When I’m walking down this path, I sometimes get into my writing zone,
but when I dragged my three kids out to watch the moon rise, the zone was more about finding the best place for a good view.
Sunday, November 13th, 2016
This post is part of Tuesday Use It In A Sentence! Please visit the lovely Stephanie to see how you can join in, too! https://stephaniecolpron.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/tuesdayuseitinasentence-zone/
I have a passion for language. Ultimately, I hope to make a living through it.
“Ultimate” is the word of the day for the Tuesday Use It In A Sentence prompt. Click here to visit our lovely host, Stephanie, and join in today!
Okay, now for my news:
I’ve been busy these past couple of months taking a course in editing through Simon Fraser University. I received my final mark last week and I passed – with 95%.
I realize it seems a bit self-indulgent to share my mark publicly, but there’s a sound reason behind it. I have no practical experience in editing anything but my own work and as it turns out, I need that just to apply to get into the Certificate program at SFU. I plan to hang out my proverbial shingle in the new year, so posting my results will, I hope, inspire confidence in my abilities. I’ve just started my second course of 12, but I can’t take the twelfth one until I qualify.
I have a passion for learning, for the English language, and also for helping people fulfill their own passions. I think I’m on the right path.
I’m so glad Stephanie decided to use the word “opening” for the word of the week in the Tuesday Use It In A Sentence prompt, because it gives me an opening to write a post about my novelette, All Good Stories, again. I hope she won’t mind that I’m writing more than a sentence. You should check out the prompt on her blog, here: https://stephaniecolpron.wordpress.com/2016/08/23/tuesdayuseitinasentence-opening/ It’s fun!
You’re wondering why I’m itching to write about my novelette? Let me share my exciting news with you.
I received a 4 star review on Amazon and Goodreads! The reviewer got the name of one of my main characters wrong, (his name is Xavier) but it doesn’t matter: it’s obvious she read it. And hey, she got the “X” right. 😀
Here it is, as it reads on Amazon:
Fun, short read for any fan of romantic comedy
by K.J. Avila
“All Good Stories is a novelette that follows the relationship between Xander and Jupiter, mostly from Xander’s point of view, but occasionally jumping to Bob – Jupiter’s new friend. Jupiter becomes friends with Bob online and this sends Xander head-first into jealousy. We get peeks at the many characters around them, too, all big personalities that stand out in the short tale. As a result of the colorful cast, shenanigans ensue.
“This is a fun, short read for any fan of romantic comedy. Xander and Jupiter have a really fun dynamic, and are by no means perfect – he’s a bit possessive and paranoid, while she’s too trusting and a little air-headed. Their flaws help flesh out the characters in a way that makes them very real despite the story’s brevity. Since it’s so short, the author doesn’t dedicate a ton of time to setting or descriptions, but that doesn’t take away from the overall story. It’s a character-driven tale that leaves you warm and fuzzy at the end.
“Overall, it’s a nice story sprinkled with humor that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy once you’re done. I’d love to see it fleshed out into a longer piece, with possibly a little more plot, but that’s just because I’d like to see these characters more. If you’re a rom-com fan, give it a try!”
I was so excited when I read this – my very first review ever!
If you’d like to give All Good Stories a read for yourself, you can pick it up by clicking the following links:
Amazon U.S. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JQWMQAE
Amazon U.K. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01JQWMQAE
Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01JQWMQAE and many other countries as well. Just ask and I’ll give you the links.
You can also pick it up on Kobo, here: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/all-good-stories
If you’ve already bought it, thank you so much. And thanks once again to Stephanie for the prompt!
Before I get started on my post, I just want to mention how awesome MLW is with her Tuesday Use It In A Sentence prompts. This week, the word is “quest.” Click the link and check out the rules so you can join in too! https://stephaniecolpron.wordpress.com/2016/06/21/tuesdayuseitinasentence-quest/
Okay, so, camp. I’m not talking about the traditional back-destroying, sleeping-in-a-sleeping-bag, sit-around-a-campfire-and-roast-marshmallows-and-drink-an-entire-bottle-of-Jack-Daniels-whilst-looking-up-at-the-stars-and-contemplating-the-universe-type camping. The days of being able to walk the day after sleeping on the ground are long gone for me. I’m talking about Camp NaNo! What is Camp NaNo, you ask? Well let me tell you.
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is in November. During that time, the goal is to write at least 50,000 words, no excuses. Write 49,999 and you lose. But the people who bring us NaNoWriMo also host two “camps” every year. They are in April and July. During the camps you set your own goal. Anywhere from 30 words to 1,000,000 – it’s up to you. Campers are assigned to cabins, and each member of the cabin encourages the others. There can be challenges, there are forums full of experts to help with research, and chats over coffee… it’s fun!
Since I’m on a quest to finish the sequel of my epic novel, I’ve decided to join Camp NaNo in July. I actually started my sequel at the camp in April of 2014, when I managed to write about 30,000 words.
So, who’s with me? Anyone out there already signed up? Have a cabin for me to join? I’m thinking I may start my own, otherwise. Here’s the link: https://campnanowrimo.org/sign_in
Let’s sit around the campfire and roast marshmallows and drink an entire bottle of Jack Daniels whilst looking up at the stars and contemplate writing, without the stiff and aching muscles, together!
I often feel like a servant in my own house. Because of their disabilities, there’s a good chance I’ll always have to serve my children, to some extent.
But it’s something we all do, isn’t it? There are times when it’s much easier to do a thing ourselves than take the time to teach the kids to do it. In many cases it’s justified: while in the way out the door to an appointment, or getting ready for school in the morning, when we’re tired and just want to get the thing (whatever it is) over and done with. At some point we need to stop and teach though. We do our kids a disservice by waiting on them hand and foot.
Ah, but it’s so hard to be perfect.
This post is part of Tuesday Use It In A Sentence, brought to us by the lovely MLW. Click here and join in today!
She spat out her apology like phlegm, only to feel her unrepentant anger build to new and distasteful heights.
Writing this sentence has brought to mind how I feel about the questionable wisdom that by forgiving someone of a wrong done to us, we are freeing ourselves rather than the other person. I suppose it depends on whether or not we can believe we are truly forgiving.
The other popular adage is “forgive and forget.” Sometimes forgetting is much easier on the soul than forgiving. But does it teach us anything?
Tuesday Use It In A Sentence is brought to you by MLW at Word Adventures. Click here to join in today!
Anyone who is my friend, knows to be patient. I can go for years without talking to people, but that doesn’t mean, in my mind at least, that the friendship no longer exists.
Tuesday Use It In A Sentence is brought to you by MLW. Click on the link to join in! https://awordadventure.wordpress.com/2016/05/10/tuesdayuseitinasentence-friendship/ It’s fun!
