Blog a Book

It is perfectly okay to write garbage – as long as you edit brilliantly.
C. J. Cherryh

Here’s the concept. For starters you need to start yourself a blog. I have one and the settings are set to ‘closed’ where no one can read or comment on it but me. My goal? Write my life story. I don’t know where the idea came from and at first I had it opened to where people could read my gut wrenching, painful past and learn from it, but then I thought I was revealing too much for public viewing so I closed the doors and am writing my novel instead, through the use of a blog.

Many of you have read books like Go Ask Alice and surely, the Diary of Anne Frank. The format is quite simple in a daily journal style format; with some added tidbits meshed into the story. Well that is my goal in Blogging a book. Day after day I’ll write one tale after another, compile posts of substance, possibly 1,000 words a day. Then at the end of the month I will have close to 30,000 words written! Sounds like a plan.

You don’t need any fancy gadgets and sidebars, this is where you are just going to pen your story. You could do it outside the blog, but I know many of you don’t back up your work on a daily basis. This is where all your writing will be safe, and when your computer crashes and you lose everything, the blog will still be there storing all that you’ve written, so a months worth of work will be safe.

Writing a novel of fiction would be done the same way, but not so much as a journal. I’m going for the journal-like route because my biography is non fiction. The style might change after I get it all completed, but this gives me something to write about on a daily basis. I’m done on classes for now, I’m finished leading people in their writing (except for my blog here at Write Right) and I’m moving on to action. The action being that I’m writing every day, no outside negative influences, and I’m well on my way.

If you’re a new writer and this is your first time penning a tale. Do your research! You don’t need to pay for expensive classes to help you along the way. Make google your friend and search out style of writing, voice, metaphors and the like. Surround yourself with positive people which you can find on many writing sites on the web, for FREE! Take it from me, one negative person can take you down, so flee from them! Be forewarned! Surround yourself with positive and positive will be your pillow at night, and all you dream.

There are many storage facilities, also free on the net, GOOGLE is one of them. Make sure you store your work somewhere other than just on a blog. Your files are not safe because computers have been known to crash, with years of hard work wiped out completely, all because no one thought to BACK-UP their work. Sure the websites you store your work at can rarely be hacked, and this is why you choose many sites all with different passwords.

Keep your novel/blog/work safe! And Write Right!

Book worthy Blog?

Writing is a lot easier if you have something to say
~ Sholem Asch

We live in an era where mostly everyone has a blog. Whether its about food, raising kids, knitting or you pick a subject, more than likely, there is a blog about it. But is it book worthy?


Blogging is a nice comfortable place to share my writing skills while I wait for that big moment in time where a publisher accepts my work. In the meantime, I write my blog to share things about the craft that I’ve learned along the way. This isn’t an easy task, this blogging route, but it is a nice distraction from many mundane circumstances that life throws at you.


Again, is your blog book worthy? There is actually a book titled How to Blog a Book, that will take you through the steps of turning your blog into a book! A book worthy blog.


First let me say, no I haven’t bought the book and second, when I began this blog I had no intention of turning it into a book. But now with this newer technology buzzing around the internet, the possibilities are there. Yesterdays self publishing post was more aimed at the novel you’ve written. I don’t think self publishing is a route for the budding writer. It’s an easy out of taking away all the rejection so you can feel secure. Writers know, there is nothing about this business that’s comfy and secure. It’s hard work, day in and day out of honing a craft, marketing your work, and promoting yourself.


If you have a target audience for your followers, chances are you have a book in the making. If your posts are consistent about one subject, is aimed at a certain group (photography, writing, knitters, etc.) then more than likely you have a book worthy blog. Now it is time to find out.


For me, I have close to one thousand posts. There has to be a book in there somewhere! My main topics are the writing craft, poetry and quotes. Now I know my quotations are not book worthy, but one never knows. What I’m going to do is take all the posts and separate and organize them. Poetry in one file, writing another and quotations yet another. My life posts will go in my life story I’m penning. I might be able to use something there.


If your blog is not post specific, meaning all over the place in topics, chances are slim that you have book worthy content amid the rubble. You might just blog for fun and that is all well and good, but to a writer, we’re always thinking books! As I said, I’ll organize my posts first and see what I have. Then onto editing it to make sure the post was sufficient and all the right info was given to the reader.


Once all this is compiled, I’ll add a few unpublished works. Editors love new material and sending them already published work may discourage them from taking on your project. Add new material! And make sure you inform them that there is newly added material! Persistence pays off.

Come on 100th Follower !!!

Let me be your Inspirational Blog...

I began this blog in 2005, deleted 2006 and it wasn’t until 2008 I took it to a more serious level. I started this blog with the intention of writing about the paranoia in this society, then after becoming a mentor and not having much down to earth  assistance out there in the writing world, I decided to make my blog about writing. By down to earth, I mean writing pages that are targeted to the novice. Always plenty of pages on the technical stuff, but the small stuff that we as writers need to know and are eager to learn? I wanted to reach those writers.

Then the followers began marching in like soldiers, and I was well on my way to happy in seeing all the folk enjoying my blog. I care for and appreciate each and every follower, even if I don’t get comments, I know they are there, reading behind their screens, drinking coffee perhaps, and *I* being their morning paper. (wow, can someone say run on sentence here?)

That’s a good feeling of being read. Now I know what drives all those popular published authors onto bigger and better writing days, readers! I wrote a post about me one time and I saw comments appear. My readers were enjoying my writing posts but they also were enjoying hearing about me and my life. I began having post about Writing, but also about Me. This combination drove my followers up, because I think deep down, we all want to know what really makes a writer tick. Even if they themselves were writers, closet writers, they were more about writing, not divulging personal issues about themselves.

I think my followers realized that Joni was a complex writer, spilling her guts about herself, and spreading light through scripture,  love through my heart and soul, and giving some pretty good advice on writing, while sharing very informative writing links.  It was then that One Voice ~Write Right began moving along into a new era. Poetry, Quotations, personal issues and plausible Writing Assistance became a virtual  must read. Okay maybe that is pushing it; Must Read? But it has become an endearing read, and a Good Read, so much so, my hits are up, my visitors are up, I have flags from all the different countries that visit, and with the change of my layout, people are liking what they are seeing!

As my dental woes mount, the needed thousands of dollars for the amount of work necessary, along with the damage to my body and health that the dental woes are causing all the way down to not taking care of myself, will all fall on me in avalanche fashion as the year ends. But I am here, a living testament of true faith, I stand as the miracle of sight was brought into this realm of mine, and I hold my head high and push onto the next leg of this interesting journey God has placed me on.

Now if I could just get that 100th follower, my new year would begin on a high note!

Return to change...

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. ~Victor Frankl

***

Yeah I think I should return to my writing blog before I bore all of you to tears. Since I AM the mastermind behind this blog, I do have the free reign to do what I want and write the topics that I want. But will you walk with me down this path? Only time will tell.

Last week was blog topics about ‘Helping the Unfortunate of Society’. It has nothing to do with writing, but writers I believe, have a duty, when they’re not off making millions or maybe it is just hundreds of dollars, to help the less fortunate. Me, I make nothing and still feel the need to help the less fortunate and if my words encourage just one person to help someone in need, then my work is not in vain.

We’ve gone through some changes here on the Nebraskan home front. Some good changes but as you know, not everyone embraces change. Change to me is like waking one day having a beautiful luscious green tree, broken in half and the leaves all turned brown. Yeah, I don’t embrace change very easily, but I know, it is just a part of the natural flowing river that God has placed in our fluid lives.

Some folks ride the river screaming, whee whee whee all the way down, missing a few of the intricate steps it takes in getting to the end of the river, or really they are so absorbed in the water they miss the true beauty of the ride. They embrace moving right along, ignore necessity, and they just...flow. That can be good in some instances (if you’re a baby who has no other care in the world, and enjoys being pacified), but in a world full of chaos? That uninhibited flow can also be detrimental.

Others, grab hold of a floating branch; just coast down the river, enjoying all the blessings that surround them  and are well aware of and prepared for the forceful waterfall ahead of them. The rushing of chaotic change comes and suddenly you’re pulled in  many different directions; being stretched here and there but if you’re lucky, you’ll have a guiding hand tugging you on the right path.

That is what is happening to me as the year moves downstream into a new era. I’m putting to rest something that held me captivated for eight years, and while those who continue to flow don’t recognize that they’ve shattered a dream of mine, they’ll flow, missing the fact that they alone were the ones who broke the mirror.

While I hold onto the branch and look skyward seeing what is the next leg of my journey; I’m going to embrace the change that will carry me swiftly to new heights. What am I going to embrace in the new year that will carry me, rushing into a new dream, a new phase, a loving world of souls with their arms outstretched to me? Only time will tell.

I know one thing for certain...my blog and I will survive.  

Master Plan: part II

Gen 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
***

Well yesterday’s post got a lot of positive responses with the folk over at facebook who I share some of my work here with. :) So today I’m going to write about another master plan and that’s the one you’ll need to write a story.

Whether it is a short story or a novel, you will need a master plan. Not much unlike God’s plan for our lives and all He did to create the universe, our writing needs to shape up just as if we were the Creator himself. We are in essence a god to our characters because we are the creator of our intricate stories. They look to us to feed them and nourish them.

What will we need? We will need to breathe life into a character. Allow the person to shape a world. Make a mountain out of a molehill. Give your character a place to live and play. Give them a strong name. I think Mike and John are overdone. Choose something unique so that your reader will be walking around with the name on their tongue as if they just bit into an m&m or something. Like Odd Thomas, the name is quirky, but it clings to you like gumdrops to the roof of your mouth.

We’ll also need a help mate to carry the story along. Male or female, this character is necessary in creating scenes within this bubble. Allow them exploration of the world you’re creating. Give them full reign of the playground but withhold the ‘tree of life’ from them. As they explore and find the tree, perhaps the antagonist will lure them away with a good conflict that will bring your story to new heights.

An antagonist will surely add to the story to fill in all the juicy parts. Think satan running rampant and wreaking havoc on the earth. Surely your Adam and Eve will be finding new life, discovering new things but they’ll also be tempted to do the wrong thing in this right world that you’ve created.

Now that you’ve had the seed planted, don’t take seven days to create your world, take 30. An entire month of 2000 words a day. Don’t spell check and edit as you go, create! Do you think the Lord stopped on day one and said, “Now let me think, I gave Adam a backbone, but I don’t like it, delete?” No, he kept on creating, and when He had finished, Genesis 1: 31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”
 
Write the entire month, no edits, no looking back. Create a masterpiece that the human race will look back on and one day say, “This is very good!”

Blog Blog Blog

Matt. 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
***

Well it has been a week or so since I’ve really blogged. I keep up on my Quotation Saturday and Poetry Sunday though so you all have something to come here and visit me for.

You might ask, “What have you been doing? How are you?” Well, let me tell you, I’ve been doing a lot of running around, getting Adam ready for his first day of school. Literally, his first day of school. He’s been home-schooled, and he wanted this, so as any good mom, we always give them what they want.

He’s gotten all of his shots, been to the dentist, been to the eye doctor (he now wears glasses) been to register for school and in between all that I’ve been mentoring at F2K Free Writing Course. And I’m on the ball, so my blog got a little left behind.

I did receive this in the mail Wednesday during all my busy-ness. I stop and check my mail and thought I’d share with you, my readers, my fans.

During the month of July, the International Blogging Recognition Council (IBRC) had the pleasure of reviewing your blog One Voice, A writers blog.  Your blog was referred to IBRC through our Refer-A-Blog program.  "Quotation Saturday" was the topic that the Council reviewed. Based on the review, the Council has recommended that your blog receive IBRC’s designation of “Recognized Blog”.  IBRC reserves this honor to those blogs that effectively connects with the audience and promotes the sharing of ideas and experiences.


Did I get a certificate of accomplishment? Did I get a Medal of Honor? A button to place on my wall to show my excellency? No, I got recognition of my hard work by someone other than Adam and Steven. I have a lot of my friends support, but sometimes this blogging business feels all in vain. “Who’s reading, Who’s commenting, What is the purpose of all this?”

I had been questioning where to go next. Get a job when Adam starts school or continue writing and pounding the streets of the Internet and submitting until my fingers bleed? Well I think this in some way helped me with my decision. God had said to “continue with the TALENT that I gifted you with.”

That’s easy for Him to say. We need money! And my writing is not paying any dividends. BUT here’s the clincher, do immediate rewards from a paying job satisfy the very soul that you live and breathe to nourish? No, it doesn’t. People will and always have said, “But it doesn’t pay the bills.”

And my response, “Are ye of little faith?” God has provided for me for well over thirty years now, am I supposed to do what ‘people’ say, now? I don’t think so. With God all things are possible and sorry to dampen your spirits ‘people’ but I TRUST God more than I trust you and your opinion.

Let go and Let God. I live God, I don’t just believe. :) godspeed to you all.