The Love of Reading

  I have always loved to read or to be read to. This could very easily be a picture of me. I read everywhere and everything.

In the morning, getting ready for school, my mother would prompt me (a nice way of saying she fussed) to stop reading and eat my breakfast. In the evening, she would tell me I couldn’t bring my book to the table. I would sneak and read books at my desk in school when I should have been listening to the teacher. Maybe that’s the reason math takes me a bit longer.

In any case, I read every chance I got. I still do. Sometimes there's a war within between reading a new book or writing a new story. When the book wins, I justify it by telling myself, this will help me to be a better writer. And that is the reason this post is late.

What am I reading? It’s a wonderful YA entitled, Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu.

Sunrise on Easter

Good Morning! Sunrise and new days are rich with fresh starts and second chances. It’s Easter morning and there’s nothing that exemplifies this better than today. Tradition has us decked out in new clothes, big dinners with family, and the all-important egg hunt. All of this is followed by stuffing ourselves with great treats.

For me the best treats in the world are time with family and friends (especially grandchildren!) and quiet time for a good read. These usually do not happen at the same time. I find it difficult to laugh and tell wild stories and read all at once.

So today I get a second chance to spoil my grandchildren, again (their parents would say I never stopped the first one), another opportunity to appreciate the ones I love and those who love me, and more time to write more stories.

Enjoy your second chances. Happy Easter everyone!

To Write or Not to Write, There is no Question

This picture reminds me of my journey to become a published author. I work to improve my craft. I get good ideas. I paint their picture in words. Then with the help of my critique group, I revise and revise until finally it’s ready to submit.

I search among the agents, whose numbers rival the stars, for the ones that seem a good match for the piece. I dredge up the confidence to send it out and then I wait. And wait. Until finally I hear from them and this is what they say, paraphrased of course.

I great story, but it’s not for me. I no longer represent this type of story. Wonderful characterization, great emotion, believable dialog, but… There is always a ‘but’. This piece would be better suited to someone else. I’m just not in love with the story. You deserve to be represented by someone who…

So there I stand in the desert of publication waiting for that final, refreshing drop of…I think this is great, I’d love to represent you and your work. One day it will come.

The Making of a Story

I am often asked where I get ideas for a new story. The answer is, they come from everywhere. I can see a dog digging a hole. Most people think that the dog is digging up something it has buried, or some small animal disappeared down a hole and the dog is going after it. Not me.

I think about the dirt flying through the air and see small universes being scattered, or I wonder if something from the center of the earth will escape into our realm through that hole, or I wonder if the fleas have taken control of the dogs mind and that they are giving him an alternative to scratching them.

All of these things, and more, roll around in my mind and smolder like this volcano until they grow into a plot line and erupt into a story. Everything I see is grist for the creative story mill. So the next time you catch me staring, beware you could end up in one of my stories.

Dark No More

I have been dormant for far too long. I could list a million reasons (eg, I moved out of state, my husband retired, weddings, showers, births, etc), but the fact would still remain that I have neglected you. Well, no more! So here is my first offering in a very long time.

I've decided to explore the world of short stories and flash fiction. I have found that I really am enjoying it. One of the reasons is that I get a new idea and I can get to the end within a few days! I am not abandoning the world of novels, instead, I am adding this new love. I decided to start posting them on my website www.stephaniejefferson.com  I'll keep you up to date when I post new stories. You can read Swan Song

There will be more to come, here and on the site.

Discipliine

I've been working on maintaining a writing schedule. It's been over one month now and so far so good. I'm writing everyday and loving it.  The change of mindset has helped me tremendously. I'm working on another book about ancient Africa and revisions on the first one.

It's amazing to me the things I thought worked, but really don't. Revising has shown me the difference of how I wrote then and what my work is like now. What's got me worried is if I thought that was good writing, what will I think of how I write today a year from now.

I must continue to remind myself that the important thing is that I grow as a writer. Every story will get better each time I create one, or so it should. At the end of the week, I will print out the revised book and read it through. On the one hand, I am looking forward to seeing what it has become. On the other hand, I'm hoping all of the changes work and that it flows the way it is supposed to.

As the saying goes: the proof is in the pudding. We will see what we will see.

Really Doing It

I have been back from vacation for 4 weeks now. Everyday I have made good on my commitment to treat my writing like I would a job. So, every morning at 10AM you will find me in front of my computer writing away. And doing it happily.

It's funny, for years I have heard that to be a successful writer I need to be writing everyday. I guess I never believed it. I thought that if I wrote on a regular basis that would be enough. I have found that writing everyday is a far cry from writing on a regular basis. I guess I would have to admit that they were right.

What I have noticed in this short time is amazing. My writing has dramatically improved. It has even affected the my recognition of problems within the piece.

I'm not completely sure why I never did it before. I used excuses like I'm too tired after coming home from work. Or, I need to wait until I get inspired. And there's even the excuse that I have to wait until I can figure out what happens next. Unbelievable. Now that I can see the difference in my writing for myself, I am determined to continue this practice.

Yesterday a friend sent me an email about a writing contest for YA writers. It's being sponsored by Guide to Literary Agents. In order to submit to the contest they ask that you mention the contest in your social media, so I'm doing it here and on my Facebook page. The prizes are: a critique by literary agent Tamar Rydzinski and a free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com. I'm game. How about you?

It's Good to be Home

I just got back from my critique group. It's been a long time. Being with a group of incredible writers feels wonderful. My vacation was great, but I missed being with them. I missed the learning. I've come to love the comments they make on what we all write. I so appreciate the time they take with my work.

When I first started writing I dreaded critique. I thought everyone was telling me what I was doing wrong. In some crazy way I thought they were criticizing me. Man, was I all wet. Now I know they are telling me how to make each piece better. I look forward to seeing how this group of talented people will help me polish my work.

Today there were ghost stories and stories about vampires. After all it is that time of year. There were also stories about Christmas, historical issues, and even a visit to a bog.

I am stoked! Let's see what I can turn out this week.

Time to Head Home

It's time to go  home. This is our last night on the road. We've been traveling so long that I'm having difficulty remembering the day and date; although I have to admit it doesn't bother me one bit. It's been pleasurable and exciting. We traveled to places I've never been and spent time with friends I haven't seen in a long while.

Our last stop has been Arizona. It's hot, but no humidity! Now I have a really good reason for not moving east of New Mexico. Visiting is fine but I don't think I could live there. After all, I do enjoy wearing clothes that aren't sticking to me all the time, and dry hair is a definite plus. I have no idea how my friends do it. I've asked them. All they say is 'you get used to it.' Used to it? Why on earth would I want to do that?

So we're relocating here, Prescott, Arizona. It's small enough that things still move slowly, but large enough to provide all of the amenities of the larger cities. It reminds me of my home in Twin Peaks, but not as secluded.

Now I have to plan the move. The worst of it is going through all of our belongings to decide what things we'll take with us. OMG! I can't believe we have so much junk! A lot of it is good junk, though. We have some cool stuff; a potter's wheel, a very large air compressor, a drawing table, bookshelves, and books. I have hundreds of books. Parting with them is going to be really hard.

I guess I could donate them, but that means I won't have them to read anymore. I don't know if I can part with them. So what if I've read most of them, I could always read them again. I've read some of them two and three times. And what about the ones I haven't read yet? Do I donate those, too? Decisions, decisions.

Humidity

Oh my goodness, the humidity is almost as bad as the toll booths. It never occurred to me how the country maintains its lovely green fields as we travel across the states. There are no sprinkler systems. Nor are there huge rigs spread across the hillsides keeping things green. IT'S THE HUMIDITY!

I have often complained to my friend in Iowa that her lawns are green without her having to do much of anything to keep them that way. In California I have to use lots of water if I want my lawn to stay lush and green. Not to mention the juggling act I have to keep up between the drought and the home-owners association. The water company says to stop watering because of the shortage and the association says we have an obligation to keep the grass green and attractive. It's crazy making.

If we lived in any of the states we've visited, we wouldn't have that problem. The water for their lawns comes right out of the air. That brings me right back to the problem of humidity.

How on earth do the people here make it. It's hot, sticky, and I feel like I'm going to drown with every breath. What makes it worse is that when you walk through open markets or the entrances to shops they have misters spraying the air with even more water. What is that about?

I get that they're trying to make it cooler, but it only increases the water content of the air. Sometimes I have to go into a shop just to be able to breathe. I feel like I should get a rebreather just to make it down the street. There must be a trick to breathing here. I haven't figured out, yet. Maybe I should ask somebody. I wonder if they have gills, or maybe there's some other secret they're not telling me about.

Oh, well, I heading back toward the desert, now. It's hot there too, but at least I'm not in danger of drowning.

Thoughts and Writing

I've been traveling across the US with my husband since the beginning of August. We're due home by the end of September and we're enjoying all of the in between. While we were in Charleston, NC we attended a jazz festival. The music was great from start to finish. As usual it began with the lesser known/beginning artists and moved up the chain of experience and fame to the headliners, Spyro Gyra. This group has been playing since the 1970's. That's over thirty years of experience and it definitely shows in their music.

I was blown away by their talent, composition, and showmanship. It started me thinking about my own writing and the career I hope to have. It all comes down to time; time spent learning the craft and practicing the craft.

When I question my success it leads me to important questions: What is the extent of my commitment? Am I doing all I can to grow and improve? What is my resistance to greater commitment? Am I willing to pour my all into my writing?

It would be easy to say, 'yes', but would that be the truth? Looking at the time I've spent writing while traveling I'd have to answer, 'no'. So what am I willing to do about that?

I think what I need to do is sort out what I'm willing to do and take a long hard look at what that means in terms of the success and goals I want to achieve. The concert was very helpful in bringing me to this place. I've been here before, but not with such clarity about who I am and where I need to go from here.

The first jazz group was good. I enjoyed their music and would listen to them again. The second performer was Euge Groove, a very talented young man possessing great showmanship. He included the audience in his performance, gave the listeners what they were hoping for. I would definitely buy his CD. The last group, Spyro Gyra, was beyond beyond. Their music took me on one journey after another. My emotions were slammed. Their sound had color and texture.

How does this relate to writing, more importantly, my writing? It was clear to me that each performer was in a particular stage of development. I would say that I'm almost to the level of the first group. Again they were good, but not great. Euge Groove can be compared to the up and coming writer with a few books out there on the shelves, but clearly working on their craft and getting better with each new work. And Spyro Gyra, they're at the pinnacle of what is possible to achieve.

Each has invested considerable time and energy to get where they are and will likely continue. What about me? Will I?

The Toll Booth Saga

You all know that I'm on a massive road trip. We've been to Arizona, New Mexico, Iowa, and we're now in New Jersey. Visiting with friends has been lovely; getting to them, not so much.

The jaunt from Arizona to New Mexico was enjoyable. I looked forward to visiting with family friend I hadn't seen in over ten years. It was great, we just picked up where we left off. After several fun-filled days we left New Mexico and headed for Iowa.

Things were going fine, great weather, clear roads. Then we reached Kansas. Entering the state we went through a toll booth and accepted the little white piece of card stock with the magnetic information strip on the back and thought nothing of it. We later pulled into a KOA for the night. I should have known that the bold, bright red lettering across the top of the campsite map indicating the storm shelter was an omen for things to come.

Oh, the weather was fine. not a cloud in the sky. We even spied a gaggle of geese on the way out of the campgrounds the next morning. We got back onto the highway without any problems. Traffic was good. Off in the distance we could see another of those toll booths. No worries, right, we'd just pull up to the window insert that ticket we received the day before, pay the toll, and be on our way. Ha! No one told us it would cost us $23 to leave the state! OMG, $23 just to drive through!

We paid it and went on to Iowa. The scenery along the way was beautiful. We arrived in Iowa with little trouble and spent a week with another wonderful friend. At the end of the visit we started out for New Jersey.

We traveled through Indiana, another pleasant drive. We paid a small toll in Ohio and made it all the way to Pennsylvania and spent the night there. The KOA was great. They even had a small petting zoo, two goats and a cow, well, technically he was a bull.

We left the next morning and encountered another toll booth, because the last one we encountered in Ohio had charged so little we thought nothing of it. We accepted the ticket and traveled on. Little did we know this would be more of a Kansas experience.

Leaving Pennsylvania we arrive at the booth at the state's border, inserted the ticket and waited for the total due. $32!!! We they kidding? We had to pay them $32!

Now we were wary of any toll booths that loomed on our horizon. We arrived in New jersey and were making our way to the place we would store the RV during our visit. We missed our exit and had to travel through another toll booth to get off the highway and turn around. Considering our recent experience, we approached it with a bit of anxiety. The toll wasn't that bad compared to what we'd paid in Kansas and Pennsylvania. We exited, made a U-turn and got back on the highway. Can you believe it? They charged us to go back through even though we'd paid them less that ten minutes before. After a small discussion we paid the toll and headed back in the other direction.

No one told us we couldn't take the exit we needed from that direction, so off we go, make another U-turn, and get back on. What do you think was standing right there between us and the exit we needed? You guessed it, another toll booth. Do you think they would let us through considering we've now paid them a whopping $30? Noooo. We has to fork over another $15 to get where we were going. That makes $45!!!! OMG.

Now we know how they're planning to resolve the national debt---TOLL BOOTHS.

Getting Ready to Hit the Road

Where has the time gone? It's August! That means it's the end of summer and time to leave on the massive road trip my husband and I have planned. So now I'm packing furiously and trying to remember everything that we'll need. My biggest struggle is figuring out how to maintain a writing, critique, and blogging schedule.

I've managed to put some things in place, like mobile WiFi, getting a wireless printer for the RV, and arranging to swap manuscripts and chapters online. I think the most difficult part will be putting a writing schedule together and maintaining it; along with exercise.

I would love to visit some independent bookstores while I'm on the road. Here's my itinerary, if any of you can think of a bookstore I should stop by in one of the areas I plan to visit, please let me know. We're going to Arizona, New Mexico, Iowa, New Jersey, South Carolina, Florida, Maine, Indiana, and probably more places.

Wow, has it been that long?

It's been a while since I've posted. I'm sure some of  you are wondering where I've been and what I've been up to that would keep me away so long. Remember the wonderful distraction I now have? It's not the only one. I've been celebrating my birthday. It was July 21st, but I'm still celebrating.

I keep telling myself that it's time to get back to work, but apparently I'm not a very good listener. I got great gifts from my family and wonderful wishes from friends. My husband started with buying me the beach cruiser I've be drooling over. It's bronze with beautiful tan scroll work. It has a brown leather seat with braid and tassel trim. It even has a black basket in front and a bell. I've been riding it just about every day.

Then the darling man surprised me with an iPad! I have an iPad! I've been playing with it every day. There are so many wonderful things I can do with it. I've even been using it to keep up with the daily news. I'm still searching for great writing Apps. If any of you know of some good ones, please pass them my way.

Then my daughter and her family treated me to my favorite breakfast of tasty Belgian waffles and sausage,  in bed! On top of that, they gifted me a Keurig coffee machine! I've been planning to buy that thing for over 3 years and now I have one. It makes great iced tea.

These are the thing that have been distracting me. I've asked myself, more than once, where is your discipline? The answer is, gone until after my birthday. But how long will that be? What will get me back in line?

Well it's going to have to be soon. I've got lots of work to do and storylines are calling out to me, begging me to come back.

Wonderful Distractions

I told you my husband retired last month and he is my wonderful distraction. It's awesome having him home, but I can't seem to get anything done. The problem isn't him, it's me! I go into my study and sit in front of my computer. I even open the files I need to work on. When I'm in here, he doesn't come in to disturb me or even call me into the room where he is. He respects my space and waits until I'm either taking a break or finished with that session.

It's me! Here's how it happens. I'm sitting in front of the computer, writing or revising whatever. I hear him laugh or comment about something in another room. I have to go see what he's saying or doing. I know the man isn't talking to me. He could be talking to our daughter, the grandchildren, or even on the telephone, but I have to go. He doesn't even have to be saying anything, just the thought of him being there sends me scurrying to look at him.

He's really supportive of my writing. He asks, "Are you taking a break now, you just got started?" Or "Did you finish that scene already?" Sometimes it's even, "Did you need to read something to me?" He's really a great guy and that's part of the problem. I just want to be around him all of the time.

He assures me it will wear off as time goes by, but I'm not sure. He even offered to leave the house while I write. That's not going to happen, I just got him back! I have to hope he's right about the newness wearing off, otherwise I'm in deep trouble. It's just that he's hot, and buff, and nice like all firemen. And he's MINE!

A Great Hero Passes the Baton

Today is my husband's last day as a firefighter. He's been on the job for about 32 years. He has loved every minute of it! He would argue that point saying that he loved fighting the fire, but hated the 3am rescues of people who called because they couldn't sleep.

I was invited to the fire station to join in the send off. The celebration was from 10am to 3pm. Engine after engine came through with all of the firefighters wishing him well. Each had something wonderful to say about him. I heard so many AJ stories, most of which had us laughing until our sides ached. I can't tell you how many took me aside to tell me about the positive effect he's had on  their careers. One guy said, "we've all heard of the man's man, well AJ is the firefighter's firefighter." Being in a room with so many who put their lives on the line every day was humbling. Listening to them attribute much of their skill to the time my husband spent training them was really over the top!

This has been an awesome brotherhood and I have been blessed to be able to see it in action. At the end of the day (mine, not his, he's still at work) we were taken to dinner by the guys in his station. It was hilarious driving up in the engine and watching the valet try to figure out if he should offer to park the big red thing. Of course he wasn't allowed to. So the engineer parked it on a side of the parking lot opposite rows of Bentleys and very high end Mercedes. Frankly, our ride cost just as much, if not more, than theirs. *smile*

Today has been wonderful. The best part of it is knowing that I will have the privilege of sharing his company for the rest of my life! Happy Retirement AJ. We all love you.

Frustration!

I am so frustrated right now, I could bite someone's head off. This writing thing is crazy. It's so very difficult to know what the truth is. How on earth do I find out the truth. No one in the writing profession commits to saying anything that is helpful. That's not completely true I had an agent tell me the writing was flat in places and of course he was right.

So I went through the ms with a fine-toothed comb. I find exactly what he's talking about and change it. The flat places came from trying to put too much information in places where it wasn't necessary or helpful in moving the story along.

I wish someone could tell me if I should continue to shop the ms around or move on to the next thing. Trying to look at things realistically, I haven't sent it around as much as "they" say you should, whoever 'they' are. How many times should it go out? How do I know when to quit?

This stuff is so subjective that agents are reluctant to say it's bad because it just may not be what they like. I understand what they mean because I've had friends recommend books that they loved and I just thought they were so-so or didn't like them at all.

How do I find the agent with the taste for what I write?

New Things

Yesterday I saw something brand new: Synchronized Treatmilling! First, I never new such a thing existed. Second, it happened at church, and third, it was a hoot and very clever.

Because yesterday was Father's Day our church celebrated with what they called ManDate. The campus was turned into an amusement park. There was rock climbing, motocross, four-wheeling (big trucks including a Hummer), hatchet throwing, bands, and meat - BBQ. There was more, but I can't remember it all. It was kicked of with the synched treadmilling. I wish I had brought a camera. By the time I remembered that my digital recorded video, it was over. I'll have to ask around to see if anyone recorded it.

It inspired lots of book ideas. I'm not quite sure how to put them together yet, but I have written them down. Later I'll sort through them and see which ones are viable, but I know something's there.

Writing and Loving It

I love to write and the whole writing process; my process, anyway. I start with an idea. They come from anywhere. Most of the time ideas happen when I'm sitting and people-watching. It isn't what they say or do, it's what they don't do and don't say.

For instance, I was at the store and a mother in line with me was trying to tell her child "no" about some candy. She told the child "no" several times and each time the child tried to explain why the mom should buy it. After a bit, the mother became frustrated and said, "I said you can't have that. What about that can't you understand." The child asked again. Then the mom shouted, "What? You didn't understand me? I used English. What language do you speak? Chinese?" She turned to the rest of the people in line and asked if any of us spoke Chinese."

After nearly choking to death on smothered laughter, I got an idea. The story idea that came from it was about a teen who suddenly speaks a strange language and can no longer understand English.

Having the storyline build in my head was awesome. Letting the characters unfold literally feels good in my mind. The best part is watching it take form on paper. I love it!

I've Been Thinking

I've been thinking about where to go from here. My plan is to continue to query agents about Nubian Princess and see how things go. So far I might have two interested, but it's early yet and we'll see what shakes out.

It took me a moment to get back on track, but here I am. Friends and family have been very supportive. My husband is the best guy on the planet. Really. (You might think yours is, but it's really mine.) He encourages me constantly and helps in whatever way he can.

I've decided to work on the next NP book. It's my way of having a tantrum. I think this may be the longest running tantrum ever because it's going to take me a while to get the manuscript finished. The best part about it is that I'm enjoying revisiting Nubia and the characters. I will have to do more research, but that's part of the fun.

I've found out about a press that specializes in YA multicultural science fiction. What a prize! When I finish this manuscript, I'll get back to my other love. The stars are out there waiting for me and I plan to get there.