Jodi the Author

It’s now less than a month until The Surrey International Writers’ Conference. I’ve decided what to take for my blue pencil. The blue pencil is a sit down with a published author. This year I’m lucky enough to get feedback from best selling author Tess Gerritsen.

Each year when I prepare to participate with the blue pencil, I wonder how I ever got the nerve to think I could sit before one of these great writers, and have them look at my writing. Somehow I’ve always been able to get through it. Actually, I think it’s the grace of the writers who I’ve had the honor to talk to.

I’ve been working on the first three pages of my mid-grade urban fantasy. There is so much that I’ve written and can use for the books. For now, I just need to find a way to get the first book pulled together.

The only thing I’m missing is time. I would dearly love to work more on this and my other books. Well, the only way I’m going to get anything done, is to use every minute I can find on any and all of my writing.

This I will do. For now, back to the writing and editing.

Keep the coffee flowing.

Respectfully submitted,

Jodi

It’s been a rough week up to this point.

The things that have been getting me down, might not seem much to some folks, but for me they are combining to become overwhelming. Funny, but that’s when my writing is so very important. My characters never seem to let me down. Oh, I don’t mean that they do the things that I want them to. It’s just that I can usually have a written conversation with one or the other in my current story and they always come through to help me get the scene pulled together.

I’m not published, and I wonder if that will ever happen. Despite that, I can always escape with my writing.

I have a story in “Not Too Late Forever” that I still can hardly believe is a full book. Every time I sit down and work on it, it takes on more and more depth. Now for the umpteenth time I’m going through the edit of this book. I’m not really sure how many times that is, but I guess I’ll go through it this time, and probably go through it for the umpteenth time plus one or two, or even three. Some I’ve taken to my writers/critique group, others I have not.

Well, despite the fact that I can count on my characters, I better get back to work on the latest edit. Life goes on and things happen. I just need to relax and enjoy what I have.

Keep the coffee flowing.

Respectfully submitted,

Jodi

As I prepare my book for the Surrey International Writers, I am tempted to put it aside and write another story. If I were to do that, I would need to do it now and take it to my critique group. Last year, I took it to the group after I submitted it, and wished I had held off on submitting it. It needed a lot of work.

If I were to write another story, I need to figure out what I would write and who my characters would be. Those in my critique group keep prompting me to work on my Urban Midgrade Fantasy. To write a story in this genre might be a good way to step away from, not only my current book for little, but also the problems in my life.

So, the first question is whose story is this and what is the story arc? Times in the past I have used writing a short story as the opportunity to get to know one of my characters better.

If I do this, I might get to know Cyndre, one of the main characters in “Misty’s Magical Shed”, better. That being said, what would the story and character arc be? This definitely gives me something to work on.

I will report on my thoughts and the progress of the work, or lack there of, on this story. For now, I will sign off.

Keep the coffee flowing.

Respectfully submitted,

Jodi

The smoke hangs heavy over my hometown. Every year it seems to get worse, but there a those who don’t understand why. They would deny climate change, yet acknowledge that each year there are more forest fires and smoke in the air. The winters are warmer. There’s less snow fall than there was years ago. I’m not sure what it will take to wake some up. Maybe they never will. Sad this is a saga to fit into one of my stories.

I grew up among the Redwoods in Northern California, on my Grandmother’s 40 acres. Along with my sisters and cousins, I took all the beauty and splendor for granted. More and more, I understand how lucky we were to have those forested acres to play in and explore.

Instead of being cooped inside playing video games, we were outside, building forts and playing war. We dug in the dirt and went on long walks down the logging road that snaked through the property. Adults and kids would spend hours together picking wild blackberries.

Close to the Pacific Ocean, the draw to spend time hunting for agates and playing in the surf drew us each summer. Rain or shine, out of doors kept us coming back.

Those were great times. Each generation needs to find their own ways of escape. Mine helped build my imagination and my yearning to write. It took a very good friend’s challenge to inspire me beyond my stories. The challenge to write a book was, at the time, a no brainer. I look back now and realize what a massive feat it is to write a book. That I accepted the challenge and started is something I will always owe my dear friend the biggest debt anyone can imagine.

So for now, it’s time to get back to the edit of the book that grows each time I sit down with it.

Keep the coffee flowing.

Respectfully submitted,

Jodi

This time last week, I was missing in action. I needed to take care of me. That included some dental surgery.

This week I’m back and ready to dedicate even more time to my writing. I have two sets of edits from my critique group to work on, as well as another chapter to finish preparing for them.

This edit is feeling really good. One of the things that makes this possible is that I’m getting input that helps build dimensions to my story. I also find myself in the position of defending some the science that takes place in the book.

The latest of these is where an evacuation takes place and why. I had thought that it was because of the defeat of the army of my male protagonist. I find it is not the defeat by the other waring faction, but by the inhabitants of the planet where the battle takes place. This just happens to be the nursery of the species represented by the antagonist of the story. Now, I just need to work this into the book, and also foreshadow some of the evil to come.

Whatever your creative passion is, I hope that you find it as mesmerizing as I find mine.

Until next week, keep the coffee flowing.

Respectfully submitted,

Jodi