Tag Archive for: Kimberly Jayne

The Top 11 Reasons I Love Telling Stories

By Kimberly Jayne

I am writer. The writer aptitude kicked in only a short five years after birth. Whether by nature or nurture through my father’s colorful storytelling, writing is part of my DNA. And now that I’ve been a writer for many decades, here are my top 11 reasons for loving it.
  1. I get
    to make up stories about people in quirky situations and conversations that
    make me laugh. And, like Elizabeth Bennett, “I dearly love to laugh.”
  2. I get
    to say things through my characters about people’s wrongdoings that I wish I
    had the presence and quickness of mind to say in real life at the very moment
    the wrongdoing occurs.
  3. I get
    to immerse myself in new adventures and misadventures I might never get the
    chance to in real life. Who doesn’t getting themselves into hot water from time
    to time? We can’t always be good girls, can we? Especially when we can so
    easily control the outcome.
  4. I can
    go anywhere. The world is my jalapeno popper. With a little research, some
    great camera shots, or a practiced imagination, I can hop a trundling train to
    Hungary during World War I or sail the stormy South Pacific with a swashbuckler
    on a pirate ship. All I need is a story in which to fit my sojourns, and I’m on
    vacation.
  5. I get
    to form tight bonds of friendships and relationships, and out of that sometimes
    I even get to fantasize sex scenes. Of course, it’s much more clinical when
    you’re writing it—the right arm goes here, the left leg goes there… But the end
    result is fun.
  6. I get
    the chance to work out life’s little complexities, uncovering the right words
    with the right nuances that give me those revealing “ah-has!” And for
    some time afterward, I’m happy to tell everyone that I’m quite the smarty-pants.
  7. I get
    to figure out what motivates people to behave in ways others might not
    understand, and then dole out the reasons bit by bit through my characters’ actions,
    personalities, and deep, dark, haunting secrets.
  8. I get
    to fool people into thinking the story is going one direction and surprise
    them when I lead them through a door they weren’t expecting.
    BOO!
  9. I get
    to experience every range of my characters’ emotions, from titillation to pain,
    joy to sorrow, excitement to dread. Not surprisingly, I always loved the
    teeter-totter when I was a kid.
  10. I get to be immersed in a new romance: first
    flirts, first dates, first kisses, and first sex. It’s actually my job to kiss
    and tell.
  11. I am in charge. Whether my characters live or die
    is entirely dependent on me. From a character’s appearance to his words and
    actions, I am the unequivocal Queen of the Universe. This is why you always want to be kind to a writer. You never know when you will end up in her story, dead.

And, I get to leave my desk
after a productive writing session with a huge sense of accomplishment, especially
after I’ve been “in flow” and the words pour out of my fingers. I
like it so well, I’m going to do it again tomorrow.
__________________________________________
Take My Husband, Please! By
Kimberly Jayne
Sophie Camden is trying to impress an exciting new dating
prospect when the two of them fall in a lusty embrace on top of her husband
who’s asleep on the couch. That’s the springboard for this hilarious romantic
comedy Take My Husband, Please! by
author Kimberly Jayne.
Also by Kimberly
Jayne:

Mindful Daydreaming to Discover Your Story

By Kimberly Jayne
As an author, I use many tools to coax my stories onto the
page. One of my favorites is mindful daydreaming, a sort of self-guided meditation that breaks through mental blocks. I equate this activity to excavating the gray matter, digging past the idea mantle, and settling into the planning and
plotting layers where scenes and sequences are born, and where I mine for story nuggets that will elevate my work to its highest form.

Last week, I needed to mindful daydream a couple of story sequences that were only partially done, and I really wanted to brighten them up with unique details that would boost the tension and the emotions, exacerbate the conflicts, and improve the flow from one scene to the next. And while I didn’t exactly have the ideal place to do it, I did have a few hours in which I was doing nothing: sitting in the center seat on a flight from Austin to Phoenix. 
It worked far better than I’d have guessed, because in less than 15 minutes, I had about five explicit scenes and sequences drawn in my mind—some entirely new. I couldn’t wait to land and get them down on paper.
Want to try it?
Here’s how I do it:
First, I find a quiet place, get my body into a relaxed
position (preferably lying down), and close my eyes. Then I pull out a file
from my psyche—at least, that’s how it feels. In this file are the fragments of
a scene, an unfinished scene that might be giving me trouble, or a scene I want
to enrich. And then I let my imagination run wild. 

Like directing a movie, I visualize character movements, hear dialogue, taste flavors, touch objects, and
generally feel sensations as my character or as an observer of my
character. I spend anywhere from five to twenty minutes in this state,
sometimes replaying the scenes and adding or modifying as I go. At the end of
the session, I quickly write down the new scenes I’ve created so I can flesh them out
as time permits. 

You can see why being surrounded by strangers and squished in an airplane seat may not be the optimal environment for mindful daydreaming, but my experience proves that the more you do it, the better you get at it, and the faster your results no matter where you are. I personally never leave a mindful daydreaming session without new and exciting elements to add to my story. 

Mindful daydreaming has the added benefit of leaving me
feeling refreshed and rejuvenated afterward—and psyched to get back to my
story. Also? Mindful daydreaming helps you work through real-life problems, as you dig to find your personal truths and solutions you might not have been able to see before. 

Try it, why don’t you, and let me know how it works for you.
Kimberly Jayne is the author of romantic comedy and dark fantasy. You can find more about her and her novels at “Read Kimberly Jayne” (http://readkimberly.com). 

Take My Husband, Please! By Kimberly Jayne


After Sophie files for divorce from Will, his unexpected financial apocalypse brings him back under her roof. Awkward! And if that’s not bad enough, Sophie’s new guy—a sexy and successful entrepreneur—is not keen on dating her without proof that Will is truly out of the picture. Sophie and her best friend concoct a brilliant bet to keep Will “occupied,” but things take a surprise turn for the crazy when Sophie gets roped into sending her ex on five blind dates! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you won’t want this story to end.

Also by Kimberly
Jayne:

An Hour in the Life of a Writer

By Kimberly Jayne

I’ve just had an incredible idea. Instead of my characters discussing whether an old prophecy is true, my protagonist is going to give them proof! Oh wow, this is so good. No, not good. Phenomenal!

Fingers poised over the keyboard, imagining the firestorm about to ignite. Bwaa-ah-ah! [rubs hands] 

They’re not going to see this coming. Head is exploding with visions of giddy readers whisking through pages to see what happens next.

Where to start. The sanctuary? Yeah yeah, that’s a great setting. Creepy, dark, ominous. Who’s in the scene? The entire coterie? Or a private meeting? This is “big splash” time—the mob it is.

Only I can write this scene! [cracks knuckles]

Must get coffee to fuel the next hour of writerly genius. Happy dance like nobody’s watching.

Ooof! Ottoman! I meant to do that.

Barista machinations. Stretch left, then right while staring off, dreaming of Viking River Cruise. And lunch.

Oy. Forgot to do dishes. You know how you love a spotless kitchen, princess. Bet you’re done by the time the fragrant black nectar of the gods is ready.

Winning! Coffeemaker is dribbling with all the vigor of an eyedropper.

D’oh! Buzzer. Go change the load. Bet you can beat feet back here before the jug-o-joy is yours for the slurping. Hurry, before wrinkles set in.

Oh, jeez, the poor cat is starving. Ate her morning portion already. She deserves a treat. Heeeere, kitty kitty. Where are you? Oh, sorry, did I wake you? Give mama a hug. Look what I got for you.

Did I just rub my eyes? Must wash out so baby blues don’t look like puffer fishes.

Yikes! Girlfriend, drag a brush through that hair. What the hell? Marionette lines?

Coffee is probably cold by now.

Yup. Nuke event #1. World’s most annoying microwave beeper.

[Sip] Tongue fry!

Creamer for cooling? That creamer has sugar. Like, 7 grams. But it’s almond cream. Caramel. Your favorite. Look how bloated you are already. You need to get to the gym. Later. Or next week. Is it March already? How long has this stuff been in here anyway? [sniff, shrug] Just a splash. Oops. That was way more than 7 grams.

Ouch! What was that? I should sweep one day soon.

Butt in chair, butt in chair, butt in chair.

Yes, ma’am! Fingers psyched to move like lightning in World’s Most Creative Writing Session.

[slurp] Yum. No guilt now.

Where was I? Headed to the sanctuary? Yeah yeah. Making them do something epic…

Oops! Eagle eye has spotted a typo. Hmm, should that be a gerund? Oh, there’s another one. Is that an appositive? Now, there’s a good sentence for ya. Is it lay or lie?

Oh yeah. Sanctuary. Lotsa people. Prophecy revealed.

[slurp]

Nuke event #2.

[bouncy cell ring]

Hey there! Oh, yeah yeah, writing like a banshee. What’s your last hour of writing been like?

________________ 
Kimberly Jayne writes in multiple genres including humor, romantic comedy, suspense, erotica, and dark fantasy. Her latest foray into a dark fantasy released in episodes is as much an adventure as the writing itself. You can check her out on Amazon


In addition to writing for the Stiletto Gang on the first Monday of the month, you can find her blogging about the writer’s life at ReadKimberly and on her usually irreverent sister blog, Fragrant Liar, where she prattles candidly about life as a reluctant midlifer in these modern times.