Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

amwriting

Are Writers Really Swashbuckling Pirates In Disguise?

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by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Waiting for new books from our favorite authors is like the night before Christmas; we hope we get what we asked for and the gift lives up to our fantasies. One of my favorite writers is Elizabeth Gilbert and her new fiction book is titled, “The Signature of All Things.”

http://youtu.be/AgungmlfYwk

Gilbert is famous for her memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love,” but her first love is fiction. We have that in common. In the October 2013 issue of “The Oprah Magazine,” there is a wonderful interview with her about her writing life now and how she came to write this book.

A great quote in the article from Gilbert is, “Creativity is a scavenger hunt. It’s your obligation to pay attention to clues, to the thing that gives you that little tweak. The muses or fairies – they’re trying to get your attention.” Writer Katie Arnold-Ratliff does a very nice job of interviewing and profiling Gilbert. Pick up a copy of the magazine if you get a chance.

The scavenger hunt is such a wonderful metaphor for the creative process. It’s also how I buy clothes, shoes and houses; I know it when I see it. The same is true for my story ideas and plot lines. One small book review launched a novel idea and then a series outline. I gather random items into my memory and later a book idea or three spit out. Totally a fun scavenger hunt.

Paying attention is the hard part. With all the distractions, interruptions, noise and tech in today’s world, we have to be diligent to hear our muse speak up and point out clues on our daily journeys. Perhaps that is one of the things I love the most about being a writer, creativity feels a lot like being a pirate in search of booty – even in a grocery store line.

Can’t wait to buy my copy of Gilbert’s book this week, I always get hard copies for my keeper shelf. So climb aboard and raise the sails on the story ship. Fly the Jolly Roger high up on the mast. Let your muse sail into adventure today wherever ye are bound!

Back To Neka’s Cubs

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by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Time for Quirky Friday and we survived last weekends big storm and the monsoons. My alpaca socks came in very handy. Sun is out and there is good news at the Oregon Zoo. The youngest cub has been in the nursery hospital for nine days, but got put back in with her siblings this week. Mom Neka started cleaning her right away, so all fingers are crossed the little furry one will continue to make progress against her chubby sisters.

Seems these kits haven’t quite found their roars yet, so pretty silent video, but how cute are these babies? Have a great weekend and enjoy Quirky Friday!

P.S. Sir Stuffington, the pirate cat, has gathered $3,000 from around the globe in donation booty for the Multnomah County’s Animal Services since his Internet stardom. He is also going to get some surgery for his jaw injury. They are using the donated money to create care kits for foster feline parents. Cats rule!

What Do Alpacas And William Shatner Have In Common?

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by Kimberly A. Cook              (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Spent a few days last week in wonderful Hood River, Oregon. Always a great getaway to enjoy food and shopping. This trip I stumbled upon another fabulous treasure – Foothills Yarn & Cascade Alpacas, a true treat.

Happened upon their listing on the www.hoodriver.org shopping site while doing my normal pre-shopping recon the day before I left. Through the magic of their website I learned I could drive 10 minutes South of Hood River and find not only alpaca yarn, but alpacas too!

How cute are these guys? Best yarn shop visit ever.
How cute are these guys? Best yarn shop visit ever.

Imagine my joy when there were baby alpacas. Toured the shop and bought some alpaca yarn and socks, then went outside to feed the alpacas and take photos. Also learned about resident cats Knit and Purl. Think I met Purl.

It was a great visit and a gorgeous view from the alpaca paddock or whatever you call that enclosure. On their web site I learned about the William Shatner connection. Seems one owner flew to Los Angeles this past summer to be interviewed by William Shatner for a book he is writing entitled, “Hire Yourself.” The book is for people beyond age 55 who are out of work.

The Foothills Yarn and Cascade Alpaca husband and wife team decided to start the business after 50. It is an amazing place. So while the alpacas might look like really big fluffy tribbles, they are real. Can’t wait to read Shatner’s book and see what all is in his interview.

As writers we hire ourselves every time we write. Maybe if we looked at our craft that way, we might have a better feeling about our “writer job.” One of the fabulous things about writing is you can do it for as long as you can make the computer keys move or talk into a digital recorder or computer software program.

Even if you are knitting with alpaca yarn!

www.foothillsyarn.com

See a video about the farm here:

http://youtu.be/8a6u5N5QAAg

Do You Edit On Screen Or Paper?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Love the smell of school supplies in the morning. This time of year I buy school supplies to re-stock my writer gear, not that I need more but it makes me happy. Got me to wondering about how other folks edit their work. Since I am of the “every manuscript in a three-ring binder” persuasion, in case all the tech goes belly up, hard copy-edit is my preference.

It's school supply time. Stock up your writer supplies. Bet I need more pens, I'm getting low on my stash.
It’s school supply time. Stock up your writer supplies. Bet I need more pens, I’m getting low on my stash.

No matter how many times I look at something on the computer screen, my tricky brain can fill in words that are not even there until I see them in a finished manuscript. Argh! The weight and heft of a binder also lets me feel like I have accomplished something important instead of fonts in space.

When I first started writing fiction I worried about manuscript format, margin width, how many words the book should be, how many lines on a page, how many pages it took to make that many words, double spacing the manuscript, etc. Now I worry about the story. Seems to be the main reason people actually read what we write.

Binders require no batteries, USB ports or charging plug-in to cart it to a quiet spot and focus on editing. In the best of times editing is grunt work, tedious and requires a clear mind. What better way to let your inner critic loose than on paper with a purple ink edit pen – no red ink allowed; too many bad memories from corrected school papers.

So if you haven’t tried the three-ring binder method of manuscript editing, now is the perfect time to get out and purchase some fabulous new school supplies at bargain prices. Patterned binders. With zippers! You might need some paper too. And pens. And erasers. Cute pencil boxes. Not that I have an office supply addiction. Really. Glue sticks. Composition books.

Got school supplies?

The Words That Launched A Nation

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by Kimberly A. Cook         (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Next week is our Nation’s birthday. I got to thinking about how this country came to be with ideals and dreams written down on paper. The Founding Fathers, and the Founding Mothers who supported them, were all rock stars and boy could they write.

USS Constitution fires a 17-gun salute during the ship's 215th launching day, Oct. 17, 2012, In Boston Harbor. U.S. Navy photo by 2nd Class Thomas Rooney
USS Constitution fires a 17-gun salute during the ship’s 215th launching day, Oct. 17, 2012, In Boston Harbor. U.S. Navy photo by 2nd Class Thomas Rooney

They fought for independence for our people, nation and a new way of life by signing their names on a document which amounted to treason against the crown. Talk about independent publishing. So what are some of the actual words they used?

The Constitution of the United States

Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.  

That is a great opening. Tight writing, clear stated purpose and a nation was born. One very important Amendment for all writers is the First, added in 1791.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.  

The Founding Fathers could not predict social media and blogs, but their words still ring true. In these day when corporations own media companies, it makes me smile to know there are hundreds of thousands of rookie reporters around the world observing and documenting with digital video, photos and words.

Another Amendment I’m pretty fond of is the 19th added in 1920.  The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

So a mere 93 years later women are in combat and getting ready to go into Special Forces and Special Operations. Citizenship confers a duty and responsibility on all to not only defend our nation but to make sure we protect the rights which so many have paid the ultimate price to protect.

Writers are the storytellers of every generation. Never underestimate the power of words and your role in that legacy. Write Free!

How Long Does It Take To Finish A Book?

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by Kimberly A. Cook       (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

As long as it takes. It depends on the book and the author. Is there one right way or standard length of time? No. See the only real trick about writing is finding out what works for you – not what works for somebody else. That is the true secret about writing. It also means one has to write. Small detail, but important.

Eighty percent of Americans want to write a book. Only one percent of us do. Celebrate that accomplishment!
Eighty percent of Americans want to write a book. Only one percent of us do. Celebrate that accomplishment!

Recently I met with one of my former Writing War Stories students. He finished his book. Party time and confetti throwing! Doug started writing his book while he was in the waiting area to leave Vietnam. Now, 40 years later, it’s done.

Doug knew it was finished because the manuscript “clicked” and he knew. I’ve told students they will know when it is done, but until one actually experiences the “click,” it is hard to believe. (Being sick of a manuscript does not count, by the way.)

Then of course there are the folks who think the first draft means a book is ready, but that is the time to begin editing. Doug worked hard on his book, had it edited by professionals and went back and did the real “grunt” work to polish the manuscript. Doug is now moving into the business side of writing to decide how he wants to publish his book. I will let you all know when it comes out. It’s an amazing read.

A former coaching client thought his book would be done in six months; four years later it was complete. Getting manuscripts right takes time. Will our books ever be perfect? Nope. But they need to be the best we can make them, or to borrow from the Army, the best books they can be!

In this world of publish anything online and damn the editing, there is a multitude of un-polished and downright stinky work out there; don’t let your book suffer that fate. Easy doesn’t make it done for book manuscripts or basic training. If we give our manuscripts the time, devotion and tough love they deserve, they will rise to the top of the digital publishing pile. Equip them with all the best gear when they go out to meet their readers.

We only get one chance to introduce ourselves and our writing to each new reader; let’s not disappoint our books or ourselves. Write hard!