Hide

“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.”

—Harper Lee

       I read my last post and feel like a different person wrote it.  This isn’t an unfamiliar feeling.  Any writer knows that with great hope comes the eventual loss of hope. 

One positive piece of news can make a day.

One negative feedback can break a day.

       For me, it seems to be coming from all fronts. I apply for jobs, many through schoolspring.com.  Sometimes, I get an email that an employer has read my resume (hope).  Sometimes, I get an email that the position has been filled (loss of hope). 

       I spent much of Sunday applying for non-teaching jobs.  I’m still applying for teaching and even better paying instructional aide jobs.  What is one qualified for (other than teaching) with a History B.A. and M.A.? I worked at GEICO full time, and then part time during grad school, but that was a long time ago.  I hope to find a position in education, so maybe there will be some more vacation time for me to spend with my kids.  I’ll miss the summer. That is, if I get a job. At least my last job is waiting for me.

Then there’s writing…

I’ve sent 10 queries.

I’ve received 2 rejections.

 Vine Leaves Literary Journal  accepted my poem for their July issue. (YaY!)

       In the midst of that happiness, I received 2 bits of negative writing feedback, so the brief moment in the sun became a tsunami.

I feel like hiding.

I’m tired of saying I’m a teacher who isn’t teaching.

I’m tired of saying I’m a writer who isn’t published.

Small pieces.

But no BIG BOOKS.

       Since summer began, I’ve been devoting lots of time to editing.  I plan to have 2 more projects to query by end of summer. 

Too bad the story of my life is… the best laid plans.

Depressed yet? 

I’m leaving us with some inspirational quotes.  We could use them about now.

“When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.”
—Stephen King, WD

“Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there’s an explosion—that’s Plot.”
—Leigh Brackett, WD

“Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.”
—Larry L. King, WD

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
—Ernest Hemingway

“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”
—George Orwell

“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.”
—Philip Roth

Okay, maybe not all inspirational.

What do you do to keep a thick hide?

Naked Ambition

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he falls while daring greatly.  So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory no defeat.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Here’s what I’ve been up to in my writing life:

Naked Eye

I’ve never worked this hard on a query. Never worked this hard on a manuscript.

Never had a manuscript make it this far in ABNA (though it was cut for quarterfinals).

Since then, I’ve had 1 more writer look at the query. Had 4 more writers look at the manuscript.  It hasn’t been polished—it’s been scoured. 

Now I’m querying the editor and agent who requested partials, along with the other editors and agents who attended the conference. 5 out so far. More to follow.

Project X

I completed the rough draft 2 weeks ago at 60k.  Revisions began yesterday.  Soon enough I’ll be looking for readers. 

The query + 9 pages were critiqued at the NE-SCBWI conference in April.  The editor thought the manuscript had a good voice, and there was a market for it.  She gave me some direction, which I incorporated. Best of all, she thought the query was solid.  This is crazy 1 person looked at it besides me, and I didn’t revise it that many times.  Could it be I’ve finally figured out how to write a decent query? 

Time will tell.

100RPM


Aubrie Dionne                                      
 
is hosting me on her blog today to tell about 100RPM.  
For details, PLEASE VISIT! 

Writers, where are you in your writing life? 

Wherever you are, I hope you’re victorious.

P.S. My friend Brigid 

has a wonderful piece in a contest. 

Please read her  ENTRY. 

If you like it…  VOTE!

Surrender

“Art is nothing but the expression of our dream; the more we surrender to it the closer we get to the inner truth of things, our dream-life, the true life that scorns questions and does not see them.”

Franz Marc

I decided to write a post about a time I didn’t surrender.

It’s for the release of  Elana Johnson's 

new book Surrender. 

The problem is…

I’m not fiction.

I’m real.

What insurmountable odds have I faced and overcome?

What dramatic showdown occurred where I prevailed?

What antagonist did I battle with…

You get the idea. 

Most of us fight smaller fights.

I try not to compare myself with others.

Their successes are not my failures.

My successes are not their failures.

It’s best to focus on me.

I can dwell on what I haven’t

Accomplished.

Beat myself up.

But there is--

a house to handle,

children to cherish,

a husband to hug,

students to school, 

family and friends.

So I keep moving forward--

Work,

School,

Writing. 

I face my demons everyday. 

I won’t give up.

For if I surrender,

I won’t succeed.

Surrender is available TODAY: 

The thrilling and seductive sequel to Possession puts love on the line in a dystopian struggle for independent thought.

Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

     Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

     All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn.

     Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque…. 

Get your copy today!

Barnes & Noble

Hastings

Powell's 

Amazon

Kindle

Nook

BAM

Walmart Online

Simon & Schuster

Moving, 100 RPM and Nik Kershaw

“Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

― Albert Einstein

       I’m moving this weekend.  Actually, I feel like I’ve been moving for months.  We began cleaning out old stuff many weeks ago.  We’ve been packing for over a month.  We’ve been shuttling boxes and unpacking for 2 weeks.  This weekend is the final move.

I’m exhausted.

       Buying the house has been wonderful and stressful.  When my kids worry, I feel terrible.  Knowing our monthly mortgage will be higher than before gives both my husband and me anxiety.  He feels the burden as practically the sole financial partner in our relationship.  I feel the guilt as practically a zero financial partner in our relationship. 

And the job hunt continues, so I hope to soon be a better financial contributor.

       Unless any agents/publishers reading this want to get/send me that big advance, so I can start living the writing life.  I have all these new sunny rooms in which to write.  I’m getting a desk too.  This is serious commitment to a writing space.

       While I’ve been busy with moving, working, and job searching, I’ve let blogging slide a little in favor of writing. (Sorry!)  Last Friday, I completed a 70k YA manuscript.  And the manuscript that didn’t make it to the quarterfinals of ABNA is about to be queried. 

Oh, and I have little piece of fiction being e-published. 

 Caroline Smailes  is the brainchild of 100 RPM, a collection of 100 flash fiction stories inspired by music.  My piece is called “Violet’s Hill”, which is inspired by the song Violet Hill by Coldplay.

And guess what?

THE Nik Kershaw has written the introduction.  Yeah, THAT Nik Kershaw. 

Best of all the $ (after Amazon's cut) will be going to the charity  One in Four!

This organization is a registered charity, which provides support and resources to people who have experienced sexual abuse and sexual violence.

You can support a worthy cause. 

Amazon US for $1.55

Amazon UK for 1.02 

Facebook Page 

P.S.  Old Kitty has a story included too.  She’s the one who told me about the call for stories.  Thanks, Old Kitty! 

How do you find balance?

How do you keep moving forward?

Fabric of Poetry

I once heard the quote: Poetry is the celebration of language.  How true.  The beats, alliterations, and rhymes poets create from the words of their language are not easily translated.

Poetry used to intimidate me. How was I qualified to decide what was “good”?  I took a poetry course this spring, which taught me techniques poets use.  Here’s a definition the instructor provided:

Poetry is

The considered, deliberate use of

Words-

            Their rhymes,

                            sounds,

                              meanings,

                                    associations,

                                                  implications,

even their arrangement on the

                        page!-

                             to create intellectual and

            emotional effects

in the reader/listener.

He said a good poem should need to be read more than once to cull meaning, but one should get something from the initial reading.  Poets should strike a balance between packing a lot of meaning versus being too vague. 

The course introduced me to many styles of and much wonderful poetry.  I’ve become more comfortable reading, appreciating, and even writing poems. 

The internet and self-publishing have made it easier for poets to get their work out there (as poetry is a hard sell to traditional publishers).  Today I have musician, author, cool gal, and poet—

Jessica Bell!

Jessica says:
My poetry will not baffle you with phrasing that scholars award for academic genius and that can only be understood by those who wrote it. My poetry is for the everyday reader. In fact, it is even for those who don’t like to read poetry at all. Because it is real, stark and simple.

The poems in Fabric are no different. They explore specific moments in different people’s lives that are significant to whom they have become, the choices they’ve made. It’s about how they perceive the world around them, and how each and every one of their thoughts and actions contributes to the fabric of society. Perhaps you will even learn something new about yourself.


Are you still here? I hope so!

Please support the life of poetry today by spreading the news about Fabric. Hey, perhaps you might even like to purchase a copy for yourself? The e-book is only $1.99 and the paperback $5.50.

Here are the links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Goodreads

Let's keep poetry alive! 

About Jessica Bell:

If Jessica Bell could choose only one creative mentor, she’d give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. And not because she currently lives in Greece, either. The Australian-native author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist has her roots firmly planted in music, and admits inspiration often stems from lyrics she’s written.

She is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and co-hosts the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek Isle of Ithaca, with Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest.

For more information about Jessica Bell, please visit:

Website:

String Bridge (a novel) 
Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop 
Blog 
Vine Leaves
Facebook
Twitter

Fracture and Fortitude

Isn’t this a gorgeous cover?

       A subject many women don’t talk about, but have experienced, is a miscarriage.  Susan Oloier has written a novel, Fractured, which tackles this difficult and painful topic.

       Even if you miscarry after knowing about your pregnancy for only a week or two, it’s still devastating.  For those who want to have a baby, that wonderful potential to bring a human being into the world is lost in an instant.  All that hope… vanished.  And if the pregnancy lasts longer—near the second trimester—women experience labor and heavy bleeding.  Many wind up in the emergency room.  That’s what happened to me. 

       I’ve never written publically about my miscarriage.  I don’t think I’m ready to provide the details even though it was 11 years ago.  A year later, almost to the day, I gave birth to my daughter, who’s about to turn 10.  I know that I wouldn’t have her.  The lovely girl I know wouldn’t exist if I’d had that baby.  But it doesn’t take away the physical and mental anguish of that day, which I still remember in vivid detail.  I’d never been so alone. 

Someday I’ll be brave enough to share my story.

Like Susan was brave enough to use her losses to write her novel.

But her book is about more than miscarriage:

"When Anna Kincaid has a miscarriage, her world comes crashing to a halt. Grief overwhelms her life, and she combats it with prescription medication. Her husband Lloyd does not see the event as tragic. In fact, not ready to be a father, he is relieved at the news. This creates a chasm in their marriage and splits them apart. Both Anna and Lloyd find themselves moving in different directions. Anna finds hope in a young, male colleague named Ben and comfort in her narcotics. Lloyd loses himself in work. Will their marriage survive the miscarriage, or will it always remain fractured?"

Susan Oloier’s book is available:

Smashwords 

and

Amazon 

Leave a comment and be entered to win a copy of the ebook Fractured.  Leave a link about where you shared it (Twitter, Facebook, etc) and you’ll be receive extra entries.

Good luck!

You can visit Susan at her  BLOG. 

Slipstream

How cool is this graphic?

       Michael Offutt is a good blogging friend of mine.  I enjoy reading every word of his posts.  Besides being an engaging writer, he’s a talented artist.  His debut book, Slipstream, has just been released by Double Dragon, which might be the coolest name for a publisher.  Michael has taken over my blog to give marketing/Photoshop tips.

Because writers need to do so much of their own marketing, I feel that investing in a little program called Adobe Photoshop Elements can really pay off. This program is less than $100, and I’ve been able to make my own gifs, make my blog look nice, and draw some of the characters that I have running around in my head.

Embedded with this post is my first attempt at making a gif. I think it turned out pretty good. The boy is how I picture Jordan looking in my head (random trivia…Theresa also likes the name ‘Jordan’) , and I tried really hard to make him look seventeen and not like the actors who are 27 years old playing teenagers on Glee.

All I did was watch a YouTube tutorial and it was simple. I made three layers in Photoshop, simplified them with a right click, and then saved it for the web which automatically launches a gif panel where you can view it.

It really is that easy. We may be writers, but we are also artists. The right tools can make all the difference.

I have a contest for the release of my book.  I will pick one random person who comments on this post to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card and a SLIPSTREAM jeweled spider (the same person wins both prizes). The jeweled spider really sparkles in the sunlight. I hope whoever wins it really likes it. Also, please make sure that your email is linked to your signature in some way J. And yes, the crystal spiders play an important role in my book.

Rules:

1)     Mark my book “To Read” on Goodreads.

2)     Comment on this post.

3)     Tweet this post if you have twitter. You don’t have to sign-up for twitter. It’s the “honor” system. J

That’s it. I will choose a winner on Saturday, May 19^th.  And thank you, Theresa, for having me on your fine blog.

Links:

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble 

Goodreads