Beginning

Welcome to my blog, thank you for stopping by. If this is your first time to my blog, it's nice to meet you. If you've been here before, welcome back.

My writing journey has begun. The road will have some bumps and detours. I only hope that the first hill is not too high, and the journey is long.














Monday, January 20, 2014

Intruding On My Characters

I seem to have a habit of intruding on my characters.  Instead of letting my character lead the story and having their dialogue and their actions tell the story, I seem to be narrating.  It is really a hard habit to break.  I must realize I cannot manipulate my characters, they should have a realism all their own  Learning to let them show the reader what they are doing and where their part in the story will go.  The more I train myself to stay focused and let my characters lead the way, the more readable my stories will be. 

My quest for this week is to re-write, and re-write.  Looking forward to a productive week.  Wishing the same to you!  I leave you with a few quotes that I have pinned up at my desk to keep me on track:

"You have to throw yourself away when you write." - Maxwell Perkins

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try." - Beverly Sills

"All profoundly original work looks ugly at first." - Clement Greenberg

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without words
And never stops - at all.".  - Emily Dickinson

"All glory comes from daring to begin." - Shakespeare, 'Coriolanus' 

Monday, January 13, 2014

I dipped my feet into 12x12! 
 

Actually, my toes in 12x12!  Time to take on the challenge.  I do have some stories that I have been working on and several more ideas in my head waiting to get on paper. Writing Picture Books is a challenge in itself.  Now, to add writing one a month into the scheme of things 'UPS' the challenge.  There is no magic formula for writing.  At least, not one that I have discovered.  So, time to see if I can hold up to the challenge.  I used to think that my goal was to be published, but I am looking at my goal in a new light.  I now keep a picture of a child reading a book on my desk.  That is my new focus, to one day see a child with my book, opened in their hand, excitedly reading away! 

If you are interested in checking out the 12x12, you can check it out here:
http://www.juliehedlund.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/12-x-12-new-banner.jpg

Has anyone else signed up for the challenge? 

Happy Writing!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Happy New Year! I'm Back!

I have been trying to figure out how to get back on the blogging track after being away for a considerable time.  Sometimes life just gets ahead of you.  As I sat down at my desk today, I had the overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start.  That’s what happens when you have been away from blogging for so long.  I have been having the feeling of discontent and disconnect so, I am jumping back in. J

Even though I haven't been on my blog, I have been writing and doing some illustrating.  I have finished the pencil illustrations for one of my picture books and have completed six color illustrations.  My next step will be to do the same for another picture book that I have finished writing.  My plan is to bring them to the Spring Conference and hopefully have the opportunity to sit in on a critique.  

I am glad I am back!  What have you been up to?