Random Word Novella-WRiting Challenge…Join Me

April 5, 2022April 9, 2022 | Candice Coates

Every now and again, even with a mountain of WIPs staring out at you for the creative recesses of your mind and the shadows of several synopsis whispering to you, one finds themselves TOTALLY distracted by a totally unrelated writing challenge.

This is where I have currently found myself and I have decided to invite you all along on my journey!

Now, let me give you a bit of insight into what has inspired this challenge. A few years ago, I decided to unsuccessfully paint a small abstract painting. I shamelessly have the confetti explosion of random colors hung proudly upon my wall and each time I look at it I find myself saying its name out loud, “The Dodo Lives in Joshua Tree.”

The title is only marginally random as there looks to be a Dodo in the painting and oddly enough when my glasses are off, there are appears to be a house. But those two things aside, it seems as if my calling out the painting’s name has called a story into being, one born from fragments of other fictional ideas and novel what-ifs.

For a few days now, the story has been taking up more and more space in my imagination, thus winning the right to exist in this present moment, giving birth to this challenge!

WELCOME TO THE RANDOM WORD NOVELLA WRITING CHALLENGE from April 5th to May 5th.

WHAT IS IT

A creative writing challenge where your story is guided by a collection of 30 to 50 random words. Your goal is to:

Use 1 to 2 words a day to guide the narrative of your novella and the ebbs and flows of your plot
Aim for at least 400 words a day

Remember, a novella is roughly 17,500 to 40,000 words in length (30,000 being the sweet spot) so in order to reach the goal of 17,500, you will need to average 583 words a day. BUT KEEP IN MIND lean days are often followed by fat and full days so if you are shy of the 583-word goal every now and again, don’t sweat it.

And a nugget of thought for those panicking at that number, you likely type more than that in a random text thread or comments on social media posts so you’ve got this in the bag.

If this still seems too much, try writing a NOVELLETE or SHORT STORY

You will need to write:

7,700 to 10,000 words total
256 words a day (to reach 7,700)

WHEN IS IT

The challenge begins today, Tuesday, April 5th, and runs until midnight on Thursday, May 5th.

WHERE ARE THESE RANDOM WORDS

You can use the list that I have compiled below or you can go to the Random Word Generator site and create your own list.

Here is my list of 50 Words:

• terrify
• cousin
• act
• square
• patient
• straw
• occupy
• temperature
• thank
• produce
• video
• willpower
• settle
• electronics
• hurt
• stitch
• kneel
• arena
• sandwich
• senior
• layer
• find
• presence
• driver
• differ
• seat
• spirit
• crutch
• invisible
• awful
• project
• revoke
• peasant
• forge
• grand
• thinker
• despair
• pain
• subway
• absent
• application
• privacy
• defeat
• address
• heaven
• mutation
• cute
• sustain
• cope
• foreigner

I do how you join me on the journey and share with others.

AND if you see this posted challenge after the 5th, then let whatever day you find it, be the start of your 30-day writing challenge. Just give it a shot. I promise you won’t regret it!

Until next time.

Write on? RIGHT ON!

Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”
Louis L’Amour

Podcasts, Practices, & Novel Ideas: What’s New with Me

April 5, 2022April 4, 2022 | Candice Coates

Hello Hello, fellow Genre-Jumpers! It has been a long while of mostly silence but silence and stillness are very necessary things, especially when it comes to growing creatively. I am not 100% certain, but I think it’s been easily two years since I greeted you all, (Announcement that my debut novel was free for a spell, aside) and let me start by saying I’ve missed you!

Now that that’s taken care of, let’s talk about what has been going on.

I STARTED A PODCAST

Yes, you read that correctly. Last month, I not only launched a new website BUT a whole Podcast to go along with it!

The podcast is called THESE READ LETTERS, and it is not only for writers but readers as well. Here is my fancy tagline:

A bi-weekly, motivational Podcast for Writers & Readers exploring how to tell stories with intention.

As creatives, as humans, expressing ourselves verbally has its own set of challenges but when we seek to weave stories and express the thoughts of others, the process can be even more so, despite the excitement that it brings. Having had the misfortune of reading one too many books that lost their way, I decided that it was time to not only offer whatever help I could but also set a table to learn myself.

Creating is a continuous process of growth and learning. We all have moments where we miss the mark. I want to help myself and others stay on track from the starting word until the glory of typing ‘the end’.

The website will not only host links for the podcast itself, which you can also follow on Spotify, but that is where my Writer’s Wisdom and creative writing prompts and exercises will be as well! So I encourage you to follow and share with others.

And please leave comments and feedback. The only way I can improve and help you improve as well is to know what it is that you are most curious about. So leave a comment or shoot me an email at thesereadletters@gmail.com.

IN THE MEANTIME & BETWEEN TIME…

In the mean and between time of creating new podcast content, and working an audiobook and new cover for NEXUS GATE, I have decided to jump to another genre and write a random-generated-word Clean read, romcom.

Creating is a continuous process of growth and learning.
Candice Coates

It already has a title and is based off one of my failed attempts at being an abstract artist. It is actually titled for the painting that has inspired it.

If you are feeling froggy and would like to leap into this April writing challenge, you can do so by checking out the post HERE for more details.

That is all for now but I will be back sooner than later, dropping off writing prompt results and sharing future art and other novel ideas.

Until we meet again.

Write on? RIGHT ON!

We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.
Anaïs Nin

Nexus Gate 4037: The Animal, Free on Amazon for a limited time!

February 28, 2022February 28, 2022 | Candice Coates

Hello friends and fellow Genre-Jumpers! It’s been a while since we’ve conversed and I’d like to take a moment to apologize for that, BUT I also hope that life has treated you well since our silence began and ended.

Today, I’d like to share some grand news with you all. NEXUS GATE 4037: THE ANIMAL will be FREE for ebook download from Monday, February 28th until the end of Tuesday, March 1st.

why the free days?

There are several reasons why I would like to get Nexus Gate into your hands FOR FREE. The first of which is that I believe in this story and I know that you all do as well, and with that in mind, I want to share it and encourage you to share it with everyone you know as well.

After all, it’s free for a limited time.

The second reason is that I, a little over a year ago, removed NEXUS GATE from the KDP Ads program and by doing so, fell completely off the Amazon ranking database. So not only is Nexus Gate no longer showing its ranking, but it is hard to find even if you type the title into the search area.

The third reason is Nexus Gate, though having a well-intended cover design at the start, has come to be somewhat … flat. The baby needs a makeover! So in the meantime, I want to allow those of you who have not had the chance to give it a read to do so now.

Why the makeover?

As I’ve said, we need a new, strong, and gripping cover, one that aligns perfectly with the story and the characters. In addition to that, WE ARE WORKING ON A HARDCOPY through Barnes & Nobles as well as an AUDIOBOOK for those who’d love to read the story but don’t have the time to do so via hardcopy or ebook.

How you can heLP

Download, share, and leave honest feedback.

DOWNLOAD AND SHARE: Even if you don’t feel like you have the time to read through, download it and encourage others to do so as well. This will help me get back into the Amazon ranking and prepare it to be seen when the audiobook and hardcover come out for sale.

SHARE WITH OTHERS: I can’t ask that enough. The more you share the more others download and again it is FOR FREE!

LEAVE ME FEEDBACK: Whether you choose to do so on Amazon, or even on Goodreads, leave me feedback so that I can make the necessary changes before it is reprinted. You can even email me at candicecoateswrites@gmail.com and tell me what you think there! I would greatly appreciate it.

Get it HERE now!

“The best things in life are free … or $19.95.”
~I don’t know who said it, but I like it

Podcast Interview & a Chance to Win a FREE eBook Copy of NEXUS GATE 4037: THE ANIMAL

February 4, 2020February 4, 2020 | Candice Coates

Hello there, Genre Jumpers!

First, let me say Happy 2020! It is never too late to wish happiness and clarity of vision in the new year, especially when it is the start of a new decade.

With it being just that, I am making plans for my next publication and had the pleasure of being featured on a fellow writer’s website, Hello C.S. Dorsey, to give a talk about my plans as well as give advice to others on how to Level Up in the new year.

This was my very first time being featured on a podcast, and I have to say it was fantastic fun!

Candice, as is her name as well, has created a wonderful platform that helps others with a passion for writing to learn the ins and outs of writing, publishing, marketing, etc. So many of us have a story to tell but have no idea where to start. Candice can help guide you on your journey.

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

NG 3D JPEG — eBOOK AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON!

If you are following me but haven’t had a chance to get your hands on a copy of NEXUS GATE 4037: THE ANIMAL, here is your chance to win a FREE Kindle eBOOK Copy!

How to win: Starting today, Wednesday, February 5th

Follow my Instagram as well as Hello CS Dorsey
Tag 2 friends who love to read and would love to write a book
And that is it!

A random winner will be chosen and announced on Saturday, February the 8th.

I am really excited for you all to hear this podcast and can’t wait to share my book with the winner!

Don’t be ‘a writer’. Be writing. ~WILLIAM FAULKNER

The Muse in Our Music: How Sound Inspires Story

November 14, 2019November 12, 2019 | Candice Coates

*Originally published on I Came For The Soup… June 23, 2014

“…music is the water that takes potentiality and turns it into a tangible substance.”

Music, whether it is just background noise or a tool used to build the plots of my written works, has always been a big part of my creative process, and it always will be.

Whenever I write, whenever I create visual art, I always allow my ‘ear gates’ to be open. With writing, there is, of course, the ‘eye gate’ that we all use in order to aid in the imagery of our stories giving our creations a place to tread upon. Visual stimulus is a fantastic seed, that when planted in the right creative soil, can hold the potential of yielding a magnificent literary harvest.

But sound, music, music is the water that takes potentiality and turns it into a tangible substance.

Song and sound are the creative vibrations that resonate in the deepest part of our soul, spirit, and imagination. Song shifts the atmosphere around us, changes our mood, directs our minds.

Music is the inspirational tool that we all use on a daily basis whether we realize it or not. The sound of fan blades blowing in your ears at night helps you to sleep. The sound of rain, thunder, and lightning help you to relax and for me, create.

Music keys are Keys that unlock the doors to our created worlds and the hearts and minds of our characters.

Love songs put us in a loving mood. Angry songs make us want to break things. When we struggle to connect with our emotions, music, be it with words or just instrumentals, help us to say and express what needs to be said and expressed in the moment when our own words fail us.

With each novel that I have sat down to write, I have leaned on specific tunes to meditate on in order to “get my head in the game,” if you will. Not only does the music remind me of the story and place me right in the center of the plot, but it gets my inner-man, my creative man, in touch with the emotion and mood of the scene. Most importantly, it helps me get into the heads of my characters.

Without doing this, getting into the characters’ heads and hearts, there would be no story to tell. Music is the bridge that brings our worlds together.

Music is a language all its own. It has a sound and it has a script. It has to be learned for literacy but even without literacy we all come tuned to understand what is being said. The beauty of it is that the lyrics can be saying something contrary to the story it births in us.

For each story that I have written, there is a different soundtrack or sound map. The keys within the songs help me unlock each character. Sometimes I focus on one specific character and through their unveiling, I see into the hearts of the other characters around them.

Just like us, our characters are people too. They are complex, they are layered, and like symphonies, they have highs and lows, drama and peace.

Create an atmosphere of sound for yourself and your stories. Let the music and sound speak and be sure to listen.

“The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words.” ~William H. Gass

How to Tackle NaNoWriMo: My Advice To You (Day 1 of Countdown)

October 27, 2019October 26, 2019 | Candice Coates

In less than a week, November 1st will be here, and a mass of heroes and heroines will be born from the typing fingers of those who have bravely taken up the challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.

First, let me say congratulations on being brave enough to challenge yourself with this. I have participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and each year I have come away with a fantastic body of work (that yes, needs editing and revision) that I can be proud of.

Now, let me clarify, I have not officially done the NaNoWriMo with the whole registration thing (which I totally recommend because they have some great rewards for those who complete the 30 days with 50,000 words or more.) Why? Well, because I tend to use any 30 day month, June being the month of choice, to tackle my writing adventure.

November, June, September, April, any of these months will do. They all have 30 days, and they all afford you the chance to learn something new about yourself and your writing craft, and most awesomely, to walk away with the foundation of a novel or a completed novel before you enter the next calendar month. And thus far, I have walked away with several novels and series ready for revision.

Q. SO WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, WHAT DID I LEARN AND WHAT CAN I SAY AS A WORD OF ADVICE FOR DAY ONE OF THE COUNTDOWN TO NANOWRIMO?

A. I learned that, for me, there is NO SUCH THING AS WRITER’S BLOCK.

There are several reasons why we “think” we are blocked, but the truth is we always have something to say, we just have to allow ourselves to say it. Check out my post on my sister site, I Came for the Soup, “Are You Listening.” It highlights one of the reasons that keep us from achieving written awesomeness.

My advice…

TIP 1: Sit down and write something. Close your eyes and let your fingers do the talking. If you are relaxed and just let your imagination do what it does, the words will come, and something magical and fulfilling will happen. Don’t psych yourself out with all the overthinking. Breathe, type, breathe, type, breathe.

Go to Amazon.com to check out NEXUS GATE 4037: THE ANIMAL, my Second NaNoWriMo piece and my very first Indie Published Novel!

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” ~TERRY PRATCHETT

A Dangerous Dance: Flash-Fiction & Art for Day 2 of #Inktober 2019

October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 | Candice Coates

The icy rush of adrenaline that shot up Eeva’s spine rivaled the biting cold of the water that lapped around her ankles and hand. She stared into the pale eyes of the alpha male, his white fur reminding her of winter. It was then her father had died thrusting her into the role of provider for her home. She was eldest after all.

Provider. The title should have been her mother’s. But the brutal loss of her beloved had thrust her into a mindless ring sorrow that had rendered her little more than a child. The pressure from the burden that weighed upon Eeva’s shoulders had often driven her away, deep into the darkness of the wood.

Hunting had been her excuse but something far more thrilling had been her pursuit.

Legend held that if one prooved worthy, they could become one of the Winter Tribe–the White wolves that could, at whim, be beast or man and lived close to an eternity of years. When Eeva first set her eyes upon the pearlescent fur, locked gazes with the alpha whose fire gaze seemed to set her soul ablaze, she could not help but pursue him…even as he stalked and pursued her.

It had been nine months now, secret meetings of distance nearness, he disarming her with the glint in his eyes, ever closing the space between them as he dictated her steps.

It was a dangerous dance. One her father had failed to master.

But now as she felt her being seared by the cold of the water as if flames were burning away all that she once was, she knew she had mastered the steps and would this day be one of the Winter Pack.

FIN

*This is Day 2 of #Inktober 2019. Tonight, I chose to not only use my custom prompt words for my story and inked art, but also to use the official Inktober list words to help move my short story along.

I do hope that you have enjoyed it, and hopefully, we will have something new tomorrow!

Popcorn: Micro Fiction for Inktober

October 1, 2019 | Candice Coates

It was never a good thing to allow desperate hunger to be sated by a present, but less than acceptable option. Sure the pain would ease or better be dulled by the lying lull of fullness and satisfaction, only to come back with a vengeance and a demand for retribution for the red herring that was dealt like the perfect dish.

Him…he was the red-herring or more so like popcorn, the kind gotten from the concession stand at the rundown theatre. He looked oh so tempting when out of reach, but turned out to be perfectly stale, over salty, greased down with imitation butter, and served hot with enough flaky kernels to make your gums pray mercy and beg for a dental hygienist.

Sad thing is…that is the price one pays for popcorn. Sadder still, many of us will never stop eating it.

FIN

Photo by Mc Jefferson Agloro on Unsplash

*This is my micro-fiction piece, done as a companion to my first ever Inktober illustration. My list was acquired from @alexandradikaia on Instagram. My unique word combination for this day is “YELLOW DINNER.”

Indie Publishing Hiccups…and What Not

September 20, 2019 | Candice Coates

Hello friends,

Our date for the paperback edition of NEXUS GATE 4037: THE ANIMAL, my debut novel from 2018, goes live on Friday, October 4th! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about all of this even in light of the hiccups I have had in making this work of fiction physically available to you, my readers.

WHAT? WHAT HICCUPS?

So, it appears that somewhere along the lines of formatting and squaring things away for printing, that I ran into some trouble with my ISBN number.

Quick digression. If you are considering going the indie/self-publishing route with your writing, good for you! That is fantastic. Just make sure that you purchase your ISBN numbers form the ONLY legit vendor of ISBN’s in the US and that is Bowker.

Back to the hiccups…

It appears that made the ‘mistake’ of making my book available for mass distribution on Amazon, since that was the first platform I uploaded my novel to, and in so doing, I made my ISBN number unusable for self-publishing on any other platform, namely Barnes & Nobles.

BUMMER!

Now, this could be remedied in a very easy way, and that is for me to use another of my ISBN numbers in order to publish the same book on B&N’s platform.

Allow me to just say that in doing the math, taking not of the royalties I would receive for the same book, which are nearly 50% less than what I would get from Amazon, I have decided to scratch the idea of using another ISBN number on that platform.

Let me be clear though, what has happened to me, was strictly a rookie mistake in that I did not read ALL of the fine print several times over.

The fact is you can use the same ISBN on different self-publishing platforms as long as:

The books have the same title
The same interior information and formating
- Page numbers
- page color type
- are the same dimensions/ size
The same cover

The soup gets a little thick when you allow the book to be released for mass distribution on either platform (I believe) making it unusable on the other.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?

Being a person firmly anchored in faith in Christ Jesus, I know that although He didn’t cause this roadblock, that He is more than able and willing to use it for my good! I am expectant that much good will come out of this, that I will gain much valuable knowledge from this specific situation, that will aid me in my next publishing adventure coming WINTER 2020.

As I wait to hear back from B&N for other options available to remedy this current problem, I continue to get things all square on Amazon and explore my other distribution options with other indie retailers.

The goodness in all of this? I don’t know a single person who doesn’t make purchases from Amazon. So win-win, right?

Right!

So, the party goes on. Paperbacks for all on Friday, October 4th even if they are only available on Amazon.

~Candice, the Genre Jumper