22 Friday Jan 2016
Posted in Fiction
I was looking at stock photos, and I happened across this one. And the first thing that went through my mind was: that’s Kara from my novel Otherworlders. Or at least pretty close. Of course, as with any story, the reader tends to imagine what’s right for them and their interpretation of the story. Which, in my opinion, is the best way to read. But this is a little peak at what was going through my head when I envisioned her (even though I found this long after).
21 Thursday Jan 2016
Posted in Writing Wednesday
Last Week’s WW: Resolutions
See that cover? It’s got my fella‘s name on it. This will be the first thing that he’s published, and I’m very proud of him. But I didn’t just come here to brag. I came to offer a little advice: Publish!
It’s not an easy thing to do. Emotionally, any way. Publishing a work means letting it go. It’s putting it out into the world, hoping no one hates it, but accepting the possibility that they might, and being okay with it. It’s understanding that something you created isn’t yours anymore. It’s splitting open your chest and placing it’s contents out for all the world to see. It’s you at your most vulnerable.
It’s also you at your strongest. It’s showing the world and yourself what you can do. It’s proving that you’ve created something from nothing. It’s wearing your iron armor and walking otherwise naked into the streets. You’re strutting your stuff, and you want everyone to look.
Okay, fine, we’re bleeding and naked and we feel okay about it, hopefully. It still doesn’t answer the question: How do I publish? Continue reading
14 Thursday Jan 2016
Posted in Writing Wednesday
Last WW: Make Them Keep Reading
We’re already 13 days into 2016. They say that a new year is a new chance. That it’s an opportunity to reset your life, or at least work on improving yourself in the ways that somehow eluded you the year before.
Many people pledge to eat better, exercise more, get a better job, and even write more often… Those are all great things to strive for. Most resolutions are.
We’re just about 2 weeks in. Many people at this point think that they have either lived up to your New Year’s Resolutions or already blown them. I believe that way of thinking will only set you up for failure.
If you’re keeping up with a resolution, that’s awesome. Good job. However, once you get it into your head, “well, I did it” then you might have a problem keeping that momentum going. You might find that later you’re saying, “well, I did it for awhile.” Then you’re right back where you started, not doing the thing you wanted to do.
If you’ve already messed up your resolution, then I have good news: tomorrow is another day! You don’t have to wait for a new year to come around to do the things you want to do. Depending on your goal, every day, every hour, every week… is an opportunity to get back on track.
Did you want to lose weight and eat a whole pizza by yourself? Well, you’ll have to eat again. And that’s an opportunity to do what you set out to do. If you want to write more, write more. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been going strong for weeks or haven’t typed a word. If you want it, you’ll find a way to do it.
Don’t let resolutions trip you up.
