30 September 2013

OctPoWriMo 2013 - It's almost here!


Tomorrow is the first day of October. That means OctPoWriMo (October Poetry Writing Month) begins again! I did this challenge last year, and had so much fun and learned so much. I'm so excited to do it again!

If you're wondering what it's all about, we write a poem a day for the 31 days of October. Each day will have prompts on OctPoWriMo.com that you can use or not, and each day will have a Linky list to enter if you've shared your piece on your blog.

I'll be poeming; will you?

27 September 2013

Follow Fest



Name: Esther Spurrill Jones

Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction

What genres do you write? Speculative fiction (Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror), Romance, Poetry, Fanfiction

Are you published? Yes (see sidebar)

Do you do anything in addition to writing? I am a wife, a sister, and a friend. I am a reporting assistant.

Where can people connect with you?

Blog: I Just Live Here
Twitter: @EstherSJones
Facebook: ESJ, Word Artist
YouTube
Google+
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Author pages:
Goodreads
Amazon
Smashwords

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

  • I am willing to post cover reveals and book releases and giveaways.
  • I review books sometimes.
  • I love Jesus.
  • I write music.
  • I am an introvert.
  • I have seven siblings.
  • I love my husband.
  • Okay, I'll stop now.

18 September 2013

This is Who I Am

I have something to reveal. Those who know me well already know this, but if you've never met me, this may be a surprise.

I've always been good with words; I even call myself a word artist. I am a writer, a poet, a songwriter. I give words life so they can dance and sing. I sculpt and paint with words. Yet, I often find it difficult to find the right words when talking to people.

Ay, there's the rub: people. When I'm alone with paper and pen (or a computer), words flow freely. They may play hide-and-seek at times, flirting and teasing, but they always return to me. I express my innermost thoughts and feelings with ease. When I am speaking aloud to another person, words flee and hide themselves in the shrubbery, refusing to give me the time of day.

I am an introvert.

Is anyone shocked? If you've known/talked to me for more than a few minutes, you're not at all surprised. I've been called "quiet" by nearly anyone who has ever been asked to describe me; it's usually the first word that comes to mind.

It's difficult for an extrovert to even begin to understand an introvert. Extroverts love being around large groups of people—they find it energizing—and they hate being alone. Introverts find it tiring, even exhausting, to be around large groups of people: the larger the group, the more exhausting it becomes.

Some introverts love people, but usually we would add the qualifier "some people." It's not that we don't enjoy parties and group outings; we just need time alone to recharge afterwards. If I have to go out three or more nights in one week, I get fatigued just thinking about it. My favourite kind of week is when I go out once or twice (or even not at all). My favourite kind of Saturday is when I get to sit at home in my pajamas and read, play games, and/or watch Netflix. On Sunday, I go to church and often out for lunch with friends and/or family.

When I was a child, I was painfully shy. I was terrified that others wouldn't like me, so I hated starting up conversations with others. Now, I hate starting up conversations because it's just so exhausting. I have to have a reason to do it, or it feels like a waste of time and energy.

Small talk is the worst. Why does anyone bother with it? Most people who ask how I'm doing don't care how my day is going. They just ask because they've been taught that's the polite thing to do. And most people lie and say they're fine even if they're not. It feels so superficial to me. I can do it, but I hate it. Why should I waste my precious introvert energy on something so useless?

Image from http://questionablylate.tumblr.com/post/17227500725/my-design-but-not-my-list-how-to-care-for
My name is Esther, and I am an introvert. I like people, but I often prefer to be alone. I feel physically ill when people laugh at me (not with me—that's fine) or rebuke me. I like to think before I speak. I like change, but I'm not very spontaneous. I get confused easily. I learn new things quickly and easily. I have a very few really close friends that I would trust with my life. I don't fit the above image perfectly, but that's okay. I am an individual.

I am an introvert, and that's okay.

13 September 2013

Whether vs Weather

The Spelling and Grammar Templar has a post up today regarding the commonly confused words 'whether' and 'weather.' Pop on over for an explanation!

04 September 2013

Could you write a book in 8 hours or less?

Joe Konrath issued a challenge a few days ago: write, edit, and publish an ebook in 8 hours or less.

At first, though I wanted to do it, and I thought I could, I had no idea what to write. Then, with less than a day left before the midnight August 29 deadline, I started writing.

I wrote madly through the workday, on breaks, and between customers, and then I sent it to my sister to beta read. After work, I edited like crazy, then uploaded to Amazon, enrolling in KDP Select so I could go free for the first few days.

Amazon gave me a message that it could take up to 12 hours for the book to go live. 12 HOURS??!! I didn't have half that much time left. I sent off a quick email to Joe letting him know the situation, and begging for more time to get the Amazon link to him.

I got up for work August 30, and sent off another email with the now live Amazon link. Crossing my fingers that I was in time, I headed out of town for the long weekend.

On August 31, I checked Feedly on my phone, and there was Joe's post with the winners of the challenge. Over 140 writers had done it. I scrolled down, and down, and down, until... there! My entry had made it! After a little happy dance, I put away my phone and enjoyed my vacation.

Falling to Pieces, a short zombie story, is free on Amazon right now. Today is the last day it will be free, so if you want a copy, now is the time to grab one.

Do you think you could do it? Or am I crazy?