by Sarah | Aug 12, 2010 | 100 Words
This week’s challenge word was “Worthless”. For some reason this time it inspired a poem. I’m going to entitle it “HOPE”.
HOPE
Ripped open
I bled for you
Rivers of tears
There was something so wrong
It was me
It was you
Ashamed within
I tried so hard
Afraid of you
It was nothing close to love
It wasn’t me
It was you
New chance
New, different pain
It’s nothing new
Somehow it is always my fault
It wasn’t me
It was you
Torn down
Trod on
Broken hearted ache
Physical pain, emotional destruction
It could be me
It could be them
What is this
A new life
Growing within
No longer worthless, alone; there’s hope
It wasn’t me
It was him
by Sarah | Aug 12, 2010 | General, Train To Nowhere, Writing
We all know what it’s like.
You have an inkling of an idea. Just the slightest hint of what something might become, what it could be come. We’re at point A, but point B is FAR away. The road to it is winding and crazy and we’re not sure how to get there.
We get mired down in details. Questions. Plots. Characters. Devices.
The How’s, What’s, Where’s, When’s, Why’s and Who’s.
We get stuck.
I had a story idea. A small little niggle. It had developed into two characters. I had the basics of who they were. Their names, their brief back story. Then I got stuck. Where was I going with it? How would it develop? I knew a basic conflict, but in the end it didn’t seem enough. I needed more.
I set it aside. I worked on other things totally un-writing related. I even left my Jane Doe series to linger on the vine (I have out queries/contest submissions, book 3 is started, moving slowly, I’m not in a huge rush). I pulled out knitting to distract me. Watched TV to distract me.
Then for some reason I kept getting stuck on the location. I knew what state I wanted it in. The approximate year. For some reason my muse wanted me to find out WHERE. I didn’t understand why I was stuck on this detail, but I was.
Then it happened.
By researching the WHERE, by studying the state I planned to set this in. By learning the history of the land I’d chosen the story formed before my eyes.
The light bulb clicked on and now my story was forming.
Train to Nowhere was getting somewhere.
So now I officially have my new story idea. I’ve been fleshing out some details, working on some characters. I’m letting it continue to stew a little. I am eager to write this story – but I also want to finish my Jane Doe series, because it feels wrong to leave it ‘unfinished’ (Yes, I have a first draft complete, but it’s a very weak outline that I want to make sure is properly plumped and finished).
So, I continue on. I also have a couple of other little ideas starting to form, but nothing solid yet.
In the mean time – my husband is writing now too. I have to say I’m jealous – so far I love what I’ve read from him.
Off to ponder the word of the week for 100 words. Hoping I can get something good for it. It’s a powerful word.
by Sarah | Jul 16, 2010 | 100 Words
In order to get my writers blog mojo going, I’ve decided to start participating in the 100 Word Challenge again. I’ve also joined in on another project that is coming up soon, and I’ll share more details when that comes around. Until then, here is my entry for this week. I like it so much I’m thinking of turning it into a short. Don’t know how I got this line of crazy from “Uncomfortable”…but here it is!!
**
Sticky.
The heat was unbearable, the humidity – murder. A bead of sweat trickled down his neck into the smooth curve where it met his shoulder. Neither of us said a word, his focus had to be on his task.
The ropes tied tight, the blocks in place. Soon it would be over. Relief would be immense. No one would ever know what I had done.
With a final tug the task was complete. We both wrapped our hands around an end and lifted, whispering a farewell before we tossed it over the side.
I smiled, it was over.
“Your turn.”
by Sarah | Jun 27, 2010 | Changing Tracks, Contests
Last week I had another first.
I entered Changing Tracks into its first contest.
After I hit send I wandered around the website for the contest. Then I panicked. I had known from the start that this particular contest gives ms feedback to all of its entries. At least, I had read it. It didn’t really hit me until after.
I think it was seeing the form that they use for feedback that did it. Looking at all the areas the scant 35 pages they are seeing will be judged.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve known all along that the ms would be judged. Not just in this contest, but by every single agent that receives a partial.
There is something about having every little detail laid out in front of you in black and white that makes you start to panic. Seriously. Palms sweating, mind racing, ‘what did I just do’ panic.
I calmed down. I moved on. I’ve continued editing and fine tuning. I’ve completely changed my query (this time getting NO feedback on it and ending up w/ a partial request.). I’ve kept querying. I’ve made plans to enter it in another contest. In fact, that one does not give feedback to every entry, but it takes the full manuscript.
In two months time I’ll know one way or another, because both contests have said that they’ll notify finalists by September.
I’ve got nothing to lose by entering. If I’m not a finalist nothing is lost. If I am, a ton is gained.
Once I have them sent off, though…I have the same issue I do with all of this querying.
Putting it from my mind.
I’m SO bad at that.
by Sarah | Jun 10, 2010 | Books, Reviews
This post is a repost of a review I did two years ago. Since my old blog was lost in the shuffle I wanted to repost the review of this worthy (pun intended) book for my new readers, and because the author deserves it. I encourage you to pick up a copy today! I may even try to convince Ms. Worth to come by for an interview someday.
Elizabeth of York was the only woman to be a daughter, niece, sister, wife, and mother to English kings. Her wide connection to royalty did not prove to grant her a charmed life, quite the opposite.
Her life began as a charmed one, the daughter of Edward IV, she was loved by her father and lived a brief life of joy and contentment as the apple of his eye. When war struck their country again at the tender age of five, she and her family were forced into sanctuary, and thus the first hints of tragedy started to enter her life.
Her father survived the battle and lived until she was seventeen, but with his death came the beginning of a series of events that led this hopeful princess into a life filled with death and sorrow. Losing her father, her brothers, her nephew, her queen and friend, and then her beloved uncle (the man she also loved), she never lost her faith. When given an opportunity to run, she stayed behind, determined to let a royal marriage to a man who claimed the crown end years and years of battle.
From the moment you open this book, drawn into a game of revelry, to the end you are hooked into Elizabeth’s life as she tells it. Sandra skillfully relays a heartwrenching tale that pulls you into the heart of a queen. You find yourself enjoying each brief moment of happiness, and sharing each lonely moment of pain and fear.
“Elizabeth, the Good! Elizabeth, the Beloved! Elizabeth, the King’s Daughter!” You will want to know her. You will want to see her find peace. She will be made a part of you.
Thoroughly researched, you can see that Sandra loves her subjects in all of her novels. You are given a touching tale that will leave you with real tears…and you will learn of a period of history through a historical figure often forgotten – but certainly no less important.
*I received a copy of this book for free from Penguin two years ago. I’m reposting this review because I genuinely like the book and the author.
by Sarah | Jun 3, 2010 | Changing Tracks, writing tips
I once received the suggestion that I should print out my manuscript and hand edit it. I don’t remember who said it, or why I rebuffed it – other than the obvious truth that my printer would likely scoff in my face.
Yesterday I did just that.
My printer did snort and protest. It ran out of black ink and 45 pages are printed in blue. One page had the top chewed up. It took an hour (slow printer).
But now my manuscript sits in front of me. Mocking me.
Last night I had to pick my mom up from the airport and while I waited in the cell lot for her to tell me she was ready, I read. I made it twenty pages in and found quite a few items to mark and change (including a blatant typo that spell-check missed!).
I knew the ‘theory’ that reading it on paper was different then reading it on the screen you wrote it on. I didn’t believe it.
But there’s something to be said for it. I hope to continue through the whole manuscript now this way. I’m going to be submitting my novel in two contests by the end of the month (hopefully, I need to come up with the entry fees first), and I want this to shine. I hope between my beta and my own edits that will happen.
So I vote for putting your printer through its paces. It really does read different on paper.
