Quote of the Week

I love this quote...like a lot. I mean I am nowhere near perfect, I'm a complete maniac, and I don't believe in normal people. With that in mind, today I'm going to pull apart this quote.
"Imperfection is beauty"
No one, absolutely no one, is perfect. So why does everyone think that beauty equals absolute perfection? Beauty is unique.
Take, for example, Rhiannon from Segolia: Daughter of Prophecy. She looks like no one else. But she hates it. Her whole life, she just wishes she looked normal. What she needs to learn is that beauty is different. Imperfections, differences, are what make us beautiful.
"Madness is genius"
Think about it. The most brilliant, creative people in the world were absolutely insane. Writer and artists are always crazy. In order to have a good idea, whether you're a writer or an artist or a scientist, you have to be able to think differently from most people. And that typically means madness in the eyes of most people.
                                                             "And it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely                                                                    boring"
                                                               I don't believe in normal people. What defines normal? It depends                                                                on who you ask. Normal means something to every single person.                                                                And to be 'normal', what most people consider normal, is to be                                                                    absolutely boring.
                                                               I hope this has been at least a little inspiring. Be unique.

Writing Fights

Even though it seems ironic for me to be writing about fight scenes, I'm doing it any way. 

I've struggled with writing good, intense fights from the very beginning. If you do too, maybe what I've been doing will help you out as well.

Problems with Fight Scenes and How to Solve them:

Problem #1: I don't know about you, but one of my biggest issues with fights is that I've never been in an actual fight. How the heck am I supposed to write something so intense when I have no idea how it feels?

Solution #1: There a couple of things you can do. The big thing for me was to live through others in order to experience fights. Since I was writing a sword fight, I looked up scenes from Lord of the Rings, The Princess Bride, along with other movies that had sword fight scenes. I also looked up scenes from favorite books for inspiration and to see how they kept things moving. Even though it doesn't have any sword fights, Divergent was a great source to see how to keep any fight moving. 

Problem #2: My second issue was that I didn't know how to keep the fight going. Things always seemed too rushed and it made it move too quickly for most readers. 

Solution #2: Again, Divergent was amazing for this. I read scenes, analyzing how the author would keep the fight going long enough. Here's what I discovered: Keep a scene flowing with more moves when they fight, imagery as the fight goes on, and the character's reactions and thoughts throughout the fight. Another thing I did was take it piece by piece. Since I needed to slow it down, I needed to slow down the writing process. I wrote a page or even less a night, picking up where I left off the following night. I'm still not finished but I am much happier with how the fight is going.

Okay! So I hope this was at least semi-helpful. Let me know if you have any other suggestions or other comments.

Thanks all!

Unleash Your Creativity

"I wish I could write a book..."
"I wish I was creative enough to write a book..."
"I wish I was creative..."
I hear these kind of things all the time. People are always telling me they wished they were more creative than they were. Honestly, I don't understand. Creativity can come naturally but it doesn't always. Just because you weren't born creative does not mean you can't be creative. Creativity is a choice.
Of course, if it doesn't come naturally, you can't just sit around and expect that to change. Here are some ways to boost (unleash) your creativity:
1. Read a book.
2. Go for a walk.
3. Take a break.
4. Listen to music.
5. Exercise
6. Take a nap.
7. Paint or draw.
8. Do something with your friends.
9. Make something.

When Should I Send in my Manuscript?

So, you've written a novel. It's been polished a few times and you really like it. Now what?
Now, my dears, it's time to find an agent or a publisher. I know, I know, you're freaking out, right? I know it seems kind of scary, especially if you aren't sure your writing is ready for rejection or acceptance. I'm guessing you're worried about these kinds of things:
What if it gets rejected?
What if they say yes but I don't think it's right yet?
What if I lose my chance because I sent in the manuscript to soon?
I get it. I was worried about the same kinds of things. But I was lucky enough to get an extra push from my mom (LOVE YOU MOM!). If she hadn't sent it in, I probably wouldn't be published still. Point being, I understand your fears. They were mine. But you can't let that take control. There will come a day when your story is ready. It could even be today. But YOU need to be ready, too. And that's what this post is all about: figuring out if it's time or not.
How to know if your manuscript is ready:
1. You're happy with it.
So, yes, we all have those days where we just hate every word. But, for the most part, do you genuinely love it? If so, it might be time to consider checking out agents and publishers.
2. You're considering publishing.
So, if you find yourself wondering if someone would pick your work up, then maybe you're getting close. You may very well find your thoughts straying to publishing because it's time to move on to that step.
And now a few points on your worries:
1. What if it's rejected?
If it's rejected, it's rejected. It's as simple as that. I know, easier said than done. I'm sure rejection letters can't be easy to deal with. But have faith in yourself and your writing. Your chance will come.
2. What if they say yes but I don't think it's right yet?
Okay, here's the thing. The moment it's picked up doesn't mean you are done and it's published as is. I went through four or five more revisions with the publisher before publication was finished. Point being, there's still time to fix the things you don't like.
Of course, you've got to remember that NO STORY is perfect. That's impossible.
3. What if I lose my chance because I sent the manuscript too soon?
This is a silly thing to fear. How are you ever going to know that? If you live in fear of sending it in too soon, you may never send it to anyone. You're going to have to take a leap and hope for the best. If it's ready, it's ready. And there are so many publishing options. I don't know how you can really "lose your chance" so to speak. Besides, what if you send it too late? You never know what the future holds. Just trust it'll happen when the time is right and jump.

So I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask!

Understanding the Writer's Mind

Odd.
Insane.
Eccentric.
Chances are, if you know a writer, they've been accused of these kind of things. I know I have. And a lot of the time your writer has probably taken these things as compliments. Again, I certainly find it more of a compliment than an insult when people tell me I'm crazy. But for the everyday person, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. And that's why we're here.
Today, I'm going to try to help your average Joe understand what makes the writer tick and how to deal with their sometimes bizarre behavior. Okay, so let's get started!
1. Writers are hardly ever completely in reality.
Whether we're talking about poets or novelists or anything in between, writers are constantly dealing with their stories. Being a novelist, I'm always at least one foot in the story world. When your writer stops paying attention to your conversation, it's probably because they've stepped further into the story. For the writer, reality is just plain old boring. They'd much rather deal with the imaginary worlds than every day life.
If a writer happens to get this far away look or stops paying any attention to the world around them, leave them alone. Their mind is elsewhere.
2. They do in fact talk back to the voices in their heads.
So, yeah, a lot of people claim to have little voices in their heads. But most of us don't actually talk back to them. Writers do. I don't know what normal people's voices are but a writer's inner voices are probably their characters or something. Mine are and, yes, I do talk back to them. Sometimes, arguing with those little voices are all the writer needs to be inspired. So, if a writer mentions an argument they had with the voices, it's OK. Don't be concerned.
3. Ideas may be dangerous.
I don't know how other writers react to getting ideas but, for me, they really are dangerous. I usually scream "epiphany" at the top of my lungs before grabbing something to write on and write with. I imagine other writers scramble for pen and paper just like I do. It may seem like a wild frenzied thing to do but there's some logic behind it. If an idea doesn't get written down immediately, it could be forgotten.
So, if a writer starts scrambling for paper and pen, do not be alarmed. Once the idea is down, they'll be fine.
4. Writers write.
Chances are, if you know a writer, you've worried about their eating, sleep, and social habits. They forget to eat, forget to sleep, and completely forget about friends and family. That's the thing about writing. Writers get into their stories and its hard to pull them out. If it's dinnertime and they're writing, it might not be a bad idea to leave a snack for them and leave them to their work. I know as for me, I just forget that I do in fact have to eat. As far as sleep goes, you may have to remind them that they do need to sleep. And socially? Writers typically aren't all that social. They get caught up in the story world, where their characters take them on adventures. Sometimes, we need to be reminded to have real life adventures.
5. Talking about writing.
One thing that you should never worry about is what a writer means, particularly if they mention how sad they are to kill someone. No worries, they aren't feeling murderous, at least not to anyone outside the pages of a book. And another thing: if you happen to see their browsing history, do not freak out on them. It's all research. They aren't planning to assassinate you or anything. No worries.
So that's basically it. The thing is writers are crazy, absolutely. But that goes with the job. They have to have voices to inspire them, and reality will sometimes be less real than the story world. But, chances are, they have a heck of an adventure every day.

Tales from the Bayou: Segolia: Daughter of Prophecy, A YA Novel, by Brit...

Tales from the Bayou: Segolia: Daughter of Prophecy, A YA Novel, by Brit...:   Today on the Bayou, I'd like to welcome Brittany Oldroyd with her exciting new young adult read. It's a story of dragons and le...

Fresh Start

So today we're going to start fresh with my blogs. This blog is going to be all about writing. I'll post advice, videos, links, and memes all about writing. It's to be used as a resource for other writers. If you're looking for information on me and Segolia, you should head straight over to my other blog: http://segoliablog.wordpress.com/. That is the official Segolia blog and will have information and fun stuff regarding the book(s).

What's a Writer?

Tip of the week:
If you write, say you're a writer. It seems like a lot writers don't feel like they write enough to be called a "writer." If you write a sentence a day you're still a writer. If you say you're a writer, you'll become a writer.

Q and A, #2

So we're back today for a Q & A. Today I'm going to answer the question I get in literally every book talk, especially with the fifth graders. ;) So, that question is this:
Q. Are they going to make it into a movie?
A. I would love if someone decided that Segolia would make a good movie. I certainly think it would make a great movie. However, its only been out for a month and half, even if it does feel like much longer than that. Point being, they don't make movies after books that have only been out for a few weeks. Time is key here. Well, that and the need for a huge fan base. We might get there someday but right now, it's just a book. Of course, if they did make a movie, I would definitely want to be somewhat involved. I'm a strong believer that the author has to be a little involved, but be willing to understand that there are limitations. Movies from books are someone's take on it so it'll never be identical. Right now, let's be content to have an awesome story to read. ;)

What do you want to know for today's How-To?

So does anyone have anything they want to hear about as far as writing tips go? I plan to share a little advice later on in the day. :)

Welcome Casey Bond and her book Winter Shadows!

Casey Bond lives in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and two beautiful daughters. When she isn't writing young adult books, she is reading them. She is surrounded by loving family and wonderful, crazy friends. She is active in her community and Church and still supports her alma mater, Marshall University. Go Herd! You can visit her website and blog  at http://caseybond.tateauthor.com, find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Goodreads.com.

Winter Shadows is a coming of age story following Claire, a young lady struggling to find her place in the world after losing her mother to cancer. After the American government declares a pandemic and forces residents into quarantine encampments, Claire and her father, along with other members of their Church and community, go into hiding in a cave system in rural West Virginia. While coping with the losses of her mother, home, friends, sense of safety and normalcy, Claire begins to pick up the pieces of her past, finding a new normal despite the darkness surrounding her.

While adjusting to a new environment, and the group of people she finds herself surrounded by, Claire is faced with several important decisions that will influence the path her life will take. Who can she trust? Who should she love? How can she survive? Forced to choose between Ethan's steadfast, mature love and the love of mysterious and dangerous Colin who appears. Claire learns the difference between infatuation and love. She becomes self-reliant and strong. Despite her newfound confidence, and the isolation in which she resides, evil is able to find her. While fighting against it, she reestablishes her faith in God and opens her heart to the possibility of love.

Winter Shadows is a coming of age story following Claire, a young lady struggling to find her place in the world after losing her mother to cancer. After the American government declares a pandemic and forces residents into quarantine encampments, Claire and her father, along with other members of their Church and community, go into hiding in a cave system in rural West Virginia. While coping with the losses of her mother, home, friends, sense of safety and normalcy, Claire begins to pick up the pieces of her past, finding a new normal despite the darkness surrounding her.

http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781627467575 

Thought for the day: Let's be kinder

Those of you who have read Segolia: Daughter of Prophecy know about Edgeshifter. Throughout her life, she is known for being kind, compassionate, and selfless. Which is how she gets her title, Edgeshifter the Lightwanderer. She walks in the light, as it's been put.

There is a good reason for having a character like Edgeshifter. She is willing to stand up for what she believes, even if she stands alone. She's selfless, always putting others before her self. The world could do with more Edgeshifters.

That's not to say that we all need to go around hurting ourselves for the sake of others. That's not what I mean. No, what I'm saying is that we could all work on being kinder, to our families, friends, strangers.

Let's all work on that this week. When someone's in need, don't stand aside. When we are hurt, let us turn the other cheek. Because you never know what'll come from your actions.

Kindness works miracles.

Segolia Saturday: What's next?

It's Segolia Saturday and today I'll be discussing what I'll be doing now that Segolia: Daughter of Prophecy is out.

So those of you who have finished book one know how it ends. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read that far yet but I know it's driving people crazy. I know because it's driving me crazy too and I know what happens next. I'm anxious for everyone to be able to read it. I have written the second one, Segolia 2: Age of the Shadow (title still in the works, by the way). But here's the problem: Because Segolia: Daughter of Prophecy has only been out for just over a month, I can't publish the second one yet (unfortunately). The other problem is with the publisher. I've sold only a few books on their website (which doesn't look very promising for a sequel). But if you really want to get that second one out, there are a few things we can do to get it moving:
1. We need to get more reviews out there! I know, I know, I nag and nag about the reviews. But I have only five and I'm going to need a lot more to get people's attention. Goodreads, Amazon, you name it. We've got to get reviews there.
2. Tell people about Segolia! Seems easy enough, right? Book success is all about word of mouth. If no one's heard of it, how can they possibly read it? So, share my fan page, my book trailer (now on YouTube), this blog, your copy of the book, anything. We need to spread the word or book 2 will never hit the shelves (my biggest fear).
3. Read the book. This one is pretty dang obvious. But the thing is a lot people haven't yet (not pointing fingers by the way). But if people don't read it, then I can't build the fan base that I need. And without fans, no sequel.
So based on these things, I hope you're not freaking out and thinking there will never be a sequel. There WILL. I'm determined to see this through, as determined as I was to write the first one, despite a truck fire and all those other problems. But we can certainly speed up the process through spreading the word and getting people interested. Every author starts where I am now but with your help, that can change. I need fans that live and breathe Segolia the same way they breathe Divergent and Harry Potter. That is the key to success. I can write well, I can do all kinds of signings, but I need the help of the people to see this through.

In the meantime, I will keep editing Segolia 2 in hopes that interest will pick up. Hopefully soon. I want to get this thing out there. It's quite the book. ;)
Thanks!

TRIED, Excerpt

She knew she was dreaming.

Tatyana was somewhere she had never expected to be again. The only explanation was that she was dreaming, possibly remembering. Tatyana was at a fashion show, not only that but everything about this one was vaguely familiar. Then, Tatyana remembered. The fashion show in Chicago, where she’d been kidnapped by Glass’s men.

No, no, no. Not this. Any memory but this. Tatyana couldn’t relive this night. But she knew she was. The show was already ending. Soon, her captor would show up.

Tatyana started running, losing the black heels in the process. She wasn’t going down easy now. She couldn’t relive this night. She just couldn’t.

But the dream wasn’t going to let her run away from the past. After a few minutes of running, Tatyana stopped cold. It was him. The man that had kidnapped her so Glass and Pelletier could turn her into Subject Two, as they’d called her. Tatyana tried to run from him, but her speed in her dream, in this memory, was not superhuman yet. He grabbed her, dragging her into an alleyway.

Tatyana screamed.

Segolia: Daughter of Prophecy book trailer

Q and A #1

So, today I'm going to answer one of the questions asked at reading at Bookmans on August 12th.
The question asked was how long did it take you to write Segolia: Daughter of Prophecy?

And the answer....
I started writing Segolia when I was in ninth grade (in high school) but I had a few problems along the road. The major one was about a year or two after I started, I lost EVERYTHING in a truck fire and had to start from scratch. About a year later I finished. All in all, the whole process took about three years. And boy am I glad to be as fast as I am now. I went from three years for a rough draft to one week, depending on the story, of course.

*So if you have questions like the one answered today, ask them in a comment. I'm always happy to answer.

Update: August 13, 2013

Sometimes I really am amazed by how blessed I am. I know people say that all the time, but really, I have some much more than I feel I deserve most of the time.
Today someone told me they loved my book and wanted me to sign it. I was surprised. I always am when someone tells me they loved the novel. I mean, I love it too but its hard to believe I could write something people like and want more of.
And then, I learned that I'll be going to my sister's class for a reading on Friday. I've been dreaming of doing that kind of thing for a long time, long before I even started writing.
I'm just amazed by how I've affected people. I guess it just goes to show that if you're passionate and do what you love and put all your heart into it, it'll show. People notice when you love something as much as I love writing.
My suggestion to you would be this: No matter what happens, no matter what you love, do it with your whole heart.

Pop Quiz, #1 Answers

So here are the answers from the quiz earlier today. Here's a quick refresher on what the questions were:

1. Which people does Rhiannon belong to?
2. Which of the dragons partnered to the Guardians has black scales?
3. How do Alistair and Edgeshifter know each other?
4. Who is Aretha?
5. What is the name of the enchantress's eagle?


And here are the answers:

1. Naiads
2. Echosong
3. She was imprisoned in Idari the same time he was visiting at the palace.
4. The dryad who leads the Guardians to the Enchanters' Palace
5. Windrunner

So now you know. ;)

Pop Quiz! #1

This is the first of many Segolia quizzes. See if you can get it all right! I'll post answers tonight.

1. Which people does Rhiannon belong to?
2. Which of the dragons partnered to the Guardians has black scales?
3. How do Alistair and Edgeshifter know each other?
4. Who is Aretha?
5. What is the name of the enchantress's eagle?

POETRY OF THE WEEK: The Most Powerful Kind of Magic

So every Tuesday, I'm posting a poem either I wrote or someone else wrote, along with my interpretation. Today, its one of mine. I wrote this poem during English class last year. As you read it, keep in mind that it is a story, a sustained metaphor.
My question to you would be what do you think it means? Because it does mean something. Try to figure out what and comment your thoughts! :)


The Most Powerful Kind of Magic
by Brittany Oldroyd

In this land of great magic,

There was once a tower

Built to hide a beautiful princess.

She was guarded day and night by a dragon.

It is said that only one day at midnight

Can she be saved by a brave knight.

 

Day and night, our young maiden dreams of her knight,

Of the day he will come with the magic

That will set her free. She knows midnight

Will be her time. She has never stepped outside her tower,

For she knows the dangers outside with the dragon.

But how she dreams of the day he will come for his princess.

 

The hero has heard of the beautiful princess

That can only be saved by a brave and noble knight.

For her, he longs to slay the cruel and selfish dragon.

With courage to match the creature’s magic,

He wants to run into the princess’s prison: the tower

And set her free with the spell called midnight.

 

The wait comes to an end as it looms over them: midnight

And he steps up to fight for the heart of his princess.

He fights the beast watching the tower.

He falters, fearing a monster so willing to lock up a heart, but proves himself a knight.

With a giant swing, he destroys the creature’s dark magic

And there it lays a pile of dust, no longer a fearsome dragon.

 

He runs inside to greet her, no longer plagued by a dragon.

The time has come as it arrives at last: midnight.

The spell is broken with the most powerful kind of magic.

She has waited for this moment for so long. The princess

Knows she has found all she wanted when her knight

Comes. Lips touch and together they leave the tower.

 

It stands there even still as a long-forgotten memory. The tower

They left behind. He takes her hand as they pass the remains of the greedy dragon.

A dragon who tried to hide what must be. The knight

Saw the light and was willing to do anything for her when midnight

Came. It took so long, but the knight and the princess

Know their love, what the dragon hid away, was the most powerful kind of magic.