Category Archives: A blog about the topics of writing

A blog about the topics of writing, Writers and Support

Why do you write as an author?

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Why do you write?

When I started, I was told by others they had been writing for years, some as early as their teens. I didn’t start until my early 40s.

Why did I start? My husband told a good friend of ours that he felt I wrote well. She told me. I mean, what better way to tell your wife than to a friend, right? I mulled that over, wondering if I had anything in me to write a book of any length.

I had two surgeries within six weeks of each other and was going to be stuck recovering more or less. So, I took on the task of writing something, anything that would work. I had heard for a while that you write on what you know.

So, what did I know? What could I possibly know that I could translate into a book? I literally looked around my house to see if there was something I knew that I could turn into a book.

My eyes landed on our rescued Amazon parrot, Jasper. He looked at me, and that was all it took. At that point, he had been with us for ten years.

From that, four books written. Three are published, one is in a queue from my publisher. It has been a joy to write.

Writing is freedom for me. Anything can be going around me, but if I am locked in a scene or plot, you really have to shout if you want my attention.

Why I write is hard to explain, I feel, to people who don’t write, but fellow writers get me. They understand being lost in the words and pages that they are creating. It is a joy that is priceless and a joy that I didn’t know I needed until I started doing it.

I know I am not explaining it well. Maybe, perhaps, if you write a short story and the words fill up page after page, the utter joy that I feel might be found by you.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing

I have submitted two more books for publications: Why I write

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I submitted the fourth volume of my Jasper, Amazon Parrot series to my publishers. I would not fathom saying this statement post-2010. The title is Jasper, Amazon Parrot: The Jungle Rescue.

Happily, my publisher accepted it. I also submitted my second volume to my Squirrel Mafia series. I will have seven books written when they are both published.

I have a few minutes to breathe before both publishers come back to me with final edits, cover design, and launch.

Do I make Stephen King or James Patterson money? Not by a long shot. But writing something that people will buy and enjoy is a thrill and empowerment that would not find any other way.

My latest review on Amazon came from a mother who wrote what her child said to her after they read volume one of my Jasper, Amazon parrot series.

My kid: it made me feel happy, calm, and emotional in some parts. 📗🦜🦜

I enjoy reading this book to my kid.

A grandfather bought volume one for his grandson for Christmas one year. The young child was playing an electronic game on the couch when he received the gift. He put down the game and started to read. He continued to the end of the book. He asked his grandfather where the second volume was.

I want children to read more and learn about this area in our world, the Amazon rainforest. Down the road, these children could be warriors for it.

So, no, I don’t make Stephen King or James Patterson money, but what I do make is a joy inside that I would not get if I didn’t write.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing topics

Do you research topics in your book?: Regardless of the genre

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Do you research your writings of any kind? Whether it’s a short story, novella, or novel?

I entered a short story in one of Writer’s Digest’s many contests. The only condition is that it has to be under 4k. Still, there were a couple of sections that I did a bit of research to make it accurate.

For my children’s series, I have notes for each animal in the book to be sure they are in the region I am writing in. I have checked to be sure the scenery is how it’s supposed to be. I have pages of links that I have used to prove my research. Some people have mentioned this genre does not need it. It is such a big part of the book. You get one big thing wrong, and the person who knows about it to read your book, prepare yourself for that review.

I was reading a book for review, and the author mentioned how his cockatiel could sing songs with 40 different lyrics. I knew that was inaccurate. I let it go. But every time he went to his office, this bird would sing.

I knew again this was wrong. How? At that point, I had been rescuing and adopting birds for over 15 years, and of the ones with me were four cockatiels. While they can sing multiple songs and sounds, I have never heard them sing the words to them. I even contacted a breeder I knew who had been doing this for over 40 years, and she laughed at me. It did ruin what was a great book.

You never know who reads your book. If your novel would benefit from research, do it.