Interview with Haley Addison: 2024 Spring Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up

Tuesday, November 05, 2024
Haley’s Bio:
Haley’s writing career started back in third grade when she used her classroom journal time to write about Greek myths and time travel adventures. Her first novel, White Picket Fence, was self-published in 2019 while she was working on her Applied Mathematics degree. Haley works in the data and consulting sphere, but her heart will always belong to storytelling. She lives wherever military service sends her husband, and currently resides in Albuquerque with their very fluffy cat. 

If you haven't done so already, check out Haley's award-winning story "Satellite" and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing in the Spring 2024 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story? 

Haley: The “lonely space” trope has always been a favorite of mine. I love the contrast between the infinity of space and the infinity of the human condition, the big and the small all wrapped up in each other. This idea of a global catastrophe wiping out all of humanity except for a few astronauts tucked away in the safety of space fascinated me. For a while, nothing would change for them because their space agencies sent them up with all the supplies they would need for the duration of their mission, but eventually those supplies would run out, and there would be no one left on Earth to help them. The tragedy of watching your home be destroyed without the ability to do anything about it, all under the ticking clock of your own demise – I couldn’t help but explore it! 

WOW: Your enthusiasm for it is palpable, and you’ve crafted an entertaining and thought-provoking story. What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece? 

Haley: For once, I wrote this story without an ending in mind. I’m a big outliner, so this was definitely a new approach for me. The ending lines are probably some of the best I’ve ever written, but it surprised me when I wrote it. I think that freedom to let my mind fully explore an idea without locking myself into a rigid story structure really elevated my writing, especially for this short story format. 

WOW: That’s exciting that you were able to approach this piece in a new way and get such quality results. In what ways do you see your work in data and consulting intersecting with your love of storytelling? 

Haley: My job is very left-brained, techy work, but I’ve learned that data tells stories too. Most of my job is pulling out the stories from the data and communicating them to our clients in a way that matters to them. Even though I’m not a fulltime author (yet), in a way, I’m already a storyteller fulltime! 

WOW: That’s an excellent and useful connection to data-driven work and storytelling. What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it? 

Haley: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. My mother-in-law is an avid reader and was very eager to share her latest find with me! 

WOW: If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be and why? 

Haley: As a young writer, I struggled with getting carried away with stories, so many of my early works went unfinished. I would want to tell myself that while it’s okay to abandon a story that’s not working, take it as a learning opportunity for next time. Evaluate what didn’t work and spend a little more time daydreaming about the middles and endings to your stories, not just the beginnings. 

WOW: Great advice, and relatable for many writers out there. Anything else you’d like to add? 

Haley: This was such a fun experience and a great break from the romantasy novel I’m working on right now. I look forward to entering again soon! 

WOW: We look forward to reading more of your work! Thank you for sharing your story and your inspiring responses with us. Happy writing! 


Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes sports books by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes and offers developmental editing and ghostwriting services to partially fund the press. Connect on Twitter @greenmachine459.
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A Hush at Midnight by Marlene M. Bell: Blog Tour & Tour-Wide Giveaway

Monday, November 04, 2024
A Hust at Midnight by Marlene Bell
Need a little mystery in your life? We're excited to announce the blog tour for A Hush at Midnight by Marlene Bell. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season with this Hallmark-style mystery - a little romance, a beautiful setting, a lovable Corgi, and a tricky puzzle to unravel.

Don’t miss the tour-wide giveaway! Marlene is giving away a Grand Prize Package of A Hush at Midnight, Wildflowers Across America by former First Lady, Ladybird Johnson, a bag of wildflower seed, and a $50 Amazon card. Second and Third prize winners will each receive an autographed copy of A Hush at Midnight

About the Book:

Celebrity chef Laura Harris dwells on the horror of finding her mentor’s body in the groundskeeper’s disheveled bed—pillow and bedding half covering her open eyes—purple bruising around her mouth. A grisly snapshot in time revealing the Texas woman’s last moments during her attack. The elderly matriarch from the small town of Stenburg has left the physical world, and Laura is shattered.

She is catapulted headlong into the pursuit of a casual executioner, one bold enough to come and go from the crime scene with ease, dropping bizarre crumb trails designed to mock the deceased. But Laura herself doesn’t go unnoticed. As she digs deeper, she is followed and bombarded by warnings to leave the state.

When the victim’s attorney informs Laura that she’s to inherit the entire Stenburg fortune, the last act of kindness has made Laura the main person of interest in the investigation. Message by message, Laura is methodically taunted by someone so deranged and driven they’ll do whatever it takes to dislodge Laura from Texas – permanently.

Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing (October 1, 2024)
ISBN: 979-8-9863409-6-8
ISBN: 979-8-9863409-5-1 
Print length: 350 pages

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon. Be sure to add it to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Marlene M. Bell:

Marlene M. Bell has never met a sheep she didn’t like. As a personal touch for her readers, they often find these wooly creatures visiting her international romantic mysteries and children’s books as characters or subject matter. 

Marlene is an accomplished artist and photographer who takes pride in entertaining fans on multiple levels with her creativity. Marlene’s award-winning Annalisse series boasts Best Mystery honors for all installments including these: IP Best Regional Australia/New Zealand, Global Award Best Mystery, and Chanticleer’s International Mystery and Mayhem shortlist for Copper Waters, the fourth mystery in the series. Her children's picture book, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team!, written primarily for younger kids, is based on true events from the Bell’s East Texas sheep ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of belonging and unconditional love between a little girl and her lamb.

You can find her online at: https://www.marlenembell.com/
X/Twitter: @ewephoric

--Interview by Jodi M. Webb

WOW: Congratulations on the publication of A Hush at Midnight, your first standalone mystery. What inspired you to write A Hush at Midnight?

Marlene: Writing a standalone brought me back to the beginning of my book journey—a reminder how I’d veered too far from my early characterization skills. A little history… 

The idea of an Annalisse standalone book originated in the romance genre fourteen years ago with a draft full of subplots suitable for multiple books. It wasn’t until the second draft and finding a savvy developmental editor, that I understood the entire novel required a severe restructuring and its many subplots made into separate installments for a book series. I had too many things going on in the story confusing the main plot. The genre too, needed direction. Sticking to one focus instead of thriller, mystery, and romance all rolled into one. What began as a single romantic novel, took eight long years to materialize as Stolen Obsession, the first book in the Annalisse series. I settled on Romantic Suspense as the main genre for the saga.

Research was the main task. How to write fiction in a way that readers would enjoy. It took a year of bootcamp classes and purchasing how-to books on what to expect for each genre before I could get back to finishing that first novel. 

WOW: Sounds like quite the journey for your first book. So what made you put aside your series for A Hush at Midnight?

Marlene: By the time reviews began to trickle in with Copper Waters, the fourth book in my series, it exposed a weakness I’d developed unknowingly. Readers were noticing a complacency with details in familiar characters, so I created a challenge for myself to fix the problem. To write a single book unrelated to the series.

A Hush at Midnight was the mechanism to hone skills I had temporarily misplaced. Writing a standalone brought me back to the basics. A place where I could create different character quirks and circumstances in a locale unrelated to the Northeastern US and outside the country like the Annalisse series. I chose to write A Hush at Midnight in the state of Texas, where we reside.

WOW: What an amazing way to improve your writing! In addition to Texas, you’ve had books set in spots around the world. Are these all places you’ve lived or visited? 

Marlene: The areas I’ve written about, (with the exception of Texas and California,) are places I’d like to visit from my giant bucket list. The method used for researching and writing about other states and international countries always include coffee table and travel books for each location. Comparing notes and verifying the author’s information also plays a part. Photographers who have actually been to areas I plan to write about in each novel have given me the tools to offer accurate mind’s eye visuals and narrative to my books.

I decided long ago not to use general internet searches for locale information to keep my stories as accurate as possible. The internet is a maze and mixture of ideas and fact. A good example of a mine field is Wikipedia. I no longer use the tool because it is a collection of opinion and information from many perspectives. 

WOW: You contact so many people before you write word one. What about when your manuscript is complete, do you have beta readers or editors to help you refine your manuscripts?

Marlene: My first novel included tons of beta readers. Unfortunately, everyone held a different opinion regarding leading men and female protagonists. Too many bakers can spoil the dessert, I quickly found out. Between my beta readers and what literary agents were saying about my work in critique sessions, I endlessly changed my manuscript to suit comments—and made myself miserable. Professional editors, on the other hand, are vital to publishing a clean and enjoyable product.

There were a few trials with editors in the early books because every author’s style requires the right touch. Editor styles vary a great deal. My short and punchy style had suffered under the first copyeditor I chose from ten other editing samples. My already shortened prose became a jerky mess of stilted dialog and missing action between characters, and I never saw it, content to allow her vision for the story. All manuscript changes were made to her liking because I trusted her expertise and didn’t understand how to work with an editor. In 2022, I addressed areas in Stolen Obsession to smooth out the prose, vowing never again to allow my work to become someone else’s vision.   

Today, I hire many editors. A developmental-type from a literary agent I met at a writer’s retreat, various copyeditors depending upon the storyline, and proofreaders—at least two passes by different people. Hiring editors with experience in the genre is expensive, but worth every dollar. Oh, and I love my publicist, too! Writing for me is a team effort.

WOW: So many times writers are portrayed as locked away toiling alone on their manuscript. I love your idea that writing is a team effort. Your writing includes a suspense series, cozy mystery standalone, children’s picture book and memoir. Do you enjoy the challenge of trying new genres? 

Marlene: I do love genre hopping. 

I’m thankful to be blessed with natural abilities, but the written word has not come easy for me. Drawing, painting, general art projects, and sheep photography are as normal as breathing. Writing novels is the hardest task I’ve ever undertaken. Reader experiences are subjective based on an individual’s likes and dislikes. Most writers have no idea there are 8,200 new books published every day! The odds of being seen in the sea of authors takes time to grow and develop. With each new release, it’s my job to improve the entertainment value of my work and gain visibility in a saturated market. 

Art and photography are visual and much more forgiving to the creator. It wasn’t until our 4H club parents asked me to write a book on how to raise sheep, that becoming an author entered into the scheme of things. That single exercise has led me to the world of writing mysteries and the occasional children’s book. If the 4H club hadn’t asked me to write the little sheep book/journal, I doubt that I’d be in the publishing world beyond our sheep website. Sometimes events happen for a reason!

WOW: And it’s turned out wonderfully for you. So, what’s up next? 

Marlene: A Hush at Midnight gave me the break from the Annalisse series I needed and the opportunity to take my own refresher course on writing fiction and characterization. The fifth book in the Annalisse series has begun in outline form and I’m pondering another children’s book featuring our Horned Dorset ewe, Harley. Much farther down the road…

It might be time for the Annalisse series to turn more “thrilleresque” in the next installment. Readers are flocking to thrillers these days. Perhaps my extensive research on serial killers will come in handy for the new book!

WOW: On one hand a children’s book about a sheep named Harley. On the other hand a thriller that makes use of your research of serial killers.  Marlene, no one could ever call you predictable.

A Hust at Midnight by Marlene M. Bell Blog Tour

--Blog Tour Calendar

November 4th @ The Muffin
Join WOW as we celebrate the launch of Marlene Bell's blog tour of A Hush at Midnight. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book

November 5th @ Boys' Mom Reads
Author Marlene Bell shares the beautiful blooms of Texas, several which appear in her latest mystery A Hush at Midnight.

November 6th @ Journalling Joy
Author Marlene Bell is sharing a guest post with her thoughts on being an independent author.

November 7th @ Book Reviews from an Avid Reader
A Hush at Midnight: come for the review, stay for the giveaway!

November 8th @ Michelle Cornish
Don't miss today's review of the Texas mystery A Hush at Midnight.

November 9th @ Silver's Reviews
Read an interview with Marlene Bell's latest sleuth. Plus, a chance to win books and prizes in A Hush at Midnight giveaway.

November 11th @ Reading Is My Remedy
Have fun with a taste of Texas compliments of author Marlene Bell

November 12th @ Author Anthony Avina
Need a helping hand? Marlene Bell shares her advice for new writers.

November 13th @ Finished Pages
Have you ever wondered about the challenges of writing a mystery series? Author Marlene Bell writes about her experience writing the Annalisse series.

November 14th @ Knotty Needle
Searching for a new mystery? Read Judy's review of A Hush at Midnight by Marlene Bell.

November 16th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Learn more about Marlene Bell in today's interview.

November 18th @  Life According to Jamie
Learn what Jamie thinks of the mystery A Hush at Midnight.

November 18th @ Lit World Reviews
Learn author Marlene Bell's tips on Building an Advanced Reader Team and read a review of her latest mystery: A Hush at Midnight.

November 20th @ Create Write Now
Writing journeys are often surprising. Marlene Bell traces her journey with From Mail Order Entrepreneur to Published Author.

November 21st @ Words by Webb
Jodi shares her thoughts on Marlene Bell's latest book: A Hush at Midnight.

November 22nd @ A Storybook World
Forget about staying in your lane. Author Marlene Bell tells the advantages of writing in multiple genres.

November 25th @ Chapter Break
Learn more about mystery author Marlene Bell and her latest book A Hush at Midnight.

November 26th @ What Is That Book About
Enter to win Marlene Bell's newest mystery: A Hush at Midnight.

November 29th @ Word Magic
Need some Thanksgiving fun? Relax with a good book: A Hush at Midnight by Marlene Bell.

November 30th @ A Wonderful World of Words
The spotlight's on A Hush at Midnight with author Marlene Bell posting Tales from her Sheep Ranch

December 3rd @ Writer Advice
Look behind the curtain at an author's life with mystery writer Marlene Bell.

December 5th @ Some Thoughts - Everything Creativity
Kaecey will be interviewing Marlene Bell, author of the cozy mystery A Hush at Midnight.

December 8th @ Some Thoughts - Everything Creativity
Kaecey will be reviewing A Hush at Midnight.

A Hush at Midnight Cozy Mystery and $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

***** COZY MYSTERY & GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY *****

Enter for a chance to win a copy of A Hush at Midnight by Marlene M. Bell and more! Don’t miss the tour-wide giveaway! 

The Grand Prize Package includes and autographed copy of A Hush at Midnight, Wildflowers Across America by former First Lady, Ladybird Johnson, a bag of wildflower seed and a $50 Amazon card. Two more winners will win a copy of the book. The giveaway ends December 15 at 11:59 pm CT. We will draw a winner the next day via Rafflecopter and follow up via email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Interview with Julie Clark: Q4 2024 Creative Nonfiction Contest First Place Winner

Sunday, November 03, 2024
Julie Clark is an attorney and multi-media artist living in Springfield, Virginia. In May 2024, after four years of night classes filled with inspiration, joy, and amazing writers, she received her MFA in Creative Writing from Lenoir-Rhyne University. Julie’s poetry has been published in Literary Mama, Rue Scribe, and THEMA Literary Journal, and her short story “Sight Unseen” won Reedsy’s writing prompts contest in August 2023. “A Liturgy of Lechery,” first published in Barren Magazine in the fall of 2022, was her inaugural attempt at a hermit crab essay, a form she finds both challenging and lots of fun. Julie is currently working on several short stories and a memoir entitled Echoes of Mississippi. Weary of social media (and still tinkering with a website), you can reach her by email at jc.paperfusion[at]gmail[dot]com.

--interview by Marcia Peterson

WOW: Congratulations on winning first place in our Q4 2024 Creative Nonfiction essay competition! What prompted you to enter the contest?

Julie: I’ve been in somewhat of a writing slump since finishing my MFA in May and this contest was the inspiration I needed to start writing and submitting my work again. I definitely did not expect to win – I was just happy I actually submitted something! While in the MFA program (at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s wonderful Thomas Wolfe Center for Narrative) I had constant input, feedback, and deadlines. Now I have to be self-motivated – no grades or professors setting due dates. WOW’s competition gave me an incentive to get back to it!

WOW:  “A Liturgy of Lechery” is a powerful and unnerving essay, and the hermit crab format worked well here. What inspired you to write this particular piece?

Julie: This piece is part of a collection of essays about the year I left college to volunteer at a prisoners’ rights group in Jackson, Mississippi. I was a young, white, naïve, small-town girl from the Midwest and the people I met and experiences I had in Mississippi challenged everything I’d learned up to that point about race, religion, and relationships. I was very trusting of anyone involved in the church and the experience I write about in "A Liturgy of Lechery" both shocked and embarrassed me – I felt so ashamed of how gullible I’d been. I never told anyone what had happened so writing this was very liberating. I hadn’t heard of hermit crab essays and thought that writing this in the form of a church service was particularly clever! Discovering that my “invention” wasn’t new did not diminish my enthusiasm for the hermit crab form. Since then, I’ve written both poetry and nonfiction in the form of recipes, magazine ads, checklists, and report cards and try to read as many hermit crab essays as I can. (Be sure to check out “Body Wash: Instructions on Surviving Homelessness” by Dorothy Bendel in the wonderful essay collection Harp in the Stars.) The form of an essay can contribute in surprising and meaningful ways – here I think a liturgy and the religious references conveys what happened to me both more appropriately and powerfully.

WOW:  Do you have any thoughts or advice for writing about difficult things?

Julie: Be patient with yourself (and your memory), take your time, and set aside the writing if and when it gets too painful. As I wrote this piece – and others about this period in my life – I had professors and classmates who encouraged me to be even more honest and willing to go where I initially didn’t have words or where embarrassment had shut me down. The first time I wrote about Mississippi all I could get down was a short, cryptic poem about one of the prisoners I worked with. I’d buried (or mentally edited) so much of what happened that year. But those stanzas led to longer essays and ultimately the memoir I’ve drafted. The more honest I was, the lighter I felt – with each essay and each rewrite, I release a little more shame and bestow a little more forgiveness upon myself. Two books in my MFA program were particularly helpful in this process – Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making by John Fox and Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma by Melanie Brooks.

WOW: You mentioned that you’re working on several other writing projects, including a memoir. Anything you can share about the writing process, or how the journey of writing this book is going for you?

Julie: Initially I resisted the idea of a memoir and tried to write a fictionalized version of my time in Mississippi. The truth was too hard, and I thought if I turned it into fiction I’d have control over the story and could create the outcome I wanted. Memoir has also sometimes felt like egotistical, navel gazing to me. But then I had the privilege of interviewing writer Sonja Livingston (read her book Ghostbread!) and watching episodes of The Memoir Café on her YouTube channel. She talks about how memoirs are a profound and unique way to connect us to each other. I thought of others young women in their late teens who are trying to sort the topics I focus on in my memoir, particularly sexuality, race, and religion, and decided I had something to say that might connect. It’s difficult. Every time I think I’m done with this book, I’m pushed to go deeper, to reflect more honestly.

WOW:  Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Julie. Before you go, can you share a favorite writing tip or piece of advice?

Julie: The best piece of writing advice I’ve ever read is Anne Lamott’s short and sweet “Stop not writing. Put your butt in the chair!” For years I wanted to write but felt like I had to wait for inspiration to descend upon me, or to produce a complete outline of the next great American novel. Another favorite tip of mine was from Octavia Butler who said “First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable.” Some days it’s hard to find the time and energy to write, and it’s frustrating to produce what first seems like a lousy draft – but those lumpy drafts are the clay I use to shape something lovely! I’ve also become comfortable with writing simply because I enjoy writing. Publication hasn’t been my primary goal, but it is energizing and exciting to have a piece published and I want to thank WOW for me with recognition and creative inspiration.

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Friday Speak Out!: A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet—Or Would It?

Friday, November 01, 2024
By Charlotte Whitney

Names define us; often they thrust us into places and situations we desire, or conversely, find unpleasant or even despicable. I chose to name the main character in my upcoming book A Tiny Piece of Blue, an unusual name. The reader is introduced to a thirteen-year-old girl as “Silly” at the beginning of the book, but we soon find out it’s a nickname for “Silstice.” When Silly was born on the winter solstice, December 21, Silly’s mother misunderstood the midwife and thought her baby was born on the winter “silstice,” and she believed it would be a good omen to name her Silstice.

After Silly faces a “dark night of the soul” experience, one that tests her limits, she chooses to be called her given name Silstice and let go of the immature implications of “Silly.” This is a breakpoint, a time when Silstice recognizes she is in charge of her own life. She can no longer expect to wait for others to take care of her. Silstice gains a sense of agency, taking control of her actions, recognizing her sense of self, and with that takes on the more mature name.

When in grad school, one of my roommates told me a story of the previous year when she was teaching in a poor neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. One of her female students was named Syphilis, pronounced sa-fi-lis with the accent on the middle syllable. After a few weeks my roommate asked the student how she came to receive her first name. The student answered seriously, “My mother saw the name on a brochure when she was pregnant in the waiting room of a doctor’s office.”

While we may crack a smile at the mother’s naivete, this example does exemplify how well-intentioned names can provoke the opposite effect. My husband, a clinical psychologist, has had clients who have chosen to change names for powerful emotional reasons. Perhaps the name conveyed a wrong impression. Perhaps as a child they were bullied because of the name. Perhaps they didn’t want to bear the burden of a family name.

When I was working with student leaders at the University of Michigan I devised a particular exercise in team building where we all wrote down our complete names and told each other about any association with the name, any connection with family members, any numbers or juniors connected with our names and any other relevant items. Then we talked about what we liked and didn’t like about our names. The exercise opened up discussion and connected us to each other in ways never expected.

So when you read about Silly/Silstice in A Tiny Piece of Blue, think about your own name. Has it served you well? Would you consider changing it? Like Silstice you may be asking others to call you by a different name, one that holds different nuances, different connotations. It could provide a whole new self-definition, a new world view.

* * *

CHARLOTTE WHITNEY grew up on a Michigan farm and often heard stories about the difficult years of the Great Depression. Her widely acclaimed debut historical novel, Threads: A Depression Era Tale was followed by the historical mystery The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, which won multiple awards. She is also the author of two nonfiction books and a romance novel. Her new novel, A Tiny Piece of Blue, comes out in February 2025. https://www.charlottewhitney.com

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Interview with Amy Lynn Hardy, Runner Up in the WOW! Spring 2024 Flash Fiction Contest

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

 


Amy Lynn Hardy is a high school foreign language teacher and a staff writer for Buffalo Spree magazine. Her work has also appeared in Huffington Post, Insider, and others. From 2011-2022, Amy resided and worked in the windy port city of Bremerhaven, Germany and traveled all around Europe, enjoying many amazing places and cuisines. Amy’s hobbies include fitness, hiking, gardening, traveling, cooking, reading, and of course writing. She is currently on draft seven (million) of her début novel, working on a film screenplay with loads of dramedy, and crafting shorter pieces to learn to better kill her darlings. To read more of Amy’s work visit amylynnhardyauthorsite.com and give her a follow on Instagram @amylynnhardy_author. 










----------Interview by Renee Roberson

WOW: Hello, Amy, and welcome! You've been a finalist in the WOW! contests several different times before placing with "Things Lose Their Shape During Pregnancy." What was it about this story that you think resonated so much with our judges? 

Amy: First off, not being a Top 10 those other times made me really ambitious. I've wanted to place in a WOW contest for at least four years. I brought this particular piece to my writing workshop group - they offered great feedback and helped me tweak some of the wording and helped me give it an edge. It went from mild to zesty! I also think the twist at the end earned some love. I had a good feeling going in with this one. It was strong, told a quick story, and had universal truths strewn in there. I think also perhaps some of the judges saw themselves in Chloe Butler. 

WOW: Kudos to you for your determination, and for doing the work of doing a peer review. Those can be so helpful! You mentioned a love of reading in your bio. What are some of your favorite genres to read? 

Amy: I find this question as hard to answer as "what music do you like?" Because I read so many genres. I like stories rooted in reality (okay so maybe I'm not exactly a fantasy or sci-fi gal, but I do read them occasionally). The story has to make me feel something - outrage, sorrow, grief, joy, hope. I like when the characters we hate get a chance at redemption. I like when good characters learn something about themselves that surprises them and stretches them. A good memoir can be life-changing for me in the same way (I'm thinking Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" or Amra Sabic-Al-Reyess' "The Cat I Never Named"). All of Brené Brown's work and research has made me a more compassionate human. These all include stories that bring the strongest of us down to our knees. She calls her work "data with a soul," and I love that. Gotta add here that I ALSO love a good rom-com in which I know I'll get a happy ending. They are great for the commute to and from work! 

WOW: Variety is the spice of life, and I'm very similar when it comes to my tastes in music and literature. I love the part of your bio where you say you are crafting shorter pieces to learn better to "kill your darlings." Could you expand on this to share what you've learned through this process? 

Amy: Writing is such a serpentine process. I call my first drafts my "vomit versions" because I get everything out there, all over the place. At times lacking in structure or even a true idea of what the piece may be. Then the killing begins, but at first it's more like... shaving or scalping (so sorry for these violent metaphors!). I shave off. Then add new skin or layers. Or find more unique or specific ways to convey what I intend to say. Sometimes I cut out a whole hunk of a darling because it no longer works and is weighing the piece down. It takes me MANY drafts to feel satisfied with a completed version of a piece, and even then... well, I will catch awkward phrasing or an incorrect gerund. 

Writing short pieces truly forces any writer to shave down their work to the most important parts, and then craft and build with intention from there. Nowadays, I can kill the darlings without much pain; sometimes it's a slaughter, sometimes I take their bones or DNA to make something better. Sometimes I save the darlings' arms and legs for other future pieces. Once I had to get rid of an entire character in a screenplay, which meant combining two characters into one. #DrFrankenstein 

I think what it comes down to is this: if there is a moment where the author him/herself is thinking: "this is dragging," "this is clunky," or is taken out of a piece by a word, paragraph, line of dialogue, it has to go (or be reworked) without much sentimentality. No darling truly dies; they can be recycled or placed elsewhere, and that's important to know. It can turn out to be a completely different piece than the OG draft, and that's a beautiful thing! I also have very honest friends who will tell me if a darling needs to die, even if I particularly love that darling. 

WOW: Great points. We've all had our Frankenstein drafts! Your website mentions several fun writing projects you're currently working on. Could you share some more details about those with us? 

Amy: My pleasure! I'm always working on something: long, short, fiction, non-fiction. My novel "All The Things We Carry," which I would label as a women's-upmarket-fictional-drama-and-rom-com is the current love of my life. Think of it as a love story between my protagonists Allie and Mitch, with hues of addiction, women's roles in academia, betrayal, and forgiveness. It is in what feels like the millionth incarnation. I hope to query agents in 2025! Yay! 

My partner Justin Karcher and I have written a fictional screenplay based on some family drama I experienced when returning from Germany to the USA. Sophie must choose between following her heart or doing what her family wants her to do. That was fun to write and hash out - even if the drama was... not fun. 

My dear friend Michael Kopalek and I have written a comedic novella based on Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice," but transformed it into a modern day time period and retitled it "The Merchant of Texas." It is told from the alternating perspectives of Jessica and Antonio while their besties Portia and Bassanio, respectively, fall in love. Both characters are total drama queens, and (we've been told) have laugh-out-loud narrative styles. 

Last, but not least, a play entitled "The Vasectomy Diaries" about women's reproductive rights. When our protagonist undergoes a shocking ectopic pregnancy, her partner decides to get a vasectomy, and suddenly HE is the hero. It goes ad absurdum, as he is lauded privately, publicly, invited to talk shows, featured in the NY Times, etc... for his "brave" choice. I'll keep the rest a surprise! 

And a new multi-perspective novel about a writing retreat in Vermont is also "on its way." 

WOW: Those all sound like fascinating projects, thank you for sharing! As someone who lived in Germany for 11 years before returning to the United States, what advice would you give people hoping to travel or live abroad so they can enhance their experience? 

Amy: Travel and learn as much as you can about other places. So many Americans would have a broader worldview if they would do this! 

Stay in one place - a city, a country - for a longer amount of time. A week. A Month. Half a year. I know as Americans we are trained to have this FOMO and do 12 European cities in two weeks, but this doesn't give anyone a fair chance to have true experiences. And it's absolutely exhausting. There are ways to go to certain places for a longer time without spending a fortune, too: Work Away, WWOOFing, teaching some little brats English for a month. You can stay a month or longer and really get into the culture. You'll come back with stories: good, bad, crazy, scary, hilarious - and this is so much more worth it than "city-hopping." Eat good food, learn some basic phrases, walk as much as you can, and talk to people. 

Honestly, it doesn't matter where you go because you will learn and grow in many ways. BUT if you want some location tips from someone who lived in Europe many times for a total of 12.5 years: Groningen, Netherlands; Annecy, France; Biarritz, France; San Sebastian, Spain; Tübingen or Freiburg, Germany; and the entire country of MONTENEGRO!!!

Enjoy!
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Phantom Wedding by A.N. Porter Immersive Book Launch: A Spooky Way to Send Copies Flying off the Table

Saturday, October 26, 2024

A.N. Porter reading from Phantom Wedding
Photo by Rosie MacLeod

By Rosie MacLeod

 
One night in north London, A.N. Porter awoke to see the ghosts of “two little girls at a desk. One was playing a board game and the other was drawing a picture.” The “petrifying” experience inspired her debut novel, Phantom Wedding.
 
It’s a suspenseful horror story. But why restrict the scary experiences to the pages and its characters? Allowing the action to burst through the covers was the idea behind Porter’s book launch in Central London this summer. After arriving at the venue, we noticed the attire of some in attendance was, well, notable. And after looking around, we realized we were rubbing shoulders with book characters. How had we not noticed the author dressed up as her protagonist, complete with wedding veil?
 
During the reading, complete with ominous music and atmospheric lighting, the unease and tension that run throughout the pages wasn’t only listened to, it was lived. It was ours. It was real.
 
Phantom Wedding by A.N. Porter

WOW: Welcome, Porter, to the WOW! community. Please tell us how you staged your very imaginative book launch, and the reasons behind it.
 
Porter: Well, I have been to book launches in the past, and they normally involve drinking a glass of red wine in a book shop. And getting your book signed, which is perfectly acceptable.
 
However, I am a little ostentatious as a person. Hence, why I wanted to go much further than this. 
 
I come from a performing and creative arts background and have a vivid imagination. One day I had an idea that I would like to bring the characters to life along the streets around the London Soho/Piccadilly area. So, this is exactly what I did. And of course, as an ex-model, I decided to add a touch of glamour with models, actors, red carpet, celebrities, champagne, and canopies. And then voila! We had a Phantom Wedding Extravaganza, which was more like a film premier than a book launch. You would have had to be there to know what I mean!
 
 
WOW: And that’s why it was so immersive. What did you hope the outcome of your book launch would be? What did you hope the audience would take away from it?
 
Porter: I wanted to give Phantom Wedding the launch that it deserved. Everyone came away happy and entertained. Everyone will remember the name and be waiting in anticipation for the movie. Major contacts were made, and I also have tons of footage (video and images) for my press page on my website and for my social media content.
 
WOW: What a great idea to use book launch content for social media posts! What can you tell us about this planned movie? It seems a natural progression from a book launch where actors play your characters.
 
Porter: When readers read Phantom Wedding, they start to visualize the characters and how they will interact and what they look like. Somehow, the story comes to life on the pages, and so due to popular demand, I decided to bring the book to the screen.
 
I am currently working with a screenwriter to realize this objective.
 
WOW: That’s so exciting! I have been to countless book launches, and this is one I will remember for years to come. How would you summarize the event in three words?
 
Porter: Glamorous! Exciting! Fun!
 
WOW: And the glitz before the reading certainly lulled us into a false sense of security, making the reading even more chilling. What inspired you to hold a book launch where your audience stepped into the narrative?
 
Porter: I am a trained actress and am used to bringing characters to life. It was instinctive of me to want to see the characters brought to life. Also, I wanted to see the wedding theme be immortalized. 
 
I saw the book launch as a way of lifting the characters off the page, in the form of tableaus and then the next step will be to bring them to the screen. And perhaps one day … write a Phantom Wedding play, too.
 
WOW: Is that why you used actors playing your characters—a trial run for a play? Or was this to give readers someone to visualize when they read the book?
 
Porter: It was to let models and actors be a part of a red-carpet event and to also create a theatrical moment. To create a spectacle so that the public would wonder what was going on, and it certainly worked with everyone stopping in from the street to take pictures of the actors and I. There was a lot of press there, too, including Getty Images, which added to the glamour and intrigue.
 
WOW: It certainly did create that moment and “buzz.” Why did you choose to dress up as the protagonist?
 
Credit Luana Radovic - Level 26 studio
Credit: Luana Radovic - Level 26 studio
Porter: I thought it was perfect for the theme. The veil, the black couture-style wedding dress brought an air of mystery and intrigue. The color black represented the darkness that the Phantom tried to bring into Patsy’s life, the red shoes added a touch of bright color to the outfit but could also be thought to hold a deeper meaning of the blood that was spilled during the Phantom’s tirade.
 
WOW: Spooky stuff. Tell me about the role of the interviewer at the event—was she interviewing you as an author or was she interviewing characters from the story? This role is kind of like a narrator, no? 
 
Porter: There was an interviewer who interviewed people on the red carpet. She was interviewing me as "an author," and she asked me questions like who was my favorite character?—who is the protagonist, Patsy? I had this interviewer conducting these interviews as I thought it would add another dimension to the event. It creates more content, and intrigue and is great for the theme.
 
There was also an interviewer who interviewed me before the event, Rosie MacLeod, for East London radio.
 
WOW: Always nice to be popular. You used spooky music during the reading. Why did you want to scare your audience? Our fascination with fear? The love of suspense? To give an insight into the book if we buy it? Or to make the action feel more real?
 
Porter: Yes, to create ambience in line with the theme of the book. I tantalized the senses (sight, smell, taste, and hearing), with smells from the candle, spooky music, and vegan retro sweets and popcorn to give that cinematic feel.
 
WOW: And create suspense it did. The presence of actors at the book launch wasn’t announced (unless I missed something…). Was the idea that the audience would cotton onto their presence gradually? If so, why? Is it an extension of how you like characters to crystalize in a text?
 
Porter: It was put on the subject of the email when the press release was sent out. However, you are correct, I did not announce it grandly. As it was almost like life-imitating-art. I wanted the tableaus (models/and actors) to walk amongst the guests, and people to question what was going on. Who are these people? It created a "talking point" and guests interacted well as they had something to talk about with a stranger. Thereafter, they were able to network with one another.
 
WOW: Yes, it felt like walking a (very tense) tightrope between life and Art. The use of actors, scary music and the immersive experienceis this all a reflection of how you like to play with your reader’s expectations and emotions?
 
Porter: Yes, it comes from my creativity as an actress, writer, and performer. I know how I like to be entertained, and I see it as an immersive experience.
 
WOW: And we were immersed in fear! As you were reading aloud to the sound of a spooky melody, I genuinely thought the two ghosts from the story were going to jump out at us at any momentyou must have loved putting everyone on the edge of their seat? It must have given you a thrill?
 
Porter: Haa, haa! I didn’t realize that you were so scared. No, the two ghosts are firmly still in the apartment that I left behind.
 
WOW: Were you attempting to give readers the same scare you had when you saw the ghosts of the two little girls? Was it a leveler, a means of letting us experience your fear?
 
Credit: Luana Radovic - Level 26 studio
Porter: I do like to draw people in and create a level of empathy. The reading was to give the audience a snippet of the book. For those who have not yet read the book, it gave them a taster. And for those who have read the book they felt invested in the experience.
 
WOW: That is trueI do feel like I have experienced a book I have not read yet. What advice would you give an author looking to do a similarly immersive book launch?
 
Porter: I would say to not necessarily do things the same as me. Perhaps think things through and possibly come up with something even more exciting! There is a wealth of ideas that one can come up with if we just let our imagination run wild! But if someone wanted to recreate what I have done, just bear in mind that is costly!
 
WOW: And speaking of tracing your footsteps, readers and (and, I should think, ghost hunters) from the US are flocking to the UK to visit Cricklewood in North London, where the novel is set. What’s it like knowing you’ve written something so compellingly scary?
 
Porter: Very strange. Surprising. And fulfilling.
 
WOW: You might not see how people react to seeing the house, but when you were reading, you got to see reader reaction first hand. Does a scary reading serve as a barometer for you, to see the effect of your words in action? To see what’s working?
 
Porter: Absolutely! It allows me to be in the room with the reader and engage with them by watching their faces whilst I am reading when I look up from the book from time to time. It was fascinating to see all the different reactions. I am happy that it was a success, people are still talking about it, and I am still on cloud 9.
 
*
 
The ghost sighting that inspired the novel is not the author’s only strange encounter. Somehow "the original published copies had misprints that were not on the original manuscript." When Porter discovered this, she "immediately pulled the book." But these have proved popular! Bookworms "started collecting these extremely rare copies. They then started reselling them at a premium up to £399 ($533.82)" each. More affordable copies of Phantom Wedding are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and all good bookshops in the USA and worldwide. 
 
***
 
Rosie MacLeod
Rosie MacLeod is a London-based translator, interpreter and reporter. She has made reports for Global Radio and regularly reports for ShoutOut UK and East London Radio. She has written for Drunk Monkeys, World Literature Today, Inside Over and the Journal of Austrian Studies. You can listen to her radio work here: www.mixcloud.com/rosie-macleod. She tweets as @RosieMacLeod4. Get in touch via LinkedIn. Website: rosiemacleod.com. Instagram: @rosie.macleod.3
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Interview With Lorraine Zago Rosenthal, Author of Charmed, and Giveaway!

Friday, October 25, 2024
 
Charmed by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

We are excited to bring you an interview with Lorraine Zago Rosenthal, author of the novel, Charmed. Published through Tribeca Press, fans of romantic fiction and complex family dynamics will love Lorraine's latest novel. 

Today, we're excited to interview the author about her newest book and give you the chance to enter to win a copy of the book for yourself, along with a $25 Amazon gift card!

Before we get to that, here's more information about Charmed:

Prisca Weld expected to become Mrs. Nick Fontaine before any of her friends walked down the aisle. Nick worked for her father’s lucrative construction business, and he and Prisca planned to start a family in her upscale Brooklyn neighborhood. But she’s heading into her late twenties, and she hasn’t achieved her most cherished goals.

Years ago, Nick abruptly abandoned Prisca and ran home to Las Vegas, leaving her with nothing but questions about what went wrong between them. Since then, she has struggled to forget him, and she hasn’t found anyone she can love as much as she loved Nick. All the best men seem to be out of reach—including Tim Aldrich, a family friend who has recently returned to New York after launching his career in California. Prisca has been drawn to Tim since they were kids, although she believes her attraction to him is as futile now as it was then. 

But she still hopes to fulfill her dreams, and she also wishes she could resolve the endless conflict between her traditional father and her unconventional brother, whose childhood scars from his and Prisca’s parents’ contentious divorce are still fresh. Prisca has wounds of her own, and she tries to heal them while attempting to unravel old secrets that have been hidden for too long. 

Purchase the book now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also add the book to your GoodReads reading list.

About Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal is the author of Other Words for Love, New Money, and Independently Wealthy. Her fourth novel, Charmed, just released on October 22, 2024.

Lorraine was born and raised in New York City, and she is a graduate of the University of South Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degrees in education and English. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband.

Amazon Author Page: https://tinyurl.com/4j4khu8e
Goodreads Author Page: https://tinyurl.com/ymzmer2k
Twitter/X: https://x.com/lorrainezago                                 
Freelance Writing Clips: https://linktr.ee/Lorraine_Zago

--- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: Congratulations on your novel Charmed! What inspired this book?

Lorraine: Thank you so much! There were several inspirations for Charmed, but one of its main inspirations was the influence of the past on the present. Everyone’s backgrounds, decisions, and experiences lead to who and where they currently are. Events of the past—including the very distant past—can play a positive or negative role in people’s lives today. 

For example, in Charmed, the protagonist, Prisca Weld, lives in a brownstone in Brooklyn, NYC that was acquired by her family nearly a century ago, and the manner in which it was attained has been fortuitous for the Welds but unlucky for another family. The ownership of the house (among many other things) causes tension between Prisca’s brother, Asher, and their father, who see the issue in contrasting ways, and it’s an instance of how an event from long ago—whether serendipitous or unfortunate—can touch the present day. 

WOW: I love that blend of past and present and how it plays a part in the present day. I love the family dynamics in this book and you did such a good job balancing everyone's issues and struggles along with their love for each other (no matter how complicated it is). How did you develop that so well?

Lorraine: Thanks again! I find it fascinating to explore the interactions of characters who exist within the same family but perceive each other and their joint experiences differently. These perceptions are often conflicting because each family member is a complex individual who is impacted by people and situations in a unique manner. Although there is an everlasting bond between parents, children, and siblings, their love can become entangled with anger, resentment, and disappointment—and the positive emotions can make the negative ones even more difficult to navigate. 

While developing the relationships within the Weld family, I gradually revealed each character’s side of their shared story. Prisca’s mother, for example, might initially seem driven by selfishness and superficial ambition, but further exploration of her background and resulting motivations paint a deeper, more relatable picture. 

I always strive to create nuanced characters who are imperfect but sympathetic. Although these characters often do or say the wrong thing, it’s crucial for the reader to know what influences the characters’ behavior. As Prisca says to herself during one of Don and Asher’s frequent clashes, “I wish I didn’t understand them both. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be crushed in the middle.”

WOW: What a perfect quote! I can see this is not the first publication under your belt! What made writing Charmed different from your other novels, if at all?

Lorraine: Writing Charmed was most similar to writing my first novel, Other Words for Love. Although New Money and its sequel, Independently Wealthy, also contain romance and family drama, they are more of a glitzy Cinderella story with a crime mystery. 

My first novel and Charmed are very realistic stories that take place in Brooklyn; however, Charmed is set in the present day and the main character is heading into her late twenties, while Other Words for Love takes place during the 1980s and the protagonist is a teenager. I wrote each novel from the viewpoint of characters at different phases of life, living in different eras. Of course, while writing Other Words for Love, I couldn’t let myself forget that the characters didn’t have cell phones and the internet didn’t exist!

WOW: That must have been so tough! How did getting your psychology degree in college influence your writing?

Lorraine:  My knowledge of psychology always influences my writing, and it certainly did while I was crafting Charmed. And the inspiration for Other Words for Love came when I learned about a mental state called “limerence,” which is an intense feeling of love/infatuation that can turn obsessive and harmful. This concept sparked the creation of the novel’s main character, Ariadne Mitchell, who experiences limerence during her first intimate relationship. 

While creating this character, I knew there had to be much more to the story than just her involvement with her boyfriend, Blake. There also had to be psychological reasons why she becomes so quickly and deeply attached to him and why she’s so devastated when their relationship falls apart. From the beginning of the novel, Ari is depressed but has been conditioned to hide her emotions. Her parents don’t recognize this, nor do they acknowledge the dysfunction within their family, and these issues—along with other negative aspects of Ari’s mental health, including her low self-esteem and high anxiety, make her vulnerable to becoming consumed by her relationship with Blake. 

WOW: I really appreciate how that knowledge influenced character development and the plotline. So, what is your writing routine like?

Lorraine: I have always felt that to be a productive author, writing should be treated as a job. I have a home office, and I usually write during business hours—as well as many nights and weekends! And although I have moments of unexpected inspiration while I’m not at my desk, I don’t wait around for them. Writing a novel can be like solving a puzzle, and I keep going even when I get stuck. I can always improve a scene later on—but I can’t edit a blank page. 

WOW: I think that's awesome you stick to a schedule! I am so glad you took time out of your day to chat with us. Thank you for sharing such an amazing book!

Enter to win a copy of Charmed by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal and a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

***** GIVEAWAY *****
 
Enter to win one of 5 copies of Charmed by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal! We also have a $25 Amazon Gift Card to give away for the first draw by Rafflecopter. Fill out the Rafflecopter form by November 7, 2024 at 11:59 pm CT for a chance to win. We will draw 5 winners the next day. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Using Google Maps Is a Lot Like Writing from an Outline

Thursday, October 24, 2024

 

Last weekend, we went to a family wedding. It was just under an hour from home, but we left early. I keyed the address into Google Maps. We were less than 10 minutes from the wedding venue when the directions took us across a cattle guard. For those of you who aren’t from Cow Country, that’s a pipe grid laid into the road. You can drive over it but cattle won’t cross it. 

The problem? We were going to a vineyard. 

As soon as we realized we were in a field of cattle, we backed back up to the main road. Another member of our party keyed the name of the vineyard into Google Maps. Her set of directions and mine were in agreement (mine had corrected) until we got to a T intersection. Mine said “go right” but hers said “go left.” We went left. 

What does this have to do with writing from an outline? Google Map directions generally sound plausible right up until they don't work.

Have you ever outlined a project and had someone else look it over. They agree with you that everything looks fine. You start writing and your word count is adding up . . . right until it isn’t. You are stuck. Your outline has led you in the wrong direction. 

When this happens with nonfiction, I can generally make the course correction without a lot of fuss and bother. Fiction is another thing altogether. I may be able to make one or two course corrections but after that I’m tentative. Is this the right direction? Why am I suddenly surrounded by cattle? 

So what do you do if your outline leads you in the wrong direction? The first step is to make sure that you know where you wanted to end up. If two characters fail to confront each other but the confrontation is essential, put them in each other’s way. Maybe you send them after the same goal. Or one of them might need to betray the other. 

Other times, it is easier to start with the high conflict scene. Write it and then back up. What has to happen immediately before that scene? Then what must happen before that? Step by step, back up until you meet your original story line. 

You may need a break to come up with a solution. Take a walk and get your blood flowing. Other times I need to undertake a hateful chore. If I scrub the shower floor, I will know what I need to do in ten to fifteen minutes. I’m not sure why, but this always works for me. 

Still can’t come up with a fix? Consider where you ended up. It might not be what you intended, but does it work? Sometimes it will. Other times you are going to have to keep backing up and trying again until you find a fix. 

What do you do when your outline leads you astray?

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 60 books for young readers.  
  • To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.  
  • Click here to find her newsletter.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin again on November 4, 2024. She teaches:
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Interview With Odyssey Writing Workshops Instructor, E. C. Ambrose

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

 

If you want to kick off 2025 with a writing class, you may want to consider Bodies and Heartbeats: Crafting Character from the Inside Out. Starting in January 14 of next year, E.C. Ambrose helps you to develop a clearer sense of what makes a powerful character and will teach you the techniques you need to develop strong characters. The application deadline is November 22, 2024.

About the Instructor, E. C. Ambrose

E. C. Ambrose writes knowledge-inspired adventure fiction including the five-volume Dark Apostle series about medieval surgery, The Singer’s Legacy fantasy series as by Elaine Isaak, and the Bone Guard international thrillers as by E. Chris Ambrose. The Dark Apostle started with Elisha Barber (DAW, 2013), described in a starred Library Journal review as, “beautifully told, painfully elegant.” Her latest releases are Conquistador’s Blood (Bone Guard 7) and her Young Adult science fiction novel, A Wreck of Dragons. Her superhero game, Skystrike: Wings of Justice, is available from Choice of Games.

Her short stories have appeared in Fireside, Warrior Women, and Last-Ditch, among many others, and she has edited several volumes of New Hampshire Pulp Fiction. In addition to fiction, she has written how-to articles for The Writer magazine, nonfiction at Clarkesworld, and authored the Lady Blade fantasy writing column at AlienSkin magazine for three years. Her speaking engagements have included local chapters of Romance Writers of America as well as other writing groups, the World Science Fiction and World Fantasy Conventions.

Elaine attended the Rhode Island School of Design for three years, and studied speculative fiction at the Odyssey Writing Workshop, where she is pleased to return as an instructor. A former animal mascot designer and adventure guide, Elaine lives in New Hampshire with her family where she felts, dyes and weaves as she devises her plots.

Elaine’s research interests include the history of technology and medicine, Mongolian history and culture, medieval history, and unusual animal senses. Her research and travel has taken her to Germany, England, France, Mexico, India, Nepal, China and Mongolia as well as many United States destinations. In order to write the best books she can, Elaine learned how to hunt with a falcon, clear a building of possible assailants, and pull traction on a broken limb. She is eager to see where writing will take her next. Visit www.RocinanteBooks.com to find out more about Elaine’s many guises.

--- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: First, I love the title of your course: Bodies and Heartbeats: Crafting Character from the Inside Out. What can people expect from taking this class?

E.C.: The title of the class comes from a quote by Richard Bach, from his book, Illusions: the Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. “If you will try being fictional for a while, you will find that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats.” I think many readers have had the experience of growing so attached to a character that the character becomes real to them, like a dear friend or former lover who happens to live in another country. The class will give students a toolkit for developing character from the deeper aspects of human nature and hopefully lead them toward writing characters who feel as if they must have bodies and heartbeats. 

WOW: I think that's so important for people to learn. You have such an incredible publication background! How has that experience prepared you for teaching this course?

E.C.: Publishing in a variety of genres and styles has allowed me to explore many different aspects of character and conflict, sometimes rigorously building characters based on a real place and time, and sometimes following a more intuitive approach. Writing Skystrike: Wings of Justice for Choice of Games led in a whole new direction in terms of character because the player makes so many of the choices about who the protagonist will be, and I had to ensure that they were given appealing options for a variety of play styles. That range enables me to address students coming from different levels of writing craft.

WOW: That must have helped you so much in character development! Why is crafting realistic characters so important for writers to know?

E.C.: Many writers, especially in genre fiction, have a great milieu or a fun premise they want to explore—maybe a wild science fictional idea or exciting plotline. However, regardless of genre, it’s the characters that will engage a reader with that plot or premise and get them invested in the author’s work. People are social animals. We want to watch others like us, and empathize with (or sometimes be horrified by!) their experiences, even when that’s happening on a page.

WOW: I completely agree! How does teaching helping you with your own writing?

E.C.: I find that being able to articulate the reasons behind writing tools and techniques makes me pay more attention to those elements in my own writing. Taking an idea about how to reveal character and discussing how to embody that abstract concept in words and sentences encourages a stronger level of detail. Plus, I often learn directly from my students and their writing as well.

WOW: I'll bet! Your experience with research fascinates me! I also imagine it's incredibly inspiring. Would you recommend writers pursue the same type of research in their own writing?

E.C.: Absolutely! Not all writers or projects will benefit from such an intensive exploration, but many will—whether that means reading psychology texts to delve into a particular personality type, or studying the archaeology of a location to discover more of its past. We always have something to learn about the real world that can make a fictional world more rich. Even when I was creating aliens for my book A Wreck of Dragons, I read up on unusual animal senses and it opened up some exciting possibilities I might not otherwise have considered.

WOW: I think so too! Why is investing in your writing so important?

E.C.: There are a number of ways that investing in writing pays off. Any time a writer works harder on their craft, they’ll find ways to improve and expand their toolkit. Sometimes, a certain exercise or in-class comment really resonates and gives the writer the insight or inspiration to keep going. Also, devoting time and resources to writing signals to yourself and those around you that this is important work, worthy of your commitment.

WOW: Absolutely! You took the speculative fiction course at Odyssey. What was that like and why did you decide to return as an instructor? 

E.C.: The full Odyssey workshop is incredibly intense! Jeanne and the guest instructors provided fantastic instruction, guidance and feedback to make me a better writer, and spur me toward publication. It’s exciting to be able to give back to Odyssey and to my fellow writers by returning to teach. I love being an ongoing part of the Odyssey community.

WOW: I'm so glad you are! I hope all of our readers join this course.
 
Bodies and Heartbeats - Crafting Characters from the Inside Out with instructor E. C. Ambrose

WOW Readers, don't forget to sign up for E. C. Ambrose's workshop, Bodies and Heartbeats: Crafting Character from the Inside Out. Or check out some of the other online courses coming up this January with Odyssey Writing Workshop. The application deadline is November 22, 2024.

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