It has been forever since I've been here, so long in fact I forgot the password I'd assigned to access this blog. After some password assistance here I am.
Inspiration sometimes comes in surprising packages. I have been thinking about my novel but not enough to actually do anything about it until tonight. It is so dumb I can't believe I am actually going to share it. My hubby took me on a date. We went to dinner and since nothing else was showing we went to see Julie and Julia. We hadn't really heard to much about the movie but we had a sitter so we went. The movie is about Julie Child and Julie Powell. I won't spoil the movie but there is a scene when Julia Child receives the first copy of her cookbook. I know I am writing a novel, which has nothing in common with a cookbook but when she opened the envelope and pulled out the book I almost cried. I think any writer would agree that holding a copy of a book they'd poured so much of themselves into would be a wonderful feeling. I knew if I ever wanted that dream to come true I needed to get past everything that is holding me down and write. Writers, write, not just talk about it.
I mentioned it on the way home and my wonderful supportive, husband, said "it'll happen." Knowing you have someone on your side, who believes in you is priceless. So, let the journey continue.
My husband reminded me how long it's been since I have graced the blog-o-sphere with my presence, so here I am.
I have been thinking a lot about why I am writing a novel. If anyone has tried you know it isn't easy, unless your Danielle Steele or John Grisham. Yet no matter how hard it is I keep going back to it. Trying to make it sound just right. Writing about people who I want a reader to care about. Do I enjoy my rear end getting sore from sitting for so long? Do I enjoy having people read it and tell me my grammar needs some help? Do I enjoy others saying, "Oh you're still working on that." (like I should have been done months ago.)
I don't enjoy any of those things, yet I continue to sit for hours and poke out sentence after sentence until midnight. WHY!!
To quote someone quite famous because "I have a dream." My dream may not be as world changing as Dr. King's but God gave me the dream. He put it in my heart, He is the one who wouldn't let the idea leave my mind.
God has placed in everyone a passion. I think we can have more than one. I am passionate about my husband and kids, my relationship with God. Now after realizing this crazy idea to write a novel is from God, I am passionate about it.
It may take a long time to see something published but that doesn't matter. I can be happy just knowing I am chasing the dream.
I am sitting on my couch listening to what to my ears is an awful sound. Ice hitting the window. After loosing power two winters in a row the word ice doesn't really bring joyful thoughts. I am praying we do not loose power again. It is so cold outside, no power -- no heat.
I am now on Face Book. It is so cool. I have found people I haven't seen in years. It is a really cool way to connect with people.
My book is on hold until after Christmas. I sent it to Jeff Gerke to review. I told my husband the one thing I really wanted to hear was that I have potential as a writer. Although he said many other things I also heard that. He had many suggestions for me, some rules of writing that I need to follow. But he also said he thinks the book has potential. It was not discouraging at all. I learned a lot. I am going to get to work on his suggestions as soon as the holiday hub-bub has passed.
Have a blessed Christmas.
Remember when you were a kid, and how excited you got when you heard your mom say, "no school, it's a snow-day."
My kids are so excited, the roads where we live are pretty snowy today and school was canceled. As an adult you think of everything that could have gotten done, how many errands could have been run. The kids think of snowmen, snow-slushies, watching movies.
When do we loose it, the spontaneity of what a snow-day brings? It is like we are being granted a free day. It's okay to eat yummy warm snacks, to watch movies all day, eat snow while throwing snowballs.
Yes, I have writing to do, I have writing goals for each day. Now, I have to adjust those goals. I will get some writing done but first I will enjoy my "free day" and play with the kids, drink some hot cocoa, and eat some warm cinnamon rolls and maybe if I'm brave enough get into a snowball fight with my nine year old.
My book will be waiting for me tomorrow, my children will only get a handful of snow-days, I'll take them while I can get them.
My wonderful friend is here visiting from Texas. Her boyfriend traveled back with her. I have never met him as I haven't seen my friend for two years. He had wanted to propose to her while they were in Iowa but he wanted to propose in the snow. I told him that Iowa doesn't always get snow in November but it was a nice thought, she loves snow and loves Iowa since she grew up here. Well on Saturday some parts of Iowa did get snow. My mom's house was one of them. He told her he really wanted to see the snow so they went to my mom's and he proposed. It was all very sweet and she didn't suspect a thing.
We went to David's Bridal and she found her dress and I found my dress. She has asked me to be her Matron of Honor. I am honored. My entire family is in the wedding. My daughter will be a Junior Bridesmaid, my sons will be ring boys and my husband will perform the ceremony. It will be a family event.
She was so happy and looked beautiful. She has always been a wonderful friend and I am so happy for her. She has waited years to find mister right and after seeing the two of them together I think her patience has paid off. He is a great guy who treats her wonderfully.
I pray everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I have so many things to be Thankful for.
Why are there so many rules. Adverbs, pronouns, proper-nouns, and yuck. Someone critiqued chapter 2 for me, someone I met at the writers conference. He loves my story, my characters, and he thinks I convey emotions really well. I couldn't believe, however, how many punctuation errors he pointed out. It was a little embarrassing but very helpful.
And when did the spacing rule change? In high school I was taught to put two spaces after a period. Now only one is needed, which was pointed out very frequently in the corrections.
So lesson learned: no matter how brutal it may be to see all of those marks and changes it is worth it if you really let yourself learn from those mistakes.
I'm sorry to bore everyone but I am still working on the concept of Show don't tell. I think it is a fairly normal problem for writers.
It is definitely becoming easier to spot the problems, I think that must be a good thing. One positive side to all of this work is my word count is growing. It was still a little short for most publishers. As I work on removing sections that are telling and writing new scenes that show the reader things my count has grown. Just by re-writing the first two scenes I have added over two hundred words.
I am going to start working on another article for Momsense magazine. I have submitted two, one of which they rejected because they said it didn't fit with their themes for any near issues. The second I haven't heard yet, it can take 10-12 weeks. (Keep your fingers crossed)
The new submission is due on December 15.
Oh and a book recommendation. My favorite writer Deeane Gist has now written several books. The second book she wrote I just now read it though it is a couple of years old. It is called
The Measure of a Lady. It is amazing. There is humor, romance, and what I like best is it is not a cookie cutter Christian novel. I highly recommend it.
I am off to Des Moines, my nephew is turning one. It is kind of sad, he is my only nephew and I have only got to see him a handful of times. Anyway, have a great weekend
.
