Jun 15, 2014 |
It seems like just yesterday that I slightly bared my soul and asked for pray and partnership toward Doing the Write Thing . . . oh, wait. It was!
I do my best writings on Sunday afternoons when the chores are done, the errands have been run, and it’s nothing but me, Pandora, a nice breeze, and a cool beverage.
I always have at least two drinks available at all times. Today I’m drinking ice water or Ginger Ale, depending on which I grab first.
I was invited to post directly at LinkedIn so today I created my first article, 10 Things Your Insurance Agents Wish You Knew.
All that to say, every Sunday in my quiet moments, I’ll post updates on my fundraising campaign as well as my weekly writing production in general.
As of this moment, I have one sponsor for $20.00. This contribution isn’t a surprise to me, since it’s my friend Mary and she told me before I even started the campaign that she’d help out. So thanks, Mary. She’s a fellow member of the California Writer’s Club, High Desert Branch, the leader of the critique group I’m in, and a great friend.
I also have three Social Supporters: those who can’t contribute monetarily at this time, but are sharing my links and dreams through their social media circles to help gain visibility. Thank you, William, Ann and Melanie.
NOLA is coming along quite nicely. I’ve nearly 21,000 words which, considering the average adult novel is 70,000 words, means I’m about 30% finished. Last week I realized the rest of the plot which meant going back through what I’d previously written and making sure I dropped the right hints and dialogue.
My other writing projects are on the back burner until I finish NOLA, which I plan for the end of August. I guess that means I’d better get back to it. These words don’t write themselves, and I’ve a character or two to add.
Side shout to Toronto Mary and the Strumbellas. I hear-tell my CD is finally crossing the border and should be here in a week or two. Can’t wait!
Until then, thanks for keeping me on the path to Doing the Write Thing!
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
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Doing the Write Thing: Writing Conferences Fundraiser
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2014:BETTER.
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Jun 14, 2014 |
Doing the Write Thing
Last month I was offered a scholarship to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference for 2015. This morning, I was asked to participate and present at a still-in-development women’s conference later this year, organized by one of my fellow Writer’s Club and critique group members.
Needless to say, both of these opportunities are attractive to me. Even necessary if I’m to be a more professional writer. Conferences offer the opportunity to share what we know, to learn more, to meet fellow writers. We nourish each other with different writing styles. We treat each other to new paper palates. Conferences give attendees and presenters a means to reach each other on a more personal, involved level. Sharing the knowledge of what we do and why we do it is fundamental to growing in the writing industry. Not just as a writer, but in all capacities: publishing, public relations, marketing, editors, and yes, readers.
I’ve dreamt about attending and making great connections as well as being able to learn how to better craft my writings. No, really. I’ve actually dreamt about it!
My particular dilemma is I’m not out of the financial hole that unemployment dug for me two and three years ago. I’m very happy to say that I’ve eighteen months at my “new” job and continue to grow in job security. The home finances are still underwater, but it’s not as murky as it was and I do see rays of light beaming into the rough seas. Okay, so that’s just a poetic way of saying, I can’t afford to go to the conferences.
This brings me to my knees for prayer and to my keyboard for typing. Two weeks ago I started thinking up ways to earn extra money. The truth is, I can’t do it alone. I could sell my cookbooks for higher profit, but it’s called The Unemployment Cookbook for a reason: I can’t justify raising the price on something I wrote to help get others through their own hard times.
So I’m taking a huge, humbling risk by writing this:
Will you help me?
Would consider donating funds to help me in these endeavors? Each conference requires tuition, transportation, food, and other sundry costs including but not limited to resource materials, snacks, personal items, and of course books!
In anticipation of some Frequently Asked Questions:
*WHAT IF I HAVE EXTRA FUNDS? Any extra funds will be invested in support of my writing career. This means attending other conferences, paying all related taxes and fees associated with your donations, and minor resource/networking costs (printing of business cards, purchase of a small calendar, etc). Now that’s exciting!
*CAN YOU SUPPORT MY FUNDRAISER WITH ANY DONATION? Yes, of course any little amount helps! Thank you! There is a “donate” button on my blog. You can just head over to the coffee cup icon at the end of this post or in the right side column of the blog page and it will take you to my PayPal site. In the message line, be sure to specify “Do The Write Thing”.
*HOW WILL YOU KNOW HOW I’M ACTUALLY USING THE FUNDS? I want to be very transparent with all donations. I’ll post my totals weekly (and if you want your name mentioned in big neon lights, I can do that, too!). I’ll let you know what I’m spending, when, how, and why. And I’ll let you know how much is saved and how much I still need. As soon as I get any donation, it will be earmarked and banked specifically for these conferences and, as previously stated, all associated costs. Every step of the way, you’ll be with me. If not in person, then definitely with my blog!
*WHAT IF I DON’T GET ENOUGH DONATIONS TO MAKE IT TO ANY OF THE CONFERENCES? Okay, that’s a really legitimate concern. Let’s be real: these things can be expensive. So if I get some money, but not enough to attend the two big conferences, I have a Plan B: There are plenty of local promotional events that require fees. Things like renting space at book faires or crafts/creative shows. Networking opportunities like mixers and drop-ins. And of course, the aforementioned marketing tools.
I hope this explains the who, what, when, where, why and how of this post. If you have any questions, just let me know.
Thanks to so many for your incredible support of my writing. The responsibility is not lost on me, and I strive to do justice to your faith in the talents God has given me.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
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Jun 8, 2014 |
Disclaimer: Aaron D. Gansky has been a friend of mine for many years. It is because we are both Christian writers (and he is married to one of my close friends which is how we met) that we get along well. These facts have in no way influenced this book review.
The Bargain is a Selah Award Finalist in Fiction novel. It is a suspenseful Christian fantasy story written by Aaron D. Gansky. It is available for purchase through Amazon and Amazon Kindle.
Aaron D. Gansky
I bought The Bargain for my Kindle. I’m all about supporting local artists. I also like to read what others are writing, and learn from their style and format. The Bargain did not disappoint.
To be honest, I’m no longer much of a reader (I still haven’t finished the Louie L’Amour book I started two summers ago). I want to be. But I keep myself busy with the day job, home life with Dot at Bedford Manor, and writing my own stories.
But one evening I needed a break from all that. So I picked up my Kindle and decided to glance through the first few pages. The more I read, the more I understood the cover art. Can you see it? A pensive man, a train, and a desert. And oh, so much more!
The Bargain by Aaron D. Gansky
It took just seven days for me to finish the story. I haven’t read that fast since I was pregnant with Dot . . . and she’s 19. I found myself irritated that my aforementioned life responsibilities got in the way of reading more, say at 3 o’clock in the morning or during office hours. I made Starbucks staff look at me funny as I gasped, frequently. (Note to self: stop emoting in public.)
The Bargain tells the story of international reporter Connor Reedly, in his own voice, as he struggles to find meaning and make sense of his dying wife, Nadine, and a town the world wants to forget. They arrive in Hailey, home of Nadine’s sister, Aida and her friend Mason. Mason is tasked with offering Connor $250,000 if he writes ten articles in eight days. Mason hints that to refuse means certain death for Nadine, and all of Hailey.
Connor has to choose between spending his wife’s dying days at her side making her comfortable, or talking to strangers in hope of saving her. What secrets does he uncover? In the end, is Hailey really worth saving?
The Bargain, although written by a Christian author and containing Christian themes, is not only for Christian readers. It’s not an in-your-face sermon. The characters are hardened, tough, bitter. They are criminals telling their stories. They are victims sharing their loads. They are a collection of folk who are nitty-gritty in a place that no one wants to visit, let alone live.
And it’s up to Connor, a non-believer, to find out if there are any redeemable qualities, not only in Hailey, but in himself as well.
Okay. That’s the synopsis. Here’s what The Bargain did for me personally:
- It made me cry. It really did. Aaron’s characters are true, honest, not polished or cleaned up. The reality that life sometimes sucks invades this book not with a depressing countenance, but with a breathless, there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I sort of reading. I found myself nodding in understanding at each interaction, with all of Connor’s thoughts, and even in the solitude faced by the characters and Hailey as a whole.
- I saw much of myself in this blend of people. From those who make no sense of their struggles, to those who justify their wrongdoings, to those who question everything, to those who just accept the world as it is. From the hopeless to the hopeful, there is a bit of each of us in each of the characters.
- It left me wanting more. I’m a sucker for ongoing stories and I was sad when I reached the end. I like the continuing soap operas, trilogy movies, etc. So if you’re reading this, Aaron (and I know you are!), please tell me you’re writing more. If not these characters, then more like them. Please. Thank you.
- It changed my perspective. Life isn’t always pretty. That doesn’t mean it has to be hell on earth. It’s not always about me (or Connor) and sometimes the choices aren’t easy. But they are choices. Sometimes, what you think will work, doesn’t. But sometimes, just sometimes, what you have no hope for actually happens. Or something completely different. This book affirmed it’s okay to just close your eyes and say, “What’s next?”
There’s so much more I want to tell you, but I don’t want to give away the ending. I will, however, share my short interview with Aaron for this giveaway:
- Mojo: Is this your first suspense novel?
Aaron: Yes and no. My first novel was also suspense, but, like most first novels, it wasn’t good, and hasn’t been published.
- Mojo: How long did it take you to write it once you had the idea?
Aaron: It was the matter of about eight months from concept to the end of draft one. Tack on another couple of months for editing, then a lot of years shopping it to publishers. Once it was published, we worked on edits for another couple of months. I’d estimate, conservatively, it was a little under two years of active work (most in revisions and edits).
- Mojo: What was the hardest part about writing THE BARGAIN?
Aaron: That’s a good question. For me, the writing isn’t the hard part, it’s the shopping and waiting for publication. But, because I wrote it when my kids were young, I’d say the hardest part was waking up early to write before my kids got up. I kept Starbucks’ pockets well lined in those thin hours of the mornings. In context of craft, I struggled to keep the quality high throughout the novel. My challenge was to make each “article” stand up to the last. I had the first few in mind, but coming up with the others that would be as equally as compelling gave me a lot of trouble.
- Mojo: It’s a fast paced read, and at times volatile and emotional. Did you ever find yourself getting caught up in the story instead of writing it?
Aaron: I did. I think, more than anything else, the final scene in Veronica’s story is what really got me. I won’t spoil it, but if you’ve read it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It was a chilling scene to write. I knew exactly how I wanted to handle it, and it came pretty naturally, and the words fell into place, and horrified me with each letter that dropped. My hope is that my readers have a similar experience when they read it—a chilling terror that washes over a subtle, quiet hope.
- Mojo: What is your writing process (outline v. discovery)? I learned those terms on your podcast.
Aaron: I’m a die-hard discovery writer. It’s how my mind works. I can outline, but I’ve not had nearly as much success with that strategy.
So. Are you intrigued enough to read The Bargain? Do you want to win your own autographed copy? Then look no further and enter below!
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