Standing my Ground

I have always been the type of writer to stand my ground on my beliefs. Sure, I know for a lot of you it is hard, but for me it is more a moral stance. I will not jump outside my domain and watch or write something I think to be immoral.

Often I am shunned for being a ‘snob’ because I set my standards so high, these are standards that I choose to live by and don’t judge you as a person for not living by. This is MY moral compass and as a woman who isn’t getting any younger, I feel it necessary to stand my ground the closer I get to being PUT in the ground.

I watch as some claim a moral compass, some claim to be a Christian but their behavior and actions speak something totally opposite. Why is that? Sometimes I sit and watch, sometimes I try to comprehend, often times I’m scratching my head wondering why I am so different. Why do I see wrongs where there are wrongs and others see wrongs as right? Am I missing something? Are you going to tell me that God DOESN’T see you betraying Him? Or do you think He’ll just overlook the tiny things?

I started this writing blog with the right intentions but watched as it flopped. Slowly being here for no one to read and even less to comment. I didn’t write to get comments, but I did write to be read. What good is writing for yourself if no one is going to read you? I think that is why I lost interest in writing. As I wrote and posted (here or other places) no one was reading me. One person to LIKE everything I write does not encourage me to continue writing.

I went from 200+ posts a year to 60 if I’m lucky 80 by years end. This isn’t the successful journey I envisioned for myself. I persevered…persisted…plowed on and in many dark tunnels I crawled out to see the light, but when I got to the end of the dark and musty tunnel, no one was there.

Sure, I’ll hear, “God is there.” I know this! “God’s on your side.” I know this too. I have so encapsulated myself with God that it has scared people off leaving me alone (not totally because I KNOW God is there) in my writing journey. Sometimes I wished the computer and internet had never come into my life and that I would have stayed the type woman that I was molded into. I left that world for the virtual world and have to wonder if I took a wrong turn somewhere on the path. Granted, it was a path to meeting new friends but I wonder…

I know God has something planned for me and it’s not in the virtual social world of facebook or the extremely weird social format of Twits, I mean Twitter. It’s out here in the real world of beauty, nature and reality.

I WILL revive my writing blog perhaps come September. I WILL use my God-given talent of writing to further my goals. I WILL, I WILL, I WILL!  For now, I’ll await the season’s change so I can feel alive again. I’ll wait for the tapping of marbles rolling on the tin roof in the form of rain. The sound and the new season will revive in me what I’ve been waiting for to breathe the life of writing once again. 

I will stand my ground and firmly plant my feet in the Light of truth. My writing will soar as the eagles! I’ll do it with or without you, I have God, that’s all I need!

Back in the Saddle

Matt: 16:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

Well I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I’ve decided to come back to my writing blog to teach you what I know of writing. With many of my friends encouraging me to continue and much support of my friends edging me forward into this writing journey I’m on, I felt it was time to jump back in and write.

The bad news, well there really isn’t any bad news. My coming back is a good thing and will be beneficial to you all.

My first step to getting back in the saddle was a long break from the writing sites that I was affiliated with, f2k and WVU. I’ve slowly backed away, I paused, prayed, and a lot of meditation and thought went into my return.

The second step was forgiveness. A cleansing of my spirit washed over me. I cleaned the darkened slate and forgave all of those that did me wrong, attacked and immaturely took some kind of firm stance in getting me out of their way. What they didn’t take into consideration was my strong faith that would forgive them. Sure I was knocked down and dragged through the mud, all for my right to Freedom of Speech?

What I say on my blog, is a part of me exercising that right and I never name a soul, without their permission, and never in any way mean malice to anyone. Have you ever read a book or short story, and in between the covers, saw you, in one of the characters? Well did that writer know you personally? No, you just FELT that it was you. A good writer can make you feel that way. That is exactly what got me into the bad karma, if you will, of these people.

As I said, their immaturity left them no one else to hate because my words, seemed to be aimed at them, but they never asked, they just assumed. I forgive you, now I move on into a better place and am taking back the reigns of who I am as a person, a writer who will continue to write, with no specific people or persons in mind, but if you see YOU in my words, then I’ve accomplished my goal of being a doggone prolific writer.

What a better world this would be if people really understood the act of forgiveness. It is not just a word, it is something you feel within for someone who has done you wrong. You move on, not holding the remembrance of pain and anguish they caused you, over their heads. Imagine a world where people forgave one another and moved on. Is that possible in the dark days in front of us? I believe with my whole heart and all my faith, that forgiveness IS divine!

My heart bleeds for those who don’t know forgiveness because their souls are wrought with guilt and shame, pain and illness claws at their bodies unwilling to let go; gnawing at their being is hatred just waiting to spew at anyone who does them wrong or doesn’t fit into their circle. Is that YOU?

So as I get back in the saddle and move on, I have healed, my illness is behind me, not defining me. I am embracing the writing world once again. Because in no way has writing turned its back on me!

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!

Blogging III

It's better to write about things you feel than about things you know about.
~ L P. Hartley

The blogging world is made up of some do’s and don’t’s. There are things you can do to ensure you have a good blog and there are some things that will be a no-no to your readers and have them clicking for something else to read. I’ve probably done one or more of these on the list, so don’t fret if you do too. They’re just a quick guideline.

Here are some do’s:
1. First and foremost, be yourself. Allow your reader to be a voyeur into your world and get to know your personality through your voice.

2. FOCUS. Having something to focus on, like for me it is writing, poetry and quotes. Yours may be photography, every day mommy, or cooking. Just remain focused and your reader will keep coming back to taste what you’re offering.

3. LINKS. It is advisable to post links to either other blogs, other posts of yours or informative links within a post. Your reader will feel more connected to you and find your blog of interest. I hear it helps with the search engines too.

4. Images. Sometimes a reader needs to be visually in touch with you. Photos can be one way you connect your blog post, through an image, to reach your reader. This is brain stimulation for the reader.

5. Be responsive. I get few comments, but when I do, I respond to each person. Many have become close friends over the years and not commenting may have driven them away. Comment to your reader!

6. Promote! It is advisable to promote yourself in any way you can, via facebook, twitter, or other avenues. Promoting your blog is your ticket to readership! They won’t read if they don’t visibly know you exist.

Now onto some don’t do ideas:

1. Don’t overdo it! When you’re new to blogging, you have a tendency to want to blog every day, every hour if possible. Set a reachable goal and pace yourself.

2. Don’t bore your reader! If you have a photo blog, don’t ramble on about last nights dinner. This will not always go over well with your readers. Allow your blog to evolve over time and when you know your trusty followers well enough, then give them something new to nibble on.

3. Don’t make grammar mistakes! This is one I believe I’ve made a few times on my blog, but I usually catch it before it goes to the reading public. I’m not perfect, but my readers of a writing blog, expect more from me! Be more for your reader. Go above and beyond in bringing them all that they expect in your blog.

4. Don’t make your post one long paragraph! Break it up with some ‘white space’ for the reader. Make it aesthetically appealing. Just as you need a break, so does your reader when he/she is reading. Long paragraphs equal boring posts on the blogger scale.

5. Don't limit WC. WC stands for word count in the writing world. Writing longer posts, with breaks in the paragraphs, makes your reader feel they’ve gotten hold of some juicy stuff, and comfortably too, I might add.  I’ve tried limiting my posts to 500 words, but more times than not, I go well over that and I think my blog posts are all the better for it. Remember, more words means meatier juicier blog posts. (keep in mind #2 on the don’t list)

6. Do NOT be negative! Unless you have a blog about Gripes of a Mom, being negative gives off many negative vibes as I’ve learned the hard way on this one. Be positive and inspirational. This is what readers want and being a bummer in the readers world will surely get you less reads and have them surfing for a more inspirational blog.

So there you have it. A nice little list to help guide you in the blogging community. Write on folks, but most of all, Write RIGHT!

Blogging II

There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you.
~Z.N. Hurston

To Blog or not to Blog, that is the question. I see many blogs about nothing yet I see many more about something. People have a need to share with the world their everyday lives. It’s as if it is a form of medicine for them. Much like the social networks are an addictive form of sharing, chatrooms the home of the homebound, blogging is to writer’s the medicine of the field.

If you have something enlightening to tell the world, or you’ve discovered a ruby among the rubble, you don’t want to keep it all to yourself, you want to share it with the world. The social scenes allow for tiny bits and pieces, but a blog, that can give you an entire mouthful to spoonfeed your followers. And if it something everyone wants to hear/read then your followers will read you every day to see just what it is that you’re sharing with the world.

A blog can be a step in the path your going down as a writer. Writer’s like myself like to give you morsels of the writing craft, while other blogs give you authors and interviews with authors, while some blogs review the books that they’ve read, while there are some blogs with absolutely nothing to offer, and I wonder why they even try blogging. That’s right, blogging is a form of mental release in a world where sharing what you ate for dinner has become status quo. People have a need to share with someone, ANYone, their everyday, month, year, happenings.

It’s not just about blogging, it is also about promoting your blog. Promoting it on facebook, twitter, blog catalog and many other places that will get people to come and read what you wrote, that is if they are interested in what you have to say. And it helps if you have friends because via friends you get hits and shares. People will share with others the things you’ve written if they felt it worthy enough to share.

Here lately, I have a set of  ‘so called friends’ who apparently like what I’m writing so much that they run back and tell their friends what I’ve written. Then those friends come and visit me, but not without an agenda to sabotage all of my hard work that I put into writing my blog. This is the reason I’ve chosen to keep my personal life personal and become a quiet blogging recluse, sharing only what the writing world offers me.

Sure I’ll write blog posts about writing, but you’ll be hard pressed to learn anything of me on a personal level, because well, I’m keeping myself closed to friends who cut you in the throat, find folly in bringing you down, and sit in sheer joy by bringing on negative vibes to my positive world of blogging.

Blogging can be a fortified essential nutrient in your writing diet. Write right and they’ll come to read what you wrote. Write wrong and they’ll move on to the next blog that excites them. It’s all about reaching the reader and have them liking what they’re reading. To blog or not to blog, THAT is the question!

Blogging

Observe, don't imitate.
~John M. Ford

Blogging is a tool in the writers arsenal. We as bloggers, either have something positive to say or something negative to say but always, a writer has SOMEthing to say; and a blog is a nice way to say it.

I remember a couple of years ago when my beau was losing his sight, I made the suggestion that he might try blogging, to tell his story of going blind. He put together Drums in the Deep, and was well on his way in the blogging community, sharing his journey.

Well like most people, he got bored quickly as his sight diminished with every day, and he was becoming discouraged. Then he started a new blog about audiobook reviews and he has found a nice niche which he can enjoy writing and enjoy reviewing, since audiobooks became the norm in his sightless world.

Many of you know that last year the miracle of sight was given to him, and then he finally got the chance to SEE his blogs. It didn’t take him long before he revamped both blogs and made them more appealing to the reader, who may have no clue that he went blind and got his sight back three years later. Blogging became a part of his life.

He has such a nice voice I had suggested and tossed around the idea of him becoming a narrator for audiobooks but that seed fell by the wayside as we both have been dealing with our health issues first and foremost. But now that he can see, (still not 100% yet) he has begun to think ahead for the future, HIS future. He is now thinking also about how cool narrating would be and once he starts watering that seed, you just never know what will flourish!

Just as the writing sites used to be a part of my life, blogging has been a way to communicate with my reader and teach them a few basic points in writing. I’m not a college scholar but my tips are tried and true to the best of my knowledge and is what gives my life purpose. To teach a newcomer some basics to get them started on their own journey of writing is my gift to you.

Throughout my life, I’ve realized a few things, (haven’t we all?) I realized I have a purpose. No my purpose isn’t to become a millionaire, be president, or to become the the first woman to venture onto Mars surface. Nope, my purpose is to plant seeds in everyone’s life and give them that little grain of seeing hope in their lifeless world. One day the seed takes root, once they’ve watered it, and has the possibility of growing into great things.

So while I may not seem to have accomplished much in my life, know that I am a Master Gardener, serving a purpose for the Almighty. What the individual does with that seed is totally up to them. I’ve given it to them, they can either plant it or toss it, the CHOICE is up to them.

Blogging is a seed that I give to you, my readers. Use it to the best of your ability and make something flourish from it!

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!

E.S.P of Writing: Part II

The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say. ~Anaïs Nin
***

Have you ever heard of E.S.P.? It is short for Extra Sensory Perception. That’s not telling us a whole lot now is it? To me, I perceive it as an Extra sense. What? we have an extra sense?

Have you ever heard your mother say, “Don’t you have the sense God gave you?” Well maybe your mother didn’t but I’ve heard it a few times in my lifetime, and I always looked back and whispered, “Yes, my sixth one,” and as she would turn her back I know I had a tongue sticking out at her. I was just an ornery child like that.

We at f2k (the FREE Creative Writing Course) have a lesson that deals with the senses. We have the normal five senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste, but we have also added three more to add to the effect of your writing; time, space, and the unknown.

Eerie isn’t it, the unknown? Not really: As the sky opens up and unleashes a torrential downpour this late afternoon, I wonder if the newly born kittens are dry. Look at that sentence! The sky would be SPACE, late afternoon would be TIME, and a moment of wonder would be the UNKNOWN. It is THAT simple.

And to top it off the sentence is showing not telling. You get the idea here, right? Now try this on for size.

As I walked down the street in the afternoon sun, I wondered where the aroma of coffee was coming from. I grabbed the pole to catch my balance, as my mouth watered in anticipation of finding the noisy outdoor bistro on the corner.

As I walked down the street (space) in the afternoon (time) sun, I wondered (unknown) where the aroma(smell) of coffee was coming from. I grabbed the pole (touch) to catch my balance, as my mouth watered in anticipation (taste) of finding the noisy (sound)outdoor bistro on the corner. (sight)

Notice how those two sentences, a small paragraph, used all eight senses? In our f2k lesson we ask for you to write a paragraph (READ my words, a PARAGRAPH) using the eight senses. Would you believe, it could take four and five paragraphs to use eight senses?
Keep in mind, many in the class are novice writers, but seriously?

Over six hundred people signed up for this free course, and many quit after the first lesson because they found that either, there are too many restrictions (thanks, we don’t allow porn), there are too many guidelines, (yes, when we say 500 words, we don’t mean 648)and this is my favorite, “I am a stiff shirt.” *loud laughter here*

I like kidding around with the rest of them, but really, this is a business I take quite seriously and in all of my eight senses, it tells me that this “stiff shirt” is going places, while the rest of the people continue to try and balance a ball on their nose and ride a tricycle at the same time.

Discovered

If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.
St. Clement of Alexandra
***

Did you ever wonder what all those followers who are following you are for? For me it is a part of being discovered. They come, they like what they see, they follow. I, in turn, see them, and follow them. It is like a writers tag team of followers.

Being discovered is all a fun part of this writing biz. We network on facebook, we tweet on twitter, we find like minded people on Linked In, and it all boils down to being a discovered person amid other people doing the search and recovery.

Some people search out inspiration, some people search for skills of a craft, some even search out any knowledge base they can find, and they find it in a fellow blogger. We’re all a part of a writing community. We bloggers are a Social Network all our own as we stand, sometimes lead, oftentimes follow, more times than not, we find what it is we’re looking for within the pages of a friendly blogger.

I like to seek out writers and writing blogs that are going to move me forward in my craft. They give me ideas on how I can better my words and structure them to make my writing blog more efficient for the next person coming along who might find what they are looking for. I also seek out to support a fellow writer.

I love it when I come in here to post a blog only to find that like a rock out of thousands of rocks, I’ve been discovered by new blood, and that a new follower is on my list. I try to read all their blogs, try to comment, I try to be the all to the end all of a day, but in the end. I read and write.

Little by little I’m being discovered, hair by hair, people are finding the strand of hope they’re looking for within my blog. Inch by inch I get that much closer to knowing that there are people out there with like minds who share the same interests as me.

When I first began my blog, I had no vision of where I wanted it to go, or the types of people that I’d meet. After five years of consistently blogging day in and day out (give or take a few days) I have met some of the most wonderful people. I could NEVER have met such grand folk in person. This is the best way to meet genuine, caring, loving, God fearing personal people!

Some have taken the f2k free writing course, some have joined Writers Village University and have become my personal friends. This is what blogging is all about, unearthing of friendship you’d never find elsewhere on the planet. Over 10,000 hits, over 80 followers; this discovered gal is on cloud nine! Help me, in discovering you, and our future, together!

The Outline

Job 27: 18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
***

I’ve opened a can of worms with the mention of an outline.

A lot of writer’s don’t ever draft an outline. They write their story, get ample feedback on it and are happy with what they’ve created. Other writers have a story lined with complexities that an outline is an absolute necessity.

An outline is going to help you with the tiny, mundane, intricate levels in your story, that just writing the story isn’t going to be able to accomplish.

1. It will help you see inconsistencies. Whether it’s the clothing of the era, or the song of the right times, or maybe as simple as a car that’s being driven. If you’re doing an early 20th century novel, surely they will not be driving a Volkswagen.

2. The outline will help you with a time line. If your character was born in 1940, surely he won’t remember the 1800’s from memory. If something happened in 1955, you want to keep track of all instances that things happened.

3. It will help you with POV shifts. Maybe you started out in third person and drifted off to first person?

4. The outline is going to give you a shape and form to your work. Think of it as a lump of clay, and you the potter, who is going to mold it into an interesting piece of art.

5. Clarity! The outline is going to give you clarity so you can point out the weaknesses in your story. Whether it is a weak character that don’t really add to the story. Faults of your main character? Maybe some other character is more interesting?

The outline is a trade secret in all your writing needs. If I’m writing a short story, the outline is more like a synopsis of what I want my story to be about, where I am going with my characters, what direction each one is heading and what is the point I’m trying to get across to my reader. We need the outline to give us a visual field in which to see the future progression of our story, all the way into our umpteenth revision.

I like to think of the outline as the building of a house. You don’t begin building without a plan, a sketch, an idea; or an empty parcel of land (the blank page.) You don’t use mortar in place of wood. You don’t do the brick work without first building the foundation.

After the foundation is laid, you begin framing the house and giving it shape and form. Think of the outline as the foundation. Think of building a story around that foundation and then move onto framing the story. The rooms will all have doorways which will be different levels of your characters and conflict will abound in each and every room. (The chapters)

Sheetrock will be the solidity of each chapter, paint will be the emotions and senses of the story.  The surrounding gardens of the house will be the beautiful imagery that you add to make your story work.

Now I bet each and every writer among us is going to make an outline right this minute if they haven’t gotten one already done before they started the book. Now get building!

author's note: Congratulations to me on reaching my 600th post! Wow, I didn't think I had anything to say. :) Thank you followers!

Pri No Wri Mo

John 9: 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
***

I did pri no a few years back and you know what, to get myself back on the constant of writing, I think I’ll do it again this year. (there’s a goal, June.)

What is PriNo? It’s Private Novel Writing Month which takes place in May. Like NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) we belt out 1500 words a day for a month. But in Mr. Bennings prino, any writing counts as a springboard, just as long as you are writing!

I need to get back on track and my friends June and Raven are always talking about setting goals for yourself. I got a little sidetracked last year when we moved and life was just all over the place for me, just ask Steven. It has still not returned to normal but at least I’ve had some focus lately, enough to get my blog done on a regular basis, mentoring f2k, keeping the forest alive in 911 (my group at WVU) and trying to keep up with the domestic stuff too.

Did you ever notice how life happens no matter what your goal is? If you make plans, they get broken. You set goals and they get sidetracked. You try so hard to keep some brevity and instead you get white-washed. I keep a positive outlook no matter what negative forces try knocking me down. They can pull out the bulldozers but guess what? I’m a Superwoman against those things and they can not and will not move me!

I think I have my story for prino in my head dancing around. Jayden is a girl who was looking for prince charming and realizes after many moons that she has only found the same thing she left behind, pain. Plenty of conflict will abound as Jayden and Prince Otto try to find a place of meeting of the minds but does Jayden know the secret of the power that brought her to this prince in the first place?

Can a protagonist be fear, mistrust, disillusionment? Does it really need to be a person, per se? Okay, I’ll put my spiritual spin on the story as usual and there will be many forces that battle it out for Jayden’s soul, and which one wins in the end, is anybody’s guess.

Maybe not exciting sounding as of yet, but remember, I’m just toying up there in my brain and something, I’m sure, will concrete itself and fixate on me in the process of building this tale. For now, it is a goal to work towards. I’ll get it together and noooo I won’t be sharing it with my blog friends because it’s a big secret as to what will happen to poor Jayden.

So there you have, prino! The force that will reckon with me to pull me back into the realm of imagination and character building. Maybe you all need to set some goals too, not just set them, stick to them!

The Blog

Some may say, “Life isn’t all about blogging.” I say *whack*! I’m kidding folks. Life isn’t all about blogging. Life is about, well, life, and living it.

But as a blogger, I like to think that they are at least worthwhile. How many times have you googled something, only to be taken to a blog? Blogs are becoming the information of today and maybe tomorrow. They are enlightening, fun, and a virtual breeding ground of pain and angst, but also they are a tool for learning. Not only learning about a skill but learning about people, meeting others like yourself, writer’s and people who have the same interests as you.

When I first started blogging, over three-hundred posts ago, I never thought that I’d have anything worthwhile to add to the blogging world. I thought maybe this was a passing fancy and I’d lose interest after a while. Instead I’ve found that twenty-one followers later, that I do have something to say. My friends and family will say, “You can sure talk up a storm, why not blog up a storm?”

That’s the funny part, my family is non-supportive. Wait, I have my fiancé and my son who claim to follow me religiously. I mean my blood family. Do they even know I exist or that I am a writer? Who knows!

I have a family within my writing community who stands by me, supports me, and is very encouraging in all that I do. I think sometimes they are my family more than the blood people who claim to be related to me. When a writer friend from across the country can send me money because she read of the hardships that we’ve endured, while my blood family ignores me like I have the plague, I’d say my writing friends ARE my family.

Now don’t misunderstand me, my beau’s family is awesome beyond belief. They have been here for us every chance they get! They care! But then again, read my poem Nebraska and you’ll see why. These people rock!

My blogging days are far from over as I help along the writing community to become better writer’s. Maybe give them ideas that will grow into something promising, or maybe even post that market that will find their work a home and they will become the published writer that they dreamed of becoming.

All in all, no life isn’t about blogging, but life is about helping people and that is why I will help people until the day I rejoin my Father in heaven.

Angel Always...godspeed friends...