Category Archives: Words: Serious Play

Where wordsmiths connect.

Lark Tūrehu, Reveal #3

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Lark and her ever-present iPod, as illustrated by John Taylor.

Lark’s ever-present iPod, as illustrated by John Taylor.

Reveal #3: Lark carries an iPod everywhere, and uses songs to shift or complement her mood.

Here is another image of my heroine Lark Tūrehu. It shows her addiction to human music throughout my Delfaerune Rhapsody series-in-progress. The story unfolds around the young Noble Fae, starting in Song of the Ocarina, the first book in the young-adult, fantasy-adventure series, due out in late 2013.

I encourage you to suggest your favorite song(s), which Lark may listen to on her iPod in the story. If I select your song to include in the book, I’ll also list your name in my Acknowledgements.

Watch for more clues in the coming days to reveal Lark’s whole character image — also, image reveals of the books’ Dark Fae brothers: hero Noel and antagonist Mikk Stone. Also watch Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Back to Reveal #2                                To Reveal #4

Lark Tūrehu, Reveal #2

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Second glimpse of Lark, as illustrated by John Taylor

Second glimpse of Lark and her ocarina, as illustrated by John Taylor. THIS IS THE SPECIAL IMAGE to show at Ann’s Nov. 22. 2014, book signing at Capture 12 photo gallery to earn an entry into the drawing for a copy of the book.

Reveal #2: Lark is a musical prodigy, and more connected to the Earth’s magic than any other Noble Fae.

This image reveals the musical aspect of my heroine, Lark Tūrehu, in my Delfaerune Rhapsody series-in-progress. She is the only Noble Fae musical prodigy connected well enough to Mother Earth’s magic to retrieve and master three ancient instruments to save her worlds.

Anyone wondering what is an “ocarina?” It’s a small hollow wind instrument, often made of ceramic or wood, with a mouthpiece and holes for fingering.

Lark’s story unfolds, starting in Song of the Ocarina, the first book in the young-adult, fantasy-adventure series, due out in late 2013.

Watch for more clues in the coming days to reveal Lark’s whole character image — also, image reveals of the books’ Dark Fae brothers: hero Noel and antagonist Mikk Stone. Also watch Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Back to Reveal #1                        To Reveal #3

Lark Tūrehu, Reveal #1

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Glimpse of Lark, illustrated by John Taylor

Glimpse of Lark, as illustrated by John Taylor

Reveal #1: Lark thought she was human, but actually belongs to a leading Noble Fae family.

This image partially reveals one artist’s interpretation of my heroine, Lark Tūrehu, in my Delfaerune Rhapsody  series-in-progress.

The story unfolds around Lark, starting in Song of the Ocarina, the first book in the young-adult, fantasy-adventure series, due out in late 2013.

Watch for more clues in the coming days to reveal Lark’s whole character image — also, image reveals of the books’ Dark Fae brothers: hero Noel and antagonist Mikk.  Also watch Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

To Reveal #2

#9 Writing Tip: 3 easy solutions to find time to write

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If you’re a writer, at some time in your career you undoubtedly wondered, “How can I possibly make the time to write this book?” Since most writers I know hold another job to support their writing and have busy family lives, they find it difficult to find the energy and time to put words on paper (or, more likely, type words into a computer).

One way I inspire myself to write, is to schedule writing time with other writers... my brother, for example.

Another way I inspire myself to write, is to schedule writing time with other writers… my brother, for example.

Typically, I hear about three main obstacles:

  1. Inclination
  2. Blocks
  3. Priority

Obstacle 1
Inclination. You’re tired. You don’t know what to write. Your other obligations pull you away. When you’re not inspired to write, it’s hard to sit down and make it happen.

One solution
Set aside just 15 minutes a day to move forward with your writing (perhaps as soon as you get up, on your lunch hour, an hour before you normally go to be). Put it on your calendar and try to do it every day. Often, you’ll find if you just commit those 15 minutes, it expands into more time, and you make good progress every week. Plus, writing every day—even a little—keeps the momentum going, and helps your writing flow more easily.

Obstacle 2
Blocked. You sit in front of your keyboard and think. No ideas come to you. You consider this direction or that direction, but nothing feels right. You just can’t get the words down.

One solution
Just start writing. Simply do a stream-of-consciousness mind dump. Start with anything that’s in your mind and let it flow out on paper or into your computer. Don’t worry about what it says, you can always delete the weedy “chaff” later. After a while, you’ll find your mind drifting toward what you want to write and tasty “wheat” ideas will pop forth. This always works for me.

Obstacle 3
Priority. You think, “I should write, but I’m tired… or, I need to do laundry… or, I have something more important to do.”

One solution
Make a “spiritual” decision to make your writing an absolute priority. We all know, if something is important enough to us, we will make time for it, no matter what. So, you need to look inside yourself and find what is most important. If that actually is your book, you will get up earlier, watch one less TV show, find someone else to do a chore you dislike, or find other means to make time for writing.

My strongest suggestion is to schedule a specific time for writing, even if it’s only 15 minutes a day. Treat it like an unbreakable appointment. By considering my book as one of my clients, setting aside time every day to work on it, I was able to finish the final fourth of my first novel (Rhythms & Muse) in six months. And I’d been working on it for almost a decade already!

No excuses, writers. Which of the solutions above will you start using today to overcome your writing obstacles? What other techniques have been successful for you?

Call for songs to add to a character’s iPod in young-adult fiction series

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My talented young friend John Taylor created this lovely illustration, showing the fae side of my heroine Lark Tūrehu. You can see more of his work at https://www.facebook.com/jktaylor.art.

My talented young friend John Taylor created this lovely illustration, showing the fae side of my heroine Lark Tūrehu. You can see more of his work at https://www.facebook.com/jktaylor.art.

One of my favorite things about writing the Delfaerune Rhapsody Trilogy is involving you in its creation. I’m asking readers’ input on certain scenes in the books. If you respond to one of my requests and I end up using it, I’ll credit your contribution in my “Acknowledgements” when the book is published. Those not used, I’ll add to the contributors page here on my blog.

Here are two areas for which I already need input:

1. A song to add to the heroine Lark’s iPod. I need a song of hope, but with a beat my character can walk to in a not-too-hurried rhythm. Give me a suggestion to fit into this excerpt:

“The entrance to the main path rewarded visitors to the garden with a stunning overview of the grounds. The mirror-like pond at the focal point, today reflected the fluffy clouds and blue sky. Several pebbly paths leading off into various sections of the garden broke between the flowerbeds and willow trees hugging the edge of the water.
“Nobody wandered the garden in plain sight, so Lark took a moment to plug in to her iPod. “SONG NAME” by SO-AND-SO spoke to her hopeful mood this morning. She allowed the music to set her rhythm, and walked around the pond and up a couple of the paths, expecting to run into B’rook at any turn.”

Thanks to those who already suggested songs on my Facebook post. If you want to add something new, please comment and makes sure to provide:

  • Full song name
  • Who performed/composed it
  • Description or even a few adjectives about the song, describing why it will work in this scene
  • Your name, or how you’d like to be identified in the blog or book
  • Your geographic location

(Just so you know, I may use your contact info provided via the comment to communicate with you about the book, but will not publicize it, or use it for any other reason.)

2. A recipe for my vegetarian fae to enjoy during a banquet. Please post your recipe comment to this request in my existing blog entry on this topic.

I will ask for your additional suggestions when needed as I’m writing, so stay tuned.

– Ann

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth

Reader contributions to the DelFaerune Rhapsody young-adult fiction series

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You all make me happier than anything, even more than my tea addiction. (Photo by my tea-sharing friend Andrea Beaulieu.)

You all make me happy… happier even than my tea habit! (Photo by my tea-sharing friend Andrea Beaulieu.)

Huge thanks to my creative, supportive potential readers who contributed the following ideas to include in my DelFaerune Rhapsody novel series (in-progress). I could not do this without you!

– Ann

Critique partners

  • Dotti Enderle
  • Lisa Hood
  • Sheila Larkin
  • Angela Myron
  • Paul Narcisian
  • Karen Nunes
  • Sonya Weiss

Beta readers

  • Chelle Davis
  • Jennifer Hartz
  • Sara Rebennack

Maori and New Zealand words, pronunciation, and culture

World-building consultant

Cutter Videan
• Various Delfaerune, Fae, and plot ideas discussed over numerous Pei Wei lunches

Vegetarian recipes for the Noble Fae banquet scene

Joanne De Biasi
• Stuffed squash blossoms

Syd Hoffman
• Quinoa salad with organic peas and corn
• Spinach salad with onion, strawberries and balsamic vinegar

 Barbra Kebba Buckley
• Rice-stuffed grape leaves
• Nutmeat paté en croute
• Corn squash with piñon-nut stuffing

Songs for the heroine Lark’s iPod

Barbra Simon Anderson
• “Mummers Dance” by Loreena McKennitt

Deb Bader
• “I’m on my Way” by  The Proclaimers
• “Get on Your Feet” by Gloria Estefan
• “Jessica” by the Allman Brothers

Veronica Barrera
• “Song of the Lonely Mountain” by Neil Finn (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

David Campbell
• “Happily Ever After,” or “All About Us” by He is We

Eduardo Cervino
• “Rumba Azul” by Armando Oréfiche–The Lecuona Boys

Joanne De Biasi
• “Love on Top” by Beyonce

Karen Mueller Bryson
• “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves

Cynde Cerf-Dehmer
• “Sunsets” by Powderfinger

Sandy Anders Crockett
“Protectors of the Earth” by Two Steps from Hell

Mark R.Hunsaker
“Jump in the Line” by Harry Belafonte’s (from his 1961 album “Jump Up Calypso”

Kathy Jones Miranda
“Your Heart is Black as Night” by Melody Gardot

Paul Narcisian
• “Runnin’ With the Devil” by Van Halen

Salih Rashid
• “Song for Mia” by Lizz Wright (folksy, sad)

Cassandra Reeves
• “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles

Marsha Sandoval
• “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles

Marcus Silving
• “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera

Kris Tualla
• “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers

Codi Videan
• “Wake Me Up” by Avicii

Robert Videan
• “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” by Izzie

Fae version of roshambo (rock, paper, scissors)

Cherie Scott
fist with thumb up = tree houses creature
two fingers curved = ‘bunny ears’ creature eats leaf
thumb and forefinger in oval (kinda like holding a guitar pick) = leaf tops tree

__________________________

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth

#8 Writing Tip: Why authors should research the rules, then ignore them

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You could follow every rule. Or, you could generate a little anarchy in your writing. Angel or “V,” which will you choose?
[My son portrays “V for Vendetta” with an unphased, visiting Halloween angel. @2007 ANVidean]

So many writing resources. So many how-to books. So many style manuals. As a writer, you could spend an entire life reading and studying, intimidating yourself so with everyone else’s ideas and rules that you never actually sit down to write anything from your heart.

One overarching fact crystalized in my head over years of writing/editing millions of words in business content and numerous novels — sometimes the best way to communicate an idea involves blasting away the rules and conventions with a creative blow torch. Creative license makes writing fresh… and, well… yours.

Don’t get me wrong, it is important to research and read when you’re a writer. You need to know the rules—at least the basics, so you can keep your audience intrigued. But, you also need to know when to bend or ignore those rules to best serve your own writing voice. (More on this in my #9 Writing Tip, coming soon.)

So, where to start? Here are a few of my favorite resources for learning writing basics:

For business:

For authors:

  • My favorite book for character development: Goal Motivation Conflict, Debra Dixon
  • My favorite book for plot development: The Writer’s Journey, Christopher Vogler
  • My favorite book on writing. Yes, it’s called On Writing, and it’s by Stephen King (of all people)
  • Books in the genre you’re writing. I’ve been studying Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Beautiful Creatures, and other young-adult novels.
  • Books not in your genre. What cool writing techniques, words, or ideas, can you glean from other authors and stories? New ideas formulate “outside the box.”

There you have it. A couple of great starting places. Now, go forth and create your  masterpiece… I’m eager to read it in your very own voice.

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth

P.S.  What writing resources are your favorites? Please comment below.

“Fearless” friendship and forgiveness — borrow it this weekend

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Read Rita's novel on Kindle. It's free March 8–12 in honor of International Women's Day on Friday.

Rita’s touching novel is free to borrow on Kindle March 8–12 in honor of International Women’s Day.

I recently had the pleasure of editing a debut novel by Rita Costick, Ph.D. Her thought-provoking book, Fearless: On the Wings of Forgiveness, makes a perfect read for anyone who believes in the power of friendship to see you through life’s challenges.

The book premise involves a heartwarming glimpse into the lives of five former female roommates who reunite for a long weekend at a beachside California vacation cottage and, while reconnecting after many years, demonstrate the healing power of friendship and the unquestioned stamina of forgiveness.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Rita is making available the Kindle version of Fearless for free this weekend — March 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 — at Fearless Kindle Edition. A print version is also available for purchase through Amazon Books at Fearless Paperback Edition.

I’ve enjoyed the privilege of editing a good number of novels in a variety of genres in recent years, and I can say without hesitation Rita’s novel is the most real, touching, and hopeful story I’ve edited. But don’t just take my word for it. Check out what readers posted on Amazon:

“[This book] reminded me that I need to take time to reflect, renew and rejoice in the wonderful friendships with extraordinary women who have helped me grow emotionally and spiritually.” —SGY
 
“In telling this story, the author reminded me how precious true friends‘ viewpoints can be in our lives, and the value of keeping these friendships intact, or re-establishing them if they have fallen by the wayside. Book clubs should consider Fearless because of the multitude of discussion possibilities.” —CLR
 
“It is a captivating story of how facing the truth and forgiving the past can set us free to have and be the life we desire and deserve.”—SL
 
“As a psychologist, I can say that Costick has a keen understanding of how a therapist’s life is enacted simultaneously on two very different intimate stages: the consulting room and private life. Even more to the point, Costick has a fine grasp of the complexity of crafting a life on one’s own terms.”—GG

See? A book you don’t want to miss.

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth

P.S.  Jot a reminder on your calendar right now to borrow Fearless: On the Wings of Forgiveness this weekend.

P.S.S.  Please share your gratitude for/experience with a specific friendship, a powerful forgiveness, or a moment of fearlessness in the comments below.

#7 Writing Tip: Is your written content legal?

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That quote you pulled from the Internet to use in your marketing, or your book…can you legally use it?

I can use this shot of my daughter in a high school production of "Clue," because I took it. The play title is royalty free, but if I quoted any of her lines here, I'd need to pay royalties, since someone else wrote the words. @2013 ANVidean

I can use this shot of my daughter Codi (the “Police Chief” in her high school production of “Clue”), because I took it. The play title is royalty free, but if I quoted any of her lines here, I’d need to pay royalties, since someone else wrote the words. @2013 ANVidean

Do you think if you simply provide a source, you’re covered? It’s likely you’re not. You may need to ask permission, or even pay royalties to use it.

When I wrote my novel, Rhythms & Muse, I included famous advertising quotes, celebrity names, song titles, even some lyrics. Not wanting to borrow trouble later, I sought out the advice of a copyright attorney to see what I needed to do to use these snippets of other people’s material. I used Etherton Law Group, but can also recommend Kevin Keener an intellectual property attorney at Keener, McPhail, Salles, LLC.

Advertising quotes

The lawyer informed me I could not use ad quotes, no matter how much people banter them about in common conversation. I had to find a way around it, like in this excerpt from the novel.

      “You mean like, that anti-stomach acid commercial with the Italian guy sitting on the bed saying he can’t believe he ate…’” Alex started.
      Suzanne continued, “Yeah, yeah. …the entire bowl of spaghetti.” She laughed. “Something like that.”
            “Well, I can’t believe I dreamed this whole thing about Matt.”


Celebrity names

Since it is against the CreateSpace Terms of Agreement, I ended up not using celebrity names at all. This forced me—in a fun, creative way—to allude to recognizable characteristics:

“Great. Now, if your local studio doesn’t work out for some reason, we’ll make arrangements to do all recording at our LA studios. I’m hoping for ‘Frankies’ place, though,” Mr. Grandberg said, his unexpected smile lighting up behind the cigar. “Recording at the home studio of my all-time favorite crooner – rest his soul – would be a rare privilege, not to mention the great PR it would make for the single.”

I also used recognizable nicknames, as in this excerpt:

      “Hey, Lex, I have great news!”
      “You mean, the King of Rock and Roll really does live?”
      Suzanne laughed. “No. I’ve patched things up with Kathy.”

I found out Priscilla Presley owns the rights to her late husband’s name, and she requires you to get permission or pay to state his name, depending on how you use it. (Can you say “amass a fortune?”)

Another interesting and frustrating discovery: if you’re self-published, Disney won’t allow you to use any character name. Period. You can’t even pay to use it. [sigh] That led me to sections like this:

“Look, she’s surrounded by all her little dorks right over there. Anyone of them would be glad to have her in their little cottage cooking and cleaning for them. See?” She started pointing one by one to the jocks. “Doofy.  Dippy. Dweeby. Dullard…”


Music artists, song titles, and lyrics

You can use the name of musical artists and their song titles without sourcing or paying royalties. But, if you plan to use any portion of the lyrics, you must pay for their use. This involves contacting music rights management firms like ASCAP, BMI or Hal Leonard in writing, with detailed specifics about how the information will be used.

I ended up paying a few hundred dollars to use a few lines of lyrics from John Denver’s “Annie’s Song,” Ewan MacColl’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” as sung by Roberta Flack, and Tim Rice’s “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” from the play/movie Jesus Christ Superstar.

Of course, I own full rights to my own original lyrics appearing in the book, and the book’s “soundtrack” of original tunes I wrote and recorded on CD.

Even quotes from famous people are often copyrighted, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you use anyone else’s materials in your writing, be sure to clarify its use with a qualified copyright lawyer. If someone else uses your work, you want them to source it or pay for it, now don’t you?

P.S. If you’re the first to comment, answering the following four questions correctly, I’ll send you a $10 gift certificate from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Can you guess:

  1. The name of the product I alluded to in the ad above?
  2. The name of the crooner who actually owned a home on Hayden Lake in Idaho? (It’s not Frank Sinatra, despite my using “Frankie’s place.”)
  3. The real name of the King of Rock and Roll?
  4. The Disney character I suggest who cooks and cleans house for her little guys?

#6 Writing Tip: Authors and readers profit from free book downloads

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Authors and e-book readers, do you use Kindle Select (KS) and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL)?

“Why would I,” you ask?

Two compelling reasons.

  • Readers receive free e-book borrows.
  • Authors gain enhanced visibility and potential sales.

Here’s how it works:

Readers, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can borrow from a collection of more than 180,000 books in the KOLL. Besides my own novel, Rhythms & Muse [big cheesy grin], the library includes 100-plus current and former New York Times best sellers — to read for free — as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates.

Watch this price drop to zero tomorrow for Amazon Prime members who want to borrow my book.

Watch this price drop to zero this weekend for Amazon Prime members who want to borrow my book.

Authors, simply give exclusive rights to Kindle for 90 days, enroll your titles, and promote free downloads to gain visibility. The best part, though, is you actually earn a share of the multimillion-dollar KDP Select Global Fund every time your book is borrowed from the KOLL on Amazon.

I’ve had several authors tell me their books get borrowed thousands of times over a couple of days through this program, and they can sell one book for every three borrowed. In the first Valentine’s Day 2012 promo I did the last weekend of January 2013, 994 readers downloaded Rhythms & Muse. [I’ll report later what happens, sales-wise.] Looks like we have everything to gain here, especially happy readers.

Authors… Readers… What are you waiting for?

If you have had an exceptional experience using KS or KOLL, the rest of us would like to hear about it in the comments below.

………………………….

P.S. Readers, in the spirit of letting you take advantage of this truly cool offering right away, I’ve scheduled my own KS promos. [Put this in the realm of “well-how-the-heck-will-you-know-about-it-if-I-don’t-tell-you” shameless promotion.] Yep, you can borrow my women’s fiction e-book this weekend — Fri., Feb. 1 through Sun., Feb. 3, 2013 — by searching for Rhythms & Muse at the KOLL.

Rhythms & Muse synopsis:

Alex, a Grammy-winning vocalist, lives the glamorous lifestyle, but hates it. Her dreams guide her life, but she doesn’t listen until one actually manifests. Will intuition, flashbacks to her 1970s high-school days in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and an ambitious current-day plan to reconnect with her former music partner and muse, help her find fulfillment?

Amazon review:

“Ann…has a gift for setting the scene and characters so that you feel like you have visited these places, and know these people in her book. I particularly liked the shift back and forth in time during the book — it reminds us that whichever paths we take in our lives, we are still the same person within. This book brought back memories of high school.”