ISWG post February 2017

It's the first Wednesday and time for the ISWG post! Can't believe it's already February! You can find the link
here.

It has been non-stop at my house lately and I this is the first time all day that I've had a chance to pause and write this blog. I've been trying to blog every Wednesday but I got behind in that too.

The prompt for ISWG this month is how writing has changed me as a reader, and I know there are a couple of big things. One is that I don't waste my time with bad writing anymore. There are just too many good books out there to spend time with ones that are a chore to wade through. I have my favorite genres but I'm open to try new ones as long as the writing and storyline are entertaining or informative. Another thing that has changed is that as I read, I pause and think about what I liked and how the writer was able to convey that successfully to me as a reader. I use those tidbits in my writing.

I'm in the process of writing my daughter's story, and I passed the 20,000 word mark. Not as fast as I would like to go but steady progress, none the less. I also sent the first ten pages off to a group that would help promote the book and it was passed on to yet another person to have a look. (They already have a book published for children about the work they do but the memoir would really be a boost)

I also wanted to give a shout out to Alex Cavanaugh for his book CassaFire, which I finished reading recently.

I think I have a bit of a crush on the main character Byron, and trust me, if they ever made a movie based on his series I'd be in line to see it! Really well written, definitely on par with Star Wars and Star Trek. I'm not even a sci-fi fan but I enjoyed both books so far and will be getting the rest of his books.

Finally, I take a minute to breathe and read quotes from my Daily Peace book from National Geo. The theme for February is Healing, and the quote for today is:

"What is required of us is that we love the difficult and learn to deal with it. In the difficult are the friendly forces, the hands that work on us." - Rainer Maria Rilke

I think of my daughter with this quote, because working through a traumatic experience is hard and difficult. I watch her struggle every day, but the strength she finds to get up and keep trying is inspiring. If anything, I've learned that all that matters in life is family, friends, and love, because those are the friendly forces that are there when the going gets tough.

Transition

"Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." - George Bernard Shaw

I actually really like this quote. Who hasn't at some point realized that everything they thought they knew was totally wrong? I've kind of gone through life learning this lesson over and over again. Guess I had to learn the hard way!

I was hoping to have a book review to post on but because of technical difficulties I still haven't finished. This is why I still prefer the good, old-fashioned paper books. First, my credit card expired, so when I tried updating it, I went into an endless loop on the website and had to play around with it until it finally went through. Then, my charger broke, so the tablet died and I had to wait until I got to the store to buy a new one. Finally, I just consistently forget to charge things, so I pick up my tablet to read only to find it's almost dead and I have to wait until the batteries charged again. Aargh!!

I still just really love the feel of real books anyway. It's comforting to me- like having a cup of hot chocolate on a snowy day!

ISWG post for January 2017

A writer's group that supports one another every first Wednesday of the month in all our fears and insecurities. Click on the link to join.

The prompt for this month is what writing rule do we wish we never heard of. Mine would be to not switch point of view. I don't get that one because I've read so many great novels that switch and I think it adds depth and fullness to the story. It must be done with care, but I think that rule needs to be tossed!

I have been continuing to work on my memoir, thanks to all the support and encouragement I get here every month. I'm up to 18,000 words, and my goal is to hit 50,000 before I start tweeking it for submission. I've been preparing for that moment for years, and had some dry runs, but this time around I have a lot more at stake. I just have to keep working at it, and this month I'm proud to report I have been.

Every week I post a quote and inspirational picture to try to stay positive. I get my ideas and quotes from National Geographic's Daily Peace book. The great thing about the book is it's not date related, so every year I can just start over again. January's theme is Transition, and the quote I chose for this week is,

"True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice." St. Francis de Sales

This applies to much more in my life than just writing!

Look forward to seeing you on the ISWG rounds this month.