A Writer's Life

Do you have business cards to hand out for your latest book, blog or website?   vista print Today you can get 500 business cards for $9,99..... They have other promotional items that are not sale. I just bought a coffee mug with the cover of The Cross I also bought a stationary pad with the cover on it. I must admit that I get carried away when I am the website of vistaprint. I carry the business cards with me and hand them out to friends, family anyone that I think might be interested in my writing or leave them with the tip. You need to start thinking like a business person. Business cards are a must.  If you go to a writer's conference you will need business cards. Start the year out write go to Vista Print   and start 2019 out right. You are a writer.  Start acting like one and let others know.

As you can see I gave my blog a new look.  I hope you can read it better.  it looks cleaner and more positive.  Leave a Comment and let me know what you think. I know this is my year to write-edit- publish I have made my wish list of goals' To write-edit and publish 2 books this year.  The Cross And The Mark of The Beast. I know this will not be an easy goal for me, because I jump from Idea to Idea.  I will be working on The Cross for a week or so and then I will stop and work on The Mark of The Beast or think of a short story to write.  I get sidetrack.  So this is all about Focusing.  I know what I want to do, but doing it is an entirely different story.  I am sure I am not alone in this.  We all want to hold our book in our hands.  2019 is the year to make that dream a reality. I have another blog  I am walking with GOD   In that blog I talk about changing your words, changing your life.  Whether you believe in GOD or not, being negative does no good, especially if

Conflict.......Is their enough Conflict in your story? I can say for myself, I do not not have enough conflict in my writing.   As I write, all I think when I am writing is "This is boring."   Of course my writing is boring,,,,I have no conflict.  I know the story is good, but it lacks Conflict I went to the movies and saw Aguaman....Great Movie....As I watched the movie, I paid attention to conflict. I am a fan of Outlander, on Starz.....As I watch every episode, I notice the conflict,   I would recommend that when you watch movies, of sitcoms....look for the conflict.....  Movies are the best teacher. When I see my story, I see it as a movie.  I know that my stories are good, but if there is no conflict, no one with read your story or your screenplay Conflict is what I will be working on in my writing in 2019.  I am a writer.  I am not perfect.  I am rewriting The Cross and will be adding more conflict in every scene. Is Conflict lacking in your story????

No matter how busy you are this season. WRITE SOMETHING TODAY........ANYTHING YOU ARE A WRITER MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY NEW YEAR

Did you know that if you sell your books or any products, you are a business person? You keeping track of your royalty checks?   You saving all your receipts that are related to your writing? You are a writer.  Your book is your product.  You are now a business person. 1.  Find a good tax person who takes your writing seriously.  You may need your tax person during the summer, so make sure you can contact them throughout the year 2.  Save every receipt that relates to your writing.  Writing conferences, promotion material, writing supplies, etc.  Talk with your tax person. 3.  You can find your royalty payments on your Amazon dashboard, under payments. Take your writing seriously.  You never know when your sales spike and you will need to claim it on your taxes. Find a good tax person when you file your tax return.  Ask questions and you will be ready for next year. Take Charge Of Your Writing Career

I have a new series I am working on called The Way Book 1 Book 2 I like the covers:  What do you think. Do you have book covers before the book is finished. I tack them up in my office for inspiration. These are premade book covers by  Safari Heat Check out their premade bookcovers and they are reasonable priced and they even have sales.  I bought by covers when they were on sale.  Check them out.

The year is coming to an end.  i am very excited about 2019.  1.  I have the rough draft of The Cross done.  The rewrite begins. 2.  My memoir  is coming alone, I think I finally found my voice and how to write it without involving many family members. My Goal for 2019 is: 1.  Publish 2 books.  2.  To blog on regularly and keep you posted on my writing. My goals are simple.  Write everyday, Promote my books.  Help other writers get self published without getting scammed and going into debt.  What have you accomplished this year? What is your goals for 2019? Write a word.  Write a sentence or a chapter.  Just write.

I am writing a four book series.  I have Book One rough draft complete. Yesterday, I plotted out the next two books, in longhand.  I worked on it before I went to work and then while I was on break, and lunch, I plotted some more. I wanted to plot out the future books because I want to make sure what I put in Book One will line up with the future books.   I will have the same characters in the all the books.   The locations will be the same. I bought magazines cut out pictures for the characters and hung them on a bullitine board in my office, so I  can see them everyday.   I am going to live with these Characters for the next couple of years, so I want to see them and get to know them. While I am working on the re-write of Book One.....I will be writing the rough draft for Book Two. I want to have both books published next year.  I can do this if I focus and don't wander off and start another book with a totally new idea, which I have done in the past. So what ar

Today is Thanksgiving in the USA. I am one that do not celebrate Thanksgiving.  Americans spends over 100 dollars on one meal, Why?  Because society says we should.  Look how the turkeys are treated for this day, many say they don't even like turkey but it is, because that is what is expected of you. Look at how well the thanksgiving meal worked out for the indians. But everyday should be a day of thanksgiving.  GOD gave us this gift to write.  We can read, write and tell stories that help others. GOD gave us this gift to write.  Even though no one really cares that I write, I know that my writing matters to this world. Famous painters never sold a painting, until after their death.  So as you are writing, you might never know the impact your writing has after your death.  The movie It's a Wonderful Life did not do well at the box office and now it is a classic, so if you have doubts in your story, your story is orginal and no one can tell your story the way you can t

I know everyone is busy getting ready for Thanksgiving.....Keep a pen and paper near you, so when you get an idea while you are busy with your family, so you can write down the idea that Pops in your head. I am working on a 4 Book series.  My goal is to have both of them published at the end of 2019, that is another blog.....Yesterday when I was on my breaks, I wrote down notes on plotting book 2, because all the books connect in some way, even though  they can be read as a stand alone book, which is always a bit tricky. I carry a notebook with me at work,,,,sometimes co-workers will ask, "What are you writing a book?"  I answer "I am."  Then I go on writing. Not everyone is going to care if you write...No one at work cares.....My boyfriend doesn't care.  He is supportive but lets face it writing is lonely sometimes,,,,so sneak away this holiday and write something, anything thing even if it is one word I have to write, I have a lot of things in my hea

How is your rough draft going??? This weekend, I wrote the Chapter 10.  I wrote the end of the book.  I have Chapter 7,8 &9 to write. it is a very rough draft.  I have the basic plot of the story.  So I have a beginning , a middle and an end.  I have been trying to write this book for the past year. I have wrote and rewrote the first three chapters at least 20 times. Finally, I have the rough draft.  It is not perfect and badly written, but it is for my eyes only. Finally I have a rough draft. You can do it also. 

Have you been watching the priemier of Outlander?  Have you noticed how much conflict is packed in an hour of Outlander?  Outlander has been on for the past three days.  As I binge watch the episodes, I noticed a pattern, a pace, beats whatever you want to call it. Conflict! That is what is lacking in my rough drafts of anything I write.  I am to nice to my characters.  As I watch Outlander, I noticed the Conflict.  Example is the preimier of Season 4.  It was good but the end was a surprise.  Did you see that coming?  Watch the episode again and see how they paced the hour.  That is what is keeping the viewers coming back again again. I know that I have heard it over and over again, make your hero and heroine suffer.  Outlander is a good example.  Whether you are a fan of the show or not.  You can learn something from the episodes from conflict, pacing and foreshadowing.  Watch any movie or show on tv and see how the pacing, conflict  is done.

I created a rough timeline.  I do it old school with paper and pen.  Here It Is: I drew a line in the middle of the page. The left side is the major plot points The right side is what happens and the time of day and weather. It is very rough.  This is for my eyes only.  But now I know what day the book starts and the weather, and what day the book ends and the weather.  That is major to me.  My timeline is Thursday-Sunday Your timeline my be months, years or centuries, but this gives you where months etc should go.  Then as I write each scene, I will pay more attention to the time of day, the weather and the month of the year.  It will give you more depth in each scene. What do you think?  Have you ever created a timeline? 

Ever thought of what day and time each scene happens?  To be honest, I never did.  I just wrote and thought I was brilliant.  Now the book that I am writing now the time line is Thursday- Sunday.  I have a time line also the weather plays a factor, So I have to make sure what day, time and hour each scene is. I draw a line on a piece of paper _________________________________________________________________________________ Then I place the scene and write the time.  When I finish the time line I will post a picture of it.  I am still working on it.  Should be done this weekend. What are you working on for this weekend?

I realize that I have not been blogging for over a year.  That does not mean that I have not been writing.  I have this great idea for a book, guess what?  I have been working on this book for the past two years I have written and rewritten the first fifty pages over and over again, and it was making me crazy.  I know that I have a good idea, but it was just boring, dull and who on earth would want to read this.  I didn't quit.  I wrote on the computer in long hand but I was not getting nowhere.  It was as if I was on a treadmill writing and going nowhere. Then I discovered the book Save the Cat by Blake Synder can be found on  Amazon  He has 3 books on screenwriting.  He tells you were to put certain scenes in your screenplay and what page it should be on.  I read all three books.  They will work with writing a novel.  Then I found Jessica Brody  and she wrote Save The Cat Writes A Novel I was not sure I should buy this book, I have the other books.  I bought Save The Cat W