Should We Keep A Journal?

A Blank Journal

Is a journal the same as a diary? I believe a journal is an expanded diary. It includes feelings, problems, emotions, reflections and more. A journal need not give explicit descriptions of where the writer went and what she/he did although those things can be included. In a nutshell, consider that the journal is the more personal of the two. 

There are writers who look at a blank white page like the one above with sheer terror. Good grief! What am I going to write on that page? Others, like me, find it greatly appealing. I consider it a fresh start, a place where I can write whatever I wish. 

We have talked here more than once about Julia Cameron's Morning Pages. She encourages writers to spend some time at the beginning of each day writing their thoughts in longhand, letting thoughts flow ceaselessly. It's similar to a free write word prompt exercise where we write continuously for 10 minutes without stopping to think. The object is to let your mind open and give you the words to write. 

You might wonder how to begin your journal or Morning Pages. You could begin with a description of the weather or how you're feeling physically or something about the cup of coffee or smoothie you're drinking as you write. All we need to do is begin and then let the thoughts flow naturally. You needn't spend a long time. 10 or 15 minutes will garner more words than you could imagine if you write without stopping to think about what you're writing. Can't get it done on a busy morning? Try it later in the day but don't skip it. 

Keeping a journal is a gift to yourself and perhaps to your family many years from now. You're leaving them an intimate look about your thoughts and feelings. We've read books and seen movies that are based on a journal someone kept long ago. Some books are even written in journal style. As we read the thoughts of the person writing, a story begins to emerge as well as the character of the writer. Maybe you don't want anyone to ever, ever read what you've written. That's your choice. When I suggest that your family might consider it a gift, I don't mean to share your writing pages with them on a regular basis. When I'm no longer living, I wouldn't mind a bit if my family reads my thoughts. It might mean something to them. I hope it does.

Whether you term your daily writing a journal or Morning Pages, the one thing that matters is that you are writing on a daily basis. It's possible that no story idea will ever come from what you've recorded in your journal. That's alright. You have written something; you have checked your innermost thoughts; you have taken a good look at you the person, you the writer, you the family member. It's also possible that the seed of a personal essay is sown or the idea for a short sotry.

Keeping a journal becomes a habit. It's up to you to work at establishing the habit. Give it a month or two. Julia Cameron suggests 3 pages in longhand but if you write half a page on Monday and 4 pages on Tuesday, that's fine. There are no hard and fast rules on journaling. Just do it! After a couple of months, assess what it has (or has not) done for you the person and you as a writer.

Addition:  Yesterday's post about thoughts of giving up writing brought a comment and poem from Terry Needham, one of our Guest Bloggers from last week. He has given me permission to share it with you.

Self doubt--

Writing feels like digging a ditch.
You take shovel in hand,
Bend over, shove blade hard into dirt,
Your back begins to ache,
Sweat breaks out on your brow,
And, you could really use a drink, as
Self-doubt whispers in your ear,
Until the shovel is full of words,
Pitched over your shoulder into a pile.
The pile of words slowly grows,
But the ditch seems to go on forever . . .
And you wonder if it will ever end,
And, Hell . . . does the world really need
One more ditch . . . or another pile of words?

10.26.2013 – T. L. Needham

Should Writers Give Up?

How many times have you thought, or said aloud, that you are going to give up writing? It happens to many a good writer. Think of all the reasons that make you feel that way. 

Here's a partial list: 

• You read a finished piece and think it stinks. 
• You submit a story half a dozen times and all that you get are rejections.
• You proofread a finished story or essay and wonder why there are so many errors.
• You see little to no progress in your writing.
• Your critique group offers more negatives than positives.
• You keep writing the same thing over and over, don't come up with a fresh view.
• Your work is filled with passive verbs and no sensory details so it seems blah.
• You don't care about the mechanics of writing, just the story so it gets rejected many times.
• You can't be bothered with writing exercises to help you grow as a writer.
• You won't attend a writing workshop or conference to learn more about your craft.

Every one of the problems in the list above can be solved. And yes, you are allowed to vent your frustration. Go ahead and do what the poster tells us--scream or cry. Maybe even throw something. You're also allowed to walk away for a short break--hours or even days. 

The one thing you should not do is give up. If you truly want to be a writer, you need to keep working at improving. Nothing happens overnight. Athletes practice hours and hours for years to make it in the professional arenas. Well, guess what? Writers need to do the same thing. There's a reason you often hear this piece of advice for writers--Don't quit your day job. We don't become an overnight success. 

If your desire to write is strong enough, you won't give up. That's not to say you won't get angry, frustrated or depressed now and then? I have. Other writers have. And so will you! 

Go back to the list and decide which points you've had to deal with. Ask yourself how each of those problems can be solved. Then work on them one by one. 

If instead, you choose to quit writing, you may regret it. Besides that, the itch to write again may be more irritating than whatever it was that caused you to quit. Why waste all that you've already put into your writing journey? 

Because it's important, I'll repeat this one more time--Please don't give up. 

Put Yourself Into Your Writing

The poster above refers to artists but we writers are artists who paint with words. The quote made me think about finding topics to write about. It often seems that whatever we consider for a story plan or an essay or a memoir has already been done. And done and done! 

Let's face it. There are only so many story plots, only so many life problems to write in a memoir, only so many essay subjects. Yes, readers are looking for something fresh and new. We writers are also looking for a never-been-done-before topic to write about. 

We can give the readers that 'fresh and new' by pursuing a topic already written about by others but using a new angle or a different perspective. We do that by using our own voice, not copying what another writer has done. 

We dig deep into our own soul to put our own nature into the piece of writing, just as the quote for today tells us. Line up twenty writers, give them a topic to write about and you're going to find twenty different stories, twenty different approaches, twenty different viewpoints. 

Many contests ask participants to write to a theme. Each entrant will interpret the theme using their own experience and imagination--those same two things I talked about yesterday when doing a photo prompt exercise. Each writer will put something of herself/himself into the entry. It's up to the judges to determine who has done it best.

Some of you are going to think that, if this or that successful author has already written on a certain topic, what makes me feel like I can do it better? Maybe it doesn't need to be better. It might work because you have a different experience than that popular writer; you have your own voice; you have creative abilities that others do not. 

Go ahead and write on any topic putting yourself into what you produce. Don't skim the surface. Instead, really look into your own soul and bring it to light through what you write. 

Help With A Writing Exercise

Why is a picture prompt such a good exercise for writers? One of the best reasons I can think of is that they help to develop our imagination and creativity. If I were teaching a class filled with twenty writers of all stages--newbies, intermediate and top pros--and I assigned the picture above for a writing exercise, I would receive twenty different stories. There is no doubt of that. Two main things enter into what comes of an exercise like this.

Experience: Each writer who studies this picture will see something different. A lot of what we see is based on our own experiences or our dreams perhaps. If the writer had lived in a place where snow in winter was the norm, the many experiences taking place on snowy days would spark their writing. But if the writer had lived in southern Florida, a snowy day like this one is only a dream. Maybe a nightmare as it doesn't appeal at all to many of these people to be cold. They can only imagine the crunch of snow under a pair of warm boots. They don't know what it feels like to have the snow land flake by flake on already-chilled cheeks. Nor do they know the joy of making a snowball or building a snowman. So, yes, experiences do play a part in what we see in a picture prompt.

Imagination:  Let's face it. Some people have more vivid imaginations than others. Walk through a museum of contemporary art with 5 people, stop before a colorful abstract painting and ask each one what they see in it. You'd get widely diverse interpretations depending on the imagination quotient of each person. Can you develop a higher degree of imagination? Yes, I think it's quite possible. As stated above, doing these picture prompts is one good way to increase your imagination. We're all familiar with stories about small children who live with a pretend friend or pet. My youngest brother kept 5 baby fire dragons and a mama fire dragon with him for a long time, blamed many of his misdeeds on them, and cautioned the rest of the family not to step on them. He's not a writer today, but I have a feeling that he'd have a good result with a picture prompt as he had that imaginative spark from early on. Doing the picture prompt exercise on a regular basis should help develop your imagination to a higher degree. 

So how about it? Give this picture a good look. Take time to study it top to bottom, side to side. Then start writing. Ask yourself where it is, what time of day it might be, who is going to come down that path and leave footprints. Add sensory details to let the reader know what it feels like in this scene. I wish I really were teaching a class of twenty writers who would hand in this assignment to me. I'd love to see what they created

Two Kinds of Writing Fairies

I'd had a story swirling in the recesses of my mind for several weeks, one that I thought would work for a new Chicken Soup for the Soul book. In the evening, I opened a blank page in Word and began to write the first draft. 

I wrote for well over an hour. The story seemed to be coming together nicely. I was aiming for 1200 words, and by the time I was ready to call it quits for the day, I had over 700 words but still a lot to be told. I didn't take time to read over what I'd written, knew there would be time to do that in the morning.

I got ready for bed, feeling satisfied that more than half the first draft was complete. I settled down in bed to watch the news but while the news anchor and weatherman jabbered on about the day's events, something began to gnaw at me. My story!

I knew that the story wasn't right but what, I wondered, was wrong with it. I mentally replayed what I'd written and the answer came. The first two paragraphs were fine, but the rest of it went into background that threatened to take over the original story. It would overshadow the original premise. Maybe I'd find a solution the next day.

Then the Bad Writing Fairy whispered that it would be a shame to lose all those words that I'd so painstakingly written. Leave it the way it is and keep going. The Good Writing Fairy rapped her over the head with her Writers Wand but smiled sweetly at me. She said to dump all except the first two paragraphs and keep going. I knew which one I should heed. I pushed both fairies off my pillow and decided to sleep on their advice.

A new day dawned, and there was no doubt in my mind that I had to begin the story again. The first thing I needed to do is delete more than 500 words, no matter how much it hurt. There is no reason to sabotage my own story with words that don't belong. I would still have those first two opening paragraphs as a springboard.

A good many stories that are published look nothing like the first draft. It's a practice round to help a writer know what direction to go. We begin and often begin again.

Writing isn't easy. Well, maybe the Bad Writing Fairy might tell you it's a piece of cake, but the Good Writing Fairy is going to remind you that it's hard work but well worth the effort. Which one will you listen to?

Information Dump--What Is It and Are You Guilty?

The man above is typical of all of us who write. He's working hard on a story and he's been at it for several hours. He's tired but keeps on. He needs to let his readers know about an event that took place years earlier and was the news story of the week. There are facts and figures to be given to readers.

So, what does he do? He uses two characters to give the readers an information dump. In one short conversation, the two who are speaking give every fact that might be found in a newspaper story on the event in question. 

What does it turn out to be? Boring! 

Or he veers from the story and writes a few paragraphs citing the information he wants the reader to know for background purposes. 

What does it turn out to be? Boring! 

A better writer, or one who is not exhausted, will lace the information in bits and pieces here and there. By doing that, the reader gains the facts in a painless way and the story has continuity.

We've all read books or short stories that are going along nicely until the author gives an information dump in two consecutive paragraphs. The actual story stops so the author can educate the reader with things that may eventually pertain to the story but serve merely to interrupt the story when given in one big lump. 

Consider that the reader is pulled away from the story itself. If it's me, I'm going to be irritated. I want to be absorbed into the story itself. I don't want to be yanked away so that the author can do the dump of info so he's sure I know what it's all about. It could feel like the intermission between acts of a play. During that time, I want to get back to the action not sit in my seat and wait.

Don't be the lazy writer or the too-tired writer who uses the information dump as a writing technique. Work on ways to filer the information to the reader so they are not aware of what you are giving them and so that they do not lose the story line. A reference here, another one there and it will all come together eventually. 

Submitting Your Writing--Round and Round We Go

Carousel in Strasbourg, France

I have loved carousels from childhood on. A few years ago, we were in Strasbourg, France walking on the outskirts of the town. As we approached the city center, I stopped to watch the lovely carousel. I'm sure I must have been smiling as I took in all its glorious bits and pieces.

Do you remember stepping onto the carousel platform, then walking round and round until you found the horse that you wanted to ride on? Sometimes, you had to run fast to get it before another child claimed that particular steed. I felt like a princess as we turned round and round with background music adding to the excitement. 

Submitting what we've written is a bit like the carousel as we need to choose a place to submit, then wait for it to either be accepted or rejected. If the first editor doesn't take it, then choose another horse on the carousel which only means we must find a second place to submit to. If it comes bouncing back, move on to yet another horse and send it once again. Round and round we go until we find that joyful yes from an editor.

We've all heard the stories about now-famous authors who submitted the same manuscript a zillion time before it was accepted. OK, maybe not a zillion but a whole lot. If memory serves me right, John Grisham submitted The Firm twenty-seven times before he finally sold it. That book was his first big hit. What if he'd given up about the tenth time--not moved on to that next horse on the carousel? 

Why did he persevere for so long? I suspect that he believed in his novel and he also believed in himself as a writer. Both are key to success. 

What if you aren't trying for publishing a novel? Maybe you, like me, write short stuff. Do you need to persevere and believe in your work and yourself?  I am convinced that it is to your benefit if you do. If you don't like what you're submitting, how in the world can you expect an editor to like it?

The writing may not be easy but selling what you've written isn't a simple matter either. Ride the submission carousel, moving from horse to horse, until you either find success or decide to yank the piece and rewrite extensively. Then, hit the carousel once again. The painted ponies will be waiting for you.

If you aren't willing to continue submitting a piece over and over again, maybe you aren't as serious about writing as you think you are.

My Turn To Share 'Why I Write"

Nancy Julien Kopp

For the past four days, Guest Bloggers have treated us to some of their innermost thoughts on why they write. Each has given a different perspective. I am grateful to Karori, Terri, Terry, and Joan for taking time to share with us. One of the side benefits of being a writer is meeting and getting to know great writers like these four. 

Now, it's my turn. I'll pose the same three questions to myself: 

 1.  Why do you write?

 2.  What does it satisfy within?

 3. How do you keep your passion for writing alive and well?

From the time I learned to read in first grade, I have loved words, stories and books. I was of the era when kids learned to read with the help of Dick and Jane, Baby Sally and their pets, Spot and Puff. They became old friends as we skipped through one book after another following the adventures of this family of children, dog and cat and parents named Mother and Father. As I became more proficient, I moved on to other books. I read constantly. Yes, I was a bookworm. I became a frequent patron of our public library and still am.

That love of reading inspired my love of writing, even though it did not happen for a good many years. The desire to write was instilled in my growing-up years but the actual habit did not develop until I was in my early fifties. Oh, how I rue that wasted time now. I cannot blame anyone but myself for the long delay. I allowed 'life' to get in the way. I probably used it as an excuse because there was an element of fear involved, too. Could I? Dare I? Should I? 

Once the now or never moment occurred, I forged on. There I was, age 53, a novice and my writing screamed 'beginner' but I persisted until I had learned more about the craft of writing and had improved enough to be a published writer. I wrote short pieces, not books. The more I wrote, the more I loved doing so and I've never taken a step back.

I write because it allows me to give something to others. I have always been a service oriented person. On a college aptitude test, I scored 96% in 'serving others' and a mere 1% in mechanical ability/interest.' The professor who went over the test with me looked at that measly 1% and said, "You don't even like to open a can, do you?" Needless to say, this is why I started my blog to give tips and encouragement to other writers. Helping other writers pleases me and allows me to share the knowledge I've gained over the years.

I write to help preserve the past by writing family stories.  In my generation of my family, no one but me does it. I have a granddaughter who writes and will, hopefully, carry on the tradition of recording our family stories. 

I write because I love putting words together to form a story, a poem or an essay. Doing so gives me great inner satisfaction. It affords me a sense of accomplishment, allows me to know I am meeting my long-term goal of being a writer. I find it satisfying to look at a blank screen or piece of paper, and know that I can fill it because of my passion for writing.

I write because I have something to say--just like so many other writers. Being able to have an outlet to 'say it' brings a form of satisfaction, too. 

I keep my love for writing alive by practicing my craft on a regular basis. This blog allows me to do so five days a week but I also make sure I continue writing other things frequently, as well. The more I write, the more I want to keep going. It's like my love for chocolate. I never seem to get quite enough and have to go back for more. 

Belonging to an active online writing group also feeds my passion for writing. Our members spur one another. 

How about you? Have you given thought this week to why you write?

I hope you have enjoyed our Guest Blogger Week. I certainly did. 

Guest Blogger Four: Why I Write

Joan Lambert Bailey

Joan Lambert Bailey is another writer who lives in Japan but she was born and raised in the USA. Her work appears in Japanese magazines on a regular basis. She is especially interested in farming in Japan.She also writes thoughtful essays and fiction.  Read Joan's response to my three questions. 

1.  Why do you write?

2.  What does it satisfy within?

3.  How do you keep your passion for writing alive and well?

Joan's Response

One of my earliest memories is of sitting at a table in the cool of our basement with an illustrated version of Audubon’s The Birds of America and pen and paper trying to copy the words. My mother paused as she passed me on her way upstairs with a basket of laundry. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m practicing,” I said looking up at her, pen still in my hand.

“For what?”

“I’m going to be a writer,” I replied.

What her reaction was I don’t recall, but my conviction never wavered. Even if writing wasn’t always my primary job, I always managed to weave it into my work. Now, it is my official title.

Writing is who I am, how I express myself, how I find myself, how I discover the world and subsequently sort through whatever I find. I write because I want to share stories of the people I meet and the work they do because words live forever and telling those stories is a gift for the future. I write because stories bring people together when nothing else will. Stories remind us of our shared humanity, open us up to other lives, beliefs, and experiences in a way that nothing else does.

Telling stories well, though, is another thing altogether. I’ve been at this my whole life, and one of the great joys of this work is also one of its great challenges: there is so much to learn. My craft is like any other. It must be cultivated daily, refined, and new techniques studied. It takes practice and time and plenty of reading, listening, and reflecting. I have to challenge myself or I become stagnant.

It is that very practice, though, that fuels and engages me. I write daily, first thing in the morning for about an hour or whatever time it takes to produce three written pages. I write about whatever comes to mind, events of the previous day, books or articles I’ve read, conversations had or overheard. It is invaluable fodder for future essays, articles or pieces underway, or just trying out new forms.

When my Muse runs off and hides, a little more effort is required. Some writers take a break when this happens, but I don’t. Writing is passion and livelihood, so I have to entice my Muse back home. At those times, I focus on the things I love to do and write about: gardening and farming, cooking and travel. I grab a hat and gloves and go to my garden to work, take a trip, or head to the kitchen to make something I crave. My mind roams free while my hands knead dough or stake and trim tomato plants, my Muse comes to see what I’m doing and inspiration returns.

I also hunt for stories that will rejuvenate my interest. I recently interviewed an urban farmer, a chef of a farm-to-table restaurant, and a farmer who teaches others how to save seeds from Japanese heirloom vegetables. By focusing on telling their story well, I remember what it is that I love best about my work and why I am compelled to do it. After all, I’m a Writer

Bio:

Joan Bailey is an American writer living in Japan where her work focuses on food, farming, and farmers markets. Find more of her work at Joandbailey.com or Japanfarmersmarkets.com

Guest Blogger Three: Why I Write

Terry Needham

Terry was a reader of my blog who contacted me and asked if I'd review his book if he sent me a copy. I agreed and he sent three different books--a poetry collection, a children's book and a fine memoir about his uncle. He lives and writes at Lake of the Ozarks, MO. His short, but heartfelt, response to my questions is below along with his credits. 

1. Why do you write?

2.  What does it satisfy within?

3. How do you keep your passion for writing alive and well?

Terry's Response

Why do you write?

I write to express the love I have known from my mother, father, aunts and uncles, grandparents, brothers and sisters, and friends and lovers. Each one conjures up a set of memories, and stories, that percolate within me, until I release them into space on the printed page . . . to be shared with anyone who cares to read.

2.      What does it satisfy within?

Sharing my memories that are rooted in love is my way of spreading the love I feel to others, and giving those stories permanence, to last as long as anyone cares to read what I have written.

3.      How do you keep your passion for writing alive and well?

As long as my memories last, I shall feel the love they conjure up, and thus the urge within my passion to spread the love is nourished.

This is a poem I wrote years ago that also answers these three questions, in the spirit of humor and writing for the sake of writing.

Unreasonable

I did not write this poem . . .

                to make money.

I did not write this poem . . .

                to be funny.

I did not write this poem . . .

                to be cool,

I did not write this poem . . .

                to be cruel,

I did not write this poem . . .

                to just profess.

I did not write this poem . . .

                to just confess.

I did not write this poem . . .

                to make you glad

I did not write this poem . . .

                to make you sad.

I did not write this poem . . .

                to teach a lesson.

I did not write this poem . . .

                to keep you guessing.

I did not write this poem . . .

                to have a ball.

I wrote this poem ---

                For no reason at all!

© April 22, 1994 T. L. Needham

BIO:  

 Terry Needham started writing and publishing when in the real estate business. He came home to Kansas City to write a book: Winning and Keeping Relocation Business, he then founded a national news magazine: Relocation/Realty UPDATE, and became a national consultant, speaker and trainer on real estate and corporate relocation issues. His publishing firm also published a Who’s Who in Relocation directory and regional newsletters for Habitat for Humanity. Needham also owned and published Kansas City Parent magazine, and published many other periodicals including five local Bar Association newsletters.

 In retirement, Needham became a full-time writer and in 2008 he published a collection of poems—PESKY POEMS, which won a READERS FAVORITE SILVER MEDAL award; and in 2010 published a historic memoir—When I Was A Child, which won USA BEST BOOKS Award, a READERS FAVORITE BRONZE MEDAL award, Honorable Mention Award-Writers Digest, plus the Best Cover award, plus a GOLD MEDAL from eBook Global Awards; and in 2012 he published an illustrated children’s Christmas story-poem—KITTY CLAUS, which was awarded a GOLD MEDAL by READERS FAVORITE; then in 2014 Needham published a novella—The She Wolf, which received an HONORABLE AWARD from READERS FAVORITE.

All of Needham’s books are available at his website: http://tlneedham.com/;

Or on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/tlneedham;

or email Needham direct @ needham@accessus.net 

Guest Blogger Two: Why I Write

Terri Elders

Terri Elders lives in California and is, like me, a senior who writes and enjoys it. We have been in several of the same anthologies. Read her interesting response to the three questions I asked.

1.  Why do you write?
2. What does it satisfy within?
3. How do you keep your passion for writing alive and well?

Terri's Response

If This Won't Suit…

By the time I got to junior high and struggled through sewing class I learned I’d never be clever with a needle like Grandma.

Some dreams, though, die hard. My dreams had always involved succeeding at something that I loved doing. I’d love sewing, just like Grandma. When the school year concluded, I decided I’d spend my summer seeking another endeavor…and another mentor.

I’d already accepted I wouldn’t be a ballerina like Anna Pavlova or a long-distance swimmer like Gertrude Ederle. Now that I had to rule out Grandma, too, who could I emulate? Where could I find someone to model my life on? Then, one afternoon as I reread my favorite book, Little Women, it became clear. I caught my breath when I read Jo March’s ringing affirmation in Chapter 14. She’d just sent off some stories to a potential publisher.

 "There,” she proclaimed, “I've done my best! If this won't suit, I shall have to wait till I can do better."

Maybe a role model didn’t have to be an actual living person. Maybe a fictional character would do. I certainly could identify with Jo’s initial hesitation and subsequent bravery. I, too, had attempted to write stories, but aside from a letter accepted for the children’s page of the Portland Oregonian, I’d never been published.

But it might not be too late. I planned to talk to my counselor about taking journalism as an elective when school began again in September. I’d always looked forward to writing essays in my English classes. Maybe I could become a reporter for the school paper, The Naturalist.

This time, at last, I met with success. I appeared to have enough aptitude to pair with my attitude. I particularly relished taking my turn at writing the continuing column, “Silhouettes,”  profiles of teachers and student leaders. I’d play with fleshing my stories out, trying to make my subjects dazzle, like the characters Jo and her sisters so admired in Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers. Whenever my teacher or fellow students offered criticism on my stories, Jo’s words would echo in my mind, “If this won’t suit, I shall have to wait till I can do better.”

I never had to wait long. If I reread my own work a few days later with a critical eye, I’d find a way to do better. That’s when I learned that the secret to good writing, as Jo knew, lay in rewriting.

I continued to write in high school and college, never failing to delight in playing with words…just like Jo. When I transferred from a community college to a state university, some unidentified teacher had scribbled in the upper right-hand corner of my transcript, “Said to be creative.”

Over the years I’ve wondered about the identity of the person who wrote that cryptic comment or if that anonymous annotator realized that all I’d ever wanted to do was to succeed at something I loved. Like Jo, I know that writing involves play, playing with ideas, playing with words, playing until I can play better, arranging...and then rearranging.

Unlike Jo, I’ve never written a play or even a novel. I’ve stuck to shorter pieces, essays, commentary, reviews, and true stories for anthologies. Writing, nonetheless, has remained my lifetime avocation, my source of joy. A blank page always has been my playground.

When friends inquire about “writer’s block,” I claim I’ve never encountered it. Jo’s spirit always remains with me…she never thought of writing as work, as something to suffer through, as something to be endured. Oh, no! For her, it was always play. In a psychology class, I came across a quote of Carl Jung’s. He had written, “The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.”

How true, I thought. Jo never doubted her ability. She never hesitated to retreat to her attic, assemble her words, and enjoy herself. Her creative spirit remains my inspiration. It never deserts me.

Even though I’d been forced to set aside the dreams of sewing my own prom dress, or dancing in the chorus of Swan Lake, or coating of myself with oil to cross the English Channel, I’ve never allowed defeat to discourage me from trying something else. Through trial and error, I, fortunately, found where my talents lay…in persistently playing with words.

Oh, sure, there’ve been times when I’m trying to write a story and patterns fail to form, or the message remains elusive, or I begin to feel too frazzled to dazzle. When it doesn’t feel like play, I put the piece away. I owe myself a break. I take that tip from Jo. I wait until I can do better. It’s the best advice I’ve ever come across.

It’s never a very long wait. And when inspiration strikes again, I remind myself that I owe it all to Jo. I am eternally indebted to Louisa May Alcott for creating her. That little woman has loomed large in my life.

Bio: Terri Elders, LCSW, a lifelong writer and editor, has contributed to over a hundred anthologies, including multiple editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul. She writes feature articles and travel pieces for regional, national, and international publications. After a quarter-century odyssey, including a decade overseas with Peace Corps, she recently returned to her native California. She blogs at http://atouchoftarragon.blogspot.com/

Guest Blogger One: Why I Write

Kaori Fujimoto

A few weeks ago, I asked four writers I know to write a Guest Blog for the week of July 16th. I posed three questions for them to answer. Each responded positively, happy to be of help. We will have a new writer and response for four days this week. Look for the common threads and also the differences in how these four view writing.

The questions I asked: 

1. Why do you write?
2. What does it satisfy within?
3. How do you keep your passion for writing alive and well?

Our first writer is Kaori Fujimoto who lives and writes in Tokyo, Japan. Here is her response followed by an impressive bio. Comments would be most welcome.

Kaori's Response

 I wish I clearly knew why I write. It is an urge, rather than reason, that spurs me to write. I had a first urge to write beautiful prose in English when I was a university student in Tokyo. I was studying international economics to work for an international organization to help make the world a better place. Yet the books I read for pleasure and for my ESL courses—Charles Dickens, William Saroyan, J.D. Salinger, and Carson McCullers, among others—nudged me out of the career path I was planning and finally swept me away to the US where I studied literature and creative writing. The urge, which even felt like a demon steering me into a course I’d never planned, has stayed with me since, even during the years of a hiatus I had from writing to become financially independent. I knew in my gut that, if I make any attempt to give up writing, something would happen and kick me back onto the writing path. So, not writing has hardly been an option, to my demon’s satisfaction—even though my little pieces of writing don’t change the world. But then I believe the world will be a better place when more people become happier by following their hearts. In this light, I may be contributing to the betterment of the planet.

I’d say this urge to write is in the realm of wild instinct, just as baby sea turtles head to the ocean as soon as they hatch on land. No one tells them where to go or why their destination has to be the ocean – they just know, so they go, moving their little legs as purposefully as their moms that crawled onto the beach to lay eggs. So, I imagine how I feel when I write and finish a piece is similar to how baby turtles must feel as they crawl into the seawater and let waves and currents take them where they belong. Doing so just feels right. Nothing else gives me the same degree of satisfaction.

What is satisfied within, then? I think it’s the desire to stay connected with my true self, to become who I’m born to be—who I’m meant to be.

Given all this, I don’t feel the need to do anything to keep my passion alive. The only effort I consciously make is to do, think, and feel only what is truthful with myself, that is, to treat myself well. I don’t write what doesn’t interest me, even if writing it may bring some money and/or recognition and define me as “successful.” Then the passion naturally stays alive and I’m here at my desk or dining table, mulling over ideas, typing a new paragraph, or revising a first draft. I don’t care whatever people say about my finished piece as long as I have done everything I could, or I feel happy about the process and what it has led to.

As I said, I don’t clearly know why I write. But probably I write solely to make myself happy, hoping that the product of my happiness will also help readers feel just a little happier than before reading it.

BIO:

Kaori Fujimoto is an essay writer and freelance translator based in the Tokyo area. She lived in the US Midwest, South, Southwest along with Hawaii to study, work, and loaf, and also traveled a lot along the US East Coast when she was young. She majored in creative writing at US colleges, and she was a fellow of the Paris American Academy Creative Writing Workshop. Her love for international settings and language has enticed her into travel, interactions with people from all walks of life in different cultures, reading widely, and writing throughout her adult life. Her work has appeared in Brevity Nonfiction Blog, South Loop Review, Easy Street, Punctuate, Peacock Journal Anthology: Beauty First, Wanderlust Journal, and more.

A Writer's Family and Friends

We writers are like other people. We have family members and friends and a host of acquaintances. We're also different from those in our lives who are not writers. Sometimes, they don't understand us. 

They wonder why we occasionally look like a mannequin in a store window--lifeless, staring straight ahead. Little do they know that inside, our mind is churning with the possibility of a new story. Something, or someone, inspired us and set us into dream mode.

They cannot fathom why we aren't able to walk by a bookstore without stopping to browse--and perhaps make a purchase. Or why we writers are such big library patrons.

How many journals can one person own? they might ask us. They don't know that we writers like anything that gives us space to write. Note paper and stationery comes into play here, too. Most of us like to send greeting cards because we can write on them. Not only our name but lovely notes, as well. We practice our prose in myriad places. 

Writers are one of the biggest groups of readers. We learn from other writers by reading their books. We admire the prose of other writers and store tidbits in our minds. We can bypass many activities that others in our family love but we don't give up reading time. Of course, many nonwriters are big readers, too. Good thing as writers depend upon them! But writers read with a different perspective and perhaps a deeper appreciation. 

Some of our friends and family members have no understanding of why a writer can spend hours holed up in a small room tapping a keyboard and be in a state of bliss. Nor do they realize why we sometimes get angry when we come up against a brick wall in something we are writing and show it in some ridiculous way. Maybe a temper tantrum. Or pacing. Or swearing a blue streak. Or shedding a few tears while pulling at our hair. Oh yeah, we all do those things now and then.

When we get a rejection, our nonwriter family and friends try to be understanding, pat you on the back and say things like Maybe next time. The truth is that they have no concept of what writers experience with multiple rejections. Only another writer has empathy for that situation. 

Nonwriters don't get why we stay on our writing journey when we are not successful on every try. There's no way to explain the passion within that keeps us writing. That's alright. It's your journey, one that you chose and one that you will continue. 

We love our family and friends, we enjoy our acquaintances but the writer part of us is totally different from all of them.

Note:  Next week I have several Guest Bloggers. They are writers who will tell us why they write and a few other things, too. 

Call For Submissions--Grandparent Stories

        

Most of my readers know that I'm a great proponent of submitting to the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. I've been fortunate to have had 21 of my submissions accepted by them. There were many others that did not make it but that's to be expected in our writing world.

One of the reasons I like submitting to this publisher is that they spell out what they are looking for clearly and concisely. If you pay attention to what it is they are seeking and also read their general guidelines, you raise your chances of being accepted. Competition here is stiff, no doubt about that, but do not let that keep you from writing a story and submitting it. 

Right now, they are looking for stories for several upcoming books but I'm featuring just one of them today.  It's the one on Grandparents. Everyone is either a grandchild or a grandparent so you all have stories to tell. 

The publishers don't just give you a broad topic and leave it to your imagination. Instead, they give explicit guidance which can help inspire you or bring back a memory. The section below in blue is what you'll find on the Possible Book Topics page.

Grandparents 

The moment a grandchild is born, grandparents are born too. And what an amazing moment that is – to see your child hold his or her child. Your grandchild! Finally, your children get to experience all of the things you experienced – both the good and the bad – while raising them! Everyone has a great story about the unconditional love and that special bond between grandparents and their grandchildren.

We are looking for heartwarming, insightful and humorous true stories celebrating that unique relationship of grandparent and grandchild. Share your special moments with us: the laughter, the tears, the support and the encouragement. These stories can be written by grandmothers and grandfathers about being a grandparent, and by grandchildren about their grandmothers and grandfathers. Stories about step-grandparents and honorary grandparents are welcomed also.

Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many more:

• The joys of becoming a grandparent
• Love across the generations  
• Continuing legacies and traditions 
• The wisdom of grandparents 
• What I learned from my grandchildren 
• What I learned from my grandparents 
• The challenges of being a grandparent 
• The challenges of being a grandchild 
• Funny stories – we love funny stories! 
• Grandchildren teaching technology to grandparents 
• Grandparents and grandchildren traveling together 
• Watching your child become a parent 
• Watching your child who is now a parent realize what you did for him or her! 
• Blended families, step-grandparenting, and other variations

The deadline date for story and poems submissions is AUGUST 31, 2018.

Read through the suggestions given here more than once. Check the deadline date. Sooner is always better than later. The editors often choose the stories they like best from the early submissions and don't have as much space to fill when those close-to-deadline ones arrive. 

Pay close attention to the guidelines page. They are not looking for a biography of your grandfather. They are not looking for a general tribute to Grandma. They are not hoping for an essay on being a grandparent. No. They want a story that fits the topic--a story with a beginning, a middle and an ending. The story should illustrate one of the topics in the list above. 

A Side Benefit Of A Writer's Conference

I'm in convention planning mode this summer. Actually, I have been working the past two years with a small group of writers in my state authors group to plan our annual convention. The convention will be in early October so this summer we have upped the pace a bit. 

I have been thinking about the advantages of attending a conference or convention for writers. There are several that get mentioned. We have an opportunity to hear speakers who are experienced in the field. We gain knowledge of specific parts of writing. We find new marketing possibilities. We are able to ask questions in workshops. We pick up all kinds of printed material geared to writing. 

One of the side benefits of a conference is being in a sea of writers. If you're that green person in the image above, you are surrounded with people who do what you do. They write. You're among a group who understands your writing problems. They've been there, too. These people know the heartache of rejection, too. Some of them also know what being published does for a writer's soul.

The break times, the lunches and banquet dinners all give you an opportunity to schmooze with other writers. I am a complete extrovert and have no problem talking to people I do not know so it's easy for me to strike up a conversation with others when I go to a conference. 

For more introverted writers, that's not a piece of cake. They wait to be approached rather than reaching out to someone, even those sitting inches away. Those writers need to work on being able to talk with other writers. A great deal can be learned by conversing with other writers, hearing their experiences and opinions. 

We also make connections for later get-togethers. Or we find people who write the same type of things we do. They are good resources for places to submit, editors who they enjoy working with and ones that are difficult, too. We cannot get that information if we don't connect with people. 

I've heard some mighty interesting conversations around a dinner table for 8 at an evening banquet. All of the people eating and talking are not always in agreement but they manage to disagree in a civil tone. Hopefully, someone at the table will notice those who are listening but not participating in the conversation and will draw them in with a question. Remember that those quiet people have a lot to offer but need to be helped to do so sometimes. 

If you attend a conference or convention on a regular basis, you get to know other regulars. I've had good conversations with other writers I've come to know on a coffee break or even while washing hands at a sink in a Ladies Room. 

Some writers are fearful of engaging one of the workshop speakers in conversation outside of the workshop itself. Don't be! Nearly all of those experienced writers who speak at conventions are happy to talk with other writers, fine with answering questions. The one thing they do not like is to have a writer waving a manuscript and asking them to please read it and give them suggestions for where it might be submitted for publication. Think what it would be like if 20 writers did that? Don't take up their time by telling them in detail what your story is about. General questions about writing are fine but don't expect a one on one critique on a coffee break. It comes down to using common sense.

Before the convention is finished, share email addresses and/or phone numbers with writers you've met whom you would like to stay connected to once you've all gone home. The beauty of today's world is the technology that allows us to reach out to others so easily. 

Take advantage of that sea of writers that surrounds you the next time you attend a writing conference. We all have something to offer to the others. 

Writers and Stored Memories

Truth to today's poster! Only yesterday, I made a comment on a facebook friend's post. Two sentences about a memory she had shared. She quickly replied that I needed to write a story based on the comment I'd made. It was something trivial from childhood days. 

As I continued to scroll through other posts, the wheels in my head started turning slowly and suddenly started racing when I realized I could write a story for a new Chicken Soup for the Soul book looking for submissions. The offhand comment I'd made on my writer friend's facebook post gave me a good topic. 

Nothing is wasted in a writer's life. We sometimes need a trigger like my friend's comment about me needing to write the story. 

Think of your brain as a room filled with tiny boxes. Each one holds an experience in your life or info about a person who crossed your path sometime during the years you have lived. Every box holds the potential for a story to write. All you need is a trigger which brings forth the memory. Then apply all your creativity to let the story emerge like a butterfly from its cocoon. 

Think of the resources in those boxes, each one very small but a treasure all its own. Consider the places you've been in your lifetime, the people you've met, the events that occurred, the good, the bad and, yes, the ugly. 

All people harbor the things mentioned above but it's the writer who can use them to his/her benefit. It's the writer who can create much from something very small. It's the writer who can make an insignificant happening a full story. 

Start organizing those wee little boxes in your brain. Peek into them now and then to find new story ideas. They're yours. They're free. They're gems! 

Whose Bicycle Is This?

Let's start the week off with a photo prompt. I loved this picture. It left questions in my mind and I hope it will do the same for you. 

Play the What if...? game as you study the photo. Or maybe we should try one called Who will...?

When you're ready to write your paragraph (or several) or a full story, keep the following in mind:

• Active verbs
• Five senses--taste, touch, sight, smell and sound
• No cliches
• Show instead of telling
• No repeating words--find new ones
• No unnecessary words like very, really, just etc.
• Nix the overlong sentences
• Use adjectives sparingly

Don't turn your nose up at writing exercises. They flex your writing muscles, stimulate the imagination and bring out your creative side. Many a writing exercise has turned into a publishable piece of writing. 

Do You Know Why You Write?

I firmly believe you can only be a writer if you love the act of writing. If you listed all the reasons people write, this would be number 1 on my list. 

My List of Reasons People Write:

1. love writing
2. an internal urge
3. a dream of being published
4. someone pushed them into it
5. to earn a living
6. fame
7. recognition
8. word people
9. to prove they can do it
10. to offer something to others

Go through the list. How many apply to you? Which one would you list as your top choice? 

The poster today makes number 1 the most important one, just as I did. The part about becoming famous or making a lot of money should be side benefits to the deep love you have for writing. 

If you're in this game only for the fame and earnings, I think your writing is going to lack something that people who love to write have. Those who have a real passion for writing allow it to emerge through the words they string together to create a story or essay.

Later this month, I am going to have a series of posts written by Guest Bloggers on the topic of why they write. I'm looking forward to learning what reasons they all have in common and some that perhaps only one of the group will give. 

Give some thought today to the reasons that you write. Put them in any order or list them as which ones are your top priorities. You may have others to add to the ten I shared with you.