Is there a second draft?

Technically, yes, there is a second draft when you are writing a book, but not really. That probably sounds confusing!

Today, I wrote an article about WRITING YOUR FIRST DRAFT. I talk briefly about what the first draft is and what to do after your have written it. Here is a sample:

If you are reading this article, it means that you are a writer or want to become one. Congratulations on following your writing dreams! So many people desire to write and never get around to actually doing it.

Let’s talk about the first draft of your book. What is the first draft? It is the original manuscript. You may be thinking… Now that I have written my book it is ready to be submitted to agents and publishers. Well… hold on just a minute. 

Do you want to know what to do next? Click here...

Brushing up on my writing skills!

It is official...I am registered at a local college to continue my education with an advanced fiction writing course! It feels amazing to have the support of my husband to press forward in my writing career! I have always wanted to go back to school and finally, after all of these years it is possible. 

Sure, taking care of a teenager and a baby makes things a little harder, but it will make me work even harder to be sure I succeed. 

My husband supports me like no one ever has before. This man pushes me to do what makes me happy and encourages me to work on what I enjoy. I used to day dream about how I wanted my husband to be and then years later he popped up! It just goes to show you how powerful our thoughts truly are! 

My class starts in about 8 days and will continue for approximately 2 months. I am in the process of getting it all ironed out as far as double checking with the school to make sure I am good to go.

You can also follow me on Facebook: Author: Deanna Martinez-Bey 

How to come up with plot twisting ideas for your book...

After I share with people that I am a writer, it may shock you how often they respond to me with, "I have always wanted to write a book. I just have no idea how to begin!" 

The majority of the articles I write are about,  HOW TO WRITE A BOOK. In my latest article I talk about how to com up with story ideas and plot twists. It begins like this...

Having an initial idea for your novel is a fantastic place to start. However, keeping the reader engaged is the whole point. A novel has to start with an initial idea, but it also needs some twists and turns in order to be a success.
How do you come up with twists and turns and new story ideas?


Please click here to read the rest of my article: Writing a novel: How to come up with story ideas and plot twists

Interested in beginning your book? Here are some helpful articles to get you going...

Easy book writing tips

How to write a book: write down your ideas

Set aside time to write

Set reasonable writing goals

These articles are great to get you started. For more easy to follow articles that will help you get things going and keep things going, check out my Writing Channel!

Finishing my book: how it started one way and finished another

Well, well, well, the day has finally arrived! So many events and circumstances arose, but I have finally completed my second novel!
I have been looking forward to this day for quite some time. It seems like if it wasn't thing it was another that stood in the way of the completion. Looking back, I have to admit that the book is so much better due to everything I have gone through and overcome in the last several years!
The novel began one way and slowly morphed into something completely different than I imagined it would. And you know what? I love it!

My first novel, Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star is inspirational fiction in genre. It has a very strong thread of Christianity running through it.

This book, which will remain unnamed for now (although, I do have a title), will be in the general fiction genre. It begins with the secondary character of the the first novel as the main "Christian" character. As the book progresses, so does she. Janine goes through a major life transformation after someone she was very close to shook her to her core!

Although, still inspiring beyond belief, it is a different type of inspiration. Travel with Janine through her struggles and triumphs. I cant wait to see it published and on the shelves of all the major book stores!

I have often said...Now the hard work begins. This is true. I am searching for a new publisher. This has been known to take time. I am hoping that because I am already a published author, it will be a bit of an easier and quicker process than it was the first time.

Thank you for your support!

How to know when to make changes in your book

The last couple of weeks I have had a persistent, nagging idea to make two big changes to my novel. Finally, I sat down yesterday and spent about one and a half hours making these said changes. After I made them, I felt relieved. I felt like a tremendous weight was lifted off of my mind.

Today, I wrote an article about Following Your Heart When Making Changes to Your Book.

I hope it will help us (myself included) listen to our minds and hearts more often. Realistically, this "listening to our mind" can apply to all areas of life! 

Ever hear a small voice almost whispering in your ear to do or not to do something? How about that gut wrenching feeling you get just seconds before you do something? We need to listen to these small voices and feelings. They can help us from making huge mistakes in our lives! 

Here is an example:

Shelly was about to get married. It was two hours before the wedding ceremony. This would be the happiest day of her life, at least she always dreamed it would be. 

Suddenly, when Sally sat down to have a bite to eat, after realizing she had gone all day without a single bite of food, she felt shaky and sick to her stomach. She began to sweat...a cold, icky, gross kind of sweat. Her palms were wet and beads of sweat were forming on her brow. 

Her father saw this transpire and noticed the sick feeling she had on her face. He asked her if she was OK. Sally responded with, "I think I have cold feet." Her father then replied. "Well, put on some slippers and warm them up!" Sally laughed it off, but she was having second thoughts about the man she was about to marry. 

About one month after the wedding, the abuse began. The man that Sally married began to physically abuse her. 

This went on for years! Finally, Sally had enough. She packed her bags and left one day when her husband was at work.

Living a much happier life now, Sally often thinks back to that day. Never mind putting on slippers to warm her feet, maybe slipping into her running shoes would have been a better choice! 

Writing books: follow your heart when making changes

Easy book writing tips

There are tons of fantastic articles out there about how to write books. This blog post is not a long winded explanation about how to write a book. Instead, I have written a brief, no frills article that contains simple book writing tips.

The article outlines "Beginning tips", "On the way tips" and " Ending tips". Here is a snip of what you will read:

Beginning Tips

Start writing an outline
(Writing an outline for your book will help you stay on track and organized through the writing process)

Make up a writing schedule
(Set aside time to write each day or at least every other day)

Pick a place to write...

Click here to read the rest of the article

Do you write when you do not feel like it?

If  only there was a direct answer to the question: Should I write if I do not feel like it?

I would have to say: Yes and No.

The key to completing a writing project is to plan a set time to write each day or week. However, what if you are sick or going through a difficult time in your life? Do you write anyway, regardless of your circumstances?

Well...sometimes I do and sometimes I do not.
I find that if I am feeling icky, as in not feeling 100% in my physical body, I can still write and write well.
I have also found that if I'm REALLY sick, I can not, by any means put the words together to write at all!
In addition, if I have something really heavy weighing on my mind, I have a really hard time writing. If I have minor things on my mind, I have no problem setting them aside to write and sometimes, just sometimes, writing will help me get through the circumstances and I will feel better as a result.

Only you truly know if you are capable of writing according to how you are feeling. What is right for me may not be right for you. You may find that writing will help you feel better no matter what you are going through in your life.

The only way to know for sure is to give it a try!

Looking for writing tips and inspiration? Check me out here :)