Exhumed!

It’s been a week and we picked a winner for June’s book. Today I’ll be going to my sister’s work for a book signing. I’m looking forward to it since my book signing on Saturday at my aunt’s house went great. It was nice and relaxing, eating, drinking, and spending time together, along with selling books. I had no idea I’d sell so many.

At my aunt’s house, my cousins asked when I was going to write my next book. *smacks forehead* I’ve put so much time into Net Switch that I haven’t really come up with anything new for months—poetry or otherwise. I told them about the novel I wrote back in 2002-2003, which was a Romance. They were really interested in that one even though they thought I was going to write another suspense novel. The wonderful thing is that my cousins’ genre is romance, so they didn’t think they’d like my book…but they did. Then I was at a friend’s house for dinner on Sunday and she brought up my romance novel, which she read years ago as a beta reader. My writing wasn’t the best back then so I put it away. She told me she still thinks about the book and believes I should publish it.

I’ve recently moved and threw away many things—that book being one of them. I figured I might as well get rid of it since I had no intention on publishing it.

Of course, all these questions and requests made me curious, so I checked my backup hard drive to see if I still had an electronic version of the romance novel. I DO! I started reading it and realized that it’s a good story. I’ll have to rewrite it to get rid of the crap and add some meat to the story. Writing a romance is a bit different than suspense because character focus is important. Not that my suspense didn’t focus on character, but the plot and suspense was more important to keep it going until the very end.

Now I need to decide whether I should write the screenplay for Net Switch, which will be a challenge, or rewrite the romance novel for publication. I hadn’t thought about doing a screenplay until I gave my book over to my editor for a line-by-line. She immediately said she could see it going commercial, but at the time I told her I always wanted to publish a novel and that’s what I want. I can do a screenplay later.

What do I do, screenplay or rewrite? What is your current project, writing or anything else?

Excavations and crossroads,

Bea

Imagination is a Beautiful Thing

I recently watched two movies written and directed by James Cameron—The Abyss and Avatar. At first I didn’t know Mr. Cameron wrote the screenplays, but I waited as the credits rolled because I had to know whose mind created such great stories. It’s James Cameron’s imagination that leaves me awed, along with his ability to bring these stories to life on the big screen. Even those I watched the movies with feel James Cameron’s abilities are endless.

We all have our favorite writers no matter what genre, because there is something about their talent, their achievements that move us. Many people favor Stephen King, John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and I’m not disagreeing with their incredible gifts, yet it’s James Cameron that leaves my mouth hanging with admiration. He has become the key to unlocking and releasing an intense need for me to become a better writer. 

The first novel writer who stopped me in my tracks is Carlos Ruiz Zafon. He wrote The Shadow of the Wind and after reading his cravings that poured onto the pages, I knew I wanted that. To create a different voice with words that render the reader emotionally drained because my characters and story brought them on an everlasting journey. Now I know I will never reach the height and depth of both of these writers, because realistically my talent only goes so far. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make myself learn and craft my imagination to its highest potential—where readers can taste, feel, smell, see and hear my soul. 

Everyone should reach for the difficult so they have something to strive for instead of just existing. At least, that’s what I believe life is all about. Imagination doesn’t just apply to writing—it applies to life. It’s our imagination that gets us through adolescence, adulthood and retirement. And because we use our imagination to achieve the best life, it’s that which leaves us with the greatest of memories.

Happy Sunday! I wish you all a wonderful week.