Falling Into Place

Don't you just love it when everything starts falling into place?  This has been one long, wild and harry journey and I'm so thankful for all the wonderful friends I've made along the way.  Even though we writers are a solitary bunch for the most part, this struggle is one we should never try to do alone.   

So thank you.  For your encouragement, your laughs, your willingness to listen even when things weren't going so well.  It means the world to me.

I wanted to wait a little closer to the release date, which may be moved up if things keep going this well, but I couldn't do it.  Not sure if this thrills me or terrifies me more.  The few people I've shared this with have been eagerly supportive about my decision to self-publish.  And here I feared I would be met with a list of why not's and nay sayers galore.  What does this tell me?  I guess I must be doing the right thing. LOL  There has been a giant weight lifted from my shoulders and it's the most wonderful feeling. Now if the darn butterflies would just quit attacking my insides, I'd be able to enjoy all this wonderful excitement. :)

A sneak peek at my cover. 

Shhhh....It's not quite ready yet and I'd hate to disappoint the masses. LOL  One can dream, right?

For those interested, here's a great link about self-publishing and Terri Reid's success. 
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/01/guest-post-by-terri-reid.html

New Beginnings

January.  It is still January, right? 

2011 is off to a zipping start.  We've already taken a short vacation with the kids, had a colorguard tournament, tennis tournament and high school finals for the first semester.  Ugh.  I'm exhausted. LOL

I'm also busy working out all the kinks on a new exciting venture.  I've been reading alot of books on how to deal with failure and the need to take risks in order to succeed.  No more sitting back and wondering what would happen "if".  I'm actually going to take that next step and see.  Yikes! I'm excited and terrified all at the same time.  Struggling through the blasted learning curve at the moment, but once the initial shock wears off I'll be good to go.

Hoping to have the big reveal ready by April.  There, I put it out there.  A deadline.  Yep.  Now it's set in stone. :)

Best of luck to everyone in 2011!  Here's to looking back at the end of the year and saying, "I'm so glad I took that risk."

The Write Path

Happy New Year!!!!

Here we are only a week into 2011 and I’ve had an epiphany already. It appears I’ve been climbing the wrong mountain according to Kristen Lamb’s Blog, “Searching For Treasure the-Winner Inside.” Heck the title alone was inspiring. LOL Thanks Kristen! :)

Imagine my shock and horror to discover that for the past two years I’ve been chasing after the wrong goal. Oh, I still long to publish my work so others can read it, but the path in which I must travel to get there isn’t the path I’ve been on all this time.

I’ve struggled with my stories, trying to make them fit into the guidelines of what editors and agents want. I’ve stifled my creativity because, well, these stories just don’t fit the norm according to all those well meaning experts out there trying to find that special voice that will carry them away. We have specific rules for contests, rules for publishing houses like word count and genre, rules about sentence structure, rules about head hopping, rules on formatting, rules about rules. And you know what I’ve discovered? Every Best Selling author I’ve read recently breaks one or more of these rules at some point in their story. I know. I’ve heard it so many times I could scream. Established authors can do this. They don’t have to follow the same rules as aspiring authors.

Here’s my question. Why not? Do they know something we don’t? Like it’s all about writing a great story readers will fall in love with. Or write what you love? Or how about just write the darn story. Yes, grammar and punctuation are important as well as the flow and storyline. And word count does matter. But if my story ends up over a certain word count for a certain line, why do I have to go back and cut out bits and pieces or even scenes to make it fit. If it has an inspirational theme, why do I have to worry about how much contact my characters are allowed to have? I mean, I don’t write those heavy scenes, but love does play a big part in my stories. In real life, people do kiss, curse and talk in funny little rhymes. The magical part of writing for me is a stories abilitiy to evolve into so much more than I first imagined. Suprise me, please! :)

I’ve been worrying about all these rules to the point they stop me cold in my tracks. My muse throws up her hands in frustration and exits the building. I’m left staring into my computer screen at a wonderful story trying its best to emerge, but that just won’t make it under the guidelines set for me to follow.

But there is hope. I’ve found a light at the end of my tunnel. I’ve said it before. Today is the best time to be an author. Our options are endless. And I for one find that very liberating.

I will write. I will let my muse play any way she likes. And I will find a way to succeed.

Avoid the Slush at All Costs

In my efforts to procrastinate this week, I came across a book I started reading last year by Jack Bickham. “The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)”. Chapter one is title “Don’t Make Excuses.” Gulp. This hits home with me on so many levels. “Writers write; everyone else makes excuses.” Well, that means if I’m a writer I must write. I’ve been doing pretty good with this ever since NaNoWriMo and have almost finished editing a book I plan to send out to a publisher the middle of January. The following are a few tips I’ve come across from several different sources along the way that I feel have made my work stronger.



1. Lead with a powerful scene, a witty exchange or a dazzling description.

2. Make sure the right person is telling the story.

3. Create the right amount of internal monologue.

4. Don't have too many characters.

5. Make sure the characters you do have don’t walk, talk and act the same.

6. Add texture to your story with echoes, allusions and metaphors.

7. Check to make sure every scene is necessary to move the story forward.

8. Be sure there is a sense of time and place in your story.

9. Make your dialogue lively. Listen to those around you, then use what you hear.

10. Up the ante where you can.



(Raising my glass of sparkling cider)  Here’s to avoiding the slush pile and reaching our publishing dreams!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

The Best Gift of All



There are very few promises in today's world that we can count on. Lots of good people, with good ideas and intentions but also with human conflicts and flaws. Let's face it, at some point in our lives everyone lets us down and we in turn do the same no matter how hard we try otherwise.


But there is One we can always count on.  Christmas is a time to rejoice in the Savior's birth and thank GOD for his promises. Sending his son was our promise of his love for us, our proof that this life in this chaotic world is not the end, but only a brief blip in our eternity. What a special gift indeed.

Five Days and Counting

Five Days!  I must say, things are getting exciting around here.  Or I should say, the kids instead of things.  LOL  Doesn't matter that they are all over the age of ten and Old Saint Nick is a distant memory.  I can't quite figure out if it's the giving or receiving part that has them all wound up this year.  Could it be that they can't wait to see the look on the other's faces as they open their gifts?  We can hope.  Hope that in all this fantasy stuff we've played up all these years they have managed to hold on to the true meaning of it all.

From my home to yours, we wish everyone a Wonderful Christmas.  May you be filled to the brim with lots of Love, Joy and More Blessings than you can count at this special time and all through the New Year!  

Resistance – Bah Humbug!

For the past several days, my writing has become almost non-existent as I hurry to get all the holiday errands taken care of before the kids are home for Christmas break. But I have found time to read a little here and a little there. What better to read than craft books, right? Mostly as I sit in the car and wait for the kids to get out of school so we can then start the homework, supper and all around chaos again.

“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield is a book I highly recommend reading at least once a year. Every time I pick it up, I find something new. And it’s not just for writers, but anyone wanting to pursue their dream. Whatever those dreams may be, we creative types all have one thing in common?

Resistance.

Anything that keeps us from doing what we love or what we want to do falls under this constant struggle we call resistance. Boy is there a lot of that floating around my house on any given day. But this time of year? Wow, if I had a penny for every time I made an excuse not to sit down and write I’d be a wealthy woman right about now. LOL You name it and I’ll find myself doing it before planting my bootie in my  favorite chair to work on my favorite WIP. Cleaning the bathroom instead of writing? What’s wrong with me?

Blurb from the back of the book:

In this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, best-selling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary or entrepreneur.

Now a well-aimed kick in the pants is just what the doctor ordered for this procrastinator extraordinaire. Maybe I should read this book about every three months or so. Keep it all fresh in my mind.

From here on out, or until I read the book again, I plan to resist the urge to resist or eat bugs. LOL Okay, I sure hope you don’t hold me to that last part.   :)

The Secret Behind Commitment



What is the one simple factor in individual success?

Commitment.

Think about it. Commitment ignites action. It helps us focus on eliminating those doubts and confront what is and what is not working. Commitment provides motivation for improvement. After thinking on this I have to admit, once I make up my mind to do something, it gets done. And afterward I’m left wondering why the heck it took so long.

Let me try and explain my take on this. There is a huge difference between being interested or enjoying something and being committed to succeed. If you are merely interested, time plays an important role. You’re sort of sitting on the sidelines only proceeding when time permits. But if you are committed, you look at things a bit differently. Time becomes your ally. It’s been there all along strategically hidden between the many tasks and responsibilities of life and mommyhood. But commitment helps us find that precious time no matter what. It makes us concentrate and brings out all our resources to help us fight for the finish line. There are fewer excuses, because well, you’ve made up your mind that nothing is going to get in your way and stop you. Results are the only thing to follow.

“Persistence with a Purpose” Now that makes a lot of sense. I know what I want. I know what I have to do to get it. Now all I have to do is commit and make it happen. Sounds easy enough. But nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

So no more excuses for not writing or editing. I can do a little every day. I can reach my goals. I might need to tweak them a bit as I go along, but it’s all good.

Sorry email, Facebook, twitter, procrastination, doubt. I just don’t have time for you anymore. I have a lot of writing to do!



“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny”

-unknown

The Joy of the Season

I’m sitting here wearing a sweater, teeth chattering, fingers not wanting to move because they are ice cold, trying to write a post about my favorite Wintery things. Now why aren’t the ideas just spilling out faster than I can type them? LOL

I do love this season. We don't get much snow around the Houston area and the really cold days are few.  But there is something magical in the air at this time and if you pay attention you can feel it, see it, hear it. It might be difficult at times to overlook the chaotic shoppers or manic drivers, but the magic is still there waiting to be noticed. It might come in the form of a simple smile or polite nod. Maybe the extra effort made by a sales clerk to find that one last pair of shoes in the back. Heck it might even be the thoughtful act of a driver letting you actually pull out in front of them at a red light or the mall parking lot as they wave and smile. Honest. This really happened. :)

Then there is the sound of the Salvation army bells ringing outside the stores and the Angel trees set up around town to remind me that most people have a caring nature and given the opportunity won’t hesitate to help out those in need. I can see the smiles on the faces of those children who wouldn’t have a Christmas at all if it weren’t for the kindness of others. It truly is better to give than receive.

Getting together with family members you haven’t seen in a while is a great feeling too. Seeing how much their kids have grown and catching up on their daily lives is priceless. Oh, and I must not forget how my family loves to drive around and ooow and awwwe as we check out the Christmas lights and decorations. I’m amazed by the amount of effort and planning that goes into some of these. How do they get all those lights up and extension cords run in such a manner it doesn’t blow their circuit breakers. I’m still trying to find the string of lights that is tripping our GFCI plug when it rains. I must say the stomping back and forth out to the garage to reset the button is getting old, but I’ll find the culprit eventually and all will be well again. I must learn to plan better though. It never fails that I end up with two ends the same. No matter what you do they aren’t going to work together so it’s back to stringing them all over again. Do they a make a universal plug so it doesn’t matter which end you end up with? LOL

I guess what I’m trying to say is that my favorite Wintery thing, at least around Christmas time, is the joy and generosity it brings out in people. It’s there, I promise. You just might have to look a little harder sometimes.

Now get out there and spread some of that joy! :)