Epiphany

On my husband's birthday, last Friday, I had an epiphany. Usually this time of year I crawl into the darkness and don't show my face again until Springtime. However, with so many things going on in my life I haven't had the time to crawl into the ever consuming darkness.

I digress. As I lay in bed that morning, going over the things I have accomplished and the things I still want to accomplish I realize that I am holding myself back from my dreams. So I contacted my friend and asked her to ask her brother to design the cover of Crossing Over. It is already in the hands of my editor. Once I get it back I will be self publishing it. I'm new to the game, however, I hope that I can have it figured out to have my book out sometime in January.

One thing I do know is that I am not going to give up on my dream of being published. Next month I will celebrate my 32nd birthday. While I am basking in yet another year of life, I hope to be midway through the sequel of Crossing Over. The title is Beyond New Beginnings. So many ideas have come to mind to go into that sequel, but I can only get so much in without making it too complicated.

Life truly is what we make it. So I will definitely make it what I have envisioned for more years than I can remember, and you should too. I will keep you abreast of when the book will be out, but know it will be out.

Life is Like a Box of Chocolate

Some days I wish I had the wisdom of Forrest Gump. I know life is like a box of chocolate, but can I have the caramel filled, milk chocolate piece now? Please! This blog post will be like a box of chocolates for real. Different ramblings about different things with no rhyme or reason.

I haven't written a blog in a while. The reason is because I didn't want to whine and moan or groan about the critical thinking class I was in. That was the worse, but I overcame it. Tomorrow I begin a health class and boy first impressions is everything. My professor's email doesn't represent that of a nice person. I'm mentally preparing myself.

So I've been receiving feedback on my second completed manuscript. All good thoughts. Two out of the six people I allowed to read it is requesting a sequel. I can't say that I'm surprised. I have started plotting out the sequel and I will begin writing it in November. The title is "Beyond New Beginnings." The old gang will be there, but a couple of new faces will be introduced.

These pass few days here in GA people have been trying to clean up their homes and the highways and byways, from the rain storms we had beginning last Friday. Man rivers were raging and new rivers were created. My kids schools were closed today because of the aftermath of this rain. I guess we're out of the drought now.

I haven't felt like making any jewelry lately, but I finally made five pieces. Hope to get a few more pieces made soon. A set I'm working on for my mother is proving to be harder than I thought. So she may not get it.

I suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) so if I'm quiet it's because I miss the sun and the warmth.

Sister Girlfriend

I wrote a new poem for the first time in a long while. It will be a part of a new collection that I'm currently working on. Don't feel like sharing the title of the collection as yet, but I will share the poem.

NOTE: Please respect me enough not to reproduce my poem in any matter without prior written consent.

Sister Girlfriend

Our parents are different
that doesn’t matter in the end.
You are my sister,
my loving girlfriend.

You have been there for me
and I for you
good times or bad we’ve always pulled through
We’ve cried on shoulders
no matter happy or sad.
You are my sister,
my loving girlfriend.

Sometimes distance keeps us a part,
but the happiness we always share
remains in my heart,
I know that you care.
‘Cause you are my sister,
my loving girlfriend.

A ray of sunshine on those cloudless days
my lucky charm throughout the continuous
high stakes of…
Life, may not be easy
but it feels airy free
‘cause I have my sister always loving me.

You are my sister,
my loving girlfriend
in this life and the next
forever til the end.

Parents we can’t choose
and some friends we may lose
but our sister hood was written even before time began
God sent us a blessing
and you are mine
You are my sister,
my loving girlfriend.

No matter what they may say
the bonds that we share cannot be bent
I will always believe you were heaven sent
‘Cause you are my sister,
my loving girlfriend.

Ideas and Characters

Could this cartoon be anymore on point? When I completed my first novel length manuscript, in 2006, I was miserable. My life had taken turns that I wasn't expecting; nor did I know how to handle it. But I did what I always do I grab paper and pen. I hand wrote most of that manuscript (I have the binder paper in a my file cabinet to prove it.). After I wrote six or seven pages I would then type it up.

The idea for that story came because of what was going on in my life. I put a twist on it and by the time I was finished writing the story I felt better and my world was beginning to look up again.

I believe it was Karen Quinones Miller was the one who once wrote that she has an on going story she might never publish, but in that story she express her anger by killing off the people who pisses her off without going to prison. I know what she means.

I get a lot of my story ideas from people in my life, if not my own life. Or having a conversation with someone and a word or a line said is what gets my mind reeling with a new idea and I have to jot it down before I lose it. I do the same thing with characters. The names come to me from a show or on FaceBook, etc. and I jot it down and envision exactly what they look like. It's so fun to pull up the file on my computer or my idea notebook and look to see which new idea I want to explore next.

I have titles written down with no characters or story ideas in sight, but the title is catchy to me so I wrote it down. I look over them from time to time and try to come up with something. If I do I write down a brief synopsis of what the story is about, then try to add the characters as they come to me.

It's not an odd thing that we writers/authors do. I know that Patricia at Readin N Writin with Patricia just got to her 100th story idea. That is wonderful. It took her 3 years to get there, but she did. I'm not sure how many I have, but I have quite a few; some will be short stories, others full length novels, and the rest I may not get to write before I go home to glory. But the idea will be there for someone else to explore.

BTW: I know I took the cartoon out of context, but I do understand what it means.

I haven't decided which one of my story idea I want to dive into yet, so I'm looking at them over and over again until I find the one I want to use. However, I will say I have it narrowed down to three, possibly four. The fourth one is a story (a short story I stopped writing after a few weeks.) I wrote in 2005 finished it last year, but my sister didn't like the ending. Well the ending was shocking to her and she wanted more. I think I can extend it to a full length novel even with the shocking ending still being the end but later on in the story. All four choices have been started for quite some time. Each story is a different genre: paranormal, mideval times/paranormal, contemporary fiction, and urban erotica. Will share my choice later on.

Until next time, happy reading and writing.

Writing Tidbits

Since finishing my manuscript on Monday, I haven't been doing much of anything but reading. I haven't been keeping up with the articles in my Google reader, and there are some good ones.

One of the ones that will be very intriguing to writers/authors contemplating self-publishing. Over at The Blood-Red Pencil Morgan Mandel created a Basic Guide to Self-Publishing (<-- the link is to day one, there is seven days worth of information). This will be a great asset to me, because I'm thinking of going that route to avoid the hoopla and craziness from having a traditional publisher. But who's to say I can't have both.

Every writer/author has his/her way of going through the motions to get their story written. Whether you're a pantser or plotter (me personal, I'm a little bit of both) should know when your First Plot Point occurs in your story. It's not when you think it is, at least for me it wasn't.

So far aside from numerous poems and short stories, I have completed two manuscript. My first one I did most of in one month; the second took me a year. I have read a little bit of this and a little bit of that in order to better myself in my writing. I wish I knew the Four Things You Can Do Today to Take Your Novel to the Next Level before I had did the first. I could have saved myself time. But it takes time to learn and tweak a craft to your liking, understand, creativity, and usability. Every day is a lesson. I said all that to say that there is a part about back story that I don't agree with, but you may agree with it and find it useful. I, on the other hand believe that back story is important in certain instances. See always tweaking to make it fit me; you should do the same.

This past week I was a lurker over at Sormag. LaShaunda had a week long online conference. Lots and lots of useful information for seasoned, newbies, and aspiring authors. Head over there she touches on every thing.

That's all for this week. Until next time happy reading and writing.

Coming to the End

"It's been a long time coming, but a change is going to come, wait in through the evening tell me when will I see the sun..."

In July 2008, I started writing Crossing Over. I was trying to finish this manuscript in 31 days. It didn't happen, but not for lack of trying.

Life happened and I put it to the side. I placed all my writing to the side.

When this year started I want to reconnect with the characters and the story, but was not inspired to do so. I had lost my muse. Then in June a passion started burning for me to write. I could see the end of the story, but the middle was still muddled in my head. I had to challenge myself again to get it done.

I set a time frame to have it finished, because I have so many stories that I want to write and I can't move on with so many not completed. When I started this story, I didn't know exactly how many words I would have. But when I revisited it, I choose 65,000. I came close to that number as you can see from above, but my story is done. I have tried to find more to add, but there isn't anything else left to say. I don't want to put unnecessary things that will make the plot veer off into something else that makes no sense to my story.

So after a long weekend of writing, I have decided to write "THE END." I'm sending it to a choice few if they decide to read it for me and critique it. After I get the comments back I will turn it over to my editor and let her do her thing. Yes, I will be looking for a publishing company to put it out on the market.

The first few lines of this blog is one of my all time favorite songs by The Winans. It's fits so perfectly with me completing this manuscript. I decided to share the youtube with you. It's not a video, but it's the song. Very inspirational none-the-less.

Writing Tidbits

Here's a few more links I found quite interesting and helpful in my writing journey.

I have heard others say their writing voice is different and unique. That's a good thing. In my papers and essays for my college classes, I always say no one can plagiarize my work, because I use some type of satirical thought in just about all my papers. You have to have your own writing voice to stand out. Jennifer Blanchard gives ideas on 'Developing Your Writing Voice' on Procrastinating Writers. There is a plethora of information on this site. Like information on how to write everyday.

This next link is about writing articles for bloggers, I believe it's important as well for writers in general. While on that site check out 'What Makes a Good Content'.

I know I'm guilty of this, over using words. While I have taken notice to be very careful, I'm certain I still have more to stop or be mindful of using. Check out this blog on how to 'Tighten Up Your Manuscript.'

Simply put 176 Tips for Writers, how could anyone go wrong with these tips a click away.

Until next time happy writing.