Blessings in My Writing World

 

Yesterday's post centered on rejection and the reactions we have to that situation. So today, let's do a complete reverse and concentrate on the blessings in our writing life.

The one time of the year when most people count their blessings is Thanksgiving, and that's great. But there's a whole lot more of the year when we should do the same. That goes for our writing life, as well as the rest of it.

One of my writing world blessings is this blog. It gives me a platform to be able to give something to other writers. The blog has also given me a connection to writers around the world and allowed me to develop friendships with writers I've never met in person. Thank you Blog!

Another blessing in my writing world is my online writers' group. Oh my, I'm not sure how I'd get along without them. They are a fantastic sounding board. They give critiques on my writing to help me polish a piece and make it ready to submit. They allow me to read and critique their submissions which helps me indirectly, as well. I read the critiques on other peoples' submissions and learn from them. Thank you Writers Group!

I consider my writing world to have blessed me with keeping my mind sharp as I age. Many seniors stop doing things that are considered mental exercise as they continue to age. Instead, they sit mindlessly in front of the tv and do little to improve their minds. Those who read regularly and those of us who write have upped the odds for keeping mentally fit as the years slip by. Thank you writing world!

I feel blessed that my interest in writing has not faded with the years. If anything, it has increased. Thank you interest in writing!

What would I do without social media and search engines? I feel especially blessed with the help and connections I get from these two parts of the tech world. Thank you social media and search engines.

I've been fortunate to have been published many times in magazines, ezines, and anthologies. I've knocked on the door, and often have seen it open for me. Thank you publications!

I've also been blessed to have many rejections. Sound strange? Maybe. I look at each one as an opportunity to learn something that will help me be a better writer. So yes, thank you rejections!

My state writing organization is one of the stars in my writing world. I have gained so much from the meetings and conventions and conversations with other members. Thank you, Kansas Authors Club!

How about you? What blessings in your writing world are you thankful for all year, not just on Thanksgiving? Make a list and then smile big!

Handling Rejection in the Writing World

 

Every writer knows that rejection is a big part of the writing world. Our head tells us that it's something we will need to learn to accept. Something to live with if we want to get published. Our heart tells us that rejection hurts. No getting around that. 

As time goes on, and the rejections bounce back, instead of deep hurt, a writer can say they are disappointed. The mature writer accepts it and moves on. The immature writer moves beyond disappointment to feeling deeply hurt and maybe angry. 

Writers must face that most likely they will receive more rejections than acceptances. I have yet to meet a writer who has never had a rejection. That is, among those who submit their work for publication. One sure way to never receive a rejection is to not submit anything. But, if you're a writer, you probably hope to see your work in print somewhere, somehow. 

After your initial anger, sorrow, or disappointment--however you view a rejection--it's time to look for the lesson. Feel very fortunate if an editor sends a note of some kind to let you know why your piece was not accepted. If you know the reason, it's a lot easier to correct the problem. It's also possible that nothing was wrong with your submission, but the publication had recently used something very similar. If you do get a note from an editor along with the rejection, consider yourself fortunate. Most editors say they don't have time to write a note with the rejection. If you do receive an editor's note, it certainly leaves you feeling more encouraged than despondent. 

After you let a couple days, or more, go by after the initial rejection, read your piece as objectively as possible. Look for areas that can be improved, or ones that might be deleted for one reason or another. Work on minor revisions and submit to another publication. 

What about sending your work to several places at the same time? Some publications will accept these simultaneous submissions, others will not. If they do, it will be stated in their guidelines. The main problem with submitting to several places at one time is that, if one of them accepts your piece, then you need to notify the other places that your submission is no longer available to them. That means good record keeping and more time taken from actual writing. It's up to each writer whether to make multiple submissions or not. Personally, I choose not to do so.

The beginning writer is more likely to feel hurt when rejections come in. It's all new and it's a tough pill to swallow. The more experienced writer has learned to sigh a bit and move on. The beginning writer is also more apt to feel hurt and/or angry when they receive criticism of their work from someone whom they have asked to do a critique. You asked for their opinion, so be big enough to accept it for what it is--a means to help you be a better writer. 

If rejections still bum you, work on learning to see the lesson rather than the disappointment you feel.

Book Review: Poetry Collection

I spent a good portion of my afternoon yesterday reading Tom Mach's latest book of poetry, titled Poetry Collection. Mach is an author and poet who lives and writes in Lawrence, KS. He has written historical novels as well as five books of poetry.

This newest volume includes a few of his poems from the first four poetry books he published as well as many new ones. You'll find several types of poems including sonnets, haiku, rhymed verse, free verse, lyrics, odes and more. Definitely a variety.

He has no overall theme, as the title of the book might indicate. There is a thread of Christianity running through this collection, as well as humor, sadness, and history. Many of his poems reflect nature and love. Even an occasional surprise.

There is a simplicity to his work, no deep metaphorical poetry. Many people say they do not like poetry because they can't understand what the poet is talking about. You'll not have that problem with Mach's poems. 

A few of the poems I particularly liked are A Beethoven Symphony, Another Sunrise, and Hush of Winter. Selecting titles for poems can be as important as the poem itself, and this poet does a good job with naming his poems.

The cover of this new book is quite nice, as are the covers on his previous books. His poetry books are The Uni Verse, The Museum Muse, So Runs the Water, AMERICA! and this newest one, Poetry Collection. 

Mach has won awards for his historical novels and some of his poetry. He writes from the heat and who could ask for more from a poet? 

You can purchase Poetry Collection by Tom Mach at Amazon. Kindle or paperback version. 

 

Write Travel Essays

 

Saturday's Wall Street Journal had an entire section titled Travel. Besides the articles, a few pages had short travel vignettes from several people. I found them of great interest, and apparently the people who produce this fine newspaper must have thought travel was a worthwhile topic. There are entire magazines devoted to the subject of travel as well as anthologies and ezines that center on travel.

The photo for today is a group of penguins, known as a raft if they are in water, but on land, the term used for this group is a waddle. We were fortunate to see a waddle of penguins at the Cape of Good Hope in South Aftica. Located about 50 miles south of Capetown, it's a fascinating spot to visit. I wrote a few lines in my travel journal, but silly me did not think to focus on this one spot for a full travel essay. A missed opportunity. 

Unless you happen to be a travel journalist, most of us write little or none about some of the places we've been, especially the foreign spots. If you're a writer who would like to be published, or published again, travel essays are ones that editors are often looking for. 

One of the ezines that has published two of my travel stories is Dave's Travel Corner  About halfway down the Home page, you'll see a place on the right hand side that says Submit an Article. Click on that, and you'll get full information needed for submission.s You'll also find a page of al those who have written for this ezine, in alphabetical order by first name. I checked, and sure enough, my name is listed. I clicked on it, and both my article/essays came up. It'a an interesting site. 

Use your favorite search engine to find places where you can submit travel essays. Many appreciate, or even require, photos to accompany your piece. Try keywords like 'submissions for travel essays' or 'where to submit travel essays.'

You may have noticed I use the term 'travel essay' rather than article. The reason being that an article is filled with facts about a place--the topography, places to stay, places to eat, touris sites and more. A travel essay has much of the same but is more personalized. The 'human touch' is within the essay. It might contain the reason for your visit, the people you met, how the place and the people affected you. 

One of my favorite travel essays has been published in the USA and in Europe. It's about a special trip my husband and I took with an interesting person as our host. You can read it below. The next time you travel here or abroad, take good notes and write a travel essay when you return home. 

Joe’s Castle

As soon as the iron gates came into view, the conversation in our rented van ceased. All six of us leaned forward for a better view while we drove slowly onto the park-like grounds of Zbraslav Castle. Huge trees stood guard over various sculptures on either side of the lane we traversed.

“There it is,” Joe told us.

'It' was Joe’s boyhood home, a home that had been occupied by enemy soldiers during World War II, then taken over by the communists, a home that Joe had fled over fifty years earlier. Joe is the Baron Joseph Barton-Dobenin, the oldest of three sons who were raised in a thirteenth century castle that sits in all its majesty a few miles outside of Prague in what is now the Czech Republic.

We pulled up in front of the colorful castle and scrambled out of the van while Joe spoke to the guard on duty. Our visit here started in jest at one of our Dinner/Bridge sessions. Joe’s wife, Elizabeth, had said, “You know what? We should all go over to Prague and play bridge in the castle.” Six of us nodded and laughed and agreed that we should do that. Sometime. Little did we know that Joe and Elizabeth were serious, and the next time we were together, plans for our trip began to gel. Between January and May we made air and hotel reservations, rented a van, and prepared for a week’s stay in Prague, a city justifiably known as The Jewel of Europe.

We’d heard a great deal about the castle ever since it had been returned to Joe’s family when the communist government fell during The Velvet Revolution. Now, we were to see it. What had been mere words would soon be mental pictures to file in our memories and see again and again once home in Kansas.

When the communists seized the castle a few years after World War II, they turned it into a museum. Consequently, everything in it was left exactly as it had been, and the entire building was well maintained. People flocked to tour the castle, to exclaim over the masters’ paintings, the porcelain, the sculptures and antiques throughout.

Today, one end is a national art gallery. Joe’s niece and her children occupy the lower floor of the remainder of the castle, and Joe has kept the upper floor private. It continues to be furnished exactly as it was in his childhood.

His mother’s portrait still graces a wall in a salon. I gazed at the portrait for a long time. Painted in the years just prior to World War I, the woman looks regal and feminine in a froth of a dress, but her strength of character comes through as well. When Joe was only fifteen, his father died, and his mother became head of the family. Hitler had come to power, and before long, Czechoslovakia proved to be one more prize in his collection of European countries. What stories this woman might tell were she alive today.

During the war, German officers lived in the castle at Zbraslav with the Barton-Dobenin family. Joe inherited his father’s title, but he and his brothers were sent to work in the fields with other Czechs. Joe tells a wonderful story about the surrender of those same German soldiers.

When the end of the war was imminent, two American lieutenants drove a jeep, with a white towel on its antenna, up the castle road. They asked to see the officer in charge, then informed the German they were authorized to take him and his men prisoners. The Germans agreed but asked for time to get ready. While they talked outside in a courtyard, Joes’ mother joined them, carrying a large, oversized book in her hands. “Gentlemen,” she said, “would you sign my guest book?” The two Americans readily agreed, and each man signed his name. One of them wrote that he hoped they might visit again under better circumstances.

Later that day, the two Americans in their jeep led several thousand German enlisted men, who had camped on the castle grouds, and officers on foot to the American lines. Why had it been so easy? The Germans chose to surrender to the Americans rather than to the Russians who were close behind.

We wandered from room to room admiring the murals that graced the ceilings and the oriental rugs that rested on the floor. White porcelain stoves in the corner of many of the rooms provided heat on cold winter days. Large windows in every room afforded views of a winding river and dense forest that surrounded the castle and courtyard. I lingered at one such window admiring the view. Long before this, Joe and his little brothers must have done the same.

Zbraslav Castle boasts two large dining rooms for entertaining. Eighteen guests can dine at one table, while the other seats even more. Each table stretched longer than any we’d ever seen. Long white linens covered the top, and stately chairs were lined up on either side. I tried to imagine the table adorned with china, crystal, and silver, the chairs occupied by invited guests, and animated conversation and laughter filling the room. A dinner party in the castle was easy to picture.

After our wonderful tour of Joes’ castle, we got down to the business we’d come for—playing Bridge. Joe took us to the rooms he’d been given when he turned eighteen. To mark his entry into an adult world, his mother had a lovely bed/sitting room and bath redone for him. The tall windows looked down on a small courtyard and the verdant forest beyond. We toasted our hosts, with a small glass of Becherovka, a local liqueur that slid easily across the tongue. The cards were dealt, and laughter and conversation rang in the castle once more. Another memory had been etched into our lives because of our friend Joe, his warm heart, and his beautiful castle. 

(C)

Zbraslav Castle

All Can Write Slice of Life Memories

 

"Write what should not be forgotten." This quote by author, Isabel Allende, gives some good advice. 

It's why we write memoirs and family stories. Your Family Stories collection does not always have to be full stories with a beginning, middle, and ending. You can write a 'slice of life' as it was when you were growing up. These are bits and pieces, a small part of your entire life. Those things would be of interest to future generations. Before too long, no kid will believe that we had telephones attached to the wall in our day. Or that there was no texting or email or...

Here's a list of slice of life topics you can write about and include with your family stories:

A. The kind of place where you grew up--rural, urban, small town

B.  How you got to school

C.  Your siblings, number and order

D.  Your aunts and uncles

E.  Your grandparents, on both sides

F.  Your cousins

G.  The kind of clothing you wore to school, church, parties, to play

H.  What your family kitchen looked like (or any other room in the house)

I.  Your pets

J.  What you did for entertainment

K.  Did you get an allowance, or did you have to work for spending money?

L.  What you loved about your growing up years

M.  What you hated about your growing up years

N.  What was going on in the world when you grew up? Wars, inventions, politics, etc.

O.  Sports--playing them, watching them, favorite teams

P.  Your physical characteristics as a kid

This is a pretty extensive list, but you might come up with a few more topics to write about. Some of these might be one paragraph, while others might go on for a full page. Once you start on a memory, it seems to trigger more memories. 

The weekend is here, so maybe you'll have time to get started on your slice of life writing. Go through the list and start with the one that appeals most to you, then check it off once completed and on to another. 

This kind of writing is easy, and it can be fun, as well as nostalgic. You do not need to be a professional writer to do this. Do it for your family, do it for yourself, as well. Memories can be treasures. So, do 'write what should not be forgotten' as our poster for today tells us. 

Special Moments in Your Writing Life

 

Have you had some special moments in your writing life? Are they wonderful, and then disappear like morning mist on a river? Or do you relive them now and then? 

I look at each publication of something I have written to be a special moment. The obstetrician who delivered my children once told me that every birth was a thrill for him, that bringing infants into the world never got old. As a writer, I can relate to that.

Do you share those special moments with others? Are you afraid they'll think you're bragging? You're not. Selling yourself is part of being a writer, and mentioning your publications is a part of building your platform. Don't ever feel that you shouldn't tell others when something good happens in your writing world.

I also consider a special moment when a story, essay, or poem you've been working on suddenly comes together just as you envisioned it in your head when you first got the idea. That doesn't always happen. What is in our head might not look the same in print. 

When I've had special recognition at my Kansas Authors Club convention, I count it among my special moments. One year, I was selcted Prose Writer of the Year. A surprise and a thrill. Another time, I received a Service Award for things I'd done for this state organization. Yet another year, I was recognized as being an Octogenarian. That one left me with mixed emotions, but even so, it was a special moment. 

How about the first time you had the thought that you'd like to be a writer and decided to pursue that idea? That's definitely a special moment. 

Those of you who have had a book published must feel it is a special moment when you hold it in your hands and know that you were responsible for all the words between the covers. If your book wins some kind of an award, that, too, has to be a special and memorable moment. 

There are many special moments in our writing life. When things aren't going as well as you hoped, take some time out and list those special moments, either in your head or write a list. Maybe the problem time will not feel quite so heavy when you mark those special moments. It also can help you believe in yourself.

13 Years, But Who's Counting?

 

On August 14th, three days ago, this blog and I celebrated thirteen years together. Many of you were here from the beginning, while others started reading Writer Granny's World later. Each and every reader is appreciated. This is what I wrote to begin the first post on August 14, 2009:

I'm starting a new adventure, becoming a blogger. At age 70, I'm not about to let the world pass me by. I intend for this blog to be concerned with the writing world and also my personal world, now and then. Maybe others can learn something here, find a subject that they can relate to, or just enjoy getting away for a short visit.

I noted today that I have published 3,361 posts since that first day. That boggles my mind! The best part is that I've enjoyed being a blogger. Somehow, I come up with a topic day after day. Sometimes, it's something I've seen, or read. Sometimes, I go to my photo gallery and find a quote from a writer, and let it inspire my post for that day. I've posted stories and poems that I've written along with the 'tips and encouragement for writers' that my sub-banner promises. 

I've had many fine Guest Bloggers, one just yesterday. They are all people who have a lot of history in the writing world. I appreciate each and every Guest Post they have graciously agreed to write. 

In the thirteen years since I started this blog, I have become older. That's a given! I've also gained more experience in the writing world. In this length of time, some topics about writing have been repeated, but we learn through repetition, so I feel that is alright. I try to do the repeated topics with a new slant, but sometimes it is necessaary for the sake of time on a very busy day to repost an older post that is still relevant. 

One of the best benefits of writing this blog for so many years is that I have met many other fine writers and have formed friendships, even though we've never met in person. We learn from one another, and we understand one another, as well. Another benefit is that we help each other when asked.

I have always been one to try to be of service to others in some way. First, was my short teaching career (stopped after five years to raise my children), then many years as a hospital volunteer, and finally, the blog to be of some help to other writers.

I'm not sure how many more years my blog has, but my inspiration has not waned, and I'm still coherent, so on we go for year fourteen.