Inspiration has struck! Now what?

There are times when an idea is so overpowering that it takes on a life of its' own.  It simply will not allow you to put it to the side and take time from it.  All those pesky things like family and that 9-5 job are such annoying distractions.  This type of story telling is like a sprint.

There are other times that an idea takes a more meandering path.  It can strike and light up your life for a minute, a day, or even a whole week and then it kind of fades away.  It is as if the passion has ebbed away. 

I have also had ideas that I keep bumping into.  I had put them to the side and moved on to other interesting tid-bits to only have them show up again. 

What is the point?  Well it is about developing the idea or concept to the proper point.  What is the proper point?  Well that is what makes this craft interesting, challenging, and exciting. 

I have heard it said that you cannot go back and write in the same way as when you put aside the idea, draft, manuscript etc.  Well that might be a good thing.  Some of those concepts needed a fresh angle, a more developed perspective.  Maybe it was not the story that needed time to develop.  Maybe it was the writer that needed to grow into it?

My point is that as a writer it is our job to write.  To do that we need to work on developing the idea  until it becomes the story it was meant to be.  You need to dedicate the time to doing just that.  Time to develop not only the idea but the story.  While doing so you are also developing as a writer. 

Thank you for reading my blog.  Please feel free to leave your comments.  If there is another topic you would like to discuss let me know.

I wish you all the very best and happy story telling.

T L Scott

How to find time to write in a chaotic world

How to find the time to write in a chaotic world.

As I am writing this my children are playing.  They are not the quiet sort.  They are very energetic and really get into whatever adventure they are undertaking.  My wife is chatting away on the telephone with a friend.  When this is done we will be going out for the day to attend to family business.
I say all of this because most of you are like me.  We do not live in a vacuum.  We have lives that need to be tended to.  We have families that demand and deserve our attention.  Most of us have full time jobs as well.  I am including you home makers as well.  You may not punch a time clock but you have a salaried position that is very demanding.  Keeping up the everyday business of running a home is work!

So now that we have established that we are busy and pulled in many different directions, when do we find the time to follow our passion of writing.

We make the time.  That may sound cliche' but it is the only way.  I have talked with other writers who carry around their idea book.  It is a small notebook that they keep in their purse or pocket.  When inspiration strikes them they take out their idea book and jot down the inspiration.  I have one friend that uses breakfast and lunch to work on his story lines.  He puts his notebook next to his bowl of cereal or his lunch tray and works on his story.

I have found success using both of these strategies.  I have also learned through trial and error that my best time to write is in the morning.  If I wake up and power up my trusty laptop before anything else I am able to get in some really productive storytelling.  I also try to write before going to sleep.  This may only be for 15 minutes or so, sometimes for hours on end, but I find that whatever idea I am working on it is usually richer after letting it simmer overnight.  On the nights that creativity is flowing I have found myself surprised to see that it is 3 am and time has literally slipped away.  I admit that I really love the feeling when that happens.  The next day at work I am paying the price though.  Unfortunately I am not one of the people that work very well on only 4 hours of sleep a night.  I like my sleep.  I like a good 8 to 10 hours of sleep.  Unfortunately I also like to write and my busy day takes up most of my time so sleep is sacrificed on the mantle of creativity.

So in summary capture inspiration when it hits by jotting down your ideas and ways to develop them, take advantage of situations like breakfast and lunch when you can write while you are doing something else, and make time to immerse yourself in your story.  For me the best time is in the morning but find out what works for you.

The biggest advice I can pass along is to keep at it.  There will be a million and one things that get in the way.  Things that demand your attention will always be around.  Focus and find the time to follow your passion of writing and you will be a writer, and writers write!

All the best,

TL Scott

First of all thank you for taking the time to read this.

Ok what do you do when the dreaded writers block gets ahold of you?

Well before we go there let's pause for a moment to talk about what writers block is.  I know that the answer to that is as varied as the people reading these words.  With that said I will share my thoughts on this topic and encourage you to do the same.

I have found that writers block for me has come in various stages and for different reasons.  More often than not it is because something is not working in the story.  That has been for different reasons at different times.  It has taken a hold of me because a scene in the story just did not "work".  I knew that it did not work but I was trying to force it into the story anyway.  It was an interesting angle but it simply did not fit.  I knew it did not fit and I could not get past it.  I therefore became a blocked writer.

Another time was when I found myself staring at a blank page for the start of the third chapter.  The harder I tried I could not get started.  The more I looked at that blank page the more frustrated I became.

I can almost hear the sympathetic groaning coming from you.

Well I did manage to get past the blockage without throwing my trusted laptop out of the window.

In the first case I wrote a quick summary of the situation that did not fit.  I then wrote down a summary of the story before and after that situation.  Once I had that I took a step back and looked for flaws.  Why was it not working?  The answer became blatantly clear that I was trying to put it into the wrong part of the story.  The character was too developed in the scene compared to the story around it.  Of course I could have used a technique to make it work with a dream or flash-forward or something else but that was the problem.  It was too obvious that it did not flow well.  By putting it into the story later on it not only fit into the story but added a depth to the story that was missing.

I used a similar technique in the second instance as well.  I distilled the story and then looked at the major progression points for the story.  I then broke down the major points of the characters and their interactions.  Once I had that backbone for the story I was able to work through it and with continued refinement I was able to massage it into a very interesting story.  "Fault Line" will be my next release.  More on that in future posts.

In summary I want to say that writers block can strike anyone for any number of reasons.  My recommendation is to take a step back and break down the story and then plot out the connection points of the story.  Once you have that basic format I have found that I am able to build on it until somehow the story is told.

Please share you thoughts.

All the best,

T L Scott

Hello faithful readers,

As I promised here is the first chapter in the forthcoming novel A Life Worth Living.  I would appreciate your feedback.

Chapter 1: Burning the Candle

         Three days earlier and 143 miles south west. . .

             One hundred seventy six thousand twenty four, thirty eight thousand nine hundred and sixty, two hundred thirty four thousand one hundred and six . . .RING, nine hundred seventy three thousand  RING RING. . . Oh hell! 

             “Becky, can you get that?” 

            RING. . .  A quick glance at the clock confirms what he already knows.  Becky, his secretary, has already left for the night, and he is yet again working way too late. 

            It’s probably Debbie on the phone to tell him to come home for a cold dinner. 

Knowing that his line of thought is broken he picks up the phone.

             “Thompson here.”  He says.

             “Do you have any idea what time it is?”  His wife immediately asks. 

             They are both all too familiar with this routine.  It’s not that Dave wants to be away from his family so much.  It’s that his job is not an easy one and to do it well he has to work hard at it.  That usually means not only late nights but also some weekends as well.  He likes to provide nice things for his family and it takes money to give it to them.  There is nothing wrong with that, right?  Unfortunately though, it usually means him sacrificing his time with them for time staring at rows upon rows of numbers.  This is just another night among many, working late yet again.  OK, there is something wrong with that.  There is just not enough time in the day to do all that needs to be done!

             “Don’t tell me,” she said sarcastically.  “You lost track of time again right?  You didn’t realize that it’s already past eight?  Sometimes Dave I feel like you prefer spending your time with Becky instead of me!  You know what?”  she asks as I hear her taking a calming breath.  “I don’t even care anymore!”  The edge in her voice is growing sharper as her voice gets louder.  “That’s not what’s important here.  What is important is that Aidan scored the only goal of the game and not only were you not there to see him do it, yet again, you were not even home for dinner so he could share it with you then!”  she told him. 

            “Do you want to know what he said about that Dave?  He said I should go easy on you because you were working hard for all of us!  Do you get that Dave?  He was defending you not being there for him.”  Debbie had dropped her voice and was speaking slowly, enunciating each word.  Dave knew from long experience that she did it to ensure that there was no mistaking what she was saying.  She only did it when she really meant what she was saying   and more often than not it was when she was really upset about something, like now, for example.

            “Dave, we have a great son and you do not spend nearly enough time with him and you know it!”  she fumed.

            The sad thing is that everything she is telling me is the truth.  I know it and so does she.  I want to be with him more because not only do I know how great he is, but also because I know he deserves better.  I just wish I could get it all done and have the time to spend with him and with Summer, our daughter, who is equally as neglected by me, and just as deserving of my time.  She is also pretty awesome in her own right.

            This is a problem that has continually gotten worse throughout our eighteen years of marriage.  While I was in the Navy I was gone more than either of us wanted.   We decided to get out of the Navy and put the GI Bill to good use.  I went back to school and finished up my degree.  Debbie was great about supporting me.  She had already completed her degree and was a Registered Nurse. 

Even though she was working long hours she still made time to take care of the bulk of the chores around the house and to mentor me on some of the subjects I was struggling with, especially math.  In fact, if it wasn’t for her clarification of key points I know that I could not have gotten through it with the grades I did.  I knew that I owed her and I would always try to pay her vigilance back. 

            After I graduated I didn’t simply fall into the job of my dreams.  The market was not a very friendly one and I had to settle for an entry level position earning much less than what I had anticipated.  Fortunately we were not saddled with debt so it was manageable.   

It turned out better than I had originally thought.  The lessons I learned in the Navy served me well in the accounting world as well.  Attention to detail and a good work ethic made me a good sailor and a good accountant.  I was focused on the job and the company.  I attributed my eventual success to that strong work ethic.  I rose up through the ranks of the company rather quickly and now find myself in charge of the regional accounting department. 

I love the job, and for the most part, genuinely like the people with I work with.  I do not like getting calls in the middle of the night reminding me that I also have a family that needs me and my time as well. 

            Don’t misunderstand me.  I want to be with them.  It’s just that I would rather be at home making my wife and children happy instead of being reminded, yet again, that I had let them down, all the while knowing I have this audit to complete before the end of the month.  There has got to be a way for me to get out from under this heavy load!

            All of this is flashing through my mind as my lovely wife reminds me of my shortcomings as a father and a husband. 

            I admit, I am only partially paying attention at this point but, in my defense, I have heard this all before, several times in fact.  Well, that is until she catches me off guard: “You do remember that we’re going to my parents this weekend right?” 

            Long drawn out pause on my end leads her to explode.  “I knew it!”  She blew up!  “I always have to remind you about what is going on in this family.  I don’t care what is going on in the office!  We are leaving bright and early Friday morning as you promised!”  Now she is yelling. “Dave, the kids are looking forward to it and so am I.  Plus, you need the rest.  You’ve been working too hard and could use the break. Aren’t you looking forward to some fishing and spending time with Dad?” 

            She’s right again on all points.  I was looking forward to it, but like most things, it had snuck up on me.  I now realized that I had to get this audit done by the time I left the office tomorrow due to the long weekend for George Washington’s birthday.  Oh well, I would have to come in early tomorrow and then stay a little after work to wrap it up.  As long as there weren’t any other unexpected problems it should all work out.

            “OK honey, thank you for bringing me back to earth.  I’m leaving right now.  Is there anything you need me to pick up on the way home?”  I asked her as my eyes focused on the picture on the corner of my desk.  It had been taken how long ago?  Was it possible that three years had already gone by?  Aidan and Summer were on each side of Debbie and they were all making funny faces.  The picture had been taken on the dock behind her parent’s vacation house on the lake.  That had been a great vacation.  That was the reason it was on the desk.  No matter how bad the day was it always brought a smile to his face.  It did so this time as well.

            “No,” Debbie replied “just come home Dave.” 

The resignation in her voice hurt me deep inside.   After all this time I still loved her with all my heart.

            “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”  I tell her as I start to hang up the phone.

            “Dave?”

            “Yes dear?”

            “Don’t open the file again.  Just get up and come home.”  she said.

            “I promise.  I love you,”  I tell her.  The pause that followed made me very uncomfortable.

            “Me too.”  She finally said without a lot of conviction.

            “I’ll see you in a little while,”  I said in closing.

            Debbie said “See you soon.”

            I looked over the spreadsheet that had held my undivided attention for the better part of the last twelve hours and wondered, yet again, where things had gone so wrong.  The economy could not account for the negative yield by itself.  What was behind the dip?   I hoped the trend I felt that I was onto was not true.  Something did not add up and when that had happened in the past it was because someone had tried to cover something up.  I really hoped that was not the case here. 

            Bob had been with the company for as long as I had.  I knew his family. 

I hoped there were other reasons for the disparities I was seeing.  Oh well, that was a knot to keep worrying at tomorrow. 

            I closed the file and put it into the filing cabinet and locked it for the night.

Fortunately, at this hour, traffic was light and I made it home in twenty minutes. 

As I pulled up to our comfortable house in our comfortable neighborhood and pressed the button on the garage door opener for our two car garage, I couldn’t help but feel some pride in what I had achieved. 

            To say I came from meager beginnings was saying a lot.  I had lived on my own since I was fifteen.  I worked two jobs at a time and also did odd jobs just to make ends meet.  I was able to put myself through high school but knew going to college was out of my reach.  My grades were not up to scholarship level and to be honest that was because I did not put as much effort into studying as I could have.  But, then again, I was working a lot, and there simply was no time to spare. 

            One day a friend of mine told me that he had decided to join the Navy.  I had never thought much past high school but immediately felt that this was worth looking into further.  I saw the Navy as a way to get me out of that small town in the Mid-West.  I had no idea where I wanted to go but I felt that my future was somewhere out there, yet unknown but I could feel it calling to me strongly. 

            Now here I stand, a grown man with a wife, two kids, and a mortgage. 

            I said to myself, “You’ve done alright kid”.

            Walking into the house I could hear the sound of the TV coming from the family room and a low bass beat coming from one of the bedrooms upstairs.  That would be Summer listening to her current favorite group up in her bedroom.  I knew it was not Aidan because he preferred to listen to his music on his headphones. 

            I hung my coat up in the closet in the foyer and set my satchel down in its usual spot.  I took off my shoes and put on my slippers.  Debbie insisted on not wearing outside shoes in the house.  Over the years it had become a part of the normal routine for all of us.  Routines can be rewarding she would remind me.  In this case I had to agree with her.  The carpet sure did wear better since she insisted on the new rule.  New rule huh?  That was over fifteen years ago now.  Aidan was just starting to crawl and she was concerned about keeping the floor as clean as possible.  The rule had stuck and now it was just another part of our daily life.

            I went into the family room and kissed Debbie on the back of the neck.  At thirty nine she was still the most beautiful woman I knew.  I often wondered what she ever saw in me.  Not that I ask that question out loud or too often less she start to wonder the same thing.  Although lately I fear she has been asking herself that very question. 

            It’s not that she’s doing anything really differently.  There just seems to be a kind of coolness settling in between us. Where before there was a burning desire between us, now there was a softly glowing ember.  That would be normal and even welcome except that we were not reaching for each other anymore.  The little things are what make a marriage strong.  Little things like a touch while passing, reaching across the table over breakfast while making a point, the simple desire to touch each other, to be in touch with each other.  That desire seems to have gone into a hiatus.  I still hold out the hope that it is only a temporary one.

            The mostly empty bottle of Moscato on the table and the nearly empty glass in her beautiful hand tell me that she is really upset.

            As I sit down on our brown leather couch, that in my opinion cost way too much and in her opinion is very stylish, although, I must admit, it still is very comfortable even after ten years so I guess it was a good investment.  I look at her and say “I’m sorry”. 

            She knows me too well.  Raising an eyebrow she asks, “What is it that you are sorry about?” 

            I decide to plunge right in and get to the truth at the very heart of the matter, at least in my opinion.  “I am sorry that I’m not here more for you or for the kids.” 

            Debbie looks me right in the eye and surprises me by saying: “Forget about me Dave!  The kids are getting older fast and you are missing out on things.  These are things that you cannot get back!  As much as they say they understand, it still hurts them when they can’t share these things with their Dad.  Listen, I know that you didn’t have a Dad that you could lean on but these kids do!  It’s just that you are so busy at work that you are not there for them.  Don’t get me wrong, you are providing for them very well financially and materially.  That’s great!  But they need more from you.  They need you!!  Ok, don’t forget about me because I need you too!  I know we have talked about this a lot but damn it you need to do something about working all of this extra time!  Nobody else does it.  Why do you need to?”

            Well . . .? ?  Why do I need to?  I have good people that know what they are doing that work for me.  Why am I the one that always stays late and comes in early?  Ok, part of it, to be honest, is because it is what I have always done.  It’s a habit I have fallen into.  But the question is: Do I NEED to do it?  I need to really look at this from a different perspective. 

Once the audit is done and I am ready for the meeting and things settle down again. 

            No, No, NO!  That’s just a stalling tactic. 

I need to take the time to assess my job, not only what I am officially assigned to do in my position but also all of the little things that I take care of as well. 

            Maybe I should delegate some of it.  Am I keeping things too close to the chest and possibly stifling the progression of those under me?  Or should I hire someone new to take on the extra work that has crept on me and maybe others in the department as well.  Definitely this is something I need to look into seriously.

            With that settled, at least in my mind, I told Debbie that I would seriously look at it.  I could tell by the surprised and somewhat dubious look on her face that she was hopeful yet cautious. 

            I couldn’t blame her. I had made promises like this before only to have the same old pattern re-emerge in short order.

            I didn’t like seeing the look of doubt cloud her beautiful face and I promised her in my heart that I would follow through this time.  For some reason I felt that this time it was more important than ever before.

            With that settled, at least for now, we settled into a comfortable night together.  Well, somewhat together.  I ate the leftovers which she had thoughtfully left in the oven to keep warm while Summer continued to enjoy whatever new music group she was into and Aidan likely was either reading or studying in their respective rooms. 

            Debbie took up her place on the couch again with her stockinged feet tucked under her still attractive posterior.  I loved the way she curled up like a cat.  She had no idea how attractive she was just sitting there like that.  Lately it seemed that it was the only time that she looked like she was relaxed.  She really looked like the girl that I fell in love with back in school.

All in all, it was a comfortable evening. 

            I tried to deny the differences that had crept into our relationship.  It used to be that she would cuddle up to me and enjoy watching whatever was on the television.  Lately however we had fallen into a more distant relationship, not cold exactly but not close either. 

This was something that I was growing more and more uncomfortable with.  The sad thing was that I knew I was at fault.  She had made strides to keep our relationship interesting.  We still enjoyed our date night, even if it had gone from once a week to once a month or so.  We were both busy!  Even so, I felt us drifting apart and vowed to do something about it this time.

            As we settled into bed I had hopes of us coming closer together.  I was surprised at how much I craved her touch right then.  I knew it was not to be as she quickly reached up and turned off her light then turned her back to me.  I contented myself with reading up on the Wall Street Journal.  Not exactly dull but not the scintillating night I had fantasized about while sitting on the couch.

            Sleep came slowly and not exactly restful.  I kept going over whether I had created my own monster.  Did I really need to work so much?  Could I be more efficient and thus spend more time with the family that I loved with all my heart?  I chased these thoughts throughout the night without any clear resolution, until I looked at the digital readout that was mocking my tired eyes at 5:15.  I resolved to get a head-start on the day.

            Planting my feet on the wood floor never failed to make me smile.  When we were deciding on how to design the house I left most of the decisions up to Debbie.  Officially we agreed that since she was going to be home more than me due to her taking care of the kids, then she should have more of an input on the house.  Unofficially, and more honestly, it was due to her being much better at designing a good home than I was. 

            One thing that I would not budge over though was having a real wood floor in the dining room and the master bedroom.  She argued with me about putting her feet on a cold floor in the morning.  We solved this with a simple yet creative solution.  She picked out a rug.  In truth, she did not fight me very much over it. 

            I really enjoyed feeling something real that was mine.  On top of that, the temperature difference helped to wake me up. 

            I walked into the bathroom to go through my morning routine.  Push-ups, brush teeth, push-ups, shave, push-ups, get on scale.  How could I have gained two pounds since yesterday?  I tried to tell myself that it was muscle weight. 

            Self answered: Bullshit!  Self called it like it was.

There was no way that starting back to doing push-ups yesterday and this morning produced two pounds of muscle.  Now, the piece of chocolate cake after lunch that was a possibility. 

Stepping into the shower I turned on the water.  Debbie always turned the water on first to let it warm up.  I liked to feel the cold water first.  It felt refreshing and really woke me up.  I still took “Navy” showers.  It was a habit that had been ingrained into me.  Plus I still thought that it made a lot of sense.  Get wet then turn off the water to soap up then turn it back on to rinse off.  Some habits never wear off I guess. Plus there was only so much fresh water.  Why waste it?

Hello faithful readers,

I had a good conversation with the publisher and the artist for the book cover and both phases are coming along well.  The book should be out for print "soon".  I still cannot say when it will be available for purchase but rest assured that as soon as I do I will post it here.  Stay tuned!

In the mean time I will release the next chapter for your reading pleasure.  If you like it please share it.  If there are things that you want to talk about then lets do so.  Comment your heart out!

I will post the next chapter on Friday so check back then.

All the best,

TL Scott

Hello all,

I want to update you on the status of the novel "A Life Worth Living".  For those of you that have gone through this painful process before you know how much patience it requires.  The publisher is still working on it and there is no set date for release yet.  Once I know the release date I will coordinate the release of the ebook as well to coincide.

The artist that is designing the cover has come up with some very interesting ideas and we should have the cover art completed by the end of May.

I am hoping to have the book released this summer.  This is only my hope so do not hold me to that.

Once I know when you can buy it I will let you know when and where.

If there is anyone interested in reading the second chapter please let me know.

I look forward to talking with you all again soon.

All the best,

TL Scott

Hello again and thank you for stopping by.

For this post I want to talk about where the story comes from.
I have read that some authors are very mysterious about their inspirations.  The story just comes to them.  I know that this does not help the beginning author with a how to step in writing a bestseller.  I am sorry to say that I cannot offer this how to step either.  I will give you the things that work for me.

The first and foremost important thing in my humble opinion is to be an observer.  I don't mean just casually watching life as it goes by, be engaged in what is going on around you, then ask why.  Never stop asking why.  Why did that happen.  Why did that person say that?

For an author to write a story they must have something to write about.  Those things come from experience.  Of course I don't mean that an author has to go out and get attacked by a hungry horde of zombies freshly risen from the grave.  We are fortunate enough to be alive at this time of history.  We are surrounded by stories like at no other point in time.  Through those stories we experience.  With that experience we observe.  We ask why.

It is from this experience and observation that I believe inspiration comes.  Let me say right here that I cannot stress enough the need to capture that inspiration when it comes.  Some ideas come and then stay with us.  Others are gone in a flash.  Record them before they are gone.  They may not be ideas that apply to what you are currently working on.  They may lead to a story in the future or they may become a small sub-plot.  They may never amount to anything.  Who knows where it will lead.  I do know that once it is gone, it is gone for good.

The next thing is to write.  Write consistently.  Find a time and place that works well and make every effort to stick to it.  Life has a terrible habit of interfering with our plans.  Loved ones for some silly reason want to spend time with us.  these things are distractions from the passion of writing.  This is OK because life is about balance and as a writer you understand that there is a next chapter.  The important thing is to continue to dedicate the time and effort to writing.  By putting yourself into the process of freeing up your imagination and putting it into the story it will come.  The more you do it the better you will become at it.

If you find that you are having a day that writing just does not work for you, and those days do happen, pick up a new book.  We are back to that experience and observe thing again.  If you are not telling the story then experience a good one.

By following these steps I have found that I continue to refine my own voice.  It is through that distinct voice that the story is told.

Thank you for dropping by.  I look forward to talking with you again soon.

T L Scott

How to discover your characters. T L Scott

Hello again, I hope you have been well since the last post.  Today is Saturday and it is the day before Easter Sunday.  It is a time that many of us get together with family and friends.  Before I go into the body of the post I want to wish everyone, whether you celebrate Easter or not, a very happy weekend.  I hope you enjoy your time with family and or friends, or alone if you prefer, this weekend.

What makes up a character?  The answer comes down to their experiences.  Of course how much of their experiences we, as writers, reveal is up to us, and the story.  Going into too much detail about a character can grind the pace down.  You can also run the risk of going off in a direction that really has no relevance to the story.  Remember the story must stay tight.  If there is no point in telling that Jimmy once wore his Grandmothers pumps then don't.  If however Jimmy goes on to become one of the premier shoe designers in the world then it may have been critical to the story.

Characters are like us.  They have a past.  They did not get to the point of the story without living some.  Just as you do not want to hear a persons life story when you are ordering a cheeseburger, the reader does not want to have to read about a characters history if it is not relevant.  That is the key.  What is relevant to the story.  It may be that it is important to reveal that the cheerleader used to be heavy before she started running.

I have found that sometimes the characters just stand up and speak for themselves.  They have a clear voice and nothing more needs to be added.  This however is rare for me.  More often I find myself getting to know the characters before the story goes on.  I have found a tool that works really well for me and I would like to share it with you.

I use flashcards to record the important character traits.  At first I tried using 3x5 cards.  I quickly found out that my characters were bigger than 3x5.  I tried cramming all of their details into that small space and it did not work well.  I now use larger index cards.  I get to know them.  Their height, hair color, eye color, distinctive mannerisms, their build, are they slim, muscular, heavy-set?  Are they strong of character or are they needy?  I really try to imagine what they are like.  Once I get it all out then I decide how much of them to reveal during the story.  As the story comes to life more details about the character will develop.  I simply add them to the card.  I have found that using the cards I am able to stay true to the voice of the character.  They are more distinctive.  I am also able to keep things in order and not confuse one character with the other.

While I am talking about keeping the characters straight I will share another tool that I use.  I use a timeline to keep the events in order.  The timeline often has branches to keep track of the different things going on.  Like the index cards this is a tool I use to keep things straight.

These tools have helped me to realize my characters more clearly and to keep track of what they are up to.  If you do not already use them then I hope that you will find them useful as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  If you have any suggestions please take a minute to comment.

It is Saturday so I will be spending this weekend with the characters that are my family and friends and as much as I would like to edit some of their traits life does not work that way.

I will talk with you again soon.

T L Scott

What is value in a story?

Hello readers,

The published word has changed over the past 30 years.  What used to be only books that you could hold in your hand has now grown to include print, audio, and e-books.  The ease and cost of publishing has also enabled more people than ever before to share their stories with the world.

My question is what is value?  There are many different sizes for stories.  At what point is a story a good value and when is it a rip-off?  In what medium is it a good price?

With e-books going in price from 99 cents up to several hundred dollars I suppose the answer is what the consumer is willing to pay.  That somehow does not cover it for me.

What are your thoughts?  How much should a book cost?  Lets not discuss school text books or professional texts.  I know that those can be very expensive for different reasons.  Lets limit it to popular fiction.  How much should an e-book, a paperback, or hardback cost on average?

I know that the average paperback runs from $6.99 to $9.99 and the hardback version goes from $19.99 to 39.99.  E-books are all over the place in price.

I know that if I buy a book and it is too short I feel like I did not get my moneys worth.  Then again if a book is too long and just rambles then I just feel like I spent my money on a bad book.

Ok what is a good price point for a good book in the different formats?

Please comment

Why should I write this story?

Hello and thanks for dropping by.

I was asked a question the other day from a friend of mine and I want to share my thoughts on it with you.  This friend revealed to me that she had been thinking about writing a story for a long time but had decided not to because she would not be good at it.  She went on to say that she still thinks about it but she just is not good at those kind of things. 

In the short time that I have been a writer I have heard this story quite a bit.  Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Why should I write this story?  There are so many answers to that question.  There are the text book answers: to inform, to entertain, to persuade.  Hopefully every story I share with you will achieve all of these items to some extent.  There is always the answer of to make money.  I don't think there is anything wrong with the desire to make money from telling stories.  In fact it is one of my primary goals.  That goal is circular.  I want to make enough money with my writing so that I can dedicate more time to my writing.  The money is not really the goal for me.  The way that it would enable me to dedicate more time to writing and not have to work another job for 40 hours a week.  That is 40 hours that I could be telling stories.

The real reason for me to write a story is so that I can share it.  I have found that the process of writing the story for me is great fun.  I really enjoy discovering the characters as they develop throughout the story.  More often than not they end up being different than what I first imagined them.  They also change the story from what I thought it would end up as. 

I have a lot of ideas for stories rolling around in my head.  I guess I could tell you that I am mulling them over.  That is true and still not complete.  Some of the stories are content with staying in the background while others are incessantly popping up with new scenes and scenarios.  This brings me back to the conversation with my friend.

I pointed out to her that since the story kept coming back to her it was obviously something that she wanted to talk about.  I advised her to do just that.  Sit down and tell the story.  Simply write it out.  No pressure to show it to anyone else.  Simply tell the story.  After that go back and read it over and see if the story has been told.  Are there points that need further explanation?  Are there things that are missing?  Once the story has been told then sit back and let it simmer for a while.  Ask yourself whether you want to share the story.  If so with whom?

It is my opinion that we all have stories to tell.  Some of these stories are to be shared.  Some are definitely not meant to see the light of day.  Burn baby Burn!!!  And then there are some stories that demand to be told!

If you are still reading this then you have the passion within you.  I urge you to pick up the thread and find out where it leads.  Will you weave an epic odyssey?  Will you unravel the mysteries of the universe?  Will you bring laughter and wonder to children?  Will you cause the heart-rates of lovers the world over to race?  Pick up the thread my friend and let the tale be told.

Talk with you again soon,

T L Scott

The following is an excerpt of copyrighted material from

A Life Worth Living, a novel by T L Scott

Prologue

            The State Police Cruiser slowed to a stop, crunching the gravel on the side of the road under its tires.  Stepping out of the cruiser, the officer took in the scene.  The lights from his emergency bar bounced off of the unforgiving rock on his left.  Red and blue flashing lights reflected off the drops of water left on the leaves of the trees on his right.  He took all this in as background detail.  Focusing on the skid marks in front of him, he knew immediately that the vehicle that left these marks was somewhere below where he now stood.  He was very familiar with this curve in the road.  Three years ago a car full of kids had died after going over the edge.  The State had put up a guardrail since then which had been a good thing, but due to budget cuts or some other excuse it was not enough.   
            As a result the officer had complained to his boss that the guardrail should have been longer; it should have led into the curve.  The state’s engineers disagreed.  They cited statistics that accidents happened in the middle to the end of the curve, rarely at the beginning. 
             Well, I guess that this is one of those rare occurrences the Officer mused as he came to the edge of the road.  He put his hands on his utility belt and let out a tired sigh as he took in the scene below him. 
             The path of destruction was easy to follow.  He could see the car partially submerged in the icy water over one hundred and seventy feet below him.
            Pulling out his radio, the officer called in the accident.  He requested extra units to assist with the traffic as well as a tow truck, which was equipped with a heavy duty winch with an extra length of cable on the winch.  The truck operator also kept an extra five hundred feet of cable for good measure.  Rescue units trained for these kinds of accidents and, unfortunately, also had a lot of real world experience.  He also requested a couple of ambulances, just in case. 
            With that done he made his way to the rear of the cruiser to get his rappelling gear.  Once he was in his rig he secured himself to the guardrail.  It just might help to save someone’s life after all, he thought.  Almost as an afterthought he went back to the trunk and grabbed some thermal blankets and stuffed them into his pack. 
            He prepared to step over the edge and make his way down the steep side of the mountain.  He paused a moment and reflected on the discovery he had made the last time he had to make this trip.  He sent up a silent prayer that this time it would have a better ending.  He had a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach that it would not.  Maybe this time he would be able to do more than clean up the mess he hoped as he stepped over the ledge. 
            Suddenly, a squirrel caught his attention.  It was sitting on a branch happily munching away on something.  He thought it strange that his presence did not cause the usually timid creature to scamper away.
            Focus!  He disciplined himself.  That was all that the people below him needed!  If he lost his focus and fell down, what good would he be to them?  He steeled himself and prepared for what he might find. 

Where do the ideas for a story come from?

Hello readers.  Now that A Life Worth Living is off to the publishers I am focusing on the next story.  This one is a completely different one than A Life Worth Living.

I have heard a lot of people ask where do the ideas for a story come from.  I would like to hear your thoughts on this subject so please join in.

For me the thoughts come literally from everywhere and everything.  By that I mean that I never know what is going to inspire a random thought to become a plausible story line.  Sometimes it is revealed in a series of events that spin off of the initial "what if".   Other times it comes from looking at something and wondering how it happened to be what it is.  At other times it is more I wonder what would have happened "if". 

More than anything I think it comes down to asking questions.  It is the why, the what if, the I wonder. . . that leads to a story line.  Then of course the characters themselves start to reveal themselves and the story takes off on its own.  Where it ends up is as much a revelation for me as it is for the reader.  I just get to see it first.

Well those are my quick thoughts on where the ideas for a story come from.  Please share yours.

New Novel A Life Worth Living

Hello,

I am a new author and I have a great story that will be published soon. 
I know, all authors think that their stories are great.  We have to.  Why else would we go through the painful, agonizing, and oh so entertaining process of bringing these stories to life?

This story is about a man that has made sacrifices for the family that he loves.  He works hard so that he can provide them good things.  He sacrifices his time with them so that they have a good life. 
Life is made up of sacrifice.
When he finds himself literally up to his neck in trouble he has to decide just how much he is willing to sacrifice to make his life "A Life Worth Living".

You can also follow this story to publication at TLScott.official/Facebook.com

I have many other stories that are revealing themselves to me.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Welcome along for the ride.

T L Scott