Strawberry Tells

Strawberry Tells

The strawberry hung on his vine and felt the warm sunshine heat him all over. The day was going to be beautiful and he did not want to miss a minute of it. However, Izzadora, the woman who had planted him had other ideas. She came into the garden in the early morning just as the berry was getting settled in for a day of sunbathing and cut him right off his vine and placed him into a honey colored woven basket, which felt odd compared to hanging all his life but was not all together bad feeling. He lay there as his other berry family members were picked and washed and cared for. He liked the feel of water but being washed felt quit different than being sprinkled upon by spring raindrops. The strawberry wondered greatly where the gardener was taking him but did not think the woman would understand his question so he kept silent as they drove in Izzadora’s silver VW... Read More Here

Place Setting

Place Setting: How'd we get to the cave when we were in the desert?

I love reading novels to see how each author creates a sense of place, sometimes a whole new world. It can surprise me at times how little it may take to get the reader into the location or setting of the story. Sometimes, however it takes ever so much thoughtful wording to get an entire new world to feel real and full of life. 

When you think of your favorite novels how do those authors write about space and setting?

Look around your home or yard and try to write out how you'd describe it in a book. What is the essence of the place, the feeling of being there?

Try reading the description out load and hear how it sounds. Focus on the tone of the place and then you can begin to add in details.

The sun hit the big red wood paneling harshly. As though the place should catch fire at any moment. 
or 
Red wood panels, long passed their prime, stood out from the bright landscape of yellow fields and stray chickens on the hunt for worms. 

Web show writing: Ghost Files Webisodes

Web show writing is a new and growing field, it's a great way to get a longer, complex story told in segments; much like the serialized stories of eras passed. Think about the story as a whole piece and then look for the best way to segment the story into engaging installments.

Take that idea, which has been siting, for a novel and play with it as a script. Think of local locations that would work for your story's locations and start from there. Spend time in the locations, if you can spend time with some local actors and get a good feel for what will make the web series great.

Ghost Stories or No, that's not pee it's wine

Ghost Stories or No, that's not pee it's wine 

 I have been obsessed with tales of the dead since I first read the entire section of my local library. People love to be scared and there is something about the notion that we stay around after our deaths, to mist in and out of dark corners that is simply enticing to write about.

What do you find scary about the idea of Ghosts? Would you find it more frighting to see one or to hear one?

When you write try not to please someone else, stick to what makes you afraid of the dark and go with it. Think of a way to die and start there, write out how the ghost became a specter, again even if you don't need all that information for your story it will really help with the writing of the piece, whether it is a short story for a magazine or blog or a novel for publication. 

There are places and ways to die which are naturally to our mortal minds much more terrifying than others. If you're feeling a little stuck try out one of the classics. A castle in the Irish green. Motels in Maine. Long ago car accidents. The violent end for a violent person.
You can begin with a well worn idea and make it your own through great character development and an ability to make the normal seem somehow sinister.

Interview with Tucson based actors on how they got into acting later in life.

Your Book's Cover: Design and Reading

Book Covers

Holly shizzal, you mean it needs words?

If you go the route of self-publishing you’ll eventually, sooner than latter, have to deal with deciding if you can design a cover or if not (come on they are hard and no one can be brilliant at everything) then you’ll need to understand what you want from a designer. Knowing what you want and how to get the right look will help you not waste time and money on a book cover.

Make sure the text is easy to read, big but it still needs to sell the style of your book.
Do you want photos, drawing, just text? Think this all out beforehand but remember that the designer is there to help you so you don't need to have a fully formed concept starting out, just an outline.

What is the tone of your book? Sad, dark, strange, funny?
Knowing these things can greatly help your designer get the right feel the first round out. 

TBT Works designs e-book covers for pretty reasonable prices and turnaround times.

RM Kelly's New Kindle E-Book Shorter Than The Wick

RM Kelly's New Kindle E-Book Shorter Than The Wick

A new Interview with Kelly can be seen here. As well as a trailer for her new indie e-book.

R.M. Kelly's collection of short stories includes a trio of the Ghost Files tales, which were turned into the web show Ghost Files. A man searching his soul to find forgiveness. The oldest Vampire on earth seems to be loosing her ability to seduce blood from mortals. We learn that Waiting on Help isn't always the best plan and of course the 'talking cure' may not cure the listener.

Shorter Than The Wick is available on Amazon now.