There’s always more than one way to get there.
Paths
Details matter
In thinking about this phrase the other day- “They can’t see the forest for the trees”-it occurred to me that you can’t actually see the forest without seeing the trees. So yes, the big picture is important, but individual details and people are the key to understanding the whole.
I think that’s why picking the right details for every character and setting is so crucial and challenging.
Nerves
I’m nervous about putting my work out into the world. What if everyone hates it? What if they think it’s stupid? What if I offend someone? Well lucky for me the only thing that makes me more anxious than all of that is how I’m going to feel if I look back at my life and realize I made decisions based on fear.
Flash Fiction – One of Those People
I know what I look like.
A fourth car has slowed down, it’s a Lexus this time. A blonde driver with dark red lipstick stares through the rain spotted window. They don’t get a lot of pedestrians here.
I pull out my phone and try the power button again, but the screen is remorselessly black beneath the fissured glass.
There’s another road sign ahead and I legitimately pray, “God, please let it be familiar. Amen.”
Every street in this place seems to be named after a tree – and Lyla’s address, typed carefully into my phone last night, wasn’t a tree street. I remember that much at least.
It’s possible that the bus driver didn’t understand me. Or that he nodded so I’d leave him alone. I hadn’t considered that at the time. But now, after thirty-five minutes of walking it seems possible. This could be the wrong neighborhood, the wrong part of the city.
Second thoughts
So I’m still pondering cover design … maybe this as a background instead of the photo? In some ways I know it’s more important just to get the book published, but until it’s done I’ll probably keep pondering options.
Waves and wonder
Low Impact Workout…Creatively Speaking
So when we moved a couple of years ago I decided I wanted some abstract water-ish looking paintings to hang in our living room, but I was too cheap to buy them at the store and wondered if I could do it myself. That thought led to a new hobby that I’m thoroughly enjoying. I put an audiobook on pull out some brushes, acrylic paint, and a canvas or acrylic paper and have a lot of fun. If I don’t like what I painted I paint over it and try again. If it happens to turn into something I like – fabulous. If not, no harm done, I enjoyed myself and listened to a good book. When it comes to my writing I admit I’m striving for quality, but in painting I’m just having fun. It’s nice to have a creative outlet where I don’t put any pressure on myself.
Great Writing Books
I love a good book about writing, especially one with great exercises. I’m currently working my way through Naming the World: And Other Exercises for the Creative Writer edited by Bret Anthony Johnston. It’s got contributions from different writers who provide a small essay about writing followed by suggested exercises. Not every exercise is interesting or helpful, but I constantly find myself either genuinely prompted or at least noting an exercise to try again later.
Some of my other favorites:
Page After Page by Heather Sellers
Take Joy by Jane Yolen
Poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
Cover Photo Decision?
Thanks to lots of hours on Pixabay and pouring through my own photos I think I’ve decided on this photo for the cover of Rell. It’s by Pixabay photographer DaveInTucson and I think it captures the atmospheric desert vibe of the novel’s setting. For the books cover I’m going to focus on the hills and sky. One reason I decided to skip using one of my own photos is that I always know exactly where I’ve taken them. And even though the setting of Rell is partially inspired by the high desert of the Intermountain West, every one of my photos just felt too connected to my ordinary life to be a fantasy setting.
Thank goodness for Pixabay! I use it in my teaching all the time and I’ll definitely be giving Dave some credit and making a donation to him on Pixabay once the project is completed.
In Process…again
Spent three hours today working on getting a novel manuscript ready for ebook publishing with Amazon. One good thing about going through the agony of multiple hopeful, encouraging query letters before just deciding to publish on my own is how little I care about making tons of money with this book. Yes, money is great, don’t get me wrong, and I do have one tiny sales goal – 100 copies. But that sales goal is just my own very personal determination of how many new readers will make all of this finicky button pushing and previewing worth it.
Jenel Alan 