Welcome Aboard

I'm excited you've come along for the ride with me, as I blog about my thoughts and adventures about writing. Take a look around, post a comment or two, and enjoy!

29 November, 2011

Answer to prayer.

This a short but sweet post. The unexpected bill I asked for prayer for has been canceled. Amen and praise be to God.

21 November, 2011

Unexpected and Unwanted

Do you ever feel like you're at the end of your rope? Like you couldn't take another thing happening? In my mailbox were 2 unexpected bills. Bills I don't have the funds for. Bills I didn't incur on purpose. Call it a computer glitch but since I can't prove it, I am on the hook for one bill to the tune of $2,180.00.
What can I do? I already work full-time. Plus tutoring on the side. Plus being a single mom.
Sigh
Well I have the option of two immediate responses: I can cry, or I can pray.
See there's this thing called faith. And I can't claim to be a master of it--I am quite bull-headed at times. But as a Christian that should be my first response. Will God be mad at me if it isn't? Nope He'll still love me, but I will have stressed for no reason.

Faith tells me to pray and believe. And do as Philippians 4:6-7 says"make my request made know to God..."
So I'm not going to cry, or rant, or scream. I tried to speak to the people the money is owed to but since I have no paper trail, I have no proof I cancelled something they say I didn't.
What I do know is this: I will pray and see what happens. Will you pray with me?

12 November, 2011

Surgery

I am at the tail end of the first semester of my mfa. As a result of the work done in the program on my third novel, I realize it's time to do some serious surgery on my first novel.
I'm taking the first fifteen pages and slicing them off. Why? And how could you, you say?
First, I've matured more as a writer. I can take an objective step back from my work the way a painter does a painting, and remove what's not working. Now granted I have to have a finished work to be able to do this. Slicing while in the middle of completion is a death sentence for my creativity.
Second, it helps my protagonist tell her story better. The remainder of the novel is fast paced and meaty. My opening feels more like a preview for a different film like at the movies.
And lastly, I made my protagonist too comfy at the beginning. Boring! Who wants to read sugary sweet softness at the beginning of a novel that should start with the murder. Probably why I never liked my beginning. Trust your instincts. If you don't like something you've written--probe it. Figure out why you don't like it.
Really the final question is when do I do this surgery?
Like a medical surgery, it will have to be scheduled.
I have revisions I need to start on my third novel as part of my mfa program, plus I'm writing a short script (first 15 pages), for a screenplay contest, and I need to finish writing a short story I promised myself I'd finish.
Time to pull out my day planner. Trust me it will get scheduled and done. I'm a writer.

08 November, 2011

Finished my middle grade novel

Last night I finished writing my middle grades novel. During the course of writing it, there were times the words flowed smoothly, and there were times I could only get out one typed page a day. Last night a fever took hold of me and I refused to stop writing until I saw my protagonist to the end. Which isn't the end end, It's just the end of the first book.
I went through many personal and professional challenges while writing this book. I even doubted my talent. But I found that verse in the bible to be true.--"I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength."