I don't know how many times I've talked with friends and family about taking a chance and stepping out on a limb. When we'e young, we don't really care what anyone says. We think we can do anything we set our minds to. But, somewhere along the way, we lose that bravado.
Why?
I am one of those people who definitely believes that dreams aren't just for twenty year olds.
My guest at Romancing the Pen this week, Lizzie T. Leaf, shares with us her dream. And how she inspired someone close to her.
Instead of just once a month, I'm now blogging twice a month on the 12th and the 27th over at Voices from the Heart! A blog from From the Heart Romance Writers!
Who knows what I'll talk about each month :-) But, whatever it is...why don't you join me, and stay for awhile.
And while you're there, take a look at some of the great posts from other members of FTHRW.
I'm branching out a little. For anyone that's read any of my pieces, you know my wheelhouse would be classified as Women's Fiction or Contemporary Romance. Well, I've been teasing myself with a few pieces that will take me deep into other genres.
One of the pieces I've been researching will cross two: historical and paranormal. Because they both will be new to me, I've been deep in research trying to lay the foundation for my story. As a result, recently, I watched a PBS special titled "Death and the Civil War," which was inspired by Harvard President Drew Faust's book The Republic of Suffering.
Let me first say that while in high school and college, history class meant nap-time to me. So, why would I decide to write this new piece. I don't know. It's been something that I've wanted to do for awhile, but I wanted to wait until I'd tackled a few other pieces, first. Now, I feel like I might be ready, but I'm still terrified that I won't get the story quite right.
The only way to make myself feel a little more secure is by researching what I can about each piece of my idea. After I have enough detail, then I'll tackle telling my story.
This documentary was so powerfully sad that it again made me wonder if my treatment of my story idea will work. I don't know, but I can't quite let it go.
If you haven't watched this documentary, I would definitely suggest it. But, I would definitely warn that if you come from a military background, or the southern part of the U.S. touches your world in any way prepare to cry and feel like you owe somebody something. I wasn't prepared for the overwhelming feeling of love I had for the soldiers that served. And I was thankful that the military members of my family weren't subjected to the conditions that the truly brave men of the civil war endured.
I am so proud to have my friend Brien join me this week. I remember when....oh wait, I'm not that old, yet :-)
Brien self-published his first book through Amazon at the ripe old age of 14! Yep. This kid is awesome. Now, he's celebrating his first release with Loose Id, and he's visiting with me to chat about it.
I absolutely love his writing and I think you'll probably find a little something in his writing that speaks to you, too.
As written for The Guardian by Zadie Smith, novelist.
1 When still a child, make sure you read a lot of books. Spend more time doing this than anything else.
2 When an adult, try to read your own work as a stranger would read it, or even better, as an enemy would.
3 Don't romanticise your "vocation". You can either write good sentences or you can't. There is no "writer's lifestyle". All that matters is what you leave on the page.
4 Avoid your weaknesses. But do this without telling yourself that the things you can't do aren't worth doing. Don't mask self-doubt with contempt.
5 Leave a decent space of time between writing something and editing it.
6 Avoid cliques, gangs, groups. The presence of a crowd won't make your writing any better than it is.
7 Work on a computer that is disconnected from the internet.
8 Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you.
9 Don't confuse honours with achievement.
10 Tell the truth through whichever veil comes to hand – but tell it. Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never being satisfied.
If you haven't heard about it. Don't worry. I'll tell you what you need to know.
Bookstock will have over 40 Memphis area authors showcasing their books. Adult, children and team programs activities. The keynote speaker, Kristen Iversen will speak on "A Passion for Story From Book Idea to Finished Manuscript."
There will be live music, cooking demos, and author talks. There will also be an author scavenger hunt for prizes.
I've been hinting to this one for awhile. And it's finally here! Love All Over Me was inspired by one of my favorite singers--Monica. If you haven't heard her music, you have to go and purchase any album you find. She's a singer who actually sings. She's lucky we're not friends because I swear, I'd find reason to coax her into singing for any reason. Ex: "Monica, I feel horrible...my man just dumped me." Or, "Monica, I broke a nail." Whatever would work :-) Monica's response would be instant beautiful music to uplift me. Right? Of course!
The song that inspired this short is titled "Love All Over Me."
As I watched the video, I thought what if that first love was lost, but in a more permanent way. But, what if the love left behind couldn't let go, and what if the lost love couldn't let go either. What would that mean for both of them?
Here's the blurb for my new release:
Tamara Blanden blames herself for the loss of her one true love. Hidden away from life, she lives only to see him again.
Jerome Blanden couldn't let go of his love, even in death. Because of him, his selfishness, she'd loss so much time. Time he couldn't give back. But, he could change everything.
Instead of just once a month, I'm now blogging twice a month on the 12th and the 27th over at Voices from the Heart! A blog from From the Heart Romance Writers!
If you haven't watched this documentary, I would definitely suggest it. But, I would definitely warn that if you come from a military background, or the southern part of the U.S. touches your world in any way prepare to cry and feel like you owe somebody something. I wasn't prepared for the overwhelming feeling of love I had for the soldiers that served. And I was thankful that the military members of my family weren't subjected to the conditions that the truly brave men of the civil war endured.
