Seven Tears Into the Sea
Phantom Stallion Series
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Friday, August 31, 2007
Translating: Bow Wow! Ruff ! And sad puppy eyes
Has anyone ever snatched away the book or magazine you were reading? I bet you felt irritated or frustrated. Picked on, even.
Could you be doing that to someone you love without even knowing it?
Maybe.
Yesterday it rained in my part of Nevada and when I took Zito the dog out for a walk this morning, she wanted to sniff EVERYTHING. Moisture holds scent, I've been told. Nose down and tail wagging, Zito breathed in the smells of deer, skunk, birds and coyotes which passed through her territory overnight.
I didn't notice her delight until I told her "let's go" - meaning we were leaving...returning to the boring house.
She ignored me until I gave the leash a little tug and her nose bobbed away from a clump of rain-soaked sagebrush.
Then, she turned amazed, irritated and frustrated eyes on me.
"Excuse me!" her expression clearly said, "I was reading that!"
So I let her finish the chapter.
Be kind & have a fun weekend,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:49 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 30, 2007
HAWAIIAN HORSES
ALOHA!
Longing for a trip to the islands?
It's fun to visit DahanaRanch.com and check out the Phantom Stallion page!
The real Hoku looks super-cute in braids!
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:24 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Animal Notes
Message to Slocum clones: you're so wrong :)
For years, many people who don't like wild horses on their property have called the authorities to get rid of them. THAT'S THE LAW, they told those backing the horses.
Turns out, uh, NO IT'S NOT! Some hard-working wild horse advocates discovered Nevada is a fence-out state. If you don't want wild horses on your property, it's your responsibility to fence them out.
As Betty Retzer of the Wild Horse Preservation League (which holds legal title to the real Phantom) says, "This is wild horse country and this is what you can expect."
Sage + Horses = Heaven
Want to see where I spent Sunday? Check out this amazing photo. http://dandry.com/photo.asp
More coming soon.
End of summer sale:
Reno, Nev. - The Bureau of Land Management’s Palomino Valley Wild Horse Center offers mare/foal pairs for adoption at a reduced fee through September. The pairs can be adopted for $125!
$100 for the foal & $25 for the mare. The standard adoption fee is $125 per animal.
Do you live near Muscotah, Kansas?
A rescue organization there is desperate for dog and horse homes. If you are willing to adopt an animal with special needs (ex: blind pony, abused Beagle) email me with MUSCOTAH in the subject line.
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:31 AM 0 comments
Monday, August 27, 2007
EXTREME MUSTANG MAKEOVER
Dear Readers,
Sadly I won't be able to get this, but I hope you will & can tell me ALL about it!
Coming to a television near you on MONDAY AUGUST 27th...
View on RFD-TV (DIRECT TV 379 and DISH NETWORK 231 or 9409).
The Extreme Mustang Makeover will be aired as a segment of RFD Channel's Wide World of Horses.
There will be six episodes beginning August 2007:
August 27
September 24
October 22
November 19
December 17
December 31
At this time the airtimes are:
Mondays 10:30pm Eastern
Re-run Tuesday 8:30am Eastern
Re-run following Monday 4:30pm Eastern
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 5:27 PM 0 comments
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Riding & Writing :)
Dear Readers,
I'm blogging from Elko, Nevada. In a few minutes I'll be driving out to the
71 Ranch to do a story for Nevada magazine. Then, tomorrow, I'll be riding out with members of AQHA members along the base of the Ruby Mountains. I'm really excited and will give you more details later!
Happy trails,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:34 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Who Cares?
Dear Readers,
I don't know how to feel about this newsstory. http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070822/NEWS18/70822023&oaso=news.rgj.com
Is it better that 71 wild horses were killed not out of malice, but because no one cared if they -- and any other wildlife -- died?
Please keep thinking about the consequences of YOUR actions.
I care. How about you?
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:36 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
BLACKBERRIES & SHINING STALLIONS
Dear Readers,
In my part of Nevada, summer's not giving up without a fight.
I went out early and picked blackberries with my dog (her job was snuffling under the blackberry bushes to make quail fret) and it was lovely.
Lovely, but not easy. Our blackberries aren't like the ones I pick up in the air-conditioned market. Fiercely thorny high desert berries, they're refugees from a neighbor's disciplined yard. They've run wild over picket fences, under barbed wire, and through sagebrush to produce defiantly hard little purple knots that smell like August.
Every single year, they tempt into their spiky labyrinth, to go after the highest, glossiest berries the deer haven't eaten, even though I know I'll emerge with scratched-bloody legs and stinging slashes on the untanned undersides of my arms.
But, as I wince after my prey, I hear horses nosing their buckets, Canada geese flying overhead -- not honking, just gliding so low I hear wind in their feathers as they migrate -- and the tiny plink of berries falling into an optimistically deep bowl, reminding me of "Blueberries for Sal".
It's a wonderful day to be a writer who just turned in a book yesterday and has a book coming out today, so I can spend a guilt-free morning enjoying the "fruits of my labor." :)
Your bookstore probably has the SHINING STALLION on its shelves, now. Look for a wild horse charging right at you through a waterfall. See the rainbow in the water? Love it!
In this second WILD HORSE ISLAND book, Darby is still learning her way around horses and Hawaii. Hoku is still a wild Nevada mustang and even I didn't know how she'd react to that black stallion with one sapphire blue eye until they faced off!
If you're a SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA fan, I bet you'll like how legends come alive in SHINING STALLION. I couldn't help but write WILD HORSE ISLAND this way.
In the rain forests and on the volcanic slopes of Hawaii, it feels totally possible. To paraphrase John Green http://www.sparksflyup.com/ myths and legends aren't lies; they're traditional stories that tell you a lot about the minds and hearts of people and what they hold sacred.
Carpe diem, y'all!
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:35 AM 0 comments
Monday, August 20, 2007
WRITING BLIND (writing tip #2)
Dear Reader/Writers,
Following up on my promise to suggest end-of-summer writing tips, here's one that -- like lots of fun things (ex: chocolate chip cookies!)-- was born of a mistake.
I took a brand new laptop along to an International Baccalaureate teachers' workshop in New Mexico. After one exciting session, I ran, brain ablaze, up to my dorm room to write. I was so impatient to begin, I gave up searching for the screen brightness adjuster and started typing.
When I arrived back home and printed out the word flurry, I found that I'd written six single-spaced pages in thirty minutes.
Was it great? The best literary creation of my life? Of course not, and there were plenty of typos. Still, blindfolding my internal censor produced the seed of a story.
This technique is perfect when you can "see" a scene in your mind, but it refuses to emerge from your fingertips.
Directions: turn off you computer monitor and write for thirty uninterrupted minutes. Set a timer & try to keep your fingers on the right keys.
Have fun,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:12 AM 0 comments
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Party down, old cat
Dear Readers,
My mother told me that when I moved out of her house and into my new apartment, the good fairies wouldn't follow me. I think she meant picking up socks, doing dishes and stuff like that and she was mostly right.
However, while I was writing last night, someone cleaned the refrigerator and freezer, AND fixed all its malfunctions. Wonderful!
Still, two things were accidentally left behind on the kitchen counter overnight. A package of ham hocks and a tin of cat nip.
Evidence this morning indicates Sherlock the aging tabby has not forgotten how to par-tay.
Have a safe and sane weekend,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:52 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 16, 2007
WILD HORSES & BURROS
Dear Readers,
Tomorrow I'll be visiting the WILD HORSE & BURRO Expo in Reno. I'll get to talk with some visiting classes, see lots of horses enjoying a second life with their new human herd members, and sign books for readers!
I hope to see some of you there, but for those of you toooooo far away, you can come along with me (cyberally..is that a word?) by going here: http://wildhorseandburroexpo.com/
Have fun!
Terri
p.s. Please make sure you check out the WH&B Expo raffle -- on the Net or in the arena!
p.p.s. Watch my blog for another way you can help protect horses from slaughter
p.p.p.s. Did you know I can "talk" with you on MySpace & Facebook, too?
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:37 PM 0 comments
Monday, August 13, 2007
RIGHT NOW WRITE NOW (Tip #1)
"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one know what they are."
W.Somerset Maugham
Dear Readers,
Don't look.
Summer's end is in sight.
And that story you promised yourself you'd write? Uh....you meant to...and you DID tap out a dynamite page one...but people have no idea how busy you've been. There were picnics to plan, movies to see, beaches to explore, Harry Potter to read... you'd be culturally illiterate if you didn't...and...how sad, because you REALLY wanted to write that book! And the readers of the world -- even if they don't know it yet -- will have their lives changed forever by your masterpiece.
So don't give up.
I don't know the surefire rules for writing a novel, but I'll give you what I've got. For the next week or two, I'll intersperse my blog posts with six ways that I've jumpstarted my own writing.
Fingers crossed that one of them works for you,
Terri
#1 Ask yourself: What piece of earth do I stand on that has never been occupied by an author before?
Answer that question, (substitute ALMOST never, if you must) & you'll come up with a feeling, situation or character that sets your work apart from that of other writers.
When I answered it, I realized most writers haven't seen wild horses' shock and fear when a trap is slammed shut behind them. Lots of writers haven't ridden on a ten day cattle drive. Few writers have spent hours coaxing an orphan sea lion to take a bottle. And not everyone has faced an adult education student so frustrated, he waits until the night school classroom is empty, then throws a desk at his first year teacher.
Are any of these events unique? No, but they pack an emotional jolt that makes my fingers itch to get writing.
In scanning your past, search for something no one knows about you. Recall stories you've told to friends which made them ask, "Then what did you do?"
Identify those experiences, try using one as a skeleton you can flesh out as a work of fiction. Maybe you'll transplant the feeling to another setting. Or you could change your experience so that you didn't duck, didn't succeed or didn't fail.
Whatever you decide to do with that experience, you can then write
a query letter which begins: "I am uniquely qualified to write this book because..." That's a phrase guaranteed to catch an editor's eye.
After that, it's up to you!
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:49 PM 0 comments
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Phantom's Paradise
For your Sunday pleasure, here's a great website designed by a PHANTOM fan:
http://thepsparadise.proboards51.com/index.cgi
Best,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:29 AM 0 comments
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Moral Courage: for the horses
Dear Readers,
Do you have about five minutes to stand up for what you believe?
If you don't approve of Pres. Bush's promise to veto laws which protect horses from slaughter, here's the simplest way yet to let your voice be heard.
Go to the Humane Society's website, enter only your zip code and pow! you get an instant way to email your legislators and the president.
www.humanesociety.org/leglookup
Don't know what to say? You might check out this website created this week by Phantom Stallion readers:
http://atariel47.proboards62.com/index.cgi
or feel free to use my note as a starting place.
Dear Senator______:
As an opponent of horse slaughter, I'm asking you to please co-sponsor S.311.
Most Americans hate the idea of horse slaughter on principle and have spoken out against it since the 1950's.
If President Bush follows through with his vow to veto S.311, I hope Congress stands firm and makes him veto this over and over again. This is not a partisan issue and voters need to see their president and representatives for the people they are.
Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Terri Farley
More information on Monday!
My heart's still with the horses,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:49 PM 0 comments
Friday, August 10, 2007
Thanks to You...
...Shamrock, Whiskey and Darlin' are prancing because of the two HUGE bags of horse treats a reader mailed to me!
...the great writers who attended my workshop at SCBWI's annual convention in Los Angeles know MY READERS ROCK because I wore jewelry made by Phantom Stallion lovers in South Africa, Oklahoma and Hawaii!
...the readers of WILD HORSE ISLAND: Fire Maiden can look forward to a book that combines fantasy with reality because a wonderful ranger at Volcanoes National Park read my first draft!
Hugs to you all!
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:23 PM 0 comments
"If You'd only told me how you felt..."
Dear Readers,
I don't know how long this will go on, but it's time to take a stand again. I will have more suggestions for you, but here's the first one.
EXPRESS YOUR OPINIONS!
August 4 - September 3 -- during this "recess" from work in Washington, D.C., congressmen and senators will be home -- near you.
Check the Internet, newspaper, or call your representative's office to check on her/ his schedule.
Then, at public events -- parades, woodcutting events, state fairs, or whatever -- greet them at a public event with a smile and a request that they please
support S. 311, the bill to ban horse slaughter. If we can "surround" them with attention on this issue and really use the August recess productively, we can help the horses.
Are you nervous about doing this? Afraid to talk to someone so important?
Take a look at a few of these videos and remember WHY you care. Warning, horse slaughter is an ugly business and some of these images are emotionally hard to bear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPKI0qCDODw&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S39yGhGSHeg&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cSYcOeqgF4
BE PART OF THE HERD & BE HEARD
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:42 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Pres. Bush Vows to Veto Horse-Saving Law
Dear Readers,
I'm sorry to come to you with news like this, but you need to know that President Bush has promised to veto the anti-slaughter bill which passed the House of Representatives, if it becomes law.
Here's the story:
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=3967007&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
I'll write to you again as soon as I'm advised the best step for us to take in letting the president know how we feel about this.
Be thinking of YOUR OWN best ideas! You all are so creative, I'm sure you'll step up and make yourselves herd...uh, HEARD.
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:18 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Dear Readers,
If you don't subscribe to YOUNG RIDER magazine, you'll want to be watching for it at a bookstore or magazine stand near you this month. It's the one that says:MEET THE REAL PHANTOM on the cover!
I'm delighted!
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 7:36 AM 0 comments
Translating: Bow Wow! Ruff ! And sad puppy eyes
Has anyone ever snatched away the book or magazine you were reading? I bet you felt irritated or frustrated. Picked on, even.
Could you be doing that to someone you love without even knowing it?
Maybe.
Yesterday it rained in my part of Nevada and when I took Zito the dog out for a walk this morning, she wanted to sniff EVERYTHING. Moisture holds scent, I've been told. Nose down and tail wagging, Zito breathed in the smells of deer, skunk, birds and coyotes which passed through her territory overnight.
I didn't notice her delight until I told her "let's go" - meaning we were leaving...returning to the boring house.
She ignored me until I gave the leash a little tug and her nose bobbed away from a clump of rain-soaked sagebrush.
Then, she turned amazed, irritated and frustrated eyes on me.
"Excuse me!" her expression clearly said, "I was reading that!"
So I let her finish the chapter.
Be kind & have a fun weekend,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:49 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 30, 2007
HAWAIIAN HORSES
ALOHA!
Longing for a trip to the islands?
It's fun to visit DahanaRanch.com and check out the Phantom Stallion page!
The real Hoku looks super-cute in braids!
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:24 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Animal Notes
Message to Slocum clones: you're so wrong :)
For years, many people who don't like wild horses on their property have called the authorities to get rid of them. THAT'S THE LAW, they told those backing the horses.
Turns out, uh, NO IT'S NOT! Some hard-working wild horse advocates discovered Nevada is a fence-out state. If you don't want wild horses on your property, it's your responsibility to fence them out.
As Betty Retzer of the Wild Horse Preservation League (which holds legal title to the real Phantom) says, "This is wild horse country and this is what you can expect."
Sage + Horses = Heaven
Want to see where I spent Sunday? Check out this amazing photo. http://dandry.com/photo.asp
More coming soon.
End of summer sale:
Reno, Nev. - The Bureau of Land Management’s Palomino Valley Wild Horse Center offers mare/foal pairs for adoption at a reduced fee through September. The pairs can be adopted for $125!
$100 for the foal & $25 for the mare. The standard adoption fee is $125 per animal.
Do you live near Muscotah, Kansas?
A rescue organization there is desperate for dog and horse homes. If you are willing to adopt an animal with special needs (ex: blind pony, abused Beagle) email me with MUSCOTAH in the subject line.
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:31 AM 0 comments
Monday, August 27, 2007
EXTREME MUSTANG MAKEOVER
Dear Readers,
Sadly I won't be able to get this, but I hope you will & can tell me ALL about it!
Coming to a television near you on MONDAY AUGUST 27th...
View on RFD-TV (DIRECT TV 379 and DISH NETWORK 231 or 9409).
The Extreme Mustang Makeover will be aired as a segment of RFD Channel's Wide World of Horses.
There will be six episodes beginning August 2007:
August 27
September 24
October 22
November 19
December 17
December 31
At this time the airtimes are:
Mondays 10:30pm Eastern
Re-run Tuesday 8:30am Eastern
Re-run following Monday 4:30pm Eastern
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 5:27 PM 0 comments
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Riding & Writing :)
Dear Readers,
I'm blogging from Elko, Nevada. In a few minutes I'll be driving out to the
71 Ranch to do a story for Nevada magazine. Then, tomorrow, I'll be riding out with members of AQHA members along the base of the Ruby Mountains. I'm really excited and will give you more details later!
Happy trails,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:34 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Who Cares?
Dear Readers,
I don't know how to feel about this newsstory. http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070822/NEWS18/70822023&oaso=news.rgj.com
Is it better that 71 wild horses were killed not out of malice, but because no one cared if they -- and any other wildlife -- died?
Please keep thinking about the consequences of YOUR actions.
I care. How about you?
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:36 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
BLACKBERRIES & SHINING STALLIONS
Dear Readers,
In my part of Nevada, summer's not giving up without a fight.
I went out early and picked blackberries with my dog (her job was snuffling under the blackberry bushes to make quail fret) and it was lovely.
Lovely, but not easy. Our blackberries aren't like the ones I pick up in the air-conditioned market. Fiercely thorny high desert berries, they're refugees from a neighbor's disciplined yard. They've run wild over picket fences, under barbed wire, and through sagebrush to produce defiantly hard little purple knots that smell like August.
Every single year, they tempt into their spiky labyrinth, to go after the highest, glossiest berries the deer haven't eaten, even though I know I'll emerge with scratched-bloody legs and stinging slashes on the untanned undersides of my arms.
But, as I wince after my prey, I hear horses nosing their buckets, Canada geese flying overhead -- not honking, just gliding so low I hear wind in their feathers as they migrate -- and the tiny plink of berries falling into an optimistically deep bowl, reminding me of "Blueberries for Sal".
It's a wonderful day to be a writer who just turned in a book yesterday and has a book coming out today, so I can spend a guilt-free morning enjoying the "fruits of my labor." :)
Your bookstore probably has the SHINING STALLION on its shelves, now. Look for a wild horse charging right at you through a waterfall. See the rainbow in the water? Love it!
In this second WILD HORSE ISLAND book, Darby is still learning her way around horses and Hawaii. Hoku is still a wild Nevada mustang and even I didn't know how she'd react to that black stallion with one sapphire blue eye until they faced off!
If you're a SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA fan, I bet you'll like how legends come alive in SHINING STALLION. I couldn't help but write WILD HORSE ISLAND this way.
In the rain forests and on the volcanic slopes of Hawaii, it feels totally possible. To paraphrase John Green http://www.sparksflyup.com/ myths and legends aren't lies; they're traditional stories that tell you a lot about the minds and hearts of people and what they hold sacred.
Carpe diem, y'all!
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:35 AM 0 comments
Monday, August 20, 2007
WRITING BLIND (writing tip #2)
Dear Reader/Writers,
Following up on my promise to suggest end-of-summer writing tips, here's one that -- like lots of fun things (ex: chocolate chip cookies!)-- was born of a mistake.
I took a brand new laptop along to an International Baccalaureate teachers' workshop in New Mexico. After one exciting session, I ran, brain ablaze, up to my dorm room to write. I was so impatient to begin, I gave up searching for the screen brightness adjuster and started typing.
When I arrived back home and printed out the word flurry, I found that I'd written six single-spaced pages in thirty minutes.
Was it great? The best literary creation of my life? Of course not, and there were plenty of typos. Still, blindfolding my internal censor produced the seed of a story.
This technique is perfect when you can "see" a scene in your mind, but it refuses to emerge from your fingertips.
Directions: turn off you computer monitor and write for thirty uninterrupted minutes. Set a timer & try to keep your fingers on the right keys.
Have fun,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:12 AM 0 comments
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Party down, old cat
Dear Readers,
My mother told me that when I moved out of her house and into my new apartment, the good fairies wouldn't follow me. I think she meant picking up socks, doing dishes and stuff like that and she was mostly right.
However, while I was writing last night, someone cleaned the refrigerator and freezer, AND fixed all its malfunctions. Wonderful!
Still, two things were accidentally left behind on the kitchen counter overnight. A package of ham hocks and a tin of cat nip.
Evidence this morning indicates Sherlock the aging tabby has not forgotten how to par-tay.
Have a safe and sane weekend,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:52 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 16, 2007
WILD HORSES & BURROS
Dear Readers,
Tomorrow I'll be visiting the WILD HORSE & BURRO Expo in Reno. I'll get to talk with some visiting classes, see lots of horses enjoying a second life with their new human herd members, and sign books for readers!
I hope to see some of you there, but for those of you toooooo far away, you can come along with me (cyberally..is that a word?) by going here: http://wildhorseandburroexpo.com/
Have fun!
Terri
p.s. Please make sure you check out the WH&B Expo raffle -- on the Net or in the arena!
p.p.s. Watch my blog for another way you can help protect horses from slaughter
p.p.p.s. Did you know I can "talk" with you on MySpace & Facebook, too?
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:37 PM 0 comments
Monday, August 13, 2007
RIGHT NOW WRITE NOW (Tip #1)
"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one know what they are."
W.Somerset Maugham
Dear Readers,
Don't look.
Summer's end is in sight.
And that story you promised yourself you'd write? Uh....you meant to...and you DID tap out a dynamite page one...but people have no idea how busy you've been. There were picnics to plan, movies to see, beaches to explore, Harry Potter to read... you'd be culturally illiterate if you didn't...and...how sad, because you REALLY wanted to write that book! And the readers of the world -- even if they don't know it yet -- will have their lives changed forever by your masterpiece.
So don't give up.
I don't know the surefire rules for writing a novel, but I'll give you what I've got. For the next week or two, I'll intersperse my blog posts with six ways that I've jumpstarted my own writing.
Fingers crossed that one of them works for you,
Terri
#1 Ask yourself: What piece of earth do I stand on that has never been occupied by an author before?
Answer that question, (substitute ALMOST never, if you must) & you'll come up with a feeling, situation or character that sets your work apart from that of other writers.
When I answered it, I realized most writers haven't seen wild horses' shock and fear when a trap is slammed shut behind them. Lots of writers haven't ridden on a ten day cattle drive. Few writers have spent hours coaxing an orphan sea lion to take a bottle. And not everyone has faced an adult education student so frustrated, he waits until the night school classroom is empty, then throws a desk at his first year teacher.
Are any of these events unique? No, but they pack an emotional jolt that makes my fingers itch to get writing.
In scanning your past, search for something no one knows about you. Recall stories you've told to friends which made them ask, "Then what did you do?"
Identify those experiences, try using one as a skeleton you can flesh out as a work of fiction. Maybe you'll transplant the feeling to another setting. Or you could change your experience so that you didn't duck, didn't succeed or didn't fail.
Whatever you decide to do with that experience, you can then write
a query letter which begins: "I am uniquely qualified to write this book because..." That's a phrase guaranteed to catch an editor's eye.
After that, it's up to you!
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:49 PM 0 comments
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Phantom's Paradise
For your Sunday pleasure, here's a great website designed by a PHANTOM fan:
http://thepsparadise.proboards51.com/index.cgi
Best,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:29 AM 0 comments
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Moral Courage: for the horses
Dear Readers,
Do you have about five minutes to stand up for what you believe?
If you don't approve of Pres. Bush's promise to veto laws which protect horses from slaughter, here's the simplest way yet to let your voice be heard.
Go to the Humane Society's website, enter only your zip code and pow! you get an instant way to email your legislators and the president.
www.humanesociety.org/leglookup
Don't know what to say? You might check out this website created this week by Phantom Stallion readers:
http://atariel47.proboards62.com/index.cgi
or feel free to use my note as a starting place.
Dear Senator______:
As an opponent of horse slaughter, I'm asking you to please co-sponsor S.311.
Most Americans hate the idea of horse slaughter on principle and have spoken out against it since the 1950's.
If President Bush follows through with his vow to veto S.311, I hope Congress stands firm and makes him veto this over and over again. This is not a partisan issue and voters need to see their president and representatives for the people they are.
Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Terri Farley
More information on Monday!
My heart's still with the horses,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:49 PM 0 comments
Friday, August 10, 2007
Thanks to You...
...Shamrock, Whiskey and Darlin' are prancing because of the two HUGE bags of horse treats a reader mailed to me!
...the great writers who attended my workshop at SCBWI's annual convention in Los Angeles know MY READERS ROCK because I wore jewelry made by Phantom Stallion lovers in South Africa, Oklahoma and Hawaii!
...the readers of WILD HORSE ISLAND: Fire Maiden can look forward to a book that combines fantasy with reality because a wonderful ranger at Volcanoes National Park read my first draft!
Hugs to you all!
Terri
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Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:23 PM 0 comments
"If You'd only told me how you felt..."
Dear Readers,
I don't know how long this will go on, but it's time to take a stand again. I will have more suggestions for you, but here's the first one.
EXPRESS YOUR OPINIONS!
August 4 - September 3 -- during this "recess" from work in Washington, D.C., congressmen and senators will be home -- near you.
Check the Internet, newspaper, or call your representative's office to check on her/ his schedule.
Then, at public events -- parades, woodcutting events, state fairs, or whatever -- greet them at a public event with a smile and a request that they please
support S. 311, the bill to ban horse slaughter. If we can "surround" them with attention on this issue and really use the August recess productively, we can help the horses.
Are you nervous about doing this? Afraid to talk to someone so important?
Take a look at a few of these videos and remember WHY you care. Warning, horse slaughter is an ugly business and some of these images are emotionally hard to bear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPKI0qCDODw&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S39yGhGSHeg&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cSYcOeqgF4
BE PART OF THE HERD & BE HEARD
Terri
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Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:42 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Pres. Bush Vows to Veto Horse-Saving Law
Dear Readers,
I'm sorry to come to you with news like this, but you need to know that President Bush has promised to veto the anti-slaughter bill which passed the House of Representatives, if it becomes law.
Here's the story:
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=3967007&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
I'll write to you again as soon as I'm advised the best step for us to take in letting the president know how we feel about this.
Be thinking of YOUR OWN best ideas! You all are so creative, I'm sure you'll step up and make yourselves herd...uh, HEARD.
Terri
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Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:18 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Dear Readers,
If you don't subscribe to YOUNG RIDER magazine, you'll want to be watching for it at a bookstore or magazine stand near you this month. It's the one that says:MEET THE REAL PHANTOM on the cover!
I'm delighted!
Terri
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Posted by Terri Farley @ 7:36 AM 0 comments