Jill Sheet's Blog

Memories of Meg Written by:   Jill Sheets                        Picture Credit: Jeff Wheeler      I love making posters for the station.   There was one that I had to correct because it was out of date.   I took the old one down and started to put the new one up. I let out a small laugh as I remember how I use to drive Meg, a co-worker, and friend, crazy because I never taped them up straight.   No matter how hard I tried.   I just concluded that more people would notice it if it were not straight.      This was not the first memory of Meg that I had today.   I was recording this interview with an actress and asked the question was what advice you would give to teenage girls these days. It was a simple answer that it hit home and reminded me of what Meg would tell me.   It is okay to say "no," and that she wished she knew that as a tee...

" The Writing Process from a Spark to a Novel" Michelle Dim-St. Pierre Great authors always make experiencing a story believable. You can taste the character’s food, see the places they visit—you can feel the wind in your hair and smell the ocean breeze, almost as if you were actually there. The final product might make it seems as though the story flowed effortlessly from the writer’s pen, but this is far from the writer’s reality. A writer has to choose the words to bring those experiences to life. Sometimes this is a matter of the writer using their imagination intensely to create the details that will create a reality out of fiction. Other times, this requires a great deal of research. In the end, the writer must determine what stories to share to bring a reader into their own reality. In some ways it’s a process of becoming who your character is meant to be. And in some ways, it’s about having enough background to be authentic in what you writ...

Finding the Idea  Written by:  Linda Kane First, don’t feel intimidated by having to come up with a big idea. It’s not the ‘what’ of the novels that makes them appealing, it’s the ‘how.’ Ian Fleming’s books are basically iterations of the same story you’ve read over and over. So how does James Bond tackle each new quest? What colorful characters will he meet next? What new and unusual forms of violence will he encounter? Any idea you come up with has already been done before. It’s the ‘how” of your novel that will make it unique to you, and this will be the real appeal to your reader. Maybe you’ve already come up with some big ideas, and they all seem appealing to you. In that case, start writing. Begin each story with a prologue (I know they say publishers don’t like you to begin with a prologue ) or a first chapter and see which one feels best. Alternately, pretend the books are already published and write a marketing synopsis or book jacket cop...

I Am So Sorry, But I Am Glad You Did. Written by: Jill Sheets  The lashes from being beaten on your skin. The weight of your cross On your back. Lack of sleep Weak, But you still walked. People following you weeping. I am sorry, But I am glad that you did. The soldiers taking your clothes And dividing them up. Spitting on you Like they were looking down on You. The nails being hammered Into our saviors Hands and feet, I am sorry, But I am glad that you did. The names that they called you. Making fun of you. I am sorry, But I am glad that you did. Blood and sweat Running down your face. The crown of thrones Digging into you. I am sorry, But I am glad that you did. You dying on the cross. I am sorry, But I am glad That you died For my sins And rose again Picture source:...

Panic Attack By:  Jill Sheets My chest tightens. Not again. Try to focus on my breathing but quickly my mind goes back to being talked down to. Wanting to say something but afraid of what will happen. To speak my mind. Is this supposed to be okay? Wanting to go in a darkroom Away from their egos. Believe it or not – I do know what I am taking about. Breath. Breath. I thought that this was suppose to help. It will not be much longer Before I forget. Picture source:  https://pixabay.com/vectors/cartoon-comic-crying-female-girl-1300394/

Just Gross Written by:   Jill Sheets There are so many things that gross me out.   You can talk to my family, and they can tell you a few of them.   As a matter of fact, please, don’t do that. I decided to pick 10 of the things that make my stomach turn.   Don’t worry.   I tried to make each one rated G or at least PG. 1. Snakes:   There are not that many words to describe how I do not like snakes.   I cannot look at them, even if they are in a book or on TV.   I cannot stand the shape of their head or the rest of their body. I am deathly afraid of them. I have had this fear of them before I heard the story about Adam, Eve, Satan and the tree. No need to say anything else. 2. Jell-O: You are probably wondering why Jell-O grosses me out. As a teenager, I was obsessed with losing weight. The Jell-O diet was one way I tried to lose weight and I just got tired of it. 3. Worms: They are gross.   Okay, Yes I know that t...

Know to rescue your writing life By Karen Brown Tyson You were off to a great start. Determined to write every day, you got up early and stayed up late.  You joined a 500-word 30-day challenge.  You were on a roll … for about two or three weeks.   And then you got off track.   Someone filled the time you set aside to write every week with work assignments, Facebook videos, fantasy football, Fortnite tournaments, fundraisers and a This is Us marathon. Your busy schedule sucked up your time and energy.  Getting up early and staying up late was out of the question.   And now you are at the end of the year wondering what happened to your writing life.   It’s not too late to turn things around.  You can rescue your writing life by making a few changes to the way you approach writing.  Below are seven tips to consider. #1 Be open to change Unfinished writing projects are a sign of a bigger problem.  But...