Sabrina's Blog

All writers are insecure at various times throughout their writing journey and I'm definitely no different. So I've joined in on the  Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop . The 1st Wednesday of each month I'll post about the insecurities I've been struggling with and/or conquered, and answer that month's IWSG question. The days are beginning to cool, even if only slightly here in Oklahoma, pumpkin flavored everything is everywhere, and Halloween decorations are up around my neighborhood. While I love the summer and all that fun in the sun, I must admit that Fall is my favorite season. I love wearing pretty scarves & boots, enjoying a hot drink without the A/C cranked up, and admiring the changing colors of the trees while taking long walks. This Fall is beginning with LONG overdue edits for the 3rd book in The Gate Keeper Chronicles. I had hoped to have them finished by Sept 1, but that obviously didn't happen. I'll admit to having days where...

  Announcing Sabrina A.Fish, newly published author!!! Cue the fireworks!! I know my veteran published author friends can appreciate my excitement. Shine 7: Lost Haven is available on Amazon. Please show some love and go check it out. Remember to leave a review after you read it. Thank you, dear bloggy friends! In the near future, a few young women manifest extraordinary abilities called "Shine." Each girl's ability is different. Some develop extraordinary mental abilities. Some become physically strong. Others have powers that defy description. But the world does not embrace these Shines. It fears them. Camille’s life hasn’t been the same since her parent’s supposed murder suicide. When an intruder ransacks her home and she discovers a mysterious thumb drive hidden in her father’s office, she realizes the unwanted changes in her life are just beginning. Politics and conspiracy, betrayal and abduction. Camille is about to discover that chan...

To prepare for a social media workshop I am co-hosting with writer friend, Erin York , on December 8th, I have been researching all the things I don't know. I didn't think it would be that long of a list. I was wrong. So much for knowing it all... *laughs* Just with Facebook, I have learned some really cool tips that I didn't not know, per se, but really just hadn't though of. For example, do you have an author or book page? Do you have it listed as a place your work on your personal profile? Thanks to Andrea Vahl at the Social Media Examiner  I now have another way to link my page and my personal profile so that when people look me up, they can click right on that to find their way to my page. It's such a small thing, but what a difference it could make for those readers who might try to look me up, wanting my author page. It also makes it more simple for my friends and family to find my author page. Twitter is my weak link in social media. The point of it...

The last few days I have been combing through site after site looking for information on pine trees in Egypt. I found so many that say there are, in fact, pine trees in Egypt, but none that give a specific name for those trees. Until, that is, I came to a blog that not only gave me 3 names for the Mediterranean Pine-Aleppo Pine-Pinus halepensis, but also told me a ton of useful information about this particular pine including what the Egyptians used it for. I tell you all of this to emphasize the importance of blogging. I have had numerous people tell me, "I don't blog because I have no idea what I would blog about." To this I say, "Bologna!" We all have some job, hobby, or interest that we know more about than most others. From parenthood, cooking, and home remedies to publishing, writing, and creating an author platform, you never know when the knowledge you take for granted may help someone. So if you have an interest in blogging, but have not done...

This month marks the half-way point  of my term as President of the Oklahoma City Writers, Inc. As I prepare this week for our 1st summer workshop meeting, I must admit that I am smiling. So far I have managed to do exactly what I set out to do when I decided to take on this new endeavor. 1)I've brought new life into a group that seemed a bit tired. 2)I've reached many new writers that didn't even know this group, that has been around for almost 100 years, was here. 3)I've made so many new friends and valuable connections. 4)I've found a critique group home. And it is only half way!!!! I cannot wait to see what the 2nd half of my term brings. Hopefully a contract from the publishing house I submitted to 4 weeks ago! *wink wink* Do you belong to a writing community? If not, I would encourage you to look around. Google is an amazing tool for finding your local community. That is how I found my group! If you belong to a local group, give them a shout out an...

I have had a blast during my first campaign with Rachael Harrie . I never imagined how much fun it would be or how it would help me grow so much as a writer. To top it off, I received a post yesterday saying that my 2nd blog challenge entry has been shortlisted to move onto Stage Two. Now while I am not sure what that means, Lori M. Lee said congrats so I assume this is a very good thing. *grin* Thank all of you who commented and voted. Your praise warms my heart. Yesterday, I enjoyed a fabulous session with my critique group. Unfortunately, I am still working on the 'show don't tell' concept. It irks me to no end each time I see a sentence where I have failed in this. Granted, it isn't nearly as bad as when I first started writing. I just wish I could get it completely out of my system. On a positive note, they liked what they read and aside from that irritating technical issue, I have a fabulous dark fantasy just aching to be published and read. Today, along w...

This 2nd challenge in Rach's campaign is tough, and I am determined to give it my best. I have decided to do numbers 1 and 2. I have used all of the prompts. I will leave the theme for you to figure out. Using a different genre than my own: Post Apocalyptic I am something of a masochist, so bring on the critiques. Here goes... Do one or more of the following: Write a pitch/logline for a book based on the prompts (less than 100 words) Write a short story/flash fiction piece of less than 200 words based on the prompts Write a poem with a twist using the prompts as inspiration (in less than 200 words) Write a story/poem in five sentences, each sentence based on one of the prompts Write a poem/flash fiction piece (in less than 200 words) about the water pear *without* using the words “pear”, “spoon”, or “droplet”. For added difficulty/challenge: Complete at least three of the above activities and tie them all together with a  common theme  (feel free to either stat...

A dream has come true for a fellow blogger, Facebook, and campaign friend, Jessica Therrien. Her first book, Oppression , is published and for sale. As I congratulate her, I also find myself wistful. She was me not so long ago. I can only imagine her giddiness at this so long dreamed of accomplishment. And her nervousness as she obsessively watches the sales statistics. The closer I get to having my WIP finished and ready to submit, the more nervous I get. Questions circle around in my head like a never-ending carousel. How many times will I be rejected before I finally meet that agent and then editor that will like my work? How long will it take? Is my WIP even good enough? Though I tell myself to quit being ridiculous, the doubts continue. Then I see someone like me succeed. And I know...It will happen! Maybe not the first submission, or the tenth, but eventually, like my friend Jessica, I will be published. I won't quit writing, revising, and studying this wonderful c...

Today I get to participate in Challenge #1  of Rachael Harrie's 4th Writer's Platform Building Campaign. I am so excited. Here is the challenge and then my response to it: Write a short story/ flash fiction  story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count.   If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do  one or more  of these: end the story with the words: "everything faded." (also included in the word count) include the word "orange" in the story write in the same genre you normally write make your story 200 words exactly! I decided to use the characters from my current work-in-progress. I did it in exactly 200 words in my genre using both the beginning and end sentence. Enjoy. Elusive Escape by Sabrina A. Fish Shadows crept along the wall, inky ...

Feeling a little over-extended today. I know, I know. I do this to myself...but still. I might have accidentally scheduled lunch and bought tickets to a musical for my grandma's birthday on Saturday, completely forgetting that my writer's club meeting is on Saturday and I had planned to lunch with them after. Luckily, lunch with Gram isn't until noon, so I can go sit with my group and have a tea until I need to travel the few blocks to the Museum Cafe to have lunch with my Gram. Whew! Then I forgot until yesterday that I am supposed to meet with my critique group on Sunday. I still need to read and critique my four group member's chapters. Thank goodness they are all good writers and it isn't hard to fly through their material. The agenda for Saturday's meeting needs to be typed, ink to print certificates out for the raffle needs to be bought, fliers need to be taken to a nearby college advertising our group, AND I still need to get an update on my writing g...

I logged on this afternoon to find that I've been tagged by a fellow campaigner to answer 11 questions and then tag others with 11 of my own questions. Ah,  Hildred , How I wanted to bang my head on the computer when I saw that you tagged me to answer these questions AND then make up my own. I always go blank when trying to come up with my own random questions like this. I do, however, appreciate the shout out. *grin* Your answers to your own set of questions cracked me up by the way! 1. What is the single most annoying trope that makes you want to claw your eyes out? I actually annoy myself with one that I have to repeatedly edit OVER and OVER. I have no idea why, but to me anything evil is associated with being cold, icy, frigid, etc. When I first started writing, I would use it TOO much, for example:  Now, though I don't use it as much, it still finds its way into my writing on occasion. And I groan each time. I have no idea why. 2. If you could alter history a...

Though I have been raised in the computer and Internet era, I must admit that I have managed to skate by on the basics. Most of you will know what I am talking about...e-mail, online shopping, and social networking. I did not have any interest in building pages for anything on the Internet, I simply wanted to look at the ones already out there. All of that has changed, however, because I now want to be a published author and in today's market that means getting out there and creating my fan base, or platform before I actually begin the publishing process. That my friends, in an intimidating process. It is not that doing this is difficult, but that there is so much to take in while attempting it. So blogs, forums, and websites have become a real part of my thought process' as I get closer to finishing my first novel. Blogs and Forums have been time consuming, but I have managed them. I hope you noticed the updated look on this blog and like what you see because lots of trial...