And the Magic Number is? Seven.

Tags

challenge, fun, lines from WIP, writing

I have been challenged. I accept. The fabulous Heidi Norrod hath thrown gauntlet to participate in some crazy 7x7x7x7x7x7x7x7x7x7x I don’t know how many sevens… writing/sharing party. And, dude, it keeps me from having to think up a blog post today, so WIN!

You can check out Heidi’s post here. DO IT!

Okay. I believe the rules are to post seven lines from WIP, but they must be from the seventh page starting at the seventh line. Confused? Me too, maybe. After this grand posting there is a tagging people portion of the show, but seriously I don’t play tag, cause running… ug. So, if you read this and want to play… PLAY!!!!!!!

This is from my WIP the sequel to my YA fantasy DOORS… this one is called DOORS, book 2. I know. Brilliant, right?

*drumroll*

He belonged on Solun, taking care of his crop fields. Had her true father been as accepting, as loving? Had he been a Traveler, too? Guilt pushed at the edge of her heart at the thought, as if betraying her da.

She’d be his dark one, an explorer like him.

Her spirit lighter after shedding the weight she had carried, the invisible cage that had remained around her heart, she raced across the field. Her cape flapped behind her. Her breathing matching the rhythm of her feet. The gurgle of a stream joined the song, echoing in her mind. She was going home.

It’s a really rough draft, but there it is in all its shining glory… or not.

I must dash because there is a ms to read and a story to tweak.

Brainstorm-nado!

Tags

brainstorming, CPs, friends, help, ideas, panic, reach out, thoughts, Twitter, writer's block, writing

I do not believe in writer’s block. It, a close cousin to fear, is something we authors create.

The words stop when we put too much pressure on ourselves to write, when we try to force the story instead of letting it flow, when we must have everything just so or it will be terrible!

In my last post, I wrote about how I had to write a story, but was having a bit of trouble. I had a few images in my mind, but nothing that fit together. I was trying to force a bajillion ideas into being a story. I thought about it all the time. I wanted to scream.

Now, stepping away, going for a walk, reading a book, doing anything BUT working on this story would have been a truly great idea except… I have a deadline! AND PANIC WAS SETTING IN! The absolute worst thing for writing.

So what to do? I took all the pages of notes (seriously I think there were five) and threw them away. With them went the rut that had ensnared my mind, all the ideas that lead back to the mess on those pieces of paper, the notes that weren’t helping.

AND BRAINSTORM! I love to get a notebook and my favorite pen and write all the things. I love the way this bit of dialogue and that strange image can suddenly link together. I love when all the blank spaces fill with fabulous with scenes and description that link all my initial thoughts together. I circle. I scribble. I draw arrows. I write sideways in the margins. And somehow it all makes sense.

I went back to the beginning. The story had to fit with a certain theme, out of my control. From that theme I latched onto the few images in my mind. I wrote them down… then stared at them.

Desperately resisting all the ideas that hadn’t worked the first few hundred times…

This usually works! Why isn’t this working!

And because Twitter is where you go when you need writing (and all other) support I tweeted…

And the fabulous Michelle Hoehn (@mah_hoehn go follow her, she’s fabulous!) tweeted back asking if maybe I needed a brainstorm buddy.

Rarely do I brainstorm with others. I have done it to help other people with their stories, but not so much for my own. However, this time I was stuck. And one thing I’ve learned form this crazy trip through the maze that is being a writer…

Writers should help each other and help is always good!

So YES! I said. YES! Let the DMing begin.

It is a miracle how explaining your idea to someone else, someone not locked in your brain, can shine a light on what the real story is. How a few questions you hadn’t thought to ask yourself set the ideas spinning.

And BEHOLD! I have a solid idea. One I don’t hate. One without glaring evidence of me forcing the plot. What I learned? That I was overthinking. (I know… shocker!) The pressure to make this story fabulous had me throwing too many ideas in the pot, when simple is better.

So, I have 1600 words of a story, I will finish the first draft today, then revise and send to CPs tomorrow. Maybe, this one will be pretty good. I have hope for it… if I can get everything woven together just right.

All writers everywhere… REMEMBER… YOU ARE NOT ALONE! So many of us are ready to help. Just reach out.

Reaching out, an idea to be applied to life.

Problems? ASK OUT FOR HELP!

Something not going right? TALK ABOUT IT!

We’re all in this thing called life together. And the world could use a bit more together, a bit more caring, a bit more understanding.

And the world definitely needs more stories.

Starting with Nothing

Tags

deadlines, panic, short stories, writing, writing is hard

I have to write a short story.

This should thrill me! I love this! Except the deadline is close.

Cue panic.

Cue trying to force the story into being.

Cue failure.

Cue me beating myself over the head because I’m doing this wrong.

I have images in my head. However, the pictures aren’t coming together to form something solid. I scribble everything I know… I write down whatever comes into my head… I cram all the pieces together and cry when it doesn’t work.

It’s not working. I’m missing something. A thought. An idea. An image. A spark. I’m missing the one thing that will drive this tale. I’ll find it. I will. Maybe all it needs is for me to start writing. Maybe all it needs is for me to take a nap.

There are stories that write themselves. There are stories we have to dig out of our minds with a shovel and pickaxe.  Ow.

Cover Reveal! Not-So-Local Legends of Triumph & Terror

Tags

cover reveal, dark fantasy, horror, ProjectREUTSway, Reuts Publications, short stories

I’m excited.

The second anthology published by REUTS is coming. Last fall I competed in a short story competition (ProjectREUSTway) and one of my stories was chosen! The other three appeared as runners-up on REUTS blog. Yea me! Yea all of us who participated, because writing four stories in a month is… crazy.

So for the title!

Not-So-Local Legends of Triumph & Terror

Go find it on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26111897-not-so-local-legends-of-triumph-terror

Blurb:
The second annual collection of short stories presented by REUTS
Publications. Authors competed weekly with their unique twists on world
myths. Congrats to this years winners:

Felicia Anderson
Shawn Thomas Anderson
CC Dowling
N.H. Fennecus
Drew Hayes
Michelle Hoehn
Scott Hughey
Shannara Johnson
Jennifer McCoy
Kathleen Palm
Alexandra Perchanidou
Debra Vega
Summer Wier
Melody Winter

Release Date: Fall 2015

Look at ALL THE NAMES OF FABULOUS AUTHORS! Look… that’s me in that list! Eeeeeeekk! I can’t wait to read all the words. And I contributed an illustration as well!

 

Now for the cover. I REALLY love this one.

The splatter of blood… the aged front… my story fits right in.

I can’t wait to hold it in my hands!

Celebrating My Stripes

Tags

art, be who you are, embrace who you are, illustrator, individuality, life, writer

“Wear your stripes proudly, my fellow zebras. Embrace what makes you different. Own what sets you apart. It’s not a weakness, and its just as beautiful. Believe in your stripes, slay that insecurity demon and feeling of inadequacy, and you just might find that the mustangs around you aren’t running away, but are instead running with you.”

This is an excerpt from Kisa Whipkey’s blog, go read the entire post… I’ll wait.

Great, right? She’s a fabulous writer and editor, though she’ll claim she’s a better editor than writer.

I got a little choked up when I read her post, especially that quote.

I constantly struggle with the self-doubt demon. I’m not good enough, will never be good enough. Because of these thoughts, I’ve fought depression, and anxiety visits me every now and then.

In my worry and fear of failure, I forget to recognize that all the qualities that make me ME, that make me different, are reasons to celebrate.

Here I am. A writer. Admitting that is difficult. Writing that is difficult. Saying it is difficult. Because I’m not sure I believe it. I don’t think I ever will. I never set out to be a writer. It never crossed my mind until I was 31 years old.

I was an artist. As a kid, I drew, always. My art teachers encouraged me, said I had talent. This I believed.

I went to college for an art degree (though my mom nearly had a heart attack at this). I studied the fine arts, because illustrations with a unique artistic view would be cool. If I could find my own style, push myself to be an artist, then translate that into illustrations, that would be awesome! I would be happy.

However, in those classes, I wasn’t happy. I went from the best art student in high school to just some goober in college, a kid who knew nothing of art. When my painting teacher discovered that I wanted to be an illustrator, he told me that illustration is NOT fine art, that maybe I was in the wrong place. I panicked. I floundered in my classes, not having a clue what to do… not having a clue who I was as an artist (or a person). But I stuck it out. My teacher continued to preach that we should all go on to the MFA program to go on to show our work at galleries. All the while, I screamed silently. I had no desire to see my pictures hanging on some sterile white wall with people discussing them. I wanted to help tell stories. I wanted to add line and color to words to add to the worlds that existed in books.

When I look back, I can see the writer hiding inside of me.

~So many of my former sketches are characters. I not only drew them, but filled the edges of the page with words about who they are and where they live. Other drawings are scenes from stories that I had in my head. Stories spun through my head all the time, and I acknowledged them with art. I’ve been told my writing is visual, that people were not surprised to learn I was an artist.

~I’ve always been more of a sit in the corner and watch kind of person. I’ve always looked for all the strange things in life, noticing every detail from the subtle changes in the leaves in the fall to the way clouds can form messages in the sky. Go figure detail is one of my writerly “things”. I usually end up with too much and when I critique others’ work, I ask for MORE DETAIL!

~Depression has made me face the darker sides of the human mind and showed me the depth of emotions we are capable of. I like horror. I like to explore the darker side of our personalities, of the world. The darkness that clouds my mind allows me to do this. So, although it sucks, I wouldn’t erase the shadows in my head.

I did not come at writing by the “normal” route. That’s what makes my writing unique, makes it mine. Our lives, our experiences make us who we are and lead us to where we need to be, all the while painting us with lines of individuality, filling in our unfinished places with color to make us each works of art.

We should all go out into the world confident in our place, in our colors. When I look at my stripes, REALLY look at them, they are beautiful.

So are yours.

 

 

 

The Right Moment… Wait for It!

Tags

Believe, critiqing, Critique groups, critique partners, dreams come true, have faith, just the right moments, thoughts, writing

I have spoken of all the people I met at Midwest Writers Workshop. Well, as I was talking to one of my Twitter, now in-real-life, friends at the conference, I asked about her writing… How’s it going? What are you working on? Typical nosy me questions.

Her friends had read it, but she wasn’t sure what to do next. I asked what her CPs said…

She didn’t have any.

A tragedy! THAT’S JUST NOT RIGHT! HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN? ALL THE WRITERS OUT THERE! WE NEED TO HELP EACH OTHER! I told her to send it to me immediately. And she did. And I’m reading it now… and because she might read this I’ll simply say that I am making tons of comments (all of which you can ignore)and there are so many things I LOVE about it. So relax!

I have become a strong supporter of critique partners, of having a few, of being an honest reliable one (I hope I am!).

We can only grow as writers if we have people asking us questions about our words, challenging us to make them better, catching all the stupid mistakes and plot holes that size of Jupiter.

However, there are moments…

Points in your writing life to do this. There are ways that work and ways that don’t. And each and every one of us must find our own path.

I wrote tucked in my dark corner for years. YEARS. If I had gone out and had someone critique my work when I had first started writing, I would have curled up in a corner and never stepped into the light again. I know me. That me would have given up. Dreams shattered into pieces. I needed my mom and sisters to read those terrible first manuscripts and say… I LIKE THIS! I admit it.

When I was approached to join a writers group, at first I thought NO WAY! These people will think I’m an idiot. After living with the thought of other writers reading my words… after revising the same words AGAIN and having no idea what I needed to do… I went to my first critique group. And came out alive and SO GLAD I WENT. The things I could learn! Cue choir of angels…

When I began to query, I entered another phase of oh-boy-I-have-no-idea-what-I’m-doing. No idea. I entered the darkness armed with my tiny bit of knowledge, like a spec of light, a single star in space. As we walk around in the dark, we learn. As we stumble and fall, we get up again with more confidence. The moments to take the next step will present themselves, if only we pay attention.

The rejection letters will come. If we persist, so will that one acceptance we crave. If my acceptance had arrived years ago, I would not have been ready. I had a bit of knowledge to acquire and the Universe knew it. I remember gazing at the initial letter from my editor, thinking that a couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to answer her questions, I wouldn’t have known all the terms and writerly stuff.

And the Universe says, “See? Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

Yup. You got it, Universe. I bow to your wisely-ness.

For those who are new to writing, who are still in the alone phase, maybe scared to have people look at their words… don’t sweat it. You will be able to tell when you need help, when you want help. Look for critique partners (CPs), look for writers groups in your area or put out feelers on Twitter (worked for me!). The search won’t be easy. You’ll find some, lose some, find others. Eventually, you will connect with just the right people. And you should connect, when you are ready. At the speed my friend sent her ms to me, I think she was ready.

As we go through each day, needing to reach our goals RIGHT THIS MOMENT!

Relax.

Things will happen just when they should, if you have a bit of faith and put in a lot of work. Dreams are made of 100% believing and 100% sweat.

 

 

What a Difference a Year Can Make… #MWW15

Tags

a difference a year can make, conferences, Midwest Writers' Workshop, Twitter friends

Today is Monday. I think.

School starts tomorrow. Huh?

We had a great time on vacation and have returned. I ran around like a crazy person setting normal life (or whatever life) back in order.

Maybe.

And now I will blog. Stay with me. I might not make sense.

Before vacationing in the GORGEOUS Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s UP… I went to The Midwest Writers Workshop in the fabulous Muncie, Indiana. And this is what I want to attempt to focus on.

I went to MWW last year. And my brain suffered severe overload. I panicked. I doubted my place in the world of writing. I now know to call it Imposter Syndrome. But… I continued to write, to put myself and my words out into the great universe.

What a difference a year can make.

Last year the agents made me want to run and hide. This year not so much. I spoke to a couple of them and did not spontaneously combust. I know! Last year I went hoping to learn the secret to querying, to standing out, to find the magic words to become what I dreamed… published. This year I went to learn what I could about marketing…

And to have SO MUCH FUN!

Last year I knew two people, who I met on Twitter. This year the list of people I knew was slightly bigger. Okay, lots bigger. To have people approach me and say, “I know you!” really confused me. People who were happy to meet me! People I was happy to meet! And the Universe did not implode. As far as I know.

My confidence in my writing has grown. The road to publication is twisty and weird and full of holes, but I fought my way through. Once the decision is made, once you know what you want and how you want to get there, the pressure releases. I’m not looking for an agent, so less stress. And maybe the whole signing with a publisher thing helped. Maybe.

Of course, my confidence still needs a bit of help. When the time came to announce good news of last year, did I offer up mine? Nope. Mistake? Probably. But one step at a time.

I talked to people. I sat at agent and editor panels and listened to questions and found that I had answers to them in my head, answers I was happy with. So maybe I know stuff now. Or at least think I do, which is just as good.

The conference lacked in a couple of areas. At the Path to Publishing panel, I was sorry to see no representation of self-pubbed authors or small presses. I did talk to someone about it, so we’ll see if anything happens. But these are legit paths that should be discussed, so new authors can see all options clearly and get help in finding the correct way to do them.

Overall, I enjoyed my time. Learning about…

Sex in YA

The difference between YA and MG

Tag lines and blurbs

Marketing

How to handle being a debut author

The editing process (which I will get to drown in soon)

Janet Reid, the fabulous agent, is not a shark and is hilarious.

The main theme running through every session… Write. And when you do, stay true to yourself, to your characters, and to your story. Everything else is noise. Don’t let the world invade when self-doubt causes cracks in your vision. And write.

Mostly I hung out with my friend Rena. If you don’t know her on Twitter, go find her. She’s fabulous. I followed my soon-to-be famous friend around because… I am her minion.

We became the dynamic duo. Just being with her at the conference made life brilliantly shiny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though I will certainly fail and miss people, I want to shout out to my Twitter friends I met in real life. They exist!

Shelly (who I will see again because we live kinda close and I have her ms! MWAHAHAHA), Jessica (who has fabulous pink hair and told me how to pronounce her last name and I still can’t do it) Ashley (a firecracker), Erica (who made me business cards at the last minute like a boss and we are bonded through unicorns) Liz (who cracks everyone up), Summer (what a gem and rocked the Marauders Map dress), Jenny (roomie and fellow 2016er), Nicole (purple hair!), Julie (who we met last year, but she cut her hair so I didn’t recognize her), Gail (who grew up in the small town where I live now) Sarah (she has her eye on Rena O.O), Kate (who might think I’m crazy)

To all of you!

Anyway, this year I didn’t leave feeling like I had been hit by a train. I didn’t leave wondering how in the world I fit into this crazy writing world. I left with a smile and a bit more knowledge. I left thinking that maybe I have a chance at being one of these cool people.

Hanging out with those who do what you do, who speak your language, who suffer from the same frustrations, who have traveled through the same darkness, and who have found the same light can mean everything.

I love being surrounded by writers.

When writers unite magic happens.

Until next year!

Vacationing… Part 4

Tags

back to life, coming home, end of vacation, tired, vacation

Today we are making the eight hour drive home.

I am full of great new memories, but I’m tired, need a shower and to sleep in a real bed, and am ready to get back to life. Bring the puppy home. Sit with my kitties. Spend time on Twitter catching up with everything!

The kids go back to school soon.

Hubs goes back to work.

And I have all the words to write and hopefully edit notes to contend with.

Vacations are fabulous. But so is HOME.

 

 

Vacationing… Part 3

Tags

relax, vacation

Shhh! I’m in Michigan, doing something fun I’m sure… and relaxing. You should take time to do that too.

I miss interacting with everyone out in social media land. Remember me! I’ll be home soon and tell you all about out trip.