Show & Tell in a Nutshell by Jessica Bell

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Hello friends! I'm glad to be back once again. Have you heard of Jessica Bell's new book, Show & Tell in a Nutshell? You haven't? Okay. Let me tell you about it.

Have you been told there's a little too much telling in your novel? Want to remedy it? Then this is the book for you!

In Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing you will find sixteen real scenes depicting a variety of situations, emotions, and characteristics which clearly demonstrate how to turn telling into showing. Dispersed throughout, and at the back of the book, are blank pages to take notes as you read. A few short writing prompts are also provided.

Not only is this pocket guide an excellent learning tool for aspiring writers, but it is a light, convenient, and easy solution to honing your craft no matter how broad your writing experience. Keep it in the side pocket of your school bag, throw it in your purse, or even carry it around in the pocket of your jeans or jacket, to enhance your skills, keep notes, and jot down story ideas, anywhere, anytime.

If you purchase the e-book, you will be armed with the convenient hyper-linked Contents Page, where you can toggle backward and forward from different scenes with ease. Use your e-reader's highlighting and note-taking tools to keep notes instead.

The author, Jessica Bell, also welcomes questions via email, concerning the content of this book, or about showing vs. telling in general, at showandtellinanutshell@gmail.com

Reviews:

“Jessica Bell addresses one of the most common yet elusive pieces of writing advice—show, don't tell—in a uniquely user-friendly and effective way: by example. By studying the sixteen scenes she converts from “telling” into “showing,” not only will you clearly understand the difference; you will be inspired by her vivid imagery and dialogue to pour through your drafts and do the same.” ~Jenny Baranick, College English Teacher, Author of Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares

“A practical, no-nonsense resource that will help new and experienced writers alike deal with that dreaded piece of advice: show, don’t tell. I wish Bell’s book had been around when I started writing!” ~Talli Roland, bestselling author

Purchase the paperback:
$4.40 on Amazon US
£3.99 on Amazon UK

Purchase the e-book:
$1.99 on Amazon US
£1.99 on Amazon UK
$1.99 on Kobo

About the Author:
The Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and co-hosts the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek Isle of Ithaca, with Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest.

For more information about Jessica Bell, please visit: 
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

What is Speculative Fiction by Theresa Milstein

Today, I'm swapping posts with a good friend and fellow writer, Theresa Milstein. I'm very excited because we are both included in the anthology, From Stage Door Shadows.

Theresa talks about speculative fiction...here she is!

Thanks for swapping blogs with me, Len.  I’m so excited to be in From Stage Door Shadows with you!

Last summer, I learned about the rules for writing a short story for the anthology From Stage Door Shadows:

1. Be inspired by a line from Elton John’s song “Tiny Dancer”

(That was easy.  I chose, “Looking on she sings the songs”.)

2. The piece must be speculative fiction.

What? 

I had to look it up. 

Here’s the definition on Wikipedia:

Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more highly imaginative fiction genres, specifically including science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history.

Okay.

That covers just about everything.  It’s almost too broad. 

I found this one on dictionary.com:

a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements. 

As soon as I got the line for the song, the ideas began to percolate.  My manuscripts normally have a magical element, but my short stories are often realistic fiction with a twist.  My first idea to write about children’s beauty pageants wasn’t going to have a fantasy element.  What to do now? 

The reason I chose children’s beauty pageants is because they seem extreme.  How the girls look and behave is extreme. I thought about women today: the fight over their bodies, the display of their bodies, and the idea of traditional roles. 

Then I thought about placing the pageant in the future.  What would beauty pageants look like in 2313?  What status would women have in the future? Once I asked those questions, I became even more excited about my story idea. 

Speculative fiction is about pushing the limits.

When I sent my story all polished, I felt good about it.  But the editor, Jodi Cleghorn, who worked with me for 100 Stories for Queensland, wanted me to push the piece further—make it darker.  It was the most extensive edit I’d ever done for a short story, and “My Moment” was much better for it.   

After reading about half the stories, I believe that everyone pushed limits.  I felt like I peeked down alleyways on dark nights and spied through windows in unsavory neighborhoods.  Here and there, I found flashes of magic and glimmers of hope.    

I’ve been amazed over how the lines from one song could inspire such various stories in place, time, tone, and more.  It was like eating a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.  

Watch out for earwax. 

Have you ever heard of speculative fiction?

Have you written speculative fiction? 

Where to find From Stage Door Shadows:

Goodreads 

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble 

The Book Depository 

eMergent Publishing

On the eMergent site, the book is $19.99 and the ebook formats are $4.95. 

Enjoy this!

Happy Birthday, dear Lenny!

Today is a very special day for me and most of my bloggie friends. It's because it's our dear friend's Lenny Lee's birthday!

Lenny, these are for you:

I wanted to send you a video blog, Lenny, but I'm too scared of the camera! Yaikks. Hope you have the most wonderful birthday ever!

A HUGE BIRTHDAY HUG!

From Stage Door Shadows

Twenty-six authors trade Tiny Dancer's California-based lyrics for the shadowed recesses of stages large and small in From Stage Door Shadows, a speculative fiction homage to the darkness just beyond the limelight of the entertainment industry.

From vaudeville to opera, piano bar and street corner, hotel suite and beauty pageant, From Stage Door Shadows is a backstage pass to where dreams of fame, fortune and fulfilment live and die in a heartbeat. (From the backcover of From Stage Door Shadows.)

I am very happy to announce that today is the release of From Stage Door Shadows.  My short story, Discovering the Gift, is included. 

The stories are free for a limited time! Here's the link:

http://literarymixtapes.com/


From Saturday morning at 9 a.m., the 25 stories will be available for free, for 48 hours.

From Stage Door Shadows is now on 

goodreads - Would you like to add it to your reading list?

eMergent Publishing

Amazon

Amazon.UK

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository

On 24 October, I will be over at Theresa's Blog for an interview and she will be on mine discussing about speculative fiction. This will part of Theresa's mini-blog tour for From Stage Door Shadows. 

I hope you enjoy reading the stories and if you love them, why not purchase the book?

Enjoy the weekend!

The Kindness Project: Being surrounded with Kindness

I've recently signed up for The Kindness Project after reading Carolina Valdez Miller's beautiful post (another one of the so many awe-inspiring posts she's written on her blog) but never got around to posting anything. So, today, I thought it's about time I do that.

I hope you forgive me if I'm presently still lost in my own little world. I've recently told you about losing my father. We probably always say this about our parents but this is the truth: my father was one of the kindest people I know. He always had a nice thing to say about and to almost anyone. Even when someone was inconsiderate or rude to him, he was still nice. This was probably why people loved him.

I had not seen my father since 2009.  I wasn't there when he fell ill after his operation in January this year. I wasn't there when he got hospitalised for two months. It was torture not being there for him and for my family. But I couldn't do anything because I couldn't afford to go home and see them. In June, doctors told my family Dad may not have too long to live. We were all devastated. We knew it was going to happen. But when he passed away on the 24th of July, it was still a shock. I was just on the phone talking to him the night before. The truth is nobody ever prepares anyone of us for something like this. No amount of courage or positive-thinking could ever make it less painful.

In the midst of all this though, beautiful things happened. My father was surrounded with kindness.

Help came in all forms.

Visits to the hospital
A cooling fan for my father
Bags of different kinds of fruits
An electric thermal pot

Phone calls. E-mails.
Messages via texting, chat, Facebook, etc.

A warm embrace.
A kiss.
The warmth of a hand over my father's and mother's.

Prayers.
Positive thoughts.

Most of all, your presence which provided comfort.

There was - and still is - so much love, kindness, generosity and compassion pouring out within and around us.  I was so deeply touched. In the midst of this all, I saw the face of God. That's just how I would describe it.

Let me say thank you. I cannot put all of your names here but, you know who you all are. I wish I could but I know I will not be able to be there for every one of you. But if there is anything I can do within my capacity to help, I'd do it. And I mean it.

I wish for all of you to see the same "beautiful face" I saw at a time when you most need to see it. I wish that you all be surrounded with kindness and love. Outpouring. The same way you surrounded me and my family with them.


**********

Please be sure to check out all the inspirational posts for THE KINDNESS PROJECT.

Losing my father

I've missed you. All of you. It's been such a long absence. And I am returning with the saddest news.

I've just lost my father. My favourite person on the planet. It's been more than a month now and I still can't believe he is gone.

He became very unwell after his operation in January. I wasn't able to see him due to financial constraints and family situation. It was disheartening not seeing him and not being able to look after him. I had only words to tell him in the days that he was in pain that I love him.

I have moments of deep longing to hear his voice and to see him. The grief was and still is indescribable, incomprehensible. My world will never be the same again without him.  Anguish hits me without warning - I can be anywhere - in the car, in the kitchen, in the supermarket, in front of the television...my eyes will well up and it takes a long time for the tears to stop.

In this post, I'd like to pay tribute to my dad.  Did I tell you I called him "Tatay"? In English, it means "Father".  Here's something I wrote for him for the memorial service we had in my home in England, away from my family in the Philippines.

My dearest Tatay,

You were my anchor.  You always believed in me and supported me in everything I did or wanted to achieve.  Even when I stopped believing in love, you kept telling me "love will come".  When it did, you came up to me and said, "Didn't I tell you love will come?"  You were happy to see me happy.

I made mistakes in my life and disappointed you in many ways but you never said anything.  If you were hurting, you kept it all to yourself and carried on showing me your love.  You once said to me, "No harm will ever come to you for as long as I live."

My world will never be the same again now that you are gone.  But I know you are in a better place.  The thought comforts me somehow.

I miss you, Tatay.  I love you very much.  I don't want to say goodbye so please let me say "Until we meet again."

I'm very sorry this post is full of sorrow. I am trying to get some normality back. Some days are good, other days are not. I have been blessed with a husband who runs to me to give me comfort when immense sadness hits. Somehow, it makes me feel alright. Or that everything will be alright.

This may not be the last time I will be mentioning Tatay.  I have another post coming about the good things that happened in the midst of all this crisis. That post will be a reassurance that indeed, everything will be alright.

See you all again soon.

Book Launch: Oracle by J.C. Martin

Olympics-mania is at fever pitch! What better way is there to get into the Olympic spirit than a book set around the London Games?

J.C. Martin releases her debut novel, crime thriller Oracle, today! To celebrate, she's holding a month-long Oracle Olympics Blog Tour, with tons of games and prizes, including a possible grand prize of an iPad3 (for more details, visit J.C.'s blog)!

And it all kicks off with today's Opening Ceremony!

Read on to find out how you could win a signed paperback copy of Oracle right off the bat!

So what is Oracle about, anyway? Here's the blurb:

Oracle

With London gearing up to host the Olympics, the city doesn't need a serial killer stalking the streets, but they've got one anyway.

Leaving a trail of brutal and bizarre murders, the police force is no closer to finding the latest psychopath than Detective Inspector Kurt Lancer is in finding a solution for his daughter's disability.

Thrust into the pressure cooker of a high profile case, the struggling single parent is wound tight as he tries to balance care of his own family with the safety of a growing population of potential victims.

One of whom could be his own daughter.

Fingers point in every direction as the public relations nightmare grows, and Lancer's only answer comes in the form of a single oak leaf left at each crime scene.

Purchase Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Intrigued?

Here's your chance to win a signed copy of the book!

All you have to do is visit all the blogs in the Parade of Nations in order (for a complete list of blogs, visit Olympics HQ here), including this one! Each blog will have a secret letter. Collect them all to decipher the secret message. Then go back to J.C.'s blog and enter your answer in the Rafflecopter for your chance to win! Answer some additional bonus questions to multiply your chances of winning!

The contest will remain open till midnight EST on Friday 3rd August. The winner will be announced on J.C.'s blog!

So here is my secret letter: I

Click on over to Cherie Reich's Surrounded by Books for the next letter!

Good luck!