Six Sentence Sunday

Today my six are from a short story ‘The Journey’, which I wrote for Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road. This anthology is an ‘alternative’ read in its broadest sense, having been given carte blanche to write whatever we liked. I remained true to the theme of complex women, a topic I also explored in 'The Path of Innocence'.

In 'The Journey', a wife and mother takes a train ride and is excluded from a spontaneous conversation between a group of nearby passengers. Their comments make her contemplate her own life, and spark a range of emotions – insecurity, indignation, antipathy – until the final delicious twist when we discover she is, indeed, a very complex woman.

Here, Melody is assessing her fellow passengers before the train moves out of the station:

‘Her gaze drifted to the man, already buried within the pages of a geeky tech magazine, eyes locked downwards, studiously avoiding eye contact. His green parka jacket was only half unzipped, but enough to reveal a sweatshirt with a Stargate logo emblazoned across the front. She regarded the wispy strands of hair, longish, yet not in a trendy way, the scant nanny goat beard that spoke of a failed attempt at overt masculinity... yes, definitely a geek.
The woman, too, made to pull a magazine from her bag and Melody squinted to see the cover – Cosmopolitan, she noted. A pair of feline green eyes lifted and caught hers with a cold, unreadable stare. Colouring, Melody twitched an uncertain smile which was not returned.’
Awarded 4.5 stars by The Cerebral Writer link

Read other posts at http://sixsunday.com/

Six Sentence Sunday
I am delighted to host Sherry Gloag as my guest this week at http://www.meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com/
Looking for a Christmas gift?
Sherry's latest novel From Now Until Forever has just been awarded 5 strong stars.

Another cause for celebration is that Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road has been reviewed at The Deepening http://tinyurl.com/clatkko.
QUOTE: "the best works in this anthology truly set the bar for greatness in speculative fiction."
Follow the link for a story by story breakdown.
Best Wishes
Megan Johns

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

Multi-published author Jane Toombs is my guest at http://meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com/ this week.

Currently, Jane is promoting Taken In, Book 1 of the Dagon House Trilogy from Champagne books.

Her next book - Christmas Catalyst, one of the Twelve Days Of Christmas stories, will be available from Red Rose on Sat 31 Dec.

With over 80 published books to her name, check out Jane's website at http://www.janetoombs.com/ to get a flavour of her vast range.

HOT NEWS Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road has just been released in print as well as ebook BUY NOW link

Anybody wishing to book a feature blog at MeganJohnsInvites for 2012, email meganjohns12@gmail.com with 'blog booking' in the subject line.

Best wishes
Megan Johns

Six Sentence Sunday

Hurray! The rule-wrecking anthology Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road is out BUY link
Read what the editors say at http://tinyurl.com/cj3ywpk and meet the authors at http://tinyurl.com/bnluvdf

To celebrate the launch, we’re offering a KINDLE and other prizes.
Follow the Treasure Hunt at http://bit.ly/sQJeig
Please join in the fun
Best wishes
Megan Johns

Six Sentence Sunday
Nancy Bell, writer, poet and editor at MuseItUp, is my guest at http://www.meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com/
In her interview, she describes the world as ‘ a multi-layered experience. Like peeling an onion and revealing layers upon layers, hidden until we uncover them.’

Her YA fantasy ‘Laurel's Miracle’ is a captivating story and an ideal Christmas gift.
Here’s the buy link http://tinyurl.com/3pvrzf4 where you’ll find a great review, and check out Nancy’s website http://www.nancymbell.ca/

PLUS Writers on the Wrong side of the Road, the rule wrecking anthology from Alternative Read.com is launching this weekend - check it out at http://shop.claytonbye.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=66

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Six Sentence Sunday

Don’t you just love the name Rachel Dahlrumple?
Join romance author SHEA McMASTER to find out about her latest release at http://www.meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com/
'Rachel's humiliation over the discovery of her late husband's affairs turns to fear when one of his mistresses sends her a poisoned bouquet.'

Plus check out my October guests: romance authors DAVID RUSSELL, CHERIE MARKS AND ROZ LEE at http://meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

Megan Johns The Path of Innocence BUY MeganJohnsInvites
PRE-ORDER Writers on The Wrong Side of The Road OUT SOON!

Six Sentence Sunday
Singer/ song-writer and romance author David Russell is at my blog this week. Please drop by at http://www.meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com to say hi.
David says the best writing advice he has ever received is to always be receptive to criticism, but never accept the judgement of one individual as final. Sounds like good advice to me!
Leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of 'Self’s Blossom' and check out the great reviews.
Megan Johns Coming 21 Nov Writers on the Wrong side of the Road - MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Six Sentence Sunday

Romance author Cherie Marks is my guest this week at http://www.meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com .
Cherie say of herself: ‘Always a hint humorous and honest to a fault, I love to make people laugh and smile’.
Here’s the trailer to her latest release http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXrDrRC1daM&feature=youtu.be
Drop by to read more about INTO THE FIRE Two top chefs meet head-to-head on a TV cooking show, but can they resist each other as they move out of the pan and into the fire?
Leave a comment for the chance to win a $10 GC
Megan Johns http://www.megan-johns.com/

Six Sentence Sunday

Erotic romance author Roz Lee is my guest at MeganJohnsInvites promoting her latest release: 'Still Taking Chances’

Blurb: Mary Beth Winters packed away her toys and put the BDSM lifestyle behind her years ago when she realized the men she dominated didn’t need her as much as she needed them. But when a troubled bad-boy, Elgin ‘Hud’ Huddleston, moves in across the street, she dusts off her toy box and risks her heart to help him heal http://www.eredsage.com/store/StillTakingChances.html

Find out why Roz has Shaggy Dog Syndrome and win a copy of ‘Kinky Cupcakes’

Also, I’m blogging on themes at http://www.meganjohns.blogspot.com/. What’s your take?

Megan Johns The Path of Innocence BUY MeganJohnsInvites MeganJohnsblogspot Coming soon The AR rule-wrecking Anthology

In response to the AR bloghop question: Theme is a scary word for most writers. What is your take?

When I first pick up my pen (yes, I’m a longhand writer!) predominant in my head is a mental picture of a location with which I have some sort of attachment. I then put my characters in it and let them respond to each other and the environment.
Of course, I have a good idea of my characters and what makes them tick, which in turn gives me clues as to possible themes. However, most themes will evolve as a result of the way they interact i.e. the plot.
I will have a general idea of the direction I want to head and I invariably know the end result, but not necessarily how to get there. Perhaps themes are operating at some subliminal level of my consciousness from the outset, but they might only become evident later when they emerge as a natural development of the plot.
For example, in my wip a pertinent theme emerged quite late in the novel but, on looking back, the seeds were sown from an early stage.
Of course, there isn’t just one theme at work and in The Path of Innocence I included various themes including:
Complex women with contradictory needs
Love and friendship
Jealousy and hate
The lust for power
Suffering
Inner isolation
It’s easy to pick these out with hindsight, but if I’m honest the only one that I was absolutely clear about from the outset was the first.
So, do themes really matter? Well, yes, I think they do. A book with a message is more likely to strike a chord with readers.
Broad themes, in particular, enable us to explore issues in depth and lend more meat to our writing. For blogs, however, narrow themes work very well.

Six Sentence Sunday blog

Are the benefits of ebook giveaways lost in view of the sheer number on offer?
Also, does giving away our prized possession devalue its intrinsic worth and how do we avoid this pitfall?
I believe it is important that we are excited about the book in question and that we convey our enthusiasm by talking it up through sms sites like facebook and twitter. We need to make readers feel that the prize is something ‘special’ by posting review quotes or short extracts to help enhance the worth of the prize.

There is no doubt that giveaways are a much used marketing tool – some might say overused – yet I believe there is still mileage in them providing they themselves are marketed effectively.
Read more at http://www.meganjohns.blogspot.com

Giveaways as marketing tools

Ebooks are still in the process of gaining ground in the UK, but of course they have been around on the internet a long time.
So what has changed since their inception? Well, price for one. Free offers abound. Yet does this stimulate sales or simply devalue the worth of the book? It’s a tricky one.
As a general marketing strategy, one of the easiest ways to turn people on to your product is to give it to them. This is a proven tactic for products that people are likely to get hooked on and come back to buy more and more. Clearly, the same person is not going to come back time and time again to purchase the same copy of our book.
So what are the benefits of giveaways for ebook authors?
They include:
- generating reviews/ positive feedback that helps us to create a buzz about our book
- stimulating word of mouth recommendation
- creating goodwill
- reaching a new audience: people love getting something for nothing and the freebie deal will attract an audience you might not otherwise reach
- they can help us to build our mailing lists
But are these benefits lost in view of the sheer number of free giveaways on offer?
Also, does giving away our prized possession devalue its intrinsic worth? And how do we avoid this pitfall?
I believe it is important that we are excited about the book that we are giving away and that we convey our enthusiam by talking it up through sms sites like facebook and twitter. We need to make readers feel that the prize is something ‘special’. Posting review quotes or short extracts will help enhance the worth of the prize. Another tactic is to engage their competitive spirit and make them ‘work’ for the prize through events like scavenger hunts. Will they value the prize more if they have won it through some effort on their part over and above other entrants? I think so.
Of course giveaways are not limited to books – they can be trinkets, fridge magnets, pens or ‘bigger’ prizes like gift tokens or even a Kindle. Generally, larger sites can afford bigger prizes. It is a question of cost vs benefit and, of course, affordability.
'Buy one get one free' is a useful form of giveaway for authors with backlists i.e. buy the latest release and get a free backlist book.
For blog hosts, giveaways can also be considered a marketing tool in that they build awareness about your blog and gain new readers as well as rewarding regular ones
There is no doubt that giveaways are a much used marketing tool – some might say overused – yet I believe there is still mileage in them providing they themselves are marketed effectively.

Six Sentence Sunday blog - In the Name of Research

Research is essential if we want to give our work teeth. There will always be readers who are well versed in subjects we touch on and we have to be careful to ensure accuracy.
So how far would we go? There are times when we all have to step out of our comfort zone in the name of research. The most uncomfortable thing I have done is to visit a funeral parlour. To read more go to
http://www.meganjohns.blogspot.com

In the Name of Research

Maeve Binchy, oft described as the mother of chick-lit, bases her writing in her native Ireland and her work is distinguished by the depth of her understanding of the social structure of small Irish communities. It raises the question, however, of how effectively we can base our own novels in settings where we do not have firsthand experience.
I use a range of settings in my work, but they are always places I have stayed, if only for a holiday. Indeed,in the past, I have frequently booked family holidays to places off most people’s radar with the express intent of doing research. Of course, this was never declared as an overt motive and my then teenage daughter’s protestations about the obscurity of destinations chosen were, mercifully, always overridden by the end result.
For my part, I would not feel confident relying purely on the internet to research settings as I feel it cannot possibly give the same level of insight to the nuances of a society, or indeed replicate one’s own unique angle of perception.
Research is essential if we want to give our work teeth. There will always be readers who are versed in the topic under discussion and one has to be careful to ensure accuracy.
So how far would we go? There are times when we all have to step out of our comfort zone in the name of research.
For example Joanna Trollope, now a refined, sixty something grandmother, describes how she donned black jeans and dark glasses to go night clubbing in London. That takes courage. She must have stood out like a sore thumb and she tells how she attracted much attention as she lurked with her notepad. It was a worthwhile pursuit, however, and her great observational skills ensured the authenticity of her novel ‘Friday Nights’.
So what is the most uncomfortable thing I have done in the name of research? That’s easy. Whilst writing the Path of Innocence, I had a scene when the hero visited his mother’s grave, but I needed to check the length of time required for soil to settle before a headstone can be laid. I walked up and down the street outside our local funeral parlour many times before I finally found the moment and plucked the courage to walk inside. Even as I walked through the door, I agonized over how to make the initial approach. Should I be bright and breezy? Would that be considered disrespectful of the setting? And I admit the first few moments were tricky. However, once I had convinced the undertaker of my authenticity, he went into raptures and there was no holding him back. The result: I left with reams of information on graves, far more than I needed, and my scene was sorted.
We have to ensure we do research, no matter how uncomfortable it may be at times; otherwise it is a disservice to our readers and we should not fool ourselves that inaccuracies will escape their collective radar.

Six Sentence Sunday blog - Memoirs

Would I spill out my personal thoughts, feelings and actions in a memoir? The short answer is not for publication purposes - I am too private a person for that, but I may well write my memoirs at some future stage for the eyes of family and friends.

I am inspired by my late father who, in the later years of his life, incapacitated by strokes, spent much of his time revisiting his youth and writing his own memoirs. In them, he does not spill out feelings explicitly, but the story of a working class lad who defies all the odds through sheer determination and hard work carries a subliminal message of hope that if we believe in ourselves we can succeed. The result is a treasured legacy of stories which form a wonderful source of comfort, joy and pride to the family. Moreover, memoirs of this nature can be passed down to future generations so that our grandchildren and their children can gain an understanding from whence they came.

Memoirs

In answer to the Alternative Read blog question: Would you be honest enough to write your personal thoughts, feelings and actions in a memoir?

Memoirs, unlike an autobiography, are not necessarily a person's life story, but snapshots of selected aspects. They usually carry a theme or common threads which are woven through it and which carry a message, perhaps for the greater good.

Ideally, they should be as true to life as possible, but the vagaries of memory, as we all know, can play tricks. Does it matter if they are not totally accurate? No, I don't believe so. It is the communication of the core theme that is most important.

We generally associate memoir writing with people of advanced years, yet they are not age dependent. A person of any age, particularly if they have a powerful message to convey, can write their memoirs. For example, a child who has lived through abuse, a young person who has conquered drug/alcohol addiction, someone living and coping with a disability.

Writing about one's innermost thoughts and feelings, however, although a purgative, may also be extremely painful. So why do people do it?

In the case of victims, it may be altruistic, a desire to help others in similar situations, but many memoirs, as we know, focus on celebrities whose stories might carry little depth. So why do they sell?

Our obsession with looking into other people's lives is a type of voyeurism; some argue it is due to the fragmentation of cohesive family interactions, a substitute for the lack of a 'real' life of our own. Nor is this obsession limited to memoirs. Magazines pay dividends for people's anecdotal stories - and the more shocking, the better. TV soaps, confessional chat shows and fly-on-the-wall shows like Big Brother all exploit our seemingly insatiable curiosity about other people's lives.

But I digress. Back to the question, would I spill out my personal thoughts, feelings and actions in a memoir? The short answer is not for publication purposes - I am too private a person for that. However, I may well write my memoirs at some future stage for the eyes of family and friends.

Why? I am inspired by my late father who, in the later years of his life, incapacitated by strokes, spent much of his time revisiting his youth and writing his own memoirs. In them, he does not spill out feelings explicitly, but the story of a working class lad who defies all the odds through sheer determination and hard work carries a subliminal message of hope that if we believe in ourselves we can succeed. The result is a treasured legacy of stories which form a wonderful source of comfort, joy and pride to the family. Moreover, memoirs of this nature can be passed down to future generations so that our grandchildren and their children can gain an understanding from whence they came.

Who are the best and worst authors?

In answer to the Alternative Read blog hop question, 'In your opinion, who are the best bestselling and worst authors out there?'

I'll start with the worst (that way I can end on a positive - lol!). My current grouse is against anyone who writes self-help books on 'how to get fit in two days and lose half your body weight' Are they sanctimonious or is it me who is tetchy? The latter, probably.
However, I am a little peeved to have accumulated more extra pounds in weight than I care to admit at a time of year when I should be shedding it. So what should I do? Not lie down and read a book, that's for sure.
In fact, perhaps that is how it all started. Holiday reading this year has been a delight and I have immersed myself in novels by such authors as Wendy Holden, Catherine Alliott , Maeve Binchy and Bill Bryson to name but a few. So are they the best authors ever? No. But they are all light and entertaining - ideal holiday reading - even if they have a lot to answer for (Yes, I'm back to the weight issue! Well, I can't blame myself for inactivity, can I?)
So to answer the question and name the best bestselling author. Oh dear, I'm afraid I can't. There are just so many great authors out there. Sorry!

Scavenger Hunts

Internet Scavenger Hunts for readers are one of my favourite types of contests.
Whereas they do not generally challenge participants intellectually, they are fun and playful. Also they have an element of competition which engenders a sense of achievement at having collected all the required information. Competition is a fundamental human drive and, in my opinion, the satisfaction at having ‘won’ something through effort, no matter how minimal, is likely to be greater than if a gift is simply given away.
Giveaways have their place in anybody’s marketing arsenal, of course, and the strategy of free downloads being pursued on Kindle would indicate that this is a valid ploy. On an individual level, it seems to me, however, that it is more valid for authors with an existing backlist. For newer authors, like me, although giveaways might generate goodwill and hopefully reviews, hunts actively direct traffic to one’s site that might not otherwise visit.
Do they increase sales?
As with any marketing activity, it is difficult to quantify, but they certainly raise your profile with a potentially new audience.

What's in a Name?

When we hear a name do we automatically make assumptions about the person behind it based on our own stereotypical prejudices?
I know I am guilty.
For instance, there are some names for which I have an inherent aversion based on my previous experience of people of said name (Deirdre does it for me!) Conversely, there are other names which always rouse a positive response (Liz, for example). There is no logic in this as individuals have no control over their birth names and to attribute personality characteristics on the basis of a name is unsound. Yet many of us tend to do just that, especially on first encounters.

Fortunately, as authors we have the option to influence our image by adopting a nom de plume, but how does one choose a pen name?

It is interesting to look at some of the pseudonyms adopted by famous personalities:
Elkie Brooks = Elaine Bookbinder
Michael Crawford = Michael Dumbell-Smith
Doris Day = Doris Mary Ann van Kappelhoff
Bob Dylan = Robert Zimmerman
Judy Garland = Frances Ethel Gum
Cary Grant = Archibald Alexander leach
Elton John = Reginald Dwight

So what images do the names convey? For me, an old sounding name like Ethel conjures an image of a granny knitting socks (sorry Judy Garland) whereas Elkie conjures an image of an outgoing, carefree individual. The surnames Bookbinder and Zimmerman strike me as honourable rather than dynamic and as for Reginald Dwight... is this really the rock star to have rocked the world?

Clearly image has played an important part in the decisions of these personalities to adopt stage names and as writers we must be equally conscious of the impact of our names on our target market, too.

Characters

In answer to the Alternative Read Blog Hop question:
When creating a main character, is it better to start with a good girl/guy with a drop of bad or vice versa?

When devising a fictional character, we should choose their unique set of characteristics with care to ensure they are believable.

One technique to avoid stereotypes and clichés is to mix and match attributes so that characters take on a distinct personality, but credibility is still key.

For my part, I tend to draw on the real world - people I know (or know of), personal experiences etc.

Characters should be complex, not one dimensional i.e. like people in the real world. Certain characteristics may dominate, but generally people are a mix of a range of characteristics, and which ones come to the fore will vary in different situations. A well-drawn character will have positive and negative aspects and the mix of good/bad will change during the course of a novel as characters respond to the dynamic circumstances of the plot.

If we regard characters as being on a journey where conflict plays a pivotal role, it figures that the early stages of a novel where conflict is rife will be more likely to bring out the 'bad'side of a character than the later stages when the conflict has beeen resolved.

In my writing, I find that my characters grow almost organically so they develop and change throughout the course of a novel anyway.