Adventures in Crafting with Words

Sometimes time catches up with you.  I haven't finished a single new book this week.  Not a single one.  My intended review for this week is - according to my kindle - 36% read.  That actually kind of disturbs me because sometimes reading, for me, is like breathing.  I need it. Like with writing or creating something out of jewelry findings or polymer clay.  The urge to read and create are fundamental urges for me; necessary for life.  At 31 years old it might seem silly to be chasing a dream with very little financial stability, but there you have it. My dream is to write and I'm going to try it.  Anyway, I first encountered this book when I was a junior or senior in high school (2001 or 2002 - it definitely wasn't 2003 because... well... I'll finish my story.) I was in theater class (which was not taken my last semester of high school, thus the not 2003 part) and one of dear friends, at the time, surprised me by suggesting a book....

Sometimes things get frustrating over on my side of the laptop.  Keep watching reviews and determining ways to bounce back, to create better.  Watching the numbers and wondering if those handful of bad reviews are just pulling the rest of the potential readers down where they don't want to read, not even with Kindle Unlimited.  I have to watch the day by day because at the end of the month if I don't hit minimum page reads and sold books then I'm losing out. I'm running out of time.  I'm running a gamble here by wanting to be a full-time writer.  A crafter of words. But this and etsy don't always pay the bills.  They certainly aren't paying me enough to get out of my parents house. Who am I? I am a writer.  I've been a writer since the seventh grade. And Yet... It hasn't even been a year since I've started.  I really need to not lose hope. A

Ever just watch a movie and think - I know I have read this somewhere .  That is this movie.  Where have I read this before?  Where have I watched this before.  A plethora of ideas pop into my head.  The Ugly Truth with Heigl and Butler.  Various contemporary romances that I've undoubtedly read.  The Kiss That Launched 1000 Gifs - Sheralyn Pratt Charlie All Night - Jennifer Cruise I imagine there is several more.  I'd have to go through my kindle book list into order to be able to tell and the first book listed (Pratt) was read months ago.  I seriously read books like I breathe air, consuming them mostly on a daily basis.  It's an expensive hobby.  I guess that's what Kindle Daily Deals ($1.99) or sales are for.  So, a few weeks ago I started watching this movie.  It hit a cord with me.  I couldn't help wondering exactly where I'd read this movie from?  Which book was it?  Sadly, there is no...

It started off rocky. There was no great opening line for me to report because a graphic covered most of the opening paragraphs.  It's a formatting issue in the ebook that can be fixed. Once I went in, tinkered with my margins (as wide as it could go), line spacing (same as margins), and the font size (as big as it could get)... that was a different story. "A cold night in early spring, many years ago..." Then after a page or two size 5 font... Despite the hassle the map graphic caused, the imagery of the opening is vivid.  I found myself shivering with the cold, forming my hands into claws, and walking along an abandoned path in my imagination.  Then I was able to return my settings to what I liked best.  A mild hassle... easily tackled... still an annoyance. The descriptions are amazing, but there were times I just wanted to put the book down.  I can't quite explain why.  Maybe it was the use of Beauty and the Beast tropes. We ...

I know, I know.  I missed Writing Prompt Wednesday.  I've been busy getting ready for an Arts and Crafts show on Saturday.  I also knew that there was 70% chance of rain today.  If you want to see the blog post for my Overthinker Creates account just look to your left for the link.  It should read Etsy Shop Blog.  Today's writing prompt is courtesy of WritingPrompt.com @DailyPrompt on Twitter.  It began - A green glow could be seen in the cave.  Curious, they entered.    I kinda like what I did with that prompt so I might add more to it later.  And now... The Prompt  _____             A green glow could be seen in the cave.   Curious, they entered.   They never expected that the cave was emitting the glow in an attempt to pull the unsuspecting into its grasp.               Within mom...

I have a weakness for a few things.  String cheese (with a dairy allergy on top). Chocolate. Cupcakes. Yarn. Books. Books. More books. My particular guilty pleasures are romance novels and retold fairy tales.  How many different ways can Beauty and the Beast be retold? How many endings does the original Sleeping Beauty have? (I've found 4!) Does Cinderella ever get her Prince? Ella by Jessilyn (love the name, btw) Stewart Peaslee caught my attention with its stunning cover and enticing blurb.  Dare I let it jump ahead of my book review reading list? I'm only posting them on Tuesdays so... I can probably write more than one a week and get a back log going.  So, while suffering from a sinus infection brought on by West Tennessee tree pollen - pesky Bradford Pear Trees - and too many string cheese sticks I'm going to pick comfort over adventure.  Let's see how it goes.  ______   The Prologue nearly brought me to te...

WritingPrompt.com  @DailyPrompt The date was going well until he proposed.   It wasn’t the best of proposals.   He hadn’t gotten down on one knee.   There was the ring she had already told him that she hated.   They were in a crowded restaurant and every single eye was focused on her, waiting with bated breath for her answer. Panic raced up her spine.   A choking feeling clogged her throat.   Trembling started at her hands and climbed up her arms.   The room felt as if it was closing on in her.   Sobbing she raced to the restroom, leaving him there stunned.   Things had not got exactly as he’d intended.   Reviewing what he’d said and done through his mind, Jared realized a few things.   One – He wasn’t on a date with Rachel.   Two – Sarah was not an outgoing person and a public proposal was not the way to go.   Three – He never should have started dating identical twins.   Pulling out hi...

As all good indie authors we know it's a great idea to support each other.   There's no telling what sells are supporting. Bills. Food. Children. Pets. So you tweet and retweet and at some point buy the book.  Without returning it because indie authors know that every little sell means either 30 or 70 percent of profits and we don't have the marketing that traditional publishers can give authors. At the same time we are hoping, wishing, to get discovered. That it will be one of our stories that hits it big and turns us into the next Amanda Hocking. So, I bought the book of one of my best retweeters.  We often retweet the others book tweets and try to get the other new readers. I haven't had a single conversation with this author, but I know I can rely on her when I need something spread.  So, I sadly let her book sit on my kindle's carousel.  Which is crazy. I love dragons.  I started sculpting polymer clay because of dragons. That's bette...