It's a Beautiful Day

The sun is reflecting off the house behind ours, creating a cheery glow. The sky is so blue it makes me smile. There's a bright pink flowering bush peeking over the fence. A dove is cooing in the distance. That's sort of annoying actually, like a broken record, but I digress.

Look out your window. It's a beautiful day. You are alive and you are going to do something great today. You might not change the world, but you could make someone's day, maybe your own, maybe mine. The only way you could screw it up is to show up to work with a frowny face, so turn that frown upside down, Mr. Man... or woman.

In the immortal words of Buddy the elf, "I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite."

This pep talk was brought on by my nauseous stomach. Hope it helps. I'm gonna go puke now.

Positive Affirmations

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!"

Thank you, Stuart Smalley! It is time to hop back on the positivity train. I have been angry and irritated by ignorance recently. This is why I don't usually watch the news. I find out about current events via word of mouth. If I need more information, I Google it.

I have been doing three forms of daily writing since I started this blog. And I have been sticking to it! YES!

First is this blog, of course. I write whatever is on my mind, whether it's about writing in general or just what I need to express.

The second is my diary, where I write about the events of the day. It's something that will be fun to read when I'm older.

The third is my affirmation journal. This is a simple list of things I want. But instead of writing them as, "I want this" or "I need that", I write things as if they have already happened. "I am a successful writer", "I bring joy to readers all over the world", "I am creative and express myself well", etc.

I know what you're thinking. If affirmations are so great, then why hasn't anything happened yet! Well, it's not enough to just write things down. You have to believe them. You have to imagine what it feels like, the emotions it invokes. That has been my problem. I never really believed what I was saying. Now I will imagine myself living these truths and feel the gratitude surge through me. And so it is.

Do you write down affirmations?

Separating Church and State

And the ranting continues. I apologize. It's been a crazy week!

I don't follow politics all that much, but certain headlines scream at me when they relate to human rights. Today there was a headline about some states defying the Supreme Court decision to make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. How can they do that? This decision is based on religious beliefs.

I had always heard there was supposed to be a separation between church and state, meaning you could not create laws based on a specific religion.

The exact words in the First Amendment are, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."

The governors of these states are obviously confusing religion with government policy. Someone needs to explain the constitution to them. And these states need to get some politicians in there that represent ALL the people, not just those they deem worthy because of their twisted view of their own religion.

I must stop now before I lose control. The abuse of religion is a sore subject with me. Religion should be about unconditional love for everyone.

Jury Duty

Sorry, but I am ranting again today. Deep breath. Let it out. I am calm, but still angry.

Seems like I get a summons every couple of years to go to jury duty. And every time I find this letter in the mail I am angered. Unlike some people, I do not believe jury duty is a civic responsibility I should be honored to participate in.

I feel like it is something potentially dangerous I am being forced into against my will.

As for civic duty, I pay my taxes, which goes to pay for things my city needs. If I want to serve my city in another way, I should be allowed to volunteer my services, not be forced with threat of incarceration if I don't comply.

There are many people out there who would love to serve on a jury, who never get called. They are waiting in the wings to be a part of this time-honored tradition of taking someone's life in their hands and possibly ruining it forever. Yeah, that's something to be proud of.

Jury duty, just like the military, should be completely optional. End of story.

I have an idea. If we receive a summons and do not wish to participate, how about letting us check a little box that says "not at this time". If we wish to be removed from their random calling list for the next five years we should be able to check a box for that, too. And how about contacting people via email instead of wasting all that paper? Isn't it about time?

How do you feel about jury duty? Are you honored or angered?

Historical Day!

The Supreme Court has made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states! YES!!! Congratulations to all my gay friends, who have been made to feel less than human due to the disease of ignorance.

It makes me so angry when I hear anti-gay people complain that homosexuality goes against "God's law" or whatever their argument is. If they believe in God, they should also believe that God creates ALL people in His/Her/Its image and they are perfect the way they are. If you have a problem with gay people, then you have a problem with God because nobody chooses to be gay. Understand?

And why do we have different laws in each state? Isn't it about time this problem gets fixed? There are so many laws on the books that are obsolete. Why not make these changes across the board, unless it pertains specifically to something in a state, like a monument.

Do you think laws should be different in each state or do you find it confusing?

Zombie Mom

My husband was up working until 4 am (last night) trying to get his current book--ROBIN: Son of Batman--finished. That is the latest Mick has ever had to stay up. Nobody should have to work like that. And because he was up so late it woke me up. Then I went back to sleep for another 3 hours. Now I feel like a zombie. I cannot nap. It is physically impossible for me. I always wake up more tired. Why is it that some people have no problem sleeping for short stretches of time, waking up feeling refreshed? I envy those people. Now I must get dressed and drive to work. I apologize to anyone I might run off the road this morning. Just kidding. Sort of.

FYI, you can buy that shirt in the photo at Still Rad Clothing.

Just Breathe

Be still.
Close your eyes.
Take in a deep breath slowly.
Pause for a few seconds.
Release the breath.
Repeat a few more times.
Open your eyes.

Thank the universe for this beautiful new day!

That is all.

Selling My Wares

I opened my first eBay.com account in 1999 and have been very active on that site ever since.

Several years ago I started an online store to sell toys and pop culture related items. It did pretty well for awhile. Then something happened at eBay a couple years ago that made it harder for items to get noticed. Now I'm lucky if I sell one item each month. Of course, I haven't been promoting my store much, so that could be part of the problem. And I need to get motivated to re-design my listings to be more appealing on mobile phones. I just feel like it takes way too much energy to get little or no payout. It was really fun for awhile, though.

Out of the blue I made a sale today, which annoyed me rather than excited me. What is going on here? I'm supposed to be happy about making sales! I have a bunch of toys waiting to be listed! I'm just not excited about it anymore. I feel like putting up everything for 99 cents and getting rid of it. But this is my business. I need to start liking it again.

And I need to like writing again. It used to be really fun. Now it's like pulling teeth. Arrgh! But I'm here every day. It will be fun again soon. I'm sure of it. Won't it?

Is The Hate Flag Really Coming Down???

Earlier today a headline on Yahoo caught my eye: Nikki Haley to call for removal of Confederate flag

I was stunned. I had just posted about this a couple days ago! My husband and I tuned in for the live stream. The governor of South Carolina did her best to appease both sides of this issue, but in the end she got roars of applause for saying it was time for the flag to come down.

After the announcement there was an interview with the founder of Southern Poverty Law Center, Morris Dees. SPLC is an organization that shuts down hate groups. Dees claimed there were more people killed in domestic terrorism than any threat overseas. Pretty scary. Thank goodness for this organization.

And to all the haters out there, please stop hating.

Love is all you need.

Gratitude for Teachers / Fathers

Happy Fathers Day!

Boy, did I get a late start on this blog post. It was a busy day!

This morning I got up at 6 am, got ready and had to meet for a choir performance by 7:30 am. Today was a special summer solstice service at Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, called Gratitude for Teachers. It is a celebration that happens each year to honor the spiritual teachers in our lives. It is also to honor the fathers in the community, who are their children's first teacher.

As you can see from the photo, my husband took his job very seriously. Not only did he help teach our daughter how to read when she was a baby, he also taught her about music and art and how to tell a silly joke (She has definitely got his sense of humor). Most of all, he taught her to be a good person.

Thank you to this daddy for helping to raise such an awesome kid!

The Illiterate Princess

"Why have you awoken me!"
"It is time for the royal breakfast, Your Highness. I have a tray full of your favorites, along with your most recent correspondence. And I believe you used that word incorrectly. Here, let me help you up."
"Don't touch me, peon! And which word do you refer to?"
"You said 'awoken', which is past tense, but you used it in present tense. 'Had awoken' works, or 'have awakened'. Also, you should say 'to which do you refer', not 'which do you refer to'."
"Hmpf! How dare you correct myself!
"You can just say 'me', not 'myself', um, Your Highness."
"Your position as my assistant does not extend to correcting grammitical--"
"Grammatical."
""--errors. Hey!"
"Forgive me, Your Highness. And it is unbecoming to use that expression."
"You overstep again."
"Very sorry."
"Very fired. Bygone with you!"
"I think you mean begone."
"Grrrr!"

This has been a writing experiment. Could still you tell what actions were happening in the scene even though I only used dialogue? I hope so.

Thank you to my daughter and husband for giving me the idea to write this piece.

Have a happy day! And please be kind to others.

Ban the Hate Flag

Please forgive me. I am about to talk about something political.

I'm not big on politics. I know I should be, but the whole thing gives me a stomach ache. Occasionally, though, something comes across my Facebook newsfeed that makes me sit up and take notice. Usually, it has something to do with women's rights, or racism. Today my husband shared a link to a petition to remove the Confederate battle flag from all government use (I'm talking to you, SC and MS). The flag was a symbol of the military action that wanted to keep slavery legal. Today it is a symbol of racism, division and hate... to most of the world.

I implore all of you to sign this petition and get the flag banned. And anyone who thinks of this flag as a symbol of "southern pride" should think again. That is, unless you believe in slavery and racism. I sure hope you don't.

Sign the petition on MoveOn.org

Read Huffington Post article: Let's Stop Pretending the Confederate Flag Isn't a Symbol of Racism

Watch Jon Stewart's commentary on the shooting in SC

I'm all for people having differences of opinion, but in this case there is no argument. There is no excuse for racism.

Have a thoughtful day.

Light My Fire

Do you prefer paper books or e-books? Personally, I love e-books. Not only do they save trees, but I can take my entire library with me. The only downside is you need battery power. If there's an outage, I'm doomed! I still read paper books, but 90 percent of my reading is done on my Kindle Fire. Not only is it an e-reader, but it works like a tablet. I have tons of apps and games on it. In fact, I almost didn't write my blog post this morning because I was so caught up in finding new relaxation and meditation apps.

Although I've been meditating for over 15 years, I still have trouble maintaining focus. A lot. It goes way beyond monkey mind. I probably have ADHD. I will be thinking of one thing, having a conversation, while my mind starts to wander to a completely different topic! How rude is that! Come on, mind! At least I hide it well. I think. Hey, chocolate!

Anyway, I've been finding some really great apps to help me, not only so I can meditate better, but just so I can concentrate on what I'm doing. Here are a few for the Kindle Fire, which will probably work for any Android device.

Relax - Listen to the soothing Scottish voice of Andrew Johnson as he talks you through relaxing each major muscle in your body. Just ahh... but it's more for winding down than getting energized.

Calm - This gorgeous app is great for meditating or relaxing. It contains several nature scenes with motion and sound. It also comes with guided meditations. You could just prop it on your desk at work to glance at throughout the day. It's almost like having a fish tank. Calm, thy name is true.

Binaural Beats Builder - These electronic sounds that you listen to through headphones are supposed to train your brain to be more focused. This app lets you create your own, but you have to know what you're doing. Since I don't, it comes with a few 10 minute sessions already installed. I listen to Hyperactivity to Focus while I work sometimes and it does seem to keep me focused. Listen to this at low volume or you'll get a headache.

Let me know if you have any favorite apps.

Do you prefer Kindle or Nook? I have both. Nook came first for me, but I fell in love with the Fire.

Have a fun day!

Anger Management

Is it just me or has society been raising people become even more inconsiderate? Nobody thinks about anyone but themselves. I know it's nothing new, but it used to be more subtle. Nowadays people have no problem crossing the street like snails, or booming their car stereos so other drivers can't hear their stress-relieving spa music, or block traffic when it's not necessary.

Yesterday when driving into my neighborhood a man was having a conversation with someone in a car, right in the middle of the street. He saw me and gestured that he would be just a minute, like I'm supposed to just sit and wait for him to casually finish his conversation, because he's so much more important than everyone else. I wanted to scream at him, "Dude, you couldn't take your conversation to the side of the road???" But I stayed calm...sort of. I managed to squeeze around the obstacle and get home. Maybe it's just my neighborhood. It's not the greatest. We've lived here for over 20 years and in all this time, instead of making more money so we could buy a better house in a nicer part of town, every job I've had has paid less than the one before.

Is it the economy? Or is the universe just trying to tell me I haven't found my right work yet.
"Holly, I'm going to keep doing this to you until you write your novel, because THAT is what you're supposed to be doing!"
"Okay, universe, message received. I'm on it."

Take a deep breath and have a beautiful day.

Fun and Games

My daughter and I tried a writing game last night. We each started writing a story, then every ten minutes we passed it off to each other to continue or alter. It was really fun! If we couldn't come up with any story ideas we would simply describe the setting or the character then pass it back. Finally my daughter got stuck so we stopped. I intend to get her (and me) doing this exercise every night.

The cure for writer's block? Write something. ANYTHING! Jot down a grocery list and think about each item, then write a description of each item in detail. Maybe it will spark your imagination and maybe it won't, but at least you are getting your body into the act of writing. Eventually your story will come. That's my theory, anyway.

Have a fun day!

Getting Started on That Novel

As you may know, I have not done those character studies yet. Something was stopping me. I figured out why. I need to write down a basic story structure first, so I have a roadmap for these characters. I Googled some tips, since I have a hard time getting through non-fiction books. Yeah, they may be helpful, but it's frustrating when you just want one question answered.

I started my novel years ago in a roundabout way. I had clear scenes in my head and I jotted them down. An old writing instructor of mine once said that a novel was just a collection of moments. So I was writing down moments. They were great scenes, which I may or may not keep in the finished product. Now that I'm trying to get back to it I am lost. How do I turn these moments into an actual book?

Here's why I love the internet. You can Google something like "character vs synopsis" or "starting a novel" and get tons of great tips. After scanning for a few minutes, I found just what I needed on a site called Advanced Fiction Writing. It made sense to me. As that author mentioned, some of his tips he no longer uses because he later found a better way that worked for him. This is a start. I will let you know how it goes.

Have a lovely day... even if it is overcast.

Bonnaroo and Batman

It's hard posting things in the morning when you wake up late. Sorry.

Today hubby and I were streaming the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee, while we worked. One of the highlights was the band Guster introducing some really cool people they had just met there. The crowd went wild when these fun loving senior citizens came out on stage and waved to them. I sure hope I'm as cool as they are when I'm 80.

Speaking of cool, you really should check out the recent Batman & Robin graphic novels, which are the lead-in to Mick's latest book, Robin: Son of Batman.

Digital version
Hardcover

Have a rockin' day!

Avoidance

I know WHAT I'm supposed to be doing.

I know I need to do it NOW.

And yet I'm not doing it.

What is up with that?


Hope you all have an eventful day.

Sum Sum Summertime!

Today is the first day of summer. My daughter had a lovely graduation ceremony yesterday and she is at a pool party. Lucky her! I'm at home working with my husband. He's a comic book inker for DC Comics (www.mickgray.net) and I usually assist him, filling in the black areas on the art. It saves him a lot of time and I enjoy it. It's very meditative. Unfortunately today is what our electric company calls a "smart day". It's when we need to cut back on our power usage due to the extreme heat and overabundance of running air conditioners. I think our rate triples during the hours of 2-7 pm. My husband works at home every day so it's hard for him to cut back. The office is the hottest room in the house, too. For years I've been bugging him to get an awning for the room. I think I'm just going to do it myself, hire somebody to put up a shade. We used to have one a long time ago and it was great, but I haven't seen one like it since. It was made of a canvas material over an aluminum frame. It was pretty cheap, too. Anybody got any suggestions?

Stay cool... in all ways.

And no, I have not started on my character studies. I think my next post will be on avoidance.

Graduation Day

Today my daughter graduates from middle school. It's hard to believe she will start high school in the fall. Where did the years go? I'm sure every parent says that. We get older, yet we still feel like kids ourselves. At least some of us do. I still remember carrying my little girl everywhere. It always felt so good to have this warm little body snuggled up against me, with her arms wrapped around my neck and her head on my shoulder. Whenever she would look up at me with her arms reaching I melted. It was a sad day when she got too tall for me to carry. She's still my baby, just like my mom still calls me her baby.

Now I understand why we adopted our little dog, Izzy. The moment I saw her I fell in love. When I picked her up, she laid her head on my shoulder and I melted. She had adopted me. Now I have two babies. One of them is growing up into a young woman, but the other will remain baby-size. I think that's what I needed.

Have a beautiful day! I'm sure I will be crying in a few hours.

Morning Routine

GOOD MORNING! WELCOME TO THIS BEAUTIFUL NEW DAY!

And it's raining! Yay! Well, sprinkling. Whatever. We are in a drought, so every drop helps.

Yesterday I mentioned not being a morning person. Today I had an epiphany. Maybe I'm waking up too late! My alarm goes off at 6:30 AM, but usually I wake up before then and go back to sleep. That's a big no-no. I have never been able to take naps. Every time I try I wake up and feel like a zombie, all fuzzy-headed and cranky. Aren't naps supposed to have the opposite effect? Tomorrow I am going to set my alarm for 6:15 and see what happens. And if I wake up before that I will set my alarm even earlier. No more morning naps.

I also found a new Hatha Yoga workout to start my day. It's perfect, since I don't have much time. This girl gently works out your entire body in just ten minutes!

Namaste. Have a great day!

Not a Morning Person

I have never been a morning person, so it's pretty crazy that I decided I was going to do a blog post every AM. Oh, wait, I remember why. It was so I could greet the day in a positive way, even if I don't feel it.

GOOD MORNING, WORLD! THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL NEW DAY!

Honestly, it is very important to have a positive outlook. It's like what experts say about smiling. If you are in a bad mood, stick a fake smile on your face. The action of smiling will start to change something in your body and soon you will be smiling for real. I swear I did not make that up. And I am sticking a fake smile on my face until I believe the above statement. And, hey, it's working...

This is me smiling for real. Hope you all have an awesome day!

Writing for Television

I mentioned we cancelled our cable TV, but that we have a Roku, so we still can get most shows. One show I cannot get is OUTLANDER (currently my favorite show), which is on the Starz network. Unfortunately they don't allow viewing of their shows online unless you're a cable subscriber. The show is about a young modern Englishwoman in Scotland who gets transported from 1945 to 1743 and has to learn to survive in this hard land. I love time travel and I love history, so this show is right up my alley! It's based on a series of books by Diana Gabaldon. I'm currently on book 2. The show is very close to the first book. Season one just ended and now I have to wait until next April for the second season. My husband reminded me that's the case for most movie sequels. Yeah, but that doesn't make it any easier.

Thinking about how excited I am about this show, reminds me of when I was in college and wanted to be a screenwriter. I did study filmmaking and TV production. I just never made it to LA. I think I would have thrived in a writing group, collaborating on some show. It's too late for that dream, though. I have no desire to live in Los Angeles. Maybe someday when writing teams can come together via Skype, I'll look into that dream again.

If you haven't seen OUTLANDER at all, Starz lets you watch the premiere episode for free on their website, so enjoy! Warning: It is for MATURE audiences only.

It's All About Your Character

I was just reading a recommended book, Write Away by Elizabeth George, and she had some really great tips. The first one being about story character. She was saying that if you don't have an interesting character, nobody is going to want to go on a journey with them, no matter how cool the setting is. That makes sense. I had already guessed that was the case, but I needed clarification. Thank you, Elizabeth!

Seriously, I had been wracking my brain over how to get back into my novel. Should I just jump in and start freewriting scenes? Should I pause and create a general outline? Should I make character profiles? Now I know where to begin. Writers need to be like psychiatrists when it comes to our characters. What makes them tick? How do they think, speak, act? And we need to give thought to the character's name. When you hear the name Anne Shirley it evokes something lighthearted and fanciful, whereas the name Ebenezer Scrooge sounds mean and nasty.

So, this week I will be giving some thought to my characters' names. Obviously I named them wrong because I kept forgetting who was who! Know your characters!

Have a great day!

High Anxiety!

Actually, I had another title in mind: Social Anxiety. That reminded me of one of my favorite comedy songs, I Feel Fantastic by Jonathan Coulton, which then reminded me of the Mel Brooks movie.

Yes, folks, that is how my mind works. I'm sure my husband will tell you how much fun it is living with me.

Seriously, though, I do have a touch of social anxiety. With people one-on-one I'm fine. In a small party I do pretty well, usually keeping to the side with a couple of friends. But don't take me out in a crowd. I tense up and almost always end up wanting to hit someone. In the old days, before meditation, I sometimes did. Now I just take a deep breath and bite my tongue. If possible, I avoid crowded situations. No more concerts, which is where my lovely family is today. They went to Live 105's BFD, which is an all day rock festival. I love music, but I would have been miserable out in the hot sun with too-loud bands and screaming fans. I used to love rock concerts, but that was back when I was my daughter's age. Now I'm an old fuddy-duddy.

I'm also still getting over a cold, so today I'm mostly laying on the couch reading and falling asleep with the dog on my lap. Of course, I had to get up and write my blog post. Yay! And after 21 days it will have become a positive habit. That's the theory anyway.

Before I go back and crash on the sofa again, I leave you with this lovely fan video of Jonathan Coulton's comedy masterpiece...
(FYI, I have never taken pills for anything other than pain.)

Journaling Has Begun!

The other night I picked up my old diary. The last entry was from 1993!!! WHAT?!? That's just shameful.

It was fun reading some of the entries with my husband, especially since I started it the day of our first date in 1990. On the page facing the last entry I wrote 20 YEARS LATER...

Last night I started writing in it again, trying to say in a few paragraphs, all that had occurred in the last 20+ years. It was pretty late, so I had to stop after three pages. This is the dilemma I face as a writer. It's almost all or nothing with me. I get into a zone and I have to keep writing, writing, writing. I can't work for just an hour or a few minutes. A blog post is different. It's just a quick thought. It's when I start writing a story that I want to keep going. I could write for hours and suddenly notice half the day had flown by. I need to find that happy medium, where I can dedicate an hour or two each night to just work on my stories. I think it will be easier when my daughter starts high school. She will have lots of homework each night, so maybe we'll both sit at the table together and get our work done. That's the plan.

Happy National Cat Day! (yes, it's really a thing)

A Fuzzy Head Does Not Help... Or Does It?

No, I'm not talking about hairstyles.

Today I have a cold and I feel like I'm underwater. I'm sure professional writers have to keep going even when they are ill. How do they do it? I just want to crawl into bed and go to sleep for a week.

Besides, how can you come up with interesting things to write about when you are so spaced out? Or maybe it's the perfect time to jot something down. It could become the most amazing piece of fantastical fiction! On the other hand, it could be like that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry wakes up laughing in the middle of the night, writes down his joke, yet the next day (after friends help him decipher his handwriting) it just makes no sense.

But if we don't write it down in the first place, we will never know, will we? Okay, I've answered my own question. I will keep plugging along and see what weirdness develops.

Hope you're feeling better than I am.

Time for some Yoga With Adrienne...

Procrastination Is a Bitch!

Can you believe it? I'm doing it again! Every day I say I'm going to write in my journal tonight and every night I blow it off. I got my book, I got my pen. What is wrong with me?!? Is it fear of failure... fear of success? I have to at least pick up the paper and write something. ANYTHING.

At least I am being diligent with this blog. Whether or not I have something to say, I sit down at the keyboard and start typing. I just need to get myself to do the same thing with the old journal.

I think I'm going to ask my daughter to get on my case every night. I will ask her to go practice her drums, and she can ask me to go write in my journal. Yeah, that's the ticket!

Are you a procrastinator? How do you get yourself out of the funk and get to work?

Free Your Mind

Do you meditate? If not, you really should. It's a great way to free your mind of worries, so you can focus on your writing. I've been meditating off and on for over 20 years. I still haven't mastered it, but can honestly say I notice the difference when I don't do it. So why not do it? All it takes is 5 minutes! More is better of course, but hey, it's a start! And before you think I'm being all "woo woo", meditation has been scientifically proven to relieve stress and induce relaxation.

Here's a brief tutorial for the novice:
Sit in a comfortable position (no slouching!).
Rest your hands in your lap, with your feet on the floor.
Close your eyes or focus on something, whichever is more comfortable.
Take a slow deep breath, all the way in, pause, then all the way out, pause. Repeat.
If thoughts enter your mind, don't worry. That's totally normal. Let them drift by like clouds.
Count your breaths. Try to get up to at least 10. You can add more each session.

There's much more to meditation. You can get an in depth tutorial HERE.

Have a relaxing day.

How Did They Do It?

Currently I am reading Outlander. I started reading it when I got caught up in the TV series and the mid season ended on a cliffhanger. I had to find out how the hero rescued his lady love from the evil clutches of a sadistic villain! The book is a masterpiece that went on to sell millions of copies. It was also the first novel written by Diana Gabaldon. WHAT?!? How does that happen? Nobody becomes a best seller with their first novel. You have to suffer for your art, don't you?

I guess not. Look at E. L. James. She became a worldwide phenomenon with Fifty Shades of Grey. And that book was so poorly written, I'm almost embarrassed to call myself a fan. I would, if I was the only one. There are millions of us.

I've read more than a few badly written books that made me scratch my head in wonder. How did this author get published? Did anyone proofread this thing? I will admit to finishing most of these books because I was caught up in the story and the characters. If the story is compelling and the characters are fleshed out maybe that's all that matters?

But do I want to be Diana Gabaldon or E. L. James? Maybe there's a happy medium.

Have you ever read a book that was too good to put down, even though you kept editing sentence structure in your mind?