S. McPherson's Blog: On my way to being a writer - Posts Tagged "hope"

My first attempt at something different was to start a blog but I didn't really know what to write about. One of my ideas was a blog of original quotes so I gave it a try:



'I sometimes think that love is like magic; beautiful to believe in but impossible to know if it really exists.' - S. McPherson



'Sticks and stones may break my bones and one day they will heal, but words you say will stay with me and forever make me feel.' - S. McPherson



'Without hope, we are without reason.' - S. McPherson



'Experience the world from as many different angles as you can. See it through as many different eyes.' - S. McPherson



'You can only look at what's on the outside for so long, then you need to start looking within.' - S. McPherson



'A world without laughter would be unbearable.' -S. McPherson



'When you reach a fork in the road, simply close your eyes and point.' - S.McPherson



'Without passion, we are without purpose.' - S. McPherson

For a while my original quotes blog was fun but I didn't get much further than that.

Another blog that never saw the light of day, was the one I called 'Life's Song'. The first and only installment was this:

I never shy away from the mundane; from the monotonous rhythm of the everyday life. I welcome its verse. I memorise its chorus. Wake my dear, work my dear, eat my dear, sleep my dear. It serenades me like a cumbersome lullaby and sometimes I'm half tempted to oblige. Go to sleep princess and await the arrival of your handsome prince. But what good is that? How does sleeping through your life constitute as living? Well, it doesn't! Now I'm not saying I wouldn't want a prince charming! Let's not get ahead of ourselves! But that doesn't mean I don't quite fancy being my own hero too.

I find that setting myself goals can help and so I write a list. And with that list, I make a promise to myself that when the repetitious humdrum of a life less lived beckons me into what it believes is sweet slumber- I won't fall asleep! Instead I will write my lists; my set of lyrics that allow me to dance and sing along to the burgeoning melody of life's song.

Please keep checking back to see how and if I manage to change the beat of my existence.

And that was all...

Unruly waves fling themselves at my ship. Rain barrels down from the sky and lightning meets the sea in a jagged electric blaze. The harsh slap of the wind stings my lips and smothers them in liquid salt. I watch the wheel spin; veering this way and that. Somewhere along my travels, I have taken the wrong course.

Scrabbling in my pocket, I pull out my compass and realise that the arrow is pointing North, away from the storm and towards my first true love; novels. It is time to go back.

‘Land ho!’ I cry as I steer the boat in another direction.

It isn’t long before I am carried away on the current of my imagination. Diving in and out of waves of fantasy; words flooding my mind like the tumultuous crests of high tide on the shore.

Forever a hopeless romantic and a vivid dreamer of the unbelievable, my route is clear. There is only one channel for my tale to take; a fantasy romance one. I stand on the mast of my stories ship, telescope in hand. Perhaps on the lookout for a romance I can never find; I start to invent one.

And so my voyage begins again…

It was then I finally realised that I didn’t know what to blog about or how to tell the world ‘I’m here!’

I didn’t know how to draw in my target audience; what they wanted to know; what they wanted to read. It was also then that I decided that if I didn’t know what you; my audience, wanted, then I should probably just ask.

Thus www.smcphersonbooks.com was born. I told you all about me; the book I am writing and I asked for your opinion. I hopped on twitter (an account I had made and neglected eons ago) and decided to be more active. I posted tweets, added pictures and followed like-minded people. Slowly but surely my idea was developing. Nothing was or is set in stone but it looked like there was hope for me yet.

My aim was transparent; the task more convoluted. I had to define and find my target audience.

There were many things to research; so many things to consider. Where they might live, what languages they might speak, what lifestyle they might have or perhaps their upbringing. I had to consider their age, gender and ethnicity. For a while I wondered if I should look into their blood type! Or perhaps a favourite colour would determine what books people read?

It took me some time to regain my sanity but soon I had it sussed and I began to visit websites and look at magazines that my audience might.

And now at last, my target is clear. All that’s left is to aim, fire and hope I make a hit.

As the end of the year approaches,

It’s time to reflect on this year’s tales,

Of family and of laughter,

Of successes and of fails,

Remember how you cried,

Remember when you fell in love,

Remember how you tried,

And when you thought you’d had enough.

It’s been a rollercoaster with its ups and with its downs,

It’s been a crazy ride, with its smiles and with its frowns.

Now here’s to resolutions,

Time to welcome a new you.

Shy away from all illusions,

Seek out something that is true.

Time to go for what you want;

don’t let your dreams just disappear,

Say a toast and be with loved ones as you bring in this new year!