Words, Words, Words...

FREE Proofreading Services - Calling all Writers!

2011-07-18T19:12:00.008-04:00

As some of you may know, I am trying to start a career as a freelance proofreader and editor. At this time, I am willing to offer free proofreading services in order to build my resume. I will proofread up to 20 pages of your work at no cost to you. The only thing I ask in return is that I will be able to include your name and your work on my resume. If you are happy with the results, I ask that you would write a short blurb for my testimonial page. Please note that I will "proofread" only. By proofreading I mean checking a document for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and typos. Of course I will check for consistency in formatting, extra spaces, etc.

First come ... first serve! I will get to as many as possible within the next 3-4 weeks.

To inquire:

Website: http://passionforperfection.vpweb.com/
Email: Perfectediting4u@gmail.com
Expires 8/15/2011

Karen Schoen's Book - Proceeds to Rescue

2011-05-01T17:35:00.002-04:00

Karen Schoen wrote this fun and freespirited book, A Little Book of Cavalier Wisdom, based on the every day lives of her dogs, Meg and Snapper. Karen's humor and wit really compliment her beautiful photography. This is a fun read! Karen gives Meg and Snapper the voice to impart, upon the reader, the wisdom that every dog possesses! If you are a dog lover, you know how much you can learn from your dog. If nothing else, pure love. Karen has graciously decided to donate the proceeds to rescue.

Update

2011-02-22T11:19:00.002-05:00

Hello all! I thought I would check in with a little update. As I've been spending time away from my first novel, I've been working on another one. It's called Esther and it's a bit of a Scarlet Letter type story. Who doesn't LOVE forbidden love? Now I am going to spend some time away from this novel and go back to my first one. I’ve also been reading like a fiend because, well, I believe that the best writers are avid readers. Lately I’ve been into Kate Morton, thanks to Scott.

Unfortunately, I've been very much out of the loop here, but I see that so many of you have landed agents or publishing contracts. Congratulations to all of you who are realizing your dreams. I know that it takes a lot of hard work and determination. It’s very encouraging to those of us who are working toward that goal. I have had to put 110% of myself into my job for quite a while, so that has been quite a road block to my writing. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to really spend some time writing soon.

Boo!

2010-01-18T11:41:00.002-05:00

How is everyone? So much has been going on with you all since I checked in last. I'm happy to see that so many people are getting agents or getting published! Of course I'm not surprised...you are all so talented! I haven't done much with my book. I don't know why; I just haven't wanted to. Well, I just wanted to wish you all a happy new year...I hope it brings you all an agent and a publishing contract. That way I can say that I knew you when! :-D

Folded Laundry on Top of my Book

2009-10-21T09:27:00.004-04:00

Oh yes, it has been quite the hiatus. It’s been so long, that I even had time to stop feeling guilty about it. It’s part of the process isn’t it? The book sits upon my dresser, half marked up with first edits and with folded laundry on top of it. Come on, at least it’s CLEAN laundry.

Sometimes I crack it open to look at it and I realize that it is what it is, and it’s where it's meant to be at the time…unfinished. However, I do feel myself being drawn into the story once again. My characters are sitting there suspended in time, wondering if I am ever going to fix awkward scenes and hoping for better outcomes. In my head Kate sits there smoking a cigarette, begging me to cut out all of the scenes where she makes a fool out of herself with men. Fat chance.

Well, maybe I will get the urge to sit down and read through it again this weekend. Where will I put the laundry?

Dogs Discuss Sartre's "No Exit"

2009-09-27T10:25:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you, but I LOVE this!

Writer's Block....Unmotivated!

2009-09-14T20:22:00.002-04:00

Right...so I love this guy and all of his great advice. If you don't follow him, you should. That's about it!

Ask the Editor

Anyone have any words of motivation?

Literary Lab - Short Story Contest

2009-09-14T09:31:00.003-04:00

Our friends over at The Literary Lab are holding a short story contest! Scoot on over over for details!

There are No Words

2009-07-29T18:13:00.006-04:00

Source

She Gets a Puppy and Poof...She's Gone!

2009-07-15T17:35:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well and writing away! Things have been crazy for me. I am adjusting to my new lifestyle and am having a nice (much needed) break from writing. I think this is good because I will be able to go back to my manuscript with a fresh perspective, and I am looking forward to it.

The puppy still takes a lot of my time, and he really doesn’t like to sleep, be contained, or to not be entertained by me on a regular basis. Sigh! I haven’t forgotten you all…I still check out blogs here and there. Just don’t have a lot of time to myself to play on the computer. Anyway, here is a new video of my pup. Lots of love!!!

EXHAUSTION

2009-06-25T21:14:00.003-04:00

What can I say? I am exhausted! Between work and trying to figure out how to raise a puppy, I am pretty overwhelmed these days. Puppies really change your lifestyle…much like babies. The thing that has really been hard for me to adjust to is the loss of sleep. Having said all of that, I miss you guys! Honestly, I really needed (need) a vacation while I regroup and try to figure things out. Writing and blogging has sort of taken a backseat in my life, though I am sure I will get back to it soon. I haven’t even been able to read a book lately. So sad!

Well, how are you guys? Leave me a comment and let me know that you are out there and doing well. I promise I will get back to blogging soon…I will have A LOT of catching up to do!

Miles Puppy

2009-06-20T21:05:00.001-04:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Awesomeness

2009-06-09T19:07:00.003-04:00

I'm thinking that you all probably read Nathan's blog but if you don't, this is a great post!

Revision Checklist

Tired Momma

2009-06-08T08:56:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't been around much. My new puppy has taken all of my time and energy this weekend. It really is pretty much like having a new baby come home. The good news is that it is getting a little bit easier.

I named him Miles, and he is the sweetest little guy ever. This morning he asked to go outside so he could go potty! WOW! He is only sixteen weeks old. He learned how to sit on command for a treat too! I will post some pictures a little later. I am just trying to adjust to everything and finding myself tired and overwhelmed. So, it might take a little while for me to get back to any type of normalcy.

Does anyone have puppy stories to share? Did you find yourself overwhelmed? How long did it take you to get back to normal?

I'm Going to be a Mommy!

2009-06-01T19:22:00.004-04:00

Here is my new baby:

The girl in the picture is his breeder. The older dogs are his parents. That's what he will look like when he is full grown. I love him! I have waited seven years for him. Finally, making the commitment. What shall I name him? Suggestions? I am between Miles and Bailey.

The World is too Much with Me

2009-05-30T23:08:00.007-04:00

When Wordsworth wrote the lines, “The world is too much with us,” he was referring to the fact that people were more concerned with material things and social status than with nature and spirituality. Well, this weekend the world has been too much with me. What I mean by this is that all of the crazy things in my life have stifled my creativity. Instead of reading a book or writing, I have watched movies, texted friends, wrote emails, surfed the web, shopped, baked, and entertained the idea that I should buy a new thumb drive.

Wordsworth would be so disappointed. I really should have been outside observing nature like a poet, but instead I opted to observe technology. Perhaps I should write a sonnet, Ode to my Blackberry (which, incidentally, I cannot live without). Maybe I can be forgiven because of the fact that my apartment complex pales in comparison the English countryside. Also, my margarita bucket has nothing on opium or laudanum.

What is this crazy woman's point you ask? My point is that my poor novel is sitting there waiting for revisions, and I am neglecting its needs! My characters are suspended in time. They are waiting for me to give them life again, and to write some new experiences for them. They want to be seen and heard, and I have chosen to ignore their voices. When I get caught up in writing, time flies by, and before I know it, the weekend is over. I really needed to rest, and I really needed a nice long break.

So, sorry I haven’t been commenting on blogs or beta reading this weekend. I’m just tired. On a happy note, I have decided to adopt a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel rescue pup. I filled out some applications, prayed about it, and am waiting for the right one to come along. It was easier than finding a husband. *snicker*

Yeah Baby...I've Just Been Gnominated!

2009-05-28T21:50:00.004-04:00

I bet you all can't guess who this came from! Thank you so much Marybeth for this wonderful gnome award. It REALLY made my day. I'll display it proudly on my blog with a link to yours. You rock!

Holy Revisions Batman!

2009-05-27T19:38:00.007-04:00

Do you ever feel frustrated because you have a vision for your WIP, but you don’t know how to go about getting it there? It’s pretty overwhelming at times. I am working hard on revisions for The Heart is Lonely Still. Some days I feel like I have a handle on it, and other days I feel completely out of control. I know all about layers, and perhaps I am just frustrated at how long it takes to perfect a manuscript. I can’t possibly get this up to snuff after two revisions, maybe not even three or four, five or six, or ever! I do know this…I won’t put this book down until I get it as perfect as I can.

The amazing thing is that I am reading and taking in everything I can from agents, editors, and other writers (published and not). It has helped tremendously to beta read too! It’s good to know that we all experience the same things, feelings, thoughts, and emotions. There is a whole community of people out there who are willing to help. How cool is that? So what if some of them have margarita drinking gladiators named Tyrone as their main characters! We still love them, and that's why I love all of you.

Speaking of amazing writers and blogs. I just got through reading this post on Linda Sandifer’s blog, Writing out West, about using your senses in writing. If you haven’t already read it, jump on over. She has published numerous books, and her blog rocks!

Blog Award

2009-05-25T14:19:00.005-04:00

Thank you so much Danyelle from Myth-Takes for the lovely blog award. You are simply awesome too my dear!

Now, I am going follow in Beth's footsteps and award this blog award to the first five people who respond to this post. As far as I'm concerned you are ALL winners. Thanks for the constant support and for helping me keep my sanity!

Scott's Main Character

2009-05-22T09:59:00.007-04:00

Scott, I thought I would post it for you...since you aren't up on that whole adding photos and videos to blogger thing. Photoshop snobs, appreciate the comedic value please! I have no clue what I'm doing. *snicker*

Here is a link to Scott's blog...jump on over for a visit!

Just for Fun

2009-05-21T18:05:00.005-04:00

I really wanted to get a visual of them... my characters that is! These are the faces I visualize in The Heart is Lonely Still...

Kate Beckinsale as Kate Harrington

Colin Firth as Henry Clarke

Jude Law as Jude Matthews

Richard Armitage as John Clement

Rosamund Pike as Jane Clayborne

Lucy Griffiths as Claire Clement

Question: What faces would you pick to represent your characters?

In Honor of Hamlet

2009-05-21T11:41:00.005-04:00

In the spirit of all that is Shakespeare, I felt compelled to post the scene in Hamlet from which I named my blog. I LOVE the way Kenneth Branagh works this scene where Hamlet further adds to Polonius's belief that he has gone mad.

Not only is Hamlet my favorite play by Shakespeare, but the character Hamlet is one of my all-time favorite literary characters. He is so wonderfully complex, yet simple at the same time. I was also inspired to post this because of Michelle's post at the Literary Lab. If you haven't visited the Fab Three at the Lit Lab...jump on over.

A Couple of Must Reads...

2009-05-20T12:12:00.007-04:00

Literary Agent Rachel Gardner's post, “How Do You Learn to Write,” drew in comments and infinite wisdom from published and non-published writers alike. The comments read like a tutorial on how to become a good writer, and ultimately, good enough to publish. If you haven’t read it, I recommend that you do.

Authoress on Miss Snark’s First Victim posted on the “over shopped” query. Sometimes writers send their queries through so many critiques that their voice gets lost in the shuffle. Great post...something to think about.

Oh...don't forget about Editorial Ass and his "Publishing Light Bulb Jokes". Great comedic relief!

Editing Bloopers

2009-05-16T21:07:00.005-04:00

So, all day today I have been reading through my manuscript, crossing things out, and rewriting when I came across a scene where one of my main character’s mother passes away. To set up the scene, the character (John) gets a phone call from his family, saying they want to take their mother off of life support. Well, when he arrives at the hospital, he is able to talk to his mother. In fact, she talks to everyone until the doctor comes and takes away the life support.

I laughed so hard I was crying. Obviously, if someone is on life support, they won’t be talking to anyone. If they are awake and talking…why would a doctor come in a pull the plug on them? Can you say…bad soap opera? Not what I want, so clearly I will be doing some heavy duty edits there. So funny!

What are some of the funniest things you found while editing? Especially a first draft…

Wordle for The Heart is Lonely Still

2009-05-14T20:14:00.006-04:00

You are NOT Your Writing

2009-05-14T19:03:00.003-04:00

I was inspired to write this post from Nathan Bransford’s post about not letting writing define you. I wholeheartedly agree. I used to define myself by the work I was doing. When I became a teacher, I was thrilled. My job meant everything to me, and anything that threatened my position would cause me to sink into depression. Every “see me” from the principal of the school where I was working might as well have been a pink slip. It came to the point where the fear of losing my job became all encompassing. Then I realized something very important. I was tying my whole identity and self-worth into my job. My job defined me. Without it, who was I?

I see this same thing happening to some writers. In fact, I felt this way when I finished my novel. I entered a small tidbit into a Drop the Needle contest on Miss Snark’s First Victim. Of course, I had no business doing this because my novel is only a first draft! What did I expect? Well the outcome wasn’t good. It makes me laugh now because I have grown so much since that time. Seriously, too funny! After the contest I was crushed, and now I know why. Once again I was putting my self-worth into something that I had no business putting it into.

Your job and your writing are transitory, meaning they come and go. Change is inevitable. If you tie your self-worth into transitory things, it will also come and go. Self-worth may change and grow as we change and grow, but it should be tied to only one thing, you. Perhaps this may be the key to acceptance when something doesn’t work out the way you want it to. Usually when things don’t work out, your higher power is sending you in another direction.

Having said this, I think publishing is a good goal but not the ultimate goal. I put a lot of work into my novel, and I plan to put a lot more work into it. What if it doesn’t get published after I put all of that work into it? Well, I will ask myself what I got out of the process, or what did I learn? Perhaps that is the ultimate goal… the experience, the learning, the life lessons. I have learned so much already, especially from all of you.

This brings me to critiques. A critique, good or bad, is a gift. They help you grow and develop into what we all desire to be…good writers. I always hear successful writers say how the harshest advice they had ever received helped them grow leaps and bounds. Think about it, sometimes rejection puts us back on the right path. It sent me to grad school! Perhaps if we don’t define ourselves by our writing, it might be easier to stomach harsh critiques and rejection. In the end, your book is not YOU.

I know, harder said than done, but think about it. If a book doesn’t work… you learned something. It was worth your while. Now, move on and write another one. You won’t get anywhere by quitting.

Writing Emotion

2009-05-12T18:10:00.001-04:00

I have quite a few scenes in my book that are very emotional, but I feel that they aren’t really coming across to the reader that way. I want the reader to feel every emotion. What is the best, most effective way to write intensely emotional scenes? Examples, tricks of the trade, advice anyone?

Printed Manuscript

2009-05-08T21:32:00.003-04:00

Baby step one, it's printed. Oh yeah, look at me go. Here it is closed and sitting on my end table...

Here it is open and sitting on my end table...

It is kind of nice to hold it in my hands. It makes it feel more real. Now I take deep breaths as I prepare to read. Oh yeah, and edit. Or, maybe I could have something to eat, watch a movie, take a shower, and then edit.

FUNNY!

2009-05-08T11:57:00.002-04:00

Just in case you haven't seen this, and on the continuing subject of editing. Please watch...so funny!!!

How Sensitive are You?

2009-05-08T11:25:00.004-04:00

Somehow I think we are all going to be under the same category! Sad thing is... I wanted to correct the grammar / punctuation on my results. Aye me...

Your Sensitivity Score: 89%

You are an extremely sensitive person. You notice everything.
You've probably been called overly sensitive before, and it's partially true.
Highly sensitive people tend to be highly intelligent. And you just can't turn off that part of you.

How sensitive are you? Take the quiz now!

Indie Bound

2009-05-07T11:21:00.002-04:00

I'm now an affiliate of Indie Bound. If you are a strong supporter of Indie bookstores, you can become an affiliate and earn a small fee for any traffic generated from linking Indie Bound on your webpage or blog.

Check it out!

Editor Kitteh

2009-05-06T11:00:00.002-04:00

I Just don't Know

2009-05-06T09:42:00.003-04:00

I don’t know. The more I learn about what I don’t know about writing fiction, and the more blogs about writing that I read, the more I find myself staying away from my book. I am almost afraid to touch it. What if I make it worse? I don’t know where to even start making it better. I suppose this is a “block” of some sort, or more like paralyzed by fear? Good people in blogosphere I need advice. My book is a first draft at this point, and I can see that it’s not up to par. It needs a lot of work. Obviously! Maybe I think it needs more work than it does. Maybe I need more confidence. ARGH! I don’t know!

I read a post the other day that sort of broke the editing process down into steps. I’m thinking this is how you’d avoid feeling as overwhelmed as I do right now. Any good books or recent blog posts that might help? Does anyone else ever feel this way or am I an anomaly?

Wow, I feel good for getting all of that out! I think there is a certain freedom in admitting that you just don't know.

NanoWrobics

2009-05-03T19:07:00.006-04:00

Okay folks….listen up! We have exactly SIX (Yes SIX) months until NanoWrimo. Are you ready? Six months may seem like a long time, but it’s barely enough time for us to get into NanoShape! Get those writer booties in gear and GET READY! Here’s how:

Daily Exercise

Typing takes muscle! That’s right…MUSCLE. If you don’t build those typing muscles, there is no way you will be able to get to the finish line. Here are a few tips for building typing muscles:

Weights - tape miniature Hershey bars to all of your fingers for extra weight, then type as usual. The extra weight will help build muscle and you can save the chocolate for Nano month when you are finished! Remember, high reps, low weight!

Finger pushups (aka. spider doing pushups on a mirror) - press the tips of all of your fingers together and stretch your palms out, then back in again and again. This can even be done while watching television or talking on the phone.

Tap to the music – turn on your favorite music and tap your fingers the beat. Make sure you give all of your fingers the chance to tap…not just your forefinger.

Walk – well it’s just good for everything.

Clean your bookshelves – it’s good for the arms and shoulders.

Wash the tub – builds arm muscles.

You get the point…get those fingers a moving!

Diet

In order to make up for the ten pounds we are bound to gain from Nano month, we must lose at least ten pounds now to counteract it. A well balanced diet of fruits and veggies will suffice. Watch those carbs! It takes five pounds of chocolate to get a writer through Nano… we want to save our carb calories for that! Don’t forget to take your vitamins.

Gather the Necessities

The following is a list of must-haves for Nano month:

· Chocolate – duh!
· Wine – to relax
· Aspirin – eye strain and muscle strain
· Friends – to bring supplies when needed
· Easy to cook meals – you won’t have time to cook
· Soap – yeah…take showers! Please!
· Vitamin D – you won’t see a lot of sun

Feel free to add to the list!

Just a few pointers for getting ready for NanoWrimo. Hopefully this year there will be the most productive year ever. Good luck to all of you!

So, what do you think?

2009-05-03T12:15:00.002-04:00

I’ve finally changed the look of my blog after hours of searching online for the perfect layout (and a few spikes in blood pressure). I really wanted something simpler that I could tweak and make it more “me”. So, what do you think? Incidentally, I didn’t know that I would lose all of my links etc. It was so much fun having to add all of that back on. Not!

I hope you all had a good weekend! Perhaps I will have enough brain power soon to post something worthwhile. Thank you all so much for your ongoing support. It never fails to amaze me how our little community of writers will step up and help each other out. You guys rock!

Queries - Behind the Scenes

2009-04-29T18:50:00.011-04:00

Dudes and dudettes... I am busy with the end of the term here at school, but I came across this VERY helpful advice on Alan Rinzler’s blog. He goes over two queries and discusses them on a voice recording. Great advice! He talks a lot about platforms. I think I have to puke now. Where are those zombie pics everyone has?

Have a listen!

Alan Rinzler on Queries

Update: Guppy turned me into a zombie!

MAYNOWRIMO

2009-04-28T18:07:00.002-04:00

Hello beautiful people of the writing world! Please forgive me for not posting or responding much, I am still recovering from the big wedding weekend. However, I came across this post today and I had to share it with all of you who are itching for NANOWRIMO and can’t wait until November. There is a “MAYNOWRIMO” going on in the month of May. Click here to check it out!

The picture...well, it's just freakin funny!

Out of Town

2009-04-23T23:22:00.002-04:00

I'm going out of town this weekend to my sister's wedding. Yup, I'm the world's oldest bridesmaid (I think I hear a fiddle playing in the distance). You see, I hate weddings. Perhaps I am the only woman on the face of the earth that hates them, but I do. I am very happy that my sister has found the love of her life, but why torture me like this? Why not elope? Well, at least my shoes are cute. Just trying to look on the bright side. I'll just drink a lot wine!

Anyway...I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Brithday to the Bard!

2009-04-23T13:17:00.002-04:00

Today is Shakespeare's 445th Brithday! So, happy birthday to the man who brought to the world the most beautiful words ever written. In his honor, my favorite sonnet:

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love ’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error, and upon me prov’d,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d.

-William Shakespeare

We are WRITERS!

2009-04-22T19:33:00.003-04:00

I was thinking today (yes thinking) how funny it is that people think they can crank out any old story, any old time, send it off to a publisher or an agent, and expect it to be published (and not laughed at). They just woke up one morning and decided to write a book! They are flabbergasted and indignant when their book gets rejected even once. No wonder poor agents are pulling their hair out and venting through blogs and tweets. This reminded me of something my sister and I did when we were children. We wrote a song called “Old Kentucky Cowgirl” (we are from Florida) and mailed it off to Olivia Newton John (probably her fan club), fully expecting Olivia Newton John to fall in love with it and seek us out as song writers. Needless to say, Olivia Newton John probably didn’t lay eyes on it, but I bet someone got a good laugh at it.

Alright… I’m done laughing now. I’m sure you were probably laughing too. We all realize that writing is, well, HARD as heck! We read blogs after blogs (editors, agents, publishers), we read books, and we pour our blood, sweat, and tears into our manuscripts, praying that it might be good enough after the eightieth editing session to send off to an agent. Ugh! Wait, I’m not done. Nope. We join critting groups, submit our queries a hundred times until they are perfected, and suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Wait, that’s Hamlet. I mean we suffer the critiques of everyone we know, including other writers, just because we want to be better writers.

We are the few and the proud folks. Not marines… but serious writers who care about mastering the craft, who truly love literature, who love bringing joy to others, who love to create, who want to spare the poor agents of the world from crazy queries about books on leg hair braiding (including samples). Think about it! If you are reading this blog, and others about writing, you are way ahead of the game! So, next time you feel down and depressed about a rejection… think about those who haven’t made it as far as you have. Keep reaching for the stars! Never give up! We love to write… RIGHT?

Top 100 Creative Writing Blogs 2009

2009-04-22T11:16:00.005-04:00

I found this site while "surfing" the web today, and I thought I would share it with you. So, sift through and see if there is anything of interest. You just may recognize a few names!

Top 10 things to do with a manuscript that doesn’t sell:

2009-04-21T18:14:00.002-04:00

1. Use it as a stool in kitchen to reach the cabinets. What else do you do with your 1000 page epic about a vampire that couldn’t get into Harvard, so he became a used car salesman and a flamingo dancer? I mean, it took ten ink cartridges to print it! Make haste, not waste.

2. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle! Make into cat litter, a dog bed, stuff some pillows for the couch, or make a sock monkey. It’s all about going green these days!

3. Take it to Kinko’s and have it bound yourself. Wrap it up and give it to everyone you know for Christmas. Nothing like a personalized gift! Just think of all the money you’ll save.

4. Perhaps you could even try to sell it outside of Barnes and Noble. Be sure to ask first! Also, including lemonade with the purchase might be a great idea! Free lemonade with the purchase of one Kinko’s bound manuscript of vampire epic! Sounds like a deal!

5. Wallpaper a room in your house. What an idea! Always think outside the box!

6. Use it to elevate your computer monitor. I don’t know about you, but it annoys me when I have to look down at my monitor. It can’t be ergonomic!

7. Wrap it up in tin foil and use it as an exercise weight! Work those triceps and biceps! You can always use it for step aerobics too. Nothing like buns of steel to make you feel better about things!

8. Make 1000 paper airplanes. Go for the Guinness Book of World Records!

9. Make 1000 paper fans. Sell those with the lemonade!

10. Put in a Tupperware container and float it out to sea… hoping that someone will find it years from now and make you famous! Anything can happen.

When life gives you lemons….

Nicolas Sparks - Writer's Corner

2009-04-21T11:38:00.007-04:00

photo: http://www.nicholassparks.com/

The best way to learn how to be a successful writer is to observe and learn from successful writers. A while back I decided to visit Nicolas Sparks’ website. You may or may not like his books, I suppose it depends on your taste in books or genres, but Nicolas Sparks has found success on a grand scale. We can’t argue with that. He was also generous enough to include a section on his website for aspiring writers. This is what I love about writers, they are usually quick to help and support each other.

On Sparks’ website he has a section entitled writer’s corner where you can find advice from mastering the craft, to writing query letters, to his long road to publication. I think it’s definitely worth a read.

So, what are you waiting for? Click here and away you go…

Confidence is Key

2009-04-20T21:49:00.007-04:00

Ouch! Rejection hurts! Let’s face it, those of us who want to publish are asking to enter into a tough business. The most successful writers are those who can remain positive and persevere, even in the face of adversity. Rejection is a part of the business, and we need to learn how to put on a brave face, go forth, and conquer. Okay, maybe not conquer exactly, unless you are the conquering type. What I mean is that you can’t give up. You need to believe in your project, and believe in yourself above all. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?

I recently stumbled upon an editor’s blogsite that I found extremely helpful. If you don’t follow him, I recommend that you do. In this post (How Successful Writers Keep Their Confidence), he explains that the publishing business is a crazy business and it doesn’t always make sense. He also gives several tried and true ways that successful writers stay sane in the crazy world of publishing. My favorite point of advice, keep writing. That’s right… keep writing even when you think what you are writing is crap! In everything there is a lesson to be learned. If nothing else, perhaps you learned how to stay focused and finish a novel. If you have finished a novel, well you are way ahead of those who haven’t. What an accomplishment! Give yourself a big ole pat on the back, you rock!

My first novel taught me a lot about life and a lot about myself. In some ways it was prophetic… eerily so. I learned lessons that I really needed to learn. If this is all it was meant to do, so be it. I have come to terms with that. Now I am gathering the knowledge that I need through reading books, blogs, etc., to better my writing. Perhaps my next book will be published, or the next one. Who knows? I sure will have fun writing them folks. Maybe that will be the payoff. I’m alright with that. Ah…peace!

I hope you will jump over to Alan Rinzler’s blog to take in all of the priceless information that he has to offer on publishing. If anyone is still iffy… I got the link from Nathan Bransford’s blog. Perhaps that’ll sway you. Nothing like name dropping! *grin*

Blog Award - I Nominate YOU!

2009-04-19T16:06:00.007-04:00

Beth Revis at writing it out has been kind enough to award me this blog award. Thank you Beth!

The Lemonade Stand Award is awarded for great Gratitude and /or Attitude...and all I have to do is follow a few simple rules:

1. Post the logo on my blog.
2. Nominate 10 blogs with great gratitude/attitude.
3. List and link my nominees.

In return I nominate:

I tried to get everyone I didn't get last time! People are going to get tired of linking my blog! Thus I couldn't get 10 names. LOL Pretty soon we will all have every award tiwce! Enjoy!!

Inspiration

2009-04-18T21:52:00.002-04:00

This made me laugh hysterically. It's late...!! LOL

2009-04-16T21:53:00.000-04:00

Creativity and Vulnerability

2009-04-16T20:00:00.005-04:00

By nature, artists are sensitive. It’s this same sensitivity that allows us to bare our souls for the sake of creativity. When we write (create), it is our ability to feel deeply the emotions of our characters and put them into words that allows our readers to feel deeply too. We pour our souls into our work. We become vulnerable to others. Sometimes when we write, we feel completely drained because we have put every last ounce of energy and emotion into our work. I have had to take breaks from writing my novel at times because something that happened to my characters would drain me. I would find myself in tears, depressed, drained, and unable to give anymore of myself to anyone.

I have protected my novel like it’s a child. I am making myself vulnerable to those that read it. It’s leaving me open to hurt and pain. It’s frightening. I think we all feel this way to a certain extent. I also realize that we have to find the courage to make ourselves vulnerable to others. We have to find the courage to send our babies out to the world and risk rejection, hurt, and pain. We have to take this risk to be successful, to publish, and to grow as writers and as people.

We, the people who feel so deeply that we are able to create something beautiful - a book, a picture, a painting, a movie- have to be strong in the face of rejection. It’s a dichotomy. I suppose some people manage to marry the two, or they are pretty good at faking it. Look at all of the artists throughout the ages who suffered for their art. We call them tortured souls, but they were just like us.

It helps me to think that we are all in this together. We will all make ourselves vulnerable, and we will all face rejection. We are the ones who feel deeply, which I believe is a gift. There is not a single writer in the history of the world who has written a perfect piece of work, edited a couple of times, never had any outside opinions, and published their work the next day. Not the Bronte sisters, or Jane Austen, or John Keats, who never published until after he died. Franz Kafka, who I adore, thought his work was so terrible, he asked that it be burned upon his death, yet his work in every college curriculum in the Western world. It’s the nature of writing, I tell my students. It’s almost impossible for us to see ALL of our own mistakes.

I have no answers… just ramblings. So, I will leave you with a quote by John Osborne (English playwright, and screenwriter):

“Asking a writer what he thinks about criticism is like asking a lamppost what it feels about dogs.”

Oh those English….

My Baby Belle

2009-04-14T22:46:00.007-04:00

Fellow Writer Needs Answers - Please Help!

2009-04-14T18:57:00.005-04:00

Bryan Dubreuiel asks -

"Through any one's experience, what is a good time frame to make contact [with an agent to whom you have sent your manuscript]?The reason I ask is the "main" one I have my full out with, their website states "exclusive" but I didn't read this prior to my joy of sending the other two. But this agent has now had it for two months, so when can I move on, or better yet, contact her to ask for any progress?I am a very nice, easy to get a long with individual. I don't want to bother anyone, so would hate for them to throw it out because I inquire.I have exhausted my research, including reading the great and sometimes hilarious reviews from writers on querytracker.net, and the blogs so am asking for any and all advice!Thank you and I will see you all at the top! "

Please visit Brian's blog - Random Thoughts of a General Mind if you have an answer! Thank you!

Spend the Day with Your Characters!

2009-04-12T12:21:00.003-04:00

If you could bring to life a character from one of your stories and hang out with him or her for the day, which one would it be? Why? What advice would you give them?Include name, personality traits, etc.

I Love to Write!

2009-04-07T19:19:00.004-04:00

Oh yes, here it is folks. I have another book in my head begging to be written, much like the first one did. It trumps the one I want to write, and it haunts me in the wee hours of the morning. My fingers are burning and my mind won’t rest until I have begun. Actually, I did begin. And guess what… the first sentence draws the reader right into the world of the main character. Oh yes, this one is quite different than the other one (experience), but it’s still in the women’s lit (with a literary twist) genre. There will be murder, romance, time travel, forbidden love and obsessive love. No vampires (or zombies), but I was somewhat inspired by them (the hot ones).

Heck, you know what? Writing is totally self-indulgent for me. I love to travel to a different world that I can create as I go. It’s like reading, but better! Do I want to publish? Yes, but for me the experience outweighs the outcome.

Have any of you ever been working on a project when another project, that you just had to do, interrupted the process? I have a novel that needs edits, a novel that I have been researching but haven’t begun, and a novel that wants to be written now, now, now. Damn muse! She must have had fun on vacation (in the Greek isles with Debra’s muse) because she came back with a vengeance!

Don’t worry, I am still beta reading. You know who you are. This book is insanely good, and I get to say that I read it before it was published! He he

Books on Writing

2009-04-02T18:10:00.005-04:00

Damyanti was nice enough to put together a list of books on writing and to post them on her blog, Amlokiblogs. Check it out!

Click on the link:

AMLOKIBLOGS

Breaking the RULES!

2009-04-01T20:50:00.005-04:00

Finding Balance

2009-04-01T18:21:00.003-04:00

One of the hardest things in life is finding balance. How do we incorporate all of the things we love to do in a single day when there is so little time? I am posing this question because I haven’t quite figured this out yet. I seem to take on too many things, which leaves no time for me. It has left me feeling that I need a day or two to hide from the world. It has left me feeling somewhat dazed and confused. I am thinking that the day for me will pass in record speed, and the needle will be dropped once again on the same song. This happens over and over… and over again. And life flies by. Perhaps that’s why I wrote about the Metamorphosis. I feel like Gregor Samsa, turning into a bug. Ho hum…

Can anyone relate? I suppose part of it may be that I am pretty much alone. I don’t have a family and children, or someone to sort of navigate through the journey with me. I hope I will at some point. Until then I will sprout legs and crawl up the wall as people throw some parcels of food my way, still trying to figure out how to balance (juggle) everything. Or… perhaps I need to quit reading Kafka at the moment. *laughs at self*

Ps...I have stayed away from the WIP for two weeks. I'm now getting the shakes and other odd symptoms. Medication maybe?

Blogaholics Anonymous

2009-03-27T23:34:00.008-04:00

Do you spend more than an hour a day reading blogs written by literary agents, editors, or publishers? Do you check all day long to see if they have posted anything new?

Do you follow more than five writer’s blogs? Do you check your dashboard constantly to see if anyone has posted?

Do you visit your writer friend’s blogs after you have already posted to see what their responses might be?

Do you order peanut butter online because one of your blog friends recommended it?

Do you wait anxiously for comments after you post your own blogs?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have an addiction to blogging. Blogaholics Anonymous (for writers who blog) has helped numerous writers to come to grips with this serious condition. In extreme cases, blogaholics have been known sit in front of the computer for hours on end without showering or brushing their teeth. In very extreme cases, family members and friends are only able to contact the blogaholic by instant messenger, email, or by commenting on the blogaholic’s blog. Don’t let this happen to you. Blogaholics anonymous follows a 12 step-program meant to lead us toward a life free of addiction.

Unite with other blogaholics here! Introduce yourself as a blogaholic... it's the first step to recovery.

Franz Kafka - Existentialism

2009-03-26T23:10:00.005-04:00

I have been busy out of my mind with work lately. It’s the end of the term, which always leaves me feeling overwhelmed and tired. So, I have had no time blog. However, I thought I would do a quickie on one of my favorite authors… Franz Kafka.

Why Kafka? Well, he has been on my mind a lot lately since I recommended him to a student for the final paper in my World Authors class. I love, love, love all that is existential, especially when it is offbeat and a little dark. I once argued with another teacher that Hamlet is existential… yes I know that Shakespeare had no idea what existentialism is because Sartre wasn’t even born yet. However, Hamlet is existential. To be, or not to be... existential! Have you ever watched the movie Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead? Existential! If you haven’t seen it, you must.

*Ponders why all of her conversations move to Shakespeare*

He’s the man… what can I say?

Erm, yes, we were talking about Kafka. I suggested that my student read The Metamorphosis. Who doesn’t love a story about a man that turns into something akin to a cockroach? It’s great stuff! When I taught this story (novella) to my highschool students, I let them draw pictures of Gregor Samsa, the bug, crawling around his living quarters. They were stoked! Not quite the visual anyone wants, but it’s a fantastic story. Of course the bug is merely Kafka’s idea of symbolism, thank God. If you haven’t read The Metamorphosis, you must! You simply must! Some of Kafka’s other stories include In the Penal Colony, The Hunger Artist, The Judgement, A Country Doctor, etc. Terrific stuff!

The most important reason that I am bringing up Kafka is that he had no confidence in his own writing. In fact, he wanted his manuscripts to be destroyed upon his death (he died from tuberculosis). Luckily, his friend didn’t listen, and he published them anyway. One of those manuscripts was Kafka’s magnum opus, The Trial.

Well, fellow writers… what can we learn from this? Not to give up? Not to trust our manuscripts to friends with intent to publish our work when we croak? Not to argue with Litgirl about Hamlet?

Historical Novels - Question!

2009-03-23T09:19:00.004-04:00

So, I have been doing research on my new historical novel about the poet John Keats. It's going to be in first person POV, from the perspective of Fanny Brawne. Just recently I came across a website where I read that there is a new movie called Bright Star in production about Keats and Fanny Brawne. I believe it is being shot in England and I am not sure at all if it will even play over here. ARGHHHH!!! Is this something I should be concerned about? I mean, how many books and movies are out there about Henry VIII and his six wives? A trillion! I have also read HFs about Richard III from various different authors.

Does anyone know anything about this type of situation? I would be so disappointed if I had to abandon this project. I did research to see if there are any other novels about Keats and Fanny...and there doesn't seem to be.

Have you found your voice?

2009-03-23T08:18:00.003-04:00

I read this editor's blog this morning and found this article extremely helpful!

Eight Tips for Finding your Voice

I should write an original blog post soon. I have been really busy lately. Hope you are all doing well! :-)

Editing

2009-03-19T18:53:00.001-04:00

Editing. That dreaded task that we all have to face as writers. Just when we think we have edited to perfection, we have to edit more. Well, I am at that point right now (editing). Sometimes, I feel like throwing my computer and my manuscript out the window. I know it needs a lot of work; it’s just too hard for me to look at it objectively sometimes. Also, I am afraid that I will change something and make it worse instead of better. I have a colleague reading through it right now, so that may help a bit. Maybe I need more time away from it?

A friend was kind enough to email her thoughts earlier, but I would like to get all of your thoughts on editing too. How do you keep from being overwhelmed? What is your approach? Do you ever feel like the more “rules” you read, the harder it is to focus on your original purpose?

Miss Snark’s First Victim

2009-03-17T11:29:00.008-04:00

For those of you who haven’t visited this site, please do! It’s a wonderful site for writers to meet up and mingle. Authoress, the host of the site, holds various contests including secret agent contests where agents visit and cast their votes for the best submissions. You can’t beat that! Just recently Authoress started allowing writers to submit up to 1000 words from their MS for critique. You may have to wait a while, but it’s a great opportunity to receive some great advice from experienced writers.

Just recently there was a call for writers to submit a bio for Authoress and mine was in the top three. I know! *grin* Anyway, if you like my blog or you like me, jump on over and vote for B (or for the one you liked the best). If nothing else, take a look at Authoress’ blog!

My bio submission:

Twenty-four year old Authoress McSnarkle graduated from the University of Topeka with a pre-post graduate degree in slushpile diving and tragic novel writing.

After her internship with a publishing company in Yemen, Authoress was able to publish her first non-fictional book about the many uses of cat hair entitled, “Cat Hair Weaving for Geniuses.” After a brief stint with the law over skinny dipping in the fountains of New York, wearing only a large red hat, Authoress released her new bestselling novel, “Full Moon in the City.”

Authoress spends her spare time blogging and helping aspiring writers of fictional fiction, and is currently seeking a career in writing rap music to Shakespearean verse.

Characters

2009-03-16T17:53:00.004-04:00

How many of you are emotionally involved with your characters? My friend and I were talking the other day about my book. Specifically, I was telling her what was happening in a certain chapter. You would have thought that we were talking about family members or close friends, but we were discussing my characters as if they were real people. We were getting emotional about their misfortunes (mind you, I created their misfortunes). My characters are real to me; they are as alive as you and I are. I feel their pain, their happiness, their loss, their mistakes, etc. Some days I had to stop writing because I would find myself crying over something sad that had happened.

I read a blog post earlier by an editor that had some great insights into characterization. At the beginning there is an interview with Nathan Bransford, so read that first! :-D After you read the interview, scroll down and you will see the post entitled Falling in Love with your Characters. I don’t know about you guys, but I am! In love with my characters that is (in a platonic sort of way…eh um). Anyway, this blog has a ton of great information if you will. So, take a look.

Questions: Do you ever find that your characters are out of control? You think to yourself…I can’t believe ____ just did that… even though you just wrote it! Do you talk about your characters like they are real people? Do you believe that your close relationship to your characters carries through to your reader? I believe that if you are feeling the emotions, they will too!

Link to article: http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/

I Think I've just Finished...

2009-03-13T20:16:00.003-04:00

Um…*looks around dumbfounded* … I think I just finished my first novel. I just finished with the bones, that is. The flesh is yet to come. As my wise friends here in blogworld say, a novel is composed of many layers, each one making it more and more beautiful. It’s a little baby book! Alright, I will be quiet. I have a few questions for my fellow writers. When did you know you had finished your novels?

I have 75,000 words at the moment, my genre calls for about 80,000. I cut a scene, which brought the word count down quite significantly. I now have 5,000 or so words to play around with. How important is the 5,000 words? What if my novel ends up having only 75,000?

Yipeeeeeeee! I can’t wait to jump into the editing process. Who knows, I may have something worth submitting to crit groups in the next month or so.

Do you have a Platform?

2009-03-12T15:22:00.000-04:00

This is a great article about how build a writer's platform online.

Building Your Writer Platform Online by Jennifer Mattern

Historical Fiction - Writing Forsoothly

2009-03-11T23:29:00.001-04:00

I got this picture here. Great advice for HF writers! :-)

25 Things

2009-03-09T21:14:00.000-04:00

1. I have lived in both Italy and England.
2. I have a cat named Belle who has the most amazing blue eyes!
3. I used to play the clarinet.
4. I love musical theater.
5. I am a second generation Floridian (rare).
6. I have three sisters, two nieces, and a nephew.
7. I love Art History! I especially love the Renaissance time period in Italy. My favorite artist is Botticelli.
8. I love to cook…and to sample all different types of cuisine.
9. I love Coldplay!
10. Colin Firth is one of the sexiest men to ever live. He is Mr. Darcy! :-)
11. I like a nice glass of wine here and there. Love margheritas!
12. My grandfather played professional baseball, and he was the head chief of the fire crew at Kennedy Space Center.
13. British Literature is my passion. I adore Shakespeare!!!
14. I am divorced and unmarried.
15. I drive an SUV.
16. I used to teach highschool English, but I am teaching college English now.
17. I am a HOPELESS romantic.
18. I love to watch HGTV and TLC.
19. I have a story to tell…
20. One of my favorite things to do is to hang out with my girlfriends and watch chick flicks.
21. I was born in the wrong time period. I love history and I live in the past! :-D
22. I have a mean addiction to blogspot…
23. One of my favorite movies is Bridget Jones’ Diary.
24. One of my favorite books is Wuthering Heights.

25. I can be dramatic at times! Hence the overuse of exclamation marks. Sorry! :-D

Thanks for the idea Cindy! :-)

Suffering for Art’s Sake

2009-03-09T19:48:00.001-04:00

Last week during Positivity Week on Bransford’s blog, he mentioned that, as a whole, writers aren’t the happiest people in the world (I know, ironic…just read on). This made me think back to my college days when one of my Humanities professors posed a question to the class. The question was; do you think that great art comes from suffering? We talked about poor misanthropic Beethoven, eccentric Mozart, Jackson Pollack, Edgar Allen Poe and his alcohol addiction, and Coleridge and his laudanum addiction (this is when he did his best work…Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, et. al). Does true creativity come from a place of suffering? Are the greatest writers, composers and artists the most tortured of souls?

I was reading up on Keats today because I am planning on writing an HF based on his short love affair with Fanny Brawne, and I came across a quote from him that read, “'the excellence of every Art is its intensity.” He said this to a friend of his who asked him why he suffers so much over his love for Miss Brawne. Truly, Keats’ best poems were written during the time of his intense relationship with her. I find myself completely drawn, almost mesmerized, by the intensity of his letters to her. Other than Coleridge, I think Keats is the better poet of all the Romantics. He is also the one who suffered the most. Keats almost gave his life for his art, literally.

What do you guys think? Have you ever notice that your best work came from times when you were in a dark place? I certainly do as I look back over my manuscript. I’m interested in your input.

Writers Helping Writers - Open Query

2009-03-06T22:29:00.000-05:00

Rick Daley's new blog for those who want a safe place to post agent queries for critique.
Public Query Slushpile -
http://openquery.blogspot.com/

This is going to be awesome!

Stuff

2009-03-06T16:49:00.000-05:00

I went to B&N today and finally got the book I have been waiting on for a whole YEAR… Anne Easter-Smith’s book The King’s Grace. HF fans, you must pick up her books!

Just to show you that I can be a good asset when you go to sell your book, I will share my B&N story with you. While looking for The King’s Grace, which wasn’t easy because I forgot my glasses, I ran into a lady who was holding a book by Phillipa Gregory. So, I told her that I had read that book, and that Phillipa Gregory is a great author. Then the lady asked me if I could recommend an author who writes HF. Well, being the opportunist that I am, I recommended Anne Easter-Smith, Vanora Bennett, and Sandra Worth (love them). I had read on a blog, I think Kristen Nelson’s or Bookends, that publishing companies pay to have books conveniently placed in bookstores to attract buyers. I didn’t see The King’s Grace anywhere but on the shelf. I could have been mistaking but, just in case, I accidentally dropped a copy on one of the well exposed book tables (he he). I was too chicken to place it on the bestseller shelf, but I may do that for my writer buds! ;-)

The big thing in blog world today has been the whole Twitter #queryfail thing. I suppose the two sides are: how dare you embarrass writers and well, you should have done your research. I definitely think writers who want to publish need to be doing some research and reading up on what agents and publishers want. Seems like common sense. On the other hand, I would hate for my query to be tweeted. It seems like the query letter is more daunting than writing a book! There is a lot of info out about them though, so I think we will have the upper edge over those who just wing it. Good thing we have our crit groups as a filter. Why stress over things we can’t control right?

Back to Twitter… I just don’t think that I am that interesting that people would want to follow my every move. LOL I am not sure I will try it. If any of you use Twitter…let me know what you think. I am thinking...how many accounts will I have to sign into everyday! UGH!

Writing Blues

2009-03-03T18:52:00.000-05:00

Well folks, I am still plowing along on my manuscript. There are about 74,000 words at the moment. I know it looks like I haven’t had much progress but that’s not the case. Have any of you ever tried to write the ending for a novel? I know some of you have, so you know how hard it is. I was trying to lay down the tracks, after which I will go back and do some hard core editing. It needs it…a lot! Anyway, the main character is going through quite a pivotal moment in her life and I am afraid that I won’t do it justice. I need some sort of an epiphany or ethereal wisdom. I’m waiting! :-)

I have introduced various different parts of the novel to various different critting groups and have gotten various different responses. I’m sure you noticed how many times I said “various different,” but I assure you it’s because I need to be rebellious at the moment and nothing else more serious. I digress. Anyhow, some of the sections that I submitted did really well and others… not so well. Some sections I submitted knowing that they needed work; I just wanted to see what the reader response would be. Overall, I am happy with the way things turned out. If you are one of the kind people who left critiques, thank you kindly.

Moving on, I am steadfast in my decision to write and publish. I will not give up, even when the critiques get me down. Those who know me know that I love a challenge, and that I will move mountains to achieve my goals. This even includes reading boring books about writing and suffering through rejection. Futhermore, I am jumping on Nathan Bransford's positivity week bandwagon...can't get that Rainbow Connection song out of my head!

Carsicle...

2009-03-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

It Snowed in Greenville!

2009-03-01T18:53:00.000-05:00

2009-02-27T13:08:00.000-05:00

I Love Books!!!

2009-02-24T12:34:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow readers and writers. Just thought I would write a quick blurb about the books that I am presently reading, writing and about the books that I am eagerly waiting to hit the shelves.

This is such an exciting time for me because two of my favorite authors have new books coming out in March. Anne Easter-Smith’s book The King’s Grace and Vanora Bennett’s Figures in Silk are hitting the shelves mid March and are at the top of my reading list. I simply cannot wait!

Presently, I am reading Complete Poems and Selected Letters of John Keats – introduction by Edward Hirsch. I have also been hitting the English History Website and reading Keats’ letters to Fanny Brawne. They really give a lot of insight into the poet’s psyche. His love for Fanny borders on obsessive but there is something about it that shows such a naiveté when it comes to matters of the heart. Fanny, on the other hand, is quite the tease, even though I think she does return his affections in the end. I really can’t wait to delve into writing this book that I want to write about Keats and Brawne; however, as I was doing research I found out that there is a movie that is in pre-production about them. Just my luck…even though I believe that historical figures are fair game as long as your work is original. I mean, how many people have written books about Henry VIII? I rest my case.

Last but not least, I am reading Jeff Hermann’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents, 2009 ed. I think the most fascinating read in that book was Deborah Hermann’s essay about spiritual writing. It really hit home for me. In fact, I saved my current novel on my computer as “bless this book and its writer with words that touch people’s lives and hearts.” Chills! So, fellow writers, check this book out next time you are at B & N.

This week in writing…I am heading to finish line with The Heart is Lonely Still. I suppose that title has kind of stuck. It comes from one of Byron’s poems:

I Would I Were a Careless Child

I WOULD I were a careless child,
Still dwelling in my highland cave,
Or roaming through the dusky wild,
Or bounding o'er the dark blue wave;
The cumbrous pomp of Saxon pride
Accords not with the freeborn soul,
Which loves the mountain's craggy side,
And seeks the rocks where billows roll.

Fortune! take back these cultured lands,
Take back this name of splendid sound!
I hate the touch of servile hands,
I hate the slaves that cringe around.
Place me among the rocks I love,
Which sound to Ocean's wildest roar;
I ask but this -- again to rove
Through scenes my youth hath known before.

Few are my years, and yet I feel
The world was ne'er designed for me:
Ah! why do dark'ning shades conceal
The hour when man must cease to be?
Once I beheld a splendid dream,
A visionary scene of bliss:
Truth! -- wherefore did thy hated beam
Awake me to a world like this?

I loved -- but those I loved are gone;
Had friends -- my early friends are fled:
How cheerless feels the heart alone
When all its former hopes are dead!
Though gay companions o'er the bowl
Dispel awhile the sense of ill;
Though pleasure stirs the maddening soul,
The heart -- the heart -- is lonely still.

How dull! to hear the voice of those
Whom rank or chance, whom wealth or power,
Have made, though neither friends nor foes,
Associates of the festive hour.
Give me again a faithful few,
In years and feelings still the same,
And I will fly the midnight crew,
Where boist'rous joy is but a name.

And woman, lovely woman! thou,
My hope, my comforter, my all!
How cold must be my bosom now,
When e'en thy smiles begin to pall!
Without a sigh I would resign
This busy scene of splendid woe,
To make that calm contentment mine,
Which virtue knows, or seems to know.

Fain would I fly the haunts of men--
I seek to shun, not hate mankind;
My breast requires the sullen glen,
Whose gloom may suit a darken'd mind.
Oh! that to me the wings were given
Which bear the turtle to her nest!
Then would I cleave the vault of heaven,
To flee away and be at rest.

Lord Byron, (George Gordon)

Sigh! I love the Romantic poets. My book was born from this poem. Anyhow, it’s coming to an end. I am working hard on the ending, which has proved to be a little difficult to write. Hopefully, I will work it all out by this weekend and the editing process may begin. Gulp.

New Projects

2009-02-17T18:49:00.000-05:00

Now that I am almost nearing the finish line with my first novel, which may or may not be published (we shall see... busy taking out adverbs at the moment...ARGH!), I have a couple of new projects in mind. I am really entertaining the idea of writing a historical fiction about John Keats. As many people know, his short life was marked by quite a lot of drama and illness. Keats died of consumption (tuberculosis) at the young age of twenty-six. Before his death he had made the acquaintance of and fell in love with sixteen year old Fanny Brawne. Of course, a very sweet love story ensues but ends with the sad circumstances of Keats’ disease and inevitable death. Many of his poems are said to have been written for her, and the sadness behind them really tugs at the old heart strings. Of course, Keats had many interesting acquaintances, such as Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, who will lend a little interest to the overall story.

The next project I was thinking about is a short novel with an “obsessive love” theme; a Heathcliff and Kathy type story but in a modern setting. I have always admired Emily Bronte’s style of poetic prose. I want to try to capture that style in this book. I think it would be really fun and imaginative.

The first one, the historical fiction, is rather ambitious and will require a lot of research. I would really like to get back to England and Italy so I can walk in Keats’ footsteps. Right now, it’s just an idea. Once I do a little more research I will know for sure. I read a book called Passion by Jude Morgan about two years ago. It was mostly about Byron, but so good! I think that’s what is inspiring me. I have always thought that Keats was the better poet of the three, and his life was so short and tragic. It will be an interesting read.

Writing Sex Scenes

2009-02-16T09:12:00.000-05:00

I wanted to write about this subject because I am now in the process of having friends and colleagues read my manuscript for editing purposes (no, I’m not finished). I read a lit agent’s blog this morning who was writing about a letter from an author who felt embarrassed because she didn’t want her friends and family to think that her sex scenes reflected her own sex life. She was asking whether or not other writers felt embarrassed about their sex scenes. Well, I want to clear the air right now for all of my friends and family who might read my book. I am not even the slightest bit embarrassed of the sex scenes and they are purely the experiences of my characters, not necessarily my own. Stephen King writes about murder, does that mean that he murders people? I think not! Okay, maybe not the best analogy.

A writer has to remain true to his or her characters. In my case, I have two male characters for whom sex is the center of their world. It is the only way they are able to relate at all with the opposite sex and it is the only way they understand love. For Henry Clarke, sex is a means of control or, more importantly, a means of showing power. There is no intimacy in it whatsoever. He asserts his sexual power over his students both male and female. For Jude, sex is a game and, in some cases, an adrenaline rush. It’s sex that fuels the relationships between Kate, the protagonist, and these two characters. Kate is very conflicted when it comes to sex; she mistakes it for love.

I don't believe I have never known anyone like Henry and Jude; they are purely figments of my imagination (or I am protecting someone's identity). Perhaps they come from the books I have read or the movies I have watched in my lifetime?

Furthermore, my life is not exciting enough to hold a reader’s attention. So rest easy mom, you can read without equating the sex scenes with me. They are appropriate to my characters and to the plot of the story. OK... maybe a little cathartic (he he). Come on! Sex is only a part of life… get over it people!

Disclaimer – the writer cannot be held responsible for any of the grammar or spelling errors in this blog as it is Monday morning, which is too early in the morning and the week to be talking about sex!

Writing and Such

2009-02-12T18:05:00.000-05:00

I am now at 65,000 words and all’s well. The weekend is also here, so I will have plenty of time to write away. I am at a crucial turning point where the main character begins her journey of self-discovery. I have also thought of two or three possible endings, but I am not sure which I am going to use. One is tangible and the other is very spiritual. The spiritual ending will involve a twist that will inevitably shock readers. When I told my friend and colleague about it, I got the result I wanted. So, I just may use it.

I was reading a literary agent’s blog today and it reminded me of the blog that I wrote yesterday. She was discussing the rules of writing. Should writers ask agents for guidelines? I was actually startled that anyone would! It made me think of my students present and past who would ask how many sentences one should include in a paragraph. My standard answer became “fifty,” which nipped that in the bud. I can’t imagine that putting any parameters on creativity would work that well; however, we are all aware that punctuation actually makes our writing readable or not. Oh yes, and organization, flow, voice, language, syntax, diction and all of those wonderful things that we learn in school.

The reason this reminded me of the blog that I wrote yesterday is because I don’t think I could have written what I have with someone telling me that I should follow a set formula or that I should make my book into a mystery because mystery sells. So glad that no one asked me to add vampires or sorcerers! I venture to say … that just wouldn’t be me. A story has to come from your heart, it can’t be forced. Oh dear, what am I going to write about next?

Does Life Imitate Art?

2009-02-11T19:13:00.000-05:00

As I delve further into the writing process of my novel, I am beginning to see intricate connections between the story I am writing and my own life. I am being bombarded with life lessons that I am learning vicariously through my main character, Kate. Also, just the process of writing has taught me that, like life, a story needs to unfurl at its own pace, not at the writer’s pace. The more I force it, the less powerful it becomes.

The connections that I have created have happened quite unexpectedly, as if from my subconscious. It is almost as if my inner voice has spoken to me though my own words. I never intended for Kate to be anything like me, she is very different from me as far as her mannerisms, her belief system, her self-esteem, how she thinks and her way of life as a whole. However, she and I share the same life lessons. Perhaps we all do. The more I tried to make Kate different from myself (better), the more she started to speak to me. Even though we all have a different lot in life, we are all learning lessons. We experience hardships, love, loss, happiness, desire – we are all merely humans trying to make the best of it. Most of all, Kate taught me that we have to accept our lot in life and not wait until it’s too late before we learn to see the love that is all around us.

Finally, the writing process has taught me that our life is like a flower that opens itself up and reveals its beauty in its own time. It can’t be rushed, and every moment should be enjoyed as much as possible. This story has been waiting to come out for two years and I found that the more I tried to rush it, the less effective my writing became. I had to stop and remind myself that agents and publishing houses would still be around when I am finished. I would venture to say that, in this case, art does imitate life. Although, I hope that the reverse may happen also, and that my book will touch someone else’s life the way it has mine.

In the Defense of Richard III

2009-02-09T11:13:00.000-05:00

For the past three or four years I have really been into reading historical fiction, especially anything having to do with the kings and queens of England. About two years ago I read A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter-Smith. This novel offered a much kinder take on the infamous king Richard III, and I was intrigued by it because everything I had learned about Richard III had, thus far, been negative. History has looked down on this King as is evident in Shakespeare’s play and other various histories. One such history was written by Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor in Henry VIII’s court. Richard III has been accused of killing his two nephews so that he himself could take the crown after the death of his brother Edward IV, and he has been accused of killing his queen, Anne Neville, so that he could marry his niece Elizabeth of York. Could it be that we have all been mislead?

That question led me to investigate even further. This is when I happened upon the website for the Richard III Society. The Richard III Society is made up of scholars, historians, novelists and regular everyday people who want to clear good King Richard’s name. One premise is that the surviving histories on Richard III were tainted by Henry VII and the Tudor kings that followed him. This makes sense because it would have been in Henry VII’s best interest to paint Richard III in a bad light. Henry VII had usurped the crown from Richard III, thereby removing the last Plantagenet king from the throne and securing the crown, once again, for himself and the Tudors. It is well known that history is written in the viewpoint of and to the advantage of the winners. Furthermore, these histories are what would be passed down from generation to generation. Shakespeare himself, a patron of Elizabeth I (Tudor), used them as sources when writing his plays.

The historians and writers of the Richard III Society have found overwhelming evidence that may prove that Richard III was not the hunchbacked nephew killer of Shakespeare’s play, but a loyal, kindhearted and noble king who, in fact, was loyal to his brother Edward IV and who had loved his wife Anne Neville since childhood. Richard III’s motto was “Loyaulte me lie”, which is Latin for “Loyalty binds me.” He seemed to have taken this motto very seriously.

Who was Richard III? There are only bits and pieces of the puzzle left that when put together, show only a partial picture; however, I would like to believe that he was the good king that the Richard III Society paints him out to be. Other books worth reading are Sandra Worth’s Rose of York series and her most recent book about Elizabeth of York, The King’s Daughter. Venora Bennet’s book A Portrait of an Unknown Woman is also somewhat pro-Ricardian. The book is mainly about Sir Thomas More and his family but she infers that John Clement (also mentioned in More’s Utopia) may have been Richard of York, one of the boys in the tower. In Bennet’s book (fiction), Richard III did not kill his nephews. It is a secret that is kept amongst More, his humanist counterpart Erasmus, and the painter Hans Holbein. Juicy! I also use the name John Clement in my novel as way of paying homage. My next novel just may be a historical fiction.

Links to authors and books can be found at the bottom of the page.

Works Cited
Richard III Society, American Branch. 9 February 2009. <http://www.r3.org/intro.html>
Image from <http://www.photobucket.com/>

This Really Helps! ;-)

2009-02-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

The Heart is Lonely Still

2009-02-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on the manuscript of a novel (women's lit) entitled The Heart is Lonely Still. Now that I am well past the half-way mark (60,000 words), I have been researching literary agents and am looking forward to writing queries and earning my battle scars with the infamous letters of rejection. I have written two summaries and have passed them around to both colleagues and students to get advice. Much to my dismay, the results were half and half (Ugh...which one do I use?). Not to mention, the task of querying agents is both daunting and exciting. The Agent Query website has been a big help and I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in publishing. Here is the link:

http://www.agentquery.com/default.aspx

I particularly enjoy reading Jessica Faust's (BookEnds, LLC) blogs as they are probably the most helpful on the internet. Kriten Nelson's blogs are always helpful too. However, for entertainment value, I love to read the Evil Editor (be ready to pee your pants).

At the time, I am not ready to post a summary of my book on the internet but I will post a small blurb. Flying under the radar seems to be the best thing to do right now. Hopefully, I will have it finished and polished in the next three or four months.

The Heart is Lonely Still is an emotionally and spiritually engaging novel about an aging Kate Harrington who looks back on her life, tempestuous relationships, and on a now estranged daughter with whom she wishes to make amends. In the backdrop of 1970’s Italy and England, Kate is whisked away by two passionate love affairs, including the elusive Byronic hero Henry Clarke and the hippie writer Jude Matthews, that lead her into the safe arms of John Clement, but that haunt her for the rest of her life.

Yes I know...the last sentence is REALLY long. So, shoot me! he he