Half Our Writing Year Is Gone

Are your days, weeks and months flying by as fast as mine? It seems we were celebrating New Year's Day only a whiff of days ago. Now, half the year has galloped past me. As I sipped my morning coffee, I thought about what I've accomplished in my writing life during this half year. 

I looked at my 2017 Submissions record and compared it to 2016. I had submitted almost twice the number during the first six months of last year as I have this year. Shame on me! That's the thought that ran through my mind. I need to ponder a bit to figure out the why part here. 

Then, I considered how many new pieces of writing I have accomplished this half of 2017. There have been some but not as many as I'd like. Several ideas for personal essays are tumbling in my mind on a daily basis but I haven't written that all-important first draft yet. 

More coffee, more thinking! Time to consider the positive side of what the past six months have brought. What good things have I done? There were enough to make a list:

• I've written posts for my blog five days a week
• I've reviewed several books for other writers
• I've attended a writing conference
• I received an acceptance from an anthology
• I've fulfilled my commitment to my online critique group with subs and crits
• I've written a few new pieces
• I've revised and polished some old writing
• I've counseled another writer

I know what I need to work on from July through December to accomplish some of those goals I set for myself in early January. I also know that I had lots of positives this year and hope to continue. 

How about you? Have a cup of coffee, or whatever is your favorite beverage, and consider what you have accomplished regarding writing this first six months of 2017. What could you have done better? Not one of us is perfect so we're all going to have two sides to this question. If the negative side is longer than the positive, don't beat yourself up over it. A little self-chastising never hurts, but don't go overboard. Give some thought to why you did or didn't get certaine things done.

The best part of an assessment like this is that you have six more beautiful months of 2017 to rectify the wrongs and add to the rights. Say good-bye to June and hello to a brand new month and write on.

A Thank you From This Blogger

Long ago, my mother taught me to say thank you. Today I'd like to thank you, my readers, for making this blog work. Without you, it would not exist. I can think of several people or groups to be grateful for.

Thank you to those who read Writer Granny's World regularly. It means a lot to me. I feel as if I have been able to give both tips and encouragement to other writers through my postings. Sometimes they are also about my own writing world, as well.

Thank you to writer friend, Mary, who defended the name of my blog when I mentioned that I wished I had selected something different, even though it does describe me since I am both writer and granny. Mary said that the name was good because it showed that I was old enough to have had some experience in this field. So, I kept the name.

I appreciate those who comment on a post that they particularly liked. Yes, it does take a bit of time and effort to leave a comment (good or not so good) but anyone who writes blog posts day after day is delighted to get a response. 

Thanks to those of my readers who have signed on as Followers. I have far more readers than Followers. Yes, I know it takes some treasured moments to go through the steps asked to Follow a certain blog. Let me assure you that any blog owner is dipsy-doodle over getting new Followers. I have 96 right now. The strange thing is that I had quite a few more earlier and then a whole bunch disappeared. I was told it had something to do with google but never did figure out what. Just made me unhappy to see that number go down. I would be delighted if more readers would sign on as a Follower and get me back over the 100 mark again. If you think that's a hint--it is! And believe me, I would be ready to say Thank You for doing so. 

Scary Things For Writers

Fear is one big bugaboo in the writing world. Myriad writers must deal with it one way or another.   Adults sometimes face fear with the eyes of a child, wanting to hide and hope it goes away. Nope--that doesn't work very well. 

I wonder how many writers will readily admit that they have fears about their writing. Sometimes, it's easier to push it behind you than to face what it is about writing that frightens you. 

What are the fears writers face? The list below applies to both new writers and those who have written for years. 

• Rejection--probably the first one we all think of. It's real. No one likes having their precious words rejected. It makes you feel crummy until you learn how to deal with it.
• Poor writing--oh yes, many writers fear that they will not measure up to standards all through the process of creating sentences, paragraphs, full-length stories. 
• Getting poor reviews from readers--this is a fear of just about every writer. Writers want to please readers and feel bad when they don't measure up to expectations.
• Success--sounds silly but some writers do fear being a success. They worry that they might not be able to measure up with the next project. They also fear the need to be with their readers publicly in book events, interviews and more.
• Not having enough talent--haven't we all asked our self Am I good enough? 
• Not finishing what you started--what if you get far into a project and then have no idea how to draw it to a full, and satisfying, conclusion? Scary indeed.
• Too much competition--Self-confidence deflates pretty fast when we face the numbers of submissions vs the numbers of acceptances. Again, you ask yourself Am I good enough?
• Not having an advanced degree in the field of writing--MFA degrees are great but it's not absolutely a must-have if you want to be a writer. It would certainly be helpful but many, many writers don't have one in their pocket.
• Saying you're a writer--if you say it, you have to live up to it.
• Being laughed at--something beginning writers often fear

What creates all these fears? Lack of confidence is probably one of the biggest factors. I also think that having a negative outlook on life itself will create a fearful writer. 

How do you overcome fears like those listed above? Slowly. 

• Address one fear at a time
• Don't try to conquer all of them at once
• Keep a positive list--write down one good thing you did as a writer each day
• Be reasonable--don't beat yourself up over negatives in your writing life
• Make a list of all the positive things about you as a writer--read it daily
• Keep writing and submitting
• Keep learning more about the craft--that can build confidence 
• Work on those unfinished projects, one at a time. Show yourself you can do it.

If you have some of the fears listed here, consider yourself in good company. Remind yourself that you're not alone. What we don't want to do is let these fears take over our writing life and push us away from being a writer. A bit of the I think I can, I think I can...attitude that the train had in that old story The Little Engine That Could might serve you well. 

Writing With Mind, Heart and Soul

Pretty photo and some words worth noting. I believe we use our mind, our heart and our soul to produce our writing projects. 

Our mind is filled with knowledge and experiences as well as the how-to about writing. We draw on all of these treasures, and make no mistake about it--they are treasures. Our memories and things we've done, places we've visited and people we've met influence the topics we write about. We get the facts from our stored-up knowledge, and perhaps some research done, as well. But it is what is in our head that gets us started on a new project. 

Our heart helps add love, warmth and the personal touch to what we write. I wrote an entire essay about writing from the heart including the painful parts of life as well as the uplifting ones. Many peieces we have published would never have made it if there was no heart in the writing. It's the heart we put into our writing that makes a satisfying read for those who peruse our work. It's what will make a reader care about our words. 

Our soul comes into play with our writing, too. Our soul is separate from our physical body and is spritual and moral in nature. Who we are spritually and morally definitely comes into play when we write. Our moral principles run underneath everything we write. Our photo-quote today tells us to listen to the soul for good reason. We're all individuals and what we hear when we listen to our soul will be unique for each of us. 

The combination of mind, heart and soul is what makes you the writer you are. It would behoove us all to listen carefully. 

Starting Is A Good Thing

The key word in the quote above should be stated in big letters. Like this:  start. Such a simple word with synonyms like beginning, onset, and commence. 

When you want to go on a walk, you start with one foot, put the other one in front and then do it again and again and again until you reach your destination. Simple, isn't it? Why can't we relate that to our writing? We make writing harder than it needs to be. 

No one ever said that first efforts would be winners. They are only the beginning, your first efforts. When writing anything, be it a short story, personal essay or a poem, it's necessary to get actual words written.  Don't expect them to be a finished product. They won't! But they will lead to a revised version that will be something ready for submission. 

How many times have you had a story idea mulling in your mind and it stays there? You don't sit down and begin to write actual words. You think about it for a very long time, work on other projects, get involved with family and friends. All the while, that idea is whirling like a spinning top until it begins to irritate you. What's the cure?

It's to begin writing. Write an outline, write an opening paragraph, write the middle or write the ending and work backwards. But, for Heaven's sake, write something. Don't let the idea percolate in your mind for so long that it finally fades away before you ever write anything. 

Try keeping a list of those ideas that come to you in the middle of the night or when you're at the grocery store or in the dentist's chair. Put the list where you can jot notes next to the ideas whenever they come to you. With that in mind, leave plenty of space between the ideas you put on your list. 

If you look at and add to the list often enough, you're bound to start writing. 

It doesn't matter if what you have for a first effort is pure drivel. The important thing is to get something written that you can read back and start revising. Not right away! Let this rough draft sit quietly for a few days. Then read it. Decide what is wrong and, also, what is right about that first effort. Keep what's good and you know what to do with what is not. Out! 

What keeps us from taking that first step and starting some new story, essay or poem? Sometimes, we fear that we can't do our idea justice. We know that it's going to be hard work--taking time and effort we may not want to give. We're not confident that we can take a good idea and turn it into a fine piece of writing. It won't be 'fine' in that early draft. It's much later that you can read your work and feel satisfied. 

This week, grab that idea that's been simmering in your brain for weeks and write a rough draft, then move on from there. It doesn't matter how awful it is. It's the bones of what will become a fully fleshed piece after some more work. 

Write About COLOR

I have a new writing exercise for you to try today and over the weekend. It has to do with color. Artists show color with their crayons and paints but writers must give a picture of color by painting with words. 

Color is a big part of life. We love it or we can't stand it. We try to add color to our wardrobe, our home decor, our party tables and more. We care about the color car we drive. We consider color when planning a menu. 

For each color below, write one or more paragraphs that will show the color. Try not to use the name of the color but show the color itself in the words you write. In our writing, we want the reader to see a hue like orange rather than be told something was orange.

Purple

Red

Blue

Green

Yellow

Black

Gray

You can share parts of what you wrote in the Comments section. I don't think it will take large amounts of writing, so keep it to a paragraph if you would like to share.

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Today's poster made me think of professional athletes. A basketball player shoots thousands of baskets in a career and doing so is as natural as taking a breath to stay alive. Not having a ball in hand and aiming at the little round hoop ahead would make a basketball player very anxious if he went days without doing so. 

We're no different. If we want to become a pro at this writing game, the first thing we must do is to write and write and write. Every single day, or almost every day. We do have to take time out for emergencies, major events, illness and a few other monumental moments. If we aim at writing something every day, it becomes a habit. I believe that the more we write, the more we want to write. 

If you write only occasionally, it's easier to let inspiration slide on by. What if you're out on the beach and a family nearby creates a situation that makes you want to write a story? If you don't act on it soon, the idea pushes itself farther and farther back into the recesses of your mind. You might pluck it out someday, or you could leave it there, buried under several other 'put aside' ideas. 

If you have a regular writing habit, you're more likely to act on the inspiration of the beach scene early the next day, or day it occurred. If you happened to have a notepad in your beach bag, you could jot down thoughts to be used in your next writing session. 

I've found that, after every writing conference I attend, my muse strikes up the band and I want to get home so I can start writing. I've written in airports and on planes because the ideas from the conference are swirling in my mind and begging to be acted upon. And yes, in this kind of situation, I do get anxious if I can't write. 

I also get anxious if something prevents me from writing for a few days when I'm home and not all that far from my keyboard. Writing something every day is like taking that daily vitamin pill. I do it because I know it's good for me. (And also because I love it!) Writing every day gives me writing energy. Once begun, never done! 

If you are away from writing for a lengthy period of time--say weeks, or (gasp!) months, it might be harder to get back in the groove again. Or, it could work the opposite and you'll want to dive in headfirst and write in every spare minute. 

I do know, firsthand, that if you skip a couple days, it's pretty easy to pass by on that third and fourth day. Discipline yourself to write something every day. It doesn't have to be 1000 words. It can be a journal entry, or those Morning Pages we've talked about before, or a short poem. Maybe a paragraph or two doing a writing exercise. 

Write until you can't stand it if you don't write. Breathe in, breathe out and keep writing.

A Writer's List

A burning question today. If not now, when?

1.  When will you join a critique group?

2.  When will you finish your partially done works?

3.  When will you read a book about writing?

4.  When will you go to a writer's conference?

5.  When will you start a new writing project?

6.  When will you do some writing exercises?

7.  When will you submit your work to a publication?

8.  When will you stop whining about not enough time to write?

9.  When will you encourage another writer?

10.  When will you act as soon as inspiration hits?

11.  When will you study markets and guidelines?

12.  When will you write your family stories?

Now is the perfect time to begin!

      

Our Wedding Day--June 20, 1964

Today is our 53rd wedding anniversary. I'm in our office at the computer and Ken is on the golf course. But this evening, we will go out for dinner to celebrate. I feel quite blessed that, in this day of many marriages not lasting, ours is into the fifth decade. Blessed yes, but I know that it takes some effort to keep love in a marriage for so long. Was it all champagne and roses? Not by a long shot. We weathered the tough times together and rejoiced in the many happy moments. 

Our wedding day with Ken's mother, his dad is next to me but got cut off somehow

We were married in Oak Park, IL on a hot, hot, humid day with no A/C in my parents' home or the church. Very few had anything to cool other than a fan. My dress was waltz length and I wore the in-fashion Jackie Kennedy pillbox veil. Ken didn't want a big wedding and I agreed, knowing it was easier on my parents. Even so, we both wanted a church wedding.

Our wedding was so small--only 20 guests--that we had no rehearsal dinner. Ken spent the night at his brother's. On Saturday, his parents and grandfather came to my parents' home for lunch--the first time the parents had met. I'm sure my mother fretted over that lunch. After we ate, I changed into my wedding dress and we all went to the church a few blocks away. I hadn't talked to Ken for a few days but I didn't doubt that he'd show up. 

We each had only one attendant, no flower girl or ring bearer. The ceremony was short and performed by a pastor who had been a boyhood friend of my dad's. My dad was raised Catholic and Mom was Methodist. I married a Lutheran and became one. How much more ecumenical can you get? Growing up, I always feared my dad would not give me away in a protestant church but he was there escorting me down the aisle with a big smile. 

After the ceremony, everyone went back to my parents' home for champagne and we opened our few gifts. We moved on to a place called Richard's Supper Club where we had a private room for dinner. It was the coolest place we'd been all day! Our wedding cake was a gift to us from Mom and Dad's next door neighbor who owned the neighborhood bakery. Instead of the traditional bride and groom to top the cake, I selected pink spun sugar wedding bells. 

There was no photographer but one of Ken's brothers took some pictures with his new Polaroid camera--all the rage then. The picture popped out of the camera in nothing flat, no waiting for days to have the film developed. Sadly, they are the only photos we have and over the years they have faded. Better the photos than a marriage! 

Ken had just started a new job so he didn't ask for any time off for a honeymoon. Married on Saturday and he went back to work on Monday! I didn't start my new teaching position until the fall. We did have a delayed honeymoon in Glacier National Park 2 years later. We stayed at the historic main lodge where people 'dressed' for dinner. Maybe it was even better to be there on our second anniversary rather than immediately after the wedding. 

After we'd been married a week, I talked to my mom and asked her if she'd saved the top of the wedding cake in the freezer so we could have it on our first anniversary, as tradition states. She was not aware of any such tradition. She said, "Save it? Your brothers ate it all that night after everyone had left!" Well, what can you expect with brothers who were then 21, 17, and 9? 

Wedding memories are meaningful to each couple and to their families. Everyone should write about their wedding, the good and the bad. There are always little glitches in weddings, some pretty funny--after the fact! Your children and grandchildren will thank you someday.

Just a few weeks ago, Ken and I appeared in an online article about keeping love in a relationship. What fun it was to be interviewed and to see us along with 7 other couples who work at keeping romance alive. Read it here.  The longer we've been together, the stronger our love. 

Here we are after 53 years together

Writers As Individuals

It's probably not news to writers that this is also true of them. We're individuals and what we write is unique. Maybe not the basic content, as ten writers could write on the same topic and come up with ten different stories written in ten different voices and ten different angles. It's the way we each write that sets us apart from one another.

You are you from top of your head right down to your toes. Even identical twins differ in some ways but we singles are a copy of one. In our family, everyone comments about how much our grandson and my husband are like--in looks, the way they walk, stubbornness and more. Yet, they are very different in many ways, as well. 

When the writer dips his 'pen' into his own soul, he paints his  nature into the words he writes. We are merely artists who paint with words--ones that come from deep inside of us. Why are we all unique in this world of writers?

Writers are of different ages, or stages of life. We come from various backgrounds--rural or urban, small families or large, religious or not, political or not and so much more. We're introverts or extroverts. We smile a lot or frown much of the time. All these things make us the people we are and helps form the writing voice we each have. 

How boring if we were all the same and wrote exactly the same way or if all artists painted in the same style. The variety writers offer readers is what makes those people return to the libraries and bookstores over and over again. It's why screen writers have the power to bring people into the theater to see a story they wrote brought to life by producers, directors and actors. No two screen writers are alike either.

Many times, a writer strives to emulate a writer he/she admires. Instead, he/she should cultivate his/her own style and be thankful for being a one-of-a-kind person, and writer. 

So dip into your soul and write from your heart. Relish being a unique individual. 

Who Will Tell Your Story?

I had a conversation this week with a writer about a story she'd written. I liked the story a lot but it occurred to me that telling the story from a different point of view might make it even more effective. 

Before we begin writing a story, we usually know whose point of view will be used. Our hero--or heroine--is usually the one whose eyes we look through. But what if the villain in the tale is the POV person? Or an outsider? There is no one correct way. It's good to experiment a little and then choose the character you feel most comfortable with. 

What if the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears  was written four times from four different points of view? There is a quartet of characters in the beloved story we all were told and then read as children. Wouldn't Papa Bear see the story in a different manner that Goldilocks or Mama or Baby Bear? He's the man of the house, ready to protect his family. 

Mama Bear might have mixed emotions. Here is this girl invading her home but who seems to be hungry and tired. Mama's nurturing nature might lead her to scold Goldilocks all the while making sure she had something to eat and a place to rest. 

And Baby Bear? He might look at this girl who came to his house as a new playmate, not as someone to fear.

The twists and turns in a story will change depending on who you choose to use as your POV person. An interesting experiment for you to try is to take a story you've already written, maybe one published, and rewrite it using a different POV person. How does the story change? How is it going to affect the reader's outlook? You might be surprised at how your story appears with this second writing. 

Scratch That Itch

I haven't written any new stories or essays for longer than I'd like to admit but that itch of literature cited in today's poster arrived this morning. 

All of a sudden, I had ideas for two different personal essays swirling in my head like a whirlpool in a rushing brook. I'd been pondering about writing something for a Chicken Soup for the Soul book for several weeks but hadn't been able to come up with a credible topic. As I was reading an essay in a newsletter earlier today, a flash went off, or maybe it was my muse kicking me in the head saying Wake up, Honey! The subject was mine if I wanted to pursue it. And I do!

A few days ago, a younger cousin passed away after a difficult battle with numerous health issues. Something I read in her obituary notice triggered thoughts that would be worth pursuing in a personal essay. A couple of sentences that I might use flitted through the video screen in my mind. I knew I needed to write them down somewhere or they'd be lost. I didn't do it and now, I'm struggling to find them. I think, once I begin writing, that they will come back to me. 

Triggers of this kind create that itch of literature, just as the quote above tells us, the only cure is to write. I do love the phrase nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. Obviously, we don't write as much with a pen now, although some writers still swear they write better in longhand than typing on a keyboard. The majority of us tap, tap away instead of writing with a pen. Even now, the pen is ballpoint and doesn't scratch like those old 'dip in the inkwell' kind. 

That just triggered a memory of grade school desks with inkwells in them where a bottle of ink was placed so that students could easily dip their pens and write with them. We usually wrote with a lead pencil in grade school but occasionally we were given the pens and ink bottles to write something special. I don't think it was often but I do remember the 'scratching' of the pen. A nice sound.

That itch of literature comes over us when we least expect it. When it does, we'd best pay attention and act upon it as soon as possible. Wait a day or two, or more, and it's gone. Sounds so easy but you and I know that life gets in the way of our best intentions. It's up to us to figure out how to work it in. You can do it if you're passionate about your writing. Go ahead and scratch that itch!

An Interview With Author, Gloria Zachgo--Part 2

Author, Gloria Zachgo 

I'm pleased to present part 2 of my interview with Gloria Zachgo:

6.      Do you belong to any writers’ groups? Why or why not?

Yes, I’ve belonged to several. About a year ago, when we moved to Wichita, I had to leave my original writers group. I miss the weekly challenges it provided. I am still able to meet once a month with my novelist group. They supply invaluable feedback, criticism, and encouragement. I might be able to write novels without them, but it would be a lonely trek and not nearly as much fun.

7.      Of your three novels, which one is closest to your heart?

That’s like asking which of my children is my favorite.

The Rocking Horse was my first. It started me on this journey of writing novels and gave me the confidence to write more.

Hush Girl is where my heart took me the last two years.

However, Never Waste Tears is probably closer to my heart because I write about the area where I grew up. I see my grandfather every time I write about Carl, and I’m hoping to go back to that prairie one of these days.

8.       Do you write every day or when the mood strikes?

I would like to say I’m disciplined enough to write every day, but I’m not. When the mood strikes I’m miserable if I don’t write. I can’t say that’s always when I do my writing though, because “the mood” can strike at the most inopportune times.

9.      What prompted you to write Hush, Girl?

I know someone who has been affected all her life because her mother left her when she was only a child. Once I started developing the story of a child whose mother left her, she became real. She became Nicki. I simply wrote what happened to her, embellishing the story to make a suspense novel.

10.       Any tips for other writers hoping to publish a book?

Self-publishing has worked for me. I’ve learned that even with traditional publishing, an author is often left to do their own promotional marketing. There are so many new books coming out every day that it’s hard to get noticed as a novice author.

If you decide to self-publish, you must believe in yourself and your writing. Re-write. Re-read. Re-read and re-write again. I’m learning from my mistakes every day. Make your manuscript as perfect as you can. Get critiques from others if possible.

Talk to other authors. Most tend to want to share their experiences. Find out what works for them. There are a lot of different avenues one can take today. Explore several before you take the voyage.

I write what’s in my heart. I write because it’s my passion. I go on journeys with my created characters. I find pleasure in telling their stories.

I find even more pleasure when my readers give me feedback on my novels and share their thoughts with me.

An Interview With Author, Gloria Zachgo--Part 1

              

Gloria Zachgo graciously agreed to an interview. Part 1 runs today and Part 2 will be posted tomorrow. Gloria's answers to my questions will give some insight to what is involved in writing and self-publishing a novel. Her three book covers and her thoughts her might entice you to read the books. Check them out at Amazon.

Gloria Zachgo

1.      How long have you been writing?

A little over ten years. Unlike a lot of writers I’ve met, who have been creative writing since they were children, I started later in my life.

2.      Are you a self-taught writer, or have an advanced degree in the Fine Arts?

My formal education was from a business school, so my creative writing is mostly self-taught. I joined a writing group about ten years ago to improve my communication skills. Little did I know how it would change my life.

             

3.      What inspired you to write novels?

When I first started writing, I found it therapeutic to write a few memoirs, but it was when I experimented writing short fictional stories that I found my true passion.

I attended a workshop given by mystery author, Nancy Pickard. Driving home from that workshop, the image of one of my short stories kept popping into my mind. I wanted to find out what happened to Julie, so I challenged myself to develop her story into a novel. I wrote a scene at a time, sending each one to a writer friend for a critique. Once I had all the scenes written, I put them into chapters and wove them together into a finished manuscript.

4.      You have self-published 3 books. What made you decide to publish this way?

Each week at my writing group, I read a chapter of my manuscript, The Rocking Horse. The encouragement I received led me on a quest to find an agent. I queried about eighty agents over the next six months. The rejections were kind but plentiful.

I could have put the manuscript in a drawer and forgot it. Instead, I chose to follow through with the dream of having a debut novel. So, with support from family and friends, I began exploring the self- publishing world. My research led me to CreateSpace, where I invested in one of their self-publishing packages offered at that time.

After learning the basics of self-publishing a print-on-demand book for my first novel, I decided to use CreateSpace, doing most of the published work myself on Never Waste Tears and Hush Girl.  It’s worked well for me.

 5.      Do you have your manuscripts edited professionally? Or do it on your own?

I’ve done both – with mixed results. Most people in the writing world will advise authors to never do their own editing. One of my books is a perfect example of why. Following, are my three experiences...

The Rocking Horse was professionally edited. Even though it won an Honorable Mention in Writer’s Digest 20^th Annual Book Awards and received great reviews, I’ve still received criticism on its editing.

Never Waste Tears was self-edited. Ironically, I never heard the editing criticism that I received on The Rocking Horse. Never Waste Tears received an indie B.R.A.G. Medallion and was a semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Review competition.

Hush Girl: It’s Only a Dream was self-edited. It was an economic decision, as professional editing can get quite expensive. It’s a time-consuming, difficult task. I thought I had done a fairly good job when I first published Hush Girl. I received some great reviews on the story itself. But, I was also told I had some editing problems. When I re-read my manuscript, I was shocked at the errors I found. I was so disappointed in myself because most of the mistakes were simply a matter of careless proofreading.

After beating myself up for a few days, I decided to learn from the experience. I’m currently trying to amend some of the damage done. I loved telling Nicki’s story, and many of my readers have told me they loved the story too. So, I’m once more putting on the editing hat and I will re-publish as soon as possible. It still won’t be perfect, but I will try to make it the very best I can.  

Part 2 of the interview in tomorrow's blog includes Gloria's advice to other writers. 

Reviewing A New Mystery

Isn't this an intriguing book cover? The title made me want to read the book. Who said those words? And to whom? Under what circumstance? Titles are of great importance; they either make you stop and ponder or are such that you slide right on by. Kudos to author, Gloria Zachgo on title selection. 

This self-published book is a mystery but could be classified in women's fiction. Nicki is married and mother of two children. She experiences panic attacks and nightmares about her childhood. She was the youngest of three children and only five when her mother left the family. A woman named Sharon moved into the house. She loved Nicki's older sister, Cindy, but made life a living hell for Nicki and her brother, Brian. Years later, Nicki still does not understand.

At the urging of her understanding husband, she seeks help from a therapist. Because she is incapable of verbalizing her fears and dreams, the doctor has her start a daily journal and a notebook where she records memories and dreams that haunt her. Nicki makes slow progress but then is terrified by a woman who stalks her. 

As bits and pieces of her childhood terrors return, the unknown woman continues to make life frightening for Nicki and her sister, Cindy. Nicki puts the puzzle together piece by piece, even as the woman becomes bolder in her assault. 

Gloria Zachgo has given us a mystery that will keep a reader's interest. I did find that the farther I read, the more hooked I felt. My interest level was not high at the beginning but definitely continued an upward trend. The author has captured the feelings of a person like Nicki who is living with so many unanswered questions which leads to her panic attacks and nightmares. Her secondary characters are well developed, also. 

Tomorrow's blog will feature part 1 of an interview with Glroia Zachgo who has self-published three novels and has a fourth swirling in her mind. Look for Hush Girl It's Only A Dream at Amazon. Right now, only the ebook edition is listed but the paperback will be available quite soon.

Check back tomorrow for part 1 of my interview with Gloria Zachgo. 

Use The Simple Word 'Said' In Dialogue

Look at all the words today's poster gives a writer to use instead of the boring old said when writing dialogue. Wow! You could go pages before having to repeat one of them. You have a bundle here to choose from. They're all pretty words.

Guess what? I'm firmly against each one. There is nothing wrong with the supposedly boring said. You don't want to distract the reader from the actual spoken words by tossing in all these descriptive words instead.

Using words like yelled, whispered, shouted tell us how the speaker delivered his/her words. That's right--they tell us and we all know that showing is better than telling. If necessary, you can add a sentence after the dialogue to show how the words were uttered.

Said is nothing more than something to aid the reader in determining who said what. When a lengthy conversation occurs, readers can get lost as to who is saying what. All you need is a simple she said or John said. When a reader is concentrating on the dialogue itself, their brain registers who said what but not always consciously. We scan the said part but pay attention to the spoken words.

Blogger, Justin McLachlan has a post about common mistakes writers make. He lists the said issue as #1. "Your characters grouse, whisper, bellow, and ejaculate their dialogue. Said. That's all you need and most of the time, you shouldn't even need that. Dialogue attributions are just markers to help orient the reader."

If it's a question, the simple asked works in place of said.

Writers are taught not to repeat words, especially in the same sentence or paragraph. That recommendation gets lifted when writing dialogue. Write said as often as you like. If you're writing a lengthy bit of dialogue, you only need to use the he said or she said every few statements to keep the reader aware of who said what. Writing the attribution after every single statement gets irritating to the reader.

There appear to be two schools of thought on whether to use said or one of the many choices in our poster above. I've stated which side I'm on and why. If anyone lines up on the opposite side and would like to defend their position, please use the comments section to do so.

As for me, I say that said is not dead.

Writers--Aim For The Positives

We all have favorite books that were read to us as children or that we read on our own. Children tend to read the most loved books over and over again. Young readers find something so appealing that they want to enjoy the story and the feeling it brings multiple times. It doesn't matter that they know the outcome. There is no surprise ending when it's the twentieth reading.

Travel back to your own favorite stories in your growing-up years. What were your favorites? We can all create a list. I loved the Nancy Drew mystery series and the many Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read the Bobbsey Twins books again and again. As I got older, I didn't repeat the readings like I'd done as a fairly new reader. There were too many more books waiting to be read! 

Take some time and think about what it was that kept you interested in the books you liked the best. What elements did they have that made you want to keep reading? Why did so many of the children's books stay popular over many decades?

Make a list of answers for the questions above. Add to the list as you ponder more on the questions. Make another of the themes of the stories, the kinds of characters and more.

Now, when you write a novel or short story for adults, you'll use the same general elements as you found in those great books for kids. Whatever made you love Alice In Wonderland will also make adult readers want to keep reading the book that you write. The basics are the same while the vocabulary, length and more intricate plotting are used in an adult book.

You'll have a protagonist--hero--who has a problem to solve and an outcome that should be satisfying to most readers. Simple? Perhaps. There is so much more to writing that good tale. Consider the use of description, a sense of place, sensory details, tension and more. When you pay attention to all these things and come up with a story that people will want to read, you should be very proud. This writing business can become very complicated and anyone who can do it successfully is to be admired.

So, if you've had any fiction published, no matter where, pat yourself on the back. You earned it. Remind yourself now and then of those books you loved long ago and aim for the same positives they had. 

Look Ahead, Not Back

What do you do the day after you receive a rejection after submitting a query or a manuscript or short piece? We know what you probably did on the day that slap in the face arrived. You most likely deflated like a pin-pricked balloon or maybe you ranted while storming around your house. You might even have cried, especially if it was not a first-time rejection for that submission. 

It's quite alright to react in a way that helps you absorb the hurt. The disappointment and disgust--oh yes, we often feel disgusted when a rejection arrives--show that you're normal. No one in their right mind would accept a rejection with glee. 

Our poster for today has good advice. Those broken pieces of yesterday need to stay there. Don't carry them with you into today. The new day is a new beginning. Start by checking your list of places you had planned to submit to. What? You don't have a list? That means you need to take time to find multiple places where you can submit your work next. 

No one ever said the first editor you approach is going to swoop up your submission, clutch it to his/her breast and exclaim "Eureka!" Every writer knows stories of famed authors who had to submit over and over again before their work was accepted and published. Sure, we know those stories but do we apply that procedure to ourselves? Not always. Why?

It could be that it's a lot of work to turn to the submission Ferris wheel. It's also a surefire method to set yourself up for disappointment. There is no guarantee that the second time you submit your piece it will be taken. Or the third, or fourth or...  

In the writing world, very little is set in concrete. Our work is steeped in maybes. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. 

How passionate are you about getting your work published? Answer that question honestly. Then, ask yourself if you are willing to persevere until you find a degree of success. 

I think one of the hardest things we writers must do is to be honest with ourselves. When we soul search, we need to answer as objectively as possible. Easy to say, harder to do. 

Start each new day with the attitude that it is a new day and you're not going to sweep up the discards of yesterday and put them in your pocket to needle you. Look ahead with hope instead of backward with regret. 

Are You A Lazy Writer?

We're about to enter those 'lazy, hazy days of summer' as the lyrics of an old song puts it. That might be fine for kids out of school but for writers, it's not so great to lay around doing little or nothing. You might get away with a I'm thinking about writing while I'm lolling on the beach. But only for so long.

There are definitely writers who fall under the category of Lazy Writers no matter what the season. So, what defines these people? Check out my list.

Lazy Writers...

• tell rather than show. It's so much easier that way.
• use passive verbs rather than search for active ones that show.
• use too many adverbs which translate to telling--quick and only one word needed.
• don't study markets thoroughly before submitting.
• skip writing exercises because they take time, too much work, and who cares?
• don't proofread or do it so hurriedly they miss half the errors.
• don't let what they've written simmer a few days or longer before submitting.

Test yourself using this list. Are you guilty of any of these things? Most likely, we all do some of them when we're in a hurry. That's going to happen. After all, we're humans who are not perfect all the time! The bigger question is whether or not you do them on a regular basis. If you find yourself answering yes to several, then you know which category you are going to fall into. 

Wouldn't you rather shed that label and change it to Successful Writer? Who wouldn't? The way to do it is to turn all the negatives above into positives. Hard work? Yes, but well worth it for the results it can bring. 

Young Graduates Harbor Dreams

This is our second oldest granddaughter who lives in Dallas. She graduated Saturday with the other 1052 members of her class. Yes, that number is correct. She attended a large suburban high school. And yes, they all walked across a stage to receive their diploma as their name was called. We were delighted to be able to be there for her big day. Her long-loved bear is wearing an Arkansas t-shirt, which is where she is going to college.

We listened to short speeches by the Class President, Salutatorian and Valedictorian. It made me smile when one of them referenced Dr. Seuss books and another one based the speech on the Wizard of Oz. Books! Books that meant something to them. They all talked about the hard work done over a 13 year period and about the dreams of what might be ahead for each graduate. First, either entering the work force or heading off to college for further education, the next step in realizing their goals. 

It made me think about the dreams of the very young. How many do come true? How many work hard enough to make sure their dream comes true? How many will not pursue the dream with intensity and regret it later? 

As writers, we all have dreams, too. Dreams of being a success in the writing world. It doesn't matter if you started  when you finished high school or college or whether it was 30 years later. The important part is how you pursued your dream. How many times were you ready to give up but soldiered on? How often did you weigh writing time vs social time and skipped merrily off into the social world? 

We know that those big goals of a high school grad get sidetracked for various reasons. Our writing goals get pushed aside at times, too. Very often, it's for valid reasons, not just our yen to be a social butterfly. Life tends to set up roadblocks that we must either jump over and skirt around somehow. I know from experience that it doesn't always happen as quickly as we'd like. For me, it took many years to realize my dream of being a published writer because I allowed life to get in the way. But it did happen. 

Key to reaching our goal includes these things-- determination, perseverance, faith in yourself. There are others as well. Patience is one. Pure grit is another. 

Nothing happens if you sit around and wait for it to rain success from the sky. All those graduates we saw on Saturday worked hard for a dozen plus years to achieve the status of graduate. It was not always easy. The work was harder for some than others. So it is with we who write. It's easier for some writers to get published than others. With a few, it's pure luck but for others, it means they've worked very hard to become a published writer, It doesn't matter if that first publication is in a small local newspaper or a nationwide venue of some kind. Do it once and you'll know you can do it again. 

In some ways, I envied those young people Saturday for they had a lifetime ahead of them with great possibilities if they work hard. On second thought, it made me grateful that I'd moved past that period and had achieved some of my dreams. How about you?