What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual pin board, created about two years ago, but recently it’s been taking off like wildfire.

If you’re anything like me, I love pin boards! A favorite recipe, a cute outfit, a great photo, we either stuff it into a drawer (never to be found again) clip it to the fridge (where it falls in-between the fridge and the cabinet) or pin it to a cork board with all the others. On Pinterest all we have to do, when we find something we’re interested in, is click the PIN IT on the bookmark bar. Then, create different boards to organize the topics, and it’s there for us when we’re ready for it. We also can share with our friends and they can share with us.

There is another side for bloggers and retailers: The pictures which get pined on any one persons’ board, once clicked, will go back to the original source. So say we saw this really cute pink dress on BFF’s board, we can click the photo and find out they sell them at Macy’s for $50.00. An even better example for someone like me, a new author, make a ‘pin’ of the novel cover and then link it back to it’s website where it can be bought or downloaded, and get your friends to re-pin it on their boards under ‘Must Reads’ or whatever title they create. You can also comment on the photo. I put the synopsis under the photo.

Here’s how to start:

1. Go to pinterest.com and ask for an invite (or find a friend on Pinterest to invite you).

2. Create your profile. (I included my novel coming out and synopsis)

3. Set up your boards (you can always add more as you go along)

4. When your given people to follow with similar interest, do it. This will give you a whole new set of ‘friends’.

5. Start pinning! (I went on Amazon.com and type in things I wanted to pin)

You can also upload photos from your computer and ‘pin’ them to your board. My novel is under production with a publisher, so I don’t have an ISBN number yet, so I download the HD Image they gave me of the cover. It’s already been repined a few times and I just started.

In a nutshell, that’s all there is too it.

Feel Free to come see me once you sign up! Don’t forget to re-pin TWISTED ROOTS.

Happy Writing!  

Shelly

    

     Do you have 'The Right Stuff' to be a writer? Well don't worry, I didn't either.

     When I first got back into writing, I just wrote. I 'barfed' out the story from beginning to end and then sat back and felt very proud of my accomplishment. I then handed it out to anyone who would read it. Of course, I thought it was brilliant and they would love it.

I laugh at that now.

     Of course they were all my friends and treaded lightly. I went back and wrote a few more drafts, taking in the suggestions and feedback I had gotten and then found a local writing critique group. I was so excited for my first critique. I was so sure they'd love it and hoist me up on their shoulders and pronounce me the best writer in decades...well not really, but I had high hopes. Instead, I got hammered! And now that I look back, they were kind. I learned something that night. Writing isn't just about actually writing, it's about researching and refreshing our minds on how to write complete sentences. Making sure our modifiers are in the right places and not over using semi-colons to make WORD a happy camper (which by the way, one of the founders of the writing group threatened to pry off my semi-colon off my laptop). I'm not saying you can't use them, but trust me, you can over use them very easily.

ARE YOU DRY?

     I've been living in Colorado for almost fifteen years and I still can’t get used to the dryness. If I want to zap one of my kids with static electricity (which I would never do and they can’t prove it) I would not have to drag my feet across the carpet. Everything I touch get zapped, which is why I’m in the habit of grounding myself before I pick up my laptop.

     However my article isn’t about that kind of dryness. I’m talking about the dryness of inspiration. Those times when we are so on fire for our passion and then all of sudden it leaves us. Maybe we get discouraged or we don’t feel value in what we’ve done, or maybe it’s a physical aliment that beats us down. Whatever it might be, we can rise above it and fight to get that the inspirational fire back into our souls.

                                       MY LIST

1. Get active! Even taking a walk increases the blood circulation to the brain. I get some of my best ideas when I’m in motion. 

2. Subscribe to daily quotes. I like all kinds of quotes. From movies, to writers, or even scripture verses, are huge motivational tools. 

3. Look for writing prompts (Writers). Just the other day I saw a request from an online publisher for flash fiction (500 words or less). It was not only a great exercise, but if they like my piece it will be published on their site. With my juices flowing, I also dug into my own WIP and made great progress—a win win even if the exercise doesn’t get chosen. 

4. Subscribe to bloggers who shares similar interests. For writer; find an agent, publisher or editor you admire and subscribe to their feed. My favorite agent is Rachelle Gardner, of Books and Such Publishing. I may not read her blog everyday, but I try to read a few times a week (she’s a daily blogger). 

5. Set-up a blog. Lots of free sites out there! Start off with a once a month blog. Blog about your passion, use the internet to learn more about your passion and then share it! Develop your own ‘groupies’ who can help inspire you.  

6. Get on facebook. I know, it’s scary at first, but going after your dream is scary and why not team up with others who either are going through the same thing or have already been there and can offer advice. 

7. Critique Group (for writers). I can’t tell you how much I love my writing group! They are the reason my first novel was good enough to land a publishing contract. They didn’t hold anything back and really stretched my writing potential (and still—the sequel is going through the group currently).

8. Keep friends close! Friends are those who will lift us up at all times. I know if I’m having a bad day, need a prayer said for me, or just feel down, I have those friends who bring me back into the light. We all have those times and need encouraging words, so be on the lookout for those you can encourage as well.

     These are just my suggestion to help keep the spring flowing and not allow your inspiration to run dry like the desert rivers. Meanwhile, I continue to lather up my physical body with lotion to combat the dryness of Colorado air. 

What are some things that help keep you inspired to follow your dreams, whether it’s writing or making lifetime changes for your health? 

Happy Writing!

The countdown for getting the manuscript back to the editor is down to three days, so I'll make this short.

My editor Amber has been great. We've been able to correspond via e-mail, which is much quicker than a phone a conversation and it keeps me on track. She hasn't suggested very many changes, although the changes she has suggested, I've been on board with. Most of them hadn't been what I wanted the reader to walk away with anyway, so being able to go back and reword or strengthen areas has been helpful.

For those of you who have been brave enough to read my drafts, it will seem quite different and I'm hoping it takes you from "I like the story" to "I love the story". Amber, although it's probably part of her job to be encouraging, said my material "was so good, it was her pleasure to get this project".

So with those words, I must get back to work. My goal is to get through the entire manuscript by tomorrow so that I can do one final read through--without changing anything (well maybe minor things). That's seventy pages to go through. YIKES! Thank goodness I stopped by Starbucks.

Happy Writing--Don't forget, NANOWRIMO is just around the corner!

I like airports. Something about watching people in an airport and wondering where they are going, or where they’ve been, stirs up a certain amount of creativity in me. If I ever experience writers block, I know just where to go to break it.

Yes, I started my blog waiting for my husband at the airport, but it has nothing to do with my blog title. LOL

When I was young, I loved nothing more than sitting in my room listening to music and writing. Back then, I wrote mostly poetry and most of it was about romance. Poetry is a lot like music. Actually, poetry is lyrics put to a tune if you get right down to it.

When I write, I typically have a certain song in mind for main sections of my novel. It puts me in that mood, that mind set to write that character. For example, in my novel A LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS, when I write about my evil character Daviar, the song “Under the Milky Way” plays in my head. The song brings out his character, the way he talks, the way he moves across the swampy ground, the way he deals with conflict--I can see it all as though I’ve already watched the movie a hundred times. My main heroin, Jessica, I can hear the sounds of a grand piano. At first it’s a sad and low, but as her character faces choices and falls in love, she realizes her strengths; her song is brassier, assertive, and empowering.

Putting aside that I’m a writer and write with a soundtrack, I have a personal soundtrack. If I were to make a list of the top 10 in order it would go something like this:

1. The Bare Necessities—The Jungle Book

2. Catch A Wave—Beach Boys

3. We Built This City—Jefferson Airplane

4. Careless Whisper—WHAM

5. Mad World--Gary Jules

6. Under The Milkway—The Church

7. Any Man of Mine—Shania Twain

8. When You Say Nothing At All—Allison Krauus

9. Jesus Freak—D.C. Talk

10. East is From The West—Casting Crowns

The soundtrack of my life is quite the strange combination (and even stranger if the list was longer with Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, and Nine Inch Nails). I can almost see my sisters and I dancing around the family room to the Jungle Book record, or the first time I slowed danced with a boy when the song ‘Careless Whisper’ plays, or when I knew I had met the man I’d spend my life with and I sang a karaoke song, ‘When you say nothing at all’. All these songs place me in a moment in time where I can recall what I was doing, what my surroundings were, the joy, the conflicts; it all comes into my mind like a flood.

Now, I’ve gone a step further and integrated it into how I develop my characters and my scenes. It is a very powerful tool.

So now that I’ve got you thinking about your own soundtrack, I’d love to know: What is the soundtrack of your life? If you are a writer, do you write with a soundtrack?

Happy Writing,

It's hard for me to be still.  Tuesday was my surgery.  My doctor removed a stone filled gall bladder and I was put on rest for a week.  Although my husband has been great at keeping up with some of the household chores, today I'm itching to clean house.  I did a few things and found out I'm not quite ready to bounce back into action.  So I'll be still another few days and hope to be back in action by the beginning of next week.  Meanwhile, for those of you who have read at least one draft of my novel (or bits), I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask as I fill out my author profile for my editor.  PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BY REPLYING TO THE POST ON THE WEBSITE AND NOT IN THE E-MAIL SEND. 

1.  What is the strongest asset in my writing?

2.  What is my weakness?

3.  Does the genre Christian Romance/Suspense make you more or less interested in buying the novel?

Thanks so much.

Shelly

Now that I can put another year of Vacation Bible School (VBS) under my belt, it’s time to focus back on writing. Don’t get me wrong, I love VBS. It’s the one time a year no one cares if I act like a ten year old all week (and wear pig-tales and braided hair). I also love the creative process of it all—to transform the church into something amazing. Okay, our theme this year was a little dry, (New York) but next year…yep next year’s is going to be WAY cool. 

One other thing I enjoy besides VBS and writing, is working in the yard. I spent a few hours this morning spraying weeds, raking new cedar over the dirt patches, and pulling the unwanted weeds from the upcoming flowerbeds.

Fun…I know…I’m making you jealous (okay boring you to tears, but hang on a moment).

It was in frustration of the prickly weeds, which stabbed my fingertips when I touched them, and not being able to tell the new plants from the weeds that reminded me of a bible section that talks about weeds.

“ 24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

I love when the simple things in life, remind me of God’s WORD. Although I still want to pluck those weeds out of the flowerbeds (next time with thick gloves), I know that God sees me among the weeds and He hopes that I will reach out and touch the lives around me—turning weeds into beautiful flowers.

That is what inspires me to write—to touch others.

What inspires you every day? What are your future hopes and dreams?

Last night I attended a writing workshop and someone talked about how she felt guilty when she spent time writing. She felt guiltily because like most of us, there is always something to do. Laundry, cleaning house, pets, yard, work (if you work outside the home), needy friends, church volunteer, and the lists goes on. When she said that, I realized that was exactly how I felt when I first started to write two years ago (and still do sometimes).

The speaker brought up a good point. "If we know we have a calling to write, why do we not feel it's important enough?" I went home last night with those words swimming around my brain. I woke up this morning and decided that I do believe God has given me this gift and I need to use it to HIS glory. Who am I, to refuse God’s calling?

Whether you believe in God or not, if you have the gift of words you should be using them. Whether it’s to whisk your reader into a world of creation, or to enlighten with your experience and wisdom, a talent not used is wasted. As writers, we need to make sure we spend that time in our craft and not feel guilty in the slightest.

What hinders you from writing? Can you find 15 minutes in your day to write? Or if writing isn’t your thing, what hinders you from following your dreams?

I was in sixth grade when I read my first full-length novel. Finally, the big kids on campus, we could checkout the books in the ‘BACK ROW” (we called it the forbidden row) and there was one cover that stood out for me. The cover was haunting. Sad pale faces with blonde hair stood behind an attic window and looked out. Titled FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC, from the very beginning, I left my reality and jumped into the book.

The author V.C. Andrews had a way with words. The way they flowed, the way they struck at my heart, how I cared deeply about the pain the children went through. I’d go to sleep and dream about them. Somehow, they seeped into my very soul.

That is when I knew I wanted to be a writer. I wanted my words, my worlds, and my characters to transport the reader into a different kind of reality. I wanted them to feel the joy, the sadness, the struggles and the glory each time a character did.

My mind never stops inventing them either.

Signing a contract deal for my first novel is a dream coming true. It still seems unreal at this point and probably will be until that first printed book is in my hands.

I hope after sometime and few more novels under my belt, to help others achieve the same goals. I hope that when someone reads my novels, I will inspire someone as V.C. Andrews did for me.

Thanks again for the continued support and love.

Happy Writing!

Shelly

**NOTE: Although now, a mother of three girls and a Christian, I would not recommend the series by V.C. Andrews to read (even for adults) as they are filled with incest and adultery. At the time, I faced a lot of trials in an unchristian home and I sought out reading as a comfort. I wish I could say I read C.S. Lewis or some other uplifting author, but it is what it is.

I should know better than to think that the snow season was over and no flip-flops today with a blanket of snow covering everything but the roads. I guess they were too warm for the snow to stick. I am glad though. The girls needed to go to school—momma needed the girls to go to school after last week of 27/7 spring break time. 

Last week, I focused on my agent query letter and felt pretty good when I hit the send button. My hope this time is that the agent requests additional pages, and although there is no guarantee they’ll take me on as a new client, at least then I can go back to editing the actual novel. :-)

Currently, I am working on a couple of writing projects. There are two short stories I’m editing, “Nate and Stacey—Happily Ever After” (a fairytale twist to Hansel and Gretel) and “No Rooms” (a fun suspense ghost story). I’ve also begun work on another short story “Someone’s in the Attic”, (a psychological thriller).

In addition to my writing, I’ll be busy with stuffing 1500 plastic eggs for Easter Sunday and planning a June Vacation Bible School, so if I fall behind on my blogs—forgive me.

What you are currently working on?

Lights, camera, action! Pikes Peak Park Baptist church invites you to join us for our seventh annual “THE LIGHT”. Under the direction of Associate Pastor/Script Writer, Scott Goodman, this fully staged production, with a cast, choir, and crew of over ninety members, is sure to knock your socks off.

Inspired by Casting Crowns song “Glorious Day”, Pastor Scott has continued to follow God’s direction to keep the annual play fresh and new each year. This year’s theme, the “Dawn has come”, will focus on the Passion Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday); the trails Jesus faced before his last sacrifice for man.

“We all long for the day the trumpet will sound and we will meet Jesus in the air. Because of His life, death and resurrection, we have the hope for a life in which we can please our heavenly Father and expand His glorious kingdom. This has been a difficult year in some respects for us as a church, but believing that God is always faithful, and wanting to bless us and others, we look forward to the seventh installment of the Light.” Pastor Scott.

THE LIGHT

Friday and Saturday--April 1st , 2nd , and 8th , 9th @ 7:00 pm

Sunday--April 10 @ 5:00 pm.

Tickets are FREE and available by calling the church office @ 719-597-9004, or stopping by 3725 El Morro Rd, located in southeastern Colorado Springs on south Academy Boulevard between Chelton and Astrozon—behind Sonic. Check us out on the web at www.pppbc.org.

Article written by Shelly Goodman Wright

www.shellygoodmanwright.com

Retention (as used in school districts around the U.S.) is just another word for ‘flunked’ or ‘hold back’ a grade. Even with the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT, schools continue to practice this method as a way to cope with lower achieving students. Does it work?

A few years ago at a parent teacher conference, it was suggested that I retain my middle child who was not performing at grade level. She was on the immature side and, at first; I did not think it was such a bad idea. Especially, since she was only in first grade. My husband, on the other hand was against it. I decided if I wanted to convince my husband this was a good thing, I would have to do my research. I was surprised to find out the opposite was true.

One of the first sites to pop-up was the The National Association of School Psychologist [www.nasponline.org/about_nasp/pospaper_graderetent.aspx] The one big statement that jumped out at me, states:

“Grade repeaters as adults are more likely to be unemployed, living on public assistance or in prison than adults who did not repeat a grade.”

Not that I think my sweet little girl would end up down that road, but it does make you sit-up and think about what is going on in society today. For a practice that does not work, it is interesting that kids being retained has increased over the last 25 years.

Some of the articles I read on retention refer back to NASP’s (The National Association of School Psychologists) study, so I’ll just say there are quite a few that respect this organization enough to site them.

Another little interesting fact, the U.S. and Canada are the only two countries that practice retention, found on Wikipedia.

A study done by Advocates for Children [www.advocatesforchildren.org/pubs/retention.html], although the study specifically focused on New York’s schools stated:

“Low performing students who have been retained in kindergarten or primary grades lose ground both academically and socially, relative to similar students who have been promoted. In secondary school grades, retention leads to reduced achievement and much higher rates of school dropout. At present, the negative consequences of grade retention policies typically outweigh the intended positive effects.”

On a site called healthline.com [http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/retention-in-school] they combine some of the research done in one summary and then added:

“Although many school districts involve parents in the decision to retain, in most communities the school system has the right to make the decision, with or without the parent's support. However, most experts support the idea that parents who are opposed to the decision to retain their child should make their concerns known. Parents should survey other local school systems, both public and private, to see their policies on retention. Parents should also request evidence supporting a retention decision, including details of their child's academic performance, standardized test results, or other pertinent factors, such as the student's emotional maturity.”

There are numerous sites on the internet on this subject and there is no positive study on retention overall. Sure, I found parents, teachers and a handful of kids who said it worked for them, but the research and overwhelming numbers of students followed, show otherwise.

Obviously, my husband was right and I had to put my foot down on not retaining my daughter. I was told that if they decided to ‘retain’ her, I would not have a choice, so I left that district. She is still not performing where she needs to be, so we decided to put her in Sylvan. It’s only been six weeks and I already see the difference in her confidence and writing/spelling.

She now wants to be a scientist and tells everyone Sylvan is making her smarter.

Overall, do not blindly listen to what teachers and administrators say is best for your child--do your research. You are your child’s best advocate. Retention does not fix what they did not get the first time it only masks the problem. Ask the teachers where exactly your child has the most trouble and then tackle it, either by working with the teacher, going on line (there are tons of free worksheets on-line in just about every subject) or getting them tutoring. If your child does not have a solid foundation, the gaps in their learning will get worse and they will get even more frustrated.

For those of you in Harrison District Two, retention is being considered once again, which is why I felt compelled to write this article. There is another way, let our voices be heard.

     We have written our novel and now we are ready to seek out an agent—or are we?

     Today I spent much of my Saturday afternoon making a list of possible agents. On each site, I not only read about each agent and what they represent, but read their blogs. One agent wrote, “If this is the first draft of your first novel then don’t even bother.” Wow, that hits you hard in the face. Here we have spent hours, months and possibly years to write our masterpiece and she’s going to slap me in the face. OUCH!

     Her statement is completely understandable. Thousands of query letters hits the desks (computers) of agents/publishers on a daily basis. I read on one agent’s blog, fifty percent of queries sent to him, have either misspelled his name, addressed the query letter “To Whom It May Concerns”, do not include the genre they seek representation for, or simply have basic spelling/grammar errors. “No thanks, I’ll pass.”

     It is much the same with most agents and publishers. If you can’t get the short query polished, what is the rest of your manuscript going to look like. YIKES!

     But let’s go back a moment to my original statement. Are you ready to seek an agent?

     Say you have just finished your novel. First thing I would suggest is to join a writer’s group. Here you will get honest feedback from people who are not afraid to hurt your feelings. Trust me, it might sting a little a first, but your writing will grow stronger and you will have the opportunity to analyze others writings as well.

     Secondly, know your genre and search for agents that represent that genre. You are not ready to submit yet, but by signing up with their blogs and finding out about them, gives you an upper hand in knowing what they are looking for. Most of the agents I ran across today have no problems telling you what drives them insane or gets them excited.

     Third, learn the craft. Joining a critique group, reading editor, agents, or publishing blogs are great resources for learning. There are also writers’ magazines that feature advice from writers, editors and publishers, and keep you current on the publishing world.

     And while you’re doing all these, you can check out my blog Building A Platform as your next step. You really want to have something you can add to your publishing credits.

     Currently, I’m on my seventh draft of “A LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS”. Each draft, tightens my novel and quickens the pace of the story. Why? Because of the critiques and I’m so grateful to those who aren’t afraid to tell me what they think.

     Am I ready? I like to think I’m close. Fine turning my query, synopsis and first fifty pages is more than nerve racking, but worth it. I don’t know if I’ll ever publish my first novel, but I have enjoyed those who have begged me for the second and third novel. I’ve also enjoyed writing for the local paper and creating short stories for publications.

     What tips do you have? Do you follow a blog of an agent, editor, or publisher? And why them?

Are you ready?

Happy Writing

As a writer, we all want to write something amazing. We want the reader to fall into the world we created. to get lost in our creative mind and to emerge with a hunger for more. That is what every person who ever wrote anything wants: to either entertain or enlighten.

So how to do we get to that point? How do we make this happen?

I’ve briefly mentioned a few idea’s in previous blogs, but I’d like to go into more detail with the one thing that has been the most important in my own writing--Peer Editing

An article on the Guilford College website:  "One of the best ways to improve as a writer--other than through practice, practice, practice!--is by consciously using the criteria of excellent writing to make judgments about what is good in a piece of writing and what is not and then applying those criteria to one's own work. Thus students in writing classes that employ peer editing regularly praise the practice highly, sometimes reporting it to be a class's most useful aspect.” 

Belonging to a fantastic writers group, (Colorado Springs Fiction Writer's Group), I could not agree more with the article.   When I finished my first novel, I did pass it along to a few friends to read, but someone telling you "it's bad', “it’s good”, or even “great”, is not as helpful as someone pointing out tense shifts, or overused words and phrases. Our friends might buy our books and even suggest it to their friends, but if it’s sloppy and badly written, was it worth it?

Let’s say the writing is excellent, but your character aren't strong enough or your plot is weak. That will be the lasting impression we leave the reader with and they won’t be running down to Borders to buy our next book. Peer editing will not only bring these things out in our work, but we begin to see it in everything else we read.  I couldn’t see the mistakes in my own writing until I started to edit others. Now, not only do I have feedback written on my piece, but also I’ve learned something from the editing process, helping me become a stronger writer.

There can be a few pitfalls, so before you do the internet scan for peer editing groups, we all need to remember one thing—YOU ARE THE AUTHOR! Not everyone’s feedback is helpful, and not everyone will agree with our critique of his/her work either. That’s okay. In my writing group, there are about ten of us. Some of the critiques are very similar to each other, so then I know it’s a red flag to fix. But occasionally one person might say something that no one else agrees with. In the end, it’s your piece, your baby. What I ask myself before I scrap a scene or begin to re-write: “Who is it I’m reaching too? Am I missing my target audience?” and most importantly, “do I agree with the suggestions?” Nine times out of ten—for me--I enjoy the critiques that tear my writing apart. I believe my writing gets stronger because of those who aren’t afraid to say, “I just didn’t get it.”

On the side of being a critiquer, I’ve had readers tell me that they don’t know how to critique. They feel inadequate and “not the best person to give advice”. However, if asked about the worst book they ever read, they could ramble off a list of things. Maybe you’re one of those people and for a moment, I’m going to assume you are. Here are some basic things I look for when I critique:

  Read the entire piece to make sure you have a good idea of what the person submitted. Make a mark on spots where the flow stops, or you got lost—but not much else yet. Find the beat!

  Start-off with the positive/strengths and give specifics. Ex: You liked the premise of the piece, strong characters, good descriptions, etc.

  From here, you can either talk about the weakness of the piece—again being specific--or go right into the line editing.

  Line Editing--Hopefully the piece submitted or exchanged is double-space with one and a half margin for adequate comments. This is where you note grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, below, above, or in the side margin.

  Finish your critique again with something positive and encourage the writer. They say half the battle in life, isn’t whether something is easy or hard, it’s your attitude about it. Leave your writer with something they can hold on to, even if you hated it, without lying to them. It does them no good for you to say you liked the story if you really didn’t.

These are just a few things I look for, but I do know there are other writers who critique as well and I would love to know your methods, or something I may have left out. You can add your comments to my web site blog, www.shellygoodmanwright.com to share your strategies with other writers, including me.

 Anyone can write and many do. Unfortunately, in this self-publishing age, badly written books line the shelves everywhere you turn. Join a group, strengthen your story, polish your writing skills, then head over to agentquery.com and begin the search.

 As always, I wish you the very best of luck and happy writing!

Having a Writing Life

Two and half years ago, my life changed with a dream. Literally—I woke up and began to write down the events of a dream. It was not the beginning of the story, or the end, and not the high-tension action scene, just a girl torn between two immortal brothers seeking her affection. One brother, a moral and Godly soul; the other power hungry and siding with the devil. Oh, and the dream took place in a swamp.

That is about all I knew when I started the novel. What swamp, what type of immortal? That came after I did some research on swamps, anchoring my story in the Okefenoke Swamp, GA. History is full of real events to play into your fictional world, giving your reader the believability that it could have happened.

I wrote my first draft of A LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS in thirty days. I know, it seems impossible, but it really isn’t if you set personal daily goals and follow some simple tips I’ve learned from writer blogs.

• Forget grammar! Number one suggestion—editing is going to happen. No one can write a novel and get it published. Even established author’s have editors. So allow yourself to make mistakes—write broken sentences and mess up your tense shifts—allow your soul to write and don’t hinder the story. Then, when you have finished the novel, you will be able to really understand your characters and where they are going, making the editing process much easier. Writing and rewriting the same chapter repeatedly only stops you from completion.
• Set a realistic daily writing goal. A typically novel is 70-100 words, so take the days you want to complete your novel in and divide the word count. Mine was 1600 a day.
• Think about what motivates you to write. Is it music? Is it a quiet place? Or maybe it’s sitting in a bookstore/coffee shop. Where are you most productive? (Where ever that might be, keep in mind your posture and sit in a good chair).
• Keep a notebook with you at all times. Waiting for the oil change or for the kids to get out of school; anytime is a good time to scribble down the next part of your story. (I’ve recently acquired a net-book which fits neatly in my purse. I wrote sitting in the dental chair before my root canal.)
• And every writer should always have a book on their nightstand! Keep reading and it wouldn’t hurt to pick up the Writer’s Digest Magazine! Chalked full of great advice and suggestions.

The next problem is being stuck and you’re not sure what to do next. Here are a few things I’ve either done, or have heard others say worked for them. 

• If your novel was a movie, what type of music would you hear? Make a soundtrack for your novel. When stuck, play the tune, close your eyes and see where it takes you.
• Where does your novel take place? Is it real, fiction, or fiction based on real? Develop some physical and mental pictures of your world to help inspire what comes next.
• Do you have a ‘bible’ journal for your characters? I have to say, I do not. (However, I can see for my next new novel, I should establish one.) This includes all aspects of each character, where they are born who their parents are—what makes them who they are; whether or not you use it in the novel, it can help spark you out of a rut.
• Another way to break out of a stuck mind, get active! Jump on a dread-mill, take a walk around the block, get the blood flowing.

Finishing a novel is not beyond your reach! Set your goals, follow through, and before you know it, you'll be staring at your first complete novel. And congratulations in advance for accomplishing what most people only talk about.

Do you have a suggested to add?  What motivates you?  What helps you pass the blocks? 

Shelly Goodman Wright

Writers can write just about anywhere. Even if you don’t have a small laptop or notebook to tag along everywhere you go, there is always some form of paper and writing equipment lying around. Napkins are not my first choice, but have been the target of a few thoughts I needed to jot down before the thoughts skipped to ballet lessons or after school soccer practice.

Today I have the luxury of trying out my Christmas present—a netbook. So small, it fits nicely into my existing purse, and yet the keyboard is big enough so that my fingers can hit each key with ease. And with a downloaded version of ‘Office’, and my writings transferred over to my documents, I can work while getting my car a much needed bath—inside and out.

So with the girls back in school, it’s time to get back into the swing of things. This is the year to get my novel an agent. Or should I say trilogy? (LOL) But let me not get ahead of myself and take one step at a time.

My personal goals for 2011—

1. Spend quality time with God and then family.

2. Loose the five pounds I gained on Tim’s awesome sugar cookies.

3. Take an online course/study on basic grammar rules and structure.

4. Edit, edit, edit—first novel

5. Continue to write pieces for Fresh*Ink.

6. Write four short stories and submit to magazines.

7. Offer more online critiques to new writers (offer an online forum?).

8. Paint a swamp scene

.

Feel free to hold me accountable. 

These are a few things I would personally like to achieve. Of course I have family goals as well…like painting the wall upstairs…spring garage sale, etc.

What are your goals for 2011? I’d love to hear them.

Five days into National Write a Novel in a Month, and I’m way below my goal. It wasn’t because I got writer’s block or my computer crashed, just everyday life gets in the way.

Today I should have been able to catch-up, but instead I drove around town looking for the article published in a local newspaper--my article--my first publication.

Yes, I know big deal right? But I can’t help but smile from ear to ear knowing thousands of papers went out (basically in every place with a waiting room) with my article in it and on the second and third page!

Tomorrow, I’ll calm down and get back on tract. A weekend with not much planned is a perfect way to reach my goal. With my iPod charged and a couple of projects for the kids, I’m hopeful.

If you are doing the NaNoWriMo challenge, add me as a buddy. My username is swright011699

Oh and for you Colorado Friends, if you see my article in Fresh Ink, Nov 3, don’t forget to grab it and read!

You can see the article on csfreshink.org--The November 3 edition Briargate or Powers.  I'm still looking for the Fountain one.  :-)

Turned off the TV set, saying goodbye to facebook, my space and all other distractions...NaNoWriMo has begun!

November first beings the National Novel Writing Month challenge and I've signed up. Taken from the websites tagline; "NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world."

The goal is to write whatever comes out of your mind and through your fingers, ignoring grammar, sentence structure and everything else in-between. Free the creative side of your brain and let the analytical side, sit on the sidelines and write 50,000 words by November 30.

It’s not too late to join me if you want to push and stretch your imagination. If not, I’ll see you again in December!