On preferences, or how we all like different things—thank goodness

 Life would be pretty boring and predictable if we all liked exactly the same things, albeit maybe a little easier at times.

Not so much thinking about, now will (insert person of your choice) like (insert whatever you want)?

Take musicals for instance. Last night I watched a TV show about stage musicals. Although I don't get to the theatre very often, if I did nine times out of ten, I'd choose a musical. Now i'm not to up to date with any new ones, but I can sing along with the best from Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Dirty Dancing, Grease, Joseph, Evita, Phantom etc. (Showing my age here) Even a fair few from when I was a child and went to see the local very good SALADS a Corby amateur dramatic group. My mum didn't have to drag me to see their productions.

My lovely husband though is not at all interested. In musicals or to a lesser extent, live theatre. He loves the cinema.

I don't. It's dark, the dialogue and music always too loud for me and, shh *peers around to see who is listening* I get bored. I even went to an open air cinema once and took a book!

If I watch films I tend to do it at home, or on a plane where I can go and get a drink, or a snack, or even give up half way.

I don't like watching or reading anything scary or remotely nasty. I couldn't write it. Sci Fi and Horror? No thank you. Scandi Noir? Not my cup of tea. Crime? Some I love, but, yes you've got it, not too dark or nasty. 

Romance... now that's a different story. you can't beat a good romance.

Give me a cuppa and a good book in a genre I like and I'm a happy bunny. I can read anywhere, and be totally immersed in the story. I've made my own stories up for years. The tale of Rumple Rabbit anyone?

This got me pondering. Over how we don't like the same things and (sometimes) agree to differ. How we cope.

If you think about it, one of the joys of writing is that people love so many different things. Somewhere, there's a genre for everyone to enjoy. It also means that we can and should support each other. Accept that because I don't like a, or b, someone else will.

And that some people will dislike what or how I write and gave a book a 1* review, and the next person a 5*.

Different things for different people.

Life would be awfully boring without our individuality.

On that note, a shameless plug for my book, The Catch Up

Book 2 in Happy Ever After at Romansa Castle series

Out on Tuesday 28th... from Totally Bound

It would love to be loved... and you can preorder it... (shamelessly begging here)

https://www.totallybound.com/book/the-catch-up

https://amzn.to/40jjfrc (UK)

https://cutt.ly/63oiV59 (.com)

Anyway, wherever you are, whatever you read,

enjoy it,

love Raven xxx

Thoughts on sun, snow and other bits and bobs

I'm no lover of snow. 

Actually, that's not quite correct. I don't mind looking at it if I'm warm and snug indoors and I have no need to go out in it. 

Otherwise, no thank you. I'd be happy not to have to cope with ice and slush as the snow melts as well. Ideally, it could snow one day, when I could admire it from inside, and then melt overnight while I was asleep.

 As that isn't likely to happen, I'll go for sun and warmth anytime.

Which I try to aim for as often as possible.

When my lovely husband retired we decided we would travel whilst we were still fit and able (and could afford it). We both knew the time would come when we either couldn't or didn't want to fly, go on a boat, through the channel tunnel or drive too far.  

When we'd be content to stay at home and visit the local seaside or town. Take our walks locally. Which we do enjoy as well. Plus we are both conscious of emissions and global warning.

However, we've enjoyed visiting other places over the years. Some a return visit, some for the first time. 

And we do know how lucky we are.

We also seem to have done quite well in missing some of the rotten winter weather in the UK over the years. As far as I'm concerned, long may it stay that way.

In case anyone wonders, I take my laptop everywhere. (not into the loo or the bath, but on my travels.) I've sat on  a pile of towels on more bathroom floors than I care to remember, typing away while The Lovely Husband (TLH) slept. I've typed on planes, boats and trains. In gardens and wherever I can.  

(source pinterest)

On one plane trip, I went to get a drink and when I got back to my seat, there was someone reading what I'd just written. I said excuse me, he thought I wanted to get past. I indicated it was my seat. He went away. I enjoyed my fizz.

A while later one of the cabin crew told me the guy wanted to know what happened next! I gave her a business card with my website on it, said when the book would be out.

Six months later I got a message. 

He enjoyed the story!

And now on that note, back to the current WIP,

Happy reading,

love Raven xx

 

What's in a name?

It all depends I reckon.

On what I'm writing, how I feel and how the name fits.

Not that long ago I started a new story, and decided my heroine was called Hester. I have no idea why I just thought, oh yes, that's nice.

5K later I realised that Hester just didn't fit her. I couldn't write that story with a Hester in it. She wasn't a Hester. An Annabel or a Susie? Hmm, nope. In the end I shelved it, put it in my to be continued file and wondered just what went wrong.

(Source: pinterest)

Sometimes it's painfully obvious that a name can't work. For instance the name Wendy didn't exist in Regency times. There's nothing more likely to pull me out of a story that something  that is obviously not correct for the era the story is written in. I once ready a Regency story with names that were so unlikely I lost all interest in it. (Ditto if phrases were used that in effect didn't exist—but that's for another blog)

Horatio or Gertrude aren't that popular in this era. Last years top ten name might well be next years bottom thirty. Who knows? Names go in and out of fashion just like clothes and genres. How many of us remember, (or have a name) that several of our classmates had? 

That apart, sometimes I really want to use a name and then realise another character in the book had a name that is very similar, or starts with the same letter and it would make things confusing. 

In my current WIP my heroine is called Lois. A secondary character was screaming at me to be called Lola. Nope, sadly it wasn't on. I knew I'd end up getting confused and might even write the wrong name somewhere. She's now Zola, and it suits her, but...is it too similar?

We will see.

Meanwhile on with my current book,

happy reading,

love Raven xx

When you stall at the 45K mark

I don't mean running (heaven help me), walking or driving a car. I mean in the middle of the current WIP.

Just like I'm doing at the moment

My muse has gone awol...

I wish I knew why, and really wish the darned thing would hurry back and get moving—or should that be musing? I've reread what I've written, think it works ( but who can tell) and know the end. Sort of. But the next 30-ish K? 

*Cue hysterical laughter*

The one good ( bad?) thing about it, is I know I'm not alone in this phenomenon, it appears a lot of writers hit it somewhere. When we'd all prefer to be doing this...

or this

but instead we need to do this

I've given myself a stern talking to and decided not to worry too much. Okay, I might need to go cap in hand to my publisher and ask for a couple of weeks grace before I hand my WIP over. I'll be pushed to reach the end by te date I thought I would. But, the more I worry the less gets written. So i'm off for a walk, a coffee and a chat. And if I want to, read a book by someone else in a totally different genre.

Chill... (probably in more ways than one at the moment)

Think about something else. ( the next book more than likely)

Make notes.

Even write the ending as I think it should be. Then fill in the bits before it.

But try not to fret.

Wish me luck,

Happy Reading,

love Raven xx

All pictures/photos, sourced via pinterest