Category Archives: Writing thoughts

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing thoughts

Writing my first death scene

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I wrote my first death scene last year. Before I go any further, this book is for YA and up. People know me for my Jasper series, a children’s series. But I do write in YA and Adult as well. The Jasper series was the first one out.

When I wrote this scene, the death one, it just flowed. I am unsure if I read too many mystery and action books or watch too much TV. But it didn’t take me long to write close to 1000 words on this. It did care me when I giggled upon finishing. Either that was due to me writing it, how it seemed effortless, or perhaps it made me nervous about how much fun I had doing it. As someone who has written children’s books, it was an odd experience. But what was fun was when I told other authors about this experience and how they laughed with me at my glee. #Writersgetme

I lost nine characters during the fight. I was making up for lost time, is my thinking. The scene is unfinished. I am unsure where it will show up in this WIP. I’m hoping it progresses the storyline to the reader.

If it is this much fun doing this kind of writing, perhaps I will spend more time on it. While volume four of my series is in the last edits, volume five may have to take a break.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing thoughts

Librarian, toes and zombies oh my: A story

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The leader of my writing group has been in the hospital for about three months. Unfortunately, she had a toe amputated.

Deciding to keep her spirits up, she challenged us to write a story about how she lost her toe. Whoever won would get a $20 gift card to Panera.

Thinking about how to proceed, the only thing that entered my mind was zombies. Yup, that was the only idea that would come. My son shot down the idea.

But I proceeded and had such a good time with it. It was received very well, and there were loads of laughter. It was a comedy overall.

I didn’t win, but after receiving edits from one of the members, I worked on getting it in better shape.

The more I work on it, the better I felt I could do more. It may sound conceited, but there are certain sections of the piece that makes me laugh out loud. The same areas that made the group laugh out loud.

What started as a short piece now has over 2000 words. It won’t be a book. I have too many WIP. I have a notebook with book ideas that will never come to pass.

But it felt good to write something light and different than what I used to work on.

It came to mind that perhaps I could enter this into a writing contest. I have not fully embraced entering stories in this format.

I have kept telling myself to enter more writing competitions. It is on my to-do list. I have just ignored doing that.

You have such a variety of competition, from those that are free to those that are not. You have cash prizes as well.

Will I win anything I don’t know. However, this is a fun project to work on if nothing else. It is freeing.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing thoughts

When did you start your journey on becoming a writer?

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I am a late bloomer. Friends, who were writers, asked me how long I had been writing in 2012. I told them since the end of 2009, and I received back wonderment and amazement, for they had been working on their books for longer.

Let me give you a brief background on how it started. My husband told a dear and close friend that he felt I wrote well in the summer of 2009.

She told me which is a great way to tell your wife. I soon had two surgeries within six weeks of each other in the fall of 2009.

Since she told me this news, I thought about a story. I was recovering for a few weeks when I started working on my first novel, which is now known as “Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rain forest Adventure.”

I wrote some poetry growing up, and I still have the notebooks. But as far as writing novels and such, that was not something I thought of doing. Once you start writing, the writing bug digs inside of you. I would never consider not writing.

I try to do some aspect of writing daily, regardless of what level. It could be posting and branding myself on social media, writing a blog post, research, and more. If I was not actively writing, I could not call myself a writer, was my thinking.

People who are not writers have asked me if I am still writing over the years. It is refreshing, however, when a fellow writer and author comes to me and says, “Sharon, what are you working on right now?”

I love it when they see me. That part of our conversations includes that.

The bug is alive and well in me, which suits me fine. For me, not writing is no longer an option.