Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact. — Robert McKee
I thought it was time that the APA Blog hosts another Bragi...but with a twist.
For this bragi, I invite you to tell us your story OR the story (blurb, promo) of your novel.
Tell us your story, in anyway you want to and we won't know if its made up or real or how you want it to be. In fact, I encourage it. A huge part of being an author is drawing from the stories of your life. A big part of promoting yourself as an author, is letting the audience in just a wee bit and telling them about yourself, your interests and why you wrote the book.
This will be good practice.
Don't tell us how it is, tell us how you want it to be. And with all storytelling, this is powerful stuff.
Authors Promoting Authors is open to our regular features, if you want to guest post or have your book featured here, please follow the instructions.
I grew up in a little desert town with the population under 3500. We had one main street, two grocery stores, and I walked a mile to the bus stop. My father drank a lot and lived apart from the family the majority of the time, but when he was home he was a nasty drunk.
ReplyDeleteBeside sneaking out my window for a midnight ride on my bike, or locking myself in my room with books, I wrote to escape my life. When I was in eighth grade, some friends and I started our own newspaper. We called it “Sundown”. We all loved the 60’s (this was 87 by the way) and had fun writing articles and creating our own photos. Basically, it was a creative way to pass notes.
Anyway, my junior year I took a creative writing class and I love it. My teacher, Mrs. Martin, seemed truly excited every time I turned in a story. What’s funny, I was terrible in English. Another teacher, a year prior told me I’d never be a writer because I couldn’t spell. I told Mrs. Martin this and she laughed. “That’s what editors are for,” she said.
Unfortunately, the first teacher’s words stuck with me for years—which is why I agree with the sediment ‘hold your tongue’.
I married. My husband and I agreed it would be better for me to stay home when we started having children. I had three girls and volunteered coordinating children ministry events. When my youngest started school full-time (in 2008) I prayed for new guidance on purpose. Although years had gone by without writing any stories (I did journal), I woke up one morning with a story.
There was a swamp, a girl with dirty blonde hair, and two young men.
I wrote feverishly for forty days and “Something in the Swamp” was completed at 140,000 words. I passed it along to the few brave souls who volunteered to read my first draft. (I still apologize for handing them my first draft.)
This is where the real work started.
July 2011, and seven drafts later, “Something in the Swamp,” changed to “A Light into the Darkness”. I landed my first contract. The novel went into production in August; the title changed to “Twisted Roots” (yet keeping the second title as a subtitle) and is currently in the layout phase. (My suggestion, don’t get too attached to a title.
Since I wrote the first novel, I’ve written articles for the local paper, I have a short story publication in Steampunk Tales E-zine, Issue 12 (which is this quarters issue—www.steampunktales.com), I’ve completed NaNoWriMo two years, leaving me two novels and I’ve submitted two other short stories for anthologies (just waiting to hear if they made it). I just can’t seem to stop writing. But besides the book coming out, I’m on draft three of the sequel novel.
I suppose I’m a busy girl, but a happy girl when I can write and create. Painters paint the world with color--writers paint the world with words.
Shelly Goodman Wright
www.shellygoodmanwright.com
Hmmm....
ReplyDeleteI love to write when I find time, but with all that goes on in my daily life that isn't always possible. I do get it in though :). So here it is...
From across the room I noticed him glancing at me in between taking shots on the pool table. I felt my heart accelerate as I looked into his chocolate brown eyes. He was much older than me, but I could feel the strong pull between us. I pretended to ignore him even though I could see him out of the corner of my eye. Turning my back I sipped my drink. When he appeared at my side I held my expression, not giving him the slightest clue that my heart was racing so fast it felt like it might jump right out of my chest.
"What's up?" He curled up his lips, letting it reach his eyes.
"Not much." I responded.
"How've you been?"
"Good and yourself?" Oh, I knew him and we have frequented the same place many times. It's been a long time since I've last seen him.
"Good. Haven't seen you around much."
Raising my eyebrows, I contemplated that he had been looking for me, or maybe he was just trying to make small talk. "Life, ya know?"
"Yeah. I know." He smirked and took a sip of his beer. "Give me a ride home later?"
Choking on my drink I looked into his eyes. He grabbed my chin between his fingers, "Until then." He gently brushed his lips against mine sending a jolt throughout my body.
"Until then", I smiled.
Hmmm...true event or not? Maybe on the next bragi I will tell you more lol. I know, I'm mean as heck!
Thanks T-S :).
BK
I always wanted to write fiction, and when I published Bruce and the Road to Courage, I was ecstatic. What's been better is to have readers submit wonderful reviews and tell their friends about the book.
ReplyDeleteWritten for 7 to 12 year olds (or those who are young at heart), Bruce and the Road to Courage is the story of a young caterpillar who is afraid of heights and doesn’t want to become a butterfly. Tired of being teased and bullied about this, he leaves home, unaware that he has embarked on a heroic journey that will test both his character and his courage.
Through a series of perilous adventures, Bruce discovers that standing up for yourself and doing what is right, even in the face of great odds, are the most courageous actions of all.
Readers asked for more when they finished the book, so I'm now nearly finished with the second book in the series, Bruce and the Road to Honesty, and the third book, Bruce and the Road Home, should be finished later this year.
Both printed and ebook formats are available from me at www.galeleach.com as well as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Oh! How nice.
ReplyDeleteI am a best selling author, with many titles successfully well published. I have an awesome literary agent who works tirelessly with my best interests in mind.
I spend half the year living abroad and I am working on my next book :o)
Tell us your story...
ReplyDeleteI have the perfect job, it is truly my dream job and I feel so amaazed as every day, I get to do something that uplifts my spirits and make a difference in my community. I love to write but more than writing, I love helping authors in their research and I am overwhelmed by the contacts I have made. I do hope to one day write my own book and slowly but surely, letter by letter it is coming.