Been There!

One More Review, then I'll stop...

who am I kidding! I'm not going to stop! It tickles me to no end that fellow writers are finding the Complete Novel Plotting Workbook so handy.

Here's what Jewel of Pink Ink said about it:

"I found the perfect tool to help me transition from my summer holiday back into novel-writing: Weston Elliott's The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook.
.... On my other stories, I have so many notes here and there on different scraps of paper, it's great to finally have one place I can put everything!
.... it fits nicely in a small bag, the middle console of a truck, a study table, the kitchen counter..."

She also said:

"My only complaint is it does not come in pink."

Well, it does now! I'll be putting pink on the list of available covers first thing Monday morning.

The Schmoozing Predicament

I had one of those rare days today. I ran all over town with no plan, no one to answer to, no company other than the radio. My phone was dead, so I left it at home. Shorty was with Dad, since it was Dad's day off, and I had the keys to the car

It was wonderful.

But with all that wonderfulness, I still found myself borrowing a phone two or three times to call home and make sure everything was okay. I almost felt guilty for feeling so free.

Where does this relate to writing? Good question.

I have a gift for public relations. Between my mission and my time in the banking business, I discovered this talent. From bums to statesmen, there is no one that I can't hold a conversation with (except white supremecists, but that's another post I'd rather not get into). I'm good at getting my name out there. Speaking in public, especially to a big crowd, is not only pleasant, in the right circumstances it's downright fun. If I believe in my cause, I can stop strangers on the street without hesitation. I have no natural fear of making an idiot of myself. I even know what fork to use in a completely formal table setting. In other words, I'm an absolute crackerjack at schmoozing.

I know it's a gift coveted by many, but here's the catch:

I hate it.

Not all of it - I know at least a hundred other writers, and have a fabulous network of wonderful associates in the writing world. I adore my fellow writers, and I love reading comments from those who've read my blog.

I hate the schmoozing part of it all. Always have. True that it's easy for me, but it's not the talent I would have wished for. And yet, I get caught up in it easily, because - after all - it's my thing.

Weird, isn't it?

I think I've forgotten in the last little while that this isn't what I got into this racket for. It's all well and good to have name recognition, but what good will it do me if I have nothing for which my name should be recognized?

I signed up to be a writer, not a schmoozer.

So, how do I steer myself back to what I really want to do? To be honest, I'm not sure. Now that I have Shorty, I can't just lock myself in the back room and ignore the world. The hound has to go out every few hours, whether I like it or not, so we end up outside to play. Great, I think, here's my chance. Until the neighbor comes out with her little guy to play and visit. And then the guys upstairs come in from work and stop to chat, and the little girl across the way asks if she can play with the puppy....

And there I am, schmoozing again. Not that I mind, I'm blessed with (mostly) fabulous neighbors, just like those fantastic 100+ writers I know.

It's a strange quandry, I know...

Maybe it's just the phase of the moon.

(That poor moon gets blamed for a lot, doesn't he?)

I Have an Ad!

Okay, I feel so official now! I have an advertisement on LDS Publisher's website!! It's so awesome!

Today an ad, tomorrow a BILLBOARD!!

Boy, I Don't Do Things Halfway...

When I get writer's block, I REALLY get writer's block! And have I got a doozie of it right now!

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I released and am marketing The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook - which is going great, and you would think I'd be moving on to something new. But the fact of it is, I just can't seem to do that.

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I wonder if it's because there was no point of sending my baby off into the world. It's still here, and I'm doing it all. Kinda like having a 40 year old kid still living at home, I'd imagine.

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I tend toward workaholicism, so if there's anything left to do on a pet project, I'll find it and do it. When I got my guitar, I played until my fingers bled. With the violin, I couldn't move my thumb from holding the bow for so long at a time. I'm a hound dog with a good scent, I just can't leave it alone if I know it's there! (speaking of hound dogs - look at these pictures!)

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So, meanwhile, back at the ranch...

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Here I am with fifty stories on the back burner and completely unable to get any of them to boil. I've got to get cookin' but I'm afraid I've forgotten how to turn up the heat... No, that's not it at all. Frankly, I'm stifled. I have a sick dog, a sick boy, and zero sleep! My house is a wreck, and no matter how clean it gets, it looks like a tornado hit five minutes later. I'm cranky, and feeling more than a little cantakerous. But I cannot "check out" to get into the writing phase because they need me more right now.

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So I suppose, if I'm going to be blatantly honest - I'm frustrated! And probably a little bit lazy. I suppose if I really had the drive, I would find a way to write, and find something to write.

I don't want much, I just want the words to carry me away.....

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....far, FAR away.....

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...preferably to somewhere I could get a good night's sleep!

And Yet ANOTHER One...

This one is from Heather Justesen, and I have to include a quote from it.

Here's part of what she said:

"For example, if I set something in another country, like California, I might need to write down the kinds of animals indigenous to the area, strange customs, and more . (Yes, I'm aware California really is part of the U.S. It only seems like a whole other country.)"

Oh, boy, did I have a good laugh at that! I married a Californian, and even lived there for a while - and yes, it IS it's own strange sort of country! Very, very strange...

Meanwhile, the rest of her review is located HERE - CLICK TO READ IT ALL!

And Yet Another Review

Cathy Witbeck of Story Painter, has also reviewed The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook.

READ IT HERE!

Another Review

Kim Thompson of Scribbled Scraps gave The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook a try.

CLICK HERE TO READ WHAT SHE SAID!

A Great New Review!

My good friend, Stacy Anderson - author of "The Santa Letters" - reviewed The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook!

It made me laugh, and cheer, and be glad that I put this thing together!

READ IT HERE!

IT'S OFFICIAL! I'M A MAMA!!

http://wendsdayschild.blogspot.com/2009/08/hes-ours.html

Here's What People Are Saying...

about The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook!

Tristi Pinkston
"...I'm so fascinated by the idea presented in Weston Elliott's new creation, "The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook." It's just a simple book, really, held together with metal rings, and completely ready to be written in. From the first page, you are given a path and shown how to create an outline for your story that you then follow to create a cohesive tale."
Read complete review HERE.

Shanna Blythe:
"Everything is in there for you to come up with an entire book and can be written in the book. Just what you need before you start writing the actual novel."
Read complete review HERE.


Michelle Jefferies:
"I was extremely pleased. The workbook is extremley comprehensive. "
Read complete review HERE.

More to come. Stay tuned!

AVAILABLE NOW!

The Complete Novel Plotting workbook is now available for purchase!


You can find out more information HERE and read a review from Tristi Pinkston HERE!

There may not be a magic writing formula, but this comes pretty darn close!

Order today!

Copepidy!

Okay, I have no idea what that title means - I doubt it's even a word! It was the verification word I had to type in while commenting on someone else's blog today, and it just struck me as the funniest, cutest word I'd heard all day. I think I'll keep it!

I love being a writer! You get to do things like that - make up words. The feeling of power is awesome.

A "brumble" of thunder in the distance showed up in my first novel.

Think of Tim Allen, and a bunch of little green men chanting "Grignak! Grignak!"

Look at the Klingons for crying out loud - they've got an entire language of their own.

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility.

For example:

Some cartoonist/screenwriter thought "yabba dabba doo!" sounded good, and it became a legendary saying! Ask anyone now, forty+ years later, and that person could probably tell you who said it!

Tolkien, for example, created a new race of creatures called "orcs" for his Lord of the Rings series. Now look what's happened - his theretofore unheard of species now has a place in the Fantasy Role Playing Hall of Fame!

Ray Bradbury decided his starships needed a regular enemy to fear and fight and the next thing you know, an entire subculture knows how to swear at each other in a language that never existed pre-1960.(Swearing in "tlhIngan Hol", the Klingon language, is an art form embraced with fervor by hard-core Trekkies - books have been written about it and you can even get lessons if you know the right sources! And NO, I am NOT making that up! Click here to be taken to The Klingon Language Institute online. See, I told you I wasn't making it up!)

So, enjoy the power of creating new words, but use it wisely. You never know what you might start that could be held against you for the rest of eternity!


Copepidy!!


or, in Klingon:

Hab SoSlI' Quch!

(Note: this is a powerful insult; don't say it to friends.)