Wait!! This is not SPAM! I really am blogging. With the New Year I am intending to dust off my space here and get back at things. I have now finished painting the entire first floor of my house and can once again use my *cough* spare time to write more.
To push me towards this goal, I was tagged for participation in The Next Big Thing by the author of THE PATIENCE TRILOGY- Courage in Patience, Hope in Patience, and Truth in Patience, Beth Fehlbaum. THE PATIENCE TRILOGY is currently on submission to several publishers and she's been working on her 4th book,B.F.D. (Big Fat Disaster). To learn more about her newest writing adventure check out her blog at http://bethfehlbaumbooks.com/blog.html
My friend, Beth Fehlbaum, is an inspiration to me as we have both risen from childhood trauma only to inspire and teach as well as write. I am honored and strengthened by Beth and the voice she gives to survivors.
Enough of the seriousness. Let's get on with the fun of The Next Big Thing...
What is the working title of your next book? It was By the Grace of God originally, but I have since changed it to Gracie's Gift
Where did the idea come from for the book? Wow. Well, we were doing a character sketch in one of my classes and all of a sudden I had to step away from what everyone else was saying so I could write down my own character sketch. Gracie and Kaitlin were so loud and forceful, wanting their stories told. It was pretty freaky.
What genre does your book fall under? Young Adult Contemporary (Realistic) Fiction.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition? For Gracie, I think I would have the actress who played Minny from The Help, Octavia Spencer. I'm not sure who would play Kaitlin... she's only about 17 through the bulk of the book.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Kaitlin was abandoned as a young child and raised by Gracie. After 13 years, her birth mother returns to explain herself, however NOTHING is what the artistic Kaitlin imagined.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I have no clue. I don't know the first thing about the publishing end of things. I have to finish the book first.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? Still writing... 2 years now, with a divorce in the middle that slowed things down a LOT!
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Oh goodness, I really couldn't say. Maybe... something like The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake
Who or what inspired you to write this book? Well, the book forced itself on me sort of and then one of my students inspired the development of the story. Anger drove so many of her decisions in school and it wasn't until almost the end of the year that I found out why she was so angry. I was astonished by her story and it fueled my novel.
What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest? I am writing the book attempting to use African American dialect for some of the key characters. This is challenging me. I am also scared to finish the book because of the stark examples of racism. It hurts me to write some of these things.
Check out all of the following author-friends of mine and encourage them to participate in THE NEXT BIG THING on January 2nd!
Nova Lovette: A dear friend who I don't get to spend enough time writing with or talking writing with. Check out her work at http://novalovette.blogspot.com/
Trish Stewart, author of Taking Lessons From Ernest, released in 2011. She has pushed me to "just get it written" and then go back and fix it. This is easier said than done.
Megan Messina Bostic who wrote Never Eighteen, a wonderful novel that follows a young man's journey to make life right before he dies. She has inspired me more than she could know, as I "found" her through a mutual friend at a critical turning point in my life.
I am supposed to have two more authors to feature on here, but would rather go with quality than quantity during this busy busy time of year. Have a great 2013 and do 2012 out right!!!
Showing posts with label Trish Stewart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trish Stewart. Show all posts
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Book Review: Taking Lessons from Ernest by Trish Stewart
Taking Lessons from Ernest is a tale of disappointment and reclamation. Trish Stewart does an eloquent job bringing the emotions of "hitting rock bottom" to life through her characters Eric and Oliver. Through her words and the appearance of Hemingway's ghost, she has crafted a tale of true healing as we follow Eric on his journey to fulfill his father's last wishes. This is a must read for anyone who feels like life has settled into a pit and they do not have the strength to climb out and fight for happiness.
Monday, February 6, 2012
I'm Learning...
ROW 80 Goal Progress
Write 1,000 words on days I have no kids. I've written about 2500 or so words in the past week! I have to say, if it weren't for a mystery Tweep telling me to get my ass off of Twitter and write...well, my Zombie friend, let's just say thank you! I am not only getting the hang of sitting down and letting the story flow, I am learning about my own process. I learned that I can write one story line and research ideas and facts for the next. I have also learned that I am more of a method writer--inserting myself into my characters when I write (see link later in post). This makes it more difficult for me to write in small bursts because getting into and out of character is challenging. Therefore, writing when I do not have the kids is even more important because then I am less likely to be interrupted. Also, because of the way I write, having a second project going on is also important. Sometimes, my characters get emotional and I can only write one or two scenes and then I need to quit. If I have a second project...that I can research for or work out character sketches or some other planning or revising, then I can take a break from the writing but still be productive towards my goals. Understanding that this is how I work has helped take so much pressure off.
Attend Writer's Group on a regular basis. This hasn't happened, but it hasn't happened for anyone in my group. Meetings just haven't worked out. I am meeting with the newly published author, Trish Stewart, on Saturday at my hometown library for her book signing. While there, the two of us are planning to discuss starting a writer's group there. If that were to work, I would be so happy!
Select/Revise/Submit entries on days I have the boys. I have been working here, but mostly on researching for my next book idea. I am waiting to hear about my first submission. For some reason, I don't feel I can move forward until I know one way or another. I know I will get past this feeling, but it will take a time or two before I jump into the publishing deep end. Right now, I feel I am still developing as a writer and embracing the fact that I am finally allowing myself to be happy and do what it is I have always dreamed of.
Blog on Wednesdays. At least it is once a week, right? Oh, I did write a book review for the YA novel, AWAY by Teri Hall on Goodreads.
Read one post on improving craft and develop my platform for an hour everyday. This learning was fun this week. I learned that I am a method writer from Derek Flynn at his blog, Rant, With Occasional Music Then, I realized some harsh truths from my friend and fellow author, Shelli Johnson (Small as a Mustard Seed) as she blogged about numbers on her website, Shelli Johnson. I have been using the numbers as both positive motivation and a distraction from the actual act of writing. Now I am not competing against anyone but myself, but it is like some strategist game...if I unfollow this person and then follow this one, will I be able to get more followers? I don't think there is anything wrong with this, except for the fact that I let it take away from my writing time. I will be setting a timer for any Twitter or Facebook time during my work hours. This way, I can't waste precious writing time.
Write 1,000 words on days I have no kids. I've written about 2500 or so words in the past week! I have to say, if it weren't for a mystery Tweep telling me to get my ass off of Twitter and write...well, my Zombie friend, let's just say thank you! I am not only getting the hang of sitting down and letting the story flow, I am learning about my own process. I learned that I can write one story line and research ideas and facts for the next. I have also learned that I am more of a method writer--inserting myself into my characters when I write (see link later in post). This makes it more difficult for me to write in small bursts because getting into and out of character is challenging. Therefore, writing when I do not have the kids is even more important because then I am less likely to be interrupted. Also, because of the way I write, having a second project going on is also important. Sometimes, my characters get emotional and I can only write one or two scenes and then I need to quit. If I have a second project...that I can research for or work out character sketches or some other planning or revising, then I can take a break from the writing but still be productive towards my goals. Understanding that this is how I work has helped take so much pressure off.
Attend Writer's Group on a regular basis. This hasn't happened, but it hasn't happened for anyone in my group. Meetings just haven't worked out. I am meeting with the newly published author, Trish Stewart, on Saturday at my hometown library for her book signing. While there, the two of us are planning to discuss starting a writer's group there. If that were to work, I would be so happy!
Select/Revise/Submit entries on days I have the boys. I have been working here, but mostly on researching for my next book idea. I am waiting to hear about my first submission. For some reason, I don't feel I can move forward until I know one way or another. I know I will get past this feeling, but it will take a time or two before I jump into the publishing deep end. Right now, I feel I am still developing as a writer and embracing the fact that I am finally allowing myself to be happy and do what it is I have always dreamed of.
Blog on Wednesdays. At least it is once a week, right? Oh, I did write a book review for the YA novel, AWAY by Teri Hall on Goodreads.
Read one post on improving craft and develop my platform for an hour everyday. This learning was fun this week. I learned that I am a method writer from Derek Flynn at his blog, Rant, With Occasional Music Then, I realized some harsh truths from my friend and fellow author, Shelli Johnson (Small as a Mustard Seed) as she blogged about numbers on her website, Shelli Johnson. I have been using the numbers as both positive motivation and a distraction from the actual act of writing. Now I am not competing against anyone but myself, but it is like some strategist game...if I unfollow this person and then follow this one, will I be able to get more followers? I don't think there is anything wrong with this, except for the fact that I let it take away from my writing time. I will be setting a timer for any Twitter or Facebook time during my work hours. This way, I can't waste precious writing time.
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