Author Rita Schiano

Today, we're chatting with Rita Schiano, the author of Painting The Invisible Man , ISBN: 0979534704, published by The Reed Edwards Company, and Sweet Bitter Love, ISBN: 1883061156, published by Rising Tide Press and distributed now through The Reed Edwards Company.

Rita can be found at her website and her blog, Rita’s Not-So-Daily Word. She offers a free newsletter on her website and an archive of Talk To Me, her blog talk radio show wherein she interviewed creative people.

Now, let's chat with Rita.

How many years from your first manuscript to your first sale?

For Sweet Bitter Love, 1 1/2 years; for Painting The Invisible Man, 3 years.

What has been your best experience as a published author?

Having the opportunity to go into schools and talk with kids about writing.

What has been your worst experience as a published author?

Can’t say I’ve had one.

What has surprised you most as a professional writer?

The sometimes profound effect my stories have had on people . . . on their self-exploration.

If you could write any story, without regard to it selling or any of those other business issues, what would you write?

I write those stories now. There is never a guarantee one’s work will sell.

What do you love about your career?

The freedom to explore myriad concepts, points of view, emotional and intellectual expression through my characters.

What do you hate about your career?

Not a thing.

If you got a big 6-figure advance for a book, what's the first thing you'd buy for yourself?

A Tempur-pedic mattress!

What is the best advice you can give beginning writers?

Write every day. Establish a disciplined schedule. Don’t fall in love with your words. Embrace the value of rewriting and honing your work.

What would you like readers to know?

The web site where to buy my books! Seriously, seek out and support new writers. Spend the little extra to buy a new book, not a used copy off Amazon or the like. Authors only get paid when a book sells new.

PS. Looking for some good summer reading? Check out my novel Painting The Invisible Man, and read what it’s like to grow up in a family on the fringe of the Mafia. I hope you'll tell your friends and family about this engrossing story too!

Thanks, Rita, for taking the time to visit with us and good luck with your books.

Takeaway Truth

Make a point to discover a new author today. It's a win/win situation for you and the author.

(This interview was previously published on Joan Slings Words.)

The Buzzard, The Bat, The Bumblebee

This Internet Floater is thought-provoking as well as amusing. My friend Perry sent it a while back. Hope you enjoy the fable of the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee.

The Buzzard

If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

The Bat

The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

The Bumblebee

A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It n ever sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

People

In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look to our faith, whatever it may be.

Sorrow looks back. Worry looks around. Faith looks up.

Takeaway Truth

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

3 Ways To Focus On Writing

A lot of writers like using the older AlphaSmart keyboards because they don't allow you any editing function except a backspace key. You can't delete or highlight to cut and paste and shift text around.

This is great because when you write, you're focused on creating text, not agonizing over word choice, sentence construction, and whether this paragraph goes here or better there. You just write and move on.

There are many successful authors who have taught themselves to just get the first draft done by whatever means necessary. They write and keep writing rather than backtrack or constantly edit the same pages over and over. That way, they get it down, then they can go back and edit and polish.

If you're stuck in your writing, maybe you just need to write hell bent for leather and just keep moving until you type The End. One way to do this is with a hardware device like my old AlphaSmart. The other way is with a software application that blocks all editing distractions. Here are 3 for you to sample.

Write Or Die

You can use this free online or download it for a paltry 10 bucks. You set a word goal and/or a time goal, a Consequences mode from Gentle to Electric Shock, and a Grace Period from Forgiving to Evil. Click Write and get started. I've used this. You cut and paste your work from the screen to your word processing app when you finish.

When you click Done, you get a screen with the purchase link. The purchased version has Kamikaze mode which I like. Yep. I bought it and think it's a great tool.

Creawriter

This a free Windows download that also creates a distraction free writing zone. The icons you see in the upper right corner are there only when the mouse is passed over them and govern the functions to create a new document, save your document, and make minor changes like increasing or decreasing the font size for your convenience. You can save your work as a TXT, RTF, and DOC, and the files are compatible with nearly every word processor if you want to import your text for later editing.

WriteMonkey

Writemonkey is another free software, though you can donate via PayPal if you like it and want to support it. If you donate, you'll get a file that will enable personalization, and you can access hidden features. This is another software app that seeks to eliminate distractions therefore it's a text editor with minimal editing functions. It's designed to take over your full screen and won't allow you to open another window without exiting.

Takeaway Truth

If focusing on your writing, and ignoring distractions, is a problem, then try one of these solutions.

Tax Free Shopping

If you're lucky enough to be in a state that allows tax-free shopping before school, I hope you'll take advantage of it. Here in Texas, clothing, backpacks, and school supplies are tax-exempt for the August 20-22 weekend. Check the website for details.

To find your state's dates, just Google sales tax free shopping or tax free weekend. The nice thing is anyone can take advantage of this savings on clothing - even writers looking to stock up on certain office supplies that qualify.

Takeaway Truth

Savings on sales tax can be significant so mark your calendar and wait to buy those new school clothes and supplies.

The Skinny On Web Hosting

Want to know all about the various web hosting sites? Then get a hosting guide from Web Hosting Rating.com. They've been providing real web hosting reviews since 2002, and they're pretty darn good at it.

Shopping Around

I'm currently shopping for a webhost because one of my domains expires this month. So I'm particularly interested in current reviews of the best known webhost sites. What's great about Web Hosting Rating.com is that you can learn just about everything you need to know about website development from web hosting, domain names, and even SEO. Of course they offer webmaster tools too.

If you are a beginner at all this, and you're afraid you don't know enough, don't worry. Their free guide on how to pick the right Web Hosting Provider will give you the information you need to choose the right one for you based on your needs.

Cruising The Site

At the top you'll see a menu tab for the Top 10 Web Host Sites. That's a good place to start, but be sure and check out all their Categories listed on the left sidebar. That's depth of knowledge, and it's available to you for free.

I don't know who I'll choose yet, but at least I have a way to weed out the different offerings.

Takeaway Truth

Always research your options so you get the best deal for you and your circumstance.

Shopping For Laptop Cases

Since I bit the bullet and got Internet at our vacation home, I've been lugging my laptop back and forth every weekend. I bought this laptop last summer. Only after getting it out of the box did I realize it wouldn't fit any of the 3 laptop cases I owned.

Last year I carried it in an old EF Tours backpack which provided no padding or protection, but at least it went into the backpack. This year I've been using a huge nylon mesh totebag. Nice and roomy but still no protection. After nearly dropping it last night when I was unloading the car, I decided I should get a proper bag for it.

Shopping Online

In case you've been looking for a lightweight bag to accommodate a laptop, here's 3 that I found today. I'm trying to decide which one to order. I'll probably go with one of the backpack cases because a summer in Europe sold me on the benefits of backpacks.

Sumdex Women's Red Laptop/Tote/Brief from Overstock. Low price of $39.95.

Piggy Back Laptop Backpack from Melissabeth.com. A bit pricey at $89.00.

Express Pink Dots Backpack. A reasonable $50.99.

Takeaway Truth

A laptop is a tool of the trade that should be protected from damage and theft because data lost is time and money lost.

August & Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Quote for the Week

On this blistering hot day, I'm reminded of what Lord Byron wrote: "The English winter - ending in July, / To recommence in August."

The English romantic poet never experienced August in Texas. Summer here bears more resemblance to what Violette Leduc wrote in Mad in Pursuit: "I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of the summer."

I'm inside the burning cathedral of summer, surrounded by brown prairie grass and dried up wildflowers. Even the deer don't come out in the daytime to graze any more. They wait for the coolness of evening.

A famous Indian proverb is appropriate at this point. "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun."

Here in Texas, if we must venture out into the noonday sun, those of us who are native born in the South, and possess common sense, don hats and sunglasses and make sure we drink lots of water or ice tea - that's ice tea, not iced tea.

In the south, we drink lots of ice tea, and as soon as possible we head for a shady porch with an old fashioned swing or take shelter inside air conditioned rooms.

Takeaway Truth

The hot days - and nights - of August are best spent inside with a good book.