Things change.  They ebb, flow, grow, shrink.  They shift.  With every step, with every breath, things take on a new shape, and if we're paying attention, we can get caught up in the shape-shifting and feel everything as new.  Different.  Fresh.  Somehow this is where I found myself this summer, observing subtle moments when I could feel my world revolving.  Evolving.  So, I grabbed hold and unfolded into the shifts and now, today, I find myself here at the storm row studio blog, welcoming readers.

So what's it all about?

Since 2011, I've been expressing myself online.  First with my art site, gongoozler art, and then with a wellness and creativity blog called small yellow songbird.  In 2012, I built a second blog as a writing home base for my independently published YA novel, wildflowers.  The r mccormack writes blog has grown with me.  Until this summer.  When the artist-me and the writer-me and the creative-me converged, tangled and knotted.  I could no longer deny they needed one, simple place to reside together, and so, storm row studio shifted into view.

You can learn the history of the name on the herstory page.  As for my writing projects and art, it's all here together.  In the near future I'll phase out r mccormack writes, though all its posts have been imported here, and the gongoozler art website, replacing it with an Etsy shop.  Small yellow songbird has already been taken off-line, but elements of my wellness journey will show up here. Mostly because I've experienced first-hand how connected our creative lives are to our general well-being.  With that said, it's fair to say creative expression is what this new blog is all about and I plan to heap loads of it into my posts.  Here's a preview:

the drawer of wonders - showcasing inspiration through collected vignettes

on the worktable, in the typewriter, at the easel - sharing what's new in the studio

gongoozler book & art love - hollering about beautiful books, gorgeous art, and their gifted makers

re:Vision - an offering of useful tips for revising and editing

creative cheerleading - posts with lovely quotes to lift and boost

And now I'm off.  To make art with words and illustrations.  Thank you for stopping by and having a look around.  I hope you check in again soon, as things are ever-shifting.

Pull the Plug and Let's Go

If you ask any writer working toward publication, most will admit that the path is an ebb and flow of deep hope and disheartening truths.  Sometimes it ends with soulful satisfaction, but more often it ends in a tough No-Thank-You moment. 

I’ve been standing at a significant crossroads for a while now, listening to my creative spirit urge me toward a show-yourself-to-the-world, risk-taking endeavor.  No one ever told me how difficult it would be to ignore all else and believe—really believe—in my ideas.  And I’ve spent a good deal of time convincing myself that I was too sensible to imagine and too tired to act.  But not anymore.

Today I announce my entrance into the world of Indie Publishing with my debut novel, Wildflowers, and this blogsite, which will serve as a landing pad for my upcoming writing and publication adventures. 

I’ve come to POD and eBook publishing after many years of toeing the company line in regards to traditional publishing.  I always believed first agent, then editor, finally publication.  Finally.  The thing about finally is that it’s such a far-off sounding word when you’re writing and submitting in the now.

In April of this year, after a series of random meetings and events, I finally faced the fact that the journey toward traditional publishing had worn down my shine.  I began to evaluate my history, which includes a culmination of several close calls, as they say, with both editors and agents.  I’ve been given lovely and honest compliments, critique, and even invitations to resubmit revisions.  These experiences can not be discounted, for without them I wouldn’t have grown as a writer.  And I don’t just mean that my writing improved, which it did; I also grew in my understanding of the publishing industry, and how I fit into it.  In fact, I’ve grown enough to see that I have choices, and those choices have reconnected me to my affection and enthusiasm for storytelling.

Now, I’ll admit that becoming an online and print-on-demand (POD) author is both energizing and intimidating, but I’m willing to change with the times.  And I hope you’ll enjoy coming along for the ride by checking back with the blog from time to time.

In the left-hand column, you’ll find the links to buy wildflowers in both the print and eBook editions.  You’ll also find a links list with valuable websites, articles, and books for writers and illustrators, and at the bottom sits my Twitter feed.

Along the top, the tabs indicate the pages for each of my novels as well as general information about the books and my writing life.  In particular, please enjoy The World page.  The links you’ll find there (Pinterest and iTunes) offer different views into each book.  Roll and Grow Up Cupcake are upcoming, but all the novel pages include a sneak peak writing sample.

I’ll plan to blog and Tweet randomly.  I welcome you to any part of this community that you’d like to join and offer sincere gratitude for the support.