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To chum or not to chum

Shark week was a few weeks ago. I think our fascination is in part due to the fact that we are not the apex predator in the water.  We are not apex on land in some parts of the world, but, for Americans, we can pretty much avoid bears and mountain lions. However, if we get in the ocean we are all at the mercy of whatever swims in with the current.  I love scuba diving; I only get to do it every year or two. My question to you would be: what are your thoughts on chumming? For those not familiar with the term, it is throwing chunks of fish and fish blood in the water to attract sharks. Cruise ships have shark excursion dives and many countries offer shark dives with and without cages.  Personally, I think it is a bad idea to chum. Sharks are smart enough to associate people with food and food with places. For instance, about 22 years ago, I was on a cruise with my family.  They had a shark dive and a 30-foot dive. I had only been diving a short while, and my kids were young, so I opted out of the shark dive.  You can't imagine where the 30-foot dive was. Yes—it was in the exact spot that they hooked up chum for the shark dive. Sharks were everywhere when we first started our descent. It was one of my scariest diving moments. I have since been on many dives encountering sharks. Although, I have never participated in a dive where the dive boat chummed. 

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Writing Resources

I’m subscribed to the subreddit for writing (/r/writing) and came across this useful post today. I figure I’ll share it here in case anyone needs help describing facial gestures.

I think I mentioned in the last post (I’m lying; I know I talked about it a lot) that I’m on story 3 of 5 about werebears/bear shifters. Tomorrow, I’m just going to go to the coffee shop and crank them out. I can’t believe how long this project is dragging on. I know it directly correlates with my interest in the topic: a werebear football team. I have no interest in football. None at all. Luckily, I have enough knowledge to make it seem like I’m well-versed. That’s all that matters, right?

There was an erotic dictionary that I found on the subreddit for erotica authors (/r/eroticauthors), but I haven’t been able to find it again, otherwise I would link it. Sometimes finding a different way to say the same thing can be trying.

Another thing: when I write my own long-form title to self-publish - it’s not going to be erotica. Romance novel around 80,000 words, I think. I might try to submit it to Harlequin’s paranormal imprint Nocturne before I try self-publishing. Maybe not though, considering they have around a 5-month turnaround, according to other online sources I’ve consulted.

Welp, back to werebears, for now.

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Sick.

Bad news, all. I’m sick. Achy, sore throat, and some dizziness. What does that equate to? Bed rest and lots of liquids. Right now, I’’m eating half of an avocado with a spoon.

I’m moving from UpWork to Outsource for freelancing, but I think you have to have a subscription that costs so much per month in order to apply for jobs. That’s how Outsource makes their money instead of charging a fee per job. I have to read more into it before I make the leap because I definitely do not want to pay for a subscription.

Once I finish this five freelance story run, then I’m going to work on my first eBook. I’m on story three of the five. Halfway there. Halfway there. 

I think I’ve settled on a werewolf romance for my eBook. Brooding and moody. Takes me back to my pre-teenage days when I wrote Harry Potter fanfiction about Remus Lupin having a romance in his years as a student at Hogwarts. I liked focusing on the emotional turmoil and anguish his secret caused him. I guess I’m just attracted to angsty paranormal romance. 

This also means I need to brush up on my werewolf lore and maybe binge watch the Underworld movies. You know, research.

Welp, better get back to cranking this story out. The sooner I finish the sooner I can put out my own project! I feel like this is my never-ending mantra in every post.

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Summer!

It’s beginning to feel like summer around this area! I spent today at the beach with the fiancé and we both got a little too much sun. I don’t feel as bad for him because he’s Italian and handles it better. My fair Irish skin disintegrates in the sun’s rays.

I don’t have any trips planned. No big summer goals besides publishing my first ebooks on Amazon. All in all, this summer actually looks like its going to be rather tame and uneventful.

I guess I don’t have all that much to say, but felt the need to check in.

I’ll leave you with this because it was a very interesting read!

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That time again...

...when I get a little bit burnt out on my current project and start thinking of the next.

Right now, I’m working on story two of my five story ghostwriting project. The funds from this will hold me over while I write my first foray into the self-publishing romance world.

Taking a break from my current story, I am trying to do some market research and brainstorm a project for my novel. I bounce ideas off of my dog and she seems disinterested; she begins to gnaw on her paw rather than indulge me. Sports romances are of no concern to her, but, according to findings, they should be for me.

A friend of mine says she’s going to start doing commissioned illustrations. Once her exact plan and site are up and running, I’ll be sure to provide a link. She’s a talented artist in the San Franciscan area and has been involved with numerous art installation shows. Fallen Cosmos is a great example that I happened to attend.

My fiancé is unsatisfied with his current job and is trying to change career fields. It’s unfortunate that some people realize too late that they dislike what they’ve been involved with for the past three years. I always suggest freelancing to people and I’ve done the same to him while he figures out what he wants to do. 

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Women Comics

Tonight, I watched Ali Wong’s comedy special on Netflix called Baby Cobra. Although I did think some of her jokes were funny, overall, I found it kind of disappointing. I guess I just don’t like her “lazy, dominating wife” shtick. 

That leads me to the bigger topic of female comics. I’m a fan, not just because I like strong, independent women, but I’ve found a few I think are really funny. I really like: Natasha Leggero, Garfunkel and Oates, Iliza Shlesinger - those are just a few off the top of my head. Amy Schumer has a few bits I like, but she always does the “I’m a drunk, overweight girl who has a lot of sex” persona and it gets old.

I did like that Ali Wong talked about miscarriages. She said that they’re commonplace and she wished that more people talked about them. I’m glad she’s informing people so that young women going through miscarriages handle the situation better emotionally, knowing it isn’t God punishing them or that they somehow aren’t worthy of a child.

While I was watching the special, I noticed that the camera rarely cut to the audience and then, midway through, it cut from the stage to a random couple in the audience. Imagine being that couple and seeing the two of you flash on screen after an off-color joke no one is laughing at, including you.

How do you all feel about female comics? Which are your favorites?

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Paranormal Erotica

So, my latest job via UpWork involves writing werebear erotica. I didn’t know this was even a thing until I did some research upon being given the assignment. Evidently, people really like it when humans turn into animals. I think it’s probably some Freudian concept deep in our minds that harkens back to our primal needs, but I’m a writer, not a psychologist, so I’m just going to leave that alone.

This assignment has taught me that erotica is a well-paying market on Amazon and should definitely not be written off (haha). I’m going to use this series as practice and perhaps try to publish some of my own erotic short stories or novellas. Considering the werebear genre is so prevalent, I might even be sticking around this camp.

I’ve also been reading the submission guidelines in Harlequin Romance’s different imprints and I think I might try to submit work there. I’ll keep you all updated on how that venture turns out as it progresses. They have their own imprint called Harlequin Nocturne for paranormal romances. I noticed many of their imprints are trying to include Christian characters. This is indubitably due to the purchase of the company by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and its political leanings. We’ll see as time goes on how that pans out.

All right, now I’m going to get back to writing. How do you all feel about the change in values over at Harlequin Romance?

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Introduction

Hello, lovely Tumblr readers. I have created this blog to talk about the world of writing.

Recently, I have been completing romance stories on UpWork for pay and, honestly, I’m greatly enjoying it. I get to stretch my writing capabilities and, essentially, get paid to practice. My next step is to write my own romance novel instead of these stories and novellas for distributors uninterested in the actual content. I want to bring romance stories directly to the readers, cutting out the middle-man. In the meantime, I’ll complete these projects, but I’ll start creating my own on the side.

Being a writer as your sole employment in this day and age is nigh impossible. These UpWork jobs bring in money, but they aren’t enough to subside on. I’ve been looking at copy-writing certification courses in order to secure a day job. We shall see. So, writers, what are your day jobs? Or have you been lucky enough to make writing a full-time career?