176 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(7 replies, posted in Fight Club)

Michelle8 wrote:

I've looked at this posts from time to time but never felt inspired to join in the discussion, but here, yes. Mikira was not promoting her religion, simply giving the background to the bit of advice she received (excellent advice, by the way. I need to do that - I've written some emails I regret.) Maybe she didn't need to give quite so much background, but nothing about it was offensive. Perhaps Sol felt that since this is writer's site, let's avoid any religion? But come on, we all come from different backgrounds, and I don't see the problem with letting people know that.

I feel Sol, in his way, was protecting me from anyone who would view this in a negative way and not follow the advice and still be rude and nasty in their replies to me. Now he is helping me to put a place together for Christians to become a community within the tNBW community. He's also going to help me figure out a post I can place in the Premium forum to let people know of the reconstructed Christian writer's group.

Edit: After Sol read my vision for the group, we decided to start it as a new group instead of overhauling the current one.

Go to forum: Fight Club

177 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(7 replies, posted in Fight Club)

There was an interesting turn of invents yesterday and Sol's going to have me take over as the moderator of the Christian Writers group. As of right now it's a work zone and a lot of dust is flying around, so I don't suggest, if your interested, heading over there yet. But I'm going to give us a place to discuss our faith as well as our writing.

Go to forum: Fight Club

178 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(7 replies, posted in Fight Club)

Thanks CJ. My guess is that it was my opening where I wrote about the new sermon series.
Hey! isn't this supposed to be the "FIGHT CLUB" - LOL
The thing is the church I attend is an organized church, but we as a congregation/Pastoral staff, feel as Jesus did and don't embrace "Organized Religion".  That's all I'm going to say about that for now.

Go to forum: Fight Club

179 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Hi Tom, You don't have to do automatic payments. You can manually make each payment. The only thing I don't know is if Sol deals with check payments, if a person is hesitant to make an on-line payment.

Go to forum: TheNextBigWriter Premium

180 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(8 replies, posted in Romance Inc.)

janet reid wrote:
mikira (AKA KLSundstrom) wrote:

Janet, I was going to add your novel to my reading list, should I wait a little longer to start reading and reviewing it?

Yes, please!  You won't have any problems to catch up, because I only have 1 chapter (Northern Skies) up so far - the previous versions (NS version 2 and NS version 3) are going to be reworked and reshuffled and I'd appreciate a fresh pair of eyes (if you don't mind me using you for that) once I get going again!

And then you must also let me know what I can review to return the favour!

Thanks
Janet

I don't mind being used as a fresh pair of eyes. The novel I want help with is "The Aurora Mission" - Tom's been an awesome reviewer and has given me lots of food for thought already. But more eyes is always greatly appreciated when it come to refining a novel for future readers.

Go to forum: Romance Inc.

181 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Tom you must have set up auto renew, when I checked mine, I see my end date. I like to have some control on my renewals, so I can budget for them.

Go to forum: TheNextBigWriter Premium

182 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(8 replies, posted in Romance Inc.)

Janet, I was going to add your novel to my reading list, should I wait a little longer to start reading and reviewing it?

Go to forum: Romance Inc.

183 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(3 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

Actually, it's Star Trek Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He wore a red uniform top with black shoulders. And he was bald with a sprinkling of hair on his temples.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/ … fp-t-901-s

Go to forum: Writing Tips & Site Help

184 Topic by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(1 replies, posted in CHRISTIAN AND/OR HISTORICAL WRITING)

I would like to start by sharing a bit of the new sermon series that the church I attend started today. The series is called: BRAVE!
First of all I do have the entire sermon notes for this service, because of what I do as a volunteer for my church. I run what is called Propresenter and run all the slides for the lyrics of the worship songs, to the scriptures the pastor wants to highlight in his service. So I can follow along, I get the notes to use.

However I’m not going to share the entire service. I'm only going to share a few of the highlighted things, because they are very apropos to recent events.

    To be BRAVE is: “to show courageous behavior or character in the face of opposition.”
    Be Brave and Choose Integrity over Entitlement
    Be Brave and Choose Forgiveness over Bitterness
    Be Brave and Choose the Eternal over Temporary Comfort
    H.A.L.T. – Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired – Triggers to bad decisions.

After the service, which I worked both of them, I went to talk to my pastor about what transpired on the forums this week. And I told him that I failed to practice the H.A.L.T principle, before replying to a post.

It’s his advice that I want to share with everyone.

He first asked if it was possible to write a reply on another source. I said I could do it on my MS Word program. Then he said, no, on paper, because word would still be too easy to just copy and paste it into the forum. That way you would have to take another step of typing it out before posting it. In that way you can make sure that the words you are using won’t be hurtful and cause someone else pain in return to what had upset you.

I liked this advice so much that’s why I wanted to share it with everyone.

Go to forum: CHRISTIAN AND/OR HISTORICAL WRITING

185 Topic by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(7 replies, posted in Fight Club)

I would like to start by sharing a bit of the new sermon series that the church I attend started today. The series is called: BRAVE!
First of all I do have the entire sermon notes for this service, because of what I do as a volunteer for my church. I run what is called Propresenter and run all the slides for the lyrics of the worship songs, to the scriptures the pastor wants to highlight in his service. So I can follow along, I get the notes to use.

However I’m not going to share the entire service. I'm only going to share a few of the highlighted things, because they are very apropos to recent events.

    To be BRAVE is: “to show courageous behavior or character in the face of opposition.”
    Be Brave and Choose Integrity over Entitlement
    Be Brave and Choose Forgiveness over Bitterness
    Be Brave and Choose the Eternal over Temporary Comfort
    H.A.L.T. – Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired – Triggers to bad decisions.

After the service, which I worked both of them, I went to talk to my pastor about what transpired on the forums this week. And I told him that I failed to practice the H.A.L.T principle, before replying to a post.

It’s his advice that I want to share with everyone.

He first asked if it was possible to write a reply on another source. I said I could do it on my MS Word program. Then he said, no, on paper, because word would still be too easy to just copy and paste it into the forum. That way you would have to take another step of typing it out before posting it. In that way you can make sure that the words you are using won’t be hurtful and cause someone else pain in return to what had upset you.

I liked this advice so much that’s why I wanted to share it with everyone.

Okay, this post had gotten removed from the main forum and I'd like opinions on why it would be so offensive, as is, to have to get removed from there.

Go to forum: Fight Club

186 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(17 replies, posted in Writers Afar)

LeeAnn, I fully understand your concern about novices, so far most of the people I've connected with since I've reopened my account are people that I had known from my previous time on the site. Besides Tom, I'm trying to decide who else I will invite to this group. I'll continue to study their reviews and go from there. Plus I'll search through my old reviews to see if I can find more of the older members of tNBW, who had given me thorough reviews, and who might still be on the site, and see if they'd like to join this group.

Go to forum: Writers Afar

187 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(8 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

Janet Taylor-Perry wrote:

I think if you leave a cliffhanger in the first book of a series, it will spur your readers to get the second book and so on. Just resolve some of the issues and leave others needing attention. Just my thoughts, but I don't mind it--especially in sci-fi/fantasy.

Thanks Janet! Since this is the first of my novels that I'm on the 99 yard line with and am getting successful at finding holes in the defenses of my inner editor, that has tried to trip me up in the past. I want to make sure I have a clear solid game plan together while I craft the ending to this novel and get set up for the next one in the series.

Go to forum: Writing Tips & Site Help

188 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(8 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

Thank you Tom and Dirk, I appreciate both of your insights on this. I don't feel I will be leaving that many open issues as what "The Empire Strikes Back" did. And I feel the ending I have planned will be satisfying enough, so that what I do have still open will hopefully only peak a readers attention for the next novel. That's what's nice about work shopping a novel you can find out where you hit the target and where you missed, so you can fix it before it goes into print.

Go to forum: Writing Tips & Site Help

189 Topic by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(8 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

Like the subject of this topic states, I'm looking for some advice on how to proceed. Like what type of things will the reader be okay with if I leave it open when I finish writing the novel I'm working on. Examples tension with an indigenous being on the planet my human characters have discovered. I have actually amped up this tension as I'm doing my build up for my main climatic scene and I don't intend on resolving it by the end of this novel.

Another couple examples are: I have built a mystery into this novel that I also don't intend on resolving. And a couple of romances, the one with my two main characters I might resolve but the newest budding romance I don't want to resolve.

I'm also wondering if its okay to keep my focus on the main character while I build up to the main climatic scene? I ask because I had moved between other character's storylines while writing the main body of the novel.

Edit: I tried to add the "a" in my topic header when I realized I missed it, but it won't let me add it now.

Go to forum: Writing Tips & Site Help

190 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(13 replies, posted in Writers Afar)

As for me I have read literacy fiction from John Jakes, James Clavells to name a few that I feel people will recognize. The novels I had read by Jakes was his civil war trilogy, which was...mere words can't aptly describe how great that series of novels are and if you haven't read them I highly recommend them, especially if you have an interest in the civil war. In fact I felt like I learned more about that war from his novels then I did in a military history class I took in college. Clavells I read Shogun, Tai-Pan, King Rat and Noble House, I have Whirlwind in my hand right now as I'm writing this, because I hope to have time to read it someday too.  Oh I also see I have Gai-Jin on my bookshelves too. This is an wonderful series of novels. And the images he created with his words stick with me to this day.

I also love to read Science Fiction/Fantasy novels. The long list of authors include my biggest influences - Asimov, Anne McCaffrey, Donaldson and Melanie Rawn just to name a few. I love how these authors immerse the reader in the worlds they've created and challenge me to write that same way in the SF/F novels I'm writing.

I also love a good mystery. Robin Cook being my all time favorite in that genre. In horror I've read, Koontz - love him, and I've tried to read King, but the only book of his I was able to truly sink my teeth into was his "On Writing" book. Which I highly recommend.

I've also read romance. - Favorite authors are Johanna Lindsey, Debbie Macomber and Nora Roberts, but this list is also exhaustive.

As a kid I adored and still to this day love Walter Farley's books - I love horses! So I always, find a way to include them in the novels I write and not just as an afterthought. Oh and I also love dragons. My other horse loving author that I feel is a big influence on me is Mary O'Hara and I hope I can craft the kind of chapters that she did that made me blubber and cry while reading them and made me say through the tears pouring down my face "I...can't" sob. "I have to...find out...what's going to happen." , when your sister says, "Maybe you should put that down for awhile."

So you see I'm a very eclectic reader. And as such it has helped me to craft a novel that has elements of suspense, mystery, a bit of drama and romance in it.  Because I was open to reading a mix of genres.

Go to forum: Writers Afar

191 Topic by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(13 replies, posted in Writers Afar)

Another idea hmm popped into my head. Sometimes that can be a scary thought, but I'm sure this ones a good one and hopefully isn't too scary for people. I feel it would be nice to share with the group what you like to read, what types of genres you've read, what or who you feel are your most significant writing influences are that help to shape the writer you are today.

Go to forum: Writers Afar

192 Topic by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(17 replies, posted in Writers Afar)

I feel it would be healthier for the group, as a whole, if we start a new thread for brainstorming ideas of how we all would like to see this group work out it's schedule for reading, reviewing, critiquing reviews and anything else we decide we'd like to do.

Linda Lee wrote:

I like the concept as you first presented. My main concern is that we leave room for the majority of folks around here who have busy lives outside of writing. I wouldn't join a group like this lightly because I am very dedicated to writing, but I'm not a full time writer. I have 2 demanding jobs that run in wild spurts (insanely busy one week, nothing the next) and am also a primary caregiver in my home. As such, as long as all tasks are given a reasonable window of time to complete, working it into my schedule in order to meet a set deadline isn't a problem. But if deadlines are too stringent, i.e. given something today and asked to complete it by tomorrow--it won't be the group for me.

I'm also interested in making sure we're inclusive enough to encourage varied styles & genres. But I do have concerns about how we'll be dealing with varied skill levels. I'd like to think we could encourage novices to take part. But, considering the investment time required to work with someone who is newer to the process is significantly larger, I think we need to address how we'll be handling this to keep the rate of investment as balanced as possible.

I do agree with the point Temple made about the failure of many writing groups. If the goals are too disparate, it never works well. But my own experience with groups like this tells me that we don't need to vest for this prior to inclusion because the dissimilar are most often weeded out via natural process.

As a matter of housekeeping; I mentioned this earlier but I am, as of today, entering my busiest work week of the year. I will be checking in periodically, but for all intents and purposes, I will be on the road from this evening through March 19th.

LeeAnn

Linda Lee wrote:

In thinking about this more (while I'm showering and getting packed), it might work best if we treat this group similar to how you would a face-to-face group in that we have a set day each week to collect our task with another day chosen as the deadline--each week. I'm not entirely sure how you envision the discourse to happen, but if people are posting their completed work during the time between getting the task and deadline, the forum discourse can begin.

Edited to add: As to this group being a point group, I can go either way. It would be very nice if the work here included getting points, but at the same time if the majority aren't in favor, I wouldn't be put out by that decision either.

I moved LeeAnn's posts to this thread, because I feel she had some good ideas and I feel it's a good starting point.

Go to forum: Writers Afar

193 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(16 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

Oh my gosh Janet, you made me remember a time when I had been blocked in one of the stories I was writing, due to not being able to find a good way to describe a castle I wanted to describe, so I put the story away and started writing something else. Then one night while I was trying to fall asleep the ideas for that castle came to me and it wouldn't allow me to fall asleep until I got up and wrote a long note about it. The next day I sat down and wrote two more chapters in the novel I had put aside because of that creative blockage.

The lesson I learned from that experience is: Sometimes starting a different writing project can loosen your worry about what your trying to write, so the creative juices can start flowing again for the story you had put aside.

Go to forum: Writing Tips & Site Help

194 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(16 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

This evening I decided to write a loose outline for the events leading up to the climatic event, I plan on writing in my novel. I feel reading this thread inspired me to do that, so I don't lose any of the ideas that are floating around in my mind about what's going to happen next. I'll keep you all informed how that goes for me tomorrow night, since I plan to have a long writing session tomorrow.

Go to forum: Writing Tips & Site Help

195 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(212 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

I concur with moving both the Report and the little trash can. I haven't accidently hit report, but I did almost do what KHippolite did when I went to view a review.

Go to forum: TheNextBigWriter Premium

196 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(16 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

John, do you feel that your internal editor is making you worry that your writing anything isn't very good? Even if its not true?

Go to forum: Writing Tips & Site Help

197 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(16 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

For me, I don't actually lose full connection with my stories, in fact even my old unfinished novels that I work shopped on here when I first became a member of tNBW are still solidly ingrained in me. My first one I'm unsure of the complete story arc, the second one that I started writing as a member on tNBW "Blood Ties" I know the ending to and may in fact complete it some day after I finish writing my current novel. I also know I should write down a brief outline of where I see each of these novels going, just in case AWS strikes me, but right now I'm so intent in finishing "The Aurora Mission" that I want to spend every moment I can in writing the last few chapters without worrying about outlining them on paper, from the ideas I have in my mind for this novel. 

I would love to try the music thing, but I love to sing and I'd be too afraid I would sing more then write if I did that. Hmmm...maybe I should have my guitar teacher start writing the soundtrack for the movie now, so I could have that as my background inspirational music - the only problem with that is I can't afford to pay him for that yet, so I guess that's out.

The one thing I do do while I'm sitting down to continue writing is review the last few chapters that I've written to make sure I'm being consistent with where I'm taking the story at that moment. My only struggle at the moment is that as I'm coming closer to my main climatic scene of the novel that I feel I'm only tuned into my main characters story arc and not so much of all my secondary characters. Is that okay? This is the first draft and I know I shouldn't allow it to worry me too much, because that worry could derail me from at least completing the novel if I allow it to grow inside me.

Go to forum: Writing Tips & Site Help

198 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Basic)

Yes he does, and that's very thoughtful of you to not want to add to his workload. I'm glad you have a somewhat viable work-a-round, so you don't strain your eyes when reading and reviewing things on the site.

Go to forum: TheNextBigWriter Basic

199 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Basic)

Cool I learned something new today too!

Tom - did you add anything in the wish list about the blue on light blue problem and what you feel would make it easier for people to read?
I increase the size of the font when I publish chapters to the site, but I'm never sure if I'm making the font big enough even though I use a size 16 font.

Go to forum: TheNextBigWriter Basic

200 Reply by mikira (AKA KLSundstrom)

(43 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

j p lundstrom wrote:

Okay, I'm a retiree living on an 800-dollar a month stipend.  Please enroll me for free in the classes for screenwriting and short-story writing.  I've been nice to everybody, and I do reviews all the time.

If I were a Facebook friend with this person and were able to verify what this person is saying is true, then I would find away, even if it put me in even more debt then I am right now, to pay for one of those classes for this person.

j p lundstrom wrote:

Doesn't that sound ridiculous?

The way you wrote it, is a little ridiculous. But you intentionally wrote it to sound that way.

j p lundstrom wrote:

Aside from the fact that it's demeaning to yourself, it's an embarrassment to the community of writers.  Sure, we'd all like to have help, from time to time, but we're here to help each other learn, not pay the bills.

I don't feel demeaned, in any way shape or form. In fact when I read these two sentences this thought came to me. "Get behind me deceiver." Because I get harassed by him a lot. But it's okay, I know Who is in my corner and it's all good. Because He is always working on making the bad change into good for me.

j p lundstrom wrote:

Sorry, Tom, I'm going to have to side with Temple on this.

You can side with whomever you want that's your call. However, stepping in and being a bit rude about it, is something you could have controlled yourself from doing.

j p lundstrom wrote:

And you, Missy--I checked out your site.  If you can afford to maintain a site, you can afford to pay an editor.  And just because you tell me how good your book is, doesn't prove anything.  Was it posted on tnbw for us to appraise?

This is the rudest part of all.  For starters, which website are you referring to? Kickstarter? That's free. My Professional Facebook page? That's free. Or this one: http://karensundstrom.weebly.com/ which maybe costs me $100.00 a year. But I can't remember if that's actually a yearly price or for three years. To me that's not a lot to spend to keep that site up and running until I have more time to devote to it.

And yes I'm starting to post  my novel to this site.

The only thing I'll admit is that I made a mistake about is that I had put the cart before the horse, meaning I started the Kickstarter project before getting a good fan base. - But I want to let it run it's course, because I'm starting to get a nice Twitter following, and I even quoted parts of my novel after gaining over a hundred fans in a very short period of time and I continue to gain at least ten fans a day now without having to do much on twitter. So no matter what happens with that project. It will have helped me start to gain a fan base.

j p lundstrom wrote:

Nothing personal.

In fact it was personal, it wasn't quite as vicious of an attack as Temple's was yesterday, but I would still view it as an attack. Because you are calling me a fraud with these two comments:

j p lundstrom wrote:

It just happens I spent the day researching land fraud.  Are you trying to sell us some swamp land?

So I suggest taking a few more courses in detective work, because you obviously aren't very good at it.

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