Traditional versus New

 

The Traditional Versus the New

Traci Kenworth

 

Which do you prefer: traditional monsters or something brand new? I like both. Traditional are often easier to work with because the rules of their world have already been established. However, what we’ve never seen before is eye-popping. When it comes to traditional, adding your own spin helps: every zombie movie or book is different from one another in some small way, likewise for every monster/creature under the sun. Oh, and let’s not forget those that only come out a dark. Creating something new often takes many brainstorming sessions. I imagine it like a scientist in his/her lab determined to push the boundaries on the species. The results could be deadly.

So, what gets your heart pumping? The flash of fangs from the shadows? A gnarled hand snaking out to grab you as you open the front door to see why all the neighbors have gathered on your lawn and insist on joining you for dinner or perhaps you are the food? That old, haunted house? The green slime slithering across your basement? Reports that a disease developed for warfare has escaped its confines? Let’s open the comments to all.

 

 

 

Monsters! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Read Full Post »

The Leibster Blog Award

 

 

 

 

 

English: Photograph of Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia. George Washington’s Home. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

I’ve been tagged by YA Author, Vanessa Barger for The Leibster Award. It’s where I tell you 11 Fun Facts about myself, answer 11 questions, and come up with another 11 questions for the bloggers I choose. So let’s get started:

 

11 Fun Facts:

 

1. I used to LOVE coffee but it was bad for me, the doctor said, so I switched to the milder caffeine tea. Actually, tea was my first hot drink crush so it was kind of like coming home after being away for so long.

 

2. I LOVE animals. Tame or wild, though I don’t go out of my way to visit the wild, “up close and personal.” Lol.

 

3. Revising is the “It” thing for me. I just find it brings such promise, pulling together everything and making sure the vision works.

 

4. Worldbuilding often goes hand-in-hand with my stories. I think it’s a throw-back to all the fantasy books/stories I devoured when a youth.

 

5. Mystery is another favorite of mine. Although, I haven’t read much mystery lately. I’m fascinated by the puzzle of them, the truth behind all. Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew and The Three Investigators were a few I followed.

 

6. I’m gearing up to move into a bigger house as soon as I locate one that suits my family and I’ve been keeping busy packing, packing, packing. You never realize how much you accumulate over the years!

 

7. I am both repelled and fascinated by The Walking Dead series. At first, I couldn’t watch and then recently, I was drawn back in.

 

8. Cats are another thing that fascinates me. Their personalities, their actions, their way of life. I’m a cat at heart, I suppose. Lol.

 

9. During Christmas present opening, I’m more excited about what I’ve gotten others and watching them open it, hoping they like it, than I am about what I get myself.

 

10. I’ll be gearing up within the next 2-3 months to sub.

 

11. My writing process has gone from fevered pitch to slow as I concentrate on learning and practicing the lessons.

 

 

 

The 11 Questions Vanessa asked:

 

1. What is your favorite vacation you’ve ever taken? Washington D.C. with my son for his class trip a few years ago. I loved exploring George Washington’s home and learning about the ghost that lives there. There were other fascinating places we visited, but this one stood out the most to me. It’s simplicity and yet “homey” feel to it. Oh, and the goosebumps, wondering if the ghost would put in an appearance. It didn’t. But with that atmosphere, it’s not hard to imagine it being there.

 

2. What is your biggest pet peeve? Being late for something. I’m usually early to whatever I go to. I just think it’s better that way.

 

3. What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen? I tried watching The Wrong Turn once. I had to turn it off after the first few scenes. It just made me sick. I like movies that don’t necessarily show the gore or don’t “dwell” on it anyway. I’ve seen my share of Jason, Freddy, and Michael Meyers believe me. What really “scared” me though was a television series I snuck down into the living room when I was little to watch: Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot.” I had nightmares about that cellar/basement scene for months. Lol. Mostly because the bed in my room was pushed up against the attic door at the time and I kept imagining vampires “breaking through.”

 

4. Name one food you cannot live without? Hmm. Tomatoes. Yep. LOVE them.

 

5. Pirates or ninjas? Pirates, I suppose. Though in reality, I wouldn’t have liked to experience the reality of them but ninjas–that’s just asking to be killed or seriously maimed.

 

6. What is your favorite childhood movie? Where the Red Fern Grows maybe. Oh! No! The Black Stallion. The friendship between Alec and the horse was truly memorable.

 

7. Do you have any pets? Yes. Three cats: Miss Socks, Midnight, and Miss Tinky. One dog: Bear.

 

8. What is the best piece of advice you’ve never taken? To do what makes me happy. It’s taken me forever to get that lesson home and now I am with writing. I encourage my children to pursue their dreams because let’s face it: “do something practical” makes you miserable.

 

9. Road trips. Good or bad? Depends on who you’re with and what you do to occupy your time. We used to take looong trips when I was a kid with three or four vehicles following one another. It was a blast to visit places we hadn’t planned on (my dad was spontaneous about stopping here or there). Nowadays, the trips have grown to 2-3 hours (still a long while) but the kids and I keep busy with songs, trivia questions, and I spy.

 

10. If you had to spend the night in the woods and could only bring one thing to entertain you, what would it be? Hmm. The woods at night is spooky to me, so that in itself would be entertaining enough. Some S’mores would be nice though and is always a conversation piece.

 

11. Do you have any writing rituals? Not really. I spend the “early” morning going through emails, blogs, etc. and then towards late morning get to the writing. Usually, I take a brief break between the “business” side of writing and the actuality of it. It kind of shrugs things off and helps me focus. Then I spend the first 5-10 minutes re-reading over the last scene and go on from there.

 

 

 

Okay. My bloggers to tag: Stina Lindenblatt, Julie Musil, Penny Randall, Kelbian Naidoo, Andie Russell, and Miranda Buchanan. Yes, I know that’s short of the 11 you’re supposed to, but most bloggers have already been tagged, I think. Good luck, ladies, here’s your 11 questions and play with it!

 

1. What’s your favorite thing about Spring?

 

2. Any big changes in your life coming up? A move, book coming out, etc?

 

3. Do you enjoy the indoors or the outdoors and why?

 

4. What creeps you out? Spiders or snakes?

 

5. Whose your favorite character on The Walking Dead?

 

6. Do you read in a wide variety of genres?

 

7. What has become the biggest “bore” for you when it comes to a book? Theme or character-wise?

 

8. If you had to do one thing different/over in your writing career, what would it be?

 

9. Best book you’ve read lately?

 

10. Dark Fairytales or light?

 

11. What unusual thing do you have hanging on your wall/s?

 

Read Full Post »

When the Muse strikes…

A classic fairy with a wand (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

When the Muse Strikes…

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

Often, if you’re like me, the Muse strikes whenever it wants to. Sometimes, it’s convenient, sometimes not but if you’re a writer, you learn to deal. Do I lose some fragments of ideas when I’m driving or at the doctor’s office? Sure. It happens, but most of the time I can capture those clues with the help of the pens I keep in my purse and various post-its, scraps of notebook paper, even napkins. Hey, whatever works. This weekend I was recovering from surgery when I had some complications hit me. Needless to say, I spent a LOT of time resting and while I did so, who should show up? The Muse fairy. She tickled her wings and voila, the solution to some of my world’s problems rested in my palms.

 

Things that should have been obvious in my character’s universe suddenly clicked. Not only that, I discovered the title and plotline to how the 3^rd book (all of these written to be stand-alones) rocketed into place as well. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of quiet, a bit of reflection to uncover what will/or should be. I feel more on firm ground again and I’m ready to move forward. Happy writing, everyone.

 

Read Full Post »

The Future of Book Reviews on This Blog

The Vault of Horror (book) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The Future of Book Reviews on This Blog

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

For some time I’ve been thinking about these book reviews and whether they take the blog in the direction I want it to go. I’ve decided that they don’t. This doesn’t mean I’m giving up on reading books or the vast genres out there. It simply means, I won’t be reviewing them on here any longer. When I cut my blog down to two posts every other week, I struggled with what to post about. I love books, but I’m not so sure I’m personally a good book reviewer. Usually, what I end up doing is giving an outline of a book, my impressions/opinion, and then leave the rest up to the reader as to whether to look into that particular book or not. I know there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just, I feel that a review should be something more perhaps. And honestly, I have a hard time doing one for a less-than-stellar book. I feel bad for the author, as a writer I’ve been there, made those mistakes. I always look for the good in books, just like I do people. I don’t want someone to pick up a book I’ve reviewed and think, “Wow. She was way off,” or worse, that I lied.

 

So, deciding all this left me in a quandary. Until last night when I figured out just what I want to do. Attract future readers to my site. I know, every writer’s goal. I had to step back and think, what do I write, who is my audience, how can I invite others to take a peek (and hopefully, stay). As you can see from my “About” page, I write Young Adult Supernatural Horror. In there, I also said that I wanted to shine “a light in the darkness” for my readers. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m going to post preachy sermons or anything. What I am going to do is explore horror. Where it came from, how it started, different stories including classics and biblical history, all the spectrums of what it is, how it affects us, why we’re drawn to it.

 

Thus, I’m hoping to open up conversations with all of you on how you feel about it and the topics at hand. I’ll probably even visit movie-land’s depictions of it. I’m excited about this adventure. After all, my stories are about “more than a good scare.” They’re about hope, friendship, love, and beating “the devil.” I hope you’ll come along for the new posts starting in two weeks. Until then, take care.

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Update Feb. 7, 2013

English: Street scenes of fall (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Update Feb. 7, 2013

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

I’m still in the editing/rewriting stages on my wip. Although it may not seem like I’m making much progress (it feels like it’s been forever doing this), truly I am. My story has undergone such changes that will make it better, stronger, hopefully more fulfilling for the readers and that’s what matters. I know each time we query, we need to present the best story possible for us at that time. It takes a lot to get it to that “ready” stage. I’ve rushed in the past and found myself putting forth less-than-perfect entries and that’s not good. We want to earn an agent’s notice for writing well, not by something we should stuff inside our desk drawer as “lessons learned.”

 

What I’ve been working on with the book are the creatures. There’s different kinds and within one group, different levels. It’s tough to come up with something totally “unique” but I’ve tried to with mine. I’ve thought of the things that scare me and built on that in the development. What scares the characters also went into the consideration. It has to be a combination of both, I think, to get the “monster” to be at its worst.

 

You know from the last time, one of my characters went from being a brunette to a blonde. Well, I took a look at the rest of my cast as well and fixed those I needed to. Her brother is still dark-brown-haired but I’ve added glasses for him and more of a “stiffer” personality to accord his lawyer aspirations. His girlfriend is still a redhead, but more of a tomboy which will allow some conflict between them. Not to mention, the brother is torn between all that he’s learning about the legal world and the fact that his family is on the run because of his sister’s supernatural abilities.

 

The excitement is brewing is regards to this project and I’m so thankful. It really helps to love your story, your characters, what you’re doing. When you’re miserable, it shows. Right now, I’ve added another two chapters with the creatures pursuing my characters. I wanted to show not only their terror but how close to losing everything they love they are. I think that’s a key to horror. They have to not only be afraid of their lives ending, but the lives of those around them as well. When they care about someone other than themselves, it keeps the reader spell-bound. It shows what kind of character they really are: others come first.

 

I hope your own writing/editing is coming along well. Happy writing.

 

Read Full Post »

Jan. 24, 2013 Update

Garden flower (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Jan, 24, 2013: Update

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

Editing is going well. I tend to pick at things writing-wise and it takes me longer than getting that first draft written which, I suppose, is as it should be. Editing takes times. It’s about looking at things and making sure you have everything where the camera-in-your-mind wants it. There is usually some pruning (whether it’s taking out a character/s, changing a situation, rewriting a scene) and some juggling (switching everything around to improve the flow), not to mention tweaking of material to get it just right.

 

In the past few weeks, I’ve concentrated on the people in my story more than the events happening around them. I’ve brought them front-and-center and shown how life around them bulldozes them or makes them stronger. You see, I’m learning the story is about the character with the problem not the problem itself. Now, there are writers out there who focus on the plot and not the protagonist and they’re skilled at the twists and turns, but for me, I “love” the story that brings me into the world of the hero/heroine and shows me who they are and how they react to the situation they’re put in.

 

I was having a particular problem with one heroine who I couldn’t get to “care” about the situation she was in. Turns out, I had the “wrong” character in mind for her and had to crush her and begin from scratch again. Her looks changed from a brunette to a blonde and I “cast” a different actress to play her. Instantly, the world opened up around her from my ability to see   how she’d face things, to who she was as a person. Sometimes it takes a bit of shaking up to get a character just right. Now, I know not everyone pictures particular actors for a part, but I feel it helps me if I can zoom in on their facial expressions, how they walk and talk, how they encounter a problem and persevere, or not.

 

Other unexpected things happened. My hero found out some things about the people in his life that he wish he hadn’t which took him to a darker place. Grief does that. As in reality, some people disappoint us, while others surprise us. It all works together as a whole, to enrich our story. Sometimes I think that’s why certain ones take us longer to write: we haven’t grasped the concept of what they’re all about yet. So, yeah, my work’s not done yet, I still have to continue on with the tweaking, doing all the things mentioned beforehand, and seam things back together but I’m happy and that’s what it’s all about: bringing your story to fruition. Good luck out there with yours.

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Book Review 2: 2013 My Dream of Heaven by Rebecca Ruter Springer

Cover via Amazon

 

Book Review: My Dream of Heaven by Rebecca Ruter Springer

 

Originally published as Intra Muros

 

Foreward by Vicki Jamison-Peterson

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

Harrison House           2002                A Nineteenth-Century Spiritual Classic

 

 

This book sat on my shelf for far too long. I don’t remember when or where I picked it up but as part of the journey of reading inspirational works I’ve been on since last year, I sat down to read it. This book is amazing, so beautiful to read. It paints a picture of Heaven for us much like any Da Vinci or Van Gogh work of art. Rebecca Ruter Springer suffered an illness and during that time when she was on her death bed, she chanced to visit Paradise. I don’t want to argue the point that because she was sick, she only “dreamed” this happened. What I wanted when I read the book, was to open my mind to what the possibilities could be.

 

The joyful reunions with those who’ve gone before happen often. I think of my own loved ones who are there and imagine the happiness I’ll find when one day I visit with them again. No more tears, no more pain, to be hugged eternally by God, I can’t fathom a better comfort than that. As the story advances, we learn some things that may go on in Heaven. The spiritual meetings, how there’s no division in organized religions, many everyday “miracles” that occur there. It definitely sounds like an oasis.

 

I’m not saying everything she saw will come to pass. My own beliefs are that Heaven is a place of our own bliss magnified. The things I envision won’t necessarily be shared by everyone out there, nor what they do so, embraced by me. I love the story of the many books we’ve read and if you’re a writer have yet to write kept in huge, wall-to-wall libraries within our homes. Our desks sit waiting for us to pick up pen and paper or perhaps that old, trusty typewriter, or even maybe a modern day computer. This ideal makes me glow inside. To know that our journey is not truly “over” when death comes, but will go on forever. I’ve know this truth from my faith but to see it so elegantly expressed brings joy.

 

I encourage you to read this book, to let it “paint” a vision of what could be for you. Or to deepen your own beliefs. In a world so full of tragedy, it brings comfort to know that our loved ones are waiting for us, that their own struggles are over, that they are safe and loved, just as we will be when our time comes. It has indeed become a favorite of mine and a keeper, though I will lone it out to many I know in the hopes they might find peace within it as well. Hope you enjoy.

 

Read Full Post »

First Update for the New Year…

The other side of the Story (Photo credit: mumchancegaloot)

 

First Update for the Year

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

I intended to post this early this morning but got sidetracked by black ice and a fall. I’m okay, my knees are just a little banged up and hand and legs hurt but otherwise, A-OK.  Just wasn’t expecting the ground to slip out from beneath my feet, lol. I think that sometimes happens in our writing life too. We’re sprinting along on a project and then bam, something happens to set us back. I had plenty of that for the last 3-4 weeks with editing. Most of it involved not being sure of where I was going but some of it was a sneak-attack that left me crawling over a puddle of ice, trying to reach solid or stable ground.

 

I have learned SO much from The Other Side of the Story and taking the approach of having my character/s face a problem in every scene, usually stemming from something’s that’s gone before like little ripples on a pond.  It’s really shaped my story up nicely. Now, I’m not just giving them just ANY problem but one that relates either to my main plot or is an off-shoot of one of my subplots.  I can’t tell you how much stronger my characters are for doing this. I’ve had to step back and dissect each scene and figure out the heart of them. The result is amazing.

 

Never stop learning your craft. It’s so important to grow as writers. When it comes to my stories, I want to always reach beyond the ordinary. I want to make the reader laugh, cry, sing, dance, all the emotions available to us, but most of all, I want to leave them with hope. A hope that light can shine into the darkness and beat it back. My characters have gone from stick-figures to people you can almost hear breathe. That’s no accident. It’s pushing myself that stretches those boundaries, moves me into the next level. Don’t be afraid to reach for the seemingly impossible. You’ll love where it takes you and your work. Good luck and happy writing.

 

Read Full Post »

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 5,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 9 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

 

Read Full Post »

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

“TUESDAY” production sign (Photo credit: Vaguely Artistic)

 

Just a note to say, “I’ll be gone until the second Tuesday of next month.” I am spending time with family and trying to deal with computer issues. Right now, I’m using my daughter’s incredibly small Acer one. Lol. Hopefully, it won’t be long till I’m zipping along again. I will be posting regular, just please remember I’ve gone down to every other Tuesday and Thursday beginning in January. Hoping you’re all enjoying time with family and friends. Until we meet again, take care and God bless.

 

Read Full Post »