Favorites List # 1

All of us have a drool um.... I mean, favorites list of actors that we love to  stare at.  Oops, I meant stalk online.   I mean watch their movies! Yeah, that's it....
So, anyway, I am picking just one of my favorites today. It's gonna be a Matthew McConaughy Day!!
 You have to love him in  "Sahara".  Who doesn't love sandy beaches, desert palms and this?

Or better yet, who couldn't love a man with his dog? Honestly? How cute is this one?

So this is my thought for today... Never forget to enjoy the... um... sexy things in your life. Or your computer. lol

Do You... Or Don't You? Outline, that is!

Okay, I freely admit it to the world. I am a list-maker. I honestly don't think I could live without my lists, in fact.  A list for groceries.  A list of what to plant in our garden.  A list of what I want my sweet hubby to do (fixing things). And yes... I even will ( on occasion only, mind you) write a list of the lists I need to make!  (Sweet hubby threatens to hide them sometimes, lol)

I know, that's just too much at times, but what about in writing?  Whether it is for blogging or for a manuscript, do you keep lists of what you want? The official word scares some people.

Outline.

Yeah, I said it. Outline.  Do you write an outline for your work or do you just go with the flow? Me? I'm pretty sure you've already guessed my answer. I have to have an outline. In fact, I use notecards to write down special scenes to go along WITH my outline.  And usually? I tend to write my ending first. lol I like knowing the end result and making my words get to that point.  It helps me focus so much more.  Then again, I tend to be very ummm... what are the words? Oh yeah... easily distracted.

So, do you or don't you? If you do outline, do you set it up based on chapters or points of interest only? What do you use to keep yourself from being distracted?  Let me know!

Looking For The Right Cover Page

Cover Art is a PAIN.

Really, it is. I think most Indie writers will tell you that is one of the toughest things we have to do. We don't have a publishing house to help us with all the little details. We don't have a department in our back pockets to do all the work. Nope, we have to think long and hard about how we want the look of our babies to be portrayed.

Does it have the "feel" of our book?
Does it tell part of the story to grab the reader's attention?
Do the models actually FIT the descriptions in our book? ( OMG, that is such a pet peeve of mine!)
Who does the work you need? There are plenty of places online that offer this service... with a nice price tag to boot. Granted, they do GREAT work and deserve to be paid, but, what about all of us little people who are just starting out? We don't have the funds to put into that. All of our money is going into editing and copy rights.

A wonderful place to check out artists is your local college. Almost all colleges now will offer a computer graphics course. The students there can give you absolutely GREAT work with a much cheaper bill. Especially if you make sure to put their names in the copyright for their work. Their name is put out there, showing off what they can do. That is a plus for them since they can put YOU on their resume once they graduate. That's not a little thing to them, especially if you keep them on retainer.

Whatever you decide to do, just remember to get a receipt or, at the very least, make a copy of the check you give them (with the reason for the check written ON the check). You need this for your taxes. It may not seem like much now, but it will in the long run and no matter who you choose to do your cover art page, it is tax deductible.

Good luck!!