Saturday, December 31, 2011

2012 - Here I Come!


2011 was pretty darn good! I got married. I got my diploma in Professional Writing from Grant MacEwan University. I had the chance to stay at home and write my debut fantasy novel for tweens (thanks to my wonderful husband!). But as good as 2011 has been I can't wait for 2012.

What are you looking forward to in 2012? Take a minute and make a list of all the wonderful things that are going to happen for you.

I'm looking forward to:
  1. Finally sending my novel out to publishers.
  2. Celebrating my one year anniversary with my husband.
  3. Learning to use my new DSLR camera.
  4. Continuing to share my stories.
  5. Continuing to write.
  6. Being an auntie for the third time.
  7. Learning a new dance and not falling on my face.
  8. School...hmmm... not sure about this one.
  9. Making new friends and staying connected with old friends.
  10. Completing all my blog challenges.
  11. Finding a new author to like.
  12. Hearing my husband laugh.
  13. Finally having professional photos of myself (I'm getting head shots done on Jan.11!).
  14. Getting my new computer before I take a bat to the one I'm currently using.
  15. Writing book 2 and actually finishing it this year.
  16. Eating steak (what can I say I'm Albertan).
  17. Driving my Camaro and hopefully not getting a ticket (I don't condone speeding).
  18. Going to the SCBWI 41st annual summer conference in LA.
I could go on but I will stop now. See you in 2012! If you liked this post please let others know.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Live Your Dream

What is your dream? Mine is to be a published children’s author. How does one go about following one's dream when pesky roadblocks keep popping up or worse you hit a brick wall? What’s your brick wall? asked Rachelle Gardner, an agent with WordServe Literary Group, in a recent blog post. My recent brick wall was not getting a mentorship that I had wanted. I have since moved on and so can you.

  1. Acknowledge your feelings. I was upset after finding out about the mentorship, but allowing myself to pout for a couple of days actually did some good.  Once the negative feelings had passed I was able to reexamine the situation with a clear head.
  2. Reaffirm your dream.  Do you still want it? Yes!  I still want to be a children’s author and that means moving pass the brick wall.
  3. Examine the brick wall. What has led to the brick wall? My brick wall was not getting the mentorship because I wanted someone with experience to help me navigate the publishing world. I also wanted someone I could turn to for encouragement. I will have to seek this knowledge elsewhere. 
  4. Make a new plan. What do you need to do to live your dream? I need to refine my writing skills, finish my manuscript, and build an author platform. The latter two are the goals I had wanted to accomplish during the mentorship. These goals can still be accomplished despite the brick wall.
  5. Use the brick wall to launch yourself forward. I sent my manuscript off to be critiqued. I redesigned my blog, set up a twitter and facebook account. I’ve also made the decision to share some of my work online (a terrifying concept).
  6. Count your blessings. If I had gotten the mentorship I would not have been able to return to school.
Perhaps the brick walls we come up against are there because we need to change direction. Whatever the reason for your brick wall remember—dreams come true, everyday, and so can yours.

If you liked this post please let others know. 

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Writing Pet Peeves

  1. Running out of ink.
  2. Getting ink on my face.
  3. Forgetting my notebook at home.
  4. People in Tim Hortons who talk too loud on their cell phones.
  5. Bad coffee.
  6. Forgetting to pick up coffee.
  7. Forgetting my laptop charger at home .
  8. Changing passive sentences to active sentences.
  9. All ready vs. already or effect vs. affect.
  10. Paper cuts.
  11. Writing stuff I don't want to write.

And number 12…

Forgetting a brilliant idea because I didn’t want to get out of bed.  

Friday, December 9, 2011

You Know You Are Writer When...

1. When you start telling writing jokes.
2. When you notice there is a mistake in your recent Facebook post and are rather embarrassed about it.
3. When you comment on your Facebook post with the correct spelling.
3. When you drag yourself out of bed at 2am to write down an idea.
4. When someone says words like comma splice and you understand him/her.
5. When your writing makes you want to cry or dance (depending on the day).
6. When authors like J.K. Rowling intimidate you.
7. When there is a dictionary in your purse or an online dictionary is bookmarked in your favourites list.
8. When you are okay to be alone for hours on end.
9. When there are ink stains on your hands and/or your face.
10. When you understand the importance of editing (even if you hate doing it).
11. When you have a deadline, but for some reason washing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom, etc. seems urgent.

And number 12...

12. Hand cramps. Coffee. Willingness to help other writers.