Writing – Page 13 – Jennifer's Journal

Writing, writing, and more writing? Write on!

Published on October 22, 2014January 17, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry55 Comments

Hi, everyone. I thought I’d pass along a quick update today about my novel and what has happened lately in my life as an author.

I am encouraged by the reception Calmer Girls has gotten in the publishing world. In particular, I am now ~~patiently~~ waiting on those who have expressed interest in my query, synopsis and sample chapters, and who subsequently requested the full manuscript for review. (Yay!)

Of course, my optimism is tempered with caution and awareness of the reality that these are only first steps. The road to getting traditionally published is a long, slow and arduous one for many new authors, and I am no exception. I read yesterday of a successful novelist who endured TWENTY-NINE rejections before his first book was picked up. And it ultimately made it to the New York Times best-seller list!

So now while my manuscript is out of my hands, I continue on with the sequel. In that area I have made progress, but not as much as I would like due to life getting in the way (Funny how that always seems to happen!).

For this reason, I am considering taking part in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as it is called. This is a yearly internet event that takes place in November, not only nationally but all over the world. The object is to write 50,000 words of a first draft in 30 days, which means participants write an average of 1667 words a day.

Awesome? Terrifying? Doable? Impossible? You tell me.

If I do indeed sign up, some of my activities will no doubt have to be curtailed or relegated to the back burner. My Friday Bouquet will be suspended for the time being, and my other blog posts will be brief. I won’t be able to read others’ blogs as much as I am used to. But I shall return, my lovelies!

What do you think of such a project? Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo this year? If you are, tell me all about it below. We can give each other moral support. 🙂

Explore Further:
One Wild Word: Get ready for NaNoWriMo by choosing your novel’s story question

Kristen Lamb’s Blog: 8 Elements to NAILING Your Plot and Owning NaNo

Friday Bouquet #10

Published on October 10, 2014February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry

worddreams…

Jacqui Murray is an author, a journalist, a teacher, and a wealth of helpful advice for all things wordy.

I have learned a lot from her posts she fills with hints, lists, how-tos, and reviews.

As Jacqui says on her About page:

I love writing–always have–so this blog will cover writing topics, with brief forays into other things. If you know writers, we’re intrigued by everything around us. Life is full of characters, plot lines, unique settings, and we want to experience it all.

Here’s a recent post that I found valuable and you might too:

Writers Tips #78: 8 Writing Tricks You Won’t Read Anywhere Else

Go and check out WordDreams for help with your writing and blogging questions, and say hi to Jacqui for me. 🙂

*Comments are closed here but open on the blogger’s page.

Friday Bouquet #7

Published on September 12, 2014February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry

I follow quite a few blogs by writers, and Moon In Gemini: Debbie’s Blog about Writing and Pop Culture is one of my favourites.

On her About Page:

I have very eclectic tastes in fiction, movies and TV. I love genre fiction of all kinds, and am just as likely to have fantasy, horror, YA, historical fiction, sci-fi or romance residing on my Kindle.”

“… Gemini is a sign associated with writing and communication. It’s also a sign associated with people who can’t make up their minds about anything, so don’t be surprised by the variety of subjects that may appear in this blog.”

I am highlighting the following post because I agree with her opinion on strong female characters. For that matter, we think all strong characters are intriguing because of their flaws as well as their strengths. Their faults are what make them human and real.

The Strong Female Character: I Do Not Think That Means What Some People Think It Means

If you love fiction of any kind, I think you’ll like Moon in Gemini as much as I do.

Comments are closed here. I invite you to comment on Debbie’s blog.

Have a great weekend, everyone. 🙂

One Thing These Famous Novels Have in Common

Published on August 27, 2014January 17, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

As I await responses from various publishers on my novel queries, I’ve been reading reams of info on the publishing world. Learning what to expect in terms of selling your work can make you wonder if it’s worth it at times, when you think of all the love and effort you put into your project.

If there is one tidbit of advice I keep reading, it’s that you better be in it for the enjoyment and satisfaction of writing, and not for making a ton of money, or even a living. But that’s a topic for a future post.

I wanted to share this book list with you. It may give you more incentive to keep striving for that goal, to get your own work in print.

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights
Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees
Harper Lee’s only novel To Kill a Mockingbird
Margaret Mitchell’s only novel Gone with the Wind
Boris Pasternak’s only novel Dr. Zhivago
Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones
Nicholas Sparks’s The Notebook
Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants
Daniel Dafoe’s The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Kim Edwards’ The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

All of these ten wonderful works of fiction, are, of course, bestsellers. Some of them even won the Nobel and/or the Pulitzer Prize.

But what is most interesting and inspirational to me about this list is this: they were all first novels. Yes, that’s right, these were debut novels that were wildly successful, and in fact there are many more ( I shortened the list). The older classics are known to still sell thousands of copies a year.

And many of them were rejected by numerous publishers before ultimately being signed.

As an example, Kim Edwards found great success with her first novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, the last one on my list, and the second to most recent I’ve read on the list. Published in 2005, it made it to #1 on USA Today’s list of bestselling books. As a result, in 2006 USA Today chose her novel as the Book of the Year. As they put it:

Book clubs and word of mouth helped send The Memory Keeper’s Daughter to Kite Runner heights, and once you’ve read this heart wrenching story, it’s easy to understand why it has connected with millions of readers.

On a stormy winter’s night in the 1960s, a doctor delivers his own twins. One is a perfect son; the other is a daughter with Down syndrome. He tells his wife the little girl died, and his lie reverberates across the years and affects every character.

Prepare for tear-blotched pages and a redemptive, hopeful ending that makes the tears easier to bear.”

I loved that book and loved finding out it was a first novel. So take heart, burgeoning writers. Perhaps your debut novel will make money. And if the stars align, perhaps it could be added to this list before long. Wouldn’t that be a dream realized? Stories like these are what keep me hopeful in selling and promoting my work.

You miss 100% of the shots you didn’t take. ~ Wayne Gretzky

What keeps you optimistic in your writing life?

Summer Lovin’

Published on July 29, 2014January 16, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry33 Comments

Summer in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador, compared to most of North America, is short but ever so sweet. What makes it so cherished, to my mind?

The following photos were all taken in Lead Cove, the little community where I raised my children.

I love my home for its natural beauty,
its refreshing, rugged and
unspoiled charm,
for its clear and wide blue skies
without a whisper of smog.

I love the clean, sparkling water
and the glistening rocks adorning the coastline
that beg to be traced
and trod upon by eager footsteps.

I love summer in Newfoundland
for its breathtaking views
of seascapes and landscapes
when I embark on a hike.

Whether I traverse
its beaches of sand or
climb its rocky windswept hills,
I know my camera will find its aim.

I embrace it because
the bushes and shrubs,
green and lush,
are heavy with fragrance
and of wild roses in bloom…

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…while in the gardens,
the planted perennials are brilliant with colour,
delighted at last
to spread their bright petals to the sun.

I love the hardy trees of Newfoundland
in summer…

…as they stretch
their ripe foliage to the sky.

Shot through with rays of sunlight,
a shimmering haze settles over the treetops
like a warm summer veil.

After a long winter and dismal spring
of cold, naked branches,
they, as I do,
breathe a sigh of gratitude
at the return of this warm and golden season.

Are you filled with Summer Lovin’ where you live?

What’s Up, Writers?

Published on July 2, 2014July 2, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

Anyone who knows me or has followed my blog for a while knows that my most beloved pursuit is writing. Poetry and fiction writing fills many of my days, and I relish the attempt and challenge of producing professional work.

In the desire to write better, and simply because I love it, I consistently turn to my second favourite pastime, reading great books. As with my craft, I prefer fiction over non-fiction, and never tire of immersing myself and my imagination in a good story.

But because I want to improve my ability, I’ve enjoyed some wonderful non-fiction books about the art and craft of writing. Here are a few I have read recently:

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White

I have enjoyed these books, as many have, and highly recommend them as valuable, insightful tools for any writer. The last one in particular deals with the nuts and bolts of good writing: principles of composition, rules of usage, and style.

Which brings me to the point of this blog post. We have always been taught to use proper punctuation in our writing, and I continually strive to do just that. So why have certain authors decided to depart from the rules of punctuation, in particular, omitting quotation marks around dialogue? Well-known writers such as James Joyce and Cormac McCarthy didn’t use quotation marks, and an increasing number of literary authors are following them.

I am reading the novel, February, by Lisa Moore, an acclaimed Newfoundland writer, and she too has dispensed with punctuating her dialogue with quote marks. I love the book so far, am greatly impressed with her style, and have no difficulty differentiating the dialogue from the rest, but I have read some readers do have trouble with it. Cormac McCarthy said he doesn’t like seeing all the “weird little marks” on a page, and that a good writer doesn’t need them.

I also read that it is a sign of a “cool writer”, or a literary writer, to omit such punctuation. I have a suspicion, however, that if I submitted a manuscript without quotation marks around my dialogue, the editor, agent, or publisher would send it back in a jiffy, refusing to even read it. Is it only a right of the well-established to bend the rules this way?

What do you think? As a writer or as a reader, where do you stand on this issue? Does it bother you, or are you fine with it? What style do you prefer in your own writing?

Are there any books on writing you would recommend?

*All books above are linked to Amazon for review. Check them out.

“…even when I can’t see you anymore”

Published on May 6, 2014August 23, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

I’m away from home this week, lending a hand with my daughter’s children while their regular sitter is on vacation. This morning while I was waiting for the kindergarten school bus with my six-year-old grandson, we had this conversation:

“J, why are you so cute?”

He smiled a little smile and said, “That’s what my mom always asks me.”

“Are you going to love Nanny even when she’s an old, old granny?”

He looked at me. “Yes. And I’ll love you even when you go away forever and I can’t see you anymore.”

With those words, I felt an abrupt squeeze around my heart. I think it broke a little.

I realized, since he and his sister had already lost one grandparent, this was a part of life he now expected.

I pray I’m there for you for a long, long time, my precious boy! ❤

Spring!

Published on May 2, 2014January 17, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry9 Comments

Greetings, humans! Maisie here, covering for Jennifer this week while she is away. My sister Vivian was eager to take over again, but Shy Little Me thought I would venture a few steps out of my comfort zone and host the blog for a change.

My sister and I had grown oh-so-bored with staying inside.

After the long, cold and snowy winter we endured in Canada this year, we are welcoming any signs of Spring with gratitude and huge sighs, or in our case,
purrs of relief.

When Vivian and I lived in the city four years ago, we had to content ourselves with the sighting of a robin or two in our backyard to let us know Spring had finally arrived.

Where we live now, there are many, many more signs to watch for and welcome. Not only fat robins with their red breasts, but birds of all kinds grace us with their presence, usually in pairs as they get ready for mating season. And we eagerly await the arrival of the gannets in May, and arctic terns in June. There is something deeply comforting in seeing wildlife return, especially when you spy them huddled in twos, preening or foraging for food together here on Perry’s Point. The seagulls are here as always, dropping and breaking crabs and sea urchins open on the rocks. But now they are joined by a few saddleback gulls. Vivian even spotted a saucy mink the other day!

During the last few days, my sister and I have enthusiastically returned to the great outdoors.
So much to see, to smell, to hear and to taste.

Vivian and I will stay outside almost all day when the summer gets here…

…just like last summer, and the summer before.

Life is good. 🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring!
What does Spring mean to you?

A Virtual Writing Tour

Published on April 22, 2014January 17, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry16 Comments

How and why a writer writes has always been of great interest to me. That is why I accepted an invitation to take part in the #mywritingprocess tour, an exercise in which writers share insight into their writing process. J-Bo over at J-Bo.net is the blogger that nominated me. She is a therapist with a fun writing personality, has been freshly pressed, and she hopes to publish a humorous memoir on her life up to the age of eighteen.

Okay, back to me!

What am I working on?

A number of things are currently keeping me busy. First and foremost, I am putting my focus on trying to get my novel, Calmer Girls published. This involves writing, rewriting, and sending query letters to literary agents, in hopes of snagging one that will shop my book around to publishers.

The thing about this process is that it takes patience waiting for replies, and guts to face the rejections. Most agents only want to know what your novel is about, and may or may not request manuscript pages, so you have to make that query letter pretty darn inviting. This, the business side of things, is my least favourite part of being a writer. I would much rather focus on the actual writing of my other projects. For those of you who haven’t reached this stage yet, enjoy your writing and revising while it lasts!

In addition, I am outlining a sequel to Calmer Girls. This, like the first one, will be able to stand on its own, so readers will not feel they’ve missed anything if they don’t read the other one. But I am hoping and counting on them liking the characters and story so much, they will want to read more. 😉

In between, I like writing poetry, musings, and playing with photography to update my blog. Getting feedback on WordPress and connecting with other bloggers and writers is consistently rewarding and a valuable supplement to my writerly life.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

The setting of my novel(s) is here in Newfoundland, Canada, the first one taking place in 1993, so there are no cellphones and computers to get in the way of daily life and my characters’ interactions. The main character is dealing with several socio-economic problems of that period as well as conflicts and events of a personal nature, to which many sixteen-year-olds can relate.

Why do I write what I do?

I like writing about what I know and within genres I like to read. Young Adult and Coming-of-Age are of high interest to me, and I will continue in that vein for the time being. Realistic, relationship-based fiction has always been my favourite. I wrote my first novel about a teenager when I was fifteen, but never sought to publish it.

How does my writing process work?

In writing Calmer Girls, the first thing I did was settle on a beginning and an end. From this I created my characters and a rough outline. After that a lot of brainstorming goes in, and during the process of writing I allow the flow of new ideas and inspiration to come to me. So I suppose you could say I’m a “planner” and a “pantser” (For those who don’t know, a pantser is someone who likes to fly by the seat of their pants when writing a novel).

It took me about sixteen months to write it, including revisions and the final draft, but this included several interruptions that sometimes took me away from writing for weeks at a time. I found the tweaking at the end the most time-consuming, but I also loved that stage the most. In writing the first draft, I only wrote in the mornings, but the final draft was done all hours of the day.

Next up on the #mywritingprocess tour are Kath, Wendy, and lionaroundwriting, three bloggers who have graciously agreed to take part:

Kath Unsworth from Minuscule Moments of Inspiration lives on the south coast of Australia with her family. Her dream is “to create, illustrate and write happy hopeful stories for children”.

Wendy from greenlightlady lives in Canada like me, and is all “about inspiration for you, your life, and your relationships”. Nature, poetry and photography is highlighted in her blog.

Lionaroundwriting is a young man from Scotland who has written a number of short stories and is now trying to get published like the rest of us. He likes to write about all sorts of things, “drawing… inspiration from real life events, comedy, philosophy, psychology, futuristic musings and the dark recess of (his) mind”.

I hope you bookmark and/or follow these bloggers next week when they present their own personal takes on the #mywritingprocess tour.

Want to read more about my process? Check out these posts:

“…Then You Must Write It”

The Creation of a Novel – A Progress Report

Completing My First Draft: Three Things I’ve Learned

Letting my Baby Go – Tougher than I Thought

A Spanish Purr Sounds Just as Sweet

Published on April 17, 2014August 23, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry33 Comments

“Whaaa? Is Jennifer blogging about cats, again?”

Look, I will be the first to admit it. I love all animals, but my adoration for creatures of the feline variety is mega-size and always has been. So if you think I’m a hopeless ailurophile – for those who don’t know, that’s the fancy word for cat lover – I will readily own up to it. This blog has my name on it which means there has to be a cat post now and then.

I think often about kitties of all stripes (pun intended), particularly my own. On the days leading up to our trip to Cuba earlier this month, and actually, any time we travel, I begin worrying in earnest. What do our cats think when we disappear like that, for days on end? Do they open their eyes from each nap expecting to see us, and roam from window to window, wondering what the devil has become of us? Do they fill with anxiety, for fear we shall never return?

We're so blue without you. — We’re so blue without you.

When I voice these concerns to my husband, he gives me a patronizing smile and reassures me once again that they don’t think that way, especially as we make sure before we go that all their needs are met and we have someone checking on them. And of course they have each other. But how can he know that for certain, that they aren’t pining for us? I know he loves cats too, but does he think he can read their minds?

Wherever we go, Cuba included, little cats seem drawn to him. I’ll give him that. Like this little tomcat.

The Cat Whisperer (sounds much better than p#ssy magnet ;) ) — **The Cat Whisperer**

This gorgeous boy belongs to the restaurant's next door neighbour. — This gorgeous tabby belongs to the restaurant’s next door neighbour.

Staring at my husband in quiet awe — He stares at my husband in quiet awe.

Pose pretty for the camera, sweet boy. x

So even though I remain unapologetic and consider myself as devoted to cats as he is, and I worry more about the ones we leave behind, I wonder why they always give him the lion’s share of attention. Even the Spanish ones.