A Writer Needs...

 

Thomas Mann was a German novelist. His quote on today's blog says: 'A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.' Does that make you scratch your head? Shouldn't it be easier for someone who is actually a writer? 

I believe he meant that a writer has one objective--to create a perfect piece of writing. You know, and I know, that is far from easy. 

Writers learn the tools needed and hope to write flawlessly. Nice thought, but we are all human with human failings. Even so, we can certainly strive for perfection. Sometimes we come close, and then we have a period where we leave a great deal of room for improvement.

What we want to do is use every tool in our writer's toolbox, to write with passion, and to edit ruthlessly. Those 'other people' Mann refers to are the ones who don't have the knowledge that you do. When they have a need to write something for a newsletter or for a class assignment, they tend to dash it off. When they complete that first writing, they sit back and declare it finished. You and I know that is not finished, instead it is only the first draft of what could be many. 

If writing is more difficult for writers, why do we pursue it? Because we have a drive within us that tells us we must write. It is a passion, no different than the ballerina who must dance, or the football player who absolutely needs to be on the field. We need that inner drive to succeed.

For writers, writing is more difficult because it requires more time. It's not a hurry-up kind of art. 

We keep on writing, not because it is more difficult, but because we love to write. 

Learning at a Writers' Meeting

 

Today, I'm going to share several writing world items that I have been musing upon recently. I attended a meeting of a group of writers via Zoom one evening this week. A few thoughts from that group have been swirling through my mind ever since.

A man who writes poetry shared a poem from an anthology that addresses writing as a path to healing. His poem was titled "Fargo Airport, Waiting in a Bar" He wrote about waiting in an airport bar for family members at the time of his father's death, but the poem was written ten years after that happened. It's not so unusual as it often takes time for an enlightening or understanding to take place. I once had this happen, writing a poem many years after a situation when a movie I watched triggered writing the poem.

He said the poem he read to us used a collage. He's at an airport bar having a beer while waiting and thinking about his recently deceased father. He's also reading the signs around the bar and on the beer bottle, so he incorporates a few of them into the poem. Somehow, they fit. I was not familiar with the idea of a 'collage poem.' If it interests you, use the keywords in a search engine to learn more.

The third subject that the poet left me pondering is proof of something I have long thought regarding the writing of poetry. The man has an environmental engineering degree. He has no MFA in poetry. He is living proof that anyone can write poetry and do it well enough to be published. I have never studied the art of writing poems, nor do I know the finer points and advanced terminology, but I write from my heart and have also had some poetry published. Don't ever let not having a degree or studying the art of poetry stop you from trying it yourself. 

A woman who has written more than 20 picture books for children and has illustrated several. She has had a Visiting Professorship in an MFA program. As you can see, she is a very successful and accomplished writer. She, too, has a piece in the anthology dealing with writing as a path to healing. Each contributor was asked to write an answer to the question: 'What scares you about writing?' In her talk the other evening, she said that she fears that each book will be the last piece of writing accepted. So, you see, it is not only the beginning writer who has fears. The ones who have written and been very successful have fears, too. In fact, this author listed ten of them! 

Before anyone complains, let me state that I have no aversion to people attending an MFA program to fine-tune their writing skills. I admire those who do very much. And to be asked to teach a course in one is wonderful. My point is that having a degree like this--Master of Fine Arts--is excellent but not 100% necessary to find success in the writing world. 

I often encourage writers at all stages to attend writing conferences, workshops, and short meetings like the one I mentioned here. In a mere 90 minutes, I learned from others, admired those who were presenters that evening, and continued to ponder on what came from that meeting. 

In a few weeks, I will have a review of the anthology I referred to today as a blog post. 

Writers and Rainy Days

 

People want to become writers because they have a deep feeling for the written word. And perhaps because they want to share something special with others, the readers. There is a passion that spurs them on. 

They dream about the stories and essays and poems they will write. They also dream of becoming a successful writer. It's their personal rainbow. 

As the poster tells us, to get there you need to put up with the rain. There will be a time when you feel like rejections are 'raining' down on you. Or you run into a problem area in a story and can't seem to find the key that will be the solution. Some writers have terrific success with one piece of writing, but they can't seem to equal the same kind of writing again. 

When a writer feels depressed over his/her work, it surely must feel like sitting out in cold rain with no rainbow in sight. 

When a writer lives in fear that the readers won't like his/her work, those same 'sitting in the rain' feelings can take over. What happens when you are out in cold rain, getting drenched? You shiver and shake and can think of nothing but getting to shelter and dry clothes. The rainbow you once strived for seems farther and farther away. 

There is hope in all of this. Every writer who goes through these rainy periods on their writing journey and keeps going will become a better writer. And, he/she will appreciate the rainbow days all the more. 

Achievement in your writing world does not come easy. There are obstacles along the way. There is hard work involved. Your desire to write has to be strong so that you'll push through those rainy days toward sunshine.

A Family Story With Lessons Learned

 

I was looking through my Documents File yesterday for a story I wanted to submit. I got sidetracked by scrolling through the entire list, stopping to read a few stories I've written over the years. I write them primarily for my family. I want them to know what life was like in my growing up years, about their grandparents' lives, and bits and pieces of life with my siblings, too. I keep these stories in a computer file but also in a large 3-ring binder. 

I've also made a binder filled with family stories for each of my brothers. Two of them are deceased now, but the stories are now for their children and grandchildren. The stories don't change, but those who possess them do. 

I'm going to share one of the stories I found yesterday about what it was like to spend mornings with my mother in my grandmother's small neighborhood bakery when I was quite small, 3, 4, and 5. The memories are quite clear, probably because I was impressed with that part of my young life. As an adult, I realized the lessons I learned during my time in the workroom of the bakery, so I incorporated that into what I wrote. I'm sharing it today as an example of what you can do with a family story. Maybe my story will trigger a memory of your own that you can write about.

Grandma’s Bakery—Memories and Lessons

I watched my Uncle Paul put long pans of rolls into the big oven. He grinned and said, “Tea Break.” 

He didn’t have to say it twice. I hurried over to the long, narrow table covered with light green oil-cloth. It was the place where my mother and her brother and their mother took time to rest from long hours on their feet.

Grandma owned a small, neighborhood bakery but could only run it with morning help from family. I was family but certainly, no help, being a preschool child. Even so, I had the rare privilege of spending a few hours each day in a world scented with cinnamon, yeast, and family. 

     

At the table, thick white cups on matching saucers were set before each of us and a plate of some fresh-baked delicacy graced the center of the table. I scrambled onto the long bench and waited while Grandma brewed the tea in a large brown teapot. 

     

“You can only make good tea in a brown pot,” she said as she poured the steaming liquid into our cups. 

     

She filled mine half-full, then added milk and a bit of sugar. “English tea for you,” she’d say before she sank onto the bench. Grandma added some sugar to her tea and passed the plate of sweet rolls or cookies or whatever it happened to be. She conditioned me to crave a little something sweet when having a cup of tea.

     

Our tea breaks weren’t long for there was always a new task waiting for these three members of my family. When we’d eaten every crumb on the treat plate and drained our cups, Grandma and Uncle Paul went back to the baking. My mother relieved Adeline, the girl who worked in the front room serving customers. I’d kneel on the bench and wait for Adeline to come to the table and pour her own cup of tea. Grandma brought her a small plate with a treat on it and I chattered while Adeline savored both her tea and a rest. She was young and pretty with golden curls, always smiling or laughing.

     

I heard Grandma say one day that Adeline was a good worker despite being so young. “Those Czech girls know how to work. I’d hire another one to help her if I could afford it.”

     

The bakery served as Grandma’s only income, and she watched her pennies carefully. Adeline never complained about low pay. When she finished her tea, she’d give me a hug and hurry back to the front room to continue selling bakery goods and taking orders for later. I peeked around the edge of the doorway and watched as she wrapped the purchases carefully and handed them to the customers along with her warm smile. “There you go,” she’d say. “Come back soon.”

     

Every bone in my skinny little body yearned to be out front with Adeline. I wanted to talk to the customers, too, but it was forbidden territory. Grandma told me I must never go through that doorway. My mother told me. My Uncle Paul told me. Even so, the lure of that front room with people coming and going proved to be my undoing now and then. 

     

As soon as I started peeking around the doorway, I inched my way through on tip-toes. I tried to stand behind the bakery cases and watch but it never lasted long. I’d feel a strong hand grasp my upper arm and I got pulled, none too gently, into the work room. Two things happened next. First came the scolding followed by me being marched to the side of a large refrigerator. “Now you stand there and think about what you did.” Uncle Paul repeated the same words every time.  He turned me so that my back was against the fridge and my face far away from the doorway that lured me like a siren of the sea so many times.

     

I spent the half-hour watching all the activity around me--Grandma and my mother rolling dough or slicing apples for pies and Uncle Paul hoisting huge tins of flour and sugar for them. Then he’d punch down the bread dough and begin shaping it into loaves. I loved the yeasty aroma that drifted into every corner of that big workroom. 

     

Sometimes, I’d be able to see deliverymen come through the back door toting everything from lard to flour to butter to sugar, milk, and eggs. Grandma got extra rations for her business during those WWII years. I learned that making a business successful meant hard work and being careful with money.

     

Occasionally, Adeline came to the workroom to get more baked goods for the cases. She didn’t dare talk to me during punishment time nor could I speak to her. But as she walked by, arms loaded with bread and cinnamon rolls, she’d make a funny face and wink at me. I clapped my hands over my mouth so I wouldn’t giggle. I learned that punishment was serious business but it didn’t mean the end of the world. Life would go on after I’d served my sentence.

     

When Uncle Paul gave me the signal, I dragged a big flour tin close to Grandma and climbed onto it so I could watch at the high table where she worked. If she had nuts ready to use, I asked her, “Just one nut for me, Grandma?” and she’d hand me one. I had my single pecan every day of the week. If she was making fancy tea sandwiches for a catering order, I’d ask, “Just one for me, Grandma?” She’d hand me the tiny treat without a word. I learned that even a little bit of something you crave is satisfying.

     

The mornings in Grandma’s bakery remain a clear memory. I see my grandma in her Mother Hubbard apron, hair braided and wrapped atop her head like a crown. Her rimless glasses steamed often from the heat of the ovens and hot water in the deep sink. I see my mother, young, with a colored ribbon woven into her curls, apron wrapped around her cotton dress darting me warning looks if I ventured near the doorway to the front room. I see my Uncle Paul with his thick, blond hair swept straight back from his forehead, a large flour sack towel tied around his waist for an apron. I see Adeline running back and forth from the front to the workroom, curls bouncing, with always a word or a pat for me.

     

Some families would not have wanted a small child wandering around a busy workroom like Grandma’s. I consider myself the fortunate one for being accepted there. I learned so many small life lessons that serve me to this day and I felt safe and loved, despite the occasional scolding.

     

It’s when I have a cup of tea now that these memories and lessons learned come floating back to me. Once again, I am at the oil-cloth-covered table with Grandma pouring my English tea and handing me a sweet roll smelling of yeast and cinnamon. 

My Grandmother

Writers Need A Brand

 

Lovely Lavender Lilacs

A number of years ago, I attended a conference at a beautiful state park in Virginia. One of the speakers talked about 'branding' for writers. The term was new to many of us, but for Mary it was more than familiar as she ran a company that helped organizations and businesses get known to others. 

Branding for writers is doing all you can to let people know who you are and what you write. You should stand out as an individual in a large group of writers. Why and how are you different in some way? Your objective is to get yourself known well enough in the writing world that, when people see your name, they will associate certain things with you. Maybe the genre in which you specialize or a special trademark that you have developed. Or a particular topic you write about. 

Think about a few well-known authors. Say the name and what comes to mind? John Grisham--mysteries. Nora Roberts--mystery/romance. Steven Spielberg--horror stories. Dr. Seuss--children's rhyming books. They have each developed a brand. Your readers' perception of you is your brand.

A lot of writers would be perfectly happy holed up in their home office writing every day, not meeting the public at all. You can do that, but you do yourself disfavor. If a writer, whether of books or short pieces or poems wants to be known by the public, he/she needs to work at it. He/she should work at creating a brand. 

A few ways you can develop your own brand: 

Use social media. I know that many of you don't want any part of the social media world. You should do it to keep your name visible. That means you don't hop around Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or the newest one--Tik Tok once a month. Post something at one or more of these every day, or at least a few times a week. If you're a book author, start your own group page. Readers who like your books will gravitate to it quickly. Pop in now and then to make a comment or a new post. Readers love to hear from you, the author. Once you start using social media, you can easily develop the habit. 

Have a website or blog. Or both! If you're a well-known author, you won't have any problem getting viewers, but if you don't have a readily recognized name in the writing world, it will take longer to get followers. This is quite an important step in the branding process. Doing this will strengthen your image to readers and perhaps sell more books. Having a website or blog lets people know what they are getting when they read your work.

Be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to find new readers and let them know who you are and what you write than writing a post on someone else's blog. Bloggers are good about trading. You be a Guest Blogger for me, and I'll do it for you. Once again, you're getting your name out and letting readers know who you are, what you write.

Try a tagline. Not everyone can come up with a terrific tagline which they use everywhere they appear, be it social media, posting on another blog, their own blog etc. It should be short and tell who you are. Your tagline is no different than the slogan a major company uses for its product. You see them so often, you recognize them in a flash. That's the purpose of creating your own tagline. Perhaps mine is the title of my blog--Writer Granny's World. It tells you I'm a writer, a grandmother so family is important to me and in my writing, and I invite you into my writing world. I could even use something like 'family stories from the heart.' You want something catchy, not too long, and that people will remember. 

Writing involves far more than the writing itself. As writers, we need to sell ourselves to the readers. It's all part of the job.

4 Keys to Opening Your Writing World

 

I heard a children's sermon yesterday that talked about the keys to Heaven, and as I listened, my thoughts turned to the keys in our writing world. 

What are the keys that open up our writing world? There are several. No one key will work. You will need a set of keys to do so. 

Key #1:  You'll need a set of writing tools which includes a great many items. One is knowledge of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. No matter how great your story is, if you don't do well with these three bits of help, you'll never see your work published. Another is knowing how to use sensory details. Being able to write with emotion so that the reader feels the same is a most helpful tool. The art of good, and not overdone, description is another. This set of tools is the mechanical part of your writing world.

Key #2:  Patience. I wrote a blog post very recently about the patience a writer needs to find success. It's the ones who are not willing to take the time to write on a daily basis, to practice writing with exercises, and who get frustrated at having to wait for an answer to a submission who give up and walk away. Often far too soon. Making it in the writing world takes more time than non-writers would ever realize. 

Key #3:  Perseverance. This goes hand in hand with #2. It's difficult to have one without the other. Giving up too soon is all too common. If you want to be a writer, you must work diligently for a very long time. When those rejections knock you down, you need to stand up and start all over again.

Key #4:  Passion. Namby-pamby writers aren't going to get very far. Writers need to have a passion for writing. If you've heard the expression "Write from the heart," there's wisdom in those words. We have to be able to feel the desire to write. I know writers, including myself, who say "I can't not write!" 

Writers Need Patience

 

Throughout the eleven years of writing blog posts,  I've promoted my own keywords which are 'patience' and 'perseverance.' Neither one is easy to achieve. 

Today, let's look at 'patience.' I readily admit that I have never been a patient person, not in my growing-up years or most of my adulthood. When I entered the writing world in my mid-fifties, I concentrated on learning the craft, refining my beginner skills, and writing on a daily basis. When I finally felt that I could start submitting my finished pieces to editors, the first lesson on patience on this journey arrived. The infernal waiting to hear from an editor tried every bit of patience I had, even though it was very little. You wait and wait and wait... Sometimes a rejection was sent, other times nothing came to tell me that they could not use the story sent. 

 As time went on, I started receiving a few acceptances. Even so, the wait proved longer than anyone likes. A piece of advice in a book on writing served has served me well. 'After submitting a story, forget about it and start working on the next one.' No matter how long you've been writing, you feel anxious waiting for the result of a submission, so why not keep busy by writing more?

Many guidelines give an approximate number of weeks before the editors make a decision. It helps to know that, but you still need to develop a way to wait without getting antsy. Not all editors put the amount of time for waiting in their guidelines. They may feel it's too restricting for them., but hey aren't the ones who have to learn to be patient. You do.

Writers who have little patience are often the ones who give up, and usually all too soon. To become a good writer and a published writer takes time. Lots of it. If this was a recipe, I'd say 'use a cupful of time and 3 cups of patience.' Today's poster says "Go over, under, around, or through, but never give up."

Patience comes in dribs and drabs, never in one fell swoop. It's a mental state that you need to develop a little at a time. I've found that the older I get, the more patience I have. You can't very well make yourself older so that you have more patience quickly, but it might be good to know that impatient people do find it easier to wait when they've added a few years.

If you ever feel like giving up on your writing journey, give yourself a quiet lecture in a mere sprinkling of words. 'Take your time.' Maybe making a small sign that you can put near your computer would help. If you see those words every day, aren't they bound to sink in? Work on acquiring patience instead of giving up.

A few quotes on patience: 

All great achievements require time.  Maya Angelou

Patience is a key element of success.  Bill Gates

The secret of patience is to do something else in the meantime.  Croft M. Pence

Trust the process. Your time is comng. Do the work and the results will handle themselves.  Tony Gaskin

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.  Aristotle

Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind.  David G. Allen 

A Writing Exercise That Brings Results

 

What will she write?

Last evening, I attended a writing group meeting in California via Zoom. At one point, we were given a prompt to do a Freewrite exercise. Several people read what they had written. It amazed me how welldone they were, All the writing tools they had came through in what each had written. 

This enforced my own belief that once you have learned to use the writing tools in our word world, they become automatic whenever you write, even in an exercise like this. It's a vote for 'practicing your writing every day.'

Usually, my Freewrite exercises are done with either one word or a photo. Marlene Cullen, the moderator of The Write Forum, sends prompts that are several words. Last evening, the 4-word prompt inspired everyone at the meeting. The prompt:  The last time I...

Those few words brought everyone in a different direction. My very first thought was 'The last time I saw Paris' but only because of the lyrics in a song. I scratched that and instead, my first line was 'The last time I saw my mother...' And I was off. By the end of the allotted time, I had a rough draft for a personal essay. From the ones we heard read aloud, I would say each one could either stand alone or be expanded upon. 

By now, you should know the drill. Find your prompt, whether a photo, word, or the beginning of a sentence. Set a timer for 10, 15, or 20 minutes. Then write without stopping, without thinking, until the timer alerts you that it's time to conclude your thoughts. 

Will you always come away with a full piece of writing good enough to continue working on? No, but oftentimes you will. Or you might lift one valuable paragraph to continue working on later. Sometimes, what you write in this kind of exercise is pure drivel, but most of the time, you'll find something worthwhile.

Freewriting allows your mind to open and your subconscious to surface into actual thoughts. It also can trigger memories that you can use in a story or memoir or inspirational piece. You can even turn what you have into poetry.  I like to think of it as searching through the attic of your mind. You never know what treasures you might find. 

Marlene Cullen, the leader of last evening's zoom meeting, has a blog that gives you many excellent prompts as well as some book reviews and articles by guest bloggers. I have been a guest blogger several times for her, and she has done the same for me. You'll find her blog at 

https://thewritespot.us/marlenecullenblog/  There is a place to sign up to receive the blog regularly. It would be a great way to be sure you do some writing exercises on a regular basis. 

I'll leave you today with a Freewrite prompt:  I remember when...

Travel Memoirs To Read and Write

 

        TRAVEL

This morning, I read a guest post on the Memoir Writers Journey blog. The post was written by Carole Bumpus, the author of a travel memoir. The book cover is below and the article can be read here. 

In her post, Ms. Bumpus relates the importance of family traditions and stories along with the food of the region. A perfect travel memoir.

Travel memoirs are of interest to readers who cannot travel but also to those who do. The first group gets to 'see' a country and its people through the eyes of the memoir writer, and the second group has the joy of reliving places they've enjoyed. 

One of the nice parts of a travel/food memoir is that the author is not dealing with a tragedy in his/her life as so many memoirs do. Not that there is anything wrong with that type of memoir. It's a different approach, and we all do like a variety in whatever we do and wherever we go. 

I was particularly interested in the way Ms. Bumpus used the family stories I so often urge people to write as a complement to the foods of the region and her traveling. You may notice that the book she is writing about is Book 2. I searched for her name at Amazon and found not only Book 1 but also a novel and a recipe book to accompany the novel. 

If you have any interest in writing a travel memoir with a theme, I would suggest reading as many as you can find. My book club once read A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. It's a most entertaining book in which he shares one full year of life for his wife and himself in a 200-year-old stone house along with the local color and foods, joys and mishaps, and more. Do a search with the keywords 'travel memoir' and see what others you can find. 

A travel memoir is not a report of a trip with a day by day description of where you are, what you saw, what you ate. That works fine in your own travel journal. A person who writes a travel memoir must also be a good storyteller, and he/she must give the reader something to take away. You must share what you learned with the reader. You want to take your reader on both a real journey and an emotional one. You're not writing a guidebook. 

Have any of you written a travel memoir? Please tell us about it in the comments section below.

A Photo Prompt Writing Exercise

 

This is a great picture for a photo prompt writing exercise. Study the photo, not only look but study. Then start the What if...? game and proceed to write a paragraph or a few, or a full story based on what you see here. 

Remember to include sensory details. Use similes or metaphors. Using both of these writing tools will bring your story to life. You can transport readers to the scene. 

Who is that girl? Whose car is it? Where is she? For what reason? Is she waiting for another or several others? Give her a name. 

Photo prompt exercises can be fun. Put your imagination into full gear when you do this one. 

6 Ways for Writers to Boost Self-confidence

 

It stands to reason that if you make a habit of doubting your ability as a writer, you're going to squeeze your creativity dry. 

What makes us doubt our writing capabilities? I once interviewed several over age 50 writers about why they waited so long. A few of the writers told me that a teacher in high school or college had criticized something they had written, and the desire to write shut down for many years. Thankfully, they all did begin writing during middle-age, became published in small publications or large, and continued writing as they grew older. Wouldn't it have been better if those teachers had first pointed out what they liked about the person's essay or story, then showed them how it might be better? 

I'm an example in another field--art. In college, I had to take a class called Art for the Exceptional Child. I was a Special Education major, and this was a required class. One day, we were given a lump of clay and directions on creating something artistic. I struggled but finished. The instructor looked at my effort and, in a voice dripping with sarcasm, said, "That would be fine if a blind child had done it." Needless to say, I have never forgotten her exact words, and I have a mental block concerning all art to this day. 

The same thing happened to me when I was around 9 years old and asked my grandmother to teach me to crochet. I admired the lovely things she made with her crochet needles. As I stood next to her, the needles never stopped as she said, "No, you're much too clumsy." I never learned to knit or crochet anything! Wouldn't it have been better for her to tell me she would teach me when I was a little older? I wouldn't have felt like an idiot and had something to look forward to. 

So, yes, others can be responsible for our self-doubt. We can also be the one to feed our lack of confidence in our writing ability. I excelled in English classes all through school, so I felt confident that, while I couldn't be an artist, or do special handiwork like my grandmother, I could write. Writing was the art I most wanted to pursue, and I knew I could be successful mostly because I believed it and continued to have a positive attitude. I also realized that it wasn't going to happen overnight, that I had to work at being a writer.

The rejections we have all received don't do a lot to boost our self-confidence. In fact, we need to fight to keep a positive outlook and to find a lesson in the rejections that will help us be better writers. Once we get a few acceptances, a lot of our self-doubt disappears, and we want to keep writing. 

To develop more self-confidence as a writer you should:

1. forget about teachers and other adults who criticized your writing long ago. They are one person.
2. concentrate on the positives in your writing journey, not the bumps in the road.
3. continue learning about the craft of writing through reading, conferences, and visiting with other writers,
4. practice writing on a regular basis.
5. do writing exercises.
6. count all the good things that have happened to you as a writer.

Bring a Voice From the Heart to Your Writing

 

Words Are The Voice Of The Heart

I have a stone coaster by my computer that is black with gold letters that send a message to me every time I look at it. Words Are The Voice Of The Heart. So simple but also meaningful.

Writers brush words across a paper canvas, but the words are not always from the heart. We sometimes think only of writing as our job, our business, and we lose the emotion that should drive those words we write. 

If we don't write with emotion, others will not see or feel the emotion as they read our words. I read a short essay the other day that brought a lump to my throat and left me feeling warm all over. That writer wrote from her heart, and in doing so, she reached mine. 

There are writers who have a hard time showing their own emotions in their writing. Let's be honest, many of us cannot show emotion publicly when speaking to others or delivering a speech. Think about the workshops you've attended, and I'm guessing they are many. Which ones do you remember the most? Probably the speakers who spoke from their heart, who bared their emotions to you, and brought your own emotions to the surface. Those are the workshop presenters who make you want to hurry home and start writing. 

It works the same with what you write. Bring your voice from your heart, and you'll impress your readers far more than if the words come only from your head. Show that you care about the words you write. Even if you're writing a How-To article. You can add personal experience to back up your advice. Show your readers how doing the How-To affected you. Personalization speaks to readers.

You would think memoirists always write from the heart, that they bring their heartfelt feelings to their readers. The successful ones do, but there are others who still are afraid to bare their souls and write with the feelings and emotions that sparked whatever it is they are writing about in their memoir. Readers don't want a mere report of what happened. They want to hear your 'voice of the heart.'

For a writing exercise, write about an experience you had. Anything, anywhere. Write it first telling what happened as a report, no emotion. Then write it again and add your feelings, the emotions that you had when it happened. When you write the second version, use the voice of you heart. 

Is Your Writing Life Affected by the Pandemic?

 

The quote for today says "Everything that happens in our life is a catalyst for change and growth."

These words seem to carry more weight in our world today than ever before. Since mid-March, I've certainly had time to look at many parts of life in a different light. More than likely, you have, too.

That includes our writing life. How has your outlook on your writing world changed? Do you feel as though you've grown as a writer, stayed the same as before, or regressed? 

I have not been nearly as inspired to write during this downtime, and that concerns me. Yes, I write this blog 5 days a week, and I keep up with my commitment to my online writing group, but writing new stories has been far slower than usual. In talking with other writers, I find that I am not alone in this change. In fact, many are doing even less than I am. If you're feeling the same way, don't despair. I'm hoping that when our lives start running on a more normal track, we'll want to write more.

I have seen calls for submissions in a couple places (please don't ask where; I didn't keep note of them), so some writers might find inspiration from seeing those calls. Try a search engine to see who is looking for pandemic stories. Since writers are always looking for inspiration and places to submit their work, it could be a real boon for some writers. 

There may even be a few writers who have been spurred to write more, not less, than usual. Cheers for all who fall into this category.

Some will delight in having more time to write since they aren't attending organized events, or spending time shopping, or have more time because they work at home and are not commuting. We're always hoping for more writing time, and now that it's been forced upon us, we should try to put it to good use. 

What about the growth part of the quote. Do you feel as if you have grown as a writer during the many months of our pandemic? If you're not writing, there is little chance for growth. For those who have been writing in 2020, you have a much better chance of growing as a writer. Keep going! 

The pandemic, the civil unrest, and the sniping back and forth of politicians is bound to affect us in many ways. Possibly in our writing life, as well. Take some time to ponder how you have been affected on your writing journey during this unusual time.

Writers--A Bouquet For You

 

From Me to You

I'm sending you flowers today for all the times you couldn't find inspiration to write.

I'm sending you flowers today for the rejections that have piled up through the years.

I'm sending you flowers today for the times you've written and deleted or torn up a draft.

I'm sending you flowers today for the days you've doubted your ability to write well enough to be published.

I'm sending you flowers today for the myriad times you've searched and searched for a market for your stories.

I'm sending you flowers today for the frustrations you've had on your writing journey.

I'm sending you flowers today to soothe the fears you've had about your ability to write.

I'm sending you flowers today for the zillion edits you've done on all the pieces you've written.

I'm sending you flowers today because you haven't given up.

I'm sending you flowers today because you're a writer, and that is to be celebrated.

I'm sending you flowers today because I am a writer, too, and I understand your writing world.

I'm sending you flowers today because I care.

In Writing--Faith Over Fear

 

 

Writers make mistakes as they move along their writing journey. None of us are totally immune to doing something we wished we hadn't in our writing life. 

Sometimes we hurry the process, and it shows. We don't present our best work when we move too quickly. Maybe we toss something in we think is correct but hadn't taken time to do a little checking or research. We could get called on it by a reader. We might grab a title quickly out of the air only to think of a much better one when it's too late. 

These are only a few of the mistakes we make. The more often that an error comes up, the more we fear moving on, or even trying to do so. This is when we need to give ourselves a pep talk. It's when we need to encourage faith in our own abilities. We need to put faith over fear. 

One of the best ways I know to increase your faith in yourself and decrease your fears in your writing life is to make two lists. List A should be made of all the things you fear about writing. In List B, show the pluses in your writing life, the good things that have happened, and what you feel are your strengths as a writer. On which list should you concentrate? That's a no-brainer question. 

We need to pump up our own confidence level and we should do it on a daily basis. Maybe then, we can start believing in ourselves. If you dwell daily on your mistakes and your fears about writing, what do you think will happen? Yes, you'll start convincing yourself that you cannot write well, that all you do is flub up. 

Learn to have faith in yourself. If you don't have it, no one else will have faith in you either. Editors and readers figure it out fairly easily when you write without confidence in what you can produce.

Let's go back to those lists. I said to concentrate on List B, but you might also want to go through the first list and address those fears, one by one. Ask yourself if the fear is justified or are you responsible for creating your own fear? If the fear is justified, what can you do about it? How can you change whatever that fear happens to be? 

Work at having faith over fear, and you'll be both a happier writer and a better one. 

Writers--Tight is Right

 

When we look at a blank page, be it in a book to use for journaling or on our computer screen, we can write anything we want to. And any way. It's our choice. No holds barred. But wait...

We do have to stay within certain perimeters if we want to see our work published. Editors set word counts. They tell us to send a 'story' not an 'essay' or they tell us what we send must be fiction, or sometimes true. They also don't want writers rambling all over the page. Instead, we're urged to 'write tight.' So many guidelines that fence us in a bit.

To be published, we must follow those rules set by the people who have the final say as to whether your story will be seen by the public or not. 

Let's look at the art of writing tight. Our aim in anything we write is to grab the reader's attention and keep it. If we ramble like a herd of cows on the prairie searching for ever-sweeter grass, we're going to lose our reader in a hurry. 

Master the following and you'll never have a problem being told to write tighter:

1. Eliminate unnecessary words like just, really, quite, very. They do nothing but take up space. 
2. Use active verbs to replace the 'to be' passives like was, is, had been, are. To do this, you may have to flip the order of the sentence. Don't just try to insert the active verb where you had the passive one. It doesn't always work.
3. Practice writing flash fiction; enter flash fiction contests. You want to try the ones that ask for 100 to 300 words, or even less. There can be no extras in this kind of writing. 
4. Delete words wherever you can. If your max word count is 1200, and you have 1357 words, don't despair. You can cut those extra words and not lose anything in your story. I've done it many times, and you can, too. Look for ways to reword a sentence so that it uses fewer words but still gets the same idea across. Cut those unnecessary words. Do all the things mentioned in this list, and you'll be surprised at how many words you can cut. 
5. Get rid of dialog tags by using merely an action to show who spoke. Jane slammed the book on the table. "I will not read anything this woman writes again!" There is no need for the usual 'she said' It's perfectly clear who said it.
6. Use clear and to the point sentences. Don't embellish with lots of adjectives and adverbs.
7. Read a lot of poetry. Why? Poets are masterful in economizing on words. Note how they write and try it in your prose.

Can you write 'too tight?' Yes, and you want to be careful that you don't cut down and out so many things that you've lost your story and will surely lose your readers. 

Keep in mind that 'tight is right.'

 

Public Library Atrium, Manhattan, Kansas

The photo today is of a metal sculpture in my local library. It depicts the animals in Aesop's Fables. As well as being unique, it is dear to my heart as I was president of the Friends group at the time money was being raised, and the sculpture put up. It came in a big truck in pieces and reassembled. More than once, I have seen a child studying the animals and the rest of the lovely piece of art. 

The metal sculpture is an unusual and beautiful adornment to a building I love. My mother introduced me to the wonders of the library world when I was in first grade and had learned to write my name. That printing of my name was key to receiving my first library card. I had learned to read at school and was eager for more.

We're told that writers should be readers. That said, readers should be library users. One follows the other. Writers should not only read, but they should foster the love of reading in their children, or perhaps siblings, or even a spouse who had not been a reader when a marriage took place. 

I had better add here that there is nothing wrong with purchasing your books. Authors much prefer that you do, but many people cannot afford to buy myriad numbers of books over a year. Do buy some but use your library, too.

Think back over the years about the different libraries you have known--the first one you ever visited, perhaps your college library where you spent time studying and doing research, and the ones in the various towns you've lived in. Whenever we have moved, one of the first places I visit is the local library. Grade schools, middle schools and high schools also have libraries. They vary in size and quality. Many teachers have small libraries within a classroom. 

A Carnegie Library is one built with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist. Using his donated funds, these libraries were built between 1883 and 1929. The funds were not just tossed aimlessly to those communities who asked for them. The money was given along with a 6 Step Plan for librarians to follow. The original library in my community (Manhattan, KS) was one of the libraries built with this special fund. The building we have now is entirely different from that early one built more than 100 years ago. You might check to see if your local library was one of the original Carnegie Libraries. 

I have posted an essay about libraries that I wrote several years ago here a few times, so I won't post the entire piece now. Just one paragraph that tells about the library, any library, being my 'second home.' (Miss Maze was the librarian at the very first library I used)

 

Now, when I open the big glass door to my local library and walk through the atrium to the book-lined shelves, I feel just like I did when Miss Maze took my hand and led me to the children's books. I am happy and contented, as though loving arms have surrounded me with a great big hug. Best of all, I still feel exciting anticipation of the unknown treasure waiting for me amongst the volumes that line the shelves in my second home.

What is memorable about your own library experience? This would be a good topic for your Family Stories. 

The 'What if...?' Writing Exercise

 

I attended a writer's meeting on Zoom last night. The people there were all from California plus me all the way from Kansas. In one conversation about inspiration--where you find it--, an old exercise was mentioned. It's called the "What if...?" and is meant to stir your imagination.

For those not familiar with playing the "What if...?" game, it's not difficult and can reap many benefits. It also helps you develop your writer's eye so that you become more observant of your surroundings.

Let's say you're walking your small dog in the park. There are kids on bikes, mothers pushing strollers, and other dog walkers. In the distance, you spot an older man who has a large dog on a leash. The dog is pulling at the leash with every step. Your mind starts the exercise by saying 'What if that big, strong dog gets away from his master? What if the big dog runs toward me and my dog? What if he knocks over a small child on a bike? What if people start yelling? What if a policeman comes running, captures the dog, and returns him to the old man? But, what if the dog reaches my little Daisy-poo, picks her up in his massive jaws, and runs straight to the road running by the park? What if he suddenly stops and lays down in the grass with Daisy between his paws and gently licks her head? 

You can see how this goes. Your mind can develop several scenarios for this situation. Which one would make the best story? So many possibilities.

Another possible use of this exercise is when you're at a point in your story and find yourself without a clue as to where to go next. Play the "What if...?" game using as many possibilities as you can think of. You'll discard some right away as they are impossible or ridiculous. Others are ok but don't grab you. You're going to hold on to the one that makes you say, "oh yeah, that would work." 

You could be having a fine time at the beach, lounging on a chair in the sand watching a little boy digging in the sand by the water's edge. His mother is nearby. Your mind starts asking "What if the little boy ventured farther out in the water? What if the mother turned to talk to someone and didn't see him? What if some older boys are roughhousing and knock the little boy down? What if he goes underwater, sand pail and shovel still in hand? What if no one sees what happened?" Of course, in real life, we hope that little boy stays perfectly safe with Mama by his side. 

Use this exercise to move a story along and for inspiration for a new story to write. Do it often enough, and your mind will automatically start saying 'What if...?"

An Exercise to Set Your Writer's Voice Free

I've encouraged you to do freewrite exercises many times. Many times because they are worth your time and effort. The poster today gives you one reason to do the freewrite exercise--to set your writer's voice free. 

The exercise is quite simple. Pick up a book, open it, close your eyes and point to a page. Whatever word your finger lands on is your prompt word.  Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write the word, then let your fingers go as fast as you can writing whatever comes into your mind. It need no be a story; it can be a jumble of different sentences that have no relation to one another. Or, it can morph into a vignette, or slice of life piece. It's whatever comes from the recesses of your mind. 

It's possible that what you write ends up being pure drivel, or it can be something that has real merit, something you can build on. 

You're going into parts of your mind you don't always use by making this a no-holds-barred exercise. Opening closed doors in your subconscious can help you with future writing. 

If you don't want to use the 'pick a word blindly from a book' method, here is a list of word prompts. Choose one today and freewrite for 10 minutes. Don't stop and ponder. Just keep writing. Try another tomorrow and the next day. Most of all, have fun with this one.

• sky
• field
• dynamite
• sorrow
• fun
• carousel
• train
• elongated
• misery
• flower
• storm

3 Kinds of Writers and a Power Outage

I'm late in writing my post today as our power went out around 8:30 this morning. I thought I could still use my laptop since it was fully charged, but when I turned it on, I discovered no internet! I tried to call a friend on my landline, and the phone had a message about no power in the holder. No tv. No radio.No airconditioner. My cellphone needed charging but couldn't do that either. So, I went for a walk that needs no power other than my own. I came home and sewed on a button that I'd needed to do for days. No power needed for that. We had power at 10:30. 

While I was on my walk, a neighbor passed and said, "We didn't need one more bad thing, did we?" 

The photo poster today made me think about my early morning situation and also about writing. Looking at it line by line:  The pessimist complains about the wind.  Grumbling about the power outage would have brought no results. The optimist hopes for it to change. Yes, I did hope for it to change but hope alone was not going to get it done. The realist adjusts the sail. I think I did adjust by doing things that required no power. Not only did I have something to do, but both were also good things. I needed the walk, and my mini sewing project let me cross that need off my list. 

How does this quote apply to our writing world?

The pessimist complains about the wind. We all know writers who spend far too much time whining or complaining about all phases of their writing life. Many place the blame on others rather than looking at themselves for the answer to why so many negatives appear on their writing journey. For these people, it's time to make an attitude change.

The optimist hopes for it to change. I am always happy to see someone who has hopes to be a better writer, to be able to get more of his/her work published. That's not such a bad thing. However, that kind of writer who puts all their concerns into hoping that their writing life improves still has to work hard to make it happen. Hope alone does not make it so. 

The realist adjusts the sail. This kind of writer is not going to continue sitting in the boat either complaining or hoping for change. He/she is going to get up and get moving, to make better things happen in his/her writing life. It means work, sometimes very difficult work. In the long run, this writer will be the most satisfied and the most productive. 

Writing Family Stories--Where to Begin

There's been a trend to writing your Family Stories for some time now, and I doubt that it will fade away any time soon. The pandemic we're experiencing is serving to make people realize the importance if family and holding on to all those tales told during family gatherings. 

Many would like to write a series of Family Stories for their own generation and the next and the next and...  The big question is where do I begin? Let's face it, we have many, many untold tales. 

Begin with a memory. It doesn't matter how small or how large. You can write a story about the tiniest of memories. Those little memories are things that left an impression on us and deserved to be noted in your Family Stories collection. 

Consider putting your story in the creative nonfiction category rather than merely a report of what happened. Creative nonfiction is a true story told using fiction techniques. In other words, you should add sensory details, some emotion/feelings, sense of place. Try for a beginning, middle, and ending just as you would have in a piece of fiction. 

As an example, I'm going to post a story I wrote about a very small memory from my childhood. My grandmother's Date Muffins. You may doubt that an entire story can be written about such a minute, seemingly trivial thing. What I wanted to get across was not only that the muffins Grandma made were special but that it was that she could only show her love by preparing special foods for her family. And so, "Love On a Plate" came about. Read it keeping in mind the items I mentioned above used in writing a Family Story. Read it and then try one of your own. (Note:  This story went through the usual process of first draft, letting it sit a few days, revision/editing) I'm quite certain you all have special foods that your mother, aunt, or grandmother made for your family. 

Love On A Plate

By Nancy Julien Kopp

My grandmother moved away from Chicago about the time I started grade school, but she came back to visit us for a few weeks every year. At least one time during her visit we had a “Muffin Day”--unannounced, and a happy surprise.

I walked the eight city blocks home from school every noontime with my classmates. It was the late nineteen-forties, and grade school lunchrooms were never a consideration. Each day was much the same. My classmates and I laughed, chattered, and played games like Stinkfish on the sidewalk sections as we made our way home for lunch. The group diminished, as, one by one, kids disappeared into their various houses. Mothers waited inside with lunch on the table, soup or a sandwich in most cases.

I lived farthest from school so traveled alone on the final two blocks. The sight of our large red-brick apartment building usually made my stomach growl with hunger. I'd walk a little faster, adding a hop, skip, and a jump now and then. Cars rumbled past on the brick street, and trains that ran parallel to the road often rolled and clattered by. Our vestibule doorway was one of seven entryways surrounding the formal grassy courtyard in the center of the large U-shaped building. My degree of hunger set the pace as I ran around the bushes and green area that led to our entrance.

I knew the day that Grandma made a special lunch had arrived when the aroma of hot date muffins greeted me the minute I opened the vestibule door. At the first sniff, my heart skipped a beat, and I felt a flutter of excitement deep inside my stomach. My nose twitched with genuine pleasure as the scent of the hot muffins floated down all three flights of stairs. My feet slid quickly across the cold, tiled entryway floor to the softer, carpeted stairs. My fingers touched the smooth stairway railing only once or twice as I flew up the steps following that ever-stronger fragrance.

I burst through the unlocked door, heading straight to the kitchen in the back of the apartment. Grandma waited there, face flushed with heat from the oven, a plate of her special muffins in her wrinkled hands. Mother smiled at me, her delight nearly as great as mine.

“Sit down and eat while they’re hot,” Grandma said.

Finally, seated at the table with a tall glass of cold milk and a steaming muffin on my plate, I sniffed the delectable treat to my heart’s content. The anticipation part proved almost as good as the eating. Then, it was time to break the golden muffin in half and heap a generous pat of real butter on each piece. The first bite tasted of the salty butter and the sweet dates, all mingled together. Heavenly!

On this special day, our lunch consisted of as many of these treats as a stomach could hold. They were so much better than a bologna sandwich. This was love on a plate. It’s a wonder that little red hearts didn’t escape into the air as I broke each muffin in two. My often-stern grandmother knew only one way to show her love, and that was through the food she prepared for those close to her heart. No amount of effort, time, or cost was too big when she cooked and baked for her family.

What has kept those date muffins in my memory bank for well over half a century? Was it that they were especially delicious or that they were made with love? Perhaps a little of both. Which brings to mind my grandmother’s bakery…but that’s another story.

"Grandmother Studham’s Date Muffins"

Grandma mixed her muffins in a big blue crockery bowl, and she always wore an over the shoulder Mother Hubbard apron.

1/3 c. butter softened 

2 c. cake flour

¼ c. sugar 

3 level tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt 

1 egg

¾ c. milk 

scant 1 c. dates, cut up

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add alternately with the milk. Fold in the dates. Bake in greased muffin tins or use paper liners in the tins. Fill each ½ to ¾ full. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until done. Makes about one dozen muffins.

Note: I substitute margarine and 1% milk to make a healthier version, and they’re still wonderful. You don’t even need that generous pat of butter we used ‘way back when.’

My Grandmother