Note to Characters

Stop it! Stop it right now! I’m the author and I say what goes. Stop changing the way this story is supposed to go. And really stop bogging my story down when you don’t like where it’s headed. It’s my story… mine, mine, mine even if it is about you.

Thanks and have a nice day.

Editing is not the Devil?

I've been editing non stop for about a week... maybe two weeks. Usually I hate to edit but this time I actually found some satisfaction in the process. I got to go back and get rid of the stuff I hated and add in all the pretty, flowery language I love so much. I think I may be on to something here. Hmmm. *taps chin with finger*

Okay, enough playing around. Back to editing.


Until next time.

I Hate Commas!

I wish I could put a big red circle and a slash through this thing. Seriously, I spent the entire day in this chair adding stupid commas to my WIP. I am terrible at punctuation so there's no doubt I needed them but God, there were so many. No doubt I am going to dream about commas tonight. *Sigh*

Am I the only one who wants to wage a freaking war against punctuation? Right now I feel so alone. *pokes out lip*



Until next time.

My Alter Ego Got Signed!

As most of you know I've been writing for about ten years and I've been working on becoming published for about a year. Well finally the day has come. I signed a contract with Shadowfire Press (www.shadowfirepress.com) a new e publisher on Sunday for my Christmas Novella. I am so freakin excited! A dream come true. The release date is set for November 7th written under my pen name Lauren Murphy. Check out the cover and the blurb below.




Plagued by her weight gain, Cara’s self-esteem has taken a downward spiral. No longer feeling attractive she unknowingly pushes away the one thing she truly wants; her husband’s affections.

Mike considers himself to be an understanding man but enough is enough. He wants his old Cara back--the wild, vivacious woman he met and knows is waiting to be revived. His desire for her compels him to create a plan that will bring them closer together emotionally and sexually. But will Cara be able to open her mind and body to the man she loves or will she push him away for good?


Until Next Time.

Is Writing Always So Hard?

I always seem to have some type of issue when it comes to writing, here are a few. I have a great idea in my head but then when I write it, it doesn't sound as great as I thought. I get to the end of the story and get completely stumped. I try and edit and no matter what I type it all reads like crap. I'll just stop the list there before I depress you even further. My point is that while I didn't expect writing to be supper easy I didn't expect it to be so difficult and complex.

On one hand the complexity is what makes it fun on the other hand the complexity is what makes it so difficult. Did I just confuse you? I hope not. Anyway I don't know how it's possible to enjoy the one thing that frustrates me to no end but apparently it is.

Non-writers seem to think that writing is cake. You sit down and write whatever comes to you and voila that's all there is. These people have obviously never stepped foot into the world of writing/publishing/editing. If they had they'd know better and stop saying such ridiculous things in ear shot of us writer folk who want to do them bodily harm for saying such blasphemous things.

However, through it all I have maintained my love for writing which tells me that I am right where I need to be. So with that in mind I think I'll head off to do some more work on my WIP. My characters have finally decided to clue me in on where this story needs to go so I need to get it out before they decided to clam up on me again.


Until next time.

Time for a Poem

Poetry is where everything started for me. I was required to write a poem for a class in high school. I didn't even think I could do it but went ahead and pushed through it anyway and changed my life forever. I have been hooked on writing since that day and I will be forever thankful to that teacher for making me broaden my horizons. Now my focus is more so on writing stories but I do still write the occasional poem from time to time and I love to share them. This one won first place in a contest and I am most excited about sharing it with you. It's about my son. :)


My Gift

Little hands dance across the plains of my face


Small features shine with a tiny dimpled smile

Caressing my heart with warm tenderness

I place gentle kisses on smooth, flawless skin

And sigh inside as my emotions gather,

Overflowing, my spirit is filled to the brim

With love unconditional bursting within

Delight overwhelms and your beauty overtakes

So pure and untarnished so honest and true

Only joy could reside in one such as you.

© Lauren Murphy, All rights reserved

Trying Not to Strangle my Muse (But it is so not working)

My journey through romance has been a fun one, but a trying one thus far. Lately I've been having more days were I want to bang my head on the keyboard in hopes that some words may fall out that will actually move my story along. I'm sad to say that it hasn't been so good so far. Though I’ve made SOME progress it feels very small in comparison to what I was hoping for. For the past few months I have been feeling bogged down, like I have an anvil sitting on my shoulders and no matter what I do I can't shrug it off.


I'm torn because I feel like if I try to force it then everything that comes out will be total crap and then I would be irritated. On the other hand I feel like I am letting precious time tick by as I sit here not really making much progress. God, I feel so lost.

Luckily I have a gang of people who encourage me on a regular bases and force me not give up (under threat of extreme consequences.) If it wasn't for them I fear that I would have given up long ago. I love writing, don't get me wrong, I just don't have any patience. I always want things to happen immediately and I get frustrated when they don't. Trust me; I know this is something I need to work on. So with that being said I am going to open my WIP and wait patiently for some ideas to come to me so I can continue this story. Ack!


Until next time.

Taking a New Direction

I have been ridiculously unmotivated for a few weeks. I think it stems from the fact that I thought I was ready to work on this story but the truth is that I’m not. This is the longest story I have ever written by far (60K and climbing as I edit) and it needs work. It was written as a fast draft so now going back to do the edits is rough. Not to mention that my writing in the present versus my writing then has grown by leaps and bounds. While this is a good thing I am doing a lot of rewriting of whole scenes instead of adjusting some wording here and placing a comma there.

This story is really close to my heart and I AM going to finish these edits but I think that I've been rushing it. I want to finish this story so badly that I can taste it and I have no patience. Regardless of how I feel about the situation the story seems to have a mind of it’s own and I am forced to play a waiting game. Oh well. I’m going to have to pull something else out and work on that instead until this story calls to me again. Whenever that is. *sigh*

Anyway the story I’m working on is called “What Doesn’t Kill You” and no it is not a thriller lol.

Here is the blurb:

After Talia’s grandmother looses an ugly battle with breast cancer, life looses all meaning. That is until she meets Mark. His sincerity and sexy grin sparks something inside her that she long thought she'd lost. Passion.

Divorced with a three year old daughter, Mark isn't looking for love, but for Talia he is willing to take a chance. Her witty banter and playful antics intrigue him, but he senses something is keeping her at a distance. Can Mark reach past the fortress that is forever guarding Talia’s heart or will her overbearing insecurities be the force than finally succeeds in driving him away?



Until next time.

So I Seem to be at a Standstill

I am having a heck of a time trying to edit this WIP. The weird part is that I really love this WIP and I really love editing it, but something is holding me back. Every time I sit to work on it I just can't do it. I can't even make myself click the icon to open the file. Oh God, what is wrong with me!


There are so many ideas floating around my head for this story. I can see it all playing out the way I want it to. I wrote this story In January and my writing has grown so much since then. As I edit I find myself saying a whole lot of, "God what was I thinking when I wrote this." But the great thing about this is I actually realize what needs to be fixed and I actually know how to do it!

Now if I could just get my butt in gear and move this thing along I could sub it. *sigh*
Well I've gone on long enough about this topic I'm going to try and edit. *wink*

Until next time.