Happy St. Patrick’s Day, my friends! I’m wearing the green in honor of the Irish ancestors I may or may not have. Being adopted tends to put a question mark on anything having to do with ancestry.
Spring seems to have arrived in most parts of the country. I’m happy for those of you who suffered through February. Here we had one hell of a storm this past weekend….four inches of rain Saturday and Sunday with high winds. Bev and I were scrambling to make sure our quail didn’t drown and we succeeded.
My latest novel, Shadows Kill, is progressing. I re-wrote the introduction…then re-wrote the ending…and now I’m waiting on the last beta reader to see what she has to say. Meanwhile, I re-wrote my query letter and I think I’ve got that tight and interesting.
And, of course, I have begun work on the new novel, a sequel to Shadows Kill titled Shadows Over Innocence, one in which I’m turning my vigilante hero loose against the sex trafficking industry. I suspect the bad guys are going to wish Eli Baker was never born.
So that’s what’s happening in my neck of the woods. How about you?
QUOTE OF THE DAY
There is some serious wisdom in those words.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
I’ve mentioned before that I have a five year plan. I set, as my goal, to be published by a major book publisher within five years. I just finished Year Three. I know I’m right on track but there are times when doubts set in….the storms arrive….and I have to remember that I prepared for the storms, I will survive them, and to just keep moving forward into the bite of the wind.
TIP OF THE DAY
Long-range planning means exactly what it says. Set a goal, map out how you are going to attain that goal, and then keep moving forward. Of course you’ll have to adjust at times, but the one thing you shouldn’t do is simply change goals because there are short-term setbacks. If the goal was important enough to set in the first place, then it is important enough to strive for despite setbacks.
SITE OF THE DAY
If you haven’t done so, check in with your local library. They are a wonderful resource for writers. Many of them are thrilled to have writers conduct readings. Many of them have contests for writers. Check them out and see what they have to offer you.
CONTEST OF THE DAY
I shared this last week but I think it’s important enough to do so again. Go to this site and you’ll find a list of free writing contests. The key word here is FREE! If you are building a writing platform and trying to improve your status among the writing community, winning a contest is a great way to do so. Follow this link.
GOTTA RUN
I have novels to write so I’ll cut this off today. I hope you have a superb week of writing. I know I will.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 