I cannot believe the wall I have hit. I have gone through 2/3rds of my book re-outlining as recommended and I have hit a wall. I basically have to rewrite the entire thing. I essentially have to start all over.
I know I have made a mountain out of a molehill, but I am pissed off. I wish I had done this when my momentum was there. When I was so hyped, I should have done this. Now, I have peal my lazy ass of the couch and rewrite the entire fucking thing.
FUCK!
I need to draw on my time management skills for this. Mandatory 1 hour everyday until it gets done. I can do this...I can do this...I can do this...
And it is Nanowrimo and I have not written at all. What is wrong with me!!!!
Blechblahblahbleh- Pity party for one please.
CC
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
When It Rains, It Pours
Okay - So the meeting with the National Association of Professional Women was by far the most rewarding experience on this roller coaster to date. First off, let me say that the meeting was comprised of some amazing, talented, wonderful people. There was my friend Richard Perque who is running for Traffic Court Judge here in New Orleans, a woman running for the Sheriff of Orleans Parish, a man who work at Saks Fifth Avenue, an Assistant Dean, and so many other professional, experienced people. Even the creators of What the Sleepy Animals Do at the Audubon Zoo were in attendance.
Having the opportunity to discuss my process and progress to date felt great, but the feedback was especially appreciated. Regarding the cover: we all agreed there is room for much improvement. The recommendations were to find a freelance artist to help me. I know I have been trying to do this on the cheap and on the fly, but paying someone to help me with the creative end is more likely the necessary thing. At first, they recommended stock-art (I think that is what it is called). Stock photography. Basically, there are these online services that will sell you a downloadable image. They have lots of them. For anywhere from $50 to $150, you can purchase an image. But I don't know what file size I need or how to make the changes necessary. At least now, I will have a graphic artist who can figure that all out for me while I focus on the content. I also want them to figure out how to get the words exactly down the spine. Again, something I do not feel like dealing with.
This leads to the next best thing out of that meeting. The Assistant Dean recommended I give the book to a Community Property Professor at her institution. I thought that was a great idea, but I actually gave her a free copy of the book and asked her to deliver it. And...she did. She actually dropped it off and the professor actually read it. We scheduled a meeting. It was amazing advice. She said, "It lacks connectivity." In other words, the advice was strong, but if I were to outline the content, I would be see where improvements could be made. She said it is especially true where there is brevity. For example, when I discuss someone being married to another person at the time of the second marriage, that is not a very common problem. It is frankly very rare, but should I gloss over it? Not really. That was an area she thought could be improved.
Her recommendation was to re-outline the entire thing. Absolute genius. Throughout my education, I was taught to outline my content prior to writing, not to write the content and then outline it. That was one item I was able to really jump into and the issues simply pop off the page to me. It is simply a refreshing perspective for the original writer. It has opened my eyes and I feel very rejuvenated!
Let's get this work improved! I simply have to time-manage again. I have to actually take this advice and move forward. It is going to take some work...
CC
Having the opportunity to discuss my process and progress to date felt great, but the feedback was especially appreciated. Regarding the cover: we all agreed there is room for much improvement. The recommendations were to find a freelance artist to help me. I know I have been trying to do this on the cheap and on the fly, but paying someone to help me with the creative end is more likely the necessary thing. At first, they recommended stock-art (I think that is what it is called). Stock photography. Basically, there are these online services that will sell you a downloadable image. They have lots of them. For anywhere from $50 to $150, you can purchase an image. But I don't know what file size I need or how to make the changes necessary. At least now, I will have a graphic artist who can figure that all out for me while I focus on the content. I also want them to figure out how to get the words exactly down the spine. Again, something I do not feel like dealing with.
This leads to the next best thing out of that meeting. The Assistant Dean recommended I give the book to a Community Property Professor at her institution. I thought that was a great idea, but I actually gave her a free copy of the book and asked her to deliver it. And...she did. She actually dropped it off and the professor actually read it. We scheduled a meeting. It was amazing advice. She said, "It lacks connectivity." In other words, the advice was strong, but if I were to outline the content, I would be see where improvements could be made. She said it is especially true where there is brevity. For example, when I discuss someone being married to another person at the time of the second marriage, that is not a very common problem. It is frankly very rare, but should I gloss over it? Not really. That was an area she thought could be improved.
Her recommendation was to re-outline the entire thing. Absolute genius. Throughout my education, I was taught to outline my content prior to writing, not to write the content and then outline it. That was one item I was able to really jump into and the issues simply pop off the page to me. It is simply a refreshing perspective for the original writer. It has opened my eyes and I feel very rejuvenated!
Let's get this work improved! I simply have to time-manage again. I have to actually take this advice and move forward. It is going to take some work...
CC
Friday, August 30, 2013
Mini Book Tour!
Last night was my first presentation of my book. My friend and colleague invited me to speak at her local National Association of Professional Women (NAWP) chapter at their monthly meeting. I was very unsure about what I was going to discuss, until a single word was identified by my mom.
The NAWP's mission statement is, "...to provide the most advanced forum for members to connect with like-minded professional women to develop innovative business and social relationships. We continuously offer our members the resources and benefits necessary to foster professional and personal success." Their M.O. is empowerment. Empowering professional women through relationship building and networking. It is a great group of women. If it wasn't for the $500+ annual membership fee, I would join...
Thus, night before my presentation, my mom called me (as usual) and asked what I was planning on discussing. I started by saying that I believed it really began for me in 1997 with the Publishing Course I had taken at the University of Colorado. During that course of study we worked on Tuesdays with Morrie, and ....
Mom said, "No." And I am glad she did. She asked who the group was and I explained their concept was empowerment, yada, yada, yada. "That is what you should talk about. Your book is designed to empower women with knowledge about marriage law and their rights within their union."
Eureka!
She was right (as usual)! Sometimes, when you are so entrenched in a project, you forget the essential element that got you to where you are. The whole point of this project is to empower women and to provide them with the necessary tools to make the right decisions for themselves. I was too focused on the non-emotional part. The reality was that the component of empowerment was right before me - EMPOWERMENT.
So, my discussion began there and the rest went very smoothly. I hope the audience enjoyed me brief talk. It felt good too to really let the spotlight shine. In our day-in-and-out lives, we lose sight on our need for attention. And, damnit! It felt great to be the center of it for once. I am so fortunate to have been invited to speak and I really cherish my friendship with my friend. What a great opportunity she provided for me :))) I also got some great contacts for design help and outreaching to local professors - I feel like I might be on my way here...
CC
The NAWP's mission statement is, "...to provide the most advanced forum for members to connect with like-minded professional women to develop innovative business and social relationships. We continuously offer our members the resources and benefits necessary to foster professional and personal success." Their M.O. is empowerment. Empowering professional women through relationship building and networking. It is a great group of women. If it wasn't for the $500+ annual membership fee, I would join...
Thus, night before my presentation, my mom called me (as usual) and asked what I was planning on discussing. I started by saying that I believed it really began for me in 1997 with the Publishing Course I had taken at the University of Colorado. During that course of study we worked on Tuesdays with Morrie, and ....
Mom said, "No." And I am glad she did. She asked who the group was and I explained their concept was empowerment, yada, yada, yada. "That is what you should talk about. Your book is designed to empower women with knowledge about marriage law and their rights within their union."
Eureka!
She was right (as usual)! Sometimes, when you are so entrenched in a project, you forget the essential element that got you to where you are. The whole point of this project is to empower women and to provide them with the necessary tools to make the right decisions for themselves. I was too focused on the non-emotional part. The reality was that the component of empowerment was right before me - EMPOWERMENT.
So, my discussion began there and the rest went very smoothly. I hope the audience enjoyed me brief talk. It felt good too to really let the spotlight shine. In our day-in-and-out lives, we lose sight on our need for attention. And, damnit! It felt great to be the center of it for once. I am so fortunate to have been invited to speak and I really cherish my friendship with my friend. What a great opportunity she provided for me :))) I also got some great contacts for design help and outreaching to local professors - I feel like I might be on my way here...
CC
Monday, August 19, 2013
"A formatting we shall go, a formatting we shall go, hiegh-ho, the dairy-o, a formatting we shall go..."
The one bane of my self-publishing existence thus far has been the annoyance of not being able to line up the indented material in my text. Since my book is legally based, I reference a lot of case law. Any quote that is longer than three typed lines requires special attention. It is called block quotation or long quotation. As you recall from English class, you make a small paragraph with smaller font, indent it, and then return to your regular text. It looked great in Word, but when I posted the book onto Kindle or CreateSpace, it looked all out of whack.
Here is what I have been dealing with ever since I first posted my text on these sites (see where it says "Marriage is one...":
As you can see, I have set the Microsoft Word options to show me the formatting. The arrows are tabs and the backwards P means paragraph (to figure out how to do this on your own computer, simply use your Help options when in Word or search online). Clearly, there are tabs where tabs should not be. What would make these tabs move all over the place? I mean, I did not put the tab there in the first place! What would make it do that? Hmmm...
A-Ha! I needed to end each line with an "enter". I needed to create little paragraph to set the boundary on the line for the CreatSpace software to comprehend where to end. Can you see the difference? Tab - > Text PARAGRAPH.
On and on, I feverishly ran through the text. Once I was done, I cleaned it all up a bit:
The finished product looks soooo much better. Huge improvement. I really think it will improve the readers' perception on the quality of the work. I am sure if I picked up a book and saw lots of inconsistencies with formatting, I would question the reliability of its contents.
It took me a couple of hours to really get the formatting problems down. For anyone using the CreateSpace service, you should just keep plugging away with these minor details. Personally, this was a MAJOR accomplishment in my own book. I feel so much better knowing I took the time to get it right rather than just letting it look a mess.
I have just reloaded this file into the Kindle edition. I hope to see that this improved the formatting issues there as well. This is so much fun!
CC
Friday, August 9, 2013
Judging a Book by Its Cover
After refreshing the interior of my book, I believe it is time to look at its jacket. Does my cover really work for my book? Here is the original cover:
I liked it because the peachy colors made it very feminine and the type was the same as the interior. I designed the ring using stock imagery and the circle tool in Microsoft Publisher. Very inexpensive and, I think, it conveys the interior's content. But does it work?
Short of returning to college to study cover art, I did a simply Google search. Here are some of the useful tips I discovered:
Inspiration
The following link shows very artsy, fartsy covers. Clearly, these people have Adobe Photoshop. Although I will never be able to create letters out of water, I do find these images to be refreshing and inspiring. Also exceptionally well thought out...
"50 Best Book Covers Of 2012: Design Observer Announces Winners"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/best-book-covers-2012-_n_3509364.html
To Serif or Not to Serif
Serifs are the little flairs on fonts, such as this Times New Roman Font. Non Serif fonts are like this Ariel font. Serif'd fonts are the easiest to read and the most commonly used font in books. Either way, the font chosen can really make an impression on the reader, especially on the cover. This begs the question, should I use a serif font or not? Here is an article that I believe has some great ideas on this point...
"5 Great Fonts for Book Covers"
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/08/5-great-fonts-for-book-covers/
I like that article, but it doesn't really help me with my topic, legal - So, I just typed in the Google search engine: legal book cover art. What appeared in the Web search field is the issue of copyright laws. This is not what I had in mind. So instead of changing my search terms, I decide to click the Images tab. What I find there was most interesting:
I am not sure if you can see that, but a majority of the book's titles are in ALL CAPS. Hmmm. That is an option I am going to try now...
I LIKE IT! I think it really conveys a new look. Much more dignified. Reserved. Trustworthy. I even did the whole INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE BIG WORDS.
Finally, the colors. As much as I like the peachy-ness of the other cover. I kind of want it to go to another place. However, when I change the color of the font, the title seems weak against the white cover. Now, I am thinking a black cover with a colored font on top, but I like the image of the ring (blue diamond, gold band). Thus, I have filled the text box black. Should I do blue letters? No. Should I do gold? Well, what does the color wheel say?
According to HDTV's color instruction, blue is a primary color and orange is its secondary color:
http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/color-wheel-primer/index.html
For my needs, I am thinking I should go with a more reddish-orange than gold.
Are you ready for the before and after? I am! Let me see...
And now...
Wow! I think I really like it! The difference is amazing. The ring really pops and the font looks...sexy. Yeah, I said it. I think it is a great change! I will have to order a copy to see...I think the background is a little dark, but I think it works...
Exciting changes before the weekend. Have a good one!
CC
I liked it because the peachy colors made it very feminine and the type was the same as the interior. I designed the ring using stock imagery and the circle tool in Microsoft Publisher. Very inexpensive and, I think, it conveys the interior's content. But does it work?
Short of returning to college to study cover art, I did a simply Google search. Here are some of the useful tips I discovered:
Inspiration
The following link shows very artsy, fartsy covers. Clearly, these people have Adobe Photoshop. Although I will never be able to create letters out of water, I do find these images to be refreshing and inspiring. Also exceptionally well thought out...
"50 Best Book Covers Of 2012: Design Observer Announces Winners"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/best-book-covers-2012-_n_3509364.html
To Serif or Not to Serif
Serifs are the little flairs on fonts, such as this Times New Roman Font. Non Serif fonts are like this Ariel font. Serif'd fonts are the easiest to read and the most commonly used font in books. Either way, the font chosen can really make an impression on the reader, especially on the cover. This begs the question, should I use a serif font or not? Here is an article that I believe has some great ideas on this point...
"5 Great Fonts for Book Covers"
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/08/5-great-fonts-for-book-covers/
I like that article, but it doesn't really help me with my topic, legal - So, I just typed in the Google search engine: legal book cover art. What appeared in the Web search field is the issue of copyright laws. This is not what I had in mind. So instead of changing my search terms, I decide to click the Images tab. What I find there was most interesting:
I am not sure if you can see that, but a majority of the book's titles are in ALL CAPS. Hmmm. That is an option I am going to try now...
I LIKE IT! I think it really conveys a new look. Much more dignified. Reserved. Trustworthy. I even did the whole INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE BIG WORDS.
Finally, the colors. As much as I like the peachy-ness of the other cover. I kind of want it to go to another place. However, when I change the color of the font, the title seems weak against the white cover. Now, I am thinking a black cover with a colored font on top, but I like the image of the ring (blue diamond, gold band). Thus, I have filled the text box black. Should I do blue letters? No. Should I do gold? Well, what does the color wheel say?
According to HDTV's color instruction, blue is a primary color and orange is its secondary color:
http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/color-wheel-primer/index.html
Are you ready for the before and after? I am! Let me see...
And now...
Wow! I think I really like it! The difference is amazing. The ring really pops and the font looks...sexy. Yeah, I said it. I think it is a great change! I will have to order a copy to see...I think the background is a little dark, but I think it works...
Exciting changes before the weekend. Have a good one!
CC
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Table of Contents?! We don't need no stinking Table of Contents?! Um, yeah we do...
I had no idea that at one point I would ask myself about my own work, "What chapter is that in?"
Table of Contents. They are actually quite necessary. And kinda hard to write. I decided to just go to the last chapter and work forward. I have read the beginning of the book so much, it was refreshing to start from the back. I simply skimmed the chapter and then wrote a sentence. Come to find out, I had two chapters that essentially covered the same topic. The best part of discovering that was discovering...well, that! The worse part of discovering that was the insecurity of the work as a whole that set in emotionally :( I hope it isn't crap. How embarrassing...
Oh, well - Here are my TofCs...
Table of Contents
1.
Our Constitutional right to marry as established by
Loving v. Virginia
2.
Brief introduction to legal procedure
(Why Louisiana has a civil code, how marriage laws and contract laws intertwine, etc.)
3.
You may not have realized this, but contractual obligations were initiated at the proposal
4.
Get excited!!!
Let’s talk about PRE-NUPS!
5.
Lots covered in this chapter, such as:
Covenant Marriages: Double-Duty Marriage Locks
Common-Law Marriages: Not!
The Big Three:
Absence of a Legal Impediment
Marriage Ceremony
Mutual Free Consent
(Fascinating reading, really.)
6.
The shortest chapter in any book ever.
I can sum it up here actually:
Marriage does not automatically change your last name.
Now you don’t even have to read it.
7.
Congratulations – Welcome to the laws imposed on your marriage automatically by our state legislature!
Did you know there are mutual duties imposed on your marriage by law?
And answering a married person’s favorite question:
“How do we own stuff together?”
8.
Management - Acting prudently and in the
best interest of the “community”
9.
Louisiana Succession Laws
~
What happens when a loved one passes away with or without a will?
10.
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s Hotline
1.888.411.1333
11.
Finding the right attorney
Epilogue
Recommended items to file away for a rainy day
References
(Includes a Quick Introduction to Legal Citation)
Fini
CC
Table of Contents. They are actually quite necessary. And kinda hard to write. I decided to just go to the last chapter and work forward. I have read the beginning of the book so much, it was refreshing to start from the back. I simply skimmed the chapter and then wrote a sentence. Come to find out, I had two chapters that essentially covered the same topic. The best part of discovering that was discovering...well, that! The worse part of discovering that was the insecurity of the work as a whole that set in emotionally :( I hope it isn't crap. How embarrassing...
Oh, well - Here are my TofCs...
Table of Contents
1.
Our Constitutional right to marry as established by
Loving v. Virginia
2.
Brief introduction to legal procedure
(Why Louisiana has a civil code, how marriage laws and contract laws intertwine, etc.)
3.
You may not have realized this, but contractual obligations were initiated at the proposal
4.
Get excited!!!
Let’s talk about PRE-NUPS!
5.
Lots covered in this chapter, such as:
Covenant Marriages: Double-Duty Marriage Locks
Common-Law Marriages: Not!
The Big Three:
Absence of a Legal Impediment
Marriage Ceremony
Mutual Free Consent
(Fascinating reading, really.)
6.
The shortest chapter in any book ever.
I can sum it up here actually:
Marriage does not automatically change your last name.
Now you don’t even have to read it.
7.
Congratulations – Welcome to the laws imposed on your marriage automatically by our state legislature!
Did you know there are mutual duties imposed on your marriage by law?
And answering a married person’s favorite question:
“How do we own stuff together?”
8.
Management - Acting prudently and in the
best interest of the “community”
9.
Louisiana Succession Laws
~
What happens when a loved one passes away with or without a will?
10.
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s Hotline
1.888.411.1333
11.
Finding the right attorney
Epilogue
Recommended items to file away for a rainy day
References
(Includes a Quick Introduction to Legal Citation)
Fini
CC
Monday, July 29, 2013
Lost Artist
Photographer Daniel Williams - Retro Camera Review - Episode 12
-----------
I was introduced to Daniel Williams through a mutual friend and only hung out with him a handfull of times. He was a mere 21 years of age when we met. He was skinny, skinny and had an 80's punk-rock air about him. His hair was blondish, bordering on strawberry blond and was completely shaved except for a longish patch in the front. His pants were tight and black and he wore a grayish, creamy t-shirt that was 4x too large for his lanky frame. His skin was equally as fair as his hair, but it had reddish blemishes here and there. He also carried an oversize brown clutch purse.
I will admit, his appearance and that purse caused me to pause at first. Now, I know our mutual friend and he were lovers, but a man carrying a clutch on a bright sunny day was another level for me. Clearly, he was living his life on his terms. I honestly admired that and quickly embraced the uniqueness of his personal style. Especially when he spoke. His voice was so deep, effeminate and southern all at the same time. It was just as unique as his style. Daniel was the genuine article inside and out.
After strolling down Magazine Street in New Orleans, the three of us sat at a small cafe table just outside the old Rue de la Course. As I inquired more about his studies, Daniel seemed to relax and enjoy discussing his work and his career's trajectory. Daniel would eventually begin digging into his purse. To my surprise, out came his diabetic medication and syringe. While sitting by the cafe, he injected his insulin in his stomach very discretely and quickly.
Daniel then needed a refill, so he entered the cafe. This gave my friend and I an opportunity to gossip about the situation. He told me he was proceeding cautiously. Apparently, Daniel was finishing his photography studies at LSU in Baton Rouge and he was looking to move to NYC when he graduated. Considering he would be graduating in a year or so, my friend didn't want to get super involved if this was just turning out to be a fling before he left town. Plus, Daniel drove a motorcycle, which can give a non-living-on-the-edge person a bit of concern. We both agreed that life throws you come interesting curves and he should just go with the flow.
Over the next two years, our friend would end up riding on the back of Daniel's motorcycle and get closer and closer as the days progressed. Ultimately, Daniel was accepted to Parsons in NYC and our friend helped him pack up the few possessions he had. They continued to talk daily and he even helped Daniel with airfare to come home and see us all one Thanksgiving.
Daniel and I continued to stay in touch in this digital world. We would chat on Facebook and "like" one another's posts on Tumblr and Vine. I was thrilled to see him featured on this video discussing his work on YouTube. You can see more of his work here: http://thisket.com/
By far, Daniel's posts were the most outrageous and humorous of them all. My friends and I would laugh and laugh at the outlandish things he could come up with. Thinking about him and his career, I was simply in awe. Would he move back to New Orleans? Would he stay in New York? Would he and our friend continue to date? What would happen to Daniel?
Then, on Sunday, our friend posted that Daniel had ended his life on Tuesday, July 23rd. Daniel had been fighting unseen demons. His depression had simply consumed him. He had no more energy to fight on.
I don't believe I will ever get over the shock of this news. I have never really known anyone to take their own life. I didn't even really know Daniel that well. If I feel this angry, what are his friends, family and his lover feeling?
Daniel made the choice he needed to make that day, but I wish he knew it was the wrong decision. There are people left behind who needed him and the world has lost a true artist. I feel robbed of his talent. I wish he was here to carry on the work that needed to be done professionally and personally. He left too soon.
We love you Daniel.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Is anything ever really complete?
Upon forwarding my book information out to my friends and colleagues, I found myself revisiting the actual text and making quite a few edits. I strongly agree with the writing concept that as much as you love writing something, it might not work in the end and you have to edit yourself. You have to say, as much as I think that is funny and well composed, it does not work for the reader or the audience and needs to be altered.
The impetus for these changes was that someone who commented was not someone I had originally pictured in my audience. Once HE was there (I focused my book primarily on women), I realized my introduction could be off-putting and too narrow. It wasn't all encompassing. It wasn't permitting the reader to get comfortable. Rather, it seemed to make the reader say to themselves, "I am going to be fighting against the grain of this book and I am only three sentences in and already annoyed."
A slash here and a slash there, I think the book's introduction is more coherent and soft. The only issue now are the printed books from my previous prints. I have decided those will be galleys and there were changes made post-production :) I am working it out.
CC
The impetus for these changes was that someone who commented was not someone I had originally pictured in my audience. Once HE was there (I focused my book primarily on women), I realized my introduction could be off-putting and too narrow. It wasn't all encompassing. It wasn't permitting the reader to get comfortable. Rather, it seemed to make the reader say to themselves, "I am going to be fighting against the grain of this book and I am only three sentences in and already annoyed."
A slash here and a slash there, I think the book's introduction is more coherent and soft. The only issue now are the printed books from my previous prints. I have decided those will be galleys and there were changes made post-production :) I am working it out.
CC
From the Proposal to Ever After: A Louisiana Woman's Guide to Marriage and Community Property Laws [Kindle Edition]
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
"Ya' gotta look to your inner network"
For someone who wrote this book under an alias, getting the news out to friends and loved ones has been challenging. One conversation at a time has been great, and initially, it felt great! But as the days have turned to weeks and months, the conversations have turned to, "I feel like I don't even know you! You wrote a book and didn't tell anyone?!"
So, I finally took the plunge and outed myself to my friends via Facebook. I feel a little exposed, but very empowered. It is always great to have such supportive and generous friends who take the time to even read the event notice. If any of you have clicked over to this blog, "Hi!" I hope you are having a great day and I can't wait to see you soon :)
CC
Hello!
XXX here. Very random event notice from me, but this seems to be the best way to message everyone. I have a couple of big announcements, so this may be the first of two event/messages...
I wrote a book this year entitled "From the Proposal to Ever After: A Louisiana Woman's Guide to Marriage and Community Property Laws" and I published it online under the alias Camille Carter. The concept of this work was to provide women in Louisiana the opportunity to read a quick text on marriage law and feel like they "got" it. It is essentially a conversation about pre-nups, post-nups, marriage laws, community property laws, and more.
When I completed the book I forwarded it to Pelican Publishing, but they passed. Thus, I have been moving forward as a self-publisher. It has been an interesting venture and I have been blogging about the process as well. Over 2000 hits on my site so far! You can visit it here: http://fromtheproposaltoeverafter.blogspot.com/
Now, I know the name of the book is a little long and maybe the cover page could use some work, but if you would take take a minute to visit the Amazon page, I would really appreciate it. Heck, if I can send you a free copy, just let me know! I would definitely appreciate your feedback or perhaps your recommendation to a friend.
If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact me any time. My cell number is below. You are also welcome to email me here.
Sincerely,
Camille Carter ;)
318-268-7086
http://www.amazon.com/From-Proposal-Ever-After-ebook/dp/B008A0UVPG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363294681&sr=8-2&keywords=from+the+proposal+to+ever+after
If you are interested in receiving updates from my blog, please "like" my Facebook page too: https://www.facebook.com/FromTheProposalToEverAfter
So, I finally took the plunge and outed myself to my friends via Facebook. I feel a little exposed, but very empowered. It is always great to have such supportive and generous friends who take the time to even read the event notice. If any of you have clicked over to this blog, "Hi!" I hope you are having a great day and I can't wait to see you soon :)
CC
Hello!
XXX here. Very random event notice from me, but this seems to be the best way to message everyone. I have a couple of big announcements, so this may be the first of two event/messages...
I wrote a book this year entitled "From the Proposal to Ever After: A Louisiana Woman's Guide to Marriage and Community Property Laws" and I published it online under the alias Camille Carter. The concept of this work was to provide women in Louisiana the opportunity to read a quick text on marriage law and feel like they "got" it. It is essentially a conversation about pre-nups, post-nups, marriage laws, community property laws, and more.
When I completed the book I forwarded it to Pelican Publishing, but they passed. Thus, I have been moving forward as a self-publisher. It has been an interesting venture and I have been blogging about the process as well. Over 2000 hits on my site so far! You can visit it here: http://fromtheproposaltoeverafter.blogspot.com/
Now, I know the name of the book is a little long and maybe the cover page could use some work, but if you would take take a minute to visit the Amazon page, I would really appreciate it. Heck, if I can send you a free copy, just let me know! I would definitely appreciate your feedback or perhaps your recommendation to a friend.
If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact me any time. My cell number is below. You are also welcome to email me here.
Sincerely,
Camille Carter ;)
318-268-7086
http://www.amazon.com/From-Proposal-Ever-After-ebook/dp/B008A0UVPG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363294681&sr=8-2&keywords=from+the+proposal+to+ever+after
If you are interested in receiving updates from my blog, please "like" my Facebook page too: https://www.facebook.com/FromTheProposalToEverAfter
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Cigarette-Lady Tray
Lacking sales is one thing, but lacking inspiration to make those sales is another. I am struggling over here! I strongly believe my attempts are completely half-ass. I am not motivated to sell. If I were truly focused and invested in making sales, maybe something would happen. But for now, it is like the Sahara Desert up in here. No action.
One of my recent half-ass attempts was contacting the New Orleans Bride Magazine who hosts (what they would call) a mega bridal convention here in New Orleans. Upon calling their sales division, I was promptly contacted about their pricing and perks. For approximately $1000, I would get a booth, a small add in their magazine, a mailing list of all attendees, a mailing list of all vendors, free ad webdesign, a puppy...Obviously joking about the puppy, but it was a significant amount of perks. It all sounded wonderful until I realized: I haven't sold a book in 4 months, how would investing $1000 for ladies who are attending a bridal show to taste free cake and receive free hand-outs help me in the long run. Clearly, this would be a poor investment.
Once I decided the tradeshow was not fiscally responsible for me, I had a lightbulb go off. What if I built myself a cigarette-lady carrying device, loaded it up with my books, and just walk out front of the show...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSVNZLAsivg
I could have on a sandwich board, "Ask me about MARRIAGE LAWS." What a Debbie-Downer I would be. Then the real nightmare began, "What if I saw someone I know? How would I ask for a random day off of work?" All of those insecurities crept in.
So, here I am at the office. Typing away on the thing I could have done; perhaps should have done. I will never know. I think I may check into the upcoming "book fair" that happens here in NOLA. Maybe those booths will be cheaper...
Upward and onward...
CC
http://amzn.com/147813884X
http://www.amazon.com/From-Proposal-Ever-After-Louisiana/dp/147813884X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371652110&sr=8-1&keywords=from+the+proposal+to+ever+after
One of my recent half-ass attempts was contacting the New Orleans Bride Magazine who hosts (what they would call) a mega bridal convention here in New Orleans. Upon calling their sales division, I was promptly contacted about their pricing and perks. For approximately $1000, I would get a booth, a small add in their magazine, a mailing list of all attendees, a mailing list of all vendors, free ad webdesign, a puppy...Obviously joking about the puppy, but it was a significant amount of perks. It all sounded wonderful until I realized: I haven't sold a book in 4 months, how would investing $1000 for ladies who are attending a bridal show to taste free cake and receive free hand-outs help me in the long run. Clearly, this would be a poor investment.
Once I decided the tradeshow was not fiscally responsible for me, I had a lightbulb go off. What if I built myself a cigarette-lady carrying device, loaded it up with my books, and just walk out front of the show...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSVNZLAsivg
I could have on a sandwich board, "Ask me about MARRIAGE LAWS." What a Debbie-Downer I would be. Then the real nightmare began, "What if I saw someone I know? How would I ask for a random day off of work?" All of those insecurities crept in.
So, here I am at the office. Typing away on the thing I could have done; perhaps should have done. I will never know. I think I may check into the upcoming "book fair" that happens here in NOLA. Maybe those booths will be cheaper...
Upward and onward...
CC
http://amzn.com/147813884X
http://www.amazon.com/From-Proposal-Ever-After-Louisiana/dp/147813884X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371652110&sr=8-1&keywords=from+the+proposal+to+ever+after
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Ok, I don't think Facebook is a good marketing tool. Here is my experience...
I can honestly say I have been an addict of Facebook since I first started it in 2005. But that has been because it revolves around my personal life. My friends, my connections, my likes. In regards to a professional use, I am not sure it is working for me. Here is why.
The Facebook page was my original focus. I figured it would be the brain of my marketing. Type in the search engine: boom, you have all the Louisiana bridal shops in the area. Need contact information: boom, check the About section. Want to create an ad: boom, click here, input Visa card number and: boom, you have an ad. Yeah, not quite.
Now, before I rip it, let me give it some props. I did discover a Louisiana Bride blogger who reviewed my book. We both communicated with great ease over their messaging service. It was nice to reach out and touch someone who is just as obsessed with their Facebook accounts as I am. That worked out awesomely and I am indebted to her for her completely unbiased review.
But...I wasn't looking for a Louisiana Bride blog, I was seeking Louisiana Bridal shops, magazines, retail locations. The search engine on Facebook pulled up little. Facebook search is no Google search. Facebook only pulls what we put into it. If you don't know it is New Orleans Louisiana Bride, then it doesn't pull it up.
When you do know the retail store's name you are looking for, it can be great. There is the store, there are their hours. But what about reaching out and touching them? If I send them a message, will they read it? Well, as obsessed Facebook fans know, you can tell when someone has viewed a message. Not one of the messages I sent over Facebook to a retail location was read. That tells me something too: are these companies really using their Facebook accounts or is their Facebook page like their abandoned 2007 website. Who knows?
My other issue with Facebook was developing an online ad. I really thought it would be an ideal ad location because you can narrow your field to exactly who you are looking for: women, Louisiana, over 18, family, etc. - Whatever terms you seek, you can get it pretty close because of the algorithms they developed. But then, you get to the actual order time and it gets really complicated. Do I want to pay per click? Or do I want to pay indefinitely? WTF?! Indefinitely? No. Per click - how many clicks? What am I signing up for? The ambiguity of it all was frightening. I never did it. Plus, I heard this:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2012/05/15/gm-says-facebook-ads-dont-work-pulls-10-million-account/
If GM isn't seeing it as a successful avenue, why should I?
And what about my Twitter account? Oh, please. That is my own personal abandoned site. That is the most collasol waste of internet space. Granted, I think it occasionally grabs a follower, which is great, but I am pretty sure the follower is following me because they want me to follow their page. I probably should check it more and be more interactive on it, but Twitter bores me. I do not get it.
So, for today, I have visited the retail locations actual websites and emailed them a communication. I am curious if I will receive any replies. All of these shots in the dark will be helpful though when I decide to finally invest in actually SNAIL MAILING these individuals. It may be the only way I can get through though. We shall see...
CC
http://www.amazon.com/Proposal-Ever-After-Louisiana-ebook/dp/B008A0UVPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370471596&sr=8-1&keywords=from+the+proposal+to+ever+after
The Facebook page was my original focus. I figured it would be the brain of my marketing. Type in the search engine: boom, you have all the Louisiana bridal shops in the area. Need contact information: boom, check the About section. Want to create an ad: boom, click here, input Visa card number and: boom, you have an ad. Yeah, not quite.
Now, before I rip it, let me give it some props. I did discover a Louisiana Bride blogger who reviewed my book. We both communicated with great ease over their messaging service. It was nice to reach out and touch someone who is just as obsessed with their Facebook accounts as I am. That worked out awesomely and I am indebted to her for her completely unbiased review.
But...I wasn't looking for a Louisiana Bride blog, I was seeking Louisiana Bridal shops, magazines, retail locations. The search engine on Facebook pulled up little. Facebook search is no Google search. Facebook only pulls what we put into it. If you don't know it is New Orleans Louisiana Bride, then it doesn't pull it up.
When you do know the retail store's name you are looking for, it can be great. There is the store, there are their hours. But what about reaching out and touching them? If I send them a message, will they read it? Well, as obsessed Facebook fans know, you can tell when someone has viewed a message. Not one of the messages I sent over Facebook to a retail location was read. That tells me something too: are these companies really using their Facebook accounts or is their Facebook page like their abandoned 2007 website. Who knows?
My other issue with Facebook was developing an online ad. I really thought it would be an ideal ad location because you can narrow your field to exactly who you are looking for: women, Louisiana, over 18, family, etc. - Whatever terms you seek, you can get it pretty close because of the algorithms they developed. But then, you get to the actual order time and it gets really complicated. Do I want to pay per click? Or do I want to pay indefinitely? WTF?! Indefinitely? No. Per click - how many clicks? What am I signing up for? The ambiguity of it all was frightening. I never did it. Plus, I heard this:
"GM Says Facebook Ads Don't Work, Pulls $10 Million Account"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2012/05/15/gm-says-facebook-ads-dont-work-pulls-10-million-account/
If GM isn't seeing it as a successful avenue, why should I?
And what about my Twitter account? Oh, please. That is my own personal abandoned site. That is the most collasol waste of internet space. Granted, I think it occasionally grabs a follower, which is great, but I am pretty sure the follower is following me because they want me to follow their page. I probably should check it more and be more interactive on it, but Twitter bores me. I do not get it.
So, for today, I have visited the retail locations actual websites and emailed them a communication. I am curious if I will receive any replies. All of these shots in the dark will be helpful though when I decide to finally invest in actually SNAIL MAILING these individuals. It may be the only way I can get through though. We shall see...
CC
http://www.amazon.com/Proposal-Ever-After-Louisiana-ebook/dp/B008A0UVPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370471596&sr=8-1&keywords=from+the+proposal+to+ever+after
Monday, April 29, 2013
"How to Sell"
I just typed, "How to sell" in the search engine of the Community Section on kdp.amazon.com. I thought there may be a tid-bit of knowledge there; perhaps another user may have some insight. What do I see in the comment section? This:
Truly, that is the million dollar question. I think my favorite comment was, "Put a ten dollar bill in each copy..." Ha!
CC
Truly, that is the million dollar question. I think my favorite comment was, "Put a ten dollar bill in each copy..." Ha!
CC
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
A BOOK REVIEW!!! Someone actually read my book and then wrote about it...
Oh, the joy! An actual person READ my book. Not only did they read it, they took the time to REVIEW it. Here is how it all went down...
I had been feeling uninspired about the marketing aspect of self-publishing life. It is just, like, work. So, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and look into Louisiana bride Facebook pages. I was going this direction because I know there are bridal shows in New Orleans, but I could not figure out how to get to additional information on the event.
As I was typing key words into Facebook's search engine, I came across an adorable, pastel-ly, chevron lined blog called Louisiana Bride. The blog is adorable (I recommend you visit it: www.louisianabrideblog.com) and she is a very regular poster all things like love, life, food, etc. After poking around her posts, I thought I would go out on a limb and see if she would be interested in knowing more about my book and perhaps even reviewing it for her blog.
Shockingly, she accepted! I quickly zipped her a copy from CreateSpace and only had to wait. A couple of weeks later, boom! I had a review. Here is what she had to say:
MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013
FROM THE PROPOSAL TO EVER AFTER :: BOOK REVIEW
I was recently sent a copy of Camille Carter's book From the Proposal to Ever After A Louisiana Woman's Guide to Marriage and Community Property Laws to review and share. All opinions are my own, I was not paid, but I was given a copy for the book for free.
Have you ever thought about marriage law? Who's legally in charge of the money in the event of your husband's death, or even yours? What happens to property you owned before you were married? Does your spouse have rights to your inheritance?
Those questions and many more were answered by Camille in her new book From the Proposal to Ever After. As a woman we happily marry without ever thinking twice about marriage law. No one ever gets married with plans to divorce, but in the event it ever were to happen you would need to know a little about the state laws.
Not only were divorce laws covered, but Camille also hit on a topic we've discussed on many occasions...death. I've thought for some time about getting a living will together and now more than ever I think we definitely need to. In case you didn't know, Louisiana works under community property laws, I was actually surprised at what all was included in community property law. Something I found very interesting was that in the event your husband were to die that 50/50 law of Louisiana's doesn't immediately deem you the now 100% owner of everything the two of you owned. Nope. his half doesn't go to you but your children, if you have no kids then it goes to his parents. Next it trickles down to his siblings, their kids...and eventually landing at cousins. I think that was the most eye opening thing I learned, while it was very good to know the marriage law, the way things pan out in death was most interesting to me.
I could turn that into a big soap box though.
I really loved this book, it was well written, & Camille did a great job at putting legal terms into words we can all understand better. I learned so much about Louisiana marriage law from this book, and plan to take what I've learned and implement it into our plans for each other, if that makes sense. While divorce isn't in our planned future, many other things that fall into Louisiana marriage law will come upon us at one time or another.
I highly recommend this book to any woman or even man who live in Louisiana or were married here. If you are about to marry you should definitely read, it never hurts to know what the law has to say and how it will affect you in different circumstances.
To learn more about From the Proposal to Ever After check out the following links ::
You can purchase Camille Carter's book From the Proposal to Ever After on Amazon for $9.99 in paperback or for Kindle. If you have a Nook you can order here.
You can also find Camille on Twitter, Facebook, or at her blog.
Those questions and many more were answered by Camille in her new book From the Proposal to Ever After. As a woman we happily marry without ever thinking twice about marriage law. No one ever gets married with plans to divorce, but in the event it ever were to happen you would need to know a little about the state laws.
Not only were divorce laws covered, but Camille also hit on a topic we've discussed on many occasions...death. I've thought for some time about getting a living will together and now more than ever I think we definitely need to. In case you didn't know, Louisiana works under community property laws, I was actually surprised at what all was included in community property law. Something I found very interesting was that in the event your husband were to die that 50/50 law of Louisiana's doesn't immediately deem you the now 100% owner of everything the two of you owned. Nope. his half doesn't go to you but your children, if you have no kids then it goes to his parents. Next it trickles down to his siblings, their kids...and eventually landing at cousins. I think that was the most eye opening thing I learned, while it was very good to know the marriage law, the way things pan out in death was most interesting to me.
I could turn that into a big soap box though.
I really loved this book, it was well written, & Camille did a great job at putting legal terms into words we can all understand better. I learned so much about Louisiana marriage law from this book, and plan to take what I've learned and implement it into our plans for each other, if that makes sense. While divorce isn't in our planned future, many other things that fall into Louisiana marriage law will come upon us at one time or another.
I highly recommend this book to any woman or even man who live in Louisiana or were married here. If you are about to marry you should definitely read, it never hurts to know what the law has to say and how it will affect you in different circumstances.
To learn more about From the Proposal to Ever After check out the following links ::
You can purchase Camille Carter's book From the Proposal to Ever After on Amazon for $9.99 in paperback or for Kindle. If you have a Nook you can order here.
You can also find Camille on Twitter, Facebook, or at her blog.
Click here to view the actual post!
I do believe this is a small step for From the Proposal to Ever After and a giant leap for Camille. I could not be happier :)
CC
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Pre-Nups, Fraud, and Huffington Post Reporting
I just read an interesting article posted on Huffington Post.
The article's headline was, Why This Millionaire's Wife Is Especially Happy. This certainly piqued my interest. Upon selecting the title, I then
read the interior headline, "Elizabeth Petrakis, Millionaire's Wife, Gets
Prenup Thrown Out."
All right! Now I am really interested.
Then I read the first line, "In a rare move, a Brooklyn appellate court has decided that a prenuptial agreement between a Long Island woman and her millionaire husband will be thrown out, the New York Post first reported." Well, golly. What happened?
The article goes on to state that the ex-Mrs. Petrakis was given a pre-nup three months prior to their wedding. The document stated that Mr. Petrakis' assests would remain his over the course of the marriage and in the event of divorce, but for every year they were married his wife would receive $25,000. She refused to sign it.
Four days prior to the wedding, Mr. Petrakis promised to destroy the pre-nup if they had children. She accepted this and signed the document. The article does not state whether or not they had children, but assuming they did have kids, he did not throw it out and later had his attorney enforce the document.
The issue with the article is how it misleads readers. It is not a "rare move" for a judge to throw out a document when fraud has occurred. He lied to her to get her to sign the document. That is fraudulent. Not only that, but it was four days before the wedding. Did she have time to really examine the document to comprehend what she was signing? And what was the rush? He wanted her to sign it so badly, he lied to her days before their nuptials.
It smells bad and when it smells bad, there means there is a problem. This was not a "rare move" by the Brooklyn judge. It was the right move. To visit the article, click the link below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/11/elizabeth-petrakis-prenup_n_2853146.html
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Rejection Letter
The text was rejected by the publishing house:
Dear Ms. Carter:
Thank you for your reply. We have considered your sample but regret to inform you that the material does not meet our needs at this time. Our book list has little room for additions, and we find we must decline the majority of what is offered to us.
We thank you for giving us the opportunity to consider it. We appreciate your interest in Pelican Publishing Company and wish you the best as you pursue publication.
Sincerely,
---
Pelican
It was nice to at least receive a reply. I honestly wasn't sure I would hear from them again. It is disappointing, but the show must go on.
I will also add, I love working under an alias! This rejection felt way less personal. More of a general bummer, but if I ever meet my rejectors (-ers?), they won't know it was me. That feels satisfying.
At least I can put this to bed and move on from the experience...
CC
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
A Fork in the Road
There is something to be said about getting off your ass and ending procrastination. It certainly does lead to activity. Activity is great, but this ultimately leads to shit actually happening versus nothing happening.
Can you hear that? I think I just heard the world's tiniest violin...
Prior to the holidays, I forwarded a few chapters to the leading regional publisher of trade books. I sort of thought they might be interested, but expected a flat rejection considering the economy and that they currently have a listing on family law. What I did not expect is a letter requesting I detail how this text differs from their current offering.
Obviously, I am going to argue my book greatly differs from their current book. That book is BORING. I can barely read the introduction. It is also dated. It was published in 2004. Hard to believe, but that is almost a decade ago. Plus, that text goes for $20. Mine is only $10. BIG DIFFERENCE.
I know. That sounds like a stretch...
To send a proper reply, I believe I should find that book at our local law library and really glance it over. Do a little more than just "Click for an Inside Look" off Amazon. I believe a few paragraphs in reply are in order.
The other fork in the road is that I have joined a local Meet Up self-publishing group. We met a little over a week ago and I feel very inspired. It feels great to learn tips, hear others self-publishing whoa's, and find camaraderie. It sort of makes me feel like maybe going it alone really is the best option.
Right now, I feel like a cartoon character whose car has come to a fork in the road. Rather than choosing a left or a right lane, I am simply picking my car up around me and two wheels are going one way while the others go the opposite direction. Let's see how long this activity lasts...
More to come,
CC
Can you hear that? I think I just heard the world's tiniest violin...
Prior to the holidays, I forwarded a few chapters to the leading regional publisher of trade books. I sort of thought they might be interested, but expected a flat rejection considering the economy and that they currently have a listing on family law. What I did not expect is a letter requesting I detail how this text differs from their current offering.
Obviously, I am going to argue my book greatly differs from their current book. That book is BORING. I can barely read the introduction. It is also dated. It was published in 2004. Hard to believe, but that is almost a decade ago. Plus, that text goes for $20. Mine is only $10. BIG DIFFERENCE.
I know. That sounds like a stretch...
To send a proper reply, I believe I should find that book at our local law library and really glance it over. Do a little more than just "Click for an Inside Look" off Amazon. I believe a few paragraphs in reply are in order.
The other fork in the road is that I have joined a local Meet Up self-publishing group. We met a little over a week ago and I feel very inspired. It feels great to learn tips, hear others self-publishing whoa's, and find camaraderie. It sort of makes me feel like maybe going it alone really is the best option.
Right now, I feel like a cartoon character whose car has come to a fork in the road. Rather than choosing a left or a right lane, I am simply picking my car up around me and two wheels are going one way while the others go the opposite direction. Let's see how long this activity lasts...
More to come,
CC
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Was mama right about the whole "eggs in one basket" or is there only one basket?
I woke up this morning remembering how mama would always warn me not to put all of my eggs in one basket. She would advise me to never rely on one single source when
you really need to spread yourself out. It is in this line of thinking that I believe it best to investigate other
regional publishing houses.
IF (and that is an "if" in capitals), it is accepted by
two. Wouldn't they have to
negotiate with me? Wouldn't that be beneficial for me? That, again, is a big what-if, but it might behoove me to check it out. I should not be so freaking lazy and only send the text out once. I should send it to others. I
think this may be something I need to Google...
*googling*
*googling*
What do we have here? So far I see one that publishes outdoor magazines...One that does
historical texts...Hmmm. I am not seeing any others. Oh, dear. I am not seeing any others! This does not look promising.
Oh, no. Perhaps
this basket is a bit more precious than I realized. Perhaps this basket IS the basket, and that “is”
is also in capitals! Oh, gawd…
CC
Thursday, January 3, 2013
With a New Year Comes New Resolutions
The new year has already come and gone and with it I have made a few new resolutions. I decided this year I will focus on a few new ones, not the old stand-by ones. I am focusing on new ones because the old ones are simply constants for me: lose weight and quit smoking. Now, the first one, lose weight, cannot be a new resolution for it is in no way new for moi. The second, quit smoking, is an ongoing battle for me, thus not new (sidenote - I have not had a cigarette since August, but I am now addicted to my electronic cigarette).
No, NEW is the word. So, for my 2013, I hope to accomplish the following resolutions:
1) Wipe out the road rage. Yes, I have a nasty temper that flairs when people act stupid behind the wheel. But here is my problem, WHO CARES? If someone pulls out in front of me, isn't it obvious they did not see me. And if said person does pull out in front of me and I do not careen into the side of their vehicle, why am I honking and giving them the bird? They in no way hurt me or my property. Rather, they simply pulled out unexpectantly. It is not the end of the word, thus I should not throw a complete fit. So, I plan to be nicer behind the wheel. So far so good.
2) MobyDickBigRead.com - I love that the classic Moby Dick is available in audio format for free. I never read the book, but this is the next best thing. It is 100's of chapters long, so I plan to listen to it in its entirety. I think I can, I think I can...http://www.mobydickbigread.com
3) Be more creative! I have two ongoing projects I would very much like to keep "ongoing". One is scrapbooking. I just love it and I have lots of little mementos and various pics to clip and store away. I definitely need to keep that up. My other project is my little novel. I am happy to report I recently re-picked up Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft (5th Edition) by Janet Burroway. It is really good! I learned I should simply restart my novel, which pains me so. I have over 20,000 words written, but Janet is right. They are probably crap. Starting over will really help me zone in on my character and edit out a great deal of noise. The other thing I learned just last night is I need to create more crisis and conflict. Who wants to read a story that goes on and on and on and on? We want action! We want the see-saw of drama. Heck, my life is boring. Novels take me away to a fascinating place. And if the story doesn't, I stop reading. So, picking up this book has been a breath of fresh air into this project of mine. I hope to have something ready for someone (my sister) to review.
Any who. I hope I can keep this up for a long time. Happy New Year! Good luck with your own resolutions, whatever they may be.
CC
Check out Janet's book -
No, NEW is the word. So, for my 2013, I hope to accomplish the following resolutions:
1) Wipe out the road rage. Yes, I have a nasty temper that flairs when people act stupid behind the wheel. But here is my problem, WHO CARES? If someone pulls out in front of me, isn't it obvious they did not see me. And if said person does pull out in front of me and I do not careen into the side of their vehicle, why am I honking and giving them the bird? They in no way hurt me or my property. Rather, they simply pulled out unexpectantly. It is not the end of the word, thus I should not throw a complete fit. So, I plan to be nicer behind the wheel. So far so good.
2) MobyDickBigRead.com - I love that the classic Moby Dick is available in audio format for free. I never read the book, but this is the next best thing. It is 100's of chapters long, so I plan to listen to it in its entirety. I think I can, I think I can...http://www.mobydickbigread.com
3) Be more creative! I have two ongoing projects I would very much like to keep "ongoing". One is scrapbooking. I just love it and I have lots of little mementos and various pics to clip and store away. I definitely need to keep that up. My other project is my little novel. I am happy to report I recently re-picked up Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft (5th Edition) by Janet Burroway. It is really good! I learned I should simply restart my novel, which pains me so. I have over 20,000 words written, but Janet is right. They are probably crap. Starting over will really help me zone in on my character and edit out a great deal of noise. The other thing I learned just last night is I need to create more crisis and conflict. Who wants to read a story that goes on and on and on and on? We want action! We want the see-saw of drama. Heck, my life is boring. Novels take me away to a fascinating place. And if the story doesn't, I stop reading. So, picking up this book has been a breath of fresh air into this project of mine. I hope to have something ready for someone (my sister) to review.
Any who. I hope I can keep this up for a long time. Happy New Year! Good luck with your own resolutions, whatever they may be.
CC
Check out Janet's book -
| Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft (5th Edition) by Janet Burroway
Permalink: http://amzn.com/0321026896
|
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