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Hello, fellow writer-teers.

Reading on the computer on phone, or evan an iPad for that matter has always been real unappealing. However, after purchasing one for a family member, I saw how thin and light it was, as well as how easy it is on the eyes. It wasn’t too bright as it sometimes is on the page, or heavy, for that matter. Nor was it harsh on the eyes on the usual tech.

Not only that, but borrowing books from the library is so much faster and efficient. No more late fees!

As for an update on the Christmas short-story, well, let’s just say the holidays took over and that short story is still… just really short! Here’s to pushing forward anyway. Next up, back to the novels.

What are you working on? And do you prefer Kindle, books, or other devices? Let me know in the comments.

As always, happy writing!

#amwriting #Kindle #shortstory #novelwriting #writingupdate

Here is a quote of encouragement for all of you who love writing and hope to pursue it with all of your heart!

“Write when and where you can,

until you can write whenever and wherever you want.”

#writingadvice #amwriting #writingencouragement #writinggoals #doyou

If you love to write and are anything like me, you might enjoy seeing another’s process when it comes to writing. What easier way to show this than when writing a short story?

In my previous post, the challenge of writing a Christmas short story was announced. As I write/draft, “The Winter Mix,” I will show my process and progress here for any interested. You’d be surprised how much you can glean from another’s process.

So let’s get to it:

Step 1. IMAGE BELOW

Brain Reflections: Decide I really want to do something I love. Realize a short story is less cumbersome. Realize that a Christmas short story would be awesome.

I don’t type stories anymore, because I decided that writing longhand (paper and pen/pencil) is really, really effective for slowing me down and producing quality over quantity. But, being in a place where I didn’t have the ease of really focusing mentally that hard, I pulled up the closest computer I had and started throwing it down  – words, that is.

Basically, I got as cheesy as I could – see that’s the key to getting something out sometimes. Just go with it; otherwise, you can limit yourself to even starting. In this case, it’s just a short story, and I just want to really enjoy the process of seeing if I can come up with something half way decent, so I started typing.

BTW: Google docs is your friend if you find yourself squeezing in writing here and there and anywhere.

In the image above, you can see where I very simply just started typing. No worries about font or size, except being able to see it, of course. I knew I wanted to write a short story, so I googled to make sure I was in the right page range. I even considered a novella, but don’t think time will allow.

As I typed, I couldn’t help but reflect on just how horrible it was. After I wrote about a page, I took a pause and re-read in order to make small tweaks, but still with a no-worry mindset. There’s always time for improvements/revision. When it was time to leave, I highlighted and commented where I left of with my “edits,” for ease of returning to work.

I haven’t returned to it in a day and a half, so, here’s hoping I can get back to it soon. I’ll give more updates as I go. The only other thing I did was pause and reflect on what exactly it was I wanted to write; like where I could go with it. Still a little vague other than this:

A woman gets in a wreck and two days later goes to the library for research on past due college work. She’ll get locked/snowed in, decide to call it a night, etc etc, only to find the books have a life of their own and want to include her in them.

Pretty vague and lifeless, but it’s a building I’m putting together slowly but surely.

Where are you at in your progress? What are you writing? How do you roll?

#amwriting #Christmasstories #writewithme #shortstories

With Christmas on the way, what better way is there to spend the evenings and break than cuddling up to a short story with a warm blanket and steaming beverage? Count me in. In fact, why not write one? We’ve got just a few weeks left, and that’s plenty of time to crank out a Christmasy short story – revisions can come later.

As for me, I’m drafting: “The Winter Mix,” a swift story about a woman who gets locked in the library over Winter break only to find that there is much, much more to books than old yellowed pages and fake characters.

If you’re in, let me know in the comments.

#shortstory #christmasreads #amwriting #writewithme

If you’re new to the publishing world or have been at it for a while, you might want to take note that self-publishing platform, Createspace, is moving on over to KDP – Kindle Direct Publishing. Yea Amazon!

It’s super easy to self-publish an ebook there, though as for formatting a paperback, I’m not yet sure, as I did mine through Createspace. As always, change is about us. Let me know how the formatting for paperback goes on KDP if you’ve given it a try.

As always,

Happy writing!

#KDP #Amazon #self-publishing

All you selfies out there – yes, you, you self-published authors. If you didn’t know, Kobo has partnered with Walmart to sell your title as an ebook. Popular titles will be in-store (much like a gift card) and other titles will be on Walmart.com.

So exciting.

Also, if you would like to submit your short-story to a collection, you might want to try: Z Publishing. They’re often looking for emerging writers by state to publish.

You can find mine in, “Texas Emerging Writers,” on amazon.

#shortstorycollection #publishing #Kobo #Walmart #Writing #selfpublishing

September price drop for, “Forces and the Malachite Stone.” $7.95 paperback, $4.95 ebook> Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KOBO.

Join Ki and Gezzle as they fly with griffins, run from monsters, and search for answers in a world driven by power.

#childrensfantasy #childrensbooks #bookstoread #books2read #booklovers #booksforkids #books4kids #kidlit

Trying longhand writing versus typing was something I decided to try after reading some articles stating the great value of this creative method. After thinking about it and writing down the pros – there were few cons, I enthusiastically decided to give it a try.

I’ve recently started a new job, plus some volunteering at my local animal shelter, and have therefore been very busy, and tired. So, in short – it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to really give it a go.

I got up at 6a.m. (atrocious) and sat down with my outline and notebook and pen. Here goes, I thought. I was apprehensive about writing this draft. It would be the second draft, and I knew that it desperately needed some help. I was afraid that any rewrites would be so dramatic that it would completely change the story. And besides, that, I wasn’t really sure how to start it again, despite many pages of a Roman numeral type outline.

With the pen poised in my hand, and my notes nearby, I started to reflect on the hook. What was something I could say that would capture the conflict of where this scene was going? Once I established that, slowly writing it out, more thoughts began to flow, and I found my brain willing to imagine and visualize things that normally don’t come at a much quicker pace.

I wrote about a five page scene (on notebook paper) in about an hour. Of course, this can vary per person and how well the scene is coming for them. The major difference I noticed, apart from have more visual and rich text, was the pushing of several thoughts at once. Where before I had to go back and beef up my manuscript, now I found myself wanting to include this, and this, oh, and this, all while finishing up my sentence, planning on what to right next. It was great. If it got too overwhelming, I could just pause, jot the gist down of the thoughts, and reflect as to where I wanted to write them. This, in itself, gave me an arsenal of more to work with.

So, in short, this is my talk about my walk so far with longhand writing.

What are your thoughts? Have you tried it? If so, what do you think? Tips?

As always, happy writing, and happy September!

#novelwriting #writinghelp #writingupdate #amwriting

There are now 30 books on my page for Children’s Books Reviews, each offering summaries, strengths, and links to audiobooks and interviews, as well links to author websites. If you’re in need of some widely awarded books, or are looking for some great, but underrated books, check out this list, recognizing topics dealing with culture, race, diversity, as well as fantasy, and historical fiction and nonfiction. The list is wide in it’s range.

As always, happy reading!

#childrenslit #childrensbookreviews #kidsbooks #bookreviews #awardwinningbooks

Don’t forget to check out my reviews of various popular and award winning children’s books, each with a summary, strengths, and connections to explore. Just click here to start reading. Who knows, you might find one you want to share with your child, young one, or student!

Image by Pixabay

#children’sbooks #picturebooks #childrensbooks