Wednesday, August 3, 2016

IWSG for August 2016


Good morning, everyone! Today is another opportunity to release those writerly insecurities into the blogoverse with our fearless leader, Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh and intrepid co-hosts: Tamara Narayan, Tonja Drecker, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Lauren @ Pensuasion, Stephen Tremp, and Julie Flanders! (Wait a minute. That includes me! I knew I should have written this yesterday.)

Here's this month's question: 

What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

Can a story collect dust on a hard drive? Hmm. When I decided to write a novel, I thought it would be a good idea to warm up with a short story first, just to see if I had it in me to complete such a project. The result was a 20K mash-up of a dream, memories from childhood of swimming in Lake Hartwell, the movie Dirty Dancing, and a road trip I took in my twenties to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Oh, and it's set in the sixties.

So what's it about? A sixteen-year-old girl goes on vacation with her family to a mountain resort (that's the Dirty Dancing part). There she meets a glamourous couple in their twenties and spends an amazing afternoon with them on their pontoon. Days later, a similar trip with her family turns into a series of small disasters.

So it's about being stuck on the verge of adulthood, seeing what you want to be without having any idea of how to get there. Let's just say it needs a lot of work (plus an ending with punch instead of fizzle) before it would ever be ready to see daylight. But it served its purpose. It was good practice before that first novel.

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Speaking of characters at rough transitions in their lives, the blog tour for Heart Stopper and Other Stories is making a stop with Kathleen Valentine. There you'll find a character profile of Chloe Langley, protagonist in the short story Detour.

Also, my daughter finally uploaded the book trailer she made for the title story in this collection. Thank you, Sedona! (Now we just got to get a hot link in that description.)




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How is your summer going in regards to writing and/or marketing?


70 comments:

  1. Actually, your first story sounds interesting. I loved "Dirty Dancing" and watched it again last month. Terrific trailer your daughter did! I've got to find the time to read your book!

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  2. Sounds interesting! With New Adult and YA being so big today, maybe you should try to finish it!

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  3. Love the Dirty Dancing tie in! And now I have the soundtrack from the movie in my head....

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  4. Your first story sounds like something that would sell well in today's market.
    I love the trailer for your book. I shared it on Pinterest and tweeted it.

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  5. That was an epic book trailer! I wish I could do things like that.

    I've been sick and need to get myself back on my special diet and get my household in order before I will be back on track with my writing. At my age a writer really needs to take care of the body to get the mind functional enough to work.

    Nissa Annakindt
    http://myantimatterlife.wordpress.com

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  6. Thanks for co-hosting, Tamara. Love your daughter's name. The book trailer is awesome. My summer is fine, but way too much rain. Your first story sounds like something you could shape into a full length novel. I loved Dirty Dancing too. I'd read the book.

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  7. You can't really go wrong with a story that has a Dirty Dancing aspect to it :-) That was a great movie.

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  8. Creepy good trailer! She did a good job.
    Thanks for co-hosting today.

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  9. That sounds like a pretty good story. Coming of age stories have a good place in the market.

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  10. How awesome that your daughter can make book trailers, and what a cool one she made, congratulations!

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  11. Besides everything else you shared, I was completely distracted by the trailer. Wow. Excellent job.

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  12. I hope you dust off that story some day. Lots of promise there. Fantastic book trailer! Very creepy. Thanks for co-hosting!

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  13. I love the trailer. Your daughter did a wonderful job with it.

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  14. The insides of a computer can collect dust. I've seen it. :P I agree with the above comments. This sounds like something that would be good to publish nowadays.

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  15. Hi, Tamara! I think it's good story, too. Lots of potential. Endings are difficult to come out crisply and excitingly. All the luck with this. Um...the trailer is scary. Bravo that your daughter can make these, though. Thanks for co-hosting the IWSG August issue.

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  16. I have dust bunnies in my C drive. I'm sure of it. Hey! Your daughter did a great job on that trailer. What a grabber.

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  17. Thanks for co-hosting today! I loved Dirty Dancing. No matter how many times I’ve watched it I’ve always felt bad and cringed in embarrassment for Baby when she had her first and brief dance lesson with Johnny when she helped deliver the watermelons. And so proud of her when she gave an alibi for Johnny for the stolen wallets and when she finally did the lift. I can definitely see how Dirty Dancing could be an inspiration source. Teen + summer vacation = good combination for a story. I also love, love the trailer your daugher made.

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  18. The story sounds like it has a good premise! Funny, though, the mashup of things you've got in there.

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  19. Heartstopper And Other Stories...the cover caught my attention! Interesting.

    Don't write off that 20K mash-up. It may still be published one day. Then you can join a small group of writers who can claim the honor of seeing their very first story in print! Who knows?
    Thank you for co-hosting the IWSG this month, Tamara!

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  20. I'm so enjoying reading about your first piece of writing, Tamara! This month's question is providing great posts. Right now I'm plotting in my head, since I'm visiting my family in Nova Scotia ~ working on a potential idea for the anthology contest ~ actually got to visit the setting yesterday. We shall see! Thanks for co-hosting! Enjoy your day!

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  21. Thanks for co-hosting! That sounds like a fun first piece. I like the mash-up you've got going for it. :)

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  22. Thanks for your post on my blog today! Your book sounds great.

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  23. What a great trailer. Excellent. I've heard short stories are a huge challenge. If an author writes a first class short story, a regular novel would be a breeze. Wishing you great success.
    Blessings

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  24. That sounds like a super complex starter story

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  25. Hi Tamara, probably most of these first efforts should never see the light of day! Love the Dirty Dancing angle. My mind is in the gutter because at first I thought your character was going to have a threesome with the couple on the pontoon LOL. I've heard great things about The Gilmore Girls--must watch some day!

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  26. You always learn so much from your first story, even if it eventually winds up in the wastebasket.

    Thanks for co-hosting this month's IWSG!

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  27. I feel like your first story is always kind of a disaster, because it's a learning process. But isn't that amazing how much we can learn and grow from writing it?

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  28. Thank you so much for co-hosting. I think it's good that you still have your first story. Who knows, maybe one day you can clean it up and send it out into the world.

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  29. Sometimes it's good to write a first story just to get some thoughts out. Then you can redo it and make it even better.

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  30. Great trailer.
    My first piece is also hiding inside my computer, ashamed to lift its head and be seen. Perhaps it is time to rethink our strategy?

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    Replies
    1. Tried to visit your blog, but Google is not allowing me to comment today. Grrrr.

      Beautiful pictures. It's hard to imagine Spring starting. We are in the middle of a hot, dry summer.

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  31. Wow, impressive trailer. Much success with the book.
    Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

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  32. Thank you for co-hosting today's #IWSG, Tamara. I like your idea of writing a short story to warm up to tackling a novel. That might have served me well, if I had thought of it! I hope your children aren't abducted by aliens but it's still okay if you don't have time to visit my blogsite! Enjoy your day.

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  33. Sounds like a crazy novella! Great clip too! Thanks for co-hosting!

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  34. Thank you for co-hosting today!

    Any writing is good writing, right? The first draft of my book was complete garbage. Most of it ended up in the recycle bin. I shudder to think about it. But, it was good mental exercise. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :)

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  35. I'd read it. You had me at Dirty Dancing. :)

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  36. I'd read it. You had me at Dirty Dancing. :)

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  37. What a super sounding book! And Kudos to your talented daughter for the trailer. Wishing you much success.

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  38. Even practice novels have purpose, and it sounds like a number of posters would jump at reading it.

    Thanks for co-hosting this month!

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  39. I think the first 4 stories I ever wrote ended up just being practice. Not all of them had ending too. Some of them I faltered or got distracted by a s hiny new idea.

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  40. First off, thanks for co-hosting this month's IWSG! I really like the trailer for Heartstopper. Your daughter did a fantastic job. It looks like a good read. Have a great week. Eva

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  41. Your daughter did a great job with that promo!

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  42. I know I've looked up pontoon before but must do it again!

    Thank you for co-hosting, and good luck on working that piece out. :D

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  43. Thanks for co-hosting this month. You have a talented daughter. Best wishes.

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  44. That's a nice story. Looking up pontoon is on my to do list. That trailer really makes you think.

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  45. Sounds like a wonderful story, even if it was a practice one.

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  46. Thank you for co-hosting this month. I see your daughter is very active in your success and I find that wonderful. Now I'll walk over to Kathleen's blog and say hello.
    All the best.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Patricia

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  47. My first work was more an exercise in what NOT to do but did prove that I could finish a book. Wonderful to have creativity in the family! Thanks for co-hosting!!

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  48. All my early books are long gone now. They were on old computers and floppies that are no longer in my life. I think that's probably for the best!

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  49. Practice practice practice. No matter if you play basketball, play the piano or write...we have to do it. Sounds like you started out with a great story and you have gained so much by doing it. Thanks for co-hosting this month!

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  50. That first story sounds interesting. Maybe someday you'll find the exciting ending. In the meantime, love the trailer. I love it when my daughters help me with my creative work. I'll check out your book on Amazon. Good luck and thanks for co-hosting IWSG this month.

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  51. Your first story sounds like an interesting mash-up. Great trailer!

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  52. Ooh, that video is cool. Your novella sounds so fun. Love that it incorporates elements of Dirty Dancing.

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  53. Fantastic book trailer! I still have hopes that my trunk book can be developed enough for publication. We'll see.

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  54. I used fanfiction to help me realize I could write a novel-length story. :)

    Love the book trailer!

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  55. Novel length is harder than short story length I'm finding. I'm a bit of a fizzer at plot, so it takes me awhile to get a first draft done!

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  56. Your daughter did a fabulous job with the trailer! I also like the Dirty Dancing element to your novella. Thanks for co-hosting the IWSG!

    Julie

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  57. What a lovely book trailer! You daughter did a great job. I think my first story was around 20,000 too. For some reason, it seemed like a great length for a novel at the time...my how one grows!

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  58. The first story sounds like it has tons of promise! I hope you go back to it someday.
    Congratulations on the awesome book trailer!

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  59. Congrats on the trailer. Your very first story sounds it was a good idea.

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  60. Your first story sounds interesting. I am curious to see where it would go if you work on it again.

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I will do everything in my power to visit commenter's blogs unless I've been abducted by aliens or my children get sick. (If my children get abducted by aliens, I will be very busy, of course, catching up on my sleep.)