Progressive Book Club – How to Write Good by John Vorhaus

mlswift.blogspot.com“These days I can’t wait to write.”

Aimagess I prep for JuNoWriMo, I found this quote from the book interesting.  This for me is the goal. That feeling you get when you can’t wait to sit down and write.

What concerns me is that I seem to forget this feeling as soon as WriMo is over.  I wrote three books last year during, June, August and November and during those WriMo months, I couldn’t wait to write every day.  I couldn’t wait to sit down and get into that groove, the feeling of pure bliss because you are doing what your supposed to do, what you were meant to do.

I can close my eyes now and imagine the feeling.

Why is this feeling so fleeting when I’m not in the habit of writing?  I’ll write every day in June. I will have a daily goal and most likely will exceed it every day.  I am comfortable in this setting, writing towards a monthly goal where others are paying attention to what I am doing.

How to Write Good by John Vorhaus is all about giving yourself permission to write with no fear and to get the words on the paper. He uses this word whimsy which I love. I picture fairies flying around sprinkling fairy dust on everything and it makes me smile.  That is the feeling I get when I write. I feel like a fairy sprinkling prose on the world and making them smile.

As writer’s we are supposed to write every day, so tell me, how many of you out there are doing it? How do you do it?

I will be helping the JuNoWriMo team this year conducting word sprints on twitter.  These writing sessions made the difference for me. If your looking for a super supportive writing experience, I highly recommend JuNoWriMo. Visit www.junowrimo.com for more information and if you’re joining us, let me know.

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My Weekly Update – It’s a New Day

I’ve been playing with my weekly line up and trying to create at schedule to include at least three weekly post consistently.  May still need a few more weeks to get organized, but I have some fun stuff planned for the future.

Flash 500

Flash 500 Cover

Nicole Pyles and Carrie K. Sorensen created this anthology based on their Wednesday Writer’s Blog Hop.  I took part in a few weeks and am happy to have four of my flash fiction pieces chosen for the anthology.  The blog hop happens every Wednesday and is a great way to get in some creative writing practice.  It also gave me a chance to try my hand at a few different genres.  Click on the cover to download the book for free and you can find my stories in the following weeks:

                        • Week of 5/9/2012
                        • Week of 5/16/2012
                        • Week of 5/23/2012
                        • Week of 6/6/2012

Post to Ponder

How to Use Your Logline, Tagline and Pitch to Create a Stronger Story by Marcy Kennedy a guest post on Jenny Hansen’s blog – I meet Jenny at #DFWcon and she was awesome.

How Does the Editing Process Work? by Tristi Pinkston, Editor – Interesting to hear how its done by a professional.

Jennifer Represents – cool agent blog (cool blog written by an agent) with great information.

Query Tip: Do Your Research by Ava Jae –

How to Write a Killer Pitch by Marcy Kennedy – Can you guess where I am at in this writing process?

Coolest Things – My chance to share with you some things I thought are pretty cool this week.

Iron Man 3 is finally available for our viewing and quoting pleasure. I loved it. I mentioned before Tony Stark is my favorite movie character of all times and he doesn’t disappoint. More on Tuesday when Sydney Quotes the Movies – Iron Man 3

Tiger Woods won The Player’s Championship yesterday.  His forth win this season.  He’s back.

Next Week’s Schedule
Tuesday – Sydney Quotes the Movies – Iron Man 3 – see the many sides of Tony Stark
Wednesday – Progressive Book Club – How to Write Good
Friday – Best & Worst Remake Blogfest

My #DFWCon by the Numbers

8 Seminars Attended – couldn’t even pick a favorite, they were all amazing.

1 Workshop Attended – didn’t go well.  The story I had critiqued isn’t very good and I am finally ok with it.  It was my first attempt at writing a novel and while I love the story, I came to realize it works much better in my head then it does on paper.

2 books purchased – believe me when I tell you I exhibited an incredible  amount of self control in only buying two.

The Wisdom of Hair by Kim Boykin – she conducted two seminars, Making a Story Great with Texture and The Way to a Women’s Heart. She was amazing.

Secret Sex Lives by Suzy Spencer – she conducted a seminar titled Murder & Sex, great information.

2 Pitches – my first attempted at pitching my story. I wrote my pitch in 6 different ways the morning of the first pitch. It never sounded right.  Finally, after a pep talk from the lovely Tameri Etherton,  I just went in and spoke from my heart.  I love this story and I guess it showed because . . .

2 Requests for submissions – I really don’t know how or why an agent asked for a request, in the pitch sessions, it seems like everyone was getting request.  I don’t care, I am happy to have some one care enough to ask follow up questions about my story and to hear them say, I would like to read more.  Coolest feeling in the world, every.  

Tons of amazing people – I met and talked to and learned from and admired and was humbled by so many people. It was so great to be around people who understand and can related to the weird, quirky, imaginative, off the wall, what in the world and strange way we think sometimes.  People who say, I know exactly what you mean.  It was nice to be around people who understand how blessed we are to call ourselves WRITERS!

Related Post – DFW Writers’ Conference

Z – Zzzz or the End

a-to-z-letters-zWhy does Z stand for sleep. I am getting quite sleepy right now just think about it. While I would love to take a break and get some sleep, but I can’t. I have way to much to do. To many things are coming up. Z also stands for the end, the final, the last. For my last post of the A to Z challenge, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite post from A to Z:

A – Avengers, Captain America and As I Am by Alex Cavanaugh – Come on, it’s a post about the Avengers. Nothing more needs to be said. 

B – Best Crying Scenes in a Movie at World of My Imagination – The Steel Magnolia and Pursuit of Happiness scenes get me every time.

C – Getting too Comfortable by BDevereaux – Don’t get to comfortable

D – Disaster Movies at Tossing it Out – Some of my favorites are on this list, Titanic, 2012, Poseidon Adventure

E – Energize Yourself to Write at World of My Imagination – How do you do it?

F – F is for Fear at Scribbling in the Storage Room – “The enemy of creativity.”

G – A Grown-up Kind of Pretty by Tasha Seegmiller – on my to read list

H – How to Be a Good House Guest at Laugh-Quotes.com – read before you visit someones house

I – I is for Imagination at Tasha’s Thinkings – Synonymous with being a writer

J – Joy at Spunk on a Stick – You can’t steal mine. 

K – K is for King at The View Outside – my favorite author

L – L is for The Lincoln Memorial by Lara Lacombe- my favorite monument in DC

M – Memento by Alex Cavanaugh – Also includes the sign up for Alex’s Best and Worst Movies Remakes Blogfest, which is coming up on May 17th.

N – Never-ending at Wrote by Rote – Is your love never ending?

O – Oxford Comma by Margo Kelly – All you need to know about the dreaded comma.

P – A-Z Geek (P): The Favorites by Lynda R. Young – Prince Bride, enough said.

Q – Querying at My First Book – You can’t read enough about how to query.

R – What Makes Us Right? at The Madlab Post – Fair Game illustrates the point well. 

S – Sigma at Tara Tyler Talk – Great tips on show. 

T – The Time Traveler’s Wife by Tasha Seegmiller – On my to read list

U – Unified Theory of Writing at Moody Writing – Do you agree? 

V – V is for Villain (Best Movie Villains of All Time) by Reese Ryan – Who are  your favorite villains? 

W – W is for The White House, the Washington Monument and the World War Memorials by Lara Lacombe – Have you been to DC? 

X – X is for Project X at Blogging from A to Z – I have a project X, do you? 

Y – Y is for Young Ladies of Substance at Pensuasion – Love Jo March from Little Women the best. 

Z – Z is for Zola at The View Outside – Have you read Emile Francois Zola?

Thank goodness, I finished the A to Z Challenge. How did you do? What were some of your favorite post? 

My Weekly Update – Info Dump in a Good Way

I felt the need for a cleanse.

Awards

I received the Reality Blog Award from Mark Means.  Thanks so much.

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Post to Ponder
Recipe for a Successful Synopsis by Jami Gold
The Best Creative Writing Software by Girl None – I am a believer. 
How (Not) to Win a Twitter Pitch Fest by Ava Jae – There’s a twitter pitch contest tomorrow. #Pitmad
All About Pitches by Rachna Chhabria
7 Deadly Sins of Self-Editing from Writer’s Digest 
7 Types of Narrative Conflict by Mark Nichol – I seem to lean towards Person vs. Self. 
The Last Minute Editing Process Made Easy with Scrivener by Michael J. Holley
Ready to Publish? by Rebecca Hoffman
 

A to Z Challenge

Get to know our Host and show them some love.

The A to Z Sign Up List – visit it often.

New Followers
Ryan Brooks
Costa Rica Travel Blog
The Pen Men World Project.
Rose Andrea
Mindy Sue
Kate Worthen
Colette Saucier
Russell Deasley of The Very Best Top 10
Gillian Hefer of A Daft Scots Lass
B Debnath of Booted Tales
Jasmine of Flux and Flow
Guerrilla Graffiti Magazine
LuAnn Braley of Kentucky Gal 50
Al Diaz of Father Dragon Writes
World of Beauty Tips
Ida Chiavaro of Reflex Reactions
Constant Writer JL
 

Good luck to everyone participating in the A to Z Challenge. Have a great April everyone!!!!!