Where Are Your Thoughts?

Where is the best place for you to brainstorm?

I’ll tell you, some of my best ‘thinking’ time is when I’m doing a mindless chore, like working in the garden, or scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees. Sometimes even taking a shower. I came up with a good portion of By Love or By Sea while taking a shower. (I know you really wanted to know that!) You’d be amazing at how the mind can whirl while you’re working. It is the perfect time to allow your thoughts to brew!

Brainstorming is an important part of writing. If you are writing a novel, you should be brainstorming throughout the entire process. From before you write the very first word of your outline, to the very last edit.

Why?

Tell me this. If you are not a part of the world you are trying to create, how can you expect your reader to be a part of it?

So how is this accomplished?

I have a notebook for every book. I have folders on my computer for every book (that are, of course, backed up). It is a good idea to write a few things, even just ideas, every day. Don’t worry if you end up cutting them later on. Get the juices flowing! Get the story growing!

Where do you start?

Don’t feel like you have to start at the beginning. If you have an idea, write it down. You can figure out how it fits in with everything else later. Much later, sometimes. Start at the beginning, start with a character, start with a situation, it doesn’t matter. Just get your thoughts on the page.

I read a thing by Maria V. Snyder about writing her first book, Poison Study. She started with a question. “Who would choose to become a food taster?” Here is her thought process.

“Who would choose to become a food taster? My answer was “No one.” So someone would be forced to take the position – who? Not someone loyal to the king/Commander – he wouldn’t want to risk a good man – even though a loyal man might consider the job an honor. There is a good chance the food taster will die – so who would the king/Commander use and not feel bad if the person dies? Someone on death row. She will be executed anyway – her life is forfeit, waiting in the dungeon for execution. But how to keep that person from escaping? Butterfly’s Dust – a poison that stays in the body and if the food taster doesn’t show up for a daily antidote she will die. Great, but why is she in the dungeon? Execution is an extreme punishment – so she had to do something extreme like murder. Why and who does she kill? See how the story is taking shape? And the questions don’t stop until the story is done.”

When I first started, The Tiger, Unleashed, I wanted to write about a girl who played the piano and admired, through the window, a boy who work in her father’s vineyard. Did it end up that way? No. But some of the elements are still there. And who knows, maybe someday I’ll use the parts that died.

One thing I will tell you, I found inspiration for the first scene of The Tiger, Unleashed and the premise for Sweet Ivy while leading the music in church. The stories had been swirling in my head for a long time, and then one day, each of them came to life as I was leading the music.

So if you allow yourself to become a part of the world you create, your stories will come alive for your readers!

Does Physical Exercise Stimulate Creativity?

It's a new year and we all have made our New Year's resolutions. On my personal blog, for the month of January, I'm holding a contest and to enter all you do is leave a comment with your New Year's resolution. It is interesting to view the comments. Many people's resolutions are to lose weight, be more disciplined in a certain area of life, write something every day, be nicer to people around them.
I think these are all wonderful things. In fact, many of them are my own resolutions! But I had a thought yesterday, and after a bit of research, I stumbled onto something that is worth looking into - or at least thinking about. Not only is it interesting, it could help us achieve almost all of these resolutions!
One of my goals this year is to lose some weight, or in the very least, become healthier by eating better and exercising more. And I won't complain if I lost a couple inches around my waist in the process!
So, yesterday morning, I groggily stepped onto my Wii balance board only to hear the words, "You're overweight!" My brother has cautioned me not to listen too carefully to that because it measures your BMI and not your body fat. But still, hearing those words, and seeing the numbers climbing on the scale, makes one feel a little depressed! And I've been trying to work out!
Now, before anyone gets too excited, I know that muscle weighs more than fat, and I know I'm not fat. But who doesn't want to lose a little weight now and again, or at least see themselves in the 'normal' zone?
After I finished my Wii aerobics, my husband called me from the church and wanted his tennis shoes so he could shoot some hoops. I took them to him and we decided to scrimmage. I haven't played in over 10 years! Wow! I remembered how to handle the ball, at least, and I got better the longer we played. But it was a short game! Needless to say, I certainly got my heart pumping!
When I got home, I felt invigorated! I felt like I could clean my entire house! I had a hundred new thoughts for my WIP tumbling around in my head! I felt younger and much more spry. (Except for my throbbing hip!)
And the difference? For me? A half hour game of basketball.
As a singer, I know that exercise helps me improve my vocal range and breath support.
As a mom, after exercise I have more patience with my children.
As a writer, after I exercise my mind goes crazy with creativity.
A bit of research uncovered that exercise can help with creativity, too. During exercise, blood and oxygen levels decrease in the brain because the blood is needed in the muscles. But after exercise, you feel a rush of energy as everything in your body is rejuvenated. It is believed by many that if you are physically active, you are more likely to increase your creativity level as well.
So that's my new goal. Physical exercise. Then, perhaps, my writing will become easier! I won't have to plot and plan to make things happen. They just will!!

Christmas Quiz

I was doing some research for a Christmas thing this week and thought I'd make it into a little quiz. I hope you have fun!

1. Two hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Druids used mistletoe to celebrate the coming of winter. What did they believe it did?

1. It had healing powers.
2. It warded off evil spirits.
3. It helped the winter to be less sever.

2. Where did the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe come from?

1. The red of the berries symbolizes love.
2. The Scandinavians associated mistletoe with their goddess of love, Frigga.
3. Eating the berries gives the euphoric feeling of being in love.

3. Poinsettias are native to what country?

1. England.
2. Mexico.
3. Italy.

4. In the 1800's, the poinsettia was believed to be symbolic of what?

1. The star of Bethlehem.
2. The mother, Mary.
3. The birth of Jesus Christ.

5. What country did the Christmas tree originate from?

1. France.
2. England.
3. Germany.

6. Where was St. Nicolas, the first Santa Clause, born?

1. Italy.
2. Turkey.
3. Belgium.

7. What is the belief behind the Yule Log?

1. It is believed to burn away the last year's evil.
2. It is believed to warm the Christ child when he comes.
3. It is believed to welcome all to it's warmth and beauty.

8. What were the first Christmas trees decorated with?

1. Candles.
2. Cookies and candies.
3. Flowers and fruit.

For the answers, click here! Hope this was fun for you! Merry Christmas!

Influences on Writing - Part 2

Writer's Block

Do you suffer from writer's block? Do you worry that you won't make that deadline because you can't come up with anything? Have you put your writing away because you just can't get past that one part?

We've all been there. We all get writer's block! When I was writing By Love or By Sea, I sat in front of my computer for 30 days before I figured out a solution to the problem. So what did I do?

Well, first off, I sat there, every day. I tried to write and usually I ended up deleting it all. But I kept trying. When my mind was completely blank, I did research online. I kept trying to come up with new angles and new situations.

Finally, after a month of dedicated perserverence, a thought struck me. A lot like lightening. I suddenly knew exactly what to write. And I couldn't write down my thoughts fast enough. My house and family were neglected because I was so desperate not to lose my thought!

Is that the only way to go about writer's block? Probably not. I do think that by trudging on through you can work through it. Although sometimes I think you need to put it away for a week or so and work on something else before coming back to it.

One think I know for certain, if you put it away and don't keep trying, you will never get beyond it. So keep on trying. It will work out sooner or later!

*Part 1 of this series, Influences on Writing - Music, can be found at on my blog! I look forward to seeing you there!

Improving My Sense of Self-worth

by Rachel Rager

I have always known my children are here to help me learn and grow. Shortly after I gave birth to my third daughter I was depressed. And though I can blame my lack of sleep as the result of my slightly depressed manner, I am not one hundred percent convinced that there was not more behind that. My baby had been extremely grumpy one afternoon and evening and I received no more than ten minutes of respite. She would fall asleep in my arms only to wake up as soon as I set her down. I sunk into a deep depression that concerned my husband, the counselor; though I thought I was merely tired. As I awoke the next morning from another sleepless night, I could still feel the lingering effects. And all I wanted to do was lay down and sleep the day away. However, my husband suggested I get out of the house and do something. My thoughts automatically shifted to shopping. I would go to the store and buy something, because that would help improve my mood.
As I stood fixing my hair, I began to contemplate why women feel so much better about themselves when they have new clothes. It is exciting to go shopping and get new things. It makes me feel beautiful, even special. I think sometimes we rely too heavily on physical things to improve our feeling of self-worth. And so often this can thrust us into financial difficulties as well.
At an Enrichment activity the week prior, the Second Counselor in the Bishopric spoke and expressed his concern for the women of the church; for while we are a very caring, compassionate and serving group, we frequently neglect our own needs. Hence, I think we slip into a sort of depression. From there we become more concerned with things of this world and many other outside influences that we think will make us feel better. When they only make us feel good for a short little while, we grasp for other things to give us the same boon and soon are spiraling downward faster and faster. We have little sense of self-worth and have many other problems – perhaps emotionally, physically, financial, and spiritually and these things can affect our relationships, not only with a spouse, but children, parents, siblings and friends as well.
So how do we fix this? First, become intimately acquainted with the Savior. Learn of His teachings. Learn of His love, compassion and friendship. Next, submit yourselves to Him. He has atoned for you and has enabled you to use that atonement to draw closer to Him. Perhaps you have not sinned while in this cycle of self-destruction. Does that mean the atonement cannot help? No. We are all children of God, and as such, He desires for us to return to Him. By Allowing Him to share our burdens and pain, we are drawing nearer to Him.
Another step in this process of self-improvement is to take time for yourself. Do something you enjoy without feeling guilty. Plan a night with friends, away from the children once in a while. Set a budget so you do not exceed your means in the process. Go on regular dates with your spouse. Talk with your spouse about your feelings. Talking with a spouse will not only help with depression and improve self-worth, but it will also strengthen the marital relationship. If you don’t feel comfortable talking, write them a letter. Writing is very therapeutic. Exercise is also a great way to get in touch with yourself and it will improve your physical health while helping your mental health.
How will these things help you become an emotionally healthier person? When you are in touch with yourself and your needs, you are much more in tune with the Spirit. You are able to not only help yourself but are able to help those around you much more effectively. You will no longer need new clothes or other worldly possessions to make you feel better about yourself. When you take care of yourself and take the time to spend time doing what you need to do, without neglecting your family, you become close to our Savior and can truly be happy.

Oooops!

I usually try to post early and have my blog ready so it posts automatically. However, I've been painting my house and then my mom came into town and I haven't checked my emails and missed my reminder. Fortunately I found it today and not tomorrow, huh!
So, I'm not sure I have anything relevent to write today. So, I'll post this. One day in April, I went into my room and found a paper on my bed. I picked it up and instantly knew it was from my six-year-old. This is what it said. (complete with picture)

Abinadi by Lylli Rager

To my mom and dad for all the teachings about the prophets and having faith in him. I love you very much.

Abinadi was one of Heavenly Father’s prophets. He told Abinadi to come to a king. The king’s name was King Noah. So Abinadi walked to King Noah’s kingdom all alone but with Heavenly Father’s help. When he got into King Noah’s kingdom, he told them to repent or else their enemies would destroy them.
But they said, “No we don’t want to repent. Go away. Now!”
So Abinadi walked home all alone again. A few months later he came to King Noah again.
They said, “We have not repented, young man.”
Abinadi said, “All right. Your enemies are going to destroy you.”
King Noah punished him for telling the truth. His punishment was for him to walk to prison all by himself. King Noah put him in prison for two weeks! After two weeks in prison, Abinadi walked halfway home until he started thinking about the message Heavenly Father asked him to tell King Noah. So he went back to his home. He taught him about Jesus and Heavenly Father. After that King Noah wanted to kill Abinadi. So it happened. He burned him down. And that was the end of Abinadi. The end.

Reading this was one of those awesome moments as a mother when I knew I was on the right track! May you all have a wonderful Sunday!

By Love or By Sea by Rachel Rager

by Rebecca Talley

By Love or By Sea
by
Rachel Rager

From the back cover:

When a mysterious and ragged sailor appears in the seaside town where Alice Lind Frank lives with her grandparents, Alice is shocked to learn that the sailor is her childhood love, Caleb, who she thought was lost at sea. She yearns to trust him again, but what about her plans to marry Clarence Hielott, the wealthy shipyard owner? When Clarence exposes the secrets of Caleb s past, Alice realizes that the boy she once knew is now a man with a dark history. Can she trust Caleb with her heart once again? And what will she do about Clarence? Find out in this thrilling and adventurous love story.

I enjoyed reading this sweet love story. I also enjoyed being taken back in time and experiencing the adventure. By Love or By Sea is a fun story filled with interesting characters. From the slimy Clarence to the innocent Alice to the ruggedly handsome Caleb to the feisty Betsy Winters.

I loved the character of Betsy Winters and learning why she was so rude and mean in the beginning. I thought Rachel Rager created a believable character as well as developed a realistic storyline that unraveled at just the right pace. I loved how Alice, the main character, was spunky enough and determined enough to find out more about the town's meanest citizen.

This is an enjoyable book and I recommend it.

By Love or By Sea WINNER

I'm pretty excited about this! I love book give-aways! Who doesn't like a FREE book? Anyway, two weeks are finally up and the winner of

By Love or By Sea

by Rachel Rager

is...

Lynn Parsons

Congrats, Lynn! Just send your mailing address to

rachelrager(dot)romance(at)gmail(dot)com

and I'll get that out PRONTO!!!

(I hope you love it! And I hope if you didn't win, you will still read it! And make sure to check back to see if you win one of the other books too.)

And, for anyone who wants a thought provoking question. . .

When Caleb Newman left for sea, he had different reasons for leaving than the popular opinion. If events had occured differently at the ball when he saved Alice's virtue,

would he have made the same decisions? If not, what would he have done differently? And how would Lydia Burns effect the dynamic of the story?

(Read By Love or By Sea)

Leave me a comment with your thoughts! I can't wait to hear them!!

Happy Kisses!

By Love or By Sea - Give Away!

I thought I'd give you a little treat and include a small section of my book. I'm so thrilled with the idea of this contest! And I hope you will all eagerly leave me a comment! I will announce the winner on Sunday, August 23rd. (So just leave me a comment about how much you want to read it and how much you adore me and you are automatically entered!) There will be prizes given away between now and then too from other authors, so make sure to stop by and see what they are! I wish you all the best of luck and happy kissing.

As Alice began on her journey home and passed through the town, she exchanged pleasantries with a few people but mostly kept to herself, enjoying the view of the vast ocean growing in front of her and the goings-on of the town...
Then, as though nothing more than a mirage, she saw a tired man crest over the hill coming from the beach and walking towards her. The distance between the man and herself allowed her time to stare at him without being obvious. The tall man wore a tattered pair of trousers and a fairly clean, cotton shirt fastened only by three lower buttons, allowing his vast muscles to protrude from beneath as he carried a knapsack on his shoulder. His skin was bronzed from what she assumed were probably years spent in the sun. His sandy whiskers weren’t long but had obviously been neglected for many days, and his blonde hair was nearly as white as old Mrs. Winters’, but unlike hers, his hair traveled halfway down his back.
He sported an odd appearance, yet he was almost intriguingly familiar...
“Excuse me, miss?”
Alice turned at the sound of a soft, masculine voice and there, looking expectantly at her, stood the man she had been visually devouring only moments before. “Yes?”
“I realize this is probably a strange thing to ask, but . . .” He paused and looked at the inquisitive eyes that were lingering on him from passing spectators. He seemed suddenly less sure of himself. “D-do you know if the . . . the Newman’s still live around here?” he asked in a lowered, hesitant voice.
“Well, sure. They’ve lived west of town about a mile for longer than I can remember.” Then as curiosity got the better of her, she could not restrain the question from escaping her lips. “Are you one of Augustus’s nephews? You bear a striking resemblance to Augustus himself.”
The man chuckled uncomfortably and pushed a hand through his tangled hair. “Well, thank you, miss, but I’m not his nephew.”
A look of pain seemed to cross his face before he tipped his head to her in parting and left her alone to ponder on the encounter. Alice knew she had never seen this man before. She would have remembered. His weathered face made him appear quite old, and she felt a stab of sorrow at the look of pain that had so recently crossed his face. The look in the man’s eyes caused him to look somehow even older than he did at first sight.
That evening as she sat in the parlor with her nana and pappy, her gaze lingered on the fire while her embroidery sat forgotten on her lap. “What has your mind in a tumble tonight, peach?” Gretchen asked.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she answered casually...
“Well, are you just going to sit there until she drags it out of you, or are you going to tell it to us straight out?” Henry asked, equally concerned about his granddaughter.
“I don’t really know what to think, Pappy. My mind’s all muddled up and I can’t seem to make heads or tails out of anything.”...
“Why don’t you start by telling me how things were while you still could make sense of them,” Gretchen encouraged.
“Well, I went to see Mama and everything went well. She was attentive to me, and we had a real nice time. I came home, just like I always do and then . . .”
“Yes?” Henry said when she paused.
“Oh, I don’t know what to think,” Alice whispered desperately. “I was walking home, and then there was this man who came over the edge of the hill. He’d obviously come from the beach.”
“Was it Clarence?” Gretchen interrupted. “He’s normally coming back to town about that time of day.”
“Of course not,” Henry put in. “She would have recognized him.”
Gretchen and Henry were both completely captivated by what Alice had to say, but in truth Alice could not figure out what she was thinking. So how on earth did they think she would be able to tell them a story they could understand? “No, it wasn’t Clarence. In fact, I don’t know who it was. My gut instinct tells me he was a ghost, except he spoke to me.”
“A ghost?” Gretchen laughed. “Really, peach! What would put your mind to thinking something as crazy as that?”
“I’m serious, Nana!” Alice whined loudly.
“All right then. What was it about the man that put it into your mind that he was a ghost?” Gretchen asked repentantly.
“Well, he looked real enough, but he reminded me of . . . He kind of looked like . . .”
“Who?” Henry coached.
“I don’t know if I can utter his name.” Gretchen’s rather disappointed look displayed itself blatantly upon her face. Alice knew her grandparents were dissatisfied with her answer, but she didn’t know if she could tell them who the man looked like. So she changed the direction of the conversation. “He spoke to me though. His voice was low and hushed, as though he was afraid to speak.”...
“Alice, who was it that the man reminded you of?” Henry asked.
“Pappy, I don’t know if I can utter his name,” Alice whimpered.
“And why not?”
Alice hesitated, attempting to give enough information without actually having to say the man’s name aloud. “He died about six years ago in a ship wreck while he was at sea as a merchant sailor.”
“Are you trying to tell us that you spoke to Caleb Newman on the street in town today?” Gretchen asked reverently.
“I don’t know that it was him, Nana. And besides, how could it be him? Remember? Grace said there were no survivors.”
“But . . .”
“No, Nana. I’m certain my mind was just playing tricks on me. It was probably some poor sailor, anchored in town for a few days.” With that, the topic died, and the conversation moved on to other things, but that night as Alice lay in bed waiting for sleep to engulf her, the image of the man on the street kept her weary mind company. He was, after all, intriguing and very striking in his appearance, no matter how tattered and tired he looked. The thought of him being an older version of the ever-so-handsome Caleb Newman made the mystery of the man all the more enticing. He had been such a good looking young man; tall and very handsome. Rolling over with a smile on her face, she eventually found respite as she fell asleep thinking of the young man she’d thought of so often before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9UC78cx-kE

Introducing...Rachel Rager

I’ve been thinking a lot over the last week an a half about what I would say on my first post. Unfortunately, when I sit down to the computer to talk about myself, I freeze. Not to mention, I am the last new blogger to put in my intro. Perhaps everyone is tired of reading about the authors here. But, I want you to know me as a writer and as a person.
I love to write! And what better way to pass the time? It’s therapeutic in so many ways. Yet when I sit down to my computer and read all the introductions of these great authors I blog with, I get intimidated because I’m so new. Yes, I am a very new author! My first book, By Love or By Sea, was published in April 2009. And what a great adventure it’s been!
You might say, “Well, Rachel, you published a book. That counts for something.”
And it does! I have loved the journey I took to get published! It is a great accomplishment. Especially for someone like me, who couldn’t spell well as a child and didn’t like to read and didn’t do it well either. So, it’s amazing that I ever desired to write a book and see it to fruition. (Therefore, please forgive me for my spelling and grammatical errors. I like them!)
You may ask what my passions were before I began to write. Well, I majored in Vocal Performance. That’s right, I sing. Opera, specifically. I’m a coloratura soprano (that means I sing REALLY high.) When I was young, my mom would play the piano for the musicals at the college and I would often go with her to rehearsals. I LOVE musical theater! It helped make me the hopeless romantic that I am. And I always dreamed of starring in a play someday.
Unfortunately, this was a dream I never saw to fruition, for I got married and had three beautiful daughters. Do I regret that I never fulfilled that dream? No. I star in all my stories!
You may ask, “Rachel, if you hated reading and loved to sing, how did you start writing?”
Honestly, I owe my choice in this matter to one person. Marcia Lynn McClure. Shortly after my first daughter was born, my mother-in-law gave me A Heavenly Surrender to read. I loved it and eagerly searched out more of Marcia’s books. At the time, she only had three in print, but I devoured them!
Then one night I had a dream and when I woke up, I decided to try and write it down. Did I imagine anything might come of it? Of course not. I didn’t even know if I’d have the patience to sit and write all those words! Still, I eagerly wrote down an outline and then timidly told my husband. I will always remember the doubtful look on his face as he said, “Well…I guess if you really want to.”
I told no one else! Instead I wrote. After a month of typing during my daughter’s naps and while my husband was in classes, I finished. And it was terrible! But I had done what I set out to do. So I edited and submitted it. (Only then did I tell my mother, who was floored by my revelation.)
Needless to say, my first attempt was rejected, but I persisted. I kept rewriting, editing, and even began writing another book. I also broadened my horizons and read tons of books. With each rewrite or book I read, I learned more and more. Finally, after five years, I had written five stories. I submitted my third story and finally got a contract with CFI. Six years (almost to the month) after I started writing, I accomplished another goal and held a copy of my book in my hands. What a journey and what an incredible accomplishment!
So to anyone just starting out, I would say learn all you can, never give up, and enjoy it!