Wrapping up 2014 with fun memories and thoughts on writing

Hello everyone! It's almost 2015! Happy Holidays! I thought I might finish off my 2014 posts by talking about some of the awesome things I've done this year (things I have told you about and things I haven't!)

Here's a look at what I have done this year with my writing:

1) Started submitting to literary magazines before starting college

2) Met Randy Davila, CEO of Hierophant Publishing and Hampton Roads Publishing, presented him with the idea for my novel Promises Made, Kept and Broken and got a signed copy of his book Think Like A Publisher!

3) Enrolled in a poetry class at my university. I had to waitlist myself, but it was totally worth it!

4) Submitted my book proposal to Randy Davila as part of a contest of sorts. It wasn't accepted, but I have faith that it will be soon enough.

5) Met Zadie Smith, Chen Li, Lauren Berry, Erin Belieu, Kyle Anderson and Alex Lemon, all awesome people and highly admirable writers.

6) Got a front row seat to a lecture by Zadie Smith. I was nearly late, but as soon as I got to the auditorium, an usher told me there were seats in the front row ONSTAGE! Zadie Smith was literally ten feet in front of me. I was so happy.

7) Had breakfast tacos with Zadie Smith and other Creative Writing teachers and students while discussing writing, rejection and reading. Zadie even mentioned that she'd read Black Swan Green and Cloud Atlas, which made me extremely happy, since I love those books and, up until then, hadn't met anyone else who had read them. It was a very insightful talk.

8) Met the poet and translator Chen Li from Taiwan, who came to my poetry class and talked about some of his poems that we had read in class. His perspective on writing and inspiration really made me think about it differently, and challenged me to try new things while writing.

9) Attended a semi-private poetry lecture by Lauren Berry and Erin Belieu, who blew the roof off with their amazing spirits and poetry. I bought a copy of Erin's newest poetry collection, Slant Six, which has some great stuff in it, as does Black Box, which was required reading for my poetry class. She even signed it for me! I told her about my desire to get published, especially with poetry (what with my class experience), and she told me to make sure my poetry was mature enough before I sent it out. She encouraged me to continue writing and keep up my work.
As for Lauren Berry, I approached her and admitted, somewhat ashamedly, that I had forgotten my copy of her award-winning poetry collection, The Lifting Dress, which I'd been required to read for my Poetry Writing class. But I did, I told her, bring an imitation of one of her poems (an assignment for my class) called "Petition on a Concrete Bench Saturday", a response to "The Just-Bled Girl Writes A Petition On Hotel Paper". I showed it to Lauren, who said it was very cute and wanted to read it. I promised to scan it to her, and she signed it, thanking me for the courage to share my work. She was really happy to see my work, and said in an email that she looked forward to reading it.

10) Lauren Berry and Erin Belieu came to my Poetry Class and talked a bunch about their work and experiences. It was enlightening and, all-around, fun. I hope to do interviews with them in the near future.

11) Attended a semi-private lecture by poets Kyle Anderson and Alex Lemon. The Wish Book, one of Lemon's poetry collections, was also required reading for my poetry class. Both Kyle and Alex did a great job of reading their poetry. Alex even signed my copy of The Wish Book and answered my questions and concerns on writing with great enthusiasm and an unbeatable charisma. Talking to him, as well as to Lauren Berry and Erin Belieu, made me less afraid of rejection, or at least a little more ready to face it.

12) Started submitting to literary magazines again, starting with my school's magazine and moving on to others. I hadn't gotten any acceptances with my previous chain of submissions, but I feel that this round will be very different. I've learned so much, experienced so much, and my writing has changed permanently, for good.

13) Over the past few months, I did three readings: one in Austin and two in San Antonio. One was in September, at a library in Austin, but did not receive the attendance I'd been hoping for. The other two were Open Mics that proved highly successful for sharing my poetry and meeting others with similar interests. Like the lectures I'd attended, the Open Mics gave me a very clear idea of how I could read my poetry in a more engaged, engaging way, as well as other topics I could address in the future. I had a lot of fun and hope to participate again very soon.

These are the main events that come to mind when I think about this year. Looking at this list, I feel a lot more accomplished. Sometimes, when you're so caught up in your writing, you forget how much you've accomplished, how hard you've worked. I do like to keep the future in mind, thinking of where I truly want to go, but I don't forget what I've gone through, who I've met and what I've learned. And of course, I keep my main focus on the present, on what's going on right now, on how I feel this very moment as a writer.

I'm very grateful for all the opportunities I had this year, everyone I've met and everything I've learned. It's been a lot of hard work, but I'm enthusiastic and open to working even harder in 2015.

That year (less than two hours from now!!), I will be published. It doesn't matter how many magazines and companies I have to submit to. I will be published, and more than once! I'll do more poetry readings, probably even with multiple people, new poet friends I met this year :) People will start recognizing my name more. It will be a happy, wonderful, successful 2015.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

;),
Courtney


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Comeback! Book Proposal, Poetry and More!

Hello everyone! LOTS of news.

I haven't been keeping up with the blog lately due to lots of college assignments, activities etc...But now that winter break has arrived, I plan to catch up with all my posts and tell you about my plans!

In case I did not post it earlier (or, at least, not through this medium), the book proposal for my novel, "Promises Made, Kept and Broken", was not accepted. It was a tough competition, and I knew that my novel wasn't the kind of book usually published by that company. Still, after a workshop I attended that allowed me to participate in the contest, I thought it would be a great opportunity. I am grateful for all I learned and all that is to come.

Meanwhile, at my university, I took my first ever Poetry Writing class and it was AMAZING. The professor, Jenny Browne, is a wonderful person and excellent instructor. She helped me out a lot with my writing and aspirations. She writes her own poetry too, so you should check it out sometime :)

For Jenny's class, I not only learned to write better poetry, but I also got the opportunity to meet other recognized authors!! My experiences range from breakfast tacos with Zadie Smith to insightful conversations with Lauren Berry, Alex Lemon and Erin Belieu over candy and poetry collections. (More on these experiences later ;) )

I also participated in two Open Mics sponsored by my school's literary magazine. There were some really great people there, lots of talent and good food. The responses have been very encouraging, and I am sure I will participate in more Open Mics in the semester to come! I also submitted to my school's literary magazine and hope to receive a very positive response.

Right now, most of my goals are centered around my poetry. I have started up magazine submissions again and hope for more success this time around. Then, hopefully, I will publish a poetry collection with my accepted submissions (either self- or regular, depending on the circumstances) sometime next year. As for my novel, I'll still be working on it, changing aspects of plot and prose. I don't have a set date for when I want it published, but know that I am thinking about it a lot, and plan to work on it more now that I am out for break.

Thanks again for your time and enthusiasm! I will send more updates soon on other exciting news :)

Courtney

LIKE my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/courtneyjustuswriter?fref=ts

Poetry Reading: Official Info

Hello all,
Here's more official info for my poetry reading:

Location: Laura's Library (part of Westbank Library)
Address: 9411 Bee Caves Road Austin, TX
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm
Content: Poetry + a sample of my novel Promises Made, Kept and Broken

Hope you will come and suggest that others come too!!

More samples and info to come.

;),
Courtney

Resurfacing...&Good News!!!!!

Hello there everyone!!! :)

I apologize for not writing over the past couple of weeks, it's been so busy!! It will keep being busy for a while, I know, but I promise to post more updates than I have been doing. It feels good to be back on track!

A couple of pieces of news:

1) POETRY READING The day has finally come!!! Saturday, September 27th at the Westbank Library in Austin, Texas. Time TBA. Will be reciting some of my poetry and reading an excerpt from my novel Promises Made, Kept and Broken! Please consider attending, and tell anyone who is in the area and might be interested. There is no limit as to the amount of people that can come, so please spread the word :)

2) BOOK PROPOSAL On August 30th, 2014, I sent my very first book proposal!!! Results will be announced on a later date. Hopes are high!!

That's all the updates I have for now. Feel free to comment; I'd be happy to hear from you!

Thanks for reading, I'll post again soon!

;),
Courtney

Monologue Monday: August 25, 2014

Hello all and thank you so much for all the views. :) I write because it's my passion, but it feels so great to see my views increase and know that my writing is reaching people across the state, country...even the world!

This monologue feels even more raw than my last one. Perhaps it's because I've stopped editing myself more than I need to, when I really don't need to? Anyway, here it goes (But no stealing! I have copyright on this stuff.)


I'm finally here, moved in, settling down. Advising and registration were today and I got into some awesome classes. Auditions: choir, piano and theater, are this week. Every day has been better than the last, and yet, there is one question which lingers in intervals briefer than the smallest spaces in the Fur Elise. It is difficult to phrase it, but on my honor, for you and me and the sake of writing authentically, I will try with all of my heart to say it, and explain myself.
What do I think of you now? I thought I'd still feel myself falling, in a way, and maybe I still am. But was it a graceful descent, or more of a stumble? It's hard to tell.
"Pain demands to be felt."-Green.
You have crossed my mind pretty much every day, sometimes multiple times a day. And when I sat down and wrote "If Eyes Could Speak", I was right, and I knew I was right, no matter how much I wanted to be dead wrong. But deny my intuition? Shove it away as though it were a disgrace? I'd be backstabbing myself. And that wouldn't do anyone any good.
But it's official: you're starting to drift off the radar. You are floating in my mind like a dream I'm not sure I want to remember. Yet dreams of all kinds are inspirational, no matter how meaningless they might seem at first glance. And I am starting to accept this. But the question remains: What do I think of you now? Am I still falling? Or am I picking myself up?
I'll tell you now, so you'll stop wondering, if you're even interested. Darn, I'll tell you no matter what: I am up and feeling fine. Walking, not running, enjoying the views from the stage and not just from the audience. This is what living is supposed to feel like. This is Happiness, as my first philosophy teacher would say. I am making it in this life. You may stick around to see me, or you might drop out. Deep down, I feel it'd be nice if you'd stay. But please, bring him back. You. The real You. I haven't seen him in nearly a month and a part of me misses him. It's cheesy, cheesier than a pound of mozzarella cheese, but I am telling you the truth, and I am telling it to you because I need to, and even if you never see this, I needed to understand. And finally, I feel like I do. I have for a long time.


Like it? Feel free to leave a comment. If you have any constructive criticism, feel free to comment. I'd be more than happy to hear from my lovely viewers ;)

Other great news: It looks like I finally got a poetry reading!!! So excited!! :D The date isn't set yet, but I'm definitely starting to make preparations and figure out tentative dates, so once the date and time are set, I will post the info here. I am so grateful and look forward to the opportunity to read my poetry IN PERSON and share even more of my work (plus some more of my own story) with you. Thanks for sticking around.

<3
Courtney

On Motivation and Inspiration: Why I Write

Hey everyone, I have a new Facebook page which I plan to update regularly. Take a minute to check it out: https://www.facebook.com/courtneyjustuswriter  A few seconds to click "Like" and some shares would mean a lot.

Yes, it's important for me to have social media outreach now that I'm trying to be professional. But that's not the main purpose of this post (or of this blog, although I do appreciate the 400+ views on Writer Intro. Thanks a million!). What I really want to blog about today is two concepts that are extremely important to me. They are motivation and inspiration.

Both of these things work in synchronicity for me. One of the reasons I feel motivated to write is because of inspiration: my own, and that which I can spark in others. I write for myself, because it brings me peace, joy and clarity, but I also write for others, so that they may feel empowered, intrigued, inspired and motivated by my words.

Just to keep things clear, my intentions are far from trying to force others to feel these things. People should come to this on their own, but it always helps to be a source of creativity, inspiration, knowledge: it makes other people feel good, but it also makes you feel great, since you are choosing to irradiate all these beautiful things which you choose to see and feel.

In today's world of high-powered technology and instant communication, it can be easy to feel saturated by the quantity of information we are receiving every day, through technology and other means. Now let's think about this for a moment. Every day, millions of people wake up and check their phones. A new like on Facebook. A juicy piece of celebrity gossip. A text message from your best friend and your ex, but not from the guy you have a total crush on. These people are connected to social media, which bombards its users with updates practically by the minute, as is its nature, and the majority will return day after day, hungry for more.

I'm not saying that social media is bad or that people should use it less (although addiction is no bueno, as my boss might say.). But it is a prime example of how our senses can be completely bombarded just by spending half an hour on Facebook. And with so many people trying to get noticed, it continues just as so.

As an avid reader, going to the bookstore is a less brain-numbing way of filling my senses with a sort of kaleidoscope. So many books by so many authors...young, old, new releases, classics, well-known, little-known...a huge variety awaits me the minute I step into a Barnes & Noble. I wonder to myself: What will it be like when my books are published? What will the covers look like? Will they be noticeable in the bookstore? Will people enjoy my books as much as (Insert name of famous author)'s? What kind of reviews will I get on Goodreads and Amazon?
And the list goes on.

My point is, it can be easy to feel like you are overlooked with so much new stuff coming in, and sometimes the fountainhead of motivation and inspiration seems reduced to a trickle due to the changes in communication and the need for recognition; a need, I will say, which can feel unmet even for someone who has five times as many "contacts" as the next man.
We cannot let ourselves be overcome by these sensations.

The trick is not to avoid these sensations, but to filter what we'd really like to know more about (and what we wouldn't) and find our emotional center. You don't have to be spiritual to do this. Ask yourself: What makes me feel good? What inspires me? What do I want to achieve? How can I shape my life so that I am focused on achieving my goals and feeling whole? Take a few minutes away from everything to think about these things. But don't let yourself become overwhelmed with thoughts or frustrated. These questions can take time to answer, but once you start, life will take on a completely different notion for you.

Even if you think you've got all these questions answered, continue to take that valuable time to think; it will keep you focused on what you envision. You can also take a few minutes to meditate (Again, you don't have to be spiritual to meditate or for meditation to work for you!), letting your thoughts flow freely, with focus on the breath. It will make you feel renewed, as well as keep you both inspired and motivated.

Relax. You may have a million questions about everything, but they will all be answered in time. In the meantime, may you continue to live a motivated, inspired, happy life!

:),
Courtney




PS: Feel free to leave me comments through Blogger and Facebook. I'd love to hear what you think ;)

Monologue Monday: August 11, 2014

From today onward, I am starting the tradition of publishing some sort of monologue on this blog every other Monday. If inspiration and time allow it, however, I might post monologues two Mondays in a row. So let's begin!

I dug out this monologue from one of my "writing folders", which are basically folders stuffed extremely full with my drafts of poems, plays, stories, monologues, et cetera. It was written nearly three years ago, which is hard to believe. I'm sure a lot of people will be able to relate to it.

This is copyrighted, by the way, so read all you want, but it was written by me, hehe. So without further blabbering, here we go.


"Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth", says the Bible.
I know what love is. Love is all of that, but it also often involves getting crushed, suffering a bit, hurting and crying your eyes out. I know that from my experience with him. I mean, we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend or anything. Just good friends, really good friends for me.
But like they say, friendship can change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. One day we would talk on and on about whatever you could think of: school, money, jobs, family, friends, you name it. We would go deep. But next thing you know, he was swept away, while I was left in the dust. No deep or playful conversations anymore: just some goodbyes, hellos and the occasional comment about something else. That's it for him, I guess.
But that's not it for me! We were close, and when someone so close just drifts away, a part of you just falls apart. And that's what happened to me. A part of me just fell apart, and I'm still making sense of it. And even though he may be after someone else, my feelings stay the same. I want things to be the way they were before, or at least similar. It's not fair!
My love, you meant and still mean a lot to me. Your smile lights up my world and your laugh brings out my own. I want you close to me like we were before. I want to talk like we used to. I want you to feel the same way about me, and it's lust, but it's true. I hope you can somehow forgive me for the times when I did not treat you as well as I should have. I am sorry I am not more verbally expressive in my ways...that's just how I am. Your head is elsewhere, your heart with another, but I will continue to nurture the hope that maybe, someday, we will finally be together.
You are my fire, my one, my falling star, my inspiration. Others may not see it, but I do. Please don't forget me, because I may never be able to forget you.
I surrender. I love you.

[Blogger's note: Since I was actually writing this for a drama class, the last paragraph is dramatized for the purpose of this monologue's performance. I did feel strongly for the person I wrote this monologue about, but I was not in love.]

Please comment your thoughts and reactions! I'd love to hear what you think. And feel free to check out my other blog, cjustusbookrecommendations.blogspot.com.

<3

How Do I Read My Poetry? (Another Sample!!)

Today I left my contact info to a few more libraries, in hopes to get in a poetry reading or two before I head off to college (YEAH!). In order to keep a positive attitude that they would say YES this time, I decided to practice reading one of my poems as if I were reading it in front of other people.

And it was awful.

Maybe I'm too hard on myself sometimes. Okay, correction: I am too hard on myself sometimes. But even so, I think it's important to recognize where there is a need for improvement, which I was able to catch a glimpse of today.

The funny thing is, I've read my poetry aloud in front of other people. In seventh grade, I was a member of the forensics team! (Didn't win anything though. What a shame.) I've been doing musical theater for six years and plan to continue, which involves reading and interpreting lines which, like poetry, are strings of letters and words and phrases which mean something! And yet no matter how hard I tried to keep a certain pace, tone, or to put emphasis how and where needed, it just...didn't...sound right.

If you have any videos and/or articles on poetry reading/forensics, please comment below, I would appreciate it greatly. Also, if you have any other articles related to writing a book proposal (including any of the individual parts of one), please include them as well.

In the meantime, here's a piece of the poem I tried to read earlier today:

I tend to keep my head down

Whenever I’m in that place

For I can’t stand to look you in the eye

While these emotions still remain.

A very glance at an empty room

From which I leave so drained...

How can you expect me to feel something else

While these emotions still remain?

I feel like I’m drowning, I am appalled

At the emotions that remain

And I have to say, it’s not easy to explain

Why I can’t look at you the same.

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Emotions That Remain by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Please feel free to ask any questions you like and leave any suggestions you might have. I would be happy to hear them :)

Enjoy the rest of your week!

PS: My other blog is cjustusbookrecommendations.blogspot.com. I write reviews of books I've read and liked. If you have any book recommendations, feel free to comment here or on my other blog! I'd love to look into them. ;)

Upcoming Video and Possible Reading

After receiving several "No"s when I asked about reading my poetry in different places, including bookstores and coffee shops (or simply not getting called back after leaving my info), I went into a process of deep thought. What does this mean? What should I do next?, I asked myself, feeling nonplussed about the responses I had received.

After much thought, I've decided to take two simple steps.

The first is to post a video on YouTube of me reading my poetry or a portion of my book (most likely poetry). I'll start off with just one, but as I rack up the views and receive responses, I'm sure I will post plenty more. Truth be told, I've always had a desire to post something of my own work on YouTube, related to music, writing or both, so I'm very excited about this new project! As soon as I have uploaded the first video, I'll post the info on here so that you can have direct access to the video through my blog!

The second is that I am going to try again. Even though social media and blogging are very pleasurable and two great outlets for me to communicate with people and become more well-known as a writer, I know that an in-person event, such as a poetry reading, is a great opportunity to connect with people, and just because I was rejected or ignored a few times it doesn't mean it isn't worth it. :) I will reach out to places a bit further from home for opportunities. If I can, I'll even enter a poetry slam and see how that goes. Once I know if I'll be doing a reading of any sorts, I will post the info here, in hopes that anyone who reads this blog will be able to make it :)

More updates on my work soon to come! If you haven't already checked out my Book Recommendations blog, feel free to do so: http://cjustusbookrecommendations.blogspot.com

If you have any comments, feel free to post! I appreciate your views ;)

More on "Promises"

Thank you so much for all the views!! Seeing how the number has gone up with each new entry gives me a lot of hope.

Today I've decided to share another piece of my book with you. (This is copyrighted!) Like the other fragment I posted a few entries ago, this portion is prone to change once it gets into the hands of a professional editor. But in the meantime, I'm sure that it'll give you an even bigger picture of my book. Hope you enjoy!
..............................

Christine and Sebastian lay side by side, quietly watching the fireworks. There was no one else around, just a few lazy fireflies that drifted through the air. Sebastian was grateful for the peace he felt; it had been a while since he'd experienced this sensation.

“Do your parents hate me?"

Christine's small voice startled him out of his reverie. He looked at her. Her green eyes were intent on his, deep and innocent. Sebastian swallowed and muttered:

“No…"

Christine looked disappointed. He felt a pang in his heart. The look she gave him was not the one he had been hoping for.

"I feel like they do."

Sebastian felt his stomach twist. Christine knew the truth. Did he think she wouldn't see it just because she was different? How could he hide it when the truth leaked through his words and gestures?

"It's okay Seby." She reached for his hand, and he let his fingers linger near hers before he crossed his arms around his waist.

"Don't tell me it's okay."

"But it is."

Sebastian ran his hands through his dark hair, then crossed his arms over himself again. He didn't feel okay. He felt anything but okay.

"Seby?"

He didn't look at her. "Yes?"

"Promise me we can still be friends?"

...............................

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Promises Sample by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Did you like it? Feel free to comment on this post or on any previous or future posts. I'd be happy to respond and answer any questions you may have. :)

Have a good one!

Sample poem: "Scar Tissue"

So it looks like it might be a little while longer before I get to have a poetry reading. The library I was hoping to host it at said they didn't have the space or time for me, and I didn't have much luck with the other places I contacted.  :(

I have also been waiting to hear from a few literary magazines, which I should've heard from by now, but I have not yet received their responses. I still have my fingers crossed, but I can't guarantee anything.

Therefore, I have decided to post a sample poem through here, in hopes that it may still reach a wide audience who could enjoy it. So without further ado, I present my poem "Scar Tissue".

Scar Tissue

The question stands:
How much pain do we feel?
I can't recall being immune
To much of it; I know
That though some things no longer leave a scratch,
Memories will still resurface out of seas of darkness in my mind
And I will ask myself:
How much pain do I really feel?

It didn't feel real when you said "It's over.".
Only an email just before work
From a person with your name
Who was not you.

It couldn't feel real to lose her,
To have her skid from my fingers like reckless raindrops
And fall into a void somewhere
Between our schools and her old street.
Old photos and a letter stuffed away
Make me question what was ever there,
As must she.

And my high school friends couldn't see my love
With clear eyes; few of them smoked,
But life had blurred the eyes of their minds
And they would not let me in.
No Saturday night dancing, no VIP,
But why should I beg for their attention?

I wonder why this frustrates me,
Why I think I'm struggling to be someone
As I think of my possibilities,
Only half-immersed in the dream
That is not a teenage girl writing poetry
In an old spiral notebook,
Waiting for her poetry to be accepted
In magazines she had never heard of.
This is the girl who was nearly thrown in the trash
Because the French teacher wrote her recommendation letters
And the English teachers liked her work.
This is the girl who waited years for her Argentinean ID card
And cried her heart out
Because she didn't want to be called an undocumented immigrant anymore.

Probing scar tissue,
They knew which knife would hurt the most.
Familiar with the art of framing,
They would tear other things apart
Before I could figure out
How to put the rest back together again.
To me, they were two-faced.
To them, I was pathetic.

It may take them years to understand
What it took for me to let them in.
It may dawn on them that they should have taken in
How much I ached for love, blow after blow.
Scar tissue: a healing wound,
The perfect place to get in.

Let the world see my scars.
Let the world feel my pain.
I will not carry them like burdens anymore.
May the light guide you to where you ought to be.
May it illuminate my scars.
They're fading slowly.

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Scar Tissue by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Feel free to post your opinion in the comments section. I will accept both praise and constructive criticism, as well as any questions you might have.

Thank you so much!

Poetry Reading

Hello there everyone!

I hope your summer is going as well as mine :) I've been talking to my local library, where I'm hoping to do a poetry reading next month. Exciting! If the librarian approves of my request, I'll be reading my own poetry, hopefully for at least an hour. No entry fee required: it's totally free!

The date, time and duration of this event are still rather uncertain, but I should have a better idea of everything within the coming week as I talk to the librarian and look at my schedule. Once I do, I'll post the info on my reading here on this blog!

My poetry has yet to be published, but if it happens to get accepted into a literary magazine (I'm waiting on the answers to some submissions I made last month. Fingers crossed!), I will post the links or info you need in order to access my work. Hopefully I will also be able to live-stream my reading, or post a video recording on YouTube shortly afterwards.

If you have any questions about my reading, my work or about me, feel free to post in the comments section. I will keep you updated as more information (and inspiration :) ) comes in.

Have a great day!

:)
Courtney

More book details!

Hello there! If you're reading this, I'd like to say thank you :) I appreciate the page views and support!

I recently attended an intensive workshop on writing and publishing your book, and it was everything I had hoped for and more. The speakers were great, and I had an amazing time. This gave me hope that I may get published the traditional way, perhaps even sooner than I first thought! YAY!

While creating an overview of my book some days ago, I decided to modify the title slightly. It's still very similar to the one I already posted, but it's only my "working title"; it might change if I go into traditional publishing. (But the main speaker said he liked my title, so I think I will get to keep it :) )

Anyway, I'd like to tell you guys more about my book. It starts in the year 2002 and quickly fast forwards to 2011. Christine, the main character, is sixteen years old. She's been longing to be more than friends with her neighbor, Sebastian, for a while now. They are very close friends, and Christine has faith that they can take things to the next level, even with his parents.

Occasionally, when his parents are out somewhere during the night, he'll sneak over to my place to hang out for a while. Sometimes, when the sky is clear, we'll take some pillows out onto the roof and look at the stars. We talk a lot on those nights. Sometimes I just don't want it to end.

This quote is from the second chapter. It is prone to change with editing and all, but the essence of the passage shall remain the same ;) (However, this is still copyrighted!)

I'll be posting more info on my book in the days to come. Feel free to let me know what you think! I would love to hear your opinions on any of my posts.

Best to you all and happy summer break!

;),
Courtney

Upcoming: Book Number One!

Hello fellow bloggers!

Hope you're all doing awesome. :) Just wanted to tell you about my recent book project. It should hopefully be available at a bookstore near you by the end of this year or next year, depending on editing and publishing process. It's a YA novel of about 200 pages, and the working title (the intended title which may change) is Christie: Promises Made, Kept, Broken.

Sound like a romantic novel? It most certainly is. There's plenty of romance in the book, but there are key parts of the plot that involve friendship, bullying, maturing and the power art, in any of its forms, has to change your life. The story revolves around Christine, or Christie, a sophomore with a disability, her encounters with love and her trials in friendship and self-acceptance.

Interested? Feel free to ask questions; I'd be happy to answer them! Anything to spark additional enthusiasm about my novel :)

This is the title I have for it for now, but it may be prone to change once I find an editor. (Any day now ^^) However, I will keep you updated on any changes in title, length, etc. And, once the book has a release date, you'll be sure to find out as quickly as I can put it on here.

I'd love to give more info on the book, but for now I can't say much more since I haven't met up with my editor yet nor have I turned in my book proposal (in progress right now!). But if you find yourself intrigued to know more about Christie and her story, feel free to tell me and I'll post a few additional juicy details. ;)

Enjoy the rest of your day, and stay tuned for the latest details!

:),
Courtney

PS: If you read this and happen to know of a good editor who doesn't charge a fortune, please PLEASE PLEASE let me know. It would mean the world to me. :')

Have a great day and enjoy this photo.

Intro to Me

Hello everyone!

My name is Courtney, and I love to write. Short stories, novels, plays and poetry, especially poetry nowadays. I hope to see some of my work published this year, whether through literary magazines, traditional publishing or some nifty self-publishing.

I think your life experiences can have a big influence on what you write about. This is particularly evident in my poetry; you'll notice, if you read most of my poetry, that there are plenty of poems about love, loss and ups and downs in friendship, for example, but little or nothing from topics such as nature. You could say that real life situations, struggles and emotions inspire me more than just staring at a bunch of plants (although nature is beautiful and should be preserved! :) ).

One of my greatest hopes I have for this blog is that it will spread the word about my writings. If I get published in any of the literary magazines I submitted and will submit to (I really, really hope they say yes!), I'll post the links on this blog. I will also give book and music recommendations, for I also have a profound love for reading and music :)

If you've already read this far, I just wanted to thank you for giving a few minutes of your day towards reading this! You are awesome. :D And if you could share my blog, tell people all about it, that would be even more awesome. I'm going to try to post fairly often, so I hope you will follow me and enjoy!

Sincerely,
Court