Chryse Wymer and Colons

 (Don't miss the giveaway from Chryse Wymer, included below the guestpost.)

***

Thank you very much, Alison DeLuca, for the space to guest post my final installment on colons, my favorite punctuation mark.

It might seem strange that I have a favorite punctuation mark. However, colons, along with commas, are one of the most frequently misused punctuation marks. Authors seem to be slightly afraid of colons. One author told me that a high-school teacher advised her to never use colons. Bunk!

This month, I’ll be hopping along from blog to blog to share my knowledge on the nuts and bolts of great writing. I am a copy editor, proofreader, and author—published both traditionally and independently. I’m also raffling off Amazon gift cards to get you started on your editing bookshelves. You can contact me at chrysewymer@yahoo.com, or, for more information, visit: ocdeditor.weebly At the previous site, I’ll also be keeping a list of the blogs I’ve visited and the subject matter I’ve shared. The Amazon giveaway starts December 1st and ends January 1st.

I would strongly urge you to view the first installment  regarding colons on Kriss Morton’s blog, The Cabin Goddess: cabingoddess.com It covers the first (and a frequently misunderstood) usage in detail. It’s also the usage that some fiction authors seem to avoid altogether.

Part two on colons can be found at: aliciadean.com/alicias-blog

 

This is the final installment on colons, so let’s get to it.

COLONS – Part Three

The first three usages can be found in the blogs named above.

Fourth, the colon can appear after the salutation in formal  correspondence: <Dear Ms. Dean:>

Finally, the colon separates elements such as a book’s title and subtitle. <WE ARE NOT ALONE: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media>, chapter and verse in Bible citation <Exodus 7:11>, hour and minute in time <7:22 PM>, and similar uses.

Four common Misuses:

1.     Don’t put a colon between a verb and what the verb refers to (object or complement). <She enjoys going here, there, and everywhere> (no colon after going).

2.     Don’t put a colon between a preposition* and its object <they all went inside for a cup of hot cocoa, their winter coats, and a scarf rare books, bone china, and etched glass> (no colon after for).

3.     Don’t put a colon after the conjunction that <he showed that everyone is beautiful>.

4.     Don’t put a colon after an introductory word or phrase such as for example, moreover, however, that said, including <several friends were there, including Sammy, James, and Ian> (no colon after including). However, a colon is often appropriate after a phrase that more formally announces a list (e.g., as follows, the following, including these)

 

Chryse Wymer

*Prepositions are a word or phrase that shows relationships of location, direction, means, agency, etc. between a noun and other words in the sentence. The prepositions object is usually a noun or pronoun. Often, prepositions show this location in the physical world, e.g.: <We went in the house>, <I went over the hill>, <They sat beside each other>.

Thank you for reading, and I welcome you to join me tomorrow on my blog: http://ocdeditor.weebly.com/blog.html

I’m going to cover the top five mistakes I’ve seen as an editor.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Chryse Wymer is a freelance copy editor and proofreader whose main focus is on indie writers. Her clients have been well reviewed, and one was recently chosen as a top-five finalist in The Kindle Book Review's 2013 Best Indie Book Awards in his category: mystery/thriller. For some years, she has been particularly obsessed with William S. Burroughs’s writing, who happened to coin the term heavy metal ... her favorite music. You can contact her at chrysewymer@yahoo.com, follow her on twitter: @ChryseWymer, or like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChryseWymer

 

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The Beacon by A. P. Shepherd + Giveaway

Available on Amazon

Today we're lucky enough to feature an excerpt from The Beacon as well as a giveaway (at the bottom of the post) from A. P. Shepherd.

Shipwrecked on an isolated island...

How far would you go to help a new friend? Would you kill someone?

How do you know what is and isn't real?

When The Beacon beckons safe harbour isn't guaranteed.

 

CHAPTER SIX

Shivering with cold and fear from a violent dream, I woke with a start. The dream faded as soon as I opened my eyes, but the chill remained. Where had the quilt gone? It no longer covered me and did not lie on the floor at my feet.

Early morning light belied the chill. It streamed through a tiny window high in the stone wall, illuminating the room in a golden glow. No warmth remained from the fire I’d stoked the night before.

I looked to the hearth to see if embers remained that I could spark to life. My jaw dropped in disbelief. I rubbed my eyes, yet the image did not change. The hearth lay empty except for the fire grate. Not only were there no embers burning, there was no ash. It had been swept clean.

I shivered again, teeth chattering as I blew warm air on my freezing hands. No wonder it was so cold. But how? And who?

Looking around, what I saw made my stomach clench and chest tighten. What the hell was going on here? My patient, Ruth, no longer occupied the bed. In fact, the bed was stripped clean and all that remained was a moth-eaten, old feather mattress on the bed frame. No signs of what had taken place the night before remained at all.

My body was clothed in my own tattered jeans and sweatshirt, instead of the flannel gown I’d worn when I’d fallen asleep. I still wore no shoes, and my feet were still freezing. What happened to the bloody nightdress?

Shaking with fear and cold, I left the relative comfort of the rocking chair. Again tiptoeing – I always felt the need to tiptoe in this house – I ventured into the corridor. Peeking into the little girls’ room, I was uncertain what I would find and braced myself for anything.

In spite of my precautions, the wind was still knocked out of my sails. The room was empty save for the bed frame also covered with a worn and tattered feather mattress. This house felt so desolate it was as if no one had lived there for decades.

One door further down the corridor, my own room was also vacant except for the bed, bare mattress and rough furniture. No soft furnishings remained. Even the cross above the bed was gone.

No longer tiptoeing I searched the main room. All of the small items, dishes, everything, were gone, but the furniture remained, although it looked even more worn than the day before. The grate here had also been swept clean.

The kitchen shelves were bare. Not even a scrap of food to be found. My stomach rumbled reminding me I was hungry. Starving in fact. I was so hungry I could eat a horse. Where the heck did that expression originate anyway?

I wanted to let the random thought distract me. Instead I examined the remainder of the house. I needed to solve this riddle.

Could someone really have come in and packed up all the household goods, the kids and Ruth, absconding with them in the middle of the night while I slept and not have disturbed me at all?

Was it possible the man wasn’t dead after all? Had he recovered enough to get help? Or to take off with Ruth, the kids and all their belongings? But why would he have left me sleeping and taken off with his family. A more likely scenario would have been for him to attack me while I slept.

After exploring all the rooms on the main floor, I stood before the spiral staircase at the opposite end of the corridor. As the morning progressed more light came through the high windows, making it easier to see. At the foot of the metal steps I looked up as far as I could see. Although there were rust spots here and there, they appeared to be sturdy enough. Grasping the iron handrail, I took the first step, bouncing a bit on the tread to make sure it would hold. I felt no give. Gingerly, I began to climb, clinging tightly to the handrail just in case. There were so many rungs. I began counting them. The iron felt even colder on my bare feet than the slate floor.

At fifty I quit counting, but I kept climbing. At the top stood a trap door. I gave it a shove and it moved slightly. Pushing with all my upper body strength and using my legs for extra leverage, I managed to shove the heavy door until it fell back, allowing me to climb through. The hatch opened into a tiny little circular room with large windows all the way around. Most of the windows were broken and there were shards of glass scattered across the floor so I didn’t venture off the staircase in my bare feet. In the centre of the tiny room was a giant lantern.

This was no ordinary house. It was a lighthouse. The lantern was shattered too. Apparently this lighthouse had not been operational for some time.

Even from a distance I could see much through the windows. Straight ahead the sea spread out in all its glory. Where the sea met the shore stood the remnants of a short pier, most of it under water, the remainder teetering on its supports. About fifty feet to the right of the pier was a crumbling boathouse. I could see holes in the roof, and a distinct lean to one side.

Unable to step forward for fear of slicing my soles, I stood as tall as I could on my now numb toes, to see through the remaining windows. All I was able to make out were the tops of trees.

I felt a little vertigo as I walked back down the staircase. I needed food, drink and something to cover my blue feet.

I also needed to check to see if the body was where I’d left it alongside the house. I turned a little green at the thought. Maybe food could wait a little longer.

About the Author: 

 
"Never stop dreaming or reading." - A.B. ShepherdA.B. Shepherd grew up in Lansing, Michigan, but moved to Australia in 2009. She now lives in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, with her husband and their imaginary friends. She can usually be found seaside at Port MacDonnell, or lost in a fantasy world.Lifeboat is her debut novel.

Her second book, is a novella titled The Beacon.

If you'd like to learn more about A.B. Shepherd please visit her website at http://www.abshepherd.net/

A.B. loves to hear from readers. Feel free to email her at TheRealABShepherd@hotmail.com with your thoughts regarding her books, or anything else that takes your fancy.

You can also connect with her on Twitter @ABHPShepherd and on Facebook.

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Christmas O'Clock

Available on Amazon US

Amazon UK

in print

All proceeds to benefit Water is Life

Steampunk Blog Hop giveaway

Those little linkies on the right are other members of the steampunk blog hop. Please click to discover amazing prizes!

And enter the Fresh Pot of Tea / Crown Phoenix giveaway right here:


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Including a steampunk book locket necklace:

And a copy of The South Sea Bubble (or any Crown Phoenix title you choose:)

PLUS the entire ebook series for one lucky winner. Enter now and return to tweet about the giveaway each day!

The South Sea Bubble

The fourth and final book in the Crown Phoenix series is now available on Kindle. Many thanks to the readers who have followed Miriam, Simon, Lizzie, and Mana thus far!

It was very difficult to say goodbye to these little people. I do hope you enjoy this last volume.

Cover Reveal : The South Sea Bubble

For the last volume of the Crown Phoenix series, Lisa Daly was kind enough to design another cover for me. The book is The South Sea Bubble, and here is the blurb:

An Edwardian hospital hides many secrets:

A mysterious patient lurks in the cellar...

A secret passage leads to danger...

Coded messages reveal new riddles...

Visions of danger haunt the people of Grimstead Manor…

Lizzie and Miriam find horror, adventure, and romance surrounding the strange vessel known as The South Sea Bubble.

“Compulsive reading!”

“Addictive steampunk.”

And here is an excerpt:

“Oh, stop the dramatics,” Simon groaned. “What on earth are you talking about? Of course I’m not leaving until we sort all of this out and you tell me what - is - going - on!” His voice rose in volume on each successive word.

Miriam looked at him. Her eyes were dark and very direct. “No, Simon.” Her lower lip trembled, but she took a deep breath and seemed to recover. “I will not.”

“Oh, is that so?” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “And I suppose you think I’m just going to waltz off and forget all about you, Lampala, and last summer.” He raised one finger and stabbed the air in her direction. “I’m not going to, my girl, and don’t you forget it. I will not give up on you, although apparently you have given up on me.”

Finally, here is the lovely cover, courtesy of my friend and constant artist, Lisa:

That Moment...

... when your kid who is obsessed with American Girl dolls puts them in little niches around the house and you realize it's really creepy. 

At least it wasn't this:

That Moment...

... when you put on your make up and realize your kid used the foundation brush to paint black zebra stripes on something at some point during the weekend.

Ditto the blush brush.

Well, it wasn't like I was pale as a ghost to start with or anything...

the Blogger after a day at the beach

Indian 101 for Writers, Part 5: Walking In Two Worlds

Alison DeLuca, purveyor of Fresh Pot of Tea, and Kara Stewart, part-time post pusher at Kara Stewart Art in Photography, have collaborated to bring you this five part traveling blog series. 

This series takes a look at writing about Native Americans and gives resources to accurately and respectfully do so.  

Alison DeLuca is is the author of several YA steampunk books. She is committed to adding characters with different ethnic backgrounds to her works, and is always looking for authentic, realistic ways to do so. 

Kara Stewart is Native, an enrolled member of the Sappony, and white, and is a full-time Literacy Coach in the public schools, as well as serves in several Indian organizations, with a passion for photography, writing and Indian education. Her disclaimer for this series, “The views I express in this series are my personal views, brought about my own experiences and many years in literacy and education. I do not claim to represent the views of all Indians, but I do hope writers will find helpful resources and perspectives.”

Today we host the last in our five-part series,

Indian 101 for Writers, Part Five: Walking In Two Worlds.

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

Alison: Do you have quite a bit of interaction with people from your culture? What desires, if any, do they express for representation within literature and film?

Kara: Your first question is a difficult one to answer because I don’t/can’t really separate my culture from me; I am as much Indian as I am white. As much white as I am Indian. So I live in both worlds equally. Our mainstream culture in America is white; I don’t think anyone could sensibly argue that. So of course I live in that world. We all do, no matter if we are black, white, Latina, Native or Asian or multiracial.

Powwow by Kara Stewart

But as far as my Indian world, I am involved in Indian education in North Carolina and am fortunate to know a number of other North Carolina Indian people through that. I also currently serve an elected position as a tribal council member for my tribe, the Sappony, and tap into Indian issues that way. I am active in our tribe through volunteer activities such as our youth camp and other events, which give me regular contact with tribal members. And the main thing - tribal members are my family. So calling my cousin and talking to her would count as “interaction with people from my culture”, no? Going to a party with a friend who happens to be Native would count as “interaction with people from my culture”? I don’t know. It’s hard to separate and I'm not sure it's possible to. 

The Visitor by Kara Stewart

The concept of living in two worlds is very common for Indian people. For many (myself included), there’s a whole other world going on for us, parallel to the mainstream world. There’s a parallel, Indian stream of information, issues, events, and people that we navigate along with those things in the mainstream world. This parallel stream makes us aware of these things on multiple levels – how information, issues, events and people impact, are perceived and relate to the mainstream world, and how they impact, are perceived and relate to Indian Country. These two streams weave together, sometimes clashing (as when faced with stereotypes and possibly well-intentioned but uneducated statements). What you, as writers, teachers, humans, can do is to educate yourselves. Open your eyes to an entire world going on around you that you haven’t taken the time to notice before. And ask us. Talk with us. Don’t be afraid of race conversations or approaching us. We know we’re Indian, just like most black people know they are black and most Latinos know they are Latino! It's okay and it’s not a secret. Talk with us.

Powwow Barbies by Kara Stewart

As far as your second question, what Indians would like expressed about us in literature and film, what I have mostly heard from friends and family is the wish to be portrayed accurately, respectfully and to be real when you write about us. To be aware of, and not perpetuate, the stereotypes, or to even do a little stereotype-busting! We will read your books and be hurt by your stereotypes. Our children are hurt by teachers and authors who unknowingly promote stereotypes. Make it real. Because we are real.

Thank you, Alison, for the idea for this blog series, for working with me on it and for hosting our 'hops'! It has truly been a pleasure creating this series with you, my friend.


Indian 101 for Writers, Part 1: Know Thyself
Indian 101 for Writers, Part 2: Know Whereof You Speak (a.k.a. Don't Make It Up or Rely On What You *Think* You Know)
Indian 101 for Writers, Part 3: Keep It Real, People
Indian 101 for Writers, Part 4: Aargh!
Indian 101 for Writers, Part 5: Walking In Two Worlds

Jingle by Kara Stewart

Indian 101 for Writers Part 3: Keep It Real, People

Alison DeLuca, purveyor of Fresh Pot of Tea, and Kara Stewart, part-time post pusher at Kara Stewart Art in Photography, have collaborated on a new five part traveling blog series! This series will take a look at writing about Native Americans and giving resources to accurately and respectfully do so.  

Alison DeLuca is is the author of several YA steampunk books. She is committed to adding characters with different ethnic backgrounds to her works, and is always looking for authentic, realistic ways to do so. 

Kara Stewart is Native, an enrolled member of the Sappony, and white, and is a full-time Literacy Coach in the public schools, as well as serves in several Indian organizations, with a passion for art, writing and Indian education. Her disclaimer for this series, “The views I express in this series are my personal, brought about my own experiences and many years in literacy and education. I do not claim to represent the views of all Indians, but I do hope writers will find helpful resources and perspectives.”

Today we host Indian 101 for Writers, Part Three: Keep It Real, People.
See Part 1 and Part 2.

Alison: Which novels represent, in your opinion, Native culture in a fair and accurate way? Which novels would you recommend that writers read before they write Indian characters into their novels?

Kara: I love Sherman Alexie’s novels. He is Spokane/Coeur d’Alene and his writing exemplifies the Native sense of humor* about the world (which is the one thing I’d generalize as far as ‘India
ns’). His novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a must read for anyone thinking about writing about an Indian character – or just for a great, hilarious read. The movie, Smoke Signals, based on Alexie’s novel, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight In Heaven, has become an Indian Country iconic cult film, and will also give writers insight. Also definitely worthy of mention is his novel Reservation Blues, and the soundtrack of Reservation Blues, which  is one of my soul touchers with the tracks deeply embedding parts of certain tribes’culture and overarching themes common to many tribes.  Another film of his particularly germane to writers is The Business of Fancydancing (scroll down), which speaks to identity. One thing to keep in mind is that Alexie portrays what he knows (or knew at the time) – reservation life. It is important to realize that the majority of Indians in America do not live on reservations (22% as of 2010).

Those novels, and the films, have Indian Country front and center, but his characters are people first, who just happen to be Indian. I think that is the key: their ‘Indianness’ doesn’t define them. For a read on how Alexie incorporates an Indian character seamlessly, accurately and respectfully into a crime novel, read his novel Indian Killer. It’s just as important to incorporate one Indian character well (not coming across as a token Indian without any reason for being in the novel other than an attempt at diversity – although an attempt at diversity is better than no attempt at diversity).

What I appreciate most about Alexie’s novels is that he keeps it real. His characters have humor as well as in-depth emotion, they are current, they care about issues, they have grandmothers and fathers they feel ambivalent about, like many people - they are real people who happen to be Indian. They are not whooping warriors, New Age mystics or (my personal peeve) the “noble Indian” who reveres or worships nature and whose every action is some sort of ritual. That makes me want to scrrrreeeaaaammmm! Just get real. We (Indians) are no more noble than white people, black people or any other people. If there is some sort of accurate, legitimate, researched ritual you feel is integral to your story, okay, have the character just do it and then go eat their fry bread and turn up the radio!

I’d also recommend that authors read Louise Erdrich’s books The Birchbark House,  The Game of Silence and The Porcupine Year for examples of writing realistically and respectfully about Natives in a historic setting. Her characters are also touching, real, and while they are Indian, that is not the reason they are in the story – they are people first. I read part of The Birchbark House sitting in a faculty meeting and cried for a good portion of that meeting while I read! Couldn’t put it down. Okay, and yes, I missed the info I was supposed to be paying attention to in the meeting. But hey, bibliophiles can relate.

DebbieReese’s great blog, American Indians in Children’s Literature, has Indian point of view reviews of books involving Indian characters. I’d recommend checking it out to see some examples of issues with writing Indian characters. 

*For other examples of Indian humor and an inside peek at our 'real', see Powwow Comedy Jam, Charlie Hill on the Comedy Network, 7 Ways to Tell if a Native Girl Likes You, Ernie Tsosie III, Tatanka Means and my favorites, 1491s. and here and here or just google 1491s. Slapping Medicine Man cracks me up every time. Why? I don't know. But it does.

Take away: Find out about real Indians - Indians who are alive today and working in all professions, who live in all cities and around the world, who laugh with their kids, get mad at their uncles, love their family traditions, hate their family traditions, read themselves to sleep, run out of gas, screw up at work, excel at work, try to make the world a better place, and are generally people.

Stay tuned for Indian 101 for Writers, Part Four: Aargh! tomorrow on Kara Stewart Art in Photography. 

Dagger Blanket Piece by Kara Stewart

Part TWO of Indian 101 for Writers

Today's post is on Kara Stewart's blog, Art in Photography. She expands her advice for writers who wish to include Native characters - and, as usual, Kara has lots of amazing resources.

You can read it here.

Men's Fancy Dance Colors

INDIAN 101 FOR WRITERS - A Five Part Series

Alison DeLuca, purveyor of Fresh Pot of Tea, and Kara Stewart, part-time post pusher at Kara Stewart Art in Photography, have collaborated on a new five part traveling blog series! 

This series will take a look at writing about Native Americans and giving resources to accurately and respectfully do so.  

Alison DeLuca is the author of several YA steampunk books. She is committed to adding characters with different ethnic backgrounds to her works, and is always looking for authentic, realistic ways to do so.

Kara Stewart is Native (an enrolled member of the Sappony) and white, and is a full-time Literacy Coach in the public schools, as well as serves in several Indian organizations, with a passion for art, writing and Indian education. Her disclaimer for this series, “The views I express in this series are my personal views, brought about my own experiences and many years in literacy and education. I do not claim to represent the views of all Indians, but I do hope writers will find helpful resources and perspectives.”

Indian 101 for Writers. Part One: Know Thyself

Alison DeLuca: As a Native and an artist, what parts of your background influence your work?

Red Arrow Medallion

Kara Stewart: When I moved to North Carolina in 1998 and got more involved with my tribe, the Sappony, I began to be more aware of Indian issues such as health care, housing, tribal recognition, government and education and to learn more about my own tribe. I did this through my own research and talking with my tribe’s researchers and members. I also began to educate myself about my own racial identity and experiences, and how those have impacted my life. After all, we all have a racial identity that affects us, even those who haven’t thought of (or have had the luxury of not having to think of) themselves in relation to a specific racial background.

My education about Indian issues that impact many tribes across the nation, learning the history and current issues of my tribe, and my ever-growing awareness of my own racial identity continually shape my work by helping me express myself in a way that I hope is celebratory of the strengths of Indians and seeks to educate non-Indians, and is also culturally sensitive while avoiding stereotypes and offenses perpetuated by mainstream media and culture.

                            

I think it is impossible to write to or about Indians in a culturally sensitive manner unless you have really put in the work and thought about race in America – and your place in that. The first step must be educating yourself about race in America, and then realizing that Natives are a current, thriving, contemporary race in this country made up of real people, not just the stereotypes and past that the media present. 

Some good starting places are:

28 Article – Faaabulous quick guide

I Don’t See Race – Myth #2 made me want to stand up and cheer. Deny my racial identity and you deny my experiences.

Excellent article on The Pitfalls of the Colorblind Mindset

Another excellent article on Racial Color Blindness with a starting point at the end.

Helm’s White Racial Identity Development Model

Even better racial identity model from CCODE Diversity Training that expands on Helm’s model by including people of color – scroll down to where it says “Unlike Helm’s model…” 

The best book on race I have ever read (starts slow but hang in there), Beverly Daniel Tatum’s Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

I’d recommend that every writer write her own racial autobiography or the story of her racial background and history. To write it, recall your earliest racial memories and events and record them. What was your first personal experience in dealing with race or racism, or being aware of race? Describe what happened. Was it something that happened at school? Within your family? Was it something someone said? If so, what? What was your reaction? What did you think, feel? Write these events, identifying some of the landmarks on your racial journey, and working your way up to describing your most recent events and conversations about race, race relations and/or racism that may have impacted your current perspectives of yourself and others and/or your experiences and your awareness of others’ experiences. This is a fluid document that you can reflect on and update many times as your racial consciousness evolves. Tim Wise’s White Like Me is one of the best racial autobiographies I’ve read, although there are many.

Some links for thinking about your racial autobiography:

Pacific Educational Group, who implements Beyond Diversity training nationally has a specific guide for creating racial autobiographies here.

Author Robert Wallace wrote an eloquent racial autobiography focused on one incident that impacted his racial identity in a recent Durham News article.

      Here is another example of a racial autobiography.

      Here is an amazing prezi-style racial autobiography centered around one main event and her resulting thoughts written by a student teacher (start with the block at the stems; the prezi is interactive and moves with your control.)

It took me a long time to write my own racial autobiography. But I am so glad I did. It was not only cathartic, but it gave me insight into my passions, my ‘hot buttons’, family dynamics, and a kind of chart to my inner soul. It helped me see with greater clarity how pieces of my history and my thoughts fit together, and helped me to give an openness to others’ racial histories and thus their thoughts, words and actions.

Home

While our American history of over 300 years of slavery and subjugation of many groups has left the racial aftermath we deal with now, it’s important for writers to know that once you begin to unpack and demystify race and process your own racial history, you will find that you are able to write with a greater understanding of yourself, as well as greater consideration and accurate representation for many viewpoints and cultures. And that is ultimately the goal: to give equal consideration and accurate representation to all.

(Look for Part Two of Indian 101 in Kara Stewart's Blog, Kara Stewart Art in Photography, Thursday October 10th.