Tuesday, October 13, 2015

In the beginning there was an empty page...

I've always had the secret dream of writing a novel. But then again, a lot of people have had this seemingly impossible dream. Grammar? Ghastly. Sentence structure? It just might implode like an old casino in Vegas. But there is one positive thing that finally set my writing ambitions apart from the dreamers and the not so serious dawdlers, I became a doer. The rules be damned!

Last spring I was going about the serious creative business of blogging, painting and taking lots and lots of photos. And I was doing the one thing that took up most of my valuable time on any given day. What's that you ask? Well, waiting. Just waiting around for an elusive freelance illustration job. Yawn. 

I've had a lot of story ideas. I'm a creative person. So the inspiration came easy.  But there was one idea that I couldn't shake.  It was very personal. I kept going back to it like a favorite television repeat. Sort of like when the Shawshank Redemption is on T.V. You just can't help but watch it. Right? Well, my idea was inspired from the very real hallucinations that my father struggled with throughout his battle with Parkinson's. And come hell or high water, I hope to make my parents proud with this book. May they rest in peace. 

So here I am at page one hundred and eight. I passed the hundred page point. Hooray! I'm having the time of my life creating a work of fiction. I'm writing what I know. But it is what I don't know that is the fun part. The imagining. I'm weaving together a tale of what I do and don't know like Rumpelstiltskin. Hopefully him. If I end up like the hapless Miller's daughter, then I'm screwed.

I researched writing for several months. So far, I've read eight books on the subject. Along with a succession of best sellers and old masterpieces. It was hard, back breaking work, but someone had to do it! I created an outline for my story first. Then I decided on characters. No easy task. I joined two writing groups. And most importantly, I just started writing. I've never had so much fun creating anything in my entire life.

So what will this blog be about? I'm planning to document my path to publication. Oh, yes. I plan on being published. And if all else fails, there's always self publishing. They'll be ups and downs. Editing. Yuck. Book teasers. Snippets. Favorite resources and guides. Inspiration. Maybe even guest writers. And if I ever create a worthy blurb, they'll be that. I plan to post weekly. So please come back!

And most importantly, stay tuned for more on my future book. The Chorus of the Crows...

6 comments:

Stewart M said...

Good luck with this - I keep flirting with the idea of trying to get some of my words and pictures published - but I keep pulling back from the edge. Maybe I just need to dive in!

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Here I am.. listening to you, watching you think and write.
love
tweedles

A Colorful World said...

I'm so happy for you! I have been writing my entire life and have even been published in some small papers & magazines but nothing big. I will start books all the time, ideas I have that I never actually followed through on. But, in the back of my mind all this time was the desire to finish the one I started years ago about my grandmother. #1. I was afraid I wouldn't do her story justice 2# I was afraid that the "fiction" parts I had to fill in with (after all, we don't know every detail of every day of someone's story) would be totally off kilter #3 I wasn't sure for a long time of my theme, though now I have that in hand and #4 I was just plain scared! :-) Then my Mom wrote a little novel that is very loosely based on some of her family (character-wise but not story-wise) and it was delightful and I was so proud of all her hard work and struggle. After it came out she kept saying to me, "Finish the book!" So now I am finishing the book. So, we have a connection, you and I, in our journey! May the muses be with us both! :-) I can't wait to hear about your book! And if you want to check out my Mom's, it's Springtime in Magnolia...you can access the info off my sidebar. Best wishes!!!!

A Colorful World said...

BTW...LOVE your title!

Gauri said...

So happy to hear this, all the very best dear... Am sure you will rock :)

EG CameraGirl said...

I wish you all the best! It's an ambitious project and worth pursuing!