Life in progress

Category Archives: writers


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An Imitation Game

I was reading some of The Daily Post entries today, as I sometimes do, and a good number of them refused to play along with the prompt. Today’s prompt was this: Write a post about anything you’d like — in the style of your favorite blogger. (Be sure to link to them!)

I’m not sure if the participating (and I use that word loosely) posts I read were a good cross section of all of them (I perused about 15% of them) but a great majority of those I read said they didn’t want to imitate anyone, for various reasons. Some simply ignored the prompt and linked anyway, some said they couldn’t find a favourite, and some said they were too happy with their own writing “voice” to be bothered. One even thought it was creepy.

The whole thing reminded me of my high school drama class. We were given an assignment and had a few days to research it before we were to come back to class and demonstrate what we’d discovered. The assignment was to observe the way different people walk and imitate them. Not really a difficult thing to do, and yet no one in the class would do it. We all stated that it was too uncomfortable – we felt like we were making fun of people. I don’t remember if I refused to do it on those grounds or if I was too self-conscious to be the only one who did do it.

It seems strange to me in the blogosphere that people wouldn’t participate in such a thing as an imitation game. Is it really that hard to mimic another writer’s style? Is it that distasteful?

Would you do it?


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JusJoJan 7 – The Importance of Pop-Culture

I used to hate people who told me, with their nose seemingly turned up in disdain, that they didn’t watch TV. That was back when I used to do barely anything else when I got home from work at night. Knit and watch TV. Every single night.

Fast forward to now: I never watch TV. I don’t turn my nose up at people who do – I understand that their leisure time is as valuable to them as mine is to me – they just choose to do something different with it. But I do have to say that I’m really feeling the effects of NOT watching it. Why?

Pop-culture can be very important in any work of art. It has the ability to connect the artist to his audience in a unique way, like, remember where you were when the last episode of M*A*S*H was aired? Or when we heard those famous words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”? Can you? I can. But do I know a damned thing about what’s going on on “The Office”? No.

While there is much to be said for spending every minute of my spare time creating fiction, there is still that value in watching TV. My own fiction is evidence in itself. Read this: http://lindaghillfiction.com/2014/11/18/43-scenes-from-the-second-seat-on-the-right-sylvester-and-harry/ and tell me you “get it.” Please. Okay, so maybe you do, but it would still be nice to have something current to refer to.

So I’ve decided to add one more thing to my list of New Year’s Resolutions. Watch more TV.

I am so freakin’ backwards.

P.S. Please leave suggestions in the comments on what’s on that’s good. I’m totally lost.

This post is part of Just Jot It January: https://lindaghill.com/2015/01/01/just-jot-it-january-pingback-post-and-rules/ Jot something down and join in the fun – it’s never too late!!

JJJ 2015


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In Appreciation: Three SoCS in One!!

Now that I’m present and accounted for–I’m back from holiday–I have no excuse not to blog. 😀

See what I did there? The above sentence is a culmination of all three wonderful SoCS prompts presented to you by my three lovely guest posters. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them all for filling in for me while I was away.

I’ve learned a lot from each of my guest posters, but none more than Helen Espinosa. Here’s a lady who has been through so much in her life and yet has managed to keep a positive outlook. Her brave dealings with cancer, during which time she relied on the love of her family is so inspiring. Helen has shown me what it is not to give up, and to live life to the fullest; her philosophy is one I aspire to. Please visit her blog often. You can find Helen here: https://helenespinosa.wordpress.com/

Pav. What can I say about Pav? An English teacher by day, a dedicated dad and husband, a tireless runner, and an author any chance he gets, Pav has a unique sense of reality. His humorous posts are a never ending experience in eyebrow-raising entertainment, spackled here and there with a lesson in what it is to be a little bit of everything all the time. Any time you need a smile, go and read Pav’s blog at http://pavorisms.wordpress.com/

For our last but not least of the SoCS prompts, we were blessed with Leigh. Speaking of busy, Leigh Michaels defines the word. Mom to five incredibly lucky children who have survived the foster care system, she seems to be a full-time everything, including the author of no less than four novels. To me, she is a lesson in what it is to give of oneself – inspiring doesn’t begin to cover it. Visit Leigh here: http://www.authorleighmichaels.com/ to read her blog and find out where you can purchase her novels.

So with that I’d like give my warm appreciation to you, Helen, Pav, and Leigh, for taking time out of your own busy schedules to keep SoCS going for everyone while I was away.

Please join me once again in paying tribute to three incredible bloggers!!

This post is, in part, a SoCS post.

Badge by: Doobster at Mindful Digressions

Badge by: Doobster at Mindful Digressions


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Get Ready

Over the next few days I hope you’ll all join me in welcoming our Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosts, who have graciously accepted the task of taking over while I’m away. These three wonderful bloggers will be writing posts here at Life In Progress starting tomorrow, to introduce themselves. They’ll be coming up with the Friday prompts and visiting all of your upcoming SoCS posts during the next three weekends.

I know they’ll do a fantastic job and I hope you’ll all visit their blogs and follow them if you haven’t already.

Just so you know, I’ve pre-scheduled both of the One-Liner Wednesday posts that I’ll be absent for, as well as all of the “Second Seat on the Right” posts over at my fiction site, Inspiration in Progress, so you won’t miss a thing!

I have to say, it feels really weird to just end a post without a shout-out to someone after a month of participating in NoBloMooglyWoo and Mr. Fantastic’s Team Pepper Mystery Tour. Really awkward.

So visit your hosts when you see their posts. You’ll be happy you did!!


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Writer’s Quote Wednesday – As I See It

I’m trying something new today. I’m participating in my dear friend Colleen’s prompt over at Silver Threading. Her rules in “Writer’s Quote Wednesday” state that the quote can be by a famous writer or by ourselves, since we’re all writers after all. So I’ve taken the liberty of writing my own statement, as I see it. I have to say it’s a little weird quoting myself. I hope it doesn’t seem too presumptuous.

 

quote lindaghill.com

 

Here is the link to Colleen’s prompt today: http://silverthreading.com/2014/11/05/writers-quote-wednesday-silver-quotes/ Please join in!

 


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No More Slacking!

It’s true. I’ve been slacking off on my blog. Two days this past week I failed to post. My excuse? Life. What kind of excuse is that? A terrible one, if you ask me.

So I’ve decided to join in to not one, but two events to keep me on track for the rest of the month. I won’t be able to participate in Every Damned Day December this year, so I’m gonna make up for it ahead of time.

So what, you might ask, are these events? Let me show you.

The first is NaBloPoMo (or National Blog Posting Month I assume, since NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. …shouldn’t that be INTERnational by now?). The sign-up form can be found here if you’re interested in joining me: http://www.blogher.com/joining-nablopomo-november-add-your-blog-2014-blogroll-now Here’s the official logo:

NaBloPoMo_1114_465x287_blogroll

Nice, eh?

The second event is Nano Poblano, hosted by Mr. Mark Bialczak. Join Team Pepper, here: http://markbialczak.com/2014/10/27/team-pepper-gets-spicy-right-here-nano-poblano/ and get the cool banner!

nanoPoblano14

To be part of Team Pepper, we have to include the tags, Nano Poblano and Team Pepper in our posts. As well as NaBloPoMo of course.

So that’s that! I have my work cut out for me for the rest of the month. How about you? Are you up for a little spice and a couple of tongue twisters?


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A Rose by Any Other Name…

cropped-rose-sky.jpg

It took me a long while to decide to use my real name on my blog, and a little while more before I really felt comfortable with it. To start with, this blog was about me “coming out” as a writer. You may think it silly to equate it to announcing one’s gender preference (granted its nowhere near as traumatic as all that) but in a way it was the same. I’d seen, after all, the way people looked at me when I told them I was writing a novel. The word “flake” might as well have been stamped on my cheek for all the lack of praise the confession got me. It seems if they can’t see the finished product, the product will in their mind never be finished.

So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I signed up with WordPress using my own name. I was tentative – worried people I know would see my efforts and laugh. I still worry about that. But, having said that, I have gained a certain amount of confidence in myself. I started a Facebook page recently with the title “Linda G. Hill, Author” (you can find me here: https://www.facebook.com/lindaghill.fiction?ref=hl Like me!!) and that felt weird particularly when it asked me if the person I was making the page for approved. I think I actually yelled at the screen, “It’s ME!”

I still think about blogging under a pseudonym, even now that I’ve been blogging consistently here with my real name for a year and nine months. There’s a freedom in not using your name; what stops me is not being able to see the point. I’m quite happy here this way. I feel relatively secure in that I don’t disclose my precise whereabouts; I post pictures of my children knowing that they can’t be identified by their surname. (It isn’t “Hill.”) I find it easier than trying to keep up a facade. I don’t need to be careful not to give myself away… and I’m so close to being ready to get published that I’m no longer shy about calling myself a novelist. You’ll get your proof, damnit!

I would say the majority of blogs I follow here are anonymous. I realise there are many reasons for wanting to remain that way. For those who don’t use their real names, have you ever been tempted? And for those who do, was it a difficult hurdle to get over? Please share your story.


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Facing It

I had to face it eventually – the dreaded Facebook page. Not that I have anything against Facebook. It just goes a little against the grain of my personality to have anything dedicated specifically to draw attention to myself. Yes, I know you’re probably saying, why do you have a blog then? and you’re probably saying it in italics to boot.

My blog is a place to talk. When I write here I feel like I’m sitting at a table with a group of like-minded individuals, sharing a laugh, the occasional tear, and a big-assed pot of coffee, tea, wine, beer … You get the picture. But The Facebook Page is, well, it’s advertising. And at the moment I don’t have anything TO advertise, so it’s just me. Little ol’ me standing at the head of the class, waiting for a crowd of people who know more than I do to arrive. At least that’s how it feels.

So what’s the point of this then? I need some friends over there to keep me company, and to hold my hand when the crowd shows up.

Please, “Like” me on Facebook. Be a pal. 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/lindaghill.fiction

And I’ll get off my butt and get this book out. Then I’ll have something to hold up, to take the focus off little ol’ me.


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My Name in Print!

Worms of Heaven by Misha BurnettI picked up Misha Burnett’s latest installment of The Book of Lost Doors series, entitled The Worms of Heaven last night and I noticed at the back he had included a chapter of Acknowledgements. I went there to have a read and, lo and behold, there was my name! Right there in black and white!

So I thought what better excuse could there be to promote this fantastic series of books which I am thoroughly enjoying? I’m not one to give out praise willy-nilly and so you can take it from me that if I say a novel great then I really, truly recommend it.

You can read my glowing review of the first novel in the series, Catskinner’s Book here and the second book, Cannibal Hearts here.

Thank you so much, Misha for thinking of me. 😀

 


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Readers and Writers: Opinions Wanted

I had an idea: I doubt it’s a unique idea, which is why I one of my questions to you, dear readers and writers of fiction, is whether or not you’ve ever seen this done before.

Imagine being able to have a conversation with Anne Rice’s Lestat, Stephenie Meyer’s Edward Cullen, Stephen King’s Annie Wilkes, or J.R.R. Tolkien’s Galadriel. Would you want to? If an author gave voice to one of his or her characters in an interactive medium, would it be just plain weird for that character to be removed from the world the author created for them? Or would it be a thrill-ride to be able to ask all the questions you have about their lives before they showed up in the story you love? Would you enjoy flirting with your favourite fictional character? Would you like to get more insight on a villain’s inner thoughts?

I’ve seen blog posts where authors interview their characters, but to let them out in public–to relinquish control over what they might have to reveal–is a different scenario.

So I ask you, apart from the question have you seen it done before, would you want it? Or is it better to let them stay put in their story?