Scene Cards

My next step in Book in a Month is to write out 10 scenes. I had the beginning and ending scenes but the middle was stumping me. I was having a real hard time with resistance too. Anything I could find to do other than keep my BIC I did. I'm glad to say that I finally bit the bullet and sat myself down. I can tell you that once I got started it didn't take me long. It was a simple and "then what happened?" sequence that saw me through.

I can't take all the credit though. Each scene has to have a certain thing in it and you always want to move the story forward.
Each scene of course needs characters and a setting. What are the characters doing and where and why?

If you keep asking why and answering you will get to the end.

Write out at least ten scenes with number one being the beginning and ten the end, then fill in the middle.
Good Luck!

upcoming conference and where I am now

What stories can you think of looking at this picture. This is from the cemetery at Sweetwater Mansion in Florence, AL.

I am still working on plotting my novel and I have started back to the plotting stage.
First things first.

Come up with a one sentence synopsis of my story.

I have read this in several different books and magazine articles. This takes practice and you may want to do this every so often just to make sure you are staying true the story and not going off on a tangent. (This is what I'm guilty of doing)

I am doing better and my sentence is tighter. Barbara Seuling in her book on writing for children suggests limiting the sentence to just 25 words. That's hard! But practice, practice, practice. You'll be glad you did.

Follow his website to find out about the exciting Midsouth Writers and Illustrators conference taking place in Nashville, TN in September.


http://www.scbwi-midsouth.org/

Resistance

On Thursday I met my goal of writing 1000 words but did not get anything written yesterday.

In the chapter titled "Resistance" Schmidt states that "resistance can ruin a career before it ever gets started."
She lists 10 things that can help you overcome this.
They are:
1. Create an outline
2. Break the writing down into small, doable tasks.
3. Know the next step
4. Hold yourself accountable
5. Gather support
6. Be specific
7. Visualize the entire goal from start to finish.
8. Create a deadline
9. Celebrate your successes.
10. Make it a habit.

She includes in the book steps and formats to reach each of these goals.

I'm blogging about my experience to keep me accountable and hopefully gain some support. Yesterday was not a total loss because Thursday a surprise character showed up when one decided to leave. He reminds me of Yosemite Sam without the gun. But I think of him and a hobbit and he is really unique and instead of being invisible to others, he is visible from he's from the past so he has a lot of catching up to do. Will he have the Key Jaxon needs? I'll have to get back to writing to find out.

Keep writing and post your successes here! See you next time.

New Challenge

Okay, I know it's not November, the month that NaNoBIAM usually occurs, but November is so busy for me with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner. So, I decided to do the BIAM in June. And I'm off to a good start with 4438 words already down. I cheated a little because this is what I accomplished in April.
I am using Victoria Lynn Schmidt, Ph.D book to help me. She suggests getting one of these each time you do the BIAM to help you stay on track.

It is really neat. It has stickers in the back so you can put your working title on the spine and tips on how to keep going even when you have to change something. You can footnote it and keep writing.

So how am I doing? Tune in tomorrow for results.

This is day two of June so there is still time if you want to join me. Send in your word count, daily or weekly or whenever you can. If you did outline or research, brainstorming, revision- instead of actual word count that's great too. It all counts for getting your novel done.

Got to go now and get my wip moving forward.

Moving On

This is the picture of happiness! Finally through with college and out on her own. She is an amazing and beautiful young woman and I'm proud to call her mine.

Next up will be Kendall. He will graduate Friday night. And tomorrow I finally get to take my pill and get back on my meds. It will be time to make up for lost time.

Upcoming events you need to aware of:
next weekend is the regatta at MSSC on the TN river. Come out and enjoy the races.

For you writers out there; this will give you a chance to interviews sailors. It would be interesting if a female captain won this year wouldn't it?

Also for you writers is the AWC conference in Huntsville, AL taking place July 15-17. Follow this link to find out more about it.

www.alabamawritersconclave.org

Life goes and goes and goes

I'm am so far behind on blogging but life does go on. I have had surgery and gone off meds and on meds and off again in the hopes to get best treatment for thyroid cancer. Since mine is not well differentiated other opinions were needed to see what would be the best route to go. In this picture we were able to catch a rare moment when we could all be together. I have one more week to be on low iodine diet (LID) and off thyroid meds. Rachel has graduated from University of South Carolina and next up will be Kendall graduating from High School.
This is Kendall and Eddie, Rachel and Amber and me and Ken. A great looking family if I say so myself. And yes, we are very proud of all of them.

Women, Art History and Poetry

This was the title of the event that was held at the Florence-Lauderdale Public library. Being the history lover that I am I was thrilled to learn how Irene created poetry from pictures (art) and from historical events about women.

I loved the one about Einsteins' daughter, maybe because it spoke to me on a scientific level too.

Irene handed out three notecards we were too look at a picture of art and write out first thought about it on one card. Then on the next we were to maybe what was happening or what memory it brought to mind and then on the third we were to think about the emotion it evoked.

Then she put all of them together and the whole class wrote a beautiful poem. Incredible! She made it seem so easy.

Now if I could only do that again???