tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58515611453165398342024-03-05T01:06:47.406-07:00Alex Taylor Wolfe (the writings of)Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-88921739931320221992014-10-31T21:44:00.001-06:002014-10-31T21:45:14.311-06:00T - 2 1/2 hours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFUX4MLJUwoQtG17bCN2yVQl2ME2dQIqzrpyDlvGrUBIuFDxrnLD6iIKPVR7cBtv4LnLqQq-3da4cRQm6bm3UQo3hR9sygk4l2Zi-plhNZB9QBBDHOMRGPdm1Pte7ezOsZU6L88XmnjKB/s1600/Participant-2014-Web-Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFUX4MLJUwoQtG17bCN2yVQl2ME2dQIqzrpyDlvGrUBIuFDxrnLD6iIKPVR7cBtv4LnLqQq-3da4cRQm6bm3UQo3hR9sygk4l2Zi-plhNZB9QBBDHOMRGPdm1Pte7ezOsZU6L88XmnjKB/s320/Participant-2014-Web-Banner.jpg" /></a></div>
I am just under three hours before I can start my Nano 2014 book. I have written my synopsis, only a page and a half, found my character pictures, and fleshed out a few details. I think I'm ready. This however will be my first nano as a working mother, witch makes me just a little bit worried. I am hoping for a few hours at night, quietly sitting on my couch, pinking away on my computer, but I am to smart to let that blissful dream stick around to long. There will probably be more than a few nights that I have visitors, little ones that need to get a drink, or go potty for the fifteenth time before they finally fall into bed. I am also anticipating a lot of very tired nights for myself after a long days work. I am just hoping that by the time November 3oth rolls around I am making coherent sentences! Even with all the hurtles I am facing this year, I know I can do it! It is going to be hard, but most things that are hard are totally worth it! So all my Nano friends, I wish you good writing, happy stories, and many useful hours with the Nano muse! Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-61928090581842556572014-10-23T09:30:00.001-06:002014-10-23T09:30:29.207-06:00Staying Ahead, or Not!It has been a crazy couple of weeks. The hubby had surgery and that always takes a tole on things, but he is recovering well and thankfully I have an one of those husbands who hates to complain, so it hasn't been that bad. Other things keep popping up also, random things that take up lots of time and leave me feeling tired in the end. I know that life is the number one reason we stop doing the things we love. I have been kind of anxious about Nano. Sometimes I feel like there just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done, and catch up on everything I haven't done for the past, like 30 years! Part of me thinks that I should put Nano on the shelf this year and try again another time, then the other part of me says, "get it together girl!" Whatever my brain may be saying, I definitely have a decision to make.
This problem has got me thinking. There are hundreds of things we have to do every day. Some of those things we have to do to survive, so they aren't really options, but other things are disposable. I wonder how much time we spend on average on the internet doing nothing of value, on Facebook or browsing YouTube. How many hours a day do we watch television or spend time gaming? I think a lot about those people a hundred years ago didn't have those distractions and who got so much accomplished in a single day. They worked and toiled over everything and had very little time to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labors. We on the other hand have all this amazing technology to help us be productive and they we still don't take time to do the things we love because we fill up all that extra time with crap!
So here is my goal, cut out the crap! That doesn't mean that I can't send an email, or send a quick message to a friend. That doesn't mean on Date Night I have to skip the movies, but I can not check Facebook six times a day. I can stop watching a show on TV every night and get in a couple hundred words on my Nano book. IT CAN BE DONE! I challenge you to look at your life and see what you can cut back on so that you can do something you love, whatever it is. Spend time with your family, read or write a good book, go for a walk, enjoy the "Extra" time our world has afforded us, and I promise it will be well worth it!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-72278785927194946802014-10-17T10:03:00.001-06:002014-10-17T10:04:05.258-06:00Free Book!"A Ransomed Heart" is free today, tomorrow and Sunday. Check it out!
http://www.amazon.com/Ransomed-Heart-Alex-Taylor-Wolfe-ebook/dp/B00BUVWMIG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413561639&sr=8-2&keywords=A+Ransomed+Heart+books
This is a Clean Historical Fiction. There is no sexual content in this book.
Annabelle Casey hasn't met Robert Seiver yet, but their engagement saves her entire family from destitution. This isn't the fairytale wedding she had dreamed of, but a marriage of convenience seems to be her only choice. When her trip to the Seiver Ranch is interrupted by a band of outlaws, she may find that her overturned stagecoach in the barren Wyoming badlands is where her future really begins.
Logan Bailey has plans for revenge, but the fiery young redhead he kidnaps for ransom is changing them all. Years of anger have hardened him, but Robert Seiver's fiancé is giving him second thoughts, and not just about money. Can he put away a lifetime of hate for a girl he hardly knows? Can Annabelle marry Mr. Seiver and save her family, or will she choose Logan, the man who holds her heart for ransom.
If you do read it and enjoy it, please remember to leave and honest review, I love hearing from my readers so I can better my writing, and bring stories to you that you will enjoy. Happy Reading!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-71540772538926076132014-10-14T09:10:00.000-06:002014-10-14T09:10:01.723-06:00I Thought I Learned This!With the release of "Temperance and Treason," I have now been able to focus more on getting ready for Nano. I have a great idea but it is set in a time period I don't know much about, so I have been doing research. It has been interesting to read and learn about the Civil War, but I swear I have learned this before! I graduated from High School in 1998, that was sixteen years ago, and it is amazing the things I have forgotten. I know I learned about the Civil War, I probably took a test on it, but I have learned so much more doing this research. I probably took a history class in College also, but I still think it is cool that I am learning more!
I am a big advocate of writing about things that you know about, things you understand, but I also think we need to stretch ourselves and learn more about the world around us. I know lots of people that write Fantasy, and Science Fiction, and it could be argued that you don't have to do research for those topics, but I disagree. I think every form of writing can benefit from research. I think it makes our writing more real, and more full. So whatever you're doing for Nano I want to encourage you to look up something new, it doesn't have to be big, but go to the library search something out, it will be good for you. Open up the books and learn something, you never know what you might find, or remember!
Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-89859327682294504952014-10-12T18:37:00.000-06:002014-10-12T18:37:43.971-06:00It's almost LIVE!!!"Temperance and Treason" is now available on Kindle!! It has been a long road, but it's almost live! "Temperance and Treason" was a Nano book from a couple of years ago, I really enjoyed writing it because it was different than what I had done before. I have always been interested in Regency Romances but there is a lot I don't understand about the time period, so I decided to set Temperance in the time period that I loved, but in a world that doesn't really exist. It was fun to write about Kings, and Lords and Ladies, so Temperance really ended up being a labor of love for myself.
I can't promise it will be fabulous, or deep, or inventive, but I can promise a love story and a little bit of suspense. I know not everyone will love it, and I know a few people will hate it, but again, I wrote this one for myself. I hope that any writer can do something they love, even if it is selfish, and then have the courage enough to share it with the world.
Well enough of the emotional sentiments, you can find "Temperance and Treason" on Amazon Kindle tomorrow morning. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please leave a positive review and comment. Thank you to all those who support me and my hobby of story telling. Happy reading!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-883056452546333092014-10-09T08:58:00.001-06:002014-10-09T08:58:27.482-06:00Release Ready!!Many of you who have released a eBook know how much time and effort goes into formatting and tweaking things to look just right. I have been working on "Temperance and Treason" all week to make sure it is ready to go live on Sunday. It has been fun to read through the book again and become reacquainted with the characters. It is interesting to me that when I read it makes me want to write. Getting this book ready for publication has made me even more excited about Nano, and the story I have in my head. Maybe I should release a book around Nano every year!
For anyone who is interested here in another plug for my newest book "Temperance and Treason."
Temperance Dennison has a secret that even she doesn't know about. Her father has left something in her care and she is only now figuring out what it is, and how it will affect her entire life. It wasn't a normal Coming Out season, not with the death of her father and the threats to the Sable Kingdom. Unexpected suitors, and hidden assassins make it hard for her to know who to trust, but she needs to finds someone fast, or everyone she cares about will suffer.
Lord Deacon Colburn has only one objective, find the Dennison Documents and save the King. Temperance holds the key, and he is determined to get it from her even if he has to break her heart. A seasoned warrior, and cousin to the king, Deacon never suspects he will face the greatest threat of all,falling in love. Can Deacon and Temperance work together and find the documents that will save the entire kingdom, and can they trust the love that binds them to save not only themselves but everyone they love?
You can find "Temperance and Treason" on Amazon.
Available Sunday, October 12th. Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-63243031337093085512014-10-06T08:48:00.002-06:002014-10-06T08:48:39.434-06:00Research, research, research!!With Nano quickly approaching I think we should talk about research. I know a lot of writers like to just write as many words as possible during Nano and then worry about the small things later, but not me. I know Nano is suppose to be writing abandonment but I have to keep my facts straight so therefor I research. Some years I like to print a bunch of pictures off, both of character and places, other years I wing it, this year I think I am going to do a little of both. Because I try to set my stories in real life places I need to check things out to make sure I know what I am talking about. For example this book is going to be set in the Idaho Territory, one year post Civil War. Well, just because I live in Idaho doesn't mean I know everything about the Idaho Territory. Did you know that up until 1860 Idaho was part of the Old Washington Territory, in 1861 in became the Nebraska Territory and in 1863 in became the Idaho Territory. It's a good think I figured this all out because if the book had been set any time before 1863, I would have been calling it the wrong thing. There is a good deal more information that I have found during my studies and anyone who is reading my book, and enjoys history would appreciate my exactness. So, in my opinion, research is a fundamental element in my Nano writing.
I have also learned more about the Civil War than I knew at first. It has been interesting to read about why things happened, not just that they happened. It helps me understand characters that I might encounter during my writing. I would, at that time, be considered a Yankee, but that doesn't mean that I don't need to understand the sympathies of a Confederate Solder. Their cause was just as important to them as it was to the North. I think it is important, that even though we are writing about fictitious people in a fictitious story that we give them real life attributes and understandings, that is what makes them relatable in our lives. A lot of time we write about things we know, but we can only have so many life experiences. Sometimes we need to write about what we don't know personally about, but can experience through our characters perspective. Don't be afraid to research something and then write about it, that is how we learn and grow as authors.
In the long run I am just giving you a suggestion of how I approach Nano. Research is an integral part of that process for me. If you interested in something, read about it, learn about it, then write about it, it will give a better understanding of whatever it is you may be wanting to learn about.
Good luck, and my the force be with you!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-51111383241088406562014-09-30T08:43:00.000-06:002014-09-30T08:50:53.273-06:00It's Coming!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViApcuNq_k8Rxg_egMv7awi88jNLtrDm3eyT3OOBY_kSRS8F15o8q44e59XdQUDYfqfFEHOWm80UqW_UhtYdtTwsxlBT8p9_cWb6-62QHj7DcK6H2sH2myJ2W2deei9UcomGBjsACRyOE/s1600/CoverTemperance&Treason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViApcuNq_k8Rxg_egMv7awi88jNLtrDm3eyT3OOBY_kSRS8F15o8q44e59XdQUDYfqfFEHOWm80UqW_UhtYdtTwsxlBT8p9_cWb6-62QHj7DcK6H2sH2myJ2W2deei9UcomGBjsACRyOE/s320/CoverTemperance&Treason.jpg" /></a></div>
Treason, murder, deceit, love, and a plot to kill the King. Temperance Dennison has a secret that even she doesn't know about. This won't be a regular Coming Out Season when Temperance is fielding prospective suitors and avoiding possible assassins. It is becoming clear she doesn't know who to trust, but she has to trust someone or her King will pay the ultimate price. An unexpected invitation to attend a ball at the Black Palace, thrusts her into a world where she is the biggest piece to a tangled puzzle, and some people will stop at nothing to obtain what she has.
A precarious treaty between the Sable Kingdom and the Kingdom of Malerine leaves King Rabin in a dangerous position. Lord Deacon Coleburn would do anything to keep his cousin safe, even court a girl he hardly knows, who may or may not have the information they so desperately need. He isn’t her only suitor though, and not all of them have the most honorable of intention. The line between service to his King, and the love of a woman becomes dangerously blurred, and it may cost him everything he holds dear.
Look For it on Amazon, October 12, 2014!!
Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-20950897931177910022014-09-22T07:44:00.000-06:002014-09-22T07:44:05.828-06:00Always so Much to Do!I love being busy, it keeps me from getting into trouble, but sometimes busy is trouble. It is hard to get all the ideas down when I am going from work, to being a mom, to writing...I know, something we all struggle with. Sometimes I will think of a great idea and just want to sit down and start, but I can't because I am to busy. I think I may have solved this problem. Most of us carry our phones with us everywhere we go, so why don't we just email ourselves our great ideas. If you are like me, you already have a hundred WIP, but my opinion is, never let a good idea go to waste! Instead of trying to keep all these ideas in our head, why don't we fill our inbox up with them.
Anyway, tidbit of the day...turn your microphone on your phone and let it flow...haha. Happy Writing, and Good Monday!
Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-52100321364823713172014-09-21T10:34:00.001-06:002014-09-21T10:34:36.281-06:00Getting Nano ReadyHow is everyone feeling about Nano this year? We have one month roughly, to put something together that we can write about for 50,000 words. I know how hard it is to try to come up with an idea that you will love after a month of forced writing. I have been doing Nano for about 5 years now, two of my Nano books have been worth something, one is published, and another is soon to be, but some years the stories are absolutely horrible. Last year I loved the concept of my book but I hated every word of it, I tried to switch in the middle of the story to something more usable but I never finished. A couple of years before that I tried my hand at a YA novel, it just wasn't happening. I have had some years when I hated my characters, and other years when my characters hated me. Over all Nano is a hard, frustrating, exhausting experience, but it is totally worth it!
When I tell people I participate in a month long writing competition they think I'm insane, I don't always disagree, but I try to tell them about the value of the experience. It gives me an opportunity not to care about all the technical things. I don't have to wonder if, what I want to happen can really happen, or give all the whys, and or reasons for something to happen. I get to develop my characters and fall in love with who they are. I get to exaggerate and be whimsical. I can enjoy the settings and everyday activities my characters find themselves in. It is a good reason to write with no excuses. Sometimes I think we as writers try to hard to follow all the rules, and it stifles our true voices and makes us afraid to express what we really think for fear of rejection, or that review we dread. Sometimes we need to use exclamation marks and incomplete sentences. Our writing should mirror real life, and there are plenty of times that I exclaim things! My favorite thing about Nano is that I get to be myself.
So, if you are on the fence about Nano, my suggestion is to not look at the 50,000 words, or the fact that we need to write all those words in 30 days, but that we get to write at all! We get to vomit words out onto the page and not care if they "flow." We get to stare writers block in the face and tell it to take a hike. We get a whole month of unfettered, uncontrolled, unabashed writing! Use all the exclamation marks you want, and for Pete sake, have a good time!!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-50131407798285043752014-09-15T08:04:00.002-06:002014-09-15T08:04:44.978-06:00I Drempt the Nano DreamI have dreamed the dream of Nano and I think I have come up with a plot! I know it sounds weird that I could get an idea from a dream, but it happens all the time. Sometimes I like to tell the kids about the dreams I had that night at breakfast the next morning. They get a kick out of how strange my dreams can be. Sometimes when I am telling them about last nights dream, they pipe up and start adding to it from dreams in the past. One of their favorite dreams to re-tell is Tinkerbell and the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Sometimes my dreams are so real I wake up and wonder why I am in bed, and not doing whatever I was doing in my dream. I have even woken myself up getting out of bed to dance, yes, dance!
So all that being said I hope my Nano concept turns out to be something more than a silly dream. I know anyone who is attempting Nano is feeling the same way, hoping that the Writing Gods are smiling down on you and you get some kind of valid idea. Well I wish you all the best of luck with your Nano plans, and happy dreaming!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-23407800261909847712014-09-10T10:13:00.000-06:002014-09-10T10:13:55.166-06:00Early New Years ResolutionWith Nano approaching I have decided I need to work harder at blogging. School has started, the kids are working hard, and I am spending a lot of time on WIP, so a few minutes to keep my readers updated shouldn't be a problem. So, as an early resolution for me, is to start writing every day and doing updates for those who may be following me.
Update one: All the kids are in school now, yeah, free time!! Actually I have found myself staying busy with things that have been neglected for the past few years. I have cleaned my couches, scrubbed my kitchen floor, worked in closets and gone through clothes. I have had lots more time for writing, true, and it has been really nice, so I am pulling out old projects and dusting off some fun things, it has been a whole new world.
Update two: I have a new book that is almost done. I don't mean first draft done, I mean back from the editor and working on a cover done. It is called, Temperance and Treason. Fun project, it was a nano book from three years ago and it has been fun to get back into it and get to know the characters better. I am hoping for a release date sometime after Christmas, so keep your eyes open, I promise to do more updates on "Temperance and Treason."
Update three: I bit off a big chunk of crazy, and I am going back to school. This is an idea I have been thinking about for a few years, and now that the kids are gone most of the day it is going into affect. I will be getting my Bachelors in English. Luckily I already have an Associates so it is only a 2 years project, and I get to take some really fun classes!
Last update: I can't think of a nano plot to save my life!!! I know I still a month to bring something together and I am drawing a blank. Who else is having this problem? I thought all this "creative" time on my hands, I would be inspired, but it just isn't happening. I hope that something I see, or read with flip a switch, often times a dream even gives me a good idea, so I am on the hunt.
Well there you go, an update, long overdue. I hope you are all doing well, I hope if you are writing the muses are with you, whispering sweet ideas in your ear. If you are a reader, I bless you with good reading, and great experiences. Good luck in all your doings and I will check in soon. Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-61937937933436713902014-03-11T14:15:00.002-06:002014-03-11T14:15:14.796-06:00Perfectionism!Sometimes being a writer is really hard. Writing takes thought, organization, skill and a hint of wild abandonment to make it really work. The problem with all of that is, it is really hard to abandon all the organization which is sometimes required to write a good story. This, my friends, is my main problem. When I want to tell a story I sit down and start pounding it out. The part of the story that has driven me to the madness of writing flow freely, as if the Muse Goddess was sitting on my shoulder and sprinkling me with magic writing dust. But then there are the other parts of the story that I am driven to because plot, or character decisions, or whatever else, that stops me in my tracks.<br />
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I don't know about you, but sometimes writing feels like an exercise in frustration. You know what you want to happen, you know how it is suppose to happen, but then for whatever reason in the world you can't make it happen! This is what I call Perfectionism- the inability to move past something because it didn't work exactly the way you wanted it to. This "P" word is the exact reason I have an entire back log of unfinished manuscripts just mocking me in my Word file. They are a constant reminder of all the stories that didn't go as planned, but really, what ever does go the way we want it to? <br />
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I like to use the analogy of traveling with children. Before you even leave the driveway things have stopped going as planned. What would happen if we abandoned every trip, or vacation because the itinerary got messed up before we even had the car loaded? Perfectionism is holding us back fellow writers! We worry about what others are going to think about the story before we even get the whole thing down on paper. We wonder if our book is going to be the next <i>Harry Potter</i>, but we never finish the dang thing because one of our characters grow a personality and throw off the whole plan. What we need to do is stop trying to have perfect rough drafts, that is what edits and revisions are for. No one has ever written a perfect rough draft. that is why it is call a ROUGH draft. So lets stop with all the frets and worries. Lets just get the story down on paper, and then we can go back and start polishing. Not even diamonds are born perfect. <br />
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So here is my challenge, and my goal for myself. Instead of stopping when it gets hard, I am going to push through it. I might have one or two chapters of complete trash, but somewhere in all that mess of words is a great idea, but I can't have it until I write it down. Next I am going to open up that dusty old Word file and start working on a story in there. I wrote what I already have because there was something to love about it. A character who needed to be heard, a story that needs to be told, so I need allow myself to fall in love all over again. I'm going to say goodby to Perfectionism and say hello to story telling. Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-62301000537139821482014-01-13T19:57:00.001-07:002014-01-13T19:57:15.791-07:00Plugging along!How has your 30 day writing challenge been going? Mine had a rocky start, but I am pulling it together. I find that I get a lot of joy out of writing, even if it is hundreds of words a day. The story I am working on is a remix of my Nano book this year. It is fun to delve farther into my characters backgrounds, get to know them a little bit better. The story takes on a whole different life when you are not so rushed to put words down on the page.<br />
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Just the other day I was trying to work through a plot twist. My MC ran into big trouble that I wasn't counting on, and it really threw me for a loop. It doesn't change the overall outcome of the book, but it sure throws a wrench in all the plans I had made. Now I have to figure out how to get her out of trouble but stay in love with my Hero. Oh the joys of writing!<br />
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I hope you all are able to pound some words out here or there. I know it can be hard with the demands of life, but why not do something that makes you happy. A few minutes in my imaginary world with my imaginary friends makes a whole lot of difference in the real world. So do something for yourself and your readers and get creative!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-44073476796408506062014-01-02T09:23:00.001-07:002014-01-02T09:23:43.123-07:0030 Day Writing ChallengeOK, I am doing this mostly for me to get back on track this year, but I am going to do a 30 day writing challenge. I have lots of projects I want to be working on but I don't find the time to do it, so this month I am going to make time. This isn't going to be like Nano, I am not going for a word count, I am just going for quality writing time. I don't care if it is 10 words a day, but I <i>AM</i> going to write. <br />
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I recently saw something about writing that said if you are not dedicated enough to your craft then you will not succeed. I want to enjoy writing, but also be productive. So anyone who wants to join me I hope to be adding updates every few days about my progress. I am not starting a new project but working on something I started during Nano. This is my hope that this year I can get a couple more books published and I think this is a good way to start. Good luck fellow writers and I hope your New Year's writing goals are a success! Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-50340094954440535722013-10-25T09:13:00.001-06:002013-10-25T09:13:10.655-06:00Pants-er!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EObFjTIARXfd1SYX6D9IpoBO2O6ACqWV6ImJUUBJmrBmqK-yyD9a0pj_zNdsRNmpiVqEOzd9hLUrTVRvOFKJcuQ1zi6goq4a1wJfGh8hKelWic0FyLUctadhj70dej7gv1TNLJ8Th4A6/s1600/pants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EObFjTIARXfd1SYX6D9IpoBO2O6ACqWV6ImJUUBJmrBmqK-yyD9a0pj_zNdsRNmpiVqEOzd9hLUrTVRvOFKJcuQ1zi6goq4a1wJfGh8hKelWic0FyLUctadhj70dej7gv1TNLJ8Th4A6/s1600/pants.jpg" /></a></div>
Are you a pants-er? Do you sit down and make it work no matter what happens? Then you might be a great Nano writer!<br />
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Last week I covered the way that I do Nano, but that isn't the only way, no sir, you could Pants it! I tried the technique a few years ago and failed miserable so it doesn't work for me, but it might for you. As far as I can tell you don't do much planning at all, accept maybe a concept and a title, the latter less important than the first. Then when November 1st rolls around you just start pounding it out.<br />
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I can see the appeal in this method. A great idea can flow better then something plotted down to its last breath, and you have all the creative liberty in the world not being married to an idea. I have on occasion Panted parts of my manuscript, and it can be quite liberating. The reason it doesn't work for me all the time, is because I tend to clam up when I can't come up with the next idea. I like some sort of idea as to where I am going, so if I get stuck I can refer back to my notes and pick up the pieces and move on. <br />
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Still if you choose to Pants I wish you all the luck in the world. Technically, spontaneity and free flow really are the purpose of Nano in the first place. It helps you to put away the annoying personal editor that talks to us all the time, and have a great time doing what we love, writing! No matter how you plan on approaching this feat of writing craziness I wish you all the luck in the world, and may the Pants be with you!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-32916011809666206302013-10-10T11:04:00.003-06:002013-10-10T11:04:58.595-06:00A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYHLkvFPRJO-wrbETZpmLMonI6jQ6GD2c_bRysB451aKksYoW4m5u6VqTfBIcgGqOi-UtOIfTq9fgSB4AXjx2g1P92s4CEMzkyJ7yJDZRZBqMyGFHWuNhe9VNDL3njp6Mzslht1d2feGT/s1600/Mortianna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYHLkvFPRJO-wrbETZpmLMonI6jQ6GD2c_bRysB451aKksYoW4m5u6VqTfBIcgGqOi-UtOIfTq9fgSB4AXjx2g1P92s4CEMzkyJ7yJDZRZBqMyGFHWuNhe9VNDL3njp6Mzslht1d2feGT/s320/Mortianna.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Meet Mortianna DeWinters, the villain for my upcoming Nano book. She looks harmless enough until you know just what is going on with her. Fueled by jealousy for her dead half sister, she is determined to ruin the reputation of the newest young Opera Star, her niece. When the girl is married to a wealthy Count Mortianna did what every other crazy woman would do, she murdered him!<br />
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There you go, how do her open arms look now? Hehe!<br />
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One of the things I have done in the past for Nano books, that has stuck throughout all of my writing is assigning a picture to my characters. After my character interviews I start looking for someone who fits the bill. In Mortianna's case I knew I wanted a woman who was still beautiful even thought she was older. I wanted a red head of sorts, mostly because I think red heads are very clever and have a whole lot of common sense, even if they are on this side of crazy like Mortianna. (Let me preface this by saying I have a number of red headed friends and family members and they are all great!) I also like this picture because she has very innocent quality about her until you find out that she is a murderer. I wanted her to be eccentric enough that she could pull off her character traits but also have the qualities of a normal human. Also Julianna' Moores performance in "An Ideal Husband," played largely into my choice. <br />
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Having a visual also helps me to refer back to some of my characters traits without having to scroll through the bio's. I can clearly see their features and the look on the faces that help me to write a more believable character. <br />
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This is Paige Orr the niece in my new book. She is beautiful and innocent looking as well. But the look on her face is also determination. We can get that she is young with dark hair and eyes. She looks rather petite and quiet but again the look on her face says a whole lot more. She may have been beaten once but she isn't going to put up with it anymore, and if you don't believe her, just try something. <br />
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Sometimes when I write I get characters mixed up with other, especially if they have a lot of the same characteristics. It is easy for me to look at this picture of Paige and remember many of her traits that is important to her character. In this case I choose an actress I know nothing about so I haven't been influenced by her acting so I can't make her anything I want as long as she fits my character. <br />
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Sometimes I browse pictures of actors and actresses online until I find what I am looking for. Take this talented man for example. If you know who he is you know exactly how he can be cast as a book character. Not only his appearance but his amazing presence can lend itself to a character. <br />
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Nano tip of the day. Use visuals when you write. This isn't limited to characters. Landscapes, buildings, maps, flowers, etc. can help make your story more down to earth and bring it closer to home for your readers. <br />
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Happy planning!!<br />
<br />Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-63643306373738348492013-10-07T12:32:00.000-06:002013-10-07T12:32:42.293-06:00Nano Planning!So my writing friends, the time is again upon us to plan for Nano! For weeks I had no idea what I wanted to write about, but a grand idea has come to me and now I am excited about the upcoming Nano month. Today I wanted to talk about planning. How do you get ready for your writing? Some years I have just gone into the month without much planning at all, other times I have done quite a bit of writing before hand in an effort to get to know my characters. This year was a planning year so I am excited to share some ideas. If you do something different, or find something that works really good for you feel free to share it.Today I am going to cover just one of my techniques, and hopefully we can cover others through out the rest of the week.<br />
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1. First off you need to have a good idea of what you want to write about, what you wanted my plot to be like and picking characters that fit with your ideas. Also a time period, setting, and lesser characters all need to be decided. In my case I needed a hero and a heroin, but there are a lot of players in this new book and I wanted to be able to keep them all straight, but how?<br />
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2. Character interviews, or reviews. Sometimes it is helpful to ask your characters questions about what they want from the story. What is their end goal? What do they want to succeed? This is a good way to get to know your characters. I read somewhere that even our villains <i>think</i> they have good intentions. Not every one is purely evil, most good bad guys have very human, understandable traits. Make sure that you know what everyone wants from the story so that you can understand why they do the things that they do. Things like age, birth, childhood memories, and physical characteristics are helpful in this stage so you know what their proper reaction to things will be. A twenty year old woman is going to react differently than a thirty five year old woman. Maturity or perceived maturity is a big thing in writing to make it believable. Rich, poor, strong, weak, all of these characteristics will lend life to your character. <br />
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Also background checks are incredibly important. There isn't a lot of time to fill your manuscripts full of background, but that doesn't mean that your characters don't have one. The things that happen in our lives make us who we are, influence what we do from here on out. We can't just assume that a person is a villain because we want them to be, there has to be a real reason for the story to be valid. The same goes for our hero's, they are human but something about their past has caused them to be heroic, what was it? These are good questions to ask your character so you know them before you start writing their lives. <br />
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I find if I know my characters and what motivates them I don't spend time trying to figure out what they would do in a certain situation. It would be completely natural to write what happens next because I know them better than I know myself. Don't be afraid to do this because you think there will be no spontaneity in your writing because that just isn't the case. Sometimes, more often then not, I still manage to surprise myself with what I do. Just because you know someone doesn't mean they can't surprise you. <br />
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Those are two of my preparations for writing Nano. I should really take a lesson from myself and be better at doing this for my other manuscripts. If you do something similar let us know it, comparing notes is the best way to improve our writing. Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-11010933311488204332013-09-12T11:20:00.004-06:002013-09-12T11:20:56.985-06:00Back to School!I don't know about you but getting back into the swing of school is hard!! The kids don't want to get out of bed, and I spend the bulk of my day trying to put my house and myself back to order after a crazy summer. I told myself this week I needed to buckle down and get some writing done. You would think with all the kids in school for most of the day that would be easy, but it just isn't. Then it hit me the other day, I only have two months to get my first draft done on my most recent manuscript, and then I need to get crakin on NANOWRIMO!! Can you believe it is only two months away! AHAH.<br />
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My hubby asked me the other day if I have any ideas, and I am flat out. Often time things that happen in my everyday life catches my eye and I can form a plot around it. Sometimes it is a crazy dream, or something I witness in the grocery store, but no matter how hard I look I can't come up with a good idea. Some years for Nano I have great ideas, I can't wait to get them down on paper, and for months before November 1st I am playing over and over the opening pages. Sometimes I have pictures printed out and detailed outlines waiting to go, but this year I have nothing, nada, capoot! <br />
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Talk about stressful for a writer. We make a living on having good ideas and making them into great stories. It is fun to think up a character and develop their lives, get to know then, want for them and hurt for them. In a way it is like being a parent to a whole slew of people. I love the creativity that comes along with the stories and the escape to a different place and time it affords me. I guess I have to say that is my favorite part of the story writing process, getting to know the people in my books. <br />
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So alas I may start Nano with no idea at all but I am determined to succeed! Just like my kids, who don't want to get up, or do homework we preserver, and I will preserver. But...if any of you have a good idea, I would love to hear about it. :)Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-59979185836139433142013-08-20T08:18:00.000-06:002013-08-20T08:18:08.434-06:00End of Summer!Saturday my husband and I were walking through our back yard, and I mentioned to him that we were nearing the end of summer. The end of long warm nights and summer flowers. The time when kids get ready to go back to school, and we struggle to regain some kind of schedule. Some years this is a hard time for me because I love summer! I like to be able to go outside in bare feet. I like to hear the sprinklers and watch my garden go from nothing, to full out explosion of green and yummieness. It is true that after three months of summer my kids are a little bit on edge, and there are days they drive me crazy, but I love the smell of their hair when they come in from playing all day, all warm and smelling like the sun. Or how they look covered in Popsicle, after swimming in the pool. These are the memories I won't easily forget.<br />
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Still a schedule is something I crave. I would like to get up in the morning and have my day planned down to the hour. I work so much better when I know what is happening and when it is going to happen rather than wandering around wondering what I should do next. I look forward to getting everyone to school and having two or more hours to work on what I want to work on. I look forward to two hours of writing when no one needs me to do anything, and I can really get in deep to the story instead of stopping to help someone get a drink, or turn on a TV show. Don't get me wrong, I love to spend time with my kids, but school offers me time to be me.<br />
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Anyway, I was walking in my beautiful back yard thinking about how much fun we have had this summer, almost wishing it wouldn't end but I realized that is the ebb and flow of life. We have days in the sun, and days when it is almost to cold to do anything. Right now my children are young and spending long days at the pool with cousins is part of the living process. School will start and we will move on from Summer of 2013, but somethings never leave you. So here we go school year 2013, bring on the homework, fall leaves, Halloween, apple cider, and snow boots, I'm ready!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-65683971696788572432013-08-01T13:48:00.001-06:002013-08-01T13:53:16.151-06:00Best Laid Plans!You have heard it before, "The best laid plans of mice and men!" Well that was camp Nano for me last month. I wanted a reason to write every day, but I didn't take into account all the other things that I needed to do last month. While I did get a good start on my Nano book I ran into problems along the way, and needless to say, I was not successful.<br />
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There have been times in my writing career that I have found myself unsuccessful and it had managed to get me down. There was a time when the reviews on one of my books made me want to give up all together. I didn't take into account that people have every right to express their opinion, and I just needed to take what they were saying and learn from it. Sometimes our success only come from our failures. <br />
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Last week I had the opportunity to spend the week up at Girls Camp. Monday through Friday I spent all my time with wonderful leaders and a huge group of amazing girls. We did crafts, talked, laughed, hiked and stayed up way to late. Wednesday when we went on our hike I found myself struggling to make it down the mountain. I had been up since 4:00 am and I was tired! A sweet girl walked with me and kept me company, and we had a good conversation. I told her about the last time I hiked that particular hike, and I came across snail making its way down the path. I told her how I picked the snail up to look at it the put it back up on the mountains side so it wouldn't get stepped on. It didn't occur to me until later that I might have set the poor thing back several days worth of work. It reminded me an awful lot about how life can set us back when we already felt like we put in so much work. I couldn't help but point this out to my hike companion, and she managed to change my perspective on everything in a few short sentences. <br />
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She was quick to remind me that sometimes a set back is really just giving us a head start on something else. I may have felt like I was moving that snail away from his goal, but maybe I moved him closer to something that would be of more help to him at that time. I don't know about the snail, but there are times when my setbacks really have been the beginning of something I never would have imagined. I hope from now on I can learn and grow from the frustrations I face in my life and use them to boost me in a better direction. I hope that for all of you too. Happy reading, and or writing and know you can do great things!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-29771183036476498622013-07-11T10:38:00.000-06:002013-07-11T10:38:11.640-06:00Using Your Thinker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Because I write mostly historical novels I have had to do a lot of research to understand the way things use to be. I actually like to do the work, it is interesting to me and I find life in the old west fascinating. I also enjoy reading historical novels of all shapes and sizes, because I have always enjoyed learning.<br />
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My current Camp Nano book takes place mostly on a ship, an old ship, and I have done some looking around and learning about ships and the process it takes to actually make on work. I have a printout of a ship taped to the wall in my writing nook for reference, and this morning as I was getting ready, my daughter asked me what the picture was. I told her I needed it for the book I was working on and she asked, "Why?"<br />
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I think a lot of people who don't write don't understand how much work goes into the book before you even really start on it. Once you learn the information it is a lot easier to write a second, third, fourth book in the same time period, but if you decide to change to something different you need to do the research all over again. Like I said before, this is a process I really enjoy and I think it really adds to the story when you have correct facts and information in your book.<br />
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One caution I give about information though, is not to have information dumps in your book. It is cool to learn about new things but if you just dump the information in different parts of your book, your readers are going to feel like they are in a history class and loose interest. Remember that tidbits here and there are much better, kinda like those little Dove chocolate nuggets, bits of sweetness through the story.<br />
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The beauty of the brain is that we get to use it for some amazing things. So use your thinker this week, learn something new, even work on something new, and definitely eat chocolate!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-5445770955300279822013-07-10T10:20:00.000-06:002013-07-10T10:20:19.911-06:00The Voices in my HeadI have yet to put my fingers back on the keyboard for my CampNano book, darn life getting in my way, but last night I just could not sleep. It was about one o'clock and I was playing over a conversation my hero and heroin will be having in the book. Over and over I played the scene in my head until I wasn't sure if I was even awake anymore. Finally I was able to sleep, but those voices sure were persistent.<br />
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It reminded me of a time I was working on a manuscript, and I was having a conversation with the main character in the shower. It must have been afternoon, probably after a morning of cleaning and playing mommy, but the shower curtain opens and there stands my husband.<br />
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"Who are you talking too." He asked.<br />
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Scared the heck out of me! He just laughed and left the bathroom. Apparently he is use to the crazy conversations I have with myself.<br />
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Another time I was grocery shopping, and I was standing by the cereal having a conversation with a character, and this lady pokes her head around the corner and gives me a funny look. Slowly she crossed over to the next isle keeping her eye on me the whole time. Apparently she is NOT use to the crazy conversations I have with myself. Hahaha!!<br />
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I can't say I mind the voices so much, unless it is 1:30 in the morning. They sure have given me some good laughs, and some great ideas, and as long as the special people in my life except them, then I guess things are peachy. Now lets see, the voices are telling me I need chocolate. What? I was up until 1:30 people!!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-66351488683481596982013-07-09T11:47:00.000-06:002013-07-09T11:47:35.211-06:00Back in the Saddle Again!Day 9 of Camp Nano and I regret to inform you, that I have written nothing in two days. AHHAHAHHA!!! OK, now that I got that out of my system I need to re-focus. I would like to use a weekend of camping and swimming, game playing and pretty much being lazy as an excuse but we all know that doesn't work during Nano. So today I recommit, I say, write, write, write! The beauty of Nano for me though is that I open the manuscript and I keep going, I don't go back and read anything, I don't worry about flow or congruency, I just write and it is fun!<br />
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I remember a couple of years ago being stressed about my story at the time. I was worried about everything working out, keeping my readers attention, following all the rules. It was a very stressful time for me. I remember sitting down at the computer and not knowing how to do something that I have loved doing forever. I expressed my concern to my wonderful hubby and he told me to stop worrying about everything and just enjoy writing, enjoy the process. That is when I found Nano. One whole month of throwing the rules out the window and just having a good time. Since then I have looked forward to November so I could let my hair down and just enjoy. <br />
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Today, when I open up <i>Capturing Lady Jane</i> and start plunking away, I will remember how much I love what I do. How much I enjoy living in another world for a couple of hours every day, and knowing that, no matter how my stories are received, I loved writing them!Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851561145316539834.post-46740336951960951582013-07-05T09:46:00.003-06:002013-07-05T09:46:51.328-06:00Happy Independence Day!Yesterday I took a break from writing to spend Independence Day with my family and friends. We went to the parade and had a BBQ at the park. Spend the afternoon watching cartoons with the kids and then played cards with friends until dark, then set off fireworks. It was a fun day, but no writing got done! Good thing I worked hard the day before!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxX88PJ_TLHSWjYfH6HPULW3jBA6j-HIrc9sQov5pbjFrT4Rnr4tblMk1TR1LOh7AcqiyT7ifkDfTF2GqkQq0PekkI0semzyJzfmCQgNCVKl-SuLTk2pPYL_qmuxfnqJxR_pbj1b8yR5_L/s1600/writer.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxX88PJ_TLHSWjYfH6HPULW3jBA6j-HIrc9sQov5pbjFrT4Rnr4tblMk1TR1LOh7AcqiyT7ifkDfTF2GqkQq0PekkI0semzyJzfmCQgNCVKl-SuLTk2pPYL_qmuxfnqJxR_pbj1b8yR5_L/s200/writer.png" width="200" /></a>Camp Nano had given me a reason be be a crazy writer, you know the ones in the movies who wear <br />
sweaters, drink cup loads of coffee (hot chocolate for me please) and look all pensive all the time. It's fun to be that person, feeling all angsty about things while I write poignant phrases like:<br />
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"She stared into the deep, feeling the turmoil of the black waves within her own soul."<br />
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Yesterday I got to watch my children enjoying the full measure of life and it made me wonder why I can't just let myself live every day like I do when I write during Nano? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to wear sweaters all the time, and to much hot chocolate would relegate me to the bathroom for a good portion of the day, but that doesn't mean I can't write with all the passion and abandonment that I do twice a year for Nano. <br />
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What I am trying to say is, yesterday on Independence Day I learned a few things about myself. I'm going to try to not be so hard on myself and enjoy the process instead of trying to make everything perfect. Just like a firework, life is more exciting when you don't know what is in the package. :)<br />
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<br />Alex Taylor Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00483021744690754354noreply@blogger.com0