Ok, found this little tidbit at Jurgen Wolff’s blog, thought I’d try it.  The exercise for day one is to “Identify your most cherished writing dream”.  We have to visualize it with all our senses, so here goes.

I’m giving a humorous speech over at the local college about the long, bumpy road to becoming an author, full tme writer and published novelist.  There are a stack of my newly printed novel on the table, which met rave reviews in P&W, where I have an interview scheduled later this week.  “Mother’s Heart” is literary and cross-cultural and according to some press, “resonates with mothers everywhere”.  Readership on Mom Blog is through the roof, and lost of people have bought the book.  I get a big laugh about my wall of “rejection emails”, and a woohoo about the first short story writing contest I won, with a cash prize of $500.

Even as I answer questions, I have this fantastic idea for my next novel…

A Career in Creative Writing: I had an interesting week as a writer.   I found this new podcast called “The Secrets“.  (It was pretty easy to find the archive through iTunes.)  Mike Stackpole makes a full time living as a creative writing, reason enough to listen.

I started by going through the podcasts about “career” and something occurred to me.  I don’t think I’ve ever considered actually making  a living this way.  I’ve always thought that being a writer meant you picked your medium (for me, novelist), and then got an idea, plugged away at the novel (there’s more than enough formulas to learn from), and when you were done, shopped it around and started the next novel.

WRONG.  I mean, not wrong, actually, but I never thought about it more than that til this year, and never ever considered making a living as a full time creative writer.  That means doing novels and most likely short stories too.  Stackpole offered some amazing advice on this topic.  Since this is (without doubt) my calling, I decided that I am going to consider working towards this as my eventual goal.  Now, it does mean that I need to do things that at present I’m not even sure I have the confidence to be able to do.  On the other hand, if it’s my divine calling, and I TRY my best to work at the objectives proposed by those who are experts at making this kind of living, then why not?

On genre: I just finished watching “The Seeker”, a film recommended by an SF/FF I know as an adult-worthy kid flick  It is a pretty good film.  Of course, it is based on a book and it is geared for the YA audience.  What I really liked about it was that far more than other YA book-based films (”Narnia”, “Harry Potter”), THIS one made me think of the kind of stories I liked to make up as a kid (before the concept of “writer” was on the table as a career possibility).  I think this appealed to me more because of the whole time travel aspect, which I’m a freak for (thanks to “Wrinkle in Time”).  I wander, if I’m really going the SF/F writer route, should I explore this genre (YA)?  Just some food for thought…

Books on My “Next” List:  There are two I’m excited about:

1.  “Book of Lies” by Brad Meltzer.  Thanks to Citizen Mom for bringing this to my attention.  Murder, the Bible and conspiracy, and a really COOL trailer (with Joss Whedon no less).  Shades of Dan Brown??
2. “Veil of Roses” by Laura Fitzgerald.  Saw this in the store, and as soon as hubby is employed and I can buy books again, this too will be in the next round.  Only caught her site because she is a fellow WIFFER, you ROCK, Laura!

That’s it.  Over to mom-blog to update…g’night.

Susan to the writing community, hello!  Susan is a friend from the great bunch of talented web mavens over at women designers group and she asked me (of all people!) for writing advice…does that mean I’ve “arrived”??  lol…

She is going to write fantasy/paranormal for tween girls.  She has decided to jump in and go for it.  NO, she hasn’t but I’m trying to persuade her.  If you have the bug for a story, you should just write it. Why not?  Worst that could happen is you could discover this is not for you..No, actually the VERY worst that could happen is you fall totally, completely, utterly passionate in love with writing, realize it’s your CALLING and then fantasize every minute of every day about quitting your day job and hiring a full time nanny too. (ROFLLMAO)

But since Deal or No Deal has not yet telephoned, I guess that’s just a distant dream…

Good luck Susan, keep us posted!

Ok, I asked my women designer’s list, since I know they are a bunch of readers, to recommend some stories, as I keep hearing “read your genre”. So here is a list of what has been recommended to fit my particular (read as “finicky”) tastes:

• Guy Gavriel Kay? Particularly the Fionavar Tapestries (thanks Joni)
• Recluce series by L. E. Modesitt Jr. (hats off to Tina, who did homework on this for me)
• Sherrilyn Kenyon Dark Hunter novels and Breed series by Lora Leigh-more SF’y (shout out to Faye)
• David Eddings esp The Belgariad (5 books), The Mallorean (also 5 books), Belgarath the Sorcerer, and Polgara the Sorceress; Anne McCaffrey (without dragons); Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar; Andre Norton. And Terry Pratchett; Timothy Zahn; Roxann Dawson’s Tenebra Trilogy (from my extremely well-read pal, Margie)
• Janny Wurts and Raymond Feist; CS Friedman on ley lines (Thanks Shelly, knew you’d contribute)
• Sherwood Smith; Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls; Carol Berg’s Flesh & Spirit and Breath & Bone; Robin Hobb (thanks Debbie)
• George R. R. artin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (Thank you Sara!)
• Black, Red, and White books by Ted Dekker. (cool rec by Karey)

And of course, Marion Zimmer Bradley (RIP), Ursula LeGuin and why didn’t anyone mention Octavia Butler? I believe she has a book on mind control?

FWIW, someone recommended “A Thousand Words for Stranger”, not really my cup of tea, although I did really enjoy the parts about the Mihr…made me think differently about my novel. I also like the whole “woman with no memory on the run” and the love story, but I just cringe at non-humanoid aliens, unless they are visiting aliens (like in Butler, or “The Sparrow”). Too much Star Trek as a child I guess (the James T. Kirk/Spock variety, but I am a sucker for the Picard/Data series too…)

Cool word, pandemonium, isn’t it? (Better make sure I haven’t spelled it wrong!)

What’s new? Lots. Life is in deep, deep crisis. They say that God only gives you want you can handle…I’m not so sure anymore. But writing is keeping me SANE.

Tried to work tonight but couldn’t…that is, web work, my bread & butter, critical now. All I want to do is writing…all I want to do while I’m working my job is write.

I’ve made some interesting commitments:

1) 15 minutes a day, at least on week days, of writing CRAFT. That is, not worldbuilding or exercises or editing, just actual writing, but when I can combine with world-building, awesome!

2) Listening to I should be writing podcasts, from #1, daily. Two to four per day, depends how long they are and what I’m doing. Mur Lafferty rocks!

3) Screw it, I’m going for it with my fantasy book. I’ve invested so much into it, I can’t let it go. To that end, I’m working on Holly Lisle’s worldbuilding book. Was hoping to take her course, but with our current income handicaps, no way…at least not yet! I’ve decided this because the genre is so well-established and is full of REALLY awesome people. Also, local writing group has many serious authors, some published in this genre, very helpful group too.

4) This does not mean I won’t pursue my dream of writing historical or literary fiction. Or both, or a combination. Turns out I’m really interested in wars, particularly from the POV of families. I really want to write something that involves the Iraqi war, and something about Americans too. Not sure where this is going, but oh well… Thus I need to do other writing.

5) the funniest thing I’ve seen all week:
http://matociquala.livejournal.com/1453086.html

SIGH, I miss my cats…I lost THREE of them, and only once was I remotely responsible. phooey…

I’m going to log off now, because as Mur Lafterty says every week, I should be writing (and you too!)