Tag: Writing

Time to Pray

by atozmom, posted in Writing

I so think my story is done (my YA novel that is).  I don’t want to go back to it.  Yet, I just got more suggestions from an agent who said I was 90% there and said it was too “heavy-handed” with the characters and I needed to eliminate some things.

To be perfectly honest, I really don’t want to.  I have re-written this story so much by now that it’s amazingly pathetic.

My only consideration is, “Is this the story God wants me to do?”  If so, then I need to obviously take her advice and work on it…again.  But, part of me is ready to move on to my next story.  Part of me feels this is just such a waste of my time when there are so many other things I could be doing.  How long does one follow a pipe dream?  How badly do I want to be published?  How badly do I want this?

Yet, if I didn’t feel this story wasn’t worth telling, I’d have moved on long ago.  Yet something about this one–the potential power it holds–keeps me working on it.  At what point do I say, “Enough already?”  I am so torn up over this project that I’m having trouble describing how I feel right now.  I’m very sad and beaten down by it all–the process, the story, the memories, and the hope (fruitless?).

I know there is something here, but do I have the fortitude to keep digging until it is crystal clear to readers?  Part of me wishes someone would just tell me my writing sucks and stop dangling out hope that maybe one day I’ll get it right.  It is so much easier to just give up rather than fight through the pain I feel every time I work on the novel one more time.

All I know is it’s time to pray…some more.  I don’t have the answers.  My characters can’t tell me what to do.  It’s all in my mind and I have to determine how best to reconcile it all.

What do I truly want with this story?  Is it finished?  Is there something more…something missing?

I don’t know anymore–what I want or how badly.  I really don’t know anything right now.  I’m so emotionally drained from this whole process and adverse to re-visiting the world I created that I’m unsure if I can make it any better or if I can emerge from it all.  I don’t know where my heart lies or anything…

Coincidence or Fate?

by atozmom, posted in Writing

Lately, I have been so discouraged with trying to get my novel published that I have been fighting daily to query.

So, today I sat down to try again the the 30 minutes I had before I had to start dinner and the first agent I came upon offered up encouragement.  I clicked on her site and the subtitle read, “A published author is an amateur who didn’t quit.  Don’t quit.”

This hit me hard as this was EXACTLY what I needed to hear.  It spoke to me as if a God-thing.  The agent’s name is Mandy Hubbard and her site is http://mandyhubbard.livejournal.com

I have been questioning if this whole writing thing is worth the time, effort, and emotional toll it takes on me when I pour my heart and soul into something I truly believe in.  I don’t deal well with rejection and I’m just tired of being told, “No, sorry, not good enough.”

But Ms. Hubbard’s site was wonderful.  I queried her immediately as I thought, “Maybe she’s the one, the one God brought me to.”

Only time will tell if she likes my work or not.  Regardless, her words touched me and I was happy to promote her book on my website as part of her contest.  I hope she succeeds immensely as one day I know I will too.

I Fear My Voice Will Never Be Heard

by atozmom, posted in Writing

I think this is what my worries boil down to in terms of writing: that my voice will never be heard and for writers, I think this is the most important aspect of writing–getting your voice out there for the world to hear.  With rejection after rejection, this fear grows.  Self-doubt sets in and I look forward to abandoning the project and moving on as this continues.

Still, I pray if this is God’s will, then it will happen somehow in the right time.

Lessons From Editing

by atozmom, posted in Writing

I have learned two things from finishing my umpteenth edit of my novel:  1) I could do it.  I didn’t believe in my heart that I even wanted to go there again–experience once more what my character experiences and re-live some of those events through her eyes.  But I did do it!

2) A peace has overcome me as I finished the last stroke.  It’s as if, finally, the story has been told and my work is complete.  I feel God has spoken all He can through this novel and it’s ready to be unleashed on the world.

Now, getting someone else to believe the same thing is the task at hand.

“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing.”  Benjamin Franklin

“Let everything you do be something beautiful for God.”  Mother Teresa

Why Could I Not Achieve Things Seemingly Impossible?

by atozmom, posted in Writing

David Liss, The Whiskey Rebels, P.309

This makes me think of my novel.  I’m dreaming to get it (or some other writing) published against all odds and I think, “Why not me?”  I’m just like anybody else with a good story to tell so why not me?  Against all the rejections, the no’s, I should come out on top.  This is what keeps me going, keeps me writing, keeps me believing in myself and what I’m doing.  Hopes and dreams—if you don’t have those, you might as well give up.

The Whiskey Rebels

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

I’m getting such gems from this book by David Liss (could I ever be this good?).  On P. 220, “…beauty that made me love her, before I knew that our minds were perfectly formed for one another…”  This is great because I think most marriages are this way.  You see the outside first but once you’re married, you know the person so intimately that it seems your minds are perfect for one another.  Each compliments the other’s strengths.  I know this is the case in my marriage.

Liss goes on further a few pages down, describing marriage as, “…committing to law what was already in our hearts,” which is basically what a marriage ceremony is—committing to both the laws of the land and God’s law.

“I should live the life of my innermost desires.” Liss says this on p. 245, describing what a character wants for his wife.  Isn’t this what we all want for ourselves as well?

I know for me this is what I strive for every day.  I get up each morning and exercise because I want to be healthy and strong for my family.  I sit at my computer endlessly, typing and attempting to create what is on my heart and on God’s.  I strive to get my kids into the school I want them to go to because I want the best for their little minds.  I homeschool them until that point because I believe that the public system is not good enough and, frankly, I can do a much better job than they can.  I want them to start taking lessons of some sort once we catch up financially so they can discover what their passions are in life and lead the life of their desires.  I want my husband to figure out his passion in life and follow that to wherever it leads.  I pray every day that I find a literary agent who believes in my work and therefore in me and what I’m trying to accomplish in this world.

I think we all want to be living for something, something of our choosing.  Is that too much to ask?

I Knew I Must Find My Voice, and Soon.

by atozmom, posted in Writing

The above quote is P. 166 from “The Whiskey Rebels” by David Liss.  Great stuff.  It’s from a character who is struggling to write like I sometimes do.  A writer always knows they must find their voice and the sooner the better.

Three pages later, the same character says, “Somehow we were happy.  Somehow in the midst of our ruin we had each found something, some part of ourselves we had been missing, I in my writing and Andrew in his secret.”

I love this too.  I find myself in writing like this character speaks of.  This is just a reminder to follow your passion no matter how bad it gets.

Writing Makes Me Happy

by atozmom, posted in Writing

I’m happiest when I’m writing.  The story flows and I can see it all in my head.  It’s great.  It’s what gets me through the days sometimes.  Especially when it’s snowing outside, I’m snowed in, and there’s nothing to do.

Without Marketing, Few Products Get Off the Ground

by atozmom, posted in Writing

I read this recently and I’m trying to apply it to my book.  I know the query letter is your marketing/sales pitch and maybe I’m just not good at sales (ok, so I know I’m horrible at sales) but I am good at writing.  I know my story is good.  So, why can’t I sell my idea?

If this book was meant to be, then I firmly believe God will make it happen (like He makes everything happen).  I try not to stress over it or let the rejects discourage me.  It’s just hard when you invest so much of yourself into a project personally to see it shot down at every turn.

But perseverance will hopefully prevail and I’m just going to keep at it.  Any encouraging words would be appreciated.

The MOST Important Rule for Writing Fiction is….

by atozmom, posted in Writing

your story must be believable.  This can include dragons and vampires and monsters but it must allow the reader to insert themselves as the protagonist and believe they can slew your dragon.  Much of this is driven by the prose.   A good writer can make anything come to life and this will be what gets your work published.

This rule also follows for non-fiction, memoirs, etc.  The story must flow in such a way that the reader can see it unfolding before their eyes.

Any thoughts on believability?