Guide Books

Maybe you have or haven't noticed but besides the usual posts on my blog I also have a couple lists, ranging from people following my blog to websites I like, but one is also goals for 2012.  So far I've only completed 3 out of 7, I wouldn't say that's very good considering it's already November.  But to be fair, some of the goals are out of my hands or based on other goals.  I can't make someone buy our apartment, and until we sell the apartment, goals like buying a house and getting pregnant are just going to have to wait.  But there is one that can be achieved, I can write a synopsis for one of the two books I completed.  Sounds easy enough, except this has been on going since 2008/2009.  I am a creative writer, and writing a synopsis is like being back in high school English all over again.  Being that I'm a story teller I also struggle to summarize things, I like to give the full drawn out description, and as we all know a synopsis is a general summary.  Back in 2008 when I realized I had the potential to be a published fiction author I asked for two books for Christmas, both written by Jeff Herman. 

1) Writer's International Guide to Book Editors Publishers and Literary Agents 2008

2) Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents

They were helpful, full of great tips.  They helped me to realize I wanted to use an agent to get into the publishing world instead of pursuing things alone.  I searched through the endless lists of agents and found one that suited me.  But then fear set in.  Then our daughter was born.  Then... I could keep coming up with reasons.  Here I am, years later, still wondering if I could ever pursue my dreams, if I really am capable of producing books people want to read.  Here I am still calling myself a writer, yet not letting anyone read my work.  So after a talk with my husband, I realized I needed to dust the old books off and see where it gets me.  Knowing the above mentioned Jeff Herman books were outdated, I ordered the latest :

Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents 2012

It arrived yesterday!  I still haven't opened it, I need time to sit down and really process the tips again.  Decide how I want to market myself and get a proper worthy synopsis written.  I'm tired of wondering if writing is just a personal hobby or if I could actually make a career out of it.  I don't know if I'll meet this goal by the end of 2012, but I'll at least have a good start.

 

Oddly enough I don't read fiction unless it's my own.  But I do own a gazillion self-help books and guides to this & that.  Right now I am borrowing a book from a Dutch friend about Feng Shui. 

de Feng Shui-gids (Simon Brown)

While flipping through this guide I realized how much work it would take to actually get this right.  Everything in my house is off, but to be honest I'm not ready for a home make-over.  I'll definitely consider some of the tips for the next house (whenever that happens).  One thing I will be taking away from this book before returning it to my friend is a list of plants and how they help the Feng Shui in and around your house.  It's a small step and something I can easily work on in my own home.  And it also has a lot of great ideas as to how to stir up creativity... now all I have to do is bust out the old compass and figure out which direction I'm sitting to make sure I'm stimulating the creative energies around me.  It never hurts to learn about something new and take away what I can, even if I'm not ready to apply it to all aspects of my life.  In Dutch they use the term "mooi meegenomen", it's not something you can literally translate, generalized it means "an added (sometimes unexpected) bonus".  Here's an example : I might not be ready to overhaul my life with the ideas of Feng Shui, but I did learn what types of plants are best to put around the house to help lift moods and stimulate energy.