inspiration Archives - Robin Shelley

May 30, 2019

Author Sighting – Mary Kay Andrews

As an aspiring author, I am always looking for opportunities to meet and listen to people who have been successful in their writing careers. Recently I went to a meet and greet for Mary Kay Andrews, a NY Times bestselling author. She has published 26 novels including The Weekenders, The High Tide Club, Hissy Fit and her newest novel that just hit #5 on the NY Times Best Sellers List, Sunset Beach.

How fun to meet the person behind the books you read! I loved listening to Mary Kay (Kathy Hogan Trocheck) talk about what sparked the idea for a plot or a character, how she chose character names, what her writing routine is like, and why she’s made certain choices in her writing style.

It is always a pleasure to hear authors speak. Over the years I have been blessed to hear Elin Hilderbrand, James Dashner, Mary Higgins Clark, John Berendt . . . and now Mary Kay Andrews. Later this summer I’m excited to hear Jane Green and Dorothea Benton Frank.

Each time I meet a successful author, I’m reminded that he/she is a regular person like me. It reinforces that I can publish my book, too! I just have to have patience and persistence.

Watch for my review of Mary Kay Andrew’s Sunset Beach coming soon.

Hugs to you all!

Robin

August 21, 2018August 31, 2018

Writing Inspiration Box

Do you tear pages out of magazines or newspapers? With articles, pictures, quotes and project ideas piled everywhere, I wondered why I bothered. Would I ever look at them again? I mean, really. They pile up in every room. Mixed in with my writing inspiration were clippings for craft projects, information on travel destinations I hope to see some day, pictures of rooms that inspire me to redecorate, and so on. It was a jumbled mess. And I’m certainly not going to sift through piles of this stuff when I need inspiration.

Then I got the idea for my writing inspiration box. First I bought a small pack of pretty folders. I labeled the obvious topics on them: Décor, Travel, Recipes, etc. I gathered up all my piles and began sorting. Some things went directly to the trash. I’d already tried it, it was outdated, or my tastes had simply changed. I set the writing inspirational clippings together in a different pile since I noticed most of these were small. I had a different idea for them.

Continue reading “Writing Inspiration Box”

June 29, 2018July 13, 2018

“The first sentence can’t be written until the final sentence is written.” -Joyce Carol Oates, Writer’s Digest

I recently finished my first book, The Lighthouse Legacy. I mean, really finished it. I thought it was finished about two years ago, but I was never happy with the opening. Convincing myself that it was fine, I began sending a few query letters out to agents. It was then that it hit me. If an agent requested my first 50 pages, those first 50 pages just weren’t good enough to get a manuscript request. I had to do something. So . . . I sat on it. You know, I did nothing. I knew it needed work, but I didn’t know what to do with it.

A few weeks ago I participated in a beach glass jewelry making class offered at the local public library. A day later it dawned on me that my character could do the same, and it would set up the rest of my story perfectly! So like Joyce Carol Oates said, “The first sentence can’t be written until the final sentence is written.” Apparently that was true for me, at least for this book. The final sentence was written long before the beginning scene took shape. You never know when or where inspiration will hit. If you are a writer and are struggling with your beginning, hopefully you’ll find it without waiting as long as I did.

We all like happy endings, but I’m happy I’ve found my beginning!

Happy writing and reading,

Robin