HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

 

The ancient Druids would probably call Hurricane Sandy the first salvo in an onslaught of spirits of the dead. The Druids believed that these spirits roamed the earth on the night before the celebration of their new year, November 1^st. 

Because harsh winters often led to death, Druids held a festival, Samhain, on the last evening of their summer, October 31^st. That evening, when the dead were said to roam, the Druids lit bonfires, dressed up as animals, donning their heads and skins, and offered up sacrifices, usually crops and animals but sometimes, it’s said, humans. During this special evening, the people believed that fortunes could be predicted. 

The Romans conquered the Celts and, eventually, the festival of Samhain became part of the Christian religion. All Saints Day, sometimes called All Hallows or All Hallowmas, moved to November 1^st. The evening of October 31^st, previously Samhain, became All Hallows Eve. 

For centuries, the night we know as Halloween has been celebrated to honor the wandering spirits of the dead and pay homage to the dark spirit of the Winter. So, be particularly careful this Wednesday evening. Hurricane Sandy’s winds are sure to stir up a large pot of ghostly activity!

 

Workshops starting 8/20/12

Here is a list of workshops I found:

Re: Workshops Starting This Week and Next

Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:17 am (PDT) . Posted by:

"sahara_stx" sahara_stx

Workshops Starting This Week and Next

See all our workshops at: http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/workshoplist.php

Show Don't Tell
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=837

The Dirty Little Secrets of Character Development
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=842

Puzzling Out the "Necessary" Bits
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=975

Story Sense/ Story Logic
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=976

Re-visioning Your Manuscript (How to Revise at a Deep Level)
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=996

Character Flaws
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1150

Fixing Your Fiction
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1153

Motivating Your Characters
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1266

Loglines – Just the Facts, Ma'am
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1284

Takedown! Close Combat Up Close Registered
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1389

Creating an Effective Book Business Plan
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1533

Writing Adult While Writing YA - Navigating Two Worlds
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1545

Contest Slut: It's Not a Dirty Word
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1546

A Writer's Guide to Psychology
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1547

HELP! MY STORY'S CRASHED! Getting Your Manuscript Rebooted When Your Muse Has a Breakdown Registered
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1554

Steam Punk Creation
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1555

25 Words from Query to Sales Success
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1556

Self-Editing for Writers
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1573

Harry Potter for Writers: Mystery Plotting, Myths, and Snape
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1575

Q/A - Scrivener vs. Word: The Pros and Cons of Writing Software **New**
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1578

Write What You Know - Building Novels Around Your Strengths
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1529

Core Curricula for Authors 302 - Editing Registered
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1503

The Hero's Journey Registered
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=899

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Writer's Block

What happens when life gets in the way of writing? Talking to a writer friend about the problems we've had with sitting down to write, she suggested that maybe the best writers don't have much of a life. As we threw out some author's names, it seemed that their best writing happened at lonely or unhappy times in their lives. But, could that really be the answer? I hope not.

Authors have suggested that the answer to writer's block is to write. So, I'm writing. I've been finding it difficult to work on my book lately. A couple of reasons come to mind. The number one is fear. Although I've been told that my writing is good, I'm afraid it isn't good enough. That leads me to the question, "Good enough for what?" For a publisher? Today, if you can't find a publisher for your work, you can always self-publish. My own idea of what is good enough is probably the problem. In my second draft, I'm constantly looking back to rewrite something. I've heard many successful authors say you need to get through the whole draft before you rewrite. I'm trying to listen to their words but it's difficult. Another fear I harbor is finishing the book. Once it's finished, I'll have to let people look at it in it's entirety, not the bits and pieces I've given to critique partners. Oh dear!

Today, I'm writing this blog simply to write something. I'm guilty of enjoying a week's vacation with a lot less writing than I'd hoped. However, I've enjoyed being with family and friends and getting in a lot of swimming. Perhaps, I'm not suffering enough for my writing. Perhaps I'm not motivated enough. I don't know. After I finish this blog, I'm going back to my protagonist and see if I can ruin her day. And I'm going to go to my calendar and block out some writing time around my work week. I'm too close to the finish line. Vacation is over!

s