, it’s best for your loved ones to know exactly what they must do.
Two Stories Written, and Away…
Folks, it wasn’t easy, but I managed to complete a brand-new story in the course of a week (it fought me hard, too, let me tell you), and I sent it off to one market earlier this evening.
I also revised an existing story, pulling out two thousand words, then somehow adding in two thousand different words to bring the story to exactly where it was in the beginning, word-count wise (though not, perhaps, in content). And sent it off to a different market.
Both are places where I cannot guarantee a sale, as they’re both for contests. As such, I can’t tell you much about either story, except that one is fantasy, and the other is military science fiction. (If I tell you anything more, I risk immediate disqualification. After working so hard on these stories, that won’t do.)
Other than that, I’ve watched baseball (Sunday’s game was a stinker between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Colorado Rockies, but the rest of the week was all right), I’ve edited up a storm, and I’ve desultorily read a Edwardian romance that I may talk about over at Shiny Book Review one of these years.
As for plans for this week? Well, after I catch up on my sleep, I’ll go back to the editing (you have to expect that, knowing me), I’ll try to figure out if one of the two stories I just finished has anything more to say (it feels like a novel, truly) and maybe work a tad on that, I’ll keep an eye on the Brewers (they’re playing the Blue Jays in a short, two-day day baseball series — and they’re going to celebrate independence today, as it’s Canada Day!) and I sincerely hope to be able to review Aaron Lazar’s mystery SPIRIT ME AWAY later this week. (Possibly his LADY BLUES as well. But don’t quote me.)
Oh, I also have a rehearsal for the Racine Concert Band, will be playing the Fourth of July Parade as per usual, and a concert on Sunday as we start our summer series out at the Racine Zoo. (Please come; it’s free.) Show starts at 7:30 p.m., if you’re interested.
I also will be partaking in another blog hop, this time at the behest of Dina von Lowenkraft (author of DRAGON FIRE), on Thursday. It’s called the “meet my character” blog hop (look here to see what she made of it; it’s about her main character, Rakan), so my take on this will obviously be all about Bruno the Elfy, star of AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE.
So watch this space…
A Friday Free-For-All
Folks, it’s Friday. So I figured I’d write a quick blog and let you all know what I’m doing, plus give you some quick updates regarding recent blog subjects.
First, the main reason I’ve been so quiet this week is that I’m in the process of working on two stories (for submission on June 30) and also finishing up a major editing project. When I’m close to a deadline for either my editing or writing, I tend not to say much until the project is completed or the story/stories are written.
But there are a number of very odd things going on at the moment, so I figured I’d do my best to catch up.
Ready?
- What is going on with MH 370? No one has any idea where this plane is, what happened to it, where the crew are, and whether or not any of them will ever be found. It is the strangest story in aviation history because in this day and age, we do have air traffic controllers in nearly every developed country (and most undeveloped countries, too), we have pilots galore and flight simulators and computers and all different sorts of technological advances to help us out . . . yet no one has any idea where this plane is.
- The young twelve-year-old girl who was nearly killed by the two other girls in the “Slenderman” case has recovered. She recently posted a “thank you” message (with her face carefully not being shown), which was widely covered . . . I’m glad she’s been able to recover, but I still don’t know what’ll happen to the two girls who tried to kill her. Their mental state must be evaluated; if they are mentally ill, they must get treatment. (And if they are sociopathic, my goodness — will treatment help? But I’d still try to treat them, even so, just to see if redemption is possible.)
- The Milwaukee Brewers, 2014 edition, continue to look like a playoff team. (That is all.)
- The ending to the TV show DROP DEAD DIVA underwhelmed, I’m sorry to say. The idea that Jane’s Guardian Angel, Paul, would just take over for Grayson (now in Ian’s body) did not work for me. That Grayson/Ian would be content to be a “paralegal” or legal assistant for Jane also didn’t work, though at least it kept him nearby. And while I fully agree that the substance of love matters far more than any outward form (that is, the soul itself matters far more than the body) — it was one of the main themes of DROP DEAD DIVA from the beginning — I would’ve rather seen Grayson and Jane be together as high-powered lawyers. (I still don’t understand why Grayson was killed off and brought back in a different actor’s body as Ian. Though I approved of the second actor’s approach, mind you — he at least made it plausible this unlikely scenario could happen.)
- Sticking with DROP DEAD DIVA, I still don’t buy that Fred the Angel would somehow lose his status for helping Grayson and Jane. Fred didn’t lose any status when the old Jane (now Brittany) came back, after all . . . that smacked to me of very sloppy writing.
- And finally, again on the subject of DROP DEAD DIVA, why did Stacey have to give birth and miss her own wedding to Owen? Why not let the poor girl get married, then have her twins?
Anyway, that’s most of what has been going through my mind this week, but because I haven’t had enough time to turn around, I wasn’t able to get to blogging until now. (And to do this, I’m taking time out of my sleep-cycle.)
Figure I’ll try to review a book or two on Saturday over at Shiny Book Review — author Aaron Paul Lazar’s mysteries are next up in the queue — but with everything going on, it may not happen.
And I do owe you all a better Milwaukee Brewers post, plus my thoughts on the Milwaukee Bucks’ draft choices (I was expecting them to trade Ersan Ilyasova, but what do I know?), and goodness knows what else . . . but it’ll have to wait until the stories are done and in on Monday.
Welcome to the Elfyverse…
Thank you for stopping by my blog, which is called either “Barb Caffrey’s Blog,” or “the Elfyverse.”
Why two names? Well, I figured it would be easier for people to find me if they used my name. But I’ve been writing about Elfys, Elfs, Dwarves, and more for over ten years — thus “the Elfyverse.”
As for what I do here, it’s simple: I talk about anything I like.
I’ve been blogging now for over five years. (Here’s a link to my first blog post, if you don’t believe me.) Over that time, I’ve talked writing, publishing, music, sports, current events, politics . . . anything that I feel like talking about.
So while you’re here, expect the unexpected . . . because you never quite know what I’m about to say.
Please feel free to stop by any time you like. And tell your friends about all my work, including AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE (Barnes and Noble link is here) and the first two stories of my late husband Michael’s, “A Dark and Stormy Night” and “On Westmount Station,” all available at Amazon.
And remember . . . support a real writer.
New Guest Blog about Parallel Universes and the Elfyverse is Up
Folks, I have a new guest blog up at Stephanie Osborn’s blog, Comet Tales. It’s about parallel universes, and why I used this particular theory in AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE.
“But Barb,” I can hear you saying. “Why did you write this particular guest blog? Haven’t parallel universes been done to death in SF&F literature? What could you possibly say that’s new about that hoary old subject?”
Well, parallel universes have been used many times in science fiction. But they’ve only rarely been used in straight fantasy. And definitely not like this.
Here’s a bit from my guest blog that explains why I used parallel universes in this particular way:
I figured it’s much easier to have one world that’s split via the parallel universe theory than it is to send someone somewhere else where nothing is familiar whatsoever. I liked the idea that the supposedly familiar could also be intensely strange – as the Elfys, at first, know very little about us, the Humans, and we definitely know even less about them. And I really liked the idea that a magical being like a Dark Elf – that is, a being committed to violence and darkness and death for its own sake – would “pass” as Human because we’ve forgotten that Dark Elfs exist.
Please do take a gander at my guest blog over at Stephanie’s site, as I think you might find it interesting. Because really, very few fantasy novelists have used the parallel universe theory straight-up . . . and perhaps me using it gives you an idea just how unique AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE is compared to other fantasy novels.
(Plus, it’s funny. Have I mentioned that yet?)
Anyway, this guest blog explains why I decided to use the parallel universe theory — something you rarely see in fantasy — to good effect in AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE. I truly hope you will enjoy it.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner “Write” a Book — My Rant
Folks, I just finished reading two sample chapters from REBELS: CITY OF INDRA: The Story of Lex and Livia, a book purportedly written by Kendall and Kylie Jenner. (Yes, they’re the sisters of Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Kardashian.)
Here’s my capsule review: It’s dreadful. (Take a look at these one-star reviews if you don’t believe me.)
Why?
There’s no plot. There’s nothing in the way of characterization. And the Jenner sisters didn’t even write it.
The only good thing about REBELS: CITY OF INDRA: The Story of Lex and Livia (and yes, it has all of those colons) is this: Two ghostwriters actually got paid to write this garbage.
As a writer of YA fiction (you may have heard of my novel, AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, if you’ve ever been to my blog before), I am appalled that this pitiful excuse for a book is currently sitting at #353 paid in the Amazon store.
And the only reason it appears to be there is this: The Jenner sisters are the young half-sisters of Kim Kardashian, reality starlet. So when they said, “Hey, we want to write a book,” they immediately got a book contract.
Then, apparently, after they realized how hard writing is, they quite sensibly hired ghost writers — which actually makes good business sense, but doesn’t show much on the creative side of the ledger for either of the Jenner sisters.
And now, they’re making money hand over fist despite the many negative reviews, merely because of name recognition.
It’s enough to make me, a barely known author, cry.
What can you do to combat this sort of nonsense? It’s blindingly simple: read something else.
“But Barb!” you yell. “I don’t know what to read! Help me!” (With or without exclamation points, granted.)
Look. I know many writers, and have reviewed many, many, many better books than this one. Here are just a few in the YA category that I recommend, and why:
Stephanie Osborn’s StarSong is a fable about a young, spoiled girl who realizes she needs to grow up and start doing things for herself before she finds the man of her dreams. This is an excellent novella about a spiritual awakening and a nifty coming-of-age tale, all in one. It was written for pre-teens, but anyone eight or above should enjoy this fun little story of loss, romance and redemption.
Chris Nuttall’s latest, LESSONS IN ETIQUETTE, is the second story about Emily, a teenage girl from our world who’s been transported to a quasi-medieval world where she can do magic and is important…but is important as much for the technical innovations she introduces into this new world (the printing press, Arabic numbers, double-entry bookkeeping, etc.) as she is for her own prodigious magical gifts. It’s a well-paced, well-written book that will keep you turning the pages, and is possibly Chris’s best book to date.
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel’s NIGHT CALLS is the story of Alfreda Sorensson, who is a frontier girl with magic. Again, she does for herself, thank you, and spends her time productively by learning about herself and the world around her. This is one of the best books for teenage girls I’ve ever read.
Jason Cordova’s CORRUPTOR is about Tori, a teenager trapped in a virtual reality game environment. Tori’s ex-boyfriend causes trouble, while Tori’s widowed father tries to get her out of the simulation. It’s a fun, fast read with a lot of real-world implications.
Sarah A. Hoyt’s DARKSHIP THIEVES is about Athena, a girl on the cusp of adulthood who must find herself, fast. Her father is against her, so she flees as far away as she can and finds a whole different place than she’d ever imagined…she falls in love and marries, yes, but she does so on her terms and by showing how competent and intelligent she is at every turn.
Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill’s neo-Arthurian Shadow Grail series (LEGACIES, CONSPIRACIES, SACRIFICES and VICTORIES) features Spirit White, who loses her parents in an accident and only then finds out she has magic. But what type, and why? (And was it really an accident?) So she first has to find herself, learn her talents, and then save the world…
Folks, those are just a few of the many excellent books out there in the YA and/or pre-teen category. These are all writers who work hard at their craft, write excellent stories that make sense, with characters you will appreciate, and came up with plausible worlds in the bargain. I highly recommend all of these stories, and hope you will support these writers — real writers working really hard to give you really fine stories with real craftsmanship.
(Really.)
So, in short: Please do not support this newest effort by the Jenner sisters. They don’t need the money. They didn’t do the work. And they don’t deserve your patronage thereby.
But many other real writers do.
——–
Edited to add: I’ve started a Twitter campaign called #SupportARealWriter to get the word out about real writers who use real craftsmanship to create good, solid, honest books — really. If you see #SupportARealWriter at the end of something, please support that writer and let people know their books are out, available, and are much, much better than the above book with the Jenner sisters’ name on it.
Attending Digicon 2014, Presenting Three Workshops
Folks, over the next three days (May 29-31, 2014), I will be attending Digicon 2014, a special event put on by SavvyAuthors.com. This is an important online writer’s convention, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
But I’m not just attending Digicon14. I am also presenting three workshops, which are:
- “When Your Crystal Ball Doesn’t Work — How to Fix Your Foreshadowing”
- “Procrastination Sedation — Or How to Quit Wasting Time on Social Media and Write”
- “Manuscripts Gone Wrong, or, How to Drive Your Editor Crazy Without Even Trying”
Now, why did I pick these particular topics?
Foreshadowing is one of the trickiest things for any writer to do. Even experienced writers can be confused by foreshadowing. So I tried to give some common-sense general tips. (I’m also hoping people will chime in with their own examples, so we can be a bit interactive.)
As for the second, time-management is essential for writers. Without it, we are doomed.
And as for the third? Well, I’m an editor. I’ve seen many mistakes time and time again. These mistakes can be overcome, but first, writers have to be made aware of them . . . it’s the same old adage as applies to anything else: You cannot fix a problem if you don’t first know it’s a problem.
If you, too, would like to be a part of Digicon14, it’s not too late for you to sign up here.
Hope to see you there.
Just Reviewed Stephanie Osborn’s “Endings and Beginnings” at SBR
Folks, I’m glad to pass along a teensy bit of good news tonight, as I was able to review Stephanie Osborn’s THE CASE OF THE COSMOLOGICAL KILLER: ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS (otherwise known as book four of her Displaced Detective series featuring Sherlock Holmes as brought to the modern-day via the World of Myth hypothesis) tonight over at Shiny Book Review (SBR).
Why?
Well, sometimes it’s refreshing to read a romance, especially when it’s about two unabashedly smart, talented, thoughtful individuals. Much less two romances.
You see, there’s a romance going on between our universe’s Sherlock and Skye Chadwick-Holmes (Skye being the hyperspatial physicist who brought Sherlock to our world in the first place, natch). They’ve recently married, are on their honeymoon, and are also investigating a crime (as that’s what they do).
But the other romance between the secondary universe’s other-Sherlock and other-Holmes isn’t going nearly so well.
And our Sherlock and Skye know this and want to fix things between their counterparts. Which is something you see all the time in romance, but you only rarely see in science fiction . . . but as well as this works, I wish we saw more of it.
To see a couple in deep distress (in this case, other-Sherlock and other-Skye) figure out a way to rectify their distress and fix their relationship is the hallmark of a great romance. Which is why I’m urging you to go read Stephanie Osborn’s ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS just as soon as you can if you love Sherlock Holmes (as brought to the modern-day), if you love intelligent romances, and/or you love intelligent science right along with your intelligent romance.
You won’t regret it.
Barb Caffrey's Blog 