Looking At Things In A Different Way

Writer's get discouraged, but we must write on!

Our writing group has dwindled down to only two people attending since the beginning of the new year. I am discouraged, but will write on.

We will keep meeting and I am hoping that my fellow friends and writers will soon return. There's nothing like having a group of friends who understand the frustrating ups and downs of writing. I love and need feedback from other writers. I don't know, maybe this is teaching me to be more independent. However, I like being a member of a group. They keep me motivated.

They keep your spirits up when you receive a rejection letter by saying, "Hey, that's great, that means you're submitting."

On another subject. . .

Here is a little imagination and some pictures to go with it.
Maybe this will lead you to look at the pretty little flowers in a different way, too

Dandelion blankets
spread about my yard
shining like the morning
sun.

Dandelion puffballs
stand against the sky
glistening like the full
moon.

Dandelion seeds
float across the heavens
sparkling like the evening
stars.

Last Night's Meeting

Appalachian Wordsmiths met last night. It had been so long, I was starting to have withdraw symptoms.

It was good to see everyone again. Five of us were at the meeting last night. Two of our regular members couldn't make it. If you're reading this post, "We missed you!"

It was good to catch up on all the news and happenings. After we did that, the ones who brought material read aloud and we discussed the stories and marked up our copies to give back to them.

Last night I read a newspaper article I'm working on and one of my picture books that I am continuing to edit.

I have sent this PB out many times, but only once since I did it 'right.' I have blogged about this before, my having a hard time keeping description out of picture books. I rewrote the story and took out all the beautiful descriptions that you are supposed to leave to the illustrator, and I love it. I tried to do all the right things. I started out with action, used lots of descriptive words such as swoosh! swished, cracked, boomed, splashed, & splattered to make it exciting, and it is (in my opinion) a good story.

I tossed copies to everyone and said, "What's wrong with this?"

My writing friends found a few things wrong. Yea!

Now onto the revisions and sending it out again! I really have faith in this one story. I'm going to keep sending it out until (hopefully) I find a publisher who wants to take a chance on it.

What have you been doing? Anyone have a manuscript out there?
Are you in the middle of revising one of your stories? Do you have a work in progress?

We're all in this journey together. Share your stories, your ups and downs, let us cheer each other on and help each other along the way.