ANOTHER NEW BOOK IS PUBLISHED!

We have a brand new year and brand new opportunities.  Recently I took advantage of one of those opportunities available and published my completed novel called "NORTHWEST PROJECT".  Now, what a trip that is!  Fun to do, and another accomplishment for my "bucket list." 

I have found that I love to write.  The children's book, "The Fly Away Balloon" was a completely different kind of project because it involved a simple story and illustrations.  It also was color, bright and fun color.  It was such a challenge, and it was fun learning how to do that. 

With that being said, "NORTHWEST PROJECT" was a completely different kind of endeavor.  It is strictly dependent on your words.  No cute color graphic to describe what is going on.  You have to do that description with your own words.  That is another ballgame altogether.  I found that if I pictured things going on in my mind, I would try to write a description as I could see it.  I would visualize the scene, as if I was making a movie in my head.  As the movie scene takes place you write it as you see it, or hear it.  SO MUCH FUN!

There are many other things to consider .  Do you know how many different ways there are to say the exact same thing?  Words are such a strong tool.  I am just learning how to scratch the surface of using our wonderful language to express what is going on in this wild and crazy blob called my brain.  And that can be a very interesting experience in itself.

Another challenge is "keeping it clean" with keeping it interesting.  By that I mean,  the use of your words can challenge the mind to  see what is going on in their own "picture"  in their own BRAIN .  But how to keep THEIR image controlled is another issue.  Well, the answer is, you really can not.  But, what you can do is be mindful of what images your words can conjure up. 

I really don't feel you have to be descriptive about gore, or intimacy, or other strong emotions.  Your own mind can take you places with your own imagination.  I do not find I have to be graphic or descriptive beyond the suggestion of what is happening. You keep it interesting by intimating in the readers mind . And the level they personally go to is in their own heads.  It makes the reader be interactive with the story being portrayed.  They then see their own version of what you are saying.  Does that make sense? If you make it graphic, they see graphic.  If you don't, they don't, but they get the gist of what is going on. The rest is then up to them. 

A challenge was the process of creating a proper format to fit into the publishers guidelines or template.  There are many ways to go, and the easy way is to pay the publisher to do the work for you.  That is the  easy way to do this. It is also a bit spendy.  Well, those of you who know me also know that I don't always do things the easy way.  My learning curve is a little longer sometimes.  But, I do love a challenge and with a little help from my friends and guidance from articles on the various web sites  , the challenge of putting it all together was finally accomplished.  Remember, the justification of the length of sentences , of words, of phrases as well as the placement of your paragraphs, the type of font, the size of the font, and on and on and on. 

By the time you go over your book in this process you have re edited several more times.  And to get to the place of wanting to publish, you have already edited and re written, so, your manuscript is rolling around in your head again and again.  By the way, spell check is a great tool, but, don't rely totally on that because I discovered, the word But and the name Bud are both proper words, neither misspelled, and when you spellcheck, your character's name Bud has just become But all over the place.  Your fingers typing can make proper typo's and not be caught by spell check.  So, they recommend that you read your manuscript an additional three times, just to catch those common errors.

So, if reading this does not discourage you, I challenge you to try this.  Write down what you are feeling by writing a fiction book, a teaching book, a "How to" book.  The statement , "there is at least one good  book in everyone," is a true statement.  We all have a story, or a poem or a talent you can share by teaching someone else.  Just step outside of your own limitations within your self, and express and publish. 

Please, take a moment, go on Amazon.com and type in my name.  Find "NORTHWEST PROJECT", and give it a whirl.  Read my simple little story, or read the adventure of "THE FLY AWAY BALLOON." Take the time to Fly Fly away with "Bitsy".  Then be inspired to take the challenge for this new year.  It is so much fun!

By the way, I enjoy doing this so much I am half way through writing  another novel I will talk about in another blog down the line.  Gosh, I sure like being retired, but I think I work longer hours now. 

Blessings!