Friday, October 31, 2008
Immortal Warrior by Lisa Hendrix: Book Trailer
To watch the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgqwLhxhBLg
Ivar has kept his terrible curse a secret for hundreds of years. Now the king has given him land and a wife, and despite himself, Ivar is soon captivated by his beautiful bride. But what happens when Alaida discovers that he becomes an eagle at the break of every day?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Knights Templar: The Sisters of Avalon Have Awakened
Alata was the first to arouse the memories from their soulful slumber. The first of them all, she physically appeared at the appointed place only to find betrayal and death. As her soul lifted from this life to return to the spiritual plane, she set the events in motion that brought Alyssa to this historical depository to finish what she had started. Learning from Alata’s mistake, Alyssa chose to wait until she was strong enough spiritually cross the distance and physically manifest. Leaving her body behind, she afforded herself a safety cushion that her sister did not have. Although Alata’s blood had been wiped off the great stone floor and her body was unceremoniously dumped in the sea, the injustice be forgotten or forgiven. As a new body was being prepared, Alata remained ever attentive guardian angel for those sisters who remained incarnated.
The office was old, holding treasures and wisdom of the ages--lost scrolls and ancient artifacts filled the shelves and covered the walls. Yet the modern conveniences of the information age surrounded and the covered the massive desk which all else was centered around. Legends claimed that the Temple Mount first site where the knights gathered. The legend was wrong. It was here north of Skaw on the small Shetland island of Unst that the Knights first met and made the pact with the Outerlings. On the turbulent, rocky shore, they set down their roots and the course for generations to come. In secret the ships landed, carrying the wisdom and the wealth of the ages to be kept in safe keeping for the time when the Sisterhood would awaken.
Generations of Templar Knights had cross the threshold to become guardians of the future. The guard changed. The weapons changed. Yet their task remained the same; they were charged to guard the resources for the Sisterhood until such time they returned to fulfill their destinies.
The Sisters had returned to human form, yet their protectors refused to appear and their resources remained locked in hidden away by petty egos and power greedy men. No longer did they seek to serve, but control that which they swore to defend. Directly behind the desk where the Templar shield should be, a Circle with many lines hung in its stead.
The office was old, holding treasures and wisdom of the ages--lost scrolls and ancient artifacts filled the shelves and covered the walls. Yet the modern conveniences of the information age surrounded and the covered the massive desk which all else was centered around. Legends claimed that the Temple Mount first site where the knights gathered. The legend was wrong. It was here north of Skaw on the small Shetland island of Unst that the Knights first met and made the pact with the Outerlings. On the turbulent, rocky shore, they set down their roots and the course for generations to come. In secret the ships landed, carrying the wisdom and the wealth of the ages to be kept in safe keeping for the time when the Sisterhood would awaken.
Generations of Templar Knights had cross the threshold to become guardians of the future. The guard changed. The weapons changed. Yet their task remained the same; they were charged to guard the resources for the Sisterhood until such time they returned to fulfill their destinies.
The Sisters had returned to human form, yet their protectors refused to appear and their resources remained locked in hidden away by petty egos and power greedy men. No longer did they seek to serve, but control that which they swore to defend. Directly behind the desk where the Templar shield should be, a Circle with many lines hung in its stead.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Ghosts--Are they Real?
Three questions:
Do you believe in ghosts?
Have you seen a ghost?
Are you willing to share the experience? If you are, please do.
Do you believe in ghosts?
Have you seen a ghost?
Are you willing to share the experience? If you are, please do.
Banishing Spirits and Ending Hauntings
With the rapidly thinning veil between the living and the dead as Samhain or All Hallows approaches, more people are becoming aware of the ghostly presences around them. However, during the days and sometimes weeks when the veil is thin, all spirits are not only more active, but are more capable of affecting the physical world.
While spirits of guardians and loved ones are welcome reminders of the love and protection available, not all spectators seek to share love. Many hauntings are based on evil acts that have been hidden by lies or when justice has been denied. Although the haunting activity may be present year round, while the veil is thin the spirits are more powerful and more capable of affecting the living.
Love bonds between souls are never truly broken. They exist long after the body dies and follows souls from life to life. During times of emotional and physical stress, loved ones who have crossed over can muster the strength to influence the physical realm much like a mother being able to life a car off her child. It is how flowers and other gifts are manifested--how pieces of music can be manipulated to be played on radio stations or intuitive strangers are able to share messages from those who have crossed over. During this time we think and dream more of our departed loved ones. It is a time of lovingly remembering and sharing the events of the previous year. No matter how sweet and wonderful their visit may be, it must remain just a short stay. To attempt to hold on, would only do harm to both. Instead the visitation should be thought of as temporary houseguest that comes but once a year.
Vengeful spirits are those whose egos, anger and fear of what lays beyond keeps them between worlds. These are the spirits who have not truly crossed over. Instead, they exist in a in-between, not being part of either realm. Since these spirits still have ties to the physical realm, they are more capable of affecting it. They are also able to draw power from both sides of the veil, making them seem demonic in nature when in fact they are just fearful, lost souls. A vengeful spirit exists off the life force of the living by creating fear, doubt and suspicion which degrades the person’s natural defenses. By making the person question themselves and those they love, the spirit is able to attach a cord and siphon off energy at will.
Those who seek justice and truth do not leave. They are bound by karmic ties that cannot be broken until the scales of justice have been balanced. These spirits are bound by a harmful deed or violent act; it is the glue or karmic cord that will forever connect everyone involved as long as the injustice remains. These souls more often than not are aided by the Spirits of Justice and Divine Retribution, which gives them additional strength and power all year; however, during Samhain, the energy of Earth as well as the thinning of the boundary between realms serves to amplify their abilities. Yet even without the power boost, these spirits are quit capable of affecting the living by creating illness, moving objects and possessing others; the longer the spirit remains earth-bound the more powerful it comes.
Exorcism, séance or banishing--no matter what you call the ritual, the eviction will only be as effective as the reason for the presence of spirit There is no reason to fear a visiting loved one, unless she or he attempts to remain. Loved ones don’t want to be forgotten; by remembering them by sending love, sharing events, and saying a prayer on their behalf is all that is needed. A vengeful spirit can be difficult to remove, but not impossible. Calling upon the members of the Divine Justice, such as Archangel Michael or one of the Dark Goddesses, to send a guide to help the lost spirit into the Summer Lands is the most effective way to remove the phantom. In addition, if the people involved could find the courage to heal through their own fear by sending love and forgiveness to the spirit, the process will be easier and more complete; after which a cleansing and a blessing should immediately follow to close all the astral doors and entranceways. Spirits who have unfinished business or need to share information will leave without fuss or muss once the task has been completed. The TV show, The Ghost Whisper, is very accurate; Melinda helps spirits find closure and they go into the light. While those who have unfinished business or emotional attachments can be easily helped and a vengeful spirit can be forced to move on, those who have suffered an injustice or betrayal will only be able to cross over when the scales of justice have been balanced. Banishings and exorcisms will be totally ineffective on these kinds of spirits since they are Divinely protected. As long as the scales of justice are out of balance, the haunting will not only continue but the activity will also increase. Only the revelation of the truth and full acceptance of responsibility will end the haunting; to do other is to add to the karmic debt and give the spirit more power.
Technorati Tags:
All Souls Day, departed loved ones, excorism, ghost, Ghost Whisper, hauntings, lost souls, Samhain, Theresa Chaze, vengeful spirits, ghost seance, demon, how to perform a seance, possession, police abuse, murder victims, victims of violent acts, adverse possession, experienced in banishing rituals, banishing rituals, noise house, banishing ritual spells, lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram, wiccan, pagan, herbs to banish, ghost hauntings paranormal picture, hauntings, true hauntings, haunting evidence, ghost stories, ghost hunters, demonic haunting, how to get rid of a ghost, michigan hauntings, theresa chaze
While spirits of guardians and loved ones are welcome reminders of the love and protection available, not all spectators seek to share love. Many hauntings are based on evil acts that have been hidden by lies or when justice has been denied. Although the haunting activity may be present year round, while the veil is thin the spirits are more powerful and more capable of affecting the living.
Love bonds between souls are never truly broken. They exist long after the body dies and follows souls from life to life. During times of emotional and physical stress, loved ones who have crossed over can muster the strength to influence the physical realm much like a mother being able to life a car off her child. It is how flowers and other gifts are manifested--how pieces of music can be manipulated to be played on radio stations or intuitive strangers are able to share messages from those who have crossed over. During this time we think and dream more of our departed loved ones. It is a time of lovingly remembering and sharing the events of the previous year. No matter how sweet and wonderful their visit may be, it must remain just a short stay. To attempt to hold on, would only do harm to both. Instead the visitation should be thought of as temporary houseguest that comes but once a year.
Vengeful spirits are those whose egos, anger and fear of what lays beyond keeps them between worlds. These are the spirits who have not truly crossed over. Instead, they exist in a in-between, not being part of either realm. Since these spirits still have ties to the physical realm, they are more capable of affecting it. They are also able to draw power from both sides of the veil, making them seem demonic in nature when in fact they are just fearful, lost souls. A vengeful spirit exists off the life force of the living by creating fear, doubt and suspicion which degrades the person’s natural defenses. By making the person question themselves and those they love, the spirit is able to attach a cord and siphon off energy at will.
Those who seek justice and truth do not leave. They are bound by karmic ties that cannot be broken until the scales of justice have been balanced. These spirits are bound by a harmful deed or violent act; it is the glue or karmic cord that will forever connect everyone involved as long as the injustice remains. These souls more often than not are aided by the Spirits of Justice and Divine Retribution, which gives them additional strength and power all year; however, during Samhain, the energy of Earth as well as the thinning of the boundary between realms serves to amplify their abilities. Yet even without the power boost, these spirits are quit capable of affecting the living by creating illness, moving objects and possessing others; the longer the spirit remains earth-bound the more powerful it comes.
Exorcism, séance or banishing--no matter what you call the ritual, the eviction will only be as effective as the reason for the presence of spirit There is no reason to fear a visiting loved one, unless she or he attempts to remain. Loved ones don’t want to be forgotten; by remembering them by sending love, sharing events, and saying a prayer on their behalf is all that is needed. A vengeful spirit can be difficult to remove, but not impossible. Calling upon the members of the Divine Justice, such as Archangel Michael or one of the Dark Goddesses, to send a guide to help the lost spirit into the Summer Lands is the most effective way to remove the phantom. In addition, if the people involved could find the courage to heal through their own fear by sending love and forgiveness to the spirit, the process will be easier and more complete; after which a cleansing and a blessing should immediately follow to close all the astral doors and entranceways. Spirits who have unfinished business or need to share information will leave without fuss or muss once the task has been completed. The TV show, The Ghost Whisper, is very accurate; Melinda helps spirits find closure and they go into the light. While those who have unfinished business or emotional attachments can be easily helped and a vengeful spirit can be forced to move on, those who have suffered an injustice or betrayal will only be able to cross over when the scales of justice have been balanced. Banishings and exorcisms will be totally ineffective on these kinds of spirits since they are Divinely protected. As long as the scales of justice are out of balance, the haunting will not only continue but the activity will also increase. Only the revelation of the truth and full acceptance of responsibility will end the haunting; to do other is to add to the karmic debt and give the spirit more power.
Technorati Tags:
All Souls Day, departed loved ones, excorism, ghost, Ghost Whisper, hauntings, lost souls, Samhain, Theresa Chaze, vengeful spirits, ghost seance, demon, how to perform a seance, possession, police abuse, murder victims, victims of violent acts, adverse possession, experienced in banishing rituals, banishing rituals, noise house, banishing ritual spells, lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram, wiccan, pagan, herbs to banish, ghost hauntings paranormal picture, hauntings, true hauntings, haunting evidence, ghost stories, ghost hunters, demonic haunting, how to get rid of a ghost, michigan hauntings, theresa chaze
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Police Abuse in Presidental Candidates Name: Iraq Vet Deliberately Trampled by Horse
reblogged from I-Witness Video
Last Wednesday, while presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain debated domestic policy issues in front of a live television audience at the Long Island campus of Hofstra University, Nassau county police faced off with a few hundred spirited but peaceful demonstrators. And using excessive force, police -- on horses and in full riot gear -- trampled several people including Iraq vet Nick Morgan. I-Witness Video member Emily Forman captured the ensuing bedlam, police violence, and injuries on tape.
Earlier that night, a group of protesters from Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) had, in accordance with a pre-announced plan, assembled on the streets outside the Hofstra University venue where the debate was being held. IVAW had informed the police in advance that several of their members would be participating in a symbolic, non-violent, civil-disobedience action: attempting to deliver two questions for the candidates. The group has engaged in similar actions before, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Last week, at the presidential debate, the veterans hoped to ask Barack Obama if he would support soldiers who do not want to be deployed to an illegally occupied Iraq, and to ask McCain why he has voted against funding for the Veterans Administration since the beginning of the war in Iraq.
But the veterans' efforts to stage a peaceful protest last week were countered by violent police actions. After a small group of veterans was calmly taken into custody in a choreographed arrest, the police became very aggressive. The police commander on the scene ordered the horses and lines of riot police to push the crowd from the street onto the sidewalk. Mounted police officers charged into the assembled vets and other protesters, pushing the frightened people backwards and up onto the sidewalk. Riot police then forced some demonstrators to the ground, where police horses rode over them.
Former Army Reserve Sergeant Nick Morgan was caught under the hooves of a horse ridden by Nassau County police officer Quagliano. The horse stepped on Morgan's face, breaking his lower orbital (cheekbone) in three places. Bleeding heavily from his face, Morgan drifted in and out of consciousness until another police officer appeared and dragged him away from the scene. After a delay in which Nassau County police refused to take Morgan to the hospital, he was finally taken to Nassau County Medical Center, handcuffed to a gurney, given Motrin and a prescription for antibiotics, and sent on to jail.
Besides Morgan, several others were injured in the crush of horses and police, including Nadine Lubka, whose nose was broken. Fifteen people in total were arrested; they all received disorderly conduct charges.
Except for a brief Associated Press story and some video and photos uploaded to CNN's iReport website by citizen journalists, there has been almost no corporate media coverage of this story.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Review Your Book.Com--Dragon Domain
Dragon Domain
Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy
Theresa Chaze
Valkyrie Publishing, 2008
ISBN: 9780979840616
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 10/08
4 Stars
Fans of the Dragon Clan Trilogy…
The lead character in Dragon Domain is Celeste. Her past comes back to haunt her. Dominic speaks of love; he turns her against those that care for her.
This is the second book in the Dragon Clan Trilogy. In the first book, Awakening the Dragon, the focus was on struggle between Reverend Marshall, his church, and Rachel. Rachel is a minor player this time. The struggle is between forces of evil and the Dragon. I enjoyed the first book, but found Dragon Domain lacking the same attraction. This book is much darker. Fans of horror will enjoy this book. The interrelationships between the characters make this book. The characters are strong and well developed.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Valkyrie Publishing Receives Praise from Authors, Publishers and PR Firms
Valkyrie Publishing Receives Praise from Authors, Publishers and PR Firms
Traverse City-Valkyrie Publishing offers cost effective video production services for not only books but also other products and services. With the increasing number of sites, which offer video placement, online marketing and promotion is now available no matter how small of a budget.
Book trailers, also called book videos, are the wave of the future when it comes to book marketing and promotions. Whether self published, POD or traditionally published, book trailers give a professional look to books of all genres. They are cost efficient and effective tools for online marketing that the traditional press release cannot compete with.
Using voice-overs, graphics and music, trailers enhance the promotional message by adding additional layers of information. When properly produced, the trailer adds dimensional qualities, which include both the visual and auditory senses. By combining the elements into a single cohesive package, the producer creates a product that is not only more appealing, but also longer lasting.
Founder and CEO of Valkyrie Publishing, Theresa Chaze is not only a novelist and screen writer, but also a video producer, director and editor. She has several novels available and her screenplays have won awards. In addition, she has years of experience working in broadcast television. By combining her talents and her experience, she is able to product trailers that are unique, effective and cost efficient. Examples of her work can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/Tirgana and she can be contacted at Tirgana at yahoo.com.
Her current and past client have the following to say about the work Valkyrie Publishing has done for them.
"Theresa Chaze has the experience and know how to turn out quality high-performing book trailers. I am very pleased with the work she has done for us at Pump Up Your Book Promotion!"
Dorothy Thompson, CEO & Founder Pump Up Your Book Promotion
Theresa's book trailers are creative, compelling and very competitively priced. Her placement of these on various online sites goes way beyond YouTube. Authors can be assured that her book trailers will help elevate their book from the printed word. I recommend her book trailer services.
Scott Lorenz
President Westwind Communications
scottlorenz@westwindcos.com
Theresa put together a book trailer for my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT that was an original -- not simply a cookie-cutter book trailer that could fit almost any book. She took the time to research the era of the Vietnam War and then used her research to craft a quality book trailer whose script, graphics and music reflected the tension of the time when the novel takes place.
I would definitely use Theresa again to do a book trailer for me, and I particularly appreciated the open communication between her and myself that allowed me to have input on the trailer.
Phyllis Zimbler Miller
MILLER MOSAIC, LLC -- Working to Make Your Life Easier
www.millermosaic.com
Theresa Chaze produced my book trailer and I was stunned at how wonderfully she captured, truly captured, the spirit of my book! Others have contacted me to tell me what a wonderful book trailer I had and the raves continue to come in. Ms. Chaze is not only astute but sensitive to the driving force of authors and their books. Ms. Chaze is president of Valkyrie Publishing. Look out world! Authors have a real voice now and the PR industry will never be the same again!--Cate Cavanagh, author of Her Godmother. See my trailer here: somethingmagicalinourmists.blogspot.com
CATE CAVANAGH
Author, HER GODMOTHER
I enthusiastically take great pleasure in recognizing the fine professional services of Theresa Chaze and her wonderful, Book Trailer Production Services. I am a recipient of her great talent in which she has provided visual services in promoting my book. Aside from my very strong endorsement, a literary colleague mentioned upon witnessing, Theresa Chaze's fine work on my book, suggested that all of my family and friends view my website www.angusrmunro.com - under Angus Munro on You Tube. Her services to me, can best be described as, "The icing on the cake!"
Gratefully,
Angus Munro, Full House - But Empty by Angus Munro
Bakersfield, California
"It has been our good fortune to have Theresa Chaze and Valkyrie Publishing do the video production for book trailers for two of our books, Honor Due and Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift. Both of our authors were very pleased with the end product and the level of production. We fully intend to use her services again for our forthcoming books." Big River Press
"I was most pleased with the video book trailer of Honor Due produced by Theresa Chaze and Valkyrie Publishing. She captured the spirit of the my book and characters. I am looking forward to using her services again with my next book."
D. H. Brown, author of Honor Due
In the past few years I have been extremely fortunate to have Theresa
working on the promotion and marketing of my novels. She has done
excellent creating video blurbs for You Tube and other places. Highly
imaginative and eye catching. Thanks to her my books sales have
been higher than expected.
Theresa is a writer and published author herself. She truly understands
the needs of other writers at all levels. Her experience allows her to be
focused and aware of what it takes to get published and promoted
nowadays. I am honored to be able to give her book trailer services a
glowing recommendation. Especially because she has helped me so
wonderfully much.
Please be sure that Theresa will do her best for you and your works.
You definitely won't be disappointed.
Jeffrey Redmond
For my memoir about taking care of my dying father-in-law, Theresa Chaze intuited exactly the mood & ambience. The seamless flow of photos, the music she chose & her tone of voice as she read excerpts were so exquisite they brought tears to my eyes. Made me see what I'd written in a whole new light. I highly recommend her services. The work and shear professionalism displayed by Theresa Chaze and Valkyrie Publishing in the book video production for my book Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift was stunning. I will be very pleased to work with her again on my next book, The Dead Husband."
R. J. Brown, STANDING THE WATCH: The Greatest Gift.
I can't express how I felt when I saw that trailer! It embodied
everything that Street Lit is in general as a genre and that my novel is
in particular! You are a true Wiccan priestess
because you've just wielded some wonderful magick with this book
trailer!! Kudos!!
Darrell King, Dirty South and Mo Dirty
Traverse City-Valkyrie Publishing offers cost effective video production services for not only books but also other products and services. With the increasing number of sites, which offer video placement, online marketing and promotion is now available no matter how small of a budget.
Book trailers, also called book videos, are the wave of the future when it comes to book marketing and promotions. Whether self published, POD or traditionally published, book trailers give a professional look to books of all genres. They are cost efficient and effective tools for online marketing that the traditional press release cannot compete with.
Using voice-overs, graphics and music, trailers enhance the promotional message by adding additional layers of information. When properly produced, the trailer adds dimensional qualities, which include both the visual and auditory senses. By combining the elements into a single cohesive package, the producer creates a product that is not only more appealing, but also longer lasting.
Founder and CEO of Valkyrie Publishing, Theresa Chaze is not only a novelist and screen writer, but also a video producer, director and editor. She has several novels available and her screenplays have won awards. In addition, she has years of experience working in broadcast television. By combining her talents and her experience, she is able to product trailers that are unique, effective and cost efficient. Examples of her work can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/Tirgana and she can be contacted at Tirgana at yahoo.com.
Her current and past client have the following to say about the work Valkyrie Publishing has done for them.
"Theresa Chaze has the experience and know how to turn out quality high-performing book trailers. I am very pleased with the work she has done for us at Pump Up Your Book Promotion!"
Dorothy Thompson, CEO & Founder Pump Up Your Book Promotion
Theresa's book trailers are creative, compelling and very competitively priced. Her placement of these on various online sites goes way beyond YouTube. Authors can be assured that her book trailers will help elevate their book from the printed word. I recommend her book trailer services.
Scott Lorenz
President Westwind Communications
scottlorenz@westwindcos.com
Theresa put together a book trailer for my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT that was an original -- not simply a cookie-cutter book trailer that could fit almost any book. She took the time to research the era of the Vietnam War and then used her research to craft a quality book trailer whose script, graphics and music reflected the tension of the time when the novel takes place.
I would definitely use Theresa again to do a book trailer for me, and I particularly appreciated the open communication between her and myself that allowed me to have input on the trailer.
Phyllis Zimbler Miller
MILLER MOSAIC, LLC -- Working to Make Your Life Easier
www.millermosaic.com
Theresa Chaze produced my book trailer and I was stunned at how wonderfully she captured, truly captured, the spirit of my book! Others have contacted me to tell me what a wonderful book trailer I had and the raves continue to come in. Ms. Chaze is not only astute but sensitive to the driving force of authors and their books. Ms. Chaze is president of Valkyrie Publishing. Look out world! Authors have a real voice now and the PR industry will never be the same again!--Cate Cavanagh, author of Her Godmother. See my trailer here: somethingmagicalinourmists.blogspot.com
CATE CAVANAGH
Author, HER GODMOTHER
I enthusiastically take great pleasure in recognizing the fine professional services of Theresa Chaze and her wonderful, Book Trailer Production Services. I am a recipient of her great talent in which she has provided visual services in promoting my book. Aside from my very strong endorsement, a literary colleague mentioned upon witnessing, Theresa Chaze's fine work on my book, suggested that all of my family and friends view my website www.angusrmunro.com - under Angus Munro on You Tube. Her services to me, can best be described as, "The icing on the cake!"
Gratefully,
Angus Munro, Full House - But Empty by Angus Munro
Bakersfield, California
"It has been our good fortune to have Theresa Chaze and Valkyrie Publishing do the video production for book trailers for two of our books, Honor Due and Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift. Both of our authors were very pleased with the end product and the level of production. We fully intend to use her services again for our forthcoming books." Big River Press
"I was most pleased with the video book trailer of Honor Due produced by Theresa Chaze and Valkyrie Publishing. She captured the spirit of the my book and characters. I am looking forward to using her services again with my next book."
D. H. Brown, author of Honor Due
In the past few years I have been extremely fortunate to have Theresa
working on the promotion and marketing of my novels. She has done
excellent creating video blurbs for You Tube and other places. Highly
imaginative and eye catching. Thanks to her my books sales have
been higher than expected.
Theresa is a writer and published author herself. She truly understands
the needs of other writers at all levels. Her experience allows her to be
focused and aware of what it takes to get published and promoted
nowadays. I am honored to be able to give her book trailer services a
glowing recommendation. Especially because she has helped me so
wonderfully much.
Please be sure that Theresa will do her best for you and your works.
You definitely won't be disappointed.
Jeffrey Redmond
For my memoir about taking care of my dying father-in-law, Theresa Chaze intuited exactly the mood & ambience. The seamless flow of photos, the music she chose & her tone of voice as she read excerpts were so exquisite they brought tears to my eyes. Made me see what I'd written in a whole new light. I highly recommend her services. The work and shear professionalism displayed by Theresa Chaze and Valkyrie Publishing in the book video production for my book Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift was stunning. I will be very pleased to work with her again on my next book, The Dead Husband."
R. J. Brown, STANDING THE WATCH: The Greatest Gift.
I can't express how I felt when I saw that trailer! It embodied
everything that Street Lit is in general as a genre and that my novel is
in particular! You are a true Wiccan priestess
because you've just wielded some wonderful magick with this book
trailer!! Kudos!!
Darrell King, Dirty South and Mo Dirty
Monday, October 20, 2008
Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com Reviews Awakening the Dragon
Awakening The Dragon
Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy
Theresa Chaze
Valkyrie Publishing, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 10/08
4 Star
Very entertaining…
Rachel felt as though the cottage was calling to her. It was lonely. The church people wanted to burn it down, because a witch once lived in it. They now target Rachel for her beliefs and practices. When she attempts to open a new book store she becomes the mark of bigotry.
This is not the type of book I normally read. Once I began, I could not put it down. There is a strength and yet innocence in Rachel. From the beginning, I sensed she had a secret. I wanted to see romance between Kevin and Rachel. Kevin is a wounded character. While this book is a fantasy and very entertaining, it also has an agenda, to teach the dangers of bigotry, close mindedness, and lack of love for people that are different. Unfortunately, this book needs proofreading. There are a lot of grammatical mistakes. Awakening The Dragon would make an excellent movie. Fans of fantasy will enjoy Awakening The Dragon.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sacred Sites by Sherrie Adkins
I was young, I walked the farm my grandfather owned. He took me to a place where we made offerings to Grandmother Earth. It was a small waterfall in the spring and a half circle of grass with a four foot high shelf of line stone with sparkly quartz in it the rest of the year. We took pretty stones, or a perfect flower, or a bright leaf and laid it on the shelf. He never said we were performing an act of worship, yet I knew that was what we did, and it meant more to me than any church service! I found peace and serenity there, and felt the presence of Spirit.
Later, in the Sixties, I lived in Arkansas and was involved in spelunking (cave exploring). I had a chance to go into a cave that was a sun temple of the little people. We crawled through a worm hole on elbows and knees, (I was a lot thinner then! LOL!) and came out in a circular cave, which was about seventy-five feet tall, and had two levels of cave to it. In the middle of the bottom round was a flat stone made of travel time which contained a lot of quartz. On the summer solstice, the sun shone directly on that stone from a small sink hole in the top of the cave. That place was very wakan (holy). I could *hear* voices singing in there, and I knew it was considered a womb of Grandmother Earth by those who had worshipped there.
When I lived in Highland Park, I had a jacaranda tree in my back yard. Two ley lines crossed under that tree and formed a swirling pool of energy we could draw on for Circle, so I had my medicine wheel built there. We did circle around that tree for over ten years. It grew so big and so beautiful that it towered over the whole neighborhood, and shone a lovely silver hue in the full moonlight. After I moved, I would go back and see the tree from time to time. It drooped after a few years and the silver went away. I had only rented, not owned the property, so I couldn't stay with my tree.
What I am trying to say to you is that the sacred places are all around you. Open your spirits, your hearts, your very souls and look for them. Any time you cast a circle to do magic, you have created a sacred place. If you cast in the same place repeatedly, it becomes more and more sacred. Those who come after you will feel that energy and also respond to it in their own way. Generations of worshippers created Stonehenge, the Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, Notre Dame, and any other sacred site you can name.
You can create a sacred site in your own back yard. I know because I did! Maybe it didn't have the force of a Stonehenge or the others, yet it was sacred to us and we worked some wonderful healing in that place.
Love, Sherrie
Sherrie Adkins is a spiritual councilor and healer. For consultation email her at mthawk2@yahoo.com
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Days of Our Lives
To read more of my alternative universe for Day of Our Lives, plus article on the characters and writing for soap operas, please go to http://elfmagic.blogspot.com/
Copyright: How to Protect Your Work
Copyright: How to Protect Your Work.
Some where along the way someone started the rumor that by simply writing a piece a writer automatically has the copyright--that US Copyrights are unnecessary to protect your work. I have also heard that the process is very complicated. All three are untrue. Mailing a copy to yourself and leaving it unopened to keep the postal stamp valid is call the poor man's copyright. It is a good temporary way of protecting your work, however it is only temporary. Accidents do happen and once the seal is broken, the protection has been invalidated. The only truly safe way to legal protect your work is to get a US copyright.
First, what is a copyright? It is legal proof of when and who created an original work. Whether it literary, dramatic, musical or artistic it falls under copyright protection. Owning the copyright means you have the legal right of deciding who and when the work may be distributed, copied, or performed publicly. This doesn’t mean if you are singing to the radio or if you loan your copy of a book to someone that you will be sued. However, if you start making copies of a Harry Potter books and selling them as your own, legal representatives of JR Rowlings who will take great issue with you. Any time you represent another’s efforts as your own you are stealing from them and cheating yourself. Everyone has a creative voice--something inside them that only they can share--if you usurp someone else’s creativity, you deny yourself and cheat the world of your special perspective.
However, there are ways to refer to another’s work without violating the copyright. Always make sure you give full credit to the creator of the work. It’s usually best to keep it enclosed within quotes or only used as a reference. But footnotes are also acceptable as long as they are clearly marked and easily accessible. In one article, I compared the lyrics of a song to the spiritual journey of a generation. I immediately opened the piece by giving credit to the author. Not only did it protect me, but it gave the reader a reference point. Quotes need the proper punctuation as well as the source information. To do other would only reflect badly on you.
I don't know who started it and really don't care. The fact is that writing a piece guarantees you nothing. It can be fun. It can be healing. It can be exciting. However, putting ink to paper doesn’t give you any legal standing. Even if your work is read by others before it is sent out, doesn’t mean it will not be challenged. On the opposite site, it doesn’t mean it will be either. What it does mean is that you aren’t protected. As of September 2006, it cost 45.00 to register a literary piece. If you are the sole author and the piece hasn't been previously copyrighted you can use Short Form TX. It is a single sheet that will probably take you longer to print up than to fill out. If there are multiple authors or other copyrights involved you will need to use Form TX. It is a longer form, but just as simple to fill out. The US Copyright site address is http://www.copyright.gov/
For smaller pieces, such as short stories or articles, I don’t individually copyright; instead, I tack them on to larger pieces and make a notation on the application. However, when you get over ten thousands words you are approaching a novella and that can be worth it to spend the money for an official copyright. Most smaller pieces are written to be published either online or in a magazine format. Once they are published, you have some protection. The publication date is evidence of your claim of ownership, but it is not proof. However, most smaller works are safe. The cost to fight for them is usually greater than they are worth. In addition, once you have a track record, your style will help protect you from someone else claiming your work. Everyone has their own voice, which is very difficult to imitate. Word usage and sentence structure are individual; it what makes every writer unique.
Before sending out any larger than a novella, I send out the paperwork and wait two weeks. Once the paper work reaches the Copyright offices, it is valid; however, receiving the paperwork can take up to four months. If you send it certified return receipt, the returned postcard can temporarily valid your claim of copyright. In this way, I can start approaching publishers, agents or movie producers and honestly say I have a copyright on the piece. In another place, I will describe the dark side of publishing; not everyone in the business is ethical or honest. By protecting my work ahead of time, I insure it will be protected from the beginning. In addition, there are some places that will not even look at work without proof of copyright. People in the film industry have been burned so many times that it is necessary to either have a US Copyright or to have the work registered with the Writers Guild.
Another way to protect your work is to register it with the Writers Guild. There are offices on both the east and west coasts of the United States. As far as I know, the Guild registration only offers protection in the USA. However, the length of the protection is shorter than a US Copyright. The Guild registration is valid for five years and can be renewed for an additional fee. As of September
2006, the fee is 20.00 for non-members and 10.00 for members. They also offer the option of filing online, which is quicker than a US Copyright and offers just as much protection. Their site address is http://www.wga.org.
There are some writers who register their work with both. With screenplays and stage plays that is a good idea. The Guild is part of the industries, which makes your work more accessible. The US Copyright gives it additional protection for a longer span of time. Either path is acceptable. But to send out a large project, without protection, is just playing Russian Roulette with you hard work.
For more writing, publishing and promotional tips, please buy my ebook From Blank Page to Book Shelves. It is available on my site at www.theresachaze.com or through the Amazon Kindle program at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Theresa%20Chaze
Some where along the way someone started the rumor that by simply writing a piece a writer automatically has the copyright--that US Copyrights are unnecessary to protect your work. I have also heard that the process is very complicated. All three are untrue. Mailing a copy to yourself and leaving it unopened to keep the postal stamp valid is call the poor man's copyright. It is a good temporary way of protecting your work, however it is only temporary. Accidents do happen and once the seal is broken, the protection has been invalidated. The only truly safe way to legal protect your work is to get a US copyright.
First, what is a copyright? It is legal proof of when and who created an original work. Whether it literary, dramatic, musical or artistic it falls under copyright protection. Owning the copyright means you have the legal right of deciding who and when the work may be distributed, copied, or performed publicly. This doesn’t mean if you are singing to the radio or if you loan your copy of a book to someone that you will be sued. However, if you start making copies of a Harry Potter books and selling them as your own, legal representatives of JR Rowlings who will take great issue with you. Any time you represent another’s efforts as your own you are stealing from them and cheating yourself. Everyone has a creative voice--something inside them that only they can share--if you usurp someone else’s creativity, you deny yourself and cheat the world of your special perspective.
However, there are ways to refer to another’s work without violating the copyright. Always make sure you give full credit to the creator of the work. It’s usually best to keep it enclosed within quotes or only used as a reference. But footnotes are also acceptable as long as they are clearly marked and easily accessible. In one article, I compared the lyrics of a song to the spiritual journey of a generation. I immediately opened the piece by giving credit to the author. Not only did it protect me, but it gave the reader a reference point. Quotes need the proper punctuation as well as the source information. To do other would only reflect badly on you.
I don't know who started it and really don't care. The fact is that writing a piece guarantees you nothing. It can be fun. It can be healing. It can be exciting. However, putting ink to paper doesn’t give you any legal standing. Even if your work is read by others before it is sent out, doesn’t mean it will not be challenged. On the opposite site, it doesn’t mean it will be either. What it does mean is that you aren’t protected. As of September 2006, it cost 45.00 to register a literary piece. If you are the sole author and the piece hasn't been previously copyrighted you can use Short Form TX. It is a single sheet that will probably take you longer to print up than to fill out. If there are multiple authors or other copyrights involved you will need to use Form TX. It is a longer form, but just as simple to fill out. The US Copyright site address is http://www.copyright.gov/
For smaller pieces, such as short stories or articles, I don’t individually copyright; instead, I tack them on to larger pieces and make a notation on the application. However, when you get over ten thousands words you are approaching a novella and that can be worth it to spend the money for an official copyright. Most smaller pieces are written to be published either online or in a magazine format. Once they are published, you have some protection. The publication date is evidence of your claim of ownership, but it is not proof. However, most smaller works are safe. The cost to fight for them is usually greater than they are worth. In addition, once you have a track record, your style will help protect you from someone else claiming your work. Everyone has their own voice, which is very difficult to imitate. Word usage and sentence structure are individual; it what makes every writer unique.
Before sending out any larger than a novella, I send out the paperwork and wait two weeks. Once the paper work reaches the Copyright offices, it is valid; however, receiving the paperwork can take up to four months. If you send it certified return receipt, the returned postcard can temporarily valid your claim of copyright. In this way, I can start approaching publishers, agents or movie producers and honestly say I have a copyright on the piece. In another place, I will describe the dark side of publishing; not everyone in the business is ethical or honest. By protecting my work ahead of time, I insure it will be protected from the beginning. In addition, there are some places that will not even look at work without proof of copyright. People in the film industry have been burned so many times that it is necessary to either have a US Copyright or to have the work registered with the Writers Guild.
Another way to protect your work is to register it with the Writers Guild. There are offices on both the east and west coasts of the United States. As far as I know, the Guild registration only offers protection in the USA. However, the length of the protection is shorter than a US Copyright. The Guild registration is valid for five years and can be renewed for an additional fee. As of September
2006, the fee is 20.00 for non-members and 10.00 for members. They also offer the option of filing online, which is quicker than a US Copyright and offers just as much protection. Their site address is http://www.wga.org.
There are some writers who register their work with both. With screenplays and stage plays that is a good idea. The Guild is part of the industries, which makes your work more accessible. The US Copyright gives it additional protection for a longer span of time. Either path is acceptable. But to send out a large project, without protection, is just playing Russian Roulette with you hard work.
For more writing, publishing and promotional tips, please buy my ebook From Blank Page to Book Shelves. It is available on my site at www.theresachaze.com or through the Amazon Kindle program at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Theresa%20Chaze
Reviews and Praise for Magical Fantasy Series
Reviews and Praise for
Awakening The Dragon,
Dragon Domain
By Theresa Chaze
“I found myself smiling when I finished the last page of Awakening The Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy by Theresa Chaze. I've read a pretty good number of books in my life, but none have given me quite the mix of emotions that this book has.”
Joe Murphy, The Dragon Page
“Ms. Chaze shows colorful, visual language that will even keep the romance novel buff obsessed in finishing this novel in one read! The pacing is excellent the main character strong and likeable, and the hint of romance to come in the final installments of the trilogy. I must say I'm already addicted to Ms. Chaze's writing style! A guaranteed page turner! Bring on the rest of the trilogy!”
Catherine J. St. Amour, author
“Theresa Chaze captures the imagination as well as the hearts of her readers. Dragon Domain is an open door to a world of wonder, and from the first page to the last, you will be hard pressed to put it down.”
Linda Rucker, author
“I am hoping that the author will be completing the concluding volume relatively soon. I hate having to wait to find out what happens to characters I have become attached to. On the other hand, the longer it takes, the more time I have before I have to say goodbye to them.”
Mike Gleason
Days of Our Lives 10-16-2008
Days of Our Lives 10-16-2008
Here is the next installment of my alternative storylines for Days of Our Lives.
This is what I previously posted on the NBC Days boards http://geocities.com/tirgana/daysofourlives.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/Days10-16.pdf
If you like what you are reading, please leave me a comment here or on the NBC message boards. Or better yet contact the executive producers at
Gary Tomlin or Ken Corday
Corday Productions
3400 W. Olive Avenue
suite 170 Burbank CA
91505-4630
818-295-2820
Here is the next installment of my alternative storylines for Days of Our Lives.
This is what I previously posted on the NBC Days boards http://geocities.com/tirgana/daysofourlives.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/Days10-16.pdf
If you like what you are reading, please leave me a comment here or on the NBC message boards. Or better yet contact the executive producers at
Gary Tomlin or Ken Corday
Corday Productions
3400 W. Olive Avenue
suite 170 Burbank CA
91505-4630
818-295-2820
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Wiiccan/Pagan Holiday: Samhain or Halloween
Samhain or Halloween--October 31
Traditionally, Samhain is the ending of the Pagan and Wiccan year. The final harvests have been brought in and the finally preparations for winter have been made. Animals are slaughtered and their meat preserved. It is the day when the veils between the realms are the thinnest. Whether dead loved ones or earth spirits, this time of year communication with them is the easiest. It is the time for honoring your ancestors and making amends with those who have crossed over. Many Wiccans and Pagans believe it is the most important day of the year as it is not only a time of honoring our ancestors, but is an accounting of our actions.
With the veils between realms thinned, the dead and earth spirits are able to walk freely among the living. Ritually spirits are invited to attend festivals in their honor. Banquets are prepared with the choices meats and vegetables being set aside for those who have crossed over. Frequently these meals are silent as each participant remembers their loved one and looks for signs of their presence. The food on the spirits’ plates remains uneaten. Instead, after the dinner the ritual continues as the food is offered up outside and left behind. Deities, earth spirits and elementals are also petitioned for protection and for boons. Calls are more easily heard and answered during this time.
Spiritually, what we have sent out comes back for good or ill. Just as the harvest has been collected, so does the karmic debt come due. The thinning curtain only makes the Deities of Justice more active and powerful. Whether it is said as "What goes around, comes around" or "So share ye sow, so shall ye reap", what we have created shall manifest as a blessing or a challenge.
Many of the Halloween traditions come from the fear of spirits. The masks were designed to disguise identities and to scare away evil spirits. Treat or treating represents the offerings left out to honor the ancestors and tithes to the deities. Christians created All Saints Day on November 1 as a way to counter act the popularity of the Samhain festival.
Karmic Balancing
You will need:
one white candle
Light the candle and say:
“In the shelter of this candle of white
I call to my guardians to help me make things right.
In this waking dream of mine
may I find myself in another place and time.
Back to the start where this challenge rose
may my souls secrets unfold.
Let the challenges of the past
be revealed to me at last.
I seek the reasons why
my plans for the future continue to die.
What debts do I owe
or what harm I did sew?
Whether partial or full payment to balance the scales
I seek to pay without sad tales.
I only ask that lessons come with light
as I offer grace to those who didn’t do me right.
If I need to pay full measure
may the lessons be kept on a light and love tether.
Asking only to make things right
so I may follow the path of light.
May the lessons be clear
so that I may understand the tears.
Walking through the healing fire
let me find the strength not to tire.
Grace and peace is what I seek
so that I may find the kindest release.
Thank you for you blessing and love
as I continue to reach for the wisdom from above.”
Meditate on the candle for as long as you need to. The candle can be relit at times when the lessons become to challenging or frightening so you may reground and reconnect you to your guides.
Out of the Shadows and Into the Light contains more information about Wiccan and Paganism, as well as unique rituals and spells. It is an ebook which is available both at the www.theresachaze.com and through the Amazon Kindle Program.
Traditionally, Samhain is the ending of the Pagan and Wiccan year. The final harvests have been brought in and the finally preparations for winter have been made. Animals are slaughtered and their meat preserved. It is the day when the veils between the realms are the thinnest. Whether dead loved ones or earth spirits, this time of year communication with them is the easiest. It is the time for honoring your ancestors and making amends with those who have crossed over. Many Wiccans and Pagans believe it is the most important day of the year as it is not only a time of honoring our ancestors, but is an accounting of our actions.
With the veils between realms thinned, the dead and earth spirits are able to walk freely among the living. Ritually spirits are invited to attend festivals in their honor. Banquets are prepared with the choices meats and vegetables being set aside for those who have crossed over. Frequently these meals are silent as each participant remembers their loved one and looks for signs of their presence. The food on the spirits’ plates remains uneaten. Instead, after the dinner the ritual continues as the food is offered up outside and left behind. Deities, earth spirits and elementals are also petitioned for protection and for boons. Calls are more easily heard and answered during this time.
Spiritually, what we have sent out comes back for good or ill. Just as the harvest has been collected, so does the karmic debt come due. The thinning curtain only makes the Deities of Justice more active and powerful. Whether it is said as "What goes around, comes around" or "So share ye sow, so shall ye reap", what we have created shall manifest as a blessing or a challenge.
Many of the Halloween traditions come from the fear of spirits. The masks were designed to disguise identities and to scare away evil spirits. Treat or treating represents the offerings left out to honor the ancestors and tithes to the deities. Christians created All Saints Day on November 1 as a way to counter act the popularity of the Samhain festival.
Karmic Balancing
You will need:
one white candle
Light the candle and say:
“In the shelter of this candle of white
I call to my guardians to help me make things right.
In this waking dream of mine
may I find myself in another place and time.
Back to the start where this challenge rose
may my souls secrets unfold.
Let the challenges of the past
be revealed to me at last.
I seek the reasons why
my plans for the future continue to die.
What debts do I owe
or what harm I did sew?
Whether partial or full payment to balance the scales
I seek to pay without sad tales.
I only ask that lessons come with light
as I offer grace to those who didn’t do me right.
If I need to pay full measure
may the lessons be kept on a light and love tether.
Asking only to make things right
so I may follow the path of light.
May the lessons be clear
so that I may understand the tears.
Walking through the healing fire
let me find the strength not to tire.
Grace and peace is what I seek
so that I may find the kindest release.
Thank you for you blessing and love
as I continue to reach for the wisdom from above.”
Meditate on the candle for as long as you need to. The candle can be relit at times when the lessons become to challenging or frightening so you may reground and reconnect you to your guides.
Out of the Shadows and Into the Light contains more information about Wiccan and Paganism, as well as unique rituals and spells. It is an ebook which is available both at the www.theresachaze.com and through the Amazon Kindle Program.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Magic and Children By Cate Cavanagh
Magic and Children
By Cate Cavanagh
Take a deep breath and try to remember when you were a child eager to wake up the next day to see what the tooth fairy left you. Try to remember how you used to feel wishing on a star. Remember how it felt to believe anything was possible?
Far forward to now. Perhaps you have lost beloveds along your path or faced illness or injury or lost a job. Now, as adults, facing the harsh realities life can throw our way, it is not easy to believe the way we used to when we were children.
This is a precious gift so many of us lose along the way and with it comes doubt, a challenge to hoping and holding onto the belief that life can hold blessings, miracles and magic.
I have written numerous articles that help adults recapture hope and belief through loss and grief and truly difficult times and it all boils down to finding a way to believe in the magic of a wish and the ability to feel like we used to as children when we made a wish.
But this article will discuss the importance for children to not lose that wishing-on-a-star feeling in the first place. Children are growing up too quickly as their families face problems that affect them deeply. Sometimes adult underestimate the impact adult and family problems have on the children in the family and how it begins to steal the magic of believing.
The magic of believing is essential to living life with hope. Without it life becomes a connecting the dots string of events that conceal what can be beautiful from us. Children deserve to not experience this. Childhood is supposed to be filled with dreams, fun, hope and believing! When children are able to hold onto these magical feelings, they are actually creating a better adult hood as the energies of their hopes and dreams becomes seeds in the cosmos. We as adults who have achieved heightened awareness have learned how to manifest through believing. It would have been so much easier for us if we had not lost that magic along the road from childhood to adulthood to begin with.
My book, Her Godmother, although about a child and a story written to help children begin to heal from the trauma of an addiction in the family, is also a book adults will enjoy as well. You see, the main character, Allie, is a little girl whose family broke up because of her father's drinking and Allie's already tenuous childhood dreams of her father becoming the father he was are dashed.
How many children undergo this? How many adults grew up under this specter or that of drug addiction? I am the adult child of an alcoholic and know what it is to wish for a normal family only to feel that somehow something must have been wrong with my wish that it never happened.
Experiences like this steal hope. They steal the magic and suddenly you are experiencing adult issues with the coping skills of a child. Such is where Allie is when we first meet her.
While her mother plans for relocation to rural upstate New York, Allie goes to stay with her colorful godmother, Brigid. Where Allie begins her journey to healing a sad and guilt ridden young girl, she begins to evolve into being a child again with the wisdom to understand and know what is not within her power but more importantly, what is.
In Her Godmother, Allie learns to connect with the magic all around her and within herself and in discovering this, she begins to heal; she begins to release the problems that are not hers and learns what it is to experience magic all around and the hope it brings with it.
Believing and magic is always all around us and regardless of our age, it can be tapped into but we may be jaded. Just the same we need to strive to keep alive the magic in our children's lives by allowing them to hope and believe and to wish upon a star with the knowledge that sometimes wishes may take time to happen but they really can…
By Cate Cavanagh
Take a deep breath and try to remember when you were a child eager to wake up the next day to see what the tooth fairy left you. Try to remember how you used to feel wishing on a star. Remember how it felt to believe anything was possible?
Far forward to now. Perhaps you have lost beloveds along your path or faced illness or injury or lost a job. Now, as adults, facing the harsh realities life can throw our way, it is not easy to believe the way we used to when we were children.
This is a precious gift so many of us lose along the way and with it comes doubt, a challenge to hoping and holding onto the belief that life can hold blessings, miracles and magic.
I have written numerous articles that help adults recapture hope and belief through loss and grief and truly difficult times and it all boils down to finding a way to believe in the magic of a wish and the ability to feel like we used to as children when we made a wish.
But this article will discuss the importance for children to not lose that wishing-on-a-star feeling in the first place. Children are growing up too quickly as their families face problems that affect them deeply. Sometimes adult underestimate the impact adult and family problems have on the children in the family and how it begins to steal the magic of believing.
The magic of believing is essential to living life with hope. Without it life becomes a connecting the dots string of events that conceal what can be beautiful from us. Children deserve to not experience this. Childhood is supposed to be filled with dreams, fun, hope and believing! When children are able to hold onto these magical feelings, they are actually creating a better adult hood as the energies of their hopes and dreams becomes seeds in the cosmos. We as adults who have achieved heightened awareness have learned how to manifest through believing. It would have been so much easier for us if we had not lost that magic along the road from childhood to adulthood to begin with.
My book, Her Godmother, although about a child and a story written to help children begin to heal from the trauma of an addiction in the family, is also a book adults will enjoy as well. You see, the main character, Allie, is a little girl whose family broke up because of her father's drinking and Allie's already tenuous childhood dreams of her father becoming the father he was are dashed.
How many children undergo this? How many adults grew up under this specter or that of drug addiction? I am the adult child of an alcoholic and know what it is to wish for a normal family only to feel that somehow something must have been wrong with my wish that it never happened.
Experiences like this steal hope. They steal the magic and suddenly you are experiencing adult issues with the coping skills of a child. Such is where Allie is when we first meet her.
While her mother plans for relocation to rural upstate New York, Allie goes to stay with her colorful godmother, Brigid. Where Allie begins her journey to healing a sad and guilt ridden young girl, she begins to evolve into being a child again with the wisdom to understand and know what is not within her power but more importantly, what is.
In Her Godmother, Allie learns to connect with the magic all around her and within herself and in discovering this, she begins to heal; she begins to release the problems that are not hers and learns what it is to experience magic all around and the hope it brings with it.
Believing and magic is always all around us and regardless of our age, it can be tapped into but we may be jaded. Just the same we need to strive to keep alive the magic in our children's lives by allowing them to hope and believe and to wish upon a star with the knowledge that sometimes wishes may take time to happen but they really can…
Saturday, October 11, 2008
I want to Be the Head Writer of Days of Our Lives
For generations Days of Our Lives has been not only much loved but the top rated Daytime soap, being the leader in suspense, drama, romance, and comedy, as well as social issues. As the sand fell through the hour glass, we laughed, cried and waited with baited breath for Monday as the cliffhanger left us dangling on Friday. We had a our favorite heroes and villains--couples we cheered for and those we knew who were doomed for failure. When it became clear that the writers no longer had a clear understanding of the characters and history, I started writing my own storylines, which brought back the romance, suspense and drama that Days was well known for.
To read the viewers reviews and script go to http://elfmagic.blogspot.com/
To read the viewers reviews and script go to http://elfmagic.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Wiccan Novel: Celtic Goddesses Reawaken in a Magical Tale of Love and Betrayal
Celtic Goddesses Reawaken in a Magical Tale of Love and Betrayal
By
Theresa Chaze
Magic, romance and karmic justice combine in a new Celtic fantasy novel from Theresa Chaze. Released as an ebook, which is available on her site, as well as part of the Amazon Kindle program, Nict For Ure Selfe (Not For Ourselves) honors the Celtic Goddesses and the Wiccan tradition. Unlike most authors, who write magical fantasy, Theresa Chaze is a Wiccan Priestess who uses authentic magic in her novels. In many ways, her fiction can be considered a Book of Shadows.
After attending a local Pagan festival, Alyssa finds herself to be a target of Sheriff Deputy Nevel’s violent obsession. Her complaints only bring on more abuse. Her friends and coworkers are harassed. No one in in her life is safe from persecution. Alyssa doesn't understand why he and his comrades singled her out. In desperation, she performs a karmic ritual so that she may understand his hatred of her. Instead of a message, her soul takes her spirit back to the time when the Goddesses and Gods of old had not yet given way to the Christos and clan traditions could mean life or death. “Nict For Ure Selfe” (Not For Ourselves) a suspenseful tale of betrayal as traditions and love are tested by the changing times and greedy men whose lust for power continued into their next incarnations
Nict For Ure Self (Not for Ourselves) is available in a PDF ebook through the author’s site at www.theresachaze.com or through the Amazon Kindle program after March 21, 2008.
An excerpt:
Alyssa struck the match. Instantly, the end burst into flame. She held it to the wick of the white candle until it ignited. Pinching off the match head, she placed on the table. Taking a deep breath, she flipped her long chestnut color braid back over her shoulder; it bounced and swung around her waist. Focusing on her intent, she started the ritual. “Goddesses--Maiden, Mother, Crone I call to thee and ask that you appear to me.” Picking up the candle, she held it above the surface of the water. Its glow illuminated just beyond the rim of the black bowl and reflected off the clear surface. “On this darkest of night, grant me the portal to make things right. Let me see clearly the moments of the past, so that I may understand what is happening at last.” Tapping the edge with the candlestick, the glass on glass echoed throughout the dark room. The vibration rippled through the water. “As I created a wave in the glass, so I ask you help me with my task.” She set the candlestick next to the bowl and placed her hands on either side palms down. “Let me see where his hatred of me had begun, so that his vengeance can be undone. Why he stalks me I know not why, yet I know the answer lies in times gone by. Take me back to the time and place, so that I may end the conflict with haste and grace.” Picking up the four raven feathers, she held them above the candle. "Goddesses of the raven and night, who left these feathers as a symbol of your might. I call you now to come me, to create a justice that even the blind may see. I call your forth to this land to guide the karmic hand. For those who have done harm to me, let their reckoning begin now--so mote it be.” Placing the feathers equal distance around the bowl, Alyssa paused for a moment to let their energy settle around her.
Stretching her neck side to side, she took a deep breath and allowed her Priestess training to relax her body into a meditative state. The outer world fell away as she sank deeper within her self and started climbing the stairs to her own soul. Into the darkness, the staircase spiraled upward, until she reached the iridescent platform where her Akashic record was held. Suspended in the darkness of endless time, Alyssa looked for a guide to help her. But she was alone. In the past, there had always been someone there to act as a guide to help her face the challenge. Uncertain, she stepped up to the pedestal. If she was to atone for a past error, she would be give direction. However, if she was merely a player as another strutted and fretted through a karmic lesson, than she could do little more than watch. The book lay open before her. On it, fate continued to write. “Book of all my lives, show me karmic tie that echoes into this life.” The pages flipped, stopping twice before it came to rest on the life named Shannon Marie Cullen.
The image of a red haired young woman lifted up off the page and hovered above. Her heart shaped face still had the softness of youth. Yet the hazel eyes sparkled with old wisdom. She wore her dark auburn hair pulled back into a long, single braid. Although she seemed familiar, Alyssa felt no emotional connection to her. There was no bond or sense of being between them. Only a faint familiarity like a tune whose melody echoes in the back of your mind, yet you cannot remember the words or the context in which you heard it. She reached out to touch the image; it reached back. Yet before their fingertips touched, Shannon Marie vanished only to be replaced by a three dimensional screening of wooded forest. Rich and lush it sported multiple shades of green, tans and browns as the forest became fields and forest once again. As her perspective changed, Alyssa felt herself zooming to focus on the scene that was most important. Yet it was more than just pictures and sounds. The smell of the fields and rushing of the river below sparked memories and long sleeping emotions. No matter where her life led her, she could never find the safe sense of home. Fear always kept her from letting her roots grow too deep. She had never understood. Her childhood was no better or worse than anyone else's. Yet as her spirit drew closer, the familiarity once again made her crave the comfort of home.
Through breaks in the leaves, she saw two girls running quickly. She knew who they were, yet she didn't feel connected. Instead, like a moderated film, she watched them from above. Instead recalling her own memories, the information flowed to her in unspoken words and images as if someone was narrating their story to catch her up with the story.
Shannon Marie ran breathlessly up the glen, quickly followed by her younger sister, Rachael. Although a year and two months younger, Rachael looked more like Shannon Marie's twin. Both girls favored their Scottish heritage with their flaming hair and outspoken temperaments. Their two older sisters, Elizabeth Marie and Katherine Anne favored their mother's French heritage both physically and in temperament. Fair-haired beauties they openly used their feminine assets to manipulate others to get what they wanted. The plain spoken of mannerism of the patriarch of the family along with his two youngest daughters frequently came into conflict with the matriarch and the eldest sisters' elitism as they boasted of their unclaimable link to the French throne. They refused to see that no matter which man laid down with the mother, the child could lay no claim to parentage unless they were acknowledged by both the father and family. Jacqueline Marie Katherine de Medici may have lay with the King of France, but the daughter they created was conceived above the sheets--not beneath them. Jacqueline refused to be silenced at court about the parentage of her growing child within her. It was the reason Marie marked her for death. But instead of a curse, the midnight escaped to Scotland became a blessing as the people’s revolution sought out the privileged nobles.
In the highlands, Abigail Marie Katherine de Medici was born without a father; the fortune and power of the de Medici family hid the stain, but was never washed away. Having valuable connections in the English and Italian courts, Jacqueline was received as her family station required. Eventually she attained a small estate and fitted herself into the region. Unlike the women born in Scotland, Jacqueline, followed her de Medici heritage, keeping control over her assets and her life. But it was her wit and cleverness, which turned the small estate into one of the most prosperous in the Parish. It was the second reason Abigail was never considered a suitable match for any of the legitimate Clan heir. The heads of clans refused to allow a match unless the son would take total control of the estate and fortunes. Jacqueline refused to relinquish her power. Abigail resent her mother for it. Richard Connell had approach her with an offer of marriage; he was the second largest estate holder in the Parish and under consideration to become the next Parish Chief. Jacqueline refused and arranged a match with Shawn Jacob Michael Cullen. Only he was willing to break with tradition. Instead of insisting on control, he offered himself as steward to Jacqueline, claiming nothing for himself and agreeing to allow her to chose who inherited the de Medici affluence. The eldest son of Michael James Cullen he saw Abigail as an opportunity to restore his clan's fortunes. Reluctantly Abigail agreed; his family estate was not as large as the Connell, but his clan connection opened the path to gain legitimacy and a title. The match was made for the benefit of both families.
Shannon never thought of Seanhair as a woman of wealth and power, only as her Grandmother. None of that interested her, no matter how Seanhair attempted to entice her. She loved hearing stories about France before the revolution, but for some reason, both she and Papa were more concerned about her to becoming more aware of estate business. The month before she officially starting attending to estate business independently. Her decisions carried nearly as much weight as her father's.
Alyssa felt the connection Shannon Marie had with her father. It drew her closer to the young woman for it was something she had always wanted and never had for reasons that were beyond her control. The richness of their love bond awakened her own sadness and sense of loss. He had died before she was born. The only things she knew of him was what her older sister told her. Their mother had stubbornly refused to talk about him. Without warning, Alyssa reached out to more fully connect with the young red head. Suddenly she felt the grass beneath her feet and the breeze on her face. She was no longer an observer, but part of the drama and seeing through Shannon's eyes.
The strange feeling again crept up on Shannon Marie and she stopped half way up the hill. The strange awareness seemed to be happening more often. At first, it was only in her dreams that she could sense spirits around her. The feelings kept getting more intense and harder to ignore. But this time it was different. In a way familiar. Papa had told her that her Aunt Margaret had the same gift. She could see the Earth Folk and the spirits who had not yet crossed over. She asked Bridget to bless her with the same gift; the night of the next full moon, she had her first dream. Since then, the encounters with the dead had become nightly. Sighing, Shannon shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts. But instead of vanishing the image of an older woman with reddish hair reached for her. Her greenish eyes were so familiar, yet she had never seen them before. She was not afraid, yet she was reluctant to take her hand. The spirit of the raven flew between them and the woman backed away, but did not leave.
Suddenly Alyssa felt herself being pulled away. She remained connected, yet she was no longer in direct contact with Shannon Marie. The emotional bond that had started to form had been thinned, but not broken.
The raven circle and flew back towards them. Shannon followed its flight and it brought her attention back to the hillside. She did not know why her mind filled itself with such things. It was almost as if someone was trying to give her wisdom she was not ready to understand. Each time the feeling passed, she felt that something important had happened, yet she was unable to see how it in fit in her life. She slowly started climb the hill again. It was like the lessons Seanhair was teaching her about the lands and court. It did not interest her, but her grandmother’s behavior told her that the lessons were important. None of the information was new. It was all old. Yet, it seemed so essential the closer she got to her seventeen birthday. Suddenly there were no more stories or gossip about the other clans’ secrets or stories about the French court, but a constant testing of what she had learned about the estate.
Reaching the crest, she caught up with Rachael. Shannon Marie pointed to the gathering at the bottom. “I told you Papa would make them wait for us!” She readjusted her crossbow, freeing it from the fold of her breeches. Her attire was another point of contention between their parents. Breeches, boots and wool shirts were not proper dress for ladies. Father always snapped back that if she had provided him with a son, he would have left the girls to her raising. But she had not, so she needed to be content with the two older girls. The two younger were his to raise as he saw fit. Shannon Marie was grateful he had always won. The thought of being turned into court pony turned her stomach. She disappear into the marshes first.
“Hot damn!” Diverting from the path, Rachael leaped a fallen log for no other reason that it was there and ran down towards the gathering at the bottom.
Shannon Marie stopped for a moment. The sun was warm on her face. The lush greenery of early summer was old enough to be fully developed, yet young enough to still have a multitude of shades of green. For a moment, she felt homesick as if she had been away for a long time. She blinked and the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come.
Free Wiccan ritual: Releasing Karma and Balancing Justice's Scales
Light a two hour white candle and say
Releasing to Karma
Allow this candle to be the light
which guides my soul through this dark night.
Releasing the need to do harm
I give them into Justices' arms.
Let not my anger and hatred block their way
and hold them from justice one more day.
In peace, love and harmony I allow myself to move on
into the bright future beyond.
I forgive them and me
in complete humility.
Allow my grace to begin
so I can heal from within.
On bended knee and open heart
I ask for the rage to depart.
Grant me the strength and wisdom to move on
so others shall not be put upon.
Goddesses and Gods of Justice I ask you to arbitrate
in this place and in the now to put an end to the hate.
Let your wisdom be the guide
to reveal where truth does hide.
Let it be reveal in such a means
that it can not be again made unseen.
Let it be written across the sky
in letters to be seen by every eye.
May each and every one who was drawn in
find their karma is ready to begin.
With open heart and lesson learned
all my doors and windows are ready to receive blessings I have earned.
For more rituals, spells and information about Wicca read Out of the Shadows and Into the Light, available on at www.theresachaze.com as an ebook and on Amazon as a Kindle
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Writing and Producing a Soap Opera
Writing and Producing Soap Operas
Soap Opera Storylines
Soap operas storylines have a 13 week rotation schedule which is based on one primary, 2-3 secondary and multiple filler plots. Although primary storyline may contain several sub-plots, there is one central theme or question that runs through from beginning to end. Unlike movies, soaps and all continuing series have plots that are designed to over lap; it is this intertwining of stories that keeps the show running indefinitely.
Over the decades the format has become very styled and fixed; the timeline is broken in to thirds. During the first third, the primary characters are introduced and the conflict is launched. In the middle third the conflict is developed by adding sub-plots, which gives both helpful and misleading details. The final third is the resolution to the conflict. Even though the portions are listed as being in thirds, they are rarely expressed in equal lengths of time. More often than not it is the middle section that is the longest and contains the most drama.
Each storyline has five sections: beginning, mid-point, body of the story, conflict resolution and the denouement (also call the end of the end). In the beginning, characters are introduced and the conflict identified. At the mid-point a crisis develops that forces the main character to make decisions. The body of the story is where the main characters works through the conflict. The conflict resolution is just that; the characters must face the challenge with either a positive or negative result. Denouement is French for end of the end. It is the last of the story that gives a hint to what will happen in the future. Not all stories have this tail at the end, but I think it is a nice touch In soaps, the denouement, becomes the basis of the next storyline that will involve the characters. The beginning and the mid-point will usually be found in the first third. The characters are introduced and the conflict is set up. The middle third contains the mid point and most of the body of the story. This section contains the clues--both real and false, the subplots, and character development. The body contains the bulk of the story. It gives dimension to the characters and adds suspense, by heightening the drama as the characters are forced to make decisions which limit or change their options. A correctly written conflict is best describes as staircase. With each step, more information is given, but also options are limited. The conflict resolution, including the crisis moment and solution, and the denouement will be contained in the third section. However, in soaps, the end is never the end, but the beginning of another storyline.
The primary storyline is the one that is front and center. It consumes the most air time and resources of the show. However its development is very specifically controlled to maximize suspense and keep the viewers coming back. Usually the primary story airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Fridays used to be the cliffhanger day that left the viewer hanging, insuring they that they would be back on Monday. The first part of Monday was to resolve the tense moment from the week before, while the second half started the story moving forward. Wednesdays are also hump days for storylines. They are designed to keep the plot moving forward and set up the viewer for the cliffhanger on Friday.
Secondary storylines air on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Although there may be two or three, one will be favored and will become the next primary storyline once the current one is resolved. Usually at the mid point which is about week seven, one of the secondary stories will be accelerated. However, it’s own clock will not started until it takes center stage.
Filler stories are plots that have just begun to form or scenes that are character building. They are unstructured and can be placed any where time needs to be filled or a character needs to be developed. Although they may seem like fluff, in reality they are a very important parts of the soap structure.
Scripts
Soaps, like all scripts written for commercial television, have four different versions: creative, working, shooting and post production.
The creative script is very much like a stage play. It contains the dialogue, some stage direction, and the scene transitions. But very little else. It is the starting point and ending reference point for every episode.
The working script is more detailed. The page is divided into two columns; one for the audio or what the audience will hear, the other half contains what they will see. The audio describes what audience will hear--dialogue, music, special effects, etc. The video half explains what is happening on the screen. It has all the blocking of the actors and the props. It is the equivalent of the storyboard in movies.
Shooting scripts are used primarily by the directors and techs; however, the cast also finds the information useful. . This script list the specific shots for each camera and in what order the cameras will be used as well as what the camera need to focus on. The director along with the audio tech, stage manager and camera operators will organize the shots and the lighting after watching the rehearsal. Although the director preside over the set, the cast does have input into the blocking and their characters portrayal. Television is not only a team sport, but it is also an interdependent activity. In spite of the egos, the cast and crew do need to work together in order to create a quality product.
Both the working and shooting scripts are organized for convenient and efficient production. All scenes that use one set will be shot together and edited to be in their proper order. These scripts are also the time keepers for the episode. During rehearsal the scenes are timed in order to keep the proper flow and to keep the episode within the broadcast time limits.
Post Production is where the individual shots are edited together into a complete scene. Music, special effects and credits are added. The scenes are then edited together into a complete package that will fit into the broadcast format for time and commercial breaks.
Broadcast Standards for Hour TV Shows
Even though a show technically fills an hour, the show itself is not an hour long. Commercials take up from six to eight minutes of air time in order to make a profit.
Not only does the FCC still regulate the amount of advertising that can be shown in entertainment shows, but they also have standards that the stations must comply with.
Stations are legally required to identify themselves at the top and bottom of the hour; however, they have a two minutes margin on either side in order to meet the standard. The identification must include the station’s call letters and location. During sweeps weeks, most stations also identify themselves at the quarter hour in order to insure their station receives the proper credit for the viewers.
The amount of advertising breaks in a show depends on the target audience. Children’s programming is more restrictive; not only is the advertising time shorter, but there has to be a very clear separation between programming and ad. Advertising for adults or general audience programming is not as restrictive, but the time is also limited to 6 minutes during the half hour plus the 1 1/2 minutes between, which leave only 22 minutes for actual show time.
In soaps, there are breaks at the top, bottom, and around the quarter hour. In addition there is also a floating break. At the bottom of the hour there are is actually closer to a three minute break which is split between the network and the local station. It is the reason for the five second bumper that states the show will be continuing. The second half hour continues with the same format of three breaks during and the one at the end.
Soaps are a for profit business. However, each time they break away for advertising, they risk loosing their audience, which is why the pace and flow are so important when it comes to the writing, directing and editing. It is the reason why scenes are cut at climatic moments for commercials and why a well written show ends with a cliffhanger. If you keep the view hungry for more, they will keep coming back to the table.
Soap Opera Storylines
Soap operas storylines have a 13 week rotation schedule which is based on one primary, 2-3 secondary and multiple filler plots. Although primary storyline may contain several sub-plots, there is one central theme or question that runs through from beginning to end. Unlike movies, soaps and all continuing series have plots that are designed to over lap; it is this intertwining of stories that keeps the show running indefinitely.
Over the decades the format has become very styled and fixed; the timeline is broken in to thirds. During the first third, the primary characters are introduced and the conflict is launched. In the middle third the conflict is developed by adding sub-plots, which gives both helpful and misleading details. The final third is the resolution to the conflict. Even though the portions are listed as being in thirds, they are rarely expressed in equal lengths of time. More often than not it is the middle section that is the longest and contains the most drama.
Each storyline has five sections: beginning, mid-point, body of the story, conflict resolution and the denouement (also call the end of the end). In the beginning, characters are introduced and the conflict identified. At the mid-point a crisis develops that forces the main character to make decisions. The body of the story is where the main characters works through the conflict. The conflict resolution is just that; the characters must face the challenge with either a positive or negative result. Denouement is French for end of the end. It is the last of the story that gives a hint to what will happen in the future. Not all stories have this tail at the end, but I think it is a nice touch In soaps, the denouement, becomes the basis of the next storyline that will involve the characters. The beginning and the mid-point will usually be found in the first third. The characters are introduced and the conflict is set up. The middle third contains the mid point and most of the body of the story. This section contains the clues--both real and false, the subplots, and character development. The body contains the bulk of the story. It gives dimension to the characters and adds suspense, by heightening the drama as the characters are forced to make decisions which limit or change their options. A correctly written conflict is best describes as staircase. With each step, more information is given, but also options are limited. The conflict resolution, including the crisis moment and solution, and the denouement will be contained in the third section. However, in soaps, the end is never the end, but the beginning of another storyline.
The primary storyline is the one that is front and center. It consumes the most air time and resources of the show. However its development is very specifically controlled to maximize suspense and keep the viewers coming back. Usually the primary story airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Fridays used to be the cliffhanger day that left the viewer hanging, insuring they that they would be back on Monday. The first part of Monday was to resolve the tense moment from the week before, while the second half started the story moving forward. Wednesdays are also hump days for storylines. They are designed to keep the plot moving forward and set up the viewer for the cliffhanger on Friday.
Secondary storylines air on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Although there may be two or three, one will be favored and will become the next primary storyline once the current one is resolved. Usually at the mid point which is about week seven, one of the secondary stories will be accelerated. However, it’s own clock will not started until it takes center stage.
Filler stories are plots that have just begun to form or scenes that are character building. They are unstructured and can be placed any where time needs to be filled or a character needs to be developed. Although they may seem like fluff, in reality they are a very important parts of the soap structure.
Scripts
Soaps, like all scripts written for commercial television, have four different versions: creative, working, shooting and post production.
The creative script is very much like a stage play. It contains the dialogue, some stage direction, and the scene transitions. But very little else. It is the starting point and ending reference point for every episode.
The working script is more detailed. The page is divided into two columns; one for the audio or what the audience will hear, the other half contains what they will see. The audio describes what audience will hear--dialogue, music, special effects, etc. The video half explains what is happening on the screen. It has all the blocking of the actors and the props. It is the equivalent of the storyboard in movies.
Shooting scripts are used primarily by the directors and techs; however, the cast also finds the information useful. . This script list the specific shots for each camera and in what order the cameras will be used as well as what the camera need to focus on. The director along with the audio tech, stage manager and camera operators will organize the shots and the lighting after watching the rehearsal. Although the director preside over the set, the cast does have input into the blocking and their characters portrayal. Television is not only a team sport, but it is also an interdependent activity. In spite of the egos, the cast and crew do need to work together in order to create a quality product.
Both the working and shooting scripts are organized for convenient and efficient production. All scenes that use one set will be shot together and edited to be in their proper order. These scripts are also the time keepers for the episode. During rehearsal the scenes are timed in order to keep the proper flow and to keep the episode within the broadcast time limits.
Post Production is where the individual shots are edited together into a complete scene. Music, special effects and credits are added. The scenes are then edited together into a complete package that will fit into the broadcast format for time and commercial breaks.
Broadcast Standards for Hour TV Shows
Even though a show technically fills an hour, the show itself is not an hour long. Commercials take up from six to eight minutes of air time in order to make a profit.
Not only does the FCC still regulate the amount of advertising that can be shown in entertainment shows, but they also have standards that the stations must comply with.
Stations are legally required to identify themselves at the top and bottom of the hour; however, they have a two minutes margin on either side in order to meet the standard. The identification must include the station’s call letters and location. During sweeps weeks, most stations also identify themselves at the quarter hour in order to insure their station receives the proper credit for the viewers.
The amount of advertising breaks in a show depends on the target audience. Children’s programming is more restrictive; not only is the advertising time shorter, but there has to be a very clear separation between programming and ad. Advertising for adults or general audience programming is not as restrictive, but the time is also limited to 6 minutes during the half hour plus the 1 1/2 minutes between, which leave only 22 minutes for actual show time.
In soaps, there are breaks at the top, bottom, and around the quarter hour. In addition there is also a floating break. At the bottom of the hour there are is actually closer to a three minute break which is split between the network and the local station. It is the reason for the five second bumper that states the show will be continuing. The second half hour continues with the same format of three breaks during and the one at the end.
Soaps are a for profit business. However, each time they break away for advertising, they risk loosing their audience, which is why the pace and flow are so important when it comes to the writing, directing and editing. It is the reason why scenes are cut at climatic moments for commercials and why a well written show ends with a cliffhanger. If you keep the view hungry for more, they will keep coming back to the table.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Writing Tip: Creating Conflict
Writing Tip: Creating Conflict
By
Theresa Chaze
Conflict is the stress factor, which not only propels the character to change, but also keeps the reader turning pages. By definition in literature, conflict is plot tension: opposition between or among characters or forces in a literary work that shapes or motivates the action of the character. No matter what genre, the conflict creates the drama, which is the backbone of the story. Without the suspense it creates, there would be no reason for the reader to be drawn in to the tale.
Conflict is not limited to physical altercation, but involves any plot twist, turn or ploy that causes emotional, spiritual or physical distress. Threatening to punch someone can create fear, but so withholding love can have the same effect. One is physical the other is emotion, yet they can have the same result. It is the stressor that causes discord and confusion within and around the main character. However, story conflict involves more than a single event; it is better described as a building of scenes one on another like a staircase, until the character has limited choices. By narrowing the character's options, her or his possibilities are limited, thereby forcing the character into a crisis situation. If done correctly, the readers are further drawn into the story, as they anticipating the next plot twists and the eventual resolution.
Traditionally there are four conflict themes to both short stories and novels, however, in From Blank Page to Book Shelves, there is a fifth.
Man against himself
Man against man
Man against nature
Man against God or spirituality
Man against Fate or Karma (This is explained in From Blank Page to Book Shelves.)
Each theme is a generic conflict category, which help organize the characters and plot. They help define the roles of the characters in relation to their challenges. In this case, man is used as a generic term for person or main character; sometimes the central character isn’t human, but term would still apply. It is the focal point character to which I refer. In small pieces, such as short stories, there is only one conflict theme. However, in longer pieces such as novellas and novels, there are usually diverse characters so there can be more than one theme or a series interdependent themes that guide the reader to the central conflict.
From Blank Page to Book Shelves--How to Successfully Create and Market Your Book is a new ebook, which explain not only more about conflict, but also about character development, story plot progression and other writing tips. It will also make your publishing experience more successful by helping the author to ask the right questions. The marketing information includes how to effectively use SEO keywords in press releases and low cost to free promotional options. Currently, this ebook is available as an Amazon Kindle or on the author's website, www.theresachaze.com for $7.00. Copies bought on the author's site are accompanied by a 345 page listing of over 2000 independent bookstores.
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