Hello,

My co-workers and I received some news the other day; our jobs are in jeopardy because we will be merging with another board, another company, so it means changes and possibly not in our favor. My co-workers have been murmuring all day about it, wondering what’s going to happen to our jobs. I wondered too then decided not to and for two hugely important reasons: one, I cannot do anything about the merger other than do my job the best to my ability until I don’t have to anymore. Two—the most important reason—if I no longer have a day job, I can write during the daylight hours, live my dream of the perfect writing life: up early, exercise, a cup of coffee while I write until its time for my children to wake for the day, drive them to school and even stay for an hour as a classroom volunteer, then back home to write and read until its time to pick them up. Heaven. I'm going to indulge in this until I have to look for another position.

Will any of this happen? I don’t know; the only thing I do know is that I’m not going to worry about something I can’t change, I’ll deal with what comes my way, make it work and no matter what: keep on writing because it’s something that can’t be taken away from me.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Hello, how are you this Friday?

I read the other day that J.K. Rowling was writing a mystery novel and I wasn’t a bit surprised. I believe everyone loves a good mystery or detective novel. When you think about it Ms. Rowling’s can write anything she chooses and of course do it wonderfully so why did she choose the mystery genre? Oh, there are so many reasons: the challenge of writing a great mystery, one that is complex and layered but understandable and readable complete with surprises, twists and turns that don’t conclude until the last page; character development: the memorable, original characters you can create, an ensemble, readers can’t forget and want to follow from novel to novel; the situations—endless situations--that create a mystery needing badly to be solved for life or death and finally the detective defined as you want him or her to be, a policeman, a hotel maid, a taxi cab driver, an oil magnet, your choice and you can give him all the life you can imagine—good or bad.

So I’m not surprised Ms. Rowling’s is writing a mystery novel, so am I (a few of them) for all the right reasons I’ve given and one more: the love of the mystery/crime/detective genre and wanting to be a part of the renowned list of great writers who’ve created the best work in it: Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, Chester Himes, Ed McBain, Ruth Rendell, John D. MacDonald, Sue Grafton to name only a few; who wouldn’t want to join that list? I know I do and it looks like Ms. Rowling does too.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello,

I’m not a fan of rock and roll music, especially Indie rock I’m more of a soul music lover but there is one rock band I have recently become enamored with after all my years of living and not once finding favor with this kind of music; yet this one band I truly enjoy. The band is the White Stripes, I know everyone has heard of them they're just that wonderful. Why I like them so well is of course because of their music, its inventive, complex but simple, beautiful and some songs unforgettable. Yet, in addition to their music it’s the band itself made up of Jack and Meg White, singing and playing three instruments: guitar, drums and piano—just that basic--no huge ensemble, no flashy fire breathing shows; they don’t need all this, they have the one thing that replaces all the hoopla—deep and rich talent.

I listened to a radio interview the two did and Jack White, the lead singer, said this one thing so true and I paraphrase it here, “No matter what you did some people are going to like it, some people aren’t…I can’t think about that anymore, concern myself with it, I can’t think about if its going to fit…” I believe Mr. White was saying you have to be true to yourself--in his case play and write the music he loves--and not concern yourself with whether others will like it or not; its what you think and love about it that counts and only feeling this way will give your work (writing, music, painting, wood-working, whatever) the clean, clear truth of it you can be proud of.

I try very hard, daily, to cultivate this attitude and for the most part I'm successful, I write the stories I love hoping others will love them too though this isn't necessary but if I come across one reader who enjoys my novel and looks forward to my others then I’m good; but if I never come across a reader who likes my work, this won't stop me from writing.

So stay true to yourself, your work, your writing, making sure when your novel (or novels) is complete it’s exactly what you want it to be, you are terrifically happy with it so that once you send it out in the world you aren’t concerned with who will like it or who won’t because your most important goals have already been reached: a novel you've written and feet great enough about to present to all; the rest is beyond our control and will take care of itself. So don’t worry, just write your best, the rest will be okay.


If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello to you this Friday,

I’m re-editing You Don’t Know Me, I'll be sending it out soon as a self-published book. This will be my second review since the novel came back from the editors. I asked for only a basic edit for grammar, punctuation etc so I went through the novel correcting the errors I needed to, leaving those that were not errors but my writing choices. Now I’m going through the novel again for content and style error and story issues that can be changed or made better that would make the story have greater flow, make it seamless; I’m half-way through this process.

I’ll go over the novel a third time after putting it aside for a week for fresh eyes. I’m not ruling out a forth look though just to make sure I’ve caught all the bad stuff. Is this excessive? To the point I’ll never get my novel out because I can’t stop reviewing it with that fine tooth comb to catch every error, every uneasy word, to find a better word to use or shorten this paragraph, or change ‘he said’ to ‘Owen said’, and on and on--yes, it’s excessive… no it’s not, because I believe I have to work harder than the other guy writing his book, that I need to go that extra mile to make sure my novel is the best it can be and if going over it a forth time is the way to do it then there will be a fourth review.

I'lll submit my book for publication and soon but not until I get to the last page and realize there is nothing left to do to it, it’s as good as I’m going to get it; this does happen. I look at it this way, everyone wants to write a book—who wouldn’t? Writing can be indescribable, wonderful, at least when writing well, so who wouldn’t want to do it so in face of all that competition, to get my writing out front I have to be hardworking, patient, to persevere against all odds, to be relentless at making my book the best so that fourth review? It’s nothing in the cause for my book and in the immense pride I'll feel at--finally-- presenting to the world. I know it’s a feeling you understand well. Keep writing.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello to you this Friday and to Ashish Jansri, thank you,

I was wondering…how do you separate your book from the pack? Hundreds of books are published a year through traditional publishers and self-publishing. If you’re published with Scribner for instance, is it something done for you or only if you're John Grisham? Though I’ve read even getting a book deal with a major house doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a large book party or go on publicity junkets around the country to get the word out about your book.

What seems to propel books these days to great sales and possibly on to those bestseller lists is word of mouth, meaning its left up to the readers to decide, not the publishing houses or the lists but the reader who takes a chance on your novel. But what makes them take the chance word of mouth? I suspect it’s the chicken or the egg phenomenon with selling books too. The question then is how to get the word of mouth going for your novel. I think first and foremost you have to write a great story all readers will enjoy, the fantasy reader finding many things to like in your mystery novel.

In addition to writing an interesting thoughtful story with terrific stay-with-you-characters and riveting situations that charge at a pace that gives the reader only a few chances to catch their breath (my idea of a wonderful book and its what John Grisham does) you have to find ways to get the reader to realize your book is something special and it begins with you starting that positive word of mouth and backing it up by “showing”, by offering excerpts of your novel on your website or blog and asking readers to respond to it; getting positive blurbs or reviews of your book by writers you admire and post them out in the world, do interviews radio and in print touting your book, appear at book store signings, ask book clubs to read your book letting them know you’ll be happy to discuss the book with the group, those are just some of the ways to get that word of mouth running wild and if you come up with more inventive ways please let me know.

One half of the battle is writing a wonderful story you love and you know readers will love too; the other half is getting people to read that story but we’re all up to the challenge aren't we. Write well.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello to you this Thursday instead of Friday,

I was eager to write to you so I’m submitting today. I found a great new website: http://crimesistahs.blogspot.com/. I don’t visit websites too often, the few I have are those of other writers and I’ve mentioned them in past entries so when I do come across one (it’s a blog on writing of course) especially one I hadn’t been looking for and find that it’s wonderful I have to let you know—let everyone know.

The Crime Sistahs can be found where I blog—blogspot which just made it better. One of the reasons why I like The Crime Sistahs is because it’s kept by crime and mystery novelists which of course gives me a new list of crime novels to fall in love with. I spent a lot of time reading on the site and was thrilled to discover it’s the kind of place that has everything and not just what a crime mystery writer would want, but any writer seeking advice, information, enthusiasm, a good laugh and encouragement. Reading the entries you get the sense these hard working successful writers want you to be successful too, they want you to make your writing dreams come true and are willing to do whatever they can to help you make it happen.

The site is low key and infused with the warm and engaging personalities of the writers. The entries began 10-23-2005 and just reading a few of them makes you want to read every one in the archive (I’m going to try) because you know you'll find something of use in just about every entry, for example: in the entry dated July 20, 2007 the writer Angela Henry, who writes the Kendra Clayton mystery series lets us know about the first annual St. Martins Minotaur/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition being held right now and to send our novels out to them.

In the entry dated July 16, 2007 by Patricia Sargeant the writer of You Belong to Me, she imparts good advice on plotting she received from an editor at the Romance Writers of America conference and in another entry by Angela she tells what its like to have a book launch party and the scary anticipation of having another on a grander scale. As you can tell the entries are more than worth reading, more like essential.

So when you’re taking that momentary break from writing visit The Crime Sistahs site and do some reading keeping a lot of what they’ve written in mind. Think of it as just one more sturdy brick added to that solid foundation your writing is built upon.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello, how are you?

Like most writers I read a lot of different novels: non-fiction and fiction of course: horror, science, literary. I’ve read many Stephen King novels so tried my hand at writing a couple of horror short stories, one titled The Eye and I enjoyed writing them realizing it was a stepping stone on to the road to finding my own niche and when I finally did there wasn’t a need to again write outside my chosen métier (one of my favorite words) of crime mystery fiction in all its forms.

Because I read urban fiction too and as a black woman supposedly familiar with the “black experience” should I want to write about it? No, no and no a thousand times. What I want to do is write with enthusiasm, joy and anticipation that wakes me each morning and that only happens when I write what I love and not what “I should” because of various silly reasons.

Writing is challenge enough and to write what you don’t enjoy or don’t love because it’s popular or worst yet, you think its going to make you rich, forget it; though rich does happen to some writers, the thing is, those writers keep on writing when they don’t have to because it’s just something special about writing well isn’t it? I believe it’s because it’s one of the few mostly solo occupations you truly can’t find personal fulfillment in if you don’t love to do it. So do it.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello and happy Friday!

Are you writing today? I hope so, I’m writing a little mostly editing You Don’t Know Me. I got it back from the editing service the other day and though it’s a basic edit; making sure words are spelled correctly, punctuation is correct, use of the proper word, I still found some of the suggestions not to my liking so I kept the text as it was.

I wondered though if this had been an edit by a popular editor at Penguin Worldwide for instance would I have agreed immediately to all suggestions then done them at the speed of light with no back talk versus hesitating over them now ( and not making a number of them) as suggested by the editing person contracted with Lulu Publishing.

Because it was Penguin would I feel obligated to make all corrections and changes because it’s Penguin and I would feel so grateful they had a greed to publish my book I’d do whatever asked. I try not to think about it because I want to believe I would not make any changes I felt would tamper with the story or the characters or at the very least bring forth my own arguments why I would not make the changes; the problem is I’m not so sure. Deep deep deep deep down, I know I’d be open to any suggestions and probably make the changes. Yuck.

But for now I don’t have that problem to prey on my mind, I smile as I decide I won’t make this change or the next, that I’ll use my word instead of their’s and it feels good to be in control and know my story is going the way I want it to; the way I wrote it

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello,

Today I was taking care of the business of writing you know, sending out e-mails for blurbs, running to the post office, sending off packages of work to be read, all the stuff that comes in between the writing. I got it done so I'm back to the writing. Those things have to be done to get your projects known by readers and what I did isn't even half that has to be done: interviews (if you can get them) keeping your website up to date even writing articles, so since it has to be done, try your best to do it with a smile.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello,

Sometimes it gets hard to write, the words will not flow, my story seems too hackneyed at best and uninteresting at worst and I have to ask myself why am I doing this? It happens to all writers once in a while. I have three ways to get out of this mindset that doesn’t plague me too often thank goodness. The first and best cure to getting myself out of the rut is to read the work of author’s I love. I just finished The Cloud of Unknowing by Thomas H. Cook and working on The March by E.L. Doctorow. Both novels are terrific and the writers make it look so easy and because they can it expires me to keep working on my project in an effort to someday get to where they are in their writing abilities: to get the reader to fall into the story and become entangled with it to their joy. And the only—only—way to do it is to write.

To keep writing is my second cure to the writing blues, just write. It can begin as bad stuff but as I go along a few good lines I can use end up on the page and even sometimes a couple of great ones form and really get me going. I just have to sweat through it and keep writing.

My last cure all for those impossible times is the dream I carry of writing a novel other people will love. We all have to work to make our dreams come true right? And the only way to get my novel out to the world is to write it, no way around it, so the blues, writer’s block, self-pity, lack of confidence, fear, whatever we want to call it; when it gets in the way (try and not let it) but when it does, try my cure alls and I promise you’ll feel much better and have your completed great novel to prove it.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Hello and I missed writing to you last week, I really did,

I’m back from vacation, of course somewhat regretfully; and I did write while on vay-k. I spent—a lifetime it seems—standing in lines at Disney World waiting to catch a glimpse of Mickey Mouse and at Universal Studios waiting to be terrified during the Revenge of the Mummy thrill ride. So to pass the time I was lucky enough to write, I took a notebook along just for that purpose.

I was able to finish an outline for You Don’t Know Me while shuffling forward at baby steps. I was also able to write a few pages for the new Owen Story novel: Begin at the End, while I stood still in an endless line of bodies and sweated in the Florida heat. I was happy and surprised I got something completed it made all that waiting and sweating worth it though the rides were good too.

So I did have a great time with my family, a lot of fun with my kids. I saw a number of awesome sites, I ate a massive amount of great food, I met some nice people from not only around the country but from around the world and I wrote. No one could have had a better vacation than I did and oh, how I miss it.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello,

It's Friday, yeah!!!

I will be going on vacation so may not blog next Friday though if I get a chance I certainly will. Will I write on vacation? Yes, of course and why not? I'lll do all the vacation things with my kids, see the sights, get a lot of sun, but I'll find time to write because it's what I do and I have to do it everyday to help keep me going. And what if I get a new idea or think of something that will move my current story forward? What? I jot down a note and keep playing volleyball? Maybe, but after the game I will sit and write for a while. Writing is a vacation to me, the freedom to express my thoughts and take the time to write them out without the clock ticking over my head. I work, have a family, other things to do to keep my life going so taking a vacation to do the things I love will always include writing.

You'll hear from me soon--whether you want to or not.

If you have questions or comments I’d love to read them and reply, so please email me at: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello and happy Friday,

I hope you’re getting a lot of writing done. I’m doing my best though some times the business of writing gets in the way and it can be humbling. For my book I’m sending out requests for blurbs or reviews from other writers and I hate to ask it of them, I know you understand. It’s tough to write as it is, to read and re-read a hundred times your own work, throw in the other things you must do to breath; to live, you have a headache, there are only so many hours in the day and to be asked by another writer you don’t know to take the time to read and review their work? Who needs it?

It’s understandable but we have no choice either. We need to ask those writers to read, to judge our work hoping, praying they will and give it a positive review because it can be the little push needed to get that one person to read our book; just one good word. We look at those blurbs when we pick up a book and if an author has more than one and they all are raving, well, we give that book more of a look don’t we? And most times we take it home with us. We want the same done of our novel and a back cover full of those positive reviews could be the push a reader needs to take our novel on.

I still dislike having to ask for a blurb but I do it anyway, I even ask for one from very popular authors like James Patterson. The writer can of course say no and probably will but as writer’s we’re used to “no” and rejects yet we move forward and keep trying, its wants makes us writers after all.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

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

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

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

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

Hello

Have you copyrighted all your work? I hope you have. I’ve sent my book off to the United States copyright office, a forty-five dollar deal but worth every penny as you know. I of course have the right to the works I create and I don’t believe anyone would take my work as their own but I also believe in doing my part by copyrighting with the registry office just in case. I also submit my screenplays to be registered at the screenwriter’s guild.

I don’t believe sending your work to yourself through the mail is good enough anymore to be called “copyrighting” your work. With my work and yours too we just want to make sure we cross our t’s and dot our i’s when it comes to legally protecting our precious.

If you know of any other avenues of protection, please e-mail me and let me know the information will be appreciated.


If you have any other comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello

I’m submitting my book, You Don’t Know Me next month to Lulu publishing and I’m excited about it and of course scared too. But I heard something on the Sopranos the other night (yes, I love writing crime fiction and watching it too) and the character Christopher said something like this—I paraphrase, “Face the fear and do it anyway"—do what you love to do or believe you were made to do. He’s a major mafia guy who happens to be absolutely above board on this one.

His comment really lessened my fear quotient about putting my book out in the world without agent back or a major book publisher behind me, his words made me realize those things don’t matter what’s important is following your dream (cliché though it may be) and making it a reality because life is so short its unbelievable so you want to make your life the best it can be; I do.

So there’s still a little fear there and it’s okay, its healthy natural but what’s not okay is not to do it, not to find any means I can to get my novel out because it’ll make me feel wonderful and because I know--know absolutely-- others will love the story and the characters.


If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at my new e-mail address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello,

I read the other day in the Writer’s Magazine www.writermag.com how this writer loved having a day job as a teacher more than he loved being a full time writer. While reading the article I thought: he’s joking. How could he love having a day job as opposed to writing full time? I can understand him loving his job, teaching young minds to be great but still…

Then I thought about it. I like my day job, it pays the bill of course but one of the more important reasons why I like my job is that I feel when I do find the time to write while working, taking care of my family and other things, is that writing in between is like getting a special present or having a little holiday during my regular life. It’s such a joy to write so getting it in on those wonderful snatches of time: a day off to write, writing on a quiet Saturday afternoon or writing on my lunch hour or at four in the morning, makes the writing experience that much more precious and when its really going well—wow.

So I can understand that guy loving his day job—many people do—I like mine too and mostly because I’m blessed to be able to add actual writer to my resume, its the gift that keeps on giving as long as I keep putting pen to paper between the report to my boss or helping my kids with their homework the writing always fits in somewhere.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at my new e-mail address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori