Challenge: Finish the First Draft

The last time I blogged about my writing goals I wrote about my decision to scrap Book 0.

That was a very difficult choice because I’d worked on that book for a few years. That book taught me that I could write and edit a book. Book 0 also showed me that I knew when it was time to walk away from a project.

Lamesha Junior working on #LameshaJuniorNovel

I added several scenes from Novel 0 to my new untitled novel. Let’s refer to this book as #LameshaJuniorNovel. I outlined the book and was on a good pace to finish drafting before the summer. Then the pandemic happened and I had to home school my son. Since we’ve been quarantining, I have not had consistent writing days. Some days I write one sentence. Others I’m able to write a few pages. And then there are consecutive days when I don’t open my laptop.

It has been a struggle finding time to write. I spend most of my time trying to make sure my son has a good summer. I know there are memes about all the ambitious things that people should accomplish while quarantining, but my main goal is to keep my family healthy and shower them with love.

Acknowledging that I am behind schedule on some of my goals, prompted me to challenge myself to finish my first draft in one week. I was scared to declare this challenge publicly because I have seen more success when I keep my goals private.

As I write this blog, I have written 95,000 words on #LameshaJuniorNovel. Based on my outline, I need to write eight additional chapters. According to Writer’s Digest, a novel over 110,000 words is too long. I will probably be over that word count, but it’s a first draft. I will work on getting the word count down in the second draft.

Fun Facts About My Draft

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Point of View: 1st Person

Questions

Writers: Would you like to join me in writing daily for seven days?
I’ll update you when I finish my draft!


xoxo

Lamesha

Dining with Lamesha

A few months ago, I decided to start a food blog on Instagram.

On @DiningwithLamesha, I share meals that I’ve prepared for my family and dishes that I’ve purchased at restaurants.

Why Food Blogging?

During a blogging conference, the host recommended new bloggers choose one topic for their blogs. “Niche down,” she said.

On @LameshaJunior, I share writing updates and lifestyle topics including books, inspirational messages, hair, and some of my interests. I love the flow of this page and will continue to share lifestyle and writing posts on this blog and my social media pages. But I was intrigued to create another Instagram page and blog about one topic. I considered various topics – that aren’t already covered on my other page – like television recaps, food, and budgeting. Food blogging won because I was passionate about this topic, I can feature it on my other pages, and I knew I would be consistent with posting.

Reflections

I’ve enjoyed this new journey because I love eating great food and trying new recipes. I cook most of my family’s meals, but I’m not a confident cook. I have never cooked the main dishes for a large gathering. I always have it catered or choose to prepare something that wouldn’t be the main focus. Though I have a banging recipe, I don’t volunteer to make the potato salad or mac and cheese for a gathering. I’d probably call a bakery before making the lemon cream cheese pound cake that’s a favorite among my family. Big events plus cooking equals lots of pressure. I worry that someone would hate what I’ve cooked. What if my dish has tasted good a thousand times but this is the time that it lacks flavor…or is burnt?


So, this blog will hopefully make me more confident to hype my food up like all the other home cooks. If my food ever ends up getting trolled, I’d shed a single tear but keep trying.

Taking pictures of food is hard. I’m still learning. Sometimes they come out amazing and other times the lighting is wrong, the angle is weird and the food doesn’t photograph as well as it tastes. As with everything, you won’t get better unless you try, try and try some more. My pictures are currently taken with my cellphone. Once my blog grows, I will look into cameras.

What to Expect on my Food Blog

  • Weekly pictures of things I’ve prepared for my family or takeout from a restaurant
  • E for Effort. I will try new recipes.
  • Recipes on my blog once I’m better with measuring

Banana Bread

Over the past two weeks, you’ve probably seen a ton of pictures of banana bread on social media. I couldn’t resist making it for my family. After I mashed the bananas, I went to the pantry to find flour. Five minutes later and a call to my husband, I realized that he’d used the last of the flour to make cornbread dressing.

Rookie mistake: Always make sure you have all of your ingredients.
I substituted cake flour for flour – just add a little more than recommended in most banana bread recipes. Oh and if you’re using nuts, toast them before adding to your batter. Next time, I’ll measure ingredients.

Banana bread made by Lamesha

Follow me on Instagram

What’s your favorite meal to cook?
~Lamesha

Stay At Home

Stay at home day: #ILostCount

I saw a meme joking that there are currently three days of the week: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I can so relate!

Since we’ve been under stay-at- home orders, I have to look at my phone or television to know the date. Most days for my family have the same flow; we sleep, eat, work, have family time, go to bed late, repeat.


My family’s last major outing was to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. My son was amazed at the bull riders and loved the animals. After watching the show, we ate corn dogs and funnel cakes and played a few of the carnival games. This was supposed to be the first fun outing for spring break. Next on our list was a trip to San Antonio. Then we found out there were a few cases of COVID-19 there. At that time, we were in the beginning stages of learning about the virus. We still decided to change our plans and booked a room in a downtown Houston hotel for a fun staycation. But as we heard of major events like the rodeo canceling and several more cases of coronavirus, we stayed home.

Texas issues Stay at Home Orders

As I’ve learned more about coronavirus, I’ve prayed so much for our world. I’ve prayed for the doctors, nurses, scientists, other medical professionals, essential workers, leaders, those who have COVID-19 and their loved ones.

I’ve only been out of the house to get food and take short walks. It’s been about a month since I’ve been homeschooling my son. While I have enjoyed this time with him so much, I recognize that is a huge adjustment for him. He’s used to having friends over and having a better social calendar than his parents. I’ve tried to balance fun with learning because I know he misses his friends and teachers.

Last Wednesday, I woke up and felt sad. I tried ignoring my feelings. I went about my new routine of homeschooling and being in the house most of the day. I did a good job hiding my emotions from my son, but I couldn’t ignore that I didn’t feel like myself. Later in the day, the news was on and I realized the source of my sadness. I was overwhelmed from hearing of people suffering from COVID-19, people defiant about social distancing, people who couldn’t get tested, people who were losing jobs, businesses and their loved ones, and the large number of people who were predicted to die from COVID-19.


I felt helpless. I felt anxious. I was stressed. I cried. I turned off the news for the rest of the day. And not just the news but I refused to get on social media or check my favorite blogs that day.

So, I turned to God because even though I don’t have the answers, I know that He hears our prayers. When I find myself worrying or feeling overwhelmed, I acknowledge my feelings and make changes. I’m staying informed by watching the news and reading information from various sources, but I’ve learned to monitor how much information I take in at one time. I balance it out with reading other topics and finding things that make me laugh, smile and feel optimistic.

Let’s Chat

I’m praying that we’ll all stay safe and healthy. How are you doing?

xo
Lamesha

Kobe Bryant

Disclaimer: I’m emotional writing this. Please forgive any errors.

January 26, 2020

Sunday. We ate a big breakfast – waffles, eggs and apples. Our lounging around the house caused us to miss church, so we watched church on television (I’ll work on that). Then my son read two chapters from his children’s bible. David becoming king and Psalm 23. I had him read the twenty-third Psalm a few times. I told him there were certain scriptures and chapters in the bible that Christians quote regularly – Genesis 1:1, Philippians 4:13, Proverbs 3:5, Psalm 23 and others.


We played, we read, we watched television. It was a lazy Sunday until my husband told me about a post on Facebook. I didn’t want to believe it. It had to be a hoax. I checked all the sites that post the news, doubted their credibility.


I went old school and waited to see it on the news. Confirmation. Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna Bryant, and reportedly seven unnamed precious lives had died in a helicopter crash. I cried.


In the hours that followed, my family joined thousands mourning the loss of Kobe, Gianna, and their friends. We are devastated. I kept thinking of Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, their children, parents, family and friends. I cried for their pain of losing a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, nephew, friend, and mentor. My thoughts traveled to of all the people that he inspired in his short forty-one years. I cried as a fan. My tears were for the ways he inspired me to embrace greatness over twenty-something years in my career and personal life. I thought of Gianna inspiring the younger generation in her very short thirteen years. I cried for Gianna and every young child that has died. The loss that the families of the other passengers had to be feeling. I cried for the pain that they must feel. The unfairness of finding out on social media.


This loss is unfathomable. Kobe Bryant was my favorite athlete of all time. I believe that he was the greatest basketball player ever. I was a huge Kobe fan and because of that I cheered for the Lakers for all twenty years that he played. When he retired, I continued to cheer for the Lakers, Warriors (because KD and Steph), the Rockets (hometown team) and other great players. But while he played, no one could garner my attention like Kobe.

I had one entertainment dream – to see Kobe Bryant play in the Staples Center. In the early 2000s, we were kinda broke when I told my then-boyfriend this dream. Thinking about the cost of a flight to Los Angeles, the hotel, and Lakers tickets, he promised that we could see him every year when he came to Houston. But that wasn’t good enough. I didn’t care how much it would cost. I wanted to be among the cheering fans donning purple and gold in his arena. “Nah, we can save up because we’re going,” I said.


It was 2015 before my entertainment dream was fulfilled. Two weeks later when Kobe announced his retirement, I thanked God that I didn’t back down about seeing my favorite basketball player of all time play at home. That game was everything that I imagined. It was an experience, seeing the players announced before their home crowd, watching them warm up, looking at the championship banners, enjoying the game without feeling like a traitor to my hometown team, and seeing Kobe’s greatness.


I’m glad God blessed him with a wife, four beautiful daughters, and everyone that he loved. From his interviews, it was obvious how much he loved his family and how proud he was of his daughters. I’m glad he got his farewell basketball tour. I’m glad he got to feel the love of fans before his end. I’m glad the Lakers retired both numbers. I’m glad he’ll be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. I’m glad he’d begun his second chapter as an author and storyteller. I’m filled with joy thinking of all the special moments that we witnessed in his career.


I’m grateful that he developed the Mamba mentality that I will apply to my own career. In the past, I would joke that I was using Mamba Mentality when I would get in a zone with my career. I will take it a step further and work on being the best version of myself.

Kobe – you meant so much to myself and my family. We will miss you. Vanessa – I am lifting you up in prayer. So many of us are praying for you. My thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of those who passed in this tragic event. Let’s all lift their loved ones up in prayer. God will hear our prayers.


Rest in Peace, Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli, Payton Chester, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, and Ara Zobayan.

*** I’ve included an old blog post below. Reposted from my old website. This blog was originally was posted April 2016

Kobe Bryant: The Legend and My Family’s Basketball Hero

Kobe Bryant’s last game aired well after my young son’s bedtime. My husband and I marveled at our favorite player showcasing his skills in one of the most impressive performances in NBA history. Once the weekend came, our son was finally able to watch the game.


As he bounced a basketball on the floor and stared at the television, he had only one question. “Can they beat Kobe Bryant?”


Not wanting to ruin the ending, I shrugged. “I don’t know.”


“No one can beat Kobe!” he professed with more confidence than the basketball great.


That’s what we taught him. In his world, Kobe is the best of the best – the greatest player of all time. From the moment we learned we were having a son, my husband bought a Lakers onesie. Then, came the Lakers monogrammed burp cloths and Kobe t-shirts. When he outgrew one Kobe t-shirt, we bought another. Mamba shoes. Kobe jerseys.


He’s watched many basketball games and enjoys seeing the athletes run up and down the court. He cheers when they make shots and is disappointed when they brick them. Show him a picture of another basketball star and while he’ll know their occupation, he’ll have no idea of the greatness that’s attached to their names. But, show him Kobe and he knows.


Though he didn’t witness many of Kobe’s career feats, he’s heard the stories of how we’ve cheered for Kobe over his twenty-year-career. The cakes we got to celebrate the five championships. The time his dad was in Minnesota and I was in Pittsburgh during game four vs the Nets and we talked on the phone the entire game. Then we threw our phones down and celebrated when they won. The posters that hung in our first apartment. The times we coordinated outfits to cheer on the Lakers. The game winning shots – we don’t have a favorite, but I can still remember us running around the room chanting “Kobe” after those daggers. And of course, he is aware of the times we disagreed with sports writers for criticizing our basketball hero.


He’s heard our stories, but he also has his own Kobe memories. He’s cheered him on from our den and in the Staples Center.


Our family’s love for Kobe was natural. We were drawn to the star’s confidence. Didn’t matter if he missed the previous shot, he’d still bet on himself and with the same confidence shoot the ball. Swish!


We applied that lesson to our lives. Whenever I’m afraid of speaking in public, I meditate on 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) – For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Then, I think of Kobe’s confidence. If he was ever afraid to take that shot, he didn’t show it. If he was ever defeated by the criticism, we never knew.


Even though he has five NBA championships, two Finals MVP trophies, and a regular season MVP trophy, the criticism was always there. Listing all of his accomplishments would take a few more paragraphs. I don’t know why he was criticized so much, but that actually made me more of a fan. Seeing someone not care of what others thought of him influenced me to do the same. Rise to greatness despite anyone else’s doubts or criticisms. I teach this lesson to my son. Though he’s still young, I want him to one day be a confident man.


I felt a mixture of emotions on Mamba Day and the days after. Happiness that I got a chance to see Kobe play in the Los Angeles, New Orleans, and several times in Houston including his last game against the Rockets. Pride that one of my favorite athletes is being celebrated by his peers and fans across the world. Glee at him putting up 60 points in his final NBA game. But also, sadness that I’ll never see him play professional basketball again.


It’s been a great ride, and now I have to explain what retirement means to my child.


No more on-court basketball stats to rank up.

No more games winning shots.

No more championships.

No more kisses in the Staples’ tunnel between Kobe and Vanessa and their daughters.


But we’ll have many memories from what Kobe Bryant did on the court and what he has meant to his fans.


Thanks Kobe, for twenty years of greatness!

Starting Over

This was the hardest professional decision that I’ve had to make.

The First Completed Manuscript

I’d worked on my first manuscript for years. Now, life caused me to take numerous breaks that lasted several months. I’m counting from the time that I wrote my first sentence on my first draft. In that time, I had five completed revisions of my book. With each revision, major changes were made. I cut the word count from 114,000 to 89,000 words. Characters names changed, the title changed, the ending was different each time. The only thing that stayed the same was my love for my characters and their story.


Though I didn’t want to admit it, I realized that something was wrong with my book. I realized that revising my manuscript an additional time was not the answer. I struggled with the synopsis. There were too many subplots, too many flashbacks, and the flow was just all wrong.

Book 0


So, I went through my manuscript – I call it Book 0 – and pulled out scenes that I should keep, subplots that would work in another book (not a sequel) and decided to toss the rest. I wrote a new character resume, outline and synopsis. From experience with completing Book 0, I know my finished product will be much different from the outline.


I don’t regret starting over because I clearly understand my book and my characters. I have finished the first chapter. Yay! On this new writing journey, I’m excited to see where my story will end.

Questions


For writers: Have you ever moved on from a manuscript?
For readers: What do you love to see in a first chapter?

xo

Lamesha