Darla’s Day Out

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The local arboretum called to me recently for a much needed walk in the fresh air.  To my delight, a mother mallard watched over her newly hatched brood in one of the ponds.  Not wishing to disturb them, my companion took this picture.  If you look closely, you can spot a couple of the ducklings in the direction the cautious mother faces.

I decided that an excuse was in order to share this iconic and heartwarming image of spring.  So here is my resulting thought, that writers need to be like this duck.  We ought to be on constant lookout, though not in search of the dangers for which she scanned.

Our eyes should be open to inspiration.  It’s simple, I know, yet our view is often stunted by daily chores and responsibilities that narrow our focus, directing our vision toward mundane matters.
This blog’s own talented A. Catherine Noon recently hosted a workshop to spur writing from prompts.  Her grand ideas support the notion of awareness, whether she guided us to write from a set of written criteria or via the use of our various senses.  It did me good to open my mind and just let inspiration spool out.
Just the other day I stumbled upon an ancient Israeli name, Aziel, that spawned an idea for a character.  It’s difficult to say where this might lead, but I intend to find out.
I hope we can all expand our horizons and see what creative sparks fly.  Happy writing!
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Spring Fever

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While I am posting this several days late, there are several achievements of which I am very proud.  For one, I figured out how to set up events in Google Calendar and share them.  Yeah, yeah, I’m behind the times, but I get there eventually.  Anyway, now such tardiness should not reoccur.  This is something I’ve been meaning to do and, like most things I procrastinate attempting, proved much easier than expected.

Another big accomplishment took more time yet felt even better.  Over the years, recipes accumulated in a kitchen drawer, migrating from one spot to another when the space was renovated last year.  This afternoon I flipped through an inches thick stack of computer print-outs, culling those never expected to be made again if they were even tried in the first place.  Honestly, with several bottles of delicious hot sauce open in my refrigerator, the odds of me whipping up an experimental batch are slim to none.  So those are out, along with anything deemed better left to the professionals (naan, for example, when a great Indian restaurant is minutes away).

In between those tasks, I tackled the most emotionally charged one of all.  Laugh if you want.  I actually cleaned out my underwear drawer.  Silly thing to put off, isn’t it?  There were many things which had seen better days – in more ways than one.  First, once pretty items were faded and often a bit ragged when viewed with an honest eye.  Second, my body hasn’t fit the lingerie in the back of the drawer for many, many months (years, actually…  sigh…  better days, indeed).  It was time to face the fact that if I ever reach such sizes again, I’m going to want new garments.  Heck, I’ll deserve them.

So with all that accomplished today, I think it’s official that the verdant spring growth around my home has reinvigorated me.  And having ridded this house of clutter and prodded my intellect by learning a new minor skill, it’s time to wake up my hibernating muse and shake out the cobwebs.

I hope you’ll begin anew with me, stepping lightly into whatever season awaits you.  Once we clear out the odd bits, we may find some wondrous creations within.  Or, at the very least, we won’t have to stuff freshly laundered unmentionables into an over-packed drawer.

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Using Prompts To Expand Your Repetoire

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During the month of April, join me at Coffee Time Romance for a free workshop, “Using Prompts to Expand Your Repertoire” and experiment with getting onto the page. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a brand new writer, you’re bound to find something that will spark your creativity.

I have found over the years that it’s fairly easy to find critics. Writing groups full of people who will tear apart what you’ve written are a dime a dozen – and worth about that much. Anyone can tear something apart and it’s always easier to edit than it is to create from scratch. Bullies in sheep’s clothing abound at groups like that and it never ceases to amaze me how new victims seem to fall into their net without much of a struggle.

Harder to find, by far, are the groups whose mission is to catapult people onto the page. Most writing problems are solved by practice. It’s like the old saying goes: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice!” Prompts are one way to do that. We can experiment with story ideas, scene concepts, new ways of describing things, all in short spaces without pressure. Writing prompts are generally short and not meant to be used for anything “real” – though it’s been my experience that one can be surprised by a diamond in the rough if one is open to trying new things.

If you’ve been wanting to get back onto the page, or don’t have any clue what a prompt is but are intrigued, I hope you’ll join me over at Coffee Time Romance this month. It’s free and all you have to lose is your writing block.

Write on!

Writer Wednesday – Using Prompts to Expand Your Repertoire

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In celebration of Spring, I am teaching a free workshop on “Using Prompts to Expand Your Repertoire” at Coffee Time Romance this month.  All during the month of April we will play with new and tried-and-true tools for getting, and staying, on the page.  I hope you’ll join me!

Can You Spare Some Change?

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I’m writing this post two days late because I forgot when it was due.  Unfortunately, the online calendar I relied upon to keep track has been dismantled, the domain name now up for grabs.  It’s just a modern example of the inevitability of change.

Change and I have never been friends.  I tend to stick in ruts rather than forging a new path.  My life would probably be very different but for simple events that led me here, plodding along in their wake.

Oh, I make cosmetic changes, for sure.  I’ve gone through various phases, from conservative to goth in dress and attitude; exchanging talk shows for alternative rock on the radio.  The important matters, however, such as where to work and live, have been dictated by chance.

There have been no big dreams I took a chance on trying, just jobs found through temporary agencies and a house that limited the resulting commute.  Even my pets, whom I love dearly, have been virtually (in one case, literally!) dropped in my lap as strays.  It’s pretty sad, in retrospect.

But, on the bright side, I’m not dead yet.  Maybe there is a butterfly inside this shell, waiting for the right time to break free from its cocoon.  And despite temperatures in my boring, landlocked suburban neighborhood, the old fashioned wall calendar I’m looking at announces Wednesday as the first day of spring.

What better time to spread my wings?  Now if I can only figure out in which direction to fly.  I’ve never been a migratory creature.  Wish me luck.

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1.00am

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drawn to the edge of specific gravity
from which liquid mystery
emanates exotic fragrance
known to call a man down
to the deep of depths
beyond the wilderness of loneliness
past the advance of caring –
lest you be drowned in desire
for want of love.

Writer Wednesday – Pluggin’ Along

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Yes, for those more astute among you, today is not Wednesday.  That was yesterday.

This should maybe give you a clue as to my week, eh?

So.  Lessee.  Today’s topic is Writer Wednesday, wherein we share our ideas and thoughts about writing.  I wanted to post today to make the point that sometimes, when we drop a ball, just picking it up and throwing it anyway has merit.  There’s a lot to be said for pluggin’ along.

If you’re not familiar with the phrase, here’s a definition at the Free Dictionary.  Simply put, it means doing satisfactorily; but I also take it to mean plugging away like a slow but steady steamship, chugging up a river.  Just point the nose and let the engine run.

This has served me well in several large marathon-like projects, such as writing a novel or weight loss. Anything where we are prone to fall off the wagon and throw in the towel.  Rather than give up, just get up and keep going – even if you’re a day late.  Sometimes, winning the race isn’t about who gets there first.  It’s about getting up one more time than you fell down.

Emotion for the Masses

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It’s common knowledge that emotions show unconsciously in our body language.  In jurisdictions practicing wise policy, police officers and their ilk receive training to translate this instantly, enabling life saving reactions to armed suspects about to shoot – or not.  Human beings transmit these signals from our faces to our very feet depending upon the circumstance.

So ingrained, these reactions show even when there is no one present to read them.  I realized this in a unique way yesterday.  A mild skin irritation between my eyes would hurt whenever I made certain expressions, and this happened frequently while reading a newly purchased book.
This author drew me to experience the various highs and lows, the shock or joy or sorrow, right along with her characters.  That immersion, this ultimate escapism, is what draws me to fiction.  Hence I’m reminded why I enjoy writing.
I want to pull others out of their reality.  Heck, even when penning something private I gleefully submit myself to the sentiments and passions within the words.
These are, of course, the same reasons we listen to music and look at works of art.  I sincerely thank those who’ve moved humankind through the ages and look forward to what comes in the future.
Meanwhile, may you discover something today that transcends your spirit from the daily grind.  Or, perhaps you will craft it yourself!  Now, time to dust off my muse and get busy, right after I search out another book by this particular author (and leave praise of her craft while I’m at it).

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