A to Z II - W is for Wake

Holy crow, kids. We are nearing the end of the month and the end of the alphabet! Today's letter is w. W is for wake.

Wake? You ask.

Yes, wake. If you've ever spent any time boating, you might have heard of the term, wake. A wake is the waves a motorboat leaves behind as it is speeding along. See picture below.

What does that have to do with Trajectory?

Well, in life, we all leave a wake. Some good, some bad. We all leave a ripple effect, if you will, right? We touch people, and create some kind of an impact on the world around us. Same principle. I'm just going on a bigger scale.

Joe, for all that he does and all that he is, leaves not just a ripple effect, but a wake behind him.

The streets of Detroit are safer, but people are still affected by those he has shot.

Michael was an incredibly unhealthy and unstable person, but he didn't necessarily deserve his fate.

There is a huge effect touched by many because of Joe. It's not all bad. It's just very broad.

That wake seems to come full circle at the end of the story, which is how and why he ends up back at Claudette's apartment, begging for her acceptance.

The world around us - indeed, life itself - is like water. Moving, ever changing, free, malleable. We have the potential and the power to move it and cause a ripple effect, or even a full blown wake effect based on our words and actions with those around us. It is up to us to decide if we are going to make it good or bad. Joe's story in Trajectory  can be an example to us all.

A to Z Challenge - W is for Work in progress

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

It's time for another A to Z Challenge! This year, I want to tell you about a story that is currently a WIP (work in progress). It's the story I'm writing in honor of my baby lovebird, Robert. It's a fantasy story, but it's really a story about emotional healing. So let's examine it by going through the alphabet!

W is for Work in progress (WIP).

The tale of The Good Pirate, Robert is still very much a WIP. Challenging me creatively and emotionally, this is a story that I am taking my time working on. This is the kind of story that is worth my time, and worth the wait for you. You wouldn't want a sped-up, quickly-done-in-the-interest-of-nobody book. This is a story of emotional healing. This is a story that requires my time and attention. This is a book that will demonstrate my efforts, and from which you will gain much. So yes, it's a WIP. It will be a WIP for a while. How long, I don't know. However long it needs to be. This is not a literary version of fast food. This is is a literary version of a finely marinated steak that has been well-crafted, and is worth the wait. WIP is not a bad word or term, it promises to give you the best story I can create.

Come back tomorrow to see what x has to bring!

2015 A to Z Challenge: Pianissimo - Day 23 (W)

For the third consecutive year, I am participating in the A to Z blog challenge.
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

This year, we're going to go through my latest full-length novel, Pianissimo.

We've made it all the way up to day 23, which means our letter is W. W is for Will.

In using the word will, I am focusing on the will and determination of the characters.

Agnes is a strong, willful woman who lives life on her own terms. She and Margaret willfully spend their lives and love together, despite social stigmas and prejudices.

Corinne is bound and determined to learn the history of the house and the piano. She is also willful in taking on the restoration of the piano, when she has never done anything like that before.

Perhaps my characters are closely related to me, but I find it important to write stories about women who are strong, fearless, and determined. Whether in historical context, or modern times, we need strong female characters to help us continue to push forward.

So yes, Margaret, Agnes, and Corinne are all very willful. This story couldn't exist any other way.

See what a strong will and determination can do, by buying your copy today!

http://www.amazon.com/Pianissimo-Lauren-Shiro-ebook/dp/B00OEOTZMC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420832795&sr=8-2&keywords=lauren+shiro

A to Z '14 - Writing

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


W is for Writing.


My grandfather was my biggest fan and supporter of my writing.


He always told me how good I was. He was positive and supportive. He told me that I do have something to share with the world when others told me that I didn't.


I can think of a handful of people who have helped me to become the writer than I am today. First and foremost is my grandfather.


He was, and will always be, my greatest fan.


I am blessed to have had someone so incredibly loving and supportive.


It's hard to see my work taking off after he's gone, but I continue to write and work diligently in his memory and his honor.


I will always write for him.


W is for Writing.

W: Writing

I would be doing us all a disservice if I didn't have a blog about writing. :)

Writing is a rather unique creative outlet. Music, dance and art all allow us the opportunity to express ourselves without uttering a single word.



Writing is a creative process that rests solely on words. We scribes follow an ancient art and yet as we evolve, so do our languages and our writing processes.



Personally, I would love to have the talent to be able to create an image that leaves you breathless. But I can't. I cannot put a bow to a string and create an amazing sound. But what I can do is use my linguistics to create that image or music. The best part is, that image or song is not necessarily completely due to the words I write. Sometimes, the words I don't write are the important. How so? Because they allow your imagination to play! Writing is nothing without the imagination of the reader!



Yes, I love writing. I love creating people, stories and images with words. I have been doing this since childhood and I have no plans on stopping, so long as you promise me that you will continue to use your imagination when you read! ;)