Digging Up the Past - Part II

Another post from my old blog.

The Author Platform

The author platform is possibly the hardest thing for a novice to create for themselves when starting out. Generally speaking, if your name is not big enough, it is hard to get people to get interested in you and what you’re saying. I know how hard that can be because that is what I am currently working on at this point in my career. I know most of my readers are not writers and if they are, they’re hobbyists, who do not plan or want to gain a career from their writing. Therefore, this post and any subsequent posts that appear on Wednesdays will be geared towards introducing readers to my world as an aspiring published author. Additionally, any posts that appears on Sundays will be geared towards my personal life and introducing readers to my life outside of writing.

Being an aspiring published author, I do a lot of reading on how to catch an agent or publisher’s attention. I must admit that when I first decided I wanted to published, I was convinced I did not want an editor nor did I want to go through the process of snagging one. I did keep my options open, however, because I am still new to this world and any valuable piece of information I can get is valuable to me, I decided to look into what a literary agent can do for me and how I can one. Apparently, an agent is an author’s best advocate and has relationships with many different editors in many different publishing houses. Basically, having an agent can mean the difference between being read by an editor and being put into the slush pile.

Getting a literary agent is not an easy task though. It should be taken as serious as getting a publisher. Given the enormous amount of queries agents receive on a daily basis it is important for an author to have a platform that can show an agent that the author has the means to promote their book to a large audience. This is the stage that I am currently at in my career. I am in the process of building an author platform. I underestimated how hard it could be to get people interested in you and what you’re doing (including family and friends). To begin this, I have created a Facebook page and I am working to beef up my blog. I’m learning as I go and while it is hard, it is an enjoyable process. In addition to have an established audience, having publication credits can also grab an agent’s attention. Therefore, I am entering short story contests and submitting work to literary magazines and journals. As I continue to embark on this journey, I hope you all will be there with me. It’s a tough road to travel alone and I can use all the help and support I can get.

***Special Note***

For the five Fridays in the month of May, I will be posting 5 of my old short stories. One story for each Friday. Be sure to come back to the blog Friday May 2, when the first story will be started, and every Friday after that @ noon.

ALL THE THINGS I WISH I KNEW THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO COLLEGE - Cover Art Released!

Final Cover Art

Digging Up the Past - Part I

The following post was published in my previous blog on 6-26-13. I find myself feeling now how I felt then so it's appropriate that as I look through my old things, I share the nostalgia.

Genre Explorations

For those who have read my work (and for those who haven’t, don’t worry, I’ll be sharing soon), I don’t veer too far from the type of writing that I do. My main character is almost always female and has a distinct voice. My characters deal with everyday problems like love, work issues, family issues, and whatever other issues happen to humans in day-to-day life. I find my writing to be relatable and representative of the many different women of today. When I asked someone to describe the way I write they said, “Your work is about women, for women.” Don’t get me wrong, I love having my niche. I love being able to produce work that other women would like to read, but that is not all I want for myself as a writer. I’m ambitious and I want more.

When asked what genre I write in, I’ve been conditioned to say it is women’s fiction. This alone is a stigma and I certainly want to avoid my work falling victim to it, which could cause the loss of many potential readers. It isn’t that I am not proud that I write for women because I love being a woman and relating to other women, but I don’t want to close out an entire group of readers based upon gender. I personally believe my stories cross the gender divide and can be enjoyed by many; however the name of the genre often causes male readers to avoid it altogether.

I have attempted to dabble in other genres before, but I never saw each venture through to the end because I didn’t find myself to be ready to write about things I wasn’t sure I could complete. Basically, I was afraid that it would be terrible. In hindsight, it may have been terrible, but I should have kept on at it. I’ve always been fascinated by fantasy and science fiction, but I never thought I’d be able to pull it off. I didn’t deem myself creative enough to create an entire world that would captivate the minds and hearts of readers. In my head, I just wasn’t that writer.

Recently, I was doing some digging on the internet (as I normally do) and I read a testimony of a romance writer who dabbled for the first time in fantasy and sci-fi which resulted in her landing her first literary agent. Similar to me, she was used to the niche she created for herself and didn’t think she’d be able to veer from its path. Fortunately she did because the mix of her romance stories with fantastical elements became literary gold. Having said all this, I have decided that I too will try my hand at exploration and see where it takes me. I have tons of ideas and I do not know where they lead, but I’m excited for this journey. Who knows where it will take me?

Graduation Again!!!

It’s that time again! I’m graduating from college with another undergraduate degree in exactly one month. It’s amazing how time flies so quickly. I can still remember agonizing over the 100+ pages of papers I had to complete in the Spring Semester alone to complete this English degree. Technically, I am still working on those papers, but the countdown to graduation has officially begun!

This time around, it is not as exciting because it isn’t the first, but the accomplishment is just as satisfying. Actually, this time the accomplishment is more satisfying because I’m getting degree that is in direct relation with what I want to do. You know, when I first went to college, I had no idea what I wanted or where I was headed. I basically just did what I thought I was supposed to do. This second time was such a breeze because I was familiar with the process.

Although I was familiar with the process, I was still nervous about going back to school. I’m much older than the last time I went and while I didn’t expect my experience to be the way it was the last time I went to college, I still wanted to build friendships and make lasting memories. It proved to be difficult, but I managed to secure some friendships and have fun while working on my second degree. I won’t take up too much time today because I know I promised a special announcement today. Look below for details!

***Special Announcement***

Having been through the undergraduate process twice, I feel that I have so much insight into surviving college. The things I know now would have saved me a lot of time and frustration earlier. The time spent was a lesson learned. Thinking of this, I’ve decided that I’ll be releasing a guide for new undergraduate students entitled, All the Things I Wish I Knew the First Time I Went to College. The book will be available for purchase on Amazon.com and other retailers Tuesday May 27, 2014! More details will be available in the coming weeks! Stay tuned!

25 Things I Love About Being 25

I recently turned 25 and I felt so bummed. It hasn’t even quite been a month yet, but I thought I’d create this list to make myself feel better about becoming a quarter of a century old.

1.      My parents are so much cooler to me now than I used to think they were.

2.      Staying in is just as fun as going out.

3.      I have a new appreciation for wine.

4.      Rental car restrictions are history (recent history, but history)!

5.      I am in the original group of Harry Potter fans! Better recognize newbies!

6.      I can remember life before Spongebob Squarepants.

7.      I am old enough to remember when The Lion King was newly released.

8.      I’m old enough to be a mom and young enough to not think about children yet.

9.      I feel nostalgic watching 90’s are All That on Teen Nick from 12am-4am.

10.  I’m old enough to appreciate being single.

11.  I understand that having a few amazing friends is better than having lots of sometime friends.

12.  I’ve survived a heart break or two! Guess what? Life does go on!

13.  I recognize that I do not know everything.

14.  I still invest my heart and soul in fictional characters with no shame.

15.  I still have time to travel the world.

16.  I remember having a Walkman.

17.  I still wonder where in the world is Carmen Sandiego.

18.  When I was younger, my favorite thing to play with was outside.

19.  I have regrets and time to make things right.

20.  I understand how much of an improvement internet speeds have made.

21.  I was around for the turn of the millennium.

22.  I still own VHS tapes.

23.  I had a first generation iPod.

24.  I was around when bell bottoms came back in style.

25.  I know what the Rock is cooking.

So yeah, I guess 25 isn’t that bad.

***Special News***

Next Friday April 11, 2014 a special announcement will be made after the blog post! Be sure to come back here next Friday @ noon for the news!