I’ve spent the past few days making little changes here and there to woolastonentertainment.com, and I believe I’m finally finished! (for now). I’ve been trying to change the colors, and after several attempts, I figured it out. I think it’s a wonderful improvement, and I hope everyone who visits the site enjoys the new look. When you have time, please check it out: http://www.woolastonentertainment.com . Cheers!
Even though this is only the first month of the new year, I’m happy to report I have made a lot of progress, where my upcoming books are concerned. I started four manuscripts last year, just before NaNoWriMo. Within the past seven days, I completed three of them! I have one left, and it should be finished by the end of this month. SO, good news: three manuscripts ready to enter the editing phase. Bad news: three manuscripts ready to enter the editing phase! Editing will be tedious, but its necessary. I’m looking forward to releasing new books this year.
If you’re a writer, then there’s a very good chance you’re also a reader. How can you not be? Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time reading books which contain the subject matter I want to write about. For example, while working on Our Lady of Righteous Rage, I drew from my own personal experiences, and I also read a lot of books about punk rock; the history of it and punk rock as a culture. Reading books within the same genre you’re planning to write for, can be very useful. If you want to write books about paranormal romance, I suggest reading books in that category. This can help you gain insight into what’s popular in that genre, and what readers may be looking for. If you’re going to write science fiction, then you may want to read science fiction. Plus, you don’t have to stop at books, alone. I can’t begin to tell you the number of issues of Alternative Press , Rock Sound and Rolling Stone Magazine I’ve collected over the years.
At the same time, I believe reading should be a pleasurable experience. I read books in certain genres for research purposes, as well as for fun. I like to see how other writers present similar stories and characters.
This is long overdue! I wanted to say thank you to all of my followers. Some of you have been reading my nonsense for the past 2 to 3 years now! Thank you for doing that! And to all of my new followers: hello! Thank you to everyone who found me via the Nano Blog Hop on Twitter! All of you have given me a reason to post more often, and I certainly will from now on. Thank you again, and have a wonderful day!
November is here, and so is NaNoWriMo 2016! This is a great time to work on your next novel, or finish any projects you may have started earlier … Continue reading Her Name is Lola Vencent
Good advice.
A practical man only lives by one principal, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” For those of you that know me, you would know that Mark Manson is one of my favorite writers and he wrote an article that all of you need to read. I can’t top this – so I’m not going to – you know that whole bit about “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” that I opened this up with – YEAH. Any who, without further adieu, enjoy learning how the subtle art of not giving a fuck.
“In my life, I have given a fuck about many people and many things. I have also not given a fuck about many people and many things. And those fucks I have not given have made all the difference.
People often say the key to confidence and success in life is to simply “not…
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Stop giving a fuck – seriously, just stop.
Greetings, everyone. I’m reposting my Monday Blog here.
This week’s topic: the importance of titles, and subtitles. Titles are meant to grab your reader’s attention, as well as give them some idea as to what the book is about. Then there are subtitles, particularly important if the book is part of a series. I believe they need to be equally as interesting as the title itself.
In the Valentine series, each book (except for the first) has a subtitle. There’s The Patron Saint and Queen of Hearts. Book two’s subtitle refers to the nickname Val has been given, but is unaware of until later in the story (she’s referred to as the Patron Saint of the Weak). Book three’s subtitle relates to Kelly McCormick’s codename for Val, the Queen of Hearts. The current title for book four is War of the Saints, which will introduce some new characters whose roles are similar to Valentine’s. I am reconsidering the title, so it may change.
The subtitles in the Fortune’s Wing series are references to each journey he undertakes in the quest for the Wings. Second Flight, concerns the second journey he and his friends go on after Fortune completes the set of wings. The third and final installment, Final Flight, is a reference to exactly that: his final journey.
With Our Lady of Righteous Rage, I wanted a title that would stand out. OLORR has a punk, but almost Catholic High School sound to it, and I figured it would definitely grab people’s attention (and it has!).
FYI: an unusual tip I have picked up on as a reader, is if the title of the book is mentioned somewhere in the story, but not until close to the climax. It seems to add impact to the meaning of the title. Or, maybe that’s just me…
Naming your chapters can be tricky, but interesting. The titles of the chapters in OLORR are named after the character who narrates that particular chapter (pretty simple, yes?) The chapter titles in Allan and Mac are meant to be humorous: What’s in the Trunk?, A Good Pair of Pliers and Three’s A Crowd, to name a few. The chapter titles in Valentine are a mixed bag: some of them are humorous, some of them are serious. For example, “I’d Rather Ride Solo” or “Road Trip” is humorous, while “End Game” or “This Is What I Came For” is a little more serious.
The trouble with naming the chapter in a book that is part of a series, is consistency. If you decide to do this in the first book, you must do it in the other books as well. All of the Fortune’s Wing and Valentine books have chapters with titles, while the OLORR chapters are named after characters in the story. Because I have done this in the first two OLORR books, I need to keep it up as I write the third.
Coming up with a clever, catchy title isn’t always easy. If you’re having trouble coming up with a title for your book, or the chapters, think about what the book is really about. Consider what that particular chapter is about. Make a list of words or slogans that describe what is happening in the book or chapter itself. In Allan and Mac, the chapter, A Good Pair of Pliers is named after a line from the chapter.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I like seeing a movie that’s based on a book, but I prefer to read the book before I see the movie. It doesn’t always work out that way (I’ll give you an example later in this post). But, whenever possible, I like to contrast and compare.
I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s writing. Many of his books and novellas have been turned into films, or mini-series for television. In my humble opinion, most of them didn’t live up to expectations. Granted, these movies and series have been made across several years, and I try to judge each project based upon when it was made considering what type of CGI or technology was available, etc). You can’t judge a 1970’s film by 2016 standards; that’s just not fair. Still, I have my opinions. For example: The book Christine was good, and…
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This week, I started working on Her Name is Lola Vencent, the second installment of the Valentine Apart series. I’m also working on book 3, Black Queen; Killing Machine. These … Continue reading Valentine Apart Series: Lola and Jo
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