Stuck in the middle of a story? To toss or to tell it through to the end?

“It's important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse.” 

― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

A completely minor and unimportant moment in the book and movie, "Life of Pi," was fascinating to me:  the fictional author interviewing Pi shares his own life-changing experience with Pi:  he had worked on a book for over two years and had finally given up and thrown the book away.  

I, personally, would never give a "writer" who had abandoned a story MY story.  Never. 

Why would anyone bother to finish a book if they have to work through it?  Shouldn't the story flow perfectly from Once Upon a Time to The End?  

All writers start with a dream:  a captured moment of pure inspiration. (Zap! Writing)   

Here's where writers separate from dreamers in the pack:  the personal, internalized "moment" of inspiration has to be expressed externally as a story.  The writer chooses how to express the story she wants to tell.  Will it be a poem?  A book?  A song?  A play? 

A dreamer can fake it through step one and start expressing an internal moment as a story, but the thrill for the dreamer is reliving the moment of inspiration; not the creation of the external story.  The dreamer wants to keep the inspiration for herself.  The dreamer will never write out the dream to its conclusion.  Concluding the moment of inspiration would kill the dream.

The dreamer gives up the writing and clings to the dream.  It's MY Moment.  I'm not risking it. I'm tossing the story.  It will never equal my dream.

Now comes the moment of truth.  The writer faces the biggest question of all:  can I tell this story?  Do I have what it takes to push the dream I experienced out of my mind and into the world?  Can I let it go?     

The writer plunges on; putting words on paper until the link between inspiration and external expression of the dream are woven together into a story.  Writers pour dream after dream into each scene of the story to draw the reader into a shared flash of inspiration.

A friend of mine, a talented painter, finishes a painting, shows it and sells it. She's kept a few paintings over the years, but for the most part, if a painting doesn't sell and she needs the space in her studio to work, she re-uses the canvas.  She paints over canvases she didn't sell and isn't planning to show in the future.    

In E-publishing, writers can rewrite over their canvases.  I've received a ton of notices from Amazon that writers have updated their Kindle books with significant edits.  I love that writers are re-painting stories that they want to sell or show.  

Middles are the toughest to write.  There's no doubt about that, but to bring the story out, you have to write out the whole dream.  Don't be afraid you'll sell the dream short.  You dreamed it perfectly and flawlessly.  The dream will always be yours.  Savor your dreams.  Inspire yourself to make your story better as you push through the middle.  Give the middle a chance to bungee back and forth from the moment of inspiration to the conclusion.  Complete the dream.  Move on to repaint the next dream. Push your dreams onto paper. 

HOW to "Write Happy"

What makes you happy writing?

Whatever makes you happy writing, NO ONE can tell you how to write, what to write, when to write, and especially, WHY you write.

Being happy writing, for me, means I write what, when and how I want to write.  I don't care what anyone else thinks about my writing with the exception of my friends/fans.  I care about them.  I write for their enjoyment.

How to "Write Happy"

1)  Shut out the noise.  Noise = TV, music, book reviews, books you're reading, thoughts you have about everything except the story.  You need a break from the noise to write happy.  Mentally push the volume "off" button and write.

2)  Say thank you.  Thank you for being alive.  Thank you for letting me have so much fun writing!  Thank you for the joy my writing brings to others.  Thank you for allowing me to put my thoughts into words.  Thank you for all the noise (when I'm not writing!)

3)  Be selfish.  Take time to write what you want to write.  If you write for a living and have a contract, finish the work so you can WRITE!  Find fun ways to write for yourself.  Use Dragon dictation and write in the car.  Squirrel away ideas you want to write about.  Find pleasure in your own secret writing plans.

4) Expect the unexpected.  It's OK to imagine your book becoming a bestseller or being read and loved by a big movie producer and made into a movie.  Magic happens.  Find joy in all the nice things people say to you after reading your book or for just writing a book.  Revel in it.  You're cool!  You wrote a book!  A friend of mine I hadn't heard from in a few years called me out of the blue yesterday and told me how brave I am to write a book.  It felt really good to hear.  Thank you!

5)  Stop when you're bored or you're done for the day.  I wish YOU all the best and I want you to stop reading about how to be happy writing and go do it!  I would rather discuss this with you in the comments below than try to pull a #6 out of a hat.  My coffee is getting cold and my story is waiting for me.

HAPPY WRITING!
Shawna

shawnasbooks@hansenonline.net
Check out my books on Amazon, BN & Smashwords :)

Be Happy Writing

Hello blog readers,  I'm catching up on my correspondence today and wanted to write you a quick note.

I am so happy that you are writing!  Whenever you tell me about your book ideas, I always think of other books that have similar themes and want to recommend them to you, but I also think that your voice is unique.  My followup thought is always to tell you to keep doing whatever it is you’re doing – dreamweaving and coming up with a story.  You are on to something. 

Taking writing classes is a great way to connect with writers/teachers, but you may find it tedious.  There are a lot of writing groups in every cafe and library across the world, and (whisper) they may get tedious, too.

What I’ve learned over the years as a writer is that I like a little of this and a little of that.  I can only take the classes and the other writers in small doses. Other people's views on writing are helpful, don't get me wrong, but in the end you're alone with your thoughts.  

 I have a few close friends that I share my writing with. It's a big deal to me.  Opening up my art/story/dreams to my friends is one of the best social interactions of all time.  I highly prefer it to social media!

One thing I have overcome is my fear of failure as a writer.  I will never make a living writing.  I will never win any big awards (ok, I have won a couple early on and that was an honor).  My books are imperfect and need a good editor, but I’m happy!  Isn't that funny?  I publish my imperfect books on amazon, bn.com and Smashwords and for the first time as a writer, I’m happy!  

I don’t even care about bad reviews.  Who cares?  It’s the writing and the sharing that are what I want as a writer. 

I love/crave getting emails from my friends that they love my writing and want to read more. I’ve written three books now and am working on #4.  Some of my friends loved them.  (Another thing you learn quickly as a writer is that only your fans/friends love your books.  Stay with your fans/friends.  Write for yourself and for them!)  Some are happy that I'm happy, which also makes me happy!

So long message short - Be Happy Writing!  Not many people care about your writing, but there will be readers who do.  Have fun, be yourself and write your heart out.  You have nothing to lose if you are happy writing!

Don't wallpaper your bathroom with rejection letters.  Don't print out bad reviews.  Don't be unhappy writing!  There are plenty of unhappy writers out there; miserable no matter how many awards they get.  

Remember the secret to a balanced life:  the more you take for yourself, the less you have in the end; the more you give of yourself; the more you get back in the end.

Be happy writing!  

P.S. and don't forget to eat your greens.  :) 

2012 Reading Journey - pack your bag and come with me

I say this every year - 2012 was a great year for reading!

You may notice that it is already February 2013 and I'm just now getting around to summarizing the books that took me to remote destinations and showed me world after world filled with fascinating stories in 2012.

Kim Harrison, Ever After

Why is this reading blog so late?  I've already started down a fascinating reading path in 2013.  I've already read the new Kim Harrison novel, Ever After, and 9 other books!  That's the way a book worm starts off a New Year!

Instead of ranking my favorite reads this year, I'm taking you on a little road trip.  Hopefully, you'll find a few hitchhikers in this list to take with you on your 2013 reading journey:

Highlights of 2012:

January 2012

Patrick Rothfuss, Wise Man's Fear

Patrick Rothfuss', Wise Man's Fear:  

Lyrical, magical, musical are all terms over-used in describing books, but in this case, the words describe the universe in which Rothfuss writes.

off the year and my reading journey with Wise Man's Fear tipped me off that 2012 was going to be a great year for books!

Like a fine wine, a series such as the The Kingkiller Chronicle only gets better with time.

February 2012

After keeping the holiday spirit alive reading 8 Christmas books, I packed up my book bag with some hot reads in February:

Darcie Chan, The Mill River Recluse

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - one of the scariest books I've ever read!  The train really frightens me!  Click here to see movie trailer
• Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich - I just can't say no to a Stephanie Plum adventure.Click to learn about Janet Evanovich
• The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan - I have a soft spot on my heart for this book.  Endearing, a little scary and incredibly lonely.  You'll experience what it means to live a solitary life in this book.  Cuddle up with your Valentine after you read this one!  Click to learn about Darcie Chan

March 2012

In March, I went off the beaten path and spent a lot of time with indie writers.  First, let me say that I love indie books flaws, bad editing and all.  What's great about indie books is that you get to read "raw" art.  Just like the new fad of eating raw food, reading indie books is also good for you. You may have to chew a little harder sometimes to swallow the story, but the payoff in a really great reading experience.  Check out indie authors by downloading and reading their publications on Amazon, BN.com, Apple store and Smashwords.  Check out my reviews on goodreads.com to see indie writers I'm reading.  I try to read at least two books a month by indie writers.  Click to go to my Facebook author page and meet indie writers 

Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

April 2012

Who doesn't love a creepy book?  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern must be experienced. Don't read reviews about it and don't try to make sense of it.  Read it like poetry.  Feel the surreal.  Listen to your heart pound as you read.  Let it freak you out a little.Click to learn about Erin Morgenstern

May 2012

Helen Smith, Being Light

Being Light by Helen Smith.  If you haven't read any books by Helen Smith, add that to your to-do list in 2013.  I plan to read everything she writes!  There are very few authors whose plots, story lines and dialog I cannot "predict."  I'm sure a lot of you book worms and writers are like that, too, and know how hard it is to find a writer like Helen Smith who is completely unpredictable and original (really!!!) - in a fantastically great way!  Click to learn about Helen Smith

                                                         June 2012

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins!  Love this series.  I am 30 years too old to really appreciate the point of view of a child put through brutality, but as a mother, these books broke my heart.  We are the guardians of our freedom and if we forget it for a second, we will lose our liberty, democracy and rights.  Don't forget that for a second.  Click here to learn about Suzanne Collins

July 2012

Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle.  I went on a bender and read 10 books!  I tend to prefer the historical romances, especially the Arcane series, but her modern-day romances are great, too.  Quick's "go-to" heroine is frumpy on the outside, brilliant and loving.  Her "go-to" hero is a dedicated bachelor due to his usually obsessive devotion to a study or occupation, but he is always smart enough to recognize a great woman.  Lots of adventure, plot twists and intellectual banter and of course, romance.  I love them all!  My library had the books for Kindle loans, so I really OD'd on some of the early books.  Series to look for:  Eclipse Bay, Arcane Society and Whispering Springs.  Looking forward to reading the Jayne Castle books, too!  Click here to learn more about Quick Krentz and Castle

August 2012

Look, August wasn't all bad.  My heart really wasn't into reading.  I was a beach bum and if I did any beach reading, it was for recipes to make when I got home that didn't require turning the oven on.  Nora Robert's Bride Quartet series was a lot of fun,  I took the plunge and read Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L James (not for me). Honorable mentions:  The Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson and The Secret in their Eyes by Eduardo Sacheri (the movie was pretty good, but the book was better.)

September 2012

The Help by Kathryn Stockett!  Loved it!  Haven't seen the movie yet.  Is it about race?  Yes.  Discrimination?  Yes.  Poverty?  Yes.  What is it REALLY about?  Love.
Love has no skin color, no money in its pocket and doesn't care how long your family has been in this country or how they got here.Click here to see the movie trailer

October 2012

Defending Jacob, William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay was the turnaround book of the year for me.  I listened to the audiobook in the car.  One night as I was heading out to teach a class for the Newton Community Education program, I drove past the sign for Cold Creek Park and I literally got the shivers.  I had a few doubts halfway through the year about whether my reading journey was going to be a bit of a disappointment or if I was on the trip of a lifetime, but Defending Jacob woke me up and put a little zip back into my reading time.  Three other highlights in October:  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer by Seth Grahame-Smith, The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak and True Colors by Kristin Hannah

November 2012

Iced, Karen Marie Moning

A quick audio book listen:  The Now Habit: A Strategic Program to Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play  by Neil A. Fiore gave me a quick kick to the rear to make the best use of my time as the year started to come to an end.
Terrific reads in November included:

• South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami- how do you know what you want in life?  Who do you want in your life?
• The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - Who DON'T you want in your life?  
• Iced, by Karen Marie Moning (#6 in the Fever series).  Ever wish you could just stay in a place after you've vacationed there?

December 2012

Ape House, Sara Gruen

Wrapping up the year, I read 5 holiday themed books and then turned to The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz to get organized for the New Year.  I want to leave you with a few thoughts on one of my favorite books of the year, Ape House by Sara Gruen, completed my reading journey.  Water for Elephants had fascinated me in January 2012 and I have yet to see the movie.  My library had Ape House as a Kindle loan, so I read it with a growing sense of horror and anger at how humans mistreat each other and the animal world, which we are a part of.  Like Sara Gruen points out, no one mentions that the apes have learned to communicate in our language, but we have not learned their language.  Animal testing is wrong.  Playing mind games on humans is wrong.  Let's make humanity a word to be proud of by making ourselves into better humans!

Thank you for taking the time to share my reading journey.  Let me know which literary worlds you traveled to in 2012 and where you are heading in 2013.  Hope our reading paths continue to cross.

Last 2 months of the year - starting to think about the great reads of 2012

2012 started off as an ok reading year.  Over the summer, I wasn't sure how many books I'd read I'd actually put on my best books from 2012 list.  I was starting to despair I'd have a list at all!  

After the last few months, I can honestly say that I have read some unforgettable stories.  I'm really looking forward to putting the list together in a couple of months, but even more than that, I am looking forward to the books I have yet to read in the next 2 months.

I read a mixture of books -- Kindle self-published ebooks from the free list, books downloaded from the library written by best selling authors and audio books I get from the library (usually from authors I've never heard of).  My search criteria for books has been wide open.  I always read books by authors whose books I enjoyed in the past and I always read books given to me by authors (although it can take me a while to get them onto my Kindle if I don't get them from Amazon). 

As an author on goodreads.com, I get a lot of wonderful recommendations from fellow authors and readers.  I also have had interaction with authors of books I've liked on goodreads and as a reader, that is such a thrill!

It's really great to be a part of the writing/reading community.  I know there are a lot of writers who do not interact with their readers and there are a lot of writers who do not read. 

There are also a lot of readers who write and a lot of readers who have no interest in writing. 

For me, I'm happy to hear from everyone within the community and learn what makes each group happy as readers.

Writing makes me happy.  I want to be a better writer and take my readers on a once in a lifetime journey.  The story has to be compelling and reach to the reader's heart.  The characters have to be people we care about and enjoy spending time "experiencing." 

Is it embarassing to be imperfect as a writer?  YES!

I'm learning from my readers.  Keep the language tight and simple.  My new mantra for 2013:  EDIT!
Readers are forgiving if the story is good but they don't want to be left on the side of the road with a flat tire.  The journey needs to be flawless so they can see the beautiful sites.

Is there a better feeling in the world than sharing a beautiful journey with another?

Not for me.

New Laptop!

I got a new laptop! 

It's sleek! 

It's shiny!

 It's a saucy little Samsung Series 5.  I love it!  I haven't had my "own" computer since before I got married. 

My husband has built us several computers over the years and we have a large and ever-growing family of computers in the house (along with as many hand-held devices that you can imagine), but the only other computer that was truly mine was an old "Leading Edge" computer I bought through the University of Iowa's student computer purchase plan. 

It's such a great feeling to have my very own machine! 

Sure, I've had access to many wonderful computers over the years - Macintoshes in the computer lab at the U of Iowa, IBMs and HPs at Emerson and my first work lap top at the travel company I worked for a couple years ago.

Before that, it was all desk computers.  I had a snazzy little PDA, an Edge, that was the BEST thing since sliced bread. 

Sure, I have a Kindle Fire and an iphone, but my heart belongs to Sam 5.  I've spent most of the day getting the laptop loaded with all my favorite software and weblinks, so it's looks like home. 

Now, the next big project for me will be to get all my old stories off those archaic floppy disks.  I'm really hoping that I managed to transfer them onto the small floppy disks and that they are not all still on the big floppy disks.

Last year, I took three or four "ancient" computers to Staples and paid them $10 each to take them to recycle. 

I wonder how long Sam has before he's considered too old to load with "new" software? 
As a mom, I know I never look at my kid and think that in 80 years, she'll have been superseded by at least three generations of new Hansens. 

So, Sam and I have been working hard together to write my third "Guy" book.  We've surfed the web, customized software and driven my husband bonkers asking about all the options.

So many options, so little time!

Thanks, Sam, for helping me write my first blog on your lovely keyboard.  Your beautiful purple screen saver is surely a sight for sore eyes. 

I can't wait to see all the beautiful scenes we create together over the next 3-4 years. 

(Lap top of the future?  http://www.rucksandrolls.com/soon-your-laptop-will-be-a-table-top/)

Some books are like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get

I'm fascinated with the gorgeous covers available to e-book writers!  Paperback and hardcover covers are limited by cost, but with digital covers, graphics can be gloriously vivid.  I've been reading several blogs about what makes great e-book covers.  The exciting news is that simplicity and boldness reign.  Deep colors and imaginative graphics are also appealing.  It's interesting to see that the NY Times bestsellers from the publishing houses are still, for the most part, using class covers for their e-book publications.

Here are some covers from the top-selling books on Amazon:

Fifty Shades by E.L. James series:
Incredibly stark and simple - grey against black.
Large, bold object.
Very appealing!
I wish the books were as enticing as the covers, but that's just my take.


Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn:  Great use of color in the author's name.  Note the size of the author's name versus the book's title.
It's exciting to see how the publisher markets the writer as well as the book.



Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen:  The USA bestselling cover is the yellow and blue.  Love the blackground!  This cover is busy, but effective.  Intense!

What do you think of the cover used in the UK with the girl looking down and the big window behind?  Is it as effective and intense?

I'm definitely drawn to the closeup of the girl's face in the US cover.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day:

Very sexy cover with the high heel!

What do you think of the other two covers?

The text really pops on the cover with the earrings.

Bones are Forever by Kathy Reichs: 

Can't beat a classic layout!

But, honestly, is that the best they can do?!






THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE, by Lene Kaaberbo and Agnete Friisl. 

I like the faded Polaroid/old photo style of the cover to the left

Here's the same cover to the right with more green:


The colors and the faded image are pretty scary.







#10 on the NY Times fiction bestseller e-books is The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James.  Nothing ugly about either of these covers, but the cover to the right is the one that is the bestseller.  Personally, I love the purple, glittery swans, but I like a little glam.



OK, so what's happening in the Indie book cover world?
Let's take a quick look....


From Amazon's Bestselling Indie authors:

Pretty classic if you ask me!  Some of the erotica novels are using some beautiful colors.

I'm curious about how long it will take for the 3D world and the art world to intersect with the book covers.  I'd like to see book covers jump off the page and grab readers!  Let me know your favorite book covers.