Stephanie Hurt – Romance Author
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Wow, we’ve made it to halfway through February and tax season is in full swing. Glad I stocked up on coffee supplies in the office. Now coffee thirty not only happens mid afternoon, but now it can happen again mid evening. Long hours equal lots of coffee.
Feel inspired, caffeine up!
Good morning! It’s a soggy, cool morning here in Georgia. Sending prayers for all of those affected by the ice storm. Please stay safe!
Now, have you written a scene that makes you cry? I’ve written so many scenes that brought tears to my eyes. And I’ve had readers that said some scenes in my books made them cry. It’s always a compliment when a reader says I made them cry. There’s a difference in the writer crying and the reader doing the same thing. What? How?
This is my opinion on this matter. If I cry, it could be where I’ve been so dedicated to the WIP that I’m overwhelmed with emotion. Or If I’m killing off a character that I love, my heart is broken. But when a reader cries, that means that I did what I was supposed to do. I wrote with feeling and the reader understood it.
So, write that emotion with everything you have!
There’s a scene in Faith Through the Tears that makes me cry like a baby. I’m talking big, fat tears. One reader even mentions to have a tissue box ready.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
It’s already halfway through the week… SO, what have you achieved this week. Me, I’ve managed to get in a couple thousand words on Safe in the middle of preparing taxes, accounting, cooking, and life. Safe is coming along nicely and even my editor is getting excited. I love that I can keep her in the dark until she starts editing a section, then I get a text or call saying, hey, what’s happening next. Tsk Tsk, not telling!
Make it the best day ever and stay warm. Sending prayers to all of those in the icy zones of the country. Warm wishes and thoughts…
Coffee is my afternoon snack. And on this cold and rainy Monday, it’s needed in the worst way. So, I’m sending all of you a little coffee smile. Remember, you’ve got this, so hold on and we’ll get through this Monday!
What a dreary Monday! Monday’s are a struggle, but when you wake up to rain and bone chilling cold, well, it puts you in the wrong mood. So, let’s talk patience. LOL! Yep, that word that we’ve forgotten existed…
Patience by definition is the ability to take things in stride, not rush into something, without getting upset. In other words, even though you want to do something so badly that you hit the start button before you have everything ready. And that’s where you get into trouble.
Here’s what the Bible says: Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
And I know how hard it is to be patient, especially when you have a new release coming. Here’s an example: You’ve finished your current work in progress, but you need to edit, then send to your editor for more edits, then add those new edits, market for the new release, make sure the cover is ready, etc… You get the point. But the problem with all of this is that it takes time to do all of this, and all of this is important. If you jump into the pot before the grease is hot, well, you’ll just end up soggy.
It’s like putting a puzzle together. You can’t rush to the last piece without putting all of the other pieces together first. It’s impossible, so you have to patiently put the other pieces together. The same with publishing a book. One step at a time…
So, here’s my advice and believe me, I’ve been there and done that. Make sure to check all the boxes before you hit submit. You wouldn’t publish to Amazon before you had a cover, would you? Then don’t publish before you’ve got the steps completed in order to put out the best book you possibly can.
Patience is something we have to work on. Me included. If you feel like you’ve just got to do something, then start on the next project and market like crazy for the one you’re about to release. But make it right the first time and the patience will pay off.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
It’s almost the weekend. Like only a couple of hours until it officially starts. And, it’s Valentines weekend on top of that. So, what are you planning for Valentine’s Day?
Maybe you’re going to stay in and just have a private dinner… Maybe you’re going out to a nice restaurant… Or maybe you don’t get into Valentine’s Day at all… Either way, it’s the weekend so celebrate by sleeping in, relaxing with a good book, or sitting by the fire writing…
HAPPY FRIDAY PEOPLE!!!
As most of you know, I’m an accountant. So, tax season is a big part of my time right now. This means I’m spending a lot of time in my office. At least I have a coffee maker sitting beside my desk. There may be long hours and late nights, but with coffee and tea by my side, I’m good to go.
So, how is your Thursday going?
We made it to the halfway point. Tax season is now in full swing and my work days are getting longer, which means more coffee breaks. So, here’s to a great day for all and don’t forget to grab that cup of coffee to keep the day going strong.
I have several books that started out really good, but then the story lost something. Sometimes when we’re working on a manuscript it loses something and maybe even we lose the story for a moment. Usually I can sit it down for a little while and pick it back up later.
Although some stories do come back in slowly, others just don’t make the cut. I went through my files this weekend and eliminated some stories that started out as a ‘great idea’, but when I tried to create the bones of the story, it flopped. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid, I did it quick and took a deep breath. Maybe one day those ideas will flow back in.
In order for a story to live and become something worth publishing, it has to be strong enough to flesh out. If you can’t even create the bone structure of the story, then how will it ever get to the final stages. After all these years of writing, I’ve learned not to dwell of the things that just don’t work. If it’s starting slow, then put it to the side, work on something else, then come back to it.Â
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
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As I sip my afternoon coffee, I’m thinking about the last nine years of publishing my work, I have to smile. This publishing life has been the best way to get all of my craziness out of my head. In 2012 I was unsure how it would be received, but wow, it’s been such a wild, wonderful ride.
Now, don’t take this as saying it was easy, but it has been fun. So, with another sip of my coffee I say thanks for all of the wonderful friends I’ve made during this wonderful time. And I look forward to many more years, publishing, writing, and blogging.
So, here’s to more coffee thoughts in the future… Meaning, everyday…
Stephanie Hurt - Romance Author 