Tag Archives: fiction

Facing the Challenges

I started writing this blog to document and share my experiences with writing/publishing.  So, I thought I’d take a minute or two to hash out some of the challenges I’m dealing with at this stage…

One of the most difficult and challenging parts of writing fiction is coming up with the names for my characters. I want the names to be appropriate to the character. The name has to fit. If  I have the wrong name, it doesn’t work well. Sometimes it is very difficult. Sometimes it comes easy. It is also a lot of fun. It is part of creating that character. What is that person like? What are their idiosyncracies? What makes that person who that person is? There are times when that is really hard, especially when that person is an alien or is alien like. It is also difficult when you try to name someone within a historic context. If this character comes from ancient Ireland, they can’t be named Fred, right?!

The other big challenge hitting me right now is getting stuck on little things. I keep getting stopped flat by small things that might not even matter, but I get so hung up on them, that I can’t move forward.  This is what I was stuck on this week:

*A different word for canteen.
*Where did I put my notes on a different story entirely than the one I’m trying to work on.
*I needed to buy a new cushion for my chair in my office where I write

Seems like small things, but I’ve wasted a long of time on these things! Gave up on the thesaurus problem, finally found my notes, and bought a seat cushion (on sale at Kohls!) So, now I’m ready to write… what am I working on today?

I need to do some yoga and focus!!

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Look What’s New

Hi all… I posted the prologue for my new novel, Desolute Incubus, on my website…

http://sjordanasble.com/Page_2.html

Please check it out and comment… is this something you want to keep reading? Want to know what happens to Matthew?

The novel is about Vampires. The prologue is probably the only PG rated portion of the book, but the intent is to introduce the hero.

If you purchased my ebook of short stories, you may have seen an introduction to this novel.

It is coming along… hope you will like the prologue. Please let me know what you think…

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It is coming… it is coming…

Really…. I’m doing the final edits for “Second Place” right now. This is the short about the hover craft racer. The rough draft is finally finished and it is in the final edit stages. So, that means I will be ready to publish very soon. This will be free to everyone on my website, so I hope everyone is excited. I know I am.

Peace, love, and hover-crafts!!! It’s coming!!!

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Getting it moving

I’m so, so close to finishing Second Place, the story I’ve been blogging about (for how long now?) So, I really, really want to get it going. So, why am I blogging instead? I can’t seem to push myself to it. I’m… uninspired?!!?

It is worse than writer’s block. It isn’t that I can’t think of what to write. I KNOW exactly what I need to write. Geddy has been screaming in my head all week on what I need to write. (Yes, I’m nuts.) I just can’t make myself sit down and get to it.  My brain wants to go in every OTHER direction. Like, watching Ultimate Bear on Animal Planet, playing with Little Dog (newest addition to the family, more on him later), laying on my bed ogling all the books on my shelf (95% I have already read), and browsing the Kindle Store on Amazon (downloaded 3 free samples).

See? I feel like I have ADD.  I need to remove the distractions and get down to business. My daughter will be here in about half an hour. I’ve had all day, and now I’m out of time. So, another day wasted. 

Maybe I’m justing putting too much pressure on myself, and I’m finally cracking?!  I was hoping that getting all of this out will help me focus.  No? Maybe? I don’t know, but I guess it made a decent blog!  I hope my angst is entertaining to some.  If anyone out there has any suggestions on how to help… post it please! Really – please!

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Another sneak peek?!

Here’s another clip from “Stories to Fight Demons by” now available on B&N and Amazon.  This is from the second story “Rubicon” that I named my blog from! Enjoy!

“Sangchai’s motorcycle flew down the remains of an old paved Highway. The Astrograph meter in his System Interface/Protective Eyewear, that he called SIPE, displayed a red arrow pointing south. He slowed the bike to a stop and looked directly at the speck of red light in the bottom right side of his SIPE. Again, it demanded that he head south. The desert stretched as far as he could see, even with his SIPE on 2,000 magnify. Sagebrush, dry grass, different cactus strains, and the queer looking Joshua trees scantily covered the rubble and sand. Everything a dull green, brown and gray blended into the horizon of soft pink sky.

Sangchai did not want to drive across the harsh terrain. The Astrograph’s signal intensified and urged him to move. The tracker implanted in the palm of his right hand itched. He refused to acknowledge it and revved the throttle instead.”

He spotted a tiny path as he jerked his bike around. It slithered through the brush like a tiny garden snake and wound across the desert, slowly circling around cactus and Joshua trees as it crept wider in some places and almost non-existent in others. “I guess that’s where I’m going.” Only a tiny green lizard heard him and dashed out of his way as he picked up his feet and started toward the trail. He leaned forward on his bike as he gassed it, swerving past the bigger bushes that lined the decrepit highway. The Astrograph needle continued to flash steadily, assuring him that he found the correct path. It continued to guide him across the desert floor toward a small mountain chain barely peeking over the horizon.

The road twisted and turned and eventually began to climb toward the side of the mountain. He weaved his bike in and out along the path, avoiding as many rocks as possible. He lost his back tire to skids in the loose sand occasionally, but generally he made decent time, as he gained altitude within the mountain range.

He resented the flashing Astrograph telling him where to go. Smashing the damned SIPE would bring him great pleasure. Even as he thought about it, the tracker in his hand began to itch. Sangchai cursed under his breath and brought his thoughts back on track. His ability to concentrate kept him on task and had kept him alive for too long to give up or give in. He took a deep breath and focused to heighten his senses.”

If you want more… Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=sherri+jordan-asble&x=14&y=15

OR B&N link if you nook:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Stories-to-Fight-Demons-By/Sherri-Jordan-Asble/e/2940012183842/?itm=1&USRI=stories+to+fight+demons+by

also.. I learned today (yes, I’m slow on technology) that Nook has a free download to put Nook on your smart phones!!  (Thanks Sheila!!)

If you buy my e-book and like it, feel free to post comments and ratings on either site!! Thank you again for your support!

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Stories to Fight Demons by…

The e-book has been sent to the distributors.  It will be available later this week at Borders.com and then a few days later from amazon, and others… 

Take a sneak peek into the first story, “Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew”

“Seth strolled past the entrance to the nightclub. He told himself that he did not feel like going in anyway. The place tended to overdo the lights and the crazy mood. It attracted a younger crowd than he didn’t care to be around. He stopped at the corner and leaned against the pink stucco wall that created a false tropical facade. Still feeling the music pumping, he inhaled deeply, enjoying the warm breeze of the summer night. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and looked down the street, trying to appear casual. Palm trees swayed as the soft wind continued down the alley. Seth watched the shimmer of heat coming up from the sidewalk. Out of the mist a beautiful girl in a tight red mini-skirt and three inch heels came striding toward him. Her lips were painted the same red as her skirt, and her hair hung thick and black over her shoulders accentuating the pristine, white lace of her ever-so-low cut blouse. As the woman walked closer, Seth could see blue eyes set in her pale, milky face. She mesmerized him with her strangeness. Seth watched as she passed, and she winked at him. She wore an odd fragrance that tickled his nose, and he could not quite place it, fruity and musky but still a clean scent. She continued on into the nightclub, never breaking her stride. Her perfume lingered too long after her, and Seth thought her lipstick was too red, making her look a little clownish against her pale skin and dark hair. He knew he could not have imagined the woman. He would have conjured up someone with a little more subtlety, though just as sexy. In the two seconds she had been in front of him, she managed to both interest and annoy him. He contemplated going after her, but there was no point. Women like that were not interested in men like Seth. Cold, hard fact. Maybe in a few years, after college, after his career got into full swing, and he had money in his pocket to spend freely, and a sports car to impress a lady, but not now. He did not think he had enough cash in his pocket to pay the cover, let alone buy a lady a drink. Cold, hard fact.”

Find out what happens to Seth and more…   coming later this week!

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AAAHHH!! What have I done??

I have destroyed my story. Sometimes we try things that are different thinking, “Oh, that will be so cool.” Then, it turns out that it isn’t so cool.

I tried to write my story, Second Place, in first person and in present tense. It did not go so well. Maybe I just don’t have the discipline. I kept slipping back into normal third person, past tense. Now I have a story that is all over the place in perspective and tense. Maybe I should pick one thing to try at a time.  I think I over estimated and did too much.

This means edit, edit, edit, edit… OMG… but I really dig where the story is going. So, this means that I have to work on it a little more…

The trials and tribulations of the birth of a story…

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Second Place

Working hard on my story about the Hover Craft racer. The title is “Second Place.” I’ve got a great start on it. I have some complex themes that I’m trying to weave into the story, such as learning to live with unfilfilled expectations after you’ve done your best. That’s a hard one for me personally, so that is what pops up in my stories.

When I have it finished I will post it to my website and let everyone know to go check it out. It probably won’t be until next week because I’m going to the Sci-fi convention (www.vulcanevents.com)  this weekend here in Tampa, so I won’t have a lot of time to work on it. AND (even better) I want to see what I learn at some of the writing workshops at the Con and see if I can apply that to this story.

I will keep you posted!

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