Could be titled, Why Am I Writing Crud?

I noticed this last night. My last chapter is crud. Not all of it, mind you. Just some of it. So now I'm worried that I've lost my golden writing touch. Things were moving along. Now it's crud. UGH.

Am I tired? Yes! Home school has begun and life is moving along. Hospital visits pick back up in September too. My diabetes is letting me know that it is there with a vengeance. Plus, there's all the talk about the H1N1. And where will I be when this virus is picking up steam? Chapel Hill hospital. Oh yeah, and I'm writing crud. I can't give myself permission to put my WIP on the shelf for a little while. It's really good. There are parts of it that I am so proud of.

Do I force myself to put this mystery on the shelf for a few days? Or do I write through the crud? Would you just keep writing until you come out on the other side?

What say you my bloggy pals. :)

I just read a really good YA book.

I had to tell you about this book even though I don't usually do reviews. The name of the book is, After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings and Flew Away. It was written by Joyce Carol Oates.

For the YA audience, this book is filled with a teens anger and guilt. Jennifer's mom is killed in a car accident and Jennifer is badly injured. She has to go live with her aunt because she really has nowhere else to go. Her father abandoned her years before. Jenna finds acceptance in some bad places, a friend who really isn't and in "Crow". A friend who really is a friend. Crow helps Jenna to see who she really is and that she really does matter. Bridges and birds are very essential to this story.

This is a great book about understanding teens and even understanding things in our own lives that touch us. It is an amazing read and I'm sorry I haven't read it before. It was published three or four years ago.

It has a lot of unhappy stuff in it, but I recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it before. :)

The Write Network or the wrong network? hehehe

Have you heard of The Write Network? They say that they will help writers do things write. The Write Network subscribe to all the contributor blogs and any articles which help ‘writers do things write’.
They claim this should drive traffic as well as introduce writers to new readers who may have come via another contributor’s post on The Write Network. Sounds GREAT huh?

Not too! Inkygirl(who I love) has had a serious breech of trust with The Write Network. You can read it here. This should make all writers keep their ears and eyes wide open to this network, at the very least.

This should stand to warn us all of the dangers of putting our words out there. Be careful my writing buddies. There's a world full of con artists out there. And while The Write Network may not be con artists, per se, they are at the very least unfair and misleading. Don't be taken in. :)

Elana's new ebook

Woohoo for Elana! Her ebook From The Query To The Call is coming out September 14th. Woohoo! Elana's website states that it will launch just in time for the fall querying season on Monday, September 14. Anyone who helps her promote it by announcing it on their blog or website or facebook or twitter or whatever will get a discount! So mark your calendars. WOOHOO!

I don't know about you but I'm all over this. I'm tweetin', bloggin' and facebookin' all about this. Seriously, this will be a HUGE help to all writers out there.

What's the BEST thing a writer can do to hone his or her craft?

In my opinion the answer to the above question is to read, read, and read. I am trying to read every book that I can get my hands on. Mostly middle grade, YA and picture books because that is what I write. But also some adult books too. I read where someone said,"read a thousand books of the genre you're interested in. Then write your book." And that is so true. The more I read, the better I write.

I love seeing the way writers use words and detail to make their stories come alive. I am amazed at the beautiful sentences they use to transport us to their worlds. Now when I sit down to write I think about these writers and their lovely words.

I run into a lot of people who don't like this advice. They don't have the time to read they say. Writing takes discipline. I want to be published one day. I want to read everything I can get my hands on.

As I write this I'm trying to master one form of narrative that's especially effective and that is the beats that follow lines of dialogue, instead of tags. I hope I said that so you can understand what I'm talking about. I'm reading a book called For The Sake Of Elena by Elizabeth George. She is a master at things like that. What do you think is the BEST thing a writer can do to hone his or her craft? :) Thanks for reading and thanks for being a part of my writerly life.

And the winner is...post #6

Beth! I'll send you Tess' email. Congratulations! :)

Thank you, thank you to everyone for such a GREAT turnout yesterday making Tess's first blog interview extra fun, fun, fun! I will say that Tess and I had a great time with it. I got to know her and believe me she is a wonderful person. But I don't have to tell anyone that. I will announce the winner in a bit. :)

Has anyone used the NEW Dragon NaturallySpeaking software? You simply install it on your computer, and you can speak your story while driving, or doing the numerous tasks that we all do in a day without sitting in front of your computer or laptop. It is much smaller and easier to use than the older version. I know a writer who is using it and she says it is amazingly accurate. It comes with a headset too.

She wrote several emails with it and even updated her facebook. My question is this. Is there a way to import sound files? And then have them transferred into text?

It seems to me that this is something moi needs when traveling to and from the many hospitals and doctor offices that I have to go to.

I guess many of us could use this handy device. Cost? $45.00, including the headset off Amazon. Not bad, huh? This will definitely make life a little easier for a lot of writers I know. :) Have a fantastic day.