Writing the perfect book, movie, song, play--the perfect anything--is impossible.

But that doesn't mean you should give up!

Writing the perfect book, the perfect male or female character, the perfect movie, song, play...the perfect anything...is impossible. Yes, impossible! Don't believe me... Take a look at some of your all-time favorite movies, books, plays, music...anything that you love. Someone, somewhere, hates it.

But you know what? That's okay!

Variety is the spice of life. If we all loved the same things, it would mean that everything would be the same. How boring would that be?

Very!

I can't count how many times hubby and I have been discussing an issue, and someone who doesn't know us well thought we were arguing. Hey, we've been married twenty-six years...that's how we talk. And we love it! If he agreed with everything I said or wanted, I'd think, 'Man, where's the tough guy I married?' and if I gave him everything he wanted... Well, he'd probably like it for a little while--he is a man, after all--but then, even men would get bored of a woman who agreed with everything they said and wanted.

So...don't worry when a few people don't like what you wrote, said, sung, drew... Look for--and be willing to learn from--the people who offer genuine constructive criticism on what they didn't like about what you did, as those are the only critiques that matter. The honest reviews that will help you get even better at your craft, whatever it is.

That said, yep, I have people who don't like what I write, but that's okay. I know my characters aren't for everyone. I don't write perfect heroes, just perfect gentlemen with a few flaws. I write stories about real people, dealing with real issues, facing real life. And yes, I've learned a lot in the last three years from those genuine reviewers I mentioned above--because I was willing to listen--and I'll keep learning, as long as I can type and read.

So, brush off your backside, get back on the horse, and get back to work, my friends!

Thank you for stopping by my place and reading my musings. Remember these are just my opinions and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section, and I promise you I will answer. If you’re curious about what I write, please visit one of my author pages, where you can read all about my novels and short stories. And hey, I’ll even give you a free book, just for stopping by.

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To prologue or not to prologue, that is the question. Readers, please weigh in!

Personally, I love prologues. They get you right into the action whether it was in the past or something exciting that is to come. But that’s exactly why most agents’ blogs I’ve read say not to use them. Paraphrasing…“If you need a prologue, then your story must not be strong enough…” Hmm … well, I like them, and I use them. But I’m curious what readers think, and I’d love you to weigh in. AND, if you have some great examples, please leave the title in the comment section. Now … here’s what I’ve noticed. Plenty of bestselling books have used them, even though they aren’t always called prologues . Same diff in my opinion. My biggest example is ‘Twilight’. If that little blurb wasn’t in the beginning, I don’t think I would have made it through the first chapter. How about movies? I don’t watch a lot. But I’ve started to notice how many have “prologues”. I also don’t have cable, but I have NetFlix, and hubby has just started watching ‘Breaking Bad’. Okay … I...

The rule of thirds: No matter what you do, someone will hate you. Get over it and Write On!

No matter what you do in life, a third of the people will love you, a third will hate you, and the rest will be indifferent. Get over it and Write On! Yes, I'm talking to myself. If you're listening, GREAT! It's good advice! Is it easy advice? Heck No! For some reason, even though that percentage is rather low on my books--the percentage of people who hate my books runs about 4.6%--it still hurts. Note: I only averaged the 'firsts' in my books, the books I actively promote. Because if I go to the second, third, and fourth books in my series, those numbers drop drastically. Obviously, if readers don't like my first book, they don't go on to the rest of my books in a series, so those books receive little to zero one-star reviews. So...if the number of one-star reviews we receive is less than five percent--Thank God ALL of the 33 1/3% of the haters don't write reviews--why do we get so depressed when we receive a one-star review...

Creatus Animus is available!

Amazon Kindle Amazon Worldwide Barnes & Noble Nook iTunes / iBooks Kobo Smashwords Scribd Oh, and as I promised, if you've already purchased the boxed set, it is updated with the new release. If you don't know how to update your set, simply leave a comment below, and I'll help you out. If you haven't read the Creatus series yet, or would like to share it with a friend, here's your chance. The Prequel and Book One are available in a Special Edition Set for FREE! Until next time, Happy Reading! Carmen If you haven't read the first three books, don't click this sneak peek. There WILL BE spoilers! Sneak Peek at Creatus Animus

Carmen DeSousa

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