Body Mechanics Part 2

Posted on March 8, 2012 by | 5 Comments

On Monday’s blog, I said I’d post a video on body mechanics today. I figured it would be much easier to demonstrate rather than trying to type out each technique in a blog post. So, with the generous support of my husband and son (who filmed us), we made a little video on basic body mechanics of three Isshinryu Karate techniques: a punch, a middle block, and an elbow strike.

The purpose of the video is to demonstrate how different body positioning and proper tensing of the muscles, or chinkuchi (chin-coo-chee), helps increase a person’s strength. Feel free to grab a partner and experiment with these techniques on your own. The video covers the basics of body mechanics.  With further fine tuning of proper body alignment, each of the following techniques can yield even greater power.

~KM Fawcett

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Body Mechanics

Posted on March 5, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Good friends at Sensei Advincula's seminar

I just returned home from another great seminar given by Isshinryu karate master, Sensei A.J. Advincula. Today he discussed and demonstrated body mechanics, which is one of my favorite topics. I find it fascinating how accurate positioning of the body, and proper tensing of the correct muscles can double or even triple a person’s strength. Since I’m a small person, I need all the strength I can get. Conversely, if your positioning is off by a little (even by a half inch) your strength is minimized.

At the seminar, we experimented with many different arm positions to determine how to get the most power from your punches and blocks. I’d like to share some video clips with you on Thursday’s blog (assuming I can figure out how to do that) to demonstrate what I’m talking about. Then you can try it at home and see for yourself what proper body alignment can do for your karate.

UPDATE: Here is the link to the video on body mechanics.

On a personal note, I’d like to wish my grandma Gert a very happy 95th birthday today! I love you grandma!! :)

~K.M. Fawcett

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Thinking About Scrivener

Posted on March 1, 2012 by | 45 Comments

I’m finishing up a work-in-process and looking toward my next project.  In the interest of speeding things up and keeping my desk, uhm, just a little neater. (It currently looks like a mini tornado blew across the surface.) I’m thinking about switching to Scrivener. The picture below was taken mid-project.  I’m not going to post a picture of my desk’s surface right now because my storyboard filled up at the 50% mark.  The rest of the cards are strewn everywhere. It isn’t pretty.  Frankly, the mess is embarrassing and probably hinders my productivity.

There’s a lot going on in my books.  Action, action, action. Somehow I have to keep track of it all.  But in general, I’d like to turn this:

Into something neater, more organized, and more interactive. This looks very appealing:

Has anyone else made the switch?  Does it help?  Can I, for instance, print an outline?  In Word, one of my big beefs was that I couldn’t print the document map.

Is the learning curve for scrivener steep? Tell me. Tell me everything.

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Editing That Action

Posted on February 27, 2012 by | 8 Comments

This weekend is being spent editing.  I have a work-in-process on its second round of revisions with a deadline looming.  I also have first round edits on my June release due soon.  Keeping my head in two books at once is trying, especially for those action scenes.

I’ve found two specific areas where I tend to go astray when working in multiple books.  Timeline and character details.  Scene by scene I am able to write and edit without difficulty.  For example, I realized on the billionth reread of my WIP that, in the final climax scene, I forgot that it was nighttime.

Duh.

Now I have to go back and figure out how my heroine does what she does in the freaking dark. It matters. It really matters. High action scenes are tight to keep the pace flowing. Not a lot of room for description here. Instead, action is built around the setting, which is wrong. Ahhhhh!

At the same time, I’m working on edits for my next release when I discover that once again, I’ve slipped in the time of day.  Thank goodness I have an excellent editor to point out that my heroine is commenting on the sunset which occurred more than an hour ago.  Big mental smack for me. And the most annoying factor?  I distinctly remember looking up the sunset times for Maine in December.

So what does a slightly OCD writer do? I create a chapter by chapter timeline as I read thru my editor’s comments. This way, I can be sure I have the time of day correct not just in the current scene, but from scene to scene as well.  It’s the time between the scenes and chapters that are slipping through the cracks as I move back and forth between books. Live and learn.

The second major issue was character details, especially those secondary characters. I wrote the June release a long while ago. What do those people look like anyway? I found the original note cards that I kept while I wrote the book (told you I was OCD), but flipping through the stack repeatedly got annoying. Fast.

I know some writers who fill out details character sheets for every person that appears in their books.  Then I’d be flipping through pages or files while I edit. Instead, I’ve put together a quick spreadsheet to keep track of basic physical descriptions and anything special about each character. This way, I have one sheet on hand that contains all those really important details. It’s become very handy as I move back and forth between projects.

Since I’m recently published, I’m fairly new at the whole juggling projects thing. Do you have any tips to help writers stay on track when working in two or more books simultaneously?

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Tips for Conference Goers

Posted on February 23, 2012 by | 8 Comments

It’s conference season, at least that’s how it seems. Between March and August there are quite a few writing conferences that are taking place, so now seemed liked a great time to offer a few helpful tips to make all your conferences fun and successful.

  • Have business cards at the ready.  They don’t need to be elaborate, just something simple with your name and contact information on it.  You can make them yourself or get them printed inexpensively at places like GotPrint.com or VistaPrint.com.
  • Dress professionally and comfortably. Consider wearing layers.  There is no happy medium when it comes to temperature at many of these conference sites. The best thing you can do is to have layers so that you’ll always be able to make yourself comfortable.
  • Don’t be afraid to mingle and make connections, but be sure to pay attention to social cues. You don’t want to accidentally cut in on an important discussion.
  • Even if you aren’t taking an editor/agent appointment have a pitch for your current work in progress ready to go. You never know whom you’ll wind up chatting with and what can come from that interaction. Remember editors and agents are people too. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true.
  • Be mindful of your alcohol consumption.
  • Most importantly, enjoy yourself and let your creative juices be replenished by interacting with other writers.

Navigating your way around the conference is only part of the adventure. Here are a few tips to help you stay safe en route to the conference and while staying in the event hotel.

  • If possible travel with at least one travel companion.
  • Never tell anyone that you are traveling alone. If someone persistently asks, don’t hesitate to lie.
  • If attending a conference do not wear your name badge when you leave the event hotel.
  • Wear minimal jewelry. Lots of expensive and flashy jewelry makes you an easier target for predators. Also, consider using disposable cameras instead of bringing your digital camera. Expensive cameras are popular targets for thieves.
  • Never open up your door to any stranger and use all the locks on the door while in room.
  • Don’t open the door just because someone says security or maintenance.  Get the employee’s name and call the front desk to confirm before opening the door.
  • Avoid giving out your room number to anyone you meet in the bar or the trip.
  • Avoid leaving jewelry or credit cards in the room. Thieved don’t need the actual card, just the number and security code.
  • Lock your baggage if possible. (Airline locks are fine)
  • Avoid the scam this is the front desk calling please update your credit card information.
  • Never leave the plastic keys when you checkout. They can contain personal information.
  • If possible request a room closest to the elevators, more foot traffic, less secluded, more opportunity for crook to be seen
  • Try to avoid a room above the 10th floor; fire equipment usually does not reach that high.
  • Avoid going out alone at night and as always TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!!

If you’ll be at the Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference in March I look forward to seeing you there. Whatever conferences you may be attending stay safe and have a great time.

~Rayna

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Loving Lost Girl

Posted on February 20, 2012 by | 1 Comment

I took a friend’s advice this weekend and checked out the new Syfy channel series Lost Girl. I’m really enjoying the story. The main character is Bo. She’s a succubus, although she doesn’t know what she is at the start. All she knows is that she not an ordinary human, everyone who sleeps with her dies. She’s drawn into the world of the fae, which consists of all manner of mythological creatures.  The fae world is split into two factions, dark and light. All fae belong to one clan or the other, but Bo is unique in that she was hidden from the fae world as a child and thus belongs to neither faction. That’s part of what makes her unique, she is living between the clans, she’s claimed neither light nor dark as her own as she works to solve the mystery of her past.

Have I’m mentioned I’m completely hooked on this show. It’s got everything a paranormal fan could want. A wide variety of creatures, not just vamps and weres, great world building, tons of sexual and romantic tension, and an intriguing overarching story that builds with each episode. I really enjoy the fact that they are releasing info about Bo and her role in this world in bits and pieces. They don’t ask a question and answer it then ask a new question. They ask a bunch of questions and then give you bits and pieces of answers as they go. Plus the cast of characters are so much fun. I love Kenzie. She is human amidst all of these magical creatures and her sarcastic wit is so funny. Bo is a fascinating mix of innocence and tough girl. The hero Dyson, he’s just yummy. If you’re looking for a new series to try I highly recommend Lost Girl.

Warning Lost Girl is for Mature Audiences only. To quote Bo, “What can I say? For me, sexual healing is a literal thing.”

Any one else watching Lost Girl? Any other new series you’re loving?

 

 

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Scream And Shout

Posted on February 16, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Pacific Ocean 2010

In Monday’s post, we discussed that the goal of self-defense is not to win, but to not lose. If you haven’t read the post and are wondering what the heck I’m talking about, click here.

In the comments, someone had shared her story of being attacked years ago and being so stunned at the viciousness, she couldn’t fight back. All she could do was scream. She kept screaming as he punched her in the face. She kept screaming as he yelled at her to shut-up. And because she kept screaming, he feared she’d gain attention from the on-coming cars and he ran off. In other words, she did fight back…using her voice.

When we think about self-defense, we tend to think about blocking and striking. But as we discussed in past blogs, self-defense is also about using our brains (common sense is the first step to self-defense) and heeding the warning of the little voice whispering inside us when something doesn’t feel right. Self-defense is also about using our VOICE. Screaming to gain attention from someone who can intervene or call the police is as important as striking our attacker. Remember, he does not want to get caught.

Our voice is so important to self-defense that we even have a name for it.

Kiai (Kee-eye). It’s a spirit shout. And it has a few purposes:

  1. It helps draw attention to our situation.
  2. It can scare our attacker.
  3. It tightens our muscles to prepare us to take a hit.
  4. And it fires us up. (Don’t athlete’s do this before games? “Come on!”  “We got this!”  “Go [insert team name here]!” Of course they do.

You might recognize a kiai as the “hiya” from old karate movies. However, it can be any word or sound that you want to make. Swearing a string of profanities at your attacker counts. Or shouting, “Fire!” or maybe for a child, teaching them to scream, “Stranger, stranger, 911!”

It doesn’t matter what sound you make. Just make some noise. Even if it’s a high pitch girly scream (which I admit I do when someone scares me. Yes they laugh, but I can’t help the sound. I call it my auto-response kiai.)

Like singers train their voices or drill instructors train theirs, martial artist also train their kiai. Usually a new person in the dojo has trouble making any sound at first. Perhaps they feel silly or self-conscious, but after a few weeks they are shouting with enthusiasm and much spirit.

What sound you make isn’t as important as using your voice to fight back.

~KM Fawcett

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A Writer’s Favorite Game and Self-Defense

Posted on February 13, 2012 by | 8 Comments

Today I was in a gym surrounded by big, muscular karate guys. Guys with many years of training under their black belts. And I started to play a writer’s favorite game, What If. What if one of these guys attacked me right here, right now? Could I really, truly defend myself? Could I beat my attacker? Could I win a fight against them?

Then I remembered that traditional Okinawan karate teaches that, “The purpose of karate is not to win, the purpose of karate is to not lose.” In other words, the goal of self-defense is not to fight until I “finish off” my attacker, the goal is to fight until the attacker loses his will to continue.

Statics show that fighting back (even with no training) gives you a 50% chance of survival. This is because your attacker has 2 fears; getting caught and getting hurt.

Therefore, I don’t have to keep fighting until I win. I have to keep fighting until I don’t lose.

Don’t believe me? Then check out this video of a seven-year-old girl who was grabbed by a stranger at a Georgia Wal-Mart.

Did she win? Well, she didn’t knock him out.  Didn’t subdue him.  Probably didn’t even hurt him much.

But did she not lose? You bet she did! And THAT is the goal of self-defense!

No matter how big, strong, or scary your attacker is, keep fighting until you don’t lose!

~KM Fawcett

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What Does it Feel Like to be Hit

Posted on February 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Recently, we at ATP were asked what it felt like to be hit. Here are our answers.

Punches to the face:  While none of us are prize fighters, we do spar in karate. Even an accidental blow to the face HURTS. Eyes water reflexively. Noses bleed an extraordinary amount. When hit in the eye, even lightly, vision is blurred or cloudy for while afterward. Blows to the jaw can result in loss of consciousness (boxers refer to this as the “glass jaw”). In a street fight, the damage would likely be much worse as the person isn’t trying to score a point. His intention is to hurt his opponent.

Hard blow to the stomach:

Melinda: It effing hurts. Vomiting is common. Breathing will be difficult as the air is “knocked” out of you. I took a solid kick to the solar plexus in my sparring test for my 1st degree, through a padded rib guard, and had to bow out for about 5 minutes. My lungs felt like they wouldn’t expand. I returned to the mat, but my knees were shaky and I felt winded for the remainder (about 30 minutes) of the test. I was so glad to limp home and ice everything.

Kathy: Earlier in my training, my husband (who is also my teacher) kicked me in the right side and I swear it felt as though my midsection shifted two feet to the left (like you’d see in a cartoon character) before returning to normal.  It hurt for a while but I was ok.  Last year I got kicked really hard in the ribs and thought they were broken it hurt so bad.  They weren’t though.

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The Ultimate All Show-No Tell Character

Posted on February 6, 2012 by | 2 Comments

What kind of character forces a writer to show every aspect of his personality with action?  Animals.

That’s right, animals can be characters.  Damned good ones, too, as I learned accidentally while writing She Can Run.

Animals have zero internal narrative and, except for the occasional woof or meow, they can’t express their feelings with dialogue.

The challenge for the writer is to make the animal into a real character, not just a filler or a device to make your hero more likeable, which was my intention when I started She Can Run.

In She Can Run, the hero’s police dog reject developed his own character arc, entirely through action. I’d like to say I planned this from the beginning, but the truth of the matter is that Henry wrote his own script as the book progressed.  What started out as a device became more and more important to the plot every day. During the course of the story, Henry grew to love the heroine as much as my hero.

And love changed Henry.

But the tricky part was showing Henry change. After all, he couldn’t profess his love verbally. Tail wags just didn’t seem adequate.  I won’t give away just how I accomplished this because it would be a major spoiler, but Henry became a hero.

Writers, have you ever written an animal as a character?  Readers, have you ever fallen in love with an animal character?

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