Since then the site has grown and our new focus is inspiring writers to get their short stories and books written and published. For the past few months the old Writer’s Round-About feed still brought you all the great new content from The Craft of Writing Fiction but it’ll soon be time to say goodbye to the old feed. This is the last post that you’ll see coming through to your feed reader unless you update your subscription.

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Who will star in the book-to-movie adaptation of your novel?

As our characters develop during the writing process they grow in our mind. They start off as simple sketches. Insubstantial figments that act on strange whimsy. As we flesh out these strange creatures we discover personality, history, motivation, and depth. In time they take on a life of their own. We hear their voices in our heads and they begin to push the story rather than being resistant followers to our commands.

An effective way to increase the connection you have to your characters is to cast them. There are thousands of talented actors who could be cast into the role of your protagonist. Who would be their ideal counter and play the role of your antagonist? You could even select your supporting cast and run the credits through your mind.

Visualizing these stars acting out your book can help you delve into character and story. With an actor in mind scenes become almost movie-like in the mind’s eye. As I write a scene I see Jessica Alba as my protagonist. She becomes my character. She mirrors her spunk and fire. Her dark hair and eyes reflect the sense of disturbed darkness within my character. I see the scene unfold as if I were watching in high-definition and surround sound.

I haven’t cast my leading man yet. I’m considering Paul Walker but keeping my options open until someone feels “just right”. I find my hero much more difficult not only to picture in my mind’s eye but to feel and know. He’s still fragmented. I can’t “get” him. Perhaps that is why I haven’t been able to cast him. If I could find the perfect actor to play his part would I find myself more connected and attached. Who is this man and if any actor could play his part who would I choose?

Who would you cast in the movie of your novel? Does having your star in mind influence your writing and your sense of connection to your characters?

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Guess who’s turning 3?

That’s right!
Writer’s Round-About is celebrating it’s third birthday this month. We’re giving away some awesome prizes. So keep reading to find out how you can win!

Wow, can you believe it’s been three years already? Around this time each year, Writer’s Round-About grows and changes. We reflect on what worked, and what didn’t. We consider you, our readers, what you’ve loved, what you’ve hated, and where you’d like to see us go from here. If you have any ideas, suggestions or feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

After a strong three years support from freelancers, I’d like to focus our thoughts this year toward Fiction and the Craft of Writing.

Last year we opened the floor to writer’s from around the world and became a true “collaborative blogging project”. The contributions so far have been fantastic. As we look forward to the year ahead I’d like to extend a special invitation to fiction writers who are interested in promoting their books. There are so many fantastic reasons to get involved. Find out exactly “Why YOU Should Write For Writer’s Round-About“.

Becoming a Writer’s Round-About contributing author isn’t the only way you can promote your books here either. Ask me about our blog tours, author interviews, and book review opportunities.

So, want to know what you can win?

To kick off another year with style we’re giving away some fantastic prizes. Writers will absolutely LOVE these goodies. Trust me, I know, because I’ve loved them all myself and recommend them any chance I get. There are three prize packs and lots of ways to enter so there is no excuse not to get involved and spread the word.

1st Place [valued over $100]

• Anthemion‘s Writer’s Cafe Software with Storylines



• AND “How To Create Believable Characters” from Men With Pens
• AND “The Unlimited Freelancer” from Mason Hipp and James Chartrand
• AND Problogger‘s “31 Days To Build A Better Blog“

2nd Place [valued over $40]

• “How To Create Believable Characters” from Men With Pens
• AND “The Unlimited Freelancer” from Mason Hipp and James Chartrand
  OR Problogger‘s “31 Days To Build A Better Blog“

3rd Place [valued over $19]

• “The Unlimited Freelancer” from Mason Hipp and James Chartrand
  OR Problogger‘s “31 Days To Build A Better Blog“

How do you get your hands on this booty?

Because I like to give as many people as many chances to win as possible there are lots of ways you can enter. Some methods are worth more than others based on the effort required but it’s worth making a little extra effort to increase your odds.

1. Leave a comment listing your top 5 all-time favorite WRA posts. (5 entries)
2. Write a blog post on your own blog: (10 entries)
   • Fiction Writers: a fiction story about a birthday
   • Non-Fiction Writers: interesting non-fiction birthday facts

   You must include a link back announcing this contest to your readers.

3. Stumble this contest with StumbleUpon (2 entries)
4. Share this contest via Twitter. (max 1 entry in 12 hours totaling 2 entries per day)
5. Share this contest with Plurk. (max 1 entry in 12 hours totaling 2 entries per day)
6. Share this contest on Facebook. (max 1 entry in 12 hours totaling 2 entries per day)
7. Add @laffarsmith on Twitter, Plurk, or Facebook. (1 entry per network)
   • leave a comment if you were already my friend on any of those networks for a free entry.

Don’t forget to come back here and leave a comment to let me know you’ve done any of the above.

What about rules? Any of those?

Actually, not a whole lot. I’m going to reserve the right to disqualify for unsportsmanlike behavior. But anyone can enter and anyone can win. There are no limits on age, gender, or location. You can tell all your friends and talk them into entering even if they don’t want the prizes so that you can score them. You can bribe people to help you win. You can shamelessly promote the contest. So long as you’re keeping it fun and lively then you rock!

I guess the only really important rule is the deadline. We’re going to rock up those entries for three party-hard weeks! Entries close Friday June 25th 2010.

And YOU MUST LEAVE A COMMENT when you complete any of the above ways to enter so that I know you’re entered and can track all of your entries.

One final note before you go.

I’m sponsoring this contest myself but I’m hoping to offer more contests in the future and want to invite prize donations and competition sponsors to step up and help me out. If you’re an author would you consider giving away a copy of your book? Do you make cool pens? Do you ship wicked gadgets and gizmos? I’d love to plug your stuff and your business in exchange for the opportunity to give some goodies to the thousands of WRA readers.

Ok, now bring on those entries!

Let’s get this party started!

Don’t forget to leave your comments below when you enter!

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But, without further ado, lets announce the WINNER!

With a result of “3″ drawn from Random.Org‘s random number generator we offer congratulations to…

I’ll email you shortly, Kelly, to get your postal details so we can get your book out to you soon.

Thank you to those who entered. I’m hoping to put together a fresh new contest each and every month now so I hope you’ll stay tuned for June’s contest.

Want to suggest the prizes for upcoming contests? Let me know what you’d like to win or offer your ideas for contests we could host in the future, leave a comment! And don’t forget to add your congratulations to Kelly!

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I’m excited to have this opportunity to share an interview with Cindy Hudson, the author of Book by Book. She visits Writer’s Round-About today on her blog tour so feel free to leave a comment asking any questions you may have while she is here.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences and insights today, Cindy. First, let me congratulate you on the publication of “Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs” by Seal Press last October. The book looks fantastic and, as a mother with a daughter who loves to read, it’s exciting to think about how we can share our mutual passion. I imagine a mother-daughter book club is also a great way to meet other families and build a community spirit of support, language, and literacy.

ON BOOK CLUBS

Your book shares fantastic how-to tips for mothers starting their own mother-daughter book club. What exactly IS a mother-daughter book club and how is it different from other kinds of book clubs?

Mother-daughter book clubs are made up of moms and daughters who read together with other mother-daughter pairs. They get together every month or so for a social gathering to talk about what they read, eat snacks or a meal and maybe play games or make crafts. They are lots of fun in many ways. These reading groups differ from those with members who are only adults or only kids in that they encourage inter-generational communication. This usually means you get great discussions that help you see each other as people, not just parent and child.

You founded two long-running, successful mother-daughter book clubs; what inspired you to start them?

I started my book clubs when each of my daughters was nine years old. It seemed a good way to counter the image being created among some of their friends at school that reading wasn’t cool anymore. I was horrified to think that my girls, who loved to read, would stop reading for fun. Starting the book club helped us find like-minded girls and their moms who believed that reading was cool.

In the synopsis of Book by Book, the final sentence says, “… Book by Book is a great resource for helping moms and daughters form new memories and traditions.” I’m sure you developed many new memories with your own daughters, which one do you remember most fondly?

Over the 10 years I’ve been in my clubs I have so many great memories that it’s hard to choose just one. I believe the best memory though for each girl would have to be the beach weekend we went on with our group. I did this with each of my daughters, and it was a great combination of time just for the two of us to drive together for a couple of hours, then spend two days with the group cooking, eating, laughing, playing games and having fun on the shore.

ON WRITING

My daughter loves to write stories (just like me) so discussing books we’ve both read has given me opportunities to share what I know about how to write a well-built story. What sorts of things do you talk about when discussing the books after reading?

It’s maybe not surprising that the life situations written about are front and center during our discussions. The characters we read about have issues to solve with their friends, with their parents, and with other adults. They are usually figuring out what kind of person they are going to be, and what’s important to them. They are often also learning how to communicate. Some are finding out how to deal with loss. It’s so valuable for a girl to get her mom’s perspectives on these issues, and also for a mom to know how her daughter sees them. It’s maybe just as valuable for girls to see how other moms think, and for moms to hear what their daughters’ peers have to say.

As a writer-mother, sharing reading with your daughters is one half of a literary partnership, do/did you ever share the other half, writing, with them? How do you involve your family in that side of your love of language?

That’s a great question. I will sometimes read an essay I’m writing aloud to my daughters and see how it hits them. And if there’s a piece written by someone in my writer’s group that I think will resonate with them I read that as well. At my prompting, my own mom started writing stories about her life a few years ago, which is really exciting for me. She lives in Louisiana, while we’re in Oregon, and when she comes to visit she usually brings new stories to read out loud to all of us. Not only has this been a great way for my girls to learn more about their grandmother and her life, it’s given them a chance to see the power that story has for each of us. And they also see that the power in story has value whether it’s printed in a publication or simply read out loud at a gathering.

Our family plays such an important role in the success of our writing career. What do you feel is their greatest contribution to your own success?

They respect the time I spend writing. Over the years I’ve taken classes and workshops that have taken me away from home, and I’ve felt nothing but support from my daughters and my husband even though that means more work for each of them while I’m gone. It’s been great for me to know I could work to improve my craft without feeling guilty about leaving my family to do it.

ON LITERACY

Some kids are more resistant to reading than others. What tips do you have to foster a love of reading in our children and keep them motivated to participate in the book club?

Most important I think is to make sure it’s fun. If reading feels too much like homework, kids won’t want to do it. Also, book clubs can be motivating to get kids to read something they may not normally pick up just so they’ll be ready to talk about it when they get together at a meeting. You can even add other activities that will enhance the reading, like cooking a recipe that goes along with something in the book or planning your meeting around the theme of the book.

Illiteracy is still very common, even in countries where literacy is a staple cornerstone of public education. What advice do you have for parents who have trouble reading?

Parents who are not strong readers may be reluctant to read with their child. But reading together can help them both to improve their literacy skills, so in some ways it’s even more important that these parents do consider being in book groups. It’s easier if you start when your daughter is younger, because you can select beginning reader books.The two of you may even want a book club of two until you feel confident enough to include others. Librarians are great at making recommendations for books that are tailored to reading ability.

Getting started young is one of the best ways to encourage a love of language. My six-year-old son is significantly dyslexic and despite reading to him even before he was born, and having a mother and sister passionate about language, he tends to avoid words. It has been difficult to inspire him to enjoy reading when learning to read has been such a challenge. How do you handle disabilities like dyslexia in a book club?

I haven’t had to address that specifically in either of my book groups, but I know that some of our members feel more comfortable listening to audio tapes of the books. That way they can participate in discussions even if reading is a challenge for them. It may be helpful to have a print copy and an audiotape of the book if that’s possible, so struggling readers can follow along with the words they are hearing. Or if you have two copies of the book, you can read out loud, stopping when necessary, while your daughter (or son) follows along in her own copy. Reading graphic novels, with their visual cues for the written words may be helpful too. We’re fortunate at this time that many talented writers are turning to graphic novels as a new way to tell their stories, so there are lots of great titles to choose from.

Don’t forget to get your entries in today for a chance to win a copy of Cindy’s “Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs“. Get your family involved and passionate about reading and writing. It’s a easy, inexpensive, and rewarding hobby for the whole family.

ON FAMILY

Finally, a mother-daughter book club is a fantastic way to bond with our daughters but I know my son would want to be involved too. Does your book share ideas for including other family members?

While the focus of my book really is on mothers and daughters, the ideas I have for these type of book groups can be extended easily to create a family group or a mixed group of boys and girls. I’ve heard from other clubs that they successfully include younger siblings, both brothers and sisters, in their book meetings. As your kids get older though, they may be less willing to discuss sensitive issues like sex and body changes in the company of the opposite sex. Open discussion is really what you’re aiming for, so if you sense this is happening, you could restructure then.

Thank you again for your time, Cindy. I wish you fantastic success with this book and appreciate your contribution to encouraging our children to read. My personal experience with dyslexia (since my mother and I are both dyslexic, not just my son) has made me very aware of how important learning to read is for creating a successful future. I want that for my children. Thank you for writing a book that helps bring a love of language into our home.

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Next Monday, I’ll share with you a fantastic interview with Cindy where she shares her ideas for including family in our reading and writing passion. Meanwhile, read the competition rules below and get your entries in now!

Book by Book Contest

To enter the contest you must answer the following question in the comments below:
“How do you, or could you, share a love of language with your children?”

Rules for eligibility:
1. You must answer the question in the comments below.
2. Your answer counts as your first entry.
3. You must leave a comment to notify me of any additional entries.
4. Additional entries are only counted if you already answered the question.
5. You must be 13 years of age or older.
6. Entries close 8am Monday, 17th of May.

49 additional chances to win

1. Share this contest on Twitter (earns 1 additional entry up to once per day)
2. Share this contest on Plurk (earns 1 additional entry up to once per day)
3. Share this contest on Facebook (earns 1 additional entry up to once per day)
4. Stumble this post (earns 2 additional entries)
5. Share this competition in a post on your own blog (earns 2 additional entries)
6. Follow @laffarsmith on Twitter (earns 1 additional entry)
7. Follow @momdtrbookclub on Twitter and tweet (earns 2 additional entries) the following:
   • “I’m following @momdtrbookclub because of her blog tour (and contest) at @laffarsmith’s awesome Writer’s Round-About!“

Double Check Those Rules

Double check those rules and take advantage the 49 additional entries to increase your odds of being our lucky winner and don’t forget you’ve only got until
8am EST Monday May 17th to enter.
Good luck!

Get started by answering the question now!
“How do you, or could you, share a love of language with your children?”

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Is the true art in online writing in the heart or in writing technique?

In the last two decades, media has grown, transformed, and been reborn. Journalism emerged, centuries before the Web, as a career built on a solid foundation of higher learning. Students trained in the craft, the technique, the rules of writing for the early paper and newsprint medium. The news was about informing the people and over time journalism developed a sense of detachment.

Sometimes, newspapers and magazines shared story. Anecdotal tales with emotion and heart were included and these too were written with an integrity to the true craft of writing. Most of the world’s news came in concise, just-the-facts, reverse pyramid journalism format.

That was before the move to online media. Now Joe Blogs journalism has altered the balance of heart and technique in writing. These days, some believe all it takes to engage and inform readers is the ability to string one word to the next. Opening discussion, sharing news, informing readers, and gaining an audience has become open platform with a very low exclusionary threshold. If you have access to a computer and internet connection you can use modern media to communicate, inform, and educate. But does being free to share your own knowledge and experience make you a writer?

Is the title of writer open to anyone with a basic literacy skill?

You don’t need an English degree to build a successful freelance writing career. Heart will take you a long way. But to truly excel as a writer one must close the gap between heart and technique.

An equal balance of technique and heart can make all the difference between good content and great content. A compelling post mixes these two vital elements. A reader can be drawn into the story of your post or article with their heart through yours but keeping your reader on the page requires a well-structured use of language.

Very few stories riddled with spelling errors, grammar faux pas, and incorrectly formatted sentence or paragraph structure become widely popular. But even these complex technical considerations are just brushing the surface when it comes to really knowing how to write.

When was the last time you learned more about the craft, technique, and rules of quality writing? Do you continue to hone your understanding of the technical aspects involved? Where do you go to learn more as your writing continues to grow up?

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What Shakespeare may or may not have been alluding to in his 36th Sonnet he and only he knows. His words are unique to him and the context and meaning behind each carefully crafted phrase connects with memories that are not ours.

When you read, you are not reading the heart and mind of the writer, you’re not reading what he wrote or what he meant to write. Every word on the page is uniquely YOURS. You cannot read Shakespeare’s 36th Sonnet, you gaze at those fourteen lines of iambic pentameter and read YOUR Shakespeare’s 36th.

Every time we write we do so with our own truth and meaning. We allude to our personal experience. We create uniquely for ourselves a story no one else will ever read. Every best-selling book is not a single story, but rather infinite stories bound in a single book. Every reader reads his or her own story.

Do you think you’re reading MY post right now? You’re not. You’re reading your translation, your personal interpretation of my post. Every word is shaded, tilted, shaped, and changed in your reading of it. Your mind weighs and judges. It lifts each word from the page and sorts it, comparing it to your personal and uniquely individual understanding of that word.

Your memories and experience shape everything you read into something other than what the writer wrote. Even now your mind is grabbing at fragments that refute or concur with what I’m telling you. Its remembering situations where this truth was true or not true for you. And every time you read, the memories and experiences you’ve had between each reading creates a whole new story.

Now, can you tell me what any writer truly meant without having asked the writer? Can you truly know that writer’s mind or is a story’s worth and meaning merely a reflection of your personal insight. It’s meaning is yours, Shakespeare’s meaning is his own, and so is mine.

Have you ever discussed a story with others and wondered if they were reading the same book as you? How have readers transformed your writing from your original intent in their personal interpretations and reviews of it?

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Did you know that April is National Poetry Month. Of course, I’m very displeased about it. So, I’ve decided that I’m going to declare it ‘Inter‘National Poetry Month. Because there are those of us not based in the United States that love poetry too. (We can celebrate again in October when Great Britain has their National Poetry Month.)

This month we’re going to be sharing some poetry related content on Writer’s Round-About. Have you ever considered how your writing is influenced by poetry? There are tools and techniques when writing poetry that are useful additions to any writer’s toolbox.

Writers, as lovers of language, usually develop a passion for poetry if given an opportunity to experience it. Poetry is the most condensed form of language craft and it is in poetry that one can see true mastery of writing craft as an art-form. We can write an exceptionally crafted article, it is art, but it wears a white-collar and looks like an office building. Poetry is splashed in rainbows, it glows with the radiance of creativity and inspires us to beauty and awe.

We’ll learn more about this during the coming weeks. Subscribe today so you don’t miss out.

Speaking of missing out, I got word of a Secret Stationary Sale! If you’re anything like me you LOVE Stationary so I thought I’d whisper this secret to you. For the 24 hours of April 1st you can save 45% across the entire Expressionery site*. Click here and use the promotional code, “FBFOOL” to save. Now, I got wind of this sale before today, so it’s not an April Fools joke either.

Speaking of surprises, I’ve got one that I’m working hard to have ready before the end of April. It’s a lot more work than I’d originally thought it would be but I’m cautiously optimistic that I’ll be able to share it with you some time in the next few weeks.

Don’t forget to grab your 45% savings on address labels, book plates, bookmarks, calendars, cards, invitations, labels, notepads, and more. This could be just the opportunity to create brand-able stationary to promote your fiction or freelance writing business.

*excluding Susan G. Komen Stamp & Gift Pack

Photo Credit: 01-27-09 © Lisa Thornberg

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With my son and daughter snuggled against me, we peered from the warmth and safety of my bedroom window into the street outside. Wind thrashed the trees. The blur of rain softened the edges of the fences across the street. Waterfalls trickled from overflowing hanging pots.

As we watched, the sky turned an emerald green like the city of Oz. The greyness disappeared beneath a filter of emeralds and the rain glittered like splintering crystal as it shattered against every surface. Spikes of lightening sparked white into the green for blinding seconds before washing away in the rain. Our chests echoed with each pounding crack and rumble of thunder.

The cool air breezed through doors, windows, and roof-tiles. Raindrops chased the gusts only to be dashed against the windows, splattered into rivulets against the glass. The air smelled of earth and new grass. Dust from a long, hot summer settled leaving a fresh clean scent as if the world had been reborn.

When was the last time you watched a storm? Have you ever walked through the rain?

What did it feel like on your skin? Did is caress your arms with sun-warmed drops or did you shiver with chill as it tricked down your collar, your neck, and back? Did your feet squelch in wet shoes and socks? Did the rain flick off your rain jacket, the mud puddles sludgy around the ankles of your rain boots?

What did it taste like on your lips? Was it cool and refreshing? Did it taste like new spring, warming after a long cold winter? Did it have the coppery burn of a hot, dry summer, sooty ash after bush fires, an acrid tang from city smog?

What did it sound like as it beat upon the pavement or splashed in puddles beneath your feet? Could you hear it pinging from tin rooftops? Did it ebb and flow like ocean waves? Was it accompanied by rumbling thunder and howling winds?

What did it look like as it sheeted down, twisting everything around you into a blurry haze? Did it cast a strange green tint against the late afternoon sky? Was the world snuggled into the muted pale ghosts of overcast skies? Did objects seem to move and shift as if they were trying to dart between raindrops to stay dry?

What did it smell like as you inhaled the changing air? Could you smell the earthiness of freshly wet dirt, the damp of a wet dog, or the fresh, crisp, newness of soaked grasses? Could you smell a sense of clean washing into the world as dust and grime rinsed down the drains?

Have you ever experienced a moment with every sense of your body? Take a moment now to tune into your surroundings. Hear, Taste, Touch, See, Smell. Absorb every sight, sound, texture, tang, and scent.

The best way to bring a reader into your story is with rich, sensory description. Our memories are triggered by our senses and invoking sensory descriptions in your writing creates new memories and brings forth old memories in your reader.

Sensory description has a lot to do with the adage, “Show, don’t tell.” When you show your reader, you use language that describes. Telling conveys simple facts. The sentence, “It was raining.”, tells a reader that drops of water fell from the sky. But HOW do the drops fall? Without careful details that connect to the five senses, the reader cannot be in the rain with your characters.

Want to practice right now? Share in the comments any scene from the last twenty-four hours of your life. Connect with all of your senses as you remember. How did it feel, taste, smell, look, and sound?

Photo Credit: © March 22, 2010 Mateusz Nowacki

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