I SIT AND CRY…

I sit and cry, my space being filled with the tears of frustration and loneliness.

I sit and cry wondering if time spent on others will bring time spent on me.

I sit and cry, feeling the struggles and suffering of others.

I sit and cry reading the brilliant works of others.

I sit and cry only wanting what I have worked and strive so hard to accomplish.

I sit and cry thankful that the sun came up today.

I sit and cry that I have been given one more day to do the things I love.

I sit and cry that YOU are reading this post today.

FRIENDSHIP VS TIME

Asking for help and support is one area I don’t excel in. When I started writing g my book and this blog, I reached outside my comfort zone and did just that. I asked only for support.

The drama, food choices, and vacations of others draws more attention, but why? The hours spent looking g at these things by friends and family trumps a moment of clicking on your blog and showing support, but why?

Trying to stand out and become a one of a kind is harder than most realize. It’s the same as writing your first book and your friends and family don’t buy it in support rather they like the book or not.

When trying to reach these goals and dreams do you, should you, ask for that support? Is it realistic to expect these things from friends and family?

Please show your support and leave a response to your fellow writer in the comments section.

That Suspicious Feeling

“A woman who writes has power, and a woman with power is feared.” _Gloria Anzaldu’a

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN PICKING OUT A BOOK? I am an avid reader of the works of Stephen King. I’m not quite sure what the fascination is and how I get wrapped up. He makes me think in ways I haven’t done before. It’s not so much the beginning of his books, rather it’s the way that I just get drawn into the story. I have been opening myself up to different writers and different styles of writing. I enjoy the change of pace after reading one of King’s novels.

What are the top five books that changed your life and why? I absolutely loved King’s book Cell. When I was younger, every time I would bring home straight A’s on my report card my mother would buy me a book. Even as a small child I loved to read. I guess the first book I remember reading would be The Black Stallion. That’s where my love of horses came from. When I had my first daughter I got absolutely swept up in The Twilight books. I would sit and read one within two days. When my daughter started going to school she would bring home the Junie B. Jones books. The funny thing is, she is reading them to her child now.

WHILE I AM WRITING MY FIRST DRAFT…I am asking myself, am I creating positive curiosity (the feeling of anticipation or expectation) or negative curiosity (that worrying feeling).

Let’s take the very first page of my story:

Introduction

Many people pass through Grant Township. It’s more than just the spectacular view of the lake that is nestled on the east side of the upper-peninsula’s Keweenaw Peninsula. The lake lies at the bottom of mountains that may not reach 2000 ft. in altitude, but yet are still considered mountains. It’s filled with water that glistens from Lake Superior’s waters.
Things aren’t always as they seem to be or as perfect as people would like to appear to be. Behind every door is a story or a lie someone is trying desperately to hide. Time passes and memories fade, but some things are too hard to let go of. Times change, thoughts change, way of life changes for some, but people don’t change. A version of their true self always remains.
Grant Township is populated with less than eight hundred people. As families pass by one another they know each other by name and of any hardships they may have endured over the years. They had to work hard for their privacy in Grant Township, few of them did. Secrets had a way of revealing themselves.
The railroad used to pass through Grant Township and over the years as the railroad expanded so did the routes the trains would take. The tracks would remain as well as the old train depot. The train depot would transform into the local diner and the tracks would become over run with new vegetation growth.
Being on of the smaller townships the forests were full and plush and with the demise of the factory the town would open their lands to the logging industry, acting as a saving grace to many.
A sheriff who held the respect and admiration of many would leave behind a legacy for his son and pass down the reins, not many are sure he is capable of holding. As the seasons change so do the reins of power. A town of little excitement would soon erupt into devastation and expose A Small Town’s Façade.

I tried to draw you in with where you are (setting/scenery) and then in the last paragraph I wanted to give you an idea that things wouldn’t quite be what you would expect. That there is more to this town than things appear to be.

OF COARSE I’M ASKING IF I CAPTURED YOU WITH THIS INTRODUCTION?

What do you do on that very first page to draw your readers in? How do you get your readers to invest in your story/stories?