More Novel adventures at The Year of Writing Dangerously

We're sorry, but the blog you have reached has been ---well, not disconnected, but re-directed.
But the new one's still cool.
Cooler, even .
Promise.
And hey, if you leave a comment and tell me that you came here from Novel Trails [and obviously leave your e-mail addy] I'll give you a coupon for one of my books. Free. Seriously. No catch.
Go to :
The Year of Writing Dangerously

FREE Sample Sunday

Hey,


As a part of FREE Sample Sunday--a new Twitter promotion I'm working on--- if you want to read a free chapter from "Saint Jude," skip on over to Carraway Bay Press at http://www.carrawaybaypress.com/ . BTW, the book is on sale for a limited time for 99 cents.

I'm interviewed by David Wisehart

Special thanks to David for interviewing me. He asked some wonderfully thoughtful questions.

Here's a link to the interview:

Kindle Author Interviews by David Wisehart



And National Novel Writing Month? It's going slowly, but I'm usually slow right out of the gate. Here's hoping for a stronger finish. First week and I'm only hovering at 3k. All in good fun, though.

New posts at The Year of Writing Dangerously

Yep, I'm not here anymore...though in all honesty, it was questionable if I was ever here to begin with....

New post at:

dawn-theyearofwritingdangerously.blogspot.com

God is good, even you when you don't feel great

So, my writing weekend with C was kind of a wash, but that's okay. We have both been under the weather, she with a sinus infection, me with a cold from you know where, and while we are still at the gorgeous island of Nags Head, NC, we have also been coughing up stuff that is every color of the rainbow.
But what has been so awesome through all of this, is gorgeous the sunsets, the breathtaking sunrises, the comforting ebb and flow of the ocean---and all of this given freely to us by a mighty God. There are so many dangerous things in the world, so many disasters (Chile, Haiti, Hawaii, list goes on ad infinitum, and our hearts and prayers go out to all those folks) that we were just overwhelmed by an incredible sense of gratitude for everything--even deceptively 'simple' things like being able to stop by the local Walgreens for sinus medication, and being able to afford the sinus medication [and a few York peppermint patties to boost.] And we also include into that the fact that we're fighting sinus issues and not cancer or brain tumors. (I have other brain issues, but that's another post.)
My point is, even though this is not an intensely religious blog per se, I think gratitude is intrinsic to artistry. That's my opinion anyway, so even though I didn't get as much 'accomplished' this weekend, I have had a renewal in another way, a reminder, a thankfulness. Very appropriate during Lenten season.
Killer moonrise over the beach.
Does this count as writing dangerously? You better believe it.

New posts at The Year of Writing Dangerously

I'm blogging over there. Come visit if you want to see cool stuff. You're welcome to stay here, too...I'm just saying....

Y'all need to read this

Guys, check this out---
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/

Interested to know your comments.

And folks, be aware that most of my blog has moved to :
dawn-theyearofwritingdangerously.blogspot.com

Meet my new blog...

I've started a new blog called The Year of Writing Dangerously.
I will keep up with some Novel Trails, but mostly, I'll be blogging there.
The Year of Writing Dangerously will offer the following:
--Comments from my Snarky Muse
--My Snarky Muse will also deliver some daily writing butt-kickings if you need / want them. She'll even be glad to leave those PG-13 comments on your blog.
--How to encourage you to Write Dangerously
--What is writing dangerously anyway? (and the clip art people to explain it to you.)

Come visit over there...I think you'll love it.
Here's the link---
http://www.dawn-theyearofwritingdangerously.blogspot.com/

What is The Year of Writing Dangerously?

It's time.

Time to, as Barbara Kingslover so eloquently states, step out into the glorious debris. I have personally cut back on my "over-involvement" to let my writing move closer to the top of my priority list. With Kindle, Nook, and all the other options that are soon becoming available [has 'self-publishing come back en vogue? Discuss.'] it's time to be more proactive.
It's time to write dangerously.
With reckless abandon.
To remind ourselves of why we did this to begin with....

What I promise:
-Regular updates [I promise]
-FREE reads of stuff I've written [whether good or bad]
- Updates on what I'm calling my personal Kindle experiment...
- Word antics [not sure what that entails? You'll see]

What I want from you?
- Follow my blog and get weekly 'Muse Butt-kickings" --- comments from my snarky Muse who has agreed to let me place her 'on loan' to give you doses of inspiration...
--TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROJECTS! Let's make this the year of writing dangerously. Encourage each other.
-- I'm also looking for guest bloggers. Tell me about why you love writing. What are you going to do to write dangerously this year....

FREE Writer Resource o' the Week

Okay, if not maybe of the week then maybe of the month or whatever time it is....

This one is Media Bistro:

www.mediabistro.com

This site contains a great job marketplace not only for freelance writers, but for those looking for jobs in public relations, journalism, marketing, editing, publishing and web design.

Check it out....

Update

Right now I'm taking a vacation from work and polishing up the Big Tom proposal and a collection of short stories to start shopping around....I'll keep you posted.

Hey, has anyone ever been to Iceland? I'm thinking of applying for a study abroad thing there...

Video of My Reading at the Cape Fear Poetry Fesvital

NC Literary Festival at UNC-Chapel Hill

Kudos to all those who worked to present the NC Literary Festival. I went and had a blast (like it's possible to NOT have a blast at UNC). In addition to enjoying the typical kicking around the college campus, my niece got to fulfill one of her dreams in meeting RL Stine, who signed two of her books and posed with pictures.

I also hopped over and caught part of the session of author's talking about the challenges adapting books to film and plays, etc. etc. It had Allan Gurganus ("Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All") and Daniel Wallace ("Big Fish"). Both works are awesome,but I was particularly interested in Wallace, because "Big Fish" doesn't follow the "typical" story format and is told in a very interesting way, and it translated so well to screen, although initial impressions were that the book wouldn't translate to screen easily. Both are great, btw.

I especially loved what Wallace said about just going forward with your next work. He said that many folks ask him or interviews etc. present him with a lot of opportunities to relive his older work. He said he believes in just going forward. I found that kind of inspirational, and good advice, because I learned (at least personally) if I wait until the book /story / article is perfect, then it will simply never leave my house. Sometimes, like kids, you just have to kick them out after a while. I had kind of felt guilty about not revisiting stuff (especially since many asked about a sequel to "Saint Jude") and this was good confirmation for just forging ahead.

Of course, the highlight of the day was when my niece met RL Stine. (You can see pictures of myself and my niece in photos with him. What can I say? The man is a rock star.)My niece has been reading RL Stine books for several years (I think she started when she was 6). RL Stine really fueled a love of reading in many young people. A year ago, my niece said it was her dream to meet RL Stine and I promised her if he was within a 500 mile radius, I'd take her to see him. Viola.

And let me just say, for the record, that RL Stine was a super nice guy. You never know what you're going to get when you meet a famous writer, as writers can behave like, well, like WRITERS (and since I am a writer, I should know, because I place myself in that category too), and sometimes you just have to hold your breath.

I can honestly say, that RL Stine could not have been nicer, especially for the two of us who logged in a lot of hours on the road to see him. He really showed a genuine appreciation for his fans, and I think that is a wonderful quality that is sadly lacking in many celebrities today.

I have to admit that I felt he was being very genuine--that it wasn't just a nice act he was putting on, but that he generally was a cool guy.

Thank you RL Stine for helping me create a moment that my niece will remember for the rest of her life.

We also got a special treat as he read an excerpt from his new Goosebumps series "Horrorland." He gave a "world premiere" of a section he read from the book---meaning that we were the first group of kids (of all ages) in the world to hear it. That made us feel really special.

Though totally off subject, if you're at UNC-Chapel Hill (and any time is a good time to visit the old alma mater) may I suggest the restaurant Top of the Hill--esp. the crab dip and the shrimp and grits cake. Exceptionally good food.

And of course, I couldn't make the trip without stopping by the old stomping grounds of the J-School, which had consumed a large portion of my undergraduate life (and sanity). They have moved it to a bigger (and nicer) building than Howell Hall (aka Howell Hell as some of my friends called it) and it was very nice. Congrats to the J-school, which is now celebrating its 100th year.

Between the Lines Chapbook Release Party

I had a wonderful, rewarding time at the Cape Fear Poetry Society's chapbook release party in Wilmington last weekend. Two of my poems were chosen for selection in their chapbook, "Between the Lines." There was a reception at Bottega gallery on Front Street (a wonderful art gallery / wine bar) and the poets in the chapbook did readings, talked about poetry, we had a few "word antics" and as they say, a good time was had by all...

Special thanks to all those who made this event possible. It was wonderful to enjoy historic downtown Wilmington.

I met some wonderful people and I was so incredibly impressed with how the Wilmington arts community embraced the literary arts...truly is a great case of artists supporting one another.


Here are my poems that were selected for the collection...

Jesus of Macon Avenue

Jesus of Macon Avenue sits in front of the Starbucks,

four blocks down from the Asheville country club

rocking contentedly in front of his black

guitar case, kicked back, keeping in tune

to a soundtrack of angels only he sees.

The autumn breeze furrows his long tresses

with ease into a halo, adn as soon as the traffic light

changes, I lose sight of him among the seas of

worthless, trite, gray-flannel.

Sans Utero

a cinquain

The scar:

puckered pink flesh--

surgical precision's

river---guarding my bikini.

Fading.

Writer Resource o' the Week

Need a rhyming dictionary? (chances are that you do, even if you don’t realize it yet.)

Then check out the Rhyme Zone.

Rhyme Zone

www.rhymezone.com

This is incredibly useful and extremely easy to use, and can also be handy with the thesaurus application. I found it an incredibly valuable resource when I was writing a villanelle poem about Abraham Lincoln (don’t ask. The only thing I got from that experience is that I’m obviously not very good at writing villanelles.)

Cape Fear Poetry Festival

I'll be reading at the Cape Fear Poetry Festival in Wilmington on Saturday, August 29.
One of my poems has been selected to be published in their chapbook, and I'll be on hand for the Q and A session, reading and open mic night. I'm also planning to sell some copies of my books-"Saint Jude" (about a teenager dealing with bipolar disorder) and "Leaving the Comfort Cafe" (about a redneck chick who gave up an Ivy League Scholarship).
Where: Bottega Gallery
When: August 29
Tentative Schedule:

Schedule of events.

6:00pm Informal poetry workshop with local writers: bring your poems!

7:00pm Poets on Poetry: a Q&A with poets/meet & greet with other chapbook poets

8:00pm Chapbook poets live readings

10:00pm Open Mic Poetry. All ages. All genres.

If you're in the Wilmington area, swing by. Mention that you saw it Noveltrails and I'll treat you to a coffee-type beverage of your choice. Honest.

Novel Trails Hits the Radio

http://www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/publicaccessradio and click on “Stream” to the left of my show "Novel trails"

Novel Trails on Talk Radio

I will be hosting a radio show on Global Talk Radio (www.globaltalkradio.com) on Friday at 6 p.m. ET.

Novel Trails: start your novel now! Will give practical advice on starting and completing your novel, with emphasis on characterization. I'll also be listing a lot of great resources for writers, and (as always) using the opportunity to do some shameless self promotion of my book.

Anyone who wants to call in with a question can call the listener line 310-328-9300 and talk to me on the air....

Guest blog exchange?

If anyone would like to write a guest blog for Noveltrails, just let me know. Right now I'm looking for entries that provide good resources for writers, the craft of writing, and any tips or techniques that you feel may benefit new writers. Just get in touch with me via this blog or my website at www.dawnwilson.net

Writer Resource o' the Week

The free writer resource o' the week is:

querytracker.net

I confess, this one I found through the grapevine, and though I haven't used it, I'm going to sign up for it soon. Looks good. And free. Mmm! Mmmm!