I was going to title this post, Descriptions, but a friend came over tonight. I bit the pride bullet and asked for help. She did. To a degree. She's a nasty woman, in fact, because she makes me do things. She says she'll help and then she says - What do you think? - That's not you. - Write it in your style. - Don't follow the rules.
I wrote my first from-the-heart cover letter, with her unhelp. *g* She sat on my bed and played with my dog as I read draft after draft to her. She didn't like them. I kept writing and swearing and she kept playing with Pippin.
Sometime well into the night, she liked part of what I'd written. Well, I liked part but she liked the whole thing. So I stopped editing and I stopped cut and pasting and I reread it and decided she might be right.
I sent it out. *almost happy sigh*
It's a happy sigh because I am happy with the letter. It's real. It's me. No bull. It was truthful and uncomplicated and the best 'pitch' that I've been able to write. I am very happy with the pitch. Short, sweet, and introduced my giraffes in a way they'd like.
We prayed together afterwards, drank a glass of wine, and parted.
Pride can keep a person (me) from asking for help when all seems lost or fruitless or stupid.
Friends can help us (me) overcome that pride and get on with what we're (I'm) supposed to do.
I pray you have friends like mine. I pray they make YOU do the work all the while supporting you. I pray life is good to you. Even with all the illnesses these past two months, I hope and smile.
Life is a smile.
PS - Do you have a clue as to what it feels like to send out a query letter you're (I'm) proud of? AWESOME, DUDE!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Quikkies
My 'new' (translate - hand-me-down) printer is defunct. Had a computer guy in and he says it's the new cartridges, take them back, get new ones and see if that works. Oh dear! Confrontation. I hates confrontation, precious!
In lieu of a viable printer, I ran over to my community center to print out the next chapter of 'Blue' for my buddy D who was coming over tonight. The center had been flooded and everything was closed. Everything that is but the computer area. Thank goodness. I printed out the chapter to the front desk and then commiserated with the volunteers at the desk and left. You guessed it - I left the printed pages there. Never did discover them till late this evening. Didn't matter though - D and I had quite a few things to discuss and never got to our writing.
I am sick again - a cold given to my by the little one - and have spent the day hacking. I think I'm going to have to start the breathing treatments again. The cough is nasty. However, I did get over to the school to help put in new data for the calendar and printed it out. It's always fun to visit the school. My little one gets to come and give me a hug and that is delicious.
My daughter stopped by and climbed under the computer table, trying to find my wayward camera. It was hiding behind the screens. Oops. She still loves me. I'm hoping to chat with my 'international' buddies sometime tomorrow, but there's a tablet class at the local library and I want to find out why my tablet can't access a certain app.
Signed up for a half-day retreat for this Saturday. I need some time away from my house and me. *g* I trust the instructor. She usually comes up with some pretty powerful thought stuff.
I've got to enter data for my job now so I'll be off. Just know I'm thinking about you all and hoping you are writing.
Life is insane. (and fun)
In lieu of a viable printer, I ran over to my community center to print out the next chapter of 'Blue' for my buddy D who was coming over tonight. The center had been flooded and everything was closed. Everything that is but the computer area. Thank goodness. I printed out the chapter to the front desk and then commiserated with the volunteers at the desk and left. You guessed it - I left the printed pages there. Never did discover them till late this evening. Didn't matter though - D and I had quite a few things to discuss and never got to our writing.
I am sick again - a cold given to my by the little one - and have spent the day hacking. I think I'm going to have to start the breathing treatments again. The cough is nasty. However, I did get over to the school to help put in new data for the calendar and printed it out. It's always fun to visit the school. My little one gets to come and give me a hug and that is delicious.
My daughter stopped by and climbed under the computer table, trying to find my wayward camera. It was hiding behind the screens. Oops. She still loves me. I'm hoping to chat with my 'international' buddies sometime tomorrow, but there's a tablet class at the local library and I want to find out why my tablet can't access a certain app.
Signed up for a half-day retreat for this Saturday. I need some time away from my house and me. *g* I trust the instructor. She usually comes up with some pretty powerful thought stuff.
I've got to enter data for my job now so I'll be off. Just know I'm thinking about you all and hoping you are writing.
Life is insane. (and fun)
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Pretend They're Real
I was watching youtube vids tonight - on writing. There were a bunch of helpful hints; however, I didn't have time to research who was who. Don't trust the internet, my friends, there are scoundrels and fools out there. (Oh, of course if you're reading this, you can trust me. Bwaahaahaa.)
One of the vids talked about character development. The author pointed out lots of things that anyone who's written more than a year has probably figured out.
The thing that surprised and made me pause was the statement, "Pretend your characters are real".
In all my long years of writing, I have kept such a thought at bay. I have been fearful. Truly. What if the character becomes 'too' real and I can't discern what is real and what is not? What if I begin to believe it, in my heart and soul, and fall into the novel and never come out? *shivers* What if I fall in love with one of my characters?
Of course, I've done all of these things to a degree over the years. I remember when I cried for three straight days as I killed off a favorite character. I recovered, but I never forgot that.
These are valid fears, I think, in this age of 'Her'.
I think it's also important to trust myself that, when the novel is finished, I can resume my own life. I must get into my characters, even the 'little' ones, and figure out who they are. I've got to know everything about them. I've got to create that back story so that I know why she is afraid of spiders or whatever. I've got to pretend I'm with them over a cup of coffee at the local book store or sipping wine on the back porch, or drinking tequila at a bar downtown.
I wrote character descriptions for each of the folk in 'Blue' and I'm in the midst of doing it for 'The Other Side', but I still don't know them well enough. I'm going to pull out a bottle of wine (perhaps figuratively) and chat with Katherine. I know her, but I want to be her sister, to delve into her utmost secret thoughts and share them. I know it will make 'Blue' better.
Life is secrets.
Link to 'Her' -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/
One of the vids talked about character development. The author pointed out lots of things that anyone who's written more than a year has probably figured out.
The thing that surprised and made me pause was the statement, "Pretend your characters are real".
In all my long years of writing, I have kept such a thought at bay. I have been fearful. Truly. What if the character becomes 'too' real and I can't discern what is real and what is not? What if I begin to believe it, in my heart and soul, and fall into the novel and never come out? *shivers* What if I fall in love with one of my characters?
Of course, I've done all of these things to a degree over the years. I remember when I cried for three straight days as I killed off a favorite character. I recovered, but I never forgot that.
These are valid fears, I think, in this age of 'Her'.
I think it's also important to trust myself that, when the novel is finished, I can resume my own life. I must get into my characters, even the 'little' ones, and figure out who they are. I've got to know everything about them. I've got to create that back story so that I know why she is afraid of spiders or whatever. I've got to pretend I'm with them over a cup of coffee at the local book store or sipping wine on the back porch, or drinking tequila at a bar downtown.
I wrote character descriptions for each of the folk in 'Blue' and I'm in the midst of doing it for 'The Other Side', but I still don't know them well enough. I'm going to pull out a bottle of wine (perhaps figuratively) and chat with Katherine. I know her, but I want to be her sister, to delve into her utmost secret thoughts and share them. I know it will make 'Blue' better.
Life is secrets.
Link to 'Her' -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Benefit Of The Doubt
There are so many times this axiom is needed in this world. Give yourself, those you love, and those you interact with - the benefit of the doubt.
I went to a writers' class today. It was okay. The best part of it was the writing prompt. We had fifteen minutes to write 'Why do you love me?' I don't write romance stories, but 'The Other Side' has decided to take a romantic twist. Many chapters ahead of where I'm at, there will be a love story. When I heard the prompt, I thought, I can't (don't want to) write this. However, my character whispered, "You need this" and he was right. I wrote the entire fifteen minutes and now I have the heart of the 'romance chapter' done. Isn't that exciting?
The instructor is published online. She shared her book with us via the internet as part of our homework for this morning's class. It was decent. Another best part? She shared her struggle and her doubts and fears and I really needed to hear that.
So - as I've always told myself - there is something to be learned at every opportunity and I must keep my eyes and ears open for what the Muse pushed me into. *g*
I wasn't able to write yesterday because the little one had the day off. Today, with the class and other things, I wasn't able to write anything for either novel. I will tomorrow, God willing and the creek don't rise. I'm not too concerned at this point. Last Thursday's momentum is still with me and I will sit down and write. I might go back to pen and my handy-dandy yellow notepad. That seems to be working for me at this time of my life.
I am so grateful to be blogging again. Fear seems to have left me. Perhaps it's the antibiotics. *g* I am grateful that my 'old' friends are still reading this. Your loyalty and enthusiasm lift me up.
Be still my soul. And listen to the Muse. Know she knows what she wants and will get it. (What a witch!) Know that I am a writer of excellence. And know that I am loved.
Life is love.
I went to a writers' class today. It was okay. The best part of it was the writing prompt. We had fifteen minutes to write 'Why do you love me?' I don't write romance stories, but 'The Other Side' has decided to take a romantic twist. Many chapters ahead of where I'm at, there will be a love story. When I heard the prompt, I thought, I can't (don't want to) write this. However, my character whispered, "You need this" and he was right. I wrote the entire fifteen minutes and now I have the heart of the 'romance chapter' done. Isn't that exciting?
The instructor is published online. She shared her book with us via the internet as part of our homework for this morning's class. It was decent. Another best part? She shared her struggle and her doubts and fears and I really needed to hear that.
So - as I've always told myself - there is something to be learned at every opportunity and I must keep my eyes and ears open for what the Muse pushed me into. *g*
I wasn't able to write yesterday because the little one had the day off. Today, with the class and other things, I wasn't able to write anything for either novel. I will tomorrow, God willing and the creek don't rise. I'm not too concerned at this point. Last Thursday's momentum is still with me and I will sit down and write. I might go back to pen and my handy-dandy yellow notepad. That seems to be working for me at this time of my life.
I am so grateful to be blogging again. Fear seems to have left me. Perhaps it's the antibiotics. *g* I am grateful that my 'old' friends are still reading this. Your loyalty and enthusiasm lift me up.
Be still my soul. And listen to the Muse. Know she knows what she wants and will get it. (What a witch!) Know that I am a writer of excellence. And know that I am loved.
Life is love.
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