Two Serious Writing Goals for 2013

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photo by M. Diaz

photo by M. Diaz

I am loving 2013.  After the many Doomsday theories that we had to listen to over the past year, I am glad that 2013 is here.  2012 was dark in many ways, I perceived the “doom” in many people’s moods, and in the overall atmosphere, both cyber and reality.  I had many personal challenges, which I view as lessons that I must go through so I can evolve.  In a way, I view 2013 as a year of possibility and light, a year of taking journey, of flapping wings and embracing the sunlight.  2013 is just the beginning of many good things to come our way.  At least, that is how I choose to perceive it.

I have set two serious writing goals, which I want to accomplish before the end of the year (pending dates).

  • The release of my first novel – “Moonlit Valley”
  • The release of my second novel – “The Dinorah Chronicles – Ramblings of the Spirit.” (first in the trilogy)

A third goal has been set to write the second book in the trilogy, which title is “The Book of Sharon;” however, I will be extremely happy if I get to the first draft on this one.  I am hoping to release this one by 2014.  I don’t know what the 3rd book in the trilogy will be, as it hasn’t knocked on my door yet, but it will, just as the others did.

Ideally, I would love to write a novel a year and to have it ready for release the next year.  However, reality tells me that I (still) have a pending move to a very rural setting (mind the internet speed here), and a farmhouse to restore by hand, and very limited funds, so let’s see how that goes.  For now, I will be happy if I can materialize these two major goals before the end of 2013.

Do you have a serious goal for 2013?  Feel free to share it here; let’s make this year one of amazing things happening 🙂

Why I Chose to Self-Publish in 2013

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The decision to self-publish did not come easy to me, neither did it come after tons of rejections, since I stopped myself from sending queries, after sending one.  I realized that more than anything else, I had to define what I wanted out of my love for writing, before going forward.  I knew that I was not doing it for money (for most writers, there’s none in it), or to become a famous author one day … One thing that I knew for sure was that I loved to write, and it seemed that I could do that forever, if the opportunity to turn that passion into a career path presented itself.   Why choose to self publish without even making a real attempt at publishing a novel by going through the usual channels and motion?  It all came down to Creative Control.

Having control over the entire process, and not having to depend on others to decide how or when the story came out matched my working style, work ethics, and personality.  In addition, I never understood why someone who never gave birth to the story would understand it in a deeper level, enough to change parts of it (I’m not talking here about fixing gaps, and other valuable efforts/work of editors and the traditional industry in general).  I wanted the opportunity to craft the entire project, learn from it, and grow from it and with it.  The decision to self-publish was clear only after I understood that all I wanted was to have creative control if writing was going to be something that I would want to do for the long run, and possibly for the rest of my life.

I was aware that it would be a long, slow and tedious process, tons of work, and an exhausting venture, that is, if I was going to do it the right way, and not in a hurry to publish in digital or in print.  The need for getting published fast was not even an issue, when I considered the facts and information.  However, the need to control the process, the schedule, the dates, the story, the deadlines, the art, the release … and all the other issues that go along with it was what I seem to long for the more  I thought about the issue.

I have read about self-published authors who after selling many of their books successfully, have signed up with a well-known publisher.  I totally understand the need of having people taking care of the small details, sites, emails, and putting together a book … all that is a ton of work, and very difficult to do for one person, especially if that author has become a best-selling author; besides, it robs from the main purpose, which is writing the story, and many more stories to come.  So while creative control is a wonderful concept, it doesn’t come easy, and in an ideal scenario, the best of both worlds would be the “perfect balance,” if there is such a thing.  For now, I am very happy to have found my “balance” for the moment, and that is to have been able to understand and finally, make the decision of releasing my piled up novels in 2013.  In doing so, I go with the confidence and peace of mind that it is the right path for me and the decision has not been rushed by any external factors.

Are you unsure of which path to take with your writing endeavor?  Are you torn between traditional venues and the rapidly evolving self-publishing industry?  Is this the only thing stopping you?  For me, it was, but once I understood what I wanted from my writing, the path became clear.  Ask yourself this question, “What do I want from my writing?”

The Next Logical Step

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What is the next logical step?

This is a question that I have learned to ask myself, although I don’t consider myself a “dead logical” person all the time. Yes, from time to time I let my mind dream and soar through illogical paths and fantasize about the not so probable but possible, and the totally illogical. However, when it is time to get serious about making decisions, I listen to my mind, then to my heart, and then ask – What is the next logical step? Most likely, I will find the correct answer; however, turmoil starts when the mind and the heart are pointing to different solutions. Then I must ask again, What is the next logical step, and why? This usually dissolves the turmoil, and an agreement between mind and heart takes place.

In relation to my writing and deciding which route to take on publishing my novels, which have been pilling up waiting for the turmoil between mind and heart, and current reality to dissipate, I have asked myself this question by the end of this year. Part of my reluctance to publish, besides having to decide which venue to take – traditional route (agent) or self-publishing, was that I will be relocating to another state, but the move has been postponed for a while, and that affects the way I would do marketing for a particular area (thinking local of course). So this is what has happened between mind and heart, in respect to this important decision.

MIND – “You should go the traditional route, and find an agent. The self-published stigma is still out there, although things are changing fast and the publishing industry is undergoing a revolution.”

HEART – “You know what you want but won’t admit it; self-publishing is what you long for, and what matches your work ethic and personality very closely.”

MIND – “Once you self-publish, there is no going back; it is done, out there, and cannot be undone. Besides, you will join the chaos, and will end up in the same pile – garbage or not, it is one big messy pile right now.”

HEART – “What if you do? What if you don’t?”

MIND – “Giving the current situation, the change of tide, your likes and dislikes about the whole thing, what is the next logical step?”

HEART AND MIND – “The next logical step is to decide, either way.”

A compromise is agreed between Heart and Mind, and ONE query (only One) is sent. Immediately, Heart and Mind agree on something.

HEART AND MIND – “Oh, I wish I hadn’t sent that query; it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I hope it never gets answered. Oh, I see now.”

Queries are stopped from going out and soon, there seems to be no dilemma, there is no sense in sending a query, that is, when I am not sure that the right path is traditional publishing.  Later on the right path emerges – Self-publishing is the right path for me.  For me, the right way to do it was to come to a halt, to be able to go on.

I am probably one of the few people who has decided to self-publish without sending out queries (well, I sent one), and feels good about it. Therefore, I am planning to publish my novels this year, hopefully with a few months apart in between, date pending and will be announced soon.

If you have reached a crossroads, why not ask yourself, “What is the next logical step?”

I Think, Therefore I Am – Not!

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English: Picture of the super starbrust galaxy...

English: Picture of the super starbrust galaxy. The green and red splotch in this image is the most active star-making galaxy in the very distant universe. Nicknamed “Baby Boom,” the galaxy is churning out an average of up to 4,000 stars per year, more than 100 times the number produced in our own Milky Way galaxy. It was spotted 12.3 billion light-years away by a suite of telescopes, including NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The French Philosopher Renee Descartes gave us a lot to think about when he said, “I think, therefore I am.”  I used to ponder a lot on this phrase, and although it seems to explain a lot of our behavior, somehow, it always felt incomplete to me.  Why?  Well, lets take this example, and this happens to me a lot.  My husband jokes, “Oh, she’s thinking about it, soon I’ll see it.”  And this is true for me, when I start thinking a lot about something, I end up doing it, and the ball starts rolling, unless I stop myself somehow, usually for a good reason.  But I think that Descartes phrase applies to emotion as well, if I think that I am upset, unhappy … I end up feeling that way.  However, this is where the phrase feels incomplete to me – in the “doing” part.  For the thinking to pass the threshold into reality, an action is required.

Creativity is in our nature, implanted in our right side of the brain; too bad that we have not developed it fully.  For me to think of something and make it real, the act of creation, of doing, must follow.  Rene Descartes phrase tells us of the great capacity of imagination and wonder that we have; our whole existence is based on ideas that came to reality, inventions that came to be, and gave birth to other technologies, but for all that to happen, one of us had to have an idea, imagine it, designed it, dream of it – Think of it.  The threads of reality vibrate when we think about this miracle – all you see around you, was an idea in someones’ mind at one point in time.  The computer in front of you, the cup of coffee next to you, the pen, the paper, the little knickknacks sitting on your desk… That reality came to be only, and only, after someone imagine it, and later it was created.

The magnificence of that realization, is so deep and beautiful that it only tells us that nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible – it just hasn’t been imagined yet, created.  Science, technologies, ideas, dreams, hopes … all of it swirls in a dance of creation, and in the end, it comes to be – it materializes and joins what we call “reality.”  Think about this, how profound … it spells no limits!  Reality comes after thought, after creativity, after creation – not before.  Many times, technologies have to be in place first, and this is where its beauty and amazement starts – we depend on each other to imagine, so we can create.  And we create because it is our nature, as we are part of creation itself, one source to it all.  Reality exists when one idea meets another and another and another … We are creators of reality and that is how we come to be – I THINK, IMAGINE, I CREATE, THEREFORE I AM!

End of Year Cheer

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I will be away from blogging until next year, so I want to take this opportunity to thank you for visiting and commenting on Inkspeare and for making the WordPress experience so enjoyable, and that goes for WordPress staff as well. My most sincere and loving wishes for the Holidays and for the new year. May your light keep shining and may you find joy and love in everything you do. This poem is from me to you 🙂

One in Many

On this day I shall wish
many blessings, harmony
 When the night gives in to day
and the day nestles the night,
we will be as one in many.

Shine your light for it will be
as the beacon one will see
Always seek your love to give
without measure, plenty and free.

As you give you will receive,
one in many it has been.
 Me, You, It, one and the same,
Love, One Source, is One in many.

As you wish it will be done,
may you wish, joy, peace, and love
For it returns the wish to wisher,
two ten fold, as one in many.

Hope that you enjoy the poem and may you have a blessed, prosperous, and happy New 2013!

The Little Tree That Could

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It is very hard to keep the Christmas cheer when so much pain and tragedy has ocurred these days in this country.  However, our hearts seem to want to get a hold of a little bit of hope; I saw that over the weekend.

My husband and I went to a local antiques market over the weekend.  I was looking for the old-fashioned melted popcorn christmas ornaments – the ones I loved so much when I was a little kid.  Although I did not find any, I found much more that day.  Walking around the many vendors, I saw an older couple who were selling a few different things and had two tiny live christmas trees in pots on the floor, and next to their table.  If I was not looking down, I would have miss them.  Immediately, the tiniest one caught my eye (don’t know why since it looked more like a crooked Charlie Brown tree with one lonely small christmas ball on it), and I asked the old couple how much was it.  The older man smiled and told me that the little tree was $5.00 dollars.  I said, “I’ll take it.”

We kept walking around, and then, something unusual happened – I started noticing that people were looking at the little tree, and smiling.  In fact, they were smiling with their eyes as well.  I stopped at a table were there was an old-fashioned bear wreath on display; an old woman and whom may have been her son, greeted me.  They look at the little tree and smiled.  She kept smiling, and he said, “that is a Northern Spruce.”  I had forgotten to ask the man who sold me the tree what kind of tree it was, so I said, “Thank you for letting me know; I totally forgot to ask.  It looks like a Charlie Brown tree to me, a baby one.”  The man smiled, and went to grab a bag he had in one of the boxes  placed on the dirt floor.  While I was paying the older woman for the bear wreath, he came back and handed me a bag, saying, “Here is my contribution to your Charlie Brown tree.”  The bag had small ball ornaments.  I said, “thank you so much, may you have a wonderful Christmas.”  The woman smiled and offered her best wishes to us.  We said goodbye and kept walking, encountering the smiles and a few comments from strangers who happened to take a glimpse at the little Christmas tree I was carrying.  I found this very unusual.

I decided that such a special little tree deserved a better container where its roots could spread a bit more.  We kept walking around some more and we noticed the absence of planters; in fact, we didn’t see any other little live christmas trees.  When I was ready to give up, I saw an old milking container laying on the dirt, with a taped handwritten note – $3.  There it was, the perfect planter for the little tree.  I told the vendor that I wanted the container for the little tree.  He smiled and said, “There, it even has some old dirt inside, someone used it as a planter.”  I paid for it and we kept on walking.  An older couple who was resting nearby, next to an empty table smiled, looking at the little tree.  The man said, “what a cute little tree.”

In all this, my husband was having a good laugh, never thinking that my obsession for the little tree, would have caused so many smiles along the way …  We decided to keep growing it inside until it becomes so big that we will have to plant it outside.  After arriving home, we cleaned it up, placed it in its new planter, decorated it with the gifted ornaments, and wrote 2012 on the original christmas ball to keep track of its age.  We named it Little Tree.  Here is a picture of the little tree that made people smile.

 

Little Tree

Little Tree

Did it make you smile? 🙂

 

 

 

The Festive History of Fruitcake

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I love fruitcake! There I confess. Despite all the jokes about fruitcake, I think that the holidays are not complete if there isn’t a slice of fruitcake at home. I found this post “The Festive History of Fruitcake” from Figis, very informative and entertaining as well. I am sharing it with you, because “I LOVE FRUITCAKE.”

Man of Few Words, Master of a Timeless Audience

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English: Infant Jesus and John the Baptist, Mu...

English: Infant Jesus and John the Baptist, Museo del Prado (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: 1950. Oil on Canvas. 94" x 70&qu...

English: 1950. Oil on Canvas. 94″ x 70″ (239 x 178 cm) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Christmas is near, the time when many religions around the world celebrate Jesus.  Although I don’t consider myself a religious person in the traditional meaning of the word, I celebrate Christmas and I like to read what he had to say.  In many bibles, Jesus words are highlighted in red, and although he gave many speeches during his lifetime, only a few words can be found of what he had to say, never a long written account of his speeches during that time.  This is why I say that he was a man of few words, and since those words have lasted for a few thousands years, he is still a master of a timeless audience.  Will continue to be so as long as bibles are printed, downloaded, and his message is preached.  Personally, I think that “religion” has twisted his wisdom; however, his words still touch people in a very personal way – despite the many religious interpretations.  Maybe the way he intended those words to be received by each and one of us.  So in tune with the Christmas spirit, I want to share through this post, my favorite Jesus quotes; here they are.

 

  • “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking, and you will find.   Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.   For everyone who asks, receives.   Everyone who seeks, finds.  And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”  Luke 11:9-10

I like this one because it is all about persistence, about keeping on, and never to give up.

  • “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.   A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”   Matthew 22:36-40

I like this one for the obvious, but also because Jesus made a distinction between heart (feelings/emotions), soul (spirituality), and mind (brain/knowledge) – three aspects of our complexity, our being, and all should be in harmony.  But not only that, after he acknowledges our nature, he tell us to love our neighbor as oursselves, hinting that we are all one of the same, all related and intertwined, and all one in God.

  • “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” – Matthew 7:12

This says it all; imagine the beauty of this existence if everyone did just that.

  • “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.   Today’s trouble is enough for today.”   Matthew 6:34

Love this one a lot; Jesus knew how our little brains work, and he let us know the importance of living today.

  • “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.   But I say, love your enemies!   Pray for those who persecute you!   In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.   For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”   Matthew 5:43-47

Even that I find this one so hard to do, it is there and Jesus wanted us to know that yes, it is not all about me, and yes, it is harder for adults to forgive, and little children forgive so easily.  In that sense we must be as little children, and let go of a grudge, and keep playing together in this beautiful earth.

  • “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” – Matthew 7:1-2

Our human nature gets in the way, we judge what we see, hear … our five senses get in the way sometimes, and many times we must bypass them, so we don’t judge without really knowing.  Jesus knew that well and he needed to remind us.

  • “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”  -Matthew 6:27

Oh my God, Jesus had to tell this because we all are worry warts sometimes; I know I am, but am learning to work on this human trait that is so hard to ignore sometimes.

  • “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  -Matthew 5:14-16

And this is one of my very favorites, because it speaks of our true essence, of the goodness in us, of the light that is our true being, our divine essence.

There are many other Jesus words that I love, but these are my few favorites and since soon it will be Christmas, what better way to celebrate it, but thinking about the meaning of Jesus teachings.

Blessings,

Inkspeare

 

Beam Me Up, Scotty

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English: Compact fluorescent light bulb

English: Compact fluorescent light bulb (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yesterday, I was reminiscing about my childhood and how simple life was in those days.  When you got a cut, all you needed was a band-aid, a bit of iodine and mercury, and you were back running and playing in the green pastures.  Then, I started thinking about mercury and all the controversy surrounding this element.  To give you a bit of an introduction to the element, I will cut and paste some information from Wikipedia:

  • Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and its scientific name is hydrargyrum ( < Greek “hydr-” water and “argyros” silver).

Mercury has been used by ancient cultures in medicinal and religious applications, as well as in alchemy.  Mercury is used in many instruments and devices and in scientific research applications.  It was used or still is used in dentistry as amalgam for dental restoration.  It is used in electrical, electronic, and manufacturing applications and according to Wikipedia,

“It is used in lighting: electricity passed through mercury vapor in a fluorescent lamp produces short-wave ultraviolet light which then causes the phosphor in the tube to fluoresce, making visible light” “Mercury is a heavy, silvery-white metal.  As compared to other metals,  it is a poor conductor of heat, but a fair conductor of electricity.“

Mercury does not react with most acids.  It is an extremely rare element in the earth’s crust and it does not blend geochemically with elements found there.  According to Wikipedia,

“is a part of popular secondary reference electrode (called the calomel electrode) in electrochemistry as an alternative to the standard hydrogen electrode. The calomel electrode is used to work out the electrode potential of half cells.[50] Last, but not least, the triple point of mercury, −38.8344 °C, is a fixed point used as a temperature standard for the International Temperature Scale.” 

In everyday applications it is used in cosmetics, fluorescent lamps, mercury vapor lamps, neon signs and of course, in human vaccines.  There is controversy about effects in children, autism, and although it has been a bit reduced, it is still found in significant amounts in the influenza vaccine, which pretty much everyone gets yearly.  And of course, we all know of high content of mercury found in fish, especially in tuna – the poor man’s food (most of the population).

“The European Union directive calling for compact fluorescent bulbs to be made mandatory by 2012 has encouraged China to re-open deadly cinnabar mines to obtain the mercury required for CFL bulb manufacture” (Wikipedia).

Mercury is also used for ion engines in electric propulsion, and “Owing to its acoustic properties, mercury was used as the propagation medium in delay line memory devices used in early digital computers of the mid-20th century.”  In addition, “liquid mercury was used as a coolant for some nuclear reactors.” (Wikipedia)

So, it looks like in its various applications and compounds, through history, Mercury is a wonderful and toxic element and by now (if you are still reading),  you may be asking where am I going with all this.  Well, I can tell you this – by now, with all the mercury in my body, from amalgam, bandaids, fish, vaccines … and the rest, I must be a walking vase of mercury (and so do many of you, especially children).  In a planet that is looking for alternative ways of energy, is concerned about the electromagnetic field, and temperature/climate warming, where part of the population believes in an “ascension”  in different religions (no disrespect meant here), we might as well be the solution to all those problems, that is, as walking breathing living vases full of mercury.   We will conduct electricity, cool the planet, help maintain the electromagnetic field in case there is a problem with the earth’s crust or core, and of course, facilitate the ascension as a propagation medium, owing to its acoustic properties.  Best of all, is that since mercury is a poor conductor of heat, we will not overheat.  All that is left to say is,

“BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY.”