Writing - the ups and downs

Jeez! When I sent my manuscript to the production company, I thought I'd ferreted out ALL the mistakes. NOT SO. When I received the Kindle copy, and started line editing, I found mistake after mistake. Costly mistakes now that I'm paying for each mistake after five - the first five mistakes being free with the cost of the production. I've learned so much during this edit. First, I've learned how to line edit more carefully. I've learned not to be in such a hurry to publish that I don't take time to delete all the bloopers. I'm learning NOT to use so many BUTS AND ANDS to begin sentences. I didn't realize I used them with abandon. I'm learning to omit some of the colloquialisms. I'm just learning learning learning. Darn. I thought I knew so much and now I'm learning after all these years that I don't know much about writing AT ALL. Here's to a cleaner manuscript next time around. Here's to bringing all I've learn...

I'm so excited! The proof copy of Vada Faith arrived via email today. It looks great. Now, I need to look at each page and check for typos and mistakes. Another week or so and I'll have it ready for Amazon Kindle. It's been a long ride for Vada Faith and I. However, she's going to go to work for me soon and I will move  on to other book projects waiting in the wings. This has been an eye opening experience, from getting my copyright, to an employee id number to working with the producers to get this book ready to put into ebook form. Now, I have to get Vada Faith into paperback format, which means more editing and saving it into pdf file for the publisher. At this point I plan to go with Amazon Create Space unless things change. Thanks for following the path of my friend, Vada Faith. In another year or less I'll have a sequel to those who like her story. It's titled SWEET BABY JAMES, about a kidnapping in Shady Creek, West Virginia. Of course since...

In case I have not told you, I changed my book title again. It had been simply VADA FAITH for years. Then I thought that wasn't fancy enough and I changed the title to HUNGRY FOR CHOCOLATE, because she made that statement early on in the story. However, when I started reviewing book covers, I could not find one that fit with the story and the title. It was then that I realized the story and title both  belonged to the main character Vada Faith. Plus I found several covers that seemed to fit her to a tee. I emailed those to daughter Jill and she found the perfect one and mocked it up for me. I love it. It is so the story and the characters. So the title and the cover were meant to be. As was this story. After the cover was in my hands, I decided I needed to get the story copyrighted. I did that online and I am here to tell you it was easy. And it was inexpensive  - $35 online. I believe if you get it through the mail it's $65. I have a budget for this project and so far I...

Today I went to a workshop in Columbus featuring author Jane Porter. She's written a number of books including Flirting with Forty which was made into a television movie by Sony and aired on Lifetime in 2008. Filmed in Seattle and Hawaii Jane  visited the set and spoke to the stars, Heather Locklear and Robert Buckley. Wow! I'm excited to read the book, Flirting. Everyone was given a free copy, a nice canvas red tote that says READ on it plus pens, bookmarks, a mini note pad. Great giveaways. The best part of the workshop was listening to Jane. She's a powerful speaker, she says because she once taught seventh graders and she may be right. However, my opinion is she is such an interesting personality we all held onto each word she said. Some of what she said, I already knew. It never hurts to hear something twice, especially writing advice. And twice again after that. Eventually it sinks in. Her topics included voice and market advice. Writing smart, writing well an...

I'm learning the ins and outs of putting my novel on Amazon as an ebook for Kindle. I'm nervous and I'm excited. I'm ready to  copyright my book and do all the other endless things needed. I'm doing another nervous run through making sure there are no mistakes. Wish me luck on that one! I've looked at book covers all day until my eyes feel crossed. I've found some wonderful sites if anyone is interested. My daughter is helping me go through covers and I'm making a last minute change to the title. I pray I'm making the right decision about that. This whole process is a little intimidating. I'm much more confident and self assured when I'm writing. Publishing or getting ready for publication is way out of my field. I'd always thought if I ever published a book it would be with a big publisher who would do all the work for me. But the world of publishing is changing and so many doors are opening for authors with internet ...

Lately I've lost my focus - at least my focus on the things I should be focusing on. Like life in my household. My husband. Things I need to be doing. Like finishing the novel I'm working on. I work everyday but not as much as I should. I'm busy focusing on, well see below. My focus entirely is on a spot in my head where I'm losing hair. You heard right. I have one small spot on the right side of my head, in the exact position where my head hits the pillow every night. I can't get my focus off  that one spot. Wondering why I have it, how I got it. What to do about it. Questioning, will it get worse. Am I doomed to lose all my hair at this young age. Well, not so young but who wants to have a bald spot right on the side of their head at any age? So instead of doing more important work, I think about remedies for my "balding" spot. Sure I can still cover it with hair. Am I going to be like those old guys who do comb overs? I hope not.  It's not e...

‘Good life’ hard to see when you have it One winter several years ago, my husband and I traveled to Florida to visit my sister in a community built on a golf course. CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO TO THE SITE. Thought you might want to check out my essay that appeared in the Columbus Dispatch today, New Year's Eve. A fun way to end the year with my essay in print. It's a very revised version of our move to and from sunny Florida. Enjoy! And have a Happy New Year.