I'm Comming Out With What I'm Writing

Well, okay . . . after over a year of blogging, I think I have the nerve to tell a little bit about my novel. The one I've worked on for almost eleven, yes that's correct, 11 years.

Logline: With the help of a friend, a thirteen-year-old girl is determined to keep her family together when her mother slips from a bad case of the baby blues into full blown mental illness.

There, now, that's not so bad. I stuck my neck out.

I've learned so much over the years I've worked on this story, CLAIRELEE A.D. (AFTER DISLOCATION). This novel is my first serious work, but not my last. I have another older middle-grade novel-in-progress about a road trip three girls take with their granny.

Presently, I am doing a complete edit of CLAIRELEE A.D., switching from first to third person, present to past tense, and other suggestions from a publisher I met at a conference. I have my fingers crossed, but not while typing, that the edits I do for the editor will please her.

Now, I must get back to work on CLAIRELEE A.D.

Until next time . . .

Writing & the Rough Edge of Life

During this busy harvesting and canning season, I still manage to write. I have to rise early or stay up later, but I write. I'm even working on two novels at the same time, something I haven't been able to accomplish since our son, Joshua, passed away over five years ago.

At this point, I believe my ability to multi-task returns. My single most important focus since Joshua left us has been to breathe. Just breathe. Writing? That has been my one constant in life. I thank the Lord that I still enjoy words and can create a story from thin air.

How to begin to write about our loss from suicide, is taking form inside my head. Sometimes I am frightened, though, and find myself asking, "Am I really up to this, even after five years?" I believe I am. Josh left reams of journals, and I'm certain he left those for me to share with the world.

My friend said it best about how my husband and I must feel. "You wake up every day, knowing your world is off center and nothing can be the same without your son, Josh."

Wise woman!

I'm sure there are many, many writers walking around wounded. And I say, why not take that experience and help people who walk wounded? Know what? That takes a load of courage.

And I ask, "Am I courageous?"

Until next time . . .

"The 7 Biggest Myths About Publishing (Know the Truth)"

Hi readers,

I just read this article at _http://ow.ly/ lu0x_ (http://ow.ly/ lu0x from Writer's Digest. As a pre-book published writer, I appreciated reading it. Most of it I'd heard before, but some I wondered about when I would hear other writer's talking about their 'baby', another words, their story.

This article made me think of a conference I attended eight years ago featuring guest speaker Harold Underdown. Harold never pulls any punches, and I appreciated his honesty about the publishing industry.

Not so of two ladies I overheard talking. It went somethng like this:

"That was the most discouraging talk I've been to."

"That's for sure."

"Makes me want to quit writing."

"Yeah, why bother after the picture he painted?"

I was a bit amazed at their attitude. What Harold did for me is make me want to work harder.

Do I ever get discouraged? Yes. Does it make me want to quit writing? Yes. But when I imagine not writing? My mind can't wrap itself around that concept. I have to write, and I will even if I never am book published.

I'd enjoy comments from those who read this article.

Until next time . . .

Reviewing a Book

Good morning all,

Over the years I've reveiwed books, but it's been a while. Bonnie Bruno, a writer from one of my listserves, put out a call to review her new book, "Weird & Wacky, Strange & Slimy." After reading the first two pages, I'm going to enjoy this fun read for children.

Once, a company contacted me to review a book. This would lead to me reviewing other books, they said. I stated one negative thing (in a nice way) about it and never heard from them again. Reviewing is a touchy thing, especially if you are honest. You can be nice but honest.

Okay, I must get back to watering my garden, and also working on my own story.

Until next time . . .

A New Season in the Wind

Good morning to all!

The wind is blowing here in Southern Oregon, and I sense fall in the air. We've been here a year now, and I'm eyeballing the leaves to see the first signs of yellowing leaves. I see a hint on the edges of green.

My company, children and grandchildren, left four days ago, and after feeling blue, I'm ready to get back to a routine of work. Just my husband and me.

I've thought and thought about what to blog on my first day back after a month. Whew that was a long break and I feel badly about that. But. I did loads of laundry, cooked, and cleaned up after nine of us the last two weeks they all were here (we started out with two granddaughters and the rest of the family came in batches). I had much help and still it was a lot of work, but I loved it. Every single minute of my time with my daughter and her family was good. I am blessed!

I think I'll touch upon projects undone and a new project I want to slowly work on.

My first novel-in-progress, the one that I've worked on for over ten years, has an interested editor. I've worked on that for the editor and have only twenty pages left of changes she'd like to see. The first twenty pages I'll look over one more time before I send them to her as she requested, but not before I've got that last twenty done. Just in case she likes what she sees and requests a full.

The other project I need to work on is my contemporary middle grade novel that is only a first draft. I haven't looked at it in months and it's time. Once I get the first one out, I plan to begin the revisions of this second book.

The third project is much more difficult to tackle. It has to do with my son's life and death at age 25. I've got reams of journals he's left and want to read them and sort out how to begin his story. I think I'm ready. I think! I want to help other parents who've lost children to suicide, but needed time to heal enough to read what I know Joshua left for me. What I think he would want me to write about. It's been five and a half years. I need prayer for that project.

Anyhow, it is a new season blowing in the wind, and I'm ready for it.

Until next time . . .