Downton Abbey

Insert Random Thoughts Here

| Casey Wyatt

So here it is, the day before I’m scheduled to blog and I’m twiddling my thumbs. Normally, I’d be panicked. I like to get blogs done on Sunday night. But with Downton Abbey and Sherlock premiering in the US – what sane fan can think of blogging? Not me.

Blame the Monday holiday. Or maybe the fact that on Tuesday, hubby came home sick and promptly infected me. Thanks dear.

Or it could be that, while I’m in the final throes of Lachlan’s Curse (should be subtitled – Why, oh, Why Isn’t This Book Done Yet?) I can’t summon any ideas other than those related to the book. I did take comfort in reading Chuck Wendig’s blog post – It Takes the Time it Takes. Thank you, sir. I needed that!

Instead, I will leave you with my thoughts in pictures.

I am so glad you’re back. Don’t make me wait another two years.

 

I miss you, O’Brien.

 

Got an ARC from Jess, can’t wait to dig in.

 

Can’t wait to meet you.

 

But you’re still my favorite Doctor.

 

And finally, when the heck is spring coming?!!

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Thoughts on Having Super Powers

| Casey Wyatt

So this past weekend, while eagerly awaiting Downton Abbey to begin, I saw the obligatory Viking River Cruises advertisement (that PBS airs before the show) and it got me thinking about travel. Where would I like to go? What would I visit first?

Who is Branson kissing??

And hey, wouldn’t it be cool to be able to speak the local language? Which led to a different line of thought about having super powers. Like the kind in comic books, not the more serious, real world issue of global super power nations. Sorry, this isn’t that kind of post.

Anyway, while I like the idea of adventure, I’m also a total wimp. Hence the thought about super powers. I know this is totally nerdy, but if I could have a super power (and I have given this a lot of thought over the years – yes, it’s true), I’d want to understand every language in the universe. Not just hear it, but be a fluent speaker, read it, write it, and understand all the local customs too.

Yes, that probably takes the fun out of visiting new locales, but I can’t help it. It’s the anthropology major in me to want to understand a culture not just muddle around lost.

What? Too nerdy? I don’t care. Other people can have flying or x-ray vision.

How about you? Take the poll and share your views.

Here are My Good Reads!

| Casey Wyatt

Today I’m switching gears and I’m sharing my post over at the 7 Scribes on my page today. I know, totally lazy!

After I finish a manuscript and send it on its merry way, I go on a reading binge. After finishing Mystic Storm, I’ve become a story glutton. If you’re my friend on Goodreads, it looks like I’ve gone crazy.

And I guess I have! I won’t bore you with all the books I’ve recently completed but I will share a few that really grabbed a hold of me and wouldn’t let me go until I hit the end.

1. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen – this book was a Kindle daily deal. I tried a sample and within about 8 seconds I was buying it. I am not sure what age group this is really aimed for (Scholastic published it) but it has that same wide audience appeal that Harry Potter had. This book is fabulous and it’s awesome that the sequel is coming out today (March 1st). Yahoo! Seriously if you read any book on my list, read this one.

2. One Good Earl Deserves A Lover by Sarah MacLean – Here I forayed into the realm of historical romance. Omigosh, I love this author’s writing. Immediately after finishing this book I realized that this was book 2 so I bought (and read) – A Rogue by Any Other Name. Both books – Fun and fantastico! I plan on reading more of her books for sure.

Let me break here and say, notice none so far have been paranormal romance or urban fantasy. But I can’t stray too far from the genre I know and love which brings me to . . .

3. The Woodcutter by Kate Danley. Also purchased as a Kindle daily deal. Thank you Amazon because I may have never found this book. It’s really a fairy tale of sorts. Gritty, lyrical, and poignant. If you like Once Upon a Time or fairy tales in general, you’ll probably enjoy this book.

Okay, last one.

4. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey – by the Countess Carnovan. This one’s for you Downtown fans. All about Highclere Castle and Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnovan. For King Tut aficionados – her husband, the fifth earl, is the very same Carnovan who financed Howard Carter’s excavation of the boy king’s tomb. I read this on my Kindle and drank up every fascinating detail.

I could go on and on. But I won’t! Now it’s your turn.

So everyone, what good books have you read lately? Please share!!

Tell Me a Good Story

| Casey Wyatt

Happy Friday everyone! Don’t forget to visit me at the Scribes today –  Lasting Impression.

I recently began writing MYSTIC STORM, Zephyr’s story, and it got me thinking about storytelling and two television programs – Downton Abbey and The Walking Dead.

What does a British period piece and a post apocalyptic survival story have in common?

On the surface they seem to have zero in common. But in reality they have many similarities. They are both about a group of people trying to cope with social change brought on by a world cataclysm (World War I, The Spanish Flu, a zombie outbreak). They both feature a compelling cast of characters that are easy to root for (or in the case of Thomas and Mrs. O’Brien – despise!). And both programs are stellar examples of great storytelling. The kind that sucks you and doesn’t let you go. (Even if I do rush out of the room when zombies appear during The Walking Dead).

As a writer, these are the comments you want to hear from readers:

“I couldn’t put your book down!”

“The story pulled me in.”

“You kept me up all night.”

“I can’t wait for your next book.”

Music to a writer’s ears. Praise of the highest order.

As a reader I want to read (or watch) a great story. I’m not impressed by flowery prose, laundry list descriptions of a character’s outfit or paragraphs describing a room’s furnishings. In my mind, writing and storytelling are two different things.

A storyteller takes you on a journey, weaves a tale, and connects you to the characters. Writing is the vehicle that brings the story to life, but should be more the like the soundtrack (in the background creating a mood, not bowling you over with bombast).

So tell me, what’s your preference? Do you get caught up in the words themselves? Or do you go for pacing and action? Or maybe a combination of both?