Believe You Can Write

 Ever hear naysayers in the world of those who want to write a memoir or family stories or fiction who utter things like:

I'm not a professional writer.

I can't write like some people do.

I want to write the story, but I wouldn't know where to start.

My grammar is not good enough to write.

My writing is boring.

All of the above can be overcome. But the first thing you must do is believe that you can write. Sounds easy? Maybe. Possible? Yes. Scary? Probably

It takes some courage to do something new. Look at the people who zipline. Looks like fun but maybe a bit scary, too. Those who try to zip from one end of a line to the other have to believe they can do it or they'd never take step 1. 

An athletic kid who tries out for a sport has to believe in him/herself enough to make that effort. They know success is not ensured but they believe they can make it so they try. They're brave enough to give it a whirl. 

If you have a little bit of courage and a small dose of bravery, you can do many things you never thought you could. 

Believing in yourself is only part of being able to overcome the problems listed above. Another part is having the courage to try. Still another is working hard to be a better writer. How?

A. Read--If you want to write a memoir, read as many as you can find. You'll see the various methods used. Short Stories? Read lots of them.

B. Read books on the topic of general writing--not just memoir or family stories or history.

C. Attend conferences to learn more about writing methods.

D. Do writing exercises--I pound and pound about this and too many writers want to skip it. Don't! Many books on writing have exercises at the end of each chapter. They are to help you. Try them!

E. Sign up for a writing class--either locally or online. Don't be embarrassed to tell the others you're new at this game and here to learn. They'll admire you for that.

F. Don't start out attempting to write a full book. Try short snippets that can be put together later. Taking on too much at the onset is overwhelming and sometimes defeating. A quick way to stop believing in yourself.

Becoming a better writer doesn't happen overnight or in a week or two. Time and hard work and writing on a regular basis all help you achieve that goal. 

Cut Words For Stronger Writing

All writers need to learn how to cut words. We often need to write to a maximum word count for our submissions and for contests. There are numerous ways to cut. Cutting words should be a part of your editing process. I am repeating an earlier post on this topic.  

The women in my online writing group request help in cutting words almost more than anything else. Many are writing toward a publication or a contest that sets a specific word count. When you are 100- 200 or more words over that number, something must be done.

Stephen King tells us to get rid of every ounce of excess fat. He knows from experience that this is not easy, that it hurts. 

Does cutting 200 words from your story or essay sound impossible? At first, it might seem so, but it's surprisingly easy to slash and slice when you do an edit. I've done it so I know others can, too.

One thing we writers often do is to add unnecessary words--ones like really, usually, even so, and others. There are lists of those unnecessary words. Look for them with a search engine. Many are words we often 'toss in' when we are speaking to someone. When writing, get rid of them.

Another way to cut is to look for sentences with something like this:  I came to a decision... Change it to I decided... Four words gone! That doesn't sound like very many, but take away four here, four there, and it adds up. 

Limit adjectives. Some writers use two or three for one noun. That's a lot for one little noun to bear. One works fine, and that one may make a bigger impression than if you used two or three. You could begin to sound gushy. 

Get rid of adverbs. They describe verbs and, if used, you end up telling rather than showing. Writers often use them to make passive verbs look better. I believe Stephen King also said something about the road to Hell being paved with adverbs. That's not a word for word for word quote. If you find a list of unnecessary words to cut, you'll discover that many are adverbs. 

Long, convoluted sentences can almost always be cut in some way. When a sentence is too long, it can overwhelm the reader to the point that they miss the message in the sentence. Cut as much as possible without losing the meaning. I often find it better to divide those long sentences into two separate ones It doesn't help you cut words but does help with clarity.

'He jumps over the fence that borders the park grounds.' What word can you do without in this sentence? Remove 'that' and change 'borders' to 'bordering' and 'that' is gone. Write 'The poem that I wrote won first prize.' Change it to 'The poem I wrote won first.' I cut 'that' and also 'prize' because 'that' is unnecessary to the meaning of the sentence, and saying 'first' indicates 'first prize.' Try going through a story in your files and circle all the 'that' words. Then go back and see how many of them can be cut without losing the meaning of the sentence. 

Don't introduce a sentence with phrases like:  Instead of, With the possible exception of, The reason why. Those are added words. Without them, the meaning of the sentence is still the same. Some writers use them for emphasis or to help clarify what the main part of the sentence tells us. They are not necessary in most cases.

In sentences where you begin with 'I think' 'I feel' or, 'I believe', those introductory words to the sentence are not needed. If you say 'I believe that cows are the sweetest farm animal.' and change to 'Cows are the sweetest farm animal.' nothing is lost except those two words at the beginning. 

Use active verb forms instead of ones like: Tommy was running to catch his buddies. Say: Tommy ran to his buddies. You've cut three words.

You can cut more words here and there with thought. Oops! I could have eliminated 'here and there' and maybe even 'with thought.' 

One big way to reduce your word count is to look for sections where you have repeated the same thought twice, even if using different words. Some writers do it to make sure their reader understands the point. We need to give our readers credit for being able to decipher what point we are making. Say it once, then cut the rest. You can delete whole paragraphs if one is redundant. 

You will find many ways to cut words when you edit. What seems a near-impossible job turns out to be easier than feared. The benefit comes in the form of stronger writing. 

Writing Travel Essays

Today's photos are of a lovely, small hotel we stayed in when traveling in the southern part of Germany several years ago. We stayed there at both the beginning and end of our trip. I had searched online for a hotel near Munich, and there were multiple choices. I kept returning to the website of Hotel Zur Linde which was located in Hohenlinden, a small village twenty minutes from Munich. 

Our stay there was wonderful, and somehow, it seemed we were supposed to stay in this particular hotel. When we arrived back home, I felt compelled to write about our experience in this small, charming inn which turned out to be run by a Hungarian woman. I wrote about the hotel, the manager, the dining room, the beer garden, and the bells in the church across the road. My travel essay was personal, not a factual travel piece. There is a definite difference between these two kinds of travel essays/articles. This one was published at Dave's Travel Corner if you would like to read it.

I feel certain the editor selected my piece to publish as it added a human element to an essay that featured a small village in Germany, something more personal than the usual travel piece that mentions only the highlights, the costs, and needed information for travel. 

I have been moved to write several travel essays, and once a poem about Blarney Castle in Ireland. When traveling in foreign lands or in your own country, there are often sights or experiences that touch you in some way. Jot down your thoughts and feelings while there. When you are back home, write about what you saw, how it made you feel, and why you will always remember the place. 

Adding the personal touch is what makes these kinds of travel essays entertaining for the reader. It's not necessarily the historic value of a place you've been, but the memories you have and the reason that you'll always remember the spot. 

Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia touched my heart and left an indelible memory. So did the American Cemetery in Normandy. The colonial part of the United States meant a lot to me, being where our country began. You have been to places that have stayed in your memory bank, too. Take advantage of it and write a travel essay. The book, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle., is actually an expanded travel essay, covering an entire year. It's a delightful read.

Write from a personal viewpoint, but also include interesting historical facts. You want to make this kind of essay more than just facts, though. What happened or how did you feel when you visited the Vietnam Memorial? The how and why of that memorial are of importance, but your reaction or something that occurred while you were there will make your essay live and breathe. 

If you go to Dave's Travel Corner, you can read a great many travel essays. They might spur you into writing one of your own. Do remember to jot down notes while you're traveling, then write using them once you return home. 

 

Need A Good Book for a Cold Day?

 

It appears that most of us are living ion extremely cold temps, even our southern states are much colder than normal. It was 10 below zero when I got up this morning. It's a good time to stay in and read. Recently, I was describing a book by Kate Reynolds to a friend, one that I found fascinating and thought my friend would, as well. When 'Ernestine' was published in 2020, I wrote a review on this blog. 

Today, I am reposting the review. The book is still available on Amazon and other booksellers. Curl up with this book and a cup of hot tea, while you cuddle up with your favorite coverlet. You'll become engrossed in this wonderful tale. 

My earlier review:

Historical fiction brings the reader into another time period and can also tell a special story. Ernestine is Kate Reynolds's debut novel, but she is no amateur when it comes to crafting a fascinating story that draws readers quickly and holds them right up to the end using beautiful and descriptive prose.

When only a child in the early 1500s, Ernestine learned how to cheat at betting games and became a fine bunco artist at her father's tutelage. Once a young woman, she marries the man she loves, helps him run an inn in France, and is happy being nothing more than a loving wife. When Sebastian dies, she flees with documents he and his brother had hidden, documents that could be world-changing. 

Ernestine takes the vows of a Clarissa nun and finds her way to an abbey in Spain near Granada. She knows she is being followed by a man who wants the documents she carried away. Hoping for safety in the abbey, she hides the documents but finds one problem after another amongst the 90 nuns. The Abbess is a kindly woman whose greatest love is caring for the olive groves the abbey owns. Keeping the accounts book is beyond her, and when she learns that Ernestine can work with figures, she begs the new nun to take over the Accounts Book. Reluctant to do so because of a problem with an account book in her past that might have led to her husband's death Ernestine demurs but is finally persuaded. 

Add to the story a priest who plays a betting game with Mother Faviola every week, always winning, a young novitiate who is hopelessly in love with a young man, a festival and parade, which the Abbey has always won but is suddenly in peril, and Ernestine mixed up in all of it, and you have a very fine novel.

Taking place at the time of the Great Trials, or Inquisition, we see the effect on the everyday world of those whose vocation was often riddled with fear. 

The supporting characters in the novel are realistic and also of interest to the reader. In particular, Luz, the oldest nun who is blind, draws Ernestine's story from her as they work together in the cellary bit by bit and relates many of her own. As they work with the abbey's foodstuffs in a series of caves, Luz tells Ernestine the Spanish term 'pundonor' which means 'point of honor' and is an integral part of Ernestine's story.

I enjoyed learning more about this period in history where no nun or priest was protected from the Inquisition. I found the nuns' language of the fans fascinating as well as the beauty of the Alhambra surrounding the nuns who toiled in the olive groves and merely subsisted rather than thrived. 

This is a many-faceted tale that has much more than what I have written here. Peel the many layers as you read. Find it on Amazon with both a Kindle edition and a paperback. I look forward to reading more novels by Kate Reynolds.

Time Management for Writers

I haven't written a post on goals this year, nor one on cleaning your writing workspace. Today, I'll give you a few thoughts on one goal we should all strive to achieve. Time Management. 

Some writers are full-time professionals who write for a living. Most are pretty good at setting work-writing hours, as it's a necessity.                 

Many others are part-time writers or hobbyist writers. It seems more difficult for them to set times to write. Some are moms still raising their children. I don't need to list all the tasks they must do on a daily basis, or the interruptions they deal with. If you've been there, you understand. Others have full-time jobs and must fit writing time around that big responsibility. 

Sometimes, writers think about writing more than they actually sit down and pump out the words. The ideal situation might be the retired person who suddenly has lots of time to write. Or do they? Most retired people I know end up with a full schedule between exercise classes, daily runs or walk, an increased social life, medical appointment and more. Suddenly, they realize there is not as much time for writing as they'd hoped. 

One key to finding time to write is to make it a priority, rather than squeeze it in around all the other things in your life. If writing is important to you, don't look for the time to pursue this love of yours, create time to write, make it a habit. To do that, you'll need to decide just how important writing is to you.   

One way to find a time when you're not pressured is to get up an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later. That would give you some quiet time. Yes, it would also cut your sleeping time, but an hour might not be really detrimental. 

Set aside a certain time of the day that is to be your writing time, a time when you are not otherwise always occupied with something important. 

Take a notebook with you on your daily commute. Sitting on a bus or train is empty time. Why not use it to write? Do a writing exercise or observe those around you and describe them. Or start a piece and continue working on it with every commuter time. 

One hard truth we might all need to own up to is that we waste a whole lot of time in our day. You do it. I do it. We all do it. Not purposely, but we might be filling the dishwasher and hear something on tv that interests us, so we go sit down and watch. Who knows for how long? This is only one example. No doubt, you can think of others. 

If you are a determined writer, you'll make time to pursue your writing. Rather than grab snatches of time here and there, try to create a set time. You might need to give up something to be able to find that time, but again, if you are passionate about writing, you can do it. 

 

Award Winning Book, Amazing Author

 

Jennie Helderman

Jennie Helderman's book, As the Sycamore Grows, was published in 2010, and an updated version published in May of 2023. Recently, Helderman's book was selected by Kirkus Review as one of the 100 Best Books Published by an Indie Press. for 2023. This nonfiction book is an amazing account of a woman who lived in a cabin with no electricity or running water in an abusive marriage. One review mentioned "a cabin, a bible, and a .38". The author doesn't spare the details of this tragic marriage, telling both Ginger's and Mike's side of the story, as well as how she obtained all the information that led to the book. 

The book can be purchased at Amazon and other booksellers. Put the title and author in your favorite search engine to find them. 

I am pleased to call Jennie Helderman my friend and delighted to share her news of this most recent honor. I posted a review of the book and about the author back in 2010, when it was originally published.

. You can read it below. You'll learn a bit about all that went into writing and publishing this award-winning nonfiction book. 

 My Review in 2010

You may remember a blog post about a writer I admire--Jennie Helderman. We met through our online critique group, writersandcritters. Jennie was taking a writing class in her home area. One of her assignments was to write a 1500 word magazine article on poverty in Alabama which described real people and their actual names.  She found a subject with help from the Director of a Women's Shelter. After an interview where she gathered enough material for her article, Jennie realized she had enough to write an entire book.

Perhaps it was a fleeting thought at first, but after the teacher read the article she'd written, he agreed that it could easily be expanded into a full-length book. Perhaps the word easily is not appropriate as it took a journey of five years duration to bring the idea to published book. But today, the book is a reality.

Jennie submitted her book a chapter at a time to our writing group, and we picked it apart, giving suggestions about places that might not be clear enough, or exclaiming over a particularly well done section. We watched as she wrote and rewrote so that the story would do justice to the people in it and send the right message to those who read it. We watched at a conference where we had all gathered as she pitched her book to an agent.

Once the book was complete, she began the masochistic marketing process. That adjective may be a bit strong, but anyone who is trying to sell a book knows they are putting themselves up for being rejected time and again. It can feel like standing at a whipping post with agent after agent, or editor after editor thrashing you. But if you believe in what you've written, as Jennie did, being published can happen.

I have been reading my copy of As The Sycamore Grows, and even though I know the story of a woman's fight for freedom well, I'm captivated by it, thanks in part to excellent writing. In only pages, I found myself completely drawn into Ginger's story as told by Jennie. She gives equal time to Mike's story as well. For, in any abusive marriage, there are two characters playing out the story. Ginger's tale is one of escape from a controlling, abusive husband, of finding a safe haven, and finally of making a new life for herself and her two boys. It's a fascinating read, and I feel privileged to have been able to watch this book grow from a seed to full fruit.

Essay Published Today at Books by Women

 

My essay, 'Writing from the Heart', won third place in our Kansas Authors Club state writing contest Theme Category in 2023. The theme was "A Moment to Write". Today, it was published at https://booksbywomen.org which is a website for and about women writers, the books they have published, tips on writing, interviews and much, much more. Please do click on the link and spend some time there. You'll find loads of things of interest to women writers. 

My essay is below. When you write 'from the heart', you must bare your soul, and I did so in this piece. 

Writing From the Heart

Almost every day, I find a moment to write. A moment and more that take me away from everyday tasks and immerse me into a writing life filled with words from my heart.

I write essays, poems, and stories detailing the events that bring basic emotions into my life. Pain, anguish, joy, and hope visit me through the years, some of those feelings more intense than the others. My words spill onto the paper or screen, paragraph upon paragraph, a coping mechanism. At times, I become driven to put emotional experiences into words, both for myself and for others to read. My writing releases a sort of power that helps deliver healing or satisfaction. Four overwhelming emotions, four chapters of my life—pain, anguish, love, and hope.

Pain begins in childhood with a father who masters both verbal and emotional abuse. No marks on my body, only those buried deep inside. These wounds have scars that no one can see, but I know they are there. Each time a tirade began, and he told me how undeserving I was, my stomach clenched, and I steeled myself, willing the barbs to bounce before penetrating deep into my soul. Sometimes, they didn’t touch me, but other days they hit the mark, leaving me shattered on the inside but stoic as far as anyone else could see. It is years and years before I am able to write of my pain. A scene in a movie startles me into action. I watch the screen in horror as a man describes childhood abuse in vivid terms. I cannot reach home fast enough. Thoughts are spinning through my mind like a whirlpool in a river. I find paper and pen, and the words begin to appear, while tears slip down my cheeks, unchecked. I write verse upon verse of a poem, ending each with the word pain. The floodgates have opened, and my pain flows away until I feel cleansed and have forgiven myself. Writing about this intense feeling frees me forever. I’ll never wonder again if it had been my fault. The power of the words I write wipe away long-held scars.

Anguish tightens its tentacles each time I bury a child. Once is terrible, twice is more than the heart, mind, and body can absorb. Oh, I most likely look fine on the outside, maybe a bit worn down as I stand before an open grave, eyes fixed on a tiny casket nearby. But inside, anguish is chasing anger which is hunted by incredibility which has tripped over the deepest sadness this twenty-seven-year-old woman has ever experienced. All these feelings whirl faster than the tigers chasing one another in a beloved children’s story. Instead of melting into butter, they become lumps of sorrow. Like all wounds, time buffs the sharp edges of my anguish until it softens and subsides in a tiny corner of my heart, becoming only a dull ache. It takes many years until I am able to write of this part of my life, and suddenly the wound is no longer so deep. Time and my own words work together as I find acceptance and begin to heal.

Years later, we spend a week-end with a toddler granddaughter we love. She reaches out to her grandfather and me with chubby arms and a sunlit smile as we say our good-byes. As my husband drives us home, emotion rises within me in such strong waves that I can do nothing but grasp pen and pad and write of the joy this small child has brought. My poem compares her to golden sunshine, soft waves kissing a shore, gentle breezes skipping in a door. I write that I hear her in a robin’s pure sweet song and in silver drops of summer rain. I have found her, I write, in butterfly wings, in a green meadow’s sparkle after a shower, amongst all of God’s wondrous things. When I finish writing, I feel satisfied, and the pad with the poem remains on my lap all the way home. Much later, the poem wins a contest.

I write also about hope, a wish to be a writer that finds fulfillment more than fifty years after my birth. I send a devotional essay to a writers’ anthology telling of a strong desire to write that gets side-tracked when I attend college, become a teacher, marry, and raise my children. I keep the hope alive until middle-age when it turns into reality. I make time to write. I read about writing. I take classes and attend conferences before submitting my work for publication. Inch by inch, I move from hoping to be a published writer to seeing my work in print many times. I write that patience and perseverance are key to my writing successes. As I write that initial devotion, my reasons for writing rise before me clear and strong.

Yes, writing has served me well. Words from my heart have expressed great joy, soothed my anguish, washed away pain, and recorded my hopes and dreams. If they also bring encouragement and pleasure to others, perhaps I am twice blessed.

I continue to find a moment to write during my senior years on a regular basis. Those many moments have some of the best ones in my life,

Writers Begin Anew in January

The old year drifted away at midnight last night, and 2024 slipped right in. Think of it as a book with 366 (Leap Year!)  blank pages. You can fill each page in any way that pleases you. As writers, we can fill each page with some new piece of writing. 

Oh sure, you're thinking, I can't write a whole new story, essay, article, or poem each and every day. You're right. That might be reaching a little too high. But, you can write something every day. Look at the many kinds of writing you might select.

A.  A writing exercise--free-write using a word or phrase, a photo prompt exercise, descriptive paragraphs and more.

B.  A short poem--perhaps a haiku, or a child's verse, or describing something you saw that touched you

C.  The opening paragraphs of a new story, article, or essay

D.  A list of story ideas

E.  A letter to yourself reminding you of goals set for this year

F.  A paragraph or two showing sensory detail

G.  A few descriptive paragraphs

H.  A memory that could turn into a full story later

So, you see that it is possible to write something every day. Create a habit by doing this exercise every day at around the same time. Possibly in the early morning with that first cup of coffee, or just before you settle in bed for the night, or while eating your lunch. 

Most writers have heard of Morning Pages, the term coined by author, Julia Cameron. She suggests you spend a short time each morning writing in a notebook by hand about anything that comes to mind. Let your thoughts flow, no matter how foolish they might seem, how dark, or how silly. It gets the writing juices flowing for more writing later in the day.  

Writers need to create good writing habits if they want to be productive and achieve publication, whether it be in short pieces, poetry, or a full-length book. Lat year is so 'last year' at this point. What better time to begin a new regime than on January 1st, 2024!