Author: KWhipkey

Nightwolf’s Corner Birthday Giveaway

KWhipkey 20 Comments

Birthday Candles

“Birthday Celebration” by Cédric Boismain
Copyright 2013

Last week, I mentioned that the one year anniversary of my first post was rapidly approaching– in 3 weeks, 1 day, to be exact. I honestly never expected to last this long. (I don’t exactly have the best track record for finishing what I start unless there’s money involved.) And I certainly never expected to have so many wonderful people support me with follows, likes and shares every week. So, in honor of this milestone, I’ve decided to celebrate. It is a birthday after all. And no birthday is complete without presents! Or, in this case, a giveaway.

I’ve got some rather interesting (and hopefully exciting) prizes for you. As you know, Nightwolf’s Corner is split between the three aspects of my storytelling life– writing, art and martial arts demo teams. Therefore, it seemed only fitting to offer a prize from each area. But my schedule is a little flooded right now, so as much as I’d love to pick a winner for each prize, there can only be one. That winner will get their choice of the following:

 

Prize 1: A Substantive Editorial Critique

 

Writing has had an unfair advantage on this blog over the last year– something I hope to change in the coming months– so I suspect a majority of you will be interested in this chance to score editorial services for free.

I’m offering the writers in the audience the ability to gain some outsider input on your WIP. I’ll give you a full substantive (structural) critique, illustrating what’s working and what might need a little improvement. I’ll cover everything from flow, to character/world development & consistency,  to believability,  to scene transitions, etc. I won’t provide feedback on a line-by-line basis, (you’ll still need a copy editor at some point), but this will give you a definite leg up on the way to publication. And the best part? I don’t care if your manuscript is finished or not.

That’s right, you can submit your WIP in all it’s unfinished glory and still receive the same level of critique I would give a finished manuscript. That’s pretty cool, if I do say so myself. There aren’t many chances out there to get an editorial critique on an unfinished work, so I would jump on this opportunity, if I were you. 😉

 

Prize 2: A Custom Logo Design

 

I realize this may be the least popular option, since most of you haven’t seen what I can do artistically. Art has been sadly neglected over the past year, all my grand topics languishing in the draft queue unfinished. But that’s about to change. I’ll be posting examples (specifically of logo’s I’ve done) to the Art Gallery over the next few weeks, so don’t rule this prize out just yet.

I’ll create a custom, vector-based logo design for whatever you want– business, t-shirts, decals, whatever! (Remember, a logo is a simplified image meant for wide distribution on various printed materials, so please don’t request something that would be better served as a traditional painting/sketch.) The value here, besides having someone design your vision into reality, is the inclusion of commercial rights to the image– meaning you have the exclusive right to merchandise and profit from it. (I still own the copyright though, and retain the right to display it in my portfolio.) These rights can cost hundreds of dollars above the design fee itself, so this isn’t an offer to scoff at. If you’ve ever wanted to create a logo for something, or need a revamp on your current one, here’s your chance!

 

Prize 3: A Ready-Made Demo Concept

 

I’m not gonna lie, this is the prize I’m most excited to reveal. Many of you are familiar with my particular brand of demos– a hybrid of theater, dance and martial arts. Many of you have also expressed desire for learning how I create them. Over the past year, I’ve delved into the nuts and bolts of my demo team storytelling technique, but there’s nothing quite like actually applying it. And since I can’t travel to every school that might be interested and literally coach you through the process, this is as close as I can get to loaning you my brain.

For the first time ever, I’m offering to supply a ready-made demo concept. What does that mean? I’ll supply the music (usually something I’ve mixed for optimal storytelling capability. Yes, I can do that and I’m quite good at it, so stop giving me the skeptical eyes 😉 ), the overall concept (aka theme), a script detailing the storyline and how to sync it to the music, the costume/prop design and casting recommendations in terms of abilities needed per role. All you have to do is create the choreography. (You didn’t think I was going to give you everything, did you? There still has to be a shred of your creativity in there somewhere!) Pretty cool, huh?

Have I caught your attention yet? Good. Here’s how it works:

The giveaway will run from now, April 12th, until midnight on May 4th, at which time I’ll randomly select the lucky winner and notify them via email. All you have to do to enter is click here and follow the prompts.

That’s it! Let the birthday celebrations commence! Here’s to another year full of sarcastic storytelling awesomeness and wonderful people to share it with. Thank you for reading! 🙂

Randomness Galore: An Interview With Me

KWhipkey 4 Comments

I know, I know, I have a rather lengthy About Me section that pretty adequately introduces myself. (Bonus points if you’ve actually read it! 😉 ) But last week I was tagged by Andrew Toynbee in one of those informational interview games that shows you the person behind the blog. Some of you may remember my stance on participating in chain letter-esque things from the last time I was tagged in one. But like that previous post, I feel this one has some merit. And since I’m not one to scoff at the gracious gift of being tagged, I’m going to participate. I can get back to whining about my lack of progress on Unmoving next week.

The Rules:

 

  1. Post these rules. (Are we really not smart enough to figure these out from the post?)
  2. Post a photo of yourself. (Seriously? Ugh, guess I better go dredge something out of the archives where I don’t have 3 extra chins and look like I’m completely high.)
  3. Post eleven random facts about yourself. (Hmmm, this could get interesting.)
  4. Answer the questions given to you by the tagger’s post. (Thank you, Captain Obvious. Isn’t that the whole point of participating?)
  5. Create 11 new questions and tag some people to answer them. Make sure to go to their blog, twitter, etc. and let them know they’ve been tagged. (10-4. Time to come up with some really embarrassing informative questions and some willing victims participants! ;))

(I took a few liberties with the order of the rules to allow for snarky side comments. But you’ll forgive me, right? Everyone loves some sarcasm with their instructions, don’t they?)

The Photo:

 
This one seemed appropriately mischievous, and I only have two chins, so that’s a plus:

Mischief

Looks like I’m about to send that poor guy (aka my husband) barreling down the side of the cliff on a spooked horse, doesn’t it? I would never do that, of course. Especially since this was taken on our honeymoon and I still rather liked him at that point. (Just kidding, I still love you, babe!) But yeah, that’s me, looking all evil and stuff. On to the next part of the game!

11 Random Factoids:

 

  1. I’m a vegetarian who hates all things vegetable. How’s that for a difficult diet?
  2. My first concert was The Backstreet Boys. (Yep, that’s not embarrassing in the least.)
  3. I have a weird obsession with all things office supply.
  4. I hate having stuff on my feet, but absolutely love shoes.
  5. I’m a shopaholic. When I’m not broke as a joke, that is.
  6. I think chocolate should be its own food group. Which explains why photos of me with 3 chins exist.
  7. It drives me nuts to get stuff on my hands. Dirt, charcoal, chalk, stickiness, whatever. I don’t like it!
  8. I still listen to The Backstreet Boys. (That’s even more embarrassing!)
  9. I don’t think I’m funny. It amazes me when people laugh at something I meant as truth.
  10. I think in pictures. Seriously. Like animated pictures. (Who wins the freak award of the day? This girl!)
  11. I loathe pink but look amazing in it, so half my closet is pink.

Andrew’s Questions for Me:

 
1. What was the last book that you read?

Oh jeez, I’m all about embarrassing myself today! The last book I read was…wait for it…50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James. Yep, that’s right. I read it. In its entirety. I think any time a book rockets to that level of stardom it’s worth reading, if only so you can catch all the references to it that surround you for the next 6 months. But in all honesty, I kind of liked it.

2. If you could retire within the next five years, to where would you like to retire?

This is an easy one. Hawaii! Or pretty much anywhere that’s warm and near the ocean. I don’t care for the rain and have an extreme dislike for snow. So naturally, I moved to the rainy capital of the pacific northwest. Makes perfect sense, right? No one said I was the brightest crayon in the box.

3. What genre are you writing – and have you attempted any other genres in the past?

Currently, I’m writing Urban/Contemporary Fantasy. But the bulk of my work is actually in Dark Fantasy. I suppose, if you want to get technical about it, they’re both the same genre– Fantasy. I have yet to step outside that realm, but I do have a few plans for branching into Sci-Fi. Other than that, I’m pretty set in my ways. For now. Who knows, I might randomly decide to tackle Mystery, or Literary, or Hamster Romance. ( No? That’s not a thing?) That’s the beauty of creativity– you can do whatever you can imagine. 🙂

4. Fruit or chocolate?

Chocolate. Duh! See Random Factoid #6, where I declare that chocolate should constitute it’s own food group. (Seriously, who do we have to convince to make that happen?)

5. What stage is your current WIP at?

Right now, it’s languishing on the corner of part-way-done and never-getting-finished. In all seriousness though, I’d say it’s roughly a third of the way complete.

6. What colour is your hair – and your eyes?

My hair is medium brown with grey highlights, thanks to my inherited curse of premature grey. I’m still hoping for an awesome skunk stripe, but so far, it’s not that localized. 😦

According to my driver’s license, my eyes are hazel. But they’re more toward the green end of that spectrum. With the right clothing and make-up, I can actually push them into green, which is awesome. I love green eyes.

7. Agent or self-publish?  And why?

Both. I’ve spoken quite a bit about my reasons, so if anyone is curious, I suggest browsing the archives for the full disclosure. Basically, it came down to branding. Since my Urban Fantasy series is the anomaly among my work, I’m choosing to self-publish those, while seeking to place everything else with a traditional publisher. I find the freedom and challenge of self-publishing appealing, but there’s still part of me that can’t let go of seeing my work on the shelves of Barnes & Noble someday. Although, if they close too, I suppose I won’t have to worry about that dream anymore.

8. What was the last movie you went to see?  With friends or alone?

The last movie I saw was Oz,  The Great and Powerful. I saw it with my husband. I’m not brave enough to see movies alone, so he gets dragged to a lot of films I’m sure he’d be alright passing on. But I do have to say, Oz had some of the best 3D I’ve ever seen. The stunning visuals were well worth the price of the tickets.

9. How long have you been with WordPress – and what was your first post about?

I’m actually coming up on my 1 year anniversary, on May 4. I signed up a few months before that, but waited to start posting articles until I had finished setting up the rest of the site. Well, most of it, anyway. I still have to finish some of the things I had planned, like the Art Gallery. But I’ll get to them eventually. I hope.

My first post was basically my thesis statement, explaining why I was starting this blog and what I intended to write about. For the most part, I think I’ve held pretty true to that thesis. Although that first post is probably the shortest one I’ve ever written that wasn’t an announcement of some kind.

10. What can you see beyond your screen?  If it’s a wall, what’s immediately behind you?

Aw, my blank white wall isn’t good enough for you? Let’s see…*turns around*

Behind me is a window, looking out on one rather large tree in the middle of the lawn. Beyond that is the road, and across that is some kind of weird church thing. I think I need better surroundings. That was almost as exciting as the wall.

11. Do you type head-down or head-up?

If by head-up you mean looking at the screen instead of my fingers, then yes, head-up. I’m a secretary by day and a writer by night. So I pretty much type all the time. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is most definitely in my future. Yay for impending surgery!

~

 
That’s it for me. Which means I now get to spread the joy. Since a lot of the lovely people I would have tagged have already had the pleasure of being grabbed by someone else, I’m once again going to be a rule-breaker. Instead of tagging any one blogger in particular, I’m tagging all of you– my readers. (Boo-yah! Bet you didn’t see that coming!) I know a lot of you have blogs of your own, so feel free to continue the posting fun. As an alternative, or if you don’t have a blog, you can also answer the following 11 questions in the comments below. I think it will be just as much fun for me to get to know all of you as it is to learn more about my favorite bloggers. So I hope at least some of you will participate. You can’t possibly embarrass yourself more than I have; what have you got to lose?

My 11 Questions to You:

 
1. Where are you from?

2. If you’re a writer, what genres do you write? If you’re not a writer, what’s your favorite genre to read?

3. What’s your dream job and are you lucky enough to have it?

4. Name someone who inspired you and tell us why/how.

5. What’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t?

6. What’s your favorite animal? (Real or Fictitious)

7. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

8. You’re getting shipped to the proverbial deserted island and can only bring 3 things. What are they?

9. List your top five all-time favorite songs, including the artist.

10. Where is your happy place?

11. What’s your favorite girl’s name? Boy’s?

My Love Affair With Complex Narratives

KWhipkey 4 Comments

I had a revelation this week– I’m completely infatuated with complex narratives. More than infatuated, I’m like an obsessed stalker. I already knew that my WIP was a complicated son-of-a-gun, with layers upon layers of intricate plot threads. But when my “simple” rewrite of The Bardach suddenly decided to morph into a complete overhaul with an added web of complexity, I started to wonder if it was a pattern.

Every writer has their go-to storytelling device, and apparently, this is mine. Like some kind of virus viciously mutating my fluffy little ideas into beefy, hulk-like variations with mental disorders, complex narration has spread through almost all of my plot bunnies. I suppose that really shouldn’t be a surprise, given the type of entertainment I tend to gravitate toward. They do say writers should write what they love to read. But still.

Why do I feel the need to complicate everything? Is it to push myself out of my comfort zone, testing my limits as a writer and forcing myself to rise to the challenge? Or is it simply that those are the stories I most enjoy as a reader? I’m honestly not sure, but I suspect it’s a little bit of both.

I’ve been writing for a long time now– over 20 years if you count the embarrassing grade-school attempts my mom continues to mortify me with whenever she gets the chance. (Love you, Mom!) And I’ve been an avid reader for even longer. So maybe it was a natural progression that I would grow past the simple narratives and start searching for things that were more complicated and therefore interesting.

I think all of us start to feel storytelling overload in this entertainment-soaked digital age. Eventually, storylines become predictable, plot twists become stale, character archetypes become as familiar as our siblings. So when a book/movie/show/game manages to keep us on our toes with an unexpected curveball, we are instantly intrigued. I know I go from only halfway paying attention to fully engaged in T minus 2 seconds when I run into a story that is different, refreshingly intricate or surprising in some way.

Complex Narratives add that extra depth to a story, regardless of medium. When done well, they’re almost invisible. The only thing readers notice is total immersion in the experience. We’ve all felt it. It’s the difference between mildly enjoying something and being so hooked that you’re glued to the edge of your seat, riveted until it ends; finishing a book and then promptly forgetting it, or being consumed by the need to share its brilliance with everyone you know. In short, it’s exactly the kind of reaction every content creator hopes to elicit from their audience.

There are several types of complex narratives, including:

  • Flashbacks: The interjection of a past scene or memory that illuminates the current situation or provides insight into the character’s backstory.
  • Dream Sequences: Similar to flashbacks, this oft-scorned device introduces atmospheric foreshadowing, additional information or mystery for the reader.
  • Repetition: Just like it sounds; the literal repetition of a scene, clue, theme, etc.
  • Swapping POV’s: We should all recognize this one. Head-hopping has become a pretty popular method for providing readers with multiple perspectives inside one plot. Just make sure you keep the identities clearly separated, generally with a scene or chapter break. Otherwise, you just have a schizophrenic sounding narrator.
  • Converging Plotlines: Two seemingly unrelated, simultaneous plotlines converge at the end, where the connection and overall message of the piece is finally revealed.
  • Circular Plotting: The story circles back around to the beginning.
  • Backward Storytelling: The end is shown first. We then work backwards toward it, explaining how the characters got there in the process.
  • Framed Narration: A story within a story. Or in my case, a story within a story within a story. It’s up to you how many layers deep you want to make it. As long as you can keep it all straight and clear enough for the reader.

I’ve used them all in some form or other without even realizing it. You probably have too. Even my first forays into storytelling (I’m not counting those frightening grammar-school moments, no matter how much Mom insists they’re legit) contained flashbacks, dream sequences and framed narratives. Those of you who have read my short stories know that I graduated to a hybrid of backward storytelling and circular plotting with Confessions, and have now gone even further to converging plotlines in the new version of The Bardach and a combination of about 5 techniques, including repetition in Unmoving. It’s taking an exhausting toll on my muse, that’s for sure, and has me screaming, “What’s wrong with a little simplicity?”

The fact is, there’s nothing wrong with it. The standard three act structure with no fancy trappings has been the traditional storytelling format for thousands of years. But complex narration builds on that, creating a richer, more engaging experience for everyone. Isn’t that what every writer wants? To connect deeply with their readers? I know I do. I want to make people feel the way I have when reading some of my favorite books. Nearly all of which utilized at least some of the techniques listed above. Maybe that’s where I learned it, emulating my favorite writers while searching for my own literary voice. In the end, who really knows? All I know is that my stories would feel extremely lacking without their complexity. And that’s as good a reason as any to keep including it, even if, as I strongly suspect, it’s at least partially responsible for my slacker status on the prolific-meter. 😉

How about you, do you have a preference for simple or complex narratives?

The Difference Between Editing & Ghostwriting

KWhipkey 13 Comments

I’m sure the more astute of you already know that I moonlight as a freelance editor (there’s a handy little tab at the top of the page that will tell you about it if you missed it), as well as working on the editorial staff at REUTS Publications. But I’ve also been known to work as a ghostwriter (very infrequently; it’s not really my cup of tea). This week had me doing both. And it got me thinking about the differences between the two; how they can often be confused by those outside the literary world. So in the interest of clarity, I’m going to take a moment to break each of them down, starting with editing.

There are three types of editing a freelance editor (or an editorial staff) will perform:

  • Content Editing: This deals with the underlying structure of a piece, focusing on things like flow, POV, character consistency and plot. Sometimes called Substantive Editing, it’s usually the first part of the process, as there’s no point in fine-tuning a scene that will just get cut later on. Content Editors have a firm understanding of storytelling basics, and can rearrange a work like pieces in a puzzle, requiring dramatic changes that will ultimately make the story stronger. It’s the part that most feels like honing a diamond from a rough piece of rock and is my favorite style of editing.
  • Copy Editing: Also known as Line Editing, copy editing dissects individual sentences, working on tightening the prose and overall smoothing, as well as things like spelling and grammar. Similar to the layered approach of painting and sculpture, copy editing builds on the foundation content editing provides, focusing on the details rather than the work at large. This can be extremely painful for people that dislike dealing with minutiae, but it’s an important step in creating the final outcome.
  • Proofreading: Generally the last stage of the process, proofreading gives a manuscript a final pass, looking for any typos, misspelled words or wonky punctuation. There should be relatively few revisions made in this stage, and often, the proofreader will simply make the necessary changes without requiring the author to step in. Proofreaders are the last defense before a manuscript heads to the printer, so it’s a good idea to have them be a fresh set of eyes from the prior stages.

You’ll notice that none of those definitions included rewriting. That’s because it’s not the editor’s job to actually fix the problems. This is where the confusion kicks in. It’s a common misconception that editors help with the actual writing. But editing isn’t that kind of hands on, instant fix. In fact, most editors won’t even look at a piece that hasn’t already been completed and polished to a high standard.

An editor is like a personal trainer for words. And just like a personal trainer can’t lose weight for their client, an editor can’t rewrite a manuscript for their author. The author does all the heavy-lifting in the relationship, working out the kinks and fixing the rough spots under the editor’s guidance and moral support (even though it can feel like the complete opposite when you get your manuscript back covered in red delete suggestions). When they do their job well, the end result is like the movie star version of the original work, but it’s the author that actually gets it there.

So who, then, helps the people that can’t quite articulate their brilliant idea into words on a page?

Ghostwriters.

Ghostwriting and editing are two completely different things. Editors are passive observers, guiding the author with a hands-off approach, while ghostwriters are active, aggressively transforming the author’s thoughts into a commercial literary product. Unlike editors, a ghostwriter’s job is to actually write the manuscript. To take the vision, voice, and generalized, messy thoughts of the author and literally write in their stead. In short, ghostwriting is hard. Which is why I only do it on very rare occasions and why you won’t see it listed in the services I offer.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some small similarities between the two, though. For instance, both require the ability to see past a rough exterior to the heart of the story, to be able to understand the final vision for the piece and the best way to present that to the world. They both require a firm grasp of language and storytelling (although ghostwriting mostly happens in the non-fiction world), as well as a keen understanding of voice, so that the final product sounds like the original author, not the ghostwriter/editor.

They both have their place, but editing is more akin to reading with annotations, while ghostwriting involves the more rigorous creative process of actually putting words on paper, complete with stipulations and expectations attached. They both require someone well-versed in the craft of writing, but rarely will you find someone who likes to do both. Just like writers have preferences when it comes to style and genre, those on the book-doctoring side of the fence have preferences on the types of surgery they like to perform. So before you ask for help, make sure you’re asking the right person. If your manuscript is finished and you just need polishing, you’re looking for an editor. But if you need help constructing your idea from the ground up, you might actually be better off looking for a ghostwriter to collaborate with. Knowing the difference will save you a lot of headaches.

**Just a quick reminder; this is the last weekend to enter the Two Steps Closer Giveaway over at REUTS Publications. One of the prizes is a free, full-scale editorial critique by me and the other is a custom, print-ready cover design by Ashley Ruggirello. It’s a pretty sweet deal– professional services with no strings attached. If you haven’t entered already, what are you waiting for? Go do it before you run out of time! The giveaway ends Monday, 3/25/13 at midnight. Don’t miss out!**

Memorializing Firsts: A Celebration of Author Bridget Zinn

KWhipkey 4 Comments

Poison_cover640

This week I’m doing something a little different. During my weekly perusal of the blogs I regularly follow, I stumbled on a story that really moved me– the story of a girl who finally realized her dreams but was never able to see it. Her story touched me so deeply that I decided I wanted to help commemorate her accomplishment by promoting the release of her debut novel: Poison.

A fellow Portlandite, Bridget Zinn was a librarian and writer who loved making people laugh with her creations. She believed the young adult genre needed more humor, and so, created a book that she hoped would inspire, entertain and be loved by her teen audience. In 2011, two years before the release of that creation, Bridget succumbed to her battle with cancer, passing away at the much-too-early age of 33. But her legacy lives on in the form of her novel.

About the novel

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

I pause today to honor Bridget’s accomplishment and to feel grateful for the small successes in my own life. I have yet to publish a novel, but I still remember when I received the acceptance letter for my first short story. I stared and stared at it, in the cliché fashion of someone gaining admittance to their top college, unable to comprehend the words that very clearly said, “we’d like to publish your work.” I had to get confirmation from someone else before it really sank in; I’d finally done it. After all the rejection letters, all the failed attempts, all the years of pretending I didn’t really want to be a writer, I’d made it. Yes, it was only a short story, but that magical moment of validation is what every writer dreams of. The first toe in the door to becoming an author.

I can only imagine that Bridget felt very much the same when she finally received notice that Hyperion wanted to publish her book. It’s unfortunate that she didn’t get to experience the second burst of joy that seeing Poison on shelves, in the hands of her readers, would have brought. Thankfully, we can still give her spirit that satisfaction by spreading the word and hopefully helping Poison become a bestseller.

Sharing so many similarities with Bridget, I am saddened that I will never get to meet her. Her story of optimism in the face of adversity is an inspiring one and reminds us that every day is a gift we should be grateful for and that no victory, no matter how big or small, should ever go uncelebrated. Here’s to you, Bridget; may your book find all the success you dreamed for it.

bridget_zinn_photo

Bridget Zinn

You can learn more about Bridget and Poison, including how you can help, at Bridget’s Official Website.