Category Archives: Writing

Jun24

J.K. Rowling is Self-Publishing Ebooks through New Pottermore.com Website

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Amazing as this sounds, it’s true. J.K. Rowling announced yesterday in a press release and a YouTube video on her new innovative website to be launched in October 2011. It’s called Pottermore.

J.K. Rowling has developed an on-line experience to hearld Harry into the digital age. Armed with new writing material, the website will feature a way to interact with the characters/places/objects found in the Harry Potter books. It will soon include an Ebook Store that will sell the series in ebook format. It is in partnership with Sony and her publishing partner, Scholastic.

What makes this such a phenomenal milestone in self-publishing is that Rowling’s publishers get a percentage for assisting in marketing and promotions. She’s calling the shots now, especially since she owns her digital rights. She is also bypassing big on-line retailers such as Amazon.com, to sell directly from an on-line ebook shop on her website.

What does this all mean? First, I’m stunned. I knew self-publishing was starting a new age, but now that an author as big as J.K. Rowling has started to take advantage of publishing herself, keeping her digital rights, and launching a site like this. There. That stunned moment again.

For children’s authors, it might mean a lot. She has changed the face of children’s publishing and created a series in which she broke and created rules. Now she’s out to create a new publishing platform, shaping a future generation by reaching out through technology. I love the possibilities of what she can do with her site; the building of a Harry Potter world on-line, feedback from her readers, that creative control so often enjoyed in self-publishing and doing things yourself.

I wish her the best, and await to see what will happen next in the publishing world. Look out, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Feb28

The HOT Word in Children’s Books- “Apps.”

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Apps. This was the buzz word that was mentioned time and again in discussions at the SCBWI S.F. South Regional Writing Conference. I just returned from a fascinating weekend given at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, CA. Adding to the beach charm was the excitement of the digital age and what this could mean to children’s writers.

Apps. stand for an application which can be downloaded to smart phones and tablets. Apps. use multimedia with a format like a picture book, but it moves. There may be games and other media included. This is such a new medium that it can be a huge opportunity for many Indie Authors, esp. picture book authors.

There’s been the talk of how picture books will survive the digital age. From my impressions, parents are looking for things to keep their children occupied and happy. Downloading a children’s app. to a tablet or phone can be a way they can share a new experience in reading together while entertaining their child.

To get started, here are some tips from Rick Richter from Ruckus Media Group. He is president and CEO of Ruckus, and spoke at the conference this weekend. Apps should be respectful to kids and the interactivity should make sense. If you are interested in submitting to Ruckus, he suggested to storyboard your idea. If you are interested in finding out more, the website is http://www.ruckusmediagroup.com.

Truly, the future of children’s books seems to be morphing before our eyes. Children of the future may be reading from tablets in school and learning from smart phone apps. It is exciting to be at the beginning of it all.

Oct24

The Season for Good Ghost Stories

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Halloween is the season for a good ghost story. I’ve been remembering the days of sitting around a campfire telling tales of ghost hitchhikers and mysterious experiences. How many of you have heard about the guy that picks up a hitchhiker near a cemetery, only to have them disappear from the back seat when reaching the destination? Or the girl with the red ribbon around her neck that doesn’t reveal why it can’t be removed until her husband finally pushes for an answer?

If you’re looking for a good story or two to tell your friends, here are some of the ones I remember best to share. They are some of the good classic ghost stories I remember from back in my day as a kid. Maybe you can share them with your family.

I think one of the spookiest ghost stories is an interactive story that has to be experienced. There are many a slumber party where this was tried. Often, my friends and I scared ourselves in the process. It begins with the legend that if you look in a mirror in complete darkness and say the words “Bloody Mary” three times, the ghost of some murdered girl with a bloody face is suppose to appear.

Did her face ever appear when my friends, giggling wildly, gazed into the bathroom mirror? Um, no. But just the legend and trying it seems to be a good spook, especially at this time of year. Who can say? Maybe it’s actually worked for others, but never me.

Another good story I’ve heard a few times is the hitchhiking ghost. Mostly it’s told around camp fires or in the dark at a slumber party by flashlight. If you want to make it extra spooky, make the setting be more near your current location. Somewhere nearby locations are great for the pick-up point of the ghost.

The legendary story goes like this: A lone driver goes past a spooky location in the middle of the night. They see a hitchhiker, and feel sorry for them. A description of the hiker like dripping wet in dry weather or looking especially white on a warm night could be a good addition to build suspense.

The driver picks up the mysterious hitchhiker. A lot of the time as they talk, it is revealed that some clue, their name or what they were doing is revealed. Next, upon arrival, the hitchhiker has disappeared. The driver, thinking they got out without seeing, goes to the door to check on them. The people in the house are shocked to hear the name of the hitchhiker. The mysterious rider usually has the name of someone who died earlier. Boo.

Lastly, here’s a great spooky story that has so many variations, you could add your own twist to it. A young girl marries a man. She always wears a red ribbon around her neck. Her husband is always curious about the ribbon, and continuously asks her to take it off. She tells him no. There can be several times through their life that he tries. Sometimes they are newly weds where he asks all week. Sometimes he asks her whole life and asks when she’s an old lady. You can always add your own twist. In the end, she gives in and takes off the ribbon. When she does, her head rolls off her shoulders onto the floor. Boo.

Hopefully, this will be a great way to get your ghost stories going during this time of year. Always if someone has heard the story before, let them know it’s a new version or your own version. You could surprise them, or maybe they can add to the story. Enjoy yourself, and have a fantastic, spooky Halloween! Happy Halloween to all my readers and boo!

Link to the Tiffany Turner Website to try out your own Spooky Writing Project.

Jul29

A New Journey in Research

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You never know where research will take you. Well, at least this is what I’ve found out while researching my books. I love to go to different places and find out about legends and myths. There is adventure in exploring an area and using the description as some setting in your book. This is the joy of writing and researching. They seem to go hand and hand, and they are a very creative, fun step in the writing process.

I recently got back from an adventure in London. I wanted to return to the British Museum book room that had a range of information on things in the museum. I learned the book room had been closed and all the books moved to the British Library in another part of London.

The British Library in London
So, off I went to investigate. I am proud to announce I’m the new proud owner of a British Library card. The librarian got excited when she learned I was an author researching my third book. And I must say, I did find some interesting legends and myths on dwarves and dragons, which I’m focusing in on the third book. Plus, a changeling will play a pivotal part. So, I researched as much as I could on that.

The third book is turning into an adventure that will involve dwarves. So, I was thinking I needed more than just information about legends. I wanted some hands on experience of something that is closely associated with dwarves, mines.

The next logical step would be to find a mine. Luckily, I live in California, and it is famous for the Gold Rush and the many mines in Gold Country, the Sierra Mountain foothills where much of the gold was panned and mined during the Gold Rush. On July 24, 2010, I headed onto Route 49, the highway that connects many of the gold rush boomtowns. And yes, found myself a gold mine.

Tiffany Turner on the Sutter Gold Mine Tour

The Sutter Gold Mine is located off of the old Route 49 which leads through the old boomtowns. Complete with red construction hat, I was driven on a miners’ transport truck 200 ft. underground. There was a chance to walk around and look at the white quartz. Veins of the quartz contain the gold. It is mined and processed as gold ore. The walls were testimonies to the hard working miners that had blasted out the tunnels I traversed.

Unfortunately, the price of gold dropped to around $200 an ounce, and the mine closed in the early 90s. Of course, now the price of gold is around $1,000 an ounce. Talk of reopening the mine has been going on for 10 years. However since it’s closure, it’s being used to give tourists going through the area a look at a real gold mine, both modern and historical.

When you write a story that often includes crystals, a good exploring research trip wouldn’t be complete without discovering a new kind of crystal. I walked into the On Purpose Higher Awareness Book Store in Sutter Creek, and found a fabulous new crystal stone to inspire me for my next book. It’s called Septarian or “Dragon Stone”. It’s a type of fossil stone that includes clay sediment wrapped with ancient shells that formed together with calcite crystal. I leave the beautifully polished stone on my nightstand to inspire me as I write.

This is why I love researching for my books. You have to bring a little of real life into fantasy to make it believable. To go and experience your settings and base them on real adventures breathes life into writing. Writing from experience is the best way to drive writing, and of course, it makes the research an enjoyable part of the writing process.

Writing Exercise:
What can you research and write about?
Post comments and ideas below, and I can share them in a future blog.

Jul19

Summer Reading: Important Practice for Any Age

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Not often do I go on the day job soap box, but as a teacher I know how important it is to keep your children reading during the summer. So many school budgets have been cut that summer school is becoming a luxury. As it is, only the really low and needy kids will make it into summer school these days. But all children need to practice their reading during the summer. They lose important skills they learned during the school year if they don’t.

So here is a list of some things to consider from a 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade experienced teacher to help you navigate where to start in your child’s reading needs:

1) Let them read for enjoyment.
A lot of parents try to force books on kids which tends to turn them off. Of course, sometimes it’s hard for a child to find what they like. This is actually part of the reading process, and trying lots of different kinds of reading is a skill they practice in school. Take them to the library and let them explore. Try not to limit.

These days there are a lot of different kinds of books to try. New classics have come out since you were a kid. The “Wimpy” kid series, lots of fantasy, graphic novels are some of the new popular areas that were absent 20 years ago. Let your kid “Go for It” and explore. You might discover some new fabulous novels as well.

2) Reading anything is good.
A lot of kids don’t find they enjoy books. But they might enjoy gaming magazines, code books, Highlights for Kids, or other reading enjoyment. Even the internet has vast amounts of reading to explore. Reading has changed it’s venue, and even Ereaders to phones have reading opportunities. Trying lots of different things is key. The summer can be a wonderful time to explore all these vast storage areas of new reading.

3) Practice makes perfect.
Kids are not perfect readers, and need practice. It’s called Independent Reading, and it’s the third prong of reading development. Kids need to read on their own for enjoyment. The summer is a time to really practice and make this third area of reading development key. The more reading children do, the better they will get.

4) Setting up a reading time is helpful.
Kids need routines. Just a basic time for Independent Reading time is a wonderful structure to get kids to practice. It can be chosen by the child or structured into their regular day. 20 minutes seems to be a good starting amount, but can be increased 5 min. each year. I wouldn’t go over 30 minutes during the summer unless your child wants to. Reading Time shouldn’t be torture, but for enjoyment. And if your child starts to want to read longer than the set time, brilliant. They should start to choose more reading time on their own so it doesn’t become a punishment.

In the end, your child should start to be able to enjoy reading whether it’s on the internet, with a book, on the Ereader or even a magazine. Reading should be for fun, and the more practice your child has at that, the more they will want to read.

Tiffany Turner is working on her third book “The Lost Secret of Dragonfire”. Her first and second books, “The Lost Secret of Fairies” and “The Lost Secret of the Green Man” are available on Amazon.com as a paperback and a Kindle Edition. She teaches during the school year in a California Elementary school, and has 13 years teaching experience.

Jun22

To Error Is Human

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Ever wonder about those mistakes you find in books? How could the editor and writer miss them? Little things like in the book, Carrie, Stephen King has the owner of the Kelly Fruit company named Hubert on page 69 and Henry on page 217. Or in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Buckpeak is tied to a tree before Harry and Hermione go back in time. However, when they travel to the past, Buckpeak is tied to a fence.

After reading through a writing blog this morning, I discovered an unusual website. It is called Bookmistakes.com, and there is an impressive list of mistakes found in some famous books.
http://www.bookmistakes.com/best_book.php.

It makes you think that we are all human, no matter how famous the book or author. Everyone makes mistakes. Of course, they are usually found by readers and fans. They are not usually distracted by the processes of writing or never see the pounds of revision that lead up to a novel.

I can relate to some of these mistakes that most likely come out of hours of revision. A character name is changed later in a revision. Often one change is missed. Or when the writer is thinking through all the details, or going from draft to draft, a detail is remembered wrong or confused.

Smallest of details can get by the editor and writer. There is so much detail and description in every book. To error is human. It is the natural course of things. But sometimes, just to find an error is exciting. The thought occurs, ah, they didn’t catch everything. As in Angels & Demons Langdon swims in the water of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi after a man has drowned. But of course, the fountain only is about one foot deep.

These little mistakes bring out the joy in reading. It’s like being a book detective to find out even authors are human. Because if writers like Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and Dan Brown can make mistakes, they are just like the rest of us. It makes us all feel a little more human.

Crystal ClusterTiffany Turner is the author of the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. Her books can be found at Amazon.com.

Referenced Links for this Post:
Lauren’s World of Mystery Writing
Bookmistakes.com

Apr28

Is Going to a Writing Conference a Good Idea?

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If you’re serious about writing, a conference can set you on the right road. From how to submit, workshops on writing craft,or meeting editors and agents, a writing conference can teach you how to turn writing from a hobby into a working career. But which conference would be the best to start at? How do you know when and where to get started? Here are some tips on what I’ve learned from attending conferences and starting my writing career over the last 5 years.

There are several things to consider when choosing to go a writing conference. The first step is to find a conference for your writing genre. Many conferences are genre or writing market based. Whether you write adult fiction, children’s books, or romance novels, some conferences zero in on your specific writing. This will be a crucial first step so you can find a starting point. If you know what writing you are already doing, this will guide you to the right market and conference.

Another starting point are writing groups. There are several organizations for writers that support with conferences for their members. My writing group, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, is for writers and illustrators in the area of children’s books. Another writing group I’ve heard of is the Mystery Writers of America. Both these groups host their own national and regional writing conferences. Other resources are literary magazines that offer workshops to writers. I’ve been invited to several, including one hosted by Highlights Magazine.

However, sometimes the next factor really comes into play, the cost. I found I get a lot out of the smaller, local chapter conferences than national. The cost also tends to be lower for local chapter conferences. Some literary magazines sponsor workshops. They are helpful for craft, but tend to be very expensive. The higher cost doesn’t mean better. So I suggest to shop around to find the best deal within your budget. Plus, travel costs do need to be factored in, especially if you need to stay in a hotel. Sometimes the local conferences are more cost effective since hotel stays are not needed.

You also need to learn where you are in the writing process. Are you just beginning? Do you have a manuscript ready or you want to find an agent? Not sure where you are at now as a writer? Sometimes just going to a writing conference can sort out all this confusion. The steps of writing and the writing business are presented and reviewed in many conference classes. It will help you discover what part of the writing process you are currently at.

After five years of following this dream, I have two self-published books that are currently selling on Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble.com, and Smashwords. I’ve just received a fabulous Kirkus Review for my second book, and I’m working on my third book’s first draft manuscript. Going to writing conferences has allowed me to find out the information I needed to get my dream started. I’ve developed my writing craft, learned how to promote myself, and continue to keep writing books that inspire my readers. In the end, going to a writing conference will pay off for the effort and money put into it. It is all worth it if it contributes to a fabulous book that sells. This is everyone’s dream.

Crystal Cluster“The Lost Secret of the Green Man” can be purchased at Amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble.com. Both the paperback and a new hardback edition are available. Ebook editions will be available soon.

Dec29

Charles Dickens Self-Published “A Christmas Carol”

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I was going through my writing board posts, and noticed an interesting comment about “A Christmas Carol”. Apparently, a fellow writer had heard on the radio that Charles Dickens had self-published the famous book. So, off I was on a research quest to find out exactly, was it really self-published?

I found out, apparently, yes. There is a book that details a lot of what happened. It’s called “The Man Who Invented Christmas” which recounts how Dickens had to deal with his publisher to take on the book. The book is available on Amazon.com. Here is a quote from a review done by the Washington Post that notes how he got the book published:

“His publisher, Chapman and Hall, expressed little enthusiasm for the book, so Dickens decided to have the firm bring it out ‘for publication on his own account.’ All the risk would be his own: ‘He would be responsible for the costs of the book’s production, which would be deducted from its sales. He would also oversee the book’s design, hire its illustrator, and consult on its advertising. In essence, his publishers — which would receive a fixed commission tied to sales — had become merely his printer. In contemporary terms, then, A Christmas Carol was to be an exercise in vanity publishing.”–Washington Post Review of “The Man Who Invented Christmas” 2008

You can read the whole review on Amazon.com under the book’s listing. It’s really interesting to note that he was hoping to make 1,000 pounds to pay off debt, but ended up only making 726 pounds over a few years. And in regards to the plays being done about the book, Dickens thought it was good PR. Really makes you think about what it is to be self-published today.

If Dickens had such a belief that his book was special and took a risk, why can’t you? But it also tells how self-publishing has been a concept around for a while. If an author believes enough in their book, they take the risk. It just takes a feeling that your book is special. If Dickens can do it, so can I. It makes me proud to be a self-published, Indie Author.

Nov15

Growing Up With The Kids From Fame

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Every Thursday night at 8pm, my friends and I would be riveted to the TV to watch the next episode of Fame, the TV series in the early 80s. It was the precursor to American Idol, Glee, and High School Musical. I shared my ups and downs with the characters that seemed like my friends after two seasons. Coco, Doris, Julie, Leroy, Danny, and Bruno were my idols for growing up.

I recently bought the first and second season of the show from Amazon. I also bought the only album released by “The Kids from Fame”. I’ve been watching episode after episode for over a month now. It’s like returning to the past, a strange kind of reunion with my old friends.


I must say, the show still holds up. Some 80s shows are coated with a lot of syrup. But “Fame” always had an edgy sense for telling a tale, and dealt with controversial subjects that still are around today.

So, then I began to wonder. What happened to all of them? Many of the cast members were playing kids that wanted to go on to show biz. Did they? One of the more famous, Lori Singer who played Julie, became famous after the series ended. Lori Singer played opposite Kevin Bacon in “Footloose” which basically sealed her into Trivia Pursuit games for the 80s set. But what about the others? What happened to the Kids from Fame?

I’ve been looking them up. The first thing that shocked me is that Gene Anthony Ray, who played Leroy, died of a drug overdose in 2003. That fact still makes me upset. I see all the energy and talent, and can’t believe he’s gone. Valerie Landsburg, who played Doris, continued to do some acting and walk on parts. She’s started to direct and put out an album called “Valerie Landsburg: Grownup” in 2003. She even has her own acting workshop and tours the country coaching people in acting.

Bruno was the most interesting. Lee Curreri, who played Bruno in the movie and the TV series, has been getting attention from the movie remake. Like his character, he has become a composer for several movies including California King(2008) and I Tried(2007).

It just makes me reflect on the fact we all grew up. All the stars and people that worked with the show have gone on to other things. But it was so different than other shows, more of a cross between American Idol and High School Musical. Lori Singer could really play the cello. She was a child prodigy and has gone on to be a concert cellist. Valerie Landsburg seems to be happy with her course in life teaching her acting craft with acting tours called “Wholeacting”.

These characters were like friends to me. Growing up, you need characters to make the mistakes and then try to find a solution. It helps with the heart ache or other problems of growing up. Someone has gone through it and you’ve seen the consequence. Do you want the same thing to happen to you?

I think that’s why I wanted to know what happened to them. You’re always wondering growing up, will I be ok? What will the future be like? Well, sometimes reality doesn’t turn out the way we want it to. But sometimes you just want to know what happens.

The Fame Kids all grew up, and so did I. And things did turn out ok, or at least I survived the growing up process. Really, that’s all you can do.

Aug3

Travel As Research and Other Thoughts

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Today is my last night in Germany. So I thought I’d log on for some thoughts on traveling and researching for writing. It would be hard to fit over two weeks of travel into a blog, but then that is what a journal is for. I love blogging, but my journal is my best friend when I travel. Good thing, since I’ve been to many country towns and visited 14 castles. My journal will help me remember where I’ve been later when I try to write some stories from my adventures.

Journals help capture the experience of what you learn from your travels. I really enjoy the end of the day when I can jot my thoughts down. I try to recount all that happened. From visits to medieval fortresses, to bratwurst and dumplings; it’s all written down for later use.

Then, there is the invention of digital cameras. I used to try to write down all the info in museums. But Germans are quite a kind folk, and allow non-flash photography in castles or museums. Sometimes it is posted not to take pictures, but I found there were lots of times I could snap a pic for research. The Untersberg placard took 3 photos to get all the legends photographed. Since I keep my journal in my hotel for a rundown of the day, my digital camera helps me record a lot of the research that would take hours to write down.

So, before I head out of Deutchland, I come home with a journal full of ideas, a stomach sedated with bratwurst and sauerkraut, and two 8 meg cards of digital pictures. Can’t beat that for research.