Please excuse the tired cliche title with a twist. It's just a fancy way of saying that I'm procrastinating out of complete and utter cowardice! Like staring at a closed door when you've always wondered what's on the other side; like wondering what would have happened if you'd asked your boss for that raise, or like the time you didn't invest in that little fledgling company called "Microsoft", I am staring with complete reproach at a manuscript that's ready to go...but I am not!
No matter what you might think, confidence and self-esteem are two different animals. I have all the confidence in the world that I WILL get signed to a book deal someday soon (my magic 8 ball told me so.) BUT - and that's a big but - my lack of self-esteem is perched on my shoulder whispering, "They're going to hate it. You're an amateur and they eat amateurs for breakfast!" If you're a writer, you've had that same little demon on your shoulder a time or two.
Let me give you the scoop: I met a lovely lady at the Willamette conference. She's a published author and a renowned speaker. She agreed to read my book, and if she likes it, she'll give me a good review in a letter of recommendation. Ladies and gentlemen, to a writer, that is a Golden Ticket.
Imagine! A good review is an elephant's foot in the door.
The problem? Am I ever going to be "ready" to send it off to her?
I'd better make my decision fast before the iron cools. *Sigh*
An excellent resource for all you hopeful authors out there
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
What's the Hold-up?
For those of you who are wondering, "Wallflower" is my third novel. I write paranormal/fantasy fiction, but I'm not comfortable with such a broad label. One of my stories has to do with fairies, but the protagonist is human. Other than that, my stories are about magical things happening to ordinary people. Often there are love stories tied in there, which gives them the romance aspect. As many writers can empathize, I feel hopelessly stuck between genres.
Now, on to my point...I learned a lot at the Willamette writers conference this last weekend, but it seems that I came home with more questions than when I arrived. As a newbie writer, I'm fortunate enough to recognize my weaknesses on the page. I hoped to solve some of those problems at the conference.
That didn't happen.
Don't get me wrong, I learned plenty. For instance, I learned that although cordial and polite, agents and editors could care less about helping you solve your petty issues. They simply slide their business card across the table and say "Don't give up."
I learned that you need to have money to make money as I had to sell a piece of my soul just to make it to the conference.
AND
I learned that if I wanted to solve my writing problems, I needed to fork out more illusive and largely nonexistent funds to take creative writing courses and such.
If you're like me, (and chances are you're as strapped for cash as I am,) you can't afford things like this. So I'm winging it; flying by the seat of my britches as it were.
When it comes to my writing, my biggest areas of concern are punctuation (never had a knack for that) and descriptive prose.
I can't put to words what my imagination sees, not like the pros do. How many ways can someone gasp or pant? How creative can you get when describing a surprised expression? I can't seem to get over that hump, but I'm trying. I'm doing a lot of comparative reading and I purchased a book by Rebecca McClanahan called Word Painting. Hopefully that will help.
Now, having spilled my guts, I'd like to know what your writing hang-up is. Past or present, what roadblock did you face in your writing life? And if you were able to overcome it, please tell us how.
Thanks for reading today.
Now, on to my point...I learned a lot at the Willamette writers conference this last weekend, but it seems that I came home with more questions than when I arrived. As a newbie writer, I'm fortunate enough to recognize my weaknesses on the page. I hoped to solve some of those problems at the conference.
That didn't happen.
Don't get me wrong, I learned plenty. For instance, I learned that although cordial and polite, agents and editors could care less about helping you solve your petty issues. They simply slide their business card across the table and say "Don't give up."
I learned that you need to have money to make money as I had to sell a piece of my soul just to make it to the conference.
AND
I learned that if I wanted to solve my writing problems, I needed to fork out more illusive and largely nonexistent funds to take creative writing courses and such.
If you're like me, (and chances are you're as strapped for cash as I am,) you can't afford things like this. So I'm winging it; flying by the seat of my britches as it were.
When it comes to my writing, my biggest areas of concern are punctuation (never had a knack for that) and descriptive prose.
I can't put to words what my imagination sees, not like the pros do. How many ways can someone gasp or pant? How creative can you get when describing a surprised expression? I can't seem to get over that hump, but I'm trying. I'm doing a lot of comparative reading and I purchased a book by Rebecca McClanahan called Word Painting. Hopefully that will help.
Now, having spilled my guts, I'd like to know what your writing hang-up is. Past or present, what roadblock did you face in your writing life? And if you were able to overcome it, please tell us how.
Thanks for reading today.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Taking that first step
I've been wanting to start my own blog for some time now, but I was hesitant. I was under the misconception that only published authors had one of these things, and what's worse, I thought that lil' ol' me wasn't good enough for a prestigious blog of my own.
I was wrong x's 2.
I recently returned from my first writers conference and I brought with me a wealth of information and inspiration. This particular conference offered several helpful workshops which I attended with wide-eyed fervor. There were two recurring themes that I heard loud and clear throughout my three days there:
1) The only rule of writing is that there are no rules.
and
2) Start your own blog.
Seeing as how several different speakers emphasized those two points, I took them both to heart and here I am.
My name is Jennifer B. Fields. I hope to have a successful career as a novelist someday soon. I've started this blog to share my writing journey with the you. It is my hope that I can offer advice and insight to all the struggling writers out there. I plan on keeping you apprised of the progress in my latest endeavor entitled "Wallflower". I can also predict that you will be forced to bear witness to my own personal ups and downs of confidence, opportunities and expeditions, both positive and negative. If you are a writer, you know that these ups and downs are frequent and can be rather severe and even debilitating.
Still, I vow to get back on that bucking horse of publication and continue my quest to become one of the few "lucky" ones to make it to the bookstore shelves. I hope you'll join me. :)
I was wrong x's 2.
I recently returned from my first writers conference and I brought with me a wealth of information and inspiration. This particular conference offered several helpful workshops which I attended with wide-eyed fervor. There were two recurring themes that I heard loud and clear throughout my three days there:
1) The only rule of writing is that there are no rules.
and
2) Start your own blog.
Seeing as how several different speakers emphasized those two points, I took them both to heart and here I am.
My name is Jennifer B. Fields. I hope to have a successful career as a novelist someday soon. I've started this blog to share my writing journey with the you. It is my hope that I can offer advice and insight to all the struggling writers out there. I plan on keeping you apprised of the progress in my latest endeavor entitled "Wallflower". I can also predict that you will be forced to bear witness to my own personal ups and downs of confidence, opportunities and expeditions, both positive and negative. If you are a writer, you know that these ups and downs are frequent and can be rather severe and even debilitating.
Still, I vow to get back on that bucking horse of publication and continue my quest to become one of the few "lucky" ones to make it to the bookstore shelves. I hope you'll join me. :)
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