The Writer creates a state of Anxious Uncertainty, the Reader has Tension in Uncertainity...

I have been away for a while and I apologize. Life just got in the way in so many ways. I am starting fresh and new and this blog is about my current rewrite, I originally wanted to make it a romantic suspense novel. I unfortunately doubted myself and deleted all my tension, and uncertainty. I am now removing my mediocrity and writing it the way I wanted originally so it has the feeling I want it too. I want my story to be a page turner, so I am making it so.

I have said many times that writing is a process, as a writer I want to research everything, as a reader I read everything. I have recently been reading a series of books by one of my favorite authors. Her name is Julie Garwood. She is wonderful at romantic suspense. Here's her website if you are interested in her works.(http://juliegarwood.com/)

 Its funny I used to read her historical novels and then I discovered her contemporaries last summer. She does a wonderful job of weaving the suspense, the passion, an the romance into her books. I am so impressed with them. I am striving to create something like this. I love series books as I have said before and that is what I am writing. It is a strange place to be as a writer when you have others critique you work and then you completely second guess it. Not in a harsh or negative way but thankfully in a constructive way. I keep wondering why I didn't let other people read my story before. If I was being honest with myself I would say its because I wasn't prepared for criticism, or any negatives at all. I understand now that I am confident in my abilities as a writer to allow others to give me feedback. it has taken me a long time though.

I hope I am not the only writer out there that feels this way? I mean we literally bleed, and sweat for some of these pages and stories. In my case the bleeding part is usually because I trip, or fall. I am a genuine klutz. So I may put that in some of characters for comic relief. I usually make fun of myself too. anyways my rambles aside I have been researching how to create the right kind of suspense, and tension. Conflicts and relationships. All these factors are what give us those tense moments. So I am adding them. It is strange going into already made chapters an adding them. At the same time if gives my story more dimension. I have a wonderful villain who is becoming more real as well he is one crazy dude, but so calculating hes scary. It is fun to see him come to life. I cannot wait for others to meet him and fear him. So that is what I am working on at the moment. I have not decided if he gets to survive all four books of if he only makes it to book number two. I will keep you posted.

 In my research I have discovered that the villain is as important as the main characters because he is who propels the story forward in a suspense driven way. I am working on pacing. If you place the action in the wrong segment it looses its fervor. I have learned this through different critiques and I am thoroughly enjoying this process.

The key to this genre, I have learned is to stubbly weave in the actions, the questions, and boom the peril. It is a little strange going back to my draft and weaving these in now, I am kicking myself for deleting them previously. I was so worried that I was putting to many ideas into the story. For example its: like a cake that is decorated to much and you cannot even taste it because of the all the decorations and frosting. That is my best description. Instead of editing some of the sugar flowers, I deleted them all. So not I feel like I am playing catch up, or redo. It is a weird feeling. It is work in progress just like a first time recipe. This is my first time writing a novel so that is what I compare it too.

Again with the recipe reference, I tried a new soup recipe recently and I added to much pasta so it became a pasta dish instead of a soup the next day. I can laugh about it now, same as with my book. I don't want to end up with that again. I am going in like a surgeon and precisely adding, important tension elements, and suspense from my villain. I hope you all will enjoy the final product. I am very anxious to complete it the right way, but it has taken me ten years to complete the book, so I need to remember to take my time with it so that time will be the last until the editor gets a hold of it.

~Life is a work in progress as writing is...Until next time readers, and hopeful writers. Jess =)

The Writer who creates death, the Reader who embraces it with complete emotion and tears.

 Everyone has read that one book, where a character you love dies. It is one of those heart wrenching moments. Sometimes it adds more depth to your protagonist, and other times it is the protagonist. I have read books where I love the character, get all the way to the end and the author kills them! My first reaction is to throw book across room, second reaction is of disbelief. I think their is a small measure of grief that comes with that characters demise even if its in a fictional world. One that tore me apart was when Professor Dumbledore died, I was devastated. I wasn't even sure I wanted to read Deathly Hallows after his demise. It would not be the same. However I did read Deathly Hallows and it was explained why that character died and much of his life was given in that book too. It to this day is still one of my most favorite series of books, and the movies were pretty good too.

 In my book I just finished writing their was a poignant scene in which my guy protagonists mother dies from cancer, it was one of those times I struggled so much as a writer because I loved her so much. I was sad and emotional and I found that I couldn't write it. Instead I had her live to see the happy ending and then after the wedding pass. It was a scene I still wonder if I should include that death scene or leave be.

In my personal life right now I am dealing with the last days of my ailing grandfather he is not doing well and I am struggling to grieve and still be brave for my mothers whose father is dying, my siblings losing their grandfather, and my children who are losing a great-grandfather. I am somehow holding in my grief for the benefit of others, I am not sure if this is healthy but I am dealing with it slowly I think. As soon as he left the hospital after two weeks I understood it was not a good sign, the doctors said there was nothing else they could do. I can handle the facts. Today though I was told by the doctors and hospice nurse said that it will be anywhere from two days to two weeks that he will be gone. It is so strange that now having a date, or supposed date it is final, like its already over. In a book as a reader you don't have time to plan or expect the demise it just happens there is not time to grieve or wonder..It is sudden an awful at times, that is the emotions that the author portrays.

 The book "If I stay."by Gayle Foreman that question of mortality is taken to another plain entirely what if you were trapped between life and death what would you chose? This is a great book if you haven't read it.. I am reading it for a second time. I just rented to movie so I hope that turns out good too. To continue if an author is successful you are also immersed in that story and fully in that pain. It is a type of grief, I think all readers should experience at least once. As a writer however this is more difficult to write, I think because you have to reach deep into yourself an actually feel the pain. That is why I am struggling with it. I feel its necessary to go back into my book and write this scene and with all the emotion I am feeling now with my grandfather it will be raw and genuine I hope it will translate like I want it too.

 Another character and a completely different film that was difficult to see a character die was the one and only Obi Wan Can-obi, it was so sudden and shocking it took a few scenes to actually digest that it happened. I think that is what made it more powerful too. It is funny, if a writer tells the story correctly it doesn't matter if we are in space on on earth, or even a space between life an death we are there and feeling that grief. Yet if that death had not happened would Luke have stepped up and became a Jedi, or if Dumbledore had not sacrificed himself would Harry have done what he needed too to defeat Voldemort? These things not matter how horrible shaped these characters lives and helped them became the brave heroes they needed to be in their story. Without there bravery we would not have wanted Luke or Harry to succeed. Harry avenged his parents, and Dumbledore. Luke was able to see the good in his father when everyone else said he was a lost cause. Even though his father was a villain he died a hero. It made the story that much better with those added deaths, and it gave us the emotional pull to continue to read.

 Real life is like this, I mean we have all these struggles, trials, obstacles to overcome. Health, financial, transportation whatever your trial is, if you didn't have it, what would you have to work for? How would you be grateful for what you accomplished without them. I feel a huge responsibility as the oldest daughter and oldest granddaughter to try and take care of everyone, and it is virtually impossible..Yet I still try to do it. I still put my needs behind those of my family, children, husband. It is something my mother does too. I am most concerned about her because this is her father. He has been in her primary care for the last four years and lived with her. It is especially hard to know that the end for him is coming an I wonder how do I prepare for that? How to I plan, cope, deal. My first reaction is to cry my eyes out. Then I remember I have to be brave for everybody, and strong for my mom and its exhausting yet fulfilling too. I feel like I can do something for her. I wish I could do more.

 This last quote above is one of my favorites. It is so true. I know that this is part of life. My grandfather is 90 years old he has survived multiple wars, multiple heart attacks, the death of his beloved wife of 50 years, and he has managed to stay on this earth for much longer then he planned. However while here he has taught us about, life, love, religion, politics, and he had an amazing sense of humor, always laughing and joking. I remember all the times he made my grandma so mad. These are the wonderful things I will remember. That is what makes it that much harder to say goodbye, because I will miss all those things, all those discussions where he said he had disowned me because i was a democrat, and all those times he made me laugh just because he could. He loves chocolate milk and pecan pie I will never look at those things the same way again but I will always love them. I wish I had said more things to him, or asked him more questions. I do know that I told him every day I saw him " I love you." I hope he knows that. I look at him now an all his fragility, it is so hard to see that strong an stubborn man I have known all my life reduced to this. However I need to remind myself that life is a gift, and I believe he has lived his to the absolute fullest.  I need to follow that example an reach for everything I want out of this life, and no holding back. That is what he has done. I hope I get the privilege to live until I am 90 years old and tell all the amazing stories of my life, and all the amazing books I want to write. I hope I have grandchildren someday that will look upon me with the same love and affection I have for my grandfather and think that I have not wasted this life, I have loved, and lived and laughed a lot.

 So I will leave you with a poem I found.

~Life is a work in progress as writing is...Until next time readers, and hopeful writers. Jess =)

The Writer creates the seasons&scenes, the Reader follows the senses in scenes on that journey.

 I have discovered as I write this blog how much I am learning and it is great to be able to share it. It is almost like I am in college again and striving for that A grade!  In college I took every writing course available until they told me I had to actually take courses that were just for my degree. My original degree had been English but my father had talked me into Business management, I was so bored there was no creative involvement it was one way or you failed. It was taught primarily by egotistical males they talked about all their achievements. Ugh! As you can probably tell I changed my major. Back to English I am very glad I did, my other favorite was history so I took a detour into that degree too. It was a process and still is. Just as writing.

 I have the top photo and the quote really inspired me, I have based my quartet on the different seasons. I noticed with each book their is a definite difference not just in climate, but also in clothes and temperatures, and change in dynamic due to the characters, it is fun to challenge myself to write in all those different seasons. I love that quote is too it really paints a picture, which is what a scene does. Description is important. It gives that very real visceral observation in the story, you have to be able to pull your reader into that scene. It is very challenging to do that without going over board. I have read authors who take the time to describe the beauty of there heroine in every scene possible there is a mirror and we need a description again! So frustrating and it makes you think the heroine is very vain, I lose some empathy for her if I think she is stuck on herself. Ugh! it is very difficult for me to finish a story that is written like that. I want her to be beautiful, but I also want her to be more then that.

 Now mind you I am just stating a proven fact that if you describe the same things too much the reader gets bored. Every teacher of mine in college stated that as well. Now twenty years later I am finally understanding it. One of the key things you learn early on in writing is how to evoke the senses. Sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. An I quote from Wikipedia: "A sense is a physiological capacity of organisms that provides data for perception." I remember my teachers telling me I need more detail, we need to see, feel and smell this environment. I used to struggle with this until I started noticing it in reading. Some writers were amazing and I was completely pulled in. Every sense was involved with the discovery of this person and their story. And after reading another article by a "published author" who said that details were not that important. I went through and deleted most of my detail from my draft and while it was entertaining with dialogue, I was not pulled in. I understand  that more now since I have had others read it. I am working feverishly on adding that to my draft. In this process that continues with each page I write, I am also learning how to edit properly. somethings do not need explicit detail. Somethings just need dialogue and more emotion.

 As I always do in each blog, I mention a person or a book that has inspired me in some way. Any English major or anyone in general knows who Jane Austen was, and her wonderful books. My topic book this time is Sense and Sensibility, lol cause its a play on words and my topic Senses lol..Mostly because it is a wonderful story and as in all her writing you are in the story her descriptions, and emotions so clear an precise and her dry wit contagious. I have read an reread her stories so many times. The movies they have done are very good too. It is amazing to me a women in the that era can translate and we can all relate to the stories more than a hundred years later!

As quoted from Wikipedia:
"Her realism, biting irony and social commentary as well as her acclaimed plots have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics." The link to the website is below if you want to read about her life.

wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen

It is ironic to me that in every one of her stories their is always a happy ending, but in her own life there was not a happy ending. She endured a lot of hardship and illness. Her stories are alive an well with everyone that reads them just as every story should be. This directly applies to the details you give your characters, if you make them believable an relate-able then readers will return to read again and again. I only know this fact from personal experience as a reader. If that author does a good job I will buy their stories sometimes even sight unseen. As a writer I think it is important to remember that readers have no idea where they are in the story until you give the Setting, we have not idea what season it is till you give it the, Scene with the senses involved. In conclusion; The most important element to create, is to make your reader believe in your character completely, relate to them even if they are in Victorian England, and want to see them reach their happy ending. No I go back to writing my happy ending. Here are a couple of books that I can recommend for this topic (Scenes&Senses) are: Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go; by Les Edgerton,Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing);by Jack M. Bickham
 

~Life is a work in progress as writing is...Until next time readers, and hopeful writers. Jess =)

The writer creates the realistic backstory, The reader can encompass that story!

I was talking about the importance of names last time. Now I want to talk about the importance of back-story. How it creates conflict, and emotion and moves the story forward.
I placed pictures of Audrey Hepburn here because One: I adore her, Two: I admire her. She was amazing in an all her movies. The real women was a humanitarian and advocate for basic human rights. My main character starts a non-profit to help other women so they have a place to turn too in any situation. Why did she start her non-profit? Well that is her back-story. So it is important because it gives us the answers to questions and fills in holes, and gaps, with action, emotion, laughs, and conflict. All these are needed to propel story forward. I can relate to Audrey in her movies because she is so genuine. If she was superficial or a snob I would not enjoy watching her films. I have tossed books because of that fact, non-relate-able characters, non-realistic motives. I am a firm believer in Plausible reality. This story can happen in any realm, universe, alien nation. Only if I can relate to that character and why they are there. What they are going through. This were back-story comes in. The who, what, why, and where's.

I have several favorite movies of hers, Roman Holiday ,My Fair Lady, Sabrina  and Funny Face to name a few One particular movie especially; Breakfast at Tiffany's. What a wonderful name Holly Golightly light an bubbly, flirty, it is perfect for this character. She is trained by O. J. Berman, to be in essence sophisticated call girl or prostitute. She adores jewels and men, parties, drinking and no commitment. If this was her only story it would not be very interesting, it would be dull, an I personally would have no interest in it. However her back-story is what makes her the women she is now. She wanted to make a better life for her an her younger brother, everything she does is for Fred, every sacrifice she makes is for Fred, she sells herself just so she can take care of Fred. I can relate to her, because I am a big sister and I would do anything to protect my brother or sisters. If she was not a big sister, or working to provide for her brother. I would have nothing to relate to. I have never been to New York, never bought jewelry from Tiffany's, etc.
When he dies she is overcome with grief. We were sad with her. Her past in the country, her previous marriage,wanting to get away from poverty, and farm life.This desire to change gave us the emotional reason to follow her and root for her success. It is the emotional conflict that pushes the story forward. Whenever you give a character a back-story it gives them more layers to play with, more characters to introduce and for readers to enjoy. As I was adding to my cast, I was created characters and people from my girls past, people from my guys past. It was amazing how much you can add with just one person from the past.  Below is an example of some to the questions you can ask you Character.
Several of my teachers in college suggested a Character profile, and a series of questions to ask them. One teacher explained. "It is as if you were on an interview for the newspaper." I love this idea because I used to be a newspaper editor in high school.  So think of questions you'd ask a nanny for you children, or questions someone woul ask you in a job interview? These are important because this is person you trust your children with, or someone you would hire. This is also where Character traits can come into play. Choosing a good balance between positive and negative traits makes it much easier for conflict to occur. For example: His temper, quick to flair. Her stubbornness, she will not compromise. I can see an argument right here!

Also its what adds depth and personality the one dimension becomes two, or three , or four dimension's. Like Holly Golightly she is described as: the naïve, eccentric, café, society girl. Even in that description she is so much more than that. She was a women trying to make a better life for herself and her brother. Yet all most people saw was a pretty face, or arm candy they could hire. All these things are additions to her story and her character.They can be created individually or can come from past experiences adding another layer to your character. It is so interesting adding layers. In our society today though it is appalling to me how women are labeled and judged by their face, or their weight. Kelly Clarkson is always being hammered about her weight, or Jennifer Garner being accused of being pregnant because she doesn't have a perfect plastic surgery tummy. It is just awful that women have to be criticized like this. So hopefully your characters are not plastic surgery perfect, they have flaws, freckles, frizzy hair etc. They are real. Because real women read romantic fiction.

Above quote is one of my faves of hers. I truly believe she speaks the truth. True beauty comes from within, and how you treat others. A cool few facts about the beautiful Audrey Hepburn the real women not Holly. Audrey Hepburn was the granddaughter of a baron, the daughter of a Nazi sympathizer, spent her childhood and teens doing ballet to secretly raise money for the dutch resistance against the Nazis, and spent her post film career as a goodwill ambassador of UNICEF, winning the presidential metal of freedom for her efforts...And history remembers her as pretty...Let's change attitudes and challenge preconceived notions. Let's evolve! Join the cause.Quoted from Actor and Director Rose McGowan's Facebook page.

We all carry baggage, so the fictional characters have to have baggage as well. Rapunzel? Talk about baggage, her mother for example is  so obsessed with beauty and kidnaps Rapunzel so she can have it all to herself. Rapunzel always has this feeling of not good enough, and she can't do anything thanks to her mothers obsessive tendencies they have contributed to Rapunzel and her views, like everything in the outside world is evil and they all want to kill her for her magic hair. Talk about paranoia right?
Rapunzel however is not timid, she is determined to see her lanterns and have an adventure even if this means going out into that evil world, and disobeying her mother. Heck she trusts a criminal with her care? If she was not afraid, if her mother had not said no their would be no story. She is fierce and loyal and has a mean right hook with a cast iron pan.Yet she also has that innocence and sadness. She has many layers even as a Disney princess. Her desire to accomplish this birthday goal is what propels the story forward. She gets the guy, and a real family in the end too which is awesome.

All of these conflicts are things that happened before our story begins. We as writers should have a clear picture of that back-story before we start. In a perfect world that would be the case lol. In mine however this book has been a process of years so the back-story has come and be added as I go. The chapters have changed from my original outline. When you are working on a lengthy book it is normal that this happens. I thought I was weird or unprepared. I have read and heard I am just like every other writer trying to figure all this stuff out as I go. That is also why I say all the time. Writing is a learning process its constantly changing as we are, and as our characters are.

In conclusion; I never understood how important a back-story was to my readers. When I finished my fourth draft, and had others read it. I had left out important back-story thinking it was taking away from my story. What it did was leave my story with all these holes, and questions, and it gave my readers no association with my heroine. That is the key to any story your reader has to identify with her. She has to root for her, want her to succeed and get her happy ending. I understood the happy ending part. I didn't thoroughly understand how conflict, emotion, and back-story propel that character forward. Now I do. So it is an exciting prospect to me that I have again learned something new about writing, and story development. So do your research and add your layers it makes the story so much more. Add those negative traits as well as positive ones, because we are all not perfect. They shouldn't be perfect either there is nothing to shot for then.

In my next blog, I will go into more detail on how different conflicts emotional, psychological,  and suspense, created from back-story we are writing now to add dimension to the story. Three great books to check out for more information on character development: Creating Characters;How to build story people, by Dwight V. Swain, Breathing life into your characters;How to give your characters emotional and psychological depth, by Rachel Ballon, PH.D., Writing a Romance Novel;For Dummies, By Leslie Wainer, Writers digest has tons of articles to on each and every aspect of writing characters.

Here's a link to one of the back-story articles: http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/write-first-chapter-get-started/weave-in-backstory-to-reveal-character

~Life is a work in progress as writing is...Until next time readers, and hopeful writers. Jess =)

The Writer chooses the names, The Reader brings them to life! (Is a name, just a name?)

I am sure you have all read Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, it was required reading when I was in high school. I fell in love with Will Shakespeare words, before I fell in love with a guy. His language was so romantic and it sounded cool not matter how many different ways you spoke it, or how many different accents used. (This was a fun activity in drama class BTW.) I read every play. I knew every word to Romeo and Juliet.
 Yet, I wonder if I would have loved William Shakespeare had his name been something different like. Albert or Elmer? As Shakespeare said: "What is in a name? That which we call a Rose, by any other name would it smell as sweet."

This brings me to my point this week, How important is a name? Does it really matter? Does it change our opinion of the story or the character. For example my name is Jessica. I am not a fan of my name I will tell you why: Everyone has it. All through grade school, middle school, high school, even college I had at least 5 Jessica's in every class, they had to come up with nicknames sometimes it was terrible. I mean I am grateful my parents didn't name me something weird but, I would have liked something less popular.  I truly think a name has a major impact on the story and its audience.
I mean no matter how gorgeous the guy is described if his name is: Sir Oliver Loser... the first thing that comes to mind is Loser right? Even if the guy is amazing you'll be thinking during the whole book, hes a loser. I have seen this in lots of books. It somewhat ruins the story for me. The other one that frustrates me is names I cannot pronounce. Changing the spelling of common names is great too; Like Jayson, or Mykel. However,it needs to be the same pronunciation, something similar or you have lost the audience in a name. This is a point my college creative writing teachers really pressed upon. I have never forgotten it either.  So ethnic and historical names are great if the general audience can understand them, and say them. Otherwise it is difficult to become part of that characters life and there world if you are not connected, and it begins through the name.  To me the name draws you attention on the back of the book, just like the title and cover draws you attention in the front. This is just my opinion though. I am an avid reader and as such I am looking for these things all the time. My hope is that it will make me a better writer too.

This week I was putting together my extensive cast list for my four book series.
As I was going through my list I realized I had four different Jack's?? What? Now mind you some of these names and characters are ones I had written over ten years ago with the start of this book. So I checked out baby name web sites, and checked out baby name books from the library. I love doing this because I feel like my characters are my kids so I take care when naming them just like you would with your own child. As your child grows so does the amount of friends they have etc. Also I realized a whole family didn't have names, etc. So I thoroughly enjoyed myself while naming them all and there children. I even wrote little bios for each of them. It is silly, but my family has grown larger so I have become attached lol, to them. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet; a name was the enemy, it was what kept Romeo and Juliet apart. It makes for a very dramatic play and story.
   

Characters and Secondary characters are what makes up a story. Some of my teachers had a firm belief that the secondary characters need to have as much back-story as the main characters. This works great for me because, I write in series so the same characters carry on to their own stories. This was a hugs drawback when I first began my story. I loved my secondary characters so much, I would jump from head to head, voice to voice, taking away from my love story and my heroine and hero. That I have learned is not what you want to do. I have learned to mention things small and little things here and their instead of huge monologues by them.

The coolest thing about a name I think is what it means to you, why did you chose it? When I chose the name, I can see the person, and they start to be real, it was an amazing discovery this week. With all that research in names, and characters, and small bios, I found new story ideas, and new scenes I can add etc. it opens doors when you find the right name. Keep in mind though when you are dealing with a period piece or a historical novel you need to make sure the name is accurate. I am pretty sure they didn't have all the Apples, and Kelsey's, and Maddison's that they do now. So its always important with cultural references too, specific cultures chose specific names based on religion, beliefs, family etc. so all those need to be considered too.

~Life is a work in progress as writing is...Until next time readers, and hopeful writers. Jess =)

The Writer who continues to learn, The Reader who continues to be inspired!

 I have discovered that everyday, I learn something new! It is fascinating to me! You think that after you reach a certain age you stop learning. I am happy to say, I am not one of those people. I think that the same thing applies to writing, it is a constant learning experience. When I started this blog I truly believed I had written a masterpiece. It was a marvel lol. Well maybe not that dramatic. Then I let others read it, I received great feedback, and then some that made me think? They wanted more details?  My logical and analytical mind had deleted those. I had convinced myself they were not necessary? Another person said they fell asleep because they were too tired to finish it. That at first upset me. Then I see how hard she works and I understood. My story was not memorable? I also realized I could print this copy tomorrow on amazon for free, but would it be my best work? Would it be something people would not want to put down, and be anxious for more? In its current state I think it is good but not great. I am sure I have not met any writers that believe there work is not great or a marvel. I am positive they are like me though and eventually see that is it incomplete and needs more. Everyone listens to there doubts and wonders if that is true this time its true. I am convinced that the feedback... I have received is positive and it is pushing me more to make something better. SO I am! For this I am so grateful for having the courage to share my book with others. It has been anxiety and stress filled with a wonderful result. I recommend it to all writers. Be Brave and let your baby walk to to others. You will see her differently not with rose colored glasses!

 I have had a few epiphanies lately with my Male characters. I have been developing back story for my second book and I realized, I had hardly a page of back story for the supposed finished first story. Why? Well because I had let my doubts take over, and I edited it too much. I read so many others say details take away from story. I have a tendency to listen to complete strangers in books more then trust my own instincts and inner writer voice. I have finally realized my writing includes these details, my scenes breath because of them and without those little details my page is bland and uninteresting. There were also complete scenes I had removed, when others read it, they asked what? Why did that happen?  I have all these wonderful ideas tucked into my head. I had not put them on paper yet because, I was not sure how they would affect my plot. Now I have discovered the key to blend them all together through out book one and book two! Had I sent this out already I would have not seen this, an had I kept my baby locked up tight and never shared it, I would have never looked at it as a READER. I have discovered, in order to be a good WRITER I have to be a good reader too. I have also figured out the reason so many people get rejected by editors is because they spend so much time making the story average and marketable they lose their voice. That is when the original story leaves and mediocre story begins. I will not have a mediocre story!

 This wave of discoveries has been a breakthrough for me. In conjunction with my epiphanies, I have also discovered that music plays a large part in my writing as well. I have developed playlists for each of my stories, the vibe I was thinking of and in doing so I have found so much inspiration in the melodies and the lyrics. I have loved music all my life. I have never thought it effected my writing? It does immensely in a positive way. Three songs have really inspired me lately. "Try" by Colbie Cailat, "Human" by Christina Perri, "Begin Again" by Taylor Swift. They are three songs that really describe my girl to a tee, and it is so cool listening to them and seeing my character come to life. Its like that quote below.

I am a reader, and I adore quotes. Sometimes I spend hours looking for them. I am particularly fond of ones about writing. I find one that speaks to me, encourages me, and uplifts me as a writer. Which might sound cheesy but it is true with all quotes I think we are constantly looking for that one quoted that fills us with hope or happiness and gets us through to next faze. Then once you have that it seems all else falls into place. This week alone I have wrote over 100 pages in the book that was already finished! It is funny because I am reading it and seeing all these things I thought I added, and realize I had taken them out on one of my editing nights. I lost a lot of my creative voice when I started listening to my logical and analytical one! I need to block those two out with more music I think!!

 So my fellow readers&writers, be anxious for my published work, but know that time is not now. It is still something I am perfecting. The wait I hope will be worth it for all of us. Also never stop listening to"that inner voice that says this isn't right." It is your characters telling you their story is not done, it needs to be more, it needs those extra details and dimensions to make it memorable not like every other book out their.

~Life is a work in progress as writing is...Until next time readers, and hopeful writers. Jess =)

The Writer who overcame writers Limbo, The Reader who is researching and seeing locations come to life!

 One of my favorite things to do when writing is look for photos that inspire me. A name, a place, a flower, whatever sparks the muse or mood I guess. Every once in a while I find a photo I love and I have to find out more about it. My current book has a character from Missouri, it is where my mother grew up and I have always wanted to visit. Thanks to the amazing internet I can visit their. The left is a photo and below are of Rock port, Missouri..I loved the fact that it was black and white and also was charming. The classic buildings are adorable. I decided my girl needed to grow up here.  My research has been so much fun. All of my stories are set in Portland, Oregon where I grew up. So I find the city and all its buildings amazing. Portland is great in that it restores the old and meshes it with the new buildings. In some areas it looks as if you stepped back in time, just like Rock Port below. England is also a place I have always wanted to visit. Wikipedia is one of my favorite sites on the internet and I love that I can find small towns and villages there.

The next set of photos are of Overton, Hampshire, England. Where my girls dad grew up. I chose these towns based on the photos. It is beautiful how a town or a moment can be captured behind the lens. I hope I am able to capture that in my stories as well.

There are so many times during this writing process when I am just overwhelmed there are so many books out there to read. So many versions of what to do, how to write etc. I have found this is my way. Research, visuals, and sometimes going in person to a location to see it, feel it, smell surroundings etc.

The above photos are of the Pearl district  it is one of my favorite places in Portland, Oregon. It is fascinating to me that a warehouse district is now an upscale shopping an restaurant district, it also boasts loft living at its finest! Below is my current building. I found a photo of this. Just its corner. The first shot of the brick building was all I found on the internet. I only had a street number. So I went in search of this actual building in the Pearl. It is better in person then online and the buildings around it are too. Below are some of the photos.

Around this area is also my other place to be when not writing Powell's city of books. It is one of the things our city is famous for and it lives up to its name.

Below are quotes I love, they describe writing in its essence..

Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow

A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket. ~Charles Peguy

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

So I am happy to say my writers block is gone hallelujah!! As a reader I started reading my story as a  it has been great, except for a few parts... (well stuff I forgot to add, my poor readers glad I caught it!) Documented above is my research has lately on my current book, and adding to finished book...

~Life is a work in progress as writing is...Until next time readers, and hopeful writers. Jess =)