Hoodratz In Space Issue #2 Given the Green Light

Hey everybody,

Thanks to our wonderful, loyal Hoodratz In Space followers, Issue #2 has been successfully funded through the Kickstarter campaign! You guys truly love the Hoodratz In Space ladies, and Issue #2 will not disappoint.

If you missed the tweets from Erik Reeves and myself, you missed us this morning on BlastChamberRadio.com. Erik and I called in and spoke with the hosts who truly enjoyed reading Issue #1 and look forward to Issue #2. Shout out to BlastChamberRadio for having us on and supporting our work.

Stay tuned! Space will never be the same with the Hoodratz In Space!

Making People Hurt Is Hard

For me as a writer, creating characters I grow to love is what makes writing such a joy for me. I love giving life to a new name that I came up with or a new image of a person that came to me in a dream. I enjoy fleshing them out, giving them characteristics and quirks which make them unique.

What I'm finding difficult to do is give them major flaws, for which they have to work through themselves, overcome even, to write not just a good story, but a great story. Why?

Because making people hurt is hard to do.

Funny thing is, my critique group says I do bad guys really well. My group loves the bad guys in my stories because they say it's so easy to dislike them because I write them so well. Why? Because that's their purpose for being in the story. But the good guys? Give them bad habits? Make them hurt and cry and go through misery? Yeah, it has to be done. That's life, that's real. And to become a good writer, do it I will. But...

making people (I love) hurt is hard.

San Diego Comic-Con 2013 ROCKED!

I MADE IT! Finally, after several years of wanting and trying to get to San Diego, I made it this July. Wow! It was packed with people, but it was well worth it. I loved seeing all the new comic books that would be coming out later this year and next. I loved the panels I attended. I applaud both The 2013 Black Panel and the Women of Marvel panel, both were outstanding. Lots of great information and loads of inspiration to keep doing what I'm doing, continue learning and improving my craft and believe in myself and my work. Thank you to everyone who sat on a panel and gave of themselves, their knowledge and their time to the fans at SDCC2013.

So Much to Read, So Much to Write

Summer's here, and I'm having a hard time dividing my time between reading the many science fiction and zombie stories that have collected on my bookshelf over the last few months and writing the interesting and complex story concepts whirling around in my head.

Currently, I'm reading The Enemy by Charlie Higson, Star Wars Lost Tribe of the Sith, The Collected Stories by John Jackson Miller, Hidden Empire by Kevin J Anderson and The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan. If you've read them, great! (Don't spoil it for me, please.) If you haven't read them or are looking for some fun summer reading, grab'em, dive in and join me.

Summer days may be long, but when you have such awesome reading ahead of you, the day's are never long enough to just relax and get lost in a wonderful story. Happy reading!

Hoodratz In Space Fans, We Hear You!

Wow, May rocked for me. I attended #DallasComicCon for the first time as a vendor and it did not disappoint. Friday night we had plenty of people come by our Hoodratz In Space table. Saturday was even busier. And...we sold out of Hoodratz In Space Issue #1. People came by our table asking us if we had anymore because they wanted #Hoodratzinspace! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our table, picked up our comic-along with Peacekeepers and Throwd by the talented Mr. Erik Reeves-and asked "when is Hoodratz In Space Issue #2 coming out?"

Fans, we hear you! Stay tuned to Erik's blog, Artache!, and mine. We'll let you know when and where the next issue will drop. Next stop...SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON!! I've wanted to go for so many years and finally I'm going to the 2013 show. Look out for my tweets while I'm there.

And if you see someone wearing a Hoodratz In Space t-shirt, stop us and say hi! You, the fans, keep us going and we love meeting everyone of you.

2013 Dallas Comic-Con This Weekend



Catch Hoodratz In Space fever at the 2013 Dallas Comic-Con, May 17-19, in Irving, Tx. See this-and more-amazing artwork by series creator and artist, Erik Reeves. Pick up Hoodratz In Space Issue #1 and learn what's next in this exciting, up-and-coming comic book series.

Mr. Reeves and I will be there signing on Saturday, so be sure to stop by our table and see what all the buzz is about. Get your copy this weekend!

Write Sci-Fi/Fantasy? Attend a Comic Book Convention, Most Definitely.

If you're a writer of sci-fi and fantasy and haven't been to a comic book convention, wow, are you missing out! It's an amazing creative environment, and you meet some amazing people as well. Meeting other artists and writers in the industry helps me understand the business that much better, something I'm always working on.

Erik Reeves (the comic book artist I work with) and I will be in Dallas for the Comic-Con happening May 17-19, 2013, at the Irving Convention Center. This will be our second show together and I can't wait! Work on Hoodratz in Space Issue #2 has begun, and I'm outlining story ideas for the Aocks origins! (Don't know what an Aock is? Check out Hoodratz in Space Issue #1 at #comics pic.twitter.com/Txx2kYHpRq).

So if you're in Dallas that weekend-and need to rev up those creative juices to get your writing flow going-check out the convention. And stop by our booth and take a look at Hoodratz in Space for yourself. We know you'll like what you see.

Try Different Avenues to Get Your Writing Out There

I've had a book idea for some time now (actually I have several!), but this one is a little different. I've sat on the concept for a while because I didn't know the best avenue to take to get it out where the right audience would see it. Then, I read an article in a magazine about being a columnist. Hmm... That was a new twist that I hadn't considered before. I did some research, and now I have a few e-zines that I might contact to see what their guidelines are for accepting freelance work. Mind you, I have to rework the book into bite-size pieces (250-500 word columns) so it will work in that format, but it just goes to show you, if you stew on something long enough, eventually it might turn into something good!

Just wanted to say, "Thank you"

I know it's been a long time since I've blogged. And for those of you following me, I thank you and I give you my apologies for not having blogged in so long. Truth is, I haven't had much to blog about. I've been outlining new story ideas; editing other's works and cleaning out old "stuff" that's just been weighing me down (actually, I believe most would call it "purging"). Through all of that, I've come out with a much lighter feeling, emotionally, mentally and physically. It's hard to describe, but I'm much more content in and with my life than I have been in many, many years. And I've realized a few things over the past few weeks.

I wake up and don't mind going to the job that I have. I don't mind the work that I do. True, I'd rather not have to work and wish I could stay home and write at any time, but for the job I do, I don't mind it at all. I enjoy coming home and being able to relax, whether it be reading, writing or simply watching TV and not thinking or worrying about the job and what I have to do the next day. Overall, things are very well with me. Sure, I could stand to be in better health (i.e., lose a lot of weight, primarily), but I'm thankful for the health I do have.

When I started this blog, I set out to write every weekend. Then, I asked, why? Do I have to write every weekend? No. Do I have to write at any set time? Not really. But for a writer trying to build a platform, it's important to write on a steady basis to show a potential agent that I can write and, hopefully, write well. So, my new goal is to write twice a month. I feel that for me, that's much more doable and reasonable.

We may be three months into the new year, but there's never a deadline or time limit for renewing, rewriting, reinventing the goals and dreams we have for our lives. Until next time!

jackie

Let It Out Already

There are two things many of you may not know about me. One is that I've known I wanted to write a novel since I was nine years old. Two, I've always been able to plan what I dream about when I go to sleep. The science fiction saga that I'm working on has been in my mind and on my heart since I was in high school. I know I'm telling my age here but that was some 20 plus years ago.

While in high school, during the day I was your typical student studying and preparing for college, thinking about what I wanted to major in. Somehow the thought of becoming a writer wasn't on my mind as a full-time career choice. I mean, seriously, how much money could you make doing it full time? I was ready to move out the house and be on my own, and I knew I had to pay the bills somehow. The only writing I knew of then was journalism, and I had no desire to work for a newspaper or magazine. At night when I was ready to go to sleep, I remembered where I left off in my dream and would pick up from that point. I wish back then that I had been as meticulous about writing down my ideas as I am now. My sci-fi saga was written, in my head, from beginning to end. Every detail was worked out. I knew each character's name and background. I had the intrigue detailed, and I knew how the big climactic scene played out.

Fast forward 20 some years and that story never completely left me. I didn't dream about it every night, but it did resurface occasionally to remind me, "Hey, I'm still here. When are you going to let me out?" Through several career moves (some of them really bad ones), health woes and relationships that didn't blossom, I can say with certainty I wish I had written down so much more and believed in myself, my ability and my desire to write way more than I did.

Now that I'm coming full circle and envisioning my original dream that my nine-year-old self had all those years ago, I realize that I always knew what I wanted to do. I've lost many years in which I could have honed my skills at a much younger age, when my mind and body were healthier than they are now. But, as it's said, "the past is the past. You can't change it. You can only move forward."

So, the sci-fi saga that I end up with today may not be the one that I had originally imagined more than 20 years ago, but all in all, I'm happy that I purged it from my mind, got it all out on paper and actually wrote the words, "The End."

It took many, many years and it may never get published, but I did it. I accomplished my dream of writing a novel. What's that one thing that keeps running 'round and 'round in your head that's been screaming to be let out? Let it out already.

How to Get Through a Difficult Revision Point

Ever wish a good idea would hit you over the head? I find myself wishing it quite often. Yet, when the ideas don't drop out of the sky saying, "Hey, write about me!", that's when I turn to my idea book. You know, that little magic notebook we all keep by our beds or on our desks and when a great idea strikes us, we stop and write it down before we can forget it. I was flipping through my notebook because I was stuck in a particularly tough spot in my revisions, and I realized that I have several pages of story ideas and snippets of dialogue in there. I must say I was quite surprised and proud of myself by how much I had jotted down.

As I read each idea, I instantly remembered what I was thinking when I wrote it and how I could apply it-or not-to what I was working on. And guess what, I got over my tough spot in my revision and kept right on writing. Wow!

So don't stop jotting down ideas in your little idea notebook. And if you don't have a little idea notebook, get one. Now!

No Library Card Needed

I've read many articles on how well stocked a writer's personal reference library should be. Over the years, I've collected quite a few on grammar, phrasing, word selection, setting, character development and creating believable alien characters (I write sci-fi, remember). And I've gotten a lot of inspiration out of those books, but I've also received just as much, if not more, inspiration out of my read-simply-for-pleasure books.

I have several Star Wars and Star Trek books, many graphic novels, several of the classic stories (e.g., The Arabian Nights) as well as new favorites (e.g, Harry Potter series), and those nice little gems one finds at garage sales and book fairs. All of these are part of my writer's library because in some way each of them has contributed something to the vast world that is my imagination. Without these wonderful stories, I might not have had the dream to become a writer myself.

Take a look at your own library and see how many books you have that are actually on writing, and how many are in your library for the simple fact that you love the book. Nice surprise, isn't it?

Can't Afford a Writers' Conference, Try This Instead

Writer's conferences are great ways to meet other writers, agents looking for new authors and editors willing to give you an honest critique of your work. But they can be quite pricey. If you're trying to watch your dollars in this new year, do like me--instead of attending one conference, try attending individual classes.

The Writers' League of Texas puts on several three-hour classes throughout the year, held at a local college. It's half your day, usually on a Saturday (either morning or afternoon). And it's an excellent way to meet local authors and industry people that might not otherwise be accessible. I've signed up for my first class on Feb. 23 titled, 'I Want to Go there: Creating Believable Worlds," with Patrice Sarath. I'm very much looking forward to it since my genre is science fiction and fantasy.

Whether it's a conference or several mini classes, find what works for you money-wise in improving your craft and roll with it. After all, no matter how we get there, we all want the same end result: publication.

Best writing to you,

Jackie

New Year, Renewed Aspirations

Happy 2013!

The start of a new year is always invigorating and refreshing. People have high hopes and lofty goals for making changes to and in their lives which will enrich and empower them. However, as the weeks go on and we settle back into our daily routines after the holiday season, we lose focus and those high hopes and lofty goals begin to blur. That's why I stopped setting "goals" when a new year rolls around. What I do now is look back at the past year and see what I did accomplish and what changes I started and didn't accomplish.

For those following my blog, you know I have aspirations on becoming a writer. In 2012, I attended my first writer's conference, began a critique group and completed my second manuscript. Pretty good. But what didn't I accomplish? Revising my edited manuscript and starting a third one. I had time to do it but somehow the frenzy of the holiday season beginning in November overwhelmed my senses and I simply "ran out of juice" as the saying goes by mid-December. Not so good.

Now that the new year has begun, I've organized an area in my room to be my "writing space." I've cleared off the desk, restocked my colored pens (I use nearly every color of the rainbow when I'm revising my work) and read the latest issues of Writer's Digest and SCBWI newsletters. I'm inspired. Time to put "butt in chair and crank out the words."

New year, REnewed aspirations on getting where I want to be--on the path to finding an agent and getting published. Happy 2013!