Letters From the Heart Blog Hop: To My Future Self

Have you heard about #lettersfromtheheart yet? I am seriously in love with this concept and I hope you will all consider contributing to it or checking out all the authors on the #Mondayblogs hop! See the list after the letter below to see who will be participating in the coming months and how to contribute!

I'll be writing several letters in the coming months, so be sure to check out all the posts periodically and see if you can figure out which ones are mine.

I chose this anonymously written letter because it really spoke to me. As someone that is a deep thinker and Christian, I'm naturally inclined to think about the future and what it holds, as well as interested in seeing how history plays out. The style is also similar to my own, so I could hear myself saying this in a narration. Please leave a comment with your favorite line from this letter!

Letter to My Future Self

When are you reading this letter, I wonder?  I can’t see you from where I sit.  Is it a few years from now, on a milestone birthday, as you sit and reflect on your life?  Or well into your dotage, when the physical world is smaller and harder to navigate, even as your mind stretches to cover great distances through time and memory. 

What will you say to me, I wonder? Will you tell me I was right to be scared of life?  That the world, in its hubris, succeeded in destroying empathy and compassion? That the noble concept of community, where we all accepted each other with our flaws and foibles, dwindled as the lights were turned out on us all? Every one of us living only for ourselves? Will I still feel alone, often lonely, always awkward and suffocated, sitting uncomfortably drenched in unspent potential? Did potential even exist for me or was it a dream? 

Or will you tell me I was right to expect kindness, of myself and of others?  That the journey was leading somewhere, that fate was guiding me carefully towards my destination. That my efforts to create intelligent, meaningful connections paid off. That I found love and love found me, in a million different ways, shapes and forms. That peace descended over life so completely that the unforgiving boredom of routine, the frustrations of work, and the mercurial moods of life’s companions never wholly succeeded in weakening my spirit or resolve. That I was able to see beyond the nonsense of daily existence, not assimilated into a culture of discontent and cynicism, but rather that I was right in trusting in life, in believing the universe to be open, benevolent and giving. 

Will you laugh at my fear, I wonder? Not mirthless schadenfreude, but a gentle laugh, a knowing laugh, an acknowledgement of my irrepressible mind?  A caring laugh partnered with a quiet whisper reaching back over the years, comforting me, willing me to have faith in the fact that simply by being here, I am enough. That I created myriad opportunities to bless and be blessed.  That I made a difference, significant and not, simply by existing. That each breath I took meant something to someone beyond myself. That my being able to draw breath actually began to hold meaning for me. 

Will you tell me to be healthier? To protect my physicality from the toll of all those childhood falls? Will you caution me to keep my heart strong and my mind stronger? Will you ask me to pay more attention, be present for myself?Will you cry for me, knowing I have not seen what is to come?  Will you advise me to stand still, not venture forward, take another path?  What regrets will you hold for me, what wisdom will you impart? Will you tell me to be more outspoken, more brave, take more risks? Or will you tell me to simply let go, accept that everything is unfolding just as it needs to. That life is simply life. That I am simply me. That everything contained within simply is. 

Will you chastise me for worrying so much? Will you shake your head at my timidity? Perhaps feel a swell of anger at the time I wasted in useless contemplation? Will you pick up on my missteps and mistakes, cursing me for not believing in myself? Or will you be kind to me – your younger self – understanding, forgiving and patient. Will you know this was the only journey I could take? The only way to reach you? 

Will you tell me I found happiness? That happiness is truly possible? Or will you tell me it is enough to settle into a comfortable contentment? Will you share that living moment to moment is all that is required to complete a life or enrich a soul? Will we reach the end of our life ready to leave? Will it be easy for us to draw our last breath? 

When are you reading this letter, I wonder? What words do you have for me?  I just can’t see you from where I sit.

Upcoming Letters From the Heart Blog Hop Schedule:

November 6th - zarahoffman.com/blog
November 20th - daryawrites.com
December 4th - fraudrk.wordpress.com
December 18th - zjsunflowersbooksandcrafts.blogspot.co.uk

Check out more at heartshapedletters.wordpress.com, or to contribute an anonymous letter, contact G.K. Sihat at gksihat@gmail.com.


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Two Firsts (Part 1) - First Live Pitch to an Editor

I just got back from an invigorating experience at the Idaho Writers League (IWL) 2017 annual conference. This year it was held in Pocatello, which really isn't a big, exciting city. In true Emily fashion, I made the most of it.

Our Travelodge was lackluster, but I only needed to shower and sleep in my room. The true gems of this place were the comfy chairs in the lobby and the bar with live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The first night was all Smirnoff and southern rock, and it was pretty much our small group of older white folk playing pool and dancing until eleven o'clock.

The second night, we were outnumbered in a sea of culture. A better known group speaking rapid Spanish and serenading couples with a saxophone put some mariachi rock out there. The dance floor was packed. I nursed wine that night, and was dubbed the pool shark. The name was hilarious since the seven games in a row that I won were accomplished through no fault of my own. My opponents kept following the eight ball with the cue ball into a pocket.

You didn't come to this post to read about the fun, but its important to remember the details when you journal, or so the Gary Eckhart said in his talk on journaling. I think its time I start treating this blog like one and see what happens.

Speakers at the conference!

I spent almost as much time learning about Idaho Magazine, writing fantasy, and book marketing as I did running around and accomplishing some of my IWL duties as state treasurer and Coeur d'Alene Chapter president. Checks needed written, votes needed cast for big changes, and I needed to meet a lot of people. It's amazing how writing can forge friendships.

Why would I drive eight hours just to go to a conference? Well, I am a leader, and I really really really enjoyed the carpooling with friends and the free writing time. (Seriously, I haven't written that much in one day in over a year, and I got to do it twice in four days!). The biggest reason in my mind was pitching to a publisher.

My three carpooling buddies Kathleen, Bill, and Jeremy!

Some of you know that I've had an agent for nearly two years now, and in that time I've written five novels, half a dozen picture books, and countless queries (my own and some of yours, too!). Small submission batches for the BIG publishers had already gone out via my agent, with some returning quickly and some not yet responding. When I saw the conference speaker bios and that I could pay for a 15-minute session, I had to check out the publisher.

I couldn't believe it. TWO of my books would fit right into their list. MOON DAUGHTER RISING was a middle grade fantasy with dark and family-based themes. They had also recently published some middle grade contemporary novels and had another one releasing, so ROWDY DAYS OF DOM SANDERS was another contender. This was my chance.

Twitter stalking was impossible, as the editor that was taking the pitches keeps a low profile on social media. I did check out their authors, excitement flaring at the pictures of book signings and readings plastered on their social media. That could be me!

My slot was scheduled about 11:00am when sweet Alice Dun of Pocatello chapter came with a slip of paper with 15 minute intervals in a list.

"How about 10 minutes from now?" she asked.

I quivered. I wasn't ready yet. I needed to go to my hotel room and talk myself straight. I asked her if I could have 45 minutes and she switched with me. I hugged her and rushed to my room.

Then I went back over my pitch and bio, as well as the blurb my agent told me to include with her take on the manuscript. I'd spent the last four weeks polishing it in case the editor wanted it next day. Those stories had been repeated to me by just about everyone I'd encountered and all our chapter members the week before at one of our meetings. I gathered my business card, my agent's business card, and the printed first chapter of the manuscript into a folder and pinned it all together with a paperclip. Deep breaths, ready. Not ready. No, no, I was ready.

I walked down the hotel hall with confidence, rocking my power outfit and heels. Preparation was my middle name. I had this.

I reached the coffee pot where it was far enough away to not intrude on the pitch in session, but close enough that they knew I was there and waiting. I was excited for my friend currently sitting with the editor, but he went way past his 15 minutes. I said a prayer and tried to hold still. A few friends walked through the lobby and into the presentations going on, each stopping to chat for a minute. They each calmed my nerves (thanks Lila, Jeremy, Larry, and Richard!).

Playing with the Conference props. Theme: Rendezvous

My turn! The editor (who must not be named) invited me to sit, and I perched myself on the edge of the plush, red wing-backed chair.

Make eye contact, speak slow. I reminded myself.

I was vulnerable. I told her that it was my first pitch session but that I was excited to meet her. I asked if she'd like to hear more about me or my pitch first. She asked for the pitch. So I took a breath and managed to get the pitch out, including word count, comparison titles, and my agent's words of praise. Then I told her how I decided to pitch to her because I felt my books would fit right onto her list.

She asked questions. I responded. We joked like old friends. She complimented me, asked about my contemporary novel ROWDY DAYS OF DOM SANDERS, and seemed interested. I gave her the folder. Then she complimented me on my pitch, preparation, and said I did great.

THEN SHE SAID SHE WANTED A FULL MANUSCRIPT  WITHIN TWO WEEKS AND SAID SHE'D BE CALLING MY AGENT!!!!!

via GIPHY

Guys, GUYS, this is what dreams are made of. I shook her hand and practically skipped back through the lobby. The rest of the weekend, my friends laughed at my dream face, like....

via GIPHY

Jeremy even insisted on calling the chair I sat in during the pitch my throne, and made me blush more then once talking about what happened.

This could be it! I had to chronicle the experience.

So I've been doing another sweep through the manuscript and just sent it to my agent and a few critique partners for final read-throughs. Part two comes from one of these read-throughs, so if you haven't followed my blog yet, please do! You won't want to miss it! 

Hint: I've always dreamed of seeing a child read my book....

Using Amazon Free Samples to Better your Writing

I have a confession. I may or may not be addicted to those free samples on Amazon. You know, the teasers you can download to convince you to buy the book? 

It’s a great marketing tool, and an awesome way for readers to decide whether or not they want to invest in the characters. For writers, it is also a fantastic way to really study the beginning of the competition. 

When I read these beginnings as an upcoming author, I like to look at the first line and see if it hooks me. Examining the sample allows me to figure out the best way to convince a reader that my words are worth their time and money. How does the author make the character or their plight memorable enough to warrant further reading? What unique features of the world or magic system (I love fantasy!) or government or society are highlighted so the reader is immersed? How can I apply those calculations or techniques in my own writing to make my agent able to sell my books to editors who can sell them to the public?

Do you utilize those Amazon samples as a reader or writer? Or do you study the beginnings and blurbs of books you buy? Have you ever done this to improve your writing and/or marketing strategy? Let’s chat about it in the comments below!

A Study on Tragedy in Modern Literature and Drama

A few years ago, I did a shout out across the interwebs about modern novel tragedies. My latest (and still latest) project was going to be unique. I'd been reading young adult novels in an effort to understand the dynamics involved compared to the middle grade I'd been writing before and realized that mine would be unique simply because almost all YA had the hero's journey as its plot arc.

Mine flipped it on its head in the form of a tragedy.

At that time, I did some research, but I was caught up in the fervor of free writing the draft, my favorite part.

Now I'm in the trenches of my least favorite part.... editing.

And I was at a stand still until recently, when I watched this very helpful video on Youtube by lfrankers. Not sure exactly what she said that I'd never heard before, but between watching this and looking at a list of tragic movies in the last two decades, I understood this on a whole new level:

In Tradegies, the purpose of the character has to be stronger than the outcome, even death.

(SPOILERS ALERT!!!)

Some movie examples:

Man on Fire: The protagonist purpose is to save the girl he's supposed to protect. He trades himself for her, and dies to save her.

Blood Diamond: Leo D sets out to become famous, but ends up dying in order to save his partner so that his partner can save his own family.

Gladiator: Maximus wants to avenge his family. He battles and destroys all those involved, even though it means he dies at the end.

And we all remember the Titantic.

via GIPHY

Some more recent literary examples:

We Were Liars: The entire time, the main character is trying to fix her family. Slowly, though the reader realizes something isn't right. Eventually, we learn that the protagonist has gone insane after the tragedy of the fire in which her and her cousins were trying to fix the family.

Of Scars and Stardust: Older sister acts as detective to find the wolf that killed her sister. As she finds more clues, she falls deeper into insanity. By the end of the book, you realize the truth is she was insane all along and she killed her sister. She's put back into an asylum.

What does this mean for my editing?

It means I'm excited because I finally figured out two very important things that will guide how I rewrite Rudger's Story.

1. His motive: To be a leader that unites the two races of his world.

2. He'll have to get there at the expense of his character, losing someone close to him, and losing his sanity.

In order to accomplish this, I'll need to up the tension of his guilt as he makes bad decisions, up the animosity with the current leaders that don't treat the other race well, and Rudger will also need more pressure from his family.

This also means my beginning needs a complete overhaul. But I already knew that!


Please comment and tell me a recent tragic novel you've read, or what you've learned during some of your own editing. I'd love to hear from you and I will write back!



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Discussion:Hello new writerly friends! Let's swap ten things.

I've had a lot of new friends via the #Nanobloghop subscribe to my social media and blog. Until now, most of my readers have been writerly friends I've met face to face or critique partners that I've been interacting with for years. It's been a pleasure to connect with so many creative, amazing people walking the same walk I am, word by word.

One such friend is Wendy Knight, and in her welcoming email for her e-newsletter, she offered ten fun facts about herself and encouraged us to respond with ten things too. I sent her a list and it sparked a really fun conversation that made me smile.

I want to reciprocate that on this blog post. So here are the ten fun facts about me that I want to share!

 

1. I love almost every green vegetable and know how to cook most of them from raw state.
2. I'm not a huge animal person, but I can sit and chat with the elderly all day, every day.
3. I could live on ice cream, tea, and red meat. 
4. I deal with depression, and am so thankful for my religion and family for helping me through it.
5. I have a husband, six chickens, two daughters, two dogs, a cat, and most recently we've added an adorable bunny named Oreo to the hobby farm.
6. I love fishing. This may or may not be due to my love of the water, and most certainly is due to my father being a fishing tournament champion.
7. I gave up coffee six, no - seven, times since December 31st. It's a problem.
8. My family and I are big puzzle people. There's almost always one on a surface somewhere in my house. Its a wonder we don't lose pieces, but it rarely happens.
9. I'm a health and wellness advocate, and use holistic medicine as much as possible. Need herb or vitamin suggestions? I may have an answer. Curious about essential oils? I'm an open book with lots of resources. Want some interesting stories about healing a body with food? I've got a heap... starting with healing my body from hormone imbalance and fixing my body to get pregnant.
10. I solemnly swear I won't judge anything you say or do, or I will at least see situations from all sides. I always do. It makes decisions hard sometimes.

Please comment with one or more fun facts about yourself, or ask me questions about one or more of my ten things.

Let's not just click the like, tweet, and subscribe buttons! Let's encourage each other, share our success, our experiences, and our words! We can start right here in the comments of my blog! I'd be honored!

Storystorm Part 2: Some Ideas Deserve a Drawer

Well, for my second year in a row, I've completed #Storystorm. Technically, last year it was #PiBoIdMo. The general idea is an idea each day for a whole month.

I'm super excited about a dozen or so of those ideas.

And then there are the other ones.

You know, the ones that deserve a drawer and a bunch of brainstorming. The obscure, the odd ball, the flashes of brilliance that are ridiculous when you think of them and add them to your list but may later be the masterpieces you initially imagined they'd be.

Here are a few of mine for 2017:

Cutting wood - learning the value of hard work
Human squirrel
Mikayla's pile of blankets
Little glasses


So if they deserve the drawer put them there and slam it shut if it makes you feel better.

Just be sure to pull them out once in a while and see if they are ready to show off their shine.

Storystorm Part 1: Are you participating?

I don't know if you heard, but Tara Lazar's #PiBoIdMo was transformed into #storystorm, 

and in January 2017 authors all over the world (including moi) are attempting to come up with a new story idea every single day. That's a lot of creativity.  We're about halfway through the month, and I will will be sharing a few of my ideas in a later post, but I wanted to see who else I know is participating and encourage others to jump in on the creative brain stewing, even if the official registration is closed.

Even if you only get 

ideas, that's more than you had on December 31st. 

And who knows where those ideas will lead you?

A Desert

Or a Rainforest

Or a neighbor's yard

Or outer space.

Or just finish that other idea you had!

Tell me if you're participating and the fun idea you're most excited about so far, or just share about other projects your working on. I'd love to hear from you in the comments below or via email.

New Year, New Words, and a New Perspective + A #QueryHelper Giveaway!

It's week two of 2017. So far I have....

Worked, shoveled snow, cut firewood, and drove my new truck a lot....

  

Mentally written some....

And edited very little.

But its all perspective.

 

I've connected with over 400 people since NANO ended on November 30th. 

Hi you all and thank you...

to those of your that participated in the NANO blog hop hosted by Raimey Gallant. I'm happy to read your words and know you may be reading mine!

I've connected with my daughters at the expense of some computer and TV time, and those memories are invaluable.

Recently I've learned...

As with some other things, less words can have more impact.

Hard work pays off.

Being Organized has perks

(sometimes, let's not get crazy with the sticky notes and folder tabs!)

So I promise my readers this year my blogs will be...

Short, Impactful, and Valuable

And hopefully some good news of publication will be in there too!

Let's start 2017 off "write" with a #QueryHelper Critique Giveaway just for NANO 2016 participants!
(As promised in November, and yes I know that was six weeks ago.)

Please comment with your NANO username, what you'd like like to know more about from my blog, how best to connect with you if you win, and what word project you're working on right now. Winner will be chosen at random.org on JANUARY 31st, 2017! Please share on your social media profiles!