I have finally followed my dreams and successfully quit my day job. I have to say I really am loving it and in order to help others do the same I have launched my new website Ghostwriting Uncovered - How To Become A Ghostwriter
The aim of my website is to help others understand exactly what is needed to start, run, and maintain a successful ghostwriting business.
It's not all about the writing you know and there are numerous other things that you need to take into consideration. My website explains it all.
On a more personal note everything here is going really well. Conor is now nearly 10 months old, can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. Emma is nearly 4 and getting more and more curious every day. We have just passed the "Why" stage and I am so glad, there are only so many "Whys" you can listen to before you start to run out of answers.
I know that I have been very quite of late but that is about to change. I am hoping to post at least three times a week and bring you details of everything that is going on in my writing world.
Don't forget you can always check out my other blog www.ghostwritinguncovered.com/Blog if you want to learn more about ghostwriting.
Until next time,
keep writing,
Amanda
Monday, May 28, 2007
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Expressing an Emotion - The Art Of Writing Poetry
Expressing an Emotion – The Art of Writing Poetry
Writing poetry is an art, a way of expression and finding meaning in few words. A melody of passion flowing out onto the pages, words that flow into each other and yet express the inner most thoughts and feelings of those who read the words. Writing poetry is a gift, a wonderful gift, being able to illuminate words so that they form a picture, express a feeling and share a thought in so few words. Unlike telling a story or writing a novel that explains every intricate detail a poem leaves you to draw your own conclusion. Writing poetry can be a healing process, putting down on paper all the emotions locked up inside ones head, a way of remembering and a way of re-living. Poetry has many forms from free verse to sonnet but all poems tell a story, a story of words, words wrapped around each other in such away that they flow together, locked in meaning. The poem “Playing” is one of my favourites and every time I read this poem, I cannot help but smile. See if you smile.
Playing
Running gently
Screams of laughter
Looking back
I see you smile
Golden hair
Such bright blue eyes
Once a baby
In my arms
Laughing harder
Running around
Two years old
I feel so proud
Golden hair
And eyes so blue
You call “Mummy Mummy”
Come play too
Copyright © Amanda Evans
Poetry can also portray emotions of hurt and betrayal, unrequited love, loss and great suffering. Just putting these feelings onto paper helps to unburden the mind and the heart. Offloading the grief one feels, if only for a moment. The next two poems titled “Dreams” and “Suicide” display emotions of loss and sorrow. They are a complete contrast to the above poem “Playing” filled with laughter and happiness.
Dreams
Crystal moons
And dancing stars
Images of place
So near yet so far
Staring for hours
As the night passes by
My life at a standstill
I painfully cry
No grand illusions
No place to go
Destined to stay here
This I now know
Lost are the dreams
You and me side by side
Gone now forever
With you they died
Copyright © Amanda Evans
Suicide
The power to suppress
The pain and the loss
The tears and the sadness
The grief inside
Lying there
Dormant
Sleep please, oh sleep
The memories suppressed
No power to deal
With the pain that you caused
The gap no one can fill
Your selfish act
Leaves me broken
Afraid to love
Afraid to live
Through suppression I survive
Suicide not only killed you
Copyright © Amanda Evans
Many of the worlds great poets wrote about loss and pain, Shakespeare’s Sonnets spoke of love “Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s Day” and Emily Dickinson’s poetry was about death “Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me”, all contained great emotions and sadness that could be felt by the reader. Having the ability to express your feelings through poetry is an exceptional gift and a gift that you should embrace and nurture. The internet provides a vast amount of poetry sites where you can submit your poetry for critique and review. You can join workshops and receive expert help and advice or even help others. There are also numerous courses available via distance learning that you can take. Learning as much as you can about the art of poetry, will greatly increase your chances of becoming a recognised poet.
Expressing emotions through the art of poetry can be very daunting. Poems will always be clear to the author it is only when the reader understands the meaning that it can truly be called a poem.
Amanda Evans is the author of the newly published “From Those Death Left Behind” a collection of poetry and stories describing the grief and emotions of a family that lost a member to suicide. This book can be purchased at http://www.lulu.com/content/120733 or from Amazon.
Writing poetry is an art, a way of expression and finding meaning in few words. A melody of passion flowing out onto the pages, words that flow into each other and yet express the inner most thoughts and feelings of those who read the words. Writing poetry is a gift, a wonderful gift, being able to illuminate words so that they form a picture, express a feeling and share a thought in so few words. Unlike telling a story or writing a novel that explains every intricate detail a poem leaves you to draw your own conclusion. Writing poetry can be a healing process, putting down on paper all the emotions locked up inside ones head, a way of remembering and a way of re-living. Poetry has many forms from free verse to sonnet but all poems tell a story, a story of words, words wrapped around each other in such away that they flow together, locked in meaning. The poem “Playing” is one of my favourites and every time I read this poem, I cannot help but smile. See if you smile.
Playing
Running gently
Screams of laughter
Looking back
I see you smile
Golden hair
Such bright blue eyes
Once a baby
In my arms
Laughing harder
Running around
Two years old
I feel so proud
Golden hair
And eyes so blue
You call “Mummy Mummy”
Come play too
Copyright © Amanda Evans
Poetry can also portray emotions of hurt and betrayal, unrequited love, loss and great suffering. Just putting these feelings onto paper helps to unburden the mind and the heart. Offloading the grief one feels, if only for a moment. The next two poems titled “Dreams” and “Suicide” display emotions of loss and sorrow. They are a complete contrast to the above poem “Playing” filled with laughter and happiness.
Dreams
Crystal moons
And dancing stars
Images of place
So near yet so far
Staring for hours
As the night passes by
My life at a standstill
I painfully cry
No grand illusions
No place to go
Destined to stay here
This I now know
Lost are the dreams
You and me side by side
Gone now forever
With you they died
Copyright © Amanda Evans
Suicide
The power to suppress
The pain and the loss
The tears and the sadness
The grief inside
Lying there
Dormant
Sleep please, oh sleep
The memories suppressed
No power to deal
With the pain that you caused
The gap no one can fill
Your selfish act
Leaves me broken
Afraid to love
Afraid to live
Through suppression I survive
Suicide not only killed you
Copyright © Amanda Evans
Many of the worlds great poets wrote about loss and pain, Shakespeare’s Sonnets spoke of love “Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s Day” and Emily Dickinson’s poetry was about death “Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me”, all contained great emotions and sadness that could be felt by the reader. Having the ability to express your feelings through poetry is an exceptional gift and a gift that you should embrace and nurture. The internet provides a vast amount of poetry sites where you can submit your poetry for critique and review. You can join workshops and receive expert help and advice or even help others. There are also numerous courses available via distance learning that you can take. Learning as much as you can about the art of poetry, will greatly increase your chances of becoming a recognised poet.
Expressing emotions through the art of poetry can be very daunting. Poems will always be clear to the author it is only when the reader understands the meaning that it can truly be called a poem.
Amanda Evans is the author of the newly published “From Those Death Left Behind” a collection of poetry and stories describing the grief and emotions of a family that lost a member to suicide. This book can be purchased at http://www.lulu.com/content/120733 or from Amazon.
From Those Death Left Behind - Another Review
From Those Death Left Behind - Review by Ben Everson
This book is an incredibly moving story of a daughter and a mother confronted with the suicide of the father of the family. A description of the events leading up to the suicide provide an insight into the experience of these two women. The suicide ultimately left them both with a deep feeling of emptiness. By writing poetry, they attempt to express there emotions and move on. An important book for everyone to read to spread awareness of suicide.
Ben Everson wrote Stream of Consciousness in his senior year at the University of Michigan. The novel is a fantastical story about a journey to an alien planet and back again. Ben is now a law student at Emory University, and maintains a strong interest in writing.
If you would like to purchase a copy of From Those Death Left Behind please visit www.lulu.com/content/120733
If you would like to review my book please contact me amandaevans@eircom.net
This book is an incredibly moving story of a daughter and a mother confronted with the suicide of the father of the family. A description of the events leading up to the suicide provide an insight into the experience of these two women. The suicide ultimately left them both with a deep feeling of emptiness. By writing poetry, they attempt to express there emotions and move on. An important book for everyone to read to spread awareness of suicide.
Ben Everson wrote Stream of Consciousness in his senior year at the University of Michigan. The novel is a fantastical story about a journey to an alien planet and back again. Ben is now a law student at Emory University, and maintains a strong interest in writing.
If you would like to purchase a copy of From Those Death Left Behind please visit www.lulu.com/content/120733
If you would like to review my book please contact me amandaevans@eircom.net
From Those Death Left Behind - Reviewed
From Those Death Left Behind Reviewed by Sarah Lingley
He gave her a goodnight kiss and told her he loved her—something he hadn’t done since she was a child—then left her watching a movie in the sitting room. It was Monday evening, October 29th, 1990. He was Amanda Evan’s father and in his bedroom, with a gun, he took his life from himself, his wife and children, his friends. He was thirty-seven years old.
In an effort to find their own answers, and in hopes of gaining the strength to let go, Amanda, along with her sister Christine and their mother Yvonne, openly share their confusion, heartache, utter anger and frustration in this poignantly honest and vividly real collaboration of literature to the man they loved—and lost to an untimely death. From Those Death Left Behind is a heartfelt tribute that helped them heal and that will hopefully assist others in finding rejuvenating joy after devastating sadness.
From Those Death Left Behind is a fairly short, quick read but one that will grip you as strongly as if it were a multiple-plot suspense novel. The poems and essays beckon slow, meditative reading and the words and phrases chosen to describe the authors’ feeling portray very strongly just how difficult letting go can be, how challenging forcing ourselves to move on truly is. Even to readers who haven’t experienced a suicide case in quite the same way as Amanda and her family, the shock of sudden death and the questions of why or how will most definitely hit home with anyone who has recently come face to face with unexpectedly waving farewell to a cherished individual.
Readers of appropriate age will find comfort in tracing the emotional ups and downs of the book and rest, ultimately, in the fact that letting go of the pain and grief and learning to return once again to life is how we can move beyond mere existence and productively press forward. From Those Death Left Behind is divided into four sections: 1) a message from Amanda, 2) a message from Christine, 3) a message from Yvonne and 4) medically proven statistics related to the causes, methods and possible preventative measures of suicide. A substantial list of web site addresses for those seeking support, counsel, or advice related to suicide is also included.
Reviewed by Sarah E. Lingley, www.themovingpen.com
He gave her a goodnight kiss and told her he loved her—something he hadn’t done since she was a child—then left her watching a movie in the sitting room. It was Monday evening, October 29th, 1990. He was Amanda Evan’s father and in his bedroom, with a gun, he took his life from himself, his wife and children, his friends. He was thirty-seven years old.
In an effort to find their own answers, and in hopes of gaining the strength to let go, Amanda, along with her sister Christine and their mother Yvonne, openly share their confusion, heartache, utter anger and frustration in this poignantly honest and vividly real collaboration of literature to the man they loved—and lost to an untimely death. From Those Death Left Behind is a heartfelt tribute that helped them heal and that will hopefully assist others in finding rejuvenating joy after devastating sadness.
From Those Death Left Behind is a fairly short, quick read but one that will grip you as strongly as if it were a multiple-plot suspense novel. The poems and essays beckon slow, meditative reading and the words and phrases chosen to describe the authors’ feeling portray very strongly just how difficult letting go can be, how challenging forcing ourselves to move on truly is. Even to readers who haven’t experienced a suicide case in quite the same way as Amanda and her family, the shock of sudden death and the questions of why or how will most definitely hit home with anyone who has recently come face to face with unexpectedly waving farewell to a cherished individual.
Readers of appropriate age will find comfort in tracing the emotional ups and downs of the book and rest, ultimately, in the fact that letting go of the pain and grief and learning to return once again to life is how we can move beyond mere existence and productively press forward. From Those Death Left Behind is divided into four sections: 1) a message from Amanda, 2) a message from Christine, 3) a message from Yvonne and 4) medically proven statistics related to the causes, methods and possible preventative measures of suicide. A substantial list of web site addresses for those seeking support, counsel, or advice related to suicide is also included.
Reviewed by Sarah E. Lingley, www.themovingpen.com
Saturday, November 12, 2005
From Those Death Left Behind
From Those Death Left Behind
Here it is my first book, I still can’t believe it, shocked, elated, and truly overjoyed I can now really call myself a writer.
My book “From Those Death Left Behind” is dedicated to the memory of my father, who sadly took his own life in 1990. He will always be remembered in my heart. Anyone interested in purchasing this book can do so from my website http://www.amandawrites.com/ftdlb from Lulu http://www.lulu.com/content/120733 and it is also available from Amazon.
Here is an extract, let me know what you think:
Overcoming death and beginning once again to live is the one thing that we never anticipate happening after we have experienced death. The truth is however, that whether we like it or not life continues on. The decision that we need to make is whether we wish to move on with life.
It can often help to remember that although our loved ones have left us in this life they are still there watching over us and guiding us through the rest of our lives. They will never stop loving us and will never fully leave us. As long as we need them they will be there.
Taking the first step is always the hardest and this is where sharing your feelings can help, be it sharing with someone close, a stranger or even through writing, expressing how we feel is always the first and hardest step in the recovery from death. I know that I say recovery but let me assure you that you will never fully recover, once you have been touched by death your life changes and you as a person also change. Your outlook on life changes and you finally understand that life is but a pathway to death.
Life will always continue to progress and a new day will always follow night. Even after death, life, the one thing we wish we could control is just like death itself uncontrollable. Learning to live again is one of the hardest things we face after death but like life it is something that happens. Through writing and expressing what we feel we help to deal with the emotions we are feeling, the grief, the pain, the anger and the loss, all these feeling can be spilled out onto the paper and can help to ease the suffering. These writings just like the ones in this book may in turn help others come to terms with their pain and suffering.
Remember, anyone who purchases this book will be donating to a very worthy cause – SUICIDE AWARENESS.
Take care,
Amanda
Here it is my first book, I still can’t believe it, shocked, elated, and truly overjoyed I can now really call myself a writer.
My book “From Those Death Left Behind” is dedicated to the memory of my father, who sadly took his own life in 1990. He will always be remembered in my heart. Anyone interested in purchasing this book can do so from my website http://www.amandawrites.com/ftdlb from Lulu http://www.lulu.com/content/120733 and it is also available from Amazon.
Here is an extract, let me know what you think:
Overcoming death and beginning once again to live is the one thing that we never anticipate happening after we have experienced death. The truth is however, that whether we like it or not life continues on. The decision that we need to make is whether we wish to move on with life.
It can often help to remember that although our loved ones have left us in this life they are still there watching over us and guiding us through the rest of our lives. They will never stop loving us and will never fully leave us. As long as we need them they will be there.
Taking the first step is always the hardest and this is where sharing your feelings can help, be it sharing with someone close, a stranger or even through writing, expressing how we feel is always the first and hardest step in the recovery from death. I know that I say recovery but let me assure you that you will never fully recover, once you have been touched by death your life changes and you as a person also change. Your outlook on life changes and you finally understand that life is but a pathway to death.
Life will always continue to progress and a new day will always follow night. Even after death, life, the one thing we wish we could control is just like death itself uncontrollable. Learning to live again is one of the hardest things we face after death but like life it is something that happens. Through writing and expressing what we feel we help to deal with the emotions we are feeling, the grief, the pain, the anger and the loss, all these feeling can be spilled out onto the paper and can help to ease the suffering. These writings just like the ones in this book may in turn help others come to terms with their pain and suffering.
Remember, anyone who purchases this book will be donating to a very worthy cause – SUICIDE AWARENESS.
Take care,
Amanda
My Writers Update
My Writers Update
Well it has been a busy couple of months since my last post but an experience that I have been enjoying immensely. In July I joined Elance.com a website where freelance writers can bid on projects they would like to complete. This of course is all ghost writing work but the pay can be quite good.
I have updated my website, published my first book, had more poetry accepted for publication and been invited to write for numerous websites. All in all a very lucrative couple of months.
Now I’m back and ready to blog, keeping everyone updated with the happenings and goings on in the world of writing.
Well it has been a busy couple of months since my last post but an experience that I have been enjoying immensely. In July I joined Elance.com a website where freelance writers can bid on projects they would like to complete. This of course is all ghost writing work but the pay can be quite good.
I have updated my website, published my first book, had more poetry accepted for publication and been invited to write for numerous websites. All in all a very lucrative couple of months.
Now I’m back and ready to blog, keeping everyone updated with the happenings and goings on in the world of writing.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
My Poem "Suicide" to be Published
Hi everyone,
I am on a high today, I have just received confirmation that my poem "Suicide" has now reached the finals of the International Open Poetry Contest to be held in June 2005 and that's not all. My poem "Suicide" is also to be published in their Summer Anthology "Eternal Portraits". I really can't believe it. I sent back my permission slip immediately as this will mean more publicity for my writing. This is my 3rd poem to be published by the International Poetry Library - you can find my poems on http://www.poetry.com , just search for Amanda Evans. You will receive a huge listing. My poems are titled "Withered Love" - this was published in a book titled "Tender Moments" in September 2001 (my first publication), "Birth" and "Suicide" - both of these poems are to be included in the Eternal Portraits Anthology.
I do have a question however, exciting as it may be to have my work in print I sometimes wonder do companies like these just publish anthologies to make money. I have been asked to purchase a copy of the anthology for $49.95 plus $11.00 shipping (and this is the authors discounted rate) and I am wondering if it is just a gimmick for them to make some extra money. I did purchase a copy of Tender Moments back in 2001 and I have to admit that the book is really well made but I just feel like $60.00 is alot to pay for just one book. What do you think?
Would you be prepared to pay?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this,
Till next time,
Amanda.
I am on a high today, I have just received confirmation that my poem "Suicide" has now reached the finals of the International Open Poetry Contest to be held in June 2005 and that's not all. My poem "Suicide" is also to be published in their Summer Anthology "Eternal Portraits". I really can't believe it. I sent back my permission slip immediately as this will mean more publicity for my writing. This is my 3rd poem to be published by the International Poetry Library - you can find my poems on http://www.poetry.com , just search for Amanda Evans. You will receive a huge listing. My poems are titled "Withered Love" - this was published in a book titled "Tender Moments" in September 2001 (my first publication), "Birth" and "Suicide" - both of these poems are to be included in the Eternal Portraits Anthology.
I do have a question however, exciting as it may be to have my work in print I sometimes wonder do companies like these just publish anthologies to make money. I have been asked to purchase a copy of the anthology for $49.95 plus $11.00 shipping (and this is the authors discounted rate) and I am wondering if it is just a gimmick for them to make some extra money. I did purchase a copy of Tender Moments back in 2001 and I have to admit that the book is really well made but I just feel like $60.00 is alot to pay for just one book. What do you think?
Would you be prepared to pay?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this,
Till next time,
Amanda.
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