Welcome

Hi, well isn't this nice. I don't know you and you don't know me, and yet here we are. I've decided to re-start my blog and see where things go and along the way help other writers out as best I can. Yep, I’m a writer and like many I have dreams, ambitions and an insatiable need to write. Up to this point, I've created some interesting characters, like Jack McCuddles and Chancer the Leprechaun. Have I had success with my books? Depends on your definition of success. Sure, I've reached people I never dreamed I'd reach and along the way I put a few smiles where a smile was most needed. I suppose that's success: if a book can bring a smile and a few hours of fun, then I've succeeded. But what next? Right now I've jumped from my comfort zone and decided to plot a book. Up to this point, I've been a Pantser: someone who writes from the seat of their pants. I'm still divided if plotting is easier than seeing where things go. Right now, both seem stressful. My plot has switched around on me and I find myself moving chapter 8 to chapter 2. So much for planning :-) Plotter or Pantser – Both require hard-work. Writing isn’t easy. So much second guessing. Will my readers like this? Am I being clear? Is my idea even worth the effort? The last one is the kicker. I’ve decided to write a cozy mystery. I like them because I can add dollops of humor but do I have enough mystery to keep a person guessing? Time will tell. And if I’m being honest, I’ve abandoned four books after 20,000 words and completed one, which I used as a learning tool. Does it get disheartening to abandon a book? Yes, yes it does. But for every abandoned idea, an even stronger story emerges. One I’ll be proud of and one I hope others will enjoy. And that my friends, is how you keep going.