To Agent or not to Agent

What a day we live in! Options are as plentiful as the calories in a Big Mac; processes are easy and deliver instant results and information is free to all! This is all very fortuitous and opportunistic for this generation of writer’s, no?

The last writer’s conference I attended was a mix of author’s that were new to the game and seasoned veterans (heavy on the latter.) The authors who walked uphill both ways on the path to publishing (in the snow with no shoes on) didn’t seem to appreciate today’s new-age methods of publishing.

To be honest, I can see their point. In their day author’s WROTE  books – no spell checker, no backspace key- they dripped blood, sweat and tears onto real paper! When they wanted to research something for their books they had to get up off of the couch and go to the library and use that little card catalog thingy! Publishing was even more tedious. Online query forms didn’t exist. No, there were reams and reams of paper sent out with hundreds of dollars of postage. Sounds like lots of disadvantages, right? It wasn’t all languishing and lament, though.

“Authors of old had one gleaming advantage over today’s prospective penmen: Fewer authors actually followed through with the process due to its rigor, which increased their chances of winning the prize of publishing.”

Now you’re thinking, “Well, that was a happy story. Tell me more.”  Don’t worry, there are advantages for the whipper snappers too. It just involves a lot of research and knowing which path is best for you. If you’re reading this you’ve probably gotten as far as asking yourself THE QUESTION – Why am I writing a book? Your answer might be: to make money; so my voice is heard; to get my message out; because it’s on my bucket list or I don’t know, it’s just this blazing passion inside I have to fulfill. That last one is me. I’m not dying to roll in fields of cash (though if it happens I won’t complain).  I don’t have a burning message that I want to preach to the masses.

I just want to create and entertain and I want to be regarded and validated as an author.

Understanding my motive helps me choose my publishing route and I’ve chosen the traditional route of searching for an agent to represent me as an author.Landing an agent would be affirmation that my writing is ready for the public. Now, we know many authors – Steven King among them – had to query agents for just about ever to find someone who would affirm his craft. So be ready to stay the course if you choose this method.

Once an author is published through the traditional route, however, they have established themselves in the literary community and publishing becomes a much easier process.  I would say that this is the one major advantage to the traditional route that self publishing doesn’t provide. Another advantage is that there is no cash put out by the author, or there shouldn’t be. Never ever, ever pay an agent to represent you. They get there’s when they sell your book and good agents sell books. In fact, many agents give a stipend upon signing with them that doesn’t have to be paid back if you don’t sell any books. If you take the stipend, though, you don’t get a pay–out until you’ve sold the amount of  cash you accepted for signing.

Now let’s talk about the disadvantages. Oh geez, are you sure you want to talk about this?

The number one headache has to be the query process. If you’re not familiar with this constant kick to the gut I shall enlighten you. Some agents, not all, accept non–solicited manuscripts from newbies and veterans alike – again some agents, not all. Some only accept from established authors. To query an agent, you send them letters in a specific format that tells them about your experience as a writer and what your manuscript is about. Some agents request a sample chapter or two of your manuscript as well. Lots of research should go into what each agent is looking for and whether they accept non exclusive submissions (submissions that are sent to more than one agent.) Personally, unless it’s your dream agent, I don’t send exclusives because as one author put it, you’d be 108 if you had to send each query out individually and wait for the response. Speaking of waiting, most agents take at least four weeks to get back to you and sometimes eight but I’ve received responses in less than an hour before.

What about those responses? They are rarely personal. Sometimes it’s hard to tell but I’m not sure I’ve ever received anything but a form letter and so far they have all been rejections. Be ready for rejection but don’t let it sway you. As Dory would say, “Just keep sending. Just keep sending, sending, sending!” To kill a Mocking Bird was re-written nearly a hundred times and went to countless agents before being published. I guess what I’m trying to say is : this method of publishing takes stick–to–it–iveness (not a word) but the accreditation associated with it is worth it in the end.

I could write a book on the methods and resources involved with pursuing an agent. I wouldn’t be the first one if I did.  Instead, you can check out the link I’ve provided below to many of my favorite query resources if this is the path you plan to take. There is a culmination of great information on how to build your query and what to look for in an agent. Happy hunting! You can do it!

Here is a list of my favorite

Query Tracker.net This is a great resource for finding agents based on genre and location. It gives valuable statistical information on how agents respond to different query methods and provides for comments by authors on the process.

Writers Market – If you aren’t published and you’re in the query process this piece of literature is a must-have. You can download the book online at Amazon.com.

AgentQuery.com This is an awesome resource when looking for what specific agents are looking for when you query them.

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You’re Really Not All That Special

I have a special ring tone I’ve set up on my phone just for agent responses. I used to get so excited when it chimed. Now I cringe; time to read the latest rejection letter. Authors spend a lot of time thinking about rejection (unless you’re the Stephanie Meyer instant success type.)  Why, you ask, would one ponder such a joyless thought? Because we are artists. Honestly, it took a very long time just to be able to call myself that. For years I thought that just because I enjoyed creating art didn’t really make me an artist. Well, it does and it doesn’t. Let me explain.

The sad fact, especially today, is that anyone can do what you do. There are apps that can teach you how to sing, you tube videos that teach you how to paint and a wealth of information online about how to be a good writer. Heck, I learned to play the guitar off of YouTube and now I’m in a band!

It’s kind of a defeating if you think about it but don’t let this put a dimmer on your disco just yet. Here’s what DOES set you apart from the rest: you’re level of passion for whatever you do. This is the reason why not everyone excels when they write, paint, sing or play even though they are capable – they can, they just don’t love it enough to do it. You have to be IN LOVE with your art form. It’s those who take the time to hone their craft and see it to maturity that become the memorable ones of their time.

So, back to rejection. What does this have to do with you being an artist? You’ll never except that you are one until you learn to be rejected. Sounds upside down right? The truth is, until you are able to put yourself out there and accept that not everyone will love what you love and that not everyone will understand what you create then you will never mature as an artist. Isn’t that what makes things memorable anyway? Not everyone loves my spouse the way I do but that doesn’t devalue our passion.

So, how do you become a true reject/artist? You show your stuff. That’s right, if you write send out a query, if you paint, set up a gallery showing, if you sing, write someone a song. I know your toes are curling right now. What if they don’t like it?  What if they hate it!? Then they don’t understand it. They don’t understand the joy it brings you to create and that’s okay. Someone out there does. Oh good gosh, please tell me someone out there does!

Hermit the Blogger

If you were my children I could be charged with neglect. I have neither posted nor commented for nigh on a month and a half. Does it help to know that I was thinking about you while I was neglecting you? While excuses are like certain anatomical orifices I refuse to mention, like you, I have a good one for my abusive behavior. The last month and a half of my life has gone like this: Neglectful Blogger puts house on market by owner not really expecting any results; Careless Poster finds buyer in first week of posting house in newspaper; Spurning Writer FREAKS OUT BECAUSE SHE HAS TO PACK 11 YEARS WORTH OF ACCUMULATED NONSENSE QUICKLY; Shirking Author sells practically everything she owns and puts a bid on a new house; 30-Something Procrastinating Penmen moves back in with her momma (along with 3 children, husband, Great Dane, and deaf and blind Cocker Spaniel who has suddenly developed loss of bladder control.) But this is temporary, right? So I can handle this; Trifling Typist’s house deal falls through (a little appraisal snafu no fault of the buyer. These things happen)….duh, duh, duh.

So now do you forgive me? There are much sadder stories out there so I’m not really feeling too sorry for myself but the truth is, it’s made it difficult to find time to blog. Thanks to some tumultuous and timely weather, however, I’ve been able to write again and it has been like salve to my soul!

So this is what I want to know: what has writing done for you? It could be good. It could be bad. It could be both. Tell me.

Writing has been therapeutic, stressful, renewing, and revealing for me. It has changed me some. I didn’t see it at first or maybe I didn’t want to admit it but now I like being alone. I look for a quiet room and can’t wait for a day off or even a few hours off….to write. It’s not always so good. I think I’d be perfectly content somewhere with no other neighbors in sight, tucked away in the woods (perfect description of the house that fell through. Sigh.) I’ve turned into Hermit the Blogger.

Writing has done some wonderful and not so wonderful things to me.

I suppose it’s not a horrid thing but I’m feeling the disconnect and so I’m putting myself out there precisely to combat the evolution or I may turn green like the character in my latest YA novel. So, my ever supportive husband is planning a little dinner party with some strangers – friends of friends. He plans on bribing them with free food and asking them to come and allow me to pitch my novels to them in preparation for a conference I’ll be attending in April. He’s so clever.

What about you? Are you becoming a recluse and turning green? Are you discovering new aspects of yourself? Are you building thick layers and titanium determination?

I Dream of Genie and Sometimes Purple Leprechauns

You jolt awake and a battering ram is hammering your chest, your breathing like you just did 5 flights on the stair stepper and your hair is soaked with sweat. You’re relieved when you realize you never made contact with the pavement after you jumped off the cliff to avoid the two headed dog that was chasing you. It was just a dream.

How do our minds concoct these masterful delusions? Psychologists have tried understanding dreams for…..well, for as long as there have been psychologist and I, being the wanna-be psychologist that I am, have my own opinion about where our dreams come from.

Dreams are often an expression of the concerns we’re  not willing to admit. They’re our minds way of using cultural icons, symbols and our own values to express  concerns, ideas and passions while we sleep. It’s a truly unique form of communication when you think about it. I don’t know about you, but I talk to myself….a lot! Even if you don’t, you must have internal conversations. You weigh your options, talk things through in your head or whatever other label you want to put on TALKING TO YOURSELF! We don’t stop doing that when we sleep and if we have concerns or passions they often manifest in our dreams.

For example, some time ago I had a confrontation with an individual where I had to say some things I didn’t want to say but were necessary. That night I dreamed that I…hold on I have to breathe deep and swallow a few times before I can say this…ate a live frog – just swallowed him whole. What meaning could this possibly have? Well, it’s deep and not-so-deep. Our subconscious sometimes communicates in riddles using iconic symbols and cliches, things that we’ll recognize. To dream that you swallow a frog means that you’ve had to say something unpleasant or “difficult to swallow.” We’ve all heard the phrase “I’ve got a frog in my throat” before. Another strange chronic dream I have is about my teeth crumbling and falling out, which means that I’m concerned about money. Teeth are an indicator of  health and prosperity in humans. Instinctively we look at the quality of peoples teeth when we’re considering them for a mate or an employee or a babysitter, etc. Something else I often dream about  is driving down a winding road that eventually falls to pieces. A winding road can represent the path of life and any vehicle represents your drive and navigation through life. If the road is straight and smooth you feel like things are going to plan. If it’s winding and bumpy well….you get the idea.

I’d love to take credit for these interpretations but as one famous guy in a powdered wig once said, I cannot tell a lie (because then I’ll have bad dreams about it.)  Dream Moods Dictionary has to be one of my favorite sites. Sometimes I’ll wake up from a dream at three in the morning, grab my phone from my bed stand and look up the meaning right then and there. This site has a cache of different icons, objects and scenarios that you can choose from to interpret your dreams. You’ll be surprised at how often it is right on!

Does this mean that your dreams never have meaning for the future or that there can be no subliminal spiritual secrets as you slumber? Not in my opinion. I’m merely saying that most often our dreams can be explained this way. If you’ve followed my writing you know by now that I never rule out the possibility of a spiritual influence!

So, before you drift off to dream land be sure to leave a note and tell me about some of your wildest dreams. Some authors even claim to have come up with ideas for their Best Selling Novels (cough-couch: Stephanie Meyers) while dreaming. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite and sweet dreams.

Gettin’ All Josh Groban on Ya

It’s time; time to give credit where credit is due, time to pay tribute to the ones who lift you up so you can see the mountains.  (You just read that in your head using Josh Groban’s voice didn’t you?) Even if you’ve never received support from the ones you expected it from, most of you can say that someone has encouraged you to pursue the thing you love. I think back on the decisions I’ve made that seemed truly illogical (believe me, there have been plenty of them) and I would never have done them without a certain amount of support, usually just one or two people.  I’m not saying that people are always supportive. On the contrary, my biggest decisions were met with the most opposition; however they were the ones that paid off the most!

I’ve come to an age where I’ve realized life is fleeting and if I want to actually DO the things I’ve only dreamed about doing, it’s time to jump. Sometimes that jump requires some encouragement: “You can do it. What you’re doing is good, it’s awesome!” That’s all it takes…and geronimo! Who is that person for me? 100 percent of the time it’s my high school sweetheart – my husband Ryan. (I told you I’d be gettin’ all Josh Groban on ya.) He tells me when it’s good; he tells me when it stinks but he never tells me that it’s impossible. There are also the unexpected supporters, co-workers and people you babysat for ten years ago and girls you haven’t talked to since high school. You know who you are.

You know when people are patronizing you and you know when they truly believe in you – when they’re making plans based on your SUCCESS! Who is that person for you? It may not be the ones you expected it from. That’s okay. We’ll show ‘em.

So to those who raise me up: thank you.

You Wrote the Last Best Seller…CONGRATULATIONS!

I paid a short visit to the candy store that is Barnes and Noble this week and found myself, of all places, in the Philosophy isle. Okay, it was by accident that I ended up there but none-the-less I thoughtfully chose a book from the shelf with regard to intellectual growth. Yeah, that didn’t happen either. The cover of the Hunger Games did grab my attention though and when I pulled the book from the shelf, thinking that it was in the wrong section, I discovered that it was actually entitled, “The Hunger Games and Philosophy ” As I looked further I discovered that there were other books dedicated to the success of vampire stories and zombie stories. Why in the name of all that is warm and breathing are we so hypnotically drawn to the un-dead?

Well, it’s nothing new. In fact, one of the first vampire stories, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, was written in 1897. The first feature length zombie film was featured in 1936, entitle, White Zombie. So why the resurfacing trend? One word, MONEY. But it’s not what you think. It’s more about the lack of money than the making of it. Society gravitates towards grim tales when times are hard. Basically recessions bring out the monsters. In the 30s monsters and horror films were on the rise and and our stock market was on the fall.

So why blood sucking vampires and flesh eating zombies? Why not GODZILLA or the BLOB? It’s about meat. Yes, ground chuck, T-bone, drum stick, meat. In the past it’s been hard to come by during recessions and war time, even being rationed at times. People associate meat with strength and feel as though without it they are weak. So we invent immortal monsters that will seek it out for us as we live vicariously through them. It’s also a reason why we’ve seen a recent rise in vegitarianism and veganism (I being the latter.)

Vegitarians and Vegans are, on the whole, not the norm. Meat eaters, lets face it, you don’t get it, right? Why would you give up BACON?! Oh sweet bacon, how I miss thee….eh-hem, sorry about that. Well according to this philosophy, meat eaters seek meat for strength and the Vs seek veggies for the same reason. They abandon the ideas that meat is the only source of power and look for alternatives in hard times. They’re those few strange individuals that like to play against the odds.

So, congratulations! You didn’t know that you were the one’s who decided what the recent Best Sellers would be about ,did you?

The Beast that is Your Query

I’ve talked before about query resources. Frankly, I couldn’t have developed a query without them.Here is a link that sums up some valuable information for your query letter. It’s a animal all its own and if your pet is like mine it evolves into something a little more civilized with each batch of queries I send out.

What I learned from Query Shark.

Or if you want to go straight to the source you can visit Query Shark yourself at queryshark.blogspot.com/

I’ll leave you with a few of my favorites:

Immediately get into the story. Don’t start with an introductory paragraph; don’t put the title and word count in the first paragraph. Put this information in the last paragraph. Agents seem to be split about this, but according to Ms. Reid, “A quick drop into cold water is EXACTLY how you want to start a novel (and thus a query.)” She says the very first word in the query should be the main character’s name. Describe what he/she wants and what is preventing him/her from getting it.

– Don’t start with a log line––aka, a one-sentence summary of the entire plot.

– Don’t start your query with a quote or random fact. (i.e. “Did you know that a thousand elephants turn purple every year?” … Obviously this is just an example, and not actually true.)

– Don’t start with a rhetorical question. (i.e. “Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be a purple elephant?”)

– Don’t start with clichés. (i.e. “In a world …”)

It’s the end of the world. I think I’ll wreck the car.

It was an atypical start to a most significant day….the final day. (Play along , all right?) I can almost pinpoint the moment when I just gave up. I let go and thought, “It’s all out of my control now,” and then I must have closed my eyes because I remember darkness until after the impact. A whip of the neck and a crack to the head….jostle, jostle. It’s quiet…OH MY GOSH THE KIDS! My eyes open and I turn around. My son laughs, “THAT WAS AWESOME!” I assess the damages. We’ve carved ourselves into a deep ditch and we’re facing the opposite direction we were driving in. As soon as I know we’re all in tact the shaking starts and the only word I manage to utter is, “STUPID!” In my defense I was traveling 20 miles per hour on a straight patch. I’m blaming it on the wind. What a way to start a day…..possibly a harbinger of things to come? Eh?

It’s not the first time we’ve predicted the end.

In 1954 predictions pointed to the end of the world in 1976, and Canadian psychic Winnifred Barton said the world would end on June 13 1976.

I’m a generation X-er so I remember 88 Reasons Why the World Will  End in 1988 and who can forget Y2K. What a clever label for our demise. Anyone seeing a pattern here? It seems that every 12 years society feels a strong desire to reconnect with mortality.

This cultural obsession with the end  is truly a socio-indicator. It’s  the  way frogs show the condition of their environment because of their thin skin. (Yeah, you didn’t know that? They breath through their skin and if there are any contaminants in the water they’ll start mutating or dying off….true story.) So, our obsessions are like frogs, (stay with me) they indicate our fears, our desires and our needs. I believe that our advancements, as humans, have detached us from some of our most basic characteristics: a need for dependence on someone that controls the universe and a connection with mortality. In a day where super heroes are glorified, the un-dead and the immortal are  exalted, we’ve lost touch with a certain spiritual side of existence that has been a part of humanity since….oh, the beginning. We abandon the idea of our fleeting existence for the notion of permanence.  But our innate spirituality is involuntary, we can’t help ourselves. No matter how advanced we become we’ll continue to be drawn to our spiritual dependence.

So be honest, how many of you are going to stay up to see if the 21st rolls in or not? I have to say I’m tempted. It almost seems like turning my back on the possibility of the impossible if  I don’t and I’m really hoping for the impossible in many aspects of my life right now. If I abandon this likelihood then I might as well walk away from the rest of my impossible notions. While I’m trying not to be too literal about it, January first will be  my one year anniversary as a vegan and my husband (who’s also vegan) says we should celebrate the end of the world by eating a big FAT juicy steak. Hmm….tempting. I think I’ll go out a vegan though.

So there it is, quite possibly my last blog ever. If it’s not I think I’ll start planning our next idea for demise 12 years from now and if it is…I’ll see ya on the flip side!

Beauti-FULLY Frazzled

Just shy of two weeks ago I promised you greatness. I thought about feeding you some line about how good things are worth waiting for but decided to stick with the truth instead:  greatness was pushed to the side and logistic practicalities took its place. Poor greatness; there are so many things that need our attention that it is sorely neglected. For instance, I’ve been interrupted during this post 5 times to be enlightened about the art of stacking dominoes and by requests for the third after-dinner snack within the hour.

While I’m being honest I might as well purge. I’ve been in one of those moods. You know the one that makes you see the world through Eeyore colored glasses? The mood settled over me like a heavy grey cloud brought on by daily demands and the rigor of keeping up holiday traditions, all while selling and buying a house simultaneously. Ah….you know the mood?

Well allow me to prescribe the antidote. First swallow a large dose of “don’t beat yourself up” then write yourself a prescription of “this is when I’m going to get back into the game” and finally boost your immunity by taking a little time to get together with a friend who will set you straight and get you back on track. Then you’ll be able to focus on the task at hand so you can get back to what you love to do. Say it with me: The chaos is only temporary!

My last post was about asking “What If.” My what ifs have been a wonderful place to retreat during the insanity of the season. The torture has been not being able to get them on paper. Today I got a chance to do that and it was like a great release. Maybe you have to stay up an hour after bed time or scribble on a napkin at lunch but DO IT!

I’ll leave you with a what if concept and another promise. A friend gave me an idea, that I plan on trying once we’ve settled into our new home, for a what if dinner party. Get friends together to develop a short story over dinner, solely based on what ifs. If you’re not an entertainer do it around the dinner table. And finally, my promise to you: I won’t fall off the face of the earth again, I promise. Eh-hem….but if I do I promise to take the antidote.

 

What If Your Husband Was A Real Zombie (Part Two of The Land That Ideas Come From)

You’ve been asked the question, “What are you reading right now?” and you explain that it’s this great story about a young alien prince with super vision who’s vacationing on the moon and out of everyone on earth, he spots one girl that he falls instantly in love with, despite the vast distance that separates them. The inquirer’s eyebrows narrow and a look of confusion overtakes his face. You want to defend the heart warming story that you can’t put down until 2a.m .every night but instead you tell him, “You’ll just have to read it to understand.”

Some of the most inspired and successful novels sound absurd when we try to explain the plot: a vampire falls helplessly for a girl whom he’s just met, a man meets God in the form of a large black woman in a shack where his daughter was murdered, children from the districts are forced yearly to fight to the death for the enjoyment of the colorfully painted and ridiculously dressed, members of the capital. WHERE does the inspiration for these stories come from? Would it be too cliche-ish to say, from all around us? It’s true.

This sort of inspiration takes a wild imagination and two little words: WHAT IF. What if my husband was a real zombie? What if I fell into a black hole? What if my body could create its own food through chemical processes like a plant? Many times the ‘what if’s’ are inspired by real world events. For example,  weeks ago, Red Bull sponsored a deadly stunt, a free fall from the stratosphere in an attempt to break the sound barrier with a falling human. They sent some dude into space in a little steel pod lifted by a gynormous helium balloon and he jumped….he STINKIN’ jumped!

This is where the opportunity arises for your imagination to go wild. What if. What if traveling at mach-3 somehow rearranged this guy’s atomic structure giving him the super human ability to travel at the speed of sound? What if, while in the stratosphere, he witnessed something, something that shouldn’t be there, a government secret he shouldn’t have seen. It’s the “what ifs” that inspire sensational stories.

Practice what-ifing today and see what you come up with. If anything, it’s entertaining!

My next blog will be about some moving stories that might inspire you to ask some what-if questions of your own.

The Land That Ideas Come From

A Success Story

A friend I’ve recently reconnected with, and the founder of the Megaphone Society has recently published a book with her mother. I love her account of the rush she got from pushing that final button to make it all happen. I was particularly inspired by her fathers two important words that encouraged her to get the job done – “So what.”

Casey Voight, Writer Artist

I submitted my novel to print today. It began with light butterflies, they danced merrily in circles, completely  manageable and dismissible, I brushed them off. I went through the printers submission check list, 1-15 all good…(gulp)…I think. In that moment it all halted like a freight train crashing into a mountain. Wham! In an instant the butterflies turned into razor-winged devil creatures zipping about my stomach in a panicked state. I started to second guess myself. I started to second guess EVERYTHING.

Did I get the right CMYK build of black for every single item? Did my darn bar code work? Did my dedication make sense? Did I get the contact info perfect? The list went on and on and on. Was it perfect? Oh Geeze, I suddenly needed another week to comb over everything one last time (Even though I had already done that a kazillion times)…

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What a Reject!

If there is one thing I’ve earned through the process of writing thus far it is thick skin. I have only been submitting my manuscript for around three months. I’ve received eight rejections and about half as many no-replies which in mathematical terms is equal to a rejection. I remember waiting so long for my first reply that I was thrilled to get my first rejection. It was a form of communication, from a real agent! I’ve become interested in the different methods of rejection. Most are polite form letters that gently regard the sensitive soul of the author. One even mentioned the name of my book on lovely parchment. It was a beautiful sight. I found that the initial luster of receiving a piece of paper touched by the determiner of my fate had faded. I grew tired of the delicate dismissals and found myself wanting a good reaming. Tell me WHY! And here it came, in the most mild of forms. My most recent rejection was more direct – “I didn’t connect with your writing.” At first I responded by shrugging and quickly closing the message but I was surprised by the emotions that followed. I burning sensation – was it embarrassment? The urge to cry? Anger? Perhaps all three combined. I had to open the email and read it again….and again, trying to read into the words. I don’t know which is more torturous, not knowing at all why you’ve been rejected or being given only a glimpse of why you been rejected. It’s that feeling you get when you ask your best friend, “Does this make me look fat?” and there’s that cock-eyed pause before the answer.

Rejections are the growing pains of an author. When you start to look at them less as rejections and more as a shoe fitting, the process becomes more tolerable. You might try on twenty pairs before you find those Jimmy Choos that are both fabulous and comfortable! When the process is over I may resemble a thick skinned Armadillo but I will be the Armadillo with super stellar kicks!

You’re in the Spotlight! What’s Your Story?

The focus is on you! I want to hear about your writing endeavors.

Nothing gets me jazzed up more (jazzed up….do people still say that?) than when people tell me about their experiences with writing. Are you published? Did you take the traditional route of querying an agent or did you land an editor another way? Are you self publishing? Have you entered contests? Talk to me about this whole e-book phenomenon! Your stories are interesting to me and I learn so much by listening, so share, share, share!!!

The Write Choice

If you’re bored by what you see when you see your reflection, guess what….you have the power to spice it up! Try something you’ve always wanted to do but were always afraid to try.

There are plenty of names out there for people like me: distracted, dreamer, unrealistic, ADD. Maybe you’re like me. We’re the type who carries around our bucket lists, scribbling notes about everything that we want to try once, before we die. For instance, I went to a concert not too long ago where this chick was playing the drums like Animal from the Muppets. “I’m going to try that,” I thought. “I’m going to learn to play the drums.” The next week I went to a garage sale, bought a set of drums and banged them until my six-year-old threatened to move out. Did I learn to play? Certainly. Did I learn to play well? If you were paying attention you’ll see that wasn’t part of my goal, but my husband loves to give the answer to that question.

Just before I turned thirty I decided to go to College so I could teach. I ended up getting a degree in Psychology along the way somehow and on the journey I started to realize something. There are no limits, there are only priorities. I was suddenly flooded with desires, I wanted to finish my degree, get my teacher’s certification, learn to play the guitar, join a band, start a photography business, take more time to paint and write a book. In the past three years since graduating I’ve done it all….but not at the same time.

It’s like sitting in front of a buffet full of your favorite foods. Shove them into your mouth and try to swallow them all at once and you’ll be one sick puppy. Eat them one at a time, savor them and while you do think about how fun it will be to do it all over again with a new flavor in about two hours.

One quote I’ve come upon while writing my first novel, which I’ll fill you in about soon, is my current inspiration. It goes like this: For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. -Leonardo da Vinci. The second I realized that the sensational moments are not reserved for a select group of individuals with the right last name or a certain number of clams in the bank, I couldn’t NOT try the things I desired to do!

My most recent venture is my journey with writing. It has been the most exciting yet! My future blogs will be to tell you about my journey and hopefully inspire you in your own. Though I’ve become a more confident artist in many mediums over the past years, I have moments where I ask myself, “WHAT THE HECTOR ZARONI am I doing? Is this the right choice?” And lately I’ve replied with, as long as I’m following my heart, avoiding regret and maintaining what I stand for as a person then the answer is – I’m living! I might be diagnosable, but I’m loving every minute of it.