Laura L. Walker's Blog: Read It, Write It, Create It
February 8, 2018
The Pitfalls of Being A Writer
I love writing. Even if I'm not the best writer in the world (ha ha, not even close), I'm convinced that I was born with a pen in my hand. There is a need within to express myself and explore the world around me through writing. However, ever since I began to write seriously, I've discovered some pitfalls of being a writer along the way. Here they are in no particular order:
1. I don't have much time to read for pleasure. In the past year, I've taken a business-like approach to writing, feeling driven to put out more content while still making sure the quality was there. In the past four months, I've written and published three books including two full-length novels and one novella. Whew! My brain is tired! But the sweet reward is that now I have time to catch up on my TBR list. I've made some good headway on books by Heather B. Moore, Victorine Lieske, Jewel Allen, and a few Christian standbys like Karen Witemeyer and Mary Connealy. I've also discovered some authors like Julie Less man, Olivia Rian, Sarah Creviston Lee, and Michelle Pennington. Great stuff!
2. As you may have gleaned from reading #1, writing is exhausting. You might not think so, having the mental image of a writer sitting at his/her desk, hands flying across the keyboard. Sure, there are times when I get in "the zone" and the words just seem to flow. That sweet spot is a reward all on its own. But most of the time, I'm plunking one key after another, then hitting delete because the dialogue seems too stilted or the action beats just don't make sense. During these times I remind myself that writing is a marathon, not a race. Which is good to know because...
3. No matter how hard I try, there's always someone out there who's better and faster, and their books are so stinking cute that EVERYBODY is buying them. Some authors, it seems, are an overnight success while I'm still plodding along on a half-dead horse. BUT this is a marathon, and the things I'm learning today will help me tomorrow. Also, as the scripture says, it isn't wise to run faster than I have strength. During the Christmas holiday, I was putting in 12-hour writing days because I had signed up for a promotional event on a book that I hadn't finished writing. Wise? No! Have I learned my lesson? If not, then surely my sore arms will remind me.
4. Writing is sedentary and solitary. I'll be honest: I've gained weight since writing full-time, and I'm not happy about it. Also, I have at times turned down play dates for my kids because I was too busy writing. I've become somewhat of a recluse. So now I've decided to do something about that. I started a walking group in my church group. Our mid-morning walks help me to get out of the house and make some new friends. It's been great! I'm really enjoying the sunshine and sisterhood.
Speaking of which, it's time for me to head out and meet these awesome ladies. Thanks for reflecting with me. Catch you later!
1. I don't have much time to read for pleasure. In the past year, I've taken a business-like approach to writing, feeling driven to put out more content while still making sure the quality was there. In the past four months, I've written and published three books including two full-length novels and one novella. Whew! My brain is tired! But the sweet reward is that now I have time to catch up on my TBR list. I've made some good headway on books by Heather B. Moore, Victorine Lieske, Jewel Allen, and a few Christian standbys like Karen Witemeyer and Mary Connealy. I've also discovered some authors like Julie Less man, Olivia Rian, Sarah Creviston Lee, and Michelle Pennington. Great stuff!
2. As you may have gleaned from reading #1, writing is exhausting. You might not think so, having the mental image of a writer sitting at his/her desk, hands flying across the keyboard. Sure, there are times when I get in "the zone" and the words just seem to flow. That sweet spot is a reward all on its own. But most of the time, I'm plunking one key after another, then hitting delete because the dialogue seems too stilted or the action beats just don't make sense. During these times I remind myself that writing is a marathon, not a race. Which is good to know because...
3. No matter how hard I try, there's always someone out there who's better and faster, and their books are so stinking cute that EVERYBODY is buying them. Some authors, it seems, are an overnight success while I'm still plodding along on a half-dead horse. BUT this is a marathon, and the things I'm learning today will help me tomorrow. Also, as the scripture says, it isn't wise to run faster than I have strength. During the Christmas holiday, I was putting in 12-hour writing days because I had signed up for a promotional event on a book that I hadn't finished writing. Wise? No! Have I learned my lesson? If not, then surely my sore arms will remind me.
4. Writing is sedentary and solitary. I'll be honest: I've gained weight since writing full-time, and I'm not happy about it. Also, I have at times turned down play dates for my kids because I was too busy writing. I've become somewhat of a recluse. So now I've decided to do something about that. I started a walking group in my church group. Our mid-morning walks help me to get out of the house and make some new friends. It's been great! I'm really enjoying the sunshine and sisterhood.
Speaking of which, it's time for me to head out and meet these awesome ladies. Thanks for reflecting with me. Catch you later!
December 18, 2017
'Tis the Season
During this time of year I like to read--what else?--Christmas stories to help me feel the spirit of Christmas. Lately, I've even settled in for a Hallmark movie marathon (for me, that's six movies as I'm not much of a TV watcher). I can't help but feel "warm fuzzies" with each story that brings hope, comfort and love. However, with most of these stories, one important thing is missing: the story of the Savior's birth.
When I was asked to participate in a multi-author event, I decided to write a Christmas novella. I've written one before, but this would be different. It would be my first try at historical fiction since the story wouldn't have worked well in our society today. I was both nervous and excited when I decided to try this challenge. This may sound silly, but one of the biggest obstacles for me, both mentally and psychologically, was my lack of knowledge about horses, of all things. Silly, right? Still, I worried that readers would easily see through my poor attempt at writing about a subject that was clearly over my head. And well, horses were the main source of transportation back in the 1800s, so I at least needed to study up on them a little bit. Thankfully, I belong to several wonderful writing groups and was able to draw on the knowledge of others. The writing community is a tight-knit community. There's so much love and support in these groups!
Anyway, I finally pieced together a halfway decent story and published it. To my surprise, it has garbed good ratings, so I would like to share this story with you here. It's called The Christmas Switch. It's about two boys who Switch places on their guardians after a Christmas program in the one-room schoolhouse in their town. By the time one guardian finds out what has happened, it's too late to go back to Switch the boys because a huge storm has rolled in. Luckily, the other parent realizes what has happened much sooner and is able to return the boy in his care to his guardian. But then the storm comes and the two families are stuck in a small house over the Christmas holiday. To read what happens next, purchase The Christmas Switch for only .99 cents.
I actually published a second story this month, a full-length novel, called When the Clouds Lift. This one is an LDS romance about a girl whose impulsive ways frequently get her into trouble. At first glance, you wouldn't think she's very mature. She's kind of naive, a happy-go-lucky sort of gal. But as the story deepens, you'll see her reasons for acting the way she does, and hopefully, you'll also see how she is able to help a guy she used to have a crush on come through a very difficult spot in his life. Not only do they need each other's support, but they truly are perfect for each other. When the Clouds Lift is the first installment in my new LDS series, When Love Happens. Buy it today! I promise you won't be disappointed. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!
When I was asked to participate in a multi-author event, I decided to write a Christmas novella. I've written one before, but this would be different. It would be my first try at historical fiction since the story wouldn't have worked well in our society today. I was both nervous and excited when I decided to try this challenge. This may sound silly, but one of the biggest obstacles for me, both mentally and psychologically, was my lack of knowledge about horses, of all things. Silly, right? Still, I worried that readers would easily see through my poor attempt at writing about a subject that was clearly over my head. And well, horses were the main source of transportation back in the 1800s, so I at least needed to study up on them a little bit. Thankfully, I belong to several wonderful writing groups and was able to draw on the knowledge of others. The writing community is a tight-knit community. There's so much love and support in these groups!
Anyway, I finally pieced together a halfway decent story and published it. To my surprise, it has garbed good ratings, so I would like to share this story with you here. It's called The Christmas Switch. It's about two boys who Switch places on their guardians after a Christmas program in the one-room schoolhouse in their town. By the time one guardian finds out what has happened, it's too late to go back to Switch the boys because a huge storm has rolled in. Luckily, the other parent realizes what has happened much sooner and is able to return the boy in his care to his guardian. But then the storm comes and the two families are stuck in a small house over the Christmas holiday. To read what happens next, purchase The Christmas Switch for only .99 cents.
I actually published a second story this month, a full-length novel, called When the Clouds Lift. This one is an LDS romance about a girl whose impulsive ways frequently get her into trouble. At first glance, you wouldn't think she's very mature. She's kind of naive, a happy-go-lucky sort of gal. But as the story deepens, you'll see her reasons for acting the way she does, and hopefully, you'll also see how she is able to help a guy she used to have a crush on come through a very difficult spot in his life. Not only do they need each other's support, but they truly are perfect for each other. When the Clouds Lift is the first installment in my new LDS series, When Love Happens. Buy it today! I promise you won't be disappointed. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!
September 5, 2017
80 Super September Reads
Another month has come, along with another super ebook sale. If you're a clean romance reader, you'll love all these titles in a variety of subgenres: contemporary, historical, suspense . . . Check them out and stock up while they're hot! Sale ends this Saturday, the 9th of September. http://www.lindzeeaemstrong.com/sales...
August 15, 2017
Awesome August Reads
Wow! August is already finished. It's sailing by so swiftly! For my family, August means the month of birthdays, a new school year starting, and lots of afternoon rain showers for those of us living in southern Arizona (we get more precipitation during the monsoon season than all of the other seasons combined).
What does August mean to you? Some of the same things, perhaps? Maybe some different ones, too? Hopefully, for all of us, August will also be a month of reading. This week, I'm participating in a mega ebook sale. Pacific Coast Wedding ebook is available for only 99 cents, as well as a huge variety of other clean reads. That's great news for me as a reader because I love a good bargain! I can't wait to dig into some of these titles, which you can find here: http://cindyrayhale.com/awesome-augus...
What awesome ebook are you going to read today?
What does August mean to you? Some of the same things, perhaps? Maybe some different ones, too? Hopefully, for all of us, August will also be a month of reading. This week, I'm participating in a mega ebook sale. Pacific Coast Wedding ebook is available for only 99 cents, as well as a huge variety of other clean reads. That's great news for me as a reader because I love a good bargain! I can't wait to dig into some of these titles, which you can find here: http://cindyrayhale.com/awesome-augus...
What awesome ebook are you going to read today?
August 5, 2017
End-of-the-Summer Release!
Hi, fellow readers! It's been awhile since I wrote a blog post. This past spring and summer were pretty crazy in my neck of the woods with school projects, athletic teams for my children, editing for writing clients, and my dad's deteriorating health. During that time, I did manage to get some words down on my Work in Progress (WIP) and even managed to send it off to beta readers...who nixed it. 😟 Not that the concept wasn't good, but the characters needed some reworking. So this is my goal for fall.
In the meantime, my dad passed away, and to help me out of the doldrums, I wrote a short summer beach romance, which I titled Pacific Coast Wedding. It's about a woman taking her twin daughters to their father's (her ex's) wedding and meeting the best man along the way to California. Their interactions from that point on are pretty swoon-worthy, if I do say so myself. But don't take my word for it. You're invited to a Pacific Coast Wedding that will be sure to melt your heart while basking in the warm sun and feeling the salty sea air on your skin. Ahhhhh!
In the meantime, my dad passed away, and to help me out of the doldrums, I wrote a short summer beach romance, which I titled Pacific Coast Wedding. It's about a woman taking her twin daughters to their father's (her ex's) wedding and meeting the best man along the way to California. Their interactions from that point on are pretty swoon-worthy, if I do say so myself. But don't take my word for it. You're invited to a Pacific Coast Wedding that will be sure to melt your heart while basking in the warm sun and feeling the salty sea air on your skin. Ahhhhh!
December 26, 2016
Holiday Giveaway!
Hi! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! I want to let you know about this awesome giveaway for 9 books. Today is the last day to enter. Good luck & happy reading! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...
November 25, 2016
Huge Black Friday Ebook Sale
This weekend, after the turkey and stuffing are just memories, curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a new ebook -- or several! A huge multi-author sale is going on right now through Cyber Monday. You can find a listing with links to each title on my blog: www.lauralwalker.com/cozy-up-with-a-g...
November 15, 2016
New Giveaway!
Check out the fun Christmas package I'm giving away on Facebook in honor of my new inspirational novella being released today!. Enter to win here:https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...
November 2, 2016
Caitlyn's Christmas Wish
I'm excited to announce a new Christmas novella called Caitlyn's Christmas Wish, available for pre-order on Amazon for just 99 cents! In two weeks, this ebook will make its debut. If you love clean romance with just a hint of inspirational themes, this is the story for you! Happy holidays from me to you!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01M2C...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01M2C...
July 8, 2016
Jorie Blogs Again
I was quoted in this blogger's post today. Welcome back, Jorie! https://jorielovesastory.com/2016/07/...
Read It, Write It, Create It
When you can't get enough of the written word, when you finish one story and sigh happily just before reaching for the next, when you put one book down only to think that you could write a better one
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