Writing Groups Go Online by Diane Bator

Happy New Year!

Have you made any resolutions this year?

For the first couple months of the pandemic, I had a hard time writing. I found my creativity swirled around in a little ball in the pit of my stomach but refused to come out. I was able to edit and be critical of my work, but had a tough time to release that creativity into words. There were a few things that happened that allowed me to release that swirling little ball into the world.

First of all, restrictions relaxed. I felt less afraid to be outside and walk. Walking always loosens up my creative energy.

Secondly, I discovered a writing group I belong to, WYCR, was starting an online Write In every Monday night. I was a bit nervous since I'd never met any of the other writers in person but over the past 5 months, we've become friends and I rarely miss a Monday night session. It's enabled me to finish my Nanowrimo book as well as a new mystery novel. Basically, we meet for two hours talking for 15 minutes before we write for 45 minutes. After a 15 minute break, we write for another 45 minutes before we call it a night.

Third, Nanowrimo. Having that goal of writing 50,000 words in 30 days was a real kick in the butt. As usual, I was a bit burned out afterward, but I will go back to the novel I finished and eventually publish it. I was thrilled to reach my goal and even finished the book at 78,000 words.

What else? Writing boost Number 4 came because of Nanowrimo. Suddenly, I became part of another online Write In on Sunday mornings with the same group and mostly the same people. This one was so much fun, that we're keeping it going as well. It has the same format as the Monday night group.

Number 5 begins in January thanks to The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) and will be a one hour, once a week session. Another great opportunity to meet new like-minded people and write. 

So how do all these things helps with my writing? 

I have designated times to write. 

I have new people to write with.

I get awesome ideas for my books.

I get encouragement!

Since I work from home, I get to see familiar faces once or twice a week.

How do you plan to move forward with your dreams and goals in 2021?

I'm setting up my day planner as well as my notifications on my phone to make sure I have writing time daily - on top of having designated writing meetings. I have two books and a novella to prep for publication later in 2021. 

I hope you will also check out my personal blog http://dbator.blogspot.ca/ where I also feature other authors on Escape with A Writer. I'm thrilled to say I featured 80 authors in 2020 and look forward to many more.

Have a wonderful New Year and let me know what you plan to do to reach your goals in 2021!

Diane Bator

http://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

http://penspaintsandpaper.com

Reading and Writing in "Times Like These" by Diane Bator

                                        

 Who hasn't said at least once a day, "If I had more time, I'd..." 

I have to admit, I'd always dreamed of having more time in my day to write while raising three kids, working full time, and trying to write mystery novels.  "If I had a week to myself, I'd..."

Well our collective wish came true. Back in March, most of us were sentenced to isolation in our homes. We had all the time in the world. The problem was most of us, me for one, were too numb at the time to figure out how to create. We could only sit glued to the television or social media to watch as our world changed in crazy ways. Since my day job involves running a live-stage theatre box office, I'll be working from home for several weeks yet. 

At first, being creative was the last thing on my mind. My biggest fear was not running out of toilet paper and making sure my kids were safe. I lost sleep over the kids - not so much the toilet paper.

After the first week, I was able to focus for short stints of time on editing a couple books I'd written. Drop Dead Cowboy was scheduled for release in September 2020. I edited and submitted the completed manuscript in April. After a round of edits, it was published June 1, 2020. Bumped ahead because a fellow author needed an extension and mine was already done.

With the pressure of the new release off, I was able to relax and read a few books that have piled up. Yes, TBR (too be read) piles can teeter over and fall...just saying. For me, however, reading is always followed by posting reviews.

I've been one of the lucky ones able to work from home for the past few months. Theatre staff meets every weekday morning to chat about what we will do once we are able. Mostly, we meet to keep everyone sane and check in to make sure we're all well. Some days, there's a lot to say. Many days, we lapse into discussing bartering with neighbours, what movies we're watching, and if we've developed any new hobbies. 

Because I have more free time to play around on social media and listen in on author events, I've been blessed to virtually meet some great people from Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime Toronto, Rogue Women Writers and others. 

I've been trying to learn how to set up a newsletter and a mailing list, but that concept keeps getting pushed aside due to other things.

Way back when, I used to do counted cross-stitch, which is something I've picked up again and developed a following who loves to watch the progress I've made. I even had someone refer my book, Drop Dead Cowboy, which features a craft shop called Stitch'n'Time to Needlepoint Retailer!

One of the other things I've been working on is my own blog post series, Escape With a Writer Sunday. Every week, I share an interview, bio and blurbs about other authors and their books. It's been a fun project! I've hosted authors from Australia, UK, USA, and even one from Hungary! If I'm lucky enough to read their books, I always share a review on the same blog post. So far, I've featured nearly 50 authors and I'm always looking for more! 

With my creativity back on track, I'm currently working on Book 2 in my Glitter Bay Mystery series. This one features Laken Miller's sister, Sage as the protagonist. Trust me, this girl has her own story to tell! Being the sister of a supermodel is no picnic, especially when Laken's fashionista friends come to visit and Sage owns Vintage Sage, a vintage boutique. 

Speaking of, I have pages to write and blogs to post!

Stay healthy and well and keep on reading!

Diane Bator

http://penspaintsandpaper.com

http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Belief vs. Truth

People say they love truth, but in reality they want to believe that which they love is true  - Robert J. Ringer

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true - Soren Kierkegaard

Write a story about how the character came to accept their belief, how their belief was challenged and how they responded to the challenge.

1. Sherry believes that she can leave her past behind her if she moves but the truth is.....
2. John believes that Lucy loves him but the truth is....
3. Nathan believes he's found his BFF when he meets Tyler but the truth is....
4. Amanda believes that there are fairies living in the garden but the truth is...
5. Donna believes her seven year old son has an active imagination but the truth is...
6. Veronica believes her husband is the CEO of a large company but the truth is...
7. Danny believes that the medicine he's taking will cure him but the truth is...
8. Christopher believes that his new job is the answer he's been looking for but the truth is...
9. Hanna believes that her ancestry is the same as her parents but the truth is...
10. Jimmy believes that he can manage his addiction but the truth is...

OR

Choose a belief that you have. Ask yourself why you believe that. 

What would happen if your belief was challenged? How would you react?

Until we meet again!

Happy Writing Everyone!

Stay Well ❤️💙💜

Sonja😎

April 19, 2020 Writing Prompts & Info

We may not be able to meet in person, but we're still hoping to continue the inspiration and motivation.

At this point I think any plans we have for Open Mic Night or any other events are totally on hold. We may actually have to skip Open Mic this year. We're taking it one day at a time right now.

Writing Prompts:

1. After a long, hard winter, I couldn't wait to walk in the woods.

2. I was used to seeing wild animals in my rambles through the conservation area, but nothing prepared me for what I saw that day.

3. "What's that, Mommy?" My four-year-old daughter pointed at empty space.

4. I'd been through some tough times in my life. Accidents, betrayal, loss, you name it. Something told me this was going to be the worst yet.

5.  As he hurried through the dark street, he hunched against the eyes seeking him. Phantom  fingers brushed his spine, wracking him with shudders.

6. Most people think of animals as just animals. As a vet, I've learned each one has a personality as distinct as yours or mine.

7. The whole world was dancing in the jubilance of spring sunshine. Trees and wildflowers swayed in the breeze, birds swooped and pirouetted in a mating dance, squirrels wove arabesques as they chased each other.

8. The warmth of the sun and a teasing breeze lured me into sailing out of the bay. The forecast was good weather all weekend, so when a sudden squall pounced like a lion on my tiny craft, I was unprepared.

9. We spit on our pinkies and linked them in a solemn vow. We would never tell anyone what we were about to do, and no matter what happened we would face it together.

10. I have never told anyone what happened that day, until now. Now that I stare death in the face, secrecy is not only irrelevant but undesirable. People need to know.

Stay tuned for more information on when we will be able to resume meetings and possible events.

April 5 Virtual Writing Meeting by Diane Bator

HWG Writing Prompts April 5 2020

The Signs and their Ingredients

Hey all! 

While we are all in this crazy state of being forced introverts for a while, I thought I would find a way to keep our brains active and the creative juices flowing.

In the midst of things, I'm busy doing edits for Drop Dead Cowboy which comes out in September. It's the cover ideas I'm struggling with but that will come!

I'm also finding online courses to build my word skills. Too bad it's not helping my typing some days! I tend to stumble over my fingers when I go too fast.

Anyway, I discovered this on Facebook one day and thought it would make for some fun prompts:

Aries:  Flames directly from hell, shards of diamonds, the energy of a toddler, a gallon of caffeine

Taurus:  clusters of emerald gemstones, the scent of old books, warm chocolate chip cookies, silk pajamas

Gemini:  wind from a tornado, a pinch of salt, a child’s laughter, a cup of glitter

Cancer:  shimmering tears, the moon’s light, the scent of lavender, water from an ocean storm

Leo:  a Hollywood actresses’ tears, the pride of a lion, the morning sun’s rays, beaming highlighters

Virgo:  freshly roasted coffee, the scent of new books, a bouquet of daisies, breeze of a fall afternoon

Libra:  a cup of rose petals, a bottle of fruity perfume, creamy frosting, voice of Marilyn Monroe

Scorpio:  deep rooted secrets, the eyes of a psychic, passion *added for flavour*, a midnight conversation

Sagittarius:  a child’s optimism, a folk song riff, a language not yet known, wisdom of a philosopher

Capricorn:  the bones of a warrior, a gallon of pessimism, a leader’s authority, Saturn’s tough layered rings

Aquarius:  an alien brain, a tablespoon of stardust, holographic beams, one mystery flavored candy

Pisces:  melatonin, a cup of cotton candy, the heart of a goddess, tears of a siren

Can't wait to see or hear what you all write!
If anyone wants to share it on our blog, please email me or Pat and we can post it for you.
Until we can read to each other out loud again....
Stay healthy and keep writing!

Diane

Come one, come all to Orangeville's third annual Day of the Poets Festival. Saturday, April 25th, at the Orangeville Public Library. Open mics, book giveaways, window poetry, live music and fabulous readings will make this a day to remember. Free poetry workshop with Maureen Hynes ('Going Deeper') at 11 A.M. Readings from 12-5. Special festival kick-off event on Friday, April 24th at 7 P.M. at Maggiolly's Art Supplies, featuring Owen Sound Poet Laureate Richard-Yves Sitoski and croc E moses. All free! Put it in your calendar!

HWG Meeting Sunday, March 8, 2020

Diane's 10th book is coming out! A book launch is being scheduled at BookLore in October. Stay tuned.

Diane participated in Tottenham Crime Writers of Canada Author Showcase and Panel on March 7th. Her review on that is posted below.

Sonja sent a proposal to the library regarding two events - Reader Feedback and a NaNoWriMo Write-in. The group agreed the reader feedback event should be scheduled for September 26th from 2-4pm, This has since been confirmed by the Library. We need ideas for catchy names for both of these events.

Judy read a prose about a childhood memory. This subsequently became our prompt for the day: Write about a childhood memory.

Next Meeting

Sunday, March 22, 2020, 1:30-3:30pm

Leader: Patricia

Crime Writers of Canada Author Showcase and Panel by Diane Bator

Last year, with seven published novels under my belt, I finally joined the Crime Writers of Canada. I was part of our Crime Writers Event in Orangeville last fall on September 28, 2019. I was nervous meeting such talented writers but came away inspired.

Then again on March 7, 2020, I attended my second CWC author event and I totally enjoyed it! This time, I was more relaxed and felt more like I belonged among such talented company, especially since I’d been on the Orangeville panel with Judy Penz Sheluk and Anita Arvast in September.

Eleven authors (6 women and 5 men) met at the Tottenham Community Centre and spoke to a small, but attentive audience about our process as well as answering a few questions from our wonderful host librarian, Kim Burgess. I found it intriguing that out of all eleven of us, only one professed to being a true plotter, aside from the non-fiction crime writers.

The highlight for me was getting to mingle and talk to fellow authors later. We exchanged stories about other events, how we come up with ideas for books, what we do to promote our books, and even what printer we use to get hard copies.

Our amazing panel:

Anita Arvast – Dr. Arvast is a professor of humanities and writes books in the true crime genre with an orientation to social justice. Her first book, Bloody Justice, was short-listed for the Arthur Ellis Award. Her subsequent book, What Killed Jane Creba, is being turned into a play. 

http://www.anitaarvast.ca/

David Albertyn – Born in South Africa, David Albertyn immigrated to Toronto in 1993. Writing stories since the age of six, a graduate of Queen’s University and the Humber School for Writers, David’s goal is to write visceral novels that are both thrilling and meaningful. He has coached tennis since 2005. https://davidalbertyn.com/

Diane Bator – A born writer and storyteller, once Diane Bator started writing, she’s never looked back and is the author of several mystery novels. When she’s not writing, she works in a theatre which may be subjected to immortality in a whole new series. She might even try writing a play.

http://penspaintsandpaper.com/index.html

Karen Grose – Karen Grose was born in Canada and lives with her family in Toronto. After a career as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, she turned her attention to writing. Set in Ontario, The Dime Box is her debut novel and she is currently working on a second. https://karengrose.ca/

Jim McDonald – Jim McDonald is a teacher, marriage officiant, DJ, actor, publisher and author. Jim is close to completing Heavy Weather, a historical thriller that follows the 1970 guerilla actions of Weather Underground, the terror group that bombed draft boards, courts of law and even the Pentagon. http://www.jimmcdonald.ca/

Daniel McTavish – Daniel McTavish has worked in the computer industry for over twenty years, spending thirteen years in North Carolina. He currently lives in Toronto, Ontario, but spends what time he can at his cottage in Norway Bay, Quebec, sharing morning writing sessions with passing porcupines and racoons. https://mctavishpublishing.com/about/

Hyacinthe Miller – An award-winning author, Hyacinthe’s work has been published in anthologies, magazines and online. Her debut novel, Kenora Reinvented, was released in late 2019. Hyacinthe is a founding member and Past President of the Writers’ Community of York Region and a member of numerous Canadian and International professionals writers’ groups.

https://hyacinthemillerbooks.com/

Lorna Poplak – Lorna Poplak is a Toronto-based writer, editor and researcher with a fascination for the stories behind historical events. Her debut book, Drop Dead: A Horrible History of Hanging in Canada, was released in 2017. She is currently working on a second non-fiction book about Toronto’s infamous Don Jail. https://www.lornapoplak.com/

John Simpson – John Simpson was a journalist for many years as well as the author of crime fiction. His first book, Undercut, was runner-up to Kathy Reich’s Deja Dead in the first-novel category of the 1997 Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Awards. He lives in Barrie. 

http://johnworsleysimpson.ca/about-john-worsley-simpson-crime-fiction-writer/

Judy Penz Sheluk – An Amazon International Bestselling Author, Judy Penz Sheluk writes the Marketville and Glass Dolphin Mystery series. Her short stories are included in several collections, including The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery and Suspense, which she also edited. Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, South Simcoe Arts Council, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves on the Board of Directors as Vice Chair. She splits her time between Alliston and Goulais River. http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/

Keith Weaver – After a 37-year career in engineering, and more than 50 years into a continuing reading addiction, Keith Weaver turned full time to a long-standing interest, writing. But instead of technical writing, he focuses now on fiction. Eight books later, this very active retirement continues.

http://keithrobertweaver.com/

While I’m still relatively new in the Crime Writers of Canada circle, I’ve found being a part of the group beneficial and am branching out to other groups such as Sisters in Crime as well. I meet new crime writers, learn more about the tax implications of being a writer, and find out more from other authors about their processes. What works for some, doesn’t always work for others.

For now, sharing their work, and mine, is what works for me!

Happy reading!

Diane

Hi all. Please take note of this event and date, and then contact me to register to take part in order to support an important service organization in our community. Summer is the leanest time of the year for the Food Bank, so here is a chance to top up their resources by doing what we love to do. Get in touch with any questions. Cheers.

Meeting, February 23, 2020

Sonja reported that she sent a proposal to the library regarding a NaNoWriMo event and a writers feedback event. The library is reviewing the proposal and will get back to us.

Judy suggested running a Shakespeare Sonnet Workshop (1 hour). Virginia suggested having Brian Henry in to give a writing workshop. We agreed to wait until we hear back from the library before putting forth more proposals.

After our prompts (below), June mentioned something about an Ode to a Salad. Since there was still some time left in our meeting we all decided to write an Ode to a Salad.

Writing Prompts

The writing prompt was taken from Writer's Digest - a game of Mad Libs.

Fill in the following:

1. A name
2. Noun
3. Noun
4. A place
5. Verb
6. Adjective
7. Adjective
8. Body part
9. Adjective
10. Time of year
11. A verb ending in -ing
12. A consumer product
13. A formal occasion
14. Plural noun
15. A verb ending in -ing
16. Noun
17. Plural form of something you wear
18. A place
19. Noun
20. Noun
21. Verb
22. Noun
23. Noun

Now, insert the words in the story below where numerically indicated.

Call me _____1______. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little to no _____2_____ in my _____3______, and nothing particular to interest me in ______4______, I thought I would ________5______ around a little and see the _____6______ part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing ______7_______ about the ______8_______; whenever it is a ______9______, _____10______ in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily ______11________ before ________12________ warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every _______13_______ I meet; and especially whenever my ______14______ get such an upper hand of me, that it requires strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately _____15_____ into the _____16______, and methodically knocking people's _____17________ off - then, I account it high time to get to _____18________ as soon as I can. This is my substitute for ______19______ and ____20______. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword, I quietly ______21________ to the _____22_______. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or the other, cherish very nearly the same feelings toward the ________23________ with me.

Next Meeting

Sunday, March 8th, 1:30pm

Leader: Judy

Writing Prompts from Sunday, February 9, 2020

This week's prompts had a romantic theme in honour of Valentine's Day.

Romantic Encounters

What is Romance?

In the strictest academic terms, a romance is a narrative genre in literature that involves a mysterious, adventurous, or spiritual story line where the focus is on a quest that involves bravery and strong values, not always a love interest. However, modern definitions of romance also include stories that have a relationship issue as the main focus.

Examples of Romance

In the academic sense, an example of a romance is a story in which the main character is a hero who must conquer various challenges as part of a quest. Each challenge could be its own story and can be taken out of the overall story without harming the plot.

Example 1

§  A knight who wishes to prove himself by recovering a stolen heirloom from an enemy may find himself attempting to make his way through a dangerous wood filled with thieves.

§  Once he has accomplished this challenge, he may find himself climbing a tall mountain on which a group of people are in trouble. He would save the group somehow, and then move on.

§  Then the final stage: the enemy’s kingdom. There may be a fair maiden whom he meets and somehow helps or rescues, or perhaps she helps him.

But the fair maiden is not the focus of the story – his quest is the focus. Each story can be taken out, yet each builds the hero’s strength to face his final quest. These stories tend to be serious rather than humorous and touch on strong values.

Example 2

A modern romance would include:

§  The story of a character who keeps meeting the wrong type of people in his or her relationships or has run into a problem with a current love relationship.

§  The story would focus on the struggles the character faces while finding Mr. or Mrs. Right. The whole focus would be the relationship, although the character may also be dealing with other struggles, such as losing a job, handling difficult parents, etc.

These stories may be funny, sad, tragic, serious, or a mix. The obvious resolution to the conflict would be finding the right person or saving the present relationship.

Literaryterms.net/romance/

  

Prompts

1.      “I never stood a chance did I?”

“That’s the sad part. You did once.”   www.medium.com

2.      “I love you,” he whispers under his breath as the love of his life walks down the aisle to the man he is paid to assassinate.   www.writedivas.com

3.      She was beautiful in every way but, God, her feet stank.

4.      I was used to being alone. Immortals learn to accept solitude after awhile. I only went on the blind date so that my friend would stop bugging me.

5.      Father John looked over at Sister Mary. He didn’t even know her name before she’d taken her vows, but God help him, he was in love with her.

Write a story about:

a.       A knight who goes on a quest to save a dragon.

b.      People who meet at an animal shelter.

c.       Two people who hated each other as children and meet at a singles night event.

d.      Someone who falls in love with a ghost.

Choose a candy heart (a box of candy hearts was provided) and use what is written on it to complete one of the sentences below.

        i.            When I came back from lunch, there was a candy heart on my keyboard. It said __________.

      ii.            I couldn’t wait to see what was in the mysterious package I’d picked up from the post office. Inside was a bag of candy hearts. The message _____________ was on every one of them.

    iii.            Cereal was still my go-to breakfast in the morning. But today when I upended the box to my bowl, candy hearts came out instead. They all said ____________.

    iv.            A stranger bumps into you and you feel them grab your hand. When you look, there is a candy heart in your palm with the message ______________.

Next Meeting

Sunday, November 23rd

Leader: Clare

Meeting Notes from January 19, 2020

We discussed possible dates for this year's Open Mic Night. Thursday, April 30th was settled upon. Due to the change in the library's hours, the event will take place from 6pm to 8pm.

There is a giant book sale in Elora on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Members of the group are going to go together on Saturday, May 2nd, to fill up their book bags.

We discussed more ideas for events in 2020. An informal event surrounding NaNoWriMo in November will be proposed to the library. It was also suggested we do a Beta Reader Day at one of our meetings inviting authors of the community to participate.

Continue to work on your writing prompts and submit them to Virginia for the anthology. We are hoping to publish this fall.

Writing Prompts

1. Even a kick in the butt is a step forward.

2. You go for a walk in fresh snow. Suddenly you realize you're not leaving any footprints.

3. He stared at the lottery ticket and read the numbers eleven times before he was sure.

4. Tell a story about a celebrity meeting you.

5. Her job interview did not go so well.

6. Write a story about someone cleaning out their attic. They find an old piece of clothing, and inside of the pocket is an old keepsake.

7. Write about a character's secret area of expertise, something most of their acquaintances would be surprised to learn they know tons about.

8. "You're early," he finally says.

Next Meeting:

Sunday, February 9th, 1:30pm

Leader: Sonja

January 5, 2020, Meeting Notes

Happy New Year!

Virginia announced that we will be proceeding with the anthology. We don't have enough submissions so we are extending the deadline to September 1, 2020. Please submit any of your writings created from writing prompts. Expand on them if you feel it is necessary.

We discussed the 4th Annual Open Mic this coming April. It should be the week of April 20th. Patricia will consult with Harry, and then the Library, as to what date would be suitable.

Brian announced that he participated at his first Open Mic with positive feedback. He is a new member of our group and are proud of how quickly he is progressing.

Brian also announced that the gentleman who played Big Bird passed away. MuppetsMindset.com is accepting submissions of tribute. Brian submitted a poem which was accepted.


Writing Prompts

January is the month of beginnings. According to the Romans it was ruled by the two-faced god Janus. One face looked backward to the past, one forward to the future. Write a story or an essay inspired by one of  the following:

1. A character, looking back, makes a decision about the future.
2. An inauspicious beginning.
3. Something that started out well but ended badly.
4. Something that started out badly but ended well.
5. The beginning of a relationship.
6. People laughed when I told them my New Year's resolution.
7. At least this year started out better than last year.
8. Janusz is the Polish form of "John", meaning "God is gracious" or at least that's what the book of baby names says. The Janusz I went to school with didn't reflect God's graciousness. He was more like Janus - two-faced.
9. There's an old saying "In my beginning is my end". I sure hope that isn't true.

Next Meeting: Sunday, January 19th, 1:30pm

Diane will be leading.

Escape With a Writer Sunday Author Call Out

Happy New Year!

One of the fun things I've been doing this past year is a Sunday blog post called Escape with a Writer Sunday. I've had a very busy few months with some great authors, but I'm always looking for new people to appear on my blog!

Who can join the fun? 
Anyone! I've had authors from all over the world send me their bios and book information to help promote their great new novels.

How do you find the site? 
Easy, peasey! Check out http://dbator.blogspot.com to see what I do and read about new-to-you authors and their books.

Do you have a book you'd love to promote?
Please find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dianebatorauthor/ or message me via my website http://penspaintsandpaper.com/index.html

All the best in 2020! 

Diane