For those of you who may be interested, my two published short stories are both FREE this week on Amazon.
Return to Texas is FREE today and tomorrow, April 22nd and 23rd!
That’s Just the Way It Is is FREE Thursday and Friday, April 24th and 25th!
If you don’t have a Kindle and want to read on your tablet, smartphone, or computer, you can download the Kindle App!
There are many mini-milestones in a writer’s journey. Marion Marchetto was kind enough to move me along to the next one when she recently asked me for an interview. Many thanks, Marion.
Author Interview: Shirley Sorbello, author of That’s Just The Way It Is.
Image credit: franckito / 123RF Stock Photo
One of the things that surprised me when I first started writing fiction was how strong and independent the characters can become, even to the point of wanting to speak outside of the story. Let me introduce to you Rebecca Coulter from That’s Just the Way It Is which is FREE on Amazon February 3rd through February 5th!
It’s me, Becky Coulter. Thanks for stopping by today. I invite you to read the first part my story if you haven’t done so and to say thanks if you have.
It was difficult to find the love I had dreamed of in my Texas cowboy, John, but I did discover incredible love with my children, and well, as you’ll see in the sequel there were a few bright spots in my later life. My children were the most important thing to me; I sure hope I did right by them.
It’s a terrible thing for a mother to bury a child and even harder when the father had a part in the deed. Johnny was the love of my life and my biggest disappointment. I always told the young’uns, “don’t expect too much of anyone else, just yourself. That way you won’t feel let down, but you can always be proud of the person you are.”
I hope you like my pictures. My parents took them before they left Texas with one of those new fancy cameras from Philadelphia so they’d have something to remember me by. Pa had to close his store when the war got underway ‘cause Mama wanted to go back East. In 1862 I was only twenty-three and so full of hopes and dreams. I was happy then, and it was good to feel that way.
John never wanted his picture taken so you can only see a glimpse of him. Thinking back, that’s just the way John was. He never let anyone, even me, completely know him. It was like he held on to a part of himself too fragile to share with the world. I don’t think he was a bad man, just carried too many wounds from childhood that scarred his soul a bit. It gave him a dark side and placed a shadow over the way he looked at life. He and I never did see the world in quite the same way; it’s really sad when you think about it.
I believe life is what you make it, but the Lord had a spoon in the batter so when it was all over it was the right life for me, just not what I expected. A year after I left John, my youngest, Matty, and I took that long dusty ride back to Texas into the second half of my life. My saddest moments came along then, but also many of the best. I look forward to sharing more of them with you soon in the sequel that’s being written now.
I have heard that authors write what they know. I find myself doing that, both with fiction and non-fiction. It’s comfortable and familiar to build on experience as well as professional training. To me it seems, too, that a writer can’t hide for very long the totality of who they are. If they write extensively, and from that deep part inside of themselves some call the soul, many readers will come to know and understand them, even in a way their family or friends may not.
Where do those crazy, creative ideas in our heads come from? Some may say it’s the collective unconscious. Did you ever hear the phrase, “There are no new ideas?” Everything that has ever been experienced or thought about is out there, if only we can just tune into it. For me, that includes reincarnation; I believe that it’s a past lifetime I’m writing about when I’m emotionally involved in the story such as with my short story, “That’s Just the Way It Is.” It seems further confirmation that it’s one of my own lifetimes when I recognize people I presently know wearing unfamiliar clothing in a past time period.
“That’s Just the Way It Is” is free today on Amazon.com through October 25th. It takes place in Texas in the 1870’s. The personal connection to me is discussed in the “Afterword.” Here’s an excerpt from one of the action scenes between Rebecca and John:
“What the devil’s wrong with you? Carryin’ on with a scalawag like that? Good thing I came in when I did. In a couple more minutes he’d of had you bare-assed on the table.”
“For heaven’s sake, John. What’s the matter? Calm down. The children will hear you, and I’m sure Jake already did.”
“I’m not the problem. And don’t you ever go against what I say in front of the cowboys, or anybody for that matter.” John was getting red in the face and his lips were starting to protrude. I thought for a moment he was going to spit on me. I stood up, and he suddenly raised his arm and slapped my face with the back of his hand, followed by a harder slap on my other cheek with the front of his hand.
“I won’t have you carryin’ on with him. I’m firin’ him tomorrow,” he shouted.
“John,” I cried. ”Please come to your senses. There’s absolutely nothing going on between me and Mr. Johnson. Stop being so unreasonable. Don’t you dare fire him. That man has children depending on him.”
Emily and the boys had run into the kitchen by now. They stared in silence, four pairs of eyes wide open with fear. Emily hurried over and put her arms around my waist.
“Get away from her, Em. I’m not through yet,” he said angrily while he took off his belt.
I nodded to Emily and she stepped back. “Take your brothers into the parlor,” I told her.
John grabbed me by the arm. I struggled when he began hitting me with the buckle end, leaving deep gashes in the skin on my neck and arms. I tried to cover my face, and my hands became streaked with blood. After I started screaming, Emily came running and tried to pull his arm back. John accidently knocked her down.
“Stop it! Let me go! I’m pregnant,” I shouted angrily.
So, where do your stories or ideas come from?
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!
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!
When I began my writing adventure over a year ago, I believed I had some idea of what I wanted to do and how to approach it. The research I did into writing skills that others said were important showed me how to tweak my very basic ones. I think I finally even got the “show, not tell” concept although it took a while. A friend asked, “Who are they that say all these things? Stop spending so much time reading about writing and just write.” To a large extent she was right, especially after I had devoured parts of numerous books about the craft of writing. I really did need to spend more time writing. I learned it’s important to find your own voice, write from your heart and that my writing would get better and better with practice.
Okay, I was ready…well, maybe not quite yet. I spent considerable time reading blogs such as Jane Friedman’s about the fast-changing publishing industry. Self-publishing seemed to be the better choice for me, as I am older and would like to live long enough to see a few of my books and short stories in print, not spend my time waiting for other publishers to get back to me. What was going on here with all this reading of articles and blogs and so little writing? Maybe I didn’t have as much to say as I thought? Not really. I learned that my annoying perfectionism was still being fed by my insecurities about doing something new and unfamiliar to me.
Self-publication can be intimidating…so many choices and options and so much to read about it all. Who should I listen to? How do I format my work? I realized it’s now time to take some of my own advice about going with the flow, speaking my truth and following my own bliss. I’m ready to take the plunge by publishing my first short story in the very near future. It’s written and ready to go as I venture forth inspired by the words of Henry David Thoreau: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.” I’ve learned I do have the guts to learn how to do it and look forward to seeing my first short story on Amazon.
As has been said probably too many times, it’s the journey, not the destination that’s important. So as I progress onward to my goal of self-publication, I continue to learn more about myself…my strengths, my weaknesses, my likes and dislikes. In addition, I’ve learned that this whole writing pathway is not only one of self-discovery, but also one that I’m meant to share with others whose lives I may touch and who reach out a hand to help me along with their words of encouragement. What I’m discovering may not be exactly what I expected, but something even better. I’ve learned that a blog is an amazing avenue of self-expression where I meet warm and wonderful people even if I never publish anything else.
As my writer’s journey continues, I look back on the year that’s passed as well as at my goals for 2013.
Last year, I discovered that I enjoy writing fiction more than I ever imagined. It’s fun to see additional characters appear in my stories where none were intended and how they take on their own personalities. I also love seeing where the story line takes me. Who the heck is writing my work? At times, it doesn’t even seem like I’m in control.
I’ve found that my simple writing style which I often thought lacked descriptiveness fits better with the clear, crisp and concise writing styles that seem to be encouraged now. I keep reading that with today’s busy lifestyle, many people want simple, readable material that will not lose them in endless description. I assure you that my novels or short stories will not do that, but neither will my writing quality diminish in favor of quantity. That’s a promise!
I know now that I should write when my inner muse speaks to me, rather than on a set time schedule. I don’t want my creativity to seem like “work.” My writing flows when it is gently allowed to emerge and not forced. Putting myself in inspirational settings like nature, a quiet environment or even watching Oprah’s “Super Soul Sunday,” are some of the best ways for me to coax it out.
I’ve learned that it is difficult to attract the attention of a publisher even with a polished, marketable article without a resume of previous publications, despite my education. In particular, it is more difficult when you are writing about “touchy” subjects like cancer. For that reason, my blog will most likely benefit from articles or short pieces that I would have liked to publish in a magazine. At my age, I don’t have the time or the patience to play waiting games of silence. I want to spend my time writing.
So as we enter February (is it already?) and look at the year ahead, I see myself soon self-publishing my first short story, entitled “That’s Just the Way It Is.” This will be a new adventure for me into the mechanics of the self-publishing process. I am planning to use Smashwords which I hope to find user-friendly. After this, I will return full steam ahead to the first draft of my novel which is about three-quarters completed. I see several rewrites ahead of me particularly because I began the book three years ago. Since then, my writing skills have advanced and as often happens, the work has taken on a life of its own necessitating some changes in the earlier parts. I would be thrilled to have a polished final draft completed by the end of the year. Finally, I look forward to continuing my blog with articles and tidbits to entertain my current readers and entice new followers as well. As always, I thank you all for being there with me on my journey.
So, for those of you who are writers (and that includes bloggers), how has the past year influenced your writing goals for 2013?
Sometimes life just gets in the way. Even the best laid plans have to be put aside occasionally to accommodate life’s demands. In this case, the sacrifice was the submission of my book proposal to Hay House due early in December. It’s just not going to happen this year. Since I went to the Hay House conference in June, I had worked steadily on my novel and had made considerable progress. The first draft is about 75% completed. Then in August, the housing market came to life, and I started getting more prospective buyers coming into look at my condo. I made the decision that this year was not the right time to finish the book and submit the proposal, but rather to focus all my energy on my goal of moving into a new home. A wave of relief washed over me when I released myself from one of my goals. I knew there was no way for me to accomplish both dreams before the end of 2012. My decision to delay the completion of the book was confirmed as the correct one when I received an offer on my condo in September. If all continues to go well, I’ll be moving on November 30th.
Sometimes, hard choices have to be made, don’t they? I had to remind myself to go with the flow…that life is meant to be enjoyed and that happiness is not found in stressing oneself to the point of exhaustion. When the universe tells you it’s the right time for something to occur, it’s hard to ignore. I will now enjoy moving into my new home that I’ve waited for so long. The time to complete my novel is right around the corner. I can feel it in the wind and see it in my dreams. I’ll be back on the writer’s path early next year.
So how about you? Have you found that despite your best-laid plans, that life sometimes shifts you in a different direction than you had planned? Do you fight it or do you surrender to the flow?
It seems that the “why” of writing has a lot to do with how one presents their work to the world. I took a closer look at this recently because I was feeling frustrated over initial rejections of an article and short story I had written earlier this year. When I thought more about how I truly believe that my words will find their way to those who are meant to read them, it all became very simple. I am not writing to become a New York Times best-selling author. I am writing about things that are important to me and hoping that others will find value in my words. Any monetary reward is welcomed as a bonus.
Lately, I have been reading a lot of comments about the merits of self-publishing. Having more control over the whole process is a big factor. Not waiting months to hear “no,” or nothing, from an editor is a major one. Moving things along at your own pace sounds very attractive to me.
Every author’s situation has its own unique qualities. As an older person who has had full time commitments for most of my life, I am looking for a little “me” time. It doesn’t mean that I am not serious about my writing; it simply means that I am not looking for a full time career, nor do I have a lifetime of writing ahead of me. It’s writing on my own terms. That sounds to me like a self-published writer.
So, for those of you who are writers, what are your goals for your writing? How does it fit in with your lifestyle?
