I was recently asked what the Creative Hour was, and if it had to be about writing. So I decided to use this weeks blog to explain it.
About four years ago, at The Surrey International Writers Conference, I was lucky enough to do my blue pencil with Jane Espenson. At Surrey BC, a blue pencil gives the writer an opportunity to sit down with a published author. Every year that I’ve been able to do this, it has been amazing. This particular year as much as any, because Jane Espensen is very successful in one of the genres that I’m interested in writing. She is an amazing lady. Well, anyway I followed her on Twitter and found that she does writing sprints. That is, she challenges others to take one hour and dedicate it to their writing.
I took these challenges several times, then decided to challenge my friends on Facebook to do the same. However one of my friends challenged me and asked if it has to be dedicated only to writing. That didn’t seem at all necessary to me and so I replied, “No it doesn’t”. And that’s how The Creative Hour started.
Now every Wednesday from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, I challenge my followers on Twitter and my friends on Facebook to dedicate this one hour to their creative passion.
So what ever your creative passion, please join me each Wednesday to work on your creative passion. Be it writing, painting, drawing, music or whatever you dedicate your creativity to, you will be amazed with what you can accomplish. I will time us by starting the challenge, and then let you know when the time is complete.
I hope to find many more join me this Wednesday at 7:00 pm.
Keep the coffee flowing.
Respectfully submitted,
Jodi
What do I read? That was one of the first questions I was asked when I pitched my first book. That worked out really well, because my new favorite author was represented by this particular agent.
However, this is not the reason I read. Mostly I read to escape. Maybe that’s why I read across genres. Currently, besides Andre Norton (my all time favorite), I read Tess Gerritson, Robert Dugoni, Roxanne Snopek, Susan Clayton-Goldner and Neil deGrasse Tyson. I also use the books of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. This might sound like a strange combination, but it is working very well for me. The fiction books are character driven. The non-fiction are research information and a source of interest.
Another reason to read is that it helps me understand what others are looking for. I write Soft Science Fiction with elements of Romance. Listening to the characters others create helps me create and understand my own better. It also helps me build my worlds.
So, reading and sharing helps me build the worlds my characters live and travel through, as well as giving me direction to escape my somewhat boring life. I love that there are multiple ways to use my love of reading.
Sometime in the not too distant future, I hope that you will be able to use my writing to escape your world and your problems. When that happens, together, we will benefit from the worlds and lives of the characters who draw us in and let us escape.
I will continue to read and enjoy the books of others as I write my own.
Keep the coffee flowing.
Respectfully submitted,
Jodi
This coming week will be the first chance to sign up for the Surrey International Writers Conference in Surrey, British Columbia. I’m still going back and forth on who I should pitch and blue pencil with.
I’m not sure that pitching is going to work for me. I have pitched several times in the past. A couple of years ago I even tried a cold submission to a new agent. There have been kind responses and silent ones. None have lead me any closer to being published. Despite this I am still determined to participate at the conference this year. It is always a great experience.
Each year that I participate with this writers’ conference I have some great experiences. My favorite is meeting with friends I’ve come to know of the years. Another favorite is having opportunities to meet and talk with successful writers.
The workshops over the years have helped me polish my craft. I continue to learn and understand the craft more each year.
In the next few days I will make my choices and sign up for SiWC18. Until then I’ll study and work on my writing.
Keep the coffee flowing,
Respectfully submitted,
Jodi
This week I continue to work on the edit of my first book. I should have more time on Friday and Saturday. A local resort, The Oregon Caves Chateau is the home of an evening meeting for the Illinois Valley Grants Pass/Josephine County Chambers of Commerce. I’m taking it as an awesome opportunity to experience some real secluded writing time. That is I’m going to work on my writing, after the meeting.
Hopefully I’ll enjoy more than one kind of spirt there. Wine will be served at the meeting and later in my room, maybe one of the resident ghosts will come for a visit. Elizabeth is the best know of these. I haven’t shared this information with my family who are going with me. One in particular is much more superstitious than I. It will be interesting to see how this works out.
During the evening I plan on working on the edit that I’ll take to my writers’ group on Sunday. I’m making pretty good progress on this, but I want to really dig in and get most of the work done before I go to #siwc18, The Surrey International Writers Conference, in Surrey BC. This takes place in late October.
Another thing I need to concentrate on is my Midgrade Urban Fantasy. The characters could and should start screaming at me very soon.
In the meantime, keep the coffee flowing.
Respectfully submitted,
Jodi
When I talk writing, my mind takes control and starts planning. Today, I read a fun little blurb on Twitter. It ended up with a child saying all stories were better, if they have dragons in them. Hummmm. I could write a story with a young dragon protagonist.
What would her problem be? Maybe it would be when she breaths out, she exhales a blast of fire. That could really hurt if, she was trying to comfort someone. Or, what if she ended up on a block of ice that was slowly melting, and when she breathed out, her breath melted it even more.
Why would any of this matter?
If we take a look at our world today, and all the anti-science people who don’t want to believe what we are doing to this planet, maybe that would be a problem where I could develop a story.
Alright, taking that into consideration, who is this little dragon? Also, what is meant by little? What can I compare it to so that we, you and I, can visualize it? There are so many questions to answer before I get started. The first, and most important, is who is the main character. I will work on my character study and determine if it is time to work on this story. More on this later.
In the meantime, keep the coffee flowing.
Respectfully submitted,
Jodi
