Tag: writing

Happy New Year’s Eve!

MP900441004It’s almost time to say good-bye to 2015. There were good things and bad things this year. In terms of writing, it was a bit of a struggle. The year started off positive on the heels of my self-publishing debut and I had fully intended to finish Thief of Destiny and get it out there for the public. But sometimes things happen for a reason, and after months of spinning my wheels and spiraling into the despair of not writing, I think I see the light. I finally put out a call for help to my wonderful critique group and decided to sit down and write an actual outline. Well, more of a summary because yes, I’m still twitchy about outlines. My writer friends encouraged me to think outside the box and that’s what I did. And I came up with a new approach that was an idea I had a while back but didn’t think it should be in this book. Surprise! I believe it’s going to work and I’m easing back into retooling what I’ve written so I can get to the end. I’m making a promise to myself that I WILL finish the book in 2016, hopefully sooner rather than later. With any luck it will be worth the wait!

More importantly, the events of this year have taught us that we are a global community and more than ever we need to find compassion and understanding. Hug your loved ones. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Learn about someone whose culture you don’t understand. We’re all in this together.

Oh, and go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It was like an early Christmas present for this Star Wars fan.

Here’s to 2016. Follow your dreams!

Spring has sprung

You know winter has been bad when even this snow lover is longing for spring. At last, it looks like spring has finally arrived here in the Mid-Atlantic, and this time I’m hoping it’s for good.  March was dreary and cold and not to mention hectic. I hate to admit that I failed the March writing challenge to write every day, but there you go. I did well for about the first week and after that things went downhill. One of those “life gets in the way” situations.

I’m going to be optimistic about April. Spring is a time for new beginnings and renewal. The sun has been shining, flowers and trees are blooming, and inspiration is taking hold.

So I leave you with one of my favorite spring poems. My English professor loved to share his rendition of leaping lambs as he read this to us in class. This is definitely one to be read aloud.

Spring
by Gerard Manley Hopkins
(from The Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins)

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring
When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush
Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush
The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.

What is all this juice and all this joy?
A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,

Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,
Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.

A March writing challenge

Good friend and fellow author Nancy Griffis has thrown down the gauntlet with a writing challenge for the month of March: write something every day. I know, I should be doing this anyway. Remember my goal of writing the equivalent of a page per day every week? As usual, life has gotten in the way. But for next month, starting tomorrow, I am really going to try to do this. I’m posting about it on the blog to hold myself accountable, at least to the three or so of you who read the blog, so if nothing else the fear of public shame will force me to write. By no means is this writing a novel in a month. It can be as simple as a blog post or a book review or a page in the novel, just as long as words get from my brain to this screen every day. I’m going to push for progress on the novel since I am about at the halfway point. There hasn’t been nearly enough death in it thus far and it’s time to make some characters suffer. (Hmm, maybe I’ve been watching too many Game of Thrones promos this week.)

Sounds easy, right? I plan to post an update on my progress each week. Anyone out there want to join in? I promise it will be fun!

Why I didn’t write today

Why didn’t I do any writing today?

I had to…

Clean the house

Spend time with my kiddo

Walk the dog

Feed the dog

Take the dog back outside (in subzero temperatures)

Try to stay warm

Go to work (the day job, the one that pays the bills)

Answer some email

Pay some bills

Check Facebook

Worry about friends having health issues

Read just a few more pages in the final Dark Tower book and feel depressed because I’m sure there isn’t going to be a happy ending

Wonder what in the world I’m supposed to be doing on Twitter

Not to mention Pinterest

Worry that no one reads my Facebook posts

Worry that no one reads my blog posts

Worry that no one is reading my published book—but maybe they’re all waiting for book 2 to come out and take the publishing world by storm… if only I could finish it

Worry about the state of the world because over the weekend there was a shooting at the mall near my house, with three people killed, including the shooter

Sleep

Well, there’s always tomorrow.

Happy new year and a 2014 writer’s wish list

Happy new year! Hard to believe 2014 is here already. I was sick on new year’s eve this year so I’m starting a little late but I’m back in the swing of things now. I hope this will be  the best year yet. I have big plans for you, 2014. All I have to do is make them happen.

And on that note, here is my annual writer’s wish list, updated for 2014.

mp900402202

1. Time

This one always seems to be a given. I wish I had a TARDIS or a time turner to add some more hours to the day. Really what I need is better time management.

2. De-cluttering

It’s amazing how much stuff you accumulate over the years. I’m determined to become better organized this year and get rid of a lot of stuff I don’t need. Like old drafts of chapters I’ve since rewritten and the box of very old drafts 0f my published novel. Yikes. Why am I holding onto those? Nostalgia? Time to meet the recycling/shredding bin.

3. Finish book 2

I know, I was supposed to do this in 2013. It ended up not being a very productive year overall in terms of writing. I’ve found my way now and I have a plan. Should be easy if I can implement the time management of #1 on the list.

4. Read more

I actually read quite a bit (for me) in 2013 and discovered some great books, not necessarily new but new to me. I’m finally on the last book of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, which is quite an accomplishment considering the length of some of the books. (Don’t ask about GRRM’s ASoIF, still working on those.) I hope to read and blog more about some of the books I’m discovering and enjoying.

5. Blog more

To start, #4 will give me some things to blog about. I will strive to be more consistent in my posting.

6. Success for my writer friends

A number of writer friends were published last year and several are getting close to publication. We all support each other and I wish them many successes for the coming year. Fingers crossed that someone will make the big time!

7. Reconnecting with friends

We all have busy lives and families, but over the years I’ve realized how important friends are in my life. I’m lucky to have a number of friends who go way back. Even though we don’t see each other very often, we have no excuse not to stay in touch. I’ll do my best to make sure that happens.

8. Write every day

A page a day equals a 365-page novel after a year. It should be doable. After all, that’s what we writers do, isn’t it? We write. I need to remember that.

So do you have any resolutions, writing or otherwise, for the new year? Wishing you much success and happiness in whatever your endeavors may be!