Words, mostly
I have 2 questions:
I’m just curious what people like you and me, bloggers who write and engage for the sake of storytelling, think or know about Patreon. Continue reading “Unpublished author: the working life of a writer”
So. I have bad news about some pieces I submitted. But, that’s ok. I’m going to get myself a long nail and a hammer, so I can start a collection of rejections. Like Stephen King did. He mentioned this in his book On Writing.
So far, 2 of my stories I wrote recently were declined, the other 5 still being reviewed, and the rest ongoing.
Wonder what mom would think if I started hammering nails into walls in her house… 😵 Continue reading “A nail, a hammer, and a bike ride”
Yesterday when the menfolk came to visit us girls at my mom’s place, we got into a conversation about online reviews.
Do you read reviews? Continue reading “Online reviews: are they useful, and do you use them?”
I got derailed this weekend.
When a friend asked me to be a beta reader for some chapters he wrote, and I said yes, I didn’t know it was going to derail me from my own writing.
Except, it didn’t really.
Allow me to explain. Continue reading “Writing catharsis”
As some of you know, I am still She-Shed-less and in dire need of privacy, peace, solitude and a distraction-free space to call my own. As some of you also know, I escaped to mom’s. She has that, and more. ❤ Which is why I can now write a blog post about actual, physical proof that I did something writing related that is not a blog post. Hah.
Yesterday, I submitted a story I wrote years ago to a celebrated online magazine. Continue reading “Writing progress”
Would it surprise you to read I have never listened to a Beyoncé song? I mean, on purpose. Her music is played here and there and everywhere, so she’s kind of hard to miss. 😉
Typically I’m a classic rock kinda gal, with some 80s and 90s soft rock or even a bit of pop thrown in.
I mention Beyoncé because a friend of mine brought her up the other day. Actually, she referred to her as Sasha Fierce. I had to google this name. I didn’t know what she was talking about.
It was within the last year or so I created some mantras as a reminder to stay focused.
I’ve been struggling with focus recently, so I figured a revisit to my mantras was due.
There are two that deserve mention today.
A little while ago I released a short story on this blog as an experiment.
The story Stalemate (part 1) (1200ish words – under 10 minute read) was a stand-alone piece of fiction I created in which I explore character development in a romantic setting. If you’ve read it you will have noticed I deviated away from the standard romance genre…nothing Harlequin about my writing style. ☺
My aim was to write a sexually charged preamble, without actually delving into any sort of resolution. There was no happy ending, no steamy sex, no contact at all.
I wanted to create an introspective analysis of the protagonist as she reacted to a man who causes her much emotional turmoil. Basically, it was (supposed to be) about building tension between the two opposing characters.
I think I succeeded.
It was about a year and a half ago when I wrote extensively about midlife invisibility, seeking self-worth and all sorts of topics on writing including mantras like if not now, when.
I set goals. I set the path toward my goals in motion. I trekked along, tripped and stumbled occasionally, but more or less, things seemed to be propelling forward, albeit at a relatively slow pace.
But still, I could see the path behind me getting a little bit longer every time I looked.
Then, I fell off the proverbial horse. Right into a mud puddle, flanked by dirty snowbanks.
This is where I’m sitting right now, all muddy, wet, cold and uninspired. Unmotivated. Unfulfilled. Continue reading “Flowing words inhibited by distractions”
Imagine a schedule.
Full, full, full.
Headache abounds.
Motivation doesn’t.
Same old. Continue reading “Elusive escape”
