CherylAnne Ham: Making words happen

I'm back! Sort of...

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 01:39:00 +0000

Hello! *waves furiously*

Long time, no talk. :D

When I resurrected this blog to write this very post, I realized that this October makes one full year since the last time I've posted anything here. Ugh! *hangs head in shame* I cannot believe that it's been so long. It's craziness.

Hopefully you all have been fantastically wonderful and busy writing all the words, which actually brings me to the point of this post--I've missed blogging, I've missed you, and I would very much like to catch up with you!

Going forward, I'll be blogging at Revision Warriors along with four lovely ladies and, if you get the chance, would love for you to stop by and say hello.

Hope to talk with you soon.

Autumn Colors Water Marble Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Hey everyone. I haven't blogged in like forever, because well, between the day job, family time, and working on the MS, not to mention a ~~tiny~~ huge amount of procrastination, blogging sort of fell by the wayside.

And speaking of procrastination, I made a video! And not just ANY video, a tutorial, fueled by my love for all things nail polish. Seriously, I love painting my nails Like. It's. My. Job. For reals. Especially the color names. The orange I'm using in this video is by OPI and its called Atomic Orange. In my world, it doesn't get much cooler than that.

So, if you love nail polish even half as mush as I do, you'll wanna check this out. I learned this technique a few weeks back and it's called water marbling. It takes a bit of time and a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, it's not all that difficult.

Enjoy!

.

If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments and I'll try to answer them if I can. I've only been practicing for about two weeks, but I have scoured the interwebz for tips and tricks and am happy to share them with you.

Your turn. What sort of things do you obsess over when you should be doing something else (like polishing up that fantabulous MS) Oh, and isn't Atomic Orange the best frickin nail polish name EVAR?!?!

Too Funny Not To Share

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:25:00 +0000

So I've been a terrible blogger lately, but you already knew that, didn't you? I can't say that I'm officially back, not that I offically left in the first place, but this is too funny not to share. I crack up every time I watch it. And yes, I've watched it a few times.

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:01:00 +0000

A few weeks back, Cindy Borgne tagged me with the Lucky 7 meme and K.S. Collier bestowed the Sunshine award upon me.

Here's Lucky 7 gist: go to page 77 of your current MS, find line 7, and copy the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they are written. No cheating! Tag 7 authors and let them know.

The ground is a spongy cushion under my feet. Long slivers of starlight crisscross the darkness underneath the forest canopy. Slices of earthy colors glow wherever the light touches, and shadows claim the empty spaces. This place is both inconceivably beautiful and, when I consider how easy it would be to get lost if I let Gracin out of my sight, hugely terrifying. He’s a few feet ahead me, and I rush to catch up. My foot tangles with something. I pitch forward, instinctively throwing out my arms and squeezing my eyes shut. My whole body tightens as I brace for impact. The collision doesn’t come. Strong arms cradle my body, and I open one eye. Gracin looks down at me. A slow grin spreads across his face. Crap.

Thank the person who gave you the award and provide a link.
Write a post about it
Answer the questions below.
Pass it on to 10 bloggers who you think really deserve it and let them know
Answer 10 Questions:

Favourite colour: blue

Favourite animal: sloth

Favourite number: eight

Favorite non-alcoholic drink: cranberry juice

Facebook or Twitter: Am I on both? Yes. Do I stink at using them? Also, yes.

My passion: Duh! Writing.

Getting or giving presents: I have only child syndrome, so I have to admit that I LOVE receiving presents, though I enjoy giving them, too.

Favourite pattern: huh?

.Favourite day of the week: Friday @ 5 p.m. Having the work behind me and the entire weekend stretched out before me totally ROCKS.

Favourite flower: gerber daisy

And here are the lucky ducks I'm passing these lovelies onto:

Opening Lines

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:21:00 +0000

I think that a narrative hook is similar to a blind date. Sure, you might know a little about the guy (or gal) from your mom/sister/friend, whatever (similar to reading a book's jacket blurb) and it was interesting enough to agree to the date in the first place, but within the first ten minutes--for good or for bad--you know what direction things are headed. Am I right?

Well, hooks are all about first impressions. That all-important first sentence, which leads to the all-important first paragraph, page, chapter, etc. I don't know about you, but I know within a few pages if I want to keep reading. Ultimately, the main goal is to present the reader with something interesting to latch onto. Something that will keep their attention while they become invested in your MC and their problem.

These are the guidelines I use to evaluate my first line/paragraph:

Set the tone
Create a question for the reader to wonder about. Something that will entice them to read on to find out more.
Show MC's voice
Don't trick the reader. The first paragraph should tie into the next, and the next, and so on. It's the blind date equivalent of don't stuff your bra. If things go well, and hopefully they do, he'll find out eventually and nobody likes it when something is misrepresented.

Here is the first paragraph from my WIP

Mushrooms thrive in the dark, so they are the only food that isn't rationed. The earthy scent wafting out of the kitchen is a sure sign that we're having them for dinner. Again.

Tone: frustrated MC. Possible dystopian elements
Reader question: why do these people need to ration food?
Setting: dark, limited food supply.

So, what do you think? Is your interest piqued?

As a reader, what draws you into a story, and how important are first lines? Do you have a first line/first paragraph checklist of your own? What’s on it? If you're feeling brave, go ahead and share your first sentence while you’re at it. :D

Flash Fiction Campaign Challenge Entry

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:26:00 +0000

I finally finished my piece of flash fiction for the first campaign challenge.

Rach dared the campaigners to write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count.

For the added challenge, I managed to:

include the word "orange" in the story

write in the same genre you normally write (YA fantasy)

make your story 200 words exactly!

Let me know what you think in the comments. If you enjoyed my story, consider voting for it here. I'm # 202

Shadows crept across the wall, snaking past circles of orange candlelight and slipping into the spaces claimed by darkness. I yawned. It’s about time they showed up. The Magister had bellowed the same string of threats for the last three hours.

He thundered toward me, rolls of fat jiggling under his chin. “You will give me the secret of immortality or learn first-hand that there are things in this world much worse than death.”

Every day I saw things that made death look like a good time. I anticipated the look on his face when he realized the price of seeking knowledge he was unworthy of possessing.

The shadows slithered from their hiding spots, pooling together at the vapid man’s feet. He glanced down, his haughty expression transforming into a mix of fear and fury. The black form traveled up his legs. He clawed at his skin, but the shadows clung like tar to his doughy flesh. My lips curled into a smile as his eyes met mine, and then his face disappeared inside the writhing mass.

I slid out from my host body and merged with the others. Together we ended him in a delightfully gruesome crunch of bone.

Tag. I'm it.

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:50:00 +0000

I've been tagged (times two) by fellow campaigners Daniel Todd Noyes & Rossandra White

Since Daniel tagged me first, and because I had already written this blog post (and because if I were a super hero I'd be lazy-girl) I'm only answering Daniel's 11 random questions. My answers are below, but first watch this video because it is pretty much the coolest thing ever.

If you had one week left to live, what would you do?

It freaks me out too much to think about this, I'll take a pass.

What quote inspires you?

“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.”

~ Abraham Lincoln

What movie scene inspires you? Why?

There are tons of movies that I love for all sorts of reasons, but I can't think of a single scene that has inspired me.

What comedy do you end up watching again and again as the years go by?

As in T.V. comedy? I'd have to say Friends

Do you think love can last forever?

Yes, but only if you're willing to change with it.

What fictional character would you trade lives with if you could?

Buffy the vampire slayer.

What historical character would you marry if you had to choose someone?

Sorry. I got nothing.

Which do you prefer, coffee, hot cocoa, soda, vegetable juice, water?

Wine. Coffee is a close second.

How long would it take you to drive to the beach from where you live?

About 30 minutes, give or take.

What are you currently reading?

For the Debut Author Challenge, I'm currently halfway through Fracture by Megan Miranda and Article 5 by Kristen Simmons. I'm also reading my friend J.A. Beard's recently published ebook The Emerald City

If you choose an answer to this question at random, what is the chance you will be correct?

25%

50%

60%

25%

100% What can I say, I'm an optimist.

Part two of this game is tagging 11 more folks and making up 11 new questions for them to answer. Here goes:

1) Are you ticklish?

2) Are you a secret writerly genius, or have you shared you bookish ways with the world?

3) Which do you prefer: hardcover/paperback, ebook, or audiobook?

4) What is your favorite writing tool?

5) This one's a three-parter. (Yes. I cheat) Bert or Ernie? Fred or Barney? Belle or Ariel?

6) Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

7) Would you rather be able to fly or have X-ray vision?

8) Sweet or Savory?

9) Do you write in the mornings or at night?

10) What is the age of the MC in your WIP?

11) Have you discovered your "Voice"?

Here are the lucky-ducks that get to answer these questions. I was hard-pressed to find 11 people who haven't been tagged yet, so I'm only tagging 2 (I swear, I had more but when I was finally finished writing this post the peep I did find got tagged in the interim!)

Carrie-Anne Brownian

Alynza

I've started working on the first Campaign challenge and hope to share it with you guys soon. I love flash fiction! Good luck to everyone.

Platform-Building Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:46:00 +0000

Yep. It's time for Rach Harrie's Platform-Building Campaign for writers. This will be my third time participating in the campaign. It is so awesome that I keep coming back for more.

This will be a mini-campaign so if you haven't jumped on board before, this is a good time to check it out and see what it's all about.

You can participate in as much or as little as you like, but keep in mind that you'll get out of it what you put in. It's worth the effort if you want to meet new writers and find some great new blogs. Plus the challenges are fun and the prizes are amazing.

I'll be around the blogsphere saying Hi to fellow Campaigners. If you've joined up too, (or even if you haven't) Introduce yourself in the comments. If you've participated before, what was your favorite thing about the Campaign? Personally, I've met some wonderful people thanks to Rach and her Campaign and I'm uber grateful for that.

Oh, and this month marks my 1 year blogversary, which I'm super excited about. I really had no idea how long I'd last when I started this blog. I knew maybe a handful or other writers at that time and thought who on Earth would give a flying you-know-what about me and my little random blog. So thanks to you all for keeping me going, and for the kick in the butt I sometimes need (you butt-kickers know who you you are). It has been an amazing year and I'm grateful to have shared it with you.

When Your Thinker Fails You

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:25:00 +0000

Chapter seven of my WIP Where There Is Dark, has the words *** Insert Jazzlyn sneaking off to steal the light-stone *** where an actual scene ought to be. I’ve been doing pretty much everything and anything you can think of (I’ve even perused Twitter, which I’ve haven’t done in forever) to avoid writing this scene. And the thing is, I know why I’m avoiding it, but the missing pieces I need haven’t clicked into place yet. In the weeks leading up to this point, I kept thinking that my subconscious was working on it and by the time I got there, I’d know what to do.

WRONG-O! Here I am, needing to write this scene and guess what people? I’ve. Got. Nothin’.

Here’s my problem. I cut the scene that formally lived inside chapter seven after doing a major plot overhaul. The scene will involve MC meeting someone for the very first time. A someone that becomes an important player from here on out. The story has also moved on to a new setting as well. Ultimately, there are many unknowns that I have yet to work out. The biggest of which is since the plot revamp, this new character’s motivation has changed and now the way he had felt about and interacted with MC is no longer valid.

I will need to adjust his scenes in every other part of the book, but this scene in chapter seven is the kick off point for what’s to come. I need to get it right. It's possible that maybe I’m a ~~teensy~~, ~~tiny,~~ hugely afraid that I’m going to fail, and the entire thing will suck. Maybe. Definitely.

I’m not a huge fan of character worksheets, which in all fairness to them I’ve never really tried. I’ve looked at them, though. Considered taking the “how well do you know your character” quiz, so to speak, but when I look at one of these questionnaires my brain immediately goes, “Nope. Not doin’ it.” and then my brain and my attention span gang up on me and the next thing I know I’m playing video games. And yes, I’m very much like a child who does not want to do their homework or clean their room when it comes to these things.

But, today (it’s Sunday morning as I write this post) I will put on my big girl pants and come Hell or high-water, I will figure out this character so I can “do the damn thing”. So I’m off to go create a new person *puts on rubber gloves, safety goggles, and groans* Wish me luck.

Are you stuck right now? Tell me about it in the comments so we can commiserate. (Or, you know, work through it. Either way.)

Hello. My Name is Cheryl, and I’m an Audiobook Addict

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:55:00 +0000

Since joining Audible, I have enjoyed many more books than I otherwise could have over the last year. I listen to books while driving, doing housework, getting ready for work in the mornings, and as I fall asleep at night. Hubby even bought some nifty Bluetooth ear buds for my birthday so that my phone will stop falling out of my pocket while I’m trying to mop the floor, since with my luck, said phone would no doubt land directly in the bucket of mop water. That would really suck. I could probably write an entire blog post about all the things my phone has survived over the last year, like the time I put it on top of the wood stove, forgot about it, and then lit a fire, but I digress.

I receive one credit a month with my Audible subscription, which costs $14.99 monthly. And $14.99 is less than what I pay for most hardcover books (even with my B&N member card). Plus, audible has sales quite often, so I am often able to buy audiobooks for less than ten dollars. Example: I just bought Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (which is so effing amazing, I can’t even tell you. If you haven’t read or listened to this book. Do it. Seriously.) and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman for about $7.95 each. I feel that is a very reasonable price.

The other thing is that I simply do not have time to read all the books I want, but I can listen to at least three to four books a month. That’s between thirty-six and forty-eight books a year. Perhaps that isn’t as many as others might read but it’s kind of a lot for me.

So suffice it to say, I LOVE audiobooks. So much in fact, that when I went to B&N the other day and purchased two real life, tangible, hardcover books, and brought them home, I found myself wishing I could listen to them instead. I even convinced my husband to read a chapter to me. No lie.

When I dove into one of the hardcover books I purchased--Fracture by Megan Miranda--I found it difficult to become immersed in the story. And it wasn’t the books fault, which btw, is awesome so far, so it was strange that it wasn’t pulling in as quickly as I’m used to. Then I realized that listening to books has spoiled me. I have LSR, Lazy Reader Syndrome.

I have always adored physical books. Like so many others, I get that warm fuzzy feeling when they are near. E-books just don’t do it for me and it’s not for lack of trying. If I’m going to read and truly enjoy it, it has to be either an audiobook or a physical book. But I never thought that audiobooks would trump my love for hardcovers, or that switching from one medium to the other would be so tough. I think I must cycle more hardcover books into my reading regimen.

Have you tried listening to audiobooks? Do you like them more or less than their paper counterparts? If you haven’t tried listening yet, go on and do it. Then, once you’re as addicted as I am we can start up a twelve-step program together. :D

The Five Rules of Discipline

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:18:00 +0000

Source: typeverything.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

My nine-year-old son takes Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. Before every class, all the students recite the school creed, which starts:

"As a dedicated student of the martial arts, I will live by the five rules of discipline: character, effort, etiquette, self-control, and sincerity."

The kids are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates these traits not just during class, but all the time. They are very serious about this.

After hearing them recite the school creed several times a week for the last two years, it has really grown on me,. I want my own behavior to reflect these ideals as much as possible and reading the definitions on Dictionary.com got me thinking about ways they can be applied to writing (and critiquing, both giving and receiving), publishing, and online presence in general.

I just thought I’d share the five rules of discipline and see what you all think. It's so simple really, but at the same time, it really isn't. Not always, anyway.

char·ac·ter [kar-ik-ter]

noun

qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity: It takes character to face up to a bully.

ef·fort [ef-ert]

noun

exertion of physical or mental power: It will take great effort to achieve victory.

et·i·quette [et-i-kit, -ket]

noun

the code of ethical behavior regarding professional practice or action among the members of a profession in their dealings with each other: medical etiquette.

self·con·trol [self-kuhn-trohl

noun

control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc.

sin·cer·i·ty [sin-ser-i-tee]

noun

freedom from deceit, hypocrisy, or duplicity; probity in intention or in communicating; earnestness.

The Five Rules of Discipline

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:10:00 +0000

My nine-year-old son takes Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. Before every class, all the students recite the school creed, which starts:

"As a dedicated student of the martial arts, I will live by the five rules of discipline: character, effort, etiquette, self-control, and sincerity."

The kids are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates these traits not just during class, but all the time. They are very serious about this.

After hearing them recite the school creed several times a week for the last two years, it has really grown on me,. I want my own behavior to reflect these ideals as much as possible and while reading the definitions on Dictionary.com got me thinking about ways they can be applied to writing (and critiquing, both giving and receiving), publishing, and online presence in general.

I just thought I’d share the five rules of discipline and see what you all think. It's so simple really, but at the same time, it really isn't. Not always, anyway.

char·ac·ter [kar-ik-ter]

noun

qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity: It takes character to face up to a bully.

ef·fort [ef-ert]

noun

exertion of physical or mental power: It will take great effort to achieve victory.

et·i·quette [et-i-kit, -ket]

noun

the code of ethical behavior regarding professional practice or action among the members of a profession in their dealings with each other: medical etiquette.

self·con·trol [self-kuhn-trohl

noun

control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc.

sin·cer·i·ty [sin-ser-i-tee]

noun

freedom from deceit, hypocrisy, or duplicity; probity in intention or in communicating; earnestness.

Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:58:00 +0000

This week’s post is coming late in the day (or if you’re on the East Coast like me, night). My apologies for that. But it’s for a good reason. I’ve been writing! Woot! And productive writing at that. So much so that I um *coughs* forgot to actually write a blog post. Whoopsie.

So without further ado...

I’ve realized something about myself. I always say that I’m a slow writer and it has occurred to me that this is not entirely true. In fact, I’ve been lying to myself. Perhaps my subconscious was trying to protect me from reality--I’m not slow. I’m lazy. Facing that ugly fact kind of sucks, but I guess at the same time it’s a relief. I can do something about laziness.

Now I’m not saying that everyone who writes slow is lazy. Not at all. I still wouldn’t consider myself a speed-demon by any stretch, but what I had been calling slow was really me not writing at all. Or if I was writing, I was fiddling. Tinkering with word choice, maybe moving a scene or two around, but nothing that produced any real, tangible results. I excused this by telling myself that I’m just not as fast as others might be.

There is nothing wrong with working at your own pace. We writers are not racing each other to some imaginary finish line, however measurable forward progress must be achieved if a project has any hope of attaining completed status. And for a long time now, I have not moved forward. Well, until recently that is.

So no more excuses. I’ve gone through my entire MS and made notes of all the plot-holes that need filling, axed the scenes that are no longer relevant (saving them, of course, in a separate file just in case) and have outlined the new scenes that need writing. Oh and I’m not done yet. I’ve also started working on the to-do list I ended up with and have made actual progress of the forward motion variety. *fist pump*

I don’t consider the time I’ve spent muddling around a waste, either. I’m pretty sure that a big part of it was that I needed to find my own way in the revision process. It took a while, but hey, it’s not a race, right? And what I discovered is that I need a list. I need to know beforehand what needs to be done and where. I can tackle a list, checking off one item at a time. Also, it lets me see at a glance the progress I’m making, which fuels momentum. And momentum is the bee’s knees.

I’m going to share a secret that I loathe admitting. I know, KNOW, that you should read your MS (yeah, the whole thing) BEFORE beginning revisions. But I just love, love, love doing things the hard way, so I did not do that. *hangs head in shame* If I had, it may not have taken me nearly as long to figure this whole mess out, but I’m the sort of person who needs to make the mistake first in order to learn from it.

I look at it this way. We all must pay our dues. Whether it’s a new job, a hobby, writing a book, or whatever, most of us don’t start out as superstars from the get go. We need to learn and practice and grow. We need to put the time in, listen to those who came before us (preferably the ones that know what they’re doing) and then find our own way. Forward motion.

What mistakes have you made even though you knew better? What have you learned about yourself lately?

2012 Debut Author Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:50:00 +0000

I've signed up for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren

The rules are pretty simple. From Jan. 1, 2012 through Jan. 31, 2013 (this gives authors who debut in Dec. 2012 a chance to be included in the challenge) read at least 12 debut YA or MG novels and post a review on your blog or goodreads page.

Some of my favorite books of 2011 were by debut authors, like Divergent by Veronica Roth, so I'm pretty excited to see what treasures I might find throughout 2012, plus it's a great way to support debut authors.

To learn more or sign up, Click Here

Here are the first three books on my TBR list for the challenge.

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Publication date: Jan. 3, 2012

The Alchemy of Forever: An Incarnation Novel

From Amazon:

After spending six hundred years on earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world’s riches, but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to swap bodies with other humans, jumping from one vessel to the next, taking the human’s life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she’s done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Publication date: Jan. 17, 2012

Fracture

From Amazon

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Release date: March 27, 2012

Slide

From goodreads:

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

What books are you looking forward to in 2012? Are any from debut authors?

Organizational Troubles? EVERNOTE might be the solution you're looking for.

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:44:00 +0000

It’s a new year and the perfect time to get organized!

Whether you’re an organization guru already, or if you’re like me and try really hard but just can’t seem to get it together, then Evernote may just be for you.

See up until now, I’ve kept notebooks, binders, files on my computer, and bookmarked hundreds of websites, only to discover that when I needed to find something I had no idea where I ended up putting it. So, I open all my files, thumb through tons of papers, and click on link after link until finally finding what I need. Or in some cases, not finding it at all. Then recently I discovered a program called Evernote and my organizational catastrophe is beginning to straighten itself out, so I thought I’d share what I stumbled upon in case it helps others facing the same challenges I have.

What is Evernote?

It’s a program that allows you to remember and organize pretty much anything you can think of. There are a million applications where Evernote is useful. You can organize a home remodel, wedding plans, recipes or holiday dinner ideas, and pretty much anything else you can think of, which is exactly why this program has endless potential for writers. And the best part is that most Evernote features are FREE.

What you can store on Evernote is almost endless. From simple text, word docs or spreadsheets, web page excerpts or entire web pages (links included), to audio and image files. And Evernote doesn’t just store the information for you, it keeps it organized and fully searchable. Even the words in a picture are recognized by Evernote’s powerful search feature.

Here’s an example of how Evernote can organize your agent research.

One feature Evernote offers is the web clipper. I use Chrome as my web browser, so it may look slightly different if you use IE, Firefox, or something else. Once you download Evernote and install the web clipper app, a tiny elephant icon appears in your browser’s toolbar.

When you land on a web page that you want to save, simply click that icon and a box pops up letting you choose the notebook you want to add it to. You also have the option of including searchable tags and additional notes. For this example I’m using the Agent notebook I have already created.

Once you’ve added the info you want, click “clip selection” and the entire page is added to the notebook you’ve specified. If you only want to clip part of the page, highlight only the images and text you want before clicking the web clipper icon. Once your page is clipped, it looks like this in Evernote:

Your list of notebooks are in the left hand column, a brief description of the note is in the middle and includes any notes you added manually along with the date you clipped the page, and to the right is the page you have clipped. All links in the page are functional and you can click on the pages URL to go directly to that page on the web.

With a few more web clips added, the screen looks like this:

And if you want to add notes later on in simple text, just click on the edit button to bring up Evernote's text editor.

The reason I like the web clipper so much is because it reduces the time spent looking through lists of bookmarked pages and clicking on links to find what you’re looking for. Instead, it displays info similar to the way Google Reader handles blog posts. And since you can see each page before deciding if you want to click on the link, odds are that the info you need is stored right there so even clicking the link isn’t necessary.

The web clipper feature is only one of the functionalities Evernote offers. You can store your own audio notes, music, pictures, and lots more. You can email files, notes, pictures, etc., to Evernote, and it even works with Twitter so you can send your favorite tweets straight to any one of your notebooks. Also, when using the program on multiple devices Evernote syncs them all, so whether you’re on your smart phone, tablet, PC or Mac, the information is update to date.

Here's a quick video that shows some more of Evernotes features:

For more information, or to download Evernote and try it for yoursef, click here.

Does this look like something you'd like to try? Already an Evernote user? What do you like best about it?

New Year, New Look

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:42:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of changing things up so for the new year I decided to revamp the blog. I'll admit that the time I spent on the new design should have probably been spent writing, but what the hell, right? I have fun putting new templates together so I'm a happy girl. Hope you like the new look.

On another note, I had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you're having an amazing holiday season! I don't really do new year resolutions. I never keep them and end up feeling crappy about it, so I'm just going to pledge to make 2012 the best year I can make it. Oh, and I'd like to finally finish revisions on the book I've been working on FOREVER by the end of Q1. I think that's doable.

I won an iPad during a promo put on at my day job. I got it right before I left for vacation last week. It's pretty frickin' sweet, too. Now I look at the teeny screen on my iPhone and think, How did I ever read book on this thing. I'm thinking about getting a bluetooth keyboard for it and downloading the pages app, which is supposed to be compatible with MS Word, but I'm not sure how well it really works. If anyone has any experience with this I'd love to know your thoughts.

And that is pretty much all I've got for you this week. I'm feeling pretty random so here's a super cute picture I took of my dog, Ollie, on the iPad. :D

I hope you have a happy, fun, and safe New Year's! See you in 2012.

Do You Follow the Rules?

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:28:00 +0000

Source: thestarsleaveformorning.tumblr.com via poppy on Pinterest

There are rules to writing. If you don’t know the rules then playing the game might be difficult. But once you know the rules, you know they can be manipulated.

When I was a kid, my friends and I played a game called kick the bucket. I think it might also be called kick the can, but we used a plastic bucket, hence the name. We loved this game so much that we played it exclusively over the course of one late 1980’s summer. Basically, the game combines the rules of hide-and-go-seek and tag with added component of having to kick a can (or in our case, a bucket) to free your comrades from "jail". Alone, hide-and-go-seek and tag were fun, but when blended together it was holy awesome, Batman, fun.

But before you could play kick the bucket, you had to know how to play hide-and-go-seek and tag. That’s how I see the rules of writing and I think story structure is a rule every writer needs to understand. Once you do, the holy awesome, batman, sort of fun can really begin.

Whether you’re an outliner or pantser, structure is something every good story needs. If you’re an outliner, you probably think a lot about structure before you start writing. If you’re a pantser, you may think about it a little or maybe not at all until after the first draft is complete. Or you may fall somewhere in between. Regardless of how you get there, the need to focus on story structure is inevitable.

A few things happened to me when I first began understanding story structure. The first was, Egads! There’s a formula to this whole novel writing thing. I also learned that a formula is not a substitute for learning the craft, and structure alone will not make a story successful. However, I do think that understanding and applying structure is essential to creating a story that will hook readers and keep them interested from beginning to end.

Structure is the support beams that carry the weight of your creativity, turning premise and plot into a story that will keep readers engaged.

If I tried to get into the nitty-gritty of it all in one blog post, well, it’d be a post longer than you’d probably want to read. Plus, others have already done a better job of it that than I can so I’m going to share my favorites with you instead.

Writing Excuses podcast on the Hollywood formula

A series of blog posts on the 3 act structure by Alexandra Sokoloff

The book Story Engineering by Larry Brooks

Is learning the rules necessary to create compelling stories? Let me know what you think. Have you ever combined the rules of two or more games to create your own? Was it holy awesome, Batman, fun?

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:24:00 +0000

I have a friend who used to offer the same advice whenever I complained about different types of stress in my life. Her advice was something along the lines of “If you can’t change the situation, change your perspective”.

I didn’t like that advice. I had it stuck in my head that if I was stressed out it was because the situation was stressful and I was more or less trapped in it. I felt powerless to change it and that in turn created more stress. I felt like I was stressed out because I cared, and changing my perspective meant to stop caring.

But at some point, I decided to try it. And you know what? It actually worked. I realized that being a stress-ball did not make me work any harder or change the situation. All it did was make me miserable, which in turn affected the people around me. I had to let go of the stress and focus on what was in my control and what was not, and I’m a happier person for it.

So how does this relate to writing?

PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING

Your POV character’s perspective affects the tone of your scene, word choice, decisions/actions, expectations, and pretty much anything else you can think of, including what the reader takes from the story. Every time something feels off with a scene I’m writing, the POV character’s perspective is the now one of the first things I look at. Where is his or her head at in the scene, and are they thinking/feeling/speaking/acting accordingly?

First I hone in on my POV character’s mood. Are they happy, excited, scared, sad, hurt, angry, or any combination thereof? Once I sync up with their head space I look at my descriptions, dialogue, actions, body language, internal thoughts, etc. It should all be colored by the POV character’s perspective. Many times that off feeling is created when something doesn’t match up with how the POV character sees or experiences the world I've put them in.

If the POV character is pissed off, how does she view the characters around her? Would an angry/hurt POV character describe a younger boy and girl holding hands as cute? Probably not. Might she think about pulling them apart and encouraging the girl to run while her heart is still intact? Maybe. If the sky is blue and the sun is shining, would this girl describe the day as beautiful, or would it be hot and oppressive? What would she notice about her surroundings? It all depends on her perspective.

Do you consciously think about your POV character’s perspective while writing a first draft or is it something you work on during revisions? Have you ever tried to change your own perspective?

Dancing in public

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:29:00 +0000

Did you know that dancing in public (especially malls) has become a thing? Folks use their ipods so only they can hear the music and then dance around like crazy people. But doesn't this guy look so so so happy, just shaking his groove thang in the sweater Grandma got him last Christmas?

And you know what else? I'm a bit jealous. No, not of the sweater. The dancing. In public.

I'm not really an "in public" type of girl. In fact, I usually avoid public. It's not them, it's me. I have a lot of anxieties that get in my way sometimes, like I don't drive on the highway. It gets pretty annoying.

Now I realize that most of you reading this blog are probably thinking, "I would never WANT to dance like that in public" and that's okay, but my problem is that I sorta do want to--I mean, that guy is having some serious fun--but I'm afraid. And who knows, maybe if I wasn't afraid I wouldn't want to do it because it wouldn't be that big of a deal. I don't know.

So I think I'm going to make a promise. If one day, I ever find an agent who loves my book and wants to represent me, I Cheryl Ham, will dance in public. Because if that day ever comes, I will feel even more excited than the guy in this video looks.

What about you? Any fears keeping you from doing things you'd like to do? Please share so I don't feel like a total dork for wanting to dance in public.

Turkey Rainbow

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Source: gonewengland.about.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

November is made of crazy.

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:42:00 +0000

Source: someecards.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

So yeah, November has been a bit hectic. Unlike the caption in the picture above, I have been doing good and productive things. Unfortunately, because of the crazy, I haven't blogged much. And by much I mean at all.

I fell behind in NaNo from the start since on 10/30 a giant snow storm in New England left me without power for eight days. Trick-or-Treating was even postponed to the following weekend. It was outrageously crazy.

After I got my life back on track from that mess, I went out of town for a few days for my best friend's wedding, which was amazing and beautiful and fun in every way.

Aside from that, both my children have birthdays in November. My daughter turned 18 and my son turned 9 this month.

Of course, this weekend is Thanksgiving/family birthday party. Not only are my kids birthday's in Nov. but so is mine, and a few other close relatives, so we celebrate them when we're all together on turkey day.

So, what I'm really trying to say is that I've been crazy, super, busy and since this month is almost over anyway, I think I'm going to give myself the rest of the month off. I am the boss of me after all, and I say I deserve it. :D

When I come back in December I'm actually going to try and stick to a blogging schedule. Something about committing to a weekly post on a specific day has always freaked me out so I've been posting all willy-nilly for almost a year now. I think it's time to put on my big girl pants and stick to a schedule. Mondays folks. I'm gonna blog on Mondays.

So with that said, I hope you all are doing fantastically well and I will see you again the first Monday in December.

I'm doing NaNo! Who's with me?

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:40:00 +0000

Yup, it's true. I'm all signed up. Bring it on, November!

If you happen to be doing NaNo too, you can find me here if you want to buddy me up. (I've got 0 buddies at the moment, so if you want to lend me a hand in the self-esteem department, please be my NaNo buddy.)

I made this nifty little mock cover for my NaNo project. My inspiration to make a cover came from this blog post by Michelle Fayard and from Trizah Goodwin who gives great tips on making book covers on her blog A Clever Whatever. I don't know if I'm crazy about the sky but I can always change it out if I want later. It's not my intention to self pub at this point so the cover is just for funsies anyway.

Update: If you'd like a free ebook cover for your NaNo project to amp up your excitement level even more, Trizah is making and giving away covers to her followers who comment on her blog before 10 pm EST on Sunday. She'll do as many as she can so click here for the details if you're interested. She does an awesome job so it is worth checking out.

I failed miserably at last year's attempt at 50K so this year I'm going to do things a little different. Or at least try and see how it goes.

First off, I'm outlining my NaNo project. I'm exactly 50% done +/-. I haven't outlined a book from start to finish before and I'm kind of liking the process. Not every little detail will be worked out, but I should have the main events and clear goals of each chapter and all the major plot points in the places they should be when using the 3 act structure.

Second, and this one freaks me out a bit cus I've got no idea if I'll be able to really do it, but the plan is to wake up early every weekday in Nov to write. I figure if I go to bed at 8 pm I can still get 8 hours of sleep and wake up at 4 am.

Problem is that I am not, I repeat, NOT, a morning person. I like to stay up late and sleep in. But at night my brain is always fried from work stuff, and family stuff, and house stuff, soI never FEEL like writing. It's like my head is empty. So I'm going to give it my best and try to get to sleep early and hit my WC goal every morning. I want to write this book and I'd like it to not take as long as my first one did.

Here's what I have so far for a short synopsis of the story.

The Bureau of Identity Relocation is in the business of changing lives, literally. Advancements in brain mapping made the first mind-upload possible. Fast forward twenty years and full-blown ipseity shifts are performed in licensed establishments across the United States. Enough cash and the proper documentation are all one needs to have their consciousness transferred into the body of young and healthy vessel. A vessel like number 36/50, owned and maintained by the B.O.I.R.

When 36/50 becomes self-aware just prior to being purchased by a recently paralyzed athlete, she knows that once they upload her mind she’ll cease to exist. Renaming herself Marissa, she flees the vessel repository but the B.O.I.R. is hell bent on retrieving their property. Marissa purchases an ipseity shift on the black market to escape the agents hunting her, but discovers that her new body is infected and its former occupant has vanished. Her only option is to find the girl now wearing her skin before the infection spreads or she’ll lose the only thing she has left. Her mind.

For my fellow NaNo'ers, click here to find and download the most amazing spreadsheet to keep track of your progress (and so much more).

And click here if you'd like a fancy shmancy word-o-meter like this one.

0 / 50000
(0%)

So there you have it. Are you planning on doing NaNo this year? How do you prepare for the month long event?

Sir Mix-A-Lot + Falcor = Holy Funny, Batman

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:15:00 +0000

The post title says it all. Click play and you'll see.

You're welcome.

Stuff That's Awesome

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000

hosted by Matthew MacNish and Alex J Cavanaugh

The purpose of which is to link to some blogs I enjoy reading and think others may like also, so we can all hop around and get to know more great bloggers. Fun, right?

So here are a few blogs that I've been reading for a while now and love, and also a few that I've found recently and would like to tell you about. Stop by and say hi to these guys if you get the chance. Take the weekend. The links aren't going anywhere. :D

Here are some Amazing Bloggers that can really blog the blog!

Tirzah

Source: underapeacockmoon.blogspot.com via Eunice on Pinterest

And since I'm sharing stuff I think is awesome, here's a few more things to add to the list:

Coffee

Source: None via Cheryl on Pinterest

Dogs

Source: hemmy.net via LucieFaire on Pinterest

Magic Erasers

Source: mrclean.com via Molly on Pinterest

Friday Nights

Source: happythings.tumblr.com via Ann on Pinterest

White Wine and Frozen Raspberries

Source: theglitterguide.tumblr.com via Tara on Pinterest

Sleeping

Source: girl-heathen-13.tumblr.com via Kit on Pinterest

Gerber Daisies

Source: google.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Cocktails

Source: cherrybam.com via Candice on Pinterest

Vacations and/or Long Weekends and/or leaving work early (but mostly vacations)

Source: google.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

Sloths. (yep. they're my favorite animal)

Source: imgfave.com via Houston on Pinterest

Are any of your favorite things on my list? If not, what did I miss? Let me know in the comments and feel free to share a link to one or two of your own must read blogs!

Sometimes we need a good Kick in the Butt. AKA That's what friends are for

noreply@blogger.com (CherylAnne Ham) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:57:00 +0000

A BIG thank you to the charming, witty, and most awesome, Michael Ouffutt, who gave me the gentle nudge I needed to "get off my ass and write a blog post". (((hugs)))

I need peeps like this. Writing might be a solitary endeavor but that doesn't mean we have to go it alone.

Friends encourage, challenge, commiserate, and sometimes give you that much needed kick in the pants. They hold us accountable, lift us up when we fall flat on our faces, and put us in our place when we need it. (Snooki and JWoww, anyone?)

Friends Rock! If you happen to be a fan of Grey's Anatomy (which I totally am) you know the sort of friendship Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang have. If you're not a fan of the show, it's like this:

Friendships like these are rare and amazing and I'm fortunate enough to have my own person. My BFF of more then two decades. She is everything a friend should be and more. (But she's not a blog reader so I'll have to get all mushy in person and tell her how great she is.)

Who's your person and have you thanked them lately for existing?