Monday, May 5, 2014

Fun Rules for Writers

Writing is an odyssey.    
For some it is a pleasurable wandering.
For others it is an arduous and deliberate trek.  
The writing process often develops into a longer, more serious quest than intended, but the end results can be highly rewarding.
In any case, it helps to seek out ways to improve performance and in the process lighten the pressures and anxieties commonly associated with the conditions of writing.  And if a little cheerful relief comes from establishing a few fun and clever guidelines for the trade, then all the more reason to smile and read on....


I believe those addicted to the pen can relate to my following rules for writing:  


#1 - Don't listen to anyone but the voices in your head.  
       They know how the story is supposed to go.


#2 - If a word you need doesn't exist, make it up.  Readers will intuit what it means; most won't realize it's not a real word.  
       Some examples I've personally penned: 
       chameleonesque, selfishism, hobbitish, stompled, unwakeable, unicorned.


#3 - Following two-thousand literary agents on Twitter will result in none of them following you.


#4 - A few very terrible words that writers should never really use to live a suddenly awesome happily ever after.
  • very
  • really
  • suddenly
  • that
  • awesome
  • amazing
  • terrible
  • deadline
  • sequel
  • once upon a time
  • happily ever after
  • a dark and stormy night
  • as soon as I finish this
  • plagiarized


#5 - Accept that you are mental.  There is evidence that this is true.
  • You chose to be a writer of your own free will.
  • You make up bizarre worlds inhabited by extraordinary creatures who face unrealistic odds and challenges daily (if not hourly) the whole while engaged in clever character banter.  
  • The before-mentioned worlds live and breathe in your head, abusing an excessive amount of plot twists... even when you're not writing. 
  • People constantly look at you funny, wondering how your brain works.


#6 - Memorize these responses.  Recite them as needed.
  • I thought deadlines were fictionallike a death curse conjured up by the god of the underworld.
  • It's a story.  It's not real.  (Make sure to cross your fingers when you say this.)
  • I would love to donate a piece for free, but then the characters in my head might start screaming that I'm neglecting them, and I can't afford medication for the migraines.
  • No, I am not just staring at a blank screen.  It's called exercising your mental muscle before the marathon. 
  • The almighty agent forced me *at sword point* to edit that part.
  • You wouldn't understand; you're not a writer.


#7 - Never comment on negative reviews (without first logging out and then logging in under your super secret identity.)



#8 - Always jot down inspiration the moment you have it.  This is a must!  Like a bolt of lightning, a muse moment will flash brilliant and then be gone... for~ev~er.
Here are common articles you can write with when normal note-taking devices are unavailable:  
  • crayons, paint, coal, ashes, condiments in squirt bottles, dark juice or jello (and a paint brush), melted chocolate, frosting, blood
Here are articles that can be used as parchment in a pinch:
  • napkins, toilet paper, newspapers, business cards, menus, a child's coloring book (she doesn't need it as much as you), candy wrappers, tortillas, bread slices, an arm, a hand, a leg, a sleeve, eyeglass lenses, book jackets, the back of your date's shirt.

#9 - Publishers, editors, agents, filmmakers, readers, and other writers are not your best friends.  Your best friends live in your head.  Everyone else is out to get you.


#10 - Write about what you knowotherwise look it up on the internet.


#11 - Construct personality-trait outlines for every character in your book. Include descriptions of style and appearance, mannerisms, frequently uttered expressions, and individual tics or quirks. Ask friends and family members to behave like these characters for the purpose of establishing realism. Call it research.


#12 - If everyone but you esteems your written work as excellent, it is not a success. If no one but you esteems your written work as excellent, it is not a success. If characters from your book ask you to read the finished work over and over again, applauding after each reading, consider it a success.


#13 - Every rule for writing adhered to by outstanding authors has a completely opposite rule supported by equally outstanding authors. (To deal with this, refer to rule #1.)

Thursday, April 24, 2014

10 Helps for Achieving Your Goals

We all desire to become more than we are.  
We dream of reaching higher pinnacles, achieving greater success, experiencing the thrill of accomplishment.  And so we set goals, having perfect intentions of sacrificing whatever it takes to reach them.  The truth is, setting goals is the easy part; however, paying the day to day tolls necessary to see them realized can prove trying and discouraging.  To help make the journey less daunting, I've outlined ten points of advice combined with a few original quotesmotivation for anyone up to the challenge of chasing their dreams.

#1.  Take on less.
          In the case of accomplishing any task, less is best.  If you're serious about reaching a goal, a single objective needs to be your focus.  Pick only one (maybe two) and keep it at the forefront of your mind.  Once you attain your goal, then start another!
"Just pick a goal and stick to it―no big complicated secret."
~Richelle E. Goodrich 

#2.  Post your goal(s).
          Write down specifically what it is you want to accomplish and then display it in a spot where you will see and read it everydayperhaps on the bathroom mirror or on the refrigerator door or above your computer monitor.  This posted note is a visual reminder of where your thoughts and energies should be concentrated.  'Out of sight, out of mind', they say; whereas...
"In constant view keeps mightily true an honest resolve to do."
~Richelle E. Goodrich

#3.  Ask for help.
          You have multiple resources for support, advice, and assistance at your disposal; take advantage of them!  First of all, research the subject.  Use the internet, libraries, chat groups, and forums to hunt down helpful hints as to how to accomplish the set goal.  Secondly, talk to friends and family and request their support and encouragement.  And third, don't forget to pray.  Asking for divine guidance and assistancebelieving that there are powers outside your sight and understanding that can and will help youprovides added strength and confidence.
"Prayer, faith, and vision, plus real effort too. Blend them together for one potent brew; the magical spell to your dreams coming true."
~Richelle E. Goodrich

#4.  Step forward daily.
          Vow to do somethinganythingeveryday to get you closer to reaching your goal.  If time is short, your schedule insanely busy, don't allow it to prevent you from moving forward with your aspirations.  Write at least one sentence in your journal.  Jog in place for sixty seconds.  Make a quick phone call.  Read one page of that book.  Sketch a line on that masterpiece in progress.  Get the picture?  You don't have to make bounds and leaps each and every day, but you do have to move forward, even an inch at a time.  You must do SOMETHING daily because... 
"Doing nothing accomplishes nothing, gains nothing, changes nothing, and wins nothing. You have to make a move."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
 
#5.  Make seconds count.
          Yes, I know, life is busy.  It is.  For all of us.  And yet it seems that the busiest people find ways to accomplish more than those who possess the time to do things.  Therefore, don't be lazy; use rather than waste those precious scraps of time.  It takes only seconds to write an additional sentence in a developing novel.  In just a minute you could fit in a set of push ups.  A phone call could be made while walking to the mailbox and back.  Find ways to use those small chunks of time, and you'll be astounded at how quickly a-bit-here and a-bit-there adds up!
"An accumulation of pennies is a fortune. Day-to-day practice is perfection. A dream realized is nothing more than many steps taken toward the borders of once-impossible."
~Richelle E. Goodrich

#6.  Accept failures as stepping stones.
          The difference between people who succeed and those who don't is largely their understanding of the process.  Success isn't entirely constructed of a bunch of minor successes.  The truth is, success normally includes many little failures.  Learn from those flops and bungles.  Don't allow them to discourage or defeat you.  Stop seeing failed attempts as brick walls barring your progress.  Instead, view them as stepping stones on the road to ultimate success.
"The key to success is having no qualms about failure."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
 
#7.  Focus on the Goal

          One of the greatest enemies of success is distraction.  Life requires your attention, pulling you in diverse directions.  And in order to be a responsible individual you must attend to those various demands.  Often, though, this allows personal goals to be shoved aside, eventually pushed to the rear where ambitions dwindle until entirely snuffed out, forgotten.  The next New Year's Eve then finds you reflecting over past resolutions, regretting lost opportunities.  In order to achieve a desired goal it must remain in your constant focus.  That doesn't mean making it a priority over imperative issues, but it does mean giving it daily thought and attention.   
“Goals are my north star. My compass. The map that guides me along the road I wish to travel. Goals are motivations with wind in their sails—they carry me forward despite the storms.” ~Richelle E. Goodrich


#8.  Don't envy.
          Get out of the destructive habit of comparing yourself to others.  You are you.  You will travel your own road to success, and the journey will be uniquely yours.  The best way to avoid discouragement, disappointment, and loss of confidence is to never compare yourself to anyone else.  Look only at how far you've come from where you started out.  Chart your improvement day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month.  So what if so-and-so runs a mile in 5 minutes?  That's none of your concern.  The fact that you performed better today than yesterday is what counts.  The only reason to spend valuable time looking at others' accomplishments is to learn from them.  Learn, then move on. Celebrate when others succeed as you will when you succeed.  Don't succumb to envy!
"The only ship you can steer in this ocean is the one you're sailing."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
 
#9.  Believe in yourself.
          You can do it.  This is true, period.  Don't wait for someone to tell you you're good enough.  Don't wait for outside assurances.  Don't listen to the critics or so-called experts.  This is about youyour goal, your dream.  You can do it.
"What do you mean I have to wait for someone's approval? I'm someone. I approve. So I give myself permission to move forward with my full support!"
~Richelle E. Goodrich
 
#10.  Never, ever, ever give up.

          Understand right here and now that quitting is not an option.
          It's not.
          Don't even think about it.
"Don't ever give up. Don't ever give in. Don't ever stop trying. Don't ever sell out. And if you find yourself succumbing to one of the above for a brief moment, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, whisper a prayer, and start where you left off. But never, ever, ever give up."
~Richelle E. Goodrich

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#richelle #goals #resolutions #newyear



Thursday, April 10, 2014

Same Great Story―Second Release!

Prepare to return to the beginning...
Re-read the adventures of Queen Eena in this newly-released, second edition of 

By
Richelle E. Goodrich

The second version has been revised and enhanced with new dialogue not included in the first!  See the cover upgrade below!


Experience adventure, peril, mystery, fun, new races, old legends and  budding romance in the first volume of The Harrowbethian Saga.  Read the introductory chapters here!  


Synopsis:

Sevenah Williams lives a quiet farm life with her parents and best friend, Ian. Life is good and predictable until the unexpected yanks her from the only reality she remembers. Forced from home, her tragic and forgotten past is pieced together revealing that Sevenah is in fact heir to the throne of Harrowbeth; she is the last living of royal blood able to don a peculiar heirloom necklace. Given the new name, Eena, she and Ian set off for a new home, dodging nightmarish enemies in the process. All the while great powers granted by the enchanted necklace slowly emerge and develop.

Eena is assisted by militia sent to retrieve their queen, commanded by the bossy and intimidating Captain Derian. Though Ian and Derian endeavor to protect her, Eena is abducted by a charming, silver-tongued man. She finds herself forced to choose sides in a civil war she hardly understands. Which rival has the power to convince her of his nobleness and gain her ultimate support?

“You can capture this body of mine, take away my freedom and enslave me. 
You may even have the power to capture my soul and sentence me to the realm of eternal darkness. 
But my dreams you cannot touch. They are my will―the very essence of who I am. 
In them I laugh.
In them I cry.
In them I love.
And in them…….I live.
My dreams are untouchable and unceasing.” 

Friday, April 4, 2014

Today―A Poem

Does this ever happen to you? 
You're in the bathroom getting ready for the day when a poem starts chanting in your head and you have to grab a pen to write it down because it just keeps repeating itself? Yeahthought so. These words wouldn't leave me alone this morning; I thought I'd share them...


TODAY
"Today is the day that good things come your way and then bad things to suck all the fun from your play.

Today is the day that you stub every toe, blow your nose on a sleeve thinking no one will know.

Today is the day the sun bursts from the clouds and then sunbeams rain down as you smile and sing loud.

Today is the day that you meet someone new. You'll tickle his fancy―he'll tickle yours too.

Today you spend beaming, you'll sigh with a frown. You'll buoy up all happy and cry when let down.

Today is the day you will figure things out, 'cause today is called life and that's what life's about.”

― Richelle E. Goodrich

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Smile Anyway

A book designed to be used on a day-to-day basis.  Curious?
by 
Richelle E. Goodrich


Smile Anyway is a collection of my original quotes, verse, and the occasional grumbling. The book includes a profound thought for every day of the year plus three bonus quotes, including the popular following:

"Anyone who takes the time to be kind is beautiful."

“There are many who don't wish to sleep for fear of nightmares. Sadly, there are many who don't wish to wake for the same fear.”

“Gratitude doesn't change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.”

“Just pick a goal and stick to it―no big complicated secret.”

“Walk with me for a while, my friend—you in my shoes, I in yours—and then let us talk.”

“Happiness doesn't always come in pink. Learn to appreciate the rainbow.”
This book was created to inspire and motivate individuals daily. It is your thought for the day in hand, and it includes a saying for leap year.

Smile Anyway is available in PAPERBACK  NOOK  KINDLE  KOBO & iTUNES.

And your thought for the day...

"Laugh as if it's funny, embrace as if it's love, and smile anyway."
~ Richelle E. Goodrich




Saturday, March 1, 2014

Author Spotlight: Mignon Supnet

This month, I would like to introduce a young writer who has published a non-fiction book that will speak to your spirit. Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, or just spending time sharpening her author skills, Mignon Supnet has found heartfelt reward in the journey. Read on!


- Hi, Mignon!  Would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself?  Where were you born and raised?   

Hi Richelle.  Thank you for having me here.
I was born in Philippines and I did most of my growing up in Sparks, Nevada.


- How did you get your start in writing?  Was it a life-long passion or a more recently developed talent?

I’ve always enjoyed writing.  For the longest time, writing was a way I could escape, by pouring my heart into my journals. I found that for me, writing was easier than speaking.  Words would flow from pen to paper and it felt like a release. 

But… I think that as an author, my writing is still developing.  I consider myself a complete newbie and I’m finding that it’s not just about putting words together and writing whatever you want, there is a craft to writing for the masses and I’m busy learning and sharpening those skills.


- What genre and audience do you typically write for? 

My first book was non-fiction—about Spirituality.  It’s a self-account of my journey, but also a reference for other people finding themselves waking up to a new… perspective J.  


- Could you give us a list of your books and a short description? 

It’ll be a quick list J  I just have one so far.  Here it is!

Spirit 101: An Overview for Beginner Seekers into the World of New Age Spirituality

The book is an account of my experiences and what I’ve learned going through this process of ‘waking up.’ The shifts I’ve been through have been so pivotal, but also laced with a lot of frustration that I wanted to share what I’ve learned  and discovered. 
My hope for the book is to make the journey easier for someone going through the same things I did.


Where can this title be found for purchase?



- Since you’ve put your work out there for others to read and enjoy, what has been your most rewarding experience?

I got an email from a reader and she thanked me for writing the book.  She shared that she’d also lost her father and could understand and relate to everything I was talking about in the book. 

Her words were so heartfelt, and I was so deeply touched. It felt like an angel had been sent to me. It really lifted me up during a time when I was seriously questioning my abilities…  


- Who would you cite as an influence on your writing style?   Do you have a best-loved novel?

I love JK Rowling’s writing and I wish I could write like her.

 I completely fell in love with Harry Potter and his entire world.  I love how I felt I was part of everything in that story.  I wasn’t just reading it, I was experiencing everything—the sights, the smells, the awe and wonder of it all.  It had me going on many sleepless nights trying to finish ‘just one more page.’

As far as influence, I would say that my biggest influence is my best friend—NANCY BROOKS.  She’s an author as well and she’s always encouraging me about my own voice and style. She also coaches me, shows me tips, and gets me past my writing blocks by acting as my sounding board.  She’s awesome!


- Any projects planned for the near future that you can share to perk our interest?

As of now, I’m taking a step away from non-fiction writing.  However, I do have this nagging want to do an Angel book in the future, but the time isn’t quite right yet.

In the meantime, I’ve entered into fiction writing and I’m having a blast.  My mind is constantly on overtime thinking about the story I’m building and I’m loving having this other world to go to.  It is so much fun!


- I have to throw in my own curious question; do you have a favorite quote? 

Someone once told me that ‘everything we’re going through now, is only to get us prepared for our better future.’ I think about this advice/quote a lot and it has gotten me through some difficult times.

The quote is reassuring and keeps me going.

All the good, bad, and ugly that I’ve seen and experienced are the very things that will take me into my better future and I can’t wait!     


- Thanks so much for your time, Mignon, and best of luck with your writing endeavours.  Is there a way for any interested parties to keep informed about your accomplishments as an author?  Do you maintain a website or an author blog?

 Ooh, yes. Thank you for asking.  My primary site is Books, Blogs, and Bits where I like to post author interviews and other highlights. Eventually I may start to include reviews, but I just haven’t had a lot of time to read, now that I’m spending most of my free time, writing.
I really believe in supporting other authors and artists of all mediums and I’m honoured whenever I can feature an interview.

I also have Mignon’s Place, where I post more personal thoughts and experiences and where I like to give out free downloads whenever I can J

Here are the links:
Books, Blogs, and Bits:  http://books.iggylife.com
Mignon’s Place:  http://iggylife.com


- Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Becoming a writer has… I can’t explain it, but it feels like, I’ve grown and come alive in ways I didn’t even realize that I needed/wanted.  I have had awesome opportunities like this interview, that I would have never had before!

If there is anyone else out there, contemplating becoming a writer, an author, or pursuing another dreams, do yourself a favour and listen to your heart. Give your dreams a chance and see what happens.   


I just want to say THANK YOU.  This has been such a great experience!
________________________________________________________






Goodreads Book Giveaway

Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave by Richelle E. Goodrich

Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave

by Richelle E. Goodrich

Giveaway ends April 10, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

Friday, January 31, 2014

Dandelions Book Promo



In this fictional tale, Annabelle Fancher, a girl of elementary school age, struggles to cope with a cruel, alcoholic father. By means of storybooks and dreaming characters to life from popular fairytales, she manages to create make-believe moments of happiness in the midst of a harsh reality.

School is the only place Annabelle interacts socially, where a few individuals suspecting her circumstances attempt to reach out to the wary girl. But it is an imagined friend whom she turns to repeatedly for comfort and kindness. When his ghostly form appears before her during waking hours - his voice augmenting the hallucination - it becomes a struggle to keep reality and pretend from blurring boundaries.

Her choice, it seems, is to succumb to madness, and happily so, or embrace her cruel reality.

Available at Amazon.com, Kobo.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or through any EBM Machine.

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