Tis the season for my writing goals

Tis the aseason for my annual writing goals, my aspiration to become a published writer began summer of 2009 and since then I feel I have made strides, not agented nor published but my strides come in the way of finishing five books editing one with my lovely editor Lynnette Labelle and still appreciating the love of writing. Also a biggie for me this year was to truly understand how to format my manuscript its imperitive for writers to know this standard for the business, I was very appreciative when my editor returned my chapter and told me to figure out the formatting when I finally got it I was rejoiced but then had an internal battle with myself because I should have known how to format almost like an sixth sense. So my writing goals have and will remain the same writing until I improve and hope for the best that one day my novel will be snatched out of the slush pile and make an agent swoon over my novel happy writing.

Keisha Martin

Keeping up with the Kard...joking just simple me.

Blogging is hard I feel like I am writing for myself because as I scroll through various blogs which most are from writers I realize writers write similar blogs, many talk about the experience of getting stuck with plot(s), the journey of getting agented, the journey of getting published and some offer great writing resources. I read a post today by the awesome Janet Reid regarding agents appreciate writers/authors who have online presence however Janet Reid took this topic a step further and talked about when she is interested in authors she checks out their online presence and checks if the writing skills match the sample she looks at via query or requested pages. That really resonated with me because my first manuscript is still getting polished by my awesome editor but the writing I do on this blog is all me blood sweat and tears.I m pretty good going back and fixing spelling errors but the technical stuff of writing I always stress someone will point out my punctuation is not correct or I have a run on sentence etc which is issues I continue to work on and other known suspects. Janet Reid made perfect sense there has to be consistency in the writing aside from the voice in my opinion for example some days depending on my mood my blog post reflect that and I am an emotional writer in general when I write I really like to show the sorrow, the joy via my words sometimes when my characters are sad I try to write it in a way as if the words are bleeding. So again my ultimate goal is to continue to hone my craft and hope for the best so check out Janet Reid blog although she is not the right agent for me in regards to what manuscripts themes she is looking for she always writes engaging post and has fabulous resources for writers to utilize and I have participated in a few of her contest that are so fun and helps me continue to learn how to craft great intros or scenes. Happy writing Keisha Martin

Back in the groove of writing/reading

Normally toward the ending of July is when I get my writing/reading momentum back in full swing so to speak and also its the time as well in which new ideas tap my muse on the shoulders, and is firmly told to get back in line, it has been a rocky year dealing with plenty of self actualization which normally tended to be beating up on myself, I find I return back on track when I seek the advice of good friends and get their perspective on certain experiences I endured and the theme that I continue to struggle with which is not caring what people think of ME. Wow that is huge and relates so much to writing and the journey towards publishing because a major part of the journey is what people think of writers projects and it's never personal but for a beginner writer pursuing to acquire an agent/published at times it can seem so. The goal then is for me to achieve the goal of thickening my skin a bit more so that when I resume querying I won't let the expected rejections to bring me down and also within my personal life it's darn tooting okay that some people won't appreciate me because they are missing out and also sometimes people not liking me has nothing to do with me and likely more about themselves. Change can only occur when mistakes are not repeated. Keisha Martin

Update and random thoughts.

Its hot in Toronto, but I am not complaining (okay I did) because few months prior I was looking out my window to heavy snow fall, wind, ice, and praying for heat, I use this theme in my books often there is never any middle ground humans in general are never really happy, and even if one attains to equalizing that middle ground I don't think its ever achievable because things always come up. I have been struggling with that theme trying to find equilibrium in my life being a mom, having a great career (off for summer woo hoo) and striving toward firstly acquiring a literary agent and then published. But until that happens I am still revising ECLIPSE almost done I cannot wait for the whole manuscript to be finished and then tackle synopsis (gah) and then the query and hopefully have another novel to query with the first its all easier said than done and will take time so until then my middle ground will be to take my time and enjoy the solace of writing. Keisha Martin

Update

Not really much to update aside from the fact I am a horrible blog writer, been so busy I haven't had the time to get in a consistent routine with my blog writing, also its almost summer break for my kids and me too because I work in the Toronto District School Board and also I have been revising like crazy the last four chapters of my first book a YA paranormal romance yes it has vamps, Greek Gods and Goddess and a snarky, wicked antagonist, endings are super hard, and I am so fortunate my editor Lynnette Labelle is so tough and won't let me settle for a crap ending indeed it was and she caught me I wanted the easy way out and came up with a plot idea that didn't work and really if I was honest with myself I put my self in a corner and to get myself out I came up with a silly plot premise. So that's it a brief update what I have been up to well another big news I will start university in Fall so that will be another thing I have to juggle with writing, although I have a ton of book ideas but the six I have written I will focus on editing them throughout the years and hold onto the challenging but possible dream I will be signed to an agent and published one day. Happy writing.



 

When bleep happens

The easy part of being a writer is having fun making my characters go through various bleep situations and eventually achieve their obstacles but real life doesn't go like that because I have come to realize I cannot control people in reality the same way sometimes I cannot control my characters when they demand the arc of the story to progress a different route. I have decided that I want to be published and in order to get there I have to train myself to focus which coincides with my previous post gaining discipline. So I hope to have established a better regime and get on track with writing and also not letting stress of other people affect my productivity. Keisha Martin

Discipline when writing

Discipline, the theme word for me for this new week, I have been losing my writing routine due to various stress, and have made a decision to get my bleep back in gear and discipline myself back into a suitable writing routine and also editing. I would like to have the first revision done on my adult erotic romance novel and then read through it one more time make revisions and then pass it to my editor (I have to ask if she does edit steamy adult romance) my first novel a paranormal romance is going well I have been keeping on top of my edits but I want to do better a better means a faster turn-around when my editor sends me back comments/edits. So that is my mini update Keisha Martin

Pay it forward/Editor Cassandra Marshall

It took me a while, to realize many things in regards to avoiding a pile up of rejections one of which was finding a great editor to help me polish my novel(s) I am lucky I was referred to my editor Lynnette Labelle from the lovely National best-selling romance author Roni Loren. My first YA is progressing nicely and the cost of the edits works well with my budget(aspiring writers never quit your day job) Today while going back and forth from twitter and rewriting couple chapters Cassandra Marshall sent out a tweet regarding ways to promote her editorial services I sent a few ideas, she expressed her goal which is for writers to hire her which makes sense, so to pay it forward I have attached the links to her websites, check out her info if it works for you make the decision to get serious about your manuscript and put it into the hands of someone that will help you rip it apart and sculpt it back again and hopefully better your chances with an agent/publisher. LINKS LINK II Keisha Martin

Love/Hate random poetry

Today March first its significant because four more months until I am on summer break, but since that is a long ways away I will revel in the fact I will go on a much needed vacation without kids and spouse to regenerate a healthy mental healthy and hopeful gain some solid perspective, since my mood has been weird today one minute sad, then calm my muse encouraged me to write this short poem. The love I feel today how distant it feels tomorrow. When the days seemed longer, the warm breeze caress my skin and then the gusty cold wind dances on my face. Love hate what differentiates such powerful feelings? Is it the sunrise that makes me weep or the sunset that frightens me because darkness hovers nearby.

Mindfulness

Last week Friday I participated within a few workshops that had similar themes; stress relief, positive thinking and mindfulness. I recently decided I need to learn how to deal better with my stress, I have mentioned a few times in previous post why I began writing. Since writing is not so much an outlet for my stress and has become a goal that I want to pursue in order to hopefully get an agent and published I realize to do so I must be in good space to write, but its easier said than done, stress is defined as: A force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part. When I am stress it really does feel like something is pulling inside my heart, my head feels heavy, my entire body is tensed. Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stress Mindfulness is defined as: Bearing in mind;inclined to be aware I'd learned via my education as Child Youth Worker how important positive thinking is, coping when life sometimes feels like someone is repeatedly kicking one in the shins, my purpose is to teach mindfulness to the various clients I work with however, the snag is that I do not follow my own training and the result for me is increase stress. So to have a healthy mental health I have worked into my schedule few things to begin that process. *Exercise: Working out three times a week has helped me not only my self esteem but also focusing my energy away from stress *Meditation: No music just one with myself rejecting the negative thinking, experiences and focusing my mind so that it will record so to speak positive experiences and thinking. A bit of stress is good though because it doesn't make people comfortable thus never growing, so basically to have a healthy lifestyle everything one goes through has to be balanced, life is a continuous circle at times the circle may be spinning so fast and it only slows down when one allows themselves to take in a long deep breath release the tension and focus on their own mindfulness. A wonderful friend at work mentioned something to me a few weeks ago that stuck with me, she said no one can control or affect the way I feel only I do. Keisha Martin

Random poetry

Hurt 

 Feels like a knife. 

 Wielding in my heart.

 Coldness. Darkness. Stupid. 

 Blinded by the real you Betrayal. 

 Awakening mirage of someone else. Ruthless. Shallow. 

 Throws away values at a whim. 

Mind. Body. Soul. Refreshed. 

 Cleansed from the memory. time will heal the wound. 

 Breathe and not think of you.

Nostalgia

The term nostalgia describes a sentimental longing for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The meaning of the word above has been significant as of late, seems life sometimes decides to give me a huge kick in the shin and taunt me about it...alright a bit melodramatic, the truth. I want happiness. The same way I want happiness for my imaginary characters however, a great writer who hones his her craft knows in order to do that suffering must happen, but the reality is I know that in order to grow my experiences although painful at times will make me a better individual and also happiness cannot be appreciated unless I am in the moment I can't hope, wish for it when it happens that is when it will make sense. My happiness hopefully will come in the form of getting a great agent/published but aside from that my true happiness that gets ignored sometimes is the air in my lungs and the love that I receive from my loved ones.

REAPER NOVICE: Pay it forward to an awesome writer

REAPER NOVICE Amazon buy link Blog Amazon description 17- year- old Ana Maria Tei’s life has always been perfect: loving parents, good grades, and a future so bright it outshone the sun. But now words like “separation” and “divorce” are sending her world plummeting to hell. Determined to keep her family intact, Ana plans a family-bonding trip from Vienna to Tuscany. Except fate has other plans. Ana’s parents and siblings are killed in a car accident on their way to pick Ana up from school. Enter Grim, aka Ernest. He promises to relinquish the four souls if Ana agrees to trade her soul for theirs and serve a lifetime as his novice. In order for Ana to graduate from her Reaper’s Novice station to a Soul Collector graduate, Grim puts her to test. To her horror, she finds out becoming a Reaper’s Novice didn't happen by chance. It was preordained, and she is forced to make a choice: save her family’s souls or come to terms with who she really is and complete the task set for her. Reaper’s Novice Book release January 10th, 2013 Book description: 17- year- old Ana Maria Tei’s life has always been perfect: loving parents, good grades, and a future so bright it outshone the sun. But now words like “separation” and “divorce” are sending her world plummeting to hell. Determined to keep her family intact, Ana plans a family-bonding trip from Vienna to Tuscany. Except fate has other plans. Ana’s parents and siblings are killed in a car accident on their way to pick Ana up from school. Enter Grim, aka Ernest. He promises to relinquish the four souls if Ana agrees to trade her soul for theirs and serve a lifetime as his novice. In order for Ana to graduate from her Reaper’s Novice station to a Soul Collector graduate, Grim puts her to test. To her horror, she finds out becoming a Reaper’s Novice didn’t happen by chance. It was preordained, and she is forced to make a choice: save her family’s souls or come to terms with who she really is and complete the task set for her. With my hand braced on the railing, I climb down. And stop. My mouth falls open. Whatever tendril of air stored in my lungs whooshes out at the sight in front of me. At the centre of the room, illuminated by a spotlight on the high ceiling, is a black robot-like thing looming above Rolf. It has glass for eyes, a hooked, cruel-looking nose, and a slash of jagged metal for a mouth. The shoulder width is about two feet, with huge arms bent on its sides. It’s cold, gleaming, and so inhuman. Chills skitter down my spine. When did he have time to work on this monstrosity? It wasn’t here last week. Given its size, this is something that needs months to accomplish. As if sensing me, Rolf stops swinging his hammer and looks over his shoulder. One side of his mouth kicks up. Even that smile is foreign. He shifts the hammer in his hands, then hooks it on the tool belt hugging his waist. His hair sticks out in all directions. Twenty minutes ago it was styled in his usual immaculate style. I grip the rail tighter. “Hey,” I say, my eyes trained on the… thing. “Um… I see you’ve been busy.” “Isn’t he amazing?” His voice is filled with reverence, and his eyes flash with maniacal light. I swallow to push my heart back to my chest. “Who is he, Ro?” “Haven’t found a name for him yet. But…” He fishes around the front pockets of the toolkit for something. When his hand reappears, it’s trembling. In it is a remote control. “Just look at this.” He presses some buttons. Immediately the eyes blink open, red as blood. The sound of metal grinding against metal fills the room as its mouth yawns open. Metal wings uncoil from behind the robot’s back, rising and spreading, and shrouding the room in darkness. A creature from hell. I stumble halfway up the stairs, falling back when my feet can’t hold me up any longer. Rolf moves to stand next to it, arms spread wide at his sides, and proclaims with a voice I have never heard leave his lips—deep and authoritative and cold—“Let the wars begin.” He focuses his eyes on me. “What do you think?” I think I’ve never seen anything as hideous and scary in my life. And what is with his voice? I nod. “Um… interesting. I—I’ll wait for you upstairs.”

New Year: Pretty much same writing goals

2013 I have the same writing goals as I did in 2012 such as editing with the help from my amazing, smart editor Lynnette Labelle I am so fortunate to have been referred to her almost a year and half now I have been working with her, the investment is well worth it because she doesn't hold back and really makes me work to make my chapters better. I advice writers pursuing the dream of getting published and an agent to research a great editor, no matter what level an author is at in regards to grammar, punctuation etc an excellent editor will be able to find things that was missed. Another goal that I am still pursuing is finding few beta readers my editor continued her awesomeness by referring me to her writers group and it has been helpful being part of a group with writers in various stages of the publishing journey and also skill, so that has helped me tighten my writing and also gain confidence to show my work and accept constructive critique. I hope 2013 will be the year things come together in regards to my dream however, I have come to the realization its not something that can be rushed nor is it my control whether that will happen what I have control over is writing and polishing the best manuscript. The other reality that came to me recently is that my novel I am working on may be my practice novel I have been busy and have written six novels since 2009 so again likely few of those may not see the light of day and could join the first as practice manuscript but I still have little bit of hope. So 2013 a fresh year in which I will work hard and continue to love writing.