I only just started my blog delving into my efforts at writing.  Yep, still eeking out the first week of documenting my progress in writing. (note that documenting is different than actually writing, I've been working on that much longer than a week).
However, I haven't really made progress. 

I've been tapping at my little magnetic keyboard and watching letters materialize on my screen a few times during the week, but I'm sidetracked.
The first aspiring author to ever be sidetracked?  I sure hope not.  My big concern is that my self doubts might prevent me from re-working enough to make something worthwhile materialize. 
I am not the sort of writer who can produce a flawless first draft.  I don't have the illusion that many writers have that astounding talent either. 
Tackling this is a logical manner is the best I can do.

Step One: Get the idea out of my head and onto paper.  YAY!  I have accomplish that to some extent.  Feeling GREAT!

Step Two: Reread and edit.  I didn't think this through well.  I have over 200 hundred pages of storyline (it's formatted with double spacing and for some reason only feels like it's really 70 pages of writing)  Why does double spacing make my brain think I wrote less when it practically triples the page numbers? 

Step Three:  Realize you are a crappy scene setter!  You mean to tell me that no one else reading my idea knows what the environment and characters look like?  But, they have rich personalities, what more could you want?

Step Four:  Return to the idea of Children's Picture Books!  Oh, yes, you can't draw. Continue with your steps.

Step Five:  Start describing scenes.  Practice mentally by describing rooms and setting throughout your day.  Try writing down some of the settings for your 'idea'.

Step Six:  Rethink first person main character.  I can't seem to reach my secondary characters with one forefront first person speaker.  Can you mix perspectives and not sound like a total lunatic?

Step Seven:  Start Over.  You might have to scrap 200 double spaced paged.  On the bright side, it only feels like 99 pages single spaced. (Yes, the internal page weight went up when I realized I will be reworking pretty much the entire effort so far).

Step Eight:    At this point no one is going to care what the project looks like.  It's a mess, you're a mess, the idea is a mess.  Keep writing your idea on the page but, now in the re-working it form.  So yes, it's going to seem totally different.

Step Nine:  Okay, trying to take on the entire thing at once is proving overwhelming.  I'm going to chunk it!  Genius.

Step Ten:  Work on the first chunk.  Woo Hoo, this is working.  Slowly, but I think it's sounding less flatly one sided.

Still feeling great?...  Yes, you can't crush my optimism self!   

Blogging.  It's not new, but it feels foreign for someone just getting their toes in the water.
All I can think of while I type is the pen I used to take notes in University.
I wanted to strangle that pen.  Madly scribbling to keep up with lectures only to find, two hours before an exam and eager to cram information into my brain, that my handwriting was illegible!
The irony was that when the pen dried up I was sad and angry.  It was my favorite purple sparkly pen; I'm a girl and not afraid to be girly.  And it was a gel pen so the ink came out even and clear.  Also it cost a butt-load of money in those days.  If you have to spend over a dollar for one limited writing tool it's expensive. 
I found myself the literal murderer of my beloved enemy pen.  I had smeared it's sparkling blood across my pages, was unable to read the dried remains, and mourned it's loss. 

Sitting now I front of a sparkly new writing technology I am cautious and eager.  I suffer from irritable change syndrome or ICS.  I still miss my pen.  On the up side, if spell and grammar check are vigilant my typing is likely to be more legible than my handwriting.   

This is my first attempt at reaching out to the connected world for writing tips and advice, and sharing any little bit that might be helpful to my fellow readers.

I have struggled and battled to accomplish my first published book.  A Children's Picture book titled "O. Potamus" 
I have no marketing skills so that's as far as that accomplishment has progressed.
To be honest, I'm seriously impressed with myself for figuring the steps out to that point on my own.  I feel a sense of ability to find answers and solve problems in my writing goals.

It's amazing what limited experience and minimal accomplishment can inspire in myself. 
I will ride my unfounded dedication to whatever lengths I can scrounge. 
Anyone is welcome to read the gritty ride and encourage me in my efforts.

Also, be aware that I have never claimed to have a professional grasp of English grammar or spelling.  I often fail to realize my misunderstanding of homonyms and apostrophe use.  You're still welcome to edit my posts and can even maintain the hope that some day I will improve. 

Thanks for reading!