I came across this blog recently and I just love this lady's honesty and gutsy posts. Her latest post WHY DO I WRITE? got me to thinking about that myself. Her link is at the bottom of this post so you can read it for yourself.
In the past when asked this question I have always answered that I feel compelled to write. It has a life of its own. And while this may be true of most of us writers, I've come to believe this is a pat answer that sounds a bit pretentious. So let's give this a little depth.
On the creative side, I've always loved to write, even back in elementary school writing story assignments. Living other people's lives, creating the outcome of their situations, to making them bad or good. This is the fun side of writing. The research into topics I know nothing about to add to the story line...this is fun for me.
Then there is the emotional side. This is a little more complex. For me, my writing has become a healer. The characters I write about contain a part of me and working their problems out in ink helps heal my own.
My writing also gives me a voice through my characters. I've grown from a very shy child and young adult to a person who can walk up to strangers and introduce myself and carry on a conversation. I can stand up and sing, give a reading from my book and talk about myself and my writing-all in front of an audience.
But ask me to sit in a group discussion and have a voice that is heard, stand up in a debate and take control? Cannot do. Writing is where I find my voice, where I'm most comfortable, and where I'm most likely to influence anyone.
That brings me to another reason why I write. Do I want to influence people? I do want to share my experiences in my life with other women and hope that through my character's experiences they can relate to their plight and learn something about themselves. This is why I wrote Winter's Captive, to express what I learned about myself and share the lessons learned through my main character, Georgia Charles. The story is fictitious, but her pain, angst, and lessons learned are all mine. But I also want to entertain. Was I successful?
So far, the feedback received about the book has been very positive but an interesting thing has happened. I thought I was writing a book about women, for women and paying forward through my own experiences. However, my book is being labelled as an adventure, a suspenseful thriller, you won't want to put down.
Huh? Surprise! Somewhere along the way, the story has taken on a life of its own and men are reading the book and enjoying it. Am I pleased? You bet. A 93-year-old Australian lady has read the book three times and totally relates to the main characters plight and yet, men are reading it and being entertained.
Writing also has another side to it. It can be painful. When you don't have the muse, are having trouble developing a character's voice, or can't seem to pull it all together, frustration can creep in. I like to think that that is positive stress. It forces the writer to try harder and write stronger.
Here is the link to: Are we there yet? the site that inspired me to write this post. If you are a writer, what makes you write?
Just a little housekeeping here, I previously wrote a post about doing the A to Z's of writing a novel. I have rethought this because in doing my research on it, I ran into trouble finding definitions for all the alphabet characters pertaining to writing. Instead I will add posts on the elements of writing a novel without any cutsie alphabet order.
Meanwhile, keep on keeping on writing.
www.junebourgoauthor.com
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
WINTER'S CAPTIVE EBOOK - FREE COPY
I have three free ebooks available for download. If you would like a copy send me a message on my website CONTACT page with your name and email address. First three to respond get a copy. All I ask is that when you've read it you write a review.
Enter here: www.junebourgoauthor.com
Enter here: www.junebourgoauthor.com
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
WARM WISHES TO ALL - MY YEAR IN A NUTSHELL
We're almost at the end of 2011. The year passed so quickly. Upon reflection it was a great year for me, things happened I never expected.
First and foremost, all of my family are healthy and happy. All of my extended family are well too.
One of my sisters is moving, making her holiday season a stressful one. But a change is as good as a rest. I think the move will be a good one. She is closing some doors and new ones are opening. In the end, the move will be a good one and will force a change of routine.
My other sister is enjoying the fruits of her move last year as it put her closer to her grandchildren and her daughters.
My brother in Britain is surrounded with family and his silly but loving humour is alive and still going strong. His family are all well.
My 90-year-old mom just spent Christmas day with my sister and had a wonderful day.
When you reach my age, this is truly a blessing and makes the year complete.
On a personal note, my year was full of new experiences and self-achievement.
In January, I signed a publishing contract with Asteroid Publishing in Toronto. A small publisher who includes the author in the aspects of publishing, my hands-on experience in marketing and sales have been illuminating. My biggest hurdle has been learning all about social media. Quite a feat for this grandmother. I'm still learning but so glad to be part of new technology which is definitely a strong part of the future.
In February, I started a job in local government as an Admin. Asst. to the CAO. A part-time job that should be full-time and of which I have worked at almost full-time. It has been interesting work and I'm enjoying it.
In September, I had my first media review which made my heart jump. After all the years I spent writing the book, it was a scary process waiting for a review - it was a good one.
Since October, I have done three readings/signings. This is a part of the process some authors hate. Writing is one thing, but selling yourself is quite another. After my initial jittery nerves, I actually found myself enjoying them.
In November, Independent Publisher for small publishers placed my book on their editor's choice list for the month of November.
November/December I found myself writing treatments for book adaptations to film. One production company requested a copy of my book. Early stages that may amount to nothing, but another new experience for me.
So that's my year. On scale of ten I would give it a nine out of ten. Why not ten out of ten? Because I miss my Dad who has been gone now for almost five years. I wish he were here to share my year. Love you, "Middy Waddy".
WISHING YOU ALL A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON AND ALL THE BEST IN THE NEW YEAR!
http://www.junebourgoauthor.com/
First and foremost, all of my family are healthy and happy. All of my extended family are well too.
One of my sisters is moving, making her holiday season a stressful one. But a change is as good as a rest. I think the move will be a good one. She is closing some doors and new ones are opening. In the end, the move will be a good one and will force a change of routine.
My other sister is enjoying the fruits of her move last year as it put her closer to her grandchildren and her daughters.
My brother in Britain is surrounded with family and his silly but loving humour is alive and still going strong. His family are all well.
My 90-year-old mom just spent Christmas day with my sister and had a wonderful day.
When you reach my age, this is truly a blessing and makes the year complete.
On a personal note, my year was full of new experiences and self-achievement.
In January, I signed a publishing contract with Asteroid Publishing in Toronto. A small publisher who includes the author in the aspects of publishing, my hands-on experience in marketing and sales have been illuminating. My biggest hurdle has been learning all about social media. Quite a feat for this grandmother. I'm still learning but so glad to be part of new technology which is definitely a strong part of the future.
In February, I started a job in local government as an Admin. Asst. to the CAO. A part-time job that should be full-time and of which I have worked at almost full-time. It has been interesting work and I'm enjoying it.
In September, I had my first media review which made my heart jump. After all the years I spent writing the book, it was a scary process waiting for a review - it was a good one.
Since October, I have done three readings/signings. This is a part of the process some authors hate. Writing is one thing, but selling yourself is quite another. After my initial jittery nerves, I actually found myself enjoying them.
In November, Independent Publisher for small publishers placed my book on their editor's choice list for the month of November.
November/December I found myself writing treatments for book adaptations to film. One production company requested a copy of my book. Early stages that may amount to nothing, but another new experience for me.
So that's my year. On scale of ten I would give it a nine out of ten. Why not ten out of ten? Because I miss my Dad who has been gone now for almost five years. I wish he were here to share my year. Love you, "Middy Waddy".
WISHING YOU ALL A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON AND ALL THE BEST IN THE NEW YEAR!
http://www.junebourgoauthor.com/
Sunday, December 18, 2011
A to Z's OF NOVEL WRITING By June Bourgo, "A" is for Action
I decided that it was time I stopped talking about me and my journey to being a novelist and perhaps give you some tips to help carry you through your journey. So much is out there on other writer blogs to help you, so I thought I would make mine a little different and entertaining. I am going to give you the A to Z's of novel writing by June Bourgo, Author.
Who knows how long it will take us to get to "Z" as these posts won't be consecutive. I will slip one inbetween other posts or a few may be consecutive if I have nothing else to say. I'm very excited at sharing with you all what I have learned along the way and I hope you will find them helpful, inspiring, and entertaining.
First, I don't believe there is a set way to write a novel. Every writer has their own style, their own routine, and their own method of pulling a novel together. The trick is to find yours. I can tell you that I have no rhyme or reason to how I write. I don't have a detailed outline and I can't start at Chapter 1 and write in sequence to the end of the last chapter. That doesn't work for me. I have an idea for the book, and know more or less how it should start, progress, and end. That's it. My writing begins where the muse takes me. If I have a great concept I think should be included in the book, I write it out with an idea where in the book it should be placed. I make up a chapter number for it and there it sits. I have no idea how many chapters there will be, because I believe the book is finished when I decide there is nothing more to add to the story. And, until I reach that point, I have no idea how many chapters there will be.
In my debut novel, I had 27 chapters. Once I finished my edits, which included dumping the first three chapters and a couple of others within the book, replacing them with just one chapter, I had 21 chapters. Realizing some of my chapters were too long, I split them up and rewrote the endings, leaving the final copy with 25 chapters in total. As new chapters were placed in the book, some of the existing chapter numbers changed or their placement changed.
That's my process, but not necessarily yours. So my A to Z's of Novel Writing will not include a set method or format to writing a novel, but will outline more the tools and steps necessary to actually sit down and write a book. Let's get started.
"A" is for Action
Definition:
ACTION[ak-shuhn]
noun
1. the process or state of acting or of being active.
2. something done or performed; act; deed.
3. an act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by physical or mental activity.
4. actions, habitual or usual acts; conduct.
5. energetic activity: a man of action.
WRITING A NOVEL TAKES ACTION.
Thinking about it, wanting to do it, and dreaming about being a published author wont get it done. However, thinking about characters, plot, location, conflict and resolution is a definite start. Number 3 above is very important. Mental activity is just as important as the physical act of pounding on the keyboard or hand writing your story.
When sitting quiet and silent, my husband has come to recognize my facial expressions. He will say: "You're writing, aren't you?" And he's right. A lot of planning and detailing happens in my head long before I physically put it into my computer.
KINDS OF ACTION
Okay, so you're tired of working on storylines, developing protagonists and antagonists (hey, here's another "A" word and a necessary one to the plot). You're muse has dried up and you need a break. There are lots of other things you can do which all add to the process of creating a novel.
One is research. Some writer's hate this process. I happen to love it. Still, if you need to learn more about a particular subject that comes into your story, and research is a tedious proposition for you, then read another fiction story that covers that area of expertise. I am assuming here that most writer's love to read and be entertained. Here is an opportunity to enjoy a good fiction book and become knowledgeable as well to help with your storyline. (Just don't plagerize, haha.) And there are lots of non-fiction books available. In my book, I needed to research survival in the wilderness. There were lots of self-help books on that subject.
Another course of action is to read other writer's blogs, a great wealth of information with links to marketing and querying sites for writers. Because, of course, once your novel is completed, you will begin the process of pitching your book to publishers and agents, or if self-publishing, the marketing process starts. You might as well start educating yourself on this aspect early. Believe me, it will make the process smoother.
Design your business cards, book cover (if self-publishing), and book markers.
Social media is a very important aspect to marketing online. Set-up a blog and a website. Join twitter, facebook, and writing sights such as Goodreads. Join a writer's group in your hometown or an online site. Start talking about your book.
These are some action items. You can probably come up with more. The idea is to start an action, any action, that will begin the process. You will find that it will become addictive and you will be well into the process before you know it.
That's it for the "A", see you at "B".
KEEP ON KEEPING ON
Who knows how long it will take us to get to "Z" as these posts won't be consecutive. I will slip one inbetween other posts or a few may be consecutive if I have nothing else to say. I'm very excited at sharing with you all what I have learned along the way and I hope you will find them helpful, inspiring, and entertaining.
First, I don't believe there is a set way to write a novel. Every writer has their own style, their own routine, and their own method of pulling a novel together. The trick is to find yours. I can tell you that I have no rhyme or reason to how I write. I don't have a detailed outline and I can't start at Chapter 1 and write in sequence to the end of the last chapter. That doesn't work for me. I have an idea for the book, and know more or less how it should start, progress, and end. That's it. My writing begins where the muse takes me. If I have a great concept I think should be included in the book, I write it out with an idea where in the book it should be placed. I make up a chapter number for it and there it sits. I have no idea how many chapters there will be, because I believe the book is finished when I decide there is nothing more to add to the story. And, until I reach that point, I have no idea how many chapters there will be.
In my debut novel, I had 27 chapters. Once I finished my edits, which included dumping the first three chapters and a couple of others within the book, replacing them with just one chapter, I had 21 chapters. Realizing some of my chapters were too long, I split them up and rewrote the endings, leaving the final copy with 25 chapters in total. As new chapters were placed in the book, some of the existing chapter numbers changed or their placement changed.
That's my process, but not necessarily yours. So my A to Z's of Novel Writing will not include a set method or format to writing a novel, but will outline more the tools and steps necessary to actually sit down and write a book. Let's get started.
"A" is for Action
Definition:
ACTION[ak-shuhn]
noun
1. the process or state of acting or of being active.
2. something done or performed; act; deed.
3. an act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by physical or mental activity.
4. actions, habitual or usual acts; conduct.
5. energetic activity: a man of action.
WRITING A NOVEL TAKES ACTION.
Thinking about it, wanting to do it, and dreaming about being a published author wont get it done. However, thinking about characters, plot, location, conflict and resolution is a definite start. Number 3 above is very important. Mental activity is just as important as the physical act of pounding on the keyboard or hand writing your story.
When sitting quiet and silent, my husband has come to recognize my facial expressions. He will say: "You're writing, aren't you?" And he's right. A lot of planning and detailing happens in my head long before I physically put it into my computer.
KINDS OF ACTION
Okay, so you're tired of working on storylines, developing protagonists and antagonists (hey, here's another "A" word and a necessary one to the plot). You're muse has dried up and you need a break. There are lots of other things you can do which all add to the process of creating a novel.
One is research. Some writer's hate this process. I happen to love it. Still, if you need to learn more about a particular subject that comes into your story, and research is a tedious proposition for you, then read another fiction story that covers that area of expertise. I am assuming here that most writer's love to read and be entertained. Here is an opportunity to enjoy a good fiction book and become knowledgeable as well to help with your storyline. (Just don't plagerize, haha.) And there are lots of non-fiction books available. In my book, I needed to research survival in the wilderness. There were lots of self-help books on that subject.
Another course of action is to read other writer's blogs, a great wealth of information with links to marketing and querying sites for writers. Because, of course, once your novel is completed, you will begin the process of pitching your book to publishers and agents, or if self-publishing, the marketing process starts. You might as well start educating yourself on this aspect early. Believe me, it will make the process smoother.
Design your business cards, book cover (if self-publishing), and book markers.
Social media is a very important aspect to marketing online. Set-up a blog and a website. Join twitter, facebook, and writing sights such as Goodreads. Join a writer's group in your hometown or an online site. Start talking about your book.
These are some action items. You can probably come up with more. The idea is to start an action, any action, that will begin the process. You will find that it will become addictive and you will be well into the process before you know it.
That's it for the "A", see you at "B".
KEEP ON KEEPING ON
Keep on keeping on writing!
Monday, October 31, 2011
FIRST READING/SIGNING OF "WINTER'S CAPTIVE"
Thursday, October 27, 2011 @ 7:30 pm marked my first reading/signing of Winter's Captive. Held at the Clinton Library, it was a great success.
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| Love my new poster - added a professional touch |
My nerves left me speechless at one point near the beginning, forgetting what I intended to say, but I recovered and soon relaxed into the reading, finding my rhythm.
The question period was a lot of fun and because some people there had already read the book, I had to be careful how I answered their questions, as to not give too much away to the ones who hadn't read the book. When asked about the sequel, I had the same problem, trying not to reference anything from the first book.
For a small town I had a great turnout and I was surprised at the number of books I sold.
Some people not only bought for themselves, but purchased books as Christmas gifts for their children and grandchildren.
While I autographed books for buyers, they refreshed themselves.
The people in my village have been so supportive and they made my special evening fun and successful, and they made cutting my teeth an easy process.
Thank you to everyone.
Monday, October 3, 2011
First Newspaper Interview for "Winter's Captive"
First I have to thank the 750 people who entered to win one of the five copies my publisher was giving away free on Goodreads. The number of people who responded was well beyond my expectations. I appreciate your support. Congratulations to the winners.
Below is a copy of my first newspaper interview. So stoked. It is my second interview next to my first social media interview given by Patricia Puddle, childrens book author in Australia. I'm posting this because I want all you aspiring writer's to realize if I can do it at 63, so can you. Embrace it and keep on keeping on writing.
Below is a copy of my first newspaper interview. So stoked. It is my second interview next to my first social media interview given by Patricia Puddle, childrens book author in Australia. I'm posting this because I want all you aspiring writer's to realize if I can do it at 63, so can you. Embrace it and keep on keeping on writing.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
SOCK WARS by Hannah Christensen
Today I want to dedicate my blog to a special child who has written a book for very special reasons.
Sock Wars is a children's picture book about playing and enjoying every moment in life. The book is dedicated to the memory of Hannah's brother, Jonah, who died suddenly three years ago at the age of six. The book also comes with a song.
All the proceeds go to The Vancouver Sun's "Raise-a-Reader" Program.
The author, Hannah Christensen is twelve years old. I was touched by the article I read about this book and her dedication. It is heart-warming and humbling to realize that one so young could think of such a wonderful way to honor the life and loss of her sibling.
Bravo, Hannah!
If you would like more information or to order this book, here is the link.
Sock Wars is a children's picture book about playing and enjoying every moment in life. The book is dedicated to the memory of Hannah's brother, Jonah, who died suddenly three years ago at the age of six. The book also comes with a song.
All the proceeds go to The Vancouver Sun's "Raise-a-Reader" Program.
Bravo, Hannah!
If you would like more information or to order this book, here is the link.
To all the writers out there, keep on keeping on writing and have a great week.
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