Something She Wrote

2012-01-15T09:00:00.002-06:00

After much contemplation I've decided to step away from Something She Wrote indefinitely. I have reasons, good reasons, and while it's not quite fair to have been so big on keeping it real but not expose my thinking to you now, I'll simply say that it's time for me to take the quiet path for a while.

I'll be leaving the blog public, so there's access to the archives. A lot of stuff, when I look back through my blogging history, embarrasses me, but there are some quality posts, too.

Maybe there's room for a resurrection in the future.

But either way, this doesn't mean I'm giving up on writing. It's just I'm both reconfiguring and rerouting my path.

I don't want to lose touch entirely, so if you'd like, e-mail me once in a while, and I promise I'll reply. Or, you can find me on Facebook.

Thank you all for everything. This blog and its readers--you who I have connected with--have been a defining part of me for four and a half years.

Thank you.

Love and best wishes always,
Janna

2011-12-13T12:30:00.000-06:00

I've decided to break from blogging until January.

May you and yours have a blessed holiday season.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-12-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.

Unknown

Writing on Thursday

2011-12-08T07:00:00.001-06:00

THE MOTHER DAUGHTER SHOW by Natalie Wexler

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Three moms, three daughters, bound by the past, friendship and DNA; struggling with change, doubt and misunderstanding.

STORYLINE: The daughters are teenagers in their senior year of high school, and this means it's time for the annual show. It's the mothers' job to create and execute the musical revue, one that will both honor their girls, and please the ranks of their private prep school.

But when everyone should be working together, relishing this special stage in life, the plot thickens with secrets, rebellion, and the sound of little more than dischord.

Will the show go on? And at what expense?
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REVIEW: Two thumbs up. THE MOTHER DAUGHTER REVIEW is a well-written, clear story about the dynamics of relationship, the reality of life, and the power of forgiveness.

CREDITS: Natalie Wexler is a journalist and essayist whose work has appeared in the Washington Post Magazine, the American Scholar, the Gettysburg Review, and other publications, and she is a reviewer for the Washington Independent Review of Books. She wrote the award-winning historical novel, A MORE OBEDIENT WIFE. THE MOTHER DAUGHTER REVIEW is her second book. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband.

THE MOTHER DAUGHTER SHOW was published by Fuze Publishing LLC, and I received my review copy from Goldberg McDuffie Communications.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-12-04T06:00:00.003-06:00

After a While
by Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn’t mean leaning
and company doesn’t always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren’t contracts
and presents aren’t promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow’s ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn.

Writing on Thursday

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

A Poem

Over the weekend my daughters and I went into an antiques store. While they looked at dated dolls, I picked up a crusty orange-bound, red-spined book. I'm always picking up books. Something about this one, as with so many, just caught my eye.

I flipped to its center, and this was what I read. It's simply titled SEVEN, for it's the seventh entry.

We touch.
Shoulder-to-shoulder.
You can't do more when crossing streets
with mannequins in windows looking back.

I try to match your step--
that way I'm sure of staying close.
You smell like love.
That must be so
for what I smell is dear to me and new.

And so a little walk through town
becomes a journey
a love vacation from ourselves
but with ourselves.

Everything you say is funny
or beautiful.

Sometimes I forget that old material can be so current. That something written decades ago can touch me today. Until there it is in front of me.

In this poem I recognize something I've never had, but I also (hopelessly, romantically) read my future.

So I bought the book.

LISTEN TO THE WARM by Rod McKuen , copyright 1967.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-11-29T06:00:00.001-06:00

Believing

Here's a truth. I'm struggling with faith in myself as a writer.

Sure, I blog three times a week, am consistent with the small projects I'm part of (see sidebar) and freelance jobbies here or there, and keep an eye on the larger intended projects, like my books.

But I'll feel the drive and find the zone for only a couple days at a time, then too quickly lose momentum. I'm lacking discipline. I get too caught up in my day-to-day, finding a dozen things to do instead of sit down and WRITE. There's been too much gook in my personal life to pull away and WRITE. Sometimes the blogging feels like a chore, even.

What I want to know is, what does this mean? Is it just a phase? (Please let it be a phase.) How can I be a writer if I'm not writing? Is it fair to go easy on myself--because it's not like I haven't had a lot of life happening (divorce and a move being the biggies, plus other tasty stuffs)--or am I just falling on that as an excuse?

I've got to snap out of it. I have to find my groove. I want to write again. I want my days to be filled with words and bursting with creativity.

Do you have any advice or encouragement?

What do you do when you don't believe in yourself (even though you know you should)?

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-11-27T06:00:00.002-06:00

It has been said that we need just three things in life: Something to do, something to look forward to, and someone to love.

Anonymous

Do you agree? Would you trade out one thing for another?

Writing on Thursday

2011-11-24T06:00:00.004-06:00

Holiday Haiku

Turkey, stuffing, yum.
I can't wait for deviled eggs.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Leave your own holiday haiku as a comment.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-11-22T13:01:00.000-06:00

When my post about losing a family member gets a comment that says, "Great work! Thanks for sharing!" I know it's time to opt for comment moderation. I hate to do it, friends, but the spams have been too frequent (and too insincere).

Aside from that bit of housekeeping, I want to leave you with this gem from Mark Twain: Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

Worth thinking about, yes?

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-11-20T05:15:00.000-06:00

Life is short and life is fragile.

It isn't too soon to make a decision.
It isn't too late to make a change.

Say what you need to say.
Do what you want to do.

Life doesn't wait. We shouldn't either.

2011-11-17T06:00:00.002-06:00

No post today, as I'm with family after the passing of a relative.

I'll be back on Sunday with an Inspire Me thought.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-11-15T05:23:00.001-06:00

Striking a... you know.

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Too often I'm too self-conscious and reserved to live in the moment and follow an impulse.
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For instance, I don't often jump to a staged area, especially one that is milling with people, let down my guard, and proceed to act like an idiot.
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But that's just what I did a couple weeks ago, when some friends and I went to a fashion show. After the event we took turns playing model and photographer. The above is one of the resulting photos of me, and it makes me laugh.
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The self-conscious me wants to criticize parts of it. But the me I'm trying to actively be realizes that's just me having fun and keeping it real. It was good for me.
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I'm going to act like an idiot more often, I think.

**The slices in the photo happened during the photo uploading process here on Blogger. I couldn't get them to smooth out. :( My apologies.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-11-13T05:25:00.000-06:00

We can't change what we don't confront.

Unknown

Is there something in life you're not confronting?

Writing on Thursday

2011-11-10T07:50:00.000-06:00

When I was first a writer, and wasn't yet comfortable calling myself one, I shared details about my projects. I guess to make them seem tangible, attainable. Or to even prove that I had some. I had to back up my claim, you know?

As I've moved along the last several years, and my projects have grown, I've come to keep the details of them close to me. It helps my creative process to stew on my own. And I don't want others to see what's in my pot, because, inevitably, they'll want to stir it. Or add seasoning. Serve it up before it's ready.

But it's been a while since I've talked about what I've got going on, so I thought I'd do that today.

After the beginning of the year, I was working on my third women's fiction book. About that time a literary agent contacted me about wanting to read my work. *cue hysteria* We had a few exchanges while I worked, because at that point nothing was agent-worthy, as life went on and time passed. Now here I am months later, a significantly different person after significant life changes who hasn't touched her third novel in too long.

In the spring, though, I had an idea for a narrative non-fiction book, personal and of-the-moment, which is something else I've always wanted to write. Madame Agent liked the idea, and wanted a detailed proposal. *insert more life and distraction* Additional time has passed, but here I am writing again, with new verve for the non-fiction idea. It's what I've been working on.

What's awesome is that so many things are aligning with the project. This blog and Facebook have already structured a platform for what I'm doing. I've been getting feedback from friends and readers, who are informing my content. Bits of life are coming together to support my theme, and I almost have my proposal ready.

If you're still out there, Dear Agent, don't give up on me!

Meanwhile I continue to work on my column, contribute articles, edit, create copy for others, and various freelance-type stuff. (I also have a full-time job, two kids, and a quiet but contented social life.)

So that is what's up with me and writing.

What about you?

If you're not a writer, what other projects do you have going?

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-11-08T06:00:00.005-06:00

Views of Me

I think of my curls as an unruly, inconsistent, frizzy mess.
My best friend says my wild hair is part of my charm.

I see me in the mirror and focus on flaws. Stretch marks, blemishes, untoned bits I take for flab.
A male friend of mine says I have a "bangin'-ass body and a great smile."

I hear something I say and cringe, want to take it back, edit, improve.
You reply anyway, and I realize you heard my wit and intelligence.

I have believed those who underestimate me.
Greater numbers of the people in my life see my value.
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All of this is a lesson that the me I feel I am isn't the me you all see. I'm trying to reconcile one with the other.

I'm trying to see that it's all her. This woman. Janna. Me.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-11-06T06:00:00.001-06:00

Find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many people. Go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys. Try everything. Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life.

Anonymous

Are you pursuing life?

Tell me how.

Birthday on Thursday!

2011-11-03T06:57:00.002-05:00

confetti photo from free-extras.com

If I could throw a party and invite all of you, I would! Thanks for making another year of my life richer.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-11-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

Dark Driving

It was getting to be evening. Eight-thirty or nine or so, I don't much remember, because time wasn't on my mind.

What I do remember is that I was nestled in dark, driving on a two-lane country highway. It was a straight stretch, nothing curvy or hilly or difficult to navigate. No cars around.

Which was why I followed the impulse and took my glasses off.

The road blurred; I could see only that it was illuminated by my headlights.

First there was discomfort. This isn't what good, safe drivers do. This doesn't keep me aware, ready for one of those populous deer, or some other animal, or a parked and watching police officer who catches me crossing over the center line.

I couldn't even see the numbers on the speedometer, my vision is that bad.

But then came liberation. Liberation. I felt it from my hands, as they held the wheel, to my feet, near the pedals.

Because I knew where I was going. And I trusted myself, and I trusted what is bigger than me. I trusted the moment. It came to me that nothing bad was going to happen.

Actually, something good happened.

I gave up control.

And that gave me a great peace, just driving in the dark.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-10-30T06:00:00.007-05:00

But the point is to live.

The Myth of Sisyphus

I want to live how my heart and soul are happiest, I think that's the point.

I want to live honestly and authentically.

I want to be fully aware of myself, but more aware of others.

I want to mind my path, but be open to detour.

I want to be moral, but not innocent.

I want to freely give, without being frivolous.

I want.

I need.

But, whatever, the point is to live.

Writing on Thursday

2011-10-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

I write a column for the Children's Miracle Network of Greater Kansas City newsletter. This is what appears in the October issue.
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“In everything give thanks.”
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I’ve a blue and rustic wooden sign emblazoned with those words. In everything, it says.
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We give thanks for the good of life, don’t we? The things that bring us joy. For what we want and have attained, for things that make us look and feel great. For doing well. For that which makes us laugh, what makes our hearts love, our spirits grow.
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But give thanks for adversity? For disappointment? For sickness, loss, fear, heartache?
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Well, yes. We should. Because it’s the adversity that makes us stronger. Disappointment pushes us forward. Loss leads to cherished memories. Heartache redirects to healing, and loving again.
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It’s all of what makes us who we are.
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We should be thankful for everything.
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I stand by these words, even with the gamut of emotion and change in my life the last couple years.
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I am thankful.
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Are you?

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-10-25T05:00:00.004-05:00

Wanted

Newly divorced mom, writer, daughter, sister, friend

seeks reflection, determination, small bits of courage,

acceptance of life (and years) past,

willingness for the future,

relaxed expectations, self-confidence,

good intention, creation, growth of spirit, fun,

understanding, love,

peace,

and happiness.

Writing on Thursday

2011-09-15T06:00:00.003-05:00

I need to take some time off from Something She Wrote. A month to start, maybe.

Thanks for understanding.

Be good, be well.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-09-13T16:41:00.001-05:00

You know what's real about life? Its unpredictability. The ins and outs, the surprises. The way we expect or want one thing and end up with its opposite.

But you know what else? Even in its unpredictability, life (and all its parts) means something significant.

These day-to-day things we go through, the good and bad, the comfortable and unsettling, it all works together to create a larger plan. We can't know it, that plan, but we have to trust it. We have to believe in it. To do anything else would be unproductive. To do anything else would give disappointment too much power.

So we hold our heads up and we live life.

And that's all I've got today.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-09-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.

Indian proverb

Writing on Thursday

2011-09-08T07:57:00.004-05:00

Whatcha Readin'

I got tired of serious fiction.

I'd been reading too much of the literary fiction, and yes, women's fiction, and I needed a break. So I read a cute little (very thick) political romantic comedy from Kristin Gore. (Al Gore's daughter is seriously smart and seriously witty.) I liked it quite a bit, even if I couldn't get too enthralled in the White House details.

Now I'm reading the Stephanie Plum series from Janet Evanovich. It's about time, really. And I'm loving the books.

Evanovich is so cool. She's smart and hilarious, her stories are fast-paced, and she really knows how to draw you in. Her characters rock. They're relatable and LOL entertaining, even if the predicaments we find them in are pretty unlikely heaped on top of more unlikely. Tension is great, the suspense, all of it.

Have you read any of the Plum series? Who are your favorite characters?

If you're a writer, have you read Evanovich's book on the craft, HOW I WRITE? I read it last year, and it's a good companion to all the standards, ON WRITING and BIRD BY BIRD, etc., (just with a different flavor). Check it out if you haven't.

Tell me, what are you reading these days?

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-09-06T06:00:00.009-05:00

Open Letter

To Whom It May Concern,

I am tired.

I’m tired of the lip. I’m tired of the emotional immaturity, and of the arrogance. I’m tired of shouldering all the blame when very little of it is mine.

I’m nearly tired of holding it all in.

It could be that someday I’ll let it out. I mean largely let it out, to everyone around, not just my selected few. I could tell the truth. Explain to them the you you really are, instead of the you you want them to see.

For now I'm bigger than that. I am.

It's just I had to say this here, because I’m tired. And you know I think things out. I write them out. And I keep it real.

Are you keeping it real?

Signed,
me

Today's comments have been disabled.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-09-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.

Anonymous

Writing on Thursday

2011-09-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

Questions and Feedback

My blog traffic is up but comments are down, and I wonder about why this is. So, I'd like to ask a few questions.

Do you like my new focus, with my themed posts on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays?

If you visit, why is it you may not comment? (I realize everyone is busy, and it's not always easy to stop by or say a few words. No offense taken. I just want to make sure you're not not commenting because something doesn't sit well with you.)

What would you change about this blog if it were yours?

A big, ginormous thanks to my readers. I appreciate you all!

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-08-30T06:00:00.005-05:00

It's the Climb

I know it's cheating, borrowing someone else's words. But these are so apropos. I want you to read them and pretend they're from me today. (Full credit given below.)

I can almost see it

That dream I'm dreaming, but
There's a voice inside my head saying
You'll never reach it
Every step I'm takin'
Every move I make
Feels lost with no direction,
My faith is shakin'
But I gotta keep tryin'
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No I'm not breaking
I may not know it, but
These are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most
I've just gotta keep goin', and
I gotta be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb

Keep on movin'
Keep climbin'
Keep the faith baby
It's all about, it's all about
The climb

Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa...

THE CLIMB lyrics by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, performed by Miley Cyrus.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-08-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.

Deepak Chopra

Writing on Thursday

2011-08-25T06:00:00.005-05:00

My Very First Critter

signs-up.com

All this time I've been a writer, and I've never had a critique partner. (AKA crit partner, or critter.) Never had another writer local to me, whom I could meet in the flesh, share ideas with, draw inspiration from, use to hold me accountable. And return the favor for.

But that's changing, yes. I've found someone. Someone I trust, respect and admire. And I couldn't be more excited. Call me inspired. I'm motivated. I'm stoked.
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I'm ready to be critiqued.
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It will be good.
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If you're a writer, what do you get most from your critique partner?
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If you're not a writer, who is your sounding board, and why?

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-08-23T04:00:00.002-05:00

You Are Here
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photo from 123rf.com

Here is a moment. Right now. Today.
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Do you recognize all it has to offer?
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Sometimes I blow right by them, the moments. Sometimes I get so caught up in what will happen tomorrow, or next week, or in what I want by next month, or year, that I forget to focus on today. I lose my right now. I overlook the little things, the simple joy of being in an instant.
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I don't want it to be that way. I want to focus on my right now. I want to experience my here.
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I'm learning.
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I'm going to mind the moments.
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Are you?

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-08-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

from animalpicturebeautifulanimals.com

These days I'm living and breathing quotes and inspirational thoughts, soaking up wisdom and encouragement. It's been my routine to post the ones that touch me most here on this blog.

Today it's your turn to share a passage, a scripture, or a lyric. Something that moves you.

Inspire me.

Writing on Thursday

2011-08-18T08:15:00.002-05:00

Inspired
repost - originally posted in February of 2010
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I am inspired by:
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painting by Donna Downey

*simplicity

*complexities

*layers

*a song

*motion pictures

*fiction, good or not

*others' success, ideas
*beauty
*revulsion, because still, there is beauty
*God
*love
*the heart of a child
*my own frustration
*support from others
*merely a word
*visual prompts
*color, or lack thereof
*warmth, or none
*expectation
*a dream
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and so much more.
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By what are you inspired?

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-08-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Latest

Last week we filed for the divorce.

I was going to write a little poem to tell you, nothing cutesy or too full of syntax, but a spruced up announcement, at the least. I've discovered the sprucing up isn't possible, though, when I so wanted it to be.

Because it is what it is. So many have been saying that phrase to me of late. It is what it is. What does that mean?

It means it's real. My divorce. And his divorce. No turning back.

I know a lot of people don't understand the decision, which was mine. There are so many to whom it came as surprise. Family, I know you're out there, still wondering. But I can't help that. It's true, no one knows the truth of a relationship but for the two in it. It may not be for you to understand. It is not my place here and now to enlighten you. And besides, I can't lose myself to trying to make people understand. I'm sorry.

And I'm going to say it again.

It is what it is.

It is what will be.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-08-14T06:00:00.006-05:00

God dwells within you, as you.

Hindu belief, as shared

by Elizabeth Gilbert in EAT, PRAY, LOVE

Writing on Thursday

2011-08-11T06:00:00.007-05:00

True Dat

Someone said to me last week, "Don't let all the bullsh!t keep you from writing."

And I think that says it all.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-08-09T07:00:00.013-05:00

She of the Ermas: Celebrating Stacey Graham!
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If you've been around Something She Wrote for long, you've seen me talk about (and have maybe seen my posts at) the humor blog, An Army of Ermas.
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Today we Ermas are honoring our creator, editor and all-around bossgirl, Stacey Graham. Because she rocks! Our Army wouldn't be the success it is if it weren't for her loyalty and hard work.
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This gal is crazy-busy, multi-talented, and a whole lot of writerly awesome. She's a super mom, writes humor, loves Erma Bombeck (duh) and Austen, and she digs zombies and wee ghosties, who infiltrate many of her projects.
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What's more fantastic? This lady has signed multiple book contracts in the last few months, and she is poised for the success she so well deserves. Coming soon: GIRLS' GHOST HUNTING GUIDE (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, May 2012), ZOMBIE TAROT (Quirk, Spring 2012), and BAD AUSTEN (Adams Media, November 2011). Yay!

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You can visit her site here, and learn so much more about her wide reach in the written world. Please go say hello! Tell her an Erma sent you.

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For a more personal note, and to keep it real, I have to say that I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for Stacey. We connected on MySpace (eons ago!) when I was just getting my true, serious start as a writer, trying to find my way and forge a path. She did the whole taking-under-the-wing thing, and guided me to the writers' forum Absolute Write. From there I grew and learned, began networking, started a foundation, and made some of the strongest bonds ever, with so many writers. All because of Stacey! And I know she's done just as much to help others, because that's the kind of person she is.
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Stacey, we love you! Many thanks and best to you always, dear friend. You deserve every happiness.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-08-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

The spiritual life is not just an interesting religious idea, or a hoped-for berth in heaven. The spiritual life has earthly dimension--it is life that you can taste, and smell, and touch, and see, and hear. It is reality.

Leonard Sweet, PhD

Writing on Thursday

2011-08-04T06:00:00.002-05:00

Blogger: RAWR!

Friends, I have been floating around and reading blogs and trying to catch up with you all. Commenting, though, is proving muy difficult. This frustrates me, because I like to leave a note and let you know I've been by. This frustrates me, because it ruins my mood for visiting in blogland.

Blogger is not remembering my ID. It wants me to sign in each time I try to post a comment. But I do, and then still, it insists I'm "anonymous." Just when I think, Okay, I'll post this way and clarify who I am within the comment, I am asked to sign in again. It is a vicious, vicious circle, and my comments won't publish.

I guess all this to say I'm still here, I'm still out and about, so know that I visit and I read, even if I can't always let you know I've done so.

Is anyone else having issues like this? Any ideas how to fix the whole deal?

MY TIP TO BLOGGERS: Place your e-mail address somewhere on the main page of your blog. Readers need a way to reach you should there be trouble with the commenting system.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-08-02T06:00:00.012-05:00

About Mean People

I have many good people in my life. So many. I can't even count. They're online, and also in real-life, a true, authentic support team of friends and family.

These people lift me up. They see my worth. I am enough just this way that I am. Because of who I am.

And so the things they say and the things they think and do will hold more weight with me than what comes to me from others.

This means there is no room in my life--especially right now, but from here on out--for those who will talk about me with no truth in their mouths. For those who will judge my character. For those who will take advantage of a woman's feelings or vulnerability, and make like they're sincere when they're anything but.

This is me saying, How dare you?

And this is me saying, Shame on you.

This is me saying, I will not give control over my feelings to those who don't deserve it.

Capiche?

I thought so.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-07-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

From a short story, a sweet romantic adventure called THE OFFSHORE PIRATE, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (written in 1920):

And courage to me meant ploughing through that dull gray mist that comes down on life--not only overriding people and circumstances but overriding the bleakness of living. A sort of insistence on the value of life and the worth of transient things.

Writing on Thursday

2011-07-28T08:58:00.001-05:00

Three Lives
(a repost: originally appeared in November of 2009)

It occurred to me with certain clarity this week that I live three lives. Three. All from this one body.

They're separate, but pieces of them overlap. Each is carried out by real parts of me.

Life in the Flesh

I am living, breathing, my body holds a spirit. I primp and present my physical self, nourish my person without regularly exercising it, drive an automatic SUV, read aloud, sing aloud, stir breakfast--and sometimes dinner--with my favorite wooden spatula, lose myself to folding laundry, loathe putting it away. I wince when the phone rings, but love to give hugs. My mind wanders while I'm in church, and I mutter ridiculous things to the family dog. I find solace and happiness and frustation and doubt in the act of writing, can't get enough kisses from my daughters, am never sated. This is real life. The one I've lived for thirty-[two] years, with emotion and experience and depth. Real time. Tangible existence.

Virtual Life

I am a presence. With pictures, sometimes, but most often with words. My thoughts and essence are on display, whether through blog posts or online statuses. I give of myself through a filter, the filter of this internet that is not my physical location, just designed representation. It's me, too, but with time delay. With edits. Smooth, composed. Confident. I banter, I share, I feel, I learn and love. Virtually.

Life through Fiction

I am what my mind creates. My characters are extensions of me, their stories fill me. New experiences, lived vicariously. Papered emotions, felt as if real and raw. People as real to me as the Postmaster, my daughters' teachers, the person driving behind me, my best friend's mother, because they are real, in some other place, even if only by manuscript or in Word document. Entirely made up, but true, honest at the same time. I exist so that they can exist. And because they exist.

These three Jannas, they feel individual, so different, so distinct. But I reconcile one with the others. Aren't I all of them? My three lives. Defining one existence.

What about yours?

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-07-26T07:36:00.000-05:00

Independence

It means everything falls to me now.

If the sink has the dastardly nerve to leak, I figure out if it's something easily fixable, or whether a professional (ie. apartment maintenance) needs to be notified.

It's my job to keep up on my car's fluids. And not to forget to check tire pressure. Wash the whole thing, too.

Money? It's what I earn, and only what I earn.

There is no one else to make business-type phone calls. (And I hate making business-type phone calls.)

The hanging of pictures and wall things falls to me, even though I'm not good with measuring and centering and leveling. (I am quite good with a hammer and various tools, though, I'll give me that.)

When I end up with 1-ply toilet paper (dangitall), I have no one to blame but myself.

And lots of little things I'm learning about living on my own.

But. But.

Independence means I'm learning how to take charge.

Make decisions.

Grow up.

I'm learning it's okay to go with my first instinct, no second-guessing, because it is whatever I want, and right now a lot is all about me.

I can listen to the radio, and, when my kids are with their dad, sing the unedited versions of the songs, if I want.

I can have chocolate ice cream for breakfast. Or a toasted turkey sandwich. And make whatever it is that sounds good to not-picky-me for dinner. It's totally my call.

I can stay up until 1 AM, first watching a movie (KILLERS with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl is adorable), and then reading a book that makes me cry like an eediot.

I can rebel and not brush my teeth, because I'm a free-thinking grown-up. (Even if I decide to do it anyway, because I do like having a clean and pretty mouth.)

I can come and go as I please. Lollygag. Walk around naked. Leave dirty dishes in the sink. Because there is no one to answer to but me.

Independence means lots of little things I'm learning about living on my own.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-07-24T06:00:00.021-05:00

LIVE your dream

show COMPASSION

CREATE your own happiness

follow your HEART

ENJOY the little things

LAUGH out loud

be your BEST self

CHERISH every moment

DREAM big

EMBRACE every possibility

DISCOVER your passion

BELIEVE in miracles

CREATE peace

make a WISH

be SPONTANEOUS

REMEMBER to breathe

SING in the rain

fall in LOVE

TODAY is the day

anonymous, from a wall hanging I got last week. it hangs prominently in my dining room

Writing on Thursday

2011-07-21T06:00:00.024-05:00

A Book Review
Lisa Tucker's THE WINTERS IN BLOOM

Everyone has a secret, but can they keep it?

Oh, no they can't...``````````Maroon 5, Secret

photo from
simonandschuster.com

Thus is the crux behind Tucker's latest novel, her sixth.

David and Kyra Winter are happily married. Life and work and parenthood are all they've ever hoped for. In their son, Michael, they have everything they need.

But then Michael disappears from their backyard, and they are forced to recall their pasts, from before they knew each other. Somehow, this tragic circumstance will be traced to that secret of David's. Or maybe that secret of Kyra's.

THE WINTERS IN BLOOM, through comfortable and beautiful writing, asks these questions: How protective can a parent be? How much do our personal histories play into the way we relate? And does the past ever stay in the past?
`
So who is responsible for Michael's kidnapping? And on whom does the blame fall?

Read THE WINTERS IN BLOOM to find out...
`

You can learn more about Lisa Tucker, this and her other books, by visiting her website.

Thanks to Goldberg McDuffie Communications for my ARC of the book.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-07-19T06:00:00.008-05:00

These Kids of Mine

My daughters, who are 8 and four-days-from-6, are ridiculously amazing.

They are good girls. They have big hearts and big, smart heads, and they understand the world around them so very well.

This news of me and their dad is not easy to take, but they are fine. I really mean that. Fine and well. They are just as happy and energetic and enthusiastic as they've always been. They know they are loved, and that Mommy and Daddy, despite this divorce, are still a team for them. We have been clear about it, and will remain so in a steadfast manner. This they get in the kid-basic way.

I know they're okay because they continue to say things like, "You're the best mommy." And, "I love you so much, Mommy." Great stuff like that. Every day. And the hugs they give, oh, the hugs.

I continue to say those things to them, too. And still I give them structure, and discipline, and we play and we read and we snuggle.

All of this applies on their dad's side of things, too.

So many things are new, and we are still forging our way. Dynamics are different, there is much to learn.

But how can I expect that we'll be anything but okay?

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-07-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

The road ahead lies within.

Anonymous

Writing on Thursday

2011-07-14T13:13:00.003-05:00

The Way It Happens to Be

It's moving, the way life echoes art. And the way art echoes life.

As I was in the shower this morning, thinking about the stuttered place my current novel-in-progress is at, it occured to me how similar my life, right now, is to the one my protagonist is living.

Doesn't mean I'm writing about me. Doesn't mean I'm trying to live like her. It's just there are parallels. Commonalities. Ways in which I relate to her very deeply.

I'm sure my sub-conscious has played a large role in this. Credit must, I'm sure, be given to all those quiet inspirations and implied emotions. It's because she, and her story, are borne of me, and the things I experience, the world in which I live.

If I'm lucky, this realization will help me ease back to it, and enhance the writing. If I'm lucky, it will be cathartic for my soul.

I think it's just the way the world of creativity works.

What do you think?

**

If you missed my announcement on Tuesday, click over to see the news... It's easier than having to repeat myself.

And next Thursday I'll be posting a book review for Lisa Tucker's newest novel, THE WINTERS IN BLOOM. Be sure to come back!

Also, thanks again, so much, for all your support. I really do know the best and most loving people.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-07-12T11:08:00.000-05:00

And Now We Transition

"Our mom and dad are getting a divorce," said my five-year-old daughter. She conveyed no emotion in that moment, it was a simple fact to her mind, one she had grown accustomed to, and she was stating it for whomever would listen.

It is a fact.

And there is emotion, for all four of us, and others.

But this is what's happening, friends. It's the big change I've hinted at.

This particular post is not right for the personal details, just the announcement that my husband and I are splitting up.

I've already moved out. I am starting new. I am at peace. I will tell you what I've been telling some of my closest family and friends, which is that I have been prayerful and mindful, and this is the path that has been laid for me.

It's the reason (really, a culmination with others) for my refocus. It's the reason I haven't been able to read and write in weeks. It's why I've withdrawn, been lacking when it comes to visiting you and reading your work and chatting through our social networking connections.

But I am in a good place now, as I transition. As we all transition.

I'd like to ask for your quiet respect and continued support.

Thanks to each of you for the place you fill in my life.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-07-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

All you have to do is desire it, and if you desire it enough and understand why--really know--it will come...

Alice Sebold, THE LOVELY BONES

Writing on Thursday

2011-07-07T14:47:00.001-05:00

All My Secrets

I need another story.
Something to get off my chest.
My life gets kind of boring.
Need something that I can confess.
'Til all my sleeves I've stained red*
From all the truth that I've said
Come by it honestly, I swear...

...I'm gonna give all my secrets away.

These lyrics from OneRepublic's song All My Secrets inspire my writing. Because when it comes to writing the stuff of my own life, or when it comes to writing fiction about another's, I want to lay it all out. Hold back nothing. Share the truth in life, what makes us redeemable, fallible, relatable, and what rawly defines our human condition.

Did you ever feel the freedom of showing your vulnerability?

That's the root behind this new feature system here at Something She Wrote. Keep It Real Tuesday, Writing on Thursday, and Inspire Me Sunday are because of this, because I want to open up. It's what you respond to most, after all. And, it's me being me.

I appreciate your patience as I aim this new direction. And as I build to this announcement I've sort of planted but merely circled around thus far. My life is changing, and I want more than anything to be honest about it... Soon you'll read it directly, and soon I'll share so many more bits with you.

Maybe not all my secrets, but you'll get secrets nonetheless.

*I interpret this line as a reference to the understanding, known to many, that to write you need only open a vein and bleed on the page. And I love it.

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-07-05T06:00:00.004-05:00

That Thing Inside a Chest

A heart can break so easily.

At least, I know it's true for me. For my heart.

Harsh words, or the absence of kind ones. Disrespect. Not being understood, or appreciated. Seeing others hurt. Losing a connection, or losing a loved one's life.

I feel things with such intensity. It can really be a pain in the --- sometimes, this emotional heft. Sometimes it pulls me so low. It keeps me thinking too long and too deep, and it can seem an impossible thing to pull up and out.

But. But.

There is always a bright side, a good side, a better one. I have learned this lesson.

Because there is positive emotion to grasp hold of, even if it's just beyond immediate reach. Hope and peace. Love, if not just the promise of love.

There is good intention, and an Ultimate Plan.

There are kind words, and there is respect. There are people who understand. There are memories, and new decisions, and there's strength and purpose.

I have learned this lesson.

My heart always comes back around.

Inspire Me Sunday

2011-07-03T06:00:00.004-05:00

Truth and a Right Choice
`
"There comes a time in the spiritual journey when you start making choices from a very different place. And if a choice lines up so that it supports truth, health, happiness, wisdom and love, it’s the right choice."

- Angeles Arrien, anthropologist

This quote, so well said, could have been whispered from my own heart.

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Can you relate to its sentiment?

Writing on Thursday

2011-06-30T06:00:00.003-05:00

It's Not Always Easy
`
Maybe it's not something I should admit to, this fact that I can pull entirely away from my writing.
`
It's just that life happens so heavily at times, and how can I devote myself to fiction when reality is so big and in-my-face significant?
`
It happened that way last year when my dad was diagnosed with stage IV bone cancer. When we were first reeling from the prognosis, and watching through his (short-lived) treatments, and then struggling through the two-month decline before he passed away. Two months, that was all we had him after the doctor told us that day, because he'd already had multiple sclerosis for twenty years, and his body didn't have a chance.

photo found at hubpages

Writing did not come easy for me then.

Sometimes we hear of those writers who are driven by problems and hurt and they throw themselves into their work, making it richer and deeper and better. I only wish I were that kind of writer.

My writing has been suffering again of late, because more big life is happening. In the way life happens, I suppose.

...I'll be telling you about it soon, in an upcoming Keep It Real Tuesday post...

Keep It Real Tuesday

2011-06-28T06:00:00.009-05:00

Finding Outside

I've never been an outdoorsy girl. Because you can't control the air out there. There's the brightness and heat of the sun. And bugs. Bugs! Especially spiders. Ew. And there's never anything to do, I was always so sure.

I didn't suspect all my thoughts about it would change with this job I took recently.

Remember I mentioned it back in the spring? I couldn't say much then, but I'll say more now.

I'm an odor monitor for a local study. I won't get into the science of it, but basically our team gathers certain types of data, with our noses and various instruments, to be used as seen fit by whomever in the future.

And we sit. We sit a lot. In the sun, in the rain, in the wind, in the heat. In the outdoors. It is our job.

I've come to like it. A whole bunch. The warmth of the sun, the feel of the breezes. I like to stand strong, whatever the element. I like the smell of rain, the sounds of the birds. I've a favorite, even: The Eastern Meadowlark. Such a beautiful song. And my least favorite, a killdeer. I love how they protect their eggs, but they're loud and paranoid and naggy.
`

And it turns out there's lots to do outside. The peace of it is so nice.

If I'm not visiting with my co-workers, I'm reading. Or writing. Or even just sitting, being. I love to sit and think. To contemplate my depths, who it is I am, and what it is I need in this life. What I have to offer.

It turns out that, in finding the outdoors, I've begun finding me. And it's proving to be a significant experience.

Change is Coming to SSW

2011-06-27T06:00:00.009-05:00

Clearer focus, truer themes. Better content.

Keep It Real Tuesdays will be personal. What's going on in life? What are my struggles and experiences? What vulnerabilities (and strengths) can I show? And through what can we relate? Live this human condition with me.

Writing on Thursdays will be dedicated to the craft, and will include posts about projects and works-in-progress, author features, book reviews, successes and failures, and all that writerly jazz.

Inspire Me Sundays will have thought-stirring quotes, simple motivations, and inspiring sentiments. Let's consider who we are, what we're doing in this place, and where we want to go.

It all starts here tomorrow.

5 Easy Questions

2011-06-22T06:04:00.002-05:00

Friend and fellow writer, fabulous snacker (she likes M&M's!) and fantastic mom Jill Kemerer, has interviewed me for her Wednesday series, 5 Easy Questions. To read the Q&A visit her blog, and leave a comment here or there. I so appreciate her having me!

And while you're visiting Jill, who writes sweet, emotional, sparkling inspirational romance novels, and is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Agency, be sure to peruse her sidebar chock-full of helpful tidbits for writers (and readers).

Lemons

2011-06-15T08:35:00.000-05:00

That old saying goes, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade."

I don't like lemonade, actually.

So I'm going to slice that lemon up into real fine slivers, and drop them into a glass of iced tea, slightly sweetened.

That's how I do what's best for me, not what is expected.

Dealing with some lemons of life right now, but everything's going to turn out alright.

I Thought You Should Know...

2011-06-07T10:40:00.001-05:00

There's a pretty awesome new blog, thought up and maintained by my friend Amy Nathan, for writers and readers of women's fiction. It is aptly named Women's Fiction Writers, and on it Amy talks about struggles in the craft, offers encouragement we all need, and features interviews with big hitters, which (so far) include Cathy Lamb (who is listed in my sidebar here) and, yes, THE Jennifer Weiner.

If you have a moment, please check it out. Search the archives (check out those interviews!), and say hello.

And tell Amy I sent you. :)

We Like Our Junk Food... And It's Okay!

2011-06-01T11:50:00.001-05:00

Last night on Facebook, with visions of other, better have-it-together women sitting down to wholesome, filling meals across the land, I posted this as my status:

Will it be okay if I just have Oreos and milk for dinner?

I felt sort of bashful about it, and didn't think I'd get much response, but I did. I did! And the comments culminated in a resounding YES.

There were comparable confessions. Two had ice cream for a meal. One, cereal straight out of the box. And my mom (she's on Facebook, because isn't that the way of things now?) said sure, she'd had pie. One friend said, "I'll write you a note saying it's okay." Another said, "I say you go for it [because] life is short." A third said, "Such a sad day when we question our most pure and wonderful urges." Just this morning yet another friend had a Nestle Crunch bar for breakfast, and let it be known that she's my kinda girl.

You know what? I say we own it. OWN it, ladies.

Here's the thing. Most times I would rather have a Big Mac and fries than a salad. I like fat hunks of chocolate, and salt-and-vinegar potato chips (not together, actually, but now that I think about it...). Why not get something fried to perfection? (Dill pickles? Yes, please.) Why can't I stand at the edge of the kitchen and snarf down a bowl of cereal with itty-bitty fake marshmallows? And I know, up in the smart part of my brain, that carbonation and caffeine aren't good for my body, but dangitall I just love a fountain Dr Pepper, okay?

Here's the other thing. I know as well as the next woman that it's about balance. There are things we have to eat for our well-being. I happen to love steamed broccoli and sauteed carrots and grilled asparagus, blueberries and strawberries (but not raspberries), almonds, yogurt, things with those all-powerful anti-oxidants, (some) protein-packed meats, fish and rice, and I enjoy baking (and eating) breads and muffins with wheat germ and milled flax seed. And I'm pretty decent about drinking water.

I like to have it all, baby.

It's just I think we shouldn't deny ourselves. It's about portion control, and, I'll say it again, balance. I think if I'm hormonal and want a whole "sharing size" pack of Peanut M&M's for myself (or, say, Oreos and milk for dinner), then that's exactly what I need to eat. I say if, once in a while, I don't have the energy to cook a five-food-group meal (who does that, anyway?) then I'm alright serving up bowls of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (as long as it's spirals). [Although okay, I confess, guilt gets the best of me and I serve canned fruit, too. That just feels better.]

It's not about just health, it's about happiness. I wouldn't be happy eating only greens and grilled chicken with eight servings of fresh fruit all the time. There is something deeply satisfying about the Arby's drive-through, and have you ever anticipated the first bite of a brownie explosion with hot fudge and vanilla ice cream?, and I really dig greasy Mexican food. (Fortunately I'm blessed with good genes and a high metabolism.)

It is the small (delicious) things that make life worth living.

And that lead to the need for exercise. I gained five pounds writing this post, so I'm going to go take a walk. While I'm out, answer any or all of these questions:

Do you have allergies, intolerances or health limitations that affect your diet?
What is a "splurge" for you?
Do you indulge in your wicked desires? (I'm just talking food here, so let's walk away from TMI.)
How often do you make a meal out of something not mealish?
Do you exercise regularly?
Is there guilt?
Will you come over for milk and cookies?

How do you feel about the things I've talked about here?

Food and Drink in Writing

2011-05-24T09:58:00.002-05:00

Thanks for your understanding while I was away! Now, back from my blogging break I'll say...

photo from 123rf.com

I recently read a novel (THE DIVE FROM CLAUSEN'S PIER by Ann Packer) in which the protagonist liked to drink iced cranberry juice. This has me thinking that it's interesting, the food and beverages we read and write about.

Does Ann Packer herself drink that particular thing? Or was it something that came to her during a moment of inspiration? Did she see a woman with it at the next table in her favorite restaurant?

I'm one who, in my writing, tends to stick with the familiar. My protagonist's BFF drinks Dr Pepper (my own favorite), and her dad eats rocky road ice cream, a common flavor in our house when I was growing up. My characters always tend to eat the things I most like, like beans and cornbread, or veggie pizza.

photo from thepioneerwoman.com
Ree Drummond

I'm considering now, what has stopped me from throwing a quiche lorraine into the mix, or putting a Long Island iced tea in a character's hand? Maybe I will now that I'm conscious of never having done so before.

WRITERS: Do you have your characters eating and drinking the same things you do? Or do you get creative, offering them something you've never tried, something offbeat, or that is displeasing to you? How do you choose? Do their food and drink choices seem inherent to their persona, a given?

READERS: How do you feel when something you love (brownies, Diet Pepsi, Big League Bubble Gum) shows up in something you're reading? Does reading about hunks of hearty meatloaf, or an ice cold beer, make your mouth water?

2011-05-13T14:59:00.001-05:00

...still on blog hiatus...

I'm on Twitter now.

@jannaqualman

Come find me!

...still on blog hiatus...

See You In a While

2011-05-09T10:30:00.002-05:00

Every so often I get this feeling I should back away. Alleviate the pressure having a blog creates. Give a little space, with which often comes a greater perspective of vision, and where things need to go in the future.

A break is good, everyone should take one occasionally.

It just occured to me that now is a good time for me. What with the end of school near for my kiddles, that other job, and the completion of the current draft of my work-in-progress (a novel) within sight, now's as perfect a time as any.

I'll be back. Promise you won't go anywhere in the meantime?

Happy May, friends!

Plaid Pants

2011-05-04T08:20:00.000-05:00

Want to read about the day my childhood went down in infamy?

Come check out my new humor essay, over at An Army of Ermas.

What is Women's Fiction?

2011-05-03T14:35:00.001-05:00

photo from salon.com

I once posted this: Women's fiction is that which is written with female readers in mind. It's about the protagonist's journey through a story, about her growth, and her [experience].
`
This is what I tell people, too, when they ask what I write, but I've been finding that, for some, this explanation of the wide-spanning category isn't enough. They want it broken down further.
`
Wikipedia defines women's fiction as an umbrella term for a wide-ranging collection of literary sub-genres that are marketed to female readers, including many mainstream novels, romantic fiction, "chick lit," and other sub genres.
`
Better. Clearer. I'll have to remember this.
`
Whether you write it or read it, how would you describe to others what, exactly, women's fiction is? What types of books does the term include for you?

I Live

2011-04-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

I live with a man, two little girls, that dog Lucy, four ducks and a fish named Bob.

I live with migraines, sensitive skin, bad eyes, the curse of curly (often frizzy) hair, an ear that is scarred but musical, good genes, good food and good sleep.

I live with expectation and satisfaction, desire and dreams, the blessed memory of my father, questions of faith, spirituality, and words and words and words.

I live.

I am me.
`
`
You?

Rules for Successful Writing -- Giveaway Results!

2011-04-25T15:50:00.004-05:00

Last week I posted some of popular author Janet Evanovich's writing tips (as found in her craft book, HOW I WRITE), and asked for your additions. You guys didn't disappoint. You gave great suggestions!
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FringeGirl said: You can't please everyone, so don't worry if someone doesn't like what you wrote.
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Amy Sue Nathan said: #1 Put everything near you that you need while you're writing. For me, a morning writer, that means coffee, both pairs of glasses, my phone and my Flip Dictionary. Then I don't have to get up. Ever. #2 Give your readers credit, they're smart. Meaning, don't overwrite or over explain. Allow the reader to think and figure things out along the way. It engages them and makes them turn the page.
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Jessica Nelson said: Trust your voice.
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Liza said this worked for her: Recently when I was stuck, I wrote a conversation between two characters. I hadn't written to the point in the story when that conversation happened yet, though I knew it would. So I wrote it. It helped me move forward, in that made me consider how my characters would get to the place where that conversation happened. I'm about to write another conversation to help me along again.
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Lynn said: Don't stop writing. Write everyday, even if it just for 15 minutes. And those minutes have to be focused writing.
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Wendy Miller said: At the exact moment you feel like quitting... don't.
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Lissa said: I prefer to write first and then check out the rules.
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Savannah Rose said: Write "something" every single day even if it's not part of your WIP.
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Ginger said: It seems that any quiet meditation on any piece of writing I'm working on is the "miracle grow" to make it blossom.
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Patti's thoughts: I would add, quit second-guessing yourself.
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Deb Shucka said: I would add that a successful writer needs community - other writers to commiserate with and to provide fresh perspective.
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Mary Warner said: I guess it goes along with what was already said, but one of my own rules would be to remember that writers block only stops you if you want to be stopped. After all what stops you (or me at least) isn't that I have no ideas, but I have no "good" ideas.
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Laura said: #1 - Just write. (No matter what, write every day.) #2 - Be concise. Less is more.
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Jill Kemerer said: Persistence. We have to believe in our writing even when it's bad. Maybe it means tucking our WIP away after too many rejections and starting a new one, but we can't quit.
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Tana Adams shared this: A writer who writes is the best writer a writer can be. I think so often the actual writing is the last thing to happen.
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Helen Ginger said: Help other writers. Even when you think you're a newbie and don't know much, there's someone who has less experience than you who could use some advice. Join a group or attend writer meetings that fit your genre or ask another writer what they're working on.
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Karen Lange said: I think that perseverance and discipline are key factors in the writing equation too. These things help me press forward to do something I feel called to do.
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Melissa Marsh said: I always feel that you must ignore the trends and write the book YOU want to write.
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Analisa said: [Be] a reader. I don't think you can write well if you don't read well.
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Jeanette Levellie said: My best tip is to pray for yourself as you write, that God give you words to most help your readers and show them God as He truly is. And to love your readers. Okay, that's two. Here's a third: Never stop growing. Never say, "I know all there is to know about writing." The day you say that is the beginning of the end of your creativity.
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Thank you all! These were wonderful tips.
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To visit any of these writers, go to this post (its comments, to be specific) to follow their links.
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And now... Our giveaway winner... whose name was randomly pulled from a hat (my new, super-cute, hot-pinkish/purple ball cap...) is...
`

LYNN!

Lynn, congratulations! Please e-mail me at jannawritesATyahooDOTcom. Include both your mailing address and the title of a book you've been wanting, which I'll order for you from Amazon. I'll order your choice and have it sent your way!

Thanks for playing along.

And thanks for being a part of my blog, by following, commenting, reading, all of it. I appreciate every one of you!

Five Words Into Fiction (#2)

2011-04-22T18:50:00.010-05:00

Her hair, beautiful and harsh, is the color of a crow. This is by careful choice, and she has it dyed once a month, every third Tuesday. She loves the mystique of the hue, the way it refracts the light as a wile, almost like there's some blue to it.
`
Noah would have adored it, and so of course this is why. It is for him.
`
It was a month after he disappeared that she first had it colored. His foray into nothingness, hers into vanity. Because it is the single binge she's found that stills the hurt, quiets the shame. Eating didn't do it; she felt empty. Not drinking; she felt a waste of herself. And sleeping with Noah's best friend, Mart, only buried guilt in her stomach and in her dreams.
`
So it is also for her, the hair and the rest, with the primping and pampering and perfection. It all says she is significant and strong and courageous, that she is and will be okay.
`
When she looks in the mirror to see what Noah left behind, she is satisfied by what she sees and she tells herself, You will be okay.
`
**
`
My apologies for posting this piece so late in the day. My words were difficult to fuse together. They were: binge, crow, foray, refract and wile. You'll find them all above. Whew!
`
I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope that it leaves you thinking, perhaps making up more of the story.
`
**
`
If you've played along and written your own fiction with your own words, link up in this post's comments. Or, if you haven't done a piece yet but would like to, I'd be happy to give you some word suggestions. Just let me know (also in this post's comments).
`
Also, since you're here, be sure to check out my post about rules for successful writing. Leave your thoughts (by Sunday night--earlier if you're busy for Easter) for a chance to win the book of your choice in my giveaway! Winner will be announced Monday.
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Have a wonderful, blessed holiday weekend.

Rules for Successful Writing* -- A Giveaway!

2011-04-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

Don't fall into the trap of rewriting chapter one until it's perfect. And don't discard everything you write halfway through because you're sure it sucks. Writing stuff that sucks is part of the learning process!
When people ask what you do, tell them you're a writer. Put yourself on the line. Make a commitment.
Make writing a responsibility. Think of it like a job and show up on time.
Never hold anything back for the next book. Always go for it. Be brave.
Respect and love your audience. Write for the reader.

`
*From Janet Evanovich's HOW I WRITE: SECRETS OF A BESTSELLING AUTHOR.
`
Evanovich is the wildly popular author of the Stephanie Plum books. Visit her site here.
`
As for the giveaway part of this post, I'd like you to add your own tip to the list. I don't think there's a shortage of good advice, do you?
`
What do you think makes for a successful writer? I'd like to know from the perspective of both writers and readers, so anyone can join in. For instance, my sister, who is an avid reader but doesn't write like I do, thinks a relevant thing for writers' success is an active, frequently-updated author's website. Valid!
`
Add your thoughts in the comment section of this post. Everyone who does gets their name in a hat (or bowl, mayhaps) for a giveway--to celebrate that I'm nearing 350 blog followers! (If you're not a follower yet but enjoy what you see here at Something She Wrote, please sign up. I do love watching that number grow.)
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I'll give you through this weekend (ending Sunday at 7PM CST) to add to the list. Winner to be announced Monday!

ETA: Friends, I apologize--It's just occured to me, I didn't announce what the giveaway prize is. (Oops. I'm sorry.) It'll be a new book of some kind, to be determined/selected according to the winner.
`
Also, be sure to come back Friday, to see the results of the new five words into fiction meme.

A Meme, A Prompt (Five Words Into Fiction--Part 2)

2011-04-18T07:51:00.000-05:00

Do you remember when a year or more ago there was a meme floating blogland, and several folks posted five words into fiction? (Here's mine.) This week I want to play on that. And I want to invite you to play (or read) along.
`
This time, the five words to incorporate don't come as suggestion from a friend or another blogger, they come from the dictionary. By merely flipping through its pages, stopping randomly and taking the bolded header word.
`
Using my small Webster's this morning, I've flipped for five words. They are:
`
*binge
*crow
*foray
*refract
*wile
`

photo from diypublicart.org

So there you have it, my five words. This week I'll use them to write a flash fiction piece (less that 1000 words)--the words must appear in the text, I can't only allude to them--and will plan to post it Friday.

I'm excited because this sort of thing is stoopid fun, and it's good for a creative break from a consistent project. It's good exercise, too.

Want to join me? Link up and/or post the details on your own blog, and we'll spread the meme.
`
Ready? Set? Let's do this!

Drop Your Books Here (A Reference of Friends' Published Works)

2011-04-15T06:00:00.008-05:00

photo from
weblogs.sun-sentinel.com

It's a good idea, I think. Because, you know, we all like a good list of good books to read.

I was going to create this whole thing for you, had the post of it mapped out in my head, but then I realized I'm getting to know too many writers with published books (which is really kinda crazy-cool and exciting) to try and list them all.
`
So, I invite you to drop your books here. YA? Historical fiction? Women's fiction? Mystery? Non-fiction, etc., etc.?
`
Friends (and visitors), leave a comment with your published (or even soon-to-be) title(s) and a link to your website. If you've a logline or short summary to add, please do. Let's get you some readers!
`
Readers, let's get you some books!

Fairer Than Morning, Rosslyn Elliott

2011-04-13T11:44:00.002-05:00

Ann is a fine young woman with the interest of more than one man, motherless sisters to care for, and a father who keeps secrets--but she has her own desires for life. Where will her heart and her God lead her?

Will is a brave man with few options, which leads him into indentured servitude with a new master, a master of evil. Is Will's strength enough to see him through to freedom and happiness?

`
FAIRER THAN MORNING, book one of The Saddler's Legacy, a new trilogy by Rosslyn Elliott, follows sweet Ann, as well as tortured Will, through loss and trial, misunderstanding and doubt. Could there be a life filled with love and promise in their future?
`
Rosslyn's expertise with historical fiction makes for prose that reads flawlessly. Her dialogue, and expressions of the early 1800's, zing, and her characters, along with their stories, are powerful.
`
If you like historical fiction, if you like tender romance or Christian-themed reads, this is one you don't want to miss. FAIRER THAN MORNING is released today (Thomas Nelson Publishers)!
`

Author Rosslyn Elliott

Rosslyn Elliott has a B.A. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. Her study of American literature and history inspired her to pursue writing fiction. She lives in the Southwest, where she homeschools her daughter and works in children's ministry.
`
Visit Rosslyn at her website and learn more about her here.

Today Is Monday, and . . .

2011-04-11T05:38:00.000-05:00

[fill in the blank]

RQ #19

2011-04-07T18:47:00.001-05:00

It is a good thing for an educated man to read books of quotations.

Winston Churchill

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I got so tired of hearing those proverbs when I was a child. Now I use them all the time. Sometimes they are the best way to say what needs to be said. I teach them to my students. I have a collection of [quotes] for class discussion and writing assignments.

Marva Collins

`
I might repeat to myself, slowly and soothingly, a list of quotations beautiful from minds profound; if I can remember any of the damn things.

Dorothy Parker

`
`
If you were to be quoted in the future, what would your statement be?

Make Me Cry

2011-04-04T07:43:00.001-05:00

Look what those kids did.

On Friday my daughter came home with a stack of thank you cards from her class. There were colorful designs and clear pictures (lots of spring flowers!), often of writing tools or books. Several mentioned haiku poetry, most mentioned their notebooks.

There was an "I like writing stories." And "I love writing."

Every one of them signed either "love," or "your friend." One said, "I hope we get to see you again." Of course, this from the boy I'd pegged as the most interested in what I had to say. A budding writer!

I am so, so touched. I cried. This is how I felt, reading their notes:

photo from polyvore.come

Thank you, kids. Thank you.

A Writer Employed

2011-04-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

photo from lamableu.net

So this girl got a job. It's my first away from the home in nearly nine years.

I can't speak of the specifics, but I can tell you that it involves the outdoors, a scientific case study and... my nose.

The most genius part is, tucked around the work itself, there is mucho downtime. During that downtime we can do whatever we choose, and that means I will write! It's a perfect scenario, really, because I'll be earning great money, but won't have to give up the time I put toward my writing.

when Janna met Sally

I'll schlep my notebooks, pens and pencils, novels and craft books, my laptop and (sometimes) my AlphaSmart 3000. (Who remembers Sally?)

This experience will be incredibly out of the ordinary for me, and I'm very much looking forward to it. Every day is an adventure waiting to happen, and I expect to be inspired.

Also, because of the change in my schedule, and the way I'll have to make adjustments with family and household responsibilities, I feel sure I'll be forced into a more balanced life. (I've spoken about the life juggle many times, most recently here.) Does that make sense? I think time away from home will give me healthy space, a more appreciative perspective, and better-defined goals.

The busier we are, the more we accomplish, right?

Please keep me in mind! This will be so new for my family and me. But don't worry, they'll be fine, and I will, too. ;) You'll still see me here and on Facebook. I'll still have content at those places you see linked in my sidebar, and I'll be working ever diligently on my current novel-in-progress.

Stay tuned, too. I may have stories to tell!

I Dedicate This Song... To My WIP

2011-03-30T06:00:00.004-05:00

Me and my work-in-progress--especially the first third or so--are stuck like glue. I try to get away, to work on more and other parts of the manuscript, but it keeps pulling me back in.

Writers, how do you keep yourself from revisiting one part too often?
Those who aren't writers but have work or projects of your own, what are your tricks for moving on?

**I'm not a country music fan (yep, this is a country duo), but this song is catchy, no? And what a cute video!

Class Time

2011-03-28T08:12:00.002-05:00

I admit, I was a little nervous. Anytime I'm in front of a group of people--whether in a small social setting, a whole church congregation (to sing), or an elementary class--I get that way. Because here's the thing, they have to look at you. And listen, too. Gah!
`

head of the class (for a brief time)

`
But I had prepared for my session with the kids last Thursday. I'd taken notes to bulletpoint the things I wanted to say, readied fun little notebooks and pencils to distribute (gifts are always exciting), and I took my time, kept it casual. (I wore my school t-shirt, too, which I thought a nice touch.)
`
It was great fun!
`
I told the second grade class (including my older daughter):

There are all kinds of ways to write, and anyone can do it! You can journal, write letters or poems (which is also called poetry) or lists, and you can make up stories or tell true stuff, too.

I took props, showed them a fiction chapter book (who loves Junie B. Jones?), a non-fiction book of facts (about Justin Bieber, because he is all the rage among the youngsters), and a volume of Shel Silverstein's poetry (classic! an absolute favorite of mine when I was their age).
`
I taught them how to write haiku poetry. The 5-7-5 syllable rule was something they really got into.

Missus [surname] is
the coolest teacher ever.
We really love her.

We talked about how ideas can come from anywhere: People-watching, pictures, music, brainstorming, etc. They liked it when we closely studied their teacher's necklace, and came up with stories for the pearl. For instance, that the teacher is a spy, and when she has to report her findings she speaks into the bead. How great is that?!
`
I gave them a list of things to remember:

Poetry can rhyme but does not have to.
Fiction means not true, like make-believe.
Non-fiction means true and real.
A story or piece of writing has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
A story also has a plot, which means something happens in the story, and it can be funny or scary or sad or full of action, or whatever you want it to be. If you are the writer, you get to decide!
You get to be creative and use your imagination!

We talked a little about the mechanics of writing:

Whenever you write and whatever you write, check your spelling and sentences. Are your capital and lower-case letters correct? What should your punctuation look like? Make sure you write clearly, too, so people can read your words.

I talked about how neat it is to spend some time with writing and then pass it on, so that another person can read and understand and feel your thoughts and ideas.
`
We spent about thirty-five minutes together. It went quickly. Before I left I gave them ideas for writing to try at home (using those new notebooks). They could write their own haiku, start a private journal, people-watch and take notes, write a letter to someone out of town (and get Mom or Dad's help sending it), or write a fictional story about their favorite animal.
`
My first "speaking engagement" couldn't have gone better. I was so pleased with their attention and enthusiasm. As it turned out, the things I talked about were supportive of things they've learned in class (though haiku was new, and that was cool), and I was so excited to have encouraged them, even just a little.
`
I think, too, that I may soon have chance to speak to a group of women, teachers, who are interested in writing and reading, and that makes me giddy! I'm a nerd for this stuff, and to be able to share it with others is awesomely awesome.
`
Thanks to all of you for your ideas and support. And thanks to my mom, who went along for moral support, and acted as photographer, too. :)

2011-03-25T20:07:00.000-05:00

Hiya, gang. I'm posting to say that I won't be posting today.

I had planned to tell you about my writerly visit with the kids, and though I don't think you've been waiting on me, I wanted to say, well, you may have to wait on me... Busy few days with more yet ahead, and the blog post hasn't developed like I'd hoped it would.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a great weekend!

Just a Quick Post

2011-03-21T08:08:00.000-05:00

I've another humor column up at An Army of Ermas today... Won't you join my club? All the cool (lazy) kids are doin' it.

And Thursday is the day I'll be talking to kids about writing. I can't wait! I'll post about my experience on Friday. (Thanks for your tips!)

**

It's Monday here in the States, and my week is doomed for (good) busyness. How do your next few days look?

RQ #18

2011-03-18T14:36:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I forget to look off the path I am walking. Then I realize, there is so much to see (feel, do) if I am paying attention.

that's me, and a swatch of peace out my back door

`
Once in a while you have to slow, sit, lie down, even. Look at things from a different perspective.
`
Have you tried it recently? What did you experience?

Of An Afternoon

2011-03-15T21:19:00.008-05:00

A part of me wanted to approach him, the man with his dog. I wanted to say, "He's beautiful, and I've always liked dachshunds."
`

photo from dogdow.com

I'd have said, "I noticed you talking to the little guy. What was it you whispered so sweetly?" I saw them as companions, compadres, cohorts. They were dude and pooch, both squat and chesty with abbreviated legs, and a powerful bond.
`
But instead I watched from my spot, cozy in that place between warm sunlight, cool wind.
`
I decided that a verbal exchange I could dream up, the picture sketched before me, the what if, was good enough. Maybe better than the truth of the moment.
`
So I looked on and I imagined, and that was all.

Talking to Kids About Writing

2011-03-09T17:42:00.004-06:00

photo from scholastic.com

I need advice.

Today my daughter's teacher asked me to visit with her class (of 7- and 8-year-olds) about being a writer, and writing. I am thrilled!

But all I know so far is that I'll gift each kid with a mini composition notebook and a pencil (camo for boys, polka dots for the girls).

The kids know me, I've helped at parties, so there won't be a formal need for introduction. I'll feel most comfortable pulling up a piece of
floor with them, so there's that. I won't have to dress up. I may even go without make-up.

But talking literary terms and explaining my genre or giving them my resume is out.

What do I say? What do I ask? What do I tell them about myself? How do I show my passion, and encourage them with a love for words and story?

I know many of you have experience with this kind of thing, and I'm looking for guidance.

What are your pointers?

It's Today! Jodi Picoult's Web Chat!

2011-03-07T07:36:00.000-06:00

Have you been counting down the days like I have?

author photo by Gasper Tringale

In less than twelve hours you can watch a LIVE interview with bestselling author Jodi Picoult--right here at Something She Wrote!

Unsure what this is all about? Visit my last post (or just scroll down the blog) to see the super-exciting details, and to access the Livestream viewer. Then come back to my blog tonight at 7 PM EST, park yourself in front of said viewer, and hold your breath. (Okay, I exaggerate that last part...) It's gonna be awesome!

Jodi will talk about (among other things, I'm sure) her new release, SING YOU HOME, its inspirations and controversies, and will answer fans' questions, too. It's not to be missed!

See you here?

Coming Soon: LIVE INTERVIEW with #1 NYT Bestseller Jodi Picoult

2011-03-02T15:59:00.002-06:00

Are you a Jodi Picoult fan? Really, I'd be shocked if you didn't know many people who have read her books. Some of the most popular--out of nearly twenty published titles--are MY SISTER'S KEEPER (which was made into a movie), CHANGE OF HEART, HANDLE WITH CARE, and NINETEEN MINUTES (which, coincidentally, I'm reading now).

Jodi's newest is SING YOU HOME (Atria Books, March 1, 2011), a novel which could very well prove to be her most controversial...

SING YOU HOME explores what it means to be gay in today’s world, and how reproductive science has outstripped the legal system. Are embryos people or property? What challenges do same-sex couples face when it comes to marriage and adoption? What happens when religion and sexual orientation – two issues that are supposed to be justice-blind – enter the courtroom? And most importantly, what constitutes a “traditional family” in today’s day and age?

Visit HERE for a full synopsis and details about Jodi's inspiration behind the book.

I've been asked to be a blog partner with Atria's Salon Series, who is hosting a live web chat with Jodi next Monday, March 7 at 7PM EST. This means that you can come here, to Something She Wrote, and watch the interview from my blog!

So mark your calendar, set your alarm, wash your favorite pajamas, and get some popcorn ready for popping. Come back here, next Monday, for this LIVE special appearance with bestselling author, Jodi Picoult! See what she has to say about SING YOU HOME and more.

**Yeah, yeah. I'm supposed to be disconnected from the nets this week, but this is too cool an event... I had to plug back in!
**Many thanks to Goldberg McDuffie Communications for contacting me with this opportunity.

Unplugged

2011-02-28T07:16:00.000-06:00

I'm unplugging from the internet this week, so as to focus on my novel-in-progress with no (or fewer, anyway) distractions.

Have you ever given yourself time to disconnect? How did it work for you?

Have a great week, all. :)

My Parents Taught Me to Share

2011-02-25T09:00:00.007-06:00

Today I share links! And virtual hugs. Because who doesn't love hugs?

Author and speaker Kathi Lipp's new book, THE ME PROJECT, a how-to for living the life you desire, is newly released. Visit my other blog, Pursuing Life, to read my review and get the low-down. (You may remember my review of THE MARRIAGE PROJECT from last year. This is part of the same successful series!)

My latest An Army of Ermas column is up today, and don't say I didn't warn you: I've revealed a disturbing secret about my five-year-old...

If you missed my post (here on Something She Wrote) from yesterday, please take a minute to check it out. I'd really love to know your thoughts on life balance.

And, because I don't want to bore you of me with this post, check these out, too!

How do you feel about Random Acts of Kindness? Go here for inspiration.

Check out this AWESOME gal (and her team) who takes RAK's to a whole new, life-changing level... Secret Agent L

Follow the bread crumbs to Your Best You here.

And last, but possibly coolest, Word Hippo. You know you wanna check it out. (Especially if you're particularly wordish.)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Balance

2011-02-24T10:50:00.002-06:00

Last week we had a warm day, didn't quite feel like February in our wintery locale, and I took my girls to the park. While I read, they pumped on the swings, and tried to butt-bump each other down the slide. Too, they spent time on the teeter totter, and I'm thinking back to their balance. Or lack of.

There's a 2.5-year age difference, height and weight variances. My older daughter can easily sink low and hold herself, while her little sister happily flies high. That is, until they both tire and wish things were a bit more balanced. Something must change, they realize. Do they try harder, use more (or less) force? Hop down and walk away? And are they just taking a break, or moving on entirely?

I often wish my own personal, existensial seesaw--life as a wife and mom at home on one side, work as a determined writer on the other--were more balanced. Typically one seems so much heavier, pressing its need at me, while the other lifts away, suspended, just out of reach.

Pick a day and I'm perched on one side. Mom and wife. Errands, housework (laundry, dishes, vacuuming, cleaning my bedroom--which I thought wasn't an issue once you turned adult), phone calls, school functions, meals. Ack! And the next day I've climbed to the opposite end, writer. Blogging and networking and reading and studying and writing (and doubting and pep-talking).

There are days I can't juggle all the tasks being a writer demands. Visiting friends' blogs (I'm sorry, friends) and finding new, relevant, relatable ones, or updating my own, or editing that last chapter, or squeaking out an assignment that isn't due quite yet.

And then there are the days writing takes all my attention. It's the bill-paying I delay, calling on that volunteer project, loading the dishwasher, putting away the mounds of clean clothes (really, I'd rather just walk away entirely).

What gets me is that I'm leaving something undone. Always, there is something undone.

This balance thing is so tough. But I think about the example of my kids on the teeter totter, and how if they altered their positions, or pushed with a deeper effort, it may level-out better. Is that a lesson for me? For us?

There are days I understand it's okay to leave the laundry. I understand that my family will not cease to function because there are no clean forks. Likewise, there are days I can rationalize to myself that it's not too likely I'll lose a blog reader because I haven't posted in five days, or that somewhere a red mark will appear next to my name because I procrastinated with an assignment.

Maybe the balance is in my head. In what I tell myself, in the concessions I make, in weighing the heaviest side and choosing what holds the most at any given moment. Then again, maybe I have too much weight. Maybe I've pulled too much to one side.

How does one know? How do you know? How do you balance?

I think I'm going to closely study that teeter totter next time we're at the park. There has to be some way to figure it out.

ROOM

2011-02-18T13:27:00.001-06:00

This week I read ROOM by Emma Donoghue. Everything about it captivated me, from the author's brilliant presentation to the voice of the narrator, five-year-old Jack, who has spent his entire life in an eleven-by-eleven space.

It's one room with two who steal your heart. You have to read it.

What book would you recommend today?

A Mouse With Two Names

2011-02-14T06:00:00.002-06:00

There were cartoon names like Bernard from The Rescuers Down Under and Stuart of the Littles. Fitting literary suggestions like Heathcliff, Clive (for the C in C.S. Lewis), Sawyer, Gatsby. Names from my novel-in-progress (how did you know?), which were Hank and Emerson, and then Samuel, a name I always wanted for a boy of my own (didn't have, probably won't, maybe a dog someday?).

Go here to see them all.

`
Well, it's official, and so now it's time to (re)introduce you to . . .
`

TIMOTHY PIP!

`
Mason Canyon said:

The name that popped in my head was Timothy. He would never be called Timmy or Tim, always Timothy. He would need his spectacles only for reading and the pipe would be filled with a cherry-flavored tobacco. He should also have a pocket watch with a chain so he can let you know when you've worked too long.

Also, Marie said (on Facebook):

Hmmmm... How 'bout Pip(squeak)? And I think he's British, by the way... He needs a tall dapper hat to go with his wee pair of spectacles, and he's an old soul. He's great with words, and writing poetry on rainy days. [Janna adds here: Plus, Pip is a character from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, so there's that literary tie-in. COOL BONUS.]

How can you beat a name with all that personality? I adore it.

`
Thank you, girls! Mason, if you'd send your address to jannawritesATyahooDOTcom, I'll get your gift in the mail soon. Marie, I'll buy you lunch or somethin', okay? (Marie is a dear friend of mine.)
`
And thanks to everyone who participated or followed along. I had fun! I hope you did, too.

Help Rename My Mousey Muse!

2011-02-09T21:10:00.000-06:00

He's from Starbucks.

This is Huxley. He's "The Mouse Writer." He's sort of posh in appearance, and debonair in presentation. I want to get a tiny pipe, a wee pair of spectacles, or maybe a teeny C.S. Lewis book, and put it in his vest pocket there.

"This might surprise you," he says (on the small card that accompanied him), "but I write stories with my tail. It just takes a bit of ink and some imagination, really."

He sits by my desk, and I see him everyday. He smiles at me, with encouragement, and has the warmest eyes. I'm not convinced the name Huxley fits him, though. I'd like Shane or Phillip or Bim or something like that, I think. Refined but not pretentious.

Want to help me decide what it should be?

It just takes some imagination, really.

Leave your idea(s) in the comment section of this post. By end-of-day this Sunday (02/13/11) I'll pick the suggestion I like most, and we'll have a winner--and a new mousey moniker!

If yours is the name I choose, you'll get a gift from me, as yet to be determined, and which will be (sorta) personalized to the best of my ability.

What name would you like him to have?

Writing's Appeal (repost)

2011-02-07T12:47:00.002-06:00

This is a poem I wrote in July of 2009. I'd been feeling particularly sedentary, and am sure this made me feel a little better, like it justified my stillness a bit. I wanted to revisit it today, because so many of us are dealing with crummy winter weather and that silly cabin fever.

Here, then, is writing's appeal:

He writes to create.
She to storytell.
It's the call of the craft,
it's a love of the skill.

But I'll tell you a secret,
if you'll lean in real close:
I've got one reason
and I like it the most.

Should I be honest?
I suppose I can say:
See, when writing,
being lazy's okay.

You just sit at your desk;
it's the easiest work.
No exercise/exertion.
No way to get hurt.

What? Yeah, you're right,
but side effects are small.
A crick in the neck
or Carpal Tunnel, is all.

I can think of worse things.
I'll give you examples.
Like, would you spot check
those dentures of Grampa's?

Work outside in the yard
on sore, bended knee,
wearing shorts (and underwear
prone to wedgie)?

Bathe the fridge.
Oh, cripes, what is that?
I'll just close the door,
hide the mold in the back.

I could dust the shelves,
ABC all the books.
Make sure all my rugs
have been vacuumed and shook.

But none of that's fun.
Don't you agree?
I'd much rather sit, lazy,
and be writerly.

Random Question #17

2011-01-31T16:34:00.000-06:00

It's nearly time for dinner at our house, and I know what I'm making tonight...

photo from myrecipes.com

RQ: What do you put in your meatloaf?

Nuggets

2011-01-28T09:07:00.000-06:00

I am at the library. I sit on a tall retro stool at a tall stainless-steel table. My notebooks are open, laptop fired up and ready to serve...

Read about my experience at the library, over on the Rose & Thorn Journal blog.

Next, the warm and wise Ana Gonçalves shares how each moment is an opportunity at Pursuing Life, the new blog I recently started with my dear friend and best cohort. Please go read Ana's insightful words, and say hello.

Also, to leave you with a resounding quote:

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Have a wonderful weekend!

Things Would Be Different

2011-01-25T09:33:00.006-06:00

The first novel I wrote was considered by Avalon Books in NYC. When they rejected it--this was December of 2008--I was crushed. I said at the time, on this blog, I feel like my sails have lost their wind. Now--instead of a writer being considered--I'm just a writer. I feel less validated. Like I have to start all over again...

It's been two-plus years.

Avalon is a quality publisher, and I have friends who've found success through them, but I'm glad my pacing was off, that the editors didn't care for my story's element of suspense, and that my hero and heroine lacked tension. I'm thankful they didn't pick me.*

The writer I am now, without that publication, is the writer I'm supposed to be.

I'm working on my third novel. Somewhere between that first book and this one, I've found my true writer's voice. I've learned that women's fiction is my strength. I've better-established and set the path to my long-term goals, not the least of which is agent representation. (Avalon does not require representation of their authors.)

I've added to my resume, and bolstered my confidence, and have become part of some awesome projects. I've honed and practiced and still continue to grow into a better writer.

If Avalon had thought differently, would I have grown in these same ways? Would I have found another path? Or molded to a certain style of writing, a particular avenue of publication that could have stunted my development?

How things could be different. I'm glad they're not. Really.

Do you have a similar story? Whether with writing or something else, has there been a near-miss you're now grateful for?

* I'm also thankful for the small nudge that Avalon's interest gave me, and my drive to write.

Memorable Writing

2011-01-20T06:00:00.002-06:00

When I was in the fifth grade, we were given a project to write our own epitaph. It was a lesson in poetry.
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My maiden name is, well, difficult to rhyme. This is what I was virtually stuck with:
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Here lies Janna Leadbetter.
When she was little
she was a bedwetter.
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(I found my honest and vulnerable root in writing early, I guess.)
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Years later, after my surname changed and I was a new mom, my husband sold wheels to a young man online. When he came to pick them up, and I opened the door, we realized we knew each other. We'd been childhood classmates.
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He said, "I'll never forget your epitaph." And he recited it verbatim.
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That's some memorable writing.
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What would you write as your epitaph, just for fun?

Heaven

2011-01-18T07:51:00.003-06:00

"How's your--"

SLAM!

dad doing?

My alarm and its 5 o'clock music interrupted the question in my dream this morning, but I heard it anyway. And no surprise, it's woven to my sub-conscience, because yesterday was the eight-month mark since my dad's passing.

As I lay in bed before getting up, running over the sadness of that question--How's your dad doing?--I remembered what my five-year-old said last night when I tucked her in.

"We know where Papa is. Papa's in Heaven."

This after no prompting from me. I hadn't shared with her what date it was.

How's your dad doing?

And the answer pressed me, just like I'd pressed the alarm's snooze button.

He's in Heaven.

I trust it because my daughter knows the truth. She is a pure and open channel that way. She knows.

My dad's doing just fine.

Meet Amy Nathan

2011-01-14T08:00:00.004-06:00

QUESTION: What's the worst way to make a great first impression? `

ANSWER: By flipping deep-dish spinach pizza across the table at your dinner companion, of course.

Amy and Janna

Amy and I just laughed, and I dared her to share tale of my clumsiness (which I'm beating her to, I think). No damper on our dinner.

I've known Amy, who is such a great and talented woman, through the power of the internets for what has to be a few years now. And when I learned I'd be visiting an area very close to her hometown, we planned a real-life meeting.

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I've talked about such meetings, with colleagues and bloggy buddies and all, here on the ol' blog before, and many of you have had the same experiences. It's just so darn cool. What pleases my writer's spirit is the connection over words, and the craft, that one can't get just anywhere.
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Amy and I talked about agents (she recently signed with Jason Yarn of The Paradigm Agency!), women's fiction, favorite authors, POV/tenses, premises, plots, and brainstorming about your WIP with habit, as a rule not an exception. Who else can you do that with and not bore your company to silence and disinterest? It's a powerful thing to share the same wavelength with another writer.
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I absolutely enjoyed our time together. Flipped food and all!
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If you've never crossed paths with Amy, go meet her now. Visit her blog and website at amysuenathan.com. She also has a post up at STET! today, so you can find her there. Tell her Janna sent you.
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You should try deep-dish spinach pizza, too. It's good.