Tag: writing

Chekov’s gun & life hacks

On By karmamarie23Leave a comment

Before you freak out, let me clarify for you non nerdy theater kids and writers.

Chekov’s gun is the idea that every element introduced in a story must be necessary and serve a purpose.

For example, in a play if there is a gun sitting on the table then it must go off before the end of the performance or it shouldn’t be included. Nothing extraneous to the story.

It hit me the other day that this could be a good philosophy to apply to my life.

I have a habit of purchasing self-help programs, writing courses and so. many. books. I have the best of intentions – I’m going to improve my finances, my health, my skills, my life!

Sadly, just like New Year’s resolutions they fall to the wayside; neglected, orphaned and choking on dust while I binge watch Cougar Town…hey, it’s Bill Lawrence so technically, it could be considered writing research, right? Right?

Well maybe Chekov can help me out.

  1. No extraneous additions! If the item or experience doesn’t improve some aspect of my life, then I don’t add it…even if it’s FREE! Because it’s really not; everything costs something be it money, effort or TIME.
  2. Follow through on what I already have. They say procrastination is caused by fear. So, if I committed to, say a course on shifting realities then I need to face my fears and schedule time for study…which will be even easier once I learn how to manipulate time travel! Where’s my Delorian?
  3. I don’t really have anything more than the two, but I like the number 3. Hey, if you think of something let me know!

Now, I know what you are thinking. “Karma, what about your crazy sche—um, creative opportunity plans?”

I haven’t given up on my dreams of working with Edgar Wright, Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck…to name the obvious characters that we’ve already discussed but we haven’t even begun to delve into my new-ish fascination with Jason Mantzoukas. (not new to me, just new that I’m telling you) He is one of 5 of my favorite Jasons…what? You don’t have a list of Jasons? You should, it’s fun.

In no particular order:

Jason Sudeikis, Jason Segel, Jason Bateman and my brother Jason.

Mantzoukas is my bittersweet crush, my doomed love affair – for as much as I adore his crazy sexy smart self, he is allergic to eggs and that’s 95% of my sustenance.

 I think that would be like a vampire dating a woman who exists on garlic and holy water. ☹

But a crazy girl can dream.

Speaking of dreams, I haven’t mastered the skill of lucid dreaming yet. You know where you are dreaming but totally aware you are dreaming so you can control what happens? So, I’m at the mercy of whatever my psyche throws at me, which is very hit or miss.

Hit – A man told me he won the lottery and I said, “That is awesome, you totally deserve it! I’m so happy for you!” and then he told me he wanted to give me $1 million. 😊

Miss – Any work related or I’m trying to accomplish any menial task. Like needing to get somewhere by a certain time but I can’t seem to move or it’s really slow motion.

Questionable – The other night, I left my office job to join a group of men on a heist. We jumped out of a plane, and we landed in a barren field next to a giant building. As I was collecting everyone’s parachutes to hide, because I was the newbie, I was freaking out about getting in trouble for leaving work without letting anyone know and it had already been four hours!

Yep, that’s what I was worried about.

I left the building because I also started to worry about legal trouble and next thing I know I’m in a restaurant, I believe it was in Beijing or maybe downtown San Francisco. While I’m there I notice Keanu Reeves sitting at a nearby table. He says hello and invites me to join him. Isn’t he nice?

We talked about life and my crazy ideas for a Matrix – Dracula cross over. He totally loved it! Then I realize I’m actually in another country and I’m freaking out about how I’m going to get home.

I say, “I don’t know where I’m going to get the money to get home.” And he looks at me and smiles and says, “Hand me your notebook.”

He then proceeds to sign his name and then three other names and I guess I’m supposed to sell these autographs to buy a plane ticket home? Then he leaves. WTF?

Wait, I forgot. He leaves AND then the manager comes up to me and says, “I want to close up, and your check is the last one that needs to pay.” So no help getting home AND he didn’t pay for my dinner?! Harsh brah!

Needless to say, our relationship hasn’t been the same since. :-/

Also HIT – Ben Affleck placed my hand in his and professed that I was his best friend and it made me feel all warm and gooey inside and I said, ‘Suck it, Matt!’ under my breath. Afterwards we went to Claire’s and got matching bracelets. You know the kind that are two halves of one whole? Okay, maybe I added that part to seem cooler than I am.

Anyways, hope this chaotic catch up post didn’t make you too dizzy and nauseous…if it did just drink some Pepto, you know that pink stuff. Hey that reminds me of another dream.

Just kidding! Hope your 2026 is shaping up to be a time of JOY and BIG DREAMS! Go get em’ Tiger!

Love and Blessings!

Karma Marie

Amuse update

On By karmamarie23Leave a comment

Great news! The Audible version for the revised version of Amuse is now available!

It was a challenging time. I had planned to drop the Audible version on Halloween and started promoting, and it wasn’t showing up as ready on the site. So I reached out and learned we had missed one spot updating my narrator’s name – she got married in between recordings. 🙂

So started the never ending back and forth correspondence…

Me: “Hi, just checking in to see if it’s ready yet?”

ACX: “There was a name mismatch.”

Me: “Oh, I thought I got all of them, sorry.”

ACX: “No worries! We can correct that now if you provide us the original and updated information.”

I did and they did and then I asked ever so hopefully, “Is it ready now?”

ACX: “It needs to go through the quality review.”

Me: “Again? It went through already, the change was with the producer name.”

ACX: “Yes it’s in review. The process takes up to 10 business days.”

It actually took much, much longer than that but, It has arrived!

You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Amuse/dp/B07JP7W6NV/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ZME9NHIFUU50&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3oPGL3dBW-vU3spUdCUhfKs6Z3g0xt6KsCKvGYzmfB0.vxwohS_-8HBOFU6L89feW9onKSiJ2jLaBdSRlxjGG04&dib_tag=se&keywords=amuse+by+karma+marie&qid=1766980270&sprefix=Amuse+by+karma%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-2

Wow, that’s a long link! Anyways, I hope to hear what you think of it, the good, the bad and the fugly. Amuse is the first of a series, currently awaiting notes from my beta readers for book 2 and hard at work outlining book 3.

Tell me, what BIG or little projects are you working on in 2026? Whatever they are, I bet they are amazing!

Love and Blessings,

Karma Marie

UNBALANCED

On By karmamarie23Leave a comment

Ever ride in a car with someone who uses BOTH feet to push the pedals? I have and it can be rough. The right foot punches the gas and the left foot slams on the brake. You lose that transition time if you are only using the one right foot. It’s just GO and STOP!

My life has felt like that, lacking balance. I think it’s because I lack structure. There is an author I follow, Kelsey Humphries. She’s big on YouTube, look her up. You wanna talk about organized?! She’s a damn fine writer, too, I just finished her novel Happy Christmas and can’t wait to read more. Anyways, she teaches writers how to plan their writing and publishing and it triggered me so much! Why?

I think my fear of organizing the writing; creating a spreadsheet or outline or even a simplified word doc stems from fear. Fear that if I stop the momentum of constant writing, well whenever I cram it in around work and taking care of my mom and the house and… I think you get my point.

I don’t want to be unprepared, actually, quite the opposite. I desperately yearn to have my focus contained, each chapter mapped out, at the very least; a goal! That sounds like bliss to me. Knowing exactly who is doing what, when and how? Sign me up!

So, why can’t I do it? Why haven’t I implemented this glorious new call to action? I don’t know, but I aim to find out. When I do, I promise to share here, this place that I neglect so due to…you guessed it; no structured schedule!

Well, I just wanted to pop on and share some thoughts, random like I do. I do want to take this moment to wish you the very best holiday season – I wish you so many blessings you can’t count them all!

Love and Blessings – Karma Marie

What’s up witches?

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I know we’re a ways past Halloween but since I’m behind on everything; it feels appropriate.

AMUSE NEWS! The eBook version is NOW AVAILABLE on Kindle Unlimited! If you, like myself, have a subscription for KU then Amuse is included. I wanted to make it easier for not only new readers but readers who want to refresh their memory before moving on to Amuse 2 – in progress now! More Amuse news below.

Why am I behind? Besides working full time – 40 hours.

My mom came home from the hospital after months, starting in May with ER then ICU then Long Term Recovery then Skilled Nursing. It was tough when she first came home, really felt like I had 3 jobs, she wasn’t fully mobile, heck she wasn’t mobile, but she has been working really hard to become more independent. Which has freed up a little more time.

I’ve developed a creative writing schedule, it’s called ‘Do you have five minutes?” I write before work, on breaks, after work, in my sleep-if only, right! I did switch from the screenplay back to Amuse 2. I missed Calli and I had the bulk of the story completed, in fact, it had a beginning, middle and end…BUT then I went in and changed everything around. See, when I’m not writing I’m listening or watching videos about how to be a better writer.

You wouldn’t guess it by this post would ya?

In other news! The short delay for the launch of the revised Audible version of Amuse – my narrator got married so we needed to update her name – has become a long delay! Originally, the planned launch date was 10-31-25 (Hey the title makes more sense now!) So now it’s been 14 days. It’s been emails and me going into the details in ACX and updating then confirming then more emails because the revised version isn’t showing on the Audible site. Last email I received, yesterday, stated that all was well and they provided the link for the audiobook-the same link I’ve been going into daily and testing.

Yes the info is showing the correct narrator name, however, the original cover art is showing and when I play, it’s the original. Now when I go into ACX, the details are incorrect BUT the cover and the audiobook is correct. *heavy sigh* Hopefully, this will be sorted out soon. I’ll let everyone know.

Until next time, Love and Blessings! – Karma Marie

What’s up?

On By karmamarie23Leave a comment

I’m back! What? Did you think that would take longer? I can leave and come in again…but I’m already here and it takes So. Much. Effort. Okay, you talked me into it, I’ll stay.

Some updates: I wrote a heartfelt letter to Kevin Smith, then rewrote and rewrote to the point I think it’s about as good as it’s going to get…to rewrite just one more time. You know what they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. I need it to be at worse, acceptable and at best, Oscar worthy 😀

The reason for the letter: My son convinced me to send him an Edgar & Kevin & Richard & Wes shirt, I showed that off in a previous post.

The second hardest part, after completing the accompanying letter, is finding the right address to send it to. On Google it mentions mostly their View Askew office and SmodCastle BUT then hallelujah, I found an email address: assistant@smodcast.com so I can get the appropriate address rather than just sending stuff in the mail to never be seen again. I’ll keep you updated!

Speaking of shirts, I created a new design, this time to show off my love for Edgar Wright–er, Edgar Wright’s creations.

The front reads: “Looking for Mr. Wright” with a lipstick mark.

The back reads: “He’s a SPACED out RUNNING MAN, BABY DRIVER with HOT FUZZ, (drinking pints) with SCOTT PILGRIM and SHAUN OF THE DEAD RIGHT next to the ASYLUM, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO and he holds my heart in his FISTFUL OF FINGERS

***SPECIAL NOTE – these shirts aren’t available in the store…yet, we’ll see!

Let me know what you’ve been up to, what you think about the new design, what you think about Kevin Smith, what you think my chances are I’ll get a response to my email…whatever you like to say, here is your chance – comment below…or above, I’m not sure where it’s located tbh.

Whatever you do, have an awesome day!