Beginning and Endings

The last time I posted, I was pretty bummed out about losing my job.  To say I was angry is to put it mildly.  I was pissed.  But now, I thank God for that kick in the butt.  Losing that job was the kick that I needed to start living.

Looking back, I haven't really been living, for a while.  I'd just exsist between crisis.  What bills need to be paid, what kid needed attention, what dilemma needed my immediate attention? There was no time for breathing, much lest actively feeding my creative soul.

My daughter turned 17 today.  I look at her and wonder where the years have gone.  In less then a minute, she'll be running off to college to start another chapter of her life.  I'm glad that I will be around to share more of this last year at home with her.  I hope to model balanced womanhood.  I hope her ending childhood is a door to a marvelous adulthood.  I hope she never forgets to feed her creative self or let life get in the way of being happy.

New Chapter

Well, It's been a few days since I got the axe via certified mail.  I've worked out a few list of things to do this week.  It's amazing how when you have all the time in the world, it's hard to find a starting point.

My lists are divided into personal, household and professional.

Personally, I intend to learn to breath again.  I've spent so much of the past 6+ years trying to fit into a system that didn't want me.  I feel like I should have to go through a military-style debriefing

Household needs are easier to define...Organize, Organize...Organize.  From our schedule, which is nonexistent , to the walls of clutter, I know what needs to be done.  The dilemma lies in the order of operations.

Professionally, I'm taking a little vacation from nursing.  The family can't afford my little vacation to be indefinite, but probably a couple of weeks.  Then I'll put together a resume and hit the local temp agencies.  I hate that I traded the money and the freedom of agency work to the security of being on staff.  But I was single then.  Thank God for a supportive mate.

As for my writing, I have several irons in the fire.  I've misplaced my notes on the mythology series so that is on hold.  I'm work on character bios for the mystery series.  And, I just finished the plot outline for the erotic series.  I also have started working a nonfiction project.

I haven't had a real working space...working on that.

I hate goop

Somewhere around the seventh grade, I discovered the joys of journalism.  I wrote for my school newpaper and yearbook all thru high school.  One of my first "real jobs" was as a photojournalist for a small African-American paper. I loved the cleanliness of the literary style.  Each word was a valuable contribution to the piece.  Who? What? Why? When? and Where?  Just the facts, Maam.

Then I decided that I had to write a paranormal romance.  Guess what?  Readers want to know more than just the facts.  They want to know what color curtains were in the room.  What time of year the scene is set in?  How tall is the hero?  Bottom line...readers want goop.

Goop is all the stuff I skip when I'm reading a book.  All those little details that make the story come to life.  I didn't even realize that I was skipping over the goop, until I started reading to learn.  I read the first paragraph of probably 50 books before I even got a clue.

Another thing that is really, was an online critique site.  Other novice writers gave me very helpful advise on a short piece of erotica that I posted.  From the feedback, I figured out that I was starting with the wrong part of the story.  I was adding goop, but not goop that advanced the story.

I hope that I never completely lose my jounalist view of the world.  I hope that the observation skills I have learned will translate into clean, crisp details that paint a vivid picture, for my readers, of my world. 
I hope to vanquish the goop.

The Land of make believe

When I decided to write a book, I figured I'd write about a sexy Black Vampire.  In my mind, Ryan Gentiles would play a much better vamp than that adorable Twilight Brit.  But then I started doing research and discovered a whole mythological treasure trove.  Who needs an imagination when indigenous people around the world have come up with some fantastic stories to explain their world.

Now I'm walking around with a notebook filled with character stetches, plot summaries, pictures, and timelines.  I stopped trying to remember who had what powers and started writing stuff down.  I even know all my villians.  Villians are hard for me.  Crimes of passion I understand.  You catch me in bed with your husband, I expect a attempted beatdown.  But what makes a Jeffery Dahmer?  What makes a Zodiac kiler kill?  These guys can't be total monsters or society would easily identify them.  The fact that they commit crimes over the course of years, lets you know that they appear normal on the surface.  I'm trying to create villians you love to hate.

Anyway, back to the Aje.  I tried writing book one of the Aje series and nothing happened.  I outlined a workable plot.  Created characters I love and added enough spice to get a reader hot.  But the story didn't call to me.  The story I've started writing is actuallty Book 3 in the series.  I go to sleep hearing voices.

I've also started working on a series of short erotic stories based on songs.   I will add to my blog as soon as I figure out how to do that.  The first is based on "Boots On" by Christian Keyes.

I'd rather be writing!

A few months ago, I decided I wanted to be a writer. I guess I am a writer of sorts...I've had a few nonfiction pieces published in national magazines. But I've decided I want to write a novel. Not a great literary work that will be studied by students one hundred years from now, but paranormal erotica novel that will have sexy vampires.

I bought a book on writing basics and am working faithfully...not!

But I have noticed already, writing is hard. I am coming up with great characters, plausible plots and fantastic endings. My hardest challenge is the bad guys. Why do bad guys do what they do. Are they all mentally ill, but so smart that they don't get caught.

As a women of color, I understand crimes of passion. Black folks will shoot someone in a heart beat. What I don't understand the Hannibel Lectors or Jeffery Dahmers. What is that about?

Anyway, I've avoided working long enough.

Later