A Writer's Life

Vision Boards are very popular.  A Vision Board is where you collect pictures of what you want.  A new car, dream vacation, money. I always posted a picture of my book cover in my office.  That is about as far as it went.  Then I started watching  Terri Savelle Foy  on youtube. She is a Christian and has a ministry, but if you are not a believer, don't let that stop you from checking her out. Her entire ministry is how to make your dreams become a reality.  I had my doubts.  She talks about how famous and rich do, act and talk.  Writing down your goals Vision Board. So I thought, I already put up my book covers, why not give the Vision Board a try. So while I was in the break room yesterday, I picked up an old magazine that was on the table.  There was an ad for Chevy trucks.  I thought.  That is excatly what I want. So I ripped the page out.  I started flipping through the magazine.  There was a pi...

Surviving Among Zombies Zombies Not Wanted Notice anything familiar with these covers from  Me VS Zombies  ?  I have written 33 Episodes of Me Vs Zombies.  I created one book cover and then changed the title for each episode. Ir is way cheaper than creating a different book cover for each episode and less time consuming.  Something to think about when you are writing a series.  Make the covers somewhat the same.  Me VS Zombies Episodes  99 Cents Each, Check out how I created a series and was published within a month and selling books.  Write-Edit & Publish within a Month   Only $2.99 This was the cover of  Zombie Zoo    was drawn by a friend and used this at the cover of the first Zombie Story I wrote.  You do not have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on book covers  There are sites that have premade  book covers So think before you spend hundreds of dollars on Bo...

I have the rough draft of The Cross finished. I do not want to go through the entire rough draft and rewrite each scene, only to discover that I will have to rewrite them again. I have the last chapter of the book written in longhand.  When I start putting it into the computer.....I am going to put the must have scenes into the computer.  I will rewrite them.  Then when I start to rewrite from the beginning, I will know where I am going. I know that this might not be typical of what others writers are doing, but I want to write the scenes that are screaming in my head.  Get those scenes into the computer.  I consider those anchor scenes.  Must have scenes.  This way I am excited as I write.  I am not writing the scenes in order. This is what I have done so far: Title Page Insert Page Break Copyright Page Insert Page Break Chapter One Insert Page Break Chapter Two Insert Page Break Continue until you get your last chapter, be it...

Do you know what the last scene of your book is? I am doing the rewrite of The Cross.  I have the first three chapters rewritten.  I then decided I would write the last chapter of the book.  While I was at work, I wrote the last chapter in longhand.  So I know how the story begins and I know how the story ends.  That is not going to change. I am now going to write the key scenes that I know I want in the book.  The scenes that are in my head and won't go away until I put them on paper I have no idea if other writers do this.  I just need to get these scenes on paper, then the rest I can fill in but the major scenes are written down.  This is how I started my writing career.  Write and Publish a short story or serial your book.  No matter how you write your book.  There is no right or wrong way to plot your write you book.  This is how I started.  Take the first step to start your book and writing career Y...

This is the first book in my series Me VS Zombies  Zombies On Board  , which led to 33 more books This book is how I wrote and published an E-Book every month for over a year.  It has my writing, and publishing schedule.   Write and Publish Monthly   I now have over 50 E-Books on  Amazon So If I can write and Self-Publish....So can you If you have any questions, just ask.....Leave question in the comment section Keep On Writing

I have been snowed in the last three days.  I have been binge watching GRIMM.  I have seen the entire series at least 4 times.  Re-watch it every winter. While I am watching GRIMM I had thoughts in my head.  I knew I should be writing, but it is snowy and cold outside.  I grabbed a yellow legal pad and started writing. I made 4 columns and put each character on top of each character....Then.....I jotted down, how each character was connected and how each other did each other wrong.  CONFLICT I was just jotting down what I was thinking.  I know that I need more conflict.  I think I have it now.  I then went back to the book Save The Cat and started plotting with the 15 plot points. I did this as I watched GRIMM. I realize that you all might not be able to watch tv and write, but I can.  Now I have to go back to work.....I now have more conflict and will be able to finish my 15 plot points. binge watch and writing....Does i...

Do you have a writing routine? I wish I could say yes.  I do not have a routine.  I do have to get a routine when I quit my job or I will get no writing done. I wish I could tell you the secret of sticking to a routine.  My job is the reason I have no routine.  I work nights and I sleep most of the morning.  So I can not get up an hour early to write or stay up an hour later, because working nights I am just tired all the time and I need to sleep when I can. That being said.  I do find time to right everyday.  I am working on 3 books at the same time, so I can never have writer's block.  On my days off, when I don't write my excuse is, I am tired, I am just going to be lazy.  That is a lame excuse. So in 3 months I will have 24 hours to write.  I need a routine.  I have chickens and a garden to take care of this summer.  That can not be my excuse for not writing.  I also live by 2 lakes and have a boat, so boat...

That is me.  Not to glamours.  I so proud of this book.  I wrote this book and I self-published this book.  I did not have a book signing.  I did not have a glamours book party.  I am a writer.  I wrote a book.  Did anyone care?   My boyfriend who took this picture cared.  He was impressed that I wrote a book and learned to self-published. My family and co-workers did not care.  No one cares if I write or don't write.  Their world will not be effected if I don't write. So why do I write? I live to write.  I do not have a choice of writing or not writing.  I have to write.  Ever since I learned the ABC's I was writing short stories.  I have been rejected by every major publisher in New York.  At one time, I packed away all my writing. Notebooks, legal pads, and writing books, stashed them in a closet.  I did not want to write.  I wanted to lay on the couch, eat chips and dip a...

I hate Social Media.  There I said it.  I have been on Twitter.  I have been on Facebook.  I have 2 blogs. It is exhausting.  I have been on Facebook.  I have joined Facebook Writing Groups.  I have posted my books on Facebook, along with all the authors who have done the same.  If I am on Social Media?  When am I going to write?  I have been Self-Publishing since 2011    My Books   I would be on Facebook posting my books on different Facebook Groups, and then I wouldn't have time to write.  I tried twitter, but keeping up with the hashtags, and replying to everyone that comments on your tweet.  If I follow a writer, that writer would follow me.  That is great.  The fact is that is does me no good to have a hundred writer's following me, if no readers are reading my tweets It doesn't matter if I have a thousand likes if no one is buying my book. I could be doing something wrong, but wh...

The rewriting on the rough draft of The Cross has begun.  I have rewritten, in longhand the first chapter.  I need to put in into the computer on my next two days off.  I wrote them while I was at work.  I amonthsm blessed that I do not have a job where I have to do much thinking.  I basically just have to show up and they pay me.  I then got out index cards and am writing each scene on a card with: Setting POV Goal Conflict Resolution That way I will focus on the conflict and to make sure that each scene has conflict in it and not some boring scene.  My deadline to get this rewritten in by June.  4 1/2 months.  By June, I will have quit my job and will be able to start the next rewrite process which will be to flesh out each scene more, with detail, description and fleshing out the conflict.  I have to get busy.  It is one thing to write in long hand and think I am making progress.  It is another thing to put tho...

The Truth of Self-Publishing   Check out this E-Book before you Self-Publish How many books do you want to write during your writing career?  How many story ideas, do you have swirling in your head?  How many stories have you plotted out? I have a lot of story ideas.  I have a lot of stories and series swirling in my head. In 2011 my goal was to publish 50 E-Books.  I reached that goal.  Since then, I haven't stopped self-publishing.  I am not sure how many books I have published on Amazon.  Once I start writing on one book, then I get another idea for a book.  I will write that idea down, then I don't know what book to write. I have been to writer's conferences that say "Just jot the idea down and continue with the book you are writing." Good advice.  Sometimes it is hard for me to just focus on one book. One of my books.  101 Daily Bible Confessions   Is doing quite well on Amazon. So yesterday, I star...

I finished the rough draft of The Cross last year.  I printed out a copy of it.  I set it aside.  It was not like what I have it in my head.  I took out the hard copy and started reading it.  It is not as bad as I thought.  It is exactly what I want it to be.  Sure it needs work, a lot of work, but I have a beginning, a middle and an end.  I am a writer. I got me a notebook and listed every scene.  I left enough room to add: Time of Day Point of View Goal Conflict Resolution I am going to do this for each scene.  Like I said, in a past post....Conflict is the key to keep the story going. I know I make my characters to nice and in some scenes, nothing happens, so hopefully, this will make me come up with more conflict and make my characters suffer. I have been watching Outlander...on Starz.... those characters suffer and something is always happening, especially at the very end of the episode (end of scene or chapter...

I have wanted to quit my job and stay home and write for years.  I just wanted to take a year off to write.  I never did.  After I stopped writing the Series Me VS Zombies life got in the way of my writing, and I was tired of writing and working all the time.  It can be exhausting.  I kept writing, kept working, doing what I needed to do. 2019 is a new year and a new life.  I will be quitting my job this year.  I will be focusing on my writing.  I moved out in the country which makes me not want to go to town.  I don't want to drive down miles of country road to get to the main highway and go to town.  I no longer am willing to drive in winter in fear of getting stuck in the snow or ending in the ditch because of icy roads. Most people call me cheap.  I am.  I also have money to live off of for a few years, so I can stay home and write, raise chickens and plant a huge garden.  As I get older, things that were impor...

  When I started self publishing in 2011,,,,,it was all about Branding.  I thought I was a Christian Writer....then the Walking Dead appeared on tv and I wrote a short Zombie Story    Zombie Zoo  Which got a 5 star review.  I sold a copy within 24 hours of publishing.  So without thinking I switched from Christian Writer to Zombie Writer.  I believe in GOD and the Bible, but I went where the money was.  I started selling books everyday.  I knew  this was it.  I wrote five short stories of Zombie Zoo.  I then started the series Me Vs Zombies  Welcome To Zombie Zoo Me VS Zombies Series I thought I had everything figured out.  I was a Zombie writer.  I was selling books and receiving royality checks and life was good. As one gets older, life changes.  I was not burned out writing Zombie Stories, but a family member got sick and my writing time was no longer.  I continued to wr...