Planning a Story
ONE WAY TO PLAN YOUR STORY There are lots of ways to plan a story but this one is an easy way to step into your ideas. Hope it works for you as well as it works for me.
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Book Quotes
When I read, I love to lift out quotes that speak to me and remind me of the story long after I’ve read the last page. Here are three to ponder. Enjoy! … good friends are durable. They’re meant to survive the gaps in growing pains. Dumplin’ (a kindle version) by Julie Murphy A corner is always temporary; it can be backed out of. Humans forget this…and flail away fruitlessly whenever they find themselves stuck. It is better to sit still, maybe take a na, right there in the offending “corner” and see what come to one. Like...
A Writing Obstacle Course: Race to the End
Writing a story is a lot like running an obstacle course. It can’t be a straight line. To hold the attention and interest of readers it needs obstacles and problems to be dealt with along the way. Those problems need to build, creating an escalating reasons for a reader to finish the story/book. Recently I spoke with a person who read my novel,Tasman-An Innocent Convict’s Struggle for Freedom, in one sitting. She said she got so engaged that she couldn’t stop until she discovered Ean’s fate. Her comments had me floating for days. It verified that I’d created an obstacle...
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Across the years of being a child, a teen, a young adult, a parent of young children, an empty nester and now a senior adult, I never saw myself as getting old. Funny thing is, I don’t feel mentally old (but I am forgetful at times). True, I have a funny hair color and look like a granny, but, I don’t feel physically old except for a few aches and lessening flelxibility, but the calendar and the mirror remind me than I am indeed old. As I empty my office space so it can get a new coat of paint...
Tangle of Emotions
During a ramble around Pinterest two years ago, I spotted an interesting visual: Ball of Grief: A Tangled Ball of Emotions. I printed it out (sans author, sorry) and have kept it in my file to remind me of how truly tangled and interconnected our emotions can be. The skein-like ball of emotions shares over 40 emotions, ranging from sadness and inadequacy, to despair and denial, to rage. It provides a great resource for writers as potential characters enter problems and situations and must deal with their entanglements. And… Recently I read a novel about a woman who lost her...
Spring Quotation
Spring is a time of renewal, so remember: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” I encourage you to… Make each step, each day your masterpiece.
Inspiration
What inspires you? When you are having a less-than-perfect day, where do you find your inspiration? My source of inspiration varies by the weather and where I happen to be situated. At home my inspiration comes from the views outside my windows and along my walks throughout my neighborhood. Watching the changing seasons, new neighbors replacing one ones, seasonal plants that brighten my path. I also am inspired by listening to classic KING-FM; it awakens my imagination for writing and gives me energy. I’ve always been a sucker for classical music, especially The Moldau, Finlandia, New World Symphony, and most...
My Self-Inflicted Reading Challenge
At Christmas time as I was scanning my bookshelves, I made a decision. James Clavelle was taking up about 12 inches with his epic series which includes Shogun, Tai Pai, Gai Jin, King Rat, Noble House and Whirlwind. It was time to try to make my way through his 6,000 pages OR pass the books on to someone who might be up to the challenge. I decided to go for it. I’ll read about 20 pages a day and see what happens. By January 19th, I’d reached the half way point in Shogun. So far it’s felt like everyone has...
Small Town Girl- My Secret Mission
After I completed Tasman, I promised my husband I’d take a break from writing, but that was a HUGE fib. In actuality, I had been writing a memoir for my family for the last few years and this past Christmas was my due date to have it finished and published for them. It all began strangely. I started thinking about all the changes to daily life across my decades and, when I had nothing from my novels to share with my writing group, I’d write about one of my remembrances so I could be an active contributor when we met....
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