A Writer's Take...... Archives - Page 68 of 101 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Calling All Writers!!!

Write, edit, PROOF and then….PROOF your writing AGAIN…and again!!

I believe in the old adage that if I can’t say something nice, then keep my mouth shut. Especially with other writers. But, (the BIG but!) I ordered a book with the intention of interviewing the author in the months to come, because he has lived such a fascinating life.

A few days later I sat down to what I anticipated to be an intriguing story. If you have been with me awhile, dear reader, you know my fascination with the transport, export of human beings, especially children. The story could have been a good one. I don’t know if the author is inexperienced but the story was so rushed, with little detail about what made the characters click and why they should win in the end. I didn’t care about the separated, young lovers. I didn’t care that the heroine was in shackles over a length of red ribbon. The author did not take the time to flesh out these characters. I can recognize this flaw as I am a ‘rusher’ too….but after I have ‘slammed down‘ the story outline, I go back and, slowly, create characters that matter to the reader. After the first draft of your story?….well, that’s when the REAL WORK begins.

the do's and don't's — the do’s and don’t’s

Format your book correctly. I never realized before how distracting poor or NO formatting can be for the reader’s eye. Subconsciously our brain and eye expect to see a well formatted book like the dozens we’ve read before. This book had ‘indents’ in the middle of dialogue, poor or no punctuation, and hundreds of typos’. Incorrectly capitalized words, and

no page numbers. Really? It appeared that NO ONE had proofed this book before publishing.

In no way am I saying that my books are perfect. We are human and we miss stuff as writers. But you, as a writer have got to do the work! Do I like reading and then re-reading my own work. Hell, NO! But it’s part of the job for a self published author. Your eye will get stale so have someone else proof your writing too. I am blessed with a friend in Texas, who is extremely busy, extremely smart and a writer too. He always takes the time to proof my work and act as my editor. Wow! He’s caught some of my worse doozies!!

And guard against Clichés, please! If you use them, use them sparingly.

This book really came alive in the last 50 pages when the author wrote about a sea battle and this is what I saw: (1786) A French frigate dashed out from the coast and attacks Her Majesty’s transport. The sloop, Sparrowhawk, light as thistledown, skipping across the waves, swooped in and drove the French away. This was the strongest part of the writing. Hence, what I have said time and again, ‘write about what you know!‘

Tip: When I moved from play writing to my first novel, I was self taught when it came to formats. I took a couple of books from my own library and studied the formatting of best sellers by traditional publishers. To get a very professional look, I employed the

Justify Key: Left and right margins are crisp and consistent.

‘justify key‘ for margins. (compare this sample to the left with the page above.) I counted out the indent spaces, made certain that my paragraphs were not too long, and above all I PROOFED the document and then proofed it again.

KEEP WRITING!!

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PoetrySoup.com features this author’s poetry

Dear Trisha,

Congratulations, this is just a quick notice to let you know that your poem Memories of the South is one of the poems being featured on the PoetrySoup home page this week. Poems are rotated each day in groups of 14-16 to give each poem an equal opportunity to be displayed.

Thanks again and congratulations. Sincerely, PoetrySoup

Memories of the South

Memories of the Old South — Brush and ink by Trisha Sugarek

spanish moss shimmers
slave ghosts of days long gone by
hanging from the trees

stain on Old Glory
dark time of subjugation
when man enslaved man

memories forever
then bodies, now gray moss hangs
tears, blood darken roots

For more Haiku-style (Renku) poetry check out my book, The World of Haiku

Part two…My interview with author, Sheila Connolly

Sheila's desk with cat — Sheila’s desk with cat

Q. What makes a writer great?

A. Someone who makes you forget you’re reading a book, whose writing makes you care about the characters and what happens to them, sometimes so much so that you ignore plot holes and stay up half the night to finish it and then feel sad because there’s not any more book left.

Q. and the all important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like?

A. For me, writing a book (and I’m referring to series now, so I already have a cast of characters and a place) starts with an “aha” idea. I see or hear or read something, somewhere, and it just clicks. It can be as little as a single word, but it’s the core idea that drives all the rest. That doesn’t mean I jump on it immediately and start writing. Usually I’ve got a couple of books at different stages (draft, revisions, edits, proofing), so I’m busy.

But then there’s the moment when the characters for the new book start speaking their lines, and you know the book is coming alive. Sometimes that comes at an inconvenient moment (like when I have a deadline for something else), but I’m a strong believer in the subconscious, which is busy churning away even when I don’t know it.

Of course, it’s still a long slog to get all the words on paper. I may have a fuzzy idea of the story arc, but like many people, I often have a panic moment in the middle when I think that I don’t have enough story to fill up all those empty pages before the end. So far I’ve muddled through.

Then I ship it off to my editor and forget all about it until he or she tells me that I have to change any number of things and I can’t remember why I said them in the first place. Editing is not my favorite part of the process, even though I know it’s necessary.

Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing/stories?

A. I’ve had a career no one would describe as linear. I have an undergrad degree plus a Ph.D in Art History, and an MBA in Finance, and you’ll notice I’m not working in either field. But almost everything I’ve done, from providing advisory services to a major city, to working as a fundraiser for a library/museum, to being a free-lance genealogist, has found its way into one book or another. I think it makes a difference to a reader’s experience with a book if you can insert authentic details. Anybody can do research, but it’s the little things that make a story feel real.

Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters?

A. Sometimes I borrow from real people (some but not all of whom know it). For example, the main characters in the Orchard series are based on a woman I worked with for several years, and who is still a friend, and the guy we bought a house from in Pennsylvania, who continued to be a neighbor for years. That may sound a little odd, but the first possesses a wonderful sense of calmness even in the fact of difficulties, and the second was one of the nicest guys I’ve met—he’d do anything for you, and he was sincere about it. In the Museum Mysteries I had to use another amazing woman I worked with, because her history and her knowledge of Philadelphia are essential. She’s in on the secret now and is one of my biggest promoters. On the other, the hunky FBI agent in the Museum Mysteries is my own invention—and my ideal man (as I may have mentioned to my husband a time or two). Sometimes for the protagonist I use myself—a smarter, younger, better version of me.

Q. What inspired your story/stories ?

A. Places, mainly. The Orchard Mysteries are set in a house that one of my ancestors built, in a small New England town where I have multiple generations of those ancestors—I stumbled on it when I was looking for a bed and breakfast in the area. I worked in Center City Philadelphia in a major institution, and I thought people would enjoy seeing what goes on behind the scenes (the Museum series) while my sleuth goes about solving murders. I also wanted to try setting a traditional mystery in an urban setting. And for

Ireland…it’s a challenge to portray it without making it too cute, but there is a strong sense of community and connection there that works very well in solving mysteries.

Q. Have you? Or do you want to write in another genre`?

A. I started out trying to write romance, because I knew it was the largest market, but I wasn’t very good at it. A few years ago I tried my hand at a rather tongue-in-cheek romantic suspense, Once She Knew, that I self-published. That was fun to write, with a lot of snarky dialogue and a plot that involved saving the First Lady’s life. Then in 2013 I pulled a book off from one of those dusty shelves that most writers have—something I’d written years ago, a romance with ghosts, set in an area I know well and featuring a heck of a lot of my dead relatives. I self-published it as Relatively Dead. It sold well, so my agent said, why not do another? Which became Seeing the Dead, last year. Now I’m working on a third one in that series, which looks at the Salem witch trials from a different perspective (and yes, I have a number of ancestors who were accused of witchcraft in Salem).

Q. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

A. I love what I do. It’s like I’ve been preparing for this all my life, but it took a long time before I thought I had something to say. I can’t believe I get to do this for a living, because it sure doesn’t seem like work.

Click here to read Part I of this interview
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Interview with best selling author**Sheila Connolly

This prolific writer has three series of mysteries and I love them all. But, my favorite is the Cork County (Ireland) mysteries. Her Orchard ‘who done it’ series is also a fav. So I am always happy to snag an author that I buy and read and enjoy! This is an exceptional interview, funny and fascinating so read on; you won’t be disappointed!

Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing? Or tell us about your ‘dream’ work space.

A. I moved into a Victorian house over ten years ago, when my husband and I fell in love with it. When I first toured it (what I could see of it—the people we bought it from were serious antiques hoarders!), I saw an open landing at the top of the stairs, with a window overlooking the street, and I said, “that’s where I’ll write.” I can watch for delivery men at the front door, and I can hear anything that happens in the house (usually involving the cats).

I write at a vintage knee-hole desk that my mother bought for my father, which works surprisingly well with a laptop. There’s a very messy 3’x5’ cork-board that hangs in front of it, where I collect inspirational pictures and things I can’t lose, like appointment reminders. And there’s a calendar at eye level—it’s too easy to forget what day it is!

My dream space? An entire room devoted to books—mine are already stacked three deep on my wall of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Q. Do you have any special rituals when you sit down to write? (a neat work space, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)

A. (Wait until I stop laughing at the “neat” part.) Coffee, definitely. I do almost everything on the laptop, but I do like to write notes to myself and plot on regular lined paper, in pencil. I collect pencils from everywhere I travel—they’re easy to fit in a suitcase. Now I have pencils to go with each series, as well as those that I’m fond of because they bring back memories. The problem is, I hate to use them up!

Q. Could you tell us something about yourself that we might not already know?

A. I worked in a department store in London the summer after college, and sold Ingrid Bergman a very ugly silk shirt.

Q. Do you have a set time each day to write or do you write only when you are feeling creative?

A. I’m at my computer every morning, including weekends. My brain works best in the morning, so that’s when I get the most creative stuff done. The rest of the day…there are always emails, and Facebook, and I write for three blogs, and, oh, now and then I let myself actually read a book for pleasure. And then there’s all the research.

Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?

A. If you find you’re putting off applying your butt to the chair, it usually means something’s not right with your story—plot, characters, setting, point of view, almost anything. Forcing it won’t help because you’ll just get frustrated and bored. Either set it aside and do something else that’s completely unrelated (no, you don’t have to clean the bathroom), or let your mind drift until you figure out what the problem is. Writing should be a happy process for you, not a painful one.

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing and for how long?

A. For reasons I don’t begin to understand, I usually write a chapter a day, and each chapter averages

about 2,500 words. It’s not as though I set a goal, or say, I must get this many words done—that’s just where they all seem to come out. But having said that, if the muse is yelling in my ear, I just keep going. It’s kind of unpredictable. (But I do thrive on deadlines.)

Q. Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment ?

A. Ireland. While my father’s parents both came from Ireland, I never had a chance to know them. I didn’t even visit the country until 1998. But when I did, it just felt right. After my third trip, I came home and wrote a short sweet romance with an American protagonist and a nice Irish bar owner, but it never sold. I couldn’t let it go, though, so I salvaged the setting and swapped some characters, and threw in a couple of murders, and the County Cork Mysteries were born. It’s still the quiet place I go to in my head when things get crazy in the real world. And I visit whenever I can.

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

A. I started dabbling when I was between jobs around 2001 (it may sound trite, but 9/11 pushed me into it—if there was something I really wanted to do, what was I waiting for?). Then I stopped for a while when I got what I thought was the ideal job in Boston—which lasted all of six months. But by then I had a great house-sit in a beautiful, peaceful neighborhood out in the suburbs, so I said, what the heck—let’s get serious about this writing thing. I turned out a not so great book, which landed me an equally not so great agent, but at least I was on my way. And I had so much fun with the first one that I couldn’t stop. I think I wrote or began five books in six months while I was there—and some of them ultimately did get published.

Q. How long after that were you published?

A. After dumping that first agent, I started over and landed a much, much better one in 2006, with a three-book for-hire series with Berkley Prime Crime. But I sold them a second series under my own name, the Orchard Mysteries, before the first book in that first series was released.

Q. What makes a writer great?

Don’t miss Part 2 tomorrow, Saturday!

I just reviewed her latest, “An Early Wake“. Check it out.
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More Nostalgia…..the Roaring Twenties

I was sorting through my library of over 500 books and came across, of all things, my ‘baby book’. Inside I found more photos of my mother, Violet, (Wild Violets, a novel) during her flapper days in San Francisco. Most exciting was to find this newspaper clipping featuring her on the team of a semi-pro, female basketball team. Sadly, I did not find the article. She saved enough of her earnings with the winning team to buy a bar and grill on Fulton Street in SF.

This photo is from a costume party she held at her bar.

And this in her camping/hunting garb. No surprise, it resembles what the heroines of the day in Hollywood wore.

Here she is sitting on the porch of the cabin. She used to laugh and quip: ‘I had to sit all prim and proper because the zipper in my pants had broken’. Check out her boots.

Last but not least, here is a studio photo of Violet (on the right) with her sister, Gladys. She was a stunner and never wanted for men…always buzzing around and not always a good thing.
If you want to read more please check out my novel based on her life as a flapper during the hot jazz, cold gin, dance all night road houses, speakeasy days in San Francisco. Available in e-books and audio.

Synopsis:

After documenting my mother’s colorful childhood in the primordial forests of Washington State, I wrote a story of Violet as a grown woman with children of her own. She has left her small home town in the Pacific Northwest to pursue a successful basketball career and with her earnings, she buys a bar and grill. She is a ‘flapper’ in every sense of the word; working all day and playing all night. While her teenage daughter raises her seven year old son, Violet is out on the town with her latest man de’jour. Dressed in her signature red dress, she is the toast of the town and owner of a speakeasy where she hosts the cream of San Francisco’s society, city politicians, bishops, and Hollywood celebrities.

But there is an underbelly of corruption, grifters, the mob, excess, and neglect in Violet’s life. Her two children are an afterthought and she chooses her men over their well being time and time again. Their childhood needs are always trumped by her self-indulgent desires. The two children are possessions that she can put down or pick up again on a whim, showing them off to her current beau or friends and then forgotten. And when they get in her way, she gets rid of them.
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‘An Early Wake’…Review of Sheila Connolly’s latest release

Rated: 5 out of 5 quills+ A Review

This is my favorite to date from this prolific author. She writes an Orchard mystery series as well as a museum series but the ones I wait for are the County Cork (Ireland) mysteries.
Without the juicy murder, this book would stand just for the history of the musicians, young and old, that keep the music alive. Back in the day, when Old Mick Sullivan was still alive, Sullivan’s pub was known as a magnet for impromptu ‘jam sessions’ attracting famous and obscure musicians alike. In Connolly’s latest story fate brings the musicians back to the new owner, Maura’s, pub but murder is lurking in the back room.

This story has a tight plot with fully developed, rich characters that you will continue to love from the first two books. There’s Maura, the American, who has inherited the ancient pub from a life long friend of her grandmother’s. She’s not certain how she landed in the backwaters of Ireland and isn’t even certain she should stay. Old timer Billie, a fixture in the pub, who sits in ‘his chair’ by the fire and sips his pint while telling stories of the old days to whoever will listen. (Young) Mick, Rose, and Jimmy who work for Maura. All lovable characters that the reader will quickly care about. A must read!

I recommend that you read these in order, (#1-‘Buried in a Bog’) as there is a strong story thread.

Don’t miss my interview with Sheila coming soon!

http://sheilaconnolly.com/
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Celebrate Black History Month with Billie Holiday!!

Playwright, author, Trisha Sugarek celebrated Black History Month with a musical, staged reading of her one woman show, “Scent of Magnolia”, A Tribute to the Life and Music of Billie Holiday. Playing to a sold out house, the reading featured Krystle Pitts (as jazz singer, Billie Holiday) and Ben Rafuse (as Billie’s ‘piano man) on keyboard’. ‘God Bless the Child’ video from the show, click here: https://www.facebook.com/writeratplay

black history month, billie Holiday, people of color, — Ben Rafuse, Billie’s ‘piano man’

Synopsis:
“Scent of Magnolia” tells the story of a young woman who rose above poverty, rape, bigotry, prostitution and imprisonment to become one of the most memorable and celebrated artists of the twentieth century. This one woman show portrays the life of a black jazz singer in America during the 30’s. The script does not dwell on the sensationalism of her addiction to alcohol and drugs but chooses, rather, to celebrate the whole woman and her music.

Billie tells us not only her story, but the nation’s story. She interjects her tale with her most famous music as well as some of her more obscure songs. In her own words, she talks about her struggle to succeed in spite of the segregation of that time and the difficulties she experienced singing with the great bands, most of which were white men. Without self pity , she talks about the daily slings and arrows that are a part of bigotry. Billie takes complete responsibility for her life, her choices, and her actions. Her triumph was her music and her songs that will live on forever.

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Be my Valentine!

Looking for that unique, thoughtful gift for your valentine?

Has your loved one always wanted to write but didn’t know how to begin? Does he/she write in a journal? Write poetry? Write short stories? These journals include ‘how to’ sections, inspiring quotes from other writers and lots of blank pages for your own creative writing.

This ‘Creative Writer’s Journal is the perfect gift.

Order here!

Neon.RMWO_cover_spine_REV84_copy — for HIM!

Have you worked with an illustrator yet? Here are 12 Tips

I have used several artists, depending upon the project. I have had wonderful response from my illustrators (free-lance) and as a team we get the job done!
David White has done several covers for me, most prominent and recent the newest in the World of Murder series.

The illustrator for my children’s books is brilliant in a different way. He reads the story as I write it with clear instructions (from me) on where I want the illustrations placed in my story book. Then he creates all these different perspectives that I would never have dreamed about. They are truly wonderful.

So I thought I would share these tips, with you, about working with another artist. Hopefully they are helpful as you work with your ‘image-maker’.

Tip #1: Be patient.

Tip #2: They are artists, much like you, so they are sensitive about their art.

Tip #3: Don’t push them; they have a time-table that might not be yours. I do state my time-table in the beginning of a project and get some assurance that they will try to meet it.

Tip #4: Be patient.

Tip #5: Be certain that you give them at least two credits in your publication, book or script. I routinely credit them on the back (exterior) cover and on one of the first pages in the book.

Tip #6: Pay them the most that you can budget. Remember the old adage: ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’.

Tip #7: Because I am on a budget; I state my rates (per size of image) right up front. Be honest.

Tip #8: Be patient.

Tip #9: Don’t be afraid to use students at an art school. I have used them (or graduates) from the Savannah College of Art and Design. They are fresh, have the newest technology, and are the most excited by the project. Do I occasionally meet a ‘prima dona’? Who, without any work history, without any credits of any kind, without any life experience, behaves as if they work for a big city design firm, expecting top dollar and……. are confused when you don’t see it that way. (sigh) Yes, I have!

Tip #10: Try to be as clear as you can on what you want in the image. Don’t be afraid to tweak the work as you and your illustrator work together. My illustrators appreciate the second set of eyes.

Tip #11: Pay the illustrator promptly. As I have my illustrator working as I write; when I receive final images I pay him as we go along. I don’t make them wait until the project is finished to be paid.

Tip #12: Be patient.
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Freshfiction.com reviews “Women Outside the Walls”

FreshFiction.com reviewed my book and I couldn’t be more delighted.

“Meet the heroines of WOMEN OUTSIDE THE WALLS.
These women are all brought together through one avenue: Their husbands are all in the same prison.

First, there’s Alma. Her husband, Charlie, is in prison for murder. At first that sounds terrible, but there’s a story behind this that makes you see that everything isn’t so cut and dried as it may seem at first. Alma has been in love with Charlie since she was 16 and he was 23. But he knew he was too old for her and he went away so he could avoid making a mistake with her. Abandoned by her mother in favor of a boyfriend that didn’t want kids around, she was taken in by a neighbor that helped her get through the next couple of years until she graduated from high school. That’s when Alma found that she had a talent for exotic dancing. It was at the end of one of her performances in a high end strip club one night that she was reconnected with Charlie, quite by accident. The next thing she knows, Alma’s pregnant and Charlie runs again, at least temporarily. They do end up together as a family and all is well until Charlie gets in trouble.

Next is Kitty. She’s a woman of wealth and social standing. Her husband, Edward, is imprisoned for a white collar crime and she’s simply not equipped to handle it. However, she does take herself to the prison on visiting day to see him. He agrees to see her once and that’s only to tell her to get a divorce and make a new life for herself and their children. After that, even though Kitty comes faithfully on every visiting day, he refuses to see her.

Then there’s Hattie. She’s a proud, African American woman with a talent for cleaning, a head for math and a heart of gold. Her husband, Joe, doesn’t belong in prison. He’s only there because he’s protecting his little brother. But Hattie is counting the days until her Joe gets out and can come home to her and their kids. Joe loves Hattie and they both look forward to that day.

These women all come together in the waiting room and then visitor’s room at the prison while waiting to visit their men. They all have one thing in common and that’s the fact that they love their men. In the process of this shared experience, they become connected in a way that no one else would ever understand.

Life goes on in this way until the day that a tragic event takes place that will involve them all even more. Things may not end as anyone expects.

Told in both the present and past tenses, WOMEN OUTSIDE THE WALLS offers a bittersweet look into the lives of women that love incarcerated men. There’s laughter and tears but, most of all, there’s the strong emotional bond these women share.

This is an honest book, which means that it’s not always a happy book. It will touch your heart in ways that you wouldn’t expect and is a book well worth spending the time to read. You’ll come away with a new respect for women in this situation and a bit more understanding of why they continue supporting the men they love, no matter what.’ ~~Review~Freshfiction.com

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