Cathy Bryant's Blog – February 2009 Archive (14)

My obsessive-compulsive, type-A, perfectionistic personality has struck again.



What a learning process. Not only am I learning a glut of information about writing and editing, I'm learning loads about myself.



My most recent bout of self discovery? I have a tendency to let my life get out of balance. (Okay, I already knew this. Now you know that I spend a large portion of my life re-learning things.)



Yes, I want to finish this novel. Yes, I want it to be the best… Continue

I'm thrilled to welcome friend and author Amy Deardon to WordVessel. Let me introduce you.



Hi Amy! Tell us a little about yourself.



I’m married and fortunate enough to be able to stay at home with our two children, now 15 and 12. In my life B.C. (before children) I did bench science research and taught anatomy and physiology at an undergraduate level.



I undertook a personal quest to investigate the claims of Jesus’ resurrection with the goal of destroying them.… Continue

WordVessel is proud to welcome author Rachel Hauck, as she shares her thoughts on the writing life.



A Therapist Thought: Writing In The Midst of a Busy Life.

By Rachel Hauck



Early on in my writing life, I had to give up the notion that writing time would come easy, be ideal and full of inspiration.



When I signed my first book contract, I was working full time for a software company as a department manager. I’d recently become a worship leader at my church,… Continue

One of the most wonderful parts of my writing journey has been discovering a whole passel of writers I never knew existed, and having the pleasure of reading their books. One of my greatest discoveries was author Susan May Warren. (You can find my previous interview with Susan May Warren here, and the review of her book, Finding Stefanie here.)



Not long after, I stumbled across My Book Therapy, a fiction editing service by Warren and fellow writers, Rachel Hauck and Sarah Anne… Continue

I just finished up a week of vacation.

Now before you start hating me, let me just say this vacation was the most unusual vacation I've ever taken...

(See http://wordvessel.blogspot.com for the rest of this post.)

The word "love" is often used without much thought. We use it to describe our affections for everything from people ("I love Bette Midler") to food items ("I love chocolate ice cream") to items of clothing ("I love those shoes").



Human love is imperfect, and often based on how others respond to us and what others can do for us--a "strings-attached" kind of love.



Ah, but perfect love...



God Is Love.



"...God is love." (1 John 4:8b, NIV)



I've… Continue

Links For Writers - Part 2 (includes building a platform, marketing, author representation, time management, word count, plotting, critiquing, words, contracts, forums, active/passive voice, reference helps, synopsis, blogging, publishing, screenwriting, manuscript preparation, queries, tax info, and blog tours--Whew!)

http://wordvessel.blogspot.com

Here are some links for writers I've come across in my cyberspace surfing that I thought might be helpful to you.



NOTE: A listing on this page doesn't mean that I recommend the site, and they are listed in no particular order.

This list is by no means complete, so please don't be offended if I don't have your wonderful site listed. (It just means I haven't discovered you yet or I inadvertently left you off the list!) If your blog or website has useful information for writers,… Continue

WordVessel is proud to welcome author DiAnn Mills! Let's learn more about her and her books.



Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold more than a million copies.



DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed… Continue

Author DiAnn Mills treats readers to a suspense-filled read with her newest book, Breach of Trust, due out in March 2009.



The story's heroine, Paige Rogers, is an ex-CIA operative, who has gone into hiding in a small town in Oklahoma. To protect her family and loved ones, she has even faked her death and changed her identity.



As the town's librarian, she thinks she has the perfect cover, until...



(See http://wordvessel.blogspot.com for the rest of this review.… Continue

I wish this picture was my hands during the self-editing process. (My hands did look like this during NaNoWriMo, when I was trying to get These Roads Lead Home finished.)



But I've discovered that the self-editing process is much more slow and laborious.



Since I'm a "like-to-see-results" gal, this has been extremely difficult for me to deal with. Thank goodness I'm also a "perfectionistic-dog-with-a-bone-not-gonna-give-up"… Continue

Gone are the days when a writer could submit a diamond-in-the-rough story and expect an editor to chisel it into a polished gem.





Yes, editors, do still make changes to stories, but most manuscripts are expected to be well-edited before they land on the editor's desk.



This is especially true for unpubbed writers like me, which explains why I'm currently in the process of self-editing my novel, These Roads Lead Home.



Quite frankly, I'm glad that I'm editing… Continue

Many of you have asked how my writing has been going, so I decided it was time for an update (especially since one of the purposes of this blog is to chronicle my journey into the world of writing).



As you know, I wrote my lousy first draft during NaNoWriMo 2008. I took December off from working on my novel because of a trip to China and the holidays.



Then at the beginning of January, I started the process of self-editing. WHOA!



While it's a fun part of the… Continue

Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

(See more at http://wordvessel.blogspot.com!)