Month: May 2018

Hidden Talents

On By Victoria LK WilliamsIn Free Writing, life mingling with writing, Uncategorized1 Comment

I bet you didn’t know…

Anyone has ever written a book knows it’s hard work. Talent must also come into play.  Most of the writing is a combination, with an emphasis on diligence and comment. After all anyone can start a book, the glory comes by finishing the book. But a writer’s talent turns the hard work into something special and uniquely theirs.
You would think authors would exhaust all their talent into the writing. But there are hidden talents among a lot of art writers I know.
It never fails to amaze me when I see some beautiful artwork other writers create with things other than words.

I have one writer friend who is also an artist-she paints beautiful scenery.

Custom-Covers-ExampleAnother one does fantastic book covers, they take your breath away.(http://www.llynara.com).

Basic RGB Karen Kalbacher is my cover artist, and she is a writer.

Another mentor who has guided me from the day I first started writing has enough talent in her words she not only writes for herself, she’s a ghostwriter. Plus, she paints.

Not all talent involves painting. There are fantastic types of crafting out there from woodwork to stitchery to creating gardens. A sweet friend and mentor does wonderful crafting, enough that she’s getting ready to open her own shop! Everybody has their own niche of what they do best couple, using these talents as a release from the stress writing can bring.

I also have a few hidden talents. I love to do needlepoint.20180526_091940 When I’m not fighting with the cats over the colorful yarn, I can create nice pictures. Of course, that’s more patience than talent.

 I think most of you know I garden.ad 2016b This is my ‘real’ profession- and as the designer I use with flowers and foliage to create beautiful displays that people can enjoy. The mixing of textures using life plans to create a garden is very relaxing and rewarding for me.

And these are just a few of the many talents I’ve heard of other authors doing!

Chime in and let us know what your talent is.

It’s always fun to get to know each other, isn’t it?

www.VictoriaLKWilliams.com

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Author- know your Characters!

On By Victoria LK WilliamsIn Reading, Writing, Habits, sharing, knowledge, mentoring, Uncategorized, writing habits, writing questionsLeave a comment

How well do you know your characters?

Are they close, like a best friend, or are they a vague notion on a piece of paper?

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The characters will determine the intimacy of how much you get to know them. Minor characters are like ships passing in the night, and there may not be a reason to go in depth about what makes them tick. But, for your protagonist and the sidekick it’s essential. Even for the antagonist is essential – almost as much as the protagonist.
Although you can’t put everything  about your characters down on paper, you should know them. Be familiar with them as you are with your family-even better. After all, they are your creation and you need to understand how and why your character reacts to something you are plotting.
Now granted, just like human beings, your characters will change in time as you go from book 1 to book 10. They must, or they will become flat and boring. A perfect example of this is Harry Potter. If the young wizard had stayed the same frighten boy living under the stairs, you would have never read the rest of the series to learn of all the wonderful adventures (and dangers) that he faced while fighting the evil Lord Voldemort.
Expect that your characters will grow, just as you grow as a writer. Knowing your characters inside and out isn’t just knowing they have blond hair and blue eyes, or they have a southern accent.

Knowing your character involves understanding how they react to situations we, the writer, put them into. How will your hero react to criticism or complement? How will your heroine react when faced with danger or romance?
As a writer, I think we have to know ourselves in order to answer these questions about our characters. Be honest; isn’t a part of us in each one of our characters?

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There are always different character profiles and different ways to come up with them.   Some great computer programs are available to  help you  keep track of all the details. Or perhaps a good old-fashioned piece of paper in a notebook. There you can jot down the traits of your character, both physical and physiological.
I’ve found character casting is a lot of fun. This is where you find pictures of people you think would be like your character, not only in looks but in actions. I love to use pictures of actors from old shows I loved. I remember what the actor’s charter was like, and that’s the picture I borrow for my casting.

I’ve seen or used all of these methods. I feel the ones which work best ask questions about your characters, causing you think beyond the obvious. These methods don’t simply have you filling in the blanks about how tall is your character or their eye color. Instead, they asked the questions about what is your characters favorite childhood memory, what is your character afraid of.
See the difference between the two types of questions? Even if you don’t write everything down, I think a good writer needs this information back of her head.   Putting it down on paper just keeps a clear.
So, let me be noisy and ask you this; is your relationship with your character like a first date, where you’re just trying to find out things about them to decide if there will be a second date? Or does it feel as if you’re in a 50-year-old marriage and you can finish each other’s sentences?

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If you’re still in the dating stage, I suggest you ask more questions. You need to know your characters; you might need to reign them in one day when they take your story in a different direction. If you don’t know how they will react, your story will get away from you. When it gets out of your control, then how will you be able to keep the reader interested?
How do you get to know your character? Share your methods with us.

www.VictoriaLKWilliams.com

Hear that Whistle Blow…

On By Victoria LK WilliamsIn Free Writing, inspiration, memories, trains, habbits,Leave a comment

The warning gates are going down and cars are stopped. I see the man in front of me throw his arms up in dismay; the train is coming. And the whistle blows as the engineer sounds a warning blast.

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There’s something about the sound of a train whistle reaches deep into my soul and grabs hold. I don’t know if it’s the tone of loneliness or the promise of unexpected journeys the train may hold for its passenger, but there’s something that connects with me.
Perhaps because I come from a family that has a long history with the railroad. My father, my grandfather, even a few of my uncles, worked as railroad men, spending many years jumping from the rails to a car. They worked both on the rails and in the rail yard, day in and day out. Railroading is a hard industry and dangerous, but I didn’t realize that when I was a child. I just understood my dad was a rail-man.

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My grandfather would sometimes come and get me and take me to play on the train and I’d climb up into the caboose or riding around in the rail-yard. It might have only been for ten or fifteen minutes, but to this little girl it was an exciting adventure.
As I became an adult, the railroad seem to follow me. Every home I lived in with my husband- from our tiniest first apartment to the home we live in now -we have been within hearing distance of that whistle. Reassuring me, perhaps it gives me a sense home.
I’ve never considered the sound of a train to be irritating or a nuisance. I can remember the Realtor apologizing for showing us a house close to the sound of the tracks. Little did she know it was a selling point for me.

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There is a sense of Americana when you think of the railroad. Hobos, with their belongings tied up in a red handkerchief, tied to a stick springs to mind first. But there is more to the railroad than that. The expansion of rail stations and endless miles of track are part of what opened the western United States to settlement. Goods and supplies work their way from one coast to the other, connecting our country. Great men worked to expand the railroad, even to the south, like Henry Flagler. Much of our countries history results from the railroads.

Today that whistle sounds for safety reasons, but it means more, too. It’s like a cry to the wanderer in your soul. Do you answer it? Maybe. One goal I would love to achieve is to drive out West to take one of those long train trips through the Rocky Mountains. Nothing could be more romantic or exciting.

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I’ve even used railroads in my writing. If you’ve ever read my Sisters Station Series, you’ll know it centers on an old railroad station in a small northern town. The two sisters are revitalizing the station, giving it a new purpose for today’s world. It’s not a mystery, but rather a sweet story about two sisters with a goal, getting to know their new home and community. And as I’m sure you realize, things can happen in a small town which might take you by surprise.
Well, the crossings gates are going up, the train has passed by, and it’s time to continue on my way. Going in the opposite direction of the train on my way to work while the train it goes on its way to new adventures.

What direction will your next bit of writing take you?

www.VictoriaLKWilliams.com

Hello!

On By Victoria LK WilliamsIn Cozy Mysteries, inspiration, Reading, Writing, HabitsLeave a comment

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Yes, it’s still me, Victoria LK Williams. And you’re at the right place-my blog. 

It was time for an up-grade and a new look. I’ve even changed the blog title (just a bit).

There is still lots of tweaking and more to add; a work in progress!

But I didn’t want to wait until it’s perfect (because it really never is-things are constantly changing, aren’t they?) because I wanted to announce that the news book in the storm Voices Series is now available for purchase!

You can also purchase it from many other outlets through here:

https://www.books2read.com/StormVoices-2

Please let me know if you enjoy the book, and don’t forget to leave a review (author’s love reviews!)

You can find out what my next project is by visiting my website.

www.VictoriaLKWilliams.com

Until next time, happy reading!