Finding the Time and Commitment to Write

By Vicki Taylor

Ideas flow like water. Some of us catch them with a cup, others with a sieve. Hey I like that. I'll have to write that one down. Anyway, back to discussing finding time to write and sticking to it.

A writer friend I know said that we all have a story inside of us. Those of us who are writers find a way to bring that story out. Many brand new writers fight against all kinds of obstacles (i.e., responsibilities.) Job. Home. Children. Life. Our inner critic. We can't avoid them. Not many of us are fortunate enough to be independently wealthy and can devote our entire time to writing.

Our inner critic takes on all kinds of roles. It's that voice in our head that says the laundry needs to be folded before you write. It insists you dust the knick-knacks in the living room before you write. It whispers in your ear that your favorite tv show is on and you can't miss it. It also nags you about your writing dreams and cajoles you into thinking you'll never make it.

Fight that inner critic, but don't gag its voice for good. You'll need it when it starts whispering to you in the middle of the night about a plot twist. You'll want to hear it tell you about the weak character build up in chapter three.

Learn to choose what you want to listen to and then you'll find time to write and a desire to stay with your ideas.

Before you know it you'll have your first draft done and you'll enjoy a satisfaction like no other. You wrote a novel. You started it, stuck with it, and finished it.

Every writer needs time to find a routine that works for her. For some they wake early and put in a thousand words before work. Others stay up late and work into the early hours. I know writers who take a notebook or laptop to work and add to their manuscript during breaks and on their lunch time.

No one writer has the perfect recipe for success that fits every writers' needs. However, we all have one major desire in common -- the desire to write.

Here are some suggestions to help you catch those ideas rather than letting them flow away:

1. Keep a notebook beside your bed so you can jot down ideas as they come to you in the middle of the night.

2. Make it a habit to carry a small notebook and pen with you or your personal data assistant or handheld computer at all times.

3. Start a writing routine. Start small at first. For the first week try and find ten minutes every day to write. The next week add five more minutes, the next week add five more. Keep going until you settle into a routine that works best for you.

4. Join a writing group either online or in your city for support. There's nothing like getting encouragement from another writer. Writers are born cheerleaders. They'll help you figure out ways to stifle that inner critic when necessary.

5. Don't give up and keep writing. If you feel yourself losing steam, find creative ways to recharge yourself. Sometimes, it helps to read other authors. Seeing how they’ve crafted a story stimulates you to write again.

If you falter, start again. It may take years to complete your first novel. That's okay. Anyone who says writing a novel is a piece of cake, they're lying. I've heard writers liken writing a novel to giving birth. I'm not sure if it's literally that painful, but it comes darn close!

Stop by and get to know Vicki at her website.

Connections

Making connections. When you come right down to it, isn't that why we write? I mean, anyone who has been in the business for a while knows the money isn't that great. Sure the brass ring thing happens on the rare occasion but for most of us, it probably won't. Mary says if you want money, you should be a plumber. And anyone that's had any plumbing work done recently knows the truth of that:--)

But...when something we write connects to another person and makes them feel...isn't that the coolest thing ever! When a reader tells us how much they loved one of our favorite characters or really didn't like the bad guy, we know we have accomplished what we set out to do.

For nonfiction writers or those who write creative nonfiction, when one of our pieces helps another person or causes them to feel, think, take action or learn something...how much better can it get.

Sure I love to get paid for my writing. And pay is one of the things I consider before sending a piece to a publisher but it isn't the only reason I write.

And speaking of connections...one of the things I love about StoryCrafters is the connections I've made with other writers. Writing truly is a solitary craft. We sit in front of our puters for hours at a time shutting out the real world. It's so great to be able to take a break and connect with others doing the same thing we are.

Today, I challenge you to make some connections. Connect with other writers as a start. Then, consider your target readers. Think about what you want them to take away from your writing and weave that connection into your writing.

Speck

Without a Net by Lynn Voedisch

There are writers who like things tidy, all neatly arranged and indexed. They probably have neat and organized houses, too. Then there are those of us who are called seat-of-the-pants writers, who work without a net and let our subconscious be our guide. I’m one of those writers who doesn’t use an outline. (My house is a mess, too.) It’s officially Not Recommended, but please understand that those of us who prefer this sort of free-form writing aren’t just flailing in the dark; we, too, have methods.

One of my Australian e-mail friends says we need to watch out for the Outline Police. It certainly does seem, if you pick up any how-to-write journal, that outlining is considered the golden rule of novel writing. Scofflaws are regarded with derision and even hotheaded scorn. Once on a mailing list, I was chastised by the owner, who said that whatever I was doing to keep the elements of the story together was still outlining. He had to believe this, because to him working without a chapter-by-chapter plan was unthinkable.

Well, he’s wrong. I don’t outline. The reason is pretty simple. In my case, having come from the world of journalism, there just never was time to outline. Everything a newspaper reporter does must be completed quickly and there is simply no time for outlines. So, when I approached novel writing, I figured “why start now?” The second reason I don’t outline is that I simply love it when the creative process suddenly leads me in a different direction—and I find it’s a better one. Several times new characters have arrived on the scene and inserted themselves in the action. In my second novel, still in manuscript form, the best character in the whole story is a guy who tapped on my shoulder and said he wanted to come in.

With an outline, those lovely moments of serendipity just don’t happen. I’ve heard from outline-lovers that they will deviate from the path if they want to. They swear the plan is flexible. I suppose it’s possible. But to me, just the idea of having something written down that I must follow seems antithetical to the creative process.

However, let’s get one thing straight: all writers have to know where they are going with their novel. You can’t start typing one day and let whims decide where you are going to go. Here are the tools I use to keep myself moving in the right direction:

An ending: You’ve should know how the book is going to end pretty early in the writing process. If you don’t have a clue, you’re still not going to have any idea when it comes to ending time. If you’ve ever read a book that has an unsatisfying ending, chances are that author didn’t think his ending out clearly to begin with. Always know where you want the action to resolve and how the protagonist changes.

Think it through: I spend a lot of time wandering around or lying on the couch, apparently doing nothing. But what I’m really doing is thinking through a chapter. I push my characters through various scenarios until I hit on the one that seems to work. Then I rush to write it all down. Often, a 2,000-word chapter will come flowing out of me in one day. That’s because it’s all clear in my mind thanks to a protracted period of kicking around ideas. Let yourself take this time. It’s essential to a well-conceived story, and works much better than the prescribed 500-words a day.

Get to know your characters: Don’t let these people you have created stay two-dimensional. They will start out that way, which is why the first chapters of a first draft are often so thin. But after a while, you’ll know their intimate thoughts. Listen to their voices. Watch what their eyes do when they smile. Notice their quirks. If you think you can get away with it, talk to them out loud. (Not recommended in public.) By the last draft, you’ll have characters who come alive—and you won’t want to say goodbye to them.

When stuck, draw a dramatic arc: On paper draw an arc, that gathers height slowly and then pitches down to the end, rather like a roller coaster. That’s your arc. Now draw a second one just below it. One is the outer arc (plot) and the other is the inner arc (character development). Mark on the arc key moments that are happening to your characters and notice how the plot gathers steam along with your protagonist’s revelations or pitfalls. Find your climax point and then the denouement to the ending will be easy. Each chapter has its own dramatic arc, too, but I don’t draw that out, I only keep it in mind.

Always remember what readership you are aiming for: If it’s a romance, don’t get all heavy on historical details. If it’s a mystery, don’t lose your way in a lot of subplots. If you are writing mainstream, picture who would be picking up your book and write to him or her.

It’s easy to work without a net if you organize things well in your mind. And when that funny character with the strange clothing and odd vocal inflections taps you on the shoulder, let him in. You don’t have an outline to keep him out.


To find out more about Lynn and where to purchase her work check out her website.

Procrastination: Reality Sets In

We've talked a bit about procrastination here at the SC blog. I even wrote an article about it for Writer2Writer. But sometimes procrastination means more than missing a deadline or not obtaining a goal.

Almost four years ago, one of my neighbors and I gave birth to our youngest daughters. My neighbor, Karen and I would run into each other every once in a while and we always talked about getting together. During the spring, I would often walk up the street pushing my infant daughter in her stroller. If Karen happened to be driving by, she would stop and say hello. We would chat and it would usually end with one of us agreeing to call the other, so that we could set up a time to walk our daughters together.

Well, time moved on--as it always does--and our infants became toddlers. Every once in a rare while I would make my way towards Karen's house with the girls or she would see us playing in the cul-de-sac and she would travel down to my end of the street. I always enjoyed these conversations. Karen was lovely to talk to and she never had an unkind word to say about anyone. You couldn't help but feel happy when you were around her.

This past December, Karen was diagnosed with leukemia. She stayed in Boston until March because she had a stroke from the chemotherapy treatments she was receiving. I never went to visit her. It was difficult to make such a trip because I would have to make arrangements for my girls and driving around Boston makes me sweat bullets. Once she was moved to a local rehab center, I figured I would see her there. But again, I put it off. I was embarassed and ashamed I had never made an attempt to call her prior to her illness so that we could get together. And she was only there a short time, so I decided to wait until she came home.

I did make two attempts to see Karen and her family, but both times Karen had been rushed to the hospital, so I never got that chance. The day before she went into the hospital the last time, I saw her outside her home, in her wheelchair. She was getting some fresh air. She looked great. If it weren't for her wheelchair and the turban around her head, you never would have known she was sick. I could have stopped to say hello, but I was in a rush to get my grocery shopping done. And I had two kids in the car. So, I waved and made a mental note to call Karen once she was feeling up to it.

Unfortunately, Karen died two days later. The cancer had returned and it quickly consumed her body. In addition to the grief of losing a neighbor, I wept as I thought of all the lost opportunities. What if I had dialed Karen's number or rung her doorbell just once in all the time we knew each other? Would she have become my best friend? I don't know, because I never did it. I put it off and now it is too late to find out what could have been. I sometimes wonder when doing housework and running errands became more important than spending time with family and friends.

It's been a tough lesson--one that has changed my life forever. Think about all the reasons you come up with to put off writing. I'm sure they sound pretty reasonable at the time. But what have you given up just so you wouldn't have to sit in your chair and write? Was it worth it in the end? What if the one thing you have avoided writing is also the one that turns into your next sale? Think about it. Then plunk yourself down in your chair and write it.

Cheryl

What do you have hiding in your drawers?

Catchy title, don't you think? I've been helping Speck prune the forum, which is a long and tedious task. Often times as I was going through these older topics I thought about what great information these threads still contained. And this all got me to thinking about my writing.

Upstairs, in my hope chest is an entire envelope of stories and poems I wrote as a teenager. While my vanity won't allow me to share with you how old they are, I can tell you that it has been well over a decade since I last looked at them. I distinctly remember a poem I wrote, titled The Sights and Sounds that Fill the Night. I can even visualize myself writing it late one evening as I gazed out over the street from the window of the three-room apartment our neighbor lived in.

I can also recall the two stories I wrote after my mother's death from cancer, each of which amazingly had a female protaganist who's mother was dying of cancer. And then there was the Scooby Doo type mystery I penned when that show was still on the air.

But what use are these stories now? Well, not only do they serve to remind me of the things that were important to me when I was that young; they could also spark a new story idea that I could submit for publication. Maybe I might find one that still seems pretty darn good and revise it and mail it out. And since I would love to write for the young adult market, this might just give me a glimpse into how to speak to young people without talking down to them.

How many manuscripts do you have tucked away? One, five, ten...just sitting around collecting dust when they could be making you money. Maybe it's time you pulled open the manuscript drawer to see what you have hiding in there.

Who knows, it might be the makings of the Great American Novel.

Cheryl

Review of How to Write Killer Fiction

Let’s continue our review of Carolyn Wheat’s How to Write Killer Fiction. I must say, I am impressed with this book. Carolyn delves into history of both the mystery and suspense genres. A couple of weeks back, I share a bit about the mystery novel, so this time we’ll look at the suspense novel.

With the mystery novel, the reader follows along with the hero/heroine and gathers clues to solve the crime/murder. However, with the suspense novel the reader is often two steps ahead, and cringing at the danger that the hero/heroine is unknowingly about to step in.

Carolyn Wheat refers to this with an example from the great mystery master, Alfred Hitchcock and his famous story about a bomb under the table. He said that the way to create suspense is to show a bomb under a card table and then show four men playing cards. The game can be the dullest thing imaginable, the dialogue flat, the scenery boring, but the audience is on the edge of their seats because they know what the cards players don’t: there’s a bomb under the table.

In her book, Carolyn also compares several suspense novels to that of our much loved childhood fairy tales. From Snow White to Cinderella. She even tied one of my favorite thriller suspense stories, Silence of the Lambs to the classic, Beauty and the Beast.

What do children’s fairy tales have in common with suspense? Carolyn gives us a closer look at Snow White whose father married a woman who is jealous of her beauty. This evil stepmother tries several times to get rid of Snow White and finally sends her out into the woods with a huntsman who has orders to kill Snow White and then bring her heart back to the Wicked Queen.

Talk about suspense. Will the huntsman kill her? No, he doesn’t. Instead, he kills a deer and takes its heart to the Queen.

Part 2 of How to Write Killer Fiction also includes short descriptions of the many sub-genres of the suspense novel. You’ll find references to Romantic Suspense, Relationship Suspense, Personal Jeopardy and even Spy Fiction, plus much more. This treasure trove of knowledge includes which endings work, which one don’t, and why.

Part 3 raps it all up with tips on the writing process. I believe anyone wanting to write mystery or suspense would do well to study this book and many of the novels that Carolyn Wheat recommends. It has certainly wet my appetite for more.


Lori

Conquering the demon

I write this post amidst a bit of jubilation. Four weeks ago I wrote about Finishing. At that time I said I would complete my novel in four weeks, finishing one of many dreams. Tonight, I did just that.

I faced many demons on this journey. The realities of time, family, and faith all tested me. I had troubles with my health, with my marriage, and worst of all with my children's health. Using each of these to draw strength, and using writing as an escape, I managed to face the biggest demon of all: my own self-doubt.

I've always said that my mother is my toughest critic. I love her, but she is. But she has nothing on the inner demon of self-doubt I hold within myself. I told my husband when I started this journey that even I doubted I could finish it, but I "had to try."

Over the past year I used (and abused) the support of my best friend and my husband to get the novel written. I stumbled and missed days of writing. I fell and missed months. Each time Jess or Erik would help to pick me up, dust me off, and shove me back into the sweathouse.

Tonight when I wrote those final words, and finished them off with a "The End" for good measure, Erik woke up at the exact moment (by coincidence) and gave me a good heart-felt cheer.

I now have two months (by my own deadlines) of editing and ignoring to do, prepping queries and the hook, not to mention the synopsis that I dread. But having completed the novel, conquering my own demons to do it, I have no doubt that I'll get it done.

When I'd told him I finished, Erik asked me - "So does this mean I get my wife back?"

If he only knew how much more work it would take! *LOL*

Challenge time...

Okay guys...

We all know one of the hardest things for a writer to do is hit the send button or drop that query/manuscript in the mail.

So...here's the challenge. Dust off that story or query you've been holding for so long and send it out. Then, let us all know so we can share in your victory over those shoulder vultures. Let's see how many queries or stories we can get sent out before the end of the month:--)


Speck

I've gotten two out this week so far. Y'all need to get busy:--)

The Power of 'What if'

'What if' might be the two most powerful words a writer has at her disposal. My story Betrayal is based upon a newspaper article I read about a woman who was arrested for allegedly trying to hire two separate men to kill her husband after her own suspected attempt did not work. I set the story in Mexico and did some research so I could get the location details right.

But how could I weave the article into a totally fictional account of what might have happened between this husband and wife? Well, let's see, what if...

- the husband was physcially abusive towards his wife, which is why she wanted him dead?

- the wife found out about a large life insurance policy and wanted to cash it in so she could travel?

- the wife was carrying on an extra-marital affair and the husband wouldn't go through with the divorce, so she tries to eliminate the problem?

- the husband was the person having an extra-marital affair and in an angry rage the wife tried to kill him, and when it was unsuccessful she tried hiring someone to do it?

These are just some of the possibilites I thought of within the last few minutes. Maybe you came up with a different 'what if'. We are only limited by our imaginations.

So, next time you hit a stumbling block in your writing, pull out a piece of paper and write out "What if..." Then list all the options you can come up with. Don't be surprised if this sparks some ideas you never thought of before.

Cheryl

If it looks like a duck...

You know the saying...

"If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...it's probably a duck..."

Well, it finally smacked me in the arse last week that I needed to apply this to my writing, a LOT. There have been times I've struggled with whole chapters. Sometimes, I've not struggled at all, but afterward thought "But...wait..."

So, my newest writing application is:
"If it feels like filler, and stinks like filler...it's probably filler." Very closely related to, "If it smells like crap, and sounds like crap...it's probably crap."

When I'm writing now, I know that if it's taking a long time, going very slow, or just not flowing right, I stop. I take a hard look at what I'm writing and determine if I REALLY need it. Is it REALLY moving the plot forward?

I just killed a whole chapter with this thought. I realized that while seeing what happens would be interesting, it could just as well be left to the imagination. It wasn't important enough to keep. I can think of at least one passage now back in the first 9 chapters that can be axed as well.

I'd been given this advice before, but for some reason it didn't stick until I looked at what I had left to write, and then at my deadline. I realized I didn't have time to sit there and struggle with a chapter because I, in my long-winded modus operandi, felt I needed to expound every detail. I realized just then that the chapter I was writing felt like filler.

So, I first looked at what my heart wanted...it said "Keep it in. Look at THAT scene!!"
Logic interrupted and said, "But is it NEEDED?"
My heart said, "Well...but...it shows their interaction...and it's so precious..."
Again logic, far more stern, "But is it NEEDED?"
Heart: "But..."
Logic: "Can you find a way to work it in without a WHOLE chapter?"
Heart: "Ummmm..."

Logic won out. I realized that what I wanted to write wasn't necessary. Part of me still hurts over losing one little scene in a big long chapter of nothing...but I also know that the upcoming scenes MORE than make up for that one brief moment that did nothing for the plot. It was mere background noise.

As much as it kills my heart...I'll be listening to my logic a bit more often. I'm so much more happier with my current result with the missing chapter to ignore it any longer. The heart of the novel is still there...even without that silly scene!!

Whatever It Takes

I cannot believe it’s the third Wednesday of the month already. I’m behind on everything including this post. Sorry folks, I haven’t finished reading “How To Write Killer Fiction.” So, you’ll have to wait for my next blog entry to find out what Carolyn Wheat has to say about writing the suspense story.

Why am I so behind? It’s the old adage of over scheduling. I started out this month with a clean slate. Then the old super human syndrome took over and said yes to everything anyone wanted. Ahhh, but the joys of spring are in the air so all is well. I’m clearing my slate and moving on.

This morning I read a couple of blog entries about writer’s confidence. Most would agree that writers need a certain amount of confidence in order to continue to strive toward publication. But, too much confidence is like adding too much starch to your ironing. You don't want to be known as so stiff no one can work with you. There is no doubt that Editors and agents are looking for writers who have excellent writing abilities. They also look to work with writers who understand that editing is part of the process and it will improve their writing. Flexibility is the key here. We all fall in love with the things we write, but we need to temper that love with the logical thinking. If an editor or agent wants some changes made, chances are, they know the market better than we do. Before throwing a fit, think about those changes for a bit. Take a walk, and get some air.

I’ve been zeroing in and listening to what published authors are saying. Many say they rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite until their manuscript sparkles. Then they submit it knowing full well that the editor or agent will still ask for changes and most of the time those changes will make the manuscript better.

How about it? Are you willing to allow a knowledgeable editor help turn your writing into something incredible?

Antholoy Seeking Submissions

Words & Images of Belonging

Foreword by Dr. Gretchen Legler, nonfiction author and professor, University of Maine at Farmington, Creative Writing.

Contributions that address legacies, generations (especially that of grandparents and grandchildren), family, a sense of home and identity ( i.e. the pull between home and work, leaving your childhood home to start your own home or a sense of place within oneself).

Reflections may be poems, short stories, songs, diary entries, essays, letters, creative nonfiction, or other forms as well as artwork. Combinations of forms are encouraged, up to approximately 4,000 words per contributor. If accepted, contributors will receive a complimentary copy upon publication and a contributor's discount on additional copies.

No previously published or simultaneously submitted material. Please send work in an attachment; use 12-point Courier. Include a 50-60 word bio to appear in contributor's notes section of BELONGING if your work is accepted. (Writing credits/current position/where you're from and personal highlights are invited.) Please e-mail by August 30, 2007 with BELONGING as the subject line.

For artwork, use BELONGING as the subject line; send in PDF by e-mail. If you would like to send artwork by regular mail, send B&W or color PHOTOCOPIES ONLY (ABSOLUTELY NO ORIGINALS) to:

Cynthia Brackett-Vincent
P. O. Box 187
Farmington, ME 04938

ATTN: BELONGING

If your artwork is accepted AND ONCE WE HAVE SECURED A PUBLISHER, we will request originals if necessary. If you'd like photocopies returned, include an SASE. If you would like to know your photocopies have been received, include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Please include all your contact information (including e-mail address) in submissions.Send e-mail to Cynthia at Cafpoet37@encirclepub.com or to Carol at smallwood@tm.net

Stomp Those Grapes

All y'all who have seen the movie "A Walk in the Clouds" raise your hands. Remember somewhere about the middle of the movie when they harvest the grapes? Remember when Keanu dropped a bunch and the father picked them up, cleaned them off and gently placed them in the box? Go back a bit.

I don't know anything about growing grapes but I do know about gardens. They take time, effort, sweat, and when you get right down to it, part of ourselves. To get the type grapes usable for wine making, there was a lot of effort put into it. And they took care while harvesting the grapes not to injure them. Once harvested though, they dumped them in this huge vat and people started jumping on them and squishing all the juice out of them...talk about a change in attitude!

What's this got to do with writing you ask? Well...

Our words are like the grapes. During the growing process we put them on paper, nurture them. Their care consumes us. We save, back up and resave them. (or at least we should) When our story is finished, it's just like the harvest. Our words/grapes have been gathered.

Then comes the change in attitude. We take our words and change them. We cut out weak verbs, add stronger ones. We change the abstract into the concrete, telling is gotten rid of and changed into show. This process is hard on the words just as all the stomping is on the grapes. Ahhh...but once finished, we have a product ready to be packaged and sold.

Again, the comparison continues. Not everyone is going to like the wine, just as not everyone will like our stories. But for those of who continue sending our stories out, we will find someone who loves them.

So...what is my point from all this? Just that just as it takes a lot of work to get wine from grapes, it takes a lot of work to get a story from a bunch of words. Don't be afraid to take your words and work with them to get the best from them.

Today, harvest some words...make them into a story:-) Stomp 'em if ya' have to.

Speck

And...if you haven't seen the movie, go rent it. You'll love it!

Where does the time go?

When I began my blog, I titled it The Life of a Wife, Mother, and Aspiring Author. I'm not sure which role is more exciting or demanding. Sometimes it's being a wife--making sure my domestically challenged husband has freshly ironed shirts for work, a nice filling lunch every day in his bag, and a clean house to come home to. But other times it's motherhood. Just this week, I've learned that my son is planning to move out at the end of the month. I worry about him since he has pretty much written off college and has some unrealistic picture of what he and his girlfriend can accomplish on their combined salaries. And don't even get me started on my strong-willed five-year-old daughter.

But lately, it's writing that seems to demand the most attention. Well, not my own writing--the writing of others. I've turned my blog into a place to connect authors and prospective readers. Every month I interview at least two authors in the hopes that the readers of my blog will find something interesting and pick up a book from one of these talented people.

Every once in a while though, I ask myself where the time to enjoy life went. My days are a mix of mothering, trying to accomplish enough writing related stuff to make me believe I am a writer, and playing Susie homemaker. There are days that I feel like the mother who brought her newborn home from the hospital, and then made the mistake of blinking too quickly and finds he has graduated from college.

So, this is just my friendly little reminder to all of us, to take the time to get off the roller coaster known as daily life and experience what is truly important--the love of friends and family, the beauty of nature, and the joy of a simple smile.

Cheryl

Finishing

In approximately 4 weeks I will do something I’ve never done before. I will complete a dream. I will finish (sans editing) my first original novel.

I’ve had many dreams in my life. Many lofty goals. I’ve never finished, or accomplished, any of them, outside of being a wife and mother. That dream is important in its own right, but this isn’t about that.

I have wanted to be a dance teacher since I was three. The closest I came was when I was at a dance school at the age of 10. The owners picked me and two other advanced students to be TA’s. We helped teach the youngest students on Saturday morning’s. We were left alone with the classes to teach basics, but we never choreographed their recital numbers, and we were always in a group.

Another goal I’ve had since that young age was to perform onstage. When I was three, I wanted to be Ginger Rogers. As I grew up, it became a dream of Broadway. But, in high school I let an idiot choir teacher wreck my confidence and let him influence my faith in my voice. 4 years ago I came the closest to this dream I ever will, I performed in local theatres in 4 musicals, doing both dancing and (*gasp*) vocal leads! It was close, but still not my dream.

I wanted to finish college. My first attempt was a very sad failure. My own fault. In one semester I was kicked out with a 0.0 GPA. I never went to class. My second attempt was more successful. I went for a Dance Education major. Halfway through the first semester my ballet teacher bumped me to the 200 class. I ended the semester on a 3.8 GPA. I was so proud. But, then I became pregnant, and would have been 8 months pregnant at finals. With a dance major, it was a no-go…so I let that dream go (though not permanently, I still carry it.).

I have viewed my life as a series of failures. A disappointment to my parents, especially since I was the ‘smart’ one of their kids. The one they were sure would finish college. Turns out, my brother did that before me thanks to 10 years of military service. Every time I’ve had a ‘great idea’ it’s fizzled, and they know it.

When I set out to write this novel, it was with great fear. I’ve never finished anything I’ve said I would. Even small things get lost in the mix. My friends convinced me that the story was too good not to make into something better.

A year ago my husband and I went to dinner, and during the salad course I decided to tell him what I was going to try. With a nervous knot in my stomach I told him that I wanted to take this thing that I’d been writing and make it…real. I wanted to try to write it and finish it, and sell it.

I waited for his answer in fear. I heard my mother’s voice in my head telling me I was being a fool. I was being just like my aunt who went through, and still goes through ‘phases’ in her life. Something is her dream, her passion, and then it’s gone in the wind. That’s what I was doing…again.

But he didn’t say anything like that. From that day forward he’s been so supportive. He hasn’t read it yet (Historical Fic/Romance isn’t his cup of tea), but he’s promised to. He asks me how it’s going. He doesn’t push me when it’s not going at all. He’s excited for me, and scared for me. His support, along with the support of my best friend, have been what have gotten me through. I never knew having someone believe in you made all the difference. Now I do…

And so I face the coming weeks with trepidation. Will I truly succeed where I’ve always failed? Will I finish something I set out to do? In a years time, no less? I believe, for the first time, that I will. This year has been plagued with self-doubt. Now I’m filled with hope, and fear. Because beyond the success of my first completed dream comes the obstacle that I have little control over…the selling of my dream. But I now know that completing it was the true goal. Selling it is just the gravy. And it feels good to know it will happen. Once it does, I’ll have faith that anything can, and will, happen.

A Mystery Or A Suspense Novel?

Funhouse mirrors and rollercoaster rides! Those are the keys to understanding the difference between a good mystery novel and a suspense novel. I’m referring to Carolyn Wheat’s book, How To Write Killer Fiction.

First, Carolyn Wheat explains that a mystery novel is like entering a funhouse at a carnival where everything is distorted. In one mirror your tall and skinny, and in the next short and fat. You make false starts based upon what you see and you go down many dead end alleys. Then she illustrates how the suspense novel is more like a rollercoaster ride where you hang on tight and hold your breath. It’s fast paced making quick twist and turns.

I haven’t finished reading this book yet but I am enjoying the first part where it breaks down the mystery novel. It touches on everything from the history of writing mysteries to how to plant clues and then cover them up.

If you are a mystery writer, keep in mind that your reader is always two steps behind your sleuth. Mystery fans expect to receive the same clues as your main character and they enjoy trying to solve the puzzle before the MC can.

The construction of a mystery novel takes some forethought and if you have a detective, a police officer or coroner then the study of procedures comes into play. If your writing a murder mystery, no killer wants to be caught so what does yours do to cover it up? Lie, plant evidence, or point to someone else?

One satisfying ending is where your reader slaps her forehead and says, “Of course, how did I miss that!” However, this book shows that there are several ways to a satisfying end and it explains why certain endings fail.

This book has a whole lot more to explore than what I’ve covered here, and I’d recommend it for anyone who wants to write well organized and satisfying mysteries. Next blog I’ll cover what Carolyn Wheat has to say about the suspense novel.

Meanwhile write what excites you!

Lori

Life in the Fast Lane

Vroom, vroom...

Seems like many of us have gotten run over by life lately. I know things have gotten busy for me since I started working with WOW!. I must admit though, it really isn't work. I love doing the proofing, working with other writers to make thier piece it's best and even the chance to write with them, whether it be on their blog or for the site. And...it keeps my inner editor happy so she doesn't nag when I write my fiction.

But, this leads me to the realization I have to set some priorities. I've been pondering this since returning from the convention not long ago and have decided, undecided, and decided again. Right now, I'm in an undecided phase. I need to make a decision soon and stick with it.

So, my question for y'all... What is your priority? Has life grabbed you and doesn't want to go? Do you feel like you are spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere?

I know for myself, it's time I make some hard decisions and set some priorities, especially with summer coming and all the things that brings.

Now...I'm off to decide again:--)

Speck

Hey!!! Watch where you're driving...this is my lane!

Stepping outside my comfort zone

I had an interesting experience last week and it was too good not to share. As you know, I am using my blog to connect authors with potential readers. When I submitted my last article to Writer2Writer, I mentioned to the editor, Cheryl Wright that I would love to interview her for my blog. She has a new release coming out in November. She agreed and went one step further by sending my contact information along to her publisher, telling her I was looking to interview authors.

Imagine my surprise when I received an email from Laurie Sanders, editor of Black Velvet Seductions. Their "erotic romance is so hot, you'll need a fan"...or so their tagline says.

Now, I'm not opposed to erotica. It's not a genre I've written, but I don't purposely avoid it. Like all genres, it has a market and loyal readers, and who am I to say what another person should write about. Yet, it took me three days to get back to Sanders.

My original instinct was--cool! I've never interviewed an author of this genre before and the closest thing I've probably read to it was out of a 1980's issue of Hustler. Then thoughts started drifting in about possible repercussions. What if someone from my church checked out my blog that week? Would I feel comfortable with the questions they might ask me? How about my family, would they start an intervention and suggest I seek professional help to heal my addiction to sex? Would my neighbors start pulling their children back towards the house as I drive by?

I stewed on it a couple days before I contacted two very wise writing chums. The first one told me it would be "...an opportunity to show that a writer and their stories can be separated. That we write characters, not ourselves onto the pages." The other reminded me that "they are on the same 'journey' as all writers. They still deal with rejection, doubts, etc."

It was enough to send my own doubts flying out of my mind and return me to my gut instinct which said, "Cool!"

No matter what genre we focus on--we are all writers. We are real people who spend their lives entertaining others with our storytelling abilities. We share a special connection to each other because no one else in the world but another writer knows exactly what it's like. Yeah, your sister in Toledo might humor your attempt at becoming a published author, but only another writer can appreciate how damn hard it is to make it happen.

So, I am pleased to announce that you can look forward to interviews with four authors who have been published by Black Velvet Seductions, starting in July. And, if Laurie Sanders and I can settle on a date, she will provide writers with an idea of what it's like to sit on the other side of the desk.

I really can't wait!

Cheryl

What I learned at the conference or...

Gee, it's important to have great readers and a variety of them

As many of you know, I attended a writer's conference last Saturday. One of the main reasons I wanted to go was the free critique of your writing. Up to 1,500 words, critiqued by a professional in the writing business. How cool is that!!! I sent the first 1,500 words of my novel course novel. Now, yes it is a rough draft but my instructor said it was polished enough to send. Let me share my experience.

My critiquer was an local editor/English major. Very nice person. She caught me on my comma misuse. She explained why my two comma splices were wrong and showed where I needed to use commas or not to use them. She also pointed out a couple places that needed to be clarified. Very cool..and very helpful. All in all, I was very pleased with the critique. Nothing that struck me as major...little things that could be fixed.

With that good critique under my belt, I gave the first page in for the last workshop of the day. That would be a "dry" read of the page and then Kate Duffy, editor from Kensington and Molly Bolden, indy bookstore owner would give their opinions on that page. Scary sorta but not anything to worry about I thought.

During the day, I was chatting with a StoryCrafters member about my critique. She asked to read the pages between sessions. Sure, no problem. After she read them, we discussed comma usage, disagreed with my critiquer on a couple comma issues and talked about the items that could use clarification. She liked the pages, didn't have any issues with it. Again, I felt good about them and the upcoming dry read critique.

Finally, the long awaited last workshop. I had high hopes I'll admit. I knew Kate wasn't going to ask for pages right then and there but I expected a good comment or two. Boy was I in for a shock.

Not only don't I have a very good hook, I have started in the wrong place. Neither Molly or Kate was nasty or mean in their comments but I'm so glad they didn't know it was my piece...or anyone else.

So, what I really wanted to share with you is this. Readers are important. But we have to consider just who our readers are. We need a variety of reader, not just writers. If you can't get several readers...look at different areas of your piece.

Check for grammar, punctuation and such on one pass. Check for story flow and plot on another read through. Concentrate on your dialogue and tags on another pass. Don't try to take care of all the different story elements in one revision.

I had a 6 hour drive home. I sulked for at least 5 of them. Then I started to figure out where I could improve my start and improve my hook. They were right, it needs work. However, I'd not recommend this kind of "shock therapy" for everyone. It was darn tough...but it was exactly what I needed and wanted to hear.

So...when you have someone read and critique one of your pieces, thank them. Tell them how much you appreciate the great job they did. And critiquers...remember writers are counting on you. We need more than just a "this is great" or "I really like your story" comments. We need to know what works, what doesn't and if something just doesn't seem "right".

Speck

Remembering Your First Love

Back in my sophomore year I had an unusual English Teacher. If you’re anywhere near my age, you’ll remember the kind I’m referring to. They were the almost hippies types. With their hair hanging just over their collars, no tie, and yes, they actually wore those corduroy jackets with elbow patches. They got a kick out of ruffling the feathers of administration just enough to annoy them, but not enough to get fired. But it wasn't the way he dressed or picked on adminstration that made him unusual. It was the way he made writing come to life.

On the first day of class, this teacher set the tone for what would be he most exciting English class I had ever taken. He told us to open our books to a certain page. We did. Then he instructed us to place our right hands on that page. Again, we did. Then he said, “We have now met the state’s requirement for touching on the subject of grammar and punctuation. Please close your books and let’s learn something fun.”

That year, I learned what writing from the heart with creativity was. We had our choice of several novels to read. After reading the novel, the assignment was to get into a minor character head and rewrite it from their POV. I chose “One Flew Over The Cuckoo Nest.” It took the entire year to finish that assignment. We soon discovered how much work goes into writing a novel. What a great year it was. That teacher sparked something in me that has never faded. I love writing. It's as much a necessity to me as breathing.

Now before I get clunked over the head by the Grammar Gestapo let me clarify, I do believe grammar and punctuation are important. So important, that I’m taking a refresher course. Picture this, you're an editor with a slush pile a mile high. You come across two manuscripts both with equally great story lines but one is pristine while the other is riddle with grammar flaws. Which one would you choose? We may not like it, but editors will choose the one that shines every time.

Write from your heart and make it exciting. But if you are lacking the tools needed to deliver a clean package then go out and get them. There are plenty of refresher courses or if you are an ace at self learning pick up a book and learn the tools of the trade. After all, just as carpenter wouldn’t think of building a house with only a hammer and few nails. A writer mustn't construct a manuscript with only a pencil.

Happy Writings,
Laura

Conference Anyone?

There are often times in a busy life that we desire nothing more that to escape, to do something totally for ourselves. This weekend, I did just as I desired - I escaped to a sort of writer’s utopia. Where authors get to chat about writing, scene difficulties, book promotion, and favorite publishing markets.

Amidst the Terrebonne Parish Library rooms, I found a day of inspiration. There were many break out sessions on different aspects. I chose to attend one on strong dialogue. While the session was geared to screenplay or theater, the subject of improvisation proved to be invigorating. The presenter gave a few tips on how to do improvisation. I offer these for you to use in your fiction writing.

Do: take cues from your partner; play your scene from moment to moment; allow your intuition to be your guide; and be spontaneous in your actions. Don’t: deny anything your scene partner says about you or the situation; ask questions; or explain situations and feelings.

While these may not seem to fit to writing, think of it as guidelines for creating believable dialogue. Play out the conversations in your mind. I think the last Don’t is a major clue. When we are explaining situations and feelings in dialogue, we can most likely show it with actions or expressions.

Also at the conference, an editor from Harcourt really made an impression on me. Jenna Johnson presented some ideas on how to become a publisher’s dream so to speak. She shared tips on steps you can be taking now to make yourself more publishable. Several items caught my attention. Here’s a short list of those:

1. Be a member of associations (i.e., if your book is concerning psychology, what groups are you a member of? Show why you should be an expert in that field).
2. Create a readership platform and keep a list of potential readers (In other words, any place you have published, keep a record).
3. Be reading in the genre you write. You should know your genre extremely well and be versed in it.
4. You should be writing nonfiction articles on the research material that you have been using for your fiction.
5. Have a webpage, blog, myspace or any other means to market yourself and begin BEFORE are you are published.

These were just a few things that stuck out to me. I had to leave for my critique session before her workshop was finished. However, I still hear her words. READ in the genre you write. If you are writing a story that is set on a steamboat, then you should be a steamboat expert. It made me realize how little of an expert I am concerning my research and how much more I needed to perform. Also, it helped me to see that my association with StoryCrafters and its blog, plus any other writer’s associations or sites may not be wasted time.

Now, I have to add a few tasks to my platter to build my marketability.

Hitting a Strike

It didn't matter to me that the bowling ball I used in junior high school only weighed eleven pounds, or that I didn't throw it hard. What mattered to me, to my score, to my team, was where the ball hit the pins, and how many of them fell. Sometimes they fell very slowly. But a lot of times, most of them fell. When I would make one of those agonizingly slow strikes, I would turn and take a bow and say, "I'm not a power bowler -- I'm a finesse bowler."

Because I didn't have the strength to use the ball to overpower the pins, I worked on control. I could get the ball to go where I wanted it, with just enough speed and spin to knock things down.

Bowling was my only athletic effort in junior high and high school, and I did end up with a couple of trophies. Maybe my choice of sports shaped the way I approach work, and the kind of work I like to do, or maybe I chose my sport because it was a way to use a natural inclination. Either way, here I am some thirty years later still wanting to finesse whatever I do.

Webster's New World Dictionary gives this as the first definition of finesse: "adroitness; skill." And adroit is defined as skillful and clever, from a French word meaning "lay straight." Adroitly is how I tried to bowl.

So, you're wondering where the connection is between bowling and writing. Think about it. There are power writers, and there are finesse writers. From those I'm familiar with, I would use Stephen Jay Gould as an example of a power writer. He overwhelms a subject with a flood of words, but they are magnificent words and he uses them well. When I started reading Gould I had to keep a dictionary handy. The boundaries of my vocabulary have been expanded enormously as a result.

On the other hand, my personal favorite finesse writer has to be C. J. Cherryh. She uses an absolute minimum of words, with tremendous effect. But I'm sure neither of these writers started out with all that power, or all that finesse. When I started bowling, a lot of balls went in the gutters. And a lot of my writing still goes in the trash. But if I keep practicing, my score is bound to improve.

crazybasenji aka Grammar Gestapo

Back in the saddle again

I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again
I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again

Didn't Aerosmith have some great lyrics back then?

I just experienced the longest dry spell of my short-lived writing career. Sure wasn't any fun. But this week I started my next article for Writer2Writer--the monthly ezine that made me a staff member a couple months ago. I also began focusing on how to revise my short story set in Mexico so that I can work on it in earnest next week.

I reviewed my goals yesterday too. I can't tell you how great it feels to be setting goals and working towards completing items on my to-do list. Of course, if you've ever gone through a dry spell of your own, I'm sure I don't need to explain to you what it's like when the creative rains bless the dusty, parched soil of your brain and allow words to flow from your fingers onto the river of paper laying beside your nightstand.

Writers are such a diverse group of individuals. Some say they never go through periods of not being able to write. I am insanely jealous. It stinks to know you have so many ideas rattling around in your head but you have no will or desire to put them to paper--even knowing they could help you pay the bills. And then there are others who go through this kind of inability to write and manage to find a way around it. They force themselves to write, even when they don't want to. I wish I were that kind of writer. But, I'm one of those who has to wait out the dry spell and happily greet the replenishing rains when they come.

So, I am officially back in the saddle again. Setting goals and writing my way towards completing my to-do list. If I really had to tell you what it feels like, I would have to borrow more words from Aerosmith.

I'm calling all the shots tonight
I'm like a loaded gun...
I'm back in the saddle again
I'm back

Cheryl

On a personal note...

As writer's we are often thought to be sensitive to the world around us. To ourselves. Taking our experiences and mirroring them on paper. Using them to create works of art. Knowledge building articles to help others. Sometimes it's cathartic for us. Sometimes it brings more pain. It causes depression, it relieves depression.

Strangely enough, we're often introverts. We keep our pain to ourselves (meaning we don't publicize...we use it in our writing instead). We keep our lives to ourselves. We're the "shy" of the artists. We like having our work noticed, our abilities recognized, but we can be innately shy. Granted, this is a broad generalization, but it's also viewed as true by outsiders. It's very true for me.

Very recently I've gone through one personal turmoil after another. To look at the laundry list of events it would seem impossible to many to even be factual. Health, marriage and financial crises abounded, and continue to flaunt themselves in front of me.

I've always heard to take your experiences and use them for your art. I stare at the past few months and I still can't imagine how. I've only written about 3000 words in 4 months time. I have a novel that's already laid out before me and yet I can't seem to write. I certainly haven't written anything new based on anything that's happened.

So I'm giving it time. Perhaps I'll find a humor piece in it all when things are calmed down. I'm sure that there are several great non-fic pieces in there considering all the health woes. But for now I'm too deep into it. While I always used to write through the pain I haven't been able to do that this time.

One day the writing will come. I'm learning to give it time. I'm also learning to deal with the hardships life can throw at you.

One thing I can assure everyone of...they say bad things come in 3's...they lied...Right now I'm on about #7 in a 5 month period. But, I also know that this is helping me appreciate the good moments more intensely...like my girls 2nd and 1st bdays that are coming up in 2 weeks! A moment of celebration, a break from the craziness. Enjoy your good moments. Enjoy your children (even those of the furry variety). Enjoy your life...in between all the crap.

Balance Is The Key

Finding balance is a challenge for me. I’m an obsessive type and when I start something new, I go at like a monkey with a banana. Nothing stands in my way.

That worked well when I wanted to loose 50 pounds but I drove everyone else in my life nuts. It was a tremendous help when I walked the 3-day 60-mile walk for breast cancer. I spent every waking moment preparing for that walk and drove my loved ones nuts helping me to raise money for it.

Now with writing I find myself obsessing again. I cannot hold a normal conversation that doesn’t involve writing. While the other person is talking, I’m thinking of ways I can turn the topic to my current project. My brain screams stop; don’t say another word, but my mouth takes over and gabbers away. I see their eyes glaze over but I'm helpless to stop.

Just as good writing requires balance there needs to be balance in my life too. Writing is my work and I take it very serious but to continue to love it, I cannot work at it with my old obsessive ways. There is a whole world out there that I’m missing because I keep myself glued to this computer.

To find that balance I’m forcing myself to shut off the computer at a certain hour every evening to spend time with my husband, going for a walk, or watching a movie together. We’ve been married a long time so he knows it’s a struggle for me not to obsess but that doesn’t mean I want to take him for granted.

Someday, I hope writing is so natural that I don’t feel the need obsess, but I cannot count on that so I’m making strives to find balance now. Yesterday, I almost succeeded. I went to lunch with my sister and I listened to her talk about her family and other things going on in her life, I even responded with true interest. Sigh…I only brought up writing at the very end. Nobody gives up obsessing without a few setbacks.

If you’re obsessive like me, try to make time for the world around you and in the end I think we’ll find our writing is better for it. How can we write about the world and its characters if we never take the time to observe it?

Lori

Suffering for your art..

I wrote my first novel in 1997. It is still on the shelf in my office, yellowed with age, pages torn. I wrote it on a word processor. I was so proud of that machine and its thirteen-inch screen.

The novel was a sort of Max Lucado attempt. I was deeply involved in church back then and I wanted to write about the wisdom, knowledge and understanding I gained from studying the Bible. It was a joy to write. I dove deep into my subject matter, spending hours at the library and attending various churches. It was a very nice story for a nice Christian girl to write.

The writing of my current novel has not been much fun. Oh, the story is fun and the characters are written honestly. Which means of course, they do not always talk nice and they do all sorts of immoral things. Consequently, my church, and others in this town will want to stone me once this novel hits bookstore shelves. It is not a story a good Christian girl ought to write. Knowing all of this rather takes the fun out of writing it.

With every cuss word and love scene I create, I hear another rock whizzing by. I will be used by pastors around here as an example to the congregation of what is wrong with the world today. I will be a contributor to corruption. And I will be asked to leave my church. Yep, heartbreak ahead.

Steven King, of all people, is the proprietor of the words that are empowering me, helping me come to terms with the choice I had to make. He said in his book, “On Writing”, that polite society and what it thinks should be the “least of a writers concerns”. He says that “if we intend to write truthfully our days as members of polite society are numbered”.

There is a heaviness in my heart as I write the new novel, because I know that along with the joy of having a book published will come the pain of losing so many of the things I love. I know that my days in polite society are numbered.

Are you struggling with this? Playing tug of war with God, and/ or society on one end and your dream on the other? Talk it over with someone you love and get your fears out. You need someone to stand by you if you find yourself faced with retribution for your work. Also, take comfort in knowing that you are only one in a very long and distinguished line of writers who have paid a dear price for their art.

I think I now understand the dynamics behind the term ‘suffering for your art’. I can see the road ahead with clarity. I know that when I succeed I will also go through a time of heartbreak. So be it. I have made my choice.

Oh, and it helps me when I remind myself that Jesus wasn’t too fond of polite society either.

Sherry

Saying no...

Have you ever suffered from SYTT Sydrome? That's "Spreading Yourself Too Thin". I do this all the time. Thinking I need distraction from what's going on in real life, I offer myself up to a multitude of tasks; working on things for this person, that person, this person that I didn't know until they PM'd/emailed me. On top of my regular real life duties, 3 kids, a husband, my e-business, endless parades of bills, doctor's appointments, therapy appointments...so, where does my novel fit in?

Lately, it doesn't. For the first time in over 3 months I wrote 2 chapters last week. In two days. It was wonderful, it was freeing, it was satisfying. So why haven't I done it again? Because I can't say no.

Why is it we have such a problem saying no? Making obligations to people we've never met, and likely never will. To bring joy to others, when our own joy and release is the touch of a keyboard away.

I could blame writer's block, but I don't believe in that anymore. I know that if I sit down and force myself to write for 10 minutes I could write until 3AM...I know because I've done this many times. It's how the first draft of my novel was written.

I could blame my age-old "I want everyone to like me" defense. But, that's hypocritical...if you wanted everyone to like you, you'd be nice to them, not turn yourself into this insane monster trying to get everything done for everyone.

I could also blame my SAHM defense. I insanely believe I have all the time in the world...when I truly have none.

Maybe it's because, as a writer, I'm innately sensitive to "no". I expect rejections, I know what they feel like...I certainly don't want to bring them to others.

I don't know the reason, it could be all of these, it could be none. But I've realized just in the past few days that I have to say "no." To my online life. I'm hiding in it. I'm addicted to it. I don't want to disappear from it...but I have to stop taking responsibility for things that I really don't have time for. I'll be a more pleasant person for it. I'll have time for important things, like true conversation with my online friends. I'll also be forced to face the real life that is plaguing me, which if I faced it I could get MORE writing from. I might even have time for the most important venture outside of my family...my novel.

So today I'm saying "NO" to the extraneous stuff. I have spread myself too thin, and it's time to refocus.

Where in your life have you said yes, when you should have said no? Think seriously before every decision, don't dive headlong into it. Think about what's important, and if this thing is important enough to squeeze into your day.

And for once, just say "NO".

Managing your emotions

We writers are an emotional bunch. It is both a blessing and a curse. Our ability to tap into the deep emotions raging inside us is what allows us to create such believable characters. At the same time, we are prone to experiencing periods of self-doubt, insecurity, worthlessness, and in the worst case--depression.

I am reminded of Rose Wilder Lane's biography The Ghost in the Little House. Rose was considered an excellent writer in her time. She traveled to Albania, Vietnam, and Baghdad. She ghostwrote many books, in addition to her own books and the many articles she wrote for Country Gentlemen, Woman's Day, and the Saturday Evening Post.

Yet for all her success, Lane spent a lot of her adult years unable to write because of the depression that overtook her. She felt torn between living in Europe and the responsibility of caring for her parents in America. Not feeling loved as a child, she reached out to men whom she felt she could have loving relationships with, only to end them because she never found exactly what she was looking for. She always sought to write something more substantial than the books and articles she had already penned.

It has been over a month since I've been able to write anything other than blog entries. Like Lane, I am controlled by my emotions. I have two novels and a memoir waiting for me, not to mention the two short stories I wanted to finish this month. And yet, I feel absolutely no desire to write. I knew it was bad when I couldn't even write a fan fiction story--that has always been my key to kicking my imagination into gear.

In Joyce Meyer's book Managing Your Emotions, Meyer speaks of the importance of not being led by our emotions. Surely, I am one who is led by every emotion I feel. Whether or not you consider yourself a person of faith, this one sentence in Meyer's conclusion sums it all up:

Until we learn to manage them, our emotions can be our greatest enemy because Satan will try to use them to keep us from walking in the Spirit.

Can it not also be said then, that unless we learn to manage our emotions, they can be our greatest enemy because they keep us from reaching our full potential? This is where I am now. I am being led along by emotions, unable to write, because I can't manage what I am feeling.

I refuse to allow this to continue. I want to be a published writer. I want to see my books on the shelves of Barnes and Noble and Borders. I want people to interview me, instead of me interviewing them. And the only way for me to do this, is to manage my emotions. I'm not sure how to go about it yet. I will read Meyer's book, which I was never able to get through the first time. Maybe I just wasn't ready. I will keep forcing myself into my chair to write blog entries and even some words in one of the handful of writing projects I have going on. I will get through this, because I am a writer and nothing can keep me from reaching my full potential--unless I allow it.

Cheryl

More about dressing...

Speck’s dress-for-writing-success blog post reminded me of a humorous little game that I and some of my fellow conference buddies like to play.

Several years ago, I attended my first Harriette Austin Writers Conference, held on the beautiful campus of the University of Georgia in Athens Georgia.

As I rested between sessions in one of the many cozy niches watching our fellow scribes interact, I wondered if I could guess what genre a writer fancied by the type of clothing he or she wore.

Soon, I engaged my gaggle of new friends to play. The romance authors (the females, at least) tended to dress in flowery prints; some complete with beribboned hats. The mystery writers seemed to favor monochromatic attire, as did the science fiction group. The poets wore more eclectic outfits—flowing garments or bold colors. Each time we guessed successfully, we high-fived and laughed. Amazingly, we were correct more often than not, and the writers we approached enjoyed our game enough to join in.

One thing I consistently noted; the published authors and those serious about their writing were nicely attired. I saw no flip-flops, torn jeans, or slouchy clothing. First impressions stick. Who knows if the person you meet might be a future reader, agent, or editor? Shouldn’t you think enough of yourself to consider presentation in your appearance as much as in your manuscript?

All of this observation led me to wonder. As a southern fiction author with humorous undertones, how should I dress? Hmmm….

Rhett DeVane, the madhatter

Dress for Success

This was brought up at a blog I read often and I thought I'd share it here. Dress the part! No, this doesn't mean you have to wear a suit and tie or something formal and writerly to write. Jammies, sweats and barefeet are still just fine for writing.

But...when you go out in public, what impression are you sending out? I live in a very small town where practically everyone knows everything about everybody. It's very tempting to just run down to the local store in a tattered t-shirt, ragged jeans and flipflops. I try to remember when I start promoting locally they aren't going to see the professional writer me, they will see the neighbor down the road who has a lot of bad hair days. So, I'm trying to be a little less casual for those trips. Or I send the kids:--)

Another place to consider the impression you are creating is at conferences. Are you dressed as an up and coming star that everyone wants to know or do you look like the custodian and get mistaken for housekeeping? I'm not saying you should wear a business suit at conferences however you should look professional.

Websites are often the first impression a person has of us. Consider what your website says about you. Professional, approachable and fun loving or scatterbrained, stuck up and stick in the mud?

Now...I'm off to consider how to make the best first impression at the upcoming conference. I'm sure lots of chocolate will be involved:--)


Speck

Nifty use for bad poetry:--)

A few weeks ago, I talked about using everything. When we write we have to draw on everything about life that we know. Then we have to add the stuff we don’t know, but that’s another post. I was going through the junk on my desk this morning and I ran across several poems. I wrote them while I was sitting here, lost as to what to add next to my juicy novel.

I was trying to set a romantic tone in my story and needed a little help. I don’t know about you but I don’t feel too sexy in my husband’s sweats and my old black slippers. I don’t want to change my clothes, so instead I try to change the mood. Writing love poems helps set the mood I need to write believable love scenes.

Use everything, including your poetry.

It adds to the story…or it can. Weaving your own poetry into a story gives you one more way to express yourself. You might be working on a character who needs something, but you aren’t sure what. Make that character a poet. It can be the MC or a bit player, it doesn’t matter. Now, find a way to write in the poetry. Maybe the character keeps a journal or maybe he writes it on bathroom walls.

I recently read Garrison Kiellor’s Love Me. It was great fun; he’s a funny guy. One of his supporting cast is a poet. At least in her mind she is. She is trying to unlock the deeper meanings of life through her poetry. She spends most of her time in the story bordering on suicide. If I wrote the kind of crap she did, I would be suicidal too.

The point is that Mr. Keillor made up some bad, bad verse and used it to his advantage. The scraps of paper stacked beside my laptop are dripping with bad poetry. I know just what to do with them too. Her name is Kay and she writes bad poetry for her fantasy lover…or something like that


Sherry Heidelberger-Blackburn (aka) Gwanny

Titled and posted by Speck cause blogger gremlins have invaded Gwanny's puter.

Reading and Writing - Meet The Muse and The Mentor

I believe a writer’s life starts long before their desire to put words on paper. I think it starts when we fall in love with reading. My grandmother loved books and taught me to read when my teacher said I’d have to wait another year. In those days, left handed people were thought to be slow learners or dim witted. Grandma said that was bunch of hog wash and began teaching me herself. She instilled in me her honest belief that if I learned to read I could learn anything.

Each night before bed, she’d pull out one of her hardcover books and we’d start our slow progress thorough each and every word. Some books were medical journals, others were books written by philosophers dead long ago. Genre wasn’t important to her, she’d read anything she could get her hands on. Her books taught me more than words, they showed me about life, and took me to places I’d never heard of. I don’t remember the titles, characters or the even the places we visited. What I remember is that my Grandma believed in me.

I’ve been struggling for the last few weeks to write a historical fiction in which my main character is fashioned after Grandma. I had been moving right along at a steady pace when all of a sudden my muse took a nap and wouldn't help me write the ending. Right when I was frustrated and ready to hit the delete button, Grandma’s tenacity came back to me. I pictured her standing in front of me with her and on her hips. “Hog wash-- if you can learn to read, you can learn anything.” Of course I finished the first draft of that story yesterday.

We all need mentors. They don’t have to be someone you personally know. They need not be a national hero or a celebrity. Preferably your mentor is someone who shows fortitude and inspires you to strive forward even when you are about to hit the delete button. Grandma did that for me, actually she still does. She wasn’t a quitter and neither am I.

If she hadn’t taken the time to teach me, I don’t think I would have learned to love reading and later become a writer. She listened as I stuttered through each new word. In her last days Glaucoma took her eyesight and forced her to listen to books on tape but they weren’t the same. I think she was missed her first love, reading.

Find your mentor and every time you think of quitting think of how they might react. Would they simply quit or would they say something like-- “Hog wash.” Remember writing is hard work and sometimes we have to dig deep to find the determination to continue.

Lorib

Contests...to do or not to do

Most of you know of my recent contest experience but for those of you who don't, here's the short version.

A major publisher sponsored a contest in which three winners get an indepth editorial critique and possibly a request for partials. They required the first chapter and synopsis. Since this is a market I want to break into, I sent them all they asked for and began the very long wait. They were to announce winners last week. Naturally as the day approached I got a bit excited. My chapter and synopsis had been polished until you could practically see your reflection and the story fit the contest line. I was hopeful. Now, fast forward to "winner announcement day". No winners list on the website. No phone call or email of any sorta. I'm left hanging...did they not announce the winners yet? Did I not place? Did my email eat the notification of winning or possibly did they snail mail the winners and I just haven't received the letter yet?

As most of you know, I sulked about this for a day and most of another. But this reminded me of several things about contests. I thought I'd share them:--)

First...contests are subjective. In fact, very subjective. We can't really know for sure what the judges are looking for, even with their guidelines.

Second...judges sometimes wouldn't know good writing if it reached up and smacked them. Many times judges choose what they like instead of the best entry. I've seen major writing contests have the strangest, worst written winners. I don't enter many contests just for this reason.

Third...contests won't make or break your career. Sure, some contests carry more weight than others but most just aren't that important.

So...when choosing whether or not to enter a contest consider a couple things.

Is the contest one that will make a difference in the long run. The contest I entered would have given me a foot in the door so met this requirement. The Romance Writers of America have a great contest each year and making it to the final round is very respectable.

Who is judging the thing? Again, the judges were editors of the line I want to break into so it would have been nice to impress them.

What are the judges looking for? Get some guidelines and follow them. I read three books in the line then reworked my entry to meet the expectations of that line.

What is it going to cost to enter? Many contests have entry fees and that shouldn't be a problem. Unless the fee seems high for the amount given back as winnings. Some very good contests are free. Charging a fee isn't a sign of a good or bad contest, just something that should be taken into consideration when deciding to enter.

So, will I enter another major contest? Depends on lots of things. Right now I'm working on an entry for a flash fiction contest. The judge is very good, the entry fee is low, and there is a nice prize package. While not the most prestigious contest, I'm having fun writing the piece for it.

And we should enjoy our writing whenever we can:--)


Speck

Research once, write much

I am one of those crazy writers who loves research. I sometimes think I love it more than writing. We are constantly told to write what we know, but that doesn't mean we can't write about what we don't know--we just have to do some extra work. And once that work is done, it can be used over and over again, saving you time and increasing your productivity.

I began researching ovarian cancer after an annual visit to the OB/GYN. The lack of a reliable test for ovarian cancer got me interested in finding out more about the disease that has long been called a silent killer. I spent endless hours pouring over articles on the Internet and information from the American Cancer Society, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF).

Through GCF, I was put in touch with a woman whose sister died of ovarian cancer. Sheryl Silver, the Founder of Johanna's Law Alliance for Women's Cancer Awareness agreed to an interview. From the information I found and Ms. Silver's interview I was able to write two articles--one focused on raising awareness of the early warning signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer and the other on Silver's attempts to increase the instances of early detection.

I was also able to use my research in a novel I co-wrote with my sister where one of the main characters is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. We could not have provided the level of detail we needed to if we did not understand the early symptoms, treatment options, and the physical and pyschological effects of ovarian cancer.

In the fall of 2005, I queried an editor of an ezine to find out what topics she most wanted to bring her readers. She asked me to provide articles that offered time management tips for writers. I thought it was a great subject-- one that I struggled with, but knew little about how to fix. I purchased a handful of books about working from home and browsed the Internet to find what I was looking for.

This research turned into four articles focused on providing my fellow writers with ways to manage their time so they could have more productive days of writing. I continue to use this research in my current role as staff member for the monthly ezine Writer2Writer.

I even plan to reuse all the research I did for last year's National Novel Writing Month project. With what I've uncovered about daily life in the times of Jesus, I will write its sequels and possibly future articles.

If you are one of those writers--like me--who is constantly struggling to find ways to make the most out of your writing time, using research material to generate numerous articles and story ideas is a great way to save time and write more.

Cheryl

Writers, Read !

Writers, Read !


There seem to me to be an awful lot of aspiring writers who don’t read; or they don’t read much. It is beyond me how they think they will ever become a good writer when they don’t crack a book. Oh most of them have read in their lifetime; in school, as young people, as young adults, and they still read the occasional novel, but they think they have read all they really need to. They get it. They always wanted to be a writer and now that they have read all of Tom Clancy, they can write the next Great American Novel. Sorry to burst your bubble but it won’t happen. The one thing all good writers have in common is they read, and most of them, more than they write.

That is not to say that you can’t get your novel published. There are small publishing houses all over the world who make a living, albeit a small one, publishing mediocre writers. The writer assumes that if they can just get their book on a shelf somewhere, people will begin to read it. They will tell other readers how great the book is and before you know it, they have sold hundreds of thousands of books. I don’t want to make you mad, but if your writing is mediocre, people won’t mention the book. Other than to say it wasn’t well written.

If mediocre is all you’re working toward, then write on. However, if you want to be a good writer, then you need to start reading my friends. Stephen King says it best, "Reading is the creative center of a writers life." How, on earth will we know if we are good or bad, if we don’t compare our work to those who are both good and bad. I’ve read writers and thought, "Dang, I can do better than that. I am doing better than that." How will we know if we don’t read?

This second quote is part of SK’s theses and whether you are an SK fan or not, and I’m not really, the man has sold more books than I ever will. So it behooves me to listen.

"While it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible to make a good writer out of a merely competent one." Stephen King "On Writing" pg.136 par. 2.

I am a competent writer. If I will work hard, listen to those who know and learn from them, I may someday become a good writer. A great one? No. I am no Faulkner, or Shakespeare or Steinbeck. These folk are genius, and I sure ain’t one of them. Nevertheless, I can be good and I know I can. I read the good stuff and know that if I keep writing and reading I can attain the level of readership those writers have.

One more point and I’m done. I think it is audacious for a writer, who won’t spend money on someone else’s book to expect that anyone ought to lay down cash for theirs. Who do we think we are? Will I buy a book I don’t think is worth the money, one I’m not going to read? No; however, I do buy those written by good, hardworking, know their craft writers. You should too.

Reading and writing go hand in hand. If you don’t do the one, you won’t be very good at the other.

Sherry

Putting our best foot forward...

I learned how to read and write in the early 1960's, when phonics was part of the elementary school curriculum. My classmates and I learned to "sound out" the words. Then we learned how to spell the words correctly, use a dictionary to look up the meanings (and check those all-important spellings), and how to diagram a sentence to learn the rules of grammar. I learned to love to read and write perhaps in spite of all these lessons, since anymore it seems that these methods have fallen so out of favor that there is a stigma attached to them -- and to anyone who longs to see correct writing.

On a website and forum devoted to writers and writing, shouldn't we be putting our best written foot forward, as it were? "E-speak" is fine when e-mailing or text messaging friends, but, come on, we're in the public eye here. If professional agents, editors, and publishers visit this site, what do you want them to see? I want them to see my best writing -- even if the subject matter is trivial and the thought process is a little muddy. I at least want all the proper elements present and accounted for -- like complete sentences (or at least fragments that make sense), capital letters where called for, punctuation, and correct spelling. Or just call me the Grammar Gestapo.

I think I'll be leaving the country for a while now.

CrazyBasenji

Speck here... No need to leave the country. I say Amen to this post. Because we just don't know who migh show up at StoryCrafters and look around. Many of us have a link to StoryCrafters in our email signature. It is also in my blogger profile and when I post a comment at other blogs (which I do at times), anyone can come from those blogs to StoryCrafters. I bet some of y'all have the same thing going on.

Miss Snark and other agents say they do google the names of those who query them. You never can tell, but we may get agents at StoryCrafters occasionally. And while I'm not as "formal" as I could be, after all we are supposed to be having fun but I do try to make sure my words are spelled right and my posts for the most part make sense:--)

Make Every Sentence Count

I’ve been reading The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman who is a literary agent based in New York City. The book is full of insight into the world of agents and editors.

It was my naive impression that editors and agents read manuscripts with the hopes of finding one to publish. But, according to Noah, it’s the opposite. They have hundreds to plow through, so from the moment they pick yours up they are looking for a reason to reject it. Unless, of course, you are a well known author, then yours is read from start to finish and even if there are problems, they’ll find ways around them.

This book addresses more than just the first five pages. It covers everything from studying an agency and knowing why you are contacting them, to presentation, plot, pacing and progression. Each chapter has helpful examples and exercises. Lets look at hooks for instance; some writers treat them like a marketing tool to get the reader interested. That’s okay, but the rest of the book had better stand up to the hook. How many times have you felt cheated after reading the first few paragraphs of a story and just when you are getting comfy it goes flat. Not that you should keep the reader in a frenzied pace, but you must avoid the dreaded saggy middle. In his book, Noah suggests that not only each paragraph, but also every sentence should feel complete and leave the reader either satisfied or wanting more.

I did find some things that I didn’t agree with, such as, FedEx your query. The idea is that if the agent had to sign for it they'd be annoyed but would remember you. A year ago, this advice would have had me dashing to the nearest FedEx store. Now I’m more seasoned and no longer read books on writing as if they were written in stone.

If I were to FedEx my query it would most likely arrive at the agent’s door in the middle of happy hour and she’d have to stop socializing to scribble her name. Then after taking a sip of her apple martini, she’d giggle with her coworkers about the clueless newbie who had the nerve to interrupt her day. Next, she’d accidentally spill her drink on my query, shrug her shoulders, and ask for a refill. Annoying is not the first impression I want to make. If a good agent or editor receives a 1000 or more queries each month, do they want to have to sign for each of them? I think not. Writing a sensational query will get you noticed without being annoying.

I would recommend The First Five Pages as a good study aid. The exercises can help your manuscript shine and possibly get you out of the slush pile.

Check out the Scenery

When I sit down and crack open a new novel, one of the first things I want to know is where the story takes place. It's why I love To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons. They open by showing me the hot Louisiana bayou or the sub-freezing climate of northern Minnesota, or the dusty streets of Maycomb, Georgia. Once the characters come onto the scene I already have a pretty good idea of what kind of characters they will be.

Where we come from shapes us. Where our characters come from shapes them. But that's only true if the writer understands that place is a character and should be written as one.

Writers use various tools to construct, or create if you will, a character. We use index cards and checklists so we can keep up with whose eyes are green and whose hair is red. We don't want the blond at the bar to have been a redhead two chapters ago. That wouldn't do at all. But when it comes to place we novice writers tend to just tell our readers the novel takes place in Nashville, or Memphis, or Nevada and leave it at that. We do a fair job of showing our readers the interior of our setting, but we fail much of the time to give them a taste of our exterior setting. And, in my humble opinion, that's a big mistake.

I tend to write what I know, as most of us do. I know the western part of Kentucky pretty well, having lived here more than 25 years, so it is almost always the location of my stories. Hopefully my work will reach people who have never seen the state so I want to show them our pretty green, rolling hills. Tobacco barns full of hanging red -gold leaves, smoke seeping out of every crack in the wood. The early morning fog that kisses the hilltops and the verdant green forests full of life. I want to show them the beauty that shapes my not yet introduced character.

But I also need to show the poverty here. I want to show them hungry children living in un-kept shacks whose momma bore them at sixteen. I want to show them fifty year old men, unskilled laborers whose jobs have been taken by immigrants because they work for less money. My reader needs to smell the stale, dead air of a Kentucky coal mine.

Now I will introduce my character and when I do, you will know that what shaped her was growing up surrounded by beauty that she could not appreciate because she was un-learned, poverty stricken and beaten down by a life filled with babies she couldn't feed and books she couldn't read.

Keep in mind when you write that location is as important to your story as your main characters. Show me the heart and soul of your location and you show me the heart and soul of your characters.

Listening In - The Gentle Art of Eavesdropping

My grandmother was head of the little-ole-lady hotline. She lived by her own version of the Commandments, especially the one pertaining to loving thy neighbor as thyself. To her way of thinking, you couldn’t love your neighbor unless you knew what he or she was up to. She perfected the art of observing and listening, often to the extreme.

As a writer, I follow in my grandmother’s steps, only without a phone pressed to one ear. I watch people. How they move. How they dress. And, most important; how they speak. When I first started to construct dialogue, I made the newbie-writer mistake of stretching for English-composition-class perfection. One editor pointed out the error. People do not speak in complete sentences, nor do they speak in proper English. Her advice: go out into the world and practice listening to the way others express themselves. Rarely, did I hear someone say, “I am going to do this.” Instead, I heard, “I’m going to do this.” Real people use contractions to save effort. In my area, I hear tons of dropped “g’s”. People aren’t “going”, they are “goin’”. Children use different terms than their adult counterparts. Then, there is regional slang; another story all together. Especially here in the Deep South, language is a colorful and malleable thing. In my writing, I depend on the subtleties to flesh out the characters and differentiate them from each other.

My point? Yes, I do have one. Read over your dialogue – aloud, preferably. If it doesn’t sound real, make it so. Each time you venture into public, take the opportunity to eavesdrop. No, you don’t have to be obvious. In this day of cell phone mania, practically everybody around you is screeching one end of a conversation, oblivious to the surroundings. Turn off your mouth and open your eyes and ears. Then, go home and put what you learn into your writing.

Rhett DeVane…aka Madhatter

I am a writer!

That's right, I'm a writer. And so are you if you are writing, even if you aren't published yet.

But you know what? Sometimes I like the idea of being a writer better than doing the writing. Imagine with me...the fabulous parties, the very cool book signings and all the other "glory" that comes with being a published writer. How fun and exciting.

But darn it all...none of those things can possibly happen if I don't plant myself in front of the puter and work. And, writing really is work. Sure you can write just for yourself but for those of us wanting a career as a writer we have to take into consideration our readers.

We have to plan our writing. We must hook our readers from the start, keep them begging for more through those mushy middles and then leave them with an end that satisfies along with wanting to read your next story or novel. Not the easiest thing to do if you ask me.

Sure, I know the odds of fame and fortune as a writer are slim. I've heard it said many times if you are writing for money then you are in the wrong profession, better to be a plumber.

So why do I continue to sit here and peck away at the keyboard when I could be out enjoying the sun getting the flower beds ready for spring planting? It's actually very simple. I'm a writer, I have to write. Writing makes me happy...even on the days the words come slow and painful.

My challenge for you this month is to start to think like a writer. When someone asks what you do...tell them you are a writer. Make time each day to write. If you are wanting a career as a writer...treat writing like a job. Set realistic goals, deadlines and then work toward that career.

If you aren't after the career, that's cool too. Write what makes you happy, express yourself with your writing. Have fun with your words.

There's no telling where those words may take you.


Speck

The Moral of the Story

A week ago, my three-year-old daughter and I snuck under the covers for her afternoon nap. The phone rang within seconds of our settling in and thanks to caller ID I saw my husband's office number on the display.

We chatted a bit too long according to the little one laying next to me who started singing, "Shit, shit, shit."

Stifling laughter, I whispered into the phone, "Can you hear her?"

"No, what is she saying?" asked the hubby.

"S-h-i-t over and over again."

"What are you going to do?"

"Ignore her."

But the child would not be ignored so we decided to end our conversation until I got her to sleep. I explained to my tiny, curly headed daughter that the particular word she sang was not polite.

"But you use it," she said.

Well, she had me there, so we agreed to try and not use it anymore.

Here is where the writer in me steps in to explain why I shared this story. The words penned above speak of just one of the many comical incidents I experience as a mother. But the writer in me sees more than a mother trying to keep her child from saying a naughty word.

My creative side sees:

- An article about the importance of leading by example
- A humorous out of the mouths of babes story for a parenting magazine
- An article offering tips to parents on how to deal with a child who uses naughty words
- A funny story to share with the readers of my blog
- A fictional account where a child is verbally and physically abused by his father but overcomes it to give a better life to his own children
- The story of a person who tries to win every situation by striking a deal, until it leads him to a deal with the devil and he loses his soul

These were only a few of the ideas which popped into my head when I composed this entry. Perhaps you saw other ways in which to use it.

The moral of the story is: take what you know and turn it into an article or story that can inform and/or entertain your readers. When we write things that ring true for us it is likely they ring true for others. And isn't relating to our readers what this business is all about?

Cheryl

Writing by Numbers

Writers spend a great deal of time learning the craft of writing. I’ve been a student of writing craft for almost 3 years now. While it is true that we must master the craft to become good writers, we will never be published beyond our wildest dreams if we neglect the art of the written word.

When I think of art, I think of painters. You may think of art in terms of music, or dance but I think of painters. When Lee and I were on our honeymoon in beautiful downtown Louisville, we took the time to visit the Speed Museum. No, it’s not a place for racecar fans. It’s where Monet hangs from nearly every wall. We spent hours there, studying the great's and over and over we asked one another, “How did they do that?” Most of them did it by studying the craft from the masters who came before them and as writers we do the same thing. But, if all the masters did was copy the craft, their work would look much like one of those paint by numbers paintings we did as children. So how did Monet create paintings that are distinctly Monet?

Stanislavsky said it best…Use everything in your life to create your art. Monet used everything. What he knew of life in the real, and what he knew of life in the surreal. He took his craft and created art. As writers this is what we must strive for.

We cannot simply use the craft, or our work comes out reading like a write-by-numbers little book. We must take our craft and add to it our life. We must use every single thing we know about life and create characters and places that are as alive as we are. If we fail to do that, we may still be published but the dream of being a great author will forever elude us.

Sit down today and write. But don’t just write-by-numbers. Paint the words onto your paper, and let your life force flow.

Gwanny