Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Blogging and stuff!

Welcome, Roxanne! We're so glad you're one of the Craftie Ladies of Suspense!

Blogging on Wednesday is always fun because it signals the middle of the work week. I'm currently pushing to finish the rough draft of my fourth Love Inspired Suspense--COUNTDOWN TO DEATH will be out in October 2008. Seems like a long time from now, but it takes about a year to turn a manuscript into a book.

What's my writing style? I like to do my first draft on my AlphaSmart, a small and sturdy word processor that was originally developed for school children. Since the Alpha has a tiny screen and few editing options, I'm forced to move forward with the story, getting words on paper that turn into scenes and build to chapters. When I've finished writing for the day, I download the text into my computer and count the pages!

I'm more than half finished and right on schedule. Of course, once I complete the first draft, I'll go back and start rewriting. That's the fun part! I love moving words around on the page and working to make dialogue stronger, the pace faster, the suspense more gripping . . . you get the idea. If you're nodding your head in agreement, then you're a writer too!

By the way, visit www.seekerville.blogspot.com, a new blog started by a group I belong to called The Seekers. We came together in 2005 for online support. All of us were unpublished at the time, doing well in contests and hoping "The Call" would come in the not-to-distant future. Now six of us are published and the others are so, so close. Camy Tang set up our blogspot. Thanks, Camy! Mary Connealy, Janet Dean, Cheryl Wyatt and Myra Johnson have posted their comments so be sure to stop by and take a look. Also, Myra has a great website that's lots of fun. She challenged us to look back 10, 20 and 30 years and remember where we were then. Check out her blog at www.myra.typepad.com.

Since Myra tagged me to comment about my life back then . . . ten years ago I was a full-time mom and a part-time writer, doing freelance magazine work. Twenty years ago I was living at Fort Polk, LA, with my sweet hubby and three beautiful children. My writing was on the back burner, and my schedule was filled with church and community volunteering. Thirty years ago . . . I'm not sure I can remember back that far! Just kidding! I had two babies, we lived in Kirksville, MO, where my hubby taught ROTC at what's now Truman State University. Toward the end of our three years in Missouri I wrote a piece about being an Army wife called "Sisterhood," which continues to be given to Army wives throughout the country. Okay, that's my look back. Now, you're tagged. Where were you 10, 20, 30 years ago?

Have a great week! See you on the blogs!

Wishing you abundant blessing!
Debby Giusti

1 comment:

Lisa Mondello said...

What fun! Hmmm, what was I doing 10 years ago. I had a house full of kids and was a stay at home mom/writer. I'd already written 3 manuscripts. My niece and nephew moved in with my husband and I for the first time (They only stayed 3 months and then moved in permanently with us in 2001) and I ran a home daycare. Twenty years ago I was managing a Boston Rock band and we'd just finished winning local band competitions that led us to having a spot on MTV with "Downtown" Julie Brown. Those were pre-marriage, pre-children years, although that was the same year I met my husband. Thirty years ago I was a freshman in high school, writing poetry and listening to Elton John records. I still listen to Elton John but it's all on MP3 and CD these days!

Lisa