~ Elemental Musings ~ Savoring the writing life one word at a time

Who is [insert name here] and why is he/she in my dreams?

2012-01-29T00:34:00.000-07:00

For the past year, I've had an interesting (and curious) thing happen: I've dreamed of various names, none belonging to people I know or recognize. Each and every time, the name is written out in my dream, and the dream's events may not necessarily related to the name. There is never a person connected to the name--just the name itself written out so I can see/read it in my dream. On occasion, I'll see a word written out, but usually it's only a name. The only exception to this is the word "Abraxas," which was written out in heavy black script (similar to Olde English font). Other than that, every time it's been a name I've read in my dreams...and I don't know why. This has been going on for about a year or so, and I'm puzzled as to what it means and why it's happening.

Here are a few of my guesses about this phenomena:

* These are character names I should be using in my fiction stories
* These are real people who are in some sort of trouble or need help in some way
* These are real people who have died/passed over and are trying to make their presences known through my dreams
* These are meaningless names/words that don't fit any of the categories above, and it's merely my brain reacting in a weird way to stimuli.
* Some other reason [insert reason here]

The first name I dreamed of turned out to be a real person in history -- one I'd never heard of before or studied while in school. I thought it was a fake name, but when I Googled it, turns out it wasn't. The name was Count Rothschild. He was quite an interesting fellow, with an interesting history. In fact, he was thought to be part of the Illuminati. The fact that he was a real person (and not some hoity toity name my brain dreamed up out of the blue) took me aback. Reading about him took me aback even more. You can read more about him here and here. Or you can Google the name and find out as much as you like.

I have no idea why Count Rothschild ended up having his name written out in my dream over a year ago, but why him, and why did all this begin a year ago? May mean something...may mean nothing. As humans, we always want to find meaning, or at least we believe there is some sort of meaning at the root of it all. However, that isn't always the case. After all, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar -- right?

Regardless, I find it fascinating and the question of why continues to linger. My practical side dismisses it as my brain's interpretation of the myriad of electrical activity going on when I sleep. The intuitive side of me believes there's some sort of meaning and/or symbolism to it all. The fact that these names are written out so I can read them is interesting, but makes perfect sense considering I'm more of a literary person than I am an auditory or visual person. The prevailing question I cannot shake is this, "Why now? Why did this begin only during this past year?"

At some point, I began to note these names on my Facebook wall just as a record in case I needed to go back and find them at a later time. Not sure why I would need to do that, but it seemed reasonable to start keeping track once seeing names written out in my dreams became something that happened more than once. Thing is, it doesn't happen on a scheduled basis -- it's not once a night or once a week. It'll happen one month and then there will be nothing for a couple of months...or a few weeks. It's random and there's no set pattern to it. Which, to me, makes it all the more intriguing.

Here are a few of the names I've seen written out in my dreams (I'd have to search for the whole lot on my FB history, though, because I didn't put them down anywhere else. Seems odd for a writer, doesn't it?):

* Count Rothschild
* Donna Buller
* Brenda Baker
* Joann Sutton
* Doug Dielman (yes, I see a couple names with alliteration in this list)

Finally, the most puzzling word I've seen written out was, of course, the word I referenced before: "Abraxas." If you're not familiar with what that word means -- and I wasn't until I Googled it the following day after the dream -- Abraxas has quite a few meanings/references, one of whom is a God who was higher than the Christian God or the Devil. Abraxas combines all opposites into one being, and the famous psychologist Carl Jung wrote a Gnostic treatise entitled The Seven Sermons to the Dead that referenced Abraxas as this all-powerful being that encompassed all opposites. As far as Gods were concerned, there was none higher. Depending the on the culture, Abraxas is seen as either a god or a demon.

Since I dreamed of the word Abraxas, I've been fixated on the name and the history/associations attached to the word. I've also taken things a step further and started outlining a story that involves Abraxas and all the mythological connections to its very meaning/symbolism. I can't go any further with my explanation, as I'd like to keep the details under my hat for now, but I'm showing a sneak peek at one of the cards I have planted firmly up against my chest. How Abraxas will show up in my writing remains to be seen...but I have some ideas on how I'm going to use this being/concept/symbol.

I feel so drawn and curious about Abraxas, in fact, that I have started a new email address (as of a week or so ago) that features the name: Abraxas1764 =at= gmail =dot= com. Yes, feel free to write me there as this will eventually become my new primary address for personal email, with the scribequill address used as secondary for both business and personal emails. It's time to shake things up a bit for 2012! The 1764 behind Abraxas refers to the date of my birth: the 17th day and the year (19)64. I would've preferred 1217, but it was taken. Apparently, the word Abraxas is a popular email ID. Who knew?

Also, before I get a ton of mail about it, I am aware that the group Santana released an album entitled Abraxas back in 1970 when I was a mere six years old. I didn't listen to Santana at six, and although I've heard certain singles on the radio over the years ("Black Magic Woman" is particularly kick butt!), I'm not a huge aficionado of Santana music and I've never owned the album. Carlos rocks and all of that, but my head was buried in new wave, alternative, punk, hard rock/metal and KISS music most of my life :-) However, thanks to my dream a while back, I have added it to my Last.fm playlist. I've also blipped it while DJing at Blip.fm.

So there you go! For what it's worth, I'm not sure of the reason behind all these words/names showing up, written out, in my dreams, but if nothing else, I'm going to mine it and use those strange nuggets in my writing life. Why not? What an interesting resource to have, after all. Life never ceases to amaze, and who can understand the rhyme or reason of it all? Not me, that's for sure!

Recap for 2011? No thanks!

2012-01-16T01:18:00.000-07:00

In January, at the start of a new year, many people want to recap the previous year. Sometimes it'll be a narrative about what they learned and accomplished. Other times it'll be a bullet list of some sort. I'm not doing either. Why? Because 2011 wasn't one of my favorite years, and I'd rather look forward, not back. The past several months of 2011, in particular, sucked. On a lot of levels. Just gonna be honest about it. As far as 2011 is concerned, I'm OVER it. I don't want to look back on it, I don't care to analyze it and I don't care to rehash the damned thing. It's over, it was what it was and that's all there is. Finis.

Now, onward to 2012. Resolutions, you ask? Goals, you ask? No, I'm not going to engage in the process because I don't want to put false pressure on myself or foist expectations on my shoulders that I may or may not meet. Most of the time, resolutions are doomed to fail. Then you get nothing but a big ball of guilt stuck in the middle of your chest -- or your throat -- enough to choke on. Not doing that to myself. This is the year of anti-resolutions for me. This year I will simply live, do and be. Who knows what will come out of it, but I guess we'll know at the end of this year...right?

2012: Just BE yourself & DO what you will. What's meant to happen, will.

Yeah...changed my mind. Why not?

2011-11-03T00:25:00.002-06:00

Reveal for KKTV studios to be broadcast Friday, October 28th in the a.m.

2011-10-27T06:56:00.002-06:00

The reveal from our investigation of KKTV's studio will be broadcast this Friday, October 28th, on the morning show with John Harding. Paul and I will be in the studio from 6 a.m.-7 a.m. Please tune in, if you can, or view it later online via the KKTV website (kktv.com—they usually put it up later in the day). Thanks again to John Harding and KKTV, as well as the C.S.P.A. team members who investigated. All of you rock! ;)

October always surprises!

2011-10-27T06:52:00.000-06:00

Wow! As usual, October proves to be an interesting and busy month for us (and i felt worn out BEFORE we even got to this month!) This Halloween, October 31st, proves to be especially cool because on that afternoon Paul & I will be officiating a friend's wedding! We are both ordained clergy (and have been for a while), but this is the first time we've presided over a wedding together. ;-)

Like the paranormal? Come see our presentation this Friday, October 28th!

2011-10-27T06:50:00.000-06:00

Flyer for this Friday's presentation at the Woodland Park Library. Admission is *FREE* to the public. Join our team members from C.S.P.A. from 7-9 p.m. for an evening all about the paranormal ;-)

Latest issue of Scribe & Quill available!

2011-09-07T05:22:00.002-06:00

http://www.scribequill.net/archives/SQSpringSummer2011.pdf

Ebook version of "Sun Signs for Writers" now available!

2011-08-11T07:54:00.000-06:00

It's official! The ebook version of Sun Signs for Writers has been approved for the premium book catalog and is now available! Grab my book for only $1.99 at #smashwords http://t.co/eg8xhL9

Sun Signs for Writers, an Ebook by Bev Walton-Porter
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/76044

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sun Signs for Writers is a unique and fun guide that brings together the creative worlds of astrology and writing for an instructive guide that any writer can benefit from.Packed with exercises designed for each sign's tendencies, as well as examples of famous writers and their signs, Sun Signs for Writers will help writers of all genres — and astrological signs — improve their skills.

Or, if you prefer, you can still purchase a print copy of Sun Signs for Writers HERE

Tumblr-ing around!

2011-08-11T07:36:00.000-06:00

Because I'm insane, I just started a Nocturnal Musings blog at Tumblr. I think this one's gonna be more on the personal side. I mean, I'll still blog about writing and editing (how can I not?), but I'd also like to use it to blurt out ideas, thoughts, random stuff from daily life. We shall see how it develops.

If you have a blog on Tumblr, let me know and I'll gladly follow you. :)

For my personal blog at Tumblr, visit http://elementalmuse.tumblr.com

Multiple Intelligence Inventory -- My Test Results

2011-08-07T00:02:00.000-06:00

I took the Multiple Intelligence Inventory, and my top three results were linguistic (no surprise there!), Intrapersonal and Music. Clearly, linguistics is the winner by a landslide. Then again, I'm a writer and an editor, so that makes sense.

Profile for user 823004:

Linguistic 47

Mathematics 29

Visual/Spatial 30

Body/Kinesthetic 24

Naturalistic 31

Music 35

Interpersonal 23

Intrapersonal 45

Here's how they stack up. I'd say it's dead-on as far as accuracy for who I am (or perceive myself to be):

Linguistic Learner

likes to: read, write and tell stories.
is good at: memorizing names, places, dates and trivia.
learns best by: saying, hearing and seeing words.

Musical Learner

likes to: sing, hum tunes, listen to music, play an instrument and respond to music.
is good at: picking up sounds, remembering melodies, noticing pitches/rhythms and keeping time.
learns best by: rhythm, melody and music.

Intrapersonal Learner

likes to: work alone and pursue own interests.
is good at: understanding self, focusing inward on feelings/dreams, following instincts, pursuing interests/goals and being original.
learns best by: working alone, individualized projects, self-paced instruction and having own space.

Source: http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/miinventory.php?eightstyles=1

Here's the link for the test:

http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/miinventory.php

Thanks to Lyn Goodnight for pointing me toward this test, and others!

Esmie and the Murder: Six Years Later

2011-08-02T17:12:00.000-06:00

Murder charge doesn’t fit the friend they know

‘She didn’t really have an angry side’

http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2005/09/murder_charge_d.html

A long time ago, back in 2005, a young friend of mine on LiveJournal stabbed her mother to death.

The unlikely murderer was a 16-year-old girl named Esmie Tseng. Esmie was born the same year as my son, Jon. Like many others, I never saw it coming. When it happened, I didn't want to believe it. Esmie—the one who was on LiveJournal—killed her own mother?!

As an outsider, I've been haunted by many thoughts since that time in 2005 when I heard the news. A week or so ago, I recounted the story to my husband, Paul. It's remained on my mind ever since.

The story of the honor student killing her mother made the news not only in Esmie's home state of Missouri, but across the U.S. and even overseas.

The Esmie I knew and became online friends with wrote many engaging journal entries about her thoughts, her life. She had the normal teenage angst and frustration with her family, particularly her mother. She wrote of the crushing expectations her Chinese parents had of her, and how she didn't feel like she fit in with her Asian culture. She believed she was a different person inside than who she was expected to be in everyday life — a perfect performer at everything.

It was clear, through her journal entries, that she was highly intelligent, an overachiever (and ordered to be, I might add) and creative. She wrote with a voice that was far beyond her years. Never in a million years, through her entries and our exchanges through journal comments, would I have ever believed this girl could kill her mother. As I said, I never saw it coming.

Now, six years later, I still think of Esmie and wonder what the hell happened. Mostly I think back with sadness, confusion and shock. I can't seem to resolve the stark dichotomy of the Esmie I knew and communicated with, versus the Esmie who knifed her mother to death. Those two people don't match up as one cohesive individual. At all.

What went wrong? How could this have been prevented? At what point did Esmie decide there was no other choice but to commit matricide? What was it like for her poor, terrified mother in those final moments before she died? What horrible thoughts/sights/sounds rang through her mind/soul in the violent outburst right before her death? I'm sure "How could my daughter do this?!" was one of those screaming thoughts.

Indeed, how could her daughter do it? Conflict over piano, grades and personal achievement leads to a lot of pressure, but it takes one helluva giant leap to get to a place where a person is compelled to commit murder and ruin the rest of her life. Just what went on in Esmie's mind, before, during and after? The thought both chills and vexes me.

What about Esmie's father, who, in day's span of time, lost his wife to an act of heinous madness at the hand of his own daughter? The circumstances are shocking. The realization of it all, unbelievable. Talk about the worst nightmare come to life. Even imagining what it would be like makes my stomach unsettled and nervous. That poor man. How is he coping with life now? How has he coped with this real-life horror story over the past six years? It's enough to make your heart ache for a thousand years or more.

You can never truly know someone...can you? That's the question that I'm left with after all of this. That's the question that still lingers for me six years after this crime. That realization — that you can never truly know someone — is a bothersome echo that will remain in my psyche. I suppose this makes me cautious and suspicious of most people, friend or not.

I used to work with a guy who ended up in prison as a convicted pedophile. I had no clue it was in his nature. I used to converse with Esmie on LJ, and she ended up in prison for taking her mother's life. Again, I had no clue she was capable of such an act. This leads me to believe that anyone, at any time, is capable of anything. That notion scares the shit out of me, quite frankly.

I want to believe people are better than they usually are, and I'm always sad/confused/angry when it's proven they aren't. You can't trust anyone, can you? If you can, then how do you know whom to trust? There are adept liars and manipulators out there. Psychopaths. Sociopaths. All quite crafty and believable. So...how do you know?

There's a reason why it took nine months before I agreed to meet Paul in a public place for a cup of coffee. Even after I met him, I didn't trust that he was presenting himself as he truly was (a nice guy). Almost six years later, he's still that nice guy. I thought those males were long gone, but I guess I was lucky enough to get a specimen of a dying breed: The Truly Nice Guy.

The tragedy is that I don't want to be suspicious, fearful or distrusting of most people in the world. But, in the end, how can I not be? Everyone wears masks, and the mask changes depending on the company they keep, the situation they're in, the personal motives that lurk beneath their outer shell. At least that's how it seems to me.

In the end, I often feel that I can only trust myself, and perhaps a handful of others (at most). The only man I fully trust is my husband. There's a whole history behind that last statement, and for good reason. But I won't go into it here, at least not now.

Esmie, I wish I could rewind time. I wish you hadn't killed your mother. I wish you'd chosen a different path. I wish you'd seen that it was going to be okay, and you would make it through that period of your life. I wish I'd known the depths of what was going on, and that perhaps I could've talked to you -- maybe made a difference in some way or said something that would've struck a chord with you. But now look at things. Your poor mom, your poor dad, your poor friends, your poor family members. Last of all, poor you.

Such a tragedy all around. One that will forever remain in my mind. Questions will linger, unanswered.

People's spirits often haunt places, but events also haunt living souls. This one haunts mine.

NEW cover for Sun Signs for Writers -- ebook version

2011-08-01T02:43:00.000-06:00

Here's the NEW cover for Sun Signs for Writers. My husband designed the cover for the ebook version, and I couldn't be more pleased with it ;-) Thank you, honey!

Do you need a professional, yet affordable, cover for any of your books? Drop my husband a line at videoguypaul@gmail.com with EBOOK COVER QUOTE in the subject line. Tell him you're a reader or friend of mine for a discount!

It's too hot!

2011-08-01T02:30:00.001-06:00

It's too hot! I'm not a fan of summer. Or any weather over 75 degress. Seventy-five is my limit. By the time August comes around, I'm ready for fall. It's August 1st, and I'm done with summer. Officially done. I don't like to sweat profusely and I don't like being overheated. I don't like too much sun, either. I'm a vampire at heart, so give me a dark and stormy night any ole time!

Paul & I went to the RenFest today for the second time this season. We went on the opening day, June 11th, and today, the closing day. Had fun both times, but today wasn't as comfortable as it was on June 11th. By the time we left at 6:30 p.m., we were ready to get home, chill out and watch movies the rest of the night. So that's what we did. Paul's like me: He doesn't like hot weather or summer,either.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not big on winter, either. And that's coming from someone who was born in winter. Snow is pretty, but I don't care for temps under 40 degrees. And people drive like idiots in winter (well, they drive like idiots ALL the time, but especially in winter!), so winter and snow is nice IF you don't have to get out and drive in it. Ice sucks, too. Unless it's in my drink. Otherwise, no thank you!

My vote is for two seasons a year: Spring and fall. That's it! We do away with summer and winter, and we only have spring and fall. Seems reasonable to me! Fall, especially, is a season after my own heart. I prefer the term "Autumn," because it sounds prettier. In Autumn, the leaves are crunchy, the sky is overcast, the air smells of smoke and harvest and it hosts my favorite holiday, Halloween/Samhain. There is no better season than Autumn, in my view, and I await it with anticipation each and every year. When it ends, I'm sad. No more pumpkins, no more comfortable cool weather, no more scary costumes or crazy dress-up parties.

Spring is nice. The flowers begin to bloom, it's hot enough -- but not yet too hot -- spring showers arrive, animals (and humans) are feelin' frisky and everyone has a touch of spring fever. I can deal with spring. Oh, and May Day is always something to look forward to -- especially if you like to dance around the maypole! It's nice enough outside to enjoy yourself, take a walk, get some sunshine (but not too much) and hang outside with friends/family. I vote to keep spring.

Winter and summer, though, have to go. There's not enough about them to keep me interested. "But what about Christmas?!" you might yell. In our household, it's more appropriate to call it Yule or Winter Solstice. And that entire time after Thanksgiving and up till after December 26th, for much of the world, is a real pain in the ass, as far as I'm concerned. It's no longer a "want to," it's a feeling of pressure and of "have to." It's an enforced march of hyped up commercialization. I can't stand that period of time. So that holiday time holds no charm for me. In fact, I dread it every year. Give me Halloween and Thanksgiving, but you can skip December holidays.

In the end, my point is that I'm totally done with summer. You can have it. Here, I'll ship it to you. You can have an extra summer, on me, if you send me an extra Autumn. Deal? Deal!

Adopting the Email Charter -- for good reason!

2011-07-27T04:41:00.001-06:00

I no longer have time to write long emails. Not with my freelance contract jobs, personal writing projects and C.S.P.A. admin duties. Any extra time I have I want to spend with my husband or on much-needed downtime. So if you write me an email and my reply is short or if it takes a while for me to respond, please refer to this Email Charter for further insight.

Email Charter
http://emailcharter.org/index.html

A deluge of stress in July

2011-07-27T00:05:00.001-06:00

One thing about life, and that's you can't ever know what's coming around the corner. On the 11th of July we received a call that my former father-in-law had unexpectedly passed away. Turns out he had heart disease and he didn't know it because he hadn't been to a doctor in decades. He laid down to go to sleep and never woke up. He died of a heart attack.

That unexpected event sent us on an unplanned trip to Oklahoma for the funeral, and into one of the worst trips that I can remember. Between not having a full-fledged bed to sleep in for four nights, temps hovering at the 106-degree mark and unanticipated family tension, by the time Monday rolled around and we were scheduled to come back, none of us could wait to get back on the road and get home.

I have to be honest, I'm not much for funerals. I'm all for remembering people when they've passed, so memorial services are one thing. But things like open-casket viewing and the like make me uncomfortable. To me, the essence of the person I knew and cared about is no longer there. You can feel it, sense it. Their body is merely a shell with no animation to it any longer. At least, that's my belief. Now, it's possible they're lurking about watching the event, but as for viewing the dead body...it's not for me. I'd rather remember them for who they were, what they really looked like and how they acted the last time I spoke/visited with them.

At my former father-in-law's funeral, the military was there to salute him and offer a folded flag to his widow. Except the poor base honor guard who was charged with the folding couldn't get it right. I felt bad for her -- especially when she got to attempt number four and her superior made her unfold the flag yet again and do it over. All eyes were on her, and the silence and uncomfortable energy was palpable. Her superior's gaze was trained on her, as sharp as a razor's edge. I felt bad for the young lady. She was doing her best, but it just wasn't turning out okay. After the fourth try (if I remember correctly), her superior switched places with her and did the folding. Talk about embarrassing! I so wanted to tell her afterward that it was okay, and we know she was trying, but of course I didn't.

After the funeral and a brief visit with my former inlaws (these are the family of my first husband, who passed away in 2001), we left and traveled to Lawton, Oklahoma to visit my mom and one of my brothers. It was even hotter in Lawton, and while I was grateful for a place to stay, not having a bed was taking its toll. I ended up sleeping, upright, in a recliner. My other choices were the floor or the short loveseat.

Again, I'm grateful we didn't have to stay in a hotel, but I miscalculated my body's ability to handle going four uncomfortable nights without a bed and, consequently, sleeping only about 2 hours, max, per night. I'm an unpleasant person when I haven't gotten enough sleep, and it was difficult to control my surliness. I knew it wasn't them as much as it was me, however. I'm getting old and cranky -- I'll admit it! :)

Without going into painful detail, the overall visit was nice in spots, but tension-filled in others. I was grateful to see my mom, whom I hadn't seen in three years, and one of my brothers, whom I also hadn't seen in three years, either. One interesting excursion was a trip to two casinos in Lawton, one owned by the Comanche Nation and the other owned by the Apache tribe. As a person who has 1/8 Cherokee heritage due to my great grandmother on my mother's side, I was excited to finally visit a casino run by Native American tribes.

Finally, we made the long, ten-hour trip back home to Colorado. But the deluge of stress didn't let up upon our return. Because I'd lost 4 1/2 days of work because of our unexpected trip, I was faced with an overflowing inbox and pressure to play catch-up right away. I needed a vacation to get over the events of the past week, but there wouldn't be any of that. No, sirree Bob! When you return from a trip, it's like you have to recover from it for a full week before you feel back to normal. At least that's the way it is for me.

So the past week and a half has been all about trying to catch up (which is a fallacy, because once you dodge the first volley of tasks, another volley is already on its way). I don't smoke or drink often, but right now I feel like I could very well start. The only thing to do, I suppose, is take a deep breath (or two), keep diving in and go from there. Life is, after all, an ongoing race on many levels, after all.

Ebook covers!

2011-07-13T01:43:00.000-06:00

My husband, Paul, who is a professional illustrator and videographer, will be doing the book covers for my next two fiction ebooks.

If you need a book cover for your ebook at an affordable price, drop me a line. He is open to taking on new clients!

Wait till you see my NEW cover for the Sun Signs for Writers ebook! It's AWESOME! ;-)

Want to get published? DON’T do ANY of these things!

2011-07-12T02:40:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder what’s going on inside other people’s heads? I sure do. Writers, especially. I’m a writer. I’m also an editor. I know what each side of that desk looks like, and it’s helped me become a better writer and avoid the many pitfalls I’ve seen while wearing my editor hat.

There are times when I ask myself, “Is this writer looking for a way to get their work rejected ON PURPOSE? They must be, because otherwise why would they do something so stupid and…and…inexplicable?” After pounding my head on the desk for 20 minutes, minimum, I straighten my glasses, take a huge gulp of coffee and compose myself. How do I break it to them professionally, yet gently? It’s difficult at times. Trust me, it is.

If I made a list of all the idiotic things writers do that make them flirt with — or outright coax — rejection, I could be here for days, weeks or years. Let’s take a handful at a time, shall we? There will be plenty to cover for the foreseeable future. Trust me on that!

Here are some things you should NOT do if you plan to get published at any time in the near future:

*Don’t submit handwritten manuscripts. Certainly not on colored or perfumed paper. It screams, “Amateur!”

* Don’t ignore spelling or grammar. Learn it. If it’ll be a while before you get a rudimentary grasp of either, then HIRE an editor to polish your work!

* Don’t use weird fonts or formats in your manuscript. You might think Viner Hand is an interesting font to use, but it makes this editor stabby!

* Don’t ignore the basics of manuscript format. Scour the internet for information, buy a book on the subject or ask a seasoned writer how to prepare your manuscript.

* Don’t tell me you’ll be the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Maybe you will, but chances are you won’t. Besides, if that’s the only reason why you’re writing (to get rich and famous), you’d be better off playing the lottery.

* Don’t think because I’m friendly, I’m your best buddy. I may like you and be friendly and personable to you, but business is business. How I feel about you personally has no bearing on whether your manuscript is worthy of publication. No, you can’t have my home phone number or address. Don’t ask.

These are only a handful of things you shouldn’t do when you’re hoping to get your work published, and there are many more. If you want to save your editor’s sanity and make a good impression, DON’T do any of the things I’ve mentioned. Editors are overworked and underpaid. Please make our lives easier by submitting professional work. Creativity doesn’t give you license to be LAZY in your presentation to a potential publisher/editor/agent.

Till next time, I hope to avoid pulling out more clumps of hair in frustration. I’m already finding gray strands of hair on top of my head, and this does NOT make me happy. Please don’t add more to the bunch, I’m begging you!

Now…back to writing! Make it good, make it entertaining, make it PROFESSIONAL!

*Originally published at Writer's Dominatrix

Can't make a decision? Roll the dice!

2011-07-10T23:13:00.002-06:00

Kind of ridiculous that I spent TWO HOURS flipping through Blogger layouts looking for just the right template, but that's exactly what I did. Ninety-seven pages of layouts, and I must've tried on thirty of those (I didn't count, so it could be slightly more). Yes, it's just a layout, but it had to FEEL right. Like a book title has to FEEL right, I suppose. Once I get into that zone of obsession, I am driven to find *just the right fit*.

I finally settled on the template you're seeing now; however, there is a second one I liked just as much (the name of it is "Tired Girl.") Both of the layouts were from the same person. This one's more dramatic, while the other one's more understated/muted.

On days like this, my ability to make a quick decision is stunted, so I asked my husband which one I should choose. His answer? Get the gaming dice and roll. Anything over 50 would be the template you see here, anything under 50 would be the other template. Obviously, I rolled over 51. In fact, I rolled a 66. Decision made! Let me add that I have beautiful gaming dice, and it's a damn shame that I don't get much of a chance to use it. :-(

I'm still keeping "Tired Girl," though. Figured I can switch over whenever I feel the need. You know, shake things up and all of that. On days when I'm feeling softer inside, I'll make the switch. For now, this works. I'm a sucker for contrast, so the black and red do appeal to me. I'm not much on red...unless it's paired with black. I also dig the Asian theme. Works for me.

Nonetheless, I can't believe I took two hours of my evening to pore over Blogger layouts. SMH. I'm a weirdo sometimes. Then again, you already knew that...and hopefully some of you find that endearing :-)

Video evidence featured on season finale of Bio Channel's "My Ghost Story."

2011-07-10T05:27:00.000-06:00

When I'm not writing or editing, I'm investigating the paranormal with my team, Colorado Springs Paranormal Association (C.S.P.A.). I founded the group in 2005 and we've conducted over 100 investigations thus far.

Some of the video evidence we have captured was recently featured on the season 2 finale of Biography Channel's "My Ghost Story." The episode aired on Saturday, June 11, 2011. Ours is the first in the episode. Click the link and watch :)

http://youtu.be/Egc1E1rgACg

Drop in for a visit, will you?

2011-07-10T04:49:00.001-06:00

Hello, lovelies! Please visit my newly launched Star Ferris author page. She's my alter ego, of sorts. The Bev Walton-Porter half of me writes the more serious stuff -- nonfiction and the like -- and the Star Ferris half of me writes contemporary romance, paranormal/dark fiction, suspense & erotica. There's something for everyone :)

My first fiction book, "Mending Fences," was pubbed by Whiskey Creek Press in Sept. 2006. "Hidden Fire," my latest, was pubbed by Whiskey Creek Press in June 2009. Current WIPs (Works In Progress) are "Shadowman's Bride" & "Spectral Seduction," both paranormal fiction.

Hope you'll join me over on my Star Ferris page on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/StarFerris

Oh, I just don't know

2011-07-10T04:44:00.000-06:00

I'm not digging on the design of my blog, but I'm tired and don't want to mess with redoing it right now. I'll know what I want when I see it, but I'm not seeing it quite yet.

Busy week -- and PPWC this coming weekend. Woo!

2011-04-25T23:29:00.002-06:00

Busy, busy week with editing and edit managing! Caps off with the three-day Pikes Peak Writers Conference at the Marriott Colorado Springs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I'm nervous, but at the same time I can't wait!

EM's Word of the Week for 4.20.11 -- insensate

2011-04-20T17:41:00.000-06:00

Word of the Week for 4.20.11: insensate

Define the word, then use it in your writing, whether in a sentence, paragraph or short story. Enjoy!

EM's Word of the Week for 4.12.11 -- Larrikin

2011-04-14T02:38:00.001-06:00

Word of the Week for 4.13.11: Larrikin.

Define the word, then use it in your writing, whether in a sentence, paragraph or short story. Enjoy!

Elemental Muse's Word of the Week for 4.4.11 -- pleonasm

2011-04-05T04:07:00.002-06:00

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to find out what that word means, employ the word in a sentence (or paragraph) and use it to jump-start a freewriting session. Build a short story from it, build an article from it, build *something written* from it. The main thing is to USE that word to think about what the word means, how it feels to you as a writer, how you could use that word in a piece of writing (could be a sentence, could be a longer piece) and go from there.

This week's word is pleonasm

Have a good week, everyone! :)

New blog design and current reads

2011-03-31T18:19:00.000-06:00

So I'm messing around with the design of my main blog here. Not sure how it will end up, though. I liked the old design, but after five years, it's time for a change.

What else? I'm also spending more time over at Goodreads and enjoying myself. Love finding out about other readers and writers and finding out about their book recommendations. Other places I'm haunting: Smashwords and Red Room. If you're over there, give me a shout or add me! :-)

What am I reading now? As usual, I'm reading more than one book. I keep books in various places, but these days I'm reading more ebooks on my Nook and iPad than anything else. It's easier for me. If I see a book at, say 2 a.m., on Barnes & Noble and I wanna read it NOW, I can in a matter of a minute or so. That simple, that easy. I don't have to wait to make a trip to the bookstore (though I love bookstores) and I don't have to wait for Amazon or Barnes & Noble to ship it to me. Love that convenience. Of course, that means I'm buying more books overall. And that's good for the publishing industry! An industry that's changing, to be sure, which is also a good thing!

Books I'm in the process of reading (some slower than others):

--Tide of Change by Hossca Harrison
--Switched by Amanda Hocking (yes, the wunderkind of ebook publishing, who just signed a seven-figure deal with St. Martins. GO Amanda!)
--Paranormal Technology by David M. Rountree
--A New Breed: Satellite Terrorismby Dr. John Hall

Last book I read:
Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio

Finally, if you're here in Colorado Springs, drop by the 2011 Mountain of Authors event this Saturday, April 2nd at the East Branch of the Pikes Peak Library District. I'll be one of 15 featured local authors. The event is FREE and starts around 11:30 a.m. There will be a panel on paranormal fiction and on the publishing industry. Jerry Jenkins will be the keynote speaker. Hope to see you there!

For now, I'm out of here. Take care :-)

Sun Signs for Writers coming to ebook format!

2011-03-30T00:38:00.001-06:00

I'm excited to announce that, in the very near future, the first-ever ebook copy of Sun Signs for Writers will become available. In addition, there will be a new cover as well as additional bonus materials included in the new version. Following thereafter, SSfW will be re-released in print with the new cover and additional materials.

Though I am forever thankful to my first publisher for taking on the book from a new, first-time author, I'm excited for these new opportunities.

The publishing landscape is changing on a constant basis, and authors are gaining more autonomy over their work. Exciting times! Can't wait to see what's next!

New ebook formats for Secrets of the Professional Freelancer & Shadows of the Soul

2011-03-25T10:28:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone,

I'm working on converting the rest of my books to various ebook formats. Secrets of the Professional Freelancer and Shadows of the Soul are both now available. Use the coupon below to get 10 percent off Secrets till May 1st!:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/49033

Get Secrets of the Professional Freelancer, the book I wrote based on my long-running online course, for $2.69, or 10% off the regular price, until May 1st. Use this coupon code when placing your order: AX72R. Enter the code prior to checkout. If you've wanted to become a freelance writer, but weren't sure how to begin, my book can help you achieve your goal.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48849

Shadows of the Soul is a collection of poems that explores the ebb and flow of human life with all its joys, sorrows, surprises and triumphs. Written during a dark and transformative period of Bev Walton-Porter's life, just prior to and after the death of her first husband, this collection addresses the raw and exposed core of existence that pulses beneath the surface of every human being.

Loss of a wonderful creative mentor -- Louis Cicotello

2011-03-16T00:25:00.000-06:00

I'm devastated over this. He was an amazing professor and mentor. One of my favorite teachers at Univ of Colorado @ Colo Springs. So talented, creative, enthusiastic. The kind of person you want to have touched your life if you're a creative. He certainly touched this writer's life and taught me much about the visual arts. I took his classes for credits, but gained SO much more! You will be missed, Professor.

http://www.gazette.com/entertainment/fatal-114542-terms-lived.html

A good man went down last week:
http://theatreworks.typepad.com/murrayross/2011/03/louis-cicotello.html

Last Word of the Week for 3.4.11: suffumigation

2011-03-15T20:54:00.001-06:00

Definition:

–noun

1. The act of fumigating, literally from below; fumigation.

2. The act of burning perfumes: one of the ceremonies in incantation.

3. A fume; especially, a preparation used in fumigating.

Source: Wordnik.com

Smashwords profile -- are you over there, too?

2011-03-15T20:47:00.001-06:00

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bevwaltonporter

Set up an author profile on Smashwords and my books will be added soon (once I have time in the midst of my other weekly editing duties). If you have a profile over there, feel free to share it with me! :)

Elemental Muse's Word of the Week for 3.4.11 -- suffumigation

2011-03-08T01:38:00.000-07:00

Each week, I'll choose a Word of the Week. I'll post the word on my blogs and on Facebook. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to find out what that word means, employ the word in a sentence (or paragraph) and use it to jump-start a freewriting session. Build a short story from it, build an article from it, build *something written* from it. The main thing is to USE that word to think about what the word means, how it feels to you as a writer, how you could use that word in a piece of writing (could be a sentence, could be a longer piece) and go from there.

This week's word is suffumigation

Have a good week, everyone! :)

Word of the Week for 2.25.11: tachyphrasia

2011-03-08T01:35:00.001-07:00

Word of the Week for 2.25.11: tachyphrasia

Definition:

–noun
1. Very rapid and voluble speech.

Source: WordNet

Elemental Muse's Word of the Week for 2.25.11 -- tachyphrasia

2011-02-25T02:46:00.002-07:00

Word of the Week for 2.17.11: fulgurite

2011-02-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Word of the Week for 2.17.11: fulgurite

Definition:

–noun
1. A vitrified sand tube produced by the striking of lightning on sand; a lightning tube; also, the portion of rock surface fused by a lightning discharge.

Source: WordNet

Hope you had fun with it. I know Maurine did! ;-)

Elemental Muse's Word of the Week for 2.17.11 -- fulgurites

2011-02-17T04:50:00.000-07:00

Last Word of the Week for 02.3-2.11-- Quadrumane

2011-02-17T04:39:00.002-07:00

Definition:

quadrumane: An animal having four hands and feet with opposable digits, specifically a member of the now obsolete order of mammals Quadrumana, comprising all non-human primates; a primate.

Source: http://www.wordnik.com/words/quadrumane

Was this a new one to you?

Upcoming events!

2011-02-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to participate in the 2011 Mountain of Authors event on Saturday, April 2 at the East Branch of the Pikes Peak Library District.

In addition, on April 29th, I'll be presenting two back-to-back workshops on writing and the paranormal for the 2011 Pikes Peak Writers Conference as part of their Alternate Realities Program.

Hope to see some of you locals there! ;-)

Elemental Muse's Word of the Week: quadrumane

2011-02-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Last week's word: knissomancy

2011-02-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Definition of last week's word:

knissomancy: Divination using burning incense

Source: phrontistery.info

Hope you had fun with it! ;) I burn incense all the time, so this one was of special interest to me.

Link to guest appearance on Castle Rock Radio 1.26.11

2011-01-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was a guest on Empowerment Through Healing through Castle Rock Radio, which is broadcast out of Castle Rock, Colorado. It's an hour-long show and host Tami Urbanek interviewed me about the paranormal and paranormal investigation in general. Hope you can give a listen!

http://castlerockradio.com/media_player.asp?messageID=82936

Guesting TODAY on Castle Rock Radio @ 3p.m.

2011-01-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

I'll be a guest tomorrow on Castle Rock Radio's "Empowerment through Healing" program, hosted by Tami Urbanek. Show time is at 3 p.m. Mountain time. I will be discussing experiences with the paranormal. Hope you can listen in!

http://castlerockradio.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=126922

Last week's word: zelotic

2011-01-23T23:35:00.001-07:00

Definition of last week's word:

Zelotic: of the nature of a zealot

Source: http://phrontistery.info/index.html

Hope you had fun with it!

Elemental Muse's Word of the Week: knissomancy

2011-01-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

Elemental Muse's Word of the Week: knissomancy

To recap: each week, I'll choose a Word of the Week. I'll post the word on my blogs and on Facebook. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to find out what that word means, employ the word in a sentence (or paragraph) and use it to jump-start a freewriting session. Build a short story from it, build an article from it, build *something written* from it. The main thing is to USE that word to think about what the word means, how it feels to you as a writer, how you could use that word in a piece of writing (could be a sentence, could be a longer piece) and go from there.

Have a good week, everyone! :)

Bev to present workshop at the 2011 Pikes Peak Writers Conference

2011-01-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

Soo excited! Pikes Peak Writers contacted me today and asked if I would be a presenter at the 2011 Pikes Peak Writers Conference. My workshop will be on paranormal investigation and will be part of their Alternate Realities Program on Friday, April 29. Yes, I accepted! *squee!*

It's awesome to be an author AND a paranormal investigator!

Elemental Muse's Word of the Week: zelotic

2011-01-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 2011! It's a brand new writing year, and a brand new year for doing all sorts of creative things. This year, one thing I'm doing that's new is Elemental Muse's Word of the Week. It's designed to expand vocabulary and jump-start creativity. How? Here's the idea:

Each week, I'll choose a Word of the Week. I'll post the word on my blogs and on Facebook. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to find out what that word means (some of them you'll already know), use that word in a sentence (or a paragraph) and use it to jump-start a freewriting session. Build a short story from it, build an article from it, build *something written* from it. The main thing is to USE that word to think about that the word means, how it feels to you as a writer, how you could use that word in a piece of writing (could be a sentence, could be a longer piece) and go from there.

Now that you've got the idea, here's your FIRST word of the week:

Zelotic

Got it? Great! Now find out what it means (if you don't already know), then use it in a sentence. After that, see where you can go with it! What kind of story can you build around it? Give it a shot!

Have a good week, everyone! :)

Fessing up--the road to health, fitness, and more energy! We're ON it! :)

2010-09-17T07:11:00.002-06:00

The journey has begun!

http://succulentscribe.blogspot.com/2010/09/fessing-up-road-to-health-fitness-and.html

In praise of bitches (a.k.a. in defense of the Anna Wintours of the world)

2010-09-17T07:03:00.000-06:00

Why being a bitch is often NOT a bad thing!

http://succulentscribe.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-praise-of-bitches-aka-in-defense-of.html

So You Wanna Be a Writer? Work for It.

2010-06-08T18:38:00.001-06:00

By Bev Walton-Porter

In life, there are small irritations and pet peeves that are more amusing than anything else. Case in point: why do people in other industries (where they are either successful or perceive themselves to be successful) assume they should suddenly become writers and can whip out a bestselling book with nary a thought?

There is a certain person (who shall remain unnamed) on another blog site who seems like a nice person -- this person spouts a lot of positive-thinking stuff and works in Hollywood. This person defines himself as a mover and a shaker -- which, by all accounts, he appears to be in many circles. He knows Hollywood and all that jazz (well, as much as you can for his age) and now he puts out a call to everyone on his f-list to hook him up with an publisher and agent because he's decided it might be "nice" to write a book and spread his wisdom to as many readers as possible. Fair enough -- and he does have uplifting things to say -- but he makes it seem like writing books and getting into the publishing industry is just as easy as snapping one's fingers. That's it's a matter of simply having someone on his friends' list hook him up and -- BINGO! -- he can just call up a publisher, pitch his book and it'll magically appear on the shelves and become an international bestseller.

It would be nice for him if that happened and I would buy his book to support his dreams, but what irks me are people who decide as a flight of fancy that it would be nice to write a book as an afterthought or to enhance their careers like it's a cute little game of some sort. It's not. And no, finding a publisher or agent isn't as easy as putting out a message that essentially tells people he's so busy doing Hollywood-like tasks that he needs someone to help get him started and hook him up with an agent or publisher. For those of us who have been writing for decades and who have endured rejection upon rejection and have paid in sweat, blood and time only to finally see some of our words in print, watching someone waltz into the room with a flippant, almost nonchalant attitude about writing and publishing is a complete an utter insult to the rest of us who have had to WORK for the few successes -- however small -- we have.

WE have to agonize over query letters and proposals. WE have to do our own dirty work (i.e. - researching markets, contacting agents, steeling ourselves against countless 'thanks, but no thanks' letters). WE battle writer's block and unwieldy musings in the middle of the night. WE fight cold and flu during deadlines, yet push through and get the work done anyway. WE put in the footwork and don't expect others to go out and take care of things because we're too busy schmoozing with illusionary movers/shakers in HollyWeirdTown. Just because you work in Hollywood, it doesn't mean you can write worth crap. And even if you get published, it should be because you put in the time to get there and it wasn't just handed to you because of a five-minute schmoozy phone call. You should have to prove your worth by crafting a professional book proposal and a query letter. You should have to demonstrate your writing abilities to the publisher and the agent. You should have to go through all the steps THE REST OF US have to go through. And you should feel the sting of rejection at least once. Why? So you RESPECT the process. So you RESPECT the others who put work into writing. Hollywood is NOT the same as book publishing. We "do" lunch...but if we're in the middle of a deadline you're going to have to wait till our work is finished first. I've missed many an engagement, party or social gathering because a writing project took priority. Writing is WORK, not a sideline activity undertaken "just for kicks."

Need a publisher? FIND one yourself. Want an agent? FIND one yourself. Write the proposals, sample chapters and query letters YOURSELF. There are NO shortcuts...I don't care who the hell YOU are in Hollywood. This is another ball game, kiddo. Most of us working writers aren't impressed by who you slept with last night or who you lunched with today.

This person does have good things to say and he has decent basic skills as a writer (save for occasional grammar and spelling niggles -- and none of us writes perfectly all the time anyway). However, it's not his writing that bothers me. I believe he could write a wonderful book about positive thinking that would motivate others. It's his attitude toward writing/publishing a book that bothers me. You want to get a book published? DO the footwork. DO the research. Get YOUR hands dirty. Write your own query and proposal for a publisher or agent -- after you've spent hours researching the market for your potential book AND after you've spent hours researching publishers and agents. Book contracts aren't handed to people on silver platters just because they had the wisp of an idea today that they "just might like to write one of them thar books." *rolls eyes*

Writers rarely garner enough respect. And even if you are a famous author, you still don't get the proper respect for the work you do. Writing is not valued like work at a construction site is valued; working with your mind and your fingers on a keyboard...well hell, ANYBODY CAN DO THAT, RIGHT? But hard, intense physical labor...now that's REAL work! *bull* I'd venture that MENTAL work is much more trying than physical work overall. Don't believe me? Try it sometime. Try sitting in a room, weeks or months on end, writing a novel...making something out of nothing but with your mind. Try selling your IDEAS and getting another person to PAY for your ideas and then to publish them on the off-chance other people might want to read what you have to say. Who the hell are YOU, after all? Why should WE listen to or read your ideas? That's not work...that's PLAY (or so some would have you believe). Creatives (writers, artists, musicians, etc.) are the Rodney Dangerfields of the world -- they never get enough respect. It all looks SO easy, doesn't it? Hell, anyone can whip out a book (or so it's believed). Do most people really think about the time, effort and anguish it takes to get a book on the shelves? No. Why, it's SO SIMPLE that anybody and his mother can do it. *bull*

So yes...Mr. Unnamed Mover/Shaker may have a great book idea and I do hope he finds a publisher and an agent (if he so desires). But please, don't be flippant about the publishing industry or the writers who work -- really work -- in it daily. It's a JOB to us, not a hobby. Not an afterthought or icing on the cake of another career aspiration. Some of us would write with or without a publishing industry. The only reason WHY we want to earn a living with our words is so we can KEEP WRITING instead of working at a crap job in cubicle hell. A bad day writing is better than the best day working in corporate America. If I won the lottery, I'd never care if I earned another cent by writing. I write to support my family because it's my chosen career...and writing is one of the lowest-paid professions a person can select (unless you're one of the top two percent who earns a decent living). As one famous person said (I'll need to remember who), you'd have better luck betting on horse racing. And yet, I choose to be a writer because I love it. It's the only thing I can do halfway decent. Writing isn't just because you WANT to some of the time...it's because you HAVE to all of the time. You live/eat/breathe/sleep writing. You can do nothing else. If you want to be respected as a writer, respect the profession and ACT like a professional -- WORK for it. Nobody is going to give you a damn thing.

If you plan to write, please don't do it on a whim. Have respect for the profession and the people in it. Writing is not a dalliance -- for some of us, it's a serious undertaking that reverberates deep within the soul.

Creative Karma – Do You Have It?

2010-04-26T03:30:00.001-06:00

In the writing life, there are certain intangibles you can’t explain to other writers until they’ve experienced it for themselves. One of those intangibles of the writing life is what I call creative karma. Simply put, creative karma means what you give out, you’ll get back. Giving support and encouragement to other writers will eventually return to you in kind. Publishing is a tough business for writers, so we need to stick together. Back-biting and unhealthy, cut-throat competition doesn’t help the writing community, it only hinders it. Eschewing negativity and using our energies together for the greater good is a win-win situation for everybody.

How can you increase your positive creative karma? Here are five ways to get started!

1. Celebrate others’ successes

Success and accomplishment is good for everyone. It also tends to rub off on others, too! Remember that being a writer isn’t about competing with others; it’s more about competing with yourself. Spread good cheer and encouragement by hailing others’ successes – like selling a first book or getting an agent – and remember that if you haven’t hit your stride yet or haven’t inked your first contract, it’s good to be gracious to others. When your time comes, you’ll find those same writing colleagues will be there to help congratulate and celebrate with you as well.

2. Teach what you know.

You won’t ever know everything about the writing business, but chances are you know something already. Even if you’ve only got a short amount of time under your belt, your trials and tribulations in the publishing industry can help others avoid the same pitfalls. Learned some dos and don’ts about query writing? Discovered a terrific critique group or message board? Found a way to be more productive during your writing day? This information – and more – can be valuable to writers who are just starting out in the craft. Write blog articles or share e-mails with your writing buddies about these things. It’s an easy way to give to others a gift of the knowledge you’ve gained thus far so they won’t make the same mistakes.

3. Share job opportunities.

One of the hardest things to learn as a writer of any kind is where to find writing opportunities or freelance gigs. Do a good deed every day by sharing newly discovered job leads and publishing guidelines with other writers – especially new ones. It may be tempting to keep the information to yourself, but remember that the more you give out, the more you’ll get.

4. Swap resources.

This is along the same lines as sharing job opportunities (above). Got a great lead on a new writers’ resource that’s chock-full of articles, how-to’s and tips? Forward the information to your writing buddies. Got a line on a new imprint for a publisher? Let them in on the tip and guidelines. Know of a new market database? Tell all your writer friends about it. Keep valuable information circulating and your writing network will stay vibrant, healthy and up-to-date!

5. Be a matchmaker.

Introduce the people you know to each other – writers, agents, editors, publishers, readers – so you can help them get in contact with others who may help them find the information they need to move forward on their respective paths to publication and writing success. Networking is a must when it comes to the publishing industry, so take note of your colleagues’ special qualities and play a combination of matchmaker/muse for them.

Keeping good creative karma flowing is one way to do unto others in your writing circle and in your profession. In the publishing business, no one should make a go of it alone - there are too many precarious potholes and dangerous detours to navigate. Offering a helping hand to others builds bridges that won’t be forgotten. In the end, make contact with others and share information you know will reap positive rewards not just for yourself, but for many others as well.

===
© Bev Walton-Porter. All written work by the author and posted on this site is protected by copyright. Sharing of content is generally okay by me, but please ask permission first (e-mail scribequill@gmail.com). In addition, include credit/citation of the original source as well as a link back to this blog. Abstractions are fine as long as you use proper citation as well. Questions? Drop me a line. Thanks!

Bev talks books & the paranormal on ZTalkRadio's Paradigm Shift - show archive link below

2010-04-16T20:23:00.002-06:00

Hi guys!

Last night's show on ZTalkRadio.com is up and archived. It was pleasure to be a guest on Paradigm Shift Friday evening. I had a great time with Dave Berck & Mischa Perez, who was filling in for Christy. Poor Christy, she became ill and I hope she'll be okay! :( It was a fun and interesting time and I thank them for having me as their guest. We talked for about an hour and a half about the paranormal and books/writing, so I hope you will check out the archived show!

http://sc3.mystreamserver.com/start/ztalkradio/ondemand/Paradigm_Shift_-_2010-04-16_-_Bev_Sninchak.mp3

Compete ONLY with yourself!

2010-04-05T00:46:00.000-06:00

To a friend: achievement doesn't mean the same for everyone. If you measure someone else's achievements next to yours, you're setting yourself up for stress & disappointment. Only compete w/ yourself to improve. Be genuine/authentic with what feels right to you. Work within your own energy, your own groove, & allow others to do the same, without undue pressure of comparison. You are a unique bird; sing your OWN song!

A Missive from Elemental Muse's Lair ;-)

2010-02-24T23:51:00.005-07:00

It's been a while since I posted here or much of anywhere else, to be honest. These days my time is taken up by working on my own writing projects, editing manuscripts and investigating the paranormal nearly every weekend. It's like I have two jobs: I'm an author/editor, and then I'm a paranormal investigator as well.

The difference is I don't get paid, at least not with money, for the latter. The reward/payment I receive comes in the way of assisting clients who are dealing with the paranormal. Or, I should say, possibly dealing with the paranormal. Claims of the paranormal doesn't equal proof or evidence of the paranormal. At any rate, my husband and I -- and our wonderful investigation team, C.S.P.A. -- have conducted over 60 investigations thus far, and we're getting close to 70. We've had some experiences that would give anyone pause, and we've met some incredible people along the way, both clients and fellow investigators.

In short, I'm an author/editor first, and a paranormal investigator second. Only these days, it seems the paranormal investigation part is on equal footing as the author/editor part. I had no idea how busy things would get, or how little time I'd have left to do anything else. Heck, my husband and I have to schedule a date night or we don't get time to ourselves as a couple! But in the end, it's worth it, because I believe my calling in life is to make a difference in people's lives, however that may manifest.

As an author/editor, I try to make a difference in people's lives with my words and by expressing/communicating through the written word. I hope to touch people on some level, in some way.

Likewise, there were two reasons why I got into paranormal investigation. It all stemmed from my own personal experiences with the unexplained/paranormal. The first reason why I became a paranormal investigator was to investigate claims of the paranormal by collecting data and analyzing it; the second was to assist people who claimed they were dealing with paranormal events, and to inform them and help them understand and address such events in whatever way was needed. I never knew how rewarding and life-changing this type of work would be, but now I know with certainty that I was meant to do this my entire life. It's the same with writing!

What I didn't know at the time -- over four years ago when I founded C.S.P.A. -- was how much dealing with the paranormal would affect my writing career, and how the two would begin to dovetail and connect with each other. I write both nonfiction and fiction; I've penned romance, mystery and dark fiction stories. I've written nonfiction about a variety of subjects too long to mention here -- including subjects that delve into the metaphysical or realm of the unknown. All the while, as I was traveling down the path of my writing career, I didn't realize my love of writing and my passion for the paranormal were two parallel roads that would, inevitably, converge. And so they have.

I'm now working on two book manuscripts that have to do with the paranormal: one fiction, one nonfiction. Months ago, I pitched and idea for one of those books to my agent over the phone. At this point, I can't go into detail about either one of the projects I've got simmering, but I can tell you I'm excited about them and it feels like I'm home and in a comfortable area. Where will it take me? I have no idea. Then again, that's part of the journey, isn't it?

You always hear the adage, "Write what you know." That's not always possible; writers can be vicarious participants with the help of experts, resources and research. For instance, if you write a historical novel, you can research and interview experts on the era of which you're writing, but you can't BE there and report direct experiences -- unless you can travel through time. If you can, e-mail me RIGHT AWAY, because I'm interested! *laughs* But I digress, as I often do....In the case of the paranormal, and investigating the paranormal, I'm writing what I know -- so far. The paranormal is a vast, unexplained frontier. We don't have all the puzzle pieces and we haven't been able to fit them all together yet, but we're trying. Still, I know the things I've seen, heard and experienced. I've walked the walk and now I'm going to talk to the talk. I will write what I know, because I know what I'm writing about. Been there, doing that. Every week. Every month. Every year.

So that's the big announcement: I'm still an author/editor and staying incredibly busy, but because of the intensity of the work load I'm dealing with, a lot has fallen to the wayside. Unless I get a few clones, I can't fit in everything in a mere 24 hours a day. After all, I still have my family and, like most people, I still need down time. Usually I find that through reading, movies, Facebook (yes, I've swallowed that Kool-Aid) and World of Warcraft. You can also find me on Twitter.

Scribe & Quill still exists; it's presently in hibernation, but will be bursting out soon in a different presentation. It'll be lots shorter so I can keep it coming out more regular. My life, at this time, doesn't allow me to put out a 40- to 50-page publication very often anymore. So, you're likely to see a newsletter that's about ten pages, total. But you'll see it more often, which (I think) is better overall. I'm still thinking through how I'm going to change the format and content. There are plenty of other zines that handle contest and job listings, so I know that's something I won't be doing anymore. I really want it to be more of a narrative zine that offers insight into various aspects of the writing life. Poetry/fiction won't be included anymore. You'll still see articles, opinion, humor, how-to and interviews. You'll also get to read profiles of writers from all over the world, in their own words. You may see other, different things as well, but you'll have to check it out to discover what those things might be!

The Elemental Musings podcast on Blog Talk Radio is still happening every other Friday. Go by and listen to the archives for past radio shows. ;-) The next one is 2/26 and my guest is author, editor and long-time colleague/friend Mindy Phillips Lawrence. In addition, I'm also the weekly host for Inside Paranormal Colorado Springs. Been doing that gig since July 2009. If you're into the paranormal, stop by and check it out!

Hmmm...what else? Oh, if you're on Facebook, friend me. I have a personal profile over there, as well as an author fan page (because, you know, my old friends and family members get rather bored with writing-related news and info because they're not participants in the publishing community).

You are also welcome to join the public Colorado Springs Ghost Hunters group over on FB as well. In addition, I'm an admin for Bio Channel's Celebrity Ghost Stories fan page and I'm also an admin for the Fans of Wil Wheaton group on Facebook. The former I was tapped as admin without asking (for which I'm ecstatic!) and the latter I applied for, and got, thanks to Naila giving me a chance. I'm a big Wil Wheaton fan (a Wheatie!) and have been for quite a while.

Finally, if you're in the Colorado Springs area, consider coming to the 4th Annual Mountain of Authors event at the East Branch of the Pikes Peak Library. I'll be one of 15 authors invited to participate. The event will take place Saturday, April 10th, from 12:30 p.m. till 6 p.m. I'll be there chatting up readers, autographing books and having a good time! Hope to see some of you there.

That's it for now -- I think! Quite sure I'm forgetting something, but when I remember, I'll write another update. Till then, keep courting your own muses and stay creative!

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

2009-11-23T16:50:00.003-07:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

Hola, writers and closet writers! Welcome to the zodiac writing prompt series, brought to you by Elemental Musings and Fear of Writing.

Using Bev's book, Sun Signs for Writers, plus the style of writing prompt from my book, Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers, I've been exploring the zodiac with a new prompt each month.

At the end of this post you'll find links to the prompts for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio. If you don't see your sign mentioned yet, don't let that stop you from having fun with these prompts! They can be used by anyone at any time.

This month we'll be having some fun with Sagittarius.

On page 98 of Sun Signs for Writers, a quick glance at the profile for Sagittarius shows the following key personality traits: blunt, jovial, optimistic and intellectual. Element: fire. The symbol for Sagittarius is the Centaur or Archer.

Pretty spicy so far. But it gets better. Bev says the Sagittarius writer is the “freedom-loving philosopher of the zodiac.” She says Sagittarians “are no strangers to wanderlust.” Furthermore, the “cultural dynamic of the global community will appeal to these writers, but they won't want to be tied down to exploring just one side of their creative personality.”

According to Bev, Sagittarians are ravenous readers with an inquisitive nature. Subjects such as law, religion and politics fascinate them, but they're willing to write about nearly any topic.

They also revel in being wonderful conversationalists, which gives them a flair for understanding how to write good dialogue.

With this spirited and forthright personality makeup, let's put Sagittarius into the blender, use the High Speed button and see what happens.

To use this month's prompt, read the Sagittarius story starter below and let it sink into your subconscious mind. Trust in your imagination and your own version of the storyline will surface.

If your imagination feels a bit rusty, check the links at the bottom of this post for the article “10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts.” These tips are guaranteed to get you started, one way or another.

STRAIGHT SHOOTIN' TALKER Katherine Bachman Sagemayer (“KB” to her friends) is planning a grand career as a journalist covering international stories. While she majors in journalism at her state university, she pursues her other love: novel writing. KB has attended more novel-writing workshops than you'd think her hectic schedule would allow for—and she always, always signs up for the dialogue class. She feels she knows the drill backwards by now, but she's always hoping for something fresh and dynamic. Lo and behold, at the Paquehasset Novel Writing and B&B Retreat, KB strikes unexpected gold. The presenter for “Dialogue: Demolishing Your Creative Demons” calls in sick and the organizers are frantic to find a replacement. KB uses her conversational skills to talk herself into the job. Undaunted at having no written material to refer to, she wings the 45-minute presentation based on her own experiences writing dialogue. The only time she's temporarily dumbstuck is during Q&A, when she discovers the true impact her unvarnished opinions had on her audience. Ever the optimist, KB decides to use the fiery dialogue with her audience as fodder for a new writing project.

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10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

March writing prompt: Aries

April writing prompt: Taurus

May writing prompt: Gemini

June writing prompt: Cancer

July writing prompt: Leo

August writing prompt: Virgo

September writing prompt: Libra

October writing prompt: Scorpio

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and still misses Australia, where she lived for 25 years. A bit of a gypsy, she currently lives in Ohio with her husband. Milli blogs at Fear of Writing and Milliver’s Travels.

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

2009-10-26T01:27:00.003-06:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

Welcome, writers and closet writers!

Using Bev's book, Sun Signs for Writers, plus the style of writing prompt from my book, Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers, I've been exploring the zodiac with a new prompt each month. This month we'll be working with Scorpio.

At the end of this post you'll find links to the prompts for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Libra. If you don't see your sign mentioned yet, don't let that stop you from having fun with these prompts! They can be used by anyone at any time.

Now, most of us, when we think of Scorpio, think intense. Bev's description of the Scorpio writer (Sun Signs for Writers, page 89) reinforces this model. “Passion and confidence make for an impressive and unstoppable writer. On the other hand, those two elements, if not kept in check, can leave a bad taste in other people's mouths. Scorpios work at such an intense level that most people cannot even hope to keep up with them.”

Bev says the Scorpio writer “has a deep and wide vein of fearlessness.” She says Scorpios “know how to work people and are often hypnotic and charismatic.” They can be forceful and demanding, but also steadfast and dependable.

And, what about that famous sting in the tail? Bev says that if a Scorpio truly wants to become a professional writer, stand aside, because nothing's gonna stop ’em! However, she cautions, “Scorpios must be careful not to leave broken souls and singed egos in their wake.”

With this fascinating personality makeup, let's put Scorpio into the driver's seat and see where she takes us.

To use this month's prompt, read the Scorpio story starter below and let it sink into your subconscious mind. Trust in your imagination and your own version of the storyline will surface.

If your imagination feels a bit rusty, check the links at the bottom of this post for the article “10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts.” These tips are guaranteed to get you started, one way or another.

SCORPULOUS Genre-hopping writer Raven McMannon wanted to do something different for Halloween this year. She was sick of all the usual stuff. She didn't want to deal with witches or goblins or the undead—and if she heard one more joke about her name, she was going to scream. Her intensity about all this had been building throughout the month. Finally, on October 30, she packed an overnight bag and her laptop and got in the car. She was going to drive across the state until she found what she was looking for. This was going to be a glorious writer's retreat for one, with the added intrigue of choosing her accommodations by intuition. What she found surpassed anything she could have planned for. And the souls she met at this “bed and breakfast with a twist” were better than any fancy costume party her friends back home could provide. Raven's imagination was so stimulated, she had to try to find a balance between writing the book that was pouring out of her and reacting to the various moods of provocation and revelation surrounding her.

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10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

March writing prompt: Aries

April writing prompt: Taurus

May writing prompt: Gemini

June writing prompt: Cancer

July writing prompt: Leo

August writing prompt: Virgo

September writing prompt: Libra

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear
of Writing: for writers & closet writers and still misses Australia, where she lived for 25 years. A bit of a gypsy, she currently lives in Ohio with her husband. Milli blogs at Fear of Writing and Milliver’s Travels.

Fall writing courses - registration now open

2009-10-01T18:05:00.005-06:00

For 12 years, I've been a full-time, professional writer/editor. I've penned countless articles, reviews and features for various publications and companies, both in the U.S. and overseas. During that time, I've also taught several online classes for writers, including Secrets of the Professional Freelancer, Creativity 101: Tapping the Muse Within and Marketing/PR for Writers. Many of my students have gone on to become professional, published freelancers and authors in their own right.

The following courses are now available for fall registration:

—Flash Freelance: Jump-start your writing in ONE weekend!
—Professional Freelance Writing
—Creativity 101: Tapping the Muse Within
—Marketing/PR for Writers
—How to Write, Sell and Market Your Nonfiction Book

Classes are limited to TEN students for each instructional cycle. If a class fills up before you are able to reserve a spot, you will automatically be signed up for the next cycle. Links to class sign-up information are pasted below.

If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at scribequill@gmail.com. Course registration begins October 1, 2009.

Once you register for your selected course, I will contact you with an introduction and information. Next, you will begin receiving your lessons, handouts and weekly assignments via e-mail. Your course starts right away and I will communicate with you ONE-ON-ONE.

Available courses include:

* Flash Freelance: Jump-start your writing in a weekend!
Duration: One weekend
Enrollment fee: $30
Course outline and sign-up located here: http://www.bevwaltonporter.com/flash.html

* Professional Freelance Writing (Comprehensive Course)
Duration: Four weeks
Enrollment fee: $80
Course outline and sign-up located here: http://www.bevwaltonporter.com/freelance.html

* Creativity 101: Tapping the Muse Within
Duration: Four weeks
Enrollment fee: $80
Course outline and sign-up located here: http://www.bevwaltonporter.com/tappingmuse.html

* Marketing/PR for Writers
Duration: Four weeks
Enrollment fee: $80
Course outline and sign-up located here: http://www.bevwaltonporter.com/marketing.html

* How to Write, Sell and Market Your Nonfiction Book
Duration: Four weeks
Enrollment fee: $100
Course outline and sign-up located here: http://www.bevwaltonporter.com/nonfiction.html

To learn about my professional affiliations, as well as my experience as an author, freelancer, editor and class instructor, please visit: http://editrix.homestead.com

Have a great day and don't forget to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!

Sincerely,

Bev Sninchak
Author/Editor/Writing Coach

Author: Hidden Fire [June 2009]
Sun Signs for Writers [Aug. 2006]
Mending Fences [Sept. 2006]
Shadows of the Soul [Oct. 2004]
Secrets of the Professional Freelancer [Oct. 2004]
Co-author: The Complete Writer: A Guide To Tapping Your Full Potential [Aug. 2005].

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 22)

2009-09-26T17:11:00.007-06:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

Welcome, writers and closet writers!

Continuing our series on the zodiac, this month we'll be working with Libra.

Using Bev Walton-Porter's book, Sun Signs for Writers, plus the style of writing prompt from my book, Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers, I've been exploring the zodiac with a new prompt each month.

At the end of this post you'll find links to the prompts for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo. Don't see your sign mentioned? Don't let that stop you from having fun with these prompts! They can be used by anyone at any time.

According to Sun Signs for Writers, page 79, Libras are drawn to a variety of artistic endeavors, especially writing. But, the first thing that leaps to mind about Libra is usually balance, represented by the zodiac symbol of a pair of scales.

Bev says Libras "prefer orderly, harmonious, and aesthetically pleasing surroundings." Libras are mediators at heart and can always see both sides of the situation.

"One of their main goals is to avoid conflict with others," Bev continues. "They would rather compromise than cause discord or disagreement." Libras can be "so caught up in seeing both sides of an issue that they become stuck in limbo and reluctant to make a firm decision."

Libra writers have many interesting qualities. As with the eleven other signs, these range from wonderful to less desirable (and you should get Bev's book for the scoop!)—but let's run with what we've got so far. Let's see what a Libra writer might do when confronted with an inner conflict.

To use this month's prompt, read the Libra story starter below and let it sink into your subconscious mind. Trust in your imagination and your own version of the storyline will surface.

However, if your imagination feels a bit rusty, check the links at the bottom of this post for the article “10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts.” These ten tips are guaranteed to get you started, one way or another.

BALANCING ACT(ING) After writing professionally in a series of inharmonious settings (for bosses with no discernible aesthetic values), you decide to quit writing forever and take up acting as your creative therapy. After local playhouses continually assign you roles related to scales or being out of balance, it hits you over the noggin that you're getting a message about your own life. But it also irks you to receive this reflection. You decide to write a play as a channel for your frustrations. While studiously ignoring the fact that you've returned full circle to writing, you blaze through your first play, entitled [insert your title here]. It's so good a local producer snaps it up, but only on the condition that you'll play [insert name and type of character here].

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10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

March writing prompt: Aries

April writing prompt: Taurus

May writing prompt: Gemini

June writing prompt: Cancer

July writing prompt: Leo

August writing prompt: Virgo

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and still misses Australia, where she lived for 25 years. A bit of a gypsy, she currently lives in Ohio with her husband. Milli blogs at Fear of Writing and Milliver’s Travels.

His Love of Words Lives On

2009-09-05T02:58:00.003-06:00

Over thirty years ago, my adopted dad, Leo C. Walton, Sr., passed away from lung cancer. The disease was caused by exposure to asbestos in the ship rooms he worked in while he served in the U.S. Navy. He was the first person to give me a love of words and reading. He was the person who ignited the writing spark in my soul, and to this day it burns brightly.

Every night, without fail, he would read stories from Hans Christian Anderson, Aesop's Fables and Babar the Elephant (among others). It was a literary ritual that branded my creative soul forever. He was a kind man, an emotional Pisces, a former Mormon who left that faith to embrace Presbyterianism, the religious denomination my mother, Shirley, held.

He dirtied his hands with physical work, toiling away as a mechanic and general manager of a Ford motor garage in a small Virginia town. By contrast, after work he refreshed his mind with classic tales and fascinating adventures. He was a blue-collar man and an aspiring inventor, always coming up with creative ideas and dreams.

My adopted dad taught me the value of hard work -– and of striving to provide more for one’s family. He managed to secure a nice, three-bedroom home in one of the newest suburbs of the area, and we regularly attended functions at the local country club, though we lived a middle-class existence.

My family went to church every Sunday, without fail, when I was a little kid. He made sure I was dressed to the nines for church, including white gloves and white furry ear muffs in winter time. My parents also had me in every conceivable artistic/creative activity when I was a kid: baton twirling, ballet, cheerleading, piano...you name it.

When he passed away in the early 70s, I quit all of it. He was no longer there to see me, to urge me on, and my desire to perform wilted on the vine. Although I was not of his blood, I was still Daddy’s Little Girl. Except I no longer had a daddy. I tried to go back to piano lessons at the age of ten, but that didn't last for long. He was no longer there to play for, and his applause was silenced. To this day, thanks to my dad, I still love pianos and can compose songs easily or learn to play parts of established songs by ear. And although I haven't had a piano for decades, in the past several years I dreamed of purchasing a piano so I could compose a song for my dad -– both the music and the words.

There are a million fond memories of my dad. For instance, when my mom would come to punish me for a childish transgression, I’d make a beeline straight for my dad and wrap myself around his permanent-press, blue-panted leg (he always smelled like oil or grease from the auto garage). Mom was the enforcer of discipline, but I knew he wouldn't allow her to correct me if I was around him.

My two adopted teen brothers were another matter, however. He was strict with them and made them toe the line. Being the only girl, I reaped special favors and attention (to my brothers’ chagrin, I’m sure). In my family, I never felt adopted. I felt loved and safe and as much a natural part of the family as my brothers were.

Dad died October 30th, the night before Halloween. I remember, quite vividly, wearing a fairy costume for trick or treat the following day. I cried on that Halloween. I didn't want to go trick or treating. I was still mourning the loss of my father from the day before. But my family insisted I go trick or treating as if everything was normal. My oldest brother, Leo, and his then-fiancée and future wife, Debbie, drove me around in his off-white, blue-pinstriped Maverick for Halloween night. I remember laying my head on Debbie's lap, sobbing and crying tears into the fabric of her dress. Although I didn’t want to be there, I knew Dad would’ve wanted me to go and have fun; after all, he'd said he approved of my costume.

Today, some believe using a hyphenated name such as I do with Walton-Porter is a ploy for attention or to prove how much of a feminist I am. In my case, those people would be wrong. The reason I use my hyphenated last name has nothing to do with feminism at all; it has more to do with honoring the legacy of my adopted dad and what he meant to me.

In everyday life, I use Bev Sninchak on most of my personal documents. In professional life, I use the hyphenated name Walton-Porter on bylines and books as a way of honoring my dad. It’s a concrete and public way of thanking him for turning me onto words and instilling a love of books in me. Dad introduced me to the holy world of literature...a force I consider sacred and powerful to both writers and readers.

Since his death, Halloween has symbolized more than just a once-a-year dress-up holiday filled with costumed spooks and candy. For me, it goes much deeper. It is a time to honor loved ones and remember them. It is a time to honor my dad. As a neo-pagan, I follow the tradition of celebrating the turning of the seasonal wheel every October 31, and I usually erect a small memorial altar for my father at that time.

Every year, I remember my dad and meditate on how thankful I am that he was my adopted father. It would have been nice to look out and see his face when I graduated high school. It would have been amazing to have him walk me down the aisle at my first and second weddings. It would have been touching to watch him cuddle his grandchildren and coo to them. It would have been priceless to hear his reaction if he knew his only grandson (who carries on his tradition of loving words) won admittance into the exclusive Dramatic Writing program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2007. It would have been a thrill to present him a copy of my first published book, Sun Signs for Writers (Writer’s Digest Books), and show him the acknowledgement to him on the inside.

Over three decades later, I love my adopted dad and I miss him very much. In many ways, it now occurs to me that I'm not publishing articles and books for myself at all. It occurs to me that I'm publishing articles and books for him instead. Somewhere, he knows this...at least, that's how I feel. Somehow, this is my way of honoring his memory and letting him know that the love he shared with me of books/words still lives on inside of me.

His physical form is long gone, but his spirit remains and thrives through me. I am the conduit for his love of words on this earthly plane. As long as my words live on a page, he will never be forgotten. It's a living memorial to him that's shared with everyone who takes the time to read anything I've written, whether good, bad or indifferent.

Dad, I miss you. Do you know how much you meant to me, even now? I hope you do.

Please add yourselves!

2009-09-05T01:48:00.001-06:00

To avoid slamming my personal Facebook profile all the time with information about my professional career, I've set up a professional profile over on Facebook. It's a common thing for writers, actors, musicians, artists, etc. to do over there. I'm was behind on doing this, as many authors I know had already set theirs up. Anyway, if you're on Facebook, come on over and join in as a fan!: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bev-Walton-Porter/122276508485

In addition, my personal profile is here: http://www.facebook.com/elementalmuse

You can also follow me on Twitter here: http://www.twitter.com/elementalmuse

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

2009-08-24T16:40:00.003-06:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

Welcome!

This continues our series of zodiac writing prompts. Based on Bev's book, Sun Signs for Writers, I've been working my way through the zodiac—from Aries to Pisces—inventing a new prompt for each sign.

Each prompt is published on the first day of its cycle. At the end of this post you'll find links to the prompts for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo. Can't see your sign yet? Don't let that stop you from having fun with these prompts! They can be used by anyone at any time.

Now, let's get to the bottom of these Virgo characters.

My mom was a Virgo, so I was on familiar ground as I read this on page 71 of Sun Signs for Writers: “Meticulous is your middle name.” As researchers Virgos will dig deep, leaving no stone unturned. Bev goes on to describe the Virgo writer as orderly and precise, analytical to an extreme and “never satisfied with a mere surface treatment of anything, and most certainly not in their work!”

Virgos are diligent, reliable and deadline conscious. Sound ideal? Bev warns there can be a dark side to this “editor's dream.”

Oh, goody. A dark side! The stuff writing prompts are made of. So, what is Virgo's dirty little secret?

Perfectionism. Yes, Virgos must learn to live with the hard truth that “absolute perfection isn't always attainable.” And there's the rub.

To use this month's prompt, read the Virgo story starter below and then give it a chance to sink into your mind. Trust in your imagination and a story will come.

However, if your imagination feels a bit rusty, check the links section at the bottom of this post for the helpful article, “10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts.” These tips are guaranteed to get you started, one way or another.

PERFECTIONISTA You come from a proud family of successful magazine editors in the fashion industry. Your grandmother, mother, brother, two sisters and a cousin all rule the roost at stylish publications, dressed to the nines and wielding their perfectionist streaks to the tune of many awards and honors. You've inherited every single family gene—except for the love of fashion. The fashion industry bores you silly, and you know you don't belong. Determined to make it on your own as a writer, you find job-hunting outside your family's sphere of influence to be slim pickings. You take the only job you can find that will actually cover your rent, and your first day at Wordsmythe, LLC is a shocker. The fancy office cannot disguise the stink of a blog factory. As you churn out blog copy (with no time allowed for careful research or meticulous writing) you have your eye on the manager's chair. Her heavenly job is to check facts and edit the raw material produced by the cubicle slaves. You want that job so bad you can taste it! Or, at least you think you do . . . until an assignment lands on your desk that catapults you into a new dimension.

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10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

March writing prompt: Aries

April writing prompt: Taurus

May writing prompt: Gemini

June writing prompt: Cancer

July writing prompt: Leo

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and still misses Australia, where she lived for 25 years. A bit of a gypsy, she currently lives in Ohio with her husband. Milli blogs at Fear of Writing and Milliver’s Travels.

Author interview scheduled for December

2009-08-02T23:25:00.005-06:00

It's a bit early, but I found out today that I'll be the featured author on Chris Redding's blog on December 17th. That will also be my 45th birthday, but I didn't know those two events would coincide :)

I'll post a reminder on the day it's actually up, but it'll appear here:
http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com/

Warning for writers: Demand Studios/Media

2009-08-01T19:39:00.007-06:00

UPDATE: Demand Studios finally paid me in full on 8/20/2009. Problem resolved.

To all writers: be advised that Demand Studios/Media has owed me $75 for quite some time now and they haven't paid me as agreed. They quit responding to my e-mails and I assume they think I'll forget that they owe me or I won't tell anyone else about it. Well, I'm tired of waiting and tired of being nice about it.

Once again, I've e-mailed them and I've also e-mailed the personal address of the editorial manager who first sent me the assignment.

I'm a veteran freelancer and I deserve to get paid as agreed. I've reported them to Writers Weekly and am notifying the Authors Guild and National Writers Union.

Tired of being nice and patient. I want my money. NOW.

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Leo (July 23 – Aug 22)

2009-07-24T23:21:00.005-06:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

WELCOME BACK to our series of zodiac writing prompts.

Based on Bev's book, Sun Signs for Writers, Milli Thornton from Fear of Writing has been having a blast working her way through the zodiac—from Aries to Pisces—inventing a new prompt for each sign.

We publish each prompt on the first day of its cycle in the calendar year. At the end of this post you'll find links to the prompts for Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer. If we haven't covered your sign yet, don't let that stop you from having fun with these prompts. They can be used by anyone at any time.

Now, let's get some manes ruffled!

I loved reading about Leo in Bev's book. As I read, I had an image of a proud lion tossing its mane, feeling quite justified in dominating the spotlight.

Listen to this:

“Leo writers are the consummate entertainers of the zodiac. Leos are born with a flair for the dramatic, so a Leo's writing will never be described as boring or dull. They are generous with their talent and will pull out all the stops to dazzle their readers with whirlwind plots and larger-than-life characters.” — From page 59, Sun Signs for Writers

With all that confidence and ability to command attention, who's going to argue with the heart of a lion? But critics and reviewers typically don't look up your Sun sign before giving an opinion on your article, story or book.

As it turns out, Leos can be sensitive to criticism. They might not wallow in depression about it (like some of us from the other Sun signs), but they can become ruffled.

Ever heard an indignant Leo tongue-lash someone who didn't “get” her writing? For those of us who would react more on the level of, say, demoralization, it can be entertaining and enlightening to watch.

Yeah, that's what I need! A great big blustery ROAR the next time someone posts a two-star review on my Amazon sales page (instead of running away to hide like a mouse and making the choice not to *ever* read that review!).

But, hang on a minute. We did notice above that the ability to stride about regally and make some noise might not always be the answer. Let's put our friend Leo into a self-made predicament and see what happens.

To use the prompt, read the Leo story starter below and allow it to sink into your mind. Trust in your imagination and a story will come.

But if you do need some extra help to get started, check the links section at the bottom of this post for the article “10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts.”

PANTHERA LEO, KING OF WRITERS
Panthera Leo startled awake in his easy chair. The narrator on Animal Planet was saying, “Visually, the male lion is highly distinctive and easily recognized by its mane.” That triggered Panthy to remember a horrible dream he'd been having about his guest appearance on Bray Leno. He'd landed a glorious ten-minute spot on national TV, telling viewers all about his latest best-selling book. Bray's PR people had encouraged him to use his natural showmanship to sell the book. This would be great for Bray's ratings, they said. So that's what he did. But now he was famous for all the wrong reasons! Maybe Rosemary, his wife of 16 years, was right when she said . . .

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10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

March writing prompt: Aries

April writing prompt: Taurus

May writing prompt: Gemini

June writing prompt: Cancer

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and still misses Australia, where she lived for 25 years. A bit of a gypsy, she currently lives in Ohio with her husband. Milli blogs at the Fear of Writing Blog and Milliver’s Travels.

MWSA promo by Better Book Videos

2009-07-18T01:27:00.000-06:00

Link to a video spot by my hubby. If you're an author & you need a book video or promo spot, e-mail me.

MWSA Promo -- http://bit.ly/126UwI

Writus Interrruptus

2009-07-16T14:16:00.004-06:00

Last night I went to bed, full of excitement in anticipation of 10K Day for Writers, an amazing and muse-starting event hosted by Milli Thornton, author of Fear of Writing.

I'm a late-nighter (exceedingly nocturnal), so I knew I wouldn't be in bed till the early morning hours (in this case, I think it was about 3:30 a.m.). I'd already counted on that. Figured I'd just get up and begin my 10K once I arose and got some coffee. The Universe, in its infinite (yet often understandable wisdom) had other plans. My most-beloved cat, Osiris (nicknamed "Odie") was missing.

We had a fire pit last night and guests were here. I feared that he'd gotten out somehow. My daughter called for him, whistled for him — did everything — and he still wouldn't come to her. My husband walked the outside perimeter of the house, and even down the street to see if he could spot him. No such luck. As reality set in that I might not ever see my beloved black and part-Siamese cat again, tears welled up in my eyes and an aching hurt took up residence in the middle of my chest. He was gone. Lost. Probably never to be found.

My daughter, Britt, was with her boyfriend, but kept calling and checking to see if we'd found Odie. "Nope, not yet," was the reply each time. Paul, my husband, made more rounds in and around our house and neighborhood, but each time he reported progress, there was none. Jon and I were in the house, in hopes that Odie would come out of a new hiding place that we hadn't been aware of before. No such luck.

As I watched the clock and mentally tried to figure how long he'd probably been missing -- about twelve hours, from what I could figure -- I pulled my phone out and dialed Google 411 for the local humane society's number. Maybe someone had come across Odie and taken him to the shelter. By then, a hard lump had settled in my throat. I called the number and listened as patiently as I could to the recorded message about their procedures for lost and found pets. Lost pets required the owners to come in, fill out a form and take a look to see if they had the animal in the shelter. Fine. I was ready to go. While 10K Day was important, right then finding Odie was more so.

Paul was at the next-door neighbor's by now, telling him about the missing cat and what to look for. There are quite a few stray black cats that wander the neighborhood, so it would be hard to tell one from the other -- except for the fact that Odie is 17 lbs of big feline!

A few minutes later, our neighbor knocked on the door. I answered, wiping the tears from my face. Paul may have found Odie, he told me. What? I thought through my blurred mind. I followed our neighbor into the breezeway to the right of our house. Paul was in the back, near stacked-up storage. He wasn't sure if the black cat back there was Odie, so he needed me to take a look. Well, it was dark back there, so I couldn't tell. We procured a flashlight.

"Is that him?" Paul asked me, shining the light into the dark recess of space.

"I'm not sure..." It was a big cat, but I couldn't see well enough to tell if it was Odie or not. The cat moved around some more and I finally got a good glimpse of him. I was pretty sure it was Odie. He wasn't happy, though. He was hissing and the hackles of his back were raised.

We finally determined the cat was, in fact, Odie. The problem now was that he was so scared that he wouldn't come to us and he was so spooked that if we tried to get to him he'd either run or scratch/bite the hell out of us if we tried to grab him. What to do? My son, Jon, went inside and grabbed heavy duty gloves for protection. Paul told the rest of us to back down the breezeway a bit so Odie would relax a bit instead of feeling like a group of people were descending on him all at once.

Minutes passed, and I was afraid we weren't going to be able to get the cat out of there. If the storage space had been clear, it would've been easier. But it wasn't. Not at all. There were nooks and crannies and stuff you'd have to climb over, and by the time you climbed over the stuff, the cat would've moved to another area. *sigh*

Our neighbor, Jason, grabbed cat treats from inside his cottage. Perhaps the savory feline morsels would lure our big boy out from the breezeway's recesses. Paul offered up the cat snacks. Odie ignored all but one of them. He was just too afraid. Our calling and whistling hadn't convinced him to come out, and neither had food. What could we do know?

Maybe my daughter could get him out, I thought. I called her. Twice. No answer. Isn't that what cell phones are for -- to answer? I thought. I grumbled my displeasure out loud, then set to texting her. I needed her to come home. If anyone could coax Odie out, it would be her. No answer to the text. Argh!

Suddenly, I saw a white Toyota Celica pull in our driveway. It was Britt! A sense of relief washed over me. I told her we needed her to try and coax Odie out of there. Within minutes of her pulling up, she was in the breezeway and talking to him. He responded. He jumped down and out of the recess and landed on the dirt path in the breezeway. She kept talking. He was confused, running here and there, not understanding it was his human-girl talking to him. I'd shut the side gate, so he couldn't escape through there. The rest of us were dotting the floor of the breezeway, so he'd have to run through a human obstacle course if he planned to come down our way.

Suddenly: recognition. He looked at her, then came toward Britt, rubbing up against her. She cooed to him, using that loving cat-owner voice that should've been so familiar to him. He got close enough. She grabbed him. Success! Cradling him closely, I walked in front of her as she made her way to the house and opened the door. Finally, he was back inside. Home. Safe. Whew!

Thankfully, today's events turned out in a positive way. If they hadn't, I'm not sure how good of a 10K Day I would've had. I've discovered that I'm an emotional writer, and that's good and bad. It's a double-edged sword. It's the emotions and passion that often spur me to write articles, essays and blog posts; on the other hand, it's those same intense emotional episodes that sometimes hinder my productivity. The very thing that fuels my creative fire and sparks my muse is the very thing that also has the power to cripple and deter me from being the best and most productive writer I can be. Today I realized that.

So, for my first set of writing for 10K Day, I'm writing about a mundane event: a lost pet who was eventually found. In the scheme of things, it's a mundane thing to write about, but for me, it was anything but mundane. Odie's a part of the family. He's like a child to me. He's often near me in the office when I'm writing and/or editing and he demands attention and love whether I'm busy pounding the keyboard or not. How can you ignore a 17-pound black and part-Siamese cat, after all?

Thanks, Odie, for giving me not only my first writing idea for today, but also an unexpected second writing idea: how emotions affect a person's writing, for good or bad. I'm sure there's a blog post or article, at the very least, that'll come out of this discovery/realization! Real life offers fodder for writers, and this is proof of that. Even more reason to live life to the fullest and take in whatever it has to offer, good or bad.

***

This blog post is part of my effort for Milli Thornton's 10K Day for Writers.

To find out more about 10K Day for Writers and how to participate next month, in August, visit this link: http://millithornton.blogspot.com/2009/07/10k-day-live-while-its-happening.html

Congrats and good going to everyone who is participating today!

Official pollster and also attending Military Writers Society Of America (MWSA) conference in Orlando, FL

2009-07-16T00:51:00.005-06:00

Hello there, scribes!

Great news! I've been asked to be a pollster for the MWSA People's Choice Award Contest for the Military Writers Society Of America (MWSA). Winners will perform their work at the MWSA Conference in Orlando, FL this October.

Go here to read about the contest and learn how to submit your entry:
http://www.militarywriters.com/2009ConferencePeoplesChoice.html

In addition, Paul and I will be traveling to Orlando, FL to attend the conference from October 9-10. We'll be staying at the Westin Imagine Orlando. ;-) Paul will be the official videographer for the event.

For more information on the Military Writers Society Of America (MWSA) and the conference, visit: http://www.militarywriters.com

Introducing: The Writer's Dominatrix!*

2009-07-14T06:43:00.003-06:00

*Yep, that would be me. The goal: whipping words--and writers--into shape!

Read the inaugural post here:
http://writersdominatrix.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/youve-been-naughty/

"Tongue-in-cheek writing advice and tips for the submissive scribe in you!"

July 16th - 10K Day for Writers. I'm doing it. Are you?

2009-07-13T22:18:00.003-06:00

So excited! I'm going to participate in 10K Day for Writers on July 16th! Want to join me? Go here for more info!: http://tinyurl.com/kudosv

Who's going to join me? My good friend (and colleague), Millie Thornton of Fear of Writing, is the founder of the event. I was on deadline in June when the first one took place, but I'm going to take the day off and do it this month. :-)

Last time I did an event similar to this (in 2004), it was a Write All Night event that I hosted. The result of that event was the beginning of Sun Signs for Writers, which eventually sold to Writer's Digest Books and was published in August 2006. I'm hoping to repeat that level of productivity!

I've got quite a few things cooking right now, so I'll pop in more as time allows. Or as the mood strikes me *evil laugh* There is one thing in particular that's up my sleeve that I think some of you word mavens are going to LOVE. Stay tuned for more info!

NEW website! Introducing Elemental Editrix.

2009-07-12T04:57:00.001-06:00

Still have tweaks to put into effect and loading to a domain, but wanted to share my new writing/editing site: http://editrix.homestead.com

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Cancer (June 22 – July 22)

2009-06-20T14:14:00.005-06:00

**Bev's note: I'm going to be a bit busy over the next couple of days, so I have a treat: I'm posting Milli's writing prompt for Cancer a couple days early! Once again, I'd like to thank Milli for being so generous with her monthly contributions. Enjoy and get to writing! ;-)**

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

THIS POST CONTINUES our series of zodiac writing prompts—a fun collaboration between myself and Bev using Bev's book, Sun Signs for Writers, and the writing prompt method from my book, Fear of Writing.

At the bottom of this post you'll find links to the prompts for Aries, Taurus and Gemini. But if none of these signs pertain to you, don't let that stop you from having fun with these prompts. They can be used by anyone at any time.

Now, let's go crabbing!

In human terms, we use the crab as the symbol of crabbiness. Yes, those born under the sign of Cancer are usually quite emotional people. But this doesn't have to mean negative or out-of-control emotion. Other key personality traits belonging to Cancer are sensitivity, intuition and purposefulness.

Cancerians love to focus on home and family; they’re are adept at nurturing others and keeping the hearth fires burning. Bev shares with us that “Crabs have an uncanny ability to send and understand the inner motivations of others, as well as a knack for spotting contradictions between a person's true feelings and his verbal and nonverbal behavior.”

Whoa! Doesn't that sound like the perfect picture of someone who’s probably adept at writing the subtext of his or her fictional characters?

While they may be good at spotting it, this doesn't mean the Cancer writer thrives on conflict. To the contrary, Cancers live in respect of authority and take their duties seriously. Give any Cancer you know a task, whether small or large, and she will carry out that task to her highest ability.

Cancer people are also empathic and very sensitive. They almost can't help taking on the moods of other people or shouldering their burdens. When they reach overload their likely to retreat into their shells like hermit crabs until they've had a chance to recenter.

Now that we know a little about the Cancer writer, let's put a twist into it and make a story.

Read the writing prompt below and allow it to sink deep into your subconscious mind.

Usually this will be enough to produce the makings of a story, but if not, no worries! Look in the links section at the bottom of this post for the article “10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts” and you're bound to find at least one tip that will help you get started.

WALNUT SHELL
The “hermit crab” shell is no longer private enough for you—too many leg holes for people to poke into, trying to draw you back out. You create a walnut shell in your imagination and curl up inside to escape the pressures of life. Soaking in everyone else's stuff and taking on their problems and woes has left you battle weary. You are sick of nurturing others! When will someone nurture you? And when will you ever have the time, let alone the energy, to write? That’s if you could feel your own feelings enough to know if you even want to. While curled in the walnut shell for what seems like an eternity, suddenly the idea for a book comes to you. Entitled, “What This Crab Knows,” you at first assume it's going to be non-fiction. But when you extend two index fingers out of your shell and tentatively start pecking at the keyboard, you're surprised to find it feels more like a short story or novel. And, because you know this material like the back of your crab claw, it's practically writing itself.

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10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

March writing prompt: Aries

April writing prompt: Taurus

May writing prompt: Gemini

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and still misses Australia, where she lived for 25 years. A bit of a gypsy, she currently lives in Ohio with her husband. Milli blogs at the Fear of Writing Blog and Milliver’s Travels.

2009-06-15T23:28:00.003-06:00

Dear friends and colleagues,

Today is the day!

The order page for my new contemporary romance novel, Hidden Fire, is up at Whiskey Creek Press!

Read a sample chapter over there as well.

Thanks, as always, for your constant support and friendship!

Bev Walton-Porter, writing as Star Ferris

Pre-release video for Hidden Fire (teaser)

2009-06-04T18:08:00.003-06:00

Here's the book teaser dear hubby did for my June 15 release, Hidden Fire (written under my pen name, Star Ferris). He's doing a 60-second video as well, but this is the pre-release teaser.

Interested in your own teaser/book video? E-mail my hubby at paulspromos@gmail.com and tell him you are a friend/colleague for a 15 percent discount!

CSPA and KOAA.com investigate - a haunting in Manitou Springs

2009-06-02T01:20:00.002-06:00

Below is the story KOAA 5/30 did about our local paranormal group's investigation at Onaledge B & B in Manitou Springs, CO -- check it out!

At the end of the written story, there's a link to the video segment!

Thanks to John Romero and KOAA, as well as Brett Maddox of Onaledge for allowing us to investigate his property!

Bev
Founder/Team Lead, Colo Spgs Paranormal Association (CSPA)

KOAA.com - A haunting in Manitou Springs

Shared via AddThis

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Gemini (May 21 – June 21)

2009-05-22T20:19:00.003-06:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

Welcome back to our series of zodiac writing prompts, one for each month of the year. These prompts are inspired by Bev’s book, Sun Signs for Writers, and using the prompt style from my book, Fear of Writing.

This month we’re putting Gemini under the microscope to see what kind of fun we can extract.

Naturally, you don’t have to be a Gemini yourself to have fun with this. Allow the story idea to sneak in under your radar: These prompts work best when you allow your subconscious mind to participate. To do that, just relax and treat it as an adventure. No achievement-oriented thinking allowed!

As Bev reminds us in her book, Geminis are the great communicators of the zodiac. They love to talk; they're very sociable, inquisitive, and intellectual.

If you could look inside the brain of a Gemini writer, you would see dozens of ideas for stories or articles all leapfrogging for attention. Multitasking is second nature and the lust to start something new is never satisfied.

Hmm, are we wondering about consequences at this point? You guessed it! One of the biggest challenges for the Gemini writer is focus and follow-through.

To remedy that cycle of initial enthusiasm followed by the itch to move on to something new, it’s vital for Gemini to identify writing projects that can sustain her levels of passion and interest.

Now that we've reviewed a few of the qualities of Gemini, read the prompt and allow it to soak into your subconscious mind. Then doodle in the margin of your notebook or indulge in a little daydreaming while you wait for inspiration.

Remember that you needn’t use every detail from the prompt. Use whatever sparks your imagination.

Also, don’t be afraid to repeat or rephrase key sentences from the prompt in your story (or even write/type the entire prompt). This is a great way to get going when you need an extra push. Such a simple practice, but it can really put your subconscious mind into gear.

If inspiration continues to eludes you, try our 10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts in the link section below.

MY FAVORITE GEMINI
You’ve been hired to write a book on a subject of enormous interest to you. You’ve spent the past month feasting on a smorgasbord of knowledge, and you have a dozen micro-cassettes full of verbal research notes. You had so much fun talking into that little recorder! But now it’s time to write the first draft. Arrrrgghh. Suddenly, you would almost rather be someone else with a different career. The thought of all that writing and discipline makes you restless! While watching reruns one afternoon, Uncle Martin from that old show about the Martian steps out of the screen. He tells you he's here to be your writing mentor. “You're like a butterfly on caffeine,” he says. “Now I want you to sit down and start writing. I’ll time you. And NO TALKING! Your first session will be twenty minutes. OK, go!” Double argh. But how can you say no to Uncle Martin? You sit down and write for twenty minutes . . . and that’s when you have a revelation about your writing.

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10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

March writing prompt: Aries

April writing prompt: Taurus
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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and still misses Australia, where she lived for 25 years. A bit of a gypsy, she currently lives in Ohio with her husband. Milli blogs at the Fear of Writing Blog and Screenwriting in the Boonies.

New book cover revealed!

2009-05-14T22:40:00.005-06:00

Front cover of my upcoming book, Hidden Fire, due for release next month from Whiskey Creek Press.

Back cover of my upcoming book, Hidden Fire, due for release next month, in June, from Whiskey Creek Press.

Thanks, Jinger!

Short synopsis of my upcoming book, Hidden Fire

2009-04-28T19:51:00.002-06:00

Several people have asked what my next fiction novel is about. I've posted a short synopsis below. The book's written under my romantic fiction pen name, Star Ferris. When I write serious nonfiction, I use my other name, Bev Walton-Porter. When I let my fantasies come alive, I slip into my other persona, Star ;-)

Hidden Fire will be published in June 2009 by Whiskey Creek Press. I've selected award-winning artist Jinger Heaston as the book's cover artist. Without further ado, here's the short synopsis of the book:

Hidden Fire is a contemporary romance of about 75,000 words. The story is set in my home town of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The heroine is Alexa Chastain, a single career woman who owns a local law office and is content with her steady, predictable life. That is until she stumbles across Devon Munroe, the tall, hazel-eyed hunk of a businessman who is the legal representative opposing her sister Karyn. Though she’d prefer to ignore the brash, sandy-haired Munroe, she has no choice but to deal with him.

As tempers flare, sexual attraction crackles as Alexa and Devon compete to see who’ll come out on top in a competition involving wills, weddings and familial warfare. Hidden Fire is a novel featuring lightning-quick dialogue, deep sensuality and intriguing characters set in the Rocky Mountains.

More than just a romance, Hidden Fire offers a taste of mystery and suspense in a tale involving the sons of the wealthy Munroe family empire—all set against the backdrop of Pikes Peak in one of Colorado’s largest cities.

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

2009-04-20T23:59:00.006-06:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

We are pleased to continue our series of zodiac writing prompts inspired by Bev’s book, Sun Signs for Writers, and using the prompt style from my book, Fear of Writing.

This month we’re exploring the joys and challenges of being Taurus.

You don’t have to be a Bull yourself to have fun with the prompt provided below. Allow the prompt to burrow its way into your subconscious, where it will grow legs and reward you with stuff you didn’t realize was there.

Everyone knows a lovable Taurus or two. They are the ones firmly grounded on Planet Earth and determined to savor every sensory pleasure they can get their hands on. I once knew a Taurus with food in his eyebrows and a handprint of pasta sauce on the light switch (hey, good food travels!).

Our Taurus companions are musically inclined and fantastic at creating comfortable spaces that appeal to our senses. They’re also hard workers and reliable finishers (once you nudge them to get started).

We look to the Bull for practicality, steadiness, patience and the ability to withstand distractions.

Sometimes these sturdy qualities can translate to a desire for predictability. One Taurus friend refused, for over ten years, to budge from his territory (a gloomy apartment known as “The Cave”) even though he could have lived somewhere nicer.

This I saw as an earthy attachment to what he was familiar with, rather than bull-headedness.

But when it comes to the “S” word (stubborn with a capital S) you can be sure to get your money’s worth from any self-respecting Taurus. As the mother of a wonderful 24-year-old Bull, I can vouch for that!

Now that you’re acquainted (or reacquainted) with some of the qualities of Taurus, go ahead and read the prompt, pen in hand. If inspiration eludes you, try our 10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts at the link below.

Remember that the prompt is designed to playfully emphasize Taurus traits that will lend your story extra conflict—the juice of fiction. And you needn’t use every detail. Use whatever sparks your imagination.

BULLPRINTS IN THE SAND
To support your novel-writing habit, for the past five years you’ve offered a critique service online. With the help of your no-nonsense, on-target critiques, you’ve watched dozens of writers achieve their dreams of breaking into print. Meanwhile, despite your best efforts to attract agents and editors, your three novels remain in limbo. You decide to seek manuscript feedback from a rival critique service. When the report comes in, your practical side recognizes a fellow professional at work . . . while your stubborn side finds unexplored levels of resistance to changing a single word!

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10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

March writing prompt: Aries

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and still misses Australia, where she lived for 25 years. Milli lives in Ohio with her husband and has taken up screenwriting with a passion. She blogs at the Fear of Writing Blog and Screenwriting in the Boonies.

Motivational quote for the day: chance/goals

2009-04-14T16:36:00.002-06:00

"Chance can allow you to accomplish a goal every once in a while, but consistent achievement happens only if you love what you are doing."
~ Bart Conner

I've also come up with an acronym to help keep me focused on what I want to accomplish or improve upon in my life. It's all about getting my life into S.H.A.P.E., which stands for:

S - Success (personal and professional)
H - Health
A - Abundance
P - Prosperity
E - Energy

Right now I need to hone my focus and intent. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I'm taking time off from my social sites (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LiveJournal) to concentrate more on my work and goals. But I still plan to blog here now and then. The blogs won't be personal, but I'll still blog about anything related to creativity, writing, reading, coaching, etc. I need to take a breath of fresh air, get away from online socializing, redirect my energy and delve into the waters with my Muse for a while.

May you have a productive and wonderful week!

Elemental Musings podcast for 04.09.09

2009-04-09T21:39:00.001-06:00

Just finished my latest broadcast for Elemental Musings. If you get a chance, give it a listen ;-)
On tap in this broadcast: musings on the writing life, quotations, apostrophe abuse, cross-genre writing and more.

http://content.nowlive.com/shows/32571/podcasts/100233622-090409-361239320175.mp3

To listen to archived podcasts of Elemental Musings, go to: http://www.nowlive.com/scribequill

Coming soon!

2009-04-02T17:27:00.000-06:00

Yay! My third published solo book, Hidden Fire, is finally listed under the Coming Soon section for June at the Whiskey Creek Press website. My fiction pen name -- and real birth name -- is Star Ferris, so it's under that author name. I can't wait to see what the cover'll look like! This one'll be contemporary romance/women's fiction set right here in Colorado Springs!

http://whiskeycreekpress.com/comingsoon.shtml

Elemental Musings podcast for 03.28.09

2009-03-28T04:17:00.000-06:00

Elemental Musings podcast for 03.28.09
(http://www.nowlive.com/scribequill)

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST:
http://content.nowlive.com/shows/32571/podcasts/100233622-090328-201238232052.mp3

Hosted by: Bev Walton-Porter (http://www.bevwaltonporter.com)
Bev offers up:
* Quotes for writers about criticism
* A critique of the movie "The Haunting in Connecticut"
* Discussion about the romance and horror genres
* Opinions on what makes a movie/story scary
* How NOT to insult your readers/viewers
* Where to go to conquer *your* Fear of Writing

Writing Prompts for the Zodiac: Aries (March 21 – April 19)

2009-03-21T16:25:00.013-06:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN if we awarded each of our characters a birth date and some of the traits of the related sun sign?

I did try this once, ages ago, in a story called “The Way Dempsey Works” (pg. 145, Fear of Writing). I knew very little about the qualities of Sagittarius, so I decided to have my main character become one.

This really kept the story rolling. Whenever I was stuck for what Stephanie might do with her life, or how she might react, I consulted the traits for Sagittarius in a book I’d borrowed from the library.

For me it was an unusual way of breaking some new ground. And it was fun!

Sun Signs for Writers

When I started reading Bev’s book, Sun Signs for Writers, at first I was so excited about how accurately she’d nailed me (I’m an Aquarian), I could do nothing but speed-read my section and marvel.

Even the quote she used to represent my sign was perfect:

“The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power.”
—Toni Morrison

Next, I was so inspired by Bev’s suggestions for how Aquarians can smash writer’s block, deal with rejection, give and receive criticism, forge a path to publication (and more!), I really didn’t give a thought to the other signs.

When I did finally turn to the other eleven signs, funnily enough it got my “prompt inventing” juices flowing.

Writing Prompts and the Zone

It has long been part of my writing obsession to turn almost everything I see (when I’m in the Zone) into the premise for a fictional story. That’s how I got started on a long run of inventing the “Fertile Material” writing prompts in my book.

Now Bev has given me the opportunity to turn the sun signs she so expertly profiles into writing prompts.

This is the first of twelve prompts to be posted on or near the beginning of each sign’s reign on the calendar. Aries is the first sign in our Western zodiac; its cycle commences today, March 21.

How to Use the Zodiac Prompts

You’ve probably realized from my anecdote about Stephanie the Sagittarian that you absolutely do not have to be an Aries yourself to get the benefits of this prompt. In fact, Aries may know themselves so well they’ll think this one’s boring!

The main thing here is to experiment and have fun. And to remember that the prompt is designed to emphasize the traits of Aries that will lend your story the most juice.

After you read the prompt, your mind may draw a blank. Not to worry! We have a separate post for you chock-full of tips on how to get started. You’ll find the link for that at the end of this post.

Meanwhile, turn your imagination loose as you read this month’s zodiac prompt in honor of our go-getter cousin, Aries.

RAM IN A CHINA SHOP You are a competitive and daring [pick a genre] novelist with three published books under your belt. Blunt and forceful, you love nothing more than a good challenge. You have rested confident in the belief that everyone for miles around can easily see your brilliance and talent. Your editor all this time has been a steady, reliable, unexcitable type who took your headstrong opinions with a large grain of salt. But now Mr./Ms. Unflappable has retired and your new editor is . . . Wowsers! . . . an Aries just like you. With the deadline for your fourth book looming, the get-to-know-you lunch could be some wild stuff.

OK? So if your brain’s already churning ideas, go for it!

If not, follow the link below to read tips guaranteed to help launch you into writing a story.

10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

P.S. If you're an Aries but lacking in the kind of confidence and chutzpah described here, try going out on a limb and writing as if you are that self-assured and even brazen. It’s there inside of you somewhere!

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and the proud grandmother of Atreyu (named for a boy hero in NeverEnding Story). She lived in Australia for 25 years. Milli currently lives in Ohio with her husband and has taken up screenwriting with a passion. She blogs at http://millithornton.blogspot.com.

10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

2009-03-21T15:58:00.009-06:00

By guest blogger Milli Thornton

THESE TIPS ARE designed to accompany the 12 writing prompts I’ve invented based on the signs of the zodiac as covered in Bev’s book, Sun Signs for Writers.

The zodiac prompts will be posted throughout the year, at the beginning of the cycle for each sign. Look for the prompts on Bev’s blog on or around these dates:

Aries – March 21
Taurus – April 20
Gemini – May 21
Cancer – June 22
Leo – July 23
Virgo – August 23
Libra – September 23
Scorpio – October 23
Sagittarius – November 22
Capricorn – December 22
Aquarius – January 20
Pisces – February 19

10 Tips for Using the Zodiac Writing Prompts

1. Use friends to create the intent to write

Meet with friends in a coffeehouse with the express purpose of doing the prompt(s) together. Even two friends writing together is less intimidating—and more inspiring—than going it alone.

Agree to do it just for fun so there’s no dampener of critiques at the end. Egg one another on to let your hair down and have a real break from your more serious writing. Be sure to practice laughter therapy.

2. A nudge to help you get off and running

Write up the prompt longhand (or, if you're on a computer, type it up). The physical act of writing something, even if you're only regurgitating the assignment, makes the right connections in your brain and gives it something positive to do. Whereas staring at the prompt and tapping your teeth with a pen reinforces the idea that you're not sure how to proceed.

While your brain is engaged with the practical matter of copying the prompt, your subconscious mind has a chance to slip in under the cracks. I’ve seen this simple trick work many times.

3. Start with the basics

Don't pressure yourself to sound perfect (or even warmed up yet) in your opening lines. Sometimes just stating a few simple things about your character can open the doorway to discovering your story line.

Here's an example of a simple opening using a prompt about an old lady making a last stand against developers:

“Aggie Blintz is small with squinty eyes. Her slippers are shabby. She lives in Pasadena.”

4. Name Soup

If you can't seem to think of how to start your story, sometimes the whole energy of the situation can be changed by coming up with a funny, silly or clever name for at least one of your characters.

For instance (from Fear of Writing, page 18): “Wouldn't you find it easier to be slapstick or inventive with a character called Pierre Onion than one by the name of Pete Martin?”

5. Take some risks!

The purpose of these prompts is to stimulate and explore your imagination and to have fun. You’ll get more mileage from the prompt by using a bit of daring.

Make your conflict extreme . . . or perhaps a bit wacky. Or both!

6. Let yourself be messy

Messy can mean any number of things, but let's look at one example. If things in your story were happening out of chronological order—in a way that made sense to you but might confuse a reader—AND it was helping you go with the flow, would that be so bad?

The only person you’re obliged to please with this exercise is yourself.

7. Flaunt those &@#% rules in your head

By the same token, nothing bad is gonna happen if you break some of those ingrained rules from your English teacher. You know the ones. Never start a sentence with “And.” Never include author asides. Don't be inconsistent with your point of view. Yada yada yada.

Give yourself a vacation from the rules. And, don't worry. They’ll always be there when you get back!

8. Turn the tables on yourself

Change one of your familiar patterns. Here are some ideas to get you thinking of your own table-turners.

If you normally write from a less immediate point of view, write in first person this time. If your protagonist is normally a woman, make 'er a man. If your protagonist is usually an animal lover, give her a big dose of doraphobia (fear of contact with animal fur or skin).

Going out of your comfort zone will take your brain into new territories of the imagination.

9. Endings are optional

Having the least expectations on ourselves has a magical way of tapping into our potential. Give yourself the freedom to dabble with this prompt without the pressure of needing to come up with a viable ending for your story.

You may think of one anyway, but the point is, you don't have to.

10. Don't try to write literature

Remember, you're here to have fun and to let your hair down. One writer I know, a grandma, happens to adore Johnny Depp. She has greatly entertained our writing circle by writing sassy, funny stories about a handsome pirate by the name of Capt. Jack Sparrow (and in the story, she is the protagonist who benefits from his manly appeal).

Anything that adds more playfulness—or freedom from internal repression—is the way to go.

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MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers and the proud grandmother of Atreyu (named for a boy hero in NeverEnding Story). She lived in Australia for 25 years. Milli currently lives in Ohio with her husband and has taken up screenwriting with a passion. She blogs at http://millithornton.blogspot.com.

Guest blogging at the Fear of Writing blog

2009-03-19T00:46:00.003-06:00

My guest post at the Fear of Writing blog has been posted. I've never done a guest blogging gig before, but it was fun! Hope you'll come by and check it out. Thanks to Milli Thornton for this opportunity!

Making creativity click by guest blogger Bev Walton-Porter
http://millithornton.blogspot.com/2009/03/making-creativity-click.html

Filedby author profile

2009-03-18T17:18:00.003-06:00

This is a new site, just launched. I'll be sprucing my page up more when I get a chance. For now, work and CSPA stuff is a'calling, though:

http://www.filedby.com/author/bev_walton_porter/3087245

Scribe & Quill gets mention on The Writing Life blog

2009-03-16T00:46:00.001-06:00

Scribe & Quill gets a nice mention/recommendation at The Writing Life blog. Just two things I need to clarify: the URL should be http://www.scribequill.net and S & Q was first birthed in 1997 and has been around for 12 years come this May, not nine as mentioned here. Still, what a great rec! And from a professional I truly admire!
http://writeanonfictionbook.blogspot.com/2009/03/web-marketing-101-online-newsletters.html

Hidden Fire to be published this June!

2009-03-13T19:18:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone!

I'm pleased to announce that Deb Womack of Whiskey Creek Press has confirmed my next book, Hidden Fire, is due for publication in JUNE! Yep -- only a few months away! *squee*

Hidden Fire is my second women's fiction book and it's set right here in Colorado Springs ;-) The protagonist is a female attorney and the book's full of intrigue, debauchery, death and hot physical interaction, too! ;-) This one's written under my pen name (and actual birth name), Star Ferris.

Just wanted to share the good news! I'm very excited! This'll be my fourth published book in four years!

Thanks for your friendship and support :)

Nice sales for Sun Signs for Writers

2009-03-11T01:54:00.005-06:00

Received the latest royalty statement from the publisher of my book, Sun Signs for Writers. Over 1,400 copies sold since the last sales period. Yay!

If you'd like a personally inscribed, autographed copy, visit my website for details!

Also, if you haven't seen the book video my hubby did for Sun Signs, go check it out! If you're a book author and can't afford to pay an arm or a leg for a book promo video, contact my husband and he'll design one for you for an amazingly affordable price!

AUTHORS, DON'T SETTLE FOR AMATEUR BOOK VIDEOS!

2009-03-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

A promotional video is a great way to sell your book, but don't let cost deter you from getting the quality video production you deserve. As a seasoned video professional, I will work with you to design a book video you can be proud of, one that will market your book effectively, and at a cost that won't break the bank. You can afford better than a PowerPoint slide show as a means of marketing your work.

View samples here: http://www.myspace.com/paulspromos

Contact me for options and an *affordable* rate quote: paulspromos@gmail.com

Would a Writing Coach Help?

2009-03-05T16:14:00.001-07:00

My interview about coaching writers is posted at Writergrrls.

Please stop by and check it out! ;-)

Would a Writing Coach Help?
http://wordgrrls.com/?p=757

Invitation to join my personal group, Elemental Musing, on Google Groups

2009-03-03T21:57:00.004-07:00

Current web address:
http://groups.google.com/group/elementalmusing

Current email address:
elementalmusing@googlegroups.com

Hi, this is Bev Sninchak (a.k.a. Bev Walton-Porter). I'd love if you'd join my PERSONAL Google Group, Elemental Musings. This is a specific group I've created to keep in touch with my readers, writing colleagues, family and friends.

This list will offer posts about all sorts of things, including announcements, articles, books and online/offline events, as well as occasional market postings and any other information that might be useful to readers, writers and other creatives.

I might also post information about my paranormal investigation group and our adventures every now and then, so if you're into ghosts and things that go bump in the night, then that's another reason to join *g*

I hope you'll join my list. If you have anything to say, feel free to post an entry yourself, relay an announcement or offer a reply to another post you've read here :)

Thanks,
Bev

P.S. - This list is OPT-IN only. If you're on this list, you must confirm the invite to remain a member. Nobody is added without permission. You may OPT OUT at any time. Of course, I hope you'll stay ;-)

Interview with Osiris, Bev Walton-Porter's Masterful Cat

2009-02-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

Interview with Osiris, Bev Walton Porter's Masterful Cat

With a name like that, a cat is destined to have delusions of greatness, so I don't blame him (I'm feeling cat friendly today, plus I don't want to scare away future feline guests--a smart business move for my blog). His author mom, Bev Walton Porter, is a multigenre author, writing coach, and Editor-in-Chief of Scribe & Quill Ezine.

To read the interview, please visit this link:
http://petsandauthors.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-osiris.html

Author School book development program

2009-02-27T00:44:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone, I wanted to let you know I've accepted the position of Director of Education for Author School, a new educational mentorship program for writers and authors. In addition to acting as director, I'm also a mentor/instructor -- something I've been doing since 1997! I'm excited about this new program and urge you to check out the information below, then visit the site, and sign up for your FREE initial assessment with NO obligation.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Beverly - Author School
Director of Education
bev@authorschool.com

Author School
http://www.authorschool.com

Our affordable programs range from $19 per week to $99 per week.
To enroll, visit: http://authorschool.com/signup.html

AuthorSchool.com focuses on finding and developing your project on an individual basis. We help you transform your book idea into concrete ready-to-submit reality. The end result is a completed, professional fiction or non-fiction book manuscript.

We feature the following academies:
--> Children's Book Writing Academy
--> Fiction Writing Academy
--> Romance Writing Academy
--> Erotica Writing Academy
--> Non-fiction Writing Academy
--> Memoir Writing Academy

Each Book Writing Academy features customized educational modules in your chosen genre.

Our one-of-a-kind curriculum offers these advantages:

* Personalized, one-on-one instruction from seasoned working professionals
* Step-by-step manuscript review and assessment
* Client-specific mentorship
* Assistance with graphic images and/or illustrations (if needed) to act as visual enhancement of your written work
* Student support through a private interactive forum
* Final project review and assessment
* Completion certificate

Writers: our standard book development program is tailored for beginning-to-intermediate writers who need mentorship and guidance through the stages of idea generation, narrowing focus, developing interesting themes, expanding themes through research, using logic to organize material, and polishing a finalized manuscript.

Authors: our advanced book development program is designed for intermediate-to-advanced writers who already have the basics in place (have written most of the book) and who want to employ advanced marketing techniques, promotional methods, book platform construction, book publishing, and distribution.

For more information, contact our Enrollment Director:
Robert@authorschool.com

Beginning March 21: guest blogger and Fear of Writing author Milli Thornton to post monthly writing prompts based on your zodiac sign!

2009-02-25T16:10:00.008-07:00

I'm pleased and excited to announce a monthly collaboration with my friend and author colleague, Milli Thornton, beginning March 21, 2009!

Recurring monthly, Milli Thornton, author of Fear of Writing will be a regular guest blogger here at Elemental Musings blog. Milli really enjoyed my book, Sun Signs for Writers, and asked if she could do monthly prompts for each sun sign beginning in March with Aries. Of course I said yes!

If you aren't familiar with Milli's work, she's a fantastic author, mentor and writing instructor. BUY her book, Fear of Writing, and visit her website TODAY: http://www.fearofwriting.com

I'm thrilled and pleased beyond measure to collaborate with Milli on this project! She has some amazing writing prompts, so your Muse will be revved and ready once you try them!

Because she's generous, Milli asked if I, too, would be a guest on her blog, the Fear of Writing blog. And, of course, I said yes! I'll be blogging about writing and creativity, but you'll have to drop by to check out the specifics ;-) My blog will drop the first week of March, so stop by! Thanks, Milli, for this opportunity!

Writers, bookmark this site and put March 21st on your calendar. Then come back here each and every month to check out the specialized writing prompts Milli's cooked up for YOUR astrological sign!

Celestial Best Wishes,

Bev ;-)

Featured this Sunday @ Pets and Their Authors blog

2009-02-25T02:01:00.001-07:00

Hey guys!

Wanted to tell you my amazing male black cat, Osiris, will be spilling the beans about me over at Mayra Calvani's Pets and Their Authors blog this Sunday, March 1st. Come on over and check out the post, then read previous entries and view the list of upcoming pets/authors for the near future!

Here's the blog address: http://petsandauthors.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there! ;-)

Time Management for Creative People

2009-02-24T02:26:00.004-07:00

Time Management for Creative People
http://wishful.fileburst.com/creativetime.pdf

FREE e-book. Used with permission.

Enjoy!

Sun Signs for Writers not out of print!

2009-02-20T23:33:00.005-07:00

In an unpredicted turn of course, my editor at F + W (Writer's Digest Books), sent an e-mail to me and my agent today informing us that rights for Sun Signs for Writers won't be reverting back to me at this time and my book will be re-listed for sale.

Apparently there are still copies left in an additional warehouse (the main warehouse was completely out of stock, which is why they weren't going back to print) and, given that info, the book will be re-listed once again in their store, on Amazon and everywhere else it was available before.

I'm not complaining. I'm glad it'll be re-listed and for sale again through them. As long as the book is available so people can buy it, I'm a happy camper.

Although Amazon's out of stock (temporarily), if anyone wants a copy there are about 38 of 'em listed at the link here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1582974039/ref=dp_olp_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1167710891&sr=1-1

Or, if you want an autographed copy with a personal inscription, you can get it directly from me by going to my author site and clicking on the book cover. If you don't have a copy, you really should get one ;-) at http://bevwaltonporter.com/
Oh, and if you buy a copy directly from me, I'll throw in a FREE e-book of Secrets of the Professional Freelancer and one FREE registration for my weekend Flash Freelance online course (worth $30). In these hard economic times, I'd say it's a good package deal ;-)

Need a cost-effective professional? E-mail me!

2009-02-19T17:06:00.002-07:00

Need a professional freelance writer, copyeditor, proofreader, transcriber or writing coach? I have 12 years of experience. E-mail me for recession-friendly rates and additional info!

Bev Walton-Porter
"Serving the publishing community since 1997"
http://www.bevwaltonporter.com

Ten quick tips for better short stories

2009-02-19T06:19:00.005-07:00

By Bev Walton-Porter

All readers love a good short story, but how does a writer take and idea and transform it into an engaging story? Step by step. By following these ten tips, you'll write better short stories in no time at all!

1. Limit the time span of your story.

Short stories should last from a few days to a few weeks. Because of the limited length of short stories, time is especially important.

2. Be selective with your characters.

Just as you're limited by the time span in the story, you're also limited to a fixed number of characters. To avoid confusing your reader, limit the number of characters to half a dozen at most.

3. Whose story is it anyway?

If your lead character is Joe and it's his story, then Joe must hold your reader's interest. Joe's neighbor might be amusing, but if the story isn't the neighbor's, then don't have him competing with Joe for the reader's attention.

4. Choose the right point of view.

Will you tell the story from Joe's point of view (first person), or from a "he said/she said" (third person) point of view? If you use first person, the story can only be told through Joe. Usually, third person is a better choice.

5. Begin with a bang!

From the first sentence to the first paragraph, hook the reader's attention immediately and HOLD it! Get rid of long, boring description and put in more action or dialogue.

6. Show, don't tell.

Instead of saying the main character is "feeling nervous," describe the sweat trickling down his face and the swirling in the pit of his stomach. Use all five senses to SHOW, not tell!

7. Fill your story with conflict!

The main character must struggle with obstacles one by one--this is the rising tension of a good story. He must overcome each setback in a way that makes sense to the reader. The main conflict should come from the main character's own choices or actions.

8. Use dialogue, but make it count!

Don't be afraid to let your characters speak. When they do, be sure every conversation they have moves the story's plot forward.

9. Force your character into action!

When your story reaches its highest point, the main character should be forced into making a choice. Often, he must decide between the right thing to do (moral decision) versus his original goal.

10. End on the right note.

The end of a story is called the resolution. The main character finds a way to solve the major conflict of the story. At the end, the character must show change or growth because of the course he's taken during the story. Avoid sad endings. The ending isn't always perfect, but the main character is hopeful and sees his life in a new and meaningful way.

*Please note: article may not be used or reprinted without author's permission. Thanks!

Scribe & Quill once again makes top ten in Preditors & Editors poll

2009-02-08T17:13:00.002-07:00

Hello again everyone!

Thanks to everyone who voted in this year's Preditors & Editors Reader Poll. Even if you didn't vote for me or Paul, thanks for going over to the poll and checking out all the interesting authors, publications, publishers and artists highlighted in the poll. There's a lot of talent out there and it's always exciting to discover new voices!

I'm pleased to announce that Scribe & Quill (http://www.scribequill.net) once again made the Top Ten for non-fiction magazine. In addition, I placed second in the non-fiction article category and #11 for e-zine/publication editor. My husband, Paul, ranked 13 on top artist. It's only his second year in the poll, so I'm very proud of him!

Thanks to everyone who voted for us and we look forward to an even more successful 2009!

Sincerely,

Bev Sninchak, writing as Bev Walton-Porter