tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32269072127609631602024-02-18T23:42:51.149-05:00Fantasy Writers UniteJennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-27404988826317379352014-08-05T15:00:00.000-04:002014-08-05T15:00:02.899-04:00Living a Slow LifeOn occasion, I consider where I'm "at" in life. I think about what I've accomplished and what I wish I had already completed at this point. When I get really negative about stuff my brain tries to say that my life is "bad" but I logically know that's incorrect. The more I've been pondering this idea of what a "bad" life is the more I understand that my life isn't "bad" (for a multitude of reasons) but it feels bad sometimes because frankly, it's slow.<br />
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I haven't achieved nearly any of the things I thought I would by this point. As a kid I thought by now I'd be married, I'd own my own home, I'd have a profitable career as a writer, and I'd have multiple books published. I seriously thought those things would be easy and doable by 30.<br />
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Clearly, I didn't have the life experience, nor did I know myself well enough to understand my own limitations to ultimately make a better prediction of when and how my life goals would be reached. Also, those goals have shifted a bit over the years from the ones I had as a child which clearly child me could not have accounted for.<br />
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<b>Adult me should be disappointed that child me wasn't the greatest predictor of adult me's successes and failures. </b><br />
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But some days I really am disappointed. So I try to remind myself that being behind on some sort of life plan doesn't make my life "bad," waiting a few more years to achieve goals doesn't make my life "bad," being a different person than who I expected to be still doesn't make my life "bad."<br />
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My path is a slow path, I live a slow life. I will eventually get the things I'm aiming for but it will be a lot slower than I expected and I have to accept that or go crazy trying.<br />
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-80428825226930226192014-07-31T16:15:00.001-04:002014-07-31T16:16:24.066-04:00Cat Sweaters and Captain America Hoodies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Sometimes you buy or are gifted a piece of clothing that you can only wear occasionally, like Halloween sweaters, Christmas sweaters, or even cat sweaters (because if you wore cat sweaters every day you'd morph into a cat). </div>
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Some people are ballsy, they will wear whatever whenever. I'm a bit more shy with some of my clothing choices and therefore limit myself to wearing costumes at only costume appropriate events like Halloween, Dragoncon, Wild Rumpus, and the occasional trivia night where costumes are welcomed.<br />
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So last Tuesday was one such night. I was invited to trivia and I heard I could get a percentage off of my meal if I wore a costume. Being the cheap...er cost conscious person I am, I decided to wear a costume. So the Captain America hoodie I've only been able to wear to a couple of "appropriate" events (mind you I have worn it occasionally just to look cool), was able to be dusted off and brought out for a "special" occasion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(This photo is terribly creepy but it's better than any picture I could have taken of my own hoodie.)</td></tr>
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So I busted out my hoodie and my handmade shield. Yeah, I spent way too long making a backpack that slightly resembles the design of Cap's shield.<br />
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Only three other people that night wore a costume, and I was surprised and a little embarrassed to find out that there was going to be a competition between costumes. I don't mind sitting in a dark booth in my costume but being front and center is a little wearisome. But as luck would have it, the "person that never wins anything" (don't so many of us say that about ourselves?) won the best costume contest. Unfortunately the prize wasn't more money off my bill. :/ At the end of the day I do love Captain America, but I love saving money more. :pJennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-17131502719233278362014-07-22T14:22:00.000-04:002014-07-22T14:22:35.493-04:00It's The Little ThingsSometimes we get so caught up in what we don't have, what we have yet to achieve, what big goals are still waiting for us in the distance... Many spiritual beliefs tell us to be in the moment, to live day to day, to not worry of the future or regret the past but it's hard to look at the little things. We think happiness arrives in the form of a romantic relationship, a career achieved, loads of money, etc. But every small smile, every short second of kindness, every quick laugh, those things compile into a lifetime of happiness - we just have to be looking for them.<br />
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A few years ago I got a small beanie baby unicorn from a store called Five Below. I got the unicorn because it's cute and I love unicorns. Recently, I found out that a certain fast food chain was carrying several tiny beanie babies, one of which was a pink unicorn. I went to one and they did not have it and I promptly forgot about it. Last night though, while in the drive-thru of this fast food chain I remembered and my sister asked the woman working the speaker system if they had the unicorns in stock. She assured us that they did and so we asked for one. When we received our food we found that instead of a unicorn there was a dumb video game toy in our bag.<br />
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As much as I love unicorns I really don't like confrontations so I was willing to resign myself to going home without a new unicorn (because really who needs more crap anyways?) but my sister decided she would march into the restaurant and tell them that "her daughter (yes she told them daughter because we were asking for a kid's toy) loves unicorns and she specifically requested the unicorn" to which the counter person responded that they did not have any unicorns but she was free to look through what they did have. Upon a quick glance of the beanies that were there, she easily spotted the pink unicorn (which looks a bit more like a horse but whatever).<br />
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So in the end I got my unicorn and it's little things like that which really make a person happy in life. Yes, it's awesome to make lots of money and to achieve your career dreams, and to have kids, and a marriage, and a beautiful home and all the other things people dream about, but it's the little things that sustain you when those bigger things are far off, or didn't work out as you planned. Little things like a tiny unicorn buddy for your already tiny unicorn, and a sister going out of her way to make sure that your unicorn has a new friend. :)<br />
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Tiny Unicorn.</div>
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Tiny Unicorn and Big Sister Unicorn.</div>
Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-48243506906344168942014-07-12T14:17:00.000-04:002014-07-12T14:17:04.308-04:002014 in Movies (So Far)There are few things in life that I get excited about. For whatever reason, movies are one of them. But the list of movies I'm really excited about is pretty small (I guess I'm quite persnickety). This year there have been several films I've been excited to see and recently I got to watch two of them.<br />
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<b>"The Rover"</b> starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson looked exactly like something I need to see (since I'm always interested in the artistic portrayals of post apocalyptic societies). Set in a world after an economic collapse, it explores what's really important when you've lost so much. It also touches on how we lose our humanity and what things can bring it back (or destroy any trace of it). The film is slow and very much a character study (not so much an action film as the trailer might suggest), but interesting none-the-less.<br />
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<b>"Snowpiercer"</b> starring Chris Evans and Song Kang-ho also depicts a world after the society we know collapses. While more action based than The Rover, this film explores personal freedom, the decision to be a hero or not, and the strange concepts our society holds about the haves and the have-nots. This film is quite graphic at times, but the ideas it presents are interesting to discuss and mull over.<br />
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Neither film was exactly what I was expecting, but neither was a complete let down so I walked away satisfied. The acting was wonderful in each, and the questions they both bring up about our society and human struggles are very insightful and leave you thinking long after the credits roll. If you don't mind violence, and like movies that make you think (not just entertain) then you might want to check these two out.<br />
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Other films I'm looking forward to this year? Well there's too many to mention but a few highlights that stand out include:<br />
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"<b>The Retrieval"</b> starring Tishuan Scott:<br />
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"<b>The Congress"</b> starring Robin Wright:<br />
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"<b>Birdman"</b> starring Michael Keaton:<br />
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"<b>The Zero Theorem"</b> starring Christoph Waltz:<br />
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-37101729731491062542014-06-11T17:30:00.002-04:002014-06-11T17:30:59.800-04:00PinterestIf you're not familiar with Pinterest, you need to get familiar! j/k I think Pinterest can be a great tool for writers who are visually inspired and who like to organize their work visually (at least on occasion). Pinterest allows you to share and store images along with text that you can come back to again and again even if those images have been removed from the internet. The site allows you to make several boards for different interests or, for writers, different projects. <div>
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I currently have a board for several of my books. I like being able to explore what the characters, scenery, and specific objects in the book look like. I also like sharing quotes that relate to the content of the book when possible. For my "No Rest" board [http://www.pinterest.com/innesjen/no-rest/]I have several images for each character, I have a lot of images for the scenery in the book and I've shared lots of quotes that set the mood of the world these characters live in. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEZ0GlVvqgBzJMPGwGLAyKpEKDhCL1G81BuyrYAtWc5qu9Fji007azIZdcEjJq1fRl5svEiiGpcWE-ZTFzfObObldhPQGdJ5HU9bhgZ65WsdQcmH7PqZXO20jICvGEY96YqUVGScqFQ8i/s1600/We-must-not-fear-day-light-just.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEZ0GlVvqgBzJMPGwGLAyKpEKDhCL1G81BuyrYAtWc5qu9Fji007azIZdcEjJq1fRl5svEiiGpcWE-ZTFzfObObldhPQGdJ5HU9bhgZ65WsdQcmH7PqZXO20jICvGEY96YqUVGScqFQ8i/s1600/We-must-not-fear-day-light-just.jpg" height="440" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm also able to use Pinterest to drop hints about the story with seemingly random images such as the one below from my "No Rest" board:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub59-4oQwW1Mkcvcd7DwP5D53WhudtByCWp3e2fgpBKFpee-TEPopC73xpKgTctwIEzz9_ucNU3TTYBo4XLjtJsr2gFtzHqiUrKXIBM9KXgg_xJ46fLJOX6AR0SJDq3nvauA41XtNDyIF/s1600/tumblr_mg3yfwa9Nj1r977q5o1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub59-4oQwW1Mkcvcd7DwP5D53WhudtByCWp3e2fgpBKFpee-TEPopC73xpKgTctwIEzz9_ucNU3TTYBo4XLjtJsr2gFtzHqiUrKXIBM9KXgg_xJ46fLJOX6AR0SJDq3nvauA41XtNDyIF/s1600/tumblr_mg3yfwa9Nj1r977q5o1_1280.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Pinterest also gives you the opportunity to save images for books you haven't written yet but are in the back of your mind and you want to remember key things about. Or to potentially even explore the story through images prior to setting a specific plot. I have a few boards for books that I intend to write and I use the boards to keep myself excited about the project.</div>
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Pinterest is also a great way to engage with readers. By sharing your Pinterest boards with readers you can help them get excited about your books, the world they are set in and the characters that you've created. Below I've attached an image from my board for my book "Two Heads Are Better Than One" that represents a key object from the story. [http://www.pinterest.com/innesjen/two-heads-are-better-than-one/]</div>
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There is an added feature of creating hidden boards. These boards can be used for images you want to be able to see but you don't want others to see on your site. These boards can help you get excited about a project before sharing it with everyone else. They also can be used to only allow a select few people to see the images you've saved there. </div>
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Lastly, Pinterest also allows you to explore your brand online and to share things that associate with your online persona, or at least to share some of your other interests with the public at large. For me, that means lots of cat photos [http://www.pinterest.com/innesjen/gabby-and-chewie/]:</div>
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-59232407655126644732014-06-02T17:46:00.001-04:002014-06-02T17:46:15.460-04:00Those Books Are For Kids!After going through an old box of CDs, I pulled out a few and gave them a listen. Revisiting music I loved when I was between the ages of 10 and 15 brought back a lot of memories. I also came to the realization that, as a kid, I did not have the worldly experience that I would need to be able understand most of the lyrics. Clearly, I understand English and so I know what words mean, but I didn't understand the feelings behind them. I didn't have comparative experiences to what the singers were singing about and with adult ears, these lyrics and this music took on new meaning for me. Revisiting this music gave me a kind of "Ah-ha!" moment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwjQEfz5ZCg0k-tOLYpF3qSbSdSTACXjAOc_YkhO2LBMTMZ21Un2ulpLGnlnRIkqFho6WzsAqnEzbEqE3S0xmr-ZF027MwiimMuN5okeEL_o5RZyWRl6k1TTfTwscWsZHz7eiQmgCqmmA/s1600/amanda15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwjQEfz5ZCg0k-tOLYpF3qSbSdSTACXjAOc_YkhO2LBMTMZ21Un2ulpLGnlnRIkqFho6WzsAqnEzbEqE3S0xmr-ZF027MwiimMuN5okeEL_o5RZyWRl6k1TTfTwscWsZHz7eiQmgCqmmA/s1600/amanda15.jpg" height="255" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Back in the day when I was listening to music it would take me years to truly understand.)<br />(I'm the one with the aversion to sunlight.)</td></tr>
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At work I had to go through some lists of summer reading suggestions from area schools. Reading the titles of many of these books reminded me of ones I had read as a child or ones I never had the chance to read. Just like the music that had new meaning when revisiting it as an adult, I think the same can be said for children's literature. I'm not talking about the Adventures of Captain Underpants series, I mean classics like Tuck Everlasting, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Books that I read as a kid but had no context in which to put them in; books that left my memory almost as soon as I finished reading them because I didn't have personal experiences which allowed me to connect with the events in the stories on a more emotional level; books that were easily wasted on my youthful self.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD6w_C2kWkkTnRG8_R8vz7Jo5-dpVTZbJUKEbzhBONL-x_fAWVqLJB2PPkl48seWYKUXHe4wAjOCS9BsrZv93oazQ5qt1f9xUMlDVEYPcwaKVR2Ygju3m3YfuMLgbocScKelTuHBwuX0D/s1600/tuck.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD6w_C2kWkkTnRG8_R8vz7Jo5-dpVTZbJUKEbzhBONL-x_fAWVqLJB2PPkl48seWYKUXHe4wAjOCS9BsrZv93oazQ5qt1f9xUMlDVEYPcwaKVR2Ygju3m3YfuMLgbocScKelTuHBwuX0D/s1600/tuck.jpeg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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As a student of literature, I've spent the last several years honing my ability to dig through a book and see the deeper meanings within a text. As a child I never had this ability - another way these books were wasted on me. But now I can fix that. I can go back and read those books again, take an afternoon and see what they were really about, compare them to my life now, make a connection to the deeper intentions of the story, find what makes these books classics and what makes them the kind of literature that schools want kids to read even if kids can't truly comprehend them or even remember them past childhood.<br />
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So that's what I'm going to try to do this summer. I'm cultivating a list and I'm planning on sitting down and really giving these books the focus they deserve and that my childhood self couldn't provide. And who knows, maybe by the end of this summer I'll have learned a few new things about writing that I wouldn't have learned otherwise. :)Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-20276366511202579922014-05-29T20:09:00.001-04:002014-05-29T20:09:34.994-04:00X-Men: Days of Future Past<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUJ27slNLOlkxWfVM5jmFP9ZGjcbPKASblp818Uij71q5D7-raCHcqlRw9zOfglfNshdBwQ0zyI-CKjwEFmp0-C1FRQORjdpboAD0H-KKvJJrE3yT7Z0NlgKcmWFSfArAdL_EAgussfir/s1600/X-Men-Days-of-Future-Past-Movie-Poster+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUJ27slNLOlkxWfVM5jmFP9ZGjcbPKASblp818Uij71q5D7-raCHcqlRw9zOfglfNshdBwQ0zyI-CKjwEFmp0-C1FRQORjdpboAD0H-KKvJJrE3yT7Z0NlgKcmWFSfArAdL_EAgussfir/s1600/X-Men-Days-of-Future-Past-Movie-Poster+(1).png" height="640" width="432" /></a></div>
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So on Monday I went and saw the new X-men film and I think it's probably my favorite film of the year so far (yes, I liked it better than Captain America BUT there are a few contenders that might give it a run for its money like Rover starring Guy Pearce). This is saying a lot because I don't tend to walk into a film excited about it and walk out satisfied with it. Typically my expectations ruin films, or rather when films don't meet my expectations I'm disappointed and don't enjoy the movie. But Days of Future Past did not disappoint (at least it didn't disappoint me). And I'm pretty geeked about seeing it a second time in theaters (which, if you know me, is a rare occurrence indeed). Why did I like it so much? Let me tell you...<br />
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WARNING: There be <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>spoilers </b></span>ahead!<br />
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After X-Men: The Last Stand, I walked out of the theater angry and I said the only way to fix this crap is to send Bishop back in time to change it. I repeated that to anyone that would listen and a few who wouldn't. Mind you, I'm not terribly familiar with the comics (only read a few) but I'm familiar with the 90s TV show, so I was aware of the story line where Bishop travels through time. So I just figured he'd have to do it. I didn't mind that it was Wolverine instead. I like Wolverine (he's maybe my favorite X-men character), and I didn't care that it followed a comic book story line that originally featured Shadowcat in the time traveler role. I'm just glad someone went back and fixed the crap that happened in Last Stand. Even if we want to get all science-y and discuss the fact that the world Logan wakes up in at the end of the film is probably an alternate universe where the events of Last Stand didn't occur but the universe where they did still exists, and the universe where the Sentinels are destroying all the mutants we love still exists, and Logan is just one lucky S.O.B., or is he because maybe the new universe/timeline he's found himself in is the one where Apocalypse exists, and if he had stayed in one of the other timelines/universes he would have avoided Apocalypse and the death and destruction he will bring altogether...Anyways, I'm still happy with the ending of this film and I can finally let my anger about Last Stand go. Good times.<br />
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It's also awesome that Bishop did make it into the film, even if he only had a small role.<br />
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Another reason I enjoyed the film because it gave you several scenes of intense drama but also scenes of humor that made characters more endearing. Like most people, I felt like one of the best scenes of the film is when Quicksilver goes around the kitchen and cleans up the mess, so-to-speak. That scene alone is worth seeing the film twice just so you can catch every aspect of what he's doing. It's so well thought out, but happens surprisingly fast. ;) Another humorous bit that made me laugh out loud is when Magneto gets angry and the plane starts to fall out of the sky and stuff is falling everywhere and everyone is worried that they're all going to die in this tin can. Then Magneto controls himself, the plane rights itself, and Wolverine looks at the dishes and crap that now are all over the floor and says to Magneto, "Are you going to pick that crap up?" Classic Wolverine - pretending he's not scared by being a wise guy.<br />
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One more reason I liked the film was because Wolverine wasn't really the main character. While I love me some Hugh Jackman, and was glad he was in this film, I was even more glad that he was kind of sidelined and let other characters shine. I can't explain it well, I guess, but the fact that he was present but wasn't the focus of the film made it better. He could be there with his side comments and his support but it was about other characters getting their crap together and their challenges which gave the film its emotional depth and meaningful conclusion. Wolverine was just along for the ride and that suited me fine.<br />
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A final reason I thought the film was so so so so good, was because of how layered it was (also why I think it deserves a second viewing). I've been so disheartened by superhero movies lately, the ones that are so basic you don't need to think while watching you just applaud explosions and whatnot. I really didn't know what to expect from this film and I didn't give it the preparation it deserved. Yes, this movie deserves some forethought before sitting down and watching it. You should watch X-Men First Class again, before viewing because so many elements from that film come to play. Little details you'd miss if you didn't have that film in the forefront of your memory when sitting down in the theater. Details that I wanted to know but had to rack my brain to remember since I had seen the film so long ago. So I definitely want to see First Class ASAP before I head back to the theater. I think the film is made that much better by being able to spot the slight nods to the previous film and by understanding maybe a little clearer the relationships between characters (or rather being reminded of their intensity).<br />
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So yes, I really, really, really liked this movie. In case you were wondering.Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-86924821997578881482014-04-20T14:34:00.000-04:002014-04-21T23:27:03.837-04:00The Lasting Legacy of Gabriel García Márquez<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">
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I've been thinking about Columbian writer Gabriel García Márquez quite a bit since hearing about his passing on April 17th.</div>
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My first exposure to Márquez's work was when I read his short
story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." It's a beautiful story
about religion, greed, and humanity (or lack thereof). The story establishes a wonderful social commentary while also utilizing one key element:
magical realism. Márquez often utilized magical realism which meant his
stories contained magical elements but these components were treated as normal parts of the world we live in. He is not alone in this genre (Rudolfo Anaya is another great
author who utilizes this), but his work is eye opening for those willing to
take the time to experience it. As a writer of fantasy, exploring magical
realism is an interesting and educational way to look at utilizing fantastical elements within
a story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With his passing, Márquez
leaves behind many famous novels such as "Love in the Time of
Cholera," and "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
Unfortunately, as time fills up with other things, we don't always sit down and
spend the time enjoying great literature. It's sad that only when someone has
passed on that we consider reading their work. Well, maybe it's more
bittersweet than sad; his passing is a reminder that his legacy remains, that
his books are still here to show us interesting ways to explore magic in our
lives and our own stories. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you've got 15 minutes that you can dedicate to reading something by this wonderful author, perhaps a way
to commemorate the man, check out his short story "A
Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" at the link below:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~cinichol/CreativeWriting/323/MarquezManwithWings.htm">http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~cinichol/CreativeWriting/323/MarquezManwithWings.htm</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-15772709228919573252014-04-15T16:51:00.002-04:002014-04-15T16:51:15.706-04:00My Experience With Memoirs And Creative Non-fiction <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzFhe7n09spiioawhqa9zxxptu014DuOCm88ii4818S4V6a8woHUDzPnKy3k28JHNg3Bp7CHnqKTEqDg0ZXiUAOwzTghzB7RabFtEhduKVEIH9kcj0qQ84lF6fkRZxGtUyFeVm8-eJ3FP/s1600/file0001774244523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzFhe7n09spiioawhqa9zxxptu014DuOCm88ii4818S4V6a8woHUDzPnKy3k28JHNg3Bp7CHnqKTEqDg0ZXiUAOwzTghzB7RabFtEhduKVEIH9kcj0qQ84lF6fkRZxGtUyFeVm8-eJ3FP/s1600/file0001774244523.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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During my undergrad degree I had to take a range of English
courses. One class I took was titled “creative non-fiction.” The professor of
this course ran us through a series of exercises, gave us examples to read, and
gave us assignments for writing. I continually failed miserably at the
assignments. I just couldn’t wrap my head around what she was asking for. I got
my lowest grade in an English course in that class because it just didn’t
click. </div>
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Years later, while pursuing my Master’s degree, I had to
take another creative non-fiction class. This time things started to make a bit
more sense, and I wrote at least one piece that I can say I’m proud of. So what
happened between one class and the other? Was it a different teacher, a
different approach, personal growth? Looking back, I think it had a lot to do
with where I was at as a writer and as a person. </div>
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Growing up I was shy, I was reserved, and I didn’t really
want to tell people about my life and the troubles I had endured. When I was
20, sitting in that first creative non-fiction class, I was still shy and
reserved and was not ready to share my personal story with the world. I was
still writing childish things, and my creative non-fiction felt extremely
childish. It also felt fake because I wasn’t truly opening up. I wasn’t imbuing
my thoughts and feelings into the work. I was hiding behind poorly written
prose and silly attempts to make my creative non-fiction funny instead of
honest.</div>
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By the time I was pursuing my second degree, I was more open
and more honest. I wrote a short piece about my relationship with my father and
it actually touched some people. I gave it the emotion it deserved and didn’t
hide the truth behind humor. </div>
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Recently, I’ve been writing more and more non-fiction from
my own life. It feels like this is the right time to finally open up. The
beauty of non-fiction is that it can be relatable to readers, and it can touch
them through a variety of emotions. </div>
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I think creative non-fiction is a wonderful genre that every
writer should explore. Just remember though, that if you’re going to start
telling your own story you have to be ready to be honest, and to be open. If
you’re not ready to tell your own story with all the truth and emotion it
requires, give it a few years until it feels right.</div>
Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-83531855970432649492014-04-01T16:11:00.000-04:002014-04-01T16:11:47.899-04:00The Year of Yes<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m sure most of you are familiar with this sort of “experiment.”
Taking a certain amount of time and dedicating it to being open, to turning
away from automatic “no’s,” and saying “yes” as often as possible. It’s not a new concept but it’s still a good
one if you, like me, shy away from opportunities out of fear.</div>
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Now I’m not knocking fear, it has its purposes, but it can
also easily take over your life. As writers, we can become very exclusionary.
We spend time alone, we don’t like to break our habits, and we will take small
guaranteed successes over risking any success at the chance of an epic win.
There’s also a lot of fear or rejection that runs deep in writers. That fear
keeps us from sharing work, from putting our stuff out there, and from putting
ourselves out there. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6RiqqTeWOBsKcwyfqimoa6e-ajXS4w9C1et8W7OUbmdJ8N2QhoDA-6kic15GhCfrqbGVu6tEA-l654Eb6Ahscv6c6SNdyj794MaIxcn5GUvcagTBAULovLHcxyBI2k9pkNizY9_DRdkO/s1600/fear+monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6RiqqTeWOBsKcwyfqimoa6e-ajXS4w9C1et8W7OUbmdJ8N2QhoDA-6kic15GhCfrqbGVu6tEA-l654Eb6Ahscv6c6SNdyj794MaIxcn5GUvcagTBAULovLHcxyBI2k9pkNizY9_DRdkO/s1600/fear+monster.jpg" height="364" width="640" /></a></div>
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You, like me, might get to a point where you say “enough is
enough you stupid fear monster, leave me alone!”(Or something to that effect.)
And you want to change things about yourself, and your feelings, and your life.
But where do you start? How do you get out of the fear cycle? You start by
saying “yes.”</div>
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Don’t let those what-ifs trip you up. Think about the end
game. You want to live a fuller life; you don’t want the fear monster eating
your dreams. You want to seize the day and find greater success in all aspects
of your life including your writing. While you still need a level of
consideration when offered opportunities (don’t go jumping off bridges), you
also need to say yes to as many things you say no to, if not more. </div>
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While this idea can be applied to all facets of our lives,
when considering the writing experience think about the things you’ve said no
to. Are there publications you’ve avoided submitting to? Is there a story you
want to write but keeping yourself you can’t do it? Are there readings you’ve
considered participating in but are afraid to get up on the stage? Don’t let
the fear monster take these experiences away from you. While fear is always a formidable
foe, finding success in the ways you want to is always worth fighting your
demons. You are in charge of your destiny, of your success, of your writing.
Look at the things you’ve been saying no to. Consider if that pesky no is
holding you back and keeping you from attaining your dreams. Then go out, brave
the world, and start saying yes. </div>
Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-24569654446488357092014-03-12T16:28:00.001-04:002014-03-12T16:28:21.832-04:00Being Healthy as a WriterMany writers know how important it is to sit down and get those words on the page (or computer). That is the single most important thing you can do as a writer (probably). But how to stay healthy while pursuing a pretty sedentary profession, that's not so easy to figure out. I've been struggling with this myself over the past few years, and I thought I'd share what I've come to know.<br />
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<i><b><u>Get up from the computer!</u></b></i><br />
Your body needs circulation, your muscles need to move. Make a point to get up and walk around at least once an hour. Obviously if you are in the midst of an amazing scene and don't want to interrupt your "flow" you might delay standing and walking, but don't go days of little to no movement while doing a several hour stretch of writing.<br />
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<i><b><u>Reach for healthier snacks.</u></b></i><br />
I grew up with a computer in the house, and with lots of boredom snacking. It's hard not to sit at the computer and not reach for a snack, and typically an unhealthy one. If you associate the computer with snacking, consider 1) are you really hungry? and 2) can you grab something healthy to eat instead of cheetos and mt. dew? Don't let your love of writing help you to unconsciously feed into mindless eating.<br />
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<i><b><u>Opt for healthier coffee shop drinks.</u></b></i><br />
If you happen to work weekly (or even daily) in a coffee shop and you order the largest sugary-est most caloric drink they have on the menu, you are doing yourself no favors. Try something with skim milk, no added sugars, or even order a water with your drink so that you can cut your sugary drink intake in half.<br />
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<i><b><u>Hit the streets.</u></b></i><br />
Consider taking a weekly or daily stroll. This will help get you active, and offset some of the time you spend sitting at the computer. It will also help fuel creative thoughts as our brains are often wired to produce new ideas or mull over old ones when our bodies are doing something else (i.e. sitting in the car, showering, trying to sleep). Walk your own street, or find local parks that will offer you different surroundings to fuel creative thinking. Taking a walk and making it a weekly habit can also re-energize your body and your mind and help you be more focused and excited about your project when you return to the computer.<br />
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I've also heard good things about standing desks, and about treadmills that sit under a desk, but I've tried neither of those and so I cannot personally recommend them. Just as writing is a personal journey, your own health and well-being is also a personal journey and you have to try out different changes and see what works best for you.<br />
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We all have excuses as to why we let our health slide but just as you wouldn't let excuses keep you from writing, don't let them keep you from staying healthy. In the end, you want to have many years on this planet writing a million books for your adoring fans even if it means taking a walk around the house once an hour for every hour spent in front of the computer.Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-28490738231398250112014-03-02T10:00:00.000-05:002014-03-02T10:00:03.624-05:00Gabby & Chewie Comic Strip #7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>There's no such thing as a restful night's sleep <br />when Gabby and Chewie are involved...</i></div>
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-83526367309980580772014-02-13T14:53:00.001-05:002014-02-13T14:54:05.749-05:00Guest Post: Author Rob White On Faking It ‘Till You Make It.<div class="MsoNormal">
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I’m an introvert. If you’re a writer – or any kind of
artist, really – I bet you dollars to donuts you’re an introvert too, or at
least have some ingrained introvert tendencies. Can’t speak for everyone but
growing up I found my mental and creative stimulation through fantasy rather
than through social interaction. I was the kid swinging the wooden sword in the
woods at invisible goblins. I was the kid drawing monsters in the back of class
instead of passing notes to cute girls. I was also the kid who had more than
one epic fantasy tale mapped out in my brain before the age of 18. As an adult
who allowed himself to believe that he could be a “real writer” (I’m one of
those guys who says that being a real writer is about intention rather than
measurable results) I finally began to share those fantasies with the world. If
another lonely kid can gain the same thrill from my stories as I gained from
Tolkien or Stephen King or Final Fantasy then I’d say all these hours in front
of a keyboard or notepad covered in chicken scratch have been worth it.</div>
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Buuuut - and it’s a big but and I cannot lie – being a
writer who releases his/her work to the public means that an introvert suddenly
has to develop skills usually associated with that mysterious and alien race
known as extroverts. We have to smile and greet passersby in hopes that they’ll
buy our book (and therefore buy us lunch). We have to say hey, hi and how are
you to dozens of names and faces online and in bookstores in hopes that they’ll
carry or review our book. And if we’re really bold and really lucky – or
persistent – we’ll get to sit at a table in front of a microphone and tell
prospective authors about our experiences and how to get ahead in the business.</div>
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If you can’t guess, that’s what I’ll be doing soon as a
panelist at Timegate, a Doctor Who and Stargate convention held in Atlanta in
May. </div>
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I am <i>horrified</i> at
the idea of not only being on stage in front of who knows how many people, but
being up there in a position of supposed authority about a subject many of my
audience members may actually be more experienced than myself at. I could look
like a phony. I could look like a fraud. I probably will look like an idiot.</div>
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Yet I’m going to do it anyway. Why? Because I’m learning in
this tricky, sticky business of being an artist that the only way to get up
there, over there, out there and beyond is to carry yourself as if you’re
already there. One year at DragonCon I decided to cosplay as the successful
writer I wanted to be. I felt damn good that day. Better than the day I wore a
Space Cowboy outfit. Better than the day I dressed as the protagonist of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pull-Rob-White-ebook/dp/B001U3YE2G/ref=la_B00ICRYYGO_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392157305&sr=1-2" target="_blank">ThePull </a> and got mistaken for Snake Eyes.
Better than the time someone thought I was Neil Gaiman. In a way, I’ve been
wearing that costume ever since.</div>
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So my plan for Timegate is this: load up on caffeine, climb
up on that stage and sit down at that table and be my own wise-ass self. The
self who makes jokes to empty rooms while he writes alone in his office. The
self who yells at the screen when Carl walks backwards away from a zombie and
then falls on his ass on The Walking Dead. The self who posts ridiculous
non-sequiters on Facebook and then comments on his own post. You know, that
guy.</div>
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I hope I’ll be entertaining. I hope I won’t appear like I’m
talking out of my ass. I’ll either be funny or I’ll be the quiet guy on the
panel who says one helpful thing and then lets the experts talk. Or – worst
case scenario – I’ll be the guy who says something inaccurate about Season 7
Episode 4 of Doctor Who and gets lynched by a mob of angry Whovians. This is
the risk we take in putting ourselves out there, be we introvert or extrovert;
and let’s be honest, it’s the extroverts who more often end up with their feet
planted firmly in their mouth.</div>
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So I’ll fake it and believe that I’ll make it until one day
– just maybe – I won’t be faking anymore. With each risk I take, public reading
I participate in, story I submit and festival I sell books at I find that I’m
faking it just a little bit less. One day, perhaps that guy you see at
DragonCon will not be a wanna-be-writer in the costume of a real one, but will in
fact just be me. </div>
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Maybe it already is.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>Rob White is a novelist, a comic book author and a professional
dreamer. He makes his home in Athens, Georgia where he revels in the chaos and
magic of living in a town full of artists. He is the author of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pull-Rob-White-ebook/dp/B001U3YE2G/ref=la_B00ICRYYGO_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392157305&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Pull Series</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> and a local writing hero as he
inspires and assists members of the Athens Writers Association to follow their
writing and publication dreams.</i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #4c1130;">You can find Rob on twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/robwhitethepull" target="_blank">@robwhitethepull</a> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;">on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thepullnovel" target="_blank">The Pull's Facebook page</a> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;">and on his website: <a href="http://followthepull.com/">followthepull.com</a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;">Both book one and book two of The Pull series are on amazon.com: </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pull-Rob-White-ebook/dp/B001U3YE2G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392159650&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pull+rob+white" target="_blank">The Pull - Book One</a> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;">and </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Monsters-Are-Pull-ebook/dp/B006WCRG0W/ref=la_B00ICRYYGO_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392159687&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Home is Where the Monsters Are </a></span></i></div>
Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-25129220919910964802014-02-02T00:21:00.000-05:002014-02-02T00:21:00.213-05:00Reading In Public - Eek!So the Athens Writers Association had their second Writers Read event, and as a good member of the organization, and as a writer who wants to learn how to be comfortable in front of a crowd, I stood up and read some of my writing.<br />
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The fear of the stage, while prevalent across people of all backgrounds, professions, and experiences, is pretty common among writers. I guess this makes sense. A lot of writers write to avoid the spotlight, letting their characters be center stage while they work in dark rooms away from the public eye. But to be a "professional" writer, one has to step out of the writing dungeon and in front of crowds - at least occasionally.<br />
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So how does one do that? Find an opportunity and throw yourself to the wolves. Okay, so it's not really that bad, although your brain and body might make you <i>feel</i> like it's that bad or worse. Even though I had practiced the hell out of my story (okay, I hadn't memorized it or anything) once I got on that stage the nerves set in and I almost collapsed like a derailed train before I even got the first word out. But I held it together, stumbled a little, and read my piece to the very last painful line before allowing my jiggly legs lead me off the stage and straight to the bathroom were I could shake out my jitters in peace.<br />
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One thing that helped was having the writing in hand. To see the words on the page meant I could focus on the paper and not the crowd. Some people will argue that the paper gets in the way and that you should be ballsy enough to face the people who are listening, but I'm not that ballsy - at least not yet. So I hold the paper and even though my eyes are mainly just skimming the print, (since I know the piece almost by heart), it's still gives me a false sense of comfort and helps me make my way through the reading.<br />
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Another thing that helped was remembering that at the end of the day, I'm up their to entertain. If I stumble on words, if I stutter (as I can be prone to do when anxious), if I have to pause and regain control of my voice, my breathing, my place in the story - all of that is okay, because I do it all with a smile on my face. Perhaps it's an apologetic smile, but I know that what words do flow smoothly are interesting and the ones I fumble will appear more comical or lighthearted if I have a good response to them. If I were to read, stumble, start to swear, and kick my feet, or even apologize each and every time I feel like I've screwed up (and <i>feel</i> is a strong word here because our own perception of how something is going is very different than the listeners/viewers perception) then the reader will be put off, offended, or "over it" long before I'm finished. If I pause and smile and continue on, they will bear with me. Since I am kind to myself when I make mistakes, they will feel compelled to be kind as well. And, frankly, if they even noticed the mistakes I make, then they're going to be kind because they came to hear people read they didn't come to heckle people. If they want to complain they'll do it after the reading is over and hopefully out of my earshot. ;)<br />
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Long story short, I taped myself reading my piece (which I'm sharing here) since I was a bit discouraged with how shaky I got on stage. This way I can remember it as something I read well, instead of something I was reading while feeling like I was experiencing one of the levels of hell - you know the one where your legs are jelly, your hands won't stop shaking, your vocal cords won't stop wobbling, you're sure you're either too loud or too quiet, and the certainty that everyone thinks you're the dumbest moron who ever spoke takes over all logical thought.<br />
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<br />Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-67713974002333594012014-01-15T14:18:00.000-05:002014-01-15T14:18:49.440-05:00Character Bodies and BelievabilityI've been thinking about character descriptions lately. While I often struggle with describing my characters fully, and I often want to make them unique (not just your cookie-cutter thin, white, protagonist), the characteristics a writer gives a character not only shed light on that character, but on the writer and their audience as well. There is a lot of power in how we present heroes and heroines; writers shape the beliefs of readers, and can break down previously held ideas about what makes a person attractive, and what qualities help them succeed. At times, the tried and true forms of body shape, hair color, eye color, skin color, etc., is needed (especially if you are poking fun at a cliche), but most writers should try to break the molds presented to us from previous generations. As readers, we must also challenge what a writer has given us if it no longer rings true. Specifically, the representation of women has been historically skewed into body shapes and levels of attractiveness that do not apply to the average reader (and at times not even to the rare human).<br />
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So, recently I started reading a new series that I've had my eye on for a while. The series has been around for a while, it has lots of fans, and I really like the author (although this is the first time reading a book written by this person). I wouldn't say I had terribly high expectations, but for an urban fantasy book with a female main character, I had a few expectations about how the woman should be represented.<br />
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The character describes herself like so: "My upper body is slender, petite if you will, muscular and not bad to look at. Unfortunately, my legs are about five inches too short to ever be America's ideal legs. I will never have skinny thighs, nor anything short of muscular calves." Okay, I can picture that. She's short, fit, even muscular. I accept this description, but the page before the character says this: "I could bench press a hundred pounds, not bad, not bad at all. But when you only weigh a hundred and six, it puts you at a disadvantage." WHAT?!?!?!? 106??? Unless she is 4 feet tall, how can she possibly be muscular AND 106. The human body, if closer to 5 feet, would have to lose muscle mass, and a person's legs would be VERY skinny at 106.<br />
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Now I'm no doctor, even though I play one on TV, but that's how I see it. If you tell me your character is 106 lbs and not 4 feet tall or shorter, I assume they are wheel chair bound and their muscles have atrophied. Okay, so that's a little extreme. But I don't know any women who weigh that little, and don't have "skinny" thighs, unless this character suffers from body dysmorphia. Why even mention the weight? Why do we even describe women by these terms? None of the men in the book have described themselves by their weight, so why boil women down to a number (unrealistic or NOT) on a scale?<br />
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I will say that the book has been entertaining so far, and the series has sold millions of copies, so obviously this description is just a glitch in an otherwise interesting book. It's just something that made me think about characters, descriptions, and believability. I can accept that vampires exist in your world, that your character is awesome enough to kill them, but that she is only 106 lbs? Nope. You lost me. Maybe to some writers and readers it doesn't matter, but just as I hope to embrace characters of all backgrounds/circumstances, I also hope to bring characters to life that are believable in all aspects.Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-88029570111027249692013-12-18T13:06:00.000-05:002013-12-18T13:06:17.337-05:00Cover Art <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Cover art has always been important to me. A cover doesn't just sell a book, it also represents the author's care and attention (in my opinion). When I used to look at publishers I would look through their catalog and examine each cover they posted online. If the artwork was poor then I was very unlikely to approach them for publication. When we started writing "The Beginning of Whit" we had some thoughts on a cover. In a moment of boredom I actually worked on a rendition of "Night Hawks" that could work as the cover but when the flash drive that the image was on died, so did the image. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZB__mHhNQLvv6GreJSmIwdVuonynVI-cu25BD_cTjoVKSQu31YYHh8qiFeouQweNl6ToxFt0lc-57IJETyXYV6L7AIJvikl7p4I6xZK0Dz61CWis7qHuGgVi1nYue473adgb_925ozZfJ/s1600/nighthawks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZB__mHhNQLvv6GreJSmIwdVuonynVI-cu25BD_cTjoVKSQu31YYHh8qiFeouQweNl6ToxFt0lc-57IJETyXYV6L7AIJvikl7p4I6xZK0Dz61CWis7qHuGgVi1nYue473adgb_925ozZfJ/s1600/nighthawks.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The original "Night Hawks" image by Edward Hopper.)<br /></td></tr>
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While I came up with a lot of images throughout the process, to get the right "feel" for the book we finally approached some actual artists. Even though we still were kicking around the idea of doing a play on "Night Hawks" we knew that if we started a series with that image then we'd have to maintain a series of covers based on famous art (if we wanted continuity between book covers). </div>
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Ultimately, when I found an artist whose work was something I was interested in, I went with a design that fit her already established portfolio. The final image is something I think really represents the book and the care that my co-author and I took in selecting a cover. The color choices for the cover give it an urban fantasy feel and the youthful/fun feel of Whit. The scary chickenman in the shadows gives it some intrigue and the stake and donuts gives some hints about the character and the book.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4n7vJdkvs-xQm5xfOP_BQFGjOjSf82q7RUobjo8mAC5660q9JcZ21JS3PdziI8zeZiqeOFzlyg7qdbrzKqlNr21e8DtDWiW62pjUDgh02Z3GHJ3tdPYxZtCcbNqoqmkFNtVagXRBbkFvs/s1600/whit_cover_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4n7vJdkvs-xQm5xfOP_BQFGjOjSf82q7RUobjo8mAC5660q9JcZ21JS3PdziI8zeZiqeOFzlyg7qdbrzKqlNr21e8DtDWiW62pjUDgh02Z3GHJ3tdPYxZtCcbNqoqmkFNtVagXRBbkFvs/s320/whit_cover_final.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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Two parts of the cover are extra touches conceived by the authors. Andrew chose to have the broken egg at the bottom of the page. I chose to include the one-eyed cat beside Whit. When I told Chewie that she was featured on the cover, this is how she reacted:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifveFQX7YAw68CmM4DX_DpQIUwlBxNuwqlpLD3mGBa3Nb1Fri-7Jla75cL5Pl8oH_gv0orWvSKiWoGbJ8G_KldDGmWYcWAbPGqAJKwsi8XijoV0OOEU07c6Ictd_N7WUMTDqcg4x5IqACd/s1600/chewie+reaction.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifveFQX7YAw68CmM4DX_DpQIUwlBxNuwqlpLD3mGBa3Nb1Fri-7Jla75cL5Pl8oH_gv0orWvSKiWoGbJ8G_KldDGmWYcWAbPGqAJKwsi8XijoV0OOEU07c6Ictd_N7WUMTDqcg4x5IqACd/s1600/chewie+reaction.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-13765207517832996782013-12-10T22:06:00.000-05:002013-12-10T22:06:38.025-05:00An Experiment of Sorts...So this past weekend I took a box of books and went to a local event in the hopes of selling a few copies. Indie South Fair is a two-day, twice a year event that is held in Athens, GA. Unfortunately, it was held outside (gah!) and the second day was rainy and in the 40s temperature wise. But I did sell three copies of my book, one of which was to a complete stranger, so I guess it was a success. Here are some photos of the event:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me next to my books and my display. Also note the beautiful banner in the background provided by AWA's founder Katherine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxpkkYY64ViTbikwm4MARJLrUNwvCJvf4X2lGYnerx7VfNPPjUYkahsR-EVzGi5IlCy1zIbuLVWG5kiidaOxN3ov4nDNfF6sGhaAJfnZNOJa9G0BjLRDzHzfjdlaF_fhcdwLfXVGDXb-4/s1600/20131207_105721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxpkkYY64ViTbikwm4MARJLrUNwvCJvf4X2lGYnerx7VfNPPjUYkahsR-EVzGi5IlCy1zIbuLVWG5kiidaOxN3ov4nDNfF6sGhaAJfnZNOJa9G0BjLRDzHzfjdlaF_fhcdwLfXVGDXb-4/s320/20131207_105721.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tent on the first day. Books galore and fellow AWA members (and my sister Amanda).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeVfA1ybFz7Y78Ajg0DrRvftxepeU4bRVtWD0HWUjocqZIcXvZ4PRYdfsetlnRG0ZgJ2obI2a0WqpOcJ478L64A38Cm0s_lDdTBP0qLa4vGd4izgyoBovdQSZKG461PFnSsuysaNmt13E/s1600/20131207_105739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeVfA1ybFz7Y78Ajg0DrRvftxepeU4bRVtWD0HWUjocqZIcXvZ4PRYdfsetlnRG0ZgJ2obI2a0WqpOcJ478L64A38Cm0s_lDdTBP0qLa4vGd4izgyoBovdQSZKG461PFnSsuysaNmt13E/s320/20131207_105739.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A prop provided by Rob (pictured here), this sword was a hit with several kids and a few adults.</td></tr>
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About a month back, Athens Writers Association was at a similar event and afterwards we discussed the need for props to bring potential buyers to our table. Because I constantly over complicate things, I made a plethora of props. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS05o865JRAM7_WZmXDb-xgAuhdXCMaqDn0kTi8ZJvGTI-Wsr9J5qjUuAyChJ0UAMhiizwEs9xodRYGXOMGCY_S-fXTrOJd0XVg7IuSfnqdYf94FeD6TDzr5AaSvwd5P_utB4eVRivjONU/s1600/20131210_194915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS05o865JRAM7_WZmXDb-xgAuhdXCMaqDn0kTi8ZJvGTI-Wsr9J5qjUuAyChJ0UAMhiizwEs9xodRYGXOMGCY_S-fXTrOJd0XVg7IuSfnqdYf94FeD6TDzr5AaSvwd5P_utB4eVRivjONU/s320/20131210_194915.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's a demon hunter without a box full of supplies? And since it's Whit, the box obviously has to be shiny and pink.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjChTfrNSQ1CjYK3NCn3rcTykij0z-LFdnbZGZh8MdaHneP17Tyshyphenhyphen3gYv4nib4BQvoswgd2aE3oNBv_2uYYZ1yU6U0PBqN_G2U_88qboFsJY1u9kJNvLYFbw0eQ1L-djlxCtnBqFUQhPV/s1600/20131210_195203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjChTfrNSQ1CjYK3NCn3rcTykij0z-LFdnbZGZh8MdaHneP17Tyshyphenhyphen3gYv4nib4BQvoswgd2aE3oNBv_2uYYZ1yU6U0PBqN_G2U_88qboFsJY1u9kJNvLYFbw0eQ1L-djlxCtnBqFUQhPV/s320/20131210_195203.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the internal contents of the box. A red diary, some Big City paraphernalia, quartz, gold stone, a tiny magnifying glass, a leather bracelet with a ward sewn into it and a bottle of sparkles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcr3le9ikEez0DepsY4nqCQwKr3QH96JV5HObXHxHbgu_G64BWdtS9MXzYiiyvhGFbbMzXCrS4NHlq7BPrK-On0QllhyUXBaDRseZ0EXr9a2QbUJpJskBq39Z_uo-ArG7kJK9VeWTcmN0k/s1600/20131210_195120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcr3le9ikEez0DepsY4nqCQwKr3QH96JV5HObXHxHbgu_G64BWdtS9MXzYiiyvhGFbbMzXCrS4NHlq7BPrK-On0QllhyUXBaDRseZ0EXr9a2QbUJpJskBq39Z_uo-ArG7kJK9VeWTcmN0k/s320/20131210_195120.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another shot of what the box contains. Some Big City stickers, a bottle of holy water, and a mysterious box containing some strange items...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmP08DazpC9CmZglo9WyE2zzo7YNPSRTPE0jhVuipWOL0A77yFo3k25tZrpRR_m0VTM9jHjTyp6FXSbtBy3Li03x2qpqCyzdwYF2cgu8OUnTxt6KhkwnMIZ3KMJLo4P0KURSvSJGYWzc-7/s1600/20131210_195353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmP08DazpC9CmZglo9WyE2zzo7YNPSRTPE0jhVuipWOL0A77yFo3k25tZrpRR_m0VTM9jHjTyp6FXSbtBy3Li03x2qpqCyzdwYF2cgu8OUnTxt6KhkwnMIZ3KMJLo4P0KURSvSJGYWzc-7/s320/20131210_195353.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A guide to Big City.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJIdULrvva8zVnW5sOX99irMfFcKDBo6AnQ4plU6B_CyCl2rq40QUTc8ZYMCHCPXSz-V9pep49feWvzgw3e3VRo34qVn1IZ5WUkFUoKXP7LfWZely5hDl2N_d73mf5HV93qH7e44wqxKj/s1600/20131210_195410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJIdULrvva8zVnW5sOX99irMfFcKDBo6AnQ4plU6B_CyCl2rq40QUTc8ZYMCHCPXSz-V9pep49feWvzgw3e3VRo34qVn1IZ5WUkFUoKXP7LfWZely5hDl2N_d73mf5HV93qH7e44wqxKj/s320/20131210_195410.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guide is full of interesting tidbits about the wonderful world Whit lives in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32CFzjcWaDH6KgBmpzDEhFkUkIIIkXB65-eTpQqeHQg_2qS9K9wFn7YKCaHAyH2MEF6lQWHTG-_3hUy1ZXD4WPxEBECQYPOPtuUyTBWLbia-nQnHPcZrM_5q05AxRbNndT3_pt_Pe1dro/s1600/20131210_195625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32CFzjcWaDH6KgBmpzDEhFkUkIIIkXB65-eTpQqeHQg_2qS9K9wFn7YKCaHAyH2MEF6lQWHTG-_3hUy1ZXD4WPxEBECQYPOPtuUyTBWLbia-nQnHPcZrM_5q05AxRbNndT3_pt_Pe1dro/s320/20131210_195625.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good knife is always helpful on the hunt.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_tteIJicmm80CxXZhlh8_Vj0asLpvDnHi7JvekTAKXXdqt0bXq7kHMWo9rM3ZL_PPj6W830AfEI8iAHjqpsN-jlczkFxXIGAP5akO0_TZeYIvlt6yG11jcs4Z-LHUjvpdNhhW3OR9-ic/s1600/20131210_195522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_tteIJicmm80CxXZhlh8_Vj0asLpvDnHi7JvekTAKXXdqt0bXq7kHMWo9rM3ZL_PPj6W830AfEI8iAHjqpsN-jlczkFxXIGAP5akO0_TZeYIvlt6yG11jcs4Z-LHUjvpdNhhW3OR9-ic/s320/20131210_195522.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All hunters need stakes. I made these and the leather sheath.<br /></td></tr>
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On the first day of this event, my stuff was tucked deep into the tent and few people felt comfortable venturing that far into our book abyss, so no one actually looked at the paper products I created (like the Big City tourist booklet). I did have two different kids (probably around 8 years old) ask me about my stakes. The second day was too wet to put anything out really without risking it getting damaged. So yeah, I went overboard on my props and they didn't really bring in sales, but it was fun making them (if that counts for anything). It's all a learning experience, and with each new event I'll know better what works and what doesn't work. Now that I have two events under my belt I'll be that much more successful at the next one. :)Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-29571379391153766642013-11-20T00:10:00.000-05:002013-11-20T00:10:01.394-05:00It's a Milestone!<div class="vk_ans" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large !important; font-weight: lighter !important; margin-bottom: 0px;">
mile·stone</div>
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<span class="lr_dct_ph">ˈmīlˌstōn/</span></div>
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<i>noun</i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">So the second meaning, not the first. My first novel is now live on amazon.com! It is now an actual physical book (thanks createspace), and it's the achievement of a lifetime. I wrote my first story when I was 6. Back then I didn't really think about it, this short tale about two kids, a kite, and a kind stranger. But it was the beginning of a very long journey. When I got older I fiddled around with a variety of potential careers but I kept coming back to writing. Even though I've been known to take hiatuses from my dreams, writing is always waiting for when I'm reading to give it a go again. I've been writing for 24 years and being published has been a life goal of mine. Now I have made that goal - it's a milestone.</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Sure this won't be my only book, and yeah, it's not like some bona fide publisher picked it up and agreed that it's awesome; but it's my first book and it's now available for the masses to read and agree it's awesome. So I guess congratz to me. To most people in my life it's just another day, but big things have been happening for me and even if we're not all out celebrating them, I won't ignore their importance. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">This is a dream achieved, a moment of greatness, the beginning of an even bigger adventure.</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Okay, enough blabbering. If you're interested in comedic urban fantasy's then check out book one of my new series - "The Beginning of Whit" (available on amazon, kindle, and at smashwords)</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Whit-Full/dp/1493782673/ref=la_B00GR4LEB2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384801072&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQDF1s4ESsHfSjcjFW_aPNL4Kgul0E-qqZC8RUISY37hRU1ReL7_n0oNxAVVnpR-CCBAP8YtSqXFdnB6etLnUlIXPcxOcms7_dojF1Ce3BJDesf-BuM5K3VncVrCPqGFTUnbatYO65THZ/s400/whit_cover_final.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Whit-Full/dp/1493782673/ref=la_B00GR4LEB2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384801072&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Whit-Full/dp/1493782673/ref=la_B00GR4LEB2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384801072&sr=1-1</a></div>
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-68730809490570464102013-10-31T14:37:00.001-04:002013-10-31T14:38:31.238-04:00How To Kickstarter Pt. 3<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Content is key. Yes the video is important, and the prizes are too, but what you put on your Kickstarter in both the original page content and in your updates is potentially the most important. Not everyone is going to watch your video, but they might skim the page. Not everything you put on the page is going to be read but people might look over your project updates. The content you put up has to showcase your project and the reasons why other people should get excited and get on board!</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />With our Kickstarter we began with something catchy:</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 33.333335876464844px;"><i>Whit Clayborne accidentally dates a soul eater and unwittingly falls for a vampire - and it's only his first week demon hunting...</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 33.333335876464844px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">This single sentence tells you
about the project and hopefully draws you in with interest. Saying something
like "I wrote a book and you might like it." won't get you very many
backers. Think of something eye catching, something different, what makes your
project unique and interesting? </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>Since we are promoting a novel, we used our content to
explore a couple of different things.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">We discussed the book in a
section called “book summary.” While we didn’t describe the book in its
entirety, we did try to list things that would interest potential backers.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">We also talked about “us” (my
co-author and I) because people want to connect with the individuals who made
the product. The video can be used to do this as well, but we explored our
background and our interest a little further in the written content.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">We discussed the prizes and
shared some graphics related to this topic. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDf0ewy-zv2T_MhZSbFbCdCU_Fsr7McUXHsT2RSKD4u7_HJs5txgj9x58m1TZJ1nX1AMpErfO9Xkg5aHHDyq-pAKjt4tziBlpObOGEYieGkUp4zB8rVrVLbvcfJrlA5EFq6_KUvXMiEdE/s1600/prizes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDf0ewy-zv2T_MhZSbFbCdCU_Fsr7McUXHsT2RSKD4u7_HJs5txgj9x58m1TZJ1nX1AMpErfO9Xkg5aHHDyq-pAKjt4tziBlpObOGEYieGkUp4zB8rVrVLbvcfJrlA5EFq6_KUvXMiEdE/s640/prizes.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">We also shared our stretch
goals (if you make more than your initial goal amount what else will you be
doing with backer’s funds?) and I tried to make these related to what we are
doing but also interesting so people would be excited about reaching them.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Lastly, I shared where people
could keep in touch with us and our future projects. Your connection with potential
backers doesn’t end with Kickstarter. Let people connect with you across the
Web and maybe they’ll buy future books/CDs/artwork – whatever you’re working
on.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">My first update was a video, my
second was a link to the first chapter of the book, and my third were the cute
bitstip comics I shared in a previous post on here. These were all employed to
hopefully get new people interested in the project and to keep backers
interested in what’s to come. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">Don’t use updates to tell people what you had for
breakfast. These shouldn’t be a nuisance and should only be used to thank
backers and to get backers excited. By making updates open to the public you
can potentially hook new people but if you have content you only want your
backers to see then make sure the update is not public. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Ultimately, keep your content appealing both with the text you use and the variety of media available to you to promote your project.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Want to see our content in action? Check out our Kickstarter at:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121709675/the-beginning-of-whit-a-laugh-out-loud-urban-fanta">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121709675/the-beginning-of-whit-a-laugh-out-loud-urban-fanta</a>Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-91816389816310272802013-10-25T02:05:00.000-04:002013-10-25T02:05:41.080-04:00By the Power of BitstripsI thought it would be nice to break up the monotony of the Kickstarter campaign and instead share something I've been working on to promote the book. If you're on Facebook or have a smart phone you may have seen the Bitstrip app. This is a program that allows you to create a character for yourself and your friends and to put them into one frame comics. I decided it would be cool to do a couple of these with Whit and his roommate/bestie Brooks from the Full of Whit series. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbX4l1vTY_qIBqNlqNZymW-E5TFMhJ-1uoFo47wfWC3XlwIW0OrTJP6XCt50LD7gpy4JMprge3n6NOlGX0qQHRUkbSJMAXhFtgd-EuvbXDv12L65DIEdGSuI5fgxuvMGFzOWyG8VtieB8/s1600/crafts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbX4l1vTY_qIBqNlqNZymW-E5TFMhJ-1uoFo47wfWC3XlwIW0OrTJP6XCt50LD7gpy4JMprge3n6NOlGX0qQHRUkbSJMAXhFtgd-EuvbXDv12L65DIEdGSuI5fgxuvMGFzOWyG8VtieB8/s400/crafts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWaw-KM-imoyXaRgVl01ticGNGs7F7YbqIuUKQbqrIwOXcixLH3BCVNuNvoZ0Q618t6qkfJiYagrLiyz0mTIybBRMyl4CKI_CvKqm2druVMDiU9BODlsf9ldr9yJCC2B-zw5MaRqVCTVF/s1600/vamps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWaw-KM-imoyXaRgVl01ticGNGs7F7YbqIuUKQbqrIwOXcixLH3BCVNuNvoZ0Q618t6qkfJiYagrLiyz0mTIybBRMyl4CKI_CvKqm2druVMDiU9BODlsf9ldr9yJCC2B-zw5MaRqVCTVF/s400/vamps.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3OALm5Zj3sGatsaqi523ztNe7yI4pEyoyr3jOVjckBMiBHSGEF1BKONxtSTK8VJFUwaDoPkxIBOYHdmHddof7JFvP9Lg7o-2q1zGd9x3BuSFzJP2eQfpp-p6xC1VP-eZXmX4mwrXqQYN/s1600/weiner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3OALm5Zj3sGatsaqi523ztNe7yI4pEyoyr3jOVjckBMiBHSGEF1BKONxtSTK8VJFUwaDoPkxIBOYHdmHddof7JFvP9Lg7o-2q1zGd9x3BuSFzJP2eQfpp-p6xC1VP-eZXmX4mwrXqQYN/s400/weiner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The deep bond and hilarious misadventures of Whit and Brooks continues in book one of our series "The Beginning of Whit" on Kickstarter now! <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121709675/the-beginning-of-whit-a-laugh-out-loud-urban-fanta">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121709675/the-beginning-of-whit-a-laugh-out-loud-urban-fanta</a>Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-3541418805646916392013-10-18T20:27:00.000-04:002013-10-18T20:29:56.872-04:00How To Kickstarter Pt. 2<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Okay, so part one was all about the video. Which is
important. But another important feature of your Kickstarter, is your prizes.
You want something related to your project, something you produce, and
something interesting that will entice people to lay down money on the project
because of what they will receive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">It took us a while to determine what our final prizes would
be. We started out with a wide range of ideas some that seemed too simple (not
valuable enough) and some that felt too difficult for us to make in a timely
fashion or even too cost prohibitive. You want to give out some awesome stuff
but you also want to raise money for publishing your book, not just raise money
to make rewards and walk away from the process with just five dollars in your
pocket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">What we settled on were obviously copies of the book, but
then also series themed gift ideas. I had noticed on other Kickstarter
campaigns that people were labeling the different levels, perhaps in an attempt
to make them sound more interesting (which works) and so we decided to do the
same. We created your basic prizes and then higher level “tracks.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">We did a demon hunting track with Demon Hunting Society gear
associated with the prize levels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">We also did a Big City tourist track with prizes centered
around Big City businesses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_Xj3evmNPGRqw_BM9IHZNLgrL54wpReF9tV7LdpDrbk7yux_MWPMywheNqD1uP-DCTcroxQ0KomWPr-dZ3NGl88ZjfDu7zbjTtMWjkOVO5l9hRx2ICauKYC1oNJxwRhMF75xx9W2AcHm/s1600/eleven.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_Xj3evmNPGRqw_BM9IHZNLgrL54wpReF9tV7LdpDrbk7yux_MWPMywheNqD1uP-DCTcroxQ0KomWPr-dZ3NGl88ZjfDu7zbjTtMWjkOVO5l9hRx2ICauKYC1oNJxwRhMF75xx9W2AcHm/s320/eleven.1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">We also took a look at what we could achieve in a limited
amount of time and what the final cost would be for supplies. Our final
decisions were as such:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb90GbEjTGyAr0ifTMk0I0lhEtK-YVjF59ZDRUgR_aMqlzWirKfdjYCkSuH1HQ3p8Cq_iNAy9uHUCxA6o5SP0xIOULzGUztDV5U-jgbtU7PmsMBIWGZXKlKax9vj4N6dLCKNTqQSd_St0j/s1600/trackprizes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb90GbEjTGyAr0ifTMk0I0lhEtK-YVjF59ZDRUgR_aMqlzWirKfdjYCkSuH1HQ3p8Cq_iNAy9uHUCxA6o5SP0xIOULzGUztDV5U-jgbtU7PmsMBIWGZXKlKax9vj4N6dLCKNTqQSd_St0j/s320/trackprizes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">As you can see we tried to have complementary prizes at each
level of the different tracks but this also allowed people a little bit of a
customization to their rewards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">What about the ideas we had to scrap? Well, those might end
up being useful for future giveaways either during the campaign or once the
book is out in print. I’ll talk more about that in a future post. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To see all our prizes check out our Kickstarter at: </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121709675/the-beginning-of-whit-a-laugh-out-loud-urban-fanta">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121709675/the-beginning-of-whit-a-laugh-out-loud-urban-fanta</a></span></div>
Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-63146619493801760542013-10-09T19:03:00.001-04:002013-10-09T19:04:09.991-04:00How to Kickstarter. Pt. 1I have just launched my own Kickstarter for the first book in the Full of Whit series - "The Beginning of Whit"!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLODhcNVWix82TMgjFALQ4BVfQ2vETkPWw64e8xT7afa4yf5LdjvqGhajylwYsl6etdyEcOc232Xb6CaCB-EeUl0btqi65Y-gArTg4AowZnNrKzUVvuDML658TMBdGk7Bbf8V6gF-oXfK/s1600/cov2clean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLODhcNVWix82TMgjFALQ4BVfQ2vETkPWw64e8xT7afa4yf5LdjvqGhajylwYsl6etdyEcOc232Xb6CaCB-EeUl0btqi65Y-gArTg4AowZnNrKzUVvuDML658TMBdGk7Bbf8V6gF-oXfK/s320/cov2clean.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Woohoo! </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*Applause* </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Boo-hiss!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What? No booing!</span></div>
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Anyways. I decided to share some of my experiences with you here since Kickstarter is a very viable option for indie authors to get support (both monetarily and otherwise) for their projects.</div>
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I also decided to drop this into a multi-part blog series because it's a lot of content and I don't want to overwhelm or bore any of you. So bear with me. ;)</div>
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<u>My Kickstarter Timeline:</u></div>
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<b>August</b> - filmed the original video for Kickstarter<br />
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<b>Early September</b> - finish editing video, polishing up text, creating content for page.</div>
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<b>Late September</b> - typing all of the information into Kickstarter, tweaking video, adjusting content</div>
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<b>Early October</b> - jumping through amazon.com business account hoops, final touches on Kickstarter page, waiting for Kicktarter to approve the project</div>
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<b>October 8th </b>- Kickstarter launched!</div>
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<b>November 7th </b>- Kickstarter will end.</div>
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Okay, so if you pursue a Kickstarter for your project it might not take you months to get from idea to launch but it might take you that long or longer. Kickstarter is a lot of work and even though we are only in day two of the campaign, and I can't say if it's worth it, I can say what it was like putting it all together. </div>
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The first bit (other than several conversations and some serious planning) was making the video. It took us about 3 hours to shoot all the footage we wanted, and we only utilized about 5 minutes of it. The other usable footage has helped in other ways, like a promo/introduction video I made for my co-author and I for our FB page and Youtube page. Compiling the video, (because we shot a lot of our stuff in small segments and we didn't have a set script so many takes had to be scrapped), took over 20 hours to complete. </div>
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The point of the video is to introduce yourselves, your product (the book), why you need backer's support (printing, editing, cover art, etc.) and what they will get out of it (shiny new books! and other goodies.). It's also important to make your product sound interesting - why are you passionate about it, why do you think it's worth a backer's time and money.</div>
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The video should be as professional as you can make it which means cutting down on background noise, considering the location of the shoot and utilizing the best equipment you can afford. I actually saw a Kickstarter video that was filmed in a mall with people walking by, the noise of the mall and the noise of the music playing in the mall on top of the authors talking about their project. I'm not sure if their project was successful but their video was pretty awful. </div>
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I tried to create the simplest background I could - just a solid color wall with no pictures or other distractions. I also tried to limit the amount of ambient noise, but that was difficult in a busy household. We also filmed inside to limit any of the unpredictable noises that you could get outside or in a public location. </div>
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When I compiled the final video, I utilized photos (some of our own and some free ones from <a href="http://www.morguefile.com/">www.morguefile.com</a>) to introduce different segments of the film and I utilized free music from the free music archive <a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/">http://freemusicarchive.org/</a> (windows movie maker actually suggests this site as a viable option for movie music). I also utilized windows movie maker to make my film, and it was good enough, but I know it's not the best software out there.</div>
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Lastly, I showed the original film to several people and altered it with their feedback, then showed them an edited, and changed that as well. I think I finally went with the fifth or sixth version which was a suitable time (5 minutes or less - to keep the interest of the viewer) and held enough content to promote the project. </div>
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Long story short, here's my Kickstarter video for you to enjoy:</div>
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-85069322061670683142013-10-04T12:51:00.000-04:002013-10-04T12:51:32.783-04:00The Job Search Continues...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Looking for jobs is one of the least fun things you can do with your time. </div>
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Especially if you respond to most jobs like me. </div>
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<br />Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-4595550012864369792013-09-19T10:00:00.000-04:002013-10-18T20:31:11.571-04:00Five More Haiku<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A couple of years ago (has it really been that long?) I was working on a story that was going to have some post-apocalyptic haiku featured in it. In case you weren't around back then I had a post with my own haiku <b><a href="http://fanwritunit.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-haiku.html" target="_blank">here</a>,</b> and a post about how to haiku <b><a href="http://fanwritunit.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-haiku.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </b>But the point of this post has to do with the fact that I've picked that story back up and come up with some new haiku. While I've written almost 30 haiku now, a lot of them are pretty awful. I went through and picked the five best of the most recent batch to share here. I know they need work, and I haven't mastered the use of punctuation within them yet, and my syllables might be off (because I can be awful about counting them. One minute a word sounds like it has two syllables, the next minute it sounds like it has three, or one, or four. My brain has problems). But all that being said I'm pretty happy with the end result. Enjoy!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Tall grasses wave like </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">welcoming friends, hiding the</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">graves that sleep beneath.</span>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Tiny blossoms grow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">where warmth and love do meet;
we<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">struggle in darkness.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The wind rattles dry</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">branches and sun bleached bones of<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">those long forgotten.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Hawks fly across the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">sky with purpose; we too, move <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">with deadly intent.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Trees reach within the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">dirt, exploring deep places</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">unsoiled by man.</span></div>
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3226907212760963160.post-47912471191722132532013-09-15T12:43:00.001-04:002013-09-15T12:43:47.872-04:00Have I Really Been Gone That Long?<br />
Wowza, how time flies. I'm starting to see a trend though, seems like every year I get into a funk followed by a busy period followed by a funk and I put this blog on the back burner. For anyone who is disappointed by this, I apologize. I will say that, during the busy period between funks, I did some great things and I'm moving one of my projects forward (at a snail's pace but at any pace is better than no pace). One thing I want to share with you is something I finalized recently. My first YouTube author video! Okay, the exclamation mark is a little excessive because it's not that exciting, but I had to give it some emphasis since it feels like a moderately sized reveal. So here it is:<div>
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Yeah, that's how awkward I am in real life. Okay, you got me, that's how awkward I am when I'm keeping the awkwardness in check, it's a lot worse in real life...</div>
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Anyways, good stuff coming down the pipeline and I'll be updating here to keep everyone informed. :)</div>
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Jennifer Inneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17619839376948089408noreply@blogger.com0