Cara's Cabinet of Themes and Curiosities
Best of AAC. A collection of ravels and unravels, combed feed, and worthwhile nuggets plucked from many sources here at AAC. Cara carefully selects only the best and presents them in an array certain to illuminate and entertain... Cara comments also. We can't get enough!
Ready to Get Published? Part I
Ready to Get Published? Part II
19 topics in this forum
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Good Morning, Friends. I come to you from my porch of inspiration once again. As I sit here, I am thinking about how August makes way for the fall and soon my porch sitting will be over. I will have to suspend my neighbor’s fence updates. I will find another seat of inspiration to write from. Besides, how long can I go on about a fence? Just because Home Improvement used a fence successfully doesn’t mean I can. Speaking of, my neighbor has put Jacktop fencing around the bottom of his porch. He is trying to block the fox, who eats his meals there quite regularly, from taking up permanent residence. I had to chuckle because it’s quite comical. There is a direct…
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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Good afternoon, my friends. Yes, it is much later than my usual post time, but I had a change of plans. I was supposed to be on vacation but because of a Covid spike; we canceled it. My kids were very upset. We have been going to the same place every year for seven years. We meet up with the same people and have developed a circle of friends from all over the United States. When I speak about our vacation week, I always say, “It’s like a different world.” I watch my children become risk takers without the watchful eye of the neighborhood peer pressure. I take in the sighs of relief from all the parents who I think of as family as they relax on the beach. Together, we watc…
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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Much to my chagrin, I am a little late in my morning post and coffee. I am sitting on my porch and I am staring at my neighbor’s fence again. I can’t help but wonder how the world outside his fence helps build his world inside his fence. Yesterday, there was an obvious breach between the fox, its meal, and my prying eyes. Were those three things part of the reason he put up such a huge fence? When I say huge, I mean huge. Totally goes against town code and is high enough for Jurassic Park, but I digress. I came across this article by Stina Leicht which does a great job at explaining worldbuilding with negative space. I enjoyed it and I’m sure you will too.
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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Good morning! After a few days of torrential rain, I’m back to porch sitting with my coffee with my Edgar Allen Poe mug but this time I was surprised to see that a fox had taken up residence under my neighbor’s porch enjoying a righteous kill. The irony of the situation was that my neighbor put up a ten-foot fence to keep the wildlife out. He wanted to do what we, as writers, do: worldbuild. Just like Poe in “The Descent into the Maelstrom”, my neighbor wanted a space where his story could take place. Unfortunately, the fox had other ideas. Maybe my neighbor should have read this great piece by M.D. Presley. https://algonkianconferences.com/authorco…
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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Good Morning! Today I'm trading my seat of inspiration that sits on my porch for my couch of contemplation in my living room. Why might you ask? Because a storm rolled through last night...figuratively and literally. As it rained I worked on my MS and asked myself a crucial question..."What in the world do I write for my synopsis?" and in so doing, revealed that my MS had an identity crisis. Check out one of AAC's Cathy Hall's article "Do you know what your story is about, I mean really about?" https://algonkianconferences.com/authorconnect/index.php?/topic/16886-do-you-know-what-your-story-is-about-i-mean-really-about/&tab=comments#comment-25101
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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Good morning, Everyone! I decided to trade in my drink napkin for coffee and a coaster, but even though I am rubbing the sleep off my eyes, it doesn't mean I'm not soaking up the inspiration to write. I used to think that I had to sit in my room for a weekend with no distractions in order to write. I'd isolate myself, surrounded by nothing but my dogs. I would even abscond from all digital connectivity. The horror! But then, like Matthew Norman so eloquently writes, sometimes inspiration doesn't come from within, but from engagement with the outside. So enjoy another one of AAC's best and excuse me while I sip my coffee on my front stoop. https://algonkianconfer…
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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Many authors find it difficult to categorize their manuscripts because they believe book genre is an insufficient mechanism to do so. They feel that using book genre parameters to define what you should write is detrimental to the creative spirit because it doesn't describe the essence of a book. For example, the manuscript I just finished is a suspense novel with romance at its heart. I thought it was great until I was asked by an agent, "Well, which is it?" I chose romance, then changed my pitch and title. I pitched it again to another agent as a romance, and during the conversation, I spoke about the book in more depth. He recommended I change it to suspense. There was…
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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All around us, inspiration is waiting to be discovered. Hacks like us (insert humor here) have to be conscientious watchers and recorders of what they see and experience. We always seek new and fascinating things, and we don't rely on memory to do it. If you're like me, you jot things down on a drink napkin, then make sure the drink stains a circle around important things to remember. I'm kidding. I never rest my drink on the napkin. We writers build a practice of contributing to the "idea file" regularly. A place where we write, sketch, record thoughts, save photos, or anything else that we want to save for future reference. Check out one of AAC's best on idea files! …
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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I suspect that most writers have “Get Published” on their list of goals for the year. Given that this assumption is correct (and I’m pretty sure it is), I’m dedicating this week’s post and next week’s to getting published and what to expect in the process. Whether you’re looking into the traditional route or self-publishing, I’ve got something for everyone. Without further ado, here are my top five picks for this week: #1: Podcast 365. Sunrise, Sunset, and Behind the Scenes in Publishing: Hanging out with Abby Zidle Abby Zidle is the senior editor and associate director of marketing at Gallery Books. While this podcast is mostly geared toward the romance genre, …
Last reply by Kathy LaFollett, -
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Last reply by KaraBosshardt, -
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Writing Hacks. Are they helpful or hurtful? I, for one, have never cared for the word hack in this instance because it makes it sound like you are potentially BS-ing your way through your writing goals, thus leaving your integrity at the door. I’ve also never really understood the entire “hacking” trend because in so many instances they are just using the word hack in place of the words tip or advice. However, with all that being said, we’ll say that hacking is a good thing for our purposes today because it helped me find some new techniques for novel writing that I couldn’t have found any other way. So, here are my top five writing “hacks” for the week (the titles are pr…
Last reply by KaraBosshardt, -
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My very first manuscript was horribly cliché and pretty much plotless. In fact, it didn’t even have an ending to it. I never bothered writing one. It was clear to me that by 80,000 words there was no point in wasting my time on devising a resolution because there was never even a climax. It literally turned into one very lengthy exercise in getting to know my main characters—because I hadn’t bothered doing that before I started to write my novel. And this was okay at the time. I was brand new to creative writing and I just wanted to test my hand at being a writer since I’d never done anything like it before, unless you count the horrible required writing assignments in En…
Last reply by KaraBosshardt, -
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When it comes to my all-time favorite fictional character it will always and forever be Andrew Wiggins, better known as Ender. I have loved fictional stories ever since I could read. I especially love fantasy and sci-fi. However, I had never really connected with a main character very deeply in a novel until I read Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, when I was in the latter part of Junior High school. I have since read that story multiple times and my 14-year-old self connects just as deeply every time. Every author’s dream, right, to have their stories cherished for decades? But why did I completely fall in love with this particular character? I was a teenage girl w…
Last reply by KaraBosshardt, -
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Truthful, authentic, honest. All these words mean roughly the same thing, but in this case, I’ve chosen these words to describe writers and the stories they create. I’m sure you’ve all heard phrases such as “find your own authentic voice,” or “write your truth,” or “be true to your craft.” Or even “be honest with your readers.” I realize that these phrases are ambiguous at best and are usually tossed around at writing conferences to make a speaker sound like they know what they are talking about. So…what am I getting at? To be honest in what you are writing, or to be truthful in the story that you create means showing a side of yourself that you may not want to. To b…
Last reply by KaraBosshardt, -
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Conflict should be at the very heart of every story you write. Its presence throughout your manuscript, or lack thereof, can literally make our break your ability to get published. Your main characters need internal conflict, they need conflict between themselves and other characters (more than just the conflict raised by the antagonist). There should also be conflict within the setting of your novel like a picturesque countryside that isn’t entirely what it seems, etc. etc. etc. Without conflict, or tension or raised stakes for the main characters, beginning with the first scene and ending with the resolution, stories meander, they are quiet and your readers get bor…
Last reply by KaraBosshardt, -
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Creating your author’s platform can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, and for good reason. There’s lots to worry about. What do I say about myself? What photo of me looks the best? What if I’m nowhere near close to being published? Do I start with a website first, or a presence on social media? Rest assured that all these questions, and more, get answered in my top picks of the week: #1: Your Author Platform – Is it Ever too Soon to Start? The short answer is no. It is never too soon to start and I’ll let Karen Cioffi explain why. #2: Do I Need a Platform and If So, How High? Are you an expert on what you’re writing about? This article gives tip…
Last reply by KaraBosshardt, -
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Have you ever had a hard time figuring out what genre your story fits into? Or, maybe you know the genre of your story, but you don’t know how to structure it. Perhaps your book keeps switching from one genre to the next depending on which chapter you’re writing. If genre is feeling a bit hazy for you, or if you just want to understand it better then this week’s picks are for you: #1: Tinker, Tailor, Wizard, Spy: The Joys (And Dangers) of Blending Genre Elements W.L. Goodwater states, “When readers browse the genre shelves at the bookstore, they are looking to sign a contract with the writer: I, the undersigned, will purchase and read this book, but only under t…
Last reply by KaraBosshardt, -
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It’s here! The much anticipated second part to getting published. These articles will round out the information you already got in Part 1, but also give you more to consider when picking your publishing path. Ready or not, here are my top picks for the week: #1: How to Secure a Traditional Book Deal By Self-Publishing Jane Freidman brings up a lot of really good points about why, or why not, a writer should ever consider doing this. I warn you, going this route is not for the faint of heart. I’ll let Jane explain why. #2: Friday Speak Out!: No More Query Letters Why one woman decided—only after many years of writing—that the traditional publishing care…
Last reply by elisehartkipness, -
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We are living in a rather crazy time right now, with upheaval intruding upon our feelings of safety and comfort, and most of all upon our ability to remain focused on our writing. I hope to give anyone reading this the opportunity to come back to themselves and reconnect to the writer inside, and to encourage you to contemplate your reasons for choosing this path to begin with. So, to start out this brand-new forum known as Kara's Cabinet of Themes and Curiosities, as well as this brand-new year, here are my top five picks for the week and in the order that I think they should be read: #1: Writing Self-Care for When the World is Afire The way this a…
Last reply by KaraBosshardt,
WTF is Wrong With Stephen King?
An Algonkian Success Story
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New York Pre-Event Assignments - June 2021
1. Before you begin to consider or rewrite your story premise, you must develop a simple "story statement." In other words, what's the mission of your protagonist? The goal? What must be done? To assert her presence in a society that dismisses her as invisible and voiceless 2. in 200 words or less, sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your story. Keep in mind their goals, their background, and the ways they react to the world about them. The antagonistic force is the Philippine class system as embodied by various characters. Among the primary ones are members -
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The Genealogy of Disaster
© Vyacheslav Argenberg, Beirut, Lebanon, 2008, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. We walked over to the olive trees, he and I. There were three of them, and some little holm oaks. On the horizon, to the east and the south, you could see mountain ridges, and in the two other directions it was so wide that you couldn’t make out the boundary of the plot. The fellow had offered me another one, with a sea view, and I had replied that I didn’t care. I can look at the sea often enough, every day at home, and if I’m going to be in the mountains I might as well gaze up at the peaks and the canopy of sk -
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Road Trips, Small Town Romance, & More
A Good Duke is Hard to Find A Good Duke is Hard to Find by Christina Britton is $1.99! This is the first book in the Isle of Synne series and I’m sure it’s pronounced “sin” but my mind went to “sine” and I, for one, will avoid an island of calculus. No thank you! Get swept away by a Regency romance of broken engagements, second chances, and stolen kisses from the author whom Publishers Weekly calls “irresistible”. After her third fiancé leaves her at the altar, Lenora Hartley is beginning -
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Two Thumbs Up and a Smiley Face
Everybody knows the book The Little Engine That Could. Published in 1930, over the years, that little blue engine has taught billions of kids to keep on trying, to not give up. "I think I can, I think I can," was popularized by the train engine that managed to make it up the mountain. A bigger, more powerful engine broke down; other locomotives were asked to take over, but each of them refused. The little blue locomotive was asked, and it agreed to try. Because it kept believing it could, because the little locomotive kept encouraging itself, it suceeded in making it over the mountain. But n -
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To Be Liked, or Not to Be
I’ve spent virtually my entire life in the entertainment business, starting as a child in local amateur theater, then professional music, then this whole crazy book-writing thing. As different as these disciplines are, they have some core traits in common, chief of which is the need to please an audience. After all, if nobody comes to your show, or listens to your music, or reads your book, aren’t you just shouting into the void? So a core trait that each successful artist has in common is that they do please their audience. The really successful ones please a really BIG audience. But it’s n -
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Perfume Thieves and the History of Temptation
The thief of perfume is, in fact, one of the most active of the twenty-first century. In the UK, cosmetics/perfume was the fourth most-shoplifted category in 2019 (after packed meat, razor blades, and whisky/champagne/gin). In the US, perfume is first on the list of products pinched by women, and an AdWeek list of the ten most shoplifted items ranks Chanel No. 5 at No. 9 (a few notches down from Axe body spray). Just ask Mrs. Thyra G. Youngstrom. In a 1959 news article, she’s reported as having discovered her West Hartford, Connecticut, home had been ransacked. It seemed everything was out of -
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The Bleakest Noir: A List of Ultra-Dark Thrillers
Carol and Charlie were my upstairs neighbors. They were an older couple, sliver-haired and retired, always around on weekdays. I registered them as vaguely eccentric but sweet, complete opposites from one another. Carol was gregarious. She was always smiling, always generous, delivering packages from the lobby to our apartment doors and feeding a feral cat on our block. I met her as I was moving into my now-husband’s place. She seemed delighted to have me in the building, peppering me with personal questions like some cheerfully nosy aunt, welcoming me to the family. Charlie was quieter, inco -
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Suicide, Despair, Lunacy, and Hysteria (and Surprisingly Little Murder) Among WASPS
la valle d’abisso dolorosa . . . the valley of the sad abyss . . . —Dante, Inferno You find comparatively few murderers among WASPs. Harry Kendall Thaw (the Pittsburgh coal heir who shot Stanford White, the beaux arts architect, on the rooftop of Madison Square Garden in 1906), Jean Harris (the Smith College alumna and Madeira School headmistress who murdered the diet guru Dr. Herman Tarnower in 1980), and William Bradford Bishop (the Yale-educated diplomat who bludgeoned his family to death with a sledgehammer in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1976) very nearly exhaust the list of WASPs who killed -
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There’s an Abundance of Wives In Book Titles—Where Are the Husbands?
I got married in 2012. I remember sitting on the plane en route to our honeymoon staring at my brand new wedding band and thinking: I am somebody’s wife now. A small thrill passed through me at the idea of belonging to someone in this way. Ever since, I have always enjoyed introducing myself to my husband’s coworkers or high school classmates as “Rob Baker’s wife.” Hey, he’s a great guy to be married to! But also, let me be perfectly clear, as much as I love him, ‘til death do us part and whatnot, that sobriquet better not be the thing engraved on my tombstone. And furthermore, if someday I be -
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First Degree: A Crime Anthology
__________________________________ “The Text Message” by Luc Brahy is excerpted from FIRST DEGREE: A CRIME ANTHOLOGY. Used with the permission of the publisher, Humanoids. Copyright © 2021 by Luc Brahy. View the full article -
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One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Squee One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston June 1, 2021 · St. Martin's Griffin Contemporary RomanceLGBTQIA CW/TW: reference to a historical hate crime against LGBTQ people One Last Stop is the tale of August, a young woman who has recently moved to New York City, and Jane, the mysterious woman that August meets on the subway. When August moves to New York, she intends to do what she’s done her whole life, namely, keep to herself. However, h -
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Authenticity and Apocalypse: An Interview with Alexandra Kleeman
Photo: Nina Subin. I first encountered Alexandra Kleeman’s work in the pages of this magazine. Her story “Fairy Tale”—published in 2010, when Kleeman was still a student in the M.F.A. program at Columbia University—is a nightmarish account of a woman confronted by a barrage of strangers who all claim to be her fiancé. The one she is forced to choose tries to kill her. Kleeman’s novel You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine employs a similarly arch and sinister surrealism to tell the story of two roommates whose identities slowly melt into one. In her latest novel, Something New under the Sun, the -
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Interview with Johanna Sinisalo (THE BLOOD OF ANGELS)
Johanna Sinisalo is a pioneer of the Finnish Weird. Her debut novel Not Before Sundown (2000, translated 2003) won the prestigious Finlandia prize in her native Finnish and won the James Tiptree, Jr Award on its translation into English. The novel is a wonderful mix of the speculative and the realist, imagining an alternative Finland in which trolls really exist from the perspective of the gay community in Sinisalo’s hometown of Tampere. Her other novels translated into English include Birdbrain (2008, translated 2011), a masterpiece of the eco-Weird, the utterly wonderful The Blood Of Angels -
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The Walking Stick
There’s a concept in storytelling that I’ve long tried to understand: “authentic”. Mostly it’s invoked with respect to characters. It’s important to know them. It’s important that they act and speak in ways consistent with who they are, whether entering a room or rocketing to the stars. It’s also important to know how they came to be who they are. Back story wounds and burdens shape and define them and become the engines of change. If writing is “authentic” then every gesture, action and utterance is “honest” and everything observed is rendered in a way both original and pinpoint accurat -
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Sophie Hannah on the Literary Side of Agatha Christie: “Her style is not simplistic but, rather, beautifully simple.”
Last year, I took part in a London festival’s panel discussion of the work of Agatha Christie. On the panel with me were four other writers, all passionate Agatha fans. One by one, we described what we loved about her work and talked about how much she meant to us. Then it was time for the Q&A, and the questions we were asked by the audience were, by and large, the same ones I’ve been answering on Agatha-themed panels since around 2011: why is she still the no. 1 bestselling novelist of all time? Is her work dated now or is she still relevant? Even though she’s widely and rightfully regard
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