Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

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Scrat Goes For The Publishing Nut!

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by Kimberly A. Cook              (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Scrat is my hero. For those who are not familiar with the Ice Age movies, please rent, stream or buy them. Not only is Scrat cute, but I feel he accurately depicts the life of a writer. Scrat is the author/writer and the nut is publishing.

As self publishing and digital media rock and roll on the way to new technologies, we writers try to keep up. Just when we think we have achieved  success; another industry upheaval comes and we are chasing the nut once again.

For today’s Quirky Friday post, let’s all enjoy Scrat as he struggles to gain and retain that elusive nut! Writers have to keep at it, just like Scrat!

Do You Write For Love Or Money?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

One challenge of being a creative type in the business world is when passion and joy run smack into basic necessities, like needing to eat. This was drilled home by a teacher I was interviewing for the  newspaper in 1984.  “I always tell the other teachers to be nice to the newspaper reporters,” she said. “You’re the only ones who have to have a four-year degree and get paid less than we do.” Too true.

My "Official" Hobby with Antique Beads

So before digital media, writing didn’t necessarily pan out as a cash cow career. So why do we write? If we are doing it strictly for the money, we will eventually burn out. Writing is hard work. Or good writing is hard work, to be more specific. The option to self publish is switching the control of the publishing game back to authors, but this brings up more challenges.

When we turn a passion into a job, it can lose some or all of the joy. Deadlines, sales figures and screwed up cover art become our new dragons. A survey I read said if anyone is happy with 60 percent of their job, that’s as good as it gets. Bet that means taxes, paying bills and equipment malfunctions drop into everyone’s work life, no matter what they produce.

About 10 years ago I decided it was time for a hobby to balance my day job and my writing business. Experts suggest revisiting what you liked to do as a kid. Writing and reading were big in my life, even at age 10, but making jewelry was also a passion. I reconnected with jewelry making and enjoy it to this day; I’m a beadaholic.

I thought about selling my jewelry, then I sat myself down and had a chat. “Everything cannot be a business,” I told myself. “This is your official hobby.”  I was relieved. I had given myself permission to play, which helps my writing muse. Money can be a demanding mistress if we let her boss us around all the time.

So if our writing passion becomes a business and it doesn’t feel right, change it. Go back to writing for the fun of it. Keep our day jobs. Reduce the stress. Being published is not the holy grail; it is just one of many roads for writers. We all have to do our taxes, pay our bills and fight with the stupid computer upgrade programs; but if we are fighting and dreading our writing, something is wrong. Maybe it’s time we had a chat with ourselves and figured it out. Are we writing for love, money or ourselves?

In Praise Of Biceps And Chests

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By Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

When folks ask me how I ended up in the Army at age 18, I should probably respond with “South Pacific.” The musical, not the geographic location. Raised on musicals, this one movie put all my favorites in one spot; tropical islands, romance, half-naked men, French accents, music and the military.

Compound the indoctrination with growing up in Portland, Oregon, the City of Roses, where the Navy ships ventured upstream every June for Fleet Week. About 3,000 sailors in whites? My fate was sealed. Can’t swim for beans, so the Navy was out for me; my dog paddle would not have passed the swim test.

The Army did teach me where my feet were. Repeatedly. So whenever I need a lift, I think back to this classic movie, with this fabulous song and agree; yup, there ain’t noth’in like a dame! (Or being one for that matter!) Happy Quirky Friday!

http://youtu.be/ZgzvTHsOxSQ

Military Stories Honor And Transcend Time

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by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

It’s been a banner month for military movies at the box office. First War Horse, then Red Tails and Act of Valor will release next month. Congratulations to Red Tails for rocking the box office in second place this past weekend. The Tuskegee Airmen and George Lucas finally got their story on the big screen. Lucas hopes to film the prequel and sequel to Red Tails if the box office numbers hold up, so go see the movie.

John I. Tuthill, World War I

Last month at the 70th Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Pearl Harbor Survivor veterans decided to disband. With that act, it falls on the rest of us to remember their stories and deeds and carry them forward, as Lucas has done with the Tuskegee Airmen.

 War Horse brought back the conversation I had with my grandfather before I headed off to Army basic. He told me a little about being in the Artillery in World War I. He mentioned how he had to get his gas mask and the horse’s gas masks on when the mustard gas hit.
 
That conversation came back to me many times in basic when I was learning to put on my gas mask and get a seal in nine seconds. How did grandpa ever get his mask and the horse’s gas masks on in time? My grandfather passed away before I came home from the Army. What I wouldn’t give to have had more time to hear his stories.
 
Grandpa was a character, so I’m definitely related to him. He came to Portland and worked as a longshoremen in the days when the docks were also a war zone. Later he became a Silverstream trailer snowbird, vacationing with my step-grandmother in Quartzsite, Arizona in the winter.  The amazing silver bullet trailer would show up at our house for summer visits.
 
To me he was an older man, wiry and thin. I didn’t recognize him in a photo my Mom has of his longshoremen days; he looks like Popeye, biceps and all. The portrait we have of him in his World War I uniform above shows his deep blue eyes and buzz cut. Finding out my Grandfather’s military history is on my to do list; because as writers and witnesses we need to record and tell the stories. That’s our job.      

Head Em Up, Move Em Out!

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by Kimberly A. Cook             (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

It’s been a long short week around here in the land of ice, snow, rain and flooding. While winter is just getting started here in Oregon, spring will rise again! Going along with the open air theme, thought it might be time for a little round-up. Imagine the truck is a self published author and the cows are the current publishing industry. The words to the song fit pretty well too! This is what digital media is all about; writers rule!

Kick back, put your boots up on the table and enjoy the ride. Happy Quirky Friday!

http://youtu.be/NA-ST8nXl4U

What’s In Your Supply Closet?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                     (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

We writers are sometimes referred to as odd, but I prefer quirky; sounds more French. One quirky tendency I have is to stockpile office supplies. Forget we are in a digital media age, I still enjoy Post-It Notes, medium point purple ink pens, pink paper steno pads and my favorite white-lined writing tablets. Part of this comes from my Army training as a supply sergeant; if you don’t have it now, you won’t have it when you need it.

Part of my supply closet stash.

This supply addiction appears when visiting my local office supply stores. While we writers want to mosey around and bond with the paper clips and new colors of erase pens for the whiteboards, perky sales folk can derail us.  In one such visit a few yeas ago three salespeople in five minutes asked if they could help me find something. All I wanted to do was yell, “I’m just trying to enjoy the office supplies, okay?” Don’t go there anymore.

Being a tactile type, touching the products is great fun. A bright mauve fake snake writing tablet cover can send me into fits of joy. These simple pleasures are part of being a creature who brings worlds out of thin air; sometimes we just need to touch paper, a book or an eraser! Let us be.

Two staples for all writers are ink and paper to print out hard copies and edit our work. (Who hasn’t heard the midnight horror stories at writing conferences about ink and paper emergencies at the worst time?) There is just something about seeing prose in hard copy which makes the edits jump out at me. Scribbling on the manuscript also gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Old school paper also makes editing portable without needing batteries or a charging cord.

The more digital my writing tools become, the more I need hard copies to edit. Perhaps this is old school training or personal preference. Whatever it is, we writers must do what works best for us. Susan Wiggs writes her bestsellers long hand, then makes edits when she types them into the computer. Whatever method works for each writer, that is the best. 

So what’s in your writing supply closet or shelf? Got office supply stories?