Tag: Darla

  • Writer Wednesday – A Line From “Life After Joe”

    Yesterday I finished devouring a gay romance by British author Harper Fox.  She’s a writer of M/M erotica whose work I only just discovered but find stirring on multiple levels.  As you can guess by the title of this post, I would like to quote a line from her title “Life After Joe”.

    I kissed him, lightly but with a shudder of fervour across my spine, as if I had wings that were trying to unfurl.

    This could easily continue as a review of the book.  Instead, I want to share what this line inspires in me as a writer.

    Adoring the idea of romantic relationships between men, I try to offer that feeling through my storytelling.  Yet, in retrospect of reading Ms. Fox’s line, perhaps my methods are too clinical.  Now I feel challenged to experiment with more emotive descriptions, even sprinkling in a line or two that some might consider flowery.

    After all, a guy should be allowed to think in a baroque way once in a while, even if he’d feel cheesy expressing the words.  Wish me luck in convincing “my” men.

    Please check out Amazon’s Harper Fox Page  And happy writing!

  • The Power of Praise

    My big brother shared an interesting story with me the other day.  It really impressed upon me how we all must battle the inner critic.

    First let me say that he is a gifted singer and respected choral arranger and director.  He leads a large chorus of barbershop quartet singers, dedicating a great deal of time and effort to their success.  Recently, he attended a conference, the source of his anecdote.

    Asked to sing before a group of his peers, he in turn listened to several of them.  After the solo, each man was asked to share one thing he liked about his fellow performers’ offerings.  Then each sang the same song again.

    The claim my brother made – that everyone performed better the second time – really impressed him.  In turn, I found it striking how he had to stifle his inner critic for the praise to get through.

    He’s going to start encouraging his guys to positively critique one another, especially if those words accompany constructive criticism.  This strategy is one I believe in one hundred percent in the writing world, and would like to enlist everyone’s help in spreading the positivity.  As a side benefit, you’ll feel good for brightening someone’s day.

    So jump on those forums and websites, twitter and face pages.  Tell your favorite authors what you enjoyed about their story.

  • Writer Wednesday: My Two Cents on World Building

    I’m thrilled that my dear fellow bloggers A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder have gifted us with Emerald Fire.  As you can read in the previous post, a big part of the story involved creating a new plane of existence.  They really did a wonderful job, inspiring me to comment further on the concept of world building.

    In my humble opinion, names and terminology are fun and relatively easy ways to help develop the tone of a location.  Weather and climate hold great sway over how a society functions, so that’s another good place to start.  From there, clothing and architecture and food add depth.

    Other routes can entail religion and politics.  These systems most often play a key role from what comes to mind – Frank Herbert’s Dune series is a fine example – but that doesn’t mean a writer can’t imagine aspects that don’t make their way into the tale.  Such details can drive a character’s actions as well as build substance without necessarily needing detailed inclusion in the final text.

    There are many ways author’s draw the reader into a story, and shaping a believable culture within which the characters interact is one of my favorites, as both a writer and reader.  A. Catherine Noon explains beautifully the resources she and Rachel Wilder tapped from the real world.  I highly suggest you scroll down and enjoy learning much more about this process.

    If you haven’t already, please go out and purchase Emerald Fire.  Happy reading!

  • A Haiku for the Day

    The Train

    Chill steel, weathered wood
    Tracks lead both north and southward
    A whistle – distant

  • Play Time – An Invaluable Resource for the Busy Person

    “How are you?” people ask.  Those more in-the-know folks question whether or not I’ve been writing.

    I’m happy to answer lately that I am well and the writing is finally flowing again.  It took a major event for me, leaving a lucrative job with a good team, but I feel free now to express myself.

    I see things in a different light, as if there’s more clarity.  And tasks are welcome hurdles instead of insurmountable leaps.

    Why couldn’t I face the paying job in the same way?  I think it’s because I didn’t give myself time to play.

    Whatever you do, and however you meet your finances, I wish for you the ability to play.  Please give yourself over to chances at random acts of joy.

    Busy with projects that suffered while I worked full-time, I welcome stories of what you might do with much needed free time.  Please share and hopefully find helpful hints from our busy members as to how you might achieve your goals.

    Cherish your time, as I cherish your commentary.  It’s something I learned from Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” and happily share with you.

  • A Haiku for the Day

     Summer’s Harbinger

    Frozen, wings beat fast
    The hummingbird has returned
    Tasting sweet flowers

  • A Haiku For The Day

    A Windy Spring Day

    Leaves and branches dance
    Every plant twists and bows
    Wood creaks and seeds fall

  • Haiku and You

    By no stretch of the imagination do I consider myself a major poet.  I dabble at bringing images into a snapshot focus through the art of haiku.  It’s not even something I do very often.

    Today I read something disheartening from a blogger I admire.  A British fan of all things Japanese, she goes by the moniker Haikugirl.  In this post she talks about a haiku workshop that made me realize that there are far more rules to it than I knew.  Her own experience involved a criticism that I found undeserved.

    This makes me wonder if I’ll continue pursuing this art form.  Should I forge on even if I’m doing it wrong according to the experts?  My inner critic says no but I think that’s the wrong answer.  I hope the childlike artist inside me finds another haiku she determines worth sharing.

    And speaking of sharing, here is the post I reference:
    Catching the Blossom with a Haiku

    I hope you’ll read her post.  I’d also like to know your opinion on the subject.  In the meantime, happy writing!

  • Resisting the Critic

    Inspired to write this moments ago, I recognized an attack by the inner critic. I’m sure anyone reading this knows what I’m talking about.  I gratefully say that “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron makes these insidious traps easier to recognize and combat.

    In my case, my wandering mind wondered if I should continue writing a particular theme on another website. After all, I don’t have all that many readers or reviewers. Maybe it’s time to veer away from that particular character.

    And that’s when my thoughts froze in realization that the skeptical and cranky critic in my mind was on the loose. As I’m gently reminded again and again by friends from this very blog, Story is God. Thank you, A. Catherine Noon, for sharing that particular, poignant phrase.

    After all, who am I really writing for? Myself. It’s a creative urge that gives great pleasure and satisfaction. What else ultimately matters? Sure, it’s nice to know others appreciate what I’ve penned. In this information age, though, I should be grateful for any kind of niche in which to be found.

    That’s not criticism of my writing, it’s simple fact. I find myself with limited time to read and a subsequently small list of writers which I faithfully follow. One can only wonder, out of all the blogging and twittering going on, how much time others lend to reading any fiction at all.

    So that returns me to what’s important – following my muse. I really just need to be grateful I hear this calling at all considering the dry spell of which I’ve lamented in previous posts. Recalling how much joy has been garnered from material I’ve never even shared with the public, I feel darn lucky at the moment.

    I hope sharing my brief battle with the critic will enable you to dip into your creative well for the sheer, childlike enjoyment of the process. Happy creating!

  • The Gift of Friendship

    As I write today, I’ve been joined by a tiny parade of three cats taking turns at sitting or lying by my side. It’s a joyous reminder of the friendships I’ve garnered through my penmanship.

    Even as I allowed a dry spell to overcome my creative tendencies, friends on this blog have continued to encourage and support me. Cards and gifts have come my way, much to my great joy. Also, kind words at the work place have occasionally brightened my daily routine as a few folks in the know inquire as to my doings in the realm of writing.

    Thanks, my dears, for uplifting me! Now I’m going to move forth with some new project. All I really have to contribute to folks is the message that we must count our blessings in remembrance of all those things and people that help us create. Happy writing, or whatever endeavor you pursue!

    ~