Philosophy, Mud Pies, and Therapy

Talking with a long time friend and fellow writer recently, she revealed that finishing her young adult novel was proving to be a challenge.  She just keeps adding and adding and adding to the pot and the soup is never done.  As everything in writing is about what is going on inside of you, this is an outer display of some inside challenge.  I don't mean to throw philosophical mud pies into this blog, but there you have it. Authors have stuff going on in their core, and it is going to show up in their work.

Which slams open a variety of topics. Such as: you nor I have any idea what her challenge is on why she is not making an easy, neat and tidy, efficient ending to her story. Why she cannot wipe the dust from her chapped finger tips and declare the tale she has undertaken as concluded.  We can assume, conjecture, and imagine, but only she will ever know the complete truth as to her inner wrestling with the beast called The End.

The young adult novel that I just posted on Amazon, Black Licorice, is so much better than the first in this trilogy. Does this mean that I am getting better as a writer, that I am sick and tired of writing so just sticking up stuff on the inter net so I won't have to face it anymore, or that I have obtained Writer's Enlightenment and can pump out perfect stories in a single weekend?  My ego will definitely go for the latter of these choices.  Probably, however, it has more to do with the fact that I have had more practice at writing a novel than when I wrote Red Nectar.  That, and the reviews that sweet, kind, generous people bestowed on me helped me to know what to do and not to do in subsequent novels.

I find it fascinating to read reviews of my stuff. It's like being the fly on the wall to people talking about you. Reviews by people I've never met are the best. They are not holding back due to some fear that we won't be friends if they say they don't like the way I wrote something. It is a chance to gain insight into my character, personality, and relationship with the world through words.

Scout and Ellie, a middle grade chapter book of mine, ended a 10 book giveaway through Goodreads.com last week. I'll be sending out the books to the winners this week.  Once readers check out the book, they will most likely log on to Goodreads.com and post a review. Yey! More insight as to where I am in life from outsiders, and how I can improve my writing.

In the last giveaway that I did for Red Nectar, a very insightful reader said she would have given the book 4 stars over the three that she assigned it if it weren't for the interruptions that I made in the telling of the story.  Seems my talking about political and environmental situations that were not necessarily relevant to the story, well, they weren't wanted.  On a personal level, this means to keep my topics of discussion with others connected to what we are talking about--not to interject with my own biased views.  And as a writer, I see the importance of the words of one of my favorite writing teachers, Diane D'Andrade, "Stick to the story--no one wants to hear your 'message'."

Writing and casting my stories up to the public eye is like having the general public as my personal therapist. If I manage to shove aside my ego, I can gain profound inner knowledge. Of course, I have to remember that each reviewer has their own 'stuff' inside of them that is affecting how they perceive what I write. But somewhere between my ego and their stuff, glimpses of core stuff both personal and writing-wise can be seen.

Wow, all of this stems from writing words on a computer. One of the biggies of why I LOVE being an author--and why everyone should write at least one book in their life time.

Heather Leigh
aka author of the freshly posted Black Licorice

BIG Questions

There is a small bird perched on a street lamp outside my window. His song is a sweet chirp that is amazingly loud in comparison to his tiny size. How do birds chirp so loudly when they do not seem to have the lung capacity to make enough for anyone to hear them more than a foot away?

Another question for you that can never solved: on what day did my boys go from being in need of a hug every time they scraped their knee to becoming Freshmen in college and high school? This is one of the great mysteries of life, never to be solved by any parent in the Universe.

What happened to the days when the most passionate discussion in our house was whether or not the Incredible Hulk was a legitimate Superhero. Can anyone tell me?

Okay, I'll quit with the nostalgia whining.  Here are some more questions that have stumped me but perhaps you can answer:

Why has Alan Rickman not asked me out when I have told all of my friends that he is my movie star crush. I mean, what other hint does that man want?

How is it that Harper Lee was able to write one book, To Kill A Mocking Bird, and retire in Hawaii from the profits? Has anyone else ever done something so clever in one shot?

Why are we still using cars rather than a huge network of mass transit? Am I the only one who gets that traffic sucks?

Why do people say that cats are aloof and impersonal when mine YELL at me for attention every night. They are so demanding--you wouldn't even believe it.

How can an ex-boyfriend send one silly little e-mail to say hello and make me realize that I still like that big old stupid jerk. What the heck is up with that?

Why is the sky blue? Okay, just had to add the obvious question.

Who invented chocolate covered caramels and where can I send my eternal gratitude for this godly treat?  And did you know that now they offer it with a touch of sea salt? Where are these genius candy makers?

Why have I never met a leprechaun? Do they really store their gold at the end of the rainbow? What about when there is a double rainbow--are there two pots of gold?

Has anyone done a truly thorough search for unicorns, dragons and fairies to be sure they are really gone from the earth? It is a worthy quest.

Anyone have any answers for me, please let me know. And, if you have any questions for me, post it on my face book.

Heather Leigh

Better Than The Last One

Having recently finished the sequel to my young adult novel, Red Nectar, I am amazed, stupified and stunned with the advancement of my writing skills. Black Licorice is just so much better! I look back at the difference in writing skills and am darned plumbed pleased with my literary growth.

Then, of course, I read something by Barbara Kingsolver, Cormac McCarthy, or John Irving and I sink back down to my lowest depths and gaze in adoring wonder at the heights to which I can only hope to approach half-way on in comparison to what they produce as a matter of course.

But still, I sigh as I console my writer's ego, I did do better this time.

And, there are many things that I am good at. Just ask my dog, Sydney.  Every time she sees me with a leash in hand, she thinks I am the Queen of the Land of Dogs. She says that I do a marvelous job of handing out dog biscuits.  The cats? I am so cool to them that they actually purr when I grace them with petting time. I know right where their chins need to be scratched.

Of course, if I am searching for compliments after feeling a down day of writing, my teenage sons are not who I go to. Last week when I made Ahi steaks for dinner, and thought they were mouth-wateringly delicious, the younger of my sons asked if they were supposed to taste like leather.

Oh, but when I buy them what they want, I am back to being an okay mother.

And, the idea that Black Licorice is better written than its predecessor is mine.  Writers must have SuperHuman strength to shield off ego crushing rejection letters and nasty mean critiques. I don't know if this strength stems from ignorance, stupidity, or the ability to ignore what words are cast at us just so we can tell yet another story.  I guess we really listened to the "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" garbage that is thrown at us when we are young, naive and easy prey.

So, for now, I am going to continue to feed myself with the truth or lie that this story is better than the last. What is for certain, is that I will feel the same about each book I write as time goes on. Practice does seem to make us better at what we do. Unless you are an aging athlete or an old dog trying to learn new tricks.  Well, there are always the exceptions.

Excuse me now while I start on my next writing project. Who knows, maybe this one really will be better than the last. Could happen.

Deathbed No-no's

Ten things that I will not be saying on my deathbed:

1.  I am so thankful that I kept that hateful, dull, monotonous day job and gave up on my dreams.

2.  Thank goodness that I ignored my family in order to work to get more money and things.

3.  Friends are a waste of time.

4.  I am a better person for having stayed home to be comfortable and safe rather than experiencing risky adventures.

5.  Healthy eating should be followed strictly 24 hours a day and desert should be banned.

6.  Laughing so loud that my teenagers are embarrassed must be avoided at all costs.

7.  I never made a single mistake in my life because I never tried anything new.

8.  Smelling roses is a stupid idea.

9.  Pets are a nuisance that should not be bothered with.

10.  Life sucks.


Thought I would share what my life will not be all about at the end of it.  What will you NOT be saying?

Now, I think, my next post will have to be what I will be saying on my deathbed.

Heather Leigh

Grateful For Writing Opportunities

Inkbok is launching today! Now, please don't mistake this blog for another commercial site, but their whole gig is another way for self-publishers to share their work and get paid for it. So, the real purpose of this blog today it recognition and appreciation for the many avenues that are now available for writers to support themselves by doing what we love to do--write!!  Here are examples:

Inkbok is like an on-line library ($5 bucks a month) that readers can go to and read any posted book. And there is a huge selection. I downloaded Red Nectar, and Scout and Ellie on there are few weeks ago. So, if you are a member, you can read my books and all the other listings whenever you want. They give the authors a percentage of the earnings. Also, the more people who click on books by Heather Leigh, more more money I get. Yowza!

Next is GoodReads--I love them! Members (this is free) get to read reviews posted by other readers so that they can know if a particular book is something they want to spend money on. And then you can also leave a review. There are book chats going on, and you can follow other readers that have similar taste.  Again, my books are on there so this gives me advertising and I can read the critiques about my books, helping me know what to improve upon.

Through GoodReads, I've also done two book giveaways.  Feels awesome to give away my books, receive reviews, and be promoting all at the same time.

Kindle and Amazon work together to offer discounts to people who buy both the ebook and paperbacks, further supporting authors.  In addition, I've done their promotions of free downloads and discounts to spread the word about newly published works.

CreateSpace is available to self-publish your book for free as a paperback. You spend nothing, unless you want to pay for extra services.  The books are available for purchase and are not put together until they are sold. They do all the shipping stuff.  You just promote and let people know about your books and where to find them. I know you've heard of social media!

There are other self-publishing sites, but I chose CreateSpace because they link to Amazon and offer a plethora of promoting tools.  Lulu is great for different formats of your book, like the old classic--the hard cover.

And I can't possibly leave out Facebook as a way to spread the news as to what I am up to with the book situation, as well as support other artists and writers.

This blog is a way for me to express my thoughts on writing, and stories that come up in my life.  It's a great way to share.

My aunt and I have a free blog with illustrated children's stories. She illustrates and I write them. It is our way of giving back to the community at large. Check it out with some kid you know: www.thechildrensstoryplace.blogspot.com   There is a new one posted about Alexander Pig and what he is complaining about.  How fun is that, a free site for kids to read stories.

So, I say thank you, thank you, thank you for all the opportunities that are available for writers and artists in todays computer world.  It is a great time to be a writer!

Heather Leigh

The Insanity Of Writing

My friend, Melissa, told me that she loved that I was the ‘mad’ writer, sitting at home, writing away. She asked what inspired me. I asked what inspired her to own a day spa. She replied, “insanity”.

I took a step back in my thoughts and realized that it was the same for me. Writing as a profession is insane. I'm sticking my thoughts to letters on a keyboard and talking to people whom I cannot see—hoping or assuming that they will read it in the future.

Story writing is even more insane. Plucking words out of the air and making a story out of nothing. Following the lives of characters as if they were real.  Discovering plots and actions that are derived from nothingness and spitting them onto the page as though these journeys had actually occurred to real people. My characters have never drank a smoothie or read the newspaper or held someone’s hand and yet I listen to their conversations as though I were sitting at a table next to them, copying down tales of their lives.  Shouldn’t that be classified as psychotic?

If you are doing in your life what gives you pleasure beyond just working for a paycheck, then the same thing inspires us.  Of course, it is acceptable to keep your desire as a hobby and remain at the ‘day job’ to pay the rent. But partaking in your creative side is a must for your health, sanity and happiness.

The creative side does not have to be writing, or decorating a spa, or molding clay on a potter’s wheel. Cleaning houses is filled with beauty if you are imagining how the end result will be—the feeling of contentment that being in a house with everything clean and clutter-free is it’s own relaxation.  I used to love being a food server and bring people an hour of fine food and keeping their needs met.  But really, my guess is that most people have a creative side that they are ignoring.  Rip yours out of the dark hidden cave within and expose it to the light.

I was able to win the life-career lottery in that I found what I love to do before my life was over.  I wish you the same insanity.

Heather Leigh

Surprisingly Terrific Idea

Last week, a friend sent an e-mail that she had a story idea for me. Now, in the history of me telling people that I am a writer, I have received an average of 99% percent of the time being told that they have a great story idea that I should follow up on. While I appreciate their offer, I've never received one that fits what I am into writing about. So I always suggest that they write about it

So when CJ, whom I know because our boys have been friends since the third grade, e-mails me with her idea, my first thought is that I am being spammed, or sent a virus. At the very least, I think that I will be politely telling her that the story is something that she should follow up on--not for me.

Boy, was I wrong.

Not only was she not a spam or a virus, she has a terrific idea that we are running away with. We met for an official business meeting the next morning over coffee at Starbucks (she had coffee, I just kept talking). After presenting her idea in full, I ran off at the mouth of what I had been thinking of to go with her suggestion and then couldn't shut up with what I wanted to do with the characters.

We started out, feeling around in the dark, molding the elusive plot, crafting characters out of thin air, and laughing at the silly things the hero and protagonist could do together and against one another.  Turns out, this is going to be a really fun book to read and write.

The extra whipped cream on this whole shinboggon is that CJ is a born media marketing genius.  That woman knows how to get the word out to the right audience about any subject known to man/woman/animal.  And she enjoys doing this. In my mind, that is a crazy awesome skill to possess but more difficult than gaining and keeping the respect of my teenage sons.

And if I am able to write half as well as she seems to think I can, well, I can tell you that we would be on Oprah for our success story if Oprah were still on television. Perhaps our story will be so danged impressive that she will do a special on the Internet about us. Could happen.  Or maybe Ellen Degeneres because I always thought she was a funny woman. Oh, no wait, on that show by Zach Something--the guy from those Hangover movies who is hysterical.  My son just showed me a YouTube video of him interviewing Obama and Zach Something is a comic genuis. Well, all these interviews I'm dreaming about could come to fruition, could happen. Of course, I have to write the story first. There is always that.

But I did start writing it and the beginning is really funny, the middle does not entirely suck and the ending (which I will write this weekend) has great potential.

I wrote most of it so far in the format of a boy just telling non-stop what has been happening to him. There are some pretty good lines and I think there may even be something that might possibly make somebody laugh someday. Could happen. Once that is done, I'll go back through and see what format it will go in. Also, have a more firm grasp as to the main character's personality.  This is backwards from how I am supposed to work. I should start with the personality, and then write the book. But when I got to the page to start an outline and write out personalities of the characters, my fingers started to type a story and then as I was reading what my fingers were typing, I found that I did not hate what was going on.  When people ask how a writer writes, I think the truth is that we are all just idiots feeling our way in the dark and trying to figure out how we write and then hope that what is on the page doesn't suck too badly.  At least, that is the truth for me.

So, as soon as possible, probably within a few months, I'll have a story that is ready to be critiqued by a writing group. I'll let you know if any big epiphanies come up as to the story and how to write a story. But don't hold your breath. I don't want to be responsible for you winding up in an emergency room from lack of oxygen.

Heather Leigh