Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Lifes Changes...
This week has been emotional and horrific. I haven't blogged in a while, because I've been busy with trying to help my mom get through a very traumatic experience. Her husband has been in ICU with a 50/50 chance of living or dying. He suffers with Leukemia and what was a simple cold turned into Pneumonia and has now become life threatening. Just last week we were planning our Thanksgiving dinner and my family was making plans to travel to northeast Texas for some family fun. How life changes in an instance. Thank God for his grace and mercy. Throughout the last two days, we have been praying for God's intervention and healing. He has certainly come through. My mother shared with me a story from yesterday of how she had to go about finding three witnesses to sign the will. There was no one in the waiting room. She literally found one on the elevator, one in the gift shop and another just walking along in lobby. They were most gracious women. One of them even had a brother in ICU, who just happened to be right next door to my mother's husband. Another one was the pastor of a church and as you would expect, she offered to pray and all four women joined in prayer over her husband. Today, he underwent a transfusion and had a cat scan. Tomorrow he will have another procedure to clear out fluid from the lungs. It will be a painful procedure. This is a man who never trusted doctors before now. But now that he's been placed at death's door, he is having to trust in the great physician. God is coming through for him in a miraculous way. Yes, I do believe in miracles especially when it comes to life and death situations. God has numbered the hairs on our head and only he knows the number of days we will live. I believe God isn't finished with this man yet. I believe God is just getting started in giving this man a very powerful testimony to share with many people. God uses the shocking, horrific events in our lives to change us and make us stronger witnesses for His glory. It's hard having to suffer through illness, but there is also good that comes out of it when we put our trust in the Lord.
Monday, November 9, 2009
I'm not gonna shave my hairy legs...
Was that catchy enough to grab your attention? Can't you just picture it? This weekend I attended the Indianapolis Christian Writer's Conference. Leonard Sweet was the keynote speaker. All I really remember him saying was that a whole new language now exist in the google world. We must learn this language in order to relate to this new generation of bloggers, twitters and texters. He went on to say that the primary currency in a google world is images. We must communicate in the world that is there before us and not the world that we want to be there. This is a culture that thinks in images. What is the image of your writing? Leonard Sweet claims his is a cement truck. He mixes his thoughts and images together until he gets the right consistency and then pours it out in a thick slab. James Watkins later claimed his writing image was more like a hemerrhoid. He pokes and prods the reader into a painful reality making it difficult to sit in one's own comfort zone for very long. In other words, he's a big pain in the... Get the picture?
What would my image be as a writer? I see my writing image as a cupcake. I write for children creating a yummy, delicious experience for them with lots of creamy white filling they look forward to sinking their teeth into and long to get again. So now I'm back home trying to add some exercise into my routine, so that my cupcake image doesn't turn into an extra large pizza pie. And no, I'm not gonna shave my hairy legs before I go. If I could, I would wear a tee shirt that says, "No mental image required here" or better yet, "Keep your google brainbows to yourself."
What would my image be as a writer? I see my writing image as a cupcake. I write for children creating a yummy, delicious experience for them with lots of creamy white filling they look forward to sinking their teeth into and long to get again. So now I'm back home trying to add some exercise into my routine, so that my cupcake image doesn't turn into an extra large pizza pie. And no, I'm not gonna shave my hairy legs before I go. If I could, I would wear a tee shirt that says, "No mental image required here" or better yet, "Keep your google brainbows to yourself."
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Happy Travels and Novel Ideas...
Tomorrow I am taking off for Nashville and staying with some writer friends. Then we will be driving to Indianapolis for a Christian writer's conference. Although I do have a completed manuscript at this time, I am not yet ready to begin the submissions process. However, I have decided to interview a well known Christian author, who will be there and I have prepared a few questions for him. Just trying to make the most of my time at the conference to get as much helpful information as possible.
Also, I still need to learn how to write up a proposal. From what I understand, you do have to submit proposals even for fiction works. The problem is I can't wait to start writing a novel. When the characters are speaking to me in my head, I have to get my thoughts down on paper and write. If I don't write them down, they will get lost in the busyness of life. I find writing to be therapeutic and rewarding. It is important for me to write things out and see my work on paper. I wouldn't do this for non-fiction work at all, but for fiction I must. I can't see just coming up with a proposal for a fiction novel and not have most of it written already, but for a series idea - yes. But then that could be perceived as presumptuous to assume a publisher would even see this novel idea as a series in the first place. Too many things change in the process of writing. Characters sometimes take on different perspectives and take the story in a different direction. The story could actually get better during the actual writing. I realize I am still considered a new author and may not have a clear enough understanding as to the true purpose of developing a proposal for fiction work. Other than trying to sell your idea to the publisher, I am thinking the proposal can act as an outline to begin the writing process. But like I said, I can't see not having the story already written. Then too, I'm not really sure that it's all that necessary for first time authors anyway. I could be wrong and I will definitely be doing my homework on this. I'll keep you posted.
Also, I still need to learn how to write up a proposal. From what I understand, you do have to submit proposals even for fiction works. The problem is I can't wait to start writing a novel. When the characters are speaking to me in my head, I have to get my thoughts down on paper and write. If I don't write them down, they will get lost in the busyness of life. I find writing to be therapeutic and rewarding. It is important for me to write things out and see my work on paper. I wouldn't do this for non-fiction work at all, but for fiction I must. I can't see just coming up with a proposal for a fiction novel and not have most of it written already, but for a series idea - yes. But then that could be perceived as presumptuous to assume a publisher would even see this novel idea as a series in the first place. Too many things change in the process of writing. Characters sometimes take on different perspectives and take the story in a different direction. The story could actually get better during the actual writing. I realize I am still considered a new author and may not have a clear enough understanding as to the true purpose of developing a proposal for fiction work. Other than trying to sell your idea to the publisher, I am thinking the proposal can act as an outline to begin the writing process. But like I said, I can't see not having the story already written. Then too, I'm not really sure that it's all that necessary for first time authors anyway. I could be wrong and I will definitely be doing my homework on this. I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Meeting the Challenge
Today I am preparing for the Nano novel writing challenge, which begins at midnight tonight. I have already jotted down a few ideas, but I still need to plot things out and develop characters. Of course, in my experience most characters build themselves once I get the basics down on paper. This year I have decided to keep things fun and quirky, instead of trying to write the next "Gone with the Wind." Hopefully my experience as a mother of three boys will pay off here. I do have first hand experience with disgusting antics and slacker mentality. Okay, back to work. Wish me luck ya'll.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
BOO! Here's a Halloween treat.
Boo to back story. Although some information is important for the reader to know, I have learned that showing pertinent details is far more effective rather than telling them. Dialogue can be a very useful tool in letting the reader in on certain elements of the characters.
- Ex: "Tex always wears that worn out cowboy hat."
- Ex: The rim of his worn hat billowed in the wind, as Tex rode steadily in the saddle like a real cowboy.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Writing Challenge
It's that time of year again. Time to dust off the cobblestones of my mind and bring out the ideas stirring in my head for a new novel. The NaNo challenge http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3286025 - write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Yipers! This is how I got my last novel started though and I've been tweaking it out ever sense. It has gone from 50,000 words to over 70,000 words now. Slowly but surely, I am learning the steps to take, from plotting out the outline to developing the characters. It's exciting to see the twist and turns during the process of writing. Can hardly wait to see what's coming and how it all turns out. Of course, it's just a very rough first draft, but this writing challenge really gets my creative juices flowing. If you are an aspiring writer, then I encourage you to take this challenge and just try. You might not get a best seller or a book deal, but it is good practice either way.
Monday, October 19, 2009
I can see clearly now the rain is gone...
Just like the song goes, "I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way." Finally, we have clear, blue sunny skies again here in Memphis. For the past two weeks, we have had nothing but rain and overcast gray skies. This reminds me of what it's like to come out of a long and difficult period of conflict. Once clear skies appear, the difficult times don't seem so hard anymore. Your path is made clear and you suddenly know exactly what you need to do in order to resolve the problem at hand. Peace of mind is restored as well. Hope rises within and faith becomes the substance that carries you through the storms of life. We are once again reminded that all is well. God is in control. There is nothing to difficult for Him to conquer. Clarity is born within the storm. Your faith is defined and assurance of destiny becomes a reality. Perseverance is a must in order to succeed with anything in life. At my writer's meeting yesterday, this was the word I heard over and over again. With so many of us aspiring author's plugging along, submitting and revising and submitting again - only to receive yet another rejection letter, this one word rings true. Anyone who reaches a level success in publishing did not come by it easily. It takes years of hard work to hone your craft and skills and it takes divine destiny ordering our steps to bring about the encounters and chance meetings with editors and publishers to make it happen. If you give up though, you will only meet with failure. Perseverance tells us failure is not an option. This just simply isn't a word that should be allowed in our vocabulary. I am clinging to my destiny with perseverance and failure isn't an option. With the encouragement of friends, the love of my family and the divine destiny that my God promises me everyday, I am trusting that my steps are ordered of the Lord. His word does not return void. The inspiration He gives encourages me to keep writing and submitting. Although this may sound a little too religious and corny to some, I still believe God has a clear agenda and purpose for my writing and He will bring published works to pass in His time.
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