It seemed like there was never a door, window or gate that'd get in Mari's way. She'd simply open it and go where ever it is that interested her at the time. In her last six months we had moved to a new house in Burbank, Illinois. I think it was in this house where Mari was the most active with trying to do whatever it was she wanted to do without any regard to the safety aspect so Mommy also had several minor heart attacks as a result. I have to smile now looking back on those times knowing … [Read more...]
Archives for 2014
O is for Outline
Or as I like to call it: Plotter. In writing a novel you have what we writers like to call either Pantsers or Plotters or somewhere in between. A pantser is someone who writes their novel, as they say, by the seat of their pants. In other words, there is absolutely no plotting of the novel whatsoever. They write their novel as it comes to them. However, with a plotter, it 180 degrees in the opposite direction where they outline everything before they write a single word for their … [Read more...]
N is for Novel
The novel. It's been around for not only years but centuries. It's a place where we can lose ourselves as we read what's been written on the page. We can go off on adventures or fall in love with a prince. We can go to a place only the imagination can make up or a place we've never been before. Novels can be both historical or contemporary. They can teach us things or simply be a nice escape from reality. They can be light and just a fun read or they can be go deep delving into emotions that … [Read more...]
N is for Nonstop
What better word could describe my Baby Girl than nonstop? Well, I know there are many other but this one most certainly sits at the top of my list. It's hard to remember a time when she wasn't on the go. Even sitting down to read a book she'd be flapping her arms in excitement or doing something with her hands besides just reading. Watching a movie meant she did her own little dance around the room in front of the TV. As many parents have said before, I'd loved to have bottled up some of her … [Read more...]
M is for Mari’s World
Mari's World. What would it have been like to visit her world? It constantly brought a smile to her face. She'd be zone out sitting in her chair. You'd wave your hand in front of her face and she wouldn't flinch. You have to clap your hands really loud two or three times to bring her back to our world. I wondered if she'd be playing in some puddles getting all wet. Or maybe she met Dora and went on a new adventure taking Backpack and Diego along with. Or maybe she went on another adventure with … [Read more...]
M is for Mentor
In life we can find a mentor for so many things. Athletics. Business. Politics. Our Faith. In writing, finding a mentor to help you be the best writer you can be I feel is one of the most important things we can do. Sometimes you only have one, and if you are fortunate enough you may have more than one. These people take time out of their busy lives to help you as you grow. And they don't just help you in your writing but help you in your life when the time is needed. I feel like I have been … [Read more...]
L is for Literary Agents
How many of us dream of being a published author someday? I have a feeling many of us do, especially if we know we're writers and have been working on a book of any kind. Writing is relatively new for me. I only found writing after the loss of my daughter. I actually started writing while she was in the hospital those sixteen days fighting for her life from what the E. coli did to her little body. But in the end it had wreaked too much havoc on her little body and she went home to be with … [Read more...]
L is for Laughter
Laughter can be infectious. Laughter can be so much fun. Laughter can change the mood in an instant. When I think of laughter, my daughter's image often comes to mind. She'd be sitting in her high chair eating whatever it was (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack) and I'd be doing whatever (think like cleaning or something else) and out of nowhere this laughter would fill the room. For no apparent reason at all Mari sat there just laughing. You'd stand there watching her and you couldn't help but … [Read more...]
K is for Kindle Matchbook
How many of shop on Amazon today for a new book or whatever else it is we might be looking for? I have a feeling the majority of us go to this cyber giant for whatever it is we plan to read next. Are you one who still like to read the old school way of either a hardback or paperback book? I used to be like that up until about a little over a year ago when I needed to walk on my treadmill to help with hip pain issues I'd been having. However, either walking with a book in hand or even trying … [Read more...]
J is for Julie Lessman
As I sat down at the end of last month going through the alphabet looking for words for each letter, finding a 'J' literary term seemed hard to find. So I started thinking about other avenues I could still write about, but also at the same time somehow be writing related. And then I thought of my friend Julie Lessman. While we've never met in person, we have talked several time either through email or on Facebook. I first heard about Julie from a good friend, Joy Melville (who also happens to … [Read more...]
