Building a Platform

     It's me again. I know. I know. It's been awhile. So, what is new with me? Well, I have been writing. I've written a little bit for my new novel and I also wrote a short story. I might post it at some point. My main focus the last couple of weeks has been building a platform.
     I read quite a bit of books about writing and getting published, trying to learn all about the business of writing. The one thing that seems to be really big right now is building a platform. For those of you confused, a platform is a group of people that already know who you are and would buy a book or help get the word out on it if one gets published. So, all of my blog readers are apart of my platform! (thanks guys!).
     Since, having a blog won't build a platform all on its own, I have also joined a writing community! I've posted some of my stuff and other writer's review it, and I review their work. It is also a place where you can get encouraged about things. So far, I like it. I am also doing NaNoWriMo again, but its called Camp NaNoWriMo because its in a different month (April). Being apart of that links me to more writers and readers, and, slowly, I am putting together a platform!
     So, for all of you out there looking to one day be a writer, consider working on your platform. It takes a little effort, but in the end it will pay off!

On a side note, I am not always sure what to write about on this blog. I talk mostly about writing and try to help and encourage other writers, but I was thinking maybe I should take requests from my readers! So, if there is anything that you want to write about on here, leave a comment, and I'll see what I can do!

Best of luck.

Until next time minions!

-zjh

Quick Update

Hey everyone!

    Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news first: After my last post, I put in some quality writing time. The bad news: My computer crashed and I lost it all. Make that my fourth time of having to re-start my novel. Since then, I've struggled to find a writing rhythm. I've got my first chapter done, and I have a basic idea of my second chapter but its been a struggle. I want to go at it this weekend and try to get over this 'speed bump' and see if I can get cracking on this novel. I hope that all of your writing adventures are going smoother than mine.

Wish me luck!

Until next time!

-zjh

The Time Is Now!

I must confess. It was over a year ago when I started what I hoped to be the novel that would get me published. I worked on it a couple of months without really getting anywhere. I got busy, put it down, picked it up, re-wrote the first pages, wrote a different book, re-wrote the pages again, and then put it down again. As of this very hour, I am no closer to finishing it than I was last year. How can I get it published if I can't even get it past chapter one?

So, as of this very day, I am vowing to push away all other reasons, distractions, and excuses for not writing, and actually write. Upon completion of this post, I am going to start pounding on keys until my fingers are bloody. I don't care if I only write one page today, its a start that I am going to stick with. By this summer I want the rough draft done. That shouldn't be too much to ask, and if all else fails I want at least a good chunk of the novel done.

So, here is my little pep talk to you readers. Don't wait any longer. Get your butt into gear, and go for it. You miss 100% of the shots you never take. Forget about the insincerity, fear, or other issues holding you back. You can't finish a book if you never bother to start it. Or, like me, you can't finish a book if you never continue to write it. One more day, week, or month not doing anything is just another opportunity wasted. So let's get excited, and start writing.

Let's do it.

-zjh

Brief update

It's been awhile, yet again. That's me for you. So, I've done a rough edit of my NaNoWriMo novel, and need to read through it again and make further changes. I am still trying to figure out a way to post it so people can read it, but I still haven't found a solution. I'll keep looking and try to get it uploaded.

The only other thing new is that I have been writing a bit for another novel. Once I get into full swing of writing, I hope to finish the rough draft by this summer. *cross fingers*

Well, until next time readers!

-zjh

NaNo done. New challenge to come.

Well, it's me again. But I am sure you already knew that, since it has been well over a month since I posted anything. So, it could be none other than me! I have very good reason as to why I haven't posted though. Do you remember that NaNoWriMo project? Yeah, the one where I spend hours pounding keys to finish an entire novel in under thirty days. Well, I did it. I am done. On the 29th I breached the 50K mark.
I know that I said I would try to update and let people read as I wrote, but I still haven't thought of a good way to upload it. Plus, I am kind of wanting to at least go through it and edit before the likes of you get a chance to read it. Since completely said novel, I have put it on a shelf. To properly edit, I think it is wisest to take a step back for a bit before diving in with fresh eyes and a clear mind. Over the course of the next month I plan on diving in and getting it in a lot better shape. Once that is completed, I'll find a way to get it out to be read.
You might see a post or two throughout the month with tidbits of revelations.

*tips cap*

Until then readers (and minions!).

-zjh

13 days and counting....

Where did October go to? It feels like only a few days ago that I was thinking that it was strange that it was already the first day of October, and now we are over halfway through the month. There are only 13 days left until we reach the month of November!

I am super excited though. I can't wait to start writing my NaNoWriMo! My plan is sleep 12 of the 13 days left in this month so I can have plenty of rest to make up for the coming month. The one day I won't be sleeping, I will be playing guitar to build up calluses on my fingers so they are ready to pound out words on my keyboard. I will also be practicing my typing skills by doing a one minute typing test blindfolded....hmm...how am I going to know what words to write if I can't see?

OK, so maybe I won't be doing those things. I do have to work so I can't spend 12  out of 13 days sleeping. I am not even sure that I could sleep that much if I tried. I have been playing guitar, but I am not sure that will help me in my NaNoWriMo, and I have already said how fruitless blindfolded typing tests would be. Instead, I am brushing up on my writing, and reading books for inspiration as well has helpful tips.

I think I have decided that as I write this new novel I will post an updated version on my blog as I go along. It may be every few days or maybe once a week, but I will try to get it uploaded. This is something thas is kind of new to me. I have had people read my work, most of the time it is after I am finished. I think only once have I had someone read my novel as I went, but it was only after I finished the first 30 pages, and then I made them wait until I was completely done. (cue mischievous laughter)

Well, that is all for this post! Until next time readers!

-zjh

NaNoWriMo

Guess what. It has been quite a while since I have posted anything. I hope that I'm not going back to my old ways of posting every few months. Anyway, to the heart of the matter!

November 1st is only 29 days away. So why is that so important? It is the start of NaNoWriMo. That is National Novel Writing Month for all of you who don't understand anagrams. The goal is to write a novel of 50,000 words in just 30 days! Last year was the first that I knew of it and I tried it, but I had just finished up a novel and was so exhausted from writing, that I only got a couple of days in before I stopped. This year however, I am going to give it another shot. Since I am only writing in small bits lately due to travel and a busy work schedule, I am well rested for November.

If you remember in my last post I had that idea for a story, well I believe I am going to use that idea for my NaNoWriMo project. I am going to make one change to it though. Instead of it being from the point of view of the guy who starts acting like his dog, I think I am going to do it in the point of view of his friend instead. Still first person, just a little bit different perspective. I can also use some fun dialog!

Well, that is my plan. I would love to hear your ideas for your own NaNoWriMo novel! Remember, only 29 days left to plan!!!!

Until next time readers!

-zjh

New novel?

Hey everybody,

     So about a week ago, while at work (painting, not writing :D) an idea for a book struck me. I figured that at some point I would write it, but further down the line (like after I finished the book I am currently writing). However, a few days ago the opening of the book kind of came to me. So, the past couple days I have been working on it. I came up with a prologue for it and I need to know your opinion on the opening as well as the story. If I should write it, or, if it is not interesting enough, to scrap it.

The story is about a guy who gets a dog, and slowly ends up acting like his dog. It is supposed to be a humorous story. However, since I have no plot planned other than that( and it is all being wrote spontaneously), we'll just have to see where it leads. I am open to any suggestions anyone has for the story. Please critique as you please, and please be brutally honest. I have two sisters. I can handle it. Okay, here's the prologue:

~ ~ ~ ~

Prologue

Dogs. They have never been my forte. I have never wanted a dog—for good measure too. Have you ever seen how owners and dogs look alike? Take the bulldog. Have you seen a person with a bulldog ever smile? Yeah, me neither. They also seem to have faces that sag as if their skin was never actually attached to their skull. Think about that, and then think of the bulldog.

You see my point. 

            Sure, there are other factors in me not wanting a dog--besides no wanting to look like my pet. The whole cost of feeding and taking care of them doesn’t exactly favor having one. Also cons are the cleaning up after them, and the fact that they shred almost anything—shoes, newspapers, the neighbor’s cat. Hey, actually, that last one might be one point for having a dog. Huh.

            I think I have made my point pretty clear as to the fact that I am not a dog person. So, knowing that, why would I decide to get myself a dog? That is not a theoretical question. I really am going to go find my very own dog. So, again, I ask, why would I do such a thing?

            Sigh.

            For a girl. That is why.

            You see, ever since Kelly was hired as journalist for the same newspaper I work for, I have had this massive crush on her. And how could I not? The way her wavy, brown locks frame her face in a way that lets the soft features of her face intensify until they glow. And just thinking about her chocolate brown eyes make giddy inside. Oh, and her smile...I have never seen a smile so beautifully unique. The first time she flashed that smile I almost fell right out of my chair.

            Dare I sigh again?

            Don't worry, I'll resist. After all, I am not just some love-struck guy smitten by her. I just have a crush. Okay, like I said, a massive crush. Not in a creepy way either. I don't secretly stalk her on social media sites, or anything like that. I have actual conversations with her. How else would I know that she loves seafood, hates spinach, has a strange phobia of lamps, and is a dog person?

            That brings me back to the whole issue of this story--dogs. In one of those conversations with Kelly that I mentioned, she brought up the topic of dogs. Now, I had already known she liked dogs, and had a dog herself, but this is where the idea of me having one came into my mind.

            She was talking about how she likes to take her dog walking along the shore of the San Francisco Bay, and sometimes she likes to be joined by other people with dogs.

            Can you see where this is heading?

            Okay, I admit, at that moment, I suddenly had a really strong reason to get a dog. But, I kind of put it out of my mind as she started talking again.

            Somehow she had gotten on to benefits of having a dog. Apparently, she had read that people with dogs lived longer and happier lives, than people who didn't have dogs.

            Another point to having a dog? Maybe.

            And then, the fateful moment happened.

            Almost in that teasing fashion, she suggested to me, "Maybe you should get dog."

            I looked at her--and tried not get lost in her perfect face--and said, in that cool, casual way we guys talk, "Maybe I should."

            She smiled even brighter.

            And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where my problems started, and where this story begins.

~ ~ ~ ~

  So, what did you think? Funny? Lame? Need more work? Remember, be brutally honest. From that point I think it was going to go into the process of him finding the right dog, getting it, and then slowly becoming like the dog. Not physically, just in his actions. The current working title is "The Dog Days of My Life" Not sure if I like it or not, so I will take suggestions on that as well.

I really want to know what everyone thinks. Thanks for the feedback! Until next time readers!

-zjh

*sniff* I smell cookies!

Hey readers!
  

  I'm back, and I am not an impostor. Like I promised, I am keeping this blog updated. So, here's another post!

  Let's face it, I think over the coarse of every writer's career we all have one problem in common. Despite the wonderful idea we have in our heads, it is sometimes impossible to get the story into words on paper (or computer). Most people call it writer's block. Personally, I don't believe in writer's block. It is all in the head. If the story is there, all it takes is an atmosphere to get that story out. Most people who claim to have "writer's block" really just have a lack of that--atmosphere.

  That perfect story is bubbling over in your brain. You have the characters, the plot--the whole nine yards. You sit down ready to pound out the story on your old-fashioned type-writer when it happens. The neighbor's dog starts barking. A police car blares its siren. The baby starts crying. A guy with a chainsaw down the street decides that he should cut down his tree. Someone comes to your door to sell you cookies. An earthquake strikes. Suddenly, that story that you were so ready to write is pushed, no, shoved out of the way and replaced with all of these distractions. Yes, some of them are important (Who knows the next time you're going to need a quick snack while writing, so be sure to buy those cookies!). However, at the same time, if that story is to ever be completed, those distractions need to be eliminated. Don't go out and shoot the neighbors dog, or give up your child for adoption. Really, please don't do that. Buy a shock caller, so the next time the dog barks it's hit with enough electricity to power your electric car, find a time when your baby is sleeping to get some writing in, and if earthquakes continue to distract your writings, for crying out loud, MOVE!

 There are many times that I sit down and have the urge to just whip up ten pages of my story, but as soon as I sit down, I can hardly get a paragraph out. My problem is not writer's block, its that I don't have the right atmosphere to do it. I make sure I change that. I have found that I do my best work later in the evening. My body is calm and relaxed without too much energy, the sun is close to setting (or if in the Iowa winter it has set 6 hours before!) and the only light is now my computer screen and a candle. To keep noise out, I have ear buds blaring my favorite country songs and I am all set to let my imagination roam free. Each writer has his or her own personal preference for the best atmosphere to write in, and I am sure that all of you will find yours. If you have "snipers" that come to eliminate your writing time, find ways around them. As soon as you have that perfect place, the words will start to flow and your story comes together. Trust me, it will.

Be sure to just keep at it, and like always enjoy...hey, is that my doorbell? Gotta go, someone is selling cookies! ;) Until next time readers!

-zjh


"Writer's block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink alcohol." -Steve Martin

See even Steve agrees, writer's block is all in the head.

Passion behind the words

If you have ever read almost anything I write you will most certainly notice that I make mistakes. Grammar mistakes. Spelling mistakes. Missing words. Added words. Pretty much if you name it, I most likely have committed it. I try to do my best to make sure that my grammar is correct, and the same with spelling, but things still fall through the cracks. You may be thinking, 'Maybe you should try harder,' or 'What's your excuse for that?' You are probably right, I could try harder. My excuse? If I was homeless, had the worst appearance on the planet earth, or was so amped up on energy drinks that I couldn't sit still, my excuse would be simple. I'd tell you, 'I'm a writer. That's why.' However, as a writer, I should have correct grammar and such, so I can't really use being a writer as an excuse. Or can I?

Show of hands: How many of you have seen the movie Finding Forrester? That's odd, I don't see a single hand raised. That's beside the point. Back to my point. For those of you who haven't seen it, it came out in 2000 and stars Sean Connery as a famous recluse writer named William Forrester, and Rob Brown who plays a young basketball player/writer named Jamal Wallace that stumbles into Forrester's life. I won't get into more details of the plot, if you are really interested in it, you can just watch it. The reason I am bring up this movie, is that somewhere in this great film Sean Connery delivers a line that I have come to live by. Forrester is teaching Wallace about writing and he says to him, 'No thinking - that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!' I absolutely love that line. Thinking gets in the way too much. Sometimes, as different or difficult it may be, we must not think, instead just write. Let the words flow with the passion of the heart. I've found that the heart has so much more to say than the brain anyway. In fact, I believe that it's the key to writing a good book. A person doesn't have to be a magnificent writer in a way that they have great grammar skills, or are a literary genius. If they did just that they may write something dull. There needs to be passion behind the words.

So the next time I am imperfect and have errors in my writing, and someone asks what is my excuse. I'll be sure to tell them this: 'I'm a writer. I write, I don't think.' Saying it kind of sounds funny, but in reality it is true. Mistakes will be made, and to make it bearable for the reader, corrections should be made, but let they come later. After you are done writing. Rewriting may be something that I should work on, but until then, I will continue to write from the heart, and leave writing from the head until later. I hope my readers will learn to do the same.

-zjh

Renovations...

Hey everyone,

      If you have been following this blog, you probably have noticed a few things. One: I haven't had a post since January (sorry about that), two: my layout is a bit different, and three: my web address (URL) is different. I apologize if that causes an inconvenience, but it was time for some renovations. Moving on...

     I am making these changes, because I am no longer just writing about my J.A.C.K. series. I am also going to write about any other books that I am working on, as well as, any fun tidbits about writing, tips, or books that I care to share. I'm broadening my horizons. Yes, I know what you are thinking. How will that help with me actually having posts on a consistent basis? More range of writing options to explore, means a higher chance of me blogging. It will also mean that I might have something interesting to say! Nonetheless, I shall do my best to blog more consistently and often.

 Now, before I sign off, a quick update on my writing adventures. In my last post, I talked about how I was just getting ready to start a new novel. Well, I have started it, but I haven't gotten far into writing it. It pains me to think that I have been so busy working and traveling that I have had very limited windows to write. The last of the summer looks busy as well, but I am determined to make time to pound out some pages. Wish me luck. Until next time readers.

-zjh

Update

Hey!

    Typical me, I write a couple of posts then I fall off the face of the earth and nothing is heard from me in several months! No worries, I'm still around. I actually took a bit of a break from writing over the month of December. However, in January, I did start doing some research for my next project. It is not apart of the JACK series, but I figure I can write about it anyway! The writing of that will start soon. I am really, really looking forward to that.

  Anyway, Book 2 is still untitled. I haven't found a title that has just hit me as totally awesome that I like. Oh well, there is still time. I have been querying for Calico's Gold, and haven't heard too much feedback from that. The little I have heard, have been denials. I am not too worried. At some point the perfect agent will read it and love it!

  Well, there isn't too much more news to post. I do hope that everyone's writing is going well (those of you who are writing :) ). Until the next time minions!

-zjh

Classifieds: Titles Needed

I can hardly believe that it has been a month since my last post. Life has been super crazy lately, and the time went by so fast. In case you are wondering, no, I did not finish my NaNoWriMo. I wrote one afternoon and got about 3,000 words. I was planning on continuing to write, but since I had a major blitz to finish my last novel, I was too exhausted to be able to concentrate on writing the NaNoWriMo. Oh well, lesson learned. Next year, I will be sure to have my project finished, my novel already planned out, myself well rested, and all ready to go!

As far as editing goes, I have only done some minor things. The rest of this month I have set aside to do that (probably the project I'll start this week). I am still trying to come up with a title to Book 2. I have only gotten one suggestion. However, I have thought of a couple. Here are a few:

'The Death Triangle'

'The Bermuda Conspiracy'

'The Arena'

'Surviving the Triangle'

I, personally, like the top two options the best. They catch my attention the most out of the four. Please let me know what you think. I am still open to other suggestions to titles as well! Thanks for reading! Until next time minions!

P.S. You know how I was talking about my peice of paper with my characters on it that I lost? Well, I found it! Some how (I think while unpacking) it slipped into a tiny crack beside my desk! If only I would have known that a month ago! :)

Lost characters!

So, in my last post I told you that I had finished my novel. Well, in this post, I am going to share with you a very amusing story about that novel. It was a couple of days and around ten pages before I was done when I noticed that I had a big problem. A little back story first.

When I started the book, I was keeping track of all of my characters that I was using on a little piece of paper. I wrote down their names as they entered the story, and I crossed them off if they left the story. Well, when I went on vacation in the middle of August I took that list with me, just in case I had time to write on the trip. I didn't have any time to write, so bringing the paper was pointless, but I always like to be prepared. When I got home after the vacation about a month later, and was ready to start writing again, I realized that I was missing that piece of paper. I searched through all of my stuff, but it turned up nothing. I guess from then on I would have to wing it. No big deal--or so it would seem.

I was getting close to finishing, and I wanted to bring a character that I had used in the beginning back into the story, well since I didn't have the piece of paper that had my characters, I had to scroll back through my story to find the character. Along the way I noticed something, something very important. I had four characters missing!!! I was tantalizingly close to finishing my novel and then this comes out of nowhere! Frustrated, I searched through my story to find where I had lost my characters. Two of the characters were easy to remedy, they were close to being pointless, so I opted to eliminate them entirely from the story. A simple solution. The other two characters were a bit more challenging. They disappeared later in the story and I had issues finding them. I figured out that one of them had been sent somewhere, and that I could just say that he was going to stay there. Another simple solution. The final character was the worst. I ended up finding where he had disappeared from my writing, and I now had to add him to where he was supposed to be for the next 40 pages! Slowly, I ended up getting him where he was supposed to be, and I could finish the final pages of my book.

I told a few people about my writing misstep, and, upon hearing it, found it highly amusing. The moral of this story? Be sure to write your ideas down, and don't lose them! Or, just have a photographic memory, like my character Krista! I hope your writing doesn't have some of the same snags as mine! Until next time readers!

BOOK DONE!

If you could all see my face right now, you would see a giant grin pasted across it. The reason behind this grin? There are several reasons, the first of them being: I realize how much I don't keep this blog updated! My last post was in July. :) I deeply apologize for not writing posts as often as I should. Hopefully, it can become a good habit.

The other reason that I have a major smile on my face, is that the other day I finally finished the novel that I had been working on for ages. It took a lot of determination to grind out the final 20,000 words, but I got it done. I still haven't thought of a title yet, that I need some help with, and honestly, it can wait for a while. My plans are to let the book sit until December. When that time rolls around, I will diligently edit it so that it is polished to the best of my ability. In the mean time, I have another project to work on. You may have already heard about this, but it is national writing a novel month (NaNoWriMo). The goal is to write 50,000 words in November of whatever topic you choose. I encourage all of you to give it a try. Even if you only get to 20K by the end of the month, at least you gave it a shot. Writing a novel is a challenging thing. It takes major commitment to get it done. However, there is something very satisfying in finishing a book. If you don't get it finished, at least you will learn something about yourself. I have heard from many people that they despise writing anything, but I think their mindset would change if they gave this a try. I know I just said that writing a novel is challenging, but it is a lot of fun too. To develop a story in your head, and then get it all out in words can be very enjoyable. You are the author, you can make characters do crazy things that you are too afraid to try or aren't able to (i.e. bungee-jumping, scuba diving, high speed driving *please don't try this one*, travel to the moon, travel to a foreign country). If you don't know something, you can just make it up; there is a lot of freedom in writing a novel(with some exceptions). Like I said, I am going to do this. It is already Nov. 13, and I haven't wrote one word for my novel, and to be honest, I am not entirely sure what to write about, but I feel no pressure in this--not to pound out page after page to get it done, or to come up with some stellar plot. I am just doing it to enjoy all aspects of writing. I want all of you to feel the same joys. So, before I put you to sleep with any more ramblings, I will wrap this up.

Give a novel a chance, more importantly, give yourself a chance. You may be impressed with what evolves. Take the next month and write what is in your head and what is in your heart. Good luck! I would love to hear that someone gave this a shot! Until next time, readers!

Kick down some doors!!

Hey everybody!

First and foremost, you will probably be happy to know that I have been writing lately and that means that I am closer to finishing untitled book number 2.

So, this entry will be about something very dramatic. One of my favorite books is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. For all of you that haven't read it, it is over a thousand pages long. The first 400 or so are really good. Then, from 400-600 it is pretty boring b/c it has to set up for the end. And then, the final 400-500 is really good as well. It took a lot of effort to stick with the book during those 200 boring pages, but I am glad that I did. There probably have been many people who have read books (maybe even that one) and at some point they lost interest in it b/c it became boring. Well, for all of you writers out there, I have some words of wisdom.

Directly above where my desk sits, I have a poster full of writing tips and inspiration. One of my favorite is, "When things start to get boring, break down a door!" Now, I don't want a bunch of people walking around their houses breaking down doors. If you really have the urge to break down a door, do it in your writing. Say, you are at page 100 in your book. You have done really well with the first 80 pages but the last 20 you needed some back story, or setup and so it got a bit dry. Your solution for the problem. Do something totally crazy, unexpected, and absolutely abrupt!  Have a random car chase, have SWAT storm a characters apartment out of the blue, or throw a giant wrench into your story that makes it have a whole new twist to what is happening. Whatever it is, make it TOTALLY DRAMATIC. This may sound kind of crazy, but it works. After you settle down your story again, your readers will be more than happy to read another 20 pages (hopefully you won't need much more than that in setup) of not so dramatic writing. They will stick with your story to see if you have any more adrenaline filled moments at the end. I am sure when they read it, they won't be disappointed.

In my second novel, I decided my story was starting to fall a little flat. I decided some drastic measures were needed. My solution was to make certain, important characters be killed in a very dramatic form. I want my readers' heart rate to increase when they read what I have wrote. I want them to be entranced by the story. Killing off characters (especially important ones) really helps do that. What helps even more, is to do it in the middle of the story, that way you have the rest of the story to figure out what the other characters should do about it.

Whatever the case may be, spice up your story. Enthrall your readers with what you can make happen. Be crazy, be creative, make the impossible possible. People read fiction to be entertained, your one and only job as a writer is to do just that. Give it your all, and watch as it comes together in a dramatic way!

Roller coaster ride

The other day I got another rejection letter from an agent. That makes a total of three that have turned me down, and two that I haven't heard back from. I knew that I was going to have some rejections, and this is my first set of query letters that I have sent out. Did I know that there might not be any bites? Yes, but that doesn't mean that I didn't want one of the agents to bite. The one that turned me down the other day was my top pick, so that was a bit disappointing. Oh well! We get knocked down and we get right back up. It hurts, but we learn from it. What I have learned is that there is just a better agent out there. They are waiting for my manuscript to show up in their inbox. Now, all I have to do is find them. I hope that it is soon because, I would like this roller coaster ride to reach the best part--getting my book published!

And, yes, it has been a roller coaster ride. I was really excited about writing Calico's Gold. I had all the fun ideas waiting in my head for some time, and I was ready to get them on paper. Then, you get to writing and some days were hard to get things on paper. But, I persevered, and I got excited about finishing the book. I finished it and was excited to get it out to publishers. However, I hit another low when it came to editing, I didn't know how to really go about it. I did, however, find someone that was kind enough to help me, and I got really excited about hearing back from them. Editing takes time, though, and so it took a while. Finally, after getting it back, I polished it to a shine and sent out query letters. I was very excited to hear the responses. Two or three days after I sent them out, I got my first denial. It didn't dampen my spirits. I was still excited, but then, I waited anxiously for some time before I heard back from anyone else. One, day though, I opened my e-mail and found I had an inbox. The butterflies started in my stomach, only to be killed by the polite reply of no. Soon after that, I got my third one. Since, then the roller coaster has flattened out. My spirit is neither excited nor dampened by what will happen next. I only have sense of calm, for I know that whatever happens it will end up working out just fine.

For all of you aspiring writers who are on the same kind of roller coaster ride, like me, hold onto those words. They will keep you going when you think you can't. Again, best of luck.

I have been on vacation for almost three weeks and in that span of time I hardly got any writing done. My plan was to get a couple dozen pages finished, but as all things go, settings changed and I had ZERO time to write. I wish I had though, I am falling well behind on my goal of finishing my third novel. My first goal was May 1st, but I soon changed that when I realized I would need more time to edit CALICO'S GOLD. I pushed this novel back by one month. June 1st is the deadline that I set for myself. I have a few friends that are really looking forward to reading this sequel (the real Krista and Allison being the main ones) and, so I really want to finish it sooner than later. If I stay with the goal at hand, I will have to write just under two-thirds of the novel in seven days! That is ONE week! I can get a lot done, but I do think that that might be pushing it. Working non-stop for that amount of time, I think I could do it. Unfortunately for my fans, the handful of you(I can count them....on ONE hand. :D), I will not be able to do that. I do believe, that you will have to wait a bit longer. But, this, I do promise. I will finish this novel very soon(is an eon soon?). I will try to keep you updated with my progress of not only the novel, but also my search for an agent and publisher. Wish me luck! I hope that soon you will be reading a post of how I just finished another fantastical novel!!!

Writing

Writing is something fun that anyone can do. You probably are thinking to yourself, "except for me." But it is true. Anyone can write and make it fun. From magazine stories to novels to essays and stories, they are all something that you can write. It doesn't matter if you are the best writer on earth, all you have to do is relax and start writing what is in your head. You will be surprised at how well it will turn out. Find a topic that you like. For instance, if you are interested in cars, then write about what you think about a new car. Start with simple things and work from there. After writing some small stories you can graduate to larger ones and books. Take me. I am 19 years old. I have no college degree and yet I am working on writing my third novel. Do I have the credentials? HECK NO! Does it matter? HECK NO! I do it for fun. I haven't published one of those stories yet (although i am trying!) but i still write them. If anything I write them for my family and friends who gobble them down! For me it is a very fun process. Some days it can be hard for me to sit down at my computer and grind out a few pages but I do it and it turns out awesome. I have really been blessed by God with a gift of words. I know that I am not the best writer on the planet earth but I don't care. Everyone should write something (even if it doesn't get published) b/c it is all about the adventures of life. So here is my advice for all of you potential writers. Find something that you love and just write the first thing that comes to your mind. Don't worry about whether it is good or not, just write it. If you keep doing this you will find yourself becoming a wonderful writer. So much so, that you will surprise yourself. And if you are ambitious set a higher goal, try a writing a book. Don't be discouraged when it doesn't turn out like you thought. Writing is a funny thing. No matter how much you plan it out, whatever you are writing never turns out exactly how you thought it would. You would be surprised at how your characters may do something that you never thought that they would. My first attempt at a book was....pretty bad. The beginning was terrible but the ending turned out alright (I learned as I went through it). And it did not turn out like I thought it would. I won't ever get it published, but that is OK. I learned from it and then implemented it into my next novel, which turned out AWESOME! So what I am saying is take a chance and write. When it doesn't turn out like you planned, learn from it and move on. Good luck on your writing adventures!