tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23422609270320841182024-02-19T07:37:51.135-08:00Vanilla Heart Publishing Author BlogWhere Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors Share Their Knowledge and Experiences! All posts available in print and as audio podcasts.VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-60691131857686977022011-08-06T21:57:00.000-07:002011-08-06T22:02:35.437-07:00Blog Jog Day for Readers and Writers!Welcome to Blog Jog Day! Please enjoy our site then click over to http://www.TheklaRichter.com to see what the next Blog has to offer! Lost in the links? You can always go back to the main Blog Jog Day Blog at http://BlogJogDay.blogspot.com and find a new link to jog from. Thank you for stopping by our site! We're celebrating!Chelle Cordero's Consistently Rated Top 100 Kindle BlogLiving, VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-86491769713529084502011-06-11T16:34:00.001-07:002011-08-06T21:55:31.335-07:00Blog Jog Day for Readers and Writers!Welcome to Blog Jog Day! Please enjoy our site then click over to http://www.TheklaRichter.com to see what the next Blog has to offer! Lost in the links? You can always go back to the main Blog Jog Day Blog at http://BlogJogDay.blogspot.com and find a new link to jog from. Thank you for stopping by our site! We're celebrating!Chelle Cordero's Consistently Rated Top 100 Kindle BlogLiving, VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-63286240718521380862010-11-28T12:37:00.000-08:002010-11-28T14:40:27.712-08:00The Value of Writing Fast by Malcolm R. Campbell<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptVHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-23593105546967649122010-11-17T23:54:00.000-08:002010-11-18T00:25:25.490-08:00KISS - Keep it Simply Simple by Chelle CorderoGood for you if you have a grasp of vocabulary that would put most SAT students to shame – but most of that isn’t needed when you are writing dialogue and action. If you rely on long, multi-syllabic words just to make your dialogue sound impressive, you are probably defeating yourself. Unless you have a character who characteristically tries to sound like a dictionary when they speak, then don’tVHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-88277596889940502212010-10-22T14:40:00.000-07:002010-10-22T14:56:13.399-07:00How Not To Write A Query Letter by Smoky Trudeau<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptVHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-32441804310327621362010-10-09T04:45:00.000-07:002010-10-15T10:45:51.725-07:00Acckk!! Where's That List? By Chelle Cordero<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-67007018487456358592010-09-10T12:19:00.000-07:002010-09-10T12:30:08.987-07:00The Death of a Story by Smoky TrudeauI’ve been working on a novel for the past couple years, my third novel. It was an idea I was really excited about when I set out, an idea I thought held great promise. I started out great guns, eager to explore my characters’ personalities, learn where their adventures would lead them, find out how their conflict would resolve.And then … it died.I have page after page of beautifully written proseVHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-77943279372220506122010-08-19T00:01:00.000-07:002010-08-19T08:30:01.162-07:00Should I write about Paris or Peoria?The Anti-Stratfordian movement says William Shakespeare didn’t write the plays attributed to him because he lacked the education, scholarship, travel and political involvement required to support the subjects, locations and themes in the work.While I have no intention of opening the Shakespeare vs. Bacon can of worms here, the “lack of knowledge” argument in the debate shows us that the VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-81713981521097045832010-07-28T07:30:00.000-07:002010-07-28T07:30:00.156-07:00Why Submit to Anthologies? by Smoky TrudeauThere’s a nasty little Catch-22 to the publishing business: it seems you have to be published to get published. This can be a frustrating conundrum to the many aspiring writers out there who think they’ve written the next Great American Novel. How do you get a publisher to read your query letter, let alone request your manuscript, if you haven’t published before?Start small, that’s how. Too oftenVHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-29530028949536095842010-07-11T06:19:00.000-07:002010-07-11T06:19:00.305-07:00Think Like a Writer - Observing Settings by Robert Hays<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-45720096355362132352010-07-08T19:00:00.000-07:002010-07-08T19:16:54.760-07:00Critique or Criticism? by Charmaine Gordon<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-46332978442052758142010-06-27T14:00:00.000-07:002010-06-28T07:28:11.647-07:00A Room of One's Own by Smoky TrudeauCreativity is not a gift of some sort that you are born with. Creativity is a state of being. There is no magic bullet to teach you to be creative, but there are tools that can help you change the way you see yourself, teach you to view yourself as a creative being.Creativity is hampered by a too-hectic environment that does not provide quiet time for reflection and introspection. It is also VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-11064456144521804032010-06-23T00:21:00.000-07:002010-06-23T00:21:00.131-07:00Solitude by Chelle Corderosmall press review<!--[if gte mso 9]> Len Fulton 11.9999 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-59024987140393879382010-06-15T09:00:00.000-07:002010-06-15T09:00:00.227-07:00Writing the Novel by Marilyn Celeste MorrisA daunting task. Some people get discouraged just thinking of the time involved. I wonder if anyone ever asks an artist how long it takes to paint a landscape? A vase of flowers? Well, you don’t do it all at one sitting. It takes as long as it takes. My first novel, Sabbath’s Gift, took me oh, about twenty years. From concept to publishing. Life intrudes. But you keep working on it.Okay, you haveVHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-8397739172953102422010-05-28T09:22:00.000-07:002010-05-28T09:35:47.124-07:00Creative Wanderlust by Smoky Trudeau<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Bookman Old Style"; panose-1:2 5 6 4 5 5 5 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-36121171372886447082010-05-22T12:42:00.000-07:002010-05-23T12:47:43.071-07:00Social Networking 101 by Collin KelleyThis past Saturday, I sat on the social networking panel at Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans with Michele Karlsberg, Cecilia Tan, Jess Wells and Gregory Gerard. The 70 minute session could have gone on for hours – probably days – and was one of the most well-attended panels of the weekend. Michele and I suggested to the powers that be that next year's session be a two-hour Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-30300989428653044282010-05-21T00:05:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:13:57.622-07:00Twitter Me by Chelle Cordero<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-57268154670578369912010-05-17T00:15:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:16:18.833-07:00Submission Etiquette by Smoky Trudeau<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-23804664451403881272010-05-15T00:20:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:17:47.101-07:00Real Fiction Characters by Charmaine Gordon<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>VHP Authors Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734249428512371214noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-62375844942820648212010-05-10T00:48:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:18:20.136-07:00Opportunity Knocks by Malcolm CampbellThomas Alva Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”As writers we cannot afford to miss chances to promote our work. We diminish the value of every word we write when there is no effort made to put those words in front of someone else. So why should we ignore those opportunities because it looks like work when we’ve already done the hard Chelle Corderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412268726863698528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-33882192548295552792010-05-08T10:42:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:18:54.216-07:00Four Reasons to Go Independent by Smoky TrudeauYou’ve written a book. Congratulations! It’s a big job; most writers give up on their novels about the time they reach chapter seven. Sticking it out to the end is an accomplishment to be proud of.Now what do you do?Writers are often shocked to realize writing the words THE END doesn’t mean their work is done. There are still things they need to do in order to make their dream of being published Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-71872660617903439992010-05-03T10:59:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:20:06.983-07:00It's Just a Romance Novel by Victoria HowardWell, yes and no. It all depends on whether you read category or single title romance.Confused? Then you’re not alone.Category or, as it’s known in the United States, ‘series romance,’ are books that are released in order and by month. Each category has a distinct identity, which is based on the level of sexuality, the degree to which the story is realistic, and the type of characters and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-31501910247212915972010-05-03T00:03:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:20:48.144-07:00Thinking About a Blog? by Chelle CorderoBlogging is a terrific way to mouth off about a variety of subjects and if you scour the internet you'll see plenty of examples of unchecked blogging. Unfortunately for some, the things that get posted on a blog will hang around forever.Of course some of the words in a blog can also do a lot of good. Authors can use blogs to promote their books and even themselves as writers. Posting excerpts, Chelle Corderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412268726863698528noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-17013602369774888762010-04-27T06:06:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:22:18.459-07:00Ask Editors for Writing Assignments by Malcolm CampbellWhat happens when the editor of Fir Tree Magazine receives an unsolicited article manuscript titled "How to Get Barnacles off Your Boat”?Whether he laughs, cries or uses industrial-strength profanity, the result's the same for the writer: a form rejection slip. A publication’s submission guidelines tell prospective contributors to read the magazine first. Get to know what it does and how it does Malcolm R. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07840134761199335243noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342260927032084118.post-2524424419739865582010-04-26T01:26:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:23:07.069-07:00A Writer’s Life: Living Amongst “the Others” by Chelle Cordero ~~~Every now and then I feel like an alien living in my home. Often misunderstood, mostly tolerated and usually hidden away. When family members are asked what I do, their voices tend to lower, they avert their eyes and finally, after shuffling their feet, whisper in a clandestine tone – “She’s a writer”. Their words are spoken in the same clandestine tone you might whisper of Chelle Corderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412268726863698528noreply@blogger.com9