Welcome to A Writer’s POV. If someone had told me that writing a novel would cause me to loose sleep, gain weight, snap at my husband, pull my hair out, (literally and figuratively) and kick the dog, if I had one, I never would have put pen to paper. But as they say, ignorance is bliss, and I plunged in and began writing my book with the naïve expectation that I’d be finished in a year. Needless to say, five years and seven drafts later, I’m still on my quest for the Holy Grail, a published novel. Although frustrating, I spent that time growing as a writer. Every rewrite, revision and critique taught me something. Every book I read or workshop I attended offered new insights and ways to improve my craft. My goal with this blog is to share with you what I've learned so far. To talk about issues that plague all writers, to talk about the nuts and bolts of writing. Despite the fact that it's all been said before, each of us has our own way of telling a story and hopefully you'll visit often for help, support or just for the fun of it to read the posts written from this writer's point of view.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Research Can Be Fun

I was not a very good student. I hated studying, reading, and most of all; research. Now that I'm a writer, it's hard to believe that although studying may still be at the bottom of that list, reading and research give me the most pleasure.

 Whether it be for a novel or magazine story, I tend to get "lost" online when confirming a fact, or reading to learn more about a particular subject to make a profile or story more interesting and accurate. The Internet makes this former arduous task easier and more enjoyable than spending hours in a library. Believe me, I'm no academic. I'm just taking advantage of modern technology.

The past comes alive, one website at a time, revealing bits of trivia about actual historical occurrences that were little known, to me anyway, that can be used in a novel. Each mouse click leads to another and before you know it, an hour or more had passed. It's fun, but can be counterproductive at the same time.

 So now, I have to restrain my desire to know more about anything. Because eventually, I have to get back to work and write the story.
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Friday, August 15, 2014

I've Never Been So Busy Before in My Life

I've never been so busy before in my life, even when I worked full-time. Although technically, I work three part-time jobs. So what does that mean? I work full-full time? Silly, I know, but it sure does feel that way. And as I write this post, I announce that I was asked to have my blog featured @TheOcalaApp on Twitter, another way for one Ocalan to help promote another. Or is Ocalian? Whatever. No matter where you come from, please stop by and tweet.

 Of particular interest to readers might be my latest column, "Just My Type" in Ocala's Good Life magazine. "On the Phone Again" is a parody of Willie Nelson's hit song, "On the Road Again." Willie is one of my favorite artists, and I mean no disrespect, just sharing a humorous take on cell phones and how they're used. Just click on the magazine cover and flip to page 36 to read it.

I've also made my modeling debut in the March and June 2014 issues of Southern Living magazine. It was a two day shoot that involved shopping, birding, hiking and horseback riding in beautiful Ocala and surrounding areas in Marion County, Florida. More ads may pop up online and in other publications. I'll post updates when and if I find more.


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