Hey guys, welcome back! I am here trying this Tuesday thing again to see how it goes. From looking at the stats, this seems to be the better day to post (my traditional Friday posts have been slacking big time but that’s ok. I shall keep on trying!
Hope your week is off to a good start. I’ve been dealing with a brutal bout of insomnia myself. I get it at least three times a year anyway, but since healing up from Covid back in March, it has been coming more and more in waves. In this case, my meds have played a factor as well. I’ve been trying to change them up and wean myself off some of them as well. However in doing so, it has caused tremendous pain and lack of sleep. Finally tonight I caved and feel like myself (somewhat) again. Let me be clear, it wasn’t a withdrawal thing and I’m not an addict, I just have a plethora of medical issues that cause incredible pain. Even if I am doing nothing but sitting here breathing, it hurts. I just needed a break. So sick of all the pills. Of course the problem then comes in, without feeling better, my creativity suffers as well.
Case in point…I wrote a chapter last night that I really couldn’t wait to get to. It was a pivotal scene that had been playing in my head for a week and I was so excited for it. However, I was so foggy, tired and uncomfortable, I could barely get through it. I did what I could and then put everything away and tried to go to bed. I thought about it all night, (you know, because I wasn’t sleeping) and even without rereading it, I knew it sucked. I blew right past what was supposed to be an important moment for my characters and did them wrong.
I’ve talked about my writing/editing process here a number of times:
I write a chapter
Next night I read what I wrote the night before, fix it then move on
Write the next chapter
So tonight, after I finish here, I will go back and make sure that the chapter is properly written and the pair are treated much, much better. It’s funny how attached I’ve become to the people I’ve made up. I actually look forward to ‘hanging out’ with them every night. (I really need to get out of the house more.)
Anyway, I am happy to say that even with all this going on, the latest chapter? Is chapter 21! This book has been really taken on its own life and it has been an incredible journey writing this story. Not just the book itself, but documenting it here. I can’t tell if it’s therapeutic or if I’m hoping that someone out there that reads this blog gets that ‘it’s not just me’ moment from it? But it has helped me keep on track and I actually get ideas for the story while I’m typing out my posts. And I’m always so, so grateful to those who come here to read my rambles. I hope that means I’m doing something right!
One thing I’ve been thinking about is changing the name of this site. I had originally chosen CCSocialCreative/Promosocially (my social handle) when I was doing social media management and writing articles on the side. But now the tone has changed significantly and I’m trying to come up with something catchy and that invokes the writing/reading/life stuff spirit. I’ve chosen a few different names but haven’t narrowed it down as of yet. So stay tuned!
And that is where I will leave you for today. I hope that this week brings lots of good stuff, opportunities and something to make you smile. To quote a great ELF: I just like to smile, smiling’s my favorite!
Note, my StuffWeFind links are on there as well. You can find vintage and estate jewelry there which is my main gig. StuffWeMade is packed with my shops that feature my designs on them. Basically, I’m all over the place.
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Hey guys, happy Friday! It’s been a busy one this week and for those of us who like to read during a good rain storm, it’s been another good couple of days for that. I was excited by the number of folks who came to read my post the other day as well as the likes and I can’t thank you guys enough for coming back each time. And to those of you who are new here? Welcome!
I mentioned the other day that I’ve been quite productive lately and it’s been great. I’m actually about to start writing chapter 20 after I finish this post and just last week at this time, I was happy I had just passed the ‘dirty dozen’ mark. So that has been a bonus for this week. What has been driving me crazy though is that I hit a chapter that caused me to have a little lull. A little lack of, I don’t know, excitement maybe? For lack of a better word.
Let me be clear, I’m not writing an action adventure thing that will turn into a Summer blockbuster down the line (and who I will never champion Tom Cruise for). Rather, mine is but a romcom with some deeper stuff in it as well. Or at least, that is what I’m going for. However, every book that you read or write has those couple of chapters that are just there to bridge the story from one place to another and that is where I am now. I’m not saying they are boring. (Hoping they are not.) What I am saying is that I’m excited for the next chapter and wanted to skip over these last two to get to the next one. There is still a lot going on, a lot of information dolled out and even more character development of course, but as I am living vicariously through these people, I’m just excited for their next adventure.
Last night I even had trouble sitting down to write. I didn’t know where the words were going to take me and I still have yet to reread and edit them before I continue writing tonight. What I do know is this, much like I do with this blog, I just sit down and start writing. That’s it.
This is how I wrote my last two chapters. I had blocks, I had worries, I had “well now what do I do now that I wrote them into this issue” and yet, I just kept writing.
I ended up liking one chapter a lot. It turned out better than I thought it did and when I read/edited it, I actually laughed in some places. (Yes in the spots that were meant to be funny.) So somewhere in my mind, the story is still there guiding me. Yesterday was a bit tougher. I had a vision of where it was going to go, how to get past the lull a little bit more and make it not so, I don’t know, day-to-day? Yet after a bit of writing the first scene, the typing continued. I once again did an almost automatic writing session and because I did, I came up with a new twist I hadn’t even thought of before. A way to tie some pieces together that honestly, never crossed my mind once and again, this is at chapter 19! I was able to add some more depth, some more emotion and some more backstory to characters that deserve to have their stories told.
I hope I’m not building myself up here. This is by no means the next ‘great American novel’ and I’m hoping that if you are reading this now, I’m not ruining anything for you if you decide to read what is finally published. I’m just trying to share part of my process here. I sometimes start off blind. No clue where the story will take me. I just know that if I take more than a day off, I feel like I’m failing myself. That if I miss more than a day of working on this story, the story will leave me.
As much as I like to keep my schedule going, there are times when it isn’t meant to happen. I encourage listening to yourself and how you feel. This goes for anything, not just writing. Case in point, the other night, I had an idea for the next chapter and wanted to get it down, but I hadn’t been feeling good at all the entire night. When I sat down to write, it felt more like a chore, more like homework, more like I had some deadline I was supposed to meet when in reality, I have none. I read and edited the chapter from the night before, but when it came time to write the next one, I got three sentences in and stopped. My eyes and head were pounding looking at the screen. It was pouring outside and I decided to shut off the devices and dive further into the book that I’m currently reading, which, btw, I’m loving. There is nothing like reading during a good storm and once I got off the glare of my iPad, I started to feel a lot better.
What I’m saying is this…there are times the story needs to come out but the body isn’t willing. There are times when the story is stuck, but the mindset is to keep going. Just start writing. You may be surprised. It will either flow or you will get the clear sign that it’s just not going to happen in the moment. But you’ll never know unless you just start writing.
And that’s where I’ll leave you today! Thanks for joining me today, be sure to check out the links below and I wish you guys a great weekend!!!
Until next time…Cheers!
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Hey guys, welcome back and happy new week! I wasn’t planning on posting today but I’m excited. I’ve been so hard at work on my new story that I’ve been making significant progress on it.
When I posted on Friday, I had crossed the dozen chapters mark and as of today, Tuesday, I am about to start chapter 18! This story has me hooked and I hope upon hope that when I finally get it out there, readers will like these characters just as much as I do. I honestly can’t wait to get typing to see what will happen next.
I don’t know if other authors deal with this and this will sound a little out there, but as I am going about my day and taking care of other things, the story is playing out for me in my head like a movie. I feel that these characters are taking the lead and guiding me through this whole thing and I’m letting them. I know I touched on that a bit in my last post, but with the amount of writing I’ve been doing over the last several days, they haven’t let up and right now, I’m letting them!
While I block off a certain amount of time to write each day, I also have a block for doing my research. Tons of research. Steps to take on the publishing side, getting ISBN numbers, to copyright or not to copyright and putting numbers together to see how much I still need to save up to get this book out there when it’s ready. Unless something changes, I’m still planning on self publishing this book. It’s a big undertaking but the way this story is coming together, I feel this one wants to be seen and soon. Not that it’s anything profound by any means. I think that mainly, I need to get this out of my system. My first published book.
I also need to get this story out of my head. I can’t move forward with the first book I wrote (and its sequel) until this one has vacated my mind. That first book I do plan to submit somewhere and that is also part of my research process. Trying to figure out formatting, how much of it I need to send in, editors, am I going agent or direct to a publishing house and of course, figuring out the dreaded query letter. (Ugh)
The book I just finished reading, The Page Turner by Viola Shipman, while fiction, was based in the publishing world. It gave me a lot of insight to the process and some great jumping off points for what I will need to do. (I took a ton of notes.) Ironically, I started a new book yesterday that also takes place in publishing and it was a total coincidence that I picked this particular book off of my TBR pile. Or was it? I like a good sign thrown at me and while yes, a lot of the books I’ve been reading lately have involved writers, these two are the first I’m reading that deal with publishing. So sure, sign!
I think my takeaway from these past couple of weeks is that creatively, it is a strong time for me and I hope you as well! Even though I sit here, directly across from the pile of crafts supplies, mocking me horribly that I haven’t touched them in months, writing-wise (new word?) I’ve been nonstop. Even writing this post, my fingers were flying as I was typing. I’m in a good groove and here’s to hoping this is a wave we creatives can all ride for a long, long time!
May this new week bring you opportunities to flex those creative muscles. Go forth and write, paint, play, sing, sculpt, draw whatever your medium is, go out there and do it! Even if there is no plan in place, you may have something inside of you that has been waiting for its moment to come out…and this may just be that moment!
And that is where I will leave you today. Until next time…Cheers!
Hi all and welcome to a new week! I had planned on posting this a little earlier today but I lost the Bluetooth connection to my keyboard and freaked out for a bit. Thanks to this internet thing, I found the manual and all is right with the world again. Silly issue? Possibly, but since I use this thing constantly, yes, an absolute panic was had for a good 45 minutes.
But I digress…
I have been really churning out the pages on this new story I came up with last week. In a matter of about four days, I’ve typed over 20,000 words over several chapters and this morning, my brain decided that wasn’t enough. Just as I was going to sleep, I came up with a scene that I needed to jot down fast or I’d lose it. (With no short term memory, having a note pad next to my bed is vital for times like this.) The funny thing is, I was giving my fingers a bit of a break yesterday by refraining from any typing and yet, when I went to write down these scene ideas, I ended up handwriting 9 pages in my happy new notebook. At this rate, I’ll be needing a new one every other day!
Having a brainstorming session with myself is surreal. I don’t know if anyone else goes through this, ok, I’m almost positive you all do…but when I get an idea I have to get it out. Clear the mind so I can move on. This is how this new book started in the first place! As I’ve mentioned previously, I was working on the sequel to my first novel (while editing that one) and an idea struck me. When this happens, everything else gets put on hold until I can get the idea out of my head. Once I get a lull or something strikes me for my original plan, I can abandon what I’m currently working on. I don’t know if any of that makes sense but it sounded good in my head!
However, this current story is really exciting me. It’s like nothing else I’ve written and I wanted to see if I could write in this genre. I love challenging myself. I really do. I find I do it a lot with life stuff and medical stuff. Getting me into an MRI took some doing now it’s just like, ‘ok, let’s get this over with’. Yet a challenge means so much more when I think I can’t do something. Or, I see someone else truly succeeding in something and wonder if I could do it so I decide to try it out. It’s challenging meforme. It doesn’t have to mean prizes at the end, or ribbons or cash rewards (although that would really come in handy right about now) but just being able to try it out and then finishing it? That to me is the prize.
When I wrote my first book, it took years to complete. Mostly because of medical issues. I had to keep stopping and heal up before I could write again. I was frustrated because I had written the first six chapters in less than a week and I thought it was going so well. Then I’d hit a health setback and it would be months before I could pick it up again. By then, I’d have to reread what I had written to remember the story lines, the details, hell even the character names! This cycle went on for quite some time but when I finished it and printed it out? I cried. I really did. Because I was so determined to finish it. Even if I didn’t get it published, I was so happy I completed it. (Of course it is getting published, are you crazy?)
I know I tend to repeat myself on this blog and I apologize for that. I used to think I was doing it so folks new here could catch up, but you know what? Sometimes I feel the messages need to be repeated. So here is my message for today…It is OK to challenge yourself! It is ok to put down a goal and strive for it even if no one else knows that’s what you are doing. Other people don’t need to know everything about you, no matter what social media claims. You can actually go out for dinner without posting pics! (Really, you can!) And just like that, you can write that book or that song. You can paint that canvas and try to get it in a show. You can learn a new language, instrument or skill. You can run that marathon or 5k. Whatever it is that means something to YOU, go for it!
The year before I got sick, I worked my ass off training for a 5k. I found a list of upcoming events in my area and found one that was still several months away. I had never participated in a race like this so I didn’t want to make an ass of myself doing it. And I certainly wasn’t up to doing a full or even half a marathon. I was never a runner and I was going to walk it, but I wanted to cut my time per mile down. I was always a big walker. Walked 15-20 miles a week minimum. But for a race? A leisurely stroll wasn’t going to cut it. So I started literally in my bedroom. It was still cold outside, so I’d walk in place (no treadmill) with my step counter and pick up the pace until I could do two miles under a certain time. As the weather warmed up, I would go next door to the elementary school and use their parking lot for laps. I had a playlist that kept a great pace and I walked every single day for all those months cutting my times bit by bit until it was race time. I was using old sneakers with almost no padding and I hurt my knee during training. This came back to bite me in the ass as about 30 seconds into the actual race, my knee flared up and I still wouldn’t let it stop me. Not after months of prepping for it!
When I first started my quest, I was over 21 minutes a mile and by race time, I clocked under 15:30. I was so damned proud of myself! I couldn’t believe it! I finished the race. I didn’t win, I didn’t even come in 20th. I was one of the last people to cross the finish line (but not the last so hey, personal win) and I wanted to scream out ‘I DID IT!!!’
I had only my mother there to cheer me on which was great and she proceeded to yell and scream as I walked past her, (I pretended I couldn’t hear her over my earbuds, but I think they could hear her in the next town over lol) and it was great.
Because I had only told a few what I was doing, sure I was hurt that I didn’t have more folks there cheering me on. Plus, I had one friend call it my “little walk thing” as in, “oh your little walk thing was today?” Which, I’m not gonna lie, still stings today. I mean obviously that’s why I mentioned it. But that’s ok. Because I wasn’t out to challenge anyone else. THAT’S the point. I wanted to challenge MYSELF. To see if I could do it and I did! So now that that particular bucket list item has been checked off, I went to the next one and then the one after that.
Now that I’m a little older, I can look back on my life and see that I really have checked off a whole lot on my list. Sure there’s always more stuff I’m adding to it, but adding them up in my head now? I’ve done a whole lot and I’m proud of myself for doing it. For TRYING. Did I always succeed? Hellllll no. But I tried and I hope you do too.
So that is your message for this week. Keep trying. Even if what you write sucks. Even if your painting is a splotch. Even if the song you write may never get into the rock and roll hal of fame, it’s ok!!! Keep trying. Keep motivated. Keep creating. It’s ok.
And that is where I am leaving you tonight!
Thanks as always for putting up with the rambles and until next time…
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Hey all, welcome back! Thanks for hanging with me again. So happy to say that I may be onto something with changing my post times as this past Monday’s post was my most read and liked since I started this site! Grateful for that and I will work harder to post more when folks are actually awake. 🙂
Let’s get to it…
This year I had a goal of doing my own “52 books in 52 weeks” challenge and have been on track for even more. I’ve hit a wall trying to tackle my ‘save for later’ list on Amazon though, as I have a couple of expensive months coming up and need to save money for life stuff. (Hey it happens.) So, I decided to reread a few books that I absolutely loved last year, because, why not?
While I have interest in several genres: mystery, crime, reading about cults because that is an obsession of mine…lately, when it comes to novels, I have a tendency to lean towards stories about writers or that take place in bookstores, (yes I’m that girl). Here’s the thing about books like this…while cleverly disguised as romcoms, a writer had to write these books, right? So when writing about writers, I’ve been finding more and more inside tips about their own processes and routines. Odd sources for inspiration? Maybe. But inspiration can come from anywhere. A song lyric. A flower. Hell, even a meme can suddenly hit a chord! It just takes an open mind to let it hit you.
Ok so hang in there with me, ok?
I’m currently rereading Beach Read by Emily Henry. I had just finished her new book and I wanted to keep the funny stuff going #becauselife and I remembered how much I had loved this book the first time around. While it has it’s extremely light moments, this one also goes a bit deeper with the characters’ background stories. Without going into too much detail, it is about two authors who write in different genres and are both having writer’s block. They make a bet: each will try writing a book in the others respective genres and whoever sells their book wins. They also teach each other what it takes to write the stories they do. (Yes there is more to this, the whole romcom thing, etc but this is the gist.)
What I am finding is that because this is about authors, I am paying more attention to their different work methods. How they work daily life into their writing schedules; how one paces while thinking and the other plays solitaire waiting for the words to hit. Even the acknowledgment of their daily word counts stand out to me. They explain the research involved for their stories making sure everything is accurate. The discussions between the two, working out the next move of the story or character and even making up stories about people they see on the street. This book, romcom stuff aside, is a writer’s book.
I’m not here to review it. That’s not what this is and I don’t do reviews. What I’m trying to get across here is that out of all the books sitting next to me, I chose to read this particular book again. While I’m personally at a stopping point in writing my own novel, (I wrote myself into trouble), I’m taking it as my own sign that I need to step back and regroup. And maybe learn from these fictional authors how to find where my own characters go next.
For you see, a writer writing about writers gets it!
There is a line in this book that stood out for me in a big way: “…that feeling, that feeling of falling head over heels in love with a story and its characters as they sprang out of me, was unlike anything else.”
That is the heart of a writer right there.
Sure you can write about anything…being on a pirate ship in the 1800’s and sailing around the world stealing and pillaging towns along the way. Research is of course key to this. But you weren’t there. The details of daily life on that ship for example are lost.
But writing about writers? You have your own inside track there! Some of your own habits will trickle in and that is what I love about books like these. I like to see if I’m the only one who does this or that. If I only write a certain amount in a day/or don’t write for a few days, does that make me a failure at the thing I love to do most?
I mentioned word count above. This one baffled me. You see, I write the way I talk. Fast and with endless run-on sentences. Think Eminem or Gilmore Girls and you’ve got me. (And that is what editing is for. The writing, not my mouth which gets me into a lot of trouble.) When I read that someone only wrote 500 words that day, I’m baffled by that. When I sit down to write, I do one or two chapters and write thousands of words at a time. I can’t stop until a chapter is completed. I don’t know if others write like that, I’d like to think I’m not the only one, but writing such a small amount, again to me, is something foreign.
The only time I wrote a small amount was when I wrote a few 100 word stories and my biggest hurdle there was getting my ideas down to those 100 words. I wanted to see if I could do it and I was so happy when they were published. That made me realize that yes, I can slash my work to bits in editing and be ok with it. I also learned how to take criticism from an editor and not want to throw something. (I have a temper and don’t take criticism well at all. I am going to need to learn how to, in order to make it in this biz so this whole experiment were many lessons learned. Also, I don’t really throw things. But I want to.)
So now I’m looking at my book pile to see what other books I’ve read that maybe I should read again, not just for fun, but to see if there are any other insights I may have missed. Not just the fun fiction ones and not just novel writers either. I know of one off the top of my head I read a few years back about a content writer I had interactions with years ago and she penned an autobiography about her escape from her father’s cult and how she created her business and learned to write for business purposes on her own. We all have our own backstories and we all write in our own ways. Learning from each other is so vital and I will personally never stop wanting to read about and more importantly, write about it!
I’ll admit that at first, I was sad that I couldn’t tear through my save for later list. There are so many books out there I want to read and some of my current favorite authors have new books coming out as we speak. But I’ll tell you this, the ones I read over the last year or two? Those stories still play out in my head. They pop up at weird times. Maybe the smell of my nightly cup of tea will bring me back to a book I read last fall, or I remember a line from another while I’m doing the dishes, whatever. So going back and rereading these books? I now have no issues with it. In fact, I’m rather enjoying it!
I was never one for having to read a book. I’d never join a book club because I don’t want to be told what to read or frankly, dissect it afterwards. I want to read because I want to. I read for enjoyment and to escape life. Because it’s something that looks interesting to me and I’m one of those who believes that the right book comes to you at the right time. I’m now finding that rereading these books is happening the same way and how cool is that?
It’s my current way of adulting. I can have a Devil Dog for dinner. I can watch a movie that I’ve seen 20 times. I can read a book over and over again. Why? Because I can.
And that is where I leave you tonight! Thanks again for hanging with me, putting up with me and coming back!!
Until next time…
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My 100 word stories can be found by hitting the ‘Past Works’ tab in the menu bar up above the post!
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Woman Rising: A True Story, Julia McCoy’s amazing book about her journey from escaping her father’s violent cult to creating multimillion dollar content companies is so inspiring on many levels.
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Like to document, review or just keep track of your current reads? I designed a blank Book Journal for Amazon. (More designs to come, but really happy with this one.) It has blank, lined pages to use as you’d like.
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If you’ve made it this far, thank you and will be seeing you soon! 🙂
New Chapter Cove 