Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

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Can We Stop Change And Chaos?

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by Kimberly A. Cook             (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Nope. Change is constant and chaos is its walking buddy. If we don’t change or move we can become stagnant; not a good idea for people or water with mosquito larvae. Do we have to like change all the time? Nope.

Took a webinar this past weekend about using Google+ for authors; yet another social media platform. I only deal with the top four or five social media sites and I can’t keep up. Checked it out because being a lifelong learner I’m always seduced by the next new thing, but then it requires the same old thing – work.

Even hay gets changed to stuff duvet covers. Or are those giant marshmallows? Two semis of chocolate bars and graham crackers stat!
Even hay gets changed to stuff duvet covers. Or are those giant marshmallows? Two semis of chocolate bars and graham crackers stat!

Not sure if it’s summertime, age or the call of the wild, but I don’t want to work all the time these days. Playing seems a much better way to go. Writing and publishing can drive us nuts on a good day, so how do we cope with all the challenges? We go to our experts and pick their brains.

One of my favorite authors with a killer blog is Kristen Lamb; myself and 23,000 plus other folks think so. She lives to educate authors and has a wicked keen sense of humor, which I adore. I have all her books and have taken her online blogging class which saved my sanity and at least a ten pound weight gain.

Her post on Friday, June 14, was another fabulous one. Long story short, she has a new book coming out July 4, Rise of the Machines – Human Authors in a Digital World. The title alone makes we want to buy it, especially when my eyes glazed over during the Google+ webinar. Are we all beginning to feel like C3PO with a USB port with the escalating digital deluge? My kingdom for a quill and bottle of ink! (Not really, but it sounds good.)

How do we get through change and chaos if we can’t stop it? Teamwork! I’m so glad to have Kristen Lamb as one of my go to coaches for publishing and author intell(igence.) We all need buddies in life, for work and play, so take a look at her post and see what you think. The mind you save may be your own!

Read Kristen Lamb’s post here: http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/change-resistance-is-futile/

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!

Would You Make A Good Writer Spy?

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by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

One of the pieces of craft a writer needs to practice is the art of observation. By people and pet watching we get ideas, insights and entertainment, all for free. With the weather starting to get warmer, we are on the cusp of prime people watching season.

Stealth ducks hiding in plain sight next to my day job building.
Stealth ducks hiding in plain sight next to my day job building.

Walking into my day job building, there is a swale which holds run off rain water. Week before last a pair of ducks were swimming around in the pond six feet from the building. Day in and out I noticed most people didn’t realize the ducks were even there, hiding in plain sight every morning.

Outside my house the other day, a friend noticed a key was hanging from a tree branch. We figured out someone dropped their house key and with no identification and a Good Samaritan tied the lanyard around the tree to serve as a signal. How many great story ideas, characters or dialogue clips have we lost in the trees by not using our writer “Spidey” sense?

Eavesdropping dialogue gold mines for me are mass transit, lines at the grocery store, anyone on a cell phone in public, movie theaters before the movie starts and any sporting event. Malls are great too because not only do you see all kinds of people and outfits, you can snack and drink cocoa at the free viewing tables in the food court.

As a fiction writer I like to make up stories about the people I see, imagine what their “back stories” are and what their current mission might be. It’s a great way to exercise your mind and let your subconscious get some new input.

A piece on the radio recently talked about how doing chores or repetitive tasks can unleash your inner creativity. Great ideas come to me when gardening, washing dishes, in the shower and taking out the trash. Seems our grey matter needs a muse break too.

So it’s time for writer Spring training. Get ready to do chores and people watch. You too may discover some hidden drone ducks on a secret mission or a new mystery book series idea, hiding in plain sight. Get in shape now for writer summer RECON!

How De We Really See Ourselves And Others?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                      (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Writers build worlds, fantasies and complicated stories with people, places and animals. We use details to bring a location or emotional event alive. One way we build our characters is by describing their physical characteristics and values through their actions.

This past week I watched a video done by Dove which illustrates how we see ourselves as individuals and how others see us differently. This is a fascinating video clip. The forensic artist does an amazing job. He mentioned in another video clip on the DoveUnitedStates YouTube channel that he could tell when women didn’t like part of their appearance, they lightly touched on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk&feature=share&list=PL0BRaXBPJ6iZMJoRM9TFRc2Mq4d0KmKqZ

Watch this wonderful piece of work and see what you think. How we describe our characters and ourselves may not be how the world sees either of us. Women have a particular challenge with this with the fashion and advertising industries. What’s important is each writer’s and character’s heart. What do you think?

Got A Writer Pit Crew? Or Three?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                  (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

This past Friday I met with my author buddy and editor, Cindy Hiday, (www.cindyhiday.com) for one of our frequent staff meetings. We call them that because we write alone and need another carbon-based life form for creative support. These days I joke(?) it takes at least three NASCAR pit crews to keep me together, but one of those pit crews is full of writer and author buddies.

Bleeding Heart blooming in my garden today after surviving this weekend's thunder, rain and wind storms.
Bleeding Heart blooming in my garden today after surviving this weekend’s thunder, rain and wind storms.

Then on Saturday I met with my writer support group, a bunch of five authors and writers who talk about what is going on with our writing and our lives. We don’t critique each other’s writing, but we each get thirty minutes to tell what is happening with our life and art.

Turns out three of us had been through some pretty tough challenges in the last two months and the other two had been decompressing at the beach for seven months after moving to their dream location. We all support and help each other out. Writing is a craft we fit in around our pesky regular lives which keep intruding on our work. Personal and weather storms of all kinds don’t stop because we want to write our stories.

In these days of crazy news and even wackier odd things on tv, there is nothing like sitting with writer friends and really listening to each other. We unplug and open our ears to hear each others life stories. It always inspires and recharges me; like a camp fire without the smoke, flying embers and bats.

Writers need writer friends who support and encourage our work, plus hopefully bring snacks. If you don’t belong to a group like this, create one. That is how our group started, I needed one so I asked writers I was compatible with if they were interested. Now, several years later we are still at it meeting every other month for a couple hours.

No one understands a writer like a fellow writer. Let’s face facts, we can be an odd bunch at the best of times. Non-writers think we are in charge of our fiction characters and know what is going to happen. Ha! They also think we just whip out those non-fiction books and articles in no time flat. Nada.

One of my favorite sayings applies to writing, “If it was easy, anybody could do it.” True for both writers and Special Operations personnel; not everybody is cut out for the long gut grinding haul of these two professions. So whether you need a “staff meeting” or a “writer support group,” make sure you have writer friends and buddies to help you along the way.

It’s always a good idea to come out of our writer caves and interact with real people instead of screens and keyboards. Build your writer pit crew today!

How Do We Grow Fiction?

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by Kimberly A. Cook         (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Saturday I ventured out into the garden for the first time this year to weed, clean and organize. Going about my tasks it struck me this is a lot like what I do when it’s time to edit my fiction first drafts. As I plow through the pages there are things which are fine and then passages which must be weeded, transplanted and some put in the yard debris cart.

Wreath wire or fiction book structure?
Wreath wire or fiction book structure?

A rare gorgeous 77 degree sunny day, I made sure to work my two hours and then save time to read in the lawn swing. First I had to assemble the lawn swing, always fun. One final chore before book break time involved recycling my Christmas wreath from the front door. Don’t judge. Wanted to make sure it was dry, okay?

The process of unwinding the florist wire from the small Douglas Fir branches and the pine cones took longer than I expected. In fact, I had to come up with a plan to corral all the wire. Started making a ball and away the unwinding process went.

As time wore on, it became apparent to me we should hire the folks who assemble these wreaths to rebuild our national infrastructure. With this type of workmanship, our roads and bridges would be good for eons. Thought about quitting at one point, but blast it all I needed to finish it.

When the last bit of wire was off the frame and I’d put the big circle in the metal recycling bin, the ball of wire was the size of a grapefruit. Kind of pretty, too. Took it over to the back porch step to take a couple photos; I never know what I might use in my blog or for a project.

After the wire ball’s Vogue fashion shoot, the above photo is my favorite, complete with wood knot holes on the steps to add character. Wandering over to the herb garden, I discovered the Apple Mint was sending up new shoots so I wouldn’t need to buy one this year. Another good garden surprise, like the life cycle of a writer; even if you try to stop writing, you can’t and you start composing again.

While I sat swinging on the lawn swing enjoying a Kate Carlisle mystery, it dawned on me. Not only does the garden mimic creating fiction, but so did the ball of wire. We fiction writers think we know where we’re going when we start a novel, but on the journey our fiction ball of wire takes a shape all its own.

Fiction becomes a collaboration of our imagination, muse, life history and divine guidance. Whether writing fiction or tending a garden, editing, weeding and keeping at it are skills needed to excel at both trades. Feeling stuck with your fiction writing? Get thee to the garden!