Changes are not always a bad thing....

2017 is almost a blur of a year. The older my children get the busier life seems to be, but that is ok. The only thing I would change would be to turn back the clock so I could keep them little for longer, but since I don't have a time machine, I will cherish every minute of our busy crazy lives. I have set my reading goals for the year and have challenged myself to step outside of my genre and read a couple of books that are in genres that I don't typically read. I have read a historical fiction, a memoir, and a folklore book that was written in French and English. I do not speak French so I caught myself repeatedly getting frustrated because I would try to read left to right, but the book was not designed that way. The left page was in French and the right page was the English translation. The stories were amazing.

In 2016 I met with an editor and was asked to rewrite 3 chapters in a different tense. I accepted the challenge and was amazed at what a difference it made. I could not stop at those 3 chapters, I kept going. First person is a very hard tense to write in and is very limited in POV. 3rd person ominous actually allows me as the author to include other characters perspectives or opinions, because I am telling the story from the author's perspective and not one characters perspective. It was very freeing to write in this tense. I am so thankful to the editor for this recommendation. As the author of the story I have the choice to make the recommended changes or not make the recommended changes. I have told an editor, I am so sorry but I can't cut that piece or that character because it is important later and the editor was accepting of that decision. However as a writer I have to step back and truly not take the feedback personally. Yes it is my story and my manuscript, but as editors and agents they know what the market is looking for and what their clients are looking for. Once the edits are complete and I am willing to start submitting or meeting with an agent or an editor then I have to put on my business hat and see my manuscript as a business opportunity even though it is months or years of my life. I will make notes during a meeting, go home read over my notes, think about what was discussed and why, sit the notebook down for an hour or two and then decide what am I really comfortable with changing. If it is something I know is key later in the story then I will not touch it yet. I will make all of the other changes and then will go back to the character or plot change recommendation, if I can not make any changes in that area then I will resubmit and include a note as to why I did not make that specific change. As the writer I know the story, the backstory and direction that I want the story to go, it is my job to articulate that to the professionals that I am working with.

In 2017 my goal was to write more, however it has been a challenging year personally. I have not met my writing goal yet but there is still time and the creative juices seem to be kicking in again. I did start drawing again and have started a writing/art notebook with new ideas. I had started writing fiction and short stories and focused less on my poetry. One of my writing goals is to try to write at least 2 new poems and incorporate them with an art piece. I would like to have this goal met by the end of 2017, we shall see.

HAPPY WRITING EVERYONE!!!!