New Blog

Hi, this will be my last post at this site. I couldn't figure out how to get this to forward automatically, but I also didn't try that hard. My blog is now hosted on my website. Please visit www.jinaoravetz.com for the latest post and news.

~Keep Reading

3rd Viewing

Hi Again,

Well I went and saw Twilight again tonight. This is the third time and will probably be the last time I see it in theatres since the dvd comes out in March. I plan on pre ordering the special edition. Seeing Twilight always gives me hope. I know that may sound very strange, but it's the truth. I've had not a bad week, just stressfull. It's been the kind of week where doubt creeps through invisible crevices in my brain and wreaks havoc. Oddly enough getting to go see Twilight again, helps banish the doubt and seal up any entry points. You may be wondering what on earth does one have to do with the other. Well you see, if you go to Stephanie Meyer's website and read her "story" of how she thought up, wrote, and published Twilight and the following books you realize that yes it can be done. The timeline that she wrote the book and signed an agent is amazing. Knowing that someone else has done it, someone who never really planned on being a writer. Well it gives me hope. Yes, I realize you are thinking that J.K. Rowling falls into this category as well. Somehow though, I relate better to Meyers. Perhaps because I am so in love with the Harry Potter series it's hard for me to see JK Rowling as merely human. LOL. I'm sure if she read that, she'd probably laugh. I realize I'm rambling and not making much sense. The gist of it is, remember those that have already achieved success because they are living, walking, breathing proof that success happens. It's simply about not giving up.

No one can hold you back except for yourself

So it's 12:53am and I'm still awake. Which kinda sucks seeing as I do have to get up and go to work (the day job) tomorrow. So I took another half a tablet of melatonin and took a long hot shower. I was thinking while I was in the shower. I was thinking to about a year ago when I had started heavily writing again and was trying to find my way as a writer again. I decided I wanted to go to a writer's conference only I didn't know where the nearest one was or how expensive it would be. So I googled Oregon and writers conference and that is how I found the Willamette Writers ( A wonderful organization). I was talking to a good friend of mine about it, his name is Fred. He offered to pay for me to go to the conference and I could pay him back. Which he did and I am doing. That evening one of things he said to me as stuck with me and I remember it over and over again. I had been talking about my dream of being published and he looked at me and said, "Really the only thing holding you back is you." I blinked at him several times, momentarily speechless. He was absolutely right. So that moment came back to me tonight. You see I have received several rejections and have been a little (yes only a little) down about it. But I figured my match was out there somewhere and it's only a matter of time. I realized though, no one can hold me back. Not an agent who says no. Not an editor who doesn't like me. Not a critic who hates my work. No one can hold me back except for myself. I don't see any rejection as failure. If I were to quit now, that would be failure and that's not something I am going to do. So if you are like me and still searching for your perfect match out in agent/editor land, don't give up. No one can hold you back except for yourself.

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Sick and Submissions

I've been sick for about a week with Sinusitis/Vertigo the dizziness is finally starting to subside.

Last weekend, before I got sick, I did get several submissions sent out for Pelegra. I also sent a submission to a magazine for a short story that I wrote. So here's hoping I get some positive, interested responses.

I've had a few people read Pelegra and have received positive feedback, so I look at this way, it's only a matter of time and a matter of finding the right match. No way I'm giving up on my dream now. Well I'm going to go lay down.

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Edit one, mission complete

I finished the first edit of the first draft of Pelegra and the Son of Merek. I figure it I'll probably do at least two more rounds of editing. What do I mean by round? I mean I go through the entire manuscript correcting one thing. This particular edit was content with some sentence structure thrown in. Next time it will be grammar and/or typos. Though to be honest, I'll probably have my husband read through it for typos. He's very good at catching things like that.

Well that's all for now.

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White Christmas

I wish everyone who reads this happy holidays.
We had a white Christmas this year, the first in a decade or more. The downside is that the roads are very, very slick. Hopefully we will thaw this weekend.

Be safe everyone and as always, keep reading.

More Snow--way past the 14" mark

Hi Everyone, here's another weather update for NW oregon. Snow, snow, and more snow. We are past the 14" mark. I am too the point I can't keep measuring because I don't have a hardstick. I've included a couple pictures from this morning. I won't be walking out in the snow later (I did a day or two ago to take more pics) because I slipped on ice a couple times, fell, and pulled some muscles. Yeah I know, not bright. So you will have to make do with pics from around my house. Oh the tree pic however is from a few days ago and it's from one of my walks.