Thinking Sideways ~

Lots of us here in the inter-spaceways are taking Holly Lisle's "How to Think Sideways" class, I've seen a lot posted around on various forums and blogs, but I find I have to throw out my own two cents about it.

First, let me say that I've been a fan of Holly's for a long time. Her books first, and I used to lurk in the Forward Motion community. I've read over and over again all the good free articles and advice she has on her website. At a point, before I had really gotten a good start, I'd been beaten down and was close to giving it all up, but the encouragement and support that she offers to anyone who will take the time to read what she has to offer tossed me back on my feet and helped me find my backbone and keep going.

When she started making her writer's workshop series available in the Holly Shop -- I elbowed my way to the front of the line.

Now, the second thing I want to say is that I've done the usual round of online classes as well as f2f workshops at various conferences and worked somewhat extensively with some very talented authors - and not to take anything away from any of that, because I've learned a lot in so many different places it would be impossible to list them all - and I have a full shelf of 'how to' books, including a short stack of well-thumbed favorites -- but on the whole, Holly's workbooks are in a class of their own.

There are a lot of good authors out there, good writers and good teachers. But it is a rare and unique individual who has the extraordinary talent to teach well the thing they are successful at. It takes a special *combination* of skill and talent that few people have.

Holly has that extraordinary, unique combination of talents -- not only of being able to figure out what she's doing that helps make her successful but being able to break that down into steps and explain it in a way that others can use what she's done to build their own skills.

I have most, if not all, of the writers workshop series and love every one. I have links to her shop in my sidebar because I believe in what she has to offer. When she opened up submissions for the '33 Mistakes' Series, I was excited to be included and ecstatic to get to be the first release.

So when Holly opened up registration for the first Think Sideways course, I was right there.

- my life has a series of explosions going on right now, so I wasn't able to keep up with weekly lessons for the 2nd through 6th week ... but I got caught up over the holiday weekend, which leads me to the reason I feel compelled to blog about it, even though so many others are as well, is because even though I went into the course with the highest of expectations - she totally blew me away.

It's not the kind of course I've seen anywhere else. She doesn't necessarily tell you anything.

What she does is show you how to use tools you need in order to learn the skills to ask the right questions and how to use the answers.

By the time I had worked past the barriers, through the clustering and done my Sentences, I had three muses screaming at me in full Technicolor scenes with plots, characters and conflict with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back explaining why each one was on the Group W Bench ... *ahem* ... or something like that. Amazing stuff came up out of the back of my mind and coalesced into complete stories faster than I could work through the pages of the workshop.

I had to physically cap the pen and close the notebook and put it away for a couple of hours so the muses would quiet down enough that I could hear the voices of the stories one at a time and get some notes down for them.

And, with all that, she shows you how to make the connection between writing what you love and writing something marketable. ...and I'm only six weeks into a six month program. I can't even imagine what else she might have in store for us, but I'm very excited about it.

I will say it should come with a warning label: not for the part-timers, wannabes and light-weights. I printed the first six weeks' lessons to take on the road with me last weekend and it completely filled a three inch binder. But the beauty of it is that you can go at your own pace so you don't miss lessons because of the ebb and ka-booms in your life.

If you are serious about a career in writing, if you love writing and you want to make a living doing it, this course can help you learn the skills you need. I haven't seen another single course that comes close to offering what just the first six weeks of this one does.

It's on sale, now, Monday Sept 1-Monday Sept 8. It's a full six months to a year long with weekly or bi-weekly lessons and much more affordable than it should be given the value of what you're getting. It comes with a guarantee, if you don't like it and want out, let her know and the payments stop.

LOL! ... I've been sitting here for 20 minutes trying to think of a way to say "you owe it to yourself to give it a try" without sounding cliché, but it's simply the truth and there isn't a better way to say it - so there ya' go. ;)

Reading reading reading

I kept promising myself I'd put a "what I'm reading" list on the sidebar and I kept putting it off, but the longer I put it off, the longer the list got and the behinder I got.

One silly thing that had me puzzled is that I couldn't figure out where to start the list since of course I wanted to include the good books I read last week, and last month and the end of last year .... and all my old favorites ... *head desk*

So then I decided I would just list them all and that's a job that seemed overwhelming...

But I finally got it started just by listing the ones I can see on the tops of stacks and some of the ones I can see on the bookshelf from where I'm sitting. I'm thinking I need to go back and add author names and links on some of them. .....

More Mistakes!

If you're writing any kind of western or stories about wars or detectives, or anything about police work or .... well - anything in which someone might have a gun, you need to know that The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Firearms, by Peter Knight is now available. And you need to click over and download a copy.

This is the second book in the _33 Mistakes_ series hosted by Holly Lisle in her HollyShop and it's of the same high quality as everything Holly carries in her shop.

Peter is highly qualified and well versed in his subject as well as a talented writer. He breaks down the mistakes into pointed and concise bite-sized bits that provide an amazing amount of specific detail in a no-nonsense fashion with the occasional delightful slipping in of subtle dry humor.

He covers a range of topics from historical to modern, gun types and sizes, ammo differences, range and damage, protective vests, accuracy - and lots more in specific and easy to understand terms. I'm a somewhat involved hobbyist shooter and I was surprised to read how much I didn't know I didn't know. Unless you're already working with an expert, if you're writing guns, you need this book.

Writing Horses

I'm inordinately excited for HORSES to be Writers Rescue #1 in a new series hosted by Holly Lisle, The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About..."

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We've all heard it and cringed…

"…book made me so mad I threw it against the wall"


Don't Be THAT Writer....

There are a reported two million horsemen in the US alone. Wouldn't it be great to be able to write as if you've spent a few years in the barn?

Some misconceptions regarding horses are so deeply entrenched in literature that writers take them as fact without researching and it drives horsemen nuts.

Don't Alienate those Two Million Readers…

This book covers many mistakes that even experienced writers tend to make about horses, including the details that are so often glaring in their absence.

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So your hero jumps on his horse and – what?

When was the last time you galloped through the woods? …charged the enemy, sword raised? …got bucked off, stomped on or had a peevish mare tell you where to stuff it?

- For me, it was probably last week.

I've spent my professional life helping new riders work through mistakes and old riders avoid mistakes in new sports. And I've made my share of screw-ups. I know where things are likely to go wrong.

I understand the common misconceptions inside and out. I've seen them a thousand times in the arena, on the trail – and in far too many books. Don't write so horsemen snort and snicker or groan when they read your horses.

If you want to keep those horsemen reading, "33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Horses" can be your best friend.

"Show don't tell." How often have we all heard that?

What if you could include a scene where readers understand your horse is a stallion without you having to mention his dangles? Wouldn't you love to be able to define your horses through simple characterization instead of tired, old labels?

Imagine being able to write riding as if you'd been doing it all your life. It's possible to give that illusion by knowing a few simple details to slip in, replacing the old clichés.

Ø Know when your hero needs to rest or feed his horse.
Ø Give your horse gender-specific characterization.
Ø Know the difference between proper terms and colloquial lingo.
Ø …and thirty more simple yet important points.

Regardless if you are writing contemporary, western, historical or fantasy, this book covers the most important things you need to know about horses.

Let me help you avoid common mistakes from inside my world. Use my experiences in your writing so when a reader who's a rider settles back with one of your books, they'll smile, nod and keep reading.

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33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Horses is currently available as an e-book in the HollyShop

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