Writing That Novel, Just Do It! Part 2

As I mentioned, I wrote the stories on my computer and saved them on a disk. The original idea was to have them to pass down to my grandchildren and the other little ones in the family. I know most people would have thought that was enough, but I'm really not like everyone else so I decided the stories should be printed into a book.

My first idea was to have a few books printed up for the family. I did a lot of research on the Internet and found many websites that would make my book but the cost was more than I had expected. It just wasn't something I could afford to do on my own. For some that might be a reason to give up, but I'm not that easily stopped. I had finally brought my writing out of the closet and I wouldn't let it be lost again. In my research, I came across a wonderful website with a lot of very good information for finding a publisher. Unfortunately, the website is no longer available but I'd be glad to pass on the advice she so graciously shared.

The first and most important thing she stressed was the need to believe in yourself. If you don't believe your work is worth reading, you won't be able to convince anyone else to read what you've written. It's hard to let someone read your work for fear of rejection, but you'll never know unless you put it out there. Relatives are sometimes not the best to judge the quality of your writing because they may not want to hurt your feelings, so they won't really give you constructive criticism. It might be best to have someone read it who will be able to be honest and objective. The hardest thing for you may be to hear suggestions to improve your writing because it's so personal.

When looking for a publisher, you have to be realistic. Now that's a strange word for me because I sometimes get crazy and caught up in my dream. Even I had to realize my book was special to me, but the well known publishers aren't going to take a chance on an unknown. If you think that was enough to stop me, think again because I did check out their websites to see if they were accepting new authors. Most of them don't accept manuscripts unless you have an agent, and most agents won't represent you unless you pay them upfront. Paying anyone to get my book published was not an option, so I had to keep looking. Besides, the website I used for advice said you should never have to put out any of your own money. She said a reputable publisher would pay you. Easy for her to say, she wasn't getting the rejection notices for my book.

I was so excited when I finally received an email saying someone was interested in my stories. I sent them off a few stories and waited anxiously for their reply. When I received the reply, they were very interested, however, they wanted me to make some small changes. My stories used animals living at the Lily Pond learning how to deal with everyday problems. The changes they wanted was for me to use real children in these situations. Sounds like a small thing, but it would have actually changed the whole feel and idea of the stories. It would have no longer been my book. Regretfully, I had to decline their offer. The search for a publisher to accept my work the way I wrote it continued.

Come back tomorrow for part 3 of this post to see if I found a publisher, and I've decided to put out a challenge to all of you. Are you up for a challenge? Want to know what it is? Did I peak your curiosity?

Writing that novel, just do it! Part 1

Are you a closet poet, novelist or just love to write? Have you put your work out there? Well, why not, come on you know you want people to read it so why not just do it.

I've always been an avid reader, and was always writing something. Of course, no one knew because I kept everything in notebooks tucked away in a special place. What did that get me? Nothing because it was before everyone had access to a computer, handwritten in a paper notebook, and one day destroyed in a fire.

Now, I did warn you I've always been a little wacky so the fact one day I got a wild hair, packed up my kids and moved to Hawaii shouldn't come as a surprise. A friend offered to store my furniture and junk in her garage while I was off on my little adventure. You guessed it, her garage burned to the ground with all of my stuff still in there. Good-by to all my secret writing projects, but that didn't stop me from writing more. Once again, I created a little stash of secret notebooks hidden away on a shelf.

Fast forward to many years later, I not only have a computer, but also a beautiful granddaughter. One day I was telling her one of my homemade stories and my son started laughing because he remembered me telling him those stories when he was little. I had two sons of my own, but coming from a large family, we always had lots of little ones around. I'm sure if you have children of your own or just in the family, you know their attention span is really short. When I'd try to explain something to them, like not talking to strangers, or don't make fun of other kids, they'd catch about the first two words before tuning me out. You know the look they give you, like Mom I'd really like to just go play. My solution was to make up little stories about animals living at the Lily Pond and weaving it into a what you should or shouldn't do lesson. Granted many times they fell asleep, but most times they actually listened. Yes, I know they were listening because it often led to them asking questions. We would often have conversations about the animals and the results of their actions.

You do remember I said I also had a granddaughter calling me Nana, which means I'm a little older and beginning to suffer from CIFA syndrome (Chit I Forgot Again). At the encouragement (or should I say harassment) of my sisters, I began writing the stories on my computer and putting them onto a disk.

Are you interested to know what happened from there? Check back tomorrow for the next segment.

A Big Hello and Welcome

A big hello and welcome to my little creative corner. Get yourself seated into a comfortable chair, take off your shoes, grab a cuppa and relax. If you're into painting, crafting, writing, baking, cooking or just about anything, I'm sure you'll find something here that will peak your interest.

I've been happily married for the last eight years, but for the previous 23 years I was a divorced mother of two boys. If I hadn't been creative before, it certainly put me into a situation where I really had to learn. Now I think, it doesn't matter your circumstances, with the rising cost of everything these days, a little creativity can go a long way. Okay, enough with the serious talk, let's get on with it. Besides, you can just read my profile and it will tell all.

I know there are a lot of blogs out there just dealing with a certain subject, but I thought we would just get crazy and explore them all. If I miss something you love doing, just jump right in and holler. It doesn't matter if I know anything about it, the important thing is you do and we'd love to hear about it. You don't have to be an expert, because I'm sure not an expert on anything. This is about having fun and getting creative.

Now, I'll open this up for discussion. What do you love creating? If it's cooking or baking, do you want to share a favorite recipe? I'm always open to something good to eat. Do you write stories, poems, or just your thoughts? I hope you'll share them with us. Do you paint and what's your favorite medium to use? I'm sure we'd all love to see your work. Do you sew, crochet, or knit? I have to confess I learned to do all of these, but somewhere along the road I forgot more than I ever knew. Call it old age or whatever, but I've tried to relearn (is that a real word) and it just isn't sinking in to this old brain. I, for one, would love to have you share your creations and any advice you might like to offer to those of us that are a little challenged in that area.

Ready, set and jump right in, we're waiting to hear what you're doing. Don't be shy, you know you want to share with us.