WRITING STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART

“Dear Diary”…

Immediately when you see this you know…

Someone’s going to write what’s in their heart...

There’ll be no critique of content….

Or editing out the raw stuff…

Because no one is meant to read it.

But lately…

When I visit the blogosphere…

Alfie…

The “what’s it all about” song…

Keeps looping in my head…

And I question myself…

What’s my blog all about?

Because the content in this forum...

Is meant to be read.

And the only reason I’m even wondering is…

As I submit to agents…

And give them the link to my blog…

I wonder...

What will they think?..

(If they actually do check my link out.)

I mean, in the future...

When i DO get an agent...

I DO plan on having a web-site…

Geared towards readers of my books.

But for now…

My blog serves my purpose…

Yet now I wonder…

Is my blog good enough?

Should it be more...

Than just a "Dear Bloggie" kinda blog?

So?

How did you decide on your blog’s content?

Always, Em-Musing

Today is the Catch Fire Blog Party, celebrating the release of CassaFire! 
The goal is to help CassaFire “catch fire” 
on the best Seller charts and achieve the success 
of the first book, CassaStar.

There’s also a special package of prizes being given away at the

author’s blog as well as book giveaways during his two week blog

tour. See Alex’s sit for details: http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

CassaFire

By Alex J. Cavanaugh 


Available today!

OSCAR SLAM!

  
Just when I was going to watch the Oscars…
The worst headache in decades…
Descended upon me…
And with it came waves of doubt like…
What am I doing here in Mexico...
Starting a new venture at my age?
Will I ever be published, or what?
Jheeze!
What’s all this about?
I then went to bed.
Finally, this morning at 3:30…
When my head felt like it was going to explode…
I got up…
Had coffee…
Put hot compresses on my neck…
Sat at my computer…
And plunked out another submission.
Thankfully, my headache is abating…
And so are my doubts.
So?
What was this all about?
Are emotions attached to headaches?
Of course, tension headaches are…
But I don’t feel tense, at least consciously.
And thinking back, I can’t say which came first…
The doubt or the headache.
Have you ever experienced…
A physical attachment to doubt and insecurity?
If so, what did you do to get rid of it?
And did you watch the Oscars?


Always, Em-Musing
P.S. And if you think Angelina Jolie is waaay too skinny, stick out your leg.

YA'LL CHANGE NOW, YA HEAR?

I’m sure’ ya’ll know Shakespeare’s saying…
“what’s in a name?”
I’ve never really thought about it much though...
Until yesterday.
As ya’ll know…
I’m submitting to agents this month…
(and will till I run out of agents to submit to)
And because I’m in Mexico…
I’m only doing e-queries for now.…
So there I was, ready to send a query…
To one agent, that according to my research...
Looked promising…
Until I saw their email address:
Slushpile@yah0--.com
(Not kididing)
And I thought, YOWSA!
That’s seems mean and rather off-putting…
Or is that their idea of a joke?
Or what?
So I didn’t send it.
But then this morning…
Looking for a motivational quote for my blog…
I came upon this quote…

"I discovered I always have choices
and sometimes it's only a choice
of an attitude."  unknown


Well ya know what?
I'm gonna change my attitude...
I'm gonna send that query to "Slushpile"...
Because I'm not gonna let a name deter me.
So?
Ever have an attitude changing moment?


Always, Em-Musing
P.S. sorry for all my ya'll's and gonna's...
it must be from watching too many episodes of...
Swamp People
Ya'll have a great weekend now, ya hear?

WHIPPING POST

I now know time management...
Is not just a contemporary struggle...
We writers wrestle with...
(yeah, I know-an alliteration-yuck)
Because...
I found many quotes from famous authors...
Who obviously did too.
Here's my favorite: 


Time is the coin of your life. 
It is the only coin you have, 
and only you can determine 
how it will be spent. 
Be careful, 
lest you let other people
spend it for you.  – Carl Sandburg


So...
I know you struggle with time also...
Because I've read it in your blogs...
Question to you is:
How do you whip it into submission?
Got any tricks you'd like to share?
Me?
I'm back to whipping some submissions out.

Always, Em-Musing

I submit to you...
Other's thoughts...
While I continue to submit.


“It does not matter how slowly you go.
 as long as you do not stop.”  - Confucius

“As soon as you trust yourself,...
you will know how to live.”  - Goethe


Always, Em-Musing

SHALL WE DUKE?

While submitting to agents last week…

(and will till I’m done)

And working on my W.I.P this past weekend…

My creativity…

And my self-doubt…

Were duking it out in my head.

I thought I was weird…

Till his morning…

When I came upon this quote by Slyvia Plath:

“And by the way, everything in life

is writable about if you have the

outgoing guts to do it, and the

imagination to improvise.

The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt”

So?

Do you have ever have duke-fests in your head?

Always, Em-Musing

Today I’m posting at (it was a scheduled post)...
http://www.mvrwa.net/
Please check it out.
And I’d love to hear…
What your soul has to say.

Always, Em-Musing

FRIDAY'S WORDS OF WIZ

“Believe in yourself and in your own voice,

because there will be times in this business

when you will be the only one who does.

Take heart from the knowledge that an author

with a strong voice will often have trouble at

that start of his or her career because strong,

distinctive voices sometimes make editors nervous.

But in the end, on the strong survive.”

Jayne Ann Krentz – author

Always, Em-Musing

...and the submissions just keep on going

I P'D THIS MORNING

 I P'd THIS MORNING

OK...an explanation...

I know my blog went dark - kinda...

But as I'm submitting...

I realized that in my query letter...

I refer agents to my blog...

And say I post daily...

Well, I guess I think...

I have to put something on my blog daily.

If you follow me then you know...

These posts lately are not my usual...

And take no time...

Not like the others I usually write.

So...

If nothing else...

To post daily...

I'll put little tidbits of encouragement...

Permanence, perseverance and persistence...

In spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities...

It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.

Thomas Carlyle – Scottish Historian

Always, Em-Musing

I'm still submitting and...

I may not be there yet…

But I’m closer than I was yesterday – Author unknown

Always, Em-Musing

DON'T BE STILL MY HEART

I Writing
What can I say?
Writing is in my blood....
It pumps through my heart...
And in my veins.
Whether published or not...
As long as my heart beats...
I will always write...
I am a writer.
And as I send out more queries...
I send them with love...
For this craft.
Happy Valentine's Day!
So?
What' makes your heart beat?
What's your love?


Always, Em-Musing
P.S. somehow the animation of the beating hearts stopped.
Dear God! Hope that's not a harbinger!

BLUEBIRD OF QUERYNESS

A bluebird signifies happiness...



My e-queries are flying off my laptop.



This bird is happy.


How are your writing projects going?



Always, Em-Musing

THESE LIPS DON'T LIE

  I’m Em, the voice of Leigh’s blog…
        In my defense…
        It’s not my fault Leigh mismanages her time…
        Take yesterday for instance…
        After she got back from yoga (2 hours)…
        She made yogurt from scratch…
        Actually, I should report her to Mexican Customs.
        She used live cultures she got from her friend back
        In the States and when Customs questioned her,
        She said it was face cream  Such a liar.
        She then made granola…
        Checked her email and replied to a few…
        Paid two of credit cards online…
        Talked with her contractor about her retreat…
        And then—       
        Uh oh! She’s coming to the laptop….
        All I’m saying is that I, her blog am not the only distraction…
        That gets in the way of her sending out queries.
        So don’t believe all of her bull…
        And shhh! Please don’t tell her I told you so.


        Always, Em-Musing
        P.S.  OK, TO BE FAIR TO HER, SHE DID SEND OUT TWO E-QUERIES

STEP AWAY FROM THE BLOG

It's 4:30 in the morning...
My conscience is still in bed snoring...
I want to post but I—
WHAT are you doing?
Dear God, you scared me!
No blogging this morning. Submissions, remember?
Look conscience I sent out—
Step away from the blog, Leigh. Now!
Alright already, I'm going, I'm going.
(Damn!)
I heard that.
arrgghh
Heard that too.


SUBMISSIONS STILL IN PROGRESS
Always, Em-Musing

I'M DARK NOW

SUBMITTING IN PROCESS...
But my little brain still wants to post...
My fingers are itching to—
"GET OFF YOUR BLOG AND SUBMIT!"
(said my conscience to my brain)
Alright already!
Bye.


Always, Em-Musing

AN AWARD MADE ME DO IT!

I'm supposed to be dark this month..
My blog that is...
In order to give me time to submit to agents...
But how could I not respond...
To this gracious blog award given to me by:
The gracious Ayda Recknagel at:
http://ateapotata.blogspot.com/2012/02/yay-award.html
Thank you Ayda...










To accept I've agreed to:
Thank the person who gave it to me and link back to their blog (click on Kristi's name above and check her out if you don't already know her. You won't be sorry.)
Copy and paste the award to my blog. Choose 5 blogs as a way of paying it forward and let them know they've been awarded by commenting on their blog. Hope my 5 people pay it forward by accepting and sharing the love with 5 bloggers they love in kind...
So...
Here are my choices:
BLANK...BLANK...BLANK...BLANK...BLANK
Seriously!...
I can't find anyone else with 200 or less followers.
2nd EDITED UPDATE HERE! I FOUND ONE:
http://jennaquentin.blogspot.com
http://farawayeyes1.blogspot.com/2012/02/bummer.html
OK, but really what does less than 200 followers say about me?
Am I not playing the blogging game right?
But 'll keep looking though.
And just for the record...
I have been awarded other blog awards...
But because I'm NOT using a Bloggie "template"...
Bloggie won't allow me to paste cool things on my blog...
Believe me, I've tried.
So...
Tomorrow my blog will go dark...
That is...
If Bloggie lets me.
But I'm still gonna keep commenting...
On all you guy's blogs though.
See you on your blog.


Always, Em-Musing 

ON BEING SUBMISSIVE

First thing this morning…
I’d like to thank my new followers...and old too.
Second, I’d like to thank…
The last agent that rejected me…
Because it was a nice rejection.
“You seem to be a very capable writer with a strong voice,
but I don’t often handle novels like this so really worry I’m
not the right choice for you – sorry.”
Capable writer? Strong voice?
Uh, yeah! I’ll take that rejection as a positive…
And use it to make me feel more confident…
When I query again and know that my manuscript….
Will eventually match up with the right agent.
Third, and last…
My thoughts on rejection…
Although the process of querying feels brutal…
It’s nothing (at least for me) compared to the rejections…
I used to submit myself weekly—from auditions...
When I was a full-time on-camera talent.
First came the call…
I'd dress the part...
And drive to the Detroit area 50 - 80 miles away, depending.
After being handed a script…
I’d rehearse my little heart out for a few minutes.
When my name was called…
I’d stand in front of directors and producers…
And then perform my little heart out.
My odds of winning the gig?
I lost eight out of ten auditions.
My agent would later fill me in:
“You were the wrong type…
Too old, too young…
You reminded the director of his ex-wife…
Yada, yada, yada."
And sometimes I never knew the yada, yada...

But I knew the odds going in. 

And while I didn’t like being rejected, I understood the process.

At least now…

With querying literary agents and publishers…

I can sit in my comfy chair, in my comfy clothes…

Sans make-up and done-up do…

And submit at my leisure.

Yeah, getting rejections still suck…

But I know the odds. And it’s all subjective.

And why you ask did I need to preach?

Because for the month of February…

My blog is going “dark”…

And I’ll be submitting my little heart…

And when the rejections start coming in…

Let’s hope I can keep the subjectivity.

And if I can't? Feel free to verbally smack me.
So?

What about you?

Have you made peace with rejections?

Or?

Ever have a job that was worse than getting rejections?

What was it?

Always, Em-Musing

P.S. While I won’t be posting, I will be commenting

on other’s as often as I can.

And....Pardon. Bloggie just went nuts with my format 

I felt like a pioneer….

Moving to Mexico and making a new life.

That is...

Until I came across this postcard…

That I bought years ago in Virginia City, NV.

Obviously…

NOTHING about my move…

Compares to what these people endured.

I’m in awe!

I couldn’t have done it.

First...the shoes…

That poor woman trekked across the country with one pair.

My feet hurt strolling in the mall for a few hours.
Then there’s the privacy issue...
And intimacy...
And odors...

And let’s not forget weather, wild animals…

And Indians!

While some were helpful. Others murderous!

And really? How much jerky and beans can one eat?

My food dilemma when traveling?

Spilling my Starbucks latte while boarding the plane.

And I wonder how many precious possessions...
She had to leave behind...
Because they wouldn't all fit in the wagon?
No, I couldn’t have done it…

Though the pioneering spirit is in my genes…

My grandmother came over from Sweden to NY…

All by herself…

Not speaking English…

At eighteen!

OK, she was a governess to a Swedish family in Brooklyn…

So it wasn't like she was living on the streets...
But still.

So?

Do you have the pioneering spirit?

Would you have trekked from coast to coast?

What about your ancestors?
And just I'd let you know...
That I've been extremely busy packing and storing...
To make my final move to Mexico...
So I've been absent from commenting...
On everyone's blog. 
But I'll be back in business next week.
Promise.

Always, Em-Musing