writing goals

The Story

/ Shirley Sorbello / Leave a comment

I’m daydreaming…looking at man with an oversized cowboy hat riding a bull or a wild horse in a large corral. I’m not sure which it was because I was wondering more about why this vision was invading my thoughts. I dismissed it, but then when I saw the same sight in my mind’s eye the following day, I decided to sit down and meditate upon it.

As I relaxed into this vision, I realized that the man was an Italian singer that I enjoyed listening to. This realization made the whole daydream even more bizarre. I started to make notes as I watched the sketchy images of an unfolding story. I wrote the short story, “That’s Just the Way it Is” in a little over two hours which I published in 2013. A little later I wrote a sequel, “Return to Texas,” published in 2014. The cowboy from the vision became John Colter, who is the protagonist Becky’s, first husband.

Somehow Becky’s story never “felt”  finished…too many loose ends needed to be connected. Life got in the way until 2020 when I began working on a book that would reveal a more complete version of Becky’s life. This book became the novella Where the Heart Goes in which Becky’s shares scenes from her life as a child up until her death, from a place that seems like the afterlife. It’s like a saga packed into a novella-sized book informally narrated by the protagonist. This is a story of love, guided by the heart.

Where do stories like this come from? Is this a past life memory…mine or someone else’s shot out of the collective unconscious? Was I Rebecca? Perhaps it’s just the product of an unbridled somewhat creative mind. We will never know for sure, will we? What I do know is that this story was meant to be written and lives in a special place inside my heart. I hope that it will find a place in yours as well!

Note: That’s Just the Way It Is and Return to Texas are FREE on Amazon, today through Dec. 3rd!

Update – What I’m Working On Now

/ Shirley Sorbello / 4 Comments

I am happy to say that I have returned to writing daily (at least for now 😊) It feels comfortable, and for the most part, the words are flowing. In 2016, I slowed down considerably due to family issues and then experienced several changes which required my time and attention. Now I’m back with renewed enthusiasm and a more focused perspective on where my writing is going.

Some of you may remember the strong, female protagonist, Rebecca, in the two short stories I published. She has been insistent about my finishing her story before I complete anything else. Rather than making a trilogy of the stories, I have decided (with her help) to write a richer, expanded version of the first two stories and complete it with the final section into a novella. “Where the Heart Goes” will be released early in 2020. For those of you who haven’t read my short stories, this is historical fiction with a romantic theme that takes place primarily in Texas in the late 1800’s.

The novella will be followed by a novel, “Trip to a Lifetime.” I began writing this several years ago after a trip to Italy. About two-thirds of it is written and if all goes well, it will be published in 2021. It is spiritual fiction with a reincarnation theme.

Thank you for following me on this journey. Your support is important to me and hopefully it will keep me from slacking off. 😊

In the Silence

/ Shirley Sorbello / 10 Comments

I’ve been quiet for a while as far as blogging or any type of writing goes. While I have been dedicating some of my time to genealogy and home improvement projects, as well as life in general, there have been serious moments of reflection about my writing.

Rebecca, the protagonist from my first two short stories, “That’s Just the Way It Is” and “Return to Texas” has become very vocal (to me, at least) about the fact that her story is not complete and asked me to please allow her to finish it. All too ready to put aside the novel I’ve been working on for a few years, probably because I know it needs the dreaded major revision, I have agreed.

The new short story will be called, “Last Breath.” Parts of it are written, and I am in the process of doing the cover. Although I dislike boxing myself in, I will say that it should be available by May. While writing this story, I am doing more historical research about the time period of this piece (1884-1891 in Texas) and the impact it has on the storyline.

In addition, I have decided to do a novelette where I will be expanding these three stories, and including some historical influences especially the Civil War. Much more will be revealed about Rebecca’s early life in Philadelphia before she and her parents moved to Texas right before the War. At this point, I haven’t decided whether this additional project will be completed before or after my novel.

While it’s nice to see your words in print, it must be even nicer to hold them in your hands, which aside from the noise from Becky, is motivating me to put these stories into a “real” book.  Perhaps I could even stretch it out to a novella. I’ll probably let her decide.

I welcome any comments or ideas, especially from those of you who have read my first two stories. For my fellow writers, how’s your writing life going? What’s new? What’s flowing, or not? It’s time to make a little noise on this blog!

Photo credit: copyright: <a href=’http://www.123rf.com/profile_fintastique’>fintastique / 123RF Stock Photo

Time for an Update

/ Shirley Sorbello / 6 Comments

This seems to be the time of the year when I reevaluate my writing journey, so here I go.

I am enjoying my life, and writing is a part of that. It may not be as important as I intended when I began this journey a few years ago, but I still have many goals. I still wonder if a part-time writer can become a very good writer. I guess I’ll find out.

I enjoy my blog and plan to write more often as long as it doesn’t interfere with writing for publication. I love the interaction with other bloggers and followers.

As far as publication, I did release my grandmother’s poetry earlier in the year. The work was 95% hers, but doing the editing, layout and formatting for Kindle enhanced my skills in those areas.

I think it’s important to publish at least once a year so I will be expanding two of the articles I’ve written on this blog into e-books during the next year. More about the first one will come soon.

The novel that I’ve referred to several times on this blog is 75% complete. I’m talking about the first draft so it will still be a while before it sits on a bookshelf anywhere. I am planning to self-publish with Balboa Press because I am so aligned with Hay House in my thinking and the types of spiritual things I write about. Besides, it doesn’t hurt that Hay House takes a look at the books coming through Balboa to find selections they may want to publish.

When I get to the point where I am ready to send it to Balboa I will talk more about the topic. At this point, I will say that it was inspired by a true story and has a very spiritual theme – that of reincarnation and the love that travels through many lifetimes and never dies.

Last, but not least, it’s important I that I continue to learn about writing so I take a course or attend a conference every year. This year I am taking an online course – James Patterson’s MasterClass. It’s reasonably priced, and I am getting a lot of great tips from a best-selling author. Applying some of them to my own work is slowing me down, but I am trying to avoid my tendency to overthink and stay focused on what’s most important to the novel.

How are things going with those of you who publish your work or aspire to? I can’t be inspirational and say to do something I don’t do myself, like write everyday. What I can say is… if you have a goal in mind, don’t give up until you reach it. The journey may not be what you expect, but it will be worthwhile and in some ways may become more important than the goal.

Photo credit: Copyright: <a href=’http://www.123rf.com/profile_aleutie’>aleutie / 123RF Stock Photo

It Really Is About the Journey

/ Shirley Sorbello / 7 Comments

Recently, I haven’t been inspired to write on my blog or work on my next publication. I’ve been allowing the business of living to get in the way. When I took time to think about why this was happening, I decided that my focus on the goal of becoming an author, seemed to be interfering with the process of being a writer. The pursuit of the dream had become overwhelming.

It’s easy to lose the joy of writing when you follow the crowd into today’s insane world of self-publication. Who is giving you solid advice, or who is just trying to sell you a book or a course? Why are Amazon and Hachette in conflict? Should I take time away from writing to even care? How important is it really to have a platform? I certainly can’t “build” one without writing. Collecting followers on WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, etc. are often joyless, mindless activities that take precious time away from the art of writing, that for me requires quality time and inspiration. Using the time to build meaningful connections with a few followers is more important to me than the numbers. How often should I write on my blog? I want to write when I have something worth saying not just to do a prescribed, weekly routine post with little content. How important is the book cover? How do you resolve formatting issues? The list feels endless and overwhelming.

I realize that I’ve been through this before. Last September I wrote, “Why Do You Write?” I thought I had tweaked my perspective then. Why do I keeping forgetting that it’s more about my own unique journey than the goal? My path may not be the mainstream one, but it’s my own. When I am truly invested in this journey, there is comfort and satisfaction filled with wonderful and challenging experiences along the way. This is for me the “nuts and blots” of a writer’s life.

How often are you tempted to do something that everyone else seems to be doing and cast aside your own unique approach? No doubt, this struggle leads us to discovering more about ourselves, but does following the crowd bring you joy and fulfillment? Remember how good it feels when we tune into our “gut” feelings and go with our own unique flow? I’m going to never stop remembering (until next year, I suppose 🙂 ) .

Which Is More Important?

/ Shirley Sorbello / 18 Comments

As a writer who is new to the publishing industry, I struggle to determine which is more important when it comes to sales. In fiction, the quality of the writing or the appeal of the storyline? In non-fiction, the caliber of writing or the subject matter? Even in the music world, which sells more CD’s: a beautiful voice or the melody sung by an average singer that begins to repeat in the listeners’ heads?

Of course, in an ideal world, these artistic creations would be an excellent blend of both factors. How often does this really happen, though? I have been noticing lately, some novels selling very well that are not as well-written as they could be. They may be grammatically correct, but have inappropriate voice changes or shallow characterization, etc. It makes me wonder what the average modern reader really cares about.

Perhaps it has something to do with e-books vs. hard cover books. Maybe because the e-book reading may be done more often in noisy places, awkward positions, or poor lighting, not as much attention is paid to the writing quality as when the reader is curled up with a hard-cover book on a winter’s night in front of a roaring fire. Or is it because the “old-fashioned” reader paid more for that hard cover book, so he or she expects more? Could it even be that the societal trend toward instant gratification sells or encourages “quick reads” that don’t allow time for attention to writing detail?

That being said, as a writer, do you sacrifice what you really want to write for something you believe will be more popular? I find it hard, at this point, to write what I don’t feel passionate about. I keep reading that writing from your heart is what touches others and gives them the emotional experience they are seeking. It would be difficult for me to do otherwise.

I don’t believe there are any easy answers to all of this. Regardless, I would love to know your thoughts, as a reader or writer, about what qualities you think sell? What do you personally pay attention to when you read? What leads you to feel that satisfying experience after you’ve read an article or a book?

“Get Read” Conference

/ Shirley Sorbello / 4 Comments

Getting read is the goal of every writer. I’ve learned about building a platform, collecting followers on Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and other social media. Does that translate into book sales? I’m not so sure, but I’m hoping that the interactive, online conference, “Get Read” to be held on November 13th and 14th will enlighten me further. I thought that some of you who are writers may also be interested. There will be numerous speakers- authors, booksellers, agents, journalists, librarians and more, all willing to share their experience and answer questions. Check it out!

“That’s Just the Way It Is” – Now Available

/ Shirley Sorbello / 9 Comments

My first short story, “That’s Just the Way It Is,” has now been published on Amazon.com as a e-book. It should also be available in some countries other than the United States. This is a mini-milestone in my writing career, one that I’m pleased to have reached. Thanks so very much to all of you who have been supporting and encouraging me for the past 20 months, which is when this journey first began.

It is a 3800-word story of love, violence and clash of values with a spiritual twist. It begins:

“It comes to me now in flashes—pieces of memories from a past lifetime that creep into my consciousness. I see myself staring at a weathered barn through a kitchen window. Calico curtains blow wildly in the dry, dusty wind, dancing to the familiar hum of cows mooing in the distance. Warm air whips across my face, entering the house like a welcomed visitor on an unbearably hot Texas day in the 1870’s. I’m Becky, married with four children, to a man I both love and hate.”

I hope that many of you will enjoy it!

It’s Time to Publish!

/ Shirley Sorbello / 10 Comments

That's Just the Way It Is

Be sure to check out my first short story (I will remind you) on Amazon.com during the month of September. I am really excited to have reached the point where I am actively engaged in the process of structuring the final product.

“That’s Just the Way It Is” is a short story of love and drama in the Old West. The main characters are Rebecca and John Coulter who struggle to raise a family in the harsh and rugged environment of the Texas prairie in the late 1800’s.

This story begged to be written and for that reason is somewhat unconventional in its presentation, covering a number of scenes during a twenty-year period, rather than a single moment in time. It is narrated by Becky, who has a special connection to me as you will learn. I never would have expected that my first published work would be a “western,” but I’m discovering that stories often come to authors in unique ways.

Do any of you have any words to share about your first venture into the world of publication? I’d love to hear them…