Writing committment reaps progress

Donald J. Trump wrote “The Art of the Deal,” I’m a writer whose penned tall tales while trying to stay real and true to my writing.

We can agree that this 2020 year has been interesting. For those of us publishing books whether it’s been via traditional publishers, or like me, indie publishing, things have certainly been more challenging.

Reading is up. Statistics will tell us. See References below.

I’ve been reading a lot more too while preparing my latest release, “She Made It Matter”. An Inspirational/Christian drama about one woman’s fight to regain sobriety, find salvation, and earn forgiveness after years of guilt from being abandoned by her mother and then losing her brother to cancer, a struggle to vanquish the demons of her past and make her life right again.

And, since I’ve had the time, I’ve also been experimenting with a lot more tools and resources to get exposure for my book. Will it help? I don’t know. Time will tell.

Any published author will also tell you that promotion and marketing are the most challenging of responsibilities when it comes to publishing. I’m normally a shy person, but I’ve had to dig really deep to find my courage and push myself beyond the limits to “seize the moment”.

Here are a few takeaways and things I did on my social media platforms that may help a fellow author or two:

For five weeks leading up to the release of my book, “She Made It Matter,” I documented and shared what I call, “Visual Storyboarding”. When I write a story, I visualize the scenes in my mind and then transpose it into words. Using my book jacket verbiage, I utilized Pixabay.com and Pexels.com to create the images for the verbiage. Every week, I’d create a picture collage with the verbiage and post it on all my social media platforms. See final results here.
Then, taking all the photos, I created the “She Made It Matter” book trailer. I used Movie Maker, It’s free and I downloaded it onto my PC (I use Windows 10). I also tapped into pixabay.com/music to add to the video and voila’. See it here.
I created a YouTube channel a few years ago, but never really utilized it to its potential. Now, I am using it to upload my videos.
I put together a Storytime video in which I read the first chapter of “She Made It Matter” aloud.
I created graphics to be used in my videos using Canva.com.
For my email fans/friends/family, I’ve sent out weekly communication using Mailchimp.com .

I’ve talked to myself and to my computer camera more than I’ve wanted to. Lol! But, I believe the best conversations are with yourself, anyway.

So, I’ve put myself out there. I’ve tripped up and stumbled on those videos, but I’ve still kept them true to its form because I’m not a “Hollywood” star, or a renowned bestselling author. “… I’m just a ‘nobody’ who uses storytelling to encourage others to find their purpose and save their souls.”

The reality is, like my characters who are flawed, and because I write realistic drama with an inspirational/Christian flare, I too, am flawed and broken. I want my readers to know that I’m a real person. And, writing is not glamourous work. For me, it’s dutiful, inspiring, life changing, and adventurous.

I often tell people that I have two addictions: reading and writing. I feel restless and empty when I can’t read fiction, write my deepest thoughts in my journal, or even write down story ideas. Writing calms me, centers me, and provides a healthy outlet for my communication with imaginary friends.

I am the communication tool to share and showcase my characters. If they influence readers to be better versions of themselves, then why not? If my writing directs someone to open up their Bible, then so be it. If my writing only touches the few, then I’ve done my job. I write for an audience of ONE, my savior, Jesus Christ. He gave me the gift of storytelling, and I am obliged to honor that.

So, if anything I’ve learned during Coronavirus and quarantine is that I can take chance. I can RESTART just where I am. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

So, fellow writes/authors/readers don’t be afraid to be REAL. The world is full of fakes and falsities already.

If only everyone WOULD BE real.

Music inspiration for this post: Mandisa, “What if we were real”.

Until next time…

Be well. Be safe. Be happy.

References:

If you are interested in buying the book, click here. Available wherever books are sold.

https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Art-Deal-Donald-J-ebook/dp/B000SEGE6M

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/july/state-of-bible-reading-coronavirus-barna-abs.html

https://www.psypost.org/2020/10/reading-literary-versus-popular-fiction-promotes-different-socio-cognitive-processes-study-suggests-58381

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/25/book-sales-surge-self-isolating-readers-bucket-list-novels

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52048582

https://pixabay.com/

https://www.pexels.com/

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/movie-maker-10-free/9mvfq4lmz6c9?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

https://pixabay.com/music/

She Made It Matter book trailer

https://www.canva.com/

She Made It Matter – Women’s Fiction

It takes many drafts to make one beautiful, messy masterpiece.

Writing and authoring novels is like dating to get married. It’s a big commitment. A casual affair won’t work for the writer. Sure, some of you have tried writing, but dabbling in it is not the same as being dedicated and writing for a living.

Terrible drafts unlike awful dates can be massaged and salvaged. Think of all the copies stuffed in some drawer never to be looked at again. It’s doubt that is the killer. Or, maybe you are just a poor writer. It’s okay if this endeavor is not your thing, or what you expected it to be.

Expected? A simple word that holds a lot of weight, so much that a paper towel couldn’t absorb this amount of liquid.

Let’s define expectation…

Expectation:

noun

The act or the state of expecting: to wait in expectation.

The act or state of looking forward or anticipating.

An expectant mental attitude: a high pitch of expectation.

Something expected; a thing looked forward to.

Often expectations: a prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations.

The degree of probability that something will occur: There is little expectation that he will come.

Most young girls dream of that perfect wedding. A handsome prince that will sweep them off their feet and together, they will live happily ever after. Ah, let me be blunt, I think today’s women and men have realized those days are slim. Chivalry in both genders are depleting. We are too preoccupied and self-absorbed. Screen-time has replaced face-time. Even the age for marriage has gone up. The average age is now 27 years old for women, and 29 years old for men.

With that being said, most people after a certain age choose not to marry. Why? Too much work, set in their ways, they can do everything themselves, and are financially stable. Why take the plunge of marriage when in the U.S. alone, the statistic of divorce is 40-50% for every one marriage.

Some folks I’ve spoken with have said they’d like to write a book. Great, go for it. Wait till they realize how difficult it is. One doesn’t just sit at a computer and type away, and BOOM, you’ve written a book. Yes, that’s how it starts, but you have to keep writing and rewriting until there is a semblance of a storyline. There are rules, such as grammar and punctuation. I’m not talking about emoji’s or abbreviated words. I’m talking about real sentences with commas and periods, and structure, as in a story having a beginning, middle, and end.

The initial draft of a story can be compared to a first date, often awkward. I’ve also heard from some writers that their early manuscripts are some of their best works. Best, as in original, emotional, descriptive, and carefree. Why? Because it’s the very first draft, the first impression, and why not make it your best?

But, that first (draft or date), can be improved. To do so, you have to be willing to share and be open, or else how do you know to continue on?

If a first draft is your FIRST date, what is marriage? Marriage is the countless rough copies/versions of the same story. I can confirm that statement. It took me nine years and 27 versions of “Love’s Perfect Surrender” before the final copy of the story. It took me a year and a half and fourteen versions of “Petrella the Gillian Princess,” and six months and seven versions of “A Tribute to Tulipia”.

I know what you’re thinking. Your drafts keep going down in numbers. True. If you practice writing long enough, you will make progress, but, Petrella, the Gillian Princess and A Tribute to Tulipia were much shorter in book length, and that makes a difference.

I’m currently working on a novel, “Make it Right; Make it Matter”. It has taken me roughly twelve years to write it with 34 versions to date. Eh, who’s counting? I keep tweaking and tweaking because I know it’s not quite finished, yet. Why do all that work? Because it is my “sophomore” full-length novel, and I sincerely believe in the tale so much, I want to make sure it’s done as best as it can be.

Back to marriage. In long-term relationships, people change, and if you believe in the “us” then you will understand that those changes affect the ebb and flow of a union. However, if you are open to growth, are sincere, and devoted, those changes and differences can be overcome. It takes many drafts to make one beautiful, messy masterpiece.

For the first time writer, or the writer who has been at it for years, and this is your TRUE desire, stay the course. Some days and years, the writing will be euphoric and will flow out of you like water from a garden hose. Other times, writer’s block kicks in and that flowing hose, well, it will get rock sediments in there. That is marriage. Keeping the “I do” at the forefront of your relationships and continuing to pour love into each other even if there are pebbles along the way.

Remember to love those days, these days, and all the days because seasons of setbacks can often lead to seasons of soaring.

I’m going to leave you with something. In writing and relationships, you’re going to have to:

Just like marriage vows, writers need a vow too. Make a copy of this and post it on a wall in front of your work space. Let it be a reminder to commit in your writing endeavor.

I_________(your name) take thee pen and paper (or, keyboard and computer) to use as my imagination tools for writing each and every day. I promise to trust the process and persevere no matter what.