I really can't say enough about this site. Everyday I get up and make the vain attempt to work on my book. Every day I feel like I'm taking one step forward and two steps back. But, everyday I write. Some of it might just be pure crap. Some of it might be pure gold. Regardless of the outcome, I've gotten words down on paper, I mean on the computer.
I'm still working with the Scrivener beta and finding it to be most useful. Right now I need to layout my scenes, again. I find that process so difficult. I can't write and keep track of it since my thoughts are always jumbled around. I outlined the epilogue last night. A few days ago I wrote a scene that takes place in the middle of the book. This is just too unorganized, even for me. I'm trying to come up with a better alternative but so far nothing is working.
For now I'll just keep writing. Eventually it will all come together in time for me to get my fifty pages together for my Savvy U course, I hope. In the meantime I'm off to work on a fight scene.
Laterz!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
I wrote a review...
A couple of months ago I took a Savvy Authors workshop on writing reviews. I actually enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. I decided then that if I didn't really have anything nice to say about a book, I wouldn't write a review. Well, unless I felt really strongly about the book.
At the end of the workshop, we were offered an opportunity to submit our own review to be viewed and voted on and then possibly posted on the Savvy Authors website. Well, I waited until the week before the deadline and finally submitted my review. The day before the contest was to end only one other person submitted their review. In totally, we only had four people submit. I know we had more than that in the class but I guess people forgot or got busy with other things. It happens.
So, I decided to post my review here. I'm got to say that it's not a traditional novel. It's an m/m (male/male) romance that deals with BDSM. If that's not your cup of tea I wouldn't recommend reading it. I happened to enjoy the story a lot and even fangirled the author after I finished. Yes, I gushed.
If you have any comments on the review, like how to make it better or you notice any mistakes, feel free to let me know. Like I said, this is my first one and I would like to do more. I've read quite a few books since this one and have actually stared a rough draft file for when I can get around to editing them.
So, without further ado...
Finders Keepers by Jaime Samms
A Review by Kay Britton
A sadist finds the perfect tool for his revenge in book two of the Jaime Samms’ Tales from Rainbow Alley series, Finders Keepers.
Rory Sanders had gone looking for answers, but what he found was pain, abuse and confusion at the hands of Kane, a supposed Dominant, or Dom, who should have been teaching the eager young submissive instead of terrorizing him. Their last session leaves Rory battered, bruised and quite possibly broken.
Gabriel Sanders is the private detective, and professional Dom, hired to track down Kane and put a stop to the crimes that he has committed in the gay community’s BDSM scene. He has found his first true lead in Rory, the only man Kane has “kept” for more than a few weeks.
Working to not only stop a madman but also to teach Rory the correct ways of a submissive are just a few of the obstacles these two face as they try to discover the whys to Kane’s behavior as well as figuring out the attraction that has been drawing them together since their first meeting.
I love the instant connection both men feel when meeting each other. It truly is a simple case of love at first sight, but while Rory is more than willing to go along with it, past mistakes and losses make Gabriel a little more hesitant to follow where his heart is leading him.
The story is told not only from the two main characters point of view, but also Jimmy’s, a submissive who has worked with Gabriel in the past. As the story unfolds, the reader finds out more about Gabriel’s teaching methods as well as his reasons for helping Rory, who is a prime candidate for his services.
Jimmy’s relationship with Gabriel and his interactions with Rory are what give you a little more insight into the main characters and their backgrounds. When Jimmy calls Rory out over his wavering between submissive and defiant behavior, Rory admits that if he needs to “…give up speaking my mind to be a submissive, then maybe this isn’t what I want after all.” This is actually the first time he has admitted what he wants from a Dom, something he hadn’t been able to do when asked by Gabriel.
Earlier, when Gabriel complains about his physical attraction to Rory and how he’s having a hard time saying no, it’s Jimmy who reminds him “You’re the Dom here. Act like it.” Jimmy is the one of the few people who makes both men see what it is they truly want from the other even though it puts him in the awkward position of being the odd man out, especially since he still has unresolved feelings for Gabriel.
At its core, Finders Keepers is a romantic suspense novel with elements of Dominance/submission, also known as D/s, throughout. While some of the descriptions of violence might be a little too much for some, I still found it to be a highly enjoyable read and would definitely recommend it to others.
At the end of the workshop, we were offered an opportunity to submit our own review to be viewed and voted on and then possibly posted on the Savvy Authors website. Well, I waited until the week before the deadline and finally submitted my review. The day before the contest was to end only one other person submitted their review. In totally, we only had four people submit. I know we had more than that in the class but I guess people forgot or got busy with other things. It happens.
So, I decided to post my review here. I'm got to say that it's not a traditional novel. It's an m/m (male/male) romance that deals with BDSM. If that's not your cup of tea I wouldn't recommend reading it. I happened to enjoy the story a lot and even fangirled the author after I finished. Yes, I gushed.
If you have any comments on the review, like how to make it better or you notice any mistakes, feel free to let me know. Like I said, this is my first one and I would like to do more. I've read quite a few books since this one and have actually stared a rough draft file for when I can get around to editing them.
So, without further ado...
Finders Keepers by Jaime Samms
A Review by Kay Britton
A sadist finds the perfect tool for his revenge in book two of the Jaime Samms’ Tales from Rainbow Alley series, Finders Keepers.
Rory Sanders had gone looking for answers, but what he found was pain, abuse and confusion at the hands of Kane, a supposed Dominant, or Dom, who should have been teaching the eager young submissive instead of terrorizing him. Their last session leaves Rory battered, bruised and quite possibly broken.
Gabriel Sanders is the private detective, and professional Dom, hired to track down Kane and put a stop to the crimes that he has committed in the gay community’s BDSM scene. He has found his first true lead in Rory, the only man Kane has “kept” for more than a few weeks.
Working to not only stop a madman but also to teach Rory the correct ways of a submissive are just a few of the obstacles these two face as they try to discover the whys to Kane’s behavior as well as figuring out the attraction that has been drawing them together since their first meeting.
I love the instant connection both men feel when meeting each other. It truly is a simple case of love at first sight, but while Rory is more than willing to go along with it, past mistakes and losses make Gabriel a little more hesitant to follow where his heart is leading him.
The story is told not only from the two main characters point of view, but also Jimmy’s, a submissive who has worked with Gabriel in the past. As the story unfolds, the reader finds out more about Gabriel’s teaching methods as well as his reasons for helping Rory, who is a prime candidate for his services.
Jimmy’s relationship with Gabriel and his interactions with Rory are what give you a little more insight into the main characters and their backgrounds. When Jimmy calls Rory out over his wavering between submissive and defiant behavior, Rory admits that if he needs to “…give up speaking my mind to be a submissive, then maybe this isn’t what I want after all.” This is actually the first time he has admitted what he wants from a Dom, something he hadn’t been able to do when asked by Gabriel.
Earlier, when Gabriel complains about his physical attraction to Rory and how he’s having a hard time saying no, it’s Jimmy who reminds him “You’re the Dom here. Act like it.” Jimmy is the one of the few people who makes both men see what it is they truly want from the other even though it puts him in the awkward position of being the odd man out, especially since he still has unresolved feelings for Gabriel.
At its core, Finders Keepers is a romantic suspense novel with elements of Dominance/submission, also known as D/s, throughout. While some of the descriptions of violence might be a little too much for some, I still found it to be a highly enjoyable read and would definitely recommend it to others.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Where in the world is Kay Britton?
I've been spending a lot of time reading and trying my hand at writing reviews when I can. I entered a contest over at SavvyAuthors.com and hopefully I will get some additional feedback on that particular review. Until then I'll just keep doing my review "rough drafts" and saving them until I have time to edit.
In writing news I've been in a bit of a slump. I'm currently taking several workshops to help me with this and they don't really seem to be helping. It could just be I need to get over the winter blues. In any event, I've been using Scrivener since it seems to help with the organization of the story. Right now I'm using the Windows beta but I'll purchase a full copy when it becomes available.
In gaming news, well, I haven't really been playing much. Too busy reading and setting myself up for my Goodreads challenges. Fifty-one participants, including myself, have signed up for a quarterly reading challenge. It doesn't start until April 1st, my birthday, so for now I've been giving and receiving recommended books. This process is a bit time consuming but I've found some great books to add to my to-be-read list.
In real life, I decided not to attend this year's Missouri Writer's Guild Conference. I wasn't excited about the seminars and workshops like I was last year but I think it's because none of them are what I need right now. I'm not really a blogger or promoter because I don't have a book out yet. I do Twitter but again I don't have much to say except what I'm reading and when I'm writing. Maybe when I start posting my reviews I'll get the blogging part done but for now I think I'll just stick with the basics and go from there.
Well that's about all I have. I might come back in the next week or so with my review so until then...
In writing news I've been in a bit of a slump. I'm currently taking several workshops to help me with this and they don't really seem to be helping. It could just be I need to get over the winter blues. In any event, I've been using Scrivener since it seems to help with the organization of the story. Right now I'm using the Windows beta but I'll purchase a full copy when it becomes available.
In gaming news, well, I haven't really been playing much. Too busy reading and setting myself up for my Goodreads challenges. Fifty-one participants, including myself, have signed up for a quarterly reading challenge. It doesn't start until April 1st, my birthday, so for now I've been giving and receiving recommended books. This process is a bit time consuming but I've found some great books to add to my to-be-read list.
In real life, I decided not to attend this year's Missouri Writer's Guild Conference. I wasn't excited about the seminars and workshops like I was last year but I think it's because none of them are what I need right now. I'm not really a blogger or promoter because I don't have a book out yet. I do Twitter but again I don't have much to say except what I'm reading and when I'm writing. Maybe when I start posting my reviews I'll get the blogging part done but for now I think I'll just stick with the basics and go from there.
Well that's about all I have. I might come back in the next week or so with my review so until then...
Thursday, February 3, 2011
I wonder if God is screwing with me
I'm struggling in my writing career. I'm currently working on my second novel (the first is going to stay hog-tied for now) and I'm having the worst time trying to get a feel for the story. I have officially become bored with it.
I don't mean to say that I don't like the idea because I do. Kind of. I mean, when I thought it up originally I loved the idea. Then I tweaked it. And tweaked it some more. And on and on and on that went until I finally pinned down the story line. Kind of.
Yesterday I was feeling lost. I wanted to finish the first chapter for my Savvy U course. I've been dragging my feet on it for weeks now and I just finally wanted to get it done. So I tweaked it a few more times. Then I started feeling crabby, light-headed and anxious. I finally just posted it. The words were starting to blur at this point.
Then I walked away. I ate lunch, watched TV, drank some more coffee... Finally I checked back and saw that my instructor had taken a look at it. Oh my god! It totally sucked. She was too nice to say it but it really did. I didn't read all of her notes but the ones I read had me deciding one thing: I hated my first chapter.
That could only mean one thing: REWRITE!!! STAT!!!
So I waited a few more hours, just to get my thoughts in order. Then I opened Wordpad and went to work. First of all, I took her ideas into consideration. I then changed from third to first person POV. And then I wrote. And kept writing. And dammit if that didn't just feel great.
I was actually pleased with what I had written. It was a feeling I hadn't had in quite some time. The previous fits and starts I had were because as much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn't make myself get into my characters head. I think I was over-thinking the entire process when I should have just gone with my gut in the first place.
So yeah, I still think God is screwing with me. I broke the key off in my ignition this morning which means I can't go to work for the rest of the week. However, this might be his way of giving me the time I need to keep writing. I feel like I'm on a roll with this one.
So, thanks :)
I don't mean to say that I don't like the idea because I do. Kind of. I mean, when I thought it up originally I loved the idea. Then I tweaked it. And tweaked it some more. And on and on and on that went until I finally pinned down the story line. Kind of.
Yesterday I was feeling lost. I wanted to finish the first chapter for my Savvy U course. I've been dragging my feet on it for weeks now and I just finally wanted to get it done. So I tweaked it a few more times. Then I started feeling crabby, light-headed and anxious. I finally just posted it. The words were starting to blur at this point.
Then I walked away. I ate lunch, watched TV, drank some more coffee... Finally I checked back and saw that my instructor had taken a look at it. Oh my god! It totally sucked. She was too nice to say it but it really did. I didn't read all of her notes but the ones I read had me deciding one thing: I hated my first chapter.
That could only mean one thing: REWRITE!!! STAT!!!
So I waited a few more hours, just to get my thoughts in order. Then I opened Wordpad and went to work. First of all, I took her ideas into consideration. I then changed from third to first person POV. And then I wrote. And kept writing. And dammit if that didn't just feel great.
I was actually pleased with what I had written. It was a feeling I hadn't had in quite some time. The previous fits and starts I had were because as much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn't make myself get into my characters head. I think I was over-thinking the entire process when I should have just gone with my gut in the first place.
So yeah, I still think God is screwing with me. I broke the key off in my ignition this morning which means I can't go to work for the rest of the week. However, this might be his way of giving me the time I need to keep writing. I feel like I'm on a roll with this one.
So, thanks :)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Trying something new
I recently took a webinar through SavvyAuthors.com called "Self Editing and Revising the Knockout Novel". It was taught by James Scott Bell and was very informative. He gave the attendees a lot of valuable information, like revising the previous day's pages before you start writing again, creating a rolling outline and using symbols for later revisions (he recommends printing out the pages you want to revise for this one).
However, one of the things that intrigued me was his idea of keeping a journal of your writing process. He explained that it should be about the writing you did the day before, what the current day holds and what you might want to write about the next day. Bloody brilliant idea! It never occurred to me to do this so I thought I would give it a whirl today since I did manage to do some writing yesterday and today.
*
*
**WRITING JOURNAL**
I won't go into too much detail but what I'm writing about but what I've done so far is as follows:
Yesterday, I wrote the first 500 words of my new m/m romance, Desert Moon (tentative title). I was actually happy to get that much written. Lately I've found myself becoming overwhelmed with the urge to edit as I write. I frustrates me to no end (I'm even doing it now). I have found a way to fix this little problem though, although it may be more time consuming in the end with fixing line breaks and extra spaces between paragraphs, I think it will be worth it.
My idea is to use Notepad to write my story. I know, not exactly "ground breaking" but here's the thing: once you get past the word wrap and adjusting the font size and style, it's probably a distracted writer's best friend.
Don't get me wrong, I love using Word (and Google docs if I can't), but for the love of gods and goddesses I hate the fact that it picks up on every single mistake I make. Yes, I know I spelled "the" like "teh" but I'm a fast typist and it happens...often. So imagine how bad it is that I keep trying to write anyway but those damn squiggly red lines just draw my attention back to them. I can't make myself look away. It's like a compulsion...that...I...must...fix...
It's the same with the grammar errors. "Your" and "you're" are always banes of my existence when I'm writing but I already know this. I don't need another glaring reminder of my failure as a typist to remind me of the error of my ways. Same with to, too and two. Same with and, an and "an dxxx" (that's when I've completely misspelled the word "and").
So, what's the buzz about Notepad? Well, I can type away to my hearts content and never get red or blue error lines. I can write with confidence. I'm free!
Yeah, I know, it's rather lame and all but it works for me. I don't have enough insider knowledge on the inner workings of Word to know if there is a way to turn off spelling and grammar checker but at this point I really don't care. I've found a way to help keep me writing without the constant stop and go of self-editing along the way. Besides, once I cut/paste to my word doc I can easily fix any and all errors at that point and that really is the whole point of this exercise, right?
Aww man, I totally went off topic. Okay, back to the subject at hand.
This morning I edited what I wrote yesterday and added another 950 words to it. That's pretty awesome since it was a complete re-write of what I did yesterday. Later today I'm going to try for another 500 words and also try very, very hard to do some more work on my other novel, Burn Rate, a paranormal romance.
Tomorrow, I hope to do some early morning edits before work. If I can get in another 900+ words then I'm doing good.
/sigh (gamer speak)
I wish I could use my "Write or Die" the same way I use Notepad but those damn red lines keep showing up whenever I work. Maybe I need to tinker with some settings or something. That's something else to look at.
Well, that's about it. This is my second post of the year and my second this month. I think I have fulfilled my obligations to my New Year's resolution. Maybe tomorrow I'll be full of piss and vinegar and tell you about the workshop I'm taking on book reviewing. I think that's going to be really helpful in my future as a writer.
Until the next post...Laterz!
However, one of the things that intrigued me was his idea of keeping a journal of your writing process. He explained that it should be about the writing you did the day before, what the current day holds and what you might want to write about the next day. Bloody brilliant idea! It never occurred to me to do this so I thought I would give it a whirl today since I did manage to do some writing yesterday and today.
*
*
**WRITING JOURNAL**
I won't go into too much detail but what I'm writing about but what I've done so far is as follows:
Yesterday, I wrote the first 500 words of my new m/m romance, Desert Moon (tentative title). I was actually happy to get that much written. Lately I've found myself becoming overwhelmed with the urge to edit as I write. I frustrates me to no end (I'm even doing it now). I have found a way to fix this little problem though, although it may be more time consuming in the end with fixing line breaks and extra spaces between paragraphs, I think it will be worth it.
My idea is to use Notepad to write my story. I know, not exactly "ground breaking" but here's the thing: once you get past the word wrap and adjusting the font size and style, it's probably a distracted writer's best friend.
Don't get me wrong, I love using Word (and Google docs if I can't), but for the love of gods and goddesses I hate the fact that it picks up on every single mistake I make. Yes, I know I spelled "the" like "teh" but I'm a fast typist and it happens...often. So imagine how bad it is that I keep trying to write anyway but those damn squiggly red lines just draw my attention back to them. I can't make myself look away. It's like a compulsion...that...I...must...fix...
It's the same with the grammar errors. "Your" and "you're" are always banes of my existence when I'm writing but I already know this. I don't need another glaring reminder of my failure as a typist to remind me of the error of my ways. Same with to, too and two. Same with and, an and "an dxxx" (that's when I've completely misspelled the word "and").
So, what's the buzz about Notepad? Well, I can type away to my hearts content and never get red or blue error lines. I can write with confidence. I'm free!
Yeah, I know, it's rather lame and all but it works for me. I don't have enough insider knowledge on the inner workings of Word to know if there is a way to turn off spelling and grammar checker but at this point I really don't care. I've found a way to help keep me writing without the constant stop and go of self-editing along the way. Besides, once I cut/paste to my word doc I can easily fix any and all errors at that point and that really is the whole point of this exercise, right?
Aww man, I totally went off topic. Okay, back to the subject at hand.
This morning I edited what I wrote yesterday and added another 950 words to it. That's pretty awesome since it was a complete re-write of what I did yesterday. Later today I'm going to try for another 500 words and also try very, very hard to do some more work on my other novel, Burn Rate, a paranormal romance.
Tomorrow, I hope to do some early morning edits before work. If I can get in another 900+ words then I'm doing good.
/sigh (gamer speak)
I wish I could use my "Write or Die" the same way I use Notepad but those damn red lines keep showing up whenever I work. Maybe I need to tinker with some settings or something. That's something else to look at.
Well, that's about it. This is my second post of the year and my second this month. I think I have fulfilled my obligations to my New Year's resolution. Maybe tomorrow I'll be full of piss and vinegar and tell you about the workshop I'm taking on book reviewing. I think that's going to be really helpful in my future as a writer.
Until the next post...Laterz!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
A new year, a new resolution...
I've decided to start the new year off right by committing myself to a few resolutions. They are as follows:
1. Exercise one day a week.
2. Eat on piece of fruit a week.
3. Update blog at least once a month.
4. Write two fan-fics, any length, this year.
5. Make a new friend this year.
6. Hang out with friends at least once this year.
7. Look for a new EDJ.
8. Get a new iPod.
9. Fix my desktop computer/Buy a new one.
10. Get a new desk & chair for my "home office".
A very manageable list. I'm sure to fulfill my resolutions this year :)
*
Notice that I said nothing about my writing. Well, that's because I'm still working on my Savvy U course. We start the actual process of writing on Monday. I'm looking forward to it since I just finalized my story's outline. I honestly didn't think it would be this hard. The idea that I originally had has sliced, diced and reshaped but I'm much, much happier with the end product.
1. Exercise one day a week.
2. Eat on piece of fruit a week.
3. Update blog at least once a month.
4. Write two fan-fics, any length, this year.
5. Make a new friend this year.
6. Hang out with friends at least once this year.
7. Look for a new EDJ.
8. Get a new iPod.
9. Fix my desktop computer/Buy a new one.
10. Get a new desk & chair for my "home office".
A very manageable list. I'm sure to fulfill my resolutions this year :)
*
Notice that I said nothing about my writing. Well, that's because I'm still working on my Savvy U course. We start the actual process of writing on Monday. I'm looking forward to it since I just finalized my story's outline. I honestly didn't think it would be this hard. The idea that I originally had has sliced, diced and reshaped but I'm much, much happier with the end product.
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