Insecure Writers' Support Group - February Grace and Upon a Time OR where to find inspiration for writing

According to Jack London: “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
While I agree that finding inspiration feels like a fight a lot of the time, we can also find it in places that are staring us right in the face. For this blog post, I’m referring to fairy tales. They’ve become so familiar to us that we may overlook them as sources of inspiration.

Take, for example, the story of Cinderella. Out of curiosity, I wanted to know how many versions of the story have been written. Wikipedia listed too many to count. The one we’ve come to recognize as the classic tale with a pumpkin and fairy godmother came from Charles Perrault in 1697 under the name of Cendrillon.

The amazing thing about writers and our creativity is that if you gave 50 authors the Cinderella story, or any other fairy tale, and asked them to write their version of it, you could end up with a hundred different stories (at least if some of them were like me and had more than one way to make it different).

When my blogging friend February Grace used it for inspiration, she came up with a version I had never imagined myself but now treasure as one of my favorites. To summarize the plot:

A blacksmith’s apprentice who would be a knight. The heir to the throne, at death’s door. One woman who would save them both, if she could… 

Charlotte was number sixty-four in the second group of young, hopeful maidens intended to meet the Prince at a grand ball in his honor. 

That introduction was not to be. 

She returned home to her tiny village—and her visions of a future limited by it—without any warning of the drastic turn her life was about to take. 

Soon she would be fighting against the odds to help keep a gravely wounded stranger alive; and waging war with her own heart, as he stirred feelings in her she’d never known. 

When the stranger’s royal identity is revealed, Charlotte is faced with an entirely different battle: one to keep her family, village, and the injured Prince in her care all safe from a madman set on taking the throne by any means necessary.

When I asked February what had inspired her to write this particular version, she said, “I have always wondered in the back of my mind what happened to the girls who weren't picked at the ball. So that turned into the idea of Charlotte, which turned into UPON A TIME but somewhere in it all it became so much more than her story. It became that of Thomas (the blacksmith’s apprentice), and the Prince, and the trials and physical challenges they would have to overcome.

“The characters became dear to me (as someone who faces physical challenges every day myself) and I can only hope it makes those out there facing all kinds of physical struggles to feel understood, inspired, and less alone.”

To read a brief exerpt, go here.  To see where you can find this beautiful story in e-format and paperback, read my last post. To find inspiration, maybe you can look for it in stories you already know. If you need more encouragement, check out the other posts for The Insecure Writers’ Support Group (posts available March 4th).

Blog Blitz - Official Release Day for "Upon a Time"

Upon a Time is a beautifully written re-telling of the fairy tale Cinderella. February takes the familiar story and turns it on its ear with imperfect characters, intrigue, and unexpected twists in the plot.

after reading the Wattpad edition, Bru's version has now become one of my favorites (along with the movie "Ever After," and way before that, the 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein version with Lesley Ann Warren that i watched every time it was on the tv.)

here's where you can purchase Upon a Time in paperback at Amazon or Barnes and Noble Online, or in e-versions at the Amazon Kindle Store  and the Nook store.

on March 3rd, i'll be putting up the answer to a question i asked February about the book. stay tuned.

in good company

(this rambling was inspired by a post on February Grace's blog, entitled "What it is and what it is not.")

the other day, i was in the chiropractor's office and picked up AARP magazine. (sidenote- it's really strange to see actors i've "grown up with" on AARP's covers -- "how can so-and-so be retirement age?") this one had an interview with Patrick Stewart. being a Jean-Luc Picard/Star Trek fan, i was intrigued. as i read the article, something got my attention:

Far from the heroic, self-assured characters he's played — and the joyful person he is today (at 73) — Stewart was for decades a man plagued by fear and stifled by rage. The roots of his struggle go back to a difficult childhood, marked by poverty and abuse that took him years to understand. Having only recently opened up about the trauma of his early years, he now behaves as a person liberated, and eager, finally, to step out and join the party.


at first, i was surprised that a person who plays confident people would not be confident himself. he does such a good job of acting that i forget he's a real person with real fears. and i realized we can do that with other people -- believe that because they seem confident on the outside they're confident on the inside. 

truth be told, aren't most of us pretty good at putting on a brave face when inside, we're just scared?  

i for one certainly am (although, i don't know how confident i come across). the list of things i'm afraid of is pretty long. to be honest, i'm sick of living that way. i need to take my own advice and remember that "a life lived in fear is a life half-lived." and who wants to half-live? not me. i'm not saying it's going to change overnight, but i think admitting i have a problem is the first step to overcoming it. and honestly, i can't overcome it myself. i need Divine help. 

probably my biggest fear when it comes to writing is "will anyone like my story?" even as i've received a lot of positive feedback from readers of Eldala, one bad review or comment can send me spiraling downward because i'm letting someone's negative opinion be the final word on me. on the other hand, i'm giving just as much power to the positive comments to prove to myself that i'm a good writer. 

i suppose a lot of writers have this fear. when i think about it, a lot of humans have this fear. "will people accept me, warts and all, or will they reject me when they find out i'm not perfect?" whatever we do (writing, painting, song-writing, just living), we're all in the same boat, and all in good company. 

what would happen if we all stopped being afraid? how much of life would change if we were honest with people and didn't worry about being accepted? 

now i'm rambling. and realizing that the first step to not being afraid of anyone's opinion starts with being ok with myself for the warts i have. loving myself. admitting i have fears and tackling them. because i believe in the Divine, i'm going to ask for Divine help. 

if you want some inspiration on overcoming your writing fears (and on how to admit them), i'd suggest reading Bru's post. 

February does it again :)

it seems like my friend February Grace "graced us" with her presence here just yesterday when she posted for the IWSG Wednesday about keeping your dreams alive, and her book Of Stardust.  in truth, it was way back in November. my how time flies (and how few posts i put up).

today she's announced that her sequel to Of Stardust is now available from Amazon and various e-distributors. to find out more about In Starlight, visit her blog.  she's posted links, and the entire second chapter.

kudos to Bru for keeping her writing dreams alive. i wish her all the best with her new release, and look forward to reading it soon.

Insecure Writers Support Group - keep your dreams alive

I am privileged, on this IWSG Wednesday, to share a blog post by my sweet friend February Grace (and to help her promote her newest book, Of Stardust). When she asked what she could blog about, I suggested the subject of dreams. Her response was inspiring for me. I hope it is for you too.

(For more inspiring IWSG posts, visit the new IWSG website.)

“Dreams are sacred.”

That is the tagline, and the heart, of my new novel OF STARDUST.

It was inspired by a very deeply held belief that I have in the importance of dreams. 

Dreams are the thing that keep us going—looking ahead, thinking to a possible, better future—when things are really tough.

Whether we're suffering through illness or hard times or any other trial, the capacity to dream can give us strength and the ability to keep on fighting. I don’t want to think where I would be now without dreams that I’ve had in the past which have luckily come true (including the publication of this novel!) and I don’t want to think what shape I’d be in tomorrow if I gave up on as yet unrealized dreams I still hold dear to my heart.

Even if you have to fight for your dreams— and if you’re writer that often means struggling to find time to write between family obligations and day jobs and all of that— I encourage you wholeheartedly to hang on to that dream. Keep it alive even if you only write a few words a day.

If your dream is to one day walk in a charity marathon, get your doctor’s okay and then walk around the block. Then walk two blocks. Keep adding on.

If you’ve always wanted to learn to cook a gourmet meal, find a good cookbook, gather the ingredients, and give it a try.

Always appreciate those who support your dreams, for it is having friends and family there when a dream comes true that makes it really worth celebrating!

Finally, if your dream is just to live a calm, simple and happy life, then I urge you most of all to keep fighting for that goal. Happiness is the ultimate dream come true, and it means something different to every single being on the planet. Dream of what will make you happy, take any steps small or large you can every day in the direction of that happiness, and hold on to those dreams no matter how it seems they might never come true.

Dreams embody hope itself, and hope is the key to continuing on in the journey to create your happiest life.

Thank you to my dear friend, Michelle, for hosting me today. I leave you now with an excerpt from OF STARDUST…and the hope that you will keep your dreams alive!

~bru

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Till stood alone in the middle of the library. It hadn’t taken long for her to thank those who had assembled around her for their support. She told them as well that she needed a little time on her own to try to make sense of everything.

So they left her in peace, with the promise that all she had to do was to wish one of them present, no matter the hour, and they would appear to give her a helping hand.

She made herself some tea — the old-fashioned way — and ate the last of the now-stale cookies her mother had sent with her days before... days that seemed a lifetime away from the life she knew now.

A Fairy Godmother.

She still tried to fathom that this could possibly be true, despite the evidence she’d seen the past several days that defied any other explanation.

She sat on the floor, crossed her legs, and held the special book she’d been given. Now, in the daylight, she could truly scrutinize the cover. It was black leather, with symbols of the moon and stars emblazoned upon it. She used her ring to unlock it again. To her surprise, where the first page had been blank before, it now contained script of some kind that she could not decipher. It had a symbol drawn around it and reminded her of an ancient coat of arms. I wonder what this means...

“Says Dreams Are Sacred,” Gus’s gentle voice answered, as his head poked in the doorway. “It’s our motto, ye might say. The Fairy Godparents’ creed.”

“Ah.” Till wondered how he’d appeared out of nowhere. She didn’t recall wishing for him to do so.

“I thought ye might be hungry, so I brought some breakfast.”

“Conjured up out of nothing?” she asked.

“No. This time I used the drive-thru.”

-----

February Grace is a writer, artist, poet, and dreamer from Southeastern Michigan. She loves music and is also obsessed with clocks, colors, and meteor showers. OF STARDUST is her second novel.

Find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FebruaryGrace

And Twitter @FebruaryGrace

And elsewhere online at www.februarywriter.blogspot.com

a review for Godspeed and i wish i had more time

when my lovely friend, February Grace announced that she was going to publish her first novel, Godspeed, i wished i had more time to help her promote. alas, this thing called "moving, being in limbo, and building a house" has limited what i can do here in blogland. but, i'll do what i can and that is to post my short review, and give you some links to places where others are helping her.

"In her unique, lyrical style, February Grace uses beautiful language and rich descriptions to give us a novel full of mystery, danger, intriguing characters, and romance. Abigail and Quinn’s story hooked me from the first page and wouldn’t let go until the end. My only regrets in reading it were that I should have picked it up sooner, and I was sorry when it was over."

Godspeed is available at Amazon for Kindle, and at Lulu in paperback.

Interviews with Bru can be found at these blogs:

Laura Diamond
Angela Felsted

Confessions of a Watery Tart

Lydia Kang

how important is your story? and a word from February

i found this on a facebook page called Novel Matters. it was a good reminder.

what do you think? how important is your story? what are you willing to do to get it out there?

and on that note, February Grace wrote a great post about self-publishing and how it wasn't her last resort. 

i'm over at Pitch Slapped today

when my lovely and talented blogging buddy February Grace said that she wanted to interview me, of course, i agreed (who wouldn't want to sit down over tea and Twinkies with such a cool lady?), but i had no idea it would be the most fun interview ever. you can see what i mean here:

Bru Interviews...Michelle Gregory