I'm on my way, but where to?

Starting my fingers moving across computer keys and into a story is an interesting happening. It’s like starting on a trip: I know where I want to go, but I’m not sure about everything I want to do, or what’s in stake for me at the end of my trip. It’s like I decided to go to Los Angeles and probably visit Disneyland, but I’m not sure where I’ll end up, or what I’ll be doing before I hit my main attraction.

I have come to a quandary in my writing. I thought that if I plot along the way, my muse will come along and gently guide my fingers and thoughts with wondrous new adventures. But this takes some sacrifice, some discipline every day to the task.

I could devote all my time to writing. Some people write for eight hours, a normal workday for most folks. But I’m not like that. I get up in the morning and tend to my garden, chickens and the dog. Then, I exercise on the elliptical machine (if I remember!), and I make breakfast for my telecommute husband and myself. Next, I climb into my computer chair and whiz through the myriads of email and check my blog. I drop into Facebook once in a while, picking up the latest scoops on what’s happening with my friends and relatives. If I happen to open my eyes, I find dust and dirt everywhere, then it’s clean, clean, clean! Not my favorite thing. I don’t know anybody who loves to clean every week, only to do the same chores again the next. It’s a heartless, thankless job, but it has to be done. Then there’s a whole mess of tasks waiting for my hands to pick them up and do them (this is after cleaning, or instead of!). I have a crocheting project – a blanket for my niece’s third child (the coming attraction arrives in September), a business I’d like to start (when?), and a whole lot of other to-dos. The list seems endless, yet what are my priorities?

One thing I haven’t devoted myself to but have taken baby steps to accomplish is starting my day in prayer and a little Bible reading. There is something exhilarating and infinitely exciting to know there is a creator in whom we can talk to and who guides our paths each and every day. Some writers wake up to the Word, giving them inspiration and hope for the day, for the hour in their lives. They ask God for guidance in the next twenty-four hours, and even request his leading of the way in their writing. And a lot of those writers are now authors!

I think this morning I will ponder through a few scriptures and pray to the One who put this earth into orbit, and ask Him to show me where my story should be going. - Linda

Over 8,000 words

I'm still plugging along, writing about a thousand words each time.  It's slow going, and I'm not up to the word count I should be this week (I don't know how much that is and I don't want to figure it out!), but at least I am writing!  That's something to say for myself.  I hope whoever has entered this marathon is still writing, as well. 

See you next time, Linda.

Update! FREE Children’s Online Writing Conference!

Check both of the subsequent websites to increase your passion for the writing you love to do.

Follow the link http://writeoncon.com/ and you will open the door to a free conference for aspiring authors of picture books, middle grade and YA genres in all sorts of subgenres. Register NOW because this conference commences August 10-12, 2010. You may ask any questions pre-conference, and this also gives you the time to dust off and polish that tucked away children’s book you had in mind years ago. This is an online conference during the day, but a lot of the work comes about in the evening (for those of you who have a 9-5 job).

Another link http://www.blueridgeagency.com/ opens the door to a fairly new literary agency that is willing to accept new authors, the Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

P.S. I have not checked out everything about these two websites, but I have already signed up for the conference. The conference led me to the agency, which explains that when “you open one door, another one opens!”

Where's my Muse?

Last week I went camping, and I wrote only one day. This week I am having a hard time getting my act together and running my fingers down the keyboard. My muse has left me! So, what do I do? I get off the keys and devour a book. Not just any book, but one that will inspire me. I’m already reading a book, and I will hunker down and let its words melt into my soul to foster words out of me into my own book! It’s a win-win situation, no doubt about it.

While camping last Tuesday I thought of a lot of ideas for stories. It was amazing! Probably this happened because on Monday I wrote a thousand words for my story, and I was reading this book that included a lot of metaphors and similes. My muse was working hard that day! But I didn’t write those ideas down.

When muse arrives, don’t let him in and out without writing down your time spent together. I observed nature living all around me, the birds singing and twittering back and forth with one another. I noticed one bird twitched its tail in beat with a fluttery song every time it twittered its song to another bird! It was so fascinating to watch.

Turn on some soft, easy classical music or piano recitals from the greats. The easy, listening music is what I prefer—no words, just gentle, flowing notes to revitalize the senses. Fast pacing rock-and-roll, reggae, salsa, anything with a beat and a rhythm to catch you up into the song may take your muse away. I also love to sing to songs, and then I can’t get back to my working haven.

If you have a writer’s book of prompts or musings or ideas, open it up and read some passages. They’re fodder for a hungry, writer’s soul and will quench your thirst for words.

Well, gotta go! Have fun writing! - Linda

On vacation

Sorry, everybody, for not posting my word count and count for the week yesterday.  I left for a 5-day vacation along the coast yesterday and failed to post before leaving. 

I'm slowing down too much and editing a lot, so my word count only came to 5,400 words last Saturday night.  This week the minimum count should exceed 13,855 honest-to-goodness, silly and straight-laced, organic and manufactured words by 11:59 p.m. Saturday.  Have fun writing!  - Linda