Tune in to these spring and summer episodes during National Novel Writing Month, and keep climbing the NaNo roller coaster to the peak. I moved it up the steep hill with a jerk declaring ‘Singapore is Ours.’
November schedule of For the Love of Books Podcast
Whether you’re a participant or not in the 50k-word challenge, catch up with spring and summer authors, still coming author Chris Stark and NaNoWriMo Halfway.
Nov. 3 Nikki Mitchell, Nightshade Forest
Nov. 10 Mikel Classen, True Tales
Nov. 17 NaNoWriMo 2022 halfway episode with authors Emma Palova, Jean Davis, and Vera West
Even though the clouds moved in, we still held onto the upper 60s with rain in the afternoon. The November weather definitely made its mark on the start of NaNoWriMo.
Like on a real roller coaster, I pushed the story forward with a jerk to the ‘Singapore is Ours’ declaration by the protagonists and left it with a new chapter opened. I logged in 2020 words. Again I like the number, but I wish I could have pulled off more.
I am going to flip back to the beat sheet plotting method rather than the roller coaster, which is more like a labyrinth. This morning it led me to these dead-end streets and side streets.
In my other role as a journalist, I am working on a story about a hometown salon celebrating its 10th anniversary. The salon survived the Covid horror and competition from other salons.
You can buy my books locally at Shabby Chicnanigans next to Curtis Cleaners and Bettie’s Pages on Main Street just in time for holiday shopping.
Thanks Michelle.
Shabby Chicnanigans opens next to Curtis Cleaners
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
“Her DNA, heart and soul are in every square inch of the trail system that we all enjoy.”
Unknown
The second sunny day in a row in the high 60s in November in Michigan. I logged in 1,862 words with NaNoWriMo. After writing I hit the trail and met the patrol guy, who has been patrolling this beauty for the last 12 years.
The Book of the Dead (Omega) was open today at St. Pat’s Church along with the list of the dead in 2022 for signing.
On the trail remembering Betsy Davidson
Also remember a soul who left us on Sept. 5, 2022. I’ve done several stories with Betsy Davidson about the Fred Meijer Flat River Trail for Ledger’s Behind the Scenes feature series. An astute businesswoman and a community leader in Lowell, Betsy was always fun and light-hearted.
She was honored that the Ledger featured her.
May you rest in peace, my dear friend.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
It’s Tuesday, November 1st in Michigan. My dashboard is showing 64F.
I attended All Saints Day mass at St. Patrick’s in Parnell at 7 a.m. The general store across the street wasn’t even open yet.
But I managed to run into an old friend who was already grumpy.
“Nothing has happened yet,” I said. “You can’t be grumpy.”
“Yes, it has,” he said. “I woke up.”
This was the first day of National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo 50k word challenge. I logged in 1,777 words because I like the number plus it was 100 words more than the required 1,667 daily log-in word count.
For the first time ever, I ate my lunch on the porch in the November sun in West Michigan after I got done writing. I will savor that forever.
The lovely day ushered in a mix of emotions that a new project always carries. I even managed to walk the trail listening to the creek. The creek was bubbling its song undaunted by the fall. I threw a few rocks to listen to the sound of the rock entering the water, and measured the depth by the hollow sound.
Our fifth grandchild Henrik celebrated his first birthday today. I remember last year’s tension about the unknown of NaNo and the new grandbaby. Nothing has changed, the tension is the same.
Some guys are showing off water skiing in November in Michigan. Heck yes, that’s cool.
You rock. Happy birthday, Henrik. Love always.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day followed by All Souls Day. In some traditions, Halloween is viewed as a “thin space” where souls slip back and forth between this world and beyond.
Listen to these amazing authors Andrew Allen Smith, Craig Brockman, Matthew Hellman, Robert Williams, and ghost author Stacey Rourke on For the Love of Books Podcast with host Emma Palova.
Psychic Liotta from Rourke’s ‘Corpse Queen’ sees the beast in the crystal ball as she leads the way into the darkness.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
The special episode, Panel of Fear with horror authors Andrew Smith, Matthew Hellman, Craig Brockman, Bob Williams, and ghost author Stacey Rourke will air this week on For the Love of Books Podcast just in time to get spooked before Halloween.
Asylums, roller coasters, haunted houses, psychics, Zombie walks through the night forests, a man hangs himself during a Halloween scare in the closeby woods, nature at its worst, we drive out to the piers….why do we seek out fear? Or does fear seek us out? Is it natural or supernatural? Normal or paranormal? Do ghosts exist? Is the Tower Farm haunted?
“It definitely is,” said its former resident Addie Abel.
We sneak into attics and basements to find what? When was the last time you were scared? And why? What profound experience has influenced your actions?
We all have a dark side, and not all of us manage it well, according to Dr. Kathryn Den Houter, author of the psychological thriller ‘Prison Shadows.’
This year, Halloween expenditures are projected to reach a record high of $11 billion, according to Statista.
Author Kathryn Den Houter on fear
Dr. Kathryn Den Houter, author and retired psychologist.
“The reason why people seek out fear is that humans feel the most alive when we are in the state of mixed emotions: When we have fear yet are on the alert for excitement we are titillated. Our brain and emotions are working at full capacity. We yearn for the peak experiences that let us know we are “truly alive,” said Dr. Kathryn Den Houter.
Den Houter is a retired psychologist, the author of five books, and a fan of Alfred Hitchcock.
So let’s take a look at our panelists:
Author Craig Brockman
Author Craig Brockman currently lives with his wife Sally in Tecumseh, Michigan. In 2020 he published the ghost novel “Dead of November: A Novel of Lake Superior”, in 2007 the middle grade “Marty and the Far Woodchuck”, and in 2022 “Curve of the Earth”, and has been published in anthologies
Dead of November
Ghosts of those drowned and never recovered are swarming from Lake Superior. But they are not there to haunt the living. They are fleeing something far more sinister.
Author Matthew Hellman
Author Matthew Hellman earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University calls Michigan’s U.P. home. He has been writing since 2013. His published works include the novel “Solomon’s Seal”, the novel “The Biting Cold”, the novella “The Hawthorne Blow”, and a short story in “Six Guns Straight from Hell”. “The Biting Cold” and “The Hawthorne Blow” both take place in the upper peninsula of Michigan.
The Biting Cold
The residents of a small Michigan town fight to survive in a brutal winter storm. But their fight isn’t against the storm, it’s against what the storm has awakened.
Author Stacey Rourke, Corpse Queen
Author Andrew Allen Smith
Smith is a prolific author of Masterson Files, poetry, and most recently two short story anthologies ‘Slice of Fear’ and ‘Another Slice of Fear.”
Another Slice of Fear
Are you ready to see how deep the rabbit hole can go? Another Slice of Fear contains 16 original short stories from the mind of Andrew Allen Smith that may help you get there.
It’s that time of the year again to get ready for National Novel Writing Month in November. I’ve participated three times and won three times, and got three books out of my participation. Don’t get me wrong it’s a grueling challenge when you have to write 1,700 words a day to reach the 50K goal.
“Bank on words when you can,” said author Jean Davis, a 17-time NaNoWriMo participant. “There will be days when you won’t be able to write as much.”
Number one tip: Be ready. Clear your schedule for November, no unnecessary projects. Make it very clear what you’re going to be doing in November.
Don’t get distracted, stay focused on your project. Don’t go back to rewrite anything. Just keep on moving forward. The outlines are good, but the synopsis is better. The synopsis clearly shows a developed idea.
Zone into your writing at the same time every day. No deviations in the schedule.
NaNoWriMo has coaches to get you through the challenge, but ultimately it’s up to you to pull it off. And the first draft does not have to be messy. No. 1 thing is clear thinking and letting the characters lead you into the story. Let them carry the story.
Then, you also have a buddy system to keep you accountable. Use it or not, just be careful with your time. Use tools such as the Pinterest board for the project to keep everything together.
When you can’t write you can’t write, go for a walk, take a break. Just don’t stay out there all day. Keep your writing simple kind of like journalism writing for all to understand at all levels. No adverbs or big words. Just big ideas.
Have several ideas going on at once, just in case the first one doesn’t work out. Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, just write.
Having said all of the above, I will be working on a sequel to The Lost Town. I am hammering out the main character as we speak and placing him ready for the adventure.
Each book should be better, than the previous one. I will keep that in mind. Ok, I have just found out that the best plotting method for me is The Save the Cat 15-beat sheet. Onwards.
So you want another book under your belt? After all a year to get out your next book is the standard time frame. All the authors below have done it within slight time variations. They all have a few things in common. Listen in to find out what are those and how to win a signed copy of their books.
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