Musings of a Hopeful Author

As I finally turn my attention from Part I to Part II of what is anticipated to be III parts of this book, I thought it might be nice to introduce you to some of the places we've visited thus far and will be visiting in future chapters. Here are a few images to get you in the right mindset for the time period. Ellingsworth, Nebraska (or similar such images) - Amelia and Peyton's hometown New York City, 1910 - Amelia's home when she grows up Gideon, Arkansas - Peyton's home when she grows up These might seem like obscure or random places at the moment, but they will become more real in the story if/when you read through it.  The orchard will play particular significance for Peyton, so keep an eye out for it in Part II.

Mr. Darcy's Little Sister by C. Allyn Pierson My rating: 3 of 5 stars While I did enjoy this book, I don't think that it necessarily went that well with Pride and Prejudice. Yes, it used several of the same base characters, but I think it would have been better to have invented a whole new group and develop relationship points on its own while borrowing some (like having duel dual guardians) when needed. Why do I think this? Mainly because she changed the voices of characters like Elizabeth and Darcy. While she described their personalities in a way that supported their original depiction, their dialogue was just different. I also felt that the use of "my dear" and other such endearments in nearly every conversation made for a slightly annoying read. By the end of the book, I almost felt as though any dialogue that didn't have such a qualifier must have accidentally slipped through the cracks, and I hated having such a petty feeling about a book I otherwi...

I know I'm supposed to be writing (and I am!), but I wanted to give a quick update on my attempt to read FIFTY books this year.  As of right now, I have completed 47 books!  I am 13 books ahead of schedule and well on my way to not only meet my goal but beat it! That said, I do feel that I need to make a few stipulations.  First, 3 of those 47 were books on tape.  Unacceptable?  That's debatable, but I am going to try and read an extra three past 50 to make up for the difference so that I will have a clear conscience when it comes time to see the ultimate total.  Second, not all of these books have been classics or books that are known to improve your mind.  In fact, quite a lot of them are beach reads at the best of times, but I don't care!  I loved reading them!  I have found a new author that I really enjoy, and so I will continue to read (and reread) her books forever.  What is the purpose of being able to read if you can't rea...

In an attempt to be slightly more productive than I have in recent days/weeks/months, I have setup a type of incentive structure to help me keep my eye on the prize.  I am supposed to write at least one new chapter every week or two and send it to my friend Melanie.  She's been my main go to for feedback on my stuff in recent years, and has kindly agreed to help keep me honest in this effort.  She has a series of repercussions lined up for me in the event I get distracted and wander off the writing path again.  But more importantly (at least hopefully), is the fact that I have a deadline to shoot for and someone other than myself waiting for it.  I don't know if it's the trait of an only child or if it's based on personality or if it's just way more common than I realize, but I am loathe to do most things simply because they benefit me (sad I know).  However, if someone else is depending on me, I step up without question.  This was true regarding readi...

I think I must enjoy making my self-assigned tasks as hard as possible.  Writing, for instance, is not the easiest of things to do, at least not well.  Why then do I decide to set nearly all of my stories in other time periods?  Sometimes I feel as if I hardly know anything about the time I am living in, but even that amount of knowledge is considerably more that the times in which I set my stories.  Completely ridiculous.  Not only that, but I tend to also like to set the stories in other locations, not just outside of my hometown, but in places I have never visited.  So, a time period I am unfamiliar with in a place I have never seen.  Nothing to to that... right?  Then tying in plots, characters, etc. is just a lot of work. Granted, I enjoy learning the answers to the questions that arise through the research that becomes necessary, but it can be a bit hard.  I think it might be easier if I still had access to online journals, etc. li...

So, apparently the story has to take place in the location reference, the story can't simply mention the location at some point in the story... I found that out Sunday morning, so a new story was written Sunday afternoon and ultimately submitted.  I guess I should read the instructions ahead of time in future competitions, but where's the fun in that?! If you're interested in reading the ill-fated short story that I initially wrote, but couldn't submit, please refer to the short story section of this blog and look at "In the Glare of the Hotel Roxy." If you read it and have any feedback, please comment on this post.

So, in view of my lack of progress on the writing front, I have decided to try my hand at another writing contest.  It's a "flash fiction" challenge that gives you 2 days to write a story in 1,000 words based off of the prompts they've assigned.  My first assignment is: Genre: Suspense Location: A Dark Alley Object: Chocolate Milk I don't know about you, but that's a rather odd assortment.  And as was the case with the previous contest, I am not much of a fan of the assigned genre.  Needless to say, that makes the whole thing a but more challenging.  Add to that you have to build a chocolate milk laden suspense story in 1,000 words, and you have quite the test. So far so good in that I at least have an idea for a story.  I had three right off the bat, in fact.  Two of them were about men going into the alley.  One man went because he heard someone screaming in fear and he wanted to help them.  The other man went because he was running...