Total Immersion

I booked my trip to Italy today. Between now and next summer there are two very important things I need to do in order to prepare for this trip: the first is to put aside money for it and the second is to completely immerse myself in the Italian language once again.

I studied Italian in grade school and high school, but I didn't really learn it until I began to study for a translation exam in grad school. A friend of mine tutored me and he got me completely immersed in Italian. I was reading Italian magazines and novels, watching Italian television, and watching Fellini films. Before I knew it, I was understanding and reading without translating from English to Italian. I had completely grasped the Italian.

Then the University went and canceled the Foreign Language Translation requirement.

Whatever.

So, as the years went by, I lost the use of Italiano. But, now I want to be able to finally use it. So I broke out all my books, flashcards, videos, and other foreign language paraphernalia and began to reconnect those synapses in my brain.

The same goes for writing. When you are working on a piece of writing, you have to completely immerse yourself in the process. You need to take time to write, edit, get feedback, look at similar examples of the writing style you are endeavoring in. You also need to make sure your basics are up to par: how is your grammar and spelling? Do you know the proper structure for this piece? When looking for an agent, publishing house, or producer, do you know the proper way to query? Do you know what each individual market requests with submissions? Have you done your homework in these areas?

Do not go blindly into that dark night. There are better writers than you and I who were turned down numerous time who knew the answers to these questions. You need to be prepared. Immerse yourself in the life and work of being a writer. Once you have done this, you will find it easier to write and more opportunities will come your way.

Ironically, last night I wasn't sure what I wanted to work on for today. I knew I wanted to step aside from my query for a day or two because it isn't quite right yet. However, I didn't know what I wanted to work on in the meantime. So, I went to sleep thinking about what I would spend my time doing today.

Then, a funny thing happened: I dreamed an entire outline for a television spec script. I had forgotten I had wanted to work on one, but my subconscious hadn't. Because I had immersed myself in the lifestyle of a writer, my mind kept working when I was fast asleep. When I woke up this morning I sat down and sketched out a basic outline for a Supernatural episode.

The moral is: you never know what will come to you as long as you keep focused on writing.
Please check out my novel Luke Aloysius:  Bloodline on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GD9X8BE

Viva Italia

The past couple of days I focused on my brochure. I have a good draft done, but I think I still want to change things a bit. I didn't do a lot of other writing, because I was busy thinking about this marketing idea.

Of course, in the middle of my job search, I get a call from the travel agency. The gift certificate I had purchased for my parents a few years back needs to be put toward a trip by the end of November or I lose the money. For various reasons, my parents cannot use it at this time, so the certificate reverts back to me. Normally, I don't mind a free trip, but being "between jobs,"I'm thinking I don't want to be planning an international trip right now.

But, I threw caution to the wind and put it all in God's hands. I've been wanting to go to Italy for 30 years and I guess now's the time. So, I called up my paisan and asked her if she was still interested in a viaggio d'Italia when school's out and she said, "Absolutely."  The verdict: we will be traveling at some point next summer for 15 days to five main Italian towns including Rome, Tuscany, Sorreno, Venezia, and Pisa. We'll also see Pompeii, Padua, and some other cool sites. Although I'll be paying a little bit more than the gift certificate, I figured it could be a once in a lifetime event and since I don't know when I'll ever get back to Italy, I want to see everything I want to see it now.

The moral is that sometimes you have to pay a little bit to get something good to happen and sometimes you have to take a chance and let God take care of everything. When you're writing you need to pay for a course now and then to keep you sharp or perhaps a private editor (a good one). Take risks in your writing and try new things. Don't typecast yourself as just a "horror" writer or just a "romance" writer. Be willing and ready to branch out into other areas. That's the way you'll gather new readers.

Of course, the final lesson is to live the Italian way and that's to live life to its fullest. Remember that as a writer you need to create an entire world for a reader. The best way to do that is to get off your butt, out of the house, and go live life. Travel, see things, try new things, then tell your readers about it. Don't just depend on what you read. Live!

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I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween. You should have either gotten into costume, gone trick-or-treating with some little ones, or have been greeting the neighborhood kiddies at your doorway with a smile on your face. Remember: above all, Halloween is all about the kids. Celebrate the little ones!
Please check out my novel Luke Aloysius:  Bloodline on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GD9X8BE