Barbara S. Stewart's Blog, page 17

Live YOUR dream! #nanowrimo

I’ve been busy – losing my mind typing words, thinking of words, looking up words, reading words, searching for different words… It’s MADNESS!

NaNoWriMo is a SICKNESS… And I signed up for it one more time. I am currently at a word count of 35,558 of 50,000… What was I thinking?

Oh wait! I know the answer to this! I WANT TO CONTINUE TO LEARN, for each word I type to inch me closer to one word – BETTER! I want to be better, and as crazy as this is, I LOVE IT!

This is my second year and as I skim back over the words this year I see BETTER! I hope you do too…

Gene shared this article with me today – he’s my favorite encourager! (I have several, but he’s my favorite!)

Before you read on – let ME encourage YOU – if you have a story in your head – WRITE IT!!

Love, Barbara

 

By Kara Robart | for Book Business

As an intern here at NAPCO (the parent company of Book Business and Publishing Executive), I am constantly exposed to new, exciting things happening in the publishing industry. Two weeks ago, I wrote an article celebrating this year’s kickoff of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). In that article, I challenged all you publishers to one month of literary abandon in which you (yes, you!) could become authors yourselves. I wanted to take a minute to check in on your progress, and to share my own NaNoWriMo experience with you. That’s right, you are currently reading the words of another first-time WriMo.

NaNoWriMo—in which participants pledge to write a 50,000-word novel during the month of November—is probably one of the crazier things I’ve signed up to do. First of all, before this month, I had not done anything to indicate that I had any latent talent that would enable me to be a novelist. As an English major at a liberal arts college, I’m used to writing papers, sure, but those papers usually cap off at around 10 or 15 pages; 50,000 words come out to around 200 pages. Additionally, the only creative writing class I’ve ever taken is creative non-fiction—not exactly something to qualify me to write a novel.

But I decided to take a stab at it, and guess what? I’m doing alright.

I am currently 25,000 words into a novel that somehow manages to excite me and annoy me in equal measure. I’m pretty sure that means things are going well. I write (approximately) 1,667 words each day and I am on track to finish by November 30. Slow and steady.

Now, for some bright and shiny stars, NaNoWriMo is the start of a career as a professional author; more than 90 NaNo novels have been published, and several have made the New York Times Bestsellers list. Of course, I’m not saying I’ll be one of them. Currently, my characters are disjointed, my storyline seems hopelessly confusing, and I have a couple plot holes a mile wide. But lots of first drafts are awful. And history has shown that some of those awful first NaNo drafts go on to be revised into complete, coherent manuscripts, on their way to publication.

By the end of November, I don’t expect to have a masterpiece. I don’t even expect to have something I’m willing to let another human read (except maybe my mom). But I will—fingers crossed—have 50,000 words that didn’t exist before; 50,000 words that I wrote. And that’s pretty cool.

NaNoWriMo is a time to lock up your inner editor, drink lots of coffee, occasionally fight the urge to rip out all your hair, and to let the words flow without concern for what happens when December hits. So, if you missed out on NaNoWriMo this year, think about giving it a shot when November 2013 rolls around (unless, of course, the apocalypse has happened by then, in which case, never mind). You can even try writing a novel during the month of December instead, or even starting tomorrow. There’s nothing magical about the month of November; the point of NaNoWriMo is putting a story to paper, and that’s something that anyone can do, at any time.

* * *

words that will remind me….

I said a while back that I wasn’t going to post here every day – only when I had something important to say… Today I do….

A very special friend shared this with me in a private message, but as I read it for the fourth time I decided that I NEEDED TO SHARE IT. Thank you, Jeff, for always sharing things that motivate me, things that make me stop and think… Things that make me go, ‘Hmmmmm”. 

This is too beautiful to sit in my INBOX…

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time. This expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.

No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”   - Martha Graham

I’ve said here, before, IF YOU HAVE A STORY IN YOUR HEART, TELL IT! When I was at the Festival last weekend someone told me they wanted to write, and then asked what made me go ahead and take MY LEAP OF FAITH, but before I answered she did… “BRAVERY, right?”. I guess that’s what it was, and reading Ms. Graham’s words made me realize that it’s OK, I know I have so much more to learn, to grow, but I will “keep the channel open”….

SWEET SURRENDER is a free download on Kindle, now through Sunday. If you’ve read it and liked it, let someone else know. If you are reading this and you haven’t read it – it’s FREE, give it a try, and then travel with me on my journey…

Blessed by all of you, Barbara

 

 

Another good week…

Covers in the thought process…

Books are moving (or so I hear! I CAN’T SEE anything!!!)  :)

Editing coming along…..

And…….  I’ve been able to make $180 for The American Cancer Society through my local fundraising events! I would love for you to join the event and walk in HONOR or MEMORY of someone you know who has been touched by cancer, and if you aren’t local or are unable to join us on April 20th at the OakLeaf Soccer Field then consider helping me continue raising funds for The American Cancer Society by supporting my local event: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=50019&pg=personal&px=30357968

I am a happy girl!

Today will be a sofa day – I may stay there all day! The OakLeaf Fall Festival was a great time, but the wind whipped us to death (thank you Sandy!) and I will nurse a raspy (not sore!) throat today to rest up for the week… plenty to do – editing, imagining and finding words… I love that!

Yesterday someone asked if, when I was writing Rock and Roll Never Forgets, I knew it would be a trilogy. I DID NOT, but the closer I got to the end of the story I knew there would be a book two, and as the thoughts for that one came to me, I knew there would be a third book to tie it all up.

I’ve probably said this before, but I’ve discovered that repeating myself is part of growing older, so… get over it! HA! I try to read and learn to help me be better at writing and I discovered that I am a “PANSTER” versus a “PLOTTER”. I “fly by the seat of my pants”, and so far the flight has been good!

I know there is much more to learn and improve on, but for now I am just glad that the next page isn’t known to me until the words appear on the page where I have either typed them, or scribbled them – I love the scribble pages and have a dozen composition books ready to be filled with ideas…. I PRAY IT NEVER STOPS…

I will check in again soon and remember CANCER is a battle we all fight, so find a Relay For Life event and helps us find a cure…

Love, Barbara

P.S – don’t forget, starting Nov 1 – 3rd the first book, Sweet Surrender, will be FREE on Kindle – pass the word! There’s a review on this site, check it out: http://indiepicks.wordpress.com/

 

OakLeaf Relay For Life FUNdraiser event

I wanted to write this morning to tell you about a BEAUTIFUL event last evening and say some THANK YOUS to friends old and new.

My friends came together last night for my first ever BOOK CLUB as a FUNdraiser for OakLeaf (FL) Relay For Life 2013, and I am happy to tell you that we raised $155.00 in the fight against cancer. I’ve been touched by cancer in many ways and this cause has a special meaning to me. I want to thank Jennifer, Donna and Paula for a wonderful meal that went with some of the story line in the book, as well as BEAUTIFUL, and SPECIAL decorations. I also want to thank those who attended and helped make the evening a success, Lynda, Patty, Ashley. Jennifer, Chrissy, Lynne, Rhonda, Tessa, Robin and Crista. (I think I’ve got everyone.)

I’ve never attended a BOOK CLUB before so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but we talked, laughed and shared thoughts on Rock and Roll Never Forgets. I got some very valuable feedback and I think we all enjoyed learning how Andy and Bethy came in to my life. Thinking back on the experience I would have asked more questions, but for some reason I was nervous about it. (I am not the flaming “E” (extrovert) personality that people assume… ha!)

I don’t want to give anything away here for someone who may read this who has not finished the book, but I loved the questions on names and how I chose them, (and I SWEAR that Andy came to me in the middle of the night!) I loved that we talked about how some of the story came about, sharing with you some of the “places” where the story came from and how it evolved. It’s been a piece of my heart for so long, but I wish now I’d anticipated the questions better so that I was more prepared. LESSONS LEARNED for next time….

One thing that I did ask the group was about the cover of the book. It was important to my cover designer (Jeff Manalo) as well as ME that the cover accomplished what we wanted. Everyone said they “got it” as they read the story and someone (forgive me for not remembering) said that they found that they flipped to the back of the book as the read – exactly what we hoped for!  (HEADS UP JEFF – they asked if book two will have the same memory board idea – we got some thinking to do my friend! ha ha ha!)

This has been such a special experience and I am so glad that we did it to SUPPORT RELAY. I’m posting some pictures so that you can see what a beautiful evening it was!

I want to update a few thoughts here – the next book (shooting for Christmas) Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under will NOT be book two. This is a quick read, stand alone so that I can continue to learn my craft. The second book in the Rock and Roll Trilogy, When I Look to the Sky,  will hopefully be ready for publishing in the February 2013 timeframe. Also, I am only going to update the blog when I have something important to share. I will post little messages and updates on the FB author page, so LIKE me there for updates.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Stewart-Author/352239824808537

Thank you for believing in me and following me on my journey!

Love, Barbara

 

 

hey… hey… hey….

Just a head’s up!

In honor of NaNoWrimo, and the one year anniversary of MY JOURNEY! I have a gift coming soon… AND I’m doing this to help promote Rock and Roll Never Forgets (because the distribution package we used this time is UNCHARTED Territory….) Sweet Surrender will be available for another FREE DOWNLOAD on Nov 1st – Nov 3rd. Please fell free to share this and I will repost again, sooner to the FREE PROMO.

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Surrender...

Remember: Nov 1 – Nov 3rd…

THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN ME!

Love, Barbara

Another day…

Good morning!

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve posted anything – been busy, working on lots of projects… to the point that I need an ON/OFF switch on my brain. I started walking each morning a while back thinking it would shut some things down. It kinda sorta but really not so much worked…  :)  The voices in my head travel with me and then I come home and write down what they told me! ha ha!

I’ve had so many offers to proof the next book that it just tickles me! I know you don’t want to look for typos or mistakes – you just want to know what happens next and I LOVE THAT!!! It’s got me thinking of an idea, but it’s just in the thought stages so far… I’ll keep you posted.

Well, Andy is in my head telling me I’ll never get When I Look to the Sky finished if I keep dorking around, so I must go follow a detour back to the main road to make him happy. I love that man! ha ha ha! There’s also a pair of boots that require attention, so off I go…..

Have a beautiful day…

Under Construction

Good morning all!

I woke up way too early – can’t find an “off-switch” for the thinker…

Anyway, I haven’t done “housekeeping” around here in a while, so I did some updates to the site.

Be well! More soon!

Love, Barbara