Tag: progress

The Blessings of “Un”-Summer

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Taken 7/13/2020 in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

I’ve officially titled the summer of 2020 the “Un”-Summer as it’s been the strangest summer of all my forty-nine years.

But I don’t mind.

Summer is my season, face masks required or not. I’ve always been a summer girl, and despite the abnormalities of this particular summer, I’m reveling in its magnificence.

The sunshine and heat, the thunder and rain, the humidity with its accompanying brassiness… it’s all good in my book.

Days are longer, hair is messier, feet are bare, and the carefree feeling of summer is like no other.

Summer just brims with absolute goodness: nectarines and pluots and watermelon and berries and ice cream from the ice cream truck, pedaling around my neighborhood or up to the beach and back with the wind blowing through my hair, searching for tiny shells or sea glass along the ocean’s wash line with sand between my toes on an empty early morning beach with a friend, sipping my morning coffee outside while the birds and the crickets and the cicadas sing-sing-sing along with each other, reading and writing outside as a cool breeze caresses my face, observing the fireflies dance with each other as the sun goes to bed for the night, watching the plants blossom from seedlings into flowers and fruits and vegetables…

I still enjoy these summer blessings in light of our current circumstances.

To be honest, I think our current state of affairs has actually increased both my awareness of and appreciation for every summer moment and experience.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss the freedom of going to an amusement park without a reservation and a face mask, having lunch at some of my favorite restaurants that are currently shuttered due to a lack of outside dining availability or comfort, or strolling the boardwalk in the early morning without worrying about someone passing within six feet of me.

But the overriding arch here is that IT IS SUMMER.

I will continue living in my own little bubble of summerhood where life is good and bask in the glory of each summer moment and every summer day with appreciation for every summer blessing.

One of my accomplishments during this unprecedented “un”-summer is a complete revision/overhaul to my novel, Chapter One-A Novel, and this time, it’s the real deal. Over the past two months, I painstakingly dissected the manuscript and examined every word and sentence to improve its flow, voice, and story. That is why I’ve been absent from posting here; I focused wholeheartedly on the revision and did not want to become distracted by writing anything else. My hard work paid off, and I am wholeheartedly proud of and believe in the manuscript I produced. Chapter One-A Novel is now worthy of representation and publication. Here’s my one-sentence pitch:

Kelly Lynch, the twenty-something protagonist of Chapter One-A Novel, navigates the seas of friendship and the storms of loss as she travels from the Jersey Shore to Dublin, Ireland on a journey of self-discovery.

I know the universe will lead me to the right opportunity to put it into the hands of readers everywhere.

I hope that your “un-summer” blesses you with joyous memories filled with too many smiles to count. It will, if you make the best of it.

cropped-img_0764 Thanks for joining me on my journey. I’m glad you’re here.

With gratitude,

Jill

“The Blessings of ‘Un’-Summer” was posted on jillocone.com and on soulseaker.com on July 19, 2020. Views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the writer, who was not compensated in any way by any entity. Copyright 2020, Jill Ocone. All rights reserved. Contact jillocone@gmail.com with reposting, licensing, and publishing inquiries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marching Onward, With My Heart at the Forefront

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Logo Color RedI slept until 6:45 AM this morning, although, in reality, it was 5:45 AM and the time I normally wake up. When you’re an early riser like me, March’s time change is of no consequence in the morning, although my eyelids will probably become heavy before the sun has completely gone to bed for the night until I adjust to the change.

An extra hour of sunlight at the back-end of the day. It’s one of my favorite harbingers of spring, along with dancing to the song of the spring peeper frogs as I waltz into school, which I did on Friday morning.

Even though it’s still technically winter, March has come in like a lamb along the Jersey Shore, and I’ll take it.

There’s always the possibility that a seemingly calm March can turn into a lion on a dime with Jack Frost busting in and riding that lion like a rodeo cowboy. However, the best thing about a March snowstorm is that it melts rather quickly.

Snow or no snow, light or dark, sunshine or rain, I’m all aquiver today.

Despite my best efforts and attempts to keep a positive outlook, the first two months of 2020 were emotionally difficult for me.

I dug out of the funk by adopting a new mindset: I dedicated myself to ME. Making myself the top priority in my life, along with incorporating lifestyle changes such as a regular and honest journaling practice, daily meditation, and yoga, has resulted in an awakening of massive proportions.

I’m experiencing life with a whole new level of awareness, one I never knew existed before, and it’s freaking amazing. I’ve got a new bounce in my step and a ridiculously stupid grin on my face as my heart now matters most.

My heart is simultaneously content and thrilled about the limitless possibilities that lie ahead of me, and my soul joyfully celebrates alongside my heart in camaraderie and sheer bliss.

I am now enlightened with a vision that will allow me to use my gifts and talents to serve others while as I follow the breadcrumbs I encounter along my path, ones I now see with absolute clarity.

Finally, I’ve found my dharma.

I am wholeheartedly devoting myself to my vision as I create it and give it life. As such, I’m looking for a few educators who would be willing to serve as beta-testers of my idea during the month of April. Should you be interested, please shoot me an email with your name, school name, and grade/subject you teach to jillocone@gmail.com.

Out of three ideas I have in my hopper, this particular vision will enact positive changes in the lives of fellow educators through leadership, support and encouragement, and if it proceeds as I envision, it will also shift the course of my future for the better.

I have a vision.

I have a plan.

I have a goal.

I have a purpose.

I am productive and focused.

And throughout it all, my heart will matter the most, as should yours.

cropped-img_0764 Thanks for joining me on my journey. I’m glad you’re here.

With gratitude,

Jill

“Marching Onward, With My Heart at the Forefront” was posted on jillocone.com and on soulseaker.com on March 8, 2020. Views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the writer, who was not compensated in any way by any entity. Copyright 2020, Jill Ocone. All rights reserved.

“Chapter One” is finished!

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The idea first hit me in August of 2014 while in Dublin…it pulled my heartstrings and magnified my grief in losing a friend to the point of almost a lost obsession…

Then the universe began sprinkling clues like breadcrumbs, and once I started paying attention to them, I accumulated over ten pages of signs…

I journeyed twice more to Dublin without knowing why or what the hell I was doing there…

but now I do.

And Dublin trip number four is booked for July 2018, my celebratory victory tour, so to speak.

Over the course of the past three years, I devoted countless hours and days to crafting the story of Kelly Lynch and her friend, Shannon Moran. I ultimately surprising even myself as my initial story idea took off on its own, unique course, and held its own through fruition.

All of a sudden, I wrote the last word without even realizing it at the time that it was THE LAST WORD.

I burst into tears as I realize that the draft was technically done.

An intense round of editing followed over the course of the past few weeks, and now?

I AM DONE.

And I cried tears of joy again.

CHAPTER ONE, a novel by Jill Ocone, is finished. Complete.

How does it feel?

I truly feel like a different person now that Chapter One is finished. I feel…..well, astonished that I did it, in disbelief that I did it, in awe that I did it, and…..

It’s very hard for me to describe how I feel, other than it’s an awesomely overwhelmingly satisfied sense of accomplishment.

I set out to do something, and I accomplished my goal. I mean, I REALLY DID IT.

As I crafted a story that the universe brought to me, a story that needed to be told, I learned a lot about myself in the process. I accepted who I am, just like how my main character, Kelly Lynch, learned to accept herself.

I also know that there are many more words to be strung together and stories to tell.

Above all else, I learned that I am, indeed, a writer, just like Kelly Lynch learns in Chapter One.

Life imitating art that imitates life?

It’s pretty freaking awesome.

There’s a litany of thank-yous to come, but I must thank my spirit guides, Tara (Hey, You!) and Nick (You, Too!).

Chapter One is for you both. Thanks for guiding me along this spectacular journey.

I have begun reaching out to literary agents and publishers with confidence that the universe will lead me to the right opportunity to take Chapter One to the next level.

And if nothing ever comes of it, no worries. I fulfilled my destiny as dictated by the universe and will trust the journey, no matter the outcome.

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‘CHAPTER ONE’ Update for 8/13/2017

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Dublin is calling again, and I must go…

I’ve been plugging along over here this week making CHAPTER ONE come alive. I typed like a madman as Kelly Lynch’s life really took a turn into darkness. I accomplished my goal of completing Chapter 7, which wraps up Part 2 of CHAPTER ONE (aptly titled Death, or The Present). I shared the format of CHAPTER ONE last week, so if you’d like to take a look at that click here.

Part 3 of CHAPTER ONE is titled Rebirth, or The Future, and Chapters 8 and 9 will be set in Dublin, Ireland.

I’m now taking a break from novel writing and from reading anything related to James Joyce until I return home. I want to experience Dublin with an open mind as I look through Kelly’s eyes, as Dublin will change Kelly’s life as it did mine. A few of the Dublin locations Kelly needs to visit are the James Joyce Tower in Sandymount, Bewley’s Oriental Cafe on Grafton (crossing my fingers that renovations are complete), and wandering around Dun Laoghaire and the Temple Bar and Trinity College/Grafton locations. Other than that, I’m looking forward to going wherever the universe intends to send me.

I’ve grown to have a very personal relationship with Dublin over the past three years without intending to. With the help of my spirit guide’s direction, Dublin has helped me find ME. Even though I’m less than 1% Irish (hey, at least it showed up in my DNA test!), Dublin has come to be a part of my identity, my journey, and my purpose. I’m extremely fortunate to have a wonderful friend who is up for anything accompanying me (again! Thanks NOD!). Dublin or bust!

As I am about to embark on the second leg of my “mission from the universe,” I urge you to look for the signs and callings in your own life. If you are quiet enough, you’ll eventually see them. Take a step forward today and begin your own journey of self-discovery. It’s truly amazing.

Thank you for following my journey! Stay turned for tales from Dublin, hitting your browser later this month!

Jill

Novel Update for 8/5/17…

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Wow. I just figured out that since my last post on July 17, there were only four days that I didn’t write. On the days when I did write, I worked for two hours or more as I continue creating the story of Kelly Lynch and the impact her friend, Shannon O’Shea, had on her life.

The novel’s title is now official. It is called CHAPTER ONE.

The format of CHAPTER ONE is as follows:

  • Chapter One: Prologue

  • Part 1: Chapters 2-4

  • Part 2: Chapters 5-7

  • Part 3: Chapters 8-10

  • Epilogue

I am very pleased to announce that I am now finished through Chapter 6. My goal is to finish writing Chapter 7 next week, then leave writing Part 3 for after I return from Dublin (Chapters 8 and 9 are set in Dublin).

One year ago, Kelly was only a nameless idea. Now that she’s her own entity with her own voice, I’ll be looking at Dublin locations through her eyes, not mine, when I venture there in ten days.

CHAPTER ONE has a few recurring themes, one of them being the idea of escaping versus living. This completely unintentional theme developed on its own through Kelly’s reaction to events that shaped her life. She’s still not aware of the importance of this lesson, however, but she will be by novel’s end.

At times, Kelly’s story has gone in completely different directions than what I initially envisioned, developing its own timeline and themes instead of keeping to its original script in my head. And that’s been exciting. Even today, when I finished Chapter 6, I had to go back and revise Chapter 1 because of a turn the story made on its own.

The plot board I created that I wrote about in my last post sits there, initially useful in guiding the story, yet  now a relic of the past. As Kelly’s story moves forward, the plot board will remain a treasured souvenir of my writing process and of this summer.

I’m falling in love with Kelly Lynch. When CHAPTER ONE is finished, I hope that someday you’ll have the chance to fall in love with her, too.

Thank you for following my journey!

Jill

Novel Update for 7/17/17…

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I love today’s date: Seven One Seven One Seven. It’s the perfect date to begin updating my progress towards completing my first novel, tentatively titled Chapter One.

I’m pleased to announce that I finished Part One today without meaning to! I had no intentions of ending Part 1 where I did, but when it works and when my spirit guide says so, I listen.

There will be three parts to the novel, along with a prologue and an epilogue. I don’t want to give away any details just yet, but I will share that the main character’s name is Kelly Lynch, and her friend is named Shannon. Suffice it to say that Dublin plays a major role in Part Three. When I return to Dublin in less than a month, I’ll be able to look upon key sights through Kelly’s eyes.

Plot Board for Parts One and Two (blurry on purpose)

I created a plot board for all three parts. Having everything right in front of me on one board versus on several pages in a notebook has been an immense help. One of my goals, in addition to making solid progress on the novel, is to transform my so-called “Room of Doom” into a writing area, where I’d be able to display the boards all the time.

This whole journey has been a labor of love. If you are interested, head over to my personal blog SoulSEAker and check out my posts from August 2016 and September 2016, and you’ll get a glimpse as to the roles my spirit guide, the universe, and the city of Dublin have played in my journey so far.

I’ll be reserving this blog to post updates about my writing life, including the novel, my freelance magazine work, and my poetry. My goal is to blog about my progress once to twice a week. For more personal posts, please visit SoulSEAker anytime.

So glad you have chosen to read this update! I hope you continue to follow both my journey and the story of Kelly Lynch as it unfolds…

Jill