I'm lucky enough to have author L.G. Keltner here on my blog today. L.G. is the author of the 'Self Help 101' series, and has just released the third book.
She's visiting Fiction and Film today to talk about….
Being Open to Inspiration
The life
of a writer is filled with ups and downs. Sometimes inspiration strikes when we
least expect it, and when the ideas are flowing freely, it feels like we can
accomplish almost anything.
However, this isn’t always, or even often, the case. We’ve all had those times when we can’t
seem to make any kind of magic happen on the page. Maybe the ideas just aren’t that strong, or we have what
might be a good premise but the words just won’t follow suit. What can we do in those situations?
An
important part of being a writer is being open to the muse. Everyday life is filled with
opportunities for inspiration if we’re looking closely enough. Maybe you find your muse by looking at
a beautiful flower or a sunset. Or
maybe you find it in those mundane absurdities that people tend to take for
granted. For example, Thanksgiving
in the United States is supposed to be a holiday where we spend time with
family and take the time to think of what we’re thankful for. At the same time, stores have been
opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving so people can push and shove each
other to get good deals on various items they may not even need. It’s an interesting contradiction, and
who knows? Perhaps someone could
make a compelling story out of it.
Dani, the
protagonist of the Self-Help 101 series,
writes books based on her own life experiences. She sees the absurdities of life and enjoys weaving a story
out of them. That’s something we
can all do as writers. We just
have to keep our eyes open so we don’t miss a good story opportunity when it
presents itself.
Excerpt:
“You
look like you belong in the 80’s,” Seth said. I was not at all pleased with the level of amusement in his
voice.
I
stood in front of my bathroom mirror, desperately trying to comb as much
glitter out of my hair as I could before taking a shower. This left my hair looking decidedly
larger than normal, not to mention more shimmery than I’d typically like.
“I
know, and that’s not the look I wanted to have for tonight.” I groaned as I continued to tug at my
hair. “It’s hopeless. There’s no way I’m going to be able to
get it out in time.”
“What’s
wrong with that? I think you look
cute with all that glitter.” Yes,
he was far too amused. I needed to
think of a way to wipe that grin off his face.
“Then
why don’t you come closer so I can wipe some off on you?” I held my glitter-covered hands out
like I was about to touch him.
His
look turned serious. “The glitter
wouldn’t go with my costume.”
“It
won’t go with mine either, and if I don’t get it all off now, you won’t be able
to touch me for the rest of the night without adding a little sparkle to your
look.”
Title: Self-Help
101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People
Author: L.G.
Keltner
Genre: holiday/humor
Length: 29,000
words
Cover Art: L.G. Keltner and Jamon Walker
Release Date: September
27, 2016
Blurb:
Book 3 in
the Self-Help 101 series.
Dani Finklemeier
is adjusting to life in college and the realities of living away from home for
the first time. She’s also
learning to deal with the criticism that stems from sharing her writing with
the world. Some of the online
criticism is even spelled correctly, which somehow makes it worse.
Fortunately,
she has a Halloween party, a group of friends, and a supportive boyfriend to
distract her from the things that are bothering her. Of course, a holiday celebration wouldn’t be complete
without something going wrong.
Between an unpleasant confrontation with an infuriating classmate, some
shocking costume choices, and a bizarre fraternity stunt, the evening will be
anything but dull.
Dani’s
detractors may not like it, but she’ll definitely have enough material for
another book.
Bio:
L.G.
Keltner spends most of her time trying to write while also cleaning up after
her crazy but wonderful kids and hanging out with her husband. Her favorite genre of all time is
science fiction, and she’s been trying to write novels since the age of
six. Needless to say, those
earliest attempts weren’t all that good.
Her
non-writing hobbies include astronomy and playing Trivial Pursuit.
Purchase Links:
E-book:
Print:
Thank you for hosting me today!
ReplyDeleteGreat points, L.G. We don't always take time in a busy day to get inspired by things and it's important to slow down and look around sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteStores open any sooner and they won't close Wednesday night. Although a couple have announced they won't open for Thanksgiving anymore. Good for them.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely glad that some stores are deciding to stay closed. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI remember I actually tried to do something like this but, the reality is, I suck at relative non-fiction. This, on the other hand, looks pretty enjoyable. :)
ReplyDelete