a writing journey

When I first started this blog years ago, I was actively writing fiction. I had a couple of novels underway and several short stories started. I even finished some of them! They are still stored on this laptop and a jump-drive, because, some day I might get back into writing fiction again.

The Library and the Friends slowly began to consume more of my life and my free time about 6 years ago. I was writing, a lot, but it was either about the bookstore or about book sales or our group in general. That writing satisfied my need to create. I was doing good work and I was seeing my name in the newspaper on a regular basis. It was fun!

Now, I get paid to put words down on paper, well, actually a screen. The writing I'm doing for the Friends has been cut back to a monthly emailed newsletter via Constant Contact. I created the template and craft the content for this piece. Each month this newsletter goes out to over 100 members of the Friends. I don't mind doing it, but I have to say that after working at my paying job, sometimes the last thing I want to do is work on that newsletter.  I had meant to write a press release for our new officers and announce not only their election, but several other 'newsy' things going on with the group. It is now February and I haven't done it yet.  Maybe this weekend. Maybe.

As my work week seems to fly by and the weekends are filled with family activities, it is difficult to push away from everything and write. Frankly, I'd rather grab my Nook and spend that free time reading.

I've rambled on a bit, but what prompted this was the subtitle on my blog. It mentions my writing journey. My journey hasn't been what I'd expected or even hoped it would be at one point. It has, however, made me happy and brought me to the good place I am today.

Whatever your writing journey holds in store for you, sometimes what seems like a detour is really the new direction you should take. My detour into writing for the Friends led me to the job I now hold, a job that has been such a blessing for my family.

Enjoy the journey, each step along the way, bumpy road and all.

smorgasboard

We had a great weekend around here. Got a spur of the moment invitation to a cookout/swim party from the family of one of our oldest kid's friends. Had a ball at their house...good food, good company. Of course that meant we were up way too late on Saturday and getting out the door for 8:00 Mass on Sunday morning was a bit difficult. Met our new associate priest, a baby-priest, as this is his first parish after being ordained. Hope he can deliver a homily.

Threw together a crockpot of beef stroganoff for supper. For dessert we had a yellow sheetcake with white frosting topped with fresh strawberries. It was like strawberry shortcake on steroids...sooooo good.

I started a new book, "Mina"...the story of what took place after "Dracula" ended. Always wondered about what the characters would have done next. So far, it is a very good book.

Speaking of what happens next, while I was standing in church listening to the Gospel reading, I had a full blown flash of inspiration for a book. It just exploded onto the scene. Weird. And even more weird is that two possible ways of writing this story came to me. Needless to say the rest of Mass passed by in a blur, I was way too preoccupied to be prayerful. I came home and did quite a bit of googling to see if any fiction has been written about this character as the person is mentioned in Mark's Gospel. But, the book is most definitely not a Christian-fiction story.......

And even weirder still is that I keep thinking about this story idea, it is like a splinter in my head, it just won't stop 'talking' to me. So, I guess I will be pulling out the notebook and opening a Word doc because something tells me that until I start jotting down these thoughts, impressions, scenes and ideas the noise in my head isn't going to stop.

short and sweet

If I don't post this entry right now, it won't get done today. So, here goes......

I started to read Philip Reeve's book "Here Lies Arthur" and I'm so intrigued with his alternative retelling of this legend. Very, very neat and very, very well done. I can't wait to finish it, but it may have to wait until Saturday.

I didn't work on MB yesterday.....kept thinking and rethinking about whether or not I want to ditch the opening and rework the whole thing. The thought kept me from opening that folder. Can you say frozen like a deer in the headlights?

Today is library day and tomorrow is the super busy day full of birthday happenings, valentine parties and pre-dance dinner and such.

Off to get ready to haul the middle daughter to school. They are tapping for Junior Beta and she has things to do...which means I have to be ready to leave in 20 minutes. Yikes!

Zero to sixty.........hang on for the next 48 hours, it is going to be a bit crazy.

let the work begin

I procrastinated as long as I could yesterday and even sat and ate half a carton of Ben and Jerry's before I sat at the kitchen table and clicked the Maddy Blue icon on my desktop. The last time I opened that folder was in September. Urgh, ick, bad, bad, bad.

Spiral notebook beside the computer and pen in hand I began to read and take notes. Cut that scene. Beef that scene. Add more conflict here, there, everywhere. Tweak that plot line. I worked through ten chapters and then the oldest arrived home from high school and it was time for the afternoon to begin.

Yes, I climbed back in the saddle and the WIP and I are moseying along down a new trail. Any one have any Epsom salts?

friday recap

The first week of any month is always loaded with Friends of the Library stuff. From our regular monthly meeting to all the normally scheduled events, I just plan on being in the building for at least a few hours each day.

So, next week I am going to attempt to stay away as much as possible. Why? Because it is time to sit my behind in this chair and start to seriously edit Maddy Blue. I've been noodling over the plot all week and have jotted down concerns, threads and possible solutions. I have a rough roadmap of where I need to go with this manuscript.

I wrote the darn thing and it is time to shine it up.

on writing

I picked up Stephen King's book "On Writing" at one of our book sales. It was a fabulous read, had lots of great advice and was of course, very well written. So, when I saw the following article, it tweaked my interest.

http://blogs.usaweekend.com/whos_news/2009/02/exclusive-steph.html

Hope the link works....Mr. King's comments about Stephenie Meyer are rather insightful.

I'm off to the library again today. It is one of those weeks when I'm there every day it seems. I still need to pick out a stack of YA books to read. Perhaps before the executive board meeting I can fill a bag. I ran numbers on the store this week. I hadn't tackled my excel sheets since, gulp, July. So, I brought them up to date and learned just how much the store has made since we opened. It is a significant number and it gave me a moment of pause. I'd just finished reading an agent's blog about the future of bookstores and publishing. The whole brick-n-mortar store versus online retailers; e-books versus print books; the disappearing midlist author versus the sure thing author. Here is the link for that article.....http://www.nathanbransford.blogspot.com/

Just like the old saying goes, the only thing that is sure in life is that nothing is sure in life.

home

Although I was only away from hubby and kids for three days, it felt like ten days. I missed them so much. My travels went smoothly, no delays due to weather and clear roads from Pittsburgh to Waynesburg. I had a nice rental car, a decent hotel room and good company for my trip.

The funeral and all the other happenings went smoothly and I think Grandma would have been happy with the number of her family who were there to send her off. She had planned the whole thing years ago, from what songs were sung to what readings were read. She'd told them how she wanted her hair to look, what she wanted to be dressed in, what earrings to put on her.

I know for sure my control freak nature is inherited.

I'm very glad I was able to go. I'm very glad I'm home safe and sound. I had a lot of folks praying for me.....every denomination and variety under the sun. All those good thoughts worked.

My uncle will be stopping by on his way back to New Mexico. He should arrive tomorrow after he stops in at my parents' house on the other side of the state. I'm so thankful he made the trip and that we had each other to lean on during last week.

I have quite a bit of library and bookstore stuff to keep my spare moments occupied this week. I've let a few things slide and I need to play catch up.

The biggest think I've let slide is my fiction writing. That will also be fixed in short order.

Funerals have a real way of putting life into perspective. My grandmother was an amazing storyteller and I've known for years that if I was ever fortunate enough to be able to pen a dedication for a book, she would be mentioned. It is time to finish and send that WIP out into the world.

is it all gloom and doom?

I spent some time yesterday reading a variety of agent/editor blogs. The majority of them had several common themes regarding the layoffs, slow downs, mergers, freezes in publishing. Not all were gloom and doom. Some were more gloom and doom than glitter.

I found one entry that said children's books are still being acquired. I found one blog that stated after this time passes, publishing may well be a faster moving machine. I've always wondered at the 18 mo-24 mo time frame for some books to hit the shelves. I also found entries that proposed how much more difficult it will be to break in to the published world.

Change is hard. I think an evolution is happening in how books come to be and how they are sold.

I was in B&N last week picking up a few gifts for Christmas. I walked out $75 lighter in the old checking account, but I bought only one book. Yep, the rest of the purchase was comprised of a puzzle, a nice pen and two daily calendars. Granted, it is Christmas, but the big displays weren't for books, the space was allocated to 'stuff. ' Heck, even Vera Bradley has product in B&N now.

I'm sure bookstores like B&N sell all the extra things as they might make more money on them than on books. Plus, the store becomes more of a one stop shop. B&N has become a place to shop even if you are not a reader.

I'm no expert on how the publishing world works. I do spend some time reading about what other folks know on the subject. I read about the struggles writers have to craft that catchy query, get an agent, have the book shopped, have it go through the whole publishing process.
I sense a note of change in posts from writers....seems more of them are open to small presses and other alternatives to NYC houses. It appears they are revisiting the reason they write. The experienced ones know that the chance of getting rich is slim to none. They just want to share their stories and maybe the road to that goal isn't through New York.

Viable small presses may flourish as better books come their way. Downloads or e-books may become more popular as a less expensive way to try a new author.

Change is happening, an evolution is under way. But, the best advice to keep in mind is to write the best book you can, don't take rejection personally, remember timing has a lot to do with success and all that is needed is one 'yes.'

filling the well

We all have 'wells' in our lives. They are the spots from which we pull the passion and energy to pursue our interests. For quite a while, the writing well in my life has been just about dry.

A few years ago, one of the published authors in our area presented a talk on filling the creative well. She talked about jolting your system and stepping out of your comfort zone. Lots of cliche terms in a row, but the general idea is a good one. Monotony is a killer and will drain your well.

Even my duties at the bookstore can become a drain at times. I have to work to keep the passion level up. Swapping out inventory yesterday helped as did putting together a sale cart. Both are new things for the moment and will give me a push through year end.

My upcoming trip is going to be a huge opportunity to fill my creative well. Now, what follows is a really 'uh-duh' statement, but a simple truth. It is so much easier to write about places you have actually been to...uh, duh. It is also so much easier to get fodder for characters when you are given the opportunity to people watch on such a grand scale as an airport, airplane, big city etc. Traveling tweaks your world view, which is an added bonus to the whole concept of vacation.

As December slides away in the rush towards the holidays, I'm really looking forward to benefiting from the added bonuses in this trip. Which means, I hope to come back with an overflowing creative well. Then, what excuse will I have??

timing is everything

I juggled dishes, ingredients and family members in order to complete all the cooking for the holiday weekend. I always set an ambitious menu. I never rely on only tried and true recipes. I have to sprinkle in a fair amount of new dishes, just to keep me on my toes and to make the whole endeavor more of an adventure. Luck held out for me and the four new recipes I tried turned out well.


Timing is everything when I take on the task of Thanksgiving weekend meals. I started cooking on Wednesday and wasn't finished until our guests left yesterday. Hubby did help with preparing the Friday night meal as I was at the movies with the kids and the in-laws. Which, by the way, don't bother seeing Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Horrible movie and even their acting skills along with the skills of Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Mary Steenburgen couldn't save it. Oldest daughter gave it two thumbs down.

This week is going to be a busy one, but I have to finish the Christmas gifts for my mom, grandmother and brother. Those genealogy trees are getting done, printed and stuck in the binders I bought two weeks ago.

I'm also going to jot down some story ideas I've had of late. It is better than nothing and if I can't plant my butt in the chair long enough to edit Maddy Blue, I've got to do something. This is getting ridiculous and I'm totally at fault. Liz, thy name is lazy-butt writer.

weekend dead ahead

Took the youngest offspring to his school open house last night. We ended up having to park down the street and hike through the woods, umbrella overhead, with puddles all around. It rained all day yesterday. So, yet another Thursday's soccer game was canceled. Back to the open house....they always have a book fair at these events and I always let the kids buy books. Scholastic sells them for less than I can get them at B&N, even with my discount. The kid came home with two titles, one being the City of Ember. He wants to read the book because he said the book is always better than the movie and he liked the movie.

Another odd ball week. I didn't work on my genealogy like I needed to. Next week will be some marathon sessions with my family tree maker program. I did manage to do three 10 minute writing prompts. I had lunch with the hubby and we acquired our international driving permits for our trip to Europe this Christmas. One of the oldest kid's friends asked her if we were rich...she said no, my mom and dad have been saving a long time for this trip. Darn tootin'....I think saving up for something special has become a distant memory for too many folks.

I'm almost finished with the third Strongbow book and when I'm done look for a commentary on YA books for boys. They are a rare breed. So much YA chick-lit stuff, not so much boy driven stuff.

Speaking of books, next time you are in a bookstore look for a book from an author you've never heard of before....the midlist writer is suffering in the publishing world and readers need to spread the wealth, to borrow a popular comment, and read books from folks who may not have the big display, the huge adverts or a blurb from a famous author on their cover. Nora, John, James etc have made their millions and then some....look for some fresh talent. It is out there and I guarantee, you will fall in love with a new voice!

up next

My three hour adventure at the polls was a lesson in personality. A string of candidates lined the side of the drive. After voters parked their cars, the only way down to the sidewalk was past this gauntlet. My candidate was with me the whole time, which made my job easier as I just had to say good morning/afternoon, ask them to support my candidate and then thank folks for voting as they left. How the voters responded which was so interesting. Some smiled and made eye contact. Others acted like you were invisible. Some even gave the whatever 'hand'! Most were gracious, took the literature and moved along. Civility reigned among the various candidates on hand.

Today is book sort day at the library. The store will also need stocking. Then I am headed east over to the hubby's office. We are going to AAA to get our internat'l driver's permits and do lunch.

Tonight, if the rain holds off, middle kid has a soccer game. Youngest kid has his school open house. I think the oldest has the night off!

I've been able to do three of the writing exercises now...pretty neat how a prompt can stick a whole scene in my wee noggin.

randomness

Had a ball visiting with Kim yesterday at B&N. She never fails to offer me some nuggets of wisdom, some encouragment and more than a few good laughs.

The oldest rocked it out on the field Saturday afternoon and stopped a PK late in the first half, which kept the other team scoreless, which then allowed us to clinch the JV cup. You go, girl.

The youngest went with his dad to hawk Tootsie Rolls for the K of C and did an awesome job.

The middle kid learned a move at skills camp yesterday allowing her to fake out defenders in a
new way.

I'm over halfway finished with The Heretic Queen. Amazing how Ms. Moran can bring ancient Egypt to life and make it seem so contemporary while keeping it so authentic.

The pantry is getting really bare, so I need to do some grocery shopping. I'm supposed to train volunteers for the bookstore today and hope no one shows up so I can get that errand done.

I'm also going to take Kim's advice and start 'priming' the creative well with ten minute writing workouts. Hope I can clear out some of the rust and get back to the clear, crisp word flow that lurks somewhere inside, I hope.

drawing a blank

The article about Charlaine Harris is in our local paper today and I am quoted, but the hour long interview boiled down to one small sentence. So is life......I need to email the reporter and compliment her on the article. It was well done and the cartoon of Ms. Harris was adorable.

I'm off to sort books, run errands and such today. Beyond that I really need to get back to writing. I miss it. I miss the time to create. I miss my characters, because I sort of like them. So maybe today when I get home, before the kids start rolling in and we have to get ready for two soccer games, I can open at least one of those word documents and rediscover my stories.

okay, you can stop now

Whatever little black cloud has decided to settle over my family and send down nastiness...to you I say 'shoo....you can stop now.'

My mom is back in the hospital. She is having complications from the swelling around the break site. Not good, not good at all.

My aunt, the RN, has been to see my Grandma and although the antibiotics are helping her rally, her congestive heart failure is bad and the stroke they saw on the MRI may be an older one. So, for now, she is awake and able to eat, but the CHF is a major concern.

So, yesterday was a mixed bag. Cautious news on Grandma and bad news on my mom.

On other fronts, I managed to read a bit of Mary Janice Davidson's latest. Interesting developments in that story arc. The cover of this books is substantially different than the rest of the series. This is to reflect a different direction for this new book and the next two. She is doing a trilogy within the series. Pretty nifty idea.....

After I finish this one, I'll start Michelle Moran's latest book. Then after those are returned to the library, I will need to check out a YA series that I asked to be ordered. It is a series aimed towards boys, something that is difficult to find. They are set during Viking times and are chock full of action, tension and a bit of history. More on those to come....

fall break

Fall break is underway for the offspring. We returned from the soccer tournament in decent shape. Just a mild injury, received after the darling middle daughter was given a yellow card. She got far worse than she gave.

Also, I finished the second Aurora T. book I found at the book sale. It is the third book in that series. Now I am hooked and will have to find the rest of those stories.

Bad things always come in threes and after my mom's injury two weekends ago, I learned yesterday upon arriving home that my 94 year old grandmother is in the hospital intensive care. I spoke with my aunt for a while and grandma is showing a bit of improvement today, but it could still go either way. When you are 94, you are living the last moments of life daily. I'm hoping for the best. That may mean telling her goodbye. She is a vibrant woman and often told us she didn't want to live to see 100. She may decide it is time to go.

So, I'm sad but in a weird way, happy for her. She may get to go out on her own terms. For a lady who raised six kids on a coal miner's pay in the foothills of Pennsylvania, she's done well in so many ways.

books

I don't have a problem throwing out or recycling old books. Some folks, however, will keep a book even if the pages are yellow with age, the spine has lost its glue and mold is growing on the cover. In our Friends group you either fall into my camp or you fall into the 'keep it all' camp. Makes for interesting days at the library when we sort donations.

I spent yesterday working on sorting guidelines after I composed a press release for the store's first anniversary.

Even though I checked out some new books, I had to finish the Aurora Teagarden book I started. I just thoroughly enjoy Charlaine Harris' writing and these cozy mysteries are such a treat.

Today I need to finish cleaning. My mother in law flies in this afternoon. I need to pack for the weekend's soccer tournament. I need to grocery shop for a few things so the hubby and the kids who are staying home can eat while I'm gone.

Enjoy the weekend.

all the news that is fit to print

First off, my mom is doing better. Yeah. Doesn't look like they need or want me to come and help. For now, the two of them are tackling this injury in good form.

My family tree maker software arrived while we were gone last weekend and I spent the last two days learning how to use it and have started to input the information I had discovered last spring. Looks like I will get the Christmas presents done after all.

Still no writing, but I was in the library yesterday to drop off kids for the teen board and discovered they'd just set out a new shipment of books. Wahoooo. I found Michelle Moran's "The Heretic Queen" and Mary J. Davidson's "Undead and Uneasy." Add those two titles to the bedside stack, but I better read fast, they are only 14 day checkouts.

No writing or editing and for now, that is just fine. I do have to knock out a press release for the Friends and the bookstore. The store is one year old this week and we are celebrating our accomplishments.

Seems the rain has moved out and sunny skies are in the forecast, in more ways than one.

today's agenda

Mother Nature has finally provided some liquid nourishment. We needed rain and I hope it keeps coming today. Bone dry around here.

Speaking of bones, my mom is home and resting. The next 8 weeks will be hard for her and my dad. He will be the care giver and while he has many wonderful attributes, domestic talents are not included. I've offered to fly out for a bit, but she wants to see how the next several days go before we set something like that up. She knows how chaotic our family's schedule is and I think she is reluctant to take me up on the offer.

My family tree maker disk/program arrived and I really need to start inputting all the information I compiled. This is the Christmas present I'm planning to give my side of the family.

I haven't written in the wips in so long I think I've forgotten how. They are always grumbling in my head, but I don't have the creative juices at the moment or the energy to tackle either of them. This fall has been so hit or miss. Not at all what I expected, hoped, planned.

Last night I started one of Charlaine Harris' mystery books featuring Aurora Teagarden, the murder solving librarian. I found books 2 and 3 at the book sale and brought them home. I'll have to go back and read book 1 at a later date.

telling stories

Last spring I got sucked into the world of genealogy. I spent hours each day sifting through ancestry.com in search of my 'roots'. It was a blast. It was a compulsion. It finally faded. Until now....I just ordered family tree maker 2009 from the website. I do have a plan, you see. I'm going to organize all the information I gathered and put it in this program, print it out and give it as Christmas gifts to my parents and brother. I've only worked on my side of the tree, but I do plan on working on the hubby's side at some point.

Beyond telling family stories, I also need to get back to my fictional stories. Hasn't been a good week for that. I've not been home for any significant length of time. Perhaps today will be better.