My Writing Journey

Discipline and Determination

/ kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

Okay, so I have shared, in the past, that I struggle with finding/making time to write.  Well, on Saturday, February 21, 2015, I attended my Writers’ Group meeting.  I was to give the devotion that day, and I shared a devotion entitled “First Things First” from the book Write His Answer:  A Bible Study for Christian Writers by Marlene Bagnull that focused on Matthew 6:33  “Give Him first place in your life and live as he wants you to.”  I also mentioned, before sharing the devotion that it is often a struggle for me to find/make time to write.  The devotion ends with this Bible verse:  “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  (Isaiah 40:31), followed by this poem:

Pressures

Father, I have so much to do

and not enough hours in the day to do it,

I know that’s only partly true.

I do have enough time

to do the things you want me to do.

But, Lord, how do I sort out what they are,

when everything screams for my attention?

I’m exhausted from rushing —

uptight and irritable.

Please forgive me and help me.

Help me to learn from your Son.

People were constantly pressing in on him.

He could have been consumed–burned out.

But Jesus took time to be alone with you.

He made you his top priority.

I must learn to do the same,

especially when I’m feeling pressured.

Help me to be still and know

that you are God.

Even as you created and hold together the universe,

you can bring order to my life if  I will let you.

Thank you, Lord.

I always make time to spend time in prayer with the Lord each day, but, I will confess, I haven’t made much time to read His word each day.  That is something I want to begin to make time for and I plan to.  My plan was to begin doing so this week, but so many unexpected things have happened this week, it got pushed by the wayside, again.  I need to learn to make it happen even if unexpected things happen.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does this have to do with writing?  Well, just like making time to read God’s word requires discipline and determination, so does making time to write.

Our guest speaker, at that February 21, 2015 meeting, mentioned during his speaking, that it is good for writers to have busy lives because it gives us a full life which gives us lots of ideas and information to use in our writing.  However, he also mentioned that he writes for two hours a day, sometimes longer on weekends, even in his busy life.

All of this resonated with me and made me think, and I thought, “If he can do it, I can do it.”  So I determined to set aside two hours a day to write.  I talked to my family about it, and they were encouraging.  So, Sunday, March 1, (no, I didn’t begin doing this right after the meeting), I finally found my determination.  We came home from church earlier than we normally do because it was snowing, and everyone wanted to do their own relaxing activities, so I decided to write.

I grabbed my laptop and went to the dining room table, and that’s when determination kicked in.  You see, I’m horribly guilty of procrastinating at beginning to write because I get onto social media first thinking I’ll write after spending some time on social media.  However, the social media time goes to long and the writing never begins.  So that Sunday, I determined NOT to look at social media, but to IMMEDIATELY begin writing.  I spent three hours, that day, writing.  That was last Sunday.

Today is Thursday, and I have managed to set aside 7 to 9 p.m. every evening to write, and though I haven’t written for the full two hours every night, I have written 1,000 words each night, with the exception of one, on which I wrote 800 words.  Now I look forward everyday to my writing time, and I believe, now that I have made it part of my routine, I will be able to stick with it.

How about you?  How do you make time for writing?

Shot to the Heart

/ kellyfbarr / 4 Comments

Well, I suppose I can consider myself an official writer now, as two days ago, I received my first rejection email.  Oh, it was written kindly and politely, but that didn’t take the sting of rejection away.  After reading it, and this was a submission that I had expected to hear something about quite some time ago, I thought, I felt better not knowing than getting that “I’m sorry but we cannot use your story at this time”.

But the sting has gone, and I go on.  I will continue to write and submit and hope.  I cannot do anything else, because I have characters and stories inside of me fighting to get out.

Yesterday, I read this on another blog:

• Agatha Christie went through FIVE years of continual rejection before landing a publishing deal; her book sales are now over $2 billion.

• Louis L’Amour garnered 200 rejections before a publisher decided to take a chance on him; his book sales are now over $330 million.

• Janet Evanovich wrote for TEN years before getting published; she now makes millions every year.

– See more at: http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/#sthash.NH9H1wFy.dpuf

After reading this information, I had two thoughts:  1) Wow!  That’s perseverance.  I hope I have that kind of strength, determination and fortitude, and 2) I hope it doesn’t take me that long because I have started at an age where I’m not sure I would have much time to produce a lot of great stories if I had to wait that long.

How about you?  Have you received rejection letters/emails?  How long have you been plugging away at your writing waiting for your big break?

A Postponement

/ kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

I am sad to say that there will not be a Guest Post today.  I suppose that what I need to inform you of, is that there will be a Guest Post Wednesday only on Wednesdays when I can actually acquire one.  Please don’t give up on Guest Post Wednesday, as I will post a Guest Post on any Wednesday that I am able to make a connection with someone to write one, so they may not happen every Wednesday, but they will happen.

Watch for an update on my writing journey, to be posted tomorrow!

My Writing Process

/ kellyfbarr / 1 Comment

1) & 2)  What am I working on and how do I write what I write?

I currently have two works in progress (WIP).  I have been working on an outline and character questionnaires for a story and am still working on that.  However, that doesn’t seem to quench my need to be creative.  I guess I am just too used to writing “by the seat of my pants” (pantser), which is how I have written stories ever since I started writing way back when I was in junior high school, (what many places now call “middle school”).  I do not want to give up on the one that I am working on with an outline and character questionnaires, though, because I want to see what really does work better for me — “pantsing” or “planning”, or maybe I’ll be able to find something in between.  Any suggestions for something in between?

You may be wondering, “doesn’t pantsing require extra editing”?  All I can say is “not for me”.  You see, the way that I write, I simply sit down and begin writing and let the characters introduce themselves to me, and I let the characters tell the story.  I just type.  The next time I sit down to write, (which should be everyday, but, sadly, is not), I reread all that I have typed; and, yes, I do this each and every time I sit down to work on the story I am pantsing.  Isn’t that time consuming, you may ask.  Yes, it is.  However, it serves three wonderful purposes to me.  It refreshes my mind about the story, I change things and make edits on what I’ve written each and every time I sit down and reread, and it gets ideas flowing and awakens the characters, and they continue telling me the story.  That way, if I write a scene that I feel is lame or that doesn’t fit or advance the story, I can get rid of it the next day.  I just wrote such a scene last night, and the more I thought about it after walking away from my writing, the more I decided it does nothing to advance the plot.  Therefore, when I sit down to write again, be it today or tomorrow, I will get rid of that scene.  So, yes, I also spend time thinking about my stories and characters while I am not writing, which also helps my writing process for the next time I sit down to write.

3)  How does my book differ from others in its genre?

The only answer I have for this, is that it is written by me, in my voice, with characters I created in their own circumstances.  I hope that their circumstances and the plot is something fresh and new to the genre.  I hope that my characters are characters that you come to care about quickly and that you come to love and will not want to say goodbye to at the end of the story.  I hope there is an underlying Christian theme/message that will inspire you and touch your heart.

4)  Why do I write what I write?

Because I have to.  I have a need to get these stories on paper (or computer) because they will not let me rest if I do not.  I also write the kinds of stories that I love to read, and I may be writing more than one genre eventually because I have a story idea burning inside me that was born of helping my son with one of his writing assignments for his homeschool writers’ club.  It introduced me to a new genre that I never tried writing before and didn’t think I’d want to write, but I had so much fun helping him, that I just might give it a shot when I finish the two WsIP I am currently spending my time on.

5)  How does my writing process work?

I described my writing process near the top of this post, and when I did, I alluded to the answer to this question.  I haven’t reached a definite decision which writing process works best for me yet, but I do still enjoy writing as a pantser much more than as a planner.  However, because I haven’t yet had a story published, I can’t really say that my writing process definitely works, but I do believe that whatever writing process I (or you) are most comfortable with will be the one that will work in the end because if I am (or you are) using a process that I am (or you are) comfortable with, I believe I (or you) will be more productive and produce good, if not great, work.

What is your writing process?  Is it working well for you?  Leave a comment and let me and my readers know.

What’s Been Happening with my Writing?

/ kellyfbarr / 2 Comments

I have submitted two items over the past several months, one to a Kids/Family Devotional magazine, which I never heard anything from and was supposed to have heard something by the middle of this month.  The other to a publisher who is planning a book of inspirational stories, which I am hoping to hear from sometime within the next three weeks.

It’s hard not to get your hopes up and to not think about your submissions, and just keep plugging away.  It’s hardest when you don’t even received acknowledgement that they received your submission, which I am happy to say only happened with the one submission.  The other submission was kind enough to shoot me a quick email to let me know that they had received my submission.  My hope is that they will then email me to let me know either way, if they decide to publish my story or not because a rejection would be better than never knowing anything, at least that’s what I think.

However, I recently sent a query letter to a magazine for an article I want to write for them.  I was expecting to have to write it quickly if they wanted it because it was based on a theme their website said would be in their March or April issue.  I was pleasantly surprised a slightly disappointed when I received a nice email a couple of days later saying that they would like me to submit my article, but that it wouldn’t be considered for publication until 2016!  It seems they have made some changes in their magazine and have decide to publish only 6 times a year, which has quickly filled their article spots for 2015.  I was told that someone from the editorial staff will get back to me in 2-3 months about my submitting the article.  That’s the most positive response I’ve had so far!  So, I remain hopeful.

In the meantime, I continue to write here on my blog, an outline for a story I am planning and a story I am simply writing in my normal “pantsing” style.  I also continue to look for more places and opportunities to submit short pieces.

How about you?  What are you working on in your writing process?  Leave a comment, I’d love to hear about it.

A Disappointing Giveaway and What’s New for the New Year

/ kellyfbarr / 4 Comments

I must say that I am stunned!  My giveaway posts earned me some new followers, and to all of you who are now following me, I extend a hearty welcome!  I hope you will find many posts here that you will find enjoyable, inspirational and/or helpful.  However, the requirements for a winner for the giveaway was that people were supposed to leave comments on my giveaway post letting me know how long they have been a follower on this blog and what they would like to see more or less of, and, to my chagrin, the giveaway post received not one single comment.  Therefore, I am disappointed to announce:  the winner is . . . No One!

Maybe it was the books I chose to give away.  Maybe they were too old.  Maybe no one who reads this blog is a fan of Mary Higgins Clark.  Maybe you don’t read Christmas mysteries.  I don’t know what happened, but I never thought that “giving something away” — for free would fail.  But alas, it has.  I will, however, try not to take it personally and will attempt to have another giveaway at a much later date.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now for the happier, more positive item — What’s New for the New Year?  Well, I know I did this a couple of weeks before the new year, but my blog has a new look.  I think it’s cleaner, crisper and sharper.  I hope you all like it too!  Also, the photo in my blog header, behind by blog title box, is one I took while we were on vacation on Chincoteague and Assateague Islands in October 2014.  I thought it went well with the new look.

Also, if you scroll down the page and look at the things listed on my right sidebar, you will notice a button for BookLook Bloggers.  I have decided that since I love to read so much, and reading and writing go hand-in-hand, AND since I enjoy writing book reviews anyway, that I would join BookLook Bloggers.  I should be receiving my first book soon, so I hope you will look forward to upcoming book reviews here at Kelly F Barr.

I was excited to receive a year-end report from WordPress on my blog.  I don’t believe I received such a report at the end of 2013, so this must be new as well, and I found it very helpful to see what my readers (you) like to read.  I hope to use this information to keep you all reading here.

I was also shocked and thrilled to look at my follower count today.  The last time I was here, my follower count was just under 90, and I was hoping to hit 100 by 2015, and here it is, January 1, 2015, and my follower count now says 198!  I am not sure if that’s due to the fact that I updated some settings and have the blog automatically connected to my other social media sites now, instead of me simply posting links to all of my posts on Facebook and Twitter, or if the follower counter could somehow be wrong.  But, I hope that it’s accurate and that the count continues to climb.  I don’t worry too much about numbers, but I don’t look at my followers as numbers — I look at them as my readers; readers I hope will come to love what I write and spread the word that what I write is worth reading, because, as a writer, my desire is that others would find value in what I write.

In 2015, I will also continue to keep you up-to-date on my writing journey.  In the past month, I have submitted two nonfiction short pieces for consideration; one to a children’s/family devotional magazine and one for possible publication in an upcoming book of inspirational short nonfiction stories.  I will keep you posted on any response I receive for these submissions.  Just having submitted a couple of things makes me feel like a real writer and it motivates me to keep writing.  I have a few more short nonfiction pieces I want to write and submit to other locations soon, and I will certainly keep writing my fiction.

I saw a friend on Monday who asked me if I’m still writing.  I told her that yes, I am, and that, as a matter of fact, I had recently begun submitting things, hoping to gain some recognition and maybe earn a little money for my writing as well.  I was so blessed by the next words that came out of her mouth, “Well, I don’t know why someone wouldn’t pick you up.  You’re good.”  Such words of encouragement are a light to my writer’s soul.

Having Fun Experimenting

/ kellyfbarr / 4 Comments

I am still working on the story that I am still outlining.  I am also working on some nonfiction short pieces to submit to some magazines.  I have also simply been “pantsing” a story just to be consistently writing something.

For a while I struggled in trying to decide on what genre I would write.  Then a wonderful writer advised me to write what my passion is and to feel free to try several genres.  It has also been suggested to me that I could write more than one genre, as many other writers do.

So, what I have found is that every story I write seems to have some romance in it.  I have decided that is my passion; clean romance, of course.  I have also found that there is a need for good fiction for boys ages 10 – 12, as well as for Young adults.  Therefore, the story I am outlining is geared for young adult girls.  The story I am simply “pantsing” is for adult women, although I’m not sure what will become of it.

However, this week I was helping my ten-year-old son with a story he was assigned to write for the Writers’ club that he and seventeen-year-old brother participate in.  They were assigned to write an Historical Fiction story, and I have to say that helping him with an Historical Fiction story began some wheels to turning in my brain, and I now have ideas for three Historical Fiction stories — one for adult women; one for girls ages, 10 – 12; and one for boys, ages 10 – 12!  I’m so excited, but I really need to get writing!  With all of these ideas, I’ll be writing for a couple of years without having to worry about finding some ideas.

I never would have thought that I would enjoy writing Historical Fiction.  I never liked history when I was in school, though I enjoy it much more now that I am homeschooling my own children.  I never thought I’d want to do a lot of research before writing something either, but all that research entails is reading (which I love to do) and taking some notes for what I want to write.  I’m looking forward to trying this new genre.

How about you?  What genre do you have a passion for?  Do you write more than one genre or for more than one age group?  Leave a comment and let me know about it.

Muse or No Muse

/ kellyfbarr / 1 Comment

I have been an active part of the writing world for a little over a year now, and I follow websites/blogs of some Christian and some secular writers, and I have found that the secular writers talk a lot about their “muse”, but I’ve never heard that mentioned in the Christian writer circles.  So, I became curious because I didn’t know what a “muse” was, but it was always referred to as a help to the writer.

Therefore, I looked it up and found that in Greek and Roman mythology muses were each of nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and sciences.  (That would explain why Christians don’t consider a muse).  The other definition I found said:  a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.

I have been writing ever since I was a child and I never heard of a muse, even before I became a firm believer in Christ.  I do not get help from a “muse” to write my stories.  I have prayed for months over my writing before actually trying to write anything serious, seeking God’s guidance, and when the ideas began to flow, I knew they came from the Lord.  However, as I write, in addition to God’s help, my POV character also helps with the writing a lot. The better I know my POV character, the more that character helps me write the story by sometimes telling me what they want to happen and they’re ideas are usually quite good.

So, I have God and my POV but no muse and I like what I have. It works well for me. What about you? Do you have a muse? And, if so, tell me about it.

Character Questionnaires

/ kellyfbarr / 2 Comments

As I mentioned before, I am not participating in NaNoWriMo this year.  However, I am working on a story.  Well, actually I am working on the pre-writing of a story.  I have learned the value of an outline and the “Character Questionnaire”.  Since characters are what attract your readers and keep them reading, along with a good plot line, it is important to create rich, memorable characters, and the best way to do that is by knowing your characters inside and out.  That is the purpose of a “Character Questionnaire”.

A Character Questionnaire asks questions about your character(s).  I intend to fill out a Character Questionnaire for each of my protagonist, my antagonist, and a few other characters that I feel I need to know well because they will be doing quite a bit of interacting with the protagonist.

You can find lots of character questionnaires online, simply by googling “Character Questionnaire”.  There is even a NaNoWriMo character questionnaire at http://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/61118193819/nano-prep-the-official-nanowrimo-character.  There are 46 questions on this character questionnaire.

The character questionnaire that I am using comes from an E-book that I got free from K.M. Weiland at http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/?s=crafting+unforgettable+characters.  It’s very in-depth and it’s really helping me to flesh out my character, to the point where she is becoming real to me, so I know I’ll be able to write her well.  Not only do I have to know what she looks like physically, I have to know what her idiosyncrasies are, what cheers her up or annoys her, what are her hopes and dreams, does she have a secret, where and when was she born, and so much more.  (I used “her” and “she” because the character I am working on is a female.

I am enjoying creating my character with the help of a character questionnaire.

How about you?  Do you use a Character Questionnaire to help you create your characters?

Some Poetry

/ kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

Today, I would like to share three poems that I wrote years ago, that were actually published in anthologies.

The first, I wrote in 1993 as my then fiance and I were getting ready to get married:

Approaching Our Day

With each passing day, the time draws near

For us to pledge ourselves one to the other forever, my dear.

That day will be great —

I can hardly wait!

Then together we will go

Down the long, winding road;

Fulfilling old dreams and building new ones,

Constantly sharing both difficulties and fun.

We’ll share love and support, laughter and tears

As together we grow old through the years.

We’ll climb difficult mountains and race down steep hills

Encouraging each other forever, as we will.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————–

This next one was written as I watched my grandmother’s memory slip away as her body gave in to Alzheimer’s disease:

Lament of an Alzheimer’s Patient

Many memories, once vivid and bright,

Now fade with the twilight’s last light.

They say it’s an incurable disease;

When I beg someone to help me, please!

I feel frustration, anger, and pain;

As this disease gnaws away at my brain.

I feel lonely, helpless, and lost,

As I ride the sporadic, angry waves, being torn and tossed.

There is nothing left to do now, but pray

And ask God to take all of my pain away.

For God is forever faithful and true;

And in my darkest hour, he’ll see me through.

So now with the rising and setting of each sun;

I turn to the Holy One;

Asking for mercy, strength and love —

I receive these, by God’s grace from above.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

This last one I wrote because I hate what European immigrants (our ancestors) did to the Native American people.  I have a great love for the Native American people, and my great-great grandmother was a full-blooded Cherokee Native American that I never had the privilege of knowing.

Tribute to a Lost Nation

Shawnee, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Cherokee, and Crow

These, and many other tribes, freely roamed this land long ago.

They were warriors and hunters with arrow and bows;

For food and clothing, they killed the deer and the antelope.

They loved, respected, and worked this land;

With primitive tools, blood and sweat came from their hands.

They have lost much and no longer proudly stand,

For they have been scattered like grains of sand.

As across this land, the wind blows,

I hear a voice echo;

“Tribes, such as Shawnee, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Cherokee, and Crow

Have all but vanished, like their brother, the buffalo.”