October 30, 2013 Everybody wants me...or at least they want my money!

A few days ago, I put out a few queries and now, my email box is inundated with all manner of offers!  One wants to talk to me about their self-publishing services.  Another wants to offer me a class that will "guarantee" I'll make 6 figures doing copy writing, and still have plenty of time to work on my own projects.  Yet another wants to invite me to a writer's conference while the price is still 50% off!

The skeptic in me wonders if they really want to help me succeed or if they are simply desirous of parting me from my hard earned coin?  (and yes, I'm leaning heavily towards the latter!). 

I'm sure there are some folks out there who are not only honest and reputable, but really do deliver on their promises, but how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? 

Those of us who are just venturing out into the world, unwrapping the babies we've penned over the years and wondering whether to allow them to attempt to fly, or to just wrap them back up in their protective covering and shield them from life's pitfalls and pratfalls.

For the moment, I haven't any warm, fuzzy feelings towards anyone offering me something...for a price.  It's not that I expect something for nothing, but I am definitely one to stand clear of those who email blast or hard sell.

Is it too much to ask that, just as we writers do our research, so, too, should those who are propositioning us with offers of the moon and stars?  The very least they should do is read some of what we've written, especially if it is so easily accessible via our blogs, before making promises they really don't know if they can keep.  Maybe my style would be appropriate for what they're offering (and yes, I'd like them to give me some examples) and maybe it wouldn't.  But the last thing I need is for someone to blow smoke up my a$$ when it's clear to me that they are really just trying to make a buck. 

To put it clearly and succinctly, tell me the truth, or take your business elsewhere. :)


Write on!

October 29, 2013 Off to a slow start

I realize this blog is off to a bit of a slow start, but I'm trying to keep it for writing related posts.  As I'm back to work this week, there hasn't been much writing going on, aside from my blogs, so that leaves little to add here for now.  But stay tuned.  The momentum will be building in the next few weeks, and soon, I'll probably be writing more than you want to read!

Write On!

October 27, 2013 And the survey says...

Here's a question for my blogger friends:

Do you find that you get more hits if you:

1. Post several short posts a day
2. Post one long post each day
3. Post one short post each day
4. None of the above (in which case, please specify)

Thanks!

October 23, 2013 And so it begins

Someone suggested I check out the Plot Whisperer in my quest for information.  Her blog, here on Blogger, led me to a YouTube series she'd created to walk people through creating a story.  So, here I am, on lesson 3 and the ideas are starting to flow.  Maybe not the makings of the Great American Novel, but, if nothing else, getting those writing muscles working in a somewhat meaningful flow.

Stay tuned, as I'll start reporting my progress here (once I see it as real progress) over the next month or two.  This will really be the first time I focused my efforts on something other than my book about my parents' suicides, and onto something purely imaginary.  Those muscles are telling me that they've been itching to be stretched!

So far, I've gotten through the third lesson, and I seem to be writing more and more with each lesson.  Could it be that I'll have a first draft by the end of December?  (sooner, if things go as planned!)

Until then, more writing, more research and more learning!  Woo hoo!

Write on!!!

October 22, 2013 Have you ever noticed...

I experienced an interesting, albeit, far from unusual phenomenon yesterday.  I put out a lot of feelers with regard to publishing companies, writers' workshops and the like, and guess what?  My email box is suddenly filled with offers to sell me stuff!!!

For a nominal fee, I can do everything from learn how to turn my blog into a book (only one?  is my first thought), self-publish (prices range from wanting to publish something just for friends and family all the way up to New York Times bestseller list), or have my manuscript professionally edited.  Were I not such a cynic, the sudden interest would be overwhelming. 

But I am a cynic, maybe to the extreme, especially when someone offers me a handbook, then sends me a marketing pamphlet claiming to be the most honest and fair purveyor of such services available. 

Do they think I was born yesterday???  This is an age of readily available information.  It would take very little effort on my part to unearth arguments for both sides of their claim!  Certainly, I would have to judge each evaluation as well as the number of evaluations for each side of the argument, but frankly, if I were considering spending more than a couple of hundred dollars for something, you'd better believe I'd do my research!!!  Especially if it involves achieving my dreams!!!

I suppose they wouldn't make their claims if they didn't, to some degree, follow W.C. Fields' belief that "there's a sucker born every minute." and, in fact, be lining their pockets with more than a few of those suckers.

I'm sure there are a lot of us out there who fancy ourselves writers, and many who are willing to plop down a couple of grand to get their "baby" in print, so, like everything else, there is a place for this type of service. 

I'm not ruling out the idea of self-publishing and, in fact, will probably consider it seriously for my first offering, but I may be in the minority who don't want to just get their name in print so they can say they have.  I truly want to put out a quality product that people will buy, appreciate, share and recommend.  I want to put something out there which will make people say "Wow!  This is amazing!  I can't wait for her next one!"

High aspirations?  Maybe.  But I guess I'm getting a little heady, as I'm discovering that people have been reading my first blog, and reading it on a regular basis!  I may be a simple girl with simple thoughts, but I'm finding that people actually relate to those simple thoughts, and take something away with them when they read my words!

I've always been awed by the likes of Mercedes Lackey and Anne McCaffrey in their ability to create fantasy worlds which pull me in and make me love and hate their characters and what they represent.  I pore over the characterizations of Bradbury and Asimov, and Heinlein's creative brain has often challenged me to follow where his words take me.  Nora Roberts' ability to completely shift gears and be a different author completely has set the stage for seeing possibilities in the different genres I have attempted.

My "leisure" time is more often spent reading or writing these days, though I have to admit my one television addiction is "Castle".    (and only a small part of that is how easy Nathan Fillion is on the eyes!)  I'm enthralled by watching how his mind works to create scenarios from a few random facts. 

So while I continue to work in fits and starts on a book about my experience with certain traumatic life events, another part of me has pulled out the book I wrote for my kids so many years ago, with thoughts of giving it a facelift and illustrations.  Meanwhile, the search for one thing has led to the discovery of many others, not to mention some pretty stunning surprises. 

As if it wasn't enough to learn from someone who was there that I declared my intention to be a writer at the tender age of 10, I now find that the place in which I currently find myself is also a reprise dating back nearly 20 years!

My first thought, of course, was, "What the hell took you so long?"   Which is quickly followed by the most honest answer I have.  "Fear".

It takes a tremendous leap of faith and a Fool's complete trust that everything will turn out even better than expected to do a complete shift of gears at any point in one's life, but to do so in this place where I am now, with a mortgage and car payment, animals who depend on me, that proverbial bird in the hand...

This is quickly followed by a question of my dedication and commitment, despite the fact that I wake up earlier these days, perform my morning medicating and feeding, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down at the computer to research or write pretty regularly, often at the expense of chores and errands. 

Even yesterday, I got so wrapped up in researching resources for my new career path that it was nearly 4:00 by the time I finally went out to get gas and food for the week!  (and let me tell you, after 4:00 on a Monday is NOT the time to try to hit Trader Joe's and Costco!  They are both filled with harried, stay at home moms and dads who just want to get their errands run before they have a million other things demanding their attention!)

And yet, the errands were run, the laundry done and the dishwasher running before I went to sleep last night, so, in my own small way, I guess I have it in me to juggle it all even as "all" means just me and the cats. 

As I sit here spilling my guts yet again, I'm thinking "But in all of those hours, I didn't write anything!"  

The other side of my brain chimes in, "Are you freaking kidding me???  What about the three blog posts you put out yesterday, including two on a brand, new blog which took some time to set up???  Just because none of it was a best selling novel does not mean you didn't write!  From where I sit, putting some words on the page is writing!  If nothing else, you are practicing your craft each and every day!"

Oh great! Now, not only am I getting head slaps from the Universe, my own brain is duking it out!    I feel like I should be saying "Uncle!" at this point!!!

On top of it all, I started watching a writing seminar on YouTube and have been tasked with a very simple project:  determine what it is my character wants.  So far, I've thought of and tossed out a whole bunch of ideas, each one, seemingly, more boring and trite than the last!!!

At long last, I have a start.  It doesn't have to be the final answer, but for now, I'll just go with my character wanting a more exciting life, and see where I go from there.  (if nothing else, it opens up a lot of opportunity for the poor character to get knocked all over hell and back!  Heinlein's "Job" springs to mind here!)

As the idea above came to me from sitting here, typing out my thoughts, I guess cranky brain is right.  Writing is writing, and it gets those old creative juices flowing.

It seems that this new blog is going to be where I do a lot of my brain dumps and creative brainstorming sessions from here on out, leaving the original one for inspiration, gratitude and the like.  I rather like the idea of separating the two at this point. 

And so I say, "Write on!"

October 21, 2013 Blowing my mind!

This may be a day of multiple posts as I not only look into writing groups, seminars, workshops and resources, but also search my own archives.

Years ago, I wrote a story about a mouse named Frederick for my daughters, but when my external hard drive crashed last year, I no longer had it on my computer.  Knowing that at some point in my infinite wisdom, I'd actually saved it to disk, I went in search of the story.  What I found completely blew me away!  Not only did I find two versions of the story I'd written in about 1992, but I found two versions of what I would have called a "brain dump" at the time in which I just threw my deepest, darkest feelings onto the computer screen, and what I found completely blew me away with the most incredible sense of both "deja vu" and "what the hell has taken me so long to get back here!" I've ever experienced.  I'm going to copy and past the first one, simply entitled "Ramblin" as an example of really coming full circle! 

I have not edited this, and know there are a number of errors, but it is the content which currently has my head reeling!!! 

Feel free to comment.


                                                             Ramblin:  A Mild Rant by Sheri Levenstein

It wasn’t easy getting started.  Heaven only knew how many times she’d tried.  But, something told her that, this time, unlike so many times before, was the turning point she sought.  Could it have been the words of encouragement?  The easy camaraderie of those who had been there, who had come through, a little the worse for wear, perhaps, but they’d found their niche.  Or, was it just that she’d finally had enough of the stereotypical, nine to five lifestyle she’d always hated?  Whatever the reason or cause, here she finally was, poking away at the keyboard, writing anything that came into her head.  (did I say “poking”?  since when was this finger-flying blur across the keyboard ever considered “poking”?  co-workers had repeatedly commented on how quickly her fingers tapped out her thoughts from cubicles <shudder!> on either side.  Now, as the brain is engaged and flying, that little trick born of laziness, of course, was going to come in very handy!  So here she sits, alternately massaging the keys and munching on leftover chocolate bars (for inspiration, of course!) hoping for that one, truly marketable little ditty to flow from the brain, into the fingers, and, finally, onto the screen.  And, while typing and munching, she ponders such unrelated concepts as “why is the damn screen so white” and, “what shall I do for the week I have nobody to take care of except myself and assorted cats” (as one of the group sends out her mating call, yet again, to all of the male cats in the neighborhood who will continue to nurse their frustration through the unbreachable fortress of this small tract house in the middle of one of the last vestiges of suburbia.)  Yes, there are lots of words out there, so many in print, and somebody  got paid to put them together into something resembling sense.  So, if somebody has to get paid for the words, why is it always somebody else?  Why is she sitting here, tapping away, and getting nowhere she wants to be?  Is life to be a never-ending stream of office cubicles, uncooperative computers and even less cooperative corporate climbers?  And, the answer comes back a resounding NO!  This is NOT  how it was meant to be!!!  What kind of example are we setting for our children??  To accept less then the best?  To settle?????  To be happy we have as much as we do????  Bullshit!!!  How can we tell our kids to reach for the stars while showing them quite the opposite???  How can we make them understand that the only limitations they have are self-imposed, if we continue to make excuses for attempting to be what we really want to be???  Who created these silly, superficial molds anyway????  What happened ot our idealism?  Does it have to be lost in a morass of bills, and stuff???  We send our children out into the world ill-prepared for what they’ll really face, so why do we protect ourselves so well.  A wise person said (on another subject, but it is fitting here too) you can shield yourself behind walls to protect yourself from getting hurt, but, you also keep yourself shielded from a lot of good things.  So, the first little bird you send out has a hard time, and falls from the nest a time or twelve?  But, the second little bird maybe only stumbles 10 times, and, finally, there’s that little bird who leaps from the nest, and flies right into the arms of someone who says “why, you are a delightful little bird!!!  I want everyone to be able to see you and exclaim over your charm and wit, and beautiful plumage! “  And now, your confidence his shored up, and you begin sending more little birds out into the no longer cold and unforgiving world!  Some come back, a little the worse for wear, but so many come back, shining and gay and happy and full of new ideas and new inspiration.  And  now, you’ve created your own flock, and your flock is bringing happiness to others, and inspiration to others to go out and create their own flocks.  And now, your words to your children are no longer hypocritical, and they see that they CAN do whatever they want to do, and do it well.  And maybe they won’t wait quite as long as you did, nor require quite as much courage, nor fear rejection as you have.  Maybe they’ll see rejection as a challenge to do better, to climb higher, to show the nay sayers that the only ones they limit are themselves!  This is the message we want to send.  This is the time to stop sending conflicting signals and to give the human race a much needed slap in the face to wake itself up to what it is doing ot future generations.  Do we really want our children to strive to be the next Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton or Newt Gingrich (and, what kind of mother would name her child after a part of a witches incantation anyway???).  To leave their mark on the world by inflicting pain and suffering on so many?  To learn how to use magician’s tricks to divert attention from the real issues so they can achieve personal prosperity while divorcing themselves from self-respect?  I don’t know about the rest of the world, but, I’d rather my children be poor and loved because of their giving nature, albeit without letting people take advantage of that nature, than to be rich and considered a blemish on society because they have so much power that they can make people do their bidding.

Idealistic?  Maybe so.  But , doesn’t it require more than a little idealism to accept the fact that the socially accepted way of keeping a roof over your head just isn’t what really makes you happy?  Why must we toil away at something which leaves so much of our spirit unfed?  Why must we continually search for what is right in front of our face? Why push aside the true self because it’s “too hard to make a living that way”?  And, who is to say it’s too late?  What is too late?  Life is too, damned short!!!  We are too accepting of OJ and Bosnia and Newt and Clinton and  poorly mainteined equipment that kills children and gangs and haves and have nots and helping every goddamned impoverished or power mad country on the planet because we fear we won’t be “liked”!  So what??  I DON”T want to please everyone!  I DON’T want to make everyone happy!!!  I want to make me happy because, you know what?  When I’m happy, everyone around me is happy!!!  I don’t have to give up my ideals.  In fact, in giving up my ideals, I’m taking away my happiness and anyone else who touches me!!!  so, get this, bucko!!!!  I (to quote an overused cliche) AM MAD AS HELL, AND I AIN’T GONNA TAKE IT ANY MORE!!!  It is now the Me generation, and I’m going to make ME happy!!!!!!!

       “I” is dead!!!!  Long live ME!!!!!!!

The only question my battered brain can form at this point is, why has it taken me nearly 20 years to find my way back????

October 21, 2013 Making the commitment

My fingers are numb.  My brain is overwhelmed.  But I feel a sense of relief. 

I've officially committed myself, not to Bellevue, but to the fact that my true passion, my raison d'etre, is to be a writer...nay, that I am a writer.  I am a writer who will, in due time, also be able to call myself that wonderful, amazing, scary-as-hell, beautiful creature:  Author.

It is a true statement for me that I write, therefore I am.  I write as surely as I breathe.  I write and sometimes forget that the body cannot thrive on endless cups of coffee and glasses of water.  I write while absent-mindedly stroking the cat on my desk or the one who is not-so-gently head bonking my leg. 

I write to still my brain for sleep.  I write to record dreams which just won't go away until they are preserved on the page.

I would rather write than do that which I am trained to do and which provides me a reasonably lucrative living. 

For too long, have I stifled this inclination.  For too long have I buried the stories I've imagined, the stories I've written down and shared with but a few.  "For too long" ends right here and right now! 

This is going to be a place where I face my struggles head on.  Where I log the results of my research and seek the experiences of others for help in selecting what will, ultimately be in my best interests.  And here is where the life I was meant to live, both in reality and fantasy, will unfold, as the butterfly unfolds from the chrysalis..as new leaves unfurl under the Springtime sun.  So too, shall my true path unfurl, as beautiful and elegant and unique as any butterfly wing.

Welcome to my Life!