tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768953635703829072012-02-16T05:01:43.475-08:00A place for writers and all things writing relatedValeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-51510912792488705922011-11-01T21:06:00.000-07:002011-11-01T21:14:39.984-07:00

Yes, it's true, I'm back!!! Okay, I know, it's been a LOOOONG time since I've posted. Let the flogging ensue. However, I have been legitimately busy. Here's my list of excuses: 1. Daughter graduated. 2. Because I signed up for After Grad Duty, I was also busy arranging a kick-ass party for said daughter and her grad class (can anyone say fire dancers and bonfires??) 3. Sent daughter to India for

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-3079171003291218642011-03-25T09:38:00.000-07:002011-03-25T09:38:41.047-07:00

I am shamefully negligent when it comes to posting on my blog. I faithfully read other blogs every day and get inspired and encouraged. Yet, when it comes to my own, I let it wither, just like the plant my Mom gave me for Christmas. It sits in a corner, all dry and sad, just waiting for me to notice it and give it some attention. Oops! So, my new goal is to become more regular in posting here.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-33089786211301434862011-02-01T11:13:00.000-08:002011-02-01T11:13:51.854-08:00

I've been hiding away in my writing hole for the last month, working hard on revisions to my WIP. Early in December, I had the opportunity to have it read and critiqued by a professional editor. With much fear and trembling, I waited through Christmas and New Years for his reply. When it finally came in early January, I was thrilled to receive ten pages of notes on his thoughts. Wow, ten pages!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-35274872036285230902010-12-03T11:50:00.000-08:002010-12-03T11:53:39.019-08:00

I haven't posted in a while and I have a good excuse reason. It's called editing! No, really, I'm sure if I forced myself I could come up with something to say, but I've been too busy trying not to get sucked into a black hole these days. Editing is not my favorite thing to do! After my third round of ripping, tearing and shredding, I sent my wip over to a couple of trusted people to critique

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-63592658539581753872010-06-16T11:59:00.000-07:002010-06-16T12:00:29.941-07:00

'I want hard stories, I demand them from myself. Hard stories are worth the difficulty. It seems to me the only way I have forgiven anything, understood anything, is through that process of opening up to my own terror and pain and re-examining it, re-creating it in the story, and making it something different, making it meaningful - even if the meaning is only in the act of the telling.' This is

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-62566538923222427252010-06-02T12:02:00.000-07:002010-06-02T12:02:26.726-07:00

Well, not really. Writing the first draft was a lot of work. It's just that, in hindsight, it was a lot more fun than what I'm doing now. Editing. And more editing. I knew this stage was going to be difficult, but, really. I had no idea. I know that all first drafts are crappy. I was expecting that. What I wasn't expecting was how hard it was going to be to rip my baby to shreds. Tear its

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-15858085071113654822010-03-12T13:03:00.001-08:002010-03-12T16:44:46.558-08:00

There are two little words in the English language that are elusive and ironic. These words represent a goal met, a dream realized. And yet at the same time they symbolize a beginning. What are these words?THE END.I wrote these words for the very first time a week ago. For me, typing those words on the screen and seeing them, in all their black and white reality, felt very surreal. It was a day I

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-9585158897753327652010-03-10T14:51:00.001-08:002010-03-10T14:55:17.605-08:00

Hey all you writers! I will be attending a webinar tomorrow at 10am at the Writers Digest website. The presenter is Rachelle Gardner, a literary agent. It is titled 'How Do Agents and Editors Decide?' and she will be discussing why some projects get picked out of the pile by agents and editors while most do not. It sounds like a great and informative talk and I can't wait! If you want to check it

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-47220180961538048772010-02-01T19:05:00.000-08:002010-02-01T19:11:19.762-08:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about the writing process and what would make it better. The writers' life is a solitary one, to be sure, and that's just fine with me. I like to be alone; I need to be alone in order to re-charge that creative part of me. However too much time alone is not good either. I find myself becoming isolated and unsure of myself, and a wee bit depressed. So, this week I

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-65614264718667315992010-01-26T08:41:00.000-08:002010-01-26T09:02:25.479-08:00

Wow. It's been a while since I've been here. Sorry about that. It's just that I've been a little busy. Yup, that's right. I've been.....writing! Actual, every day, disciplined writing. Between 1,000 and 2,000 words every day. Except Sunday. Which means the novel is moving along quite nicely. I'm about two thirds finished. I can't believe it! I'm on the homestretch! Well, for the writing part.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-74354787927698230742009-11-03T11:23:00.000-08:002009-11-03T11:33:44.780-08:00

I haven't had much to say here lately. Truth is, the reality of writing a book is much different than the idea of it. No surprise there, you say? Probably true. However, now that I am definitely on my way (48 pages, yahoo!!) I am realizing that the nuts and bolts of the thing is way bigger than I thought. Writing is a discipline. It doesn't matter if I feel inspired, or creative, or even remotely

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-48937856566048643122009-10-15T10:45:00.000-07:002009-10-15T10:57:09.748-07:00

Well things are going pretty good over here in book land. I'm getting in to my groove, hitting my stride, making progress. Twenty one pages so far. When I look back on the last couple of weeks I am happy to see that I am getting consistent in writing every day. And if I don't write, I at least re-read what I wrote and do a bit of research. So, that's all good. I must say, however, that every

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-52062471308636888722009-10-06T12:24:00.000-07:002009-10-06T12:36:08.267-07:00

That elusive 'first'. First book, first line, first page.....Why is the first line always so hard to write? The intimidating blank screen (or page), the cold sweat that begins at the thought of starting something new. Will it be good enough? Is it right? As Walter Mosley says in his book 'This Year You Write Your Novel', "probably the highest hurdle for the novice novelist (and many seasoned

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-22782679016814540932009-10-05T10:52:00.000-07:002009-10-05T11:00:07.327-07:00

I have been doing research for about a month now in preparation for writing the book. I love research! This is something new I've learned about myself in the past few years. When I started my interior design business I began poring over magazines, websites etc. and really enjoyed digging up facts and knowledge, whether it was finding out what a 'ghost' chair is or learning about the latest

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-53631984767214181552009-10-02T11:35:00.001-07:002009-10-02T11:54:10.692-07:00

Well, this is it. My big leap of faith. I have been writing since I was a child. I used to sit in the basement with my older sister and my cousin on summer holidays and we would write stories together. For hours. I remember the stories we wrote always had to have a tragic element to them; girl goes blind, boy dies, girl gets diptheria, etc. Even back then I had a dark side. As I grew up I

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-72891230399201826802009-10-02T09:35:00.000-07:002009-10-02T09:37:52.100-07:00

I have been rummaging through a file of my writings and found a bunch of poetry. Thought I would share a couple here. This one was published somewhere but for the life of me I can't remember where! haha shows you my organizational skills right there. Strange Paradoxstrange paradoxone minute peacefulthen ragingone moment calmthen screamingwhy must I bethese twowhen I only want onenight takes over

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-48498567927499310322009-09-11T11:55:00.000-07:002009-09-16T12:37:11.590-07:00

The dock was bathed in sunlight, broken only by dappled shadows from the cedars perched on the hillside above. The water, clean and clear, was an invitation to our overheated selves as we tumbled out of the car. This was our end of summer respite, our last mad grab at freedom and heat and lake before reality crashed in on us. School was looming for the kids, and a busy fall schedule of work for

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-3913308418531995182009-07-18T13:15:00.001-07:002009-07-18T13:30:20.773-07:00

Summer is in full swing around here. It's hot, just like a Kelowna summer should be. The garden is up and running and pumping out radishes at light speed. My ten year old son, Hunter, loves to find the best and biggest radish of the day, pop it in his mouth, roll it around in there, spit out the dirt, and chomp away. The carrots are still the size of toothpicks, but hey, a little anticipation is

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-46938770826853611282009-05-28T09:12:00.000-07:002009-05-28T09:22:35.086-07:00

We all want to be 'Shiny Happy People'. We want our lives to go well. We want to be happy. We want to have fun, to be carefree, to have no worries. Isn't this the Great (North) American Dream? To have enough money to sustain our lifestyle, with extra to pay for our toys, our trips, our dinners out. This, we say, is the life. Who could ask for anything more?The flaw in this design, the fly in the

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-70942539489545220822009-05-11T14:18:00.000-07:002009-05-11T14:33:41.143-07:00

Lately I feel distracted by my life; the goings-on, the busy-ness, the 'other-ness' is distracting me from the niggling thoughts that are always just below the surface."Remember me?" my self says quietly. "I'm still here, waiting to be acknowledged."And yet I allow myself to be distracted. I choose to ignore the deep waters of my soul that are churning uncomfortably below the surface of my mind.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-69416481781775950272009-05-05T11:19:00.000-07:002009-05-05T11:30:46.006-07:00

It's spring and things are waking up. The trees are breaking out in their brand new leaves, the daffodils are waving to me from my front yard, and neighbours are poking their heads out from their front doors and joining the parade of new life that marches down the street. Unfortunately there is one thing that is still dead...my lawn. We haven't been able to turn on the irrigation yet, as we are

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-80648622694721262422009-04-28T12:17:00.000-07:002009-04-28T12:29:47.278-07:00

Writing is a process that I will surrender to without needing a result. The process of writing, the very act of putting pen to paper, is the very thing that will set my dreams in motion. I can't sit around waiting for inspiration to knock me over the head; I must just write regardless of what I write. The only way to get there is to start. I must stop needing it to look a certain way but simply

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-15238695021349526262009-04-19T10:40:00.001-07:002009-04-19T11:01:09.874-07:00

Well, another great trip to Montreal. Our friend, Daniel, hosts the Montreal Millennium Summit every year and it is our privilege to attend. It is a meeting of the minds regarding the UN's millennium development goals, in order to eradicate poverty by 2015. Kind of a 'check up' to see how we are doing, how far we have come and what still needs to be done.The day is all about raising awareness,

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-32114941085685830352009-03-16T16:47:00.000-07:002009-03-16T16:57:05.196-07:00

Spring break has officially begun. This, in past years, has been a rather dubious holiday. The kids get two weeks off school, with the promise of spring-y weather giving moms hope that this will not be a repeat of Christmas, with the kids cooped up in the house with too much food and not enough exercise. I have just finished cleaning the house from Christmas break so I am not willing to go

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1676895363570382907.post-84259252494817062512009-03-09T16:32:00.001-07:002009-03-09T16:38:41.886-07:00

Okay this is my very first blog post! I am sweating with anxiety and trepidation. Will I be good enough? Will anyone ever read this? Or will my words just sit out there in cyberspace, collecting dust on a virtual shelf somewhere?The only reason I am even attempting this is because of some very lovely people I know who keep hounding me. For some reason they think I might have something to say that

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719287027811693226noreply@blogger.com0