The Art Of Writing Prompts

I love writing prompts! They do so much to expand our horizons as writers. Really? Yes, really! Why is this?

1. They act as a kick start to creativity.

2. It is a great way to learn to barnstorm ideas.

3. You can use many things as prompts - images, single words, phrases, themes ... whatever works as a focus mechanism.

4. The material that comes from writing prompts can take on a life of its own!

5. Writing prompts, and sharing what we write, helps us connect with our writing community.

Here are some sites to play with:

CreativeWritingPrompts.com

WritersDigest.com

ThinkWritten.com

WritingForward.com

WritingExercises.co.uk

TheStoryShack.com

I am going to be including a writing prompt in my monthly newsletter from now on. Here are a few to get started with:

1. Use the word "Mother" as a focal point.

2. Use the word "Fury" as a focal point.

3. Picture a door, and write about what you might find on the other side.

4. Focus on "Death", nad how it has affected you personally.

5. What does stress feel like to you?

Don't stop and think ... just write! If you want, set a timer for five or ten minutes, or for however long you want to write. Whatever you do ... just write!

(c) January 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without writen permission of the author. 

New Year's Eve 2018

Welcome to New Year's Eve 2018! Looking back over the old year, looking forward to the new year. Before I start in about what 2017 was for me, what I am taking from it, and what I am looking forward to in 2018, I want to stop and give a tip of the hat to Sue Grafton, author of the "Kinsey Milhone" mystery series. As Ms Grafton's daughter posted on Facebook - "The series ends with "Y". Yes, Sue Grafton just passed away from cancer. Her series, which followed the letters of the alphabet, stops with "Y". Her books are favorites of mine, and I will miss her greatly (even though I never met her).

2017 was certainly a year with its ups and downs. The political climate continued to get worse, on a daily (if not hourly) basis. The sole aim in the Trum administration seemed to be to take down whatever former President Obama had put in place, and to change any and all rule and regs to fit the schemes of the rich. Why do I feel the need to mention this in an article about my year - because whether I wanted it to or not, it did affect me.

Because of the afore mentioned political debacle, I became more active in the area of politics. I sent more e-mails, made more phone calls, and wrote more letters than I have ever done before. I will continue to do this - within reason. I ended up on a lot of political lists that I have been steadily unsubbing from. The individuals/groups on those lists had/have pertinent things to say - but everything ends with a request for money, and they all need it by "midnight". I will not be used! I will contribute to local politicians, and through Hillary Clinton's political action group Onward Together.  

Over the past year I took both writing and personal development courses through Udemy, started a newsletter focused on writing, and fine tuned my WIPs - a mystery novel, and a book on decision making. I formatted what I want to have in my fictional character's profiles, and what I want included in my bible for each book (for my fictional books, so that each book in the series reflect what has actually happed, or been referred to, in previous books). In researching my mystery novel, I realized that I have an online acquaintance that I can use as to vet an important part of my book (no writer wants to look like a fool.)

I went through a personal health  crisis at the end of October that took until the end of December to really clear up.

For 2018, I am looking forward to publishing my first mystery novel, and to developing a solid plan for promoting it. I will continue with Udemy classes, as well as with interesting webinars that cross my path. I will make an attempt to network with other writers (a LinkedIn acquiantence has what looks to be an intresting novel coming out in 2018). I look forward to blogging here on a weekly basis, as well as writing one flash fiction (100 words) a week and posting it. I also look forward to strengthening the focus of my newsletter, and promoting it in a more efficient manner.

This is my life. What are you taking from 2017, and what are you looking forward to in 2018?

(c) 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction rohibited without written permission of the author. 

  

  

Christmas Books That I Love!

Christmas is a lovely time of year! I look forward to decorating my house, playing Christmas music, cooking, baking, and, of course, reading Christmas themed mysteries! The following are some that I would like to share, in the spirit of the season. Enjoy!

Victoria Benchley. The Christmas Contest. This is part of t he Duncan Dewar series, and takes place Scottish village. He is trying to solve a murder, while at the same time vying for Angela's heart!

Kathi Daley. The Christmas Letter. This is part of the Tess and Tilly cozy mystery series. This story is based in the small town of White Eagle, Montana, and thrives on small town shenanigans! 

Francis Duncan. Murder For Christmas. This is part of the Mordecai Tremaine series, and takes place at a country retreat.

Joanne Fluke, Sugar Cookie Murder. This is part of the Hannah Swensen series, based on a community Christmas celebration. I love that there are a ton of recipies included!

Ellen Elizabeth Hunter. Murder On the Candlelight Tour. This is part of the Magnolia Mystery Wilmington series, featuring historic preservationist Ashley Wilkes, and the proverbial murder in the library!

Margaret Maron, Rituals of the Season. This is a Deborah Knott mystery that combines Christmas and Deborah's impending wedding. Excellent read!

If you would like to sign up for my monthly newsletter, please check out my site. 

(c) November 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written consent of the author.

The Legend of Justice and Diamonds - Second Printing

"The Legend of Justice and Diamonds" was originally published through Xulon Press in 2010. It is now available through Create Space and Kindle (The Legend of Justice and Diamonds). (You can find my review of the first printing here.) I was (and still am!) drawn to this book because it takes its foundation from the Tarot, which has been a a part of my life "forever". The book presents the cards as both living virtues, and living human beings, fashioned by The Creator. The background is that of what author Louis F. Hemsey terms "first Earth" - the time before Earth as we know it.

The voice of the story is Acellus, The Creator's scribe. He is also the first angelic being. Through his visions, the reader moves into the past, into what is termed an alternate reality, where it is the sixth year reign of the first King - a rogue entitled the King of Clubs. The story exemplifies the eternal struggle between good and evil, and moves smoothly between three realms - (1) the Forest of Cards, (2) the earthly realm of the Kng of Clubs, and (3) the realm of the Keepers, the ones who read the Tarot cards.

As an author myself, I am imressed with the manner in which Hemsey moved his work from Xulon Press to the independent publishing venues of Create Space and Kindle. The addition of a dlightful new cover spices things up nicely!

I have it on good authority (Hemsey himself!) that a sequel is in the works - involving the son's of the Jack of Diamonds and the Ace of Spades, along with the Queen of Diamonds and Lady Arabella of Saxon.

Now is a good time to read (and savor) the first book, so that you have the background handy for reading the sequel!

(c) November 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

A Writer's Thanksgiving

We have thanksgiving coming up here in the United States on November 23rd. It is all about food, family, and being thankful for all of the abundance in our lives, whatever form that takes (which, for some, will be endless football games!). I have been sitting here thinking about what I am thankful for as a writer.

I have been writing ever since I can remember. For whatever reason, I aways seemed to be secretary of whatever organization I was with. I remember when I was in the sixth grade, and I was secretary for my Camp Fire Girls group. I wrote up the minutes, then I got to walk them down to the local newspaper (I lived in a really small town!). This was a very big thrill for me!

As I became an adult, and moved forward in my career, most of my writing was of a technical nature. (I worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist.) As my avocation - Tarot and metaphysics - transformed into my vocation, I found myself writing on totally different topics. I took what to me was a huge risk and submitted an idea for a book to Schiffer Publishing Ltd., and it was accepted! I was shocked, and enormously happy! I submitted a second idea for a book, and that was accepted too. I am very thankful to Schiffer, and to my editor, Dinah Roseberry, for making publishing my books a very positive experience! 

I co-wrote a book on joy with my friend Brad Tesch, which turned out to be a very enjoyable experience. I am thankful for the time that I spent wth Brad co-writing that book. I wrote and self-published a book on surviving the holidays - which was a great deal of fun to write, and which made me feel good about being able to offer concrete "helpful hints" to others on how not to go insane during the holidays.

I have done written interviews with some of the most interesting people in the Tarot field. I am thankful that to a person they were gracious, and shared of themselves the things that worked for them, and the background of their work.

I currently have a WIP (work in progress) that entails, in part, flying in and out of smaller airports that cater to private and corporate planes. I am very thankful that I know someone through Facebook that I can contact to make sure that the airports that I researched and chose are actually viable choices. I certainly don't want to look the fool over a choice of airports! If this individual agrees to mentor me on this, they will receive mention as a valuable resource in my book.

There are so many things to be thankful for as a writer! What are some of the things that those of you who are fellow writer's are thankful for?

(c) Bonnie Cehovet November 2017 

 

Creating A Fictional Character

I am in the process of building a bible for my WIP. Since this is the first book in what will be a series, I am starting small - the main character, two ancillary characters, and a bit of background. What I would like to discuss today is how I am defining my characters - what information I feel that  I need to know about them, so that they will come across as real/believable.

Some of the information that I include is:

1. Character's full name and birth date.
2. Physical description of the character.
3. Physical location of the character.
4. Physical description of their home.
5. Background information: Where they were born, where they went to school, where they have worked, who their parents are, who their siblings are.
6.  What are their goals - what is important to them?
7. What is their moral compass?
8. What are their strong points?
9. What are their weak points?
10. What is this character's relationship with the other characters in the story?

When we are building our characters, we need to keep in mind whether they are meant to be a: protagonist, antagonist, background person, background person that moves the story along.

Above all - know the purpose of your character to your story. Without purpose, the character will be ill defined, and your story will flounder.

If you would like to sign up for my (recently birthed) author's newsletter, you will find the form on my site.

(c) August 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

Where Does Time Go?

Time really has been flying by! I had hoped to put more work into a chapter that I am writing for a book that I am co-authoring, but that is not to be. I realized, albeit a bit late, that I had set a goal last week to write the outline for the Christmas themed novel that I plan to write in September. (That will get done, becuase I need to have it edited before I can put it up on Create Space and Kindle.)  

I have the bones of the book in my head. It will take place all in one night, at a Christmas party. I intend to introduce my main character, and two or three supporting characters, as I have fond hopes that I can turn this into a series. 

I also hope to introduce a bit of the nuance between my characters, how they know each other, and just what they have the power to accomplish.  Cats - as well as a dog or two - will have prominent roles. This will be a vry loose outline, as I am not what coult be considered a "plotter" - one who creates a plot and then sticks to it. I am a "pantser" - someone who writes by the seat of their pants! My work goes with the flow - which is sometimes good and sometimes ... challenging. 

What this series is going to be like has changed drastically over the past two weeks - primarily because how it "could be" flew full blown into my head! I will be introducng the characters,  creating a light tension between certain characters, placing a few false clues, and letting the ending evolve. Well, I know what the ending is, but getting there is where the evolution comes from.

I would like to mention that I have just started writing a monthly newsletter aimed at writers, and am running a contest through the end of August. Anyone who signs up before the end of August will have their names tossed into a hat, with the winner receiving a copy of Barbara Berger's "Find and Follow Your INNER COMPASS". You can sign up for my newsletter here. (Look on the right hand side, under apps.)

(c) August 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written consent of the author.