 Today is a day for the history books…If history cares about the day I did something crazy. And by crazy, I mean completely normal to everyone but myself. Yes, today I did something special. Something amazing. Something unheard of! Today…I signed up for my first writer’s conference! Are you disappointed? Sorry. This is a big deal for me, though! I never do anything like this. For years, I chose to go about my writing business alone. I was a little row boat tied to the harbor, trying not to sink as the tall ships around me sailed on to the high seas, experiencing adventures, finding treasures, making friends with the other…ships…(That metaphor got away from me a little bit.) But today, I decided to stop cowering and finally sign up. I am looking forward to learn more, to meet new people, and to improve my writing. But I still get a little queasy every time I think about this new adventure. So I'm making myself feel better by staring at my pictures of the ocean (taken just last week on my trip to California). Because, let’s be honest “The cure for anything is salt water. Sweat, tears, or the sea.” (Isak Dinesen)
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As the years have passed, however, I have discovered how lonely this way of life can be at times. It can be even more lonely as a writer. When I was a wee lass, I decided to write, edit, print, publish, and market my own books all by myself, to satisfy my "introvertedness." I do not recommend this. This is not a smart idea. This is a stupid idea.  Luckily, I've come to my senses. I now see how important it is, how wonderful it is, to seek the help of others, and to help them in return. Recently, I have come in contact with a few authors and soon-to-be-authors, and to my great surprise and joy, I was not rejected, as I had feared. Not only have I been welcomed with open arms, I have been supported, encouraged, and helped by every person with whom I have come in contact. The clean romance community is truly wonderful, readers and authors alike, and I am so blessed to be a part of it! And despite my "introvertedness," I find myself becoming friends with fellow authors, wanting to spend time with them, enjoying their novels, and loving the moments I connect with them. Now all I need to do is get off my couch and talk to more people...And "therein lies the rub"!  In honor of all those starting the new school year, and in celebration that I no longer have school myself, I decided to write my list of top ten favorite school classes.  My sister and I walking to elementary school together. 10. Elements of Grammar - I took this in college, and honestly, it was the greatest source of information I ever received for the technical aspect of my writing. 9. Greek and Latin Elements of Words - We had to memorize over 100 words and definitions a week, and the teacher was CRAZY, but his passion made this one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken. 8. Fit for Life - This is ridiculous that this made my top ten because of how absolutely "unfit" I am, but we were able to go bowling and play sports, so it was fun! 7. AP Biology - (Don't laugh at this, Ali) This made the list purely because I guffaw each time I think about how absurd I was thinking I could actually pass it. Luckily I transferred out, and luckily my friend did, as well, so I didn't feel like a total failure. 6. Infancy and Early Childhood Education - I minored in FCHD in college and loved learning about the development of children. Very helpful as a mother, now! 5. Yearbook - My favorite thing about this? Basically having two class hours spending time with my good friends. Of course it wasn't all fun and games...only during our parties. 4. Photoshop - I always wanted to learn how to use Photoshop, so I was excited to take this course. Spending an entire class playing around with photos was awesome. 3. Poetry - All of the poetry classes I took were great, but my favorite was the Advanced course with Michael Sowder. He was one of my favorite professors. 2. Creative Writing - The first class I took in creative writing was in high school. It was the perfect foundation for my writing in college! 1. Shakespeare - I took a course fully dedicated to the Bard, and I loved delving into his plays and sonnets. I wish I could take the class again! There you have it! Comment below and share your own favorite classes!
Recently, I’ve seen a few Clean Romance authors share their writing spaces with their followers, so I thought it would be fun to do the same. Then I realized that I currently have no writing space…not a specific space, anyway, and certainly not as nice as some of the ones I’ve seen.
CD/DVD Drive Snapped Off I gave up fixing this when a small flame burst forth from the opening. Letters Scraped Off of Keyboard Can’t blame the kids for this one. Apparently, I use the letters ‘e,’ ‘s,’ ‘d,’ ‘n,’ ‘m,’ and ‘v’ a lot. Faulty Spacebar and 'S' Keys Try writing about “Mr-._-ander-_-eeing_the_-ea,_walking_in_the _-and,_and _-oiling_her_-lipper-" without spaces and the letter 's.' Volume Raising and Lowering Randomly This is super fun, especially while watching Netflix. Faulty Headphone Jack The sound likes to snap, crackle, and pop...Oh, and it only works in one ear. Screen Unhinged Did you know a screen can come deattached from the back of a laptop and still work? I didn’t. Also, binder clips work great keeping it together. See below. Screen Lowering on One Side Sometimes, I have to tilt my head to see the screen straight on. It also falls every so often, like a head flopping with an unsupportive neck. Broken Charger Only works when pressed hard or on its side. Again, see below.
So there you have it. Only eight things wrong with this stalwart machine. I did promise my husband I wouldn't deliberately break it further...but we'll see how much longer I last. I'll be sure to keep you posted.
Until then, happy sideways-writing. A few months back, I was able to update my blog more frequently than before, having a great deal to write about in relation to my recent trip to England. However, when I reached the post I had been waiting to write about for months, I was stumped, deciding to take the easy way out and just give up on writing altogether... for a few weeks, anyway.
 Or perhaps I wished to start writing again because of the beautiful autumn we are experiencing this year. The colors of the leaves have been so vibrant and have lasted far longer than years past. The air has been crisp and not absolutely frigid, which has been a nice change, and now that November has come, I am happy for it to snow and drop in temperature. (At least until January when it needs to warm up day one.) Or maybe I simply wanted to start writing again because I love it, and I missed these last few months of creating images in others' minds by putting words on a page. Along with my blogging, I nearly gave up on writing and editing my new novel, which is what I miss the most. The characters, places, and situations are so real to me that when I don’t write or read about them, I miss them like I would any old friend.
I expected great things during our trip to Cornwall, planning for months on spreadsheets every minute of every day so we could take full advantage of our time there. We had so many places to see, so many miles to drive, we were exhausted by the end of every day, but each moment of exhaustion was worth it for the sights we saw.  Porthcurno Beach, Cornwall  Porthcurno Beach, Cornwall I was taken aback at my love for the sea once again as we stopped at beach after beach, cliffside after cliffside. The power of the incredible amount of water, the sounds of the waves on the beach, the soft sand beneath my boots, the freezing wind burning my reddened cheeks, the rugged, Cornish cliffs around me, everything was overwhelmingly peaceful and powerful.
I have not been the same since, and every day, I long to return to the place I felt such deep joy and contentment. For now, however, I will settle for the next best thing, writing about the place I fell in love with, the fierce winds, the rushing waves, and the endless beauty of the Cornish coast. |
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