Posts filed under ‘Writing’
A Writer’s Letter to Santa
Dearest Santa,
Sifting through my closet the other day, furiously searching for a favorite shirt, frustrated and out of breath, I realized enough is enough. I plopped on the floor in the center of my closet and stared in disgust at my expanse of “stuff.”
Santa, over the years, you’ve been kind, maybe even too kind. Appreciation for all you’ve given flows through a heart full of Christmas cheer. But this year, Big Guy, I’m gonna switch it up a bit. No shoes, no painting supplies, no gadgets. The gifts I’m about to ask for are tools for my trade — I’m a writer.
First of all Santa, with all those elves scurrying about building toys, it must get noisy up there at the North Pole. I’m sure there are times when you’re making your list and checking it twice, that you could really use a little peace and quite. Well, with two little elves of my own constantly running around the house, I could too. If you’d be so kind as to find a way to send a brief reprise, say a weekend in a cabin in the woods or a ticket to a writers’ retreat, I’d be much obliged.
Secondly, since I think asking for a genie in a bottle is a little excessive, I’ll just ask for a little help on the creativity front. We writers are only as good as our next stroke of brilliance; so a little help with means for conjuring up ideas would be great. Maybe some sound advice in the form of a new book to help keep the fires burning. Anything by Seth Godin would surely inspire.
Lastly, Santa, and this is a big one, I sure would like to publish my first book this year. I’ve been working on it for a while, but pieces of the puzzle just seem to elude me. There really isn’t any material possession I need to accomplish this, but you’re full magic, right? Yeah, I know you are. I’ve felt it forever. If you can cruise the world in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer and fit down a fluted chimney, I know you’ve got what it takes to help me through to the end. And don’t you worry; next year there’ll be an autographed copy waiting for you next to the milk and cookies.
Thank you, Santa. Safe travels, and Merry Christmas.
My Writing is Thankful For…
…the holidays. (And not because I deem a holiday the excuse I’ve been looking for to put my thoughts to rest.) Quite the contrary.
Such days are full of life — bursting with color.
Personality surrounds you. And the uplifting tone has a way of re-centering your spirit — a refreshed appreciation for the simplicities of life. A grounding, of sorts, for what truly matters. And the excitement lies within the characters (family and friends) and the heart of their stories.
I have been known to hop up amidst conversation and burrow to the corner of the room, even if for only a few minutes. I’m taking notes — jotting tidbits of thought and inspiration from the intricacies of these personalities I adore so much (for both their complexities and complimenting attributes).
These little notes may not make up a complete character in my developing story, but may contribute to or spread across the motions of many of my characters. Or perhaps a word or phrase strikes an idea for a new storyline or twist to my current plot.
My point is, home is your comfort zone — a place where inspiration flows easily and in its purest form. And so, this holiday, as you sit among the company of family and friends, really listen and look…feel. Inspiration…it’s all around you.
A Genre for All Readers
When it comes to music, I am not a one-genre listener. Some days it’s Willie Nelson. Other days, a little Stones. And I definitely have my Kid Rock and Metallica moments. But then there’s reggae and jam bands and bluegrass, oh my.
Each artist falls within a very different genre, and yet I need each of them. And my literary tastes are no different – from Eat Pray Love to The Alchemist to Twilight, I need them all.
As a writer, you can take that concept in two different ways:
One: Your Writing.
Think of what it is that makes up each one of your characters – the intricacies of their personalities. Characters are meant to feel real. And your readers should be able to relate to the movements and motions of your characters. Add dimension to the personalities of your characters through a descriptive showing of who they are and why. What traits build the character and how is that reflective in personality and story direction? Reveal intimate details explaining the multi-dimensions of this character and how it contributes to the decisions the character makes. Give them a little depth with variety – a little contradiction but with meaning.
Two: Your Marketing.
Who is the focus of your marketing campaign? A well thought out targeted genre reader? That’s a good idea. But what efforts are you making towards the cross-over readers? True, it’s essential to target your marketing efforts on a niche overall – but don’t restrict yourself. Have you heard the saying, “no stone left unturned?” Or what about, “you’ll never know until you try.” Your writing is multi-dimensional and so are readers; add those readers into your fan base.
And now, a little homework assignment. Rewrite a current character giving them additional layers that will enhance your storyline and character development. And, write out a plan detailing what you can do to hit the readers that may not automatically fall within your prospected genre readership.
Let us know how it goes.
A Muse to Your Writing Creativity
Imagination needs a little help from time to time. And inspiration isn’t something kept in a bottle.
In the mix of daily writing routines, people watching, reading and research, even the best of writers run a little bit dry from time to time. Maybe ideas are at a standstill or your writing technique has become slightly mundane. Not to worry, it happens to the best of us…to all of us.
Now, Just Imagine: A writing piece without strings or long-term commitment. A piece that allows you to experiment with loose words and opens an unfastened freeness to your style.
I give you, The Writing Prompts.
Sometimes a bit hokey, occasionally deep and others far from what you would ever think to write about. But isn’t that the point? Prompts help to write beyond what you would normally write — to open new avenues of thought and ignite your creativity.
Let’s give it a try. I’m not going to place boundaries and word counts on you — that’s not free. Nor will I ever know if you actually participate, and so we are not committed to one another. So what do you have to lose? (Another day of struggling with your hidden fresh perspectives?)
Take your pick:
- Write about the 5 things you would do to entertain yourself if you did not see another soul for 10 days.
- What would you do with three wishes? How would these wishes affect your life and the lives of those connected to you?
- Write the final thoughts of a canary in a coal mine.
And if your creativity continues to fight back, search creative writing prompts or come back here every Friday for a new direction of creativity.
Life, Routines and a Little Writing
Life messes with my routine. And especially my writing schedule.
It wasn’t so long ago that I would light the midnight oil with flowing words. The less sleep the better for me, it seemed. I would then get up in time to make breakfast and tote the little ones off to preschool. I adored this preschool, not only for the excellent learning environment, but for its excellent location as well — down town, just blocks away from a savvy little coffee house. My seat was claimed — a street side window that so afforded movement and noise. Life turned inspiration. (And amazing, soul warming coffee.) There, I would write.
But then life offers road blocks and decisions, growth and change. These things transform you. Some a hindrance to your very being (but adjustable) and others incite new beginnings and a new piece to you.
It may be something big or small, with high or low emotional involvement. Either way, any subtlety of change calls for self-realignment. And my alignment is out of whack.
A new direction, change of scenery, and an elementary school later, I am far from my peaceful comfort zone. Driving South (away from downtown and my faithful window), I have yet to find my place — that nook that welcomes you in and opens you up.
And it’s not that I, or any other writer, can’t write unless we’re in a particular place. It’s just that writing varies with how the writer feels. And my quality is better in the ambiance of the familiar — it’s what I know, what I’m used to.
So what now…well, I’ll find a new routine. It may take a few test runs, some cozy chair analysis and a lot more editing, but I’ll get there. In the mean time, do me a favor life, slow down a little…yet, don’t let up.
(What is your writing routine? And what do you do if life messes with your writing?)
Rejuvenate Your Writing with Three Easy Fall Chores
Clean the windows. Check. Pack away all summer items. Check. Write. Check. Uncover new inspirations and Rewrite…
I absolutely love the cusp of a new season. Change – a refreshing start to something new and a shift in the pace and flavor of life. There’s something cozy in this cooler transition that makes me want to reacquaint myself with my words and get comfortable – fall into my writing.
Here are a few ways to rejuvenate your writing:
- Get back to nature. Go for a walk. Sit beneath a tree. Listen to the sounds of silence — of life. Breathe the simplicity while observing each intricate detail. Re-center yourself and clear your mind. Then ask yourself: Why am I a writer? And what is it that I write?
- Take in the change. Embrace your surroundings and allow its progression of change to fuel your inspirations. Look out — outside of you. Imagine scenarios of people passing by, understand the relationship of time with the emotions of these characters, and adjust the details of your scenes to fit the moving tone of your story. Be a watcher. And pull many bits of inspiration from what you see right now.
- Find your nook. Right now I’m sitting in an over-sized chair, sweater socks up to my knees, breeze through the open window, a hot cup of coffee … and it feels pretty darn good. Whether you have a routine for writing, a place you depend on, or fancy a little variety, know your nook. Know what it is that you need to write.
It all seems pretty simple — find the you in your words, appreciate the movement of life and of others that surround you, and write what you feel where you feel most comfortable. (Oh yeah, and don’t forget the cozy socks.)
Peer-Critique: A New Day’s Gift
I recently wrote a post on poetry and am pleased to say that the poets have come out to speak. This excites me because poetry is such a mysterious language that reaches deep into the soul of its writer.
And so today, one of our readers, a poet, is allowing us to enter the beautiful world of poetry. Please read the words and offer any insight and helpful opinions.
A NEW DAY’S GIFT
It is not that birds sing melodiously
Nor does the morning sun shine meticulously
Nor that the skies are azure and clear
And the fields healthy green do appear-
That we are strengthened,
But there is a feeling of grace within us
Through the gift of life in a new day.
It is not by trials that we break
Nor through insufficiency that we work
Nor by pressure that we are compelled
And through scarcity that we are propelled,
But through necessity we are influenced
Motivated to maximize the gift of life’s potentiality.
Hope does not make us to achieve
Neither can worldly wisdom show us to perceive
People don’t prosper by pilling wealth
Nor in riches are they guaranteed good health,
But through the sense to belong we are ignited
Our will adding marrow to our bones.
— Caleb Wanda
**Submit your writing for a peer-critique. It may be an excerpt from your current project, a sample of your creative writing, or even your interpretation from one of our writing or visual prompts. The idea is to evaluate the nature of words and writing and to reflect and learn from the technique of others. Email blog@wordclay.com.
A Writer’s Thoughts in Solitude
I examine the everyday life and pull in bits and pieces of sparked inspiration. I’m an observer and observing is a task I set out to fuel the missing pieces of my stories — a possible plot line, the details of a character, a more suitable scene, new phrasing for descriptive storytelling.
I watch motions, listen to language and seek unusual details in the mundane.
I think most writers are watchers. Our thought process looks for those small pieces and we can’t help but pull life from our surroundings.
But, I’m left to wonder. Is the creativity of a writer derived from the world around us? Or is it deep within our internal make up? Is our best work created in the mix of urban ambiance or the escape of suburbia to a place of solitude?
Many writers have fled the concrete utopia for a life of seclusion and thought. A decision to give up on the routine of this increasingly fast-paced life. Here, stories have evolved — the kinds of stories that last. Is it a clearing of distractions that allows the deepest of internal search? A place where our truest form of a voice is discovered?
Or, is it those same distractions that add life and personality to your words? The muse of everyday that connects us to readers.
Perhaps it depends on the writer. And maybe we need the struggle and the joys of each to truly find ourselves in our writing. What are your thoughts?
Write Like You Think
Writing in detail invites your reader to experience — to feel — your words. But, how do you get enough detail with enough personality into your writing? Write like you think.
My thought process for a “scene” of two minutes in real time:
I recently loaded up the Toyota T100 and headed west. A good-sized truck, however quite small in comparison to what one would picture as a truck these days. I had packed the truck the night before. Taking advantage of partial bed space, I chose to place certain bags inside — the suitcases I couldn’t bear to lose should a spiral of wind lift my over-stuffed attire. And there was room afterall.
Road trip morning: me, two girls and a dog. I folded up the front seat to my two-door cab. The bench- style backseat hoisted a pink and gray car seat, small toy space for a little riding entertainment, and another pink and gray car seat. With a pillow on the floor for the dog, the backseat was full.
I climb in and veer to my right. What was once a passenger seat is now a mountain of unavoidably placed suitcases, my lap top, a pillow pet for each backseat traveler, bag of movies with a very necessary DVD player, lunch box of snacks, a hanging dress for a wedding which is covering my window view, my purse and current read.
In motion long enough to cover part of town and the dog is now trying to invade my partial front seat space. I have one hand on the steering wheel and the other a gate blocking the oncoming jump-seat maneuver. In the back, amongst scolding involving the dog and a Barbie, a little voice says, “I’m hungry.” So am I. Why not? We’re still in town. I’ll get everyone re-settled and I could go for a venti coffee to smooth the beginning of this overindulgent drive.
“A venti white chocolate mocha and two egg and ham sandwiches, please.” Fourteen dollars and seven cents! Really? At the window, the bright-eyed Starbucks employee with her innocent grin and unknowing demeanor, offers my dog a puppy whip. A puppy whip. A small cup with a swirl of whip cream. I’m not usually one of those — one for me one for my dog. But then I think, $14.07. And I see the image of a disheartened coffee maker, the rosey stripped from her cheeks, should I decline. I take the puppy whip.
My destination is the highway. Two bites into my egg sandwich and the center is cold. There is absolutely no way I’m turning back around. A puppy whip later and my arm block securely rests across the top of the seat. A slight turn and the passenger seat mountain began to topple. I am envisioning my next move. Scenario 1: Pull off to the side of the road, exit the car, scream with fists pointing down, brush myself off, recompose. Scenario 2: Reach for the fluffy unicorn pillow pet that sat at the top of the tower that was once my passenger seat and throw it out the driver side window. Neither is likely. So I continue driving, recounting the start of the trip and wondering where else we may end up. After my mind reeled through moments of insanity, I thought, “Well, at least my coffee’s hot.” …16 hours to go. Oh, Colorado.
Learn to pay attention to moments. There are hundreds of details within fragments of seconds. Expressions, movements, feelings, thoughts — your thoughts, your reactions. Details. A willingness to listen to you can help add that author voice to your writing. Nothing is irrelevant. And it is the details of your story that make it a book.
–Melissa
Tomorrow: Is there a fine line in being overly descriptive?
Peer-Critique: Aravaipa
Another thank you to authors submitting pieces of your work for our grand display and hopeful feedback.
Our second peer-critique is an excerpt from “Aravaipa,” a novel in progress.
In the Orchard, 1896
Ida would gather bits of string and yarn she had accumulated during her knitting in the winter, and in early spring would offer them in the open garden, so the birds could have them for their nests; small lengths of maybe 8 or 10 inches long. She would occasionally see a nest with a bit of the yarn left over from the sweater she had knitted for her husband, or from the shawl she knitted for herself.
One windy afternoon in the spring, on one of her after-supper walks, Ida saw a flash of yellow at the side of her vision; she immediately went toward the color, concerned that one of her song birds was in trouble of some kind. Ida went through the orchard, to where the bird was. She hurried to the bird, and she saw he had a bit of green yarn around his leg, and was attached to a low twig and could not get free. When she got to the bird, she found that he had already died; this beautiful yellow male meadowlark, had died gathering nesting materials in his endeavor to provide for his little avian family.
Ida sat down, as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew the feeling of hope of a family being shattered by the turn of events. Her own stillborn babies came to mind, her feeling of loss, emptiness. She felt compassion and sorrow for the mate of this beautiful bird, and for the babies that could only be fed and supported by one parent. She said a silent prayer for the babies of this noble bird, for their health and survival.
Ever so gently, she began untangling the yarn from his leg. At last she freed the little dead bird from the yarn that bound him to the tree. She dug a hole where she was, and placed this meadowlark in it; she could hardly see the bird for the tears that welled in her eyes, and streamed down her cheeks, or the little grave she had created for him, as she lowered him into it and covered him up.
Somehow, to Ida, this was a warning, a harbinger of something to come. She refused to even think of it. It was too awful to even contemplate.
Ida composed herself, as best she could, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and tried to gain composure. She needed to return to the farmhouse. She refused to think of what was in the back of her mind.
In the garden, she worked the handle of the water pump until enough water came through to splash on her face. She dried herself on her apron and composed herself, before she went in the door of the back porch.
Ida did not mention the yellow bird. The sense of foreboding would not go away.
Please benefit the author and fellow readers by sharing your opinions in the below comment section. And remember that feedback improves writing and story development. E-mail in your writing excerpt to blog@wordclay.com.
–Melissa
