Three Scene Saturday

/ Kizzi / Leave a comment

No dice today, but it’s still a Three Show Saturday sort of day! 🙂

Instead of dice you get three guidelines, three words, and three scenes.

Use the suggested guidelines to craft your story from the provided words and scenes. I grouped the words by threes, but if you’d like to mix and match across groupings, go for it. This is supposed to be a fun exercise so bend the rules (a little 😉 ) if you like.

I hope you have fun and enjoy your (Three Show) Saturday!

Guidelines

  • Tell a story in 50 words or less including one of the scenes or three of the prompt words.
  • Create a Haiku using one of the scenes or three of the prompt words as inspiration.
  • Write a fantasy story in 300 words or less set in one of the scenes with a character inspired by three of the words.

Words

  • Ogre, Unraveling, Bucket
  • Thorns, Falling, Seahorse
  • Tomb, Searching, Brigade

Scenes

DSCN0312

DSCN0239

IMG_0288 (2)

Happy Writing!

Read, Read, Read! Review?

/ Kizzi / Leave a comment

With the first Mud Show Monday complete, this post is also all about book reviews.

I’m assuming if you’re reading this then you probably love to read (not just my blog, but I do thank you).

So you read a book and you LOVED it? What do you do? Do you tell your neighbor? A friend? Your dog? Anyone?

You could tell everyone. How, you ask?  Just write a review! 🙂

Why Write Reviews?

Reviews encourage the author.

“Someone read my book and liked it!” Shouts every author everywhere.

Every writer (published or not) wants to know that people are reading what they write (and hopefully enjoying it).

When I worked for the circus, I loved watching the crowd. I loved the kids that bounced in their seats and squealed with joy. Families cheering and clapping always made me smile. The performers loved it too. They couldn’t watch the crowd like I could, but they could hear the applause and feel the energy. Some crowds were great, and some sat there like bumps on a log.

No cheering, no clapping, no laughing. The show was the same, but sometimes crowds didn’t like to show their enjoyment. Perhaps it was too much effort to clap and hoot and holler. Perhaps they were quiet in general.

My point is, energetic crowds made a three show Saturday far more fun than quiet crowds. The circus is full of entertainers. They want to know their crowd is being entertained. Everyone loves to know they (and their work) are appreciated.

So spread that circus love and let your favorite entertainer author know you loved their work.

What if an author doesn’t read my review?

Just because you write a review doesn’t guarantee the author will ever see it. They might, and that would be fun, but what if they don’t? Some authors might not even read reviews of their books. Ever.

So what’s the point then?

Your review might be read by a publisher or it could be read by your fellow readers. Maybe someone reads your review and decides they share your tastes so they read the book too. Reviews are a great way to help publicize a book you love.

What if the book is bad?

Hmm…now that is a conundrum. But what defines a bad book?

Poor grammar? Shoddy story line? Gaping plot holes? Rotten characters?

All of the above? None of the above?

Ok, well if you really and truly can’t find a single nice thing to say, then it probably is best to say nothing at all.

Oh, but you have to write a review for the publisher or a project or your blog or your 8th grade English Literature class?

Well in that case, here are some tips to make your review a bit more constructive as opposed to simply saying “I hated it”.

  1. Find one thing (even if it’s tiny) that you liked about the book. I have faith that you can find one little thing, but if not, then find something you sort of liked and embellish a little.
  2. Define specifically what didn’t work for you. Do you not like toads and it was “All About Toads”? Too spooky? Boring characters? If it was less about the content and more about the grammar or story construct, talk about that instead. If an author can understand what wasn’t working for you, it makes the hit to the ego a little less harsh. We all have different tastes and any reasonable person/author will understand. Not liking something and expressing why, is not the same as writing a hateful review.
  3. Try to think of someone who would like the book. Even if it’s your weird neighbor down the street who never wears pants, someone is bound to think this book is the greatest book ever written. Instead of focusing your review on why you don’t like the book, focus on who would maybe like it instead.

Something of a Club

Becoming active among the book reviewers circle can feel like you’re part of a club. A massive, amazing book club!

Have a book you want to discuss but none of your friends have read it? Write a review or comment on someone else’s review. Checking out book review blogs is a great way to find reviews of books you’ve read and bloggers LOVE comments.

Advance Reading Copies

If you decide you love, love, love to write reviews, there are a few sites you can join to get advanced reading copies for free. Even if you only like reviewing a little bit, it can still be fun. These reviews help publicize the book prior to its release and give the author and publisher some feedback.

How it works

In exchange for a free print or digital copy, you agree to leave an honest review of the book. Requirements vary by site, and some require that you have an active blog and post the review there. Others are happy with a review posted on Amazon or GoodReads. Selection varies by site and not all books are available for immediate download. Many books must be requested, and then your request may or may not be approved by the publisher.

There are many sites available, but here are a few I use:

Net Galley

Edelweiss

Story Cartel

Blogging for Books

Use these sites as you will, I’m not paid to endorse them and I can offer no more assistance than to say I’ve registered with each of them and was able to read books for free and leave reviews.

Now, go forth my little circus fans, and read, read, read! Then Review! 

The entertainers will love you for it 🙂

DSCN0862

Cue the applause 😉

Mud Show Monday

/ Kizzi / 1 Comment

Welcome to the First Ever Mud Show Monday!

What is a Mud Show? 

A Mud Show is a circus show in tents. Many shows perform in arenas now, but mud shows still put up tents at fairgrounds and perform in…you guessed it…the mud. Of course it’s a bit of an exaggeration…unless it rains. Then it really lives up to its name.

What happens on a Mud Show Monday?

Book reviews!

My Mud Show Memos, as I like to call them, will cover a broad range of the latest and greatest children’s, middle grade, and young adult books on the market. Every Monday, I will post a conglomeration of reviews in one “muddy” post 😉

Hopefully my words aren’t muddied or muddled at all, but Mud Show Monday has such a nice ring to it, I couldn’t resist.

I hope you enjoy my Mud Show Memos every Mud Show Monday. Maybe enjoy a mud pie while you read!

To: The Crayons

From: A Concerned Crayon Enthusiast

Subject: The Terms of Your Strike

I was dismayed to read of your strike as recounted by Drew Daywalt in “The Day the Crayons Quit”. Poor Duncan! What’s a boy to do?

I do commend you for addressing your problems directly and succinctly. Now Duncan might have hope of rectifying the situation. I must also commend Oliver Jeffers for capturing your plight so magnificently with his illustrations.

I never imagined crayons could face such difficulties, but my eyes have been opened and I do hope the whole box of you, and Duncan, can reach an amicable resolution.

I admit I chuckled a bit (poor Peach!) but I am motivated to dig out my own box of crayons in the hopes they are not nearly as disgruntled. If they are, however, I can only hope their pleas are as eloquent and informative as yours.

I had these stars laying around, I’ll give you all 5 since you made me chuckle and I was quite surprised with your creativity. I’ll pass along your book to everyone I meet, your concerns are appropriate for children of all ages.

 

To: Super Heroes

From: A Citizen

Subject: Do You Have A Spare Bear?

Wow! I learned so much about what it means to be a super hero from Carmela LaVigna Coyle in “Do Super Heroes Have Teddy Bears?”. Now I’m trying to follow along with the illustrations by Mike Gordon and hoping I can become a super hero too.

I enjoyed the question and answer format. It really cleared up a lot of questions I had about super heroes and how to become one…but now I see that I may or may not need a teddy bear.

Just wanted to send you a quick memo asking if I need a specific type of teddy bear or if any old bear will do? I guess that will be my first super hero dilemma.

Speaking of dilemmas, I did expect a bit more in the villain department, but I was still amused with your super hero antics and clever illustrations. I think children ages 3 to 7 would enjoy your super story too.

Since super heroes are like super stars, here are 4 bright shiny stars for you. They’d look good on a cape…or a blankie.

 

To: Young Adults

From: A Fellow Reader

Subject: What would you do?

Cammie McGovern tackles tough issues with her novel “A Step Toward Falling”. Main characters, Emily, Lucas and Belinda are connected by a terrible event. Though they know little of each other at the time of the event, as the story unfolds they learn about themselves and each other as they each struggle with the consequences of their actions, or inaction, that night.

Told from both Emily and Belinda’s viewpoints, each girl reflects back on the night of the incident. They contemplate how one mistake, be it action or inaction, has grossly altered each of their lives. Courage in difficult situations is the plot’s driving force, but underlying themes of doing good, belonging, and overcoming adversity are also at the forefront.

Teens will likely connect with the characters of Emily and Lucas as they struggle to fit in with their peers while navigating the difficult and fast moving waters of high school. Guilt and the desire to do good, is a feeling readily understood, as many face regret from action, or inaction, in the face of conflict or difficult decisions.

The topics of sexual assault and people with disabilities are sensitive ones, and Cammie McGovern handles the topic with understanding and grace. Teens can gain perspective from the book’s portrayal of individuals with disabilities and may even be encouraged to seek out volunteer opportunities.

While I felt difficult topics were handled with care, I also felt some reactions by adults in the book were unbelievable. Without giving away too much of the plot, I’ll only say I feel Lucas and Emily were punished more severely and made to be more villainous than was warranted. Do I think their actions (or rather inaction) were right? No, absolutely not. But their inaction is what guides the whole plot. I think the point that bystanders must take action when witnessing a crime, could have been accomplished differently than by sentencing community service and villainizing them.

Overall, the book left me wanting more of a resolution. The initial, terrible event is eventually addressed, but there are so many other issues that the topic provides little satisfaction when it’s finally out in the open. The characters perpetually struggle internally and externally, with little headway ever being made. There is much to say about all the characters’ interpersonal relationships, but the most genuine and touching interaction between Emily and Lucas occurred in the book’s last two pages.

I do think “A Step Toward Falling” is worth a read and allows for personal reflection on how we interact with others, how others perceive us, and how we would react in a crisis. It’s a book that encourages personal growth and understanding of others, though the characters don’t always excel in these aspects.

Foul language is limited and sex is not discussed in detail. The plot has many fun elements and the alternating point of views between Belinda and Emily is an engaging story-telling format. Appropriate for teens of all ages.

3.5 stars overall

Are you an author or publisher? Have a book you’d like me to review? If my reviewing style appeals to you, head on over to my Book Review Submissions page and send me your query (or book). New book reviews every Monday!

 

 

Saturday Show and Tell

/ Kizzi / 2 Comments

Happy (Three Show) Saturday!

You know what that means….time for another Saturday Show and Tell!

Three’s the name and three’s the game

I’m starting to like this game 🙂

Same rules apply as last week, I will give the story dice a roll and Show them to you.

 

Choose wisely.

Choose three of the dice and use those elements to Tell a story.

If you read my posts about writer’s block, this could be a good opportunity to employ those techniques. Hopefully you’re inspired to bust out a short story or a scene for a current work in progress.

As always, I love to hear your comments. I would also love to hear which dice you chose and your story if you’d like to share!

May all your (writing) days be circus days!

Block That Bug!

/ Kizzi / 2 Comments

Yesterday I told you my personal pep talk which I use to fend off writer’s block. Today I want to share a couple exercises I use to get my writing back on track. Or to just get back to writing anything 🙂

Free Writing

I’m sure most are familiar with free writing but for those of you who are not, free writing is simply sitting down and writing (or typing) whatever pops into your head. The rules are that you must keep writing for a set amount of time and you must write the first thing that pops into your head. With free writing there is no editing as you go or changing anything once it’s written. Ideally you would write as fast as you could to prevent any errant thoughts from creeping in and disrupting the flow. And flow is what you’re aiming for.

The idea behind free writing is that it gets you out of a self-conscious state and into your writing groove where the thoughts can flow naturally and without filter.

I like free writing, but I’ve found that a bit more direction helps my free writing sessions become more productive. Free writing in its purest form often produces an abundance of incoherent ramblings with a hidden gem or two. Here are two methods I use to make my free writing session more productive and fun.

  1. Get into character.

    This exercise is free writing in its purest form except you get into your character’s head instead of your own. First visualize your character, how they talk, walk, smile, frown, etc. Think about all their physical and emotional characteristic. Now let your character talk. Maybe you imagine your character walking down the street, what do they see? How do they interact with the world around them? I like this exercise because it accomplishes two things, it gets me writing and I get to know my character.

  2. Pick a scene.

    Sometimes I have a great idea for a story but I just can’t get the beginning right. I hate every first sentence I create so I end up not typing anything. But I will have a great idea for some other scene in the story. If you find yourself stuck in the beginning of the story (or the middle or even the end) start writing any scene that pops into your head. Don’t worry about where it will fit in the story just focus on getting those words on paper. Maybe the scene you write will never make it into your final story or maybe it will. Maybe it will reveal something about your character you didn’t know or reveal an underlying theme you hadn’t considered.

Writing Contests

Sometimes when I’m feeling especially uninspired, I search for writing contests. For the purpose of beating writer’s block I search for flash fiction contests. I find writing contests help me beat writer’s block in a few ways.

  1. Changes up the writing routine.

    Contests often have specific word counts, themes, etc. By adhering to these specific guidelines and having to meet a deadline it changes the way I approach the project.

  2. Sets an attainable and specific goal.

    Completing a piece specifically for a contest achieves a goal. Even if you don’t submit the piece or don’t win, you finished a project! There’s nothing more satisfying than finishing a piece.

  3. Less pressure.

    For me, contests are fun. All writing is supposed to be fun…right? But sometimes I put too much pressure on the projects that mean the most to me and are closest to my heart. A contest piece however, can be viewed as an exercise in writing. I tend to put less pressure on myself and so the words come easily. Maybe the contest piece turns out great, maybe it doesn’t, but it gives your brain a writing workout.

Writing contests, like writing prompts, add a little fun and motivation when your existing projects might feel overwhelming.

I have started compiling a List of Free Writing Contests and I would invite you to check it out. There might just be something that spurs an idea or sounds like a lot of fun.

Happy (free) writing!

 

 

 

 

Writer’s Block Bug

/ Kizzi / Leave a comment

If you’ve written for any length of time, I’m sure you’ve encountered writer’s block at some point. Writer’s block might manifest as an inability to write anything at all, or an inability to write anything on a work already in progress.

I am more often afflicted with the latter, though writer’s block in any form is frustrating.

I’ll have hundreds of ideas swirling around in my head, but after a few pages or few thousand words, all those ideas disappear. I’m left with a character and story I want to bring to life so badly, but my brain can’t find the right words.

Why does this happen?

Ultimately, for me, writer’s block boils down to fear.

Fear that what I write will be terrible.

Fear that I can’t bring the story to life on paper.

Fear that no one will like what I write.

This fear strikes in the form of self-editing. While good editing is essential to crafting a superb story, editing too soon can cripple the process. Such editing takes place before a thought is fully formed. Or one or two sentences in, the whole section gets a rewrite. I’ve been there. It’s frustrating and leaves me staring at a blank screen wondering what could I possibly write that my brain will think worthy?

Awareness of this process is key to overcoming it. So here are some things I say to myself when I feel that editing bug whisper in my ear before my draft is even started.

  1. The first draft will be awful.

    So this is a bit of an exaggeration. There will be wonderful parts in the first draft, but there will also be really awful sections. And you know what? That’s ok! Those parts can be taken out later and no one will ever see them. NO ONE. Isn’t that great?

  2. It’s OK if the first draft is awful.

    This might sound like #1 but recognizing something and then accepting it is a two part process. Even though I know the first draft will likely definitely be awful, I have to remind myself that it’s OK. “Remember,” I say to myself, “NO ONE WILL SEE IT.”

  3. Do not read what has been written.

    I’m guilty of breaking this rule quite a bit. I’ll get a page or two written and then, feeling accomplished and with no hint of writer’s block, I’ll read what I’ve written. Guess what happens next? I start editing. “Oh hi there writer’s block, nice to have you back!” It might be impossible to write an entire draft, especially a novel, without reading over it at all, but I try to not go back until I’ve written a significant percentage of the work. If it’s flash fiction, I write the whole thing in one go. Short story, maybe four or five pages before breaking from the flow. You get the idea. The key is to keep that self-editor at bay by not giving it a chance to see the work until you are in the homestretch.

  4. No one tells the story like you. 

    Sometimes that bug in my ear says, “This story has already been written.” This might be true, but look at how many stories have been retold a hundred times and each retelling brings a new revelation, a new perspective on an old theme. Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, and the list goes on…and on and on! No one will tell a story exactly like you would. There is a rhythm to every writer’s work and each sentence, each chapter, is put together in such a way that can’t be repeated by anyone. So when you feel that fear creep in that you’re telling a story everyone already knows, remind yourself that they’ve never heard it from you!

  5. It doesn’t have to be a bestseller.

    So this is a bit over the top haha 😉 but the point is that I need to remind myself that I’m writing because I enjoy it. I’m writing because I have a story in my head that I would want to read. Sure, it would be great if other people want to read it too, but such worries put a lot of pressure on the writing and the writer. Instead of worrying about where your story will fit on the shelves or who will find it interesting, just write the story in your heart.

I hope my personal pep talk gives you a bit of encouragement and helps fight off the writer’s block bug. 🙂

Part two will be up tomorrow with an exercise I’ve found to help that first draft take shape when writer’s block is knocking at the door.

How do you overcome writer’s block? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments!

Happy writing!

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Show and Tell

/ Kizzi / 5 Comments

Three’s the name and three’s the game

I decided to do things in threes on Saturdays. And today is a “Show and Tell”.

No, it’s not quite like our elementary school days when we brought our favorite stuffed animal or Grandpa’s teeth or a gall stone to hold up in front of the class. Although, any of these could in fact play a part in the game 🙂

I have this set of story dice and sometimes when I’m feeling a bit silly or uninspired, I give them a roll.

There are nine dice and I will roll all of them for you but you’ll only choose three for your story inspiration.

Hence the name of the game…I will Show you the dice and you will Tell a story.

Clever, eh? 😉

Let yourself have some fun and write anything that pops into your head. Maybe a silly little diddy will spark something new and wonderful.


I would love to hear which dice you chose and even your story if you’d like to share in a comment.

And as always, may all your days be circus days!

What Happens Next?

/ Kizzi / 4 Comments

One of my favorite picture books as a child was “Drummer Hoff”.

The simple text and vivid illustrations captured my attention as a child and still hold it as an adult. In doing some research, I discovered the book was a bit controversial for its time, and believed to carry an underlying anti-war sentiment which was denied by the author and illustrator, Barbara and Ed Emberley. There’s no denying there is much that could be read into the text and illustrations, as with many books, but for me it was always about the rhythm and rhyme. The men in colorful uniforms, each performing an important task. And Drummer Hoff, it was always about Drummer Hoff.

As the book opens, the reader is already privy to the ending, “Drummer Hoff fired it off.” On the first page, we know how the book ends. Why would a reader keep reading?

Knowing the ending, is only part of the story. Yes, the ending is important, and quite satisfying, but it is not the most important part. Sometimes it really is about the journey.

We are told “Drummer Hoff fired it off”, but what is the mysterious “it”?

Even though we know the ending, our journey with Drummer Hoff and the mysterious “it” has only just begun.

I have read this book a hundred times and still I find myself fascinated by the characters, entranced by the color and design of the officers’ uniforms. I feel the excitement I felt when I first wondered, what happens next?

In my own writing, I often struggle with endings. Something terrible or wonderful or earth shattering must happen at the end! But I’m learning (slowly) that the end comes naturally when I let the beginning and middle take me there.

“Drummer Hoff fired it off.” A simple, powerful opening that leaves the reader wondering and wanting more. And so, page after page, we meet the men who build the cannon. Each man doing his duty, contributing an important piece to the story.

Sometimes as a writer, I lose focus of being a reader. I become so focused on what I want to say, that I forget to think about what my reader wants to read. Finding my old friend Drummer Hoff has reminded me, the most important part of any story is to entertain the reader. Some writing is meant to persuade or inform, but ultimately even those articles need to be entertaining. Whether it is a children’s story, a science article, a novel, a poem, a journal article or anything else, if the reader does not wonder, “What happens next?”, they will move on to something else.

Some may not be nearly as entertained by Drummer Hoff as I am, and that’s OK. My Drummer Hoff, may be your Pippi Longstocking or Winnie the Pooh. A character, a story, that keeps the reader guessing and wondering “What happens next?”

As expected, at the end of the book, Drummer Hoff does indeed “fire it off.” And what a big bang it is!


But ultimately, even the bang isn’t truly the end. There is always something after. There is always more to the story, and perhaps that is the best ending of all. An ending that leaves the reader wondering, “What happens next?”

All illustrations are from “Drummer Hoff” adapted by Barbara Emberley and Illustrated by Ed Emberley. Copyright 1967.

The Last Bookstore

/ Kizzi / 7 Comments

There’s something special about a good thrift store.

Rainbow racks of clothing crammed wall to wall. Dishes, vases, baskets and knick-knacks stretching from floor to ceiling. Old toys and new piled high alongside puzzles and games. The smell of something old and long forgotten. The smell of a treasure waiting to be found.

After weaving through aisles overflowing with treasures of all kinds, I look for the greatest thrift store find of all…books!

In my travels across this country, I visited a multitude of thrift shops in search of books I desperately needed. Some may dispute the definition of “desperately” here….

Aside from thrift stores, another fabulous place to treasure hunt are used book stores.

“The Last Bookstore” in Los Angeles, California was quite possibly the most magical bookstore I’ve ever visited.

Offering both new and used books, it wasn’t just those fabulous spines tucked into every corner that made it the best.

From the overstuffed couch where people and cats lounged, to the multiple book themed sculptures, every detail created an immersive shopping experience. Not to mention the Labyrinth upstairs where books were placed in no particular order upon a twisting maze of bookshelves, and everything was a dollar.

Aviary Photo_130985546707843118

It’s possible I found several (20) books I desperately needed and was quite pleased with myself…until I started the long walk home.

Remembering “The Last Bookstore” made me think how fun it would be to compile a list of all the best bookstores and thrift stores (with excellent book offerings) across the country.

So, after strolling through the tunnel of books…..

Aviary Photo_130985545364750832

…comment below with your favorite bookstore or thrift store and the city it’s in and I will add it to the map!

I’ve started by adding a few of my favorites. I’m excited to hear from all of you and hoping there will be lots of new dots on the map soon.

The Adventure Begins

/ Kizzi / 3 Comments

A few years ago I felt discontent with my life.

As a child and teen, I had imagined myself going on great adventures, saving the world, finding my soul mate, that sort of thing. Instead I found myself still in school, working at a job I only sort of liked and not a soul mate in sight.

Don’t get me wrong, I had many wonderful things in my life at this time. I had family and friends who cared about me. I had a dog and a house with a backyard. I had a garden (until the deer ate everything). I was active in sports like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and weightlifting. I had a room for all my craft projects. I had a large collection of books and a little time to write.

So what was the problem?

I was restless. I wanted something bigger, something adventurous and daring and completely outside the box. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, but I said a prayer anyway.

I asked for an adventure.

Just like that.

But then after I prayed for adventure, I said another prayer. I prayed for peace. I prayed to be content.

I decided I would be content in my life and live it to the fullest just as it was. I would put my best self forward in everything I did and see where it led. I would make my own adventure right where I was, or so I thought. But God has a funny way of answering prayers and right after I decided to be content with what I had….my prayer for adventure was answered.

The answer to my prayer came the next day, in the form of an email.

An email! God doesn’t answer prayers in emails!

But this wasn’t just any email, it was an email from the circus! I had applied for a job months before and finally received a response. They wanted to interview me!

But I had decided to be content with my life! I couldn’t just change my mind and leave everything I knew!

You’re probably wanting to slap me about now. I just got an email from the circus after praying for an adventure and I was going to turn it down?

Nope, I decided to go for it. It wasn’t an easy decision but if an email from the circus isn’t a clear invitation for an adventure then I don’t know what is.

So I got my adventure and I traveled with the circus for almost two years.

Then I got to a point where it was time for a new adventure. It was time to pursue old hobbies and passions. It was time to go home.

And so in this long rambling post about dreams and prayers and adventures, “Three Show Saturday” was born.

Why “Three Show Saturday”? Well, in the circus we had three shows every single Saturday pretty much without fail.

A three show day is hectic and fun, exhausting and energizing. It is full of work and friends, laughter and tears. There is a sense of accomplishment at the end of a three show day, and so, in tribute to my circus days, a new adventure begins here, with you my dear readers, in the hopes that all our days may be circus days.