Category: GKP Writing News

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GKP Writing News

Are You Obsolete?

I’ve been collecting books for decades. Many of them wound interesting, but I’ve never found time to read them. One of these came off the shelf the other day and made me think ‘Are you obsolete?’ about these posts.

Internet Writing

Millions of people write on the internet. Their topics are almost anything you can think of.

I’ve been posting to a website for over ten years. My topics have been on nature, hiking, science, goats and my books.

If the writers could go back and read something they wrote many years ago, what would they think about it?

John Gould

Back in the late 1940s to 1950s, John Gould wrote short topics that were published in newspapers, magazines and books. The book I read was “Neither Hay Nor Grass” published in 1951.

Gould lived in rural Maine. He wrote about living there, the people he knew, things that happened. This sounds a lot like internet posts of today.

One of the reasons I read this book was to find out more about the times it was written in. It certainly did that.

Gould’s wife was mentioned several times. Usually the mention was about her wonderful cooking. His daughter was to learn this.

Education was not very important. Rural ways and values were more important.

cover for "Broken Promises" by Karen GoatKeeper
I wrote this novel using the events of 2008. Do you remember that year? That was the beginning of the Great Recession when the stock market had a meltdown. It refers to a big Ponzi scheme that unraveled then. Is this trilogy now obsolete?

Are You Obsolete?

Gould was writing about a world about to see major changes. Most people would cut their ties to the land and become urban. Women would be able to be more than housewives and cooks.

Jobs were becoming more demanding, requiring better educations. Pollution was about to be confronted as “Silent Spring” was published.

My conclusion is that I am obsolete and many of my posts are not even close to mainstream. I may have grown up urban, but I’ve become rural to a great extent.

Will I change? No. My posts reflect my lifestyle. I can’t write about urban topics as I haven’t been in the big cities for decades.

Perhaps other internet writers and authors should ask themselves ‘Are you obsolete?” An honest answer might change what they write. Or it might not.

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GKP Writing News

About Picture Books

I’ve published three picture books and have a series in mind. Still, I don’t know that much about picture books.

Reading

One way to learn is by reading picture books. I’ve always liked to browse through them, rarely listing them on my reading list. There are so many good ones, I wanted to share those I’d read.

My Goodreads blog was a way to do this. I now read and review four to six picture books from my library weekly on my blog.

Another reason for reading so many of these books is to see the range of text and illustrations in them. Ones I’ve read run from ones with only pictures to one with no pictures at all.

The illustrations can be highly detailed, elaborate ones to those looking like museum paintings to casual comic book images. They can be painted, collages, line drawings, photographs or combinations.

My preference is watercolor. Recently I read a book about Tasha Tudor (“The Private World of Tasha Tudor”) and have requested some of her books. She uses watercolor and the images I saw in the book are highly detailed which takes great skill with watercolor.

cover of "For Love of Goats" by Karen GoatKeeper
Although people usually think of illustrated books as picture books for young readers, they can be for any age. “For Love of Goats” is illustrated, but is for older people who love the sounds of words and goats.

Research

Another way to learn about picture books is to read books about how to create them. I am reading one now (“Writing With Pictures”).

The basic steps are what I already knew. This book is expanding on these, adding details and suggestions.

Planning and Implementing

There are a few sketches done now for my Agate and Opal series about two adventurous Nubian kids. As I look these over and consider others for these first two books, one about Opal and one about Agate, introducing them, I’m using the knowledge I’ve gained.

First off, my sketches don’t need to be perfect. This is hard for me as I constantly fight the mantra of not good enough. They only need to be true to my Nubian goat kids.

Secondly, I want to do a picture book series, not illustrated stories. That changes how I will do my text. The pictures tell the story. Text only adds a few bits of information.

Most of the text will be reserved for the information page at the end.

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GKP Writing News

Writing Demons

No, I haven’t decided to try writing a horror story. My writing demons aren’t part of a story. Instead, they do their best to destroy my stories.

Most writers have these naysayers lying in wait in their heads. They wait until the writer is tired or having plot problems or is trying to rewrite a draft. Then they pounce.

Writing Demons

Your story is lame. It’s rubbish. No one in their right mind would want to read this garbage.

This story is boring. Writing is a waste of time. The methods are endless, but all have the goal of making a writer give up.

Coping With Demons

Nothing gets rid of these naysayers. Their roots go back too far.

Coping begins with taking care to get enough sleep as these demons feed on fatigue. Not forgetting to eat healthy foods on time so the stomach doesn’t invite them in helps too.

Having a good friend or two to admire a story helps. This is true even if you know the friend would say the story is good regardless.

Another method is to tell the naysayers to go away. You know they are lying to you and choose to ignore them.

cover for "Capri Capers" by Karen GoatKeeper
I think this is the only book I’ve written free from my writing demons. Perhaps they got fooled as I wrote this book just for fun, not taking it seriously until after it was done.

The Final Strategy

The writing demons will visit whenever they think your defenses are down. Beating them can be hard.

Stubbornness and persistence are the last and most effective strategies. The writer must just ignore the demons, sit down and write.

If the words that day aren’t that great, so what? Rewriting and editing will fix that.

The book is aching to get finished. There is only one way to finish it: keep writing.

Life’s Rules

I’ve started rewriting this novel. The demons are lurking.

So far the lines include: the novel is too long; there isn’t enough action; there is too much backstory put into the first chapter.

The first is true and rewrite should trim several thousand words. Maybe there isn’t enough action, but this isn’t an action novel. This is a novel about a woman getting old, being dissatisfied with her life and trying to change.

And that’s another way to cope with the writing demons. Listen to and evaluate what they are saying. Some of it may improve the story.

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GKP Writing News

Setting Writing Deadlines

This year has been very disappointing for my writing. No new books were finished. This isn’t because I didn’t have books to work on – there are six of them. Perhaps setting writing deadlines will get some of these finished.

Word Counts Won’t Work

Out of the six books, three have rough drafts mostly done, two are picture books with the text done leaving only one needing a draft written. Rewriting isn’t new writing with word counts. Setting writing deadlines will entail chapters, not words.

Even more, setting writing deadlines can be publishing times. I want to finish Life’s Rules by mid March for personal reasons. It needs rewriting, translations, ruthless cutting as it is far too long. It will be the primary focus now.

Once this book is done, I will return to “The Carduan Chronicles”. March is a good time to get back to Ship Nineteen as all the spring plants will be growing. Which are edible? Which would be easy for the crew to find and use? The draft may be written, but it needs a lot of setting work included in the rewrite.

“The Carduan Chronicles: Ship Eighteen” only needs the rewrite done. Even the current draft is close to final. The rewrite will be mostly an edit.

doing digital and print versions requires a title page
Several more chemistry teaching units are written. Some of the investigations need redoing. The stories aren’t written yet. Writing takes so much time.

Setting Writing Deadlines

I would like the first two books of “The Carduan Chronicles” ready to publish this fall. They do have one problem: the third book. It is little more than a list of bullet points right now.

There are other writing projects to slip into any free moment. There are two website posts to write every week. Goodreads gets at least four picture book reviews every week. There should be three book reviews every two weeks to reach my goal of 70 books read over the year. And there is a book review for my local public library every month.

If I want to stress out, I can add illustrations for the two picture books and chemistry teaching units. There is the picture book writing workshop planned for the summer.

The New Year will be busy.

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GKP Writing News

Laundromat 101 Hints

Although “At the Laundromat” is a picture book, many adults would benefit reading it too. This slender volume is a short course in Laundromat 101 or laundromat basics.

Laundromat 101 reminder to check pockets
It’s amazing what people leave in their pockets when they toss the clothes into the washing machine. Many times these are left behind in the laundromat machines.

Hint 1: Empty Your Pockets

One of the first things I do when I clean the machines in the laundromat is to check inside them. Since all of the washing machines are front loaders, this means turning the drums so anything left behind falls down making them easy to find.

This doesn’t always work as carpenters of DIY builders sometimes leave nails and screws in their pockets. These get caught in the holes in the drum and must be pulled out.

More commonly pocket contents such as keys, rings, earrings, money, lighters fall down. Then there are the socks. The machines really do eat your missing socks, but only because you didn’t look for them.

cover for "At the Laundromat" by Karen GoatKeeper
Request your free eBook copy at Smashwords using coupon code 4XU7N.

Writing Character Motivations

When I look at these various lost items, I reflect about what their loss can mean. Most items are things the owner would find annoying, but not a problem. What about house keys? Car keys? Engagement rings? The week’s budget money?

Would the character panic? How did the character drive home without their car keys? Maybe the character never locks the front door so losing the front door key isn’t important? Perhaps the character makes enough money so losing shat to others is a lot of money isn’t to them.

It’s so easy writing to write as though every character reacts the way we do. For a good writer, that is not true. Every character has their own motivation, their own reaction to events in the novel.

This is one of the big challenges in writing. The author must set aside their own reactions and become, in a small measure, the character so their reactions and actions ring true. They are not clones, but independent characters.

Laundromat 101 Hints

First, check your pockets before tossing those clothes into the washer. Second, turn the drum after you take the clothes out. That last goes for the dryer too. You never know what might show up.

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GKP Writing News

Laundromat Repairs

Many people come into the laundromat because their home washer or dryer broke down. But the washers in the laundromat break down too needing laundromat repairs.

Simple Repairs

The easiest laundromat repairs aren’t really break downs. Sometimes people put in quarters too fast and they get stuck. Once these are taken out, the washer is fine.

Screws and nails caught in the drum or inside of the washer are another problem. Once these are pulled out, the washers are fine.

cover for "At the Laundromat" by Karen GoatKeeper
Get your free eBook version from Smashwords using coupon code 4XU7N.

Drain Problems

When a washer won’t drain, clothes are wet, really wet, drippy wet. Most of the time the problem is an underwire bra wire caught across the drain and covered with lint. This requires opening up the drain and removing the wire.

One washer stopped draining. It wasn’t a wire. A repairman had to come. He found someone had washed a rubber backed rug in the machine. The rug must have been old so the rubber came apart into little balls.

The balls formed a big, solid clog in the drain. It required breaking the clog up and removing it piece by piece.

Old dog beds with broken seams will do much the same thing as the stuffing comes out in the wash. One time it stopped the biggest washer completely as the space between the washer drum and the drain drum filled completely up. It took a long time to pull all of the stuffing out.

Washers need laundromat repairs
Lots of people use the washers at the laundromat. As the machines get older, parts wear out and need repair. This is from “At the Laundromat”.

Wearing Out

Even the expensive laundromat washers wear out. The repairman checked out a washer that wouldn’t work and found it needed new parts.

When the washer drums spin, they move. Just like in a car, these drums have shock absorbers. There are four attached to the washer drum and two had worn out.

The washer must be taken out, opened up and the absorbers replaced. Then the washer is put back into place. Once the drain is reattached, the washer is ready for the next customer.

Laundromat repairs are needed often to keep all of the washers and dryers working properly. Usually the repairs are simple. The more complex ones are interesting to watch as the machine is opened up showing how the machine works.

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GKP Writing News

Laundromats

Laundromats are familiar places to me and have been much of my life. I’m surprised, although I shouldn’t be, at how many people come into the laundromat for the first time in their lives.

Remembering

My family went camping a lot. We had a big, canvas tent and went to lots of places in California.

We would pick up food at the grocery store. Then we ate lunch in a laundromat while our clothes washed and dried. If it was raining, we would linger for a time.

Time Savers

Laundromats are great time savers. All the clothes get washed at once, dried and folded, ready to put away.

One place had laundry service. The woman was an expert at getting clothes clean, much better than I will ever be. We were working full time and having her do our laundry was so convenient.

cover for "At the Laundromat" by Karen GoatKeeper
Perhaps you suddenly need to use a laundromat. This little picture book will give you some hints as well as glimpses of behind the scenes.

Practical

With only two of us, the laundry doesn’t pile up that much in a week. When I had a washer, it took longer to put all the items left on top of it all week away than it took to wash the clothes. Laundromats are easier.

There are several sizes of washers for regular clothes or for big items like comforters. The same is true for dryers.

I estimate it would take me over two years to spend as much at the laundromat as to buy a washer. And the laundromat owner fixes any problems, not an expensive repairman.

Work

When the local laundromat opened, I became a regular. I would take a book and relax while the machines cleaned my clothes.

Then I was offered a chance to clean the laundromat when I was there. This paid for my wash.

Cleaning usually isn’t hard. Check inside all the machines, Clean off the lint traps of the dryers. Wash spilled soap off the washers. Sweep the floor. Take out the trash.

The owners are great people. My picture book “At the Laundromat” was written especially for them.

Get a free eBook copy from Smashwords using coupon code 4XU7N.

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GKP Writing News

Picture Book Writing

Picture book writing has been on my mind for several reasons. One is the suggestion I teach a homeschool class on writing picture books. These lesson plans seem easy to modify into teaching units for my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Another is the Opal and Agate picture book series I now have three rough texts for.

Picture Book Creation Steps

Picture book writing seems so easy, so straight forward. Step one is the idea. Step two is a rough draft laid out to cover all the necessary pages. Creating the illustrations is Step three. Step four is editing and matching the text to the illustrations. Finally, Step five is to assemble and publish the picture book.

It’s not easy to create a picture book. Ideas are easy, true. But taking an idea into a rough draft is not.

picture book writing needs a character like Opal
Nubian doe High Reaches Drucilla was so proud of her little doe kid Opal. The two remain devoted to each other. Opal is the only kid I have kept for many years and one reason was for her to star in the picture book series.

Opal and Agate

The idea of this series came when Opal was only a day or two old. After all, kids are kids. And I had lots of tales about goat kids. Plus goat kids are cute.

Right off I had a book planned with the beginnings of a rough draft. Except it was not the first book in the series. Where should the series start?

Since Opal and Agate are Nubian dairy goats, perhaps I should first do a book about Nubians. Most people won’t know what they are. To many people goats are the caricatures of hairy, horned, bearded cantankerous creatures.

Now, this picture isn’t totally false. I’ve seen old brush goats that would fit this. But Nubian dairy goats definitely don’t fit this picture.

I worked on this idea. After two or three attempts, I gave up. It was a good idea, but wouldn’t fit into the series.

Now I have two books, one for Agate and one for Opal. These are when they are born. Agate was a bottle baby. Opal was raised by her mother.

Agate is a character in writing picture books
My real Nubian doe Agate is older than Opal. For some reason she ended up being a bottle baby and my special pet.

Teaching Picture Book Creation

The steps are right. They work. However, they are not simple or easy. Somehow this needs to be part of teaching picture book writing too.

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GKP Writing News

Publishing Your Picture Book

You have worked hard writing and illustrating your picture book. There are a few things left to do before publishing your picture book.

First is a decision as to whether what you have is really a picture book or should be an illustrated short story or easy reader. There is an excellent article about this in the November/December issue of Writer’s Digest.

Proofread Your Book

This is not a hasty scan. Yes, you know what each and every page should be. That’s the problem. You see what you expect to see, not what’s there.

Go over every word on every page. Go over every illustration. It’s a good idea to have someone else look over these too. Beta readers aren’t just for novels.

Make sure the illustrations are on the correct page. Right side pages have odd numbers. Left side pages have even numbers.

This is why I urged you to save every illustration and the covers in the original layers as well as the final illustration. If you want to make changes, you can do so on the layered image and not have to start over again.

cover for "At the Laundromat" by Karen GoatKeeper
This book is different because it is a paperback instead of hardcover. It was also published through Kindle. It is adequate.

Back Up Your Book

Although you should do this regularly, it’s easy to let things slide. And I have a special key devoted to my books.

Each book has a folder with the original final draft, the formatted drafts for the different places I publish it, all illustrations in both layered and final forms. For my science activity books this includes all of the puzzles with answers, the stories with illustrations and trivia lists.

This picture book was published by IngramSpark. It is hardcover. I think the color richness is superior to that of Kindle.

Publishing Your Picture Book

Decide if you want a hardcover or paper cover or both. It’s a good idea to purchase your own ISBN numbers from Bowkers at myidentifiers.com. That way you can move to a different publisher, if you decide to, without major changes to your book.

Don’t skimp on the paper weight. Use the heavier paper so images don’t bleed through and the pages are easier to handle for young people.

There are many publishers out there. Check them out. I’ve used both Kindle and IngramSpark. I prefer IngramSpark for the color quality, but must maintain a seller account on Amazon for them. Kindle makes it easier to list on Amazon.

Once this book is published, start another one.

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Major Flood!

While considering which book to offer in November, nature made the decision for me. The big event setting the “Hopes, Dreams and Reality” story in motion is a major flood and nature decided we needed just that this month.

Hopes, Dreams and Reality cover
The flood I made up in this novel tried hard to become reality this week.

In the Novel

My hypothetical flood is the result of a large hurricane turned tropical storm slowly moving north. It drops unbelievable amounts of rain over four days resulting in widespread flooding.

Such a flood, in rural areas, destroys roads isolating rural homes. It usually takes down the electric lines. In the novel it takes out the phone line as well and Mindy’s place has no cell service.

After talking to my road grader operator, I found out many of these people live out of town. If their roads are washed out, they can’t get into town to take the graders out to fix the roads. It would take weeks to clear the roads of fallen trees and grade the gravel roads.

creek in major flood
The water level had already dropped three feet when this picture was taken. The creek bank had moved over about four feet washing out pasture. Once the water dropped to closer to normal, the creek bank had changed from a gradual drop from the pasture to the bed to a sheer drop of four feet or more.

This November’s Major Flood

The Ozarks has been in drought for several months. Rain had just started back when this storm came in. After 30 years living here, a big rainfall total is six or seven inches.

This storm dropped six inches over one day. Then it kept on raining all night. Water filled a five-gallon bucket, seventeen inches tall, and flowed over the top.

By the time we walked out in the morning, the water level in the creek had already dropped two or three feet. Debris out in the pastures marked the high water extent over the creek roaring past.

One end of the bridge over the creek had shifted several feet downstream. This was anchored with a cement pillar two feet by four feet with a cement footing and large rocks. Two I-beams topped this. The top, we saw later, was cracked.

It will take weeks to fix the damage left by this major flood. The novel shortens that time as the drudgery of fixing fence and cleaning up debris does not make interesting reading.

For the month of November, you can get a free digital copy of “Hopes, Dreams and Reality” from Smashwords using coupon code BSPJ7.