Author: amywestphalcreates

Emerging writer building a platform. Stay tuned!
Amy on writing

It is the First of April

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On this day of pranks I will instead share a list of today’s grievances. Some may even call it a Festivus for the rest of us.

This wonderful idea is from the fabulous and sharp AllaneSinclair.wordpress.com

And now the airing of grievances!

1- plates left next to the sink neither rinsed, washed or without the bare minimum of putting water on it.

2- people asking me to smile, as If I live to serve your fancy.

3- parents who don’t vaccinate because of what they read on Facebook.

4- people who start conversations with “Did you see that thing on Facebook?”

5- Facebook in general

6- Number 45

And now for a life changing video.

Jk. Always wanted to rick roll y’all.

Happy April Fools

Cheers, Amy

Amy on writing

Down

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Heres to another installment of Amy’s Vent-sesh poetry for the chronically stressed. Come commiserate with me my WPs!

It falls so fine you cannot see.

Down, down.

Softly, slowly.

Bask in the translucent blush, watch the sheen as it shimmers down.

Down, down.

Softly, slowly.

Coat after coat, dust to dust, bury me down.

One effervescent sheet at a time, bury me down.

Caked in layers you cannot see.

Down, down.

Softly slowly, softly slowly, until there is nothing left of me.

Today’s super satisfying vent sesh is brought to you by my immense guilt of not editing my book.

But. I opened the file yesterday made some notes and am prepared to finally start. April’s gonna be my month!

I will no longer bury my passion project and guilt myself about it. I have plenty of other things to stress about. THIS SHALL NO LONGER BE ONE OF THEM.

Feel free to hold me to it…

Cheers, Amy

Amy on writing

Hello Springtime…

amywestphalcreates

Can you all believe it’s spring already? When I think of spring, I think of flowers, twitterpating deer, Kleenex, Claritin, Singulair and sneeze fits that test my bladder.

Spring also draws attention to the fact that I’ve procrastinated on starting my book rewrites for 2 months. Sigh… Shame…

Let’s talk about all the things I’m doing that aren’t writing.

Besides my battle with seasonal allergies…My house is nearly back together, and in fine form. I love my new floor. It always looks clean! I love not mopping everyday… or twice a day.

I also had a very successful family party in the new dressed up digs. 14 guests for St. Patrick’s day dinner. Corned beef, colcannon, the works. I hail from some very proud Irish. And it was my grandfathers, and now my husbands favorite holiday.

And does drinking leftover Jameson sours and dancing to 90s R and B while I fold laundry count as exercise? Because if it does I totally nailed my New Years goal of getting more exercise. Score! 😁

So let’s see, exercise-check, spring cleaning?-check.

Finishing my book and querying again?-

Suck it Springtime.

Cheers, Amy 😉

What are your plans for Spring?

Amy on writing

Amy’s Bad Advice # 10

amywestphalcreates

It’s worth what you paid for it.

This weeks long overdue bad advice involves dum dum DUM…

Home renovation…

A little backstory. After spending half a year trying to sell our house to no avail, we decided to renovate and stay forever. 4 months have passed.

And this is what I learned~

Don’t pick the cheapest stuff you can find that looks okay. Pick the nicest stuff you can afford that suits your life. For us. It was vinyl flooring. Waterproof, waterproof, and did I say waterproof.

Next, don’t skimp on the full install. Unless you are both handy and full of extra time, you will regret not letting the pros do their thing.

We thought we could do our own backsplash in the kitchen, so when this was left behind? We weren’t happy. Gorgeous holes for the quartz counters…

1200 bucks extra to repair and install the backsplash tile and the kitchen looks like this

I don’t know that we could have DIY’d this one.? note, I’m very happy.😀

Next, We thought that our old molding would be fine for the new flooring. It wasn’t. There was a huge gap between the trim and floor that we were told we could fill with quarter round. (Look it up. It’s quite hideous)

An extra 300$ for new 5’1/4 inch trim was worth it. Meets the floor and covers the old trim line.

Lastly, and most importantly. Please consider that all home renovations will most likely take more time and cost more money than you could have possibly considered. I’m not advising you to avoid it. But just do your research well first, ask questions. Say ” what would you recommend?” And try to trust that they aren’t taking you. I feel that these projects would have gone so much more smoothly.

But it’s okay. At the end of the day we have a beautiful new old house. Now I can get back to normal.

No excuses now…

Cheers, Amy

Amy on writing

Meanwhile…

amywestphalcreates

Apologies for my absence again my WPs. No I am not wallowing in despair, forlorn over the pathetic-ness of my stagnant writing career.

No… I’m in shambles, literally in shambles. We are at the apex of remodeling the house in lieu of selling it and this week Is the floor. The entire floor! I am without kitchen, furniture and reasonable access to the other bedrooms. My bedroom is now a hotel room in which my whole household resides. We eat, we live, we annoy.

My garage is packed to the brim!

I have made an intricate labyrinth in my garage to reach my laundry and have decided that I should also stain my bookshelves in there.

Apparently I am not deterred by little things like the whole garage being taken up with furniture.

So enjoy your week everyone. And I shall rejoin you agains shortly.

Cheers. Amy

Amy on writing

Now What?

amywestphalcreates

Now that I’m caught in this nebulous r and r thing, you know, deciding when to start rewrites and when to complain more about them, I really needed something else to think about.

So what does an Amy do?

I’m an artist I say, so I create.

Here’s some of my little projects. Distressing old outdated furniture is the tops. Really fun and so relaxing.

I came across the idea when We decided to update the house instead selling it (what a hassle!) and I’m so grateful. This is much better. and Now I have another hobby I don’t have time for.

(I suppose a before and after pic would have been smart. So just imagine beat up and orangey brown wood 🙃)

So these ones are done. I love the turn out, what do you think?

At this point I’m either gonna paint my whole house or start writing. I should probably start on the writing.

What do you do when you’re not doing the thing you’re supposed to do?

Cheers, Amy

Amy on writing

Writing Deep POV

amywestphalcreates

One of the suggestions I received for my manuscript revision was an interesting one. I had to look into it deeper.

What is deep POV?

Most of us know that POV means point of view. In writing fiction, you usually decide whether you will write in 1st, 2nd or 3rd person. 2nd person being super uncommon.

(In fact. The only example I can think of is the Netflix series You. Anyone??)

I am most comfortable writing in 3rd person. I love classic literature and it feels natural to write in this generally traditional format.

Unfortunately, it ain’t hip.

People have become accustomed to something more intimate, immediate. First person gives you that, but to be more omnipotent, 3rd person is where it’s at.

So what do you do? You go deep. Deep POV.

This is my mission. To change my 3rd person limited narrative into a deep POV story that sucks you into the mind of the protagonist, it’s no longer a story about the hero. You are the hero. The hero with the power to see through both your own eyes in real time, without losing those beautiful narrative moments that only the all knowing can provide.

Seems daunting doesn’t it?

It is, that’s why I’m sitting around drawing blanks and not writing anything. Even the blog is suffering. I haven’t given you guys bad advice in weeks!

Whatever will you do with out it?

Anyway, what are your thoughts on narration? What do you prefer to read in? Or write?

And do you have any tips for me? I’m in the shallows here, I need to jump. Help Me!

Cheers, Amy

Amy on writing, on writing and kids

A story maybe you haven’t read…

amywestphalcreates

The words of Roald Dahl.

https://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/timeline/1960s/november-1962

As a mother and child care provider, this a subject deeply important to me. I don’t often discuss polarizing subjects on the blog, so if this offends you in any way…

Sorry, not sorry.

Because I care.

Cheers, Amy

Amy on writing

A Little R n R

amywestphalcreates

I’d love to say that I’m talking about a little rest and relaxation, but I’m not…

I’m talking revise and resubmit.

It’s not the worst thing a writer can hear, but it ain’t my favorite either.

A revise and resubmit is when an agent likes your work but your work isn’t ready. All agents do a bit of editorial work and coaching. But when it’s more than just a few tweaks, they might request an R and R… if they don’t just reject you.

This is predicated on how much they like your concept and what not. Most of the time, even if an agent requested your full and loved the idea, they will reject you if your writing isn’t up to par.

An R and R is light years above a rejection. Especially when it’s your dream agent.

And here is Amy… between a rock and a For-fucks-sake-do-I-have-it-in-me-to-do-this-again place? Painstakingly rewrite my book, change my POV, remove backstory…Forsake all other things in life like home cooked dinner and laundry? All in the bleeding hope of getting that call, that sweet wondrous phone call, where said dream agent tells me they love my book and graciously want to offer me representation, champion me and ultimately sell my book.

Do I have it in me? I want to, I really want to, but it’s so all consuming, so intense I almost just let it all go. ( you may have noted an absence recently…)

Well I’m still here, that’s a start.

Cheers, Amy