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Tips and tools for writers from Kayelle Allen

Layering emotion into characters: Writing Pietas #writerslife #writers

Layering emotion into characters: Writing Pietas #writerslife #writersWhat does layering emotion into characters mean?Β Isn’t writing: “No!” he screamed angrily telling instead of showing? Yes, it is. So how do you add emotion without telling the reader what the emotion is? Here’s how to show, not tell.

To layer emotion, look at two things.

To add emotion to your writing, look at verbs and nouns. Before you heave something at the screen, let me show you what I mean. This is the opening paragraph of my upcoming military science fiction novel, Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire. I wanted to show that the main character, Pietas, is unhappy about being in a dark forest. He feels trapped. It’s closing in on him, but you can’t write that. It’s telling. So I focused on words that had a negative connotation instead. Here’s the first paragraph:

Would this incessant nightmare of darkness never end? The steaming, lightless rainforest stank of alien spores and enough flowers to choke the dead. Let the others inhale all they wanted, but this cloying scent left a sickening taste in his mouth. Pietas gagged, but controlled his stomach.

Verbs

Here is the same paragraph with the verbs highlighted in red.

Would this incessant nightmare of darkness never end? The steaming, lightless rainforest stank of alien spores and enough flowers to choke the dead. Let the others inhale all they wanted, but this cloying scent left a sickening taste in his mouth. Pietas gagged, but controlled his stomach.

The first verb, would, is passive, but used to ask a question with a negative connotation, which lends power. The rest have their own inferences, mostly negative. Since the goal is to show the character feels trapped, using verbs with negative concepts helps set the emotional stage.

Examine the verbs in your own first paragraph, or whatever section you think needs more emotional impact. How can you alter them to convey the emotion your character is experiencing? Is it positive?

Here’s the same paragraph, in the same location, experienced by a person who loves the setting.

The enveloping darkness cocooned him like warm gloves, blocking unwelcome light and filling the air with the scent of flowers. Others in his party failed to appreciate the floating spores and drifting pollen; he glimpsed the magnificence of this alien world through its ancient forest. He inhaled, drawing in its sweet fragrance.

By describing the setting with an eye toward emotional descriptions, you can alter the reader’s perception and let them see the character’s point of view.

Writers build emotion by choosing powerful verbs and nouns Share on X

Nouns

Here’s the paragraph with nouns highlighted in red.

Would this incessant nightmare of darkness never end? The steaming, lightless rainforest stank of alien spores and enough flowers to choke the dead. Let the others inhale all they wanted, but this cloying scent left a sickening taste in his mouth. Pietas gagged, but controlled his stomach.

Layering emotion into characters: Writing Pietas #writerslife #writersIt evokes uneasiness with words like nightmare, darkness, spores, dead. The adjectives and adverbs around the nouns add to it: incessant, never, steaming, lightless, alien, wanted, cloying, sickening. All the words are negative or lean toward the negative.Β In the end, the reader knows exactly what the character is feeling without coming out and telling them.

By the next page, Pietas finally escapes the gloomy forest. The paragraph that describes his joy never says “He was happy” but you get it.Β He burst into the welcome light, squinting and shielding his face. After hours tramping through deep shadow, the noonday heat caressed his head and shoulders like a friend, hoped for but long lost.

Build emotion by choosing powerful verbs and nouns that evoke the feeling you want to convey. Your readers will fall in love with the story, empathize with the characters, and scout out more of your work.

 

Fun Facts Solar Eclipse 2017 #solareclipse #eclipse2017

Fun Facts Solar Eclipse 2017 #solareclipse #eclipse2017While researching the solar eclipse happening in 2017, I discovered some fun facts. Here they are, in no particular order.

  • The last total solar eclipse in the continental United States was 38 years ago on Feb 26, 1979. The one prior to that was all the way back in 1442.
  • Totality is the time when the sun’s light is completely blocked by the moon.
  • This time totality only happens in the US.
  • Everyone in the continental US can see at least a partial eclipse. So will most of Canada and Mexico.
  • State capitols in the path of totality include Salem (OR), Jefferson City (MO), Nashville (TN), and Columbia (SC).
  • Telescopes aren’t necessary. You can see the effects of the solar eclipse with the naked eye.
  • Which brings me to the next point. Don’t LOOK at directly at the sun! Use proper eye protection. Here’s a link to solid info you can trust. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
  • The eclipse will plunge 14 different states into the dark.
  • You can see stars during the day during the eclipse.
  • A lunar eclipse occurs about two weeks before or after a solar eclipse.

Types of Solar Eclipse

  • Partial eclipses occur when the moon doesn’t line up completely. It only blocks part of the light.
  • Annular eclipses occur when the moon and sun line up directly but the moon is too far away from the Earth or we are closer to the sun. This makes a ring of light show around the moon.
  • Hybrid eclipses shift between a total and annular eclipse depending on where you view it from on Earth.
  • Total solar eclipses when the moon is the right distance to completely block the light.
  • Each year there are between 2-5 solar eclipses. They rarely cross the US, so we don’t see them.

Solar Eclipse Videos

This video is from an app guide. Be sure to check out the website too. The link is below.

Watch this entertaining video about the solar eclipse, presented by Wired Magazine.

Are you planning to watch the eclipse? Will you be in the path of totality? I’d love to hear your story! Please share it in the comments.

 

Character Flaws: Narcissism, Writing Pietas #PietasFans #SciFi

Origin of Pietas: Bringer of Chaos - #SciFi #SpaceOperaOne way writers allow readers to connect with a hero is to give him serious character flaws. In Β Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas, Pietas begins as an arrogant narcissist with a superiority complex. He is sooo above puny humans... but in this book, his immortal life could end when he winds up at the mercy of one.

Character Flaws

In this scene between the immortal Pietas and his father, the two are arguing a familiar topic: humans. To establish the main character's chief flaw, it's important to reveal it as close to the opening as possible. This conversation begins on the first page, but we join it here a few pages later. Pietas is speaking.

"You want us to treat humans as equals. They never treated us as such. Even now, we're hated and reviled. Putting them on the council will make them haughtier. I want nothing to do with humans."

"Then you want nothing to do with me, Son. Humans are all I care about."

And wasn't that the naked truth of his father's betrayal? He had turned his back on their people. He had turned his back on his son.

"You're right, Father. I want nothing to do with you. I care nothing for mortals. They all die."

"You were elected by the council and you serve at their pleasure." He jabbed a finger at the ground. "They want this treaty. Remember that."

"I never forsake duty." Pietas twitched his fingers, dismissing him. He waited until Mahikos reached the door. "Did it never occur to you?"

His father faced him. "What?"

"The council elected me to head these talks and removed you. You want to bring in humans. I do not. Perhaps the council hates humans more than you think."

A wave of aggravation emanated from Mahikos. Licks of emotional flame scorched Pietas's skin. Accustomed to the pain, he did not flinch.

"Son, surely you realize they elected you to keep you close and control you."

"To control--" Pietas broke into laughter. "Did they? How unenlightened." He shrugged. "Well, they can try. I must say, your annoyance today is a refreshing change from your usual indifference. I'd begun wondering if you had any emotions regarding my takeover. It must nettle, knowing your lowly son succeeded your rule."

"No one would consider you lowly."

Pietas lifted his chin. "Except you."

"I'm surprised you even bothered to show up, as much as you hate humans."

"It's nothing personal. I hate humans no more than a physician hates germs yet still takes time to eradicate them. Humans are dangerous."

"Humans are the reason we exist."

"Perhaps that was true in your reality. Humans have abused, misused, and betrayed their creations throughout their history. This peace everyone clamors for comes from concern about humans. I care less than nothing about them. As for their good graces? I have no faith they exist."

"You know, Pietas, one day you'll rely on the mercy of humans."

"You think humans show mercy? How amusing."

Head down, Mahikos rubbed a spot between his eyes. "I hope I'm there to see it. When you realize even humans have value, that will be a good day for all of us."

"How well you preach love." If only his father gave it half as well.

"Son, when the conference starts tomorrow, all your mother and I ask is that you try to be gracious."

"I'm certain I already am." He toyed with the circlet. "Just this morning when I knocked on your chamber door, I heard Mother say, 'Oh gracious. That must be Pietas.'"

"Why can you not be serious about this?"

"I consider these talks of utmost importance. It is you I do not take seriously."

---

Okay -- now tell me, aren't you irritated with Pietas right now? If I've done my job as a writer, you will be. However, as you walk in his shoes (or lack of them) through the rest of the story, you'll gain an insight into his arrogance and his hate-love-hate relationship with his father. One reviewer wrote that by the end, she loved this man (Pietas) she had been driven to hate.

Writing a character with serious flaws is like buying a diamond in the rough. You know the gem is in there. It takes time to grind and polish down to the good part.

Any of my characters mentioned on this page might be found in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.


~ Copyright Β©2024 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!


To experience art, sci-fi, romance, and space opera with unstoppable, unshakeable, unforgettable characters so real you'll swear you've met them, join my newsletter.

5 Exercises and 5 Excuses for Writers #writerslife #MFRWauthor

5 Exercises and 5 Excuses for Writers #writerslife #MFRWauthorYou might not be aware, but writing can be hazardous to your health. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome affects millions and is a serious threat to many writers. I had surgery (called a carpal tunnel release) on each hand, one after the other, many years ago. I’m completely recovered but it was a long haul. Here are some exercises that helped me recover.

These five exercises are ones my physical therapist taught me. After those, I’ll pass on five excuses for the author who likes less of a challenge. Any writer can do these hand exercises. They are pleasant, and simple. Performing warm up exercises for your hands can help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome and other maladies.

I am not a doctor or a trained physical therapist, but I am a writer who has dealt with carpal tunnel and lived with the pain it causes. These are suggestions based on what I do myself and what my therapist gave me to do. As with any exercise program, check with a medical professional before beginning, or if you have concerns. I personally do all the exercises below and they work for me. I hope they’ll help you.

Exercises for Writers

Exercise 1

Spread your fingers as wide as possible, hold the stretch to a count of five. Make a tight fist and hold that to a count of five. Repeat. Do this at least twice per hand before beginning your day.

Exercise 2

With right hand open, place fingers in the palm of your left hand. Press with the right while resisting with the left. You might feel this all the way to your elbows. That’s okay. It means there’s a good stretch. Hold for a count of five. Reverse hands and repeat. Do this twice per hand. I credit my fast recovery from surgery with this kind of therapy.

Exercise 3

Holding your hand straight up, keep fingers together and bring your thumb across your palm. Try to touch the base of your little finger. Stretch for it. If this is difficult it likely means your hand is tight. Repeat five times. You can do both hands at once.

Exerci5 Exercises and 5 Excuses for Writers #writerslife #MFRWauthorse 4

Use a small stress ball. Here’s one available on Amazon that is safe, non-sticky, and is said to last a lifetime. This one claims to be safe around children, but use your own judment. Β http://amzn.to/2tEhEOi Place the ball on a firm surface and place the palm of your hand atop it. Keeping your fingers straight, roll the ball beneath your hand. Stress balls often come with their own suggested exercises.

Exercise 5

If you have twin sinks this is easy. If you don’t, try two deep bowls. Fill one with hot water. Make it cool enough to hold your hand in comfortably, but still be considered hot. Fill the other side with cold water. You can float a few ice cubes in it. Plunge your hands in the hot water and hold for 30 seconds. Then put them right into the cold water for 60 seconds. Repeat five times. This makes my hands feel wonderful! I hope you enjoy it too.

Excuses for Writers

We all have days where we just can’t seem to cope. Days when good enough is good enough. For those days, try these excuses. Because we’re writers, these are writing-related.

Excuse 1

You’ve worked hard on marketing and writing so take a break. Play Spider Solitaire, Mahjongg, a word search puzzle, or other game. Alternate option: read.

Excuse 2

The submission process is stressful, so write in a pre-formatted document. To create, open a blank document and save it as Chapter One. Double-check the formatting. Set a new format to indent automatically five spaces when starting a new paragraph, format it for double lines and name it Editing.

Excuse 3

You should be well hydrated before beginning any exercise. Fill your coffee cup, lift, sip, and put it back down. Repeat with the other hand. Do this until the cup is empty. Refill so you can repeat again later if needed.

Excuse 4

You should keep to your schedule as much as possible, so check your email and calendar for any upcoming events. Because these tasks fall under marketing, this is an acceptable writing activity.

Excuse 5

Writers should use good equipment, including things used for exercise. Double-check the exercise equipment you have on hand to be sure it’s high quality. You might try comparison shopping online. While you’re ordering new items, stock up on coffee, creamer, and sugar. This might be a good time to consider the meal plan for the week.


There you have it. Five exercises and five excuses. Which you use depends on you. Have you faced similar issues with pain when writing? How did you deal with it? Feel free to leave a comment.

What is a Hashtag? #writerslife #MFRWauthor

What is a Hashtag? #writerslife #MFRWauthor @kayelleallenWhat is aΒ hashtag? I’ll share a simple definition in a moment, but to understand you need to know what they were created to accomplish. Do you know what the abbreviation “etc.” means? It’s the word et cetera which is Latin for “additional unspecified odds and ends; more of the same.” It’s intended to reduce the number of characters (or sentences) needed to explain an item.

That abbreviation is a perfect example of not wasting time. We don’t write an entire list, or even the entire word. Although, here’s a question: why is the word abbreviation so long? Hmmm. Another post for a different day.

Since 2012, I have hosted over 350 authors a year on my Romance Lives Forever blog, and I’ve seen trends come and go. One that’s endured is adding hashtags to the subject. Why is this valuable? Because when the post is shared on social media, those hashtags will enable people to find it. Here’s an analogy that might help you understand.

What is a Hashtag

This symbol: # is called a hashmark. It’s also the abbreviation (there’s that word again) for number. On Twitter (and most other social media) when you add that symbol in front of a word, it changes the word to a search program.

Let’s say you want to look up the word “tweet” on Twitter. In the Twitter search box, you type #tweet. The URL that pops up is this:Β https://twitter.com/search?q=%23tweet&src=typd and all the tweets with that hashtag are listed.

Why Do I Need Hashtags

I’m a busy person. I know you are too. Imagine if you needed to pick up something at the grocery store, so you run in, grab a cart, and head for the produce department. When you get there, you discover a case for milk next to the lettuce. Not the milk you buy, unfortunately. Then next to the milk is a shelf with bread, but the brand you prefer isn’t there either. Then comes oatmeal. The quick cooking type–but your kids like the instant version.

At this point, you stop, look around, and realize the entire store has been completely rearranged. There is no rhyme or reason to its layout. It’s just whatever the store received that day in the back went out onto the sales area. No more aisles with bread, or aisles with canned veggies, or aisles with cereal. You have to walk up and down every aisle hoping to find what you need. How fast would you push that cart back to the exit and go elsewhere? Yeah. Me too.

Twitter is a store for information, news and opinions. It puts out whatever comes in as the info arrives. There is no order. You get what you get. If you want to find something on Twitter, you either look for a person who interests you, or a hashtag that does.

Hashtags are to Twitter what aisles are to a store. They are the “departments” where you can find what you need and what you’re looking for. I recommend having 1-2 hashtags in the title of a blog post, near the end of the subject. Use 1-2 in a tweet also. Generally, using over 3 hashtags is considered “spammy.”

What is a hashtag that works well for certain genres? That depends on what you want. Are you looking for suspense books with romantic elements? Try #romanticsuspense #suspense and also #romance #suspense together. What is a hashtag you can use to find info on your favorite TV show? Many times it’s the name of the show. Try #BigBangTheory #TheFlash #Arrow or initials, such as #TVD for The Vampire Diaries.

You could just scroll on Twitter and read, but what if you went there to find out if others are watching the same TV show you are? What is the show’s hashtag? Enter that in the search box and pow! There are all the show’s tweets. How cool to discover the cast is live tweeting! You can interact with fans, actors, and writers. Without a hashtag, you’d be lucky to stumble across even one tweet.

In the banner above, I use the hashtags associated with my writing, so people can watch those and find my books. What do you use when you search for books?Β When you browse Twitter the next time, click on a few hashtags and see what you find.

If you’ve used specific hashtags to find info, what are they? I follow #Thranduil #ThranduilThursday #LeePace and #Fanart – what do you follow? Please share in the comments.


Want to hear about a new book every day? Visit Romance Lives Forever. Our hashtag is #RLFblog which means posts by our guest authors are easily found on Twitter and Facebook. Check it out!

Coming next week – Best Hashtags for Writers

6 Romantic Spring Date Ideas #hopelessromantic

6 Romantic Spring Date Ideas #hopelessromantic @kayelleallenWhy write about romantic spring date ideas? Because I believe in romance.Β The motto in my logo and on my website is Romance Lives Forever.

I’ve been married 43 years to the same guy and we still savor romance every day. We enjoy being together. Part of that reason is because we listen to one another and we laugh together. We don’t go out on the usual dinner and a movie type dates. We do enjoy going out to eat and we watch a lot of movies, especially at home. But to go somewhere and have fun without spending a fortune or wearing yourself to a frazzle with the travel… That’s tricky. With it being spring, I thought it would be fun to come with some ideas on what to do. IΒ asked my husband for ideas. There were two requirements. A) They didn’t require a lot of money. B) They were things he’d enjoy doing. Here’s what weΒ brainstormed.

1. Pack a lunch and head to the airport. There is small airport not far from our house and weΒ can park outside the fence and watch planes take off and land. Talk about where the various planes might be headed. For example, a large plane has a greater distance, so it might be bound for a more exotic location than a small, light aircraft. Talk about where it’s going and what you’d do if you were there.

2. Look through some travel magazines and pick a location. If you want a romantic spring date but it’s stillΒ cold outside, have an indoor picnic. Open the curtains to let in sunlight. PlaceΒ a blanket on the floor and sit down together. Pretend you’re having a picnic in the location you chose and role-play what you see. “Oh look! There’s a dolphin pod out there past the waves!” Or, if you can go outside, have your picnic in a park and pretend you’re in a different place, like New York City’s Central Park.

3. Go to a museum and take turns picking the area to visit. It could be a firetruck museum, an art museum, a local historical museum — the site doesn’t matter. The idea is to be together. Hold hands and take your time. Remember, you’re there to enjoy the day and bond with each other.

4. Go on a photo safari. Take your cameras or smartphones and each of you capture images. It can be of each other, the backyard, the sunset, the park, or wherever you happen to be. Then share the photos with each other. If you both take pictures of the same thing, how are theyΒ each different? Did you like a particular image? Why not make it your desktop image, or print it in larger size for a poster? That would make the time even more memorable.

5. Go hunting forΒ lightning bugs. When summer is just underway, go outside and look for lightning bugs. Try to count them. It’s just about impossible! They blink and they move, but give it a shot. No need for anything fancy to do this. Just a love of being together.

6. Puzzle night. Get an small puzzle (can even be a kids’ puzzle) and put it together. There’s not much to do while you’re searching for pieces except talk. Which, after all, is the point of a date, right? Getting to be together and sharing?

Here are some places for more ideas. (They open in new windows so you can save your place)Β Dating Divas offers a list of 40 fun things. Business Insider has some wonderful ideas too. I loved the ideas in this post on She Knows.

Bottom line, whatever you do, take time to show how you feel. Expressions of love never get old.Β At the end of your date, commit to your relationship and to each other, and make plans for another romantic spring date.

Which of these would appeal to you and your special someone? What kind ofΒ romantic spring date you have gone on? Have you been onΒ a date that was different and special? Share in the comments.

 

Bisexual Character: Why Write One? @barbcaffrey #amediting #author

Or, Why Elaine is a Bisexual Character in Changing Faces by Guest Author Barb Caffrey

When Kayelle Allen and I talked about a guest blog in support of my new LGBT-friendly novel, Changing Faces, I wasn’t sure at first what to write. Then it hit me: Most people I’ve talked to, when they hear about my heroine, Elaine Foster, ask me, “Why must Elaine be bisexual when she’s already gender-fluid at the start of your book?”

There’s actually a good reason for that.

Bisexual Character – for a reason

You see, my premise in Changing Faces is that people should learn to see souls. Not bodies. And that a transgender coupleβ€”in this case, one created by angels, ’cause it’s a fantasyβ€”is most likely to learn to do this first. Because who they are on the inside doesn’t necessarily match who they are on the outside.

“But, Barb,” yoBisexual Character: Why Write One? @barbcaffrey #amediting #authoru protest. “You were going to talk about bisexuality. Why aren’t you?”

I’m getting to that. (Honest.)

It seemed to meΒ when I first started writing Changing Faces, that Elaine had to be bisexual. She already could see souls, to a degree. She already knew how to measure the worth of a person beyond his or her face, and had dated both men and women.

That, in a nutshell, is what a bisexual person is.

Now, as to why she still couldn’t accept herself as gender-fluid easily? Well, as a society, we’re only beginning to learn about people who don’t always feel male or female. Sometimes they feel one way, sometimes another, maybe a third time they have a mix of both traits. Gender preference is not the same thing as sexuality; not by a mile.

So, Elaine has dated women and men. She sees the worth of a personΒ and is not automatically attracted only to one sex. In a way, Elaine isn’t attracted by anyone, sexually. She’s only attracted mentally and emotionally, and then, much later, sex comes into the picture. But that’s not that strange, considering she’s a scholarly sort. She can see into a person, and evaluate who that person is, in a way most people don’t. She doesn’t even think to do thisΒ because how she views people is part of who she is.

Ultimately, love is love. Who you love is far more important than what gender your love happens to be. Seeing a person’s soul, seeing a person’s heart, seeing a person’s worth, is far more important than whether that person is straight, gay, bisexual, or Martian.

Elaine knows that.

That’s why I wrote Elaine in this particular way. As a bisexual character, she already had all these traits. So, why did I use a bisexual character? I realized that was who Elaine was. I codified the traits she already had, before I realized I could use a label most people would understand: the word “bisexual.”

In other words, the story demanded that Elaine be bisexual. So she is.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3CQKWJ


Barb Caffrey is a writer, editor, and musician who holds two degrees in Music. She has a particular fondness for the clarinet, lived in Nebraska for the better part of three years, and appreciated the ability to combine both her loves with the writing of Changing Faces.

Her other books are An Elfy on the Loose and A Little Elfy in Big Trouble (otherwise known as the Elfy duology), while her short stories have appeared in a number of places (most recently in Realms of Darkover). She’s also the co-writer of the Joey Maverick series of stories (with late husband Michael B. Caffrey), so the next story you might see from her could be military science fictionβ€”or better yet, military science fiction with romance. She lives in Wisconsin.
Where to find Barb Caffrey

Website/Blog https://elfyverse.wordpress.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/BarbCaffrey
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barb.caffrey.1

(Note from Kayelle: Barb has been my editor for three books now and if she’s willing, many more. FYI – she would probably object to the adverb “many” in the previous sentence. Just saying.)

Is it right to quit? 10 times it’s ok #author #entrepreneur

The question, “Is it right to quit?” seems to require a “No!” in response. But does it? Not if you are quitting for the right reasons. Here are ten times it’s okay (and perhaps advisable) to quit.

When is it right to quit?

  1. When you realize what you’re doing is wrong. You’ve gone about it the hard way, for example, or you realize your information was incorrect.
  2. When it’s harmful or dangerous to yourself, others, or the environment.
  3. When it’s wasteful and not a good use of resources. Is it right to quit if you can fix the issue? Perhaps not.
  4. When someone else can do it better for less. This is an iffy one — quality and quantity are market related. If you can make a widget for a dollar and someone else has a means to make ten of them for that price and they outperform yours, give serious thought to moving on.Is it right to quit? 10 times it's ok #author #entrepreneur @kayelleallen
  5. When it’s not going in the right direction for your purposes.
  6. When you can’t control what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, this is a good time to step back and reconsider how and why. Is it right to quit if you can’t control the outcome? This is probably one of the best times, depending on what you are trying to do in the first place.
  7. When it’s no longer necessary. At some point, when no one needs this product or service, set it aside and move on.
  8. When it’s time to hand it over to a new person. Perhaps someone you know needs a chance to succeed and this project would be ideal for them. Step back and coach, but let it go. Is it right to quit when it means enabling others? Yes.
  9. When you’ve lost your enthusiasm. Perhaps a different approach to the issue is needed, but if you’ve tried different things and you still don’t care, quit. I know, that flies in the face of contemporary advice, but don’t beat a dead horse. Ride a live one.
  10. When you no longer love it. You might be enthusiastic about the concept or the product, but you’re tired of it. You don’t want to do this anymore. Then by all means, step back and move on.

The point of knowing when to quit is knowing what to do afterward. Is it right to quit just because you feel like it? Well, why do you feel like it? Is it because one of the reasons above?

Let me share some things I decided to quit doing recently. I unsubscribed from a few online services I no longer used and from a few newsletters I never read. I stopped wasting time opening email and then filing it and instead, set up a filter in email to automatically file many emails from my target people (friends, family, and businesses). Now I can see the folders have unread mail, read it, and then either delete it or go on to the next thing. It cut down on time filing quite a bit.

I am a graphic designer and love creating fanart, plus book covers, banners, and more. I created a company, The Author’s Secret, for that purpose. However, after five years, I realized I was spending so much time maintaining social media, websites, blog posts, and more for both myself and the company that I had little time left to do what I want to do most. Write. So after a long soul-searching period, I decided to close the company.

Instead, I will offer a few of the same services from my own website. That way, I’m promoting only one site and one set of social media. It’s a win-win.

Is it right to quit? I think so, yes, when the reasons are sound. What do you think? Is it right to quit or should you slug it out no matter what? Share your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to hear from you, yea or nay.

How to Leave a Review #amreading #Books

Does it matter if readers leave a review? Yes. A book with even one review moves up in the sales ranking on Amazon. With enough reviews, an author can join programs that offer the book to more readers. It’s easy to leave a review. If you’ve never written a review before, this will guide you.

How to Leave a Review #amreading #Books @kayelleallen

What should a review say?

If you received a book free then Amazon requires the following text (you can copy and paste):

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

For the rest of the review, the wording is up to you. When you leave a review, you should tell others what you liked about the book, or how you felt the author did at getting across the story. It can say that you recommend it to other readers. A review should not give away the ending of a story or spoil surprises for other readers. A review can be short and sweet.

What should a review not say?

Remember that a book review is for a product for sale, so keep the topic to the actual product. It should not have negative or unkind words. If should be about a book you’ve read. If you didn’t read it, it’s not fair to leave a review. It should not be about delivery issues. For example, if the book arrived late in the mail, that has nothing to do with the book itself.

Where can you leave a review?

If you have a blog, Facebook page, or an account on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, or other sites, you can post a review there. Here is a brief how-to that will guide you to getting to the right place to leave a review. In the examples below, I’ve used the book title “A Romance for Christmas” but you can substitute that for any title you wish.

To leave a review on Amazon

Go to www.amazon.com and log in.

To be considered a verified reviewer on Amazon, you need to have purchased at least one item from Amazon in the past.

In the search bar, put A Romance for Christmas.

Once you find the book, scroll down to “Customer Reviews” and click on “Write a customer review.”

To leave a review on Goodreads

Go to www.goodreads.com and login or create a new account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/create.

In the search bar, put A Romance for Christmas.

Once you find the book, click on it.

Rate the book with a star number underneath the book cover. The box above the stars will now mark the book as “Read.”

Hover over the box saying “Read” and you will see a small pop up balloon. Inside the balloon, click “Write a Review.”

Write a review in the box on this page or copy and paste your review from Amazon.

Sample Reviews

A sweet Christmas romance by @kayelleallen #holiday romance
A Romance for Christmas

Here are three actual reviews for my book A Romance for Christmas.

  1. Even when you think there’s no one else for you, surprises happens & another chance presents itself. Take a shot and see what happens.
  2. Merry Christmas to me. Absolutely loved this romantic story. Just beautiful.
  3. It was a very touching story! Dara and Scott were perfect for each other because they had a lot in common. It was a nice light romance and fun!

Β As you can see, a review doesn’t have to be long or have a lot of detail. Of course, if you think a book deserves a longer review, by all means leave one.

Do you have any tips for reviews? Please share them in the comments. If you left a review because you read this post, please share the link. It doesn’t have to be one of my books. Also, feel free to share this post with friends.

Photon: more than just torpedoes #astronomy #wotd #scifi

“Photon torpedoes! Fire!” If you thought that was a line right out of Star Trek, congratulations. You were right. The show has been on television, in movies, books, and other media for fifty years now. The imaginative people who created and wrote it have amassed a galaxy-sized universe in which they can release stories. There are entire wikis devoted to the Star Trek series.

Writing good Science Fiction is more than the product of a good imagination, however. Along with writing and editing skills, marketing, networking, and willingness to work hard, a scifi storyteller also needs science fact on which to base that fiction.

When I’m researching a story, I start at the bottom and work my way up. I subscribe to Astronomy Magazine and read it both digitally and in print, skipping few words in either edition. Because I’m no science expert, I depend on material created by those who are. When I don’t understand a concept, one way to grasp the basics to start with a book or website geared toward young readers. A good one is Ducksters which has a science section called Physics for Kids. It contains simple information in an interesting way and suggests other places to continue research. According to them, a photon is not made of smaller units, which means it’s an elementary particle. It has no electric charge or mass, and it’s stable. There is a list of other qualities. To read more, visit http://www.ducksters.com/science/physics/photons.php

There are numerous other resources a writer can use to research and learn. In the Astronomy Word of the Day series, I’ll be sharing material I’ve gleaned over the years, as well as resources where I’ve found them. While I won’t share a word every day, there will be one at least once a week. Be sure to bookmark this page and follow the blog for more.

Photon: more than just torpedoes @kayelleallen #astronomy #wotd #scifi

Photon: Astronomy word of the Day

A photon is one of the basic units of light. It has properties of both a particle and a wave, which allows light to be diffused and refracted. A photon has no mass and does not carry a charge. They form the most visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The word comes from Greek (phos or phot) meaning light. Combined with electron (an English word), the word photon means “particle representing the smallest distinct and separate amount of light.”

In the Star Trek universe, there are multiple types of photon torpedoes and were fired in a tube-shaped case. The warhead itself contained a detonation chamber filled with antimatter. When detonated it created a a matter-antimatter explosion and ion radiation (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan).

So are there really photon torpedoes? Would they work? Not according to theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. He says a photon torpedo would have as much power as a flashlight. I can see the battles now… Captain Kirk (or another Star Trek captain – take your pick) orders the photon torpedoes to fire, and the entire crew of the ship whips out flashlights and shines them on the enemy. That would, in truth, be as effective as a “real” photon torpedo.

So while “photon torpedo” sounds good in scifi usage, the actual definition of photon means torpedoes won’t be in our future. At least, not like the ones in Star Trek.

Like this type of post? Want to see more? What other words would you like to see? Please leave a comment and let me know.