Tag: Writing

  • W Is For… Walking

    Contributed by Laura F.

    “W” is for “walking but it is also for “writing” and in this, my final post in the A-Z Blog challenge, I want to pass along and recommend the best piece of writing advice that I have ever received, which is to use walking (or any other physical activity, no matter how slight) as a stimulus for writing.

    Based on publication records, there appear to be some fortunate individuals in this world who never experience even the briefest difficulty in getting words on the page (or on the computer screen).  I’ve read Stephen King’s On Writing and in that book he claims that he gladly – GLADLY!! – writes every single day of every year.  Oh, yes, once or twice he told pesky interviewers that he didn’t write on his birthday or on Christmas day but that was only because they refused to believe him when he told them the truth.  The truth is that he is eager to sit down and write every day and he DOES sit down and write every day, including his birthday, including Christmas Day.  He writes EVERY day.  Every.  Single.  Day.  He writes every day without any inner forces holding him back, whispering in his ear that he’s too tired, too distracted, that dishes need washing and the dog needs a walk and he’d better finish reading that library book today because it’s due tomorrow.

    I can only say, “Mr. King, I salute you. This consistency is part of what makes you Stephen King while I . . . . am not.”

    Of course, I don’t want to be Stephen King.  The very word “horror” fills me with, well, horror.  I’ve never read anything of King’s aside from On Writing, and I don’t intend to read anything else of his.

    However, I often wish I could be as effortlessly diligent about my own writing as he is about his.  No matter how satisfied I am with my plot, no matter how much I love my characters, no matter how much I’m delighted that I have written once I’ve done it, starting is almost always hard for me.  Sometimes it’s so hard that an entire day goes by without my advancing in my latest project.  Or two days.  Or a three.  Or a week.  Or . . . . .  I don’t want to admit publicly how long I can go without writing.

    Yet, even when I find the writing process most difficult, walking stirs my creative juices.  Often I have walked out whatever inhibition kept me from my writing desk.  Once I walked, I wrote.  The equation has often been as simple as that.

    Of course, many, many writers have recommended walking as a spur to creativity.  Julia Cameron, the creator of the Artist’s Way, devoted an book to the subject.  Yet Cameron insists upon the need to walk outdoors, and I regard that insistence as a serious mistake.  For those who love the outdoors and for whom it is possible to walk outdoors, Godspeed!  For me, indoor walking is best, preferably with some of my favorite music further lifting my spirits and stimulating my imagination.  I live in a climate where it is almost always too cold or too hot to walk outdoors, even if one is an ardent fan of nature, which I am NOT.  What suits me is walking in my apartment, in shopping malls, even in the stacks of a university library.  Walking is the magic, not walking outside.

    At times when physical limitations have made it impossible to walk, then less taxing physical activities have helped me get back to writing.  Any movement, even simply the hand movements of craftwork, have often inspired and motivated me to return to my current manuscript.

    Whether my feet move or my hands move, I almost always end a movement session with fresh enthusiasm for my writing.  Perhaps you have had similar experiences.  Perhaps you can share other suggestions for those of us who, unlike Stephen King, do not find it easy to write every day.

  • V Is For… Victory!!

    Did your high school use the “V – V-I – V-I-C-T-O-R-Y” chant at football games? Kind of corny, I know, and nowhere near what some of the immensely creative students are doing these days (like my nephew, say). But ya gotta work with what ya got.

    I, apparently, have got no mas el spoons.

    What the heck does that mean?

    For those of you that haven’t heard the term spoons before, let me ‘splain. It came about in the chronic illness community as an illustration of what it meant to be chronically ill. Each day you wake up with a finite number of spoons. You can’t borrow or trade them, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

    Some of you know I am a child abuse survivor and have complex Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. And if you didn’t, now you do. The reason that’s relevant is that I’m working with a therapist on a new-to-me modality called EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s an amazing treatment that uses emerging learnings from brain science and I have found it to be one of the single most effective ways of healing past traumas that I’ve ever tried.

    We started a new “target,” or memory, about two weeks ago.

    I didn’t realize how much work it was taking until I looked up and it’s already the 29th of April and I’d lost track not only of my own posts, but of our guest posts. So sorry!

    So why is my post called Victory, then?

    Because, my friends, some days it is a victory to accept where we are, stop and say “Oops,” and pick ourselves up to keep going. And that, friends, is what I’m doing today.

    Resources

    Find an EMDR therapist: https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/

  • R Is For… Research!

    Contributed by Nicole

    Research is the dread goddess that breathes true life into our writing with the help of her consort, the Internet.

    With the advent of the Internet and social media sites, it isn’t quite the onerous duty that it once was. A great deal of information is literally at our fingertips with the Internet. Social Media also lets reach out to your subject matter experts for more in depth knowledge. You know, if you are going to write about a zombie apocalypse, why not talk to a microbiologist? If you are writing about the police department in a specific town, call that department and see if one of the officers is willing to chat a bit. .

    And, of course, there is still the library with their digital catalog, electronic books and those glorious hard copy repositories of information called ‘books’.

    Realism will resonate with your readers, so research!

     

  • O Is For… Organization!

    Contributed by Tina Holland.

    I have a visceral reaction to the word Organization.  I both love and hate it.

    I love when each item in my house has its own spot on a shelf, in a drawer, on a hangar or in a closet.  But when the laundry stacks up, books are scattered, or my latest craft project has exploded in glitter all over my office, then I feel like a failure and I hate organizing my house back to its happy state.

    I accumulate less these days.   Mostly because I don’t have the disposable income I had when I was employed so I’m more conscious of my purchases. I buy more ebooks and less real books, I check books and movies out from the library vs. purchasing them.  I buy less clothes, because I spend my writing days in sweats and loungewear.

    I still have too much and I just inherited more stuff.  In some ways the stuff of my parents is harder to toss aside than the items I’ve accumulated over the years.

    Enter “Swedish Death Cleaning.”  Here is an article that talks about the concept as it relates to personal possessions.

    https://www.dumpsters.com/blog/how-to-do-swedish-death-cleaning

    I used to get every issue of Storage Magazine and I’ve read Marie Kondo’s “Life Changing Magic of Tidying ” but it just doesn’t resonate the way Swedish Death Cleaning does.  One of the concepts of Swedish Death Cleaning is to prepare so your heirs do not inherit a mess.  So in many ways it encompasses all aspects of your life to include finances.   Perhaps that is why it is appealing.  In handling the aspects of my parents estate, I knew what I did not want to leave my children – the burden of having to figure stuff out.

    In some ways it is similar to Marie Kondo’s concept of keeping items that spark joy and minimization, but also it feels less punishing in the sense that I haven’t done anything wrong because that was then and this is now.  I think too that it embraces a sense of legacy which feels very timely.

  • M Is For… Makerspace!

    What Is *A* Makerspace?

    A makerspace is a place focused on science, technology, engineering, art, and technology all come together and where members can come to use shared tools to make new things. Sometimes called hackerspaces, they can be places where computer folx gather to make technology do things it wasn’t originally designed to do. The history is democratic and distributed, meaning there’s no one body with authority to say what is and isn’t the “way it is;” I’ve heard some say that the hackerspace movement goes clear back to the 1950’s with people working on bicycles to create human powered conveyances of incredible complexity and intricacy.

    Makerspaces in pubic libraries and other public shared spaces tend to have expensive equipment that an individual wouldn’t necessarily own, such as a laser cutter, 3-D printer, etc. Collaborative shared  spaces have things like metalshop, woodshop, science labs, programming groups working on functional tech like Raspberry PI, ceramic kilns, sewing areas, and even weaving and spinning. Some have kitchens where members can practice food and fermentation science.

    Image used under Creative Commons license.

    What Is *Makerspace*?

    When I say “makerspace,” I mean the shared space we create together when we put the focus on making. Whether that “making” is craft like knitting and weaving, or cooking, or home design, or coloring in a coloring book, the focus is on the act of creation and creative expression. To hold space for someone is to sit with them with whatever they’re feeling or thinking, without judgment and without offering advice. Giving them the space to be. Therefore, makerspace is holding space for us to be creative, together, and to support each other in that process.

    Why Is It Important?

    We are inundated with information. We have smartphones, tablets, smart watches, laptops, computers, televisions, and even smart refrigerators. We are surrounded by constant noise. This is not healthy. It floods us with inputs and drowns out our own, innate, inner voice. We can literally no longer hear ourselves think.

    To step out of this, to set purposeful space and time aside from it, is not only healthy it is by its nature a radical act. All acts of creation are radical acts: the saying to the Universe, I don’t accept what is, I create the new. When we get caught up in the flow of consumer data and algorithm-driven input, we forget how to do this. Deliberately creating makerspace can help us to gradually remember how, and teaches us how to hold space for ourselves.

    What we focus on, grows. The act of paying attention – think about that word, paying – focuses our minds and hearts on something specific. If we focus that on negative inputs like algorithm-driven news and infotainment, we are not, in fact, learning. We are numbing out to what is real – and worse, that negativity grows within us and we see more of it. If, instead, we focus on making, we begin to find opportunities to do so more and more. Try this: close your eyes and think of the color red. Think of flowers and paintings, the sunset, red lips, red nail polish. Think of strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, and apples. Hold that in your mind for the space of at least ten breaths. Then, throughout the next week, see how often you notice red in your environment. Look for it, and note it – even write it down.

    The results might surprise you.

    How Can I Play In Makerspace?

    At Writer Zen Garden, we host weekly craft events on Saturdays from noon to 2:00 P.M. Pacific time. If you would like to join us, hang out and make something, drop your info in our handy form and we’ll include you in our next invite.

    You can create your own makerspace by inviting some friends to gather. In the time of pandemic, when it may not be safe to gather in person, (or all your friends are on the internet), you can schedule a Zoom or Google Meet session and try it out.

    You can look for events in your community, either by looking up “community calendar” with your community’s name, or check out meetup.com.

    Humans are wired for community. If you can’t find yours, make it. Invite folks. Like they say in the movie, Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”

    Together, we can make it happen.

  • K Is For… Killing your Darlings!

    Contributed by Tina Holland.

    On Monday I talked about getting from Idea to “The End” of your story.  Today I want to talk about Editing or as is sometimes referred to as Killing your Darlings.

    Killing your darlings is a phrase that came about because of the difficult time authors have with editing and probably more likely cutting scenes out.  I understand the cutting of scenes because my writing style is short so I feel every cut shaving off my word count which can mean I’m out of word range for my publishers.

    That being said, editing is a very important process in readying your story for the market – whatever market that may be.

    I personally love the editing process, but I understand how it makes authors nervous, so let’s talk about the importance of each type of edits and what they do to help your story.

    1. Developmental Editing – Sometimes this is called content editing. This is looking at the big picture of the story for plot holes and character inconsistencies.   I utilize my Critique Group for this as they are able to find most inconsistencies and ask the big questions regarding the story.
    2. Copy Edits – This is grammar and spelling. I recommend that all writers use their spelling and grammar checks in their writing software.  It doesn’t catch everything, but it will catch 90% of what you need to submit to a publisher.  Grammarly and Pro-Writing Aide have free versions you can use too.   A Lot of Indie Authors will pay an editor to look over their story before publication and this is the one most often used.
    3. Proofreading – This is the nitpicky details before you publish.  In my opinion this includes; formatting, cover design, back blurb, backmatter, and anything missed above.  Some authors use Beta Readers for proofing.  Actually this is a good spot to utilize family members who like to read.  While they may not be able to help you with your adverbs, they will tell you if page 16 is blank on the proof copy. 🙂

    Editing should be thought of as scary. It is a way to improve your craft and make your story the best it can be.   That’s not to say there aren’t mean editors or critiques that won’t put you down to make themselves feel better because there are.   And if you’ve encountered a person like that then know they are the problem, not you.   There is a way to give feedback on a piece without eviscerating the recipient.   And really we are talking about  Killing YOUR darlings so ultimately any feedback you receive you can take or leave.  It’s your baby and if your story isn’t ready then nurture it a bit more until it’s ready for the world.

  • I Is For… Idea to “The End!”

    Contributed by Tina Holland.

    There are many ways to take your IDEA  to a finished short story, novella or novel. Some work better than others, but that depends on the writer and their strengths and weaknesses.

    If you’ve been writing for any length of time you’ve probably heard the terms – plotter, pantser, and plantser.  If you haven’t, here’s a blog that defines those:

    https://thewritepractice.com/plotters-pantsers/

    There is no right or wrong way to take your IDEA and turn it into a story.  Whatever gets you to “The End” is most important.

    I myself fall into the plantser category so I will speak to my process and hope that you are able to gleam some helpful hints from it.

    1. First I write a blurb for the book – sometimes this becomes my back blurb other times my book changes so much it will be radically different. This is basically my story idea.
    2. Next I research my characters. I choose their names and pick their birthdate, birth sign, do their numerology chart, and cast an actor/model/singer to play them.
    3. I plot the 12 key romance scenes and then I go ahead and fill in what I know. I utilize a template by C.S. Lakin.  Which can be found here. https://www.livewritethrive.com/resources/
    4. The steps above are my plotter steps, once these are done I start writing and I write whatever scene I want. Generally I start at the beginning, write a few scenes then go to the end and write that before coming back and working on the middle, and I almost always write love scenes last.
    5. If I struggle during stage 4 – then I go back and research my characters. I utilize “90-day Novel” if my characters require more introspection and motivation.
    6. Once I’ve completed the rough draft I go back and layer in setting, clothes and all the other details like eye and hair color.   Sometimes I have to do this before the love scene because people need to undress and readers like to know where this couple is for the deed.
    7. Now I go back and self-edit the novel. I personally love the editing process, but I’m weird.   Join me in a couple days when I discuss “Killing your darlings”.

     

  • H Is For… Hibiscus!

    Contributed by Alexandra Sissulak.

    Recently, I was inspired to create personalized stationery. The paper serves as the foundation for written expression to thoughtfully communicate and share, vulnerable, deep-level ideas with other beautiful individuals; in worship of platonic love, respect, community, and resonance.  The design of the stationery is influenced by the imagery, meaning, symbolism, and medicinal benefits of the hibiscus flower.

    Bright, delicate blooms dancing joyously in celebration with warm, gentle, tropical breezes. Blossoms lightly kissed with humid mists and painted with beads of nourishing moisture. Each petal, leaning further away, falling deeper in submission, arching their heart-center closer to the life-giving source of the sun’s fiery, brilliant, and virtuous rays. The edges of each delicate petal splayed like the hair of a lover relinquishing to rapturous pleasure.

    The hibiscus flower is known to symbolize femininity, ephemeral beauty, romantic love and passion, friendship and hospitality, and joy. Representing the power of the divine feminine within the law of attraction; an inspiration of admiration and awe; hinting at fleeting opportunities of the few and far between, to seize the day; vibrant and attention-seeking, evoking openness and sincerity; and a purpose to honor life and happiness.

    In spiritual stories and mythologies, hibiscus flowers appear as symbols of forbidden love or diversity; fleeting opportunities and the delicacy of beauty; passion, romantic fervor, and lust; personal power, fame, and wealth; and a conduit for the elevation of consciousness in order to connect with the divine, afterlife, and immortality.

    Hibiscus, in the form of tasty, tart tea – similar to cranberries, is a healing ambrosia filled with antioxidants with the ability to cleanse the liver, lower blood pressure, and reduce fats in the blood.

    Receiving a hand-written letter on this highly personalized stationery, filled with words flowing from the ink of a fountain pen, is my way of blessing, praising, honoring, and celebrating the recipient through the virtues and spirit of the hibiscus flower.

  • E Is For… Exercise!

    Contributed by Laura F.

    “E” is for exercise but “E” could also be for enjoyment.  After all, one of the oldest (and truest) pieces of advice about exercise is to always pick an activity you enjoy.  The biggest problem with exercise, according to those who study such things, is that people rarely stick with an exercise regime.  For every dedicated runner who fits in ten miles a day so as always to be “marathon-ready,” for every gym rat who wears out the seat of their favorite stationary bike, there are a hundred (or more) people who start a workout program only to abandon the program within weeks or even days.  If only these people did something they ENJOYED, the theory is, they would find it easy and satisfying to keep regular exercise a part of their lives.

    I don’t disagree with any of that.  Even the most time-crunched among us usually find or make time for what we truly crave.  Time management experts will sometimes claim that through truly efficient use of our time, we can always accommodate the activities that matter most to us.  Well, “efficiency” is another “E” word, but I am NOT writing a blog post about “E is for Efficiency.”  Instead, I’m going to advocate for deliberate inefficiency, all in the service of incorporating more exercise into my own life and into the life of anyone who wants to try this approach.

    After all, exercise-efficiency experts argue that by being ultra-efficient in all areas of our lives, we can always include exercise in our schedules.  But extremes meet (hey, “extremes”!  another “e” word!) and by being inefficient, one can be surprisingly active.

    Let me give an example.  In my old apartment building, I had to walk up and down three flights of stairs to get to the laundry room.  The more often I walked up and down, the more exercise I got.  So why not take the laundry down in batches?  Why make one trip up and down the stairs when two trips would provide a better workout?  Why make only two trips when three trips would make me feel like a super-athlete?  And as for making FOUR trips up and down stairs – well, after four trips, I feel ready for a gold medal from the Olympic Committee.

    Think I’m kidding?  I’m not.

    I enjoy feeling like a super-athlete; in fact, I enjoy that feeling immensely, although no one who observes my daily routine would see anything even remotely athletic about it.  So, by building inefficiency into my daily routine, I get to ENJOY the self-image I create by climbing stairs more often than I need to, walking more steps than I need to, and generally putting more effort into routine household chores than any efficiency expert would recommend.

    An additional benefit to this workout regime is that it motivates me to actually do some housework, at least at those times when I want to polish my Olympic gold medalist self-image.

    Could this approach of cultivated inefficiency work for you, also?  Or are you someone who takes the opposite approach of being so efficient that you have time in your day specifically set aside for a straightforward workout?  Either approach could work since, as noted above, extremes meet.

     

     

  • C is for… Cape May!

    Contributed by Carolyn Malone

    We have been through a tumultuous two years, and now it is time for us to venture outwards and walk the land again. To travel, to explore, to wander. To see the world again if you so choose.

    For those who want to travel within the United States, consider taking a trip to America’s oldest seaside resort, located at the southernmost tip of New Jersey. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Cape May is home to nearly 600 preserved Victorian buildings and has one of the best beaches on the Jersey shore.

    Whether you want to frolic in nature and the great outdoors or you prefer hanging out in the city for your vacation, you’ll find the best of both worlds here. Cape May has something to offer for almost everyone: a pristine beach; prime bird watching; fine dining; theater; music and film festivals; shopping; historic tours; and assorted cultural activities celebrating the Victorian era. The only thing Cape May does not have is a rousing nightlife.  For that, you’ll have to venture to nearby Wildwood or Atlantic City.

    The city is flat (no hills—yay!) and mostly everything is within walking distance. Once you arrive, you can park your car and not have to drive it again until you’re ready to leave the place. If you do not have a car, no worries. Cape May is also accessible by bus, ferry (from Delaware), and plane (via Atlantic City International Airport).

    Besides being a desirable vacation spot for many on the east coast, Cape May has a low crime rate, which is good for the solo female traveler.  Many years ago, when my partner had a stroke, I traveled by myself to Cape May for a much-needed break from caregiving.  During the day, I lolled around on the beach, went to the spa, and shopped. At night, I dined alone in various restaurants and attended plays at the local theaters. When the shows ended around 9:30 pm, or I finished dinner late, I felt perfectly safe walking back to my B&B alone. The streets were well lit and there were enough people milling around so I never felt uncomfortable or afraid. During this stay, I met other solo women travelers who echoed my sentiments about the city: that it was easy to get around and that it was safe.

    The world is opening up again. If you love to travel, I wish for you many safe journeys. Stay tuned for my next blog post, near the end of the alphabet, where I discuss solo travel in a city outside the United States.