The first photo is the published cover. The second photo is a trial mock-up. I like the final product. How about you?
I think the red of the cover is eye-catching, and the artwork on the front is a good example of what’s inside.
The cover is what draws the reader into looking at the first page. It’s a matter of reader preference.
I hope you have read, and enjoyed, The Voyage! Sonja
Last month I told you about my favorite book that helps me with my narrative and descriptions. It’s called the Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary, by Marc McCutcheon. There are some sections that I don’t use, like “French Cooking Terms” and “Surgical Procedures.” But if I want to know what a “hand-and-a-half sword” is, then there’s a definition for it. (It’s an intermediate or small sword, smaller than a two-handed sword, by the way). There’s also a section on clothing, separated by major historical eras or shifts.
Hey, have you heard of a “ha-ha”? No, it’s not laughter. It’s a sunken fence or moat around a garden to keep animals out of the area.
Fascinating, huh?
I like books that help me with research or language. I don’t like redundancy or interrupting my writing flow while I search for the correct word. Sometimes I put XXX to hold the place of a word I need and then go back to fill it in. Otherwise, that fleeting thread of dialogue or plot will evaporate. It usually doesn’t come back, whether it was good or bad.
Enjoy your writing process. Sonja
It’s the weekend and for many of us that means time off from work. Yay! What do you have planned?
BC19 (Before COVID-19) the weekend was a time for gatherings and socializing, which is off the books for now. Today may be the time for a solitary bike ride through interesting landscape-whether that is the desert’s unique formations or under a canopy of trees.
I’m not trying to get political here, so no comments about the pandemic, social distancing, or mask-wearing, please!
I’m encouraging you to enjoy the beautiful summer day! Sonja
This afternoon I get to indulge in one of my favorite things-chatting with another author. Today, it’s thriller writer J.A. Jance.
I get to be involved because of the Author Chat series sponsored by Tucson Festival of Books.
Sometimes, these chats are good, sometime they aren’t, but I think it’s fun to listen to the advice and encouragement of successful NYT Bestsellers. It’s a dream of mine to make that list.
I write every day, less so now since I’m recovering from surgery and typing send tiny shards of pain up my wrist. On the thumb side. Where the bone graft came from. Sigh.
My body also likes to put my nerves on high alert after surgery, so I’m working to desensitize those suckers. It’s uncomfortable, but worth the pain. As is the stretching to get more movement in my wrist.
What can also be uncomfortable is writing. (Nice segue, huh?)
The most difficult part of writing for me is the first draft-I much prefer editing and fleshing out the story. But it’s all fun, no matter how difficult it is to get the words down.
I hope you are able to indulge in something you love. Sonja
Have you taken the path less traveled?
It’s important to do things that are outside your comfort zone. Think about it. At one time, everything you did was new. Then you decided to do it again. And got good at it. And maybe it became your favorite thing.
But first, you had to try it for the first time.
I encourage you to try something new every month–every week if you’re really brave. It doesn’t need to be something big. Take your walk going a different way. Part your hair on the other side. Tie your shoes using bunny ears or a half-hitch-or Google a new way to lace your sneakers.
Blaze a new trail! Sonja
I like both London and Paris. The history and the architecture really win me over.
If we’re talking about non-city places, I love the mountains. It’s where I grew up and where I’m the happiest. My favorite scent is pine sap and my favorite sound is the wind blowing through evergreen branches.
My neighbors have a big pine tree in their front yard. When the wind blows I go outside to hear the wind going through the branches. That hiss is amazing. Plus, owls live there and at night I can hear them hoot.
Love that! Sonja
I always have a cup of tea beside my laptop. Even as it’s tortuously hot outside, I have some cooled tea in my cup.
I also have dogs at my feet! Guinness the Therapy Dog is usually under the table where I work and rests on top of my feet. Lucy the Wonder Dog likes to stretch out beside my chair-within quick access to her crate where she hides.
I would love to see where you work! Sonja
I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has read my books. You have no idea how much it means when a reader enjoys something that I have created!
A book takes months to write and edit, and, for me, involves a lot of personal angst from resurrecting memories. To have that work enjoyed makes it all worth it.
Please accept my thanks for taking a chance on my books. I hope you enjoy them. Sonja