Migraine

Yesterday I had a migraine. I dropped Tori off at the store and went home to sleep it off. Later in the afternoon I worked on a short story titled, Artemis the Goblin Rat. Before Christmas I participated in The Twelve Writing Days. This is one of the stories I wrote, first draft anyway. Based on the Japanese fairytale The Boy Who Drew Cats, from Gleanings from Buddha-Fields, by Lafcadio Hearn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1897.
Almost all my writing starts on paper. Scattered ideas that move forward from a beginning to an end. Several days later when the story has  been properly digested by my brain, I transfer it to the computer and my writing program. At present I'm using yWriter5, http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter5.html. I still don't understand it's full potential, but am learning at my slow pace. It's been a great help with organization and keeping tract of when I introduced so and so and such and such. The creator, Simon Haynes, seems to have gone through some of the same difficulties I did with my manuscripts. This program is helping me sort them out. I keep it on my stick and, therefore, can use it on any computer at my disposal. It's free, check it out and see if it helps you too.
Maybe you can share where your writing starts. napkin? scratch paper? writing log? computer? etc.

New Year's Resolutions

One of my resolutions involves improving my writing and to be published this year. A fellow author, Jay, recommends continuing education in the writing field. He feels our basic education doesn't prepare us for book and novel writing. Mary Higgins Clark in her book 'Kitchen Privileges' pretty much said the same thing. She needed two things to improve her writing; experience and an education in writing. I'm much older than she and therefore feel I have the experiences, but like her, I intend to increase my writing knowledge through writing classes. I will improve my abilities to express myself in a way that will enchant the reader.
Classes start in January. I'm already gearing up. Writing down ideas, questions and thoughts to express. I'm not 100% sure of what to expect, but I've been told the instructor will work closely with me to obtain my goals within the bounds of her curriculum.
I started this blog so that you can grow and experience with me the ups and downs of writing, publishing and hopefully we'll have lots of fun in between.