Learn To Keep Writing

I read this advice from published and successful authors all the time. It is preached over and over and get this is where I struggled. What am I supposed to write? What if I am such on my book? How long do I have to write?

Sometimes what we need to do is realize there are so many things to write that maybe we should do and read something we like first. I tried an App that was advertised on Facebook where you pick choices in a story and the choices you make guide where your story goes. Granted there is a TON of influence. Decisions that you know would get you what you wanted if you just spend $30.00 on diamonds, to buy that swanky new dress but, if like me you aren’t going to pay, you kind of have to work hard. But that is the joy of the story. Then I found out that you can write your own stories to contribute. It was like a light bulb flashed on. I found a reason to write other than my book.

I get to write, people can read what I wrote, and if my writing is good enough I would already have a fan base! Advertising, potential fan base, and a way to get people signing up for your mailing list!

It can be difficult to write. I am, in my opinion a terrible blogger, but what I love most are the stories! So trust, I will be back with links to the App and my story once I get it going!

For those who want to know what the name of the App is, look up “Episode” in the Google App Store. I’m sure it is also available for iPhone as well.

Book Clubs: Where are the middle-graders?!

Here I am elbow deep (or however deep you can get on a laptop) in researching ways that I could get other authors to network with me. I am still waiting on all of my illustrations to come in and doing research on marketing and getting email lists together doesn’t seem like a bad thing at this time in my book publishing mountain climbing exhibition. In doing the research, I was struck by a thought (actually it was a chance Facebook distraction that my cousin had). She and a few other cousins and aunts were doing a book club. I perused through and found that it wasn’t really my genre so I opted out, however I thought that a book club would honestly not be a bad idea for supporting other indie authors like myself and get their books out there while shamelessly plugging mine in every once in a while.

I was wondering if there were other authors have participated or started a book club. Does it help with your mailing list or your sales? What about putting your book club lists out there and advertising them with bloggers? I don’t know how many bloggers out there do book clubs for the tween age kids. I know that YA is very popular, but I still do not see too many book clubs advertised.

Is it because too many kids these days are plugged into the console (phones/handhelds) rather than the e-reader? Or could it perhaps be that reading isn’t encouraged much or that reading bores your child because they can’t find a topic that really interests them? I had this problem with my daughter for a while because she wasn’t into any of the books that I thought were exciting as a kid (Hank the Cowdog, Babysitter’s Club, Goosebumps, The Boxcar Children… I think I’ve just dated myself). But I took a chance and gave her a Lotus Lane Series book and lo-and-behold. The heavens opened up and I found out that my child loves books that look like diaries and are about fashion, and puppies.

Anyway, back to my issue at hand. I know that this post has more questions than it does real content, but I think that a book club is honestly such a great tool because you would have multiples of your book out at once, being sold in groups of 7, 10 and maybe even 15 if it is just huge and doesn’t every sale count?

I would love to hear the advantages and disadvantages of an author started book club from either your own personal experiences or  what you have witnessed as a participant. How many Authors would want to collaborate, what would be needed? I’m just throwing ideas out there… Feel free to throw ideas back!

Progress Report: Illustrations!!!

I have had so much fun with my book so far. It has been such a journey. As a person who has actually written a few first drafts and then figured out how to master craft procrastination when it comes to refining anything I wrote, I find that I may actually pick up my Epic Fantasy after a good 3 years of putting it down and finish it. But right now my book, Little Red and the ‘Not I’ Class Committee has been written, mulled over, given to a few of my friends to catch my inconsistencies. Which if you don’t have friends who can tell you “What the heck is this paragraph right here? Did you write this half sleep? You’re going to have to re write that because it’s weird.” then you don’t have good friends. My book survived and then went to a professional editor where it was refined once more and now I’m to the illustrations!

I do not have a lot of money. I’m a single mom and http://www.fiverr.com has actually been a life saver. So for all you authors on that tight budget trying to get services for your book go to FIVERR!!! Really, there are wonderful, wonderful people who have so many talents and are offering them on a discount.

I am still learning however, I am researching mailing lists, trying to organize what my Author website is going to look like, what giveaways I want to do around launch time. And speaking of launch… how in the heck to people gage when they want to launch their book? How do you figure that out? Do you just pick a date and say, “Yep… that is glory day!” or do you get so far through the book, get all your marketing set up and then pick a few weeks after to release your baby?

What about pre-releasing the manuscript? Or is it a good idea to send the ebook to a select few people who sign up to a mailing list for exclusives? Should you have more than one mailing list? Are there any sites/blogs/facebook groups/pages that people will advertise a middle grade book for a low cost or for free (I have actually found a few but if you would like to suggest any others, hint hint, I am not opposed to adding to where I market)? There are so many questions! But I’m having fun with it!

So if any of you lovely people reading my blog can answer any question or even drop some advice I would welcome it!

Bullying with Sympathy

Lately I have been doing a lot of research. I wrote my first book Little Red and the ‘Not I’ Class Committee to reflect a few issues that personally my nine year old daughter has experienced and many, many others have experienced all over the world and in our own personal lives. Bullying is rampant and is a cruel and vicious circle that seems to be unbroken.

So I’m researching body shaming and bullying for the second book and even reading stories online I wonder, why is it so hard for bystanders and sometimes even victims of bullying to come forward? Why should we have to beg them to come forward and do something? This is not just children, but adults too? Is it because kids are supposed to just work through it on their own because if we don’t they are somehow pampered and weak? Or is it because we ourselves don’t know what to do or don’t care?

One of the problems that I came across is that people are so quick to want to help, that we hit our sympathy button while the empathy button grows dust and cobwebs. I can see a lot of you asking, “Empathy… sympathy… same thing right?” No. Empathy by definition “n. – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another”. The definition of sympathy is “n.- feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune:”There is a lovely video by Dr. Brené Brown, that I would like to share on Empathy vs Sympathy, that I think if used more often, without judgment, that we wouldn’t have to beg those that are being bullied to come forward. That they would come on their own more often.

Empathy understands, and shares the feelings of another. While sympathy feels pity or sorry for someone else’s misfortune. If you can’t understand what a person is feeling and you can’t share in it with them, then that is NOT empathy, what you are feeling is sympathy. So when that child or person comes to you and shares their sorrow with you, if you have not taken a few seconds to delve into your life and find a situation that you can share and understand with them, then you may not be able to empathize with that person. Perhaps you can’t empathize, but let them know you appreciate their coming out to tell you. Sometimes there is no right thing to say.

A lot of us are helpers. We all want to be the one that helps out. But if you aren’t the best suited for the job, it would probably be better for you to assist in finding the right person who can. There is always a way. Nothing is impossible. And actions speak louder than words, even if you have none that would fit the situation. Be the difference maker. Dust your empathy button off and give it a press a few times. You might be shocked at the results.

I didn’t forget!!!! The answer to the last post is:

Each are characters represented in my first book, Little Red and the ‘Not I’ Class Committee coming September 2016! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Well… isn’t this nice?

It’s my first day on WordPress and I can say that I’m learning a lot already. One thing is don’t try to sit at work and play around with your site. You become distracted and your site seems to look like “wut r werds?”.  It is all okay though. I have content coming! Trust me!

A little about me to all my new readers out there:

I’m a mom.

I’m a writer.

I’m soon to be an Author of a published book (Yay!!! Supercalafragalisticespialadocious! <-Yes… I just dated myself)

I have a large imagination that I can’t wait to share, as well as encouragement for young people to share. If we don’t introduce our youth to books and the love of reading, who will all the educated cool people be in this world?

Anywho, I just wanted to say hello to everyone and to let you know to sit tight here folks while I spruce up my dragons and get my drow’s best armor shined! I even have a few farm surprises waiting! So that I don’t leave you empty how about a question? Everyone loves to give their opinion right?!

Looking at all the animals that are pictured at the top of the page I’d like for my commenters to tell me:

What does a Rhode Island Red Chicken, Pygmy goat, Basset Hound, a Steer, Mallard Duck, and a Valairis Blackface Ewe have in common?

 

 

Answer in the next post!