Yes. No. Maybe.

 

Fiction is so much more precise than reality. Dorothy Garlock was once asked in my presence what she would do if a character took over her story. Thinking the question absurd, she replied: I would kill them. It's my book. 

If anyone asked me the most difficult part of writing, I'd have to say it is a toss-up between penning emotion (because real emotion comes from my heart, gut, and head--it's personal, and I always feel exposed)...and separating the voices in my head.

There are those writerly voices, the characters, and there are the screams from my subconscious that force me into a corner. If a friend asks: Does this haircut make my ass look fat, I'm not about to tell her to wear a wig until her buzz cut grows out, so I'll say NO and assure her she looks great. If an aging parent makes a decision out of hope and desperation, I'll waffle, trying to find my ground before answering. Time to say goodbye to a beloved pet--the hardest truth to face, but in the best interest of the animal, I won't lie to myself.

With fiction, it's easier to be brutally honest. I'm not killing a character I've created just because he pisses me off if he veers outside his character boundaries, but since the book will have my name on it instead of his, he's not getting by with his crap. 

Maybe it all boils down to ownership and responsibility. I'm responsible for what my characters say and do. It's not that simple when it comes to controlling others' actions, because I don't wish to own their pain.

No, it's not Monday. Just feels like it.

 

Back to writing today

I'm actually in a great mood. The new bed is AWESOME. The new cat is adapting and getting along with the old dogs. Well...as well as cats and dogs get along.

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all, you moms and to the dads who helped make them moms.

Social Media

Like I've said, my writing goals for 2013 include submitting at least 1 new project per month, and since I'm published in long, short, novel, novella, short stories, essays, and what have you... And since I'm a stay-at-home writer... I have no excuses. None I'll accept, anyway.

I also have goals for social media. I dislike dropping my pants unless I am skinny dipping, so this is difficult. Add to that my short term memory issues...it is hard for me to retain new knowledge without a struggle. (By the way, that skinny dipping thing rarely occurs, and not unless I'm sure I won't get caught!

My only goals in SM right now are to keep up with the blog, because writing and life ARE adventurous for me. Even at my age, I learn something new every day. Ha. I just don't recall some of it.

I also have a need to do one or two things better, if not well, so I'm relearning Facebook and Twitter, even if it kills me. I live networking, but it's best I don't learn everything second-hand, so I'm striving to be proactive. Anyone else in the same boat?

Have a great day!

Life Gets In The Way

Or does it? Picture every film you've seen on aging parents, the books you've read on coping with health issues, and articles in magazines on aging pets. Multiply by 10, and you have my last 6 months.

That said, despite getting my parents situated closer to me (he broke a hip and she broke a leg and has other issues requiring 24/7 assistance), WORRYING over big dog with hip problems, smaller dog losing her hearing, and other things...I have managed to write! My goal was for one submission per month, and I had 6 before end of April.

This time last year I was in Australia. Never had time to upload info and pics but will gather steam and get my butt into gear. Stay tuned.

Happy "pico de gayo"--as a friend said to me earlier. And that was her pronunciation.

More later!

Motivation

Back when I was a working girl and many of you weren't even a glimmer in your parents' eyes, I kept journals. In them, I'd set the dollar amount I wanted to hit daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. And since I'm a visual person, I'd clip photos of what I'd buy with that money.

For some reason, my journals kept me motivated. I'd put a big check mark every time I hit a goal. New washing machine, jewelry, trip...whatever I wanted. Often, the goal was to get a new book, visit a friend I hadn't seen in ages. Sometimes during lean months, the goal was simply to have a nice meal.

Looking back later, I'd find I produced more books and sometimes raised the bar on myself, hitting several thousand dollars more than I'd worked toward.

Good books to help included:

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Dr. Susan Jeffries
Wishcraft by Barbra Sher
anything by Shakti Gawain, starting with Creative Visualization
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

I was partially paralyzed for 18 months when I began this method. First goals were to move my legs, walk without crutches, get off of pain killers, and stop feeling like a victim. I was bitter, angry, depressed, and a single mother with a young son. But even writing Thank You on a bill I could pay was a goal worth keeping. Gratitude produced abundance.

Set goals. It works. But you can't hit a target you don't have.

Writing buddy DeAnn sent a link to our group that defines how to set goals. Even if you're familiar with the concept, this blog post is worth the read. Sometimes seeing something through a different lens recharges our will to succeed.

http://romancebeckons.blogspot.com/2012/10/career-planning-for-authors-wwow.html

I need to heed my own advice. Have been trapped in one of those "life hells" that pop up now and then. Both parents in and out of hospitals and nursing homes, neither doing well (understatement), with me between helping them and taking care of things at home with my family here. Haven't done much writing. Pretty much became a hermit once I arrived back here. But I'm working my way through whatever needs to be done and hope to get back into what feeds my soul...the writing.

Have a great weekend coming up.

More next time (and hopefully soon).

Coffee and Confessions

Remember when you were young and had girlfriends, the ones who gave you alibis, held your hair when you were sick, stayed up all hours giggling and chatting when you should have been asleep? I highly recommend cultivating those friendships, no matter your age or stage in life. I have such girlfriends, and my personal and writing lives would be insane and much less fun without them. One such friend is De.

Fellow author DeAnn Sicard and I are on a new joint adventure, that of publishing a monthly ezine called Coffee and Confessions. Just what it says--confession stories, tips and info on coffee, recipes, and even a monthly guest bit in which they offer up a free read. The first edition should be out within a week, and this one is FREE. I'll post the link as soon as it goes live on Amazon.

Since De's a tea-sipper, and I'm the java maven, we will do issues later on called Tea and...Something. There will also be issues with beer (beer-battered fish recipes, etc) and short mysteries. Murder On Tap. And, yes, for those who remember my erotic romance stories, we will even have issues like Cocktail Teasers...spirits and sex.

For now, however, we're concentrating on coffee, because it's a passion of mine.

On Oahu, I passed coffee plantations, visited a macadamia nut farm, and thoroughly enjoyed a few cups of locally grown Kona coffee. And with those delicious Hawaiian cookies? Heaven!

A few weeks later, while in Old Sydney, I browsed local shops and discovered the Baker's Oven. Quaint al fresco seating, crisp autumn weather, and the best mocha ever. I sat by myself, taking photos, unabashedly eavesdropping--Aussie accents are to die for, and journaling. When I finished my coffee, I realized the shop had delivered a message inside the cup: Sharing the Passion.

That's what De and I wish to do with Coffee and Confessions. Give readers a coffee break with passionate yet tame stories (even if the titles are a tad titalating), information/facts/folklore on coffee, and a recipe readers might try when they have time.

Join us in a few days. Again, the first issue is free!
http://www.coffeenconfession.blogspot.com/

Rested, Rejuvenated, Ready

If I've been slack with the blog, I hope I've made up with the writing. A girl's gotta earn her keep somehow. But, oh, the adventures I've had this year at age sixty!

Trips. Within four months, I visited Hawaii during spring, lived in Australia during their winter, had a nice summer jaunt to Las Vegas, and soon afterward spent a wonderful autumn writers' retreat with old friends and new in historic Ft. Scott, Kansas. All within a matter of weeks and months.

What I've learned on my safari of the soul this year would fill volumes. My goal on the blog is to share important highlights and offer insights as to how we can all grow as writers.

The magic lies within each of us to create our own journeys. Sometimes they involve miles: more often than not, the milestones are how we mark and track our adventures. Yes, doing the unusual is inspiring--one of the most deeply felt instances for me was having a dolphin near Waikiki kiss my cheek. His smooth, supple skin against mine, his nose nuzzling me and his chin in my palm when I kissed him...spiritual, core-cradling love and a connection like no other to the mysteries of life.

Seeing tears spring to a new writer's eyes (subtle wave to Chris) when others praised her efforts, hearing a passage being read from yet another writer who has grown tremendously over the past year (Hello, Kim!)--those, too, were blessings. Chris stumbles over a few words, but I've no doubt she will grow into a fine writer. Kim began at ground zero and has taken class after class, written page after page--and watching her progress both thrills and inspires me.

Both of these women have courage for beginning their journeys in such a fluctuating business in which even pros have difficulty staying published.

Courage is paramount when we offer up our dreams and aspirations. Sometimes our hopes are shattered, while often they soar on wings of encouragement. The important thing is that we try with gusto, continually challenging ourselves, giving our own shoulders the atta-boy or atta-girl when no one else is able or willing.

Dolphins are by nature wild creatures. So are untamed writers. For most of us, it isn't in our nature to play unsafely. But the joys of daring are delightful when we do so with hope, courage, and determination.

Risk is imperative for us. We gain nothing but complacency when we remain in our comfort zones. As dear friend and author Alfie Thompson reminded me recently, it's not the things we've done that can fill us with regret so much as it is the chances we didn't take. If you've dreamed of publishing and haven't sold a book, keep trying. If you've sold fifty or a hundred books but haven't reached your goal of winning a specific award, or if there's another genre in which you haven't reached your goals, don't brush your needs aside. Work harder. Use what you've learned to lay the foundation for a new path. But don't quit! Keep growing and getting better!

Take your opportunities. Challenge yourself to live the life you desire and to write the books of your heart. Whatever the obstacles, overcome them rather than play it safe. Spirit is mighty when fueled by love and backed by action.

In not-so-chicken-soup-motherly-advice, love yourself and writing then get off your ass and do the work. Unlike the typical parent sending their child to school or camp, don't say take care, be safe. Advise yourself to take calculated risks today.