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Deem Intelligent Attach

Want to see for yourself?

Deem Intelligent attach helps corporations and TMCs significantly improve hotel attachment rates (the rates at which employees use company-compliant online booking tools to book hotels for business trips when booking flights).

Intelligent Attach Desktop

Improving attach rates helps companies effectively manage expenses, adhere to policies and maintain duty of care.

Despite years of investment to improve attach rates, low attach rates of less than 50% continue to be a major stumbling block in corporations’ efforts to rein in business travel costs.

The travel booking process is still based on laborious manual research as employees scour the internet, examine numerous booking options and read reviews in an attempt to find the best hotel, flight or car service.

No longer!

The Future of Predictive Personalization

Deem's team of travel experts, data scientists and engineers spent thousands of hours working on research, product development, partnerships, user testing and intense data analysis to build the first predictive personalization engine - Deem Intelligent Attach.

Deem Intelligent Attach utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to analyze corporate and agency preferences, past traveler behavior, and employee profiles in addition to 200 million sentiments extracted from more than 60 million traveler reviews across more than 750,000 hotels. The platform then matches corporate travelers with preferred hotels by presenting optimized accommodations from either the GDS or

Benefits of using Intelligent Attach include:

  • Increased hotel conversion rates – initial deployments showed 16% higher hotel conversion rates.
  • Improved customer satisfaction
  • Reduced time spent on booking site and lower cart abandonment (3 minutes vs. 45 minutes)
  • Increase in account creation by travelers
  • Access to robust user data
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This personalized booking experience provides travelers with a customized and effortless booking process. They see the preferred corporate, or agency hotels most likely to match their requirements, integrated in the booking flow. This which saves them time and encourages booking within the platform.

Deem Intelligent Attach cuts the average hotel booking time from 45 minutes to less than 3 minutes.

Traveler profiles are created automatically by accessing travelers’ and corporations’ past bookings and using this information to build their profiles. This provides travelers with a frictionless user experience. Profiles can also be created manually if no history exists. Profiles are improved over time using feedback, behavior tracking and machine learning capabilities.


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Choosing the Best Forex Software

Trading Forex is not an overly complicated task, but there are some things to keep in mind when stating out. When choosing a Forex broker, which is suggested for all new traders, it is important not only for the broker to have a great reputation and a history of success, but to also offer software that will meet the needs of the investor. Since the Forex market attracts many new traders on a regular basis, many brokers will use basic software that is easy to use and will aloe even new traders an easy and fast way to navigate the site and conduct their trades. There are different software options available and each broker will make the decision on which platform they will offer clients. One thing to remember is that if traders are looking to conduct trades with a mobile device, always ensure that eh chosen broker has a separate application that will allow these traders to be conducted with the device.

The most important aspect of any Forex software system is security. The chosen software should offer 128 bit SSL encryption software that will protect all personal and financial information. This will also prevent hackers from gaining access to accounts. Make sure that the chosen broker offers 24 hour technical support so that if there is ever a problem with the software, it can be addressed.

Another important thing to consider when choosing Forex software is the company’s downtime. When it comes to trading, it is important to always have access to accounts and the ability to trade. If the company has a history of long downtimes, trades can be missed, which means that money can be lost.

Each Forex software choice will offer different features and options for trading. These features are extras and should be considered by experienced traders. As a new trader, it is just important to make sure the software is secure and that there is always access to the market so that trades can be conducted at any time.

Forex Related Articles

There's a lot that to know when it comes to Forex trading which is why will continue adding articles and new information to this website on a regular basis. Please visit us and come back to our website from time to time for the latest Forex technicals, charts and other information.

  • Review of OANDA

    When it comes time to start trading Forex online, traders will start by selecting a broker, which will facilitate the trades being conducted. One of the great names in the business is OANDA, a pioneering brokerage that has been operating since the mid 1990s. With this broker, traders will benefit from many tools, useful tutorials and other great perks that can make trading even more exciting and rewarding. The online platform was launched in 2001 and since that time, it has been a preferred platform for traders from all over the world.

  • The 1 Minute Scalping Strategy

    Forex traders who have experience in trading will be aware of many different strategies and techniques that can help generate successful trades and profits. One of the common strategies that is used is the 1 minute scalping strategy. In regards to the Forex market, scalping refers to method of trading specific currencies based on technical analysis. Traders will have the goal of making a profit by buying or selling while holding positions for a very limited amount of time and closing the trade to earn small profits. Most trades with the 1 minute strategy will be held for one minute or less.

  • Selecting Forex Platforms

    When new traders make the decision to start investing online, they will have to make an important decision to begin, which is selecting a trading platform. A platform is the software that will be used to send information between the trader and their selected broker. This software can offer a large amount of information including charts and quotes and it is also used to enter orders that will be executed. There are different types of platforms, such as local platforms, which are installed on the computer by the trader and web based platforms, that are run with Java. The advantage of a web based platform is that it can be used by any operating system, so it is accessible to more traders.

  • Forex Strategies that Work

    Forex trading has become one of the most popular forms of investing and since it can all be done online with ease, it is simple for traders to access brokers and conduct trades at any time. While the Forex market may seem easy to enter, there are many things that must be considered before trading. There is a risk involved and traders who enter the market with little knowledge or no information on proven strategies will have a difficult time enjoying any success. Here, we discuss some strategies that have been used over the years and continue to provide traders with the tools they need to conduct successful trades and start generating profits.

  • Price Action Trader Mistakes

    Investing in the Forex market can be quite exciting and there are many options that can generate amazing profits. Unfortunately, many traders enter the market without the knowledge they should have and they often make common mistakes that can lead to unnecessary losses. Making mistakes while trading is part of the learning process, but there are some mistakes that can easily be avoided. For those that are price action traders, there is not as much information available online, so common mistakes are often made because traders cannot find the right information to help them conduct these tyupes of trades. Here, we discuss the top three price action trading mistakes that are made.


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Indoor Air Quality Testing: The Benefits

The air quality of your business is essential because you have to ensure that there are no toxins or pollutants that can cause serious health issues for your employees. While many pollutants aren’t dangerous in small amounts, some of them, such as asbestos, are dangerous regardless of the amount. You may want to consider indoor air quality testing to ensure that your systems are working correctly to keep pollutants out while ensuring that no pollutants are escaping into the air.

Indoor air quality testing can help detect leaks. While the test looks for irritants, such as dust and dirt, they also detect other pollutants, such as asbestos, carbon monoxide, and other gasses. While you may not smell or notice the pollutants, they can cause significant health problems if you are exposed to them for extended periods. They can also change the stability of the building over time. Therefore, it is essential to test for leaks to know of weak spots and find a solution before issues become severe and the property must be abandoned. You may also find that it’s easier to breathe when the air is clean; the test can determine how clean the air is and what you can do to improve air quality.

At SESA, their team of consultants, engineers, and scientists can help you determine what is wrong with your systems and building so that you can work on fixing them. While they know it won’t happen overnight, you can’t fix a problem that you doesn’t know exists. Indoor air quality testing is essential to prevent you and your employees from breathing in harmful toxins and bacteria. You’ll find that they have the right equipment to test the air and help you determine your next course of action. You can visit them to learn more about their services.

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Ophrys bertolonii (Bertoloni’s Bee Orchid)

Scientific Name

Ophrys bertolonii Moretti

Common Names

Bertoloni’s Bee Orchid

Arachnites bertolonii, Arachnites insengae, Ophrys dalmatica, Ophrys insectifera subsp. bertolonii, Ophrys inzengae, Ophrys marzensis, Ophrys penedensis, Ophrys romolinii, Ophrys speculum

Scientific Classification

Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Orchidinae
Genus: Ophrys

Color: Dark, almost black and pale pink
Bloom Time: From March to June

Ophrys bertolonii is an amazing orchid that grows up to 18 inches (45 cm) and carries 3 to 8 large flowers on each infloresence. It is the dark, almost black, velvety lip with its shiny speculum that makes the flower so attractive. The sepals and petals are a lovely shade of pale pink, sometimes tinged or marked with green. in It is in flower at any time between March and June.

USDA hardiness zones 6a to 9b: from −10 °F (−23.3 °C) to 30 °F (−1.1 °C).

How to Grow and Care

Generally, orchids can be grouped into three temperature categories: cool, warm, and intermediate. Buy a high-low thermometer to measure the temperature range in your orchid location. After that, choosing a suitable orchid is simple. As with light, some orchids easily adapt to more than one temperature range.

Most orchids we grow indoors come from the tropics, and most parts of the tropics are much more humid than the average living room. Orchids grow better if you can boost the humidity in their immediate growing area by grouping your plants together, or placing them on a dry well. Create a dry well by placing plastic lattice or pebbles on a tray, then adding water to just below the lattice or top of the pebbles. Place your potted plants on top of the lattice or pebbles.

Anyone who has ever watered an orchid knows that most of what you pour in runs out almost immediately through the bottom of the pot. Because orchids are potted in bark mix rather than potting soil, they need to be watered differently…. – See more at: How to Grow Orchids Indoors

Ophrys bertolonii is native to the western and central Mediterranean.

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Carl Rogers Person Centred Theory Psychology Essay

This essay will contain information on the role and function of a counsellor and will explain and evaluate the key concepts, phenomenology, existentialism, the seven stages of process and the six necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change and show how these are important for a trainee counsellor. As well as looking at locus of evaluation, the organismic valuing process, a fully functioning person and the core conditions being in place in a counselling setting. All these in mind influencing the counselling practice of a person training in person centred counselling. All factors to be discussed are in all ways important for a trainee counsellor to study as they are all highly beneficial toward the knowledge and understanding needed before practising in person-centred counselling.

Person-centred counselling is a humanistic approach, founded by Carl Rogers to promote human psychological growth. The aim was to help people achieve a more satisfying and creative life for themselves. This approach was to help in a one-to-one relationship that of a client and of a counsellor and in some cases a group session. The role of the counsellor is to be understanding, and without the six necessary and sufficient conditions, mainly the three core conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard, a counsellor cannot be as understanding as they would like to think, towards a client. As without dealing with things in their own life, in personal development or learning how to not judge someone for things that they have done or how they live their lives, how can they deal with the personal thoughts and feelings of a person that will be brought to a counselling session?

Lietaer (1984) as cited in Tursi and Cochran’s (2006:388) article, said:

“The more I accept myself and am able to be present in a comfortable way with everything that bubbles up in me, without fear or defence, the more I can be receptive to everything that lives in my client”

If such training has not been given then this could be more detrimental toward a client and possibly the counsellor. A problem may arise with a client that may well be very close to home for the counsellor and if this has not in the past been dealt with, may become very hard for the counsellor to attempt to deal with. In such circumstances there should of course be someone who could supervise or be there for advice. However, the effect this may have on the counsellor if not dealt with in the correct manner could be detrimental. Judgements are easy to make, whether they are right or not is not relevant, as a counsellor should not judge. As a training counsellor, the journey is to help and guide the trainee to be non-judgemental, to have congruence and to be empathic. These may prove difficult if the client brings something to the session that goes against everything the counsellor believes in but the unconditional positive regard and congruence mainly, should be in place. If the counsellor finds this too difficult, referral is an option as long as the counsellor stays professional throughout.

As a counsellor, being self-aware enables the counsellor to be open to the client’s own experience, one foot in one foot out. Embracing the client’s experiencing but making sure not to be taken in whole as this is the journey of the client not of the counsellor as such. This assist’s the client in moving on as they are feeling listened to as the counsellor is empathic toward them and experiencing in one way, what it is that the client has experienced or is experiencing, in turn, providing the necessary conditions to assist the client on their journey. Knowing that they as a client are being heard goes a long way, as Frankland et al (1995) states that listening to a person’s thought’s is entirely different to listening to that of a person’s feelings.

As part of the British culture, back in the past, people have been taught that for example ‘big boys do not cry’ or ‘children are seen not heard’ and that there is a time and a place for emotions of any kind to be expressed, therefore not publicly. This can cause difficulty for a person to listen to another’s feelings genuinely and respecting the feelings of another or on the other hand it can be very hard to express these thoughts and feelings after being told during childhood etc. that this was the wrong way of dealing with the emotions.

The role and function of a counsellor is to reassure the client, assuring them that they are in a quiet and safe place. Where a client is able to speak without feeling judged and is able to feel safe enough, to talk about their thoughts and feelings and the things that are going on in their life. Although this is a process, and the first few sessions are mainly about the building of trust between counsellor and client. Therefore it is very important that the client does not feel over-powered by the counsellor or that the counsellor does not abuse this power. Although it should be apparent at some point to the client that both client and counsellor are equal. As a counsellor in person-centred counselling the abuse of power can occur, however as Merry (2002) states, a non-directive approach is important.

When following the BACP’s guidelines and the training given as a trainee, the misuse of power should not occur. Once the trust is in place, the counsellor can facilitate the correct environment for the client; they now have a better understanding of. A counsellor also helps a client develop an internal locus of evaluation, dissolving any conditions of worth placed upon the client and the client becomes more congruent with themselves. Building trust with a client that does not want to be there can be greatly difficult and this is where the seven stages of process will come in.

The seven stages of process was hypothesised by Rogers as more of a guide for himself and other counsellors to see whether the client was progressing or stuck at a set stage and to assist bringing a therapeutic change for the client. However, for this process to achieve full potential, the six necessary and sufficient conditions must be in place, along-side keeping the client’s trust. The process of change can begin from any of the stages and the client does not necessarily start from the first stage. For example a client may begin at stage four but at some point go into stage two, because this is no linear process and every client is different. However, once the client is in a set stage they will build on experiences before moving onto the next.

Fiedler in the 50’s asked a variety of counsellor’s what they had considered the best parts for a therapeutic relationship. Carl Rogers in 1957, developed from Fiedler’s research and Roger’s created the six necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change. The three most important factors of the six are that of unconditional positive regard, congruence and empathy. Wilkins (2003), states that it has never been asserted that these are ‘the core conditions’ but there have been many studies around these ‘conditions’ separately and together to see how effective they are. As Sharf (2011) states, research has shown that if the core conditions are in place this can bring therapeutic change. However, these as Wilkins (2003) explains, have never been tested, therefore the results are inconclusive. How can the amount of unconditional positive regard from a counsellor to a client be measured or even tested?

Therapeutic change is openness to experience as McLeod (2003) explains from a client generalising the world to accepting it in time as personal experience. To benefit from the therapeutic change the client must be ready to start the journey of self-exploration, as if a client were to come in at stage one it would be less likely that they would be ready or benefit from the process. This is a process of assisting the client to experience and understand their own value as a person and with this the client becoming stronger with their self, slowly becoming closer to a more internal locus of evaluation. Reaching this point is along the right path for the client to aim to reach the self-actualisation.

Self-actualisation revolves around incongruence which in turn is inconsistent with the experiencing process. Person-centred therapy can assist a client to reconnect with their self-actualising tendency which had been thwarted in the past by conditions of worth or placing their own locus of evaluation outside of themselves therefore losing their internal valuing process. The actualising tendency, being related to the organismic valuing process, which was said by Rogers (1951) that there was one thing that aided the development of a person, which he called the actualising tendency. He goes on to state that, if a person was to have had all the love and support during childhood, then they would have been given the right components to help that person to achieve the actualising tendency. Where-as a person who was not given the love and support that was needed to help nourish for the actualising tendency, would suffer from conditions of worth.

Conditions of worth are what we acquire as children as there is a strong need to be loved, then being told the appropriate way’s to behave and think and sometimes feel which causes people to place conditions that later in life we tend to look for in others or in experiences and if the conditions do not fit that to which are believed to be acceptable, they can be denied all together. These conditions of worth would then go on to become the need for positive regard, trying to please others through what they believe to be the right way or right thing, rather than following what the self wants or needs. This need for positive regard can affect the decision making and confidence of a person due to the need to be loved or valued.

If a person has had a critical and judgemental upbringing or has been surrounded by critical and judgmental people, this may cause a person to search for approval and positive regard, this takes a person away from their organismic valuing process too, which creates a self-concept. This it-self can create a need for external authorities for guidance or a need to please others, which then in turn becomes incongruent to self. This has been described as locus of evaluation. Locus of evaluation is what Merry (2002: 26) says is a “development of positive self-regardaˆ¦vulnerable to the evaluations of others” and with this in mind a person can become to not trust their own inner experiencing, therefore becoming external. To start to become a fully functioning person, the locus of evaluation needs to be found and exercised and this can be achieved through person centred counselling. However, a client can choose to stay as functioning without feeling forced to become a fully functioning person.

The key concepts in person centred counselling are the self and unconditional Positive regard. The importance of self is a drive inside everybody to achieve full potential, attempting to better themselves i.e. self-actualisation. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the best way to describe a person’s needs going from the basic survival needs of food and water all the way to the top of self-actualisation. The hierarchy fits quite nicely into Roger’s person-centred theory, which is all about the self. A person who has been brought back down to the basic survival needs through depression etc., and without realising will go up through this chart and possibly at some point come back down through the stages as there is no limit in life to how many times a person will continue up or down the chart. Now, a client, being aware of their own feelings and personal experiences due to starting counselling, can slowly start building themselves back up to achieving the self-actualisation.

The actualising tendency was described by Carl Roger’s (1959), as summarised by Vincent (2005: 25) as “the inherent tendency of the organism to develop all its capacities in ways which serve to maintain or enhance the organism.”

In the counselling journey of a person, self-discovery and self-awareness become apparent, by owning their own feelings when using the ‘I’ statement, and understanding their own needs and feelings, this is called the self-concept. If a person has not reached the point where they state that ‘I feel’ or ‘I am’ then this is a state of incongruence to the self as in place of the ‘I’ statement will be generalisations.

As stated by Nevid (2008:500) “Roger’s believed that the self is the centre of the human experience”.

McLeod, (2009) stated that the person centred approach begins and ends with experience and it is this that builds on the phenomenological approaches knowledge. Phenomenology is a person’s personal experience and this is central to person centred counselling. McLeod (2009), also states that the aim of phenomenology is to pick out the nature and quality of personal experience whilst bracketing off assumptions, meaning that the counsellor does not apply their own assumptions or experiences into that of a clients. Phenomenology is used in some therapies to explore the client’s experience of a bad time that they had or have, working alongside existential philosophy, exploring areas of crisis in the here and now, giving the client the basic understanding that they control their own lives. Tudor et al (2006) states that Roger’s was not teaching phenomenology or existentialism but the person-centred approach shares some of the same values and assumptions of both of the approaches/ philosophies.

Carl Rogers believed that if the right conditions were in place in a counselling setting, that a person could achieve self-actualisation. Although the core conditions cannot be proved due to the argument of whether or not it can be measured of how much unconditional positive regard etc. a person has been given, the theory over the years seems to have proven itself with the popularity of people studying the theory or becoming counsellors and people seeking out to be counselled or even sent to see a counsellor. Therefore the role and function of a counsellor in person-centred counselling has been discussed throughout, mentioning key factors such as the seven stages of process, the six necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change and actualising tendency and how these assist a person on their own personal counselling journey. As all factors mentioned, are in some way or other linked to the person-centred theory they are all vital for a trainee counsellor to be learning about them and how to use the skills such as empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard, amongst others. The organismic self is of upmost importance in the humanistic approach due to it being the core self and when this is jolted the locus of evaluation is placed outside of the self, causing incongruence to the self and the longer this goes on for can it can become more damaging toward the client psychologically. This is where a client would then search for a counsellor or be sent to see a counsellor, then beginning the journey to becoming a happier person, on the ladder to achieving self-actualisation.

Burnard, P. (2005). Counselling Skills for Health Professionals: Fourth Edition. Nelson Thornes LTD: Cheltenham.

Lietaer, G. (1984). Unconditional positive regard: A controversial basic attitude in client-centred therapy. In Tursi, M. and Cochran, J. (2006). Journal of Counselling & Development. Fall2006, Vol. 84 Issue 4, p388.

McLeod, J. (2009). An introduction to counselling: Fourth Edition. McGraw-Hill: England.

Merry, T. (2002). Learning and being in person-centred counselling. Second ed. PCCS Books: Manchester.

Nevid, J. (2008). Psychology: Concepts and applications. Cengage learning: USA.

Sharf, R. (2011). Theories of Psychotherapy & Counseling: Concepts and Cases. Fifth ed. Cengage Learning: Belmont.

Tudor, K. and Worrall, M. (2006). Person-Centred Therapy: A Clinical Philosophy. Routledge: Hove.

Tursi, M. and Cochran, J. (2006). Journal of Counselling & Development. Fall2006, Vol. 84 Issue 4, p387-396.

Vincent, S. (2005). Being Empathic: A Companion For Counsellors And Therapists. Radcliffe publishing: Oxon.

Wilkins, P. (2003). Person-Centred Therapy in Focus. Sage: London.


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Look and Feel Like Yourself After Your Mastectomy with Breast Reconstruction

By on December 19, 2016 under Blog

Look and Feel Like Yourself After Your Mastectomy with Breast Reconstruction

When you are diagnosed with breast cancer, it can throw you for a loop and turn your world upside down. A long road lies ahead of you that includes treatments and uncertainty. On top of it all, you have to deal with the fact that your breast will need to be removed to save your life. Getting a mastectomy and dealing with the loss of a breast can be an emotional process. Fortunately, you can turn to our experienced plastic surgeon, who can help you with breast reconstruction.

Breast Reconstruction Can Help You Reclaim Your Body

When you have a breast removed, you lose more than a piece of yourself. You may lose your confidence in yourself as well. You do not have to live with a flat chest or a prosthetic bra. Our plastic surgeon can rebuild your bust after your mastectomy to give you what you once had. Your breasts will look and feel authentic. No one will ever know that your breasts were taken away. You can feel good about your body when you put yourself in the capable hands of our plastic surgeon.

What Happens During Breast Reconstruction?

Your breast reconstruction procedure will be tailored to suit you. You will be able to choose the size that you want to be, whether you maintain the bust you had before breast removal or have a more enhanced chest. Our surgeon will determine the best course of action to take to build up your breasts. Tissue from other parts of your body may be used to create breasts, you may have implants or our surgeon may choose a combination approach. Once your procedure is over and you have fully recovered, you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you look whole once again.

Beat Cancer and Take Back Your Body

Winning the fight against cancer is all about staying positive. To give yourself the boost that you need to continue your battle, think about how breast reconstruction can change your life. You want to feel good about the way that your body looks. Don’t let cancer or a mastectomy ruin your self-image. You need to embrace anything that will help you to keep up your spirits.

Learn More About How Breast Reconstruction Can Help You

Breast cancer will change your life, but you don‘t have to let it change your bust forever. You can have breasts again after a mastectomy. Dr. Wendell Perry will lead the way. When you come to his office in Miramar, FL to discuss breast reconstruction, he will carefully evaluate your body and explain your options. Learn what will happen during your reconstructive surgery and the recovery process. Give yourself time to heal and you will be able to enjoy the satisfying moment when your bust has a comeback.

The office of Wendell Perry, MD proudly serves clients in the Miami, FL and surrounding areas.

Contact our office today to schedule a consultation for breast reconstruction.


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SMW TV 4/25/1992

Written by: Bob Colling

Smoky Mountain Wrestling TV
From: Sneedville, TN

1.) Bob Holly defeated Bart Batten
2.) Jimmy Golden defeated Davey Rich
3.) Brian Lee defeated Joe Cazana
4.) Killer Kyle defeated Reno Riggins
5.) The Heavenly Bodies defeated Danny Davis & Joey Maggs in a SMW Tag Team Championship Semifinals match

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Bob Caudle chats with Bob Armstrong about the Volunteer Slam. He goes over the first round matches for the SMW Heavyweight Championship tournament to take place on May 22nd. Robert Gibson vs. Jimmy Golden, Tim Horner vs. Paul Orndorff, Buddy Landell vs. Brian Lee and Dixie Dynamite vs. Dirty White Boy. Paul Orndorff enters the scene and Armstrong says that Orndorff won’t get close the championship if he uses the piledriver. Orndorff says that Tim Horner has no idea what he is getting himself into.

2.) Jimmy Golden gets interviewed after his match but Robert Gibson comes over and says that he is going down at the Volunteer Slam.

3.) Brian Lee heads over to Bob Caudle to be interviewed. Buddy Landell enters the scene and says he is taking some of Lee’s airtime. Lee tells Landell to shut his mouth and take his sisters house coat home. Lee says that Landell isn’t ready for primetime.

4.) Carl Stiles explains to us that he had been jail the past couple of weeks and says he hadn’t gotten an explanation from Dutch. Dutch comes over and yells at Stiles for talking.

5.) Ron Wright is with Bob Caudle to be interviewed. Wright says that his AARP card has been suspended because someone from SMW got his discount card suspended! Wright promises that blood will be shed at SMW Volunteer Slam on May 22nd.

6.) Pritchard and Davis start the main event. Davis takes Pritchard over with a hurricanrana and dropkicks the heels in the opening minute of the match. Pritchard stumbles back to his corner and Davis is fired up. Lane tags in and complains about a shoulder to the nose so Davis gets scolded by the referee. Maggs tags into the contest but is yanked down by the hair. Maggs hammers away on Lane sending him to the floor and chases after him. Maggs takes Lane over with a hip toss but Lane comes off the ropes with swinging neck breaker. Joey is holding his injured neck. Pritchard enters and scoop slams Joey before delivering a knee drop. Maggs gets worked over by the Heavenly Bodies for several moments. Lane drops Maggs with a clothesline from behind to maintain an advantage. Maggs sends Lane flipping over into the corner and Davis gets the hot tag.

Davis cleans house despite the referee not seeing the tag and after several moments Davis is sent out of the ring. Pritchard drives Maggs face first into the mat and that is good enough for a three count. (**. A decent match with the Heavenly Bodies clearly being the superior team in every possible way. It could have been a lot worse but there was some quality action in this one.)

7.) Tim Horner cuts a promo on Paula Orndorff. Horner says that Orndorff tried to hurt Hector Guerrero a few weeks ago. Horner is confident that he will beat Orndorff at Volunteer Slam.

Final Thoughts:
The hype for the Volunteer Slam is going strong and my interest for the event is improving more and more. This week the action was awful but SMW needs to start having standout TV matches to keep interest. Hopefully after the first big event that happens.

Thanks for reading.

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10 ways to Nano-prep for writing your novel

10 ways to Nano-prep for writing your novel

It’s Writescape’s 10th anniversary and we have lots of excitement planned for writers in 2018. This installment of 10 on the 10th is the latest in the series of monthly writing tips, advice and inspiration. Think of it as Gwynn and Ruth sitting on your shoulder and nudging you along. Share with your writing colleagues and encourage them to sign up for more.

In a few weeks, writers around the globe will commit to writing 50,000 words of the first draft of a novel in 30 days. Will you be one of them? National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo begins on November 1, and if you don’t know much about NaNoWriMo, check out our previous blog post NaNoWriMo 101.

That means that October, affectionately known as “Preptober” is a month for getting all your ducks in a row, so you’re ready to actually write on November 1. Below are 10 ways to get ready to write, for NaNoWriMo or indeed for any new novel project.

  1. Create a project hold-all to keep all research, writing, notes and ideas for your new novel. This could be a new folder in your computer, or a “new project” in Scrivener. Try a three ring binder scrapbook, with sections for research notes, character sketches, random ideas, checklists lists etc. Handy for quick reference, for validating research used, for trying out rough writing, for reference as you write. More than that, though, it is a tangible way to make the project real and a good way to stay focused and organized.
  1. Decide what you are going to write. Easier said than done. We all have stacks of ideas of what we could write about, but choose something that interests you. If you’re not passionate about your project you will find it hard to live with it daily and write productively. Choose a story you are spilling over to get out, or write a story that involves something you really want to spend time with. If you love Russian history, set a story in Russia during the revolution. If you’ve always wanted to know about perfume making, write a story where the protagonist is a perfumer. To help make it more real, choose a working title.
  1. Start with sketching interesting characters. If you’re a character-driven writer, begin with writing profiles of your protagonist and antagonist. Then as you work through your plot ideas (step 5) and new characters emerge, do character sketches of them too. If you’re a plot-driven writer, you may want to do step 5 first and return to this step afterwards. Remember these profiles are not just physical, but include your character’s history, flaws, emotional baggage, hopes, dreams, fears and relationships. You might find yourself returning repeatedly to these sketches to add details as you get to know them better.
  1. Ask yourself whose story you are telling and how it would best be told. Whose POV will best tell that story? One POV or multiple? What tense and person? Who is the reader you are aiming at? What genre? As you start to write, you may change these decisions, but start with a plan.
  1. Write your book jacket blurb. This may seem like it’s putting the cart before the horse, but it’s not. The book jacket blurb answers the all-important question “What is this book about?” The answer to that question helps to distill the thrust of the story: the conflict, the stakes and the character arc. It also helps define what age group and genre it is, because it focuses on the main thread of the story.
  1. Brainstorm story ideas. Outline potential plots. Ask yourself the simple but effective “What if?”, or use the base of all ancient myths and tales: the three act structure. If you know how you want your story to end, consider working backwards too. You might want to check out these tried and true variants of the three act structure too.
  1. Define your story world: place and time. This could be as simple as “Russia pre 1917 revolution” or “Haliburton 1956”, or as complex as a new fantasy world or imagined planet. Or it might be a mix, say a fictitious town called Halbury based on Haliburton. Setting is important to ground your story and your readers. The more complex your setting, the more up-front “world-building” you need to do: Government? Religion? Rules of magic? Climate? Etc. Prep work can include maps and floorplans.
  1. Outline potential subplots. Make sure they serve the thrust of the main story, that they have their own story arc and that there are no dropped threads.
  1. Sketch important secondary characters. Make sure they exist as a counterpoint or foil or supporter of your main characters. Like main characters, they too should have their own wants and needs and motivations. Ask yourself if one secondary character can do the work of two to keep the number of characters to a minimum, and to make each one stronger.
  1. Work on character arcs for all characters, primary and secondary. Each character must have their own motivations for doing what they do.

And one thing more

Get support. We all have lives to live and people in those lives. Talk to them about what you want to do and get them to realize you are serious. Enlist their help, whether it is to honour the time you set aside as uninterrupted writing time, or whether it is practical help like carpools or cooking dinners during November. Prepare them for your plan and then……START WRITING!

Flesh Out Characters with a Sketch

Flesh Out Characters with a Sketch

Ruth E. Walker

As a character-driven writer, I love discovering the deeper layers of the people I create. Usually, I already have a strong sense of what makes my characters tick—it’s what draws me to the page to explore their lives. But not always. Sometimes, even a “character-driven writer” needs to develop a character sketch to have a better understanding or handle on one or more of the people in a story.

A sketch can be like a quick line drawing or caricature that fleshes character out when you fill in some blanks:

  1. the basics: age, gender, height, weight, hair colour, shoe size…
  2. add a sense of place, both physical and social: home location, job, education…
  3. toss in a bit of “flavour” with likes/dislikes, idiosyncrasies…
  4. go even deeper: fears, longings, secrets (shhhhh!)…
  5. get a clue to motivations: what happened to them before the story starts?

It can be far more detailed, using shadow and light to reveal facets of personality (key for reaction and interaction), motivation (key for tension-building) and subconscious desires (key for thematic development.)

For example, starting with an idea of a character, a person for a story:

Bob is a 47-year-old truck driver for a long distance hauling company. He’s overweight but not obese and his hairline is receding. He drinks Gatorade to stay awake when he drives overnight. Bob likes old movies, baseball and wine gums.

Bob’s name, age, gender, appearance are sketched in. I tossed in a bit about Bob and his likes. A just-the-facts-ma’am approach is fine to start. If you want more than “good enough”, dive deeper. Everyone has a story. Even our imaginary “Bob” has more than one reason for what he does…or doesn’t…do.

A character sketch can offer a writer more than just an outline of the people in a story. In fact, the act of developing a sketch of a character might serve as a springboard of ideas for plot, setting or themes:

Bob, a 47-year-old truck driver has been hauling long distance rigs across the country for over twenty years. These days, even climbing up into the cab is chore; he knows he should drop a few pounds but it’s hard when he keeps getting the inter-province routes and shorter and shorter deadlines. Some guys pop pills to stay away on night runs but he keeps to power drinks, even if it means he has to piss in a bottle to avoid stopping. Besides, even when he does stop these days, sleep won’t come or at least not for long. Even pulling out the tablet and firing up a few old movies doesn’t do it for him anymore. Two Turner Classics and his eyes are still wide open, and then he’s chewing on wine gums for breakfast and pulling on his Blue Jays cap to get back on the road. His cap doesn’t really hide his thinning hair but still, it’s the Jays so that’s gotta count for something. That’s what his dad always said to him. Life, Bob—it’s gotta count for something. That is, until the day his dad hung himself from the barn rafters.

With genre fiction, there are certain types of characters we expect to show up. A cozy mystery needs an amateur, or even reluctant, sleuth. A fantasy should have supernatural or magical characters. A horror works best with a terrifying and evil villain. Etcetera. Of course, a wise writer takes those expectations and plays with them so that the reader gets some surprises. Like villains who turn into heroes or heroes with murderous hearts. And it’s those character surprises that open up tired plots and overused themes and can take your story on a whole new track.

Drawing out personality

There’s another kind of sketch that may prove helpful in understanding your character. In my workshops, I’ve used photos of people to inspire writers to discover new, unexpected characters for their stories. But I have also scoured magazines and photo books looking for faces or expressions that can help me solidify a character in my mind. A couple of years ago, I was a bit lost working on my science fiction novel. My main character had some “wobbly bits” to the person I thought she should be; in other words, she was a bit fuzzy. Never good for a writer.

I turned to a police sketch program online. After several attempts, I finally came up with her face and that helped me firm her up as I continued to write the latter half of the novel.

The free program I used is no longer available but there are several online services that can do similar work. You need to pay for and then download the program, for example, Flash Face and Portrait Pad. I haven’t tried either one but if you have, let us know in the comment section.

For those of you who use Scrivener for organizing and drafting your work, you probably already know the many uses of this program for sketching out characters, from visual aids to templates to file folders. The Write Practice blog shares some of the Scrivener character sketch features. For those of you not using Scrivener, The Write Practice reminds writers that most of these tools can be adapted for use without any specialized software.

And check out the five links to character worksheets in this All Freelance Writing blog. Writers are offered a range of approaches to finding and developing characters: questionnaires, checklists, guides and charts.

A character sketch is useful at any point in writing. From inspiring a new story to adding extra character touches to a third, or fourth or fifth or…later (!) draft, diving deeper into a character’s life is a tool all writers need in their creativity kit. So go ahead. Get sketching.

10 effective ways for characters to describe themselves

10 effective ways for characters to describe themselves

It’s Writescape’s 10th anniversary and we have lots of excitement planned for writers in 2018. This installment of 10 on the 10th is the latest in the series of monthly writing tips, advice and inspiration. Think of it as Gwynn and Ruth sitting on your shoulder and nudging you along. Share with your writing colleagues and encourage them to sign up for more.

How do you get readers to know what your main character looks like? Put your character in front of mirror and have them “notice” their almond-shaped eyes and cute dimples? Really? Sure, use that cliché if you want your readers to roll their own eyes and toss your book away.

There are much more effective ways to introduce descriptive qualities for your main character but first you need to make some important decisions.

Start with deciding what, if anything, you need your reader to know. And then get ready to get those important details delivered as soon as possible. Opting to bring in character description at Chapter 9 will only serve to annoy your reader because they will have already imagined what that character looks like. But avoid overloading the first few pages with description. Sprinkle it in, like a mild spice.

Like any good spice, character description should be subtle and give readers a glimpse of a character’s personality, skills, lifestyle, etc. Add to the story with character development or plot points: thick glasses, so does your character miss an important small detail? Long unruly hair covers the embarrassing childhood scar on his forehead?

Here’s ten ways to introduce character description without using a mirror:

1. Outside Observation: use another character to reveal details: All these months working beside you, I never noticed your green eyes. Or: That shade of pink really complements your peaches and cream complexion.

2. Closet Choices: when meeting someone they want to impress (are afraid of/are attracted to) they might think about their appearance and what effect it may have: He looked every bit a CEO. Would my gypsy skirt and Birkenstocks destroy the image I’d built up at the office?

3. Family business: try a comment directed to a family member on how alike or different they are. Sister — you may be lean and mean, but I like to think my ample figure speaks of kindness and warmth.

4. Action Figures: insert description as part of the action that adds to the mood – frantically rummaging through a drawer looking for the perfect sweater for a blind date or methodically polishing shoes before a big event;

5. Get Physical Part 1: choose to be indirect by describing another’s action — Jimmy easily handed me the file from the top shelf. “Here you go, Pintsize,” he said with a grin.

6. Get Physical Part 2: do it indirectly by describing an object: The box might be small but it was way too heavy for me to lift.

7. Use Science: do it by describing what physics allows them to do: With my height, swinging that broadsword through the fool’s neck would be childsplay.

8. Status: use profession/occupation – There was no point in brushing away the flour from my pastry chef uniform. My tailored suit was a stark contrast to the backyard full of jeans and sandals at this bbq.

9. Laughter: joke about it – most of us deprecate ourselves. Sure, I can have a second piece of cake. Especially if I want to add to the spare tire around my belly.

10. Self Aware: acute self-consciousness can be effective — I longed to grin back at him, but pressed my lips together instead. No way he was going to see my gap-tooth smile.

Often, the most powerful description is a trigger for an emotional reaction in your reader. A flaw or peculiarity can evoke empathy, raise questions and/or reveal your character’s humanity. After all, feeling connected is a big reason why we love stories and the characters we meet within them.

10 Questions to Ask Your Characters

10 Questions to Ask Your Characters

It’s Writescape’s 10th anniversary and we have lots of excitement planned for writers in 2018. This installment of 10 on the 10th is the latest in the series of monthly writing tips, advice and inspiration. Think of it as Gwynn and Ruth sitting on your shoulder and nudging you along. Share with your writing colleagues and encourage them to sign up for more.

Readers love “a good character” because something about that character resonates for them. You can make a reader-connection with your characters when you spend some time to get to know them.

These 10 questions are designed to get your characters to reveal insights. Your reader doesn’t need to know the answers but you do. What your characters reveal about themselves will affect every action/reaction that she or he makes. And that, dear writer, is a big part of what makes a fully fleshed, believable character.

  1. Who do you love? Love for another can be the driving force for a character. Unrequited or reciprocated, love is an emotional connection for readers. Or it could be your character is so self-centered that only they deserve to be loved by themselves.
  2. What’s your deepest fear? We all have fears. It is what makes us human. Your character is no different. And it will affect how she reacts to any triggers for that fear. And lets you add those triggers when you need them.
  3. How do you feel about your father/mother? — helps you get into the life history of your character. It affects everything your character says and does. Especially useful with mentor/influencer figures for your character.
  4. What do you like to eat for breakfast? — pretty mundane stuff, right? But what your character likes to eat reveals qualities: eggs and bacon (carnivore; not worried about health) oatmeal (solid; old-fashioned); kale and plain yogurt protein smoothie (health-conscious & maybe vegetarian). You’ll need to keep their diet in mind — it will affect what they tend to notice around food.
  5. What do you like most about where you live/work? The day-to-day is a big part of anyone’s life. From repetitive, structured assembly line work to high-pressure aerospace research, what your character experiences on the job affects her approach to the world. Or if he lives in a cardboard box in an alley or a sprawling mansion, it affects his clothes, his hygiene, his daily view of his neighbourhood. Discover what she likes to understand her regular behaviour.
  6. How do you feel about children? Oh yes. How does she feel about those little snotty-nosed rug rats? Does he go all goofy and fun-loving when kids are around? Is she worried about how her body will change when the baby is born? Does he want kids but doesn’t think he can manage? Complicated, conflicted or blasé, your character’s answers show you their nurturing instincts…or lack thereof.
  7. Do you believe in a god(s)? Whoa! Now this is really deep. Or maybe it’s not at all. Your character may have no interest in any faith and this is a simply answered question. Is their belief, or lack thereof, a philosophy or is it more ingrained than that? What is your character’s moral centre?
  8. If you could be anyone else, who would that be? Well, this could be a short answer: nobody. I like being me. Or maybe they actually long to be someone else, someone not even in your story. Golly! That could be very cool.
  9. Who has influenced you in your life’s actions? One outstanding teacher, a childhood friend or a series of people. Positive and negative: a colleague at work who had the courage to whistle-blow, or Aunt Peggy who was always positive no matter what life dealt her. A coach who introduced drugs or some criminal act. A sibling who demanded loyalty by blackmail. A mother who lied.
  10. What makes you happy? Sure it might be chocolate ice-cream, but go deeper. Glass-half-full person or glass-half-empty? Always looking for happiness in the future or the past or in the moment? Needs others to be happy or can find happiness alone? A taker or a giver?

One more important question. All of these questions are fine but the answers are deepened and your character far more revealed if you ask one simple question after they answer each of the others:

Don’t let your character off the hook with a short response. For example:  How do you feel about your father? I always hated my father. Why? Because he was despicable. What do you mean by that? He was an asshole. He beat my mother every Saturday night as far back as I can remember. Why didn’t she leave him? Because she was just as despicable…

Like what you’ve read? You can have 10 on the 10th delivered to you each month by sending us your email in the comment section. You can unsubscribe anytime. You’ll also receive The Top Drawer our Wednesday blog with tips, resources and inspiration for writers. To see past posts, visit: writescape.ca

Trusting Your Reader

Trusting Your Reader

Ruth E. Walker

As a writing coach and editor, I often remind writers to trust your reader. This is not reserved for those new to the craft. Even writers with published work under their belt will slip into the world of telling when they should be nudging.

Show vs nudge

We writers hear it all the time: show don’t tell. It’s great advice and it means to write so that you keep readers engaged. Show is all part of a writer’s essential toolkit of Active instead of (ho-hum) passive writing:

  • use active verbs instead of adverbs
  • watch for info-packed sentences and unnecessary description
  • keep characters reacting physically
  • remove repetition (words, phrases, actions) unless it is important to the story/character
  • avoid clichés and stereotypes—surprise your reader (and yourself)

But it’s not exactly what I mean with “nudge.” I mean something even more subtle, more layered. Something that moves your writing up the ladder. Something that echoes subconsciously for readers.

For example

Imagine you are writing a book about a teenager who is a soccer star. Alexia has all the usual teen angst of being confident and insecure. Everyone tells her she defends the net like a world cup pro, that The Beautiful Game will be her ticket to success. But Alexia fears that she’s only a soccer star on her high school team and will be revealed as ordinary when she joins the provincial all-stars.

But what is your story really about? The desire to be a soccer star is just what Alexia thinks she wants. What she really wants is for her mother coaching soccer in Europe to come back home and show that her own daughter is more important than her mother’s career.

That deep longing that Alexia won’t even admit to herself is your ticket to “nudge.”

Avoid the Hammer

My Writescape colleague Gwynn often refers to tell as a Hammer (as in, hitting your reader over the head and saying, “Hey reader, are you getting this?”) Like me, she sees missed opportunities for subtle hints or when the supposed hint is as obvious as…well—a hammer to the forehead.

Back to Alexia’s longing. We could have her write in her diary: I miss my mother. I wish she’d come home. Nope. Hammer.

We could have her watch the other mothers cheer for her teammates and wipe wistful tears from her eyes. Nope. Hammer with a Sentimental Whack.

We could have sit with her best friend and talk about it:

“Why are you so upset Alexia?”

“Well Pat, I really miss my mother. With her over in Europe coaching that semi-pro team I just feel so alone here. I don’t have any grandparents or other family except Dad. And he’s busy all the time and really, I think they’re separated and just not telling me. The seasons over there are longer than ours here and I want her to come back before my season ends, to see me play just once.”

Nope. More than a Hammer, this exchange also qualifies as an As You Know Bob moment, where a writer has their character say things the person listening would already know but wants to make sure the reader has all the important information. All. Of. It.

This is a prime example of not trusting the reader to either have already figured it out OR (and this is just as important) have the patience to piece it together as the story moves forward.

Don’t poke your reader in the eye

Let’s go back to Alexia’s longing. Would you give her a mother figure in the new coach of the provincial team? That would be kind of obvious. Besides, Alexia needs to learn about the complications of mothering and find a way to connect with her absent mother.

One way to do this is to make Alexia be a mother-figure. A pet perhaps? Too unlikely. Maybe a new teammate who is even more insecure than Alexia and she nurtures her along? Too obvious and lacking in energy.

What if the provincial team requirement is a certain amount of volunteer work? What if the winter before she leaves for training camp she gets stuck with 6 weeks coaching at an inner city community centre. Despite her initial frustrations and lack of empathy, she forms attachments. And then finally, she has to leave for training camp before “the big game/event” of the community centre. She has to choose between her soccer career and the “support your team” mantra she kept telling her young charges.

Maybe all this helps Alexia see her mother in a different light—the pull between family and career that many women struggle with. Maybe this isn’t the most subtle nudge to keep Alexia’s longing a constant theme. But the point here is that I was nudging you to consider ways in which you can adjust a story—pare it, shape it—and eventually move it into thoughtful territory that nudges readers into deeper engagement with your writing.

It’s actually one of the highest compliments you can give a reader: I trust you to understand what my story is about. And frankly, it’s a lot more interesting to write without a hammer in your back pocket. And, as you know Bob, it’s something I encourage writers to remember.

Gwynn and Ruth are great writing coaches. It’s been their pleasure to work with writers of all kinds and at all levels. At the next Writescape retreat, Spring Thaw, they get to kick off the retreat with some one-on-one consultation with the writers there. Plus they both provide written feedback for work submitted in advance.

Support. Clear and constructive feedback. And the care and feeding of the writer’s soul that comes at all Writescape retreats. April 20 for 3 days or extend your pen for 5 days.

Getting Your Novel Unstuck

Getting Your Novel Unstuck

Guest blogger Stephanie Gibeault is a freelance writer with a passion for fiction for young readers. She recently wrote a post for Writescape about the benefits of writing away at the Highlights Foundation’s Pennsylvania retreat. As she promised in that December post, she’s here to share what she learned about getting a novel unstuck:

Whether you call it writer’s block, an empty tank or say your creative well has run dry, every writer has days or weeks when putting words on the page is a challenge. This past summer, I found myself stuck on my middle grade manuscript.

I created a storyboard (on my closet doors) to help me see the flow of the plot, only to discover there were structural issues I hadn’t noticed before. I could see what the problems were, but had no idea how to fix them. Thankfully, I had already signed up for a workshop dedicated to getting unstuck.

Stop spinning your wheels

In my recent guest post, I wrote about my experience at the Highlights Foundation workshop Getting Your Middle Grade Novel Unstuck. I learned many things at the workshop, but the main focus was how to deal with being stuck.

Beginning, middle or end of your story—there are great techniques that can help move you forward. Instructors Chris Tebbetts and Elise Broach armed me with loads of options. And many of them don’t even involve working directly on your manuscript.

The most valuable piece of advice I took away from the workshop: there’s always something you can be doing even if it’s not writing.

Experiment with play

Sometimes, it feels like anything other than writing a new scene is procrastination. That’s simply not the case.

Anything that moves you forward with your writing, builds your skills, increases your familiarity with your characters or fleshes out your plot is a productive and effective use of your time. That’s incredibly liberating.

Discovering your characters

Successful middle grade writers create characters their readers connect with—and characters the writers know inside and out. Chris and Elise offered lots of suggestions to get to know our characters better. Here’s a really effective one for me:

  1. Create a chart with a column for a character’s self-perception and a column for how they are seen by others.
  2. The two columns are those perceptions that are true or accurate and those that are false. This provides insight into your character’s psyche – what they hide from others and what they hide from themselves.

Always positive

Never afraid

HOW OTHERS SEE BOB Cute but annoying

Makes light of tough situations

Journal as your character. Get at their innermost thoughts, motivations and goals.Other ways of getting in touch with your characters include:

  • Fill out a questionnaire or survey as one of your characters. How do they answer differently than you or another character would?
  • Write about a character’s perfect day. What makes him or her happy?
  • Create a character profile with details like hair colour, favourite movie and best friend. The more details the better.
  • Write a letter to yourself from a character about what you are getting right and wrong about him or her in your manuscript.

Stretch some more!

I learned how writing prompts helped uncover details about our characters and plots. I thought it would be limiting because I’d have to go in a particular direction rather than letting my creativity flow.

I was amazed. Forced to explore areas I might otherwise have ignored, I answered questions not directly related to my story but essential to understanding it. Simple questions like, “What does this character want?” or “Why do I love this story?” gave me a great start.

ReVision to move forward

Editing can be as radical as starting from scratch and rewriting a scene entirely from memory. You’ll likely retain your favourite parts while stumbling onto some new descriptions, dialogue and directions at the same time. With track changes in your word processor, it’s easy to compare the two versions, choosing the best sections to keep.

Or be more conservative and only delete what isn’t completely necessary. Decide what, if any, details need to go back in and what the reader never needed in the first place.

One of my favourite suggestions was when Chris told me to rewrite a section of my manuscript in first person point of view. The purpose was not to rewrite my entire manuscript, (although that is exactly what I will do), but to get me deeper into my main character’s head.

I couldn’t believe the difference it made. No longer hovering over my story, now saw it through my protagonist’s eyes. Changing point of view, or even tense (from past to present, for example), allows you to approach your narrative from a different angle and that can be all you need.

No more excuses

With so many available options, I no longer have any reason to be stuck. Or to use the phrase “writer’s block”. If you’re feeling stuck with a writing project, consider trying some of these suggestions.

Remember to take advantage of workshops and retreats to help propel you forward. My experience at Highlights sure made a difference for me.

Did You Know

Are you stuck? Writescape retreats offer the perfect space to stretch your writing skills, re-imagine your work in new and exciting ways and the safety you need for full-throated expression. Spring Thaw is already half full of eager and focused writers like you, ready to give focus to their work.

Join us for an all-inclusive escape on the shores of Rice Lake. Elmhirst’s Resort boasts cozy fully equipped cottages with fireplaces, private bedrooms and gorgeous sunrise lake views. All you need is your jammies, toothbrush and writing materials; writers at all levels are welcome. Choose either a 3-day or 5-day retreat. April 20-24.

Power Up Your Dialogue

Power Up Your Dialogue

Ruth E. Walker

Excerpt from “Shooter”, award-winning Young Adult novel by Caroline Pignat:

I meet his eyes. Hold them for a moment. “Thanks…Hogan.” He shrugs it off like it’s no big deal. But it is, for me, it’s huge.
“Okay–but your brother is definitely dead,” Xander blurts at Hogan. “That I know because–.”
“Xander!” Isabelle cuts him off. “Geeze, don’t you have a filter?”
“No.” Confused, he looks down at his camera. “I never use one. I’d rather see things as they really are.”
We sit in awkward silence, looking everywhere but at each other.
“He’s right. It’s true.” Hogan lets out a deep breath. “It’s been two years. I should be able to at least say it.”
But he doesn’t.
Xander tilts his head and stares at Hogan. “But it’s true that you killed him?”

In fiction, well-crafted dialogue like Pignat‘s can take my breath away. But what if your dialogue is so over-written, unrealistic or dull that your reader wants your characters to stop breathing? Or at least, stop talking.

I get to read a lot of dialogue from writers at all stages of their writing career. For example, I read and assess self-published works from potential members of a national writers’ organization. I’m also a coach and editor working closely with writers seeking to polish their manuscripts. And I teach workshops that focus on crafting excellent dialogue in fiction.

I’ve read some fantastic and engaging dialogue. And I’ve read dialogue that felt like listening to someone recite the nutritional contents of a milk carton. Believe me, you want the words your characters speak to be fantastic and engaging. No 19% of vitamin D for you.

Dialogue has work to do

I’m always surprised when writers miss opportunities to make dialogue work for them. Dialogue is not filler, nor is it secondary. It’s a multi-tasking powerhouse and writers would be wise to remember that.

But even more important, there are technical effects that support and enhance your story. The following are just a few examples of the potential for spoken words:

  • propel your narrative forward with action: “Get up! They’re swarming the gates.”
  • foreshadow, suggest, nudge: “Are you sure the doors are all locked?”
  • establish setting, time, era: “Mistress, your limbs are showing ‘neath your petticoat!”

  • convey emotional state: “Every time I look at you, I see her, alive again.”
  • highlight personality/idiosyncrasies: “Beans can’t never touch meat on my plate. I won’t eat it!”
  • establish culture/social background: “Ach lass, will you no’ be getting down from there?”
The art of character-speak

If we wrote dialogue like true, normal conversations, we wouldn’t have readers. Most real life conversations are a jumbled mess, peppered with ums, ers and ahs, interruptions, half-finished sentences and the shorthand of shared experiences.

For readers, dialogue is the illusion of active listening, of looking from person to person as a conversation unfolds. Readers also enjoy an increase in white space to ‘rest’ their eyes. Conversations create the dynamic that excites readers and keeps the story moving forward.

The job of the writer is to put words in the mouths of our characters and make it all sound natural while making sure it does some of that multi-tasking work we want it to produce.

Here are two approaches to consider.

1. Take out words to give a more natural flow. Start with a basic conversation.

“Did you see that cat get run over by the bus?”
“What cat are you talking about?”
“Frank’s old tabby cat, Tibby.”
“I didn’t see a thing. I guess Frank will be a mess.”

By taking out a word here and there, and giving a bit of a tic to one of the speakers, we also get a bit more flesh on the character.

“You see that cat get runned over by the bus?”
“What cat?”
“Frank’s ol’ cat, Tibby.”
“Didn’t see a thing. Guess Frank’ll be a mess.”

2. Use surprise or the unexpected to up the tension. Real life is often surprising when our conversations with a neighbour or colleagues go off to places we didn’t expect. Do the same thing in your dialogue because there is nothing like potential conflict to tempt your reader.

“Hi, Andrea.”
“Janice? It is you.”
“It’s so good to run into you, Andrea. You look amazing.”
“Why did you hide him from me?”

Knowing when to bring in dialogue

If there is a formula for when and where to use dialogue, I’d love to know what it is. I can say this much: When I look over my fiction, I see that I use dialogue most often when I need to raise the stakes or create conflict or tension in the story.

I don’t mean that the “conflict” or “tension” needs to be dramatic verbal combat. There are gradations and shades to tension and conflict, so sometimes that means being subtle in how I construct those conversations between characters.

Brushstrokes can be more effective than a gallon of paint. With those big scenes of a major reveal or emotion, I will often default to dialogue. But I also use dialogue for subtext and quiet discoveries.

Choosing to write scenes primarily through dialogue, action or narrative, is intuitive for most writers. But when looking at your second or third drafts, pay attention to where you’ve made those choices.

It could be that what you’ve shared in a long, explanatory passage of mostly narrative just might be better delivered through conversations between your characters.

Did You Know?

We were recently asked what a writing coach does. A writing coach supports writers at different stages of the creative process. At Writescape, we often work with writers who just want to know if they are on the right track.

Sometimes a writer needs help with specific techniques like Point of View, dialogue or story structure. And sometimes, a discouraged writer just needs someone to prompt or encourage them.

Coaching services should be tailored to your unique needs and timetable. Writescape’s  coaching services combine online, mail and telephone or in-person communications — depending on geographic, time and similar circumstances.

Contact info@writescape.ca for more information on our coaching and editing services for writers.

A Writer’s Listening Skills

A Writer’s Listening Skills

Ruth E. Walker

My grandmother wore hearing aids. Bulky beige plastic half-moon shapes sat behind her ears.  They were attached to wires that held a small custom-moulded earpiece to fit into each ear canal.

The aids helped with her hearing but at times the high-pitched whining feedback loop was terrible, and she constantly had to adjust the volume. As a child, I thought it seemed a lot of work just to hear better. As I got older, I wondered what it would be like to have to wear hearing aids.

As fate (and genetics) would have it, I’m about to find out.

Hearing is believing

Why would a writer need to worry about perfect hearing? After all, my work exists between my fingers and the keyboard and/or the page. I don’t need to hear what I’ve written when I’m editing—I just need to know that I’ve used the best possible words in the best possible order.

I write fiction. I am especially drawn to characters—their motivations, fears, desires, idiosyncrasies. And I’m curious about them and love to get inside their heads—in short, how their actions and reactions reveal who they are.

Dialogue is a huge part of revealing character. Through conversations and interior monologue, I get to do a lot of exploring and developing interesting characters. And getting that on the page is what gives readers insights into what makes characters tick. What they say. What they don’t say. And how they say it.

I like to think that I’m pretty good at this part of the writing process. I have, as they say, an “ear” for dialogue, for the way people speak and I’ve learned how to use that in my fiction.

I’ve honed that skill by reading how other writers use dialogue. And I’ve further honed that skill by listening in on conversations over the years, by paying attention to how people speak, and especially if they have an agenda or perhaps something they want to keep private.

But lately, I’ve had some trouble with that listening-in part.

I beg your pardon

Over the past year or so, I’ve gone from occasionally asking people to repeat themselves to missing about 40% of what is being said around me. Phone conversations are more difficult. The television is set at an increasingly high volume. Indeed, our PVR has been a godsend so I can rewind and replay two, three even four times to get what I missed.

Parties are really tough even though I’ve become adept at the “large conversation gathering smile”—the go-to when I can’t hear most of what is being said but don’t want to appear “out of things.”

But does this actually affect my writing? I suspect it does in ways I’ve not yet considered. And most importantly, it’s severely limited my listening-in skills. My gift for dialogue doesn’t rest at my fingertips the same. It’s almost as if I have trouble hearing what my characters are saying.

A hearing loss is isolating and while I can still turn to writing to focus my energy, I am missing out on aspects of life.

Solitary craft still needs the world

What I write and how well I write is directly affected by me living a life outside my writer’s room. I’m inspired by the world around me. From birdsong in the early morning to the river’s gurgling at the cottage to the chatter of people in the grocery story, it all is part of what makes me the writer I am.

Sure, the act of writing is solitary. But for me, it is the result of all the senses in play in the world around me. There is nothing solitary about that.

I’m lucky. I have the means to purchase hearing aids that should help me return to the conversation of the world. And if I’m right, those hearing aids will give this writer a much needed boost of inspiration and life.

In 2015, The Guardian newspaper published an article Hearing Words, Writing Sounds: Examining the Author’s Brain. It’s a fascinating glimpse by Richard Lea into the idea of two kinds of “listening” — writing and reading.

For Pakistani and UK novelist Kamila Shamsie, “It’s about the sound of sentences.” and accordingly, she reads her chapters aloud when she finishes each one. But Booker Prize winner, A.S. Byatt, never reads her work aloud because there are “clearly distinct forms of written and spoken language”.

Professor Brenda Rapp of Johns Hopkins has focused a research study on speech and writing and two regions of the brain: one dedicated to producing and interpreting speech and one to the act of writing. They are, according to Rapp, separated at a very deep level. According the Lea’s article, Rapp’s study followed:

…patients with specific difficulties in speech and writing for 15 years [demonstrating] that writing and speaking are supported by different parts of the brain, not just in terms of the processes controlling the hand and mouth, but at deeper levels of the language system that contain knowledge of how words are put together.

Like Shamsie, I often read my work aloud. Does that mean I’m listening for something more than what I see on the page? I think so, even if I’m not too sure what it is that I’m hearing when I read my work.

How about you? Read The Guardian article and think if “listening” comes into your process of writing. Or, like A.S. Byatt, do you keep your focus strictly “on the page” in how the words work?

One Woman Crime Wave

One Woman Crime Wave

In Conversation with…Vicki Delany

So many of us dream of being a full-time writer. But how many of us would sell our house and retire early from a job as a systems analyst with a major bank to do it? Vicki Delany made that gusty move in 2007. Now she rarely wears a watch and can write whenever she feels like it. In just ten years, Vicki (also writing as Eva Gates) has more than 20 crime and mystery novels to her credit .

And she finds time to give back to the writing community. For two years she was Chair of Crime Writers of Canada, and is also a member of Capital Crime Writers and Sisters in Crime. Just this last Labour Day weekend she was an organizer for the first festival of Women Crime Writers: “Women Killing It”.

Plus, she’s taking precious time out  to join us as Writescape’s guest at this year’s fall retreat, Turning Leaves 2017.  Perhaps you’ll join us too, but right now, take a glimpse into the writing life of this prolific, energetic and generous crime and mystery writer.

What attracted you to the mystery/crime genre?

Mystery novels really do fill the spectrum from light and fluffy to very dark indeed. Something for everyone in fact. Darker crime novels, such as psychological suspense, show the human psyche under pressure.

They take (usually) normal people and put them through a heck of a lot. Some survive, some do not. Physically as well as mentally or morally.

Crime novels allow the reader to ask him or herself: what would I do in this situation? What would I do if this happened to me? How far would I go to save my child/defeat my enemy/get revenge/save myself? What would I do for money/for love?

I’m not interested, as a reader or a writer, in explicit violence or international spies. I’m interested in character and character development, good and bad. It’s through the lens of the crime novel that we can explore people under extreme pressure. The use of a crime or a mystery allows the author to up the stakes for the characters, but the essential humanity and the complex range of human emotions are what’s all-important.

At the moment, I’m writing mostly cozy books. Cozies are all about friends and family and community. The tone is much lighter, there is never any real danger to the main characters, and not much in the way of tragedy or angst. Sometimes a little dash of romance, but the friendships are all important. People love these books because they come to love the characters and the town they live in. And the food. Food and books are often important in cozy novels.

What books are on your bedside table right now?

I’m reading The Perfect Spy by John Le Carre, recommended by a friend. A powerful, complex, intricate novel by an author at the height of his powers. I’ve just finished Dust and Shadows by Lyndsay Faye. In the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, all the books and merchandise for sale in the shop exists in real life. I don’t read everything my fictional character stocks, but I do like to dip my toes into Sherlock pastiche now and again.

Up next? Probably In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunant. I am not a big historical novel reader, but I have loved Dunant’s books. I’m looking forward to the September release of Collapse of a Country: A Diplomat’s  Memoir of South Sudan by Nicholas Coghlan because I have been to South Sudan and I set one of my adult literacy novellas there. (Juba Good)

Tell us about your most recent mystery book series

The latest series is a cozy series, meaning very light, an easy read. No human tragedy or angst here. Gemma Doyle owns the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Cape Cod. The first book in the series is Elementary She Read.  When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body.

elementary-she-read-rgbThe higBody on Baker Street - finalhly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman’s suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance.

But when Gemma and the ever-loyal, but often confused, Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it’s a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.

The second in the series hit the shelves last week on September 12, and is called  Body on Baker Street. The series is a lot of fun with lots of Sherlock Holmes references, but the books can be enjoyed by people with no interest in the Great Detective at all.

Describe a typical writing day/week

When I am at home I write every day, seven days a week. I get up in the morning and go to my main computer in my office, and read e-mails, read the papers online, spend a bit of time on Facebook or Twitter.

Then it’s time to start to write. I walk into the dining room and stand at my Netbook computer which is on the half-wall between the kitchen and the dining room.  As I pass through the kitchen, I put one egg on to boil.  (In the summer, I might sit outside on the deck). I always write, standing up, on the Netbook. I read over everything I did the previous day, doing a light edit as I go. I then take my egg into the study and eat it while checking email.

Then back to the small computer for several writing hours. Discipline is important to me, or I’d never get anything done.

What was the best piece of writing advice you ever received?On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

In On Writing, Stephen King says to be a writer, you have to read and you have to write. Read, and read a lot. It’s the only way you are going to learn the craft of writing.

What are you working on right now?

The fourth, as yet untitled, book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series.  I am about to start going over the publisher’s edits for The Spook in the Stacks, the fourth in the Lighthouse Library series I write under the pen name of Eva Gates.

At Writescape’s Turning Leaves 2017 fall retreat November 3rd to 5th, you can meet Vicki Delany at the author’s chat on Friday evening and take a workshop with her on Saturday morning, as well as enjoy her company at meals and social times.

Ten Ways to Get the Most from Writing Prompts

Ten Ways to Get the Most from Writing Prompts

Gwynn Scheltema

At the recent Just Right at Glentula Retreat, we used a number of writing prompts. Most writers have tried them at some point in their writing journeys. Some love them; some not so much. I find them invaluable. I’ve used written, verbal, visual, and textural prompts. I’ve even used smell and taste prompts.

Some writers resist prompts, because they feel that their writing time is limited and they should be writing the “real stuff.” But remember that “completing the prompt” is not the object. The goal is to get you writing, to get you writing what has the most energy for you, and to lead you into your writing project.

How do you do that?

Follow the energy

Often when you begin writing about the subject of the prompt — say swimming in a lake — it can take you  somewhere else — say an experience of drowning or crab baskets in Italy or how your father never believed in taking vacations. Go there. Forget the prompt and go where the energy is.

Prompts unlock memories and experiences, and when you write honestly about them, about how you felt, what you observed, and perhaps even capture some of the dialogue that was spoken, you can take that piece and adapt  it later for your “real” writing.

Prompts are not precise nor prescriptive.

Understand the possibilities of “You”

Prompts often use the pronouns “you” or “your”: “Write about your greatest fear” or “Imagine yourself beside a body of water…” Of course, you can write about your own experience, but you can also approach it as if you are one of your characters. And not just your protagonist or your viewpoint character. Often it is more revealing to pick your antagonist, or a minor character.

Switch it up

Try the same prompt from two different characters’ points of view. If the prompt says “What’s your favourite colour?”, get your character to answer. What colours does she/he have an aversion to? Perhaps you don’t know. Write about the fact that you don’t know that about your character. Why don’t you know? What else don’t you know? Or have characters answer that question about each other. What did your protagonist’s mother think were his /her favourite colours? How did that play out in your protagonist’s life? Did the mother always dress your protagonist in blue for example?

If you are a memoir writer, remember that the people in your life are your characters; they are just called Mom, or Dad or Great Aunt Mabel. And like a fiction writer, you can stretch by writing as if you are another character.

Prime the Muse

Prompts take you places you don’t expect, but I’ve also found them useful for getting into scenes that I was planning to write. Start by identifying a scene in your story you want to work on. For instance, you might want to do a scene where one character makes the first show of affection towards the other. Using the prompt “What’s your favourite colour?” as a line of dialogue could take you to a scene at a fair or in a mall where he is buying her something, or in a garden where the flowers are in bloom, or just in the kitchen choosing a coffee mug.

Write what you know

The facts of your life may not be the stuff of wild imaginative novels, but your human reaction to events is as valid as any character in any novel. Perhaps you haven’t been in a dugout canoe in the Amazon Jungle, but you know how it feels to sweat. You also know how helpless you can feel in a strange place. Could the feeling of being swept down the river with the jungle crowding in also feel like being swept along in a crowd at a frenzied rock concert or at busy subway station? It’s not the facts from your life that connect with readers, it’s the emotions and commonalities.

The Senses

Like the things you feel, what you see, hear, touch, taste and smell also relate to what we all know. When writing from prompts, the senses will always ground you and lead you forward. Make use of ALL five senses. Also consider the temperature, the quality of the light, time of day, the weather, the seasons, the historical period.

Move into Metaphor

When you have considered the senses, move into metaphor. Ask yourself: What does this remind me of? What is it like? What is it not like? Explain it to someone who’s never seen, heard, touched, smelled or tasted it before. What would a child relate it to? What would your character compare it with?

Be specific

As you write, imagine being in your scene. Notice and write about specific sensuous details: not “a car” but “the dented yellow Edsel-Ranger taxi.” Write about unusual details, incongruous details. Write about what’s missing. Imagine the scene with and without people — general people, specific people. Listen for snatches of remembered or overheard conversation.

Turn the prompt around and do the opposite. Substitute “hate” for “love”, try “old” in place of “young”, use “like least” instead of “favourite”. Write using both approaches and consider the similarities or juxtapositions created. If you can’t remember, start with “I don’t remember.” If you’ve never experienced the prompt, say singing for a crowd, start with “I have never sung in front of people because …” or “I have never sung in front of people but I have …”

Sometimes a topic seems too big to approach with authenticity. For instance, if the prompt asks you to write about someone you fear, and you’ve always feared your father, you may not feel comfortable diving into writing about him. Instead make a list of all the people you fear. Try to make the list really long. The items you add to the list last are often the ones buried deep. At the end of your list may be a kid from grade school. Write about him. Chances are you’ll find you feared him for many of the same reasons you feared your father.

Or make a list about all the emotions you feel about your father, and write about any one of them.

Give it a go

Prompts have been the source of many of my “keep” scenes. I may end up only using a portion of what I wrote, perhaps just one paragraph, but the prompt usually takes me where I’ve been resisting going and anything that gets me writing is a good thing.

Need a prompt now? There are lots of online sites. Here are a few for fiction, non-fiction and poetry:

Now, go and write, write, write ….

At Writescape retreats, we provide optional creativity sessions to tickle your muse and a companion work book full of prompts and ideas to take your writing to places it hasn’t gone before. Join us at our next retreat: Turning Leaves 2017.


text:
“What if it's all been a complete waste of time? What if I've worked this hard, turned down money from freelance gigs, sacrificed weekends with my children, worked until stupid o'clock at night….what if I've done all this, and it's been pointless? What if my business fails?”

The problem with my massage therapist is, she's such a good listener. One minute she's torturing my muscles, and the next she's listening to me warble on about life's woes.

And a few months ago, she experienced a full Laura-freakout - a display so spectacular it really ought to come with a ‘parental guidance‘ warning.

I had no evidence that things weren't working out. My plans to launch the Write With Worditude subscriptions were right on track.

But I had somehow convinced myself that all the hours and energy I had poured into it so far, would've been much better spent finding and serving new copywriting client.

I was crying over cake batter.

There is a moment, part way through any project, usually when I have just got past the point-of-no-return, when I will stop what I'm doing, notice the devastation and think ‘Oh shit. What have I done? What was I thinking?‘.

This most commonly occurs during my annual cake-baking project. My Mum bakes around 20 birthday cakes each year, because we are a huge family. But once a year, for her birthday, the baking responsibilities fall to me.

And every year, there is a moment, when surrounded by the mess in my kitchen, weary with exhaustion, and feeling slightly nauseous after too much taste-testing, I slump over the countertop and wonder ‘what was I thinking?'. I have spent money on ingredients, expended energy mixing them together, created an astonishing amount of washing-up, and all I have to show for it is a bowl of inedible (yet deliciously aromatic) gloop.

It is The Cake Batter Moment.

I am scared to put the cake in the oven in case I burn it. Or undercook it. Or I've forgotten to put everything in it. Or for some other, as yet unidentified reason, despite all the time, money and effort, my best intentions turn into a rubbish birthday cake. I am crying over cake batter.

But every year the mess gets cleared up, the kitchen is restored to order, the cake is decorated, my Mum loves it, and my family eat it.

The Cake Batter Moment happens in every project I tackle. I'm so far in, I've invested so much, the vision of what I want to achieve is so clear…and yet all I've got to show for it so far is mess, tiredness and some gloopy unrealised potential.

So the next time you find yourself surrounded by chaos, and terrified at the thought of your dreams, time and effort coming to nothing, remember you can't create a cake without getting through the Cake Batter Moment.

Want More Wordy Help And Content Marketing Guidance?

I've super-helpfully smooshed all my Worditude goodies into one place, so you can see all the free resources available at a glance. Go get 'em here.


text:
self: a prose poem investigation

This ones for those of us who haven’t quite figured it all out yet.

Click the link below to be transported into the throws of my inner monologue.

Realised my poems have specific formatting and look awful when put into blog posts so I will probably resort to PDF links forever.

I read this one out at a poetry reading very recently, it’s pretty breathless and people laughed when I didn’t expect them to, I guess that’s the kink in transforming a poem from a written text to an oral one. I also realised when reading this (and having people laugh at it) that I am a really self deprecating poet at times. It’s an interesting dynamic, I think to write poetry about yourself (which you usually are even if you dress it up in some other costume) is a pretty self absorbed act. Maybe in some ways I was self consciously aware of the conceitedness at play and attempting to undercut it with quips saturated in self loathing on my inability to function as a fully fledged adult.

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