Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Book Review--Musings and Ravings From a Pandemic Year


Marlene Cullen is the editor of seven anthologies that are filled with essays written by many writers using a prompt to initiate their writing. The seventh, and newest, is titled Musings and Ravings From a Pandemic Year. 

The poetry and prose illustrate the many ways we have lived through 2020, the first year of our current pandemic. Each of the many writers approaches the situation in a different and personal manner. Some use humor while others are quite serious about the way the pandemic affected them. 

At times, a few of the pieces feel like they are veering off-subject, but the pandemic still figures in before the reader finishes. The pandemic invokes memories for many of us as some of the contributors in this anthology show us.

There is a writing prompt at the end of each prose offering. I found myself nodding my head in agreement at some of them because the writer had nailed that prompt very well. The stories ranged from surviving to wearing masks to remembering things from long ago 

One notable difference in this anthology is that many of the writers have more than one story that meets the theme requirements. I loved that because it showed how one writer can use different approaches for the same general topic. 

Ms. Cullen, the editor, posed a question to each writer, and the answers are included. Her question was: What energizes you? The answers are widely varied and definitely of interest. 

This is a book that you might read more than once to mark the ways in which others have handled this adverse time in our lives. The pandemic is not over, and any help we can get in living with the fallout is worth checking more than once. 

I like the antithesis of the tile. Musings and ravings do mirror what the reader will find inside. I have had times during the pandemic, especially during the lockdown time last year when I did some musing and other times when I ranted and raved. I have a feeling many of us did the same. So kudos to Ms. Cullen for the title she selected. 

Use a search engine to find several places where you can order this new anthology. 


 

Monday, August 30, 2021

The Disciplined Writer

 

Our quote today talks about the way to success being small efforts repeated day in and day out. I thought about that as I read a book this past week by Karen White. The title is The Last Night in London.. It was a good story that kept me reading at a rapid pace. I read the bit about the author on the inside back cover and noted that Ms. White has written 25 novels (published). That number is almost mind boggling. How did she do it? I'm guessing by small efforts repeated day in and day out.

This author was not someone who wrote when she was in the mood, or on the one day a week she had extra time. I'm sure she is a disciplined writer, setting aside several hours each day to work on her current novel. Her efforts may not have been quite so small, but they were still efforts that became the sum of her success.

How about the rest of us? Do we give at least small efforts to our writing journey each day? Do those small efforts add up to a success now and then? If so, congratulations! If not, why not?

A successful writer is a disciplined writer. Let's face it. Being disciplined in your writing life is hard work. You might have to turn down an invitation to lunch or coffee. Weigh the possibilities of writing time vs social time. Now and then, we all need that social time, but we can't accept every chance to socialize in lieu of writing time. 

What's a 'small effort?' It might be doing a writing exercise. It could be writing one chapter of a first draft of a novel. Maybe it's editing a first draft of a short story. It's up to you to decide what that small effort will be each day. The important thing is write something each day. 

Once again, it's up to you. No one else can do this for you. Maybe a sign saying Discipline above your work area would be helpful. Do whatever it takes to become a disciplined writer. It's a huge step on the road to success. 

Friday, August 27, 2021

Assessing Your Writing Life

 


We're nearing the end of August. I have a few questions regarding your writing life today. Answer them and then make a list of what you want to change in September.

A.  Did you have any writing goals set for August?

B.  Did you meet any, most, or all of those goals?

C.  If you had no goals for August, why not?

D.  Did you use your writer's eye as you moved through this month?

E.  Did you find yourself inspired to write during this month?

F.  Are you satisfied with the amount you wrote this month?

G.  Did you have any late summer experiences that you hope to write about?

H.  Did you completely ignore writing in August? 

I.  Are you satisfied with your writing life right now? 

J.  Have you set any writing goals for September? 

K.  If you haven't set any writing goals for September, why not?

L.  Do the lazy days of summer give you an excuse for writing less?

Lots of questions to ponder. I am of the mind that we should assess our writing life on a regular basis. It helps us grow as writers, takes us out of complacency, and gives us a bit of inspiration. It's human nature to want to do better. 

I am also aware that the pandemic world we've lived in the past year and a half made a big difference in all aspects of our lives, including our writing lives. I've seen it in my online writing group. What they are producing is still nowhere near normal. Look at it as a reason, not an excuse. If you choose excuse, you give yourself permission to not write and feel no guilt. If you choose to consider it a reason for not writing, you should be able to overcome it and get back in the groove. There's a vast difference between an excuse and a reason. 

There are still a few days left in August. What are you going to do with them in your writing life? 

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Writer--Don't Be So Hard On Yourself

 


(NOTE:  This is a repeat of a post from a few years back. It's still worthy advice.)

For those who are regular readers of this blog, you've heard me say that lots of negatives in our writing life are good lessons for us. The one thing they are not is a 'life without pardon' kind of sentence. Go ahead--make mistakes, learn from them and move on.

We learn from rejections, especially multiple rejections on the same submission. At least, we hope we learn something and we will if we give it a few days to rest and then go through whatever was written with an objective eye. Pick out the parts you think did not appeal to an editor. Maybe it was a lot of mechanical errors. Or perhaps the clarity factor was pretty low. It might have been a dull report without any emotion or sensory detail. 

Consider yourself fortunate if the editor returns your work with a note telling you why it was rejected. There is no question then as to what you must correct but not all editors take the time, or are kind enough. to do that. Don't let it be the end of your writing world. Move on!

What if you received a brutal critique from another writer? Ouch! It does hurt and any good critiquer will be fair and honest and deliver with a dash of kindness. However, not everyone is like that. You don't have to like what the person told you, but you can learn from it. There is no need to back into a corner and put your hands over your eyes and let forth with a piercing scream while you contemplate your next step in life. Sadly, there are writers who have given up writing after an experience like this. Today's quote is perfect for them. It was one person's opinion and perhaps a good lesson. But you should never feel that you must quit over a singular incident such as this.

Did you ever have a teacher who scribbled cruel words across your essay or poem that you slaved over for your English class? I know people who have a mental block when it comes to writing because of just such an experience. Again, it's a lesson, not a life sentence. As a teen, it was probably hard for us to take that objective look and figure out what was wrong, what lesson was learned. But, now as an adult, it something like this still haunts you, put it in perspective. Don't let one person keep you from being the writer you wanted to be. An attitude of I'll show them! Will serve you better here.

It's much harder to look at problems like these as a lesson to be learned than it is to give up. Giving up is easy; working at the lesson is a tough job but, oh, so beneficial. 


  


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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Revive Your Drive to Write

 


The quote for today says:  If you truly are going to be a writer, there must be somewhere within you the drive, the desire, to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, and actually write. 

It's worth reading a second and third time. Let the words sink in. 

There are many 'sometimes writers." They're the ones who 'sometimes find time to write, who sometimes make time to write, who sometimes think about writing, who sometimes finish a writing project, who sometimes adhere to the requirements of their writing group, who sometimes get inspired to write.' 

If you want to proceed at a regular pace on your writing journey, you can't be a 'sometimes writer.' You'll get nowhere fast. You'll have little to no satisfaction in your writing life. Many 'sometimes writers' say things like 'I want to write. I really do.' 'One of these days, I'm going to get my novel started (or finished).' 'If only there weren't so many other things to do, I'd write.'

People who say things like the above don't have a very strong desire to write. The drive isn't there. How do you regain the deep desire and drive to write that you may have had when you first started your writing journey?

There's no sure cure, but I would try the following to see if it helps revive your drive to write. 

A.  Read a book (or several) about the writing craft.

B.  Attend a writing workshop or conference.

C.  Set aside half an hour to write and do it every day.

D.  Make a list of short-term goals.

E.  Visit with a writer friend.

F.  Recommit to the requirements of your writing group

G.  Give thought to your original reasons that made you want to write.

We often must look for inspiration rather than sit in a chair in front of the tv and wait for it to arrive. Jack London's well-known quote speaks to this quite well. "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." He's right. You must have the drive and determination to spark your writing life into fruition again. 

Once again, no one else can make your writing life fulfilling and productive. It's entirely up to you.   

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

A Top Freewrite Exercise

 


One of the best writing exercises is a freewrite one that begins with two little words meant to trigger memories and more in your mind, both conscious and subconscious. 

A freewrite exercise is simple and not time consuming. You are given a prompt or a single word. Set a timer for 10 minutes, write the prompt or word and then keep writing without stopping for the full ten minutes. Don't worry about punctuation or spelling. Don't stop to think about what you're writing. Don't worry if nothing connects or seems to make sense. Keep going until the ten minutes is up. 

Marlene Cullen of The Write Spot uses wonderful prompts to help writers do this exercise. Visit her website and blog sometime. You'll find it very interesting, I'm sure.

For today's exercise, do a freewrite starting with these two words--I remember...

Give yourself free rein and see where it takes you. Have fun!

Monday, August 23, 2021

Emily's House-A Book Review


I have long admired the poetry of Emily Dickinson. When I saw that there was a new novel based on her life, I reserved it at my local library. The author, Amy Belding Brown, based her fiction story on facts, adding things she thought might have happened or some she would have liked to be true.

We see Emily and her family members through the eyes of an Irish maid, Margaret Maher, who actually did work for the Dickinson family for 30 years. The book is as much Maggie's story as Emily's. Maggie, so named by the family who refused to call her Margaret, had a roller coaster relationship with Emily, mostly because the poet was reclusive and of a different nature than most. One minute she was Maggie's close friend, and the next she berated the maid and hurt her deeply many times. 

Even so, we see the relationship of maid and employer slowly evolve into a deep friendship. Emily lived with her parents and her older sister in a house named Homestead. Her brother was married by the time Maggie came to work for the family. He and his family lived nearby and were frequent visitors to the house.

Maggie's sister and her family live nearby in Kelly Square, a place where the residents are all Irish, most of them immigrants. Her two brothers are in California mining for gold. Maggie longs to join them, but continues to stay in Amherst, Massachusetts near her sister and working for the Dickinson family. 

Patrick Quinn is a love interest for Maggie. Her long on and off relationship with him is not factual, more the imagination of the author. Still, he lends something to the story. It was a bit difficult at times to decide what was fact and what was fiction. The author clarifies much of this in an addition at the end of the novel.

Emily is the family baker, tends her garden with love and care, and writes her poems on scraps of paper. As reclusive as she is, she shares much of her thinking with Maggie, who at first considers her quite strange but comes to view her as 'Emily being Emily.' 

The book gives an excellent  picture of life in the late nineteenth century for both the privileged and the Irish immigrants of the time. 

The prose flows well. I found the book hard to put down at times as I followed the lives of the individuals in Emily's family and Maggie and her own family. I also reacted emotionally in several parts of the story. Reading this book made me want to look up some of Emily Dickinson's poetry again.

It is obvious that the author did a great deal of research. There are many biographies and other books about Emily Dickinson, but I would put "Emily's House" high on the list. 

 

Friday, August 20, 2021

Let Seasons Figure in Your Writing

 

Summer Flowers

It's the 20th of August with summer days dwindling to a precious few. September brings the official beginning of fall, but not until a month from now, so we can continue to enjoy summer days until then. 

We talk often about a sense of place in writing, but what about a sense of time? The time of the year can play an important part in what you're writing. You should try to portray a sense of the time of year in your fiction and your memoir or family stories. 

Let's look at what you might include:

A.  Summer:  flowers, heat, swimming, baseball, biking, hiking, mowing grass, mosquitoes, storms, certain foods eaten more in summer, roller skating, 4th of July, sweat, sunburn, convertible with top down, and more, picnics

B.  Fall: colored leaves, falling leaves, cool days, bonfires, Halloween, sweaters and sweatshirts, apple and pumpkin recipes, football, soups and stews, other foods eaten in the fall, school days, Thanksgiving, Christmas preparations in early December, fall flowers

C.  Winter:  snow, sledding, pro football, basketball, Christmas, New Year's Eve and Day, icy roads, skating, heavy clothes, foods eaten in winter, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, bare trees, garden catalogs to read, fireplace, gets dark early, holiday foods, sleet

D.  Spring:  spring flowers, kites, lighter jackets, tornado season, warmer days, but still some cold ones, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, end of school year, graduation, May Day, lighter in the evening, 

There are many parts of each season that you can bring into your stories, memoirs, and poems. Noting all these things we think of at different times of the year will give your reader a better picture of when the story happens and lets them relate to the particular parts of each season. 

I once wrote a poem about summer days aiming at a children's magazine, but it's one adults can relate to, as well. My aim was to define summer in a simple way. 

Summer’s Song


Sing to me of

marshmallow clouds

and rainbow skies,

of baseball games and 

ice cream cones,

buttercups and

ladybugs


Tell me about

white sand beaches

and clear blue lakes,

county fairs and

lemonade stands,

lightning bugs and

thunderstorms


(c) Nancy Julien Kopp



Thursday, August 19, 2021

Write About the 1st Day of School

 

First day of school for the Julien kids

The photo today is of me and my two younger brothers (#3 had not been born yet) on the first day of school in front of our apartment building entrance. I was one of those kids who loved school and was always eager to begin a new year. I'm not sure what grades we three were entering that year, but there were no jeans and there were no pants worn by girls in those days. 

The one thing I remember so clearly is that we all had new shoes as did the vast majority of our classmates. The plan was that we would wear them all year, but if you were a kid whose feet grew fast, it didn't work so well. 

One of the things I loved on the first day of school, when I was a student, was receiving all our textbooks. The teacher passed them out, one by one, and we got to leaf through to see what the year might bring. To this day, I enjoy leafing through a new book.

My first day of school as a teacher in 1961 is clear to me, as well. I remember standing in front of the 21 emotionally disturbed children who made up my class. Every one of them had new shoes, and so did I. Mine were pointed-toe, 3 inch heels, and theirs were shiny leather. Very few kids wore gym shoes or athletic shoes to school in that era. They were leather, not yet scuffed or dusty. Every child had his/her hair neatly combed, and shirts tucked in. 

What are your memories of going back to school after a summer vacation? It's definitely a topic to write about for your family stories book. The list below might help trigger your memories:

A.  Did you have new shoes to start school each year?

B.  Were you excited about going back to school or dreading it?

C.  Did you always have a new notebook, ruled paper, and pencils to take with you?

D.  Were you eager to see your classmates?

E.  Were you apprehensive?

F.  Did you know who your teacher would be ahead of time?

G.  Did you bring your lunch to school?

H.  Did you get a new outfit to wear that first day?

I.   Did you walk to school with other kids? 

J.  What was your grade school like? High school? 

It's a great topic to write about for an exercise today. Do a bit of pondering after you read the list above. 

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Write About Family Treasures

 


I have always loved silhouette pictures. I feel certain it is because, wherever my parents lived, a pair of silhouette pictures were hung on a wall. They were small, square, and in a black frame. One was of my mother facing left and the other of my dad facing right. They were always hung so that they seemed to be gazing at one another. Taken in their early married days in 1938, the silhouettes became a family treasure. 

I have written a personal essay about the much-loved pictures. Little did I know that one of my younger brothers treasured them as much as I did, and he received them when our mother left her home. I would have enjoyed having them, but I knew they were in a good place.

When you write your family stories, treasures like my parents' silhouettes, deserve to be highlighted in a story of their own. Even after I was on my own, then married and a mother, I loved seeing those pictures when visiting my parents. 


The dish in the photo was a wedding gift to my maternal grandmother from the owner of a general store in a small coal mining town in southeastern Iowa. The wedding had been small and private, probably between 1905 and 1910. When my grandmother stopped in the store a short time later, the owner said, "I heard you got married, Elizabeth, I think that calls for a gift." And he handed her a pretty, painted dish. Small and dainty but something she would treasure forever. The dish passed to my mother, and then on to me. I see it whenever  I walk by my china cabinet.

When I received the dish along with the story that my mother told me, I decided to write about it. Not a family story, but a fiction story for children. In "Just Plain Sarah Jane," the dish is a part of the story of a young girl who sees it in the store window and wants to buy it for her mother. By the time she saved her pennies to purchase the dish, it had been sold. Sarah Jane is determined to have the dish and therein lies the rest of the story. 

All of the above is leading to my encouraging you to include special family treasures when writing your family stories. Instead of an "I don't know" when someone asks where that old cedar chest came from, you should be able to give its history. Or that of a special quilt that has been handed down through generations. Maybe it's a special pipe Great-Granddad smoked, or a shawl brought over from the old country, or a set of china, or figurines. There are any number of family treasures that should be identified in writing. It needn't be pages and pages, sometimes a paragraph or two will suffice. 

I have a pretty little hand-painted chocolate set that my father-in-law had made for his wife. My children did not know him as he died when one was quite young and the other an infant. I need to write about that set to help them know what a kind and thoughtful man he was. 

As you walk around your house, note the family pieces you have. If you don't know the story behind any of them, ask other, older family members. Just like family stories, these treasures should be written about and remembered. 




Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Writing For Chicken Soup--An Interview




 NOTE:  When I get my copy of these posts sent via Mailchimp, a yellow warning box pops up. I click on Looks Safe, because it is. I'm not sure why gmail can't get that it is ok. Wondering if other servers are showing the same kind of message. Once Google drops sending the posts, we may see a change--sometime this month)

Today I have an interview to share with you. It's a little different than the usual as I will ask and answer the questions about my first story in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book and more on that anthology. 

Interviewer Nancy:  Tell me about the subject you selected for the first story you submitted to Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
Interviewee Nancy:  I saw a call for submissions for a Father and Daughter themed book from Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers. That triggered a memory of a Valentine box my dad created for me to take to school. All the boxes would be lined up on a wide windowsill, and classmates would drop valentines into the slot on top of the box. Having my dad make the box for me turned out to be the first time I realized how much he loved me. Thus the title--"Love in a Box"

Interviewer Nancy:  Tell me how you remembered the incident so clearly when you were only seven years old.
Interviewee Nancy:  I believe that the things that impressed us greatly stay in our memory bank and can be pulled out when needed. The making of that valentine box on a Sunday evening in our tiny apartment kitchen is as clear to me as if it happened yesterday. I could not tell you what else happened the same week, only that experience.

Interviewer Nancy:  Tell me why the story was so important to you.
Interviewee Nancy:  As I mentioned earlier, the incident impressed me a great deal. My dad worked hard all week, a part-time job on Saturdays, and took care of household things to help my mother on weekends. He seldom did things that involved only me and him. That, in itself, felt very important to me, and I knew my daddy loved me a lot if he spent his evening making a treasured valentine box for me. I also loved that I had his complete attention.   

Interviewer Nancy:  Tell me how you felt when you learned "Love in a Box" would be published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book.
Interviewee Nancy:  Of course, I was ecstatic at the thought of being published in this extremely popular anthology series. I was also inspired to continue writing for this publication. I have sent many stories to them over the years. Not all were accepted which is not unusual. As of next month, I have been in 24 of the Chicken Soup books. 

Interviewer Nancy:  Has your story ever been published in other countries and/or translated into another language?
Interviewee Nancy:  Yes, it has, via the Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers. Once again, I was inspired to keep writing and submitting stories to the anthology.

Interviewer Nancy:  Tell me about any advice you might have for others who would like to be published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.
Interviewee Nancy:  First, read several of the books they publish to get a feel for the type of story they like. Go to the website (www.chickensoup.com) and scroll down to the bottom. Click on Submit a Story. Here you will find 3 pages that tell you what books still need submissions, their guidelines, and the form for submissions. If you want to be published by this anthology series, they are 3 very important pages that you should read and study carefully. Following the guidelines cannot be stressed enough. Those guidelines will give you the bones, and you must write a story to add the flesh. Don't be afraid to submit even though the competition is great. 

I have never been accused of talking to myself, but perhaps this interview will draw some comments about Nancy talking to Nancy. I'm not losing it yet, but felt this was one new way to get some information across about writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul.


Monday, August 16, 2021

Writers Are Artists

 


The following poem was a winner in the Kansas Authors Club annual contest several years ago. As an exercise today, write a poem about the writer as an artist. Even is you've never tried poetry, I feel sure you can do this. Give it a try. You might enjoy it. You can share in the Comments section if you like.

Artists All

Painting with oils,
watercolors brushed across paper,
clay molded by loving hands, 
marble chiseled to exquisite form

Artists ply their trade
by the golden light of day,
by the velvet depths of night
with passion and joy.

One more artist joins the ranks.
The writer brushes words over paper,
molds a story bit by glittering bit,
chisels a novel to survive the ages.

Life stories are gathered 
from country roads to city streets,
written from the depths of a heart
bursting with intensity and rapture.

Artists all, masters of creation,
be they painters, sculptors or writers,
leaving footprints on canvas, marble and paper--
heartfelt tributes embraced by mankind.

                                     --Nancy Julien Kopp  
(c)


Friday, August 13, 2021

Bring a Sense of Place Into Your Writing


Several years ago, I listened to an editor of a travel magazine give a presentation on the sense of place in writing. I'd never given a great deal of thought to the topic, but ever since, it is something I watch for in my writing and others' work, as well. 

When we weave a sense of place into our short stories, books, and personal essays, we give the reader a clear picture. I recently read a book that left me wondering about the physical characteristics of one of the main characters. I wanted to 'see' her more clearly. It's possible that I could relate to her and the story better than I did. It's the same when we bring a sense of place into our work. We want the reader to feel like they were there, that they can see the place where the story happens very well.

Don't spend several paragraphs describing the place where the action occurs. That's telling and a bit boring. Show the place as you weave bits and pieces into your story.

Place does not always have to be a state, country, or land. It can be a block, a neighborhood, a house, a business, or even one small room. Place is what surrounds your characters. It may even make your characters act a certain way. 

I grew up in a 3-story apartment building that housed around 65 singles, couples, or families--mostly families. That building affected my life in many ways. Below are two paragraphs from one of my family stories that might illustrate this point. It's about a special lunch we always had at least once when my grandmother was visiting. 

(From Love on a Plate)
I lived furthest 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 U-shaped building. My degree of hunger set the pace as I scurried 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 moment 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 door to the softer, carpeted stairs. My fingers touched the smooth stairway railing only once or twice as I flew up the steps to the third floor following that ever-stronger fragrance.

I wanted to show the reader the place where we lived as well as the joy of the day Grandma made date muffins for lunch. My home was different than many of my classmates who lived in single dweller homes. Some lived in what we called a 'two-flat' which had one apartment on the ground floor and one on the second. 

The place where you lived as a child has great bearing on your family stories. Whether it was a farm, a ranch, by the seashore, or in a big city makes a great deal of difference in those stories you tell about your growing-up years. 

Don't tell us that Ella walked through a forest. Give us a sense of what that forest was like. Show us how the forest affected Ella as she walked. If Phillip is running away from the bad guys in a tenement area of a major city, that place influences what he does, where he goes, and whether he escapes or not. 

Place can almost be considered another character when you are writing fiction or even a family story. Give place the importance it deserves. 



 

Thursday, August 12, 2021

For Wannabe Writers

 


Normally, I gear my posts here at writers from beginners to pros. Today, I'd like to talk to wannabe writers, and I hope the writers who read this will pass it on to someone who would like to write, but... They are the people who have thought about writing but never got started, the ones who were a bit leery of dipping their toes into the writing pool, and especially those who think they are too old to start writing. 

As our poster for today tells us, you're never too old to set another goal and dream a new dream. Age is nothing but a number. How you feel inside is far more important. Famed artist, Grandma Moses started painting at age 77. Her husband had died, and she was looking for something to fill her time. Little did she know that she would attain fame in the art world.

I wanted to write for most of my life, but I didn't take that first step of my writing journey until I was in my fifties. Was I too old? I wondered but decided not to let it stop me of attaining a long held dream. I felt as though it might be the last piece of a puzzle that showed all I'd done in my lifetime.

The big question then was how to begin. I knew I needed to do more than sit down and write. There is a lot more to being a writer than putting words on paper or in print. I tried a number of things to help me move farther into the writing world. They are listed below:

 Step 1:  I did a little research on a correspondence course school that promised to teach me how to write for children.

Step 2:  I enrolled and began a course that took 18 months. No email in those days for me so the lessons and letters went by snail mail. By the time I'd finished the 10 Lessons in the course, I was hooked for life.

Step 3:  I read every book I could find at the local library about the craft of writing.

Step 4:  I joined a small critique group in our community

Step 5:  I worked up the courage to begin submitting to children's magazines

Step 6:  I learned how to accept rejection and move on to the next project immediately.

Step 7:  I subscribed to newsletters and magazines for writers, joined an online critique group, and joined a writers association

Step 8:  I rejoiced when my first sale occurred, and I kept moving along the path of my writing journey.

I am still traveling that path, although I'm much further along now. I've been writing for over 25 years now and plan to keep going as long as possible.

If you've had the desire to write but have never pursued writing, consider trying now. You'll never know if you like it or if you have some talent until you try. All writers start out with some pretty lame writing, but follow some of those steps above, and you'll get better at this game of writing. Our writing journey is a long one. It has bumps along the way, but we can get over or around them and keep going. 

One of the nicest things about trying something that you've never done before is the fact that you're satisfying a longtime urge. Is it possible that you try writing and discover it's not for you? Yes, it is. It's also very possible that you'll love learning to be a writer. You won't know unless you give it a try.

If you have a certain kind of writing that you'd like to do, go for it. But, do try other genres, as well. I set out to write for children. I have done that, but I also tried other kinds of writing and learned that creative nonfiction is my strongest suit. 

And, by all means, do not ever use the "I'm too old." excuse. You are never too old to attempt something brand new to you. Doctors will tell you that trying something new is a good way to keep your brain in good shape as you get older. So stop being a wannabe writer and jump in. 


Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Orphans in Our Writing Files

 


Question for today:  How many unfinished pieces of writing do you have in your files?  The follow-up question is:  Why are they not completed?

If you answered yes to the first question and " don't know." to the second, you're not at all unusual. Most writers have numerous stories, essays, articles, and poems that are not finished. Can you answer that 'Why?' question honestly? 

Maybe you merely lost interest in the project. It happens when we aren't satisfied with what we've written, or we hit a problem area, and it seems to be too much work to fix it. The easy way out is to put it in a file for 'later.' Maybe it wasn't as good an idea as you originally thought. Easier to move on.

Perhaps you honestly meant to go back and finish a story, but a new idea came up, so you worked on that and then another one and it kept on going. The little orphan story stays in the file, possibly forgotten.

Maybe it was a Christmas story, and it was January when you started it. You filed it thinking there was plenty of time to work on it before summer when it should be submitted. Then you get busy and just plain forget it. 

My suggestion is to make it a once-a-month practice to go through the file of unfinished pieces. Pull one and give it your full attention. Finish it! Submit it! You benefit by having a new piece of writing that is completed and ready to market as well as the satisfying feeling you will receive. Don't try to do them all, one after the other. Once a month is fine. That still gives you plenty of  time to work on new story ideas.

Don't neglect those unfinished pieces. Maybe the problem areas will suddenly become more clear to you as you search for solutions. Maybe the initial excitement for the project will rise up again and inspire you. There are all kinds of 'maybes' involved in reworking old stories. Give it a try. Start checking your files for unfinished work and see what you can do to complete each one so it is no longer of orphan status..

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Building Self-Confidence As a Writer

 



Do you have confidence in yourself as a writer? It's a very important quality for writers to have on a regular basis. If you don't believe in yourself as a writer, can you expect your readers to believe in you? 

Writers in movies are often portrayed as people whose confidence level is quite low. They are poor souls who have not and cannot believe in themselves. Overcoming that problem is what creates the story line for the movie. In films, things usually turn out well in the end. But is real life like that?

If you don't believe in yourself as a writer, you'll probably do some shaky writing or none at all. The all-famous 'writer's block' is partly a lack of confidence in yourself as a writer. Since you don't believe that you're a capable writer, let's just stop writing--that's the thought process. You can say you're experiencing writer's block, and suddenly you have no guilt. You also have no writing accomplished. 

How do you learn to trust yourself as a writer? Once you've dug the hole of no self-confidence, it is not easy to climb out and be a person who believes in him/herself. It doesn't happen by snapping your fingers. It's a process that must be ongoing. 

Here are a few suggestions:
  • Look in the mirror at least once a day and say out loud:  I am a writer. Say it with emphasis. Do it every day, and you might start believing what you are saying. When you don't believe in yourself as a writer, you are actually saying, I can't write.
  • Make a list of the pieces you've written that satisfied you. You probably felt good about them because you felt you had accomplished some good writing.
  • Make a second list of your publications. You would not have become a published writer if you were no good. An editor or publisher believed in you. It's time you believed in your own capabilities. 
  • Dwell on the positives in each day. Ditch the negatives. They only serve to drag you down. 
  • Make a list of the parts of writing in which you do well. Keep the list where you can see it and read it every day.
  • Push yourself to do more than you have been. When you're successful, it is a natural confidence builder.
  • Set realistic goals. If your goals are high in the sky and unreachable, it's a definite way to punch a hole in self-confidence. 
  • Step out of your comfort zone now and then. It helps you grow and breeds self-confidence.
  • Try journaling on a daily basis. Write about the positives in your writing life. At the end of each week, go back and read your Positives in Writing Journal. 
Don't ever use the fact that you don't believe in yourself as an excuse for poor writing or for not writing at all. Do that, and you'll dig a deeper hole. Today's poster gives the writer who has trouble believing in him/herself some good advice. A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because her trust is not on the branch but on its own wings. Always believe in yourself.

The final sentence, Always believe in yourself, is one you can use as a mantra.Or make a sign with those four words, and put it where you see it every time you sit down to write. Then believe it.

Sunday, August 8, 2021

Are You Happy With Your Writing Life?

 



Do problems in your writing world make you upset, unhappy, or angry? Do you feel more frustrated than satisfied when you are working on a writing project? 

It might be time to step back and take a good look at your writing life. The list of questions below could be of some help.

A.  Do you look forward to starting a new writing project?
B.  Does writing to deadlines make you nervous or sick to your stomach?
C.  Can you eventually solve most of the problems you encounter when writing?
D.  Do you still get a thrill when your work is accepted for publication?
E.  Have you learned how to handle rejections?
F.  Is writing a chore or a pleasure most of the time?
G.  Do you spend a lot of time worrying about your writing life?
H.  Do you get excited when you begin a new writing project?
I.   Are you happy when you're writing?
J.  Is finding time for writing a major problem?
K. Do you enjoy attending writing workshops and conventions?
L.  Does finding a new story idea make you feel excited?
M. Does your family support your writing journey?
N.  Do you deal with self-doubt on a regular basis?
O.  Do you detest the process of revising and editing?
P.   Do you feel satisfied when you finish a writing project?
Q.  What made you want to be a writer?

There are more questions that you can ask yourself, but the list above will help you see a picture of your writing life. Are the positives and negatives fairly well-balanced? Or were your answers heavier on one side or the other? 

If the heavy side was the negatives, then it's time to ask yourself whether you want to continue with your writing journey or call it quits. Don't be in a rush to say you probably should quit. Instead, ask yourself how you can change some of those negatives into positives. Attitude plays a role here. If you want to continue to pursue your writing journey, you can change things slowly but surely. Set small goals and work to achieve them. 

If your answers resulted in a long list of positives, feel satisfied and keep on writing. If you had even a few negatives, consider working on them to make that positive list even longer.

All writers have moments when we feel like we shouldn't continue, moments when we are unhappy with our writing life, moments when we don't know how to solve the problems. It's part of being a writer, but when those feelings completely take over your writing life, it's time to step back and make some decisions. 

Friday, August 6, 2021

Travel Offers Story Ideas to Writers

 



We have returned from our week of travel to visit my husband's two brothers and wives in IL. I would encourage all to make family visits more often. Lots of talk of old times, growing-up years, and what all our children and grandchildren are doing. Family time is to be treasured, and more so as we all get older. It had been four years since we had been together. The visit was short but the benefits were priceless. 

We stayed in hotels while traveling and while on the family visit. Story ideas were in great number. The people I observed gave me ideas for characters, and the places where we stayed or ate offered multiple story ideas. Watching my husband and his two brothers interact also offered story ideas. 

Wherever you go, story ideas abound. You have two choices. Either ignore them or take advantage of what is right before you and use them in your writing projects. If you choose the second option, a small notebook to jot notes would be helpful. 

As writer's we need to train ourselves to be observant and to develop a writer's eye. Not only of people, but places and scenery and situations. Overheard conversations in restaurants or airports or the grocery store can give you story ideas. Again, we must be tuned in to reap the benefit. 

We stayed in a major city and also small towns on our trip. Both places offered story ideas. So did some of the many emails, photos, and texts i received on my phone during those six days. We drove in city traffic (Ken did, not me!) and in many rural areas. The first hour of the trip and the last brought us through the Flint Hills of Kansas, where beauty abounds everywhere the eye can see. Can you get a story idea from looking at prairie grass and rolling hills? Sure you can. Use your imagination and see a rancher on a horse out to check his cattle. What about the spot where a school bus stops and several children get on or off? Imagine the prairie on a stormy day, or one where the sun beats down makes life uncomfortable. 

Ideas for poems come to us when we see something beautiful, impressive, or heartrending. It's August, and summer flowers are still blooming profusely. They inspire many poems, as do those lazy days of summer when we go fishing or swimming or sit on the porch with a book.  

When I use the term 'story idea.' I am not only referring to fiction, but other kinds of writing, including personal essays and poetry. It's all there for us, but it's up to us to detect the ideas and make use of them. Not everything we observe will be the basis of a story, but a good deal can help us in our writing. 

No Fee, No Pay! Hmmm!

  H U H? I was skimming through a lengthy list of journals whose closing dates were looming. Many were published at universities, some were ...