Pirates be walkin' the plank

I'm on a rant today...

With the dawn of AI, even artistry is becoming automated. Would-be authors have decided they can use AI to write a complete book. 

AI is NOT the be-all and the end-all. There is only so much you can do with soulless technology. It is flawed, and its creators are pirating work from actual artists to train it. 

I was recently notified that my work was pirated without my consent, and as part of a class action lawsuit, I am now entitled to compensation. Theoretically. I'll believe it when I see it. This is only the first of many, as I understand it.

As an independent author, there are costs that go into producing a book. Sure, it's easy to say "it doesn't cost anything," but if you want to put out a quality product, you need an editor. Some people use a variety of editors for different things, or one editor for a variety of things. There is the cost of commissioning a quality book cover. There is the cost of formatting. If you do an audio version, you might have paid a narrator. Some people have skill sets that make life easier, but as one of my author buddies always says, hire out what you aren't good at. And here's the thing. I was an editor on the day job, and I still hire an editor, because that's a particular skill that requires "a second set of eyes." I can get close. I get it right for the most part, but it's way too easy to miss things. 

The settlement will cover some of those extra costs, assuming the amount they're predicting comes through, and that's just from the AI pirates.

There are other pirates out there. How many people want to save a buck and find a place that offers books for free? Legitimately? There are far too many pirates out there, but let's call them what they are. Thieves. You're buying "fenced" goods. Some people might remember when recording artists sued streaming services for essentially giving away their music for free. Hey, we need to eat, too.

There are plenty of authors who offer books free of charge to their readers - first in series is a prime example. We want you to read our books. Take the free one, and if you like it, support our work. If you can't afford to buy books, get them from the library. If they don't have the hard copies, you can bet they'll have the electronic copies, or you can request the hard copies.

I'm pleased the AI book pirates are being addressed, but that doesn't cover all the pirating that happens. I write because I love to write. I publish to share my work with you, but there are a lot of hours of blood, sweat, and tears that go into my work, and I don't overcharge my readers. In a lot of cases, my books are cheaper than a cup of coffee. I have to sell a lot of books just to break even. If you can't justify supporting an author as easily as your coffee habit, there will be fewer authors to choose from. I can't tell you how many days I ask myself if it's worth it. For myself? Yes. Sharing it? Not if you'd rather support a pirate than an author. It's very disheartening.

Time in a bottle

If you’re like me, there are certain instances when you expect time to stand still.

Have you ever gone to a high school reunion expecting everyone to look the same (I haven’t, but it seems like a reasonable expectation, eh?) Or movie stars? I always thought Sean Connery was handsome, even when he got old as sin. Maybe it was due to excellent makeup artists. Steve Martin? There’s a man who never changes - or maybe he does. Which brings me to the latest “when did he get so old?”

I saw a video clip featuring Steve Martin and Jackson Browne. (You can see it here.) Those of you who are of a certain age might remember "Running on Empty" (among other songs). It so happens a few years back I'd seen a Jackson Browne soundstage concert while I was writing Cookie Therapy. I modeled my fireman after him. Granted, JB was already aging then, but I looked up some pictures of when he was younger because he had a distinctive look and some of us 😏found him attractive. So watching that new video clip sort of took my breath away. That couldn't possibly be Jackson Browne. Could it? It must be the beard that makes him look different. Here's me, off to Google him. How many years ago was he making music? How many years ago did I write Cookie Therapy? HOW OLD AM I?? Which reminds me of something my writing buddy often says - she looks in the mirror and there's an old woman looking back--where did she come from? 

My mother used to say you're as old as you feel. After having some health challenges at a relatively young age, I was feeling pretty darn old before my time. Once those challenges were corrected, I felt remarkably better, but ever conscious of my age. I'm not one of those people who wants to be younger. To look younger. I've earned my stripes, in a manner of speaking. I am who I am, and this is what I look like. We all have our own vision of what "old" is. I've been told I'm an old soul, which might account for why age doesn't bother me quite so much (not that I'm THAT old). I'm the youngest of my sisters, and I still remember one of my sisters' boyfriends asking (when I was still a teenager!) if I was older than she was. By some measures, I've always been old. Still, it's somewhat of a shock when you see contemporaries or childhood idols who no longer resemble the heartthrob they once were. We can't all age like Dolly Parton or Paul McCartney, but the characters in my stories will be forever young. Here's looking at you, Matt Billings, the man I modeled after Jackson Browne.

Chasing Squirrels

I admit to being distracted when I write. Sometimes. 

There are days the words flow forth like a faucet opened to full stream. Then there are days the words dribble. On those days, distractions are more effective at getting your attention. Some days, I give up to the distractions, and others I firmly denounce them. What kinds of things distract me?

The "I don't know what I don't know" squirrel

I'm in the middle of writing something and one of my characters, who is in a profession I'm not knowledgeable about, has to wax poetic about their job. What do I do? I reach out to a professional and ask them how it works. How do I get around that? I write what I *think* and go back to it after I've heard from the professional.

The "what's the correct usage/idiom/word?" squirrel

This one can be tricky, because once you go out to the world wide web to find what you're looking for, the browser might distract you with something else, and then you lose track of what you went after in the first place. For example, I have a real blind spot when it comes to the correct usage of lie/lay. In order to get it right, I'll search the sentence I wrote to see the proper usage. If I remember why I went to the browser in the first place... This problem also leads to doom scrolling if you have news on your default browser page. 😟

The "I don't know what to write next. I must need sustenance of some sort" squirrel

So I go into the kitchen. Open the refrigerator. Open the pantry. Stare at the food and decide no, I'm not really hungry. Hey, at least I got a few steps in walking back and forth, right?

The "Wow, I didn't know that!" squirrel

This is the going down the rabbit hole trap. I look something up to make sure I got it right and learn more than I bargained for. Oftentimes, I find the answer so interesting, I keep reading, or if I don't find what I was looking for, I keep looking, which can provide more information than I needed, or divert me from the given path altogether. 

The list of distractions isn't comprehensive. We all have our own personal squirrels. Likewise, the amount of writing I do on any given day varies greatly. As mentioned, there are days I am fully focused for several hours and write until my brain runs out of words. It's like watching a movie, and let's face it, it has to end at some point (even if the story hasn't finished). Then there are the days the chart above is 100% accurate. The goal is to write 1,000 words a day. It's a reasonable expectation and gives me a focus. Even if I'm distracted, if I can get to the goal, I can quit and chase those squirrels. Or I can keep going and exceed my own expectations. 

And for now, the beat goes on (#MyLifeIsAMusical). Working my way through the next book, which follows on from Through the Viewfinder. My editor wanted to know the secondary characters' stories, so I'm indulging her (and me. Who am I kidding?)

See you next week.

Writing is like a box of chocolates?

You never know what you're going to get. 

I've have close to forty books under my belt now, and every one of them has been a different experience. I'm not a firm believer in writers' block, so I can't say any of them has ever stumped me, per se. The trick is to keep writing. Even when it's nonsense. One thing I can say, however, is that each book has presented itself differently.

Some books practically write themselves. You sit down and the characters play nice with you. They walk you through their stories and tell you everything beginning to end. You might hit snags along the way, but overall, it's a clear picture. A well-defined path. 

Then there are those books that are like buying a box of chocolates without any idea what flavors are inside. The characters play close to the vest and while getting them to show you the way, they turn their backs on you. That's the closest I've come to "writers' block." Trying to figure out what comes next. Where are they going? What is their journey? When you figure it all out, though, it all comes together in an "a-ha" moment that is very satisfying.

Through the Viewfinder was a box of chocolate truffles without a flavor key. I had all the pieces. I knew the characters. I knew the basic plot, but when I tried to fit it all together, it didn't track. It didn't make sense. How does this part of the story relate to the other? Why does this happen this way? How do these flavors go together? But I kept writing (and this is the lesson for this blog post, keep writing). I was at least half, and maybe further along when I reached the "A-Ha! Now this all makes sense!" Once you figure it out, you can fit in the missing pieces where they go, layer in the foreshadowing that gets you to that once piece of information that had been eluding you but now makes perfect sense. It's like taking a bite of one of those unknown chocolates and finding a new favorite flavor. There's an immense sense of satisfaction once it all comes together, that perfect blend of chocolate and [add your favorite filling here].

This time around? The secondary characters from Viewfinder are stepping forward for their story against a backdrop that both creeps me out and fascinates me. I took them on a field trip, found the ghost story (because that's what I do, after all) and instead of wondering what flavor I'm going to find, it's like I have a whole box of my favorites. I know what I'm going to get in every bite. So satisfying! 

When you're writing, as frustrating as the unknown flavor might be, it keeps me fresh. Keeps me thinking. If every story was easy to write, as with eating your favorite thing every day, you might lose interest. If I didn't have to work for it, I might take it for granted and write a boring story. Not everyone likes vanilla caramel every time.

I have favorite authors. At least two of them write "vanilla caramels" every time. I like vanilla caramels, but every time? Every now and then you want a cherry center. Or English toffee. That's when I switch off and read someone else. Well, you get the idea. 

The good news is that the current work in progress, tentatively titled "Unidentified Remains," is a perfectly balance chocolate truffle. I know this recipe, and I'm pretty sure you'll love the results. 

Doing the research

As an author, there comes a point in every book where I don’t know what I don’t know. Time to ask an expert. But how does one go about that?

The internet is a fabulous source of information, and now there’s AI, but let’s face it. Those sources don’t always get it right. Not only that, they don’t always answer the questions. For the “easy” stuff, it’s a quick search. But more in depth? And where do I go?

There are groups of professionals that help authors out. An online crime scene writers group is made up of policemen, firemen and other public servants who can provide a quick easy answer on those questions, but they usually limit their answers, and unless it’s an easy question, I’m usually left wanting more. I’ve found the best way to get the information you need is to interview a live person. Most people are happy to talk to you about their professions, and you usually get extra information in the process. “There was this one time…” Conversation. Where do you find these people? Everywhere. 

I have a friend who is an architect. After touring New Orleans and admiring the Garden District, I wanted to write a character who was an architect. Her first comment? Architects are boring. After helping me with the eponymous book (THE ARCHITECT), she gave me information that gave the book more depth, and she liked the story, too! I’ve interviewed policemen and firemen. They always have extras to provide a story with more depth, and when I stopped them in the grocery story or on a lunch break, they were more than happy to talk to me or set up a time to chat. 

Authors are often introverts, myself included. Talking to strangers is a difficult thing to do, but every time I put on my big girl pants and make the effort, I’ve been rewarded with more information than I was looking for, which made the books that much better.

I'm not a gardener

Hollyhock doll (Thanks, Ruth)

Fun fact. My mother grew up on a farm. She loved her garden at home, where she grew flowers. We had a neighbor who lived behind us with acres of land. He grew iris, among other flowers. He showed my sisters how to make dolls out of hollyhocks (something I must have been too little to remember). My mother-in-law always grew a vegetable garden, and some flowers, too. Fresh food (or formerly fresh--she did a lot of canning) whenever we visited. She was very fastidious in both her garden and her lawn. Very attentive to all things green and growing. My sisters grow gardens filled with beautiful flowers and veggies. My daughter also grows gardens with her daughters. 

When I moved into my present house, the woman who lived here before us had gardens. Everywhere. There was the tiered vegetable garden filled with a dozen different types of veggies and the flower beds in the back and flower boxes on the deck. My husband moved in in July, and everything was ready for harvest. What a lovely moving in gift! 

My husband took down all the flower boxes, both inside and out. I think the rationale was men don't garden. I would have liked to have some of those flower boxes to grow herbs or even flowers. Off the ground where the bunnies couldn't get them. 

One of the authors I've followed for years - we communicated some when we both first started writing - is a gardener. She posts dozens of pictures of her expansive garden and even built a greenhouse. It's her happy place. She reminds me of my mother-in-law in the way she grows and uses vegetables. I'm envious, in a way, but gardens aren't my talent.

I've grown gardens over the years. Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans--the easy things--and I've had good luck, which I attribute to the gardens the master class gardener who lived here before me left. I grew strawberries in the tiered gardens that lasted way longer than strawberries are supposed to with very little effort. Successful gardening requires commitment, though, and I'm sorry to say the things that grew in my gardens grew in spite of me.

Several years ago now, I had some mobility issues, and surgery to repair same. As a result, I wasn't able to garden, especially in a tiered garden where I had to climb up and down and on different levels. My beloved strawberries suffered (I guess I was more committed to them than I thought). While I recovered, the gardens went to weeds. Once the weeds get out of control, I'm a lost cause. I only last so long before I have to give up. Yes, I've still managed to grow some veggies, and I've planted some bedding plants. I had a mandevilla that wintered inside and moved back outside in the summer for a few years. It didn't thrive, but it didn't die. I had one ivy that was a gift at work that survived in spite of me. It lasted WAY longer than I ever imagined, indicating it was a low maintenance plant. I've planted perennials because I do like pretty flowers. Some of them got overtaken or choked by my poor weeding practices.

This year, I bought a basket of marigolds to hang from my shepherd's hook. It was such a bright, sunny, happy plant. And then it started to get brown and sad and weepy looking. I consulted my granddaughter, who is becoming quite the gardener, and she said, "Yes, it does look kind of sad. Remember the rules of gardening." My granddaughter. Welp, I have the Picture This app on my phone and I snapped a picture. It's supposed to tell me what's wrong with my plant. It came back with "your plant is sick" and invited me to pay a fee to tell me what was wrong with it. I use that app about once every two years, so no, I'm not going to pay the fee so it can tell me I have a black thumb. I read up on marigolds, which need full sun. My shepherd's hook is in part shade. So I moved the marigold basket to the back deck as a last resort, where it gets sun all day. It perked up! I have to say, in spite of rallying, it doesn't have that same bright, happy look to it anymore, but it isn't dead. Really, that's the best I can say of most of my plants. They aren't dead.

Tomorrow, I'm going out to weed one of my gardens (after having landscapers come to dig up out-of-control weeds). I'm hoping I can keep up at least a little so it isn't necessary to hire someone to keep from choking my perennials. If I want to enjoy my gardens--and I do--I need to at least make a minimal effort. I just wish I was better at it.

We all have our talents, I guess. Gardening isn't mine.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning

A very good place to start...

FIRST - Today is release day! If you haven't gotten your copy of THROUGH THE VIEWFINDER, what are you waiting for? The ARC readers reporting have loved it (and I think you will, too).

SECOND - my editor suggested I take the secondary characters and write a story for them, which I am doing. Chapter 1 in any book almost always turns into exposition and backstory in the first draft. It's sort of a "get to know you" for the author, during which the characters reveal things about themselves that make them who they are. As the story progresses, many of those details get moved into later sections where they can be added more seamlessly, but for now, I'm starting at the beginning. 

The fun part about writing is that once you get started, it unleashes your imagination. So even if I'm writing complete drivel, it's carrying me away with "Oh! What if this happened, or what if that happens?" "Oh, what if the plot I imagined relates to such and such?" First drafts are flights of fancy. Let your imagination carry you wherever it wants to go. You can always clean it up later.

Oftentimes, somewhere along the writing process, the story stalls out, so the more thoughts I have now that I can capture (like capturing a fly, or maybe a butterfly) the easier it will be to navigate that stall. The muddle in the middle. The "where is this story going?" If I know that now, even just a little bit, it helps motor through when things start to slog. This is especially important when you have the ideas in the first place. There are some books where those ideas are elusive, and it takes a concentrated effort to see the forest for the trees, in a manner of speaking. Give yourself the freedom to create without structure, and you'll have the bones to build that structure later. You've heard the expression, "just write." That has gotten me through more quagmires than I can count, and it's no more important that when you're first starting out.

So if you're writing, start at the beginning. Write it all down. Let your imagination carry you along, and as the story gets further along, you can shape it however it needs to go. That backstory you started out with? It will be important somewhere along the way. Write it down. You can filter it in later where it's more appropriate. That crazy idea? Write it down. You can discount it later if it doesn't make sense, but if you don't write it down, you won't have it for later in case it fits in. 

So excuse me now, as I go to see how many people are buying the new book because YAY! It's release day. Your support is what keeps me motivated. Don't forget to tell all your friends about this great new book you heard about. In between checking sales, I'll be writing the new book, because I have some great ideas for those secondary characters who are stepping into the spotlight!