New Beginnings

I might not become famous, but I would like to start selling my novels, even if it’s just one every couple years! I put my thoughts, dreams, and imagination into these five or so manuscripts, and I know that there is some other visionary out there who can learn just as much from my writings and take my ideas even farther. Yes, I realize I write (mostly) fiction, but the imagination can be inspiration as well, and teach people of all ages to dream their hearts out!

The above is me quoting myself, from "New Beginnings"! I have started a blog, simply named Hannah Marie., based on explaining how I write and stories behind some of my writing inspirations. I am not ready to publish books quite yet, but one manuscript is on the verge of seeing the editing timeline. I would like to keep this Vocal Media area for my short stories and other creative musings, but in the future I might merge them all onto this platform. I am still seeing what works best to attract people to my writing and I really like the ease of VM to put my blogging together.

Some of the ideas for my new venture are still in the works, but I tend to jump in and then learn to swim. I am excited about the format and hope to continue melding my personal art with my writing, as I have previously done here. Much of the work in my blog will be tips and information that I discover while researching my books, or lessons that I learn from other authors and resources.

I am still planning on using this blog to share new stories and ideas that are still developing. I have lots, especially coming up in January! I will attempt the twenty-four hour story challenge that I worked on a couple years ago, that is literally writing for twenty-four hours with few breaks in between. It is a scheduled day of continued writing, sort of like a condensed version of NaNoWriMo. The goal is to push my creativity to the limit and see what emerges! A couple years ago I attempted short stories in January. I think my goal was ten or twelve short stories and at the end of the day I thought I might have just written a lot of trash. But after a few weeks of refining, updating, and adding illustrations, I was able to publish several here on this blog.

Also in January I will dive into another month of attempting to write 50,000 more words on my November novel, getting me closer to my goal of another first draft manuscript. I often back off of social media during these intense times, but will probably have a few posts scheduled for Instagram [@hannah_marie._artwork].

Writing is something that motivates me and keeps me trying to view things from other perspectives. I hope in the long run it can teach me to be more compassionate and empathetic, making me a better writer and friend. As many authors will attest, the best way to improve writing is by WRITING! I am learning the hard way that sometimes the writing process is not anything fancy or magical. It is simply sitting down in my chair (or with my recorder) and writing! Getting the words down is better than having a blank page. Scribbling bad writing is better than allowing good ideas to float away because I didn’t take time to do what was necessary.

So I am CHOOSING to make time for writing. More about this goal during the upcoming year, but for now, it includes a determination to stay focused on small goals. As I tell myself with teaching: One class at a time. One day at a time. One week at a time. Same with writing. Most of the time I can’t predict how the day will go. I just need to be prepared and then be flexible. Pretty soon, before I know it, another year has ended and new things are on the horizon! I don't know what will happen, so may as well enjoy the ride!