Tag Archives: blogging

Writing Craft: What Happens Next?

March, 2024Blogging, Indie Publishing, Self-publishing, Series writing, Writing, Writing Craft, Writing locations, Writing tipsblogging, draft, editing, Manuscripts, tips, writing, writing craftcarolyn

Do you ever ask yourself, what happens next? My brother Phil shared a video with me the other day. He often does when he comes across something he thinks I may enjoy or find useful (thanks, Phil!). I only had time to watch a few minutes then, an interview with writer/producer Andy Guerdat. But right off the bat, his subject reminded me of a key element of storytelling: getting your audience to care about your story.

Guerdat talks about maintaining an audience/reader mindset when storytelling. He uses the three-word question: “What happens next?” as the storyteller’s tactic to engage your readers, keep them entertained, and keep your story from becoming formulaic and predictable. Those three little words should be at the crux of writing engrossing tales.

The video continued in a film-related vein, and I’ll be honest, at first, I didn’t watch the entire clip. Primarily because as soon as Guerdat mentioned that three-word question, I stopped and thought about the novel I’m currently drafting, Book 3 of the Treasure Quest Series.

I considered it great timing to have heard that question this week.

I’d been planning to post an update on where I’m at with writing Book 3. I planned to share how the work is going, what my hopes and expectations for this draft are. And, truthfully, I’m struggling a bit with how the work is progressing.

So those words, that question, “what happens next?” gave me pause and helped me spend some time mulling a key point of why I write: to entertain and engage, inform and divert and escape.

Hearing the question stated so succinctly reminded me where and how to focus my efforts as I continue writing my WIP.

At the moment, I’ve hit a few snags. But I also have written more consistently than previously. One of the reasons—though I’ve told myself time and again to “just spit out the first draft, damn it, things will be fixed in edits!”—is because I’m writing key scenes that are set in Ireland. While some description and details can be added later, other info is relevant to the story and its progression. Additional research needs to happen up front in order for the tale to progress logically.

And, truthfully, doing that research also helps spark unique ideas. That’s one part of writing (of many!) that I truly love. I can have an idea on which I’ve built parts of a story, but then new research helps inform a cooler, better solution/outcome. Love, love, love that!! Though, of course, that can and does change other elements of the tale, so it’s another reason editing is so crucial. The story still has to work with however the new information has changed it.

So, writing is a struggle to balance research, completion (of draft #1), and plot/pacing. But, with all of that said, I am making progress. Check out this photo of my basic plotline.

Writing Corkboard and What Happens Next? — Writing Corkboard with Green and Pink Notes

I finally had to put this together to see what I had left to write and where I had holes. Especially because Book 3 is just that, the third of the series, and it has many loose ends to tie together. This isn’t everything, but these are the main moving parts. The green post-its are what I’d finished writing last year, and the pink notes are what I need to write to have a mostly finished first draft.

The good news is, I’m all the way through the pinks except for the final four!! Yay!!! Which is not to say I’m done when I finish those, but that will leave me very close with the first draft. I will be soooo freakin’ excited when I get there.

But, as I mentioned at the start, the essential question (or one of them) is still key to remember and view from the readers’ perspective: what happens next? I’ll need to make sure I keep you, dear reader, engaged with my story and characters. And hopefully you’ll enjoy this next story as much as the first two!! Fingers (and toes and everything!) crossed!!

For those of you interested, I went back and listened to the rest of the ten-minute video clip. Guerdat had other useful, writerly tidbits he shared. Check it out here and let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Given a couple cool items I uncovered with my online explorations last week, I’m hopefully on a surer path to completing the first draft. And I think as long as I keep asking “what happens next,” I’ll be able to convey the excitement I felt at the beginning of writing this story. What does my ideal reader want? To be engaged and enthralled and maybe even enlightened just a bit. 😉

So, dear readers, I’d best get back to work, hadn’t I? I’ve more to write and more to surprise you with. Thanks for reading and supporting … and stay tuned! And stay in touch, too. I really appreciate your thoughts and comments, so please say hi below or drop me a line at carolyn@carolyngreeley.com.

Coffee House Writing Space and What Happens Next? — Coffee House Writing Space

PS–If you’re curious to journey back in time with me, check out this older post of mine It’s True, I Do Exist. But TB Is Half Missing. – The Mystery of Relevance (carolyngreeley.com) from when I was writing Book 2, Treasure Bound. Oh, how the times have not changed! 😉 I’m still asking, what happens next?

Writing Craft: Creative Shifts and Shorts

June, 2023Blogging, FWA, New opportunities, Refresh and reset, Writing, Writing Craft, Writing locationsblogging, short story, writing, writing craftcarolyn

Life really runs just so smoothly, right? Nah! I began writing this post in May, the month celebrating the Short Story. I planned to blog about changing formats to challenge your growth as a writer, in my case, writing shorts instead of working on my usual long-format novel. You guys know I can’t resist stretching my chops and working on writing craft.

But, now it’s June. I’m just posting this, and all I can do is chuckle. And grab a cold glass of something refreshing. Because here in Florida, the temps are rising, and summer has hit the ground running.

Despite the heat, I love to write outside on our screen porch, which is a tad cluttered—read: tools, coolers, spare deck chairs, and general et cetera—but the view of our jungle (AKA, the backyard) is great for a creative boost.

And oftentimes a change of scenery, even a small one like moving from office to porch, can make a big creative difference. As I write and study the craft, anything that can enhance creativity helps. Sometimes, that’s a scenery shift, sometimes a format change to write something brilliant and brief.

It’s from the wacky screen porch that I wrote two short stories these past two months. And guess what? One of those stories has been selected for publication in an anthology. Woo hoo! You might recall I mentioned the Florida Writers Association Collection contest. The contest is open to poetry and short stories of up to 1200 words, a length which is definitely not my strong suit.

This year’s Collection theme was the unignorable Secrets, so I decided to submit a piece. I have entered this contest in the past, to no avail. But you only get better with practice, and that’s definitely true of writing craft.

You all already know I primarily write novels. Long, descriptive, but hopefully compelling, page-turning novels. I love to plunge into action, adventure, characters’ brains and emotions, food, travels, all that good stuff that drives a reader through every page. Novels are my happy place.

So, for me to shift to writing a short story is a real trick, and one I’m working on doing better. Because the thing is, a short story is basically a very short novel, meaning, that tiny piece of writing must contain all the elements of the novel with thousands fewer words. Yikes. By contrast, my novels run in the 70-90,000-word range. You can see the challenge this presents for a writer like me.

And maybe now you can see the appeal, too. Every author wants to improve, wants to hone their writing craft and make it readable, enjoyable, or gripping. I’m pretty okay (so I’m told) at putting together decent imagery, fun vignettes, things of that nature. If you’re keen, I post some of those under the Writing Snippets section here at my site. But they’re not all short stories, with a story arc, character development, conflict, etc. and the other elements of a true SS.

Writing the shorts these past months really challenged how I wrote, what I wrote about, and how good my recall of Grammar 101 was (it wasn’t!). ;P So, I hit some hurdles while working on my submissions. But the experience of writing a full story, succinctly, was excellent. If you’re interested in some smart tips for writing shorts from uber-knowledgeable folks, follow these two links to learn more: Writer’s Digest and Grammarly.

I can say honestly—especially after hearing about my anthology contest selection—that the experience was really worth the effort of writing something outside my wheelhouse. It sure helps when that effort is rewarded.

I haven’t heard back yet about the second contest I entered, for AutoCrit, so I’ll stay positive on that score. Once the judging ends and all the legalities are sorted, I’ll share the news.

In the meantime, this creative shift should help me refocus as I return to writing Book 3 of my series. Sometimes all we need is that bit of clarity that comes from a change of perspective.

Thanks again for visiting. And please let me know in the comments how you like to mix things up with your writing craft. Would love to hear what works for you!

Get Out of My Head

January, 2023Blogging, Refresh and reset, WritingBasketball, blogging, Gratitude, writingcarolyn

A new year has begun, but I’m the same old me, still trying to get out of my head at times. Does that sound like you, too?

Happy New Year, dear readers and friends, and welcome to 2023! This year has already started out with some flips and flops, and I’ve found myself struggling to get out of my head, to find the words I want for the places I want them. Those of you who’ve bumped along beside me on my writing journey know how much I love to write. You also know how challenging I sometimes find doing so. This year is no different, with some residual and new setbacks along for the ride.

Since that is life as we all know it, I took myself off for a short walk in the beautiful sunshine and moderate temps of north Florida, and I pondered my next post.

As I did, I focused on my current issues and what I would like to know at this particular moment in time. That’s how I hit on the topic for this blog, how to get out of my head.

First for the bad part: I don’t know how to get out of your head. And I don’t have a magic formula, especially not one that works for everyone, which I doubt exists anywhere in the universe. But I did come up with a thought, simple and hopefully helpful, to share with you.

Experiment until you find something or someplace which lets you detach completely for a time. That gives you the freedom to stop thinking. That engrosses you so fully you temporarily let go of your worries and your conscious thoughts and just do.

This thing or place could be just about anything, so I suggest having as much fun as you can while you explore your options. Guess what my distraction is? Shooting hoops. Yep, basketball! I love shooting baskets so much, yet having our own backyard hoop was a completely random occurrence.

My husband and I found an abandoned, freestanding basketball hoop at one of the fixer project houses we renovated. The hoop had been lying on the ground, half covered by weeds, beat-up and broken looking. I didn’t give it much thought beyond how clunky and worn it appeared.

A week later, however, I looked out our back windows, and what do I see standing tall and straight at the edge of our concrete patio? The hoop! Okay … us not having kids, I thought, hmm, what’re two creaky middle-agers going to do with a basketball hoop and with all of our “free time”?

Turns out, I now make time, even if that’s only 5 or 10 minutes, and just hurl our yellow-and-lime-green basketball toward that round metal circle, waiting to hear the whoosh of all net and the thwap of the ball on the concrete, and I relax. It’s incredible. And who knew?

Well, someone else does, probably, but the peace and detachment (in the good way) that I feel when playing surprised me (in the best way), and I’m so grateful my hub thought the hoop would be fun and transported the heavy, enormous thing all the way to our house. Yay! (Aside, a quick search led me to this post with other basketball games to try, if you’re interested.)

So, while shooting baskets works wonders for my brain (and it’s pretty good for my body, too), you’ll need to find that which works for you. And I hope you do.

We all need to feel like we can let go, disconnect in that positive way, so I encourage you to experiment until you find your detachment-from-the-mayhem button.

Oddly, another activity that works wonders for my brain is laying floors. That, however, is neither always available as an option, nor particularly happy for my back to endure. Still … it’s good to have choices for getting out of my head. 😛 Check this out, one of our renovated kitchens and check out that floor I helped lay! 🙂

And funny enough, walking obviously doesn’t do it for me. I pretty much never detach from my thoughts and worries then. Quite the opposite, walking allows my brain free rein to roam and helps me find new paths in my writing and my life. Supremely important in its own way. 😉

Thanks again for stopping by, guys. I wish you success in finding your way, and I hope this post gives you a starting point. Keep on keeping on! And if you’d like to share what works for you in the comment section below, I’d love to hear!

PS–If you’re interested in reading a bit more about the need to reset the brain, check out this older post of mine. Hope you enjoy it!

Starting Fresh. Again.

December, 2022Blogging, Gratitude, Refresh and reset, Writing, Writing timeblogging, writing, writing craft, Writing lifecarolyn

So. A little bit of time has passed between my posts once again. Shocker. 😉 For those of you rejoining me here as I’m starting fresh, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Many of you have followed my story online since I created my website and started blogging in 2015. Just before then, I’d done a major life reset by leaving my job of 16+ years, moving solo from NYC to Florida, and publishing my first adventure-mystery novel.

That’s what I call a pretty good reset. A pretty eye-opening one, too.

I’d spent most of my life prior in a semi-content stasis with little large-scale change, and oftentimes loaded with feelings of boredom and loneliness. That first major reset has been hugely wonderful—not without problems, of course—but worth the world to me.

Something I tried to learn from that shift is how to be comfortable with change.

Because periodically since then, I’ve been hitting that reset button. Write and publish novels? Ding! Insinuate myself into the design and construction fields? Ding! Design and renovate fixer homes? Ding! Which of late has been both my major time draw and my creative outlet. Utterly challenging, utterly rewarding.

And now, close to 10 years later, I’m facing another potentially huge reset. In some ways, I feel I’ve come full-circle, because I’m now able to refocus on writing. This came about in a frustrating, wacky way—and let me tell you, it’s been a year, again—but I’m working on my flexibility and am focusing my creativity once more on writing. It feels a little like coming home. 🙂

So, starting fresh for me, with this, certainly isn’t starting from scratch. More, it’s revisiting where my heart took me before, and finding new avenues to happiness. It’s about keeping my head up as I wander, looking forward instead of down. Not because of FOMO, rather, because of the importance of paying attention to and appreciating what’s here and now. The little things, like ducks, and the big things. 😉 Of course, it helps to exercise that ol’ peripheral vision. Like the rest of you, I try to keep from stumbling on the sidewalk cracks or getting tossed by a rogue wave.

And as ever, focusing reminds me of all that I have to be grateful for: life, love, home, health, the list is long and worth reflecting on. Always, but especially when life throws those unexpected resets your way. 😉

Thanks again for spending time here with me. I’m still slow to dive into social media, but I’m gradually returning to a few bits I enjoy, where I can engage with my friends and readers. Hope to see you there. And here again, soon!

#grateful #keepwriting #keepreading #writingcommunity #readingcommunity

Love in a Time of Corona

May, 2020Blogging, Current Events, Reading, Refresh and reset, Stress Management, Writing, Writing and Emotionsblogging, community, Emotions, Gratitude, Reading, short story, storytelling, writing, Writing lifecarolyn

Well. Today’s reality in no way, shape, or form is anything like what I could’ve imagined one year ago.

Last May (May the 4^th Be With You, to be exact for my Star Wars fans), my husband and I finally celebrated our wedding by renewing our vows in front of our family and friends. We had such an incredible time, sharing the experience with loved ones from far and near who couldn’t be with us the first time around.

Things are so different this May. We’ve now been living with the specter of the coronavirus (COVID-19) for many months, and life is so bizarre. I haven’t blogged in eons. Partly, because doing so feels more than a little out-of-whack with all that’s been going on—all the devastating loss, all the confusion, all the misinformation that surrounds us.

I’ve had to curtail my time spent online and on social media. Reading incessantly about the deaths and the lack of answers took an emotional and mental toll on me. It’s too easy to become overwhelmed. And I haven’t wanted to add to the bullshit by becoming part of the noise.

I’ve also continued to work at my other job, considered an essential business. Increased hours there have wiped me out, but also, the presence of so many customers—people who should’ve stayed home but couldn’t take the cabin fever and so they ventured out—has added to my stress level.

That said, though, I still feel the tug of the blank page. I long to tell my stories and, hopefully, to bring a few moments of enjoyment or happiness or escape to my readers.

So I decided to write this blog post. And while I’m brainstorming subplots before beginning Book 3, I’ve written a short story I plan to publish soon, a creepy little affair with a fun twist. I really love writing in a different genre while getting my head together to work on a novel. I have to say, writing definitely helps sort me out and feel human again. 😉

And so it goes.

As for me, I’ll do my best to keep posting periodically. To check in and hopefully offer a mini diversion from reality.

To you, my friends and readers, I wish you all safety, peace, health, comfort, kindness, and patience. We have a long road to travel—and everyone’s path will be different—but we have made it this far. We can make it the rest of the way.

Sending six-feet-distant virtual hugs to you and yours. #grateful #keepwriting #keepreading #staysafe #community

5 Tips to Quell Christmas Madness

December, 2018Blogging, Christmas, Czech Republic, Gratitude, St. Augustine, Time Management, Writingblogging, Christmas, Friends and Family, Giving, Gratitude, Holiday spirit, Joy, Love, Muse, writingcarolyn

Around the holidays, my writing muse seems to crowd too often into the far corner of my living room, the one where auctioned-off nails and tubs of dusty sporting equipment rub handles with dented cardboard boxes of old papers and—you guessed it—Christmas decorations. The muse hovers behind the tottering stacks, scrunched between the windows I haven’t washed the insides of in three years (they’re inaccessible, that’s my excuse) and the not-rickety pinewood shelving my hub built those same years ago. I think she enjoys that corner because she knows I’m unable to easily reach way in the back, and that pulling her out would require more time and effort to dismantle the obstacles than I have on any given of-the-season day.

So, as I hoarded minutes here and there between work, housecleaning, meetings, and the usual day-to-day dribbles of life, I let my brain free-float for ideas on how to quell some of the madness that coexists with this time of year. The madness that drives my muse into that corner. Handily enough, letting my brain wander often teases the muse out of her hiding spot. Lucky for me, this time she helped me come up with five goodies, suggestions I was happy to jot down and share with you to help restore your seasonal sanity somewhat, I hope.

1—Always a favorite of mine: create a master holiday to-do list. My readers and friends know I’m a huge fan of lists. I have been as long as I can remember, and now that I juggle different jobs, a husband, and a household, among other things, I find lists indispensable. During this season, a list helps me focus on the things most important, as well as helps me anticipate the fun as our big holiday celebration, Christmas, draws near.

2—Window shop before your gift-giving holiday gets too close. Since Hanukkah is already nearing completion, this tip might not work for this year,but keep it in mind for next. I don’t like feeling rushed to buy presents—actually, we don’t even buy that many anymore—but I do enjoy browsing and getting ideas before purchasing anything. This is a big change from my old habit of doing all my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve! But I find browsing—even for a few minutes here and there—helps bring the holiday and Christmas spirit a bit nearer. I don’t have to buy something to feel the joy of giving grow.

3—Have a think on your favorite and not-so-favorite holiday traditions and try to cut back on those which no longer excite you or bring joy to your family and friends and whoever you share your time with. I long ago gave up writing buckets of Christmas cards (sorry, everyone!) because time would run far away from me. Now, though, I try to focus on sending fewer, longer holiday catch-up emails with friends and family I no longer see frequently. This helps me feel connected, despite usually not being able to celebrate with our family and friends stretched around the globe. Skype also works great, especially with our families in New York and The Czech Republic.

4—Remind yourself to keep things simple. Do you find yourself attending a number of celebrations during this season? Or hosting one? We often do, and to keep things simple, we bring or make one or two usual dishes we know are crowd pleasers, like my hub’s famous spread/appetizer, chlebicky (pronounced kla-beech-key), and my giant pot o’chili. Rather than drive ourselves bonkers with time-consuming or costly preparations, this helps keep us and our friends stuffed and happy. A decent bottle of red wine helps, too. 😉

5—And finally, don’t forget to sneak off for a few minutes to enjoy your favorite pre-holiday ritual. Maybe you like to drive the neighborhood with your other half to take in the lighting spectaculars. Or zone out in the bath with a pine-scented candle, a glass of that red wine, and some Christmas music tinkling over the pop of bubbles. Or, my fave, curl into your reading nook with a Baileys and your latest mystery, wrapped head to toe in a fluffy, toasty blanket. Yes, I live in Florida, but it still hits the 30s here. Hee hee hee.

So, readers, fans, friends, and family, I love this time of year, but with all the secular busyness, I sometimes have to remind myself that Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, and that—for me, at least—is a reminder to focus on giving, loving, and trying to be a better human.

There you have it. A few perhaps-not-so-secret tips for bringing a bit of calm to you this season. I hope they work for you. And bring you peace and happiness in some form. As for me, I’m going to grab my current book shortly, The Rope, by Nevada Barr, and have a quiet read. 🙂 “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night….”

Creepy Scary Stories

October, 2018Halloween, Reading, Scary movies, Scary stories, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Emotions, Writing Craftblogging, Film, Halloween, Inspiration, Movies, Reading, Scary stories, writing, writing craftcarolyn

Happy October, dear friends and readers! I’m so excited for this month, because I love Hallowe’en and spooky things. If you don’t believe me, zip over to my About page and check out the lead photo. See what I mean? Haha. Love it!

And since this is the month of creepy good things, I decided to share some of my favorite scary stories, both written and on film. Time for a little levity in my blog, right?

While writing this post, I stopped for a moment to try to figure out why my Hallowe’en fascination has persisted over the years. I always loved dressing up and spooking for candy as a kid, and I still love the holiday today. And you know what? I didn’t come up with a good answer. Regardless, I love Hallowe’en and scary stories very much.

The one thought I had, though, was this: I’m no psychologist, but I gather there’s something to be said for enjoying a good scare while knowing you’re safe and that what you read or watched was fiction. Unless, of course, you’re into non-fiction!!! BOO!

And thinking about it, not everybody enjoys a good scare the way others do. My hub included; he does not like scary movies. And while I sure do enjoy many, I fully admit there are certain tales I don’t like and won’t read or watch. For example, I don’t watch torture movies (I’ve seen a couple, and not cool IMHO). I’m also not a fan of sad-scaries. And, ghoulish movies and stories that could possibly happen do sort of freak me out. 😉

But that said, there are scores of other well-crafted spooky stories I enjoy. Most of them of the suspenseful-thriller-moody-tension variety.

And so, I look forward to October every year, and this time’s no different. And just to set the tone, as I write, the sky has darkened to soot, flashes of lightning streak beyond the towering pines, thunder rolls almost as loudly as the drowning rain. I have the big house to myself. The doors are locked. So … here we go. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite scary stories! Happy Creeps!

Books:

Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
The Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allan Poe
The Turn of the Screw, Henry James
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Ghost Story, Peter Straub* caveat, currently reading
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving
Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red, Joyce Reardon
Dracula, Bram Stoker

To read: The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

Movies:

The Uninvited, 1944
Psycho, 1960
Scream, 1996
Halloween, 1978
Poltergeist, 1982
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956
The Shining, 1980
Silence of the Lambs, 1991
Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984
The Thing from Another World, 1951
Jaws, 1975
Rosemary’s Baby, 1968
Alien, 1979
The Birds, 1963
Ghost Story, 1981 *quite different than the book
The Changeling, 1980
The Fog, 1980
Them, 1954
Carrie, 1976
The Blob, 1958
The Amityville Horror, 1979

To see: Get Out; A Quiet Place

So, reader friends, what do you think? Which is your favorite scary story, and did it make my list? Which ones are you going to read or watch next? Mwuaaah-ah-ah-ahhhh! Hahaha. Let me know in the comments section. And try not to be too scared! BOO!!

PS–If any of you want to hear something truly scary, yesterday at one of the local stores, I walked past a humongous display of Christmas trees!!! True horror!!

PPS–Also, looking over the lists, you might notice I tend toward older stories. Reading-wise, I typically stick to the mystery genre in which I write, and movie-wise, I guess I just don’t get out that much. 😉 At least, not with the hub for a scary movie! Haha. Happy Hallowe’en!