What You Didn't Know About The Old West

In 1911, Elmer McCurdy mistakenly robbed a passenger train he thought contained thousands of dollars. The disappointed outlaw made off with just $46 and was shot by lawmen shortly thereafter. McCurdy’s unclaimed corpse was then embalmed with an arsenic preparation, sold by the undertaker to a traveling carnival and exhibited as a sideshow curiosity. For about 60 years, McCurdy’s body was bought and sold by various haunted houses and wax museums for use as a prop or attraction. His corpse finally wound up in a Long Beach, California, amusement park funhouse. During filming there in 1976 for the television show “The Six Million Dollar Man,” the prop’s finger (or arm, depending on the account) broke off, revealing human tissue. Subsequent testing by the Los Angeles coroner’s office revealed the prop was actually McCurdy. He was buried at the famous Boot Hill cemetery in Dodge City, Kansas, 66 years after his death.

Information from History.com

Archetypes

Quote of the Day: "Girls don't go through puberty." 11 y.o. son


   Today is the last post in character archetypes.

   Visionaries. Visionaries are introspective, intuitive and highly idealistic. They are subjective, compassionate "feeler" people that desire to contribute goodness and meaning to the lives of others. They are effective at doing this through their nurturing, insightful and encouraging nature. They despise conflict and will do everything they can to make sure their loved ones get along with each other and are happy.
    Career matches are:

• Artist
• Social Worker
• Actor
• Church Worker
• Human Resources
• Writer
• Musician
• Teacher/Professor
• Psychologist/Counselor

   Mentors are externally focused, introspective, altruistic, positive and have excellent people skills. They place utmost importance on helping others grow. They are warm and have a natural desire to be supportive and encouraging. Being charismatic and possessing excellent language skills, they do well in leadership roles.

   Famous Mentors are: Andy Griffith, Diane Sawyer and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.




    Advocates are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events. They are natural advocates, attracting people to themselves and their cause with excellent people skills, warmth, energy and positivity.

    Famous Advocates are: Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Steve Urkel from Family Matters and Charles Dickens.









 Confidants make up an estimated 1 percent of all people and are the most rare type (males even more so). They are introspective, caring, sensitive, gentle and complex people that strive for peace and derive satisfaction from helping others. They are highly intuitive, empathetic and dedicated listeners. These traits tend to act as a "tell me what's wrong" sign on their forehead, hence the nicknames Confidant, Counselor or Empath. They are intensely private and deeply committed to their beliefs.

    Famous Confidants are: Luke Skywalker, Oprah Winfrey and Tinman from The Wizard of Oz.

   Dreamers  are introspective, private, creative and highly idealistic individuals that have a constant desire to be on a meaningful path. They are driven by their values and seek peace. Empathetic and compassionate, they want to help others and humanity as a whole. They are imaginative, artistic and often have a talent for language and writing. They can also be described as easygoing, selfless, guarded, adaptable, patient and loyal.

    Famous Dreamers are: Anne from Anne of Green Gables, E.T. from the movie and Princess Diana.




I LOVE Anne of Green Gables! Just love, love, love it!

Writers and Authors: PROMO DAY: Online event for people in the writing ...

Writers and Authors: PROMO DAY: Online event for people in the writing ...: What is PROMO DAY? PROMO DAY is a FREE online international event for people in the writing industry. A whole day dedicated to promo...

Archetypes

Weird news of the day: 

Hamdi Hafez Al Nubi, Egyptian Thought Dead, Awakes At Funeral. 

LUXOR, Egypt — The funeral of a 28 year-old waiter in southern Egypt turned into a celebration when he woke up after being declared dead.    

   To read more, go here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/12/hamdi-hafez-al-nubi-dead-awake_n_1511546.html?ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News.

    Shoplifter had the boat, stole the fish.

 VERO BEACH, Fla., May 13 (UPI) -- A store security agent in Florida said an alleged shoplifter walked out of a supermarket with an order of fish down his pants and left in a car pulling a boat.

To read more, visit : http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2012/05/13/Shoplifter-had-the-boat-stole-the-fish/UPI-55581336926868/#ixzz1ur0Y6vvg.

      Man implants magnets to keep iPod at the ready.

 Dave Hurban, a Dynasty Tattoo artist from Newfield, N.J., surgically implanted four magnets into his wrist. Why? Basically, it's a cool (or at least unique) way to hold his iPod Nano in place without a pesky wristband.

This story has a video, check it out:  http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/man-implants-magnets-keep-ipod-ready-160934948.html.

   Today's archetypes are the Intellectuals. Intellectuals are introspective, logical and on a constant quest for knowledge. They are practical and unsentimental in their approach to problem solving. Abstract, theoretical and technically adept, they are naturally inventive. 

    Possible jobs are:

• Psychologist
• Lawyer/Attorney
• Judge
• Computer Programmer
• Engineer
• Scientist
• Teacher/Professor
• Entrepreneur
• Systems Analyst 

   Chiefs are strategic, organized and possess natural leadership qualities. They are master coordinators that can effectively give direction to groups. They are able to understand complicated organizational situations and quick to develop intelligent solutions. They are outspoken and will not hesitate to speak of their plans for improvement. They are decisive and value knowledge, efficiency and competence. They are born leaders and want to give structure and direction.

   Famous Chiefs are: Indiana Jones, Capt. Jean Luc Picard, Star Trek and Murphy Brown.







 Originators are logical, innovative, curious and downright inventive. They see possibilities for improvement everywhere and possess the ability to understand complex concepts. They are introspective and carefree nonconformists. They often neglect the more common areas of life while pursuing new solutions. They can be good conversationalists and exciting company.

   Famous Originators are: Bugs Bunny,  Dr. Emmett Brown, Back to the Future and Cosmo Kramer, Seinfeld.

    Strategists are introspective, analytical, determined persons with natural leadership ability. Being reserved, they prefer to stay in the background while leading. Strategic, knowledgeable and adaptable,They are talented in bringing ideas from conception to reality. They expect perfection from themselves as well as others and are comfortable with the leadership of another so long as they are competent.

   Famous Strategists are:  Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Gandalf, Lord of the Rings and Mr.Burns, The Simpsons.

    Last is the Engineer. Engineers are logical, individualistic, reserved, and very curious individuals. They focus on ideas, theories and the explanation of how things work. They are especially adept at discussions and debate. They have the ability to focus intently on a subject. They appreciate and respect intelligence in others.

   Famous Engineers are:  Data, Star Trek, Abraham Lincoln and Socrates.











 

Archetypes

Quote of the Day: A news reporter said this speaking about some massive wildfires we had last year."Firefighters are hoping for the worst and preparing for the best." Oh boy.

   Today's post is about the creative archetypes based on Jungian personality types.
   Creatives are observant, experiential and primarily driven by sensation. They are flexible, aesthetically-aware, "here and now" people that, with hardly a moment's notice, will go where their senses lead. They naturally make an effort not to miss an opportunity that may prove to be thrilling, pleasing or otherwise valuable. They have a tendency toward athletics and anything that involves creating or crafting. Possible career matches are:

• Technical Specialist
• Police
• Trainer
• Church Worker
• Mechanic
• Human Resources
• Project Manager
• Artist
• Systems Analyst
• Child Care

   First up is the Persuader. Persuaders are action-loving, "here and now" realists with excellent people skills. Informal, risk-taking, fast-paced and adaptable, they are not always in agreeance with rules and regulations.Things just seem to happen when they are around. Music starts, lights come one etc..
  

Famous Persuaders are: James Bond, Bart Simpson and Louie DePalma of Taxi.



   Entertainers are cooperative, people-persons that enjoy excitement and love new adventures. Because of their highly social nature, they are especially lively when they are the center of attention and hate being alone.They are great motivators for getting a job done.

   Famous Entertainers are: Peggy Bundy from Married with Children, Homer Simpson and Tim Taylor from Home Improvement.

   Craftsmen are adventurous and independent.They like to figure out how things work. They have great mechanical and technical skills. They like to keep busy and are action-oriented. They are attracted to motorcycles, airplanes, sky diving, surfing, etc. They do not believe in or follow rules and regulations.


    
Famous Craftsmen are: Han Solo and Boba Fett from Star Wars and Elvira Hancock from Scarface.








    Artists are artistic, creative, loyal and sensitive. They have a keen appreciation for beauty because of their highly developed senses. They are adaptable, caring, independent and like to contribute to the well-being of others. They are typically hard to get to know.

   Famouse Artists are: Vincent Van Gogh, Larry from Throw Mama From the Train and J.D. from Thelma and Louise.

Brokenhearted

   I have been contemplating writing a blog this week. I have had a really tough week, most of which was spent crying.
   My daughter continued to be bullied and it utterly broke my heart. She had to sit on a bus for 2 hours while 3 girls behind her called her names relentlessly.
   She was texting me everything that was happening and I couldn't save her. I tried to contact the principal but she wasn't in. As soon as the bus pulled in, I told the four teachers that stepped out of the SUV that followed. I was reassured that it would be handled.
  These girls told my daughter she should go home and cut herself. I had lost it by this point. I went to speak with the principal the next day and was told they were investigating but that my daughter had called one of the girls a name. Its not true, but they believe it and I said it doesn't matter if she did, they told her to harm herself and threatened to punch her in the face over and over again. I hope she did call a name back....is she not supposed to defend herself? They had her in tears and fear of her safety.
   I was told today that the investigation is over and that it was just "girl drama." In what world is being threatened and told you should cut yourself just "girl drama?."
   No one ever spoke to my daughter about the situation, so I don't even know how the investigation could be complete.
   I feel so helpless. Not a single person at the school will help or punish the girls for what they have done. I have even spoken with the superintendent.
   Where do I go from here? She hasn't been to school in 2 days and I can't send her back knowing she will be tormented. Two of the teachers even got mad at her since she was afraid to tell and made a mockery out of her in front of the entire middle school.
   How do you get help when the teachers are bullies too?

Archetypes

    Have you ever been typing away and suddenly got stuck on where a character would go from that point? Character archetypes are a way for you to stay true to your character so they can be believable and relateable by digging deep into the heart of a character's personality. Learning why a character would or wouldn't react in a certain way that stays true to who she is on a deeper level.
   A quick search on google will turn up several web sites about the topic, but most of them differ from one another. Some say there are seven types, others say 16 and yet others have lists that seem to go on indefinitely.
   I will be talking about a few of them here. And remember there is always a dark side to every light side. A Cain to every Able, a Joker to very Batman or a wicked witch for every princess.
   The archetypes I will discuss will be based on Carl Jung's theory of psychology that suggests there are 16 personality types that fall under one of four temperaments.

Protectors                    

• Overseer                   
• Supporter
• Examiner
• Defender   

Creators

• Persuader
• Entertainer
• Craftsman
• Artist

 Intellectuals

• Chief
• Originator
• Strategist
• Engineer

 Visionaries

• Mentor
• Advocate
• Confident
• Dreamer

   We will start with the protector. The protector is observant, stable and has a need for security. They like people to behave accordingly and for tasks to be done correctly. Protectors don't need much of a reason to fight or overact in a situation. He may feel as if everyone is out to get him. He knows how to make women feel good and is protective of them. He is spontaneous and this can cause problems for serious relationships. His biggest fear is not being able to protect his loved ones.
  
Overseer
   Overseers are responsible, logical  hard workers. They are more trusting of facts than theories. They are best when in charge and do well as supervisors.

   Famous overseers: Mrs. Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables, Tony Soprano, Lucy Van Pelt of Peanuts and Princess Leia Organa of Star Wars.














Supporter
   Supporters are people persons. They like having friends and have never met a stranger. They are responsible and follow rules. They care deeply for others and may end up as a caretaker. They need to be appreciated for all they do. Supporters are quick witted, generous and understanding.

   Famous supporters are: Monica Gellar from Friends, Donald Duck and Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh.













Examiner
   Examiners are are responsible, loyal and hard working. They have a keen sense of right and wrong. They are dedicated and dependable and you can set your clock by them. They can be depended on to do the right thing for their families.

   Famous examiners are: Joe Friday from Dragnet, Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh and Bruce Wayne from Batman.



















Defender
   Defenders are traditional, loyal, quiet and kind. They have a need to be needed and are sensitive to other people's needs. They value stability and cultural norms. They are very adept at giving attention to detail. They do not seek positions of authority.

   Famous defenders are: Dr. John H. Watson from Sherlock Holmes, Melanie Hamilton from Gone with the Wind and David Copperfield from Charles Dickens.











   Stay tuned for the other archetypes. Here is a link to some character questions that might help to find where your character belongs. http://www.writersvillage.com/character/index.htm

   Until next time, Cheers!

Middle School Drama

Quote of the Day "You're why this day is so great, because you're so beautiful." -Darling 11 y.o. son

   Middle School. Who doesn't remember middle school? I hear from a lot of people that middle school was tough on them. It definitely was for me. I had very few friends and I learned to not trust the ones I did have.
   Like most parents, I always hoped that wouldn't happen to my children. Unfortunately, it has happened to both. My son was bullied physically by the other boys. My daughter is bullied in an emotional and mental way.
   We live in a very small town of 1100 people. That in itself makes it difficult on my children at school. Our town is made up of all the people who have ever lived here and their families. We are not family. We moved here about 10 years ago and have always been treated as outsiders.
   There are only about 12 girls in my daughters class. And like most kids, the girls formed cliques. All but about four of the girls are in the same clique. My daughter is one of those four.
   She is a beautiful, slender girl who participates in cheer leading and had been involved in all the sports. But when one girl decides she doesn't like you, all the girls don't like you.
   This particular incident was over my daughter sticking up for another classmate. A few of the other girls were sexually harassing a boy by way of slapping his behind or telling him he's sexy. He doesn't like it. He has a girlfriend and so my daughter told the offending girls that they shouldn't do that to him because their mutual friend is his girlfriend and it upsets her.
   Well, they didn't take that so well. By the end of the day, those girls had turned all my daughter's friends against her and were threatening her with violence. All over some ridiculous words. She left school that day with only one friend.
   The next day wasn't any better. One of the girls threw my daughter's desk over in class when the teacher had stepped out of the room and threatened to punch her in the face if she looked at her.
   I had enough at this point. I talked to a school official and she said she would talk to the girls. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but when my daughter left school that day, nothing was any better. I found out that the threatening girl had also posted something on facebook about punching my daughter.
   When the girl found out that we knew about it she removed the post. I wish I could believe that the school officials will remedy the situation, but I know better. I had the same problem with my son who was hit and tripped and had things thrown at him and the boy who did it was never punished.
   My heart breaks for my children and I just pray that it will get better. I admit that I have a concern about how bad it can get with all the new technology. I do know that my children's happiness is most important to me and I will not leave them in a situation that could harm their health, happiness or well being.
   Do you have any middle school stories?

   I have decided to revamp my blog and add a couple new features. Each week, I'm going to write a blog that I call "My Dramatic Life."
   I will write about the dramatic incidents that happened in my life that week. These incidents are unique and dramatic to me. I have found that I have no shortage of drama in my life and thought I would share for others who might be going through something similar and maybe just for those who might spark a story idea.
   Also, I will write about blessings that I have received and good deeds that someone has done for me.
   I will also write a blog a week on fun topics that I am researching. I do a lot of research that mostly comes from curiosity and I want to share.
   I will be adding a quote of the day...this may be a nice quote or may be a mean one, but it will come from something someone has said to me.
   I will also still be writing a blog about the art of writing as I study and learn more on the craft. I plan to keep weird news of the day as well.
   I am very excited to start this new journey and think it will be very fun. Can't wait to share my experiences with you.
   The first new blog I will be writing is MDL (My Dramatic Life), about my daughter being threatened at school.
   Stay tuned for my next blog about bullies.
   Cheers!

Character Questionnaires

Character questionnaires can be a great way to get to know your characters and to add depth. There are so many different types of questionnaires available, that I thought I would share several with you over the next few posts.


I have probably seen a dozen or more different types and have tried them all, from the exhaustive to the very simple. Everyone has a different way to write, so you can take from these or add to them as much as you would like.

I have found that I really enjoy the very in-depth questions with many questions. I have so much fun fleshing out my characters...too much fun. I have had to learn to find out some of the basics...what I think could be important in the beginning because I never get around to writing.

These questions can become a major distraction for me.

But asking the questions is like interviewing a potential new employee...you can weed out all the wrong people for the position.

So choose wisely what works best for you and tweak it a little for a perfect fit.


These questionnaires come from my personal collection.

Name
Age
Birthday
Where does s/he live
Why did s/he choose to live there
Does s/he live in an apartment or a house
Does s/he live by himself or with others
What kind of vehicle does s/he drive
What are his/her important material possessions
Give a brief physical description
What are his/her hobbies
What kind of music does s/he enjoy
Does s/he have pets
What are his/her favorite foods & drinks
What is his/her education
What is his/her job
How does s/he feel about his work
What does s/he want to be doing in twenty years
Is s/he married, single, divorced
Does s/he have children
Who are his/her parents
Does s/he have brothers and sisters
Where was s/he born and raised
Who is his/her best friend
Who is his/her worst enemy
Which one event in his/her life has made this person what s/he is today
What trait does s/he have which s/he wants to keep secret from the world
What does s/he like most about his/her life
What does s/he dislike most about his/her life
What is his/her most likable character trait
Who is this person’s love interest

This is a handy list but there are still other questions that I will bring you in futrue posts as we get more in depth with our characters.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

G'day folks! I didn't forget my book this time. Yay me.

But first I need to make mention of Camy Tang's blog today over at Seekerville. If you haven't checked it out yet....go NOW! She is always so informative. She doesn't just talk about galleys..she shows you examples. How cool is that?

Today I'm going to bring you some crazy headllines. This hits home for me, since there is a collection of them where I work. All written by our talented copy desk team:) These however are the work of others:

"Woman Missing Since She Got Lost" (Chicago Sun-Times, 5-17-2011).

"Teen Dies of Shaken Baby Syndrome" (Chicago Tribune, 3-9-2011).

"Man With Clown Nose in New Cumberland Poses No Serious Threat" (Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa., 7-3-2011).

Gotta love it.

Now....who doesn't love a good horror, eh? I know I sure do. Today is my last post in the series of genres...lets look at horror.

Dark fantasy: usually less graphic than other horror subcategories and features more traditional supernatural or mythical beings, i.e. vampires, werewolves, zombies etc..

Hauntings: stories of ghosts poltergeists and spiritaul possessions.

Psychological horror: a human monster with horrific but not necissarliy supernatural aspects.

Splatterpunk: very graphic depction of violence, often gratuitous.

Technological horror: monsters in these stories are the result of science gone wrong.

There you have it folks. The different categories within genres. I hope this has been helpful. I'm not exactly sure what my nest series will be about. If there are any suggestions...let me know.

Don't forget to check under your bed tonight ;)

Footloose and Fancy Free

I didn't really have a good title for this blog...so I picked what popped up in my head.

I don't have the book to continue my post for today, so I will have to do it tomorrow. I know, I know, what kind of blogger am I?

So....let me entertain you with a list of some of the dumbest iPhone apps available.

Fat burner app: well if it was that darn easy.....

Stop hair loss

Kissing booth

How high can you toss your AT&T phone...what in the world?

Rate a fart

An app that lets you search for the nearest pay phone in the UK???? Genius

Beer opener

Stapler

See how long you can hold your finger on a button on the screen

eShaver

I don't know about you guys, but I sure am glad someone is sitting around all day racking their brains to come up with this stuff.

What's the dumbest app you have ever used?

Fantasy Categories

Mary Connealy posted at Seekerville the importance of getting your name out there. She is so right, but sometimes I feel that I'm talking to myself on here.

But alas I will push through and keep entertaining myself.

Weird news of the Day:
A deaf man has accused a nudist park in upstate New York of violating federal law by refusing to provide him with a sign-language interpreter at an annual festival.

Hmmm...interesting. Doesn't seem like he would need much of an interpreter for that...but that's just me.

OK...on to business. Fantasy. Fantasy categories are:

Arthurian: reworking the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Contemporary or urban: elves, magic, etc... incorporated into modern settings.

Dark fantasy: closely related to horror but not as graphic. Characters are like the darker fantasy types: vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, etc.

Fantastic alternate history: set in alternate historical period where magic works and frequently feature actual historical figures.

Game-related fantasy: based on a particular role-playing game.

Heroic fantasy: equivalent to military science fiction, stories of war.

High fantasy: emphasis on fate of entire state or nation.

Historical fantasy: any era in which the belief in fantasy was strong.

Science fantasy: blend of traditional fantasy elements with scientific or pseudo-scientific support.

And next time we will take a look at the last category: Horror. Who doesn't love a good horror?

Science Fiction

Hello, hello, hello. I'm back for another post.

I just love the writers over at Seekerville. They inspire me so much!

But on to some fun and interesting facts. I've got some weird news of the day to share.

Real life British superheroes find crime hard to find.
Two self-styled superheroes – The Dark Spartan and his sidekick The Black Void – have vowed to fight crime and deploy justice to their neighbourhood.

Just when you thought all the good guys were gone.

Sometimes odd news can help with a story idea, not to mention its pretty darn interesting. I once read about a woman who had sat on her toilet for around a year. Never leaving it. Her boyfriend would bring her dinner and everything. How's that for weird. I will be sharing odd news from now on....I think:)

OK, now to continue with genre descriptions, here is science fiction categories.

Hard science fiction: based on real science in the future. Scientific background may be as or more important than the characters.

Social science fiction: focus on how the character reacts to their environment.

Military science fiction: about war that feature traditional military organization and tactics in the future.

Cyberpunk: characters are tough outsiders in a high-tech society where computers have changed the way society functions.

Space Opera: traditional good guys vs. bad guys western. Puts emphasis on sweeping action and larger-than -life characters.

Alternate history: fantasy and sometimes some science fiction elements that changes history.

Steampunk: specific type of alternate history science fiction that is set in Victorian England in which characters have access to twentieth century technology.

New age: deals with subjects such as astrology, psychic phenomena, spiritual healing, UFOs etc...

Science fantasy: blend of traditional fantasy with scientific support.

Science fiction mystery: can be a traditional science fiction story with a mystery as a key plot point.

Science fiction romance: another blend with romance aspects threaded in.

Next up will be fantasy categories. Stay cool everyone. I know I'm trying...but it's not working. 109 degrees today :(

Alright, continuing from last time, lets look at romance subcategories.

Category or series: These are published in “lines” from individual publishing houses. Each has its own requirements.

Christian: With an inspirational, Christian message centering around faith and relationship with God. Sensuality is played down.

Glitz: Feature wealthy, high-powered characters in careers considered to be glamorous and set in exciting or exotic locals.

Historical: Can cover any historical period.
Gothic: Strong element of suspense and feeling of supernatural events although these events usually have a natural explanation. Dark, moody, and suspenseful.
Fantasy: elements of magic and magical beings, frequently set in a medieval society.
Early American: Usually Revolution or Civil War, set in New England or the South, but frontier stories set in the American West are popular.
Native American: One or both of the characters are Native American; conflict between cultures is a popular theme.
Regency: set in England during the Regency period from 1811-1820.

Multicultural: Most currently feature African-American or Hispanic couples.

Paranormal: Containing elements of the supernatural or science fiction/fantasy.

Romantic comedy: Has a comic premise or perspective in the author’s voice.

Romantic suspense: mystery or psychological thriller subplot in addition to romance.

Single title: longer contemporaries that do not necessarily conform to the requirements of a specific romance line and therefore feature more complex plots and nontraditional characters.

Young adult: focus on first love with very little, if any sex.

Next we will take a look at Science Fiction categories.

Genre Definitions

I saw a great sign today posted at a church:
Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you want to meet Him.

Isn’t that great?

Now on to business. As I was searching through the lists of agents that might be interested in my writing, I came across several genres that I wasn’t familiar with. I thought there might be other writers out there who might be confused as well, here are some definitions from Writer’s Market. These are just a basic definition.

Mystery:
Classic Mystery, the whodunit: A crime is solved…mostly murders. All the clues are available to the reader.

Amateur detective: Detective is not a pro.

Courtroom drama: Takes place primarily in a courtroom. Protagonist is usually an attorney trying to prove her client’s innocence.

Cozy: Frequently features a female protagonist. Less violence. Protagonist usually quirky or eccentric. Plot is often wrapped up in a final scene rather than the detective identifying the murder and explaining what happened.

Espionage: International spy novel.

Heists and capers: The crime is the focus. Its planning and execution are detailed. There is one obvious leader of the group.

Historical: Emphasis is on setting and details. Research is very important.

Juevenile/young adult: written for 8-12 age group. Or 12+ age group. The protagonist is the same age as the reader. No graphic violence.

Medical thriller: Involving doctors or medical professionals involved in a medical treatment or can be a patient, family or friends who uncover a plot and try to bring down the villain.

Police procedurals: Conflict between the detective’s partners or his or her superiors is the most common plot.

Private detective: When described as hard boiled, violence is more prominent, characters are darker and there is open resentment toward law enforcement.

Suspense/thrillers: Deals with the intricacies of the crime; what motivated it and how the villain is caught and brought to justice. The crime may not involve a murder. May be a threat to the global economy or technology gone wrong.

Technothriller: These are replacing the espionage novels and feature technology as an integral part of the plot.

Woman in jeopardy: Focus is on the woman or her children that are currently at risk because of murder or other crime that was committed.

Next time we will look at the categories under romance….my favorite ;)

AWOL

It has been over a year since I last blogged. I had several upsetting things happen in my personal life and I needed to take some time off.

But I am back now and hope things will run more smoothly this time. My apologies to my one follower. Thanks for following.

I will not be accessing the internet everyday. Therefore I will only blog once per week at this stage. I figure it would just be a hodge podge of different things. Thoughts, complaints, information.

I don't have anything planned for today, but will try to be better organized next time. It's time for me to hit the blogs and chat with fellow aspiring authors and already published author's again as well.

If there is anyone out there that you think I shouldn't miss, please let me know. I am very very new to the business. I haven't completed a manuscript, entered contests or been to any conventions. But that will all change this year (fingers crossed).

My writing experience comes from the journalism world - a daily newspaper close to where I live. So, I am a writer, but the world of fiction writing is new to me.

I was surprised one day when I was on my way to work and God was prodding me to write a different story then the one I had already started and been laboring on for a long time.

It was one of the many ideas that I had written down and thought that I might revisit one day. But God had put it in my heart to start that book now. This threw me for a loop. The new novel was a different genre than the previous and in a different era.

I have always written historicals, but they have always been in the nineteenth century. This one would take place in the roaring 20s. Something I knew little about. So, researching all over again, I had to learn all I could about the jazz age and begin anew.

And, here I am. At the beginning of that journey. Researched up and ready to go.

Free Friday

I was thinking about dedicating a day to just ramblings and possibly rants and whatever I want to share that doesn't deal with the writing world.

And I think I will make that day Friday.

Today is Friday and although I already posted on writing today, I thought I would start my first Free Friday today as well.

Over the past week, school ended for the kids, a baseball game was rained out and my computer got some kind of major-super-mutant-type virus. And guess what????

It ate everything in it except our photos!!! EVERYTHING! And to make things worse....I really don't know if I should confess such a thing.....But........I didn't have any of my manuscripts backed up!

You're right....what WAS I thinking? I have no answer for you. Nothing. So, I was quite bummed about loosing all my work so far. Tons of research also.

I mourned the loss of it all then went out to catch a movie to celebrate the last day of school. (We watched Shrek 4 btw and I really liked it.)

We contacted Best Buy and they told my hubby that it would cost $200 for them to attempt to fix it........ouch!

I just decided to give up on it. Forget it....why was I trying to be a writer anyway. It's all gone. Too much work to start over...maybe one day I will be able to gather enough strength to go at it again....Yeah almost enough whine to make someone lose their lunch.

While I was at work 3 days later, hubby, on a whim, thought he'd just try something. Couldn't hurt right, I mean what more could be done?

It worked! I got my computer back to normal, all my documents and files, everything! I'm so lucky and blessed and my husband is so awesome!

So, moral of the story is to back up your stuff people! Not that you need to be told, I'm sure....but in any case don't be like me! Back that thing up people, back it up!

Top 10 Mistakes Mega List

Today I want to share a couple of lists I have acquired over the years of the common mistakes of new writers.

I don't remember where they came from and they probably repeat, but there is helpful info here.

List #1 Career Mistakes

10) Stop sitting around and dreaming about writing and WRITE!

9) Let your agent handle the business for you.

8) Don't be a "I know everything" kind of writer.

7) Don't put down other successful writers.

6) Network and connect with others even before being published.

5) Don't let your emotions throw you off course...keep your eye on the prize.

4) Stick to one genre.

3) Becoming rich isn't a reality.

2) Contracts can fall through.....be prepared.

1) The publishing industry is very s-l-o-w. Be patient and wait on the Lord.

List #2 Manuscript Mistakes

10) Using POV in the wrong way.

9) Not enough character emotions.

8) A weak opening line.

7) Having no external goals.

6) Episodic writing....keep the plot moving forward.

5) Too much narrative.

4) Lacking conflict and tension....conflict or tension should be on every single page.

3) Amateur writing....use of adverbs, exclamation points and too many dialogue tags.

2) Too many cliches.

1) Impatience.

List #3 Writing Mistakes

10) Commas.

9) Awkward phrasing.

8) Show don't tell.

7) Listing things.

6) 'To be' words.

5) No-good suffixes.....don't ruin a good word by tacking on a new backside so it is now a new word...i.e characterlessness.

4) Phony dialogue...don't talk about things the reader already knows.

3) Adverbs.

2) Filler writing to just fill the pages and make your count.
1) Repeating words too often.

Do you ever put off writing for no particular reason? That's where I'm at right now. I have read a million blogs by authors and all of them say to write everyday even if you don't feel like it. I know this is great advice, but I just can't seem to heed it at this moment.

I think...why do I sit here all day reading these freakin awesome blogs when I need to be writing. OK, just one more blog entry...this one will be the last one....oh, this looks like a very helpful link...I'll stop after this.

And four hours later, I'm being reminded by my kids that they are hungry and I need to start dinner.

Why do I do this? Spend endless hours learning more and more on the craft of writing and more and more and more and don't sit and actually use the tips given to me.

Maybe I'm afraid. I'm afraid I won't be able to do it. That my novel will turn out cruddy. That I will start off great and hopeful and then get stuck and think maybe I wasn't meant for this gig after all. I'm sure it's all of the above.

I'll never be published if I don't first write the book....How many times have you heard that? I know it's true and I repeat it to myself often....but, I'm still just sitting here not writing anymore of my novel.

I can do this. I can do this. Right?

Sometimes I wish I had an office to go to to just work on my book. I have a hard time writing at home.....something ALWAYS distracts me. I can't get away from it.

I read somewhere that Stephen King wrote 1500 words a day everyday except his birthday and July 4. If he can do it so can I.....If I write it they will come...wow, kinda had an epiphany with that :)

Prayer will be my main motivation. I need God's help with this one and I know He will. He lead me down this path and I don't want to fail Him.

Am I the only one out there or does anyone else have this problem?