7 Reasons I Choose a Book #IWSG

IWSG question of the month: Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice? 

My favourite genres to write in is scifi and fantasy.  And yes, I read extensively in those genres through multiple sub-genres. They are my favourites to read. I also read thrillers and romance and anything widely considered "good". 

A number of factors influence my reading choices: 

1. If it's discounted and a book I'm familiar with through social media, then I'll snap it up. 

2. If it's discounted and has a great cover, then I'll read the first two or three lines on the back. If it still sounds interesting, I'll snap it up. 

3. If I'm down and need a lift, then it won't matter if it's discounted or not. I'll snap it up if I've heard good things about it through reviews or word of mouth. It won't matter about the cover or genre.

4. If it's got a READ ME! cover (Something artistic and gorgeous) and it's in the genre I'm in the mood for, then I'll snap it up. I won't bother reading the back or reviews--IF I'm in a bookstore. Otherwise I'll read a little of the blurb.

5. If people keep raving about a book then I'll eventually need to read it for myself, and it won't matter about the cover, genre, or blurb. 

6. If I want to try writing a different sub-genre, I'll pick up a few books in that sub-genre to get a proper feel for it. ie, research.

7. If I want to support a fellow writer, I'll read and review it.

I think that covers all my reasons for choosing a book.

Kinda shows how important a good cover and reviews are. 

How about you? What influences your reading choices?

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month, members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE.

The Perfect Place to Write and More #IWSG

August was a busy month. Crazy busy. Mostly it's been all about the mad scramble to get everything ready for the October release of my debut novel. It's been a steep learning curve. Nothing I can't handle, but it has been time-consuming. Then in among all that, I took five days out to drive down to Sydney for my dad's birthday. While I froze to death in the cold Sydney weather, I did take the photo above during that trip. And a bunch of others.

A big thank you to those of you who offered to read an advanced reader's copy of my young adult adventure fantasy set on the high seas. If you didn't get my email for some reason, or are interested in a review copy, then shoot me an email.

 

The IWSG Question of the month: If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?

My answer: The perfect place to write is right here, right now. (Or maybe on a cruise to some idyllic islands--just because). I don't need a fancy view or a special nook. All I need is either paper and pen or a computer. That's it. Oh wait. Time would be good. I'm looking forward to when I have time to write again.

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August Reading
Considering how busy I've been, I managed to get through four books this last month. I surprised myself. Admittedly I was reading the biography of Leonardo Da Vinci in short bursts since February, and it's a tiny book too.

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence -- What can I say? This is my kind of book. Time Travel! It's short and a quick read, and I enjoyed the writing. There are some great phrases that had me laughing out loud, even though it's not a humorous book. This story is a multi-universe take on time travel and has been likened to Stranger Things--probably because it's set in the 80s and the main character likes Dungeons and Dragons.

Leonardo Da Vinci by Sherwin B Nuland-- The language is a little old fashioned and formal but reading about Leonardo's life was hugely interesting. He was a fascinating man.

Grumpy Old Gods Vol 2 -- An anthology of short stories with roots in mythology. What happens when the old gods get old. A great read. Hugely entertaining.

Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson -- written about 15 years ago by an Aussie author. It has won all sorts of awards. I can see why. This is a novel for the younger readers but still enjoyable by any age group, especially if you love Chinese dragons. 

What have you been up to this last month? What reading did you do? What other great achievements did you accomplish? Where would you like to write your next story?

Young Adult Fantasy ARC Giveaway #IWSG

If all goes well, I'll be releasing my debut novel in October. It's a young adult fantasy adventure set on the high seas. Although it's part of a series, it reads as a standalone. I have completed the maps for it, the covers for all three books in the series and I've even worked out the formatting for the ebook (For the ARC version, anyway--there are still some tweaks I want to do). That was a victory and a half. The formatting for print is yet to come. Eek.

Right now I'm looking for lovers of fantasy who are interested in an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of Wielder's Prize, book one in the Wielder's Storm series. In exchange I'd deeply appreciate an honest review. Shoot me an email (lynfaw[at]gmail [dot]com) or say "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!" in the comments ;) I'll be sending out a limited number, so be quick.

My current tagline for book one: No training. No discipline. No time.

The IWSG question of the month: Has your writing ever taken you by surprise?
Sometimes I do a detailed outline before I write. Other times I just wing it. When I wing it, anything can happen. Surprises galore! It's lots of fun. Of course, outlining does the same, only earlier in the process.

July Reading

July was a slow reading month because I was down with the flu for half of it and super busy the other half. It was also a month of thrones. Giggle.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas is a young adult fantasy, the first in a series. I quite enjoyed it, though it wasn't quite what I expected based on the cover and blurb. It still carried me away to another land, and I like that in a fantasy.

The Templar Throne by Paul Christopher is the third in the series about Doc Holliday's adventures of tracking down ancient Templar relics. Each book has been different in its own way and all of them have been enjoyable. I think there's another four or five in the series. They are a light, fast read and full of action and intrigue. The first is The Sword of the Templars.

That's all I have for July. I've been reading lots of short stories lately too. It makes me want to write more short stories.

What have you been reading lately? Has your writing ever taken you by surprise?

The Joys of Reading and Writing #IWSG

Last month was a whirlwind of writing and reading and everything I love. I was struggling with book 2 of a series I'd like to complete this year, so when an idea struck me for another story, I thought, why not? So I wrote a YA sci-fi thriller novella, currently sitting at 32k words. With the first draft complete, I set it aside and now I'm back to working on Book 2 of my YA fantasy series. And it's flowing so much better now! Phew!

Reading: So far I've read ten books this year. I'm a slow reader, so I'm rather thrilled to have gone through so many books already. With the Goodreads Reading Challenge, I had pledged to read 25 books this year. I'm way ahead of schedule and this pleases me greatly.

Of the books I've read, two are by Australian writers; four are fantasies, two of which are young adult; three are sci-fi, and again, two of those are young adult; one is a post-apocolypse because apparently I can't get enough of those at the moment; one is a thriller; and one is general fiction.

The stand-outs? All were great reads but the stand-outs were easily Illuminae and Navigating the Stars. Both are YA sci-fi full of awesome characters and high stakes. I HIGHLY recommend.

Awesome happy news: one of my short stories was accepted into AntipodeanSF's May-June special 250th issue. AntipodeanSF is an Aussie online magazine that's devoted to the monthly publication of fabulous and original science-fiction, fantasy, and horror mini-stories of about 500–1000 words each, with occasional longer feature stories.The 250th edition will also be available as a paperback. Woo!

The IWSG question of the month is: Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? I enjoy both, but the villain is harder to get right without turning them into a cartoon character. Getting that third dimension on the bad guy is a challenge.

What's been your favourite book/s so far this year? Who do you prefer to read or write--the hero or the villain? What have you been up to recently? 

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month the members of our group post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE

Writing, Reading and Travel #IWSG

I've just come back from a cruise from Singapore to Thailand, then Vietnam and back to Singapore. I took a book with me (The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu) but didn't open it once. I kinda felt guilty about that when I chose to watch the in-flight movies instead. I squeezed in three and a half of them each way. Think how much reading I could've done! It's not like I'm not enjoying the book. Nope, I'm loving it. It's quite an exceptional science fiction with great ideas and concepts. But the truth was, my brain just needed to switch off. You see, the problem with being a writer is when I read I analyse ... or, if the book is really good, I feel super inspired to write, or I mope and wish I could write like that--which is ridiculous since we all have our own way of writing and our own unique stories. But I still mope on the occasion. Just because.

How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?

I'm not quite back into the swing of things yet as I had expected. The world continues to shift and rock as if I'm still on the boat. Hopefully my weary brain will land on shore soon.

In the meantime, I'd like to welcome into the IWSG fold, two new admins:
Heather Gardner will be running the conferences page at the IWSG site.
C. Lee McKenzie will be our media relations expert.

Also, check out the cover of  our upcoming IWSG anthology, Hero Lost, if you haven't already.

And, we have an IWSG swag now. You can get your own IWSG pen, magnet or t-shirt. Check it out HERE.

Every first Wednesday of the month the members of the IWSG post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG, then please go HERE to find out more and join up.

Bits and Bobs and Some Other Meanderings

In my last post about the prejudices within a writer, I seemed to have struck a chord. Consequently, I received many thoughtful comments. One stood out for me and I wanted to share. It was from Carol Riggs: "Readers enjoy all types of books--not everything has to mean something profound. Isn't having readers enjoy a book a profound experience in itself, w/o having to change the world and be on the NYT bestseller list? I think so!" I think so too! Thanks, Carol and everyone who took the time to leave a comment. I appreciate all of them.

I won a $10 Amazon gift voucher from C Lee McKenzie as part of her Double Negative Tour. A big thank you to Lee! If you haven't picked up your copy of her latest YA book, do so today!

I recently read When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. So far this is my absolute favourite book I've read this year. Wow, the voice is amazing, the story wonderful. I loved everything about it. Clearly, I need to read more MGs if this is the kind of gem I'll find. No surprises, the book won a Newbery award.

A $25 juicer from Kmart is my new friend (for however long it will last). Yes, I'm cheap. I'd wanted a juicer for a while but they all cost ridiculous prices when I wasn't sure I'd love it. Well, it turns out, I love it. Above is a pic of my more daring blend: kale, cucumber, apple and ginger. Yum. So far, my favourite blend is the good ole orange, apple and ginger combo. Tonight I might try carrot, fennel and ginger. Have you gone juice crazy? What weird combos have you tried (made or bought)?

I also recently mentioned my computer crashed big time. Well, I'm happy to say my tech-savvy husband got it up and running like new again. My game project is back on track. Woot.

Because I'm super busy with writing along with game development, I'll be back to post again on the first Wednesday of September for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. My favourite group! In the meanwhile, happy reading and writing!

You, Too, Can Review

Today the lovely Christine Rains is here, writing about the importance of reviews:
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You, Too, Can Review

Book reviews are a vital part of marketing for authors. Not only do they help you by letting you know what readers liked and didn't like about your stories, but more importantly, they help attract other readers. The big problem is getting readers to write reviews.

I've found a lot of people are intimidated by writing reviews. They're worried about their opinions being voiced out loud, so to speak, and about sounding like a gushing fangirl/boy or being too critical. But you know what? Authors love it when you gush about their books. I get giddy when I read someone rattling on about how much they love my story. I also appreciate it when someone tells me what they didn't like when done in a respectable manner.

It's not that difficult to write a review. No one is expecting a deep analysis. Just a couple of sentences about what you liked and didn't like is wonderful. Here are five quick and easy things you can mention when writing a review:

1. Characters. Who was your favorite and why? Who was your least favorite?
2. Plot. What was your favorite part of the story? (Please try not to give any spoilers!) Did the author move too fast or too slow? Any glaring plotholes?
3. Setting. How was the world building? Was it realistic? Beautiful or uninspired?
4. Style. What was the writer's style like? Was it fast-paced, poetic, or gritty?
5. Originality. What makes this book stand out from others? Or what makes it stale?

Give it a try. You'll make a writer's day.

Do you write reviews for the books you read?

Six supernatural tenants
Living in a haunted apartment building
On a floor that doesn't exist.

Six novellas telling their tales.

A retired demon acquires a price on his head.
A werewolf is hunted by her pack.
A modern day dragonslayer misses his target.
A harpy challenges Zeus for the soul of the man she loves.
A vampire is obsessed with a young woman he can't find.
A banshee falls in love with someone who's death she has seen in a vision.
And a sweet ghost must battle a primal monster to save them all.

All the stories take place at the same time intertwining their lives together on the 13th Floor.

Includes “The Shadow,” a bonus short story.

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Goodreads 

Author Bio:
Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has eight novellas and twenty-one short stories published.
Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

--

Also, check out the cover of Lexa Cain's up coming book, Soul Cutter. I love all things Egypt, so I'm looking forward to reading this young adult novel when it's released on 6th December 2013.

How to Write an Original Story

With a gazillion authors out there and a gazillion more stories written, some might argue that to write something original is getting harder. So often I’ll dream up a great story idea and think it’s original, only to find out it’s been written before. Sure there might be nothing new under the sun, sure there might be only seven basic plots, but there is a way of writing one of the seven in a new, original way. Below are 8 tips to write an original story.

1. Be confident to write your story, not the story you think others will want to read.

2. Read widely, inside and outside the genre you write in. If you read only within the genre you write, you’ll end up writing the same story that’s already out there.

3. Get out and live a little. Life is a great story generator. Sometimes we get so caught up writing, that we forget to enjoy everything life has to offer. The more we experience, the more we can draw on for our stories.

4. Avoid formula. While it’s good to know what sells, and why some formulas work, if you start ticking boxes, the readers will notice the story lacks soul and originality.

5. Don’t target an audience. This advice might go against the norm, but it’s also a fast way to write something unoriginal. Keep the knowledge of your target audience in the background of your mind and just write the story that’s calling to you. You might discover it’s meant for a different audience than you originally intended.

6. Don’t overthink your story. While some writers can approach storytelling in a highly analytical way, I’d suggest this is not the case for the majority of fiction writers.

7. Research. Find out what other stories similar to yours are out there. If they are too similar, then make changes. Don’t wait until you’ve finished writing.

8. Just write. Push those doubts and excuses aside and just write.

How do you write an original story? Can you think of any other tips? What’s the hardest part of writing something original?

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A big thank you to Crystal Collier for the Shine On Award. You're awesome!

6 Reasons Writers Should Read

Today I’m discussing 6 Reasons Writers Should Read over at Carol Kilgore’s awesome blog, Under the Tiki Hut. This is another stop on the exciting Make Believe Blog Tour. I’d love to see you over there. Click HERE.

Today is also the start of AlexFest, officially titled, ‘Cheers, Cavanaugh BlogFest.’ It’s hosted by the marvellous Mark Koopmans, the fabulous Morgan Shamy, the great David King Powers, and the irrepressible Stephen Tremp. This fest is all about celebrating a terrific writer, blogger and friend: Alex J Cavanaugh, author of CassaStar, CassaFire, and soon to be released, CassaStorm. Because Alex is such an amazing person, I’m taking a moment’s pause in my busy Blog Tour schedule to take part. 

What does Alex look like? Below is my impression of what Alex looks like. Between scheduling and visiting, I whipped this image up in photoshop. Sorry, Alex, I just had to reveal the truth!

Who could play Alex in a documentary? Johnny Depp. But then, Johnny could play anyone and I’d be more than happy to watch him.

Who does Alex remind you of? Someone who lives by his faith, who is generous with his time, and humble. A cowboy wearing a white hat!

A flash fiction using all these prompts: Cavanaugh, Ninja, IWSG, Cosbolt, Guitar.
The Lost Ninjas
The cosbolt named Cavanaugh shoots through space carrying a band of guitar-carrying ninjas on their way to planet IWSG. Their trajectory swerves, the ship stutters off course. Warning lights blink on, but the ninjas don’t notice. They’re too busy fighting over who will get to read CassaStorm first. They’ve missed IWSG and are careening into unknown space, never to be seen from again.

A comment for Mrs Cavanaugh: Thank you for looking after our Alex, for keeping him sane while he writes, for enjoying his music and supporting him in everything he does. As we all know, behind every great man stands an even greater woman. You must be truly amazing. Blessings to you, Mrs Cavanaugh.

To see a list of everyone taking part, click HERE.

Thank you to Rachna for showcasing Make Believe last Friday. You are a good friend.

And don’t forget to visit Carol under the tiki hut! Click HERE.


Make Believe

Books: A Dying Art Form?

With the recent fear that books are dying out, many discussions have cropped up about the impact of technology. I read a recent article about how an increasing number of parents aren’t reading to their toddlers. Instead, children are spending much of their time in front of TV. By the time they go to school they lack: 1. social skills; 2. motor skills – many can’t even hold a pencil; 3. concentration skills.

The problem isn’t reserved to toddlers either. We are all spending much more of our time on distractions such as social media, phone apps, utube, blogs, computer games, tv, movies, podcasts and so forth.

How does this impact the humble book? I remember a time when travelling the train every second person had a book in their hands. Now every second person seems to have a phone in their hands.

We’ve also seen the impact through the closure of many local bookstores. I’ll admit, I’m guilty of buying less traditional books. My kindle is only a few months old but already the paper books feel clunky and cumbersome in my hands. I never thought I’d ever feel that way.

What does it mean for writers? It’s a fantastic time to be a writer. We have so many more options than we did 20 years ago. It’s no longer about ‘the book’, it’s about story. While the book as we know it may die out, story will always survive.

Story began as word of mouth. It became paintings on cave walls and spread exponentially once the written word developed and birthed the first book. Now we are seeing another time of change. With today’s technology story has become more than the spoken and written word. Story can also include images and music and animation.

Do you think books are dying? What do you think the future will reveal regarding reading and books and story?