Beach, Lake Havasu, Arizona by Michele Venne
Shhh…no one knows yet, but I lowered the price on the ebook version of Of Gifts and the Goddess and Of Dolphins and Desires to $.99. Both will be advertised via subscriber newsletters, and then the print versions will be part of a special holiday bundle…but it’s a secret for now…
Worked on Of Warriors and Wisdom final edits today. Keeping an eye on the word count, I delete 2 sentences, add a handful of words, change another dozen, and still the number creeps up! My goal is to keep it below 44,500, still in the novella range by my research.
Waiting to hear from my graphic designer about the cover for Everything to Gain. She’s asked for some clarification, and has alluded to excitement over what she’s created, so this is me <waiting, shuffling feet, waiting, getting excited, waiting…>
Once we’ve got a cover for Everything to Gain, I’ll be looking for readers to receive an ARC who would be willing to post a review. If you’re interested, leave a comment or message me, and I’ll get you a copy when it’s ready. Reviews encourage or dissuade customers from purchasing. I know I peruse reviews and haven’t bought something if there’s too many complaints about the product. The opposite has also been true.
I’ve been making a lot of progress (because the project has been “easy”– see previous FB post :)) on filing the story starters from my writers group spirals. It’s not a surprise that the “mystery/crime fiction/suspense” folder is the thickest. Next in line? The one I titled “No Good”. However, those sheets won’t be immediately burned in a ceremonial fire to the art spirits, but instead will receive a thorough reading and contemplative few minutes, just in case they may become a decent short story. Others will just be kindling.
Anne Lamott wrote a book titled Bird by Bird. It came from her father helping her brother write an essay for school. Her brother was near tears, struggling to come up with something that was good, when their father said, “You know how to write this essay? Bird by bird.” In other words, “word by word”. This is how I’ve lived my life for years now, day by day. In a way it’s freeing to not have to create plans for weeks and months in advance, then fret over them until the day arrives. When my anxious mind does latch onto a future, usually dire (I don’t know why), I’m practicing shifting that “vision” to a positive one. Keeping my thoughts from rehashing the past means that when I notice where the mind is taking me, I can shift to the present. I’m sitting in a comfy chair, the AC is on, the ceiling fan is going, the Dbacks are on in the background, I have a full tummy from dinner, a glass of clean water next to me, a safe bed to go to in about an hour…and the mind is anchored-however temporarily-in the now. Dwelling on the past won’t change what has already happened. Consuming anxiety about possible futures won’t do anything besides ruin the present and remind me of all that I have no control over.
Day by day, story by story, “Bird by Bird”…
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