My Canvas

A Dilemma

2011-12-09T10:02:00.001-05:00

While I am enjoying writing my novella I am worried that I shouldn't self publish with my writer's group saving my manuscript until it's ready to send out to agents. I think the concept is good, similar to the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands but with a really unique twist that makes it original. I'm being realistic in the fact that there is a lot of editing that needs to be done, but I don't want to go back on my word when I promised that my piece would be included in the anthology my writers group is putting together.

The question is what should I do about it? Sending it out could get me an agent. If I self publish it would take this particular manuscript off the table. The manuscript is the first in a series I am developing around these original characters. I just don't know what to do.

Unsure of Myself

2011-07-21T09:28:00.005-04:00

As I sit here in my pj's, I'm thinking about what to do today and all that draws me is the next line in one of the books I'm reading. What I should be doing is writing the next scene in my ms. The first draft is due in September and I keep procrastinating. Maybe if I write out a schedule for the time I have to write it will shed some light on what still needs to get done. The only thing that has worked to keep up my consistency is to force myself to sit down and write. But what if I'm not inspired to do so? So far I haven't forced myself to do anything when it comes to my manuscript. Is it my fear that it won't be any good? That I don't want to let anyone down? Or don't want to disappoint myself? Everyone wants me to be successful at this writing gig, but I'm not sure they understand that it isn't easy to get into the business of being a popular author, where I at least can help support my family.

Been Forever

2011-07-16T21:27:00.007-04:00

Hi to my canvas. It's been over a year since I've posted anything here and I thought it was about time that I stopped by.

What have I been doing this year you may ask? Well, I've been writing a new novel and trying to arrange it into something coherent. I'm editing the first novel I ever finished, which tends to sit as I procrastinate, the cause being by my indecision of plot threads needing to be fixed. I've also been voraciously reading. I've made a goal to read 200 books this year and have already read 150 as of today. These books are in genres that I love, which include romance suspense, fantasy romance, I've delved into mystery selections which I'm thoroughly enjoying, because there's usually a subplot with some romance tucked in. I've also got a thing now for the romance suspense that surrounds either military men or law enforcement of some kind, be it government agencies or local law enforcement.

Plus everything else added in, including, but not limited to my kids, my hubby, my new dog (a whippet), and running my household. It's been a good year so far.

2010-07-04T19:48:00.002-04:00

Where my heart is can't be seen. On a cloud made in heaven, in sync with my soul it floats from place to place with a thought. It's vital in stolen moments with my one true love. Pieces given freely separated in two but still always whole. Growing and growing to make room for more, it imprints memories there's always an open door. Love at its fullest bursts with joy. My heart is always with me, beating, beating...forevermore.

Goodreads

2010-06-06T11:53:00.002-04:00

I just added a widget for Goodreads on my blog. You can find your favorite authors or you can list every single book you've ever read, have to read, or are reading. You can find out when your favorite authors next book is coming out before even the book stores have the drop date. You can even write reviews and share them with your friends. So if you read a lot and would love to be able to keep track of them all, this is the perfect place for you. Have fun.

A Long Time

2010-05-08T09:31:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

It's been forever since I've written anything, but I've been busy at work on my YA and finally was able to finish my first draft. 300 pages. It was incredible to have it printed out. I didn't hear any angelic music though. Too bad. It would have been a good sign. The editing process has been interesting. One read through is going on now. I can't help but write some things down when I know I should do a full read through at least once. It's easier though to get comments down while I'm in the scene on the page, so nothing is forgotten. Anyway, it's a grand accomplishment for me and I'm happy to share, so if you're writing your own ms keep on going, I know it can be done with as little pain as possible. Happy writing.

Just checking in

2010-03-15T19:49:00.002-04:00

Hi all, I've been extremely busy, writing like a fiend. Things are going really well right now with my YA. My word count each day has been around 1500 words or more. My hero and heroin just escaped the protagonist and the final battle will ensue quickly. I'm very excited. My schedule has stayed steady, which is what is keeping my word count up. Who knew consistency actually worked. It's great. So, if you're having trouble staying on track, but have a deadline, make time for yourself everyday around the same time. It will help you work wonders in your stories.

It's been a while

2010-03-04T09:33:00.003-05:00

Hi all, I've been away from my blog for a while now, but I'm keeping busy with my YA novel. It's going well and I am getting into a rhythm with it so I plan on chugging along until the end letting it sit for a bit then digging in to the editing process.

I've also been reading a lot. Some of my favorite series and authors came out with publications at the same time; Flirt, Shiver, Black Magic Sanction, Hush Hush and more re-reads. The Artist's Way has been on my reading list also. That has been eye opening thus far. I have a long way to go with that. April is going to be another big release month for some of my favorite series. Burned is coming out by P.C. and Kristen Cast. I can't wait for that one. Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts. Romance gotta love it. The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong. Lover Mine by J.R. Ward. All of these have been in the back of my mind at the start of the year. I love to read for pure pleasure. I can't wait.

Thinking

2010-02-16T18:42:00.002-05:00

I haven't been here in a while. I've been reading too much and ignoring other things I should be doing. What I have written has been only a few pages to get me thinking about characters and what they are doing while the main characters are in the throws of their story line. Is it neglect or writer's block? I think both because I get stuck in a spot I don't like and then procrastinate until I feel so guilty about not working that I pick up my pen and start writing to at least start thinking about my project again. Negative thoughts creep in - I won't get published, my writing is terrible, I'll never make enough to support my family and add to my husbands income - it all sounds so terrible. I keep plugging away though.

The deadline for a non-responsive publisher is here, for the picture book I sent out four months ago. It's disheartening that there was not even a nibble. But, I will send it out again with a multiple submission mailing and see what happens next. The tough part is figuring out where to send it. There are so many publishers out in book land. I hope I pick the right one this time and that my query letter sparks some interest.

My young adult novel is what I really want to finish. It has a good plot. It's simple and unique, but what I'm stuck on are the emotions that the two main characters are emitting. In my edit I'll really have to dig deep to grasp what I'm trying to get across to the reader. I'm also trying to develop one of the new peoples that inhabits my fictional planet. On one hand it's exciting on the other it's scary. How does a writer create an entire fictional race? I try to picture the people in my head in images based on what I know. Armor, physicality, speech, etc. Trying to write it is the hard part. Ughhh! I don't want to screw it up. I think, if I could draw people better, I would do that and then write from the images as I see them on paper. Right now though they are in my head. It's hard.

I'm going to finish this novel. I'm not going to give up. My goal was to have it done by the end of the year (2009) so I can start editing. It didn't happen, so the schedule gets pushed back a little. I'm about three quarters of the way through. I just have to get back on the horse or in my case the Amezar (fictional animal in my novel) so I can keep moving forward. Cross your fingers...

Observe and Learn

2010-02-04T09:37:00.002-05:00

Last night at the writers group I attend, a gentleman named John, read something that he has started writing for his grandchildren. It's for the purpose of teaching them how to live as good people, to learn how to observe and learn from what they see. He has other subjects too that he is going to share.

Listening to his piece made me think about how I live my life and what I miss by not taking time to see my surroundings. Not just looking but seeing and absorbing what has always been in front of me. I am always so caught up in the 'me' of my life that I don't take that time.

One of the things that I do when I'm frustrated is think of a willow tree dancing lazily in the wind. It calms me and gives me time to breathe through my frustration. But have I really thought about each part of the willow tree and what it's doing? How it soaks up nutrients from the earth to feed it soul. It creates oxygen for us. This is what I mean by observing.

It makes me think about how we forget what was given to us and take it for granted. Like it's always going to be there.

What about people we see everyday? Who are they? What is their life like? We don't know so we take a guess and judge them, usually harshly. Why? Because they look different or have a deficiency. We don't know. They could be living similar circumstances as me.

As a writer, I should be observing more. Taking things in as they come to use and twist into a story, but also so that I learn and don't forget about my surroundings.

What do I get from fictional books?

2010-01-11T19:36:00.003-05:00

Discussing a book with one of my fellow writers brought to my attention what I usually absorb while reading a book. Comparatively we both had different views of the book. But we did have one thing in common, we enjoyed the plot/concept. The book was City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. This is a three book series.

What he walked away with was an overuse of adverbs, cliches, and melodrama throughout. It was a 'woe is me', hand on the forehead kind of script that was repeated throughout. He also pointed out that there were appearances of things that couldn't have happened in the timeline of the story, which his son pointed out after reading it also. Now mind I haven't read this book in about 9 months, so please cut me a little slack.

What I tend to do when reading a fictional story is to overlook all the technical elements as I become attached to a character. I look for the emotional interaction rather than setting, or description, which in some cases is okay if the reader is familiar with the storyline, like in the case of a series.

But there is also great merit in looking at the technical, which I should do more of. A great example of how to deconstruct a story and see its innards, is in a book called Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. This book breaks down several classics. It tells what's good and bad about each excerpt that is listed.

What I've come to discover is that I need to do more of this deconstruction to improve my own writing. My one problem though is that I enjoy reading too much; getting caught up in someone else's story to escape from my own, for a while. It's a good thing and a bad thing, but I can definitely learn from every experience I share through someone else's writing.

The Path to the Present

2010-01-05T09:19:00.001-05:00

A tall canister with a metal lid, filled with wooden wheels and dowels, was my favorite toy as a child. Tinker Toys. How could I have known that one simple canister would lead me to where I am today? It set my path - pushed me forward through school, into architectural design.

Don’t misunderstand; I didn’t know that they would lead me to decide that architecture was where my career would be headed. It took me a while to figure it out. But the fact that I enjoyed designing things with the wooden toy was what got me started down the path to where I am today.

It wasn’t until my senior in high school that I decided to go for a degree in architectural design. I had one particular teacher who told us repeatedly that we would probably switch our major no less than five times. That was Mr. Fritz, my art teacher. In some ways I wish I had listened to him, and thought more about what I would become as an adult. But had my decision changed a lot of things would have changed.

During my time in college (at LTU, Lawrence Technological University) a lot transpired, a relationship I was in, soured, which was fine because it was destructive. It made the road I was on shift. School was tough, but the relationship was tougher. I was separated from what was happening around me, isolated in a possessive cocoon that I finally broke free from. My two best friends, to this day, I discovered after that break up. And had I not become friends with them I would not have met my husband and known from my previously destructive relationship that this man was very special.

My career in college was typical for a commuter student working part time. I grew as a designer and moved on to a better job which developed my skills, but it wasn’t to be the place for me as I once had thought. Because of an at will policy, I was laid off after I had my first child. It was devastating .The job was my identifier. It was part of who I was and now that it was taken away, I felt like a failure. It took me a long time to learn that it wasn’t my fault but a financial decision that unfortunately put my head on the chopping block. But what was I to do now? I tried another job, but it didn’t work out and I was let go, not because I didn’t have talent, but because the person I worked for didn’t like to give up control.

I was stuck in a limbo after that, depressed and undecided about what would happen next. What could I do or become, I had no idea. It was hard to figure myself out again. I had never changed my mind about what I would be when I grew up, like my art teacher had foretold. It’s funny how his words came back to me after so long. But I eventually figured myself out. I started drawing again, not architecture, but art and illustrations. It made me feel good. I remembered why I liked drawing so much when I was in school.

I also took up a lot of reading again and discovered something when I read, of all things, a romance novel by Nora Roberts. Its main character was an artist and a writer and I thought why couldn’t I do that; write and draw my way into a career. Finding out more about the industry got my blood pumping again, excited for the first time in a long time about another direction my life might take. I bought books and went to the library to learn more about how to get published. At first it was daunting, but eventually my decision was solid. Even though it is a tough industry to break into, it was something I enjoyed so why couldn’t I try it.

I’ve gone to seminars and conferences to improve my craft of writing and illustrating for children’s books. I attend two writers groups and write as much as I can during the day while my girls are at school. People always say do what you love. I’ve finally found something that I love to do and am not worry about getting published or not. It will eventually come down to that. I have to be optimistic otherwise I would drive myself crazy.

My work is at home now and has been since 2003. I don’t know if my career in architectural design will ever continue, but right now I am content to write, draw and hope that one day the path that the sweet tin lidded cylinder holding those wooden toys put me on comes to a point where I can say that I am a published author and illustrator.

Back to the real world tomorrow

2010-01-03T10:02:00.002-05:00

Vacation has been great! Not having to worry about getting somewhere on time makes things more relaxing. But, as this Sunday comes to an end, alarm clocks get set for tomorrow, the girls go back to school, and things proceed as usual.

As I set out in this new year, my goals are written down, my thoughts look forward as I plot my writing and I contemplate what my next art canvas wants to be. Hopefully, I will not procrastinate, I will read more non-fiction to expand my knowledge, and I'm able to hold my temper when things aren't going too well.

In the past the even years have been the better ones for me. I hope in this new year of 2010, that will hold true.

Happy Writing!

Snowflakes

2009-12-22T10:09:00.003-05:00

They were suspended in the air when I stepped out onto the back porch. Time had stopped. The snowflakes reflected the midwinter illumination of the white moon. I froze as if a part of me were trapped in the crystallization of one of the perfectly formed flakes. It couldn't be happening. That's what I told myself. But standing here, in the bitter cold, I knew it was true. That I wasn't a part of this world.

Daring to move, I put one foot in front of the other as I left the iced covered concrete slab connected to the house that I would never see again. One crunch after another reverberated through my body as my bare feet touched the ground. It didn't feel cold to the touch. My body had been attuned to the cold far too long.

I descended to the woods where soldiered trees stood behind my house, scared of what might be waiting for me in the snow blanketed trees, so white they made my head ache. I wasn't afraid that I would be hurt, but afraid of what I might become. Would I disappear? The voice that came to me often after the accident didn't say much, just that my time was coming and that I would leave everything I knew and become something greater. But what that was was the question that had yet to be answered.

The accident happened right after I had gotten my drivers license. It was in January, so there had been quite a few snow storms to coat the roads making everything much more dangerous. I was coming around a pass in the road where the bridge crossed the river. It was one way traffic and there was a sharp turn over on the other side so it was hard to see oncoming traffic. Creeping along the bridge just like normal, getting to the end, I couldn't have anticipated the large semi rounding the corner. I grabbed the steering wheel, knuckles white, and wrenched hard to swerve out of the path of the eighteen wheeled monster. When I tried to correct myself the car spun the wrong way clipped the front of the semi and stripped me of control. The car spun to the edge of the precipice and dangled over the edge. The truck driver had already stopped and raced to help. He was too late. I got out of my seat belt, reached for the door, when the car wobbled one last time. As my eyes met the truckers my hand reached out like I could magically put it through the glass and grab his hand. Then I was falling, helplessly into the frigid water.

The water flooded the car, windows broken all around me. Within seconds my body was uncontrollable. It spasmed in the iced water. I choked and coughed, my chest ripe with pain. It buzzed in my ears, my limbs cramping, black flashes in front of my eyes. Then there was only a sick oily blackness that suspended me while I waited for my death.

But I didn't die. The trucker hovered over me in an ambulance as they worked to gradually warm me up. My chest hurt as my lungs tried to fill with air replacing the water that scorched them. I could never truly get warm after that. I was always cold after the accident.

The trucker had such warm eyes as I looked into them. The EMT's said he wouldn't leave me. They tried to remove him, but he insisted violently, to the point where they couldn't work. They let him stay. The only damage he had sustained from the accident was a cut on his forehead.

I closed my eyes for awhile then opened them suddenly tensed as a warm hand touched mine. He smiled down at me. "You're going to be alright, Cleo." His warmth seemed to seep through me. "You'll know why this happened in time."

I thought he meant all things happened for a reason and God would show me the way and the why of it. But it wasn't God. It was something different. And how did he know my name? I was in and out of consciousness with his hand molded to mine.

When I woke in the hospital he was gone, and I was surrounded by my family's tear streaked faces.I didn't see the handsome trucker after that. But I had missed him with an intensity that confused and balanced me at the same time.

As I stood at the edge of the woods, my heart started to pound with a familiar warmth. Now this scared me. I was 25 now. Not a young girl anymore and this familiarity from when I was sixteen made me nervous. How could it be possible to feel this again? This balance. I had been so cold for so long. But now my skin was warmed. It felt good and right.

I still waited, trying to catch my breath when I saw a light at the center of the woods. With courage not felt in a long time, I stepped forward and the snowflakes started falling again. None of this made sense but I had to reach the light. I had to. My legs moved faster. I concentrated on the light. Then I stopped so quickly, when a familiar voice said, "You're going to be alright." I raced to the center of the light. Tree branches scratched my arms, whipped my face. I was desperate to reach that voice that had spoken to me in my dreams and in my head for so long.

There, standing in the center of a bright light that illuminated the man's skin was my trucker. But he didn't look the same. He wasn't hunched over in a small ambulance with a hat that covered the top half of his face, me being the only one who could see his eyes. His facial hair was gone and showed a beautifully carved chin, cheekbones and mouth. I wanted to kiss that mouth. He smiled as he caught me staring as I licked my lips. I was close enough to touch him but I was so scared he might melt and fade away. Please God, let this be real. I reached out to touch his wonderful face, when he said one word,

"Cleo."

That was all it took and I grabbed onto him, wrapping my arms tightly around him, my head to his chest as I inhaled the warmth of him into my lungs. I scented him like a wolf, finding my long lost mate. His hand fluttered up to my hair, shaky. He was nervous too as he looked into my eyes, as I lifted my head.

"Who are you?" I paused as he looked unsure what he should say, "What are you?"

He put my head to his chest again and continued to pet my hair, "My friends call me Alex." He ignored the second question, which I hadn't overlooked, but didn't feel the need to press upon. He took one of my hands from his back and started to lead me deeper into the woods. "Come, we must leave this place."

"Where are we going?"

"We must go. It's not safe to be here any longer." He pulled me along holding me protectively at his side. "I'll fill you in as soon as we get to where we need to go."

I let him guide me and felt safe enough not to question him any further. I knew that what he had to tell me was going to make everything alright. I was with him now, so everything was going to be the way it should be. At least that's what I told myself.

Reflections of the Year

2009-12-14T08:48:00.002-05:00

It has been an eventful year, some good, some bad. When it comes to writing, I've learned a lot. My writers groups have helped me along that path, as have the conferences I've attended throughout the year. My passion for painting has been renewed and will continue throughout the coming year. Expanding my knowledge in certain media will be a goal.

Family has been fun. Watching my girls become taller and smarter has been a wonder. They're both learning so quickly. I'm very proud of them and glad that they both enjoy school so much. I think it gives them a jump start to higher education. That they enjoy it now is a sure sign I hope that they will continue to excel. Warren as most everyone this year has had difficulty at work, be it from wage decrease to politics in the office, but he's come through and has my full support and love in his determination to stick with his values and strive for the best from his employees and the company he works for.

In the new year I plan to learn more about my craft, improving my skills to better my writing. I plan to do illustrate another story, I just haven't decided which one yet. I want to complete the first draft of my YA novel and start the editing process too. It will be a strong year in 2010. It will be what I make it.

Happy writing! Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.

Stepping away

2009-11-30T15:29:00.003-05:00

Not reaching a thousand words today didn't bother me. Coming pretty close was good enough. Nothing productive came from my writing in over two weeks. It was frustrating.

Today, changing things up helped. I didn't use my computer and got out my journal. Narrowing my thoughts down to something that makes me peaceful did. I started by writing about a willow tree. It is one of my favorite visualizations to help create an inner calm. I placed myself at the base of a willow tree picturing the wind blow. It got me started and I went from there. It was enough to create at least 500 words relating to another story that had been sitting for awhile.

After the willow tree exercise I was able to go back to my novel. The computer still sat idle at my desk. My other notebook related solely to my novel came out and I wrote general thoughts about a character sketch for a whole race.

I asked myself who they are, what type of general history do I know about them. This race is fantasy based, but I pulled from other things I know about Indian tribes and ancient clans from Ireland and also what I've previously written about the planet they live on. It was really helpful.

I pictured what their clothing would look like. I asked myself, what is it made from. Because it is a desert planet inhabitants are snakes and lizards, etc. I modeled the clothing after those type of animal skins.

What type of homes do they live in? They live in caves, but what are on the walls? Does each family have their own area or do they share areas. And it went on and on.

The trouble that kept cropping up the last couple weeks was fear of not getting it right, so it made me procrastinate. Believing that whatever comes out on paper or computer is good enough for now is the important part. At least what I'm thinking is getting written. Sitting around doing nothing isn't going to get my novel done. Getting the first draft complete is the important part. If I can use exercises like these to get going again I think my novel will get done sooner rather than later.

Review of New Moon

2009-11-23T10:24:00.005-05:00

Book vs. Movie. What normally do I like? Answer: the book.

In this case the movie New Moon followed the book closely. The director left out what was superfluous. I think I would have liked the addition of the VW scene when Jacob and Bella left the theater with Mike, but it was unnecessary for the movie to move forward. Instead they introduced Jacob getting upset with Mike after he got sick the first time in the theater's restroom. It worked because his feelings were an unexpected outburst. A little expansion on that would have been nice, but it was enough to get the gist of what direction Jacob's character was heading towards; the envelopment into Sam's crew.

It was clear why the director added the fight scene when Bella meets the Volturi. That was a smart action sequence. It kept added to the importance of getting away from them quickly.

Another thing that I'm happy about, we won't have to wait until the end of 2010 to see Eclipse. My husband is actually looking forward to the continuing saga. The only thing he hopes for is that Bella isn't so whiny. I'm afraid that he'll have to deal because we all know that Bella loves to whine.

Overall, this movie is a good one. I give it a solid B.

Taking a break

2009-11-13T09:35:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was not a good day for writing. I was having my own little pity party and couldn't shake my awful mood. It was better not to write at all then sit at my keyboard getting frustrated with my words and ideas. I listened to the SCBWI Master Class series on writing and drawing picture books with Tomie dePaola, instead. This did not lighten my mood. He said something that hit home with me about my art, which makes me wonder if illustration is a direction I should go with it. One of my biggest problems is consistency with everything I do. This is a key point when illustrating. It might be that I should stick with just painting for my own enjoyment and keep writing and submitting as usual. I'm not going to give up either. That would be crazy. Both mean too much to me.

So today, I'm continuing my break from writing, except for this post. I'll get my thoughts in order and come back to it this weekend. Happy writing!

2009-11-09T09:18:00.005-05:00

I love the days when my writing just comes out in a flood. Yesterday was one of those days. I finished a chapter in my YA and started a new one. I got to a scene break and then stepped back from it until today.

My goal this week is to get another 1000 words or so in a day. Yesterday was an amazing 1500 words. That's unusual for me. The story line was a good part and I didn't expect to get there this soon. It just happened that I did. Moving on now I get to write about a whole different environment on this fictional planet I created. New characters are going to be introduced and my main character will discover how big his real family actually is and why he had to be sent away.

My editing process, once I'm finished, will have additional detail added I'm sure and probably insubstantial text deleted. Not all of it is good, but once I have a final first draft done that's when I'll really look at each page and cut or add what is not or is important.

It will be really exciting when I'll be able to say, "My first novel is done."

Open Ended Story Lines

2009-11-01T13:43:00.004-05:00

Usually I'm not so upset by the ending of a book, but Tempted by P.C. and Kristin Cast, really wrapped me up. I got to the open ending and wanted to scream. All of the previous House of Night series' books concluded in a manner that my want to read the next one, could wait for the next six months. But this book should have been longer so there was some conclusion with the characters. I can't say much about the story and my disappointment, without giving away the ending, so I won't. If you are a reader of the House of Night series than you'll see what I mean, but if not, I can't recommend going out and buying this one if you haven't read all the others first. It is definitely not a stand alone piece of work.

Wish Me Luck

2009-10-27T09:16:00.002-04:00

I just finished one of my manuscripts. It's in the envelope and ready to go with my free pass out of the slush pile sticker on it, from the conference I went to. I'm nervous this time and I think that's good. Fluttering butterflies weren't dancing around in my stomach on the last few that went into the mail. Hopefully, and I pray and cross my fingers, that this one will get me in the door so I can say that I'm officially a children's book author. My computer was pretty busy with this title, which was revised six times. My support groups, the Deadwoodwriters and Quills were so helpful. And I can't forget the peer group that read it at the conference.

With any luck my phone will be ringing giving me good news in less than four months.

Painted

2009-10-19T09:35:00.003-04:00

This weekend I took the time, finally, and painted. It took me a long time to figure out what to paint. I tend to get stuck on subject matter. Oil paint was the medium and a frog was the subject. The image was taken from one of the Toledo Zoo magazines that I used to get. They're a great resource for subject matter. What my intent was was to paint something that appealed more to children so my portfolio would have a page added to it. My first goal is to paint something once a month, be it related to one of my stories or something that interests me. My second goal is to improve.

When I first started painting in oils, I was in my teens. I tended to think research didn't need to be done, and out came the paints and on the canvas they went. Let me say that some crazy things wound up on my canvas. They weren't good, trust me. My favorite medium to work in was graphite and also ink (even to this day), but I wanted to try painting. It was a lot of fun when I was a kid, but what I want now is to get paid doing something I love.

Recently I attended the SCBWI-MI conference and learned a lot from the art director, Loraine Joyner from Peachtree Publishing. Hopefully my portfolio can reflect that good advice.

Some Trouble

2009-10-13T14:47:00.002-04:00

Since I've started to edit Thrum! Thrum! Thrum!, putting it in verse is giving me trouble. Trying to stay true to the direction of the picture book has now lengthened it by about one hundred words and I'm not even half way through yet. I'm frustrated and I've stepped back from it a zillion times today. I know it will be a good story but getting past this armadillo in the road is driving me crazy. Maybe tomorrow it will smooth itself out.

Once it's done I want to send it to a publisher that spoke at the fall SCBWI-MI conference. Taking advantage of our free pass out of the slush pile is a great opportunity. If I'm lucky the editor will like it, if not, maybe the following round of submissions will bring brighter responses even if they are rejections. Hopefully I'll get some interest from someone. I'm crossing my fingers.

Back at It

2009-10-10T19:55:00.002-04:00

I'm at my computer again and ready to dive into editing a few pieces that I've been working on after they were reviewed by my peers at the SCBWI - MI Fall Conference. It was great and again I'm filled with enough motivation to get me through until the spring conference. I put faces to names that I've seen on the Listserve for the Michkids and I met a great bunch of speakers from the industry who talked about their specialties. Now I just need to put all the ideas that were given to me to good use and let my writing graduate to a new level.

SCBWI Fall Conference

2009-09-30T09:39:00.002-04:00

A lot of excitement this coming weekend. The SCBWI Fall Conference starts this Friday. I've been preparing most of the week by getting my Picture Book manuscript ready to share with one of the small critique groups that gets together during the weekend. I am taking Thrum! Thrum! Thrum! with me, my Halloween themed MS. I'm also taking my first page, which is the opening page to my YA I've been working on now for a while. If it gets picked in the extended lottery I'll have mine to write on when the professional panel gives their critique.

Snacks are a must too. It's usually hustle and bustle during the weekend and hunger tends to sneak up on me, so I'm going to pack some munchies. Chocolate is among them, of course.

My hand is going to be writing furiously to get everything down that the speakers orate. Some I've probably heard, but it's never a bad thing to hear it again. And others are new and refreshing letting new ideas grow and germinate. Seeing friends from last springs conference will be fun too and meeting newbies is always a pleasure.

I know I've gone on about how great the MichKids are but it's such a great group to belong to, because the generosity is amazing. Plus the humor when amongst them is inspiring and gives the muscles in the belly a good workout. It is definitely going to be a fun weekend.

2009-09-27T10:10:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm counting down until the SCBWI-MI (http://www.kidsbooklink.org/) conference in Augusta, MI. It starts this Friday and I'm really excited, to get motivated, to get inspired and to keep writing. Some good things have come to me through my writing and the friends and relationships I've made through the MichKids are just a few of them. My writing has improved and I've really looked at some tough things from my past that I've decided to write about, which has been encouraged through the writer's groups I'm involved in; the Deadwood Writer's http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deadwoodwriters/and the Quill's http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quill1/. It's been a good year and I know with great enthusiasm the following year will be even better. I guess I could say that the fall conference is the beginning of my writing year. The conference brings out new ideas and helps solidify old ones and gives me courage to keep going even when too many rejections come from publishers and agents. But, I keep on writing, because it is fun, introspective, perplexing, and compelling. There is always something new to explore.

Writing exercise

2009-09-24T10:14:00.003-04:00

Good morning all,

Yesterday, one of the teenagers in the Quills writers group I attend, brought in a piece of work, an essay assignment that she had from a very creative history teacher. The teacher wanted to get to know her students better and asked each of them to write an essay about themselves. I found hers very insightful and thought I might try it myself as a writing exercise. Hopefully it will help me explore a new character I am developing that is loosely based on myself. Even though I've lived probably almost twice as long as my friend in my group, I think this is going to be a challenge because I don't think I completely understand who I am. So, if you feel like this might be something for you to do, please join me in this writing challenge.

Happy Writing!

Boy, I'm beat.

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

I am so tired right now. My writing time was short and sweet today. Running around for the girls and trying to get exercise in around my writing time today was pretty crazy, but it's something I'm going to have to live with since school has started. My quiet time, while the girls are at school is great, but I just wish it was longer. It will be next year, thankfully.

My writer's group is tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it, as usual. I depend on them a great deal. They're good people and my writing has improved because they warmly excepted me and my writing; the bad, the good and the ugly. Hopefully it's not to harry or mole covered when they read it.

My goal for the last quarter of the year is to complete my YA manuscript and edit it so I can send it out to publishers and agents. We'll see if I have to adjust the date or not. I'll send it out when it's good and done, wrap it up in a metaphorical bow and pray someone likes it enough to contact me.

That's it for now. Tomorrow is another day, a fresh slate, and hopefully it's filled with good plot. Happy Writing everyone!

Content

2009-09-22T10:11:00.002-04:00

Good morning everyone,

Recently on the Michkids SCBWI (www.KidsBookLink.org) listserve we've been talking about content. How safe it is? Can it be stolen by unscrupulous people? Where should ideas and stories be written, and so on. It saddens me, but I agree with the discussion the Michkids, that my stories that I write on www.Blogger.com are not safe to share with my friends and family. It would be lovely to say that everyone can be trusted who visits my site, but I can't. So I guess going forward I will be writing my stories somewhere else, but sharing general ideas of what I've been working on or interesting things that I might see online that relate to writing.

An Experiment

2009-09-18T10:32:00.001-04:00

The post that preempts this one is an experiment in rhyme. I've never attempted a picture book in this format. It may be good or bad and I would like to hear your comments about what you liked or disliked about it.

Thank you.

Something for 'A Good Start'

2009-09-14T22:50:00.002-04:00

It's not ready yet and has gone on more than 500 words, but it is interesting. I started with 'Once Upon a Time' and went from there. If I can have it ready tomorrow, at least reviewed and edited, I might be able to post it. It was a fun exercise; I tried with the rhyming again, but this PB MS was a little more difficult because it was more of a complicated story. I'll have to compare it to the other one I mentioned in the previous post. Maybe I'll put up both of them up and see what you all think. Good night everyone and Happy Writing!

2009-09-10T16:45:00.002-04:00

Today I did something a little different. I used these three words to start a PB, thrum, thrum, thrum. I also tried a bit of rhyming, which normally doesn't interest me at all, but I gave it a go. So far so good. I'm keeping what I wrote to myself for now because I might send it in to a publisher. It still needs to be polished.

What my initial challenge was was to write something, anything at all, with just those three words of sound. If you find it interesting try it yourself. Pick any word of sound and start off a writing piece with it. Happy Writing!

A Good Start

2009-09-06T11:20:00.003-04:00

When I was in college, I had a teacher who always said “That’s a really good start, Wendi,” when I was working on a drawing assignment. It was a compliment in a way but also meant that I had a lot more work to do. This was in Architectural design school but it also gave me a good idea that might help me start story ideas.

What I’m going to try and do in my blog, I don’t know how often, but I’ll try at least once a day, is to write the beginning of an idea, what a lot of us see on other people’s blogs is a prompt, that gets me going. It might be a bad idea or good, but at least I will have something documented that might stir something for a future story, be it a picture book, middle grade or young adult novel.

It tends to be my favorite part of writing, that first page or chapter. It’s exciting to fill up a white page and make it swirl with deep rich colors that make a story, so hopefully you as a reader will get some enjoyment out of it. I will put in the title ‘A Good Start’ and then the story title. So enjoy, and happy writing.

Back to the keyboard

2009-08-31T13:20:00.007-04:00

Sorry, folks. I missed yesterday. I've been trying to post every Sunday to make it a regular habit. Some other authors try and post everyday, but that just isn't realistic for me, since I have to keep up with my two girls, the house and my husband. But I do make time for my W.I.P.

What I've been doing this past week are some smaller exercises to flush out some new characters. It's interesting to see how things develop. At first, I took one of the characters favorite places to think, and tried to write at least a page of her thoughts or dialogue that might be wrapped up in the scene. Because the character is almost a self portrait it's been quite introspective to see how the page developed. I understand that the character can't be completely like me because the story is contemporary and in a teens perspective, so I've got to get in the mindset of a seventeen year old. Which is a stretch, since I'm over twice that age, but I watch and I listen when I'm around the younger set and pick things up. Hopefully it comes across in my writing as the story develops in my head and on the page.

I've also been using the L.O.C.K. system that is described in Plot & Structure, by Bell in the Write Great Fiction series of books. http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=158297294X It helps see the character through to the end of the book, making sure the plot stays strong throughout my story. It's made my plots stronger in my other W.I.P. too.

But right now I'm going back to my YA that is currently stuck between the middle and the end of my story. I've got to keep it exciting while making the characters rich and interesting. So, Happy Writing everyone.

Using Twitter

2009-08-26T14:26:00.004-04:00

Why am I using Twitter? At first, I was conned into signing up for the writers group I'm involved with. I believe our facilitator would like us to be able to chat in more of a real time setting, about writing. So when we can't get with the group we'll have another outlet. That makes sense now. But I'm stubborn when it comes to trends, but alas our facilitator convinced me and now I am a Twitterer. As with anything new, most of the time, you spend a lot of time doing the new thing, whatever it is. In my experience as a newbie, only a member since Aug. 22, I've found that people use Twitter as a means to network with other writers and illustrators, or agents and publishers; to gain knowledge from other people's experience and expertise. But it just doesn't stop there. If you can think it, you'll probably be able to find it. Another thing it does, if we as author's aren't signed with an agent or publisher it helps get our names out there. It also allows other people to connect with say, this blog, when otherwise they wouldn't. And if I've sent in a manuscript and I've included my blog address, it allows the receiver to find out more about me and how I write. All in all, Twitter is a good thing for this newbie. So, if you haven't tried it, you might want to think about it.

Finding an Agent or a Publisher

2009-08-22T18:31:00.004-04:00

Today I spent most of the day looking through the Guide to Literary Agents (http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/) and Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (http://www.cwim.com/) books, which I then cross referenced to each listings website. (Deep breath and sigh) It can be a daunting task, but if you don't check each web address to know what policies are current, sending in your manuscript will be a waist of time.

Every time I read an agent's or publisher's page, my mind twisted around a telephone pole wondering if my manuscript is complete. But talking to several people today helped me realize that I can't worry about it. Being sure that the piece is written well, the grammar is correct and all the correct protocol is followed is the most important part. I'll never know if someone likes my work or not unless I get it out there.

So, if you're nervous like me, about being accepted, you have to ignore that and get it out there anyway. I have to remind myself, that, like the lotto, if I don't buy a ticket, how can I ever win. Same goes for query letters. If I don't send them out, how can I ever get my work published.

Happy Writing

Deadwood Writer's Study Group - A Question

2009-08-16T19:08:00.002-04:00

The writers group I’m involved with has been discussing themes. How do we discover our themes? Do we use past experiences? Or do we write an idea out fully, be it fantasy, thriller, sci-fi, etc., and then find the theme after the first draft? The debate went back and forth and what I discovered, and I think what most of the group discovered is that we write because we love it no matter if it comes from strong feelings that we need to share through our writing or if it’s just an idea we had brewing in our head that just flowed out onto the page when we sat down at our computer.

Sometimes I start out with an idea that is just plain silly or one that doesn’t have any theme that I can think of. But sometimes, prior experiences, with heavy emotions, get wrapped into a story I’m telling, be it something that I’ve gone through, like the post previous to this, or from something I’ve seen happen to others. I think using these experiences can only help the individual grow as a writer.

If it’s sad or scary, brave or ugly, silly or serious; whatever it is we write because we love it!

Using www.bing.com for the first time

2009-08-01T21:22:00.006-04:00

Doing a little research for a painting, I tried using a new search engine. It was http://www.bing.com/ by Microsoft. It was quite refreshing to see how they managed the searches, especially with what images I wanted to find. I'm planning on painting an image of Christ on the cross with butterflies coming out of His chest. The idea came to me, one Sunday in church, while I was supposed to be listening to a sermon. This is the first chance I've had to do the research. I downloaded images of Christ, butterflies, sun rays, etc., trying to find the right angles from all the images. The great thing about Bing.com was that when I typed in Christ on the cross it brought up images right away, instead of another web address to double click. Finding the images so easily will allow me to plan where to start with sketches I'll do to prepare for the final painting. I'm still undecided about if it will be strictly a painting or if I'll add some black ink styling to it, like other paintings I've done.

The first story I wrote contained a character that was a Monarch butterfly. That original story led me to use the Monarch in this new idea for a painting. I'm thinking about revisiting that story. Now that I've had some separation from it (It's been about a year.), the revision should turn out better. Also, I'm thinking about redoing the illustrations so they'll be more kid friendly. My original drawings in that case were more gallery type illustrations than children's picture book illustrations. It should be interesting to see what I come up with. Maybe I'll go back to http://www.bing.com/ to do some more research regarding children's books illustration.

One of those days

2009-07-28T19:37:00.003-04:00

What and awful day it was. First thing in the morning I lose a file worth 2 1/2 hours of work, to the cyber gods, then I can't tell you how many times I got telemarketing calls today that I couldn't control because they were recorded. Or this jerk that just came to the door to try and sell me gutters. I could have just let him stand on the porch, not opening the door. How about earlier today, when an ex-client of mine tried to get me to sell a weight loss drink. And then when I very politely said no, she tried to guilt me into doing it. How professional is that. She also asked if I would give her my friends e-mail addresses so she could solicit them. What nerve! It made me so mad - to think that she thought I would do her a favor because she had such a great show for me (a home based party type of show). She surely benefited from the show she threw, getting free product to boot. I wanted to yell at her through the phone. "This is exactly why I got out of the selling business." I didn't want to solicit or shove product down people's throats to make a living. Ahhh!

The only thing good that happened today was a vanilla coffee from Seattle's Best and I did find one of the files that mysteriously went poof. I was just lucky that the other file was only 2 1/2 pages that I can easily redo, but the other, I needed back so badly, that it spoiled the rest of the day for me. I also framed my watercolor painting I had done of a monarch butterfly. It helps remind me why I write and that one day I will be a published author.

I'm just going to remind myself that tomorrow is a fresh day and good things can happen.

Meandering Summer

2009-07-09T15:39:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've logged anything here. I have been writing other places, don't worry. What is going through my mind now is whether to illustrate a story I'm working on or send it to a publisher and agent simultaneously as it is? Hmmm. That's always a trick question for me. Do I see what I can do with the drawing aspect before I send it somewhere? I think sometimes I am more critical of my art than my stories. Does that mean that it should come first? I don't know. The fact that I'm scared that it won't turn out the way I want it to is a huge factor. Fear. Sometimes it is a great obstacle for me. The stories are fun along with the imagining the pictures in my head, but will the publishers/agents go for it? Or will they insist that their own illustrators do them? Just concentrate on writing a good story. That's what I keep telling myself. Over and over and over.

It's heating up!

2009-06-23T17:37:00.002-04:00

Summer is inching closer, things are starting to pile up, the weeds are growing as they get ignored; avoidance on my part, and the Fourth of July is just around the corner. Summer fun, it can't be ignored. The cold coffee drinks dripping with beaded water as the heat attacks the cup. That first sip and ahh, as the cold beverage finds its way down to cool you from the heat of the day. It's wonderful. The kids playing in the yard instead of running crazy in the house as you try to quiet them down as you hope not to go crazy from all the noise. Who couldn't ask for a better time. Fourth of July with the patriotic parades, the soldiers coming home to families that worry constantly, the crackling, booming fireworks that light up little and big faces and the barbeque's abound. It's a wonderful time. Enjoy it. Cherish it. Drink up the sounds of sprinklers spraying and frigid cries from the cold water causing laughter and threats of water retaliation. Summer, ahh!

Summer Vacation

2009-06-08T07:06:00.002-04:00

School's out this week everyone. The good thing about that is I don't have to be anywhere at a set time. My 6 year old doesn't have to be at school. The bad news is I have to occupy her time with fun stuff to do. And since we are turning off the dish for the new digital signal, it will mean even more planning on my part. When do you ask, will I be able to write? I will see, I will see. I plan on doing some art once a week, based on some of my stories, so my portfolio has more depth. It should be an interesting summer. Happy Writing!

Where I've been???

2009-06-01T19:55:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,

I've been concentrating on a number of things lately. Trying to write an essay for a grant that would send me to the SCBWI Conference for this fall is just one of them. I've not written an essay in years and have been struggling to condense it down to 500 words, which is a challenge. My writer's group has been great. They've given me some really productive ideas on how to make it better, which I applied today by rewriting most of it. It seems to be working much better now.

I've also been paying attention to the structure of novels that are on the Newberry award winning list, so the examples have been really easy to follow and enjoy.
It's also been a struggle to read a non-fiction piece that is about the way the brain finds happiness. The author is very humorous and makes me want to read on, but it is slow going. I'll get through it and use what I learn in my characters.

So for now, good writing.

Memorial Day

2009-05-23T08:55:00.003-04:00

What does this holiday mean to you? Do you have family members in the service? One's that you know won't be coming back? Fighting for our country is a noble thing, but it is one of the scariest. The loss that can come with war is one of the most difficult heartbreaks an individual or family can experience. We as a country sometimes forget that if the sacrifices that our country men and women make everyday didn't happen, this country wouldn't be where it is today. So thank those friends and family members that stand for our country and our people on this Memorial weekend. Because without them, we wouldn't be the Americans we are today. Thank you. God Bless!

Writing Prompt

2009-05-12T19:19:00.003-04:00

Write about something you believed as a child, that you no longer believe.

Really understanding that I wouldn't live forever was one of the hardest realities that I've ever had to deal with. Subconsciously, I realized it, but it was not as evident on the surface. It was more apparent through rebellion and emotional outbursts. I thought I was immortal as most kids do, banging up knees and doing crazy things we as adults would never do. A piece I wrote reminded me of those feelings.

My Grandfather was dying a slow and awful death from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. My emotions were a roller coaster. I was doing something that I didn't want to do, acting out any way I could. It was a hard time because being a teenager things are already volatile, but add to that visits to a Grandfather that I wished I'd known better, looking back on it, made it even harder. My mother was a constant in those times, ragging on me, putting up with my complaints, dealing with other things a mother puts up with, while going every Saturday to a nursing home that smelled like urine and death. I hated that place. I didn't want to be reminded that I was going to die one day, but that place was always a reminder. And it will always be a reminder.

Write about something you believed as a child, that you no longer believe. A writing prompt from http://oneminutewriter.blogspot.com/2009/05/todays-writing-prompt-belief.html

What makes a good series?

2009-05-11T10:10:00.013-04:00

Consistency is the core of a good series. Keeping track of plot, characters and their interactions with others in the story is also intertwined in the consistency of a story. I think that Cassandra Clare has done this very well in her trilogy of The Mortal Instruments Series. These three titles, City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass are a wonderful story about friendship, love, and commitment. The simple cause of good versus evil is made complex by the emotional turmoil that each of Cassandra Clare’s characters is dealt. It’s intriguing, passionate and intricately wrapped up in her third book, City of Glass, with just a hint of a possible sequel. Young adults will love this series, but don’t exclude adults. This love story will capture your hearts and make you route for the hero and heroine.

You can find more about Cassandra Clare at http://cassandraclare.com/cms/home

SCBWI Spring Conference

2009-05-03T19:08:00.003-04:00

Saturated! That's what I am. It was another great conference for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators of Michigan (SCBWI) this past Saturday. They always put on a good show and they did it again. With incredible speakers like Nancy Butts YA author of Cheshire Moon, Kathy Landwehr, VP of Peachtree Publishing http://peachtree-online.com/Default.aspx, Henry Cole; illustrator and author http://www.henrycole.net/index.php?scrWidth=1280, Nancy Hull; teacher and YA author of On Rough Seas http://nancyhull.net/, and last but not least, Sarah Shumway of Katherine Tegen Books http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/ and Yvonne Healy; story teller http://www.yhealy.com/, how could anyone go wrong by attending. The Michkids are so supportive of their writers and illustrators. The friendships that I have found through SCBWI Michigan have been great via online correspondence or the networking that goes on at the conferences and network days. If you ever want a support group there for you night and day and you live in Michigan this is the way to go.

Silence

2009-04-28T21:06:00.005-04:00

Crying and raised voices. Loud words. The final word. Then silence. It hurts. The heart darkens. Ignore it. Cuts go deeper. It hurts some more. The sun sets. Still nothing. Sleeping. Morning voices. Small voices. Regular things. Laughing voices. Regular things. More small voices. Normal things. Silence. Still breathing but it hurts. Silence not broken. Not speaking. Just Silence.

The Birthday

2009-04-25T20:48:00.006-04:00

Blackness oozed across the sky. A violent wind rushed the ground, bending trees and kicking up the earth. People grabbed up their children in the village hiding, hoping that whatever the storm brought with it wouldn't touch their precious children. But the being that rode the sky did not care who it touched in its path of destruction. It drew closer with the tremulous thunder and wicked lightening in search of only one child. It had been foreseen by the hags in white- that a child would rise in power in the time of the Red Moon. It would take what the beast in the storm thought was rightfully his. He could not allow it.

As he came closer, the storm threw down hail and hissed rain. He reached out with a grotesquely blackened hand. Slowly now, in one fluid motion, it tore the back of the house to shreds where the child struggled to be a part of his mothers world. The mother screamed as her eyes met the dark mass, lightening reflected in her eyes. She raised her hand and made the sign of the cross, as she focused on words that could not be heard over the raging storm. Thunder bellowed, her body writhed. Her hands slammed into the cloth that lay below her. Fingers gripped, turning white at the knuckles. Rain pounded down on her face as sweat and tears joined it. The chanting continued, her lips moving furiously now. With a final scream and that last little bit of distance between the beast and the mother torn away, there came a terrible wrenching roar from the beast. Blackness spread across the mother. It tried to snatch the baby. The beast roared again; a hideous screeching from hell. Then the storm was quiet. The mother lay limp on the earthen made bed and hide soaked in blood and other things. The babies wrenching screams echoed against the destruction. The beast nowhere to be seen.

From the corner of the torn house came a shadow on hands and knees. She inched closer to the crying baby. Her hands shook from what the storm had carried, and she reached out and touched the supple newborn cheek, as the baby wailed. He slowly grew silent staring up at her green eyes. A little hand stretched to meet her streaked face, as tears ran down her own cheeks. She said, "Hush now. Shhhh, shhhh. The beast be gone now." She pulled the scarf from her brilliant red hair and wrapped the baby in her arms, lifted him up with trembling limbs. Her body swayed back and forth. The little hand rested on her cheek. "We'll be all right, little one. Your mother made for me to take care of ya."

The small home began to tremble on the unstable foundation. The lady moved like a whisper, across the broken dirt floor, away from the home she was brought into as a child, and hoped the storm would not return. She walked away from the dark clouds that loomed in the east. The child rested in her arms. His small chest rose and fell, matching the beat of the distant thunder as he finally slept.

He will rise to power in the time of the Red Moon, she thought. "May the goddess protect ya."

Untitled

2009-04-24T09:58:00.003-04:00

Well, I have to say I'm really enjoying all the poetry that's going on this month. Plus, with the list of blogs that I'm following I get to see all the new happenings that are popping up in the business of writing and publishing. If you visit Alice's Blog http://cwim.blogspot.com/ you'll find some great articles on a couple publishers, the McVeigh Agency and the other the Barry Goldblatt Literary, LLC. Also take a look at this great site to keep up with poetry month. http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/

Another thing that I'm really enjoying is who is visiting my blog and from where. The clustermap at http://www.clustermaps.com/ places a dot on the globe from wherever a person is logging on. It just goes to show how much we are connected to people we don't even know through technology and our global economic society. I was very surprised to see a dot on the map in France.

When does reading become too much reading?

2009-04-20T22:03:00.007-04:00

For me I don't know what the answer would be. Sometimes being caught up in a book can be distracting to the point nothing else gets done. Guilt creeps in at times, but things eventually get done and there is too much to learn from books for them to be ignored. Could you live without the stories that can be a safe haven from daily problems? I couldn't live without the stories that help me be a better writer. What do you think?

Writing Prompt

2009-04-16T19:35:00.006-04:00

What is your favorite guilty pleasure? If I have to choose my favorite guilty pleasure it would have to be my Starbucks decaf grande non-fat no whip mocha. It's a pleasure to take that first sip when I haven't had my first cup of coffee for the day. To taste the bittersweet chocolate mixed with the rich smooth taste of coffee that slams into my taste buds for that first rush in the morning waking me up. It's a pure 'aaahhh' moment. The guilt comes to the forefront after I've bought the coffee more than a few times a month. It's an addiction that I don't think I could ever live without, but the cost can add up quite quickly, which decreases funds that were intended for other things. And don't even get me started on book purchases. That would be my second guilty pleasure.

Thing 12

2009-04-11T09:20:00.003-04:00

Last night when I was looking into widgets, unfortunately the telephone rang and I lost my connection to the Internet, which caused the loss of my post. The phone is the same frequency as the router, so the conflict caused the Internet connection to disappear. Anyway, this morning I am trying again. My husband moved the phone. Hopefully the distance will solve the problem.

What are widgets? There definitely isn't one category, which left me with too many to decide from. There are clocks, maps, calendars, dancing images - the list could go on and on. Right now I would call them dust collectors, but some do have their uses. I might find those more intriguing once more people visit my blog.

Right now I've chosen two of the more simpler ones, which are a survey and a clustermap. The clustermap can be found at the following website. http://www.clustrmaps.com/ These are free. It allows me to see where a person is viewing my blog from, shown by a dot on a map. The survey is a feature in the www.blogger.com website and allows me to ask questions and get answers in a percentage tally. The survey might be a more interesting way to see the way other people think about a particular subject. Using a survey for research questions regarding a story I'm working on might be something to look into. But, right now I think it is just a fun way to see other peoples views on a subject.

I also looked at http://www.widgetbox.com/. They had some interesting quote widgets which I tried but decided wouldn't work because I didn't like the final composition on my blog page. It was too big and overpowered the more important part, which is my text. I was a little disappointed. I would have liked author's quotes on my page to incorporate some inspiration by the masters, but it didn't work out that way. Maybe I'll find something better later.

Thing 11

2009-04-07T15:59:00.005-04:00

Cinda Chima is the latest YA author I'm reading. http://cindachima.blogspot.com/ (I recently left a message on her blog that was related to an entry she left. The link above will go to her blog.) Her genre is similar to what I'm striving to write and get published. Her titles that I've read so far are The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir and I'm still waiting on The Dragon Heir from my library. Her simplistic style and description is really easy to read, which is great for the YA genre. She uses slang, but not so outragiously contemporary that her books become dated. She doesn't dumb it down either. It's very inventive in a real world atmosphere, which I really enjoy. Her voice for instance is nothing like the futuristic story of Feed by M.T. Anderson. http://teenfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/mt_andersons_ya_novel_feed It is very different re: use of slang and style.

In regards to leaving comments on a blog, I enjoy it, either by leaving short comments that I liked it or longer ones that are more related to what I'm feeling or how it relates to what I'm writing.

Comments people have left me are great too. It lets me know that someone actually cared enough to take a look at it. It also let's me know if the commentator liked it or disliked it. It's encouraging either way.

As for the implications it will have for my work, profession, or interests, it could me many things. It could help with promotion of my stories once they become published. My art can be a focus when my portfolio becomes large enough to add to my blog through flicker. And finally, if I have interest from publishers or agents that I've sent query letters too, they'll have a chance to see who I am, including my interests and my style of writing.

I think for me it's all about communication and staying in the loop with the writing industry via, posting or commenting. It could only be a benefit.

The Weather

2009-04-06T08:07:00.003-04:00

Okay, who said it could snow today? I did not. I'm sure you all did not, so who is the culprit? It's the second week of April and there should be showers and flowers, not this thick blanket of white wet slop. Now everybody think spring; think spring.

If you like this photo you can go to the following website. He has some really creative shots. http://www.flickr.com/groups/59845615@N00/pool/page4/

A Writing Exercise

2009-04-02T16:53:00.003-04:00

My shoulders were heavy as I stood in a thick wild stormy river. The rain pelted me as the cold seeped through my bones and I shook, the wind blowing me, this way and that. Hardly seeing, I forced my body to keep standing strong as the achiness that lived in my bones tried to settle and relax. But there was no relaxing. Not now, not ever. Diligence; keep on going, that's what kept repeating in my head. I can make it. I can make it. Even after being pounded over and over, day after day, I keep standing here, waiting for someone to tell me it is all over; just waiting. How long though, would I have to wait, until I started to fall to pieces? Would somebody walking by help me up and take care of me. I didn't know. It scared me. Years have gone by and I'm still here. Might be that I'll be here after you're gone. Who will take care of me then?

A writing exercise

2009-04-02T10:29:00.004-04:00

This is a photo that I found on Flickr that I thought was interesting enough to write about. If you would like to explore this picture in your writing feel free to do so. Take this photo describe it as if the Brooklyn Bridge was the character. Describe how the bridge is feeling in as much detail as you can. I will come back later with my own piece on this. Have fun! This is the link to her work if you would like to see more. http://www.flickr.com/photos/praziquantel/31333311/

Thing 9

2009-04-02T09:09:00.003-04:00

At this point I'm not interested in opening an account on YouTube. I sometimes get video links sent to me but that's about it. Maybe in the future, once I'm published or my blog becomes more popular I might consider some use for them. Right now I just want to keep things simple. Here is the link to YouTube, if any of the readers out there are interested. http://www.youtube.com/

Thing 4

2009-03-31T13:15:00.002-04:00

I've already had a Bloglines account for a while and utilize that every so often. The sites I like to catch up with are Scientific American at http://www.sciam.com/ , which is great for ideas in the fantasy genre. I also have several others, but I am finding that I like to go on my blogs dashboard and fiddle around with those blogs right now rather than the RRS feeds.

Thing 8

2009-03-30T21:05:00.003-04:00

Flickr is still quite overwhelming. I did make up a word with the letters that come from Flickr at this website, http://metaatem.net/words/.com . I used the title of my novel, Sundragon. I did save the image, but wasn't able to get all the letters in the save so far. I'm going to be looking at it again to see where I went wrong; maybe try the url instead of an image save. I also did try pulling up images in one particular color, also from a website that John listed on his blog, http://www.krazydad.com/colrpickr/ . I'll be back later to see if I can get Sundragon up on my blog.

YA Books I'm Reading

2009-03-30T10:58:00.002-04:00

Hi all,

I've been trying to read more of the YA genre. The focus of my novel I'm working on is in the same area, mostly in the Fantasy/Romance section. I just finished up The House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. http://www.houseofnightseries.com/ They have a great way of getting into the teenagers mind set. I am also really enjoying Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. http://www.melissa-marr.com/ She delves into the rougher areas of teenage life, and how sometimes struggles can turn into strengths. Very good writing.

A new Blog I'm following

2009-03-28T09:14:00.003-04:00

Hi all.

If you're interested in writing for kids this is a great Blog involving the industry regarding publishers, editors, and of course writers. So, check it out. Alice is the Editor of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market.

Have fun reading!

Time Travel Prompt

2009-03-27T21:47:00.007-04:00

The air crackled like it should, but for the first time I didn't want to be here.

It was part of daily life for me since I picked up this job. My friend said it would be great but after a while I started to notice things that were changing. Little things at first. Then things that were so different they couldn't be ignored. It was starting to scare me. But, since I signed the contract I couldn't back out. Whenever I talked to my supervisor she just said, "Don't worry about it, the cleaners will fix it." I asked her who the cleaners were but she didn't say anything and gave me my next assignment and pushed me out of her office shutting the door before I could even get a 'but' out of my mouth.

I sat in the small enclosed compartment, strapped to my seat, with the liquescreen in front of me while on either side of me another poor employee of Time Adjusters got strapped in. He looked like a newbie too. I turned and smiled at him. He was kind of cute, but who knew if when I got back things would have changed. The company says it's for the good, but I don't believe them anymore.

As the countdown started I watched as the liquescreen was finding the date I was to return to. The higher ups don't tell you the date until you're all strapped nice and tidy into our individual time units. They tell us what needs to happen but they don't give us a specific date. But when I saw what date, time and city I was about to be blasted to, I said, "Oh crap!"

Then everything happened in a flash. The compartment started to shimmer and crackle and the solid walls started to liquefy and I prayed to God that I wasn't going back to alter anything that would seriously screw up more of my life, because the date and time and city that I was going to was my birthday, my city and my time.

Thing 6

2009-03-26T10:13:00.004-04:00

This is one of the first illustrations I did for my first story that I wrote, once I began my writing journey. The story is Becoming Lucy and I found my inspiration from my Grandma Lucy who passed away a while ago. In a round about way she was the one who got me writing and drawing again. Hopefully with Flickr I can put together my art portfolio, with copyright, as a link for publishers and editors. I'll have to see how that works. Maybe I can even put together some kind of slide show relating to my work.

Wendi

Things 4 and 5

2009-03-26T10:01:00.002-04:00

I've had a bloglines account for a bit now and really like it. I can get all my favorite sites that I like to go to linked in one spot, so I can check on new content. I also like the feature that updates them whenever they are added too.

Thing 3

2009-03-26T09:55:00.002-04:00

I was able to comment on someone else's blog, once I signed into my google account. Also, I straightened out the issue where anyone else's comments had to be reviewed by me. It should let the commenter have that instant gratification, enabling them to post right away.

Thing 2

2009-03-26T09:43:00.002-04:00

Creating My Canvas, which is obviously my Blog was pretty easy. I got it up and running a while ago. Getting all the settings right, that was more of a challenge. It's been an interesting process of writing for me, because more of a journal at this point of what I'm feeling or thinking about writing at the time either in my work or just because. I have added blogs I will be following that landed in my dashboard, but I'm still figuring out other portions of the blog. We'll see what happens once I move on to things 3 etc.

Thing 1

2009-03-26T09:28:00.004-04:00

Well, that was pretty enlightening and it makes total sense to use technology to teach and learn, write and listen, review and collaberate. I'd like to see it in action, have scores improved plus if students are enjoying the learning process more. One thing I would question would be how early to start students; before they learn the basics or after they have a decent foundation in reading and math. I would almost say it would be used best at the start of middle school. Sharing this with other parents is also a great benefit, to let people know that having a cell phone or iPod in class wouldn't be a negative but a positive, if it was used in the proper way.

I think the thing that interested me most with the intro to web 2.0 was the idea of the podcast. I would be interested to add to my blog my, story ideas in a form of listening and reading at the same time, the way that I imagine it read. It would give a different view to a publisher about how I saw my own work. I'll have to think about that. Plus the public might become more interested in the story, which would give me a following.

Wendi

Finding voice through other blogs

2009-03-25T15:59:00.004-04:00

I think by blogging, myself and showing the blogs that I like to go to, can show a great deal about where are thoughts are going regarding our writing or even personal interests. Say, I was researching for a story I was about to write. I might be looking into other peoples blogs for insight on a subject. Links are another way to find great resources. Say for instance I wanted to write about the albatross, whatever...I might try to find a blog about birds or a link that is reputable through a bird organization. I think that using these tools are a great way to develop a story. On the personal side, it might be interesting for me, since I'm an illustrator that I like the blog, Drawn! The illustration and cartoonist blog. So, I might go to that blog to see the latest examples of what people are drawing, 1 because they enjoy it or 2 because they do it as a job. Or, I might go to dictionary.com to see how I can use a new word in a writing exercise.

So, that's what I'm thinking right now. I'm still working on figuring out how to use flickr with my work and I haven't gotten through all 23 things yet. I'm kind of going out of order, so you'll have to wait for my next installment. Ciao! everyone.

Voices

2009-03-24T08:49:00.003-04:00

Voices...you hear them everywhere. But do you really listen? I think a great way to keep up with others true thoughts is sometimes more impersonal, because you're not talking in person, but more intimate at the same time, because that person is freer to say what they want without any reprucusions. Blogs, I think are a good example, because sometimes it takes a lot of courage to use the voice that was given, to tell people what one really feels. It shows personality and interests through an RRS/ Links that might not be mentioned when talking in person. Or it throws away a shyness that is debilitating to some when they are around people. And with writing it can be a great tool to develop ideas and hear responses that wouldn't be normally heard. So for my experience has been a good one.

The Fog

2009-03-22T14:30:00.002-04:00

A thick and heavy fog surrounded me weighing me down the entire day. The day was Thursday. Part of me was beyond anyone's touch; voices didn't reach me deeply enough for my concern. Anger welled and boiled over when the clinging invisible fog was penetrated. It wouldn't let go. It wasn't a spiraling precipice of misery, it just was, and I couldn't get out of what was holding me down. By the end of the day I came to the conclusion it was utter and complete exhaustion; mentally, physically, it stomped on me and squashed me into the carpet that needed vacuuming. I was glad to get the girls to bed. They fell asleep in the car on our way back from Grandma's house. They were able to enjoy themselves irregardless of my mood and situation. That was an early night for me and it paid off, because the following day, I was rested and back to my usual self. Thank God for sleep.

To New Friends

2009-03-18T22:34:00.002-04:00

Since becoming a part of the deadwoodwriters group I have come a long way. It seems I've been involved for about 3/4 of a year. I'm not sure, but it sounds right. I've learned a lot and my writings improved, but the networking with new friends is really a lot of fun. I look forward to meeting up every Wednesday and quite frankly count on it to keep my sanity. So, thanks to all your deadwooders, for inspiring me to write to my potential and for letting me have so much fun doing something that I really enjoy. And with persistance, one day you'll see my name on the bestseller list.

Flickr

2009-03-18T15:56:00.000-04:00

It's going to be a learning curve for me here, how best to use Flickr to enhance my art portfolio and my personal pictures. But I do have an account set up and am sure it will come in handy.

Write for the joy of it, then get published.

Wendi

What I learned at my Blog

2009-03-18T13:14:00.000-04:00

It was a process that went smoothly without any lasting pain. Just kidding...there was no pain. It was set up so a blogger could go step by step without any hassle. I've enjoyed setting it up and hope I can keep up with it, generating writing ideas from what I've learned through the writing process.

Wendi

Look before you leap!