KristinaStanley

Sailing With Your Dog

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#sailing

If you bring your dog sailing with you in the Bahamas, I hope you don’t mind sand and salt water on your boat.

Farley plays in the waves off Stocking Island beach in the Bahamas. He loves it, but I always keep an eye our for sharks or sting rays. I don’t want Farley to meet up with either of them.

We discovered the hard way that if a dog is stung by a sting ray, the only treatment is to wash the wound with very hot water, as hot as the dog can stand it, and that should take the pain away. Farley hasn’t had this misadventure yet, but our friends’ springer spaniel has been stung twice.

Step Away From Your Novel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

#writetip

How many times have you heard or read that when you finish your first draft, and I mean a serious draft, that you should put your novel in a drawer for a couple of weeks?

I never understood this until recently. I had three readers commenting on my updated version of The Final Gate.  While they were commenting, I decided to start work on my fourth novel, and leave The Final Gate alone.

Now that I am reviewing their comments and doing the final proofread, I finally get the importance of the advice.

I can see things I hadn’t seen before. Maybe it’s a passage of text that is too earnest, or maybe it’s narrative describing something I’ve already described. Without taking a break, I couldn’t see these things.

Even thought it’s hard to leave something alone that you are passionate about, I am now a believer in “Step Away From Your Novel.”

West Indian Whistling Duck

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

While we were out kayaking we spotted this pair of West Indian Whistling Ducks. The ducks are nocturnal and secretive, so felt lucky to see them

I had my dog, a wheaten terrier, in the kayak. The ducks didn’t seem bothered by him. They waddled around, curious of us, but not frightened.

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but cruising on our lagoon 380 sure gives us ample opportunity to see wildlife in their natural setting. One more glorious day in the Bahamas.

 

In case you’re wondering, the ducks actually whistle.

Dialogue Tags

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#writetip

Who is talking? Do you always need a tag? Advice from how-to-write books say it should be clear from the dialogue, who is speaking. For the longest time, I interpreted this to mean that the character should have some unique way of speaking.

I don’t like to read dialogue where I get distracted with unique speech patterns, so I don’t like to write that way.

I finally understood what the advice means. The context and what the character has to say should give the reader enough information to know who is talking. If it doesn’t then a tag is needed.

If you need a tag, you could try using character movements or thoughts instead of a tag.

So back to my original thought. I now get the advice. So here’s an example.

A brother and sister are talking.

“What?” – can’t tell who’s speaking. Consider a dialogue tag or other method of indicating who is speaking.

“Mom loved you more because you’re a girl. She liked to dress you up and do your hair. I had nothing but scrapes and bruises to offer.”  – easy to tell the brother is speaking, so no dialogue tag needed.

Dingy Dogs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#dogs

Does your dog like to travel in fast moving boats? Ours does.

Farley, the wheaten terrier, likes to lean over the side. Jasper, the springer spaniel, likes to be up front. They always choose the same place and I have no idea why.

Walking the dog while living on a sailboat means getting in the dingy. When the weather is rough or it’s raining, it might not be too fun. Most of the time it’s great. Training your dog its on the boat makes life easier, but they still like the ride to shore.

Bahamas welcomes pets and the process for clearing in is easy. It’s just too much fun having a dog here.

Setting For A Novel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#writetip

How to choose a setting for your novel?  That depends on what your story is. But can your story depend on your setting? I think so.

I chose mine because I wanted to write a thriller. I wanted the novel to be tense, and I wanted the setting to have a lot to do with it.

For a mystery novel, choosing a location that isolates your characters, pummels them with bad weather, scares them with wildlife, and gives them nowhere to run, opens up the imagination.

I spent 6 years living in an isolated mountain ski resort, and that had a lot to do with my choice of setting, Even though I write about a fictitious resort, I know what it’s like to live in the depths of BC. Experience lends authenticity; my imagination can do the rest.

Tell me the photo doesn’t give you any ideas for choosing a scary setting.

Hermit Crab

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#sea life

This Hermit Crab can live 30 to 70 years. It can become a large as a coconut. It lives in a shell, and honestly, I find it a bit creepy.

The joys of cruising provide many opportunities to find creepy, crawly creature.  This one was crossing our hiking path and I couldn’t resist taking a photo, that is after I convinced my niece to pick up the creature.

Write From Experience

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#writetip

Do you have scenes in your novel that are beyond your experience?

If you do, why not try the things your characters are doing? Everywhere you look, someone writes about writing being lonely. Well, it doesn’t have to be. Writing can be your excuse to be adventurous.

In The Final Gate I have a scene where my main protagonist is in danger while snowshoeing in the mountains. Having spent many hours snowshoeing in steep, rugged terrain, I found it easier to describe than if I’d just read about it.

My husband gets to do all these things in the name of writing a good novel and is happy to pose for a photo.

Dogs In The Office

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#dogs

Are you a believer in bringing dogs to work? I am. And who doesn’t love a puppy.

During my time working at Panorama Mountain in BC, Canada, one of the perks of the job was brining my dog to work.

Chica was 9 weeks old in this photo, and I think the walk to work tired her out. Other than not having a chair to sit in, it was great having her.

My belief: a dog lowers stress levels in the work environment. Here’s why:

  • It’s hard to stay angry or upset when a dog is wagging it’s tail at you and demanding to be pet.
  • A quick walk with the dog can give a person a chance to think, figure out a problem, or just reassess a situation.  (with the side benefit of fresh air and exercise)
  • It’s not really appropriate to hug a co-worker when they need it, but the co-worker can always hug the dog.
  • And dogs make you laugh. Chica once stole the payroll and ran through the office with the cheques between her jaws. Tell me that didn’t get things moving!

Starting My Fourth Novel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments

#writing

Novel One, Novel Two, Novel Three . . . Now what?

I’ve eighteen pages of notes on my fourth novel, and it’s time to move location.  Three novels are set in the Purcell Mountains, BC, Canada.

The fourth novel (and I feel like I should play music here) is set in the Bahamas. It’s time for a sailing adventure.

It’s been quite the experience writing about the Purcell’s. A place I lived and loved. An isolated mountain resort provides a great setting for a romantic thriller.

But the winds are changing and pushing me in a new direction. This is not to say I won’t continue to write about BC, only that it’s time to try something new.

New characters, new location, new mystery. It’s all a bit overwhelming, but also fun.

Now to go back and read what I wrote about the writing process and make sure I remember it all.