Peace Within

There sure is a lot of trouble in the world. Finances are a mess in every country. We are getting use to the devastastion of war, earthquakes, and famine. The recent disaster in Japan has us wondering who will be next. We long for peace: World Peace, Peace in our government, Peace in our Homes, Peace in our Hearts.

A friend sent me this thought this morning and I felt it was worth sharing. I do not know who the author is.

"Today, may there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith, in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself, just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

Have a peaceful day.

Linda Garner

YESSSSSSSSSSS!!! I have a book contract!

YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!  I have a book contract!

I am very excited, if you couldn’t tell. I just received a book contract. I’ve been walking around on cloud nine for the last few days. I didn’t really believe that it would happen, and maybe I still don’t.

I had a great time celebrating with my family. We are all so happy. It’s wonderful to be surrounded by those who love you and are happy when you are happy.

But then reality set in. I had ten days to get marketing ideas, a cover blurb, a synopsis, study questions, pictures I wanted in the book and a bibliography – along with hard copies of the copyright page and the quoted page to the editor. They also wanted a hard copy of the manuscript and an electronic one. Oh, I forgot, my picture for the book jacket also.

I felt a huge relief to have that done, but I am still so jazzed I can hardly stand it. I’ve worked for years to get to this point. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family. They are wonderful. Also, my critique groups ‘kick me up the side of the head’ when I need it. I’d NEVER be to this point without them. (Plus, several of us have book contracts and we are soooooooooooo thrilled for each other)

Okay, here’s my message for the day: IF I CAN DO THIS, ANYONE CAN. I know from my writing groups that I’m not the most talented writer in the world. The thing that I am is a hard worker. If you work hard, you’ll get there, too. So, here’s to you and your success. May it be as great as mine!

Christy

Feeling Rebellious I tell ya!

I'm feeling a little rebellious this week.

Serious. I ate a whole bag of chocolate chips to prove it.

So I'm unplugging. Getting some of that treadmill loving in my life. Plus I have to prepare a lesson I'm giving this week and having a hard time finding any time.

Which brings me to lesson 2  from LTUE.

Take time for yourself.

We writers seem to eat, sleep, and dream about our stories and characters. Sometimes it helps the creative process to take a break (or eat a bag of chocolate chips...).

So, I'm taking a break and hope to be better next week. What are your thoughts on breaking from writing for a while? Does it help you?

Celebrate

Today is a wonderful day to celebrate. Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. How cool is that? Do something fun to celebrate, and be kind to all the beautiful women in your life.

In honor of the beautiful women in my life, I would love to share some inspirational videos with you. Here are the links. Enjoy. Think beautiful thoughts.

The Evolution of Beauty

Operation Beautiful

The One Flaw in Women

You are beautiful. Have a beautiful day.

Linda Garner

Getting Lost

Getting Lost

When you sit down to write, do you ever get lost in your manuscript? Well, I do. As you know from last week, sometimes I’m arguing with my main character. Other times I’m lost in the sensory aspects of the scene. I can feel the breeze in my face, smell the ocean, squish the sand beneath my feet, etc.

When the phone rings or something else pulls me from my reverie, it’s jarring for a minute. I have to remember where my place in the world is – what I’ve got to do. Does that irritate you? Well, it does me at times.

After I’ve had a stretch of ‘getting lost,’ I feel high – like a runner’s high. What a wonderful experience to be lost in your head. I love doing it.

Again, it comes back to that ‘crazy thing.’ Maybe I am really crazy. When I’m 101 years old and my grandkids come to see me, they’ll just say. “There’s grandma doing that crazy thing of hers again.”

It’s a great way to live, isn’t it? Wouldn’t change it for the world!

Christy

The First 13 Lines

Photobucket

One of the best classes I attended at LTUE was “Lucky 13” presented by Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury (who…may I say, totally knows her stuff—she moderates the Hatrack River Writers Workshop and Orson Scott Card’s website—click here or here and even here).

She had five (very brave) writer’s share the first 13 lines of their work with the class. We then tore it apart. Just kidding! (Did I freak you out a little?) 

But we did analyze the lines.

Just the first 13…because that is all the chance you may have with an agent.

She asked:

Do you understand what is going on (what the story is about? What the character’s problem is?)

Do you care (I mean, really…who wants to read a story when we don’t care about the mc)?

Do you want to keep reading?

As we continued to listen to the five brave souls, I noticed that a great first line hook is every important to a book. Check out a few well written books from the library and just read the first line. (I just finished both Speak & Fahrenheit 451. Great first lines.) What do they promise the reader?

Plus, please no flashbacks or info dumps. That is guaranteed to turn off your reader. (I have a book on my shelf completely devoted to a fantastic info dump in its first chapter. I couldn’t tell you about the rest of the book, because I stopped reading. The info dump was that good.)

Also, please just get to the meat of the story. We need to know why you started where you did. What is different in your character’s life at this moment?  We don’t care about the sunny picnic, we want the picnic ruined with rain and the swarm of ants.

I’m sure there was more to the class, but these were the things that stood out to me. Do you have any other suggestion? 

What do you look for in  the first 13 lines?

Only a Crazy Person Would Write

I’ve decided. It’s insane to be a writer. Really. It takes over your life.

It keeps me from making my bed and getting the dishes done. I plan my life around critique groups and writers conferences. I check my email more often than I wash my hands. It’s crazy.

It changes the way I read. I can’t just enjoy a book. I analyze it. What was the author thinking when he wrote this? What makes this dialogue work? What clues did the author plant to help me solve the mystery, or throw me off the track. Why does this setting feel familiar? It’s nuts.

I’ll let you in a secret. The real reason I write is…. (drumroll, please) I write for the money. NOT. I hope you got a good laugh out of that one. After careful (not) calculations, I have discovered that I make about ten cents an hour. Or is it five cents an hour? It’s bizarre.

Why the heck do I write,then? Just because I love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else. It's Unbelievable.

I am crazy. Crazy about words, crazy about writing, crazy about books. Crazy.

Don't you agree? Only a crazy person would write.

Linda Garner