Opportunity in Chaos

“You will not be challenged in your convenience you will be challenged in your chaos”

~ Bishop T.D. Jakes

The other evening I was home, at a moment that I would not have ordinarily been home.  My daughter wasn’t feeling well and even though we were supposed to be going skating, as we do every Sunday, at the last moment she decided that we should stay home.  I for one had some homework to finish so I wasn’t full of disappointment.  Needless to say, I think that God had somehow orchestrated this turn of events from what had become my normal because he needed me to sit down and hear a message that I believe he’s been trying to give me, but that I was too hard-headed to listen to.

So there I sat, trying to do my homework, flipping through the channels on the TV for something that could provide some background noise but that wouldn’t distract me from what I needed to do.  I came across a program on a channel that showed religious programs and there was Bishop T.D. Jakes discussing opportunities that are given even in your chaos.  Now the program was halfway over but I believe that I turned to the channel at the precise moment that I needed to turn to it so that I could hear exactly what God needed for me to hear.  In fact just as I turned to it he was saying that it is the insecurity of the times that defines who you really are.  That caught my attention.

He went on to discuss about how in a moment of chaos, God will send you an opportunity.  In a moment where you are counting up how many mistakes you have made, there will be a turning point in which you can choose to stand up, make the u-turn on the path that you are on, and get yourself back on track.  There will be an opportunity where you will be given to get things right.

Perhaps the most hard-hitting thing that Bishop T.D. Jakes said in his message was that, in general, we keep telling God what you don’t have, from friends, a husband, or even the degree you feel is necessary, that we keep missing the moment for that opportunity to happen.  He stated that “the devil’s got you counting up what you don’t have when you ought to be looking at what you do have.  What you do have is an opportunity.  God is setting you up to completely turn your life around.”

Immediately I called my best friend, Ms. L.  She knew how important this message was to me because it’s the same one that I’m sure God was sending her to tell me so many times before that I was just too depressed to hear.  I was just in such a bad place about where things stood in my life and about the “chaos” that seemed to be surrounding me.  Nothing seemed to be going the way that I thought it should’ve been going.  But I don’t think that the cloud that I was under was allowing me to see the opportunity that was right there this whole time.

In fact it was because of Ms. L. that I finally felt that cloud lift.  It was her that pointed out that my brand for Write 2 Be wasn’t as clearly defined as I thought it was.  It was her that helped me put into better words what my brand really stands for (yes writers can benefit from the help of other writers).  I suppose in a way I was listening to the message that God was sending through her, but I just missed a large and necessary portion of it.  Ms. L. has told me before to stop counting up the things that are going against me, to stop checking off all of the things I didn’t have in my favor, and to focus my energy and time and attention on the things that I do have going for me, the things that are being placed in my path, and in my favor.  I just didn’t hear it before.

So hear me when I tell whoever it is out there, that person who is sitting there with those thoughts of everything that they can’t do, and all of the decks of cards that are stacked against you, there is, in the midst of all of that, an opportunity that you have not chosen to take yet.  No matter what chaos you think you are in, you are being handed an opportunity, you just have to choose to take it.

Be whoever it is that you feel you have… the Write 2 Be!

Write 2 Be Magazine will be debuting on January 15th, 2013 so please go join the magazine on twitter before it debuts on https://twitter.com/write2bemag and join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  Also please feel free to go and friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310 and like my Write 2 Be Magazine fan page.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

(Re)Defining a Brand: The Message Behind Write 2 Be

It was brought to my attention the other day that the mission of my company was not made terribly clear.  There were some questions as to what exactly is the message behind the Write 2 Be name and more importantly the Write 2 Be brand.  It is important that I take this month before launching the debut issue of my new online magazine, titled Write 2 Be, to make sure every one of my readers (as well as my soon to be readers) knows and understands what Write 2 Be is really all about and to hopefully get across why I feel it delivers such a message of impact.

There are so many people who hold themselves back from doing so many things in their lives because they are afraid of going outside of a certain box.  People expect so many things from us and we waste so much time not being ourselves because we’re too busy trying to be what someone else wants us to be.

It’s as if we don’t feel that we have that right to be the person that we feel we were meant to be because we’re worried we’re going to let someone else down.  Instead we let ourselves down and let others define us.  Often times we begin to desire the acceptance of others, at the expense of our own individuality and our own creativity.  We sometimes even tend to pass those traits down to our children and they then repeat our cycle.

Write 2 Be is about not fitting inside the mold that other people want you to fit into.  It’s about not letting other people’s thoughts and opinions of you define who it is that you are.  It’s about making the unexpected and sometimes unpopular choices in order to stay true to yourself.  Write 2 Be is about defining yourself as whatever you feel you have the Write 2 Be…

Write 2 Be Magazine will be debuting on January 15th, 2013 so please go join the magazine on twitter before it debuts on https://twitter.com/write2bemag and join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  Also please feel free to go and friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310 and like my Write 2 Be Magazine fan page.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

I have the Write 2 Be Empowered and Innovative….What is your Write 2 Be?

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

7 Ways for You to Get Ready for National Novel Writing Month

So as I stated in my last post I will not be doing NaNoWriMo this year, at least not in the traditional sense, but I thought for all of you out there who are planning on participating in the crazy notion of attempting to complete a novel in 30 days that I would make a few suggestions on getting ready for the month of November.  Obviously the first thing that anyone getting into the novel writing spirit needs to do is to sign up by registering on the National Novel Writing Month website at http://www.nanowrimo.org/.  That’s the easy part.  Other things to better prepare for this month are:

1.)    Brainstorm a clear idea for your novel:  Hopefully you already know what you want to write about but if not that is the first thing that you need to figure out.

2.)    Know the most important details of your novel upfront:  You may or may not be a person that likes to outline.  If you are an outliner, this is what your next move needs to be.  Outline the major points of your novel so that you know where your story is going to start, and where you think it might end up.  If you are more of a detailed person then you will want to detail ALL of the major and somewhat minor parts of the novel in this outline.  If you are not a person who likes to outline, at the very least you will want to know that major plot points in your story.

3.)    Get to know your characters:  Some might consider this to be a part of outlining but I see it as being totally separate but just as complex as creating an outline.  You have to know who your characters because if you don’t know who your characters are your soon to be readers won’t know who they are either.

4.)    Research now rather than later:  Do as much research for your novel that you can do before starting your novel.  Once you get started writing, you are not going to have the time to really go back and do extensive research so get most of your research out of the way now.

5.)    Begin mapping out a workable plan:  Come up with a schedule that works for you to write during the month of November.  If you are a morning person then you will want to make time available so that you can write in the mornings and get your best work done.  Whatever time of day works better for you, you are going to want to maximize to produce your best work.  This is also when you will want to let the people around you know that you may not have as much time as you normally do because you will be busy…Writing.

6.)    When November 1st comes around, be prepared to start writing and be prepared to be very busy for those thirty days.

7.)    One final thing:  If you should happen to get stuck or have a bad day and are not able to write, don’t be too hard on yourself.  Putting extra pressure on yourself to write only makes it harder for you to produce good solid work.

I hope that these tips were somehow helpful to anyone who is getting ready to embark on their 30 day journey into novel-land.  I know that following these steps helped me last year when I participated and all of the years prior to that.  I will be cheering all of you NaNo-er’s on from the sidelines but don’t think I won’t be getting some writing done on my part.  I just have to focus on the business end of things right now, as well as putting my Write 2 Be Magazine together for its launch in January 2013.  I wish all of you well in November!

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

No NaNo For Me This Year

Normally around this time of year I would be preparing for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by getting my outline together and doing the research necessary.  However, I am not participating in NaNoWriMo this year and really I am a bit saddened by it.  I feel in some ways, because I have done it every year since I have heard about it, that I am letting myself down by not doing it but I just don’t think that I can commit to it this year as I do every other year.  I don’t have my outline completed for the novel I want to do and I haven’t even begun the research and on top of that, I am not quite finished with the novel I started last year during NaNoWriMo.

So to make myself feel a little better about not being able to fully commit to NaNo this year I have decided that I will use the time during NaNoWriMo to focus more on a novel that I have completed (a couple of years ago) and pitching it to agents and also pitching article ideas around to various magazines and newspapers and also working on my Write 2 Be magazine that is set to launch in January of 2013.  I guess it would also be a good idea if I finish up the novel from last year’s NaNoWriMo.

With all of that I think that I will be pretty busy during the month of November even without having a new novel to focus on.  If you too are a person who traditionally participates in NaNoWriMo and will also not be able to this year, don’t dwell on what it is you can’t do.  Instead come up with another plan of something else within your writing that needs to get done that you can place your focus on.  I plan on still making the best out of this NaNoWriMo doing a lot of things with my writing that I have been putting off and just can’t put off any more.

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Even When the Bad Days Outweigh the Good

So it’s not starting off being a good week and I am feeling almost completely defeated.  But notice I said that I almost.  The bad days that I’m having are really starting to overshadow any of the good one’s I manage to have.  But I can not throw in the towel because that would be too easy.  To let everything that I’ve been working towards and struggling to achieve fall by the waist-side all because I can’t see the finished product ahead of time would be quite possibly the biggest mistake that I could ever make.  

I have a deadline for a goal I set at the beginning of this year and I haven’t spoken about it much lately because several times I have almost placed it on the back burner and wanted to just give up on the idea altogether but it is not in me to just give up.  I said that I was going to launch the Write 2 Be Online Magazine in January of 2013 and that is what I am going to do.  

I’ve been working on this magazine and putting it together little by little (both in my mind and on paper) and I have taken my time with it so that when I launch it I can be proud of it.  This, for me, could be the start of things heading in the right direction (or at least a better direction then I’ve been heading) and I really want to honor what my heart and my gut is telling me to do.  I just have to work really hard at not letting those bad days get the better of me.  

I am still looking for contributors if anyone who reads this is interested and you can check back on this site under the Write 2 Be Magazine tab for periodic updated information.          

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Slow Progression

It is coming up on the third week of January and I already feel like I am so behind on my action plan to accomplish my goals this year.  Yes I know that it is only week 3 of a new year and I have the whole year ahead of me.  But in case you’re not aware of it, that time will fly by without you even realizing it.  I suppose that the important thing is that I acknowledge I can be doing better and I put forth the effort to continually make progress. 

I know that next week will be a challenge because I am finally going to get around to getting started on sending out at least one of the four query letters that I set out to send on a monthly basis (I might increase that number later on in the year).  Also I plan on getting back to the novel that I worked on during National Novel Writing month which I took a longer than unexpected break from.  Not to mention that I have a Magazine to finish putting together for its debut.  

With all of that said I am going to go read now because to be a better writer I also have to become an even more avid reader.  I know that I’ve got to get moving on my goal list (because it is quite long) but I am just glad that I haven’t completely stalled.  I am making progress, even if it is a slow progression, it is progress nonetheless.  Until tomorrow…What counts is that you make progress, not how quickly the progress is made.  

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

The Other Version of Me

There is another side of me.  I would refer to her as my other personality but then people would get the wrong idea and suddenly think that I am crazy and need to be committed (some days they might be right).  Now while I do find myself communicating with my characters from one novel or another on a regular basis, I do not hear voices and speak to them and I don’t think that I have a twin version of myself that I talk to at night.  But there is another version of myself that I am referring to when I speak about my other self.  I am talking about the version of me that I feel that I should be by now, the version of me that I see myself becoming in the not so distant future.  

That version of me is already living inManhattan,New Yorkand is on the New York Times Bestseller’s list for three out of her four published novels.  She goes on at least eight book signing tours a year (and that would be a slow year).  She speaks to elementary, middle, and high schools on the importance of not bullying their peers and emphasizing the impact that the bullying has on the victims.  She also speaks at multiple writing seminars and networking events about nurturing the craft of writing.  She has two thriving online magazines, one of which comes out in print on a quarterly basis; both of which are produced and published through her publishing company.  

Her media empire would be continuously producing movies, television shows, and stage plays that promote self-confidence and self-esteem, empower women of all races, and emphasize the message of people being at peace with themselves and believing that they have the right to be (Write 2 Be) who they are; a Media empire that will eventually give Tyler Perry a run for his money.  She will finally get out of her own way and start singing back up for her best friend Ms. L as she goes on her many tours and perhaps will even sing solo in small venues around town.  She will be in the process of accumulating funding for her non-profit creativity camp for kids (Write 2 Be Creativity Camp) that will help promote and encourage the importance and development of the arts in children.  Last but certainly not least, she will be making moves to begin opening up her local bookstore that will be like no other bookstore.  Whew! This woman is busy!  

It sounds like a lot, I know, but this is the version of me that I am striving to be and who I believe that I was meant to be.  I know that it will take more than one year to get to that version of myself but 2012 is definitely going to be the year in which I begin to clear the path of all of the self-made obstacles that I have created over the years.  It is going to be the year in which I am going to take clear and calculated steps that will further me in my efforts to becoming that person.  The other version of myself (the one I want to be) is standing on the other side of a very long bridge and this year I am making my way over to her.  What a journey I am sure it will be.  I guess when I reach her I will let you know.  What does your “other self” look like to you?  Until tomorrow…Are you who you always thought you would be?  If not, what’s stopping you?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Back to Business

So now that it is the second day of the New Year everyone should already have their Christmas Tree taken down (or put out in case of those who actually like real trees), the decorations back in their storage space (only to be taken out next year), and the new calendar up with important dates already marked.  Hopefully another thing that everyone also has is their game plan in place for the 2012.  The holidays are over and now it is time to get back to the business of accomplishing the goals that you set for this year.  Whatever your goals are today is the time to begin working on them.  Take those plans that you began making in December of 2011 and begin acting on them as if your life depended on it, because it does.  I know that I’ve got a novel to finish up and a magazine that needs to be finished and put together by the end of January (preferably before the end) so I’ve got to get moving myself.  Until tomorrow…Get moving on those dreams, there’s no more time to waste! 

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

NaNoWriMo Day 11: 11/11/11

This day is supposed to hold a lot of power.  It would be a good day to get married or start a new adventure.  They say it would even be a good day to launch a new business or to at the very least to have everything put in place to launch one.  Considering the fact that this day is supposed to hold a lot of power it would have been a really good day to have released a book on.  I guess that would mean I would need one that was ready to be released.  

Well since I have one that is currently still in the editing phase from last years NaNoWriMo and am still currently working on my novel for this year’s, I will take this opportunity to talk about my new online magazine that I will be launching in January (of course had I known that today was supposed to be the day for launching things I might have done it today) called Write 2 Be Magazine.  It will be a magazine that gives writers and artists a broad platform to showcase their work and share their experiences in dealing with the ins and outs of both the creative and business side of writing and the publishing industry.  I will also be launching the Write 2 Be*Kids magazine later on next year because I want to give kids an outlet to express themselves where other kids can appreciate their gifts.  For any of you who would like to contribute to the Write 2 Be magazine due out in January, or you have any ideas on how your child can contribute to the Write 2 Be*Kids magazine you can leave a comment hear or send an email to write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  

I would also like to maybe take advantage of this day to begin the process of re-marketing that first book that I have out that I talked about the other day.  Why wait until National Novel Writing Month to start to begin promoting this novel again because there’s no time like the present.  So below is a brief synopsis of my novel The Diary: Succession of Lies:   

What if you discovered that the sins of your mother’s past will forever haunt your future? That finding out the secrets she took to her grave would turn your life upside down? 

The Diary: Succession of Lies is a novel that exposes the secret life of a mistress. It is a tale of love, lust, loss, and redemption as well as the trials of two generations of women. The Diary takes a new spin on the mistress image, a woman often vilified throughout literature as a harlot and a home wrecker. It tackles several questions. Why does a mistress stay? Is love possible in such a taboo relationship? Is love enough to endure the consequences that come later.

If you would like to get a copy or find out more about the book then please click on this link in the post for The Diary and check it out.  Well I think that I have made use of the power of this day, at least as much as I possibly could right now, have you?  I have to get back to my novel now.  Until next time…Make use of the power of this day but don’t relinquish that power when tomorrow comes!

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Write 2 Be Online Magazine is looking for Writers…

Write 2 Be Magazine, produced by LadyBug Press and set to debut in January 2012, will be designed to give writers and artists a broad platform to showcase their work and share their experiences in dealing with the ins and outs of both the creative and business side of writing and the publishing industry.       

Write 2 Be Magazine is looking for writers to make submissions of poetry (including clips of spoken word performances), short stories, articles, personal essays, and book reviews.  Currently we are a non-paying market and can only compensate you with exposure and the opportunity to touch thousands of lives with just the click of a mouse.         

If you are interested in joining the community of writers that will make up Write 2 Be Magazine please feel free to e-mail any submissions and/or inquiries to write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best in all of your writing endeavors.

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress