Writing

Write a Leader for Freedom. #BloggersForFreedom

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I wrote in My Sunday Thoughts about Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian blogger who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes, 50 each week for 20 weeks, plus about US $266,631.

50 of those lashes were just given in a public square after people had finished their prayer time. It was an example being set, Talk about us and we don’t like it and we’ll imprison you and beat you.

His wife was forced into a divorce and was able to leave the country with their three children, so are free in Canada now.

I also wrote a post about doing a hashtag campaign using #BloggersForRaifBadawi and #BloggersForFreedom.

Not much response to that, but it’s only been a short time. It may go somewhere.

The U.S. State Department posted this on January 8. There site is here.

“We are greatly concerned by reports that human rights activist Raif Badawi will start facing the inhumane punishment of a 1,000 lashes, in addition to serving a 10-year sentence in prison for exercising his rights to freedom of expression and religion. The United States Government calls on Saudi authorities to cancel this brutal punishment and to review Badawi’s case and sentence. The United States strongly opposes laws, including apostasy laws, that restrict the exercise of these freedoms, and urges all countries to uphold these rights in practice.”

The lashings took place. I wonder what the U.S. government will do now.

Amnesty International has been involved as well. Article here.

“The decision to sentence Raif Badawi to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes is outrageous. He is a prisoner of conscience who is guilty of nothing more than daring to create a public forum for discussion and peacefully exercising the right to freedom of expression. The authorities must overturn his conviction and release him immediately and unconditionally,” said Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. ~From the article at amnesty.org.

I thought these Tweets from UN Watch were telling:

UN Human Rights Council Whips ManUN Human Rights Council BlindBut if a political machine doesn’t think it will lose votes by doing nothing, then guess what it won’t do. That’s right, it won’t do something. I am not for the U.S. to act like it is the protector of the world but I would appreciate them making a stand where a stand needs to be made. The truth is we don’t need Saudi Arabia for anything. By that I mean the leadership. Just like you can’t judge Americans by our leadership, I’m not judging the Saudi people by theirs.

But we as citizens can do something. We can make noise. We can make it constantly. Americans on average get fired up about something and then that fire dies off after a while and everyone knows it. Time to change that.

 

Write your congressman. How often? That’s up to you.

I’m not going to tell you how to say something. I personally will likely speak to the inhumanity of what is happening. Laws of a nation are different wherever you go. So I don’t plan to speak to laws but I do plan to speak to inhumanity and a desire for our nation to place sanctions on Saudi Arabia unless the lashings discontinue.

I don’t think we should all be carbon copies of each other. Speak in a personal way to each Congressman. You are a voter that helps get them there or not. You didn’t vote for them? I don’t care. This isn’t about a political party. This is about humanity.

I don’t agree with his imprisonment either, but being in prison is one thing. 1,000 lashes with 50 per week I just cannot fathom even the idea of who comes up with punishments like that. If he had not listened to a judge and not appealed it would have been 7 years and 600 lashes I believe.

So you want to write a letter to your congressman? The link below will give you advice on how to form a letter. The same is for email or snail mail.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/letterscongress.htm

Not sure who your Senator is? The link below will help you out.

https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Don’t know who your Representative is? Try the link below. Just need to know your zip code.

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

As bloggers we should be angry about imprisonment over something like discussions about politics and society even if they belittle leaders. Imagine if that were a law in the U.S., there would be some serious overcrowding of the prison system.

But as people we all should be angry. Some may point to other cases in the world that could equally be spoken of but this is the one that jumped out at me. This is the one that was placed in front of my eyes and I decided to speak about it.

Now will you do anything about it? Are you in another country? You can write to your leaders too. Sorry I cannot do a list for every nation in the world of how to find your leaders and write to them. Well I could but it would take a while.

This is the next step I thought of in what to do. I will keep thinking but you think as well and start something. Like write your local and regional papers. Write to the White House. Start up whatever it is you need to start up. Set up a network to be used not just this once, but for the future as well. That’s the great thing about blogging. We’re all connected around the world. And we could do so much if we all just united to do it. I don’t know who could organize that. I would likely forget about something by the end of the week if not for my blog content to remind me. But let’s start something. #BloggersForFreedom

 

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#BloggersForRaifBadawi #BloggersForFreedom begins now.

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I don’t know how to start a Hashtag Trend. But I am going to start a Hashtag or two and see what happens. I am really upset about the cruel treatment of the Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi. I wrote about in my Sunday Thought, 50 Lashes Against Freedom. Read it and see. I am too angry to write coherently right now about it again. Links to what is going on to him are there as well.

The hashtags I want to use are #BloggersForRaifBadawi and #BloggersForFreedom I don’t know if either will catch on but I am going to begin using them every day in some way. Join me if you like. You don’t have to but this is the only way I knew to really let people know what I want to do. Seriously, you do not have to join in and I will not think any less of any of my friends for not doing it. It’s just something I feel convicted to do.

bloggers for raif badawi

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Lit World Interviews – A Place for Authors

Ronovan Writing

Introduction: Part 1

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Brand New Blog
Go Check it out and Follow from the Beginning. Welcome a new WordPress family member.

Writing Tips: Em Dash, Ellipsis and Error

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Writing Tips: Em Dash, Ellipsis and Error

Let’s talk about flow for a moment. I am not one for punctuation. Anyone that reads my work will quickly discover that I am awful with it. I try to work around it by using different wording or shorter sentences. I imagine to myself this will hide my weakness. But to an expert, a pro it will be obvious.

There are three things I would like to talk about. This has to do with the flow of a sentence, its basic appearance. The em dash, the ellipsis, and the double space error are also three things that can call you out to an agent or editor.

I’ve written for decades now, but only recently, or so I believe, have I taken notice of the little things of writing that are really much larger than I ever imagined.

The em dash:

In all honesty I had never heard of this until recently. Oh, sure I have seen it but I didn’t know it had a name. I should have known everything has a name and if it doesn’t someone will come along to name it shortly just so they can say they did it.

 Humphrey Bogart as Sam SpadeYou are to use the em dash when there is a sudden change or interruption in the sentence. Strunk and White states to use this only when a more common form of punctuation will not seem to work. That seems a little vague to me. But if you take a look at just about any form of writing you will see the em dash everywhere. By the way, the em dash is a double dash. Basically it is called an em dash because it takes up the widest letter font, the letter m. The en dash is a single dash.

Some writers just use it any time they like instead of commas or semicolons. Why? Either they think it’s cool or they don’t know punctuation or it could just be a style. Is it wrong? Truthfully, writing styles are slowly  becoming less and less strict with structure but there is a purpose to proper structure. It isn’t just for a good grade. It’s for a good read.

For me, I think I would use the em dash in harsh situations, or rather tough talk situations. If I were writing a detective novel I think the em dash would fit. I can see Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese Falcon reading out the punctuation of the dialogue now and I can hear ‘dash’ instead of ‘comma’ coming from him. Bogey did rapid fire dialogue great and he could switch between directions of dialogue so quick you almost didn’t see it happen. That script must have been em dash loaded.

“We beat it down to the docks and kicked the door in.”

“You did what?” Carson asked.

“I said—what’s she doing here?” Sam looked at the woman walking in the door.

Carson looked at the long legs as they passed him. “Sam—she’s doing anything she likes.”

In this example you get the fill that Sam immediately changes his words as the woman walks in. There is no pause. He just goes straight into questioning. For me that works. In the second case it doesn’t work for me. To me Carson is pausing after he says Sam as he thinks about the woman, so the em dash is too harsh there. The ellipses wouldn’t work because there is no missing dialogue or trailing off, there is just a hesitation so I would use the comma.

The Ellipsis:

The ellipsis is when you use (. . .). Of course that is without the parenthesis. You use three periods with a space between each one. Again, I had no idea such a thing had a name. And would you believe it . . . I had been using it wrong all these years. I didn’t put a space between the periods. Oops. And, I just used it incorrectly.  And no, I did not do that intentionally. I read back through this article and found it. It happens, so always proofread your work.

BacallYou use this when a sentence is trailing off or you are picking up in the middle of a conversation or a place I use it is when I am writing a telephone conversation but we only hear one side of it.

“We beat it down to the docks and kicked the door in.”

“You did what?” Carson asked.

“I said . . . what’s she doing here?” Sam looked at the woman walking in the door.

Carson looked at the long legs as they passed him. “Sam . . . she’s doing anything she likes.”

Now we have a pause here instead of the em dash and it’s as though Sam has looked at the woman a moment first before speaking.

The second pause works for me, but it’s not right. A comma will do the job.

 “We beat it down to the docks and kicked the door in.”

“You did what?” Carson asked.

“I said–what’s she doing here?” Sam looked at the woman walking in the door.

Carson looked at the long legs as they passed him. “Sam, she’s doing anything she likes.”

Combining the both the em dash and the comma pause in the passage works for me because I get a change of pace with each. There is a sense of urgency from Sam and casualness from Carson. It adds to character development with just a little change in punctuation.

The Space After Punctuation:

People from my age and older learned to type on typewriters, even if they were electric ones. This means we learned to hit the space bar twice after the ending punctuation of a sentence. For all those who do that, STOP! Computer fonts are set so that everything is spaced properly.

An agent or editor will look at your work and immediately see the spacing error. Should this be a killer to your career? No, but many agencies use interns and they like to sort through the submissions and for a punctuation pet peeve artist or someone who has a space phobia you have put them off already and they’ll just not continue. Hit the space bar once…ever.

© Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com-June 16, 2014.

Five Free Author Gifts For Christmas.

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My Guest post on Jen’s Pen Den. Five free things you can download that might help you as an author. Yes, FREE! Go check it out.

jenspenden's avatarJen's Pen Den

Oh we writers, what we don’t want for Christmas that we think would help our writer’s cause would fill a coffee cup, which is actually on the list of things writer’s think we need. Although I don’t drink coffee. Tried it the other day and about went bonkers. If I had a book idea I could have written it that day. Never try to do that, write a book in a day that is. I wrote a 40,000 word book in one day and was useless for days. I think I might have donated an organ but not sure. Actually I think I know which organ and don’t ask. I’m of the age I don’t think that organ is really all that useful any longer anyway.

What every writer needs for Christmas.

(But doesn’t know to ask for.)

There are things every writer out there wants.

  • The perfect first paragraph…

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I’m Unwell but You can’t Tell-A look inside of Me.

Ronovan Writing , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sometimes I look and search for a story to tell.
Walk down the same lines, find I’m unwell.
But is that really the case of what I really and truly am to be?
Or is it something else other people have planned for me?
I know I’m not great inside, making confessions and fail.
But does that  mean that I am really unwell?
Only time will tell.

Music, songs, lyrics and their meanings. Anyone that can write a novel in the space of a chorus and a few verses has my envy. Some people have said I should do something with some of my lyrical poetry. Can’t write or play music so that’s kind of a brick wall. Besides, my story is always the same.

Today’s song came out of left field. I was not really feeling any of the Beatles songs I was looking at and I really wanted a song writer. Billy Joel was suggested but then one of the best song writers of the modern era came to mind and I ended up with Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty. It helps I’ve seen them in concert at least twice.

Unwell.

On the live DVD Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas states that he wrote the song as a metaphor for humanity in general, a song for people who are “messed up and feel alone like that. We all feel a little messed up sometimes… you’re not alone.”-Wikipedia

I just rediscovered this song today. As I read the lyrics, as I do first when looking for a song to connect to and share, every line hit with me. Though I don’t ride the train, being in public in lines of any type is a train of sorts.

Wearing sunglasses everywhere I go and earplugs 24 hours a day 7 days a week and in public draws glances and kids stare at you. You hear the whispers. “What’s wrong with that man?” Up to that point you trick yourself into thinking nothing is wrong.

I don’t remember things from before but I know feelings of situations. For a man who at one time total strangers would say “You stay here near that man while I run into the restroom” at an amusement park now being that man that there is something wrong with, that’s the unwell part. It’s not the actual problem that is the problem, it’s the problem people make out of the problem that’s the problem. That’s what makes me unwell.

Reading the lyrics, yeah I stare at the ceiling, finding those familiar shadows. I know where the spot that reminds me of a puppy is. I also can look at the designs in the floor and find the clown face or the robot.

Am I headed for a breakdown? Probably. I haven’t stepped over that line yet but I can see it and the chalk has been blurred a bit. I am unwell. I discover how to be well but then unwell happens. Sure, I’ve become the master of appearances. Look at Rob Thomas. All those lines inside of him. He taps into something to come up with these great lyrics. Great lyrics come from a genuine place. Is Rob unwell, or was he when he wrote this song? How is he now?

I’ve resigned myself to unwell. I’m okay with it. I don’t sleep much. Sometimes none, sometimes 2 hours. Occasionally I will get 5 in. Less than 4 is the norm. The rest of the time is spent writing and reading, both of which I am not really supposed to be doing if I want to be well. But you know what?

No
Way
Am I going to stare at the ceiling
All
Day
Waiting for the
Break
Down
Everyone knows is on the way.

Stop comparing me,
To who I used to be.

All day staring at the ceiling
Making friends with shadows on my wall
All night hearing voices telling me
That I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something

Hold on
Feeling like I’m headed for a breakdown
And I don’t know why

But I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell
I know right now you can’t tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you’ll see
A different side of me
I’m not crazy, I’m just a little impaired
I know right now you don’t care
But soon enough you’re gonna think of me
And how I used to be, me

I’m talking to myself in public
Dodging glances on the train
And I know, I know they’ve all been talking about me
I can hear them whisper
And it makes me think there must be something wrong with me
Out of all the hours thinking
Somehow I’ve lost my mind

But I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell
I know right now you can’t tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you’ll see
A different side of me
I’m not crazy, I’m just a little impaired
I know right now you don’t care
But soon enough you’re gonna think of me
And how I used to be

I’ve been talking in my sleep
Pretty soon they’ll come to get me
Yeah, they’re taking me away

But I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell
I know right now you can’t tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you’ll see
A different side of me
I’m not crazy, I’m just a little impaired
I know right now you don’t care
But soon enough you’re gonna think of me
And how I used to be

Hey, how I used to be
How I used to be
Well, I’m just a little unwell
How I used to be
How I used to be
I’m just a little unwell

 

Ronovan The Unwell but You Can’t Tell

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Get a Free Review of your Kindle Book?

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You have written your book. You have formatted your book and have it on Amazon. Now it’s time to get to work.

 

What Balloon

 

You thought it was over with? Not by a long shot. Now you have to get the book sold. Part of that I discussed in Advertising Your Book, For Free.

But just advertising doesn’t cut it. Some people want to know if other people like your book. Is your book worth the time? This means reviews. So how do you get reviews?

  •  Get friends to read and review, but you’ll have to give them the book. And more than likely, sure Man reading bookthey’ll give you a good review but you want an honest review. But you’re thinking, “No, I want good reviews.” If you have your list full of great reviews and then some big paper comes along and reviews it there might be fallout. Most likely not but I would rather have an honest review. I want the truth.
  • Get Beta Readers to read your book, of course and then ask them to give a review, but some of them require payment and the book. And as a Beta Reader they might know all the parts you had to rewrite and you really want fresh eyes unless you just know you will get an objective opinion. I have started Beta Reading and I’m objective. I Beta Read for two good friends of mine and I don’t pull punches but I also see the big picture. I can do both sides of the role.

There is another way.

Kindle Reviews from Amazon.Magnifying Glass on Book

They have three versions:

 

#1

Free Review-One Review for FREE! Yes I said FREE.
You submit your book and usually within 7-14 days you have a review. You aren’t guaranteed a review but normally it does get reviewed. A lot of times the reviewer is another author who is looking for people to review their work. That doesn’t mean you need to review that person’s work or anyone else.

I thought about just stopping here originally but I decided to go ahead and let you know about Amazon’s two paid review services.

#2

FastTrack-5 Reviews
You pay for a team of reviewers. Reviews are published within 7-14 days. They mention that if you really want the online browser to be influenced you might want 10 reviews. I believe I read somewhere it was $40 for a review team of 5.

#3

FastTrack Pro
You pay for 5 reviews but the team of reviewers will buy your book and not only have your reviews out in 7-14 days but will also help your Amazon Sales Rank a little.  It’s $90 for this service but of course you get some back through the purchase of your book which boosts your sales rank a little and you rise a little in the browser influence.

Why do this?
You get honest reviews from people you don’t know. As a writer that’s what you want. It gives you more than just help getting your book noticed it also helps you learn how your book is being received.

One Final Way

You can also let me know at ronovanwrites (at) gmail (dot) com and I can connect you to one of the book reviewers at LitWorldInterviews.WordPress.com or even myself. As long as it’s a book we are interested in and you have an ebook format provided to us (protected PDF, protected Word Document, Kindle whatever), we will provide an honest review of it. I repeat an HONEST review of it. At least five us do reviews as time permits. You let me know and I then email your information to one of the LWI reviewers and they contact you so you can get them the e copy. Or really if you check out our Book Reviews at LWI you can actually request a certain Reviewer if you like through me or contact them. Just check out our staff list, myself included (although my heading doesn’t say Book Review Team, I do a bit of everything).

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

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Ronovan Writes and People Read

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My first Featurette! I am so honored and humbled by Marianne doing this. I had no idea anyone thought that much of my site to do such a thing. Thank you, Marianne!
Much Respect
Ronovan

My Sunday Thought: Be quiet.

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Be Quiet Chalk Board ImageI always like to write my Sunday Thought about something to do with events that are happening in society today. The problem with that is the same things have been going on for weeks now and to be honest I have been attempting to avoid simply going off on a rant to say exactly what I think of the various situations. So far I’ve held my tongue and merely spoken in a somewhat neutral tone. Mostly because it would be such a long article that I know it would not be read and everyone has there opinions.

And they would be just that. Opinions. You can take two people and give them the exact same information and they will see something different. It all depends on your view of how things operate.

Why do I not give my full blown, knock down, in your face opinions on Ferguson, Cosby and Garner? Because it would be an opinion that, although not in the media and not sensationalized or used inflammatorially would still add fuel to a fire that no one can know 100% either way about. Don’t make assumptions about my opinion based on that statement. Why?

James 1:19-22
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

And if you don’t want to take the advice of the half brother of Jesus then take it from the wisest normal man that ever lived.

Proverbs 17:28
Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.

I’ve taught my son one thing if nothing else. Keep quiet unless the teacher asks him the question or he’s certain of the answer being asked. You see kids just spout out an answer sometimes and look like they are crazy. We think it’s funny. Adults do it and we look foolish. That happens in every aspect of life.

 

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

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When Ronovan Met Miss Maple (on Skype) – Part 5

Ronovan Writing

Get ready, the L.A.W side of the caper is out later.
So get your British read on with Hugh and Miss Maper, I mean Maple and see what they were up to last. You won’t believe Who shows up to help the L.A.W out in Lubbock this time.

My Sunday Thought: Be slow and Do it, Don’t Spew it.

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Yes, Cat-Man is continuing his dedication to his Sunday Theeowwts. If some of you are wondering “How I Became Cat-Man” simply check yesterday’s article. I assure you it is more painful than it sounds.

You know, people like to take a look at someone and make a judgement. I don’t know what your opinions of me have been since my profile photo reveal, and to be honest it wouldn’t matter in regards to if I kept writing or not. No intent to offend just assuring you I am good with my appearance accept with the side effects of the Lyrica I am taking due to my Fibromyalgia, but I have taken extreme action to counter act that.

Some look at me and see the red hair and think I must have a short fuse, that I blow my top at the drop of a hat. Actually I tend to stay quiet and carry on as normal and let things just go away.

I have to say that the letter of James in the Bible is one of my favorites. You know that might surprise some but I like my verses to be straight forward and in my face. I love Jesus but sometimes you have to admit those parables just make your head hurt. Some of them I love but some of them I just have to think about a bit. I get them, but still. But if given the choice, I would take every one of those words attributed to Jesus and just go by them and be happy.

The book of James is attributed to the half brother of Jesus. That’s right the actual real brother of the Son. You know that had to be a tough act to follow. “Why can’t you be perfect like Jesus?” “Jesus never called me a camel’s behind.”

James 1:21-22
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Good one, right? Those are the two verses I received from my Bible verse generators. Now let me add in the verses before it.

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Yes, I like to give the verses that the following verses are “There For”. Touch of humor there and play on words but it’s true. When you see “therefore” in the Bible it’s “there for” a reason so back up if you jump in at a “therefore” spot.

Are these not amazing verses. Someone all trying to be smart might say that while I was being slow to anger they would kick my bee hind. It doesn’t say do not be aware, do not be prepared, it is saying do not be stupid. For the “smart” person, to be quick to anger and to attack a quiet person is to be “stupid”. You try to kick my bee hind and you might get stung.

Yesterday I could have reacted with quick anger and hurled a cat many yards away from me or into a wall. But my mind raced through several things in the span of seconds. My habit of being slow to anger came in handy. A 70 year old grandmother was not destroyed by a frightened cat and a frightened, and normally sweet cat is now spade and will no longer be attacked by every male cat that comes by nor will her brothers, Spunky being one of them, be attacked for being a male cat in her presence and thus competition.

Quick to listen and slow to anger. Another verse associated with these is;

Proverbs 10:19

Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues.

And another;

Proverbs 17:28

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.

You have probably been in that situation where you are listening to two people or even just one person talking about some strange subject and you are sitting there quietly and intently paying attention. Then you are asked if you agree or your opinion. You sit silently trying to come up with something to say while keeping a straight and thoughtful expression. The people involved quickly begin to think you are wise in seeing something such as the weaknesses in their arguments that they had hoped would escape notice. I am not wise, I am just good at the straight face and an expression that apparently conveys “are you seriously trying to tell me that load”.

How can you apply these verses to life?

How can you not? You can see events on the news that would have been avoided if one or both parties involved had practiced what these words say. Quick words only cause problems. And that is not just in the areas of anger. This can even be in the area of the heart. Take everything possible slowly to be sure what is really is what it is.

I often say during my Sunday Thoughts that it doesn’t matter if you are a Christian or not, you can gain something from the words and apply them to your life. And for those who are Christians, I have a saying I used to use when speaking to youth;

do_it_dont_spew_it.png

Ronovan

Romans 1:16

 

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Validated! #NaNoWriMo 2014

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Winner-2014-Web-BannerNational Novel Writing Month

Finally had the courage to validate it today. 50, 292 words of a YA adventure book. Nice experience and now I might have some time to get back to Blog World.

I even made a cover for it. I don’t know how Chris The Story Reading Ape does it.

Yes I put his link in there because seriously, if you have an author for a significant other, child, sibling, parent, or whatever and you want to give them a gift for Christmas they would love you for life for, go there and contact Chris. A custom designed book cover is a dream come true.

Much Respect

Ronovan

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In times of trouble, just Let it Be.

Ronovan Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s been some times since I did what a song means to me and I miss those days.

Songs that make you pause, bring hope, peace, melancholy. Some look at melancholy as a completely bad thing, but often times it’s the only time you have to experience peace and reflective moments.  No, don’t get me wrong, this is not to say I am in a state of melancholy. I am simply giving possible emotions a song may bring.

I had another song in mind when while glancing through the extensive list I happened to glimpse Let it Be, written and sung by Paul McCartney with the Beatles.

Paul has said in interviews when asked the meaning of the lyrics, if they have Biblical meanings, that those who listen are to take from it what they like. Much like we here in our poetry communities say. In other words, he wrote the song for himself as he needed to after a dream about his departed mother and as for the definition of lyrics he will simply . . . Let it Be.

For me the song was once a beautifully simple song.,back in my pre-Christian days of not knowing of the Let it Be reference to May and her response to the angel Gabriel about her pregnancy, only one interpretation of the lyrics.

For me now, Let it Be does bring a sense of peace as I deal with with my Chronic pain, Chronic Fatigue, Osteoarthritis, and Amnesia. I am given more medications than I have ever even looked at in my life, I am certain, well almost certain. A bit of amnesiac humor only I can poke at myself with, thank you very much. I lose things daily and gain some only to be lost again.

I lose the memory of friends from Blog World that I have the feeling are of some significance but things don’t click. One day there, and a hard nights sleep or battle with a flare up and they are gone. Fibromyalgia combined with Concussion has brought about some unusual results.

I write, I blog, I live, I love children, I love inspiration, and for all that I cannot control I simply . . . Let it Be.

For trivia minded:

Paul wrote the song after a dream of his mother, Mary who had died of cancer when he was 14, during the time around the recording of The Beatles (The White Album).

The song became the title of the album that was released after McCartney’s announcement of his leaving The Beatles.

There are numerous versions of the song recorded by the Beatles for films, singles, album, and anthologies.

Wikiepedia notes that Kris Allen, Aretha Franklin, Brooke White, Katie Stevens, Boney M., Joan Baez, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, David Bowie, Fiona Apple, Billy Ocean, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Status Quo, Seether, Stereophonics, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Hudson, B5, and Widespread Panic among others have covered the song. This being an eclectic sampling of how popular the song is.

I personally think it odd that the title track of the album is Let it Be and the band has broken up. I believe perhaps it was a message to the fans saying just Let it Be.

What does the song mean to you or what feeling does it bring? Jenna Willett of Jen’s Pen Den does a regular weekly post about music that inspires her during writing, what mood would this inspire for you?

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Much Respect

Ronovan

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Author Presence: About.me-What and How To.

Ronovan Writing

Author or Blogger, it’s all the same. You have to start somewhere and this is the place to start. If you have a blog and don’t have About.me, then you need it, if you are considering a blog, start here.

Ronovan's avatarLit World Interviews

Authors: Let’s get started setting up your web presence.

Each day this week I will have an article about another piece to setup. I am not into doing everything at once in one article. We’re not in a hurry. Doing everything in one article makes people feel overwhelmed when all they really need to do is come back to that article the next day. So what I like to do is . . . one thing at a time. Call it the reasonable teacher in me. Yes, I was a History teacher and a corporate trainer type among other things.

Something important to remember as we begin this process together; I want you to know that I will be giving ADVICE here. Take it or leave it. After I give it you then make it work or not. Everything I or anyone else tells you won’t do miracles on its…

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The Absolute Indie

Ronovan Writing , , , , , , ,

If you ever thought about writing a book and publishing it, this is the one article you need to read. I am dead serious.

jorobinson176's avatarLit World Interviews

When I first decided to self-publish my books I had no intention of doing every little thing myself. I planned on paying for editing and formatting, and buying my cover designs. I had a rude awakening when I discovered that living in Zimbabwe, as I was at the time, meant that I had no access to PayPal, who sanction that country, and from what I could see back then, that was the only way to pay.

I had page numbers, headers and footers, indents and lots of other fancy bits and pieces in my original manuscript and no clue as to what formatting even meant. Seeing other writer’s beautiful covers all over, my heart sank because I knew that I could never create such things. It was the most frustrating feeling in the world until I discovered a few free resources that meant I could do it all myself. None…

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How to come up with a book idea.

Ronovan Writing , , , , ,

Whether you are in NaNoWriMo, just starting thinking about writing, or wondered how authors came up with their ideas, here are a few ways we do it. My article on LitWorldInterviews.

Ronovan's avatarLit World Interviews

You have a goal to write a novel. Perhaps you want to do so in one month’s time. You are pumped and ready to go. You sit down at your keyboard and

You got it, nothing happens. Blank. Headache. Pit level feeling of nausea. Despair.

I know of what I speak. I think I just proved that. What do do about it.

How to come up with a book idea.

Thousands of books are unleashed upon the world every day. Therefore there must be thousands of ideas floating around out there somewhere. But you want yours to be original and not a copy of someone else. I get that, I really do. I actually avoid reading at times because I want my story to be my story.

How do I come up with ideas?

I’ve written perhaps . . . well we’ll say in the double digit numbers of books…

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My Sunday Thought: For Others

Ronovan Thoughts, Writing , , , , ,

Philippians is one of my favorite writings of the Bible. I know many refer to them as books of the Bible, but they were letters and essays when first written and only became ‘books’ after being bound together in a book called the Bible.

No, I am not going to make a big deal about semantics today, it’s just one of my little quirks. That and the numbered verses and the chapter divisions. I really just enjoy the words in the original flow, without man’s interruptions. Man can mess up some beautiful things, you know?

But Philippians has some of my favorite sentences in it. One of them is one of the first I ever referred to as a life ‘verse’.

Philippians 1:19

“Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”

Whatever is happening to me, I count as something I can use to make me stronger in my relationship with God and make me a better person overall moving forward each day. It might be a good fortune or a day of body ravaging pain but through each I move forward with the one constant in my life. And I use all for my betterment.

But that sentence is not what was  given today for me to think about and ponder upon. No, I was given instead;

Philippians 2:3

“1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

I found the sentence today interesting. I’m not overly sure why. Okay, perhaps I do know why.

Think about it like this. Say you go on vacation and you have to leave your house and expensive things behind but you are the only one you can count on, the only one you can trust. Would you actually be able to relax on vacation or even take that vacation?

Now think about if your neighbors cared about you, watched out for you and each other, each others property and safety. Would you be able to go on vacation and relax?

Yes, I know what most people think of when they read the verse. We are supposed to put other people before us as Christ put others before himself. But there are many benefits even before we get to heaven we can receive if we all just did as this verse said.

I like to think I consider others before I do myself at times. No, I am sure I don’t all the time. Just wanted to say that before anyone decided to think I was being all braggadocious or something. I know I care about my blogs and my writing and the happiness of those of you reading what I write. But I do sometimes put things on delay to help here and there. Why do I do that?

I do some things around Blog World that people would ask to be paid for. You know what? I enjoy doing the things I do. I rarely, if ever have said no to helping someone. Why? In all honesty, I’ve never thought to say no. Maybe afterwards or in the middle of something that is taxing during a fibro flare, I might get that “I so regret saying yes” feeling, but the person’s happiness makes it better.

Don’t do things for others for recognition. I haven’t told you what I’ve done or for whom. Anything I’ve ever written with someone I’ve not wanted my name there but it’s been pretty much insisted upon at times. I like just helping and seeing the person get good results . . . if they do. Most of the time I really don’t do that much except just spark an idea.

Anyway. Help others. Put others needs before your own. It sounds like a big thing but it isn’t always. If you’re a boss, stand up for your employees. I did that when I was a boss. I ended up being stabbed in the back by one of those I stood up for time and again, but here I am . . . doing what I love most, writing. All works out for my deliverance.

Until Next Thoughtday,

Ronovan

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#NaNoWriMo Day 1: My #Writing #Tips for Today. “Stop with an idea.”

Ronovan Writing , , , , , , ,

Yes, it’s NaNoWriMo time. So what am I doing instead of working feverishly away at a novel? Why I am here with a tip about writing away feverishly at a novel.

I had fun announcing my entry into NaNoWriMo. I like to play around with the fear factor. Yes, I am a little nervous, never having participated before, but I’m okay. I got the know how and stuff and great people to help along the way. It’s just getting used to the what to do on the site I have to deal with. But that doesn’t mean I am not going to help any of you that want to write, NaNo or not.

So here are my writing tips for today.

Stop With an Idea.

I wrote about this quite some time ago in an article about how to avoid writer’s block. I thought it would be a good idea to rehash it now.

One quick and simple tip, okay two.

Don’t stop writing at the end of a chapter

When you stop at the end, it’s kind of the end. Yes you have a cliffhanger, most likely, but then you stop, your energy is spent. You walk away from it, don’t do that!

That leads to tip two.

Leave yourself with an idea for tomorrow

Don’t write until you are out of ideas for the day. Stop short. You have a great scene you are doing, perhaps you are coming up on the cliff hanger ending to a chapter. Stop. When you come back the next time you have that cliffhanger to write and then you have the energy to write on through the beginning of the next and then however long you feel like it.  Just always stop with an idea in your head. Don’t walk away empty headed. Always have an idea to come back to and an idea to play around in your head while you are away.

 

NaNo NaNo

Ronovan

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Jen’s Top 10 NaNoWriMo Tips

Ronovan Writing

Yeah, how convenient. Jenna with tips for NaNoWriMo. And not participating just because she is editing her book that’s been optioned as a film. oooo muahahahaha Okay. The woman knows of what she speaks. Check. It. Out.

jenspenden's avatarJen's Pen Den

Lately, a lot of people have been asking me if I’m participating in NaNoWriMo this year. The answer, unfortunately, is no. Since I’m in the middle of editing my current WIP, I don’t have the time to join in. However, I wanted to offer up some advice to those of you who have accepted the daunting task of writing 50K words in one month.

Jen’s Top 10 NaNoWriMo Tips

1. Decide why you are participating

“I signed up just because.”

No, no, no! Don’t say this when people ask you why you’re doing NaNoWriMo. Give yourself a valid, reliable, motivating reason to participate:

“I’ve been slacking lately and need a kick in the butt.”

“I have a great idea for a novel.”

“People say NaNo’s impossible. I’m gonna prove them wrong!”

Whatever your personal motive, make sure you have one. Don’t sign up for NaNoWriMo just to sign up. If you do, I can almost guarantee…

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