April 19, 2024

Traci Kenworth/Dowe Newsletter

April 19, 2024

By Traci Kenworth/Dowe

Hello and welcome to my first newsletter! I had planned to get this out earlier but things kept getting in the way. Mainly, a new home, health problems, and a car accident. The good news is that I LOVE the new home, my health is getting much better (I’ve lost 38 lbs.), and although my car was totaled in the accident, I wasn’t hurt too bad. The doctor said I have a slight concussion and I bruised myself in places such as the top of my right foot. Luckily, the airbag deployed. And, yes, I was the driver. No one else was in the vehicle with me thankfully. The other driver was okay too. At least, as far as I know. The insurance took over everything.

Anyway, let me introduce myself if you don’t know me or about me. I am Traci Kenworth/Dowe and I also write romances under Loleta Abi. The Traci Kenworth is for short stories and blog purposes while Traci Dowe will be my YA penname. I have been taking Apex classes with such wonderful teachers as Dave Farland (Yes, I know he’s deceased but he has recorded podcasts and the site was his brainstorm), September Fawkes (who was Dave’s personal assistant), and Forrest Wolverton (Dave’s son and professional motivator, also Dave wrote under Dave Wolverton in the Star Wars universe). His other son, Ben Wolverton, is the site handler now. All have been absolutely wonderful to listen to and learn from them.

I recently attended classes with Gary Goldstein, the Hollywood producer, and Lisa Kastner, from Wild Productions (I think I have the right, sorry if I missed the correct name.). They were both encouraging and inspiring. Most of the teachers I’ve had in the past haven’t been as such so I am incredibly happy. As I wrote on my blog recently, I thought I’d learned everything on writing with my own research on the subject but not even close, lol. They prepare you for the writing world because they’ve all been in the writing world for a long time.

Brandon Sanderson, James Dashner, Stephanie Meyer, and more have been taught through Apex and Dave Farland. They are podcasts with them as well. You learn their secrets, how they pull off the bestsellers that they do. And there are more teachers every day. Roz Morris, for instance, was on last night (though, unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to attend). She is a ghostwriter and an author in her own right and has been around the blog universe for a while with her podcasts.

Angela Ackermann has been on Apex with a class. The list goes on and on. Anyway, I just wanted to relate some of my training at Apex. I have been writing since I was old enough to pick up a pencil, though I preferred the pen, lol. I just haven’t gone anywhere in the writing world because my fears held me back. With an abusive marriage behind me, I didn’t want to run into that scenario again so that’s why I use pennames. Traci is my first name and parts of the other names have been part of my past.

Right now, I am working on two YA stories. One is a YA Fantasy with horror elements and the other is a YA horror. I also have a historical romance on the back burner on the Loleta Abi side. There is another YA Fantasy, but I think I’m going to set it aside for now. It is first drafted. It is about giants of old and humans. The YA I’m working on now is about a world in chaos due to a religious cult and those that rise to fight it. The YA horror is about a group of students brought together for whom evil comes calling.

 I plan to publish my YA through traditional means while the romances are going to be Indie. In any case, I feel ready to take on my future: to be the author I always wanted to be. I want a career not just one book. I want bestsellers. That will all happen in time, I just have to keep after it. Thank you for reading this. For sticking with me through everything. I am excited and pleased at where my journey will lead me. Have a great weekend, take care, and God bless!

Here are some links around the web to enjoy:

1. SFF Women Writers: Women in SF&F Month 2024: April 15–19 Schedule & Week in Review | Fantasy Cafe (fantasybookcafe.com) Week three of the thirteenth annual Women in SF&F Month starts tomorrow. Thank you so much to all of last week’s guests for another wonderful week of essays!

There will be new guest posts on Monday and Wednesday of this week and a book giveaway on Friday. But first, before announcing the schedule, here are last week’s pieces in case you missed any of them.

All of the guest posts from April 2024 can be found here, and last week’s guest posts were:

• “Using Fiction to Empower Girls in STEM” — Amber Chen (Of Jade and Dragons, “Hugging the Buddha’s Feet“) discussed fictional representation of girls and women in STEM, incorporating this into her upcoming young adult fantasy novel, and a few other books with girls in STEM and/or girls wreaking havoc in male-dominated worlds.
• “Fantasy Safe Spaces: Facing the Specters of the Past Now They’ve Come Back to Haunt Us” — Gabriella Buba (Saints of Storm and Sorrow, “Dying Rivers and Broken Hearts“) shared about using fantasy fiction to dig into troubling topics and grappling with things that grieve her, including colonialism and the loss of women’s rights, in her upcoming debut novel.
• “Female mentors in fantasy” — Genoveva Dimova (Foul Days, Monstrous Nights) wrote about being drawn to older women in mentorship roles, writing one in her upcoming duology, and older female representation in media

I love SFF Women writers! They always highlight some fantasy or science fiction I haven’t heard of and thus a new fan is born!

.

• Nail Your Novel: Can SEO writing ruin your prose style? And why Bill Bryson can call a book Wubberhumptimuph and you can’t – Nail Your Novel (wordpress.com) This question has been bouncing in my brain ever since the digital revolution began and especially after working for various publishers that asked me to help them with social

Roz was on Apex a couple Saturdays ago and I had to miss it because I’d been in a car accident. She knows her stuff, having written ghostwriting for years with her clients.

• Janice Hardy: Fiction University: 5 Common Problems With Beginnings (janicehardy.com) If your beginning isn’t working, no one will get to the ending.

A novel’s beginning is under a lot of pressure. It has to introduce the protagonist and characters, setup the world and story, and get the plot moving, all while hooking our readers and making them want to turn the page. 

With all that setup and introduction, it’s no wonder a first draft often has the wrong opening scene, or takes too much time to get going.

Beginnings often are the hardest to write but once you get going and like Janice said, fit it with your end like a bookend, you can do amazing things. Recommend you try more than a few at first.

4.Steve Laube Agency: Before Pressing SEND – (stevelaube.com)  I love seeing work from talented authors. Reading a marketable proposal from a hardworking author interested in a long-term career makes me take notice.

Are you this author?

If so, what I’d like to help you do today is to keep you from being rejected because of a misstep that’s easy to avoid.

• Life in the Realm of Fantasy:   Self-editing part 2: rare beasts – ellipsis, em dash, hyphen, and ?! #Writing | Life in the Realm of Fantasy (conniejjasperson.com) Last week, we talked about how punctuation is the traffic signal that keeps our words flowing smoothly.

Ellipses, em dashes, hyphens, and semicolons are rare beasts in the punctuation realm. Authors who rely on spellcheck may be getting the wrong advice when it comes to the use of rare punctuation.

• Syl’s 65: #ThursdayThoughts – Leo Buscaglia – Syl65’s Blog (wordpress.com)

I spent too many years trying to be what others though I should be. It wasn’t till I became me, that I was truly happy.

• Robbie’s Inspiration: Treasuring Poetry – Meet prolific poet, Ivor Steven, and a review #poetry #poetrycommunity #TreasuringPoetry – Robbie’s inspiration (wordpress.com) My April Treasuring Poetry guest is prolific poet, Ivor Steven. Ivor has shared his thoughts about poetry and his favourite poem. Thanks for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Robbie always has impressive guests on her blog as well as being a wonderful poet herself!

• Annette Rochelle Aben: Thankful Thursday Apr 18 2024 | Annette Rochelle Aben (wordpress.com)

This lady gave me my first interview when I was starting out. I won’t ever forget that she did that for me! She’s a wonderful person!

• Smorgasbord Magazine: Smorgasbord Health Column 2024 – This Year’s Focus – Cardiovascular Disease – The Circulatory System – Part Two – Common problems with blooThe primary cause of death of men and women globally is cardiovascular disease, with heart attacks, coronary heart disease and strokes resulting in deaths in not just the elderly but increasing numbers under 75 years old and particularly in the 45 – 60 years age bracket.

You can read the previous post in the series: How does Blood circulate by Sally Cronin

d-vessels by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine (wordpress.com)

Another host who has been incredibly wonderful to me and many other authors! Sally is an author herself and I love the garden series she does!

1. Books and Such: The Seas of Time (Harbor Pointe #4) by D. Wallace Peach and The Edge of Too Late (Harbor Pointe #5) by Jan Sikes #fantasy #timetravel #romanticsuspense #supernatural – Books and Such (teripolen.com) In 1858, a ship carrying ice from Alaska wrecked off the coast of California, and little does Taliah Keldan realize how that tragedy will impact her life in 1972.

When Tali decides to quit college and become a civil rights activist, her disappointed parents encourage her to think it over. What better spot for contemplation than at her aunt and uncle’s Harbor Pointe Inn, a charming seaside getaway with its own lighthouse? The place is under renovation and empty of guests. All she’ll have to deal with is the construction crew.

But the inn is far from peaceful. Tali discovers an old Bible hidden in the lighthouse keeper’s cottage. Strange prayers angle down the margins, all but one ruined by the sea. When she deciphers the crude writing, a dark portal gapes open to a pre-civil war night when an escaped slave in a foundering ship prayed to his voodoo God. A winged creature emerges from the watery void, and her stay transforms into a nightmare.

Teri always brings to light some great books, including her own!

1. History Facts: 7 Ways the Year 1968 Changed America — History Facts  It’s been referred to as the year that changed America: In 1968, the United States experienced an unprecedented upheaval of long-held values and practices that left an indelible — and still reverberating — mark on the country. Facing the assassinations of beloved leaders, protests against the Vietnam War and racial inequality, and a major shift in media and pop culture, the nation was forced to confront some of its most deeply rooted issues, and evolve in the process. While the year was marked by tragedy and division, it also led to significant progress in civil rights and political activism, inspiring a generation of Americans to fight for equality and justice, and in turn, reshape the country’s social landscape. Here are seven events from 1968 that changed America.

The year I was born!

1. Rosie Amber:  📚🎧For Fans Of Anne Boleyn. Fiona’s Audio Review Of La Petite Boulain by @TudorTweep @AudioSorceress for Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT | Rosie Amber (wordpress.com) I enjoyed Gemma Lawrence’s take on Elizabeth the First, so was very pleased that she has turned to Anne Boleyn. Anne is a tricky subject for writers – she still arouses strong feelings, and film and television exacerbates this. How does one approach a much-covered subject? 

In this brilliantly read audio version, we are taken through Anne’s early years with expertise. Gemma Lawrence doesn’t just know her subject she is passionate about it, and in this first person narrative, Anne comes across as so charming, clever and carefree. It is all the more heartbreaking as we know what will happen to this sympathetic young girl. Lawrence does not sugar-coat anything though. Anne describes a happy childhood with warmth and humour, and there is no doubt that she is much-loved, but she has no illusions about her ambitious father, for example. The characters and customs of the Tudor Court are expertly filleted by this very clear-seeing Anne. 

1. Chris the Story Reading Ape: Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog | READER – WRITER – CURATED RESOURCES – & MORE (thestoryreadingapeblog.com)

Chris has a variety of posts by others on his site. He is always good for news and lessons writers appreciate!

1. Beth Reavis: A Beautiful Surprise + FOUR books on a HUGE sale! (substack.com)

Four new books! What’s not to love?

1. Susan Dennard: Open Thread: Which clan would you be in from the Luminaries? (substack.com)

Susan has been very helpful as an author with experience in the YA world. She always has wonderful posts to help other authors.

1. Fantasy Café: Women in SF&F Month: Laura R. Samotin | Fantasy Cafe (fantasybookcafe.com)

Writers in the Storm: The Torment and Bliss of the Crappy First Draft (writersinthestormblog.com)

You sit down to write but no words come. Or you grind out a few dozen or hundreds of words, then delete them all because the structure wasn’t there or the characters weren’t right or the sentences were crap. You bemoan the fact that writing is hard and you think maybe this writing gig isn’t for you. If this describes you, don’t despair. You aren’t the first writer who has struggled with getting words on the page. And you won’t be the last one. Nor will this week, month, or year be the last time you experience this struggle. 

Why does it have to be so hard? There’s a lot to learn about developing story ideas, about writing effective sentences, about the craft of story, about what works best for you, and many more big and small pieces of the process. You could be in a state of word-paralysis because you fear you don’t know enough. Or you agonize over not having enough talent, or about snaring this  or that agent or publisher. Maybe as you write, your internal editor is telling you that what you’ve written will get you a scathing review on Amazon. Take a deep breath.

Writing is hard but it shouldn’t always be hard. Yeah, a crappy first (second, third, whatever) draft can be torment, but allow the bliss to happen, too.

Oh, I have been here! The self-doubt is a killer. The search for perfectionism. It just doesn’t exist. It’s never going to be perfect but it can be as amazing as you let. Get out of your own way and write!

1.  D.gKayeWriter: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – New Series – Life Lessons 101 – #Kindness by D. G. Kaye | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – DGKayewriter.com Welcome to my new series at the Smorgasbord – Life Lessons 101. In this series I’m going to talk about incidence and things in life that are important. Today the topic is kindness. We hear the word get passed around a lot in various themes and context, but it bears talking about because a little kindness can go a long way.

Kindness is something we need to practice to one another. It takes no more time than a smile or hug, a nice greeting. Wishing someone a good day, raining blessings upon them. I’ve had my mood lifted by strangers and done the same for them. How much more should we do for those loved ones closest to us? They don’t always put a need out there. Go out of your way to make them feel important to you. It’s how we win the battle against the violence and terror in the world.

1. John Howell: Tuesday – Anything possible – Kreativ Kue #428 by Keith Channing | Fiction Favorites (johnwhowell.com) “Using this image (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before the end of the week. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”

John is brilliant with the imaginative way he looks at these stories! I just love them!

1. Story Empire: Writer’s Self-care -Pursuit of Hobbies | Story Empire Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today continuing my series on Writer’s Self Care. If you missed the first posts, they are:
2. Taking Time Off
3. Friends and Family

Today, we’re going to talk about hobbies. For some, writing is a hobby. I think you’ll all agree that we writers “must” write. Something within compels us to put words on paper (or computer). It may be a journal, short stories, family memories, non-fiction, or a full-length novel. But we have to write.

• Entertaining Stories: New words and Asian pears | Entertaining Stories (wordpress.com) My pear is in full bloom. The whole thing is quite pretty right now. I got a couple of good snaps, but the honeybee pushed one over the top as new wallpaper. Not gonna lie, I had a hard time giving up those maple leaves, but it’s time.

Another great blogger who helps as many writers as possible. He always there to lend an ear or spark an idea.

What I’m listening to: FF VII through FF X. I love the music from these and they inspire me as I write. I just search them up on Spotify and let the soundtracks play. They are great for fantasy and I suppose science fiction stories, perhaps. It’s like building your world around you as you go.

What I’m reading: Misplaced my Kindle but I’m still reading Phillip Pullman’s The Book of Dust. I’m nearing the end and it’s said because I know from His Dark Materials series what happens to the protagonist. But I’m hoping there’s a happy for now ending.

Family news: It’s been a rough month or so. First, I got a NASH diagnosis (non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver). I had a car accident and totaled my car. My son bought another vehicle and let me take over the payments for his 2020 Chevrolet Equinox which was one of the first cars I wanted way back. Doctor says my heart is good but my stress levels are off-the-charts. No kidding. My aunt died last weekend. She was kind and inspirational to me after my abusive marriage ended and gave me the strength to fight for custody of my children and I won. That small battle led to many more wins and brought me back to myself. My son got a new Chevy Trailblazer with all the decked-out features. Life is funny how it works sometimes. We can only meet it head-on and never give up. Have a great week, take care, and God bless!