Use Me...Please

This one hand typing thing is getting old.  On Jan. 14 I cut my finger.  Any normal person would have simply needed a Band-Aid.  Me?  Stitches.  Okay. I can live with that, index finger in a splint, stitches out in ten days.  No problem.  I go for the follow up, reduced feeling in my finger.  A tendon or nerve may be cut.  Wow, okay.  A visit to the hand surgeon.  (Yes, I checked the sign on the wall and their stationery.)  I was scheduled for surgery.  Diagnosis: Severed Tendon has been repaired and the teeny, tiny nerve I cut...a moment of silence please...is no more.

So here I am, sitting in front of my laptop, typing with one hand.  I have a cast that goes from my fingertips to my elbow.  My hand is curved in such a way, it looks like a blue sock puppet without the eyes and mouth.

At this point you’re probably wondering what could this possibly have to do with writing?  Simple answer, A writer uses everything.  Just like a comedian or a minister draws from their life experiences, a writer draws from hers or his.  Will this go into a story?  You betcha!  My sexy heroine needs a little TLC and I know how to make sure she gets it.  One bandaged beauty coming up...

  

Welcome

As I sit in front of my laptop with one hand in a cast I think about what I should write.  I’m not new to blogging, but it’s been a while since I blogged.  What is truly the purpose of a blog?  I read somewhere that it’s to build readership.

Readership is what I’m after.  I am an aspiring romance writer.  I still have yet to make my first sell, but I believe I am well on my way.  I’ve joined two organizations which offer critique partners, advice and guidance on the publishing industry as well as conferences and oodles and oodles of information.  I try not to berate myself for not joining earlier.

I’m smart, did fairly well in English Comp, but the things I’ve learned over the last few months, is mind-boggling.  I’ve learned more about Point-of-View and Active vs, Passive voice than I did throughout my school career.  There are even words or phrases editors don’t like to see.  I didn’t know that either.

When I embarked on my publishing career for the second time.  I’ve self-published two books already, but I’ll save that for another blog.  I prayed.  That may sound silly to some of you, but I believe God gifted me with this talent for writing and with any gift, if you don’t use it you lose it.  Think the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30 or Luke 19:12-28) I promised Him I would write a Christian romance, if He would send me someone to help me with my writing.

God answers prayers.  Not only did He send someone to help me, a very talented author whom I’m blessed to call friend, but he also gave me the idea for a Christian romance.  I completed the manuscript during NaNoWriMo, that’s National Novel Writing Month.  For the entire month of November I was obsessed with making my 50K word count and thank God I did.  Sure I have to go back and tweek the manuscript, but God is yet working that through.

In the meantime I have two submissions being reviewed by editors and working on a third.  The only way to get published is to keep writing, to keep being rejected.  Every rejection is one step closer to ‘yes’ and I know I’m on my way to a ‘yes’.  In the meantime I’m soaking up all the information I can.  Writing is a learning experience, if you stop learning your craft it dies.  I’ve go to keep learning.

This is Decadent Decisions maiden voyage.  I hope you like what you’ve read and hopefully you’ll follow my progress through the publishing industry and maybe we can both learn something along the way.