Book Festivals are Amazing

Well, Savannah was beautiful but the best part about it was the person I was with. I don't think I would have enjoyed my time in that city nearly as much without him by my side. It is rare to find someone who enjoys the same things you do but, once in your life, you will meet someone with whom you can enjoy all of the things that you both love and even be introduced to some new things you never knew you loved via the association. IF you ever do, you should hold on with both hands like your life depends on it. If you find one and lose them and then find another, you should count yourself VERY lucky.

On to the events: We went to an amazing restaurant, took a walking tour of Savannah architecture (amazing), went to St. John's church (he is catholic so this is a HUGE deal for him), listened to Lulu Powers speak about her book From Food to Flowers (I am one of those people that loves cookbooks), and listened to some wonderful live music while holding hands and canoodling. I have never enjoyed myself more.

While I didn't get to meet Mr. Stephen King (the event was sold out), Ms. Lulu was interesting and I got a look into the success story of a chef who published a book. She was very forward about not being a writer and I began to wonder how many passions you could put into a book. I have discovered there are many:

1. Poetry
2. Photography
3. Cooking
4. Storytelling
5. Business
6. Art
7. Travel
8. Nonsense
9. Love
10. Despair
11. Poverty
12. Historical Events
13. Self

and so many more! Too many to list! I realized that, no matter what your passion is, there is a book in you somewhere. You just have to find your genre and make it happen.

I have had so many stories in me my whole life, I have always written. While art, photography, and cooking ARE passions, writing fiction is what I was born to do. I think good writers can be trained but I think GREAT writers are BORN and just have to take the time to master their craft.

I am off to continue the story that my heart wants to tell. I cannot help but model Temujin after my boyfriend and the love he has for Borte is the love I hope he has for me; it IS the love I have for him and it drives much of my tale.

I hope you are all blessed as I have been but I don't find it likely. What I have found is rare, beautiful, and made of the stuff you usually only read about...

Until next time, WRITE ON!!!

Jo

Weekend!!

I shipped my chapters off to my focus group this morning and am putting the first 6 chapters of edits into my manuscript before I reprint so I can share my story with someone near and dear to my heart this weekend. It makes me a bit nervous because, while I can read it and let my focus group read it and not take it personally, this is a lot more personal.

Questions to the writers out there: When you share your draft with a random person, do you take their feedback personally or do you just accept it for what it is? Is it different when you share it with someone you love?

Just stuff in my head right now.

I gotta go pack!! SO excited right now! I can think of NO better way to spend my weekend than spending time with my Babydoll in a city that is celebrating books.

Another quick question: Does ink printed on paper mean anything to anyone any more? Or are we so consumed by technology that everything now must be digital or no one will bother with it?

Thought: When that EMP destroys all of the electronics that we depend on so much, at least I'll still have my paper books...

Until next time, WRITE ON!!

Jo

Itchy Fingers

My fingers are itching with ideas I had over the weekend and I can't wait to begin writing again today. This has been one of the most difficult undertakings I have ever attempted - second only to graduating college. I have re-written the beginning of my book three times before I decided I was ready to continue with chapter 1. Since the prologue, the book took on a personality of its own and has literally flown out of my fingers. I hope to write at least three chapters this week, possibly four. My goal is to get it ON paper then tweak it and roll it around in my head for a while.

I am going to the Savannah, Georgia, book fair this weekend and I hope to be introduced to some new writers and some inspiration. Savannah is so beautiful and for them to have a whole weekend dedicated to books, well, they won me over even more. I am an avid reader as well as being a writer. I have a huge library of books and am always on the lookout for another great read.

I hope you are all excited that Temujin is about to have the sweet taste of revenge on his tongue yet again! My focus group loves it when he acts in the name of justice and they say they punch the air on occasion when things go right for this young warrior. That tells me he is, not only likeable, but that they are rooting for him to win. That's my kind of character!

I had an idea for a young reader's series yesterday and logged it in my idea book. I will make plans for the writing of the first one once this one hits the e-readers. I am lucky that I can write. I am thankful for the gift every day. For all of you writers, do you keep an idea book? I am curious to know just what others do.

Time to get to work!

Until next time, WRITE ON!!

Jo