My mind is running a-muck with fairies, wizards, elves, and other magical creatures as I work to fix my manuscript. I can't seem to shut it off, not that I want to particularly, but I do need my sleep every once in a while, and food does come in handy when one wants to stay alive. I am having so much fun revamping. I've never said that before. I really haven't looked forward to this part of the creative process in the past, but I'm happy to say that has changed. Thank goodness, since I have so much to do.

Things are getting much clearer. I'm so excited!

If you check out my other blog, Living By My Pen, you will see why. I am so glad that I found a way to get my creative juices channeled, so I can stay focused on the project.

So, a little bit of a set back. I have a major flaw in my manuscript so I'm going to have to take time off and revamp the first book. I'm grateful to Elizabeth Law for helping me out with solving the problem. She's an awesome editor. It was a pleasure to meet her at the SCBWI Conference last weekend.

Take thirty to forty minutes and relive your childhood dreams. Did you fly with dragons, run with elves, or were you visited in the night by faeries and gnomes, or romp in the forest with talking animals? Did you have an invisible friend only you could see? Have you written about these experiences, explored the imagination of your childhood-self, or tapped into the emotions you felt back then? Try it, it's fun to go back, to relive all those wonderful experiences. Maybe there's a bestseller hidden in the back of your mind. You never know.

Here's a fun exercise that I like to do. You can either absorb things uninterrupted and write them down later, or, do what I do, record the experiences as they happen.

Think of a favorite place you like to go. Close your eyes and try to picture the setting. Are you there? Are you outside, feel the wind, or absence thereof. Are you indoors? What do you see? Are there any smells associated with this place? Can you remember what it's like to touch the things surrounding you? Do you remember tasting anything on the air, the water, or did you eat something while there? What was it? What was the texture? Did you like it, or not? How did you feel while in this place? Did something happen there, or not? Was something absent? Why were you there? Will you go again? If not, why? You get the idea. There are so many more questions you can ask. Now, make sure you record everything in minute detail if you haven't already.

With fantasy, you can take these observations to a different level. Let your imagination run wild. The impossible can happen. Flip things around. Think of different demensions. Can things merge together to create something else? Have fun with it.

I prefer writing in the fantasy/paranormal/sci-fi genres because anything can happen. The worlds that I can create are boundless and I can let my imagination soar. I even find myself giggling as I'm writing, whether it be a scene or a piece of dialogue. The things that come to mind, sometimes, are just so much fun! But what's even more exciting is when others read the material and laugh, cry, or gasp in all the right places.