Got my first rejection! I’ve been initiated! I’m really an aspiring author now!

Pressing on…

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

Rewrite a common phrase, such as “It’s raining cats and dogs,” in the style of three famous authors.

Meg Cabot:
What the heck? Of COURSE it would rain on the most important day of my life. Okay, so maybe not that important but it was a big enough deal. Why today?? And whoever thought of the phrase “raining cats and dogs?” As if cats and dogs have ANYTHING to do with the weather.”

Stephen King:
The rain pounded against the roof. The literal sound of cats and dogs crashing against the top of the house. Jack could almost imagine Percy falling through the ceiling. Stupid cat. Stupid bastard who killed him.

E. Lockhart:
“You’d better take an umbrella, Roo. It’s raining cats and dogs out there (1).”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I swear, sometimes I hated being an only child.

(1) A very old, very trite phrase used to describe an incredible amount of precipitation falling from the sky. Rumor has it that the cliche came from the olden days when cats and dogs would literally fall from the roof onto people’s heads or some such craziness like that.

Whew. That was tough. Fun, but tough. The last thing I want to do is insult anyone! What a mind stretching excercise–definitely outside of my comfort zone. I’m so busy trying to find my own voice that it’s weird to try to imitate another’s.

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

Look!

bananagirl19!!!!!!

Add me if you want. I’m going to be blathering about my writing, begging all of you to keep me inspired and keep me going, and marking my progress.

I need some accountability, or else I’ll churn out poems and stories and let them sit on my hard drive while beating myself up for being such a scaredy cat.

I’m 95% sure I’m ready to take steps to start my writing career. I hope the writing journal will keep me on track. 🙂

I have a few authors on my LJ list (people I’m going to move over here soon). I read their journals and I get this tingle in my stomach. Slightly sick, slightly scared, very excited, flip-flopping between being highly inspired and highly discouraged.

I want to be an author so badly I can taste it, but I let FEAR get in my way. I let the fear of success rule me. What if I can’t come up with a decent book? What if I get rejected nine million times? What if I make a bestseller?

What if I make it? What if my dreams come true?

I want this. I have to work for it, and it’s work I enjoy. I walk into the book store and I see all the books and think that someday, mine WILL be on that shelf. Not turned sideways either, but front displayed so everyone can see my cover. So everyone can buy it. Read it, enjoy it.

I’m starting this journal to keep track of my progress. To have some accountability. To inspire myself and for you guys to hopefully inspire me. I may post writing samples here, I’ll post the process. My feelings. I’m going to be frank and to the point.

Add me if you’d like. Keep me going, keep pushing me to do my best. To follow my dreams… to SUCCEED!

/end cheesiness.

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)