Cloud Nine Girl

[I wrote this post as a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our worries and also offer support and encouragement to each other on the first Wednesday of every month. If you’re a writer like me and you’re looking for a bit of support, you can click the link and sign up here

Happy IWSG Day!

I’m thrilled to be a host this month along with Joylene Nowell Butler , Kim Lajevardi  , Lee Lowery,  and Victoria Marie Lees  

Thank you to you, and thank you to the wonderful cohosts who are spreading the writing love this month.

I don’t know about you, but these past several months have passed along at a sprint and I am finding myself out of breath almost every day, especially on this third day of November.

Writing Updates

I’ve been spending a lot of time brainstorming the end of my book with my editor and I’m so excited to finally see the end! I’m actually getting there! It’s right at 80K and I know it will need another 10K to finish. That’s a lot for my genre in Young Adult, but I’m sure there will much some cutting room. I’m shooting for a goal of Christmas, but we’ll see. It might be February before I’m actually typing “THE END.”

I will say, with this book, I’ve always known what the title should be. Titles are easy for me, intuitive. For me it boils down to one word summaries of the entire theme. It’s the shorter summaries, the Blurbs that take me hours or simplifying. That’s why I picked the quote by Katherine Cecil Thurston. Short phrases and sentences make people remember; they often drum up emotion in a short few seconds whether it be shock, anger or even awe.  

Question of the Month

What about you? In answering this month’s question, what’s harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?

Do blurbs rattle straight off your tongue, or are titles more difficult to decide on?

I hope you have a wonderful writing month, and no matter how much time you have to meet your goals, don’t give up. I know I haven’t 🙂

[I wrote this post as a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our worries and also offer support and encouragement to each other on the first Wednesday of every month. If you’re a writer like me and you’re looking for a bit of support, you can click the link and sign up here

The awesome co-hosts for the October 6 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, J Lenni Dorner, Cathrina Constantine, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Mary Aalgaard!

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Speaking my heart was never easy. Finding the right words in the right way was never something I could do well when it mattered, especially under fire. And when someone uses “swear” words in an argument with me, I freeze. It’s no different when I read them. They simply hang in the air around me, raw and glaring, like bright, broken neon signs you pass on the road.

So what do “swear words” have to do with writing? For me, a lot.

 This month’s IWSG question asks , “In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?”

I draw the line in anything I’m not interested in writing about, or reading, which in my case is “swear words.” Mild ones don’t seem to matter so much, or if I’ve spent time getting to know the characters in a book, which might occasionally drop one, but never on the first page. If I see one on the first page, I might shiver. I might lose the image of the entire scene unable to get past them.

How about you? Where do you draw the line when you write or read?

[I wrote this post as a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our worries and also offer support and encouragement to each other on the first Wednesday of every month. If you’re a writer like me and you’re looking for a bit of support, you can click the link and sign up here

This hosts for August 4 are PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox!

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This quote made me chuckle. How many times have you found yourself stressing about a page? You start writing and you stop? You stare? You can’t make your brain stop thinking enough to start writing. That’s what this quote means to me. In any case, I do have a resource I go to when I’m stumped. One basic resource.

The August 4 question asks: “What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?“

Writing Irresistible Kidlit by Mary Kole. Hands-down. WOW! Mary rocks!

I’m a graphic designer and it’s one of the better purposeful, fun to stare at books.The presentation is beautiful. Especially for readers like me who need to break up words with scribble designs and fun text. It all fits.

What I loved? What’s not to love. I learned everything. From teaching the steps on how to craft a story line, analyze the genre for competition, teaching the balance in action and introspecting, and the character building exercises and examples are astounding! I can’t stop raving about this book. Are you into young adult? Middle Grade? If you haven’t read the book you’ve got to get it.

How about you? Writing Young Adult? What’s your best go-to resource?

[I wrote this post as a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our worries and also offer support and encouragement to each other on the first Wednesday of every month. If you’re a writer like me and you’re looking for a bit of support, you can click the link and sign up here

The awesome co-hosts for the July 7 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees, and Louise – Fundy Blue!

 Check out our IWSG homepage for recent news and events.  And as always, thank you to founder Alex J. Cavaugh

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I admit it. I haven’t spent nearly the time lately reaching out and holding virtual ties with everyone I should and need to. I’m not doing much with social media right now, my energy sucked up by the frenzy of summer, necessary house updates, and the attention my children need to grow into the beautiful humans they are. Am I writing at least? Yes. I’m doing what I can, and submitting to my editor. It’s minimum lately. I’m making her world count for now.

This month’s question is timely for me. It asks: “What would make you quit writing?”

The truth is closer than it’s ever been at this point, but then I hear that tiny voice, the one I found as a four-year old typing on my mom’s old black manual key typewriter. The voice that pushed me to make words out of images in my head. Sentences out of words. I’d shift them around until they created some sort of picture that made sense, and breathed life into characters I’d draw and dream. The truth is, I’ve always loved writing.

Life might make me quit. But Life will always bring it back. When you’re happy, you can’t stray from that love for long.

Cheers to you. Be kind to you. Do what you can with what you love and eventually what you dream will find you.