Interview - Tabitha Ormiston-Smith

Welcome back!

This month, I had the pleasure to interview the self-published and prolific author, Tabitha Ormiston-Smith. I had the opportunity to meet Tabitha on the Facebook page called The Better Writer’s Group. She has multiple titles in various genres under her belt, and also has a job as an editor.

After reading more about her, I find that she is very straightforward and not afraid to say what is on her mind. She knows her strength and weaknesses, does not believe anyone should do a task if it not their expertise (like designing your own book cover if you are not an artist), has a sense of humour and a love for animals.

Now on to the interview!

Short Bio:Tabitha Ormiston-Smith was born and continues to age. Dividing her time between her houses in Melbourne and the country, she is ably assisted in her editing business and her other endeavours by Ferret, the three-legged bandit.

   

       

Published Works:

Dance of Chaos, Gift of Continence, Grammar Without Tears, Once Upon A Dragon, and various short fiction.

(List of books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tabitha-Ormiston-Smith/e/B004TE35RS)

Current Projects:

Historical novel.

Website: http://tormistonsmith.wix.com/tabitha

When did you begin writing?

I have always written; I wrote my first stories in high school. No, they weren’t any good!

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?

Many, but nothing related directly to writing. However, my degrees in law and philosophy both demanded a certain degree of facility in the written word which probably did me some good as a writer.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From life; I think as a writer, one tends to have a sort of internal ‘what if’ thing going on. It is from that ‘what if’ question that stories come.

Do you use any special resources when writing? (other books, computer programs, etc)

I always have my Shorter Oxford handy, although I seldom refer to it. I write always in MS Word. I sometimes use Excel for planning, but really that’s about it. I try to avoid wasting my limited time on playing with fancy tools. I’ve not often wanted to do anything I couldn’t do with Word and Excel, and I could do without Excel if I had to.

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

I am really not sure. Of course the rules of English grammar are needed, but in my view, if one hasn’t thoroughly internalised those to a point where it is not necessary consciously to advert to them, one is not ready to start writing. I do think it’s important to bear always in mind the fundamental theme of one’s book. For example, if its purpose to entertain, you don’t want to be sticking in all kinds of things that are not at all entertaining. A notable offender against this rule is Robert Heinlein with his dreary polemics.

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

For me, and I think for many, many writers, it is the challenge of disciplining oneself to keep at it. There is always some excuse available for taking the day off. Every writer needs a toolkit to help with this. I’ve found Camp NaNo to be a help, but only up to a point; the thing where it tracks your progress is wonderful, but the mindless chatter of people in the ‘cabins’ and the relentless pestering with trite messages from the site are nothing but a distraction. I’ve distilled out the good part by developing a spreadsheet that does everything the NaNo website does.

Did you use an agent? (why or why not?)

At first I did try to get an agent. However, I was not successful in interesting an agent in representing me. Apparently my work did not fit neatly into the genre categories. One big agency was prepared to take me on IF I made substantial changes to the book to force it into the list criteria. I was not prepared to do this; it would have spoiled my vision of the book.

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

As editing is what I do for a living, I edit my own. Please note that I do not recommend this to anyone. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, KIDS!

How did you get your book published? (self-published, Vanity publishing, Mainstream publisher).

Self-published, with KDP, Smashwords and Createspace.

Do you handle your own marketing?

In the sense that no one else handles it for me, yes. In the sense of actually doing any, no.

What is your best marketing tip?

Writers write; marketers market. If you’re serious about your work as a writer, then that’s what you need to be spending your time on.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Yes. Be sure that you really are a writer before investing a lot of time. Ensure that you have the prerequisites: a solid command of your language is absolutely necessary. Trying to write without it is like trying to build the Taj Mahal out of wet paper bags. And whining is not a substitute for anything. If there is some handicap that prevents you from writing well (dyslexia, lack of formal education, or whatever) then it is your responsibility to address that problem; writing is not like golf, where you get a handicap. Take responsibility for your own work and its quality. And don’t whine about reviews. And don’t whine about ‘writer’s block’. You do not see paramedics refusing to work because they have ‘ambulance block’.

In closing, I would like to thank Tabitha for taking the time to take this interview. As someone who is building himself from the ground up to be a writer, I found her quite inspiring and motivating. I look forward to hearing more about her in the future.

Until Next time,

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

Current Projects part 10

Welcome back!

    As I write this, we are in the last week of October, with November quickly coming around the corner. The lawns around the neighborhood are littered with brightly colored leaves and Halloween decorations. The temperature has dropped considerably, forcing the family to pull out the heavier coats and get ready for the inevitable arrival of winter. I have already started my winter preparations by closing down the campsite and storing some of our backyard items in the shed. Another sure sign that winter is just around the corner is Christmas shopping! That’s right, I usually get started this early, just to make sure that the stuff which needs to be shipped in by mail has a chance to get here on time (gotta love Amazon!).

    October just seemed to fly by! I don’t feel like I managed to get as much done as I would have liked to. Though I was really busy this month, one of the things that delayed my writing was laptop issues. After attempting to download Windows 10, my laptop started having BSOD problems (Blue Screen Of Death). I had to have my laptop repaired (twice), thus did not have access to it for two weeks. Luckily my laptop is back up and working, but sadly I lost a ton of pictures which were saved on it in the process (many of which were for future Inspiration posts).

So now I am playing catch up, trying to get content ready for November. Unfortunately, with the delay caused by the computer problem and the activities related to Halloween, I did not have time to come up with a theme for this month, so instead I will just post content as usual, and concentrate on getting a theme together for December.

    Regarding my blog, a few weeks ago I began playing around with instagram, trying to draw more attention to my posts. Originally, I did not know how to use a visual media app to promote content for a blog about writing. It took some testing, but I managed to find a way to post pictures of my content to Instagram and attract more followers to my site... and it worked! I now have an added channel with which to advertise my writing! If interested, look for me at  @ozmosiscot.

   

    In an attempt to have my work be a little more visible to the public, I have written two short stories about villain groups in the world of City of Titans. The stories were submitted for review to Missing Worlds Media, and if approved, will be posted on their Kickstarter page. This process may take months however, so we may not see them before the new year. I will be linking these to my blog, as well as sharing them on my short story page if they ever get posted.

    As for my own book, I began creating word documents for each chapter. This way whenever I get an idea for a scene, I can write it down in the appropriate place and save it for when I have time to flesh it out. I have also chipped away at my World History document, adding more details to the Cerberus Initiative, as well as Walker’s backstory.

    What has me really excited this month however, is the new project I am researching at work. It’s not everyday you hear someone saying they are excited about their job, and I have to admit this is new (and strange) to me as well. I can’t go into details just yet, since this project is still in the early stages, but what I can say is that it related to comic books. I have been reading comic books since I was old enough to read in english, so this assignment was a dream come true for me. Where else could I have found a job where I get to research comic books and speak to people in the industry!

Comic Books! Yay!

That is all the progress I managed to get this month, as most of my writing time was spent working on posts for my blog. I did find a few more interesting subjects to research, so I will be sharing those with you in upcoming posts.

Thank you for dropping by. Until Next time,

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

BOOTCAMP LESSON 7: Modernization

Welcome back!

Time for the latest installment of BOOTCAMP! This month we have a very special Halloween inspired lesson, which will focus on how to modernize old characters and bring them up to date with today’s market. The game is appropriately called Revamp!

Lesson 7: Modernization

Horror is known for many of its classical protagonists, such as vampires, werewolves, ghosts and witches. Sadly, these characters have been done to death. Readers have grown so accustomed to these old staples of horror, that they have become indifferent to them. Publishers may be wary about accepting submissions involving these creatures, concerned that stories starring them will not do so well on the market.

It is therefore the writer's task to take these classic, pre-established monsters and recreate them in an original way, making them relevant to a modern audience. So let's dust them off and breath new life into them!

The goal of today’s writing game will be to take the offered candidates and find an interesting and different way of working them into a story, all while staying true to their original roots. (Please note that the following candidates are based off of modern day caricatures, and are in no way meant to reflect anyone's opinions)

So, here are today's guidelines!

1. Below are five "candidates" to work with.
2. Following each candidates are five popular, descriptive traits.
3. Write a short story for each candidate.
4. Each candidate must be modernized by changing their traits;
1. Three of their original traits must remained unchanged.
2. Two of their original traits must slightly modified.
3. One new and unrelated tait must be added.
5. Within each short story you will write, you must demonstrate how they differ from their original counterparts, while remaining true to the source material.
6. All five short story must have a limit of one page each.

Candidates:

Candidate 1: Vampires

Trait 1: Survive by biting the necks of their victims with their fangs, then draining them of blood.

Trait 2: Cannot be out in the sun or will burn to death.

Trait 3: Do not age and are basically immortal.

Trait 4: No reflections in mirrors.

Trait 5: Can manipulate the weak minded through hypnosis or a form of mind control.

Candidate 2: Werewolves

Trait 1: Is a human host cursed with Lycanthropy.

Trait 2: Transforms into a Human/Wolf hybrid.

Trait 3: Only transforms on the night of a full moon.

Trait 4: Can regenerate any kind of wound, even if fatal.

Trait 5: Can only be hurt with weapons made of silver.

Candidate 3: Ghosts

Trait 1: Invisible to the naked eye, though can be seen by children and animals.

Trait 2: Incorporeal, can walk through walls or float through floors.

Trait 3: Manifest themselves with the appearance and personality of the people they once were.

Trait 4: Can possess and control  the living.

Trait 5: Can affect electronics.

Candidate 4: Zombies

Trait 1: Is a reanimated corpse, constantly hungry for the flesh of the living.

Trait 2: Bitten victims are stricken with a fever, die, then are revived as a zombie themselves.

Trait 3: Has little in terms of brain function beyond motor skills and recognition of prey.

Trait 4: Has no vital signs, sense of self-preservation and is not affected by injury or disease.

Trait 5: Can be killed by fire or destroying the brain.

Candidate 5: Witches

Trait 1: Are experts in the mystic arts, like spellcasting, curses and alchemy.

Trait 2: Practice magic through religion, such as satanism or paganism.

Trait 3: They have pet familiars, often in the forms of cats, rats, crows or so on.

Trait 4: Fly around on broomsticks.

Trait 5: Often prey on the weak, manipulating them through trickery.

For those who aren’t afraid to share their entries, feel free to submit your entries as a reply to this post. Remember, this is a game, so no posting bad comments about other people's entries. If some simply want to share in private, send me a message via twitter @OzmosisCoH.

Now go! Create! And most importantly, have fun!

Until Next time!

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

By the Book: Ghost Moon

Welcome back!

This “By the Book” post comes to you a bit out of sync, as it was originally meant to be the book review for September. However, when I realised that Halloween was just around the corner, I decided to hold onto it for a little while longer in order to share it for October.

           The reason for the delay is simple; this book takes place in a Paranormal setting. What better type of book to review on the month of ghosts, maniacs, creepy crawlies and other things that go bump in the night! This review is another first for me, as it is the first Paranormal Mystery I have ever read. The experience was different for sure, but not in a way I expected.

The story revolves around a woman named Kelsey Donovan and a Detective named Liam Beckett. The two knew each other when they were younger, but were separated after the mysterious death of Kelsey’s mother. Years later, Kelsey’s grandfather , Cutter Merlin, died under mysterious circumstances, bequeathing her all his worldly belongings in the process. Now in the possession of Cutter’s mansion and plethora of arcane artifacts, Kelsey, Liam and friends must uncover who killed the old man and why.

Front Cover

Back of the Book:

“Reclusive collector Cutter Merlin is seldom seen in Key West—lately, not at all. Officer Liam Beckett visits Merlin's curious house and discovers the gentleman in his study. In his death grip: a volume of occult lore and a reliquary. His eyes are wide with fright, his mouth a horrified rictus where spiders now dwell.

Kelsey Donovan returns to the old house to catalog her estranged grandfather's collection of artifacts and antiquities, vowing to see his treasures divested properly. But she cannot ignore the sense that she's being watched, the reports of malevolent black figures, the pervasive smell of death.

Is the Merlin house haunted, even cursed? Liam knows well that some ghost stories are true and he swears to protect Kelsey. But there are forces at work for whom one more life is a pittance to pay for their deepest desire….”

Link to book: https://books.google.ca/books/about/Ghost_Moon.html?id=uxWRV3fj43oC

What I learned from this book:

• Subliminal Visualization: Never underestimate the power of subliminal messaging! Though this may not have been the intention of the author, the physical appearance of the main detective was locked in my mind the moment i saw his name; Liam Beckett. For those of you who still wondering how this happened, my mind immediately associated Liam Beckett to Liam Neeson. Again, this may not have been the intention of the author, but I found this phenomenon quite intriguing, and am wondering on how I can play with it in my own future endeavors.
• Dramatic Tone and Style: I believe Heather Graham has mastered the art of dialogue, as the conversations between characters flow in a way that feels natural. She also has the occasional pause, which we all do in conversation at one time or another.
• Sticking to the theme: This is my first paranormal mystery ever, but as an avid sci-fi/horror fan, I was expecting way more in regards to supernatural content from a book that was supposed to be paranormal in nature. In fact, take away the “friendly ghosts” in this story (if I am not mistaken, there are only 5 mentioned), then this book reads pretty much like any other crime mystery. Remove the ghosts from the story, and all you have is a wannabe Satanist as a killer, and an old creepy house full of antiques.

For those interested in learning more about the author, Heather Graham, please check out her websites here:

http://www.theoriginalheathergraham.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Graham_Pozzessere

In closing, I would like to thank my wife Linda and her family for not only lending us books, but for the tremendous amount of encouragement in this endeavor.

Until next time!

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

Interview - catt dahman

Welcome back!

I am very excited about this month's writer interview, because I don’t think I could have found a better suited candidate for a Halloween theme. So it is my great pleasure to introduce you, the well established horror writer, catt dahman.

Like last month’s writer   showcase, I was lucky to meet catt dahman via the Facebook page called The Better Writer’s Group, and was kind enough to volunteer for my writer interviews. After taking a look at the list of books she had written, I immediately knew she had to be my October interview! Here are but a few of the nvels she has worked on.

 

Short Bio:  catt dahman, a native Texan, is a prolific horror writer with Severed Press and J Ellington Ashton. She writes extreme horror (splattergore), mainstream horror, has a crime series, several prehistoric thriller novels, a zombie series, and historical horror. With degrees in psychology from Texas A&M, she delves into the personalities of her characters and the depravity of the human mind. She has over forty novels available, appears in several anthologies, and has more pending. One of her biggest accomplishments, over thirty years of writing, is working in the area of splatter punk and extreme horror, an area that she was once told was out-of-reach because of her gender. She participates in conventions and book-signings regularly where she speaks at panel discussions and likes meeting horror fanatics.

 

Published Works:  

http://www.amazon.com/catt-dahman/e/B007N5843K/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1336379094

Current Projects: Cold Hunger (With D. A. Roberts), The Trident, Blood Tradition

Website:

www.cattd.com

www.jellingtonashton.com

Live podcat Friday nights at : http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wickedlittlethings

When did you begin writing?

In junior high school, high school, and some of college I wrote but I was involved in speech-writing/competition, journalism, and debate. I wrote novels in my 20s, 30s and early 40s but put them in boxes. I began my true career all one year when I hired an editor, released a few things, and sold 9 books of a series to Severed Press. I was very fortunate to find a publisher right out of the gates. From there, everything exploded for me and I almost had too much too soon and nearly fell into that mindset of immediate expectation.

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?

I have almost a PhD in psychology with criminology background with a sociology minor. Besides that I have a teaching license in art and English. Besides the many research papers I penned, the psychology trained me for writing more than almost anything else. I taught English grammar and literature for grades 4-8 and college. I am qualified to teach psychology at the college level as well.

Where do you get your inspiration from?  

I generally take ideas from real life stories or three random ideas and then combine them. History and science usually influence my main stream horror and criminal psychology influences my crime series. I can’t think of many of my books that the three have not been a part of. In style, I think I have been inspired by Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Iva Levin, and Thomas Tryone. All of the horror writers I read inspired me. I was a great fan of the short story collections popular long ago as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and was always a fan of both literary and pop horror.

Do you use any special resources when writing? (other books, computer programs, etc)

It helps to have tons of books covering themes to include scuba diving, poisons, serial killers, science, and history. I do a great deal of research on the computer, interviews, and have more strange experiences that I should admit.

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

There is a huge difference between story-telling and writing and each can be modified or they can be merged for written product. Writing is work. I also don’t put a schedule on my work. At times I can crank out a novel in weeks with long days of writing 12+ hours a day but at other times, may not write for a few weeks at all. Pushing myself to write never benefits me and I have learned to write then I feel the ideas are fresh. The biggest idea here is that no one writing style is the best and that we all operate differently. Some writers get dressed, sit in a quiet office and write in the morning; I write in sweats with a crime show on television, and during the late night hours. It doesn’t matter what we do to get there as long as we arrive on time.

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

For me, it was in finding that not everyone who wishes to write is truly a writer. I read a lot to keep up with trends and compare styles and themes and there is a huge difference between learned writing (and the dreaded unlearned writing) and a true gift for writing. My challenge has been to stop doubting myself and my abilities and to just let the books roll out. My biggest fear was that I would only have one or five book ideas but I am (thankfully) over that fear with more than forty books available already. My biggest trial has been learning to say no. The second I found the smallest success and to this day, I get a lot of people who want to “edit me”, want me to beta read, mentor them, rewrite their books, review, etc. I don’t have the time and legally, it’s best to not do most of those things.

Did you use an agent? (why or why not?)

For film right, yes. For writing, no. The former is impossible for me to understand and the latter is something I learned myself. I can sell my work.

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

A million times: YES!  I think I toss 99% of the books I see on Kindle now due to shoddy content (story, characters, style) and poor grammar. Many claim to have beta readers and editors (I suspect spouses, friends, people who made an A in English) and the mistakes are horrific. Having a true editor for content and grammar is necessary for ANY writer. Period. Unfortunately, everyone feels he is an editor and I have had readers write to me and complain about issues that are correct but suddenly up for debate. These people have read mistakes so often that they think the mistakes are the right form. I have learned to write for writers and editors (and thus readers as well) but a few individuals write for readers or for themselves. Want-to be editors are cheerleaders and urge writers to write the story for themselves and any way they want while quoting pop rules; this is a disservice to any aspiring writer. I am edited by professional editors and skip beta readers and friends who wish to help. While I have read that some people claim editors “ruin their voice”, I have never seen that for myself or for any other writing with clean grammar and content. At this stage in my life, I don’t think I ever wish to read works unedited by professional editors and I sure would never subject a reader of my work to anything less than polished.

How did you get your book published? (self-published, Vanity publishing, Mainstream publisher).

I have fifteen books with Severed Press and a dozen with J Ellington Ashton Press, and a half dozen independent. Medium to large presses are my only options now but for newer writers, small presses are wonderful and a definite way to get a foot-hold. Make sure the press is at least a few years old, has a good contract, and represents authors who you compare with.

Do you handle your own marketing?

Yes. No one can market a book like the author can. I do interviews, social media, a website, and have done several conventions (booths, panels, etc.). Marketing is less vital than good editing and a professional book cover, but more important is building a strong reader base and a solid branding of your name. It all depends on the goal. If for pure sales, branding and a reader base is all an author needs and even the worst writing can sell enough to make a half-salary a month; it’s probably short term. If a long-term career is desired, the first five to ten years are all about getting quality books released and not worrying about short-term markets.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

A ton, but no one listens to me. Get an education, take Latin, and find out if you are a story teller or a writer and if you have what it takes. Learn about publishing from someone other than pop-sites, learn to read contracts, research publishers, and learn basic grammar. Submit to anthologies (paid and unpaid both help branding). Buy a domain name and host a real website. More than anything, develop a brand that includes being gracious and professional. I can list a dozen mediocre writers who are considered to be pretty great simply because they are gracious and have branded themselves in positive ways. I can list three times that many who are probably fairly good writers and are unpublishable because of their poor branding and social problems. Social media rants, accusations, cursing, and fire-throwing has destroyed many potential careers faster than anything else. Being a writer does not mean we should say certain things and it doesn’t give us a pass. Be gracious, be honest and polite, or be quiet. That helps me.

Hopefully everyone found this interview helpful and informative. I know some good points have been brought up, making me question some aspects about my work. I know I still have a lot to learn, but this interview has made me realise just how much more work I still need to do. The road is long and success is not a guarantee, but then again success is not the reason I started this journey in the first place.

I would also like to give a bloody, gooey heartfelt thanks to catt dahman, for taking the time to take this interview.

Until Next time,

Patrick Osborne