Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Am I Good Enough?

As most of you know, I submitted my first manuscript, Alex and
Chase's story,  to the Golden Heart writer's contest sponsored by RWA. Winners of the Golden Heart earn recognition for writing an outstanding manuscript that is unpublished, which can pave the way for a publishing contract, though that is not a guarantee. 

Thank you all, by the way, for your heart felt good luck wishes when I announced my intention to enter the contest. Your support is tremendous and very much appreciated. Truly. I know that you believe in me as a writer and that's a boost to my ego, for sure.

Though now that I've submitted the manuscript, which has taken me well over 8 years to complete, I’m flooded with anxiety, truth be told. That scene I deleted? Maybe I should have kept it. That other scene? What if that was the scene I should have deleted instead? Is the manuscript tight enough? Good enough?

Winners won't be announced until March. That's a long time to brood. I try to distract myself by focusing on my second manuscript or writing blog posts, which has been difficult to maintain since I'm still recuperating from this fractured leg o' mine.  Although I can walk without crutches or a cane, I limp like Quasimodo and my leg and ankle are still very sore sometimes. Like everyone else healing their bodies long term, I have good days and bad days.  

One thing I know for certain is that there are a lot of really good writers out there, all of us trying to be heard. All of us vying for the attention of a publisher or an agent or readers. All of us writhing in equal parts doubt and confidence. As I put myself out there, so to speak, not everyone who reads my stuff will like it, which is the chance I have to take in order to find readers who do like my stories. 


I'm on a journey. Thankfully, you, dear gentle readers, have agreed to come along on this long distance marathon to keep me company. To reassure me. To bolster me. For that, I'm eternally grateful. 

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Are You Going To Eat That?




I'm scared.

Do I really want to this?

What if it's poisonous?

Man, I'm hungry. How do I get this open?

Brine, thought the man, swallowing the fleshy meat of an oyster while squatting on the ground next to the recently harvested oysters piled like stones at his feet. His skin prickled with cold from the waist down from wading out into the cold bay water to gather his dinner. 

He ran his calloused thumb along the smooth pearly finish on the inside of the shell. Then he flipped it over, slicing the pad of his thumb on the edge of the shell.  

Multi-purpose, he thought. The shell could be used to cut things. The interior could be used for decoration. A necklace, perhaps, for trading. 

The man made a small pouch of the fur skin draped across his shoulders and dropped in the rest of the oysters to carry them back to his clan camping further inland. 

He wasn't dead from eating the oyster. At least, not yet. 

How was he going to convince the rest of his clan that eating oysters was a good idea?

This is the interior monologue I imagine the very first man to eat an oyster thinks as he evaluates whether or not to eat it. This was a writing exercise courtesy of 642 Things To Write About.  

What do you imagine the first man to eat an oyster thought? Leave a comment below. 

Friday, January 23, 2015

The Bride's Blue Shoes

Something old


Something new.

Something borrowed.

Something blue.

For the gazillionth time, Samantha recited the folkloric rhyme in her head instructing brides what to wear on their wedding day for good luck.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

What's Your Word for 2015?

Gratitude.

Simplify.

Declutter and organize. 

These are just some of the self-explanatory words some of you may think of when considering one word to describe the way you want to live during the new year. 

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Facebook status updates to my future self

Pretend and fast forward to the year 2017. 

What would my FB status updates be? Here's what I imagine:

Friday, January 9, 2015

What Could Happen In A Second?

What could happen in a second? 

Lightning can strike the ground. A tree. Your heart. 

Friday, November 7, 2014

Cast Your Vote Now!

A writer friend, Janet Lee Nye, is a top 10 finalist for Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write Contest, which is a significant honor in and of itself. 

Her manuscript, Man Maid, is fun and sexy and supremely well written. Read her complete work and vote for her here.

The winner will earn a two book publishing contract!

Good luck Janet.