I am a prisoner of the gods.
They say I have hatred in my heart. With all that's transpired in my life these past few years I'm inclined to agree with them. You can't experience what I've been through and even want good inside you. When everyone and everything you love and care about is destroyed all you have left is bitterness and anger.
It probably doesn't sound like much for someone to let hatred enter her heart, except I'm not an ordinary woman. I'm a goddess. We're held to a higher standard than humans; we're not supposed to give into our emotions the way humans do. My mistake was giving into my rage. I wanted to destroy a nation of people because they killed my family. I still do. So to save the world from me and me from myself, the elder gods stripped me of my powers and banished me to an uninhabited island to sort things out.
The elder gods don't call this island a prison. To them, this is an “island of solitude.” It's supposed to be a place where I can think about
what I've done and why it was wrong. Personally, I’d rather be imprisoned in a traditional filthy rat-infested jail cell. At least I’d know what to expect. The first day I was here I ran right for the shore to swim off this rock. I wanted to spite the elder gods and show them they had no jurisdiction over me. I quickly learned not to challenge the power of the gods after experiencing their interpretation of iron bars. When I got close to the water, I couldn't see anything, but I felt like I slammed into a wall. A really hard wall. A really hard wall. Strange thing is I skim rocks on the water all the time. I thought about it later on. It would be foolish to plan an escape by just swimming; where would I go? There's no land for miles. All I can see around me are the deep blue waters of the Pacific. That's when I realized I'm going to be here for a while and I better get used to it.
The elder gods say I won't be allowed to leave this island until I'm redeemed. That's not going to happen any time soon. I have a lot of unresolved affairs I have to take care of before I can even think about getting back in the elder gods good graces. Besides dealing with the death of my family, I just found out my father is Osiris, King of the gods of Heliopolis. King of the cowards is a better way to describe him. It makes me so angry to think about the way he treated me at the trial. He told me he wanted to start a relationship with me after I've been redeemed. I feel that's too little too late; I needed his help yesterday and he won't face me. If this is the way he parents his children I'm beginning to see why Egypt fell.
I'm mad at Osiris for abandoning me, but I don't hate him. He's not so bad; in his own way he tried to help me before I was banished here. Along with that empty promise to see me, he gave me some parting gifts. The first was a pair of smooth gold gauntlet bracelets. They must be enchanted because I can't take them off no matter how hard I pull at them. They used to feel funny on my wrists, but now I'm getting used to them. He says they'll give me hope. He might be right, every time I look at my reflection in them I feel like I might have a chance of leaving this island.
The second gift was a journal and a pen. Osiris says writing will help me deal with my feelings. I don't know, seeing my emotions written down on paper scared me. I never realized how dangerous my anger was until I saw it staring me in the face. Looking back at what I wrote in my journal when I first came here I've cursed every Heliopolitan deity at least twice and called my mother a few names I wouldn't repeat in church. If I were to say the things I wrote to anyone, I'd regret it for the rest of my life.
Since I've worked through most of my anger and grief, I've been trying to make a life for myself on my new home these past few months. In the beginning it was hard living here; the gods didn't provide me with any amenities. I was banished to this island with the clothes on my back, a short white linen wrap kilt and a crop top. I had to find everything else I needed to survive on the island myself. After several days of exploring, I found food and water. On the fertile land in the center of the island, trees and bushes grow a variety of tropical fruits and vegetables. Oranges, bananas melons, that sort of thing. There's a spring on the South side of the island. I get my water and do my
bathing there. So far I've been able to improvise with what I've got here. However, I can't seem to get a house built. Thank God it's only rained twice in the time I've been here.
Now that I've been here awhile I've got a routine. Chores keep me busy from sunup to sundown. As soon as I get up, I say my prayers. I know it's strange for a goddess to serve God, but that's my religion. Osiris may be my father but he's not the almighty in my eyes. I've served God for over a thousand years now and I'm not about to stop now. I know he's with me and he'll help me out of this mess.
After I pray, I jot down a few thoughts in my journal. Nowadays I write about the experiences I have on the island. It's not much, just a few paragraphs about what I've done for the day. I usually spend my afternoons gathering fruit and vegetables for my meals and fresh leaves for my bed.
Around sundown I take a bath and try to rest for the next day. I don't get much sleep, most nights I just stare up at the night sky. I'm afraid to sleep because when I dream it's always a nightmare. I keep seeing what happened to my family over and over again. Those memories make me so upset; I'm afraid to face them. I know what I did; I just don't think it was the only reason why I got this evil inside me.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Isis Chapter 3
I watch Isis from my window as she writes her thoughts in the journal Osiris gave her. I still have reservations about the judgment Ra passed on her. I always felt his sentence was too harsh. She has withdrawn so much in the time since she's been imprisoned. The hatred can only grow inside her if she's left to herself again.
We made a promise to Keer-Sheba an eon ago to look out for her daughter. We haven't kept our word. We left Isis to the reprobate ways of humanity while we gods went about our business. Osiris and the elder gods are foolish to believe that he can have a relationship with Isis after she leaves the island. She'll never leave the island without our guidance.
I leave my bedchamber and head for the hall of judgment. Osiris is there judging the endless stream of souls with the balance and feather of truth. They have waited a long time to be judged, they can wait awhile longer.
“Osiris, I must speak with you. It's important.”
“I am about my business. Can this wait until later?”
“No, this can't wait.”
He takes the feather of truth off the balances. “Isis, what is this about?”
“It's about our daughter. We can't leave her alone again.”
“Ra has passed judgment on her. When the hatred is purged from her soul we will-”
“I know what Ra said. But we can't wait until then. Our daughter has gone on too long without our guidance. She'll never be redeemed without our help.”
“Isis, we're not supposed to interfere. She has to find her own way and we're supposed to go about our business.”
“What's our business Osiris? To advise and protect man. Your daughter is of mortal flesh, worthy of our aid.”
“Those are no longer our duties. Long ago in Egypt yes, but not in these godless times.”
He reaches to put his feather on the balance. I snatch it away from him. He scowls at me. I'm not going to let him do this to our family.
“I never thought you'd be a hypocrite. Who needs more help than our daughter?”
“I'm being practical. There are-”
“You can try the hearts of men but you won't try to face your own child. What kind
of judge doesn't obey his own laws?”
“A fair and righteous one.”
“No. A corrupt one, and I know you aren't corrupt. Do you want Isis to be one of these unworthy souls?”
He sighs. He always does when he knows I'm right. “Send for Horus. Tell him he is to rule in my stead until this affair is taken care of.”
We made a promise to Keer-Sheba an eon ago to look out for her daughter. We haven't kept our word. We left Isis to the reprobate ways of humanity while we gods went about our business. Osiris and the elder gods are foolish to believe that he can have a relationship with Isis after she leaves the island. She'll never leave the island without our guidance.
I leave my bedchamber and head for the hall of judgment. Osiris is there judging the endless stream of souls with the balance and feather of truth. They have waited a long time to be judged, they can wait awhile longer.
“Osiris, I must speak with you. It's important.”
“I am about my business. Can this wait until later?”
“No, this can't wait.”
He takes the feather of truth off the balances. “Isis, what is this about?”
“It's about our daughter. We can't leave her alone again.”
“Ra has passed judgment on her. When the hatred is purged from her soul we will-”
“I know what Ra said. But we can't wait until then. Our daughter has gone on too long without our guidance. She'll never be redeemed without our help.”
“Isis, we're not supposed to interfere. She has to find her own way and we're supposed to go about our business.”
“What's our business Osiris? To advise and protect man. Your daughter is of mortal flesh, worthy of our aid.”
“Those are no longer our duties. Long ago in Egypt yes, but not in these godless times.”
He reaches to put his feather on the balance. I snatch it away from him. He scowls at me. I'm not going to let him do this to our family.
“I never thought you'd be a hypocrite. Who needs more help than our daughter?”
“I'm being practical. There are-”
“You can try the hearts of men but you won't try to face your own child. What kind
of judge doesn't obey his own laws?”
“A fair and righteous one.”
“No. A corrupt one, and I know you aren't corrupt. Do you want Isis to be one of these unworthy souls?”
He sighs. He always does when he knows I'm right. “Send for Horus. Tell him he is to rule in my stead until this affair is taken care of.”
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Reader's Paradise Review of The Cassandra Cookbook
production team at Cassandra’s Bakery which is owned by her parents.
Hoping one day mom and dad will pass on the legacy of becoming sole
owner of their well known establishment; her parents’ drop a bomb on
her that you wouldn’t imagine. To make matters worst, Cassandra
reaches an all time low when she walks in on her fiancée in a compromising position. As Cassandra goes through the rigger ma roe of getting her personal life in order as well as getting down and taking
care of business at the bakery will she able to have true happiness?
Cassandra’s Bakery was very interesting. Mr. James gives the reader a sense of
business savvy which is quite knowledgeable with a touch of romance.
The plot and the characters were feasible and will keep your attention.
As I was reading this novel the saying “when one door closes another
will open” came to mind. Despite the grammatical errors and over use of
wording, Cassandra’s Bakery was good reading that I would recommend.
Tangerine
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
WORD ON THE STREET...
Okay, a couple of people have come to me about The Cassandra Cookbook stating that the word “Digress” is overused. Others complain about detailed descriptions. While I’m pretty understanding about constructive criticism and I’m a professional, I can’t change the subject when it comes to literacy issues I see among people of color.
I live in the South Bronx, an area where six in ten Black men and five out of ten Black women don’t graduate high school. Among Latinos, the numbers are worse. Eight in ten men and six out of ten women don’t make it to the June march to get their High School diplomas. At the most, people in my neighborhood have a ninth grade education max. It’s scary where I live, most adults Black or Hispanic, some of them born and raised here can’t do things a ninth grader in other parts of the city are supposed to be able to do like fill out a job application (a fourth grade document) or struggle to read the newspaper (a sixth grade document). What’s worse is I watch people in my neighborhood and they can’t express themselves verbally in social situations. A lot of times they substitute profanity for the words they don’t know how to use. Words like Nigger, Fuck, Shit Motherfucker, bitch, ho, and asshole, are conjugated like all purpose verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. I’d hate to see what their writing is like if this is how they talk.
I understand why people talk like this; it’s not about toughness or street culture. Most African-Americans today like the slaves before them aren’t educated enough to understand how to use words and are forced to use the few the words they pick up like a dialect so they can communicate with others. Outside of the school doors, there aren’t many opportunities to learn new words nowadays. Over the past ten years literature has practically disappeared from the South Bronx. The magazine shops and newsstands on Fordham Road, Third Avenue and Yankee Stadium are gone or down to a few hip-hop titles; Outside of the Daily News and the Post at the bodega I can’t find anything to read. Currently there are no bookstores in the South Bronx; (the last bookstore in the borough closed in 2007) and very few book vendors who sell quality literature.
So the reason why I use words like digress in my writing is to give my readers an opportunity to learn some new words while they read. The reason I use these words repeatedly is to give my readers an opportunity to reinforce what they’ve learned. I want the new words they learn to stay with them, and the best way to retain what a reader has learned is repetition.
The reason I use detailed descriptions is to give my readers the ability to use their imaginations. Authors like Jane Austen and Dickens do this all the time. The more details, the clearer picture a person has in their mind of what they're seeing. A person twenty years from now probably won't know what an Escalade is, or what a neighborhood like DUMBO looks like unless I clearly describe it to them . I want the imagery in the books I write to remain fresh so a future reader sees the exact same things a reader from today would see if they read the book.
Words like digress (an eleventh grade word) regularly appear on tests like the SAT, TABE (a simple exam given at employment services and job training programs that assesses basic literacy) GED, and Civil Service exams. Sadly, more and more inner city residents are failing the TABE test and the GED exam (Both measures of an eighth grade education) nowadays than ever. Many can’t score well on the SAT or even pass the Civil Service Exams. Why are they failing? The lack of exposure to literature and the inability to expand their vocabularies.
Having worked in job readiness and with the hardest to place (ex-offenders, dropouts,) I understand that one ingredient in the recipe for success is being well-read in addition to being well educated. The more words a reader has in their vocabulary the more opportunities they’ll have at improving the quality of their lives.
I live in the South Bronx, an area where six in ten Black men and five out of ten Black women don’t graduate high school. Among Latinos, the numbers are worse. Eight in ten men and six out of ten women don’t make it to the June march to get their High School diplomas. At the most, people in my neighborhood have a ninth grade education max. It’s scary where I live, most adults Black or Hispanic, some of them born and raised here can’t do things a ninth grader in other parts of the city are supposed to be able to do like fill out a job application (a fourth grade document) or struggle to read the newspaper (a sixth grade document). What’s worse is I watch people in my neighborhood and they can’t express themselves verbally in social situations. A lot of times they substitute profanity for the words they don’t know how to use. Words like Nigger, Fuck, Shit Motherfucker, bitch, ho, and asshole, are conjugated like all purpose verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. I’d hate to see what their writing is like if this is how they talk.
I understand why people talk like this; it’s not about toughness or street culture. Most African-Americans today like the slaves before them aren’t educated enough to understand how to use words and are forced to use the few the words they pick up like a dialect so they can communicate with others. Outside of the school doors, there aren’t many opportunities to learn new words nowadays. Over the past ten years literature has practically disappeared from the South Bronx. The magazine shops and newsstands on Fordham Road, Third Avenue and Yankee Stadium are gone or down to a few hip-hop titles; Outside of the Daily News and the Post at the bodega I can’t find anything to read. Currently there are no bookstores in the South Bronx; (the last bookstore in the borough closed in 2007) and very few book vendors who sell quality literature.
So the reason why I use words like digress in my writing is to give my readers an opportunity to learn some new words while they read. The reason I use these words repeatedly is to give my readers an opportunity to reinforce what they’ve learned. I want the new words they learn to stay with them, and the best way to retain what a reader has learned is repetition.
The reason I use detailed descriptions is to give my readers the ability to use their imaginations. Authors like Jane Austen and Dickens do this all the time. The more details, the clearer picture a person has in their mind of what they're seeing. A person twenty years from now probably won't know what an Escalade is, or what a neighborhood like DUMBO looks like unless I clearly describe it to them . I want the imagery in the books I write to remain fresh so a future reader sees the exact same things a reader from today would see if they read the book.
Words like digress (an eleventh grade word) regularly appear on tests like the SAT, TABE (a simple exam given at employment services and job training programs that assesses basic literacy) GED, and Civil Service exams. Sadly, more and more inner city residents are failing the TABE test and the GED exam (Both measures of an eighth grade education) nowadays than ever. Many can’t score well on the SAT or even pass the Civil Service Exams. Why are they failing? The lack of exposure to literature and the inability to expand their vocabularies.
Having worked in job readiness and with the hardest to place (ex-offenders, dropouts,) I understand that one ingredient in the recipe for success is being well-read in addition to being well educated. The more words a reader has in their vocabulary the more opportunities they’ll have at improving the quality of their lives.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
urbanbooksource.com review of The Cassandra Cookbook
Here's the review of the Cassandra Cookbook from urbanbooksource.com
http://www.theurbanbooksource.com/reviews/books/casscookbook.php
A bakery is a wonderful business. There's nothing like the smell and
taste of freshly baked goodies made from scratch. Then, there's the
thrill of seeing your customers enjoying your baking. For anyone
that loves to bake, has a passion for baked goods, and enjoys the
art of food, owning a bakery would be ideal.
In the book, The Cassandra Cookbook written by Shawn James, Cassandra Lee has dreamed
of taking over “Cassandra”, her parents’ bakery since she was a little girl. Cassandra’s
parents, Carlton and Helen Lee, opened the bakery when their daughter was a baby. Started
in 1974, Cassandra has been a staple in the downtown Brooklyn community for several
years. The well-known bakery is famous for providing baked goods that make your taste
buds pop with flavor.
Cassandra’s dream turns into a nightmare when her parents tell her they plan to retire and
sell the bakery. Corporate giant ITC Foods makes Cassandra’s parents an offer they cannot
refuse. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Cassandra catches her down low fiancé Gerald
Davis in the arms of another man days before their wedding and honeymoon.
Although she is devastated at her parents’ decision to sell the bakery, Cassandra convinces
them to let her represent them in the transaction so she can ensure they receive the best
deal possible. Simon James, the ITC Foods representative assigned to complete the
Cassandra bakery deal, begins to have feelings for Cassandra turning their professional
relationship into a personal one. Simon later makes a confession to Cassandra which leaves
her heartbroken. To smooth things over, Simon comes up with an idea in order to finally
make Cassandra’s dream come true.
What did you like about the book?
I liked the overall theme and plot of the book.
What did you dislike about the book?
I disliked the amount of grammatical errors throughout the book. I think the author also
used words like ‘pink’ and ‘digress’ too frequently to the point where I found it a bit
annoying.
What could the author do to improve the book?
The author could edit the grammatical errors in portions of this bo
http://www.theurbanbooksource.com/reviews/books/casscookbook.php
A bakery is a wonderful business. There's nothing like the smell and
taste of freshly baked goodies made from scratch. Then, there's the
thrill of seeing your customers enjoying your baking. For anyone
that loves to bake, has a passion for baked goods, and enjoys the
art of food, owning a bakery would be ideal.
In the book, The Cassandra Cookbook written by Shawn James, Cassandra Lee has dreamed
of taking over “Cassandra”, her parents’ bakery since she was a little girl. Cassandra’s
parents, Carlton and Helen Lee, opened the bakery when their daughter was a baby. Started
in 1974, Cassandra has been a staple in the downtown Brooklyn community for several
years. The well-known bakery is famous for providing baked goods that make your taste
buds pop with flavor.
Cassandra’s dream turns into a nightmare when her parents tell her they plan to retire and
sell the bakery. Corporate giant ITC Foods makes Cassandra’s parents an offer they cannot
refuse. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Cassandra catches her down low fiancé Gerald
Davis in the arms of another man days before their wedding and honeymoon.
Although she is devastated at her parents’ decision to sell the bakery, Cassandra convinces
them to let her represent them in the transaction so she can ensure they receive the best
deal possible. Simon James, the ITC Foods representative assigned to complete the
Cassandra bakery deal, begins to have feelings for Cassandra turning their professional
relationship into a personal one. Simon later makes a confession to Cassandra which leaves
her heartbroken. To smooth things over, Simon comes up with an idea in order to finally
make Cassandra’s dream come true.
What did you like about the book?
I liked the overall theme and plot of the book.
What did you dislike about the book?
I disliked the amount of grammatical errors throughout the book. I think the author also
used words like ‘pink’ and ‘digress’ too frequently to the point where I found it a bit
annoying.
What could the author do to improve the book?
The author could edit the grammatical errors in portions of this bo
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sexy Ebony BBW AA Book Club Review of The Cassandra Cookbook
Detailed below is the Sexy Ebony BBWAA Book Club review of The Cassandra Cookbook
You can read the review here:
http://sexyebonyreviews.blogspot.com/
Virtualbookworm.com Publishing: August 2008
978-1602642294
Reviewer: Lashonda
Rating: 4
Cassandra Lee has the world at her doorstep, or so it seems. She has worked to make her parents' bakery a success, working along with her father and getting her culinary degree. Her fresh outlook and innovative ideas have helped the bakery achieve tremendous success in the midst of a failing economy. During a meeting with her parents, she learns that the bakery she has worked towards owning is in negotiation to be sold so her parents can retire.To further complicate things, only days before her wedding she walks in on her fiancé cheating, with another man. Devastated by the curves her life has taken Cassandra works to get over her heartache and help her parents to close the deal that will allow them to retire.
Told in 1st person from several characters point of view, The Cassandra Cookbook, shares the joys and pains of love, family and professional success. The characters have depth and deal with the real life choices people make to get ahead and find success in life. The writing style grants readers a peek inside of the mind of each character adding to the emotional ties felt with each character.Overall this was this was a good book with a well developed storyline.
I did find the cover to be a bit of a turn off and there were a few editing errors that took away through off the general flow of the book.Looking for a whole lot of drama with a little romance thrown in, The Cassandra Cookbook fits the bill. There are life lessons and food for thought sprinkled into the pages of this story.
You can read the review here:
http://sexyebonyreviews.blogspot.com/
Virtualbookworm.com Publishing: August 2008
978-1602642294
Reviewer: Lashonda
Rating: 4
Cassandra Lee has the world at her doorstep, or so it seems. She has worked to make her parents' bakery a success, working along with her father and getting her culinary degree. Her fresh outlook and innovative ideas have helped the bakery achieve tremendous success in the midst of a failing economy. During a meeting with her parents, she learns that the bakery she has worked towards owning is in negotiation to be sold so her parents can retire.To further complicate things, only days before her wedding she walks in on her fiancé cheating, with another man. Devastated by the curves her life has taken Cassandra works to get over her heartache and help her parents to close the deal that will allow them to retire.
Told in 1st person from several characters point of view, The Cassandra Cookbook, shares the joys and pains of love, family and professional success. The characters have depth and deal with the real life choices people make to get ahead and find success in life. The writing style grants readers a peek inside of the mind of each character adding to the emotional ties felt with each character.Overall this was this was a good book with a well developed storyline.
I did find the cover to be a bit of a turn off and there were a few editing errors that took away through off the general flow of the book.Looking for a whole lot of drama with a little romance thrown in, The Cassandra Cookbook fits the bill. There are life lessons and food for thought sprinkled into the pages of this story.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Letting Go
LETTING GO
This is it.
The last word.
The story is finished.
There comes a time when a writer has to stop working on a story and put the pen down. A point when no amount of editing will polish the plotline, no amount of re-reads or re-writes will improve the story structure. This is the end of the story, a place where a writer has to put a period at the end of the last page and move on.
Letting go of a story is the hardest part of the writing process for an author in any medium. It means the writer has to allow themselves to be vulnerable. Not just to praise, but to criticism, rejection and even insults. Without those things a writer can’t grow in their craft.
Unfortunately, some writers hold onto stories they write for years trying to protect themselves from the very thing that will improve their craft: Sharing it with the audience. They think that if they write one more paragraph, change one more sentence, restructure the plotline to go in another direction, the story will get just that much better. Sometimes this process goes on for a few months. Sometimes a few years. Sometimes it can just go on too long. Sometimes analysis is just another form of insecurity.
I used to be one of those insecure authors who protected his stories like a newborn baby. After I completed my first novel back in 1997, I kept trying to rewrite it telling people I had to make it better before I submitted it to the publishers and agents. It was fear. I didn’t know I was stalling my own growth as a writer; I was afraid of criticism and I started a co-dependent relationship with my characters. They were like old friends and I liked hanging out with them every day in front of the pea-soup green screened Brother word processor.
It wasn’t until I went to the bookstore and I realized it was time to let go of my first story and write something else. I noticed a lot of authors on the bookshelf hadn’t let go of their first works and how it impacted their long-term careers. Because they hadn’t separated themselves from their first novel and moved on, they kept writing the same book over and over again. It stalled their writing craft; the writing style hadn’t changed, their storylines became more and more predictable, their characters the exact same person with another name. Since there was no end of the first story there couldn’t be a beginning. to a new one.
Ending and beginnings are the primary elements of the writing process. Just as one story ends, a new one begins. To let go of my old story and start a new one, I often write something in a totally opposite direction of my previous story. If I finish writing a fantasy story, I write a contemporary romance. If I finish writing a contemporary romance, I write a gritty drama. If I finish writing a gritty drama I write a romantic comedy. If I wrote a screenplay, I’ll write a book next. If I write a book, I’ll write a blog post, a movie review or an article. Mix it up. Make it interesting. I don’t want to get too comfortable with a bunch of characters ever again. I feel it stalls me creatively. A good writer shouldn’t be afraid to put the period at the end of a story and move on.
Starting the next story is the hardest part of writing. For me, it means leaving old friends behind, and getting to know a whole new group of people and interacting with their world. I may like them. I may not like them. It’s a very vulnerable position to be in mentally and emotionally for me at the computer. But I understand it can be very rewarding as I learn about different story models and different experiences than I’m familiar with.
This is it.
The last word.
The story is finished.
There comes a time when a writer has to stop working on a story and put the pen down. A point when no amount of editing will polish the plotline, no amount of re-reads or re-writes will improve the story structure. This is the end of the story, a place where a writer has to put a period at the end of the last page and move on.
Letting go of a story is the hardest part of the writing process for an author in any medium. It means the writer has to allow themselves to be vulnerable. Not just to praise, but to criticism, rejection and even insults. Without those things a writer can’t grow in their craft.
Unfortunately, some writers hold onto stories they write for years trying to protect themselves from the very thing that will improve their craft: Sharing it with the audience. They think that if they write one more paragraph, change one more sentence, restructure the plotline to go in another direction, the story will get just that much better. Sometimes this process goes on for a few months. Sometimes a few years. Sometimes it can just go on too long. Sometimes analysis is just another form of insecurity.
I used to be one of those insecure authors who protected his stories like a newborn baby. After I completed my first novel back in 1997, I kept trying to rewrite it telling people I had to make it better before I submitted it to the publishers and agents. It was fear. I didn’t know I was stalling my own growth as a writer; I was afraid of criticism and I started a co-dependent relationship with my characters. They were like old friends and I liked hanging out with them every day in front of the pea-soup green screened Brother word processor.
It wasn’t until I went to the bookstore and I realized it was time to let go of my first story and write something else. I noticed a lot of authors on the bookshelf hadn’t let go of their first works and how it impacted their long-term careers. Because they hadn’t separated themselves from their first novel and moved on, they kept writing the same book over and over again. It stalled their writing craft; the writing style hadn’t changed, their storylines became more and more predictable, their characters the exact same person with another name. Since there was no end of the first story there couldn’t be a beginning. to a new one.
Ending and beginnings are the primary elements of the writing process. Just as one story ends, a new one begins. To let go of my old story and start a new one, I often write something in a totally opposite direction of my previous story. If I finish writing a fantasy story, I write a contemporary romance. If I finish writing a contemporary romance, I write a gritty drama. If I finish writing a gritty drama I write a romantic comedy. If I wrote a screenplay, I’ll write a book next. If I write a book, I’ll write a blog post, a movie review or an article. Mix it up. Make it interesting. I don’t want to get too comfortable with a bunch of characters ever again. I feel it stalls me creatively. A good writer shouldn’t be afraid to put the period at the end of a story and move on.
Starting the next story is the hardest part of writing. For me, it means leaving old friends behind, and getting to know a whole new group of people and interacting with their world. I may like them. I may not like them. It’s a very vulnerable position to be in mentally and emotionally for me at the computer. But I understand it can be very rewarding as I learn about different story models and different experiences than I’m familiar with.
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