Transform

I jumped on the bandwagon a few years ago with my friends Connie and Jayne and began choosing one word that would represent what I was hoping to accomplish in the new year. This year I'm all about action, so a nice strong verb was a must. Also, those of you who know me well, know that I love to learn new things, try various genres of hobbies and activities, and then commit myself to one – I mean really get into the juice of it – whatever “it” is. I “re-make” myself as I delve into the learning process. So, 2012 is my year to transform. I desperately need to see a change in me. I'm yearning to get back to goals I set way back in college but never finished. I hope to transform into a writer whose committed to her craft. This transformation will be a slow process, this I can already tell. But I'm convinced there is a butterfly waiting to spread her wings – she's in there somewhere. "Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time." Deborah Chaskin

I needed a butterfly photo here! A snapshot I took of my mom's flowers on Thanksgiving day will have to do. :-)

So here we are in 2012 and I have a manuscript to write. A few weeks ago, I nearly ran a stoplight as I was deep in thought about this story that I needed to tell. It occurred to me that I had better get it written down so I wouldn't forget anything, and so I could stop replaying it over and over in my head and run the risk of causing bodily harm to myself. In my trusty journal (yes, I still do pen and paper for some things), I started listing key plot points, inciting incident, climax, etc.. Now I'm in the middle of developing my characters. My protagonist I'm fairly pleased with at this point, my antagonist(s) need some work. They are not quite “evil" enough yet. I still need to get to know all my characters a bit better though before I'm comfortable plowing forward. I've also gone back and forth with which point-of-view I want to write in and I think I've settled on third person – limited. The story told through the eyes of my protagonist, without having to use her voice (first person). All this sounds so complicated, but it is moving me along and I'm really starting to get excited about my “B. I. C.” time. B.I.C.?? Butt in chair – just sit there and WRITE! Happy new year and happy writing....

We are just a few days away from embarking on a brand new year. I remember thinking about 2012 as a child and was absolutely certain that we would all be hovering around in Jetson-like aircraft by now. While we don't have our own private flying craft, we are fortunate to have many other technological perks. I was sitting watching movie trailers on my Kindle Fire recently – who would have seen that coming? Not too many years ago, as an English major, I spent hours, days, months of my life doing research in our campus library. Now what do I do? I Google it! During my college days (I graduated in 1997) we were just on the cusp of using email, and we all had to sign up for time in the one campus computer lab. As I look back, I am grateful that I learned how to research the old-fashioned way. I will always love the smell of stacks and stacks of books just waiting to be devoured! Today, there is really no excuse not to learn and grow, research and read. It's all at our fingertips. New year, new blog, new start!! I have new goals, new plans, and new worlds to conquer. Hopefully my readers will be embarking on new journeys as well, and we can read and share together! Meet my "research space." Smart water and Diet Dr. Pepper - my fuel of choice, and the quote on my computer wallpaper is an all time favorite! Gotta love Ben Franklin.