Life's Little Adjustments

After querying five agents, I realized I have no patience. Two didn't respond, and three turned me down. I know that the author who wrote "The Help" had 60 rejections from agents, but I need to get going on my next book. That's what is fun for me, to keep writing. SO, I'm working with CreateSpace to publish THE ATA BITA PIE CAFE. This is the story of three friends who work at the cafe. They all learn that love is sometimes better the second time around. Their friendships carry them through grief, heartache, and finally, joy. The book should be available on Amazon.com under Bonnie Drury, in a few weeks. I'll keep you posted. Have a great day!

Writing Through Your Troubles

I've mentioned journaling before, but more and more, I realize how important it is. If you're a writer, it's a must to keep track of ideas, dialogue overheard, scenes, titles, anything that pops into your head about one of your writing projects. If you aren't a writer, but just have a particular problem that won't let go, write it all down, leaving out nothing. Remember that no one but you will read it, so you can be completely free and honest.
It might be a letter to a friend, relative, or even a politician, anyone who has you stirred up inside. Once you've written it all out, the burden is lightened, and you can move on.

A Little Word; A Big Problem

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I've done a LOT of rewrite on THE ATA
BITA PIE CAFE, but something was still bothering me. I couldn't quite put my finger on why the book wasn't reading as smoothly as I'd like. Reading aloud always gives you this wake-up call. Finally, I realized that too often, I'd used the word "had" or "had to", rather than keeping the writing in the present tense. When I did a Search, there were nearly 500 "had's" in the novel. Yikes! I read through again, restructuring sentences and deleting, until the writing became much smoother. Like my dad said, "You're making sure the reader doesn't have to work so hard." He got it; it just took me a little longer.

How to Make Your Dreams Come True

"Turn up for work. Discipline allows creative freedom." Jeannette Winterson

or...as Nora Roberts would say, "Get off your duff and do it!"

Life's Little Adjustments

The above title is where/how this blog started. Maybe I should return to that concept, though writing is a big part of my life and feeling of contentment.
That is an area, though, where adjustments have to be made. With a tenfold increase in the competition, I had to decide whether I loved the writing as an end to itself. The answer is a resounding YES! I love imagining the settings, creating each character and his/her background, plotting the story, and how the characters will interact. I guess that's what we all have to decide when we choose how to spend our time. If we never received a dime for our efforts, is it still worthwhile?