Crafting Poetry One Syllable at a Time
Posted on January 24, 2019 by Colleen M. Chesebro
Hello everyone! This week I’m thrilled to bring you author, Jaye Marie, of the famous blogging duo of Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie. I asked Jaye to pick three or four questions from my huge list HERE. We all aspire to be successful authors and the best way to learn some of the tricks of the trade is to ask questions.
First, please meet my guest, Jaye Marie.
My name is Jaye Marie, and for a long time now I have been half of a writing partnership with my sister-in-law Anita Dawes, who has published several books.
Amazon Author Page
In the past, I have written short stories and poetry, but reading has always been my favourite pastime. The thought of writing my own book always appealed to me, I just never seemed to get around to it. Life has a habit of getting in the way, doesn’t it?
Then, last summer, I was suddenly plagued by these characters. First one, then another and as they talked to me (and each other) I became fascinated and involved all at the same time.
When I decided to write some of it down, these characters went into overdrive. What I thought they should be doing was blatantly ignored, to be replaced with their own agenda. In the end, it was as if they were writing the story and not I.
The ending was a bit tricky, as they wouldn’t let on what was going to happen, and I worried constantly that it would all go pear shaped.
But of course it didn’t, and the rest, as they say, will be history.
Hi, Colleen. Thanks so much for this interview. I’m really looking forward to our chat.
When I saw this question I had to smile, for this is exactly what Anita and I were trying to do at the moment. We had often wondered if we could write a book together and what would happen if we did.
We finally gave it a go after seeing Nikki French and her husband on TV talking about how well it worked for them. We began the next day, or rather, Anita did. We decided that we would write one A4 sized sheet of paper each, keeping the story going and we were not allowed to alter anything that the other had written either.
Now, we are used to brainstorming each other’s books, and it usually gets a bit stormy sometimes. The discussions rows we had on this joint project were spectacular and threatened to derail everything!
In theory, I think this idea could work, but maybe later on when we are both free of other commitments… (or grown a thicker skin!)
I could be wrong, but I think many writers put a lot of themselves into at least one of the characters in their books. In my first book, Nine Lives, my character, Kate Devereau is a hybrid of the person I am and the person I would like to be.
Not sure if it is considered wrong or lazy to do this, but they say you must write what you know, and that starts with ourselves, doesn’t it?
We hold a veritable wealth of information about how to behave in certain circumstances, and even, I have to say it, how we should have behaved?
When we create a character, I think we always have someone in mind. A friend or neighbour, someone whose personality we love (or hate.)
When I began to put flesh on my detective in “Out of Time,” and “CrossFire,” I found myself thinking of Jesse Stone, a detective played by Tom Selleck in a series of films based in a small Massachusetts town called Paradise. Jesse Stone is seriously flawed with a broken marriage and a drinking problem, but such an enigmatic character. Watching how he coped, helped me to create my own DI Snow, aka the Snowman, for my books.
Thanks, Colleen. It was a pleasure to visit.
Jaye’s email jayemarie01@btinternet.com
Website/blog https://jenanita01.com
Facebook https://anita.dawes.37
Twitter https://twitter.com/jaydawes2
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8638857.Jaye_Marie
Author Page https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jaye-Marie/e/B00O2ZUFOK/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/anitajaydawes
Bloglovin https://www.bloglovin.com/v2/own_profile
Category: author interviewsTags: author interviews, Author Interviews, Cross Fire, Jaye Marie, mystery and suspense, Nine Lives, Out of Time, thriller
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“A good poem is a contribution to reality. The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it. A good poem helps to change the shape of the universe, helps to extend everyone’s knowledge of himself and the world around him.”
—Dylan Thomas
Click: What is a Rhyme Scheme?
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Colleen M. Chesebro is an American Poet who loves crafting paranormal fantasy and magical realism, cross-genre flash fiction, syllabic poetry, and creative nonfiction. Colleen sponsors a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called Tanka Tuesday, on wordcraftpoetry.com where participants learn how to write traditional and current forms of haiku, senryu, haiga, tanka, gogyohka, tanka prose, renga, solo-renga, haibun, cinquain, Etheree, nonet, and shadorma poetry. Colleen's syllabic poetry has appeared in the Auroras & Blossoms Poetry Journal, and in “Hedgerow, a journal of small poems.” She’s won numerous awards from participating in the Carrot Ranch Rodeo, a yearly flash fiction contest sponsored by carrotranch.com. In 2020, she won first place in the Carrot Ranch Folk Tale or Fable category, with her story called “Why Wolf Howls at the Moon.” Colleen is a Sister of the Fey, where she pursues a pagan path through her writing. When she is not writing, she is reading. She also loves gardening and crocheting old-fashioned doilies into works of art.
Lovely to learn more about Jaye 😍
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Colleen has presented me very well, so pleased to be here!
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😍
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A great pleasure to thank you for all of your support, Jaye. ❤
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No need, you are so welcome, Colleen…
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A great interview. Good luck with the co-writing. Two great minds will surely create something amazing!
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Thank you Darlene, for the ‘two great minds’ …
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thank you for such a wonderful presentation, Colleen…
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Jaye, you deserved every bit of attention! Now, I can’t wait to read your books. ❤
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So kind…
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Great to learn more about Jaye, and I, for one, would be intrigued to read the joint book for sure. Good luck and thanks, Colleen!
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You’re welcome. I want to read their books also. Very cool. ❤️
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Thank you, Olga, especially for the interest in our joint project!
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Reblogged this on Not Tomatoes.
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Many thanks for your sharing. ❤
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Awesome to see you over here today. The idea of co-writing something baffles me. I’ve seen it done successfully, but I may be too much of a brat.
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LOL! I said I would be way too bossy! Bravo to Jaye and Anita! ❤
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I know what you mean. We both can be a bit brattish on occasion but as writers, we seem to be able to work together without too many hissy fits!
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Ha ha, that’s great.
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Thank you for sharing this interview with Jaye. Wishing you all the best with your joint ventures in writing and your solo ones…
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You’re most welcome Brigid. We need to get you interviewed too. ❤️
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That would be lovely Colleen. Thank you.
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Here you go Bridget: https://colleenchesebro.com/how-to-submit-to-conversations-with-colleen/https://colleenchesebro.com/how-to-submit-to-conversations-with-colleen/. Starting March 1st I’ve gone to a once a month interview… too much writing to do. ❤
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Thank you so much for your good wishes…
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My pleasure. I love reading author interviews.
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Fab interview girls. It’s fun learning more about our writing friends. ❤
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I’ve enjoyed this series just for that reason, Sis. Who knew we would all be so interesting? ❤
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Writers of all kinds are such interesting people…
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We are all fascinating! ❤
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Good to meet you here, Debbie…
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Great to see you here Jaye 🙂 x
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Reblogged this on Stevie Turner and commented:
Enjoyed this spotlight on author Jaye Marie.
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Thanks for sharing, Stevie. Jaye is a rare gem. ❤
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Wow, I have not been called that before! Thanks Colleen, you have made this old woman very happy…
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Well deserved. Your kindness shines out to everyone. That’s rare. ❤
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I am humbled by your words, Colleen..
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Thank you Stevie…
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You’re welcome.
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I’m too much of a loner and introvert for co-writing lol, but I admire those that can do it well!
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I know what you mean, Maranda. I’m the same way… I would probably would be too bossy for anyone. LOL! 😀
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The jury is still out on whether we can pull it off, Maranda, but early signs are encouraging…
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Jaye Marie has a wonderful way of describing how she came to write her first book. It was a haunting by characters who want speak, taking over her writing, and making it there own.
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I love when that happens! It’s great when we learn how to listen to those whispers. ❤
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Colleen, yes, I do too, and to hear these characters as they come alive on the page. Amazing. Karen 🙂
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There was no arguing with them either…
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No, absolutely not and thank you for commenting! Karen 🙂
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Reblogged this on K. D. Dowdall and commented:
Jaye Marie’s author interview with Colleen Chesebro is a delight to read, and many of us can relate to characters who steal our story and write it themselves.
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Colleen, I reblogged this on Pen and Paper, Karen Dowdall.
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Thank you so much. Jaye will appreciate you spreading the word of her work. ❤
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My pleasure, always, Colleen!
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Thank you for reblogging this wonderful interview with Colleen!
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I am so glad you liked it as much as I did and you are welcome and thank you! Karen 🙂
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Great to get to know more about Jaye-Marie as I’ve become a fan of her and Anita’s blog. I can’t imagine co-writing, but I find it incredibly interesting to hear about how other writers manage it. I loved Jaye-Marie’s description of her characters taking over her book. I remember that amazing, startling experience the first time it happened. I thought I was possessed or tapping into the spirit world! Lol. And it hooked me. Great interview and Happy Writing!
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Thank you for such lovely comments, Diana…
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I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog, writing, and the connection. 🙂
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Ohhh… I love when I can bring people together. 😀 ❤
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That means more than you know…
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It’s great to know more about Jaye-Marie’s writing! Great interview, ladies! Thanks for sharing! ❤
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You’re so welcome. ❤️
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Thank you so much, Dorinda…
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You’re very welcome! ❤
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Enjoyed learning more about Jaye and her writing. I can see where co-writing could be a train wreck. You probably need some strict guidelines in place to avoid hard feelings 🙂
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Hard feelings are not the worst that could happen you know. We think and write so differently, some days we can hardly hold a conversation let alone write anything…
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LOL! I can imagine that would be hard. I totally understand. ❤
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Would you happen to have sister too?
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No, but I have my Sisters of the Fey. We don’t always agree, nor should we. Sometimes I think our strengths lie in no one being in charge. Somehow we all make it work. ❤
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That magical ‘somehow’ …
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❤
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Nice interview, Colleen. Great to see Jaye Marie here. Wishing both of you all the best.
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Hello, Staci. Thanks so much. It’s fun learning about each other, isn’t it? ❤
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It sure is!
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I love being here, among such wonderful company, Staci!
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Fantastic interview – I learned a lot. Thanks to all of you!
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You are so very welcome. I think I’ve learned something new from each of these interviews. ❤
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Thank you so much for such a lovely comment!
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It’s lovely to learn more about Jaye. She’s so right in what she says about writing about you know. I’d loved to have been a fly on the wall when Jaye and Anita were jointly writing that book. However, out of the fire, a phoenix can sometimes emerge.
Good luck with your writing, Jaye
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I have to agree with you, Hugh. It’s helps to have differing of opinions because you can come to a wonderful consensus. Really cool stuff! ❤
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Thanks for that, Hugh… no sign of a phoenix yet, but here’s hoping!
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Well done. A very interesting set of questions and answers. Glad to hear that Jaye-Marie and Anita are working on a book. It can be a very enriching experience. My daughter and I co-wrote our new children’s book and it was a remarkable experience. How much more so will a novel be. Best wishes, writers! And thanks for this post, Colleen.
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Cynthia, Thanks for your lovely comments. I would love to hear more about your daughter’s and your collaboration. You should check out my interview questions: https://colleenchesebro.com/how-to-submit-to-conversations-with-colleen/. You’re always welcome. ❤
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I will be happy to. Thank you, Colleen. I’ll read this and consider what to send. Chris Graham is running my longer piece today about the story behind the story:https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2019/01/27/life-moves-in-such-surprising-ways-guest-post-by-cynthia-reyes/
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Ohhh… I will check that out. ❤
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Good to know co writing can be such a wonderful experience, and thank you for your good wishes, Cynthia!
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You are welcome.
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Nice interview, Colleen. It’s always nice to meet a new-to-me author 🙂
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Thanks and that makes me happy. ❤️
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Pingback: Conversations With Colleen: Meet Author, Jaye Marie | Sue Vincent's Daily Echo
Excellent interview, Jaye Marie and Colleen. I’m so close to finishing the book, and it’s great. Can’t wait to share my review. 🙂 And thanks for the tip regarding picmonkey. I’ll check it out. Have a great day, my friends.
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Thanks so much, Diana. I can’t wait to read some of Jaye’s books. I’m about 6 books behind in reviews right now. It’s so hard not to read until I get caught up. ❤
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Your memory is better than mine then, Colleen. If I don’t write a review within 24 hours, I can’t remember the characters’ names. Lol. The good part of that is I stay caught up.
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Oh, don’t count on that. LOL! 😀
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