This Blog is Good for Everyone

I wonder how much we as authors have learned from each other since the Writing Fortress became a reality. I, for one, feel that it has been a great success. In one of the postings we might read a simple statement or a profound thought that touches us. Some posts may present ideas. Others awaken our imagination with inspiration. Yet another might explain feelings that unite with our own, and we find that we are not alone in our stuggles as authors. I think this blog has brought us closer, not only as authors but also as friends.

But I have to admit in all that I have learned, I have learned nothing about commas. I have written five books and I still do not understand them. I know what you're thinking. "By now, lady, you should be a master of commas." Right? I agree, but they continue to elude me. They disrupt my dreams and turn them into nightmares. They attack when least expected and plant themselves in the shadows, hiding themselves until they are sure I will not find them, then they blossom like poison ivy, wrapping themselves around sentences and paragraphs, filling pages with their sticky ,,,,,,,.

But alas, I have found a way to weed them out. I have called upon the one who has been given the gift of comma understanding and, with red ink, he suffocates them and leaves them exposed for me to delete. Aha. The only problem is that it takes longer to get a manuscript ready. I'm working on a new manuscript, and I'm waiting for my Comma Extinguisher to do his job then I can delete, delete, delete, with great pleasure and a slight headache.

Since I mentioned that I have authored five books, I had better give their titles. My first book is the product of a musical I wrote for my Community Theatre, several years ago. "Miracles for Michael."

"Journey of the Promise," (a mystery of suspence with a touch of romance) came next. "Pages From the Past" (a modern patriotic mystery) and its sequel, "The Silent patriots," are number 3 & 4. "Prince Etcheon and the Secret of the Ancient," (a fantasy), is my 5th. I can only say that, if you were to ask the author, she would tell you that these books make wonderful and exciting reading.

I realize I haven't told you anything about the author. I love to write. I love to paint. I love to sing. I love to do Family History. When you put all these together it makes for a busy life. Would I have it any other way? I don't think so. But it does make the days fly by.

My writing career began with simple stories that fluttered around in my head. I wrote a few Roadshows (remember those). Then I had the opportunity to write a musical about Joseph Smith's conversion which I titled: "That You Might Understand." I wrote three Children's musicals for the elementry school in the small city of Orangeville, Utah, where we lived for 35 years. Then, one day I had the opportunity to ghost write 2 books for a gentleman in California. After that, I decided I would rather write my own, and I did - and I'm so glad I did.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and I hope you didn't find any commas out-of-place. If you did, will you keep it a secret, please?