Consistency and other topics

I have heard that consistency is the key for getting followers when it comes to blogging.  When will I learn?  Anyway, I said earlier that I would let you know if my short story, “Maidenhood Sign” made it into the Anthology.  Unfortunately, it didn’t.  There were so many people who responded to the call that it just didn’t make it.  That’s ok. though, because I am going to resubmit it to Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and hopefully it will find a home there.  If not, I will find a way to sell it through my blog and let you decide.  It is backstory for my book, Sword of Earth.

This winter has been a hard one because temperatures have been extremely low.  I fight with depression in the winter and this winter was no exception.  I found myself thinking of my characters, but not writing much.  I hope to rectify that.  I hope to be in draft three next year, and with that, I can concentrate on the description of things.  I tend to do the bare bones for draft one, which tells of what is happening mainly.  Draft two seems to flesh that out, adding some depth to my characters (at least I think so), and draft three brings in more description.  I am not sure of what happens in subsequent drafts, as I haven’t been that far with a book.

As for audioboo, I haven’t been doing that much at all.  I just haven’t felt much like talking and this has been the same for the podcast which I know isn’t good at all.  Pray for me please, for I know this is the Lord’s work.

I haven’t been writing much poetry either.  This is a real slump for me, but I feel I am coming out of it.  I have been able to get out somewhat, and then I got slammed by a cold.  I’m sorry that it sounds like I’m complaining; I’m not.  I’m just letting you know where I stand with regards to the writing and all.

There are a few positive things though.  I have received an email asking if I want to be in Heart of the City this year, and of course I said yes!  It’s going on June 7 & 8, although I will be there only on the Saturday.  That could change though.  You can keep an eye on things by going to Hearts Alive! on Facebook.  Secondly, I have been keeping up with some creativity.  I have done some marker art, some of which I have mentioned on Audioboo.  You can see some on the facebook page as well.  Things are looking up!

Well, I have to go now.  May your journeys be safe, take care and God bless.

A Bit Ditsy

Some of you who are looking at this post were expecting to read a poem.  Well, I posted to the wrong blog.  Well, God has a sense of humor, and that’s quite ok.  I haven’t written here in a while, and that needed to change anyway.

What has been going on?  Well, the Lord finally broke through something that I have been wrestling with for over a year, and that’s a long time.  It has been keeping me from doing what I need to here, and I am glad to be back.  Hopefully I won’t get overwhelmed again.  What was the whole thing about?  Believe it or not, it was about whether or not I am leading people to the Lord with my art and my writing.  That matters to me.  I found out that I am leading people to Him through the Holy Spirit when we were on our staycation this year.

So, I have finally come back to writing with a vengeance.  I have come back to working on draft 2 of Sword of Earth, and started draft one of Bow of Fire.  I have decided to write first drafts in the first person so I can get the feeling of the person.  The books are written in close third person anyway, so think it’s the best.  I’m doing the odd post on Audioboo, and I have written a poem for the King’s Poetry.

As for my art, I am illustrating for a children’s book, and am looking forward to its completion.  I am working using markers and illustration board.

Well, that’s it for now, and I pray I will be able to write again soon.  May your journeys be safe.  Take care, and God bless.

News and quirks

Hi everyone,

As you saw earlier, I posted something that had a date back in August.  It’s odd, but I had written it, and I thought I had posted it, but for some reason it didn’t.  I hope you enjoy it, as well as what I have written now.

So what has been happening in the past couple of months?  Plenty.  I have published more poems at The King’s Poetry, and I’m almost finished another podcast for The King’s Poetry Podcast.  I have also completed several pieces of art and hope to post it to Hearts Alive! News and Art Gallery, not to mention others.

Speaking of art, I had my art on display at Edmonton Expo, the local comic and entertainment expo.  The event was a success; some people grabbed some cards.  Nothing was sold though, but that’s ok.  It was all about getting the word out there that mattered.

Ok.  Now on to the writing that I have been doing.  I have written some poems, but I haven’t been putting them up.  One new one, as well as a revision will be up soon, not to mention a poem of a featured poet, Leah Pauls.  I will also be putting up links to the appropriate podcasts.  I have a lot to do, and that’s the truth.  I have a little more written on Sword of Earth.  I am still on chapter 9, but it’s coming.  I am also working on a lot of short stories.  I know, but I plan on kicking it into high next gear soon.  I have needed a break, and now it seems that I am thinking of Horsemaster more and more again.  She is once again becoming a part of me again.  I know she is always a part of me, but somehow I think we could have been at odds with each other due to description.  I wasn’t willing before to describe her homeland or show more, but now that I am, especially after attending a workshop entitled “Show, don’t Tell” at Pagemaster Publications Services on November 7.

I am going to be restructuring this site in the next few weeks.  I will be making up an area with interesting links to not only my accounts I want you to know about, but also to sites and blogs I believe you would want to hear about.

I pray all is going well with you.  May your journeys be safe.  Take care, and God bless.

A LOT of News

Hi everyone,

Much has transpired since I last posted a note here. I have received my piece back, and I found out that I have a lot to learn with regards to writing, and I may take a course, but I do have an idea of how I might be able to work through it and make it a better story. That’s good.

I have since written some poems and revised others making the King’s Poetry blog a bigger place, but I’d like to make it even better. My only problem is that I don’t want to add illustrations yet because when I put the chapbook together, it’s going to have illustrations and photos. I will still put in the odd one to entice people, but I’d like to keep it to a minimum. What do you think?

Thirdly, I have finally started the King’s Poetry Podcast. Look for it In itunes, or under my name in Spreaker or Sound Cloud. There are two under my belt right now, and I’m hoping for another before the end of the day.

So what’s going on with sword of Earth? Not much, but it is going. I don’t know, after I lost the data again, I just couldn’t start again, but I finally gave myself a kick in the seat of the pants and I have been writing it. I’m going on vacation this week, and I don’t know if I’ll be writing anything in the book. It all depends whether I will be taking my computer with me. I still will be writing, but I have another tool, which I’d rather not mention at this time.

In the art field, I am working on a course on drawing fantasy characters through going through a book. I’m really getting to understand how the human body is put together with it. Not only that, the author is helping me with various careers that a person can have, and giving me lots to think about. If I can, I will take a picture of one of my sketches. I can hardly wait.

So, what’s going on the Audioboo front? Not much. I have been doing a boo here and there, and I know there is a lot to do. I hope to have another entry soon.

Well, I think that’s all for now. May your journeys be safe, take care, and God bless. Bye for now.

Summer Begins

Hi everyone!

Yay!  Summer is actually here!  We have been getting a lot of rain in our province and the southern end of it is actually in a lot of trouble due to them.  Our city itself is under flood watch right now.

The news on the home front is that our community garden has just been planted.  It is late in the season, so it will be interesting as to what comes up.  I am growing squash, carrots, turnips, zucchini, corn, beans, and for something pretty, some snapdragons.  We are in a raised bed this year, so this makes planting easier.  I loved it.

On the writing front, I have made some progress.  I have submitted Maidenhood Sign to Beneath Ceaseless Skies, so I am waiting on pins and needles as to whether it will succeed or not.  If not, I will try one more time, and if it doesn’t succeed, I will publish it myself on Fantasy’s Fancy.  I have just published the poem “Who?” on The King’s Poetry, and it already has a like, praise God!  Ok, now on to the really juicy news!  I have mentioned the Kent Chronicles, I’m certain of it, especially in the past few blog postings.  I have decided to do it like a chronicle, or a blog of members of the city.  For the moment, they will be around Mary and her journey.

That’s where I’m looking for an app or something I can use online.  I am using Edmonton loosely as a place.  Numbered streets as well as avenues will be replaced with names, and buildings will be relocated to keep their locations more secret.  The only difference is that I would like to put them on points of interest on a map. I don’t want to put it on something like FourSquare because they will be different from our town.  I want this to be as interactive as possible so that if someone were to come to Edmonton who read the blog, if they chose, they could see where Mary “lived”.  I would want to do it with hashtags, and have it link to the posting on the blog.  If anyone has any ideas, feel free to post.  Thanks.  Feel free to read The Kent Chronicles.

Ok., maybe that wasn’t the really juicy stuff.  For months now I have been mentioning that I was going to have a podcast for the King’s Poetry.  Well, the introduction to the podcast is up!  I will be doing the first podcast episode in a little over a week.  Here is the link. 

Just as an afterthought, I am planning on working on the art for the King’s Poetry Chapbook as well.  Lord willing, it will be ready for publication in five years.  Also as an afterthought, and I can’t believe I did this, I am again working on Sword of Earth with precautions so that if something happens to my computer, I can always work on it.

So, things are growing, just as things are in the garden and in the world around us.  All I have to do is praise God, for it’s all His.  He’s growing it.  Thank you for reading, and may your journeys be safe.  Take care, and God bless.

It’s Amazing!

Hi everyone,

I wrote this post at the beginning of February, but it got saved as a draft in the wrong blog.  I wanted you to view it before I posted new material.

Michelle

Just like the title says, I feel amazed.  The difference between how I felt during the past couple of posts is like night and day.  I have felt like I have had the equivalent of a blood transfusion from the Lord with regards to my writing.  You see, writing for me has been my oldest of ministries; I have been writing since I was a child.  In essence, when I am healthy, I can’t not write.  I am so thankful to be back to writing.

I am writing to you from Travelodge Edmonton East.  Right at the end of the Breakforth weekend, my husband and I went there for a personal retreat.  We do what we want, and what we want is to soak in the Lord.  It has been a wonderful week so far.  I have began to work on my book for the first time in months, and I have finished at least 2 poems.  I pray to be back in the swing of things soon.  I still have to be careful, but I feel better.  How do you deal with this in low times?  Do you just veg?  Do you have another form of art you switch to like me?  Or are you also like me and get depressed?  Feel free to comment here.

Thanksgiving Update

Hello everyone.

It’s a sunny day here in Edmonton, but it hasn’t been the warmest weeks.  Frost has come to the city, so that means the end to the community garden for the year.  The garden has brought so much learning to my brain that I can hardly believe that a gardening season is complete.  What does this have to do with writing?  Well lots, if you think of Aylanna Horsemaster, my heroine.  Her existence is based on the earth, its animals, and its plants.  Her family would have had a large garden because there would have been five mouths to feed.  Knowing something of the garden helps me with her.  I’m still on chapter 8, but it won’t be long before I am on chapter 9.  I’m also working on a short story from Aylanna’s coming into womanhood.  I’m hoping to get them published into print at some magazine.  It could help me if I decide to go the traditional route for publishing my series.

Speaking of the series though, I have written the prologue and Chapter one of Fire Bow. I am enjoying what I am finding out about Scarlet.  She is very hot headed.  I’m doing short stories for her too.

So, what’s going on with my poetry?  I have just revised “Beauty for Ashes.” I’m waiting until there are four poems; then I will be recording “The King’s Poetry Podcast” on Podomatic.  I know some people say that putting them on a site isn’t a good thing, but I have to do what I can.  It’s free; I don’t have any money to do things like pay for a domain name, pay for sites, etc.  I am thinking of putting a donate button here as it has been suggested though, and if there’s an affirmative response to this, I’ll do it.

So I hope that brings you up to date, but now I would like to tell you of another podcast.  It’s James Kelly’s Free Reads Podcast.  He reads much of his work, and keeps us up to date on what is going on in his life.  This can be found on itunes or on his website.

Well, I am Rude!  For all you who are celebrating Thanksgiving out there, happy Thanksgiving!  I am so thankful for all who are reading this blog and enjoying its content.  I hope you have lots of turkey, lol, and remember what to truly be thankful for.  Well, until next time, take care, safe journeys, and God bless you.

 

A New Week

Hi everyone,

Well, it’s the start of a new week and I’m letting you know what’s going on.  The truth is LOTS.  I am now on Audioboo, and you can now hear my boos here.  Basically, my boos are mini podcasts, but I’m using them to read The King’s Poetry   If all goes right, I will post on The King’s Poetry on Tuesdays; then on Wednesdays, I will read a new boo.  If you want to follow me and have itunes, hit the itunes button.  You will get the poems directly in your itunes then.  Enjoy!

Anyway, I have also made my first posting on Livejournal too.  If all goes right, I’ll post on either Thursdays or Fridays.  My profile at Livejournal is here.  I know the title is a bit lame, but I’m working on it.  It will come as the blog takes shape.

I am still working on the Food Tunnel.  I’m thinking of taking an in-depth look at recipes by researching the ingredients before working on the recipe.  Some people will be impatient, I know, but I believe it will be a good learning experience. 

As for my book, I’m finally moving forward again.  I pray that it continues to.  After all, it’s God’s book, as are these blogs. 

Well, I pray all is well for you.  Take care and God bless.

Michelle

Beating to a different drum

Well, today is a lot better than last time.  I quit my belly-aching, and prayed about what was going on, and now I have moved forward.  I have worked on all my blogs, on my book, and more.  The first news I told you that I would mention is if I published any fantasy.  I did.  It’s part of Kent Chronicles, and you can see it at Fantasy’s Fancy.  Even though Fantasy, my use is small, she will grow full sized soon.

Now, I have also worked some on Chapter 5 for my book, Sword of Earth.  I’m hoping to be done that chapter soon so that I can get it out to all my beta readers.  I have been working on it for over a year now, so I want to be on draft 3 soon.  Hopefully by this tie next year.

I am working on both Christian and non-Christian poetry.  The Christian poetry can be viewed at The King’s Poetry.  The others will be published elsewhere, and when that happens, I will let you know.  I have nothing new for the King’s Poetry, but I did edit a poem that I first published there.  It is a biblical poem from Eve’s point of view.

I pray you’re doing well with all your writing or whatever your interests lay.  God bless you all.

Michelle