Genre Sorts What We Write by Traci Kenworth

Genre Sorts What We Write

Traci Kenworth

Do you have a struggle to figure out what you’re writing? Let genre sort that out. What I mean is, instead of tearing at a piece to get the feel of it, mind what genre/s you have chosen to write in. Mystery? How about a cozy? Or a more traditional who-dun-it? Either one will shorten the time it takes to come up with a great idea to run with for the story.

Now, I hear you. That didn’t exactly tell you what to write. Well, I can’t give you a bare-bones-fits-all outline, but I can shave time off finding a story to run with in the days ahead. What do you like to read? That usually brings up a few promises. Narrow them down. Are you more sci-fi or fantasy? Get that outline ready to go with again, either more traditional or something new hatched up for the occasion.

Once you know what genre/s you prefer, you can outfit your story. I write in the YA category so there are endless possibilities to choose from there. You can have romance in your story. Mystery. A shade of horror. Or more if you want. Blending genres is also fun. I often write fantasy-horror or even sci-fi-horror. You can do this somewhat with the adult audience as well.

Want a romance? Historical or contemporary might intrigue you. You can weave in time travel if you like. Or bring on the pomp of the gilded ages. You see, coming up with the genre usually falls into something you like to read. Because if you don’t read that genre, you won’t know the structure and details of such a world.

Knowing what to expect in a genre doesn’t make the formula hard and fast. You won’t get bored from the staleness. Instead, you’ll find new boundaries to stretch and bring in something new and exciting with each. It’s not just a group of campers on Crystal Lake that intrigues us. It’s the story of each and how they survive or fall.

It’s the characters that do the hard work in a story. They have to make an impression, good or bad. If we’re willing to follow them down that hall, evade the killer, and win the day, that’s what makes a character grow on a reader. It instills fear of what might happen to that mother and child all the way out in an abandoned part of town when a dog goes mad.

Now, I’m not saying if you ever hit on a story outside your regular writing, you shouldn’t stretch your writing muscles. I’m just saying that when you’re starting out, getting to hit those marks, you want to consider what type of genre you like. Sticking close to home will teach you the basics. It will improve your skills before you move on. After all, Agatha Christie wasn’t famous for her characters sunny dispositions.

Happenings:

The Topiary meds they prescribed me have been doing a good job to take away a majority of the pain most of the time, thankfully. I feel better than in a long time and I’ve been able to do more. I’ve started walking a bit again. I’m almost ready for Christmas. I have a few more presents to buy. I’ll pick a day or two to do the wrapping of all that I have. How are you all doing on your plans? Enjoy your holidays!

Some links around the web you might like:

1. Entertaining Stories https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2022/12/16/fairies-myths-magic-ii/ Let’s welcome a special guest to Entertaining Stories today. Coleen is a long-time friend and she has something to share with us today. This is her newest book baby, so feel free to use those sharing buttons. She also shares one heck of a great story hook. She also has a prize to be drawn from those who leave comments along her tour. *** Thank you, Craig for the opportunity to share the news of my new book, just in time for the winter solstice and Yule. Every Halloween, Craig joins me to celebrate the holiday. I think we’ve done this for eight years now, so I couldn’t think of anyone better to share my spooky Halloween tale with from Fairies, Myths, & Magic II, called The Changeling. In this second book in the series, I start with late autumn and work forward into winter and Yule. What do you know about the scary fairies? Celtic traditions share with us the fey, or Good Neighbors, are nothing to mess around with. During the darkness of autumn and into winter, the Unseelie Court of fairies makes its appearance. The darkness and lack of sunlight during this time of year spawned many a myth and tale. Here’s a short excerpt from The Changeling, in Fairies, Myths, & Magic II: “Alyssa, it’s time to come inside. Daddy’s home.” I read a book like this by Mary Downing Hahn. I don’t think they were called dark fairies though. Changelings, yes and it had to do with a witch. The book was twisty and turny just like I like.
2. Marcia Meara Writes https://marciamearawrites.com/2022/12/16/booksforchristmas-boldblatantselfpromo-theemissary-review/ Looking for something different to read over the holidays? Check out my Emissary series of novellas. Available for download for just $1.99 each, or free with Kindle Unlimited. BLURB for TE1: An angel’s work is never done—that’s part of the gig. But angels hadn’t been created to deal with such a vastly over-populated planet, rife with misery, suffering, and general chaos. Helping souls in peril has become a nearly impossible job, and even angelic tempers are frayed.
3. Syl’s 65 blog https://syl65.wordpress.com/2022/12/16/friday-inspiration-ryan-stevenson-ft-gabriel-real-eye-of-the-storm/ Such powerful poems!
4. Writers Helping Writers https://writershelpingwriters.net/2022/12/fear-thesaurus-entry-being-physically-touched/ While many people are sensitive to physical contact, an actual fear of being touched can lead to a host of difficulties. It can come about from a past trauma, learned experiences (through growing up in a family where touch was discouraged or punished), a physical sensitivity, or a mental health condition, to name just a few possible causes. What It Looks Like Backing away from handshakes, kisses, or other cultural greetings Sticking to the fringes of crowds Avoiding romantic relationships Not eating certain foods due to their texture Not participating in contact sports, dancing, and other activities that require touch Difficulty making new friends Only being able to wear certain kinds of clothing that don’t chafe or irritate the skin The character keeping their hands in their pockets I can’t imagine this fear. It must be so overwhelming to live with throughout your day.
5. Annette Rochelle Aben https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2022/12/17/angel-messages-dec-17-2022/
6. John Howell.com https://johnwhowell.com/2022/12/16/friday-johnku-aka-tgif-fri-yay-good-news-29/ End-of-year bonuses are always a welcomed sight, but these smiles bear witness to an extraordinary act of corporate generosity. Ruppert Landscaping gave bonuses of between $7,000 to $200,000 to all employees with a tenure of over one year “as a thanks for the role they’ve played in the company’s growth and development.” A total of 1,200 workers, excluding those in top leadership positions, received the enormous thank you presents which added up to be $28 million. The company says normal end-of-year bonuses were not deducted or altered by the gifts, which were announced at staff meetings, nor were any of the other benefits, which include 401(K) matching, health insurance, paid time off, and holidays. “Everyone receiving this bonus was instrumental in helping create the value that we’ve been able to realize,” said CEO Craig Ruppert. “This bonus is money that is well-deserved and a way for us to acknowledge the value of our teams’ contributions and the essential role that they will play in our company’s future.”
7. This is Horror https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/news-round-up-week-ending-16-december-2022/ Monsters and monster-killers come in all shapes and sizes in this collection of three horror novellas by Glenn Rolfe, Tom Deady, and Nick Kolakowski. In ‘It Came From The Lake’ by Glenn Rolfe, Owens Lake is protected by a reclusive war vet by the name of Francis Owens, but this man is not the only threat around. In ‘In The Glastenbury Woods’ by Tom Deady, It was supposed to be the road trip to end all road trips. The summer of 1986, a few weeks before Dave and his two friends went their separate ways to college and the military. One last hurrah to Toronto to see Hulk Hogan and the rest of the WWF in The Big Event. It all goes wrong when they take a detour through Vermont’s notorious Glastenbury Woods. In ‘Groundhog Slay’ by Nick Kolakowski, It’s the summer of 1987. Around Lake Legionnaire, locals whisper tales of an unstoppable monster rampaging through the night, killing everyone in its way. But what if the monster’s just trying to stop something far worse—a threat that could destroy all existence? Available now in paperback and eBook editions, you can grab your copy here.
8. AC Flory https://acflory.wordpress.com/2022/12/18/theres-no-such-thing-as-them-theres-only-us/ If you watch only one video today, please, make it this one:
9. Smorgasbord Magzine https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2022/12/18/smorgasbord-christmas-book-fair-new-book-on-the-shelves-memoir-fifteen-first-times-beginnings-a-collection-of-indelible-firsts-by-d-g-kaye/ This book is a collection of stories about some of Kaye’s first-time experiences with life’s most natural events. Told through the intimate conversational writing we’ve come to know from this author, poignant personal steppingstones to learning moments are revealed. She encompasses the heart of each matter with sincerity and sprinkled inflections of humor. From first kiss to first car to walking in the desert with four-inch heels, Kaye’s short coming-of-age stories take us through her awakenings and important moments of growth, often without warning. Some good and some not, life lessons are learned through trial and error, winging it and navigating by the seat of her pants. Editorial Review: D.G. Kaye writes with heartfelt regard and unabashed honesty. The life experiences she shares in Fifteen First Times evoke tears as well as laughter. Kaye’s candor and compassion will no doubt appeal to and help many seeking to grow and come into their own. I highly recommend this book and all others by this forthright author. The reader will be left with an ardent desire for more. ~ Author, Tina Frisco
10. Chris the Story Reading Ape https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2022/12/18/3-action-reaction-misfires-that-flatten-your-writing-by-lisa-poisso/ Cause and effect. Stimulus and response. Action and reaction. Everything in a story depends on what the characters do about whatever the story pushes them up against. Stiff, disconnected, or missing character reactions snap the chain of cause and effect that constitutes your story. When readers can no longer see how and why the characters are doing what they’re doing, they lose the thread. She’s got good points here.
11. Writers in the Storm https://writersinthestormblog.com/2022/12/welcome-to-the-future-part-3/ Story is core to the human experience and is a fundamental part of how we communicate. People who are unhappy in their day-to-day existence like to escape into a world of story, and that trend has not gone away. While sales trends show a decline in print, the digital reading trends show readers want to be even more immersed in a story than ever before. Readers love it when their favorite authors allow the story to grow and bring them into it. How we Interact with Story is Changing Have you noticed “dark mode” on your devices? I read a fascinating article about holographic technology. In some ways, dark mode is a gateway to preparing our technology for holographic displays. Important Geek note: WordPress and other websites are using “blocks” in their design so they can control the way different types of words — think headings, paragraphs, pull quotes — display, preparing for this transition. You want to be using the latest technology in your website designs and in your writing. You want your writing to be stored in such a way that readers can use it in this future technology. TBH, not sure how I feel about this. Yes, I know. The future is advancing. I like to play around with ideas on my own. But then, new tech is harder for me to learn these days. I suppose it always will be and one day I just won’t be able to anymore. I’ll rant against the AI wall when I’m ready, I suppose.
12. Smorgasbord Magazine https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2022/12/19/smorgasbord-christmas-book-fair-new-book-on-the-shelves-supernatural-adventure-the-last-drive-by-john-w-howell/ In the sequel to Eternal Road – The final stop, Sam and James are reunited to look for two souls, Ryan and Eddie. Ryan was killed in Afghanistan, trying to avoid a schoolyard with his crippled plane. Eddie Rickenbacker, Ryan’s hero, is to guide Ryan to his Eternal Home, and now both are missing. The higher-ups believe that there has been some interference in Ryan and Eddie’s journey by Lucifer, so Sam and James have the task of finding Ryan and Eddie to get them back on the road despite the evil interference. Unfortunately, the machinations designed to prevent Ryan and Eddy from completing their journey takes the pair to horrifying testing grounds. The places visited represent the best work of the Devil. They are the trenches of World War I in France, gladiators at the Roman Coliseum, the sinking Titanic in 1912, Hiroshima 45 minutes before the bomb, and the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. This book is for you if you like plenty of action, strong characters, time travel, and a touch of spiritual and historical fiction. So, join Sam and James as they try to find the missing souls while staying one step ahead of the Prince of Darkness, who is determined to destroy all that is good. I’m trying not to read this as I haven’t been able to read the first one yet and don’t want spoiled.
13. Rosie Amber https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2022/12/19/%f0%9f%8e%84two-historicalromance-christmas-novellas-rosies-bookreview-of-under-the-mistletoe-by-margueritekaye-and-bronwynscott/ Under The Mistletoe is a book containing two historical Christmas romance novellas written by Marguerite Kaye and Bronwyn Scott. Each novella can be read as a stand-alone, but they are also connected to series by the authors, individually.
14. Story Empire https://storyempire.com/2022/12/19/mktg-22-wrap-up/ Greetings, SE’ers. It’s Jan again. Since July 2021, I have explored a variety of different avenues of book marketing opportunities, and I’ve come to the end of that journey. This is my last Story Empire post for 2022 and my last book marketing post. That’s not to say I won’t pop back in with something new if it comes to my attention, but for now, I’m leaving the subject of marketing behind.

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Finding the Inner Truth/Beauty in Yourself by Traci Kenworth

Finding the Inner Truth/Beauty in Yourself

Traci Kenworth

The taunts and cruelty growing up can cause you to lose faith in yourself. To not want to be who you are. Anything special, anything unique, you work to do away with. Because that would make you different. And different is bad. Or at least, that seems to be what we’re taught. Keep the formation. Don’t step out of line. Dream these dreams, not those.

It can be a daunting reality for a lot of kids. If there’s one thing, I think school’s get wrong: it’s that. We’re not all meant to be put in a binder together. We’re not all meant to follow the same path despite how much easier it would be for the higher-ups. Being different is good. It brings other perspectives to the table. It can show us a path forward in life that we should’ve taken all along.

So, what do you do years down the road when you look back with regret at some of the things you wish you’d done but didn’t? Dreams have a way of passing us by if we don’t grip them hard and run with them. Things change though. Sometimes due to finances, sometimes to personal problems. Or through no fault of our own. We wake up one day and look back and wonder if we’d chosen a different way, where we’d be.

We can wonder and wish all we want. The fact is life happens. That career we wanted since we were old enough to decide, didn’t pan out. The marriage we hoped for fell apart. A lot of times I think it has to do with letting other people’s perspectives influence our own. We don’t think we’re good at something, so we turn aside. If we’d stuck it out longer maybe the pegs would’ve lined up.

Still, there’s always a new start. One day you might decide to go back to one of those dreams, make a living at it. You could ignore all the naysayers and just do what’s best for you. After all, no one has to live your life but you. No one has to decide what you will be, what you will find. Uncovering that inner beauty of something we’ve always wanted to do takes time.

It doesn’t shortchange us. We weren’t supposed to pursue the path before that moment for whatever reason. It doesn’t make it wrong or silly to try and recover the dream. It makes us fulfill a promise to ourselves maybe. We let our children grow and now it’s time to rediscover something for our benefit. Maybe you always wanted that mechanic shop. Or a trip to Europe. You can do so at a later date. Nothing wrong with that.

In your pursuit of dreams, things get overturned. When you’re young, it seems you have all the time in the world. All the energy. All the faith. As the day ages, you lose some of that enthusiasm. There are those sent to talk you out of an idea for whatever reason. Holding true to what you want and believe takes a lot of determination. It takes a lot of perseverance, but you can do what you set your mind to.

Only you can hold you back when it comes down to it. You promise yourself one day. Well, one day has arrived. Dig down deep and find that core, that strength that was always there. Waiting. Find the foundation, discover the new road. Life can be anything you want it to be. Sure, you might be starting down the end road in life. Your finances might not be where you want them to be. A few kids, a few grandkids later might seem like time to retire.

Don’t give up on yourself. Take that moment. Pursue that dream. And find the inner beauty within, that truth that was always meant to be. Have a great week, take care, God bless.

Some products you may be interested in. I may receive a small compensation for the advertising from the seller.

• Lil Glo Peel & Primer Kit: https://www.amazon.com/Route-Beauty-At-Home-Illuminizing-Primer/dp/B09F2KXMY4?crid=LNWGSEKTX7K4&keywords=beauty&qid=1659433502&sprefix=beauty%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mywebsite071a-20&linkId=d1badc9c9ba28b26c35bba13c3f0a7de&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
• Beauty Blender: https://www.amazon.com/BEAKEY-Foundation-Blending-Flawless-Multi-colored/dp/B01F36JEXE?crid=1YLQN31ZEOHUK&keywords=beauty+blender&qid=1659433667&s=beauty&sprefix=beauty%2Cbeauty%2C105&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A37V6X8HMRL25A&linkCode=ll1&tag=mywebsite071a-20&linkId=b36373c97eed450082aeef0f21ee8baf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
• Grow Long: https://www.amazon.com/Marc-Anthony-Strengthening-Strength-Conditioner/dp/B076FHJ3K5?pd_rd_w=UAnvg&content-id=amzn1.sym.dc024851-6d2a-4fc5-b9ca-d1a1b3cfd5ff&pf_rd_p=dc024851-6d2a-4fc5-b9ca-d1a1b3cfd5ff&pf_rd_r=416FS4Y8EGQ3WJ33D9FX&pd_rd_wg=A7BuI&pd_rd_r=31e21eba-4133-46d3-ad51-78d3e9b9df02&pd_rd_i=B076FHJ3K5&linkCode=ll1&tag=mywebsite071a-20&linkId=f7f1ec08fd931df1ea5739e63583b571&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
• Victoria’s Secret Love Spell: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010BTW516?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=6e737d72d62595f7f4819055af88f991&content-id=amzn1.sym.53aae2ac-0129-49a5-9c09-6530a9e11786%3Aamzn1.sym.53aae2ac-0129-49a5-9c09-6530a9e11786&hsa_cr_id=5486308190801&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=4ea5303b-3876-4676-bbd9-cbda9ca54836&pd_rd_w=G3M3Z&pd_rd_wg=sIHAz&qid=1659433943&sr=1-1-a094db1c-5033-42c6-82a2-587d01f975e8&linkCode=ll1&tag=mywebsite071a-20&linkId=efc06984441fe1b2bdb731fcb616b8bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
• Perfume Tray: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MC3XFKW?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07TT22P6L&pd_rd_w=S6vqQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.b199086e-a807-4f51-a49b-3c8d9f2f1f89&pf_rd_p=b199086e-a807-4f51-a49b-3c8d9f2f1f89&pf_rd_r=BQDYRPBFN49YZDT62XA3&pd_rd_wg=8xuL3&pd_rd_r=3faa1161-7145-45b4-8126-aaec48fcd4d8&linkCode=ll1&tag=mywebsite071a-20&linkId=23bebd0e314149945c83aabb7d5ab3fd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Some blogs around the web you may enjoy:

• Water for Lovers: https://houseofheartweb.wordpress.com/2022/08/02/water-for-lovers/

Come swim with me in Jupiter’s moons,

roam the red rolling hills of Mars

come back to rest against blue earth.

• Roberta Writes: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2022/08/02/roberta-writes-great-expectations-by-charles-dickens-the-mystery-of-two-endings/ Sometimes, I think, it’s better to go with the author’s orginal ending as opposed to the more popular one.
• Syl65’s blog: https://syl65.wordpress.com/2022/08/03/unburdened/#respond
• Smorgasboard Magazine: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2022/08/03/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-carol-taylors-culinary-a-z-rewind-d-for-dates-dragon-fruit-drupes-durian-and-dirty-rice/

Welcome to a repeat of the series from Carol Taylor, the wonderful Culinary A – Z and a reminder, not only of the amazing variety of food we have available to us today from around the world, but delicious recipes to showcase them. Carol also introduces to cooking methods and kitchen equipment that assist in creating meals for all occasions.

Welcome today it’s the letter D …I have some exotic fruits for you and some lovely recipes I hope you enjoy!

• Chris the Story Reading Ape: The Teritary Principles of Plot: https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2022/08/03/the-tertiary-principles-of-plot-plans-gaps-crises-by-september-fawkes/ In storytelling, the primary principles of plot include goal, antagonist, conflict, and consequences. You can’t have a great plot without those elements first. The secondary principles of plot build directly off the primary, and they include progress, setbacks, costs, and turning points. As you likely guessed, the tertiary principles build off the prior two sets, and they include plans, gaps, and crises. Chris, always has such interesting posts! Check this out!
• John Howell.com: https://johnwhowell.com/2022/08/02/30535/ In Keith’s words. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph (If you are curious about what we were photographing, it was the sun beginning to set over one of the domes of the mosque adjacent to the Taj Mahal. Click here to see my effort). Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
• Story Empire: https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/2022/08/03/characters-and-diversity-part-3-physical-ability/ Hello SE friends, Gwen with you today, and together we will venture further into the theme of diversity. In June, I wrote about including racial diversity in your stories. Here’s a link to that post. In July, I focused on financial diversity and offered suggestions which you can read here. Today’s topic is PHYSICAL ABILITY. Just as in the prior two posts, I will write from personal experience and invite you to share your experiences as well.

Writerly Things 2/27/2020: Reaffirming Goals Traci Kenworth

Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay

Writerly Things 2/3/2020: Reaffirming Goals

Traci Kenworth

Okay, so it’s February and some time’s slipped through your fingers in regards to your goals. That’s okay! It’s fine! You can always reaffirm your goals at any time. I like to take stock on things when Feb. hits to see how I’m doing.

Faith.

I’ve been trying to make more time in the morning to talk with God. Or pray, however you want to consider it. It was hard at first but it’s becoming easier. I still worry he’ll point me in a different direction than writing but every morning he helps me to realize snippets of stories, titles, characters etc. Sometimes I wait on him before writing my blogs to help me decide on what topic to post on. He always lends me an ear and insight.

Family.

I have been able to spend more time with them, a priority for me as they grow older. It’s not always easy to make that time but we try the best we can. We’ve been able to go out to eat, watch a movie, and spend time talking about things that aren’t really important in reality but to us, they are part of us. Our favorite shows, food we like to eat, sometimes politics, or religion. The list goes on and on.

Writing.

You knew I’d get around to it, lol. I stumbled getting back into writing over the holidays, I do admit. I’ve been faster at returning to the short stories and poems. The edits have been going slower but then edits are meant to, to catch things. I feel frustrated that I’m not moving faster but then health concerns have forced me to focus on them and pull away from what I love. I’m doing better in some areas but in others, not so good. I hate to lose more time at this point as I’ve lost so much already. The reality is, I feel as if time is slipping away from me and I’ll never get it back. That I’ll miss my chance, my opportunity. That hurts. It’s like a withered part of me that dies a little each day. I fight back as hard as I can, but the truth is that other things take me away from writing. Errands. Driving to dr. apts. Etc.

Things have lightened up now that I’ve got my other website up and finished. I do still have three to run but it’s a little easier to spread the focus then concentrate just on the one. Plus, it helps me work faster. Yes, I like to have more than one project to juggle just as I like to do the same with reading. That way, I always have something to turn to while I’m considering what’s gone before. Writing is the same.

Websites

With the websites, I plan to continue with the links on Loleta Abi as three links for each subject, and five on Traci Kenworth. These lower numbers help me to be able to catch up on nights when I’m behind. Like I said, a lot of time has been spent on A Dash of Seasons lately, to get that in shape and where I wanted it. I’m going to be adding some stories to the site and bring in some hacks. We’re working on the other areas such as beauty, fashion, video games etc. The humor & fun will stay but they’ll be other areas in addition. I’m having fun with the humor & fun bits. I have a bit of a comedian in me, I guess. Jesstyn is going to add another cartoon to the mix and changing that post from Fridays to Tuesdays. We’re doing a bit of a switch around as her days off have recently changed and Friday is now a work day.

On Loleta Abi, I hope to bring some of that humor & fun in. Not sure how yet, but we’ll see. It’s been running a bit behind the other websites so I’m exploring options on bringing more romance in. Wondering if I should continue the He Said/She Said bits or find new stories to add. This is all about the writing after all and I’ve noticed most writers have stories/poems on their sites, perhaps both, if not excerpts of their books from time to time. I’m not at that point yet, but hopefully, in the future.

On Traci Kenworth, I think everything is going well. From the links to the poetry to the book reviews. Book reviews have been some of my biggest blog posts across the blogs. I enjoy doing them. I’m trying to see how to improve on them. I still don’t like to rank them with stars unless I’m posting on Amazon or Goodreads. There’s something just so impersonal about that to me. I like to tell the parts that affected me and maybe others will feel the contagiousness for that and pick up the book to read. I do want to bring in more YA readers though and I’m hoping not only the books do that but whatever else I can cook up.

Two Drops of Ink.

As you may or may not have heard, I’m now a monthly contributor to Two Drops of Ink: a Literary Community. I’m excited to work with Marilyn Davis and others. I had been hoping to join another platform to increase my exposure to readers and this was unexpected but much appreciated. I still will find my way to do guest posts here and there. I enjoy doing that as well. I’d actually like to expand that area. There are a lot of writing sites I’d be honored to post for.

Personal Health & Exercise.

This has been a crisis area for me so long. I am feeling better in some areas but I’m also out of control in others. I need to start exercising, walking, dancing, yoga, something! I also need to reduce my portions of food. This is really hard for me, to be honest. I just get SO hungry with the bipolar meds and when I ask about it at my drs., they just shrug and say it’s hard. Yeah, so help me! And then when I see my family dr., or my diabetes dr., they can’t understand why I can’t keep things on the healthy side. As someone else recently said, fruit & veggies are expensive. And when you’re on a budget, it’s even more of an invisible product at times. In the summer, I can do better when I go to the farmer’s market but in the winter, it’s just a no-go.

Wrap-up.

I hope to begin a new project this year, maybe even two new projects. I pushed editing back over the holidays, so I’m just now getting back into that. How are you all getting along with your goals? Are you ready to quit? Or can you find it in you to fight and get back into the spirit. I’m not saying you have to climb Mt. Everest, that’s a great goal, but keep things realistic for you. Try smaller steps to reach your goal.

Have a great week, take care, and God bless! #blogs #craft #family life #writing #reading #websites #editing

Writerly Things 11/4/19: Countdown to New Year, What Have You Accomplished?

vintage

Writerly Things 11/7/19:  Countdown to New Year, What Have You Accomplished?

Traci Kenworth

I’m doing a review of what I’ve accomplished this year.  How about you?

Books Read.

I’ve read approximately forty books so far this year.  My goal was fifty so I’m hoping to meet or pass that. Next year, I want to read seventy-five. I like to challenge myself to do more. Reading is something I enjoy and it’s also a great study for craft. I try to absorb as much as I can as I go along. I’ve read some good books, some so-so books, and some that just didn’t resonate with me. I will post a list of books before the end of the year. It’s nice to look back and see how far I’ve come.

Craft.

Let’s see. I’ve been studying setting and its presence in a story. It is very important to not let your characters live in a white space. On the other hand, don’t bang the reader over the head with details either. Instead, dig deep. Go further. See through the character’s eyes. What catches their eye? What do they ignore? You’ve got to know all the details, but keep them to a minimum. Sort of like a hand in poker. Don’t show everything.

Websites.

I’ve learned to juggle three, though with the holidays it’s kind of hectic and I’ve needed to slow down some. I had enough recipes to give me downtime as far as Halloween for four days. Now, on Halloween night, I’m back to making Jack O’ Lantern Stuffed Peppers, Spooky Tacos, Black Widow Lemonade, Purple Punch, Snake Calzones, Halloween cookies, among other items. The peppers and rotisserie chicken for the Graveyard Enchilada dip have to both cook about five hours each on high. Meanwhile, I’m baking the calzones. The other items will be made in the order of time it takes to get closer to eating and our party. I’ll be posting items and pics on Sat. hopefully, if not, Sun.

Unfortunately, another reason I’m lacking with the website this week, is dental work. I’ve been down a couple days. I’m on meds and pain killers but the pain doesn’t go away all together and it’s hard to eat right now. Though, I’m SO hungry today, I don’t care, lol. I hope to juggle better in the days ahead as I’ve developed a schedule for the other website. Halloween is the only month we’ll post recipes more than a few days in a week. The other months, we plan to rotate some columns. Only Sun. (recipes) and Fri. (the Cartoon Holiday Bash) will be regulars. Others will be 2 x a month or only once in a while.

This’ll cut pressure down on us and give us a breather while we grow the other website. So far, we’ve been banned on Facebook because we used Halloween names for some recipes that included bloody, poison, and toxic, lol. I never liked FB much anyway but I can still post to my tracikenworth site. The only problem is FB won’t allow me to post the link, so I put it in the pics, lol. I hope people will copy and past the link into the search bar and follow us that way.

Family Life.

We took a chance on a website. The cats are popular. Especially our cat-dog, Callie, who will fetch her toys for us. Her toys include toy mice, balls, straws (yes, she steals our coffee straws from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, lol), and sometimes confiscating the other cats’ toys. She even buries her toys in nests around the inside of the house. They’re all indoor kitties. Cartoon Girl is exploring options for her future as is Video Game Boy. Me? I’m hoping to get my work published and sold.  

Writerly Things 9/15/18

pumpkins

Writerly Things…9/16/18

Traci Kenworth

 

It’s almost my favorite time of year! I love Halloween with all its scares and chills! I love the cute parts of it and the terror that comes from horror stories. This year, we are planning another marathon of movies, food, and trivia! It’s gets me so excited to think about doing all this. We often have to skimp on things but what we have, we appreciate. For instance, this year, we’re planning fried chicken (made at the store, KFC isn’t around here anymore), different types of boneless chicken such as barbecue, garlic, etc. Sushi, it’s a favorite with spicy crab. We only tried it a couple years ago and love it now. I’m thinking about a Halloween meatloaf (it’s on my Pinterest under Holiday board, in the shape of a pumpkin). We will have Shepherd’s pie for my daughter who’s gluten-free. I don’t know the other sides yet or the goodies that we’ll have.

I haven’t heard anything from PitchWars which signals to me that it’s almost time to start editing again. I want to finish the short story I’m working on about assassins and I just need to put the ending on. Then, I’ll let that rest while I edit. When I turn my manuscript over to my final betas, I’ll get this short story and a few others I have on the backburner ready to go out. I haven’t had much luck breaking into the magazines, anthologies yet but there’s always hope. It’s like going on submission with agents, you just have to the best you can do and hope it resonates with one. If it does more, you’re very lucky.

For me, the path to publishing has been a long road with some massive down-time over the years. I first discovered I wanted to be a writer at eighteen but after success with fanfiction in the zines that dream got put on hold for marriage and children. When the divorce ended horribly, I pulled myself back to life with writing. I wasn’t doing it for publication at that time, just writing to get all the horror out. It wasn’t till 2009 that I started to get serious about writing again and I’m drawing closer to that time when I can see real growth as a writer. Will it be enough? Only the future can tell. I will keep on with this journey as long as I draw breath. To me, it’s life, it’s truth, it’s the way back from hell.

 

Happy Easter!

Good Friday

Happy Easter, everyone! Enjoy the day! Oh, and watch out for those pranks!

 

The Sunshine Blogger Award

The Sunshine Blogger Award

The Sunshine Blogger Award…3/26/18

Traci Kenworth

 

Where the Genres Collide was nominated by Lisarey1990 of Culture Vulture Express blog for the Sunshine Blogger Award! I’m honored! Check out Lisa’s blog and enjoy!

 

Sunshine Blogger Award rules:

-Thank the blogger that nominated you! Thank you, Lisa!

-Answer the 11 questions asked.

-Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.

-List the rules and include the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post.

 

The questions:

What is your blog about? My blog is meant to show my journey as a writer but while I’m at it, I hope to help other writers as well as readers looking for good books to read. I share my journey on Sundays as Writerly Things. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I put Writing and Reading Links up for everyone to find new blogs to help them and as I mentioned books to enjoy. On Fridays, I do Book Talk where I talk about the latest books I’ve read.

 

Who would you like to play you in a film of your life? Hm. Not sure.

 

What is the thing you are most passionate about?  I’m going to cheat here. There are three things. My faith, first. Second, my family. I want the best for them. They’ve had to settle for less. I’m hoping we’ve taken steps with college to have a better future. Third, my writing. I want to share my characters and their worlds with others. Something I’m working on at the moment. Ah, betas.

 

What is your favourite TV show? In the past, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It got me through my marriage, divorce, and life after. Right now, though, it’s a tie between Once Upon a Time and Supernatural, two shows that inspire me. I love the fairytales of OUAT and the danger and close-knit “family” on Supernatural.

 

Who do you admire most and why? My mom. She raised her family the best she could. I’m sure there’s things she wished she could’ve done different but we all turned out pretty well.

 

If you could take three things to a desert island, what would you take? If I could cheat here and condense as many books as I wanted into the first. Secondly, my family and pets, and thirdly, my computer and endless storage on it for as many stories as I could write.

 

Which character in a book, TV show, film, play, etc … do you relate to most? This goes back to Buffy. I shared her pain when she lost Angel to Angelus because that’s when I realized what I’d married and then starting over again trying to find myself in a new world.

 

What is the first thing on your bucket list? To be a successful author.

 

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My bipolar. It makes life difficult, but I’ve come to terms with it. Still, if it could be taken off my plate, that would be wonderful.

 

Love or money? Love because with it, all other things can be accomplished. Without out, the world is less.

 

What is your hopes for the future? To weather the storms of life.

 

My 11 nominees:

RebekahLPurdy

Kit Forbes

Penny Randall

Sally Cronin

Paul Andruss

Craig Boyack

John Howell

Sue Vincent

D. Wallace Peach

Annette Rochelle Aben

Tina Frisco

 

My questions if you’re willing:

1. What do you hope readers find on your blog?
2. Where do you live? Doesn’t have to be specific. Just general area would do. A bit about.
3. What do you write? Fiction, non-fiction?
4. What are your plans for the coming season?
5. Pet of choice?
6. What have you read recently you can recommend?
7. Writing instrument of choice?
8. What other forms of art do you pursue?
9. What is your favorite type of music?
10. Where do you write?
11. Do you have a project coming out you want to discuss?

 

Writerly Things 6/4/17

Writerly Things…6/4/17

Traci Kenworth

 

We went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. It was an enjoyable movie. I had my reservations but I like how they wrapped everything up and I like the two new additions to the cast. This is perhaps my favorite since the first movie.

Graduation. A day that proved a long haul this year. My son struggled throughout his school years due to a learning disability and also speech problems. Sometimes, I didn’t know if this day would arrive, to be honest. But it’s here and I couldn’t be prouder.

I just wished my darn shoes fit! Every time I must do a dress-up because I’m diabetic, my feet swell and I can’t get the top of my foot to fit in the pretty sandals I pick out for the occasion. Just once, I’d like to not have to rely on beat-up, comfortable shoes and could go a bit fancy!

My feet issues aside, this is a joyous day! GamerGuy is ready to get on with his life. I tell him the road will not always be smooth, but family is what makes it worth it.

How has your weekend gone? Have a great week, take care, and God bless!

The Sunshine Blogger Award

With apologies to Jessica, I wasn’t sure which picture was for the blogger award, so I improvised and chose something that always makes the sun shine for me. Jessica nominated me for this award and her blog is at: https://jessicabakkers.com/2017/05/12/im-walking-on-sunshine/

 

Here are the answers to her questions:

1. What animal are you and why? Oh, this is a hard one! I love most animals. I adore cats and dogs but if there’s one animal I just go over the moon about: it’s horses. I don’t have any of my own (still my biggest dream for heaven, if not sooner) but I do go to riding stables when I get the chance. In college, I went into the Equestrian program till finances made it difficult for me to continue.
2. Give me a secret no one else knows. Hmm. This could be dangerous, lol. Um, I have four cats. Two kittens, Miss Callie and Miss Priss, and two adults, Snowball and Midnight. (Secret two: I can sing. I had friends who majored in the acting dept. and singing and they encouraged me to go for it but I was too much of an introvert.)
3. What’s your day job? I’m a writer. I write historical romances and I love to write YA in the fantasy to scary genres. I’m currently dabbling in the contemporary scene.
4. Self-publish or traditional? Why? That is a question I’m not sure of yet. My biggest dream has been to see my books in bookstores. To do that, I may have to go traditional. Although self-publishing WILL be in my future at some point. I’d consider more of a hybrid approach to publishing.
5. Favorite song. Or music type. I like all types, just like my reading. I listen to classical sometimes when writing, also Christian, I also like country and eighties rock, I love the 50s music and some seventies. A bit of everything makes me sing along.
6. Who do you look up to in the world? Jesus, he is my savior, my peace.
7. What’s your greatest fear? That no one will like my writing. That I’ll never be the author I want to be.
8. Are you happy with your life? Yes, though I wish I was a bit more outgoing. I try to stay positive about things.
9. Chocolate or cheese? Do I have to choose, lol? If I had to pick, I guess it would be cheese because nothing tastes better on most foods than cheese!
10. Why do I blog? To connect with others. To keep me motivated. To push myself to get out there and take the chance so that someday, my words will be read and enjoyed by others.

As for my nominees, I’m going to leave that open to whoever wants to participate. So, if you’d like (just remember to link back), here are my questions:

1. What’s your favorite book?
2. What authors inspire you?
3. Do you have pets in your life?
4. Are you new to writing or have you been writing for a while?
5. What are your views on Indie or traditional publishing?
6. What kind of blog do you have?
7. What genres do you write? Or types of non-fiction?
8. Do you have any hidden talents?
9. What’s on your desk?
10. Do you prefer to write on a computer or longhand?
11. What do you hope people will remember you for?

Writerly Things…10/30/16

Writerly Things…10/30/16

Traci Kenworth

 

The Halloween party was fun!! It had special guests like the Wicked Witch of Oz, the mummy, and even Batman put in an appearance. There were games from Bug in a Cup to a bug chase to those feel what’s inside boxes from the 70s.

It was fun to see a little Captain Jack Sparrow and even Obi Wan Kenobi along with various zombies. There was also a cake walk and Bingo. It was fun to be there but I forgot my insulin shot and had to leave early as I started to feel bad and my daughter had a cold.

Walking out to the parking lot was a scare in itself. We were deep in the woods without lights and we fell off the little dirt path to the side of the lodge. Then I went off the pavement while backing out of the drive. Needless to say, I was lucky and happy to get back up on it again. Sigh. I guess we should’ve parked on the other side and walked over the lake bridge but I thought it’d be a closer walk with all the rain.

Hope your Halloween’s fun and the good kind of scary!! Take care and God bless!!