It’s time to return to our normal Monday Guest Post program. October writers are joining Wren Doloro to discuss the topic of “Magic.”

Ksenia Anske joins us today to talk about magic and her labor of love, Siren Suicides.

Throughout the years my own stories tried to get out. I wrote diaries at 15, switched to poems, penned a few flsh fiction pieces. Wrote a screenplay, attempted at directing a feature movie that turned into a short seen only by the crew and the actors. Even dabbed in animation.

Then in 2008 on one pre-Christmas weekend I asked my 14 year old daughter if she could suggest anything to read. Something light. She handed me Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

”All my friends have read it, it’s light and romantic, and it’s got vampires.” 

I wrote a synopsis. Shelved it. In 2009 a trip to Lake Crescent led me to reading the legend of the Lady of the Lake. That stirred memories of rusalkas and prompted me to write a few chapters more. In 2010 I’ve written another 30,000 words and shelved it again. This year my friends who knew about the story, talked me into finishing it. The 4th time proved to be it. The story started singing.

THAT is my magic – allowing myself to accept the fact that I’ve been a storyteller since I can remember reading, quitting my career to write full time and finally letting myself be.

SIREN SUICIDES is my first novel. It’s a young adult urban fantasy set in Seattle about a teenage girl who lost her mother, hates her father, and decides to escape reality via suicide. Her name is Ailen Bright, and she is a dreamer and a believer in all things magic.

Photo by Marco Leone

Before I go too far (and you would have to yank me back to reality), here is the nitty-gritty: I don’t know yet if I’ll go via traditional publishing route or choose to self-publish. My main focus right now is to finish the novel by the end of 2012. I’ve planned a few more books to make SIREN SUICIDES into series, but I want to listen to my readers. If they fall in love with the main character, then I’ll write more.

 Ksenia Anske

Visit Ksenia’s Blog 

Previously in this series:

It’s time to plan, ladies and gentlemen.

Don’t look at me like I am an English teacher.

I’ll show you who I am.

I will seduce you to the side of the panster-plotter.

For the world of the panster-plotter is a dark and scary place.

It is time to take over the world. It is time for NaNoWriMo.

Yes, that is right, time to write, and also time to plot and plan our devious hearts out.

F&*@ outlines.

I’ve got something better for you, yes, you.

NaNoWriMo is a great way of getting yourself to finish something.

I don’t even like filling in worksheets–I get skittish after having to think about more than a few elements of the story.

But despite that, what I discovered through trial and error is: it’s better to plot.  It saves a lot of time and angst.

A LOT. And the draft I have is more manageable to revise, because THAT’s how authors get books they love to death. And books they will spend months of time with to achieve the “I love you” phase.

 

dun dun da da!

Flashy Plotcards

When Flashy Plotcards are combined with your imagination, they appear more like this:

2. Pick separate colors to correspond to Scenes, Settings, and Characters. </>

 

 3. Begin the scribbling! Put a couple words on each card with some ideas for your story.

When your ideas slow, move on to a new card. Repeat until tapped of evil plots.

4. Look over all your cards on the ground to see what it looks like.

 

Click for a bigger view of my 2012 NaNoWriMo Flashy Plotcards

 

 Clearly I need to develop my settings– I’ve written only a few  generic words on each Setting card. Meanwhile the other categories, especially characters, are more detailed.

Roommates usually equal conflict, which is an inspiration for more scene cards.

5. Carry the Plotcards with you and let the ideas build.

Periodically flip through the cards, put scenes in order, add new cards, and scribble random ideas.

Let the cards guide you to more cards like in the example above. This is play, not work.

I want as many people as possible to hear of this technique and see if it is for them.

xx Sofia Wren

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Also check out: 7 Ways to Write Everyday

 

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! BR Kingsolver’s second book is everything I would have hoped from reading the first book in the series, The Succubus Gift. 

1. This author is no one hit wonder–this book, too, has action, suspense, and fantasy. As in sexual fantasy, urban fantasy, and “Hey, I wish I were that rich” fantasy.

2. The main character Brenna embraces her role as not only a proudly sexual female leader, but also a priestess of an ancient Goddess.

3. Travel to Ireland, and Paris

4. Brenna’s family sure is complicated.

5. Crazy fighting.

Check it out:

See also the Guest Post by BR Kingsolver on the inspiration for her Unusual Creature, the Succubus

The first in an epic new fantasy series, introducing an unforgettable new heroine and a stunningly original dystopian steampunk world with a flavor of feudal Japan.


A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium  verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Sh?gun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Sh?gun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Sh?gun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

1. The first 70 pages are hard to get through. After that it is pretty good.

At other times this detail is overwhelming and forces me to skim. Some things doesn’t even seem necessary. He tells us there are three different kinds of dragons..we only see one..why does it matter?

Clearly Stormdancer could have used another round of editing. Cut, cut, cut.

2. That being said, the characters, world and plot are really cool.

3. This book has many strong ladies

4. There a few perspective problems.

This is common mistake of starting authors. Generally when writing from a single point of view, in this case, Yukiko, one doesn’t want to switch to another character unless really necessary. This because the reader doesn’t tend to care that much about characters they don’t see much. 

5. Complex story, cool world, riveting plot and interesting themes…but I don’t want a sequel.

Description:

1. A cool book for crunchy yoga and chakra lovers.

This book resonated with me because I, too, am a healer who has overcome trauma through chakra work. Chakras are energy centers in the body that embody certain emotions or themes at work in our life.

If this sounds too outlandish, stop now. This book contains description of not only chakras but tantra, macrobiotic, past life regression, meditation, yoga, etc. 

Anyone interested in these modalities and how they related to someone’s life, read on.

2. A well edited story that is almost too wild to believe.

While reading I was very impressed with the pace of the story. The writing was interesting but easy to read. The pages flew by and I completed this book in a weekend.

Chakra Secrets does not hold back! It covers alcoholism, drug use, corrupt teachers, believe-it-or-not soul mates, and lifelong struggle. 

It definitely puts the writer in a vulnerable place for the benefit of good for others. Admirable.

3. The end of the book teaches you a healing modality.

4. Product advertisements should not be in the middle of a story.

As I read good stories I get grumpy when interrupted.

Especially by advertising grumble grumble. This book advertised two products in the middle of the story, by using links in the footnotes on the same page.

Ads take away from the narrative and are tacky. This may seem like a small things, but it’s unheard of. The standard for ebooks is that ads go at the end.

The end already includes information about other products. The ads in the middle irked me and have caused me to give a lower review.

For our first guest in this month’s “Magic” Guest Post Series, I welcome Christie Rich. Christie is the author of the Elemental Enmity Series.

During summer vacation when I was a little girl, my favorite cousin and I would play Indian Princesses in the desert hills behind her small home in Central Heights, Arizona.  I took pride in the Native American ancestry that we shared, imagining being swept off my feet by a tall, dark, and handsome stranger that would whisk me away to his castle where we would live happily ever after.  

<pGotta love magic, right?

Monday October 1

Monday October 8 

 Monday October 15

This month has already blazed by, leaving summer behind. So much is changing in my life, I feel I am dropping leaves to shed old habits and an old life.

In two weeks I move in with my boyfriend of almost two years. I have also been hired for a new job focusing on just massage–no office work required, yes!

The transition to less desk and more massage will be insane. I know a great upheaval will be taking place in my life, so please forgive if mid-October I skip a review or two.

I feel good about the way things are trending.

Part of the change, I think, is realizing that disappointing people is inevitable.

I’m a loyal person. I want to please my Dad, my friends, my boss, my coworkers, my clientele, my prospective clientele. Basically, for these twenty-five years of my life, I have been catering to what other people think of me. And when one or two people have a problem, it consumes me.

One time a boyfriend dumped me, followed by a ‘friend’ who dumped me, followed by crap from my boss for trying to take off work to seek counseling. I spent a day in the back room at work crying my heart out.

After that, I no longer have faith that others will take care of me during the fallout that occurs when I give up too much. Even though I gave myself away to make others happy, they weren’t there for me.

 

Katherine Hepburn: known for sneaking a smoke indoors at my aluma mater BMC

 

It is a journey to pull away. Some of it happens on its own. I’ve lost friends I thought would be in my life forever and I am not sure why. I changed, they changed. I would be fine to continue as changed people but I suddenly started disappointing people without really altering my life.

It sure sucked that friends I held in my heart didn’t like me anymore. But some essence in me solidified since leaving college. Friends can turn against me, mentors can edge away, but I don’t want to budge anymore.

I’ve sculpted myself into a person, and no one gets to dig their fingers into my form, no more. Not unless it is right for me and my dreams. Sometimes I feel so shoved around, but mostly it’s because I’ve let it happen.

Let’s be larger than the opinions of everyone else in the world. It’s OK to be wrong, to drop the expectation of perfect. Let’s aim for perfect effort. 

Call me, friends, tell me you are disappointed and we will talk, but tough luck if all you want is to talk at me.

The way I feel now is I am a relaxed person and will give friends the benefit of the doubt—but if I am criticized over and over again for things that are really not a big deal, then deal over. Life is too short to adjust my compass 24/7.

Real friends support your dreams and your health. They support you changing from the image they’ve had of you into something larger. 

Real friends adjust their expectations to accept your human imperfection, and perfect effort. 

Real friends don’t make you feel like you are on the edge of a cliff and you might fall without them.

Many people have a skewed idea what will make them happy. 

Personally I am really pleased when I enter a mind shift. If someone gives me information that changes my world, I am astounded. I like hearing a friend’s perspective when I’m clueless. When someone is mad, let’s put it all on the table and deal with it. 

I really try to keep an open mind to hear whatever truth my friends want to share. Often it is uncomfortable. This discomfort, though, is necessary and good.

Yesterday my friend told me, “America has probably provided the guns for every coup in Africa since WWII.” This means we are responsible for hoards and hoards of death, poverty, political unrest, and the crumbling of nations.

Mind shift. The only thing I can do about it is post it here and ask readers to look into it and decide whether to tell others. Here are two reports from the World Policy Institute from  2005 and 2000. Talk about disappointment, sheesh.

This may seem like an aside, but this is the stuff I really care about. The issue for me has always been how to save the world. And is it possible to do it from my couch? Because transforming into $an independent woman$ is already a lot of work…

Will people reading this be mad I switched subjects? Am I being too political? I dunno, this upsets me but I still like being an American. Blogging about this is the only outlet I have. This is a large topic.

Saving the world is hard. I’m too sensitive to use my Political Science BA. I don’t even like arguing. I worked for an education nonprofit and lost myself. Wiping the smile off my face to discipline kids is just not possible. I adore my current path of massage therapy, but I can only help one person at a time.

So when I get crap because I rarely RSVP to parties unless I’m a definite, or I bail on plans when I am overloaded or tired, I just have to think, “Does anyone really understand what real disappointment is?”

There are plenty of other people to hold someone’s attention if I don’t feel good.  It’s not like I am causing real harm. If I don’t hold a little back, how will I save the world or make my dreams come true? Because not following my heart is the most disappointing thing I can imagine.

Tara Mohr is a fantastic speaker on the subject of “Playing Big” versus playing small. This video speaks on the dangers of praise and how it can hold us back:

I hope this post helps someone to know that it is possible to feel large. Even if it seems no one believes. As long as you do, that’s what matters. If you’ve tried again and again to repair a friendship, maybe it’s better broken.

Have you been disappointed by a friend? Are you still friends now?

Have you held back on your dream or thoughts because of what people will think?

3. An alpha male reigns in the end, but Lisbeth is a strong lady.

 

4. Alphas are a personal choice that every woman must decide for herself.