Hello
I read this passage in the cover story in The Writer Magazine www.writermag.com, the story was titled “Writers and Money.” The passage is a quote by author Jason Shinder, “Don’t wait for things. Offer things. Think about what you can offer that’s different and try to create an organizational life around it.” I felt this to be such a profound comment and a generous guideline work on incorporating it into my life.
We’ve all heard the saying no story is original and because of this truth, as writers, we must make our stories, our novels original, and different so they get up and shout in an ocean of similar work: ‘ I’m different, I’m special and will make it more than worth your time to read me’. Sometimes this seems an impossible task doesn’t it? It’s not. There are tons of writers brave enough to complete projects and present them—their babies—to the world by any means necessary and we have to be part of that group of fearless souls. It takes perseverance and dedication and not just in writing but life too and sometimes I have to dig deep down to find them, yet I believe in my work so much that I know, as I know God is great, that readers will enjoy my novels and look forward to the next one. You must feel this way too and work it because if we don’t believe in our work, no one else will.
If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
Friday, May 25, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Hello
Did I mention earlier that I submitted my novel to an editor to have it corrected for grammatical errors and character inconsistencies? I recently got the first two-thousand words back reviewed and I have to say, I didn’t like many of the suggestions I received, I actually felt my insides shout and rebel at some of the suggestions. I had no problem with some of the errors corrected for example, I forgot to put a question mark at the end of a question; it was great that the editor caught that one and others this was the reason why I wanted—needed—an edit.
My issue was the suggestions that would alter, in my opinion, the flow, the feeling of the novel. For instance I was told “Direct thoughts are better in italics”. The problem is that Owen has a lot of direct thoughts and to see all them in italics sounds unbearable, it would be the same as driving down a street of smooth pavement and running over unseen jolting road bumps making you crazy; not good at all. I believe reading a good novel—a great novel—happens when you don’t run over the words; aren’t even aware of them and just get story.
I feel so great about my novel the way it is;, have enough confidence in it that I’m just going to request the basic edit to alert me to put the question marks at the end of questions and nothing more. Am I taking a gamble not adhering to the deeper suggestions for change? (I didn’t forget the question mark here) Not at all because I’m wedded for life to the foundation, to the pull and tug of the story, to how it’s built. I won’t change the structure of the story because it makes the book and of course, You Don’t Know Me is a great book and that’s what I’m after.
If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
Did I mention earlier that I submitted my novel to an editor to have it corrected for grammatical errors and character inconsistencies? I recently got the first two-thousand words back reviewed and I have to say, I didn’t like many of the suggestions I received, I actually felt my insides shout and rebel at some of the suggestions. I had no problem with some of the errors corrected for example, I forgot to put a question mark at the end of a question; it was great that the editor caught that one and others this was the reason why I wanted—needed—an edit.
My issue was the suggestions that would alter, in my opinion, the flow, the feeling of the novel. For instance I was told “Direct thoughts are better in italics”. The problem is that Owen has a lot of direct thoughts and to see all them in italics sounds unbearable, it would be the same as driving down a street of smooth pavement and running over unseen jolting road bumps making you crazy; not good at all. I believe reading a good novel—a great novel—happens when you don’t run over the words; aren’t even aware of them and just get story.
I feel so great about my novel the way it is;, have enough confidence in it that I’m just going to request the basic edit to alert me to put the question marks at the end of questions and nothing more. Am I taking a gamble not adhering to the deeper suggestions for change? (I didn’t forget the question mark here) Not at all because I’m wedded for life to the foundation, to the pull and tug of the story, to how it’s built. I won’t change the structure of the story because it makes the book and of course, You Don’t Know Me is a great book and that’s what I’m after.
If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
Friday, May 11, 2007
Hello
I hope you all are doing very well and of course writing a lot. I’m continuing to work on my second novel in the Owen Story trilogy and it’s going pretty well for me. I’m completing a page or two a day and for me that’s equivalent to another writer’s ten pages a day.
I believe the key is to just keep writing, whatever comes out, hell or high water; it’s the only way, the best way to write. Overcome all the daily obstacles and get those few precious pages done for the day; it’s worth it because the next time you look around you have a novel—yeah!!! Then the rewriting begins. Ha Ha.
If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
I hope you all are doing very well and of course writing a lot. I’m continuing to work on my second novel in the Owen Story trilogy and it’s going pretty well for me. I’m completing a page or two a day and for me that’s equivalent to another writer’s ten pages a day.
I believe the key is to just keep writing, whatever comes out, hell or high water; it’s the only way, the best way to write. Overcome all the daily obstacles and get those few precious pages done for the day; it’s worth it because the next time you look around you have a novel—yeah!!! Then the rewriting begins. Ha Ha.
If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
Friday, May 04, 2007
Hello
I was running on my treadmill this morning, you know how it is, a daunting leaded task to get started. I feel as if I can could do a million other things instead of getting on that treadmill including counting all the dust bunnies under the couch. I start out slow, plodding along until I awake fully, get the gears oiled and going, my legs and arm get warm and loose, I pick up a steady rhythm, get my breath under control and keep at it until time passes without me realizing it and I’m done.
Writing is like running (most of the time) isn’t it? When we first sit down in front of the blank page, its clean white looks as vast as the solar system. We put down the first word, our first thought and sometimes it takes a while to get that “first.” We struggle over a sentence, if it’s the right words, if the character is meant to take you this way. We get a few more sentences down, then a paragraph, plodding along, most times uneasily, sometimes at a pretty good pace.
We feel ourselves getting hot after a while, really sweating out the thoughts, the words, the sentences, finding it not as hard as it was in the beginning. We keep going, one page, two, five, ten and the time goes by until we have a story, a screenplay, the insides of a novel. We stop here, breath easier and feel good we’ve done our part for the day.
Yes, running can be like writing and for me both (writing more) is worth doing. What I gain in the end; a healthier me and great writing, I can’t live without.
If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
I was running on my treadmill this morning, you know how it is, a daunting leaded task to get started. I feel as if I can could do a million other things instead of getting on that treadmill including counting all the dust bunnies under the couch. I start out slow, plodding along until I awake fully, get the gears oiled and going, my legs and arm get warm and loose, I pick up a steady rhythm, get my breath under control and keep at it until time passes without me realizing it and I’m done.
Writing is like running (most of the time) isn’t it? When we first sit down in front of the blank page, its clean white looks as vast as the solar system. We put down the first word, our first thought and sometimes it takes a while to get that “first.” We struggle over a sentence, if it’s the right words, if the character is meant to take you this way. We get a few more sentences down, then a paragraph, plodding along, most times uneasily, sometimes at a pretty good pace.
We feel ourselves getting hot after a while, really sweating out the thoughts, the words, the sentences, finding it not as hard as it was in the beginning. We keep going, one page, two, five, ten and the time goes by until we have a story, a screenplay, the insides of a novel. We stop here, breath easier and feel good we’ve done our part for the day.
Yes, running can be like writing and for me both (writing more) is worth doing. What I gain in the end; a healthier me and great writing, I can’t live without.
If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
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