Sun Kissed and Salt Licked

If you have been to my About page, you will recognize this picture.  It is from one of my favourite places in the world, in Chimney Corner, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.  It is a bench made from driftwood that overlooks a private beach.  You will not find it easily, it is not open to the public.  Not even very many locals have been here.  It is a gem in the home of my heart, and a place I think of often.

The ocean seems to find its way into my words when I write, whether it is song lyrics or into my fantasy trilogy.  That’s right, I am planning to write a fantasy trilogy based in the home of my heart.  It won’t be about my life, exactly, it will be straight from my imagination.  There may be familiar issues or mannerisms found in some of the characters, but I am not basing any of it on real people.  After meeting Kelly Armstrong a few weeks ago, I realized that for my first trilogy, it will be enough to write it without creating a new world for it to happen in.  I asked her during the Q&A session at the local library if she would ever write in a world that she created, and she answered that she didn’t plan to create any other worlds for her writing.  She said that she felt that there are people that are better suited to world building, and she isn’t one of those people.  I am reading some of her books now, and have read some before the event at the Library.  I am not sure if I will write more than a trilogy based in Cape Breton, or if I will connect all of my books there somehow.  However,  I do think it is a logical place for me to start.

I also got some books signed after the Q&A had finished.  I told her that I am writing my first trilogy and that I am a little nervous about writing book 2.  I am scared that I might get lost and stuck in there.  She told me I was looking at it from the wrong perspective.  She shared that book two is not where I should get lost, but where I should plan to have fun.  I am going to try and remember that.

Matty, Kelley Armstrong, and me at the local library.

I am writing this post to tie it into my upcoming Guest Post on another Blogger’s page. He is a friend I have met online since I started my blogging adventure, and he asked me to write a story for his Around The World category.  I wrote to him about my upcoming vacation in Cape Breton Island, and this became the topic I decided to write about.

The Atlantic Ocean, kissing the Cape Breton Coastline

The sun setting beside Margaree Island, seen from the shore of Cape Breton Island

What a Beach day! Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Thanks to my friends and family members for the beautiful pics I blended together in this project, with permission.  I came back from my week in Cape Breton feeling relaxed and refreshed.  I did go swimming twice, and that is where I got the title for this story.  Salt water therapy on the shorelines of Cape Breton Island is the best kind and one money can’t buy.

I was honoured to be invited to share my story on Mohamad Al Karbi’s Blog.  I hope you take the time to visit and read the story of my vacation.  It is written to share MY Cape Breton with the world.  While you are there, if you have some time, there are many other posts in this and other categories.  I have enjoyed reading about different places in his blog, and I suspect if you want to read more about other places in the world, this is a way for me to help you discover the world through other people’s eyes, with their own stories.

You can read my Guest Blog # 2, Homesick for the Home of my Heart, here.

I hope you enjoy both stories for this project.  As always, I have enjoyed writing them.  Always Thinking…

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I Have Arrived

First Rejection Letter

In the journey to becoming an author, there are many roadblocks along the way.  Inspiration or the Muse must be present to begin.  Time must be set aside each day to write and practice your craft.  There is a whole different world to enter when one wants to become a published author.  WIP means “Work In Progress”.  It is the current project that is being written.  A social media presence is a must to develop your target audience.  Writer’s Block is a fear that can strike at any time, and if it takes hold, can have disastrous effects on that WIP.

If an author survives all of these obstacles, the biggest hurdle of all looms in the distance. Submissions are needed to take the scariest step of all.  Submitting the WIP for publishing.

Self-publishing is an option.  Editing is a must.  Beta readers test read the WIP and hopefully provide constructive criticism and positive feedback.  Repeat as necessary. Query letters are sent to publishing companies.

Then the waiting begins.

The self-doubting during this time, which does not always have an exact deadline for a reply can be paralyzing.  The WIP is sent out to one or many different publishers, with excited anticipation.  As the days turn into weeks, which turn into months, the feeling changes.  The belief in the WIP can fade.  Negativity creeps into the picture and can cause the author to stop writing.  This is the hardest thing a writer has to face.

It happened to me.  I wrote a poem and submitted it to my writing group.  I have experienced new friendships, answers to many questions, and support in this group.  I continue to be a member of the Ninja Writers.  I found them on facebook, and I am now a card carrying member.  I am supporting a co-operative publication.  My submission did not make the first publication.

I got my first rejection letter.  It was not the result I wanted, but it is done.  As an author, it will not be my last.  As an author, I have arrived.

Was I disappointed?  Absolutely.  Did it break my desire to keep trying?  Not a chance.  My work is just beginning as an author. There will be times when I want to give up.  If I am going to succeed, I have to be able to keep trying.  Stubborn determination twisted with an immense amount of patience will help me to persevere and succeed.

I will be looking forward to receiving my first copy of the Ninja Writers Zine.  It is called The NW.  I am planning to read it from cover to cover, more than once, so that I can up my game for the next call for submissions.  More information about it can be found at their Patreon link:

The NW

If you are interested in becoming a part of the phenomenon known as the Ninja Writers, here is a link to their facebook page:

Ninja Writers Facebook Group

It is a closed group, but the creator of the Ninja Writers, Shaunta Grimes, has given me permission to share both of these links here.  She is a published author, and leading the Ninja Writers Revolution!  She has created so many useful tools and guides for up and coming authors like me.  Thanks for giving me a place to share, learn and improve upon my writing dreams, Shaunta!  Ninja Writers Rock!

Finally, I will link the poem that I have published in January here.  It was featured on this blog, and I am proud of it whether or not it shows up anywhere else.  This is what I submitted for The NW.

Give yourself a little Grace

I will continue sharpening my writing skills until the next call for submissions.

 

 

The Little Blog That Could!

The Little Blog That Could!

This adventure is growing.  One like at a time.  One laugh at a time.  One follower at a time.  One share at a time. Most importantly, one story at a time.  It has given life to an imagination.  It is a small obsession, reaching beyond what it was supposed to be.  It is gaining momentum.  Every time inspiration strikes, so do the strokes on the keyboard.  Is it going to change the world at large? Maybe.  Is it going to change my life?  It already has.

Something is happening to me.  I am gaining confidence in my abilities.  I am pushing myself to write several times a week, and I am following through with the schedule that is developing as I write.  I am watching the stats, and grinning while shaking my head at them.  They tell me that I have reached an audience in 30 different countries.  I have had more than 100 likes on this Blog, as a whole.  Most of them are from people I do not know personally.  To anyone that has looked at this blog, read any of my stories, liked, shared, commented or followed, I want to personally thank you.  It humbles me to realize that people take the time to do this, even if it is just for the few minutes they take to read what is on my mind.   I am finishing month five today.  I have been consistent and persistent.  It takes dedication.

I am having fun.  I found my passion,  I really believe it.  I want to write and share the things that matter to me here.  I want to expand my horizons, and get those books published.  I am also sharing how I am trying to live a healthier lifestyle, and how my 2017 New Year’s Resolutions are progressing.  I am writing about things that matter in my world, and from the support I see in the stats, these things matter to more people than just me.

It was a steep learning curve for me to take a run at when I started.  For me, HTML was a thing that popped up by accident on my computer when I was surfing.  Literally.  There I was, Facebooking away when suddenly, there was a box of text that appeared on top of my facebook pages.  Thank goodness I found the corner with the “X” to close it when it happened.  Which was more frequently than I want to remember.  It still scares me, when it is just there because I don’t really know what it does, or why it jumps out at me.  But I have used HTML in setting up this blog, and I would not call myself an expert in any way shape, or form, I can now say that I have used it, and that is something I wasn’t able to say six months ago.

Constructive criticism helped me to develop the page you see today.  I didn’t know anything about colour palettes for websites or branding myself as an author.  I have a long way to go yet, and lots to learn, but if it keeps being this much fun, I see me working on it for the rest of my life.  I have always had a vivid imagination and a creative artist inside of me.  When I work with beads, and I create something that is mine from concept to finished product, I get this feeling.  There is pride, but it is more than that.  It is excitement and that thing that everyone says you should base your career choices on.  That thing is passion.  I feel it even more strongly when I am writing, reading, editing, and previewing every story that I publish on this blog.  It is infectious.  It is contagious.  And it is bubbling out in every direction!

I am happier.  I am doing better at my day job.  People can see the difference in me.  I am feeling the spark of inspiration all around me, and I am fueling it with all of the creativity and optimism I can get my hands on.  I am able to process things in my everyday life, even things that I am not writing about, in a different way.  I got my optimism back.  It was missing for quite some time, but I have hope again.  I have always had faith and a belief that things would work out even when times are tough.  Now that I am working on this blog, and making plans for my future as an author, I am making one of my dreams come true.  Because I am making it happen, I KNOW that things will be better in my future.  It is up to me, and I am taking control of the next chapter in my own life.

I am a blogger, hear me type!

 

The Story of Tish MacWebber

Once upon a time a man was introduced to his granddaughter, Patricia MacLellan.  When he met her, he called her Tish.  It stuck.  Tish MacLellan grew up in Cape Breton, in a house that used to be a church, on the world famous Cabot Trail.  She spent her summers at local beaches and at a place she calls The Cabin.  She learned to swim, and spent a lot of time rock hopping along the shores and coastlines of Cape Breton Island.  She had a wild imagination, and dreamed of owning a horse someday.  She still has her walkman with the best mixed tape ever, and it still works, even after putting all of those years and miles on it.

She loved to read, and began writing.  Creative writing is one of many hobbies that she spent her spare time on.  She kept a diary and when she got older, she called it a journal.  She enjoyed cross stitching and embroidery.  She learned to knit and to crochet.  In high school, she wrote her first song.

Her love for animals made her decide to take a pre-vet program at NSAC.  She was ill during her first year, and this delayed her completion of her B.Sc in Agriculture, majoring in Animal Science.  While studying at NSAC, she met her future husband, Roy Webber.  They dated, fell madly in love, and made it official with a wedding.  The same day they got married, there was a hurricane.  It was all very memorable, and all who attended the celebration of their marriage had a wonderful time, despite the weather.

Before the wedding happened, Tish was thinking about the name she wanted after she married Roy.  She thought it would be a fun thing to create a new last name, and they could both become the first MacWebber Clan.  Roy did not agree to this idea, and did not want to make any changes to his last name.  Not even when Tish told him that she would create a brand new tartan for the new name.  Tish decided to go the traditional route and take his last name, and legally became Patricia Webber.  It didn’t take her long to adapt to her new name.

They moved around the Maritimes so much, that Roy’s family joked about them being gypsies.  After living all over Nova Scotia, they moved to New Brunswick, shortly after a brief time living in Prince Edward Island.  In Fredericton, New Brunswick,  they made new friends, had roommates, and eventually bought their own mini home.  They had cats constantly as pets for many years.  After living in apartments for the majority of the years they were together, Tish decided that it was time, now that they have a home of their own, to get a dog.  She  looks forward to that.  She still has no horse of her own, yet, the baby barn is not quite big enough for a horse.

When Tish decided one day that it was time to take a chance and share her songwriting with the world, she thought about creating a blog.  Little did she know that it would build itself into a bigger project than she had imagined.  She had also always wanted to write a fantasy trilogy, being a fan of reading them, herself.  She asked her friends online what the best options were, and decided to go with a Blog page here, on WordPress.  Then another new friend stepped up and made her think beyond the surface of what she was building.  She revisited an old idea of hers to write her novels under a pen name, and she remembered wanting to become the first MacWebber.  So, there it was.  Tish MacWebber became her pen name.

Her beginner attempts at creating a blog page were good, but they weren’t great.  So she asked again for help, and her new friends helped her some more.  One of them took her page and changed it, and this was her new and improved starting point.  Tish absorbed all the information this friend had shared with her, and thought long and hard about the next steps.   She is very grateful for all of the help her new friends have given her, and she plans to return the favour, even if it is just by paying it forward.  When she asked about her colours, branding and logo, people liked it for different things, but it wasn’t what she needed it to be.  She kept thinking.  After about three weeks of mulling it over in her mind, things clicked into place, simultaneously.

She searched through hundreds of colour palettes, picking her favourites.  She found one that she kept referring back to, and decided that it was the one she would choose.  Then she made a tartan design.  She got her friends and family to give opinions on her progress as she tried to put the pieces all together.  Her father told her that a circle would not be wrong on a tartan, rather that it would be the french connection.  Her mother is french, so it fit.  The motto for Clan MacLellan is, “Think On.”  Her logo was developed with the phrase “Always Thinking…” because she is a dreamer that does think a lot; but also to honour her ancestors.  Her cousin helped her pick the final design, and through their online chat the “…” was added to the logo.  So that explains the colour, logo, and the circle.  But the circle is made up of diamonds.  The diamonds symbolize the marriage of all these things together, and connects all of the dots.

Tish does tend to overthink things at times.  However, when she does this in terms of being creative, and it works, it makes her feel amazing.  Being creative is her passion.   She is going to share it with the world, and see how far it will take her.