THE WRITER AND HER THOUGHTS

I LOVE TO WRITE MORE THAN MOST ANYTHING I CAN THINK OF. BUT ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AFTER DESIGNING A NEW BOOK, COMPOSING THE INTRODUCTION, TAKING GREAT PAINS TO WRITE DOWN MY APPRECIATION FOR ALL THOSE IN MY LIFE WHO ARE SO GENEROUS AND HELPFUL , I WORKED OUT THE CONTENTS OF MY BOOK. THEN I BEGAN TO TYPE. I FINISHED FOUR COMPLETE CHAPTERS BEFORE I DECIDED TO STOP FOR THE NIGHT. I HAD SAVED EACH TYPED PAGE AS USUAL BUT I HIT THE SAVE BUTTON ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I CLOSED UP SHOP AS ADDED INSURANCE.

THE NEXT MORNING, AS USUAL, I WAS IN A HURRY TO GET STARTED. DRESSED IN RAGGED P.J.S AND WITH A CUP OF STOLEN COFFEE FROM THE COFFE POT THAT MY HUSBAND HAD PREPARED FOR HIMSELF IN MY HAND, I HEADED FOR THE COMPUTER. EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE AS I INPUT ALL THE GO-AROUNDS THAT I PERFORM EVERY MORNING ON T-REX, MY OLD COMPUTER, AND HEADED FOR MY NEW MANUSCRIPT... AND IT WASN'T THERE!

I FELT DESPARATE AS I SEARCHED FILE AFTER FILE BUT IT WAS JUST...GONE.

FOR MOST OF THAT DAY, I SAT IN FRONT OF THE SCREEN WILLING MY BOOK INTO EXISTANCE. BUT WHEN I SWITCHED OFF THE COMPUTER THAT NIGHT, I HAD NOT FOUND THE MANUSCRIPT. I HAD SEARCHED FOR CLUES AS TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED, BUT I FOUND NOTHING ELSE WAS MISSING.

THE NEXT DAY I BEGAN AGAIN...MAYBE IT WAS ALL JUST A BAD DREAM I LIED TO MYSELF AS I HEADED FOR THE OFFICE.

AFTER ANOTHER COUPLE OF HOURS, THE TEARS BEGAN TO DRIZZEL DOWN  MY CHEEKS, AND EVEN THOUGH I TRIED HARD NOT TO SOB, I FOUND MYSELF TIRED BEYOND BELIEF AND DECIDED TO CALL IT QUITS. THEN I DID SOMETHING I DON'T USUALLY DO. I TURNED OFF THE COMPUTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, AND JUST FOR SPITE, I PULLED THE PLUG ON IT!

IN TWO WEEKS TO THE DAY, I RECEIVED A SHORT EMAIL IN MY SPAM BOX. ALL IT SAID WAS: "CAROL, YOU HAVE BEEN HACKED."

SINCE THEN, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS VERY SAME EMAIL TURNS UP AT RANDOM, SO FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T BELIEVE IN COINCIDANCE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, ANOTHER IDEA COMES TO MIND AND I SEARCH WITH RENEWED INTEREST FOR AN HOUR OR TWO BUT I HAVE FINALLY GIVEN UP FINDING WHAT I HAD WRITTEN AND LEFT THE BOOK FOR ANOTHER DAY. I THINK I WILL PAINT FOR AWHILE. I OWE MY GALLERIES SOME NEW WORKS AND WHAT BETTER TIME THAN THIS TO PAINT MYSELF EMOTIONALLY WELL AGAIN.

OH, THE TITLE OF THE BOOK..."GOD GIVES POINTS FOR TRYING!"

I LOVE MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!

**********************************************************************************************************************

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN ASKED IF I WOULD HELP SOMEONE WITH THEIR AUTO- BIOGRAPHY. AND EACH TIME I GROAN INSIDE AND NOT BEING A VERY GOOD ACTOR, I AM  SURE THAT THEY NOTICE. SORRY!

I LOVE EVERYONE AND I LIKE MOST PEOPLE I MEET THEREFORE, I AM RELATIVELY EASY TO APPROACH,   PAINTING A VIRTUAL TARGET ON MY FOREHEAD WHEN IT COMES TO A BUDDING AUTHOR. THEY JUST ZERO RIGHT IN THERE.

MAY I SAY HERE THAT WRITING DOESN'T COME EASY TO ME. MY MIND RUNS OFF IN ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS (ADD?)WHEN A SUBJECT IS AT HAND, I SOMETIMES OVERLOOK A MISSPELLED WORD OR USE THE WRONG TENSE OR A MYRIAD OTHER MISTAKES. AND I'VE SOMETIMES HAD TO PAY AN EDITOR TO PERFORM THOSE EDITS FOR ME.

IN ADDITION, MANY OF MY REQUESTS COME FROM TORTURED OR TORMENTED SOULS WHO HAVE LIVED LIVES OF DISGUST, HORROR, AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. AND SINCE I AM A SENSITIVE, I END UP SITTING BESIDE THEM AT THE COMPUTER TRYING NOT TO SHORT OUT THE KEYBOARD WITH MY TEARS, AS THEY RELIVE ALL THAT ABUSE. AND IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION THEY COME UP WITH, THEY MAY TRIGGER ME INTO AN OUT OF MIND EXPERIENCE WHERE I AM NOT ANY GOOD TO EITHER OF US AND HAVE TO ASK A THIRD PARTY FOR HELP.

IF YOU DON'T FALL INTO THE ABOVE GROUP, WELCOME ...YOU MAY SIT DOWN AND TELL ME YOUR STORY.

 TO ANY OF YOU, WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN ABUSED OR NOT, I CAN SHOW YOU THE WAY TO WRITE YOUR OWN BOOK. HERE ARE SOME FACTS THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT MY OWN WRITING:

1.IF YOU INTEND TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE WRITING JUST TO GET THE NASTINESS OFF YOUR MIND...GO TO IT. THEN EITHER BURN THE MANUSCRIPT OR TIE IT UP IN A NEAT BOW, HIDE IT, AND HOPE NO ONE EVER FINDS IT!.

2. AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK...GET AN AGENT OR A LAWYER WHO KNOWS THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY SO THAT YOU DON'T SIGN AWAY YOUR RIGHTS OR THE MONEY DUE TO YOU. I MUST SAY, YOU MAY BE VERY INTELLEGENT BUT THIS IS A VERY SPECIALIZED SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT IS BETTER TO HAVE HELP WITH THE CONTRACTS.

3. SAVE UP. IT ALL TAKES MONEY UP FRONT...MARKETING, ETC.

4. MAKE A LARGE SIGN THAT READS DO NOT DISTURB  FOR THE DOOR OF YOUR STUDY.

5. SAVE EVERY PAGE YOU WRITE AS YOU WRITE IT. IT IS EASIER TO EDIT WHAT YOU HAVE THEN NOT TO HAVE IT AT ALL.

6. EDIT UNTIL YOUR EYEBALLS FALL OUT ON YOUR CHEEKS, USING THE REFERENCES THAT I WILL WRITE ABOUT NEXT. AND THEN HIRE A GOOD EDITOR!

7. KNOW THAT NOT EVERYONE WILL BE INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU WRITE. IF YOU ARE WRITING FOR YOUR CHILDREN OR YOUR FAMILY ONLY, AND NOT FOR PUBLICATION, PRETEND THAT THE WHOLE WORLD WILL BE READING YOUR BOOK. YOUR FAMILY DESERVES YOUR BEST.

8. NOT EVERYONE MAKES MONEY AT WRITING, IN FACT MOST NEVER GET FAMOUS, SO MY ADVICE TO YOU IS LOVE WRITING OR CONSIDER LEAVING IT.

9. IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU LOVE TO WRITE, THEN PLEASE GIVE IT A GOOD GO. LET SOMEONE ELSE CRITIQUE THE BOOK BECAUSE ALMOST NOBODY LIKES WHAT THEY WRITE AT FIRST. THEN KEEP ON WRITING UNTIL YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE IN YOU TO WRITE AND THEN WRITE SOME MORE. HAVE A GREAT TIME DOING SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.

SOME OF THE REFERENCE BOOKS AND TIPS YOU WILL NEED TO BEGIN ARE:

1. A GOOD DICTIONARY. I USE OXFORD.

2. A GOOD THESAURUS. DITTO.

3. DON'T DEPEND ON SPELL CHECK.

4. YOU WILL NEED BOOKS ON MODERN USAGE IN WHATEVER LANGUAGE YOU ARE WRITING IN.

5. THE LATEST EDITION OF " THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE," IS THE BIBLE FOR WRITERS AND THEIR EDITORS. TAKE MONEY!

6. THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD BOOKS OUT THERE...ONE IS: "WRITING DOWN THE BONES" BY NATALIE GOLDBERG, ANOTHER IS, "DAMN! WHY DIDN'T I WRITE THAT", BY MARC MCCUTCHEON.

7. BILL BRYSON'S, " DICTIONARY OF TROUBLESOME WORDS" IS GOOD.

8. THERE ARE LOTS OF DICTIONARIES OF QUOTES, GET ONE OR ELSE TAKE LOTS OF TIME TO EXPLORE THE INTERNET.

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE SUBJECT OF SELF- PUBLISHING, I'LL TRY TO ANSWER THEM. SEE THE CONTACT PAGE OF THIS SITE FOR MY INFO.

IF YOU WANT TO TRY THE BIG PUBLISHERS, KNOW THAT IT TAKES TIME, SOMETIMES YEARS AND THEN THEY MAY DECIDE NOT TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK. YOU MUST HAVE AN AGENT BEFORE YOU SUBMIT A MANUSCRIPT TO THESE GUYS.

HAPPY WRITING. LOVE TO YOU ALL, C.J.