Potatoes and an Iron Pan #mfrwauthor

Welcome to this week's post in the MFRW 52-week challenge. The topic is "Best Leftover Recipe." 

With the holidays approaching and their corresponding dinner parties--and leftovers--this post should be easy. In reality I had trouble coming up with a recipee. I think the problem was the clarification of "leftover." So I decided to go with lokse, a potato tortilla from my Slovak heritage.

Traditionally, they were made with the end-of-the-season potatoes. In a way, they could be considered leftovers. The potatoes in the bottom of the bin had lost some of the moisture and were not appropriate for some other recipes. Lokse are also an appropriate recipe for this time of year as they are "fast-food" at holiday markets in Slovakia.

Lokse could also be made with left-over mashed potatoes (no cream, no butter, just smashing the potato enough so that there were no large chunks. As a result, the holidays weren't the only time we had lokse. Whenever Grammy B was coming to visit, we made sure to accidentally boil too many potatoes so we had a large bowl of "leftover" mashed potatoes awaiting her special touch. Grammy was the only one who had knew how much a pinch of salt was. Even more importantly, no matter how hard she tried to teach us we never mastered the art of rolling the potato pancakes to the proper thickness. If we got them thin, then we couldn't do the necessary flip into the cast-iron frying pan without them falling apart.

Illustrating how things can change, a few years ago, when I tried to find the recipe (before I found my mother's handwritten one,) I only found one site that actually had the instructions. When I did a little more research today I found a dozen. Mine can be found at an earlier post in the challenge.

~till next time, Helen

Be sure to see how the other authors answered the question. https://mfrw52week.blogspot.com/

Old Fashioned? Maybe. #mfrwauthor

Welcome to Week 43 of the MFRW 52-week challenge. The topic is "Ebook reader or must have a book in your hand?" If you look at my office and its bookshelves, it is apparent that I like books. The units are loaded with paperback and hard cover books for reading and research.

I have a confession to make. Although I have authored ebooks, I only recently came into possession of a tablet. Before that I read ebooks (both my own and those of other authors) using apps on my laptop. It isn't really a very comfortable method as the laptop weighs enough that the pressure on my legs gets uncomfortable very quickly.

It's not that I'm anti-technology. Not to tell my age, but I remember electric typewriters replacing old manual Remington ones--and the introduction of the then 'new-fangled' word processor. They were not like the modern software versions of today with spell check and the bane to some of us fantasy writers, auto-correct. The word processors were not much more than electric typewriters outfitted with either a magnetic tape reader/writer or a card reader/writer.

Now that might not seem that groundbreaking an invention, but consider this. Not having to retype an entire page of manuscript because of a mis-spelled word or two, or to change a phrase. Secretaries fought over the machines, especially at review time.  Despite having taken hours to type (no corrections were allowed), each step in the chain of command always changed something. Even what today would be a simple word replacement back then could mean hours typing to get the 20 plus pages of the 8-carbon form ready for the next review. With a mag-tape machine, you could correct the one or two pages that needed it, and reprint out the entire form in minutes rather than hours or sometimes even days.

I do see one advantage to the tablet as opposed to the laptop. I am a full-time caregiver and am often up late at night. With no light, reading a paperback isn't practical. With the tablet I can read and not have to worry about waking anyone up. Of course, you might say that the laptop would do the same. However, the labtop is a lot heavier and the keyboard is not backlit. 

There is also a disadvantage to a tablet as evidenced by a cartoon I recently saw on social media where the paperback hit the tablet's off button. Like any electronic device the tablet can die at a moment's notice. In fact, mine (whose popular manufacturer will remain unmentioned) decided to stop working for three works, before it decided to return from its vacation.

While I now have a tablet, one thing I don't see in the foreseeable future? Getting rid of my shelves of to-be-read, read but want to read again, and reference books.

~till next time, Helen

Not A World Traveler #mfrwauthor

I am not a world traveler. I've been to a few countries in the Orient (Japan, Vietnam) for short stays or passing through on the way elsewhere. And I spent a year in the Phillippines. There have been a few excursions across borders into the neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico. One was for a week's vacation camping and the other was a daytrip. As I said, I'm not a world traveler. But a dream would be to spend time exploring the land of my ancestors, my hearthome of Scotland with side trips to Ireland and Wales.

Image by Greg Montani from Pixabay

And for a totally unrealistic trip outside out my home country? To spend several weeks, or months, exploring Australia and the outback.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

~till next time, Helen

Resolution - Fall in love with writing...Again #MFRWauthor

 

Welcome to the final week of the 2019 challenge. And it has been a challenge. We've revealed something about ourselves, both personal and professional. Some posts were easy (and had a number of us thinking on the same lines) others... let's just say they required quite a bit of introspection before putting fingers to keyboard.

Recently I saw award-winning Jacqueline Seewald's blog post on New Year's Resolution. The title was perfect, "Let's Start the New Year Right."

But how to do that. The older I get the worst each year becomes. Whether due to money, lack of opportunities, family responsibilities, or just life, the plan to go to a party on New Year's Eve and dance until dawn never happens. The optimism with which we are supposed to greet the new year vanishes before the stroke of midnight.

To close out the challenge, instead of rehashing the year (a summary of the challenge itself will appear in the new year), or coming up with a depressing list that I know will not last past January, I'm going to recycle a thought that for me as a writer is the best New Year's resolution and one I hope to adopt for the upcoming year.

So with acknowledgement to Linda S. Clare who voiced the original and whose post is worth revisiting: 

Resolved, to fall in love with writing again.

And to all my writer friends, that is my wish for you. To all the lovers of books in whatever their format, my wish is for you to find a new favorite author and to enjoy your old ones."

~till next time, Happy New Year. In the upcoming days,


May your troubles be less,
And your blessings be more.
And nothing but happiness 
Come through your door.

And be sure to visit the resolutions of the other authors in the challenge and congratulate those who made it though all 52 weeks.

It's A $$%##@# Nightmare #MFRWAuthor

Only one more post in the 2019 challenge. The topic is one I have had quite a bit of experience with over the past few years. When the perfect day becomes a nightmare.

So how to answer the question? I could go waking up to no pain and feeling good, only to have to make an unexpected emergency room run. Or the year when we missed almost every single event we had planned on going to. A craft fair or river walk isn't feasible in continuous, heavy rains. Even if the crafts people are under tents you still have to drive through flooded roads to get there and then dash between them in downpours that soak you to the bone within a few steps. Dashing through thick, wet grass isn't something you do pushing a wheelchair. A 110 degree heat index meant abandoning plans to go to the regional fair. The free admission wasn't worth heat stroke, or worse, for either the person pushing the wheelchair or the elderly woman being pushed. So, personal is out.

That leave professional. You've just had a perfect day of writing. The words flowed smoothly and quickly, so much so that you forget to hit SAVE. Then your computer dies. Words worthy of a dockworker or mercenary from my fantasy novels flow. After the anger, you pray. Then maybe a few more rounds of each. Finally, you gather up the courage to turn the computer back on. Crossing fingers, you click to the word processor program. It offers you the option to restore the last auto-saved version. Only the last couple hundred words was lost. YAY! Or for the paranoid among us, the file being worked on was connected to the internet. A review showed the document wasn't corrupted when the power surge hit, and prayers answered, nothing was lost.

What to me was a major nightmare was the day the Twin Towers fell. Those who follow my posts might remember that at the time I lived in a town with a view of lower Manhattan and that I had several personal connections to the World Trade Center. The perfect part of the day was that the weather was a beautiful autumn day and I had made progress on a local work. The #$%$% part? It was a history of a town that lost several people that day. Another chapter had to be added to the book I was writing on the town's history to reflect their lives. At each event promoting the book in person there was always a reliving of the nightmare, albeit fleetingly, when those looking at the book were warned about that final chapter. Even today there are those to whom references are too painful and I gave the warning so that my work would not serve as a trigger.

Another author had it even worse. Imagine after months of work, you finally typed "The End" to look up and see the news just before the television goes blank. I could just imagine the sad look as the person ripped the paper out of the typewriter, crumbled it up and threw it in the trash. The action is understandable when you're told the storyline of the just finished novel was about an airplane crashing into a skyscraper.

~till next time, be sure to visit the other authors in the challenge.

Craziness and Tired Fingers #mfrwauthor

We're at week 42. Where has the year gone? Appropriate for this week, the topic deals with NanoWriMo. For those who have not heard of the craziness that is NanoWriMo, writers attempt to write a novel during the month of November. That is 50,000 words within the space of thirty days. The prompt asked if NanoWriMo is productive, stressful or fun. The answer is three simple letters - YES!

There is stress as you try to accomplish the goal. Writers have been known to turn themselves into hermits, to hang "Do Not Disturb" signs on the door and lock themselves into writing caves in order to reach the daily word count. Some stock up on snacks--and caffeine. The stress is even worse if you are one of those writers who can't turn off the internal editor. But to meet the daily word count needed to reach 50K, you have to keep writing.


There is fun involved. There is a sense of achievement as you earn badges for things such as backing up your work or supporting other authors. Then there are the writing badges. They start with creating a novel, and more for updating word counts. And of course the ultimate award, your winner certificate

The last part of the question is whether NanoWriMo is productive. There are manuscripts written during NanoWriMo that get tossed into the bottom of the drawer because they are not much more than a stream of consciousness dump. At the other end is the story that at the end of the month is a fully-developed draft ready for editing. And I'm sure a lot of manuscripts fall in between the two ranges.

 

I admit to doing NanoWriMo 2018. As to how I did? I earned fifteen badges. Slightly over 50,000 words were written. However, since the other novels in the series run to 90,000 words, the story was not finished. More updates to come as writing continues. Of course, in the interim I celebrated the release of Windmaster Legend and all the accompanying activity that comes with a launch, did the A to Z in April Challenge, and tried to be a regular participant in the weekly MFRW book hook and 52-week challenges.

~till next time, Helen

If the police searched my computer... #MFRWauthor

Welcome to week 40 of the challenge. The official topic is "Research - How It Can Open New Worlds For you." The inspiration for this week's post came from a story told by a mystery author about how the research that was on her computer could be misinterpreted. She flippantly said that if police ever searched her computer and discovered all the information on ways to kill someone or various other sundry crimes, she would need bail money. So that is how the title came to be.

But how does that tie into opening new worlds? The information acquired through the research allows you to to do things in your mind that you would never be capable of, either physically, emotionally, or perhaps most importantly, without running afoul of the law. Then you capture the dream or experience in words and call it writing.

Before my writing shifted to fantasy, I was a correspondent and feature story writer for a military collectors magazine. Forget poisons and such, my computer was filled with all kind of pictures, research, and sometimes even fun information on tanks and fighter planes. Oh yeah, did I say cannons and automatic weapons too?

While traditional fantasies do not lend themselves to such things, the information on bladed weapons and tactics has come in handy to make my sword fights realistic. Some of the characterization used in WindmasterI and Windmaster Legacy as the characters faced their final challenges came from interviews with former military officers, martial artists, and historic reenactors.

And as far as planning a murder? I take the fifth and refuse to incriminate myself.

As for my characters? A teaser to a scene in Hatchling's Curse. After a burial at sea attracts a fast-moving swarm of toothfish, creatures that pass for sharks in the land of the dragshi, the body is gone without a trace. Only the frayed ends of the tow-rope remain. Broch realizes her enemies could disappear, that once the toothfish have their way, the bodies will NEVER be found.


~till next time, Helen

Life is for Living #MFRWauthor

The official topic for this week's post of the 2019 MFRWAuthor Challenge is whether "For an Author, Life Exists Outside of Writing."

The answer would have to be a definitive yes. The time when an author could just write a book, send it to an agent or publisher, and then sit back and collect the royalty checks are long gone. There is more to writing as a business other than just putting words on paper or typing a story into a word processor. Outside of the writing itself, there is a whole 'nother world of marketing. But I won't go into that as this post is going to be purposely short to allow more space for National Book Lovers Day.

Another reason why life has to exist outside of writing is our friends and families, the organizations we belong to, the things we like to do. In essence, a multitude of things outside of creating characters, the worlds they live in, and their tales.

A final reason why writers need an outside life is to refill the well. Writing can be emotionally exhausting and we not only need to leave the worlds we created to find our own balance, but also to find inspiration for the next project. That's my few thoughts on the topic. Hope you'll stop by the other authors in the challenge to see theirs.

~till next time, Helen

My Dinner Guests Are... #MFRWAuthor

Welcome to week 31 of the 2019 challenge. The topic is "Who would you kill or die for to have dinner with? So how to answer it?

I admit that I am not one of those people who fawn over musicians, sports figures, or reality show stars. Sorry, Harrison, Cristopher, Eric, Brad, Sam, Sean, and Johnny, you'll have to find your own repast. 

So maybe I should consider someone less in the public eye. Over the decades of my professional careers I shared meals with of leaders of their field as well as co-workers whose companionship and friendship I've cherished.

Or I could pick favorite authors to sit around the table. I have enjoyed so many great books over the years that this topic basically came down to writing down my favorite authors on a wheel. Five spins, five selections. More on this thought was in the 2018 challenge, Too Many Books, Too Many Authors.

After additional consideration, I think I'd rather have dinner with some of the characters the authors created. But what would I feed a dragon?

A final option that came to mind resulted from my age and the number of funerals that have been held this year. It would be a reunion of friends and family who have passed beyond the veil.

I have no good answer to who I would kill or die to have dinner with. Maybe the other authors in the challenge do. Hope you'll visit them, and if you love great books, read last years post to see which authors I would share a meal with and the method of determining them.

~till next time, Helen

Maybe a Cameo #MFRWAuthor

This week's topic, "Putting Yourself In The Story," asks a question every writer will have to field sooner or later. It is also very close to the 2018 topic "How much of you are in your writing?"

When I first saw "Putting Yourself In The Story" I immediately thought of author, actor, television writer, and producer, Stephen J. Canell. And the reasons were not just the closing scene of his programs where he's typing and rips the paper out of the typewriter, but from his on-screen acting including his recurring role as the crooked police officer Donald 'Dutch' Dixon in the television series, Renegade.

Then I thought of Louis L'Amour who was known for having walked the ground or worked the jobs presented in his books.

But do I put myself into the story? I think in some ways, every author leaves a little of themselves on the page. It might be an unconscious leakage of a childhood memory appearing in the hero's past or places we've been that became settings in our books.

Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay

Despite the fact that Lady Ellspeth, captain of Sea Falcon loves the crustaceans found in her native seas of Nerelan, and I love Gulf shrimp, and we both have silver hair, I firmly state -- I'm not my characters. The closest I've come is the retired gunslinger, Hell Lost. Hell was the first character who really appeared to me as a fully-defined person. Other reasons I relate to her, our ages about the same as is our sense of duty and honor. And, oh yeah, Hell's real name is Helen Lawson, which is another reason why I relate to her

But the answer to the question of putting myself into the story is a definite no. Except maybe for a quick cameo where no one knows it's me.

This is a hop so be sure to visit the other authors in the challenge at https://mfrw52week.blogspot.com. ~till next time, Helen

2018 52 Week Challenge Post Summary

To accompany the observations about the Marketing for Romance Writers 52-week blog challenge, a summary of the numbers and a listing of the posts. When I first thought about participating, I wasn't sure about being about to do 52 posts, let alone the topics. I finished 2017's list of topics, but tackling another year seemed an insurmountable task.

Some of the posts were easy, simple lists of things. Others were more challenging, especially with the consideration of writing something meaningful. Some of the posts were fun to share, others not so much. They were depressing as dreams that would never be fulfilled.

Then there were the subjects that were more personal than I care to reveal. I admit to being old school enough that I don't post my entire life on whatever is the social media site du jour. Experience with stalkers and identity theft also adds discretion to my reveals.

The first half of the year the average number of authors participating was 18, while the highest number was 34. The second half of the year saw an average of eight posts per challenge. Whether it was the topic of "Wedding Disaster," the weather, or the holidays, the final week of the challenge only garnered six entries. 

So how did I do as far as numbers?

Altogether 52 out of the 52 were posted. Yay! Pats self on the back. With a new release in the spring of 2019, I won't be doing this challenge again. However, there are a couple of others that look interesting and I hope to participate on a regular basis in the book hooks events so be sure to follow my blog to be notified when I do jump in.

Links to the 2018 posts by alphabetic topic are below. Again, congratulations to the other authors who participated. And to our readers I hope you enjoyed our revelations whether they be personal or about the writing life.

~till next time, Helen






Allergic To
An Island Survival Invention
Authors I'd Like To Meet
Book That Influenced My Life
Earliest Memory
Favorite Thing I've Written
How Much Of Me Is Is My Writing
If I Couldn't Write
Best Dish I Cook
Best Gift I Ever Gave
Bucket List

Celebrating Completing A Manuscript

Character/Setting Profiles

Creative Outlets I Enjoy

Epilogue Or No?

Fantasy Vacation

Favorite Apps

Favorite Indulgence

Favorite Romance Genre To Read Or Write

Favorite Social Media Platforms

Fear (Biggest)

First, Second, Or Third Person

Friends, Family, Pets In My Books

Grateful For

Holiday Food

Holiday Memory

How My Family Survives My Writing

If I Never Had To Again

Irrational Fears

Item I Can't Live Wihout

Journal Or Diary        

Lessons From Worst Review

Lessons Learned From Book Research

Most Fun I Can Have While Dressed

Most Memorable Experience

Most Romantic Memory

Odd Thing I Collect

Odd/Useless Talent

Only My Family Would Understand

Prologue Or No?

Secret Snack

Theme Song
Wedding Disaster
What I Wear When I Write
When I’m Not Writing, I…
Winning The Lottery
Worst Gift I Ever Got
Worst Writing Advice
Worth Bragging About
Writing Advice (Best) I've Gotten
Writing Rituals

Disaster? Not Really #mfrwauthor

We're at week 52. Where has the year gone? The year is now over and this is the final post of the 2018 challenge. We are supposed to write about "my wedding disaster." Now that is hard to do.

My wedding (lo those 40-plus years ago) was what might be called a non-existent affair. The bridal store didn't go out-of-business so I had my gown. The plane taking me south was on time. I was married on a holiday weekend because that was when my future hubby could get a three-day pass. After the ceremony in the chapel, the two of us went to dinner at the roof-top restaurant of the local hotel. (Since I was still in my gown and he his dress blues, we had great service.) Then while transferring from one post to another we had a reception on my family homestead.

So how to write about a "disaster." Maybe out the person who ran a finger along the back of the cake before we cut it? That didn't constitute a disaster because a little work with a knife removed the evidence so I'll have to write about the handfasting ceremonies I've written.

Besides difficulties in getting the bride-to-be or the groom to the wedding, or the tension during the formal proposal to the bride's ruling council (which could have scuttled the wedding), what one bride thought was a disaster was an interruption during her ceremony. As Broch walked down the aisle, people turned their attention from her to dragons a'wing. But the dragons flew on and the event continued so not really a disaster.

After reviewing the Windmaster Novels and the Dragshi Chronicles, here's a snippit from the reader's bonus of the handfasting of Glynnes and Talann. She has come into the room after the last of the meetings to plan their upcoming nuptials.

Excerpt from the Reader Bonus from Hatchling's Vengeance

Talann could feel her anger directed at him. “Glyn, my love, aren’t you pleased with the plans?”

She hesitated. “Yes."

He enfolded her in his arms. “The ceremony is for you, darling. My job is to do what I’m told, to look handsome. And…” A corner of his lips lifted in a smile and laughter danced in his eyes. “Not to disappoint you on our wedding night.” 

An innocence at odds with the earlier mischievousness smoothed his features. “I’m doing the best I can.” He held the disarming pose until some of the tension left her body. 

“Who told you that?” Glynnes growled.

Talann waited a heartbeat, then started holding up fingers. “Ranald, my father, Liam, Kynan, and that is just a few of the men from Cloud Eyrie.” He held up a second hand. “Vivel, every married master of the Ceoltier Guild who ever lectured me on protocol, my Uncle Eroh of Clan Weiss, Uncle Elem of Clan Miller.” He waited and added, “Uaine threatened me with dismemberment if I make you unhappy.”

Before his mate could react, he flicked up another finger. “Our illustrious lady ruler, my mother, Lady Dealan, Lexii.” He paused as if taking a breath before continuing.

“All right, I yield,” Glynnes said, holding up a hand. “No one can fight that horde of relatives and friends.”

~ ~ ~

You'll have to read the readers bonus included with Hatchling's Vengeance for the actual ceremony. Start here for buy links to Amazon, Kobo, and others. 

 
And don't miss the other posts in this final week of the challenge. Thanks for hanging out with me for the year.  Helen

To Sleep Perchance to Dream #mfrwauthor

Welcome to Week 44 of the 2018 MFRW challenge. Each week we are challenged to write a thoughtful, informative post about writing craft, the writing life, or sometimes, something even more personal.

This topic is close to that from Week 35. The difference is the one between irrational and biggest. Irrational implies not governed by reason, mental clarity, or understanding. Which would mean this week could be something a reasonable person would be afraid of. If you live in a high crime area, it would not be irrational to fear being shot or attacked. Whereas if you live in the penthouse apartment of a high-rise building in a major city, the fear of a bear breaking into your apartment would not be reasonable.

I used to think my greatest fear was losing my eyesight. Going blind would be hell on earth for a writer. But these days if the mind remained sharp, technology could help. And audio books to satisfy the need to read.

Pixabay Image

But fear of something else now takes the top spot. My greatest fear is being trapped, of having a stroke or heart attack which leaves my mind alert but unable to control my body.

Pixabay Image

I don't want to dwell on the topic so I'm off to sleep, perchance to dream of flying with dragons.


The list of the other posts in the hop is below. ~till next time, Helen

More Please with Wine #mfrwauthor

The topic list just specified "My Favorite Apps." Wikipedia lists a variety of definitions as to what an "App" is. Several relate to app as an abbreviation for "application." There is the mobile app, software designed to run on smartphones and other mobile devices. Or the web app, software designed to run inside a web browser. In education, APP could stand for advanced  placement program. Or when talking about news, the Asbury Park Press newspaper.

I'm guessing the original intent of the topic was either a mobile app for those with smart phones or since we're writers, software to help with our writing. The program I've used most is Dragon Naturally Speaking when the cold gets into my fingers or PaintShop Pro to create graphics and alter photographs.

But I'm writing this at dinnertime. The family isn't home yet and since I don't know when they'll stroll through the door I'm not going to start cooking until they do. But I'm hungry and there was an advertisement on television for unlimited apps (as in appetizers.)

Pixabay Image

My favorite apps are shrimp cocktail, bacon-wrapped scallops, and parmesan onion bread. Hope you're now hungry. Visit the other posts to see how they interpreted "My Favorite Apps." ~till next time, Helen

Do I Need Two Starts? #mfrwauthor

We're at week 42. Where has the year gone?

To have a prologue or not is a personal decision. One reader will peruse it while another will skip it. I did a review of my published and unpublished works and as  rule I don't do prologues. It is just a practical decision. The start of a novel has to hook the reader if not within the first sentence at least within the first few paragraphs. Writing the perfect beginning doesn't always come easy. So why would I want to do it twice? Once for Chapter 1 and once for the prologue.

That said, there was one novel where I toyed with having a prologue. But after an editorial review it was moved from being a stand-alone section and turned into the head of the first chapter. So without further ado, here's the prologue that wasn't, from Windmaster.

Intrigued? Windmaster is available in paperback and ebook at Amazon. Ebook sites: B&N /  Kobo  /    More ebook stores

~till next time, Helen

 

This is a blog hop so visit the other authors for their take on prologues. ~till next time, Helen

Birthday Suit? #mfrwauthor

Week 40 of the challenge and it's time for some fun. What Do I Wear When I Write?


An immediate tongue-in-cheek response was my birthday suit. No, don't try to imagine the image. You'll break the mirror in your mind and leave a bad taste there.

When I started writing many decades ago the advice given to new writers was "Writing is a business. Be professional." That included dressing as a professional. Now, I don't mean wearing a business suit when giving a lecture or an interview. At that time it meant wearing business attire anytime you were writing. I agree that wearing a suit even when you can't be seen can boost confidence. That explanation is reasonable for a telephone interview, but anytime and anyplace when writing?







Not me. I want something comfortable and appropriate for the surroundings. That might mean sweat shirt and sweat pants while on the dock. Or something a little less casual when sitting on the bench at the fishing pier.

Pixabay Image (Used under Creative Commons License)

What I wear when I write has to be comfortable. If the body is in pain, the mind won't work and the muse won't come. If that means pajamas and pink fuzzy slippers then be it. A dog or cat as a companion also helps set the mind free. (As long as they don't take over the keyboard. :)

Pixabay Image (Used under Creative Commons License)

That doesn't mean I don't have fun sometimes. I've dressed up in period wear of the Civil War and the Revolutionary War 

And when doing a book signing at the winery, my cowboy hat set me apart from the other crafters. In my promotional box awaiting the appropriate venue is the sword, hat, gold bracelets, and boot toppers suitable as the working garb for a sea captain of the House of Cszabo.

Wonder what other authors wear when they write? Visit the other posts to find out. ~till next time, Helen

Music, a porch swing, and a pen #mfrwauthor

Welcome to week 39.

Unlike some writers I know, I don't have elaborate writing rituals. There is no pile of cassettes to be played in a specific order during the writing process. The turntable is broken. There is no special corner of the house where I work. I work wherever, whenever; usually in a recliner in the living room while I keep an eye on the rest of the family.

Another reason I have is no specific writing ritual is that each session differs depending on where I am in the outlining, writing, or editing phases. It might be fifteen minutes while sitting in a doctor's office or a half-hour while waiting for the shower to be available. While more productive than pleasant, lying on the couch with a lap desk while I'm sick can be described as a ritual.

I am starting what might turn out to be a ritual and that is Fiction Focus For Writers Only by Jackie Weger. (A bit of blatant promotion, the new audio book version is to be released on 10/9.)

What little I do that can be considered a ritual comes from being a plotter (or at least an explorer) until the characters take over. That is if you can call creating a novel notebook a ritual. A novel notebook helps with accuracy and reduces editing. To keep manuscripts as clean as possible as the story unfolds, I track major points in an outline. And as names are assigned to characters or places in the world I'm creating, they are also memorialized in the appropriate forms.

So a little music, a porch swing and a pen encourages the muse.  That's all the writing ritual I can share. ~till next time, Helen

Useless? Odd? #MFRWauthor

We're at week 38. And it's Friday again. We are supposed to write about "my odd/useless talent." Now, let's see. First I have to define useless and odd.

Can I spread my fingers in the Vulcan greeting? No.

Can I raise one eyebrow? No.

Am I ambidextrous? Only when I have to be, then more food falls off the fork than into my mouth. I can use a mouse with both hands as long as it isn't detailed graphics work.

Some might consider crocheting dragons or collecting art tiles as useless or odd. But the collecting was just covered last week.

Some would say that writing fantasy is useless, or at the very least, odd. But I like to fly with dragons and hang out with mages.

That is as far as I go with this post. ~till next time. Helen