PENuary Warm Up: Writing Prompt of the Day

Photo by John Jennings via Unsplash

Ah, December.

The month of colder weather, shorter days, shopping, holiday lights and roads congested with traffic. The time of family get-togethers, office parties, and ugly sweaters.

And also a month when we writers look forward to a second opportunity for literary abandon!

In my house, we're gearing up for PENuary as much as for Santa.

Okay, I'm the only writer in my house, but my family is preparing to eat meals out or that come in a box for a month (and I haven't told them yet, but laundry probably isn't going to happen either ;-).

PENuary will see me not only focusing on the daily writing prompts and my commitment to a minimum of 20 minutes of writing per day, but I'll also be commenting on and sharing other writers' work and cheerleading the writing community as we commit to a new year of more consistent writing habits.

One of the great things about PENuary is that you don't need to prepare for it. No research required. No outlines or planning.

You simply show up and write.

So how about some practice?

Here's a one-word prompt inspired by the nail polish I'm currently sporting for the holiday season:

GLITTER

Of course, you can take the word in different directions. That's one of the beauties of a prompt. My interpretation of glitter will not be the same as yours.

I'm particularly interested to see how horror writers interpret the prompt of the day.

Don't forget to share at least a portion of your work for the day—a sentence, paragraph or another snippet—here on my blog, on the PENuary official Facebook page, and/or on your own social media outlets. Make sure you use the official hashtags so we can all follow your work:

#PENuary

#Write20for31

#Penuary2018

Writer Wednesday: Acting Professional by Randy Ingermanson

Photo Courtesy Pexels.com

I can’t believe it’s December, y’all! And that means that in less than a month, it will be time for PENuary. In support of encouraging better writing habits—for myself as well as other writers who struggle to maintain consistency—I’m working to re-establish my Writer Wednesday habit here on the blog. If you’re a writer, check in on Wednesdays for writing and marketing tips as well as writer inspiration.

Today I’m sharing a post for writers written by Randy Ingermanson (credit and links to his website below the article). If you don’t already subscribe to Randy’s E-Zine, I highly recommend it. His newsletters always contain useful tips for writers.

There are many aspects of marketing, but in this article, Randy succinctly pinpointed an issue that all writers need to take to heart: Professionalism. And he has three easy, highly actionable tips to improve your writer professionalism.

Marketing: Acting Professional

I went to my first writing conference in the summer of 1989. That was life-changing for me. Up till then, I didn’t know any authors. Or editors. Or agents. I met a few of each at that first conference, and some of them have been part of my life ever since.

The talk that had the most impact on me at that conference had a very simple message: “Be professional.” 

The author who gave the talk said a lot of things I don’t remember, but I do remember her repeating that simple phrase. “Be professional.” And I remember that she translated it into actions. “Being professional” really boils down to “acting professional.”

She wasn’t talking about being phony. There are writers out there who talk a big talk but aren’t actually doing much writing and certainly aren’t professional.

She was talking about behaving in a way that marks you out as a serious writer who will someday be a professional writer, even if you aren’t there yet and aren’t making any money. Writers who start out right tend to end up right. That’s just the way it is.

Back in those days, “acting professional” included getting some expensive letterhead paper for correspondence with editors. I dutifully went out and bought a ream of high-quality paper and spent some time creating an electronic template that would make a nice letterhead when printed. I even used it a few times. But I’d bet I’ve still got 480 sheets out of the original 500. Times have moved on, and nobody needs letterhead anymore. 

So what can a writer do that will fit the description of “acting professional” these days? I don’t want to overwhelm you with a long list, so I’ll keep this short.

Here are three things for starters.

Set up a Writing Budget

Very early on in my writing career, I realized that it takes money to make money. In those days, going to writing conferences was essential, and conferences cost money. I didn’t have a lot of cash, but I began setting aside $15 every month. That was money that I could spend on my writing, no questions asked.

The amount you budget is less important than the fact that you’re doing it. 

Having a writing budget means that you are serious about this writing thing. It means that you’re telling the rest of your family that this is important to you, it has value, and it has a cost. It also means that when it comes time to buy something you need for your writing, you don’t have to fight about it with anyone. You just take the money out of the pot you’ve already set aside.

Own Your Domain

Your “domain” here means the domain for your web site. You may not need a web site yet. You may not need one for several years.

But eventually, if and when you start getting your work published, you’ll need a domain for your web site. And it won’t be fun to discover that the domain you had in mind just got bought by a porn star who happens to have your same name. It can happen. It did happen to a writer I know.

You don’t buy a domain name; you rent it. You pay an annual fee to a domain registration site (for example GoDaddy.com or one of the many other sites that let you register a domain). 

It’s not terribly expensive to rent a domain. Figure around $10 per year. You just need to keep paying it every year without lapsing. It’s easy to set up an auto-renewal for your domain so it keeps renewing every year.

Ideally, your domain name should be your author name or something as close as you can get to your author name. 

But you need to be careful here. If your name is hard to spell (say your last name is Umstattd), then you’ll catch a lot of grief from people who can’t spell your name, which is almost everyone. In that case, you might want to think about not using your last name in your domain. You might need to get creative here.

Let's say your name is a more common one that's reasonably easy to spell. We'll take Jane Smith, as an example. What domain name should you use? There are a couple of issues to think about.

First, if you create a web site using one of the inexpensive builder tools (for example, Wordpress.com), you should make sure you get a custom domain—not the default Wordpress domain. You don’t want to spend five years building a site at JaneSmith.wordpress.com, and then move it to JaneSmith.com. If you do that, all the links to your old web site will fail.

Second, if your name is extremely common, it might turn out that the domain you want is already taken. If JaneSmith.com is taken, you might have to add a middle initial and make it JaneKSmith.com. Or JaneSmithAuthor.com. Or JaneSmithBooks.com. Generally, with a bit of thinking, you can find a domain that works for you.

With domain names, shorter is better. And it’s nice if you can pass the “radio test,” meaning that if you’re doing an interview on the radio and give out your web site address, people can easily figure out how to spell it. But you can’t always get exactly what you want. Do your best.

Have a Professional E-mail Address

This is easy to do, but it’s where a lot of writers fall down. 

There are two mistakes to make here:

1. Using an e-mail address with a domain that isn’t yours.
2. Using an e-mail address that doesn’t have your name in it.

Let’s talk about these in a little more detail. It’s important to get these right, but you need to also do them in the correct order.

First, your domain name. It’s very tempting to use the free e-mail address that comes with your internet service provider. So if you’re using Comcast, then maybe your account is John17@comcast.net. 

The problem comes five years from now, when you move to a new place and you’re no longer with Comcast. Now maybe you’re using ATT.com or CenturyLink.net or whatever. And suddenly your old e-mail address no longer works.

Now you’ve got five years worth of friends who all have the wrong e-mail address for you. If these include all your editor, agent, and writer friends, you’ve got a problem.

The solution is blindingly simple. If you’ve already nailed down your domain for your future web site, set up an e-mail account that goes with that domain. So if your domain is JaneKSmith.com, set up an email address for yourself as Jane@JaneKSmith.com. Later, if you get a virtual assistant, she might be Camy@JaneKSmith.com. If you add a PR guy, he might be Brad@JaneKSmith.com. Or if you change PR people every six months, maybe the email address they use will just be the generic PR@JaneKSmith.com. 

Some writers insist that they can’t set up an e-mail address on their own domain yet because it’s too much trouble. So they set up a free account at hotmail or yahoo or gmail or whatever. 

This is not ideal. A hotmail or yahoo email account definitely marks you as an amateur. A gmail account is a step up; it’s perceived as more professional. If you insist on using a gmail account, you still need to make sure that your name is part of your address. 

JaneKSmith@gmail.com is an acceptable e-mail address. If somebody gets an e-mail from that address, they know who sent it.

But imagine getting e-mail from any of these people:

• Jack1947@gmail.com  (Now we all know what year Jack was born, but he may not want us to know that. Unfortunately, we don’t know his last name, and he probably does want us to know that. Who is this Jack?)
• JaneAndBillAnd3Cats@gmail.com (This looks like a shared account, which means an e-mail sent to Jane might get read by Bill. Or deleted by Bill. But what happens if Jane and Bill split up next year? Who keeps the e-mail address? And again, who is Jane?)
• IWrite4Jesus@gmail.com (Great, but who ARE you? And does Jesus know you’re writing for him?)
• SpaghettiMonsterGuy@gmail.com. (No doubt this is hilariously funny to your five buddies you hung out with in college. However, the rest of us aren’t in on the joke. Also, we have no idea who you are.)

And yes, I’ve seen e-mail addresses similar to each of these, some of them many times. 

Act like a professional. Get an e-mail address that looks like it came from you. (And yes, I know that you can set up your e-mail program to put your name in the “from” line along with your e-mail address. Not everybody does this. Oddly enough, it’s usually the people with unrecognizable e-mail addresses who don’t do this.)

This article is reprinted by permission of the author.

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 17,000 readers. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Writer Wednesday: Utter Loneliness and Explaining the Inexplicable

This quote captures such expansive ideas in so few words.

First is the idea of the loneliness of writing. And “utter loneliness”. Like really, really alone!

I have felt that way at times. It's not just that the actual act of writing requires - for many of us - time without other people so that we're free of distraction. Even in a busy cafe, writers often wear headphones or are so in the zone that they may as well be on Mars. For all intents and purposes, the writer is alone when writing.

But more than that, the writer inhabits a world of her own making with people she has created. Within that story world, the writer is wholly alone. 

I often feel that I spend the majority of my time with people that no one else knows in a world where no one else has been. The idea of “utter loneliness” is one I understand.

But here there is the second idea as well - trying to “explain the inexplicable.”

How does one explain the soul?

I think all artists and creatives are - attempting anyway - to do exactly that. To somehow explain whether in words or pictures, in clay or movement, the complex and nuanced ideas that well from the soul.

There is no perfection in this endeavor. The artist often looks at his canvas and sees only what did not make its way there, even when others laud the work.

The same is true of the story or poem. At my best, I feel that I've captured a fair bit of what my heart wanted to express. But there's always a feeling that I didn't quite get it all down on paper. That something is missing.

Perhaps it's that quest to “bleed on the page” - to explain the inexplicable - that keeps the writer tapping the keys and putting ink to the page.

Do you ever feel utterly alone? Do you agree with Steinbeck that the writer seeks to explain the inexplicable?

Writer Wednesday: Ray Bradbury says …

I recently posted this meme on my Facebook page and Twitter and posed the question of whether this idea is perhaps the hardest part of being a writer. It led to further conversation about the true meaning of this quote. Some balked at the idea of “reject acceptance.”

But in order to fully embrace “accept rejection,” one must also learn to reject acceptance. You cannot have one without the other.

Why?

The artist must perpetually seek joy in the creation of the art regardless of external gratification or criticism. 

Writing for approval is the path to the dark side.

The writer writes because she has a story to tell. It's like an itch that needs scratched. Writing is a way to give the “voices” in her head space to be heard. The writer puts words to the page not to get a gold star or win the prize but because life is incomplete without the act of writing.

The writer grows and matures in his craft when he learns how to know when the work is “good” and when a piece is finished. He does not need someone external to approve of the story. He writes the story of his soul, not the story that he believes others want him to write and/or that others will accept.

And the great beauty of this process is that when an artist/writer/poet/creator digs deep and stays true to his path - when he accepts rejection and rejects acceptance - he is more likely to create a work that is lauded by others. Such works are seen as creative, original, and masterpieces.

Of course not all masterpieces of the soul are recognized as such. But that does not matter to the artist because she did not labor for the purpose of acceptance anyway. She labored because the story needed to be told and she was the only one that could tell it.

Because writing is a metaphor for life, the same holds true for how we live. 

And that is, I think, the most difficult part of both. To live the life our soul seeks to live without need for others to tell us "good job" and to stay on our path even when others are hell-bent on pushing us onto another road.

Why do you write? Do you feel that you have achieved Bradbury's advice - to accept rejection and reject acceptance? Do you agree with Bradbury?

Writer Wednesday: How to Create Your Own Writing Retreat

When I say "writing retreat" do you think of this?

Or maybe this?

For me, "retreat" means free of distraction. Time devoted to the thing I'm "retreating" for. Whether it's for a few days or a few weeks, when I say I'm going to a writing retreat, I mean that I'm going to spend time doing essentially one thing only from morning to night (and sometimes well into the night): Write.

A writing retreat can be a great way to get yourself back into writing if you've had a long break. It's also perfect for when you're nearly done with a project and need to do a last final push to get to the end. 

Writing retreats can happen with a small group of writers (friends or strangers) or they can be solo affairs. They can be high-end posh affairs that ensconce the writer in luxury, or they can be bare bones and simple where the focus is on writing.

If you have the funds, you can travel to a cool location for a hosted writing retreat in the company of other writers. I've done this before, and it was great fun. But there are two problems with this kind of retreat. First, it can cost quite a bit. From a few hundred to several thousand. Second, I have found that often the programming takes up a lot of time which means that there's little time for what you probably came for: Writing!

But you don't have to travel to an exotic location or spend thousands to have a writing retreat experience. You can create a writing retreat for yourself or your small group. Here a few tips to ensure a great experience:

1.  Retreat! You can schedule a few nights in a hotel in town or maybe the next city over. Or you can send your family away for the weekend and take over the house. Staying in your home environment doesn't feel "retreat" enough? How about a short car trip? I've done all three of these, and any of them will work. The main thing is to find a way to give yourself time without distraction. No kids, spouse, significant other, housemate or responsibility for taking care of other people. This is probably the most important thing. You don't want to have to worry about whether other people are being taken care of. Use the resources at your disposal (spouse, parents, sister/brother, friends, etc.) to take care of others you usually have primary or co-responsibility for. Schedule yourself at least 48 hours of time when you are only responsible for you. Makes your lists and obsess about the details ahead if you must. But once you've shuttled all responsibility to the others, let it go. You're on writing retreat now!

2. Plan Ahead: Book your hotel in advance. Find others to help take care of the kids (and dogs, etc.). Schedule time off of work. And if you're retreating at home, consider a meal subscription service or cook and freeze meals ahead for yourself. For me, cooking is relaxing and enjoyable, so I pamper myself with Plated or Blue Apron and take a break from writing, pour a glass of wine and cook myself a tasty, gourmet meal. If you hate to cook, order takeout or go to a local restaurant (that way you don't have to clean up!). 

3. Unplug: Are you easily distracted by cat videos and toddler memes? Do you get on Twitter and two hours later find yourself still engrossed in tweet after tweet? Or maybe you find it impossible not to open email when you see a notification pop up. Regardless of your general level of distraction, UNPLUG! This is not negotiable. Let everyone know that you'll be away for a few days. Your readers, fans, and family will be supportive. After all, they want to read your next book (or story or poem). So close your email, turn off the ringer, put your phone in "Do Not Disturb", leave the television off. Play music that feeds your soul and allow that to be the only soundtrack to your writing weekend.

4. Have Your Tools Ready: Make sure you have the tools you need to write as much as you want and can. If you write with a pen on paper, ensure that you have plenty of both. And this is no time to skimp. Get the good paper (I love Moleskine notebooks - smooth paper without drag). Get out the good pen that feels great in your hand and make sure you have plenty of ink refills. If you write on a computer, ensure that you have batteries for your mouse and a comfortable keyboard.

5. Pamper: Next to creating a space free of distraction, the next most important part of a retreat is to feel pampered. Make it special for yourself. Get a nice bottle of wine (not the "2 Buck Chuck" from the bottom shelf). Tea or coffee drinker? Stock up on your favorite. If baths are a luxurious ritual you rarely have time for, make sure you have the supplies for a soothing bath during your retreat. Schedule a massage for a break and to ease the tension in your tight shoulders. Buy some good quality dark chocolate or another treat that feels special to you. Get out the candles and create an ambience to support your muse. Think ahead of time about what feels luxurious - special - to you then create that in your space.

Unplug, retreat and pamper. Give yourself the opportunity to freely follow the creative urge and see what happens.  Cheers!

Writer Wednesday: Crafting an Antagonist that People Love to Hate

The work of developing characters is often the most fun part of writing for me. I’m learning who the people are that I’ll “work with” over the next several months. While it’s a lot of work (I often have several notebooks of character history, genealogy charts, and pivotal backstory scenes that never make it to the final work), it’s necessary and enjoyable to see the characters unfold before my eyes.

Generally, the protagonist and her motivation and goals come fairly quickly to me. Protagonist motivations and goals are often easily relatable – even noble.

But the antagonist is usually much more difficult. When creating a bad guy (or girl) character, it is harder than it may seem to craft a believable “baddy” without resorting to stereotypes or having the character seem like a caricature – a “stock” villain.

Additionally, antagonists are – by their nature – antagonistic to the goals of the protagonist. Goals that, as I’ve already mentioned, are usually relatable and even heroic. This push against the noble goal means that by definition the antagonist may be someone that isn’t very likable. The villain may even be downright frightening.

People often ask me if my characters are based on myself or people I know. The truth is that all characters are a combination of personalities and traits of people that I’ve met/known/observed as well as my own personality. It’s me plus all I’ve known in my life – which is another way of saying all the characters are me.

And it can be scary to delve into that part of yourself. To search within for the motivations/traits/goals/ambitions, etc. that are contrary to the noble and heroic person that we strive to be.

Helen Mirren as Commander Lilly Sturgis

When I first conceived of Commander Lillian Sturgis, the antagonist in H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath, she was more of a “stock” villain – the ubiquitous evil scientist. But with the help of my editors, I saw that she had the capacity to be so much more. And that the story demanded that she be more.

The problem was that I had not (at that time) worked on Sturgis’ backstory. I hadn’t taken the time to explore Commander Sturgis in the same way I had my main characters. When I went back and worked more on Commander Sturgis, I realized she had a pretty incredible story. She became more fleshed out. And when that happened, she became a larger part of not only The Deep Beneath but of the remaining books in the series.

By knowing who she is – not just what she does to move the plot along – I was able to sprinkle in actions/thoughts here and there to show more of her personality. At times we see Sturgis as a brilliant woman struggling to make her mark in a man’s world. At other times, we see her as downright creepy. Looking through Sturgis’ lens on the world, she certainly sees herself as heroic even if the main character thinks she’s a crazy bitch!

The antagonist is often the most difficult character to get a grip on, but it’s truly rewarding when I’m able to craft a villain that people love to hate. I hope readers love to hate Commander Sturgis as much as I do!

Writer Wednesday: Others Smell Your Stink More Than You Do

You know the saying. "The one who smelt it dealt it." In my experience that is rarely true of a person's malodorous behind. And when applied to the world of writing, I boldly assert that it's never accurate.

When it comes to our writing, we can rarely appreciate the full extent to which our prose reeks. While it is certainly true that we need to be our own first editors (and the better you become at editing, the more exceptional your writing will be), we cannot rely on our own eyes and minds to be the sole arbiters of the strengths and weaknesses of our work.

So let us be clear and establish Law #1: Every manuscript we produce MUST be read and commented upon by someone other than the writer.

Having accepted this law, we then must seek out a person or persons to critique our work. I recall clearly that at my first writer's conference back in 2009, I heard ad nauseam of the need to be in a critique group. The sounds like sound advice given Law #1 and many newbie writers run around with their hair on fire seeking out the perfect critique group.

The truth is that finding a critique group can be difficult. Many are closed to accepting new members. Still others are not a good fit. Many writers have never been in a critique group, and their writing has not suffered for it (possibly due to the constraints of a critique group/partner that I'll point out below). 

If you are in a critique group and it works for you, great. But I urge writers also to consider getting an "outside" opinion. Pushing yourself to receive feedback from a completely unbiased and skilled freelance editor may help you kick your writing up a notch.

Time for another bold assertion. Your critique group partner(s) and beta reader(s) are only slightly more able to parse out the true extent of the rotten parts of your manuscript than you are.

Why? Because they are not disinterested. Anyone that is in a relationship with you will be unable to provide an unbiased opinion.

You're not going to accept my bold assertion without argument, are you? Good. You shouldn't. I submit two pieces of anecdotal evidence for you to consider.

First, people in a relationship with one another consistently hold back the whole truth in order to preserve the relationship. This is human nature. When you ask your partner, "Do these jeans make your butt look fat?" how many would say yes even if said jeans make your ass looks like a hippo's butt stuffed into denim? The answer is very few. Any partner that said your ass looks like a hippo's butt would be considered an asshole and thus be putting the relationship in danger (whether he/she knows that or not).

We lie to the ones we love and care about to preserve their feelings, especially when we value the relationship. I submit that this is an aspect of human nature that we cannot escape, even in a critique group.

Second, people abhor conflict. Especially women people. I know this because I worked as a divorce lawyer and mediator for nearly twenty years. Time and time again, I saw people (especially women people) in relationships that did not work for them; agreeing to terms that were not in their best interest; and otherwise doing and saying things that went against their own truth simply to avoid conflict. And we doubly especially want to avoid conflict with people who we are in a relationship with. Thus, it is highly likely that your critique partner will hold back on pointing out just how smelly your MS is in order to safeguard your feelings so that, 1) You won't hate them and thus continue to be their critique partner; 2)To avoid conflict with you; so 3)The preserve the quid pro quo relationship that you've established to trade critiques of each other's work.

Now if you're okay with getting feedback that points out perhaps 50% of the smelliness factor in your MS but holds back a bit in order to guard against bruising your ego or perhaps ending the quid pro quo, then disregard this post entirely.

BUT, if you have the sense that maybe at least some of what I'm saying is true, then I suggest you do the following with your current manuscript:

HIRE A FREELANCE CONTENT EDITOR.

Paid editors are not in a relationship with you. They are not your friends, family, co-workers, critique buddies or avid readers of your work. They are interested only in the words on the page (and being paid) not your vivacious personality or quid pro quo.

I have had critique buddies, beta readers and paid editors. Without question, even the worst paid content editor delved deeper into my MS and pointed out more funk than the best critique partner or beta reader. And good content editors have helped me elevate my writing to new levels with their laser sharp focus that doesn't let me get away with anything.

Another thing I should mention that is a factor here deals with paying people for work. If you rely on free advice (even if it's quid pro quo), the fact is that people are busy with things other than your manuscript. Your MS is of the highest priority to you but no one else. 

When you hire a paid editor, your MS becomes her priority for a time because it's her job. You got moved up the priority list for her, and you're top. That means that the paid editor has more energy, time and focus to devote to your MS.

As I said, I've hired quite a few freelancers over the years. Some have been very expensive and frankly not worth the money. Others have been very expensive and worth the money but, well, very expensive and thus not affordable to use over and over again for each new work.

But one company stands out and I'm going to give them an unsolicited plug here: Red Adept. I've used Red Adept three times now and each time I've been placed with a different content editor. All three have exceeded my expectations and I've always felt that the service was worth more than what I paid. How often does that happen in life?

I recently hired Red Adept for a content edit of my current manuscript, H.A.L.F. The content edit took about two weeks, and I received back nearly 2000 comments on my manuscript plus a 21 page, single-spaced letter with feedback. The editor pointed out things that I've done well and my strengths to build on. But she did not hold back in pointing out issues with plot, sub-plot, pacing and characters (as well as other issues).

I'll be honest. When I get the content editor's notes back, I often feel despair. After all, when I sent the MS I felt happy with it and thought it was nearly good to go. But when I get it back and see a comment in nearly every sentence? Well, it induces a desire for chocolate and wine (not necessarily in that order and hopefully both together).

But I let it sit for a day or two. When I go back to it, I realize that nearly everything the editor pointed out is something that I had already considered, but perhaps wasn't sure if it really needed changing. Or I was stuck in my old way of thinking about it and thus unable to see how to change it. The content editor's suggestions spark my creativity, and I'm off and running, my excitement for the story invigorated as I rework the problem areas.

To be clear, a content editor will NOT rewrite your manuscript for you. She will not take your pile of poo and rework it into a masterpiece. But she WILL point out the obvious and not-so-obvious flaws in your work and often make suggestions for how you can rid your manuscript of its stink and make it smell lovely.

Another Note: Do NOT hire a content editor to critique your first draft. That is a waste of your money and their time. DO work on the MS until you feel that you've gone as far as you can go. DO run it through Grammarly so that it's as free of typos, misspellings and grammar issues as you can make it so that your content editor can focus on the big picture. If you do this, you'll get more out of your content edit.

Finally, if you're not yet ready for a content editor but would like the assistance of a second pair of eyes, you may also consider a paid beta read. I provide affordable beta read services to writers (see my page about it here). This is NOT A CONTENT EDIT but it will be an unbiased read and critique of your MS.

Do you hire freelance content editor(s) for your work? If so and you can recommend them,  leave the name and website address in the comments for others to consider.

Next Wednesday: What to do with your content edit/paid beta read when you get it back.

Writer Wednesday: Hitting the Mark with Amy Durham

I am pleased to welcome author Amy Durham back to Writer Wednesday! Amy has a captivating new release, Asher's Mark, a New Adult Romance book. Please check out the book's description, excerpt and buy links after Amy's wonderful guest post about doing the hard stuff.

THE HARD STUFF

by Amy Durham

My oldest son is a junior in high school. YIKES! It seems like just yesterday I was writing about him on my website as he was beginning middle school!
High school is a really fun stage in his life, as he's discovering the things he loves to do, fine-tuning the things he's good at, and beginning to make decisions about his future. I'm enjoying every minute of watching him become a young man.

When he was a freshman, he auditioned for All-State band for the first time. This is a rigorous audition process - that involves 2 different "cuts" - to determine the very best instrumentalists in the state. For his instrument (French Horn), only 20 players from the entire state are selected each year. He made it through the first cut, finishing 5th overall in our district. Already a tremendous accomplishment for a freshman competing against students who are sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school. When he didn't make it through the second cut to be one of the 20 selected, he was bummed. So was I. But not too terribly disappointed.

We had a talk about what it meant to do the "hard stuff". Auditioning for All-State band, especially as a freshman, was hard. He didn't have to do it. He CHOSE to do it. And choosing to do the "hard stuff" is how we improve, how we grow, and how we eventually "get there". There's such value in doing the hard stuff. When we stretch ourselves past what is comfortable or easy, that's where we find who we truly are. Where, after several tries, we find success.

I told him it was sort of like writing a book. Writing a book is not easy, as all authors know. It's difficult, toiling, gut-wrenching work. It takes a long time and can drain you mentally and emotionally. But authors choose to do it, because we know that by "doing the hard stuff" and stretching ourselves beyond where we're comfortable, a book eventually comes to fruition. And with each "stretch" and each "completed product", we grow and improve.

This idea is true no matter what area you pursue. So... dream big... run, don't walk toward the things you want most out of life... even if it means you have to do the hard stuff. It's always worth it in the end!

I agree with what Amy says in her post. It's all too easy to slip into a comfort zone, doing the same thing day-after-day more because it's comfortable than because it's the best thing for us. I retired from the practice of law last year and threw myself off of a proverbial cliff to pursue a writing career. And boy, is it a hard thing! A full year later, I still feel like I'm trying to figure out my day, my routine and truly own my choice. But I can absolutely agree with Amy that doing the "hard stuff" is worth it. 

Back to Asher's Mark, Amy's newest release:

Asher's Mark Book Description:

Asher's Mark by Amy Durham

Grace Ballard has been in love with Asher Howell for a long time. When she was sixteen, he became her hero, and she fell head over heels for the boy with a ring through his eyebrow, a big heart, and an unending sense of justice. But two years ago he left for college without a backward glance, leaving Grace to wonder if she'd imagined everything.

With no reason to wait for Asher to return, Grace moved on, and Asher's brother, Adam, stepped in to help her pick up the pieces. But Asher never left her thoughts ... or her heart.

Now, two years later, tragedy brings Asher home and back into Grace's life. The boy who left her behind is now very much a man - a licensed tattoo artist, much to his parents' dismay, and still carrying a major torch for Grace. But two years apart has changed them both, and the things that happened during their separation may create a divide that can't be crossed.

Asher and his brother both left their mark on Grace's heart. Will Asher's be able to stand the test of time?

** This New Adult romance features characters 18 years and older. However, this title does not carry a content warning, indicating readers should be over the age of 17.

Would you like a little preview? You've got it. Here's an excerpt of Asher's Mark:

Asher

I'm kissing Grace. Finally.

Every molecule in my body screams with the rightness of it. How had I ever thought I could stay away from her? How could I have put so much distance between us?

         I have no answers. All I know is that my arms are locked around her as her mouth fuses to mine, and I never want to let her go.

         There are all sorts of reasons I shouldn't be doing this... namely Adam... but I can't stop. I don't want to. Something in me shouts I saw her first! Two years of wanting her, loving her, have finally exploded between us. She's in my arms. In my lap. Under my skin. In my heart. She is everywhere and everything.

         Maybe to her it's just a way to forget. A way to stop thinking about losing Adam. But I just don't care. I don't care at all.

         All that matters is that we are together in this moment.

         I pull back a fraction of an inch, still hugging her close. Her golden green eyes are glassy and gorgeous, hazy with the desire we just stirred up. Strands of her auburn hair have escaped her ponytail and now hang wistfully around her face. She's so beautiful it makes me ache.

         She doesn't look upset, which is a relief. I thought I'd gauged her reaction correctly, but I'm glad to know I was right.

         She'd wanted to kiss me just as badly as I'd wanted to kiss her.

         I refuse to think too much about the ramifications of it.

         I run my hands up her back, from her waist to her shoulder blades, pulling her toward me again. Pressing a kiss to one eyelid, then the next, I take a deep breath and speak.

         "Mom's gonna text me any minute," I say, already dreading the moment I'll walk out her door. But I know it'll be better to leave now, while things are still dreamy between us.

         Grace nods, letting her hands slide out of my hair, over my shoulders, then coming to rest on my chest. My stomach flips over.

         No one's ever made me feel like this. Not even close. A simple touch from Grace does so much more than...

         I shove that thought way down and slam a lid on it, knowing that after all the stuff I've done the past year to try and forget Grace, I shouldn't even be touching her.

         "I should go," I whisper, leaning in to brush another kiss on her lips. "Before she gets antsy."

         Grace smiles. "Okay."

         "I don't want to, though." I grin back at her.

         All this talk about me leaving, and yet she's still on my lap and my arms are still wrapped around her. If I don't go now, I might not ever.

         I stand up, taking her with me and placing her feet on the floor. I grab my button-up shirt from the love seat, throw it over my shoulder, and turn back to face her. Our hands find their way to each other, fingers lacing together as we walk toward the door.

         I shift close before opening the door, intending to ask if I can see her tomorrow. On the bulletin board by the light switch, I see the picture... the picture I drew her just before I left for Flagstaff two years ago. Had it been there the night before? I think back and realize it wasn't. It must’ve been covered up by the big picture of Grace and Adam.

         Between last night and tonight she'd uncovered my picture. My mind races with what that might mean. I open my mouth, unsure what I'm about to say.

         But she speaks before I do.

         "We should probably talk about..." She doesn't finish the sentence.

         But I know she means Adam.

         The guilt bounces around inside me, but I can't find it in myself to regret what just happened. What I hope very much will happen again. Very soon.

         "Later." I reach up and push a stray tendril of hair behind her ear, my hand lingering on the soft skin of her neck. "I know we'll have to, but not right now. I just want to feel this right now."

         She nods. "Me too."

         Leaving her right then is about the hardest thing I've ever done, but I do it, before something ruins what was absolutely the most perfect moment of my life.

*     *     *

If you'd like to check out more of Asher's Mark, please use these handy buy links:

BUY LINKS:
B&N ➜ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ashers-mark-amy-durham/1120038982?ean=2940046076936

iBooks ➜  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ashers-mark/id905227190?mt=11

KOBO ➜ http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/asher-s-mark/Rxa-PLFub0OIKW0Mzx2Vuw?MixID=Rxa-PLFub0OIKW0Mzx2Vuw&PageNumber=1
Amazon -  http://www.amazon.com/Ashers-Adult-Contemporary-Romance-Resolution-ebook/dp/B00MQA63VC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1408057876

Author Amy Durham

After spending every work day with classrooms full of tweens and teens, then going home to three boys of her own, two of whom fall into the tween/teen category, you'd think that Amy Durham might like to leave the world of teens and young adults behind. Not so!

Instead, she spends her spare moments - which sometimes consist of waiting twenty minutes for her oldest kiddo to get out of band practice - with her laptop and a multitude of teenage characters trying to navigate their way through the twisted, difficult road of adolescence.

You might ask... "Why Young/New Adult Fiction"? Well, because it's what she knows. As a teacher and a parent, Amy is around teens and young adults on an almost constant basis. And while it's true they can be - ahem - challenging, they are also full of life, vision, and dreams. And that's a really cool place to be.

Young Adult and New Adult Fiction allows young readers the opportunity to find hope for the situations they find themselves in, find determination to keep on going, and courage to pursue their dreams. It also allows adult readers the chance to revisit the exuberance of youth, remember the joy and poignancy of first love, and recall how it felt to dream with abandon.

Amy Durham is a wife and mother, an author, a teacher, an avid reader, and a musician. If she weren’t writing books, she'd be a celebrity chef!

You can touch base with Amy here:

E-mail - amybdurham@gmail.com

Twitter - @amy_durham

Facebook – www.facebook.com/AuthorAmyDurham

Instagram - @authoramydurham