Growing Up Black/ My Life Experiences!!

Redesigned my personal website, Go check it out! http://www.jaylovesplace.com/black_heritage_poetry.html Growing up black is my reflecting over my life and written through essays and poetry. It’s my viewpoint as a young girl in a world often hard and unfeeling, with lack of opportunities, but fill with love, prayer, and hope for the future. There were good times, bad times, and there was always love, and MAMA!

Are You A Mentor Or A Bully?

Well, it's day number 5 I want to do this journal just for 5 days to show you some of the things that are in my mind as a writer. The title of this article or essay is going to be about bullying other writers, especially new writers. I'm in a lot of social groups and I see how they do the young aspiring writers. Not all,but a large percent of them are very negative and hurtful to newbies in the groups. I don’t see them mentoring new writers, but giving them only negative responses. They tend to burst their bubble and take away their Joy. You know these aspiring

writers are so happy to share their work with us, looking for the positive feedback that will push them along on their writer’s journey. wonderful feedback. Naturally, they are just starting out and will need help. Sometimes you have to show them the errors in their writings, but never destroy their hopes and dreams to the point where some of them will never recover, and won't want to be a writer. In life, if you’ve ever been bullied, then you know how it feels, and you would hate it if your children were bullied by an adult. As writers, we have to remember not to be a bully when mentoring aspiring young writers. When talking to other aspiring writers we should correct them in a positive way that builds them up, and gives them hope for the future, never tear them down. I see so much of in writers groups that not constructive criticism, but on the plain of bullying and not mentoring. Aspiring writers are learning, they are babes, taking baby steps. and making them feel like they don't know how to write everything is wrong! We didn’t know it all when we first began to write, and we are still learning. Writing is a journey, not a destination. Bullying other authors is not right, it's wrong, and it doesn't show a good side of you as a writer. Be a mentor, not a bully!

Website Update

Updated my personal site. new design, new look, more sections .Go checkit out! https://jaylovesplace.webstarts.com/

A Tin Man

A Tin Man Day 4 So many thoughts today to write in my journal. I was thinking today about the movie "The Wizard of Oz" there are three characters in that story who wanted to have their wishes granted by the wizard of oz. The Scarecrow, a lion, and a tin man. The Scarecrow wanted a brain, the lion wanted courage, and the Tin Man, he wanted a heart. I thought about how sad it is that some people in the world, are like the Tin Man they don't have a heart, so they have no compassion for others. Then there are those whose hearts have been broken, and they don't want to be hurt again, so they wish they were like the Tin Man. in the song I wish I were “A Tin Man” by Kenny Chesney. The words were "I wish I were a Tin Man man, you could hurt me all you want, and I’d never even know.” So sad that so many hearts have been broken in our world today that I’m sure some people wish they didn’t have a heart. They wish they were a tin man, like in the movie “The Wizard Of Oz” The hatred, prejudice, the killings that have ripped so many families apart is overwhelming, to say the least, on every side and in all races. In the future, there will be stories I’m sure that will tell of this hurt in words that will be turned into stories, and novels. It will be a way of dealing with their hurt, as well as telling what others feel who cannot express it in words. This is a sad, sad time in our history. As a pastor, novelist, it breaks my heart as well. See you tomorrow on day 5

The Enemy Within/ Journal Day 3

The Enemy Within Journal Day 3 I'm sitting here thinking today about the world, as I'm sure most writer’s do. I listen to the news, I see all the trouble everywhere, so many riots, so much looting, the killings. It makes me wonder what our world is coming to? I am sure that in the future we will find many writers writing about their experiences during this coronavirus, and the lockdown. I am sure they will talk about their businesses, the layoffs, and so much more. But I see a different picture. This virus has traveled all over the world and affected many countries, not just our own. But there is a more dangerous virus that's on the rise, it's the virus of prejudice and hatred that is infecting our country. It's a virus that is spreading so fast that we don't know how to handle it. We blame it on so many things. We blame it on prejudice, poverty, the judicial system which is supposed to serve and protect us. The deaths of many which are often at the hands of the police have become a problem, as everyone is becoming more frustrated, even the officers, who are often fired upon by the people they are suppose to serve. Many give their lives too. Many officers are placed in the barrel along with the bad cops when they are good cops. We worry about being invaded by a foreign power, so we spend funds on our military to make sure we stay safe, while our real enemy is within our own borders, our own county. We are our own worst enemy. And if we are not careful, it won’t be the foreign powers who will destroy us, but we ourselves!

Second Stimulus Check/ Read it & Weep. It's Not Yet!

Okay guys. Here's the latest on the checks we are all sill waiting for. It's still not a done deal! https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/why-you-may-get-your-second-stimulus-check-weeks-before-or-after-other-people/

Journal Day 2 Writing Is Like Politics

Journal day 2 Writing Is Like Politics! I was thinking about the politics of writing. Politics and writing are very similar. In the world, we pick and choose who we want to be president, for senators, or mayor's, House or representative. We pick who we think is the best candidate and often those candidates don't live up to our expectations. Sometimes it's like that in writing, so many people pick a favorite person or author that they like and they stick to their books only and often miss the golden nuggets that are in other people's books because they aren't famous. I'm not saying there’s anything wrong with this

mindset but sometimes you need to step out of the box. There’s nothing wrong with reading authors like Daniel Steele, or John Grisham, their books sell As soon as you hear the author’s name you automatically know who it is. So many people like in politics, pick books in that same way and don't give other authors a chance. There are so many good writers out there just like there are so many good people that could run for the government but we never hear about them because we have our mindset in one direction, or on one political group, and we're sticking with that one person, or group regardless of what happens. A lot of times this is the same way with Publisher's, they know certain authors and they know that if they sign them that they're going to make money, even if the story isn’t that good. It’s hard for many publishers to sign an unknown. It’s a risk many don’t want to take. I think sometimes we should stop and get our mindset off of one genre, or author, and become independent, and look around and try other books and other authors in the same gender that you like but just a different author and see how they write. Often you'll be surprised that there are so many good writers out there that are unknown I read books by authors I've never heard of before but who inspired me, lifted me up, gave me hope. I thought, you know I'm going to look for more authors like that, more books like that one. So I’m saying, don't get stuck on one author, or genre there’s nothing wrong with reading other books. Become independent if you like romance or science fiction or westerns or historical fiction historical romance try other authors in that same-gender I think you might be surprised at the books you will discover and like and start reading across genres. This is day 2 of my Journal. See you tomorrow for day 3!